The new National Directory of Catechesis, just released this month
promotes "Learning by Heart" as a method of catechesis...
Saturday, May 14, 2005
Memorization is "IN" Again
From Inside the Conclave
Very interesting details...at Zenit News Agency - The World Seen From Rome:
"Cardinal Carles continued: 'And not just on the first day, when entering the conclave, which was seen on television. Every morning and afternoon, with our vote in hand, when going up to the altar, and seeing the Christ of the Last Judgment surrounded by the Sistine Chapel ... we said the formula: 'I swear before this Christ, who will judge me!'
'When one is there, there is no place for 'lobbies,' or pressure groups, or the likes, or any of that!
'What you see, when 115 persons of different races and cultures are in agreement on the fourth ballot, is that the Holy Spirit acts. One did not vote for someone one liked, or of a similar culture; it was the Spirit.' "
"Cardinal Carles continued: 'And not just on the first day, when entering the conclave, which was seen on television. Every morning and afternoon, with our vote in hand, when going up to the altar, and seeing the Christ of the Last Judgment surrounded by the Sistine Chapel ... we said the formula: 'I swear before this Christ, who will judge me!'
'When one is there, there is no place for 'lobbies,' or pressure groups, or the likes, or any of that!
'What you see, when 115 persons of different races and cultures are in agreement on the fourth ballot, is that the Holy Spirit acts. One did not vote for someone one liked, or of a similar culture; it was the Spirit.' "
Friday, May 13, 2005
Cause for Beatification of John Paul II Officially Opened
Benedict waives the five year period and moves right to Beatification...On the annivesary of the day he was nearly martyred in 1981...Feast of Our Lady of Fatima...I'm betting he'll be Beatified next year on this date and eventually it'll probably be his Feast day as well--given that he died during the Easter season.
From Vatican Information Service:
Benedict XVI today announced the opening of the cause of beatification of John Paul II, waiving the normal waiting period of five years after the death of a Servant of God. The Pope made the announcement in the course of a meeting with the Roman clergy in the basilica of St. John Lateran.
The Latin:
Instante Em.mo ac Rev.mo Domino D. Camillo S.R.E. Cardinali Ruini, Vicario Generali Suae Sanctitatis pro Dioecesi Romana, Summus Pontifex BENEDICTUS XVI, attentis peculiaribus expositis adiunctis, in audentia eidem Cardinali Vicario Generali die 28 mensis Aprilis huius anni 2005 concessa, dispensavit a tempore quinque annorum exspectationis post mortem Servi Dei Ioannis Pauli II (Caroli Wojtyla), Summi Pontificis, ita ut causa Beatificationis et Canonizationis eiusdem Servi Dei statim incipi posset. Contrariis non obstantibus quibuslibet.
Datum Romae, ex aedibus huius Congregationis de Causis Sanctorum, die 9 mensis Maii A.D. 2005.
From Vatican Information Service:
Benedict XVI today announced the opening of the cause of beatification of John Paul II, waiving the normal waiting period of five years after the death of a Servant of God. The Pope made the announcement in the course of a meeting with the Roman clergy in the basilica of St. John Lateran.
The Latin:
Instante Em.mo ac Rev.mo Domino D. Camillo S.R.E. Cardinali Ruini, Vicario Generali Suae Sanctitatis pro Dioecesi Romana, Summus Pontifex BENEDICTUS XVI, attentis peculiaribus expositis adiunctis, in audentia eidem Cardinali Vicario Generali die 28 mensis Aprilis huius anni 2005 concessa, dispensavit a tempore quinque annorum exspectationis post mortem Servi Dei Ioannis Pauli II (Caroli Wojtyla), Summi Pontificis, ita ut causa Beatificationis et Canonizationis eiusdem Servi Dei statim incipi posset. Contrariis non obstantibus quibuslibet.
Datum Romae, ex aedibus huius Congregationis de Causis Sanctorum, die 9 mensis Maii A.D. 2005.
As Expected...Its Archbishop Levada
From SFGate.com:
Pope Benedict XVI named San Francisco Archbishop William Levada as the Vatican's chief orthodoxy watchdog Friday, tapping an American conservative to fill one of the most powerful church offices, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
Before his election as pope, Benedict held the office for more than 23 years, gaining a reputation as a hard-liner in defending church teaching.
Levada, a 68-year-old theologian, is the first American to hold the post, which is the highest position to be held by an American at the Vatican.
Levada joined the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in 1976 and served for six years, leaving shortly after when Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger took over as prefect in 1981. He returned as one of the five bishops on the congregation in 2000.
Levada has served as archbishop of San Francisco since 1995; before that, he was archbishop of another largely liberal American city, Portland, Oregon.
Pope Benedict XVI named San Francisco Archbishop William Levada as the Vatican's chief orthodoxy watchdog Friday, tapping an American conservative to fill one of the most powerful church offices, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
Before his election as pope, Benedict held the office for more than 23 years, gaining a reputation as a hard-liner in defending church teaching.
Levada, a 68-year-old theologian, is the first American to hold the post, which is the highest position to be held by an American at the Vatican.
Levada joined the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in 1976 and served for six years, leaving shortly after when Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger took over as prefect in 1981. He returned as one of the five bishops on the congregation in 2000.
Levada has served as archbishop of San Francisco since 1995; before that, he was archbishop of another largely liberal American city, Portland, Oregon.
Thursday, May 12, 2005
Pontifical Acts...New Auxiliaries for Seatle
One less for Brooklyn..
From Vatican Information Service:
- Accepted the resignation from the office of auxiliary of the diocese of Brooklyn, U.S.A., presented by Bishop Joseph M. Sullivan, upon having reached the age limit.
- Appointed Frs. Joseph J. Tyson, pastor of the parishes of St. Edward, St. George and St. Paul, and Eusebio L. Elizondo M.Sp.S, pastor of the parish of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, as auxiliaries of the archdiocese of Seattle (area 64,269, population 4,755,500, Catholics 904,000, priests 313, permanent deacons 98, religious 585), U.S.A. Bishop-elect Tyson was born at Moses Lake, U.S.A., in 1957 and ordained a priest in 1989. Bishop-elect Elizondo was born in Victoria, Mexico, in 1954 and ordained a priest in 1984.
From Vatican Information Service:
- Accepted the resignation from the office of auxiliary of the diocese of Brooklyn, U.S.A., presented by Bishop Joseph M. Sullivan, upon having reached the age limit.
- Appointed Frs. Joseph J. Tyson, pastor of the parishes of St. Edward, St. George and St. Paul, and Eusebio L. Elizondo M.Sp.S, pastor of the parish of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, as auxiliaries of the archdiocese of Seattle (area 64,269, population 4,755,500, Catholics 904,000, priests 313, permanent deacons 98, religious 585), U.S.A. Bishop-elect Tyson was born at Moses Lake, U.S.A., in 1957 and ordained a priest in 1989. Bishop-elect Elizondo was born in Victoria, Mexico, in 1954 and ordained a priest in 1984.
