Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI - RIP

Holder of the Petrine office from 2005 to 2013, the late pope's keynote encylical Deus Caritas Est put the love of God at the centre of his pontificate, and his writings have over the decades inspired many millions in their quest to know, love, and serve God better. Devoted to the beauty of worship and the encounter of cultures, his papacy was marked by a number of historic firsts and noteworthy achievements. His visit to the United Kingdom in September 2010 reenergised the Church in this land, fostering many vocations to the priesthood and religious life, and resulting in a number of conversions to the Catholic Faith. He will be remembered especially for his commitment to the communication of Catholic truth with clarity and charity.

 

In Deus Caritas Est, the late pope wrote that, "Being Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an event, a person, which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction." As he enters the horizon of eternity and encounters the person of Jesus Christ, we ask the Lord to show this faithful servant the infinite depths of His love.