Pope Benedict RESIGNING

[grace-land]

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/253168/benedict-xvi-dead-at-95-the-humble-worker-and-his-legacy-of-hope-to-the-catholic-church

Benedict XVI dead at 95: The ‘humble worker’ and his legacy of hope to the Catholic Church
By Luke Coppen, AC Wimmer, Matthew Bunson
CNA Newsroom, Dec 31, 2022 / 02:59 am

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI has died at the age of 95, bringing to a close the momentous life of a Churchman who proclaimed the “eternal joy” of Jesus Christ and called himself a “humble worker” in the vineyard of the Lord.

His death was announced in Rome on Dec. 31.

Cardinal Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger was elected pope on April 19, 2005, and took the name Benedict XVI. Eight years later, on Feb. 11, 2013, the 85-year-old shocked the world with the announcement — made in Latin — that he was resigning from the papacy. It was the first resignation of a pope in nearly 600 years. He cited his advanced age and lack of strength as unsuitable for the exercise of his office.

However, the enormous legacy of his theologically profound contributions to the Church and the world will continue to be the source of reflection and study.
 

[grace-land]

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2022-12/pope-francis-descriptions-emeritus-benedict-xvi.html

What Pope Francis has said regarding Benedict XVI
31 December 2022, 14:44


As Pope Francis prepares to preside over the funeral of the late Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI on Thursday, 5 January, several remarks from early in his pontificate offer a portrait of his German-born predecessor.
By Vatican News

No sooner had Bergoglio been elected Pope when some of his first words right at the beginning of his pontificate were addressed to Benedict XVI. While greeting the crowd from the central loggia of the Vatican Basilica, Pope Francis said:

“First of all, I would like to offer a prayer for our Bishop Emeritus, Benedict XVI. Let us pray together for him, that the Lord may bless him and that Our Lady may keep him.”

‘A great Pope’

“Benedict XVI: a great Pope”: Pope Francis thus defined Benedict XVI on 27 October 2014 during the inauguration of a bust in honour of the Pope Emeritus at the Papal Academy of Sciences.

During his speech, Pope Francis remembered his predecessor as:

“Great in strength and intellectual insight, great in his significant contribution to theology, great in his love for the Church and for human beings, great in his virtue and his religiosity.”
 

[grace-land]

Full video of Vespers and Te Deum, with English commentary, at the link...

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2022-12/pope-pays-tribute-benedict-xvi-s-witness-faith-prayer-kindness.html
Pope pays tribute to Benedict XVI's witness of faith, prayer, kindness
31 December 2022, 17:40

Pope Francis remembers "dear Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI who left us this morning," recalling him as such a noble and kind man of faith, while expressing gratitude to God for his gift to the Church. The Pope's words came in his homily at the end of the year celebration of Vespers and the Te Deum.
By Thaddeus Jones

Pope Francis led the traditional end of the year celebration of Vespers followed by the recitation of the Te Deum, the Church’s solemn chant of Thanksgiving for the past year. The celebration on New Year's Eve took place in Saint Peter's Basilica.

In his homily, the Pope remembered Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI who died earlier in the morning, recalling his great kindness, witness of faith and prayer.

“And speaking of kindness, at this moment, my thought naturally goes to dear Pope emeritus Benedict XVI who left us this morning. We are moved as we recall him as such a noble person, so kind. And we feel such gratitude in our hearts: gratitude to God for having given him to the Church and to the world; gratitude to him for all the good he accomplished, and above all, for his witness of faith and prayer, especially in these last years of his recollected life. Only God knows the value and the power of his intercession, of the sacrifices he offered for the good of the Church.”

Kindness marked the key word in the Pope's homily during this celebration of Evening Prayer of the Solemnity of Mary Most Holy, Mother of God.

The Pope recalled Mary's "yes" to God and that His will be fulfilled in her "began the slow journey of the gestation of a humanity free from sin and filled with grace and truth, filled with love and faithfulness."  The Pope explained how God chose this way to enter into the world and history.

