Prof. Fr. Joseph Ratzinger interviewed at his home in Pentling, 3/26/77, the day after
he accepted Paul VI’s nomination as Archbishop of Munich-Freising.
Thanks to Beatrice and her website for leading me to this article which was published to mark the 40th anniversary of the announcement that Joseph Ratzinger had been named the new Archbishop of Munich-Freising...It started the unlikely rise of someone who had been a professor-theologian for almost a quarter-century in the Church hierarchy, to be elected pope 28 years later.
Forty years ago, Prof. JosephRatzinger
was named an Archbishop:
“It was with a heavy heart that I said Yes”
Interview with the new Archbishop, 3/26/77
By Muenchner Kirchenzeitung
Translated from reprint on
March 25, 2017
Exactly 40 years, ago Regensburg University Prof. Joseph Ratzinger was named Archbishop of Munich-Freising by Pope Paul VI. The very next day,
Münchner Kirchenzeitung [Munich Church Newspaper, official organ of the Archdiocese] sought to find out what ‘moves’ the new prelate’s soul, though many of our readers already knew for certain beforehand that he would be their new bishop.
“It was with a heavy heart that I said Yes. I had no previous knowledge of it”, he said. He had exactly one night and one day to think about whether he would accept the call to be the archbishop of his home diocese, or not.
On March 26, 1977, one day after his nomination was formally announced, he gave the
Münchner Kirchenzeitung (at the time called the
Münchner Katholische Kirchenzeitung) a long interview at his private residence in Pentling. A story that would prove to be very helpful.
Of course, editor-in-chief Hans-Georg Becker and his deputy Karl Wagner wished to be able to inform their readers right away about their new archbishop. With an open heart, Ratzinger confided to the journalists that he believed “I could perhaps do more for the Church as a scholar-theologian than I would as a bishop”.
But then he thought of St. Augustine, of whom he has been a great promoter. The great Father and Doctor of the Church had also wanted nothing to do with the office of bishop. “But it went very well for him,” Ratzinger notes.
Ratzinger told of the completely unexpected visit from the Apostolic Nuncio to inform him of the nomination and to ask whether he would accept. Which he did after considering the offer overnight, though he was firmly convinced that he was not the right fit.
But the day after the appointment was formally announced, the 49-year-old professor was already thinking aloud about his coat of arms. on the day after the appointment. Even then it was clear to him that it would be "cooperatores veritatis" (coworkers of truth), that even as a bishop, he was only a "co-operator", an employee - "Not a chief, but a participant in the whole."
The newly appointed bishop also clearly pointed out the focal points of his future work: growing the priesthood, close contact with the clergy of his future bishopric, and catechesis in the family.
During the long bishopless period following the death of Cardinal Julius Dofner in July 1976, our newspaper had made a survey among our readers on who they thought would be the next archbishop. We did not publish the results, but many of the 600 letters we received named Ratzinger [Five of those who named it right were given place cards at the Cathedral for the new bishop’s consecration]. The future Archbishop said that if possible, he would like to meet with the personally, and allowed our editor to arrange this.
The photos taken during the interview were preserved in the archives of our newspaper. In the reconstruction of the rooms of the Ratzinger residence in Pentling close to what it was like when the future pope lived there with his sister, the pictures were a valuable aid.
The Regensburg-based Institut Papst Benedikt XVI, which now owns the building, sought to restore the living and working areas as close to the original as possible. To his great pleasure the director of the institute, Rudolf Voderholzer, now Bishop of Regensburg, at that time still theology professor in Trier, found these photos on a visit to the MK archive.
[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 29/03/2017 18:50]