Wednesday, May 11, 2005
Tuesday, May 10, 2005
New Auxiliary for Baltimore
Plus Birmingham's Foley's resignation accepted without replacement.
From the Vatican Information Service:
- Accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese of Birmingham, U.S.A., presented by Bishop David E. Foley, upon having reached the age limit.
- Appointed Msgr. Denis James Madden, adjunct secretary general of the Catholic Near East Welfare Association of New York, as auxiliary bishop of the archdiocese of Baltimore (area 12,430, population 3,006,607, Catholics 506,587, priests 574, permanent deacons 183, religious 1,426), U.S.A. The bishop-elect was born in Carbondale, U.S.A., in 1940 and ordained a priest in 1967.
From the Vatican Information Service:
- Accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese of Birmingham, U.S.A., presented by Bishop David E. Foley, upon having reached the age limit.
- Appointed Msgr. Denis James Madden, adjunct secretary general of the Catholic Near East Welfare Association of New York, as auxiliary bishop of the archdiocese of Baltimore (area 12,430, population 3,006,607, Catholics 506,587, priests 574, permanent deacons 183, religious 1,426), U.S.A. The bishop-elect was born in Carbondale, U.S.A., in 1940 and ordained a priest in 1967.
Monday, May 9, 2005
Bremer Tells Graduates Their Fight Against Islam Extremist
Ave Maria Univerisity in Naples graduates first class, Paul Bremer gives the commencement address...on the same weekend as that a movie on the crusades is the top seller...
From New Catholic University Graduates First Class:
"Bremer, a Catholic, told graduates that their generation would fight Islamic extremism the way their fathers fought communism. "
From New Catholic University Graduates First Class:
"Bremer, a Catholic, told graduates that their generation would fight Islamic extremism the way their fathers fought communism. "
Grappling With Catholic Feng Shui
From Grappling With Catholic Feng Shui:
"Forget about whether Pope Benedict XVI will soften his attitude toward the role of women in the church or discover a more pastoral approach to homosexuals or heed the pleas of manpower-poor bishops for an experiment with married priests. For many Catholics, there is only one question about the new pope's intentions: Will he turn the altars around?"
"Forget about whether Pope Benedict XVI will soften his attitude toward the role of women in the church or discover a more pastoral approach to homosexuals or heed the pleas of manpower-poor bishops for an experiment with married priests. For many Catholics, there is only one question about the new pope's intentions: Will he turn the altars around?"
Sunday, May 8, 2005
Reese's Pieces
Funny, check it out...
At Thumos:
"I looked at Church from both sides then,
both pro and con, and con again.
I’m centrist in my fondest dreams
as long as I set the far extremes.
“The Problem with Ordaining Men,”
“Commandments? Seven Out of Ten!”
“Ignatian Masters Touting Zen” --
It’s all within the fold.
But now it’s not the thing for me.
It’s someone else’s ministry.
Perhaps a creed he’ll sometimes see
far from my mean of gold."
At Thumos:
"I looked at Church from both sides then,
both pro and con, and con again.
I’m centrist in my fondest dreams
as long as I set the far extremes.
“The Problem with Ordaining Men,”
“Commandments? Seven Out of Ten!”
“Ignatian Masters Touting Zen” --
It’s all within the fold.
But now it’s not the thing for me.
It’s someone else’s ministry.
Perhaps a creed he’ll sometimes see
far from my mean of gold."
Pope's Regina Caeli Address Focuses on Media
Interesting in light of the America situation...
From >>> AsiaNews.it <<< Pope: Responsibility in use of the media to knock down the walls of misunderstanding:
"Dear Brothers and Sisters!
Today, the feast of the Ascension of Our Lord to heaven is being celebrated in many countries, among them Italy. In this feast, the Christian community is invited to turn its gaze towards he who, 40 days after his resurrection, to the amazement of his apostles, “was lifted up while they were looking on and a cloud received him out of their sight” (Acts 1,9). We are therefore called to renew our faith in Jesus, the only true anchor of salvation for all men. Ascending to heaven, he reopened the way towards our ultimate homeland; that is paradise. Now, with the power of His Spirit, he sustains us in the daily pilgrimage on earth.
This Sunday, World Communications Day is being celebrated with the theme, “the Communications Media: at the Service of Understanding between Peoples”. In this current age of images, the mass media effectively constitutes an extraordinary resource to promote solidarity and comprehension among the human family. We saw extraordinary proof of this recently, on the occasion of the death and solemn funeral rites of my much-loved predecessor, John Paul II. Everything depends, however, on the way in which they are used. These important tools of communication can foster reciprocal awareness and dialogue, or else the contrary, they can feed prejudice and contempt among individuals and peoples; they can contribute to spreading peace or to fomenting violence. This is why it is always necessary to appeal to a sense of personal responsibility; it is necessary that all do their part to assure objectivity, respect for human dignity and care for the common good in all forms of communication. In this way, one contributes to pulling down the walls of hostility which still separate mankind and chains of friendship and love, which are signs of the Kingdom of God in history, may be consolidated.
Let us return to the Christian mystery of the Ascension. After the Lord was taken up to heaven, the disciples gathered in prayer in the Cenacle with the mother of Jesus (cfr Acts 1,14); together they invoked the Holy Spirit, who would have filled them with strength to testify to the risen Christ (cfr Lk 24,49; Acts 1,8). In these days, all Christian communities, united in the Most Holy Virgin, relive this unique spiritual experience in preparation for the feast of Pentecost. We too turn now to Maria with the hymn of the Regina Caeli, calling for her protection on the Church and especially on all those who dedicate themselves to the work of evangelisation through means of social communications."
From >>> AsiaNews.it <<< Pope: Responsibility in use of the media to knock down the walls of misunderstanding:
"Dear Brothers and Sisters!
Today, the feast of the Ascension of Our Lord to heaven is being celebrated in many countries, among them Italy. In this feast, the Christian community is invited to turn its gaze towards he who, 40 days after his resurrection, to the amazement of his apostles, “was lifted up while they were looking on and a cloud received him out of their sight” (Acts 1,9). We are therefore called to renew our faith in Jesus, the only true anchor of salvation for all men. Ascending to heaven, he reopened the way towards our ultimate homeland; that is paradise. Now, with the power of His Spirit, he sustains us in the daily pilgrimage on earth.
