Called to Holiness: On Love, Vocation, and Formation

Called to Holiness: On Love, Vocation, and Formation by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. The Catholic University of America Press (April 4, 2017). 272 pgs. This edited collection is the first to gather in one volume the most relevant addresses, speeches, and homilies of His Holiness, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI to seminarians and consecrated men and women into a single volume for the English-speaking world. Called to Holiness is divided into three sections. The first section focuses on the mystery of vocation. The second section collects Benedict's writings around the crucial experience of Love. Finally, the third section covers Benedict's description of what a seminary should look like. Pope Benedict XVI's words remind us of the fundamental meaning of a life of total consecration to God in a time of history where God is very much rejected. Moreover, in times where young people seek words of wisdom and certainty, Benedict XVI's words give a fundamental aid to such direction not only for people already pondering a vocation to consecration but for all men and women open to God's voice.

Joseph Ratzinger - Collected Works: Theology of the Liturgy

Joseph Ratzinger - Collected Works: Theology of the Liturgy by Joseph Ratzinger. Ignatius Press (May 5, 2014) 660 pgs. This major volume is a collection of the writings of Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI) on the theology of the Liturgy of the Church, a subject of preeminence to him as a theologian, professor and spiritual writer. It brings together all his writings on the subject, short and long, giving his views on liturgical matters and questions over many years and from various perspectives. He chose to have his writings on the Liturgy for the first volume published of his collected works (though listed as vol. 11) because, as he says in the Introduction: "The liturgy of the Church has been for me since my childhood the central reality of my life, and it became the center of my theological efforts. I chose fundamental theology as my field because I wanted first and foremost to examine thoroughly the question: Why do we believe? But also included from the beginning in this question was the other question of the right response to God and, thus, the question of the liturgy." By starting with the theme of liturgy in this volume, Ratzinger wants to highlight God's primacy, the absolute precedence of the theme of God. Beginning with a focus on the liturgy, he said, tells us that "God is first". He quotes from the Rule of St. Benedict, "Nothing is to be preferred to the liturgy", as a way of ordering priorities for the life of the Church and of every individual. He says that the fundamental question of the man who begins to understand himself correctly is: How must I encounter God? Thus learning the right way of worshipping is the gift par excellence that is given to us by the faith. The essential purpose of his writings on the liturgy is to place the liturgy in its larger context, which he presents in three concentric circles. First, the intrinsic interrelationship of Old and New Testament; without the connection to the Old Testament heritage, the Christian liturgy is incomprehensible. The second circle is the relationship to the religions of the world. The third circle is the cosmic character of the liturgy, which is more than the coming together of a circle of people: the liturgy is celebrated in the expanse of the cosmos, encompassing creation and history at the same time.

Teaching and Learning the Love of God: Being a Priest Today

Teaching and Learning the Love of God: Being a Priest Today by Joseph Ratzinger. Introduction by Gerhard Cardinal Müller. Forward by Pope Francis. Ignatius Press (August 1, 2017). 392 pgs. This inspiring collection of homilies delivered by Joseph Ratzinger (Benedict XVI) over six decades offers deep theological and historical insights on the meaning of the life and the witness of a Catholic priest. When Pope Benedict XVI inaugurated the Year for Priests in 2009, he did so in conjunction with celebrating the 150th anniversary of the death of John Vianney, the patron saint of all parish priests. Benedict's purpose for that special year is the same purpose of this book of homilies -- to deepen the commitment of all priests to interior renewal for the sake of a stronger and more incisive witness to the Gospel in today's world. As St. John Vianney would often say, "The priesthood is the love of the heart of Jesus." This touching expression makes us reflect on the immense gift that priests represent, not only for the Church but for all mankind. Contemporary men and women need priests to be distinguished by their determined witness to Christ. These homilies are meant to illuminate and to inspire priests to renew their commitment to "teaching and learning the love of God". The homilies cover a wide variety of important topics on the priesthood, all deeply rooted in Scripture, including acting in persona Christi, becoming an offering with Christ for the salvation of mankind, being there for God's mercy, and witnessing Christian joy.

