tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55901612024-03-12T23:06:28.693-04:00The Benedict BlogOccasional news and commentary on Pope Benedict XVI, from the Pope Benedict XVI Fan Club.Christopher Blosserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08385159494196923575noreply@blogger.comBlogger269125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5590161.post-82603765729399063772023-12-31T20:26:00.005-05:002024-01-01T23:53:48.531-05:00From the Vatican | Holy Mass for Pope Benedict XVI on the First Anniversary of His Passing | 2023<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jLFouWsIC6M?si=5opvOkO2XwDK_YAV" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>Christopher Blosserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08385159494196923575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5590161.post-4834379263754036402023-12-30T23:11:00.001-05:002024-01-01T23:52:32.753-05:00Remembering Pope Benedict XVI on the One Year Anniversary of his Death (Roundup)<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2023-12/may-benedict-xvi-bless-us-and-accompany-us.html" target=_blank>Pope Francis: 'May Benedict XVI bless us and accompany us'</a>, by Tiziana Campisi and Thaddeus Jones. <i>Vatican News</i>:<blockquote>“A year ago, Pope Benedict XVI ended his early journey, after having lovingly and wisely served the Church. We feel so much affection, gratitude and admiration for him. May he bless us and accompany us from Heaven. A round of applause for Benedict XVI!”
<p>Pope Francis offered those words at the Sunday Angelus when remembering Pope Benedict XVI, the 265th Pope, who died one year ago on this day of 31 December in 2022.</blockquote>
<li><a href="https://www.ncregister.com/cna/benedict-trusted-francis-but-he-was-bitterly-disappointed-biographer-says-in-new-interview" target=_blank>‘Benedict Trusted Francis. But He Was Bitterly Disappointed,’ Biographer Says in New Interview</a><i>National Catholic Register</i> 12/29/23:<blockquote>On the eve of the first anniversary of Pope Benedict XVI’s death, his biographer, Peter Seewald, raised serious concerns about how Pope Francis is managing the legacy of his predecessor.
<p>"Benedict trusted Francis. But he was bitterly disappointed several times," Seewald said in an interview published Dec. 27.
<p>Pope Francis may have written “nice letters” to his predecessor and described him as a "great pope," Seewald told the New Daily Compass. However, in practice, he said, he has “erased much of what was precious and dear to Ratzinger.”
<p>"If you really speak of a ‘great pope’ out of conviction, shouldn’t you do everything you can to cultivate his legacy? Just as Benedict XVI did with regard to John Paul II? As we can see today, Pope Francis has, in fact, done very little to remain in continuity with his predecessors," Seewald said.
<p>Seewald pointed to the tight restrictions against t
he Traditional Latin Mass by Pope Francis, reversing Benedict XVI’s 2007 apostolic letter Summorum Pontificum, which acknowledged the right of all priests to say Mass using the Roman Missal of 1962, which is in Latin.
<p>"Ratzinger wanted to pacify the Church without questioning the validity of the Mass according to the 1969 Roman Missal,” Seewald said. "‘The way we treat the liturgy,’ he explained, ‘determines the destiny of the faith and the Church.’"
<p>The biographer questioned the veracity of “the claim that the majority of bishops voted in favor of repealing Benedict’s Summorum Pontificum in a worldwide survey."
<p>"What I find particularly shameful is that the pope emeritus was not even informed of this act but had to learn about it from the press. He has been stabbed in the heart."</blockquote>
<li><a href="https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2023-12/pope-benedict-xvi-death-anniversary-federico-lombardi.html" target=_blank>Fr. Lombardi: Pope Benedict XVI was ‘a teacher and witness of faith’</a> <i>Vatican News</i> 12/30/23. One year on from Pope Benedict XVI’s death, Fr. Federico Lombardi, his former papal spokesman, reflects on the legacy and witness of faith of the late Pope.
<li><a href="https://www.ncregister.com/cna/4-kernels-of-wisdom-from-pope-benedict-xvi-s-last-message-to-the-world" target=_blank>4 Kernels of Wisdom From Pope Benedict XVI’s Last Message to the World</a> <i>National Catholic Register</i> 12/31/23. Pope Benedict XVI reflects in the book <i>What is Christianity?</i> on what role missionary work has in today’s world, when interreligious dialogue often takes its place.
<li><a href="https://www.osvnews.com/2023/12/31/everyday-collaborators-of-pope-benedict-xvi-remember-the-late-pontiff/" target=_blank>Everyday Collaborators Of Pope Benedict XVI Remember The Late Pontiff</a> <i>Our Sunday Visitor</i> News. 12/30/23.
<li><a href="https://www.romereports.com/en/2023/12/31/pope-benedict-xvis-presence-remains-at-the-vatican-after-his-death/" target=_blank>Pope Benedict XVI's presence remains at the Vatican after his death</a> <i>Rome Reports</i> 12/31/23.
<li><a href="https://www.usccb.org/news/2023/vatican-publish-private-homilies-late-pope-benedict" target=_blank>Vatican to publish 'private' homilies of late Pope Benedict</a>, by Cindy Wooden. USCCB 12/26/23:<blockquote>Pope Benedict XVI lived in retirement for more than nine years, celebrating Mass each day with the members of his household. The Vatican will publish a collection of the Sunday homilies he gave at those private Masses. The first anniversary of his death is Dec. 31.</blockquote>
<li><a href="https://www.ncregister.com/commentaries/a-year-without-benedict" target=_blank>A Year Without Benedict</a>, by Michael Warsaw. <i>National Catholic Register</i> 12/30/23.
<li><a href="https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256405/ewtn-to-air-conference-on-benedict-xvi-one-year-after-his-death" target=_blank>EWTN to air conference on Pope Benedict XVI one year after his death</a>, by Matthew Santucci. <i>Catholic News Agency</i> 12/29/23:<blockquote>EWTN, the Fundatio Christiana Virtus Association, and the Joseph Ratzinger-Benedict XVI Vatican Foundation have partnered to hold the conference, which will air on EWTN throughout the day on Dec. 31 beginning at 6:30 a.m. ET.
<li><a href="https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256161/2023-ratzinger-prize-reflects-on-theological-legacy-of-late-pope-benedict-xvi" target=_blank>2023 Ratzinger Prize reflects on theological legacy of late Pope Benedict XVI</a>, by Matthew Santucci. <i>Catholic News Agency</i> 12/01/23. The Joseph Ratzinger-Benedict XVI Vatican Foundation awarded its annual Ratzinger Prize this week to two Spaniards, the theologian Father Pablo Blanco Sarto and the philosopher Professor Francesc Torralba, the first time the award was held since the passing of the late pontiff last December.
<li><a href="https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2023/11/13/pope-francis-vatican-monastery-246486" target=_blank>Pope Francis invites contemplative nuns to monastery where Benedict XVI lived in retirement</a> <i>America</i> 11/13/23. Pope Francis has invited a community of Benedictine nuns from Argentina to move into the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in the Vatican Gardens, renewing the building’s purpose as home to a cloistered community of women dedicated to supporting the pope’s ministry with their prayer.
<li><a href="https://www.ncregister.com/cna/two-spanish-theologians-latest-recipients-of-prize-named-for-pope-benedict-xvi" target=_blank>Two Spanish Theologians Latest Recipients of Prize Named for Pope Benedict XVI</a> <i>National Catholic Register</i>, by Matt McDonald. 11/10/23.
<li><a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-benedict-francis-secretary-c433da6db8e67747f576e7dc3bdf4509" target=_blank>Pope sends Benedict XVI’s former aide back to Germany in latest sign of falling out</a> AP News. 06/16/23. Pope Francis has fired the longtime aide to the late Pope Benedict XVI from his Vatican job and ordered him to return to his native Germany, the final chapter in a very public falling out that culminated with the <a href="https://amzn.to/41L4yyY" target=_blank>aide’s tell-all memoir</a> that was highly critical of Francis.
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<li><a href="https://churchlifejournal.nd.edu/articles/pope-benedict-xvis-christology-of-the-sacred-heart/" target=_blank>Pope Benedict XVI’s Christology of the Sacred Heart</a>, by Mary Biese. <i>Church Life Journal</i> 12/29/23.
<li><a href="https://churchlifejournal.nd.edu/articles/pope-benedict-xvi-and-the-breaking-of-patterns/" target=_blank>Pope Benedict XVI and the Breaking of Patterns</a>, by Msgr. Michael Heintz. <i>Church Life Journal</i> 03/02/23.
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Christopher Blosserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08385159494196923575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5590161.post-37088846652653995502023-06-28T19:25:00.003-04:002023-06-28T19:25:17.076-04:00Benedict XVI: What Is Christianity? - The Last Writings<a href="https://amzn.to/46pHGa1" target=_blank><img src="http://ratzingerfanclub.com/images/benedict_xvi_what_is_christianity.jpg" alt="Benedixt XVI: What Is Christianity?" width="200" height="" border="0" align="right"></a>
<a href="https://amzn.to/46pHGa1" target=_blank>What Is Christianity?: The Last Writings</a><br />Ignatius Press (August 1, 2023). 239 pages.<br /><p>
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After Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI resigned from the papacy in 2013, he never stopped thinking or writing. Near the end of his life, he and editor Elio Guerriero gathered together a whole volume of new material, dealing with the themes closest to his heart. The pope asked that it be published upon his death.
<p>This final work is What Is Christianity? It takes up a kaleidoscopic array of themes: the Christian faith's relationship with other religions, especially Judaism and Islam; the theology and reform of the liturgy; the priesthood; the saints; the Eucharist; the tragedy of abuse; the beauty of nature; Italian and German culture; and much more.
<p>With prophetic insight into our times, Benedict warns of a "radical manipulation of man" in the name of tolerance, insisting that the only "authentic counterweight to every form of intolerance" is Christ himself—and Christ crucified.
<p>A lifelong Catholic, the late pope pays tribute to some of the giant figures of Christianity who have served him through the years as guiding stars: his predecessor Pope John Paul II, the twentieth-century German Jesuit martyr Alfred Delp, and the silent carpenter Joseph, his patron saint.
<p><i>What Is Christianity?</i> is a frank spiritual testament from a theological master, a churchman who loved the faith of simple Christians but who always stood ready, even in his last days, to dialogue about every aspect of human life—in love and in truth.
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Christopher Blosserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08385159494196923575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5590161.post-8513193687769597262022-12-31T11:05:00.010-05:002023-01-30T22:47:00.040-05:00Pope Benedict XVI, 1927-2022 - "Humble Worker in the Vineyard of the Lord"
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2022-12/pope-emeritus-benedict-xvi-dies-aged-95.html" target=_blank>Farewell to Benedict XVI: ‘Humble worker in vineyard of the Lord'</a><blockquote>Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI has returned to the Father’s House.
<p>The Holy See Press Office announced that the Pope Emeritus died at 9:34 AM on Saturday morning in his residence at the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery, which the 95-year-old Pope emeritus had chosen as his residence after resigning from the Petrine ministry in 2013.</li>
<p>“With sorrow I inform you that the Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI, passed away today at 9:34 AM in the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in the Vatican. Further information will be provided as soon as possible. As of Monday morning, 2 January 2023, the body of the Pope Emeritus will be in Saint Peter's Basilica so the faithful can bid farewell."</blockquote>
<li><a href="https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2022/12/31/pope-benedict-final-words-244442" target=_blank>Pope Benedict XVI’s last words: ‘Jesus, I love you.’</a>, by Gerard O'Connell. <i>America</i> 12/31/22:<blockquote>“Jesus, ich liebe dich!” Jesus, I love you. These were the final words that Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI uttered before he died, a powerful final expression of love and faith.
<p>The news was first reported by Elisabetta Piqué (my wife), the Rome correspondent, in La Nación, the Argentine daily, which published it online this evening.
<p>Immediately after Benedict had died, the German Archbishop Georg Gänswein, Benedict’s private secretary, phoned Pope Francis to inform him of the former pope’s death. Francis arrived by car at the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery 10 minutes later; he was the first person to arrive at Benedict’s deathbed and, once there, he imparted a final blessing to him and prayed in silence for some minutes besides his body.</blockquote>
<li><a href="https://www.pillarcatholic.com/benedict-xvi-has-died-what-happens-next/?ref=the-pillar-post-newsletter" target=_blank>Benedict XVI has died. What happens next?</a> <i>The Pillar</i> 12/31/22. Here's what we know about the funeral, burial, and mourning for Pope emeritus Benedict XVI.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2022-12/pope-emeritus-benedict-xvi-official-biography.html" target=_blank>Death of Pope Emeritus Benedict: his official biography</a> Vatican News. 12/31/22.
<li><a href="https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2022-12/pope-emeritus-benedict-xvi-key-events-pontificate.html" target=_blank>Benedict XVI: Key events of his pontificate</a> Vatican News. 12/31/22. The papacy of the late Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI was momentous and focused on the goal of bringing "God back to the centre".
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<p><b>Reflections</b>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2023/01/a-methodist-appreciation-of-benedict-xvi" target=_blank>A Methodist Appreication of Benedict XVI</a>, by Paul T. Stallsworth. <i>First Things</i> 01/19/23.
<li><a href="https://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2023/01/on-the-death-of-benedict-xvi" target=_blank>On the Death of Benedict XVI</a>, by Martin Mosebach. 01/13/23:<blockquote>... One of the distortions imposed upon the pontificate of Benedict XVI in the media and by theologians is the suggestion that he sympathized with the clerical anti-Jewishness found in the past. On the contrary, Benedict is the pope who, regarding the Church’s relationship with the Jewish world, went far beyond his predecessor in asking for forgiveness and making gestures of reconciliation. He not only regarded hostility to Jews as a blemish on the part of the Church: He held it to be an attack on the Church’s very foundation. A large part of his academic work was concerned with the Jewish identity of Jesus Christ. He was tireless in showing that the New Testament is connected, sentence by sentence, with Jewish revelation. For him, the Old Testament and the New Testament constitute one single book. The famous definition in Pascal’s Memorial—“God of Abraham, God of Isaac, and God of Jacob; not the God of the philosophers and scholars”—was, for Benedict, the protecting wall that guarded the Christian religion from speculations and a false spiritualism. It was in the Chosen People that God became man, and the fact that most Jews were not able to follow him does not change the reality: The Church will remain bound to Judaism until the end of days. At the same time, in his relationship with the Jews he had nothing in common with that superficial harmony envisaged by today’s indifferentism. Not everything can be reconciled on Earth.</blockquote>
<li><a href="https://www.ncregister.com/interview/remi-brague-ratzinger-s-progressivism-during-vatican-ii" target=_blank>Rémi Brague: Ratzinger’s ‘Progressivism’ During Vatican II Was Really an Effort to Return to the Sources of the Faith</a> Solène Tadié. <i>National Catholic Register</i> 01/10/23:<blockquote>"... he gave us, theologians and intellectuals of all stripes, the model of what he called an “hermeneutic of continuity,” in contradistinction to any attempt at a break with the past"</blockquote>
<li><a href="https://thejosias.com/2023/01/10/the-josias-podcast-episode-xxxi-pope-benedict-xvi/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-josias-podcast-episode-xxxi-pope-benedict-xvi" target=_blank>The Josias Podcast, Episode XXXI: Pope Benedict XVI</a>. Urban Hannon, Matthew Walther, and the Rev. Jon Tveit join Pater Edmund to discuss the life, death, and writings of Pope Benedict XVI. 01/13/23
<li><a href="https://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/2023/01/86758/" target=_blank>Pope Benedict XVI: An Appreciation</a>, by Mark Gottlieb. <i>The Public Discourse</i> 01/09/23:<blockquote>Benedict was, simply put, a man of Europe, a man of the West. A proud son of Bavaria and Germany, of course, but more than any great religious leader of the twentieth and, now, twenty-first centuries, Benedict had the soul of a European. Music, art, belles-lettres, history, philosophy, political thought, theology, Benedict ranged over these contributions to culture like a colossus. Benedict’s analysis of the “peculiar Western self-hatred that is nothing short of pathological” that continues plaguing our culture is both devastating and prophetic. “All that it sees in [the West’s] own history is the despicable and destructive; it is no longer able to perceive what is great and pure. What Europe needs is a new self-acceptance, a self-acceptance that is critical and humble, if it truly wishes to survive.”
<p>
Jews and Christians both must rally around Benedict’s call to defend and celebrate the legacy of the West: the rule of law, the respect for the dignity of man, the institutions of marriage and family, the love of our neighbor, the one most like us, which becomes the basis for the love of the truly other, even—and especially—the one most unlike us. These are the gifts of the West. True, a West that has not always lived its ideals. Benedict knew this gap, saw this schism with his very own eyes. But without those ideals, civilization, and not merely the civilization of Jerusalem and Athens, of Rome, London, and Paris but all civilization, must come to a sorry, still end. And Benedict was one of her most gifted and courageous champions.</blockquote>
<li><a href="https://churchlifejournal.nd.edu/articles/benedict-xvi-1927-2022-in-memoriam/" target=_blank>In Memoriam: Benedict XVI (1927–2022)</a>, by Cyril O'Regan. <i>Churchlife Journal</i> 01/09/23:<blockquote>Teaching, prophetic witness, and vision will be Benedict’s abiding legacy. Each was intrinsic to who he was; together they were constitutive. They define him across his entire life, indicating the flavor of the person, what Gerard Manley Hopkins would speak of as “inscape.” He was not John Paul II, whose extraordinary life and passion was the fuel that fed the blaze of Spirit. He was always the shy, retiring priest and the modest theologian anxious to set himself aside in order to think more than he could think, do more than he could do, and love more than he could love.</blockquote>
<li><a href="http://unamsanctamcatholicam.blogspot.com/2023/01/farewell-reflections-on-benedict-xvi.html" target=_blank>Farewell Reflections on Benedict XVI</a>, by Boniface. <i>Unam Sanctam Catholicam</i> 01/08/23.
<li><a href="https://www.catholicworldreport.com/2023/01/07/a-legacy-of-truth-seeking-pope-benedict-xvi-and-interreligious-dialogue/" target=_blank>A legacy of truth-seeking: Pope Benedict XVI and interreligious dialogue</a>, by Ines Angeli Murzaku. <i>Catholic World Report</i> 01/07/23. "Contrary to widespread misunderstandings, Benedict’s pontificate made notable strides in dialoguing with other religious, especially Islam."
<li><a href="https://www.catholicworldreport.com/2023/01/06/my-favorite-book-by-joseph-ratzinger-benedict-xvi/" target=_blank>Twenty-three authors: “My favorite book by Joseph Ratzinger/Pope Benedict XVI”</a> <i>Catholic World Report</i> 01/06/23. Theologians, philosophers, novelists, catechists, editors, and others discuss a specific work by Ratzinger/Benedict that especially influenced, shaped, inspired, and challenged them.
<li><a href="https://www.catholicworldreport.com/2023/01/05/a-beginners-guide-to-reading-joseph-ratzinger-pope-benedict-xvi/" target=_blank>A beginner’s guide to reading Joseph Ratzinger/Pope Benedict XVI</a>, by Carl Olson. <i>Catholic World Report</i> 01/05/23.
<li><a href="https://www.ncronline.org/vatican/view-vatican/benedict-remembered-role-pushing-us-bishops-confront-clergy-abuse" target=_blank>Benedict remembered for role in pushing US bishops to confront clergy abuse</a>, by Christopher White. <i>National Catholic Reporter</i> 01/05/23.
<li><a href="https://www.theamericanconservative.com/a-believer-in-an-age-of-skeptics/" target=_blank>A Believer in an Age of Skeptics</a>, by John Hirschauer. <i>The American Conservative</i> 01/05/23. Benedict XVI was willing to give his entire life to Jesus Christ when most men lived for themselves.
<li><a href="https://www.catholicworldreport.com/2023/01/04/what-it-was-like-to-learn-from-joseph-ratzinger-in-the-1970s/" target=_blank>What it was like to learn from Joseph Ratzinger in the 1970s</a>, by Fr. D. Vincent Twomey. <i>Catholic World Report</i> 01/04/23. How my life and thought were profoundly marked and shaped by my six years studying under Ratzinger at the University of Regensburg.
<li><a href="https://www.catholicworldreport.com/2023/01/04/the-true-joseph-ratzinger/" target=_blank>The True Joseph Ratzinger</a>, by George Weigel. <i>The Catholic World Report</i> 01/04/23. The key to the true Joseph Ratzinger, and to his greatness, was the depth of his love for the Lord Jesus — a love refined by an extraordinary theological and exegetical intelligence.
<li><a href="https://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2023/01/a-monk-of-le-barroux-reflects-on-his.html" target=_blank>A Monk of Le Barroux Reflects on His Friendship with Ratzinger</a> <i>Rorate-Caeli</i> 01/04/23. Dom Louis-Marie Geyer d'Orth O.S.B., Abbot of the Benedictine Abbey of Sainte-Madeleine Le Barroux, published this reflection at <i>L'homme nouveau</i> on Jan. 4.
<li><a href="https://www.ncronline.org/earthbeat/faith/first-green-pope-how-benedicts-eco-theology-paved-way-francis" target=_blank>The first green pope: How Benedict's eco-theology paved the way for Francis</a>, by Brian Roewe. <i>National Catholic Reporter</i> 01/04/23.
