As is known, he was buried yesterday in the Vatican's St. Peter's Basilica XVI. Pope Emeritus Benedict. The Holy Father, who resigned from his office in 2013, died on the last day of last year. The faithful can say goodbye until January 4, Wednesday, XVI. From Benedek, the Magyar Kurír reported.
As written, the funeral will begin at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, January 5, in St. Peter's Square, led by Pope Francis. The Pope Emeritus asked that everything in the ceremony be characterized by simplicity - as he himself lived.
It was also reported that his personal secretary, Archbishop Georg Gänswein, recalled XVI. The last words of Pope Emeritus Benedict, which he said a few hours before his death, during the night.
This happened around 3:00 a.m. on December 31, a few hours before his death. Joseph Ratzinger said in Italian in a whisper, but clearly: "Lord, I love you!"
Magyar Kurír published the memory of Mieczysław Mokrzycki, archbishop of Lemberg, who II. After the death of János Pál, during the first two years of his papacy, he was Pope Benedict's second secretary. The archbishop shared his thoughts with the Ukrainian Catholic news portal Credo about how XVI. Pope Benedict and how was their last meeting in the Vatican.
The II. After ten years working with János Pál, he was lucky enough to be appointed XVI. I was Pope Benedict's secretary. It was a new but wonderful experience for me. I got to know Cardinal Ratzinger back when, as prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, he came to audience with II. to Pope John Paul.
He was a very humble and gentle man, tactful and highly educated.
I must say that Cardinal Ratzinger was a great theologian. Pope John Paul often said that he could sleep peacefully and not worry about the teachings of the Catholic Church because Cardinal Ratzinger was there. Pope Benedict also had great respect for his predecessor.
I remember one time during a walk, Pope Benedict stopped (in the Vatican garden) next to the statue of Our Lady of Fatima and said that the rosary should be changed, because it was already sunburned. And he immediately added that he would like to crown the statue as a sign of his gratitude to the Virgin Mary for saving his predecessor's life. XVI. Pope Benedict was a man of deep faith and spent a lot of time in the chapel every day. He was very responsible and carefully prepared for his sermons and speeches.
He was very conscientious about meetings and audiences.
He was very responsive in his personal dealings with people and knew how to establish a good rapport with anyone in a very short period of time.
I remember the Pope noticing that I liked cherries. And even when I was no longer working at the Vatican, he sent me cherries to Lemberg in June, during the season. And when he didn't have the opportunity, he wrote in a letter how sorry he was that he didn't have anyone to send cherries to this year. This gesture shows how considerate he was to others, even in such a small thing. He was always interested in my service in Ukraine. Every time I visited the Vatican, he invited me to lunch, was happy to meet me, and was always interested in everything that was happening in Ukraine.
Our last meeting took place on November 13. He was very sympathetic to all of us, to the war. He assured me that he prays for Ukraine every day. Lemberg has perhaps the only stained glass window from the 16th century in the world. Pope Benedict and St. II. With the image of János Pál, without the gloriola for now. But I would like (and hope that it will be the case) to see signs with the words "Santo subito" (already holy) at Pope Benedict's funeral, as in II. It happened at the funeral of János Pál, because Joseph Ratzinger is truly a holy man, and I was convinced of that at the time, looking at him day after day, watching him.
Source: Hungarian Courier
