B.C. bishops reflect on Benedict, ‘a lamppost for the light of truth, and a pillar of humility and witness’

Bishops from across British Columbia and Canada shared their memories of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, reflecting on the impact of his leadership and theology, his commitment to social justice issues within the Church, and the attention he gave to even the smallest, most remote parts of the Canadian Church.

Victoria Bishop Gary Gordon reflected on meeting the Pope in 2006 when he was Bishop of Whitehorse. Bishop Gordon was making his ad limina visit, the audience given to bishops so they can share the state of their diocese with the Pope.

“Meeting Pope Emeritus Benedict has remained one of my most treasured memories,” he told The B.C. Catholic. “Pope Benedict’s warmth and easy engagement were as though he had known me all my life.”  

Pope Benedict XVI demonstrated his care for the entire Church by offering Bishop Gordon the observation that the Diocese of Whitehorse was geographically bigger than Germany, and then asking questions about education, family, and Indigenous peoples in Whitehorse.

Bishop Gordon said they were “sharing a moment of understanding that God calls us where God wants us.” He called the meeting “an amazing encounter with a wise and humble servant of God.”

Prince George Bishop Stephen Jensen reflected on the Pope’s legacy as a theologian.

“I believe I must have been one of the last bishops named by Pope Benedict,” he told The B.C. Catholic. His appointment was published in Rome on Jan. 3, 2013, and Benedict resigned just over a month later. “I will always be grateful that Providence allowed events to work out as they did,” Bishop Jensen said.

He recalled his time as a theology student in the seminary and being assigned to read a variety of journal articles as part of his coursework. “ One brilliant German theologian, Joseph Ratzinger – one day to be Pope Benedict XVI – “stood head and shoulders above the others,” Bishop Jensen said.

“His writing was profound, brilliantly lucid, and inspiring. Everything that he wrote later had the same amazing quality.”

Benedict was “a gifted teacher who led his readers to new insights that were obviously the fruit of his prayerful study. He is a man who I think deserves the title of ‘Doctor of the Church,’” said the bishop.

“We have benefited enormously from the priestly service of this humble and holy man,” he said. “I pray that he will now intercede for us from a place with God.”

Nelson Bishop Gregory Bittman said in a statement, “It is with great sadness that we bid farewell to another great pope in the line of St. Peter in the Church.” 

Benedict’s writings and teachings “are a great gift to the Church and to each one of us,” he said.

He recounted a meeting he had with Pope Benedict during his time at bishop’s school at Castel Gandolfo. “I must have been the first Canadian bishop introduced to him,” he said, “because all I remember him saying was, ‘ah, Kanada.’”

Saskatoon Bishop Mark Hagemoen, former Vicar General for the Archdiocese of Vancouver, said, “being asked to comment on Pope Benedict XVI is like asking the child to comment on the master parent and teacher.”

He emphasized the pastoral care and theological acumen of Benedict’s pontificate. “I very much appreciated Pope Benedict XVI’s keen mind about theological matters, and the crucial distinctions and insights he provided on a number of important and difficult topics,” Bishop Hagemoen said, emphasizing that Benedict “demonstrated a ‘pastor’s heart,’ especially when it came to expressing Christian charity by service and care for others.

“I also appreciated his contributions to the understanding and ongoing appreciation of the Second Vatican Council, and how he encouraged all clergy and laity to delve deeply into the Council’s rich teachings. In this way, he was a major proponent of the ‘reform of renewal’ movement, which greatly encouraged me in my own pastoral growth and efforts,” Bishop Hagemoen said.

“I know we all appreciated his great courage and humility that brought him to recognize his health and capacity limitations that mitigated his effectiveness at being able to fulfill the obligations of his papacy.”

Winnipeg Archbishop Richard Gagnon, also a former Vicar General from Vancouver, reflected on the dissonance between popular narratives about Pope Benedict’s papacy and the reality of his care for the victims of church power.

“He was labelled as a disciplinarian and lacking a pastoral heart by the world press, and we continue to hear this narrative today,” Archbishop Gagnon said. But the reality was different. “He laid out an impressive pastoral approach,” he said, and significantly “he was the first Pope to meet with victims of clerical sexual abuse, he heard the stories of residential school survivors, and he met with children and youth on numerous occasions as well as the sick and the vulnerable.”

Benedict’s efforts at inter-religious dialogue between Christians and Jews, Muslims, and ecumenical initiatives were “remarkable,” Archbishop Gagnon said.

Kamloops Bishop Joseph Nguyen issued an official statement following Benedict’s death. “As the last pope who attended the Second Vatican Council, he has served as a bridge to the future, reminding us all that the reform and renewal of the Church are ongoing,” he said.

Noting Benedict was the first Pope to meet victims of abuse by members of the clergy, he said, “As Canadians, we are especially grateful for his efforts to heal the wounds of our past when he invited a Canadian delegation, made up of representatives of Indigenous communities, as well as Catholic dioceses and religious communities across Canada, to a private meeting in April 2009 to discuss their experience of residential schools and expressed his regret and sadness for the sorrow suffered by many Indigenous people in the resident school system and later he is the Pope who canonized North  American’s first Indigenous saint, St. Kateri Tekakwitha.”

“Certainly, many generations to come will benefit from his courage, humility, and particularly his intellectual contributions that offer a solid guidance for Christian living.”

In an official statement Whitehorse Bishop Héctor Vila said, “Throughout his priesthood and later as a bishop and supreme pontiff, he has devotedly served the Church, offering his great intellect, his love, and pastoral care for the people of God.

“He has always worked to defend and shed light for us on our Christian faith and the gift of our nature as sons and daughters of God.

“Throughout the world and in our Diocese of Whitehorse, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI is remembered today as a true servant of Christ, a gatepost for the message of the Gospels, a lamppost for the light of truth, and a pillar of humility and witness.”

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