Benedict XVI: Portugal remembers the Pope emeritus
Reactions to the death of Benedict XVI evoke his connection to Fátima and Portugal where he was in 2010 on an apostolic journey.
Rui Saraiva – Portugal
Since his death on December 31, there have been many reactions and statements in Portugal about Benedict XVI. First, the declaration of the Portuguese Episcopal Conference that evokes the work of “purification and reform of the Church”.
In a statement, the Portuguese bishops declare that “Benedict XVI remains forever in the history of the Church for the reception and application of the guidelines of the Second Vatican Council” and “for the awakening to the purification and reform of the Church in accompaniment with the ecclesial principles”, underlined the note.
The president of the Portuguese Episcopal Conference and bishop of Leiria-Fátima, José Ornelas, highlights in statements to Agência Ecclesia the importance of the resignation of Benedict XVI in 2013, noting the “realistic vision” of the Pope emeritus that reveals his “theological solidity ” and “consistency in faith”.
The cardinal-patriarch of Lisbon evokes the “gigantic” figure of enormous “doctrinal clarity”. D. Manuel Clemente, He praises Benedict XVI’s openness to dialogue with people “inside and outside the Church” and the timeliness of the Encyclical “Deus Caritas Est”.
The president of the Foundation World Youth Day Lisbon 2023, recalls that during his pontificate, Benedict XVI presided over the three international editions of World Youth Day, in Cologne in 2005, Sydney in 2008 and Madrid in 2011.
“We have a lot to thank for the pontificate of Pope Benedict XVI, exactly where youth is concerned”, he says. D. Américo Aguiar in statements to the Ecclesia Agency.
Meanwhile, the rector of the Sanctuary of Fatima recalls Benedict XVI’s “special relationship” with Fatima. In a statement published on the Sanctuary’s information portal, Father Carlos Cabecinhas recalls Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to Fatima in 2010 and recalls the Theological Commentary on the Third Part of the Secret.
“We can, on the one hand, recall the Theological Commentary on the Third Part of the Secret, which he authored, but above all we recall the visit to this Sanctuary in 2010, a particularly significant and festive pilgrimage”, stresses the rector of the Sanctuary of Fátima.
The President of the Portuguese Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa says that Benedict XVI “remained a symbol of stability and defense of the values of the Catholic Church” such as, “Love of neighbor, Solidarity and support for the poorest and most unprotected and the importance of Forgiveness and Reconciliation”, says a note from the Presidency of the Republic.
In turn, the Portuguese Prime Minister, António Costa, on the social network Twitter, expresses “condolences to the entire Catholic community for the death of the Pope emeritus”.
“I remember the honor of having welcomed him in Lisbon, when he was mayor, and he beautifully celebrated the one he presided over in the renovated Terreiro do Paço. His work and dedication will remain a point of reference for the faithful all over the world”, writes António Costa, evoking Benedict XVI’s visit to the Portuguese capital in 2010.
Benedict XVI died on December 31, 2022 at the age of 95. He has lived in the Vatican at the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery since his resignation in 2013.
Laudetur Iesus Christus