Joseph Ratzinger's work at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith earned him a reputation as a rigid man. Something far from the truth according to Dr. Luca Caruso, who works at the Ratzinger Foundation.
In order to better understand Pope Benedict XVI's thought, Dr. Caruso collected a few of the Pope emeritus' texts and put them in a book called: 'God is always new'. He says a fundamental aspect of the Pope emeritus' theology is that faith is not a set of rigid doctrines but a path to follow.
LUCA CARUSO
Author, “God is always new”
It is not a deposit of revealed truth but it is a dialogue with God, that through prayer and through seeking the face of God, will last for a lifetime because God is always new in His infiniteness. This is one of the thoughts given in the volume.
Dr. Caruso is an expert on the Pope emeritus' thought.To get to know him better, Dr. Caruso suggests reading the Pope's writings, specifically where he speaks of the need for Christians to deepen their dialogue with God and, above all, to be people of authentic, sincere and credible faith.
The Pope emeritus pointed out that the best way to attract others to the Church is through personal witness, which is much better than any marketing campaign. This is something that Pope Francis has repeated often.
POPE FRANCIS
In fact, as Pope Benedict taught us, 'the Church does not proselytize. Rather, it grows by attraction.' Don't forget this.
LUCA CARUSO
Author, “God is always new”
Then, there is the theme of holiness, with the invitation for every man to be a small tile in the great mosaic that God is composing in history, and from which at the end of time His face will appear—a face of mercy and hope.
Pope Francis wrote the introduction to this work. He underlines several aspects of the spiritual greatness of his predecessor. Among others, he points out Pope Benedict XVI's love for art, which he describes as a reflection of God's beauty.
JRB
TR: OJ
