Pope Benedict RESIGNING

[grace-land]

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2014/01/17/honor-lifetime-performing-at-vatican-for-pope-benedict-his-brother/

Honor of a lifetime -- performing at the Vatican for Pope Benedict, his brother
By Lauren Green
Published January 17, 2014

Pope Benedict XVI is somewhat a forgotten man these days. The pope emeritus, who shocked the world when he resigned last spring, is usually referenced now only in stories about his successor, Pope Francis, who’s become the darling of the press, especially in the West.

But in the cloistered Vatican City, Pope Benedict is still very much revered and respected. I know this because I was privileged enough to be invited to perform in a private concert there Wednesday, January 15th, in honor of Benedict’s brother’s 90th Birthday.
 
A total of about 50 people attended, mostly staff and clergy. Benedict entered the room first, as homage to his brother, the guest of honor. Dressed in papal white cassock and coat and brown shoes, Benedict, who appears less frail than before his retirement, was accompanied by his longtime aide, Archbishop Georg Gaenswein. All stood and applauded. Then all remained standing while the monsignor entered.

The classical music we performed was a combination of both sacred and secular, including violinist Pawlik’s incredibly beautiful Meditation from Thais by Jules Massenet. Pawlik also joined Noeth for a duet of Cesar Franck’s Panis Angelicus. Noeth also sang a selection of arias. I performed three pieces, the second of which was Sposalizio, by Franz Liszt. It was specially chosen for the concert. It is inspired by Raphael’s famous painting of the same name. It is of the wedding of the Virgin Mary and Joseph. The names of which also belong to the parents the Ratzinger brothers. Now the two brothers are all that remain of their family.

After the concert, both Benedict and his brother seemed quite moved. Benedict immediately came over to the performers and thanked each one of us individually. Photos were taken, and memories were made that will last a lifetime.
 

[Sister]

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2014/01/17/honor-lifetime-performing-at-vatican-for-pope-benedict-his-brother/

Honor of a lifetime -- performing at the Vatican for Pope Benedict, his brother
By Lauren Green
Published January 17, 2014

Pope Benedict XVI is somewhat a forgotten man these days. The pope emeritus, who shocked the world when he resigned last spring, is usually referenced now only in stories about his successor, Pope Francis, who’s become the darling of the press, especially in the West.

But in the cloistered Vatican City, Pope Benedict is still very much revered and respected. I know this because I was privileged enough to be invited to perform in a private concert there Wednesday, January 15th, in honor of Benedict’s brother’s 90th Birthday.
 
A total of about 50 people attended, mostly staff and clergy. Benedict entered the room first, as homage to his brother, the guest of honor. Dressed in papal white cassock and coat and brown shoes, Benedict, who appears less frail than before his retirement, was accompanied by his longtime aide, Archbishop Georg Gaenswein. All stood and applauded. Then all remained standing while the monsignor entered.

The classical music we performed was a combination of both sacred and secular, including violinist Pawlik’s incredibly beautiful Meditation from Thais by Jules Massenet. Pawlik also joined Noeth for a duet of Cesar Franck’s Panis Angelicus. Noeth also sang a selection of arias. I performed three pieces, the second of which was Sposalizio, by Franz Liszt. It was specially chosen for the concert. It is inspired by Raphael’s famous painting of the same name. It is of the wedding of the Virgin Mary and Joseph. The names of which also belong to the parents the Ratzinger brothers. Now the two brothers are all that remain of their family.

After the concert, both Benedict and his brother seemed quite moved. Benedict immediately came over to the performers and thanked each one of us individually. Photos were taken, and memories were made that will last a lifetime.
 

BBM

what an opportunity of a life time!

[grace-land]

 

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2014/01/23/it-was-god-thing-adventures-in-faith-on-way-to-concert-for-pope-benedict-his/

It was a God thing -- adventures in faith on the way to concert for Pope Benedict, his brother
By Lauren Green/ Published January 23, 2014


January 15, 2014: Lauren Green greets Pope Emeritus Benedict at the Vatican. (Courtesy of the author)

I recently performed in a private concert at the Vatican in Rome for Pope Benedict XVI (the Emeritus), in honor of his brother's, Monsignor Georg Ratzinger's 90th birthday.

