Background
XVI, His Holiness Pope Benedict was born on April 16, 1927 in Marktl am Inn, Bavaria, Germany. Son of Joseph and Maria (Peintner) Ratzinger.
(New York Times Bestseller! The momentous third and final ...)
New York Times Bestseller! 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.
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(Jesus Christ is as popular as ever. Films, books, and new...)
Jesus Christ is as popular as ever. Films, books, and news articles ask,"Who was Jesus Christ?" Even outside of Christianity he continues to appeal to people. And yet for so many, the popular Jesus is not the Jesus of Christianity. The popular Jesus makes no demands and never challenges people. He accepts everyone and everything under all circumstances. On the Way to Jesus Christ is a series of meditations that Pope Benedict XVI wrote while he was Prefect for the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith. The true Jesus, he writes, is the Jesus of the Gospels, who "is quite different, demanding, bold. The Jesus who makes everything OK for everyone is a phantom, a dream, not a real figure. The Jesus of the Gospels is certainly not convenient for us. But it is precisely in this way that he answers the deepest question of our existence, which--whether we want to or not--keeps us on the lookout for God, for a gratification that is limitless, for the infinite. We must again set out on the way to this real Jesus." This book also examines whether Jesus Christ is the only savior, and the Church's responsibility to evangelize. It concludes with reflections on Jesus' Presence in the Holy Eucharist, and the Catechism of the Catholic Church's presentation of the Christian mystery as seen through the Catechism's dynamic view of Sacred Scripture. On the Way to Jesus Christ is for anyone--believer or unbeliever-who wants better to understand the true Jesus, the Jesus of the Gospels, the Christ of Christianity. "Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, has written a brief but compelling invitation to know Jesus Christ as He really is: bold, demanding, merciful, strong, and the answer to our deepest longings. This is a must-read book for anyone serious about deepening his or her faith." —Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap., Archbishop of Denver
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(Proceeding from the prayerful dialogue between Jesus and ...)
Proceeding from the prayerful dialogue between Jesus and His Eternal Father, Ratzinger shows how one can only approach the mystery of the Heart of Christ through the imitation of his prayer.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0898700876/?tag=2022091-20
(“This book is… my personal search ‘for the face of the Lo...)
“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.”
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(This is a book of wisdom and insight that explains how pr...)
This is a book of wisdom and insight that explains how providential are the trials through which the Catholic Church is now passing. The need of the Papal Primacy to ensure Christian unity; the true meaning of the Priesthood as a sacrament and not a mere ministry; the necessity of the Eucharist as the Sacrifice of the Savior now offering Himself on our altars; the role of the Bishops as successors of the Apostles, united with the successor of St. Peter, the Bishop of Rome; the value of suffering in union with Christ crucified; the indispensable service of the laity in the apostolate - all these themes receive from Cardinal Ratzinger new clarity and depth.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0898705789/?tag=2022091-20
(Is truth knowable? If we know the truth, must we hide it ...)
Is truth knowable? If we know the truth, must we hide it in the name of tolerance? Cardinal Ratzinger engages the problem of truth, tolerance, religion and culture in the modern world. Describing the vast array of world religions, Ratzinger embraces the difficult challenge of meeting diverse understandings of spiritual truth while defending the Catholic teaching of salvation through Jesus Christ. "But what if it is true?" is the question that he poses to cultures that decry the Christian position on man's redemption. Upholding the notion of religious truth while asserting the right of religious freedom, Cardinal Ratzinger outlines the timeless teaching of the Magisterium in language that resonates with our embattled culture. A work of extreme sensitivity, understanding, and spiritual maturity, this book is an invaluable asset to those who struggle to hear the voice of truth in the modern religious world. "Beyond all particular questions, the real problem lies in the question about truth. Can truth be recognized? Or, is the question about truth simply inappropriate in the realm of religion and belief? But what meaning does belief then have, what positive meaning does religion have, if it cannot be connected with truth?" —Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger From the Preface
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(For Christians, Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of God, who ...)
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.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1586175009/?tag=2022091-20
(This illustrated edition of the bold, momentous book writ...)
This illustrated edition of the bold, momentous book written by Pope Benedict XVI is beautifully adorned with reproductions of classic works by a veritable pantheon of classic painters—from Tiepolo to Chagall. Begun before his election to the papacy, the book contains masterfully cogent and accessible essays on the life of Jesus, including his baptism, his temptation in the desert, the Sermon on the Mount, the Lord’s Prayer, the disciples, the parables, the principal images of John’s Gospel, Peter’s confession and Jesus’s Transfiguration, and Jesus’s two self-descriptions, "Son of Man" and "Son." Pope Benedict XVI responds to the revisionist historical literature that makes Jesus a man of his time and place, and he discusses recent archaeological, historical, anthropological, and sociological research. As sensitive as it is erudite and brilliant, this edition is lavishly illustrated with handsome reproductions of classical depictions of Jesus by a roster of eminent artists, including Caravaggio, Tintoretto, Veronese, Bellini, Kandinsky, Gauguin, Matisse, and many others.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0847832716/?tag=2022091-20
(Written by Joseph Ratzinger shortly before he became Pope...)
