Pope's second book on 'Jesus of Nazareth' goes to publishers

Vatican City, May 10, 2010 / 10:27 am

The Holy See announced on Monday that the final draft of Pope Benedict XVI's long awaited second volume of "Jesus of Nazareth" has been completed and sent to the publishers. Although the English translation will not be immediately available, the Vatican said it is just a question of months.

The second volume is dedicated to the Passion and Resurrection and picks up where the first volume—focused on Jesus' public ministry—left off.

"The definitive text of the second volume of the book 'Jesus of Nazareth' by His Holiness Benedict XVI was recently consigned to the publishers entrusted with its publication," reads the Holy See Press Office communiqué from Monday.

The Holy Father had previously revealed the book's completion when he told the American rabbi Jacob Neusner in an audience on Jan. 18 that new text was ready for publication.

Today's announcement from the Vatican related that the original German version had been entrusted to two publishers for printing. The Vatican Publishing House, led by Fr. Giuseppe Costa, is responsible for the concession of rights, the publication of the Italian version and for contracting other publishers for its translation into other languages.

Meanwhile, publisher Manuel Herder, which is in the process editing Joseph Ratzinger's complete works, was given the responsibility of printing the German version.

Copies in major languages, including English, will require a few months to be completed, "given the time necessary for an accurate translation of such an important and long-awaited text," noted the Vatican.

The first volume of "Jesus of Nazareth" was released in German, Italian, Greek and Polish in April 2007, with translations in 16 other languages arriving on bookshelves just a month later.