Draft:Paul Badde
German journalist, historian, author and Vatican correspondent
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Paul Badde (10 March 1948 – 10 November 2025) was a German journalist, author, filmmaker, and Vatican correspondent known for his reporting for Die Welt and the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, as well as for his writings on Christian relics and pilgrimage traditions.[1]
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Paul Badde | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 10, 1948 Schaag, North Rhine-Westphalia, West Germany |
| Died | November 10, 2025 (aged 77) Manoppello, Abruzzo, Italy |
| Occupations | Journalist, author, filmmaker |
| Years active | 1970s–2025 |
| Known for | Vatican correspondence, writings on Christian relics |
| Spouse | Ellen Badde |
| Children | 5 |
Badde served as Middle East and Vatican correspondent for the German newspaper Die Welt from 2000 to 2013 and later worked with Catholic media organizations including EWTN and CNA Deutsch.[2] He became internationally known for his investigations into the Holy Face of Manoppello and other Christian acheiropoieta ("images not made by human hands").[3]
Early life and education
Badde was born in Schaag near Breyell on the Lower Rhine in West Germany. He studied philosophy and sociology at the University of Freiburg and later art history, history, and political science at Goethe University Frankfurt.[3]
Before entering journalism full-time, he worked as a teacher at the Schillerschule in Frankfurt-Sachsenhausen. During the late 1970s he contributed to the German satirical magazine pardon.[1]
Journalism career
Badde began his journalism career as a freelance contributor for several German-language newspapers, including Die Zeit, Die Welt, Neue Zürcher Zeitung, and the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ). In 1988 he became a reporter and editor for the FAZ-Magazin in Munich.[2]
From 2000 to 2013, he served as Middle East and Vatican correspondent for Die Welt, first based in Jerusalem and later in Rome and Vatican City.[1] His reporting focused on religion, Middle Eastern affairs, Vatican politics, and Christian pilgrimage sites.
Badde was among the founding editors of Vatican Magazin, a German Catholic monthly publication established in 2007.[4]
As Vatican correspondent, Badde frequently commented on developments within the Catholic Church and appeared in reporting surrounding controversies involving German bishop Walter Mixa.[5]
After leaving Die Welt, he worked with EWTN, CNA Deutsch, and other Catholic media organizations as a correspondent, commentator, and documentary filmmaker.[6]
Religious writings
Badde became widely known for his investigations into Christian relics and sacred images. He strongly promoted the view that the Holy Face of Manoppello was the authentic Veil of Veronica and argued that the image possessed miraculous characteristics.[7]
His 2005 book Das göttliche Gesicht and its English translation The Face of God: The Rediscovery of the True Face of Jesus brought international attention to the Manoppello shrine in Italy.[3] Several Catholic commentators credited the book with contributing to Pope Benedict XVI's visit to the shrine in 2006.[2]
Badde's investigations into the Holy Face of Manoppello and related Christian relics received coverage in German mainstream media including Der Spiegel and Bild.[8]
In addition to the Manoppello veil, Badde wrote extensively on the Shroud of Turin, the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Jerusalem, Fatima, and Catholic pilgrimage traditions.
His writing style combined historical reporting, travel narrative, theological reflection, and personal testimony.
Literary work
In addition to his journalistic and religious writings, Badde also published literary works. His 2013 novel Raphaël: Die Wiederkehr eines Erzengels was reviewed by Der Spiegel.[9]
Influence and reception
Badde's writings on the Holy Face of Manoppello contributed significantly to renewed international interest in the shrine during the pontificate of Pope Benedict XVI.[2]
His books were translated into multiple languages and distributed internationally through Catholic publishers including Ignatius Press.[3]
He was regarded as one of the best-known German-speaking Vatican journalists of his generation and became a prominent voice in Catholic journalism through his reporting, essays, documentaries, and lectures.[4]
Personal life
Badde was married to Ellen Badde and had five children. He lived for many years in Rome and later moved to Manoppello in the Abruzzo region of Italy.[4]
He was associated with several Catholic organizations, including the Fatima movement Botschaft von Fátima and the Campo Santo Teutonico in Vatican City.
Badde suffered several strokes later in life and died on 10 November 2025 in Manoppello at the age of 77.[1]
Selected works
- Die Besteuerung des Unternehmens ("The Taxation of the Enterprise", 1970) ISBN 978-3863570408
- Jerusalem, Jerusalem (1997) ISBN 978-3928929929
- Die himmlische Stadt ("The Heavenly City", 1999) ISBN 978-3630879994
- Maria von Guadalupe (2004) ISBN 978-3548605616
- Das göttliche Gesicht: Das Geheimnis des Schleiers von Manoppello ("The Divine Face: The Secret of the Veil of Manoppello", 2005) ISBN 978-3717112372
- Zwischen Himmel und Erde – Verstreute Reportagen und Essays ("Between Heaven and Earth – Collected Reports and Essays", 2009) ISBN 978-3939684459
- The Face of God: The Rediscovery of the True Face of Jesus (2010) ISBN 978-1586175153
- Heiliges Land ("Holy Land", 2010) ISBN 978-3863572709
- Das Grabtuch von Turin ("The Shroud of Turin", 2014) ISBN 978-3629022615
- Raphaël: Die Wiederkehr eines Erzengels ("Raphael: The Return of an Archangel", 2016) ISBN 978-3776681802
- Von Angesicht zu Angesicht ("Face to Face", 2017) ISBN 978-3717112839
- Papst Benedikt XVI: Seine Papstjahre aus nächster Nähe ("Pope Benedict XVI: His Papal Years from Close Range", 2018) ISBN 978-3784483375
- Abendland ("Occident", 2021) ISBN 978-3863572907
- Die Lukas-Ikone ("The Luke Icon", 2024) ISBN 978-3717113805