Pope Benedict XVI
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| Benedict XVI | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Joseph Alois Ratzinger |
| Papacy began | 19 April 2005 |
| Papacy ended | Incumbent |
| Predecessor | John Paul II |
| Successor | Incumbent |
| Born | April 16, 1927 (age 80) Marktl am Inn, Bavaria, Germany |
| Other popes named Benedict | |
| Styles of Pope Benedict XVI | |
| Reference style | His Holiness |
| Spoken style | Your Holiness |
| Religious style | Holy Father |
| Posthumous style | NA |
Pope Benedict XVI (Latin: Benedictus PP. XVI; Italian: Benedetto XVI, born Joseph Alois Ratzinger on 16 April 1927) is the 265th and reigning Pope, the head of the Catholic Church, and as such, Sovereign of the Vatican City State.[1] He was elected on 19 April 2005 in a papal conclave, celebrated his Papal Inauguration Mass on 24 April 2005, and took possession of his cathedral, the Basilica of St. John Lateran, on 7 May 2005. Pope Benedict XVI has both German and Vatican citizenship. He succeeded Pope John Paul II, who died on 2 April 2005 (and with whom he had worked before the interregnum).
One of the best-known Catholic theologians since the 1950s and a prolific author, Benedict XVI is viewed as a defender of traditional Catholic doctrine and values. He served as a professor at various German universities and was a theological consultant at the Second Vatican Council before becoming Archbishop of Munich and Freising and Cardinal. At the time of his election as Pope, Benedict had been Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (curial heads lose their positions upon the death of a pope[2]) and was Dean of the College of Cardinals.
Contents
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Overview
Benedict XVI was elected Pope at the age of 78. He is the oldest person to have been elected Pope since Pope Clement XII (1730–40). He had served longer as a cardinal than any Pope since Benedict XIII (1724–30). He is the ninth German Pope, the eighth having been the Dutch-German Pope Adrian VI (1522–23) from Utrecht. The last Pope named Benedict was Benedict XV, an Italian who reigned from 1914 to 1922, during World War I (1914–18).
Born in 1927 in Marktl am Inn, Bavaria, Germany, Ratzinger had a distinguished career as a university theologian before being appointed Archbishop of Munich and Freising by Pope Paul VI (1963–78). Shortly afterwards, he was made a cardinal in the consistory of June 27, 1977. He was appointed Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith by Pope John Paul II in 1981 and was also assigned the honorific title of the cardinal bishop of Velletri-Segni on April 5, 1993. In 1998, he was elected sub-dean of the College of Cardinals. And on November 30, 2002, he was elected dean, taking, as is customary, the title of Cardinal bishop of the suburbicarian diocese of Ostia. He was the first Dean of the College elected Pope since Paul IV (1555–59) and the first cardinal bishop elected Pope since Pius VIII (1829–30).
Even before becoming Pope, Ratzinger was one of the most influential men in the Roman Curia, and was a close associate of John Paul II. As Dean of the College of Cardinals, he presided over the funeral of John Paul II and over the Mass immediately preceding the 2005 conclave in which he was elected. During the service, he called on the assembled cardinals to hold fast to the doctrine of the faith. He was the public face of the church in the sede vacante period, although, technically, he ranked below the camerlengo in administrative authority during that time. Like his predecessor, Benedict XVI maintains the traditional Catholic doctrines on artificial birth control, abortion and homosexuality.
As well as his native German, Benedict XVI fluently speaks Italian, French, English, Spanish and Latin, and has a knowledge of Portuguese. He can read Ancient Greek and biblical Hebrew. He is a member of a large number of academies, such as the French Académie des sciences morales et politiques. He plays the piano and has a preference for Mozart and Bach[3].
Early life (1927–1951)
Joseph Alois Ratzinger was born on 16 April, Holy Saturday, 1927 at Schulstraße 11, at 8:30 in the morning in his parents' home in Marktl am Inn, Bavaria, Germany. He was baptized the same day. He was the third and youngest child of Joseph Ratzinger, Sr., a police officer, and Maria Ratzinger (née Peintner). His mother's family was originally from South Tyrol. Pope Benedict XVI's brother, Georg Ratzinger, a priest and former director of the Regensburger Domspatzen choir, is still alive. His sister, Maria Ratzinger, who never married, managed Cardinal Ratzinger's household until her death in 1991. Their great-uncle was the German politician Georg Ratzinger.
The pope's relatives agree that his priestly vocation was apparent from boyhood. At the age of five, Ratzinger was in a group of children who welcomed the visiting Cardinal Archbishop of Munich with flowers. Struck by the Cardinal's distinctive garb, he later announced the very same day that he wanted to be a cardinal.
Following his fourteenth birthday in 1941, Ratzinger was enrolled in the Hitler Youth — membership being legally required after December 1939[4] — but was an unenthusiastic member and refused to attend meetings[5]. His father was a bitter enemy of Nazism, believing it conflicted with the Catholic faith. In 1941, one of Ratzinger's cousins, a 14-year-old boy with Down syndrome, was killed by the Nazi regime in its campaign of eugenics. In 1943 while still in seminary, he was drafted at age 16 into the German anti-aircraft corps. Ratzinger then trained in the German infantry, but a subsequent illness precluded him from the usual rigours of military duty. As the Allied front drew closer to his post in 1945, he deserted back to his family's home in Traunstein after his unit had ceased to exist, just as American troops established their headquarters in the Ratzinger household. As a German soldier, he was put in a POW camp but was released a few months later at the end of the War in summer 1945. He reentered the seminary, along with his brother Georg, in November of that year.
Following repatriation in 1945, the two brothers entered Saint Michael Seminary in Traunstein, later studying at the Ducal Georgianum (Herzogliches Georgianum) of the Ludwig-Maximilian University in Munich. They were both ordained in Freising on June 29, 1951 by Cardinal Michael von Faulhaber of Munich. Joseph Ratzinger's dissertation (1953) was on St. Augustine and was entitled "The People and the House of God in Augustine's Doctrine of the Church". His Habilitation (which qualified him for a professorship) was on Bonaventure. It was completed in 1957 and he became a professor of Freising College in 1958.
Pre-papal career
Academic career (1951–1977)
Ratzinger became a professor at the University of Bonn in 1959; his inaugural lecture was on "The God of Faith and the God of Philosophy." In 1963, he moved to the University of Münster, where his inaugural lecture was given in a packed lecture hall, as he was already well known as a theologian[citation needed].
