Diocese of New Ulm -April 2006

Wednesday, April 19, 2006 will mark one year since Catholics worldwide met their new pope when Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger walked to the edge of the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. Reaction was mixed among the thousands in the crowd that day. Many cheered in delight, others were less exuberant and some were simply unhappy.

 

As we approach his one year anniversary of papacy, Pope Benedict XVI has surprised many Catholics and members of other religions.

 

The life of the pope, as well as an analysis of his first six months as pastor to the world's Catholics, is the basis for the cover story of the February issue of St. Anthony Messenger magazine. In the article entitled "The Emerging Reign of Pope Benedict XVI: 'A Service to Joy,'" author Robert Mickens, who lived in Rome and who now writes about the Vatican for The Tablet of London, delves into Benedict's humble childhood, his early career and the road that led him to the papacy. A copy of the article can be obtained by visiting on the internet www.americancatholic.org or contacting the diocesan Office of Communications, 1400 6th Street North, New Ulm, MN 56073; (507) 359-2966.

 

Many Catholics feared the worst when Ratzinger was elected pope because, as prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, he earned the nickname “God’s Rottweiler.” He proved to be a fierce and conservative defender of the Church and its laws. Yet, Benedict has shown himself to be a patient and understanding listener and more gracious than his detractors predicted. “At this moment, weak servant of God that I am, I must assume this enormous task. How will I be able to do it?” the pope asked on April 24, 2005 at his installation Mass in St. Peter’s Square.

 

Enormous indeed: Pope Benedict inherits a Church that faces many internal problems, such as a dwindling number of priests, a lack of understanding of Church teaching, catechetical illiteracy and polarization among believers. Curing the ills of an ailing Church will not be easy for this aging theologian.

 

The road ahead for the pope is unclear, yet a few outcomes are almost assured. There will be fewer papal documents under his leadership. He will also have a more open relationship with the world’s bishops, something many of them have said they want. And Benedict will likely guide the Church with positive reinforcement, a policy he has utilized over the last several months.

 

Pope Benedict is full of surprises. Few people would have predicted that by the end of last September he would have had extended meetings with people on opposite sides of the theological spectrum: Hans Küng, his former teaching colleague, and with the head of the Society of St. Pius X, a schismatic Catholic group.

Giving further evidence of his humanity and spirituality, last October, Pope Benedict met with a group of young children on the day of their First Communion. “I hope that for all of you,” he said, “the First Communion you have received in this Year of the Eucharist will be the beginning of a lifelong friendship with Jesus, the beginning of a journey together, because in walking with Jesus we do well and life becomes good.”

 

Why the name Benedict XVI?

local historian reflects on our present pope’s name choice

 

by Fr. Eugene Hackert

 

When Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger became pope there was much speculation as to the reasons he chose the name Pope Benedict the XVI. Among the many reasons he gave for choosing this name was his admiration for his predecessor by that name, Pope Benedict XV, who reigned as pope from 1914-1922, which placed him in the midst of the agonies of WWI.

 

This brought into focus the fact that most or all of us, including those of the oldest generations, have little or no recollection of Pope Benedict XV. Even in his day he was not upheld with great honor. He was urged and blamed by both sides of the fighting in World War I for not stopping or being more active in stopping the terrible War. This undeserving impression remained. To this day, Benedict XV has been nearly forgotten.

 

As a person he was remembered, if at all, for being rather mild spoken and basically colorless – a reputation which was so undeserving for this tireless worker for peace.

 

There is only one complete biography of Pope Benedict XV entitled The Life of Benedict XV. Published by Bruce Publishing Co. of Milwaukee in 1959, its author is Fr. Walter H. Peters. Peters was my teacher at Nazareth Hall, teaching Latin and German, as well as other subjects. He was capable of teaching French also and had degrees in both as well as in Scripture. He served most of his career as a teacher at Nazareth Hall and later at St. Thomas College. He was also a regular weekend helper at St. Agnes parish in St. Paul where I happened to be an associate pastor  for seven years. It was there that we, especially at the evening meals on Saturday, would get a blow by blow description of the research and writing progress of this book. We learned of the agonies he went through to uncover unknown information and then finally the heartache of the publishing company cutting his manuscripts to less than half for easier sales and profit.

 

Fr. Peters was one who always liked to defend the underdog, and in Pope Benedict XV he found that type of personality. He discovered and described at length Pope Benedict XV’s recognition of his own less than sparkling personality and so he surrounded himself with people of talent who were his spokesmen on most occasions.

 

Fr. Peters himself was an intense scholar and researcher. He was a graduate of Holy Trinity High School in New Ulm. He made a couple of special trips to Europe to research some of the details of his book . The book’s list of chapter contents shows the scope of his research: Birth and Childhood; Candidate for a Doctorate in Three Faculties; In the Service of the Holy See; Restoring All Things in Christ; Modernists and Integralists; Archbishop of Bologna; The Cardinal; The Conclave; Coronation and First Acts; The Human Benedict; The First Encyclical, Ad Beatissimi; The Incessant Cry for Peace; Treason; The Papal Peace Note of 1917; Benedict, Wilson, and Versailles; The Apostolate of Charity During the War; Benedict the Statesman; Benedict XV, Pope of Canon Law and Sacred Scripture; The Piety of Benedict XV; Benedict and Christian Life; Benedict the Universal Father; Benedict XV, the Writer; and The Death of Benedict XV.

Fr. Peters discovered one of Pope Benedict’s heartaches of his reign was the betrayal by one of his most trusted secretaries – a brilliant young priest and patriot from Austria. As described in the book, Chapter 13 “Treason”, this man used his position in the Vatican to help engineer the destruction of Italy’s prize warship, the Leonardo da Vinci, while anchored in the harbor of Taranto. Pope Benedict negotiated with the Italian government to personally take charge of the case. This priest was stripped of his priestly powers and escorted out of Italy to Switzerland. The escort in this case was another secretary, who later became Pope Pius XII.

 

Fr. Peter’s intrigue with this case motivated him for one more trip to Europe to find out what happened to this man, and did he die in the good graces of the Church - he did, in England.

 

Fr. Peter’s book was reviewed favorably both locally and nationally. Our own diocesan Newsletter (now The Prairie Catholic) reviewed it under the headline: “Priest Rescues Forgotten Pope.”

 

It is easy to see some qualities of Pope Benedict XV would be admired by our present pope, especially his predecessor’s desire for peace and reconciliation, his humility and lack of self-promotion, and his unexplainable popularity and respect among young people. May his reign be effective and blessed abundantly.

 

Rev. Eugene Hackert is a retired priest of the Diocese of New Ulm.