Politico Reporter Fired? Writer Who Attacked Pope Benedict Not Employed at News Outlet

Politico reporter Eric Geller faced extreme backlash after attacking Pope Benedict XVI.

Following the news of Pope Benedict XVI’s Dec. 31 death, Geller referred to the late pope as a “homophobic pedophile protector” on Twitter. The cybersecurity reporter garnered intense criticism for his comments.

Geller later deleted his post shortly after publishing it.

Here’s his original tweet below:

@ericgeller, Twitter

Along with an article announcing Pope Benedict’s death, Geller’s now-deleted tweet reads, “Homophobic pedophile protector and Hitler Youth Alumnus dead at 95.”

Geller then admitted to “poor judgment” for the “offensive” tweet.

Geller’s tweet reads, “I deleted the tweet about Pope Benedict that was offensive and in poor judgment.”

While he turned comments off for the post, more than 500 users retweeted and commented on it anyway, with mostly negative feedback.

The reporter’s LinkedIn account also says he “covered cybersecurity for Politico.” The outlet confirmed to The Daily Beast on Jan. 10 that he no longer works for them.

Benedict XVI’s History in the German Army

Joseph Ratzinger (the future Pope Benedict XVI) served in the Nazi army at age 16 after Germans forced the entry of all boys in his age group. United States troops later took him as a prisoner of war in 1945.