Cardinal Kurt Koch, the Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, presided over the liturgy.
In his homily the Swiss prelate offered a reflection on Pope Benedict XVI’s life and legacy, particularly his theological insights and lifelong dedication to the Word of God.
He began by observing the significance of Joseph Ratzinger's dates of birth, on Holy Saturday in 1927, and of death during the Christmas season of 2022, situating his life in the Paschal mystery.
Pope Benedict's tireless efforts to make God present in today’s world
This profound connection was a guiding force in Pope Benedict’s life and work, Cardinal Koch said: “He lived this mystery, proclaimed it with strong faith, and made it accessible to us today with his theological clarity.”
Noting the “beautiful coincidence” of today’s Gospel from the Prologue of St. John, Cardinal Koch remarked that the Word of God (“Logos”), was central to Benedict's theology: “Through his constant attention and orientation to the truth of the Word of God, he convincingly showed us the meaning of human life,” which lies in God and His eternal love through Jesus.
'God is love'
Indeed, he recalled, “for Benedict the Word of God, is deeply linked to love": God Himself is love as he stressed in his Encyclical ‘Deus Caritas Est.’ His life and teachings reflected this understanding of the divine, where love is at the heart of human existence and its eternity.
Gratitude for Pope Benedict’s life
Pope Benedict’s lifelong dedication to making God's presence central in today’s world “where God is often perceived as foreign and superfluous” stands as his legacy, Cardinal Koch remarked, remembering his final words “Lord, I love You," which resonate as a testament to his faith.
Concluding his sermon, Cardinal Koch invited the faithful to unite in gratitude for Benedict’s life, continuing to seek the eternal truth that he so faithfully proclaimed: that God, through Christ, is real, and eternal life is the reward for those who love Him.
The passing away of the late Pope Emeritus in 2022
A renowned theologian before being elected Pope on 19 April 2005 , Benedict XVI died at the age of 95 at the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in the Vatican, where he had chosen to reside after stepping down from his ministry as Bishop of Rome in 2013.
Countless messages of condolences came in from around the world from bishops' conferences, religious leaders, and heads of state and government who wished to remember various traits of the "humble worker in the vineyard of the Lord."
In his homily given during the Te Deum at Saint Peter's on the day of his death, Pope Francis remembered the "dear Pope emeritus Benedict XVI" saying "We are moved as we recall him as such a noble person, so kind. And we feel such gratitude in our hearts: gratitude to God for having given him to the Church and to the world; gratitude to him for all the good he accomplished, and above all, for his witness of faith and prayer, especially in these last years of his recollected life. Only God knows the value and the power of his intercession, of the sacrifices he offered for the good of the Church."
Final farewell
After the news of his death, thousands wished to pay their final respects to the Pope Emeritus, first in the chapel of the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery for those closest to him. Then, from 2 to 4 January, the tribute moved to Saint Peter's Basilica, which was visited by more than 200,000 faithful.
The funeral took place on 5 January in Saint Peter's Square with 50 thousand people attending. Together with Pope Francis, some 130 cardinals, 400 bishops and nearly 3,700 priests concelebrated. 1,600 accredited journalists to the Holy See Press Office came to report on the funeral, while 200 media broadcast the ceremony.
Pope Benedict XVI's body was then burried in the Vatican Grottoes, in
the same place where John Paul II was buried until his tomb was moved
to the Basilica in 2011.