Notisia Katoliko Korsou

Pope's Angelus: how to overcome feelings of envy

2011-09-19T14:38:00.000-04:00

Rio de Janeiro's "Christ the Redeemer" statue will soon turn 80

2011-09-19T14:35:00.000-04:00

Pope calls on all to participate in new evangelization

2011-09-19T14:34:00.000-04:00

Castel Gandolfo, Italy, September 18 (CNA/EWTN News) .-

Pope Benedict XVI called upon all Catholics Sept. 18 to participate in a new evangelization of the world.

"Today's liturgy reminds us that we are all called to work in the vineyard of the Lord," he told pilgrims gathered to pray the midday Angelus at his summer residence of Castel Gandolfo, south of Rome.

"He has given us diverse gifts, has assigned diverse tasks and determined diverse times for their performance. However, if we assume the work of our life with full dedication, we can expect the same pay: the joy of eternal participation the goodness of the Lord," he said.

The Pope based his comments on today's gospel reading in which Jesus recounts the parable of the vineyard owner who paid each of his workers the same wage regardless of how long they worked.

He also drew upon St. Paul's letter to the Philippians, written while the apostle was imprisoned and awaiting his death, in which he states that "for to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain."

This "new sense of life" comes from communion with Jesus Christ who, said the Pope, is "not just a historical figure, a master of wisdom, a religious leader," but is "a man in whom God dwells personally."

"His death and resurrection is the good news that, starting from Jerusalem, is intended to reach all individuals and peoples," said Pope Benedict. Thus all cultures are changed by being open to the truth that "God is love, he became man in Jesus and his sacrifice has redeemed humanity from the slavery of evil, making it a trustworthy hope."

"Today we live in an era of new evangelization," Pope Benedict said, drawing a parallel between the era of St. Paul and today. New evangelization is also a favored theme of his pontificate – the call to re-evangelize traditionally Christian parts of the world or, as the Pope put it today, the need for "regions of ancient Christian tradition" to "rediscover the beauty of faith."

"The protagonists of this mission are men and women who, like St. Paul can say: 'For me to live is Christ.' People, families and communities that agree to work in the vineyard of the Lord."

These are people who are "humble and generous" and who do not "ask for any reward other than to participate in the mission of Jesus and the Church."

"Dear friends," concluded the Pope, "the Gospel has transformed the world, and still is turning, like a river that irrigates a huge field."

After the Angelus, Pope Benedict addressed various language groups, including German pilgrims. He said he looked forward to his four-day visit to Germany later this week and hoped the people of his native land will "respond generously to the offer of the boundless love of God and work for the good that is in the world."

Sex abuse victims file complaint against Pope with International Criminal Court

2011-09-14T21:41:00.000-04:00

Vatican offers Lefebvrians a 'personal prelature' if they come back to the Church

2011-09-14T21:40:00.000-04:00

Pope: Faith can Transform pain into Hope

2011-09-14T21:36:00.000-04:00

God is never far from the persecuted, says Pope Benedict

2011-09-14T21:35:00.000-04:00

By David Kerr

Vatican City, Sep 14, 2011 / (CNA/EWTN News).-

Pope Benedict XVI said Sept. 14 that Christians should continue to call upon God even in times of trial, when he may seem distant.

“The shadow of the Cross gives way to the bright hope of the Resurrection,” the Pope told pilgrims gathered in the Vatican’s Paul VI Hall for his weekly audience.

“We too, when we call upon him in times of trial, must place our trust in the God who brings salvation, who conquers death with the gift of eternal life.”

The Pope drew his observations from Psalm 22, which he described as “a heartfelt prayer of lamentation from one who feels abandoned by God.”

The writer of the psalm is “surrounded by enemies who are persecuting him,” and so he “cries out by day and by night for help, and yet God seems to remain silent.”

“My God , my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” is the cry of the psalmist to the Almighty.

Pope Benedict explained how the writer is despairing of the Lord rescuing him even though “the people of Israel called trustingly upon the Lord in times of trial, and he answered their prayer,” and in his own life “the Lord cared for him personally in his earlier life, as a child in his mother’s womb, as an infant in his mother’s arms.”

“Despite such adverse circumstances, though,” observed the Pope, “the psalmist’s faith and trust in the Lord remains.” So much so that he “ends on a note of confidence, as God’s name is praised before all the nations.”

The Pope said this is also the attitude all Christians should learn to have in times of near despair.

The best example of this trust in God the Father, said the Pope, is Jesus Christ himself, who also utters the words of Psalm 22 as he hangs on the cross of Calvary.

“He too seems to have been abandoned to a cruel fate,” noted the Pope, “while his enemies mock him, attacking him like ravenous and roaring lions, dividing his clothing among them as if he were already dead.”

Yet in his passion on Good Friday “in obedience the Father, the Lord Jesus, through abandonment and death, comes to give life and give it to all believers.”

Thus, by praying the “heartfelt and touching” Psalm 22, the individual Christian is brought to the foot of the Cross of Christ “to live out his passion and share the fruitful joy of the resurrection.”

Pope Benedict concluded the audience by imparting his apostolic blessing, before returning by helicopter to his summer residence of Castel Gandolfo, 15 miles south of Rome.

Pope lunches with unemployed shipbuilders during visit to Ancona

2011-09-12T13:21:00.001-04:00

Pope visits Ancona, talks about how to heal wounds between loved ones

2011-09-12T13:18:00.001-04:00

Pope to Young Couples: "By burning certain stages, you risk burning love"

2011-09-12T13:15:00.000-04:00

Pope speaks of God's presence during 'times of darkness'

2011-09-10T10:55:00.000-04:00

Vatican City, September 7 (CNA/EWTN News) .-

Pope Benedict XVI told pilgrims in St. Peter's Square that they should look to the Bible's third psalm to recall that God is near "even in times of difficulty, problems, and darkness."

"In the Psalmist's lament," Pope Benedict observed in his September 7 general audience, "each of us may recognize those feelings of pain and bitterness, accompanied by faith in God, which, according the biblical narrative, David experienced as he fled from his city."

Pope Benedict presided over the Wednesday general audience at the Vatican before returning to Castel Gandolfo, his summer vacation residence.

His discussion of Psalm 3 served as the beginning of his treatment of the Psalms – which he called "the book of prayer par excellence" – as part of his continuing series of lessons on "the school of prayer."

Psalm 3, Pope Benedict recalled, comes from "one of the most dramatic episodes" in the life of King David, to whom the Church has traditionally ascribed the entire book of Psalms. It represents David's cry for help after his son Absalom usurped his throne, forcing David to flee from Jerusalem in fear.

The incident prompts David to exlaim: "How many are my foes, Lord! How many rise against me! How many say of me, 'God will not save that one.'"

David's persecutors, Pope Benedict noted, not only threaten his life, but "also seek to break his bond with God and to undermine the faith of their victim by insinuating that the Lord cannot intervene."

Their aggression against "the central core of the Psalmist's being" subjects David to one of the most serious temptations a believer can suffer, "the temptation of losing faith and trust in the closeness of God."

But the author of Psalm 3 also recalls that God is "a shield around me," and declares: "Whenever I cried out to the Lord, I was answered from the holy mountain … I do not fear, then, thousands of people arrayed against me on every side."

"By praying this Psalm," Pope Benedict told the crowd of pilgrims, "we share the sentiments of the Psalmist: a just but persecuted figure which would later be fulfilled in Jesus. In pain, danger and the bitterness of misunderstanding and offense, the words of this Psalm open our hearts to the comforting certainty of faith."

"God is always close, even in times of difficulty, problems and darkness," the Pope taught. "He listens, responds and saves." David's cry of desperation, then, is also "an act of faith in God's closeness and His willingness to listen."

Pope Benedict explained that the third psalm, like the entirety of the Old Testament, points to Jesus' experience of suffering, death, and final deliverance.

Through the words of this psalm, Christians can learn to "recognize (God's) presence and accept his ways, like David during his humiliating flight from his son Absalom … and, finally and fully, like the Lord Jesus on Golgotha."

When darkness and pain arrive, the ability to recognize God's presence makes an immense difference, as it did when Christ died in circumstances that seemed to have no redeeming value.

"In the eyes of the unrighteous it appeared that God did not intervene and that his son died," the Pope said. "But for believers it was at that precise moment that true glory was manifested and definitive salvation achieved."

"May the Lord give us faith," Pope Benedict concluded. "May he come in aid of our weakness and help us to pray in moments of anguish, in the painful nights of doubt and the long days of pain, abandoning ourselves trustingly to him – our shield and our glory."

Congregation for the Clergy asks bishops to work with civil authorities on sex abuse

2011-09-10T10:31:00.000-04:00

Irish look for new start with Vatican after troubled past

2011-09-10T10:28:00.002-04:00

Pope's General Audience: 'Even when you feel forgotten, God is there'

2011-09-10T10:28:00.001-04:00

"The Vatican did not hinder any investigation of sexual abuse in Ireland"

2011-09-10T10:24:00.000-04:00

Pope talks about World Youth Day during general audience

2011-08-25T15:35:00.001-04:00

World Youth Day Numbers from Madrid 2011

2011-08-25T15:28:00.000-04:00

Pope invites youth to join him in Rio de Janeiro in 2013

2011-08-25T15:25:00.000-04:00

WYD Madrid: Pope meets with disabled youths at the Institute of San Jose

2011-08-25T15:23:00.000-04:00

Pope during Vigil: "Your strength is stronger than the rain"

2011-08-25T15:22:00.001-04:00

Pope Benedict commissions millions of Young Missionaries in Madrid

2011-08-25T15:06:00.003-04:00

BY MIKE JAMES

“Young people readily respond when in sincerity and truth, they are invited to an encounter with Jesus Christ”, declared Pope Benedict XVI as he bade farewell to World Youth Day (WYD) at Madrid airport last Sunday. Referring specifically to the two million young people whom the Vatican estimates participated in WYD he declared. “Now those young people are returning home as missionaries of the Gospel”…and – he added, speaking to the 800 bishops and 14,000 of priests and 20,000 women religious who had accompanied the young people on this pilgrimage – “they will need to be helped on their way”.

The Pope hailed as “Apostles of the 21st century” the young people from 195 nations around the world, who prayed and meditated, who sang God’s praises and celebrated undeterred even as they were buffeted first by heavy winds and dust and then drenched by a powerful thunderstorm at the Cuatro Vientos aerodrome where the final vigil and Mass took place.

The final week of WYD 2011 began on August 15 with thousands of them beginning to arrive in Madrid by bus, train, air and even hitch hiking from their Days in the Dioceses (DiD), enthusiastic but cautious, well aware that in Spain facing serious economic crisis, 21% unemployment rising to 35% among young adults, there were some vocal critics against any special treatment for the visitors at the public expense. But following a massive opening Mass in the Madrid city centre in which some 70 young Spaniards gave the warmest of welcomes to the hundreds of thousands of pilgrims, caution about public expression of their faith disappeared. Packed metro stations became spontaneous chapels of prayer and hymns of praise.

At one huge parish church of the Santa Trinidad that served as one of the many catechetical centres for English, standing-room only groups of young people from South Africa, the English-speaking Caribbean, India and Australia heard Archbishop Robert Rivas of Castries, Chairman of the AEC Youth Commission preach what he told pilgrims was his first sermon on the “Name of Jesus” as he invited them to deepen their personal commitment to Christ.

The next day Cardinal Wilfred Napier of Durban South Africa reminded them that they can be absolutely sure that “God will never let you waste your life if you commit yourself completely to him.” Jesus says to you,“Follow me and I will be right behind you.” He added that in an interesting initiative, the Vatican Pontifical Council for Evangelization is encouraging young people to devote a year of their lives to missionary work with 3 months of intensive training followed by the rest of the year in intensive service.

South Africans of all races joined together to lead powerful hymns and liturgical dance which symbolised the spirit of unity and fellowship transcending all differences of language, race and class that characterised WYD.

The traditional processions of statues and composite scenarios of scenes from Holy Week were combined with the Stations of the Cross on Friday 19, attended by more than a million pilgrims. Among groups who carried the cross from station to station were groups of disabled young people, groups working with victims of HIV/AIDS, and a group composed jointly of young pilgrims from Haiti and Japan, countries that have recently faced national disasters. The prayers invited all to solidarity and service of Jesus, suffering in all these and other groups around the world.

As part of his packed schedule Pope Benedict visited a home for disabled run by young religious at which an 18 year old young man, deaf from birth, gave the welcoming speech in which he testified that his faith gave him great courage in long periods of silence and solitude. His words brought tears to the Pope’s eyes.

The Pope’s schedule ran late when he spent half an hour listening and talking to a religious sister, 103 years old who entered the convent on the same day that Pope Benedict was born 83 years ago, and who had for the first time in those 83 years come out of her contemplative cloistered convent in order to meet with him.

Not all went perfectly well in WYD 2011. Central organisation was overwhelmed with the huge number of pilgrims who descended on Madrid. While security took the decision to close the main entrance to the vast aerodrome long before the scheduled beginning of the final mass as space was completely oversubscribed. This resulted in many tens of thousands of registered pilgrims having to trek many additional kilometres to reach other general public access areas. On the other hand well-stocked picnic packages containing 4 meals for the same tens of thousands could not be distributed. Limited access to public sports and other facilities (strictly only from 9 p.m to 9 a.m. and not at all from the morning after WYD ended) meant that groups found it difficult to find enough opportunities for planning and praying together outside the official programme. The massive thunderstorm and winds during the vigil caused the collapse of 2 of the tents where hosts were being stored for consecration the next day with the result that many pilgrims were unable to receive Communion at the final mass.

None of this, however, dampened the spirits and the tremendous witness of the millions of young people, challenging the conventional wisdom in Europe that young people have no time for Christ or serious commitment to eternal values. The day after the final Mass, three young women from Trinidad were at the entrance of a metro station looking for a homeless person they had befriended earlier to share their breakfast with him. And as Vatican radio reported of the enthusiasm and commitment of the young people at WYD, “This is the BXVI generation, they came, they heard and they understood, the apostles of the 21st century.” They return home to Syria and Sri Lanka, to China and the Caribbean, determined to witness fearlessly and to seek the help to do so that Pope Benedict has called Bishops, Priests, Religious and other church leaders to provide.

World Youth Day Checklist

2011-08-17T17:22:00.000-04:00

World Youth Day Madrid 2011 kicks off in Madrid

2011-08-16T17:36:00.000-04:00

What is World Youth Day?

2011-08-16T17:35:00.000-04:00

The acts we perform; the people we become

2011-08-12T14:12:00.002-04:00

By father Robert Barron

From the 1950’s through the late 1970’s Karol Wojtyla (Pope John Paul II) was a professor of moral philosophy at the Catholic University of Lublin in Poland, specializing in sexual ethics and what we call today “marriage and family life.” He produced two important books touching on these matters, The Acting Person, a rigorously philosophical exploration of Christian anthropology, and Love and Responsibility, a much more accessible analysis of love, sex, and marriage. These texts provided the foundation for the richly textured teaching of Pope John Paul II that now goes by the name “theology of the body.” As was evident throughout his papacy, John Paul had a deep devotion to young people, and he wanted them to see the teaching of the church in regard to sex, not as a burden, but as an invitation to fuller life. In the context of this brief article, I would like to develop just one insight from John Paul’s rich magisterium on sex and marriage, for I share the perennial concern of older people that too many young people are treating sex in a morally casual way.

Karol Wojtyla taught that in making an ethical decision, a moral agent does not only give rise to a particular act, but he also contributes to the person he is becoming. Every time I perform a moral act, I am building up my character, and every time I perform an unethical act, I am compromising my character. A sufficient number of virtuous acts, in time, shapes me in such a way that I can predictably and reliably perform virtuously in the future, and a sufficient number of vicious acts can misshape me in such a way that I am typically incapable of choosing rightly in the future. This is not judgmentalism; it is a kind of spiritual/moral physics, an articulation of a basic law. We see the same principle at work in sports. If you swing the golf club the wrong way enough times, you become a bad golfer, that is to say, someone habitually incapable of hitting the ball straight and far. And if you swing the club correctly enough times, you become a good golfer, someone habitually given to hitting the ball straight and far.

John Paul put his finger on a problem typical of our time, namely, that people think that they can do lots of bad things while still remaining, deep down, “good persons,” as though their characters are separable from the particular things that they do. In point of fact, a person who habitually engages in self-absorbed, self-destructive, and manipulative behavior is slowly but surely warping her character, turning herself into a self-absorbed, self-destructive, and manipulative person. Viewed from a slightly different angle, this is the problem of separating “self” from the body, as though the “real person” hides under or behind the concrete moves of the body. Catholic philosophy and theology have battled this kind of dualism for centuries, insisting that the self is a composite of spirit and matter. In fact, it is fascinating to note how often this gnostic conception of the person (to give it its proper name) asserts itself and how often the Church has risen up to oppose it.

Now apply this principle to sexual behavior. Study after study has shown that teen-agers and college students are participating more and more in a “hook-up” culture, an environment in which the most casual and impersonal forms of sexual behavior are accepted as a matter of course. As recently as 25 or 30 years ago, there was still, even among teen-agers, a sense that sexual contact belonged at least in the context of a “loving” or “committed” relationship, but today it appears as though even this modicum of moral responsibility has disappeared. And this is doing terrible damage to young people. Dr. Leonard Sax, a physician and psychiatrist, explored the phenomenon of the hook-up culture in his book Why Gender Matters, a text I would warmly recommend to teen-agers and their parents. He described that tawdry moral universe in some detail, and then he remarked that his psychiatrist’s office is filled with young people—especially young women—who have fallen into debilitating depression, anxiety and low self-esteem. Dr. Sax theorized that these psychological symptoms are a function of a kind of cognitive dissonance. The wider society is telling teen-agers that they can behave in any way they like and still be “good people,” but the consciences of these young people are telling a different story. Deep down, they know that selfish and irresponsible behavior is turning them into selfish and irresponsible people—and their souls are crying out. Their presence, in Dr. Sax’s waiting room, witnesses to the truth of John Paul’s understanding of the moral act.

