Pope Benedict Roundup!

News

• Ratzinger to return to the Vatican the second of May, by Andrea Tornielli. La Stampa "The Vatican Insider" 04/26/13:

  Benedict XVI returns to the Vatican. He left the Holy See on 28 February, the last day of his pontificate, which ended officially on the evening of that same day, following his resignation. Unless there is last minute change of plan, the Pope Emeritus is expected to return to the Vatican the second of May. The former cloistered monastery where the former Pope will be living, is now ready for him to move in. ...

• Author Charles Coulombe was inspired to write The Legacy of Pope Benedict XVI because he considered Benedict to have been ‘the best pope I’ve lived under' National Catholic Register 04/26/13.
• Pope Emeritus Benedict 'relieved' he is no longer pontiff Pope Emeritus Benedict's older brother has said the former pontiff is "relieved" to be free of the responsibility of running the Catholic Church, as he insisted that while he is growing weaker with old age, he is not suffering from illness. The Telegraph 04/23/13.
• Ratzinger celebrates first birthday as Pope Emeritus La Stampa 04/16/13

  Benedict XVI turned 86 today, celebrating his first birthday as Pope Emeritus in the solitude of Cstel Gandolfo, surrounded by his small “family”, made up of his secretary Georg Gänswein, the four Memores Domini sisters, the secretary Sister Birgit and his brother, Georg Ratzinger.

  Pope Francis made a cordial telephone call to him, repeating the wishes he sent him during mass. He also sent his wishes to Georg Ratzinger for his name day on 23 April (the two share the same name, the Pope's own name being Jorge).

Commentary

• Pope Benedict XVI’s “First Convert”, by Roger Dubin. The Catholic World Report 04/16/13. The story of how a New York Jew wrestled with Christ and became Catholic.
• From the Archives: Neuhaus and Ratzinger, by Matthew Schmitz. First Things "First Thoughts" Recalling Cardinal Ratzinger's 1988 Erasmus Lecture, "Biblical Interpretation in Crisis, presented in New York City and hosted by the Institute on Religion and Public Life.
• Pope Benedict XVI’s Legacy: Faith and Future Fr. Angelo Mary Geiger on "Six essential and enduring themes of the pontificate of the Pope Emeritus." Catholic World Report 04/23/13.
• Benjamin Wiker has written a seven part reflection on Pope Benedict's pontificate (and his battle with secularism) for the National Catholic Register. Wiker's latest book is Worshipping the State: How Liberalism Became Our State Religion.
  • A Tale of Two Benedicts 02/19/13.
  • Benedict vs. the Dictatorship of Relativism 02/25/13.
  • A Gem of a Pope 03/01/13.
  • Totalitarian Irrationality 03/13/13.
  • 'Gay Marriage's' looming battle 03/25/13.
  • The Church and the Secular State
  • Benedict XVI: Doctor of the Church, by Benjamin Wiker. 04/29/13.
• Benedict XVI and the End of the “Virtual Council”, by Tracey Rowland. The Catholic World Report 04/19/13. Up to the final days of his pontificate, Benedict XVI emphasized the importance of interpreting the Council in continuity with what came before it.
• Pope Francis wishes Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI a Happy Birthday 04/16/13:

  [Tuesday] morning, on the occasion of the birthday of Pope emeritus Benedict XVI, the Holy Father Francis began the celebration of Mass in the chapel of the Domus Sanctae Marthae, inviting all those present to pray with these words: “Today is Benedict XVI's birthday. We offer the Mass for him, so that the Lord be with him, comfort him, and give him much consolation.”

  During the morning, Pope Francis then made friendly a phone call to Benedict XVI to wish him a happy birthday as well as to extend his greetings and best wishes to his brother, Msgr. Georg Ratzinger, who has been at Castel Gandolfo for several days, staying precisely to celebrate in a familial and fraternal way, today's occasion and who will in turn celebrate his saint's day, St. George, this coming 23 April, just as Pope Francis will.

• Pope's sister: Francis 'plenty tough enough' to lead John Allen Jr. interviews Maria Elena Bergoglio, sister of Pope Francis. National Catholic Reporter 04/03/13:

  There’s only one other person on earth who can really understand what your brother’s going through, and that’s Benedict XVI. They’ve already spoken several times. In the same way, there’s probably only one other person who can appreciate what you’re going through, and that’s Benedict’s brother Georg. Have you thought about calling him for advice?

  You know, no one’s asked me that before. It’s true, probably no one knows what my brother is feeling as much as Benedict. I’ve never thought about calling his brother, but I’m sure it would be a very interesting phone call.

  If you did have that phone call, what would you want to ask him?

  It’s not so much that I have anything I’d want to ask, but I would like to congratulate him for the brother he has. Benedict XVI is an extremely humble man and an extremely honest man, and it takes a lot of guts to renounce power like he did. Also, I’d like to express how grateful I am to Benedict XVI, because he did all the hard work. First of all, he had to follow John Paul II, which was almost impossible, especially because Benedict was more introverted and shy, more intellectual. I also feel sorry for Benedict because in many ways he had to do the dirty work in the church, such as starting to talk about the bad things in the church, the rotten tomatoes, such as the abuse cases.

  You mention the abuse cases. How do you think your brother will respond to them?

  I have no idea what he’ll actually do, but I know that he’ll do what needs to be done.

  Are you glad that your brother is following Benedict and not John Paul II? Do you feel like that will make things easier for him?

  Probably, yes, because John Paul II was so much in the hearts of the people. It was an extremely difficult job for anyone to follow him. I don’t think my brother will be exactly like John Paul II or Benedict XVI … in some ways, at least in terms of personality, he’s a good mix of both of them.

• Benedict XVI’s Theology of Holy Saturday, by Tania M. Geist. First Things "On The Square" 03/30/13.
• The Archiving of Benedict, or a Defense of Pope Benedict XVI (Dyspeptic Mutterings 03/28/13). A stern (and warranted) essay by Dale Price on those who would use the pontificate of Pope Francis as a means to criticize -- or otherwise dismiss -- his predecessor.
• Love, Hope, and Truth: Benedict XVI’s Three Encyclicals, by Carl Olson. CatholicPulse.com. 03/25/13.

Publications

	The Word Made Love: The Dialogical Theology of Joseph Ratzinger/Benedict XVI by Christopher S. Collins. Liturgical Press, February 2013. In The Word Made Love, Christopher Collins identifies in the structure of Ratzinger s thought the presentation of God as one who speaks and who ultimately speaks Himself in the person of Jesus Christ. Humanity s posture before God is one of hearing and responding. For Ratzinger, then, dialogue is the basic structure of all reality, and the Christian vision articulates the radical transformation that happens when we enter into this divine dialogue. Collins argues that this dialogical, communicative structure is a distinctive aspect of Ratzinger s thought and a unique contribution to the renewal of theology in our day. Christopher S. Collins, SJ, is assistant professor of theology at Saint Louis University. He is a former parish priest on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, as well as a high school instructor at both Brophy College Prep in Phoenix, Arizona, and Jesuit College Preparatory in Dallas, Texas.
	Joseph Ratzinger in Communio, Vol. 2: Anthropology and Culture (Ressourcement: Retrieval and Renewal in Catholic Thought) by Pope Benedict XVI. Edited by David Schindler and Nicholas J. Healy. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company (January 2013) In this second volume of Joseph Ratzinger in Communio, Pope Benedict XVI speaks to various issues relating to humanity today -- conscience, technological security, the origin of human life, the meaning of Sunday, Christian hope, and more. As editor David L. Schindler notes, "Cardinal Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI) rarely writes on any churchly matter that does not manifest its implications for man and culture, and vice versa. Indeed, this indissoluble linking is one of the main distinguishing features of his theology." This is the second of three volumes; the first deals with themes relating to the Church, and the third volume is to focus on theological renewal.
By Mariusz Biliniewicz.	The Liturgical Vision of Pope Benedict XVI: A Theological Inquiry Available in the UK only - order overseas from Amazon.co.uk. Peter Lang AG, Internationaler Verlag der Wissenschaften (20 Feb 2013) This book presents and evaluates the liturgical vision of Pope Benedict XVI and the theological background underlying that vision. It describes the main features of Joseph Ratzinger's theology of the liturgy and analyses them within the context of his theology as a whole. Ratzinger's evaluation of the contemporary Roman Catholic liturgy is explored in relation to his overall assessment of the post-Vatican II era in the Church, alongside an examination of his project of liturgical renewal ('reform of the reform') and its practical implementation during his pontificate. The author discusses the various critical voices which have been raised against the Pope's liturgical agenda and against certain aspects of his general theology. Overall, the book offers an assessment of the importance of Ratzinger's vision for the Church at the threshold of the third millennium.