This Sunday, World Communications Day is being celebrated with the theme, “the Communications Media: at the Service of Understanding between Peoples”. In this current age of images, the mass media effectively constitutes an extraordinary resource to promote solidarity and comprehension among the human family. We saw extraordinary proof of this recently, on the occasion of the death and solemn funeral rites of my much-loved predecessor, John Paul II. Everything depends, however, on the way in which they are used. These important tools of communication can foster reciprocal awareness and dialogue, or else the contrary, they can feed prejudice and contempt among individuals and peoples; they can contribute to spreading peace or to fomenting violence. This is why it is always necessary to appeal to a sense of personal responsibility; it is necessary that all do their part to assure objectivity, respect for human dignity and care for the common good in all forms of communication. In this way, one contributes to pulling down the walls of hostility which still separate mankind and chains of friendship and love, which are signs of the Kingdom of God in history, may be consolidated.
Let us return to the Christian mystery of the Ascension. After the Lord was taken up to heaven, the disciples gathered in prayer in the Cenacle with the mother of Jesus (cfr Acts 1,14); together they invoked the Holy Spirit, who would have filled them with strength to testify to the risen Christ (cfr Lk 24,49; Acts 1,8). In these days, all Christian communities, united in the Most Holy Virgin, relive this unique spiritual experience in preparation for the feast of Pentecost. We too turn now to Maria with the hymn of the Regina Caeli, calling for her protection on the Church and especially on all those who dedicate themselves to the work of evangelisation through means of social communications."
Saturday, May 7, 2005
Pope Trading Cards
From Pope Benedict XVI is Featured in the Newest Limited Edition Trading Cards by Paradigm Trading Cards:
"Paradigm Trading Cards (http://www.paradigmtradingcards.com) today announced their release - 'A New Pope' - a special, limited edition trading card set celebrating the life of Pope Benedict XVI. This set follows the highly successful release of a set for Pope John Paul II. Each of the 20 trading cards in the set chronicles 'The New Pope's' early years, life in the church and the first few days as Pope.
'The New Pope trading cards are a response to our customers. Both our retail outlets and our customers have been asking for Benedict XVI trading cards since the day we released our Pope John Paul II set,' said Mark Currier, President of Paradigm Trading Cards. 'People around the world want to learn more about Benedict XVI. What better way could there be for young people to learn about the new Pope. Trading cards have been educational in nature since they where first produced.'"
"Paradigm Trading Cards (http://www.paradigmtradingcards.com) today announced their release - 'A New Pope' - a special, limited edition trading card set celebrating the life of Pope Benedict XVI. This set follows the highly successful release of a set for Pope John Paul II. Each of the 20 trading cards in the set chronicles 'The New Pope's' early years, life in the church and the first few days as Pope.
'The New Pope trading cards are a response to our customers. Both our retail outlets and our customers have been asking for Benedict XVI trading cards since the day we released our Pope John Paul II set,' said Mark Currier, President of Paradigm Trading Cards. 'People around the world want to learn more about Benedict XVI. What better way could there be for young people to learn about the new Pope. Trading cards have been educational in nature since they where first produced.'"
Police Arrest Man For Defacing Mary Image
In Chicago...the amazing thing is that in a city as large as Chicago they couldn't find a phone listing for "Victor Gonzalez"...I would think there would be at least twenty or more people with that name living there...
From WFTV.com - News - Police Arrest Man For Allegedly Defacing Virgin Mary Image:
A man was arrested for allegedly scrawling 'Big Lie' over a stain on an expressway underpass that some believed was an image of the Virgin Mary.
Authorities then painted over the stain because it had been defaced, police spokesman David Banks said Friday.
Authorities charged Victor Gonzalez, 37, of Chicago with criminal damage to state supported property, a misdemeanor. Witnesses had seen him painting the image, Banks said. A telephone listing for Gonzalez could not immediately be found.
From WFTV.com - News - Police Arrest Man For Allegedly Defacing Virgin Mary Image:
A man was arrested for allegedly scrawling 'Big Lie' over a stain on an expressway underpass that some believed was an image of the Virgin Mary.
Authorities then painted over the stain because it had been defaced, police spokesman David Banks said Friday.
Authorities charged Victor Gonzalez, 37, of Chicago with criminal damage to state supported property, a misdemeanor. Witnesses had seen him painting the image, Banks said. A telephone listing for Gonzalez could not immediately be found.
Friday, May 6, 2005
Why Benedict is the Right Pope (Economically)
From www.chiesa:
"Even the laws of market economics can explain the election of Pope Benedict XVI. This is what two internationally known economists -- Luigi Zingales and Ettore Gotti Tedeschi -- did during the days immediately following the conclave. Their analyses were published in 'Il Sole 24 Ore,' the leading Italian financial daily and the one most widely distributed in Europe, together with Britain's 'Financial Times.'
Zingales is a professor of entrepreneurship and finance at the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business. In the 2004, he and Raghuram G. Rajan published in the United States an essay that drew a great deal of attention: 'Saving Capitalism from Capitalists.' "
"Even the laws of market economics can explain the election of Pope Benedict XVI. This is what two internationally known economists -- Luigi Zingales and Ettore Gotti Tedeschi -- did during the days immediately following the conclave. Their analyses were published in 'Il Sole 24 Ore,' the leading Italian financial daily and the one most widely distributed in Europe, together with Britain's 'Financial Times.'
Zingales is a professor of entrepreneurship and finance at the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business. In the 2004, he and Raghuram G. Rajan published in the United States an essay that drew a great deal of attention: 'Saving Capitalism from Capitalists.' "
Fr. Fessio on Pope Benedict
Interesting interview at My Friend, Benedict XVI An Interview with Fr. Joseph Fessio, SJ:
" I think that John Paul II, especially in his prophetic role, proclaimed Christ to the whole world. Pope Benedict will do the same but I believe he will turn his attention more towards the Church hierarchy. Just as St. Benedict through his monasteries penetrated and informed a rising Christian civilization in Europe, Pope Benedict will focus on the celebration of the Holy Eucharist, on solemn and properly celebrated liturgies, so that the Church herself will be better able to go forth into the world and be a light to the nations. "
" I think that John Paul II, especially in his prophetic role, proclaimed Christ to the whole world. Pope Benedict will do the same but I believe he will turn his attention more towards the Church hierarchy. Just as St. Benedict through his monasteries penetrated and informed a rising Christian civilization in Europe, Pope Benedict will focus on the celebration of the Holy Eucharist, on solemn and properly celebrated liturgies, so that the Church herself will be better able to go forth into the world and be a light to the nations. "
Thursday, May 5, 2005
Archbishop Chaput on Crusades
In anticipation of the release of Kingdom of Heaven this Friday...
From Catholic News Agency:
"In light of Friday's release of Ridley Scott's new film about the Crusades, Kingdom of Heaven, Denver's Archbishop Charles Chaput is challenging Christians to reclaim their lost memories.