“A beautiful, good and true humanity, made in the image and likeness of God, but at the same time, woven with our flesh offered by Mary…never without her…always with her consent…in freedom, gratuitously, respectfully, in love.”
 
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/253198/pope-francis-gives-thanks-to-god-for-benedict-xvis-sacrifices-for-the-church
Pope Francis gives thanks to God for Benedict XVI’s sacrifices for the Church
By Hannah Brockhaus, Courtney Mares
Rome Newsroom, Dec 31, 2022 / 10:33 am

https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/homilies/2022.index.html
Homilies 2022
Celebration of Vespers and Te Deum in Thanksgiving for the past year (31 December 2022)

[grace-land]

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/253199/benedict-xvi-s-final-resting-place-decided-he-will-be-buried-in-vatican-crypt

Benedict XVI’s final resting place decided: He will be buried in Vatican crypt
By Hannah Brockhaus
Vatican City, Dec 31, 2022 / 10:00 am

Benedict XVI will be buried in the crypt under St. Peter’s Basilica, the Vatican said Saturday afternoon.

Benedict’s death, at the age of 95, was announced in Rome on Dec. 31. His body will lie in state in St. Peter’s Basilica from the morning of Monday, Jan. 2, 2023, until his funeral Mass in St. Peter’s Square on Jan. 5, 2023.

The tombs in the Vatican crypt are close to the remains of the Catholic Church’s first pope, St. Peter the Apostle.

Benedict XVI’s remains will stay at Mater Ecclesiae Monastery until Jan. 2, 2022, the Vatican said. No official visits or public prayers are planned.

His body will lie in state from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Jan. 2, 2023, and from 7 a.m to 7 p.m. on Jan. 3 and 4, 2023, in St. Peter’s Basilica, where members of the public may pay their final respects.

The funeral Mass on Jan. 5, 2023, will take place at 9:30 a.m. in St. Peter’s Square. Attendance is free and requires no reservation.
 

[grace-land]

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/253197/live-updates-pope-emeritus-benedict-xvi-dies-at-age-95

LIVE UPDATES: Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI dies at age 95
By Katie Yoder, Lauretta Brown, CNA Staff
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Dec 31, 2022 / 05:25 am

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, a leading theologian of the 20th century and the first pope to resign from office in nearly 600 years, has died at the age of 95.

Follow along here for live updates, all times are in U.S. Eastern Standard Time:
 

[grace-land]

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2022-12/the-spiritual-testament-of-pope-emeritus-benedict-xvi.html

The Spiritual Testament of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI
31 December 2022, 19:58

The Holy See releases the Spiritual Testament of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, dated 29 August 2006.

My spiritual testament

When, at this late hour of my life, I look back on the decades I have wandered through, I see first of all how much reason I have to give thanks. Above all, I thank God Himself, the giver of all good gifts, who has given me life and guided me through all kinds of confusion; who has always picked me up when I began to slip, who has always given me anew the light of his countenance. In retrospect, I see and understand that even the dark and arduous stretches of this path were for my salvation and that He guided me well in those very stretches.

I thank my parents, who gave me life in difficult times and prepared a wonderful home for me with their love, which shines through all my days as a bright light until today. My father's clear-sighted faith taught us brothers and sisters to believe and stood firm as a guide in the midst of all my scientific knowledge; my mother's heartfelt piety and great kindness remain a legacy for which I cannot thank her enough. My sister has served me selflessly and full of kind concern for decades; my brother has always paved the way for me with the clear-sightedness of his judgements, with his powerful determination, and with the cheerfulness of his heart; without this ever-new going ahead and going along, I would not have been able to find the right path.
 

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2022-12/pope-emeritus-benedict-xvi-dies-aged-95.html
Farewell to Benedict XVI: ‘Humble worker in the vineyard of the Lord'
31 December 2022, 10:35
Updated at 16.42

[grace-land]

Full video, with English commentary, at the link...