Additional Reference Resources

• Pope Benedict XVI on Islam (2005-2009) [Kindle Edition] A comprehensive analysis of 91 official statements made by Pope Benedict XVI from 2005 to 2009 that involved Islam. The 9253 word count includes references and notes. Compiled by Guy Fricano.

Pope Francis to Benedict XVI: "We are Brothers"

Castel Gandolfo: Pope Francis visits Benedict XVI. Two popes meet. AsiaNews.it 03/23/13:

... Despite the fact that most media seem to enjoy placing the current pope and his predecessor in stark opposition to each other, the reality is that the two share a deeply fraternal relationship. Since the night of his election, on March 13 last year, Francis has always spoken with kindness and cited his "venerable predecessor." His very first gesture, looking out from St Peter's central loggia was to ask everyone to pray for Pope Benedict XVI. The next day he celebrated Mass with cardinals carrying the German pope's processional cross in his hands, in his encounter with the College of Cardinals he quoted him directly with words of sincere praise for his pontificate with which "he enriched and strengthened the Church with his teaching, his kindness, his guidance, his faith, his humility and gentleness that will remain a spiritual heritage for everyone. "

He mentioned him again with great friendliness and devotion during his meeting with the media, at the Mass in the parish of St. Anne, at the first Mass of his pontificate, meeting with Christian and religious leaders and in his meeting with the diplomatic corps.

Francis and Benedict’s historic meeting: “We are brothers” La Stampa "The Vatican Insider":

After briefly greeting the other people present (the Bishop of Albano and the director of the Pontifical Villas, Petrillo), they got into the car Benedict XVI had arrived in. Francis got in on the right hand side, the side the Pope always sits on and Benedict sat on the left. The Prefect of the Papal Household, Mgr. Georg Gänswein, also took the same car which took them to the lifts which took them up to the apartment. They then went to the chapel to pray.

“In the chapel, the Pope Emeritus offered Francis the seat of honour but the latter replied: “We are brothers,” and asked Ratzinger to kneel down with him at the same pew,” Fr. Lombardi said.

After a brief moment of prayer, they went to the private Library where the private meeting started at 12:30. This is the library where the Pope usually receives important guests when he is at Castel Gandolfo. Francis gave the Pope Emeritus a beautiful icon as a gift, after which their conversation began. It lasted 45 minutes and ended at 13:15.

“It should be noted that the Pope Emeritus wears a simple white cassock without a fascia (sash) or shoulder cape: it is these two garments that distinguish him from Francis who does wear a fascia and shoulder cape,” the Vatican spokesman stressed.

The two secretaries, Fr. Georg and Fr. Xuereb attended the lunch as well and the private and confidential meeting concluded with a conversation in the Library.

Pope Francis (L) embraces Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI as he arrives at the Castel Gandolfo summer residence March 23, 2013. Pope Francis travelled by helicopter from the Vatican to Castel Gandolfo for a private meeting with former Pope Benedict XVI. REUTERS/Osservatore Romano

Vatican Radio also reports:

The Holy Father also brought a gift for his predecessor, an icon of Our Lady of Humility, as a gift for Benedict XVI's great humility. The two men then spent an estimated 45 minutes in private conversation in the Library before emerging to lunch with two secretaries.

The intensely reserved nature of the encounter confirms what Benedict XVI had confided to the priests of Rome in his last meeting with them as Pope on February 14th when he said: “Although I am retiring now, I will always be close in prayer, and you will be close to me, even if I remain hidden away from the world".

Pope Francis, left, and the former pope Benedict XVI prayed together at Castel Gandolfo. AFP/Osservatore Romano

Related

• Ratzinger-Bergoglio lunch:"A constructive meeting. It would be wrong to draw comparisons" Antonio Spadaro, the director of the Company of Jesus’ journal Civilta Cattolica gives an account of today’s face-to-face meeting between Francis and Benedict XVI. La Stampa 03/23/13.
• Unprecedented image in two thousand years of Catholic history, by Andrea Tornielli. La Stampa "The Vatican Insider" 03/24/13:

  Gossip over continuity and break based on mozzettas, ermine furs and red shoes is threatening to overshadow the reality of true continuity between Benedict XVI and Francis. Theirs is a continuity that finds proof in several passages, in small deeds and stresses that were seen and heard during the first few days of this pontificate: the humility shown by both, their shared knowledge that the Church is ultimately led by God, their sense of non protagonism. After the election Benedict XVI said that “ everywhere the pope goes he shines the light of Christ, not his own”, Francis too, when talking to journalists, remarked that the protagonist is Christ not the pope.

  Another element that the two popes have in common is their awareness of the need to safeguard the environment and all creation, of which mankind is the apex; in fact Benedict XVI had earned the nickname of “Green pope”; not to mention the concern over career-ambition and the “ spiritual worldliness” within the Church. Only people who have forgotten Benedict XVI’s profound homilies on these matters during consistories and during the ceremonies to appoint bishops might think that there is no harmony between the two popes. Only people who do not know Ratzinger’s writings on liturgy might believe that his philosophy would centre around lace, ermine fur and evermore sophisticated parameters rather than the simple encounter with the mystery of Christ. Some time ago, during a TV show, Bergoglio said that mass is not “ a gathering of friends who come to pray and eat bread and wine… To what great extent a priest needs to prepare to celebrate the holy communion !”

  The exceptional footage shot yesterday at Castel Gandolfo shows the pope Emeritus pointing out to his successor the papal kneeling stool and then trying to stand aside, but being prevented from doing so by Francis who took him by the hand to pray side by side because in his eyes they are “brothers”. Those who saw the footage perfectly understand the mutual consideration and harmony that exists between these two men. Those who heard Francis’ voice as he gave his predecessor the picture of Our Lady of Humility and said “I thought of you because during your pontificate -- you gave us many examples of tenderness and humility" will not hesitate in recognizing humility as one of the common denominators between the two popes.

• Dr. Robert Moynihan comments further on the significance of Pope Francis' gift to Benedict of the icon of the Madonna of Humility:

  ... a few minutes ago I received an unexpected email from Metropolitan Hilarion, 46, an old friend who is also the “Foreign Minister” (the term isn’t quite accurate, but it suggests the importance of his work and position) of the Russian Orthodox Church’s Moscow Patriarchate, so, the right-hand of Patriarch Kirill. He wrote:

  “Pope Francis presented to Pope emeritus Benedict the icon which had been presented to Pope Francis by Metropolitan Hilarion on behalf of Patriarch Kirill [the head of the Russian Orthodox Church] after the private audience [with the new Pope] on 20 March. Отправлено с iPhone [Sent from iPhone]“

  So the icon was the Russian icon Hilarion gave to Francis three days ago!

  I wrote back: “Amazing. Are you pleased, or upset?”

  I added: “It is reported here: ‘They spent 45 minutes talking alone. Pope Francis gave Pope Benedict an icon of Our Lady of Humility, saying that when he received it, he immediately thought of giving it to Pope Benedict.’”

  Hilarion wrote back: “Very pleased and touched.”

  
  

  ... at the moment Pope Francis and Pope Benedict first met, at the first meeting ever of the “two Popes” of the Roman Catholic Church, there was a “Russian connection” and an “Orthodox connection” which was present, which was between them, joining them: an image of the Virgin Mary, the Madonna of Humility, brought from Russia and given to Pope Francis in Rome on March 20, an image which immediately struck Pope Francis when he received it as reminding him of Benedict, an image which he decided to bring with him today, to give to Emeritus Pope Benedict, on the occasion of the unprecedented, historic occasion, of their first meeting.

Surprise! -- Pope takes a walk through Rome!

Pope Benedict XVI made his first public appearance on the streets of Rome on Wednesday afternoon, April 20, as he visited his old apartment near Vatican City to transfer some belongings to his new home in the apostolic palace.

The newly elected Pope, clothed completely in the distinctive white vestments of the papacy, caught onlookers by surprise when he chose to travel on foot, walking the few hundred yards to the apartment in the Citta Leonina where he had lived for years. When the news spread that the Pontiff was walking through the city, hundreds of people quickly gathered, and he spent some time in front of the apartment building, greeting the people and blessing young children. Italian police and Vatican security officials did their best to control the crowd, preserving some breathing room for the Pontiff.

