For Immediate Release: January 5, 2022

Bishop Knestout Celebrates Memorial Mass for Pope Benedict XVI

Memorial Mass for Pope Benedict XVI, Jan. 4, 2023

RICHMOND, Va. – Before the world witnessed the funeral Mass for Pope Benedict XVI, held Jan. 5, 2023, in Rome, Bishop Barry C. Knestout celebrated one on behalf of the Catholic Diocese of Richmond on Jan. 4 at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, Richmond.

The 95-year-old former pontiff passed away on Dec. 31, 2022, days after Pope Francis made a public call for prayer on Dec. 28 regarding Pope Benedict’s declining health.

Parishes and dioceses around the world gathered to celebrate memorial Masses in the wake of Pope Benedict’s death. The diocesan Mass was livestreamed through the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart’s Facebook page.

In his homily, Bishop Knestout reflected on the legacy of Pope Benedict XVI, specifically his contributions to Catholic theology and the publishing of his series of books Jesus of Nazareth. “In his writings, I see pastoral sensitivity and an ability to communicate with a wide audience,” said Bishop Knestout. “These were gifts that went hand in hand with his theological and doctrinal brilliance.”

In 2008, Pope Benedict named Bishop Knestout as an auxiliary bishop for Washington. Later that year, Bishop Knestout co-chaired the committee that planned Pope Benedict’s papal visit to Washington. The theme of the visit was “Christ Our Hope,” which Bishop Knestout later chose as his episcopal motto in honor of that occasion.

“I recall greeting him once on St. Peter’s Square, some years before the death of St. John Paul II before Benedict was named pope,” said Bishop Knestout in his homily. “He would walk each day across St. Peter’s Square from his residence… He had no entourage; he was usually dressed in a simple cassock. He would occasionally stop and greet people along the way, always with kindness and gentle encouragement.”

In his homily, Bishop Knestout reflected on the late pontiff’s memory.

“This is how I remember him,” said Bishop Knestout in his closing. “He was a gifted academic and a brilliant intellectual, but it would be a mistake to assume that he was too high-minded or too distant to either understand or express a gentle and understanding pastoral presence, which is what he did with me and others in our encounters with him.”

Photos from Mass provided by Catholic Diocese of Richmond/Michael Mickle.

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