People attending a condolences service for former pope Benedict XVI in Hong Kong said while they're saddened by his passing, they believe his legacy will live on.

The former head of the Catholic Church passed away at his residence at the Vatican on December 31, aged 95.

Speaking to RTHK at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, where the service was held, the Bishop of Hong Kong, Stephen Chow, described the late pope as a "prominent theologian" who had handled sensitive issues such as sexual abuse and money laundering.

Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Ha, meanwhile, called Benedict "a man of courage".

"The moment when he announced that he would like to resign from the Pope's seat, this was very historical. Because for centuries, he was the first one to do so. I admire his courage," Ha said.

"His way of handling those sexual abuse cases was very strong, setting a good example for the church that how we have to be faithful to God and very careful and sensitive to those minors, to those who are weak."

Meanwhile, a visiting Catholic priest from the Philippines said he believes the former pontiff will leave behind a lasting legacy.

"The whole church is saddened by the death of Pope Benedict the sixteenth. For us priests, Benedict the sixteenth is really a good theologian of the church. He wrote a lot of books explaining our faith. This is the legacy he left for us," he said.