(18/03/2015) What about the publication of the Opera Omnia of Joseph Ratzinger - Benedict XVI? This is the interview to Fr. Giuseppe Costa, director of the Libreria Editrice Vaticana, who tells our readers about the editorial work.
Father Costa, who is in charge of the Opera Omnia of Joseph Ratzinger – Benedict XVI?
Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller is in charge of the work on the Opera Omnia of Joseph Ratzinger–Benedict XVI, with the support of the Pope Benedict XVI Institute of Regensburg.
The Libreria Editrice Vaticana is in charge of the Italian edition. Our work considers also the expressed wish of Benedict XVI, who invited us to take our time and choose books with a great pastoral interest, because the experts know German language.
What about the translation in other languages?
The Vatican Publishing House holds the copyright for the Opera Omnia and it grants the copyright by request. It was granted to: the French publishing company Parole et Silence, that published the first volume and is going to publish the other books (Jésus de Nazareth. La figure et le message will be presented on 25th March at the College des Bernardins of Paris); the Spanish Biblioteca de Autores Cristianos (Bac), linked to the Spanish Episcopal Conference, that published the fourth volume; Ignatius Press in the U.S.A., that published the first volume.
There is also a Polish edition, edited by Wydawnictwo Kul, Lublin. In Germany the books are published by the Herder publishing company.
How did you develop the Italian edition?
We usually translate from German, adapting bibliography to the Italian context. This is the reason why it took longer than the German edition. People who translate from German must have specific competences. This translation is in charge of Professor Pierluca Azzaro, as Cardinal Müller also confirmed.
In November 2013 we published the third book in Italian, Gesù di Nazaret – La figura e il Messaggio, that is the first part of the sixth volume. Now we are working on the second part, with the Christological writings; it should be ready for October.
How are the books welcomed by the audience?
There is a great demand made by the Italian readers. The first volume, on liturgy, was printed for three times, and it is very rare in this moment of crisis. The other two volumes, the one on priesthood and Jesus of Nazareth had also a great achievement.
Luca Caruso