Download or read book Benedict Up Close written by Paul Badde and published by Sophia Institute Press. This book was released on 2017 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Widely recognized as one of the most talented and respected journalists in Rome, Paul Badde offers here a unique glimpse into the drama of Pope Benedict’s pontificate. He doesn’t simply capture the various reasons for which Benedict XVI will go down in history, Badde chronicles the almost superhuman struggle against overwhelming hostilities that formed against this shy and exceedingly kind man. With fascinating vignettes back into history, you’ll learn how Pope Benedict’s experiences in a totalitarian Germany impacted the papacy and the Church, and how this son of a policeman became the “Thomas Aquinas of our time” — one of the most brilliant and accomplished minds on the globe. Leaning on his own personal conversations with Pope Benedict as well as his extensive interviews with those within the Holy Father’s inner circle, Badde explains how Pope Benedict dealt with the blows and calumnies that rained down on him during those tempestuous eight years. You’ll come to a deeper appreciation of Pope Benedict’s goodness and holiness, and you’ll understand why only he could have steered the ship of the Church during the storms of our time. With Paul Badde, you’ll have a close-up view of Pope Benedict XVI’s pontificate as you learn: Why he removed “Patriarch of the West” from the pope’s list of titlesWhat led the pope’s valet – one the few people who had unfettered access to the pope – to betray his secretsWhy he included the scallop shell on his coat of armsWhy he had such a strong devotion to the Face of JesusWhat he was really trying to say in his Regensburg Address that infuriated Muslims throughout the worldWhy his visit to Turkey, despite threats from Al Qaeda, was so importantThe bold way in which he reintroduced the Latin MassHis answer to the visible disagreements between books of the BibleWhy he chose Benedict XVI as his nameAn inside look at his schedule and how he approaches his writingsWhy he chose to resign on the Memorial of Our Lady of Lourdes
Download or read book From the Depths of Our Hearts written by Pope Benedict XVI and published by Ignatius Press. This book was released on 2020-03-12 with total page 150 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The priesthood is going through a dark time", according to Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI and Robert Cardinal Sarah. "Wounded by the revelation of so many scandals, disconcerted by the constant questioning of their consecrated celibacy, many priests are tempted by the thought of giving up and abandoning everything." In this book, the pope emeritus and the prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments give their brother priests, and the whole Church, a message of hope. They honestly address the spiritual challenges faced by priests today, while pointing to deeper conversion to Jesus Christ as the key to faithful and fruitful priestly ministry and genuine reform. Benedict XVI and Cardinal Sarah "fraternally offer these reflections to the people of God and, of course, in a spirit of filial obedience, to Pope Francis", who has said, "I think that celibacy is a gift for the Church. . . . I don't agree with allowing optional celibacy, no." Responding to calls for refashioning the priesthood, including proposals from participants in the Amazonian Synod, two wise, spiritually astute pastors explain the importance of priestly celibacy for the good of the whole Church. Drawing on Vatican II, they present celibacy as not just "a mere precept of ecclesiastical law", but as a sharing in Jesus' sacrifice on the Cross and his identity as Bridegroom of the Church. of his collaboration with Benedict XVI in writing From the Depths of Our Hearts.
Download or read book Light Of The World written by Peter Seewald and published by Ignatius Press. This book was released on 2010-10-29 with total page 217 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.
Download or read book Inside the Vatican written by Thomas J. Reese S.J. and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 1998-02-19 with total page 330 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There are one billion Catholics in the world today, spread over every continent, speaking almost every conceivable language, and all answering to a single authority. The Vatican is a unique international organization, both in terms of its extraordinary power and influence, and in terms of its endurance. Popes come and go, but the elaborate and complex bureaucracy called the Vatican lives on. For centuries, it has served and sometimes undermined popes; it has been praised and blamed for the actions of the pope and for the state of the church. Yet an objective examination of the workings of the Vatican has been unavailable until now. Drawing on more than a hundred interviews with Vatican officials, this book affords a firsthand look at the people, the politics, and the organization behind the institution. Reese brings remarkable clarity to the almost Byzantine bureaucracy of congregations, agencies, secretariats, tribunals, nunciature, and offices, showing how they serve the pope and, through him, the universal church. He gives a lively account of how popes are elected and bishops appointed, how dissident theologians are disciplined and civil authorities dealt with. Throughout, revealing and colorful anecdotes from church history and the present day bring the unique culture of the Vatican to life. The Vatican is a fascinating institution, a model of continuity and adaptation, which remains constant while functioning powerfully in a changing world. As never before, this book provides a clear, objective perspective on how the enormously complex institution surrounding the papacy operates on a day-to-day level, how it has adapted and endured for close to two thousand years, and how it is likely to face the challenges of the next millennium.
