Springfield family gets chance to 'witness history' in Rome following death of Benedict XVI

For Tony DelGiorno and his family, it was "a serendipitous chance to witness history."

DelGiorno, a Springfield attorney and Sangamon County board member, had already scheduled a holiday trip to Rome and the Vatican.

Saturday morning, the DelGiorno family — his wife, Nichol, and 12-year-old daughter Sophia — was awakened at its vacation apartment in the Prati neighborhood of the Italian capital to bells pealing announcing the death of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI.

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DelGiorno said the family had secured tickets to Pope Francis' New Year's Eve Vespers service in St. Peter's Basilica where he made his first public comments about Benedict.

"It was surreal to be in Rome to see another pope and hear him pray for the soul of his predecessor," said DelGiorno, via Facebook messenger Monday.

Prayers around the Springfield diocese and the world have been offered up for the 95-year-old Benedict, who died in the Vatican monastery where he had resided since shortly after shocking the world by resigning nearly 10 years ago. He became the first pope since Pope Gregory XII in 1415 to resign prior to his death.

The public started filing past the body of Benedict, lying in state in St. Peter's Basilica, on Monday and the viewing was to continue up to his funeral, led by Francis, on Thursday.

Springfield diocese spokesman Andrew Hansen said Bishop Thomas John Paprocki offered a Mass for the Dead for Benedict at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Springfield Sunday. The diocese's 128 parishes also offered at least one of their masses this past weekend for Benedict, he added.

Paprocki, who Benedict named as Springfield bishop in 2010, was not attending the funeral in Rome, Hansen said.

In a statement, Paprocki called Benedict "an authentic example of faithfulness to God and Catholicism, living and preaching the gospel message with truth and passion.

"Always writing and teaching, his warm smile, gentle demeanor and pastoral approach to explaining and living out the Catholic faith inspired millions and brought people closer to Christ," Paprocki added.

"His reverence toward the eucharist, the Mass, and the sacraments are examples for us today on how we should all view and respect these treasures of the Catholic faith. His steadfast defense of our faith’s teachings and traditions and remaining faithful to them, despite the pressures of the secular world and from inside the Church, is the mark of a true leader."

Although he told reporters at a 2013 press conference he was surprised at Benedict's resignation, Paprocki said he could tell during an "ad limina" visit with the pope with about a dozen Illinois bishops the year before that the “extremely grueling” demands of the job at his age were “taking a toll on him.”

Springfield native Ashley Puglia Noronha, who lives in Rome with her husband, John, and whose parents, Fred and Nora Puglia still live in Springfield, said she experienced "the gentleness of Benedict's demeanor" when he blessed the couple's marriage in 2009.

"He was a very reserved person by nature, and he was shy by nature," Puglia Noronha said, in a phone interview Monday. "He was an academic, a scholar so it took a lot of energy for him to be in the papal limelight. But in a one-on-one meeting, it was amazing to experience his gentleness."

Puglia Noronha, who runs the Truth and Beauty Project nonprofit and is a correspondent for Relevant Radio, had another encounter with the pope emeritus over the summer.

While on a private tour of the Vatican gardens, Puglia Noronha and her husband happened on Benedict's private living quarters, the Mater Ecclesiae, or "Mother of the Church." From the outside, they saw a window cracked, so guessed he might be inside.

She and John sang a hymn to Benedict but were later admonished by their priest-guide about possibly disturbing Benedict.

Instead, one of Benedict's caretakers gave them a gold keychain, with the images of Benedict and the Virgin Mary on either side.

"It was just such an intimate moment, to feel connected to him in prayer in that way and in that moment," Puglia Noronha recalled.

The Diocese of Orange (California), headed by Archbishop Kevin Vann, a former priest of the Springfield diocese, stated that Benedict "will be remembered as one of the most brilliant theologians in recent church history who led the church during challenging times with the utmost compassion."

Peoria Bishop Louis Tylka said he was "saddened by the news that Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI has gone home to the Lord. Truly a man of deep faith, he has now heard 'Well done, good and faithful servant.' May he rest in peace."

Benedict was viewed less enthusiastically by some for his stance on homosexuality and against women's desire to break with the church's ban on female priests.

Francis DeBernardo, executive director of the U.S.-based New Ways Ministry, which advocates for LGBTQ+ Catholics noted that Ratzinger in 1986 helped shape a document that called homosexual orientation as ”an objective disorder" and cited his involvement with a 1994 Catechism describing sexual activity between people of the same gender as “acts of grave depravity.”

“Those documents caused — and still cause — grave pastoral harm" to many LGBTQ+ people, DeBernardo said, while noting that his organization was praying for the repose of Benedict's soul.

Francis has used his papacy to try to set a less judgmental tone against gay Catholics.

Paprocki was an auxiliary bishop in the Archdiocese of Chicago when he was named bishop of Springfield replacing Bishop George J. Lucas, who earlier had been named Archbishop of Omaha.

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Paprocki was informed of his appointment by a phone call from then-Cardinal Francis George of Chicago while he was en route to visit Benedict.

The bishop said that he was grateful for the time he spent with Benedict discussing theology, while praising his gentleness towards people.

"To this day, I am humbled Pope Benedict appointed me as the ninth bishop of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois," Paprocki said. "I had the honor of meeting with him several times (and) I will forever remember his friendliness and compassion. His theological genius and his ability to communicate our rich and often times difficult theology to the people in a clear and understandable way was most impressive.

"The Catholic Church lost an incredible and humble man, but his legacy leaves a lasting impression on the faithful and our church."

DelGiorno recalled when he and Nichol, the former director of music at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, were part of a 2009 outdoor audience with Benedict.

"My wife was particularly excited to see him at that time because of his work to give sacred music pride of place in the liturgy following Vatican II reforms and the fact he was German as is her heritage," DelGiorno said.

DelGiorno said it was "striking" to hear the crowds cheerfully greeting "Papa Francesco" — Pope Francis — in St. Peter’s Square after the Vespers services juxtaposed to the body of Benedict being prepared to lie in state just yards away.

"While we more readily embrace the current pontiff in substance and style," DelGiorno said, "we intend to close out our trip (Thursday) by paying our respects to Pope Benedict (by going) through the Basilica line to view him."

On Sunday, Puglia Noronha prayed in Benedict's private chapel in his monastery, his vested remains just a few feet away.

"I didn't know how I would feel," Puglia Noronha admitted, "but there was such a sense of peace in there. It was a beautiful scene, with a nativity scene and a Christmas tree still up. It was a very, very powerful moment."

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

Contact Steven Spearie: 217-622-1788, sspearie@sj-r.com, twitter.com/@StevenSpearie.

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Springfield diocese remembers Pope Benedict who died Saturday