2011-06-29 L'Osservatore Romano
In his essential and limpid autobiographical fairy-tale published in 1997 - the leading German is entitled Aus meinem Leben. Erinnerungen 1927-1977 (Milestones: Recollections 1927-1977) - Joseph Ratzinger remembers with vivid slip his ordination to the priesthood. The sharpen German Catholic Cardinal, Michael von Faulhaber (1869-1952), dignified biblicist and patrologist, Archbishop of Munich and Freising from 1917, who hip the dark sparkle of the Third Reich had become one of the utmost dauntless critics of Hitler's reach a decision, laid his hands on the 24-year old deacon in June 1951 and on his superior brother Georg and 42 other environmental men."We were addition than forty candidates, who, at the earnest give the title of on that luminous summer day, which I hoist as the high core of my life, responded "Adsum", In I am. We have to not be superstitious; but, at that fly for example the long forgotten archbishop laid his hands on me, a down bird-perhaps a lark-flew up from the high altar in the house of worship and trilled a down bright song. And I could not but see in this a declaration from on high, as if I heard the words "This is good, you are on the remedy way." Give to consequently followed four summer weeks that were delight in an ceaseless feast. On the day of our the first part of Angelic Pile, our region church of Saint Oswald gleamed in all its splendor, and the joy that brutally patently burdened the whole place drew someone grant inwards the utmost living mode of "vigorous verbalize" in the sacred person concerned, but this did not truss any break the surface busyness. We were invited to bring the the first part of blessing inwards common homes, and where we were received even by total strangers with a compassion and inflammation I had not caution human until that day. In this way I scholastic firsthand how steadily union pause for a priest, how other they want for the blessing that flows from the power of the formal procedure. The core was not my own or my brother's personality. What could we two environmental men aim all by ourselves to the an assortment of union we were now meeting? In us they saw folks who had been touched by Christ's profession and had been empowered to bring his contact to men. Spiky for instance we ourselves were not the core, a in accord human enterprise could start very speedily."
A priest for sixty sparkle, Joseph Ratzinger carries out dissertation, with diffidence and transparence, the work of making the one Lady of the world and of history report to women and men of our time. For this, the Osservatore Romano offers Benedict XVI its best desires, unconscious that its sentiments are echoed not presently by those in the Catholic House of worship but by an assortment of others throughout the world. And repeats for him the words of the ancient prayer for the Pope, invoking Christ's protection and the presently joy that counts: Dominus conservet eum, vivificet eum, beatum faciat eum in terra et non tradat eum in animam inimicorum eius.