Ratzinger Report: An Exclusive Interview on the State of the Church (Paperback)

by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger (Author), Vittorio Messori (Author) "An aggressive German of lordly air, an ascetic who carries the cross like a sword..." (more)
Key Phrases: episcopal conferences, Cardinal Ratzinger, Catholic Church, Holy Scripture (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
The Ratzinger Report is a book-long interview with then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger that his friend and former student, Father Joseph Fessio, S.J., says could be called the "Magna Carta" of the papacy of Pope Benedict XVI. *** Here is the comlete text of a meeting many have called a "historical turnabout" in the Church. The roots of the crisis that hase troubled Catholics in the twenty years since the Council are analyzed with forthright clarity by one of the most authoritative voices in the Vatican. Here is a clear and uncompromising report on the dangers that threaten the Faith, fom one who every day receives the most reliable information from every continent. Yet Ratzinger's observations are as hopeful and balanced as they are clear-sighted, forcefully re-affirming the immense and positive work of Vatican II, whose genuine fruits this book provides a guideline for achieving.

Language Notes
Text: English (translation)
Original Language: German --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 197 pages
• Publisher: Ignatius Press (June 1985)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0898700809
• ISBN-13: 978-0898700800
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #271,540 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

73 of 76 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars probably not for "beginners" but still excellent, February 5, 2003

By	Yalensian - See all my reviews

I came to this book--or, rather, interview--as a person feeling the pull to Catholicism. This was probably not the best book to read this early in the journey to Rome, since it presumes something of a knowledge of the Church and its "crisis" in modern times, particularly after Vatican II--unlike, say, an introduction to Catholic theology or liturgy. In that respect, then, not being a Catholic, I was probably limited in what I could take from the book.

Nevertheless, I found it extremely fascinating and worthwhile. For starters, Ratzinger's understanding of the Church speaks directly to why I was drawn to it in the first place. He conveys a sense of the Church's community of believers, the communion of saints, emphasizing the very important communal aspects of the Catholic faith and suggesting that theology is not just a matter for individuals and academicians and "theologians"--it is pursued as a community. He describes this community, this unity quite wonderfully, I think: "harmonic wholeness."

His description as the Church going up against the powerful cultural forces of our time was also quite convincing and appealing. Indeed, the Church stands virtually alone against the tide of permissivity. Ratzinger discusses the difficulties the Church was facing in the mid-1980s, from feminism and liberation theology to the dangers of extreme individualism. His proposed solutions are probably not surprising to those familiar--among others: not an abandonment of Vatican II but a discovery of its true spirit; a re-affirmation of traditional doctrines (such as the Virgin Mary); a recognition that the Church is not democratic but sacramental and hierarchical instead; and a restoration of the virtues of motherhood and virginity.

All in all, a great survey of the Catholic Church's position in the modern world, which deals with problems as well as possible answers. Moreover, Ratzinger speaks, either directly or indirectly, to the problems facing the world in general, and his solutions could just as easily be applied in that broader context. This book, then, in many ways, transcends its intended Catholic audience--a true achievement.

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Powerful and timely, April 22, 2005

By	Hallstatt Prince (MA. USA) - See all my reviews

One of the best lines about the new Pope I have heard so far is "guess what-he's a Catholic".
The Ratzinger Report offers insight into this great man, his philosophy, his faith and his vision.
In this book Cardinal Ratzinger expresses his concerns about the modern world. Although I am in not complete agreement with all of his ideas (such as his opinions of liberation theology which although his criticisms of it are well taken I believe the churches stand could have been modified could have been modified to accommodate both a continuation of the struggle for the poor of Latin America while at the same time condemning Marxism) he presents them well. This book show a man dedicated to preserving the main essence of Catholicism and to continue to make it a refuge and alternative to the excesses of the modern world while at the same time building bridges of understanding to other faiths. It seems as though some of the most important "bridge-buiding projects" that the church will have to undertake is not with other religions or some exotic lands but to the West which actively does its best not to understand the Catholic church and obscure its message.
The book is a both a call of alarm and a message of hope. I believe hope is the quality that shines through most in this book.
One of the great messages of this book is that Catholicism is a faith not dictated by a hierarchy but a dialogue between the clergy and the faithful. These are not sentiments that would be expressed by a "hard liner". This book show the new Pope to be not the rigid conservative many have unfairly made him out to be.
Everyone seems to have an opinion on this new Pope. I suggest that anyone with a fair mind who wishes to express an opinion about the new Pope have an informed opinion and read this book.

36 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger: A Man of the Church, May 13, 2001

By	ceolnoth40 "ceolnoth40" (Massachusetts) - See all my reviews

Here is a charming book containing the insights of one of the greatest theologians of the age, an architect of the Second Vatican Council and friend to the current pontiff. Cardinal Ratzinger does not like much of the mischief that has been perpretated since the Council in the name of aggiornamento (I think that means "trendiness" in Italian), and makes it clear that the Council was not a license to go on making frivolous tinkerings with the sacred liturgy, ad nauseam, ad infinitum.

Many Church "progressives" (persons who believe that the editors of Commonweal Magazine have the charism of ex cathedra infallibility) enjoy depicting Cardinal Ratzinger as a fiend from the depths of hell. Don't believe this hyperventilating hype; in the name of "collegiality" and "liberty" and "fraternal collaboration," the leftist jacobins have almost succeeded in destroying the reputation of a fine man and a first-rate thinker.

Ratzinger demonstrates how the current breed of liturgists -- like Ezra Pound, pathologically intent on "making it new" -- often claim to represent the interests of the poor and the unlettered, all the while running roughshod over their wishes. The poor and unlettered are derided by the innovators for their naivete, their unsophistication, and their old-fashioned devotional practices. In fact, Ratzinger cites an instance where the poor parishioners of an Episcopalian church in New York City were instrumental in stopping the drastic "renovation" of a church they loved just the way it was.

"Mark my word," Thomas Merton once wrote to a friend, "there is no uglier species on the face of the earth than progressed Catholics, mean, frivol, ungainly, inarticulate, venomous, and bursting at the seams with progress into the secular cities and the Teilhardian subways." And Thomas Merton was not to be confused with Cardinal Ratzinger, who has been called every name in the book by those who pride themselves on their tolerance. Read the Ratzinger Report and don't believe the hype.