Salt of the Earth

This interview with Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (later Pope Benedict XVI) was conducted near the close of the 20th century, and reflects an awareness that it is a time for looking back as well as forward. The discussion format, with journalist Peter Seewald, elicits a generous amount of information about the cardinal's life and career, yet on matters theological he always speaks in his role as head of the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith. Cardinal Ratzinger discusses the many challenges worldwide in which the Catholic Church has a central, even essential, role. He discusses enduring issues such as the need for faith in a troubled world, and controversial topics such as the ordination of women, celibacy of the clergy, non-Catholic Christianity, and the newer, alternative forms of religion and spirituality. Cardinal Ratzinger's frankness, candor, and intelligence come through in this interview--and he is also highly quotable. Those who want to know the man who became Pope Benedict XVI will find him in THE SALT OF THE EARTH.