To be asked to perform for the pope seemed like Divine intervention alone. But other things happened that convinced me God’s hand was in it, guiding my path.
 

[grace-land]

 

http://www.lifesitenews.com/blog/the-belittling-and-tearing-down-of-the-pontificate-of-pope-benedict-is-acce/

The belittling and tearing down of the pontificate of Pope Benedict is accelerating
Wed Jan 29, 2014 21:45 EST

The belittling and tearing down of the pontificate of Pope Benedict is accelerating in conjunction with the growing adulation of Pope Francis in the secular world and among the "progessive" dissidents within the Church.

Benedict did what he was called to do in his position as the leader of the Catholic Church, no matter how much he was criticized both from within and outside the Church. He shouldered and embraced a very heavy cross and suffered a quiet type of crucifixion as a result of his exceptional fidelity and courageous writings and actions.

Benedict took strong, long overdue and very necessary actions against moral corruption within the clergy, the religious orders and within the Catholic aid agencies. He appointed many first-rate bishops and removed a large number of bishops who were a cause of scandal to the Church. He took actions on the liturgy and other issues that were not popular, but which he saw as essential to preserving Catholicism and Christian culture in what he knew would be very difficult years to come in the near future.

We should be extremely grateful for the pontificate of Pope Benedict XVI and the exceptional support that he gave to the life and family movements. The full story on all that he did has yet to be told.
 

[grace-land]

http://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/2014/02/09/a-year-after-resignation-ex-pope-benedict-has-no-regrets-ganswein/

A year after resignation, ex-Pope Benedict has no regrets – Gänswein
February 9, 2014

A year after his shock resignation, Pope Emeritus Benedict has no regrets and believes history will vindicate his tumultuous and much-criticised papacy, the man closest to him told Reuters in a rare interview.

Archbishop Georg Gänswein, who now works for the former pope as well as being the head of Pope Francis’s household, shed new light on how Benedict spends his days, his health, his feelings about his momentous decision and the relationship between the two popes.

“Pope Benedict is at peace with himself and I think he is even at peace with the Lord,” said Gänswein, whose twin roles bring him into contact with the current and former pope daily.

Benedict announced his decision to resign, the first pope to do so in 600 years, on February 11, 2013, citing the physical and psychological strains of the papacy. He stepped down on February 28 and Francis was elected on March 13 as the first non-European pope in 1,300 years.
 
-------------------
http://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/2014/02/09/reuters-qa-with-archbishop-georg-ganswein-in-english-and-italian/
Reuters Q&A with Archbishop Georg Gänswein in English and Italian
February 9, 2014

[grace-land]

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/cardinal-recalls-shock-of-benedict-xvis-resignation/

Cardinal recalls shock of Benedict XVI's resignation

Vatican City, Feb 10, 2014 / 05:06 am (CNA/EWTN News).- One year later, Cardinal James Stafford reflects on the meeting where Benedict XVI announced that he was stepping down as Bishop of Rome, noting that it was an “unexpected” moment of “shock” for all.

“Total surprise, total shock,” was the experience of all those present when they heard the Pope’s words that day, Cardinal Stafford explained in a Feb. 7 interview with CNA.

On the occasion of the one-year anniversary of the Feb. 11, 2013 announcement of Benedict XVI’s resignation, Cardinal Stafford, President Emeritus of the Pontifical Council of the Laity and Archbishop Emeritus of Denver, CO, spoke of his experience at being in the room when the pontiff revealed his decision.

Calling to mind the meeting where the announcement was made, the cardinal revealed that “it took place at a consistory of the cardinals,” which was “basically” a gathering of “the cardinals of Rome.”
 
“We all sat down, including the Holy Father, Pope Benedict, and a rather extensive paper was brought up to him by his secretary to read.”

