January 5, 2023

Bishop Byrne celebrates noontime Mass for Pope Benedict XVI

REGIONAL
Story and photos by Rebecca Drake

 

SPRINGFIELD – On the day Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI was buried beneath St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, Springfield Bishop William D. Byrne celebrated a special liturgy for the deceased pope at St. Michael’s Cathedral, here.

Welcoming a larger-than-usual congregation to the Jan. 5, 12:10 Mass at the cathedral, Bishop Byrne said, “We offer our own Mass for his soul and pray for our current Holy Father.”

In a brief homily, Bishop Byrne praised Pope Benedict as an exceptional teacher of the faith.

“We need to call our brothers and sisters back home,” the bishop said. “People have forgotten who Jesus is … some people have never heard of him.

“It had been 40 or 50 years since we were really catechized and that was one of the gifts that he brought during his pontificate,” he said of Pope Benedict.

During his homily, Bishop Byrne also commended Pope Benedict for his humility and wisdom in stepping down from the papacy in 2013 when he realized the frailty of his age could compromise his ability to continue as leader of the worldwide Catholic Church.

Bishop Byrne also made reference to the funeral Mass celebrated by Pope Francis in St. Peter’s Square earlier in day.

“‘Into your hands, I commend my spirit,’ were some of the words the Holy Father preached on during the funeral,” the bishop noted. “So, let’s pray for him but let’s also pray for ourselves, that we who are followers of Jesus Christ can always give ourselves to the Father.”

In an interview with a local television station following the Mass at the cathedral, Bishop Byrne spoke about the function of a Catholic funeral Mass.

“It’s a moment when we recognize God’s mercy over our own human failings and God’s victory of the Resurrection, so that’s what we celebrate today,” he said. “And that’s (how) Pope Benedict lived his whole life, was proclaiming that Jesus Christ was truly risen.

“We mourn because we feel the loss, but primarily it’s a celebration of his life and his eternal life,” he said. “And it’s also important that we pray for the dead, if there’s anything that held him back in his life, that the Lord will free him from that with his loving mercy.”

“And so we celebrate the gift of this remarkable man that God called to the highest level of the church, but also who lived a simple life and a holy life, who was an amazing intellect,” Bishop Byrne said.

Asked by iObserve what he, as a priest, learned from the example of Pope Benedict XVI, Bishop Byrne said, “I think that what I was always touched with is that this great intellect, who loved the Lord and could explain that to people, always made me feel proud to be a Catholic.”