Mass of celebration for the life of Pope Benedict XVI

The news of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI’s death on the last day of 2022 was filled with joy and sadness. The faithful shepherd had finally entered into the presence of his beloved Jesus while, at the same time, leaving a void in the hearts of the faithful and those who respected him as an accomplished intellectual and world leader. Benedict XVI reigned as the 265th pope from 2005-2013. 

At the Mass held in his memory at Corpus Christi Cathedral on Jan. 12, 2023, Bishop Mulvey spoke of how the former pontiff had lived a life poured out for Christ: “He was willing to give everything — himself, his life, his intelligence … for the glory of God.” Bishop Mulvey reflected on how, despite living through some of the worst ills in modern history, Benedict XVI — formerly Joseph Ratzinger of Bavaria—remained unaltered in his childlike faith in God. His faith was his strength, his power. His desire to tirelessly defend the one true faith is palpable in his scores of written works. 

Bishop Mulvey said the public observed much of Benedict’s life through the media’s bias. He reminded those present that a person is known by who they are and their gifts to the world, not simply by their decisions. The bishop recalled the pope’s simplicity and kindness. In the words of a witness who was close to the pope, he had “the mind of a genius and the soul of a child.” These characteristics served Benedict well as he handled difficult positions in the Church in the midst of the onset of modernism.

So, who was he? What defines him? For Bishop Mulvey, the answer lies in Benedict’s first papal encyclical: “Deus Caritas Est” (God is Love), which shows his love for the Church and his unwillingness to surrender it to secularism and atheism. In Benedict’s words: “Being a Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or lofty idea, but the encounter with an event, a person, which gives life new horizons and a decisive direction.” He wanted all people to see how the love and mercy of God give our lives meaning — to build the love of God in others. Bishop Mulvey said that this is what the former pope left behind for us to consider and undertake.

Bishop Mulvey recollected an amusing encounter with the pope. He’d informed Pope Benedict of his recent appointment to the diocese of “Corpus Christi.” 

Pope Benedict had commented, “Oh, it’s Spanish.”

And Bishop Mulvey impulsively replied, “No, Holy Father, it’s Latin [meaning the name Corpus Christi].” 

“I know it’s Latin,” said Benedict. He meant the community is Spanish.
The memory of the comical misunderstanding elicited laughter from the faithful. After praying before the image of the beloved pontiff, Bishop Mulvey said he is sure that Pope Benedict now smiles down at him and the whole Church. In closing, Bishop Mulvey quoted Pope Benedict a final time, saying, “Stand firm in the faith. Do not be confused.” These are words we can take with us as we place our faith in the love of God.