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Pope Benedict XVI Made History During 2008 Visit to United States

By Jessica Easthope

The Tablet was there to cover it all, the nose of an Al Italia jet came around the corner and into a private hangar in a remote area of John F. Kennedy International Airport. Ed Wilkinson, Editor Emeritus of the Tablet first saw the Holy Father from behind the lens of his camera.

“It only lasted for about ten minutes and it was supposed to be a non-event but for those of us there it was really thrilling,” he said.

Before he made it to New York, he met with survivors of clergy sex abuse in Washington D.C. The closed-door meeting was a first step in acknowledging the evil and restoring trust in the Church.

“When the Holy Father came and he met with some of the victims it was a sense that we were acknowledging this was a very harmful time and very sinful and he was very emphatic he said anyone who committed sexual abuse should not be a priest, he said there is no place in the priesthood for someone who abuses a child,” said Wilkinson.

“I was really proud that he did that,” said Bishop Emeritus Nicholas DiMarzio. “It definitely helped, you could see that he suffered through that area of his worked, every time he spoke about it he said it was terrible, it was a scandal, it should have never happened and should never happen again.”

The pope’s fast paced days in the big apple were marked by some iconic moments, like when he prayed for the souls lost on September 11, 2001 at Ground Zero in a city whose wounds of that day were still fresh, even seven years later.

“In spite of the fact that he said all these Masses the most moving moment was when he went to Ground Zero, people sensitivities were still raw and to see him go down there and pray on a kneeler it was a moving part of the trip,” Wilkinson said.

But it was cheers not even the Yankees themselves could bring on that brought the Pope into Yankee stadium to say Mass for 57,000 people, all erupting in applause for the Holy Father.

“You just got a sense of the immensity of the event and the Holy Father was waving to everyone and he had his papal cross and there was a huge crowd and and he was very well accepted,” said Wilkinson.

And another first, on his trip to New York City, Pope Benedict became the first Pope to enter a Jewish place of worship, he made an unprecedented visit to the Park East Synagogue on the eve of Passover. He made the arrangements himself.

“It wasn’t something anyone here thought of or arranged, he put that in, and he was always inter-religious,” said Bishop DiMarzio.

His departure was more like a party, 1,000 people, including then Vice President Dick Cheney and the second lady saw the Holy Father off. He thanked Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio by name.

“Just kindness, he exuded kindness in every way,” he said.

During his visit to New York, Bishop DiMarzio said a Pope who was misunderstood and had a reputation for being a harsh enforcer, couldn’t have been more gentle.

Funeral Mass for Pope Benedict XVI Will Be Based on a Papal Funeral

By Carol Glatz

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The Jan. 5 funeral Mass for Pope Benedict XVI will be a papal funeral with a few changes to fit with the fact that he was not the reigning pope and has not left behind a “sede vacante.”

“The liturgical celebration follows the model of a funeral service for a supreme pontiff, broadly speaking,” Matteo Bruni, director of the Vatican press office, told reporters Jan. 3.

While based on a traditional papal funeral, he said, it will have “some new elements that give the rite its originality and some missing elements, which are those that are more pertinent to a reigning pontiff.”

For example, there are no final prayers offered by representatives of the Diocese of Rome and of the Eastern Catholic churches, since those prayers are specific to the death of a reigning pope, who is bishop of the Diocese of Rome and is in communion with the leaders of the Eastern-rite churches.

Bruni spoke to reporters in the Vatican press office after the booklet for the funeral Mass was published by the Office for the Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff.

The Mass booklet features a color reproduction of Caravaggio’s “Deposition” or entombment of Christ — a 17th-century masterpiece housed in the Vatican Museums.

Some differences can be seen in some of the prayers and the readings, Bruni said.

The first reading will be taken from the Book of Isaiah (29:16-19) in which the Lord says there will be a day when the deaf will hear the words of a scroll “and, after gloom and darkness, the eyes of the blind will see. But the lowly will rejoice in the Lord even more and the poorest exult in the Holy One of Israel.”

In comparison, the first reading at St. John Paul II’s funeral Mass was “Peter’s Speech” from the Acts of the Apostles (10:34-43), which speaks of the apostles’ mandate to preach and testify that everyone who believes in Christ “will receive forgiveness of sins through his name.”

The second reading for the Jan. 5 Mass is from the first letter of St. Peter (1:3-9) which praises God’s mercy giving the faithful “a new birth” as his children and “by raising Jesus Christ from the dead, so that we have a sure hope and the promise” of eternal life in heaven.

The second reading at St. John Paul’s funeral was from the letter of St. Paul to the Philippians (3:20-4:1) about the faithful’s “citizenship in heaven.”

