The coat of arms of Pope Benedict XVI‘Anniversary Pastoral for Benedict XVI’ by Margaret Coats The Society December 30, 2023 Beauty, Culture, Poetry 21 Comments . Anniversary Pastoral for Benedict XVI Trustworthy Shepherd of all shepherds, hear Today’s renewed appeal in concord made For Benedict, departed now one year. That he to restful comfort be conveyed, His mourners beg from pasture, grove, and glade. Ye pastors of dejected flocks, arise And lead your sheep in lucid grave laments; Their bleating ought to bring forth tearful sighs— Compose upon your rustic instruments A threne that seeks divine benevolence. Alas! It is not just one year but ten Since consternation at his resignation. The herds without his happy regimen, Abandoned to increasing lamentation, Waste away in utter desolation. What could have led them so to droop and grieve? Low moaning slowly entered every fold For muted music lost last New Year’s Eve; Degeneration hastened into cold Continuation boldly uncontrolled. The funeral in urban state performed Excluded country customs exquisite, But now behold the earthen minstrels warmed In heart and soul by him, disciples fit To sob and bid him solace infinite. See first wild kale and cabbages entice The Christmas rose and alpen columbine To tremble in the frost with edelweiss And winterberry as a grieving sign Of globe and city in morose decline. See salmon with the sea contend forlorn. Look up! The raven, falcon, pelican, Snow swan and dove and crane with feathers worn Soar o’er the festival sylvestrian, Preceded by the bear Corbinian. This bruin, emblem of Bavaria, Had killed the horse of its apostle saint, Who tamed the savage beast and area; The creature took on sacrosanct restraint, And now in service bears our doleful plaint. A Moorish queen, dark-skinned and beautiful, Advances with the Roman wolf and keys Of truth’s cooperators worshipful; Llama and emu mutter elegies With buffalo and condor, none at ease. All roundabout vile doggerel abounds, Though righteous pipes resound moans melancholic, But cottage carols rise from greener grounds And triumph over burdens diabolic, Refreshing faithfully bucolic frolic. Uplifted solemn tones chant nothing new Except what has been truly handed down; His highest act named “sacred for us too” Massed glories of traditional renown, While words of force restored confirm his crown. Destined unto judgment must he fall? As hermit he left primacy behind, And lambs were lost as he pursued the call; A pack of peccant vipers unconfined Beset the sheep in body, soul, and mind. Said Habacuc, “The fig and vine will fail, The olive lack its glory, fields their wheat, Marauders at the mangers will prevail, Ewes, lambs, and rams astray find naught to eat, Yet God my Jesus be sweet joy complete.” Pastors and flock, greet moment, season, hour, In which the dark and cold seem dreariest; Cherish the sweet, reconsecrate the sour, For this is what it means to have been blest With merriment and banquet holiest. . threne: threnody, death song Benedict resigned as pope in 2013 and died December 31, 2022. globe and city: urbs et orbis, Rome and the world sylvestrian: December 31 is the feast day of Pope Saint Sylvester I Benedict’s coat of arms features a bear carrying a pack and a crowned Moor Saint Corbinian is the apostle of Bavaria, birthplace of Benedict truth’s cooperators: motto of Benedict as bishop and pope highest act: Summorum pontificum liberated the Latin Mass words of force: correction to mistranslated words of Consecration in vernacular Masses Stanza 13 paraphrases Habakkuk 3:17-18 “Glory of the olive” designates Benedict in a prophetic list of popes attributed to 12th-century Irish Saint Malachy and first published in 1595 . . Margaret Coats lives in California. She holds a Ph.D. in English and American Literature and Language from Harvard University. She has retired from a career of teaching literature, languages, and writing that included considerable work in homeschooling for her own family and others. NOTE TO READERS: If you enjoyed this poem or other content, please consider making a donation to the Society of Classical Poets. The Society of Classical Poets does not endorse any views expressed in individual poems or commentary. Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Trending now: 21 Responses Mary Gardner December 30, 2023 What a beautiful requiem for Pope Benedict XVI! Reply Margaret Coats December 30, 2023 Thank you, Mary. I’m glad to have the poem appear today when some Requiem Masses are happening. None is possible on the actual anniversary because it’s Sunday. May he rest in peace. Reply Roy Eugene Peterson December 30, 2023 I began by reading the notes at the end and decided I had to get a new cup of coffee to aid my concentration and comprehension. There is so much depth of meaning and display of keen knowledge in your overwhelmingly masterful poetry. There is the dirge, or “threnody,” to be composed by those lamenting the loss of a great “Shepherd.” Then there is the mourning for what has happened within the pontificate since his resignation that is accentuated by his righteousness recalled in his passing that now is in stark contrast to the departure from fundamentals. The demise of Christian values has accelerated, since he elected to be designated pope emeritus and resigned. The use of the verse from Habakkuk (Habacuc) is inspired and prophetic of that which has transpired in the years since his departure. As one who lived in Bavaria for five years (I believe I mentioned this to you before) what a wonderful touch to include the Alpen columbine, edelweiss, and winterberry. There is so much to admire