"A Little Less Than A God"

During one of the recent conclaves, I think it was the last, as the white smoke was rising in plumes from the Sistine Chapel chimney, a journalist was mingling through the gathering crowd seeking opinions on who might be the next Pope. One lady answered him, "I don't know who has been elected, but I know I love him". To love the Pope is part of our spiritual genetics as Catholics, we hold him who occupies the Office of Peter in deep veneration and give added weight to what he says because he is the Successor and Vicar of Peter and the Vicar of Christ, God's representative on earth, the head of the Church on earth. Interestingly, when Catholics lapse or turn to hate the Church, they often reserve a special contempt for the Pope; that's consistent.

However, as we hold the Pope in particular veneration, we must be careful not to make an idol of him. The Pope is a servant of the Church, the servant of the servants of God, and so he too is subject to the doctrine, teachings and traditions of the Church. As Pope Benedict once said in response to a call for him to change certain doctrines: "But I am only the Pope, I can't change them". That was not a expression of humility on Benedict's part, nor an excuse to preserve the status quo, it was a statement of fact. The office of the Papacy is to preserve and protect what Christ has revealed as an act of service not only to God and to the truth, but also to the Faithful. The Pope is the symbol of unity in the Church, hence we speak of being in communion with the Pope, in communion with Peter, and so in communion with Christ who gave the keys to Peter to govern and to strengthen the faith of his brethren.

Sadly, in the history of the Church there have been movements to extend the Pope's office beyond that which is permitted by revelation and tradition, movements to make the Pope, in a sense, an oracle in the Church. These movements are called ultramontane, a term from the Middle Ages it means "beyond the mountain" referring originally to a non-Italian who had been elected Pope and who came to Rome from beyond the mountains, the alps. It has since come to refer to a belief in the Pope's utter supremacy and infallibility in matters not only ecclesiastic and spiritual but even political. One of the most fervent periods of ultramontanism occurred in the 19th century as the dogma of the infallibility of the Pope was being debated. There were some who sought an all-encompassing definition, but there were others, Blessed John Henry Newman among them, who shied away from this, they understood the proper role of the Pope and feared the development of an attitude that raised the Pope to the level of a god, an oracle. When Blessed Pius IX defined the dogma it was within the parameters of the tradition, but there are still some who misinterpret it in high papalist fashion.

Why all this? Well yesterday I read a piece on the issues being discussed in the Synod and it seemed to be the perfect example of ultramontanism. For charity's sake I will not say who the writer is, but the person was arguing for a change in the law regarding Communion for the divorced and remarried. This writer drew on Pope Francis's remarks that the Eucharist is not a prize for the strong but a medicine for the weak. Responding to a critique of this remark that the weak did not mean the unrepentant in mortal sin, this writer came to the conclusion that the unrepentant are the weak and they need the Eucharist to make them strong to repent. The writer is wrong: arguing that in the name of mercy, those who persist in mortal sin can have access to the Eucharist because they are in a persistent state of mortal sin. Not only does this undermine the teaching of the Church and the teaching of Christ himself, it does not make sense. 

There are plenty of arguments out there to answer the position this writer has taken, but the person proposing this has been for many years an orthodox Catholic, a great defender of Pope Benedict XVI during his papacy when many were attacking him, a defender of that Pope's teaching on this issue as laid out quite clearly in Sacramentum Caritatis (Cf. section 29). But why the sea-change so suddenly? The answer, it seems to me concerns devotion to the Pope. This person is a great defender of Pope Francis just as much as Pope Benedict and, rightly, has defended Francis in face of unjust attacks on him. There are those in the Church who do not like him, for various reasons, and so he can do no right. That attitude to the Pope is wrong and unjust. As Pope, the legitimate Pope, Francis deserves our loyalty, our love and our prayers. 

That said it does not mean we become ultramontanist and believe that everything a Pope says and does is right and must be adhered to. Every Pope makes mistakes and there are times when, as loyal children of the Pope, we must correct him. Scripture offers us an example of this in St Paul's challenging St Peter (Galatians 2:11-14). This challenge, however, must be subject to charity and that respect due to the office. If a Pope is wrong, it is not disloyalty to question him or even at times to oppose him. If a Pope proposes a change in teaching or practice which undermines orthodox teaching it is not disloyalty to challenge or oppose him. At times Popes have been wrong in terms of decisions, judgements, personal beliefs, there have even been situations where Popes veered very close to heresy, and it would be wrong prudentially to slavishly follow them at such times. The fact that Popes can be wrong does not undermine that special charism which is given to the Pope to preserve the doctrinal integrity of the Faith. Papal infallibility falls within very narrow parameters that are defined, they do not include off cuff remarks nor casual teachings. The charism does not prevent a Pope going off in the wrong direction and preparing teaching that is erroneous, it merely prevents him promulgating it in a formal magisterial document. For a good illustration of this see the example of Pope Sixtus V (which is very sobering). 

In recent times we have heard defenders of Pope Francis brand as disloyal and unCatholic those who are troubled with some things he says. Even figures within the Vatican are targeting orthodox Catholics, great defenders of the faith known for their good lives and expertise, who are defending Church law in the face of attempts by some to change it. Ironically many of those who are responsible for these accusations were not known for their loyalty to previous Popes. But there are those who were firm defenders of Francis successors, one indeed, a senior Church figure, who told the Pope recently that the Holy Spirit speaks through him and so we must assent and follow everything he says. The Holy Spirit does try to guide the Pope in a special way, but that does not mean every word uttered by a Pope comes from the Spirit. Such panegyrics are expressions of thoughtless ultramontanism, expressions that would make Blessed Pius IX blush, and, I hope, make Pope Francis extremely uncomfortable. But, sadly, at the beginning of the 21st Century, this is where we are again. 

Pope Francis once said, "I am a faithful son of the Church" and that is what he aims to be and should aim to be, as we all should be. He has no power to change Church teaching, and even if in a fit of madness or abandon he tried to turn Church teaching on its head and demand our adherence, the loyal expression of our love to the Office of Peter would be to resist it - for our sakes, for the sake of the Church and for the sake of the Vicar of Christ. Every Pope is a weak man called to the highest office on earth, a most lonely and fearful position, and called to be the symbol of unity of the Church and the defender of the Faith. It is an office that will one day cost him his life, and he is asked to lay that life down in imitation of Christ and in imitation of the one he succeeds - Peter crucified on the very hill on which the Pope now lives. He needs the prayer and support of the faithful, not their presumption that he is an oracle, a superhuman entity infused with divine wisdom. He is a man called to be the Holy Father, the Universal Pastor, not God. 

The Voice of Clarity

I love this cartoon, and I'm sure Pope St Leo the Great would probably like it too. 