I might sum up John Paul’s insight by saying that moral acts matter, both in the short run and in the long run. For weal or for woe, they produce immediate consequences, and they form characters. And so I might venture to say to a young person, tempted to engage in irresponsible sexual behavior: please realize that, though you may not immediately appreciate it, the particular things you choose to do are inevitably shaping the person you are becoming.

* Father Robert Barron is the founder of the global ministry, Word on Fire, and the Francis Cardinal George Professor of Faith and Culture at University of St. Mary of the Lake in Mundelein. He is the creator and host of a new 10 episode documentary series called "Catholicism" and also hosts programs on Relevant Radio, EWTN and at www.WordOnFire.org.

Vatican talks about pope's agenda during World Youth Day

2011-08-12T14:01:00.000-04:00

2011-07-22T06:35:00.001-04:00

By Louie Verrechino

“I fed you with milk, not solid food; for you were not ready for it; and even yet you are not ready, for you are still of the flesh” (1 Cor. 3:2-3).

To wit, I would submit that the changes that have taken place in the sacred liturgy since the Council closed find their impetus in but one of two places; either the guiding hand of the Holy Spirit or the deceptions of the Devil. That’s just the milk.

The solid food that relatively few can digest is this – many of the changes foist upon the sacred liturgy over the last 40 years fall into the latter category.

To be very clear, the ever evolving state of the Pilgrim Church, and likewise Her liturgy, is evidenced by a deepened understanding of Divine revelation and an increasing awareness of Sacred Mystery as She and Her members grow in holiness; i.e. Her progression toward heavenly perfection.

When there is evidence, however, that the Church has allowed Herself and Her members in any given age or circumstance to become infected by worldliness, we must be willing to identify it for what it is – a sign of regression.

The former, of course, is the work of the Holy Spirit who leads the Church into all truth along the way of salvation. The latter, quite obviously, is the work of His adversary who even now seeks to deceive men into joining him in destroying all that is good and holy. Of this there can be no doubt.

As Jesus said, “One is either with me or against me” (Mt. 5:30), and with the parameters so set let’s turn our attention toward the state of the sacred liturgy as it currently exists at this point in the ongoing process of reform.

While drawing direct point-by-point comparisons to the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite is not my ultimate intention, it is useful to do so in some measure. Consider for instance, this most basic observation:

Even a disinterested observer can see that in simple appearance alone (i.e. as evidenced by the liturgy’s visible signs) the Ordinary Form as it is commonly celebrated bears far greater resemblance to any number of Protestant praise and worship services than its traditional counterpart.

Can anyone sincerely deny that the attention of God’s people has drifted away from Sacred Mystery in the newly configured celebration, away from the sacrificial character of the Mass, and away from the Redemptive work carried out by Christ therein?

This more “Protestantized” form of the liturgy has clearly fallen short (in its outward signs) to communicate the unique presence and operations of Christ in the Catholic liturgy; for who in their right mind would ever consider trading the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass for a community prayer meeting as so many have since the Council closed?

More importantly as it relates to the topic at hand we must ask ourselves to whom shall we attribute the impetus for this phenomenon - the guiding hand of the Spirit or the influence (albeit frequently unknown even to those who comply) of the Enemy? It’s not a difficult choice.

Let’s continue by examining some of the specific changes in the Mass by the light of “Sacrosanctum Concilium;” the supposed blueprint for the reform.

Though the Council neither suggested nor encouraged as much, the altar of Sacrifice has been replaced by a structure that by no mere coincidence resembles a “table” upon which a “meal” is prepared, allowing for the priest to approach as contemporary man now commonly does in the ordinary course of secular life; facing his guests as he invites them to partake in a communal event.

Of course, this is the only arrangement that most Catholics today have ever known, but if we simply shake off the dust of familiarity to view this remarkable liturgical change within the context of the Church’s great liturgical tradition, this is a breathtakingly bold innovation that most people simply accept without question.

Those who crave solid food, however, cannot help but wonder how, given the Council’s utter and complete silence on the subject, such a drastic change ever came to be? To rephrase the question in accordance with the current exercise; if the “reformers” who pushed forward this innovation were not following the voice of the Council, whose voice were they following? Stated yet another way, who were they serving?

In most places where the Ordinary Form is celebrated, another stunning change without conciliar foundation can be witnessed as laymen and women (in numbers far exceeding priests) hand out Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament to other laity who come forward to take Him in their hands to place in their mouths like common food.

Further observation reveals how often, thanks to these innovations, the Blessed Sacrament is approached in the most ordinary, casual and even sacrilegious of ways!

Only the willfully deluded, it seems, can deny the degree to which the Real Presence is routinely profaned in the process, most often in subtle ways such as the brushing of one’s hands free of “crumbs” after consuming, taking the Lord in hands that are unwashed, or by approaching the Lord in so nonchalant a manner that it would invite ridicule if one were to so enter the chamber of a judge at the local courthouse.

That said more ghastly offenses do indeed take place; like people of ill intent walking out of the church building with the Eucharist in their pocket, the Sacred Host being accidentally dropped or left in the pew, etc.

Add to this the fact that our current practice (which is carried out only by indult) has produced a class of “ministers” both ordinary and otherwise who are visibly uncomfortable (and in my own personal experience even hostile) toward the venerable and normative practice of dispensing and receiving Holy Communion on the tongue.

Acknowledging this situation for what it plainly is renders all appeals to antiquity as an excuse for continuing this abomination (the favored argument of progressives) utterly hollow.

Don’t be afraid to ask the simple question: Can anyone really be so naïve as to believe for even a fleeting moment that Satan does not delight in witnessing what has taken place with respect to our treatment of the Blessed Sacrament?

One cannot help but conclude that the Devil, who has already convinced many (clergy included) that he himself does not even exist, now in no small measure thanks to the changes that most just mindlessly accept in the way Holy Communion is given and received, is also making remarkable inroads in his attempt to lure foolish men into denying that the Lord is truly present in the Most Holy Eucharist!

En route to promoting that outright denial, Satan has successfully tempted men to practice idolatry-of-self specifically during the Rite of Holy Communion!

Information offered by the Federation of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions, which is relied upon as a resource by many dioceses, illustrates the problem very well.

The Last Supper was a ritual meal following the customs of the time. Communion in the hand was the universal practice then... Communion in the hand can deepen our faith in the dignity of every Christian as a member of the body of Christ, including our own personal dignity.

Setting aside the glaring error of omission in categorizing the institution of the Eucharist as a “ritual meal” apart from its sacrificial nature, note that this attention to “personal dignity” comes at the expense of recognizing the Divinity uniquely made present. This irresponsible treatment has, not surprisingly, been extrapolated to validate the rather ordinary use of “extraordinary” ministers as evidenced in the liturgical guidelines published by one U.S. diocese, for example:

This ministry (Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion) is more than one of convenience; affirming the dignity and holiness of all the baptized, the extraordinary minister of Holy Communion is a sign that all are called to share the life and sustenance of Christ with each other.

It is noteworthy that where the Council speaks of Sacrifice, the contemporary liturgist stresses “ritual meal,” where the Council focuses on the unique presence of Christ in the most Holy Eucharist, the progressive seeks a venue for calling attention to the dignity of man, where the Council Fathers highlight the unique role of the priest who acts in persona Christi, “extraordinary ministry” is stressed as a tool for diluting distinctions; where the Council promotes a liturgy that turns the hearts and minds of men toward God, the modern day liturgist seeks to draw man’s attention toward his own personal holiness.

Yet another common example of man’s self-focus in the liturgy lies in the fact that sacred music as Holy Mother Church has defined it throughout the centuries – including at Vatican Council II - has all but disappeared in most places. Enter into a conversation on this topic with those whose faith can only handle milk and the conversation very quickly devolves into a debate about personal taste.

We could go on, but at this let’s consider the Lord’s own words, “So, every sound tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears evil fruit. A sound tree cannot bear evil fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire” (Mt. 7:17-19).

Make no mistake about it; Holy Mass is a work of the Lord. It is, in a sense, our fore-entrance into Eden restored. It is here where we are granted access to the Tree of Life in the form of the Cross and its most precious fruit, the Most Holy Eucharist, wherever it is validly celebrated.

We must not, however, allow this manifestation of God’s mercy to pacify us into ignoring the plain truth that human beings are still being seduced by the Evil One in this new garden as well. The Master Deceiver is constantly, and with some obvious success, enticing man to eat the bad fruit of the bad trees that we ourselves, if not at his urging his utter delight, planted in the liturgy with our very own hands.

Why is it so important for us to acknowledge this and to patiently yet diligently share it with others?

It is high time for the axe to be taken to our bad liturgical trees, but God help the faithful pastor who is determined to do just that! Nothing guarantees howls of protest and letters to the bishop like tinkering with the “me-centered” goodies that have infiltrated the Mass!

Knowing this, many a good shepherd is reluctant to do what is necessary lest the sheep turn into ravenous wolves. We need to pray for our pastors’ courage, yes, but we also need to take responsibility and have their backs.

After four-plus decades of liturgical madness otherwise misnamed as “reform,” there’s not a one of us who can still legitimately claim recourse to the innocence and ignorance of children in the matter.

The bad liturgical trees have matured, their rotten fruit are now plainly known, and the heady post-conciliar days of milk are over. It’s time for solid food.

Belarus’ Cardinal Swiatek, gulag survivor, dies

2011-07-22T06:31:00.001-04:00

Minsk, Belarus, Jul 22, 2011 / (CNA/EWTN News).-

Cardinal Kazimierz Swiatek, the former Archbishop of Minsk who survived nearly a decade in the Soviet Gulag, died on July 21 at the age of 96. He witnessed the persecution of the Catholic faith and its revival in Belarus.

The Catholic Church in Belarus gave thanks to God for the gift of the cardinal as a pastor.

“God summoned his faithful servant, a witness of faith and a symbolic figure of the Catholic Church of our time, who lived a long, difficult and even miserable life,” Archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz of Minsk said in an announcement on the Church in Belarus’ website.

The cardinal was born in 1914 in a part of the Russian Empire which is now in Estonia. With his entire family, he was deported in the wake of the Bolshevik Revolution. His family settled in Poland in 1922. In 1932 he entered a seminary in the city of Pinsk and he was ordained just before World War II.

He was imprisoned by the invading Soviets but escaped when Hitler attacked in 1941, Polish Radio reports.

After the Soviets returned, the future cardinal was deported to Siberia in 1945. He spent nine years of hard labor in the brutal Gulag system until his release in 1954.

He returned to Pinsk, now part of the Belarusian Socialist Soviet Republic, where repression of the Catholic Church would remain strong until the late 1980s.

When freedom of worship began to return, then-Fr. Swiatek helped organize the restoration of the cathedral in Pinsk. He also became active in working with nascent Polish associations.

Pope John Paul II appointed him bishop in 1989, and then the Archbishop of Minsk-Mohilev in 1991.

In 1994 he was made a cardinal as a result of his work on the revival of the Church in Eastern Europe. Though he retired in 2006, he remained active and respected.

Cardinal Swiatek suffered from poor health towards the end of his life and underwent several operations which Archbishop Kondrusiewicz characterized as a “new Golgotha.”

“From my heart I thank all those who were close to the cardinal in the difficult moments of his life and prayed for his intentions,” Archbishop Kondrusiewicz continued.

“I appeal to all of you, dear pastors, nuns and faithful people to pray for the eternal peace of our beloved pastor, that he be happy in heaven, living in the light of God's glory.

Funeral Masses for the cardinal will be held in the Archdiocese of Minsk and in Pinsk from July 23 to 25.

World Youth Day Madrid to counter secularized culture

2011-07-22T06:27:00.000-04:00

By Kevin J. Jones

Madrid, Spain, Jul 22, 2011 / (CNA).-

In August Pope Benedict XVI will visit a Spain that faces aggressive secularism and controversies concerning abortion, sexual ethics and marriage. But World Youth Day organizers hope the event can trigger a revival of faith.

In May Archbishop Jose Ignacio Munilla Aguirre of San Sebastian, Spain said he hopes Bl. John Paul II will inspire the young people of Spain to attend the global youth gathering this August.

“In recent years they have endured years of secularization,” he said of Spain’s youth. “We are praying to John Paul II for his intercession, that he touch the hearts of those who need to be touched so that they will come.”

Pope Benedict XVI, during his two-day November 2010 pilgrimage to Spain, drew on the country’s Christian roots and noted the need “to hear God once again under the skies of Europe.”

That need could be met at the upcoming World Youth Day, where over 420,000 young people from around the world have registered.

But the event will take place during a time of tension caused by a secularizing government and society. Cardinal Antonio Maria Rouco Varela of Madrid in November 2010 said that here has been a “revival of radical secularism” that has prompted laws aimed at the basic institutions of society such as marriage, the family and the right to life.

In October 2009, more than two million people took part in a pro-life march in Madrid to oppose an abortion law that allows abortion on demand up to 14 weeks into pregnancy and for limited abortions up to 22 weeks. However, opponents failed to stop the law.

The country has recognized “gay marriage” since 2005, and the Socialist government has implemented a compulsory school curriculum which has come under many legal challenges. Critics say that the curriculum promotes secularism and sexual immorality, imposes an official view of gender ideology, incites 12-year-olds to engage in sexual activity, and violates the rights of parents and their children.

In a population of over 46 million Spaniards, 42.5 million are Catholic. However, less than 15 percent of the total population participates in Church life.

Even so, the Church still has a significant presence and influence.

There are 22,890 parishes, 126 bishops, and almost 25,000 priests in the country, and over 54,000 vowed religious, 2,800 lay members of secular institutes, and almost 100,000 catechists. There are 1,258 minor seminarians and 1,866 major seminarians.

Over 1.4 million students attend 5,535 institutions of Catholic education, from kindergartens to universities. Church-run institutions include 77 hospitals, 54 clinics, one leper colony, 803 homes for the elderly or disabled, and 391 orphanages and nurseries. The Church also runs 293 family counseling centers and other pro-life centers.

Pope Benedict’s visit will take place from August 18 to 21.

Why God lets bad things happen

2011-07-22T06:21:00.001-04:00

By Russel Shaw

Why did God let that happen?

For centuries that question has been asked about items in the endless catalogue of human misery. About the Holocaust, Midwestern tornadoes, the Japanese earthquake and tsunami. And about intimate personal tragedies: a teenager killed in an auto crash, an old person dying unwanted and alone, a marriage that collapses amid bitter recriminations.

Why does God permit such things?

Start with the fact that whoever claims to have the definitive answer is either talking through his hat or doesn’t understand the depth and complexity of the problem.

In the Old Testament, God’s response to Job is blunt: “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?...Shall a faultfinder contend with the Almighty?” Here and now that’s about as much of an answer as we can expect.

In the New Testament, moreover, Jesus, speaking of a man born blind and of people killed when a tower fell, dismisses out of hand the idle speculation of bystanders that these unhappy events were God’s way of punishing somebody’s sins.

All the same, it sheds a glimmer of light on the mystery to realize that the very same question—why does God let that happen?—applies as much to good things as to bad ones. Why does God permit happy marriages? A promotion at work? Satisfaction in a vocation? These happy things are as real as the unhappy ones, and God’s hand is at much in operation in the good as in the bad. Why does he permit them?

About the good things, of course, we suppose we know the answer: God permits them because he wants us to be happy. But that’s too superficial an explanation. God also wants people who suffer to be happy. So why does he allow their suffering?

Fully to understand why God permits anything, good or bad, we’d need to know the whole of his providential plan. But that is something we can’t know until we see God face to face in heaven. Then, presumably, it will become clear how everything fits together in the final fulfillment of God’s will. For now, we can only guess.

But we do have some hints to lend a hand in our efforts to cope. In a 1984 document called “Salvifici Doloris,” Pope John Paul II, following St. Paul, finds the “Christian meaning” of suffering in participation in the redemptive suffering of Christ. Suffering offers people a way to become co-redeemers with Christ, share in his redemptive activity, expiate their sins, and contribute to the process by which the merits of the redemption are extended to others.

So three cheers for suffering? Not at all. This explanation doesn’t attempt to say why God permits suffering. And it doesn’t pretend that suffering is pleasant. All it does—and it’s a lot—is invest the experience with meaning. For people who grasp it, that can have, in John Paul’s words, “the value of a final discovery, which is accompanied by joy.”

The redemptive value of Jesus’ life doesn’t lie only in suffering. It’s present in his life as a whole. From that perspective, it makes sense to think of the happy things in our lives as participations in the happy moments in Christ’s redemptive life: family affection in the house at Nazareth, productive labor in Joseph’s workshop, get-togethers with the apostles when things were going well. All of it had redemptive value along with the cross. Just as all that happens in our lives, both suffering and joy, can have redemptive value too.

Father Anthony Jansen died at the age of 89

2011-07-14T23:06:00.002-04:00

With sadness but thankful to God for all the pastoral work he did for the church and for our diocese, we announced that father Anthony Jansen died at the age of 89.
After recalling that 63 years ago he was ordained as a priest on July 11, 1948, our Lord God has taken him into his kingdom.
Father Jansen was born on December 1, 1921 in Holland and was ordained as priest on July 11, 1948.
He belonged to the religious congress Mill Hill Missionary.
He worked from 1949 till 1984 in Cameroon, Africa and from 1984 until 2011 in Saba
He died on July 12, 2011 in Saba.
The funeral Mass for father Antony Jansen will be celebrated Monday July 18 in Saba.

May he rest in peace.

_________________________
Mgr. Luis A. Secco
Bishop of Willemstad

THE IMPOSITION OF THE PALLIUM MASS

2011-07-14T22:34:00.001-04:00

On June 29, 2011 at 10 a.m. over 40 Archbishops including Most Rev. Charles H. Dufour newly installed Archbishop of Kingston, Jamaica attended the Imposition of the Pallium Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican City.

