Questions keep arising about what really happened in 2013 with the surprising "resignation" of Benedict XVI, his decision to remain on as "pope emeritus," and thus the presence of two popes living side-by-side. In this compelling work, Socci investigates the mysterious mission to which Benedict XVI has felt called in service of the Church.

According to many informed observers, the Church is in the midst of the most serious crisis it has ever undergone. More and more questions keep arising about what really happened in 2013 with the surprising “resignation” of Benedict XVI, his decision to remain on as “pope emeritus,” and thus the presence of two popes living side-by-side. Why had the papacy of Benedict XVI become a sign of contradiction? What was happening on the geopolitical level? Who supported a “revolution” within the Catholic Church? Did, in fact, Pope Benedict truly resign? These are the questions Antonio Socci tries to answer, in what can only be described as an exciting “thriller,” closely scrutinizing the facts, along with the actions and words of Benedict XVI over the past six years, and concluding that he remains pope, a fact that has as-yet-unexplored consequences. In this compelling and well-documented work, Socci investigates the mysterious mission to which Benedict XVI has felt called in service of the Church and the world. The author hypothesizes that supernatural events may lie at the root of Benedict’s choice. In this vein, the reader is directed to an ancient prophecy in need of deciphering in relation to Benedict XVI, as well as a new, unpublished account of words spoken by the Blessed Virgin Mary at Fatima, which concern not only the Church but the whole world.

A close, longtime associate of Pope Benedict presents a unique theological and personal portrait of the Pope that gives wonderful insights to both his teachings, and the man himself. This work on the new Pope important in its unique approach to the thought and person of who this Pontiff is for Christians everywhere to better understand him, his leadership and his role as the most respected spiritual teacher in the world.

Relates the life story of Joseph Ratzinger, later to be known as Pope Benedict XVI, from his birth in Germany in 1927 through his election as Pontiff in 2005, as told by his cat, Chico.

'Gripping ... An exquisite conversation between two people who know each other, like each other, and have mutual respect for one another' - Catholic Times Since 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 Muslims with his Regensburg speech, what he did and did not do to stamp out the clerical sexual abuse of children, the 'Vatileaks' scandal and how he broke up a gay cabal within the Vatican itself. At all times, we see a man who is shy and retiring and modest being exceptionally open and frank with the outside world. In this Last Testament, a unique book insofar as no other living Pope has had the opportunity to write an account having left office, Benedict gives in his own words an unprecedented view of the difficulties, the achievements and the consequences of his time as head of the Catholic Church worldwide.

An internationally acclaimed theologian and member of the Dominican Order, Matthew Fox was forbidden to teach by then-Cardinal Ratzinger in 1988 and was later dismissed from the order. His experiences make him uniquely qualified to write about Pope Benedict XVI. Fox delivers a blistering indictment of Ratzinger, from his early career to his years as chief Inquisitor, from his protection of reactionary groups like Opus Dei to his role in covering up the pedophilia crisis. But Fox also sets forth his vision for a new Catholicism--one that is truly universal and celebrates critical thinking, diversity, and justice. Author Matthew Fox appeared on Democracy Now on February 28, 2013. See the interview here: http://www.democracynow.org/2013/2/28/fascism_in_the_church_ex_priest

"What does it mean to be loyal to the Pope, if we do not consider ourselves obliged to know who the true Pope is?" "For the purpose of knowing who the true Pope is." This is what Benedict XVI: Pope "Emeritus"?, by the Master in Law of the University of Medellin, Estefanía Acosta, helps to answer, by addressing, in light of divine and ecclesiastical law, the still current (and greatest) impasse suffered by the Papacy at the gates of its bimillenial existence. A basilar and indispensable instrument for understanding Benedict XVI's declaration of resignation and Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio's election, as well as their later developments, this work, the most complete study of canon law on the subject, has as one of its great merits that of helping so that, with Saint John Bosco, the cry Long live the Pope! may resound. Certainly, a hot topic, like our times, especially for all those who in spirit and truth are interested in God, the Church and the Papacy.

Spiritual Thoughts wonderfully captures his deep spiritual and holy life and his extraordinary intelligence as expressed in the first year of his papacy and begins to unlock the mystery of who this pope will be. The short reflections from his talks, homilies, and writings presented here are prayerful, at times forceful, and always satisfying.

Noticing how often the new Pope had the topic of "joy" as the central theme of his many addresses, Murphy delved into the vast writings of the Pope, before and after his election to the papacy, and found that the theme of joy has pervaded all of his theology. Recognizing the Pope's invitation to joy as a key to understanding his basic theological vision, Murphy develops those ideas and writings in a creative way, and helps the reader to engage personally with the original and pastoral mind of Joseph Ratzinger, professor, pastor, and now Pope Benedict XVI. This joy is nothing other than the joy of the Christian faith. Indeed, the "first word of the New Testament," says Pope Benedict XVI, "is an invitation to joy." The Gospel of Jesus Christ, he insists, is not a burdensome imposition but is truly "glad tidings" for mankind. Christianity is the key to true and lasting joy, the only joy that abides in the midst of life's anxieties and difficulties. Written in a clear and engaging style, this book argues that joy is central to all of Pope Benedict's thought. All the other great themes of the Christian faith are intimately connected with it and radiate out from it. The world is in need of hearing once again the message of joy which Jesus Christ makes known. For priests, religious and laity who are concerned with presenting the Christian message in a positive, attractive and convincing way, as well as for all who wish to delve into the rich and exciting thought of Pope Benedict XVI, one of the most inspiring Christian thinkers of recent decades, this timely book will provide insight for personal reflection, preaching and teaching.

With an introduction by Pope Benedict XVI and including information previously suppressed, the Vatican’s Secretary of State, Cardinal Bertone, definitively reveals and explains one of the most controversial events in twentieth-century Catholicism—the 1917 apparition of the Virgin Mary at Fatima. During World War I, three Portuguese children received a vision in which Mary, the Mother of Jesus, foretold great global turmoil. The first part of their vision—warnings about World War II, communism, and the spread of atheism—were widely publicized, but Vatican officials were hesitant to reveal the vision’s concluding images, thus creating the "secret" of Fatima. Speculation about this secret gripped many Catholics, and the aura of intrigue surrounding Fatima grew when the Church hierarchy barred the last surviving visionary from speaking publicly. In THE LAST SECRET OF FATIMA, Cardinal Bertone, the Vatican equivalent of prime minister and a top advisor to Pope Benedict, breaks the Vatican’s official silence on the last secret. Rather than Armageddon, he claims, the final prophecy envisaged the 1981 assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II. Bertone argues the apparition at Fatima was a call to renewal for the Church, and he was assigned the task of promulgating this message by the Pope.