Pope Benedict XVI was one of the 20th century’s most respected and renowned theologians and, I would opine, one of history’s greatest minds to grace humanity. Few men have been more involved on a global scale in propagating both faith and reason. I have no doubt that he will not only be canonized but will eventually be declared a Doctor of the Church, in God’s own time, after careful study of his entire personal and public life. I personally regard him as a holy genius, because of both his brilliant mind and his great love for God.
I was born into Catholicism. However, I was a “so-so” Catholic, hardly ever reading religious writings and being lackluster in my prayers. The pope I knew for most of my adult life was John Paul II. I took the papacy pretty much for granted at that period of my life.
As the JPII years unfolded, media was becoming more of a ubiquitous entity. By the late 1990s and early 2000s, we were seeing John Paul’s battle with Parkinson’s in more detail on television. He was in and out of hospital during his last months on earth. Then, Holy Week 2005 was upon us, and I started to pay attention to the man many were talking about as a possible successor to the papacy: Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger.
Cardinal Ratzinger was not only the Prefect for the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith for more than two decades, but he was also Dean of the College of Cardinals, and John Paul II’s right-hand man, so to speak. It was Ratzinger who wrote the Good Friday reflections in 2005. John Paul was too frail to attend the Way of the Cross ceremony at the Coliseum; he watched the event from his private chapel, via television. Ratzinger’s meditations and prayers were the center of attention; his brutally honest assessment of “the filth” that was rocking the Church was astounding.
Many saw this as one of the deciding factors in his eventual election as Roman Pontiff, following John Paul’s death on the eve of Divine Mercy Sunday. People around the world took notice of this soft-spoken man who dared speak the truth.
As Dean of the College of Cardinals, the duty of presiding over Pope John Paul II’s funeral fell upon Cardinal Ratzinger. He was completely devoid of any self-centeredness; he was focused on his beloved pope’s funeral Mass, in complete respect, piety, and self-effacement. After the prescribed days of prayers and mourning, the much-awaited conclave to elect the new Successor of St. Peter was upon us.
Like millions of Catholics around the world, my mother and I were glued to the television set, watching live coverage of the conclave, waiting for the smoke to billow out of the rooftop of the Sistine Chapel. The anticipation was quite nerve-racking each time the smoke came out: Was it white? Was it black?
Then the world beheld the white smoke, not quite clearly white at first, but whitening gradually. The elation was palpable: a new pope had been chosen in record time. The doors leading to the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica opened. The words “Habemus Papam” were spoken by Cardinal Medina Estevez, the protodeacon at the time. And there was our new pope, Benedict XVI, opening wide his arms to the world, a look of humble disquiet in his eyes and a sweet, shy smile on his face.
This was the sudden, decisive moment when my “so-so” devotion to my Catholic Faith was transformed into a pure love for my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I can only describe the experience of seeing the chosen Vicar of Christ opening his arms to the world as uplifting. I responded wholeheartedly to the holiness that was emanating from Benedict’s entire being. He seemed so humble and accepting of God’s holy will for him that I found myself drawn into complete devotion to God, to His Church, and to the Vicar of His Son.
Within twenty-four hours of Benedict’s election, I started reading his writings on the Catholic Faith, and the biographies about his life. I have now read thirty-two of his books, homilies, speeches, encyclicals, apostolic exhortations, and catecheses (given every Wednesday morning at his general audiences).
What convinces me that this man was holy is the love and devotion for God that grew daily in my heart. For the first time in my life, I read the entire Bible. I took three years to make sure I pondered and understood every single page. I worked out a reading schedule: one chapter per day, starting with the Old Testament, and working my way through to the Book of Proverbs, then the Gospels, the Epistles, and finally to the Book of Revelation (the Apocalypse). I had realized how very lacking my Catholic education had been. It was high time that I be cognizant of my own Christian Faith.
Once I had completed the Bible, I tackled my next project: reading the entire Catechism of the Catholic Church. Again, I read one, single paragraph per day, taking two years to complete my reading program.
This is part of Benedict’s influence in my life: I wanted to get closer to God and be educated in my own Faith. I did what I had to do to be better informed about my own religion and get closer to God.
I trust completely in God’s holy will for my life. I believe in Divine Providence. I pray every day, offering everything to Him, who is my Creator. As Benedict himself said in his first encyclical, Deus Caritas Est (“God is Love”): “Christianity is not just an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but a personal encounter with the event of love, embodied in Jesus Christ.” He defined God not as an abstract concept, but as a person who loves unconditionally. Benedict always pointed to Jesus, never to himself. He led his flock to God. He was truly Christ’s vicar on earth.
Benedict resigned in 2013, sending shock waves throughout the world. His calm and reasonable assessment of his situation makes me believe that his decision was not impulsive, but a result of mature discernment on his part. After all, St. Celestine had also resigned from the papacy; this in no way diminishes the personal sanctity of a pope.
On the eve of the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, December 31st, 2022, Benedict died, at the age of 95. Today, April 16th, 2026, would have been his 99th birthday.
We must now wait for time to lead its course: a minimum of five years must pass before any steps for his beatification and eventual canonization can take place. All in God’s good time. Until that day comes, I pray each day for his soul:
O God, may the soul of your servant, Pope Benedict XVI, be received by your Son into eternal glory. We ask this through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
Author’s Note: This essay is the abridged version of the original article “A holy genius: Joseph Ratzinger/Pope Benedict XVI,” written on Dec 30th, 2025, on the eve of the third anniversary of Pope Benedict’s death, and posted on the author’s website.
Image from Wikimedia Commons