The Last Testament: In His Own Words

Last Testament: In His Own Words by Pope Benedict XVI, Peter Seewald (interviewer) Bloomsbury Continuum (November 15, 2016) 224pp. Pope Benedict made history by being the first Pope in over 700 years to resign from office. The Catholic Church the world over was stunned. Worn out by corruption in the Church and by an endless series of clerical sex scandals, he decided that the resolution of all these problems was outside his power for a man of his age. Last Testament is nearest to an autobiography from the shy and private man who has remained “hidden to the world” in a former convent in the Vatican gardens. He breaks his silence on issues such as: The “Vatileaks” case in which his butler leaked some of his personal letters that alleged corruption and scandal in the Vatican The presence of a “gay lobby” within the Vatican and how he dismantled it His alleged Nazi upbringing His attempts at cleaning up the “dirt in the church” (clerical sexual abuse) The mysterious private secretary “Gorgeous George” On a more personal level he writes with great warmth of his successor Pope Francis, who he admits has a popular touch, a star quality which he has lacked. Much controversy still surrounds Pope Benedict`s Papacy--in this book he addresses these controversies and reveals how at his late age, governing and reforming the Papacy and particularly the Vatican, was beyond him.

The Unity of the Nations: A Vision of the Church Fathers

The Unity of the Nations: A Vision of the Church Fathers The Catholic University of America Press (March 16, 2015) What did ancient Christians and pagans believe makes the unity of the nations? Just as he began serving as a major adviser at the Second Vatican Council in 1962, Joseph Ratzinger (the future Pope Benedict XVI) studied this question in lectures delivered at Austria's University of Salzburg. These lectures, originally published in German, are now made available in English in this volume. According to Ratzinger, pagan Rome said the Empire was the "cosmopolis" which united the world. The church affirmed the goodness of the world, and acknowledged the proper role of the state. But Christian belief that Christ had given birth to the church, the eternal cosmopolis, present now, was revolutionary. Christ was the New Adam, who restores unity to a humanity scattered in the Fall and at Babel. For Origen, Israel was the true state that remained under the one God; other nations were under archons or dark angels, from which Christ came to liberate them. Christ instituted the eternal kingdom of peace, to which Christians belong now, living within and at the service of, their earthly nations. In Ratzinger's view, Origen thought peace between the church and world before the Eschaton - the eternal kingdom - was possible. Augustine responded in two ways to claims by pagans that the Christian God had not protected Rome from being sacked in 410. First, Rome's pagan civic religion was undermined in its function of aiding state security by the fact that it was not true. Second, Christianity, as the truth, was not subordinate to the state, but was a new community. In Ratzinger's view, Augustine saw the church, the City of God, as an alien citizen, but one very much within the City of Man and meant to renew, not take over, that earthly city, until Christ's Second Coming. This early work of Ratzinger's showcases the development of his theology, including themes that will inform his life's work, such as how God's transcendence and the doctrine of creation inform a Christian worldview, and the central role of the Incarnation in understanding how the church relates to the world.

The Garden of God: Toward a Human Ecology

The Garden of God: Toward a Human Ecology The Catholic University of America Press (April 2014). Genesis, the first book of the Bible, tells of the creation of the world and our dominion over it. But is this the whole storyfi The planet on which we live is ecologically fragile, and all people of good will have a respon- sibility to take care of this most precious gift. During his papacy, Pope Benedict XVI repeatedly drew attention to the environment, whether in terms of preserving it -- such as his address concerning Amazonia and his letter regarding the Arctic -- or distributing its vital resources -- such as water -- more equitably. What is more, during Benedict’s papacy, the Vatican became the first, and remains the only, carbon-neutral country in the world. This book gathers together the audiences, addresses, letters, and homilies of Benedict on a wide-ranging set of topics that deal with the world about us. The major themes and connections he explores are cre- ation and the natural world; the environment, science, and technology; and hunger, poverty, and the earth’s resources. In these pages, Benedict insists that if we truly desire peace, we must be increasingly conscious of and nurture all of creation. Further- more, he argues convincingly that as our love of God should cause us to protect the environment, so should our heightened sense of appre- ciation of the natural world draw us closer to God. Benedict speaks out against the spread of nuclear weapons, threats to biodiversity, and in favor of alternative energy. He urges sustainable development, equita- ble distribution of food and water, and an end to hunger. This book is a valuable resource for all those who seek to under- stand more fully the relationships among the environment, Catholic social teaching, and theology. Whether speaking to a vast crowd, meet- ing with a small group of scientists, or writing letters to world leaders, Benedict has shown a clear path towards a theologically cogent con- cern for the planet on which we live.

Joseph Ratzinger in Communio, Vol. 2: Anthropology and Culture

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.

