Thank you for the special issue dedicated to Pope Benedict XVI and his impact on the world and Church. 

As a Catholic school principal who works with families to nurture the faith of students through academics and faith formation, I can’t state how much of an influence Benedict has had on me.

As Scott Hahn wrote in the issue, “his study of the sacred page was not simply an academic exercise. It informed his preaching, and it became a hallmark of his spiritual life.”

This is evident in the way he writes. There is hidden poetry in his books that comes to life and is appreciated when one thinks of the immense love of Christ. Throughout his writings, Benedict had a keen awareness that the Lord is constantly seeking us to encounter his love, like one of my favorite quotes in his 2005 encyclical “Deus Caritas Est” (“God is Love”): “Seeing with the eyes of Christ, I can give to others much more than their outward necessities; I can give them the look of love which they crave.”

I was happy to have our school discover the treasure that Benedict has been by making extra copies of the issue available to our students. I know it will inspire their minds and hearts to the love of Christ. 

— Aaron DeLoera, principal, St. Bernard School, Bellflower