At his passing from this world we pray for our former Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, commending him to the Lord’s mercy. He was a man of deep faith who exemplified both gentleness and strength, humility and courage—as demonstrated not only in his decision to resign the papacy, but in all the many aspects of his pontificate.
In his time Pope Benedict was truly a holy father to us, a courageous shepherd, an inspiring teacher, a faithful witness. Blessed with a lively and keen intellect, his teaching is marked by a high level of culture and learning, yet expressed in a way that is very accessible and appealing to ordinary people. He had an ability to express profound truths simply and with great insight into the temptations and spiritual struggles of our time. Thanks to the creativity and beauty of the images and words he used, he was able to move both the hearts and minds of believers. Truly, he was a man whose works were full of faith, endowed “with spirit and life.”
When he inaugurated a “Year of Faith” in 2012 Pope Benedict wrote that all Christians “are called to radiate the word of truth that the Lord Jesus has left us” (Porta fidei, 6). May God now grant to him the blessed vision of truth, which is life eternal with all the saints: who trust in the Lord, whose hope is the Lord, “whose leaves stay green and still bear fruit” both in this world and in the world to come.
