On the feast day when the universal Church celebrates the papacy, Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., and faithful from throughout the diocese offered prayers of gratitude for Pope Benedict XVI and his eight years of ministry as head of the Roman Catholic Church. The pope announced Feb. 11 that he would resign the papacy effective Feb. 28.

Bishop O’Connell designated Feb. 22 (the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter), as a day of prayer and thanksgiving in the diocese for the Holy Father and the Office of St. Peter, who is regarded as the first pope. The bishop had requested that all parishes include the intentions of Pope Benedict in their celebration of the day’s Masses and invited the diocese’s faithful to join him on the feast day for a Mass of Thanksgiving in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton.

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More than 100 communicants gathered for the midday Mass in the cathedral where a portrait of Pope Benedict XVI stood in front of the sanctuary, draped with a yellow ornamental cloth and a priest’s stole in the Trenton Diocesan colors of cream and navy blue. More than a dozen priests concelebrated.

Faithful, Humble Servant

Bishop O’Connell began his homily on a personal note in which he  recounted meeting Pope Benedict on numerous occasions, both prior to his election as pope (when he was Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger and served as the Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith) as well as after his election.

The first time the two met was in Rome soon after Bishop O’Connell had been appointed as the new president of The Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C., in 1998. CUA is the nation’s only papal institution of higher learning, and Cardinal Ratzinger, in his role as Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, “had to approve my appointment,” said Bishop O’Connell.

Though Bishop O’Connell remembered being “rather nervous” about meeting the cardinal, he found the cardinal to be a “gentle, kindly, soft-spoken man.”

“It was quite a day,” said Bishop O’Connell.

For Bishop O’Connell, however, the most memorable meeting was in 2008 when the Holy Father visited The Catholic University of America.

“His visit to The Catholic University of America was probably the greatest day in my life. That was until he appointed me Bishop of Trenton,” the bishop said with a smile.

Reflecting on Benedict XVI’s pontificate, Bishop O’Connell said that while the Holy Father was always a staunch “defender of the Catholic faith and truth, he also “understood his role to be both teacher and pastor, shepherd and servant.”

“And for the past eight years, he has been those things for the Church and for the world,” said Bishop O’Connell. “Throughout his papacy, Pope Benedict XVI spoke with incredible clarity and ease about the deepest mysteries of our faith, putting words to them that were accessible and understandable to the simplest believer, a great talent for any teacher.”

Bishop O’Connell spoke of how the day’s Scripture readings provided insight into God’s intentions, Christ’s intentions for the Church. The first reading (1 Peter 5: 1-4), focuses on those who have been called by Christ to leadership in the Church and reminds them: “tend the flock of God in your midst, overseeing not by constraint but willingly, as God would have it, not for shameful profit but eagerly. Do not lord it over those assigned to you, but be examples to the flock.” The Gospel (Matthew 16: 13-19), identifies St. Peter, following his confession of faith, as the one upon whom the Lord himself would build his Church.

Explaining the Chair of St. Peter, the bishop said that it refers to the occupant, not the chair itself. The Feast of the Chair of St. Peter commemorates Peter being chosen by Christ as the first head of the Church and honors the apostolic tradition and the unbroken line of successors that have served as pope from the time of Peter until the present Pope Benedict XVI.

Bishop O’Connell acknowledged that Pope Benedict XVI “was especially well-suited to occupy the Chair of Peter, not simply because of his great intellect and theological depth, but because of his closeness to the person of Christ.”

“We have been blessed in our lifetime to have experienced the leadership of several great men who have occupied the Chair of Peter,” said Bishop O’Connell. “Today, we give heartfelt thanks for one such man who soon shall walk into history, leaving behind a legacy as a true pastor and servant of the servants of God.”

Expressions of Gratitude

Members of the congregation expressed gratitude that a diocesan celebration was held in honor of Pope Benedict.

Elise Zarelli of Incarnation-St. James Parish, Ewing, smiled as she recounted highlights of her trip to Rome several years ago which included attending Easter Triduum liturgies that were celebrated by the pope in St. Peter’s Basilica. She then noted that what she will remember most about the pope is his “humility.”

“He needs our prayers,” Zarelli said. “He is a humble man who does God’s will, and he did everything he could to promote the Catholic faith in a most humble way.”

Eileen Borger, a member of St. Ignatius Parish, Yardley, Pa., who attends Mass in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral at least twice a week, was happy to attend the diocesan Mass of Thanksgiving for the Holy Father.

Borger said she believes that Pope Benedict will be best remembered for his intellect, the books he wrote and his faithfulness to his predecessor, Pope John Paul II.

Borger said it is her hope that the newly appointed Holy Father will encourage people to understand what it means to remain faithful to the teachings and traditions of the Church.

For Dorothy Conway, director of religious education in St. Gregory the Great Parish, Hamilton, Square, what will be most memorable about Pope Benedict was his “wide and generous promulgation of Summorum Pontificum.” On July 7, 2007, he issued a document that allowed the free celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass throughout the world by any priest.

 “That single act, I think, has helped to restore the sacredness of both forms of the Mass – ordinary and extraordinary,” said Conway.

Conway admitted to being “very, very surprised” when she learned of Pope Benedict’s decision to “abdicate” the papacy. At the same time, she said she also feels that the Holy Spirit was guiding the Holy Father to do what was “best for the Church.”

“The Holy Spirit is at work continually and I believe the pope is following God’s will, even if it’s something that the rest of the world may not understand,” said Conway.

As the College of Cardinals prepare to gather in Rome to elect a new pope, Conway added that she believes the election will be an experience in which the world is going to see the “sign of the strength and power of Christ’s Church taking place right before our eyes.”