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The funeral for Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI will be held today, Thursday, January 5, 2023. Benedict passed away this past Saturday, December 31, 2022. The funeral follows three days in which his body has been lying in state at Saint Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican.
Born in Germany in 1927, Joseph Ratzinger was first and foremost a teacher and theologian whose mission was to reawaken Christianity in a secularized and indifferent Europe following World War II. He saw mankind turning away from Christ and the Church in response to the War, particularly with the infiltration of Communism across Eastern Europe. His writings advocated for a return to fundamental Christian values as a means of countering the increasing secularization of Western society. In 2005, early in his papacy, he was quoted as saying “in vast areas of the world today, there is a strange forgetfulness of God.”
Chosen to succeed the man he served as an advisor, Benedict could not have been more different stylistically than Pope John Paul II. His role would reflect that of the quiet and reserved theologian, not that of the globe-trotting, charismatic pontiff. During his eight-year reign as pope, Benedict XVI also took a more conservative path than his predecessor. In attempting to remind Europe of its Christian roots, he made some moves in a more traditional direction, including relaxing restrictions on the celebration of the old Latin Mass. His decisions were based on an insistence that the Church stay true to its bedrock doctrine and traditions in the face of a changing world, moves which in some ways alienated progressives within the Church.
One of the major tasks left for Benedict to address was the clergy abuse scandals of the twentieth century. He also advanced efforts to heal wounds with the Jewish community during his papacy. His writings include an exoneration of the Jewish people for the death of Christ, contending there was no basis in Scripture for blaming the entire Jewish faith for the death of Jesus.
After watching Pope John Paul II’s physical sufferings during the final years of his papacy, Benedict arrived at a decision to avoid the same fate. In 2013, in a stunning reversal of a tradition that had spanned the history of the papacy, Benedict announced his retirement, citing a "lack of strength of mind and body". He become the first pope in over 600 years to not live out his term as pontiff. In a reflection of his personality, his retirement was one spent quietly in prayer and study, where he rarely made public appearances. Although a personal one, his decision to retire, rather than serve as “pope for life”, will likely have a long-lasting impact on the papacy, opening the door for future popes to follow the same path.
Once nicknamed “God’s Rottweiler” by the media, Benedict should be best remembered as a quiet, dedicated academic who devoted his life to serving the church he loved. Pope Francis, who, despite having a very different personality and priorities for the Church, had a profound respect and love for Benedict. As he stated, having Benedict in the Vatican was like having a “wise grandfather” living at your home. REFERENCES: The Western Journal and The Associated Press, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI Dead in Vatican City Wikipedia.com, Pope Benedict XVI Vatican Philatelic Society website (www.vaticanstamps.org), Stamp Database Search | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
