The next best thing right now
to actually having a copy of
Benedict's book on John Paul II
is to see its Table of Contents.
Ratzigirl filed a korazym.org story
about the presentation of the book
today by Elio Guerriero, an editor of
Edizioni San Paolo, which published
the book. He provided the following
index:
Presentation
I
In John Paul II, the mission and the person were one
20 years in history
His studies in philosophy
The way of the Church and the man
Mystery and person meet in the figure of the Pooe
The reality of the Church made visible in John Paul II
His life under the sign of the Cross
A magisterium of extrardinary density
Everything refers to God: Looking to the year 2000
II
Faith as humanity's refuge: John Paul II's 14 encyclicals
The 'Trinitarian' encyclicals:
- The Son
- God the Father
- The Holy Spirit
The encylicals on the Church
The encyclicals on man
The dignity of life
The courage of reason
III
Looking to the origin: The God who gives Himself
Presentation of the 'Roman Triptych'
Looking back
IV
Our beloved Pope now watches over us
from the window of the Lord's house
Homily at the funeral Mass
On the vocation of priesthood
Bishop of Cracow
Shepherd of Christ's flock
He interpreted the Easter mystery for us
V
"Let yourselves be surprised by Christ!"
(Cologne, 2005)
Remembering John Paul-II
Pilgrims in the footsteps of the Magi
Happiness has the face of Jesus
VI
The first anniversary of our beloved Pope's death
Angelus and Rosary on April 2, 2006
His firm and straightforward faith (Homily on April 3, 2006)
VII
Pilgrimage in the footsteps of John Paul II
(Poland, May 26-28, 2006)
To live the faith as a love affair with Christ (Warsaw, May 26)
- A song of gratitude to Providence
- Faith is an intimate relationship with Christ
It was neceessary to come to the place where he was born
(Wadowice, May 27)
With profound emotion, I celebrate the Eucharist on Blonie field
(Cracow, May 28)
- I wished to breathe the air of his native land
- Stay strong in the faith
Conclusion
We celebrate the election of my great predecessor
to the Seat of Peter (October 16, 2006)
================================================================
And here's a translation of the presentation text:
Faith and reason:
The Pontificate and holiness of John Paul II
as recalled by Benedict XVI
Ny Elio Guerriero
Beendict XVI has not written a history of John Paul II's pontificate nor an essay on the thinking of his predecessor. In a simple and courageous way, the new Pope has placed himself among the ranks of the faithful and other admirers who wish to express their regard and affection for John Paul II.
And to sustain that which has become, in time, veneration and recollection, he places in their hands some texts which are an invitation to venerate the Servant of the Servants of God, to imitate his courage and his faith, to persevere in prayer notwithstanding the buurdens that may fall on each of us.
This book puts together the texts that Joseph Ratzinger/Benedict XVI dedicated exclusively to John Paul II, excluding the numerous references he often makes indocuments and speeches.
The material is divided into eight parts - the first four containing texts written by the then Prefect for the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith; and the other four, of texts written after he became Pope.
The intention is twofold: to promote devotion to John Paul II, and to show the firm yet tender relationship between our last two Pontiffs, which is an absolute novelty in the history of the Papacy and should be a great edification for the faithful.
The first text, from 1998, was a provisional assessment made by hen Cardinal Ratzinger of John Paul's Papacy in the 20th anniversary of his election. It was by no means exhaustive, but it succeeded in capturing the truly charismatic novelty with which Karol Wojtyla interpreted his Pwetrine ministry, and in which the supposedly cold CDF Prefect lapses into near lyricism.
He writes about the World Youth Day in Paris: "I have not found anyone who was not caught up in the atmosphere of this encounter of faith. Suddenly, to everyone, it had become beautiful to be Christian."
The two succeeding texts bridge the millennial transition and draw closer to the end of the John Paul's minsitry. The first is a penetrating look at the Magisterium of the Polish Pope through his 14 encyclicals whose dominant theme is God and man. And in the center of this duality is Jesus Christ and the Church - Jesus Christ, Redeemer of mankind, as the Way to the Father of mercy, in the Spirit which gives life. The Church with its sacraments and its doctrine is Jesus's way of speaking to man in all times, to remind him of his dignity which should be manifested with thr courage of reason and faith.
The other text, also from 2003, was the Cardinal's presentation of the "Roman Triptych," a poem in which the old Pope - with the aid of Michelangelo's images in the Sistine Chapel - sees the spring of life coming to us and then rising again towards its true end.
Cardinal Ratzinger wrote: "The contemplation of the Last Judgment, in the epilog of the second 'panel', is probably the part of the Triptych that will move the reader most. From the Pope's inner eyes emerges anew his recollection of the conclaves in August and October of 1978...The word 'con-clave' reminds him of keys ['chiave' in Italian], of the keys of the Kingdom that were placed in Peter's hands by Christ. To place those keys in the right hands - that was the immense responsibility of those days."
Two years later, John Paul II, after having interpreted for us the Easter mystery, 'is now at the window of the Lord's house" (funeral eulogy on April 8, 2005).
That is followed by the election of the late Pope's former associate, and it is he who comes down the Rhine by boat in Agust 2005 to meet the young people of the world gathered in Cologne.
Benedict does not fail to remember: "Arriving today in Cologne to take part with you in World Youth Day, I remember with emotion and acknowledgment the servant of God much loved by all of us, John Paul II, who had the luminous idea of calling together the youth of the world."
On the first anniversary of the Pope's death, Benedict seeks to summarize the life and evangelical testimony of the great Pope, in three texts dedicated to his memory (Angelus and Rosary on April 2, homily the next day).
He writes: "In his words and actions, our dear John Paul II never tired of telling the world that by allowing himself to be embraced by Christ, man does not diminish his humanity; if he adheres to Christ with all his heart, he will not lack for anything. On the contrary, the encounter with Christ makes life more passionate."
The following month, May 2006, Benedict XVI is in Poland, a pilgrim in the footsteps of John Paul II. And to him, he dedicates three addresses of great weight - in Warsaw, Wadowice and Cracow.
He says in Wadowice, at the baptismal font where the future Pope's life of grace began: " The most common program of a truly Christian life can be summarized in faithfulness to the promises made at Baptism. The theme of this pilgrimage, 'Stay firm in the faith' finds here its most concrete dimension that we may express in these words: stay firm on observing the baptismal promises. And a witness to such faithfulness was the Servant of God, John Paul II."
What I have described is a thrilling glimpse into a spiritual friendship that the personal reserve of both protagonists could not hide. This communion in faith, like that of many saints, is a way that attracts and leads to Christ, and invites us to open ourselves to Him who can fill up our life.
In the story of such an intense friendship, it seems almost out of place to look for specifics about the two Popes. Nevertheless, I find a particular significance in the binomial "Faith and reason" which was the title of John Paul's penultimate encyclical.
The vigor of John Paul's faith was matched by the rationality of the 'worker in the vineyard of the Lord', who has always been ready to give reason to Christian hope.
Together they collaborated and still do in the service of the truth, which is the love of the Father made known to us by His Son, Jesus Christ.
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Elio Guerriero was an associate and chronicler of the great Hans Urs von Balthasar. His acquaintance with Joseph Ratzinger dates from when the latter joined Von Balthasar and other Vatican-II theologians, appalled at what their progressive colleagues were doing, to start Communio, the theological journal that upholds the 'hermeneutics of continuity.'
BTW, I love the cover picture they chose for the book. The expressions on the faces of the two Popes are uncannily identical, and JP-II even has a wayward forelock (though he had much less hair) a la PapaRatzi...[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 15/03/2007 3.04]