Liberating Logos: Pope Benedict XVI's September Speeches

Liberating Logos: Pope Benedict XVI's September Speeches St. Augustine's Press (15 Sep 2014). Liberating Logos: Pope Benedict XVI’s September Speeches brings together six important addresses in one volume. The themes of these remarkable speeches are wide ranging: Benedict comments on the denaturing effects of Dehellenization, the true grounds of religious dialogue, the transpolitical and timeless nature of Christianity’s message, the relation of moral and political freedom to truth, the self-limitation of modern reason, and Europe’s and the West’s enduring Christian roots. Each speech offers an unwavering defense of the splendor and majesty of created human reason’s ability to know—and to be liberated by—the uncreated Truth.

Jesus of Nazareth: The Infancy Narratives

Jesus of Nazareth: The Infancy Narratives

Image Press, November 21, 2012.

The momentous third and final volume in the Pope’s international bestselling Jesus of Nazareth series, detailing how the stories of Jesus’ infancy and childhood are as relevant today as they were two thousand years ago.

In 2007, Joseph Ratzinger published his first book as Pope Benedict XVI in order “to make known the figure and message of Jesus.” Now, the Pope focuses exclusively on the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ life as a child. The root of these stories is the experience of hope found in the birth of Jesus and the affirmations of surrender and service embodied in his parents, Joseph and Mary. This is a story of longing and seeking, as demonstrated by the Magi searching for the redemption offered by the birth of a new king. It is a story of sacrifice and trusting completely in the wisdom of God as seen in the faith of Simeon, the just and devout man of Jerusalem, when he is in the presence of the Christ child. Ultimately, Jesus’ life and message is a story for today, one that speaks to the restlessness of the human heart searching for the sole truth which alone leads to profound joy.

Summary (Courtesy of the Vatican Information Service):

"The first chapter is dedicated to the genealogies of the Saviour in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, which are very different, although both have the same theological and symbolic meaning: the placing of Jesus in history and his true origin as a new beginning of world history.

"The theme of chapter two is the annunciation of the birth of John the Baptist and that of Jesus. Rereading the dialogue between Mary and the Archangel Gabriel in the Gospel of Luke, Joseph Ratzinger explains that, through a woman, God 'seeks to enter the world anew'. In order to liberate man from sin, he writes, quoting Bernard of Clairvaux, God needs 'free obedience' to his will. 'In creating freedom, he made himself in a certain sense dependent upon man. His power is tied to the unenforceable yes of a human being'. Thus, only thanks to Mary's assent can the history of salvation begin.

"Chapter three is centred on the event in Bethlehem and the historical context of the birth of Jesus, the Roman Empire under Augustus, which extends from East to West and whose universal dimension allows for the entry into the world of 'a universal Saviour'; 'it is indeed the fullness of time'. The single elements of the story of the birth are dense with meaning: the poverty in which 'he who is truly the first-born of all that is' chooses to reveal himself, and therefore 'the cosmic glory' that envelopes the manger; God's special love for the poor, which manifests itself in the annunciation to the shepherds; and the words of the Gloria, whose translation is controversial.

"The fourth chapter is dedicated to the three Magi, who saw the star of the 'King of the Jews' and who had come to adore the child, and to the flight into Egypt. Here the figures of the 'magoi', reconstructed through a rich range of historical, linguistic and scientific information, are outlined as a fascinating emblem of the inner unrest and search for truth of the human spirit.

"Finally, the Epilogue, with the story - according to the Gospel of Luke - of the last episode in the childhood of Jesus, the last account we have of him before the beginning of his public ministry with his baptism in the Jordan. It is the episode of the three days during the Passover pilgrimage to the Temple in Jerusalem, in which twelve-year-old Jesus leaves Mary and Joseph and stays in the Temple to discuss with the rabbis. Jesus, who was growing 'in wisdom and in stature, and in favour with God and man', manifests himself in his nature as true God and, at the same time, true man, who 'thought and learned in human fashion'".

Reviews and Related Links

• Infancy Narratives Seals One of the Pope's Finest Gifts to the Church, by Kevin M. Clarke. (Zenit News Service):

  Because of the timeless newness to these inimitable reflections, our coheirs to the kingdom will doubtless be reading these volumes long after we are in our tombs. With the second installment of the Jesus of Nazareth series, Pope Benedict gave Catholics plenty of food for thought for the Lenten season. His third installment similarly gives much for meditation for Advent.

