Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin opened this year's edition of the Ratzinger Prize award ceremony. He addressed the crowd with these words, "To the awardees then and to all of you, the task and the wish that you may continue your service, continuing to feel the inspiration and support of the legacy of this great pope, Benedict XVI."    

This year's Ratzinger Prize is the first edition since Pope Benedict XVI's death last December.    

Father Federico Lombardi, president of the Ratzinger Foundation and former spokesman for Benedict XVI, recalled the importance of 'open' reason, saying, "Joseph Ratzinger never intended to build his system of thought or establish his own school, but he taught us to seek and find the truth with the power of reason and the light of faith, always keeping reason 'open,' in the dialogue between people, disciplines, and great religious traditions."    

The Ratzinger Prize, the main initiative of the Joseph Ratzinger-Benedict XVI Vatican Foundation, has, since 2011, been awarded to scholars who have distinguished themselves for their merits in publication and scholarly research. The winners of the 2023 edition were Spanish theologians and philosophers Pablo Blanco Sarto and Torralba Rosello.    

Regarding Pope Benedict XVI's resignation, Pablo Blanco Sarto, the Ratzinger Price 2023 Winner, remarked, "When a Pope, in a very delicate moment in which he was, decides to withdraw to pray, I think that is an example and an exemplification of how important prayer is in the Church. So, he withdraws to pray to support the Pope, who comes later in this process of reform and purification of the Church, on which we are embarking at this moment. And I think that is a good example of what he said, let's say in theory or in his theology, no, the theology of holiness."    

Speaking about Pope Benedict XVI's legacy, philosopher Francesc Torralba Roselló told EWTN News his thoughts on the concept of love, one of the main themes of Benedict's pontificate and theological work. He said, "Ratzinger defined Christianity as the religion of the words, but also the religion of 'agape'; therefore, both are key. We have to introduce rationality in our public life because it is very marked by emotionalism and sometimes by fanaticism and fundamentalism, but on the other hand, the world needs agape, and agape is a gift; it is gratuitous love."    

In the morning before the award ceremony, recipients of the prize and members of the Ratzinger Foundation gathered in prayer in the Vatican Grottoes at the tombs of Saint Peter and Benedict XVI. After Mass, Pope Francis received the participants in private.    

Adapted by Jacob Stein.