Editing Pope Benedict XVI (section)

== Titles and styles ==
As Pope, Benedict's rarely used full title was:<blockquote>[[His Holiness]] Benedict{{nbsp}}XVI, Bishop of Rome, [[Vicar of Jesus Christ]], [[Successor of the Prince of the Apostles]], [[Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church]], Primate of Italy, [[Archbishop]] and [[Metropolitan of the Roman Province]], Sovereign of the Vatican City State, [[Servant of the servants of God]].<ref>''Annuario Pontificio'', published annually by Libreria Editrice Vaticana, {{p.|23}}. {{ISBN|978-8820987220}} (2012)</ref></blockquote>The best-known title, that of "Pope", did not appear in the official list of titles, but is commonly used in the titles of documents and appears, in abbreviated form, in their signatures as "PP." standing for "''Papa''" ("Pope").<ref>{{Cite Catholic Encyclopedia|author=Shahan, Thomas Joseph|wstitle=Ecclesiastical Abbreviations|volume=1}}</ref><ref>{{cite encyclopedia |year= 2013|title =Pope |encyclopedia=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]] |access-date=14 April 2013|url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/469994/pope}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://inkunabeln.ub.uni-koeln.de/vdibDevelop/handapparat/nachs_w/cappelli/cappelli.html |author=Adriano Cappelli |title=Lexicon Abbreviaturarum |page=283 |access-date=18 February 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130725080258/http://inkunabeln.ub.uni-koeln.de/vdibDevelop/handapparat/nachs_w/cappelli/cappelli.html |archive-date=25 July 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ndl.go.jp/incunabula/e/glossary/glo_11.html |title=Contractions and Abbreviations |publisher=Ndl.go.jp |date=4 August 2005 |access-date=21 November 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111210050234/http://www.ndl.go.jp/incunabula/e/glossary/glo_11.html |archive-date=10 December 2011 }}</ref>

Before 1 March 2006, the list of titles also used to contain that of a "[[Patriarch of the West]]", which traditionally appeared in that list of titles before "Primate of Italy". The title of "Patriarch of the West" was removed in the 2006 edition of ''[[Annuario Pontificio]]''. According to [[Achille Silvestrini]], Benedict chose to remove the title at a time as a "sign of ecumenical sensitivity" on the issue of [[papal primacy]].<ref name="patriarch of the West">{{cite web|last=Wooden|first=Cindy|title=Vatican removes title 'patriarch of the West' after pope's name|url=http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0601225.htm|archive-url=http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20060308013147/http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0601225.htm|archive-date=8 March 2006|work=Catholic News Service|publisher=U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops|access-date=29 March 2013}}</ref>

After his resignation, the official [[Style (form of address)|style]] of the former pope in English was ''His Holiness Benedict{{nbsp}}XVI, Supreme Pontiff emeritus'' or ''Pope emeritus''.<ref>[[Annuario Pontificio]] 2013, {{p.|1}}, cited in [http://chiesa.espresso.repubblica.it/articolo/1350523?eng=y Vatican Diary / The identity cards of the last two popes]</ref> Less formally he was referred to as emeritus pope or Roman pontifex emeritus.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/26/world/europe/vatican-benedict-title/index.html|title= Vatican reveals Pope Benedict's new title |publisher=CNN|date=22 February 2013}}</ref> Moreover, according to the [[1983 Code of Canon Law|1983 ''Code of Canon Law'']], he was also ''bishop emeritus of Rome'', retaining the sacred character received at his ordination as a bishop and receiving the title of emeritus of his diocese; although he did not use this style.<ref>[https://catholicherald.co.uk/commentandblogs/2017/10/07/theres-nothing-wrong-with-calling-benedict-xvi-pope-emeritus/ There's nothing wrong with calling Benedict XVI 'Pope Emeritus'] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191105091444/https://catholicherald.co.uk/commentandblogs/2017/10/07/theres-nothing-wrong-with-calling-benedict-xvi-pope-emeritus/ |date=5 November 2019 }} – website of the newspaper [[Catholic Herald]]</ref> The pope emeritus had personally preferred to be simply known as "Father Benedict".<ref>[https://www.tektonministries.org/tekton-ministries-catholic-the-request-of-a-retired-pope-simply-call-me-father-benedict/ Ratzinger's Request: Simply call me 'Father Benedict'], TektonMinistries.org. Retrieved 4 August 2015</ref>