Catholic Ragemonkey

Home Run!

Actually, anyone the conclave would have selected would have been fine with me, but as a fellow Bavarian (in part), I can't help but be pleased. Many people have asked me what, if any, significance the Holy Father's name holds. Generally, it is common wisdom that the name indicates in whose footsteps or general plans and emphases the new Holy Father wishes to go. With that in mind, I offer you a list of Benedict XV resources so that you might gain a hint of what is to come. And there are sixteen of them for obvious reasons.

1. The Holy See - The Holy Father, Benedict XV
2. A Brief Summary of Highpoints
3. A Brief Biographical Sketch with emphasis upon Benedict XV's role in WWI
4. Wikipedia's very complete entry
5. Pope Benedict XV's Peace Proposal (I love that first line)
6. Another Good Article on Benedict XV's stance on WWI
7. Interesting Encyclical on St. Ephrem
8. Pope Benedict XV as Prophet of Peace (note who rejected the Christmas Truce overture)
9. A stirring and lyrical article as well
10. A handy resource for all the encyclicals
11. The Biographical Sketch from the Legion of St. Michael
12. Monument to Benedict XV
13. Another list of highlights with an interesting note about his connection to Fatima
14. The Litany of Peace
15. Benedict XV in context of papal succession
16. Historical Notes relating to Benedict's Papacy

I make no comments about other things one might find on these sites. The one thing I could say easily is that Benedict XV had a large world interest for being the prisoner of the Vatican that he was. Also, it bears noting (although Fr. Hamilton's Rome time trumps my next comment) that one of my seminary professors worked in the office of the CDF. I think I will have to dig up his phone number and see what the chances of getting an audience are. Okay, last thought, was it just me or did Ratzinger's comment about his precedessor, calling him the Great John Paul, sending a tingle down their spine.