Francis praises Benedict on anniversary of resignation: "A man of great courage and humility"
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Pope Francis has praised his predecessor Pope Benedict XVI as courageous and humble on the first anniversary of his remarkable announcement that he would retire.
In a tweet Tuesday, Francis wrote: "Today I ask you to join me in prayer for His Holiness Benedict XVI, a man of great courage and humility."
It was the latest, and surely most authoritative, in a long line of praises being showered on Benedict, who became the first pope in 700 years to retire when he stepped down last year.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}His resignation has been seen by many in the Vatican as a great act of governance, enabling the reform-minded Francis to clean house in the Vatican and reboot a 2,000 year-old institution hobbled by sex abuse scandals and growing indifference in a secularized world.