One year ago today: Pope Benedict XVI leaves the as Pope

CDF official: My memories of that historic day when Pope Benedict stepped down

 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Exactly one year ago (on February 28th 2013) Pope Benedict left the Vatican for the last time as Pope and was flown by helicopter to the papal summer residence at Castel Gandolfo. Benedict was the first Pope to step down in more than 600 years and for many people within the Vatican those final moments of his papacy are indelible images stamped in their memories.
One of those who was an eyewitness on that historic day was Monsignor John Kennedy, a senior official at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Monsignor Kennedy worked with Pope Benedict for several years when as Cardinal Josef Ratzinger he was the Prefect of that Congregation. He shared with Susy Hodges his memories and emotions of that day that was like no other.
Monsignor Kennedy recalls that February 28^th last year when Pope Benedict formally stepped down was “a typically bright early spring day but it was so surreal.” As a result he said it was really hard for him and his colleagues to concentrate on their work. “Our minds were on our desks but our hearts were with Pope Benedict.” He describes how the people working at the Congregation that day “all felt magnetically drawn” to go up onto the roof of their office building to witness with their own eyes the final scenes of Benedict’s departure from the Vatican.
Asked about his own emotions on that historic day, Monsignor Kennedy said: “I felt lost, I felt sad and I felt kind of empty.” He took pictures of Pope Benedict’s helicopter which after taking off turned back and came and circled right over the roof of their office building and described how they “all waved” in a cheerful yet “heart-sinking” sort of way as it flew over their heads.
Later on that day, Monsignor Kennedy went down to St. Peter’s Square just before 8pm, the exact time when Benedict’s papacy formally came to an end and described what he saw and his own feelings.
“At eight o’clock the bells chimed … and then everybody in the square began to clap and I thought this was a nice way of saying (to Benedict) ‘Well done, thank you for everything you’ve done for us and we wish you well in the future.”