Pope Benedict's & Cardinal Sarah's New Book

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TomH1

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Today, I read at the BBC’s website that Pope Benedict and Cardinal Sarah have a new book out. What it does not bother to inform us about is the book’s title or who is publishing it. Does anyone know of this new book? I’d appreciate any info that helps to identify it and would be grateful for any of the following: ISBN-13, title, publisher.
 
I do hope this will be available in the UK. I have searched for it on Amazon and Waterstone’s (UK’s largest bookseller) and both report no such book exists.
 
It’s on Ignatius press for pre-order at the moment. Not published until later Feb.
 
AngelaMarie said:
It’s on Ignatius press for pre-order at the moment.
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Thank you.
AngelaMarie said:
Not published until later Feb.
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I know from the link provided by Mtatum1958 in post #2.

Because the publication date is so soon I would’ve expected booksellers to also provide pre-orders. It is on the US Amazon site but not the UK one or on the site of the UK’s biggest bookseller (probably second biggest now after Amazon). I live in the UK and would like to order here in the UK. Also for the sake of my marriage I would prefer it in a Kindle edition.
 
Apparently Benedict provided passages to Cardinal Sarah to use as he saw fit, but never knew the book would be published as a co-authorship. I don’t think any of this matters, as it will be safe to assume that Benedict XVI agrees with the book’s contents.
 
I doubt H.E. Robert Card. Sarah would deceive His Holiness in this way.
 
The statement released by Benedict’s secretary was careful not to disparage Cardinal Sarah in any way.
 
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What you cite is in the ‘meejah’ so I always take a healthy pinch of salt with what I read there.

The article does say Cardinal Sarah denies that he has done anything wrong in having the book published under the joint authorship of the Pope Emeritus and himself.

I think it will be interesting to see what author or authors are on the book when it is published next month.
 
As I have maintained I don’t think Cardinal Sarah did anything malicious. As Archbishop Gänswein says, it was a misunderstanding.
 
So Pope Benedict wrote part of the book, but doesn’t want to be listed as a co-author? It seems like a way to save face here at the last second. I find it hard to believe he had no clue that he would be listed as a co-author until the day the book was announced. I wonder if he was persuaded by some to get his name off of it to lessen the impact, as many know that his opinion is still heavily respected by much of the Church, and the contents of the book may not exactly be toeing the company line nowadays.
 
Weserthy said:
I find it hard to believe he had no clue that he would be listed as a co-author until the day the book was announced.
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From the Vatican statement:
“The Pope emeritus in fact knew the Cardinal was preparing a book”, Archbishop Gänswein added, “and had sent a short text of his on the priesthood”, authorizing the Cardinal to use it as he wished. But the Pope emeritus “had not approved any project for a co- signed book, nor had he seen and authorized the cover. It was a misunderstanding, without questioning the good faith of Cardinal Sarah”.
 
Weserthy said:
So Pope Benedict wrote part of the book, but doesn’t want to be listed as a co-author? It seems like a way to save face here at the last second. I find it hard to believe he had no clue that he would be listed as a co-author until the day the book was announced. I wonder if he was persuaded by some to get his name off of it to lessen the impact, as many know that his opinion is still heavily respected by much of the Church, and the contents of the book may not exactly be toeing the company line nowadays.
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He probably had no plans to take his name off the book until the media stepped in and made it seem like Pope Benedict was challenging Pope Francis. Benedict was likely pressured into backing down, probably at the request of someone in the Vatican. Take the name off the book (still wrote some of it though) and humiliate Cardinal Sarah. I don’t believe that he had no idea either. None of this media scrum happens, and his name is still on the book.
 
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In a series of tweets published Jan. 12, Kurt Martens, a professor of canon law at the Catholic University of America, said he looked forward to reading the book, but stressed the need “to recall that there is only one Pope, one Bishop of Rome: Francis. He and he alone has the power associated with the office of Bishop of Rome.”

“There is a huge mistake on the cover: this is not a book by ‘Benedict XVI’. This is a book written by an emeritus and the cover should have indicated that. It would have been more appropriate to publish as ‘Joseph Ratzinger,’” he said.

