Status: 12/31/2022 6:07 p.m
Pope Francis paid tribute to his deceased predecessor as a noble and gentle person. Politicians around the world are taking part in the death of Pope Emeritus Benedict.
Pope Francis spoke for the first time about the death of his predecessor Benedict XVI. voiced. “It is with emotion that we remember his so noble, so gentle person,” said the Pope at the devotion to the end of the year in St. Peter’s Basilica. His predecessor, “beloved Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI,” died in the Vatican on Saturday morning at the age of 95.
“We feel so much gratitude in our hearts: gratitude to God for giving him to the Church and to the world; gratitude to him for all the good he has done and especially for his witness of faith and prayer, especially in these last few years when he was living in seclusion.” Only God knows the value and power of his intercession, of the sacrifices he made for the good of the Church.
Guterres: Benedict was “a humble man of prayer”
Politicians around the world also paid tribute to the deceased as a great theologian and pope. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres designated Benedict XVI. as a “humble man of prayer and study”. He was “principled in his faith, tireless in his quest for peace, and resolute in his defense of human rights”; “a spiritual leader for millions of people around the world and one of the leading academic theologians of our time”.
The President of the EU Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said that the former Pope had “sent a strong signal” by resigning from office in 2013. Her tweet states that Benedict XVI. “First saw himself as a servant of God and His Church. When his physical strength waned, he continued to serve with the power of his prayers”.
The EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell called Benedict XVI. a “theological leader” who “strove for a synthesis between faith and reason”. He also praised his commitment to “global peace and justice”. The President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, also expressed sadness. “Europe mourns him,” she tweeted, citing a statement by Benedict XVI. at World Youth Day 2011 in Madrid: “Do not be afraid of the world, nor of the future, nor of your weaknesses.”
“Giant of Faith”
French President Emmanuel Macron called Benedict XVI. as an advocate for a brotherly world. Macron tweeted that his thoughts are with Catholics in France and around the world. Poland’s President Andrzej Duda declared: “Today the world has lost one of the most extraordinary theologians of the 20th and 21st centuries.” Great Britain’s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also praised Benedict as a “great theologian”.
Brazil’s future President Inacio Lula da Silva, who takes office on the New Year, expressed dismay. At Benedict XVI. During his visit to Brazil in 2007 he had the opportunity to talk to him about the Christian faith. He wishes consolation to Catholics and admirers of the Holy Father.
Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni described the Germans as “giants of faith and reason”. President Sergio Mattarella said Italy mourned Benedict, who “will remain unforgettable for the Italian people”. Russian President Vladimir Putin also expressed his condolences to Pope Francis. “Benedict XVI was a prominent religious and statesman, a staunch defender of traditional Christian values,” says the condolence letter released by the Kremlin.
Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. will be buried on January 5th after the public funeral service on St. Peter’s Square in the crypt below St. Peter’s Basilica. The Holy See confirmed this. The German had wished to be buried at the spot where Pope John Paul II first found his resting place after his death, before he was brought to a chapel in St. Peter’s Basilica after his beatification.