Vatican City, Jan 17, 2020 \/ 03:00 pm (CNA).- Cardinal Robert Sarah has met with Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI to discuss the controversy following around their recently-published book "From the Depths of Our Hearts,\u201d and insisted that there is no ill feeling between the two.
The book, presented as a co-authored work by the two, is subtitled \u201cPriesthood, Celibacy, and the Crisis of the Catholic Church.\u201d Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI\u2019s contributions have been the subject of controversy since the book was announced on Sunday, and conflicting statements on the extent of the pope emeritus\u2019s involvement in the project have been released over the last week.
Sarah, prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, issued a series of statements via Twitter on Friday, saying that his meeting with the former pope went well.
\u201cBecause of the incessant, nauseating and deceptive controversies that have never stopped since the beginning of the week, concerning the book From the Depths of Our Hearts, I met Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI this evening,\u201d said Sarah.
The tweets were published in French and signed \u201c-RS.\u201d
\u201cWith Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, we have seen how there is no misunderstanding between us,\u201d said Sarah. \u201cI came out very happy, full of peace and courage from this beautiful interview.\u201d
Sarah encouraged people to read and reflect on the book, and thanked his editor and his publisher, \u201cfor the thoroughness, probity, seriousness, and professionalism which they have shown,\u201d and added \u201cexcellent reading to all!\u201d
The book contains a chapter credited to Benedict, a chapter credited to Sarah, and an introduction and conclusion, which have been attributed to the two men jointly.
On Jan. 14, Benedict\u2019s private secretary, Archbishop Georg Ganswein, said the former pontiff was not informed he would be presented as co-author of the book and had not seen its cover, adding that Benedict has asked for his name and photo to be removed from the cover.
Ganswein affirmed that Benedict had written the chapter attributed to him, and gave permission for it to appear in a book, but said that Benedict had not actually co-authored the introduction and conclusion attributed to him. Ganswein also communicated the request that Benedict\u2019s name be removed as co-author of the book and he instead be listed as a contributor.
Despite the request from Ganswein, Ignatius Press–who will be publishing the English-languge edition in February–stated that they would not be altering the cover and both would be credited as co-authors.
The publisher told CNA that critics suggesting that the pope emeritus did not co-author the book, or authorize its publication, are wrong.
\u201cAre these people really implying that Cardinal Sarah is involved in a conspiracy to distort the truth?\u201d Father Joseph Fessio, SJ, editor-in-chief of Ignatius Press, asked Jan. 13.
\u201cIf Cardinal Sarah is telling [Ignatius Press] that the chapters from Pope Benedict are from Pope Benedict, we take his word for it,\u201d Fessio said, adding that the publisher stands by its attribution of the book to both Sarah and Benedict.
The publisher\u2019s statement followed a Jan 14. release from Sarah, who said that he had in October proposed a jointly authored book to Benedict, and that after the two corresponded over the matter, he sent on Nov. 19 \u201ca complete manuscript to the pope emeritus containing, as we had mutually decided, the cover, a common introduction and conclusion, the chapter of Benedict XVI, and my own chapter.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Vatican City, Jan 17, 2020 \/ 03:00 pm (CNA).- Cardinal Robert Sarah has met with Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI to discuss the controversy following around their recently-published book “From the Depths of Our Hearts,\u201d and insisted that there is no ill feeling between the two.
\nThe book, presented as a co-authored work by the two, is subtitled \u201cPriesthood, Celibacy, and the Crisis of the Catholic Church.\u201d Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI\u2019s contributions have been the subject of controversy since the book was announced on Sunday, and conflicting statements on the extent of the pope emeritus\u2019s involvement in the project have been released over the last week.
\nSarah, prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, issued a series of statements via Twitter on Friday, saying that his meeting with the former pope went well.
\n\u201cBecause of the incessant, nauseating and deceptive controversies that have never stopped since the beginning of the week, concerning the book F..<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[83],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n