St Leo is of course one of our most extraordinary popes, hence the rare title of "the Great" was given to him. Renowned for his strong and wise pontificate, he was an insightful and brilliant theologian - hence his being numbered among the Doctors of the Church. His famous "Tome" written for, and read at, the Council of Chalcedon sought to settle the Christological question of his time, that of Jesus' divinity and humanity. Leo taught with the authority of the successor of St Peter and as Vicar of Christ that the Lord was fully divine and fully human. The response from the Council Fathers was simple: "Peter has spoken". For this we can honour Leo as "the voice of clarity" in the midst of confusion, and in this we can see one of the responsibilities of the popes.

Whenever I think of Leo my mind always turns to Pope Benedict XVI whose theology and teaching was clear, insightful and beautiful. So we must thank God that we had the joy of, perhaps, experiencing in some way what the people in Leo's time experienced. 

May Pope St Leo watch over the Pope and the Pope Emeritus, intercede for them and help them fulfill the call of God.

Tomb of Pope St Leo the Great in St Peter's Basilica (in the altar) 

above it a marble relief depicting Leo with Attila the Hun

Papal Heroism

The Holy Father's condemnation of the Mafia has had considerable coverage around the world. As you all know Pope Francis said that those in the Mafia were not in communion with God, but excommunicated. Strong words rightly expressed at demonic organisations that have had too much power and influence in Italy and beyond for far too long. There are some questions which are being asked.

The first: can the Pope excommunicate an organisation? Yes and no. An organisation is not a person so it cannot be excommunicated, although it can be proscribed, condemned and shown to be operating in opposition to God and his teachings. However members of an organisation can be excommunicated for being members of that organisation simply by joining it. The best example of this is that of the Freemasons - once a Catholic joined the Freemasons they incurred an automatic excommunication.

The second: are the members of the Mafia now formally excommunicated? Well, that's a question for the canon lawyers, but it seems to me that they are not formally excommunicated because the Holy Father has not (yet) issued a formal decree proscribing the Mafia and placing an automatic excommunication on those who join it or cooperate with it. The Holy Father was given an exhortation and in it he was condemning the Ndrangheta and telling its members that they have broken communion with God and the Church through their activities.

Concerns have now been expressed for the safety of the Holy Father: will the Mafia retaliate? There is a possibility that they will, but I do not think they will attack the person of the Pope, such an action would probably lead to serious tensions with the ordinary people who tolerate or turn a blind eye to their activities but whose silence protects the mafiosi. To kill a popular Pope like Francis could have nightmare consequences for the killers. 

That said, we cannot rule out some sort of retaliation: denunciations and condemnations by previous Pontiffs were greeted with revenge attacks including a bomb in St John Lateran's. Pressure might also be applied to local bishops and priests. The Mafia cherish honour and for the Pope to publicly offend that honour will have touched a raw nerve. The Mafia also like to use the local church as a means of maintaining respectability within a community - the Pope has undermined that, and perhaps he has even sent a message to priests and bishops who out of fear facilitate the mafiosi - it has to stop. The mafiosi are very careful and calculating, so they will weigh up very cautiously how they will respond.

Pope Francis has shown great courage in saying what he said, many bishops and priests would have avoided such a naked denunciation on the grounds of prudence, but Francis knows that as universal pastor he has to speak out against this evil and dainty words don't quite hit the target. He is not the first to do so. St John Paul II was even more forthright in his condemnation of the Mafia. During his visit to Sicily following the murder, now martyrdom, of the Palermo priest Blessed Pino Puglisi, St John Paul went out with all guns blazing. See the video below for part of his condemnation. Notice Archbishop Marini, the Papal MC, he looks like he's having a stroke with anxiety as the Pope rails against the Mafia. Papal officials were terrified during and following St John Paul's condemnation, they were convinced they would be slaughtered before they left Sicily.

In a similar vein Pope Benedict launched a stinging attack on South American drug dealers during his visit to Brazil in 2007. People were stunned that quiet, mild Benedict should attack such powerful and vindictive forces in their own backyard. Again as the defender of the flock Benedict had to speak up.

These are three examples of Papal heroism in the face of great evil at work in the world. The shepherds defending the flock of Christ from the wolves. As the flock we must pray for these heroic shepherds, so we must keep Pope Francis in our prayers that the Lord may protect him, and then watch over all those who live under the shadow of the Mafia and similar evil organisations. I would urge you to invoke our new martyr, Blessed Pino Puglisi, a faithful priest who was martyred by the Mafia. They tried to silence him, to stop his work, but instead their killing him led him to a crown of glory and have given the Church a powerful intercessor. So let us commend the Holy Father into Blessed Pino's care. See my pieces on Blessed Pino here and here.

Blessed Pino, protect our Holy Father,

pray for the flock of Christ

The Sign Of Christian Authenticity?

 

Lest you think I am a groupie of Fr. Alexander Lucie-Smith, I promise you I'm not, and I feel I have to say that as I draw your attention to another of his articles in the Catholic Herald.  I just find that he writes an awful lot of sense.

 

Fr. Lucie-Smith's most recent offering is his reaction to a piece in The Guardian in which Pope Francis is praised at the expense of Pope Benedict.   Nothing new there, I hear you say.  A certain group of people have been bashing Pope Benedict since the election of Pope Francis and using the new Pontiff and his personal way of adapting the Papacy to his own lifestyle as a means to expose Benedict as some sort of Renaissance Prince incarnate.  Well The Guardian fuels this view in its article, and Fr. Lucie-Smith takes exception to it.

 

Here is the offending paragraph: "Not that his (Francis's) position on abortion, or homosexuality, or women priests, differs substantially from Benedict XVI. He remains socially conservative. But the mood music is altogether different and not just because of his personal charm and the decision to eschew all the fancy ecclesiastical haberdashery and grand palaces. Pope Francis has regularly excoriated economic injustice and the global inequalities created by unrestrained capitalism. And his message on Syria has been unusually direct in opposing the prospect of US intervention. On Saturday he told a congregation praying for peace in the Middle East: "Violence and war lead only to death, they speak of death! Violence and war are the language of death!""

 

Fr. Lucie-Smith takes exception to the remarks concerning the Pope's vestments and the Pope's being socially conservative which he calls "two basic errors of misunderstanding", errors that are widespread both inside and outside the Church.  The first is typical.  People seem to equate dressing in vestments as somehow not being humble, simple or even authentically Christian.  Dress tidily as a priest or bishop and you're told you're distancing yourself from "the people".   It seems for a priest or bishop that the only way of being authentically Christian, in the eyes of some, is to dress in dirty clothes and wear only a dirty, unironed alb with a rainbow stole hanging off you to  one side.  Scruffiness is not a sign of authenticity - indeed it can be a sign of other things.  Wearing the clothes of one's office does not offend humility, simplicity or Christianity.  As Fr. Lucie-Smith points out, Jesus wore good clothes - his seamless garment was an expensive piece of apparel for the time, so much so the soldiers had to gamble to see who got it.

