A chat with the pope’s publisher

Portrait of Father Joseph Fessio, S.J. (Courtesy of Ignatius Press)   A closer look at Father Fessio His favorite among the pope’s books: “I’ve got a lot of favorites among them. But I think The Spirit of the Liturgy is the most extraordinary book on the Mass ever written. ” Some of his favorite books: “Anything by C.S. Lewis and G.K. Chesterton. And The Lord of the Rings is a classic.” Favorite food: “As I get older I’m getting back to basics. I love good bread and good wine.” Favorite prayer: “The Mass. At Ignatius Press we have Mass together, we have divine office together. It’s not regular and it’s not required, but we do that. We have the Rosary together and then we have private prayer. So those are the four pillars.” Hobbies: “I like to hike. But I’m thinking of founding a club for people who don’t sing, don’t dance, don’t act, and don’t play an instrument. And then we’re going to be the ones that appreciate everybody else who can do those things.”

A Catholic Digest Papal Visit Exclusive

“Pope Benedict already has a legacy which is going to last for centuries”

In 1974, Joseph Fessio was a prospective doctoral student in theology seeking an advisor. He asked an acquaintance if he had any suggestions. “Well,” said the priest, “there’s a very fine young theologian at the University of Regensburg (West Germany), Father Ratzinger.” The rest, as they say, is history. Not only did Fessio become one of the future pope’s students, but when Fessio founded Ignatius Press in 1978, he also became the publisher of much of the pope’s work — up to 45 books today. In preparation for Pope Benedict XVI’s upcoming visit to the United States, Catholic Digest recently spoke with Father Fessio about what it was like to study with the future pope, the ways he thinks the pope’s been misunderstood, and what it’s like being the pope’s publisher.

CD: What were your first impressions of Joseph Ratzinger when you met him in 1974 in Regensburg?

FESSIO: By that time he must have been close to 45 years old, and he was already quite mature in his thought and in his person. I see him as being the same as I’ve always known him. He’s very gracious, very receptive — he listens very well — and very kind. Of course, he’s quite intelligent and has a wonderful sense of humor. And he’s very transparent also. One reason that many of us who know him were so happy when he was elected pope was that we realized, Now the world will know what we know — what kind of person he is.

CD: Certainly the public doesn’t know Pope Benedict as well as his predecessor, and we have a limited idea of what he’s like in the everyday sense. What are a couple of things about Pope Benedict that you think would surprise people in a good way?

FESSIO: In one sense, I don’t think there are any surprises left. When he was first elected in April 2005 people were saying, “Well, what do you think’s going to happen? The pope is a serious disciplinarian, this dour person, ‘God’s Rottweiler.’” I said, “Well, no, you’ll be surprised.” And a few nights later I was asked, “Well, Father, what’s caused this great change?” I said, “Nothing’s changed, except you now see what he’s really like.”

CD: You talked about his kindness, his sense of humor. Do you have any examples of those sorts of qualities, any particular stories that stick in your mind?

FESSIO: I’ve been asked this question many times and I’ve racked my brain. But you know, he’s not the kind of person who suddenly jumps up and does something surprising that you remember. It’s just a kind of a constant presence. When you celebrate Mass with him there’s a sense of the sacred that you just can’t explain. And when he gives his homilies, apparently without any notes, they’re so organized and so beautiful. Or at the end of a seminar after he’s listened to all his students, he’ll summarize things and, you know, you could write it down and publish it as an article. He thinks so clearly, organizes his thoughts so well. But I can’t think of any particular thing that stands out.

CD: How did you find him as a teacher and a mentor?

FESSIO: In the seminars and the classes he was certainly an outstanding teacher, which is why he had so many students and so many doctoral students. Then when he was made Archbishop of Munich-Freising in 1977 his doctoral students decided to form an alumni group called the Schulerkreis. We’d meet every year to discuss some theological theme and bring some speakers in. So we’ve done that every year since. That was a way of getting to know him a little better. Then in 1989 three of the priests and I met with Cardinal Ratzinger and, with him as our patron, we established a house of formation and discernment in Rome called Casa Balthasar. We would meet with him every year, so then I got to see him much more personally and privately. In all those contacts he was still the same very warm and very open person. You get the impression that he didn’t have any arrogance or pride at all. He just was very natural with us.