Originally, “I didn’t put any meaning upon all of that,” the cardinal reflected, stating that “I just thought we would be having an adjunct, that was somewhat unusual, but not very unusual,” but “within ten seconds” he knew something was happening because the Pope was “speaking in Latin, not in Italian.”

 “I was alerted to the fact that it was about something very special by the fact that he was speaking to us not in the usual language of Italian, but in Latin,” Cardinal Stafford recalled, noting that the pontiff had not spoken to them in Latin “in this setting” since “his election,” so he thought “’I better listen in on this.’”

 “So I listened very attentively, and very soon the words came out that he was resigning,” the cardinal observed, “and he continued about the reasons, but that came out within the first thirty seconds of his address.”

Then they “concluded the celebration of the Liturgy of Hours,” he explained, and Benedict XVI “left immediately, and we were left there stunned.”

“A cardinal who was sitting next to me said, ‘Did he resign?’ I said, ‘yes, that’s what he did. He resigned.’ And we just all stood at our places.”

Eventually “we came together in smaller groups, and began sharing some of our reaction to it,” the cardinal said, adding that “It was totally unexpected, and totally, historically, unexpected.”
 

[Sister]

The Pope has spoken with God and had peace, first . . . most important.
May God continue to bless him!

[grace-land]

The Pope has spoken with God and had peace, first . . . most important.
May God continue to bless him!

And a good and faithful servant of God!

[grace-land]

Photos at the link

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/pope-emeritus-benedict-xvi-joins-pope-francis-at-a-historic-cardinal-ceremony/2014/02/22/80406b6e-9bfd-11e3-ad71-e03637a299c0_story.html

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI joins Pope Francis at a historic cardinal ceremony
Published: February 22
 
VATICAN CITY — In an unprecedented blending of papacies past, present and future, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI joined Pope Francis at a ceremony Saturday to formally install new cardinals who will elect the next pontiff.

It was the first time Benedict and Francis have appeared together at a public liturgical ceremony since Benedict retired a year ago, becoming the first pope to step down in more than 600 years. It may signal that after a year of staying largely “hidden to the world,” as Benedict described his future when resigning, the retired pontiff may slowly and occasionally be reintegrated back into the public life of the church.

Benedict entered St. Peter’s Basilica discreetly from a side entrance surrounded by a small entourage and was greeted with applause and tears from the stunned people in the pews. He smiled, waved and took his seat in the front row, off to the side, alongside the red-draped cardinals.

“We are grateful for your presence here among us,” the newly minted Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican secretary of state, told Benedict in his introductory remarks at the start of the service.

In a sign that Benedict still commands the honor and respect owed a pope, each of the 19 new cardinals — after receiving his red hat from Francis at the altar — went directly to Benedict’s seat to greet him before exchanging a sign of peace with the other cardinals.
 

[Sister]

The Pope has spoken with God and had peace, first . . . most important.
May God continue to bless him!

And a good and faithful servant of God!

indeed!

[grace-land]

http://www.religionnews.com/2014/02/26/pope-benedict-rejects-rumors-resigned-simply-absurd/

Benedict rejects rumors on why he resigned as “simply absurd”
Feb 26, 2014

VATICAN CITY (RNS) As the anniversary of his surprising resignation approaches, Pope Benedict XVI has rejected as “simply absurd” the speculation that he was forced to step down, and he said he still wears the distinctive white papal cassock for “purely practical reasons.”

“At the moment of my resignation there were no other clothes available,” Benedict wrote in a brief letter to an Italian journalist that was published on Wednesday (Feb. 26).

The emeritus pope also said that he kept the name Benedict, rather than reverting to his birth name of Joseph Ratzinger, because it was a simple solution.

Rumors that this signaled he remained something of a “shadow pope” to his successor, Pope Francis, were “another case of completely unfounded speculations being made.”

The same goes for reports that he was pushed to resign because of scandals in the Vatican.

“There isn’t the slightest doubt about the validity of my resignation from the Petrine ministry,” Benedict wrote to Andrea Tornielli, a veteran Vatican reporter with La Stampa newspaper.

“The only condition for the validity is the complete freedom of my decision. Speculations about the invalidity of my resignation are simply absurd.”
 
