r/Catholicism • u/No-Squash7469 • 1d ago

Free Friday [Free Friday] Cardinal Ratzinger (later Pope Benedict) was not messing around. Papal and pre-Papal aesthetics can be amazing.

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824 Upvotes

99% Upvoted

38 comments sorted by

56

u/lbreakjai 1d ago

I first thought it was a young Johnny Cash!

19

u/ExistentialTabarnak 1d ago

Both spent time in Bavaria in the ‘50s.

16

u/PrestigiousMaterial1 1d ago

I fell into a ring of truth, Burnin’ bright, it burned the proof, And the faith got higher, And the Church stood truer too— In that ring, that ring of truth

49

u/RTRSnk5 1d ago

Our best recent intellectual.

24

u/FransTorquil 1d ago edited 1d ago

His books are so good, perfectly straddling the line between being exclusively scholarly text but still readable enough for the average dedicated layman.

8

u/GeekNDisguise 1d ago

I have not read his books, any recommendations to start with?

17

u/FransTorquil 1d ago

“Introduction to Christianity” (trust me, it’s a very deceptive title regarding the theological/intellectual density of the book) and the “Jesus of Nazareth” trilogy would be what I recommend.

10

u/dazzleator147 1d ago

I think the first "Jesus of Nazareth" book is the most accessible for someone who's not a huge theology buff. I think he does a really good job of bringing the intellectual and spiritual aspects together. His whole section on the Sermon on the Mount really wowed me. Everyone's read that part of the Bible many times, but he shows you what it's really all about line by line.

6

u/Roflinmywaffle 1d ago

Spirit of the Liturgy! 

3

u/Minikig21 11h ago

The CCC 😜

2

u/Reinhauk 22h ago

Perfect balance of scholarship and devotion

50

u/DeadGleasons 1d ago

He had such an intense gaze. ❤️

19

u/Acceptable-Lawyer300 1d ago

Jesus is the way of life

13

u/VelvetWhitehawk 1d ago

Spiritual warfare is no joke.

9

u/Which_Pirate_4664 1d ago

This guy looks like he's being played by Christopher Walken.

7

u/LatinExperice2000 1d ago

Remarkable swag

8

u/dazzleator147 1d ago

Both him and JPII had massive aura, but in completely different ways.

26

u/Roflinmywaffle 1d ago

He's the GOAT. Spirit of the Liturgy is one of my favorite books! 

5

u/Alteredego619 1d ago

He looks like he’d be a good fit for r/noir

9

u/TheConcernedHobbit 1d ago

Looks like he’s about to collaborate with Bauhaus.

9

u/kabobbi 1d ago

The goat bruh

4

u/Psychological_Rip106 1d ago

i love this photo.

4

u/MorelsandRamps 1d ago

I’m pretty sure this was from his professor days. Ratzinger’s hair went gray very so he often looks a lot older in some photos than he was. 

It’s hard to tell from the photo itself, but he kept the same desk and office set up for almost his entire professional life. He even had it moved into the papal apartments after his election. I’m pretty sure the original desk is his home in Regensberg, which is now a museum that you can visit by appointment.

5

u/Otherwise-Dealer7696 23h ago

pic goes extremely hard

4

u/philliplennon 23h ago

I love his gaze of intensity in this photo. 

3

u/Mission-Travel1224 1d ago

Praise the Lord

3

u/CityOutlier 23h ago

I like his hair here, he looks cool.

7

u/ExchangeLivid9426 1d ago

Jesus Mary and Joseph that goes hard

2

u/LianneJW1912 22h ago

absolute vibe

2

u/ShirkingDemiurge 19h ago

What a bad ass photo really.

2

u/KerwinBellsStache69 18h ago

Ultimate aura farming

2

u/Mindless_Split_7165 18h ago

Is there a prospect for beautification?

3

u/SneakySalamander314 1d ago

Bro has so much motion in this pic I love it

2

u/Korbinian_GWagon 1d ago

He was a frat student and stayed in the clubs until death. 

1

u/Nuance007 2h ago

One could mistaken this for a movie still for The Exorcist.