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2023-01/as-new-year-begins-pope-francis-says-mary-gives-us-hope.html
As New Year begins, Pope Francis says, ‘Mary gives us hope’
01 January 2023, 10:15

In his homily during the Mass for the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God, Pope Francis invites the faithful to rediscover “the enthusiasm of going” and “the wonder of seeing,” as the shepherds did, “the secret that can make this world truly new.”
By Christopher Wells

Mary’s Motherhood is a “fundamental datum of faith,” but also “ “a marvelous fact”: “God has a Mother,” Pope Francis explained, “and is thus bound forever to our humanity, to the point that our humanity is His humanity.”

In his homily for the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, the Holy Father noted that this truth has “mostly entered the hearts and minds of the holy People of God” through the invocation in the dearly loved prayer, the Hail Mary. “To this invocation, the Mother of God always responds,” the Pope said. “She hears our petitions; holding her Son in her arms, she blesses us and brings us the tender love of God made flesh.”

“In a word, Mary gives us hope.”

The Pope said, "The year, which opens with the celebration of God's Mother and our own, tells us that the key to hope is Mary, and that the antiphon of hope is the invocation, 'Holy Mother of God!'"

And, he added, "Today we entrust to our Blessed Mother our beloved Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI so that she may accompany him in his passage from this world to God."
 
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/253206/pope-francis-entrusts-the-late-benedict-xvi-to-the-blessed-virgin-mary
Pope Francis entrusts the late Benedict XVI to the Blessed Virgin Mary
By Courtney Mares
Vatican City, Jan 1, 2023 / 03:17 am

https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/homilies/2023.index.html
Homilies 2023
Holy Mass on the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God (1st January 2023)

[grace-land]

Video, with English commentary, at the link...

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2023-01/pope-at-angelus-we-thank-god-for-the-gift-of-benedict-xvi.html
Pope at Angelus: We thank God for the gift of Benedict XVI
01 January 2023, 12:25

At the midday Angelus following the morning Mass on New Year's Day, Pope Francis calls on us to invoke the Blessed Mother's intercession for Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, who died Saturday morning.
By Vatican News staff writer

Speaking to the crowds gathered in Saint Peter's Square on New Year's Day, Pope Francis recalled that the start of the new year is entrusted to Mary Most Holy, whom we celebrated today as Mother of God. He invited everyone to invoke her intercession, especially for Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, who died Saturday morning.
“Let us all join together, with one heart and one soul, in thanking God for the gift of this faithful servant of the Gospel and of the Church.”
 
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/253210/pope-francis-let-mary-teach-you-what-to-do-in-the-new-year
Pope Francis: Let Mary teach you what to do in the New Year
By Hannah Brockhaus
Rome Newsroom, Jan 1, 2023 / 08:31 am

https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/angelus/2023.index.html
Angelus - Regina Cæli 2023
Angelus, 1st January 2023, Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God

[grace-land]

 
https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2023-01/pope-may-we-all-unite-gratitude-for-faithful-servant-of-gospel.html
Pope: May we all unite in gratitude for this faithful servant of Gospel
01 January 2023, 15:38

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope.html
The body of the Pope Emeritus in the Mater Ecclesiae chapel

At the Angelus on Sunday, Pope Francis again recalled, as he did at yesterday evening's Te Deum and this morning's Mass, his late predecessor, Benedict XVI. On Saturday, shortly after Benedict's death, the Pope went to the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery to pray over his body, which now rests in the Monastery chapel. His body will be transferred to St. Peter's Basilica tomorrow morning allowing for veneration by the faithful.
By Salvatore Cernuzio and Tiziana Campisi

"The beginning of the new year is entrusted to Mary Most Holy, whom we celebrate today as Mother of God. At this time, let us invoke her intercession, especially for Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, who left this world yesterday morning. Let us all join together, with one heart and one soul, in thanking God for the gift of this faithful servant of the Gospel and of the Church."

Pope Francis offered these words of affection and sorrow for the death of his predecessor, Benedict XVI, but also his gratitude for one whom, as in yesterday evening's Te Deum, he described as "a gift for the Church and the world". Benedict, "the good grandfather," the "father" and "brother", as he had called him during these years of his pontificate, died yesterday morning at the age of 95.

