“Benedict XVI’s prayer, especially in the last years of his life, was distinguished by a growing intensity and interiority. This was also reflected in his attitude and his face: It became always more prayerful, contemplative of the one Lord who, in the strength of the Holy Spirit, continues to guide his Church,” Gänswein said.
Reflecting on the moment the late pontiff announced his resignation, Gänswein quoted from Benedict’s last Angelus address on Feb. 24, 2013, to highlight that the pope’s decision was motivated by a deep love and longstanding sense of service to the Church.
“’The Lord calls me to ’climb the mountain,’ to dedicate myself even more to prayer and meditation. But this does not mean abandoning the Church; on the contrary, if God asks me this it is precisely so that I can continue to serve her with the same dedication and the same love with which I have tried to do so up to now,’” a visibly emotional Gänswein said as he quoted the late pontiff.
Expanding his reflection to the centrality of the Eucharist for the late pope, Gänswein noted that for Benedict, “the heart of every day for him was the Eucharist, a source of light, strength, and consolation.”
“The intimate relationship with the Lord was then reflected in the relationships with the people around him, distinguished by great cordiality, humility, and simplicity, and also in his theological and pastoral work, always oriented toward the primacy of God and the building of the Church,” the German prelate added.
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