It was a most colorful and majestic ceremony with a delegation of 85 persons who came to witness Archbishop Dufour receiving the pallium from His Holiness Pope Benedict XV1.
The delegation came from Poland, England, France, United States of America and Jamaica which included 10 Priests, Sisters and Lay persons.

The highlight of the visit was the private audience with Archbishop Dufour and the delegation after the ceremony. His Grace was able to present to the Holy Father two of his guests namely his brother Anthony Dufour and Mr. Robin Mahfood, President of Food for the Poor International.

Vatican excommunicates newest bishop illicitly ordained in China

2011-07-04T14:14:00.000-04:00

Benedict XVI receives unique gifts from 60 artists to celebrate 60 years of ordination

2011-07-04T14:13:00.000-04:00

Vatican City State and Holy See back in the financial black

2011-07-04T14:12:00.000-04:00

By David Kerr

Vatican City, Jul 2, 2011 / (CNA/EWTN News).-

The Vatican City State ran up a surplus of $30 million over the past year, after three years of deficit. The figure was revealed in financial results published July 2.

“Both the excellent performance of the Vatican Museums – thanks especially to the increase in visitors, which runs against the current worldwide trend in the tourism industry – and the upswing in financial markets contributed to this positive result,” the report noted.

The figures show that in the last financial year the revenue of the Vatican City State was $371 million, while expenditure was $341 million.

The annual results have been published by the Council of Cardinals for the Study of Organizational and Financial Problems of the Holy See. It’s a committee of senior cardinals drawn from around the world, who have responsibility for financial oversight within the Vatican City State and the Holy See.

The cardinals met in Rome on July 1 and 2 for a meeting chaired by Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Vatican’s Secretary of State. Today’s report was issued in the name of Cardinal Velasio de Paolis, President of the Prefecture for Economic Affairs.

According to the report, there has also been a slight decrease in the number of staff working in the Vatican City State. The figure has gone down from 1891 in 2009 to 1876 in 2010.

The Vatican City State is a sovereign territory created in 1929. It is distinct from the Holy See, which has been in existence from early Christian times. It is the Holy See, and not the Vatican City State, which represents the Pope diplomatically across the world. The financial results for both were published on July 2.

They show that the revenue of the Holy See was $356 million in 2010 while its expenditure was $342 million, resulting in a surplus of $14 million.

The past year’s balance review for the Holy See would, in its own words, “seem to confirm the positive tendency of 2009, notwithstanding the elements of uncertainty and instability still present in the world economic and financial situation.”

It also showed an increase in the number of people working for the Holy See, up from 2762 in 2009 to 2806 in 2010.

The balance sheet of the Holy See got a boost of over $67 million from the annual collection held among Catholics around the world for the Pope’s charitable works, a tradition known as “Peter’s Pence.” That number is down from last year, however.

“The Members of the Council express their wholehearted gratitude to all those who contributed, recognizing that their generosity is a real and vital support for and participation in the pastoral and charitable work of the Holy Father, especially in situations of calamity and emergency in various parts of the world,” concluded the report.

L'Osservatore Romano celebrates 150th anniversary

2011-07-04T07:13:00.000-04:00

Pope says food is a right for everyone

2011-07-04T07:11:00.000-04:00

Pope appeals for an end to arrogance and violence

2011-07-04T07:08:00.001-04:00

Vatican City, Jul 3, 2011 / (CNA/EWTN News).-

A “rule of life based on love” is needed if we are to receive the “rest” offered by Jesus Christ to “all who labor and are over-burdened,” Pope Benedict XVI said during his brief Sunday Angelus address July 3.

“For this, we must abandon the path of arrogance and violence used to obtain positions of greater power, to ensure success at any cost,” the Pope told over 40,000 pilgrims in Rome’s St. Peter’s Square.

Pope Benedict said the offer of Jesus, recounted in today’s Gospel reading, testifies to his “compassion for the burdened masses, for they were like a flock without a shepherd.”

“That look of Jesus seems to continue to the present day, to our present world. His kind eyes gaze on the masses burdened by difficult living condition, but also those still searching for a valid reference point, for meaning and for a goal in life,” said the Pope.

He observed that such people are to be found “in the world's poorest countries, tried by poverty” but also “in the richest countries” where “there are many dissatisfied men and women, some even given to depression.” And he gave special mention to “the many displaced persons and refugees, those who risk their lives emigrating.”

“The true remedy for the wounds of humanity,” both material and spiritual, said the Pope, “is a rule of life based on love, brotherly love, which has its source in the love of God.”

This will result in a new attitude towards the natural environment, giving up “the aggressive style that has dominated in recent centuries," and also towards other people - where “the force of truth against every injustice, is one that can ensure a future worthy of man.”

After the Angelus, the Pope’s thoughts turned to the topic of vacations. He is departing the Vatican this week for his July break at Castel Gandolfo, 15 miles outside Rome. He encouraged pilgrims to live the summer holiday period “orientated towards rest and serenity,” and reminded them to take the Gospel with them wherever they go.

Pope awards Ratzinger prize in Theology

2011-07-01T12:26:00.001-04:00

The video the Pope included in his iPad

2011-07-01T12:24:00.001-04:00

Pope sends first tweet to inaugurate Vatican news website news.va

2011-07-01T12:20:00.000-04:00

Pope Benedict launches new Vatican News website

2011-07-01T12:19:00.000-04:00

Vatican City, Jun 29, 2011 (CNA/EWTN News).-

Pope Benedict XVI has launched a new Vatican News website with his first Tweet. The site officially went live on June 29.

The Pope got things underway with a message posted on Twitter: “Dear Friends, I just launched News.va Praised be our Lord Jesus Christ! With my prayers and blessings, Benedictus XVI.”

The new site brings together all the Vatican’s communication outlets into one online location for the first time ever. The list of agencies includes Fides News Agency, the newspaper L'Osservatore Romano, the Holy See’s Press Office, the Vatican Information Service, Vatican Radio and the Vatican television service, CTV. Each will also retain their own independent website.

“The new portal is giving you the possibility of having a direct, immediate approach to the most important pieces of news from the Holy See,” said the President of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, Archbishop Claudio Celli, in his first interview with Vatican Radio on the new website.

The new site also has a multimedia format, offering live-streaming of papal events, photographs from L’Osservatore Romano, audio from Vatican Radio and video footage that will also be available on the Vatican’s YouTube channel. It also links to other social communication sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Flickr.

Initially only two languages will be on offer, Italian and English, but that could soon change.

“After summer we need to have a restyling of the site and we hope to start immediately with another language – probably Spanish,” said Archbishop Celli.

“But our idea is to then offer the portal in other languages, such as French or German or Portuguese.”

The initial reaction from the online Catholic community today seemed to be overwhelmingly positive.

“Along with other Catholic bloggers, I have been heartened by the news.va website which makes news from the various agencies available easily in one place,” said Fr. Tim Finigan, the London-based creator of The Hermeneutic of Continuity blog.

“The Holy Father has repeatedly encouraged us to use the Internet in the service of the Church and is demonstrating publicly his support for our apostolate,” he told CNA.

“Although the Vatican website itself is still in need of improvement, the news.va website shows what can be done.”

Signs elsewhere also look positive. After only a few hours of going live, the new Vatican site already had over 3,000 “friends” on Facebook and over 36,000 people following it on Twitter.

Pope celebrates 60 years as a priest and the feasts of Saints Peter and Paul

2011-07-01T12:17:00.000-04:00

On his 60th anniversary, Pope reflects on his vocation

2011-07-01T12:15:00.000-04:00

Vatican City, Jun 29, 2011 / (CNA/EWTN News).-

“Thanks to the Lord for the friendship that he has bestowed upon me,” Pope Benedict said to a packed St. Peter’s Basilica as he celebrated his 60th anniversary of becoming a priest, a day that is also the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul.

“Thanks to the people who have formed and accompanied me. And all this includes the prayer that the Lord will one day welcome us in his goodness and invite us to contemplate his joy,” the Pope said.

Pope Benedict was ordained to the priesthood, along with his brother Georg, in the Bavarian town of Freising on June 29, 1951. Georg is with him in Rome today.

Appropriately, the music throughout today’s ceremonies seemed to have a distinctly Germanic feel, with pieces by Mozart, Bach and Handel included.

In his homily, the Pope repeatedly drew upon the words of Christ that were quoted to him by the bishop ordaining him 60 years ago: “I no longer call you servants, but friends.”

“Sixty years on from the day of my priestly ordination, I hear once again deep within me these words of Jesus that were addressed to us new priests at the end of the ordination ceremony by the Archbishop, Cardinal Faulhaber, in his slightly frail yet firm voice.”

“At that moment I knew deep down that these words were no mere formality, nor were they simply a quotation from Scripture. I knew that, at that moment, the Lord himself was speaking to me in a very personal way.”

At today’s Mass, Pope Benedict was wearing red vestments in remembrance of Saints Peter and Paul shedding their blood when they were martyred in Rome during the 1st century. He said that the life of the Christian – and particularly the life of the priest - is one that grows through joys and hardship. He drew upon another analogy of Christ’s – the vine and the branches – noting that for grapes to ripen and produce good wine “sun is needed, but so too is rain, by day and by night.”

“Is this not already an image of human life, and especially of our lives as priests?” asked the Pope as he looked back on his own experiences over the past 60 years.

“We need both sun and rain, festivity and adversity, times of purification and testing, as well as times of joyful journeying with the Gospel.”

“In hindsight,” he said, “we can thank God for both: for the challenges and the joys, for the dark times and the glad times. In both, we can recognize the constant presence of his love, which unfailingly supports and sustains us.”

The Pope said it is a close friendship with Christ that sustains the Christian – priests included – during such moments of darkness.

“What is friendship?” Benedict XVI asked, answering with an ancient Latin maxim.

“Idem velle, idem nolle – wanting the same things, rejecting the same things: this was how it was expressed in antiquity. Friendship is a communion of thinking and willing.”

The Pope then gave advice as to how to deepen that friendship with Jesus.

“The friendship that he bestows upon me can only mean that I too try to know him better; that in the Scriptures, in the Sacraments, in prayer, in the communion of saints, in the people who come to me, sent by him, I try to come to know the Lord himself more and more.”

Today’s papal ceremonies at St. Peter’s also included the bestowal of the pallium upon 41 new metropolitan archbishops from around the world.

The pallium is a white woolen liturgical vestment emblazoned with six black crosses. It symbolizes an archbishop’s pastoral authority and his unity the Pope.

Among the U.S. bishops present were Archbishop Jose Gomez of Los Angeles, Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City, Archbishop J. Peter Sartain of Seattle and Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller of San Antonio.

At the end of the Mass the Pope processed out to the applause of the congregation and the strains of the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel’s Messiah.

Pope Benedict calls Eucharist ‘antidote’ to modern ills

2011-06-26T17:41:00.001-04:00

By David Kerr

Vatican City, Jun 26, 2011 /(CNA/EWTN News).-

The Eucharist is the medicine which can heal our individualist society, Pope Benedict XVI said in his midday Angelus address on Corpus Christi Sunday.

“In an increasingly individualistic culture in which Western societies are immersed - and which is tending to spread throughout the world - the Eucharist is a kind of ‘antidote’ which operates in the minds and hearts of believers and is continually sowing in them the logic of communion, of service, of sharing - in other words, the logic of the Gospel,” said Pope Benedict to pilgrims in St. Peters Square on June 26.

Catholics believe that the bread and wine offered by Christ at the Last Supper literally became his body and blood - and that this same miracle is repeated by priests at every Mass since. Hence the name of today’s festivity – ‘Corpus Christi’ Sunday or ‘Body of Christ’ Sunday.

“From the Eucharist,” observed the Pope, “the Risen Christ is truly present among his disciples and working with the power of the Holy Spirit. And in the following generations through the centuries, the Church, despite the limitations and human errors, has continued to be a force for communion throughout the world.”

The Catechism of the Catholic Church describes the Eucharist as the “source and summit” of Christian life. As the Pope bluntly put it today, “without the Eucharist, the Church simply does not exist.”

The Pope noted this belief in the centrality of the Eucharist has manifested itself throughout the history of the Church, beginning with the earliest Christian communities in Jerusalem who shared all possessions in common.

“From what came all this? From the Eucharist that is the Risen Christ, truly present among his disciples and working with the power of the Holy Spirit.”

He then drew upon the example of the fourth century Abitene martyrs from North Africa who chose to die rather than deprive themselves of Sunday Mass in the face of Roman persecution. They proclaimed “Sine Dominico non possumus’ - without the ‘Dominicum’ - without the Sunday Eucharist, we cannot live.”

Pope Benedict concluded by urging all pilgrims to turn to the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus, who was described by Pope John Paul II as the “Woman of the Eucharist.”

“At her school, our lives become fully ‘Eucharistic’, open to God and others, capable of transforming evil into good with the power of love, striving to promote unity, fellowship, brotherhood.”

Peter's Pence Collection

2011-06-22T17:57:00.000-04:00

Pope explains how to pray the Psalms

2011-06-22T16:33:00.003-04:00

Pope encourages learning from Psalms on "how to speak to God"

2011-06-22T16:33:00.001-04:00

30 years since apparitions of Virgin Mary at Medjugorje

2011-06-21T21:07:00.000-04:00

Deacons should preach less at Mass, Michigan bishop says

2011-06-21T21:04:00.001-04:00

Marquette, Mich., Jun 21, 2011 / (CNA).-

Permanent deacons should not preach at Mass often. Rather, they should preach at other services and serve the Church in the course of their daily witness to Christ, Bishop Alexander Sample of Marquette, Mich. has said in a new pastoral letter on the deacon’s role in the Catholic Church.

Bishop Sample’s 19-page letter, titled “The Deacon: Icon of Jesus Christ the Servant,” cited the principle that the one who presides at a liturgical service or who is the principal celebrant at Mass should also give the homily.

“This should be the ordinary practice,” he said.

Deacons should preach the homily at Mass “for some identifiable advantage for the faithful in the congregation, but not on a regular basis,” the bishop wrote.

He said deacons have the opportunity to preach in other contexts, such as at wake services, funeral and wedding liturgies outside of Mass, baptisms, liturgies of the Word, during the Liturgy of the Hours and during Sunday celebrations in the absence of a priest.

Bishop Sample noted that a deacon also “preaches” through “the witness of his life, especially in his marriage and family life,” as well as in his secular work and his role as a teacher.

The deacon’s ministry in the liturgy is not the “heart” of his service. Rather, he is called especially to serve the bishop by caring for the many works of charity “especially suited” to him, most often under the direction of his local pastor.

Although the deacon is ordained to teach and preach the Word of God, “the most effective preaching he does is through the witness of his life in loving service to the most needy among us,” Bishop Sample wrote in a column summarizing the pastoral letter.

The Bishop of Marquette had stopped accepting new deacon candidates until a study of their role had been completed.

In his letter, he announced that a man will not be ordained simply to “be the deacon” at a particular parish or mission. Instead, there must be “a specifically identified need in the community” recognized by the bishop in consultation with the local pastor. This follows the scriptural example of the early Church, where the Apostles chose deacons to minister to the needs of widows so that the Apostles would be free to pray and preach the Word of God.

In the Diocese of Marquette the prospective deacon will now need to have “a particular service ministry” for which he will be ordained, such as service as a catechist or in care for the poor, the sick, the elderly or the imprisoned.

This change will reflect the fact that a deacon’s primary ministry is “not in the sanctuary but in the service of charity.”

“I express my deep gratitude to my deacon brothers for their selfless service to God’s people in the image of Christ the Servant,” Bishop Sample said. “Let us pray for them and support them as they care for the special children of God among us.”

Instalation Most Rev. Charles H. Dufour as Archbishop of Jamaica

2011-06-20T20:56:00.003-04:00

Installation Mass for Most Rev. Charles H. Dufour: A most wonderful occasion.

2011-06-19T18:32:00.001-04:00

By Msgr. Kenneth Richards

In an atmosphere that was charged with expectation as with electricity, the presence of the Holy Spirit was truly felt as approximately two thousand four hundred (2400) persons gathered at Holy Trinity Cathedral for the Installation Mass for the Sixth Metropolitan Archbishop of Kingston, Most Rev. Charles H. Dufour, DD, CD. The Most Rev. Thomas Gullickson, the Papal Delegate presided over the Rite of Installation, and he was assisted by Archbishop Emeritus Most Rev. Donald J. Reece, DD, GCM., in seating the new Archbishop in his Cathedra.

Dignitaries present for the occasion included His Excellency the Most Hon. Patrick Allen and Lady Allen; the President of the Antilles Episcopal Conference, Most Rev. Patrick Pinder, Metropolitan Archbishop of Nassau Bahamas; Most Rev. Neil Tiedeman, Bishop Mandeville; Most Rev. Robert Kurtz, DD., Bishop of Hamilton Bermuda; Archbishop Emeritus of Kingston, Most Rev. Edgerton R. Clarke, DD.; Hon. Dr. Horace Chang, MP (representing our Prime Minister, Hon. Bruce Golding); Hon. Dr. Peter Phillips, MP (representing Leader of the Opposition, Most Hon. Portia Simpson-Miller); President of the Senate, Hon. Oswald Harding; Rev. Gary Harriott, General Secretary of the Jamaica Council of Churches; Rt. Rev. Alfred Reid, Anglican Bishop of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands; Rt. Rev. Howard Gregory, Suffragan Bishop of Montego Bay; Rt. Rev. Robert Thompson, Suffagan Bishop of Kingston; Members of Parliament; Members of the Diplomatic Corps; other Dignitaries; over one hundred & fifty (150) local and visiting Priests and Deacons; Religious Sisters and Brothers; Archbishop Dufour’s Family Members and overseas guests; the laity of the local church; well wisher; and members of the local media.

