Pope Benedict XVI Book

"The Pope is not only the living guarantor of his own office but also of the unity of the whole Catholic Church. Joseph Ratzinger was, for almost all of John Paul II's papacy, the next most influential figure in the Catholic Church. Experienced, and with a formidable intellect, it is entirely right that he should now serve the Church as Pope, a man trusted and pre-eminent among the Cardinals." "Benedict XVI is yet to be fully understood: as Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of The Faith in Rome, he has worked mainly behind closed doors." "Who is Benedict - man and spirit? There have already been studies of Joseph Ratzinger - either of his thought or his life - but no one has yet explained how the two are really one. This book does exactly that - showing the man and opening up his thought in clear and lucid terms for readers to judge for themselves this enigmatic and exciting new figure on the world scene." Laurence Hemming has been a student of Ratzinger's thought for some years. He has observed the papacy and the events leading up to the election of the present Pope meticulously. He has written a portrait of The Holy Father to make this highly intellectual man accessible to a wide audience.