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Beneditctus XVI
Papa emeritus
Vatican City
7 February 2018
Most Rev. Sir.
Mons. Dario Edoardo Viganò
Prefect of the Secretariat for Communication
00120 Vatican City
Most Reverend Monsignor,
Many thanks for your courteous letter of 12th January and the attached gift of the eleven small volumes written by Roberto Repole. I praise this initiative that wants to oppose and react to the foolish prejudice for which Pope Francis would be only a practical man, devoid of a specific theological or philosophical education, while I would have been only a theorist of theology that little would have understood of the actual life of a Christian today. The small volumes show, rightly, that Pope Francis is a man of profound philosophical and theological formation and so they help to see the interior continuity between the two pontificates, even with all the differences in style and temper.
However I don't feel like writing about them a "short and dense theological paper". In all my life it has always been clear that I would have written and I would have expressed myself only on books that I had actually read. Unfortunately, even only for physical reasons I'm not able to read the eleven small volumes in the near future, even more because other commitments that I've already undertaken await me.
In the margin I would lik to note down my surprise for the fact that among the author figures also professo Hünermann, that during my pontificate shined, having lead anti-papal initiatives. He participated in relevant measure at the releas of "Kölner Erklärung", which, in relation to the encyclical "Veritatis splendor", attacked virulently the magisterial authority of the Pope, especially on issues of moral theology. Also, the "Europäische Theologengesellschaft", which he founded, was initially thought by him as an organisation in opposition to the papal magisterium. Later, the ecclesiastical hearing of many theologians prevented this orientation, making that organisation a normal instrument of dialogue between theologians.
I am sure you'll be understanding of my denial and I salute you cordially,
Yours
(Signature)