Description
Book Synopsis''Gripping ... An exquisite conversation between two people who know each other, like each other, and have mutual respect for one another'' - Catholic TimesSince resigning from the papacy in 2013, the first Pope in over 700 years to do so, Pope Benedict has lived quietly in a convent in the Vatican gardens in Rome. He has devoted himself to a life of prayer and study and has vowed to remain silent, until now. So much controversy still surrounds Pope Benedict's time in office in this book, written with bestselling German author Peter Seewald, he addresses the issues of his papacy and reveals how, at his late age, governing and reforming the Church was beyond him.
Last Testament is also an autobiography, recalling Pope Benedict's childhood in Germany under Nazism, his early development as a priest, and eventually his appointment as Archbishop of Munich. After becoming Pope, his account deals with the controversies that rocked the Catholic world how he enraged Muslim
Table of ContentsForeword: One Last Visit PART I: THE BELLS OF ROME 1 Quiet Days in the Mater Ecclesiae 2 The Resignation 3 'I do not abandon the cross'
PART II: A LIFE IN SERVICE 4 Childhood and Parental Home 5 The War 6 Student, Curate, Lecturer 7 Theological Apprentice and Star Theologian 8 Vatican II: A Dream and a Trauma 9 Professor and Bishop 10 Prefect (Rome, 1982-2005)
PART III: THE POPE OF JESUS CHRIST 11 Suddenly Pontifex 12 Aspects of the Pontificate 13 Journeys and Encounters 14 Shortcomings and Problems
Conclusions Author's Notes Timeline
