Benedict XVI’s last words: “Lord, I love you!”

Pope Francis has said Lord, I love you!”, are words that are like a synthesis of the life of Pope Benedict who for years had been preparing for his final, face-to-face encounter with his creator This is the characteristic,” Pope Francis continued, “that has predominated his entire life spent in priestly service and in the service of theology, which he defined as the ‘search for the beloved’; and this is indeed is what he has always given witness to and continued to witness to throughout the whole of his life: this the decisive thing that frames each of our days — come rain or come shine — this which gives rise to everything else, is that the Lord is truly present, that we desire him, that we are close to him interiorly, that we love him, that we really believe in him and, believing in him, truly love him. It is this loving that truly fills our hearts, this believing that allows us to walk confidently and peacefully upon the waters, even in the midst of a storm, as Peter did.