Condolences on the Passing of Pope Benedict by Anuttama Dasa

To His Holiness Pope Francis
Members of the Roman Catholic Church

January 1, 2023

The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) extends our heartfelt condolences to all of our friends and colleagues in the Roman Catholic Church, who are feeling great loss due to the passing of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI.

Pope Benedict was a great theologian and scholar of the modern Church. Among his many contributions, we are moved by his first encyclical, Deus Caritas Est, in 2005, where he spoke about God’s limitless love for humanity. This same spirit of love inspires our Gaudiya Vaishnava faith. Pope Benedict was also a trailblazer. After serving the Church selflessly for many decades, he demonstrated his humility and detachment by stepping down from this highest post, to usher in a younger pontiff, Pope Francis. His example of service and renunciation is an important lesson for the world today.

The Catholic Church underwent a historic change in 1965, when it adopted Nostra Aetate, an important document of Vatican II. Then known as Cardinal Ratzinger, Benedict was a progressive voice of that Council. For ISKCON, 1965 is also exceptional, as it is the same year that Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada came to the United States to carry the message of Lord Krishna and spread love of God as understood by the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition.

In 1968, Prabhupada wrote to Pope Paul VI:

His Holiness The Pope, Paul VI
Vicar of Jesus Christ

Your Holiness:

Please accept my respectful humble obeisances at Your lotus feet….the special significance of human life is to achieve Love of God as the prime perfection of life….The human society is gradually degrading in the matter of religiosity, and justice; and “might is right” is gradually taking the place of morality and justice…because Your Holiness is the Head of a great religious sect, I think we should meet together and chalk out a program for cooperation…I shall be very much pleased if Your Holiness will grant me an interview. Thanking you in anticipation for an early reply.

Yours in the service of the Lord,

AC Bhaktivedanta Swami

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Comments

Vikrama Kesari das January 4, 2023 at 11:43pm

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Acarya dasa January 4, 2023 at 11:35pm

I don't have much condolences for him. He was an awful pope. He started off in his youth as a member of Hitler Youth. In his younger days he was a tiny bit progressive but as pope he was as backward as they come. And let's not forget his long involvement in covering up child abuse in the church, including multiple times being caught publicly lying about it. it is a bad look, and un-humorously ironic to have a GBC member praising him.

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