WORCESTER, Mass. - The Diocese of Worcester held a mass Thursday at the Cathedral of St. Paul for Pope Benedict XVI.

In a statement released shortly after Pope Benedict XVI's death, Bishop Robert McManus referred to him as a "brilliant theologian and teacher who guided the church through seas of doubt and confusion."

When he decided to retire as head of the Catholic church in 2013, he was the first to do so in nearly 600 years. 

"Why? He did this in order to retreat into a life of solitude," McManus said Thursday. "A life of prayer."

While the late pope has been the subject of some criticism during and after his papacy for his handling of sexual abuse cases and views on homosexuality, longtime members of the Cathedral of St. Paul, like Mario Pineda, said they appreciated his guidance and leadership.

"I will remember that great man for his humbleness, his teaching of the church, remembering he put so many words in our heart and we will never forget," Pineda said. "God bless that man."

Others said Benedict helped them double down on their faith in a changing world. Raul Porras recalled a 2008 quote in which the pontiff said "In so many of our societies, side by side with material prosperity, a spiritual desert is spreading."

"That's really affecting our society these days," Porras said. "So I'll always keep that in my prayers."

And, like Bishop McManus, Porras appreciated Benedict's decision to step down when he felt the time was right.

"He was very humble," Porras said. "So humble that he resigned and decided he didn't have his abilities in full to help the church, so he decided to retire."

A funeral service was held Thursday for Pope Benedict at St. Peter's Square, and was attended by thousands of people. 

Earlier this week, Bishop McManus reflected on Pope Benedict's legacy, as well as meeting him on several occasions.