On November 30, the Ratzinger Award ceremony was held in the Apostolic Palace of the Vatican. This year it was awarded to the theologian Pablo Blanco Sarto and the philosopher Francesc Toralba Rozeglio.
Inese Steinert – Vatican
The Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, when presenting the award, noted that the legacy left by Pope Benedict XVI is “to fly high with two open wings of mind and faith – always with humility, invested effort and perseverance”. It is a living legacy that, in the words of the cardinal, “will bear fruit in the future path of the Church”.
The 2023 Ratzinger Prize is the first to be awarded posthumously. He was a “shepherd and teacher of the faith”, “a bright and courageous model of dialogue”, said Cardinal Parolin, recalling the magisterium of the pope and great theologian, which was “characterized by the awareness of the cultural and spiritual situations of the world, as well as the tension between peoples and between man and creation”.
The Vatican Secretary of State highlighted the themes and issues addressed in the teaching of Benedict XVI, in particular the encyclical “Caritas in Veritate” and the influence of his teaching on Francis’ “Laudato si” and “Fratelli tutti”. The cardinal said it was in “strong continuity” with Francis’ teaching.
The teacher of the prize also reminded that Benedict XVI had to fight against the sexual abuse of some members of the clergy throughout his pontificate, the severity of which he experienced while still being prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. “He suffered internally and at the same time treated the victims with humble respect, leading the Church on the path of hearing, justice, conversion and prevention,” said Cardinal Parolin. On the other hand, he called Benedict XVI’s resignation gesture “an amazing synthesis, which combines a clear and well-thought-out vision of the situation, responsibility in fulfilling the duties of office and humility before God and people”.
The recipients of the 2023 Ratzinger Prize – the Spaniards Pablo Blanco Sarto and Francesc Toralba Roselho – have earned it for special merits in research work and scientific journalism. Pablo Blanco Sarto is a theologian from the University of Navarra. In 2011, he published the volume Ratzinger’s Theology. After reading it, Cardinal Louis Ladaria, Prefect Emeritus of the Dicastery for the Teaching of the Faith, said: “One look is enough to get an idea of the breadth of Ratzinger’s thought. Beauty, liturgy, Church, person, faith, love, service, Mary, Jesus Christ.”
“If he was the Mozart of theology, I think I have heard this music,” said Professor Blanco Sarto at the award ceremony. “What struck me was the vital, existential and hermeneutic dimension of his thought, together with realism and a completely accessible language”.
The second recipient of the Ratzinger Prize, the philosopher Francesc Toralba Rozeglio, is a professor at the Ramon Lulla University of Barcelona. He noted that the theologian Ratzinger had expanded the modern understanding of the mind by adding to it the measure of unconditional gift. The mind, according to him, cannot be reduced to what is measurable and experimental. Faith and reason are essential to building the future.
The director of the Ratzinger Prize Foundation, Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi noted at the award ceremony that Joseph Ratzinger never thought of creating his own philosophical system or school, but taught to search and find the truth with the power of reason and the light of faith, always maintaining openness in the dialogue between people, disciplines and the great religious traditions. “In such a dramatic time in which we live,” continued Father Lombardi, “the very dignity of man and the meaning of his life and existence in the world to come are fundamentally tested” and Pope Ratzinger in this sense “was well aware of the risks associated with the course of humanity , as well as with the mission of the Church in its salvation. He guides us to humbly and courageously enter a deeper level to find and rediscover stable and integral fulcrums.”
The recipients of the Ratzinger Prize, Pablo Blanco Sarto and Francesco Toralba Rozeglio, together with representatives of the foundation named after him, visited the Vatican Grottoes on the day of the ceremony, where they agreed to pray at the tomb of Pope Benedict XVI. “We prayed together to the Lord to reward him for his service and for his spiritual and cultural heritage to continue to bear valuable fruit for the Church, for us and for all of humanity,” said Father Lombardi. “We think that we have a duty to preserve the living and inspiring presence of this great teacher and shepherd of ours, not only in cultural reflections, but also in spiritual communion and prayer.”
On November 29, the recipients of the Ratzinger Prize participated in a conference dedicated to the legacy of Benedict XVI at the Pontifical Gregorian University. On November 30, Pope Francis received them in audience. Next spring, the conference with the participation of Pablo Blanco Sarto and Francesca Toralba Rosellho will be hosted by the De Nicola Center of the University of Notre Dame in the state of Indiana, USA. It is one of the universities cooperating with the Ratzinger Foundation.
2023-12-02 16:39:17
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