After a short stay in his old apartment, the Pontiff reappeared, entering a black car that was waiting for him at the entrance of the building. He paused again to wave to the crowd, turning slowly from one direction to another so that he could greet as many as possible. The crowd burst into cheers of "Long live the Pope!" and the chant that has already become familiar: "Benedetto!" Pope Benedict later commented that he was "very moved" as he resumed direct contact with the faithful.

As reported on April 20, 2005. Hat tip to Wheat and Weeds, providing a welcome reminder that -- contrary to the attempt of some to drive a wedge between the new pontiff and his predecessor -- "As with Vatican II, so with these papacies: we preach a hermeneutic of continuity, not one of rupture."

Pope Benedict Roundup!

News

Some news and trivia that might have been missed on the final days of Pope Benedict's Pontificate.

• Benedict’s Finale with Beethoven: A “Heroic” Moment, by Msgr. Daniel B. Gallagher. Pope Benedict’s pontificate comes to a fitting musical conclusion with a performance of Beethoven’s magnificent Eroica Symphony. Catholic World Report 02/19/13.

• The last appointments before the departure, by Sandro Magister (Chiesa, 2/26/13). From Gänswein to Balestrero, passing through the IOR. An analysis of the appointments decided by Benedict XVI in the final phase of his pontificate. Not all of them were obligatory. Will they be a hindrance or a help to the future pope?

• Notice of Danger: A Church with Two Popes, by Sandro Magister. (Chiesa 03/09/13). The imminent conclave will elect the new pontiff. But it will not dismiss the uncertainties about the role of the so-called "pope emeritus." A great canonist reveals the risks of this title. And of other ambiguities that surround it.

• When Pope Benedict XVI officially stepped down from office Feb. 28, his wardrobe changed -- right down to the ring on his finger.

• Twilight of a Pontificate: An Eyewitness Report The Rev. Dr. Athanasius McVay relays his eyewitness report of Benedict's final audiences and last days.

• Benedict XVI Honored by Eastern Orthodox Hierarchs, by Christopher B. Warner. Catholic World Report 03/04/13. Another look at the Constantinople-Rome schism and a way forward for reconciliation.

• Old pope, new pope have a chat, by John Allen Jr. National Catholic Reporter 03/19/13:

  Pope Francis today made a phone call to his predecessor, Benedict XVI, after his inaugural Mass to wish him well on his saint's name day -- the feast of St. Joseph. The given name of Pope Benedict XVI, of course, is Joseph Ratzinger. (In addition, Ratzinger's parents were named Joseph and Mary.)

  A brief Vatican statement on the phone call appears below.

  "This afternoon, shortly after 5:00 pm, Pope Francis called the pope emeritus Benedict XVI by phone to give him warm wishes on the occasion of his saint’s name day, St. Joseph, and to once again express his gratitude and that of the church for his service. The conversation was ample and cordial. The pope emeritus has followed with intense participation the events of these days, in particular this morning’s celebration, and assured his successor of his continued closeness in prayer."

Pope Benedict is the first pope ever to watch coverage of the election of his successor.

Commentary

• Winter 2010 Issue of Communio: International Catholic Review features a symposium on Caritas in Veritate, the third encyclical of Pope Benedict XVI, with a number of articles generously made available online.

• The “Martyrdom” of Pope Benedict XVI, by Alberto Carosa. Catholic World Report Don Nicola Bux, one of Benedict’s close collaborators, on the deeper meaning of the papal resignation. 03/10/13.

• The Ratzinger Legacy, by Ross Douthat. New York Times 03/3/13:

  It was the work of Ratzinger’s subsequent career, first as John Paul II’s doctrinal policeman and then as his successor, to re-establish where Catholicism actually stood. This was mostly a project of reassertion: yes, the church still believes in the Resurrection, the Trinity and the Virgin birth. Yes, the church still opposes abortion, divorce, sex outside of marriage. Yes, the church still considers itself the one true faith. And yes — this above all, for a man whose chief gifts were intellectual — the church believes that its doctrines are compatible with reason, scholarship and science.

  It was understandable that this project made Ratzinger many enemies. It turned him into a traitor to his class, since it involved disciplining theologians who had been colleagues, peers and rivals. It disappointed or wounded the many Catholics who couldn’t reconcile the church’s teachings with their post-sexual-revolution lives. And it obviously did not solve the broad cultural challenges facing institutional Christianity in the West.

  But it did stabilize Catholicism, especially in America, to an extent that was far from inevitable 40 years ago.

• Benedict XVI Put Liturgy Front and Center, by Trent Beattie. National Catholic Register 03/20/13. The pope emeritus’ words and deeds regarding the Mass led the faithful closer to God.

• David Schütz, (Sentire Cum Ecclesia) on why Lutherans can thank God for the Papacy of Benedict XVI:

  From my point of view, as a “Lutheran in communion with the Bishop of Rome”, Benedict XVI will always stand out as unique among all the popes of history as the only one who really read, knew, and understood Martin Luther.

• Benedict Face to Face with Islam, Andrew Doran revisits the Pope's Regensburg address and the implications of "dehellenization". First Things "On the Square" 04/20/13.

• Amy Welborn: "a short reflection on the explosion of reactions to Pope Francis" Charlotte Was Both 03/18/13:

  I’m startled by the number of people who are under the impression that Pope Benedict neglected to mention Jesus Christ, mercy or the poor during his pontificate. Who don’t understand the substantial reforms Pope Benedict undertook over the past few years. So for example: Pope Francis mentioned the danger of the Church becoming seen as just another NGO, to wide acclaim – from some of the same quarters who have looked askance at Pope Benedict making exactly the same points – and putting them into action ...

  For me, it comes down to this. Both of these Popes were and are pastors. Both have given their lives for us, for Christ. We can – and should be open to being – taught by both. All I’m saying is that – as Pope Francis himself has acknowledged in his own words these past few days – Pope Benedict was all about Christ. He spent 8 years as your Pope, “proposing Jesus Christ” through his words and actions – even his red shoes. If Pope Francis’ actions so far preach Christ more clearly to you then so be it. Christ is who is important, and we are a Church of great diversity for a reason. But what has been so bizarre and even saddening over the past few days is a tone and implication that Benedict was somehow about something else besides Jesus Christ.

Further reflections on the pontificate and legacy of Pope Benedict XVI.

Forthcoming Books

A Reason Open to God: On Universities, Education, and Culture Catholic University of America Press (July 2013) With clarity and wisdom, Pope Benedict XVI sets out his vision for Catholic higher education in this first and only collection of his major addresses on the topic. What is the mission and identity of a Catholic university? What are the responsibilities of administrators, teachers, and students in Catholic institutes of higher learning? Where does the central theme of "love of God and others" fit into academia? The pope's most important statements on the nature of the university and its cultural and educative tasks are brought together in this volume. Featured are the various speeches he has given to university audiences since his pontificate began. Also included are select addresses on education and culture, themes that go to the heart of the mission of the university, and that possess a value for society as a whole. Throughout these addresses, the pope presents 2,000 years of lived tradition with a striking freshness. His response to the contemporary challenges in Catholic higher education will have an enduring historical impact.

A School of Prayer: The Saints Show us How to Pray Ignatius Press (March 2013) Prayer is essential to the life of faith. In this superb book, based on Pope Benedict's weekly teaching, he examines the foundational principles of the life of prayer. Believers of various backgrounds and experience in prayer-from beginners to spiritually advanced-will be enriched by this spiritual masterpiece. Benedict begins considering what we can learn from the examples of prayer found in a wide range of cultures and eras. Next, he turns to the Bible's teaching about prayer, beginning with Abraham and moving though Moses, the prophets, the Psalms to the example of Jesus. With Jesus Christ, Pope Benedict considers not only the Lord's teaching about prayer, but also his example of how to pray, including the Our Father, his prayers in the Garden of Gethsemane, and prayers on the Cross. The prayers of Mary, the Mother of Jesus, and the early Church are also explored. Benedict also draws on insights from spiritual masters, the saints, and the Church's liturgy. He challenges readers to live their relationships with God "even more intensely, as it were, at a 'school of prayer'." Although Benedict provides a sweeping survey of great figures of prayer, his discussion centers on Jesus Christ and even invokes him in the study of prayer. "It is in fact in Jesus," writes Benedict, "that man becomes able to approach God in the depth and intimacy of the relationship of fatherhood and sonship. Together with the first disciples, let us now turn with humble trust to the Teacher and ask him: 'Lord, teach us to pray' (Lk 11:1)."