<li><a href="https://www.catholicworldreport.com/2023/01/04/father-fessio-on-professor-ratzinger-the-future-benedict-xvi/" target=_blank>Father Fessio on ‘Professor Ratzinger,’ the future Benedict XVI</a>. Interview w/ Fr. Joseph Fessio, SJ. <i>Catholic World Report</i> 01/04/23.
<li><a href="https://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2023/01/benedict-xvi-disciple" target=_blank>Benedict XVI: Disciple</a>, by Thomas G. Guarino. <i>First Things</i> 01/03/23.
<li><a href="https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/46065/flavors-of-home-benedict-xvis-favorite-restaurant-in-rome" target=_blank>‘Flavors of home’: Benedict XVI’s favorite restaurant in Rome</a>, by Hannah Brockhaus. Catholic News Agency. 01/03/23:<blockquote>Mario Notari recalled one humorous moment with Ratzinger.
<p>When a neighbor and client of the restaurant lost her dog, Cantina Tirolese hung up a sign with information about the dog and how to contact the owner if he was found.
<p>"That evening, when the cardinal was going down the stairs, he gave a glance at what was written on the paper, and smiling... he said, ‘but I am not lost,'" the manager recounted, pointing out that the lost dog was a German shepherd, a common nickname for the theologian.</blockquote>
<li><a href="https://www.catholicworldreport.com/2023/01/01/the-life-faith-and-struggle-of-joseph-ratzinger-an-interview-with-peter-seewald/" target=_blank>The life, faith, and struggle of Joseph Ratzinger: An interview with Peter Seewald</a>. <i>Catholic World Report</i> 01/01/23. The veteran German journalist discusses his new biography of Benedict XVI, and reflects in detail on Ratzinger’s childhood, personality, education, and role in key Church events.
<li><a href="https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/253211/benedict-xvi-thinker-preacher-saint-former-students-and-scholars-discuss-legacy" target=_blank>Benedict XVI: thinker, preacher, saint? Scholars and former students discuss legacy</a>, by Kevin J. Jones. Catholic News Agency. 01/01/23.
<li><a href="https://youtu.be/kYx4PCQaF1o" target=_blank>Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI Death - Exclusive Interview with Msgr. Georg Gänswein</a> ETWN. [Video Interview] 12/31/22.
<li><a href="http://edwardfeser.blogspot.com/2022/12/on-death-of-pope-benedict-xvi.html" target=_blank>On the Death of Pope Benedict XVI</a>, by Edward Feser. 12/31/22.
<li><a href="https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/253212/benedict-xvi-a-look-back-at-the-cat-loving-pope-s-favorite-feline-friends" target=_blank>Benedict XVI: A look back at the cat-loving pope’s favorite feline friends</a>, by Courtney Mares. Catholic News Agency. 01/01/23. "The late Benedict XVI was known for his intellectual acumen as a theologian and philosopher, but perhaps his most relatable quality was that he was a cat person."
<li><a href="https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2022-12/cardinal-christoph-schonborn-benedict-xvi-catechism.html" target=_blank>Benedict XVI: ‘Father of Catechism of the Catholic Church’</a>, by Cardinal Christoph Schönborn. Vatican News. 12/31/22. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI’s role in the 1992 Catechism of the Catholic Church, a compendium of Catholic doctrine for our own times.
<li><a href="https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2022-12/pope-emeritus-benedict-xvi-tornielli-god-is-love.html" target=_blank>‘God is love’: The key to Benedict’s pontificate</a>, by Andrea Tornielli. Vatican News. 12/31/22.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2022-12/pope-emeritus-benedict-xvi-lombardi-papal-spokesman.html" target=_blank>Fr. Lombardi: ‘Benedict spent his life seeking the face of Jesus’</a>, by Frederico Lombardi, SJ. Vatican News. 12/31/22.
<li><a href="https://www.commonwealmagazine.org/pope-benedict-legacy-collection-vatican-ii-ratzinger" target=_blank>The Legacy of Pope Benedict XVI</a>, by The Editors. <i>Commonweal</i> 12/31/22.
<li><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/31/opinion/pope-benedict-dead-catholic-church.html" target=_blank>What Pope Benedict Taught Me About Faith</a>, by Sohrab Amari. <i>New York Times</i> 12/31/22.
</ul>
<p><b>This post will provide an ongoing compilation of coverage, reflections and remembrances of Joseph Ratzinger / Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI</b>
</ul>Christopher Blosserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08385159494196923575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5590161.post-44011406120717303952022-12-28T12:46:00.008-05:002022-12-28T12:46:44.900-05:00Please Pray for Pope Benedict XVI<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/28/europe/pope-benedict-sick-pope-francis-intl/index.html" target=_blank>Former Pope Benedict is 'very sick', Pope Francis says</a>, by Delia Gallagher and Rob Picheta, CNN. 12/28/22:<blockquote>Pope Francis has said that his predecessor Pope Benedict, the 95-year-old former pontiff who resigned from the post nine years ago, is “very sick” after a deterioration in his health on Wednesday.
<p>"I want to ask you all for a special prayer for Pope Emeritus Benedict who sustains the Church in his silence. He is very sick," Francis said during his general audience at the Vatican on Wednesday.
<p>"We ask the Lord to console and sustain him in this witness of love for the Church to the very end."
<p>A Vatican spokesman later confirmed that “in the last few hours there has been a deterioration due to the advancement of (Benedict’s) age.”
<p>"The situation at the moment remains under control and continually monitored by his doctors," the spokesman, Matteo Bruni, said, adding that Francis visited his predecessor at the Mater Ecclesiae monastery in Vatican City after his general audience.</blockquote>
Christopher Blosserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08385159494196923575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5590161.post-48982523145153893142022-12-23T12:43:00.001-05:002022-12-28T12:44:25.175-05:00The Pope Benedict Roundup<ul>
<li><a href="https://edwardfeser.blogspot.com/2022/08/benedict-contra-benevacantism.html" target=_blank>Benedict contra Benevacantism</a>, by Edward Fester. 08/05/22:<blockquote>I’ve been reading the second volume of Peter Seewald’s <a href="https://amzn.to/3WohYND" target=_blank><i>Benedict XVI: A Life</i></a>. There is much of interest in it, including a new interview with Benedict at the very end. Some of what he says is relevant to the controversy over Benevacantism (also called “Beneplenism” and the “Benedict is pope (BiP)” thesis), which holds that Benedict never validly resigned and that Francis is an antipope. I’ve addressed this topic a couple of times before and the debate is, in my view, essentially played out. But since a small but significant number of Catholics remain attracted to this foolish thesis, it seems worthwhile calling attention to <b>how Benedict’s remarks throw further cold water on it.</b></blockquote>
<li><a href="https://www.ncregister.com/cna/5-things-to-know-about-pope-emeritus-benedict-xvi-on-his-95th-birthday" target=_blank>5 Things to Know About Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI on His 95th Birthday</a> <i>National Catholic Register</i> 04/16/22. The last time Benedict's birthday fell on Holy Saturday was 1960.
<li><a href="https://www.ncregister.com/cna/benedict-xvi-was-a-prophet-of-church-s-future-pope-francis-tells-malta-s-jesuits" target=_blank>Benedict XVI Was ‘A Prophet’ of Church’s Future, Pope Francis Tells Malta’s Jesuits</a> <i>National Catholic Register</i> 04/14/22:<blockquote>Speaking during a private meeting with Jesuit priests and seminarians earlier this month, the Pope said he believed that this was one of the pope emeritus’ most "profound intuitions."
<p>"Pope Benedict was a prophet of this Church of the future, a Church that will become smaller, lose many privileges, be more humble and authentic and find energy for the essential," Pope Francis said during the meeting with Jesuits at the apostolic nunciature in Malta on April 3.
<p>"It will be a Church that is more spiritual, poorer, and less political: a Church of the little ones."</blockquote>
<li><a href="https://www.ncregister.com/commentaries/pope-benedict-xvi-and-the-german-question" target=_blank>Pope Benedict XVI and the ‘German Question’</a>, by Father Raymond J. de Souza. <i>National Catholic Register</i> 04/13/22. "A conflagration may very well engulf the Church within the next year, and there is no fire extinguisher now that Benedict XVI is in retirement."
<li><a href="https://www.ncregister.com/cna/who-is-benedict-xvi-cardinal-filoni-shares-his-testimony" target=_blank>Who Is Benedict XVI? Cardinal Filoni Shares His Testimony</a>, by Cardinal Fernando Filoni. <i>National Catholic Register</i> 01/28/22. "I can testify first of all to his profound and very high moral and intellectual honesty."
<li><a href="https://cruxnow.com/vatican/2022/01/vatican-defends-benedict-after-report-faults-abuse-record" target=_blank>Vatican defends Benedict after report faults abuse record</a>, by Nicole Winfield. <i>Crux</i> 01/26/22. The Vatican on Wednesday strongly defended Pope Benedict XVI’s record in fighting clergy sexual abuse and cautioned against looking for “easy scapegoats and summary judgments,” after an independent report faulted his handling of four cases of abuse when he was archbishop of Munich, Germany.
<li><a href="https://theimaginativeconservative.org/2022/01/joseph-ratzinger-man-sent-god-jared-staudt.html" target=_blank>Joseph Ratzinger: A Man Sent From God</a>, by R. Jared Staudt. <i>The Imaginative Conservative</i> 01/01/22:<blockquote>Ratzinger provides us with a model of faithful service to the Lord and His Church. He never thought himself worthy of his ministry, but saw himself as a “a simple and humble labourer in the vineyard of the Lord.” He wanted to retire even before his papacy began, but he served to the full extent of his strength. Like a good steward, entrusted with the truth and the Church’s worship, he will be prepared to enter his reward.
<p>Knowing its true quality, we can have confidence that his legacy will not be dismantled. Despite any actions to limit it or roll it back, it will continue to shine and illumine the Church when the names of his critics will be long forgotten. Ratzinger did not work to create a legacy for himself, but to point us to the Lord. In this service, he follows in the footsteps of John the Baptist, as a man sent from God to give testimony, bear witness, and inspire faith. Time will prove the enduring worth of his work as theologian, pastor, and liturgical prophet.</blockquote>
</ul>Christopher Blosserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08385159494196923575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5590161.post-29049446481956225252021-05-16T13:46:00.002-04:002021-05-16T13:46:14.158-04:00The Pope Benedict Roundup<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.ncronline.org/news/opinion/distinctly-catholic/considering-benedict-xvis-theology-and-papacy-his-94th-birthday" target=_blank>Considering Benedict XVI's theology and papacy on his 94th birthday</a>, by MIchael Sean Winters. <i>National Catholic Reporter</i> 04/16/21.
<li><a href="https://www.ncregister.com/commentaries/pope-benedict-xvi-the-anchor-that-kept-germany-rooted-in-christ" target=_blank>Pope Benedict XVI, the Anchor That Kept Germany Rooted in Christ</a>, by Fr. Raymond J. de Souza. <i>National Catholic Register</i> 04/21/21. In the late evening of his life, Ratzinger/Benedict can be understood as the Catholic Church’s singular, multi-generational response to the reforming agenda of German theology.
<li><a href="https://cruxnow.com/vatican/2021/04/benedict-xvi-grateful-to-pope-francis-for-year-of-st-joseph/" target=_blank>Benedict XVI ‘grateful’ to Pope Francis for year of St. Joseph</a>, by Elise Ann Allen. <i>Crux News</i> 04/03/01. Speaking with the German newspaper <i>Die Tagespost</i>, Benedict XVI said, "I am naturally particularly pleased that Pope Francis is so aware of the importance of Saint Joseph."
<li><a href="https://www.catholicworldreport.com/2021/04/15/the-life-faith-and-struggle-of-joseph-ratzinger-an-interview-with-peter-seewald/" target=_blank>The life, faith, and struggle of Joseph Ratzinger: An interview with Peter Seewald</a>, by Carl Olson. <i>Catholic World Report</i> 04/15/21. The veteran German journalist discusses his new biography of Benedict XVI, and reflects in detail on Ratzinger’s childhood, personality, education, and role in key Church events:<blockquote><b>CWR:</b> What sort of access have you had to him over the course of that time?
<p><b></b>Seewald: I was not a fan of his, but I asked myself the question: Who is Ratzinger really? He had long since been pigeonholed as the “Panzer Cardinal”, the “Great Inquisitor”, a grim fellow, therefore, an enemy of civilization. As soon as one blew this horn, one could be absolutely certain of the applause of journalist colleagues and the mainstream audience.
<p><b>CWR:</b> What was different about you?
<p><b>Seewald:</b> I had studied Ratzinger’s writings in advance and especially his diagnoses of the times. And I was somewhat stunned to see that Ratzinger’s analyses of the development of society had been largely confirmed. In addition, none of the contemporary witnesses I interviewed, fellow students, assistants, companions, who really knew Ratzinger, could confirm the image of the hardliner, on the contrary. With the exception of people like Hans Küng and Jürgen Drewermann, his notorious opponents. Of course, I also wanted to see for myself, on site, in the building of the former Holy Inquisition in Rome.
<p><b>CWR:</b> That was an unforgettable moment?
<p><b>Seewald:</b> Yes. The door to the visitors’ room, where I was waiting, opened and in stepped a not too tall, very modest and almost delicate-looking figure in a black cassock, who extended his hand to me in a friendly manner. His voice was soft and the handshake was not such that one had broken fingers afterwards. This was supposed to be a Panzer Cardinal? A prince of the Church greedy for power? Ratzinger made it easy for me to strike up a conversation with him. We sat down and started talking. ...</blockquote>
<li><a href="https://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/2021/01/73738/" target=_blank>Ratzinger's Way: A Review of <i> Benedict XVI: A Life: Volume One: Youth in Nazi Germany to the Second Vatican Council 1927–1965</i></a>, by Samuel Gregg. <i>The Public Discourse</i> 01/24/11.
<li><a href="https://www.catholicworldreport.com/2021/02/04/the-constantinian-heathenism-of-the-church-joseph-ratzinger-and-the-crisis-of-our-time/" target=_blank>The Constantinian heathenism of the Church: Ratzinger and the crisis of our time</a>, by Larry Chapp. <i>Catholic World Report</i> 02/04/21. The vapid lunacy of the post-conciliar Church was the product of the hollow and merely forensic “faith” of the pre-conciliar Church.
<li><a href="https://www.ncregister.com/news/pope-benedict-s-conscience-is-clear-regarding-his-2013-resignation" target=_blank>Pope Benedict’s ‘Conscience Is Clear’ Regarding His 2013 Resignation</a>, by Edward Pentin. <i>National Catholic Register</i> 03/01/21. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI speaks candidly on several topics including his decision to resign, Joe Biden's presidency, and Pope Francis traveling to Iraq in a new interview with an Italian newspaper. [<a href="https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=it&tl=en&u=https://www.liberoquotidiano.it/articolo_blog/blog/andrea-cionci/26378596/benedetto-xvi-intervista-corriere-della-sera-papa-uno-solo.html" target=_blank>Full Interview Here</a> (Italian-English translation)].
</ul>
Christopher Blosserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08385159494196923575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5590161.post-26048298673801613692021-01-25T01:26:00.001-05:002021-01-25T01:26:11.927-05:00Pope Benedict Roundup<p><b>News</b>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2021-01/benedict-xvi-the-pandemic-first-christmas-without-his-brother.html" target=_blank>Benedict XVI, the pandemic, first Christmas without his brother</a> Vatican News. 01/14/21:<blockquote>"Benedict XVI’s brother, during these Christmas holidays — the first after his death — has made himself felt in some way: we have, in fact, listened several times to CDs, not only to Bach's Christmas Oratorio, but also to concerts with Christmas carols, performed by the Regensburger Domspatzen, the choir that Georg Ratzinger directed.” Archbishop Gänswein added: “For Benedict, this absence is a wound that has caused him pain during these holidays, but he also told me that he felt the Lord's consolation, in the certainty that his brother now lives in His embrace."</blockquote>
<li><a href="https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/pope-francis-and-pope-emeritus-benedict-xvi-receive-covid-19-vaccine-86355" target=_blank>Pope Francis and Benedict XVI receive first dose of COVID-19 vaccine</a> 01/14/21.
<li><a href="https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/archbishop-ganswein-pope-benedict-xvis-secretary-reflects-on-awful-2020-with-bunte-magazine-76558" target=_blank>Pope Benedict’s secretary reflects on awful 2020 with German Magazine</a> 01/01/21:<blockquote>Gänswein, who hails from the Black Forest region of Germany, is prefect of the Papal Household, but has been on leave from his duties as prefect since February <i>in order to be able to dedicate his time exclusively to the former pope as Benedict XVI's private secretary</i>.
<p>Since the election of Pope Francis in 2013, Gänswein had worked in both roles, commuting between two offices – until the stress took its toll. The archbishop suffered from acute hearing loss in 2017 and is now living with a severe case of tinnitus. In late January of last year, Pope Francis informed Gänswein he should devote his time and energy entirely to his role as secretary to Benedict. “For this purpose, he released me from my service in the prefecture. My duties there have been reassigned for an indefinite period”, Gänswein said.</blockquote>
<li><a href="http://thedialog.org/international-news/retired-pope-benedict-xvi-declines-inheritance-of-his-late-brother-msgr-georg-ratzinger/" target=_blank>Retired Pope Benedict XVI declines inheritance of his late brother, Msgr. Georg Ratzinger</a> Catholic News Service. 11/02/20.
<li><a href="https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/benedict-xvi-distances-himself-from-embattled-catholic-community-55470" target=_blank>Benedict XVI distances himself from embattled Catholic community</a> Catholic News Agency. 10/25/20:<blockquote>he German magazine <i>Herder Korrespondenz</i> reported Oct. 25 that the Pope Emeritus had taken the step regarding the Catholic Integrated Community.
<p>Referring to the group by its German initials, IG, Benedict told the publication: “Obviously I was not informed about some things in the inner life of the IG, or even deceived, which I regret.”
<p>He had given the group ecclesiastical recognition during his time as archbishop of Munich and Freising, from 1977 to 1982.</blockquote>
<li><a href="https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/australian-professor-and-french-philosopher-win-ratzinger-prize-66287" target=_blank>Australian professor and French philosopher win Ratzinger Prize</a> Catholic News Agency. 10/02/20:<blockquote>Former Vatican spokesman Fr. Federico Lombardi, president of the Joseph Ratzinger-Benedict XVI Foundation, announced Thursday that the 2020 award would be shared by Tracey Rowland and Jean-Luc Marion. ...
<p>The award recipients were selected by Pope Francis, based upon the recommendations of a committee composed of five members: Cardinal Angelo Amato, Cardinal Kurt Koch, Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, Cardinal Luis Ladaria, and Bishop Rudolf Voderholzer of of Regensburg.
<p>The Ratzinger Prize was launched in 2011 to recognize scholars whose work demonstrates a meaningful contribution to theology in the spirit of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the Bavarian theologian who became Benedict XVI.</blockquote>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.catholicweekly.com.au/qa-with-ratzinger-prize-winner-dr-tracey-rowland/" target=_blank>Q&A with Ratzinger Prizewinner Dr. Tracey Rowland</a> <i>The Catholic Weekly</i> 10/02/20.
<li><a href="https://www.ncregister.com/blog/christianity-offers-best-hope-for-restoration-of-community-says-ratzinger-prize-laureate" target=_blank>Christianity Offers Best Hope for Restoration of Community, Says Ratzinger Prize Laureate</a> <i>National Catholic Register</i> 11/13/20. Jean-Luc Marion, prominent Catholic philosopher and recipient of the 2020 Ratzinger Prize, discusses the great stakes of our time, from secularization and nihilism to the crisis of the Church and the coronavirus pandemic.
</ul>
<li><a href="https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/pope-emeritus-benedict-xvi-becomes-oldest-pope-in-history-2290670" target=_blank>Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI Becomes Oldest Pope In History</a> 09/04/20:<blockquote>At the age of 93 and nearly five months, Benedict XVI officially became the oldest pope in history on Friday, even if the record is complicated by the fact that he stepped down in 2013 and holds the status of "pope emeritus".</blockquote>
<li><a href="https://www.ncregister.com/news/full-text-pope-benedict-xvi-s-letter-marking-st-john-paul-ii-s-birth-centenary" target=_blank>Pope Benedict XVI’s Letter Marking St. John Paul II’s Birth Centenary</a> <i>National Catholic Register</i> 05/15/20. Editor’s Note: Here is the full text of Pope emeritus Benedict XVI’s letter marking the centenary of the birth of St. John Paul II. The English translation of this letter, dated May 4, was released May 15 by the Polish bishops’ conference.
</ul>
<p><center>
<img src="http://www.ratzingerfanclub.com/images/benedict_george_06_2020.jpg" width="500" border="0"><div style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 11px; width: 500px;">Retired Pope Benedict XVI is seen in a file photo praying with his brother, Msgr. Georg Ratzinger in his private chapel at the Vatican. The Vatican announced June 18, 2020, that Pope Benedict XVI, who is 93, traveled to Germany to visit his ailing older brother, who is 96. (Credit: CNS photo/L'Osservatore Romano via Reuters.)</div></center>
<p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://cruxnow.com/ap/2020/07/retired-popes-elder-brother-georg-ratzinger-dies-at-96/" target=_blank>Retired pope’s elder brother, Georg Ratzinger, dies at 96</a>, by David Rising. Associated Press 07/01/20:<blockquote>Monsignor Georg Ratzinger, the older brother of Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI, who earned renown in his own right as a director of an acclaimed German boys’ choir, has died at 96.
