Benedict XVI: A Life Volume One: Youth in Nazi Germany to the Second Vatican Council 1927–1965 Hardcover – December 15, 2020

Surprise! Surprise! Yes, even for our recent Pope, the biography begins with a surprise! Joseph Ratzinger, son of Joseph and Maria, was born and baptized with fresh Easter Water on April 16, 1927, no doubt in a tumultuous time. But, going back a bit, his parents, in preparation as an engaged couple to be married, met with the parish priest, and it was shown that his mother had been born "out of wedlock." Although it was later legitimized, it remained unrecorded. We learn also that her parents, "grandparents of the future pope," were also born out of wedlock! Yes, Joseph Ratzinger was definitely part of the world we all live in!Having died on the last day of 2022, Peter Seewald is giving us not simply a two-volume biography of this great man, but also a glimpse of Church and World History for almost a century in which this man lived, a world and a Church which this man greatly influenced. And having listened to all his other interviews, therefore having had prior exposure to his previous writings, I began reading this with a comfortable knowledge of Seewald, his style, and about who was writing a biography.In past interviews, at Pope Benedict's request, Seewald did not supply the questions ahead of time. Basically, he asked…. The pope responded…. This gave us the chance to hear the Holy Father speak his mind unrehearsed. Impressive! I think it was here, for most of us, that we got to understand his grasp of the Church and its teachings, mission and history, as well as its problems, shortcomings, difficulties and failures. He hid from nothing! In fact, it was surprising how frank he was in his responses. It was almost as if he sympathized with Seewald's looking for answers. Ultimately, he gave the Church a certain humanness that was very attractive, something that many at the parish level desire. Although his critics called him "God’s Rottweiler," his words and his wisdom gave the reader a much different impression.When I listened to his first interview, Salt of the Earth: The Church at the End of the Millennium: An Interview With Peter Seewald, I was very impressed by that. I was interested in it because of the questions that were asked (and the topics Amazon listed in the Product Description). They were questions I think all of us liked answers for. So, I am assuming that that same free interchange existed in whatever time was spent between these two men before this biography was published.This time with Peter Seewald, and interestingly, we get to see the pope as the small boy, Joseph Ratzinger. These are humble beginnings. It is life at home; life as a young Catholic; life as a young student; life before and during the beginning of the Third Reich. We are shown the struggles and sacrifices this cost them, especially because his father strongly resisted cooperating with the ideologies of those, soon to be known as the Nazis, and would have to forfeit work and relocate more than once to be true to their faith rather than compromise it. These had to be tremendous learning experiences for the shy young Joseph. However, later as pope, he describes his role, not as you might expect--the world leader of a billion Catholics--but as someone who is to bear witness to Christ, someone who has the faith and strength to do this.One of the strongest impressions that this biography made was the incredible intellectual brilliance this man possessed. We see it in his advanced studies. We see it later as Pope John XXIII begins his papacy and surprises the world, calling the Second Vatican Council. There were years of preparation for this ahead. Plans, schemas, and other things would have to define what the Council would encompass. One of the people Pope John enlisted was Cardinal Josef Frings of Cologne. Around the same time, the name of Ratzinger had become known after a lecture he gave in 1958, to which Seewald devotes a chapter (24), "The New Heathens and the Church." Cardinal Frings then recruited Ratzinger to assist with his 1st task to be presented to John XXIII. Frings later told Ratzinger, the pope responded that it was exactly what he was looking for (although the Cardinal had not changed on word of his). Prof. Joseph Ratzinger, Faculty of the University of Bonn, now at 34 began work as the theological "peritus" (expert) for this high-ranking Cardinal. Yes, Ratzinger was certainly not a light-weight. Before and during Vatican II, his many-sided theological contributions led to his "peritus" handprint being on at least six documents throughout the Council’s preparation, deliberations, and formulation of texts.Highly unknown, he was a supporter of the reform of the Church’s Liturgy. When asked for just one reason why the Mass should undergo this, he answered, "Because there are two liturgies going on." Ratzinger insisted that "for the church, divine worship is a matter of life and death." And, during Mass, the people in church were busy with their own devotions, like reciting the rosary. He said the "The wall of Latinity" needed to be broken to afford an invitation to prayer. "They were united with the priest only by being in the same church with him." More importantly, "It was now clear, for example, that the selection of biblical texts had frozen at a certain point." So, “a new theology of divine worship” had to be worked out. There was no intention to start a liturgical revolution, rather overcome the isolation of the priest and foster active participation of the congregation, but not incessant commotion or experimentation! None of that was foreseen.One great insight: As a seminarian, there was for Ratzinger a period of doubt or hesitation about continuing towards the priesthood ordination. Peter Seewald pushed him on this, "Was it a woman?" Women always studied together with seminarians. He was popular with them. Pope Benedict didn’t answer, but smiled! I think Seewald knew him well enough to conclude, "He was in Love!" And Benedict didn’t refute it or make him take it out! I think that made him a very human pope, not a Rottweiler!I first read this in an Audible format. Not simply satisfied with that, I bought the hardcover edition. I can therefore continually dive into the text to draw whatever more I can from what I have listened to.A great contribution to the Church and to people of all faiths. I believe that this can help greatly in clearing up many misunderstandings people may have about him.I think: a real page-turner! You’ll find a great read. I’ve already begun to read Volume II, Benedict XVI: A Life, Volume Two: Professor and Prefect to Pope and Pope Emeritus 1966–The Present. I hope my words have helped!