• What the Pope Really Said About Christmas, by Kevin M. Clarke. First Things' "On The Square" 11/30/12. Clarke, adjunct professor of New Testament Greek at John Paul the Great Catholic University in San Diego, California, lays bare the media's bias and misreadings of the Pope's text.
• Being the Pope's Editor. Gary Jansen, editor of the book and of Image Catholic at Random House, talks to National Review Online’s Kathryn Jean Lopez about meeting the pope, reading the pope, editing the pope, and encountering the ghosts of Christmas past, among other things.
• Read all about it: Pope has not cancelled Christmas (Reuters 11/28/12). "The day after Benedict's latest book "The Infancy Narratives - Jesus of Nazareth" - was published on November 20, Vatican officials found some headlines they were not expecting. ..."
• A vaticanista reads the pope's book, by John Allen Jr. National Catholic Reporter 11/25/12.
• Vatican blasts media coverage of pope’s latest book, by Allesandro Speciale. Religion News Service 11/29/12.
• Pope calls the Infancy Narratives an "Antechamber" to Jesus of Nazareth Volumes I and II (Zenit News Service 11/21/12).
• “The Infancy Narratives”: Not myths, just plausible stories, by Andrea Tornielli. La Stampa "Vatican Insider" 11/20/12:

  The stories about Jesus’ infancy in the first few chapters of the Gospels of Luke and Matthew are not legends or imaginative reconstructions. They are not “midrash” either, that is, interpretations of the Scriptures through narrations, typical of Hebrew literature. They are “history, history which really took place, history which was certainly interpreted and understood on the basis of the Word of God.”

Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week: From the Entrance Into Jerusalem To The Resurrection

Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week: from the Entrance into Jerusalem to the Resurrection Pt. 2
Pope Benedict XVI. Ignatius Press (March 10, 2011).

For Christians, Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of God, who died for the sins of the world, and who rose from the dead in triumph over sin and death. For non-Christians, he is almost anything else-myth, a political revolutionary, a prophet whose teaching was misunderstood or distorted by his followers.

Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of God, and no myth, revolutionary, or misunderstood prophet, insists Benedict XVI. He thinks that the best of historical scholarship, while it can't "prove" Jesus is the Son of God, certainly doesn't disprove it. Indeed, Benedict maintains that the evidence, fairly considered, brings us face-to-face with the challenge of Jesus-a real man who taught and acted in ways that were tantamount to claims of divine authority, claims not easily dismissed as lunacy or deception.

Benedict XVI presents this challenge in his new book, Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week: From the Entrance into Jerusalem to the Resurrection, the sequel volume to Jesus of Nazareth: From the Baptism in the Jordan to the Transfiguration.

Why was Jesus rejected by the religious leaders of his day? Who was responsible for his death? Did he establish a Church to carry on his work? How did Jesus view his suffering and death? How should we? And, most importantly, did Jesus really rise from the dead and what does his resurrection mean? The story of Jesus raises these and other crucial questions.

Benedict brings to his study the vast learning of a brilliant scholar, the passionate searching of a great mind, and the deep compassion of a pastor's heart. In the end, he dares readers to grapple with the meaning of Jesus' life, teaching, death, and resurrection. Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week: From the Entrance into Jerusalem to the Resurrection challenges both believers and unbelievers to decide who Jesus of Nazareth is and what he means for them.

From the Publishers

• Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week Publisher's Website Ignatius Press (US).
• Presentation of Volume II, "Jesus of Nazareth" presented by Cardinal Marc Ouellet P.S.S, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, and by Claudio Magris, a writer and German scholar. Vatican News Service.
• Jesus of Nazareth Facebook Page.

Excerpts

• Table of Contents
• Excerpts from the Foreword to Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week.
• Excerpts from Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week. Entire sections lifted from the chapters of the full book. The excerpts are: "The Mysery of the Betrayer", "The Dating of the Last Supper", and "Jesus Before Pilate".