<p>The Regensburg diocese in Bavaria, where Ratzinger lived, said in a statement on his website that he died Tuesday. His death came just over a week after Benedict made a four-day visit to Regensburg to be with his ailing brother.
<p>Ordained on the same day as his brother, Ratzinger proved to be a talented musician and went on oversee the recording of numerous masterpieces and concert tours around the world by the Regensburger Domspatzen, a storied choir that traces its history back to the 10th century.</blockquote>
<li><a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/mgr-georg-ratzinger-v7xvgxpz8" target=_blank>Mgr Georg Ratzinger obituary</a> <i>The Times</i> [uk]. 07/03/20.
<li><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/01/world/europe/georg-ratzinger-dead.html" target=_blank>Rev. Georg Ratzinger, Choirmaster and a Pope’s Brother, Dies at 96</a>, by Ari L. Goldman. <i>New York Times</i> 07/01/20. "Father Ratzinger, a trained musician, pursued a career far away from the world of the Vatican and the future Pope Benedict XVI."
<li><a href="https://www.ncregister.com/news/my-brother-benedict-xvi-an-interview-with-msgr-georg-ratzinger" target=_blank>‘My Brother, Benedict XVI’ — An Interview with Msgr. Georg Ratzinger</a> Msgr. Ratzinger discusses his brother, his life as a priest, his passion for music, and his memories of his brother’s predecessor, Pope St. John Paul II. <i>National Catholic Register</i> 07/01/20. This exclusive interview originally ran as a two-part series at the Register — “When Your Little Brother Is the Pope” (April 15, 2008) and “My Brother, the Pope” (May 6, 2008). Both parts are presented here in their entirety.
<li><a href="https://cruxnow.com/vatican/2020/07/benedict-xvi-remembers-brother-as-man-of-god/" target=_blank>Benedict XVI remembers brother as ‘man of God’</a> Elise Ann Allen. <i>Crux</i> 07/09/20:<blockquote>In a letter read aloud at his brother’s funeral in Regensburg, retired pope Benedict XVI recalled several characteristics which he felt best described his eldest sibling, including a love of music, joy in adversity and a deep piety.
<p>"He was a man of God. Even if he did not show his piety, it was the real center of his life,” Benedict said in the letter, praising his brother’s “sobriety and honesty."</blockquote>
<li><a href="https://cruxnow.com/cns/2020/07/retired-pope-benedict-follows-his-brothers-funeral-virtually/" target=_blank>Retired Pope Benedict follows his brother’s funeral virtually</a> Catholic News Service. 07/08/20.
<li><a href="https://cruxnow.com/cns/2020/07/pope-francis-sends-condolences-to-pope-benedict-for-brothers-death/" target=_blank>Pope Francis sends condolences to Pope Benedict for brother’s death</a> 07/02/20.
<li><a href="https://cruxnow.com/ap/2020/06/retired-pope-visits-former-home-parents-grave-in-germany/" target=_blank>Retired pope visits former home, parents’ grave in Germany</a>, by David McHugh. Associated Press. 06/21/20.
<li><a href="https://cruxnow.com/vatican/2020/06/benedict-xvi-heads-to-regensburg-to-visit-ailing-brother/" target=_blank>Benedict XVI heads to Regensburg to visit ailing brother</a>, by Elise Ann Allen. <i>Crux</i> 06/18/20.
</ul>
<p><b>Commentary</b>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://aleteia.org/2021/01/22/pope-benedict-xvis-prayer-for-the-protection-of-life-in-the-womb/" target=_blank>Pope Benedict XVI's prayer for the protection of life in the womb</a> 01/22/10. In 2010, Pope Benedict XVI inaugurated a special prayer vigil at the beginning of Advent for the protection of unborn life. He wanted to stress the need to support women in their pregnancies and to hold up the dignity of every human person.
<li><a href="https://www.catholicworldreport.com/2021/01/13/the-life-faith-and-struggle-of-joseph-ratzinger-an-interview-with-peter-seewald/" target=_blank>The life, faith, and struggle of Joseph Ratzinger: An interview with Peter Seewald</a>, by Carl E. Olson. 01/13/21. The veteran German journalist discusses his new biography of Benedict XVI, and reflects in detail on Ratzinger’s childhood, personality, education, and role in key Church events.
<li><a href="https://www.ncregister.com/blog/benedict-xvi-warnings" target=_blank>Benedict XVI Warned Us Years Ago of Dangers Ahead</a>, by Joseph Pronechen. <i>National Catholic Register</i> 01/02/21.
<li><a href="https://cruxnow.com/church-in-europe/2020/11/new-cardinal-sees-clear-continuity-between-benedict-xvi-francis/" target=_blank>New cardinal sees clear continuity between Benedict XVI, Francis</a> <i>Crux</i> 11/09/20.<blockquote>"Pope Francis wants to bring the Church back to the radicality of the Gospel," Cardinal-elect Augusto Paolo Lojudice said in an interview with Crux, adding that for him, Francis’s "pontificate and his magisterium are the logical consequence of that of Pope Benedict XVI."</blockquote>
<li><a href="https://www.thecatholictelegraph.com/flavors-of-home-benedict-xvis-favorite-restaurant-in-rome/69664" target=_blank>"Flavors of Home": Benedict XVI's favorite restaurant in Rome</a> Catholic News Agency. 10/03/20:<blockquote>To Notari, the quiet and gentle Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was just another patron at the little Austrian restaurant he manages a few steps from the Vatican.
<p>"There was this regularity of this cardinal, who always arrived with a look of humility, very reserved, and went downstairs with his little bag," he told CNA.
<p>Notari is the long-time manager of Cantina Tirolese, a restaurant of two floors, which since 1971 has served traditional German and Austrian dishes to its mostly Roman clients — and to a few cardinals. ...
<p>Notari remembers that Ratzinger liked to order a dish called frittatensuppe, which is a traditional German plate of beef broth with strips of a thinly cooked mixture of egg, flour, and milk similar to a French crêpe.
<p>"And he drank aranciata," he said with a smile, referring to a popular Italian orange soda usually known by the brand name Fanta.</blockquote>
<li><a href="https://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2020/05/joseph-ratzinger-theological-reformer" target=_blank>Joseph Ratzinger: Theological Reformer</a>, by George Weigel. <i>First Things</i> 05/06/20:<blockquote>As he turned 93 on April 16, Joseph Ratzinger remained one of the most misunderstood and misrepresented men of consequence in recent Catholic history. I doubt the Pope Emeritus minds; he’s probably impervious to calumny, having had it visited upon him for over a half-century. This kindly man may feel a measure of compassion for the small minds that continually tell untruths about him and his theology. But he has better things to do than fret about his detractors: dwarves ineffectually tossing pebbles at a serene giant. ...</blockquote>
<p><li><a href="https://cruxnow.com/vatican/2020/09/continuity-in-particularity-cardinal-looks-at-pope-francis-benedict-xvi/" target=_blank>Continuity in particularity: Cardinal looks at Pope Francis, Benedict XVI</a>, by Cindy Wooden. Catholic News Service. 09/01/20:<blockquote>Between Pope Francis and retired Pope Benedict XVI, there is “continuity of magisterium and particularity in pastoral style,” but even more, there is “a living communion of affection,” said Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state.
<p>What retired Pope Benedict XVI once described as the importance of “newness and continuity” in the teaching of the Second Vatican Council compared to the past also can be seen in comparing the teaching of the two popes, Parolin wrote in the introduction to “Una Sola Chiesa,” (“Only One Church”).
<p>The book, released Sept. 1, demonstrates continuity by presenting excerpts of general audiences talks from Pope Benedict and Pope Francis on the themes of church, family, prayer, faith and mercy. ...</blockquote>
</ul>
<b>Recent / Forthcoming Books By Pope Benedict XVI</b>
<p><table>
<tr> <td valign="top"><a href="https://amzn.to/39eMROt" target=_blank><img src="http://ratzingerfanclub.com/images/benedict_xvi_on_love.jpg" alt="" width="90" height="" border="0"></a></td> <td valign="top"><a href="https://amzn.to/39eMROt" target=_blank>On Love: Selected Writings</a><br />Ignatius Press (January 21, 2021). 149 pages.<br /><div style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 11px;">In these homilies, most of which are previously unpublished, Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, addresses the theme he has celebrated, pondered, and witnessed by his life more than any other: love. For him, love is the vital nucleus of the Church and to serve Christ is above all a question of love: "Peter, do you love me? Feed my sheep" (Jn 21:15–17).
<p>Love is also the quest of every human being on the journey toward eternity. He beautifully states, "Christianity is a movement, a journey; it is not a theory, a sum total of doctrine; Christianity is life, it is a vital impetus that carries us toward true life. . . . Someone who has found love can say: I have found life."
<p>Arranged by the liturgical seasons of the Church year, the homilies predate the author's pontificate. The earliest dates from 1970 while he was still a professor of theology. Thus, this collection traces the way Joseph Ratzinger has been enamored of the love of God throughout his years of serving the Church.</div></td> </tr>
<tr> <td valign="top"><a href="https://amzn.to/2YcYxuG" target=_blank><img src="http://ratzingerfanclub.com/images/b16_signs_of_new_life.jpg" alt="Signs of New Life: Homilies on the Church's Sacraments" width="90" height="" border="0"></a></td> <td valign="top"><a href="https://amzn.to/2YcYxuG" target=_blank>Signs of New Life: Homilies on the Church's Sacraments</a><br />by Joseph Ratzinger.<br />
Ignatius Press; None edition (March 15, 2020). 125 pages.<br />
<div style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 11px;">At life's many crossroads, the Sacraments of the Church continually bring people into contact with the saving work of God: Baptism, Confirmation, Confession, Holy Eucharist, Matrimony Holy Orders, Anointing of the Sick. The celebrations of the Church always offer an opportunity to announce the faith and deepen our understanding of it. <i>Signs of New Life</i> gathers a selection of fourteen homilies by Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI) on each of the Seven Sacraments, as well as an additional two texts on the theme of the Church more broadly. Ratzinger endeavored as a theologian to develop an understanding of the Sacraments in new ways and to make fruitful the participation of others in the celebration of them. Many of his homilies refer to individual Sacraments and connect them with a profound interpretation of Scripture and of the Christ event. The Scriptural passages interpreted in each homily are listed at the start, so that this volume can also be used for Scriptural meditation and spiritual reading. This book is intended to help us grasp more profoundly the essence of the Church and to aid us in celebrating and proclaiming the Sacraments as that which they truly are: signs of the new life in Christ.</div></td> </tr>
<tr> <td valign="top"><a href="https://amzn.to/3sMZmIV" target=_blank><img src="http://ratzingerfanclub.com/images/b16_seeking_gods_face.jpg" alt="Seeking God's Face: Meditations for the Church Year" width="90" height="" border="0"></a></td> <td valign="top"><a href="https://amzn.to/3sMZmIV" target=_blank>Seeking God's Face: Meditations for the Church Year</a><br />
by Elio Guerriero.<br />Cluny Media (February 18, 2020). 154 pages.<br />
<div style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 11px;">"Seek out the Lord and his might; constantly seek his face.” This concise admonition from the Book of Psalms captures the impetus of Seeking God’s Face. In these meditations, Joseph Ratzinger reflects upon the major feasts and the Sundays of the year, inspired by Scripture, the Church Fathers, and the lives of the saints. The seasons of Advent and Christmas receive particular attention, with an address on the mystery of suffering, a sermon on the “Word Made Flesh,” and a consideration of the contribution of St. Francis of Assisi to Christmas celebrations, which join “The Lesson of the Christmas Donkey” by Pope John Paul I in honoring the birth of Jesus Christ, in whom we encounter the very face of God. Originally published in English in 1982, Seeking God’s Face shines with a spirit of joyful wisdom and serves as a source for much fruitful meditation on the central mysteries of the Catholic faith as they are celebrated over the course of the Church calendar.</div></td> </tr>
<tr> <td valign="top"><a href="https://amzn.to/3oio1l0" target=_blank><img src="http://ratzingerfanclub.com/images/b16_western_culture.jpg" alt="Western Culture Today and Tomorrow: Addressing the Fundamental Issues" width="90" height="" border="0"></a></td> <td valign="top"><a href="https://amzn.to/3oio1l0" target=_blank>Western Culture Today and Tomorrow: Addressing the Fundamental Issues</a><br>
Ignatius Press (October 15, 2019). 170 pages.<br />
<div style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 11px;">ell known for his important scholarly contributions to dogmatic theology and biblical commentary, Joseph Ratzinger has also been an insightful, shrewd analyst of political modernity and its discontents. This work reveals Ratzinger's keen insight into the fundamental challenges confronting the twenty-first-century West.</div></td> </tr>
</table>
<b>Recent / Forthcoming Books About Pope Benedict XVI</b>
<table>
<tr> <td valign="top"><a href="https://amzn.to/3ph9xmJ" target=_blank><img src="http://ratzingerfanclub.com/images/benedict_seewald_vol_II.jpg" alt="Benedict XVI: A Life: Volume Two: Guardian of the Faith, Pope, Pope Emeritus 1965–The Present" width="90" height="" border="0"></a></td> <td valign="top"><a href="" target=_blank>Benedict XVI: A Life: Volume Two: Guardian of the Faith, Pope, Pope Emeritus 1965–The Present</a><br />
by Peter Seewald.<br />
Bloomsbury Continuum (October 12, 2021). 400 pages.<br /><div style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 11px;"><i>Benedict XVI: Volume One</i> offers insight into the young life and rise through the Church's ranks of a man who would become a hero and a lightning rod for Catholics the world over. Based on countless hours of interviews in Rome with Benedict himself, this much-anticipated two-volume biography is the definitive record of the life of Joseph Ratzinger and the legacy of Pope Benedict XVI.
<p><i>Volume I</i> follows the early life of the future Pope, from his days growing up in Germany and his conscription into the Hitler Youth during World War II to his career as an academic theologian and eventual Archbishop of Munich. Volume II, to be published in 2021, will cover his move to Rome under Pope John Paul II, his ascension to the papacy, and his controversial retirement and news-making statements under his successor, Pope Francis I.
<p>This necessary companion to Benedict's own memoir, <i>Last Testament</i>, is the fullest account to date of the life of a radical Catholic leader who has continued to make news while cloistered in retirement in the Vatican gardens.</div></td> </tr>
<tr> <td valign="top"><a href="https://amzn.to/3qM18rR" target=_blank><img src="http://ratzingerfanclub.com/images/benedict_seewald_vol_1.jpg" alt="Benedict XVI: A Life: Volume One: Youth in Nazi Germany to the Second Vatican Council 1927–1965" width="90" height="" border="0"></a></td> <td valign="top"><a href="https://amzn.to/3qM18rR" target=_blank>Benedict XVI: A Life: Volume One: Youth in Nazi Germany to the Second Vatican Council 1927–1965</a><br />by Peter Seewald.<br />
Bloomsbury Continuum (December 15, 2020). 512 pages.<br /><div style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 11px;"><i>Benedict XVI: Volume One</i> offers insight into the young life and rise through the Church's ranks of a man who would become a hero and a lightning rod for Catholics the world over. Based on countless hours of interviews in Rome with Benedict himself, this much-anticipated two-volume biography is the definitive record of the life of Joseph Ratzinger and the legacy of Pope Benedict XVI.
<p><i>Volume I</i> follows the early life of the future Pope, from his days growing up in Germany and his conscription into the Hitler Youth during World War II to his career as an academic theologian and eventual Archbishop of Munich. Volume II, to be published in 2021, will cover his move to Rome under Pope John Paul II, his ascension to the papacy, and his controversial retirement and news-making statements under his successor, Pope Francis I.</div></td> </tr>
<tr> <td valign="top"><a href="https://amzn.to/3c91Yei" target=_blank><img src="http://ratzingerfanclub.com/images/b16_daniel_cardo.jpg" alt="What Does it Mean to Believe?: Faith in the Thought of Joseph Ratzinger" width="90" height="" border="0"></a></td> <td valign="top"><a href="https://amzn.to/3c91Yei" target=_blank>What Does it Mean to Believe?: Faith in the Thought of Joseph Ratzinger</a><br />by Fr. Daniel Cardo.<br />
Ignatius Pr (November 6, 2018). 715 pgs.<br />
<div style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 11px;">The testimony and teachings of Joseph Ratzinger on the act of faith are particularly urgent for the Church today. Doctrinal confusion and other signs of crisis experienced by believers find their root in a crisis of faith. Understanding what it means to believe is more than an academic exercise; rather, it is a necessary step for authentic renewal in the Church.
<p><i>In What Does it Mean to Believe?</i>, Fr. Daniel Cardó outlines the different insights of Joseph Ratzinger on the act of faith—understood as a personal, integral, and ecclesial act. Cardó provides an organic view of the rich contribution made by the Pope Emeritus in his many theological works.
<p><i>What Does it Mean to Believe?</i> is also an invitation to appreciate the mind and the faith of one of the greatest theologians of our time.</div></td> </tr>
<tr> <td valign="top"><a href="https://amzn.to/3iTvo1r" target=_blank><img src="http://ratzingerfanclub.com/images/the_experiment_of_faith.jpg" alt="The Experiment of Faith: Pope Benedict XVI on Living the Theological Virtues in a Secular Age" width="90" height="" border="0"></a></td> <td valign="top"><a href="https://amzn.to/3iTvo1r" target=_blank>The Experiment of Faith: Pope Benedict XVI on Living the Theological Virtues in a Secular Age</a><br />by Matthew J. Ramage.<br />
The Catholic University of America Press (March 23, 2020). 304 pages.<br />
<div style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 11px;">Pope Benedict XVI memorably remarked that the Christian faith is a lot like a Gothic cathedral with its stained-glass windows. From the outside, the Church can appear dark, dreary, and worn with age—the crumbling relic of an institution that no longer speaks to men and women living in our modern world. Indeed, for many people today, Christian morality with all of its commandments appears to be a source not of life and joy but instead of suffering and oppression. Even within the Church, many wonder: why should I submit to ancient doctrines and outdated practices that restrict my freedom and impede my happiness?<p>In this timely and original book, his third exploring the riches of Benedict XVI's vast corpus, theologian Matthew Ramage sets out to meet this challenge with an in-depth study of the emeritus pontiff's wisdom on how to live Christian discipleship in today's increasingly secularized world. Taking as his starting point Benedict's conviction that the truth of Christianity—like the beauty of a cathedral's glorious windows—can be grasped only from the inside, Ramage draws on Benedict's insights to show how all Christians can make the "experiment of faith" by living the theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity in daily life. Along the way, he shares his personal reflections on how Benedict's wisdom has helped him to navigate difficulties in embracing the faith and provides a way forward to those struggling to live as disciples in a way that is intellectually serious without remaining merely intellectual. In so doing, he also presents a highly nuanced yet accessible approach to defending the truth of the gospel in a world where life in Jesus Christ tends to be seen as unfulfilling, irrelevant, or just one lifestyle choice among others.</div></td> </tr>
</table> Christopher Blosserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08385159494196923575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5590161.post-68672952124999941912020-02-20T17:30:00.001-05:002020-09-05T18:40:50.511-04:00Pope Benedict Roundup<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.mondayvatican.com/vatican/benedict-xvi-seven-years-after" target=_blank>Benedict XVI, seven years after</a>, by Andrea Gagliarducci. <i>Monday Vatican</i> 02/10/20:<blockquote>A Benedict XVI text has passed almost unnoticed, unlike the <a href="https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/column/benedict-xvi-sarahs-book-what-if-the-real-issue-is-the-lack-of-institutional-thinking-4108" target=_blank>book he wrote with Cardinal Robert Sarah on priestly celibacy</a>: it is the <a href="http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/cti_documents/rc_cti_20191022_saluto-bxvi-50ann-cti_it.html" target=_blank>letter that the Pope emeritus wrote last November to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the International Theological Commission</a>.<p>Benedict XVI’s text is of great importance to understand today’s challenges and how Benedict XVI tried to face them. ...</blockquote>
<p><li><a href="https://www.catholicworldreport.com/2020/02/11/the-ratzingerian-constants-and-the-maintenance-of-harmony-in-the-church/" target=_blank>The Ratzingerian Constants and the Maintenance of Harmony in the Church</a>, by Bishop Robert Barron. 02/11/20:<blockquote>Papa Ratzinger said that the Church performs three basic tasks: it worships God, it evangelizes, and it serves the poor. The religious activities of over a billion Catholics around the globe, he maintained, can be reduced finally to these three fundamental moves. ...</blockquote>
<p><li><a href="https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/benedict-responds-to-criticism-of-his-essay-on-the-church-and-the-sexual-abuse-crisis-51446" target=_blank>Benedict XVI responds to criticism of his essay on the Church and the sexual abuse crisis</a> Catholic News Agency. 08/27/19:<blockquote>Pope emeritus Benedict XVI has responded to criticism of his essay on the abuse crisis, saying many negative reactions have confirmed his central thesis that apostasy and alienation from the Faith are at the heart of the crisis – by not even mentioning God in their critique of his essay.