Father Joseph Fessio dines with colleagues and Pope Benedict XVI at the 2006 "Schulerkreises" at Castel Gandolfo, an annual meeting of the Pope's former students. (Courtesy of Ignatius Press)   Picnicking with the pope Father Fessio on his alumni gatherings with the Holy Father It’s a little more formalized now that he’s pope. We have a speaker and then we have some discussion and interaction. Then he’ll meet with his small groups or privately if there are particular concerns he wants to speak with us about. Then, of course, Mass with him is always beautiful. But the kind of neat thing is we’ve had a picnic lunch at Castel Gandolfo Garden, an outdoor lunch. The setting is beautiful, the weather is glorious in September, and it’s a very beautiful, tasteful meal with nice selections and good wine, sparkling water. That’s good, just to see him enjoying himself in an informal environment.

CD: Were there any insights that you felt you discovered through his tutelage that have been important to you in your theological journey or in your life in general?

FESSIO: I’d say two things: one general, one more specific. In general, he and Father Hans Urs von Balthasar and Father Henri de Lubac (the latter two were very close friends of his and influences on him), inspired in me a great love for the breadth of the Church’s tradition — not just in theology but also in philosophy and literature and history and the fine arts.

Specifically, the Holy Father’s very, very much a man of the liturgy. He was born on Holy Saturday morning at about 4:15 a.m. And in those days they had Easter Vigil at 8 o’clock in the morning. So he went from where he was born to the church and was baptized. And he’s always seen that as a sign of God calling him to make his life one that’s immersed and centered in liturgy. That came through in his talk after he was elected pope, that the Mass would be the center of his pontificate. His ideas on the Mass had a tremendous influence on me.

CD: Any idea in particular?

FESSIO: One very symbolic idea that stands out: Most people think that the Second Vatican Council abolished Latin and called for the altar to be turned around at Mass facing the people. But in fact, the Vatican Council called for the retention of Latin with some vernacular for the readings and so on, and said nothing at all about the direction of prayer. Well, in The Spirit of the Liturgy he has a whole chapter on the direction of prayer and he said that really the idea of the priest facing the people was based on historical errors, and that wherever possible we should restore the ancient tradition of facing the Lord together, facing the rising sun for the Mass. So that’s a very large idea that is gaining much more support as time goes on. He mentioned it in the Holy Saturday vigil a couple of weeks ago.

CD: How has working with the pope over the years on his books influenced your faith?

FESSIO: I’m an old curmudgeon, Julie, in that I was a cradle Catholic, I’ve always accepted the Church’s teachings and always tried to understand them better. And I guess it’s just given me encouragement to know there are people who are so much more talented than I am who can say things so beautifully and make clear what I already know in my heart, and open up new vistas for me.

CD: What was your reaction when you heard that Benedict would be coming to visit the U.S.?

FESSIO: I’m happy. He does not like to travel and I know that. It’s an obligation he accepts gracefully.

CD: Why doesn’t the pope like to travel?

FESSIO: Because he likes to play the piano and read and write. He’s a scholar. And especially traveling across the Atlantic, long-distance travel, it’s a burden. He’s going to be 81 years old.

CD: What do you hope will result from the visit for American Catholics or for just Americans in general?

FESSIO: I think that because people like to have an event or pilgrimage or something like this, that many people are going to watch because it’s an event and they’re going to see this person who really embodies what a Christian ought to be. I think in a country where we’ve had so many scandals of leadership which seems to be not courageous, to see that someone who’s in the highest position in the Catholic Church is a man like this — truly intelligent and understanding and who really seems to be quite holy — that will be a great blessing for people.

CD: Is there anything else you would like to add?

FESSIO: Just one thing. John Paul II was elected at age 58 and he was still very energetic and young. Benedict XVI was elected at age 78 and obviously he can’t do all that John Paul II did as a younger pope. But people say, “What’s his legacy going to be?” And I say he’s already brought it with him. That is, all the work he’s done now has become much more widespread and better known. And that’s a great legacy. He’s been able to respond to the questions of our day about the faith and basically give reason for the faith — that it can touch modern, contemporary people. So I hope he has a long papacy. But he already has a legacy which is going to last, I think, for centuries. CD

Julie Rattey is managing editor of Catholic Digest.