The Vatican's Press Office released images of the body of the Pope emeritus lying in repose in the chapel of the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery, located in the Vatican Gardens a few steps away from the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes, which Benedict XVI had chosen as his home after stepping down from the Petrine ministry in 2013.

Pope Francis' visit yesterday to Mater Ecclesiae Monastery

On Saturday morning, Pope Francis went to the Monastery a few minutes after 9.34 am, the hour of Benedict XVI's death, the director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni, confirmed today. He explained that, immediately after being informed by the special secretary, Archbishop Georg Gänswein, the Pope went to the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery by car at around 10 am. He had also made a visit there last Wednesday, 28 December, immediately after speaking of the Pope Emeritus' worsening health situation, asking for "a special prayer" for him.
 
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/253207/vatican-releases-photos-of-benedict-xvis-body
Vatican shares first photos of Benedict XVI after death
By Hannah Brockhaus
Rome Newsroom, Jan 1, 2023 / 05:28 am

[grace-land]

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/253215/here-are-the-last-words-spoken-by-pope-emeritus-benedict-xvi

Here are the last words spoken by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI
By Zelda Caldwell, Courtney Mares
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jan 1, 2023 / 12:12 pm

The last words of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI as he lay on his deathbed were “Lord, I love you!” according to the late pope’s longtime personal secretary Archbishop Georg Gänswein, Vatican News reported.

At about 3 a.m. on Dec. 31, a few hours before he died, Benedict was alone with a nurse who did not speak German, Vatican News reported. At that time Gänswein and others who were taking turns staying with the pope emeritus had left the room for a moment.

Gänswein recounted that Benedict XVI “in a soft but clearly distinguishable voice said in Italian, ‘Lord, I love you!’”

Gänswein said: “I was not there at the time, but the nurse told me shortly afterwards. Those were his last comprehensible words because after that he was no longer able to express himself."

The pope emeritus’ death was announced in Rome on Dec. 31. His solemn funeral Mass will be on Thursday, Jan. 5, at 9:30 a.m. Rome time in St. Peter’s Square, with Pope Francis presiding. Benedict XVI will be buried in the Vatican crypt following the funeral.

“In accordance with the wish of the pope emeritus, the funeral will be carried out under the sign of simplicity,” the Vatican press office director, Matteo Bruni, said. Bruni told journalists in a news briefing Dec. 31 that Benedict received the sacrament of anointing of the sick on Dec. 28.
 

Video, and English transcript of the interview, at the link...
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/253203/pope-benedict-xvi-personal-secretary-georg-ganswein-ewtn-interview
WATCH: Benedict's longtime secretary, Archbishop Georg Gänswein, reflects on the late pope's life, legacy
By CNA Staff
Rome Newsroom, Jan 1, 2023 / 02:30 am

[grace-land]

Video at the link...

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2023-01/saying-goodbye-to-benedict-faithful-flock-to-st-peter-s.html
Bidding farewell to Benedict XVI: Thousands pay their respects in St Peter’s
02 January 2023, 10:19

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city.html

Ahead of his funeral on Thursday, the body of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI lies in state in St Peter's Basilica, where the faithful can pay their final respects and to offer their prayers for the repose of the soul of the late Joseph Ratzinger.
By Christopher Wells

The mortal remains of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI have been transferred to the Basilica of Saint Peter, where they will lay in state for three days to offer the faithful an opportunity for prayer and to pay their final respects to the former Supreme Pontiff.

The Pope Emeritus’ body – resting in front of the Altar of the Confession – is vested in traditional red liturgical garments with a miter, but without the pallium (the latter a symbol of jurisdiction which is normally not used for a retired prelate). A simple Rosary is held in his interlaced fingers.

Long, prayerful lines

On Monday morning, the Pope Emeritus’ remains were translated from the Monastery to the Basilica in a private ceremony.

A long line of the faithful and other well-wishers had already formed early Monday morning before the viewing officially began at 9 am Rome time.

