Australia: Benedict XVI our kind father in God

(Vatican Radio) “He has encouraged us in faith. He has courageously apologised to victims of sexual abuse, and that will always be remembered and appreciated. But his warmth his holiness his goodness is something we will always remember”, says Archbishop Denis Hart of Melbourne, President of the Australian Bishops Conference.

Reacting to the news of Pope Benedict XVI’s announced resignation, Archbishop Hart told Emer McCarthy: “Catholics and many others in wider Australian society were very surprised and shocked by Pope Benedict’s announcement of his resignation. However they do accept that a man of 85, nearly 86, whose health is failing, made a very courageous decision. I think they were very moved by his decisions and the reasons he gave for it”. Listen:

Pope Benedict XVI, he revealed ,will always have a very special place in Australians hearts, particularly young Australians. The images of Pope Benedict crossing Sydney Harbour to launch World Youth Day Celebrations is perhaps one of the lasting memories of this pontificate, the Holy Father’s first and only voyage to Oceania.

“I was on that boat with Pope Benedict. It was a beautiful autumn afternoon and people were really excited that the Pope had actually come to Sydney. It was a wonderful moment when the young people of Australia engaged with the Pope and they suddenly realised that age didn’t matter. That there was this wonderful sensitive kind man who was their father in God. For all the events in that great week in Sydney it will always remain a memorable moment for the history of Australia”.

Archbishop Hart says the Syndey celebrations left a lasting mark on Australian society: “I think the legacy of that moment really is the fact that the Pope seems much nearer to us and much more present. He has encouraged us in faith. He has courageously apologised to victims of sexual abuse, and that will always be remembered and appreciated. But his warmth his holiness his goodness is something we will always remember”.

But the President of the Australian Bishops Conference concludes that perhaps the greatest gift of this pontificate has been Pope Benedict’s widely felt support for the men and women on the frontlines of the Church, the priests and religious:

“I met him first as a young priest walking across St. Peter’s Square. He would always greet you and have a word with you. When I met him as Pope he was always encouraging and sincere, a man of the Spirit and a man of God. I felt tremendously encouraged in my role as Archbishop and in my work with the people knowing that he was there with me, behind me, supporting and guiding me. He means a tremendous amount to all of us. I was made bishop and then archbishop by John Paul II, but Pope Benedict has brought a new light and a new clarity to papal teaching”.