Tettamanzi is the favorite, followed by Ortega y Alamino, Arinze, Battista Re and Biffi.
From Next Pope Odds | Next Pope Betting
Tuesday, November 25, 2003
Monday, November 24, 2003
How To Hear a Great Homily Every Time You're at Mass
I wrote about this in The How-To Book of the Mass, giving a concrete way to do it. A friend who has put it into practice told me about a week ago that it had worked for him at every Mass that he had attended until last Sunday when the priest spent the entire time lambasting various bishops and political decisions made by Bush and the Congress. This Sunday he said the pastor apologized for the remarks fo the visiting priest (recently ordained) for as he said, "not preaching a homily but giving his opinion." Therein lies the problem when priests confuse their role, essentially writing opinion columns and delivering them orally rather than preaching the Gospel.
All of this is on my mind since I'm preaching a mission next week. Any time you have the opportunity to speak to people it is a blessed moment and one that you don't want to squander on your ego. I ask your prayers for this mission and as I make final changes to the talks that I'm giving, please pray for the Lord's guidance.
Speaking of homilies and trying to hear a great one, yesterday was the Feast of Christ the King and the homily I heard told me that I don't like having kings in my life (a blanket statement made by the homilist who once stated to me in private that the biggest problem in the Church today is people don't like the hierarchy, which may or may not be true, sometimes I think it is more a case of we want to like the hierarchy very much and want them to act like a hierarchy taking bold stands against the culture of death, against those who dilute the faith). I for one, think my problem is more a choice of who is "king" of my life, who is "lord" of my life? Is it pleasure? Is it myself or another person?
I think the answer is different for all of us. I have known people who never are themselves, but constantly seek to please whoever they deem to be the "king" or "lord" of the moment. We all can be tempted when faced with the choice between the man with the crown of thorns or our personal "king" to say with the crowd, "We have no king but....(fill in the blank)."
So, sometimes even when you think you've heard a real bad homily, if in the end it has caused you to reflect on the Gospel more--then God has worked his miracle through the homilist and in fact you've heard a great homily once again!
All of this is on my mind since I'm preaching a mission next week. Any time you have the opportunity to speak to people it is a blessed moment and one that you don't want to squander on your ego. I ask your prayers for this mission and as I make final changes to the talks that I'm giving, please pray for the Lord's guidance.
Speaking of homilies and trying to hear a great one, yesterday was the Feast of Christ the King and the homily I heard told me that I don't like having kings in my life (a blanket statement made by the homilist who once stated to me in private that the biggest problem in the Church today is people don't like the hierarchy, which may or may not be true, sometimes I think it is more a case of we want to like the hierarchy very much and want them to act like a hierarchy taking bold stands against the culture of death, against those who dilute the faith). I for one, think my problem is more a choice of who is "king" of my life, who is "lord" of my life? Is it pleasure? Is it myself or another person?
I think the answer is different for all of us. I have known people who never are themselves, but constantly seek to please whoever they deem to be the "king" or "lord" of the moment. We all can be tempted when faced with the choice between the man with the crown of thorns or our personal "king" to say with the crowd, "We have no king but....(fill in the blank)."
So, sometimes even when you think you've heard a real bad homily, if in the end it has caused you to reflect on the Gospel more--then God has worked his miracle through the homilist and in fact you've heard a great homily once again!
Sunday, November 23, 2003
Attackers Slit Throats of American Soldiers
One news agency reported this story this morning as "two American soldiers were killed in a traffic accident near Baghdad International Airport"--I'd say this was hardly an accident.
From My Way News:
Attackers slit the throats of two American soldiers who were waiting in traffic in this northern Iraqi city on Sunday, witnesses said. Another soldier was killed in a roadside bombing north of Baghdad.
From My Way News:
Attackers slit the throats of two American soldiers who were waiting in traffic in this northern Iraqi city on Sunday, witnesses said. Another soldier was killed in a roadside bombing north of Baghdad.
Friday, November 21, 2003
Congratulations to Auxiliary Bishop Elect Felipe Estevez
Named by Pope John Paul II today to be an Auxilary Bishop in Miami. I've known him since 1980 when I visited Saint Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in Boynton Beach. He was the Rector at the time and took me outside as the sun was setting and said the memorable words, "Mike, this is Florida!"
A few years ago, I was visiting the Seminary and he recounted a fascinating nugget when I told him I was now living in Fort Wayne, IN--this Cuban born man had grown up in Fort Wayne! He also was ordained a priest for a Cuban diocese in abstentia in the Cathedral in Fort Wayne. Its a small world!
He'll make a great bishop!
A few years ago, I was visiting the Seminary and he recounted a fascinating nugget when I told him I was now living in Fort Wayne, IN--this Cuban born man had grown up in Fort Wayne! He also was ordained a priest for a Cuban diocese in abstentia in the Cathedral in Fort Wayne. Its a small world!
He'll make a great bishop!
Archdiocese Found Guilty of Failing to Report Abuse
Part of the Prosecuting Attorney's Statement...
From :
"Hold them accountable.
Make sure this doesn't happen again.
I cannot tell you how many times or how many people have said that to me over the last year. But they were not talking about a serial rapist, or a multiple murderer, or the vicious rioters who brought our city to its knees.
They were talking about one of the most respected and revered institutions in our county - the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.
And the depth of the public's anger and frustration with the leadership of the Catholic Church rivals that expressed to me about any case since I have been prosecutor.
