Baltimore Catholics pray for Pope Benedict XVI, Bishop Parker recalls being at resignation announcement

When Pope Benedict XVI started speaking in Latin following a brief prayer service at the Apostolic Palace one gray Roman February morning in 2013, Baltimore Bishop Adam J. Parker wasn’t sure what was happening.

Then serving as priest-secretary to Cardinal Edwin F. O’Brien, Bishop Parker was among about 50 cardinals (including Cardinal O’Brien) and 15 others present for what was supposed to be a simple gathering to hear the pope announce the canonization of new saints.

Bishop Parker admitted to admiring the magnificent art in the room while the pope spoke in a language the young priest little understood. As the German pontiff uttered the Latin word for “renounce,” however, Bishop Parker’s attention was piqued. Following the pope’s three-minute address, Cardinal Angelo Sodano responded in more familiar Italian, helping a bewildered audience realize that after more than 600 years, a pope was resigning.

“I can tell you the shock was palpable,” Bishop Parker remembered. “After Pope Benedict left the room, having given us his blessing, the cardinals simply stood in stunned silence. No one knew what to say or what to do, or what would happen next, given that this hadn’t happened for so many centuries.”

Pope Benedict’s decision to step down was a mark of humility and wisdom – two virtues that characterized his entire pontificate, Bishop Parker said.

Bishop Parker recounted his brush with history during a Jan. 4 homily at an evening Mass held in memory of Pope Benedict XVI at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen in Homeland.

Hundreds of Catholics from throughout the Archdiocese of Baltimore assembled to pray for the repose of Pope Benedict’s soul one day before the pope emeritus’s funeral was to be offered at St. Peter’s Square in Rome. 

Pope-emeritus Benedict died Dec. 31 at age 95, 10 years after stepping down as pontiff.

Baltimore Archbishop William E. Lori, who has encouraged Catholics to pray the rosary or one Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be for Pope Benedict, is in Rome for the funeral.

“Our very faith, our submission of our intellect and will to God, is an act of humility,” Bishop Parker said. “In putting our faith in Jesus Christ, we acknowledge that we are not the center of the world. God is. Pope Benedict led the global Catholic Church with the humility of his conviction that Jesus alone has the words of everlasting life.”

Bishop Parker noted that Pope Benedict was a man of great intellect who always seemed to have an “aura of wisdom” surrounding him.

“He was an amazing theologian, prolific writer, spoke multiple languages, had several degrees and had acquired countless experiences having lived through difficult times,” Bishop Parker said. “And yet his last words, according to the nurse who was with him, demonstrated a very simple wisdom. Those words can be spoken by anyone and should be spoken by all of us disciples: ‘Lord, I love you.’”

Nineteen priests, two deacons and several seminarians attended the cathedral liturgy, which was livestreamed on the parish’s website. Following the Mass, many people formed a line near the sanctuary to pray for Pope Benedict in front of a large portrait of the former pope.

Sister Stella Kanu, an Oblate Sister of Providence who serves at St. Mark in Catonsville, looked intently at the image while two votive candles flickered in front of it.

“I told him I know he’s with God now,” Sister Stella said, “and I want him to help me with some special intentions to help my family.”

Sister Stella recalled her excitement when Pope Benedict was elected to the papacy in 2005. At the time, she was living in Nigeria and praying for a pope who could continue the legacy of St. John Paul II.

“We knew he loved God,” she said, “and he was a custodian of Christian doctrine. So that gave us a lot of joy.”

Joseph Barron, a parishioner of St. Ursula in Parkville, said it was important to attend the cathedral Mass to pray for Pope Benedict’s soul. He encouraged other Catholics to pray for the deceased pope.

“One of the most important things the previous pope had instructed us to do was to pray for him,” he said. “He was head of the Catholic Church, so he’s in higher scrutiny in terms of the judgment of Jesus Christ.”

Barron credited Pope Benedict with leading the church through difficult times.

“Our church has gone through so many challenges,” he said, “and we just need to be there for him at this time.”

Rosemary Richards, a parishioner of St. Mary in Govans, said she and her family appreciate Pope Benedict’s lifetime of service to the church.

“He was a holy man and an incredible scholar,” she said, noting that there “aren’t many men like him.”

Email George Matysek at gmatysek@CatholicReview.org

Also see:

Baltimore archbishops had connections to Pope Benedict XVI

Watch the cathedral Mass below:

Also see

Vatican to publish ‘private’ homilies of late Pope Benedict

Everyday collaborators of Pope Benedict XVI remember the late pontiff

‘I love you, Papa!’: Maryland Catholics recall encounters with Pope Benedict XVI

RADIO INTERVIEW: Remembering Pope Emeritus Benedict

In a turn of history, Poland is country that will miss German pope the most

Pope’s tribute to predecessor ‘refined and profound,’ says Benedict aide

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