Reviews

• From professorial pope, a lengthy paper trail, by Francis X. Rocca. Religion News Service. March 15, 2011.
• Jesus of Nazareth: First Impressions of a Scripture Scholar by Fr. Thomas Rosica, CSB. CEO, Salt and Light Catholic Media Foundation. March 10, 2011.
• New book confirms: Benedict XVI is his own best spokesperson, by John Allen Jr. National Catholic Reporter March 10, 2011.
• "An historic book, which inaugurates a new era of theological exegesis" by Cardinal Marc Oullet. Translation by L'Osservatore Romano. Rome, March 10, 2011
• Pope Benedict and How to Read The Bible, by Fr. Robert Barron. The Word on Fire March 4, 2011.
• Some thoughts about the Pope’s new book Part I | Part II, by Fr. John Zuhisdorf. What Does the Prayer Really Say? March 2/4, 2011.
• Finding Christ in Pope's "Jesus of Nazareth": Book Speaks of Second Coming, Eating Salt, Space-Traveling Hearts, by Kevin M. Clarke. St. Joseph Academy in San Marcos, California.

Audio

• Mark Brumley & Carl Olson Discuss Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week March 10, 2011 | Ignatius Insight.
• Fr. Fessio SJ on Jesus of Nazareth Volume II Interview with Emer McCarthy, Vatican Radio. March 10, 2011.

News, Commentary, Discussion

• Was Jesus a Political Activist?, by Kathryn Jean Lopez. Jesus of Nazareth Publisher's Blog. March 24, 2011.
• "Present and Active Within World History": On Jesus of Nazareth, Part Two, by Fr. James V. Schall, S.J. | March 10, 2011 | Ignatius Insight.
• In book, pope presents Jesus as reconciler, not political revolutionary, by John Thavis. Catholic News Agency. March 11, 2011.
• Pontiff's Book on Christ Marks Many Firsts: Scholars Discuss Novelties of "Jesus of Nazareth", by Anna Maria Basquez. (Zenit. March 11, 2011).
• Pope Addresses 5 Disputed Questions in New Book: Cardinal Ouellet Presents Pontiff's "Jesus of Nazareth" (Zenit. March 11, 2011).
• Cardinal Marc Ouellet affirms ecumenical nature of Pope's book (Zenit. March 11, 2011).
• What Benedict XVI has written about the Jews is news—but not new news, by Carl Olson. Insight Scoop March 4, 2011.
• Pope's New Book Notes Judas' 2nd Tragedy: Gospel Says Betrayer's Experience "Is Beyond Psychological Explanation" Zenit News Agency. March 3, 2011.
• In book, pope says Jesus' death cannot be blamed on Jewish people, by John Thavis. Catholic News Agency. March 2, 2011.
• Scholars see benefits for all faiths in pope's second 'Jesus' book, by Nancy Frazier O'Brien. Catholic News Service March 2, 2011.

Light of the World: The Pope, The Church and the Signs of the Times

Light of the World: The Pope, The Church and the Signs of the Times Pope Benedict XVI | Peter Seewald. Introduction by George Weigel. Ignatius Press (November 24, 2010) Never has a Pope, in a book-length interview, dealt so directly with such wide-ranging and controversial issues as Pope Benedict XVI does in Light of the World. Taken from a recent week-long series of interviews with veteran journalist Peter Seewald, this book tackles head-on some of the greatest issues facing the world of our time. Seewald poses such forthright questions to Pope Benedict as: What caused the clergy sexual abuse in the Catholic Church? Was there a "cover up"? Have you considered resigning? Does affirming the goodness of the human body mean a plea for "better sex"? Can there be a genuine dialogue with Islam? Should the Church rethink Catholic teaching on priestly celibacy, women priests, contraception, and same-sex relationships? Holy Communion for divorced-and-remarried Catholics? Is there a schism in the Catholic Church? Should there be a Third Vatican Council? Is there any hope for Christian unity? Is Christianity the only truth? Can the Pope really speak for Jesus Christ? How can the Pope claim to be "infallible"? Is there a "dictatorship of relativism" today? Twice before these two men held wide-ranging discussions, which became the best-selling books Salt of the Earth and God and the World. Then, Seewald's discussion partner was Joseph Ratzinger, head of the Vatican's chief doctrinal office. Now, Joseph Ratzinger is Pope Benedict XVI, the spiritual leader of the world's over one billion Catholics. Though Seewald now interviews the Pope himself, the journalist "pulls no punches", posing some of the thorniest questions any Pope has had to address. Believers and unbelievers will be fascinated to hear Benedict's thoughtful, straightforward and thought-provoking replies. This is no stern preachment or ponderous theological tract, but a lively, fast-paced, challenging, even entertaining exchange.