<p>In a brief statement in reaction to such criticism published in German magazine “Herder Korrespondenz,” the former pope pointed to a “general deficit” in the reactions to his essay, saying that many critical responses missed the very point he was making.</blockquote>
</ul>
<p><b>Upcoming Published Works by and about Pope Benedict XVI</b>
<p>
<table>
<tr> <td valign="top">
<a href="https://amzn.to/2u7VXdM" target=_blank><img src="http://ratzingerfanclub.com/images/ratzinger_from_the_depths_of_our_hearts.jpg" alt="" width="120" height="" border="0"></a>
</td> <td valign="top"><a href="https://amzn.to/2u7VXdM" target=_blank>From the Depths of Our Hearts: Priesthood, Celibacy and the Crisis of the Catholic Church</a>by Benedict XVI (Author), Robert Cardinal Sarah (Author)<p>Ignatius Press (March 12, 2020). 152 pages.<p><div style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 11px;">The Catholic Church faces a major crisis and the turmoil in priestly ministry is at the heart of it. "The priesthood is going through a dark time," write Pope Emeritus Benedict and Cardinal Robert Sarah. “Wounded by the revelation of so many scandals, disconcerted by the constant questioning of their consecrated celibacy, many priests are tempted by the thought of giving up and abandoning everything."
<p>
In this book, Pope Emeritus Benedict and Cardinal Robert Sarah give their brother priests and the whole Church a message of hope. They honestly address the spiritual challenges faced by priests today, including struggles of celibacy. They point to deeper conversion to Jesus Christ as the key to faithful and fruitful priestly ministry and church reform.
<p>
From the Depths of Our Hearts is an unprecedented work by the Pope Emeritus and a Cardinal serving in the Vatican. As bishops, they write “in a spirit of filial obedience” to Pope Francis, who has said, "I think that celibacy is a gift for the Church... I don’t agree with allowing optional celibacy, no."
<p>
Responding to calls for refashioning the priesthood, including proposals from the Amazonian Synod, two wise, spiritually astute pastors explain the biblical and spiritual role of the priesthood, celibacy, and genuine priestly ministry. Drawing on Vatican II, they present priestly celibacy as more than “a mere precept of ecclesiastical law”. They insist that renewal of the Church is bound to a renewed understanding of priestly vocation as sharing in Jesus’ priestly identity as Bridegroom of the Church.
<p>
This is a book whose crucial message is for clergy and laity alike.
</div>
</td> </tr>
<tr> <td valign="top"><a href="https://amzn.to/2G1AJBa" target=_blank><img src="http://ratzingerfanclub.com/images/b16_witness_through_encounter.jpg" alt="" width="120" height="" border="0"></a></td> <td valign="top"><a href="https://amzn.to/2G1AJBa" target=_blank>Witness through Encounter: The Diplomacy of Benedict XVI </a>
by Bernard J. O'Connor
St. Augustines Press; 1 edition (January 20, 2020). 386 pages.
<div style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 11px;">
Appealing to dialogue is often just a safe way of referring to something negative, or at best blandly neutral: the avoidance of conflict, the denial of similarity, not stirring deep-seated disagreement, etc. When Bernard o’Connor says pope Benedict XVI facilitated dialogue, however, he means something quite positive, very much tangible and certainly transformative. In providing an account of the pope’s interactions with various groups of the international community, O’Connor attempts to convey Benedict XVI’s diplomacy as encounter, where even in the sphere of international relations exhortations to “dialogue” are invitations to see more clearly and be moved as much as move.
<p>
To dialogue is to embrace, revise perception such that our approaches to the great questions of our day are not simply shared but correct. As O’Connor writes, “Pope Benedict attempts to promote the outlook that a renewed emphasis upon objective, critical and structured philosophical reasoning positions practice, diplomatic and otherwise, to regain its lost foundation and framework. the quest for integrity, if nothing else, should motivate our fidelity to academic pursuit, to intellectual investigation, and to rigorous interdisciplinary inquiry. so influenced, practice will then reject what is arbitrary and be guided by what is time-tested and enduring.”
<p>
O’Connor illustrates true dialogue emerging from the encounter, and in turn provides scores of characteristics of this encounter as it unfolds in papal diplomacy. In providing scores of addresses and speeches to various bodies, O’Connor presents pope Benedict XVI as an example of effective diplomacy that treats the meetings on the world stage as engaging in true dialogue. encounter is the true basis of dialogue and one that allows it to open to what is truly a catalyst for change toward cooperation––witness, both personal and collective. As o’Connor shows, “where there is authentic encounter, as meeting in mutual trust, what arises is context for witness.” If authentic even the diplomatic encounter has the means to deepen and transform one’s being.
<p>
<i>Witness Through Encounter</i> intends to fulfill multiple needs. the diplomatic approach exemplified herein is singular and worthy of study among political scientists, sociologists, philosophers and diplomats eager to embrace a worldview that is more personal than simply humanistic. this work will also be useful in inter-religious settings. An additional advantage of O’Connor’s presentation of Benedict XVI’s diplomatic approach, his witness through encounter, is that it contains insight valuable to the scholar alongside the resources used.</div>
</td> </tr>
<tr> <td valign="top"><a href="https://amzn.to/38hjKGR" target=_blank><img src="http://ratzingerfanclub.com/images/ratzinger_healing_reformation.jpg" alt="" width="120" height="" border="0"></a></td> <td valign="top"><a href="https://amzn.to/38hjKGR" target=_blank>Joseph Ratzinger and the Healing of Reformation-Era Divisions </a>
by Emery de Gaál (Editor) (Author), Matthew Levering (Editor)
Publisher: Emmaus Academic (November 1, 2019). 408 pages.<div style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 11px;">
Edited by Emery de Gaál and Matthew Levering, Joseph Ratzinger and the Healing of Reformation-Era Divisions examines Joseph Ratzinger/Pope Benedict XVI's manifold contributions to Catholic-Protestant theological reflection. The collection opens with an introduction comparing Ratzinger's approach to ecumenism to that of Karl Rahner. Rahner argues that the structural uniting of Protestants and Catholics should take place now without worrying about doctrinal differences. In contrast, Ratzinger argues that unity in Christ requires probing the doctrinal differences and seeking a deeper understanding of the reasoning of each side—on the grounds that the truth of the Gospel that each side desires to preserve will ultimately be the basis for the only kind of Christian ecclesial unity worth having, namely, a unity of the basis of the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
<p>
Detailed essays follow, treating a number of loci including papal primacy, ecumenical principles, liturgy, evangelization, Mariology, Christ's birth and the celebration of Christmas, public theology, Christocentrism, Martin Luther, charity, conscience, missiology, justification, the reception of Ratzinger/Benedict in Radical Orthodoxy, and Scripture and Tradition. These essays run the full gamut of Ratzinger/Benedict's major themes and preoccupations.
<p>
Ten of the essays are by Catholic scholars, and seven by Protestant scholars. Contributors include many of the world's leading Ratzinger experts, and the volume opens with an essay by Bishop Rudolf Voderholzer, Director of the Pope Benedict XVI Institute in Regensburg, Germany.</div>
</td> </tr>
</table>Christopher Blosserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08385159494196923575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5590161.post-60753888354588252072019-08-07T23:53:00.000-04:002019-08-07T23:53:55.619-04:00Pope Benedict Roundup<ul>
<li><a href="https://catholicherald.co.uk/news/2019/08/05/benedict-xvi-meets-recently-dismissed-jpii-institute-professor/" target=_blank>Amid JPII Institute controversy, Benedict XVI meets with recently dismissed professor</a> <i>Catholic News Agency</i> 08/05/19:<blockquote>Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI met last week with a recently dismissed professor of moral theology at Rome’s Pontifical John Paul II Institute, amid ongoing controversy regarding recent changes to the Institute.
<p>Benedict XVI invited Monsignor Livio Melina to meet with him in on August 1, a source close to Melina told CNA.
<p>The pope emeritus “wanted to receive Prof. Mons. Livio Melina at a private audience. After a long discussion of the recent events at the Pontifical Institute John Paul II, he granted his blessing, expressing his personal solidarity and assuring him of his closeness in prayer.”
<p>Melina, who was president of the John Paul II Institute from 2006 until 2016, was dismissed from the institute after the recent promulgation of new statutes, or rules of order, for the graduate school, and a decision to eliminate the chair of moral theology which Melina held.</blockquote>
<li><a href="https://cruxnow.com/vatican/2019/07/26/benedict-xvi-takes-short-trip-outside-vatican-visits-towns-outside-rome/" target=_blank>Benedict XVI takes short trip outside Vatican, visits towns outside Rome</a>, by Claire Giangravè. <i>Crux</i> 07/27/19:<blockquote>... While it was heartening for people to see Benedict, 92, outside the Vatican walls, the wheelchair that followed him around wherever he went served as a constant remainder of the emeritus pope’s advanced age.
<p>Archbishop Georg Ganswein, longtime secretary to the retired pontiff, made sure that Benedict was always well hydrated during his evening escapade.
<p>The pope’s last stop was in Frascati, yet another small town in the Castelli Romani area, where he was welcomed by the local bishop, Raffaello Martinelli, for a private meeting and light supper.</blockquote></blockquote>
<p><li><a href="https://www.traunsteiner-tagblatt.de/region/landkreis-traunstein/surberg_artikel,-papst-em-benedikt-xvi-ist-surbergs-erster-ehrenbuerger-_arid,488382.html" target=_blank>"Pope em. Benedict XVI is Surberg's first honorary citizen"</a> <i>Traunsteiner Tagblatt</i> 07/05/19:<blockquote>Benedict recently received a delegation from the village on Surberg, near Traunstein, when he was made an honorary citizen. Benedict spent his formative years in the hamlet of Hufschlag, near Trainstein. He regarded it as his hometown.
<p>The Mayor, Mayor Josef Wimmer, presented him with the honorary citizenship certificate at Mater Ecclesiae. Benedict spent half an hour chatting with him and a small group in his sitting room.</blockquote>
<p><li><a href="https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2019/06/28/pope-benedict-xvi-speaks-new-interview-there-one-pope-he-francis" target=_blank>Pope Benedict XVI speaks in new interview: ‘There is one pope, he is Francis’</a>, by Gerard O’Connell. <i>America</i> 06/28/19:<blockquote>“The adversaries of Bergoglio, often conservatives desperately seeking a word of Benedict that would sound as a criticism of Bergoglio, have unfailingly heard [from Benedict] that ‘There is one pope, he is Francis.’”
<p>That sentence contains one of only a small number of quotations from the 92-year-old Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI found in a long article in the weekly magazine <i>Corriere della Sera</i>, Italy’s best-selling daily, published on June 28.
<p>The other significant quotation from Benedict regards church unity, in which he says: “The unity of the church is always in danger, for centuries. It has been throughout its entire history. Wars, internal conflicts, centrifugal pushes, threats of schism. But in the end, the consciousness that the church is and must remain united has always prevailed.</blockquote>
<p><li><a href="https://cruxnow.com/church-in-uk-and-ireland/2019/06/14/the-pope-brings-drama-of-benedict-and-francis-to-stage/" target=_blank>“The Pope” brings drama of Benedict and Francis to stage</a>, by Charles Collins. <i>Crux</i> 06/14/19. Anton Lesser as Pope Benedict XVI and Nicholas Woodeson as Cardinal Bergoglio in "The Pope", at the Royal & Derngate Theatre in Northampton, England.
<p><li><a href="https://catholicherald.co.uk/news/2019/04/16/benedict-xvi-turns-92/" target=_blank>Benedict XVI turns 92</a>, by Cindy Wooden. <i>Catholic Herald</i> 04/16/19.
<p><li><a href="https://catholicherald.co.uk/magazine/benedict-xvis-church-of-the-future/?fbclid=IwAR0IE6SVvuCrsdac5vrf_fNToyFPTFJMhWuniKLQp6IfH8j-9AM-Zcfs_3U" target=_blank>How Joseph Ratzinger saw past the Church’s established structures</a>, by Fr. Raymond Souza. 12/13/18.
<p><li><a href="http://asianews.it/news-en/Pope-urges-continued-studies-of-the-writings-of-Pope-Benedict-XVI-45507.html" target=_blank>Pope urges continued studies of the writings of Pope Benedict XVI</a> 11/17/18:<blockquote>Pope Francis this morning met with members of the Joseph Ratzinger-Benedict XVI Vatican Foundation on the occasion of the eighth Ratzinger Prize.
<p>In his address, he highlighted the need to continue to study the writings of Pope Benedict XVI and appreciate the contributions of women in theology and “Christianly inspired arts”.
<p>The winners of this year’s prize are: German Catholic theologian Marianne Schlosser, a medieval specialist of Saint Bonaventure and professor of the theology of spirituality in the Faculty of Catholic Theology at the University of Vienna since 2004; and Swiss architect Mario Botta who built many sacred buildings and various churches.
<p>Addressing an "affectionate and grateful thought to Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI", Francis said that "his is a spirit that views the problems of our time with awareness and courage, and knows how to draw, from attention to Scripture in the living tradition of the Church, the wisdom necessary for a constructive dialogue with today’s culture."
<p>As for the Ratzinger Prize going to a woman, the pontiff noted that "it is very important that the contribution of women to the scientific field of theological research and that of the teaching of theology — for so long considered almost exclusive territories of the clergy — be recognized more and more.</blockquote>
</ul>
<p><b>Upcoming Books</b>
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<a href="https://amzn.to/2YeWNP5" target=_blank><img src="http://www.ratzingerfanclub.com/images/benedict_xvi_protestant_appreciation.jpg" width="150" border="0"></a>
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<a href="https://amzn.to/2YeWNP5" target=_blank>The Theology of Benedict XVI: A Protestant Appreciation</a>
<p><div style="text-align: left; font-size: 11px;">There's no doubt about Benedict XVI's theological legacy. He's been at the center of every major theological controversy in the Catholic Church over the last fifty years. But he remains a polarizing figure, misunderstood by supporters and opponents alike.
<p>A deeper understanding of Benedict's theology reveals a man dedicated to the life and faith of the church. In this collection of essays, prominent Protestant theologians examine and commend the work of the Pope Emeritus. Katherine Sonderegger, Kevin Vanhoozer, and Carl Trueman―among others―present a full picture of Benedict's theology, particularly his understanding of the relationship between faith and reason and his pursuit of truth for the church. The global Christian faith can learn from Benedict's insight into the modern church and his desire to safeguard the future of the church by leaning on the wisdom of the ancient church.</div>
</td>
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</table>Christopher Blosserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08385159494196923575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5590161.post-72739472198994640302019-04-13T11:05:00.001-04:002019-04-27T23:06:43.328-04:00Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI: "The Church and the Scandal of Sexual Abuse"<a href="https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/full-text-of-benedict-xvi-the-church-and-the-scandal-of-sexual-abuse-59639" target=_blank>"The Church and the Scandal of Sexual Abuse"</a> - a previously unpublished essay from Pope emeritus Benedict XVI.<blockquote>On February 21 to 24, at the invitation of Pope Francis, the presidents of the world's bishops' conferences gathered at the Vatican to discuss the current crisis of the faith and of the Church; a crisis experienced throughout the world after shocking revelations of clerical abuse perpetrated against minors.
<p>The extent and gravity of the reported incidents has deeply distressed priests as well as laity, and has caused more than a few to call into question the very Faith of the Church. It was necessary to send out a strong message, and seek out a new beginning, so to make the Church again truly credible as a light among peoples and as a force in service against the powers of destruction.
<p>Since I myself had served in a position of responsibility as shepherd of the Church at the time of the public outbreak of the crisis, and during the run-up to it, I had to ask myself - even though, as emeritus, I am no longer directly responsible - what I could contribute to a new beginning.
<p>Thus, after the meeting of the presidents of the bishops' conferences was announced, I compiled some notes by which I might contribute one or two remarks to assist in this difficult hour.
<p>Having contacted the Secretary of State, Cardinal [Pietro] Parolin and the Holy Father [Pope Francis] himself, it seemed appropriate to publish this text in the Klerusblatt [ a monthly periodical for clergy in mostly Bavarian dioceses].
<p>My work is divided into three parts.
<p>In the first part, I aim to present briefly the wider social context of the question, without which the problem cannot be understood. I try to show that in the 1960s an egregious event occurred, on a scale unprecedented in history. It could be said that in the 20 years from 1960 to 1980, the previously normative standards regarding sexuality collapsed entirely, and a new normalcy arose that has by now been the subject of laborious attempts at disruption.
<p>In the second part, I aim to point out the effects of this situation on the formation of priests and on the lives of priests.
<p>Finally, in the third part, I would like to develop some perspectives for a proper response on the part of the Church.</blockquote>
<p><b>Reactions and Commentary</b>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2019/04/benedict-and-his-critics" target=_blank>Benedict and His Critics</a>, by Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller. <i>First Things</i> April 2019:<blockquote>At age 92, Benedict XVI is capable of deeper theological reflection than his critics, who lack respect and are ideologically blinded. He is able to get closer to the source of the fire that has set the Church's roof ablaze. The catastrophic fire in Paris, in one of Christendom's most venerable houses of God, also has a symbolic meaning: It makes us appreciate again the work of good firefighters, instead of blaming them for the water damage done in the course of extinguishing the flames. Rebuilding and renewing the whole Church can only succeed in Christ—if we get our bearings by the Church’s teaching on faith and morals.</blockquote>
<li><a href="https://www.catholicworldreport.com/2019/04/24/the-ratzinger-diagnosis%e2%80%af/" target=_blank>The Ratzinger Diagnosis</a>, by George Weigel. <i>Catholic World Report</i> 04/24/19. "Have any of the progressive critics engaged Ratzinger’s argument? No."
<li><a href="https://www.catholicworldreport.com/2019/04/11/editorial-benedict-xvis-essay-is-both-insightful-and-incomplete/" target=_blank>Editorial: Benedict XVI’s essay is both insightful and incomplete</a>, by Carl E. Olson. <i>Catholic World Report</i> 04/11/19. "The essay titled “The Church and the scandal of sexual abuse” contains several perennial themes but sidesteps the elephants in the Church."
<li><a href="https://www.eurasiareview.com/12042019-how-benedicts-essay-supports-francis-call-for-zero-tolerance-analysis/" target=_blank>How Benedict’s Essay Supports Francis’ Call For ‘Zero Tolerance’ – Analysis</a>, by Ed Condon. <i>Eurasia Review</i> 04/12/19:<blockquote>... Some prominent bishops have insisted on distinguishing between the sexual abuse of minors and sexual misconduct between adults, arguing that potentially consensual sexual misconduct by clerics should not be accorded the status of a major crime. In light of Benedict’s essay, some are likely to see in that approach the juridic framework that Benedict described as <i>guarantorism</i> ["in which the rights of the accused seemed to be afforded the central concern of the canonical process, often at the expense of victims, restorative justice, and the public good"].</blockquote>
<li><a href="https://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2019/04/benedict-speaks" target=_blank>Benedict Speaks</a>, by R.R. Reno. <i>First Things</i> 04/10/19:<blockquote>... The tone of the document is his usual one, that of calm and matter-of-fact statements. Overall, it’s more testimony than analysis, testimony from a man who lived through cultural convulsions and theological betrayals. And it’s a faithful man’s testimony of God’s enduring love.</blockquote>
<li><a href="https://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2019/04/benedict-and-the-scandal" target=_blank>Benedict and the Scandal</a>, by Charles J. Chaput. <i>First Things</i> 04/11/19:<blockquote>Toward the end of his own 1970 essay, Augusto Del Noce noted that “an enormous cultural revision will be necessary in order to really leave behind the philosophical processes that have found expression in today's sexual revolution.” The bad news is that too many of today’s Catholics seem to lack the will and ability to pursue that task. The good news is that some of our leaders still have the courage to speak the truth.</blockquote>
<li><a href="http://wdtprs.com/blog/2019/04/more-thoughts-on-benedict-xvis-6000k-word-essay-on-the-present-crisis/" target=_blank>More thoughts on Benedict XVI’s 6000K word essay on The Present Crisis</a>, Fr. John Zuhlsdorf. 04/12/19:<blockquote>Apart from all the business about pedophilia and crises, etc., Benedict gets down to it, I think, when writes of the loss of Mystery, the Mystery in liturgical worship and the Mystery of the Church. For Ratzinger, and he even from the years I had the privilege to speak often with him, and for me, everything comes from and flows back to our sacred liturgical worship, which must bring us into transforming contact with Mystery, much as Moses left the tent of meeting shining so brightly his face could not be looked at. If we recognize the connect of Cult, Code and Creed, then even reflection on law reveals the Mystery of God, as does more obviously doctrine. Encountered rightly, they transform. However, after lamenting a loss of Mystery, Benedict poignantly turns inside out a phrase of his perennial spiritual guide, Romano Guardini, a phrase which in his earlier writings Ratzinger called a “standard quotation in German Catholicism”. Mind you, just as Christ’s quotes of the prophets were instantly recognized by 1st century Jews, the German clergy, Benedict’s immediate audience will get this. Guardini, writing between the wars and during the rise of the Liturgical Movement wrote positively, “An event of incalculable importance has begun; the Church is awakening in [people’ s] souls.” On the contrary, Benedict herein mourns that a negative event of incalculable importance has begun, namely, “The Church is dying in [people’s] souls.”
