"Pearls From the Holy Father"

The editors at National Catholic Register have assembled their own favorite quotes from Light of the World.

The book offers a fascinating insight into the Pope’s way of thinking over a wide range of subjects. We at the Register were so impressed that we thought we’d treat our readers to some golden nuggets … with an encouragement to read the entire work.

 Read the quotes they selected here.

Jimmy Akin on the Pope and Condoms

Catholic apologist Jimmy Akin has been following the controversy about the Pope's statement on condoms over at the National Catholic Register website.

So far, he has written three substantial posts: Part One, Part Two, and Part Three.

In his latest post he addresses the UK Catholic blogger for the Telegraph, Damien Thompson, who has claimed that the Pope has declared the use of condoms to be "justified" in certain cases.

Not so fast, Damian. Let’s try to keep from putting words in the Pontiff’s mouth. As you yourself have noted on a prior occasion, the Pope did not use the word “justified” or “permissible” or anything along those lines.

One is tempted to ask, a little cheekily, “What part of the Pope’s statement that the Church ‘does not regard it as a real or moral solution’ don’t you understand?”

Read more from Jimmy.

Cardinal Burke: What the Pope Really Meant

Cardinal Raymond Burke is prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, the court of final appeal at the Vatican.

The Wisconsin native is the first American to hold that curial position. Pope Benedict XVI, who appointed him to the post in 2008, elevated him to cardinal Nov. 20, along with American Cardinal Donald Wuerl of Washington, D.C., and 22 other bishops and archbishops from around the world.

In the midst of activities related to the consistory of Nov. 22, Cardinal Burke took some time to read an advance copy of Light of the World: The Pope, the Church, and the Signs of the Times, Pope Benedict’s book-length interview with German journalist Peter Seewald, just as a controversy about the Pope’s views on condom use broke in the press. Cardinal Burke discussed the issue by phone Nov. 22 with Register news editor John Burger.

Read the rest of this interview at NCRegister.com.