In St. Matthew’s Gospel, Our Lord tells Simon Peter: "Thou art Peter and on this Rock I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven" (Mt 16:18-19) With this divine command, Our Blessed Savior established the office of the papacy.
From the first martyred popes, to the recent Holy Fathers, the papacy has steered the Church through many trying periods. Twentieth-century popes had to confront world wars, revolutions and revolts against religion.
During the long and grace-filled reign of Pope John Paul II, one cardinal in particular assisted the great Slavic successor to St. Peter. This cardinal’s name was Joseph Ratzinger, and Claire Mohan has written a sensitive account of his life for children. It is entitled, "Joseph from Germany."
On April 16th, 1927, a baby boy was born to Joseph and Maria Ratzinger. His father bundled him up in a blanket and took the baby to the village church for baptism. Given the name Joseph Aloysius Ratzinger, the infant was quickly baptized on that same day. During the next few years, Joseph grew up in a pious and loving family. He had an older sister named Maria and an older brother named Georg. The family was deeply devoted to prayer and the Catholic Faith. This nurtured a deep love for God in all three Ratzinger children.
But the happy, peaceful days of childhood ended when Adolph Hitler gained power in Germany. Now all Germans were taught to look at Hitler for guidance instead of God. Mr. Ratzinger found this situation to be intolerable and moved his family into a rural setting, farther away from the insanity of National Socialism, as the Nazi philosophy was named. No member of the Ratzinger family supported the Nazis.
This isolation in the country for some time worked, but eventually World War II erupted and both of the young Ratzingers were drafted into the German Army. At the end of the war, both brothers returned home and entered the seminary and were later ordained on the same day.
Happily for Father Joseph, his first assignment was in a parish. There he brought the sacraments to the sick, said Mass and happily performed the duties of a parish priest. But the Holy Spirit had other plans for Father Joseph, and he was asked to begin a doctoral program in theology. His path toward becoming a holy priest and an intellectual giant had begun.
What happened to Father Ratzinger during these years? How did his brilliance lead to his becoming a theological expert at Vatican II? Why did his spiritual and intellectual qualities lead to his becoming a cardinal? Why did Pope John Paul II have such trust in Cardinal Ratzinger? How did all of these life experiences prepare him to become Pope Benedict XVI? To find out read this wonderful biography, "Joseph from Germany," by Claire Jordan Mohan.
This is a beautifully-told story of the life of Pope Benedict XVI. The writing draws you into the life of Father Ratzinger, and tells of his elevation to Archbishop, Cardinal and finally to the papal office. I found the book interesting and informative.