Peter Seewald has written four books based on interviews with Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, JosephRatzinger. This book was criticized by Rupert Shortt in the London Spectator because Seewald hasbecome less critical in his questioning over the years. Well, it was not promised to be critical, andfor those who seek criticism of B16, it has been easy enough to find over the years. After five books,Seewald has changed and come to a deep understanding of the man. And for the record, he beginsthat he is loyal to his successor Pope Francis Bergoglio.It is important to understand that Benedict is Bavarian, from the most Catholic region of Germany,a beautiful countryside that is perhaps more laid-back than our image of most of Deutschland. Thereis a profound portrayal of the former Pope's mother and his father, who was a policeman. He was faithfulbut critical, for instance when the bishops were insufficiently opposed to the Nazis at times. He wasa police officer, and highly political and thoughtful. Being close to both of his parents, Joseph hadaspects of both. He was highly thoughtful and also deeply connected to the emotional life, althoughnot expressive in a dramatic way. He was close to his brother Georg, a priest who specialized in music,and his sister Maria, who assisted in many ways with the ministry. Maria kept Joseph down to earthand connected to "real" people, which led to a populist devotion to the faith of the simple people,when he entered the ivory tower of scholarly life.Seewald gives a lengthy description of the rise of Nazism and the effects of World War II. This isimportant, because B16 has been criticized for participation in the Hitler Youth, which obviouslywas compulsory. Hitler and the Nazis, along with the Communists, showed what happens whenthe world is without God. Unlike the Bolsheviks, Hitler invoked God in his rhetoric. But Nazismwas not Western Civ, it was modernity without the divine point of reference.Joseph seems to have been a spiritual prodigy, in a way like Ste Therese. He was going throughall these complex spiritual questions, and then you realize it's just his First Communion orConfirmation. He was smart but not really memorable in school, shy, and not athletic. Hiscloseness to his brother Georg gave him a sense of music. What puts him in the upper tierof theologians with Hans Urs von Balthasar and Henri de Lubac is the aesthetic sense. Mosttheologians know philosophy as the foundation for theology, and those three certainly did.But to be truly comprehensive, the other side of the brain is needed, and for German speakers,that means Mozart. (For everybody else, too).After Joseph enters the seminary, Seewald's book becomes more intellectual, because itssubject is. Ratzinger immersed in the thought of St. Augustine and St. Bonaventure. What'ssignificant is that he wasn't as much into St. Thomas Aquinas. Aquinas was not as affectiveas the other two, although his Eucharistic hymns show that side. Scholasticism, the waythat pre-Vatican II theology understood St. Thomas, was highly rational and felt distantfrom pastoral experience and the emotional life. (There are those who disagree, of course,like Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange, but this is Ratzinger's view). What I learned was that he didtranslate a book of St. Thomas into German, which obviously requires deep engagement. So it'snot that he didn't know Thomistic thought.Seewald presents the conflict over Ratzinger's dissertation between his advisor GottliebSohngen and his rival Michael Schmaus. This is truly "inside baseball". But it involvesegos, and most people can relate, from experience in any organization that involves peopleand their egos and competition. As a young professor, Ratzinger continued to be "shy" andunassuming in his physical presence, but radiated a spiritual charisma and quickly becamea wildly popular lecturer. It's the charisma of non-charisma.For those who aren't insiders in Catholic theology, all these names might be confusing. Hereare some of the important ones. Cardinal John Henry Newman was the 19th century thinkerwho inspired much of the direction of 20th century theology. Karl Barth was the great Reformedtheologian who provoked the Catholic need to respond. He, along with Dietrich Bonhoeffer,was a