During this period, Ratzinger participated in the Second Vatican Council (1962–1965). Ratzinger served as a peritus (theological consultant) to Josef Cardinal Frings of Cologne. He was viewed during the time of the Council as a reformer, cooperating with radical Modernist theologians like Hans Küng and Edward Schillebeeckx. Ratzinger became an admirer of Karl Rahner, a well-known academic theologian of the Nouvelle Théologie and a proponent of church reform.
In 1966, Joseph Ratzinger was appointed to a chair in dogmatic theology at the University of Tübingen, where he was a colleague of Hans Küng. In his 1968 book Introduction to Christianity, he wrote that the pope has a duty to hear differing voices within the Church before making a decision, and he downplayed the centrality of the papacy. He also wrote that the Church of the time was too centralized, rule-bound and overly controlled from Rome[citation needed]. During this time, he distanced himself from the atmosphere of Tübingen and the Marxist leanings of the student movement of the 1960s that quickly radicalized, in the years 1967 and 1968, culminating in a series of disturbances and riots in April and May 1968. Ratzinger came increasingly to see these and associated developments (such as decreasing respect for authority among his students) as connected to a departure from traditional Catholic teachings.[6] Despite his reformist bent, his views increasingly came to contrast with the liberal ideas gaining currency in theological circles.[7]
Some voices, among the Hans Küng, deem this a turn towards Conservatism, while Ratzinger himself said in a 1993 interview, "I see no break in my views as a theologian [over the years]".[8] Ratzinger has continued to defend the Council against criticism, including Nostra Aetate, the document on respect of other religions, ecumenism and the declaration of the right to freedom of religion. (Later, as the Prefect for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Ratzinger most clearly spelled out the Catholic Church's position on other religions in the 2000 document Dominus Iesus which also talks about the proper way to engage in ecumenical dialogue.)
During his years at Tübingen University, Ratzinger publicized articles in the reformist theological journal Concilium, though he increasingly chose less reformist themes than other contributors to the magazine such as Hans Küng and Edward Schillebeeckx.
In 1969, he returned to Bavaria, to the University of Regensburg. He founded the theological journal Communio, with Hans Urs von Balthasar, Henri de Lubac, Walter Kasper and others, in 1972. Communio, now published in seventeen languages, including German, English and Spanish, has become a prominent journal of contemporary Catholic theological thought. Until his election as Pope, he remained one of the journal's most prolific contributors.
Archbishop of Munich and Freising (1977–1982)
On March 24, 1977, Ratzinger was appointed Archbishop of Munich and Freising. He took as his episcopal motto Cooperatores Veritatis (Co-workers of the Truth) from 3 John 8, a choice he comments upon in his autobiographical work, Milestones. In the consistory of the following June 27, he was named Cardinal Priest of Santa Maria Consolatrice al Tiburtino by Pope Paul VI. By the time of the 2005 Conclave, he was one of only fourteen remaining cardinals appointed by Paul VI, and one of only three of those under the age of 80. Of these, only he and William Wakefield Baum took part in the conclave.[9]
Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (1981–2005)
On November 25, 1981, Pope John Paul II named Ratzinger Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, formerly known as the Holy Office, the historical Inquisition. Consequently, he resigned his post at Munich in early 1982. He was promoted within the College of Cardinals to become Cardinal Bishop of Velletri-Segni in 1993, was made the College's vice-dean in 1998 and dean in 2002.
In office, Ratzinger fulfilled his institutional role, defending and reaffirming Catholic doctrine, including teaching on topics such as birth control, homosexuality, and inter-religious dialogue. During his period in office, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith took disciplinary measures against some outspoken liberation theologians in Latin America, condemning liberation theology twice (in 1984 and 1986), accusing it of Marxist tendencies and of inciting hate and violence[citation needed]. Leonardo Boff, for example, was suspended, while others were reputedly reduced to silence. Other issues also prompted condemnations or revocations of rights to teach: for instance, eleven years after his death, the writings of Jesuit priest Anthony de Mello were the subject of a "notification" - the notice did not condemn all of De Mello's works as heretical, but noted that many of them, particularly the later works, had what Ratzinger and the CDF interpreted as an element of religious indifferentism (as they saw it, De Mello held that Christ was "one master alongside others"). Some theologians dispute the CDF's interpretations of both liberation theology and the works of thinkers like De Mello.
The CDF is best known for its authority over the teaching of Church doctrine, but it also has jurisdiction over other matters, including cases involving the seal of the confessional, clerical sexual misconduct and other matters, in its function as what amounts to a court. In his capacity as Prefect, Ratzinger also penned a controversial letter to all Catholic bishops, declaring that confidential details of Church investigations into accusations made against priests of certain serious ecclesiastical crimes, including sexual abuse, were subject to the pontifical secret and could not, on pain of excommunication, be revealed.[10][11] The secrecy related only to the internal investigation, not to the abuse itself, and the letter did not discourage victims from reporting such crimes to the police.[citation needed]
On March 12, 1983 Joseph Ratzinger as prefect and cardinal notified the lay faithful and the clergy that archbishop Pierre Martin Ngo Dinh Thuc had incurred the excommunication latae sententiae for illicit episcopal consecrations without the apostolic mandate.
Health
Because of age-related health problems, and in order to have free time to write, he had hoped to retire, and submitted his resignation three times, but had continued at his post in obedience to the wishes of Pope John Paul II. In the early 1990s, Ratzinger suffered a stroke, which slightly impaired his eyesight temporarily. This was known to the Conclave that elected him Pope. In May 2005, the Vatican revealed that he had subsequently suffered another mild stroke; it did not reveal when, other than that it had occurred between 2003 and 2005. France's Philippe Cardinal Barbarin further revealed that since the first stroke, Ratzinger had been suffering from a heart condition as a result of his age, and is currently on medication. It is also notable that he appears to be in far better health than his predecessor was at the age of 79.[12] In late November 2006, an unconfirmed rumor emerged that Pope Benedict had undergone an operation in preparation for an eventual bypass operation, and that the bronchitis suffered by the Pope has put undue pressure on the Pope's heart.[13].
Papacy
Election to the papacy
Prediction
On January 2, 2005, Time magazine quoted unnamed Vatican sources as saying that Ratzinger was a front runner to succeed John Paul II should the pope die or become too ill to continue as pope. On the death of John Paul II, the Financial Times gave the odds of Ratzinger becoming pope as 7–1, the lead position, but close to his rivals on the liberal wing of the church. In April 2005, before his election as pope, he was identified as one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine. While Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Ratzinger repeatedly stated he would like to retire to his house in the Bavarian village of Pentling near Regensburg and dedicate himself to writing books.
