We Have a Pope! Benedict XVI [Paperback]

Matthew E. Bunson (Author), Joseph Ratzinger (Author), Benedict XVI (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 19, 2005

Who is Pope Benedict XVI?

"After the great John Paul II, the cardinals elected me, a simple, humble worker in the vineyard of the Lord."

With those gentle words, Pope Benedict XVI greeted the faithful of Rome and the world as the Church’s 265th pope.

In selecting Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger to lead the Church, the cardinals chose a man they had known well for many years, but one who remains relatively unknown to most of the world’s Catholics.

Now, noted Catholic author and historian Mathew E. Bunson, D.Min., provides a detailed portrait of Benedict XVI, introducing Catholics to a man of powerful intellect and confident faith who now must lead the Church as it confronts some of the most challenging issues facing modern men and women. Bunson examines

• What made him the man he is today • What you are not being told about him by the secular media • What lies ahead for Catholics worldwide

Twenty-six years ago, when Karol Wojtyla was chosen to be the successor to Peter, some of the most difficult challenges to the Church's mission came from the East. Twenty-six years later, the most difficult challenges to the Church's mission come from the West. There is a man now very well prepared who understands Western society and the history of the world. — Cardinal Francis George, Archbishop of Chicago

Pope Benedict XVI, like many people including myself, is very uncomfortable with some of the trends that came after the Second Vatican Council, which ended up in destroying large segments of religious life, undermining vocations, undermining Catholic theology and moral teaching. When people say that he’s a conservative, they’re saying that he wants to restore those vital parts of the Catholic Christian life. I’m one hundred percent in agreement with him. — Father Benedict J. Groeschel, C.F.R.

[Pope Benedict’s] acceptance of the humanly crushing burden of the See of Peter tells us something important about the man: Like John Paul II, this is a Christian radical who long ago handed his life over to the will of God, manifest through the call of the Church. — George Weigel

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

"In choosing Cardinal Ratzinger as the next pope, the cardinals have chosen a man well known to them for many years," says OSV Publisher and former Rome correspondent Greg Erlandson who was in Rome for the Conclave. "Those who have met him invariably talk of his gentleness, his shyness and at the same time his intellectual abilities and his penetrating insights into the challenges facing Christianity and modern society."

Pope Benedict XVI said in his introductory speech that he is ready to go to work in God’s vineyard and that he entrusts himself to our prayers. In We Have a Pope! Benedict XVI, written by papal expert and historian Matthew F. Bunson, D.Min., the person and teaching of our new pontiff, Pope Benedict XVI are revealed in the first ever papal biography which will be released on May 19th.

"It is my hope that American Catholics will come to appreciate his selection of the name Benedict," says Erlandson. "As cardinal, Pope Benedict had a special devotion to St. Benedict, the founder of modern monasticism, and therefore a great saint of spirituality. Less appreciated may be the fact that he is also the patron of Europe," Erlandson adds.

"In choosing a western European with such a devotion, the cardinals are clearly saying that the Church's struggle for the soul of the West, for Europe and for America, is not lost," Erlandson stresses. "The third world is critical for the Church, and the internationalization of the Church must and will continue to occur in this papacy. But if Christianity is to obey its evangelical mandate, then it must not throw in the towel in those societies where consumerism and moral relativism are most dominant. Pope Benedict is clearly accepting this challenge." For all Catholics, the next chapter of the Church starts today but for American Catholics who are frustrated by a certain lack of Catholic identity, particularly younger Catholics, Pope Benedict is likely to be "a leader who will encourage a rediscovery of our intellectual and spiritual roots," says Erlandson. "Like John Paul II, he is confident in the truths of the Church and of the Gospel. Contrary to some stereotypes, he is not a ‘grand inquisitor,’ but a man who speaks movingly of the love and mercy of God."

As we move forward, Erlandson stresses that Pope Benedict "will be truly his own man.," adding that the Cardinals did not intend him to be only a caretaker of the legacy of John Paul II. "This is a man with more than 50 years of theological experience. He is one of the few key remaining theologians of the Second Vatican Council. He will bring to the task of leading the Catholic Church the insights of these past 50 years. He knows the Vatican Curia. He knows the leaders of the Church around the world. His learning curve will be short, and his impact is likely to be profound."

In his timely new work, Bunson, the author of over 30 books including Our Sunday Visitor’s Encyclopedia of Catholic History, Encyclopedia of Saints, and the Catholic Almanac, discusses the events leading up to the Conclave, the candidates, the issues inside the Church, and out and most of all, the persona of Pope Benedict XVI, the events made him the man he is today and what can the Church expect under his reign.

About the Author

Matthew Bunson is one of the country's foremost experts on papal history. He is the author of over 30 books including Our Sunday Visitor's Encyclopedia of Catholic History and Encyclopedia of Saints and is contacted by news media throughout the country on matters pertaining to the Church and the papacy.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Our Sunday Visitor (May 19, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1592761801
• ISBN-13: 978-1592761807
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,381,825 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Benedict XVI Primer, May 15, 2005

By 

Rich Leonardi (Cincinnati, Ohio) - See all my reviews

This review is from: We Have a Pope! Benedict XVI (Paperback)

Bunson's book went to press in early May during the first weeks of Benedict's new pontificate and serves the general reader as a "Benedict Primer". There is information on the last days of Pope John Paul II, the unforgettable funeral Mass, the conclave, and the many accomplishments of the priest/theologian/cardinal who became Benedict XVI. Bunson also includes an eighty-year timeline that shows the intersection of various cultural milestones with events in Benedict's life.

Included are lengthy excerpts from key speeches and homilies and coverage of the high points of then-Cardinal Ratzinger's tenure as head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the arm of the Church responsible for protecting truths that come to us ultimately from Christ and the Apostles.

Kudos to Mr. Bunson; having such a well-written book on our new Pope available so soon is a major feat. It likely will serve as a reference for future writers wanting a description of the historic events that surrounded Easter 2005.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Get to Know Pope Benedict XVI, May 14, 2005

By 

Michael Dubruiel "annunciations.wordpress.com" (Birmingham, AL USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: We Have a Pope! Benedict XVI (Paperback)

Great primer on who the new pope really is...plus an excellent overview of what has transpired in the last month at the Vatican.The book begins with an overview of what led up to the election of Benedict, his first addresses and an overview of his life. I found the issues facing the papacy both in the section entitled "The Vacant See" and at the end of the book where the author Matt Bunson details how the Pope is likely to handle these issues fascinating.

The book also includes a list of popes dating back to St. Peter, as well as a very helpful glossary.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars First book to read about Pope Benedict, July 10, 2005

By 

Richard J. Grebenc "rgrebenc" (Cleveland, OH USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: We Have a Pope! Benedict XVI (Paperback)

Dr. Bunson does a magnificent job of covering the transition from Pope John Paul to Pope Benedict. He gives a thorough treatment of the issues the cardinals had to wrestle with going in to the conclave and gives insight into the process. In the last part of the book he provides a brief but thorough biography of the pope and great insight into how the pope's background and convictions may shape his papacy.

Some nice features include: the full text of his first two homilies as pope; two appendixes that cover the entire bibliography of works in English by the pope as well as a list of all popes; a glossary of terms; great color photos of the pope.

I am amazed that such a thorough treatment of the transition and issues came out in such a short period of time. Even though I followed the events closely, this volume is fresh and provided new insights. This book was not thrown together -- it is clearly the work of someone who reflected deeply on the transition and has a thorough knowledge of the Vatican and the man who is pope. I have read several of Benedict's own works, but wish I would have read this first. It really helps to put the other writings in context. Thank you Dr. Bunson!