<p>The last 50 years have borne that out and, in fact, the necrotic effects are accelerating, which makes them daily more obvious.
<p>What could be the take away from this somewhat rambling collection of observations and Ratzingerian tropes? This may be Benedict’s prophetic call to those who are listening. We are seeing the Church experience a Job-like testing. If Christ endured a Passion, the Church must endure a Passion as well. The Passion reveals the radical, unfathomable depths of God’s love. We must learn to recognize this love, and manifest it. We are going to experience painful but purifying down-sizing. We must creatively form places where the Faith and love can “dwell”, habitats of Faith.</blockquote>
<li><a href="https://www.ncronline.org/news/opinion/distinctly-catholic/benedicts-letter-about-sex-abuse-crisis-regrettable-text" target=_blank>Benedict's letter about sex abuse crisis is a regrettable text</a>, by Michael Sean Winters. <i>National Catholic Reporter</i> 04/11/19.
</ul>Christopher Blosserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08385159494196923575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5590161.post-50878395589752443452018-10-04T21:09:00.001-04:002018-10-04T21:09:13.018-04:00Benedict XVI: His Life and Thought, by Elio Guerriero<a href="https://amzn.to/2ICPDOt" target=_blank><img src="http://ratzingerfanclub.com/images/benedict_guerriero.jpg" alt="Benedict XVI: His Life and Thought, by Elio Guerriero" width="200" height="" border="0" align="right"></a><a href="https://amzn.to/2ICPDOt" target=_blank>Benedict XVI: His Life and Thought</a><br>by Elio Guerriero.<br>Ignatius Pr (November 6, 2018). 715 pgs.<p>
<div style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 12px;">In these pages Benedict XVI shares his story for the first time since his retirement from the papacy. Joseph Ratzinger is widely recognized as one of the most brilliant theologians and spiritual leaders of our time. Born in Germany in 1929, he lived through Nazism, war, and Communism, like John Paul II, who after his surprising election in 1978, insisted on having Ratzinger at his side for his whole twenty-seven-year pontificate.
<p>When Ratzinger was elected Pope in 2005, he took the name Benedict XVI. He opened a path of purification for the Roman Catholic Church at a time when it was shaken by financial and sexual scandals. He has repeatedly said that Europe must return to its Christian roots and build a new humanism for the twenty-first century.
<p>Benedict XVI was misunderstood by many, and in 2013, he astonished the world by resigning from the papacy. Many saw this gesture as a sign of the decline of Catholicism, but it was the opposite: it was a seed sown in the hope of bringing the Church a younger, more vigorous leadership in the face of so many daunting challenges.
<p>Elio Guerriero, who for many years has had an ongoing relationship with the Pope Emeritus, presents a thorough, well-rounded portrait of the brilliant intellectual and humble man of the Church whom many more have come to love and respect since his resignation. This book includes a Foreword by Pope Francis, and contains the first interview of Benedict XVI since the end of his pontificate.
<p>Elio Guerriero, theologian, philosopher, and historian, is the longtime director of Communio, and editorial manager at Jaca Book and Edizioni San Paolo. He edited the Italian edition of the History of the Church directed by A. Jedin. His other books include Hans Urs von Balthasar, The Drama of God, and Saint Giana Molla: Wife, Mother, and Doctor.
</div>
Christopher Blosserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08385159494196923575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5590161.post-80108079205890597692018-10-04T21:06:00.002-04:002018-10-04T21:06:29.556-04:00Pope Benedict Roundup<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/benedict-xvi-defends-resignation-and-title-pope-emeritus-in-private-letters-71782" target=_blank>Benedict XVI defends resignation and title ‘pope emeritus’ in private letters</a> Catholic News Agency 09/01/18:<blockquote>In newly-surfaced letters from Benedict XVI, the pope emeritus has defended his abdication, and warned that continued anger at his decision risked undermining the papal office. The private correspondence, excerpts from which were carried in a German newspaper, was reportedly addressed to Cardinal Walter Brandmüller.
<p>According to the letters, Benedict said he understood "the deep-seated pain" the end of his papacy caused the cardinal and others. At the same time, the pope emeritus wrote, he recognized that for some people the pain had “turned into an anger that no longer merely concerns my resignation, but increasingly also my person and my papacy as a whole.”
<p>[...]
<p>Addressing the ongoing dissatisfaction some individuals had with both his resignation and his subsequent life as "pope emeritus" - a title not previously used - Benedict cautioned that these sentiments were undermining the effectiveness of the petrine ministry.
<p>"In this way the pontificate itself is being devalued and conflated with the sadness about the situation of the Church today," he wrote</blockquote>
<li><a href="https://cruxnow.com/news-analysis/2018/06/07/bond-between-benedict-francis-runs-through-italys-chicken-soup-for-the-soul/" target=_blank>Bond between Benedict, Francis runs through Italy’s ‘Chicken Soup for the Soul’</a>, by John Allen, Jr. <i>Crux</i> News 06/07/18:<blockquote>As Tantardini ministered to the youth he helped to convert, he realized the vast majority had absolutely no background in religious practice at all, so in 2001 he decided to put together a brief collection of the simplest Christian prayers along with everything somebody needs to know to make a good confession. The result, <i>Chi prega si salva</i> (“Who Prays is Saved”), went on to become the Italian equivalent of <i>Chicken Soup for the Soul</i> – one of the most popular brief spiritual books ever published, though in Tantardini’s case arguably with greater substance.
<p>One admirer of Tantardini and his book was Pope emeritus Benedict XVI, who wrote a preface for a new edition of Chi prega si salva in early 2005, shortly before his election to the papacy. Benedict is actually a big fan of the ciellini, as members of Communion and Liberation are known – he celebrated Giussani’s funeral Mass, and members of a related group of consecrated lay women, Memores Domini, nicknamed the German pontiff’s “guardian angels,” still run his household.
<p>Another big admirer of Tantardini is Pope Francis, who considered him a close friend in Rome when the future pope was the archbishop and cardinal of Buenos Aires. For his part, Tantardini told friends he was carrying Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina “in his heart” as his candidate for pope in 2005. When Tantardini was ailing before he died in 2012, Bergoglio performed a confirmation Mass as a favor and urged everyone to pray for his good friend.</blockquote>
<p>
<li><a href="https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/analysis-benedict-xvis-unpublished-letter--god-is-key-to-understanding-human-rights-86495" target=_blank>Analysis: Benedict XVI’s unpublished letter- God is key to understanding human rights</a>, by Andrea Gagliarducci. Catholic News Agency (05/14/18).
<p>
<li><a href="https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2018/04/02/even-pope-my-teacher-joseph-ratzinger-always-wrote-back" target=_blank>Even as pope, my teacher Joseph Ratzinger always wrote back</a>, Elisabeth Haggblade shares fond memories of corresponding with the Pope Emeritus in <i>America</i> Magazine, 06/11/18. "He never left a note I sent unanswered."
<p>
<li><a href="https://www.ncronline.org/news/vatican/pope-praises-retired-pope-benedicts-writings-faith-and-politics" target=_blank>Pope praises retired Pope Benedict's writings on faith and politics</a>, by Cindy Wooden. Catholic News Service (05/07/18):<blockquote>"Liberating Freedom: Faith and Politics in the Third Millennium" is a collection of essays written over the course of several decades, including during Pope Benedict's eight years as pope. It is scheduled to be published in Italian by Cantagalli in May 11. The website Vatican Insider posted Pope Francis' preface May 6 and Vatican News posted an English translation the next day.
<p>Pope Francis said that when Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger worked alongside St. John Paul II, "he elaborated and proposed a Christian vision of human rights capable of questioning on a theoretical and practical level the totalitarian claim of the Marxist state and the atheist ideology on which it was based."
<p>Pope Francis said the contrast Ratzinger saw between Christianity and Marxism or communism definitely was not the focus on the poor and the need to fight inequality.
<p>"We must learn — once again, not only at the theoretical level, but in the way we think and act — that alongside the real presence of Jesus in the church and in the sacrament, there exists that other real presence of Jesus in the little ones, in the trampled of this world, in the last, in whom he wants us to find him," Pope Francis quoted the cardinal as writing.</blockquote>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://saltandlighttv.org/blogfeed/getpost.php?id=81341" target=_blank>Full Text of Pope Francis’ preface of Benedict’s works: A compass to Understand our Present day</a> (<i>Salt & Light</i> 05/07/18)
</ul>
<p><li>And last but not least (even though it's from last year), <a href="http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/news/2017/11/01/new-pint-ifex-beer-honours-benedict-xvi/" target=_blank>New ‘Pint-ifex’ beer honours Benedict XVI</a> (11/1/17):<blockquote>An Ohio brewery has produced a specially-commissioned beer in honour of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. The Bavarian-style hefeweizen, called Beer-nedict XVI: Pint-ifex Maximus, was launched at the conference of the Society for Catholic Social Scientists in Steubenville</blockquote>
</ul>Christopher Blosserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08385159494196923575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5590161.post-91793465494248973872018-03-14T23:01:00.002-04:002018-03-18T21:00:51.868-04:00Pope Benedict Roundup
<ul>
<li><a href="https://apnews.com/amp/01983501d40d47a4aa7a32b6afb70661" target=_blank>Vatican doctors photo of Benedict's praise for Francis</a>, by Nicole Winfield. 3/13/18:<blockquote>The Vatican admitted Wednesday that it altered a photo sent to the media of a letter from retired Pope Benedict XVI about Pope Francis. The manipulation changed the meaning of the image in a way that violated photojournalist industry standards.
<p>The Vatican's communications office released the photo of the letter on Monday on the eve of Francis' five-year anniversary. The letter was cited by Monsignor Dario Vigano, chief of communications, to rebut critics of Francis who question his theological and philosophical heft and say he represents a rupture from Benedict's doctrine-minded papacy.</blockquote>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/the-real-story-behind-pope-benedicts-strange-letter" target=_blank>The real story behind Pope Benedict’s strange letter</a>, by Phil Lawler. LifeSiteNews.com. 03/14/18:<blockquote>First, Msgr. Dario Vigano sent the former Pope a set of new books on the theology of Pope Francis, asking for a favorable comment. That was in January.
<p>The former Pope declined to comment on the books. In fact he declined to read them, explaining that he was too busy. That was in February.
<p>But a month later, the Vatican press office made public the letter from Benedict, leading reporters to believe that Benedict had essentially endorsed the theological approach of Pope Francis, just in time for the 5th anniversary of his pontificate. ...</blockquote>
<li><a href="http://www.ncregister.com/blog/edward-pentin/full-text-of-benedict-xvis-letter-to-mons.-vigano" target=_blank>Vatican Reveals Full Text of Benedict XVI’s Letter to Msgr. Viganò</a> <i>National Catholic Register</i>:<blockquote>Benedictus XVI
<p>
Pope Emeritus
<p>
Most Reverend Msgr. Dario Edoardo Viganò
<p>
Prefect of the Secretariat for Communications
<p>
Vatican City
<p>
February 7, 2018
<p>
Most Reverend Monsignor,
<p>
Thank you for your kind letter of 12 January and the attached gift of the eleven small volumes edited by Roberto Repole.
<p>
I applaud this initiative that wants to oppose and react to the foolish prejudice in which Pope Francis is just a practical man without particular theological or philosophical formation, while I have been only a theorist of theology with little understanding of the concrete life of a Christian today.
<p>
The small volumes show, rightly, that Pope Francis is a man of profound philosophical and theological formation, and they therefore help to see the inner continuity between the two pontificates, despite all the differences of style and temperament.
<p>
However, I don’t feel like writing a short and dense theological passage on them because throughout my life it has always been clear that I would write and express myself only on books I had read really well. Unfortunately, if only for physical reasons, I am unable to read the eleven volumes in the near future, especially as other commitments await me that I have already made.
<p>
Only as an aside, I would like to note my surprise at the fact that among the authors is also Professor Hünermann, who during my pontificate had distinguished himself by leading anti-papal initiatives. He played a major part in the release of the “Kölner Erklärung”, which, in relation to the encyclical “Veritatis splendour”, virulently attacked the magisterial authority of the Pope, especially on questions of moral theology. Also the “Europaische Theologengesellschaft”, which he founded, was initially conceived by him as an organization in opposition to the papal magisterium. Later, the ecclesial sentiment of many theologians prevented this orientation, allowing that organization to become a normal instrument of encounter among theologians.
<p>
I am sure you will understand my refusal and I offer you cordial greetings.
<p>Yours,
<br>
Benedict XVI</blockquote>
</ul>
<p>
<li><a href="https://cruxnow.com/vatican/2018/02/21/shirtless-statue-pope-benedict-causes-art-sensation-rome/" target=_blank>Shirtless statue of Pope Benedict causes art sensation in Rome</a> <i>Crux</i> 02/21/18:<blockquote>... the technically remarkable sculpture has been the object of both criticism and praise, with some viewing it as desecrating the image of the emeritus pontiff while others judge it as an honest portrayal. For Jago, the work of art was never meant to be “derisive,” but rather a celebration of Benedict XVI, whom he considers to be a model for what every pope should be. "I consider this man to be the greatest theologian alive," he told <i>Crux</i> in a phone interview.</blockquote>
<p>
<li><a href="https://aleteia.org/2017/12/31/simple-advice-from-benedict-xvi-on-how-to-be-a-better-mom-or-dad/" target=_blank>Simple advice from Benedict XVI on how to be a better mom or dad</a>, by Kathleen N. Hattrup. <i>Aleteia</i> 10/31/17. An exhortation from a homily of Pope Benedict XVI at the 2012 World Meeting of Families. It’s worth reading a second time.
<p>
<li><a href="http://www.heraldmalaysia.com/news/pope-francis-makes-christmas-visit-to-pope-emeritus-benedict-xvi/40158/4" target=_blank>Pope Francis Makes Christmas Visit to Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI</a> 12/27/17. Pope Francis visited Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI Thursday afternoon to personally give his Christmas greetings to the Pontiff Emeritus at his residence.
<p>
<li><a href="http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/news/2017/12/28/benedict-xvi-hails-cardinal-muller-for-defending-the-clear-traditions-of-the-faith/" target=_blank>Benedict XVI hails Cardinal Müller for defending ‘the clear traditions of the faith’</a> <i>Catholic Herald</i> 12/28/17:<blockquote>Marking the 70th birthday of German Cardinal Gerhard Müller, retired pope Benedict XVI has said that, even though the cardinal is no longer prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, he will continue to have a public role of serving the Church.
<p>The retired pope wrote the introduction to a book of essays honouring Cardinal Müller on his 70th birthday on December 31 and in anticipation of the 40th anniversary of his priestly ordination in February.</blockquote>
<p>
<li><a href="https://romalocutaest.com/2017/09/14/benedict-is-still-not-pope/" target=_blank>Resigned pope creates ‘multiplied and divided’ authority, author says</a>, by Claire Giangrave. <i>Crux</i> News, 10/16/17. "While many Catholics have easily adjusted to the dual existence of Pope Francis and Pope emeritus Benedict XVI, undeniably another portion cannot help but compare the two papacies, or even express a preference for one style over the other."
<p>
<li><a href="https://aleteia.org/2017/10/03/benedict-xvi-is-weak-but-still-following-concerns-of-church-says-bishop/" target=_blank>Benedict XVI is weak but still following concerns of Church, says bishop</a> <i>Aleteia</i> 10/03/17. A Coptic Catholic bishop of Egypt says Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI is now very weak at age 90, but still "aware of everything."
<p>
<li><a href="http://www.mittelbayerische.de/region/schwandorf-nachrichten/pater-martin-bei-seinem-doktorvater-in-rom-21416-art1565622.html" target=_blank>"On a word with Benedetto"</a> <i>FOCUS</i> Magazine. 06/25/17. "Quiet and almost invisible, Benedict XVI spends his days in the gardens of the Vatican. FOCUS correspondent Eva Kallinger could speak with the pontiff off duty. Not about God - more about the world. About Mozart, green parrots and Beirut. And she learned that even a pope has homesickness." [Translated from German].
<p>
<li><a href="http://www.nationalreview.com/article/449287/benedict-xvi-summorum-pontificum-latin-mass-anniversary" target=_blank>Pope Benedict’s Great Restoration</a>, by Michael Brendan Dougherty. <i>National Review</i> 07/07/17. "Ten years ago today, Pope Benedict XVI issued a document that vindicated the arguments that Catholics like Buckley and me had repeated in safe company for years: that the Latin Mass that was common to almost all of Western Catholicism for centuries was never abrogated."
</ul>
Christopher Blosserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08385159494196923575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5590161.post-74566247588331340322017-07-21T00:15:00.000-04:002017-07-21T00:15:12.539-04:00Teaching and Learning the Love of God: Being a Priest Today<table>
<tr><td valign="top"><a href="http://amzn.to/2tLPf7l" target=_blank><img src="http://ratzingerfanclub.com/images/teaching_learning_love_of_god.jpg" alt="" width="100" height="" border="0"></a></td>
<td valign="top"><a href="http://amzn.to/2tLPf7l" target=_blank>Teaching and Learning the Love of God: Being a Priest Today</a>
by Joseph Ratzinger.
Introduction by Gerhard Cardinal Müller.
Forward by Pope Francis.
<p>
Ignatius Press (August 1, 2017). 392 pgs.
<div style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 12px;">
This inspiring collection of homilies delivered by Joseph Ratzinger (Benedict XVI) over six decades offers deep theological and historical insights on the meaning of the life and the witness of a Catholic priest.
<p>
When Pope Benedict XVI inaugurated the Year for Priests in 2009, he did so in conjunction with celebrating the 150<sup>th</sup> anniversary of the death of John Vianney, the patron saint of all parish priests. Benedict's purpose for that special year is the same purpose of this book of homilies -- to deepen the commitment of all priests to interior renewal for the sake of a stronger and more incisive witness to the Gospel in today's world. As St. John Vianney would often say, "The priesthood is the love of the heart of Jesus." This touching expression makes us reflect on the immense gift that priests represent, not only for the Church but for all mankind.
<p>
Contemporary men and women need priests to be distinguished by their determined witness to Christ. These homilies are meant to illuminate and to inspire priests to renew their commitment to "teaching and learning the love of God". The homilies cover a wide variety of important topics on the priesthood, all deeply rooted in Scripture, including acting in persona Christi, becoming an offering with Christ for the salvation of mankind, being there for God's mercy, and witnessing Christian joy.
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"Every time I read the works of Joseph Ratzinger, it becomes clear to me that he pursued theology 'on his knees' and still does: on his knees, because we see that he is not only a preeminent theologian and master of the faith, but a man who really believes, really prays. We see that he is a man who embodies holiness, a man of peace, a man of God. And so he embodies in an exemplary way the essence of all priestly work: that deep rootedness in God."
<p>--Pope Francis, from the Foreword
<p>
"In this volume, Joseph Ratzinger shows a path that leads out of the crisis into which the Catholic priesthood had fallen for lack of suitable theological and sociological rudiments and motivations. A rewarding reference work, not only for the scholarly theological definition of the sacrament of Holy Orders, but also for more in-depth, spiritual reflection on the vocation to the priesthood, for spiritual exercises for priests, and for preaching about the 'ministry of a new covenant', the 'ministry of the Spirit and of life' (cf. 2 Cor 3:6–8)."
<p>--Gerhard Cardinal Müller, from the Introduction
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Christopher Blosserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08385159494196923575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5590161.post-37411940452902107172017-04-23T22:08:00.003-04:002017-04-23T22:23:58.246-04:00Pope Benedict Roundup<ul>
<li><a href="https://cruxnow.com/vatican/2017/04/17/benedict-xvi-shares-90th-birthday-beer-family-friends/" target=_blank>Benedict XVI shares a 90th birthday beer with family and friends" target=_blank>Benedict XVI shares a 90th birthday beer with family and friends</a>, by John Allen Jr. <i>Crux News</i> 04/17/17:<blockquote>Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI celebrated his 90th birthday on April 17. Among those present was Monsignor Georg Ratzinger, Benedict's 93-year-old brother, who flew in from Germany for the occasion, as well as a small delegation from Bavaria, his home region. They brought to the party two staples of Bavarian cuisine with which the 90-year-old emeritus pontiff was obviously delighted -- beer and pretzels.</blockquote>
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<li><a href="https://cruxnow.com/vatican/2017/04/15/pope-francis-visits-benedict-xvi-wish-happy-birthday/" target=_blank>Pope Francis visits Benedict XVI to wish him a happy birthday</a> Catholic News Agency. 04/15/17:<blockquote>On April 12 Pope Francis visited his predecessor Pope emeritus Benedict XVI at Vatican City’s Mater Ecclesiae monastery to honor two joyous occasions: the occurrence of Benedict XVI’s 90th birthday and the celebration of Easter which this year fall on the same day, April 16.</blockquote>
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<li><a href="http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/as-benedict-turns-90-a-rare-glimpse-into-his-joy-filled-life-53118/" target=_blank>As Benedict turns 90, a rare glimpse into his joy-filled life</a>, by Elise Harris and Martin Rothweiler. Catholic News Agency. 04/16/17. In a lengthy interview with EWTN's German television branch, Benedict XVI's closest aide describes how the retired pontiff is doing as he turns the milestone age of 90, giving a rare look into what life is like for the Pope Emeritus.
