Major stories that get to the pith of the situation.
In the classroom, the Curia and the Papacy, Benedict treated all as members of a family By Andrea Gagliarducci Joseph Ratzinger, top right, is pictured with his family in a 1951 photograph. Next to the future Pope Benedict XVI is his brother, Georg. Seated are his sister, Maria, and his parents, Maria and Joseph. (CNS [...]
Reality contradicts the popular narrative of opposition between the two pontiffs By William Doino Jr. When Venerable Pius XII’s extraordinary pontificate came to an end in 1958, he was succeeded by St. John XXIII, whose papacy would prove equally consequential, albeit in myriad ways. Ever since, a stream of articles and books by prominent authors have [...]
Benedict is another "gentleman scholar" on the wrong side of the Zeitgeist By Tracey Rowland* Birmingham, England, September 19, 2010. Homily of Pope Benedict XVI for the beatification of Cardinal John Henry Newman. In the midst of so much chaos I often tell young students to “keep calm and read Ratzinger.” There is hardly [...]
The Church lost Ireland. Can she reclaim the false narrative of the past? By Dualta Roughneen* Pope Benedict XVI meets with Irish bishops at the Vatican, Feb. 15, 2010. The two-day, closed-door meeting was to assess responsibility in the Irish Church's handling of priestly sex abuse cases and explore ways to heal wounds left by [...]
Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone: "I was struck by his warmth, gentleness and wit" The first time I met Joseph Ratzinger still stands out clearly in my memory. He was then Cardinal Ratzinger and Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, and I a young priest pursuing canon law studies in Rome. At that time [...]
By Thomas G. Weinandy, OFM, Cap. What I appreciate most about Pope Benedict XVI, a virtue that he has manifested throughout his life, is his quiet humility. He has never been a boisterous man wherein he pushed himself into the limelight. Rather, his calm, unassuming presence brought to every situation a reassuring strength that all would [...]
He Has Always Had the Humility of an Authentic Scholar – Grounded in the Reality of the Logos By Anthony Esolen Pope Benedict XVI lectured on faith and reason at the University of Regensburg in Germany Sept. 12, 2006. A quotation from a Byzantine emperor he cited provoked outrage in the Muslim world. The Pope [...]
The media's hate campaign against Pope Benedict XVI is fully active — but what does the "Munich Report" really say? By Michael Hesemann* The report on sexual abuse in the Catholic Church faulted the since-retired Pope’s handling of four cases when he was archbishop of Munich, Germany, in the 1970s and 1980s. The accusations [...]
Their common thread: “Christianity is a love story” By Paschal M. Corby* Pope Benedict XVI greets people from the balcony of his summer residence in Castel Gandolfo, Italy, Aug. 19, 2007. (CNS photo/Tony Gentile, Reuters) In popular opinion, a Pope’s first encyclical heralds the tone of his pontificate. In the case of Benedict XVI, [...]
Reflecting on the remarkable life and influence of Joseph Ratzinger April 29, 2008, New York City, New York, USA. Pope Benedict XVI during his visit to Ground Zero. The Pope prayed for the victims and their families. (Grzegorz Galazka photo) By ITV staff The man who was to become Pope Benedict XVI was born [...]
