When Cardinal Ratzinger became Pope Benedict XVI, we all knew that his papacy would not last as long as some predecessors. So his resignation should not be a complete surprise, and we ought to praise God for the eight years that Pope Benedict has been able to serve and lead the Catholic Church.
Still, even though I am not Catholic, I was saddened to read today of his resignation. I have known this humble man personally for the last eighteen years, and through personal encounters and correspondence, I have developed a deep respect for him. Already as a cardinal, and then as pope, he has been a tireless advocate for the true values of Christianity—values which are sadly being lost, and attacked, all over the world.
Pope Benedict is one of the few voices that have had the courage to speak out for true Christ-like discipleship and for traditional family values. With his resignation, we are losing a voice of conscience that we can ill afford to lose, even as it has been rejected and criticized.
I am going to miss Brother Benedict very much and will have him on my prayers. And I pray that the Catholic Church will be led and guided in appointing his successor.
Johann Christoph Arnold is senior pastor of the Bruderhof Communities, an Anabaptist-inspired movement that seeks to live in accord with Acts 4:32-35.
February 11th, 2013 | 7:18 pm
I read this post – written in the spirit of Christian love that has informed Pope Benedict’s life – with gratitude.
It eased the sense of isolation, of a gulf widening, in our nation that was once united in respect for religious differences; one that in fact defended our right to such differences and worked to find a way to accommodate them, in a spirit of neighborliness and good will.
To divide is often to conquer or, at the very least, to seriously weaken the solidarity of those who, within their commitment to the common good, hold certain beliefs sacred.
Catholics who have come to believe that they must change the very “deposit of the faith” that has been handed down through the ages now actually have the political power to force the issue. Perhaps they will succeed in time.
Pope Benedict has been a witness to the timeless things.
February 12th, 2013 | 2:31 am
Amen.
February 12th, 2013 | 8:59 am
I’m pretty sure it’s “Bruderhof Communities,” not “Buderhof Communities.”
February 12th, 2013 | 9:54 am
bedefan- You’re correct, we’ve updated the spelling. This is what happens when we post in a hurry!
February 12th, 2013 | 4:53 pm
Although not a catholic, I came to know Pope Benedict through his writings. In reading I realized that I was learning from a man who has given much thought and prayer concerning the kingdom of God. Here is a spiritual man. I feel that he was just the right man for the time. We as orthodox christians are being beseiged on all sides by a culture that is hostile to our faith. It does not look as if it is going to get better anytime soon at least in the USA. The Pope lived the teachings of Christ and also provides in his writings an intellectual foudation for the christian faith. May God provide us with more individuals like Pope Benedict to carry on an unpopular struggle in this world. I for one am going to sit at his feet through his writings and hopefully learn and apply his great wisdom
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