and comprehend in the sublime subtlety that shines through. Reply Margaret Coats December 30, 2023 Roy, thank you so very much for your careful study of this poem–the most complicated I am likely to write. The pastoral genre itself is unfamiliar to most of us. And here I use it in an unprecedented way to deal with the “double demise” of a world figure who resigns and much later dies. You have picked up on many elements: the dirge, the lament for consequences, the conventional mourning of the landscape represented by winter flowers of the Pope’s native Bavaria. I do remember your having been there and participated in traditional local activities. A pastoral typically praises the good of country life as opposed to corrupt urban life, and there was certainly much to allude to here, considering the Church departing from Christian values in an attempt to become globalist (why not just stay Catholic or “universal”?). That’s not really country versus city, but the pastoral language says it beautifully, with the right kind of leader being a figure of Christ the Good Shepherd. The quote from Habacuc (Latin Vulgate spelling of the prophet’s name) has been one of my favorite pieces of Bible poetry for a long time, with the consolation for disaster being “Deo Jesu meo” (Jesus my God). The major part of Benedict’s literary and spiritual legacy may be his trilogy “Jesus of Nazareth,” completed the year before his resignation. And it is certainly the right focus at the end of my poem. Reply Brian A. Yapko December 30, 2023 Margaret, this is a poem of exceptional quality and complexity which does honor to a pope who was, in fact, a good and faithful servant to the Church. At least until his untimely and unexpectedly damaging resignation. It should not be forgotten that before he became a consequential pope, he was also the defender of the faith under Pope John Paul II. As such, his influence was widely felt. Is it still thus today? Your line “Destined unto judgment must he fall?” seems to pose that very question. But I get ahead of myself. I found this poem challenging, but after reading through it carefully two more times I believe I have a handle on it. Please correct me if my reading is off or if I misconstrue parts of it. I’m always interested in form. You’ve written a poem which is a “pastoral” – a genre of poetry which, frankly, has never drawn me. And so, purely from a poetic standpoint, yours has been education. There are apparently a number of conventions to the form which you follow with fidelity. An introduction which indicates to whom the poem is addressed, description of the funeral, references to nature. In particular, you explore the relationship between Man and nature. And, in this subgenre of pastoral elegy, you follow in the footsteps of Milton (“Lycidas” for example) in using nature imagery to eulogize your subject. That is an interesting choice when recognizing the one-year anniversary of Benedict’s death. One does not think of him in either forest or farm! And yet the opening line of your poem explains it all – you are focusing on his role as a shepherd to his people (there are inevitable comparisons here to Jesus as “the Good Shepherd.”) And with that opening conceit, the rest flows with a certain inevitability in terms not just funereal but also critical of other less-capable shepherds. Am I right toI detect veiled criticism of the current pope in your words about a flock “abandoned to increasing lamentation…”? And was this pope responsible for what you seem to describe as an inadequate funeral? There are references in this poem which, though somewhat arcane, strike me as quite clever. Your explanatory notes are essential and very helpful here. With the coat of arms and the reference to Saint Corbinian you remind us that Benedict was, in fact, Ratzinger – a German priest from Bavaria. (I’ve been to Regensberg and visited his cathedral – this is a town which is very proud of its favorite son!) But you make great effort to universalize his influence – at least that would explain your otherwise odd references not just to the savage bear but to the “llamas and emu.” And what does this have to do with the she-wolf who nurtured Romulus and Remus? (I assume the “keys” reference indicates Peter?) When I went back and saw those words “globe and city” I realized they refer back to the pope’s annual “urbi et orbi” speech at Christmas. You are conveying influence and mourning which relates to both Rome and the whole world. I must confess that the vegetable references (kale has never once made me happy) went over my head, though I can see how they suggest a German corollary to the Habacuc quote about the fig and vine. In the end, my reading of this poem is that it is not just mourning Benedict but the loss of his influence on a church which is greatly troubled — and that the troubles began NOT just since his death last year but since his unhappy resignation ten years ago. I read your final words as a call for returning to the traditional values he promoted – “reconsecrate the sour” and hope that blessings will indeed return “with merriment and banquet holiest” (which I assume refers to the eucharist.) It’s all so complex and yet beautiful. It can be read at many levels. It offers many observations and poses many questions. It’s challenging but also an an astonishing piece, Margaret, which must have taken considerable effort! Well done! Reply Margaret Coats December 30, 2023 Brian, thank you very much for your appreciation. Let me start by answering the question about Pope Benedict’s lasting influence. It’s clear that his resignation has had grave and mournful consequences. But