Positivity: Pope Delivers Homily Extemporaneously

In the midst of an article about his 28-year friendship with Pope Benedict, Thaddäus Kühnel tells of a time when Benedict delivered a homily without notes or preparation:

Munich, Sep. 07, 2006 (CNA) - Thaddäus Kühnel is not only the Pope’s “courier,” he’s his chauffuer, friend, and confidant. A 28 year-long friendship unites them and remains to this day, despite a few difficulties.

Kühnel, who is Director of the Bank of Munich, met then Cardinal Ratzinger in 1978 at the home of the Sisters of Mercy at Bad Adelholzen. In an interview with German television, Kühnel explained that he is known as the “Pope’s courier” because when Cardinal Ratzinger was called to work in the Roman curia, he offered to bring “Bavarian things” to him in Rome, which he did and still does to this day.

“The first thing I brought to Rome, in my car, was a paschal candle, as well as some fruit from Adelholzen and mineral water. For Christmas I brought him his Advent wreath, as they can’t be easily found in Italy. Up to now I have brought some 40 different objects,” Kühnel explained. “He likes the Christmas cookies that women from Bavarian parishes bake at home as well as those made at certain monasteries. He also likes the chocolates made in Aachen”, he added.

Kühnel said he’s also acted as Cardinal Ratzinger’s chauffuer and that he often picked him up at the airport and “brought him to Pentling or Ratisbona to his brother’s home. Sometimes I drove the whole family—the cardinal, his brother Georg and their sister Maria. The little trips we took to Mallersdorf, Brixen, Linz, Klagenfurt, and Bad Hofgastein—most of the time with the entire family—were very beautiful,” Kühnel said.

Kühnel said he has always been amazed at the Pope’s great intellect, citing an experience two years ago as an example. “When he was still a cardinal, he came to Germany to celebrate the Ascension of the Lord in 2004. As we were driving he said, ‘I have to think now about what I am going to say.’ After he finished his homily, several people asked to have a copy. They could not believe that the cardinal had not written down a single word and had simply preached from the podium.”

I suspect it’s not the only time.