"Pope Benedict XVI: A Legacy of Faith and Controversy Remembered on Anniversary"

On the first anniversary of Pope Benedict XVI's death, Cardinal Gerhard Mueller, a close aide, stated that Benedict would not have approved the recent declaration allowing Catholic priests to bless same-sex couples. Mueller, speaking at an event organized by a conservative Catholic TV network, criticized the declaration's ambiguity and maintained that homosexual matrimony cannot exist within the Church's ideology. Pope Francis acknowledged the anniversary, praising Benedict's service, while Mueller emphasized his willingness to publicly disagree with Francis on doctrinal issues. Archbishop Georg Gaenswein, Benedict's private secretary, also expressed emotional tributes during a memorial Mass and voiced his hope for Benedict's sainthood.