December 31, 2022
Statement from Bishop Glen John Provost:
On the Passing of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI
Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI has returned to His Lord. As a man of faith, a scholarly teacher, and a keen observer of world events, this servant of God understood the sweep of history and our place within it.
He will be the last pope who experienced the horrors of World War II. He was a formidable theologian and played a pivotal role at the Second Vatican Council. For this reason, he understood what the Council had hoped to accomplish and what in the future the Church needed to communicate to the world.
Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI’s writings left their mark. His Jesus of Nazareth, for example, gave us a fresh understanding of the Sacred Scriptures as a living and historical proclamation of Redemption. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI was a gentle shepherd, at heart a pastor, with a refreshing way of making the most difficult concepts comprehensible. His motu proprios, 4 apostolic exhortations, numerous sermons, 66 books, catechetical instructions, and 3 encyclicals were cogent and well-written. They exhibited a clarity that a confused and unstable world desperately needs.
Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI took his vocation as Vicar of Christ and Bishop of Rome very seriously. He appointed me Bishop of Lake Charles in 2007. Much to my surprise and unlike many of his predecessors, he personally signed letters of appointment for bishops. I had the great privilege of meeting him a few times and twice having a brief conversation on a topic of interest to him. He was transparently kind and had a splendid sense of humor. He valued truth and beauty.
We will miss this faithful servant but know that he left behind a legacy that remains for our benefit and cannot be ignored or forgotten. Eternal rest grant to him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him.
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Solemn Memorial Mass Planned Jan. 5 in Cathedral
His Excellency, The Most Reverend Glen John Provost invites the faithful in the Diocese of Lake Charles to join him in praying for the repose of the soul of the late Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. Bishop Provost will celebrate a Solemn Memorial Mass at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, January 5, 2023, in the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, 935 Bilbo Street, in Lake Charles. Priests from throughout the Diocese along with seminarians will serve at the Mass. All are encouraged to attend.
