It was Feb. 11, 2013, when these words shook up the Catholic Church. From that moment, until this one, the Church remained in an unsteady condition.
In recent years, people have noted, not only the peculiarities of each of the two popes' theological and pastoral styles, but also the profound impact they both share.
POPE FRANCIS
June 28, 2016
You continue to serve the Church, and you don't stop contributing to the growth with vigor and wisdom. From your prayers, we perceive tranquility, peace, strength, confidence, maturity, faith, dedication and fidelity, that helps me a lot. It helps me and the whole Church.
BENEDICT XVI
June 28, 2016
The kindness that you have demonstrated, from the moment of your election, in every moment of my life here reaches me. I feel it profoundly. More than in the Vatican Gardens with their beauty, your goodness is the place where I live and where I feel protected.
This closeness is presented in the book, “Una sola Chiesa,” “One single Church,” from the Rizzoli publishing house. It highlights the “novelty” and, at the same time, “continuity” between Benedict XVI and Pope Francis.
The text synthesizes the catecheses given by both pontiffs about matters like faith, spirituality, the family and other fundamental Christian topics.
The prologue was written by Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin. He says the spiritual accord between the two popes, in addition to their differing communicative styles, multiply and enrich the reader's experience. It can also be considered an “alphabet of Christianity.”
One book brings together the common teachings of Benedict XVI, called the “wise grandfather of the Church,” and Pope Francis.
Daniel Díaz Vizzi
Translation: CT