Piers Paul Read wrote in The Spectator on March 5, 2005:
| “ | There can be little doubt that his courageous promotion of orthodox Catholic teaching has earned him the respect of his fellow cardinals throughout the world. He is patently holy, highly intelligent and sees clearly what is at stake. Indeed, for those who blame the decline of Catholic practice in the developed world precisely on the propensity of many European bishops to hide their heads in the sand, a pope who confronts it may be just what is required. Ratzinger is no longer young—he is 78 years old: but Angelo Roncalli, who revolutionized Catholicism by calling the Second Vatican Council was almost the same age (76) when he became pope as John XXIII. As Jeff Israely, the correspondent of Time, was told by a Vatican insider last month, "The Ratzinger solution is definitely on." | ” |
Though Ratzinger was increasingly considered the front runner by much of the international media, others maintained that his election was far from certain since very few papal predictions in modern history had come true. The elections of both John Paul II and his predecessor, John Paul I had been rather unexpected. Despite being the favorite (or perhaps because he was the favorite), it was a surprise to many that he was actually elected[citation needed].
Election
On April 19, 2005, Cardinal Ratzinger was elected as the successor to Pope John Paul II on the second day of the papal conclave after four ballots. Cardinal Ratzinger had hoped to retire peacefully and said that "At a certain point, I prayed to God 'please don't do this to me'...Evidently, this time He didn't listen to me."[14] Coincidentally, April 19 is the feast of St. Leo IX, the most important German pope of the Middle Ages, known for instituting major reforms during his pontificate.
Before his first appearance at the balcony of Saint Peter's Basilica after becoming pope, he was announced by Jorge Arturo Medina Estévez, protodeacon of the College of Cardinals. Cardinal Medina Estévez first addressed the massive crowd as "dear(est) brothers and sisters" in Italian, Spanish, French, German and English, with each language receiving cheers from the international crowd, before continuing with the traditional Habemus Papam announcement in Latin.
At the balcony, Benedict's first words to the crowd, given in Italian before he gave the traditional Urbi et Orbi blessing in Latin, were:
| “ | Dear brothers and sisters, after the great Pope John Paul II, the Cardinals have elected me, a simple, humble labourer in the vineyard of the Lord. The fact that the Lord knows how to work and to act even with insufficient instruments comforts me, and above all I entrust myself to your prayers. In the joy of the Risen Lord, confident of his unfailing help, let us move forward. The Lord will help us, and Mary, His Most Holy Mother, will be on our side. Thank you.[15] | ” |
On April 24, he celebrated the Papal Inauguration Mass in St. Peter's Square, during which he was invested with the Pallium and the Ring of the Fisherman. Then, on May 7, he took possession of his Cathedral church, the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran.
Choice of name
Ratzinger chose the pontifical name Benedict, which in Latin means "the blessed", in honor of both Pope Benedict XV and Saint Benedict of Nursia.
Pope Benedict XV was Pope during the first World War, during which time he passionately pursued peace between the warring nations.
St. Benedict of Nursia was the founder of the Benedictine monasteries (most monasteries of the Middle Ages were of the Benedictine Order) and the author of the Rule of Saint Benedict, which is still the most influential writing regarding the monastic life of Western Christianity.
Benedict XVI explained his choice of name during his first General Audience in St. Peter's Square, on April 27, 2005:
| “ | Filled with sentiments of awe and thanksgiving, I wish to speak of why I chose the name Benedict. Firstly, I remember Pope Benedict XV, that courageous prophet of peace, who guided the Church through turbulent times of war. In his footsteps I place my ministry in the service of reconciliation and harmony between peoples. Additionally, I recall Saint Benedict of Nursia, co-patron of Europe, whose life evokes the Christian roots of Europe. I ask him to help us all to hold firm to the centrality of Christ in our Christian life: May Christ always take first place in our thoughts and actions![16] | ” |
Tone of papacy
During his inaugural Mass, the previous custom of every cardinal submitting to the Pope was replaced by having twelve people, including cardinals, clergy, religious, a married couple and their child, and newly confirmed people, greet him. (The cardinals had formally sworn their obedience upon his election.)
He has begun using an open-topped papal car, saying that he wanted to be closer to the people.
Benedict's coat of arms has omitted the papal tiara, which traditionally appears in the background to designate the Pope's position as a worldly ruler like a king, replacing it with a simple mitre, emphasizing his spiritual authority.[17] Although some papal documents since his inauguration appear to include the papal tiara, this is because the arms of the Holy See itself (as opposed to his personal arms) continue to use the tiara and crossed keys, as can be observed, for example, on the website of the Holy See and other official publications. Because it is the shield alone (regardless of its background elements) which is unique to the individual Pope, varying backgrounds are possible for a single shield, though this is rarely done. Pope Benedict XVI also included a traditional pallium beneath his shield as a background element for his arms, emphasizing his pastoral powers.
Pastoral activity
Pope Benedict has continued the tradition of his predecessor John Paul II and baptized several infants in the Sistine Chapel at the beginning of 2006, in his pastoral role as Bishop of Rome.
Beatifications
On May 9, 2005, Benedict XVI began the beatification process for his predecessor, Pope John Paul II. Normally, five years must pass after a person's death before the beatification process can begin. However, in an audience with Pope Benedict, Camillo Ruini, Vicar General of the Diocese of Rome and the official responsible for promoting the cause for canonization of any person who dies within that diocese, cited "exceptional circumstances" which suggested that the waiting period could be waived. The "exceptional circumstances" apparently refer to the cries of "Santo subito!" ("Saint now!") during pontiff's funeral (saints can be declared by popular acclaim, although this is rare). Therefore, the Pope waived the five year rule "so that the cause of Beatification and Canonization of the same Servant of God can begin immediately."[18] The decision was announced on May 13, 2005, the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima and the 24th anniversary of the attempt on John Paul II's life.[19] John Paul II often credited Our Lady of Fatima for preserving him on that day. Cardinal Ruini inaugurated the diocesan phase of the cause for beatification in the Lateran Basilica on June 28, 2005.[20]
The first beatification under the new Pope was celebrated on May 14, 2005, by José Cardinal Saraiva Martins. The new Blesseds were Mother Marianne Cope and Mother Ascensión Nicol Goñi. Mariano de la Mata was beatified in November 2006 and Rosa Eluvathingal was beatified December 3 of that year, and Fr. Basil Moreau is scheduled to be beatified by next year.
