Pope Benedict writing book on Jesus

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – Pope Benedict is writing a book on
Jesus that will become the second major theological work of his
pontificate, a Vatican source said on Tuesday.

The book, expected to be completed by the end of the
summer, focuses on Jesus, the human race and Christianity’s
relationship with other faiths.

The work, which Benedict started before becoming pope in
April 2005, comes at a time when he seeks to restore a strong
sense of faith among Catholics in the face of growing
secularism and competition form other religions, including
Islam.

Benedict, a leading Catholic theologian and prolific
author, aimed to include reflections from his experience as
pope in the book written in the form of a “theological
narrative,” the Rome-based la Repubblica newspaper said.

La Repubblica noted that his focus on Jesus might revive
the controversy surrounding “Dominus Iesus,” a document he
issued in 2000 when he was the Vatican’s top doctrinal
authority.

It said the Catholic Church was the only real church, an
assertion many Protestant leaders took as insulting, and that
Jesus was the only path to salvation.

The book will follow Benedict’s first encyclical Deus
Caritas Est (God is Love) that was issued in February.

It ranges in themes from erotic and spiritual love in a
personal relationship, to the role of the Catholic Church’s
vast network of charity organizations around the world.

The Vatican was not immediately available for official
comment on the book.