When Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was announced as the successor to the Chair of Peter following Pope John Paul II’s death, it seemed to me that the Holy Spirit had made a good choice. Pope John Paul “the Great” was a remarkable man and Pope. He was what we would call in America, “a tough act to follow”.The man to follow him as Pope would have to be another remarkable man. I think Benedict XVI was that remarkable man.
I saw him as a humble man and I believe that his humility allowed God to fully use his great intellect. A genuinely great intellect needs humility if he is to be able to grasp the truth. He will also need plenty of faith in order to place himself at the service of the truth. And, given that the truth may be difficult to live out—it may be costly to proclaim it faithfully—a man would also need an abundant hope so that he would not be afraid of where the truth might lead him. And, he would need love which must always beat the service of the truth as the truth must be at the service of love.
Pope Benedict XVI seemed to live with the grace of these great virtues and they equipped him to be ableto know and proclaim the truth. I think he has done this well. I pray that he continues to be a man ofgreat faith, hope and love and continue to witness to the truth until the end of his life. I also pray thatthe Holy Spirit chooses another remarkable man as his successor for this time in the Church’s history.
Kevin Murrell M.D.