 

The second error is that which brands Christian moral teaching as somehow regressive and secular trends as progressive. As Fr. Lucie-Smith correctly points out it is the secular morality which is regressive, dragging sentient and rational human beings back into an unthinking and primitive approach to life, sexuality and society.  The ancient Spartans used to dump their new-born children if they thought they were not healthy or fit enough for Spartan society - the living baby was thrown down into a cavern.  Other ancient societies left their disabled children out for wild animals to kill and eat.  Modern secularists have a procedure where such children are not even born but are torn apart in the womb and then the remains are dumped.  And this procedure is defended by denying basic scientific and medical facts about the existence of a individual human being in the womb. Nothing progressive about that.  Nor is there progress in the idea that we can be sexually irresponsible and do what we like as long as it is between consent adults (and what is consent anyway?).  The current epidemic of STDs and HIV/AIDS is a good indication that perhaps that approach to sexuality is not healthy, rational or "safe".

 

Modern men and women may not like to hear this: but we are not progressive.  We have wandered back to the Stone Age when it comes to morality and life.  Just because we are technologically advanced does not mean that we are morally advanced, we are not.  We have just thrown off responsibility, respect for life and reason and now pride ourselves as being beyond it.  We had better read a little history - for other civilisations did that too and they came to a bad end.  Our modern society could be heading for one too.  Human society cannot exist in a moral vacuum for too long .

 

And as regards the Pope's humility: a few months ago Pope Francis was praised for eschewing the Papal cars and deciding to use a Ford Focus, it was a sign of his humility.  A friend of mine who worked in Vatican for a few years during Benedict's pontificate commented on this by pointing out that Benedict didn't even know the make of the car he was in - he was just told to get into it and he did.  That's humility too.

Grazie Santità!

 

As Pope Benedict XVI leaves the Apostolic Palace for the Castel Gandolfo as the moment of his abdication approaches, on behalf of the Fraternity of St Genesius, to whom he has been a great friend and supporter, I would like to say:

Thank you, Holy Father!

 

Thank you for your ministry,

for your teaching,

for your example,

for your dedication to the will of God

and the Church,

for your love.

 

We will pray for you.

 

May the Lord grant Your Holiness

every blessing and grace.

What A Wonderful Eight Years!

The Last General Audience

 

No doubt many of you watched Pope Benedict's last General Audience.  As a man of the Word and word he rose to the occasion as he always does, and this time he gave us one of his most personal and affectionate talks.  The Catholic Herald has the text.  It was deeply moving, and once again that aggravating question was going through my head: "Why resign, Holy Father?"  Of course I understand and accept it, but I do not want to let go of this holy pastor. But God's will be done.

 

Benedict has ended as he began.  In his homily at the Mass for the Inauguration of his Pontificate he said that "the Church is alive", and he mentioned it again today at the Audience.  In the midst of all the scandals and difficulties, the Church is still a living body made up of brothers and sisters who love Christ and love the Church.  We should never forget this.  One of the great legacies that Benedict has left us is that even when things are bad and the world seems to be against us, we are still the Church and can still take pride in her - in her teaching, in her history, in her Saints and, most importantly, in her Lord - our Saviour, Jesus Christ who founded the Church and who guides her through the work of the Holy Spirit who will never abandon us.

 

In his personal reflections he admitted that the Papacy was a burden, and he said that to the Lord on the day of his election.  He spoke about being the boat in the midst of a storm, no doubt holding tight to the Lord who is also in the boat with him.  This is a piece of Scripture that means a great deal to me too, and I pray it often, particularly when I am being attacked for my ministry.   And the Pope seems to recommend this passage to all of us in these times.  As a holy nun once said to me: "Yes, you are in the boat and there is a tremendous storm waging about you.  But never forget, Jesus is in the boat with you."    As Benedict took comfort in that, may we all take comfort in it.  The Church is living in the difficult times, and she has done so before.  In fact for most of her history the Church has had it hard - we have in one way or another been persecuted.  And yes, at times those persecutors were men and women who considered themselves members of the Church.

 

I was impressed by Benedict's words about his retirement - he is not leaving the foot of the cross - he is staying put.  He is not entering a blissful retirement to travel and do his own thing.  He is aware that he can never renounce the mission he accepted when he was elected to the Petrine Ministry - he will no longer be Pope, but his life is no longer his own.  Benedict, hidden in prayer and suffering, will continue his total gift of self to the Church by that very prayer and suffering.  Indeed the new Pope will have an ally living in the Mater Ecclesia Monastery, the Pope-Emeritus who accompanies the new Supreme Pontiff in his carrying the burden of the Church.   And this may well be God's plan: in these difficult times, as the Church faces persecution in many places in the world, and indeed in the West, the new Pope will not be alone: Benedict in prayer and silence will be offering himself to God for his successor and for us.

 

There is a mystery here - the mystery of intercession in the heart of the Church, a mystery akin to that of victim soul.  Benedict the teacher continues to teach by his example - we are all reminded that we must live in the heart of the Church as intercessors too.  But I think Benedict the teacher is also Benedict the Mystic, and now he will join all those holy men and women who, hidden away in life, offered themselves for the Church, praying, suffering, loving for the Church's sake. 

Benedict and Vatican II

 

One of the most eventful weeks in recent times and my computer decides to give up the ghost!  My poor laptop which has served me faithfully for over five years, resisting the frustrations of Vista and XP, finally said it could go on no longer.  So in the last few days I have been trying to get a replacement and save files from the hard drive.  But all is almost sorted. I have two missing files, but I will be going back to the computer doctor so he can help me find them.

 

I think we are all still reeling after Pope Benedict's announcement, and what emotional days these have been.  At least, in the midst of the sorrow, the Holy Father can see the love the faithful have for him - he was truly our holy Father and we have the opportunity to let him know.  

 

Tributes have been pouring in, and they have been fulsome.  The faithful are praising him, many of them understanding why he has decided to step down.  I was impressed with what Cardinal Arinze had to say, if you have not seen the video, I am posting it below. 

 

In these final days, Benedict has been enriching our understanding of the faith, continuing his ministry right to the end...and offering us new insights.  His unscripted talk to the priests of the diocese of Rome on Vatican II was revealing.  Here is the text.  As a witness to what was happening in those years, Benedict is well placed to offer reflections on what was happening.  In his talk he speaks of two Councils - the Council of the Church and the council of the media, the one which has triumphed over the last forty years.  While the legitimate Council was taking place in the context of faith - the council of the media was nothing more than politics - a struggle between "conservatives" and "liberals", the baddies and the goodies.  This is the image which has prevaled precisely because faith has been excised from the meaning of the Council. 

