A private meeting is to take place between Benedict XVI and the noble father of the Episcopate that is most open to modernity.
He had asked to meet the Pope weeks ago.
Despite the illness which makes it hard for him to move around and had prevented him from attending a number of public events, the Jesuit cardinal Carlo Maria Martini insisted on greeting Benedict XVI who mentioned the cardinal on a number of occasions in his speeches for the VII World Meeting of Families in Milan.
This gesture on the part of the Pope is significant as greetings are usually limited to the current archbishop emeritus of the diocese to which a visit is paid and not to his predecessor.
The meeting was announced by his fellow Jesuit brother, Vatican spokesman, Fr. Federico Lombardi. The visit by the archbishop emeritus of Milan right in the midst of the Vatileaks storm appears particularly significant. First as cardinals, then as candidates for the papacy and even over the past seven years, Ratzinger and Martini have often took divergent positions.
From the liberalisation of the Latin mass to the methods for reintegrating the Lefebvrians into the Catholic Church. “They are two important figures, who are worlds apart,” Catholic writer Antonio Socci told Vatican Insider. Yet again Benedict XVI rejected the ridiculous panzercardinal label given to him and he is surprisingly gentle and open hearted.” “An obvious example of how the Pope places his esteem for a person first was when he conceded an audience in Castel Gandolfo to dissenting theologian Hans Kung,” Socci added.
Equally, Socci said, “Ratzinger appreciates Martini as a Biblicist and has often made public references to his ministry in the Milanese Church. This respect is reciprocal, very heartfelt and not in any way formal. The face to face meeting between the Pope and Cardinal Martini sweeps away any prejudices, biases and factiousness. This is a meeting between two real men of the Church.
“The private “face to face” encounter will take place in the Ambrosian curia. Cardinal Martini had expressed his wish to meet with the Pope regardless of his ailing state of health. “He is ok – Milan’s Auxiliary Bishop, Mgr. Erminio De Scalzi said – but he sometimes has trouble speaking properly and walking.”
Christianity historian, Alberto Melloni, also offered his interpretation of the meeting:
“Despite their deep difference in opinions, there is an intellectual closeness between them that goes way beyond the stereotypical descriptions of conservatives and progressivists – Professor Melloni told Vatican Insider. They were the great intellectuals of Karol Wojtyla’s College of Cardinals. The fact that despite the hardships of his illness, Martini still wanted to express his support and affection to the Pope is a gesture that is coherent with the stature of the two figures.”
And yet they went head to head as candidates for the papacy in 2005.
“It is true that Ratzinger and Martini were in competition with one another at the beginning of the last conclave,” Melloni stressed. “But then Martini handed his votes over to Ratzinger, so he was a major voter.”
AGI’s Vatican correspondent, Salvatore Izzo, agrees that the meeting in the Archbishopric is an important sign. “Benedict XVI has always shown respect and consideration for Cardinal Martini whom he appreciates as a Biblicist and pastor – Izzo emphasised in a statement to Vatican Insider. This respect has been expressed on more than one occasion even in off the cuff speeches, such as the one to seminarians in Rome. Martini and Ratzinger are the same age, as university professors they are colleagues and share the interpretation according to which the historical figure of Jesus is identified with the Jesus of faith. I see any differences between the two as secondary since it is only natural for two men of this stature to have their differences. Joseph Ratzinger is a good person and has never been heard making negative comments about anyone.”