Pope Benedict Roundup

News

• Benedict XVI commemorates Anglicanorum Coetibus anniversary in message to Ordinariate La Stampa "The Vatican Insider" 10/29/14:

  Just five days before the anniversary of the Anglicanorum Coetibus – the document Benedict XVI signed to allow Catholic Church to admit Anglicans who ask to join the Church – the Pope Emeritus has sent a message to the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham which is located on the historical site of the Bavarian chapel in London. In his message, Pope Benedict XVI, a Bavarian himself, sais he was “happy” about this choice. Benedict XVI, who visited the United Kingdom in September 2010, thanked all those working for the London-based Personal Ordinariate, which “serves such an important role in the whole Church of God”.

• Pope Francis unveils bust of Benedict XVI at Science Academy Vatican Radio 10/27/14:

  Pope Francis delivered an address to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences on Monday morning, on the occasion of the unveiling of a bust of his predecessor, Pope-emeritus Benedict XVI, in the Academy building at the Vatican. “Benedict XVI,” said Pope Francis, “[was] a great Pope: great for the power and penetration of his intellect, great for his significant contribution to theology, great for his love for the Church and of human beings, great for his virtue and piety.”

  See also: "Benedict XVI: A model for dialogue between faith and reason", by Giacomo Galleazzi (Vatican Insider 10/27/14).

• Retired pope says interreligious dialogue no substitute for mission, by Francis X. Rocca. Catholic News Service 10/23/14. "VATICAN CITY - Retired Pope Benedict XVI said dialogue with other religions is no substitute for spreading the Gospel to non-Christian cultures, and warned against relativistic ideas of religious truth as "lethal to faith." He also said the true motivation for missionary work is not to increase the church's size but to share the joy of knowing Christ."

• "Benedict XVI Surprises Movement Founder By Inviting Him to Visit" Zenit. 09/02/14:

  Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI received in private audience on Monday two prominent proponents of Mass in the Extraordinary Form: Cosimo Marti, co-founder and treasurer of the International Federation Juventutem, and Joseph Capoccia, director of the pilgrimage "Summorum Pontificum Populus", an international pilgrimage to Rome that has taken place annually since 2012.

• Pope Benedict and Our Lady of Fatima, by David Schütz. Sentire Cum Ecclesia 10/15/14. "When the statue of Our Lady of Fatima arrived by helicopter in the Vatican, her first port of call was the chapel of the residence of the Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI. From there, she went to Casa Santa Marta, and only then into St Peter’s Square."

Commentary

• Synod on the Family: Ratzinger-Kasper Rivalry Revisited, by Father Raymond J. Da Souza. National Catholic Register 10/03/14. "While Cardinal Godfried Danneels of Belgium is in Rome for the synod on the family, I hope that he has a chance to visit Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. The retired prelates may wish to reminisce about synods past, especially the 1985 extraordinary assembly on the 20th anniversary of the closing of the Second Vatican Council."
• Pope Benedict and the Elderly, by Amy Welborn. 09/26/14. "This coming Sunday [9/28/14], the 87 (!) – year old Pope Emeritus Benedict will attend an event for grandparents – the elderly – in St. Peter’s Square. It’s a good opportunity to revisit some remarks he made in 2012 when he visited a home for the elderly run by the Community of San’Egidio."
• Reigning and “Emeritus.” The Enigma of the Two Popes, by Sandro Magister. 09/15/14. "It is an unprecedented innovation in the history of the Church. With many unknowns still unresolved, and with serious risks already in play. An analysis by Roberto de Mattei."
• A group of Portuguese priests visits Benedict" [Photography] Benodette. The Ratzinger Forum 09/17/14.
• Benedict XVI: Feminist, by Peter Strzelecki Rieth. The Imaginative Conservative "One of the greatest lies propagated by Western liberal media is that Pope Benedict XVI was a crusty old miser and “patriarchal” figure who upheld ideas and practices demeaning to women." 09/14/14.
• When Reagan and Ratzinger Teamed Up on Faith and Hope, by Paul Kengor. The Imaginative Conservative 09/07/14.
• Benedict XVI: Pope as Prophet, by Rev. George R. Rutler. Crisis August 25, 2014. "If a prophet is not without honor save in his own country, a great prophet is not without honor save in the whole world. Pope Benedict XVI bent under that mantle in 2006 when he spoke in Regensburg. His only miscalculation was to assume that civilization might still be civil enough to respect reason."

Pope Benedict XVI forgets to read the speech and jokes about it - a favorite memory from his trip to the United States

Pope Benedict in Print: Coming in 2015

Pope Benedict XVI's Legal Thought: A Dialogue on the Foundation of Law by Marta Cartabia (Editor), Andrea Simoncini (Editor). Cambridge University Press (March 31, 2015) Throughout Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI's pontificate he spoke to a range of political, civil, academic, and other cultural authorities. The speeches he delivered in these contexts reveal a striking sensitivity to the fundamental problems of law, justice, and democracy. He often presented a call for Christians to address issues of public ethics such as life, death, and family from what they have in common with other fellow citizens: reason. This book discusses the speeches in which the Pope Emeritus reflected most explicitly on this issue, along with the commentary from a number of distinguished legal scholars. It responds to Benedict's invitation to engage in public discussion on the limits of positivist reason in the domain of law from his address to the Bundestag. Although the topics of each address vary, they nevertheless are joined by a series of core ideas whereby Benedict sketches, unpacks, and develops an organic and coherent way to formulate a "public teaching" on the topic of justice and law. Marta Cartabia is currently a member of the Italian Constitutional Court. She has taught in a number of Italian universities and was a visiting scholar and professor in France, Germany, and the United States. Cartabia was awarded a Jean Monnet Module on European Constitutional Law from 2005-8. She served as an independent expert to the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights from 2006-10. Andrea Simoncini is currently a Professor of Constitutional Law at the University of Florence, Italy. In 2009 he was Fulbright Distinguished Lecturer at Notre Dame University where he was also a visiting professor at the Law School. Has been appointed a member of the Nucleo di Valutazione di Ateneo dell'Universit... degli Studi di Firenze.

Are Non-Christians Saved?: Joseph Ratzinger's Thoughts on Religious Pluralism by Ambrose Mong (Author) Oneworld Publications (March 17, 2015). Are Non-Christians Saved? is essential reading for students, teachers and scholars seeking a thorough analysis of Ratzinger's position, including why he believes religious pluralism, with its 'evil twins' of relativism and secularism, is a threat to Christianity.