 

Yet, as the Holy Father points out, there was a great sense of joy and hope: great theologians like de Lubac, Congar, Danielou were present (as he was himself - no mean theologian himself), and these great thinkers were drawing on the ancient traditions and teachings of the Church Fathers and saw in them a path for authentic renewal and the impetus for a new evangelical thrust.  All of this has yet to be discovered, but thanks to his Papacy, Benedict has been opening the door to the Council for all of us.  His General Audiences on the Saints, for example, have exposed the ordinary faithful to the lives and teachings of the holy ones who can teach us how to live the Gospel in our time. 

 

I have to say I feel a great sadness for Ireland - for the Catholics of our country did not get the chance to see Benedict in the flesh and to hear him speak.  For many in the Church here their only exposure is that which our media allowed, and that was deeply distorted and unjust.  I was talking with a good Catholic man today and he opined over the many mistakes Benedict had made, how he ignored child abuse and frustrated the efforts of bishops dealing with it.  This is the Irish media's view of Benedict and it is the exact opposite of the truth. 

 

In a sense, many in Ireland have been kept in the dark by the media - like mushrooms and fed plenty of manure to make them mistrust the Pope and the Church.  Many have been betrayed by priests - true; but I believe the Irish have been betrayed by the Irish media who destroyed a wonderful papacy and calumnied a holy man because they did not like what he had to say - because he said it so well.  At the end of the day they were afraid of him - if people really listened to him they would not only be charmed by his simple holiness, but would see that what he teaches is true and beautiful: our media masters understood that all too well.

 

Anyway, I hope people in Ireland will eventually come to know and understand this wonderful Pontiff.   There are many of us younger priests who have tried to share his teaching with them (not withouy much opposition - some have even tried to silence us), but we will continue.  Why?  Because in order to understand Vatican II we need to listen to what Joseph Ratzinger/Pope Benedict XVI has to say - he is one of those who influenced it.  

Papal Abdication

I must say I am still stunned at the news we have all had today.  It is early evening here in Ireland and news of Pope Benedict's intention to abdicate in two weeks time was a shock.   A friend of mine rang me this morning to tell me: now this friend is a constant joker so when he came out with the news I did not believe him - I took some convincing.  What can I say? 

Well, according to Canon Law Popes can abdicate (not "resign" as the media has been reporting), though we have rarely seen it.   Only four Popes have abdicated: Pope Benedict IX in 1045; Pope Gregory VI in 1046; St Peter Celestine, the most famous, in 1294: he could not cope with the Papal office.  Finally, Pope Gregory XII who abdicated in 1415 order to resolve a crisis, namely the schisms when anti-popes were being elected all over the place: the legitimate Pope Gregory abdicated to allow a fresh start. 

There were also two threatened abdications: Pope Pius VII who, as he left Rome to crown Napoleon Emperor of France, left a letter indicating an automatic abdication should he be imprisoned by the emperor.  Napoleon had Pope Pius's predecessor imprisoned and held as a hostage - Pope Pius wanted to avoid that. Also Pope Pius XII did likewise in the face of being kidnapped by the Nazis, ordering the Cardinals to go to Portugal and there elect a successor as soon as possible.  He said that they might kidnap a Pope, but they would end up with a mere Cardinal.

Pope Benedict has explained that he is abdicating because of his failing health.  And to be honest he has failed in the last few months.  Indeed watching the video of his meeting with the Cardinals this morning I got a shock to see him so worn, tired and frail.  So I can understand why he has taken this step - he does not want the Church to live through another Papal decline given the difficulties she is facing in these times - a younger, stronger Pontiff is needed.

That said, it will be difficult to let go of this Pope - at the end of the day we Catholics are united emotionally to the Pope as our Holy Father - he is not an administrator, nor even a mere bishop - we look on him as our Father, so this development is hard to take in.  Talking with people today one said that it was like a bereavement but without the funeral.  There is something to be said for a Pope dying in office, though heartbreaking, a papal death creates room for the next Pope in our hearts.  Of course we will love the new Pope - he will be our Holy Father, but in the back of many minds Pope Benedict will still be around, though he will no longer be Benedict, but Joseph.  People are very confused, and for that reason Papal abdications may not be a good idea in "peacetime", I personally believe they should be rare.

But I would not like that to be a criticism of Pope Benedict - he is a faithful servant of God who put himself and his own desires to one side in order to be of service to the Church, and he is doing this once again.  For the sake of the Church he is stepping down, and this reveals the humility and holiness of the man.  I always saw Pope Benedict as a saintly man, one who would one day be raised to the altars, and this abdication will be strong proof of his selflessness and lifelong desire to decrease so Christ can increase.  We must keep him in our prayers every day until the day God calls him home.  The bond that unites us with this holy man, forged most strongly on the 19th April 2005, should not be broken: he will always be Benedict for us.

The tributes are coming in, and coverage is widespread, although RTE's coverage is disgraceful - they have wheeled out the usual suspects who are picking over his pontificate and calling for the abandonment of the Catholic faith and the imposition of the beliefs and practices which are part of the canon of dissent.  As someone on Twitter said earlier: for people in Ireland, better to follow coverage in the international media rather than the Irish - good advice.

Now we must begin to pray for the Pope's successor.  We must pray for our Cardinals as they pray and discern.  This time we have no idea who will walk out on that balcony - I do not think any one Cardinal stands out.  God knows who will be the next Pope, so we must pray that the Lord will strengthen him for his office.  He will have a difficult task ahead of him.    

It's Out!

After months of waiting, Pope Benedict's third and final installment of his work Jesus of Nazareth, has been published.  The third volume deals with the Lord's infancy, a most fitting work for the time of year.  It will be good Advent/Christmas reading. 

The book is comprised of four chapters, preceded by a foreword and completed with a epilogue. The first chapter looks at the Genealogies, which are actually fascinating reading and a reminder of the mystery of the Incarnation.  We might have issues with members of our families, and those of you who are doing family histories may be appalled at the skeletons in the closet, but all our strange relations fade into insignificance when it comes to some of the creatures in the Lord's human ancestry.  The second chapter looks at the Annunciation. 

The third reflects on the Nativity and the poverty which marked Our Lord's birth.  Some of the news features have homed in on the Pope's point that there were probably no animals in the stable as Jesus was born.  Well that's just common sense.  What woman wants to give birth to her baby with a donkey looking over her shoulder and a half-curious ox chewing the cud?  It looks lovely in the crib, but in reality it would not have been safe or healthy.

The final chapter deals with the Magi.  While the Holy Father reflects on the theological significance of the wise men, he is inclined to believe that they were real people.  I would expect that from a German Catholic given that the shrine of the Magi is in Cologne - and when you have seen the devotion to the Magi there, you are inclined to believe they existed.  I'm with the Pope on that one.

The Epilogue looks at the finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple.

Here is Wikipedia's entry on the book which provides a good, brief summary.  I don't think I'll wait for Santa to bring it.  Advent reading sorted.  The book will be published in the UK on the 4th December, I'm not sure when it will get to Ireland. 