In his weekly column, the Archbishop chided the loss of Christian identity and history from the American and European culture, and noted the new film, which, as the New York Times puts it, portrays Muslims as "bent on coexistence until Christian extremists ruin everything."
He said that, "By influencing our choices here and now, memory encourages a certain shape to the future--and discourages others. That's why every new ideology and generation of social engineers seeks to rewrite the past. Whoever controls the memory of a culture also has power over its future."
He added that Christians have a duty to prevent the loss of
the real facts of history and thereby prevent God being
scrubbed out of America's future"
From Catholic News Agency:
"In light of Friday's release of Ridley Scott's new film about the Crusades, Kingdom of Heaven, Denver's Archbishop Charles Chaput is challenging Christians to reclaim their lost memories.
In his weekly column, the Archbishop chided the loss of Christian identity and history from the American and European culture, and noted the new film, which, as the New York Times puts it, portrays Muslims as "bent on coexistence until Christian extremists ruin everything."
He said that, "By influencing our choices here and now, memory encourages a certain shape to the future--and discourages others. That's why every new ideology and generation of social engineers seeks to rewrite the past. Whoever controls the memory of a culture also has power over its future."
He added that Christians have a duty to prevent the loss of
the real facts of history and thereby prevent God being
scrubbed out of America's future"
Reverting to Tradition
For Beatifications...
From Catholic News Agency:
"In his efforts to make events at the Vatican less "Pope-centered", Pope Benedict XVI has decided that he will not preside at beatifications, reported the Honolulu Advertiser.
In effect, the Vatican is returning to the tradition of having cardinals--not the Pope--preside over beatifications.
The news came in relation to the beatification of American Mother Marianne Cope, which was rescheduled by the Vatican to May 15."
From Catholic News Agency:
"In his efforts to make events at the Vatican less "Pope-centered", Pope Benedict XVI has decided that he will not preside at beatifications, reported the Honolulu Advertiser.
In effect, the Vatican is returning to the tradition of having cardinals--not the Pope--preside over beatifications.
The news came in relation to the beatification of American Mother Marianne Cope, which was rescheduled by the Vatican to May 15."
Wednesday, May 4, 2005
Cause for John Paul's Sainthood
From ZENIT News Agency--The World Seen from Rome:
"People long perceived the holiness of Pope John Paul II, but 'we must wait for the official declaration' by the Church in the cause of canonization, says a Vatican official.
Cardinal Jose Saraiva Martins, prefect of the Congregation for Sainthood Causes, is happily surprised by the popular acclamation of John Paul II's sanctity, heard during the April 8 papal funeral with cries of 'santo subito' (sainthood now!).
But he explained: 'We must wait five years after his death, unless Pope Benedict XVI establishes a dispensation for the start of the process.'
'However,' the cardinal added, 'the dispensation does not affect the process as such, which doesn't change.' "
"People long perceived the holiness of Pope John Paul II, but 'we must wait for the official declaration' by the Church in the cause of canonization, says a Vatican official.
Cardinal Jose Saraiva Martins, prefect of the Congregation for Sainthood Causes, is happily surprised by the popular acclamation of John Paul II's sanctity, heard during the April 8 papal funeral with cries of 'santo subito' (sainthood now!).
But he explained: 'We must wait five years after his death, unless Pope Benedict XVI establishes a dispensation for the start of the process.'
'However,' the cardinal added, 'the dispensation does not affect the process as such, which doesn't change.' "
Tuesday, May 3, 2005
Pope had to Give up Beer after Fall
According to his brother, although there is a picture of him at a brewery late in the 90's with a rather large glass of beer in hand.
From Telegraph News 'I'm scared my brother's health is too fragile for the papacy':
"Cardinal Ratzinger was hospitalised twice in the 1990s, once after a brain haemorrhage and later after slipping in the bath and cutting his head.
Fr Ratzinger said his 78-year-old brother had had to give up drinking beer.
He added: 'I had hoped that the not quite so stable health of my brother might have moved the cardinals to elect someone considerably younger than him.'"
And Fr. Georg adds a prophetic note:
His brother had a clear sense of his destiny early on in life, Fr Ratzinger said. As a toddler, after a cardinal's visit to his kindergarten Joseph pronounced: "Some day I will also be a cardinal."
From Telegraph News 'I'm scared my brother's health is too fragile for the papacy':
"Cardinal Ratzinger was hospitalised twice in the 1990s, once after a brain haemorrhage and later after slipping in the bath and cutting his head.
Fr Ratzinger said his 78-year-old brother had had to give up drinking beer.
He added: 'I had hoped that the not quite so stable health of my brother might have moved the cardinals to elect someone considerably younger than him.'"
And Fr. Georg adds a prophetic note:
His brother had a clear sense of his destiny early on in life, Fr Ratzinger said. As a toddler, after a cardinal's visit to his kindergarten Joseph pronounced: "Some day I will also be a cardinal."
Behind Every Good Pope
There is a good woman... I read somewhere else that she said that the only cat he owns is one made of porclean. One thing that is in this story that I didn't know was that his sister had died almost fourteen years ago.
From New York Daily News - World & National Report - Loyal maid will follow the pontiff:
"Also moving to the Apostolic Palace is Ingrid Stampa, a 55-year-old former professional classical music performer and teacher.
Maria Ratzinger was her brother's housekeeper until her death in 1991, and Stampa, who was a friend, was hired to take her place. She cleans and cooks - he likes Italian food, but sometimes asks for dishes from his native Bavaria, in Germany. But she also is a translator, researcher and adviser.
It was Ingrid, as Rome newspapers refer to her, who met with crowds outside the apartment building last week to explain what the new Pope was doing inside during two visits. 'Writing his homily [for yesterday's installation Mass],' she said.
Stampa studied music in Basel, Switzerland, taught at a university in Hamburg, Germany, and performed professionally throughout Europe. She plays viola and piano. Benedict also plays piano.
Stampa said that when she heard he was elected Pope, she burst into tears. He consoled her, she said, by saying, 'Let us both follow God's will.' "
From New York Daily News - World & National Report - Loyal maid will follow the pontiff:
"Also moving to the Apostolic Palace is Ingrid Stampa, a 55-year-old former professional classical music performer and teacher.
Maria Ratzinger was her brother's housekeeper until her death in 1991, and Stampa, who was a friend, was hired to take her place. She cleans and cooks - he likes Italian food, but sometimes asks for dishes from his native Bavaria, in Germany. But she also is a translator, researcher and adviser.
It was Ingrid, as Rome newspapers refer to her, who met with crowds outside the apartment building last week to explain what the new Pope was doing inside during two visits. 'Writing his homily [for yesterday's installation Mass],' she said.
Stampa studied music in Basel, Switzerland, taught at a university in Hamburg, Germany, and performed professionally throughout Europe. She plays viola and piano. Benedict also plays piano.
