Co-Worker of the Truth - Joseph Ratzinger and his relations with the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin

At the end of February 1988, the Senate of the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin unanimously decided to confer an honorary doctorate on the prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, German Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger. This connection was not the only one between Card. Ratzinger and the oldest Catholic university in Europe...The ceremony of conferring the title took place in October, during the inauguration of the 1988/89 academic year, and attracted to Lublin the most important clergy in Poland.

Bishop Alphonse Nossol's laudation highlighted Ratzinger's considerable scholarly output, who at the age of 60 had in his scholarly bibliography as many as 59 books, 267 articles in various theological journals and collective works, 34 entries in important, Christian encyclopedias, 71 reviews, 17 co-publishing engagements in special works and journals, 110 popular science works and 63 titles of radio broadcasts, on theological topics.
- This is the creative output of a priest who already at the age of 31 became a professor of theology. He is a man of success. For his outstanding academic achievements, Cardinal Ratzinger has already received honorary doctorates at three universities, one in the United States, in Peru and in West Germany, and today at the Catholic University of Lublin - stressed Bishop Nossol. The ceremony conferring the honorary doctorate to Ratzinger brought closer his concept of the Church based on Jesus Christ - the model of Christian existence. Bishop Nossol also referred to the cardinal's theme of "Christian optimism and hope rooted in faith, regardless of deep crisis". Ratzinger himself, during this historic event at the Catholic University of Lublin, gave what one might say an experimental lecture, "Man-reproduction or creation?" in which he analyzed and synthesized knowledge from biology, biotechnology, anthropology, medicine, philosophy and theology. - This new synthesis is a great spiritual challenge. It is here that we will decide whether humanity will have a future, a future worthy of man, or whether it will head toward chaos and the self-destruction of man and creation - said the German theologian.

The conferral of the title of doctor honoris causa is not the only connection between Cardinal Ratzinger, the successor of John Paul II on the See of Peter, and the Catholic University of Lublin. In 2011, the university obtained from the Vatican the exclusive right to publish in print in book form the texts of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger in the series "Opera Omnia Joseph Ratzinger," in a total of 16 volumes. - The project deals with the universal thought and comprehensive philosophical and theological achievements of Joseph Ratzinger - Benedict XVI, which perfectly captures the essence of the two-thousand-year heritage of the meeting of three cultures: Jewish, Greek-Roman and Christian - says Rev. Prof. Krzysztof Góźdź, editor-in-chief of the Polish edition of Opera Omnia. As experts note, the publication in Polish of the works of Pope Benedict XVI puts the city of Lublin on a par with Freiburg, Rome, Paris and Madrid, which are the publishers of this very valuable thought of Ratzinger in their national languages. So far, at the Catholic University of Lublin, there has been a presentation of 14 volumes, for a total of 23 volumes of the entire work. Remains one biographical volume, My Life and register. The prestigious project of the university allowed a direct contacts between the scientists of the Catholic University of Lublin (KUL) and the former Pope. On June 6. 2012, during a general Vatican’s audience, the Grand Chancellor of the Catholic University of Lublin, former Rector and the Editors of Joseph Ratzinger's Opera Omnia presented the first volume (Volume XI) of the Polish version to Pope Benedict XVI.

Less than three years later, Pope Benedict XVI, emeritus, received Rev. Prof. Krzysztof Góźdz, editor of the Polish edition of Opera Omnia and member of the International Theological Commission, at a special audience at the Monastero Mater Ecclesiae in the Vatican on December 3, 2015. The Pope blessed the entire work and made a personal introduction in volume VI/2 of Jesus of Nazareth, published at the time. This was one of many extraordinary encounters with the theological genius of our time, who is rightly described as the Mozart of Theology or the modern Father of the Church. Other meaningful event was a special audience with Benedict XVI on the 26th of April 2018 on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Catholic University of Lublin, present Archbishop Stanislaw Budzik. grand chancellor of the Catholic University of Lublin, Antoni Dębinski, rector of KUL and the editors of Opera omnia Ms. Marzena Górecka and Rev. Krzysztof Góźdz. - The Pope Emeritus presented all the volumes of Opera omnia, and a delegation from the Catholic University of Lublin presented him with the recently published Volume IX, Faith in Scripture and Tradition. During the meeting, the Pope illuminated great moments in the history of Polish Christianity and mentioned his love for the Polish language because of John Paul II. He gave His blessing for the continuation of the work Opera Omnia - recalled Rev. Prof. Krzysztof Góźdź.