The Legacy of John Paul II: Images & Memories

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1 October 14, 2005 Dear Editor, Reporter, News Director or Producer: The Legacy of John Paul II: Images & Memories is one of those singular chronologies that helps summarize an era. More than 100 pages of photos of Pope John Paul II s epoch-making pontificate are synthesized with personalized commentary by Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI. The candid papal photos were taken by Vatican photographer, Giancarlo Giuliani, and show the progression of John Paul II from vigorous, evangelizing world traveler to impaired yet everevangelizing older man. Whether with political figures such President Reagan and Solidarity Leader Lech Walesa or hugging a small child, John Paul II shines forth as a deeply original, warm and courageous man one who at his death prompted calls of Santo Subito! or Sainthood now! The book s ongoing commentary by John Paul II s close friend and successor, Pope Benedict XVI, creates a marvelous profile of the late Pope. And it presents a unique personal as well as spiritual context for observing their longtime friendship and association. A book for the popular reader as well as the student of history and the Catholic Church, it unites these two great spiritual leaders in one powerful, deeply moving volume. None of us will ever forget how in that last Easter Sunday of his life, the Holy Father came once more to the window of the Apostolic Palace and one last time gave his blessing urbi et orbi, said Cardinal Ratzinger in his funeral homily for the late Pope (which is likewise included in the book). We can be sure that our beloved Pope is standing today at the window of the Father s house, that he sees us and blesses us. Your audience will surely enjoy coverage of this unparalleled photo-biography by Pope Benedict XVI as a tribute to his dear friend and closest associate, the late John Paul II. Contact me if you would like to schedule an interview with Fr. Joseph Fessio, S.J. also a close friend of Pope Benedict XVI and who can elaborate on the unique friendship and working relationship of the two Popes. Yours very sincerely, Christine Valentine-Owsik President Valentine Communications For: Ignatius Press valencom@aol.com

2 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Christine Valentine-Owsik Valentine Communications For: Ignatius Press Exclusive collection of Pope Benedict XVI s memories and photo-biography on late John Paul II just released by Ignatius Press SAN FRANCISCO, October 14, 2005 The friendship of Pope John Paul II and his successor Pope Benedict XVI may well be recorded as one of the great partnerships of faith and human brotherhood in world history. Ignatius Press now releases exclusively in English the glorious, hardcover photo-biography in which Pope Benedict pays personal tribute to his predecessor and dear friend, John Paul II. The Legacy of John Paul II: Images & Memories (Ignatius Press, $19.95) by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI) presents more than 100 pages of photographs many never-before seen by the world by Vatican photographer Giancarlo Giuliani. Ratzinger likewise shares his many personal experiences and insights about the pontificate that changed the world. One looks hard in the history of the Catholic Church to find a partnership so consequential for the faith and for the world as the partnership of Karol Wotjyla, Pope John Paul II, and Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, writes George Weigel, author of the definitive biography of John Paul II, Witness to Hope: The Biography of John Paul II. Pope Benedict s tribute to his extraordinary predecessor is both testimony and pledge: a testimony to the depth of human brotherhood that friendship with Christ makes possible, and a pledge to continue, extend, and deepen the witness of the Office of Peter, Weigel writes. The Legacy of John Paul II also includes John Paul II s speech at the end of the millennium. Be Not Afraid, John Paul II said. When, on October 22, 1978, I said these words in Saint Peter s Square, I could not fully realize how far they would take me and the entire Church. In this book, we travel with the pope through nearly three decades. Photos include those of a nearly assassinated pope in St. Peter s Square, pictures of John Paul II with Solidarity Leader Lech Walesa, with President Reagan, with Ratzinger, hugging children,

3 saying Mass in Africa, in Germany, praying alone, and finally his funeral among so many more. Everyone knows John Paul II: his face, his characteristic way of moving and of speaking; his immersion in prayer and his spontaneous cheerfulness, Ratzinger writes. At his death, people everywhere realized how much the world loved and still loves Pope John Paul II. The Legacy of John Paul II: Images & Memories chronicles in photos nearly three amazing decades in the life of one of history s greatest figures, and through the unique words of his dear friend, Pope Benedict XVI the closest Vatican prelate to John Paul II for over 25 years. It provides moving and inspirational insights into the man many people knew as John Paul the Great. ### San Francisco-based Ignatius Press, founded in 1978, is one of the largest Catholic publishers in the U.S. Ignatius Press is the primary publisher of Pope Benedict XVI s books in the U.S. It is likewise dedicated to publishing and distributing genuine information on the Catholic faith, and publishes over 40 books each year (with over 900 titles in print). Its author-roster includes some of the foremost names in the Catholic Church. Ignatius is also the publisher of Catholic World Report and Homiletic & Pastoral Review magazines. Ordering can be done through: or by calling:

