Former Pope Benedict died on the eve of New year
2023.01.01 05:46
Former Pope Benedict died on the eve of New year
Budrigannews.com – Despite the fact that Pope Francis observed the customary World Day of Peace on Sunday, the beginning of the new year at the Vatican was overshadowed by Benedict’s passing.
As the body of Benedict, who passed away on Saturday at the age of 95, was being prepared for three days of public viewing in the same church beginning on Monday, Francis presided over a Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica.
His funeral on Thursday will be simple, solemn, and solemn in accordance with his wishes. A current pope will attend his predecessor’s funeral for the first time in many centuries. In 2013, Benedict became the first pontiff in 600 years to step down.
Since January 1 is also the feast of the Mother of God, Francis asked the Madonna to accompany “our beloved” Pope Emeritus Benedict “on his passage from this world to God” in his homily.
In one of the prayers at the Mass, Benedict was also remembered, and Francis also called for peace, mentioning war-torn nations like Ukraine, where Russia continued its aggressive attacks on New Year’s Day.
He added, “Let us pray to our Mother in a special way for her sons and daughters who are suffering and no longer have the strength to pray, and for our many brothers and sisters all over the world who are victims of war, passing these holidays in darkness and cold, in poverty and fear, immersed in violence and indifference.”
Instead of “wasting time glued to a keyboard in front of a computer screen,” Francis urged his audience members to “dirty our hands and to do some good.”
The two-page “spiritual testimony” that Benedict wrote in 2006, one year after he was elected pope, was made available by the Vatican on Saturday night. As Benedict grew older and more frail, there was no explanation as to why he did not update it.
In it, he asked God to welcome him into internal life “despite all my sins and insufficiencies” in a general, spiritual manner.
On Saturday, Francis referred to Benedict as a kind, noble man who was a blessing to the Church and the world.
While conservative members of the faithful and world leaders continued to pay tribute to the former pope, others were harshly critical of his reign.
When he was in charge of the doctrinal department at the Vatican under Pope John Paul II, some people thought back to the severe discipline he imposed on progressive theologians, particularly in Latin America. Liberal Catholics dubbed then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger “God’s Rottweiler” as a result of those actions.
Victims’ groups alleged that Benedict was protecting the institution at all costs, despite the fact that some have credited him with taking significant steps to formalize the Vatican’s response to clergy sexual abuse.
The anti-abuse organization SNAP stated, “In our view, the death of Pope Benedict XVI is a reminder that, similar to John Paul II, Benedict was more concerned about the Church’s deteriorating image and financial flow to the hierarchy versus grasping the concept of true apologies followed by true amends to victims of abuse.”
Cardinal Marc Ouellet of Canada, like many other Vatican officials who worked with Benedict, said that he thought the German pontiff had left behind “a great legacy” as a man of God and culture.
Ouellet stated to Reuters Television, “I believe this is also a task for the future, to deeply rethink the Christian faith in the face of the challenges of our time.”
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