Getting to Know the Pope

To most of us the Pope is a distant figure whom we never meet personally. What we know of him is filtered through the media. Most of those who comment on what he says have no theological training and are in no position to give a reliable critique. There is a  book which gives us immediate access to Pope Benedict. It was compiled by a German journalist, Peter Seewald, who carried out a lengthy interview with the Pope over an extended period last July. Reading this book is like being a fly on the wall at these meetings. Pope Benedict gives clear and frank answers to probing questions from this well-informed journalist. In the words of the publishers, ‘Pope Benedict XVI openly discusses the criticisms of his pontificate, the crisis in the Church brought on by the clergy sexual abuse scandal, the need for Church reform, the problems of uniting faith and reason today, as well as contemporary issues such as abortion, climate change, same-sex unions, the global economic crisis, and the new atheism.’ They conclude, ‘As believers and unbelievers alike read this book, many will be challenged to reconsider what they think they know about Pope Benedict XVI and the future of the Catholic Church.’ This is a very readable book which can be read in short segments. One doesn’t need lots of time to read it.

Benedict XVI, Light of the World (London: CTS, 2010) is available in Veritas bookshop, Carey’s Lane and on line.