By Jim Wogan Bishop Richard F. Stika and Cardinal Justin Rigali had special relationships with Pope Benedict XVI, something one would expect between a bishop of Rome and a priest he named to lead one of the Church’s dioceses and between two members of the College of Cardinals. Bishop Stika and Cardinal Rigali recently reflected on Pope Benedict and the nearly eight years he led the papacy. Pope Benedict appointed Bishop Stika as the third bishop of the Diocese of Knoxville in 2009. And Cardinal Rigali and then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger served the Vatican together and worked closely with Pope John Paul II, who would become St. John Paul II. Q: Bishop Stika, how many times did you have the opportunity to meet Pope Benedict XVI? A: Five times. I met him once as Cardinal Ratzinger and four times as pope. Q: Before I ask about those meetings, he was often... Read more →
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