Why Pope Benedict took the name Benedict
On June 11, 2007, Pope Benedict XVI explained why he took the name Benedict.
According to Pope Benedict XVI, Pope Benedict XV, whose pontificate lasted from 1914 to 1922, established the Congregation for Eastern Churches. He said he took the name of a “Pope who dearly loved the East” because he wants his pontificate to be “a pilgrimage to the heart of the East.”
He continued saying “In a particular way, the Eastern Churches guard the echo of the first announcement of the Gospel; the most ancient memories of the signs performed by the Lord; the first beams of the paschal light, and the reverberations of the unquenchable Pentecost fire.”
“Their spiritual legacy, rooted in the teachings of the apostles and the Fathers of the Church, has generated venerable liturgical, theological and disciplinary traditions, showing the ability of ‘Christ’s thought’ to make fruitful cultures and history.”
“Without a continuous connection with the tradition of the origins,” the Pope said, “there is no future for Christ’s Church.”
All Legion of Mary councils and praesidia should read Chapter 40, #3 of the Legion of Mary Handbook (make sure to read from the 2005 Handbook; Which may require printing the page out from our PDF online version of the Handbook.