Unlike his predecessor, Benedict XVI delegated the beatification liturgical service to a Cardinal. On September 29, 2005, the Congregation for the Causes of Saints issued a communiqué announcing that henceforth beatifications would be celebrated by a representative of the Pope, usually the Prefect of that Congregation.[21]
Canonisations
Pope Benedict XVI celebrated his first canonizations on October 23, 2005 in St. Peter's Square when he canonized Josef Bilczewski, Alberto Hurtado SJ, Zygmunt Gorazdowski, Gaetano Catanoso, and Felice da Nicosia. The canonizations were part of a Mass that marked the conclusion of the Synod of Bishops and the Year of the Eucharist.[22] Pope Benedict XVI canonized Bishop Rafael Guizar y Valencia, Mother Theodore Guerin, Filippo Smaldone, and Rosa Venerini on October 15, 2006.
During his visit to Brazil in 2007, Pope Benedict XVI presided over the canonization of Frei Galvão on May 11, while George Preca, founder of the Malta based MUSEUM, Szymon of Lipnica, Charles of Mount Argus, and Marie-Eugénie de Jésus were canonized in a ceremony held at the Vatican on June 3 2007.[23]. Preca is the 1st Maltese saint since the country's conversion to Christianity back in A.D. 60 when St. Paul converted the inhabitants. [citation needed].
Appearances and public addresses
On New Year's Day January 1, 2007, which the Catholic Church recognizes as World Peace Day, Benedict celebrated Mass in St. Peter's Basilica. He quoted from his annual peace message sent to governments around the world; the theme of the 2007 message was, "The Human Person, the Heart of Peace." Benedict stated that for peace to last, it "must be based on respect for the dignity of the human being created by God."[24]
The Curia
Appointments
Since their terms had ended on the death of the previous pope, Benedict reappointed after his election all former senior officers of the Roman Curia, though most only in a provisional manner. This assured an easy transition into a new pontificate.
Benedict's first major new appointment was that of his successor as Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. On May 13, 2005, Benedict XVI appointed Cardinal William Levada, Archbishop of San Francisco, of the United States of America. Levada participated in the drafting of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, although his private views are not well known.
This appointment was followed by that of Archbishop Malcom Ranjith as Secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments. Archbishop Ranjith, known to be a traditional Catholic who has long been close to the positions of Joseph Ratzinger, replaced Archbishop Domenico Sorrentino, who was recently appointed Bishop of Assisi.
The principal political office, the Cardinal Secretary of State, which is often likened to the pope's Prime Minister, is Tarcisio Cardinal Bertone, replacing Angelo Cardinal Sodano.
On 11 March 2006 Benedict appointed Cardinal Poupard president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue. On 20 May of that year he made his first major appointment, with Ivan Cardinal Dias as Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples with Crescenzio Cardinal Sepe becoming Archbishop of Naples. On the same day as Cardinal Bertone took office (15 Sept) Giovanni Lajolo took up the position as Governor of Vatican City while Dominique Mamberti became Secretary for Relations with States.
On October 31, 2006, Pope Benedict appointed Cardinal Hummes, then Archbishop of Sao Paolo, Brazil, to be the Prefect for the Congregation for the Clergy, succeeding Cardinal Castrillón due to his retirement.
On 15 Feb 2007 Francesco Coccopalmerio as President of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts.
On April 5, 2007, Pope Benedict named Cardinal Bertone Chamberlain of the Holy Roman Church (or Camerlengo), replacing Eduardo Cardinal Martínez Somalo.
On 25 June 2007 Pope Benedict appointed Raffaele Farina to Archivist of Vatican Secret Archives, replacing Jean-Louis Cardinal Tauran who became President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue. Two days later he appointed Claudio Celli to the President of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, replacing John Patrick Foley. On the 1 July 2007 Leonardo Sandri was appointed as the Prefect of Congregation for the Oriental Churches, while on the same day Fernando Filoni took over Sandri's old job as Substitute of Vatican Secretariat of State.
Reform
Pope Benedict began downsizing the Roman Curia when he merged four existing pontifical councils into two in March 2006. The Pontifical Council for Migrants was merged with the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace headed by Cardinal Martino. Likewise, Cardinal Poupard, who headed the Pontifical Council for Culture, now also oversees the operations of what had been the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, though both Councils maintained separate officials and staffs while their status and competencies continued unchanged. In May 2007 it was decided that Inter Religious Dialogue would again become a separate body under a different President.
Teachings
- See also: Theology of Pope Benedict XVI
As Pope, Benedict XVI's main role is to teach about the Catholic faith and the solutions to the problems of discerning and living the faith, a role that he can play well as a former head of the Church's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. The main points of emphasis of his teachings are stated in more detail in Theology of Pope Benedict XVI.
Friendship with Jesus Christ
According to commentators, during the Inaugural Mass, the core of the Pope's message, the most moving and famous part, is found in the last paragraph of his homily where he referred to both Jesus Christ and John Paul II. After referring to John Paul II's well-known words, "Do not be afraid! Open wide the doors for Christ!", Benedict XVI said:
| “ | Are we not perhaps all afraid in some way? If we let Christ enter fully into our lives, if we open ourselves totally to Him, are we not afraid that He might take something away from us?...And once again the Pope said: No! If we let Christ into our lives, we lose nothing, nothing, absolutely nothing of what makes life free, beautiful and great. No! Only in this friendship do we experience beauty and liberation....When we give ourselves to Him, we receive a hundredfold in return. Yes, open, open wide the doors to Christ – and you will find true life.[25] | ” |
"Friendship with Jesus Christ" is a theme of his preaching which is found in many of Benedict's homilies and addresses, for example his address to the priests of Rome, his Episcopal diocese, to the cardinals in the pre-conclave, and to an audience of 150,000 people, among whom were children going to their First Communion.[26][27][28] He has also said: "We are all called to open ourselves to this friendship with God... speaking to him as to a friend, the only One who can make the world both good and happy... That is all we have to do is put ourselves at his disposal...is an extremely important message. It is a message that helps to overcome what can be considered the great temptation of our time: the claim, that after the Big Bang, God withdrew from history."[29] Thus, in his book Jesus of Nazareth, his main purpose was "to help foster [in the reader] the growth of a living relationship" with Jesus Christ." [30]
He took up this theme in his first encyclical Deus Caritas Est. In his personal explanation and summary of the encyclical, he stated: "If friendship with God becomes for us something ever more important and decisive, then we will begin to love those whom God loves and who are in need of us. God wants us to be friends of his friends and we can be so, if we are interiorly close to them."[31] Thus, he said that prayer is "urgently needed...It is time to reaffirm the importance of prayer in the face of the activism and the growing secularism of many Christians engaged in charitable work."
