Ratzinger ‘made hope believable’
“You read him and there’s a profound realism about the hardship that the Christian life can be in the world but also hope,” Maier said. “Ratzinger made hope believable.”
Maier explained that Benedict “belonged to a generation … that went through this furnace of the Second World War and the atheist theologies which give people plenty of reasons to despair and he never did, he came out of that with a renewed hope and an absolute confidence in Jesus Christ.”
Young people naturally connected with Benedict even though he was quieter and more reserved than Pope John Paul II, Fessio said. His message resonated with young people, Fessio said, because youth today “are looking for answers; they’re confused in a world full of fake news and advertising, full of all kinds of distractions and temptations.” Meanwhile, Benedict was someone who could “speak to their heart.”
Criticism and controversy
When it came to the role of women in the Church, Glendon said: “I think that the historical record will make very clear that he was not only comfortable with women, women theologians, and women leaders in the Church but that he took certain steps that were truly remarkable.”
“One of the reasons he was criticized … was precisely because he was intelligent,” Maier said. “If you’re a religious person, you’re supposed to be stupid on some level, because that fits with the script.” Instead of fitting into the stereotype, Maier said, Benedict had a “world-class intellect” and was completely comfortable contending with the world’s top, unbelieving intellectuals.
Yet, his answers during debates were never hostile, self-promoting, or aggrandizing but directed at finding the truth, Fessio said. “He was always trying to find the truth. He was really a truth seeker.”
When it came to his resignation, Glendon said that Benedict “was showing us what prayer really is.” Benedict showed the world that prayer requires you to “actually follow what God’s will is for you, even though, probably, the world thinks it’s insane.”
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