The American publisher of the bombshell book carrying Benedict XVI’s name as author — affirming priestly celibacy as Pope Francis mulls the topic over himself — vows to keep the Emeritus Pope’s name on the book when it’s released next month.
“Ignatius Press considers this a coauthored publication,” concludes a statement from Mark Brumley, president of Ignatius Press, the San Francisco-based publisher that was announced as the English-language carrier for “From the Depths of Our Hearts,” a jointly authored book on marriage and the priesthood from Benedict and Cardinal Robert Sarah.
Mr. Brumley notes that the book was received from the original French publisher, Faayard, as having two authors. He stood by his decision to publish the book with two authors given that, “according to Benedict XVI’s correspondence and Cardinal Sarah’s statement, the two men collaborated on this book for several months, that none of the essays has appeared elsewhere, and that a joint work as defined by the Chicago Manual of Style is a ’work prepared by two or more authors with the intention that their contribution by merged into inseparable or interdependent parts of a unitary whole.’ “
Earlier on Tuesday, ANSA, an Italian wire service, reported that Benedict’s personal secretary, Georg Gänswein, had requested the former pope’s name be removed, saying he had never given permission for his name to be on the book.
Critics had charged that Benedict, who will turn 93 this year, had broken his own vow to remain “hidden” following his retirement seven years ago.
• Christopher Vondracek can be reached at cvondracek@washingtontimes.com.
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