Vatican City, Jun 29, 2021 / 12:00 pm
Pope Francis thanked Benedict XVI on Tuesday for his continual prayer for the Church in his retirement, calling the pope emeritus “the contemplative of the Vatican.”
Speaking from the window overlooking St. Peter’s Square from the Apostolic Palace on the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, the pope commended Benedict XVI on the 70th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood.
“Today marks an anniversary that touches the hearts of us all: 70 years ago, Pope Benedict was ordained a priest,” Pope Francis said in his livestreamed Angelus address on June 29.
📹VIDEO | Pope Francis sent an emotional greeting to Benedict XVI on the 70th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood: “Thank you for your gaze, constantly directed toward the horizon of God.” His ordination and first Mass took place in Bavaria, Germany, on June 29, 1951. pic.twitter.com/xWPoXEtK3X
— EWTN News (@EWTNews) June 29, 2021