ON THE DEATH OF POPE EMERITUS BENEDICT XVI

December 31, 2022

ON THE DEATH OF POPE EMERITUS BENEDICT XVI

To the Catholics of Japan:

Our beloved shepherd Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI ended his 95-year earthly journey to the Father at 9:34 a.m. local time in Rome on December 31 (5:34 p.m. Japan time). We are deeply saddened by the passing of one who served the Church for more than twenty years as prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and then as pope for eight years. We pray for his eternal rest.

Born in Germany in 1927 as Joseph Ratzinger, he was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Munich in 1951. After his ordination, he rose to prominence as a theologian and in 1959 he became a professor at the University of Bonn and then at the universities of Münster and Tübingen. He participated in Vatican II as theological adviser to Cardinal Josef Frings of Cologne and was particularly instrumental in putting together the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World while attracting attention as an up-and-coming theologian. Later, in 1977, he was appointed Archbishop of Munich-Freising and was made a cardinal. In 1981, he was appointed by Pope St. John Paul II as prefect of the Holy See’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and was a major theological pillar of the Church as it traveled through modern society for many years, and he supported the aging Pope St. John Paul II as he struggled with illness.

Elected on April 19, 2005, to succeed Pope St. John Paul II as Pope Benedict XVI, he declared his historic abdication eight years later on February 11, 2013. It was a clear example of a decision by a believer who placed full trust in the guidance of the Holy Spirit. From that day on, he continued to support the Church in silence and prayer as pope emeritus.

Prior to his election, his reputation for severity as head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith gave me a strong impression that he was stubborn and strict. But when I actually met him, he was a shepherd full of kindness. It is particularly significant that his first encyclical was “Deus Caritas Est” (God is Love). Pope Benedict attached great importance to the work of love (Caritas) in the Church, making it clear that it is not simply based on human kindness, but is an essential action for believers and one of the important elements that shapes the Church.

At the time of the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, Pope Benedict sent Cardinal Robert Sarah as his special envoy to the affected areas and on various occasions he gave words of comfort and encouragement to the bishops of Japan. He was indeed full of kindness, the Pope of Love (Caritas).

Let us give thanks on the death of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI for his many years of service to the Church and his guidance as a shepherd. Let us pray together for his eternal rest that He may receive a bountiful reward in the bosom of the Father.