On Monday morning, the Pope Emeritus’ remains were translated from the Monastery’s chapel to the Basilica in a private ceremony, presided over by Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, who holds the title of Archpriest of St Peter’s. The brief ceremony lasted approximately half an hour.
 

Video and photos at the link...

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/253218/thousands-gather-to-pay-final-respects-to-body-of-benedict-xvi
VIDEO AND PHOTOS: Thousands gather to pay final respects to body of Benedict XVI
By Courtney Mares, Hannah Brockhaus
Vatican City, Jan 2, 2023 / 04:54 am

[grace-land]

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/church/news/2023-01/churches-remember-benedict-xvi-as-man-committed-to-ecumenism.html

Churches remember Benedict XVI as a man committed to ecumenism
02 January 2023, 13:49

People queuing in St. Peter's Square to their final respects to Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI  (VATICAN MEDIA Divisione Foto)

Christian Churches across the world express deep sorrow at the death of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI and remember him as a fine theologian committed to ecumenical dialogue and a very humane person.
By Lisa Zengarini

As thousands of people begin to flock to  St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican to pay their final respects to Benedict XVI, tributes to the late Pope Emeritus continue to pour in from across the world, including other Christian Churches, Heads of state and government, and also from faith leaders of other religions.

Following the announcement of his passing away on 31 December, the acting general secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC) Reverend Ioan Sauca, expressed the “deepest condolences” of all its member Churches, highlighting his significant contribution to ecumenical dialogue.

Noting that he was the first pope to have come from a country, Germany, with a roughly equal balance between Protestants and Catholics, and one that had been at the very centre of the 16th century Reformation, Rev. Sauca also remarked that Benedict XVI was the first Catholic Pontiff to have belonged to a committee of the WCC, as one of the Catholic members of its ‘Faith and Order Commission’.
 

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/world/news/2023-01/world-leaders-mourning-death-of-benedict-xvi.html
World leaders mourning death of Benedict XVI
02 January 2023, 16:13

Political leaders across the world send their condolences for the passing of the Pope Emeritus, praising his devotion to the Church and commitment for world peace.
By Vatican News staff reporter

[grace-land]

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/253219/benedict-xvi-s-funeral-only-2-countries-will-send-official-delegations

Benedict XVI’s funeral: Only 2 countries will send official delegations
By Kelsey Wicks
Rome Newsroom, Jan 2, 2023 / 06:30 am

Archbishop Georg Gänswein, the longtime personal secretary of Benedict XVI, greets Italy's Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, on Jan. 2, 2023, at St. Peter's Basilica, where Benedict is lying in state. | Vatican Media

Just two official state delegations — from Italy and Germany — will attend the funeral of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, the Vatican’s press office has confirmed, answering one of the many novel protocol questions posed by the death of a pope emeritus.

The German-born Benedict, formerly Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, lived in Italy for more than 40 years, beginning in 1981. The Holy See Press Office confirmed on Dec. 31 that the two countries were sending official representatives to the funeral, which will be on Thursday.

Both Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni paid their respects to the late pontiff Monday morning at St. Peter’s Basilica, where his body will lie in state through Jan. 4. While there, Meloni offered her condolences to Benedict’s longtime personal secretary, Archbishop Georg Gänswein.

According to the news magazine Der Spiegel, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier will attend Benedict’s funeral on Thursday in an official capacity.

The protocols after the death of a reigning pope have in the past provided a well-known set of rituals, but the death of a pope emeritus presents a unique situation. Speculation about whether he would be buried in papal dress or that of a cardinal has been accompanied by other questions surrounding who will attend the funeral in an official capacity since Benedict XVI is no longer a head of state.

The answer appears to be a mixture of papal rites. Buried in the papal red, his body was adorned with many features reserved for a pope, but not all: the characteristic red shoes worn by Benedict as pope were replaced by black ones. In the case of official delegations, just two were invited, though any public figure can attend the event in a personal capacity.
 