Habemus Papam! - Pope Francis

Vatican City, 13 March 2013 (VIS) - Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, S.J., has been elected as Supreme Pontiff, the 265th successor of Peter, and has chosen the name Francis. He is the first Latin American Pope, the first Jesuit Pope, and the first “Francis” in the pontificate.

At 8:12pm—55 minutes after the appearance of the white “fumata” at 7:06pm—the Cardinal proto-deacon Jean-Louis Tauran made the solemn announcement to the people from the external Loggia of the Hall of Blessings of the Vatican Basilica.

Following are the words pronounced by Cardinal Tauran:

Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum;
habemus Papam;
Eminentissium ac Reverendissium Dominum,
Dominum Georgium Marium
Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae Cardinalem Bergoglio
Qui sibi nomen imposuit Franciscum.

[I announce to you with great joy;
We have a Pope;
The most eminent and most reverend Lord
Lord Mario
Cardinal of Holy Roman Church Bergoglio
Who has taken the name Francis.]

Conclave Notes

The conclave that led to the election of Pope Francis began on Tuesday, 12 March 2013 in the Sistine Chapel of the Vatican Apostolic Palace, with the "Extra omnes" pronounced at 5:33pm by Msgr. Guido Marini, master of the Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff, following the taking of the oath by the 115 cardinal electors.

The first black “fumata” took place at 7:42pm the same day.

On Wednesday, 13 March, there was black smoke at 11:40am.

On Wednesday, 13 March, there was white smoke at 7:06pm.

First “Urbi et Orbi” Blessing of the New Holy Father Francis

Before the new Pope appeared at the balcony, an honour guard of Swiss Guards in full military regalia and bearing the pontifical standard marched into the square and took their places under the Loggia followed by a representation of the various Italian armed forces that, since 1929, have paid homage to the Pope on important occasions as a sign of the reconciliation between the Holy See and the Italian State. The Holy See marching band accompanied the wait. As soon as they heard the name of the new pontiff, the crowd began to chant together: “Francesco, Francesco”.

At 8:24pm, the Holy Father Francis, preceded by the Cross, appeared at the Loggia of the brightly lit Vatican Basilica. Before imparting the “Urbi et Orbi” (“to the city and the world) apostolic blessing he greeted the enormous crowd that had been gathering all afternoon in cold and rainy St. Peter's Square saying:

“Dear brothers and sisters, Good evening. You know that the duty of the Conclave was to give Rome a bishop. It seems that my brother cardinals picked him from almost the ends of the earth. But here we are! I thank you for the warm welcome. The diocesan community of Rome has its bishop. Thank you! First and foremost I would like to say a prayer for our Bishop Emeritus Benedict XVI. Let us pray together for him, that the Lord bless him and the Virgin keep him.”

After leading the Our Father, Hail Mary, and Gloria, Pope Francis again addressed the crowd saying:

“And now let us begin this journey, bishop and people, this journey of the Church of Rome, which is the one that leads all the churches in charity. A journey of fraternity, of trust between us. Let us always pray for one another. Let us pray for the world so that this might be a great brotherhood. I hope that this journey of the Church that we begin today, and in which my Cardinal Vicar here present will assist me, will be fruitful for the evangelization of this beautiful city.”

“Now I would like to impart the blessing, but first, first I ask a favor of you. Before the bishop blesses the people, I ask that you pray to the Lord that He bless me: the prayer of the people asking a blessing for their bishop. Let us pray in silence, this your prayer for me.”

“Now I will impart the blessing to you and all the world, to all men and women of good will.”

After imparting the apostolic blessing Pope Francis added: “Brothers and sisters, I take my leave. Thank you for your warm welcome. Tomorrow I'm going to pray to the Virgin, that she will safeguard all of Rome. Good night and rest well.”

SOURCE: CARDINAL BERGOGLIO ELECTED TO PONTIFICATE Vatican Information Service. 03/13/13.

Conclave 2013 - News, Resources, Commentary

This post will be updated regularly in the days and weeks to come as we compile news and information resources related to the upcoming 2013 Papal Conclave.

Covering the Conclave: Resources

• Vatican Information Service
• EWTN Eternal Word Television Network
• Edward Pentin (National Catholic Register)
• Zenit News Service
• Blogging the Conclave with John Thavis (Catholic News Service)

Papabile of the Day John Allen Jr. (National Catholic Reporter profiles cardinals who are frequently touted as papabile, or men who could be pope. These are the names drawing the most buzz in the lead-up to the conclave.

News

• Cardinals end pre-conclave meetings, hear report on Vatican bank , by Cindy Wooden. Catholic News Service. 3/11/13.
• The famous stove where ballots are burned, by John Thavis (Catholic News Service). 3/9/13.
• Citing unauthorized press reports on their preparatory meetings for the upcoming papal election, the College of Cardinals agreed to a media blackout similar to one observed before the previous conclave in 2005. (Catholic News Service 03/06/13).
• Even though a conclave to elect a new pope has not yet started, the papal tailors have the white cassock ready for the new pontiff when he appears less than an hour after his election on the balcony overlooking St. Peter's Square. (Catholic News Service 03/04/13).
• ) -- On the first day of their pre-conclave meetings, all of the cardinals were given a gold-embossed, green book of rites and prayers to accompany them as they enter the conclave, vote, elect a new pope and introduce him to the world. (Catholic News Service 03/05/13).
• Canonist explains 'rigid, highly formal' rules for electing pope, by Cindy Wooden. Catholic News Service 2/22/13.
• The Mahony case casts a shadow over the Conclave, by Maria Teresa Pontara Pederiva. "The Vatican Insider" La Stampa 2/18/13. The case regarding the cardinal's involvement in the paedophilia scandal has caused a storm in the U.S. which has now reached Rome.

• Conclave to silence at least nine tweeting cardinals "Parrots may squawk in the Vatican Gardens during a conclave, but the cardinals are not allowed to tweet." Catholic News Service 2/15/13.
• Statement from Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Vatican Secretary of State The Vatican Secretariat of State has issued a statement on the upcoming conclave and the external influence of various news stories.

Conclaves in Modern History: Fun facts, by Deacon Pedro. Salt + Light. 3/11/13. Provided by Dr. Donald Prudlo, Associate Professor of History at Jacksonville State University, Alabama.

Commentary

• The key issue for the coming conclave is transparency. Catholic Culture. 3/7/13.
• Who Will be Pope #266?, by Michael Severance. Catholic World Report After a long month to think, pray, and meet, the cardinals convene and the world waits.

• Is an American Pope Possible, or Prudent?, by Edward Pentin. National Catholic Register 3/8/13. Cardinals and Vatican analysts are considering the matter, as speculation mounts that U.S. cardinals are serious candidates for the seat of St. Peter.

• A Quick Course in Conclave 101, by John Allen Jr. National Catholic Reporter 2/15/13. Regarding the traditional Catholic conviction that a conclave unfolds under the direct guidance of the Holy Spirit, he opines:

  one shouldn't exaggerate the role of divine inspiration. As one cardinal put it to me after the election of Benedict XVI, "I was never whapped on the head by the Holy Spirit. I had to make the best choice I could based on the information available."

  Perhaps the classic expression of this idea belongs to none other than the outgoing pope, Benedict XVI, who as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was asked on Bavarian television in 1997 if the Holy Spirit is responsible for who gets elected. This was his response:

  I would not say so, in the sense that the Holy Spirit picks out the Pope. ... I would say that the Spirit does not exactly take control of the affair, but rather like a good educator, as it were, leaves us much space, much freedom, without entirely abandoning us. Thus the Spirit's role should be understood in a much more elastic sense, not that he dictates the candidate for whom one must vote. Probably the only assurance he offers is that the thing cannot be totally ruined.

  Then the clincher:

  There are too many contrary instances of popes the Holy Spirit obviously would not have picked!

• According to Canon Lawyer Dr. Ed Peters, "There are presently 118 cardinals (a papally self-imposed limit of 120 electors is occasionally exceeded), some of them retired (emeritus) from their last posts, eligible to vote in the next papal conclave." He provides additional resources on the next papal conclave here.

