VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Whereas Vatican II gave the Catholic Church a “stunning” doc on the priesthood, it “didn’t confront the important query” relating to the distinction between Catholic and Protestant understandings of priestly ministry, Pope Benedict XVI wrote in a posthumous article.
Clarification of the “sacrifice and atonement” points of the celebration of the Eucharist and, thus, the function of the Catholic priest, has been the main target of two new articles included in “What’s Christianity?” – A e-book launched solely in Italian in late January by Mondadori.
Pope Benedict dated the e-book’s preface to Might 1, 2022, and included an order that it not be revealed till after his dying, which occurred on December 31.
Solely 4 of the 16 articles within the e-book have been revealed for the primary time. All written between 2014 and March 2022.
“The wrath of the circles opposing me in Germany is so sturdy that the looks of any phrase from me instantly raises a murderous commotion on their half. I wish to save myself and Christianity from this.”
The article on “The Catholic Priest” is an entire revision and enlargement of a contribution made by retired Pope Benedict to Cardinal Robert Sarah for inclusion within the e-book From the Backside of Our Hearts revealed in 2020. The principle thrust of the e-book was an apology for priestly celibacy, however Pope Benedict stated Cardinal Sarah didn’t He didn’t have permission to be listed as a co-author of the e-book and insisted that he solely contributed prolonged notes that turned one chapter.
Elio Guerrero, who helped Pope Benedict compile the essays in What’s Christianity? He stated it was the controversy over the e-book with Cardinal Sarah that prompted Pope Benedict to insist on ready for the gathering of essays to be revealed till after his dying.
“I do not wish to publish the rest in my life,” Guerrero instructed Pope Benedict. “The wrath of the circles opposing me in Germany is so sturdy that the looks of any phrase from me instantly raises a murderous commotion on their half. I wish to save myself and Christianity from this.”
Clarification of the “sacrifice and atonement” points of the celebration of the Eucharist, and thus, within the function of the Catholic priest, has been the main target of two new articles in “What Is Christianity?”
The brand new model of the article defends priestly celibacy as essentially the most acceptable expression of the priest’s complete dedication to God and as a situation of formality purity in line with the Israeli priesthood. However the brand new model focuses extra on attachment to the traditional priesthood and sacrifice than on celibacy.
No model of the article mentions the persevering with apply of ordination of married males within the Jap Catholic Church buildings, nor the exceptions that Saint John Paul II and Pope Benedict himself granted former married ministers of the Anglican Church and different Christian denominations who turned Catholics.
The brand new model, and a brand new essay on “the which means of communion,” each insist on variations between the Catholic understanding of the priesthood and the Lutheran understanding of the ministry and between the Catholic understanding of Mass and the Lutheran understanding of the Lord’s Supper.
He wrote that the variations “are usually not superficial and incidental however point out a elementary distinction in understanding of Christ’s mandate” on the Final Supper when he tells his disciples, “Do that in remembrance of me.”
Pope Benedict wrote that this distinction have to be taken into consideration as a result of Catholic leaders are contemplating extending Eucharistic hospitality to Lutherans exterior of particular events when Church regulation permits it.