At the New Year’s Te Deum in San Pedro, the pontiff paid tribute to his predecessor, who died this morning. On Thursday, January 5, his funeral will be held in the atrium of the Vatican basilica. He pointed to Ratzinger as an example of that kindness “which is the style with which God enters into history and the indispensable condition for living in peace as brothers.”
Vatican City () – “Only God knows the value and power of the intercession of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, of his sacrifices offered for the good of the Church”, Pope Francis said this afternoon during the vespers liturgy with the singing of the New Year’s Te Deum in the Vatican basilica, in reference to his predecessor who died this morning at the age of 95.
The pontiff – who will preside over the funeral of Benedict XVI on Thursday, January 5 at 9:30 am in the atrium of Saint Peter’s Basilica – cited him as an example of that “kindness” that was the focus of the homily that, as is traditional on December 31, it was addressed especially to the city of Rome. “With emotion -he commented- we remember his person, so noble, so kind. And we feel enormous gratitude in our hearts: gratitude to God for having given it to the Church and to the world; gratitude to him, for all the good he has done, and above all for his testimony of faith and prayer, especially in these last years of life withdrawn from him “.
Regarding kindness, he explained that it was God’s style to enter history, “being born of a woman”, trusting in the free “yes” of Mary. “Kindness – he explained – is an important factor in the culture of dialogue, and dialogue is essential to live in peace, as brothers, who do not always agree – that is normal – but who nevertheless speak to each other, listen to each other and They try to understand each other and to meet each other”.
Kindness, he explained, “is not just a matter of gentle ways.” It is rather “an attitude of benevolence, which supports and comforts others, avoiding any harshness and rigidity.” Consumer individualism, in effect, leads us to look at others “as obstacles to our peace of mind.” “Others ‘make us uncomfortable’, they annoy us, they take away our time and resources to do what we like. And yet -he added- within these societies of ours, and even in the most difficult situations, there are people who show that “it is still possible to choose kindness” and in this way, with their lifestyle, “they become stars in middle of darkness’”.
“Dear brothers and sisters – concluded Francesco – I believe that recovering kindness as a personal and civic virtue can help a lot to improve life in families, in communities and in cities. For this reason, looking at the new year for the city of Rome, I would like to wish all of us who live in it to grow in this virtue: kindness. Experience teaches that, if it becomes a lifestyle, it can create a healthy coexistence and can humanize social relationships, diluting aggressiveness and indifference”.