----------------------
http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/02/26/pope-emeritus_benedict_xvi:_theories_surrounding_resignation_are/en1-776540
2014-02-26 08:01:01
Pope-emeritus Benedict XVI: Theories surrounding resignation are 'absurd'

http://www.ncregister.com/blog/edward-pentin/benedict-xvi-questions-about-validity-of-resignation-are-absurd
Benedict XVI: Questions About Validity of Resignation are "Absurd"
Wednesday, February 26, 2014 5:33 AM

[grace-land]

Videos at the link

http://whispersintheloggia.blogspot.com/

Friday, February 28, 2014
One Year Ago Today....



...what had long been unthinkable came to pass – the Pope departed the Vatican, and left Peter's Chair behind:
 

[grace-land]

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/in-rare-interview-benedict-xvi-recalls-life-john-paul-ii/

In rare interview, Benedict XVI recalls life of John Paul II

Vatican City, Mar 7, 2014 / 05:02 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- In lengthy excerpts of an interview published in an Italian newspaper, Benedict XVI speaks of his time collaborating with John Paul II, highlighting the deceased Pope's sanctity and commitment to the truth.

“In the years of collaboration with him it became ever more clear to me that John Paul II was a saint,” the retired pontiff told Polish journalist Wlodzimierz Redzioch in a written interview, selections of which appeared in Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera on March 7.

Published as part of the book “Beside JPII: Friends and Collaborators Speak,” released by Italian press agency “Italian Edizioni Ares,” Benedict's written interview was originally requested by Redzioch in Nov. of 2013, which he agreed to and completed in Jan. of this year.
 

[grace-land]

Extracts of the interview

http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/benedict-xvi-pays-tribute-to-blessed-john-paul-ii-in-new-interview

Benedict XVI Pays Tribute to Blessed John Paul II in New Interview
Vatican City,  March 07, 2014

We publish below extracts of a recent interview Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI gave to ZENIT’s Wlodzimierz Redzioch in which he pays tribute to soon-to-be-canonized Pope John Paul II.

The complete interview appears in a book just published in Italian entitled “Beside John Paul II - Friends and Collaborators Speak” (Ares 2014). The interview, one of 21 with the late Pontiff’s close friends and associates, runs to 12 pages in total. It is entitled: “It Became Ever More Clear to Me that John Paul II Was a Saint”.

***

In this first extract, Benedict XVI is asked to recount his first meeting with Cardinal Wojtyla:

BENEDICT XVI: The first meeting I am aware of, between me and Cardinal Wojtyla, happened only in the Conclave in which John Paul I was elected.

During the Council, we both collaborated on the Constitution on the Church in the contemporary world, and yet in different sessions we did not meet. In September of 1978, on the occasion of the visit of Polish Bishops in Germany, I was in Ecuador as personal representative of John Paul I. The Church of Monaco and Freising is linked to the Ecuadorian Church in a twinning realized by Archbishop Echevarria Ruiz (Guayaquil) and Cardinal Dopner. And thus, to my great displeasure, I lost the occasion to know the Archbishop of Krakow personally. Naturally, I had heard talk of his work as philosopher and pastor, and I had wanted to meet him for a long time.

For his part, Wojtyla had read my Introduction to Christianity, which he also quoted in the Spiritual Exercises he preached for Paul VI in Lent of 1976. Therefore, it was as if interiorly we both hoped to meet.

I had from the beginning a great veneration and a cordial liking for the Archbishop of Krakow. In the pre-Conclave of 1978, he analyzed for us, in an amazing way, the nature of Marxism. However, above all I perceived immediately and strongly the human charm that he emanated and, from the way he prayed, I realized how profoundly united he was to God.
 

