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From the very beginning, when Jesus chose St. Peter and declared him to be the “rock” upon which he would build his Church, the pope has had a unique role in teaching, sanctifying and governing the Christian faithful. This has taken many different forms over the centuries and has developed into the practice we have today. The pope is the visible head of the Church and the source of unity among all the Christian faithful. He is the one we look to for sound teaching, proper liturgical celebration, and governance, especially through the appointment of bishops throughout the world.

Every Sunday at Mass, Catholics throughout the world profess their common faith by praying together the ancient Nicene Creed. In that creed, we profess our faith in “One, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church.” The ministry of the pope, founded upon the ministry of St. Peter himself, is an essential and central component for preserving and promoting the Church’s unity, its holiness, its universality and its apostolic teaching.

It was God’s plan from all eternity that at this moment in history a man named Joseph Alois Ratzinger would one day be pope, the 264th successor of St. Peter. As vicar of Christ, he would continue on a universal level the three-fold ministry of Jesus as priest, prophet and king. Who were the people and what were the circumstances God placed in Joseph Ratzinger’s life that led him, through many trials and hardships, from a little town in Germany to the throne of Peter? How did these people and circumstances prepare Joseph Ratzinger to assume the office and responsibility to teach, to rule and to sanctify the universal Church?

Like the discovery of details in a Sherlock Holmes mystery, the purpose of this series of eight articles on St. Peter is to put together the pieces of his life and discover precisely who he was. More importantly, it is to discover the nature of the unique mission given him by Jesus Christ, a mission we believe continues today in the ministry of the Holy Father, who will soon be visiting us in the United States. In this way, we will have a fuller picture of the mission and ministry of the pope in our day for we believe that the pope and the bishops are successors of Peter and the apostles, and when they speak on matters of faith and morals, they exercise the authoritative voice of Jesus Christ Himself. (United States Catholic Catechism for Adults, 336-7)

VATICAN CITY – The following are papal quotes about the United Nations or addressed to the United Nations, which officially came into existence Oct. 24, 1945.

WASHINGTON – Late-night talks with friends about life and faith are common in the dorm rooms of The Catholic University of America. Talking about the Catholic Church in class is pretty normal, too.

NEW YORK – German Catholics are such a modest presence in New York that Pope Benedict XVI may leave the Big Apple without meeting a single one. He will, however, see evidence of their mark on Manhattan’s history, when he hosts an ecumenical prayer service April 18 at St. Joseph’s Church.

NEW YORK – Pope Benedict XVI’s April 18 visit to the United Nations “is eagerly awaited because the pope is seen as a moral authority offering clear guidance on the foundational values of life and of human society,” said the Vatican’s U.N. ambassador.

VATICAN CITY – Although he has not been a full-time professor since 1977, Pope Benedict XVI’s life and ministry have been heavily influenced by his university experiences. He made his reputation as a theologian and still meets annually with a group of his former doctoral students.

WASHINGTON – St. Joseph’s Seminary in Yonkers, N.Y., one of the stops for Pope Benedict XVI during his three-day visit to New York this April, is no stranger to the pope or his predecessor, Pope John Paul II.

NEW YORK – On Super Bowl Sunday, most of Transfiguration Church in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn had an answer for Father Tony Hernandez when he asked them where they’d be for the kickoff.

VATICAN CITY – For the Vatican, preparing a papal trip is a lengthy exercise in diplomatic skill, ecclesial collaboration and logistical fine-tuning.