I can tell you today that we have done exactly what the citizens of Hamilton County and this office felt was required. We have held them accountable, and we have taken steps to make sure what took place in the Catholic Church over the last several decades will not happen again. "
From :
"Hold them accountable.
Make sure this doesn't happen again.
I cannot tell you how many times or how many people have said that to me over the last year. But they were not talking about a serial rapist, or a multiple murderer, or the vicious rioters who brought our city to its knees.
They were talking about one of the most respected and revered institutions in our county - the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.
And the depth of the public's anger and frustration with the leadership of the Catholic Church rivals that expressed to me about any case since I have been prosecutor.
I can tell you today that we have done exactly what the citizens of Hamilton County and this office felt was required. We have held them accountable, and we have taken steps to make sure what took place in the Catholic Church over the last several decades will not happen again. "
Grave of Simeon?
Interesting find in Jerusalem.
From Gospel verse found on ancient shrine:
"The inscription says the monument is the tomb of “Simeon who was a very just man and a very devoted old (person) and waiting for the consolation of the people.” Simeon is a Greek version of Simon.
The passage is identical to the Gospel verse Luke 2:25, as it appears in a 4th-century version of the Bible, the Codex Sinaiticus, which was later revised extensively.
“This (the inscription) shows there were different versions of the Old and New Testament going around,” said Zias, who presented his find Thursday at the annual conference of the American Schools of Oriental Research in Atlanta.
The Zachariah and Simon inscriptions were chiseled into what is known today as Absalom’s Tomb, one of three large funerary monuments built in the Kidron Valley for the city’s rich."
From Gospel verse found on ancient shrine:
"The inscription says the monument is the tomb of “Simeon who was a very just man and a very devoted old (person) and waiting for the consolation of the people.” Simeon is a Greek version of Simon.
The passage is identical to the Gospel verse Luke 2:25, as it appears in a 4th-century version of the Bible, the Codex Sinaiticus, which was later revised extensively.
“This (the inscription) shows there were different versions of the Old and New Testament going around,” said Zias, who presented his find Thursday at the annual conference of the American Schools of Oriental Research in Atlanta.
The Zachariah and Simon inscriptions were chiseled into what is known today as Absalom’s Tomb, one of three large funerary monuments built in the Kidron Valley for the city’s rich."
Thursday, November 20, 2003
Pretending to be Catholic--In Order to Save Your Life
I'm working on talks for my upcoming mission and illustrations for the talks. One of the most remarkable people that I have come to befriend in the past few years is someone who for a period of her life pretended to be Catholic in order to save her life. She is a Polish Jew who growing up in Poland in the late 1930's literally survived the horrors of the Nazi occupation by pretending to be Catholic. She was given a fake Baptismal Certificate, a Christian name, and she attended Mass regularly (Communion was not a problem in the pre-conciliar church because hardly anyone received regularly). Much later in life she became close friends with a fellow Pole (besides me that is) who just happens to be the Pope. In a correspondence with her, one of his recurring messages to her, is that she "be herself" and I find this remarkable because of her early history where survival was only possible by not being herself but pretending to be someone else. Even though she is a Jew the Pope is very Christian in his correspondence to her, he recommends her to the Blessed Virgin Mary, wishes her well on Jewish feasts as well as those connected to Christ, he even sends her a piece of his Oplatek, Na szczescie, na zdrowie z Wigilia!.
She has written a book about Him and her own experiences entitled Building Bridges: Pope John Paul II and the Horizon of Life.
What strikes me about Lena's story is how many of us are pretending to be Catholic in our own day? And why?
I often wonder when I hear people talk about what they believe and what they do not believe and wonder why they remain Catholic if they really don't believe? The amazing thing I have learned from my experiences with Dr. Allen-Shore is that she believes more about the Catholic faith than many who say they are Catholic. She once pretended to be Catholic in order to save her life and perhaps in the end all of us our pretending to be Catholic so that we too might save our lives. But is "pretending" going to be enough in the end?
If we followed the Pope's advice to Lena to "be ourself" would we be something else? I know deep down that when the Pope tells Lena to be herself that he knows that she is a follower of Christ. That something in her early years catechized her to the truth of the Gospel and it has never left her. And I truly believe that if each of us was the person that God created us to be, namely ourself, we too would hear the truth of the Gospel and coming to Christ in the Eucharist would be something that would enable us to become even more truly who we are!
She has written a book about Him and her own experiences entitled Building Bridges: Pope John Paul II and the Horizon of Life.
What strikes me about Lena's story is how many of us are pretending to be Catholic in our own day? And why?
I often wonder when I hear people talk about what they believe and what they do not believe and wonder why they remain Catholic if they really don't believe? The amazing thing I have learned from my experiences with Dr. Allen-Shore is that she believes more about the Catholic faith than many who say they are Catholic. She once pretended to be Catholic in order to save her life and perhaps in the end all of us our pretending to be Catholic so that we too might save our lives. But is "pretending" going to be enough in the end?
If we followed the Pope's advice to Lena to "be ourself" would we be something else? I know deep down that when the Pope tells Lena to be herself that he knows that she is a follower of Christ. That something in her early years catechized her to the truth of the Gospel and it has never left her. And I truly believe that if each of us was the person that God created us to be, namely ourself, we too would hear the truth of the Gospel and coming to Christ in the Eucharist would be something that would enable us to become even more truly who we are!
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