Book-Length Interview with Benedict XVI Published

The book “Light of the World. The Pope, the Church and the Signs of the Times - a conversation of Benedict XVI with Peter Seewald” was launched today at the Vatican. It’s a fascinating and unprecedented series of interviews with a pope, recorded during six one hour sessions in the last week of July at the Holy Father’s summer residence in Castel Gandolfo.

The Holy Father is asked many challenging questions, more of course than just the AIDS/condom controversy. What is particularly remarkable - though unsurprising to those who know the Pope - is that he spoke fluidly about almost every issue that was thrown at him (only a few were too complex to deal with in an interview) and that he changed only “very little” of the final text.

Seewald, a German journalist who interviewed Joseph Ratzinger twice for similar books when he was a cardinal, speaks warmly of the Pope in this short interview I had with him last week. A former Communist, he credits the Pope for bringing him back to the Church after their earlier conversations.

- The VIS summary of the book launch.
- The website for the book.