Pope Benedict XVI

Peter Seewald

In these conversations with renowned religious journalist Peter Seewald, Pope Benedict speaks in his own words about the reasons for his resignation, the emphases of his pontificate, about his admiration for his successor Pope Francis and controversial topics during his papacy such as 'Vatileaks', the child abuse scandals and reforming the Curia.

In His Own Words

Last Testament

An interview with Pope Benedict XVI reveals his thoughts on personal and controversial topics, including recent sexual abuse scandals, abortion, same-sex unions, unity among Christians, and the future of the Catholic Church.

The Pope, the Church, and the Signs of the Times

Light of the World

Emeritus Pope Benedict commands both adulation and unremitting criticism. To millions, he remains 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 the present day. 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 is the only person who is 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.

Professor and Prefect to Pope and Pope Emeritus 1966–The Present

Benedict XVI: A Life Volume Two

Joseph Ratzinger

An interview in the late 1990s with the future Pope, then an important Vatican official, explores his life and role in the Church, the problems faced by the Catholic Church at the time, and its future in the twenty-first century.

An Exclusive Interview on the State of the Church at the End of the Millennium

Salt of the Earth

Based on countless hours of interviews in Rome with Pope Benedict XVI himself, this first volume of an authoritative biography follows the early life of the future Pope, from his days growing up in Germany and his conscription into the Hitler Youth during World War II to his career as an academic theologian and eventual Archbishop of Munich.

Youth in Nazi Germany to the Second Vatican Council 1927–1965

Benedict XVI: A Life Volume One

Benedikt XVI. (Papst)

kitô giáo và Giáo Hội Công giáo trứơc thiềm Thiên niên kỷ mới

Muối cho đời

Kitô giáo và giáo-hội Công giáo trước thềm ngàn năm mới ; trao-đổi với Peter Seewald

Pope Benedict XVI, the only modern-day Pope to retire whilst in office, now finally breaks his silence. Since retiring 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.

In the person of Pope Benedict XVI, one of the most significant of Europe's intellectuals is heading-up the Vatican. The journalist Peter Seewald, who has known Ratzinger since 1992, conducted the "longest interviews in church history" with him, for two b

An Intimate Portrait

Benedict XVI

Youth in Nazi Germany to the Second Vatican Council 1927-1965

Benedict XVI: a Life Volume One

The second volume of Peter Seewald's magisterial life of Pope Benedict covers the period from the Second Vatican Council (1965-8) to the present day. Emeritus Pope Benedict commands both adulation and unremitting criticism. In this second volume of Peter Seewald's authoritative biography, the story runs from the Second Vatican Council (1965–8) that shaped Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger's conservative ideas about the role of the Catholic Church, through his short, scandal-ridden papacy and unprecedented resignation. Volume II introduces readers to the contemplative Pope Emeritus living in the Vatican Gardens, contemplating the future of the Church and his controversial legacy within it. We see how Benedict was influenced by the Vatican Council and the ensuing political unrest all over Europe in the 1960s 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 is the only person who is 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.

Presents a photo-biography of the Pope's life from infancy through the first year of his papacy, giving an overview that helps reveal who the man is that now sits on the Chair of St. Peter.

Servant of the Truth

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.

Volume One: Youth in Nazi Germany to the Second Vatican Council 1927–1965

Benedict XVI: A Life

Peter Seewald „gilt als einer der besten Kenner von Papst Benedikt XVI.“, stellte die Wochenzeitung Die Zeit fest. Nun legt Peter Seewald die lang erwartete große Biographie des emeritierten Papstes Joseph Ratzinger vor. Er zeichnet den Werdegang des späteren Papstes Benedikt XVI. von dessen Geburt in Marktl am Inn bis zu seinem Rücktritt vom Amt des Papstes nach. Mehr als ein halbes Jahrhundert stand „der deutsche Papst“ im Licht der Öffentlichkeit: • als Theologie-Professor in Münster, Bonn, Tübingen und Regensburg, • als Konzilstheologe und Redenschreiber für Kardinal Frings auf dem II. Vatikanischen Konzil, • als Erzbischof von München, • als Vorsitzender der Glaubenskongregation in Rom • und schließlich als Papst Benedikt XVI. Er hat den Aufbruch der Katholischen Kirche in Rom vor Ort mitgestaltet; er hat als Professor in Tübingen die Studentenunruhen um 1968 herum erlebt; er war mehr als 20 Jahre lang einer der engsten Vertrauten von Papst Johannes Paul II. und in dieser Stellung Zeuge der politischen Umwälzungen in Osteuropa; und er hat 2013 mit seinem Rücktritt ein Zeichen gesetzt, das das Amt des Papstes ein für alle Mal verändert hat. Kurzum: Joseph Ratzinger ist eine Person der Zeitgeschichte. Dass er als Deutscher zum Papst gewählt wurde, war ein Jahrhundertereignis. Kein Journalist oder Autor kennt Joseph Ratzinger besser als Peter Seewald. Er hat für dieses Buch viele Stunden lang mit Joseph Ratzinger gesprochen und konnte aus einem reichen Fundus von Aufzeichnungen schöpfen aus der gemeinsamen Arbeit mit Joseph Ratzinger/Benedikt XVI. an insgesamt vier Gesprächsbüchern, die allesamt internationale Bestseller waren. Peter Seewald konnte für diese Biographie auch mit engen Weggefährten wie Georg Gänswein und dem Bruder Georg Ratzinger sprechen. Auf diese Weise entstand das lebendige Bild eines streitbaren Theologen und Dieners der römisch-katholischen Kirche, das Joseph Ratzinger in einem neuen Licht zeigt und Maßstäbe setzt.

Ein Leben

Benedikt XVI.

For almost two millennia, Christian men and women have banded together to live in devotion to God and humanity. Recent studies have shown that, on average, men and women in Holy Orders are healthier and live longer than the rest of us. What timeless solutions to the things that ail us might we have dismissed in our rush into the modern age? Written by three very modern seekers who visited monastic communities to explore facets of the contemplative life, Wisdom from the Monastery reveals what these lay practitioners found so rewarding and deeply relevant to their lives today. Originally published in Germany as three separate volumes, the U.S. edition combines these major aspects of monastic practice: fasting, healing, and meditation. The book's warm, engaging tone presents millennia-tested practices of contemplative Christianity free from Church dogma. One need not be Catholic, nor even Christian, to benefit from fasting, herbal and other natural remedies, and profound approaches to prayer, meditation, and silence. Readers learn what characterizes the best monastic communities and discover a sense of the retreat experience as spiritual adventure. Featuring over 100 photographs, daily exercises, personal anecdotes, and fascinating snippets on monastic experience through the ages, Wisdom from the Monastery introduces readers to a cast of remarkable monks and nuns who have chosen lives of renunciation and simplicity. Within these pages, monastic wisdom demonstrates its relevance across millennia and beyond monastery walls.

Peter Seewald

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