"Dictatorship of Relativism"
Continuing what he said in the pre-conclave Mass about what he has often referred to as the "central problem of our faith today" [32], on June 6, 2005 Pope Benedict also said:
| “ | Today, a particularly insidious obstacle to the task of education is the massive presence in our society and culture of that relativism which, recognizing nothing as definitive, leaves as the ultimate criterion only the self with its desires. And under the semblance of freedom it becomes a prison for each one, for it separates people from one another, locking each person into his or her own ego.[33] | ” |
He had previously said that "a dictatorship of relativism"[34] was the core challenge facing the church.
Benedict traced the failed revolutions and violent ideologies of the twentieth century to a conversion of partial points of view into absolute guides: during World Youth Day, he said "Absolutizing what is not absolute but relative is called totalitarianism."
In an address to a conference of the Diocese of Rome held at the basilica of St. John Lateran June 6, 2005, Benedict remarked on the issues of same-sex marriage and abortion:
- The various forms of the dissolution of matrimony today, like free unions, trial marriages and going up to pseudo-matrimonies by people of the same sex, are rather expressions of an anarchic freedom that wrongly passes for true freedom of man...from here it becomes all the more clear how contrary it is to human love, to the profound vocation of man and woman, to systematically close their union to the gift of life, and even worse to suppress or tamper with the life that is born.[35]
This has drawn sharp criticism from Catholic gay rights advocates like journalist Andrew Sullivan, who claim that Benedict is espousing a form of fundamentalist edict, and is opposed to external questioning of his doctrines. Supporters of the Pope argue that traditional Catholic teachings hold homosexual acts (as opposed to merely a homosexual orientation) as sinful and that Benedict XVI is simply being loyal to these teachings.
Christianity as the Religion according to Reason
In the discussion with secularism and rationalism, one of Benedict's basic ideas can be found in his address on the "Crisis of Culture" in the West, a day before Pope John Paul II died, when he referred to Christianity as the Religion of the Word (the original Greek, Logos, meaning reason, meaning, or intelligence). He said:
| “ | From the beginning, Christianity has understood itself as the religion of the Logos, as the religion according to reason...It has always defined men, all men without distinction, as creatures and images of God, proclaiming for them...the same dignity. In this connection, the Enlightenment is of Christian origin and it is no accident that it was born precisely and exclusively in the realm of the Christian faith....It was and is the merit of the Enlightenment to have again proposed these original values of Christianity and of having given back to reason its own voice... Today, this should be precisely [Christianity's] philosophical strength, in so far as the problem is whether the world comes from the irrational, and reason is not other than a 'sub-product,' on occasion even harmful of its development—or whether the world comes from reason, and is, as a consequence, its criterion and goal...In the so necessary dialogue between secularists and Catholics, we Christians must be very careful to remain faithful to this fundamental line: to live a faith that comes from the Logos, from creative reason, and that, because of this, is also open to all that is truly rational.[36] | ” |
Benedict thus endorses creative reason, manifested in the crucified God as love, which contrasts with the strict rationality of the Enlightenment.
Encyclicals
Pope Benedict has to date written one encyclical, Deus Caritas Est (Latin for "God is Love"). The encyclical reflects on the concepts of eros (possessive, often sexual, love), agape (unconditional, self-sacrificing love), logos (the word), and their relationship with the teachings of Jesus.
The encyclical contains almost 16,000 words in 42 paragraphs. The first half is said to have been written by Benedict in German, his mother tongue, in the summer of 2005; the second half is derived from uncompleted writings left by his predecessor, Pope John Paul II.[37] The document was signed by Pope Benedict on Christmas Day, 25 December 2005.[38] The encyclical was promulgated a month later in Latin and was translated into English, French, German, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, and Spanish. It is the first encyclical to be published since the Vatican decided to assert copyright in the official writings of the Pope.[39]
It has been reported that Pope Benedict began drafting his second encyclical during his 2007 summer vacation in northern Italy. Insiders have stated the topic will focus on social and economic issues in regards to globalization.[40] If published in 2007 it would mark the 40th anniversary of Pope Paul VI's encyclical Populorum Progressio, which commented on similar topics.[41]
Post-synodal apostolic exhortation
Sacramentum Caritatis (The Sacrament of Charity) signed 22 February 2007, released in Latin, Italian, English, French, German, Portuguese, Spanish, and Polish. It was made available in various languages March 13, 2007 in Rome. The English edition from Libera Editrice Vaticana is 158 pages. This exhortation "seeks to take up the richness and variety of the reflections and proposals which emerged from the recent Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops..." which was held in 2006.[42]
Motu proprio on Tridentine Mass
- See also: Summorum Pontificum
In early July 2007, Benedict XVI issued the motu proprio Summorum Pontificum that informed Bishops that upon "the request of the faithful" Masses according to the Missal of 1962, preceding the liturgical reforms under Paul VI were to be more generally allowed. With the July 7, 2007 decree congregations who previously had to petition their bishop to have a Tridentine Mass may now merely request it from their local priest.[43] As long as the priest has "a certain degree of liturgical formation and some knowledge of the Latin language" he may go ahead.[43] The Reuters News Service called the decree "possibly the most important of Benedict's papacy so far".[44]
In an accompanying letter, the Pope outlined his position concerning questions about the new guidelines[45], emphasizing that the Tridentine Mass would not detract from the Second Vatican Council, and that the Mass of Paul VI would still be the norm and Bishops were not permitted to refuse to say the Mass in the local language. He pointed out that use of Tridentine Mass "was never juridically abrogated and, consequently, in principle, was always permitted."[45] The letter also decried "deformations of the liturgy ... because in many places celebrations were not faithful to the prescriptions of the new Missal" as the Second Vatican Council was wrongly seen "as authorizing or even requiring creativity", mentioning his own experience.[45]
The Pope also considered allowing the Tridentine Mass to those who request it, a means to prevent schism, stating that "not enough was done by the Church’s leaders to maintain or regain reconciliation and unity" and that this "imposes an obligation on us today: to make every effort to enable for all those who truly desire unity to remain in that unity or to attain it anew.[45] Many feel the decree aimed at ending the schism between the Holy See and traditionalist groups such as the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX). Cardinal Hoyos, who heads up the Holy See's efforts in this field stated that the decree "opened the door for their return" and said "I wouldn't understand if they don't come back."[44] Bishop Bernard Fellay, superior general of the SSPX, expressed "deep gratitude to the Sovereign Pontiff for this great spiritual benefit."[43], but also said that the group "had to iron out doctrinal differences with the Vatican before a reconciliation could take place."[44]
Some Jewish groups criticized the move because of petititions for the conversion of the Jews included in the Tridentine Good Friday liturgy, which had been reworded by the liturgical reforms.[46] Some Catholic voices feared that the move would entail a reversal of the Second Vatican Council[46][44].