A Turning Point for Europe?: The Church in the Modern World

A Turning Point for Europe? Ignatius Press (2nd Edition. June 2010) Cardinal Ratzinger addresses the challenges and responsibilities that both the Church and society in Europe face after the collapse of Marxism. Both liberalism and Marxism have denied religion the right to have any influence on public affairs and the common future of humanity. Since there is also a great spiritual emptiness growing in the West with the increased secularization, consumerism and hedonism, Ratzinger's comments apply as much, if not more, to the United States as well. With the downfall of Marxism, religion has been discovered anew as an ineradicable force for both the individual and society. While there is renewed interest in religion, the dangers also exist to lay hold of religion as an instrument to serve various political ideas. Ratzinger, whose theological work has often dealt with the "reasons for our faith," reflects upon the various problems facing humanity at this turning point of our history and offers genuine hope based upon a deep Christian faith. He also addresses the critical role that the Church has in relationship to the world and the essential task of bringing Christ back into our culture. Reviews Reviewed by Thomas Molnar (Catholic Social Scientists)

Heart of the Christian Life: Thoughts on the Holy Mass

Heart of the Christian Life: Thoughts on the Holy Mass Ignatius Press (June 2010) The celebration of the Eucharist, in which Jesus Christ becomes present, is the center of the Catholic faith. This volume brings together substantive texts of the Holy Father on the many aspects and dimensions of the Mass and the Mystery of the Eucharist, a rich source for every Christian and a spur to reflection and personal prayer. Delivered in addresses and homilies to a wide variety of audiences , these reflections reveal the depth and breadth of Pope Benedict XVI’s profound and life-long love for the Holy Eucharist. A major theme throughout the works of Joseph Ratzinger, the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist is the Church’s source of life, unity and fruitfulness. This theme has been carried deeply into his pontificate, as can be seen in this collection, which challenges the faithful to believe that by receiving Christ in Holy Communion, they are drawn not only into the very life of God, but into the community that is Christ’s Body, the Church.

Church Fathers and Teachers: From Leo the Great to Peter Lombard

Church Fathers and Teachers: From Leo the Great to Peter Lombard Ignatius Press (June 2010) After meditating on the Apostles and then on the Fathers of the early Church, as seen in his earlier works Jesus, the Apostles and the Early Church and Church Fathers, Pope Benedict XVI devoted his attention to the most influential Christian men from the fifth through the twelfth centuries. In his first book, Church Fathers, Benedict began with Clement of Rome and ended with Saint Augustine. In this volume, the Holy Father reflects on some of the greatest theologians of the Middle Ages: Benedict, Anselm, Bernard, and Gregory the Great, to name just a few. By exploring both the lives and the ideas of the great popes, abbots, scholars and missionaries who lived during the fall of the Roman Empire and the rise of Christendom, Pope Benedict XVI highlights the key elements of Catholic dogma and practice that remain the foundation stones not only of the Roman Catholic Church but of Christian society itself. This book is a wonderful way to get to know these later Church Fathers and Teachers and the tremendous spiritually rich patrimony they have bequeathed to us.

Joseph Ratzinger in Communio: Vol. 1, The Unity of the Church

Joseph Ratzinger in Communio: Unity of the Church v. 1: Pope Benedict XVI (Ressourcement: Retrieval & Renewal in Catholic Thought) W. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company (March 2010) The Unity of the Church brings together a captivating collection of articles — previously published in Communio — by Pope Benedict XVI. The essays deal with various issues facing the church in the world today, including what divides and unites denominations, the growing crisis facing peace and justice, technological security, and the necessity of ecumenism in the growth of the church. / “Pope Benedict XVI rarely writes on any churchly matter that does not manifest its implications for man and culture, and vice versa,” notes David Schindler in the introduction. This collection is a brilliant expression of that tendency toward interconnectivity. / Dwelling in Love is part of the Ressourcement: Retrieval and Renewal in Catholic Thought series, edited by David L. Schindler.

Theological Highlights of Vatican II

Theological Highlights of Vatican IIPaulist Press (December 2009) Here is a significant book comprising Joseph Ratzinger's report on the debates and struggles that made up each of the four sessions of Vatican II (1962-65), along with theological commentary by a noted scholar and professor. At the council Ratzinger worked on the Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation (Dei verbum), the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church (Lumen Gentium), and the Decree on the Missionary Activity of the Church (Ad gentes). Topics he treats in detail in the book include the debate on the liturgy schema, the early debate on divine revelation, the questions of Mariology and ecumenism, the decree on the bishops office in the Church, religious liberty, the Church and the Jews, and the schemas on the missions and on priestly ministry and life. He gives special attention to the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church and to the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World.