Download or read book Holy Men and Women from the Middle Ages and Beyond written by Pope Benedict XVI and published by Ignatius Press. This book was released on 2012-01-01 with total page 244 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The writings of the Fathers of the Church have never been more widely available, yet obtaining an exhaustive and userfriendly volume of patristics can still be a daunting task. Without realizing it, many priests, seminarians, members of religious communities, and even laity already own a patristic library their Liturgy of the Hours. In the four volumes of the Liturgy of the Hours, the official daily prayer of the Catholic Church, there are nearly 600 selections from the writings of Fathers and saints. Seeing the potential of this vast collection as a theological resource, Milton Walsh has organized these selections by topics according to the four pillars of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. This topical concordance allows the reader to compare what the various authors have written on the same themes, while a chronological timeline of the readings shows their relationship to each other in time. Walsh has also provided background on the liturgical celebrations of the Church, as well as historical information on each author. In addition, there is a chapter on how patristic readings can assist in understanding the Bible. This fresh and original presentation of material that is literally at the fingertips of anyone praying the Liturgy of the Hours can be a tremendous aid to both religious devotion and theological study.
Download or read book Jesus of Nazareth written by Pope Benedict XVI and published by Image. This book was released on 2007-05-15 with total page 402 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “This book is . . . my personal search ‘for the face of the Lord.’” –Benedict XVI In this bold, momentous work, the Pope––in his first book written as Benedict XVI––seeks to salvage the person of Jesus from recent “popular” depictions and to restore Jesus’ true identity as discovered in the Gospels. Through his brilliance as a theologian and his personal conviction as a believer, the Pope shares a rich, compelling, flesh-and-blood portrait of Jesus and incites us to encounter, face-to-face, the central figure of the Christian faith. From Jesus of Nazareth: “. . . the great question that will be with us throughout this entire book: But what has Jesus really brought, then, if he has not brought world peace, universal prosperity, and a better world? What has he brought? The answer is very simple: God. He has brought God! He has brought the God who once gradually unveiled his countenance first to Abraham, then to Moses and the prophets, and then in the wisdom literature–the God who showed his face only in Israel, even though he was also honored among the pagans in various shadowy guises. It is this God, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, the true God, whom he has brought to the peoples of the earth. He has brought God, and now we know his face, now we can call upon him. Now we know the path that we human beings have to take in this world. Jesus has brought God and with God the truth about where we are going and where we come from: faith, hope, and love.”
Download or read book Be Saints written by Amy Welborn and published by . This book was released on 2012-12 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "If we grow in our friendship with God, we will find true happiness and become saints. In this beautifully illustrated book, Amy Wellborn, well-known author and blogger, introduces Pope Benedict's deep yet simple words to children in England on how only God can satisfy the deepest needs of our heart."--Back cover.
Download or read book Benedict XVI A Life Volume One written by Peter Seewald and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2020-12-10 with total page 529 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: By any reckoning, the papacy of Pope Benedict XVI was extraordinary, with moments of high drama. Not the least of these was his resignation from office in February 2013, the first papal resignation in 500 years. But who is Joseph Ratzinger? In this definitive biography, based on meticulous historical research and many hours of taped interviews with his subject, Peter Seewald shows the exceptional circumstances in which the exceptionally talented son of a Bavarian policeman became the first German pope for 950 years. In this first volume, covering the years 1927–1965, we witness Joseph Ratzinger's early days, living above his father's police station. Ratzinger came to adulthood through the years of National Socialism. Though hostile to the rise of Hitler, his family knew well about Dachau and Ratzinger himself was conscripted into the Hitler Youth. Joseph Ratzinger proved to be a man of exceptional intellectual gifts and by the time of the Second Vatican Council (1962–1965) he was already noted as one of the outstanding intellects present and was nominated a 'peritus' or theological expert. This was also the time of the start of his friendship with the Swiss theologian Hans Küng who was to become his nemesis. Of his predecessor, Pope Francis has said: 'Pope Benedict was a great Pope, great for the penetration of his intelligence, great for his important contribution to theology, great for his love of the Church and human beings, great for his virtues and faith'. Even in this first volume, we begin to understand how this came to be true.