[grace-land]

http://www.ticotimes.net/2014/04/27/pope-francis-declares-john-paul-ii-john-xxiii-saints

Pope Francis declares John Paul II, John XXIII saints
Jean-Louis de la Vaissiere and Laure Brumont | AFP |1 day ago


This handout picture by the Vatican press office shows Pope Francis, right, meeting with Pope emeritus Benedict XVI during the canonization mass of Popes John XXIII and John Paul II at St. Peter’s square at the Vatican, on April 27, 2014.
AFP/OSSERVATORE ROMANO/HO

VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis on Sunday proclaimed John Paul II and John XXIII the Catholic Church’s newest saints at a festive ceremony joined by hundreds of thousands of pilgrims for two pontiffs who helped shape 20th-century history.

Among the attendees was Floribeth Mora, the Costa Rican woman whose apparent healing from a brain aneurysm has been declared the second supposed miracle in John Paul II’s name required for sainthood status.

“We declare and define as saints the blessed John XXIII and John Paul II,” the Catholic leader said in a Latin prayer, as pilgrims and foreign dignitaries massed in St. Peter’s Square applauded and chanted: “Amen!”

In his homily, Francis praised them as “men of courage” who worked “in renewing and updating the Church.”

“They were priests, bishops and popes of the 20th century. They lived through the tragic events of that century but they were not overwhelmed by them.

“For them, God was more powerful,” he said.

Pope emeritus Benedict XVI, who last year became the first pontiff to resign since the Middle Ages, made a rare public appearance in his white papal cassock.

Francis embraced him warmly at the ceremony and co-celebrated the mass with the 87-year-old Benedict and hundreds of bishops and cardinals — the first time that two living popes have ever said mass together.
 

[grace-land]

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/benedict-xvi-i-knew-during-his-life-that-john-paul-ii-was-a-saint/

Benedict XVI: I knew during his life that John Paul II was a saint


Benedict XVI. Photo Credit: Mazur

Rome, Italy, Apr 23, 2014 / 12:47 pm (CNA).- In a rare interview, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI recalled his close friendship with Blessed John Paul II, saying that the pontiff’s sanctity and deep spirituality were apparent during his life.

“In the years in which I collaborated with him, it was ever clearer to me that John Paul II was a saint,” said Benedict XVI during an interview with Polish journalist Wlodzimierz Redzioch, which was published April 20 in the Spanish newspaper “La Razon.”

 “Naturally, his intense relationship with God, being immersed in communion with the Lord, needs to be taken into account above all,” the former Pope said of his predecessor.

 Benedict XVI, who served under Pope John Paul II as prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, said the Polish pontiff courageously “embraced his task in a truly difficult time.”

 “John Paul II did not ask for applause nor did he look around worried about how his decisions were going to be received. He acted based on his faith and his convictions, and he was also willing to take hits,” Benedict recounted. “The courage for truth is, in my view, a primary measure of holiness. Only by looking first at his relationship with God is it possible to also understand his unfailing pastoral determination.”
 

[grace-land]

Video of the canonization ceremony and mass at the link

http://www.thetablet.co.uk/news/726/0/the-day-of-four-popes-john-xxiii-and-john-paul-ii-raised-to-the-altars-in-historic-first

The day of four popes: John XXIII and John Paul II raised to the altars in historic first
27 April 2014 09:29



Pope Francis praised popes John XXIII and John Paul II as “the pope of openness to the Spirit” and “the pope of the family” following their canonisation at a ceremony witnessed by 800,000 pilgrims crammed into a rainy St Peter’s Square and the roads leading up to it.

Popes John XXIII and John Paul II were declared saints this morning during an unprecedented canonisation ceremony at the Vatican attended by pilgrims from around the world.

There was applause and shouts of joy in St Peter’s Square as Pope Francis said: “We declare and define Blessed John XXIII and John Paul II be Saints and we enroll them among the Saints” during the simple, short ceremony.

Watch the ceremony

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, 87, made a rare public appearance to concelebrate alongside Pope Francis, who embraced his predecessor before the ceremony began.

The Pope Emeritus wore white vestments, and in an historic first, concelebrated the Mass with Pope Francis, though he did not join him at the altar.

Today has been dubbed “the day of four popes”.
 

