Cardinal Ratzinger on ... Himself

Vatican Radio has been conceding to a multitude of requests to rebroadcast an interview it did with Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger after the publication of his 2001 book "God and the World."

Asked to paint himself in words, the then cardinal said:

"A self-portrait would be impossible. It's difficult to judge oneself. All I can say is that I come from a very simple and humble family and I don't really feel like a cardinal. I feel I'm just a man."

"In Germany I lived in a small town with people who work in agriculture and handicrafts and there I feel at home. At the same time, I try to be that way in the office too. If that's what I succeed in doing, I'm not the one to say."

The then prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith continued: "I always remember, with great affection, the goodness of my father and mother. And for me goodness also means the ability to say 'no,' because goodness that lets anything go can't be good for another. "Sometimes goodness can also mean saying 'no,' even with the risk of sounding contradictory. But this must be nourished not by a sense of power or vindication but by an ultimate goodness which is the desire to do good to others. These are my criteria, this is my background; other people can add to it what they wish." * * *