God and the world: believing and living in our time. (Book Review).

Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, God and the world: believing and living in our time, Ignatius Press, San Francisco, 2002, pp. 460, $31.50 (Cdn)

In recent years Cardinal Ratzinger has granted two interviews for publication, the first with an Italian journalist, and the second with a German journalist, Peter Seewald. This new book records a third interview, again with Peter Seewald. It consists of questions and answers, each pair of them averaging about a page in length. The Cardinal and the journalist spent three days at the Benedictine Abbey at Monte Cassino, in Central Italy. After the interview the Cardinal tidied up a few things he had said but, for the most part, left the answers as they were. The questions range over the whole area of Catholic theology. They are arranged under the following chief headings: faith, hope, and love; God; creation; order in creation; the two Testaments; the Law; love; Jesus Christ; revelation; the Light; the Way; the Truth; life; the Mother of God; the Cross; the Church; the Spirit; spiritual gifts; the Sacraments; and the future. There are few theologians who could deal competently with all these matters in three d ays. The question-and-answer format is a good one, more interesting, I think, than a monologue would have been.

As was true of the first two interviews, this one is not only very readable but also fascinating. The opportunity to quiz the Prefect of the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, who is perhaps as well informed on all the affairs of the Church as is the Pope, is a rare privilege. In the case of nearly every answer one finds sound instruction and unexpected comments. Since the questions run the whole gamut of Catholic faith and practice, all readers will find many matters of special interest to them.

I might mention one series of questions and replies which will be of vital concern to every reader. It concerns the future of the Church, which is treated in the book's last twenty pages. The questioner quotes the Cardinal's earlier words: "The Church will become small, and will to a great extent have to start over again. But, after a time of testing, an internalized and simplified Church will radiate great power and influence; for the population of an entirely planned and controlled world are going to be inexpressibly lonely... and they will then discover the little community of believers as something quite new. As a hope that is there for them, as the answer they have always been secretly asking for." The Cardinal then outlines his vision of the future.