Stampa said that when she heard he was elected Pope, she burst into tears. He consoled her, she said, by saying, 'Let us both follow God's will.' "
Mark of the Beast--616?
Interesting, though the Word of God is the Word of God...
FromNews:
A newly discovered fragment of the oldest surviving copy of the New Testament indicates that, as far as the Antichrist goes, theologians, scholars, heavy metal groups, and television evangelists have got the wrong number. Instead of 666, it's actually the far less ominous 616.
The new fragment from the Book of Revelation, written in ancient Greek and dating from the late third century, is part of a hoard of previously unintelligible manuscripts discovered in historic dumps outside Oxyrhynchus in Egypt. Now a team of expert classicists, using new photographic techniques, are finally deciphering the original writing.
Professor David Parker, Professor of New Testament Textual Criticism and Paleography at the University of Birmingham, thinks that 616, although less memorable than 666, is the original. He said: 'This is an example of gematria, where numbers are based on the numerical values of letters in people's names. Early Christians would use numbers to hide the identity of people who they were attacking: 616 refers to the Emperor Caligula.'"
FromNews:
A newly discovered fragment of the oldest surviving copy of the New Testament indicates that, as far as the Antichrist goes, theologians, scholars, heavy metal groups, and television evangelists have got the wrong number. Instead of 666, it's actually the far less ominous 616.
The new fragment from the Book of Revelation, written in ancient Greek and dating from the late third century, is part of a hoard of previously unintelligible manuscripts discovered in historic dumps outside Oxyrhynchus in Egypt. Now a team of expert classicists, using new photographic techniques, are finally deciphering the original writing.
Professor David Parker, Professor of New Testament Textual Criticism and Paleography at the University of Birmingham, thinks that 616, although less memorable than 666, is the original. He said: 'This is an example of gematria, where numbers are based on the numerical values of letters in people's names. Early Christians would use numbers to hide the identity of people who they were attacking: 616 refers to the Emperor Caligula.'"
Call for One Christian Calendar
This would be a move toward unity with the Orthodox that would cost no one...
From >>> AsiaNews.it <<< Stronger ties with the Catholic Church, says Patriarch Ignatius IV Hazim:
The Patriarch expressed his desire to see Christian Churches agree to a "fixed calendar for celebrations", which would give the Christian people, wherever they dwelt, the possibility of celebrating the same feasts at the same time.
The Patriarch strongly reiterated his desire to maintain and strengthen the ties established by the late Pope John Paul II with the Church now led by Pope Benedict XVI to whom he sends his best wishes.
At the end of the service, Ignatius Iv asked Mary, Mother of God, for Her intercession, so that today's world may "be more peaceful, dialogue and communication between one and another."
From >>> AsiaNews.it <<< Stronger ties with the Catholic Church, says Patriarch Ignatius IV Hazim:
The Patriarch expressed his desire to see Christian Churches agree to a "fixed calendar for celebrations", which would give the Christian people, wherever they dwelt, the possibility of celebrating the same feasts at the same time.
The Patriarch strongly reiterated his desire to maintain and strengthen the ties established by the late Pope John Paul II with the Church now led by Pope Benedict XVI to whom he sends his best wishes.
At the end of the service, Ignatius Iv asked Mary, Mother of God, for Her intercession, so that today's world may "be more peaceful, dialogue and communication between one and another."
Monday, May 2, 2005
It is Time to Renew the Church
Father Benedict Groeschel visits his seminary. Interestingly the place where he did his novitiate, fairly close to where I work was also sold and bought by another denomination.
From Father Benedict:
"The other day I visited the old seminary I had attended as a Capuchin. Because of the loss of vocations the large building on the banks of the Hudson in Garrison, New York, had been closed and later sold. It is now a Buddhist retreat house, and the staff treated me with friendliness and courtesy. It was the occasion of great sadness, however, when I saw in the place where the Blessed Sacrament had once been reserved a large and imposing statue of Buddha. I have no hostility to the Buddhist religion. Buddha himself tried to lead people to peace; more than anything else he was an ethical philosopher. Buddhists have made him into something of a god, although that term does not fit too well. The statue certainly showed a serious artistic attempt to portray divinity. What saddened me greatly was that the presence of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Eucharist was gone. When the Capuchin friars sold the seminary, the building was supposed to be converted into condominiums. The new owner was not able to do that, however, and resold the property to the Buddhist retreat movement. This is a sad commentary on the fact that in the last thirty or forty years Catholics in the United States have 'dropped the ball,' if I may put it that way. There may be many excuses and reasons, but history will judge that we did not do well with the vibrant faith we received from our forebears. It is time to get on with the Church's work, that is, the work Christ gives us as Catholics. It is time to renew religious education, Catholic life, and the observance of the Gospel. It is time for every Catholic who has his or her wits about them to become as fervent a Christian as possible. "
From Father Benedict:
"The other day I visited the old seminary I had attended as a Capuchin. Because of the loss of vocations the large building on the banks of the Hudson in Garrison, New York, had been closed and later sold. It is now a Buddhist retreat house, and the staff treated me with friendliness and courtesy. It was the occasion of great sadness, however, when I saw in the place where the Blessed Sacrament had once been reserved a large and imposing statue of Buddha. I have no hostility to the Buddhist religion. Buddha himself tried to lead people to peace; more than anything else he was an ethical philosopher. Buddhists have made him into something of a god, although that term does not fit too well. The statue certainly showed a serious artistic attempt to portray divinity. What saddened me greatly was that the presence of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Eucharist was gone. When the Capuchin friars sold the seminary, the building was supposed to be converted into condominiums. The new owner was not able to do that, however, and resold the property to the Buddhist retreat movement. This is a sad commentary on the fact that in the last thirty or forty years Catholics in the United States have 'dropped the ball,' if I may put it that way. There may be many excuses and reasons, but history will judge that we did not do well with the vibrant faith we received from our forebears. It is time to get on with the Church's work, that is, the work Christ gives us as Catholics. It is time to renew religious education, Catholic life, and the observance of the Gospel. It is time for every Catholic who has his or her wits about them to become as fervent a Christian as possible. "
Sunday, May 1, 2005
Benedict Blesses from Papal Apartment
One Fox news reporter mentioned that it seemed strange to see somone standing at the window (referring to Pope John Paul's ill health over the past few years)...
Happy Easter to the Orthodox!
Happy Feast Day to all workers under the patronage of St. Joseph...
From BBC NEWS | Europe | New Pope delivers first blessing:
"Pope Benedict XVI has given his first traditional Sunday blessing to the faithful from the same apartment window used by his predecessor.
St Peter's square was packed with tens of thousands of pilgrims, who the Pope addressed in Italian and Spanish.
He also wished Orthodox Christians a happy Easter, and mentioned the need to promote Christian unity in the world.