<p><li><a href="http://www.pittsburghcatholic.org/News/Scholars-offer-Pope-Benedict-birthday-tribute--31860752" target=_blank>Scholars offer Pope Benedict birthday tribute</a>, by Carol Glatz. Catholic News Service 04/14/17:<blockquote>Cards and letters have been pouring in, the German archbishop added, and certainly there will be some presents, including a “Festschrift” — a collection of essays celebrating the work of a well-known scholar on an important occasion — in this case Pope Benedict and his 90th birthday. …
<p>This year, the Vatican publishing house and the Joseph Ratzinger-Benedict XVI Vatican Foundation pieced together a “Festschrift” titled after the pope’s episcopal motto, “Cooperatores Veritatis” (Co-workers of the truth).
<p>It was written by all 13 winners to date of the “Ratzinger Prize,” an award to distinguished scholars in theology or related studies. They are an Anglican Biblicist, an Ambrosian priest, a French philosopher, a Polish theologian, a U.S. Jesuit, a Brazilian Jesuit, a Spanish theologian, a Cistercian abbot in Austria, a Lebanese scholar, a Greek Orthodox theologian, a French theologian, a German theologian and an Italian historian.</blockquote>
<li><a href="http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/issues/april-14th-2017/the-ratzinger-revolution/" target=_blank>The Ratzinger revolution</a>, by Tracey Rowland. <i>Catholic Herald</i> 04/13/17. "… This is just a short account of the many elements of an embattled Catholic culture that can be found in the mountains of publications by Ratzinger."
<p><li><a href="https://cruxnow.com/global-church/2017/04/07/new-book-shows-interest-pope-benedict-xvi-stay/" target=_blank>New book shows interest in Pope Benedict XVI is here to stay</a>, by Claire Giangrave. 04/17/17:<blockquote>Interest in the retired pope shows no sign of slowing down as his essential contributions to the Church and theology continue to be relevant today.
<p>Three new biographies on the German pontiff have been published in Italy this week alone. Three collections of essays by the pope emeritus are also in the works. Italy’s public television, Rai, will air two one-hour documentaries on Benedict celebrating his life.
<p>Enthusiasm over the figure of Benedict XVI is not limited to Italy. All over the world symposiums, meetings and events take place focusing on the pope’s legacy. …</blockquote>
<li><a href="https://cruxnow.com/vatican/2017/03/02/rome-new-generation-benedict-xvi-scholars-rise/" target=_blank>In Rome, a new generation of Benedict XVI scholars is on the rise</a>, by Andrea Gagliarducci. <i>Crux</i> 03/02/17. "The theological legacy of Benedict XVI continues, four years after his pontificate came to an end."
<p><li><a href="https://cruxnow.com/vatican/2017/02/11/aide-says-benedict-perfect-mental-spiritual-health/" target=_blank>Aide says Benedict in perfect ‘mental and spiritual’ health</a>, by Ines San Martin. 02/11/17.
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<p><b>Commentary</b>
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<li><a href="http://wdtprs.com/blog/2017/04/urgent-benedict-xvis-new-text-about-sacred-liturgy-the-russian-preface/" target=_blank>Benedict XVI’s new text about Sacred Liturgy – The Russian Preface</a>, by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf. <i>Fr. Z's Blog</i> 04/17/17.
<p><li><a href="http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/a-child-of-holy-saturday-pope-emeritus-benedict-xvi-turns-90" target=_blank>A Child of Holy Saturday: Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI Turns 90</a>, by Matthew Bunson. <i>National Catholic Register</i> 04/15/17:<blockquote>Understandably, a great deal of focus has been paid over the years to the reflections, homilies and writings of Pope Benedict on Easter. But not only is there something deeply personal about Holy Saturday for Joseph Ratzinger the man, that day — when Our Lord was behind the massive stone at the entrance of the tomb, in utter darkness, his broken body stretched upon cold and unforgiving rock — brings essential hope to the Christian confronting the challenges of the modern age. That is a truth that Joseph Ratzinger has spent decades trying to impart.</blockquote>
<p><li><a href="http://www.crisismagazine.com/2017/father-benedict-xvi-friend-jesus-christ" target=_blank>Father Benedict XVI is a Friend of Jesus Christ</a>, by Fr. Maurice Ashley Agbaw-Ebai. <i>Crisis</i> 04/17/17:<blockquote>As Benedict XVI, Joseph Ratzinger developed this theme of friendship with Jesus Christ especially in his homilies at priestly ordinations in which he presided as Bishop of Rome. To be a friend of Jesus Christ invites one into a greater intimacy of knowledge and communion, for friendship demands intimacy and knowledge. Father Benedict’s new ministry of prayer on behalf of the whole Church certainly mirrors to us his fondness and intimacy with Jesus of Nazareth, the love of Benedict’s life.</blockquote>
<li><a href="http://www.mondayvatican.com/vatican/homage-to-benedict-xvi-misunderstood-prophet-of-our-times" target=_blank>Homage to Benedict XVI, Misunderstood Prophet of Our Times</a>, by Andrea Gagliaducci. MondayVatican.04/17/17: <blockquote>Since Benedict ascended the mountain to live out the time of his prayerful intercession on behalf of the Church, the bitterness he felt during his pontificate when he spoke of the Second Vatican Council has been forgotten. Nevertheless, he felt the need to clarify that period of Church history since the beginning of the pontificate. In his first Christmas speech to Roman Curia back in 2005, he stressed that the Council have to interpreted through the lenses of continuity. That is: the Council was not a destructive spring, but a spring called to harvest new fruits. It was a renewal within continuity, not a genetically modified organism of faith, just as every year nature is renewed in spring. At the end of the pontificate during his last meeting with the clergy of Rome, he wanted to return to the notion once more, as if that was the thread of the whole pontificate. He said that there was a media Council and a real Council. And he noted that the media Council overtook the real Council. …</blockquote>
<li><a href="https://cruxnow.com/commentary/2017/04/16/benedict-xvi-90-theology-still-matters/" target=_blank>Benedict XVI at 90: Why his theology still matters</a>, by Fr. Robert Imbelli. "Father Robert Imbelli takes a closer look at the thought of Joseph Ratzinger, and how for him the central fact of the Resurrection is Jesus Christ does not rise a disembodied soul, but bodily. Body not self-contained, but totally relational, totally gift, really present in Eucharist, poured out to embrace a humanity called to transfiguration."
<p><li><a href="https://www.thecatholicthing.org/2017/04/06/ratzinger-on-the-dialogue-of-religions/" target=_blank>Ratzinger on the Dialogue of Religions</a>, by Eduardo J. Echevvaria. <i>The Catholic Thing</i> 04/06/17:<blockquote>My of us have been eager to forget <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07dPzM5q43c" target=_blank>the video where Pope Francis urges a dialogue among the religions present</a> – Jewish, Christian, Muslim, and Buddhist. That video leaves the impression of a leveling out of the fundamental differences between these religions, suggesting a muting of the primary call to evangelize and proclaim the Gospel. Still, I think we can honor the pope’s motives here for dialogue, namely, encouraging the “maintaining of good fellowship among the nations.” (1 Pet 2:12) And, if possible, “as far as depends on one, to live at peace with all men.” (Rom 12:18)
<p>Joseph Ratzinger takes a very different stance regarding the question: “What, in concrete terms, is Christianity’s position in the dialogue of religions?”</blockquote>
<li><a href="https://www.thecatholicthing.org/2017/03/21/gospel-and-law-according-to-ratzinger/" target=_blank>Gospel and Law according to Ratzinger</a>, by Eduardo J. Echeverria. <i>The Catholic Thing</i> 03/21/17.
<p><li><a href="http://edwardfeser.blogspot.com/2016/12/how-pope-benedict-xvi-dealt-with.html" target=_blank>How Pope Benedict XVI dealt with disagreement</a>, by Dr. Edward Feser. 12/22/16:<blockquote>… This willingness to allow for diverse opinions wherever that is consistent with orthodoxy, and as far as possible to engage those who are critical of papal policy and teaching non-polemically and at the level of rational argumentation rather than by authoritative diktat, plausibly stem from Benedict’s high regard for reason.</blockquote>
<li><a href="https://www.commonwealmagazine.org/james-carroll%E2%80%99s-ratzinger" target=_blank>James Carroll’s Ratzinger</a>, by Paul Baumann. <i>Commonweal</i> 11/29/16.<blockquote>"As a gifted writer himself—and a theologically literate one—Carroll might be expected to appreciate Ratzinger’s gifts as a theological writer of uncommon power and lucidity. Yet that aspect of Ratzinger’s “moral perception” is ignored. Rather, what is most striking about Carroll’s depiction of Ratzinger and the church is how it is pitched to satisfy every prejudice his largely liberal, secular New Yorker readership presumably has about Catholicism. … For Carroll and his audience, the institutional church is simply an authoritarian bogeyman, an enduring source of anti-Semitism, a corrupt patriarchy, an anachronism. Except for Pope Francis, of course.</blockquote>
<li><a href="https://www.commonwealmagazine.org/blog/benedict%E2%80%99s-%E2%80%98last-conversations%E2%80%99-reshaping-ratzinger-legacy" target=_blank>Benedict’s ‘Last Conversations’: Reshaping the Ratzinger Legacy?</a>, by Massimo Fagioli. <i>dotCommonweal</i> 09/14/16:<blockquote>A trio of sympathetic books published since May hint at the effort to shape the legacy of Pope Benedict XVI. While the portrayal emerging may appeal neither to those who’d hoped for the pope emeritus to reclaim traditionalism nor to those seeking a fuller embrace of the current pope, it might yet help consolidate support behind Francis while isolating the worst of the para-schismatic fringes.</blockquote>
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Christopher Blosserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08385159494196923575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5590161.post-9050742950112639322016-10-29T13:02:00.000-04:002016-10-29T13:53:08.816-04:00Conference: "Pope Benedict XVI’s Theological Testament"<blockquote>
<b>Pope Benedict XVI’s Theological Testament</b><br>
Tuesday 8th November 2016, 10:00am<p>
<b>Date:</b> Tuesday 8th November 2016<p>
<b>Time:</b> Conference – 10am-5pm, Book Launch – 6pm
<p><b>Location:</b> The Waldegrave Drawing Room, St Mary’s University, Twickenham, TW1 4SX
<p><b>Speakers:</b>
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<li>The Revd Canon Prof Richard Burridge, King’s College London, winner of the Ratzinger Prize 2013
<li>Dr Jacob Phillips, St Mary’s University and translator of Last Testament
<li>Dr Christopher R. Altieri, Collegium Augustinianum Graduate Institute of Philosophy and Theology, Rome
<li>Dr Mary McCaughey, The Priory Institute Dominican Centre for Theological Studies, Dublin.
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The St Mary’s Benedict XVI Centre for Religion and Society and the Centre for the Social-Scientific Study of the Bible present Pope Benedict XVI’s Theological Testament.
<p>A day conference exploring the theological legacy of Pope Benedict XVI/Joseph Ratzinger to celebrate the release of his final published work Last Testament, which will be launched after the conference. Please join us as we investigate four aspects to the Pope’s intellectual legacy; with presentations on Scripture, Theological Anthropology, Political Theology, and Theological Method.
<p>Please register by email: kathryn.penny@stmarys.ac.uk
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<p><a href="http://www.stmarys.ac.uk/news/events/event/pope-benedict-xvis-theological-testament/" target=_blank>Conference Timetable and Additional Info</a>
Christopher Blosserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08385159494196923575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5590161.post-20029319763437234182016-09-12T22:46:00.001-04:002016-09-12T22:47:27.053-04:00Pope Benedict XI: "The Last Testament: In His Own Words"<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Last-Testament-His-Own-Words/dp/1472944674/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&qid=1473732086&sr=8-2&keywords=last+testament+pope+benedict&linkCode=ll1&tag=christopsweb&linkId=542bed890fb4fff694dd915504a7fde9" target=_blank><img src="http://ratzingerfanclub.com/images/the_last_testament.jpg" alt="The Last Testament: In His Own Words" width="150" height="" border="0" align="right" padding: "10px;"></a><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Last-Testament-His-Own-Words/dp/1472944674/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&qid=1473732086&sr=8-2&keywords=last+testament+pope+benedict&linkCode=ll1&tag=christopsweb&linkId=542bed890fb4fff694dd915504a7fde9" target=_blank>Last Testament: In His Own Words</a>
<br>by Pope Benedict XVI, Peter Seewald (interviewer)
<p>Bloomsbury Continuum (November 15, 2016) 224pp.
<div style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 11px;">
Pope Benedict made history by being the first Pope in over 700 years to resign from office. The Catholic Church the world over was stunned. Worn out by corruption in the Church and by an endless series of clerical sex scandals, he decided that the resolution of all these problems was outside his power for a man of his age.
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<i>Last Testament</i> is nearest to an autobiography from the shy and private man who has remained “hidden to the world” in a former convent in the Vatican gardens. He breaks his silence on issues such as:
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<li>The “Vatileaks” case in which his butler leaked some of his personal letters that alleged corruption and scandal in the Vatican
<li>The presence of a “gay lobby” within the Vatican and how he dismantled it
<li>His alleged Nazi upbringing
<li>His attempts at cleaning up the “dirt in the church” (clerical sexual abuse)
<li>The mysterious private secretary “Gorgeous George”
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On a more personal level he writes with great warmth of his successor Pope Francis, who he admits has a popular touch, a star quality which he has lacked. Much controversy still surrounds Pope Benedict`s Papacy--in this book he addresses these controversies and reveals how at his late age, governing and reforming the Papacy and particularly the Vatican, was beyond him. </div>
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<p><b>Reactions to <a href="http://amzn.to/2cSQBXc" target=_blank><i>Last Testament: In His Own Words </i></a></b>
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<li><a href="http://www.mondayvatican.com/vatican/between-the-end-of-the-old-world-and-the-beginning-of-a-new-one-benedict-xvis-reflections" target=_blank>Between the End of the Old World and the Beginning of a New One: Benedict XVI’s reflections</a>, by Andrea Gagliarducci. <i>Monday Vatican</i> 09/12/16:<blockquote>Benedict XVI’s “Last Conversations,” the recently published book interview with journalist Peter Seewald is not only a sort of final chapter of the Pope Emeritus’s biography – he will soon turn 90 – the book is a clue to interpreting the Church that shows once more just how few people really understand the revolutionary impact of the pontificate that preceded Pope Francis’s. It was a quiet revolution, based on a unique awareness: how necessary it is today to announce and preserve the Faith. ...</blockquote>
<li><a href="https://www.ncronline.org/news/vatican/benedict-says-he-did-not-expect-papacy-accepted-it-duty-cardinals" target=_blank>Benedict says he did not expect papacy, accepted it as duty to cardinals</a>, by Joshua J. McElwee. <i>National Catholic Reporter</i> 09/08/16.
<li><a href="http://americamagazine.org/issue/benedict-pope-francis-better-reforming-curia" target=_blank>Benedict: Pope Francis Better at Reforming Curia</a>, by Cindy Wooden. Catholic News Service. 09/08/16:<blockquote>"My weak point perhaps is a lack of resolve in governing and making decisions," he said. "Here, in reality, I am more a professor, one who reflects and meditates on spiritual questions. Practical governance was not my forte and this certainly was a weakness."
<p>Pope Francis, on the other hand, "is a man of practical reform," the retired pope said. His personality and experience as a Jesuit provincial and archbishop have enabled him to take practical organizational steps.</blockquote>
<li><a href="https://cruxnow.com/analysis/2016/09/08/new-book-pope-benedict-xvi-exudes-rare-humility/" target=_blank>In new book, Pope Benedict XVI exudes a rare humility</a>, by John Allen, Jr. <i>Crux</i> 09/08/16. "In a new book-length interview, presumably his last, with German journalist Peter Seewald, emeritus Pope Benedict XVI projects a humility rare for any world leader by candidly conceding that government was not his strong suit, despite the fact that he actually authored historic reforms."
<li><a href="https://www.ncronline.org/news/vatican/benedict-reveals-dissatisfaction-paul-vis-humanae-vitae" target=_blank>Benedict reveals dissatisfaction with Paul VI's 'Humanae Vitae'</a> <i>National Catholic Reporter</i> :<blockquote>"In the situation I was then in, and in the context of theological thinking in which I stood, Humanae Vitae was a difficult text for me," Benedict says in the book, to be published in the U.S. Nov. 3 by Bloomsbury under the title <i>Last Testament: In His Own Words</i>.
<p>"It was certainly clear that what it said was essentially valid, but the reasoning, for us at that time, and for me too, was not satisfactory," Benedict states.
<p>"I was looking for a comprehensive anthropological viewpoint," he continues. "In fact, it was [Pope] John Paul II who was to complement the natural-law viewpoint of the encyclical with a personalistic vision."</blockquote>
<li><a href="http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/how-pope-francis-new-joy-surprised-benedict-xvi-24696/" target=_blank>How Pope Francis' 'new joy' surprised Benedict XVI</a> Catholic News Agency. 09/12/16:<blockquote>Pope emeritus Benedict XVI has said he is satisfied with the papacy of Pope Francis and sees “no contradictions” between their pontificates.
<p>"Yes, there is suddenly a new freshness in the Church, a new joy, a new charisma that addresses the people, which is something beautiful. Many are thankful that the new Pope now approaches them in a new style. The Pope is the Pope, it doesn’t matter who it is," Benedict said in his newly published collection of interviews.</blockquote>
</ul>Christopher Blosserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08385159494196923575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5590161.post-66419040080585890642016-09-12T22:42:00.000-04:002016-09-12T22:42:05.452-04:00Pope Benedict Roundup<p><b>Regensburg Revisited - The 10th Anniversary</b>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.catholicworldreport.com/Item/5045/Benedict_the_Brave_The_Regensburg_Address_Ten_Years_Later.aspx" target=_blank>Benedict the Brave: The Regensburg Address Ten Years Later</a>, by James Day. "On September 12, 2006, Pope Benedict XVI took to the dais of the University of Regensburg’s Aula Magna to offer a few “memories and reflections.” Contrary to the resulting rebukes, the 79-year-old pontiff knew exactly what he was doing."
<li><a href="https://cruxnow.com/analysis/2016/09/12/anniversary-can-finally-catch-benedicts-point-regensburg/" target=_blank>On anniversary, can we finally catch Benedict’s point at Regensburg?</a>, by John Allen Jr. <i>Crux</i> 09/12/16:<blockquote>Lost in the noise, however, is the central thing to know about the Regensburg speech, to wit: <i>It’s not really about Islam at all</i>.
<p>In the 4,500-word address, Benedict devoted barely three paragraphs to the remark quoted above from Manuel II Paeologus, which he used to set up his reflections on the topic, which was “Faith, Reason and the University.” He was trying to make a point about the importance of religion never parting company with reason, and could just as easily have taken his cautionary tale from Hinduism, Buddhism, or, for that matter, Christianity.
<p>Benedict’s real target in the speech is the West, identifying two worrying trends he saw (and no doubt still sees) in Western thought - one inside the Christian church, and the other in the broader culture.</blockquote>
<li><a href="http://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/2016/09/17747/" target=_blank>Regensburg, Ratzinger, and Our Crisis of Reason</a>, by Dr. Samuel Gregg. <i>The Public Discourse</i> 09/12/16:<blockquote>Those who write the histories of the twenty-first century will, I suspect, list an address delivered at a German university on this day ten years ago as one of this century’s most important speeches. In just 4,000 words, what we now call the “Regensburg Address” managed to identify the inner pathology that is corroding much of the world, how this malignancy emerged, and what can be done to address it.
<p>The fact that it was the Roman Pontiff who showed how a collapse of faith in full-bodied conceptions of reason explains so much of our world’s evident disarray probably made Voltaire roll over in his grave. But Benedict XVI’s analysis—which enraged many Muslims but also drew scorn from some secular and religious progressives—didn’t emerge from a vacuum. The need to defend an understanding of reason that goes beyond the natural and social sciences has long featured in Joseph Ratzinger’s writings.</blockquote>
<li><a href="http://www.catholicworldreport.com/Item/4686/regensburg_revisited_ten_years_later_a_west_still_in_denial.aspx" target=_blank>Regensburg Revisited: Ten Years Later, A West Still in Denial</a>, by Samuel Gregg. <i>Catholic World Report</i> 08/04/16. "Irrationality not only manifests itself in violence but also in an inability to apply authentic reason to the many pressing challenges of our age."
<li><a href="http://insightscoop.typepad.com/2004/2016/09/is-dialogue-with-islam-possible-some-reflections-on-benedict-xvis-address-at-the-university-of-regen.html" target=_blank>Is Dialogue with Islam Possible? Some Reflections on Benedict XVI's Address at the University of Regensburg</a>, by Fr. Joseph Fessio, SJ. <i>Ignatius Insight</i> Editor's note: This essay was originally published on Ignatius Insight on September 18, 2006. It is republished here on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of Benedict XVI's Regensburg Address.
