Before the public funeral service, Pope Francis praises the deceased Pope Benedict XVI. in the highest tones. The German was a “great master” in teaching the Christian faith.
Pope Francis has his deceased predecessor Benedict XVI. referred to as the great mediator of faith. The emeritus pontiff was a “great master of catechesis,” said Francis at the beginning of the general audience in the Vatican. In the Catholic Church, catechesis is the teaching and explanation of the Christian faith.
“His sharp and polite thinking was not self-centered, but ecclesiastical, because he always wanted to accompany us to meet Jesus,” said Francis of Bavaria, who died on New Year’s Eve at the age of 95.
“Jesus, risen and crucified, alive and Lord, was the goal to which Pope Benedict led us, taking us by the hand. May he help us to rediscover in Christ the joy of faith and the hope of life” , added Francis.
“Benedict XVI did theology on his knees”
Praise also for the theological work of Benedict XVI, whose real name was Joseph Ratzinger. “The depth of Joseph’s thinking, which is based on Scripture and the Fathers of the Church, is still of help to us today,” writes the head of the Catholic Church in the foreword of the forthcoming book on Benedict’s spiritual thinking “Dio è semper nuovo” (God is always new).
With Benedict, “unremitting devotion” and “an enlightened teaching position” merged, the 86-year-old Argentinian wrote about the much-praised theologian. “Benedict XVI did theology on his knees,” said Francis, because he gave himself completely to God.
“We thank God for the gift of Benedict XVI,” said the incumbent pontiff in the foreword published by several Italian newspapers on Wednesday. With his words, the native Bavarian showed that it is possible to serve the church and do good for humanity through reflection, study, listening, dialogue and prayer.
Steinmeier and Scholz at funeral service
The funeral service for the former Pope from Germany will take place tomorrow (9.30 a.m.) in the Vatican. Led by Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Germany will travel to the funeral service with the heads of the highest constitutional bodies.
A delegation led by Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) comes from Benedikt’s homeland of Bavaria, with representatives from politics, society and the church; part of this will travel to Rome on a chartered plane. According to his biographer Peter Seewald, Benedikt would have liked Bayern most to be mourners.
While there was always crunching between Benedict and the German bishops and “there were cross shots from this corner during the pontificate and afterwards that were completely incomprehensible,” Benedict’s relationship with Bavaria was “incredibly strong and unbroken until the end,” said Seewald the German Press Agency.
At least ten Catholic bishops from Germany want to come to the requiem. Among them are the chairman of the German Bishops’ Conference, Georg Bätzing, as well as the Archbishop of Cologne, Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki, and the Archbishop of Munich and Freising, Cardinal Reinhard Marx. The bishops from Regensburg and Passau, Rudolf Voderholzer and Stefan Oster, were also on a preliminary list available to the German Press Agency. Archbishop emeritus Ludwig Schick wants to travel to the diocese of Bamberg because the current administrator cannot.
St. Peter’s Basilica open to believers on the third day
St. Peter’s Basilica was opened today for the third day in a row so that believers could hear Benedict XVI laid out there. can say goodbye. The emeritus pope lies in front of the main altar of the basilica in the Vatican until 7 p.m. before he is placed in a wooden coffin in the evening.
According to the Vatican gendarmerie, around 90,000 people came to St. Peter’s Basilica on Monday and Tuesday and walked past the German’s body.
Source: Stern
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