HONG KONG (SE): The Church in Hong Kong mourned the loss of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, who completed his journey on earth on the last day of 2022, at a requiem Mass celebrated by Bishop Stephen Chow Sau Yan, SJ, at the Cathedral of the Immaculaet Conception on January 4.
The Mass was concelebrated by Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Ha Chi-shing and around 60 priests, including vicars general, Father Peter Choy Wai-man, Father Paul Kam Po-wai, Father Joseph Chan Wing-chiu as well as Monsignor José Luis Díaz-Mariblanca Sanchéz, head of the Holy See Study Mission.
At the beginning of the Mass, Bishop Chow expressed grief over the loss of the beloved shepherd. However, at the same time, he said it was also a time to give thanks to God for the invaluable contributions of the late pope. “So we come together this evening with sadness but also a deep sense of gratitude for a remarkable life, a great pope, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, a person with deep humility and a very deep theological foundation. Through his intelligence, intellectual capacity and humility, he guided the Church through many stormy days during his papacy,” the bishop said.
“So we will now come together to pray that the good Lord will welcome him into his heavenly home, his new eternal home, and from there, he will continue to pray for us, for our diocese, for the Church and for our world,” he continued.
A eulogy was delivered by vicar general, Father Peter Choy Wai-man. He shared about the life of Benedict XVI, his determination to be a priest since childhood, his early achievement as a young professor of theology, his contribution to the Second Vatican Council as one of the engineers setting up the blueprint for the future reform of the Church, his while he was prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith to encourage mutual respect and dialogue with the world, as well as his theological works written in an open and balanced style.
Father Choy also paid tribute to the late pope’s efforts to lead the universal Church during his eight year pontificate, especially his courage in confronting the mismanagement of the Vatican Bank and addressing the failure of the Church in handling the sexual abuse of minors by the clergy. Also, his resignation in 2013, and his status as Pope Emeritus of the Church, showed nobility, courage, and humility.
His letter to Chinese Catholics in 2007, in which he encouraged the Chinese faithful to promote the normalisation of the Catholic Church through dialogue with respect and openness to each other, showed that the brothers and sisters in the Catholic Church in China are always in his heart.
Referencing the words of St. Paul, Father Choy said that Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI had competed well, finished the race, and kept the faith. “This is a race to open up to the world at different stages. In this race, he led the Church through numerous obstacles, responding with openness and humility to the challenges that the world repeatedly sent to the Church,” he said.
Following the Mass, the bishop, vicars general and Monsignor Sanchéz led a prayer for the dead before Pope Benedict XVI’s portrait in front of the altar, where a candle of resurrection was lit. Afterwards, following the traditional Chinese tribute of respect for the dead, the congregation bowed in unison thrice before the portrait of the late pope.
Hong Kong’s chief executive, John Lee Ka-chiu, expressed his condolences with a floral basket at the entrance of the cathedral.
