Pope Francis has signed the preface of Pope Benedict XVI’s new book, and has stressed that “the thought of Benedict XVI is and always will remain as a thought and a Magisterium fruitful in time”
Newsroom(01/02/2023 14:00, Gaudium Press) The Vatican Publishing House (LEV) has just released a book entitled ‘God is Always New’, an anthology with homilies, catecheses and speeches given by Benedict XVI during his pontificate (2005-2013). According to the book’s editor, Luca Caruso, the publication “is the synthesis of the thought and work of a credible witness who throughout his life placed himself at the service of the Church” and will help to approach the thought of a great theologian of the 20th century.
Preface signed by Pope Francis
The preface of the work is signed by Pope Francis, who stresses that “the thought of Benedict XVI is and will always remain as a thought and a Magisterium fruitful in time, because he knew how to concentrate on the fundamental reference points of our Christian life: in the first place, the Person and the Word of Jesus Christ, as well as the theological virtues, that is Charity, Hope, Faith”.
For the current Pontiff, the title of the work expresses “one of the most characteristic aspects of his predecessor’s Magisterium and vision of faith”, for which the Church will always be grateful. “Yes, God is always new because He is the source and reason of beauty, grace and truth. God is never repetitive, God surprises us, God brings newness. The spiritual freshness that emerges from these pages confirms this with intensity,” he assures.
A spiritual synthesis of Benedict XVI’s writings
The publication is a spiritual synthesis of Benedict XVI’s writings, and the spiritual thoughts gathered there “show the creative capacity of Benedict XVI to know how to investigate the various aspects of Christianity with a fruitfulness of images, language and perspectives that become a continuous stimulus to cultivate the precious gift of welcoming God into one’s life,” Francis wrote.
The Argentinean Pope also underlines that Benedict XVI “with his words and his witness has taught us that, with reflection, thought, study, listening, dialogue and above all, prayer, it is possible to serve the Church and to do good to all mankind; he has given us living intellectual tools to enable every believer to give reasons for his hope, using a way of thinking and communicating that can be understood by his contemporaries. (EPC)
Compiled by Sandra Chisholm
