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Signs of New Life

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At life's many crossroads, the Sacraments of the Church continually bring people into contact with the saving work of God: Baptism, Confirmation, Confession, Holy Eucharist, Matrimony Holy Orders, Anointing of the Sick.

The celebrations of the Church always offer an opportunity to announce the faith and deepen our understanding of it. Signs of New Life gathers a selection of fourteen homilies by Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI) on each of the Seven Sacraments, as well as an additional two texts on the theme of the Church more broadly.

Ratzinger endeavored as a theologian to develop an understanding of the Sacraments in new ways and to make fruitful the participation of others in the celebration of them. Many of his homilies refer to individual Sacraments and connect them with a profound interpretation of Scripture and of the Christ event. The Scriptural passages interpreted in each homily are listed at the start, so that this volume can also be used for Scriptural meditation and spiritual reading.

This book is intended to help us grasp more profoundly the essence of the Church and to aid us in celebrating and proclaiming the Sacraments as that which they truly are: signs of the new life in Christ.

139 pages, Paperback

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About the author

Pope Benedict XVI

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Originally Joseph Ratzinger , a noted conservative theologian before his election in 2005, Benedict XVI strove against the influence of secularism during his papacy to defend traditional Catholic teachings but since medieval times first resigned in 2013.

After Joseph Ratzinger served a long career as an academic and a professor at the University of Regensburg, Pope Paul VI appointed him as archbishop of Munich and Freising and cardinal in 1977. In 1981, he settled in Rome as prefect of the congregation for the doctrine of the faith, one most important office of the Roman curia. He also served as dean of the college of cardinals.

Benedict XVI reigned 265th in virtue of his office of bishop of Rome, the sovereign of the state of Vatican City and the head of the Church. A conclave named him on 19 April 2005; he celebrated his inaugural Mass on 24 April 2005 and took possession of his Lateran cathedral basilica of Saint John on 7 May 2005.

Benedict XVI succeeded Saint John Paul II, predecessor and his prolific writings on doctrine and values. Benedict XVI advocated a return to fundamental Christian values to counter the increase of many developed countries. Relativism denied objective truth and moral truths in particular; he viewed this central problem of the 21st century. With the importance of the Church, he understood redemptive love of God. He reaffirmed the "importance of prayer in the face of the activism" "of many Christians engaged in charitable work." Benedict also revived a number and elevated the Tridentine Mass to a more prominent position.

Benedict founded and patronized of the Ratzinger foundation, a charitable organization, which from the sale of books and essays makes money to fund scholarships and bursaries for students across the world.

Due to advanced age on 11 February 2013, Benedict announced in a speech in Latin and cited a "lack of strength of mind and body" before the cardinals. He effectively left on 28 February 2013.As emeritus, Benedict retained the style of His Holiness, and the title and continued to dress in the color of white. He moved into the newly renovated monastery of Mater Ecclesiae for his retirement. Pope Francis succeeded him on 13 March 2013.

(more info on Ratzinger Foundation: https://www.ewtn.com/library/Theology...)

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