Pope Benedict XVI was an excellent teacher. He exemplified what a good teacher should be: compendious in his knowledge, penetrating in his understanding, and loving in his wisdom. But he also possessed those qualities without which a teacher, even when gifted with vast scholarship and culture, remains a poor teacher and secluded from his students: clarity and the capacity to pass on otherwise inaccessible truths to those eager to learn but less gifted in erudition. He is among only a handful of people to whom we can always go when unsure, certain to find a profound and wise response to our questions.
Perhaps that is because Pope Benedict was, after all, a teacher saint. “Four Rules for Life” explains four of Pope Benedict’s most fundamental teachings. They will undoubtedly enrich and deepen the Catholic faith in those who can learn and incorporate them into their lives.
These personal reflections of Fr. Bruce Wren, LC, offer an engaging study of Pope Benedict XVI’s writings.