On Dec. 12, 2012, I was with the Holy Father Benedict XVI in Rome and after shaking hands and receiving his blessing, I said to him: “The Diocese of St. Augustine, Florida pledges our support and obedience to you, for to us you are the face of St. Peter.

“Today, as we celebrate the World Day of the Sick in reference to Our Lady of Lourdes, I read with emotion his letter of resignation. As always, His Holiness witnesses the truth with humility.

Today, I received a text message from a non-Catholic saying: “What an example, his office is more important than his person.”

In his statement, His Holiness said he came to the realization that the governance of the universal church and the proclamation of the Gospel require both strength of mind and body.

“. . .Both strength of mind and body are necessary, which in the last few months has deteriorated in me, to the extent that I have had to recognize my incapacity,” said Pope Benedict.

As he said in his letter, “I am well aware that this ministry, due to its essential spiritual nature, must be carried out not only with words and deeds, but no less with prayer and suffering.”

He will now serve through a life dedicated to prayer. His successor and the entire church will be enriched by this new phase of his dedication.

His eight-year pontificate has had a great contribution to the life of the church. He has directed the church to regain the focus of its primary mission – evangelization. For the knowledge of God who is love, and of His Son who is truth and mercy, is the real antidote to the negative forces of secularism and relativism.

He promoted a deeper sense of worship focused on the praise of the Trinity and the centrality of the word which saves us. His encyclicals and gestures provided precious insight on charity in practice.

Multitudes delighted in listening to the clear, beautiful and profound messages he delivered. We were enriched by the guidance of our Holy Father, a theologian–pastor, who is steeped in the school of St. Augustine of Hippo.

I am grateful that on April 27, 2011, he appointed me to the Diocese of St. Augustine, that gesture of trust commands a real sense of responsibility.

I will never forget the pilgrimage to Cuba in March 2012, when I joined His Holiness Benedict in his pastoral visit honoring Our Lady of Charity for the 400th anniversary of its discovery.

I invite you in this delicate time of transition to pray for the universal church, for the pope and the cardinals in their important discernment. Above all let us be confident and not afraid as Benedict told us:

“Let us entrust the Holy Church to the care of our Supreme Pastor, our Lord Jesus Christ and implore his Holy Mother Mary.”

Felipe J. Estévez
Bishop of St. Augustine