Father Benedict
by James Day, Sophia Institute Press, £14.50
It is difficult, and sometimes seemingly impossible, to assess someone’s legacy within only a few years of their death. Pope St John Paul II died more than 10 years ago, and there is still endless debate about the efficacy of his policies, the role he played in countless ecclesial and global issues, and the impact that his writings and teachings have had on the Church and world as a whole.
It certainly is even harder to examine one’s legacy while they are still alive. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI is a controversial figure, and has been so ever since his days as Prefect of the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith. Benedict is still alive, thanks be to God, but his Church-shaking decision to renounce the Petrine ministry in February 2013 effectively ended his public life, and immediately inspired efforts to assess and examine the legacy of this great man of the Church.