• McCarrick: We're ready for a Third World pope - The former archbishop of Washington at down for an interview with NCR on Feb. 14 at the North American College, the residence for American seminarians on Rome, to discuss Benedict's resignation and the dynamics of the looming papal election.

• A critical tone among cardinals begins to emerge, by John Allen Jr. (National Catholic Reporter 2/15/13):

  Earlier this week, I suggested that because the end of Benedict XVI's papacy is not occurring in tandem with his death, it may create greater psychological space for cardinals to take a critical look at the pontificate, without fear of speaking ill of the late pontiff.

  A small confirmation of that theory has come in the form of an interview given to a German newspaper by Cardinal Joachim Meisner of Cologne, one of Benedict's closest friends in the College of Cardinals.

• On a comical note, Nicholas Farrell (Taki's Magazine) is praying for a black pope. "Think about it: Who better to tell white liberal lefties to [expletive] off than a black pope?" -- while sex-obsessed Hans Kung and a disillusioned Garry Wills give up hope that any newly-elected Pope would reflect their views on contraception and female clergy.

An interactive online tutorial from The Vatican Insider La Stampa)

• Is the Next Pope the Last Pope? - Fr. Dwight Longenecker assesses the prophecies of St. Malachy and concludes: "you can probably sleep peacefully tonight. The end of the world is probably not nigh. On the other hand . . . why not prepare your soul, just to be on the safe side?"

• Who Will Take Up the Keys of Peter?, by Sandro Magister. Chiesa 2/14/13. The resignation of Benedict XVI. His last actions. The imminent conclave and the candidates for succession. The new and the unknown of a decision without precedent in history.

• What the church needs now: Synod gives clues to cardinals' priorities, by Cindy Wooden. Catholic News Service 2/20/13.

• Pope intervenes to bring Conclave forward, by Andrea Tornielli. "The Vatican Insider" La Stampa 2/20/13. Benedict XVI is to issue a document motu proprio allowing cardinals to start the election process before the fifteen day waiting period stipulated by Vatican law, if they wish to.

• Vatileaks: Pope to ask Commission of Cardinals to tell Conclave members the truth, by Giacomo Galeazzi. "The Vatican Insider" La Stampa 2/22/13. The three-man commission of inquiry into the Vatileaks scandal is to divulge the contents of their report - which has so far been bound by pontifical secrecy – during the general congregations on the next Pope’s election.

• Conclave 2.0: Top 10 reasons why this version is different, by John Allen Jr. National Catholic Reporter 2/22/13.
• What to Look for in a New Pope. Wall Street Journal 03/08/13. The cardinals now gathered at the Vatican are choosing not just a new pontiff but a future course for their embattled Church. Six views on what sort of leader the next pope should be.
• Catholicism, True Reform and the Next Pope, by Samuel Gregg. Crisis 03/05/13:

  Given the contempt with which some people regard Catholicism these days, it’s extraordinary just how badly the very same individuals want everyone else to hear their views of the Church’s future. Plainly there’s something about this 2000 year-old faith that truly bothers them. How else can one explain the tsunami of unsolicited advice from pop atheists, incoherent playwrights, angry ex-priests, and celebrity theologians that has erupted since Benedict XVI’s abdication?

• Picking the pope a contest among four camps, by John Allen Jr. National Catholic Reporter March 1, 2013.
• Pope Material or Not, a Charming, Cheerful Cardinal Gains Notice in Rome. Michael Paulson profiles Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan. (New York Times 03/08/13).
• An American in Rome, Bound for the Chair of Peter, by Sandro Magister (Chiesa) "The easiest bet is that the next pope will not be Italian. But not European, African, or Asian ether. For the first time in the bimillennial history of the Church, the successor of Peter could come from the Americas. Or to hazard a more targeted prediction: from the Big Apple."
• A Pope in Brown? by Tom Washburn, OFM. America - what would a Sean O'Malley papacy might look like, literally?
• Universal priest, prophet and king: Next pope faces global challenges, by Francis X. Rocca. Catholic News Service. 03/08/13.

The Last Day of Pope Benedict XVI

• "Like the disciples of Emmaus" English translation of the greeting by Cardinal Angelo Sodano, Dean of the College of Cardinals, addressed to Benedict XVI in the Clementine Hall on the afternoon of his departure. (L'Osservatore Romano 2/28/13)

• The Church is reawakened in souls Pope Benedict's farewell address to the College of Cardinals. (L'Osservatore Romano 2/28/13):

  “The Church reawakens in souls”. The Church is alive, she grows and is reawakened in souls who – like the Virgin Mary – welcome the Word of God and conceive it through the action of the Holy Spirit; they offer to God their own flesh. It is precisely in their poverty and humility that they become capable of begetting Christ in the world today. Through the Church, the Mystery of the Incarnation lives on for ever. Christ continues to walk through the epochs and in all places.

  Let us stay united, dear Brothers, in this Mystery: in prayer, especially in the daily Eucharist, and in this way we shall serve the Church and the whole of humanity. This is our joy that no one can take from us.

• Benedict pledges obedience to his successor (Vatican Radio 2/28/13):

  "“Among you, among the College of Cardinals, there is also the future Pope, to whom, here today, I already promise my unconditional reverence and obedience.”

• Benedict XVI: The end of a long goodbye (Vatican Radio 2/28/13):

  o) "Thank you, thank you from my heart. I am happy to be here with you, surrounded by the beauty of Creation and your friendship that does me so much good, thank you for your friendship, for caring.

  You know that today is different from others… as of eight pm I will no longer be the Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church. I will simply be a pilgrim who is beginning the last part of his pilgrimage on earth. But with my heart, my love, my prayer, with all my inner strength, I will work for the common good and the good of the Church and all humanity.

  And I feel greatly supported by your affection. Let us move forward together with the Lord for the good of the Church and the world.

  I will now impart upon you all my Apostolic Blessing

  Thank you and good night. Thank you all"

As of 20:00 2/28/13, the See of Peter will be vacant.
Benedict XVI retires into a secluded life of prayer and meditation,
at first remaining in Castel Gandolfo before retiring to a monastery in the Vatican gardens.

Pope Benedict's Final Address to the College of Cardinals

Dear beloved brothers

I welcome you all with great joy and cordially greet each one of you. I thank Cardinal Angelo Sodano, who as always, has been able to convey the sentiments of the College, Cor ad cor loquitur. Thank you, Your Eminence, from my heart.

And referring to the disciples of Emmaus, I would like to say to you all that it has also been a joy for me to walk with you over the years in light of the presence of the Risen Lord. As I said yesterday, in front of thousands of people who filled St. Peter's Square, your closeness, your advice, have been a great help to me in my ministry. In these 8 years we have experienced in faith beautiful moments of radiant light in the Churches’ journey along with times when clouds have darkened the sky. We have tried to serve Christ and his Church with deep and total love which is the soul of our ministry. We have gifted hope that comes from Christ alone, and which alone can illuminate our path. Together we can thank the Lord who has helped us grow in communion, to pray to together, to help you to continue to grow in this deep unity so that the College of Cardinals is like an orchestra, where diversity, an expression of the universal Church, always contributes to a superior harmony of concord. I would like to leave you with a simple thought that is close to my heart, a thought on the Church, Her mystery, which is for all of us, we can say, the reason and the passion of our lives. I am helped by an expression of Romano Guardini’s, written in the year in which the Fathers of the Second Vatican Council approved the Constitution Lumen Gentium, his last with a personal dedication to me, so the words of this book are particularly dear to me .

Guardini says: "The Church is not an institution devised and built at table, but a living reality. She lives along the course of time by transforming Herself, like any living being, yet Her nature remains the same. At Her heart is Christ. "

This was our experience yesterday, I think, in the square. We could see that the Church is a living body, animated by the Holy Spirit, and truly lives by the power of God, She is in the world but not of the world. She is of God, of Christ, of the Spirit, as we saw yesterday. This is why another eloquent expression of Guardini’s is also true: "The Church is awakening in souls." The Church lives, grows and awakens in those souls which like the Virgin Mary accept and conceive the Word of God by the power of the Holy Spirit. They offer to God their flesh and in their own poverty and humility become capable of giving birth to Christ in the world today. Through the Church the mystery of the Incarnation remains present forever. Christ continues to walk through all times in all places. Let us remain united, dear brothers, to this mystery, in prayer, especially in daily Eucharist, and thus serve the Church and all humanity. This is our joy that no one can take from us.

