The Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities in Canada joins the universal Church in mourning the passing into eternal life of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI (Joseph Ratzinger) on December 31, 2022. From his ordination as priest in 1951 and his consecration as a bishop in 1977 and his nomination four years later as Cardinal Prefect of the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith, and finally to his election as pope in 2005, Benedict XVI has been the embodiment of service to the Church for over seven decades. Upon his election, Benedict XVI spoke of himself as a “humble worker in the vineyard of the Lord” in turn emphasizing the papal title, Servant of the Servants of God.

Following his historic decision to resign the papacy in 2013, Benedict, true to his namesake, St. Benedict of Nursia, eschewed idleness, despite his advanced age and health. In the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery, he continued working on his writings while offering constant prayers for the Church and world. While Benedict XVI has left this world for the glories of the next, he has bequeathed a corpus of theological works that have made a major impact on Christianity. His Jesus of Nazareth series has provided a meticulous, rigorous, and comprehensive account of Our Saviour. His Introduction to Christianity and Principles of Catholic Theology are regarded as classics. His encyclicals as pope, while offering critiques of the contemporary world, also sought to provide a deeper understanding of the Second Vatican Council.

As Benedict XVI makes his final journey to the House of the Father in Heaven, we offer a prayer: Eternal rest grant unto your servant Joseph, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May his soul and all the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

About Us

The Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities in Canada (ACCUC) is an organization of Catholic institutions of higher education located across all parts of Canada. The ACCUC acts as the official voice for Catholic higher learning in Canada, as it seeks to spread “the spirit of learning” throughout the country.

John Cappucci, Ph.D.
Chair, ACCUC
Principal and Vice-Chancellor, Assumption University, Windsor

Carl Still, Ph.D.
Vice-Chair, ACCUC
President, St. Thomas More College, Saskatoon

Peter Meehan, Ed.D.
Immediate Past Chair, ACCUC
President and Vice-Chancellor, St. Jerome’s University, Waterloo

Christopher Adams, Ph.D.
Rector, St. Paul’s College, Winnipeg

Chantal Beauvais, Ph.D.
Rectrice, Université Saint Paul/Saint Paul University, Ottawa

Shawn Flynn, Ph.D.
President, St. Joseph’s College, Edmonton

Lauretta Frederking, Ph.D.
President, Brescia University College, London

Rob Harasymchuk, M.B.A.
President and Vice-Chancellor, St. Peter’s College, Muenster

Sami Helewa, S.J., Ph.D.
President, Campion College, Regina

Bishop Wayne Kirkpatrick Bishop of Antigonish
Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishop Liaison to ACCUC

David Malloy, Ph.D.
President, King’s University College, London

Gordon Rixon, S.J., Ph.D.
President, Regis College, Toronto

Christine Schintgen, D.Phil.
President, Our Lady Seat of Wisdom College, Barry's Bay

David Sylvester, Ph.D.
President and Vice-Chancellor, University of St. Michael’s College, Toronto

Gerry Turcotte, Ph.D.
Principal, St. Mark’s College, Vancouver
President, Corpus Christi College, Vancouver

Sinda Vanderpool, Ph.D.
President and Vice-Chancellor,
St. Mary’s University, Calgary

Jason West, Ph.D.
President, Newman Theological College, Edmonton