Contact: Ashley Walker, The Maximus Group, 678-990-9032

NEW YORK, April 18 /Christian Newswire/ -- Today, the Pope once again delivered an address that vigorously and emotionally reinforced the Catholic Church's consistent teaching on human rights and the dignity of every human person. It affirmed the legal authority of the UN Charter and emphasized that the maintenance of human rights as outlined in the Universal Declaration on Human Rights as the best way to uphold the common good and solidarity in the world.

The speech that the Holy Father delivered did not disappoint those who know and understand how the Church approaches such issues – as a constant principle based in the natural law.

It did not disappoint Brennan Pursell who believes that to deny these fundamental truths opens the door to relativism and the perversion of human dignity around the world. Said Pursell, author of the newly- released Benedict of Bavaria, which examines some of these issues in light of the Pope's personal influences "History bring new situations and with that the temptation to establish new human rights. The Holy Father argued for the vital need of the UN in the common life of the world's people. He declared that religious faith and liberty actually under gird the universal principles and human rights enshrined in the UN charter. He exhorted the members to make their institutions more equitable and to put human solidarity above and before national interest."

Pursell knows all too well where the Holy Father's heart and mind is on violations of human rights. His research for his ground-breaking biography, Benedict of Bavaria (Circle Press, 2008) uncovered heart-wrenching stories from the Pope's early life in Nazi-occupied Germany. Consider this one: "In 1941, German state "therapists" came to the house of young Joseph's cousin and probably informed the parents of the government regulation that prohibited mentally handicapped children from remaining in their parent's home. The Ratzinger family never saw him again. Later the family learned that he had "died," most likely murdered for being a drain on the productivity of the nation." "This was Joseph Ratzinger's first experience of a murderous philosophy that asserts that some people are disposable," says Pursell.

As the pope said today in his address, "attention to the innate dignity of everyman and woman, today find renewed emphasis in the principle of the responsibility to protect." As citizens of the world, Benedict reminded people of every nation that the promotion of human rights begins with the protection of the most vulnerable in our societies.

To schedule an interview with Brennan Pursell or to review Benedict of Bavaria, please contact Ashley Walker at The Maximus Group 678-990-9032.