In his entrance into and departure from this transitory world Joseph Ratzinger/Benedict XVI displayed exquisite sensitivity to liturgical time. Born and baptized on Easter Eve of 1927, he died within the octave of Christmas 2022 on the day of his predecessor Sylvester, in the womb of a perishing twelvemonth from which a new year of plenteous grace is set to spring. Only by divine gift may a Christian’s earthly existence be bracketed in this way between the saving mysteries of Christmas and Easter. On the death from great old age of a theologian who in his writings has so fruitfully accompanied my own spiritual pilgrimage, I have nothing to add to two online publications written and issued at significant junctures of the late Pope’s career. The only piece of my writing that ever went, as they say, ‘viral’, was a defence of Ratzinger issued at Passiontide 2010, when the world’s attacks on this faithful German shepherd were raging with great fury. I find one unfortunate stylistic infelicity in ‘The Dictatorship of Relativism strikes back—and goes nuclear’ The dictatorship of relativism strikes back—and goes nuclear — LOGIA but see no reason to revise any of its judgements. And when Benedict XVI shocked Church and world with his (apart from the case of Celestine V) unprecedented abdication, at the behest of the the head of Lutheran Church—Canada I produced an Appreciation that can now serve as an Obituary in the shape of a little article ‘Thoughts on the Retirement of the Professor Pope’ Thoughts on the retirement of the Professor Pope - The Canadian Lutheran. Happily, a prominent believing German Protestant journalist has arrived at similar conclusions in a little piece published today to which I refer those who share my eccentric love of the German language.
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