Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone recently
highlighted the Pope's call to Catholics to use reason based on
authentic freedom.
The cardinal made his comments last week during the presentation of
the first Italian volume of the complete works of Joseph Ratzinger
titled, “The Theology of the Liturgy.”
After noting that the Holy Father has always defended the Second
Vatican Council’s continuity with the Church’s tradition, Cardinal
Bertone said this first volume of the Pope’s works is intended “to help
the Church in a great renewal that is only possible if we ‘love the
Beloved,’ as the liturgy teaches."
Then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger has always helped the Church in this
effort, “through a lifetime of research” that has produced more than a
hundred books and more than 600 articles, he said. The complete works
will bring together his entire body of writings into 16 volumes.
Cardinal Bertone pointed out that the Pope’s theological method
“always has serious and sharp biblical analysis as its starting point,
moving on later to the Fathers of the Church—of whom he possesses vast
knowledge—in order to arrive at a systematic theological reflection.”
This rigorous process, he said, does not mean that we are confined in
our thinking, but rather guarantees that we can offer an original and
illuminating commentary on the present.
SIC: CNA/INT'L