"Love and affection" for Pope in meeting with Roman clergy

(Vatican Radio) “It is for me a particular gift of Providence that, before leaving the Petrine ministry, I am able once more to see my clergy, the clergy of Rome.” With these words, Pope Benedict greeted the clergy of the diocese of Rome. In a very emotional meeting, the Holy Father met with “his own” priests for the last time.

“Every year he meets the parish priests on the day after the beginning of Lent, the Thursday after Ash Wednesday,” said Father Joseph Kramer, FSSP, one of the Roman pastors present for the historic meeting. As parish priest at Santissima Trinità dei Pellegrini, in the heart of Rome, Father Kramer has regularly attended the annual meetings with the Holy Father. “It’s an annual occurrence that we all look forward too— especially this year, after his recent announcement.”

Father Kramer spoke with Christopher Wells in the studio at Vatican Radio immediately after the meeting.

Father Joseph Kramer: The atmosphere was rather . . . different this year. You could really cut the atmosphere with a knife. Everybody was quiet, for once – unusual for the Roman clergy. Quiet and very concentrated. There was a strange air amongst the priests. But one of great affection for the Pope. That was manifested immediately.

He came in and everybody stood up, with great applause – and enthusiastic, warm applause. There’s much love for the Holy Father on the part of the Roman clergy. This love and affection was very much demonstrated. And you could see the Pope appreciated that, he responded to that. He’s always made a special effort to be close to the clergy here in Rome because its his own diocese. It’s not easy for him because there are literally thousands of priests in the diocese of Rome, both diocesan and religious priests here for many different reasons, working in the diocese of Rome for many different reasons. So it’s not easy to build up a personal relationship on a one-to-one basis but when he can he does that.

Vatican Radio: He came in, and there was an address this morning by the Cardinal Vicar of Rome, who has charge of a lot of the day-to-day affairs of Rome. Can you tell us a little bit about how he manifested the appreciation of the clergy for the Holy Father?

Fr. Kramer: Yes, the Cardinal Vicar gave the Pope a very, very warm welcome on our behalf, and registered great emotion towards the end of the speech. His voice cracked and . . . I think that was . . . It expressed what we all felt, and a type of silence fell over us all as we listened to the end of the Cardinal’s speech. And the Cardinal summed up very well the different emotions that everybody was feeling today. Love for the Pope, regret that he was going—but confidence, too, in the Holy Father, and even in his decision.

VR: You’ve been in Rome for many years, and a pastor for the past few years. You’ve had the opportunity to see Cardinal Ratzinger, as he was then, and now Pope Benedict, and you’ve had the opportunity to hear him in years past, and this year as well. Can you tell us what you took away from what the Pope had to say this morning?

Fr. Kramer: Well what strikes one is how articulate the Holy Father is, in a language which isn’t his own, in Italian. And I must say, I was thinking, as I listened to this, “He is the most articulate person in this assembly hall.” And he’s rightfully our Pope because no-one else could express as well as he does what he was expressing. And what always strikes one is the depth of his theological and spiritual meditations. Because he speaks off the cuff, and the quality of his interventions are marvellous. One can’t but be struck by them every time. This year, yes, he was a bit more feeble than in other years, but when he realised that he was being a bit feeble, he drew himself up, and threw himself back into the thing that he was talking about with some gusto. So that makes it a bit harder, in some ways, to reconcile ourselves to his decision to leave us and to retire. Because one can see that he really is Pope in the full sense of the word, and in no way diminished.

VR: Can you share with us some of your personal feelings about all of this?

Fr. Kramer: Well, a bit sad – very, very sad. Its as though the pope has died, in a certain sense. The end of the papacy in the past, or for the last 600 years, has been associated with death. But in this case, he’s obviously not dying but retiring. I have very mixed feelings, of course. I wish he’d change his mind and stay on. I very much have the concept that the Pope is the Pope, and should be the Pope to the end. But, on the other hand, one has to respect his decisions. Certainly he’s somebody that knows how the world and the Vatican work – or don’t work – the problems involve. He obviously feels that only someone at the height of their powers can govern at this moment. Govern both the Church and the world. I suppose we have to respect this decision even though its difficult for us to accept.

VR: And, for all the feelings of sadness, and even confusion, you’ve spoken about the great, profound respect and confidence in the Holy Father, as being the man of the hour, as really being the one who knows, intimately, how all of this works.
Fr. Kramer: Yes, you can see that he is a doctor of the Church. I think that this Pope will be remembered as that, as a doctor of the Church. What strikes you is the depth of his thinking, the alacrity of his mind. It’s absolutely marvellous. And its going to be difficult to live without him. Now I think its going to be very difficult for his successor to take the situation in hand. Many different things are expected of a Pope these days. Well, we’ll just have to see, with the next election, how the next Pope addresses great problems that this Pope has been addressing—problems which he thinks require great energy and presence of mind, and physical energy to address in the future.

Listen to the full interview of Father Joseph Kramer with Christopher Wells: