Pope Benedict XVI – part 1

Joseph Ratzinger was born on April 16, 1927 in Marktl am Inn, in Bavaria, Germany, son of Joseph and Maria Peintner. He had an older sister who died in 1991 and a brother Monsignor Georg who died in 2020. At the age of 5, he was chosen to present with a group of children flowers to Cardinal Michael von Faulhaber, Archbishop of Munich, who would later ordain Joseph and Georg to the priesthood on June 29, 1951. Ratzinger was to eventually succeed Faulhaber as Archbishop of Munich in May 1977, and a month later, he was also elevated to Cardinal. So within 2 months he went from priest to Cardinal. At the age of 14, he had to be inscripted with the Hitler Youth, and even though he tried to avoid this move, he was able to escape from military service, but was recaptured and sent to a war prison near Ulm, and was released towards the end of the war in June 1945. Being such a renowned theologian, Cardinal Frings of Cologne wanted him to be  peritus – consultant theologian at the Vatican Council II. In1972, Ratzinger started an academic journal called Communio, now published in 17 languages, with himself being the greatest and most prolific contributors until his pontificate started. He wrote various books, among them the most popular is his best-seller ‘Jesus of Nazareth.’

Pope Benedict signing one of his encyclicals.

His joy with having the Archdiocese of Munich assigned to him was short-lived as Pope John Paul II wanted him closer to him as the Prefect of the Congregation of the Faith, with the eventual Archbishop of Malta, Charles Scicluna as his secretary. Together is was reported that they let go over 400 priests from their ministry due to the scandal that overpowered the church in the last 30 years. He was elected Pope on 2005 and surprised everyone when he took the name Benedict XVI, in honor of the great monastic founder, and in tribute to Benedict XV. As a motto he chose Cooperatoris Veritatis (Cooperators of Truth.) During his pontificate, he issued three encyclicals Deus caritas est (25 December 2005), Spe Salvi (30 November 2007) and Caritas in veritate (29 June 2009.) But his pontificate was characterized by his intimate relationship with Jesus Christ, emphasized also by his trilogy of books on the Life of Christ. (to be continued tomorrow)