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Now, the Pope Benedict Conspiracy Theories × native advertisingThese content recommendations are provided by AdStyle and may be paid by the advertiser whose ad you clicked on. Ad.Style recognizes interest based on how you and other visitors interact with content suggestions.You can advertise your content here too!Promote with Ad.Style and drive high-value visitors from this and other premium publishers. 300,000 People Love Getting Our Emails. Join the Club. A fast and unbiased roundup of what’s happening in the world today. 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Suggest a Story Get our apps: iPhone iPad Android Windows Install our app: Newser App   Breaking News More World Stories» Francis' Funeral Homily Upsets Benedict Supporters Poland's Fight With Germany Over Reparations Turns Nasty To US Diplomats, It's 'Turkiye' US, Other Allies Sending Combat Vehicles to Ukraine Violence Follows Arrest of Son of 'El Chapo' in Mexico Biden: 'Do Not Just Show Up at the Border' Small-Town Mayor Impressed by Illegal Rave Putin Orders 36-Hour Ceasefire in Ukraine Andrew Tate's Trouble Just Got Worse For the First Time in Centuries, Pope Presides Over Pope's Funeral Boy Stuck in 10-Inch-Wide Shaft Dies Harry: Argument With William Over Meghan Got Physical World / Pope Benedict XVI Now, the Pope Benedict Conspiracy Theories Sex scandal? Nazi history? Prophecy? By Neal Colgrass,  Newser Staff Posted Feb 11, 2013 5:51 PM CST Copied In this Dec. 21, 2005 file photo, Pope Benedict XVI, sporting a fur-trimmed hat, waves to pilgrims upon his arrival in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican for his weekly general audience.   (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino, File) View 1 more image With Pope Benedict suddenly announcing his resignation today, we've looked at his legacy and the process for choosing his replacement. Now—forgive us—we delve into the inevitable conspiracy theories that "explain" his resignation: His Nazi History. Benedict has acknowledged he was forced to serve in the Hitler Youth during a "dark time" in his childhood. Now the Atlantic Wire has dug up Twitter users like Melanie Karin, who writes, "Resigning for health reasons! Yeah. That's it. Not because of anything scandalous like ... having a Nazi youth past." Sex Scandal. Not only has a sex-abuse scandal rocked the Catholic Church, Pope Benedict is said to have personally approved an accused molester's transfer to therapy. One tweeter directed a curious Piers Morgan ("As a Catholic, I'm not buying this") to see an HBO documentary on the subject, Mea Maxima Culpa. The Prophecy. Of course, there's a prophecy. A bishop named Malachy may have proclaimed in 1140 that the 111th pope—the one after Benedict—will reign during the downfall of the church. But as the National Review explains, Malachy's predictions were likely invented for political reasons. Fatal Illness. "Italians are great conspiracy theorists, so they are all looking for other reasons why he may have quit," says a Telegraph reporter. "I think the most popular reason that people were coming up with was that they just think perhaps he is much more ill than we have been told." Weight of Scandal. Not exactly a conspiracy, this theory holds that church scandals (like "Vatileaks") have been hard on Benedict's health. "It is difficult to imagine the degree of intrigue that is present in Rome," a longtime friend tells Der Spiegel. See how one of Benedict's policies led to a topless protest. (Read more Pope Benedict XVI stories.) View 1 more image 97 comments All stories Next Story You May Also LikeYou May Also LikeYou May Also LikeYou May Also LikeYou May Also LikeDoctor: if You Have Toenail Fungus, Do This Immediately (Genius!)KerassentialsDoctors Stunned: Home Remedy Removes Wrinkles Like Crazy! 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