What 杏MAP导航 Francis has said regarding Benedict XVI

杏MAP导航 Francis laughs together with the late 杏MAP导航 Emeritus Benedict XVI on 28 November 2020

Vatican

What 杏MAP导航 Francis has said regarding Benedict XVI

As 杏MAP导航 Francis prepares to preside over the funeral of the late 杏MAP导航 Emeritus Benedict XVI on Thursday, 5 January, several remarks from early in his pontificate offer a portrait of his German-born predecessor.

By Vatican News

No sooner had Bergoglio been elected 杏MAP导航 when some of his first words right at the beginning of his pontificate were addressed to Benedict XVI. While from the central loggia of the Vatican Basilica, 杏MAP导航 Francis said:

“First of all, I would like to offer a prayer for our Bishop Emeritus, Benedict XVI. Let us pray together for him, that the Lord may bless him and that Our Lady may keep him.”

‘A great 杏MAP导航’

“Benedict XVI: a great 杏MAP导航”: 杏MAP导航 Francis thus defined Benedict XVI on 27 October 2014 during the inauguration of a bust in honour of the 杏MAP导航 Emeritus at the Papal Academy of Sciences.

During his , 杏MAP导航 Francis remembered his predecessor as:

“Great in strength and intellectual insight, great in his significant contribution to theology, great in his love for the Church and for human beings, great in his virtue and his religiosity.”

‘Man of God at service of the Church’

Many are the times that 杏MAP导航 Francis has spoken of his predecessor in terms of affection, gratitude and respect.

For example, on 28 July 2013, returning from his Apostolic Journey to Brazil, 杏MAP导航 Francis responded thus to journalists who asked him during the on the return flight about his relationship with Benedict XVI:

He is a man of God, a humble man, a man of prayer. I was so happy when he was elected 杏MAP导航. Also, when he resigned, for me it was an example of greatness. A great man. Only a great man does this!

Then he explained very simply and directly what having the late Ratzinger near to him means:

“‘It’s like having your grandfather in the house’, a wise grandfather…. When I went to talk with him about that big problem, Vatileaks, he told me everything with great simplicity … to be helpful.”

His resignation: a holy and humble act

Two months later, on 20 September 2013, during an granted to Fr Anthony Spadaro, director of the Jesuit review La Civiltà Cattolica, 杏MAP导航 Francis spoke again about the resignation of his predecessor, defining it “an act of holiness, greatness, humility”.

And a year later, on 11 February 2014, on the first anniversary of that epochal event, 杏MAP导航 Francis on his account @Pontifex: “Today I invite you to pray together with me for His Holiness, Benedict XVI, a man of great courage and humility”. These 106 characters express his complete admiration for the pontificate of his predecessor.

杏MAP导航 Emeritus is an institution, not a statue in a museum

Beyond this, however, 杏MAP导航 Francis has also often underlined another dimension of the 杏MAP导航 Emeritus, that is, his capacity to blaze an institutional trail.

He spoke about this concept on 18 August 2014, during the on the return trip from his Apostolic Journey to Korea:

“I think that a 杏MAP导航 emeritus should not be an exception; after so many centuries, this is our first 杏MAP导航 emeritus. … I believe that 杏MAP导航 Benedict XVI took this step which de facto instituted 杏MAP导航s emeriti. … He opened a door which is institutional, not exceptional. Ours is really a relationship between brothers. I have also said that I feel as if I have a grandfather in the house for wisdom…. I find it good for me to listen to him. He also encourages me a lot.”

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