.- Frustrated by a flurry of popularity surrounding what he sees as a false idea of Jesus, Pope Benedict XVI, in his latest book since becoming pontiff, and the first to be published in English, is seeking to uncover and lead readers to the true “Jesus of the Gospels.” Set to be released in October of this year, On the Way to Jesus Christ, is being published by San Francisco’s Ignatius Press.
According to the publisher, the Pope’s new book is “designed for the believer and the non-believer alike.”
It “unveils”, they say, “the true Jesus of the Gospels, the one who was crucified for His ‘unpopular’ ideas of so many years ago. The real Jesus and His real teachings still cause discomfort and unease today.”
In the book’s forward, Pope Benedict writes that, Jesus today, is often seen as someone who “demands nothing, never scolds, who accepts everyone and everything, who no longer does anything but affirm us: the perfect opposite of the Church, to the extent that she still dares to make demands and regulations.”
In his hard hitting, but honest and humble exploration, the Holy Father finds that the real Jesus of the Gospels “is quite different, demanding bold.”
The book, a series of meditations that Benedict wrote while still Joseph Ratzinger, head of the Church’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, is one of four that Ignatius plans to release this year written by the new Pope.
The Pope’s first book since his election, Benedict and Today´s Europe, was published with an introduction from Italian intellectual Marcello Pare--President of the Italian Senate. Ignatius Press’s Fr. Joseph Fessio said that they plan to release this work in English later this year.
The release date for On the Way to Jesus Christ is set for October 3rd and will sell for $19.95 US. More information can be found at www.ignatius.com
