On the news, they keep saying that Benedict XVI has been pope for "a mere eight years." Yes, and my eight-year-old has only known his father for a mere eight years. Doesn't seem that short to him.
I was about four years old when John Paul II was elected pope. My mother hung his smiling picture in our bedroom, and I half thought he was my grandfather -- he had the same round head, the same crinkled eyes and broad grin. I grew up knowing that this was our papa who loved us and who would always be there. Even when I wandered away from the Church, that kindly smile and strong shoulders reminded me that I was the one who was wrong -- that back home, back in the Church, was solid ground.
When John Paul II finally died, after years of being imprisoned in a body that was slowly turning to stone, I felt nothing but relief for him. Poor papa, finally able to breathe again. He carried so many burdens in his final years. I saw him in Rome five or six years before he died, and as he passed down the aisle of St. Peter's, thousands of cameras flashed in the gloom, lashing against his poor wooden face. A man of sorrows. I was ashamed, but I did it too, and added my flash to the thousands. He kept walking. I was so glad when he was finally able to rest in death. The tears didn't start until I heard what they were saying about him -- a traitor, a camera hog, a coward, a pervert. So many lies, so many lashes.
Not knowing anything about Ratzinger, I was almost relieved to see that the new pope they chose was stern and tough, an analytical German who would set things straight with no nonsense. I wouldn't be hanging his picture on the wall in my kids' rooms! A good man, but what a face! He will put things in order, I thought, and we will be grateful, but won't need to worry about losing our hearts to him.
Then I read Jesus of Nazareth -- I only read part of it -- and I lost my heart to him. A dear, good father, who just wants to explain things to us. Have you tried to read anything by John Paul II, and have you been scared off papal writings forever? Don't be! Take a look at the writings of Ratzinger, and be illuminated, simply and gently, by a man with a heart full of love.
Goodbye now, Papa Benedict. I feel a little like the lady in Perelandra when she meets Ransom and has to have things explained in a hurry: he's making me "older," wiser, a little faster than I want to be. He became pope right about when I realized that I was really, truly an adult, and that I needed to make some changes, take charge, do the hard things. And, as almost always happens when I look closer into what the Church has to offer, I found not rigidity and sternness, but joy and welcome. And so it was when I took a closer look at Benedict XVI.
He has a deep, abiding love for us. It's never been otherwise, and I know that his decision to step down comes from his heart, out of love for us.
What next? How will the Church grow with a new pope to lead us and teach us new things? I suppose that when we shed tears over the passing of a familiar and beloved pope, we're crying at least halfway for ourselves. It's so hard to change, and it's so hard to wait and be at peace when we know change is coming. The next few weeks will be awful. We'll hear so many lies, so many foolish, ridiculous ideas about our Church, our faith. It's going to hurt.
I suppose this is our little via dolorosa, with the jeering crowds lining the street on both sides. These tough, ancient men can keep on walking, and so can we.
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Just to confirm Simcha, Pope Benedict is stepping down. He has not passed away, and he may well continue his writings and being a quiet but still vital part of the Church. I saw the Midnight Mass he gave Christmas Eve and he was a frail man, rolled down the aisle on a wagon and needing help to get up and down stairs. But as soon as he spoke (and when you read the English translation of his Christmas Eve and Christmas Day messages) you realized his mind and heart will still strong and sharp. I will miss his guidance, but we need not mourn him. God will determine that time.
I suppose this is our little via dolorosa, with the jeering crowds lining the street on both sides. These tough, ancient men can keep on walking, and so can we.
Yes. That right there.
Not to detract from the seriousness of Simcha’s post, but I thought it was amusing that the Pope gave (just barely over) the proverbial two week notice… you’d think for a job that big, you’d give a little more :)
As a Mexican American and former emotional hot mess {me=chaos}, I love both the hard and gentle nature of our Papa. I am blessed to have married into a German family; I also have a German for our parish pastor as well as my spiritual director. I have learned so much about how and when emotions are to be used through all of their examples. Where I used to see hardness and “you don’t love me!” I now see the true love they demonstrate by holding me to a higher standard, expecting me to not succumb to those emotions when it gets in the way of spiritual maturity.
Love this post. :)
my heart thoughts exactly…great article..thank you
Absolutely beautiful! Thank you!
I have lived under 6 popes already beginning with the one reigning before Pope Pius XII.
I keep thinking about that line in his inaugural address- pray for me so that I might not flee for fear of the wolves - and thinking of how much our popes need prayers. I need to pray more, maybe make one day a week special for them? I don’t know. Pope Benedict XVI will be so missed. I am glad he will get to enjoy a retirement. It’s kind of like having our cake and eating it too for us, right? But it tastes like sad cake.
