Faith and modernity in the thoughts of Joseph Ratzinger/Benedict XVI

Abstract

The aim is to understand the relationship between the Church and modernity from the perspective of Joseph Ratzinger/Pope Benedict XVI, in the wake of the Second Vatican Council, which proposed a renewed attitude of the Church towards the modern world, guided by dialogue, openness, hope and reconciliation . Joseph Ratzinger defends the compatibility between Christian faith and Western rationality, resorting to primitive Christianity to explain the novelty of the Christian faith when compared to pagan religions. Ratzinger reaffirms Christianity's claim to truth as an original aspect, which cannot be abandoned and which opposes relativism. In the thought of Joseph Ratzinger, there is a double relationship between the Church and modernity: on the one hand, openness, the Church still considering itself the legitimate heir of Western rationality (fides et ratio, two wings of a single bird); on the other hand, of tension, separation and estrangement. In a post-metaphysical era, Benedict XVI presents Christian doctrine with realism, defending religious freedom as a positive heritage of modernity and affirming the need for individual freedom to be associated with a deeper understanding of each person's vocation and social responsibility. Joseph Ratzinger/Benedict XVI affirms the public role of the Christian faith and its importance in building a true integral human development. Once again Christianity occupies its space as a relevant and prophetic actor in the secularization process, pointing out the ambivalences and contradictions of society and marking its position. In this way, healthy secularization helps the Church to find “true separation from the world”, without denying it or alienating itself.