NBCC Special Report: Pope Benedict XVI
The National Black Catholic Congress (NBCC)
Joins the Universal Church in Congratulating Pope Benedict XVI
Let us rejoice with the election of Pope
Benedict XVI! On April 19, 2005 all the world watched with bated breath
as a puff of white smoke billowed above the Sistine Chapel in St Peter's
Square. The sun suddenly broke upon the crowd as the chill evening gave
way to the warmth of spring. The bell tolled. An era ended, and a new
era began as Pope Benedict XVI stepped onto the balcony of the great
basilica as the sucessor of the lowly fisherman from Galilee, Peter, to
whom Our Lord gave the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. "We have a Pope!"
The cry of joy ascended. The Church goes on; the Bride of Christ
continues her pilgrimage under a pastor chosen by the Holy Spirit.
The former Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger is so
familiar to many Catholics that his succession to the throne of St.
Peter is almost like having a neighbor or family member as Pope. We have
known him for a long time; we know what he stands for - - devotion to
the truth of the Gospel handed down to us from the Apostles of Jesus. In
the chaos and confusion of moral relativism, the voice of the Church
remains clear and bright, and our new Holy Father will hold the light of
truth aloft for all to see, a great act of love in a dark world. For it
is not his teaching or his truth; it is that of Christ our God.
Pope Benedict was born on April 16, 1927 in
Bavaria, the southern part of Germany which until the mid 19th century
was an independent Catholic kingdom. It is a land known for its
beautiful mountains, castles and churches. The son of the senior Joseph
Ratzinger, a policeman and his wife Maria, entered the seminary at age
12 in 1939, only to be forcibly conscripted into the Hitler youth and
the German army, from which he escaped in 1945. He was ordained a priest
in 1951.
After WWII, he completed his education at the University of Munich,
receiving his doctorate in theology in 1953. For over 20 years he taught
at various German universities. In 1977 he was made archbishop of Munich
and Cardinal by Pope Paul VI. In 1981 he was named head of the
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith by Pope John Paul II, with
whom he closely collaborated during the latter's reign. Pope Benedict is
described as being a kind and gentle man, shy and brilliant, full of
humor and charm. He is the first German to be elected Pope in almost a
thousand years. He is known to be an extremely capable administrator and
a very practical man. His profound love for the teachings of Christ and
of His Mother Mary will enable him to lead the Church as the effective
instrument of healing, light, peace and justice in the twenty-first
century.
Join us in thanksgiving for our new Pope
Benedict XVI. Join us in this great moment in history! May God Bless Us
All!
For more information on the election of Pope
Benedict, visit Catholic News at
http://www.catholicnews.com/ or EWTN at
http://www.ewtn.com/
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