Pope: his writings always a journey...

On the eve of Benedict XVI's birthday the Archbishop of Liverpool Patrick Kelly shared with Veronica Scarisbrick some thoughts relating to the writings of Benedict XVI.

In this interview Archbishop Kelly remarked how the writings and the homilies of the Holy Father are wondrously simple but always a journey.

Among the passages he highlights is one in which he says he's never heard anything so anthropomorphic about the Trinity.

It's when the Pope pronounced the words : "The Son of God leapt to his feet", an image he points to as both beautiful and daring.

The occasion was the Holy Mass to mark the beginning of his Petrine Ministry on the 24th of April 2005. This is an English translation of the passage of the homily in question:

" The human race - every one of us - is the sheep lost in the desert which no longer knows the way. The Son of God leaps to His feet and abandons the Glory of heaven , in order to go in search of the sheep and pursue it , all the way to the Cross. He takes it upon his shoulders and carries our humanity : he carries us all - he is the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep".

Asked if he believes one of the hallmarks of this Pontificate might lie in the clarity of the Holy Father's belief, the Archbishop replies:

" It is a double quality I think. I've been privileged to meet him over the years...and I think somebody put it beautifully when they said: ' he's serene in his faith and in his theology'.. Whatever the issue he's never fearful of where a discussion might lead...there's very much the feel of Cardinal Newman whom of course the Holy Father beatified. I believe the feel of Newman's writings is that whenever you wrestle with a question to the end, you never find you're at the end with darkness. You may still be aware there's a journey ahead but there's still a light like in that famous line of his: 'lead kindly light, lead thou me on ..' I think thats' the spirit ."

Listen :