Controversy surrounds the recent release of the new book titled, From the Depths of Our Hearts: Priesthood, Celibacy and the Crisis of the Catholic Church. The situation is twofold: the authorship of the book between Robert Cardinal Sarah and Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, and the continued role of Benedict XVI in the Church. The book was released in France on January 15, and its expected release date in the United States is February 19.
As indicated by its subtitle, the book addresses the nature of Roman Catholic priestly celibacy from various angles and its relationship to the current state of the Church. According to the book’s description via Ignatius Press, “Drawing on Vatican II, [Sarah and Benedict XVI] present priestly celibacy as more than ‘a mere precept of ecclesiastical law.’ They insist that renewal of the Church is bound to a renewed understanding of priestly vocation as sharing in Jesus’ priestly identity as Bridegroom of the Church.”
The book’s structure consists of an introduction, two chapters, and a conclusion. One chapter was written by Sarah, and the other by Benedict XVI. According to the National Catholic Register, “Benedict, in his chapter on ‘The Catholic Priesthood,’ showed how in the Old Testament, priests led worship only on certain occasions, so priesthood and marriage were not mutually exclusive. . . Cardinal Sarah in his chapter ‘Loving to the End: An Ecclesiological and Pastoral Look at Priestly Celibacy’ points out another profound issue: the pastoral and missionary urgency of priestly celibacy.”
Originally, Benedict XVI and Sarah were listed as the book’s co-authors, and they were said to have co-written the introduction and conclusion in addition to their individual work within their respective chapters. However, according to the Catholic News Agency (via the German-news agency KNA), “[Archbishop Georg Gänswein, the private secretary of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI,] said January 14 that he had called Cardinal Sarah that morning, at Benedict’s request, to ask the book’s publisher to remove the signature of the pope emeritus from the introduction and conclusion, because he had not co-authored them.”
Sarah released a statement on January 14 asserting he sent “a 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.” He further stated that Benedict approved the manuscript. Yet, according to Catholic News Agency, “Gänswein said attribution of the introduction and conclusion, and Benedict’s identity as a co-author, was a ‘misunderstanding.’”
Sarah also tweeted on January 14 that in future publications, he would be labeled as the book’s primary author and Benedict as a contributor. However, Ignatius Press, the book’s publisher in the United States, released a statement, following Benedict’s request, that they consider the book a “coauthored publication.”
Beyond the mere authorship of the book, the publication of From the Depths of Our Hearts has renewed controversy regarding Benedict XVI’s role in the Church following his resignation from the papacy. As such, it mirrors the question directed at Benedict’s essay titled “The Church and the Scandal of Sexual Abuse” released last year. According to Msgr. Alfred Xureb, Benedict’s former secretary, the pope emeritus promised his “total obedience” and “prayer” to Pope Francis. When asked by CBS News correspondent Seth Doane, “if Benedict is breaking his vow to be quiet after retiring,” Msgr. Karel Kasteel, who has served in various official Vatican positions in recent decades, said, “He vowed to be obedient to his successor. I never heard that he would shut up forever.”
Featured image courtesy of Giuseppe Ruggirello via Wikimedia
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