Crown and Crozier
In Crown and Crozier, we invite leading thinkers to explore how the human experience is shaped by the interplay between Church and State, and what this means for tackling the great challenges of today. Join us as we examine what’s at stake for us as citizens and as a society in the dynamic engagement between civil and religious authority. The common good, basic freedoms, dignity of the person, administration of justice, self-government, the preservation of truth, goodness and beauty - all this and more hangs in the balance.
Crown and Crozier
Pope Benedict, Cardinal Pell, Vatican II ~ George Weigel
2023 started on a sombre, bittersweet note, with the death of two heavyweights in the Church hierarchy: Pope Benedict XVI and Cardinal George Pell.
In this episode, we seek to pay tribute to this pair of monumental figures who exerted enormous influence on the life of the Church, and who served the members of the Mystical Body of Christ for a combined total of 125 years in the priesthood.
We also discuss a topic that occupied a pre-eminent place in the ministries of both men - namely, what Vatican II was really all about and what authentic interpretation and implementation of the Council really looks like.
Our guest is George Weigel, Distinguished Senior Fellow and William E. Simon Chair in Catholic Studies at the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, DC. One of the most prominent and distinguished voices in the Church today, Weigel is the author or editor of more than 30 books, including the authoritative biography of St. John Paul II, Witness to Hope, as well as his recent history and commentary To Sanctify the World: The Vital Legacy of Vatican II.
References
George Weigel, “Parting Reflections” (January 6, 2023) [fourth installment of “Letters from Rome” series on the death of Pope Benedict XVI]
George Weigel, “On the Death and Requiem of Cardinal George Pell” (January 16, 2023)
Cardinal George Pell, “The Catholic Church must free itself from this ‘toxic nightmare’”, The Spectator (January 11, 2023)
George Weigel, To Sanctify the World: The Vital Legacy of Vatican II (2022)
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Please note that this podcast has been edited for length and clarity.