In delivering his blessing on May Day, Benedict XVI also called for worker's rights to be respected.
'I address you, my very dear brothers and sisters, for the first time from this window that the beloved figure of my predecessor made familiar to countless people in the entire world,' he said."
Happy Easter to the Orthodox!
Happy Feast Day to all workers under the patronage of St. Joseph...
From BBC NEWS | Europe | New Pope delivers first blessing:
"Pope Benedict XVI has given his first traditional Sunday blessing to the faithful from the same apartment window used by his predecessor.
St Peter's square was packed with tens of thousands of pilgrims, who the Pope addressed in Italian and Spanish.
He also wished Orthodox Christians a happy Easter, and mentioned the need to promote Christian unity in the world.
In delivering his blessing on May Day, Benedict XVI also called for worker's rights to be respected.
'I address you, my very dear brothers and sisters, for the first time from this window that the beloved figure of my predecessor made familiar to countless people in the entire world,' he said."
Saturday, April 30, 2005
From a Reader of The Power of the Cross
A Reader comments:
"We just finished your bible study :Power of the Cross' - ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL!!!!!!!. It was soooo Catholic and thank you for speaking the truth. We have a lot of Catholics out there (including myself) who missed these lessons over the last 20 years. We have made Catholicism what we wanted it to be. Not how is really is. I believe it opened the eyes of a lot of the ladies in the group."
"We just finished your bible study :Power of the Cross' - ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL!!!!!!!. It was soooo Catholic and thank you for speaking the truth. We have a lot of Catholics out there (including myself) who missed these lessons over the last 20 years. We have made Catholicism what we wanted it to be. Not how is really is. I believe it opened the eyes of a lot of the ladies in the group."
Welcoming Pope Benedict XVl
From Welcoming Pope Benedict XVl:
"The press has been quick to characterize Ratzinger as an inflexible and mean-spirited theologian, but I know him to be different. On one visit to him I was accompanied by one of my first grandsons, a boy who is healthy now but who had been born prematurely and had a very rough beginning. I asked Brother Joseph to bless him, and he is now a strapping fourth grader who throws a ball, plays chess, and proudly strums on a guitar. Who knows how much the heartfelt prayer of this old man helped?"
"The press has been quick to characterize Ratzinger as an inflexible and mean-spirited theologian, but I know him to be different. On one visit to him I was accompanied by one of my first grandsons, a boy who is healthy now but who had been born prematurely and had a very rough beginning. I asked Brother Joseph to bless him, and he is now a strapping fourth grader who throws a ball, plays chess, and proudly strums on a guitar. Who knows how much the heartfelt prayer of this old man helped?"
You May See This in Your Paper
It is always interesting how an interviewee chooses what you say to publish. I think he really resonated with the stress part and when he called the stress was at its height. But the book in question is ready to go to the printer and you can have a copy of what is a "beatiful" book in your hands in about three weeks. I provide the link to the book below the story...
From Pope products rushed to market: South Florida Sun-Sentinel:
"Our Sunday Visitor, an Indiana publisher of Catholic literature, bulletin inserts and offering envelopes, drew up a contract with a writer two years ago for a book about the papal succession. We Have a Pope! was expected to go to press this week, less than a month after Pope John Paul II died.
'It's being edited as it's being written. It's very stressful,' said acquisitions editor Michael Dubruiel.
'We're looking to really say, who is this man? And how is he not the caricature of him in the mainstream press?' Dubruiel said. He expects an initial printing of 40,000 copies of We Have a Pope!, about four times more than usual for the publisher."
From Pope products rushed to market: South Florida Sun-Sentinel:
"Our Sunday Visitor, an Indiana publisher of Catholic literature, bulletin inserts and offering envelopes, drew up a contract with a writer two years ago for a book about the papal succession. We Have a Pope! was expected to go to press this week, less than a month after Pope John Paul II died.
'It's being edited as it's being written. It's very stressful,' said acquisitions editor Michael Dubruiel.
'We're looking to really say, who is this man? And how is he not the caricature of him in the mainstream press?' Dubruiel said. He expects an initial printing of 40,000 copies of We Have a Pope!, about four times more than usual for the publisher."
Pope Moves Into Apostolic Palace
From Reuters:
Pope Benedict was on Saturday moving into the papal apartment where John Paul died and was expected to deliver the weekly blessing from there for the first time on Sunday, Vatican sources said.
The bedroom and bathroom have both been repainted and special medical facilities installed for the ailing John Paul have been removed from one of the rooms in the suite.
Pope Benedict was on Saturday moving into the papal apartment where John Paul died and was expected to deliver the weekly blessing from there for the first time on Sunday, Vatican sources said.
The bedroom and bathroom have both been repainted and special medical facilities installed for the ailing John Paul have been removed from one of the rooms in the suite.
Friday, April 29, 2005
First Book on New Pope
Available May 19th...
256 pages
Includes color images of the new pope!
Everything you wanted to know...
Great price on Amazon...$14.95 retail..
256 pages
Includes color images of the new pope!
Everything you wanted to know...
Great price on Amazon...$14.95 retail..
John Allen Expresses Regrets Over Papal Biography
To be more specific, the Cardianal's biography that he wrote a few years ago...
From The Word From Rome April 26, 2005:
"Six years ago, I wrote a biography of the man who is now pope titled Cardinal Ratzinger: The Vatican's Enforcer of the Faith. In the intervening period, I have learned a few things about the universal Catholic church and how things look from different perspectives. If I were to write the book again today, I'm sure it would be more balanced, better informed, and less prone to veer off into judgment ahead of sober analysis. "
From The Word From Rome April 26, 2005:
"Six years ago, I wrote a biography of the man who is now pope titled Cardinal Ratzinger: The Vatican's Enforcer of the Faith. In the intervening period, I have learned a few things about the universal Catholic church and how things look from different perspectives. If I were to write the book again today, I'm sure it would be more balanced, better informed, and less prone to veer off into judgment ahead of sober analysis. "
Thursday, April 28, 2005
Papal Coat of Arms
Excellent image of it at Pope Watch: Pope Benedict XVI :: Breaking News on The Pope:
Enemies Within Your Household
Polish priest in Vatican was a spy...
FromNew York City - AP World News:
"A Polish priest at the Vatican was accused Wednesday of collaborating with the communist-era secret police during the 1980s when Pope John Paul II was inspiring his countrymen to resist the Soviet-backed regime.
The Rev. Konrad Stanislaw Hejmo, a Dominican, acknowledged late Wednesday he had shared reports that he wrote for Polish church officials with an acquaintance, a Pole who lived in Germany, but said he did not suspect the man might have been a spy.
