The Last of the Giants?

The Last of the Giants? | Carl E. Olson | Catholic World Report


It is too early to judge the pontificate of Benedict XVI, but Joseph Ratzinger's brilliance and holiness cannot be denied.

“Church as ours and ours alone is a
pointless game in a sandbox.” — Fr. Joseph Ratzinger, 1970

This morning, as I watched live video of Pope Benedict XVI
flying from the Vatican to the Castel Gandolfo, I felt, for the first time
really, a deep sense of sadness. As the Holy Father stepped from the
helicopter, his fatigue and frailty appeared quite obvious, even while his gaze
seemed as focused and intent as ever. Then, a few moments later, he appeared on
the balcony to make his final, brief address as pontiff.

“You know that today is different from others”, he said, “as
of eight pm I will no longer be the Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church. I
will simply be a pilgrim who is beginning the last part of his pilgrimage on
earth.” Those familiar with the writings Joseph Ratzinger/Benedict XVI will
recall the collection of his essays, Pilgrim Fellowship of Faith: The Church
as Communion (Ignatius Press, 2005),
presented to Cardinal Ratzinger on the occasion of his 75th
birthday. The title and subtitle captures, in just eight words, an essential
focus of the thought and work of Ratzinger. In his final general audience,
given two days ago, Benedict thanked those who had written him notes in recent
weeks, reflecting on the meaning of those gestures of love and support:

In this you can touch what the
Church is—not an organization, not an association for religious or humanitarian
ends, but a living body, a communion of brothers and sisters in the Body of
Jesus Christ who unites us all. Experiencing the Church in this way and being
able to almost touch with our hands the strength of His truth and His love is a
reason for joy at a time when many are speaking of its decline. See how the
Church is alive today!

That passage came to mind as I watched the FOX broadcast of
events at the Vatican and Castel Gandolfo. One of the reporters, who was
obviously a Catholic, was asked a question about the heart of the Catholic
Faith: what is it? She referenced the Church’s rich intellectual tradition and
the Church’s stand for human rights, but she never mentioned the person of Jesus
Christ. This stood out to me because Benedict himself, since announcing his
resignation, has spoken several times about the relationship between Jesus
Christ and his Church, a relationship that is all about a communion of life and
love.

Perhaps the best example of this can be found in his lengthy
and fascinating address to priests and clergy on February 14th,
a talk that might be described as a papal history of Vatican II:

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