“Friendship and a profound yearning to serve the Church united two giants of the faith – John Paul II and Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger”, wrote Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz in a statement after the death of Pope Emeritus. Pope Wojtyła’s former secretary pointed out that the Polish Pope “did not take any doctrinal decision without consulting the Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, who was one of the most eminent theologians of our time”. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI died this morning at the Vatican at the age of 95.
We publish the text of the statement by Cardinal Stanisław Dziwisz, Metropolitan Archbishop Emeritus of Krakow
With sorrow yet with Christian faith in the Resurrection, we are contemplating the passing to the House of the Father of Pope Benedict XVI. For more than twenty years, during the pontificate of St. John Paul II, I had the privilege of being in constant contact with Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger as Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and one of the Holy Father’s closest collaborators. I can say today that he bestowed on me his friendship and I count this as a great honour. Already as Pope, in the first months of his pontificate, Benedict XVI appointed me Archbishop Metropolitan of Krakow and then Cardinal. I experienced much kindness and goodness on his part.
Friendship and a profound yearning to serve the Church united the two giants of faith – John Paul II and Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger. Their personalities, their spirituality and the extraordinary qualities of their minds and hearts complemented each other, bearing abundant fruit for the sake of the Church. The Holy Father did not take any doctrinal decision without consulting the Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, who was also one of the most eminent theologians of our time.
The fidelity, mutual respect and cooperation of these two men of the Church were unquestionably an edification for the people of God, for presbyters, bishops and women and men religious.
Today, when the late Pope Benedict XVI has crossed the threshold of eternity and the book of his life has been closed, we express our gratitude to God for the gift of this great man of the Church, for his ministry and humble service, for the richness of his teaching and for the witness of holiness that he has left us. In particular, I personally thank him for his love for our homeland, Poland, expressed many times during his ministry in the See of Peter, and for his visit shortly after his election to the homeland of his beloved predecessor, John Paul II. We all remember his words “John Paul II’s Krakow is my Krakow”.
We entrust his radiant soul to the merciful Lord. May He receive this faithful Servant into his kingdom of life, love and peace.
