Moving Forward with Benedict XVI

At Loreto (01Sept 2007), part of BXVI's answer to a question of the youth when feeling marginalized; "Being in the great company of the Saints and moving FORWARD with them can change the world, creating centres in the periphery, so that the company of Saints may truly become visible and thus the hope of all may become realistic, and every one may say: 'I am IMPORTANT in the TOTALITY of HISTORY'. The Lord will help us". Thank you."



On being talked about badly by others in a Q&A with inmates at the Rebibbia Prison Sunday, 18 December 2011 : "We fell, but we are here to stand up again. This is important, this courage to stand, to go FORWARD with the HELP of the LORD and with the help of all your FRIENDS. You also said that they speak in a “cruel” way about you. Unfortunately it is true, but I would like to say that that is not all, there are others who speak well of you and think well of you. I am thinking of my little papal family; I am surrounded by four “lay sisters” and we often speak of this problem; they have friends in different prisons, we even receive gifts from them and we send gifts ourselves. So this situation is present in a very positive way in my family and I think it is in many others as well. We have to tolerate some speaking in a “cruel” way, they speak in a “cruel” way about the Pope, too, and, yet we go FORWARD. It seems important to me to encourage everyone to think well, to find meaning in your suffering, to aim to help you in the process of rising again. And, let us say, I will do my part to invite all to think in this just way, not disparagingly but humanely, realizing that anyone can fall, but that God wants everyone to come to him, and we must cooperate in the spirit of brotherhood and awareness of our own fragility,"


On the final chapter of one's earthly pilgrimage during Benedict XVI's 2012 birthday: "I face the final stretch of my journey in life, and I do not know what awaits me. But I know that God's light is there, that Christ has risen, that the light of God is stronger than any darkness, that God's goodness is stronger than all the evil in the world. And that allows me to GO ON with certainty. It allows us to CARRY ON, and at this time, I thank everyone from the heart who have given me the certainty of God's Yes through their faith."


On retirement at his final public appearance, 28 Feb 2013: "And I feel greatly supported by your affection. Let us move FORWARD TOGETHER WITH the LORD for the good of the Church and the world."