Written by Joseph Ratzinger shortly before he became Pope Benedict XVI, Christianity and the Crisis of Cultures looks at the growing conflict of cultures evident in the Western world. The West faces a deadly contradiction of its own making, he contends. Terrorism is on the rise. Technological advances of the West, employed by people who have cut themselves off from the moral wisdom of the past, threaten to abolish man (as C.S. Lewis put it)—whether through genetic manipulation or physical annihilation. In short, the West is at war—with itself. Its scientific outlook has brought material progress. The Enlightenment’s appeal to reason has achieved a measure of freedom. But contrary to what many people suppose, both of these accomplishments depend on Judeo-Christian foundations, including the moral worldview that created Western culture. More than anything else, argues Joseph Ratzinger/Benedict XVI, the important contributions of the West are threatened today by an exaggerated scientific outlook and by moral relativism—what Benedict XVI calls "the dictatorship of relativism"—in the name of freedom. Christianity and the Crisis of Cultures is no mere tirade against the moral decline of the West. Joseph Ratzinger/Pope Benedict XVI challenges the West to return to its roots by finding a place for God in modern culture. He argues that both Christian culture and the Enlightenment formed the West, and that both hold the keys to human life and freedom as well as to domination and destruction. Joseph Ratzinger/Benedict XVI challenges non-believer and believer alike. "Both parties," he writes, "must reflect on their own selves and be ready to accept correction." He challenges secularized, unbelieving people to open themselves to God as the ground of true rationality and freedom. He calls on believers to "make God credible in this world by means of the enlightened faith they live." Topics include: • Reflections on the Cultures in Conflict Today • The Significance and Limits of Today’s Rationalistic Culture • The Permanent Significance of the Christian Faith • Why We Must Not Give Up the Fight • The Law of the Jungle, the Rule of Law • We Must Use Our Eyes! • Faith and Everyday Life • Can Agnosticism Be a Solution? • The Natural Knowledge of God • "Supernatural" Faith and Its Origins
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1586171429/?tag=2022091-20
(Truth and Tolerance: Christian Belief and World Religions...)
Truth and Tolerance: Christian Belief and World Religions by Benedict XVI Ig...
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( The pope’s definitive statement on liturgical reform. P...)
The pope’s definitive statement on liturgical reform. Pope Benedict XVI shows that in the controversies over liturgical reform and the Latin mass, liturgy is not just a pragmatic matter but a central feature in our relationship to Christ, the Church, and ourselves.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0824515366/?tag=2022091-20
(One of Cardinal Ratzinger's most important and widely rea...)
One of Cardinal Ratzinger's most important and widely read books, this volume is a revised second edition with an improved translation and an in-depth 20 page preface by the Cardinal. As he states in the preface, since this book was first published over 30 years ago, many changes and significant events have occurred in the world, and in the Church. But even so, he says he is firmly convinced that his fundamental approach in this book is still very timely and crucial for the spiritual needs of modern man. That approach puts the question of God and the question about Christ in the very center, which leads to a "narrative Christology" and demonstrates that the place for faith is in the Church. Thus, this remarkable elucidation of the Apostle's Creed gives an excellent, modern interpretation of the foundations of Christianity. Ratzinger's profound treatment of Christianity's basic truths combines a spiritual outlook with a deep knowledge of Scripture and the history of theology.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1586170295/?tag=2022091-20
XVI, His Holiness Pope Benedict was born on April 16, 1927 in Marktl am Inn, Bavaria, Germany. Son of Joseph and Maria (Peintner) Ratzinger.
Attended, Superior School Philosophy and Theology, Freising & University Munich, 1946—1951. Doctor of Philosophy in Theology, University Munich, 1953. Laurea in Jurisprudence (honorary), Libera Universita Maria Santissima Assunta, 1999.
Ordained priest Archdiocese of München und Freising, Germany, 1951. Professor dogma & fundamental theology Superior School Philosophical and Theology, Freising, 1952—1959, University Bonn, 1959—1963, University Munster, 1963—1966, University Tubingen, 1966—1969. Vice president, professor dogmatic theology & history of dogma University Regensburg, 1969—1977.
Ordained bishop, 1977. Archbishop Archdiocese of München und Freising, Germany, 1977—1982. Elevated to cardinal, 1977.
Cardinal-priest St. Marie Consolatrice al Tiburtino, 1977—1993. Prefect Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Rome, 1981—2005. Cardinal-bishop Velletri-Segni, 1993—2005, Ostia, 2002—2005.
Elected Pope, Bishop of Rome, since 2005. Consultar Vatican Council II, 1962. President International Theological Commission, 1981—2005, Pontifical Biblical Commission, 1981—2005.
Vice dean College Cardinals, 1999—2002, dean, 2002. Member Secretariat of State (2nd section), Congregation for Oriental Churches, Congregation for Divine Worship and Sacraments, Congregation for Bishops, Congregation for Evangelization of Peoples, Congregation for Catholic Education, Pontifical Council for Christian Unity, Pontifical Council for Culture, Pontifical Commission for Latin America, Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei. Auxiliary anti-aircraft service, World War II.
(New York Times Bestseller! The momentous third and final ...)
(This illustrated edition of the bold, momentous book writ...)
(Proceeding from the prayerful dialogue between Jesus and ...)
(Is truth knowable? If we know the truth, must we hide it ...)
(Written by Joseph Ratzinger shortly before he became Pope...)
(One of Cardinal Ratzinger's most important and widely rea...)
(For Christians, Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of God, who ...)
(This is a book of wisdom and insight that explains how pr...)
(Truth and Tolerance: Christian Belief and World Religions...)
(“This book is… my personal search ‘for the face of the Lo...)
( The pope’s definitive statement on liturgical reform. P...)
(Jesus Christ is as popular as ever. Films, books, and new...)
Member of Pontifical Academy of Sciences (honorary).