Under the title The Lord Holds Our Hand, a collection of private and unpublished homilies by Benedict XVI will see the light for the first time in German. These are sermons delivered during his pontificate and also after his resignation, in a small circle and in strictly private contexts, as reported by Vatican News.
The homilies were originally delivered in Italian and had not been published until now. The volume gathers texts preached in the private chapel of the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican, in that of Castel Gandolfo, and finally, in the chapel of the Mater Ecclesiae monastery, where Benedict XVI lived as Pope Emeritus.
The Testimony of Monsignor Georg Gänswein
Among the regular listeners of these homilies was Monsignor Georg Gänswein, Benedict XVI’s personal secretary for years and current apostolic nuncio to the Baltic countries. In statements to Vatican media, Gänswein explains that the publication has required time, both to collect and organize the texts and to discern the appropriate way to make them accessible to the public.
As he recounts, there was hardly a Sunday or solemnity in which Benedict XVI did not preach, even when the attendance was reduced to a small group consisting of his secretaries, some consecrated women, and occasionally, guests. For the German Pope, preaching was an essential part of his spiritual life and his understanding of the priestly ministry.
A Preparation Marked by Scripture and the Church Fathers
Gänswein details that Benedict XVI prepared his homilies starting from the Greek text of the New Testament, which he read and meditated on in advance. To this, he added the usual consultation of the commentaries of the Church Fathers, as well as his own personal and pastoral experience. Although he usually wrote down his reflections the day before, he preached freely during the liturgical celebration.
The volume mainly collects homilies corresponding to the seasons of Lent and Easter. Among them, Gänswein highlights a sermon titled Emmaus. Always Good Friday and Always Easter, which he considers particularly significant within the collection.
A Window into the Spiritual Heart of Benedict XVI
For the Pope’s former secretary, these homilies constitute a key to understanding the last years of Benedict XVI’s life. In them—he affirms—one can see his intimate relationship with the Word of God, understood not as a text from the past, but as a living reality that acts in the present and transforms the lives of believers.
Gänswein emphasizes that Joseph Ratzinger was always a “master of the word,” from his years as a young priest and professor to his time as Pope and as emeritus. Preaching, he maintains, was one of the most characteristic expressions of his vocation and his service to the Church.
Theological and Editorial Importance of the Project
According to Gänswein, they show a theologian who never wanted to limit his reflection to the academic realm, but always sought to make the faith accessible to ordinary people through preaching and catechesis.
The volume, published by the Herder publishing house, gathers about 135 homilies organized according to the liturgical year and concludes each one with a brief prayer. The first volume includes the seasons of Lent, Easter, Pentecost, and the solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. A second volume, dedicated to Advent and Christmas, is planned for the fall of 2026.
The work features a prologue by Monsignor Georg Gänswein, an introduction by Father Federico Lombardi SJ, and an epilogue by Christian Schaller. The publication of the first volume is scheduled for January 19, 2026.