The Russian Orthodox Church has followed the pontificate of Benedict XVI with interest since its beginning; he is appreciated in the spheres of Orthodox culture as a theologian of great depth, incisiveness, and faithfulness to tradition. About a year ago, some exponents of the Patriarchate proposed that the Library of the Spirit publish some of Joseph Ratzinger’s significant works in Russian for a broad public. The first text chosen was his Introduction to Christianity, which was already in circulation in a semi-clandestine form in an edition published by Le Foyer Oriental Chrétien of Belgium.
The introduction to the book written by Metropolitan Kirill, President of the Department for Foreign Relations of the Patriarchate of Moscow, witnesses to the shared awareness of the Church’s missionary task in the contemporary world, and the centrality of Christ as the foundation of this mission. From this consonance and the prospects there arising flows the gratitude with which the Pope has received the text from this distinguished figure of the Russian Orthodox Church.
Giovanna Parravicini

The Preface written by Metropolitan Kirill for Joseph Ratzinger’s book, Introduction to Christianity The book, Introduction to Christianity, which we are offering now to the Russian reader, was first published almost forty years ago, in 1968. It collects the lessons given during the summer of 1967 at the University of Tübingen by the priest Joseph Ratzinger, who would later become Pope Benedict XVI. However, it is not the current position of the author that motivates the publication of this book in Russia today. To my mind, the main reason for which the volume has been printed and translated into many languages lies in the increasing relevance and up-to-datedness of the theme addressed. It may seem paradoxical, but we Christians of the beginning of the third millennium are more and more in need of an introduction to Christianity, a rediscovery of its founding principles, a return to the cornerstone, to the origins. This necessity is particularly acute on the European continent, which for centuries was the cradle of Christianity, and whose culture and civilization are founded on the Christian faith. Introduction to Christianity is an attempt to clarify in depth the meaning of the faith in Christ in the modern world. One could object that the 1960s were very different from the context in which humanity is living today. What can this book say to the contemporary reader, to the man living in the era of the Internet, cell phones, and globalization? Alas, technological progress and social changes create more comfortable conditions of material life, but do not positively influence the spiritual life of the people. On the contrary, the worrisome tendencies that were already being observed in the 1960s in the spiritual condition of the world that was wont to call itself Christian have today acquired full force, and Europe is even ashamed of her own Christian roots. Analyzing the current situation of Christianity in Europe, one is easily tempted to blame all the disagreements and difficulty exclusively on historical and political factors–all the more so because the religious situations in Eastern Europe and above all in Russia have been notably influenced by the persecutions against the faith perpetrated by totalitarian regimes. In the first half of the twentieth century, analogous persecutions were inflicted on the Catholic Church in Mexico and Republican Spain. It should be underlined that those who persecuted the Christians of that time had grown up in a Christian context, and had constantly had the possibility of hearing the announcement of the faith. Notwithstanding this, for various reasons, they did not embrace “the words of eternal life” (Jn 6:68). Did they reject it intentionally, or did the bearers of the Christian message in some way fail in their mission? I think that we, whose first task as believers and members of the Church is to announce the Gospel, must draw a lesson from history and decide anew, each for himself, what to say and how to tell the world about Christ in order to be heard. I will venture here to assert that a grave factor blocking the capacity to embrace the Christian announcement in today’s secularized world is the fact that we Christians, in both the West and the East, are prevalently concerned with finding a language suitable for dialoguing with the world, forgetting in the meantime the contents to communicate. The essence and the meaning of the Good News we are called to announce is the Truth itself, which has in itself a great capacity for attracting people, speaking directly to their hearts. Our job is simply to present men with the Truth in all its integrity and fullness, and then it will be this Truth itself that will make them free (cfr., Jn 8:32). Precisely for this reason it is necessary to continually return to the origins, to Tradition, which holds vital importance for the Church because, in the final analysis, it flows from God who became Man. We must always remember that the center of our announcement must be the Divine Incarnate Word, our Lord Jesus Christ. Before everything else, we must make Him known to men. If we do so, our words will be increasingly heard, just as the whole world gave heed to the Apostles, simple fishermen from Galilee. It seems to me that this is the essential message contained in Introduction to Christianity. This is why it is so important for us to examine the personality of its author. Joseph Ratzinger was known throughout the world as an illustrious theologian long before he was elected Pope, and even before he was nominated Prefect for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. For this reason, the current Pope has always had a solid reputation as a traditionalist and conservative, so much so as to be looked upon with a certain diffidence by the liberal spheres that, unfortunately, are gaining increasingly more footing in the contemporary Christian world. In fact, for some reason, the common mentality equates conservatism with narrow-mindedness, while actually this is not true at all. Benedict XVI’s traditionalism is a gaze that goes deep in profundity, a wise capacity for grasping the intimate essence of things. Through his concern to return to the fundamentals of Christianity, he does not intend at all to evade the grave questions the world asks. On the contrary, he responds to them decisively, always founded in the eternal and immutable Truth. After all, the world only changes externally, and the questions it asks were the same posed a thousand years ago; therefore, the content of our responses need not change. This–it is my profound conviction–must be the attitude of all Christians who desire to remain faithful to the eternally young Tradition of the Church in the face of the nth offensive of totalitarian relativism we are seeing today. Today, this faithfulness to tradition is professed clearly by the Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church, drawing their positions ever closer and providing hope that the problems currently existing between them may be overcome, so they may attain a fruitful collaboration in the annunciation of Christian values. It is precisely this spirit of faithfulness to our common roots that literally permeates Pope Benedict XVI’s book, Introduction to Christianity, which we warmly recommend to Orthodox readers as well as to all believers in Christ, and those who are still in search of a road leading to the Truth.

I have learned with intimate joy that in collaboration with the Library of the Spirit Cultural Center, you have willingly accepted the invitation to write the Preface for the Russian translation of the volume Introduction to Christianity, which collects my lessons while professor at the University of Tübingen.
In reading the reflections with which you present the text, I have found a close analogy of analysis on some fundamental problems that assail today’s Christians, wearied by the comparison between the demanding contents of the faith and the relativism marking modern culture. In a context that runs the risk of equalizing every opinion and every system of ethics, the Christian, founded upon the solid rock that is Christ and refreshed by the spring of the living Tradition, need not fear announcing God’s truth, which renders the person free and authentic. In the heart of contemporary man there are also rightful questions and worries, which are answered in a fulfilling way only by the Incarnate Word. Consensus in this conviction is growing in the Christian world of today: laicism and secularism, with their apodictic assertions, are increasingly incapable of offering satisfying solutions to the challenges of modernity, materially well-off but culturally and spiritually ever more fragile.
It is my firm conviction that precisely from this observation flows a common and united commitment of Orthodox and Catholic Christians, a commitment also motivated by the fear that alienating ideologies may repeat the havoc wreaked on humanity in so many parts of the world during the previous century. The charity that already unites us can promote convergence in our exertions against the dangers looming over us; a bilateral dialogue based on this charity is developing, rich in promising prospects.
While I thank you for the considerations with which you have enriched this text of mine, which, notwithstanding how long ago it was written, is still very dear to me, I entrust your pastoral and ecclesial mission to the maternal protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary, invoking upon you, Venerable Brother, and those dear to you, the abundance of the blessings of Heaven.

From the Vatican, November 15, 2006
Benedict XVI