Pope Benedict Roundup

News

• Benedict XVI, the pandemic, first Christmas without his brother Vatican News. 01/14/21:

  "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."

• Pope Francis and Benedict XVI receive first dose of COVID-19 vaccine 01/14/21.
• Pope Benedict’s secretary reflects on awful 2020 with German Magazine 01/01/21:

  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 in order to be able to dedicate his time exclusively to the former pope as Benedict XVI's private secretary.

  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.

• Retired Pope Benedict XVI declines inheritance of his late brother, Msgr. Georg Ratzinger Catholic News Service. 11/02/20.
• Benedict XVI distances himself from embattled Catholic community Catholic News Agency. 10/25/20:

  he German magazine Herder Korrespondenz reported Oct. 25 that the Pope Emeritus had taken the step regarding the Catholic Integrated Community.

  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.”

  He had given the group ecclesiastical recognition during his time as archbishop of Munich and Freising, from 1977 to 1982.

• Australian professor and French philosopher win Ratzinger Prize Catholic News Agency. 10/02/20:

  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. ...

  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.

  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.

  • Q&A with Ratzinger Prizewinner Dr. Tracey Rowland The Catholic Weekly 10/02/20.
  • Christianity Offers Best Hope for Restoration of Community, Says Ratzinger Prize Laureate National Catholic Register 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.
• Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI Becomes Oldest Pope In History 09/04/20:

  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".

• Pope Benedict XVI’s Letter Marking St. John Paul II’s Birth Centenary National Catholic Register 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.

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.)

• Retired pope’s elder brother, Georg Ratzinger, dies at 96, by David Rising. Associated Press 07/01/20:

  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.

  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.

  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.

• Mgr Georg Ratzinger obituary The Times [uk]. 07/03/20.
• Rev. Georg Ratzinger, Choirmaster and a Pope’s Brother, Dies at 96, by Ari L. Goldman. New York Times 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."
• ‘My Brother, Benedict XVI’ — An Interview with Msgr. Georg Ratzinger 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. National Catholic Register 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.
• Benedict XVI remembers brother as ‘man of God’ Elise Ann Allen. Crux 07/09/20:

  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.

  "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."

• Retired Pope Benedict follows his brother’s funeral virtually Catholic News Service. 07/08/20.
• Pope Francis sends condolences to Pope Benedict for brother’s death 07/02/20.
• Retired pope visits former home, parents’ grave in Germany, by David McHugh. Associated Press. 06/21/20.
• Benedict XVI heads to Regensburg to visit ailing brother, by Elise Ann Allen. Crux 06/18/20.

Commentary

• Pope Benedict XVI's prayer for the protection of life in the womb 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.
• The life, faith, and struggle of Joseph Ratzinger: An interview with Peter Seewald, 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.
• Benedict XVI Warned Us Years Ago of Dangers Ahead, by Joseph Pronechen. National Catholic Register 01/02/21.
• New cardinal sees clear continuity between Benedict XVI, Francis Crux 11/09/20.

  "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."

• "Flavors of Home": Benedict XVI's favorite restaurant in Rome Catholic News Agency. 10/03/20:

  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.

  "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.

  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. ...

  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.

  "And he drank aranciata," he said with a smile, referring to a popular Italian orange soda usually known by the brand name Fanta.

• Joseph Ratzinger: Theological Reformer, by George Weigel. First Things 05/06/20:

  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. ...

• Continuity in particularity: Cardinal looks at Pope Francis, Benedict XVI, by Cindy Wooden. Catholic News Service. 09/01/20:

  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.

  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”).

  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. ...

Recent / Forthcoming Books By Pope Benedict XVI

	On Love: Selected Writings Ignatius Press (January 21, 2021). 149 pages. 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). 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." 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.
	Signs of New Life: Homilies on the Church's Sacraments by Joseph Ratzinger. Ignatius Press; None edition (March 15, 2020). 125 pages. 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. Signs of New Life 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.
	Seeking God's Face: Meditations for the Church Year by Elio Guerriero. Cluny Media (February 18, 2020). 154 pages. "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.
	Western Culture Today and Tomorrow: Addressing the Fundamental Issues Ignatius Press (October 15, 2019). 170 pages. 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.

Recent / Forthcoming Books About Pope Benedict XVI

	Benedict XVI: A Life: Volume Two: Guardian of the Faith, Pope, Pope Emeritus 1965–The Present by Peter Seewald. Bloomsbury Continuum (October 12, 2021). 400 pages. Benedict XVI: Volume One 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. Volume 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. This necessary companion to Benedict's own memoir, Last Testament, 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.
	Benedict XVI: A Life: Volume One: Youth in Nazi Germany to the Second Vatican Council 1927–1965 by Peter Seewald. Bloomsbury Continuum (December 15, 2020). 512 pages. Benedict XVI: Volume One 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. Volume 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.
	What Does it Mean to Believe?: Faith in the Thought of Joseph Ratzinger by Fr. Daniel Cardo. Ignatius Pr (November 6, 2018). 715 pgs. 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. In What Does it Mean to Believe?, 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. What Does it Mean to Believe? is also an invitation to appreciate the mind and the faith of one of the greatest theologians of our time.
	The Experiment of Faith: Pope Benedict XVI on Living the Theological Virtues in a Secular Age by Matthew J. Ramage. The Catholic University of America Press (March 23, 2020). 304 pages. 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? 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.