April 16 marks Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI’s 91st birthday. He will be spending the day quietly in the ‘Mater Ecclesia’ Monastery in the Vatican, where he lives.
The day of Joseph Ratzinger’s birth has been seen by some as a sign of Divine Providence. It was certainly a sign of things to come. The future Pope Benedict XVI was born on Holy Saturday, April 16th 1927. His birthplace is Marktl-an-Inn, a tiny village less than an hour’s walk away from Altoetting, the most important Marian Shrine in Bavaria.
As Pope Benedict XVI, Joseph Ratzinger celebrated his 85th birthday, his last as Pope, with a Mass in the Pauline Chapel in the Vatican. It was April 16th 2012. Reflecting on his long and eventful life, he claimed he was “facing the final stretch” of his life’s journey. “I do not know what awaits me”, he said. “But I do know that the light of God is there, that He is risen, that His light is stronger than all darkness; that the goodness of God is stronger than every evil in this world. And this helps me to proceed with confidence. This helps us to move forward”.
Full story at Vatican News.
God Bless you Papa.
Happy Birthday! Emeritus Pope Benedict, and may you have many more.
Pope Emeritus Benedict and I share the same birthday ~ april 16th.
A belated happy, blest birthday, Elizabeth M., and may you have many more.
You left us in the hands of, well, a poor successor Pope. Who knows how this happened, Pope Benedict? But, you must atone for the happening of this simply awful transition.
We hope that your retirement finds you hard at work, offering penance at the lost theology of The Francis. We pray for you, Pope Benedict, nonetheless.
I was elated when Cardinal Radzinger was elected as I had read his book on the liturgy. Previouly I had buried St. Benedict medals at the four cornors of our property asking St. Benedict’s intercession, but I had no idea he would take the name Benedict. He is a great theologian and expresses himself well, but one thing that pleased me about Pope Francis was when he hugged the man with the facial deformities right out in the open and did not force him to hide. That was a truly wonderful thing to do.