[grace-land]

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/253220/benedict-xvi-to-be-buried-in-first-tomb-of-pope-john-paul-ii

Benedict XVI to be buried in first tomb of Pope John Paul II
By Hannah Brockhaus
Rome Newsroom, Jan 2, 2023 / 06:35 am

Pope Benedict XVI visits the tomb of the late Pope John Paul II in the grotto beneath St. Peter's Basilica after a meeting with young Catholics, in preparation of the XXI World Youth Day at the Vatican April 6, 2006. | Photo by ARTURO MARI/AFP via Getty Images

Benedict XVI will be interred in the Vatican crypt in the same spot where Pope John Paul II was buried before his beatification.

Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni confirmed the site of Benedict’s tomb to journalists on Jan. 2, the first day the pope emeritus’ body was laid in state in St. Peter’s Basilica.

Benedict’s death at age 95 was announced in Rome on Dec. 31.

Benedict XVI’s coffin will be carried to the crypt under the central part of St. Peter’s Basilica for interment after his funeral Mass on Jan. 5.
 

[grace-land]

Looking back...

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2023-01/pope-emeritus-benedict-xvi-overview-papacy.html
Benedict XVI: Exploring his nearly 8 years on the See of Peter
03 January 2023, 11:29

The late Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI waves to the faithful

Benedict XVI: Exploring his nearly 8 years on the See of Peter
As the late Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI lies in state in St. Peter’s Basilica, we take a look back over the nearly 8 years of his papacy, starting with the choice of his pontifical name through to his shock resignation.
By Veronica Scarisbrick

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2023-01/pope-emeritus-benedict-xvi-2006-visit-vatican-radio.html
Benedict XVI’s visit to Vatican Radio: ‘Dialogue in service of truth’
03 January 2023, 11:49


In the wake of the death of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, we recall his historic visit to the headquarters of Vatican Radio in 2006, and his invitation for Vatican media to engage in the “great dialogue of truth”.
By Veronica Scarisbrick

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2023-01/pope-emeritus-benedict-xvi-alessandro-gisotti-faith-digital-age.html
Benedict XVI and the transmission of the faith in the digital age
03 January 2023, 15:30

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI sends the first papal tweet on 12 December 2012

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI was not only a fine theologian, but also a skilled communicator throughout his life, employing courage and creativity to engage the challenge of social media and continuing to communicate effectively in his retirement through silence and prayer.
By Alessandro Gisotti

[grace-land]

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/253230/bells-to-ring-for-benedict-xvi-in-all-catholic-churches-in-germany

Bells to ring for Benedict XVI in all Catholic churches in Germany
By AC Wimmer
CNA Newsroom, Jan 3, 2023 / 09:30 am

Pope Benedict XVI during audiences in Vatican in Rome | Marco Iacobucci Epp|Shutterstock

A peal of Church bells will ring out across Germany in mourning for Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI on Thursday, the day of his funeral.

The bells of all Catholic churches of the 27 dioceses of Germany are expected to toll at 11 a.m. (local time) on Jan 5. to pay respect for the late pontiff.

Bishops from the 27 dioceses in Germany are expected to attend the funeral in Rome.

All seven Bavarian dioceses will be represented by their respective bishops. For the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising, where Benedict — as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger — was archbishop from 1977 to 1982, a delegation headed by Cardinal Reinhard Marx will attend the funeral service.
 

[grace-land]

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/253233/personal-secretary-of-benedict-xvi-set-to-publish-new-book-who-is-he

Personal secretary of Benedict XVI set to publish new book: Who is he?
By Kelsey Wicks, Jonah McKeown
Vatican City, Jan 3, 2023 / 11:00 am

Archbishop Georg Gänswein bent down to kiss the hands of his friend and mentor, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. | Vatican Media

As Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI’s personal secretary, Archbishop Georg Gänswein became a well-known presence in the Catholic world, especially since Benedict’s resignation in 2013.

The 65-year-old German not only spoke on Benedict’s behalf frequently but also staunchly defended him from criticism on numerous occasions, as he did most recently in an exclusive interview with EWTN detailing Benedict’s response to a German law firm’s report on the Church’s handling of sexual abuse cases in the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising.

