The foundation promotes the publication, dissemination, and study of Pope Benedict XVI\u2019s writings and thought.<\/p>\n
The Vatican Secretariat of State has appointed historian Father Roberto Regoli as president of the board of directors of the Joseph Ratzinger-Benedict XVI Vatican Foundation.<\/p>\n
Regoli, a professor at the Pontifical Gregorian University, is a specialist in modern Church history and the papacy. A priest of the Diocese of Rome, he is known for his research and teaching on Joseph Ratzinger\u2019s thought.<\/p>\n
Regoli succeeds Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, a longtime Vatican communications leader who served as director of the Holy See Press Office from 2006 to 2016 and previously led both Vatican Radio and the Vatican Television Center.<\/p>\n
Established by Pope Benedict XVI on March 1, 2010, the Joseph Ratzinger\u2013Benedict XVI Vatican Foundation promotes the publication, dissemination, and study of Ratzinger\u2019s writings and organizes academic and cultural initiatives centered on his thought.<\/p>\n
Father Federico Lombardi (left) and Father Roberto Regoli, outgoing and incoming presidents of the board of directors of the Joseph Ratzinger-Benedict XVI Vatican Foundation, in January 2026. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Father Roberto Regoli<\/p>\n
The foundation is funded by income linked to copyrights on Ratzinger\u2019s published works and by donations.<\/p>\n
The foundation\u2019s signature initiative is the Joseph Ratzinger Prize, given to scholars who have distinguished themselves for theological research. Recent recipients include Irish theologian Cyril O\u2019Regan and Japanese sculptor Etsur\u014d Sotoo (2024), and Spanish theologians and philosophers Pablo Blanco Sarto and Francesc Torralba Rosell\u00f3 (2023).<\/p>\n
The foundation\u2019s board members will continue to include Archbishop Georg G\u00e4nswein, Professor Achim Buckenmaier, Francesca Bazoli, and Alberto Gasbarri, according to ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News.<\/p>\n
The foundation\u2019s scientific committee, appointed by the pope, includes cardinals Kurt Koch and \u00c1ngel Fern\u00e1ndez Artime along with archbishops Salvatore Fisichella, Rudolf Voderholzer, and Bruno Forte.<\/p>\n
In a message of greeting, Regoli thanked his predecessors and wrote that Ratzinger\u2019s legacy \u201cis very much alive \u2014 pastorally as well \u2014 as a source of inspiration and a sure guide for many personal journeys of conversion around the world.\u201d He added that Ratzinger\u2019s thought \u201cstill has much to say\u201d and could make a meaningful contribution to contemporary theological and cultural debates, saying his personal commitment was to ensure that \u201cthis voice can continue to be heard through the foundation,\u201d especially by helping young people rediscover the beauty of faith.<\/p>\n
Acest articol a fost publicat ini\u021bial de ACI Stampa, serviciul de limb\u0103 italian\u0103 al EWTN News. Ea a fost tradus\u0103 \u0219i adaptat\u0103 de EWTN News English.<\/p>\n