Pope Benedict XVI has sent a letter to the Bishop of Brescia to mark the 30th anniversary of Pope Paul VI’s death.Dated to July 26th, the letter written from Castel Gandolfo, is a personal expression of Pope Benedict’s gratitude to his predecessor.
It was Pope Paul VI who appointed the then theologian Josef Ratzinger to the Archdiocese of Munich Bavaria and it was Pope Paul VI who three months later called him to the College of Cardinals.
Pope Benedict writes “As the years pass the importance of his pontificate for the Church and the world becomes increasingly evident. 30 years have passed since that August 6th of 1978 when Pope Paul VI closed his eyes on the mortal world in the summer residence of Castel Gandolfo”.
Pope Benedict continues “Divine Providence called the northern Italian prelate to guide the church through an historic period signed by many challenges and no few problems”.
Reflecting on that place in time the Pope writes that he is struck the missionary ardour which animated and pushed Paul VI to undertake many difficult apostolic voyages to far off nations and carry out many gestures of great ecclesial, missionary and ecumenical value.
The name of this Pope, continues the letter, will forever remain inextricably bound to the Second Vatican Council. Pope Benedict confides in the bishop of Brescia, that the Lord wanted a son of this land to guide St Peter’s Barque during the council and in the first years of its actuation.
Pope Benedict writes “It was the eve of celebrations for the Transfiguration of Christ; tin the text for the Angelus he would never pronounce he had written “that body, which was transfigured before the apostles, is the body of Christ our brother, but it is also our body called to glory; the light which fills and is part of our inheritance. We are called to share in this glory, because we are “participants in the divine nature”.
Pope Benedict concludes the letter with a wish, that the people of God honour the memory of Pope Paul VI with a commitment to a constant and sincere quest for the truth.
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(Source: RV)