Pope Benedict never ceased to argue that democracy must be judged by truth, a criterion it cannot measure but can only be measured by.

Our readers offered a variety of perspectives on Pope Benedict XVI and his ministry after the publication of America's articles on his life and passing.

Pope Francis hit out strongly against the way people have sought to manipulate Benedict’s death. “People who instrumentalize such a good person, [a man] of God, almost I would say a holy father of the church, have no ethics,” he said. “They are of a party, not of the church.”

Calls for the canonization of Pope Benedict XVI follow the trend of 20th and 21st century popes, but this "santo subito" process is not as common as it may seem today.

Pope Benedict’s German biographer, Peter Seewald, confirmed that nine weeks before he died, Benedict revealed that insomnia was the “central motive” for his resignation.

Pope Francis says he hasn't even considered issuing norms to regulate future papal resignations and plans to continue for as long as he can as bishop of Rome, despite a wave of attacks by some top-ranking cardinals and bishops.