In March, Benedict XVI had a special response to the timing of her death: "It's a gift," he said, his personal secretary Archbishop Georg Ganswein told CNA.
Soon after the nun's March 27 death, at a March 30 general audience Pope Francis encountered members of EWTN's Rome Bureau who carried a framed photo of Mother Angelica. The Pope saw the image and blessed it. Pointing to the sky, he said "she's in heaven."
Pope emeritus Benedict's latest praise came in a gathering with ACI Stampa staffers after the afternoon Rosary prayer Dec. 15 at the Grotto of Lourdes in the Vatican Gardens. They presented to the former Pope a collection of all the articles dedicated to him since ACI Stampa began in March 2014.
Benedict leafed through the small collection with interest.
At Thursday's encounter with Benedict XVI and Archbishop Ganswein were ACI Stampa director Angela Ambrogetti and journalists Andrea Gagliarducci, Marco Mancini and Veronica Giacometti.