A former dean of theology at the Catholic University of America has described the excitement on campus when Pope Benedict XVI visited Washington in 2008. Monsignor Kevin Irwin said the occasion was "extraordinarily exciting for the students."

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI died on Saturday at age 95. The German theologian became the first pope in 600 years to resign, stepping down in 2013. Five years before that, he came to the capital, where he met with then-President George W. Bush at the White House and celebrated a mass at Nationals Park.

During the visit, Benedict addressed the academic community, which had been eager to learn his position on academic freedom at Catholic campuses. He told them their work was vital to "the mission of the Church to proclaim the Good News." Irwin said educators were "very encouraged by his remarks on Catholic education."

Irwin said observers often dwell on differences in personality between Benedict and his predecessor, St. John Paul II. He described John Paul as "a very, very gregarious, extroverted philosopher," while recalling Benedict as "very gracious, very pleasant" when Irwin met him as a cardinal. Benedict was known for his love of cats, even feeding strays, and was an accomplished pianist. "I knew very well he'd rather be at home with his cat and his piano," Irwin said.

His retirement had no modern precedent. "We have not had an experience of a resigned Pope in 600 years," Irwin said. With both Benedict and the newly appointed Pope Francis living, some speculated about a power struggle at the top of the church. That talk was fueled by Benedict's decision to be called Pope Emeritus rather than the expected Bishop Emeritus of Rome. Irwin rejected the idea outright: "There were not two popes. There's never two popes. Catholics do have one pope, and we have one at a time."

On the issue of sexual abuse within the church, Irwin said Benedict deserves credit for taking concrete steps. Benedict faced criticism in some cases over how he handled allegations against clergy, but Irwin said he "broke the ice and moved forward on the issue of abuse where John Paul did not." He pointed to the case of Marcial Maciel, founder of the Legion of Christ, whom Benedict ordered to retire after numerous allegations of sexual abuse of minors.

Irwin said, however, that Benedict's published writings complicated matters. In 2019, the pope emeritus released a letter and essay laying out his views on the abuse scandal, blaming it on the sexual revolution of the 1960s and an absence of God. "I thought that was not fair play," Irwin said. "When the curtain comes down you go home."

Benedict's bright red shoes also drew considerable media attention, with speculation that the designer Prada had made them. Irwin said he told journalist Christiane Amanpour when Benedict retired, "The Devil may have worn Prada, this pope did not." According to the Catholic News Agency, the shoes were made by Italian shoemakers.