Inauguration benedict xvi biography book

Ratzinger emerges into a post-war continent lost in faith, but he overcomes the odds by engaging in intellectual learning at a seminary and is soon influential in a large network of theologians across Europe.

Here the book casts in-depth knowledge of, namely, the priesthood, the beauty of divine liturgy (according to Ratzinger), and the adventure of a dialogue with God.

A striking comment by Ratzinger is that a priest must above all be able to support people in pain. It’s written with a flair to satisfy the faithful, but in no way panders to a dialectic of the church versus the world, or any such plight of enemies and foe. It ultimately highlights how he’s always tried to unite traditions rather than act as either a conservative or progressive.

But that’s the crux of tradition; it’s apparently worth fighting tooth and nail for. If that is not learned, then failure is inevitable.” Benedict was well known for his serious commitment and concern towards pastoral care. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. The Council’s intent and legacy has never been so clear to a lay-reader, and one is baffled at how spiritual clarity can turn into such a Herculean task for the church.

And Seewald’s extensive inclusion of tapes with Ratzinger make for authoratative reading of the theology.

The last third of the book moves into Ratzinger’s role in the Second Vatican Council, in particular the ‘November crisis’ controversy. It would take a separate volume entirely to actually understand what really went on there…

It’s fair to say, though, in this first volume we see why Ratzinger was arguably the greatest theologian ever to sit on the chair of St.

Peter. However, these hopes for priesthood were dashed by the horrors of Nazi Germany and its ongoing turmoil with the church.

They partook in religious festivals and he was clearly zealous and curious for the ‘spirit’ at an early age. But how Seewald will fit it all into a single volume is dramatic enough in and of itself. Peter Seewald’s first volume is brimming with theological intrigue, historical fact, and Catholic anecdote. Whatever the outcome, the satisfaction of a thorough and lengthy biography can certainly be expected.