Download or read book Last Testament written by Pope Benedict XVI and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2016-11-04 with total page 289 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'Gripping ... An exquisite conversation between two people who know each other, like each other, and have mutual respect for one another' - Catholic Times Since resigning from the papacy in 2013, the first Pope in over 700 years to do so, Pope Benedict has lived quietly in a convent in the Vatican gardens in Rome. He has devoted himself to a life of prayer and study and has vowed to remain silent, until now. So much controversy still surrounds Pope Benedict's time in office – in this book, written with bestselling German author Peter Seewald, he addresses the issues of his papacy and reveals how, at his late age, governing and reforming the Church was beyond him. Last Testament is also an autobiography, recalling Pope Benedict's childhood in Germany under Nazism, his early development as a priest, and eventually his appointment as Archbishop of Munich. After becoming Pope, his account deals with the controversies that rocked the Catholic world – how he enraged Muslims with his Regensburg speech, what he did and did not do to stamp out the clerical sexual abuse of children, the 'Vatileaks' scandal and how he broke up a gay cabal within the Vatican itself. At all times, we see a man who is shy and retiring and modest being exceptionally open and frank with the outside world. In this Last Testament, a unique book insofar as no other living Pope has had the opportunity to write an account having left office, Benedict gives in his own words an unprecedented view of the difficulties, the achievements and the consequences of his time as head of the Catholic Church worldwide.
Download or read book On Love written by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger and published by Ignatius Press. This book was released on 2021-01-22 with total page 165 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.
Download or read book Pope Benedict XVI written by D. Vincent Twomey and published by Ignatius Press. This book was released on 2007-01-01 with total page 216 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A close, longtime associate of Pope Benedict presents a unique theological and personal portrait of the Pope that gives wonderful insights to both his teachings, and the man himself. This work on the new Pope important in its unique approach to the thought and person of who this Pontiff is for Christians everywhere to better understand him, his leadership and his role as the most respected spiritual teacher in the world.
Download or read book Maria written by Pope Benedict XVI and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Pope Benedict offers in-depth reflections of the role of Mary, accompanied by illustrations of dozens of paintings, sculptures, and other artwork of Mary from all over the world.
Download or read book Saint Paul written by Pope Benedict XVI and published by Ignatius Press. This book was released on 2009-09-03 with total page 125 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: St. Paul is one of the most important figures in Christian history. As Saul of Tarsus he vigorously persecuted Christianity, even collaborating in the death of Christianity's first martyr, Stephen. His encounter with the resurrected Jesus on the road to Damascus changed Paul's life, the Christian Church, and world history. More than anyone else in the early Church, Paul saw the universal nature of the Christian message. He became the Apostle to the Gentiles and the "Teacher of the Nations". As the human author of half of the New Testament, Paul is a figure who cannot be overlooked by anyone who wants to understand Jesus Christ and Christianity. In this book, Pope Benedict XVI, a profound spiritual leader in his own right and a first-rate theologian and Bible commentator, explores the legacy of Paul. Pope Benedict follows the course of the Apostle's life, including his missionary journeys and his relationship with the other apostles of Jesus such as St. Peter and St. James, and Paul's martyrdom in Rome. Benedict also examines such questions as: Did Paul know Jesus during his earthly life and how much of Jesus' teaching and ministry did he know of? Did Paul distort the teachings of Jesus? What role did Jesus' death and resurrection play in Paul's teaching? What are we to make of Paul's teaching about the end of the world? What does Paul's teaching say about the differences between Catholic and Protestant Christians over salvation and the roles of faith and works in the Christian life? How have modern Catholic and Protestant scholars come together in their understanding of Paul? What does Paul have to teach us today about living a spiritual life? These and other important issues are addressed in this masterful, inspirational, and highly-readable presentation of St. Paul and his writings by one of today's great spiritual teachers, Pope Benedict XVI. "The Apostle Paul, an outstanding and almost inimitable yet stimulating figure, stands before us as an example of total dedication to the Lord and to his Church, as well as of great openness to humanity and its cultures." Pope Benedict XVI
Download or read book Joseph and Chico written by Jeanne Perego and published by Ignatius. This book was released on 2008 with total page 44 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Relates the life story of Joseph Ratzinger, later to be known as Pope Benedict XVI, from his birth in Germany in 1927 through his election as Pontiff in 2005, as told by his cat, Chico.