In a stirring homily that elicited periodic applause from the congregation, Archbishop Dufour, pledged to build on the legacy of his predecessors. His charge to the Archdiocese included the call for a recommitment in the following areas: to safeguard the dignity and sanctity of life from conception to natural death; to build on the efforts of his predecessors to restore Catholic presence and values in our Catholic Schools; to renew the value of family life as central to societal transformation and advancement. Archbishop Dufour also highlighted the importance of wholesome family life in facilitating the mission of the Church in building the Kingdom.

May the clergy, religious, and laity of the Archdiocese of Kingston respond to the charge of our Archbishop in making his charge to the Archdiocese a reality! All for the Glory of God!

Vatican lending hand in adult stem cell research

2011-06-19T18:30:00.000-04:00

Pope's general audience: "Turn away form every form of idolatry"

2011-06-19T18:27:00.000-04:00

Cardinal encourages 60 hours of adoration to celebrate Pope’s anniversary

2011-06-19T18:25:00.000-04:00

Rome, Italy, Jun 17, 2011 / (CNA/EWTN News).-

Bishops around the world are encouraged to promote 60 hours of Eucharistic adoration for the sanctification of all priests, for new vocations, and for Pope Benedict XVI, who will celebrate 60 years as a priest on June 29.

Cardinal Mauro Piacenza, head of the Vatican’s Congregation of the Clergy, said this would be an ideal time to “gather around the pontiff and show him our gratitude, our affection and our communion for the service he offers to God and the Church.” Above all, he continued, it will show the commitment to “making the truth shine out in the world,” which characterizes his pontificate.

In his statement published June 16 by L’Osservatore Romano, the cardinal said the 60 hours of Eucharist adoration could be continuous or spread out over the month of June and should be embraced “particularly by priests.”

The statement was also signed by the congregation’s secretary, Archbishop Celso Morga Iruzubieta.

The Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus (the Day for Priestly Sanctification) would be an ideal day to conclude the Eucharist adoration, Cardinal Piacenza added.

Through this special initiative, the cardinal continued, “We could offer homage to the pontiff with an extraordinary crown of prayers and supernatural unity, that shows the real center of our lives, from which all missionary and pastoral effort springs forth, as well as the authentic face of the Church and her priests.”

The Congregation for the Clergy recommended meditating on biblical passages featuring the Apostle Peter, the first Pope. It specifically mentioned chapters 20 and 21 of the Gospel of John, in which the Lord asks Peter if he loves him more than the rest, and chapter 16 of the Gospel of Matthew, in which Christ tells him, “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church.”

Pope Benedict was ordained on June 29, 1951, together with his brother, Msgr. Georg Ratzinger, at the Cathedral of Freising in Germany, on the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul.

Love within Trinity overflows into forgiveness for man, Pope says

2011-06-19T18:23:00.001-04:00

Vatican City, Jun 19, 2011 / (CNA/EWTN News).-

The love that exists within the Holy Trinity overflows into the love and forgiveness for man which is manifested by Christ’s death on the cross. That was the message of Pope Benedict XVI in his Trinity Sunday sermon during his visit to the tiny European state of San Marino June 19.

“So, in the mystery of the cross, there are three Divine Persons,” he told the 25,000 strong congregation at the country’s Serravalle Stadium.

“The Father, who gave his only begotten Son for the salvation of the world, the Son, who carries out the will of the Father to the very end and the Holy Spirit - poured out by Jesus at the moment of his death - who comes to render us participants in divine life, to transform our lives, so that our lives are animated by divine love.”

San Marino is situated in the north-eastern part of the Italian peninsula and is one of just three independent states in the world to be completely surrounded by another country, in this case Italy. It has a population of only 30,000. Pope John Paul II also visited San Marino back in 1982. That visit was for just one day, as is Pope Benedict’s today.

“The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are one, because God is love: the Father gives everything to the Son, the Son receives everything from the Father with gratitude, and the Holy Spirit is like the fruit of this mutual love between the Father and Son,” said the Pope describing the Holy Trinity – the Christian proposition that God is three persons but one divine nature - as the “first and greatest mystery of our faith.”

To illustrate the Holy Trinity’s mercy for man, the Pope drew upon the first Bible passage read at today’s Mass. It recounted the disobedience of the Jewish people who, after being led out of slavery in Egypt by Moses, wanted a golden idol instead of God.

“All seems lost, all friendship broken,” said the Pope.

“Yet, despite having committed the gravest of sins, God, through the intercession of Moses, decides to forgive His people and calls Moses to ascend the mountain once more to receive His law, the Ten Commandments.”

God then describes himself to Moses as “a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger and rich in kindness and fidelity.” In these words, said the Pope, “there can be no clearer revelation” of the Trinity’s benevolence towards man.

“We have a God who renounces the destruction of the sinner and wants to show His love in an even more profound and surprising way right in front of the sinner in order to always offer the possibility of conversion and forgiveness.”

The culmination of this divine offer said the Pope, drawing upon today’s Gospel reading, is the incarnation of God-made-man in the person of Jesus Christ.

“The evangelist John refers to this statement of Jesus: ‘God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life’.”

So while some may presume a God who would “come to judge the world, to destroy evil, to punish those who work in darkness” instead, said the Pope, “He shows He loves the world, He loves man, despite his sinfulness, and sends what is His most precious possession: His only begotten Son.”

San Marino claims to be the oldest surviving sovereign state and constitutional republic in the world. It was founded in the early 4th century by two missionaries, Marino and Leo, who were fleeing anti-Christian persecution in what is now Croatia.

The Pope noted how “Marino and Leo with their faith in God revealed in Jesus Christ, brought new perspectives and values to the local context, resulting in the birth of a culture and a civilization centered on the human person.”
And he urged the people of St. Marino to stay true to the ancient Christian faith of Marion and Leo.

“The temptation has crept in to believe that the wealth of man is not the faith, but his personal and social power, his intelligence, his culture and his ability to manipulate scientific, technological and social realities.”

“Thus, in these lands, the Christian faith and values have begun to be replaced with a presumed wealth, which in the end reveals itself inconsistent and incapable of containing the great promise of truth, goodness, of beauty and justice, which for centuries your ancestors identified with the experience of faith.”

Later on today the Pope will venerate the relics of St. Marino at the local cathedral before travelling back into Italy for a meeting with young people in the nearby town of Pennabili. He’ll then return to the Vatican by helicopter tonight.

Vatican to publish Irish Church abuse report in 2012

2011-06-06T16:51:00.001-04:00

Vatican City, Jun 6, 2011 / (CNA/EWTN News).-

The first phase of the apostolic visitation investigating clergy abuse in Ireland has concluded with the announcement that an overall synthesis of its results and recommendations will be published by early 2012.

The report will focus on the nationwide mission of renewal announced by Pope Benedict XVI in his March 2010 pastoral letter to the Catholics of Ireland, the Vatican said June 6.

The investigators, known as “visitators,” had set out to examine the effectiveness of the present response to cases of abuse and the current forms of assistance provided to abuse victims.

They also considered the prospects of the “profound spiritual renewal” presently being pursued by the Church in Ireland.

Because of the initial evaluation, the Congregation for Bishops and the Congregation for Catholic Education do not envisage further apostolic visitations. The visitors meetings with various organizations and individuals, including the local bishops, provided “a sufficiently complete picture of the situation of the Irish Church” concerning the areas under investigation.

The relevant Vatican dicasteries, or departments, will give indications to the bishops for the “spiritual renewal” of the dioceses and seminaries. The Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life will provide similar recommendations for the religious institutes.

The congregation has analyzed responses to the visitation’s questionnaires sent to all institutes with religious houses in Ireland. Visits to some religious communities will follow.

The Vatican said that the visitation to the four metropolitan archdioceses of Ireland, the seminaries and the religious institutes was “very useful” because of the cooperation of everyone who took part.

“The Holy Father's sincere thanks goes to them, especially to the four Metropolitan Archbishops,” the Vatican said.

In April media reports speculated that the visitors would recommend the closure of the national seminary at Maynooth in county Kildare. The seminary authorities dismissed the reports as “without foundation.”

The four-man team heading the investigation into four of the key dioceses of Ireland consisted of Cardinal Sean O’Malley of Boston, Archbishop Thomas Collins of Toronto, Archbishop Terence Prendergast, S.J., of Ottawa and Cardinal Cormac Murphy O’Connor, the former Archbishop of Westminster, England.

A parallel investigation has examined religious institutes.

The apostolic visitors have conducted penitential services in Ireland seeking forgiveness for the abuse of hundreds of children by priests and religious over several decades.

In February, Cardinal O’Malley spoke of a “window of opportunity” to build a “holier church” in response to the abuse crisis.

And a spokesman for Archbishop Dolan told CNA that after his interviews with 113 Irish seminarians he sees “much hope for the renewal of the faith in Ireland.”

Pope Benedict’s 2010 pastoral letter to Ireland asked victims’ forgiveness and expressed “shame and remorse” over the abuse.

Pope defends marriage during Family Day in Croatia

2011-06-06T16:50:00.000-04:00

Thirty years after AIDS discovery, appreciation growing for Catholic approach

2011-06-06T16:48:00.001-04:00

Rome, Italy, Jun 5, 2011 / (CNA/EWTN News).-

The Vatican’s representative to the United Nations in Geneva says that 30 years after the discovery of AIDS, international relief agencies and faith-based groups are beginning to show an openness to the Catholic solution for the illness.

“We are at the beginning of a convergence in the sense that functionaries of international institutions and organizations and people from faith-based groups are talking across the lines and coming to respect each other a bit more,” Archbishop Silvano Tomasi told CNA.

Archbishop Tomasi’s comments come three decades after the first medical paper recognizing the illness was published in the U.S.

Based on a study of homosexual men in California and New York, the new ailment was initially labelled GRID, or Gay-related Immune Deficiency. Since then, the U.N. estimates that 65 million people worldwide have been infected by HIV/AIDS, with over 25 million killed.

The most significant point of departure between the Catholic Church and many other bodies involved in the fight against AIDS is over the use of condoms as a preventative measure.

“It has been proven and even documented now that the really effective way is to change your behaviour. And so, this has been our insistence,” Archbishop Tomasi said, stressing the Catholic Church’s emphasis on behavioral change over condom-distribution.

His comments also come in the week that a new report suggests millions of people are dying from AIDS because Western governments are refusing to accept that condoms are ineffective in curbing the spread of the disease.

The report, entitled “The Catholic Church and the Global AIDS Crisis,” is the work of the American public health expert Matthew Hanley.

“We are always told that condoms are the best known ‘technical’ means for preventing HIV transmission, but we are never told that condom promotion has failed to reverse those most severe African epidemics; behavioral modification, on the other hand, has brought them down,” says Hanley.

Hanley estimates that six million infections would have been averted in sub-Saharan Africa over the past decade if the Catholic approach of fidelity and abstinence had been promoted instead of widespread condom use.

“That this is not common knowledge should give us pause. Public health leaders may increasingly recognize this reality – but remain, by and large, reluctant to emphasize behavioral approaches to AIDS control over technical solutions.”

Hanley’s report also claims that in east Africa, Uganda saw a 10 percent drop in the number of people with AIDS between 1991 and 2001 after investing in abstinence programs. The rates of infection only began to climb again when foreign donor agencies insisted on the increased use of condoms in the fight against AIDS.

Last month the Vatican held a two-day conference on how best to tackle the AIDS epidemic. It was aimed at finding common ground on the issue and included contributions from those who disagree with the Catholic Church.

Pope meets with Joe Biden, Vice President of the U.S.

2011-06-03T13:06:00.000-04:00

Pope tells Mahmoud Abbas, Palestine has the right to become an independent State

2011-06-03T13:05:00.000-04:00

In the world, not of it: Facebook & Catholic Evangelism

2011-06-02T18:42:00.001-04:00

By Andrew Haines

I spend too much time on Facebook. I’m working to fix that. Recently, I’ve gotten a little help from an unexpected place.

About 90% of my Catholic “friends” on Facebook drive me up a wall. Up. A. Wall. The newsfeed wall of my Facebook account, to be more specific.

I’ve got 700-and-some connections on the site — a pretty conservative number, all things considered. But lately I’ve found that I can’t log onto Facebook without being bombarded by pious images of (pastel colored) saints, public requests (and offers) to remember certain intentions during the rosary, and comment after comment linking the word “hugs” with “prayer warrior.”

All three together is enough to force my cursor back to the URL bar for an emergency trip to another site. Anywhere.

At first, I thought maybe my selection (or acceptance, really) of Facebook friends tended toward the zealously devout. But I began to realize, more and more, that being Catholic in a 2.0 world has become almost indistinguishable from emotivism. Social media is new soil for building up the Church. But many Catholics — “traditional” and “progressive,” alike — are failing to grasp the true meaning of Pope Benedict’s call to evangelize the “digital continent.”

The maxim to “be in the world, not of it” seems especially apropos, here. New media and web-2.0 apps are, quite definitely, a product of the world. And Catholics should be conscious and prudent when it comes to appropriating into personal life elements that can, quite easily, become vehicles for some very unholy content. There’s a hesitancy about social media — Facebook, Twitter, and the like — that causes believers to wonder just how such tools can (or ever could) serve the greater glory of God.

On the other hand, the potential of the interactive universe is too much to pass up. Where once we were limited to effecting Christian conversion in the hearts of our physical neighbors, now we can reach out to those around the globe and from entirely different walks of life. Catholics, as historical proselytizers, naturally desire to seize on such an opportunity.

What is happening though, I fear, is that caution is overtaking the evangelical spirit. Rather than pervading the world of the digital continent, we’ve begun setting up camp within it. In essence, we’ve begun to create our own digital continent. Instead of establishing beachheads and outposts with an eye to leading others toward Rome, we’ve begun to transport the comforts of the City into an electronic wilderness.

In short, many Catholics view the internet as a suitable place to grow in faith and virtue. But that view couldn’t be more wrong, or more destructive.

When Julius Caesar famously ventured across the Alps to meet the Helvetii and Belgae tribes, he never aimed to make Gaul his home. As a proud son of Rome, he sought to conquer the northern lands and their peoples, winning them for the glory of the Republic. The ultimate goal though was to expand Roman power, not to recentralize it in a foreign land. Caesar knew the value of preserving the patria; and in 49 BC, he returned there to inhabit it — and to rule it — himself.

The same thing is true for Catholics in the digital continent: there is a great deal to be won for the sake of the patria (the heavenly one more than the earthly). But the primary goal is not to inhabit a foreign land forever, but to introduce those who live there to the beauty of civilization.

Moreover, just as no good commander sets up a permanent outpost on foreign soil — for fear of becoming weak and indefensible — Catholics shouldn’t become too comfortable on the digital continent. They should be excellent navigators and explorers; but not inhabitants. Social media and web-2.0-based interaction are wonderful tools for sparking dialogue and conversion. But they don’t substitute for the human-to-human interaction that lies at the foundation of evangelical kerygma. Total conversion requires an encounter with a total person (i.e., the total Christ), and Christ is not incarnate in a digital body.

That Catholics seek to ‘conquer’ new media for the sake of the kingdom is laudable. But the longer we continue to relax in our surroundings — to make social media and the internet our home — the more at risk we become of losing what it is that makes us Christians: namely, our full participation in the living, breathing, human Christ, who is only truly present in the Eucharist.

Evangelism in a foreign land is fruitful only insofar as we can make an authentic call to discipleship to those who claim it as their home. That’s the goal of our progress in the digital continent — and it is helpful to recall that from time to time.

The Roman Missal: Three misconceptions

2011-06-02T18:36:00.002-04:00

By Louie Verrecchi

As the implementation date for the new English translation of the Roman Missal approaches (less than 180 days away at this point), now seems an appropriate time to address some of the more common misconceptions that are floating about. We’ll begin with the following three:

1. The new English translation of the Roman Missal isn’t necessarily better than the one currently in use, it’s just different!

Although comments of this nature are likely motivated by a sincere concern for the sensibilities of the faithful, I think they are ill advised and ultimately harmful.

The Church is both human and Divine, and we know that the human contribution will often stand in need of improvement as She journeys toward Heavenly perfection. Such is the case with the current translation, and acknowledging as much shouldn’t be a source of scandal for any of us.

So, why a new translation?

There is an old Latin phrase that comes to mind, lex orandi, lex credendi — loosely translated, as we pray so too do we believe. As such, the words of Holy Mass should communicate the richness of Church doctrine accurately at all times. Presently, however, they don’t always do so very well, and the new translation is an attempt to capture in English the theological clarity and depth of meaning that is found in the Latin original.

Now, we can spend the next six months lamenting whatever shortcomings may exist in the present text, but I think we’re all better served by looking forward and preparing ourselves to receive the improvements to come.

Secondly, the current translation was carried out using a method (called “dynamic equivalence”) that attempted to present the meaning of the Latin text apart from its form; putting it into the so-called “language of the people.” In so doing, translators deliberately produced “active voice” translations even when the original text was phrased in the “passive voice,” and this brought about some negative consequences.

For example, in the current translation of the Roman Canon the priest now addresses God the Father saying, “You know how firmly we believe in You and dedicate ourselves to You.” There’s an inappropriate air of presumptuousness and self-affirmation evident in these words, is there not?

The corrected translation, however, will recapture the prayerful humility of the original text as the priest will petition the Father saying, “Remember, Lord, your servants and all gathered here, whose faith and devotion are known to you.”

Subtle, perhaps, but don’t underestimate the impact a shift in orientation back toward the Lord can have! Wherever the current liturgical text is overly focused on the speaker, it contributes to the erroneous perception of Holy Mass as an essentially human act of praise and worship when, in fact, it is truly nothing less than a Divine action — it is the worship of Jesus Christ offered to the Father into which we are invited to participate by the power of the Holy Spirit.

In addition to this, the new translation will also make more explicit the very important connection that exists between the text of the liturgy and its principal source — Sacred Scripture, a truth that is sometimes obscured in the current translation. (E.g., “Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof…”)

Look, change is never easy, not even change for the better. All of us are being called to roll up our sleeves and get to work in order to prepare for the new text, and we need to be realistic. No one is motivated to undertake a substantial effort like this for a merely lateral move; e.g., “different not better.”

Well, the good news is, Holy Mother Church isn’t asking us to do anything of the sort. We are about to receive what can properly be called a correction and therefore a vast improvement, and we needn’t be bashful about saying so.

2. The new translation of the Roman Missal with its elevated, formal, sacred language — which is not the way most people speak — will make “active participation” more difficult. It is, therefore, a step away from the reforms encouraged at Vatican Council II.

First, it’s important for us to understand what “active participation” truly means. (I wrote on this topic in greater detail here.) HINT: It isn’t what most people think it is.

Secondly, it’s worth noting that the Council employs the word “sacred” in the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy more often than in any other document it produced - more than 60 times in reference to the liturgy and those things associated with it; e.g. “sacred music, sacred art, sacred buildings, sacred vestments, sacred ministers, sacred images,” and the list goes on.

The Council Fathers tell us that “every liturgical celebration, because it is an action of Christ the priest and of His Body which is the Church, is a sacred action surpassing all others” (cf SC 7). This means that every single thing used in the celebration of Holy Mass — all that is perceptible to the senses — must also be sacred lest it serve to distract the faithful from the transcendent presence and action of Christ into which they are invited as participants. This would include, of course, the language that we use and the words that we speak at Holy Mass.

“Sacred” simply means “set apart for Divine worship; proper to things religious, not profane or proper to things secular.” When applied to language, this naturally means speaking in a manner unlike the way in which we typically engage in ordinary conversation and commerce. And guess what? English speaking Catholics already pray this way very comfortably in the Mass as the “Our Father” has always employed an elevated manner of speaking.

The more formal wording and sentence structure in the new translation will serve to elevate our awareness of what is actually taking place at Holy Mass, thereby enhancing our ability to participate in the manner in which the Council intended.

3. Yes, but the unfamiliar words and complicated sentence structures go against the Council’s own directive stating, “The rites should be distinguished by a noble simplicity; they should be short, clear, and unencumbered by useless repetitions; they should be within the people's powers of comprehension, and normally should not require much explanation” (SC 34).

Let’s be clear about what the Council Fathers are saying. One of the most important things that should be communicated in the celebration of Holy Mass is that we are taking part in something far greater than ourselves; something so great and so profound, in fact, that the Church properly refers to it as Sacred Mystery.

The Council is NOT saying that the perceptible signs in the liturgy are to be so simplistic as to make Holy Mass entirely comprehensible. This, in fact, is impossible! It is the very nature of the sacred liturgy to exceed the human capacity for full comprehension. It is not a finite subject to be taught; rather it is an invitation to enter into Divine union with the ineffable Christ that we might co-operate with Him in the work of Redemption.

By mistaking the conciliar exhortation above as a license to “dumb down” the rite (particularly in its English texts) in an attempt to fully communicate the indescribable glory of Christ’s operative presence in the Mass, we have anchored the feet of the faithful to the here-and-now at a time when their hearts and minds should be straining for elevation, into an experience of the Divine union that is offered.

Ironically, it is the current text — in spite of the translators’ attempts to make it readily comprehensible — that requires a great deal of explanation in order to alert the faithful to the fact that, appearances aside, we really aren’t taking part in the community’s act of praise and worship; rather, we are participating in something infinitely greater — the very work of God.

Narrowing the field down to just these three wasn’t easy, but was necessary in the interest of space. I’d like to invite readers to email me via the website below to suggest additional questions and/or possible misconceptions that they would like to see addressed in future columns.

Pope talks about friendship between God and Moses

2011-06-01T16:04:00.001-04:00

Pope meets with Australia's Governor General Quentin Bryce

2011-06-01T16:02:00.000-04:00

Pope points to Moses as model of intercessory prayer

2011-06-01T14:22:00.001-04:00

Vatican City, Jun 1, 2011 / (CNA/EWTN News).-

Pope Benedict XVI said at the June 1 general audience that intercessory prayer helps us to grow in deeper knowledge of God and his mercy and makes us more capable of loving others in a self-sacrificial way.

Drawing upon the life of Moses, the Pope told pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square that the Old Testament prophet not only led his people out of slavery in Egypt but also gave them and us an example of how to offer prayers of intercession.

“Even when the people at Sinai, asked Aaron to make the golden calf, Moses prays, and this is very emblematic of his role as intercessor.”

The Pope identified various aspects of the intercessory prayer of Moses we can learn from. The first he named was fasting, just as Moses did for 40 days on Mount Sinai.

“The act of eating, in fact, involves taking the food that sustains us, so fasting, giving up food is, in this case, of religious significance: it is a way to indicate that man does not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord.”

“In fasting, Moses shows he is waiting for the gift of God's law as a source of life: it will reveals God’s will and nourish the human heart, making him enter into a covenant with the Almighty that the source of life: it is Life itself!”

A second lesson to intercessory prayer we can learn from Moses, the Pope said, was his openness to the will of God, as opposed to bending God to our will. This, he noted, is what the Israelites did in making an idol of a golden calf while Moses was on Mount Sinai.

“This is a constant temptation in the path of faith - to circumvent building according to Divine providence” and instead create “a god which is understandable, relevant to their plans, their own projects.”

Thirdly, the prayerful reaction of Moses to the infidelity of his people and the wrath of God highlights both the seriousness of sin and the mercy of God.

Pope Benedict recounted how “Moses intercedes for his people, fully acknowledging the gravity of their sin. He also pleads with God to remember his mercy, to forgive their sin and thus to reveal his saving power.”

“Moses’ prayer of petition is an expression of God’s own desire for the salvation of his people and his fidelity to the covenant.”

His reaction also shows that intercessory prayer expands the human heart towards both God and man, the Pope explained. “Love of the brethren and love of God pervade the prayer of intercession, and are inseparable.”

Pope Benedict said that this bond can be seen in the person of “Moses the intercessor” who is “a man stretched between two loves, which overlap in prayer in a single desire to do good.”

The Pope finished his reflection by saying that the intercessory prayer of Moses points us in a particular direction – Jesus Christ.

“Moses points beyond himself to that perfect intercessor who is Jesus, the Son of God, who brings about the new and eternal covenant in his blood, shed for the forgiveness of sin and the reconciliation of all God’s children.”

Today’s address was the fifth Wednesday audience delivered by Pope Benedict on the topic of prayer. His previous theme – the lives of the saints – took two years to complete.

Benedict XVI's travel plans for Croatia

2011-05-31T22:38:00.000-04:00

Pope upholds primacy of Gregorian chant

2011-05-31T22:37:00.002-04:00

Vatican City, May 31, 2011 / (CNA/EWTN News).-

Pope Benedict XVI has reminded church musicians of the primacy of Gregorian chant in the Mass, describing it “as the supreme model of sacred music.”

The Pope set out his views in a letter for the 100th anniversary of the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music. The letter was read at the institute on May 26 and made public on May 31.

He praised Gregorian chant as being “of huge value to the great ecclesial heritage of universal sacred music.” But Pope Benedict also noted that sometimes it was erroneously “considered an expression of an idea corresponding to a past, gone and to be forgotten, because it limited the freedom and creativity of the individual and the community.” This was a view he wanted to counter.

“We always have to ask again: who is the true subject of the Liturgy? The answer is simple: the Church. It is the individual or group that celebrates the liturgy, but it is primarily God's action through the Church, which has its own history, its rich tradition and creativity.”

Gregorian chant, often referred to as plainchant, is named after the 6th century Pope Gregory the Great. He both simplified and cataloged the sacred music of the Church used throughout the year. It’s been the normative music of sacred liturgy ever since.

The present Pope stressed that there’s no tension between tradition and genuine progress in the development of sacred music.

“The liturgy, and therefore sacred music, lives in a correct and consistent relationship between healthy traditio and rightful progressio, always keeping in mind that these two concepts - that the Council Fathers clearly emphasized - complement each other because the tradition is a living reality and, therefore, it includes in itself the principle of development and progress.”

Music is a topic of particular interest to the Pope. He’s a great lover of classical music in general with a special fondness for Mozart and Bach. He’s also an avid pianist who has an upright piano in his Vatican apartment.

Pope Benedict noted in his letter that all his musical conclusions are mandated by the Second Vatican Council’s constitution on the sacred liturgy, “Sacrosanctum Concillium.”

Benedict XVI receives the Pontifical Council for the New Evangelization

2011-05-30T17:23:00.000-04:00

Pope gives closing ceremony to Caritas' General Assembly

2011-05-30T17:21:00.000-04:00

Leaders of religious orders gather to discuss universal problems

2011-05-30T17:10:00.000-04:00

Crisis of 'indifference' shows need for New Evangelization, Pope says

2011-05-30T17:08:00.002-04:00

Vatican City, May 30, 2011 / (CNA/EWTN News).-

Pope Benedict stressed the urgency of evangelizing modern society, saying that Christians today face the task of reaching a world that grows increasingly apathetic to the message of the Gospel.

“The crisis we are living through,” he said, “carries with it signs of the exclusion of God from people's lives, a general indifference to the Christian faith, and even the intention of marginalizing it from public life.”

The Pope made his remarks on May 30 to members of the Pontifical Council for Promoting New Evangelization, as they prepare for their upcoming synod in 2012. During the meeting, which will take place Oct. 7-28 next year, bishops and other participants from around the world will discuss the late Pope John Paul II's vision of proposing the Christian faith in new ways.

Pope Benedict explained that “the term 'new evangelization' recalls the need of a new way of evangelizing, especially for those who live in a situation like today's where the development of secularization has left deep marks on even traditionally Christian countries.”

He noted that “proclaiming Jesus Christ, the sole Savior of the world, is more complex today than in the past, but our task continues to be the same as at the beginning of our history. The mission hasn't changed, just as the enthusiasm and courage that motivated the apostles and first disciples should not change.”

The Church's message, he said, “needs to be renewed today in order to convince modern persons, who are often distracted and insensitive. That is why the new evangelization must find the ways to make the proclamation of salvation more effective, the salvation without with life is contradictory and lacking in what is essential.”

Pope Benedict observed a growing “phenomenon” of people in modern society “who wish to belong to the Church but who are strongly determined by a vision of life that is opposed to the faith is often seen.”

“It is important to make them understand that being Christian is not a type of outfit that one wears in private or on special occasions, but something living and totalizing, capable of taking all that is good in modernity.”

He emphasized that the entire Christian community “is called to revive the missionary spirit in order to offer the new message that persons of our times are hoping for.”

The “lifestyle of believers needs real credibility, as much more convincing as the more dramatic is the condition of the persons to whom it is addressed.”

Pope Benedict expressed his desire to council members that they outline “a plan to help the entire Church and the particular different Churches in the commitment of the new evangelization; a plan whereby the urgency of a renewed evangelization takes charge of formation, particularly that of the new generations, and is united to the proposal of concrete signs capable of making the Church's response in this particular moment clear.”

Pope Benedict backs changes at Caritas

2011-05-30T17:05:00.001-04:00

Vatican City, May 27, 2011 / (CNA/EWTN News).-

Pope Benedict XVI has given his backing to the reorganization of the international Catholic charity Caritas, which will see the organization work more closely under Vatican guidance in a bid to enhance its Catholic identity.

“Since Caritas Internationalis has a universal profile and is canonically a public juridical person, the Holy See is also responsible for following its activity and exercising oversight to ensure that its humanitarian and charitable activity, and the content of its documents, are completely in accord with the Apostolic See and the Church’s Magisterium,” the Pope told representatives of the organization at an audience in the Vatican May 27.

This week has seen 165 national affiliates of Caritas gather in Rome for the organizations general assembly. It’s been a week of turbulence and change.

In his opening address to the Caritas general assembly on May 22, Cardinal Robert Sarah of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum – the Vatican body responsible for Caritas – hinted at concerns over the charity’s lack of Catholic identity. Interestingly, four of Cardinal Sarah’s key concerns were almost identically echoed by the Pope today.

Just as Cardinal Sarah said in his opening address for the charity’s general assembly, Pope Benedict stated today that “Caritas Internationalis differs from other social agencies in that it is ecclesial; it shares in the mission of the Church.”

“This is what the Popes have always wanted and this is what your General Assembly is called forcefully to re-affirm,” the Pope said May 27.

The way Caritas carries out its work is different from humanitarian or philanthropic organizations, the Pope continued. “For us Christians, God himself is the source of charity; and charity is understood not merely as generic benevolence but as self-giving, even to the sacrifice of one’s life for others in imitation of the example of Jesus Christ.”

Pope Benedict built upon the importance of Caritas having a “transcendent foundation” that appreciates man’s eternal destiny, saying that without that solid mooring charities “risk falling prey to harmful ideologies.”

In May 22 remarks to CNA, Cardinal Sarah said that "the future will be very brilliant" for Caritas if it follows "the indication given by Pope Benedict XVI in 'Deus Caritas Est.'"

This was also the pole star for Caritas action offered by the Pope today. “In my first Encyclical, ‘Deus Caritas Est’, I reaffirmed how critical the witness of charity is for the Church in our day. Through such witness, seen in the daily lives of her members, the Church reaches out to millions of persons and makes it possible for them to recognize and sense the love of God, who is always close to every man and woman in need.”

Yesterday Caritas elected the 56-year-old Frenchman, Michel Roy, as its new general secretary. He follows in the footsteps of Lesley-Anne Knight, who was prevented from running for re-appointment to her post by the Vatican earlier this year. Meanwhile, the charity’s governance is also being revamped to give Vatican officials more control over its work.

Roy will now serve alongside Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga from Honduras who was re-elected for a second term as Caritas International’s president.

Caritas International is a confederate of 165 relief and social service organizations operating in over 200 countries and territories worldwide.

Catholic charity Caritas chooses new leader

2011-05-30T17:00:00.002-04:00

Rome, Italy, May 26, 2011 /(CNA/EWTN News).-

Michel Roy has been elected as the new general secretary of Caritas, the Catholic Church’s confederation of charitable and development agencies. The 56-year-old Frenchman was voted in by a majority of delegates at the organization’s general assembly in Rome.

“I’m very moved by this. I’d like to thank Lesley-Anne (Knight) for the work she’s done so far and also all of you for the work that you do for this network which reflects the hopes of the poor to build a better world,” Roy told delegates upon his election. He is currently the international lobbying and advocacy director for Secours Catholique, the French affiliate of Caritas.

Roy’s election comes at difficult time for Caritas. The organization has heard calls this week from various high-ranking cardinals urging it to improve its Catholic identity. These calls include Cardinal Robert Sarah, the head of the Vatican body responsible for Caritas, the Pontifical Council Cor Unum.

In his opening address to the Caritas general assembly in Rome on May 22, Cardinal Sarah said, “A Caritas that wasn’t an ecclesial expression would have no meaning or existence. The Church cannot be considered as a partner of Catholic organizations. They are the organizations that take part in her mission.”

Later that day Cardinal Sarah told CNA that Caritas International’s new theme, “One Human Family – Zero Poverty,” which was unveiled at the same meeting, didn’t make sense because it’s unrealistic.

“I'm very hesitant to understand what zero poverty means, because Christ said we will always have the poor. So, what is a realistic way we can fight the poverty? But, it's difficult to absolutely cancel out poverty,” he said.

Cardinal Sarah also said that "the future will be very brilliant" for Caritas if it follows "the indication given by Pope Benedict XVI in 'Deus Caritas Est.'"

The next day, the liberal English Dominican Father Timothy Radcliffe O.P., was dropped as a speaker at the conference and replaced by Father Raniero Cantalamessa, the preacher of the Pontifical household.

Earlier this year, the Vatican also blocked Caritas’ current general secretary, Lesley-Anne Knight, from running for re-appointment to her post. The charity’s governance is also being revamped to give Vatican officials more control over its work.

Following his election on May 26, Michel Roy outlined his top four priorities for Caritas International.

“The challenges are put in the frame of the strategic plan that we have adopted here. It’s about the reinforcement of the humanitarian response of the Caritas network to the victims of man-made or natural disasters,” the new secretary general said.

His second objective is to promote and coordinate “integral human development,” so that the poor “can take their lives in their own hands and move forward.”

Roy listed his third priority as advocating for a “better and more just world.” He pointed to how the world is dominated by finances, and said, “we want to turn that world upside down and put the human being back at the center. The poor have to be our inspiration for that.”

Roy’s final goal is to improve the “coordination, access and communication among the members, so that each member participates in the promotion of the mission of the whole network.”

Roy has 30 years experience working for Secours Catholique in France. He began by working for the diocesan office in Paris in 1981. He is a father of two children and is an alumnus of the Sorbonne University in Paris, graduating in economics and oriental languages.

He’ll now serve alongside Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga from Honduras, who was re-elected for a second term as Caritas Internationalis president.

Caritas International is a confederation of 164 Catholic relief, development and social service organizations operating in over 200 countries and territories worldwide.

Pope appoints archbishop Thomas E. Gullickson as Nuncio in Ukraine

2011-05-23T16:22:00.003-04:00

VATICAN CITY, Monday, May 23, 2011 (ZENIT.org) .-
Benedict XVI appointed apostolic Archbishop Thomas Edward Gullickson, titular Archbishop of Bomarzo as nuncio in Ukraine.
The archbishop was born on August 14, 1950 in Sioux Falls (South Dakota, USA), and was ordained priest on June 27, 1976.
On October 2, 2004 he was appointed titular Archbishop of Bomarzo and the same day, the apostolic nuncio in Trinidad and Tobago, Bahamas, Dominica, Saint Kitts andNevis, Saint Lucia and S. Vincent and Grenadines.
On December 15, 2004 he was appointed apostolic nuncio in Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Jamaica, Guyana and Suriname.
On 20 December the same year he was appointed apostolic nuncio in Grenada, also in the Antilles.

