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n the eight years of his pontificate, Benedict XVI guided his flock as a gentle shepherd. He offered a wealth of teaching, and each of his many initiatives, apostolic journeys, reforms and canonizations carried a profound significance. . A comprehensive assessment of Benedict’s lasting impression on the Church would fill volumes. In the photos and timeline that follow, we simply share some of our memories of Benedict and highlight various ways that he influenced the Knights of Columbus. Benedict XVI was a preeminent teacher who understood well the office of the pope as a visible sign of unity. Ever focused on the truth of Jesus Christ, he made significant gestures toward strengthening authentic Christian unity, interreligious dialogue, and emphasis on the continuity of the Church’s teaching and liturgical traditions. He wrote only three encyclical letters during his pontificate, including Deus
Caritas Est (God is Love), which spoke directly about the Order’s first principle: charity. Instead of formal documents, the Holy Father’s catechesis usually took the form of homilies and Wednesday audiences, in which he systematically discussed foundational topics such as Christian prayer. In this way, as well as through remarkable academic lectures, informal reflections and his trilogy of books on Jesus of Nazareth, Benedict left the Church with a great treasury of wisdom to ponder for generations to come. Nonetheless, this wisdom was not intended for the annals of history or the halls of academia. Benedict recognized that “the word of God is alive and active” (Heb 4:12) and that the
Members of the Knights of Columbus Board of Directors applaud Pope Benedict XVI during his address to the board Oct. 3, 2008, at the Vatican’s Clementine Hall.
---APRIL 2013
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