<li>
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<p><b>Commentary</b>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://chiesa.espresso.repubblica.it/articolo/1351363?eng=y&refresh_ce" target=_blank>Double Friendly Fire Against the "Pope Emeritus"</a>, by Sandro Magister. www.chiesa 08/29/16. "First Cardinal Brandmüller, then Bishop Sciacca. The one an illustrious historian, the other a luminary of canon law. Both of the circle closest to Ratzinger. But both absolutely opposed to his continuing to have himself called 'pope'."
<li><a href="http://www.onepeterfive.com/pope-emeritus-benedicts-ongoing-support-of-the-francis-papacy/" target=_blank>Pope Emeritus Benedict’s Ongoing Support of the Francis Papacy</a>, by Maike Hickson. OnePeterFive.com. 08/29/16.
<li><a href="http://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2016/09/pope-benedict-xvi-on-life-and.html" target=_blank>Pope Benedict XVI on the Life and Accomplishments of Saint Pius X</a> Rorate Caeli 09/03/16.
</ul>Christopher Blosserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08385159494196923575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5590161.post-78253183218268687452016-07-24T01:30:00.001-04:002016-07-24T01:30:59.342-04:00Pope Benedict Roundup<ul>
<li><a href="http://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2016/07/the-church-as-communio-revisiting.html" target=_blank>The Church as communio: Revisiting Joseph Ratzinger's ecclesiology</a>, by Veronica A. Arntz. <i>Rorate Caeli</i> 07/20/16. "In the late 1990’s and early 2000’s, a lively debate occurred between Cardinals Walter Kasper and Joseph Ratzinger over the relationship of the universal and particular Church." A look back at the "Kasper-Ratzinger" debate.
<p>
<li><a href="http://www.catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=28733" target=_blank>Benedict XVI discusses resignation, Vatican governance in forthcoming book-length interview</a> CatholicCulture. 07/01/16:<blockquote>In a new book-length interview to be published in September, Pope-emeritus Benedict XVI speaks about his resignation, his reaction to the election of Pope Francis as his successor, and his challenges in governing the Church-- including troubles with a "gay lobby" inside the Vatican.
<p>The book-- an unprecedented collection of the memories of a former Roman Pontiff-- covers the full life of Benedict XVI, from his childhood through his youth under the Nazi regime and his service at the Vatican including his papacy. Entitled Final Conversations, the book is scheduled for worldwide publication on September 9, and will cover more than 250 pages.</blockquote>
<p>
<li><a href="http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/benedict-xvi-to-francis-your-goodness-is-a-place-where-i-feel-protected-72238/" target=_blank>Benedict XVI to Francis: 'your goodness is a place where I feel protected'</a> Catholic News Agency. 06/28/16:<blockquote>On Tuesday, Benedict XVI gave his second public speech since his final day as Pope, expressing gratitude for a lengthy priesthood and for Pope Francis' “goodness,” which he said moves him deeply.
<p>Speaking to Pope Francis and members of the College of Cardinals gathered inside the Vatican’s small Clementine Hall for the 65th anniversary of his priestly ordination, Benedict said the Greek word "<i>Efkaristomen</i>" (let us give thanks), expresses “all that there is to say” for the occasion.
<p>"Thank you, thank you everyone! Thank you Holy Father – your goodness, from the first day of your election, every day of my life here moves me interiorly, brings me inwardly more than the Vatican Gardens."
<p>
"Your goodness is a place in which I feel protected," he said, and voiced his hope that Francis would be able to "move forward with all of us on this path of Divine Mercy, showing Jesus’ path to God." [<a href="" target=_blank>read the rest</a>]</blockquote>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li><a href="http://chiesa.espresso.repubblica.it/articolo/1351330?eng=y" target=_blank>Joseph Ratzinger 65 Years Later</a>, by Sandro Magister. Chiesa. 06/28/16. "And so on the Catholic priesthood fell the fury of Protestant criticism." At the anniversary of the priestly ordination of the future Benedict XVI, Cardinal Müller recounts his unyielding resistance to Luther’s followers.
<p>
<li><a href="http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2016/06/22/pope_francis_writes_preface_to_ratzinger___bxvi_volume/1239247" target=_blank>Pope Francis writes preface to Ratzinger / BXVI volume</a> Radio Vaticana 06/22/16:<blockquote>Pope Francis has written the preface to the first volume in an anthology of the “selected works of Joseph Ratzinger / Benedict XVI” being published by Cantagalli in Italy. Titled, Insegnare e imparare l’amore di Dio, “To Teach and To Learn the Love of God”, to be published in six languages, including English.
<p>In the preface, Pope Francis writes, “Every time I have read the works of Joseph Ratzinger / Benedict XVI, it becomes increasingly clear that he has done and is doing ‘theology on his knees’.” The Holy Father goes on to explain that his predecessor, “[E]ven before being a great theologian and teacher of the faith,” is “a man who truly believes, who truly prays: you see he is a man who embodies holiness.”</blockquote>
<p>
<li><a href="http://chiesa.espresso.repubblica.it/articolo/1351317?eng=y" target=_blank>Not One Pope But Two, One "Active" and One "Contemplative"</a>, by Sandro Magister:<blockquote>The revolution of Pope Francis is turning the Church upside-down. But his meek predecessor named Benedict is not to be outdone.
<p>The resignation of the papacy was not his last act. Already in his withdrawal from the see of Peter, in that memorable February of 2013, Joseph Ratzinger made sure to say that in his election as pope there had been something that would remain "forever."
<p>In fact, he continues to wear the white tunic, continues to sign himself "Benedictus XVI, pope emeritus," continues to live "in the enclosure of Saint Peter," continues to have himself called "Holiness” and "Holy Father."
<p>And most recently the archbishop in closest contact with him, Georg Gänswein, has told us that Benedict "has by no means abandoned the office of Peter," but on the contrary has made it “an expanded ministry, with an active member and a contemplative member,” in "a collegial and synodal dimension, almost a shared ministry" ...</blockquote>
<p>
<li><a href="http://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2016/05/benedict-xvi-dismisses-supposed-new.html" target=_blank>Benedict XVI dismisses supposed new Fatima revelations as "pure invention" and "absolutely untrue"</a> Holy See Press Office (English translation by Rorate Caeli). 05/21/16:<blockquote>Several articles have appeared recently, including declarations attributed to Professor Ingo Dollinger according to which Cardinal Ratzinger, after the publication of the Third Secret of Fatima (which took place in June 2000), had confided to him that the publication was not complete.
<p>In this regard, Pope emeritus Benedict XVI declares “never to have spoken with Professor Dollinger about Fatima”, clearly affirming that the remarks attributed to Professor Dollinger on the matter “are pure inventions, absolutely untrue”, and he confirms decisively that “the publication of the Third Secret of Fatima is complete”.</blockquote>
</ul>
<p><b>In Print ...</b>
<p>
<table>
<tr> <td valign="top"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Heart-Spiritual-Christology-Joseph-Ratzinger-ebook/dp/B01G9AJOJC/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&qid=1469335578&sr=8-4&keywords=ratzinger&linkCode=ll1&tag=christopsweb&linkId=3f75eba1b656644a20d3e885a3e97264" target=_blank>
<img src="http://ratzingerfanclub.com/images/heart_to_heart_ratzinger.jpg" alt="Heart to Heart: The Spiritual Christology of Joseph Ratzinger" width="80" height="" border="0"></a>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Heart-Spiritual-Christology-Joseph-Ratzinger-ebook/dp/B01G9AJOJC/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&qid=1469335578&sr=8-4&keywords=ratzinger&linkCode=ll1&tag=christopsweb&linkId=3f75eba1b656644a20d3e885a3e97264" target=_blank>Heart to Heart: The Spiritual Christology of Joseph Ratzinger</a>
<p>
Pickwick Publications (May 13, 2016). 440 pages.
<div style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 11px;">
In Behold the Pierced One, Joseph Ratzinger recounts how the composition of a 1981 paper on the Sacred Heart of Jesus had led him to "consider Christology more from the aspect of its spiritual appropriation" than he had done previously. Upon realizing that this same year was the 1300th anniversary of the Third Council of Constantinople, he decided to study the pronouncements of this Council, and came to believe "that the achievement of a spiritual Christology had also been the Council's ultimate goal." Ratzinger's conclusion in attempting to define a spiritual Christology was that "the whole of Christology--our speaking of Christ--is nothing other than the interpretation of his prayer: the entire person of Jesus is contained in his prayer." The spiritual Christology subsequently developed by Ratzinger is one of communio. Indeed, it is one of theosis. Through a personal and ecclesial participation in the prayer of Jesus, exercised in purity of heart, and consummated in the eucharistic celebration, one comes into communion with Jesus Christ and all the members of his Body, so that eventually one can say truly, "It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me" (Gal 2:20).</div>
</td></tr>
</table>Christopher Blosserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08385159494196923575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5590161.post-5834168603211850502016-04-16T18:14:00.001-04:002016-04-17T02:07:31.404-04:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Christopher Blosserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08385159494196923575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5590161.post-55961993259476775052016-04-03T19:02:00.000-04:002016-04-03T19:02:56.162-04:00Pope Benedict Roundup<ul>
<li><a href="http://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2016/03/guest-op-ed-fighting-for-soul-of-europe.html" target=_blank>Guest Op-Ed: Fighting for the soul of Europe</a>. <i>Rorate Caeli</i> 3/29/16. The following guest Op-Ed was penned by a newly ordained diocesan priest, writing under the name Monsieur l'Abbé, comparing the pontifical approaches to Islam of Pope Francis and his predecessor:<blockquote>At the heart of the juxtaposition of the Easter Vigil of 2008 and this year’s Holy Thursday is the radical difference between the two possible approaches to the problem of Islam in Europe. In 2008, Benedict XVI personified a Church that was confident in her identity. For him, the Church is the only force that can offer transcendence to a secular Europe ... Even before his election to the Papacy, Joseph Ratzinger had an exceptional understanding of Europe and its relationship to Islam. Experiencing the extremism of National Socialism and Communism in Europe during his lifetime, Ratzinger knew what was at stake in the fight for Europe’s heart. The invasion of Islamism is the next battle that Europe is fighting, and Ratzinger has offered a unique perspective as to how the battle could be won. ...
<p>In contrast to Ratzinger’s immersion in European culture, Jorge Borgoglio grew up in Peronist Argentina in a milieu that saw itself as independent of European interests and more civilized than the rest of Latin America. Since his election in 2013, the pope’s preference for ministry to the “peripheries” and the marginalized has left Europe as an undefended afterthought.</blockquote>
<li><a href=http://www.breitbart.com/news/elderly-pope-benedict-xvi-slowly-fading-personal-secretary/" target=_blank>Pope emeritus Benedict XVI is “slowly, serenely fading” but remains "very lucid"</a>. Breitbart.com. 03/24/16. Joseph Ratzinger is “an old man, of course, but very lucid. Unfortunately, it’s become difficult for him to walk and he needs to use a walking frame,” Georg Gaenswein said in an interview with the Italian magazine <i>BenEssere</i>.
<p><li><a href="http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/full-text-of-benedict-xvis-recent-rare-and-lengthy-interview-26142/" target=_blank>Full text of Benedict XVI's recent, rare, and lengthy interview</a> Catholic News Agency. 03/17/16:<blockquote>In a recently published interview on issues of justification and faith, Benedict XVI has addressed issues of mercy and our need for forgiveness, salvation through the cross, the necessity of baptism, and the importance of sharing in Christ's redeeming love.
<p>The discussion with Fr. Jacques Servais, SJ, took place ahead of an October, 2015 conference in Rome studying the doctrine of justification by faith.
<p>Benedict's answers, originally in German, were read aloud as a text at the conference by the Prefect of the Pontifical Household, Archbishop Georg Gänswein.
<p>They were later published as the introduction to a book in Italian on the conference texts and conclusions, titled “Through Faith: Doctrine of Justification and Experience of God in the Preaching of the Church and the Spiritual Exercises,” by Fr. Daniel Libanori, SJ.</blockquote>
<ul>
<li>See also: <a href="http://www.cruxnow.com/church/2016/03/19/benedict-and-francis-are-more-lennon-mccartney-than-frazier-ali/?s_campaign=crux:rss" target=_blank>Benedict and Francis are more Lennon-McCartney than Frazier-Ali</a>, by John Allen Jr. <i>Crux</i> 03/19/16. "As Benedict sees it, he inherited the emphasis on mercy in recent papacies from St. John Paul II, laid out the intellectual case, and then handed it on to Francis, who’s taking the message to the streets."
</ul>
<p><li><a href="http://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/2016/03/15365/" target=_blank>The Law of Benedict</a>, by Samuel Gregg. <i>The Public Discourse</i> 03/16/16. Pope Benedict XVI often ventured into venues historically hostile to the Judeo-Christian tradition. A new collection of essays discusses many of these speeches, probing the relationship of reason to religion, the West, and natural law. A review of <a href="http://amzn.to/1MCStgA" target=_blank><i>Pope Benedict XVI's Legal Thought: A Dialogue on the Foundation of Law</i></a>.
<p><li><a href="http://www.cruxnow.com/church/2016/02/11/three-years-ago-brought-historys-greatest-act-of-papal-humility/" target=_blank>Three years ago brought history’s greatest act of papal humility</a>, by John Allen Jr. <i>Crux</i> 02/19/16. "Pope Benedict XVI, shown here in 2012, was the first pope to renounce his powers as the result of an honest self-examination."
<p><li><a href="http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/the-silent-reform-of-benedict-xvis-papacy-54175/" target=_blank>The silent reform of Benedict XVI's papacy</a> Catholic News Agency 02/11/16. In his new book on Benedict XVI, Vatican journalist Marco Mancini argues that while the retired pontiff became known for his shocking resignation three years ago, his real legacy began far earlier.
</ul>
<p><b>Publications</b>
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<table>
<tr> <td valign="top">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Christ%C2%92s-Descent-into-Hell-Ratzinger/dp/080286905X/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&qid=1459723416&sr=8-6&keywords=%22joseph+ratzinger%22&linkCode=ll1&tag=christopsweb&linkId=763fa46e541a7f408de2754dda3b8a77" target=_blank><img src="http://ratzingerfanclub.com/images/pitstick_may16.jpg" alt="Christ’s Descent into Hell: John Paul II, Joseph Ratzinger, and Hans Urs von Balthasar on the Theology of Holy Saturday" width="80" height="" border="0"></a>
</td> <td valign="top">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Christ%C2%92s-Descent-into-Hell-Ratzinger/dp/080286905X/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&qid=1459723416&sr=8-6&keywords=%22joseph+ratzinger%22&linkCode=ll1&tag=christopsweb&linkId=763fa46e541a7f408de2754dda3b8a77" target=_blank>Christ’s Descent into Hell: John Paul II, Joseph Ratzinger, and Hans Urs von Balthasar on the Theology of Holy Saturday</a>, by Lyra Pitstick.
<p>
Eerdmans (May 17, 2016) 144 pages.
<div style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 11px;">
Pope John Paul II and Joseph Ratzinger (now Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI) both held Hans Urs von Balthasar in high regard. Many assume that their praise of Balthasar indicates approval of his controversial theology of Holy Saturday, but this book by Lyra Pitstick shows that conclusion to be far from accurate.
<p>
Pitstick looks at what John Paul II, Ratzinger, and Balthasar have in fact said regarding the creedal affirmation that Christ “descended into hell,” and she shows that there are radical differences in their views. She then addresses a number of important questions that follow from these differences.
<p>
This careful, concise exploration of what three of the twentieth century’s most famous Catholic theologians had to say about Christ’s descent into hell provides an accessible take on a difficult point of theological debate.
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Christopher Blosserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08385159494196923575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5590161.post-85880826069928224092016-01-07T01:12:00.001-05:002016-01-07T01:12:56.639-05:00Pope Benedict Roundup<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.cruxnow.com/church/2016/01/02/clear-and-colorful-a-common-property-in-unscripted-papal-preaching/" target=_blank>Clear and colorful: A common property in unscripted papal preaching</a>, Carol Glatz (Catholic News Service) reports on a new publication of Joseph Ratzinger:<blockquote>Never-before published, the 10 homilies are informal, colorful, off-the-cuff reflections that seek to make the mystery, relevance, and force of the faith clear and inspirational to everyday Catholics in a small Bavarian parish. The 100-page book — currently available only in Italian — is titled, <i>The Homilies of Pentling</i>, the German village where the cardinal vacationed and kept a home he had hoped to retire to one day.
<p>“Apart from a few small corrections, I kept the familiar style of the text just as it flowed out back then,” the retired pope wrote in the book's preface. He said he hoped the homilies, taken from transcribed audio recordings between 1986 and 1999, would help not just "my fellow citizens of Pentling," but all readers in “understanding and living the word of the Gospel."
<p>While Pope Francis consistently crafts clever, memorable metaphors in his writings and talks, many people don’t remember that Pope Benedict was quite good at it, too.</blockquote>
<p><li><a href="http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/ratzinger-prize-recognizes-lebanese-brazilian-scholars" target=_blank>Ratzinger Prize Recognizes Lebanese, Brazilian Scholars</a> Zenit.org. 11/16/15. "The Ratzinger Prize this year recognizes a Lebanese scholar who translated Joseph Ratzinter's complete works into Arabic, and a Brazilian theologian who twice served on the International Theological Commission."
<p><li><a href="http://wdtprs.com/blog/2015/11/how-about-a-masters-degree-in-ratzinger-studies/" target=_blank>How about a Masters in "Ratzinger Studies"</a>? - Fr. John Zuhlsdorf reports that in Rome, there is now a Masters program in RATZINGER STUDIES. The Fondazione Vaticana Joseph Ratzinger Benedetto XVI is sponsoring a Masters Program in "Joseph Ratzinger: Studies and Spirituality." [Link to PDF of the brochure].
<p><li><a href="http://chiesa.espresso.repubblica.it/articolo/1351168?eng=y" target=_blank>Kasper vs Ratzinger, the Unending Dispute</a>, by Sandro Magister. Chiesa. 10/30/15. "Francis reignited it and the synod has not resolved it. In the paragraphs on the divorced and remarried the word “communion” isn’t there. But the pope could introduce it himself, by authority."
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.crisismagazine.com/2015/walter-kasper-the-same-yesterday-today-and-forever" target=_blank>When Ratzinger Said No: A History of the Kasper Proposal</a> 10/23/15.
</ul>
<p><li><a href="http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/how-benedict-xvi-played-a-special-role-in-a-popes-cause-for-sainthood-88172/" target=_blank>How Benedict XVI played a special role in a Pope's cause for sainthood</a> Catholic News Agency. 10/20/15. "On his path to beatification, John Paul I can count on a very special supporter: Pope emeritus Benedict XVI."
<p><li><a href="http://www.crisismagazine.com/2015/benedict-from-where-does-evil-come" target=_blank>Benedict: "From Where Does Evil Come?"</a>, by James C. Schall, SJ. <i>Crisis</i> 09/21/15:<blockquote>The former students of Pope Benedict have an annual seminar (Ratzinger Schülerkreis) to think about his vast and profound intellectual accomplishments. This year’s meeting was held Castel Gandolfo. On August 30, in the Church of the Teutonic Cemetery in the Vatican, Pope Benedict gave a brief, penetrating homily in German to the group. The general subject of discussion was “How do we speak of God today?” (L’Osservatore Romano, September 4, 2015).
<p>The Gospel reading in the Pope’s Mass was from Mark 7. This passage concerned the Scribes and Pharisees questioning Christ and the disciples about washing hands and utensils in dining. Christ was annoyed with these gentlemen for concerning themselves with external cleanliness when inside they were avaricious and vain. Christ concluded with the famous passage: “Nothing that enters a man from the outside can make him impure; that which comes out from him, and only that, constitutes impurity” (Mk 7:15, 20). In other words, the world’s problems are not external to our souls but originate there. We cannot reconstruct the world in order to reconstruct ourselves. We always have to attend to ourselves first.
<p>At this group’s meeting three years previously, using the same text from Mark, Christof Cardinal Schönborn, O. P., a former student and colleague of Pope Benedict, posed the issue in this manner: Must one first be “purified exteriorly and not only interiorly, and [does] evil only [come] from within?”</blockquote>
<p><li><a href="http://www.mondayvatican.com/vatican/benedict-xvi-the-hidden-legay" target=_blank>Benedict XVI: the Hidden Legacy</a> <i>MondayVatican.com</i> 08/31/15:<blockquote>“A theological family.” This is how Fr. Stephan Horn, Salvatorian, describes the circle of former students of Joseph Ratzinger. Fr. Horn served as academic assistant to Joseph Ratzinger in Regensburg from 1971 to 1997, and today he is the secretary of the Ratzinger Schuelerkreis, which gathers once a year since 1978. ...</blockquote>
<p><li><a href="http://www.cruxnow.com/church/2014/09/11/regensburg-redux-was-pope-benedict-xvi-right-about-islam-analysis/" target=_blank>Regensburg Redux: Can Benedict say ‘I told you so’ about Islam?</a>, by David Gibson. <i>Crux</i> / Religion News Service. 09/11/14:<blockquote>Eight years ago this Friday, Sept. 12, Pope Benedict XVI delivered a lecture at the University of Regensburg in Bavaria in which he seemed to diagnose Islam as a religion inherently flawed by fanaticism.
