"But after that, I felt profound gratitude for the gift that the Church has been given in the Holy Father," he continued.
"He's a great man and a tremendous leader for the Church, for others, and what a great gift to have had him and his mind to lead the Church," he reflected.
Another theology student described the mixed emptions of "sadness, but at the same time excitement."
"This happened 600 years ago, and we don't know exactly what happened then," said Sean Grismer of the North American College, who voiced enthusiasm over "the mystery of what is to happen now."
"I think one of the greatest things is the great humility he has exemplified throughout his entire Papacy," he said.
Grismer recalled seeing Pope Benedict up close during Australia's World Youth Day in 2008.
"There was this sense of wonder and awe of this man who had taken on the responsibility of the entire Catholic Church and the entire world, and it was such a moving experience," he said.
"Then to be sent to Rome to study here and to be just in the shade of St. Peter's dome, to come to his Sunday Angelus and his Wednesday audiences has allowed me to see the profound humility he has," the student explained.
According to Grismer, the resignation is "nothing more than what he has already exemplified, saying he is not able to continue on as Pope, but your spiritual father if not your Holy Father."
"It has been a great blessing to be here and be part of his legacy to see him grow and continue to love us in this different way," he continued.
"He is a father and a teacher," the seminarian reflected, "and even though we may not understand fully now what this means, he is teaching us something great, not just about himself, but about the papacy."
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