Tony, while Pope Benedict will still be with us after his retirement, I very much suspect that he will do his best to stay out of the spotlight. The last thing he, the Church or the new Pope will need is for the press and the world to hang on every word that Pope Benedict utters. He might continue to write books, but if so, I suspect that they will not be published while he is still alive for fear that people will treat them as ways for him to express his opinion on how the new Pope should do things.
God’s timing is perfect and He has a great reason behind all things. If the Prophecies of St. Malachy are true, the next few years are going to be hell for us. Maybe Pope Benedict stepping down is a sharp reminder to get our affairs in order, so to speak, and get ready for the most important years of our lives.
Hi Simcha - I’m not your most loyal reader, but I do enjoy coming back and getting your take on various topics from time to time. You have an uncanny sense as to when warmth and sincerity are called for, when some clever snark and derision is needed, and when a healthy dollop of self-deprecation makes the medicine go down a bit more smoothly. You were spot on in this article.
You also weren’t kidding about the ‘academic opacity’ of JPII. Having read my share of dense, high-minded treatises, I wonder just how many ‘experts’ in “The Theology of the Body” have actually read that text.
Re: Prophecies of Malachy: as others have pointed out, we’ve been living in end times since the Ascension. Yes, it’s time to get our affairs in order. That has never not been the case.
@Melody: “It tastes like sad cake.”
Yes, exactly.
I saw Pope Benedict in 2006 at an audience at St. Peter’s. Despite the freezing rain I was thrilled to be there. When his open car came towards us I was completely overwhelmed with unexpected emotion, he exuded purity and holiness.
I was surprised by joy :)
It’s always tough to see someone you love, leave. The Church will go on and I truly believe that the Holy Spirit will ensure that the next Pope will be the exact man that is needed for this time and place. Still going to miss, Papa Benedict, though - I too, love his books and came to love him even more through them.
@Lea, I’m hoping that’s not a sign of a serious health condition that’s rapidly worsening. That’s what I thought when I noticed the quick change.
@Simcha, I was startled when I saw this post in my inbox this morning, since I just wrote a post with the same title, about the passing of my father last week. I was worried that you had undergone the same loss. There is an odd parallel in my heart though, between losing my dad and watching this beautiful man step down.
What a beautiful tribute. Pope Benedict has been the only Pope this convert has ever know. It is really hard to say goodbye.
B’s health will improve and he’ll be with us for some time yet - we pray. The Church in Rome remains frightfully exposed to influences that have no place in a holy gathering. JPII I thought, would be hard to beat. PBXVI has carried the mantle further still. Nonetheless it is scandalous that the Christian east and west remain far apart in so many ways. How about we pray for humility, love and unity?
Great article. I, too, will miss this Pope. He’s actually my favorite since I’ve been alive.
Thank you, Simcha, for expressing beautifully what so many of us feel for our beloved “Papa Bene”. We feel gratitude, we feel admiration, and we feel a sadness and trepidation. Now more than ever we must pray, we must affirm our trust in Christ Jesus, and we must “be not afraid”. On that last one, I just want to point out that, according to orthodox sources like Catholic Answers, scholars believe the so-called “prophecies of Saint Malachy” are 16th-century forgeries that were created for political purposes. I think it is important to keep this in mind, especially during times like this when we can expect the secular media and our own dissidents to spout speculative nonsense and ill-will.
This is beautiful, especially the last two paragraphs.
I was won over by B16 when he stepped onto the balcony to greet the roar of the crowds in St. Peter’s Square after the white smoke appeared. His first addresses showed his gentleness and humility. I love the way he is an introvert yet such an effective Pope.
One of Benedict’s greatest gifts is his ability to gear his delivery to his audience. I had tried to read some of Joseph Ratzinger’s theology writings and they were impenetrable - I don’t think I made it past the introduction! Yet his writings as Pope, and his beautiful Wednesday audience addresses are so pastoral and accessible.
Your piece is a lovely tribute to our dear Papa. I’m so glad that you recommended the Pope’s book Jesus of Nazareth. Of course, now he has given us three volumes to this series! But let me recommend to readers, if you’ve never read Ratzinger/Benedict XVI, the two chapters on the Lord’s Prayer and the Beatitudes in VOL 1 of Jesus of Nazareth are worth the price of the book.
Oh, Simcha, you make me cry again. I love these two men equally. They are both holy, and therefore utterly lovable.
How tired, indeed, must Joseph Ratzinger be, as he has the gifts in his hands outstretched to save the world from itself, and the world assumes it knows better! It kills me to hear those supposed “nuns”, for example, “correct” him!
