The Joseph Ratzinger-Benedict XVI Vatican Foundation has announced a series of initiatives across several continents to mark the centenary of Pope Benedict XVI’s birth. Source: OSV News.
In a statement on Tuesday announcing the yearlong events, the foundation said events are set to take place in Europe (Austria, France, Italy, Spain, Hungary), Asia (India), South America (Colombia), North America (United States) and Africa (Kenya) before the centenary of the late pope’s birthday on April 16, 2027.
The events, it said, which include various lecture series and symposiums, aim to commemorate and explore “the figure and thought of Joseph Ratzinger”.
To prepare for the upcoming centenary, the foundation established a committee, composed of scholars from around the world, to promote research, publications and cultural initiatives inspired by Benedict’s work. It also aims to involve younger generations in exploring the late pontiff’s legacy.
Fr Roberto Regoli, president of the Ratzinger Foundation and the Centenary Committee, said the initiatives are not only meant to “reintroduce” the late pontiff’s thoughts about the Catholic Church and society, but to also show that his teachings “can contribute to today’s culture: to ecclesial and cultural debates and to society today”.
“All the initiatives look to the past, to Ratzinger’s thought, but they want to take it up again not in a merely preservative way, but in dialogue with today’s problems and debates because, ultimately, Ratzinger’s thought is still relevant,” Fr Regoli said.
Founded in 2010, the Joseph Ratzinger-Benedict XVI Vatican Foundation was established to promote theological study and support scholarly work related to Pope Benedict’s writings, including through conferences and the annual Ratzinger Prize, which recognises contributions to theology.
Fr Regoli said that in presenting Christianity, Pope Benedict had a “Christological approach that runs through all theological questions”.
Placing “everything in the light of the encounter with Christ,” particularly one’s personal experience, he explained, makes his writings and teachings “easily understandable for younger generations”.
According to the foundation, the centenary initiatives will continue through 2026, culminating in 2027, the anniversary year, when further commemorations are expected.
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Vatican foundation announces global events to honor Benedict XVI ahead of 2027 centenary (By Junno Arocho Esteves, OSV News)