during the past year, I edited the English version of the first theology book written by a young priest. This missionary, who has already served God on three continents (not including the one where he was born), quotes Benedict over and over again, without a single reference to Francis. This is not a politic for a young Churchman. It is sincere evidence that Benedict’s thought and spirit remain respected and influential. I believe we can multiply this kind of tribute many times over. And on the highly significant occasion of this anniversary, there will be a very considerable number of Masses for the deceased pope today, and Mass intentions for him tomorrow. God willing, this continues. As I told Roy Peterson above, there will be lasting influence from the three books entitled “Jesus of Nazareth.” And in Germany, the single volume “Maria” on the Mother of God is far more popular (the English translation has the same title). These four books, intended for general readers, represent a new means for a pope to spread his teaching. They are not Church documents. In the poem (stanza 11) I say what I think were Benedict’s most important contributions as pope, namely, the spread of the traditional Latin Mass and the correction to vernacular Masses that removes doubt about their validity. The worship of God as directed by God Himself, in which He can come to each of us sacramentally, does most for God’s glory and the salvation of souls. These two achievements are under attack by the present regime, but we can hardly put them behind us. There will be battles; they’re already going on. Reply Margaret Coats December 31, 2023 We had a sermon from Benedict XVI at church today. It was his homily to young people at the Cologne World Youth Day. Cologne has the relics of the Three Kings, and the pope told youth to do as they did–seek the face of Jesus personally by making all the effort necessary, especially by deep delving into sacred Scripture. Reply Margaret Coats January 2, 2024 Brian, thank you once more, now for discussing the poem as a pastoral, in particular a pastoral elegy. I call this a “kind” rather than a form, because it can take many forms. A pastoral poem deals with a country atmosphere rather than a town environment, and the main speakers are shepherds. This kind of poetry is rare now, but was more often used in the 16th and 17th centuries. You say that we do not think of Pope Benedict in field or farm, which is true. Long before he was elected pope, he was “of the Roman curia” rather than being a German prelate. But the pastoral genre always keeps the contrasting town or city or court in mind, while preferring the natural simplicity of the country. Therefore I use references to shepherds as a means of praising the way things should be in the Church. Not that the Church should be small or rural–she is needed by all souls everywhere. But she should retain old teachings and customs because these represent means of salvation given her by God. They should not be jettisoned in a poor attempt to conform to the modern world. This is my criticism of the current holder of the papal chair and of many others in the hierarchy. Benedict, on the other hand, kept as his principle, “Nothing new except what has been truly handed down.” This sounds paradoxical, but it is close to his own words in a number of cases. Faith and practice come down from Jesus and the Apostles, and any application to any time period should begin with certain adherence to Apostolic Tradition, not by adopting the ways of the world. For example, Cardinal Ratzinger judged in favor of parents who had been excommunicated by the Bishop of Honolulu for having their children confirmed by a traditionalist bishop. The parents were dissatisfied with the rite and the educational preparation for it. They won the case on appeal to Rome even though it is technically against Church law for one bishop to confirm persons in another bishop’s diocese. The Honolulu bishop had judged too harshly. And Bergoglio, the present bishop of Rome, repeatedly speaks and acts from a modernist and globalist perspective, without consideration of traditional Christian values. That is what I call “degeneration” followed by “continuation” of the same. I do, as Joseph Salemi has suggested, attempt to give a symbolic picture of greater honor and respect to Benedict than was given in his funeral. Older Catholic ritual and popular custom were ignored. Someone recently reminded me that at the death of John Paul II, people worldwide lit candles at home to bid him farewell and symbolize prayers for light on his path into the next world. There was no encouragement of this kind of thing for Benedict, and even less for Latin Requiem Masses. My handling of pastoral convention, though, is not conventional, because I know of no model to follow. You point to Lycidas, which is indeed the closest in English, but Milton and the friend he mourns were young Protestant ministers without prestige. I had no way, in a poem much shorter than Lycidas, to do any more than suggest universal mourning for a Churchman of supreme rank who had been an important figure for decades. I chose to continue the Nature symbols beyond the use made of them by Milton. Thus the birds and animals in my funeral procession represent the continents and the religious orders. I explain the Corbinian bear. The raven represents Benedictine monks and nuns, and the salmon, good bishops. In standard pastoral, these would be a procession of shepherds each with his own identity. Standard pastoral would also end with consolation, but I explain why not in my reply to Joseph Salemi. The end of this poem, like