Ireland's Cyril O'Regan and Japan's Etsurō Sotoo are the winners of the Ratzinger Prize 2024. Both will receive the award from the hands of Cardinal Pietro Parolin on November 22 at the Apostolic Palace in Vatican City.
Cyril O'Regan is an Irish theologian and professor born in 1952. His academic work focuses especially on Systematic Theology and the History of Christianity. His works include "Gnostic Return in Modernity", "The Heterodox Hegel" and "Theology and the Spaces of Apocalyptic".
For his part, Etsurō Sotoo is a Japanese sculptor who was born in the city of Fukuoka in 1953. His work was the cause of his conversion when, impressed by the Sagrada Familia basilica in Barcelona, he applied to work on Antonio Gaudi's unfinished project. While collaborating in the construction he was converted and received baptism. Today Sotoo's sculptures can be seen not only in the Basilica of Barcelona, but also in many other places in Spain, Italy and Japan. The quality of his works also makes him the first sculptor and the first East Asian to receive the Ratzinger Prize.
The Ratzinger Prize
This award is intended to reward, as stated in the statutes of the Joseph Ratzinger-Benedict XVI FoundationThe award is given to "scholars who have distinguished themselves by particular merit in publication and/or scientific research" and, for the past few years, to those who have had an impact on Christian-inspired art.
Being Catholic is not a requirement to obtain the award, which shows the openness of the Foundation's scientific committee, composed of:
-Cardinal Kurt Koch, Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity;
-Cardinal Luis Ladaria, Prefect Emeritus of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith;
-Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, president emeritus of the Pontifical Council for Culture;
-Archbishop Salvatore (Rino) Fisichella, pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization;
-Bishop Rudolf Voderholzer, president of the Pope Benedict XVI Institute in Regensburg.
