On November 3, 2026, Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota hosted the Benedict XVI Centenary Conference in recognition of the 100th anniversary of Pope Benedict XVI’s birth. Special focus was given to his writings on and understanding of beauty.
His Eminence Kurt Cardinal Koch, prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, along with many leading scholars and theologians, discussed how a culture of hope might be renewed through faith, reason, and beauty. Bishop Robert Barron, trustee of Saint Mary’s University, participated on a panel titled “The Intersection of Benedict XVI, Scholarship, Culture, and Evangelization.” Fellow panelists included Cardinal Koch, Fr. James Burns, and Pierluca Azzaro.
“Pope Benedict XVI was one of the most consequential theologians of the 20th century. He was a man of the Scripture, the Church Fathers, the Second Vatican Council, and the liturgy, and his emphasis on returning to the great sources of our faith was entirely the right idea,” said Bishop Barron. “We are only just beginning to grasp the fullness of his contribution to the Church.”
In 2024, Libreria Editrice Vaticana, the Vatican’s publishing house, awarded Word on Fire Academic the exclusive English rights to the Joseph Ratzinger: Collected Works series. The project will be completed over the course of twelve years, and just last week the inaugural volume was published: Jesus of Nazareth.
The conference was part of a global series titled “Building a Culture of Hope: Education, Community, and Leadership in the 21st Century.”