Now, Gänswein has written a book detailing his life with the former pope: “Nothing but the Truth: My Life Beside Pope Benedict XVI.”

Set to be published this month in Italian, the book promises to give a firsthand account of the pontificate of Benedict XVI.
 

 
https://twitter.com/EdwardPentin?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

Edward Pentin @EdwardPentin · 4h

Traditionis Custodes “hit him very hard,” said +Gänswein. “I think it broke Pope Benedict’s heart.”
 

[grace-land]

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2023-01/pope-emeritus-benedict-xvi-requiem-mass-details.html

Pope Francis to preside at Requiem Mass for Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI
03 January 2023, 17:58

The Holy See Press Office releases details of the Requiem Mass which Pope Francis will preside over on Thursday for the repose of the soul of the late Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI.
By Devin Watkins

The Vatican has published the rite for the Requiem Mass for Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, which will be celebrated on Thursday at 9:30 AM Rome time.

The booklet for the Mass is based largely on the Rite of Christian Burial of a Supreme Pontiff with several modifications.

Matteo Bruni, the Director of the Holy See Press Office, told reporters on Tuesday that some portions have been added, while others more relevant to the death of a reigning Pope have been taken out.

As an example, he said the supplications for the Diocese of Rome and the Oriental Churches have been removed.
 
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/253226/funeral-of-benedict-xvi-everything-you-need-to-know
Funeral of Benedict XVI: Everything you need to know
By CNA Staff
Vatican City, Jan 3, 2023 / 01:46 am

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/253231/here-are-the-prayers-that-will-be-offered-at-benedict-xvi-s-funeral-mass
Here are the prayers and readings for Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI’s funeral Mass
By Courtney Mares
Rome Newsroom, Jan 3, 2023 / 09:07 am

[grace-land]

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2023-01/ganswein-benedict-xvi-lived-loving-the-lord-to-the-end.html

Archbishop Gänswein: Benedict XVI lived loving the Lord until the end
04 January 2023, 18:38

The private secretary of the late Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, Archbishop Georg Gänswein, speaks to Vatican News and offers a moving testimony of the late Pontiff’s final hours and of the many years he spent at his side.
By Silvia Kritzenberger

Tried, moved, but at the same time at peace. Archbishop Georg Gänswein, Prefect of the Papal Household and private secretary first of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger and then of Benedict XVI, visited the studios of Vatican Radio a day ahead of the funeral of the man he served for many years.

In an interview, he recounts the last moments of the earthly existence of the man who served the Church as Bishop of Rome from 2005 to 2013, and then made the historic choice of renouncing to the Pontificate almost ten years ago.

Q: Thousands of faithful paid their respects to the mortal remains of the Pope Emeritus. You have spent a large part of your life with him. How do you live now?

Humanly, suffering very much. It hurts, I suffer… Spiritually, very well. I know Pope Benedict is now where he wanted to go.
 

[grace-land]

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2023-01/pope-pens-preface-to-book-of-benedict-xvi-spiritual-thoughts.html

Pope Francis: Theology of Benedict XVI was passion steeped in the Gospel
04 January 2023, 10:02

Pope Francis writes the preface to book gathering the late Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI's spiritual reflections, edited by Luca Caruso and entitled 'God is Always New', which will be published by the Vatican Publishing House on 14 January.
By Pope Francis

I am delighted that the reader has in hand this text on the spiritual thought of the late Pope Benedict XVI. The title already expresses one of the most distinctive aspects of his magisterium and vision of faith: God is always new because He is the source and reason for beauty, grace, and truth. God is never repetitive, God surprises us, God brings newness. The spiritual freshness that arises from these pages strongly confirms this reality.

Benedict XVI did theology on his knees in prayer. His explanation of matters of faith was carried out with the devotion of a man who totally surrendered himself to God and who, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, sought an ever-greater understanding of the mystery of Jesus, who fascinated him from his youth.