Vatican Watch

By Tracey Rowland When in 1946 Joseph Ratzinger entered the seminary for the Archdiocese of Munich-Freising along with his older brother Georg, fellow students distinguished the pair by the names “Organ-Ratz” and “Bücher-Ratz” (the organ-playing Ratzinger and the bookish Ratzinger). Joseph was the scholar, Georg the musician. Joseph completed both his doctorate and Habilitationsschrift dissertations under [...]

January 5, 2023 — St. Peter’s Square. After Archbishop Georg Gänswein has placed the Gospel and kissed the coffin, the Funeral Mass for Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, presided over by Pope Francis, begins. One hundred-thirty cardinals, 400 bishops and 3,700 priests participated (Photos Grzegorz Galazka) Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI’s last words were “Lord, I [...]

From his "Commentary on Dei Verbum, Articles 8-10," 1967, written while holding the Chair of Dogmatic Theology at the University of Tübingen, Germany Article 9 takes us to the focal point of the controversy, the question of a mutual relation of Scripture and tradition. The text shows clear signs of the firm position taken during the [...]

Ratzinger's 1968 book Introduction to Christianity Translated into twenty languages, Introduction to Christianity originated as lectures delivered by Fr. Joseph Ratzinger at the University of Tübingen in 1967. A few features of Introduction to Christianity are worth highlighting since they remain relevant even today. First, the clearsightedness with which Ratzinger saw, within a few years of [...]

"Pray for me that the Lord will admit me in spite of my sins" Dated August 29, 2006, only a year and four months after he assumed the Throne of Peter, Benedict felt moved to write a “Spiritual Testament” to be released only after his death. At this late hour of my life, as I look [...]

In 2022, the frail but still intellectually vigorous 95-year-old pontiff sent a personal letter, released by its recipient, to Franciscan University of Steubenville president Fr. Dave Pivonka on the occasion of an academic symposium being held there. In the letter, he reveals some of his thoughts about the “necessity” of Vatican Council II. October 7, 2022 [...]

"He could not tear himself away from the sight of the Holy Face" By Paul Badde Pope Benedict XVI contemplates the Veil of the Holy Face in Manoppello. (Photo Paul Badde/EWTN) On December 31st, an honorary German citizen of Manoppello died with these Italian words on his lips, “Signore, ti amo” (“Lord, I love [...]

Correct Marian devotion shows "the coexistence of indispensable 'reason' with the equally indispensable 'reasons of the heart'" By Robert Fastiggi, Ph.D. If we were to list the great Marian Popes, we might include pontiffs like Bl. Pius IX, who defined the dogma of the Immaculate Conception, or Leo XIII, who issued twelve encyclicals on the Rosary. [...]

Personal reflections from a seasoned Catholic journalist By Tom Hoopes Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger is pictured with Jesuit Fr. Joseph Fessio in this 1987 photo. The then 46-year-old priest is the founder and editor-in-chief of Ignatius Press, which has published 25 books in English by Cardinal Ratzinger (CNS photo courtesy Ignatius Press/Dorothy Peterson) The image [...]

"You talk about it extensively with the loving God" In this interview with author and papal biographer Peter Seewald in the 2016 book, Last Testament: In His Own Words, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI explains some of the circumstances and motivations concerning his resignation. Peter Seewald: Now we come to that decision which in itself already makes [...]