Loving the Church

In this series of retreat meditations preached to Pope John Paul II and the papal household during a Lenten retreat, Cardinal Christoph Schönborn uses the Catechism of the Catholic Church (of which he was the general editor) and Sacred Scripture to lead us to a deeper union with Christ by helping us to understand and love the Church, His bride. To love the Church, which the Catechism calls "a living communion with Jesus Christ", we must see her with the eyes of Jesus, who "loved the Church and gave Himself up for her."

As he draws us into a deeper understanding of the Church, who she is and where the deepest wellsprings of her being lie are the theme of his meditations. He also illustrates many points by using the thoughts of the new doctor of the Church, St. Thérèse of Lisieux. She found her vocation to be "love in the heart of the Church" and can offer us a renewed and vital vision of the Church.

Christoph Cardinal von Schonborn

Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn, the Archbishop of Vienna, is a renowned spiritual teacher and writer. He was a student of Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI) and with him was co-editor of the monumental Catechism of the Catholic Church. He has authored numerous books including Jesus, the Divine Physician, Chance or Purpose?, Behold, God's Son, and Living the Catechism of the Catholic Church.