The greatest service that Benedict XVI did the papacy was his leaving of it

Shy, unworldly, and donnish, Joseph Ratzinger was temperamentally unsuited for the presures and demands of the papacy, and incapable of coping with the in-fighting and jealousy of the papal court, writes TP O'Mahony

Pope Benedict XVI waving to the crowd from Westminster Cathedral, London, after celebrating Mass. The Vatican has announced the death of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. Picture: PA

The greatest service Pope Benedict XVI did the Papacy was his leaving of it, and the manner in which this happened — by and through resignation. By doing so, he set an example that cannot be ignored by the popes, starting with Francis, who will come after him.

His resignation came as a great shock because (a) there was no precedent for it in the modern history of the Papacy, and (b) he had given no prior indication to any of those close to him that he was actually contemplating such a dramatic exit on February 11, 2013.