Unicity and Salvific Universality of the Church
Near the end of June 2007, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith issued a document approved by Benedict XVI "because some contemporary theological interpretations of Vatican II's ecumenical intent had been 'erroneous or ambiguous' and had prompted confusion and doubt."[47] The document has been seen as restating "key sections of a 2000 text the pope wrote when he was prefect of the congregation, Dominus Iesus."[47]
The document issued on June 29, 2007 stated in part that "oriental Churches [i.e. Eastern Christianity] ...[merit the title sister Churches] Because these Churches, although separated, have true sacraments and above all – because of the apostolic succession – the priesthood and the Eucharist, by means of which they remain linked to us [Roman Catholicism] by very close bonds. ...However, since communion with the Catholic Church, the visible head of which is the Bishop of Rome and the Successor of Peter, is not some external complement to a particular Church but rather one of its internal constitutive principles, these venerable Christian communities lack something in their condition as particular churches."[48]
The document went on to say "Christian Communities born out of the Reformation of the sixteenth century... do not enjoy apostolic succession in the sacrament of Orders, and are, therefore, deprived of a constitutive element of the Church. These ecclesial Communities which, specifically because of the absence of the sacramental priesthood, have not preserved the genuine and integral substance of the Eucharistic Mystery cannot, according to Catholic doctrine, be called "Churches" in the proper sense."[48]
The document stated that "the full identity of the Church of Christ" is the Roman Catholic Church.[48] It said that the Catholic Church notes "that there are 'numerous elements of sanctification and of truth' which are found outside her structure, but which 'as gifts properly belonging to the Church of Christ, impel towards Catholic Unity'. It follows that these separated churches and Communities, though we believe they suffer from defects, are deprived neither of significance nor importance in the mystery of salvation. In fact the Spirit of Christ has not refrained from using them as instruments of salvation, whose value derives from that fullness of grace and of truth which has been entrusted to the Catholic Church."[48]
The approval of the document drew some criticism, such as the statement by the World Alliance of Reformed Churches which said "It makes us question whether we are indeed praying together for Christian unity."[47] The statement continued that the document "makes us question the seriousness with which the Roman Catholic Church takes its dialogues with the Reformed family and other families of the church". The leading Lutheran cleric in Germany Bishop Wolfgang Huber wondered why no attempt was made to use more diplomatic language saying, "it would also be completely sufficient if it were to be said that the reforming churches are 'not churches in the sense required here' or that they are 'churches of another type' — but none of these bridges is used" in the Vatican document."[47] Others, such as Rev. Sara MacVane, of the Anglican Centre in Rome, saw it as in line with the previous position of the Church but questioned the timing of its release, saying "I don't know what motivated it at this time."[47] The Russian Orthodox Church, however, called the document "honest", noting that it contains nothing new and was conducive to "an honest theological dialogue."[49] The issuing of this document and the recent allowance made by Benedict XVI for congregations who wished to say the Mass in Latin was seen by some of his critics as a move towards conservatism, some even "raised questions about Benedict’s commitment to the changes made during the Second Vatican Council."[50]
Ecumenical Efforts
Speaking at his weekly audience in St Peter's Square on 7 June 2006, Pope Benedict asserted that Jesus himself had entrusted the leadership of the Church to his apostle Peter. "Peter's responsibility thus consists of guaranteeing the communion with Christ," said Pope Benedict. "Let us pray so that the primacy of Peter, entrusted to poor human beings, may always be exercised in this original sense desired by the Lord, so that it will be increasingly recognised in its true meaning by brothers who are still not in communion with us." The Catholic Church teaches that the Pope has a leading role among Christians because as Bishop of Rome he is successor to the apostle Peter who first held the office. The role of the papacy remains a source of controversy, not only for Protestant denominations but also for Eastern Orthodox churches, who likewise do not accept Petrine primacy as defined at the First Vatican Council.[51]
Orthodox
The bishops of the Ecumenical Orthodox Patriarchate of Constantinople have expressed concern over Pope Benedict XVI's decision to strike out "patriarch of the West" from his official titles in the Vatican yearbook. In a June 8, 2006 statement, the chief secretary of the Orthodox bishops' synod said dropping "patriarch of the West" while retaining the titles "vicar of Jesus Christ" and "supreme pontiff of the universal church" is "perceived as implying a universal jurisdiction of the bishop of Rome over the entire church, which is something the Orthodox have never accepted." The statement was issued after synod members discussed the change during their early June meeting. Cardinal Walter Kasper, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, said in a March statement that dropping the title of patriarch in reference to the pope does not minimize the importance of the patriarchal office, particularly in relation to the ancient Eastern churches. "Even less can this suppression be seen as implying new claims" of power or authority on the part of the Vatican, he said. However, members of the Orthodox synod disagreed. From their point of view, "the geographical limits of each ecclesiastical jurisdiction" have been a key part of the structure of the church from the earliest days of Christianity. The church as a whole is "a unity of full local churches" and not a monolith divided into local units simply for the sake of easier governance. The Orthodox synod's statement said that, with the international Catholic-Orthodox theological dialogue set to begin again in September with plans to deal with the "thorny problem" of papal primacy, it would have been better not to have removed the title without consultation.[52]
A leading Muscovite Orthodox spokesman has said that a visit to Ukraine by Pope Benedict XVI would be "untimely", according to the country's RISU news service. "If Pope Benedict is a moral and a spiritual person and wants only good for Ukraine and its people, he will never take such an unreasonable step," said Valentyn Lukianyk, the head of the Union of Orthodox Brotherhoods of Ukraine. He was responding to the news that Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko has invited the Pope to visit the country. After the collapse of the Soviet Union there have been numerous clashes between Orthodox and Catholic believers over the ownership of parish properties that were confiscated by the Communists and handed over to the Russian Orthodox Church. At the same time, Orthodox leaders have complained that Catholics are engaged in "proselytism", seeking converts among Orthodox believers. In his statement opposing a papal visit, Lukianyk said that relations between Catholics and Orthodox in Ukraine are now "warming." A visit by Pope Benedict, he said, would place an undue burden on those sensitive ties.[53]
Archbishop Christodoulos, head of the Greek Orthodox Church, visited Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican on December 13, 2006. It was the first official visit by a Greek church leader to the Vatican. Archbishop Christodoulos was present for the funeral of Pope John Paul II. The Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I, with other Orthodox prelates also were present for the funeral Mass.
