Pope Benedict XVI - The Conscience of Our Age

 General Description:

Fr. Vincent Twomey, a former doctoral student of Joseph Ratzinger and long time friend of the Pope, felt the need to respond to the common question he heard often after the papal election, “What kind of person is the new Pope?” So often Twomey had read false depictions of both the man and his thought, especially the image presented by the media as a grim enforcer.

Twomey offers here a unique double–presentation of the man, Pope Benedict XVI — a “theological portrait” that encompasses both an overview of the writings, teachings and thought of the brilliant theologian and spiritual writer, as well as the man himself, and his personality traits and how he communicates with others.

Twomey shows that the secret to the serene dignified behavior of Benedict is that he is open to beauty as much as truth, that he lives outside himself, and is not preoccupied with his own self. He also is a man that Twomey says “has the courage to be imperfect”, showing he has a deep humility and strives for teaching the truth even when misunderstood or not presented as well as he would like.

Fr. Vincent Twomey, SVD, holds a PH.D. in Theology and is a Professor of Moral Theology at the Pontifical University at St. Patrick's College in Ireland. He is the author of several books including his most recent acclaimed study on the state of Irish Catholicism, The End Of Irish Catholicism?

A Valuable Introduction to the Holy Father’s Writings

As a student of the Church’s acknowledged leading theologian, Fr. Vincent Twomey ascertained firsthand the "charming personality, intellectual brilliance, and pastoral heart" of the professor who would be elected to the Chair of Peter. With "joy and surprise," he witnessed the elevation of his esteemed teacher, who had "written on about every theological subject touching on the faith, morality, and Church and State."

Reflecting on how Cardinal Ratzinger’s extensive writings on the liturgy had been generally ignored, "even kept off the shelves of at least one institute set up for the study of liturgy," Fr. Twomey notes "the simple dignity of the Requiem for Pope John Paul II and the sheer beauty of his own Inauguration Mass which gave those present a touch of heaven on earth-and entranced those who followed it on television."

In liturgy as in other matters, Fr. Twomey’s comment has proven prophetic: & Full Review...

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