The Catholic Times has compiled reactions and reflections from throughout the diocese on the death and legacy of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI.
The retired pontiff died Dec. 31 in Rome at age 95 and was laid to rest on Jan. 5 after a simple funeral at the Vatican.
The former Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was elected pope in 2005 and resigned in 2013. The German native and theologian had served under Pope St. John Paul II as the prefect for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith until succeeding John Paul.
The following are remembrances of Pope Benedict XVI:
Father Stephen Alcott, OP
Pastor, Columbus St. Patrick Church
I attended World Youth Day in Cologne (Germany) in 2005 as a young priest along with a group from our parish in Cincinnati. Pope Benedict had just become pope. I, like so many, knew that he was a great writer, but his pastoral side was wonderfully revealed in his preaching and presence at this World Youth Day which had been planned by his predecessor, Pope John Paul II.
Because the relics of the Magi are kept at the Cologne Cathedral, Pope Benedict wove the theme of pilgrimage and seeking Christ throughout his preaching and addresses. One of his reflections that he shared with a group of seminarians in Cologne has stuck with me over the years:
“Why did the Magi set off from afar to go to Bethlehem? The answer has to do with the mystery of the ‘star’ which they saw ‘in the East’ and which they recognized as the star of the ‘King of the Jews,’ that is to say, the sign of the birth of the Messiah (Matthew 2:2). So, their journey was inspired by a powerful hope, strengthened and guided by the star, which led them towards the King of the Jews, towards the kingship of God himself. This is the meaning behind our journey: to serve the kingship of God in the world.
“The Magi set out because of a deep desire which prompted them to leave everything and begin a journey. It was as though they had always been waiting for that star. It was as if the journey had always been a part of their destiny and was finally about to begin.
“Dear friends, this is the mystery of God’s call, the mystery of vocation. It is part of the life of every Christian, but it is particularly evident in those whom Christ asks to leave everything in order to follow him more closely.” (Address to seminarians, Aug. 19, 2005: bit.ly/3ClMfEH)
Especially during this Christmas season, we all can reflect on our vocations as a pilgrimage to see the face of Christ; how each vocation is, like the star of the Magi, an attractive, captivating light shining in the darkness but still quiet and unobtrusive: It has to be followed willingly.
I am also a fan of his writing. I did my Licentiate in Sacred Theology degree with a concentration in Scripture and remember that for all of Pope St. John Paul II’s papal writings, he wrote very little on Sacred Scripture.
When Benedict XVI became pope, he wrote the Jesus of Nazareth trilogy of books, which I thought was wonderful: He was able to be more free and personal in sharing his reflections on Christ in the Gospels than he would have been in an encyclical letter or other papal document, and they remain a great model to me of combining our Catholic faith and theology with a serious intellectual engagement of the Gospel texts.
May this humble, faithful shepherd find eternal joy in seeing Christ face to face.
Dr. Grzegorz Ignatik
Associate professor of theology, Pontifical College Josephinum
You could be fully justified to say that Pope Benedict XVI continued the legacy of John Paul II. Overall, if a pope is faithful to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, he remains in continuity with another pope who was also faithful to it because the continuity is based on faithfulness to the origin of the apostolic mission. But I could indicate a couple of areas where this continuity is particularly visible.
The first area is the understanding and implementation of the Second Vatican Council. Both John Paul II and Benedict personally participated in Vatican II (John Paul as a council father and Benedict as an expert).
Both of them understood the council’s goal of enriching the people’s faith in the context of the mystery of the Church as the Body of Christ and the People of God. They both were authentic interpreters and implementors of the council because of their understanding of the Church – specifically as communion (communio).
John Paul II and Benedict XVI were also united in their proclamation of the truth about the human person, the truth about man’s nature and vocation. Perhaps you can say that John Paul II defended the dignity of the human person from a personalistic, anthropological perspective (see his works Person and Act, Love and Responsibility and the Theology of the Body), whereas Benedict did so from a theological and Christological one (see his work Introduction to Christianity). But the distinction is not clear-cut.
While John Paul II speaks of the transcendence of the human person, Benedict emphasizes human existence as existence “from” and “for.” These are just two distinct aspects of the same reality, as both popes agree in considering love the fundamental dimension of the human person.
I suppose we could speak of differences (between John Paul and Benedict) in the area of emphasis. For example, Benedict spoke more on the Christian liturgy (see, for instance, his The Spirit of the Liturgy). But I wish to note the difference in their writing style.
Pope Benedict’s style is straightforward, almost childlike, though extremely profound. His writings are a joy to read. John Paul II wrote in a more complex, complicated style that attempts to keep in mind each presented insight as his argument progresses. Reading his works is challenging but very rewarding, leading you deeper into the mystery of life.
Perhaps the writing style shows us best the difference between the German theologian and the Polish philosopher and poet. Nonetheless, when I read works by both popes, I have a sense of encountering the thought of a saint.
I think (Pope Benedict’s) work in fundamental theology (every Catholic should read his book Introduction to Christianity), ecclesiology (read Called to Communion), liturgy (read The Spirit of the Liturgy), Christology (read his books on Jesus Christ), and eschatology (read Eschatology) has already left a lasting and transformative mark on the faith of the Church and Christian theology.
Pope Benedict proposes a more profound understanding of who man is vis-à-vis the Incarnation and the Cross, that is, that it is impossible to understand man without God – the God who gives himself to man in Jesus Christ. In his Introduction to Christianity, he says, “The Cross is revelation. … It reveals who God is and who man is.” (pp. 222-23)
Incidentally, this is exactly what John Paul II says in his encyclical Redemptor Hominis (aa. 9-10), speaking on the divine and human dimensions of the mystery of the Redemption.
I think that his resignation shows Benedict’s spirit of sacrifice. It shows that he placed the good of the Church higher than his own. It shows that the Church is not the private property of the pope, but that the pope is the servant of the Church (servus servorum Dei). This, of course, does not mean that every pope should resign but that resignation from the papacy can be a prudent decision under certain circumstances.
I use the teaching of Pope Benedict in several of my classes, both core and elective. I use his writings in the following courses: “Fundamental Theology,” “Trinity,” “Ecclesiology” and “Catholic Response to Secularism and Liberalism.” I also teach a course fully devoted to his thought, titled “The Thought of Joseph Ratzinger.”
However, I must modestly admit that I know the thought of John Paul II more than that of Benedict, though I love them both. I am a translator of John Paul II’s works (such as ‘Person and Act’ and Related Essays and Love and Responsibility). I also published a book on Karol Wojtyła’s thought (Person and Value), not to mention various articles.
Father David J. Young
Pastor, Reynoldsburg St. Pius X Church
What I loved most about Pope Benedict was how he could bring brilliant concepts of faith and challenging theology to people in a way that was accessible to anyone. He was a man of great joy, and you could tell he was a man of prayer, and that’s where it came from.