Anglicans
In Autumn 2006 Pope Benedict met with Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury and spiritual head of the Anglican Communion. They issued a Common Declaration, highlighting the previous 40 years of dialogue between Catholics and Anglicans while also acknowledging "serious obstacles to our ecumenical progress." [4]
Protestants
In 2005, Pope Benedict sent a message to the national synod of the Reformation Church of France, the country’s main Protestant community, who thanked the Pontiff for this “gesture of consideration.”
In more general terms, Pope Benedict addressed Protestant churches in a speech during his trip to Cologne, Germany in 2005, discussing a "renewed sense of our brotherhood" and "a more open and trusting climate between Christians belonging to the various Churches and Ecclesial Communities." [5]
In July 2007, the Pope approved a document released by the Vatican, clarifying the Catholic Church's position that Protestant faith communities "are not true Churches," as contrasted with Orthodox communities, which are considered true, but defective, Churches. [6]
Other Christians
On August 29, 2006, Pope Benedict XVI met with Bishop Bernard Fellay of the traditionalist Society of St. Pius X. Bishop Fellay had previously issued a statement welcoming the election of Cardinal Ratzinger as Pope.[54]
Dialogue with other religions
Judaism
The World Jewish Congress "welcomed" his election to the pontificate, noted "his great sensitivity to the Jewish history and the Holocaust", and quoted the Pope in its press release:
- Even if the most recent, loathsome experience of the Shoah (Holocaust) was perpetrated in the name of an anti-Christian ideology, which tried to strike the Christian faith at its Abrahamic roots in the people of Israel, it cannot be denied that a certain insufficient resistance to this atrocity on the part of Christians can be explained by an inherited anti-Judaism present in the hearts of not a few Christians.
Pope Benedict XVI's meeting with a Polish priest who has been accused of making anti-Jewish comments has shocked Jewish groups. The European Jewish Congress said that it was 'shocked' in a letter to the Vatican.[55]
Islam
- See also: Pope Benedict XVI Islam controversy
Tibetan Buddhism
The Dalai Lama also congratulated Pope Benedict XVI upon his election,[56] and visited him in October 2006 in the Vatican City.
Indigenous American Religions
While visiting Brazil in May 2007, "the pope sparked controversy by saying that native populations had been 'silently longing' for the Christian faith brought to South America by colonizers."[57] The Pope continued, stating that "the proclamation of Jesus and of his Gospel did not at any point involve an alienation of the pre-Columbus cultures, nor was it the imposition of a foreign culture."[57] President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela demanded an apology, and an indigenous organization in Ecuador issued a response which stated that "representatives of the Catholic Church of those times, with honorable exceptions, were accomplices, deceivers and beneficiaries of one of the most horrific genocides of all humanity."[57] Later, the pope, speaking Italian, said at a weekly audience that it was "not possible to forget the suffering and the injustices inflicted by colonizers against the indigenous population, whose fundamental human rights were often trampled."[58]
Apostolic journeys
- See also: List of journeys of Pope Benedict XVI
Unlike his predecessor, John Paul II, Pope Benedict has not made as many pastoral trips outside the Vatican. Nevertheless, Benedict has visited four countries to date: his homeland, Germany, which he has visited twice, once for World Youth Day and once to visit the towns of his childhood. He has also visited Poland and Spain, where he was enthusiastically received. His visit to Turkey, an overwhelmingly Muslim nation two months after his visit to Bavaria, Germany was initially overshadowed by the controversy about a lecture he had given at Regensburg. His visit was met by nationalist and Islamic protesters[59] and was placed under unprecedented security measures.[60] However, the trip went ahead and Benedict made a joint declaration with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I in an attempt to begin to heal the rift between the Catholic and Orthodox churches.
Attire
- See also: papal shoes, papal slippers
Pope Benedict XVI has re-introduced papal garments which had previously fallen into disuse. During his installment address, he spoke at length about the significance of the pallium and has returned to an ancient version, an Eastern design, used by first millennium pontiffs.
His house cassock (simar or cassock with shoulder cape) also includes the upper half-sleeves discontinued for all other clerics by the authority of Paul VI's motu proprio "Pontificalis Domus" of 1968. Until then, church regulations regarding the simar had required black leather shoes with silver buckles; Paul VI outlawed the buckles.
Pope Benedict XVI wears scarlet red leather slippers with white socks. Contrary to initial speculation, the Vatican has announced the loafers are not made by Prada, they are provided by the the pope's personal cobbler[61]. Benedict XVI's shoes do not have silver buckles.
Pope Benedict XVI has also continued the use of the red satin papal outdoor cloak. He also appears in choir dress, when appropriate. Not only does he wear the summer variant with its red satin cape, known as the mozzetta, but he has also re-introduced the ermine-trimmed winter version that has not been seen since Pope Paul VI.
On December 21, 2005, the pope began wearing the camauro for his general audiences; the traditional papal hat had not been seen since the pontificate of Pope John XXIII (1958–1963). On September 6, 2006 the pope wore the red capello Romano (also called a saturno). Rarely used by John Paul II, it was more widely worn by his predecessors.
One item of clothing that Benedict has not worn to date is the papal tiara. Like his two immediate predecessors, Benedict chose not to be crowned with the tiara during his Inauguration Mass, nor has he worn it since that time. (Unlike them, however, he has emphasized this decision by breaking with all prior tradition in choosing not to include the tiara in his coat of arms). Other traditional items unused by the pope include the vestmental gloves known as gauntlets.
Titles
The official title of the Pope is His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI; in Latin, Benedictus XVI, Episcopus Romae. However, his rarely-used full title is "His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI, Bishop of Rome, Vicar of Jesus Christ, Successor of the Prince of the Apostles, Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church, Primate of Italy, Archbishop and Metropolitan of the Roman province, Sovereign of the State of the Vatican City, Servant of the Servants of God."
