Last Testament: In His Own Words

Author: Pope Benedict XVI with Peter Seewald

Pope Benedict made history when he became the first Pope in over 700 years to resign from office, stunning the Catholic Church the world over. Last Testament is a stunning and frank autobiography from the shy and private man who remained cloistered in a former convent in the Vatican gardens until his death in December 2022. In interviews with Peter Seewald, the Pope Emeritus broke his silence on corruption within the Vatican, clerical sex scandals, and the challenge of reforming the Papacy. ​​​​​​​In these interviews, Benedict discussed wide-ranging controversies.​​​​​​​

On a more personal level he wrote with great warmth of his successor Pope Francis, who he admitted has a popular touch, a star quality which Benedict himself lacked. Much controversy still surrounds Pope Benedict's Papacy - in this book he addressed these controversies and revealed how at his late age, governing and reforming the Papacy and particularly the Vatican, was beyond him.