New York religious leaders remember Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI's intellect, "real and genuine service"
NEW YORK -- Religious leaders and parishioners in New York are mourning the loss of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI.
Bells rung out 95 times at St. Patrick's Cathedral, each representing a year of the former pope's life, ahead of a prayer service led by Timothy Cardinal Dolan.
The cardinal, who plans to attend his funeral in Rome, remembers him as a quick-witted man, who was also a profound listener.
"He himself being such a man of intellect and scholarship also knew that his faith was tied to that and that faith illumines the intellect," Dolan said.
Benedict appointed Dolan as archbishop in 2009. Three years later, he nominated him as cardinal. That same year, he appointed Bishop of Brooklyn Robert Brennan as Auxiliary Bishop.
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After eight years serving, the then-85-year-old Benedict was the first pope to resign in 600 years back in 2013, due to his health. In the nearly 10 years since then, Bishop Brennan admires how he still served the Catholic Church.
"Sometimes he would appear at one thing or another, but by and large, he remained hidden and silent as a way of supporting the church through prayer, and that's real and genuine service," Brennan said.
Parishioners also came to St. Patrick's Cathedral on New Year's Eve to remember the retired pope, who actually paid a visit there in 2008.
Guy Daniel from Cameroon remembers Benedict's two visits to Africa as pope in the early 2000s.
"I think that he have made his road, he have made a great job, and now he is resting," he said.
"We just lit a few candles for him," said Anna Hertado, visiting from Phoenix, Arizona. "That was kind of a core memory for me, watching the whole changing of the pope thing."
Benedict's funeral will be on Thursday, Jan. 5, at St. Peter's Square.