the time of year, reflects a cold and dark situation. You are correct that the last line refers to the Holy Eucharist, as does “cherish the sweet.” “Reconsecrate the sour” calls for re-hallowing of all things that have gone sour because of neglect and worldliness. It especially means the many persons who were once faithful, but have given up practice or abandoned the Church. This started because of Vatican II, before Benedict XVI became influential, but sour and bitter situations seem to be speeding up with the injustices done within the year to Bishops Strickland and Rey, and the abominable attempt to declare Father Frank Pavone not a priest. As the ordination rite says from Scripture, he received an indelible character as “a priest forever of the order of Melchisedech.” Reply Margaret Coats January 5, 2024 Kale may not have made you happy when smelling it or trying to eat it. But kale in the snow can be a great pick-me-up on days in deep winter. Just try to picture white kale for the Christmas liturgical color surrounded by hopeful green. Or flowering kale as a dinner centerpiece of pale purple roses! Reply Joseph S. Salemi December 30, 2023 I cannot add much to Brian’s very perceptive exegesis. He has hit upon an important point — this is a “pastoral,” and thereby closely associated with a Pastor and his flocks. But there is something else. In stanza 5 we get a contrast between Benedict’s funeral “in urban state” and “excluded country customs.” The following stanzas then become deeply wrapped in plants, birds, animals, along with bucolic images of pipes and carols and cottages. This suggests to me an attempt by the poet to give Benedict a better farewell than the mean and truncated one that the current occupant of the Vatican allowed the departed Pope. Benedict was an honest man and a good Catholic. But his attempted resignation in 2013 will go down in ecclesiastical history as one of the worst and most calamitous mistakes ever made by a Pontiff. Reply R M Moore December 30, 2023 Thank you, Joseph Salemi. I agree with what you write in your second paragraph. R. M. Moore Reply Margaret Coats December 31, 2023 Thanks very much, Mrs. Moore, for reading and giving this comment. I wish you a blessed new year as we end this solemn anniversary! Please see my reply to Joseph Salemi below on how I tried to deal with the concern expressed by the two of you. I can add here that the conventional pastoral lament in the poem looks much more at the resignation years than at the necessary mourning over the pope’s death. It could hardly have been otherwise at this season in Church life. Margaret Coats December 31, 2023 Joe, you are right about the more elaborate farewell. The longest portion of the poem is a procession of symbolic geographical references, expanding participation from Bavaria and Rome to the entire world. The desirable but neglected “country customs” are all the things that would have been done anywhere to honor and respect the deceased, especially an important man to whom a solemn public funeral was due. I am sure you remember when an ordinary Catholic funeral might include a Rosary the evening before, an all-night vigil, a morning Mass, procession to the burial place, graveside rites, and reception of some sort for all comers (in a public hall if many were expected). But as you say, Benedict appears in earthly view to have made one of the worst and most calamitous decisions in Church history. Like you, some fiery Knights of Columbus at my onetime Italian parish immediately termed the thing an “attempted” resignation. I have implied some credit for Benedict’s attempt to take up the higher vocation of monk and hermit, but while that may be a higher call for a secular priest, could it have been so for a pope? And I am sure you agree that the present time is one of darkest and dreariest cold, continuing the degeneration we have seen in the last ten years. It is a time when the Church should be opposing the evils of globalist statism, rather than supporting and implementing them (again, a theme implied in the pastoral contrast of nature versus modernity). The very slight consolation at the end of the poem had to be a reminder of the past, rather than a look at the present or toward the future. Reply R M Moore January 5, 2024 Thank you, Margaret. RMMoore Cynthia Erlandson December 30, 2023 This is so beautifully and lovingly expressed, Margaret. I am sure he is pleased. Reply Margaret Coats December 31, 2023 Cynthia, thank you. I have developed more affection for the departed pope by reading one of his books in preparation for writing this poem. I am now looking forward to another in the coming year. My wishes for a blessed 2024 to you and Paul! Reply Phyllis Rose Schabow December 31, 2023 You have woven in so many beautiful aspects of Benedict’s life – some I was familiar with, others more obscure. But that is the beauty of your gift – being able to know and then express insights others might never have. It is a rich tapestry of words. Reply Margaret Coats December 31, 2023 Thank you very much, Phyllis. As we pass into the last hour of the day and year, I’m sure you join me in the prayer from the Office of the Dead. O God, Lord of mercies, grant to the soul of thy servant Joseph Benedict, whose anniversary we are keeping, a place of refreshment, rest, and happiness, and the glory of thy light. Through Our Lord Jesus Christ thy Son, who lives and reigns with Thee in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever. Amen. Reply Monika Cooper January 2, 2024 Margaret, thank you for bringing this consoling and fitting element of poetic ceremony to the memory of Pope