standout for his opposition to Nazism. Martin Heidegger was the most influentialphilosopher of the 20th century (but not so heroic on the Nazis). Romano Guardini wasa philosopher and theologian of the earlier part of the century, who wrote Spirit of theLiturgy in 1924 or so, inspiring Ratzinger's book in 2000. Josef Pieper was a Catholicphilosopher connected to Guardini and Thomas Aquinas. Pierre Teilhard de Chardin wasa scientist who ventured into questions of theology and mysticism.I already mentioned Henri de Lubac (his book Catholicism came out in 1939) and HansUrs von Balthasar. Other theologians of Vatican II were Karl Rahner, Yves Congar, JeanDanielou, Gerard Philips and Hans Kung. Sebastian Tromp was the defender of the old way of doingtheology. But Ratzinger was in dialogue not only with fellow theologians. He was friendswith the political philosopher and historian Eric Voegelin (which I didn't know), the IndologistPaul Hacker, and the Jewish philosopher Martin Buber. Note that most of these namesare German. The Nazis were elected in the most culturally advanced country in the world.The mid-century produced an enormous amount of theology from Germany as well asFrance.Seewald concludes with the debates of Vatican II. Here the theologians were mostly priests(often Jesuits and Dominicans, but Ratzinger was diocesan) who had to influence the Popeand bishops. The Popes were Pius XI, who wrote an encyclical in German condemning theNazis, Pius XII Eugenio Pacelli, whom Seewald defends effectively against slanders, JohnXXIII Angelo Roncalli, who called Vatican II, and Paul VI Montini, who continued it to itscompletion. Ratzinger was the advisor to Cardinal Josef Frings, who was a key playerin the Council and the election of Paul VI in 1963. Ratzinger was the key thinker behindDei Verbum, the document on Divine Revelation. The topics matched his specialty, andhe argued for more pastoral language that could reach people, rather than the abstractlanguage of Scholasticism. Those who defended the Roman scholasticism includedCardinals Ottaviani, Siri and Ruffini. Also Abp. Lefebvre and Brazilian bishops. Cardinals Bea, Konig and Suenens were leaders of themore progressive approach advocated by the theologians. Karol Wojtyla was a risingyoung Polish bishop who became John Paul II.The obvious question is, did Ratzinger move from left to right, from liberal to conservative?Seewald argues for consistency in his theological vision. He didn't want an individualistpersonal expression, but the life of faith at a higher spiritual level. Rely on the ChurchFathers of the first centuries, and the Scriptures, themselves, not the documents of the1800s. Perhaps it will be a smaller membership in the church, but not a dry identificationbut real faith, love, personal commitment and relationship. But clearly something happened,and the second volume will show that. The one criticism, which will carry over into hispontificate, was surrounding himself with assistants who weren't in his best interest.

Want to know about a man from humble background in a small German town to Pope, this book tells a story of a humble man, brilliant theologian and a wonderful teacher for all of us. The story is woven through history and shows what a magnificent person that shows you how suffering and perseverance came together for the love of Christ and man.

Book arrived on time, in perfect condition. I believe I bought this used, but it appears almost brand-new. I have not bought the 2nd volume, but am thinking I will. The author, Peter Seewald, writes in an appealing and fresh manner.

It was excellent research and many wonderful points about Pope Benedict's youth and relationships in the family and Catholic resistance to Hitler, and many other points.By big criticism is the editing of the book; it was awful. Many typos, or things that didn't really make sense. They kept calling the high school that Joseph attended the Gymnasium without explaining that is the word in German. Often it was not clear who the author was speaking about, whether Joseph or the other person in the anecdote. For such a scholarly work the editing was botched, and for a $35 hard cover book, on a great Pope, I expected better.

My books arrived within a few days - they were in perfect condition, exactly what I expected.