Thank you, Holy Father, thank You!!

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, someone asked me few days ago why I love so deep Pope Benedict XVI. I would like to write the answer to invite you to a moment of reflection. In 2005, our Holy Father Benedict XVI wrote an entire encyclical on the topic, Deus Caritas Est, (God Is Love) in which he asserted: “Love is the light—and in the end, the only light—that can always illuminate a world grown dim and give us the courage needed to keep living and working.” Too often, Catholic teaching regarding love, sexuality, and marriage is misunderstood as an imposition and restriction on human happiness and freedom, when in fact the opposite is true. It is only in embracing sacrificial love and giving selflessly of ourselves in service to God and to one another that we find our life’s calling and attains lasting happiness. Our modern world, however, is loath to recognize this difficult truth. When it comes to teaching the truth about love, Benedict XVI is not afraid to be counter-cultural. On April 1, 2007, in his message for the 22nd World Youth Day, he challenged young people toward a greater, more selfless love than the world would ever require: “My dear young friends, I want to invite you to ‘dare to love.’ Do not desire anything less for your life than a love that is strong and beautiful and that is capable of making the whole of your existence a joyful undertaking of giving yourselves as a gift to God and your brothers and sisters, in imitation of the One who vanquished hatred and death for ever through love[1].” Pope Benedict XVI understands this kind of commitment to service and self-giving love because he has lived it. The Holy Father’s announcement of his resignation from the papacy earlier this week might have been a surprise to many, but the humble, generous spirit behind the decision is no surprise at all. Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was reluctant to take on the overwhelming responsibility of the papacy in the first place. He confessed to praying he would not be elected pope during the 2005 papal conclave: “At a certain point, I prayed to God, ‘Please don’t do this to me,’” he said. “Evidently, this time he didn’t listen.” But Cardinal Ratzinger said yes. Because he knew he was called to serve the Church as pope, even if the very idea overwhelmed him. He never imagined he was born for greatness, but instead humbly accepted his calling to be used for the good of the church as God willed. “Dear brothers and sisters,” he announced on the day of his election, “the cardinals have elected me, a simple, humble worker in God’s vineyard. I am consoled by the fact that the Lord knows how to work and how to act, even with insufficient tools, and I especially trust in your prayers”. For this and many other reasons I dearly love the Pope Benedict XVI! Let us together pray for him! ■ Fr. Agustin, pastor.

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[1] Cf. Rev 5:13.