Andrzej Duda made the statement after attending a funeral Mass for Benedict XVI in Vatican City’s St. Peter’s Square on Thursday, Polish state news agency PAP reported.
The Polish head of state attended the ceremony alongside Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, national leaders and royals from many other countries, and some 50,000 mourners, according to news outlets.
The current pontiff, Francis, presided over the burial of his predecessor.
‘One of Catholic Church’s most important figures in recent decades’
The Polish president told reporters: “Benedict XVI was absolutely one of the most important figures of the Catholic Church in recent decades.”
Duda added: “His passing is definitely a big loss to the Church. I am glad that I could be in the Vatican and say farewell to the Holy Father.”
The Polish head of state noted that Benedict XVI made a papal visit to Poland in 2006, shortly after succeeding Pope John Paul II as head of the Catholic Church.
Duda said: “Pope Benedict XVI came with a strong message: ‘Stand firm in your faith.’ He attracted crowds of our compatriots who would come to pray, often with tears in their eyes, and remember Pope John Paul II, that great pontificate.”
Benedict 'felt inner need to continue great work of John Paul II'
The president told reporters that Benedict came to Poland in 2006 also as a friend and associate of Pope John Paul II, "as someone who clearly felt an inner need to continue the great work of John Paul II."
"It mattered very much to us Polish people,” Duda said.
Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, from Germany, succeeded Pope John Paul II as the head of the Roman Catholic Church nearly 18 years ago, news outlets noted.
He was named the 265th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church on April 19, 2005, at the age of 78, and chose the name of Benedict XVI.
On February 11, 2013, Benedict XVI announced his retirement. The next month he was succeeded by the current pontiff, Pope Francis, from Argentina.
(pm/gs)
Source: PAP, vatican.va, BBC, The Guardian