On the morning of Saturday 31 December 2022, at 9:34 a.m., Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI passed away in the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in the Vatican. The Press Office of the Holy See informs that from the morning of Monday, 2 January 2023, the body will be transferred to St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican for the farewell of the faithful.

"We share in the sadness of the universal Church at the passing of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI," says Rector Fr. Mark Lewis, S.J. "As a theologian, he left a powerful imprint on post-conciliar theology. As a universal pastor, he showed kindness and was a model of service. Our alumni and professors who worked with him at the Pontifical Gregorian University remember him fondly'.

Joseph Ratzinger was indeed invited to teach at the Pontifical Gregorian University in the 1972-'73 academic year. Following his appointment as Prefect of the then Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, he intensified his collaboration with some professors and his participation in academic events at our university. Elected Pontiff, he visited the Pontifical Gregorian and met with his community on 3 November 2006. The Gregoriana has continued to deepen its understanding of the thought of Joseph Ratzinger-Benedict XVI in academic courses, doctoral dissertations and with the presentation of his works, such as on 12 March 2022.