A Word of Thanks For The Holy Father, Benedict XVI

Pope Benedict XVI

(photo credit)

Like all Catholics, the Papacy is special to me as a crucial part of Catholic identity.  John Paul II was much more than that.  He was larger than life and man overflowing with charisma and holiness.  He attracted, and then bound, me to the Catholic Church.

Benedict XVI is different.  His style of leadership is quieter.  We don’t have foreign trip after foreign trip.  We don’t have the same glamor as John Paul II.  Yet, with every passing day, I am more and more grateful to the Lord for giving us Benedict XVI.

Although difficult to put into words, three of Benedict XVI’s qualities draw me to him and through him to Christ.  First, Benedict XVI is unafraid.  He speaks the truth clearly and without compunction.  His remarks on China’s treatment of Catholics and his hopes for developments in other nations in his Urbi et Orbi address on Christmas Day could not be clearer:

May the birth of the Saviour strengthen the spirit of faith, patience and courage of the faithful of the Church in mainland China, that they may not lose heart through the limitations imposed on their freedom of religion and conscience but, persevering in fidelity to Christ and his Church, may keep alive the flame of hope. May the love of “God-with-us” grant perseverance to all those Christian communities enduring discrimination and persecution, and inspire political and religious leaders to be committed to full respect for the religious freedom of all.

These are strong words, especially in diplomatic circles, but words that he nonetheless has not hesitated to utter time and time again (as any search of the Vatican’s website for “China” will show).   Benedict XVI’s unflinching courage reminds the world that there is truth and that it must be spoken.

This brings me to the second quality.  Not only does Benedict XVI  speak the truth, he speaks it well.  Although an erudite, scholarly man, his writings are so simple, so clear that profound truths become accessible.  In getting ready for next Saturday’s meeting, I re-read the section about the Beatitudes in his book, Jesus of Nazareth.  Written while still Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, he provided an image of what it means to be “poor in spirit”:

[T]hese are people who do not flaunt their achievements before God.  They do not stride into God’s presence as if they were partners able to engage him on equal footing; they do not lay down a claim to a reward for what they have done.  These are people who are lovers who simply want to let God bestow his gifts upon them and thereby to live in inner harmony with God’s nature and word.  The saying of St. Therese of Lisieux  about one day standing before God with empty hands, and holding them open to him, describes the spirit of these poor ones of God: they come with empty hands; not with hands that grasp and clutch, but with hands that open and give and this are ready to receive from God’s bountiful goodness. (Jesus of Nazareth, p.  76)

Never before had I understood the idea of being “poor in spirit” as well.  Benedict XVI’s lucidity turns the challenge into living the words, not understanding them.

The final quality is humility.  Even though he is the Holy Father, Benedict XVI exudes the poverty of spirit which he described in Jesus of Nazareth.  When he boldly speaks the truth, it never seems that he is saying believe this because it is I, Benedict XVI, who is saying it.  Rather, Benedict XVI says what needs to be said because the Lord has asked him to say it.  Benedict XVI’s courage comes from his humility.  His forcefulness comes not from self-assertion, but his humble desire to serve the Lord.

For all of these reasons and more, I offer a word of thanks to our Lord for choosing Benedict XVI to lead us.