Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI died last weekend. He was a prolific author, scholar, theologian, and humble pastor. I remember that in his later years he wrote a letter to then, Pope JP2, expressing a desire to return to Germany and live a simple academic life. God had other plans and as Pope he lead the Catholic Church for nearly eight years, from 2005 until his resignation in 2013.

I didn’t ever personally meet him, but I have priest friends who did. As Cardinal, he was know to walk home from his Vatican office to his apartment by crossing St. Peter’s Square at the exact same time every afternoon. One group of priest friends decided to plant themselves on the path so that they could meet him. They said he was so gracious and kind, and have a smiling picture with him to prove it! They were early ‘groupies!’

Another priest friend wrote him and asked to meet with him in the monastery after his resignation from papal ministry. Lo and behold, he got a “yes, the Pope Emeritus will meet with you for fifteen minutes on this day….” The Pope Emeritus asked him about his parish, and his ministry, his family, and talked about the beauty of the liturgy. He said it was like visiting his grandfather.

My seminary years were in the shadow of the great Saint John Paul 2! But many younger priests now credit their love for the scholarship and clarity of Pope Benedict for being instrumental in their vocations. May he rest in peace with all the angels and saints. Please keep him in your prayers, to that end, we will have a rosary in the church after our 8:30am Mass this weekend (between Masses) to pray for the repose of his soul.

I will let these words of his be the last:

“My dear young friends, I want to invite you to ‘dare to love.’ Do not desire anything less for your life than a love that is strong and beautiful and that is capable of making the whole of your existence a joyful undertaking of giving yourselves as a gift to God and your brothers and sisters, in imitation of the One who vanquished hatred and death forever through love.” — Pope Benedict XVI, World Youth Day, 2007.

pax,

Father John Mosimann