ServantofLove_Flip

BENOÎT XVI • 67 BENEDICT XVI • 67 From his first speeches, Benedict XVI gives a clear focus to his pontificate. He wants to restore Christ to the center of the faith and life of Christians. Here, in 2006 at Castel Gandolfo, during a speech that precedes the Angelus. Benedict XVI’s Thought The theological corpus of Ratzinger-Benedict XVI is vast. The lines that follow are presented as a sketch, offering avenues for reflection on certain major aspects of his thought. His work is structured upon three pillars, of which Christ is the center: Divine Revelation, Christ, the Church. In the light of those pillars, five themes dear to Benedict XVI are illuminated: the Virgin Mary, figure of the Church; the Eucharist and charity; the relationship between faith and reason; Europe; and eschatology. His thought is always nuanced, and often subtle, but that should not dissuade anyone from discovering it: “It is what you won’t understand that is the most beautiful; it is what will seem the most tedious that is the most interesting; and it is what you won’t find amusing that is the funniest of all” (Paul Claudel, The Satin Slipper).83 83 Ratzinger discovered The Satin Slipper thanks to Hans Urs von Balthasar’s translation. He quotes it several times, notably in the first part of Introduction to Christianity. 66 • BENEDICT XVI © Akg

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