MILWAUKEE — After the passing of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI in the early morning of December 31, Archbishop Jerome Listecki of Milwaukee released a statement and reminisced on the memories the two had together.
“While I’m saddened by the news of his passing, I consider myself fortunate to have had several opportunities over the decades to meet Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. The first time was in the early 2000s when he was Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger. Years later, after he appointed me as Archbishop of Milwaukee, I received the Pallium from Pope Benedict in Rome. In 2012, I and hundreds of other U.S. bishops met with him during the USCCB’s Ad Limina visit to the Vatican.
I always found Pope Benedict to be quite gracious and humble, despite being the pontiff and the greatest theologian of the century. May he now rest in peace.”
Pope Benedict XVI was 95 years old, but he had been away from the position since 2013 when he stepped away from being pope. He was the first pope to step down from the position in over 600 years and was replaced by the current pope, Pope Francis.
Pope Francis will celebrate his funeral Mass in St. Peter's Square on Thursday, an unprecedented event in which a current pope will celebrate the funeral of a former one. The Vatican said Benedict’s remains would be on public display in St. Peter’s Basilica starting Monday for the faithful to pay their final respects.
A Memorial Mass will be planned for Milwaukee as well, but at the time of writing, no details have been released.