Meeting Saint Paul with the Pope

Meeting Saint Paul with the Pope: Wednesday Audiences During the Pauline Jubilee Year Paulist Press (November 2009) A series of twenty-one reflections of Pope Benedict XVI on one of the most influential persons in the history of Christianity, Saint Paul.

Maria: Pope Benedict XVI on the Mother of God

Maria: Pope Benedict XVI on the Mother of GodIgnatius Press (November 2009) This glorious volume is a lavishly illustrated coffee-table book with dozens of inspirational and famous color paintings, sculptures and artwork of the Blessed Virgin Mary from all over the world. The beautiful pictures are accompanied by the profound writings and homilies of Pope Benedict XVI on the person of Mary, and her unique role in human history and in the plan of God for salvation history. The gorgeous paintings and artwork are from many different centuries, some very famous and others less well-known. Many of these artworks are located at popular Marian shrines that Pope Benedict has visited and honored with special events, prayers and homilies, depicted throughout this volume. Some of the famous Marian images include Our Lady of Lourdes, Our Lady of Czestochowa (the ''Black Madonna''), Queen of the Holy Rosary, Our Lady of Loreto, Queen of Carmel, and many others. Pope Benedict offers in-depth, inspirational reflections on the unique spiritual role Mary as the Mother of the Savior, showing her to be the universal ''Woman'' that Jesus calls her in the Gospels, his mother that God made the spiritual mother of all mankind. Using Biblical references of Mary as ''full of grace'' and the ''woman clothed with the sun'', Pope Benedict emphasizes that Mary's main role is to lead us to union with Jesus, to help us know and love Him much better and to be his true followers.

Caritas in Veritate ("Charity in Truth")

Charity in Truth: Caritas in VeritateIgnatius Press (August 2009). Pope Benedict’s third encyclical, Charity in Truth (Caritas in Veritate), applies the themes of his first two encyclicals —love and hope (God Is Love, Saved in Hope) — to the world’s major social issues. Drawing on moral truths open, in principle, to everyone (the natural law) as well as on the teachings of the gospel (revelation), Pope Benedict addresses Catholics and non-Catholics alike, challenging us all to recognize and then to confront the social evils of our day. The first part of the encyclical examines the dynamic teaching of Benedict’s predecessors, Pope Paul VI and Pope John Paul II. Both men contributed greatly to the body of doctrine known as “Catholic social teaching”. Both men challenged the simplistic division of political perspectives into “conservative” and “liberal”, and “right” and “left”. Both men were convinced that the natural moral law and the teaching of the Gospel were indispensable for a world in desperate search of hope and meaning. In the second part Benedict surveys the social issues that confront the human race today—assaults on the dignity of the human person such as the attack on human life, poverty, issues of war and peace, terrorism, globalization, and environmental concerns. Benedict provides sound moral principles to address these social and economic problems, and to promote a culture of life and genuine peace. In this outstanding work, Pope Benedict shows us why so many observers regard him as the world’s leading moral voice, as well as one of the most insightful and profound social/political thinkers of our day.

Credo for Today: What Christians Believe

Credo for Today: What Christians BelieveIgnatius Press (May 2009). What do Christians believe? What gives meaning to our life? What is the purpose of life? The Christian answer to these questions is found in the Creed, in the profession of faith. But what do the articles of this confession actually mean? And how to they affect our lives? Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, takes a fresh look at these timeless questions. This work is a reflection of the profound, personal insights of Benedict XVI, but also of the great foundations of Christianity: faith, hope, and charity. Ratzinger writes eloquently and persuasively about the importance for followers of Christ to understand well what they believe so one can live as a serious Christian in today’s secular world. He talks in depth about the true meaning of faith, hope, and love—the love of God and the love of neighbor. He also discusses the crucial importance of a lived faith, for the believer himself as well as being a witness for our age, and striving to bring faith in line with the present age that has veered off into rampant secularism and materialism. "In our generation the Christian Faith finds itself in a much deeper crisis than at any other time in the past. In this situation it is no solution to shut our eyes in fear in the face of pressing problems, or to simply pass over them. If faith is to survive this age, then it must be lived, and above all, lived in this age. And this is possible only if a manifestation of faith is shown to have value for our present day, by growing to knowledge and fulfillment." —Pope Benedict XVI