"O Lord, I love you": His Beatitude Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa Presided Over the Mass of Requiem for His Beatitude Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI
By: Miral Atik and Cécile Leca. Photos: Cécile Leca and Nicolawos Hazboun. Video: Nicolawos Hazboun/ lpj.org
JERUSALEM – On January 10th, 2023, His Beatitude Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, presided over the Pontifical Mass of Requiem for Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI in the Basilica of the Holy Sepulcher.
The bells of Pro-Cathedral tolled to announce the passing of His Beatitude Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa and to tell the faithful that the Mass was about to begin... Meanwhile, in the streets of Jerusalem, His Beatitude, accompanied by Bishops and Priests, walked in procession to the Basilica of the Holy Sepulcher, with the Kawas leading the way.
Concelebrated by Mgr Adolfo Tito Yllana, Apostolic Nuncio to the Holy Land, Fr. Francesco Patton, ofm, Custos of the Holy Land, Mgr William Shomali, General Vicar of the Latin Patriarchate, Mgr Rafiq Nahra, Patriarchal Vicar for Israel, Mgr Giacinto-Boulos Marcuzzo, bishop emeritus, and Mgr Yacoub Semaan, Syriac Catholic Bishop, the Mass was also attended by several other bishops representing the different Churches in the Holy Land. After it ended, the faithful made their way to the Patriarchate of Jerusalem to express their condolences to the Patriarch and his delegation.
Born on April 16th, 1924 in Bavaria, Germany, Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger was ordained a priest in 1951 and became a renowned professor and theologian. He pursued a career as professor of theology for twenty-six years, before being appointed Archbishop of Munich and Freising in 1977. He was ordained a bishop on May 28th of the same year and chose as his motto Cooperatores Veritatis (Cooperators of the truth)…
This news was originally published on the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem. Please click here to read the full text.
