Farewell, Pope Benedict!

Last updated on: February 28, 2013 at 9:33 pm by Katrina

Farewell, Pope Benedict! 2013-02-28T21:33:25-06:00 Katrina

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Cardinal Ratzinger with me in the background, 2002. I apologize for the poor photo quality!

In the summer of 2002, I had the amazing opportunity to meet and have a shared conversation with Pope Benedict XVI, then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, in Rome. I was on a summer fellowship with a group of college students from across the United States, and we finished our time in Europe by making a whirlwind 3-day trip to Italy. Cardinal Ratzinger was gracious enough to grant us 20 minutes of his time, answering our questions and engaging us in a conversation about how we, as young people, could be the light of Christ in the world. I remember him as being patient, intelligent, encouraging, and poignant in his manner of speaking. I also remember being struck by a certain levity of spirit; it was evident that he did not take himself too seriously, even though he took the subject matter of which we were speaking very seriously. It reminds me of a quote from G.K. Chesterton’s book, Orthodoxy: “Angels can fly because they can take themselves lightly.”

Since announcing his resignation just a couple of weeks ago, many similar stories of Pope Benedict have come to light – I remember reading one Facebook thread where several people recounted stories of meeting Cardinal Ratzinger on the streets of Rome. One woman said that she was lost close to St. Peter’s Square and tapped on the shoulder of a priest, only to find that the priest was Cardinal Ratzinger! He spent 10 minutes talking with her and giving her directions to where she needed to go, never once making her feel that she was a nuisance to him. Such humility can only come with knowing one’s place before God: in the final equation, we are all the created standing before our Creator. Fr. Robert Barron, in a series of talks on Conversion, says that as Christians, we must all maintain the ability to let all things roll off of our backs. Whether people are praising us or condemning us, and especially when we find ourselves to be very popular, we must keep our perspective and live our lives with faithfulness and humility.

Tonight, I am terribly grateful for Pope Benedict XVI and for all of his years as a faithful witness and servant of Christ and His Church. I know that I have a soft spot for him because his mannerisms remind me of my German grandparents, but I have also benefited greatly from his teaching and his writing over the years. We celebrated tonight with a German-themed dinner – sausages and soft pretzels – and talked as a family about Pope Benedict and what will come next. May God bless him for the rest of his years!

“I wish still with my heart, my love, my prayer, my reflection, with all my inner strength, to work for the common good and the good of the Church and humanity.” Pope Benedict XVI, Castel Gandolfo, in his Final Farewell, February 28, 2013

Politics and Current Events

The Catholic Church

Previous Post

February 27, 2013

The Conclave

Next Post

March 1, 2013 I'm Sorry, I Can't Hear You

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Builders' Favorite Posts Children Education & Homeschool Food and Nutrition Health Home Organization Inside Our Inbox Keeping It Real Liturgical Seasons Marriage Miscellaneous Motherhood and Parenting Nature and the Environment NFP and Fertility Politics and Current Events Pregnancy Recipes Spiritual Life The Catholic Church Thoughts for Thursday Uncategorized

Select a Month April 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What did God make on the fourth day of creation?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Plants Sun, moon, and stars Man Fish and birds