Josep Ignasi Saranyana has lived
in Barcelona, Rome, Madrid and Pamplona. He directed the Anuario de
Historia de la Iglesia (Almanac
of the History of the Church) at the University of Navarra and is currently a
member of the Pontifical Committee of Historical Sciences. Upon retiring as a
professor at the University of Navarra, he returned to his native Barcelona.

For Dr. Saranyana, the phrase which best sums up the life of Pope
Benedict XVI is “I'm a professor who has become the Holy Father”. In this
regard, it should be noted that Joseph Ratzinger's German academic career involved years of hard work
and dedication which led him to posts in dogmatic theology at Universität Münster Eberhard, Karls
Universität Tübingen and Universität Regensburg.

During his talk, Professor Saranyana outlined Ratzinger's career in the Church, from his
appointment as Archbishop of Munich and Freising until the
moment John Paul II called him to Rome on 15 October 1981. “It's important to
remember that great leaders such as John Paul II have a rare intuition for
choosing good collaborators”, Saranyana said. 

Saranyana
discussed Ratzinger's intellectual evolution during his time in Rome
as the Prefect for the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and
how his path led him “toward an open dialogue with new approaches which helped
him to deal with the challenges he faced in his position, first in the
Congregation and later as Pope”.

Josep Ignasi Saranyana believes that Pope Benedict XVI’s intention for
the Year of Faith is to bring the ecclesiastical hierarchy, priests and
Christians in general, all of whom are sometimes too focused on social and political
issues, to the very core of faith. The Pope proposes a conversion for those who
believe, for those who have lost faith and for those who have never heard the
message of Christ, a conversion which will help them find answers to the
questions asked by Jesus Christ. “This special year should address the profound
crisis of faith the world is going through and should turn faith into a living,
active and transformative experience”, Saranyana concluded.