Benedict XVI: "Faith in Jesus means to follow him day by day"

2011-05-23T16:13:00.001-04:00

Pope Benedict: proclaiming Jesus Christ is the task of the Church

2011-05-22T14:36:00.002-04:00

Vatican City, May 22, 2011 (CNA/EWTN News).-

Proclaiming Jesus Christ as “the way, the truth and the life” is the main task of the Church, Pope Benedict said in his Sunday Regina Coeli remarks.

“The New Testament put an end to invisibility of the Father. God showed his face, as confirmed by the response of Jesus to the Apostle Philip, ‘Whoever has seen me has seen the Father’,” the Pope told the faithful in St. Peter’s Square on May 22.

For Christians, he explained, “the way to the Father is to be guided by Jesus, by his word of truth, and in accepting the gift of his life.”

Pope Benedict suggested the way of Jesus Christ is to be found in “following him every day, in simple actions that make up our day.”

He then quoted his own words from the second volume of his book Jesus of Nazareth:

“That's the mystery of God: to act in the quietest way. He only builds slowly in the great story of mankind’s history. He becomes a man, but in order to be ignored by his contemporaries and influential forces in history ... He continually knocks in the quietest way on the doors of our hearts, and if we open ourselves to him, he slowly makes us able to ‘see’.”

Pope Benedict drew upon the gospel reading for today, the fifth Sunday of Easter, in which Jesus Christ tells his disciples “Have faith in God, believe also in me.” The Pope pointed out that this belief is a single act of faith, and not two separate actions.

He cited the counsel of the 13th-century Italian theologian St. Bonaventure, who said “Open your eyes, therefore, tend the spiritual ears, open your lips and you have your heart, that you can in all creatures see, hear, praise, love, worship, glorify, honor your God.”

Pope Benedict concluded by calling upon the Virgin Mary to “always help the pastors and those in the various ministries announced the good news of salvation, so that the Word of God will spread and multiply the number of disciples.”

He then led pilgrims in the singing of the Regina Coeli.

Pope asks Christians to pray for Church in China

2011-05-22T14:31:00.000-04:00

Vatican City, May 18, 2011

(CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Benedict XVI has urged Catholics around the world to join him next week in praying for the Church in China.

“All Catholics throughout the world have a duty to pray for the Church in China: those members of the Faithful have a right to our prayers, they need our prayers,” the Pope said May 18.

Speaking at the end of his weekly audience, the Pope reminded pilgrims that May 24 is a global day of prayer for the Church in China. The date marks the feast of Our Lady, Help of Christians, who is venerated at the Shrine of Sheshan in Shanghai. The Pope established the custom of praying for China on this day back in 2007.

“By our prayers we can obtain for the Church in China that it remain one, holy and Catholic, faithful and steadfast in doctrine and in ecclesial discipline.”

China has an estimated 8 to 12 million Catholics. They are divided, though, between the state-sanctioned church that sometimes names bishops without the Vatican’s approval and an underground church wary of government ties.

“Chinese Catholics, as they have said many times, want unity with the universal Church, with the Supreme Pastor, with the Successor of Peter,” said the Pope. He added that prayer from others around the world was key to making that happen.

“We can help them to find the path to keep their faith alive, to keep their hope strong, to keep their love for all people ardent, and to maintain in its integrity the ecclesiology that we have received from the Lord and the Apostles.”

Pope Benedict finished his remarks by asking Mary “to enlighten those who are in doubt, to call back the straying, to console the afflicted, and to strengthen those who are ensnared by the allure of opportunism.”

New Independent Study: What caused sexual abuse of minors in the Church?

2011-05-21T13:58:00.001-04:00

Ten new consultants appointed by pope

2011-05-21T13:41:00.001-04:00

Benedict XVI will call astronauts in space

2011-05-21T13:39:00.001-04:00

Vatican introduces new rules for the ancient rite of Mass

2011-05-21T13:35:00.000-04:00

Latin American Episcopal Council has new president

2011-05-20T13:08:00.000-04:00

Pope reflects on how prayer can spark God’s mercy

2011-05-18T19:19:00.000-04:00

Vatican City, (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Benedict XVI continued his series of reflections on Christian prayer today as he spoke about the relationship between intercessory prayer and God’s mercy throughout history.

In his third installment on prayer, Pope Benedict looked at Abraham’s example of praying for mercy.

“We now turn to sacred Scripture and its witness to the dialogue between God and man in history, a dialogue culminating in Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh. We can begin with the prayer with which Abraham, the father of all believers, implores God not to destroy the sinful city of Sodom.”

At Sodom, Abraham asked God not to take vengeance upon the notoriously sinful city.

“Abraham’s prayer of intercession appeals to God’s justice, begging him not to destroy the innocent with the guilty. But it also appeals to God’s mercy, which is capable of transforming evil into good through forgiveness and reconciliation.”

This aspect of prayer, said the Pope, reflects God’s unfailing mercy for his creation.

“God does not desire the death of the sinner but his conversion and liberation from sin,” he explained.

“In reply to Abraham’s prayer, God is willing to spare Sodom if 10 righteous men can be found there. Later, through the prophet Jeremiah, he promises to pardon Jerusalem if one just man can be found,” the pontiff recalled.

He concluded by saying that God’s mercy was most spectacularly manifested over 2,000 years ago in Bethlehem.

“In the end, God himself becomes that just Man, in the mystery of the Incarnation. Christ’s prayer of intercession on the cross brings salvation to the world. Through him, let us pray with unfailing trust in God’s merciful love for all mankind, conscious that our prayers will be heard and answered.”

This is the third week Pope Benedict has used his Wednesday audience to teach pilgrims about Christian prayer. His previous theme – the lives of the saints – took two years to complete.

Vatican sets May 2012 deadline for global abuse guidelines

2011-05-18T19:12:00.001-04:00

Vatican City, May 16, 2011 / 02:02 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- The Catholic Church is giving bishops worldwide until May next year to draw up new guidelines for dealing with cases of child sex abuse.

The deadline is included in a new letter that the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has sent to the world’s bishops.

“The aim is to give bishops a strong common denominator for drafting guidelines appropriate to their own national situation, with its unique culture and legislation,” said Vatican spokesman, Father Frederico Lombardi, SJ, at a press conference releasing the document May 16.

The letter is dated May 3 and is signed by the doctrine congregation’s head, Cardinal William Levada. It gives nine recommendations for bishops and episcopal conferences to consider:

--The sexual abuse of minors is a grave crime. Because of that all credible allegations should be referred to the Vatican.

--The person who reports the abuse should be treated with respect.

--The local Church should offer spiritual and psychological assistance to victims.

--The initial inquiry into any allegations should respect privacy and the good name of those involved.

--The accused priest should be informed of the accusation and given opportunity to respond unless there is serious reason not to do so.

--The ultimate responsibility for handling the case lies with the local bishop, although advisory groups or experts can assist.

--The law in each country regarding the reporting of such allegations to civil authorities should be followed.

--During the investigatory stage the local Church still has a duty of care towards the accused person.

--While always innocent till proven guilty, a priest can be removed from public ministry if their continued presence would endanger minors or cause scandal.

Fr. Lombardi says these nine points should help to provide a common approach throughout the world.

“Countries like the U.S., U.K., Germany and Ireland already have similar guidelines but the idea is to push other conferences where problems have not been so pronounced.”

The guidelines employed by the U.S. bishops arguably go further than today’s Vatican suggestions. American priests can be being suspended automatically during any investigation if the bishop deems the evidence significant enough.

Presently those countries which choose not to have guidelines – such as Italy – are guided by canon law and by a papal directive issued by Pope John Paul II in 2001. At that time, he raised the age at which a person is deemed to be a minor from 16 to 18.

That directive’s provisions were significantly strenghtened by Pope Benedict XVI last year. He increased the time-limit under which cases can be brought against alleged perpetrators from 10 to 20 years after a victim’s 18th birthday and created a fast-track by which guilty clerics can be dismissed from the priesthood. The downloading or distribution of child pornography was also added to the list of grave offenses.

Today’s guidelines are another reflection of Pope Benedict XVI’s attitude towards what he’s previously called the “filth” of clerical sex abuse.

The Vatican’s guidelines also say the Pope provides the model for how a bishop should deal with the issue. The new letter highlights “his availability to meet with and listen to the victims of sexual abuse” over the six years of his pontificate. It also quotes his 2010 pastoral letter to the Catholics of Ireland.

“You have suffered grievously and I am truly sorry. I know that nothing can undo the wrong you have endured. Your trust has been betrayed and your dignity has been violated.”

The Vatican is also suggesting preventative measures, including better screening of applicants for the priesthood.

“Particular attention, moreover, is to be given to the necessary exchange of information in regard to those candidates to the priesthood or religious life who transfer from one seminary to another, between different dioceses, or between religious Institutes and dioceses.”

The Vatican also said that formation should continue after ordination.

“Priests should be well informed of the damage done to victims of clerical abuse. They should also be aware of their own responsibilities in this regard in both canon and civil law. They should as well be helped to recognize the potential signs of abuse perpetrated by anyone in relation to minors.”

Rome’s exorcist finding Bl. John Paul II effective against Satan

2011-05-18T19:07:00.002-04:00

Rome, Italy, (CNA/EWTN News).- The chief exorcist of Rome is seeing a rising number of young people coming under the influence of evil, but he has found in recent years that Blessed John Paul II is a powerful intercessor in the battle for souls.

A small, unassuming office in south-west Rome seems a rather ordinary setting in which to play out a grand battle between good and evil. It is here, though, that Father Gabriele Amorth has carried out most of his 70,000 exorcisms over the past 26 years.

“The world must know that Satan exists,” he told CNA recently. “The devil and demons are many and they have two powers, the ordinary and the extraordinary.”

The 86-year-old Italian priest of the Society of St. Paul and official exorcist for the Diocese of Rome explained the difference.

“The so-called ordinary power is that of tempting man to distance himself from God and take him to Hell. This action is exercised against all men and women of all places and religions.”

As for the extraordinary powers used by Satan, Fr. Amorth explained it as how the Devil acts when he focuses his attention more specifically on a person. He categorized the expression of that attention into four types: diabolical possession; diabolical vexation like in the case of Padre Pio, who was beaten by the Devil; obsessions which are able to lead a person to desperation and infestation, and when the Devil occupies a space, an animal or even an object.”

Fr. Amorth says such extraordinary occurrences are rare but on the rise. He's particularly worried by the number of young people being affected by Satan through sects, séances and drugs. He never despairs though.

“With Jesus Christ and Mary, God has promised us that he will never allow temptations greater than our strengths.”

Hence he gives a very matter-of-fact guide that everybody can use in the fight against Satan.

“The temptations of the Devil are defeated first of all by avoiding occasions (of temptation), because the Devil always seeks out our weakest points. And, then, with prayer. We Christians have an advantage because we have the Word of Jesus, we have the sacraments, prayer to God.”

Not surprisingly, ‘Jesus Christ’ is the name Fr. Amorth most often calls upon to expel demons. But he also turns to saintly men and women for their heavenly assistance. Interestingly, he said that in recent years one man – Blessed Pope John Paul II – has proved to be a particularly powerful intercessor.

“I have asked the demon more than once, ‘Why are you so scared of John Paul II and I have had two different responses, both interesting. One, ‘because he disrupted my plans.’ And, I think that he is referring to the fall of communism in Russia and Eastern Europe. The collapse of communism.”

“Another response that he gave me, ‘because he pulled so many young people from my hands.’ There are so many young people who, thanks to John Paul II, were converted. Perhaps some were already Christian but not practicing, but then with John Paul II they came back to the practice. ‘He pulled so many young people out of my hands.’”

And the most powerful intercessor of all?

“Of course, the Madonna is even more effective. Ah, when you invoke Mary!”

“And, once I also asked Satan, ‘but why are you more scared when I invoke Our Lady than when I invoke Jesus Christ?’ He answered me, ‘Because I am more humiliated to be defeated by a human creature than being defeated by him.”

The intercession of the living is also important, though, says Fr. Amorth. He reminds people that exorcism is a prayer and, as such, Christians can pray to liberate a soul or place from the Devil. However, three things are needed.

“The Lord gave them (the Apostles) an answer that also for us exorcists is very important. He said that overcoming this type of demon, you need much faith, much prayer and much fasting. Faith, prayer and fasting.”

“Especially faith, you need so much faith. Many times also in the healings, Jesus does not say in the Gospel it is me who has healed you. He says, you are healed thanks to your faith. He wants faith in the people, a strong and absolute faith. Without faith you can do nothing.”

ANTILLES EPISCOPAL CONFERENCE ANNUAL PLENARY MEETING OF BRIDGETOWN, BARBADOS MAY 8th – 14th, 2011

2011-05-18T19:02:00.000-04:00

St. Patrick’s Catholic Cathedral in Bridgetown, Barbados witnessed a gathering of the priests, Religious and faithful of the island who participated in the Opening Mass for the 55th Annual General Meeting of the Bishops of the Antilles Episcopal Conference (AEC) which took place from 8th – 14th May, 2011.

Invoking the guidance and wisdom of the Holy Spirit on their first working day, the bishops reflected on the Holy Father’s Message for World Day of Peace 2011: “Religious Freedom, the Path of Peace.” This atmosphere of reflection was later to be deepened in a Study Day on Pope Benedict’s encyclical, CARITAS IN VERITATE (“Love in Truth”).

Almost everywhere the document has been made available not only to the clergy, but also to the Laity and to political leaders. Of utmost importance is the pope’s insistence that Love in truth – love respectful of mankind’s origin, sacredness and transcendent destiny – should be the driving force of any effort to put development at the service of each human being.
In discussing the implications of the Encyclical for the region the main concerns raised by the Bishops were: 1. That everywhere general elections be fair and an occasion for the people to make use of their political rights; 2. That people be enlightened to elect women and men ready to conduct policies in harmony with the Gospel values of solidarity with the poor, respect for life and protection of nature; 3. That youth be given hope in their future through sufficient job opportunities, a living wage and proper housing, so that our societies overcome poverty, violence, corruption and drug addiction.

The bishops then addressed many concerns that impact upon the church and the society.
1. NATURAL DISASTERS IN THE REGION: Every year the region is affected by disasters which result in loss of lives and homes with the accompanying trauma. The bishops of the AEC have decided to enter into collaboration with the Franciscan Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother to establish a TRAUMA RESPONSE TEAM to minister to those who will be thus affected in the region.

2. CATHOLIC EDUCATION IN THE REGION: Concern was expressed about the socio-economic realities of our day, realities that enshrine materialism, relativism and selfishness. To address these realities the bishops approved a Pastoral Letter on Catholic Education, the objective of which is to accentuate the dignity of the human person and their invaluable worth to self, church and society, and to produce citizens of integrity who are faith-filled, competent and responsible.

3. YOUTH MINISTRY IN THE REGION: Given the various trends in our society that tempt young people to believe that material things and passing pleasure define a person, it is imperative that the Church give greater priority to Youth Ministry. To that end, the bishops encourage the more than 500 youth from across the AEC who will be attending World Youth Day (August 11th – 21st, 2011) in Madrid, Spain where these young missionary disciples will meet and pray with the Holy Father. This religious experience will be followed up with the Regional Youth Rally scheduled for 2012 in St. Lucia, with the theme “Your Word is a Lamp for my Steps and a Light for my Path.”

4. VIRTUS: “Protecting God’s Children” in the Region. The Bishops re-affirmed their commitment to protecting and providing safe environments for children. For this purpose they have introduced the VIRTUS programme into the dioceses of the AEC. VIRTUS is developed by US based National Catholic Risk Retention Group Inc. It seeks to educate and train clergy, staff, parents, volunteers and other adults about the nature of child sexual abuse and how to prevent such harm to children. The goal is to have this programme in place in every diocese of the AEC.

5. VOCATIONS IN THE REGION: The promotion of vocations is an ongoing need in our region as it is elsewhere around the world. In its effort to address this reality the Vocations Commission of the AEC has arranged a two week training session for Vocation Directors. The first week is scheduled for August 8th – 13th 2011, at St. John Vianney Seminary in Trinidad. Throughout the AEC an annual week of Vocation Awareness will be observed in each diocese beginning with the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, 2012.

6. SYNOD OF BISHOPS: The World Synod of Bishops will hold its thirteenth Ordinary General Assembly in Rome, October 7th – 28th, 2012. The theme for this Synod is “The New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith.” The Bishops of the AEC elected a delegate and a substitute to attend the Synod. They also began their responses to the initial questions proposed by the Synod Secretariat noting that the theme of the Synod builds upon that of the 2007 Aparecida Conference of Bishops of Latin America and the Caribbean and the AEC priority of challenging all Christians to become Missionary Disciples of Christ.

7. ELECTIONS OF OFFICERS: Elections of officers for the AEC took place on Wednesday May 11th. Archbishop Patrick C. Pinder of Nassau, The Bahamas, was elected President, to succeed the outgoing President Archbishop Donald J. Reece of Kingston, Jamaica. Bishop Francis Alleyne of Georgetown, Guyana, was elected Vice President and Bishop Neil Tiedemann of Mandeville, Jamaica was elected Treasurer. The General Secretary of the AEC is Deacon Mike James of Guyana.

John Paul II's beatification approved for May 1, Divine Mercy Sunday

2011-01-16T14:43:00.001-04:00

Vatican City, Jan 14, 2011 (CNA/EWTN News).- The much-anticipated beatification of Pope John Paul II will take place on May 1, the Sunday after Easter, the Vatican announced.

The healing of a French nun with Parkinson's disease is to go down in history as the miracle that made John Paul II a "blessed." The title is given to martyrs and other Christians to whom a miracle has been officially attributed, thus bringing them one step closer to sainthood.

Pope Benedict XVI approved the decree for the beatification of his predecessor during a Jan. 14 audience with the head of the Vatican department for saints' causes, Cardinal Angelo Amato.