It is the story of Jesus all over again, as it always is.
Thank you for your beautiful writing. Our loss is very very great indeed.
Julie T., the Christian east and west agree on most things. This includes the list of books considered canonical in the Holy Bible.
On prophecy:
Prophecy consists in knowledge and in the manifestation of what is known. The knowledge must be supernatural and infused by God because it concerns things beyond the natural power of created intelligence; and the knowledge must be manifested either by words or signs, because the gift of prophecy is given primarily for the good of others, and hence needs to be manifested. It is a Divine light by which God reveals things concerning the unknown future and by which these things are in some way represented to the mind of the prophet, whose duty it is to manifest them to others. (Catholic Encyclopedia, Ecclesiastical approbation. Nihil Obstat. June 1, 1911. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor. Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York).
Having said that, prophecy is useless unless infused with love and humility. Even Jesus couldn’t perform miracles where hearts were darkened.
I agree with most everything you wrote here but I will say that I really enjoyed Blessed John Paul II’s encyclicals and books. A lot. In fact the encyclical, Ut Unum Sint and his book, On the Threshhold of Hope are two books that I left the church over (as in schism) and a few years later helped me come back to the church. One of the many things that really appealed to me about Pope Benedict is his work to heal the schism between Tradition and the Council.
My 22-year-old son called me in a tailspin yesterday. He was upset that our dear Father was “quitting.” We talked about all of the reasons that people were ruminating about on Catholic and secular sites. We talked about wiki leaks, corrupt Italian money launderers, and a pedophilia crisis that *peaked* in the 50’s, but didn’t come to light in the press for another fifty years. Ratzinger had been fighting “the good fight” for decades. He had lived a life of scholarship, truth and chastity since he was a child. He had existed within a church that was beautiful, and sublime for all the reasons that good people honor it, but one that had also become a giant closet for gay men, seeking an honorable front for their “orientation” in a “don’t ask, don’t tell” society. He had fought against a mounting army of those who wanted to wreck the liturgy because they didn’t understand the heart of it. He had fought a cacophony of voices demanding sexual license in every sense of the word yet demanded the scalps of celibate priests, who had *honored* their vocational chastity, but FAILED in using an iron fist against those who had *no right* to be priests, and FAILED to protect the victims of rapacious predators. “Why DIDN’T they?” My son demanded to know.
“I’m sure they wish they could turn back the clock.” I answered.
“He should have stayed to fight.” My son insisted.
“That’s easy to say, when you have a young, vigorous, 22-year-old body…Plus, our Holy Father isn’t supposed to be a corruption fighting super hero, he is supposed to be a spiritual father…Look,what he did was the fruit of deep prayer. He knows the church needs a vigorous and orthodox leader. For his entire papacy, he was vigilant in putting solid Bishops and Cardinals into place—the very cardinals who will elect the next Pope…What Benedict the 16th did was incredibly humble and heroic, and in complete solidarity with a suffering Church—a Church that needs more than what he believes he can offer at this moment in time…
.
This great church is our family, our dear, gentle, defender of Faith and Truth will be so *missed* from the head of the table…”
@Lea—actually, I think His Holiness was quite shrewd to announce when he did. A longer “lame duck” papacy would fuel media speculation to more than acceptable levels and might have even harmed the perceived legitimacy of Benedict’s successor. Two weeks is more than enough time to bring the cardinal-electors together and minimize the interregnum. will
Thank you for writing this - for putting into words such a complex combination of feelings that so many of us who loved this Pope deeply are feeling right now.
“When John Paul II finally died, after years of being imprisoned in a body that was slowly turning to stone. . . ” St. Thomas Aquinas might have expressed this differently:
“In similar fashion it is not necessary on this account for the angel to be contained by a place; because an incorporeal substance virtually contains the thing with which it comes into contact, and is not contained by it: for the soul is in the body as containing it, not as contained by it. In the same way an angel is said to be in a place which is corporeal, not as the thing contained, but as somehow containing it.”—S.T.(1, 52, 1)
The soul is in the body as containing it: an insight that I expect was painfully obvious for St. Tom, but which we find slightly stunning. My favorite insight about Pope Benedict’s announcement is that the Pope made his announcement in time to insure a new Pope by Easter.
Synonymous with the schism between head and heart (on the personal level) and the schism of history with its mutual anathemas (on the corporate level). This is resolved in the Liturgy, when the priest affirms that “He will come again in Glory to judge the living and the dead and (that) His kingdom will have no end”. The mutual anathemas are in fact swallowed up in that glory (and a whole lot more besides).