Benedict’s life and death. It calls to mind the days of Papal sedans and the kind of Old Testament patriarchal splendor that once adorned our Popes, even while making us feel more keenly the state of humiliation in which the Holy Father lived his final years and left this earth. I feel less alone in these days surrounding his anniversary, knowing that you are remembering him and mourning him too, and being made aware and reminded, through your poem, of how loved he was and is in the worldwide Catholic countryside, the Catholic “villages”! May Pope Benedict XVI rest in peace and in the love of Jesus Whom he loved so much. Reply Margaret Coats January 2, 2024 Monika, I love that concept of the worldwide Catholic countryside! Wonderful idea to emerge from pastoral conventions. Here we are, faithful to our “villages,” to Christ and to the Church. That was the traditional idea behind a diocese, later made very much a reality in the villages that sprang up around monasteries, because “it was good to live under the crozier,” in comparison to living under a lay lord in the Middle Ages. I am very glad my poem gave you some consolation, and hope it will do so for others, including the young priest so devoted to Benedict’s spirituality, whom I mentioned above to Brian Yapko. Papa bonus noster Benedictus XVI requiescat in pace. Reply Monika Cooper January 3, 2024 The Church has its intentional and inherent structure, which it seems these days can be almost infinitely obscured but will never be erased. Happy are the ones who find it. It’s a true mercy. Leave a Reply Cancel ReplyYour email address will not be published.CommentName* Email* Website Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Notify me of new posts by email. Δ This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Margaret Coats December 30, 2023 Thank you, Mary. I’m glad to have the poem appear today when some Requiem Masses are happening. None is possible on the actual anniversary because it’s Sunday. May he rest in peace. Reply
Roy Eugene Peterson December 30, 2023 I began by reading the notes at the end and decided I had to get a new cup of coffee to aid my concentration and comprehension. There is so much depth of meaning and display of keen knowledge in your overwhelmingly masterful poetry. There is the dirge, or “threnody,” to be composed by those lamenting the loss of a great “Shepherd.” Then there is the mourning for what has happened within the pontificate since his resignation that is accentuated by his righteousness recalled in his passing that now is in stark contrast to the departure from fundamentals. The demise of Christian values has accelerated, since he elected to be designated pope emeritus and resigned. The use of the verse from Habakkuk (Habacuc) is inspired and prophetic of that which has transpired in the years since his departure. As one who lived in Bavaria for five years (I believe I mentioned this to you before) what a wonderful touch to include the Alpen columbine, edelweiss, and winterberry. There is so much to admire and comprehend in the sublime subtlety that shines through. Reply
Margaret Coats December 30, 2023 Roy, thank you so very much for your careful study of this poem–the most complicated I am likely to write. The pastoral genre itself is unfamiliar to most of us. And here I use it in an unprecedented way to deal with the “double demise” of a world figure who resigns and much later dies. You have picked up on many elements: the dirge, the lament for consequences, the conventional mourning of the landscape represented by winter flowers of the Pope’s native Bavaria. I do remember your having been there and participated in traditional local activities. A pastoral typically praises the good of country life as opposed to corrupt urban life, and there was certainly much to allude to here, considering the Church departing from Christian values in an attempt to become globalist (why not just stay Catholic or “universal”?). That’s not really country versus city, but the pastoral language says it beautifully, with the right kind of leader being a figure of Christ the Good Shepherd. The quote from Habacuc (Latin Vulgate spelling of the prophet’s name) has been one of my favorite pieces of Bible poetry for a long time, with the consolation for disaster being “Deo Jesu meo” (Jesus my God). The major part of Benedict’s literary and spiritual legacy may be his trilogy “Jesus of Nazareth,” completed the year before his resignation. And it is certainly the right focus at the end of my poem. Reply
Brian A. Yapko December 30, 2023 Margaret, this is a poem of exceptional quality and complexity which does honor to a pope who was, in fact, a good and faithful servant to the Church. At least until his untimely and unexpectedly damaging resignation. It should not be forgotten that before he became a consequential pope, he was also the defender of the faith under Pope John Paul II. As such, his influence was widely felt. Is it still thus today? Your line “Destined unto judgment must he fall?” seems to pose that very question. But I get ahead of myself. I found this poem challenging, but after reading through it carefully two more times I believe I have a handle on it. Please correct me if my reading is off or if I misconstrue parts of it. I’m always interested in form. You’ve written a poem which is a “pastoral” – a genre of poetry which, frankly, has never drawn me. And so, purely from a poetic standpoint, yours has been education. There are apparently a number of conventions to the form which you follow with fidelity. An introduction which indicates to whom the poem is addressed, description of the