DETROIT — Although they were as surprised as everyone else around the globe, the priests of the Archdiocese of Detroit overwhelmingly support Pope Benedict XVI in his decision to abdicate the papacy, calling the move “courageous,” historic and selfless.
“Like many of the faithful, I was surprised to hear this news,” said Fr. Gerry LeBoeuf, pastor of Guardian Angels Parish in Clawson. “This is an historic moment in our lives and in the life of the Church. As I reflected further upon Pope Benedict’s decision, his pastoral responsibility to the universal Church and his place on the world stage, I was edified by his courage and humble decision not for himself but for the good of the Church,” he said.
“Obviously this decision has come with much prayer and discernment. As we heard in this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus says to Peter, ‘do not be afraid.’ These words guided Blessed John Paul II and were echoed in the Holy Father’s decision to entrust the Chair of Peter to the one in whom the Holy Spirit will choose to assume the wheel and steer the Church into the fulfillment of the new evangelization.”
Msgr. John Zenz, pastor of Holy Name Parish in Birmingham and episcopal vicar for the Northwest Region, also was surprised by the Holy Father’s announcement. He, however, looked for the deeper meaning in the news.
“My immediate reaction is a deep respect for the love Pope Benedict has for the well-being of the Church,” said Msgr. Zenz. “He knows we need a strong leader and he is humble enough to recognize the limitations of age.”
According to Msgr. Zenz, the pope’s decision puts the papacy in perspective: it should not be about the man who sits in the chair of Peter, but about the ministry itself. “As the pope has written earlier in his career as a theologian, the office is greater the man who occupies it,” he said. “I feel that way myself just on the level of being a pastor. I suspect many people feel the same about the responsibilities of parenting. The work God entrusts to us often is more than we would ask or imagine, yet God partners with us. Individually we can at times be weak and frail, but with God’s grace and openness to others, great things can happen.”
Fr. Ken Mazur, regional superior of the Detroit-based PIME Missionaries, focused on the act of retiring itself and what it says about what kind of man the pope is.
“The retirement of Pope Benedict XVI is a very selfless and noble act,” said Fr. Mazur. “Here is a man who loves the Church and has dedicated most of his life to it, and is not too proud to realize that his capacity is no longer enough for this very tough job. He is not a man who is wrapped up in himself, in power or control.
“The Holy Father has shown us what true freedom means, putting everything in the hands of our loving God. May God bless him,” he said.
Fr. Nicholas Zukowski, pastor of St. Mary Queen of Creation in New Baltimore, said he was reminded of the day of Pope Benedict XVI’s election when he heard the pope was stepping down.
“Both were rather shocking,” he said. “But time, grace and the Holy Spirit have proven the choice a great blessing. Joseph Ratzinger had a big set of shoes to fill following the death of Blessed Pope John Paul II. He showed us from the very first day that his pontificate would be different from those of his immediate predecessors.
“I came to respect Pope Benedict XVI as a most learned man, an excellent teacher who could expound profoundly, yet write an encyclical that is easy reading for most Catholics,” Fr. Zukowski said. “Jesus Christ promises us that His Church will make it through the turbulent waters of an erring culture and an unfriendly world. The next pope will have the qualities and personality that is needed for these troubling times. Like Benedict, he will be a sign of hope for the despairing and a bright light in the darkness.”
Fr. Eduard Perrone, pastor of Assumption Grotto Parish in Detroit, addressed what he feels will be Pope Benedict XVI’s legacy.
“Rather few people realize the immense talents of this Pope and the great gift he has been to the Church,” Fr. Perrone said. “Here is a learned scholar of the Augustinian type whose learning and deep thinking reminds us of the great Christian humanists of bygone centuries. He has enriched the Church with his lucid mind and his deep insight into the Scriptures.
“Traditionalists are deeply grateful to him for the return of the more ancient forms of the Roman rite and the sacraments which will certainly bear fruit in time by a more reverent celebration of the Mass in its ordinary form,” he continued. “His outreach to Anglicans, Jews and the St. Pius X Society prove his pastoral interest for their welfare.
“Pope Benedict also has that rare refinement of a highly cultured man, which shows in his kindly manner of dealing with everyone — his personal holiness being taken for granted,” Fr. Perrone said. “I personally will miss the departure of a musician from the papal apartment, another aspect of his multiple talents. He is indeed a ‘conservative’ pope, that is, a faithful preserver of truth. Above all, he has been a provident and loving papa, a spiritual father for millions, and this is his greatest legacy.”