The concept of a Pope resigning causes many theological quagmires both inside and outside the church. In canon law the only prevision is that a Pope may send in a letter of resignation however the canons are silent on if the College of Cardinals along with the people are required to accept such a statement. We profess that the Pope is the Vicar of Christ and successor to the Apostles but with this doctrine we then say that he can give up this role as Vicar. This doesn’t follow logically. St. Peter ran away from the task of leading the disciples during the crucifixion and after the resurrection Jesus forgave him and asked him again to serve his church. Pope Benedict may have been old and frail along with being a wonderful theologian but I was surprised to learn that he was resigning. I am sure that the late John Paul II thought of it but he wanted to give a witness of hope through illness. The church loses some credibility by this action.
Thanks for your insight Fr. Joel. From here, Benedict’s Church now looks decidedly more human and therefore one that is more capable of being an Incarnational Church. A falling away of the hard carapace, as it were. The ecclesial shape of the resurrection and a malformed ecumenism were not the same thing.
The church loses some credibility by this action.(Fr. Joel+ on Tuesday, Feb 12, 2013 2:49 PM EDT)
To clarify, I can’t agree with this statement Fr. Joel.
Fr Joel, in my opinion, both Popes have given a great example. JPII provided witness to perseverance through suffering. BXVI has shown great humility in admitting he cannot adequately serve this important role any longer. I suspect he is worse off than we realize, and we may never know how much he is suffering. I fail to see how the Church loses credibility. It’s not like BXVI is pushing out to sea on an ice floe, or hurling himself into a volcano.
Fr. Joel, I went to church today to attend mass. I participated in this Holy Sacrifice as our priest performed the rites faithfully. That is where the credibility of the church lies, IMHO!
I heard a speaker on EWTN Radio yesterday that this precedent set by Pope Benedict XVI might be embraced by future popes. After all, being pope (especially after Blessed John Paul II’s pontificate) has become a very active job, necessitating travel and a very full schedule. As science continues to extend life, we can expect to see longer-lived popes who nevertheless continue to become more and more frail as time marches on. Perhaps resigning will become the norm rather than the exception…
Thank you, Simcha…your words are perfect. I cried yesterday morning, and I’m crying again right now after having all my emotions raked up again. I’m your age, but a recent convert, so Benedict is the only pope I’ve known - and, yes, I’m crying for him like my own grandfather. He’s the same age as John Paul II was when he, too, was called from the papacy…an interesting thought. My grandmother, who died at 92 after suffering exceedingly during her last *twenty years*, used to say cheerfully, “Old age ain’t for sissies…” She was amazingly resilient, but she also accepted how her frailty limited her - something we women perhaps begin to learn in pregnancy - and that’s what I see in our Holy Father. I so admire both John Paul II and Benedict XVI for their personal holiness and for their sacrificial, fatherly love for the Church - and for the examples they are leaving us of the different ways the frailty of age can show that love. May God bless us with another godly man to father us in our exile. St. Peter, pray for us.
It poses the question of the significance of the Bishop of Rome and his function in the laager Church and Christian communities. To our Eastern brethren this raises the age old question of the precedence of the five apostolic See with Rome having chief place along with Antioch, Jerusalem, Constantinople, and Alexandria. Earlier in his pontificate he abandoned the title of Patriarch of the West. This to me seems like he is trying to downplay the role of the Papacy and with his current action it weakens his authority which also weakens credibility. Why I say credibility is that Pope John Paul was sick but still persisted in the office giving the world a sign of hope for our time. This seems like he is saying it is ok to resign or give up when you are tired. This came right after he condemned the two Belgian twins for per curing an end to their life. I know he is not ending his life but he is saying it is ok to fade away. Married people can’t retire from marriage after 20 years because they are tired or sick. Priests can’t retire from our ministry because it is an indelible mark that is put upon our souls. Both vocations speak to a calling that God has shown us for our entire lifetime.
Fr. Joel, I fully sympathise with Pope Benedict wanting to live out the rest of his days in peace. I wonder, have we properly considered that the hand of the Holy Spirit may in fact be in this?
Love your small article here. It was like reading a sweet love letter.
He didn’t seem to fit the uniform as well as a robust younger pope would, but what a man. Master apologist for the Church, he was. I hope he’s remembered for the no-compromise Anglican invitation to the Church as for anything else. Theory became practice.
This is the first Pope that I feel I have actually come to know. I have read his entire Jesus of Nazareth series, many of his general audience messages, and read his letters aloud to my family at Easter, New Year’s Day etc. I realized I do love him, too! I have learned so much from him - what a teacher! I will miss him tremendously, as you will, Simcha. When I realized that the Pope is as old as my mother, I can see now while he wants to resign. I cannot imagine her being able to keep up with the pace that he has these past 8 years.
