Life Lessons from Pope Benedict XVI

The life and works of former Pope, Benedict XVI, is now being commemorated after his passing in the last quarter of 2022. He was the first Pope to resign from the position, which created an unprecedented time for the Catholic Church to have two popes.

During his time in office and even in retirement, Pope Benedict was always known to wear red shoes, a giant gold cross, and a tiny hat along with his bishop robes. He had kept busy with his scholarly work until his death, and part of it was to help the Church that he loved to connect with God in this era of technology and modern morality.

Here are some of the few life lessons Pope Benedict taught not only Roman catholics but also everyone in the world.

Love and beauty are worth pursuing.

In 2009 then Pope Benedict addressed 250 artists in the Sistine Chapel. He said that beauty was capable of restoring enthusiasm and confidence, and could encourage the human spirit to dream of life worthy of its vocation.

This was not mere abstraction on the part of the Pope. Benedict was a lifelong lover of music and art, and he was fond of playing classical music on the piano. He saw beauty as a vital component of life, and he was willing to pursue it too.

You can overcome your weaknesses, no matter how debilitating.

Pope Benedict XVI was a reluctant pope, but when he was chosen he understood the gravity of the position. After the popularity of Pope John Paul II, he recognized the difficulty of the job ahead.

His first speech from the balcony as Pope he mentioned he was only a humble laborer of God, and even though he had “insufficient instruments” to work with, he trusted God and the people’s prayers would help overcome his weaknesses as a leader.

He was willing to face the issues that plagued the Church. It was only later in 2013, when his health was failing him, that he recognized that it was time to step down.

Connect with people through kindness.

Many priests who spent time with the former Pope with or without bishops’ robes often cited the air of tranquility he brought to any room. It was part of his goal to bring dignity and calm to everyone he met.

He was a theologian, first and foremost, and many of his students recognized his gentle spirit and the depth of his knowledge that he willingly shared with them. He was never known to be in a bad mood, and remained connected to his humble origins.

Even during his resignation, when there were tense moments that challenged him, Pope Benedict remained humble. Despite the challenges of his role as the guardian of the faith, he remained stalwart in his vision to secularize the Church and make it more relatable in the modern world.

A Legacy of Humility and Scholarly Works

Though his time as Pope was brief, many priests and theologians cite that Pope Benedict’s legacy will be his large scholarly works which could shape the Roman Catholic Church in the 21st century.

Benedict, in the end, wrote that God is love, and love is the only light. And we have to be humble enough to extend the invitation to other people to enlighten a world that is growing dim.