The Ratzinger Prize 2023 has been awarded to the Spanish philosophers and theologians Pablo Blanco Sarto and Francesc Torralba Roselló.
The Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, on 30 November in the Sala Regia of the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace will present the award to them. The ceremony will begin at 5 pm Rome time and will feature reflections on the legacy of Joseph Ratzinger – Benedict XVI – almost a year after his death.
In addition, on the afternoon of 29 November, starting at 5 pm, Rome’s Pontifical Gregorian University will host a study conference in English on the subject.
The Ratzinger Prize is a hallmark initiative of the Vatican Foundation Joseph Ratzinger-Benedict XVI, which is awarded, according to the Statutes, to ‘scholars who have distinguished themselves for particular merits in publication and/or scientific research’. In recent years, the scope of the award recipients has also expanded to include the Christian-inspired arts. Nominations for the Prize are proposed to the Pope for his approval by the Foundation’s Scientific Committee, consisting of five members appointed by the Holy Father.