The German Archbishop Georg Gänswein, who was secretary of Benedict XVI, told who was the favorite saint of Pope Emeritus.
” His favorite saint was Saint Joseph, but he was soon joined by Saint Augustine and Saint Bonaventure, simply because he had studied these two great figures of the Church in depth,” explained Benedict XVI’s secretary in an interview given to EWTN.
Benedict XVI, whose Christian name was Joseph (José) Ratzinger, spoke on different occasions about his love for Saint Joseph.
Benedict XVI presided over the dedication of the Church of the Sagrada Familia, the work of Antonio Gaudí, the so-called “architect of God” on 7 November 2010.
“The joy I feel at being able to preside over this ceremony has been increased when I have learned that this temple, from its origins, has been closely linked to the figure of Saint Joseph,” Benedict XVI said that day.
“I was especially moved by the certainty with which Gaudí, in the face of the innumerable difficulties he had to face, exclaimed full of confidence in divine Providence: ‘Saint Joseph will finish the temple’”, he continued.
“That is why now, it is no less significant that it is dedicated by a Pope whose given name is Joseph,” the Holy Father highlighted on that occasion.
Bishop Gänswein also said in the interview with EWTN that “one could see how the knowledge he acquired fertilized the spiritual and intellectual life of Benedict XVI. And not to mention only men, among women, the Virgin Mary undoubtedly occupied the first place ”.
“Later he would say that Saint Teresa of Ávila, who, in her power and intellectual and spiritual strength, gave a testimony that had an impact on him. And then – you will not believe it – there is also little Teresita of the Child Jesus ”, continued the Archbishop.
Among the most contemporary, “I think we can also include Mother Teresa, for her simplicity and conviction. In fact, what she lived through was something more than a lesson in theology, fundamental theology or whatever it was about”.
Benedict XVI and Bishop Gänswein met Mother Teresa in 1978 in Freiburg (Germany) when the Pope Emeritus was Archbishop of Munich and the latter was a seminarian.