funeral, references to nature. In particular, you explore the relationship between Man and nature. And, in this subgenre of pastoral elegy, you follow in the footsteps of Milton (“Lycidas” for example) in using nature imagery to eulogize your subject. That is an interesting choice when recognizing the one-year anniversary of Benedict’s death. One does not think of him in either forest or farm! And yet the opening line of your poem explains it all – you are focusing on his role as a shepherd to his people (there are inevitable comparisons here to Jesus as “the Good Shepherd.”) And with that opening conceit, the rest flows with a certain inevitability in terms not just funereal but also critical of other less-capable shepherds. Am I right toI detect veiled criticism of the current pope in your words about a flock “abandoned to increasing lamentation…”? And was this pope responsible for what you seem to describe as an inadequate funeral? There are references in this poem which, though somewhat arcane, strike me as quite clever. Your explanatory notes are essential and very helpful here. With the coat of arms and the reference to Saint Corbinian you remind us that Benedict was, in fact, Ratzinger – a German priest from Bavaria. (I’ve been to Regensberg and visited his cathedral – this is a town which is very proud of its favorite son!) But you make great effort to universalize his influence – at least that would explain your otherwise odd references not just to the savage bear but to the “llamas and emu.” And what does this have to do with the she-wolf who nurtured Romulus and Remus? (I assume the “keys” reference indicates Peter?) When I went back and saw those words “globe and city” I realized they refer back to the pope’s annual “urbi et orbi” speech at Christmas. You are conveying influence and mourning which relates to both Rome and the whole world. I must confess that the vegetable references (kale has never once made me happy) went over my head, though I can see how they suggest a German corollary to the Habacuc quote about the fig and vine. In the end, my reading of this poem is that it is not just mourning Benedict but the loss of his influence on a church which is greatly troubled — and that the troubles began NOT just since his death last year but since his unhappy resignation ten years ago. I read your final words as a call for returning to the traditional values he promoted – “reconsecrate the sour” and hope that blessings will indeed return “with merriment and banquet holiest” (which I assume refers to the eucharist.) It’s all so complex and yet beautiful. It can be read at many levels. It offers many observations and poses many questions. It’s challenging but also an an astonishing piece, Margaret, which must have taken considerable effort! Well done! Reply
Margaret Coats December 30, 2023 Brian, thank you very much for your appreciation. Let me start by answering the question about Pope Benedict’s lasting influence. It’s clear that his resignation has had grave and mournful consequences. But during the past year, I edited the English version of the first theology book written by a young priest. This missionary, who has already served God on three continents (not including the one where he was born), quotes Benedict over and over again, without a single reference to Francis. This is not a politic for a young Churchman. It is sincere evidence that Benedict’s thought and spirit remain respected and influential. I believe we can multiply this kind of tribute many times over. And on the highly significant occasion of this anniversary, there will be a very considerable number of Masses for the deceased pope today, and Mass intentions for him tomorrow. God willing, this continues. As I told Roy Peterson above, there will be lasting influence from the three books entitled “Jesus of Nazareth.” And in Germany, the single volume “Maria” on the Mother of God is far more popular (the English translation has the same title). These four books, intended for general readers, represent a new means for a pope to spread his teaching. They are not Church documents. In the poem (stanza 11) I say what I think were Benedict’s most important contributions as pope, namely, the spread of the traditional Latin Mass and the correction to vernacular Masses that removes doubt about their validity. The worship of God as directed by God Himself, in which He can come to each of us sacramentally, does most for God’s glory and the salvation of souls. These two achievements are under attack by the present regime, but we can hardly put them behind us. There will be battles; they’re already going on. Reply
Margaret Coats December 31, 2023 We had a sermon from Benedict XVI at church today. It was his homily to young people at the Cologne World Youth Day. Cologne has the relics of the Three Kings, and the pope told youth to do as they did–seek the face of Jesus personally by making all the effort necessary, especially by deep delving into sacred Scripture. Reply
