The Gozo Diocese celebrated the life of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI and his constant ‘fight for the truth,’ during a mass on Saturday evening.

The mass was led by Cardinal Mario Grech and held in Gozo’s Cathedral.

Present during the mass was also the Bishop of Gozo Anton Teuma, the Apostolic Vicar of Tripoli George Bugeja, and the new Apostolic Nuncio in Malta Mgr Savio Hon Tai-Fai, as well as many other priests.

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI died on 31 December at the age of 95 and was buried on 5 January in St. Peter’s Basilica.

His real name was Joseph Ratzinger and he is remembered as being the first pontiff in 600 years to resign from the job.

In his homily, Grech compared Ratzinger to the misunderstood “clown” because of his tireless search for the truth, Jesus Christ.

He said that Ratzinger and his family were not understood in the context of Nazi Germany as they showed passive resistance.

Grech added that Ratzinger was also misunderstood as a theologian after he questioned whether certain reforms after the second Vatican council, were good for the church. This resulted in him leaving the position he held at the University of Tubingen and sacrificing friendships.

He said that Ratzinger was not understood in Rome as the prefect of the congregation for the doctrine of the faith.

He said that when he was Pope he was also misunderstood on a number of occasions, notably his insistence on the continuity between reason and faith.

“Ratzinger was not understood even after he left the Pope; where his figure and memory are being used and politicized to create antagonism between Pope Benedict and Pope Francis,” he said.

However, he praised Ratzinger because although he looked like the “clown” he never stopped seeking Jesus Christ, “the incarnation of the truth”.