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remains “absolutely full of joy for life,” according to his private secretary Georg Gaenswein
recently hinted at in a letter of condolence
was not to be interpreted as meaning that the former pope “no longer has any desire to live
On the contrary,” the archbishop told the newspaper Bild on Thursday
In a condolence message for Gerhard Winkler
a former colleague who was a professor in Regensburg
Benedict had written: “Now he has arrived in the hereafter
where I am sure many friends are already waiting for him
I hope that I will soon be able to join them.”
Benedict “is absolutely full of joy for life
crystal clear in his head and blessed with his typical Bavarian humour.”
Gaenswein said the letter was “meant kindly and is heartfelt.” He added that the pope emeritus was of course preparing for death
Pope Benedict has been doing that for many years
Winkler was a Cistercian monk and professor of church history at the University of Salzburg from 1983 to 1999
he had been a professor at the University of Regensburg since 1974
The Austrian Cistercian Abbey of Wilhering had now published Benedict’s letter dated October 2 on its website
the former head of the church who resigned in 2013 also writes that Winkler
who died at the end of September at the age of 91
was “closest to him” among all his colleagues and friends
“His cheerfulness and deep faith always attracted me.”
KNA - Katholische Nachrichten-Agentur GmbH
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The late Benedict XVI was known for his intellectual acumen as a theologian and philosopher
but perhaps his most relatable quality was that he was a cat person.
As we remember the life and legacy of the pope
here is a look at his favorite feline friends from Bavaria to the Vatican gardens:
“God’s Rottweiler” was actually more of a cat-lover than an attack dog
served as the prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
he would often feed the many cats that lived in the Vatican gardens
the author of a children’s biography of the life of Benedict XVI through the eyes of a cat
told CNA how the Bavarian pope was a true “Cat-holic.”
“He never passed by a cat without petting it,” Perego told CNA
who worked side by side with Ratzinger in the Roman Curia
has said that cats were “a great love” for Benedict
The cardinal told Famiglia Cristiana shortly after Benedict’s election how the future pope would talk to the Roman street cats: “He stopped and said a few words in German
“He always brought the cats something to eat and pulled them back to the courtyard of the congregation,” Bertone said
The future pope’s love of cats had deep roots
His older brother Georg said in an interview before his death that the Ratzinger family had their own cats when they lived in Hufschlag
“along with others that passed through the garden.”
Konrad Baumgartner, a theology professor at the University of Regensburg, where Ratzinger taught in the 1970s, recalled that “the place was full of cats.”
He said that when Ratzinger would walk out of the church
the cats would follow him: “They knew him and loved him
He stayed with them and caressed them for a long time.”
Chico was a red tabby cat who belonged to the Ratzinger’s neighbors in Pentling, Bavaria, immortalized in the illustrated book, “Joseph and Chico: The Life of Pope Benedict XVI as Told By a Cat.”
“Chico was a big reddish cat with a lot of character,” Perego
She said that she was inspired to write the book while researching Benedict’s early life in Bavaria and meeting Chico
whom the international press were already referring to as “his cat.”
Chico the cat narrates the life of Joseph Ratzinger from his childhood in Germany to his election as the 265th Roman pontiff
wrote in the book’s introduction: “The pope also loves cats and all animals because they are creatures of God.”
who was already fully grown at the time of Benedict’s election as pope
During Benedict XVI’s apostolic trip to the United Kingdom in 2010
he visited the Birmingham Oratory established by St
the pope encountered an unexpected friend — a fluffy black cat named Pushkin
The oratory cat wore a ribbon with the papal colors
Journalists snapped photos as Pope Benedict stroked the cat’s chin and ears
Pushkin, who was 10 years old at the time, went on to live another eight years and even penned his own memoir, “Pushkin the Pontifical Puss: Tails of an Oratory Cat,” which also details the time he met Princess Michael of Kent
After Benedict XVI retired to Mater Ecclesiae Monastery inside the walls of Vatican City State
he continued to greet some of the cats who lived in the Vatican gardens
Two of the Vaticats in particular made an impression
come often to say hello to the pope emeritus,” Gänswein told the Italian magazine BenEssere on March 25
At a time when the pope emeritus was largely hidden away from the world
a photo of Benedict holding the little gray and white cat named Zorro caught the world’s attention
was a black and white kitten who was also photographed alongside the pope during his years of retirement living within Vatican City’s walls
As Catholics remember Benedict XVI ahead of his funeral this week
some have found ways to honor the late pope
Raymond Pasek from Fishers, Indiana, shared on social media that his family prayed a rosary together for Benedict XVI and his daughters donated some of their Christmas money to a local animal shelter in his honor.
Courtney Mares is a Rome Correspondent for Catholic News Agency
she has reported from news bureaus on three continents and was awarded the Gardner Fellowship for her work with North Korean refugees
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