<p>It was an undiplomatic assertion, to say the least — especially coming a day after the 9/11 anniversary — and it sparked an enormous outcry among Muslims. It came to be seen as one of a series of missteps that would plague Benedict’s papacy until he resigned last year.
<p>Now, with the Islamic State on the march in the Middle East, leaving a trail of horrifying brutality and bloodshed that has shocked the world, some of Benedict’s allies on the Catholic right are saying, in effect, "He told you so."</blockquote>
<p><li><a href="http://www.ncregister.com/blog/edward-pentin/cardinal-danneels-part-of-mafia-club-opposed-to-benedict-xvi" target=_blank>Cardinal Danneels Admits to Being Part of 'Mafia' Club Opposed to Benedict XVI</a>, by Edward Pentin. <i>National Catholic Register</i> 09/24/15.
<p><li><a href="http://www.ncregister.com/blog/edward-pentin/st.-gallen-group-not-a-lobby-group-say-authors" target=_blank>Cardinal Danneels' Biographers Retract Comments on St. Gallen Group (but the cardinal's assertion that the secretive "mafia-like" group existed and opposed Joseph Ratzinger still stands)</a>, by Edward Pentin. <i>National Catholic Register</i> 09/26/15.
<ul>
<li>FLASHBACK: <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/02/26/us-pope-benedict-resignation-idUSBREA1P0KV20140226" target=_blank>Ex pope Benedict denies he was forced to resign</a>, by Philip Pullella. Reuters. 02/26/14:<blockquote>Former Pope Benedict, in one of the few times he has broken his silence since stepping down nearly a year ago, has branded as "absurd" fresh media speculation that he was forced to quit.
<p>Church law says a pope's resignation is valid only if he takes the decision in full freedom and without pressure from others.
<p>"There is absolutely no doubt regarding the validity of my resignation from the Petrine ministry," Benedict, 86, who now has the title "pope emeritus," said in a letter to the Italian website Vatican Insider published on Wednesday.</blockquote>
</ul>
</ul>
Christopher Blosserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08385159494196923575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5590161.post-65081240842144987802015-09-17T00:23:00.000-04:002015-09-17T00:49:33.031-04:00Pope Benedict Roundup<p><b>News</b>
<ul>
<p><li><a href="http://vaticaninsider.lastampa.it/en/the-vatican/detail/articolo/ratzinger-43056/" target=_blank>Ratzinger at mass with former pupils: "The epidemic of the heart leads to corruption"</a> <i>La Stampa</i> "The Vatican Insider" 08/30/15:<blockquote>“The truth, love and goodness that come from God, make man pure and truth, love and goodness come together in the Word which brings liberates a world that no longer thinks of God from ‘forgetfulness’.” This was at the heart of the homily which the Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI pronounced during a mass he presided over this morning in the Teutonic Cemetery church in the Vatican. The mass was attended by members of the Schuelerkreis (Ratzinger’s “student circle”) and the New Schuelerkreis, who gathered at Castel Gandolfo in recent days to reflect on the theme “How to speak to God today”. The priest and philosopher Tomas Halik also participated. The news was posted on the Ratzinger Foundation website. ...
<p>The mass was followed by a ceremony for the inauguration of the “Pope Benedict-Joseph Ratzinger Hall”, which the Pope Emeritus blessed. The ceremony took place in the buildings adjacent to the Teutonic Cemetery. In his introductory speech, Mgr. Hans Peter Fischer, Rector of the Teutonic College, announced that a ceremony will be held on 18 November to mark the opening of the Joseph Ratzinger-Benedict XVI Roman Library. The library is entirely dedicated to the works and life of Joseph Ratzinger as a scholar and a Pope and is housed inside the Library of the Teutonic College and of the Roman Institute of the Gorres Society in the Vatican.</blockquote>
<p><li><a href="http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/for-benedict-xvi-the-quest-for-god-is-todays-real-and-necessary-challenge-88862/" target=_blank>The modern world's biggest challenge, according to Benedict XVI</a> Catholic News Agency. 08/27/15:<blockquote>Benedict XVI considers the quest for God to be contemporary society's foremost challenge, according to one of the emeritus Pope's former students, who has organized the annual meeting of Ratzinger's students to discuss that very topic.
<p>The Ratzinger <i>Schuelerkreis</i> will gather August. 28-30 to discuss the theme set them by their former professor. The group has gathered to discuss topics in theology and the life of the Church since 1978, shortly after their mentor was pulled from academia to become a bishop.</blockquote>
<p><li><a href="http://vaticaninsider.lastampa.it/en/the-vatican/detail/articolo/francesco-francisco-francis-ratzinger-42083/" target=_blank>Francis visits Ratzinger before latter’s departure for Castel Gandolfo</a> <i>La Stampa</i> 06/30/15.
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<p><b>Commentary</b>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.mondayvatican.com/vatican/benedict-xvi-the-hidden-legay" target=_blank>Benedict XVI: the Hidden Legacy</a>, by Andrea Gagliarducci. <i>Monday Vatican</i> 08/30/15:<blockquote>“A theological family.” This is how Fr. Stephan Horn, Salvatorian, <a href="http://www.acistampa.com/story/padre-horn-benedetto-xvi-ha-sempre-cercato-nuove-strade-per-parlare-di-dio-1305" target=_blank>describes the circle of former students of Joseph Ratzinger</a>. Fr. Horn served as academic assistant to Joseph Ratzinger in Regensburg from 1971 to 1997, and today he is the secretary of the Ratzinger Schuelerkreis, which gathers once a year since 1978. In an interview granted to ACI Stampa and Catholic News Agency last week, he explained that Benedict XVI wanted the group to be a “theological family.”
<p>The terminology is precise, as that of all the theologians who have studied with Benedict XVI. The notion of family is the interpretative key to understanding Benedict XVI’s pontificate, but it also crucial in view of the upcoming Synod of Bishops. ...</blockquote>
<p><li><a href="http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/benedict-xvi-and-christian-europe-as-seen-by-a-japanese-scholar-77849/" target=_blank>Benedict XVI and Christian Europe, as seen by a Japanese scholar</a> Catholic News Agency 08/14/15:<blockquote>Benedict XVI’s role in Europe is the focus of a Japanese scholar who says the Pope emeritus’ recent decades show his engagement in a dialogue that promotes both Catholic identity and what he saw as the best of Western values.
<p>“What Pope Benedict XVI wanted to emphasize was the independence of the Catholic Church,” Hajime Konno told CNA Aug. 12. He said this principle of self-determination was central to the Pope on questions of Church reform.
<p>At the same time, Benedict did not hesitate to dialogue with thinkers such as the German philosopher Jurgen Habermas and the Italian Social Democrat and atheist Paolo Flores d’Arcais. ...</blockquote><ul>
<li>See also: <a href="http://chiesa.espresso.repubblica.it/articolo/1351110?eng=y" target=_blank>Benedict XVI As No One Has Seen Him Before. From Japan</a>, by Sandro Magister. 08/06/15. "In the land of the Rising Sun, an outstanding book with a new interpretation of Ratzinger as theologian and pope. Written by a specialist in German history and culture. And with a Latin title: <i>Renovatio Europae Christianae</i>."
</ul>
<p><li><a href="http://www.spectator.co.uk/features/9577532/the-return-of-benedict-xvi/" target=_blank>The return of Benedict XVI</a>, by Damian Thompson. <i>The Spectator</i> UK. 07/11/15. "The Pope Emeritus has not vanished into monastic silence. He’s still offering comfort for those who prefer his vision to that of Pope Francis."
<p><li><a href="http://chiesa.espresso.repubblica.it/articolo/1351089?eng=y" target=_blank>Benedict and Francis, a Choir of Two Voices</a>, by Sandro Magister. "In Paraguay, great music for Pope Francis: that of the Jesuits of the “Reducciones.” And from Castel Gandolfo, Benedict XVI gives an exceptional listener’s guide."
<p><li><a href="http://www.mondayvatican.com/vatican/pope-francis-how-the-narrative-around-him-was-constructed" target=_blank>Pope Francis: How the Narrative around Him Was Constructed</a>, by Andrea Gagliarducci. <i>Monday Vatican</i> ("The Vatican at a Glance"). 07/20/15. [Read with a grain of salt -- Vatican conspiracy theorizing, but interesting nonetheless - <i>Editor</i>]:<blockquote>The latest interpretation of Benedict XVI’s resignation was given in recent weeks by Fr. Silvano Fausti, a Jesuit who was Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini’s confessor. Right before he died last month, Fr. Fausti granted a video interview and recounted that during their last meeting Cardinal Martini had told the current Pope Emeritus that the Roman Curia was not going to change, so it would be good if he were to resign. According to Fausti, Martini said this to Pope Benedict as if he were reminding him of an old agreement between them. That resignation paved the way for Pope Francis, whom Fr. Fausti admires. <i>But this story must be decoded. It is now evident that in order to understand the reasons why Pope Francis was elected, one needs to return to the 2005 conclave.</i></blockquote>
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<p><b>In the Publishing World (Ratzinger Studies)</b>
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<tr><td valign="top"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1451487991/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1451487991&linkCode=as2&tag=christopsweb&linkId=3ZFK7RC5BISCMF4Y" target=_blank><img src="http://ratzingerfanclub.com/images/innovation_with_tradition.jpg" alt="Innovation nnwithin Tradition: Joseph Ratzinger and Reading the Women of Scripture" width="80" height="" border="0"></a></td><td valign="top">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1451487991/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1451487991&linkCode=as2&tag=christopsweb&linkId=3ZFK7RC5BISCMF4Y" target=_blank>Innovation within Tradition: Joseph Ratzinger and Reading the Women of Scripture</a>, by Mary Frances McKenna.<img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=christopsweb&l=as2&o=1&a=1451487991" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />
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Fortress Press (September 1, 2015) 272 pages.
<div style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 11px;"><i>Innovation within Tradition</i> is an exploration of the meaning and implications of Joseph Ratzinger’s biblical interpretation of the women of salvation history. Mary Frances McKenna argues that Ratzinger’s work, through his development and refinement of the church’s tradition, brings the important role and significance of the female characters of Scripture to the fore by placing them at the heart of Christian faith.
<p><br>Explicating the pope emeritus’s concept of a “female line in the Bible,” which has a profound impact on the meaning and interpretation of the women of salvation history, the volume shows that this concept illustrates the practical value and creative nature of his approach to theology and biblical interpretation. Pivotal to the argument are questions around the findings on the notion of person, feminist theology, salvation history, and Mary, as well as the use of history in theology and biblical interpretation and the potential for the continuing development and deepening of the church’s comprehension of the meaning of revelation.
<p>The book advances a constructive approach, in coordination with these questions, for a Trinitarian theology of society, addresses old theological issues anew, and provides a starting point for an interdenominational understanding of Mary.
<p>Mary Frances McKenna is a tutor for the Centre for Marian Studies at University of Roehampton and chair of the relaunched Dublin (Ireland) branch of the Ecumenical Society of the Blessed Virgin Mary. She received her PhD at All Hallows College, Dublin City University, and her MA and BA in history at University College Dublin. She has published on the topic of faith and knowledge in relation to science and philosophy. This is a revision of a dissertation completed at All Hallows College, Dublin City University, Ireland under Tom Dalzell.
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"This book is an outstanding study of Joseph Ratzinger's theology of ‘the female line in the Bible.’ Mary Frances McKenna shows how a ‘Marian conversion’ in the life of Ratzinger enabled him to see even more clearly how Mary constitutes an essential element of authentic Christianity and how women are at the heart of salvation history. Filled with many fresh insights, Innovation within Tradition will, I believe, be recognized as of the best studies of Ratzinger's thought."
<p>—Robert Fastiggi
<br>Sacred Heart Major Seminary
<br>President of the Mariological Society of America (2014-2016)
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"This book reveals Mary Frances McKenna as a rising star on the theological horizon. Her analysis of Ratzinger’s exegesis of the female figures in Scripture is fascinating and thought-provoking. Suggesting that a line of female figures – from Wisdom to the Matriarchs to the Blessed Virgin Mary – stands at the heart of the Christian history of salvation, this book will be of interest both to traditional Catholics and to feminist theologians. It will also be enjoyed by students and teachers of religion, from the undergraduate to the advanced scholar, and will supply a great deal of material for discussion."
<p>—Sarah Jane Boss
<br>Director of the Centre for Marian Studies, University of Roehampton, UK
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<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.catholicireland.net/book-ratzingers-idea-female-line-bible/" target=_blank>Irish theologian publishes book on Ratzinger’s theology</a>, by Sarah McDonald. CatholicIreland.net.:<blockquote>‘The Female Line in the Bible: Mary and the Recovery of the Women of Scripture in Ratzinger’s/Benedict XVI’s Theological Journey’ has just been published by Dr Mary Frances McKenna.
<p>In it, she explores Ratzinger’s idea of a female line in the Bible which he argues runs from Eve to Mary and is in parallel to the male line, from Adam to Jesus.
<p>The book shows Ratzinger to be “a surprisingly innovative theologian” who works within the Tradition of the Church.
<p>It is "a practical example of his specific approach to and method of biblical interpretation.”
<p>According to Dr McKenna, "The female line idea offers a basis for new insights into salvation history and anthropology as well as a new angle for dialogue with feminist theology." ...
<p>Speaking to CatholicIreland.net, Dr McKenna explained how Ratzinger’s approach to the female differs from that of Pope Francis.
<p>"Pope Francis’ style is radically different from Pope Benedict, a style that could be described as pastoral in contrast to that of the theologian Pope," she said.
<p>However, she emphasised that where they are at one in their concern to ensure that Mary plays an essential role in the Church and every Christian's life, she added.</blockquote>
<p><li><a href="http://www.catholicireland.net/ratzinger-symposium/" target=_blank>Symposium explores Ratzinger’s theology</a> 04/21/14.
</ul>Christopher Blosserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08385159494196923575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5590161.post-51482256385365718922015-05-23T10:40:00.000-04:002015-05-23T10:42:23.833-04:00Pope Benedict Roundup<p><b>News</b>
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<li><a href="http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/in-a-new-letter-pope-emeritus-benedict-xvi-seeks-shepherds-for-the-whole-wo/" target=_blank>In a New Letter, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI Seeks Shepherds for the Whole World</a> <i>National Catholic Register</i>. 05/12/15:<blockquote>In a letter to his former secretary of state, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI has underscored the need for the Church to extend its pastoral care to nonbelievers and to share “the questions of the times” in its continuing efforts to announce the Gospel to the world.
<p>Benedict XVI’s new reflections came in an April 21 letter to Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, who served as his secretary of state from 2006 to 2013. A summary of the letter was published in the May 10 edition of the Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano.
<p>The letter is the second original work of Benedict XVI’s made public since his resignation in February 2013.</blockquote>
<li><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/17/pope-benedict-birthday_n_7089686.html" target=_blank>Retired Pope Benedict XVI Celebrates 88th Birthday With A Pint Of Beer</a> <i>Huffington Post</i> 04/17/15:<blockquote>Retired Pope Benedict XVI celebrated his 88th birthday Thursday with a party and a pint of beer.
<p>Photos released by the Vatican newspaper Thursday showed the German pope toasting a group of Bavarians in the Vatican gardens accompanied by his older brother, Monsignor Georg Ratzinger, and his longtime private secretary.
<p>Pope Francis celebrated Mass in Benedict's honor Thursday morning, saying he hopes God "supports him and gives him much joy and happiness."</blockquote>
<p><center><img src="http://www.ratzingerfanclub.com/images/benedict_88th_birthday.jpg" width="300" border="1" vspace="10" hspace="10"></center>
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<p><b>Commentary</b>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lauren-cahn/my-cousin-is-the-pope-and_b_7154542.html" target=_blank>My Cousin Is the Pope -- and It's Everything</a>, by Lauren Cahn. <i>Huffington Post</i> 05/04/15:<blockquote>I'm Jewish. I married a Jew. Both of my parents were Jewish. And so on. And yet, apparently, I am the cousin of a Pope - specifically, the still-living but now-retired Pope Benedict XVI. In fact, Pope Benedict XVI and I descend from at least two common ancestral lines. ..."</blockquote>
<p><li><a href="http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/commentandblogs/2015/04/19/how-benedict-xvi-vanquished-the-new-atheists/" target=_blank>How Benedict XVI vanquished the New Atheists</a>, by Mary O'Regan. <i>Catholic Herald</i> 04/19/15.
<p><li><a href="http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/on-88th-birthday-benedict-xvi-lauded-for-emphasis-on-mercy/" target=_blank>On 88th Birthday, Benedict XVI Lauded for Emphasis on Mercy</a> <i>National Catholic Register</i> 04/16/15. The Vatican official charged with organizing the upcoming Jubilee for Mercy says the topic was the “heart” of Benedict XVI’s pontificate, due to the emphasis he placed on love, which is lived out in mercy.
<p><li><a href="http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2015/04/15/abp_ganswein_benedict_xvi_prayerful_at_88/1136972" target=_blank>Abp Ganswein: Benedict XVI prayerful at 88</a> Vatican Radio [interview]. 04/15/18:<blockquote>Archbishop Ganswein told Mediaset’s La strada dei miracoli programme, “It is clear that a man who soon will turn 88 should be thinking about this [referencing his "dialogue of prayer in preparation for death].” He continued, “His is a Christian art – because preparing for death means preparing to meet the LORD, and this is a decisive meeting.”</blockquote>
<p><li><a href="http://www.thebostonpilot.com/article.asp?ID=173524" target=_blank>Cardinal George Pell: Pope Benedict XVI laid the groundwork for financial transparency</a> <i>The Pilot</i> 04/01/15. Cardinal George Pell, Prefect of the Prefecture of the Economic Affairs of the Holy See, explained that "it must not be thought that Pope Benedict XVI did nothing and we are now doing everything."
<p><li><a href="http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/jesus-of-nazareth-concluded-benedicts-xvi-theological-work-secretary-says/" target=_blank>‘Jesus of Nazareth’ Concluded Benedict XVI’s Theological Work, Secretary Says</a> <i>National Catholic Register</i> 03/23/15:<blockquote>Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI is no longer writing on theology, as he doesn’t have the strength to continue with this work, his personal secretary has said.<p>In an interview with the Italian weekly magazine <i>Oggi</i>, published March 17, Archbishop Georg Gänswein said Benedict XVI “no longer dedicates himself to theological or scientific writings,” and with the completion of his three volumes of Jesus of Nazareth, "he has concluded his theological work.”<p>
“He says he doesn’t have the strength to write anymore," Archbishop Gänswein said. "He continues to preach a homily at holy Mass on Sunday — without notes. He has a great memory."</blockquote>
<p><li><a href="http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/two-years-into-retirement-the-legacy-of-father-benedict-lives-on-44605/" target=_blank>Two years into retirement, the legacy of Father Benedict endures</a>, by Ann Schneible. <i>Catholic News Agency</i> 02/11/15. Two years to the day since Pope Benedict XVI told the world of his historic decision to step down from the papal office, those impacted by his pontificate say that his legacy is still burning bright.
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<p><b>Ratzinger Scholarship - Recent Books</b>
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<tr><td valign="top"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/3034319029/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=3034319029&linkCode=as2&tag=christopsweb&linkId=RG2BHFF6NMACQIHP" target=_blank><img src="http://ratzingerfanclub.com/images/liberation_ecclesiology.jpg" alt="A Liberation Ecclesiology?: The Quest for Authentic Freedom in Joseph Ratzinger's Theology of the Church" width="80" height="" border="0"></a></td> <td valign="top">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/3034319029/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=3034319029&linkCode=as2&tag=christopsweb&linkId=RG2BHFF6NMACQIHP" target=_blank>A Liberation Ecclesiology?: The Quest for Authentic Freedom in Joseph Ratzinger's Theology of the Church</a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=christopsweb&l=as2&o=1&a=3034319029" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />
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Peter Lang Pub Inc (April 29, 2015). 576 pp.
<div style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 11px;">
Freedom, one of the most potent ideals of the post-Enlightenment era, came to remarkable prominence in ecclesiology through the emergence of liberation theologies in the twentieth century. At the same time, Joseph Ratzinger - a German university professor - was appointed a bishop of the Roman Catholic Church and prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. His interaction with the pioneers of the liberationist movement led him to engage directly with the Christian understanding of freedom and its significance. As a result, his interest in freedom as a theological question expanded from the 1970s onwards. This book explores whether the basis for a liberation ecclesiology can be attributed to Ratzinger in his own right. While the volume's focus is ecclesiological, the author also gathers together many strands of Ratzinger's core theological insights in an attempt to establish how he approaches an issue that is both provocative and highly topical. Ratzinger is a controversial and engaging figure, and this book is essential reading for those who wish to understand how he deals with a theological topic of ongoing concern to society in general and the Catholic Church in particular.</div>
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</table>Christopher Blosserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08385159494196923575noreply@blogger.com0