Northern Ireland's Protestant church leaders reach out in sympathy to Catholic counterparts over death of Pope Benedict

The news was announced on Saturday, when the Vatican issued a statement saying: “With sorrow I inform you that the Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI, passed away today at 9:34 in the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in the Vatican.”

He had been the head of the Roman Catholic Church from 2005 to 2013, when he shocked the religious world by resigning – the first Pope to do so for six centuries – at age 85, amid declining health.

He was 95 when he died.

The Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, Right Reverend Dr John Kirkpatrick, said he had reached out to Archbishop Eamon Martin, the head of the Catholic Church on the island.

“Many people across the island of Ireland today will be greatly saddened by the news of the death of Pope Emeritus Benedict,” said the moderator.

"In making contact with Archbishop Eamon I wanted to pass on my sympathy and express the condolences of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland as we acknowledge the grief being felt by so many of our Roman Catholic neighbours at this particular time.”

Rev David Nixon, the president of the Methodist Church in Ireland, said: “Pope Benedict had a profound influence on the life of the Church.

"His life was deeply rooted in God, and in his teaching he encouraged all to a closer relationship with Jesus in their everyday lives.

"He was a man of prayer and an insightful theologian.

"We pray for comfort for all who mourn his loss.”

ANGLICAN CHIEF OFFERS IRISH LANGUAGE EXPRESSION OF CONDOLENCE:

Archbishop John McDowell, the head of the Church of Ireland, issued the following statement:

"I wish to extend my sympathy on behalf of the Church of Ireland to Archbishop Eamon Martin, and to the bishops, priests, deacons and Roman Catholic people of Ireland on the death of His Holiness Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI.

“During his visit to the United Kingdom in 2010, Pope Benedict used the occasion of his meeting with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, to focus on the subject of ecumenism in the context of both greater secularism in wider society and the increasingly multi–faith pattern of belief.

"For those of us who were present on that occasion in Westminster Abbey, we were fortunate indeed to listen to two European intellectuals and people of deep faith in conversation about the future of European Christianity. It was an unforgettable and encouraging experience.

“On that occasion, His Holiness Pope Benedict also reflected on the work of the Anglican–Roman Catholic International Commission saying: ‘Let us entrust the fruits of that work to the Lord of the harvest, confident that he will bless our friendship with further significant growth.’

“We owe a common debt to him, not least as a Biblical scholar and the unique richness of his exploration of the person of Jesus.

“In the encyclicals Deus caritas est (God is Love), Spe salvi (In Hope We Were Saved) and Caritas in veritate (Charity in Truth), Pope Benedict examined the themes of God’s love, hope and redemption, and the need for an ethical perspective to achieve the common good in global development.

"As we look around today’s world, these reflections are perhaps more pertinent than ever, filled with a sense of prescience and still calling for response.

“Pope Benedict was manifestly a man of deep spiritual insight combined with a capacity for focused and articulate theological expression.

"During his life, he combined the role of churchman and theologian with energy, leaving as a legacy a substantive body of published work that stands testament to a Christian scholar of great intelligence and learning.

“His loss will be felt very keenly throughout the Catholic world and my prayers in the coming weeks will be for all who are bereaved and diminished by the passing of a great man and a humble disciple of our common Lord, especially my brothers and sisters in Christ on the island of Ireland.

“Ar dheis Dé go raibh an anam.”

Online translations state that this last phrase – commonly voiced in condolence – means something akin to “may his soul be at God’s right side”.

Meanwhile Archbishop of Dublin Michael Jackson said: “Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI contributed to the life and understanding of the Christian Church in a very wide range of ways.

"Different people will remember this extraordinary personal contribution from many different perspectives and in many different contexts.

“His gift of scholarship was one which he shared throughout his pontificate and after his retirement. Clarity of writing was a special charism and he opened up for a new generation the person of Jesus Christ.

"Throughout his ministry he saw himself as a child of God and as a servant of the Church. Such service he offered generously to all who follow Jesus Christ in their own tradition and ecumenically.

"May he rest in peace and rise in glory.”

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