Cardinal Ratzinger, After the 9/11 Attacks
Interview With Vatican Radio From 2001
ROME, APRIL 27, 2005 (Zenit.org).- Here is an excerpt of a translation
of an interview Antonella Palermo of Vatican Radio had with Cardinal Joseph
Ratzinger in 2001.
Vatican Radio has received numerous requests to rebroadcast the
interview in the wake of the cardinal's election as Pope. At the time of this
interview, the U.S.-led war against terrorism in Afghanistan had entered its
second month.
* * *
Q: Your book ["God and the World"] came out in Italy two days after the
terrorist attacks in the USA. If it had come out a little bit later,
what
would you have added in hindsight?
Cardinal Ratzinger: I would probably say that abusing the name of God
would
have been the problem, because these attacks were carried out in the
name of
God. Religion here is being abused for other ends; it has been
politicized
and made a factor of power.
On the other hand, perhaps I would have spoken more about the need to
know
God's human face. If we see Christ's face, our Lord who suffers for us
and
showed how much he loved us in dying for us, we have a vision of God
that
excludes all forms of violence.
And so it is Christ's face that seems to me to be the perfect answer to
the
abuse of a God who is turned into an instrument of our power.
Q: "I would dare to say that no one can kill another man without
knowing
that this is bad" -- you said this in the book in answer to the
question
"Are there people without conscience?" So where does that put any kind
of
fundamentalism in the name of good, in the name of God?
Cardinal Ratzinger: Yes, naturally there are many different kinds of
fundamentalism.
I'd say for example that among the evangelicals in the United States
there
are some who fully identify themselves in the words of the Holy
Scripture --�
and if they are truly faithful to the Scriptures, they don't fall into
the
trap of fanaticism and a religion that becomes violent.
But, it is nevertheless important that we ourselves understand that
religion
is a gift from the Lord and should be lived within the context of the
Church. We cannot manipulate religion -- it is strictly tied to the
word of
God.
I suppose you could say we have this balance between something that
cannot
be manipulated: the word of God, and that freedom which allows us to
live
this Word and testify to it in our lives.
Q: Is there any such thing as a "just war"?
Cardinal Ratzinger: This is a major issue of concern. In the
preparation of
the Catechism, there were two problems: the death penalty and just war
theory were the most debated. The debate has taken on new urgency given
the
response of the Americans. Or, another example: Poland, which defended
itself against Hitler.
I'd say that we cannot ignore, in the great Christian tradition and in
a
world marked by sin, any evil aggression that threatens to destroy not
only
many values, many people, but the image of humanity itself.
In this case, defending oneself and others is a duty. Let's say for
example
that a father who sees his family attacked is duty-bound to defend them
in
every way possible -- even if that means using proportional violence.
Thus, the just war problem is defined according to these parameters:
1) Everything must be conscientiously considered, and every alternative
explored if there is even just one possibility to save human life and
values;
2) Only the most necessary means of defense should be used and human
rights
must always be respected; in such a war the enemy must be respected as
a
human being and all fundamental rights must be respected.
I think that the Christian tradition on this point has provided answers
that
must be updated on the basis of new methods of destruction and of new
dangers. For example, there may be no way for a population to defend
itself
from an atomic bomb. So, these must be updated.
But I'd say that we cannot totally exclude the need, the moral need, to
suitably defend people and values against unjust aggressors. .
Q: As a Christian in the new millennium, are you ever afraid of God?
Cardinal Ratzinger: I am not afraid of God because God is good.
Naturally I
recognize my weaknesses, my sins and know these can wound the Lord who
cares
for us so deeply.
I suppose that in this sense I'm afraid of how my actions will affect
God --�
something quite different from the traditional understanding of fear.
In
this sense, I am not afraid of God; I revere the Lord and so I wouldn't
want
to do anything that would harm him.
Q: An expression that is sadly used today is "God yes, Church no." In
this
book you respond to that with a note of concern. Can you clarify this?
Cardinal Ratzinger: Yes, because by saying "God yes, or perhaps even
Christ
yes, Church no," I create a God, based on what I want him to be, based
on my
own ideas and desires.
The true God, the real judge of my being and the true light of my life,
lives in me. God is not changeable according to my ideas or desires. If
I
can change this God according to my needs and wishes, it means I don't
take
him seriously -- and I find this artificial.
Q: You speak in the book also about a tendency to agree with the
expression
"God no, religion yes."
Cardinal Ratzinger: This is another aspect of the problem today: We
look for
something religious, something religious that gives us a certain degree
of
satisfaction. Humanity wants to understand the infinite, to have the
answers
about that other dimension, that "other side" that exudes the sweetness
and
hope that material things cannot give.
I really think this is a big trend today: separating yourself from the
need
of faith, from a concrete "yes" to God that is full of meaning.
People are looking more for immediate satisfaction without the need to
truly
commit themselves. While it can be very nice to enter into this
mystical
dimension -- without any commitment -- you end up merely satisfying
immediate wants and you are imprisoned in your sense of self.