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Beauty and the Priest
One of the most influential novels of the past two centuries is Fyodor Dostoevsky’s The Idiot. In that novel, there is an intriguing exchange between Ippolit, a terminally ill and […]
February 25, 2025)
Entering the Christmas Mystery with Zechariah: The Dawn from on high shall break upon us!
“In the tender compassion of our Lord, the dawn from on high shall break upon us, to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, and […]
December 29, 2024)
My Kingdom Is Not Of This World!
Friends, Whether we are aware of it or not, our earthly experience of power makes us unconsciously suspicious of titles like “King,” “Queen,” “Chief,” “Fon,” and also “President,” as the […]
November 24, 2024)
Benedict XVI’s Legacy: Unfinished Debates on Faith, Culture, and Politics de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture | Ratzinger Foundation | Bene
Sunday, April 7 5:00–7:00 p.m. Registration Check-InMorris Inn, outside Private Dining RoomsNote: Check-in will also be available Monday. 6:00-7:30 p.m. Welcome DinnerMorris Inn, Private Dining Rooms 8:00–9:15 p.m. Welcome Address: […]
April 5, 2024
Meditations on the Paschal Mystery through the Eyes of Mary (PART III: THE GREAT EASTER VIGIL)
Topic: Alleluia! Jesus our Savior, the Son of Mary, has risen! Alleluia! Today’s texts: To help us ponder the profound mysteries of this most solemn night, there are seven Old Testaments readings (Genesis […]
March 30, 2024
Meditations on the Paschal Mystery through the Eyes of Mary (PART II: Good Friday)
Topic: Christ himself was wounded for our sins! And a sword pierced your heart too, Mary! Texts for Meditation: Isaiah 52:13–53:12; Hebrews 4:14–16; 5:7–9; and John 18:1–19:42. What really is […]
March 29, 2024
Meditations on the Paschal Mystery through the Eyes of Mary (PART I: Holy Thursday)
Topic: This is my Body… this is my Blood… given up for you! Texts for Meditation: Exodus 12:1-8,11-14; 1 Cor 11:23-26; and Jn 13:1-15. Holy Thursday (evening) marks the beginning […]
March 29, 2024)
For the Feast of Saint Joseph
In the Gospels, St. Joseph doesn’t say much, if anything. He is the QuietMan, there in the background but leading, protecting, and guiding the Holy Family.There is only one word […]
March 20, 2024
Benedict XVI as I Saw Him: Reflections on the Life of a Baobab of Faith from a Simple African Priest
I woke up on the morning of the 31st of December 2022 in good cheers. After all, it was the last day of the year, and I was excited and […]
January 6, 2024
PROGRAM OF STUDIES
Master of Arts in Theology: Ratzinger Studies Preamble “God is the real central theme of my endeavors. I have never tried to create a system of my own, an individual theology (…) The point of departure is […]
November 4, 2023
Morality Truly Christian, Truly African:
Engagements with the Theology of Paulinus Odozor Co-organized by Maurice Agbaw-Ebai and Matthew Levering Mundelein Seminary– November 2-4 2023 All Sessions held in the Conference Center Room 101 Thursday November […]
October 24, 2023
“All are welcome”: The tempting heterodoxy of today?
Today, we find ourselves dancing to the drumbeats beckoning us into the infernal circles wherein are normalized, as approved human behavior and dispositions, the ideologies of transgenderism, homosexuality, and the […]
October 15, 2023
Etsi veluti Deus non daretur (As if God does not exist) …
In the lines that follow, I share with whomever would give it a thought some reflections on the realities facing today’s Christian. This is inspired or framed around the liturgical […]
October 7, 2023
THE CROSS STANDS AS THE WORLD REVOLVES
“Stat Crux dum Orbis Revultur” – The Cross Stands as the World Revolves. With these words, the sons of Saint Bruno have, for almost a thousand years (since 1084), devoted […]
September 19, 2023
Hail to the Cross of our Salvation! Hail to the Crucified King! Reflecting on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Most Holy Cross
In the homily which the then Cardinal Ratzinger delivered during the Mass before the Conclave of 2005, during which he was elected as Pope, he begins by noting that the […]
September 14, 2023
WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES Jesus Christ MAKE? (Part Three) Maurice Agbaw-Ebai
We ended our previous section by pointing out that human brokenness, or existential wretchedness, could often times serve as the raw material thanks to which the need for God enters […]
September 6, 2023
Morality Truly Christian, Truly African: Engagements with the Theology of Paulinus Odozor
Co-organized by Maurice Agbaw-Ebai and Matthew Levering Mundelein Seminary November 2-4, 2023 1. Paulinus Odozor, C.S.Sp. (University of Notre Dame) – Respondent at end of event 2. Maurice Ashley Agbaw-Ebai (St. […]
September 6, 2023
What difference does Jesus Christ make? (Part 2)
In the first part of our reflection on the topic of what difference Jesus makes, we ended on the position that the Temptations constitute, in their innermost core, a theological […]
September 3, 2023Requiescat in pace, Pope Benedict XVI, our teacher, friend, and father
“Ratzinger and the Future of African Theology” by Tegha Afuhwi Nji
What I intend to do in these few pages is to present my reflections on, and a panoramic synthesis of the theological discussions at the conference, while the publication of the papers that were presented is awaited next year.A Welcome by Bishop Arthur Kennedy
It is well known that there are a large number of Institutes throughout the world that ground their interests and programs in some aspect of the broad range of contributions that Pope Benedict XVI provided the church in his ministry as priest, scholar, Bishop, Prefect and Pope. Many of these Institutes focus on one aspect of his studies, for example, on liturgy, or beauty; on Revelation, Inspiration or theology; on the interrelationship of history and ontology with its crucial consequence in moral theology, or on faith, Church and cultures.What is unique about the Institute for Africa is that it seeks to appropriate for the Church in Africa, and ultimately through insights of African theologians, clergy and laity, the inner coherence of Pope Benedict’s learning of, and teaching about, the mysteries of Christian truth and the consequences, not only for the Church in Africa, for the larger world. Thus, being shaped by the liturgy and revelation, by the tradition of doctrines and systematics, and by relating these to the situations in Africa, it is to be hoped that families, societies and culture will be graced by living in, and thinking out, their faith, hope and charity in the shaping of present and future societies and culture.
It is perhaps best captured by Chaucer’s testimony of the imperfect cleric in The Canterbury Tales: they will “gladly learn and gladly teach.”
+ Most Rev. Arthur L. Kennedy
Episcopal Vicar for New Evangelization
Archdiocese of BostonFr. James Burns, Board Member
The Benedict XVI Institute for Africa is called to play a crucial role in this task of helping the African Church to remain in the truth of Jesus Christ. By remaining in the Truth of Christ, the Truth that is Christ, you will show that the Church is alive in Africa. In fact the Church is as much Africa as it is anywhere else though perhaps it is more so here as its rapid growth proves. Thus let Africa speak loudly to and for the Church. Do not let her voice be silenced. If you do all this you will have captured the hearts and minds of all people of good will and have won them over to the Lord.– Fr. James Burns, IVD, PhD, President of St Mary’s University, Minnesota
This exciting new institute will help to assure that the massive growth of Christianity in Africa will be guided and nourished by the thought of one of the greatest theologians of modern times. May the light of what Benedict XVI called Africa’s profoundly religious soul illuminate souls longing for truth everywhere!