Prior to bidding farewell to each of you personally, I want to tell you that I will continue to be close to you in prayer, especially in the next few days, so that you may all be fully docile to the action of the Holy Spirit in the election of the new Pope. May the Lord show you what is willed by Him. And among you, among the College of Cardinals, is also the future Pope, to whom, here today, I already promise my unconditional reverence and obedience. For all this, with affection and gratitude, I cordially impart upon you my Apostolic Blessing.

Source: News.va

Pope Benedict XVI's Final General Audience

Venerable Brothers in the Episcopate and in the Priesthood!
Distinguished Authorities!Dear brothers and sisters!

Thank you for coming in such large numbers to this last General Audience of my pontificate.

Like the Apostle Paul in the biblical text that we have heard, I feel in my heart the paramount duty to thank God, who guides the Church and makes her grow: who sows His Word and thus nourishes the faith in His people. At this moment my spirit reaches out to embrace the whole Church throughout the world, and I thank God for the “news” that in these years of Petrine ministry I have been able to receive regarding the faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and the charity that circulates in the body of the Church – charity that makes the Church to live in love – and of the hope that opens for us the way towards the fullness of life, and directs us towards the heavenly homeland.

I feel I [ought to] carry everyone in prayer, in a present that is God’s, where I recall every meeting, every voyage, every pastoral visit. I gather everyone and every thing in prayerful recollection, in order to entrust them to the Lord: in order that we might have full knowledge of His will, with every wisdom and spiritual understanding, and in order that we might comport ourselves in a manner that is worthy of Him, of His, bearing fruit in every good work (cf. Col 1:9-10).

At this time, I have within myself a great trust [in God], because I know – all of us know – that the Gospel’s word of truth is the strength of the Church: it is her life. The Gospel purifies and renews: it bears fruit wherever the community of believers hears and welcomes the grace of God in truth and lives in charity. This is my faith, this is my joy.

When, almost eight years ago, on April 19th, [2005], I agreed to take on the Petrine ministry, I held steadfast in this certainty, which has always accompanied me. In that moment, as I have already stated several times, the words that resounded in my heart were: “Lord, what do you ask of me? It a great weight that You place on my shoulders, but, if You ask me, at your word I will throw out the nets, sure that you will guide me” – and the Lord really has guided me. He has been close to me: daily could I feel His presence. [These years] have been a stretch of the Church’s pilgrim way, which has seen moments joy and light, but also difficult moments. I have felt like St. Peter with the Apostles in the boat on the Sea of ​​Galilee: the Lord has given us many days of sunshine and gentle breeze, days in which the catch has been abundant; [then] there have been times when the seas were rough and the wind against us, as in the whole history of the Church it has ever been - and the Lord seemed to sleep. Nevertheless, I always knew that the Lord is in the barque, that the barque of the Church is not mine, not ours, but His - and He shall not let her sink. It is He, who steers her: to be sure, he does so also through men of His choosing, for He desired that it be so. This was and is a certainty that nothing can tarnish. It is for this reason, that today my heart is filled with gratitude to God, for never did He leave me or the Church without His consolation, His light, His love.

We are in the Year of Faith, which I desired in order to strengthen our own faith in God in a context that seems to push faith more and more toward the margins of life. I would like to invite everyone to renew firm trust in the Lord. I would like that we all, entrust ourselves as children to the arms of God, and rest assured that those arms support us and us to walk every day, even in times of struggle. I would like everyone to feel loved by the God who gave His Son for us and showed us His boundless love. I want everyone to feel the joy of being Christian. In a beautiful prayer to be recited daily in the morning says, “I adore you, my God, I love you with all my heart. I thank You for having created me, for having made me a Christian.” Yes, we are happy for the gift of faith: it is the most precious good, that no one can take from us! Let us thank God for this every day, with prayer and with a coherent Christian life. God loves us, but He also expects that we love Him!

At this time, however, it is not only God, whom I desire to thank. A Pope is not alone in guiding St. Peter’s barque, even if it is his first responsibility – and I have not ever felt myself alone in bearing either the joys or the weight of the Petrine ministry. The Lord has placed next to me many people, who, with generosity and love for God and the Church, have helped me and been close to me. First of all you, dear Brother Cardinals: your wisdom, your counsels, your friendship, were all precious to me. My collaborators, starting with my Secretary of State, who accompanied me faithfully over the years, the Secretariat of State and the whole Roman Curia, as well as all those who, in various areas, give their service to the Holy See: the many faces which never emerge, but remain in the background, in silence, in their daily commitment, with a spirit of faith and humility. They have been for me a sure and reliable support. A special thought [goes] to the Church of Rome, my diocese! I can not forget the Brothers in the Episcopate and in the Priesthood, the consecrated persons and the entire People of God: in pastoral visits, in public encounters, at Audiences, in traveling, I have always received great care and deep affection; I also loved each and every one, without exception, with that pastoral charity which is the heart of every shepherd, especially the Bishop of Rome, the Successor of the Apostle Peter. Every day I carried each of you in my prayers, with the father's heart.

I wish my greetings and my thanks to reach everyone: the heart of a Pope expands to [embrace] the whole world. I would like to express my gratitude to the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Holy See, which makes present the great family of nations. Here I also think of all those who work for good communication, whom I thank for their important service.

At this point I would like to offer heartfelt thanks to all the many people throughout the whole world, who, in recent weeks have sent me moving tokens of concern, friendship and prayer. Yes, the Pope is never alone: now I experience this [truth] again in a way so great as to touch my very heart. The Pope belongs to everyone, and so many people feel very close to him. It’s true that I receive letters from the world's greatest figures - from the Heads of State, religious leaders, representatives of the world of culture and so on. I also receive many letters from ordinary people who write to me simply from their heart and let me feel their affection, which is born of our being together in Christ Jesus, in the Church. These people do not write me as one might write, for example, to a prince or a great figure one does not know. They write as brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, with the sense of very affectionate family ties. Here, one can touch what the Church is – not an organization, not an association for religious or humanitarian purposes, but a living body, a community of brothers and sisters in the Body of Jesus Christ, who unites us all. To experience the Church in this way and almost be able to touch with one’s hands the power of His truth and His love, is a source of joy, in a time in which many speak of its decline.

In recent months, I felt that my strength had decreased, and I asked God with insistence in prayer to enlighten me with His light to make me take the right decision – not for my sake, but for the good of the Church. I have taken this step in full awareness of its severity and also its novelty, but with a deep peace of mind. Loving the Church also means having the courage to make difficult, trying choices, having ever before oneself the good of the Church and not one’s own.

Here allow me to return once again to April 19, 2005. The gravity of the decision was precisely in the fact that from that moment on I was committed always and forever by the Lord. Always – he, who assumes the Petrine ministry no longer has any privacy. He belongs always and totally to everyone, to the whole Church. His life is, so to speak, totally deprived of the private sphere. I have felt, and I feel even in this very moment, that one receives one’s life precisely when he offers it as a gift. I said before that many people who love the Lord also love the Successor of Saint Peter and are fond of him, that the Pope has truly brothers and sisters, sons and daughters all over the world, and that he feels safe in the embrace of their communion, because he no longer belongs to himself, but he belongs to all and all are truly his own.

The “always” is also a “forever” - there is no returning to private life. My decision to forgo the exercise of active ministry, does not revoke this. I do not return to private life, to a life of travel, meetings, receptions, conferences and so on. I do not abandon the cross, but remain in a new way near to the Crucified Lord. I no longer wield the power of the office for the government of the Church, but in the service of prayer I remain, so to speak, within St. Peter’s bounds. St. Benedict, whose name I bear as Pope, shall be a great example in this for me. He showed us the way to a life which, active or passive, belongs wholly to the work of God.

I thank each and every one of you for the respect and understanding with which you have welcomed this important decision. I continue to accompany the Church on her way through prayer and reflection, with the dedication to the Lord and to His Bride, which I have hitherto tried to live daily and that I would live forever. I ask you to remember me before God, and above all to pray for the Cardinals, who are called to so important a task, and for the new Successor of Peter, that the Lord might accompany him with the light and the power of His Spirit.

Let us invoke the maternal intercession of Mary, Mother of God and of the Church, that she might accompany each of us and the whole ecclesial community: to her we entrust ourselves, with deep trust.

Dear friends! God guides His Church, maintains her always, and especially in difficult times. Let us never lose this vision of faith, which is the only true vision of the way of the Church and the world. In our heart, in the heart of each of you, let there be always the joyous certainty that the Lord is near, that He does not abandon us, that He is near to us and that He surrounds us with His love. Thank you!

