BENEDICT XVI: NEWS, PAPAL TEXTS, PHOTOS AND COMMENTARY

On RAI-TV today:
THE STYLE OF BENEDICT XVI

After six years of almost pointedly ignoring Benedict XVI, RAI-1, the premier channel of Italian state TV, dedicated another episode in its popular Sunday morning broadcast A Sua Immagine to the present Pope, just a month after it featured on March 3 a discussion of the second volume of JESUS OF NAZARETH.

[Our fellow Italian Benaddicts have often lamented the fact that the program has featured episodes about John Paul II far more often, even on occasions like the anniversary of Benedict XVI's election. They remember that when Benedict XVI turned 80, RAI dedicated an entire primetime current affairs program to the birthday of Queen Elizabeth II, without mention of the Pope's milestone birthday (although later they did broadcast the late Giuseppe De Carli's documentary tribute to Benedict XVI to a morning audience). The fact that RAI is taking note of Benedict XVI on the anniversary of his predecessor's death is a surprising change, since in previous years, they have marked even the anniversary of Benedict XVI's election with a special on John Paul II.]

Here is a translation of RAI's online blurb for the feature on Benedict XVI today:

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"I am a simple and humble worker in the vineyard of the Lord. I am consoled by the fact that the Lord knows how to work even with inadequate instruments, and above all, I entrust myself to your prayers".

A Sua Immagine this Sunday dedicates part of Sunday's program to the style of Benedict XVI and his Pontificate, distinguished by the union of faith and reason, bringing back the evangelical message to the center of Christian life, the constant search for truth, and dialog with other religions, with the faithful, and all those who for various reasons have become distant from the Church.

Along with program host Rosario Carello, we shall look at the teaching of Benedict XVI, and what he has to say about the eternal questions of man, his relationship with God, the totality of life, and the balance between freedom and truth.

Journalist and writer Vittorio Messori, who has called Benedict XVI 'the authentic post-modern intellectual' will be in the studio to speak about him.

For other parts of the program, A Sua Imagine continues its series on John Paul II, Un santo pellegrino in Italia (A saint on pilgrimage in Italy) capturing the words, encounters and prayers of the late Pope on his visits to our cities.

Francesca Faldini will report news and cultural events in the Italian Church, and to comment on the Pope's Angelus which airs at 12:00 noon, will be Angelo Scelzo, undersecretary of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications.

NB: RAI has faithfully broadcast the Sunday Angelus of the Popes since the time of Paul VI. The Angelus broadcasts are usually watched by 20-25% of the TV audience in its timeslot.]

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