Monday Musings

The Holy Father announced yesterday that he will declare St John of Avila and St Hildegard of Bingen Doctors of the Church on Sunday the 7th October.  He is doing so at the beginning of the Synod of Bishops on the New Evangelisation and for a particular reason - these two figures, he says, are of considerable importance and relevance.  Well, that should offer all of us an opportunity to get reading the lives and writings of these two new Doctors.  In fact, given that the Holy Father is placing the emphasis on two Saints in the context of the New Evangelisation, we can see that the Saints in general are important as the Church "puts out into the deep" in this new missionary endeavour. 

We must spare a thought for the Holy Father in these days as two crises envelop the Vatican.  The president of the Institute for the Works of Religion (Vatican "bank") is in trouble, and after an investigation, a suspect in the so-called "Vati-leaks"  has been arrested - it is the Pope's own butler.   This will be hard on the Holy Father who relies on and trusts those people who are members of the "Papal family".  To have a trusted assistant betray a confidence is one of the worst kinds of betrayal.   He may not have been the only one though, the Vatican gendarme are continuing their investigations.

According to reports, the man will be tried by the Vatican legal system - that must be a first in a long time.  In this system, the defendant has a trial, and if found guilty, can have two appeals.  If found guilty after all that, he'll do his time in an Italian prison.  I heard that he could face up to thirty years in prison because these leaks constitute a national security breach.  It all sounds very strange, but then again we have to remember that the Vatican is an independent sovereign state and it operates as such.

Some will find that hard to take - after all, Jesus did not set up his own country - he was an itinerant preacher proclaiming the Word of God. True, but in practical terms if the Holy Father is to do the same without interference from secular governments, he needs to be free from the obligations of citizenship, and so the best way to do that is to have him living in an independent country where he is the ruler.   If we object to that, just look at the way some of the history's secular rulers treated the Church - Henry VIII, Elizabeth I, Joseph II of Austria, Napoleon, Hitler, Stalin; and today - Barack Obama and Enda Kenny: if the Pope were a citizen under any of them his ministry would be seriously curtailed.  Indeed Napoleon almost made the Popes his puppets as he dragged one Pope into captivity where he died, and made the life of another an absolute misery. 

But we must pray for him.  The Pope holds the Papal family very dear. One member, Manuela Camagni, died a couple of years ago: this is another blow. 

When I first read of the "Papal family" I was very much impressed.  These members of staff - his secretaries, the sisters that care for him and the household, form a little community in the Papal apartments.   It must be a real support to the Holy Father who can rely on them to make a home for him in the midst of the officialdom and ceremony which surrounds him.  

To be honest, it is a model which we priests and our bishops should look to. As diocesan priests many of us do not live in community - and even those priests that live together may not form a community.  When in seminary we were told that we were preparing for life on our own - our parishes would be our community, but in reality when we go to our homes after a day's work, there is no community there.  Some priests like that, other's don't.  Certainly, in my opinion, it is not an ideal situation, priests need support, and unfortunately when there is no domestic support, priests on their own can fall prey to too many temptations just out of sheer loneliness or isolation.

When I was in Drogheda three of us priests lived in the presbytery and we actually did have a community.  We usually had dinner together, sometimes went out for an evening together, took an interest in each other's lives and interests, and helped each other.  Our individual families were always welcome.  Our staff were also part of the community - the housekeepers, secretaries, the handyman.  But such situations are rare.

As I was thinking about all this the Lord's words from Genesis came to mind: "It is not good for man to be alone".  We understand that in terms of marriage and man as a social animal.  In terms of priesthood, I think we might also see it as being a good indication that we should not live isolated lives.   I am not advocating marriage for priests, by the way, but certainly we might look at how priests can live in the midst of a family in his domestic life.  How that can happen I do not know.  One thing I do know - it should not be completely formed of priests as the tendency to clericalism would be a serious temptation.

Wednesday: Papal Audience And Tomb of St Paul

In the morning we attend the Papal Audience, and in the afternoon go on pilgrimage to the Basilica of St Paul Outside-the-Walls to venerate the remains of St Paul the Apostle.

Our union with Peter is important.  On him is build the Church, and so we look to his successor, Benedict, as the one who unites us.  He is the Vicar of Christ on earth - the one chosen to lead the Church in these times.  As our Holy Father, he deserves our prayer and our obedience.  St Catherine of Siena gives us a profound insight into who the Pope is when she calls him "our Christ on earth".

Lord God, bless Benedict our Pope, and give him every grace so he may fulfil the office you have entrusted to him.  May he always have the guidance of your Holy Spirit and the maternal care of the Blessed Virgin Mary, our Mother.  And when you call him from this life, grant to him a place among your Saints.  Amen.

St Paul is also important for our Fraternity - he is our theologian.  As we form this family of prayer, we draw on his teaching on the Mystical Body of Christ.  Where is the Fraternity to be found in this Body?  In the heart, of course!  We are in the Heart of the Church, praying, offering our sacrifices, loving.  This is where Our Lady is, and as we dedicated to her mission for her Son, we stand beside her, obedient to her.  St Paul encourages us, then, is fulfilling our duties here.  He reassures us that the cross we carry and offer to Christ for our brothers and sisters brings the grace and power of God upon those we pray for.

St Paul, Apostle to the Gentiles, hear our prayer.  Preach to us, the children of God, the Gospel of Christ, so we may be immersed in the Word and follow him each day of our lives.  Guide us into the heart of the Church where we may offer ourselves in service to God for the sake of our brothers and sisters.  As you were happy to shed your blood for love of Christ, our Redeemer, obtain from the Lord that grace which will make us as generous in our sacrifices.

Heavenly Father, bless our family of prayer.  Give to each of us the zeal with which you endowed your Apostle Paul.  As he was compelled to proclaim the love and sacrifice of Christ, may we be filled with that same zeal to make Christ known to the people of our time.  Amen.

Of Fathers And Mothers

Last night the Holy Father completed another successful apostolic visit, this time to Mexico and Cuba.   I was watching the farewell ceremony last night on EWTN (of course!).   It was spilling rain, so the ceremony took place inside the terminal building.  No matter where he goes, Benedict charms the socks off people - not something he plans to do, they just see him as he is and realise that here we have a good and holy man, his gracious simplicity touches people's hearts. 

This is one of the reasons why he should visit Ireland - actually seeing and meeting Pope Benedict will help undermine the dreadful image the media have created in their hatred of him (I use that word intentionally).  As in every other visit to countries where the Church has been ravaged by child abuse, Benedict would meet victims, usually out of the media spotlight, and listen to their stories.   Not only does this give the Pope a good idea of the problem in a particular local church, but also gives victims an opportunity to be heard by the Pope, and to hear what he has to say.  From previous encounters victims have been touched by such meetings and found great healing. 

