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 [...]
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 [...]
Pope Francis received the recipients of the 2017 Ratzinger Prize in Theology on Saturday morning. Catholic Professor Karl-Heinz Menke of the Theological Faculty of the University of Bonn, Lutheran Professor Theodor Dieter of the Institute for Ecumenical Research in Strasbourg, and Orthodox composer Arvo Pärt, share the Prize this year, which Benedict XVI established in 2010 as the leading international award for research in Sacred Scripture, patristics, and [...]
January 22, 2017, Sunday -- On Trump, Francis Waits On the dangers -- and need for -- populist movements Pope Francis has granted another long interview, this time to two Spanish journalists writing for the daily El Pais of Madrid, Spain. The interview was conducted on Friday, January 20, in the Domus Santa Marta, where the [...]
December 8, 2016, Thursday -- The Silent Pope "This apostolic exhortation contains a number of statements that can be understood in a sense that is contrary to Catholic faith and morals... We request that the Cardinals and Patriarchs petition the Holy Father to condemn the errors... in a definitive and final manner." —Letter to Cardinal Angelo [...]
September 18, 2016, Sunday -- The Face of Christ and Unity "Seeking the Face of Jesus must be the longing of all of us Christians... If we persevere in our quest for the Face of the Lord, at the end of our earthly pilgrimage, he, Jesus, will be our eternal joy, our reward and glory for [...]
September 17, 2016, Saturday -- The Bells of Rome, Last Conversations #4 "Peter Seewald: When you left the Vatican in a helicopter, this also was part in some way of the entire screenplay, as it were, at least as seen from the outside. One could say that up until that moment no Pope had ascended into [...]
September 15, 2016, Thursday -- Dark Night, Last Conversations with Pope Benedict, Letter #3 "Peter Seewald: Have you also experienced any of those 'dark nights' of which many saints speak? Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI: Such powerful experiences, no. Perhaps I am not holy enough to have plumbed the depths of that obscurity. However sometimes, things happen [...]
September 14, 2016, Wednesday -- "Seek His Face Always," Last Conversations with Pope Benedict, Letter #2 "Peter Seewald: When you find yourself before the Almighty, what will you say to Him? Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI: I will ask Him to be indulgent with my wretchedness." —Passage in the first chapter of Ultime Conversazioni ("Last Conversations"), by [...]
September 11, 2016, Sunday -- Last Conversations with Pope Benedict "Peter Seewald: The last question of these last conversations: love is one of your central themes. You dealt with the question of love as a student, as a professor, as a Pope. Where was love in your life? What was your experience: did you feel it, [...]
