Pope Benedict XVI

Farewell, Pope Benedict XVI

Our beloved Pope Benedict XVI has gone to his final resting place. His fate is in God's hands.

We pray for him, that God receives him in his everlasting arms. Not a few will be praying to him soon, asking for his intercession.

Without doubt Pope Benedict is the closest we have come to a genuinely Catholic pope in the NOChurch era, and I'll include the reign under which Vatican II was opened in that era. With Pope Benedict we had a pope who was more interested in preserving and restoring what was handed to him than he was in novelty. Ironically, in changing the Good Friday prayer he ended up leaving a large novelty mark, which surely must be undone when the Church regains Her senses. Then we have the novelty of his resignation, the true reasons of which still remain an enigma for many, as many do not accept that a pope who lived on for close to 10 more years, and who was in good health, could have resigned for health reasons, or a lack of strength. 

His death on the 31st of December 2022 did not come as a surprise to anyone, given that we found out that he was gravely ill on the 28th of December, and though he got better - as is common after the anointing of the sick - it was pretty clear that he did not have much left. He was 95, after all, and not the most vigorous one at that.

He got a Catholic funeral with full papal honours, to the greatest extent possible. That was uncharacteristically gracious of his successor - so much so in fact, that one may be entitled to suspect contrivance, given his successor's track record of following up good almost ways with horrible. For now though, we remain grateful that Pope Benedict XVI was honoured as best as he could have been in NOChurch. 

It can be expected that the Vatican and others in high positions will try and twist his legacy, claim that this and that is what he would have wanted, even when the opposite is clearly the case. His closest aide, Abp. Ganswein, has already fired the first salvo informing us - as if it needed to be told - that Traditionis Custodes broke his heart. It is right to worry about what will come next.

What cannot be denied is that Pope Benedict XVI had a massive impact on the Church in the 20th century and the first part of this century. His most important document, Summorum Pontificum, I predict, will have ramifications for the Church long beyond his pontificate. It will be the marching order for traditionalists until the True Roman Rite is restored, presumably on the other side of great chaos.

He brought many people to the Church. In fact, he was a big factor in my decision to practise the Faith and had it not been for him, I might never have learnt of the Tridentine Rite, the 10th anniversary of my 1st participation of which comes tomorrow. 

For that I shall be eternally grateful to the man. He was not perfect, but he was a servant of God, a servant of the Church, and a man who always from a young age longed to serve Holy Mother Church. Whatever ills he may have done, for sure, watching his successor tread over all his well-intentioned plans must serve as purgation for them. At least we can hope so, for painful it must have been. 

I loved the man. I prayed for him every day since he resigned. I should have prayed more for him during his papacy, but he kept things so steady that it never seemed necessary. Through his books, his homilies, his speeches, I derived much wisdom. He was a man I was proud to call pope, my spiritual father. He served the Church to the best of his ability, I am sure. He touched many lives. 

I shall miss him. I hope to see him again. If I do, I am certain it will be on account of having been accepted into the arms of Our Almight Father.

May God have mercy on his gentle soul!

Requiescat in pace!

 

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