The Religious Geopolitics of Cardinal Ruini

Christians in Europe and in the world; the Islamic challenge; how to unite freedom and truth; the case of Italy and the American model. The manifesto by the pope's vicar on the Church of today and tomorrow
by Sandro Magister
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ROMA, February 21, 2005 – Different visions of religious geopolitics coexist in the Catholic Church. But finding today's leading vision requires nothing more than reading the speeches of two cardinals: Joseph Ratzinger and Camillo Ruini.

Theirs is the leading vision because of the role they carry out at the side of John Paul II, who places complete trust in them. Ratzinger has been prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith since 1981. Ruini has been since 1991 the pope's vicar for the diocese of Rome and the president, by pontifical investiture, of the Italian bishops' conference.

But apart from their roles there is the unparalleled authoritativeness these two have achieved year after year, at the highest levels of the worldwide Church. It is an authoritativeness that will certainly have its weight in the next conclave.

Ratzinger spoke on matters of religious geopolitics last May 13, in a speech that also became a successful book in Italy.

But Ruini's latest "summa" is very recent: it is found in a speech he gave on February 11 at a meeting of the “Opera Romana Pellegrinaggi,” which is reproduced below in its entirety.

Complete article.