Magister Gives Full Text of Cardinal Martini Interview

Calls it the "first great act of opposition to this pontificate from the upper levels of the Church."

A conversation between Carlo Maria Martini and Ignazio Marino

We Visited This Church--DaVinci Controversy

It is one I couldn't find the name of when doing my travelogue, but I recognized it immediately:


From Christianity Today:

The advertisement was an enormous poster which featured the Mona Lisa, arguably Da Vinci’s most famous painting. The poster, which has the title of the upcoming film on it, has been up already for a few weeks outside the St Pantaleo Church in Rome.

Rev. Marco Fibbi, a spokesman for Rome’s Vicariate reported that the poster was “causing a problem.”

He added, “This movie is not reputed to be particularly appreciated by ecclesiastic circles.”

The Search is Over!

For the Holy Grail, that is...found at Mike Aquilina's and Chris Bailey's new blog http://www.grailcode.com/.

Their book is out too!

Feast of Saint Mark--Evangelist to the Rest of Us

This year's (Cycle B) Sunday Gospel readings are from the Gospel of Mark whose full name was John Mark a combination of a Jewish and Roman name. To me Mark is a patron of those who set out in ministry and for whatever reason turn their hand back from the plow. The Church evangelizing (symbolized by St. Paul) have little use for the John Mark's of the Church (Acts 15:38), but the institutional Church (symbolized by St. Peter and here I think we glimpse the Divinity of Jesus in choosing Peter to head up the church) take in John Mark and uses him to interpret and present the Gospel in a language that the lapsi (the lapsed) can understand.

A friend remarked the other day, how different Jesus is when he appears to the disciples in Mark's Gospel after the Resurrection. Jesus does not offer them "Peace" but focusing on their disbelief "he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen,"(Mark 16:14). Here we have a Gospel for those who like Peter and Mark have failed and failed again and need the "tough" Gospel!

Some with the intensity of St. Paul embrace the Faith and set out never to look back, others like John Mark and St. Peter "take account of the winds" and sink but reach out to the Lord to save them, once again. To some "Peace" is what is needed, to others "Why do you persecute me?" and to still others a rebuke. Count me among those who need to hear that latter. Thanks to Saint Mark, Jesus awakes me from my slumber.

Read about Saint Mark in the Catholic Encyclopedia.

Reality--Freeze Watch Here Tonight

After a few weeks of highs in the 70's and lows in the 50's (and this is still April), reality sets in as the highs for today have already passed and the lows tonight could bring a frost.

Summer is over!

Product Placement and the Pope

In today's Wall Street Journal:

A senior Vatican official who asked not to be named says that when it comes to worldly goods, Benedict XVI's choice of personal accessories is "completely arbitrary."

The official adds: "He's aware of the buzz, but mostly he laughs about it, because it's so absurd. What does he really have to choose? He doesn't wear a tie or coat. The glasses he wears are the same glasses he wore as a cardinal, as is the pen he writes with."

But because the pope is so lightly accessorized, brands like to be associated with him all the more. This was relatively easy for Italian shoe company Geox SpA, whose founder, Mario Moretti Polegato, is a friend of papal spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls. (Mr. Navarro-Valls is a member of Geox's ethics committee.) Following Benedict XVI's election in April of last year, Geox gave Mr. Navarro-Valls several pairs of Geox Uomo Light loafers -- featuring the brand's trademark antifoot-sweat system -- as a present for the new pope.

When the pope wore the shoes, Geox chose not to promote the event through advertisements or press materials. But the company was delighted when word got out. "If the pope uses our product that means it works. He's out in public under the sun for hours in a heavy tunic, so he risks becoming sweaty," says Geox spokesman Eros Scattolin. "What better testimony could you ask for?"

Co-Adjutor Bishop Named for Venice (Florida)

Monsignor Frank Dewayne of Green Bay, Wisconsin who has been with the Pontifical Council of Peace and Justice.

Is Bishop Nevins ill?