Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

The Divine Wedgie

Home
Catholic
Pontifical Sass: More Little Surprises from Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI

Pontifical Sass: More Little Surprises from Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI

Last updated on: December 16, 2016 at 7:25 am by Matthew Tan

Pontifical Sass: More Little Surprises from Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI 2016-12-16T07:25:11+10:00 Matthew Tan

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Source: Wikimedia Commons

This is a follow up from a post last week, showing some of the little highlights from what appears to be the last interview between the German journalist Peter Seewald and Pope Emertis Benedict XVI in Last Testament. The first post, which focused on the first half of the book, identified a selection of surprising little observations from the former Pontiff on a number of issues.

One other pleasant aspect of reading this book, especially when one approaches the second half, has been the little displays of wit and sometimes attitude – what can be summed up as “Pontifical Sass” – both by him and his predecessor. Below are a few selections

1) On Johann Baptist Metz

Seewald: I think your one-time colleague Johann Baptist Metz told me.

Benedict: Ah, interesting. You spoke with Metz (Benedict had never spoken with him)

Seewald: Yes

Benedict: And was it good?

2) On the sass of St. John Paul II

Seewald: And for the third time (ie the third time that then Joseph Ratzinger asked to be dismissed from the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith after suffering a stroke in 1991)?

Benedict: Before I could ask him about it he already said: ‘You don’t need to tell me, you don’t need to write to me, saying that you want to be set free; it will not be heard. As long as I am here, you must stay’.

3) Concerning his appearance due to his workload

Seewald: The first times we saw you, you often had rings under your eyes

Benedict: So?

4) On taking action on the Liturgy

Seewald: As Prefect you complained about an impoverishment and a misuse of the liturgy…If so, why has so little happened in this area? You certainly had all the authority to do something

Benedict: Institutionally and juridically one cannot do much at all. What is important is that an inward vision emerges, and that people learn what liturgy is from seeing inwardly – learn what it really means. That is why I have just written books. Unfortunately, there are still, in today’s confined spaces, certain groups of supposed experts who absolutize their theories and do not see what the essential thing is…But one cannot just command that.

Seewald: One thinks a Pope has the authority; he can put his foot down

Benedict: No.

Seewald: It won’t work?

Benedict: It won’t work, no!

Previous Post

December 6, 2016

The Little Surprises of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI

Next Post

December 21, 2016 Soulless Incisions in the Frantic Pursuit of ‘Now’

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category architecture art Augustine Belloc Benedict XVI bible blogs books bourgeois Christianity Campion College Chesterton Christianisation Church and Culture Church Fathers citizen conference conservative consumer culture cybernetics Desert Fathers discipleship distributism drinking ecclesiology economics education environment Evagrius of Pontus formation Foucault George Weigel Girard Graham Ward http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post interfaith Jacques Ellul John Chrysostom Julia Kristeva Latin liturgy mall marriage monasticism Music Narrative news philosophy polis politics pop culture postmodern city postsecular prayer prostestant quote Quotes Radical Orthodoxy resources Rome Rule of St. Benedict saint Saints secular sociology theological anthropology theology transcendance Uncategorized videos William Cavanaugh

Select a Month December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 October 2009 February 2008 December 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

According to Jesus, who will inherit the earth?

Select your answer to see how you score.

The rich The wise The strong The meek