As for a Papal visit during the Eucharistic Congress, which is definitely ruled out at this stage, I do not believe it would be a good idea for a number of reasons, hence I did not support any petition or call for the Pope to come.

Watching the farewell ceremony and clips of other ceremonies, I see that the Pope is slowing down - but then you expect that for a man of 85.  He used a walking stick as he boarded the plane in Rome, and this has led to all sorts of speculation, and that one glaring question which excites the hearts of journalists everywhere: "Will he resign?"

I agree with William Oddie of the Catholic Herald - I do not think he will abdicate, I think the existence of two popes will lead to problems, confusion, and perhaps even crisis.   I know we have had popes abdicating in the past - the case of Pope St Celestine V is well known, so too the abdication of Pope Gregory XII as a means of ending the Great Western Schism.  But I think, given that they are exceptions, a pope should remain in office until his death.

Why?  you might ask.  There are a number of reasons, which Oddie mentions in his article, but I also believe the office of pope is different to that of other bishops: it incorporates universal fatherhood (Pope comes from papa (Latin) and pappas (Greek) a child's title for father), and as the father in the Church he embraces a call which is much deeper than a mere ecclesiastical office.   Blessed John Paul II understood that, and so said that there was no room for a pope emeritus, just as none of us will have a father emeritus.  

Perhaps that all too sentimental.  Some may say, well, what will happen, and it may happen given advances in technology, that a pope becomes incapacitated, develops Alzheimer's for example, what do we do then?  That is a difficult question, and as Oddie suggests, we should pray it never happens.  But what if it does?  Well, then there will be a serious problem, because then the pope cannot abdicate - according to canon law if a pope abdicates, it must be done freely - if he has Alzheimer's, he may not have the capacity to fulfill this requirement.  Can he then be deposed?  That will lead to more problems.

Anyway, lest we drive ourselves nuts with all this, perhaps our efforts are best employed praying for our Holy Father that God will give him the strength to fulfill his office and when the time comes, to take him home quickly to the "house of the Father".   In the meantime, we give thanks for the life, example and teaching of the gentle Pontiff, Benedict XVI: for his wise heart, fatherly love and tender concern for the flock that is in his charge.  Say whatever you like about what people perceive to be "mistakes", we should not doubt that he honestly seeks to serve God and his people faithfully even until death, and wants the best for every man and woman on this earth: life with Christ and eternal salvation. 

As for his successor; instead of speculating on who he will be, we leave it in the hands of the Holy Spirit who is already preparing him for his office.  We may just pray for him that the Lord will make his heart big enough to hold within it all the children of God.

I discovered a new Blessed a few days ago - I noticed her beatification last year, but did not research her.  A brief biography appeared in the Magnificat a few days ago: Blessed Maria Serafina of the Sacred Heart.  Dom Mark Kirby, who is staying with me, filled in the details: he was present at her beatification because it took place in his ancestral town in Italy. He has a lovely introduction to her life on his blog. 

Blessed Maria Serafina was some lady - she was trying to follow God's call for years, facing many difficulties and yet remaining faithful.  God called her to found, and eventually cleared the way for the beginning of her new congregation, the Sisters of the Angels.  I am told that these sisters are still faithful to the way of their foundress and they have that wonderful sense of motherhood which is really at the heart of consecrated sisterhood.  When nuns and religious sisters see themselves as mothers, then they are on to a winner.  A true nun or sister will be a mother to those she meets.  When growing up in Clara, we had many such sisters in the convent.  The Sisters of Mercy had a house in our town, and among them were some wonderful motherly sisters - there were others too, as you expect in a fallen world.   But I was always impressed by the motherly ones.

Anyway, back to Blessed Maria Serafina - for her struggles and endurance, and her devotion to God's will, she should really be the patron saint of those struggling to discern or fulfil their vocation (perhaps also of orthodox seminarians in liberal seminaries!).  The motherly care and intercession of Blessed Maria Serafina might help those who need some sign from God to help them presevere.

And finally, as a Carmelite I cannot ignore this article: Joseph Pearce writes about the man who save the original autograph of the writings of St John of the Cross during the Spanish Civil War.   Roy Campbell is well known for his translations of St John's poems, during the persecution of Catholics, he was entrusted with the care of the papers to save them from the Republicans.  It was the Discalced Friars of Toledo who entrusted the manuscripts to him: a number of these friars were martyred by the Republicans, and they have since been beatified - one of my favourite beati among them, Blessed Hermilo of St Eliseo - I keep his picture here beside me on my desk. 

This story is a wonderful tale of heroism, well worth reading.  It is also another reminder that the Spanish Civil War was not as simple as the leftists like to make out.  As we constantly hear only one side of the story - the Republicans, the story of the innocent Catholics - men, women and children - tens of thousands of them, were murdered by the Republicans simply because they were Catholics.  The media ignores their stories while holding up for public veneration the very men and women who slaughtered them.

No Smooching Here

Here's an interesting story - the Vatican has taken exception to an image Benetton clothing company was using for its advertising campaign - the photo shows the Holy Father and Muslim Sheikh Ahmed Mohamed El-Tayeb kissing, one of a number of photoshopped images of political leaders in passionate embraces.  Benetton has pulled the photo, thank God.  The Vatican tends to be very tolerate of offensive images, but this was one step too far.

I am delighted that the Vatican has decided to raise its voice - I think it tends to let too many things go, as does the Church in general, so much so that people think they can say what they like and offend Christians in any way possible in the sure knowledge that we will not raise a whimper in protest. 

Sometimes I think those who attack us rationalise their abuse by saying "Christians have to forgive, so if they object, we can throw the accusation of hypocrisy in their faces".  It reminds me of a incident when I was teaching: one of my students had misbehaved badly in class, and when I brought him out to check him, he said with a smirk "You're a priest, you have to forgive me and let me off."  I told him I did forgive him - from the bottom of my heart, but he was still being punished - for his own good".  That wiped the smile off his face: he got extra homework and a "blue card" (a demerit card). 

I am all in favour of forgiveness and putting up with bad behaviour and attacks with patience and prayer, but that tolerance has to be mitigated in each situation by assessing the effect of our tolerance.  Will our silence confirm and reinforce injustice, bad behaviour and indeed sin?   We also have to gauge the reaction to our objection - will we do more harm than good?    Looking at the Holy See's response to Enda Kenny's attack, for example, we see that it was measured, diplomatic but yet firm - the government did not like it and tried to make hay by insinuating that it was another example of now entrenched the Holy See was and unable to admit her mistakes.  But that was an anti-Catholic government's view - the interpretation of other nations was different: they saw the Holy See setting the record straight.  

In the interest of fairness we have to give Benetton their due, when the Vatican raised its objection, it took down the image - perhaps they thought to themselves "If the Catholics are objecting so strongly, the Muslims will be really peeved" - no one dares offend Muslims for fear of the consequences.   But they have apologised for offending the faithful, let's hope others will be as respectful in future.