The Gospel reading for Pope Benedict’s funeral Mass was to be from St. Luke’s account of Jesus’ final moments on the cross and telling the “good thief” who recognized him as the Christ, “today you will be with me in paradise.” The Gospel reading for St. John Paul’s funeral Mass was from John (21: 15-19) when Jesus told Peter to feed his sheep.

The only other notable changes are in the prayers of the faithful. They include petitions for “Pope Emeritus Benedict, who has fallen asleep in the Lord: may the eternal Shepherd receive him into his kingdom of light and peace,” followed by a prayer “for our Holy Father, Pope Francis, and for all the pastors of the church: may they proclaim fearlessly, in word and deed, Christ’s victory over evil and death.”

Pope Benedict had wished his funeral to be simple, Bruni had said, emphasizing it would be “solemn, but sober.” Pope Francis will preside over the funeral Mass in St. Peter’s Square and Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the College of Cardinals, will be the main celebrant at the altar.

Some traditions connected with the death and burial of a pope will be followed, Bruni said, such as three objects being deposited in the pope’s casket before he is buried: his palliums, coins and medals minted during his pontificate, and a “rogito” or scroll that summarizes in Latin the highlights of his papacy.

Responding to questions about whether Pope Benedict XVI would be buried with a pastoral staff or a papal ferula, which is a staff topped with a cross, Bruni said the ferula is only held by a reigning pope and that no pope is ever buried with either item.

After public viewing of his body ends the evening of Jan. 4, Pope Benedict will be placed in a traditional cypress casket, following a traditional ritual, Bruni said.

Before the funeral, the casket will be carried into St. Peter’s Square and the faithful will be asked to join the recitation of the rosary before Mass.

After the funeral, again following tradition, the casket will be sealed and wrapped with ribbons, then it will be placed inside a zinc casket that will be soldered and sealed, and then that will be placed inside a casket made of wood.

The moment of his burial in the grotto of St. Peter’s Basilica, where other popes are buried, will be private, Bruni said.

Bishop Brennan: Benedict ‘Put You at Ease Immediately’

The Bishop of Brooklyn, Robert Brennan, was there when Benedict came to the big apple.

He met with the Pope Emeritus multiple times over the years, and they had several personal conversations.

Pope Benedict was the pontiff who first appointed Bishop Brennan an Auxiliary Bishop for the Diocese of Rockville Centre in 2012.

Catholic News Headlines for Tuesday 1/3/2023

 

Preparations are underway at the Vatican as the world says goodbye to Pope Benedict XVI.

The retired pontiff’s funeral will be Thursday morning in St Peter’s Square, presided over by Pope Francis.

Right now, Benedict is lying in state in St Peter’s Basilica.

Thousands Pay Last Respects to Pope Benedict in St. Peter’s Basilica

By Carol Glatz

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — A quiet hush covered the vast expanse of St. Peter’s Square even though it was filled with thousands of people slowly winding their way around the colonnade into St. Peter’s Basilica to pay their last respects to the late Pope Benedict XVI.

Outdoor souvenir sellers were well-stocked with rosaries Jan. 2, but they seemed to have been caught off guard with a plethora of touristy tchotchkes and few to no images or mementos of the late pope.

A damp chill hung in the air at 9 in the morning when the doors of the basilica opened to the public on the first of three days to view the pope’s body.

Special accommodations, however, were made for officials of the Roman Curia, Vatican staff and dignitaries who were allowed access from the back of the basilica and offered a place to sit or kneel on either side of the pope’s body, which was laid out in red vestments on a damask-covered platform.

Before the doors opened to the general public, Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, the archpriest of the basilica and papal vicar for Vatican City State, accompanied Italian President Sergio Mattarella and his entourage and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and other government ministers to pay homage to the late pope.

The first in line outside the basilica was a group of religious sisters from the Philippines, who said they got there at 5:30 a.m.

People kept slowly arriving before sunrise, including a group from Duluth, Minnesota, and Superior, Wisconsin, led by Father Richard Kunst of Duluth. The priest told Catholic News Service that he was leading a tour of Rome the day Pope Benedict died.

Being able to see and pay homage to the late pope made the group part of “a really incredible piece of history,” he said.

Father Kunst said he was “a big fan” of Pope Benedict and “not sad at his passing” since the 95-year-old pope had lived a long life and “this is what he lived for — to be able to be with God.”

Father Felipe de Jesús Sánchez, who is from Mexico and is studying in Rome, told CNS that he saw Pope Benedict as “a simple man, humble, a model, who didn’t have as much fame as John Paul II, but he was the mind behind him.”

“For me, in my personal opinion, he was an authentic testimony of what it means to be Christian and a disciple of Jesus,” he said.

Father Matthew Schmitz was with a group of 90 young people from ECYD, an international Catholic youth organization affiliated with Regnum Christi.

