Pope Benedict wished to die at the altar like Saint Andrew Avellino, Patron of a Happy Death (Feastday 10 November)

Benedict XVI was devoted to Saint Andrew Avellino: 'I would like to die like him'! Msgr. Francesco Nolè relates what he was told.

This is how a saint dies! Thus. How Benedict XVI died, with the profession of love to the Lord on his lips, simply saying "Lord, I love you!". Those who were present at the last moments of Padre Pio's life say that the Saint died invoking "Jesus, Mary!". The story of another great Saint, such as Saint Andrew Avellino, tells us that he died going up to the altar to celebrate Mass and pronouncing the words "I will go up to the altar of the Lord!". Saint Andrew died as every true Saint would like to die, and this desire was also that of Pope Ratzinger: to die as the patron saint of a good death died.

One thing that few people know is that the late Benedict XVI, who is already dearly missed by Holy Mother Church, told this wish to Msgr. Francesco Nolè, who passed away on September 15th.

When Msgr. Nolè was bishop of our diocese of Tursi-Lagonegro, he proclaimed the Andreano Year on the fourth centenary of the death of the Saint of Castronuovo Sant'Andrea, which occurred on 10 November 1608. On the same day in 2006 Nolè inaugurated the beginning of the year dedicated to the Holy Theatine, and Providence wanted it to be received by the then Pontiff, Pope Benedict XVI, a few days later. What happened in that dialogue was told by Nolè himself on the occasion of his visit to Senise together with the remains of Saint Andrew. Here is his story:

“Now I want to confide to you a great joy: to my great surprise and intimate satisfaction I was able to note that the Holy Father Benedict XVI is also devoted to Saint Andrew Avellino, he knows his life and prays to him to imitate him in his holy death! I'll tell you briefly what happened: on the morning of last November 27th, from 12.15 to 12.30 I was received by the Holy Father in a private audience on the occasion of the "Ad limina Apostolorum Visit" that all Bishops make every 5 years in Rome to illustrate the pastoral work and the life of faith of one's diocese. Among the beautiful and precious things that I presented to the Pope, I highlighted the honor, joy and holy pride of having two great Saints as special children of the Diocese: Saint Andrew Avellino and Blessed Domenico Lentini.

I had just begun to briefly describe the life of Saint Andrew Avellino, when the Holy Father interrupted me by exclaiming: “oh! Saint Andrew Avellino, the patron saint of a good death: Introibo ad altare Dei (I will ascend to the altar of the Lord, it was the first invocation of the Mass in Latin) and passed from the earthly altar to the heavenly one! I often pray to him so that I too can end my priestly life like this! What a beautiful figure of a Saint! What a beautiful death for a Saint!”

It is a source of pride, but also of reflection, for us Lucanians that the Pope theologian, among the greatest in the history of the church, had such profound admiration for a Saint of our land, and this must not be a vain arrogance, but a responsibility, an invitation to know and deepen the grace of holiness that God has given us in the example of a man who walked the streets of our countries, albeit four centuries ago.

The attitude towards death is common to all Saints. Saint Francis called it "sister corporal death" in the awareness that it was a transit towards life and that those who live in the will of God will not see "morte secunda". Pope Ratzinger has repeatedly explained that "death opens up to life, to eternal life, which is not an infinite duplicate of the present time, but something completely new". As a good Christian, for some years he had been preparing to welcome her as a final gift. In a letter from February 2021 he wrote, among other things: “Soon I will find myself facing the final judge of my life. Even though in looking back at my long life I may have a lot of reason for fear and fear, I still have a happy soul because I firmly trust that the Lord is not only the right judge. But at the same time the friend and the brother who himself has already suffered from my insufficiencies." We can be certain that, as for Saint Andrew Avellino, also for Pope Ratzinger death is the embrace with the friend of whom Paul wrote "I know in whom I have trusted". And with that hug we are certain that the Holy Father has "reached home".

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