In 2010, a court case in Italy challenged the right to display crucifixes in classrooms. The winner of this year's Ratzinger Prize helped win this court case.
DR. JOSEPH WEILER
Ratzinger Prize Winner
I'm also a practicing constitutionalist and as a man of constitutional law I thought the procescution of Italy for the requirement of displaying crucifixes in schools was just a violation of freedom of religion, freedom from religion. So it seemed natural for me to do it and I felt strongly about it.
For his extensive writing in the field of Theology and for promoting Theology on social media, Dr. Joseph Weiler is being awarded the Ratzinger Prize on December 1.
His book, A Christian Europe, emphasizes the importance of recognizing these roots in the European constitution.
DR. JOSEPH WEILER
Ratzinger Prize Winner
Anybody who lives in Europe, who knows Europe, you just have to look around you, the art, the culture, the music, the literature, one cannot negate the huge impact that Christianity had on the cultural asset and cultural identity of Europe.
The Ratzinger Prize is named after Joseph Ratzinger, now known as Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. Every year, it recongizes the work people have done in Theology, Philosophy and Scripture independent of their religious beliefs.
Dr. Weiler sees the Raztinger Prize as important today because it highlights Theology in a world that seems to place a higher value on science.
KG