Source: News.VA

The Legacy of Pope Benedict XVI

This post will be updated regularly in the days and weeks to come as we compile reflections on the pontificate and legacy of our beloved Pope Benedict XVI.

• Pope Benedict's papacy in photos Pope Benedict XVI was elected pope in April 2005. Here's a look back at the last eight years of his papacy. Pam Cohen, National Catholic Reporter

• Pope Benedict leaves behind legacy full of ups and downs, by John Allen Jr. National Catholic Reporter. 2/11/13. "Benedict's decision also means the debate over his legacy is now officially open, and as with all things, it's likely to draw widely different verdicts depending on who's performing the evaluation," says Allen. As he himself concludes: "In the end, the first draft of history perhaps boils down to this: Benedict XVI was a magnificent public intellectual, a mixed bag as CEO, withdrawn as a statesman, and a church leader whose "politics of identity" cheered some and horrified others."

• Jeffrey Tucker on Pope Benedict XVI’s Musical Legacy (Crisis 2/12/13):

  One of the many lasting legacies of the papacy of Benedict XVI concerns liturgical music. Enormous progress has been made in his papacy. Incredibly this progress has happened without new legislation, new restrictions, new mandates, or firm-handed attempts to impose discipline on musicians and artists. The change has happened through the means that Benedict XVI has always preferred: he has led through example and through the inspiration provided by his homilies and writings.

• The Radical Return to Ratzinger, by Sean Fitzpatrick (Crisis 2/12/13):

  [Pope Benedict XVI will be] remembered by Catholics as radical in the truest sense of the word, whose time at the Petrine helm was devoted to a return to tradition to affect reform. Today, to be a traditionalist is a stigma for being stuck in the past. But Benedict XVI rejoiced in the past and drove it down deep, like a plow, to cultivate the arid areas of the vineyard. ...

  Nothing this Pope did (until now) was really what can be called new and exciting. Everything he did, though, was old and exciting. Pope Benedict was a radical pope because he clung to the roots of the Faith—and this was his genius, which is so commonly and mistakenly branded as “closed-mindedness.” It is only an open mind, however, that can take in the relevance of this world, the world that was, and the World to come.

  There is the modern radicalism of change, and then there is the ancient radicalism of holding the line. Benedict embodied the latter, a style which is not in vogue. The only things fashionable about Benedict XVI were his red shoes.

• A Figure of Impossibility (Catholic World Report 2/16/13). For Carl Olson, "The pontificate of Benedict XVI has been a short, bracing, and often surprising journey in discipleship."

• Why I came to love Benedict, by Michael Sean Winters (National Catholic Reporter 2/12/13):

  I confess that on the day of his election in 2005, I was worried. On Feb. 28, he will abdicate the office in which he has surprised many of us. The next day, when we go to Mass and the priest does not mention him in the canon, I will miss the reference to "Benedict, our pope." I will miss it long after there is a successor. My dread in 2005 was misplaced. I have come not only to love this pope, but to let his teachings challenge and change me. I am a better Catholic today, and a happier person, because of him. In some of his writings, I felt he was speaking directly to me. Benedict walks into whatever time is left to him and into the historical annals as a good man and a fine pope who directed the church in important ways to remember that what really, really matters in the life of faith is not any ambitious program of human accomplishment, but the ongoing need of Catholics to surrender themselves to the will and the mercy of God. The Christocentric focus of the council has been the focus of Raztinger's entire theological life and the defining characteristic of his papacy. He has sought to impart that vision to the rest of us. Shame on us is we did not notice. Blessings on him for making the attempt.

• Andreas Widmer on what's missing from the conversation on Pope Benedict's resignation (Huffington Post 2/12/13):

  Every papacy has a "theme" or an "aim." John Paul II's pontificate was focused on realigning the implementation of Vatican II and combating communism and materialism. By contrast Benedict's aim, I believe, was to bring the Church to the doorsteps of what Catholic theologian and thought leader George Weigel calls the next chapter in Church history: Evangelical Catholicism. In order to achieve this goal, Benedict needed to finish the implementation of Vatican II and set the stage for this new chapter in Church life.

  Benedict and John Paul II represent two equally valid examples of executing the Petrine ministry, two different but effective approaches to leadership. In very general terms, John Paul was a philosopher who explained the Faith as an answer to the philosophical challenges from Ockham, Descartes, Kant, and Marx. Benedict XVI is the theologian who explains the Faith in very clear and liner terms, encouraging us to read the Bible again as God's ongoing Divine revelation rather than as a historical novel or ancient myth. As popes, they both lead the Church faithfully and effectively. John Paul in a sense started the project that Benedict would bring to completion.

• The Weigh-In: Joseph Ratzinger’s Lasting Legacy as the ‘Scholar Pope’, by Don Briel. University of St. Thomas, Minnesota:

  As expected, he placed a strong emphasis on addressing the amnesia of European culture about its Christian roots, and in remarkably sophisticated presentations in London, Paris, Berlin and Rome he reminded secular governments about the essential role of faith in modern democratic assumptions and insisted that faith could not be reduced to a private principle and excluded from civic life. He forged unexpected relations with atheistic and agnostic public intellectuals like Marcello Pera and Jürgen Habermas, who testified to the dangers to the common good and to the human person in certain instrumental political developments in modern culture. As pope, his emphasis on the role of faith in the modern world led Ratzinger to a number of interreligious and ecumenical gestures despite his refusal to accept a lowest common denominator approach to interreligious dialogue.

  In the end, the insight of the scholar pope that the new evangelization must proceed not on the grounds of disputation but in the invitation to love, Deus Caritas Est, shaped a new understanding of the vitality of orthodoxy, not as a safe middle between the extremes of traditionalists and progressives but as a vital alternative to their frozen fascination with political accounts of the Church.

• Blogging at Mirror of Justice, John Breen conveys his appreciation for Pope Benedict's theological scholarship:

  More than his encyclicals, I think that as pope Benedict will be remembered for his sermons in a way not unlike Pope St. Leo the Great. He is an extraordinary homilist.

  I also think he will be remembered for his theological writings prior to becoming pope. Joseph Ratzinger has a special talent as a thinker and writer for explaining complex theological ideas in a way that makes them understandable to modern men and women for whom talk of religious faith has become problematic. A great deal of contemporary theological writing seems to veer towards the drivel of a new age mysticism and syncretism or the dry prose of an engineering manual, or the latest party platform, providing little if any connection to the Living God of history – the God of Israel, Isaac and Jacob, the God of Jesus Christ. In his writings, Ratzinger has consistently mined the depths of scripture and the theological concepts of the great Catholic tradition (especially the Fathers) while connecting both to philosophy and contemporary thought in a way that provides new insights, all the while keeping the person of Jesus and our relationship with Him foremost in the minds of readers.

  In terms of the nearly 1.2 billion people who make up the Catholic Church world-wide, only a tiny fraction were fortunate to be Joseph Ratzinger's graduate students. But through his writings and sermons, many have been given the opportunity to be his pupils, to be students in the Ratzinger seminar on faith and life.

• Ratzinger, the Jewish People and Israel: Faithful to the trail blazed by Wojtyla, by Lisa Palmieri Billig. ("The Vatican Insider" La Stampa 2/14/13). "The curtain falling prematurely on Benedict XVIth’s papacy brings to mind the evolution of his relations with the Jewish People and Israel."

• Marco Tosatti ("The Vatican Insider", La Stampa) challenges the dismissal of Benedict's reign as "a transitional papacy". 2/13/2012.

• John Milbank on The erotic politics of Benedict XVI ACB Religion and Ethics 2/13/13:

  To put it bluntly: in his first encyclical, Pope Benedict XVI boldly declared that not only is the Catholic Church not opposed to sexual love, to the contrary it alone truly understands it and fully promotes it. In an epoch-making fashion, a Pope declared that the literal sense of the Song of Songs - in other words, its first intended meaning - is indeed what the naive reader would take it to be. The mystical meaning arises now only through a proper acceptance of the worth of this literal meaning; while, at the same time, the depth of the latter is lost if it is not read also allegorically - that is, as pointing to the mystical marriage between Christ and the Church.

