Ratzinger Prize 2023 goes to two Spanish theologians and philosophers

By Vatican News

The Ratzinger Prize 2023 has been awarded to the Spanish philosophers and theologians Pablo Blanco Sarto and Francesc Torralba Roselló.

Presenting to them the honour will be the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, on 30 November in the Sala Regia of the Vatican's Apostolic Palace. The ceremony will begin at 5 pm Rome time and will feature reflections on the legacy of Joseph Ratzinger - Benedict XVI - almost a year after his death.

In the morning, at 8:15 am, a special Mass will be celebrated in the Vatican Grottoes in memory of the Pope Emeritus, who passed away on 31 December 2022.

In addition, on the afternoon of 29 November, starting at 5 pm, Rome's Pontifical Gregorian University will host a study conference in English on the subject.

Pablo Blanco Sarto, scholar of Ratzinger's theology

Pablo Blanco Sarto was born on 12 July 1964 in Zaragoza, Spain. After studying Hispanic Philology at the University of Navarra, he completed his Theology studies in Rome at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross. He then began his degree and doctorate in Philosophy, on the thought of Luigi Pareyson (1918-1991). He was ordained a priest on 21 September 1997. In 2005, he completed his Doctorate in Dogmatic Theology at the University of Navarra, with a study on Joseph Ratzinger's Fundamental Theology and Religions.

He is currently a full professor at the University of Navarre in the areas of ecumenism, sacramental theology and ministry. He collaborates with the Institut Papst Benedikt XVI in Regensburg, Germany, with numerous academic institutions in Spain and Latin America, and with various publishing houses and theological and pastoral journals. He is on the editorial board of the Opera Omnia of Joseph Ratzinger in Spanish at the BAC. He is the author of numerous studies and volumes on the life, thought and work of Benedict XVI.

Torralba Roselló, expert in philosophical anthropology and ethics

Francesc Torralba Roselló is a philosopher and theologian. Born in Barcelona on 15 May 1967, he is married and the father of five children.

He holds doctorates in Philosophy from the University of Barcelona (1992), in Theology from the Faculty of Theology of Catalonia (1997), in Pedagogy from the Ramon Llull University (2018), and in History, Archaeology and Christian Arts, from the Ateneu Universitari Sant Pacià, Faculty Antoni Gaudí (2022).

He is currently an accredited professor at the Ramon Llull University and holds courses and seminars in other universities in Spain and America. He alternates his teaching activity with his commitment to writing and disseminating his thought, oriented towards philosophical anthropology and ethics. A prolific author, he has published more than 1,800 articles and over 100 books.

The Foundation's Scientific Committee

The Ratzinger Prize is a hallmark initiative of the Vatican Foundation Joseph Ratzinger-Benedict XVI, which is awarded, according to the Statutes, to 'scholars who have distinguished themselves for particular merits in publication and/or scientific research'. In recent years, the scope of the award recipients has also expanded to include the Christian-inspired arts. Nominations for the Prize are proposed to the Pope for his approval by the Foundation's Scientific Committee, consisting of five members appointed by the Holy Father.

It currently consists of Cardinal Kurt Koch, Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity; Cardinal Luis Ladaria; Prefect Emeritus of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith; Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi; President Emeritus of the Pontifical Council for Culture; Archbishop Salvatore Fisichella, Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelisation; and Monsignor Rudolf Voderholzer, Bishop of Regensburg and President of the Institut Papst Benedikt XVI.

Twenty-eight scholars awarded since 2011

The Prize has been awarded annually, starting in 2011, to two or three scholars. With the 2023 edition, there will be a total of 28 awardees. The personalities honoured so far have mainly been scholars in Dogmatic or Fundamental Theology, Sacred Scripture, Patrology, Philosophy, and eminent artists in music and architecture. Confirming a worldwide cultural horizon, the personalities awarded the Prize come from no less than 16 different countries: Germany (7), France (4), Spain (3), Italy (2), Australia, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Canada, Estonia, Greece, England, Lebanon, Poland, USA, South Africa, Switzerland. And they are not only Catholics, but also members of other Christian denominations: one Anglican, one Lutheran, two Orthodox and one Jewish awardee.

The 'Razón abierta' and 'Ratio et spes' Awards

The Vatican Foundation Joseph Ratzinger-Benedict XVI also awards the "Razón abierta" Prize, in collaboration with the Francisco de Vitoria University of Madrid, and also the "Ratio et spes" Prize, in collaboration with the Nicolas Copernicus University of Toruń (Poland).

Both Awards aim to promote dialogue between different scientific disciplines and philosophy and theology.

Finally, each year the Foundation awards four scholarships to particularly deserving students pursuing doctorates in Theology, Patristics and Sacred Scripture.

International conference in Beirut postponed

The Foundation also informed that the 11th International Conference it had promoted, scheduled to take place at the University Notre Dame de Louaizé in Beirut on 9-10 November, on the tenth anniversary of Benedict XVI's Apostolic Exhortation Ecclesia in Medio Oriente and his last international trip to Lebanon, has had to be postponed due to the international geopolitical situation following the conflict in that region.