Item Number: 8233

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Available on 6 CDs

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 By Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger with Peter Seewald
Read by Dr. Frank Kelly and Matthew Arnold

Now that Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger has been elected Pope Benedict XVI, what is in store for the future of the Catholic Church?  What does our new Holy Father believe in regard to the most pressing concerns facing Catholics today? What direction will the Church take now that the former "watchdog of Catholic orthodoxy" sits on the Papal throne?

Intimate Details
In the book Salt of the Earth, then-Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger granted an unprecedented in-depth interview to German journalist Peter Seewald opening his mind and heart on the controversial and difficult issues facing the Church in the Third Millennium.  Now you can listen to an unabridged dramatization of that candid, historic interview on six CDs (or cassettes) in the exclusive SJC Audiobook version of Salt of the Earth.

In the course of the interview you'll hear how the German Cardinal destined to become Pope Benedict XVI shares the intimate details of his own life including his upbringing and family life, seminary studies, the World War II years, the challenges of being a professor of theology and an important "peritus" (theological expert) at Vatican II.  You'll also discover the inside story of how he became a Bishop and Cardinal, ultimately rising to the position of Pope John Paul II's top authority on Catholic doctrine as the head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

Celibacy, Contraception and Womens' Ordination - Oh My!
In this digitally recorded presentation you'll discover the new Pope's thoughts on such controversial topics as divorce, celibacy, contraception, abortion and women's ordination. Here also you'll find an extensive revelation of his views on the exodus of Catholics to fundamentalism, and other "pathological forms of religiosity," as well as his outspoken views on moral relativism and "the dictatorship of public opinion".

Finally, while admitting that he has "so little knowledge of America, " he does no hesitate to refer to American bishops “who are perhaps really somewhat extreme.” He emphasizes that the renewal of the Church must come from movements and groups of Catholics that are willing to implement “the letter” as well as the “spirit” of the Second Vatican Council. Criticizing the false “spirit of Vatican II” that seeks to water down the faith in order to make it more “comfortable” for modern man, the former “peritus” insists that the Council Fathers never intended to “turn the faith upside down, but, on the contrary to serve it properly”.

Essential Listening
In this revealing presentation you'll also encounter Benedict XVI's positions on the liturgy, ecumenism, authority, infallibility and most importantly his beliefs regarding the challenges and hopes of the future of the Catholic Church – the Church which has come under his leadership as the 265^th Roman Pontiff. Dramatically read by Dr. Frank Kelly as Cardinal Ratzinger and Matthew Arnold as Peter Seewald, Salt of the Earth is the essential listening for anyone who desires to gain genuine insight into the mind and heart of our new Holy Father. Habemus Papam!

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