“We were praying while we were waiting, we prayed the rosary” and went inside the basilica in silence, he told CNS.

He said he was in Rome for his studies when Pope Benedict was elected in 2005, and “I met him once after an Easter Mass,” which means “I’m still kind of processing” the fact that he found himself back in Rome when the pope died.

Ana Sofia de Luna, who is with ECYD and from Mexico, said, “It’s very sad that Pope Benedict died, but being here and seeing his body was a great blessing, to be able to ask for grace and seeing his body there was very impactful.”

Daniela Romero, a member of the group from Guatemala, said, “to be able to come here and see that we are representing and supporting the church is a blessing.”

Father Justin Kizewski happened to be traveling with a group of 45 seminarians and nine priests on pilgrimage from Madison, Wisconsin.

He said, “I’ve been privileged to accompany him through his pontificate: I was here in the square when he was elected, I was here in the square when he resigned, and now here when he’s lying in state.”

“When we read his writings, or heard him preach, or saw him celebrate the Mass, we really saw a man that cares for his sheep and gives us an example of how to care for ours,” he said.

Hannah O’Connor from Rhode Island credits Pope Benedict as being instrumental in her conversion during college, where “we read a lot of Ratzinger.”

His writings and pontificate were “an important part of my journey,” she said, and “I hope that people keep encountering his works and are brought to the one church through beauty, that’s what really drew me in.”

Sugey Viramontes from Mexico told CNS that, “without a doubt, his example of simplicity, and above all how he spent his last few years, always in prayer, is a great example for us young people.”

Inside the basilica, staff and security kept visitors moving smoothly and quickly, letting people stop before the pope’s remains long enough to make the sign of the cross and take a picture or two before being asked quietly to “Please, move along.”

However, many took advantage of the large nooks and niches in the basilica to press up against a wall or barricade and linger just a little while longer.

Pope Benedict’s mortal remains were to lie in repose in the basilica for three days until the late evening of Jan. 4; Pope Francis was scheduled to preside over the funeral Mass Jan. 5.

Rome authorities estimated there would be 30,000 to 35,000 people a day visiting the basilica and an estimated 60,000 people attending the funeral in St. Peter’s Square. But Vatican police said that 40,000 people had already entered the basilica to pray by 2 p.m. Jan. 2.

Cafe Con Cristo: Dios dice que tú puedes porque eres. Parte 2

Cuando entiendes quién eres harás y vivirás como debes. Tener claridad en tu identidad te ayudará a permanecer en el propósito de Dios. En esta segunda parte, La Patrona y yo David continúan descubriendo lo que dice Dios en su palabra de ti y tu identidad celestial. Esta segundaparte del espresso doble está lista para ser servida. ¡Disfruta!

Homilies in Your Home: Luke 2:16-21

Reverend Christopher Heanue’s Homily from The Octave Day of Christmas Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God Mass on 1/1/23

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI has Died at Age 95

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI has just passed away. He was 95 years old.

The world closely monitored the situation of the Pope emeritus after Pope Francis asked for prayers at the end of his General Audience.

Subsequently, the Holy See Press Office confirmed that “in the last few hours” there had been “a worsening” of the Pope emeritus’ health “due to his advanced age.” They emphasized that the situation was “under control, constantly being monitored by doctors.” But, eventually he passed away.

As pope, Joseph Ratzinger took the first steps to confront the sexual abuse crisis in the Church. He was the first pope to meet with abuse victims. He also took disciplinary measures against Fr. Marcial Maciel, founder of the Legionaries of Christ.

Pope Benedict XVI is known as the “pope theologian” who offered profound and critical reflections on secularization. Specifically, he focused a great deal on confronting individualism and relativism.

However, the most unexpected and surprising moment of his pontificate was his resignation.

His spokesman, Fr. Federico Lombardi, published this reflection five years after the event:

“Sometimes I ask myself, ‘If he wouldn’t have resigned and would’ve continued his service, what could he do with the strength he has now, five years after the resignation?’ He couldn’t do almost anything expected of a pope. He can’t travel, participate in public ceremonies, hold long meetings or study difficult decisions. It’s evident he did the right thing, that he did the most sensible thing for God and for mankind.”

After his resignation, Pope Benedict XVI greatly limited his public appearances. He spent his days at the Mater Ecclesiae monastery. He left only once to visit his brother Georg on his deathbed in Germany.

Currents News Special Edition: A Look Back at 2022

This past year hasn’t been quiet but during chaos there have been moments to pray.

All year long Catholics have been standing up for the most vulnerable: from the womb, beyond the border and welcoming the stranger.

It’s a time for change so next year can be the revival.

This is a Special Edition of Currents News: A Look Back at 2022.