[grace-land]

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/archbishop-gaenswein-thread-of-diplomacy-links-benedict-francis-86617/

Archbishop Gaenswein: thread of diplomacy links Benedict, Francis


Archbishop Georg Gaenswein, prefect of the Papal Household, speaks to the press June 5, 2014. Credit: Daniel Ibanez/CNA.

Rome, Italy, Jun 17, 2014 / 02:03 am (CNA/EWTN News).- In a recent interview with CNA, the prefect of the Papal Household and personal secretary to Benedict XVI recounted how the current and emeritus Bishops of Rome are connected by their diplomacy during apostolic journeys.

Archbishop Georg Gaenswein was at the June 5 conference “The Pope's journeys: between diplomacy and communication,” held at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross, and noted what is common to Benedict XVI and Pope Francis, even though their diplomacy has been interpreted according to their differing characters.

The conference was an occasion for presenting “Sull'aereo di Papa Benedetto,” a recent work by Italian journalist Angela Ambrogetti, which gathers Benedict's press conferences on the papal plane during his pontificate.

“When the Pope makes an apostolic journey, it is clear that diplomacy plays a key role, with regards to both words and gestures,” Archbishop Gaenswein said, calling diplomacy a “thread” in Benedict XVI's pontificate.

He stressed the importance of the five so-called ‘political speeches’ Benedict XVI held during his apostolic journeys, in front of the representatives of the world of culture and politics. He added that through these speeches, one can better understand the Bavarian's diplomatic sense – even if the sense of his words was rarely understood.

“In the beginning, it was always surprising to me how different were the newspaper reports about the same speeches,” Archbishop Gaenswein underscored.

While Benedict XVI was subjected “to several prejudices directed against him as the former prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith,” he noted, Pope Francis “gained the trust of journalists” from the time he first spoke on the loggia of St. Peter's.

“I myself must take into account that Benedict has been considered ‘the Pope of the word,’ while Pope Francis is considered ‘the Pope of gestures,’” Archbishop Gaenswein added.
 

[grace-land]

http://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2014/07/summorum-pontificum-seven-years-on

Summorum Pontificum, Seven Years On
7 . 9 . 14

Seven years ago this week, Pope Benedict XVI promulgated the apostolic letter Summorum Pontificum, liberalizing use of the 1962 missal and affirming the continuity between it and the ordinary form of Mass. He stressed the seamlessness of the Roman rite in its two forms, the old and the new. In principle, the traditional Latin Mass does not divide the Church, he insisted, in response to the spectacle of Catholics dividing themselves over it, each side accusing the other of being divisive.
 

[grace-land]

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/a-refreshed-benedict-xvi-captivates-students-with-homily-25653/

A refreshed Benedict XVI captivates students with homily

Vatican City, Aug 26, 2014 / 12:31 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Participants in the annual Ratzinger “schulerkreis” study group were overjoyed at seeing the retired pontiff in good health, noting that they were deeply moved by his homily on the triumph of God's love.

“The homily was very moving. It was the Gospel of the day about Cesarea of Philippi where Jesus asks the apostles, 'Who do you say I am?'” Father Vincent Twomey recalled to CNA Aug. 25.
 
“What struck us all is that despite being older each year,” Benedict XVI “looks much better, fresher. He's very clear in his mind,” he noted, observing how the former pontiff stood for nearly an hour and a half during the mass even though a chair was provided for him.

“He was in good form. There was a good spirit about him.”

Echoing Fr. Twomey’s sentiments is Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Culture Mons. Barthélemy Adoukonou, who also participated in the study circle.

“It was extraordinary. As always, it amazed us that in spite of age, and without a prepared text, the Pope (emeritus) gave a homily at a great level, with an extraordinary clarity of mind for his age.”

Composed of about 50 people who studied for their doctorates under Ratzinger, the schuelerkreis usually takes place with the 25 to 30 who are able to make it to any given year's meeting.

The circle has enlarged in recent years, establishing a “youth branch” composed of academics who had not studied with Ratzinger, yet who are studying and developing upon his theological work.

The topic of the meeting varies each year; last year was the question of God amid secularism, and the year prior to that, ecumenism was the subject chosen.