“Benedict XVI’s prayer, particularly within the final years of his life, was distinguished by a rising depth and interiority. This was additionally mirrored in his angle and his face: It grew to become at all times extra prayerful, contemplative of the one Lord who, within the power of the Holy Spirit, continues to information his Church,” Gänswein stated.
Reflecting on the second the late pontiff introduced his resignation, Gänswein quoted from Benedict’s final Angelus tackle on Feb. 24, 2013, to focus on that the pope’s choice was motivated by a deep love and longstanding sense of service to the Church.
“’The Lord calls me to ’climb the mountain,’ to dedicate myself much more to prayer and meditation. However this doesn’t imply abandoning the Church; quite the opposite, if God asks me this it’s exactly in order that I can proceed to serve her with the identical dedication and the identical love with which I’ve tried to take action to date,’” a visibly emotional Gänswein stated as he quoted the late pontiff.
Increasing his reflection to the centrality of the Eucharist for the late pope, Gänswein famous that for Benedict, “the guts of day by day for him was the Eucharist, a supply of sunshine, power, and comfort.”
“The intimate relationship with the Lord was then mirrored within the relationships with the individuals round him, distinguished by nice cordiality, humility, and ease, and in addition in his theological and pastoral work, at all times oriented towards the primacy of God and the constructing of the Church,” the German prelate added.
Matthew Santucci is a CNA Rome correspondent based mostly in EWTN’s Vatican bureau. He grew up in Connecticut and has been residing in Rome since 2020. He has a B.A. in Historical past from Fordham and an M.A. in Worldwide Relations from Luiss Guido Carli.
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