The accusations originated with Leon Kieres, head of the National Remembrance Institute that guards communist-era police files. At a news conference Wednesday he said Hejmo 'was a secret collaborator of the Polish secret services under the names Hejnal and Dominik. "
FromNew York City - AP World News:
"A Polish priest at the Vatican was accused Wednesday of collaborating with the communist-era secret police during the 1980s when Pope John Paul II was inspiring his countrymen to resist the Soviet-backed regime.
The Rev. Konrad Stanislaw Hejmo, a Dominican, acknowledged late Wednesday he had shared reports that he wrote for Polish church officials with an acquaintance, a Pole who lived in Germany, but said he did not suspect the man might have been a spy.
The accusations originated with Leon Kieres, head of the National Remembrance Institute that guards communist-era police files. At a news conference Wednesday he said Hejmo 'was a secret collaborator of the Polish secret services under the names Hejnal and Dominik. "
Yes and No
The prophecy of St. John Bosco actually would predict a new spring time for the Church under this papacy
From Oddly Enough News Article | Reuters.com:
"Pope Benedict's ascent to the papacy took a conclave of 115 cardinals, four rounds of voting and followed a lifetime of service to the Vatican.
But ask Internet doomsayers eyeing a 12th century Catholic prophecy and they'll tell you it was all stitched up more than eight centuries ago and that judgment day is nigh.
The prophecy -- widely dismissed by scholars as a hoax -- is attributed to St. Malachy, an Irish archbishop recognized by members of the Church for his ability to read the future.
Benedict, believers say, fits the description of the second-to-last pope listed under the prophecy before the Last Judgement, when the bible says God separates the wicked from the righteous at the end of time. "
From Oddly Enough News Article | Reuters.com:
"Pope Benedict's ascent to the papacy took a conclave of 115 cardinals, four rounds of voting and followed a lifetime of service to the Vatican.
But ask Internet doomsayers eyeing a 12th century Catholic prophecy and they'll tell you it was all stitched up more than eight centuries ago and that judgment day is nigh.
The prophecy -- widely dismissed by scholars as a hoax -- is attributed to St. Malachy, an Irish archbishop recognized by members of the Church for his ability to read the future.
Benedict, believers say, fits the description of the second-to-last pope listed under the prophecy before the Last Judgement, when the bible says God separates the wicked from the righteous at the end of time. "
Wednesday, April 27, 2005
Papal Trips to Poland Portugal Likely
From Catholic News Agency:
"In addition to visiting Germany in August for the 2005 World Youth Day, Pope Benedict XVI may also travel to the Polish city of Krakow and the Fatima Shrine in Portugal.
A few days ago the Holy Father confirmed he would be present at World Youth Day in his country of origin and on Sunday he promised Governor Edmund Stoiber of Bavaria that he wishes to visit the German state where he was born "soon."
According the Italian press, a visit to Krakow, where Pope John Paul II was archbishop, on the way to Cologne is under consideration. For his part the Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints, Cardinal Jose Saraiva Martins, suggested that the Pontiff could visit Fatima in 2006 to canonize Marian visionaries Francisco and Jacinta Marto."
"In addition to visiting Germany in August for the 2005 World Youth Day, Pope Benedict XVI may also travel to the Polish city of Krakow and the Fatima Shrine in Portugal.
A few days ago the Holy Father confirmed he would be present at World Youth Day in his country of origin and on Sunday he promised Governor Edmund Stoiber of Bavaria that he wishes to visit the German state where he was born "soon."
According the Italian press, a visit to Krakow, where Pope John Paul II was archbishop, on the way to Cologne is under consideration. For his part the Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints, Cardinal Jose Saraiva Martins, suggested that the Pontiff could visit Fatima in 2006 to canonize Marian visionaries Francisco and Jacinta Marto."
Tuesday, April 26, 2005
Father Benedict on Pope Benedict
From Fr. Benedict's Letter:
"I hope that you will pray fervently for our new Pope in the days ahead. The day after his election our friars and sisters had a deeply prayerful Mass for him and for the guidance of the Holy Spirit upon him in these difficult times. He has taken for his patron St. Benedict, who is the patron of Europe. People wondered why he took that name. He also was born on the feast of my patron St. Benedict Joseph Labre April 16th.
God has chosen a faithful and hard working totally dedicated servant, who had every reason to expect that he could retire to a life of prayer and writing. Now he must become the shepherd of the flock. In my recent thank you note to Cardinal Ratzinger I mentioned a saying that the old German Capuchins used to have ?we get too soon old and too late smart. I said Your Eminence if I may say so, only the first part is true of you.'"
"I hope that you will pray fervently for our new Pope in the days ahead. The day after his election our friars and sisters had a deeply prayerful Mass for him and for the guidance of the Holy Spirit upon him in these difficult times. He has taken for his patron St. Benedict, who is the patron of Europe. People wondered why he took that name. He also was born on the feast of my patron St. Benedict Joseph Labre April 16th.
God has chosen a faithful and hard working totally dedicated servant, who had every reason to expect that he could retire to a life of prayer and writing. Now he must become the shepherd of the flock. In my recent thank you note to Cardinal Ratzinger I mentioned a saying that the old German Capuchins used to have ?we get too soon old and too late smart. I said Your Eminence if I may say so, only the first part is true of you.'"
Monday, April 25, 2005
Benedikt Gott Geschickt.
"Benedict sent from God" the German audience chants...
From Yahoo! News - Benedict Says He Prayed Not to Be Elected:
Benedict played to the crowd, telling them: "My roots are in Bavaria and I'm still Bavarian as bishop of Rome."
At the start of the audience, Benedict apologized to the crowds for arriving late, explaining that a meeting with religious leaders who attended his inauguration Mass ran long.
"The Germans are used to punctuality," he joked. "I'm already very Italian."
From Yahoo! News - Benedict Says He Prayed Not to Be Elected:
Benedict played to the crowd, telling them: "My roots are in Bavaria and I'm still Bavarian as bishop of Rome."
At the start of the audience, Benedict apologized to the crowds for arriving late, explaining that a meeting with religious leaders who attended his inauguration Mass ran long.
"The Germans are used to punctuality," he joked. "I'm already very Italian."
Michael Novak on Benedict
From Michael Novak on Cardinal Ratzinger on National Review Online:
"In his most formative years, Ratzinger heard Nazi propaganda shouting that there is no truth, no justice, there is only the will of the people (enunciated by its leader). As its necessary precondition, Nazism depended on the debunking of objective truth and objective morality. Truth had to be derided as irrelevant, and naked will had to be exalted.
To anybody who said: "But that's false!" the Nazi shouted, "That's just your opinion, and who are you, compared to Der Fuehrer?"
To anybody who said, "But what you are doing is unjust!" the Nazi shouted louder, "Says you, swine."
Relativism means this: Power trumps.
