"The ecological movement discovered that 'nature' prescribes for us a moderation that we cannot ignore with impunity. Unfortunately, 'human ecology' has still not been made concrete. A human being, too, has a ‘nature’ that is prescribed for him, and violating or denying it leads to self-destruction."

— Benedict XVI, from the preface

This collection of selected works is Benedict XVI's heartfelt call for Europe to rediscover its true origin and identity, in order to become once again a beacon of beauty and humanity for the world. Such a revival would be not simply about imposing the truths of faith as the foundation of Europe, but about making a fundamental choice for justice: to live as if God exists rather than as if he does not.

Just as Pope John XXIII once called on the great nations of the earth to avoid a devastating nuclear war, Benedict XVI addresses not only Europe but the whole West, so that, by again finding their own soul as a people, they can save the world from self-destruction—both physical and spiritual.

"With his characteristic clarity, immediate accessibility, and at the same time depth, the Pope Emeritus magnificently outlines here the 'idea of Europe' that undoubtedly inspired its Founding Fathers and is the basis for its greatness; the definitive dimming of this ideal would ratify its complete and irreversible decline."

— Pope Francis, from the Introduction