Fr.Joel, I respectfully submit that the Church loses some credibility when her priests post public comments criticizing and questioning the actions of our Pope - actions which in all charity we must believe that he has prayed and thought long and hard about.
It’s his time to step down. Trust the Holy Spirit who has everything in hand.
Actually Father Joel, lots of priests and Bishops get to enjoy retirement…they don’t lose their indelible mark in doing so.
Thank you Simcha for putting in to words what so many of us are feeling. I am really aching inside but grateful for the time we had with him.
That we may join with him in saying “the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak” - I pray. Amen.
Feast of St. Cyrill and Methodius today!
Hi Marianne Bacon,
I’m not sure if you’ll see this comment, but I just wanted you to know that I read your comment yesterday and it’s stuck with me for a whole day. I had to come back and tell you just how much your line has reverberated with me:
How tired, indeed, must Joseph Ratzinger be, as he has the gifts in his hands outstretched to save the world from itself, and the world assumes it knows better!
The gifts in his hands outstretched to save the world—beautiful. I can’t thank you enough for that wonderful thought.
Simcha—outstanding as always. Love you.
Yes…thanks Maryanne and Anna..you brought the liturgy to life!
In promising to stay hidden, PBXVI is really affirming that his Church is orthodox, in the “eastern” sense where “catholicity” means “fullness of communion” in the Trinitarian sense—rather than the natural successor to the fall of Roman empire sense. The church properly interprets history in terms of the eschaton..
RR+
Posted by Mary on Tuesday, Feb 12, 2013 10:20 PM (EST):
Fr.Joel, I respectfully submit that the Church loses some credibility when her priests post public comments criticizing and questioning the actions of our Pope - actions which in all charity we must believe that he has prayed and thought long and hard about.”
*********************************************
Mary,
The internet’s a place where one can choose any identity they wish.Folk’s posting as priests may or may not be so in real life.Just a thought.
God bless!
Mary, et al. I am NOT a priest nor do I wish to come across as one. Thank you Kathleen. Do join me in praying for ecclesial unity.
RR+
God bless!
(Cradle Catholic turned East+).
@ Fr. Joel: This man, I believe, is hardly stepping down from anything - just the particular task of being Pope due to frail health of whatever kind. Do not confuse “mission” with “vocation,” Fr. Joel! A superior may call back a nun from the wiles of Africa due to her old age or failing health, but she is no less a faithful nun because she retires to a contemplative role! Similarly, Benedict remains a faithful Catholic, a faithful priest - a man simply changing his mission-front. Can we hold that against him simply because he does not *have* a superior to “order” this change but must instead make the decision himself??
We have no idea what Pope Benedict may be suffering. It is none of our business. He may very well be far more ill than Pope John Paul II ever was, in spite of *appearing* less frail. (There are countless saints who appeared “fine” and it was discovered after their death that they suffered unspeakably. St. Bernadette and the Cure de Ars come to mind.)
Regardless, Pope Benedict has come forward in all humility and said he does not currently have what it takes to get his job done so he’s stepping down. Do any of us know so clearly what the job of Pope entails that we could ever judge such a statement?! If we believe Pope Benedict has any integrity at all, then let us trust his motivation to be in the best interest of the Church and let the Holy Spirit get on with sending us a new Vicar. Our true Papa is our Abba Father. If the earthen vessel He chose in Benedict has become too broken to serve Him in this capacity, may He not communicate this to Benedict himself, having no superior or other human person to speak through??
And of course it hardly need be said that Pope Benedict is not leaving the Faith. He is also not departing for a posh life of golf and rice pilaf. He is becoming a hermit inside the Papal gardens. Oh. Has not the Church always held contemplatives at her heart and considered their cloistered life to be essential to the Church’s mission?
Thank you, Papa Benedict, for giving yourself down to the last drop as Pope… and then for finding new ways to give yourself to Christ and His Church! I have no doubt you are a “good and faithful servant” and I look forward in joyful anticipation to the next Holy Father our Heavenly Father will send!
How beautifully put. I’ve been trying to figure out how to put into words what I have felt about our dear Papa’s resignation, and you really put it perfectly. I am sad for us, happy for him to finally have some time to pray and rest (and hopefully keep writing), and I am truly excited to see who the Holy Spirit gives us as the next vicar of Christ!
Just one more thing—did you all see that he will live in a cloistered apartment at the Vatican? To me that speaks volumes of how he intends to live out the rest of his years in prayer.
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