Margaret Coats January 2, 2024 Brian, thank you once more, now for discussing the poem as a pastoral, in particular a pastoral elegy. I call this a “kind” rather than a form, because it can take many forms. A pastoral poem deals with a country atmosphere rather than a town environment, and the main speakers are shepherds. This kind of poetry is rare now, but was more often used in the 16th and 17th centuries. You say that we do not think of Pope Benedict in field or farm, which is true. Long before he was elected pope, he was “of the Roman curia” rather than being a German prelate. But the pastoral genre always keeps the contrasting town or city or court in mind, while preferring the natural simplicity of the country. Therefore I use references to shepherds as a means of praising the way things should be in the Church. Not that the Church should be small or rural–she is needed by all souls everywhere. But she should retain old teachings and customs because these represent means of salvation given her by God. They should not be jettisoned in a poor attempt to conform to the modern world. This is my criticism of the current holder of the papal chair and of many others in the hierarchy. Benedict, on the other hand, kept as his principle, “Nothing new except what has been truly handed down.” This sounds paradoxical, but it is close to his own words in a number of cases. Faith and practice come down from Jesus and the Apostles, and any application to any time period should begin with certain adherence to Apostolic Tradition, not by adopting the ways of the world. For example, Cardinal Ratzinger judged in favor of parents who had been excommunicated by the Bishop of Honolulu for having their children confirmed by a traditionalist bishop. The parents were dissatisfied with the rite and the educational preparation for it. They won the case on appeal to Rome even though it is technically against Church law for one bishop to confirm persons in another bishop’s diocese. The Honolulu bishop had judged too harshly. And Bergoglio, the present bishop of Rome, repeatedly speaks and acts from a modernist and globalist perspective, without consideration of traditional Christian values. That is what I call “degeneration” followed by “continuation” of the same. I do, as Joseph Salemi has suggested, attempt to give a symbolic picture of greater honor and respect to Benedict than was given in his funeral. Older Catholic ritual and popular custom were ignored. Someone recently reminded me that at the death of John Paul II, people worldwide lit candles at home to bid him farewell and symbolize prayers for light on his path into the next world. There was no encouragement of this kind of thing for Benedict, and even less for Latin Requiem Masses. My handling of pastoral convention, though, is not conventional, because I know of no model to follow. You point to Lycidas, which is indeed the closest in English, but Milton and the friend he mourns were young Protestant ministers without prestige. I had no way, in a poem much shorter than Lycidas, to do any more than suggest universal mourning for a Churchman of supreme rank who had been an important figure for decades. I chose to continue the Nature symbols beyond the use made of them by Milton. Thus the birds and animals in my funeral procession represent the continents and the religious orders. I explain the Corbinian bear. The raven represents Benedictine monks and nuns, and the salmon, good bishops. In standard pastoral, these would be a procession of shepherds each with his own identity. Standard pastoral would also end with consolation, but I explain why not in my reply to Joseph Salemi. The end of this poem, like the time of year, reflects a cold and dark situation. You are correct that the last line refers to the Holy Eucharist, as does “cherish the sweet.” “Reconsecrate the sour” calls for re-hallowing of all things that have gone sour because of neglect and worldliness. It especially means the many persons who were once faithful, but have given up practice or abandoned the Church. This started because of Vatican II, before Benedict XVI became influential, but sour and bitter situations seem to be speeding up with the injustices done within the year to Bishops Strickland and Rey, and the abominable attempt to declare Father Frank Pavone not a priest. As the ordination rite says from Scripture, he received an indelible character as “a priest forever of the order of Melchisedech.” Reply
Margaret Coats January 5, 2024 Kale may not have made you happy when smelling it or trying to eat it. But kale in the snow can be a great pick-me-up on days in deep winter. Just try to picture white kale for the Christmas liturgical color surrounded by hopeful green. Or flowering kale as a dinner centerpiece of pale purple roses! Reply
Joseph S. Salemi December 30, 2023 I cannot add much to Brian’s very perceptive exegesis. He has hit upon an important point — this is a “pastoral,” and thereby closely associated with a Pastor and his flocks. But there is something else. In stanza 5 we get a contrast between Benedict’s funeral “in urban state” and “excluded country customs.” The following stanzas then become deeply wrapped in plants, birds, animals, along with bucolic images of pipes and carols and cottages. This suggests to me an attempt by the poet to give Benedict a better farewell than the mean and truncated one that the current occupant of the Vatican allowed the departed Pope. Benedict was an honest man and a good Catholic. But his attempted resignation in 2013 will go down in ecclesiastical history as one of the worst and most calamitous mistakes ever made by a Pontiff. Reply
R M Moore December 30, 2023 Thank you, Joseph Salemi. I agree with what you write in your second paragraph. R. M. Moore Reply
Margaret Coats December 31, 2023 Thanks very much, Mrs. Moore, for reading and giving this comment. I wish you a blessed new year as we end this solemn anniversary! Please see my reply to Joseph Salemi below on how I tried to deal with the concern expressed by the two of you. I can add here that the conventional pastoral lament in the poem looks much more at the resignation years than at the necessary mourning over the pope’s death. It could hardly have been otherwise at this season in Church life.