4 Pope Benedict XVI [formerly Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger] April 19th, 2005: Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger was elected as 265th pope. He took the name Benedict XVI. As Pope John Paul II's chief doctrinal officer and key advisor, Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger was the Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith from 1981 to He has been the most revered prelate, scholar, theologian, teacher and Catholic author of our time, under Pope John Paul II having spoken on everything from sexual consumerism, private revelation and the "crisis of faith," to human rights, roles of men and women today, marriage, the priesthood, and the future of the world. Yet, the depth, candor and humble servitude of Pope Benedict XVI will likely be his lasting hallmark. Ratzinger was born in Germany (Bavaria) on Holy Saturday, April 16, 1927, and baptized that same day. He has said of his early baptism, "To be the first person baptized with the new water was seen as a significant act of Providence. I have always been filled with thanksgiving for having had my life immersed in this way in the Easter Mystery ". His father worked as a rural policeman, which kept his family continually moving from town to town. In his memoirs about his early life (prior to his appointment as Archbishop of Munich), Milestones: Memoirs (Ignatius, 1999), Ratzinger depicts his family life as quite happy. Family and Church were, for him, inseparable - and he clearly saw Hitler and the Third Reich as the enemy to both. He has said of his father, " He saw that a victory of Hitler would not be a victory for Germany but a victory of the Antichrist ". Following his father's retirement while Joseph Ratzinger was a teenager, the younger Ratzinger initiated study of classical languages, and in 1939, entered the minor seminary in Traunstein. In 1943 while still in seminary, he was drafted at age 16 into the German anti-aircraft corps. (Though he was opposed to the Nazis, he was forced to join at a young age.) Ratzinger then trained in the German infantry, but a subsequent illness precluded him from the usual rigors of military duty. As the Allied front drew closer to his post in 1945, he escaped from the Nazis and returned to his family's home in Traunstein, just as American troops established their headquarters in the Ratzinger household. As a German soldier, he was put in a POW camp but was released a few months later at the end of the War in summer He re-entered the seminary, along with his brother Georg, in November of that year. Ratzinger and his brother Georg were ordained to the priesthood on June 29, 1951, in the Cathedral of Freising on the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul. He received his doctorate in theology in 1953 from the University of Munich. Beginning in 1959, he taught theology at the University of Bonn. Ratzinger became more widely known when, during the Second Vatican Council and at the age of 35, he was appointed chief theological advisor for the Archbishop of Cologne, Cardinal Joseph Frings, for the four-year duration of the Council. After continuing his teaching at several German universities, Ratzinger was appointed by Pope Paul VI in March 1977 as Archbishop of Munich and Freising. In June 1977, he was elevated to Cardinal.