John Paul II's cause arrived in the current's Pope's hands for approval after doctors studied the miraculous healing of Sister Marie Simon Pierre Normand and concluded it was "scientifically unexplainable." Following approval from theologians and Church officials, Pope Benedict promulgated the decree with his signature.

The atmosphere was electric at noon in the the Holy See's Press Office with journalists from all over the world expecting news of the beatification decree.

During the rather cheerful press briefing, Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi explained some of the details of the process and revealed preliminary plans for the ceremony.

In what some have called "record time," the Pope's cause was seemingly expedited through the trials to prove his sainthood. Fr. Lombardi admitted that the cause for the Pope was "facilitated" because of his "great fame of sanctity."

At Pope Benedict's bidding, norms stipulating that saints' causes begin five years after the individual's death were waived. His cause, as those of others Popes and special cases, also leapfrogged others in what is usually a "first in, first examined" process.

This being the case, no corners were cut, the Vatican spokesman assured. He insisted that "each of the legislative steps of the inquiry have been fulfilled, they have been taken with care. They have not been facilitated, rather the cause has proceeded with great attention and fidelity."

Pope John Paul II’s cause is extraordinary in the history of the Church both for the speed with which it was advanced to beatification and because it will be his immediate successor to preside over the ceremony.

The Pope's cause was brought to beatification in just over five years, rivaling that of his good friend Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta for its speed.

His beatification will be celebrated by Pope Benedict XVI in St. Peter's Square on May 1, the first Sunday after Easter.

As Fr. Lombardi explained, the choice is full of significance for the late-Pope, who died just a day before the celebration of Divine Mercy Sunday in 2005. That year, it fell on April 3.

The date changes from year-to-year, but is always the first Sunday after Easter.

"For those who followed John Paul II's pontificate, it is a special Sunday," said Fr. Lombardi.

It is a "fundamental date in his life and his encounter with the Lord," the Vatican spokesman said. He explained that it is the day the Church celebrates the apparition of Jesus to the disciples in the upper room and the institution of Confession.

The day was particularly important to the late-pontiff because it was the day in 2000 that he celebrated the canonization of St. Faustina Kowalska and declared that the Sunday after Easter should henceforth be known as "Divine Mercy Sunday."

Sister Faustina, known for promoting the Divine Mercy chaplet, which is prayed using a rosary, said that all who go to Confession and receive the Eucharist at Mass the Sunday after Easter will be given full remission of their sins.

Divine Mercy is "absolutely fundamental" to the pontificate of John Paul II.

"It's precisely the vision, we could say, of the pontificate of John Paul II that has this theme of the Divine Mercy," Fr. Lombardi said.

The staff at St. Peter's Basilica is already preparing for what is sure to be a grand occasion, drawing pilgrims from all over the globe. Workers are already cleaning the mosaics in the Chapel of St. Sebastian, just next to Michelangelo's Pietà, where the soon-to-be "blessed's" body will lie.

John Paul II's body will be taken from the crypt below and set below the chapel's altar.

Because the process came about so quickly after his death, Fr. Lombardi said that the body will not be exhumed for examination.

A marble stone bearing his name "Beatus Iovannes Paulus" will adorn the coffin.

The body will not be exposed, as others are in the basilica, "at least not for now," said Fr. Lombardi.

Blessed Pope Innocent XI's tomb, currently found below the altar in the same chapel, will be moved nearer the high altar of St. Peter's to make room for the new tenant. His body will be put under the altar located below the famous mosaic rendering Raphael's The Transfiguration.

The transfer will take place some time before the May 1 beatification, said Fr. Lombardi. He said that other logistical details have yet to be decided for the celebration.

During his audience with Cardinal Amato, Pope Benedict also approved two miracles attributed to other figures, recognized the martyrdom of five religious sisters from Bosnia/Herzogovina, and certified that "heroic virtue" was found in the lives of five other candidates for sainthood.

One of the five who were seen to have exhibited extraordinary virtue in their lives is Fr. Nelson Baker of Buffalo, New York. He spent much of his 95 years of life in service to orphaned children.

In an interview with Vatican Radio, the prefect of the Vatican's office for the causes of saints said that all "are fascinating figures whose fame of saintliness is widespread in their countries of origin and who always constitute very current examples in their evangelical testimony."

During the briefing, Fr. Lombardi also noted their significance. "Sainthood in the Church is numerous," he said, "it's just that there some great protagonists."

Pope Benedict invites Catholics to bring light to the world

2010-12-12T18:21:00.001-04:00

Rome, Italy, Dec 12, 2010 (CNA/EWTN News).- The "silent light of the truth, of the goodness of God" leads to true change in the world, said the Pope at Mass on Dec. 12.

Benedict XVI traveled outside Vatican walls for Mass at St. Maximilian Kolbe parish in an outer suburb of Rome.

In his homily the Pope recalled John the Baptist's expectation that the Son of God would bring about dramatic change in the world. The baptist sent disciples to ask Christ if he is the one who came to bring about radical change or if they should continue to wait for another.

Benedict XVI said Christ gives a response to John the Baptist's question by saying, "Look at what I have done. I have not made a bloody revolution, I have not changed the world with force, but I have lit many lights that make ... a great path of light in the millennia."

"So many" false prophets, ideologues and dictators have said that it was they themselves and not Christ who have brought change to the world, the Pope explained.

He admitted that they have succeeded in changing the world through empires, dictatorships and totalitarian rule. But, he added, "today we know that all that has remained of these great promises is great emptiness and great destruction.”

St. Kolbe, the parish's patron saint, showed this "light" in his life, said the Pope. He offered his life to guards in the place of a father of a family who was to be killed in the Nazi concentration camp of Auschwitz.

In doing so, he "encouraged others to give themselves, to be close to the suffering, to the oppressed," said Pope Benedict XVI.

St. Kolbe was declared a martyr of charity when he was recognized as a saint in 1982 by Pope John Paul II.

Pope Benedict added that other Christians such as St. Damian of Molokai who worked with lepers and Mother Teresa of Calcutta who assisted the poor lived in a similar way.

In looking to these figures, it continues to be seen that it is not "violent revolutions or "great promises" that change the world, rather it is "the silent light of the truth, of the goodness of God" that does so,” he continued.

The Pope then invited everyone to bring light to the world, to pray to become a light for others. He asked that Christians live Advent daily in all aspects of life by being ever more open to God in order to "have light amidst so many shadows, so many daily fatigues."

The Pope closed by urging fidelity in marriage, communion in parishes between families of all backgrounds, and greater involvement of young people in the life of parishes.

Benedict XVI calls for patience in preparation for Christ's coming

2010-12-12T18:18:00.001-04:00

Rome, Italy, Dec 12, 2010 (CNA).- Advent calls man to strengthen the virtue of patience as he relies on Scripture to "make firm" his heart for the coming of the Lord, said the Pope at Sunday's Angelus.

More than 2,000 children were part of the large crowd present to pray the Angelus with the Pope at noon on Dec. 12. They had come especially to have Benedict XVI bless the baby Jesus statues from their family nativity scenes.

The Pontiff greeted them in particular as they waved handkerchiefs up towards his window and many cheered from their strollers or atop the shoulders of parents.

The Pope focused his message before the prayer on patience, as spoken of in the day's reading from the Letter of St. James.

"Be patient, brothers and sisters, until the coming of the Lord," the reading began.

This virtue is more important than ever today in a world in which it is "less popular," where change and the capacity to adapt to change are exalted, said the Pope.

"Without taking anything from these aspects, which are also qualities of man," he taught, "Advent calls us to strengthen that interior persistence, that resistence of the soul that permits us to not despair ... but rather to wait for it, to prepare the coming with hard-working confidence."

St. James spoke of the patience of farmers who await the autumn and spring rains and called people to "make firm" their hearts for the coming of the Lord.

This comparison to farmers is a "very expressive" one, said the Pope, as the farmer is "the model of a mentality that unites faith and reason equally." He does his work using his knowledge of the laws of nature but also entrusts the fundamental elements of his work to God's providence.

"Patience and constancy are precisely the synthesis between human commitment to and reliance on God," said the Pope.

And, Scripture, he said, is unfailing in making man's heart firm because "while everything passes and changes, the Word of the Lord does not."

He called Scripture a "compass" and an "anchor" that can be used to regain orientation when one feels lost or uncertain.

Prophets have found joy and strength in the Word, announcing "the true hope, that which does not disappoint because it is founded on the faithfulness of God." Men often find themselves on "mistaken paths" when choosing to seek out their own paths to happiness, he said.

"Every Christian," concluded the Pope, "by virtue of Baptism, has received the prophetic dignity: may every person rediscover and feed it, with regular listening to the divine Word."

After the Angelus, Benedict XVI asked the children to say a prayer for him and his intentions as they place the baby Jesus in the manger or grotto this Christmas.

Pope Benedict advocates right sexuality, not condom use, in fight against HIV

2010-11-21T13:12:00.001-04:00

Vatican City, Nov 20, 2010 / (CNA/EWTN News).-

Excerpts of Pope Benedict XVI’s new book are already causing a stir. Though some media reports claim he offers a change in papal teaching about condom use, Pope Benedict in fact says that a humanized sexuality, not condoms, is the right response to HIV.

The Nov. 21 edition of the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano (LOR) will release excerpts of the pontiff’s book "Light of the World: The Pope, the Church and the Signs of the Times.”

The book contains the Pope's responses to questions from Peter Seewald, a German reporter who spoke with him over a week last summer about the most sensitive and important questions in Church life today.

The themes treated in the book are edgy and the reception of the Pope's words is likely to be varied, but his answers offer a unique look into his teachings and his perspective on the Church and the world.

In the excerpts offered in LOR, just two brief paragraphs provide the Pope's response to a question on sexuality in the world today. He says that concentrating on the use of the condom only serves to trivialize sexuality.

This trivialization leads many people to no longer see sex as an expression of love, but as a self-administered drug. The fight against the banalization of sexuality is part of a great effort to change this view to a more positive one.

According to one much-commented excerpt printed in L'Osservatore Romano, the Pope concedes that there can be single cases in which the use of a condom may be justified.

He uses the example of prostitutes who might use prophylactics as a first step toward moralization, that is, becoming moral. In such a case, condom use might be their first act of responsibility to redevelop their consciousness of the fact that not everything is permitted and that one cannot do everything one wants.

While secular outlets such as Time Magazine characterized this remark as “a stunning turnaround” for the Church, Pope Benedict goes on to explain that this is not the true and proper way to defeat HIV. Instead what is necessary is the humanization of sexuality.

Elsewhere in the excerpts from the forthcoming book, the pontiff speaks of the footprint of Judaism, Islam and Christianity in the modern world.

He also expresses his shock at the extent of the sexual abuse of minors in the Church and the evident wish of mass media to discredit the Church for these abuses rather than purely to investigate the truth.

He warns that true tolerance can fall victim to current misunderstandings of the concept. He also speaks of the destruction of families, young people and society due to drug consumption.

Another controversy Pope Benedict addresses is whether the ordination of women to the Catholic priesthood is possible.

In brief, Pope Benedict says that it is not a question of responding to the wishes of the people, but a question of whether the Church has the power to ordain women. Repeating the words of John Paul II from a 1994 document on the priesthood, he said the Church "has no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women.”

He explains that following Christ's establishment of Church leadership on the foundation of the original 12 male apostles is a question of obedience. It is perhaps one of the most difficult aspects to obey, he explains, but this is what makes it important.

The Church is not an arbitrary regime, he comments, and the priesthood is supposed to be a form of service and not domination. Even though it might be difficult, the Church follows the Lord's will and cannot be molded to the wishes of individuals.

The function of women in the Church is too significant to speak of discrimination, says the Pope, who notes the importance of historic figures such as Mary, Monica and Mother Teresa.

Women are so important, he says, that in many ways they define the face of the Church more than men.

Elsewhere in the excerpts, Pope Benedict describes himself as a beggar who relies on his friendship with the Lord, Mary and the saints to live his vocation. His life without Christian joy would be unsupportable, he declares.

British, Welsh bishops announce plans to receive ex-Anglicans into the Church

2010-11-20T22:17:00.001-04:00

Westminster, England, Nov 19, 2010 / (CNA).-

Five Anglican bishops who announced earlier this month that they are quitting the Church of England, will be the first to join a new “personal ordinariate” established by the bishops of England and Wales this coming January.

The bishops unveiled their plans for the new ordinariate, or jurisdiction, in a Nov. 19 statement.

They said that Pope Benedict XVI will formally establish the ordinariate and name a bishop to lead it in early January 2011.

Pope Benedict invited Anglicans to join the Church last year under special provisions that would enable them to retain their own forms of worship and their tradition of permitting married priests.

In their announcement, the English and Welsh bishops said the new procedures for accepting Anglican converts have been worked out over the past year in cooperation with the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

Under the timetable they laid out, the three former Anglican bishops who are not retired will be ordained to serve as priests in the new ordinariate. The other two bishops, who are retired, will be ordained by Lent 2011.

“This will enable them, together with the ordinary and the other former Anglican Bishops, to assist with the preparation and reception of former Anglican clergy and their faithful into full communion with the Catholic Church during Holy Week,” the bishops said.

In addition, the statement envisions that Anglican clergy who have decided to convert will begin “a period of intense formation for ordination as Catholic priests.”

At the same time, individual Anglicans and congregations together with their pastors will be enrolled as candidates for the ordinariate.

It is likely, the bishops said, that they will be received into the Church and confirmed either during Holy Week, at the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday or during the Easter Vigil.

“The period of formation for the faithful and their pastors will continue to Pentecost,” according to the statement. “Until then, these communities will be cared for sacramentally by local clergy as arranged by the diocesan bishop and the ordinary.”

Also around Pentecost, those former Anglican priests whose petitions for ordination have been accepted by the Vatican’s doctrine office will be ordained as Catholic priests.

Former Anglican Bishop John Broadhurst, one of the five who announced his resignation from the Church of England on Nov. 7, said he was “pleased” with the plans announced by the English and Welsh bishops.

The bishops said they were seeking to bring former Anglicans into “full ecclesial communion with the Catholic Church within the ordinariate.” They said they recognize “that the clergy and faithful who are on that journey of faith will bring their own spiritual treasures which will further enrich the spiritual life of the Catholic Church in England and Wales.”

While they acknowledged that there may be “practical difficulties in the months ahead,” the Catholic bishops pledged to “do all they can to ensure that there is effective and close collaboration with the ordinariate both at diocesan and parish levels.”

Pope tells new cardinals to be ready to sacrifice their lives

2010-11-20T22:12:00.001-04:00

Vatican City, Nov 20, 2010 / (CNA/EWTN News).-

Pope Benedict welcomed the newest cardinals Nov. 20 with a call to service and sacrifice, even if it means spilling their blood.

Two Americans, Donald W. Wuerl and Raymond L. Burke, are among the 24 new cardinals the Pope "created" on Nov. 20. Others come from a variety of countries, from Ecuador to Zambia, while 10 are Italians.

The warm reception they received inside St. Peter's Basilica contrasted with the cool morning in Rome, which was drenched by the steady rain of a late fall thunderstorm.

As the soon-to-be members of the Cardinal's College processed to the high altar they were met with cheers, applause and even an airhorn which was quickly silenced by Vatican security.

Flags from many nations waved to greet them, including many from Sri Lanka and the Congo, to welcome their countrymen in the group.

The extremely festive initial atmosphere was punctuated by eruptions of applause at the Pope's announcement, one-by-one, of the names of each candidate.

The Congo's Laurent Monsengwo Pasinya of Kinshasa and Germany's Reinhard Marx of Munich and Freising, the youngest in the group at 57 years old, received enormous ovations.

The basilica quickly took on a solemn and prayerful spirit, as the reading of the Scriptures began. The readings were laden with meaning for the guests of honor.

The first was an excerpt from the First Letter of Peter in which he called Christians to always be ready to bear witness to the reason for their hope so that "those who defame your good conduct in Christ may themselves be put to shame.

A passage from the Gospel of St. Mark recounted Jesus' teaching to his closest disciples that he who strives to be first will be last. Jesus told them, "whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all.

"For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many."

The Pope picked up on the theme in his homily. He said.that Christ's teaching of service indicated a new path for Christian communites and a new way of exercising authority.

Christ thus taught that the fulfillment of the work entrusted to one by God "is the path of the humble gift of oneself up to the sacrifice of life, the path of the Passion, the path of the Cross," explained Pope Benedict XVI.

It is a valid message for the entire Church and especially for her leaders, he said.

"It is not the logic of dominion, of power according to human criteria, but the logic of bowing to wash feet, the logic of service, the logic of the Cross that is at the foundation of every exercise of authority."

He then directed his words to the 24 cardinals-to-be. "(T)he mission, to which God has called you today and that qualifies you for an ecclesial service even more laden with responsibility requires an always greater will to assume the style of the Son of God, who came among us as He who serves."

Each man took on this responsibility as he swore fidelity and obedience to the Pope and his successors.

The Pope also reminded each new cardinal that the dignity of the office is symbolized by the color red, "signifying that you are ready to act with fortitude, even to the point of spilling your blood for the increase of the Christian faith, for peace and harmony among the people of God, for freedom and the spread of the Holy Roman Catholic Church."

At these words, the Pope received them one-by-one, placing the "berretta," the traditional three-cornered red hat, upon each of their heads. The second in line, Patriarch Antonios Naguib of Alexandria, Egypt of the Copts, was the lone man who did not receive the traditional hat. He instead received a special modification of the long black headdress traditional to the leader of the Copts.

And, as each received his new title and an embrace from the Pope, the faithful once again filled the basilica with cheers of joy for the new "princes of the Church."

Converting Anglican bishop says papal action changed the landscape

2010-11-15T09:34:00.001-04:00

Richborough, England, Nov 14, 2010 / (CNA).-

The Anglican Bishop of Richborough told his flock that he plans to become Catholic because Pope Benedict XVI’s apostolic constitution “completely changed the landscape” for Anglo-Catholics and he now believes that he must lead the way to union with the Universal Church.

