The Last Audience

Today, Pope Benedict XVI gave his last audience has our leader, our father, and our Pope. I expected him to be less introspective, as he often pointed more to theology and teaching than to his own thoughts, but in the way we all hoped he took this time to reflect on his life and papacy. It was all brilliant, but one major point stuck out to me:

The “always” is also a “forever” - there is no returning to private life. My decision to forgo the exercise of active ministry, does not revoke this. I do not return to private life, to a life of travel, meetings, receptions, conferences and so on. I do not abandon the cross, but remain in a new way near to the Crucified Lord. I no longer wield the power of the office for the government of the Church, but in the service of prayer I remain, so to speak, within St. Peter’s bounds. St. Benedict, whose name I bear as Pope, shall be a great example in this for me. He showed us the way to a life which, active or passive, belongs wholly to the work of God.

Pope Benedict is very clear here: he is not leaving to sip beers on a sunny beach. He is not leaving to play with his cats. He is not leaving to flee the difficulties of his office.

He is leaving to run to the cross with everything he has. He is leaving to intercede for the Church, knowing that while his public leadership ends, his spiritual leadership continues, and he will continue to hold up the Church in prayer and sacrifice.

And so, Pope Benedict XVI, we thank you. You led us with humility and wisdom, and even today you lead us even more, showing us the importance of staying close to the Crucified Lord in good times and in bad, and teaching us, as you said in your conclusion today, to "let there be always the joyous certainty that the Lord is near, that He does not abandon us, that He is near to us and that He surrounds us with His love."

You can read his audience here: Final Audience English Text. If you haven't, I recommend you do.