5 Pope John Paul II summoned Cardinal Ratzinger to Rome in November 1981, and named him Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, President of the Pontifical Biblical Commission, and President of the International Theological Commission. He has published several best-selling books which clarify faith practice and Catholic doctrine for today's Catholic and Christian: The Ratzinger Report (1985); Salt of the Earth (1996); The Spirit of the Liturgy (2000); God and the World (2002), and the recently published God Is Near Us: The Eucharist, The Heart of Life (2003). Additionally, he worked with some 40 collaborators and over a thousand bishops to produce the 900+ page Catechism of the Catholic Church. Ratzinger had worked more closely with Pope John Paul II than perhaps anyone else. On Tuesdays, Ratzinger and members of the Congregation would meet with the Pope for an hourand-a-half lunch meeting. Then Ratzinger would meet alone with the Pope every Friday evening to discuss critical problems facing the Church and the deliberations of the Congregation. "Then the Pope decides," Ratzinger would say. Now as the 265 th pope, he decides. Ratzinger has wielded spiritual influence and worldwide respect even from those who don't hold to the Catholic faith. As papal biographer for John Paul II, George Weigel, has said, " not even his [Ratzinger's] implacable enemies ever questioned Joseph Ratzinger's erudition: his encyclopedic knowledge of theology; his command of biblical, patristic, scholastic, and contemporary sources; his elegance as a thinker and writer." Books by Pope Benedict XVI (Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger) published by Ignatius Press: - Behold the Pierced One - Called to Communion: Understanding the Church Today - Co-Workers of the Truth: Meditations for Every Day of the Year - Daughter Zion: Meditations on the Church s Marian Belief - The Feast of Faith - God and the World: Believing and Living in Our Times - God Is Near Us: The Eucharist, the Heart of Life - Gospel, Catechism and Catechesis - Introduction to Christianity - Introduction to the Catechism of the Catholic Church - Mary: The Church at the Source - Many Religions, One Covenant - Meaning of Christian Brotherhood - Milestones: Nature and Mission of Theology - On The Way To Jesus Christ - Pilgrim Fellowship of Faith: The Church as Communion - Principles of Christian Morality (co-author) - Principles of Catholic Theology - The Ratzinger Report - Salt of the Earth - The Legacy of John Paul II - The Spirit of the Liturgy - Truth and Tolerance: Christian Belief and World Religions

6 Contact: Christine Valentine-Owsik Valentine Communications For: Ignatius Press The Legacy of John Paul II: Images & Memories Product Fact Sheet Author: Pope Benedict XVI [formerly Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger] Photos by Giancarlo Guiliani Length: 120 pages Color Photography: over 100 pages Publisher: Ignatius Press Release Date: October 2005 Price: $ x 10 Sewn Hardcover ISBN #: Order: Description: In this glorious photo-biography, Pope Benedict XVI pays tribute to his predecessor, mentor, and dear friend, the late Pope John Paul II. As Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, he was the closest Vatican prelate to John Paul II working together with him for almost 25 years. At John Paul II s funeral, the world saw Cardinal Ratzinger speak so profoundly and eloquently about his dear friend, then again at the Mass preceding the Papal Conclave which would ultimately elect Ratzinger as John Paul s successor. This book not only unites the two spiritual leaders in one powerful and deeply moving volume, it presents many striking and poignant, never-before-seen moments of John Paul II as he traversed the globe and evangelized like no other pope in history. Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI) has written over 22 books available exclusively from Ignatius Press. To learn more about his other titles, visit our special website: ###

7 New from Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI) The Legacy of John Paul ll images & memories Below: Sample photos from The Legacy of John Paul II This is a glorious volume from the new Pope Benedict XVI, who pays trubute to his predecessor, mentor and close friend, Pope John Paul II. As Cardinal Ratzinger he was the closest Vatican prelate to John Paul II, working together with him for almost 25 years in the Vatican. When John Paul died, the world saw Cardinal Ratzinger speak so beautifully and eloquently at the pope's funeral, then at the Mass preceeding the Papal Conclave. Then the College of Cardinals quickly elected Ratzinger as John Paul's successor. This book unites these two great spiritual leaders in one powerful, deeply moving volume, complete with over 100 truly inspiring, unique photos by Vatican photographer Giancarlo Giuliani (many never before published) of many striking and poignant moments of the pontificate of John Paul II as he traveled around the world. Ratzinger shares his many personal experiences and insights about the man who changed the world, "John Paul the Great" pages, 7 x 10 Hardcover, $19.95 A Pole and a German; a philosopher and a theologian; a great public personality and a shy scholar; a close collaboration and a deep spiritual friendship one looks hard in the history of the Catholic Church to find a partnership so consequential for the faith and for the world as the partnership of Karol Wojtyla, Pope John Paul II, and Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI. Both men sacrificed the lives they loved for an office and a service they did not seek. Both did so out of the greatness of their souls and the depth of their faith. Pope Benedict s tribute to his extraordinary predecessor is both testimony and pledge: a testimony to the depth of human brotherhood that friendship with Christ makes possible, and a pledge to continue, extend, and deepen the witness of the Office of Peter. George Weigel Author, Witness to Hope: The Biography of Pope John Paul II P.O. Box 1339 Ft. Collins, CO