I note another story this morning - from The Irish Catholic.  According to the paper the four Archbishops of Ireland are resisting attempts by the Vatican to reform the structure of Irish dioceses.  A number of people have suggested that our dioceses need to be reduced in number, a suggestion I agree with.  It appears Rome may well agree also, and so is considering changes which will form new dioceses with a Catholic population of 300,000 on average.  The story in The Irish Catholic says that the Archbishops want dioceses with an average population of 100,000.  

To be honest I do not think that would effect too many changes at all.  If this story is true, then I would advise that we cooperate with the Vatican - the time for resistance is over.  With an anti-Catholic government in place, a group of dissident priests doing everything they can to undermine the faith of the people in the communion of the Church universal, this is not the time for haggling with the Holy Father.   Time for us to die to self and realise that perhaps we may not be the right people to sort out the mess the Church in Ireland is in.  Yes, we can help and cooperate, but perhaps it is time to follow Peter.

UPDATE:   It seems the Vatican is actually going to take legal proceedings against Benetton.  Is this a first?  In another legal story: Irish priest, Fr Kevin Reynolds who sued RTE for their false accusations of his having raped and impregnated a young Kenyan girl has been vindicated in the courts.  RTE reached a settlement with him paying not only his costs and compensation, but being order also to pay aggravated damages - a punitive measure imposed by courts on guilty defendants.  While the amount RTE has to pay will not be revealed, it is reckoned to be at least in seven figures.  Here's RTE news' report on the settlement.  That should teach RTE - but will they learn the lesson??  We will see. 

Happy Anniversary, Holy Father!

Today a prayer, and Holy Mass offered for the Holy Father on the 60th Anniversary of his Priestly Ordination. 

and in honour of the occasion, a Papal salute from one of the best living Catholic composers:

Holy Father On The New Evangelisation

Here is the text of the Holy Father's speech to the members of the new Pontifical Council for Promotion of the New Evangelisation, delivered on Monday last (that title needs to be tighted up, why not Pontifical Council for the New Evangelisation?).  Some good points we in the Fraternity should take careful note of, particularly the observation that modern man is distracted.  How true that is in the area of culture and the arts.

Lord Cardinals,
Venerable Brothers in the Episcopate and the Priesthood,
Dear Brothers and Sisters,

When last June 28, at First Vespers of the Solemnity of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, I announced that I wished to institute a dicastery for promoting the New Evangelization, I gave an operative beginning to a reflection that I had had for a long time on the need to offer a concrete answer to the moment of crisis in Christian life, which is being verified in so many countries, above all those of ancient Christian tradition. Today, with this meeting, I can see with pleasure that this new pontifical council has become a reality. I thank Archbishop Salvatore Fisichella for the words he addressed to me, introducing me to the work of your first plenary assembly. My warm greetings to all of you with my encouragement for the contribution you will make to the work of the new dicastery, above all in view of the 13th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops that, in October of 2012, will in fact address the topic "New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith."

The term "New Evangelization" speaks of the need for a renewed method of proclamation, especially for those who live in a context, such as the present one, in which the developments of secularization have left heavy traces even in countries with a Christian tradition. The Gospel is the ever new proclamation of the salvation wrought by Christ to render humanity a participant in the mystery of God and in his life of love and to open it to a future of sure and strong hope. To underscore that at this moment in the history of the Church she is called to carry out a New Evangelization, means intensifying missionary action to correspond fully with the Lord's mandate. The Second Vatican Council reminded that "the groups among which the Church dwells are often radically changed, for one reason or other, so that an entirely new set of circumstances may arise" (Decree Ad Gentes, 6). With farsighted understanding, the Conciliar Fathers saw on the horizon the cultural change that today is easily verifiable. Precisely this changed situation, which has created an unexpected situation for believers, requires particular attention to the proclamation of the Gospel, to give the reason for one's faith in situations that are different from the past.

The crisis being experienced bears in itself traces of the exclusion of God from people's lives, of a generalized indifference toward the Christian faith itself, to the point of attempting to marginalize it from public life. In past decades it was still possible to discover a general Christian sense that unified the common feeling of whole generations, growing up in the shadow of the faith that had molded the culture.

Today, unfortunately, we are witnessing the drama of a fragmentation that no longer consents to a unified point of reference; moreover, we often see the phenomenon of persons who wish to belong to the Church, but are strongly molded by a vision of life that opposes the faith.

To proclaim Jesus Christ the only Savior of the world seems more complex today than in the past; but our task remains the same as at the dawn of our history. The mission has not changed, just as the enthusiasm and the courage that moved the Apostles and the first disciples must not change. The Holy Spirit who pushed them to open the doors of the Cenacle, making them into evangelizers (cf. Acts 2:1-4), is the same Spirit that moves the Church today in a renewed proclamation of hope to the men of our time. St. Augustine said that one must not think that the grace of evangelization was extended only to the Apostles and with them that source of grace was exhausted, but that "this source manifests itself when it flows, not when it ceases to be poured out. And it was in this way that, through the Apostles, grace also reached others, who were sent to proclaim the Gospel ... what is more, it has continued to call, up to these last days, the whole body of his only-begotten Son, namely, his Church spread throughout the earth" (Sermon 239, 1). The grace of the mission is always in need of new evangelizers capable of receiving it, so that the salvific proclamation of the Word of God will never diminish in the changing conditions of history.

A dynamic continuity exists between the proclamation of the first disciples and our own. In the course of the centuries the Church has never ceased to proclaim the salvific mystery of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, but that same proclamation today needs a renewed vigor to convince contemporary man, often distracted and insensitive. Because of this, the New Evangelization will have to be responsible for finding the methods to make the proclamation of salvation more effective, without which personal existence remains in its state of contradiction, deprived of the essential.

Even in one who remains linked to his Christian roots, but lives the difficult relationship with modernity, it is important to make it understood that being Christian is not a sort of uniform to wear in private or on particular occasions, but is something alive and all-encompassing, able to take up all that is good in modernity.

I hope that in the work of these days you will be able to delineate a plan able to help the whole Church and the various particular Churches, in a commitment to the New Evangelization; a plan where the urgency for a renewed proclamation will take care of formation, in particular for the new generations, and be combined with a proposal of concrete signs able to make evident the answer that the Church intends to offer in this peculiar moment. If, on one hand, the whole community is called to reinvigorate the missionary spirit to give the new proclamation that the men of our time await, it must not be forgotten that believers' style of life needs to be genuinely credible, convincing all the more when the life situations of those who see it is all the more dramatic. It is because of this that we wish to make our own the words of the Servant of God Pope Paul VI when, in regard to evangelization, he said: "It is therefore primarily by her conduct and by her life that the Church will evangelize the world, in other words, by her living witness of fidelity to the Lord Jesus -- the witness of poverty and detachment, of freedom in the face of the powers of this world, in short, the witness of sanctity" (Apostolic Exhortation "Evangelii Nuntiandi," 41).

