Introduction to Joseph Ratzinger’s Opera Omnia

Abstract

Joseph Ratzinger’s famous work Introduction to Christianity (Ratzinger 1968a, 1968b) presented the essence and central teachings of the Christian religion. In the case of the “Introduction to Joseph Ratzinger’s Opera Omnia,” it is similarly a question of identifying the essence of the theology of this contemporary Church Father. Without a doubt, what constitutes this principle is the priority of God, not only as Creator but also as Redeemer and Saviour. From this arises the second main dimension of Ratzinger’s theology, namely man as a gift and a person, who is properly realized through originating from God (Urbild) whose most perfect image (Bild) is Jesus Christ, and whose reflection (Abbild) is man. Thus, man can ultimately be fulfilled only in God, in eternal life with him. And therefore, man’s origin, justification, and fulfillment is in God. He is God’s unfolding imago: naturae, gratiae et gloriae. God’s creation is saved and transformed by Christ’s redemption. This fulfillment of God’s plan for creation is expressed in the person of Mary. To better understand the central thought of Ratzinger’s theology, the author of the text proposes eleven key issues in a certain confrontation with the Italian theologian Bruno Forte and the Polish journalist Krzysztof Tomasik.