“God’s Choice: Pope Benedict XVI and the Future of the Catholic Church”
Written by George Weigel (HarperCollins, 2005). Chronicle of the rise of Pope Benedict XVI as well as an unflinching view of the Catholic Church at the dawn of a new era.
Tag: Pope John Paul II
“Pope Benedict XVI: A Biography of Joseph Ratzinger”
Reissue (Continuum, 2005) of John L. Allen’s 2000 biography of Ratzinger subtitled, The Vatican’s Enforcer of Faith. Allen later said he thought that book was too harsh on Ratzinger.
“The Rise of Benedict XVI: The Inside Story of How the Pope Was Elected and Where He Will Take the Catholic Church”
Written by John L. Allen Jr. (Doubleday, 2005). Looks at the behind-the-scenes dynamics within the College of Cardinals that led to the choice of Joseph Ratzinger as Pope Benedict XVI, and where the new pope is likely to lead the Catholic Church.
“On priesthood and those with homosexual tendencies”
Full text of the Vatican instruction entitled, “Concerning the Criteria for the Discernment of Vocations with Regard to Persons with Homosexual Tendencies in View of Their Admission to the Seminary and to Holy Orders.” The document’s aim is to bar gay men from the priesthood.
Deus Caritas Est (God is Love)
Pope Benedict’s first encyclical. An encyclical is considered one of the most authoritative documents from the pen of the pope, and a new pontiff’s first encyclical is considered something of a “mission statement” for the rest of the pontificate. Benedict’s first, Deus Caritas Est, or God is Love, was considered surprising by some in that […]
“Reorganization begins in Roman Curia”
Catholic World News article about Pope Benedict’s decision to consolidate the leadership of four Vatican councils under two presidents, one of his first reforms of the Curia.
The Hierarchy of the Catholic Church
Current and historical information about the bishops and dioceses of the Catholic Church.
The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church
Exhaustive catalog of information on cardinals past and present with biographies, geographic distribution and a wealth of other information. Compiled by Salvador Miranda, a retired professor of library sciences at Florida International University.
“The Truce of 2005?”
Article by the Rev. Richard John Neuhaus about American dissent to official Vatican positions on sexuality as well as criticism of some of Pope Benedict’s early appointments of bishops including promoting the archbishop of San Francisco, William Levada, to succeed himself at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith as the church’s doctrinal gatekeeper and the […]