Mgr Alfred Xuereb, Pope Francis’s personal secretary, has featured in an article written by Vatican journalist Angela Ambrogetti in the illustrated monthly magazine Credere.

In the article, Mgr Xuereb speaks on his direct and close experience for the last six years as secretary to two Popes: Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. The article states that Mgr Xuereb is a “very discreet and dedicated worker”.

The article states that it was Pope Benedict who “offered the Maltese monsignor as a possible secretary to Pope Francis”.

Mgr Xuereb narrates his first Christmas with Pope Benedict. He said: “We were all around the Christmas tree with lit candles as is the custom in Germany. We were singing Christmas songs in German, Latin and in Italian. At a certain moment, the Pope turns over to me and says: ‘Your predecessor, Don Mietek, used to sing some song in Polish. Do you have any songs in Maltese?’ I had the musical score of our popular songs, in particular one of the most traditional: Ninni la Tibkiix Izjed, La Ninna Nanna a Gesù, and Do Not Cry Anymore.

“On Christmas Eve after supper, while waiting for the Mass, we again gathered around the lit tree, while the Pope read the Nativity Gospel. Afterwards, as is the custom for all the priests in Bavaria, we exchanged greetings. I was pleased to enrich the great popular Maltese religiosity with that of Bavaria.”

The article also mentions the moment when Pope Benedict told Mgr Xuereb of his resignation. It was a very moving moment and considered by Mgr Xuereb as “heroic”.

Mgr Xuereb said the Pope told him: “You will go with the new Pope.”

He said the Pope repeated this twice, at which point Mgr Xuereb said he was going to reply: “I am disposed, but who knows if the new Pope will want me?”

The journalist asked him to des­cribe Benedict XVI. He replied: “The words I heard him repeat so often is ‘thank you’. I used to help him dress for Mass and give him the pectoral cross, and he would say ‘thank you’.

“Once, when I was Prelate of the Anticamera, we were waiting for a guest in the library, and I took the liberty to compliment him on the homily he had just given. I was impressed at the way he accepted the compliment. With humility, he lowered his eyes and said ‘thank you’”.

Mgr Xuereb said that from Benedict XVI’s writings we can learn a lot, because he is a great teacher and we can choose him as a model of life.

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