Pope Francis on Sunday paid tribute to his predecessor, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, hours after the latter handed away within the Vatican.
“At this moment, my thought goes spontaneously to dear Pope emeritus Benedict XVI who left us this morning. We are moved as we recall him as such a noble person, so kind,” Pope Francis stated in a assertion posted on Twitter.
Pope Francis then expressed gratitude for the previous pope’s service to the Catholic Church.
“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,” he added.
“Only God knows the value and the power of his intercession, of the sacrifices he offered for the good of the Church,” Pope Francis stated.
Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI died on the age of 95, the Vatican introduced on Saturday.
“With sorrow I inform you that the Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI, passed away today at 9:34 in the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in the Vatican,” Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni stated in an announcement.
On Monday morning, the physique of the previous pope will probably be dropped at St. Peter’s Basilica to permit the general public to pay their respects.
Born in Germany, the previous pope’s beginning title was Joseph Ratzinger.
After he resigned as pope in February 2013 because of well being causes — the primary pontiff to take action since 1415 —, he lived in a former convent contained in the Vatican.
Months after his resignation, former Pope Benedict stated he resigned after “God informed me to“.
On Wednesday, Pope Francis stated the previous pope was “very sick“.
He requested for prayers and visited former Pope Benedict.
The Philippines on Saturday expressed its sympathies following the dying of former pope Benedict XVI.
“We are in deep sorrow upon learning of the passing of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI today,” President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. stated in an announcement. —KG, GMA Integrated News
