Cardinal Kurt Koch celebrated a pontifical Mass at the tomb of Pope Benedict XVI in St. Peter’s Basilica on Sunday, marking the second anniversary of the pope emeritus’ death.
The pope from Bavaria, who died on Dec. 31, 2022, is buried just meters away from the tomb of the Prince of the Apostles in the Vatican grottos.
In his homily, which coincided with the liturgical reading of the prologue of John’s Gospel, Koch reflected on Benedict’s lifelong dedication to exploring the meaning of the Logos — the Word of God.
“In this hymn of praise to the Logos, to the Word that was with God and was God, the innermost core of the Christian faith is condensed,” Koch said during the Mass, which was streamed live by EWTN Germany.
“Joseph Ratzinger — Benedict XVI — reflected on this throughout his life and revealed it to us.”
The Swiss cardinal, who serves as prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, emphasized that Benedict XVI’s primary concern was making God accessible to modern people at a time when many find God foreign or superfluous.
“For the faithful theologian on the chair of Peter, there could be no greater priority than to show people today an access to God, his truth and beauty,” Koch said.
He noted that Benedict XVI entered fully into the mystery of Easter on the day of his “second birth” during Christmas, which had always held special significance for him. The pope emeritus died at 9:34 a.m. in the Mater Ecclesiae monastery, where he had lived since his historic resignation in 2013.
Benedict XVI’s pontificate lasted from 2005 to 2013, ending with the first papal resignation in nearly 600 years.
Even before his election as pope, he had profoundly influenced the worldwide Church, first as a young theologian at the Second Vatican Council and later as prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
The Mass concluded with prayers at Benedict XVI’s tomb, where Koch paused for a moment of silent prayer.
This article was first published by CNA Deutsch, CNA’s German-language news partner, and has been translated and adapted by CNA.
