Media CenterCRS Mourns Death of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI
Photo courtesy of Mazur/catholicnews.org.uk
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Nikki Gamer
Catholic Relief Services
[email protected]
(978) 884-0003
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, Dec. 31, 2022 – Sean Callahan, president and CEO of Catholic Relief Services (CRS), issued the following statement in response to the death of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI.
“We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Pope Benedict XVI and join Catholics around the world in mourning this great loss. As an agency of the Catholic Church dedicated to alleviating global poverty, we admired Pope Benedict’s support for integral human development as well as his steadfast commitment to God’s creation.
We also fondly remember Pope Benedict for his 2008 visit to Washington, D.C., when Catholic Relief Services staff assisted during his open-air Mass at National’s Stadium, where he presided over a crowd of 45,000 people. It was a momentous day for our staff and for our nation as Pope Benedict delivered a message of hope, which he heralded as part of the American character.
Our great hope is that his spirit of solidarity and steadfast faith lives on in the hearts and minds of Catholics everywhere. We take comfort in the words of this prayer:
Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord.
And let perpetual light shine upon him.
May he rest in peace.
Amen.”
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Catholic Relief Services is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. The agency alleviates suffering and provides assistance to people in need in more than 100 countries, without regard to race, religion or nationality. CRS’ relief and development work is accomplished through programs of emergency response, HIV, health, agriculture, education, microfinance and peacebuilding. For more information, visit www.crs.org or www.crsespanol.org and follow Catholic Relief Services on social media in English at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube; and in Spanish at: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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Senior Public Affairs Manager
Based in Baltimore, MD
Nikki is the Senior Public Affairs Manager for CRS and connects journalists to regional stories and sources related to the agency’s life-saving development work. Previously, Nikki worked as the Communications Officer for the Middle East, Europe, and Central Asia. She has covered CRS’ response to the Syrian refugee crisis and the mass displacement...More