Download or read book Benedictus written by Peter John Cameron and published by . This book was released on 2006-10-30 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "A daily companion of spiritual meditations by His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI."--Cover, [p.] 4.
Download or read book Benedict XVI A Life Volume Two written by Peter Seewald and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2021-11-11 with total page 593 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Emeritus Pope Benedict commanded both adulation and unremitting criticism. To millions, he was a beacon of light in a turbulent modern world. In this second volume of Peter Seewald's authoritative biography, the story continues from the Second Vatican Council (1965–8) right up to his resignation in 2013 - the first Pope to do so in almost 600 years. We see how Benedict was influenced by the Council and the ensuing political unrest all over Europe to move from a liberal perspective on the Church and the modern world to one that was profoundly conservative. Appointed in 1981 as prefect of the Congregation of Doctrine of the Faith, and quickly nicknamed 'God's Rottweiler', he proved to be intransigent on the controversial issues of abortion, contraception, gay rights and gay marriage. But elected Pope in 2005, his tenure of office was so riven with shocking revelations of controversy and scandal that it seemed that by the time of his resignation in 2013 he was incapable of handling the complexities of the Church in the modern world. Vatileaks, sexual abuse by priests, the Regensburg speech which became the spark of an eruption of anger and rage in the Muslim world – all these hit the world's media headlines. Peter Seewald was the only person who was close enough to Benedict to assess the man himself and to uncover the truth about so many of the controversial issues surrounding this most controversial papacy. Seewald has already published two books of interviews with Benedict and this book is based not just on meticulous research but on many hours of recorded interviews with Benedict himself. It will stand for many years as the definitive biography of Benedict XVI from an author with unrivalled access to the Pope Emeritus.
Download or read book The Benedict Option written by Rod Dreher and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2017-03-14 with total page 274 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER "Already the most discussed and most important religious book of the decade." —David Brooks In this controversial bestseller, Rod Dreher calls on American Christians to prepare for the coming Dark Age by embracing an ancient Christian way of life. From the inside, American churches have been hollowed out by the departure of young people and by an insipid pseudo–Christianity. From the outside, they are beset by challenges to religious liberty in a rapidly secularizing culture. Keeping Hillary Clinton out of the White House may have bought a brief reprieve from the state’s assault, but it will not stop the West’s slide into decadence and dissolution. Rod Dreher argues that the way forward is actually the way back—all the way to St. Benedict of Nursia. This sixth-century monk, horrified by the moral chaos following Rome’s fall, retreated to the forest and created a new way of life for Christians. He built enduring communities based on principles of order, hospitality, stability, and prayer. His spiritual centers of hope were strongholds of light throughout the Dark Ages, and saved not just Christianity but Western civilization. Today, a new form of barbarism reigns. Many believers are blind to it, and their churches are too weak to resist. Politics offers little help in this spiritual crisis. What is needed is the Benedict Option, a strategy that draws on the authority of Scripture and the wisdom of the ancient church. The goal: to embrace exile from mainstream culture and construct a resilient counterculture. The Benedict Option is both manifesto and rallying cry for Christians who, if they are not to be conquered, must learn how to fight on culture war battlefields like none the West has seen for fifteen hundred years. It's for all mere Christians—Protestant, Catholic, Orthodox—who can read the signs of the times. Neither false optimism nor fatalistic despair will do. Only faith, hope, and love, embodied in a renewed church, can sustain believers in the dark age that has overtaken us. These are the days for building strong arks for the long journey across a sea of night.
