Here is the final
third of His Holiness Benedict XVI’s farewell address. These are beautiful
words from a loving Father, who put the good of his family the Church ahead of
himself, and who knew he would be mocked and ridiculed for doing so, much like
Christ was for dying for us. It will always be this way. Those who choose to
listen to God and follow His voice will never be understood in the world, which
has chosen other voices to follow. We must always admire and imitate Benedict’s
love and willingness to suffer public comment to do God’s will.
In recent months, I felt that my strength had decreased,
and I asked God with insistence in prayer to enlighten me with His light to
make me take the right decision – not for my sake, but for the good of the Church.
I have taken this step in full awareness of its severity and also its novelty,
but with a deep peace of mind. Loving the Church also means having the courage
to make difficult, trying choices, having ever before oneself the good of the
Church and not one’s own.
Here allow me to return once again to April 19, 2005. The
gravity of the decision was precisely in the fact that from that moment on I
was committed always and forever by the Lord. Always – he, who assumes the
Petrine ministry no longer has any privacy. He belongs always and totally to
everyone, to the whole Church. His life is, so to speak, totally deprived of
the private sphere. I have felt, and I feel even in this very moment, that one
receives one’s life precisely when he offers it as a gift. I said before that
many people who love the Lord also love the Successor of Saint Peter and are
fond of him, that the Pope has truly brothers and sisters, sons and daughters
all over the world, and that he feels safe in the embrace of their communion,
because he no longer belongs to himself, but he belongs to all and all are
truly his own.
2 Corinthians 7: 2-7: Make room for us in your hearts. We have
wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have exploited no one. I do not say this to condemn you; I have
said before that you have such a place in our hearts that we would live or die
with you. I
have great confidence in you; I take great pride in you. I am greatly
encouraged; in all our troubles my joy knows no bounds. For when we came into
Macedonia, this body of ours had no rest, but we were harassed at every
turn—conflicts on the outside, fears within. But God, who comforts the downcast,
comforted us by the coming of Titus, and not only by his coming but also by the
comfort you had given him. He told us about your longing for me, your deep
sorrow, your ardent concern for me, so that my joy was greater than ever.
The “always” is also a “forever” - there is no returning
to private life. My decision to forgo the exercise of active ministry, does not
revoke this. I do not return to private life, to a life of travel, meetings,
receptions, conferences and so on. I do not abandon the cross, but remain in a
new way near to the Crucified Lord. I no longer wield the power of the office
for the government of the Church, but in the service of prayer I remain, so to
speak, within St. Peter’s bounds. St. Benedict, whose name I bear as Pope,
shall be a great example in this for me. He showed us the way to a life which,
active or passive, belongs wholly to the work of God.
His Holiness
Benedict the XVI never wanted to be more than a university professor at a
Catholic University. He didn’t want to be made a bishop, but was obedient when
asked. He didn’t want to be made a Cardinal a month later, but did so out of
obedience. He could be called the “Reluctant Pope” since it was not a position
he sought, yet he yielded to the power of the Holy Spirit and dedicated 8 years
to the well-being of the Church. Here is why he is so similar to St. Benedict:
The life of St.
Benedict is told rather simply, yet his example and writings are filled with
wisdom for all ages, including the present. Benedict was born in Nursia, Italy,
around the year 480, and was the son of a noble family. As a youth, he went off
to Rome to study. At that time, Rome was showing signs of moral and political
decay. Turning away from such Corruption, Benedict discontinued his studies and
withdrew from Rome and went into solitude. For three years Benedict remained in
solitude in a cave. Through a life of fasting and prayer, he sought to grow
closer to God. Being such a holy person, the local people would seek him out.
They desired that he pass on the message of Christ to them during a time in
history that was greatly in need of the Gospel. In the year 529, after having
lived these years as a monk, Benedict established a monastic foundation where
men, who wanted to live a life in common and together seek out the Lord, could
come to dwell. This new "school of the Lord" came to rest on a hill
near Cassino in Italy. Hence, the monastery came to be known as Monte Cassino.
There, Benedict established his community and wrote a rule, that is, a guide to
be followed in the daily lives of his monks. Benedict guided the community as
the father, also known as the abbot, until his death around the year 547. http://saintbenedict.org/stblife1.htm
I thank each and every one of you for the respect and
understanding with which you have welcomed this important decision. I continue
to accompany the Church on her way through prayer and reflection, with the
dedication to the Lord and to His Bride, which I have hitherto tried to live
daily and that I would live forever. I ask you to remember me before God, and
above all to pray for the Cardinals, who are called to so important a task, and
for the new Successor of Peter, that the Lord might accompany him with the
light and the power of His Spirit.
Let us invoke the maternal intercession of Mary, Mother
of God and of the Church, that she might accompany each of us and the whole
ecclesial community: to her we entrust ourselves, with deep trust.
Dear friends! God guides His Church, maintains her
always, and especially in difficult times. Let us never lose this vision of
faith, which is the only true vision of the way of the Church and the world. In
our heart, in the heart of each of you, let there be always the joyous certainty
that the Lord is near, that He does not abandon us, that He is near to us and
that He surrounds us with His love. Thank you! - See more at: http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-final-general-audience-full-text#sthash.TnL54UQj.dpuf
A prayer to Mary for His Holiness Benedict XVI
The Memorare
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it
known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought
thine intercession was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto
thee, O Virgin of virgins, my mother; to thee do I come, before thee I stand,
sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions,
but in thy mercy hear and answer me. Amen.
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