That they may be one!

Abstract

Beginning with the way he presided at the Requiem Mass for Pope John Paul II and conducted his first appearances after his election as pope, people encountered another personality other than the one they thought they knew. This time they were seeing an image unfi ltered by any editor – a shy, humble, but courageous man, whose spontaneous smile exuded warmth, joy, and hope. But it was a man who was no longer the customs offi cer who had to decide what was allowed entrance to the church and what was not. He was now Christ's vicar on earth, the representative of him who is Love. The priestly theology of Pope Benedict XVI is one which speaks of life experience. It illustrates a man full of love and hope for Christ and the whole of humanity. He never seems to tire of repeating the need of a personal relationship that the priest is to have with Christ. For him, the priest is one who has tasted, or at least wants to taste, the delights of a sweet encounter with Christ and thus longs to share it with humanity. We shall here consider briefly how the Holy Father expounds on the Sacrament of Holy Orders.