An informal book review by an English blogger...
LOTW: A Fantastic and fascinating read
Nov. 29, 2010
I popped into the St Paul's bookshop yesterday, to buy a copy of Pope Benedict XVI's interview with Peter Seewald,
Light of the World: The Pope, the Church, and the Signs of the Times. It is both a fantastic and a fascinating read! In fact, I haven't been able to put it down since I bought it!
It's so refreshing to read the words of a world leader who does not shirk away from reality. The Holy Father's answers to the questions posed by Seewald are honest, humble, erudite and rational. He is the antithesis of a modern political or global leader - he has his feet firmly in the Shoes of the Fisherman, and his mind in the scholarly works and books which he calls his "advisers"! His heart, of course, if firmLy fixed on Christ, with whom he is "united simply by old acquaintance."
The Holy Father is open about the mistakes that have happened during his pontificate, such as the furore that surrounded the lifting of the excommunication that had been imposed on Bishop Williamson of the Society of St Pius X. He seems frustrated that the world's media, and most of those who live on the planet, didn't understand why the excommunication was lifted.
But, he also admits that these things should have been explained better by the Vatican's press machine. He specifically said that had he known Williamson held such repulsive ideas concerning the Holocaust, he would have separated "the Williamson case from the others".
Of course, Pope Benedict XVI knows there have been media gaffes during his pontificate, and he speaks openly about them. He is also very frank in discussing the child abuse scandals that have resulted in what he admits is one of the greatest crises the Church has ever faced. He describes this chapter in the Catholic Church's history as "a crater of a volcano, out of which suddenly a tremendous cloud of filth came, darkening and soiling everything."
By now, we all know about the Holy Father's controversial remarks concerning the use of condoms in the fight against AIDS - remarks that need to be read in the context of the book as a whole. I think the Pope intended to say what he said about condoms - and his words have begun an important discussion.
He has also wrong-footed (yet again) those who always seem to be the enemies of reason and faith.
He has also managed to show that popes are not infallible in all that they say, and that they can have misguided personal opinions [which is not to imply, I hope, that what he said on condoms, which was very pastoral in nature, was 'misguided personal opinion'!] - in fact, he says as much in answer to one of Seewald's questions on papal infallibility.
The Pope is also quite open about his prayer life and the strains of office, though he seems to be coping well, even if he cannot return home to Germany as often as he was able to when he was a mere cardinal. He agrees with Churchill, who famously said that he had no time for sports - the Pope, too, it seems is no sportsman, unlike his predecessor. Speaking of which, Benedict XVI makes many nuanced remarks about Pope John Paul II, which show that he has his own style of doing things, and his own agenda.
The Holy Father spends a large portion of the book discussing our responsibilities towards creation. He also mentions how both "real socialism" and "turbo-capitalism" have failed - neither one putting the human (created in God's image) at the core of their philosophies. According to these two socio-economic philosophies, the human being is merely there to serve the ideal, and not be served by it.
I must say that with the current banking crisis and the ensuing financial madness (where "turbo-capitalists" want both a completely deregulated market, yet the banks have to be shored-up by the state!), it does seem that some are more than willing to sacrifice the basic needs of the poor and vulnerable to the great god, Mammon.
[What an understatement! And want about the ecofreaks who would much rather 'save the earth' even if doing so endangers human beings, and who would legislate rights for animal life that they would deny to human embryos and unborn babies!]
Many people should make the time to stop and read Pope Benedict XVI's teachings on the economy - which were recently praised by Lord Griffiths of Fforestfach (vice-chairman of Goldman Sachs) as being the best answer we have to the global economic crisis.
[I posted that commentary in the CARITAS ET VERITATE thread last year.]
The Holy Father also deals at some length with the "dictatorship of relativism", and the ways secularists are now trying to oppress the Church - trying to force Christians to follow their "new religion."
He also seems very positive about the possible reconciliation of the Orthodox and Catholic Churches. He is realistic about some Protestant ecclesial communities, which seem to have been swallowed up by the spirit of the age.
Other faiths are covered, too - especially Judaism, which the Holy Father is particularly fond of (even asking Catholics to refer to the Jews as "our fathers in the faith", as opposed to the more offensive "elder brothers", cf. the story of Esau).
Relations with Islam are seen to be a bit more problematic - although opportunities for dialogue with some Islamic schools of thought exist, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. Having said that, there remain vast swathes of the Islamic world which have narrowed the sense of truth "down to the point of becoming intolerance, thus making co-existence with Christians very difficult."
This is intended to be a brief book review. I have only just finished reading
Light of the World, and a just review would require some time to properly digest its contents.
I would like to mention one other subject that's raised in the book, though: namely homosexuality in the priesthood. The Holy Father is quite clear in his answer to Seewald, who asked him about the perceived number of homosexuals in the Catholic priesthood. In answer to an earlier question, the Holy Father used the language of evolutionary biology to clarify Catholic teaching on homosexuality:
"We could say, if we wanted to put it like this, that evolution has brought forth sexuality for the reproduction of the species. The same thing is true from a theological point of view as well. The meaning and direction of sexuality is to bring about the union of a man and a woman and, in this way, to give humanity posterity...Everything else is against sexuality's intrinsic meaning and direction. This is a point we need to hold firm, even if it not pleasing to our age."
He then went on, in answer to questions specifically relating to homosexual priests: "Homosexuality is incompatible with the priestly vocation...The greatest attention is needed here in order to prevent the intrusion of this kind of ambiguity and to head off a situation where the celibacy of priests would practically end up being identified with the tendency to homosexuality."
Pressed on the fact that homosexuality does exist to a high degree in the priesthood and religious life, the Pope says: "...that is one of the disturbing problems of the Church. And the persons affected must at least try not to express this inclination actively, in order to remain true to the intrinsic mission of their office."
I totally agree with the Holy Father. I believe that the greatest threat to the priesthood is not paedophilia and other grave scandals of the sort, but
the over-identification of the priestly vocation with the effeminate and the homosexually inclined..[????Does he mean that public perception of the priesthood comes down to this?]
The priesthood is in danger of resembling some pagan order, such as those in India which seem to be reserved for transvestites. The priest must reflect the people he serves as well as man as God intended him to be, and a clericalism that is overly burdened with one type of person (one that suffers from a dysfunctional tendency) is surely doomed.
No wonder so many potential seminarians feel unable to pursue their vocations, especially when they realise that God seems to be calling them into a "gay ghetto." Now that many homosexually active seminarians and those considering the priesthood can read for themselves why they should not become priests, the question should be asked of them: what say your consciences?
Light of the World is particularly attractive for me, in that it's not too pious or overly sentimental - which statements by religious leaders often seem to be. Pope Benedict XVI speaks plainly and simply - which is why his words seem imbued with a natural grace and beauty.
Light of the World: The Pope, the Church, and the Signs of the Times by Pope Benedict XVI and Peter Seewald, CTS and Ignatius (2010).
[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 05/12/2010 20:37]