Since Pope Benedict XV1 died he has had a remarkably good press. Indeed many have argued that there is a natural evolution between Pope Benedict`s mission and that of his successor Pope Francis.

Here for the first time are assembled a collection of Pope Benedict`s most important public speeches and addresses.

Dubbed and dismissed by many as an unrepentant traditionalist, we now see a man of profound intelligence and wisdom on matters relating not just to religion but to what is not termed ` The Common Good`. It is thus more important to listen to these texts carefully and with measure and not in garbled versions dreamt up by the Press. With this in mind, Benedict will be seen as an inspiring thinker who has a lot to teach us now and for the future. Included here are his speech on visiting Auschwitz, (as German), his address to the House of Commons and House of Lords, his address to the German Bundestag in Berlin, his address to the United Nations, his notorious Regensburg speech and his speech when he finally announced is resignation

Benedict may possibly be the last Pope to be born a European and in mind was always what he saw as the collapse of European culture, moral reductionism and political infighting.

If there is one theme underlying this book, it is the politics needs religion and religion needs politics.