Bishop Keith Newton of Richborough, England said in a pastoral letter to priests and people in the Richborough area that he will resign as bishop as of Dec. 31. He will not conduct any public episcopal services. This “difficult” decision followed much thought and prayer, he remarked.

“I will, in due course, be received into full communion with the Catholic Church and join the Ordinariate when one is erected in England, which I hope will happen early next year.”

Pope Benedict established the proposed Anglican Ordinariate, a special jurisdiction within the Catholic Church, in his apostolic constitution “Anglicanorum Coetibus.”

Bishop Newton explained that although the issue of the ordination of women as Anglican bishops has been an important factor in his decision, it is “not the most significant.”

Noting the “surprise” of the Pope’s action on Anglican-Catholic relations, he said that most Anglicans have prayed for union with the Catholic Church. However, this union has seemed less likely because of “the new difficulties concerning the ordination of women and other doctrinal and moral issues affecting the Anglican Communion.”

“Although we must still pray for sacramental and ecclesial unity between our Churches that now seems a much more distant hope,” Bishop Newton said. The ordinariates provide an opportunity for “visible unity” and Anglicans are able to retain “what is best in our own tradition which will enrich the Universal Church.”

“I hope you will understand that I am not taking this step in faith for negative reasons about problems in the Church of England but for positive reasons in response to our Lord’s prayer the night before he died the ‘they may all be one’,” the bishop continued.

While expressing sympathy with the position that Anglicans with traditional views need leadership at a “vital” time, he rejected the example of a leader who should “stay to the bitter end like the captain of a sinking ship.” Rather, he noted the scriptural image of the shepherd, who must lead his flock from the front rather than follow it from behind.

“This is what I hope I am doing. I am leading the way and I hope and pray that many of you will follow me in the months and the years ahead,” he explained.

Bishop Newton acknowledged those who want to remain in the Church of England, but he said he could not continue to be their bishop “with any integrity” and cannot provide the episcopal leadership they deserve.

“You need a new Bishop of Richborough who has the same vision as you have and one for whom a solution in the Church of England is a priority. My priority is union with the Universal Church,” he added.

He said he has enjoyed being Bishop of Richborough for more than eight years and is grateful for the support he has received from so many Anglican priests and laity. The bishop asked forgiveness from those he has disappointed and sought continued prayers for himself and his wife.

Bishop Newton is one of three active Anglican bishops who are joining the Catholic Church. These so-called “flying bishops” have been serving Anglicans in different areas who do not accept the ordination of women to the priesthood and other changes in the Anglican Church.

Two retired Anglican bishops are also entering full communion with Rome.

College of Cardinals to discuss Anglican converts, clerical abuse

2010-11-13T22:51:00.000-04:00

Vatican City, Nov 8, 2010 / (CNA/EWTN News).-

On the eve of the consistory to create 24 new cardinals, the princes of the Church will examine the entry of Anglicans into full communion with the Church and the Holy See's response to sex abuse in the Church. Pope Benedict XVI's successor at the head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Cardinal William Joseph Levada, will present the themes.

Capping a "day of reflection and prayer," the cardinals will take a look at three current and particularly sensitive themes.

The announcement came in a statement to journalists from the Holy See which outlined the schedule for the Nov. 19 retreat of the College of Cardinals. The schedule for the day before the highly anticipated cardinal-creating consistory includes discussions about religious freedom and "the liturgy in the life of the Church today."

After praying vespers, the cardinals and cardinal-designates will examine three important issues in today's Church. The first theme, proposed by prefect and cardinal-designate Angelo Amato, will reflect on 10 years since the publication of the "Dominus Iesus," the declaration by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith on the universal salvation offered by Jesus Christ and the Church.

The second and third themes will be presented by Cardinal Levada. One of them will address Benedict XVI's Apostolic Constitution “Anglicanorum coetibus," which offers Anglicans a way to enter into full communion with the Catholic Church in the form of personal ordinariates. Ordinariates are special jurisdictions within the Church that allow members to worship according to a specific traditions.

The first ordinariate is expected to be created quite soon in the U.K. Five Anglican bishops announced their resignations on Nov. 8 in pursuit of full communion with the Catholic Church.

The second presentation by Cardinal Levada is titled "The response of the Church to cases of sexual abuse." The theme is unprecedented, at least publicly, among cardinals' collegial discussions.

The Holy See released a "Guide to Understanding Basic CDF Procedures concerning Sexual Abuse Allegations" last April. The Nov. 19 discussions, however, will take place behind closed doors.

Pre-consistory retreats are not a novelty in Pope Benedict's pontificate, according to Vatican analyst Sandro Magister. Before the last consistory in 2007, cardinals examined ecumenical dialogue and general issues in the Church. In 2006, themes included the mission of retired bishops, full communion with the Society of St. Pius X, liturgical reform and Catholic-Muslim relations.

The College of Cardinals is currently composed of more than 200 members. The 24 newly-elected members will be made cardinals on Nov. 20.

Pope calls for Church to rediscover the Word of God

2010-11-13T22:48:00.001-04:00

Vatican City, Nov 11, 2010 / (CNA/EWTN News).-

Pope Benedict XVI has issued a lofty and impassioned plea for everyone in the Church to rediscover the Bible and to grow in “an ever greater love of the Word of God.”

“We must never forget that all authentic and living Christian spirituality is based on the Word of God proclaimed, accepted, celebrated and meditated upon in the Church.

The Pope’s new apostolic exhortation, “Verbum Domini” (The Word of the Lord), issued Nov. 11, is a book-length response to a special 2008 Synod for Bishops on the Bible and the life of the Church.

In this document, the Pope offers a rich theological reflection on the meaning of the Word of God becoming flesh and the meaning of the Scriptures as the Word of God.

The Pope reaffirms forcefully the Church’s traditional teaching that the Bible is the revealed Word of God written by human authors inspired by the Holy Spirit. He notes that it conveys not just moral and spiritual truths but also truths about “the reality of human history.”

“The history of salvation is not mythology, but a true history,” the Pope said.

He added: “It must be remembered first and foremost that biblical revelation is deeply rooted in history.”

But the Pope declined to wade into the controversial question of how “true” Scripture is when it speaks of historical events.

Some had hoped that the Pope would pronounce on the precise meaning of the Church’s teaching that Scripture is “without error.”

Instead Pope Benedict reaffirmed the traditional teaching but called for further study of the relationship between what scholars call the divine “inspiration” of Scripture and its “inerrancy.”

“A deeper study of the process of inspiration will doubtless lead to a greater understanding of the truth contained in the sacred books,” he said.

“Certainly theological reflection has always considered inspiration and truth as two key concepts for an ecclesial hermeneutic of the sacred Scriptures,” he added.

“Nonetheless, one must acknowledge the need today for a fuller and more adequate study of these realities, in order better to respond to the need to interpret the sacred texts in accordance with their nature.”

The Pope expressed what he called his “fervent hope” that such research would continue and would “bear fruit both for biblical science and for the spiritual life of the faithful.”

The heart of “Verbum Domini” is a long and often technical discussion of “hermeneutics,” or the proper method for interpreting the sacred texts.

The Pope warned of the errors and risks of a “dualistic” and “secularized” approach, which treats the Bible as if it is only a historical or literary document.

The Bible, he said, must be studied through “serious historical research.” But students must then build on those findings to discover the spiritual meaning that God intends to communicate in the Scriptures.

He criticized “fundamentalist” or “literalist” interpretations and urged renewed appreciation for the symbolic and spiritual interpretation techniques used by the ancient Fathers of the Church.

He also urged interpreters to study how the saints read the Bible.

“The most profound interpretation of Scripture comes precisely from those who let themselves be shaped by the Word of God through listening, reading and assiduous meditation,” he said.

Everyone who seeks to interpret the Bible — from the ordinary believer to the pastor or the theologian, must remember — the Pope said: “The Bible is the Church’s book, and its essential place in the Church’s life gives rise to its genuine interpretation.”

He added: “An authentic interpretation of the Bible must always be in harmony with the faith of the Catholic Church.”

Pope Benedict also devoted a long passage on the importance of the Scriptures in the Church’s sacraments and worship.

“The liturgy is the privileged setting in which God speaks to us in the midst of our lives; he speaks today to his people, who hear and respond,” he said. “Every liturgical action is by its very nature steeped in sacred Scripture.”

From the start of his pontificate, Pope Benedict has emphasized that the right understanding of Scripture is necessary for the true understanding of Christ, salvation, and the truths of the Catholic faith.

In his homily upon assuming the chair of the Bishop of Rome in May 2005, the Pope described his mission as being “at the service of, the Word of God.”

“It is incumbent … to ensure that this Word continues to be present in its greatness and to resound in its purity, so that it is not torn to pieces by continuous changes in usage,” he said.

And the Pope has repeatedly emphasized that the Word of God is the key to the Church’s mission in a world that has grown increasingly forgetful of God.

In a letter to the world’s bishops last year, Benedict said: “Leading men and women to God, to the God who speaks in the Bible: this is the supreme and fundamental priority of the Church and of the Successor of Peter at the present time.”

These themes are all present in “Verbum Domini.”

The new document calls for “recovering the centrality of the divine Word in the Christian life.”

“Our own time,” the Pope writes, “must be increasingly marked by a new hearing of God’s Word and a new evangelization.”

In addition, Pope Benedict includes a decidedly personal section in which he proposes to teach people the practice of praying with the Bible, known as “lectio divina,” or sacred reading.

The Pope called for a renewal of prayerful, personal reading of Scripture and for Scripture to be “every more fully at the heart of every ecclesial activity.”

“The Church is built upon the Word of God; she is born from and lives by that Word,” Pope Benedict said.

“Throughout its history, the People of God has always found strength in the word of God, and today too the ecclesial community grows by hearing, celebrating and studying that Word.”

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2010-11-02T16:16:00.000-04:00

How many Catholics are there in Britain?

2010-09-15T16:42:00.002-04:00

Pope Benedict XVI is the head of the biggest Christian denomination in the world, some one billion Roman Catholics, or one in six people. In Britain there are about five million Catholics, or about one in 12 people.

As he arrives in the UK for the first visit by a pontiff since 1982, what do statistics tell us about the state of the Roman Catholic Church in this country?

According to the 2001 census, there were 41 million Christians in Great Britain, making up almost three quarters of the population (72%). This group included the Church of England, Church of Scotland, Church in Wales, Catholic, Protestant and all other Christian denominations.

How this 41 million breaks down is harder to work out. The Church of England says about 26 million people have been baptised, the Catholic Church claims just over four million members in England and Wales - and another 695,000 in Scotland. Out of a total population of about 60 million, that means about one in 12 people in Great Britain is Catholic.

Figures for church attendance suggest both the Catholic and Anglican churches suffered a gradual fall in numbers up to around the turn of the century, but since then numbers appear to have more or less stabilised.

Numbers from the Catholic Directory suggest that currently about one million Catholics in England and Wales regularly attend mass. But according to the Catholic National Library, figures for mass attendance were not kept before 1989 and therefore no comparison is possible with the 1982 papal visit.

The Bishops' Conference of Scotland says an estimated 184,283 attended mass regularly in 2008. There's no equivalent figure for All Ireland - but the Catholic directory says there were an estimated 4.3 million Catholics living in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland in 2008.

Figures for the number of men entering the priesthood show that after a fairly steep decline in the late 1980s and 90s, the numbers have begun to pick up again.

The Christian Research group which looks at trends in Christian faiths in Britain says numbers have stabilised in recent years - contrary to its claim in 2007 that congregations would continue to decline.

It seems numbers for the Catholic Church may have been boosted by an influx of immigrants - from Eastern Europe and Africa. While rural congregations have been dwindling, inner city churches have seen numbers rise.

The National Secular Society feels any boost in numbers will be shortlived. It estimates there will only be 101,700 Catholics attending church annually by 2050, compared to the current total of about one million.

Figures gathered by the National Centre for Social Research show that membership of most religions is lower now than it was 30 years ago, with a marked decline appearing among people who say they belong to the Church of England from 40 to 20%.

By comparison, the numbers of those claiming to be Catholic has remained fairly stable, dropping only 1% from 10 to 9% since 1983.

The number of people of all faiths attending church services appears to be at a low ebb, with 58% of those polled saying they never attend services.

But attendance does peak at Christmas. According to Church of England statistics, 35% of the population attend a Christmas service of some sort, rising to 42% in London.

Pope calls new bishops to a 'service of love' in imitation of Christ

2010-09-13T20:46:00.001-04:00

Vatican City, Sep 11, 2010 / (CNA/EWTN News).-

Addressing a gathering of new bishops on Saturday, Pope Benedict XVI said the life of the bishop should be “a service of love” and a “continual oblation to God.” He told the prelates to imitate Christ in poverty and humility and to find strength and wisdom in the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Father met with 102 new bishops from mission territories in 40 countries on Saturday morning in the Swiss Hall of the Apostolic Palace at Castel Gandolfo, L’Osservatore Romano reports.
The prelates, all of whom have been appointed in the last year, are taking part in a seminar promoted by the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples to assist them as they begin their new ministry.

Welcoming their visit to Rome to deepen their knowledge of their responsibilities as bishops and to renew their profession of faith at the tomb of St. Peter, Pope Benedict XVI told the participants that "the Church places not (a) few hopes" in them.

He went on to remind them of some of their duties to the faithful, noting that these are made more difficult by challenges such as poverty and persecution. "To you," he said, "awaits the task of feeding their hope, of sharing in their difficulties, inspiring yourselves in the charity of Christ which consists of attention, tenderness, compassion, (a spirit of) welcoming, availability and interest in the problems of the people for whom you are disposed to give your lives."

In each task, Benedict XVI emphasized, the bishops are sustained by the Holy Spirit, through which they were "configured" to Christ in their ordinations. "In fact," he added, "the episcopal ministry is understood only starting with Christ, the source of the single and supreme priesthood, of which the bishop is made participant."

Calling the bishops to imitate Christ the "humble and poor" servant, he said they can remain ever close to Him through frequent contemplation in prayer and adoration. "The life of the bishop," he explained, "should be a continual oblation to God for the salvation of his Church, and especially for the salvation for the souls that are entrusted to him."

In this pastoral attititude of giving lies the bishop's "true dignity," the Pope added, explaining that it derives from making himself the servant of all “to the point of giving his own life.”

“The episcopate, in fact, - as the priesthood - must not be misunderstood according to mundane categories. It is a service of love," he said.

"The bishop is called to serve the Church with the style of God made man, becoming ever more fully a servant of the Lord and a servant of humanity."

Referring to their "primary duty" of announcing the Word of God while also administering the sacraments, the Pope said that to be convincing in their ministry, they must “believe and live what they announce and celebrate."

Concluding his remarks by noting that their wisdom and strength to witness to salvation and peace comes from the power of the Holy Spirit, Pope Benedict told the new bishops "He will guide the paths of your episcopal ministry."

Benedict XVI affirms First Communion for children at age of reason

2010-08-18T20:35:00.001-04:00

Castel Gandolfo, Italy, Aug 18, 2010 / (CNA/EWTN News).-

The Holy Father remembered Pope St. Pius X and reviewed his Church reforms and renewals during Wednesday's general audience catechesis. Pope Benedict highlighted the importance of St. Pius X's decree that set the "age of reason" as the appropriate time for children to receive First Communion.

The general audience was held in the courtyard of the Apostolic Palace at Castel Gandolfo as is customary at this time of year. The space was filled with pilgrims carrying flags and banners and waiving scarves.

During the catechesis, Benedict XVI spoke of Pope St. Pius X, who from the time of his ordination at 23 years old, "showed that deep love of Christ and the Church, that humility and simplicity and that great charity towards the most in need, that were characteristic of his entire life."

Although he accepted his election to the papacy with difficulty because he did not feel himself to be worthy of the position, Pope Benedict XVI said, "he left an indelible mark in the history of the Church" through a pontificate that "was characterized by a notable effort for reform, summarized in his motto 'Instaurare omnia in Christo' (Renew all things in Christ)."

Pope Benedict pointed to Pius X's reorganization of the Roman Curia, how he began work to re-examine the Code of Canon Law and his revision of the protocol for priestly formation. He also spoke of the Pope-saint's work to develop a universal catechism after having witnessed the great need for a reference point of the faith amidst widespread emigration.

"The Catechism called 'from Pius X,' was for many a sure guide in learning the truth of the faith for its simple, clear and precise language and for its expositive effectiveness," recalled Pope Benedict.

He was also reminded of the attention Pius X gave to liturgical reform, in an effort "to guide the faithful to a more profound prayer life and to a fuller participation in the Sacraments." Referencing the 1903 motu proprio "Tra le sollecitudini," he explained that Pius X asserted through it that "the true Christian spirit has its first and indispensable source in the active participation in the sacrosanct mysteries and in public and solemn prayer in the Church.

"For this," continued Benedict XVI, "he recommended receiving the sacraments often, promoting daily participation in Holy Communion, (being) well prepared, and anticipating opportunely the First Communion of children at seven years of age, 'when the child begins to reason' ... "

In marking the 100th anniversary of the Pius X-approved decree "Quam singulari" earlier this month, Cardinal Antonio Cañizares, prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments wrote about the same subject in the Vatican's L'Osservatore Romano newspaper. He suggested that the Church must confirm Pius X's decree and even possibly contemplate lowering the age further to ensure the graces for children as they reach the age of reason amidst the difficulties of today's world.

Concluding Wednesday's catechesis, the Holy Father said:

"Dear brothers and sisters, St. Pius X teaches all of us that the base of our apostolic action in the various fields in which we work must always be for us an intimate personal union with Christ, to cultivate and grow day after day this nucleus of all of his teaching, of all of his pastoral genius.

"Only if we are in love with the Lord will we be capable of bringing men to God and opening them up to His merciful love."