Benedict XVI: An Intimate Portrait Review

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Benedict XVI: An Intimate Portrait ReviewThree and a half years into Pope Benedict XVI's reign as the Vicar of Christ, this is exactly the type of biography that should be coming out. After the flurry of hastily prepared books (some quality, some not), Seewald gives us a thoughtful, in-depth portrait of the pontiff.
Seewald, of course, was the impetus behind Salt of the Earth and God of the World, two important books written in conjunction with the then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger. This book offers a glimpse into the process of Seewald's introduction into the world of Ratzinger and his subsequent reconversion back into the Church. Seewald tells of his commission in 1993 to write an article on the oft-mistunderstood "Panzerkardinal" and in what I think is the most interesting part of this book, recounts some of the interviews he conducted in preparation for that story. Interviewees include those supportive of the Cardinal (including his own brother, Georg) and those who resent the Cardinal (like Hans Kung). In his interviews, Seewald says that he came away with a dual view of the Cardinal.
Eventually, Seewald gets to interview Cardinal Ratzinger himself for the two books, and he recounts the travails involved in this process. In addition, Seewald credits Ratzinger for his move from an atheist-Communist-apostate to reentry into full communion with the Church. In this sense, it is as much Seewald's story as it is Ratzinger/Pope Benedict's, but God as he works through Pope Benedict exists at the center of the work.
While not as detailed as Brennan Pursell's Benedict of Bavaria with regard to Ratzinger's childhood experiences, I found these sections to be sufficient and appropriate given the goals of the book. One is given an overall impression of Ratzinger's life from childhood, through his appointment to as the Cardinal Archbishop of Munich, to the sometimes-shackling position as head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Throughout, Benedict's great intellect and humility shine forth as perhaps his defining qualities.

Overall, this is the best biography of Benedict I have read and I greatly appreciate Mr. Seewald's work. I recommend it to anyone who wants to gain knowledge about perhaps the most important man of this age.
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