By Charles Igwe
On Friday, November 22, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State for the Holy See, will present the 2024 Ratzinger Prize to theologian Professor Cyril O’Regan and sculptor Etsurō Sotoo. The award ceremony will take place in the Sala Regia of the Apostolic Palace at 17:00. Earlier that day, at 07:15, a Mass in memory of Pope Benedict XVI will be celebrated at his tomb in the Vatican Grottoes. Following the ceremony, the two laureates will be received by Pope Francis.
The Prize Winners
Professor Cyril O’Regan (Ireland, 1952) is a renowned scholar of Systematic Theology at the University of Notre Dame (Indiana, USA). He studied philosophy in Ireland and earned his PhD in Philosophy (1985) and Theology (1989) at Yale University. O’Regan began his academic career at Yale’s Department of Religious Studies in 1990 before moving to Notre Dame in 1999.
He is the author of numerous significant works, including The Heterodox Hegel (1994), Gnostic Return in Modernity (2001), Theology and the Spaces of Apocalyptic (2009), and The Anatomy of Misremembering: Balthasar’s Response to Philosophical Modernity (in two volumes). His upcoming publication, Newman and Ratzinger, reflects his deep engagement with the teachings of Joseph Ratzinger-Benedict XVI. O’Regan is known for his attentive approach to teaching and has produced many important articles about Benedict XVI.
Etsurō Sotoo (Fukuoka, Japan, 1953) graduated from Kyoto University with a degree in Fine Arts and initially taught in Kyoto and Osaka. In 1978, a visit to Barcelona deeply moved him, especially the construction of the Sagrada Familia Basilica. Sotoo asked to work on the project as a sculptor, following the vision of Antoni Gaudí. His work on the Nativity Façade and his conversion to Christianity, which culminated in his baptism, reflect his devotion to Gaudí, whose cause for canonization he actively supports.
Sotoo’s contributions can be found not only in the Sagrada Familia but also in various locations in Spain, Japan, and Italy. Notably, he created the ambo for Florence’s Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral in 2015. Sotoo is the first East Asian and the first sculptor to receive the Ratzinger Prize.
The Ratzinger Prize is the principal initiative of the Vatican Foundation Joseph Ratzinger-Benedict XVI. It is awarded to individuals who have distinguished themselves through scholarly publications or scientific research, with recent years expanding the scope to include the arts inspired by Christian faith.