“A former pope should not speak in public about anything at all. He had his chance when he was in office. Now it belongs to his successor to govern. He (and his entourage) no longer governs,” Martens said, noting that canon 273 in the Code of Canon Law imposes “a special obligation on clerics (deacons, priests, and bishops, thus also including Joseph Ratzinger): they all are bound by a special obligation to show reverence and obedience to the Supreme Pontiff.”

cruxnow.com

New celibacy kerfuffle sparks debate over role of pope emeritus

New comments by retired Pope Benedict XVI backing clerical celibacy while Pope Francis considers making an exception to the rule in the Amazon has prompted widespread debate, with many calling for clarification on the role of a pope emeritus.
cruxnow.com cruxnow.com
 
So it appears that they may not be removing him as co-author after all (EDIT: this would be for the U.S. version, they might take his name off of the French version):

https://catholicherald.co.uk/news/2...-xvi-listed-as-coauthor-of-new-celibacy-book/

Maybe we need a signed, written statement directly from the Pope Emeritus on what he really wants or doesn’t want. I still don’t believe he didn’t want to be listed as co-author. Maybe he wasn’t entirely sure how he would be credited, but he had to have known he would be credited, somehow. What was Cardinal Sarah going to do - put out the book without Pope Benedict’s name, at least as a contributor, and plagiarize his work?

I can understand Pope Benedict wanting to undercut the media narrative that he’s opposing Pope Francis, which is probably the reason why his secretary is trying to get his name removed, but on the other hand, if he wrote it, maybe he should own it and not try to hide from the responsibility.
 
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Update: Retired pope wants his name removed as co-author of book on celibacy​

Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service 1.14.2020

. . . In a brief note posted by Cardinal Sarah and dated Oct. 12, Pope Benedict wrote that “finally I can send you my thoughts on the priesthood. I leave it up to you if you can find some usefulness in my poor thoughts.”

In a formal statement released Jan. 14, Cardinal Sarah said that after meeting Pope Benedict Sept. 5, he wrote to the retired pope saying that with debate about mandatory priestly celibacy already begun before the Synod of Bishops for the Amazon, he realized Pope Benedict might not think the timing was right for him to intervene on the subject because of “the polemics it could provoke in the newspapers.”

Nevertheless, the cardinal said, he believed a contribution from Pope Benedict would be a gift to the whole church and “could be published at Christmas or at the beginning of 2020.”

Cardinal Sarah said Pope Benedict gave him “a long text” on Oct. 12 and he realized that rather than publishing it in a journal or magazine, it would be more appropriate as part of a book.

“I immediately proposed to the pope emeritus integrating his own text and mine for the publication of a book that would be an immense good for the church,” the cardinal said.

After several exchanges, he said, on Nov. 19 he sent “a complete manuscript to the pope emeritus comprising, as we had decided by mutual agreement, the cover, an introduction and a common conclusion, the text of Benedict XVI and my own text.”

The cardinal tweeted a photo of a letter dated Nov. 25 in which Pope Benedict thanked him “for the text added to my contribution and for the whole elaboration you have done.”

“For my part, the text can be published in the form you envisaged,” Pope Benedict added.

The chapter attributed to Pope Benedict is about 25 pages long, including a six-page reprint of the homily he gave at the chrism Mass in . . . March 2008 . . .

In a chapter originally attributed to both the retired pope and the cardinal, they said the book resulted from an exchange of “ideas and our concerns,” particularly related to the Synod of Bishops for the Amazon, which heard repeated calls for considering the ordination of married elders to serve far-flung communities and provide greater access to the Eucharist and other sacraments.

Pope Francis’ response to the requests of the synod is expected early in the year. Observers noted how unusual it was for the retired pope to intervene publicly on an issue the reigning pope is considering.

Cardinal Sarah and Pope Benedict seemed to recognize how unusual the move was, but the introduction said, “‘Silere non possum!’ I cannot be silent!”

. . . the two offered their reflections “in a spirit of love for the unity of the church” and in “a spirit of filial obedience to Pope Francis.”

. . . Cardinal Sarah said . . . We want this book to be read as widely as possible. The crisis facing the church is striking." . . . .
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https://www.catholicnews.com/servic...al-write-book-defending-priestly-celibacy.cfm
 
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