Former pope Benedict XVI accuses opponents of wanting to “silence” him while associating gay marriage with “the Antichrist” and attacking “humanist ideologies” in a new authorized biography published in Germany.
The 93-year-old, whose original name is Joseph Ratzinger, claims in “Benedict XVI – A Life” that he has fallen victim to a “malignant distortion of reality” in reactions to his interventions in theological debates.
“The spectacle of reactions coming from German theology is so misguided and ill-willed that I would prefer not to speak of it,” he says.
Pope Benedict XVI blesses faithful from a balcony upon arrival in Castel Gandolfo, on February 28, 2013, before stepping down later in the day (photo credit: AFP/File Vincenzo Pinto)
The former pope — who dramatically resigned in 2013 — was especially criticized for a 2018 text that was seen as critical of the Jewish faith.
In a controversial 2018 essay published in Communio, an international theological quarterly he helped found in 1972, Benedict denied that the Catholic Church had ever embraced “supersessionism,” the belief that Christianity was to replace Judaism. At the same time he also argued the Christian interpretation of the Old Testament, the foundation text of Judaism, is the only correct one.
“I would rather not analyze the actual reasons why people want to silence my voice,” Benedict says.
— AFP
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you, David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
From the Liveblog of
Monday, May 4, 2020
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
