Reading the last will and testament of a loved one who has died is always an emotional moment. <\/p>\n
It's like hearing their voice echoing back to us across time and space. Which is why we pay such special attention to the words they've chosen and to the message they're communicating.<\/p>\n
The Vatican published the last spiritual testament of Pope emeritus Benedict XVI a few hours after his death on Saturday, December 31st. <\/p>\n
At just under one page, it's a remarkably short text for someone who lived such a long life. And, yet, it contains 3 key elements that characterised his 95 years as a person and his eight years as a pope. <\/p>\n
True to Joseph Ratzinger's skill at summary and synthesis, these elements fall neatly into three distinct categories: Gratitude, Forgiveness, and Faith.<\/p>\n
Benedict wrote his spiritual testament in 2006, a little over a year after his election to the papacy. But he was already reflecting on what he describes in the letter as \u201cthis late hour\u201d of his life. <\/p>\n
This is the moment in which he sees how much reason he has \u201cto give thanks\u201d: to God, first and foremost, who gave him life and guided him, as he puts it, \u201cthrough all kinds of confusion\u201d - but also to his parents, family, friends, teachers and students. <\/p>\n
He had already expressed gratitude, in part and in person, during the last Mass he presided over as Pope in St. Peter's Basilica, on Thursday February 28th 2013... <\/p>\n
BENEDICT XVI At the end of his spiritual testament, the Pope emeritus repeats that invitation to pray for him despite, what he calls, his \u201csins and shortcomings\u201d. In fact, he makes a point of asking forgiveness from all those he says he has \u201cwronged in some way\u201d. <\/p>\n But by far the greater part of Pope Benedict XVI's final document is dedicated to a heartfelt appeal to \u201cstand firm in the faith\u201d. He returns to one of the defining themes of his magisterium: the relationship between faith and science...<\/p>\n BENEDICT XVI The Pope emeritus writes how, for 60 years, he has \u201cacompanied the path of theology\u201d, seeing \u201cseemingly unshakeable theses collapse with the changing generations\u201d - from Existentialism to Marxism \u2013 and how the \u201creasonableness of faith has emerged and is emerging anew\u201d. <\/p>\n BENEDICT XVI Reading his spiritual testament, we can almost hear the voice of Benedict XVI as he urges us, and \u201call those who were entrusted\u201d to his service in the Church, not to let our faith be \u201cdistracted\u201d, and not to be \u201cconfused\u201d, but to \u201cstand firm in the faith!\u201d That was always his message to us. <\/p>\n And it still is. <\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Vatican published the last spiritual testament of Pope emeritus Benedict XVI a few hours after his death on Saturday, December 31st.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":7908,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[],"acf":{"video":"https:\/\/youtu.be\/nTHeGVOfnBs","video_descarga":"http:\/\/attuale.romereports.com\/news\/CONFIDENCIAL MORTE BXVI ENG.mp4","international_url":"http:\/\/attuale.romereports.com\/news\/CONFIDENCIAL MORTE BXVI ENG.mp4","type":"bn","newsletter":"si"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.romereports.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43017"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.romereports.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.romereports.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.romereports.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=43017"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.romereports.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43017\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.romereports.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7908"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.romereports.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43017"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.romereports.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=43017"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.romereports.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=43017"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n<\/strong>For me it is a proper moment to thank everyone, especially the faithful from the Diocese of Rome, while I prepare to conclude the Petrine Ministry, and to ask to remember me in prayer.<\/em><\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>Far from being in conflict, faith and science go hand in hand in the service of man's moral advancement and his wise stewardship of creation.<\/em><\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>The complementary relationship between Faith and Reason reflects the truth that God's grace builds on, elevates and perfects human nature, and allows us to pursue the felicity which is its deepest desire.<\/em><\/p>\n