• Neither progressive nor conservative: The Romanticism of Benedict XVI, by Adrian Pabst. ABC Religion and Ethics 2/15/13:

  What often goes unnoticed is that, behind the facile categorisation of progressive versus reactionary, there lies a much more fundamental contest about the future direction of the Catholic Church, and indeed a struggle for the soul of global Christendom. The authentic Catholic Christian tradition that Benedict has sought to uphold has been under mounting attack from both "conservative" and "liberal" forces, whose apparent opposition barely conceals their deep complicity.

• Pope Benedict XVI: God's Rottweiler or the Church's German shepherd?, by Tracey Rowland. ABC Religion and Ethics 2/12/13. The resignation of Pope Benedict XVI brings to an end the era of the governance of the Church by members of the Vatican II generation.

• The challenge of Pope Benedict XVI - can it be heard in these Christophobic times?, by George Weigel. ABC Religion and Ethics. 2/12/13:

  Benedict XVI, like John Paul II before him, relentlessly invited us to meet the Risen Lord in the Scripture, the sacraments and prayer, and to make friendship with him the centre of our lives. We are being invited to think of ourselves as evangelists, and to measure the truth of our lives by the way in which we give expression to the human decency and solidarity that flows from friendship with Christ the Lord. We are being invited, through the New Evangelisation, to make our distinctive, Catholic contribution to the renewal, and perhaps the saving, of Western civilisation, which is beset from within by the corrosive forces of the dictatorship of relativism and from without by the passions of jihadist Islam.

  Through the witness of John Paul II and Benedict XVI, and by the teaching of the Second Vatican Council, we have been invited to have the courage to be Catholic.

• A Rabbi Remembers Pope Benedict, by David Novak. First Things 2/12/13.

• Pope Benedict: An Anabaptist Appreciation, by Johann Christoph Arnold. First Things 2/11.13.

• Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew on Benedict Orthodox Christian Network 2/11/13.
• Mother who cooked for Pope recalls his paternal care Catholic News Agency. 2/18/13.

• Benedict XVI, the Great Augustinian, by Timothy George. First Things "On The Square" 2/19/13.

• Jesuit expert calls Benedict 'great reformer' on sex abuse, by John Allen, Jr. National Catholic Reporter 2/16/13. Interview with Jesuit Fr. Hans Zollner, the academic vice-rector of the Jesuit-run Gregorian University in Rome and head of its Institute of Psychology:

  Now that Benedict XVI is stepping down, how do you evaluate his legacy on the sexual abuse scandals?

  Based on what I know personally, at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith he was the first person, and the most determined person, to take on what he called the ‘open wound’ in the body of the church, meaning the sexual abuse of minors by clergy. He came to know about a number of cases, and the intensity of the wounds inflicted on victims. He became aware of what priests had done to minors, and to vulnerable adults. As a result, he became more and more convinced that it has to be tackled, and at various levels he started to deal with it – the canonical level, the ecclesial, and the personal.

  Benedict XVI is the first pope who has met with and listened to abuse victims, who has apologized, and who has written about the problem both in his letter to Irish bishops and in the book Light of the World.

  One very important step was to concentrate all the legal and administrative procedures at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Another was to appoint a very intelligent, practical and dedicated man as Promoter of Justice.

• Benedict’s Coming Revolution Over State-Funded Catholic Charity, by Christopher Manion. Crisis 2/18/13.

• Benedict’s Intellectual Mentors and Students, by Tracey Rowland. Crisis 2/19/13.

• Benedict XVI: A (Brief) Theological Appreciation, by Thomas G. Guarino, professor of systematic theology at Seton Hall University and co-chair of Evangelicals and Catholics Together. "On The Square" First Things 2/19/13.

• The Pope and the Philistines, by Tracey Rowland. Catholic World Report 2/18/13. "Benedict XVI’s papacy has been one of imagination and urbanity hampered by bureaucracy."

• Pope Benedict saw Jews, Muslims as allies in defending belief in God, by Cindy Wooden. Catholic News Service. 2/18/13.

• The voice behind the famous “Habemus Papam” phrase "The Vatican Insider" La Stampa 2/19/13. Cardinal Tauran, Proto-Deacon of the College of Cardinals who will announce the name of the newly-elected Pope, shares his thoughts on Benedict XVI's papacy and the one that is to come.

• Muslim religious leaders express esteem for Benedict XVI after old misunderstandings, by Giacomo Galeazzi. "The Vatican Insider" La Stampa 2/20/13. The138 Muslim wise men who wrote a letter to Benedict XVI in 2007 in response to a controversial speech he gave in Regensburg are now calling his resignation a "last act to serve as a good example."

• As pope, Benedict worked to promote understanding of Vatican II, by Francis X. Rocca. Catholic News Service. 2/20/13.

• Has Benedict XVI reshaped his legacy?, by John Allen Jr. National Catholic Reporter 2/28/13: "it would seem that the way in which Benedict is stepping off the stage may be reframing his legacy – not in the sense of resolving debates over his papacy, but perhaps providing a more generous optic for assessing the pope."

• Thank you, Pope Benedict XVI Communio thanks His Holiness Benedict XVI, Pope Emeritus, for his service to the Church, providing links to all the articles written by Joseph Ratzinger / Pope Benedict XVI over the years (Ratzinger was co-founder of the theological journal).

• Post-Vatican II or Post-John Paul and Benedict?, by Vincent J. Miller (America 2/28/13): "As Benedict XVI’s pontificate comes to an end, we should pause to reflect on what this punctuation means for the Church. What era are we living in? Our answer to this question is important because it frames our approach to the opportunities, challenges and indeed crises we face as a Church."

• The Holy Father's Hidden Heroism, by John Roselle, S.J. America 2/26/13:

  In the Spiritual Exercises, St. Ignatius sought to help people answer the “Call of the King,” to live under “the Standard of Christ” even to the point of rejection and to follow God’s Spirit that sends us to do everything for God’s greater glory. We would do well to contemplate the life of Joseph Ratzinger as we pray for him in his remaining life of prayer and penance. His was not the cool release of power, the act of a noble politician like the Roman dictator Cincinnatus. It is what Archbishop Gomez of Los Angeles calls “the act of a saint.” Joseph Ratzinger is proceeding in obedience to the One who was nailed to a tree, accepting with and in Him a strange humiliation. Surely he recalls that the first Bishop of Rome was publicly hung upside-down. Many have suggested that Pope Benedict’s was a failed mission. The circumstances of his time in the papacy were not ideal; many goals eluded him. Yet let us remember another Man who at the end of his life was judged a failure. And no servant is greater than his Master.

• Putting the Pope in His Place, by Kenneth D. Whitehead. Crisis 2/25/13:

  Some of these reactions [to Benedict's resignation] exhibit not just a lack of sympathy or true understanding of what the Church and the faith are all about, but even a seemingly willful determination not to allow oneself to be influenced by what the actual facts of the case might be, meanwhile exhibiting a lofty dissatisfaction with the alleged failure of the pope (and the Church) to “get with the program” of today’s secular liberal world.

• Thoughts on the retirement of the Professor Pope, by John Lutheran. The Canadian Lutheran 2/28/13:

  Before making the acquaintance of Joseph Ratzinger, Seewald was one of the millions of contemporary Germans who had drifted away from the church; he now attributes his return to the faith in no small measure to the quiet and thoughtful witness of his interviewee. The famous Reformed theologian Karl Barth once bitingly remarked that he knew of no one who had come to “joy and peace in believing” (Romans 15:13) through the work of Rudolf Bultmann, a radical New Testament scholar who considered the Gospels as works that belong to the category of “myth.” The fact that many will join Seewald in coming to a different conclusion concerning the ministry of Joseph Ratzinger constitutes perhaps the highest compliment one could make to the retiring Bishop of Rome.

  A deep divide now exists among the theologians of all Western confessions between those who profess the truth of revelation and those who do not. If Joseph Ratzinger is not the “dean” of the worldwide guild of theologians who belong in the first camp, I don’t know who else could be nominated for the honorific position.

• Reflecting on Pope Benedict's Papacy, by Francis Rooney, U.S. Ambassador to the Vatican fro 2005 to 2008.

• The Legacy of Benedict XVI, by George Weigel. First Things "On the Square" 04/20/13.

• Benedict XVI, the Great Augustinian, by Timothy George, dean of Beeson Divinity School of Samford and co-chair of Evangelicals and Catholics Together. First Things "On the Square" 04/19/13.

• Benedict's Enduring Legacy: His Love for Beauty, by Michael J. Ortiz. Crisis 04/13/13.