Before 1 March 2006, the list of titles also used to contain that of a "Patriarch of the West", which traditionally appeared in that list of titles before "Primate of Italy." The title of "Patriarch of the West" was first adopted in the year 642 by Pope Theodore I, but was rarely used since the East-West Schism of 1054. From the Orthodox perspective, authority in the Church could be traced to the five patriarchates of Rome, Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem. However, some Catholic theologians have argued that the term "Patriarch of the West" has no clear historical or theological basis and was introduced into papal court in 1870, at the time of the First Vatican Council. Pope Benedict chose to remove the title at a time when discussions with the Orthodox churches have centered on the issue of papal primacy. It has also been suggested that "the West" is a misnomer as the modern Latin Church is today global in its extent. Pope John Paul II reportedly considered dropping the title during his own pontificate.
Political positions
Turkey
In an 2004 Le Figaro, Ratzinger said that Turkey, which is demographically Muslim but governmentally secular by virtue of its state constitution (see Secularism in Turkey), should seek its future in an association of Muslim nations rather than the European Union, which Ratzinger has stated has Christian roots. He said Turkey had always been "in permanent contrast to Europe" and that linking it to Europe would be a mistake.[62]
Later visiting the country to "reiterate the solidarity between the cultures," it was reported that he made a counter-statement backing Turkey's bid to join the EU. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, after meeting the pope upon his arrival in Ankara, the pope's first visit to a majority Muslim country, said that the pope told him that while the Vatican seeks to stay out of politics it desires Turkey's membership in the EU.[63][64] However, the Common Declaration of Pope Benedict XVI and Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople implied that support for Turkey's membership in the European Union would be contingent on the establishment of religious freedom in Turkey:[65] "In every step towards unification, minorities must be protected, with their cultural traditions and the distinguishing features of their religion."[66] The Declaration also reiterates Pope Benedict XVI's call for Europe to preserve its Christian roots.
Birth control and HIV/AIDS
It was widely reported in April 2006 that the Vatican had launched a commission to investigate and prepare a document regarding the question of whether there are any cases when a married person may use condoms to protect against infection from their spouse. Though no conclusions have yet been reached, the investigation has surprised many Catholics in the wake of John Paul II's consistent refusal to consider condom use in response to AIDS and the widespread belief that his successor shared this view.[67] In November 2005 the Pope had listed several ways to combat the spread of HIV, including chastity, fidelity in marriage and anti-poverty efforts with no mention of condoms. However, Time Magazine reported in its April 30, 2006 edition that the Vatican's position remains what it always has been with Vatican officials "flatly dismiss[ing] reports that the Vatican is about to release a document that will condone any condom use."[68]
Indigenous Australians
In May 2006, Pope Benedict rebuked Australia for the "painful" social plight of Aborigines, and urged the Australian people to seek their forgiveness. He told the new Australian ambassador to the Holy See, Anne Plunkett, that Australians needed to match their reputation as international peace-brokers with a determination for justice on their own soil, saying, "In regard to the Aboriginal people of your land, there is still much to be achieved". Benedict XVI - who intends to visit Sydney for World Youth Day in 2008 - said lasting reconciliation could be achieved through the "healing process" of forgiveness.[69]
The Da Vinci Code
On June 19, 2006, Pope Benedict XVI urged Christians to reject those who "falsify the Word of Christ," which was seen as an allusion to the controversy over the Dan Brown's novel The Da Vinci Code. Addressing a huge open-air mass in central Warsaw on the second day of his visit to Poland, the pontiff used his homily to warn against the temptation of doctoring what he said were Biblical truths. He stated: "As in past centuries, so today there are people or groups who seek to falsify the Word of Christ and to remove from the Gospel those truths which in their view are too uncomfortable for modern man." In American author Dan Brown's novel The Da Vinci Code, Jesus is said to have fathered a daughter with Mary Magdalene whose bloodline continues to this day.[70]
Interviews and media appearances
In August 2006, the pope granted an exclusive interview with the German TV station ZDF. It was aired on August 13, 2006. In this interview, he revealed a surprising and unexpected perspective in his thoughts, making amicable remarks about the Protestant churches, emphasizing the role of women in church, and said that "church is not an accumulation of prohibitions, but a positive option." He also stressed several times that the church was a way to guide people, particularly in questions of AIDS and overpopulation, and therefore strong morals should be proclaimed. He also stressed that humour is a good way to cope with stress, even for popes.[71]
Work
Pope Benedict has also warned about the dangers of excessive work. He quoted Bernard of Clairvaux, who said, "See where these accursed occupations can lead you, if you continue to lose yourself in them." The pope said: "Numerous occupations often lead to 'hardness of heart.' They are no more than suffering for the spirit, loss of intelligence and dispersion of grace."[72]
Korea
On November 13, 2006, Benedict said the dispute over the North Korea nuclear weapons program should be resolved through negotiations, in his first public comment on the security issue, a news report said. "The Holy See encourages bilateral or multilateral negotiations, convinced that the solution must be sought through peaceful means and in respect for agreements taken by all sides to obtain the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula." Benedict said in a speech to the new Japanese ambassador to Vatican.[73]
Migrants and refugees
In a message released November 14, 2006, during a Vatican press conference for the 2007 annual observance of World Day for Migrants and Refugees, the pope urged the ratification of international conventions and policies that defend all migrants, including refugees, exiles, evacuees, and internally displaced persons. "The church encourages the ratification of the international legal instruments that aim to defend the rights of migrants, refugees and their families," the pope said. "Much is already being done for the integration of the families of immigrants, although much still remains to be done."[74]
Pope Benedict has also promoted various UN events, such as World Refugee Day, on which he offered up special prayers for refugees and called for the international community to do more to secure refugees' human rights. He also called on Catholic communities and organizations to offer them concrete help.[75]
China
On June 28, 2006, for the first time in more than five years, an official Vatican delegation visited China and met with government officials, signaling a warming between the two nations that had previously been locked in conflict. "This is a real gesture by the Vatican and its diplomats," said the Reverend Bernardo Cervellera, director of AsiaNews, a Catholic missionary news service with close links to the Vatican. In sending diplomats to Beijing, the Vatican, under Pope Benedict XVI, is publicly expressing interest in improving relations with China despite the recent conflicts.[76]
In 2007 Benedict sent a letter at Easter to Catholics in China that could have wide-ranging implications for the church's relationship with China's leadership. The letter provides long-requested guidance to Chinese bishops on how to respond to illicitly ordained bishops, as well as how to strengthen ties with the Patriotic Association and the Communist government.[77]
Nuclear energy
In his message marking the 50th anniversary of the founding of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Pope Benedict XVI pleaded for nuclear disarmament but backed the increased peaceful use of nuclear energy to promote development for the world's poor. "The Holy See, fully approving of the IAEA's goal, has been a member from the organization's foundation and continues to support its activity," Pope Benedict XVI said.[78]