For years, Pope Benedict XVI was unfairly labeled by the media. Now, a growing number of Gen Z Catholics are discovering him for themselves — and realizing those clichés were completely off.
Here are a few reasons why young Catholics are quietly (and sometimes loudly) falling in love with this “underrated” pope:
1) He Was Crazy Smart — But Extremely Clear
Benedict XVI was one of the greatest theologians of the last century, yet he could explain deep truths in simple, beautiful language.
His greatest contribution is probably his magisterium: his encyclicals (Deus Caritas Est, Spe Salvi, Caritas in Veritate), audiences, homilies, and his Jesus of Nazareth books, which many believe are strong enough to merit him being declared a future Doctor of the Church.
2) He Preached Relationship, Not Just Rules
A lot of people think Benedict = “rules and doctrine,” but his central message was that Christianity is first an encounter with a Person: Jesus Christ.
In Deus Caritas Est, he wrote one of his most famous lines: being Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or an idea, but “the encounter with an event, a person.”
This Christ-centered focus runs through all his teaching. He insisted faith is not a moral checklist or a theory, but a living friendship with Christ that transforms everything.
3) He Fought Relativism Head-On
We live in a world that constantly says, “Your truth, my truth, whatever.” Benedict named that problem directly.
He warned that the “dictatorship of relativism” — the idea that there is no real truth, only opinions — was one of the central problems of our time, and he called the Church back to confidence in objective truth and the Gospel.
4) He Was the First Pope in 600 Years to Resign
In 2013, he became the first pope since Gregory XII to step down, citing declining strength of mind and body, and inaugurating the unprecedented figure of the “Pope Emeritus,” which will shape how future popes think about office and old age.
He was shy, soft-spoken, and visibly uncomfortable with applause. Then he did something almost unthinkable: he resigned the papacy out of humility and realism.
5) He Was the Pope of Aesthetics
From reverent liturgy to sacred music and art, Benedict XVI believed beauty is a pathway to God. He promoted a “reform in continuity” with Vatican II, encouraged reverence and sacred music, widened access to the 1962 Missal with Summorum Pontificum, and highlighted the importance of beauty in worship, earning nicknames like “the pope of aesthetics.” Gen Z is visually saturated and deeply drawn to aesthetics. When they encounter beautiful Masses, chant, or Eucharistic adoration shaped by Benedict’s vision of worship centered on God, they realize: this is not about performance — it’s about adoration.
6) He Created a Historic Path for Anglicans to Come Home
With Anglicanorum coetibus, he established personal ordinariates so Anglicans could enter full communion with Rome while preserving much of their liturgical and spiritual heritage — a creative ecumenical move with long-term consequences.
7) His Writings Are Made for Deep-Dive Catholics
Gen Z loves to deep-dive when something grabs their interest — binge-watching, long-form podcasts, multi-part series. Benedict’s writings are like that for the soul. From Introduction to Christianity to his Jesus of Nazareth trilogy, his homilies, encyclicals, and addresses reward anyone willing to go beyond the surface. The more you read, the more you realize how rich he is.
8) He Took Real Steps Against Clerical Abuse
As pope, he pushed for the retirement of notorious abusers, streamlined procedures for dealing with abuse cases, and met with victims, helping launch a more serious response to the crisis at the Vatican level.
9) He Lived a Hidden, Prayerful “Second Chapter” for the Church
Young people today are no strangers to anxiety, instability, and suffering. Seeing an elderly, frail pope who kept praying, kept loving, and remained faithful to the end is powerful. After his resignation, Benedict disappeared into a life of silence and intercession. The Church found in him not a celebrity, but a grandfather in the faith who offered his weakness and prayer for all.