Margaret Coats December 31, 2023 Joe, you are right about the more elaborate farewell. The longest portion of the poem is a procession of symbolic geographical references, expanding participation from Bavaria and Rome to the entire world. The desirable but neglected “country customs” are all the things that would have been done anywhere to honor and respect the deceased, especially an important man to whom a solemn public funeral was due. I am sure you remember when an ordinary Catholic funeral might include a Rosary the evening before, an all-night vigil, a morning Mass, procession to the burial place, graveside rites, and reception of some sort for all comers (in a public hall if many were expected). But as you say, Benedict appears in earthly view to have made one of the worst and most calamitous decisions in Church history. Like you, some fiery Knights of Columbus at my onetime Italian parish immediately termed the thing an “attempted” resignation. I have implied some credit for Benedict’s attempt to take up the higher vocation of monk and hermit, but while that may be a higher call for a secular priest, could it have been so for a pope? And I am sure you agree that the present time is one of darkest and dreariest cold, continuing the degeneration we have seen in the last ten years. It is a time when the Church should be opposing the evils of globalist statism, rather than supporting and implementing them (again, a theme implied in the pastoral contrast of nature versus modernity). The very slight consolation at the end of the poem had to be a reminder of the past, rather than a look at the present or toward the future. Reply
Cynthia Erlandson December 30, 2023 This is so beautifully and lovingly expressed, Margaret. I am sure he is pleased. Reply
Margaret Coats December 31, 2023 Cynthia, thank you. I have developed more affection for the departed pope by reading one of his books in preparation for writing this poem. I am now looking forward to another in the coming year. My wishes for a blessed 2024 to you and Paul! Reply
Phyllis Rose Schabow December 31, 2023 You have woven in so many beautiful aspects of Benedict’s life – some I was familiar with, others more obscure. But that is the beauty of your gift – being able to know and then express insights others might never have. It is a rich tapestry of words. Reply
Margaret Coats December 31, 2023 Thank you very much, Phyllis. As we pass into the last hour of the day and year, I’m sure you join me in the prayer from the Office of the Dead. O God, Lord of mercies, grant to the soul of thy servant Joseph Benedict, whose anniversary we are keeping, a place of refreshment, rest, and happiness, and the glory of thy light. Through Our Lord Jesus Christ thy Son, who lives and reigns with Thee in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever. Amen. Reply
Monika Cooper January 2, 2024 Margaret, thank you for bringing this consoling and fitting element of poetic ceremony to the memory of Pope Benedict’s life and death. It calls to mind the days of Papal sedans and the kind of Old Testament patriarchal splendor that once adorned our Popes, even while making us feel more keenly the state of humiliation in which the Holy Father lived his final years and left this earth. I feel less alone in these days surrounding his anniversary, knowing that you are remembering him and mourning him too, and being made aware and reminded, through your poem, of how loved he was and is in the worldwide Catholic countryside, the Catholic “villages”! May Pope Benedict XVI rest in peace and in the love of Jesus Whom he loved so much. Reply
Margaret Coats January 2, 2024 Monika, I love that concept of the worldwide Catholic countryside! Wonderful idea to emerge from pastoral conventions. Here we are, faithful to our “villages,” to Christ and to the Church. That was the traditional idea behind a diocese, later made very much a reality in the villages that sprang up around monasteries, because “it was good to live under the crozier,” in comparison to living under a lay lord in the Middle Ages. I am very glad my poem gave you some consolation, and hope it will do so for others, including the young priest so devoted to Benedict’s spirituality, whom I mentioned above to Brian Yapko. Papa bonus noster Benedictus XVI requiescat in pace. Reply
Monika Cooper January 3, 2024 The Church has its intentional and inherent structure, which it seems these days can be almost infinitely obscured but will never be erased. Happy are the ones who find it. It’s a true mercy.
