Bishop Kulick Remembers the Late Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI

December 31, 2022 – Bishop Larry J. Kulick, Sixth Bishop of the Diocese of Greensburg, spoke with The Catholic Accent about the death of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI.

“I join with the faithful in the Diocese of Greensburg and Catholics throughout the world as we mourn the loss of our Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. He dedicated his life to serving the Church in a variety of capacities. He was a consummate theologian and one of the great intellectual lights of the Post-Conciliar Church. He faced many modern-day challenges in his papacy and proved himself to be a gentle shepherd. May God grant him eternal rest and peace,” Bishop Kulick said.

On Wednesday morning, Pope Francis announced that Benedict was very sick. He called on people to remember him and to ask the Lord to console and support him.

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI was elected in 2005 after the death of St. Pope John Paul II. He was born in what is now Germany and was drafted into the Nazi military. According to his biography, he deserted and was held captive by American troops. He became a priest in Bavaria in 1951. He served as the 265th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church from 2005 to 2013. Although most popes since the 1400s have served until their death, he stepped down citing health issues.