Dear friends, invoking the intercession of Mary, Star of evangelization, so that she will accompany the bearers of the Gospel and open the hearts of those who listen, I assure you of my prayer for your ecclesial service and impart to all of you the apostolic blessing.

A New Doctor of the Church?



According to RomeReports, St John of Avila is being considered for the honour of Doctor of the Church.  This would be most interesting since he was a friend of St Teresa of Avila and St John of the Cross, and is very much in the tradition of Spanish mysticism.  He is not very well known outside of Spain, yet his writings have been highly influential, particularly in the areas of mystical theology and spirituality.  A number of years ago the Spanish bishops petitioned to have the honour conferred on the Saint and in 2006 they announced that their request was going to be granted.

St John was born in Almodovar del Campo, Spain,  in 1500.  He studied law in Salamanca, but he was not impressed with jurisprudence, so he went home for a long think.  For three years he lived an ascetic life until a Franciscan friar who was passing through Almodovar suggested he go and study theology.  Taking up the suggestion he went to Alcala, and as he did so discovered a vocation to the priesthood.  His parents died during his seminary years.  Ordained priest, he sold his inheritance and began making arrangements to go on the missions to America, however God had other designs: he was indeed to be a missionary, but in his own land - a far tougher assignment.  Before the boat left his preaching ability came to attention of the Archbishop of Seville who asked him to become a missionary in Andalusia.  Seeing the movement of the Holy Spirit in this, he said yes and began his life as an itinerant preacher in Spain. 

St John's sermons brought thousands back to the practice of the faith while gaining him many enemies.  He was sought after for his spiritual direction and advice, among those who sought his help and advice were St Teresa of Avila, St John of the Cross and St Francis Borgia.  His enemies made false accusations against him and he was brought before the Inquisition, but his innocence was quickly established and the Inquisitors invited him to preach at the Church of San Salvador in Seville confounding his critics and delighting the ordinary people who loved him.  After forty years of preaching he died in Montilla in 1569.  He was canonised by Pope Paul VI in 1970.   His many works, sermons and letters were published in the 17th century and are still available today. So St John is a worthy candidate for the honour of Doctor.

I still look forward to the same honour being conferred on St Louis-Marie de Montfort – I believe a number of submissions have been made on his behalf.  And of course another worthy candidate is St Veronica Giuliani, the great Italian mystic and stigmatic who has left us remarkable writings: the bishops of Umbria have already petitioned for the honour to be conferred on her.  All that said, I wonder what chance St Faustina Kowalska would have?  I believe St Bernadine of Siena is also being considered – I think they have been studying his writings for some time now – the original petition requesting his inclusion among the Doctors was submitted in 1882, so I suppose it is early days yet!

The report says Pope Benedict may declare St John a Doctor at World Youth Day this year – I doubt it somehow – he may announce that he will declare him a Doctor, just as Blessed John Paul announced his intention to confer the honour on St Therese at World Youth Day in Paris.  I would imagine, though, that a separate ceremony would be held in Rome.  But then Pope Benedict is his own man.  Interestingly, the Holy Father did not include St John of Avila in his recent Wednesday catechises.

Fraternity Members Please Take Note

The Holy Father has brought his General Audience talks on Saints to an end this week, and what a wonderful catechesis: that we are all called to be saints.   He reflected on the many "simple saints", those who will never be canonised, but who have left a reputation for holiness.  We should all strive to be saints, and the lives of the saints -which should be necessary reading for all of us - inspire us to reach for holiness: to live our lives in Christ, as the Holy Father said.   Here is an extract:

"As a conclusion to this series of catecheses on the lives of the saints, I would like today to speak of the holiness to which each Christian is called. Holiness is the fullness of the Christian life, a life in Christ; it consists in our being united to Christ, making our own his thoughts and actions, and conforming our lives to his. As such, it is chiefly the work of the Holy Spirit who is poured forth into our hearts through Baptism, making us sharers in the paschal mystery and enabling us to live a new life in union with the Risen Christ. Christian holiness is nothing other than the virtue of charity lived to its fullest. In the pursuit of holiness, we allow the seed of God’s life and love to be cultivated by hearing his word and putting it into practice, by prayer and the celebration of the sacraments, by sacrifice and service of our brothers and sisters. The lives of the saints encourage us along this great path leading to the fullness of eternal life. By their prayers, and the grace of the Holy Spirit, may each of us live fully our Christian vocation and thus become a stone in that great mosaic of holiness which God is creating in history, so that the glory shining on the face of Christ may be seen in all its splendour."

Fraternity members please take note: as we pray and offer sacrifice for those in the arts, we also seek to be sanctified.   If our Fraternity lasts (it is in the hands of God), I hope my successors as Father Director will be kept very busy with processing the Causes of members.  I think we already have two potential candidates for the altars in the four short years since our foundation, we leave that matter to God and to time. 

A Little Treat

It is amazing what you find on the internet.  Taylor Marshall has drawn our attention to a video hosted on Gloria TV of Pope Benedict's ordination, believe it or not.  So for all the fans out there, here is the video:

Papal Visit To Ireland, June 2012?

Is Pope Benedict coming to Ireland to close the Eucharistic Congress in June 2012?  The Irish Independent is convinced he is.   Other news outlets are taking up the story, including the Belfast Telegraph.  Protests expected - no doubt about that.   Is it a good idea?  Perhaps.

For one thing it will provide an opportunity for victims of abuse to meet him and talk to him, and to actually see that he is not the unfeeling, evil ogre the press in Ireland and certain groups have made him out to be.  It will be a moment of healing for them and the Church in Ireland.  That is badly needed and can only be good.    It will also mean that the Congress organising committees will have to look again at their programme and exorcise certain elements, and a certain theologian, from their plans.  Recent conversations with many involved in the organisation over the last few weeks have only confirmed the truth of what I said in my last post on the Congress. 

Also, it might do something to push the Cause of the Venerable Matt Talbot who has been waiting in the wings for far too long.  There is a miracle, I believe, but I do not hear of anything being done about it.  As these things must remain secret, all I can say there is that a person who is known to me was mysteriously healed of a malignant tumour through Matt's intercession back in 2002. 

With reference to the last post: a Papal visit will ensure the corrected translation will be implemented as planned.  After all which Irish Bishop or MC wants to pop into the Papal tent before the Mass to explain to His Holiness that for the sake of sensitivity to senior priests the translation has been put on hold...... 

I think it would be a good idea if he came.   Only worry - RTE and print media's campaign of anti-Catholicism in preparation for the visit.   So we would have to endure that - but then a bit of penance in preparation for the visit would have its benefits.