Ratzinger experienced another set of loud shouters in the 1968 student revolution at Tubingen University, this time in the name of Marxist rather than Nazi will. Marxism as much as Nazism (though in a different way) depended on the relativization of all previous notions of ethics and morality and truth " "bourgeois" ideas, these were called. People who were called upon by the party to kill in the party's name had to develop a relativist's conscience.
In today's liberal democracies, Ratzinger has observed, the move to atheism is not, as it was in the 19th century, a move toward the objective world of the scientific rationalist. That was the "modern" way, and it is now being rejected, in favor of a new "post-modern" way. The new way is not toward objectivity, but toward subjectivism; not toward truth as its criterion, but toward power. This, Ratzinger fears, is a move back toward the justification of murder in the name of "tolerance" and subjective choice.
Along with that move, he has observed (haven't we all?), comes a dictatorial impulse, to treat anyone who has a different view as "
"In his most formative years, Ratzinger heard Nazi propaganda shouting that there is no truth, no justice, there is only the will of the people (enunciated by its leader). As its necessary precondition, Nazism depended on the debunking of objective truth and objective morality. Truth had to be derided as irrelevant, and naked will had to be exalted.
To anybody who said: "But that's false!" the Nazi shouted, "That's just your opinion, and who are you, compared to Der Fuehrer?"
To anybody who said, "But what you are doing is unjust!" the Nazi shouted louder, "Says you, swine."
Relativism means this: Power trumps.
Ratzinger experienced another set of loud shouters in the 1968 student revolution at Tubingen University, this time in the name of Marxist rather than Nazi will. Marxism as much as Nazism (though in a different way) depended on the relativization of all previous notions of ethics and morality and truth " "bourgeois" ideas, these were called. People who were called upon by the party to kill in the party's name had to develop a relativist's conscience.
In today's liberal democracies, Ratzinger has observed, the move to atheism is not, as it was in the 19th century, a move toward the objective world of the scientific rationalist. That was the "modern" way, and it is now being rejected, in favor of a new "post-modern" way. The new way is not toward objectivity, but toward subjectivism; not toward truth as its criterion, but toward power. This, Ratzinger fears, is a move back toward the justification of murder in the name of "tolerance" and subjective choice.
Along with that move, he has observed (haven't we all?), comes a dictatorial impulse, to treat anyone who has a different view as "
Sunday, April 24, 2005
The Pope Benedict XVI Fan Club: Homepage
The Pope Benedict XVI Fan Club: Homepage
I guess I should have known there would be a diferent URL...
I guess I should have known there would be a diferent URL...
Pope's Homily
I especially liked this part of the homily...
From the Vatican Information Service:
The symbol of the lamb also has a deeper meaning. In the ancient Near East, it was customary for kings to style themselves shepherds of their people. This was an image of their power, a cynical image: to them their subjects were like sheep, which the shepherd could dispose of as he wished. When the shepherd of all humanity, the living God, Himself became a lamb, He stood on the side of the lambs, with those who are downtrodden and killed. This is how He reveals Himself to be the true shepherd: 'I am the Good Shepherd . . . I lay down my life for the sheep,' Jesus says of Himself (Jn 10:14ff). It is not power, but love that redeems us! This is God's sign: He Himself is love. How often we wish that God would make show Himself stronger, that He would strike decisively, defeating evil and creating a better world. All ideologies of power justify themselves in exactly this way, they justify the destruction of whatever would stand in the way of progress and the liberation of humanity. We suffer on account of God's patience. And yet, we need His patience. God, Who became a lamb, tells us that the world is saved by the Crucified One, not by those who crucified Him. The world is redeemed by the patience of God. It is destroyed by the impatience of man.
From the Vatican Information Service:
The symbol of the lamb also has a deeper meaning. In the ancient Near East, it was customary for kings to style themselves shepherds of their people. This was an image of their power, a cynical image: to them their subjects were like sheep, which the shepherd could dispose of as he wished. When the shepherd of all humanity, the living God, Himself became a lamb, He stood on the side of the lambs, with those who are downtrodden and killed. This is how He reveals Himself to be the true shepherd: 'I am the Good Shepherd . . . I lay down my life for the sheep,' Jesus says of Himself (Jn 10:14ff). It is not power, but love that redeems us! This is God's sign: He Himself is love. How often we wish that God would make show Himself stronger, that He would strike decisively, defeating evil and creating a better world. All ideologies of power justify themselves in exactly this way, they justify the destruction of whatever would stand in the way of progress and the liberation of humanity. We suffer on account of God's patience. And yet, we need His patience. God, Who became a lamb, tells us that the world is saved by the Crucified One, not by those who crucified Him. The world is redeemed by the patience of God. It is destroyed by the impatience of man.
Saturday, April 23, 2005
Message to Chief Rabbi of Rome
From Zenit News Agency - The World Seen From Rome:
"'May the Lord have mercy and bless us; may his light shine upon us. On April 19, 2005, the cardinals of the Holy Roman Church elected me Bishop of Rome and Pastor of the universal Catholic Church. In announcing my election and the solemn inauguration of my pontificate, on Sunday, April 24, at 10 o'clock, I trust in the help of the Almighty to continue with the dialogue and to reinforce collaboration with the sons and daughters of the Jewish people. Vatican, April 20, 2005, Benedictus XVI.'"
"'May the Lord have mercy and bless us; may his light shine upon us. On April 19, 2005, the cardinals of the Holy Roman Church elected me Bishop of Rome and Pastor of the universal Catholic Church. In announcing my election and the solemn inauguration of my pontificate, on Sunday, April 24, at 10 o'clock, I trust in the help of the Almighty to continue with the dialogue and to reinforce collaboration with the sons and daughters of the Jewish people. Vatican, April 20, 2005, Benedictus XVI.'"
Message to Chief Rabbi of Rome
From Zenit News Agency - The World Seen From Rome:
"'May the Lord have mercy and bless us; may his light shine upon us. On April 19, 2005, the cardinals of the Holy Roman Church elected me Bishop of Rome and Pastor of the universal Catholic Church. In announcing my election and the solemn inauguration of my pontificate, on Sunday, April 24, at 10 o'clock, I trust in the help of the Almighty to continue with the dialogue and to reinforce collaboration with the sons and daughters of the Jewish people. Vatican, April 20, 2005, Benedictus XVI.'"
"'May the Lord have mercy and bless us; may his light shine upon us. On April 19, 2005, the cardinals of the Holy Roman Church elected me Bishop of Rome and Pastor of the universal Catholic Church. In announcing my election and the solemn inauguration of my pontificate, on Sunday, April 24, at 10 o'clock, I trust in the help of the Almighty to continue with the dialogue and to reinforce collaboration with the sons and daughters of the Jewish people. Vatican, April 20, 2005, Benedictus XVI.'"
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