VIDEO: Two Popes Meet! {Update 4}

{This post has been updated, and may get updated as more information is released}

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UPDATE 1

Benedict XVI and Pope Francis met for 45 minutes .... alone. That is, no one else alone, not even their secretaries.

From VIS News (emphasis mine in bold)

Vatican City, 23 March 2013 (VIS) – Fr. Federico Lombardi, S.J., director of the Holy See Press Office, called this afternoon's encounter between Pope Francis and the Bishop emeritus of Rome Benedict XVI “a moment of profound communion”. Although live coverage of the historic event was not provided, recorded images of the two praying together and sitting in the library of the Castel Gandolfo Apostolic Palace has been made available. (An official photo will be published on the VIS blogsite at: http://www.visnews-en.blogspot.it/ when it becomes available.) Following are the notes Fr. Lombardi made of the historic event.

The Holy Father's helicopter landed at the heliport of Castel Gandolfo at 12:15pm and the Pope emeritus' car approached the landing site. Accompanying the Holy Father were: Archbishop Giovanni Angelo Becciu, substitute of the Secretariat of State; Msgr. Leonardo Sapienza, S.C.I., regent of the Prefecture of the Pontifical Household; and Msgr. Alfred Xuereb.

As soon as the Holy Father alighted, the Pope emeritus approached him and the two embraced. After briefly greeting the others present—Bishop Marcello Semeraro of Albano, Italy, and Dr. Saverio Petrillo, director of the Pontifical Villas—they got into the car to take them to the Apostolic Palace. Pope Francis took the right-hand seat, traditionally reserved for the Pope, while the Pope emeritus took the left-hand seat. Aboard the same car was also Archbishop Georg Ganswein, prefect of the Prefecture of the Pontifical Household.

The car then brought them to the elevators of the Apostolic Palace and the two protagonists of the historic meeting ascended to the papal apartments where they went straight to the chapel for a moment of prayer. In the chapel, the Pope emeritus offered the place of honour to Pope Francis, who instead responded “We are brothers” and wanted them to share the same kneeler.

After a short time of prayer they went to the apartments' library where their private meeting began around 12:30pm. It is the library where the Pope normally receives important guests at Castel Gandolfo. Their meeting lasted around 45 minutes. Pope Francis had brought a beautiful icon as a gift to the Pope emeritus.

Regarding clothing, as previously noted, the Pope emeritus wears a simple white cassock without the fascia (sash) or shoulder cape, the two details that distinguish it from Pope Francis' clothing. The completely private and confidential portion of the meeting was restricted to the library as the two secretaries, Archbishop Ganswein and Msgr. Xuereb, were expected to attend the lunch. The Pope emeritus plans to drive with the Pope to Castel Gandolfo's heliport before they take their leave of one another.

It should be noted that, although this is the first time they meet face-to-face, Pope Francis has already called the Pope emeritus to mind many times: at his first appearance at the external Loggia of the Hall of Blessings of the Vatican Basilica on the evening of his election and with two phone calls—the first that same night and the second on the Feast of St. Joseph, to send his well wishes on the Pope emeritus' saint's day. Their dialogue, therefore, had already begun before this physical meeting. Recall also that the Pope emeritus had already expressed his unconditional reverence and obedience to his successor at his final meeting with the cardinals on the last day of his pontificate, 28 March. This encounter, then—a moment of elevated and deep communion—was a chance to renew his profession of reverence and obedience. Certainly Pope Francis renewed his gratitude, and that of the whole Church, for Pope Benedict's ministry during his pontificate.

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UPDATE 2

In this photo, Pope Francis is giving to Benedict XVI an icon of Our Lady of Humility in honor if his humility.

I've said so many times before that I believe Benedict XVI will some day be named a doctor of the Church.  I also believe these two men will be in contact.  I'm sure each appreciates the unique gifts bestowed on the other by God.  I wouldn't be surprised to learn some years from now that Pope Francis consulted Benedict XVI, not as Pope Emeritus, but as the great theologian that he is.

According to the EWTN catalogue where one is sold (not sure if it is the same image, so if someone has a better explanation of this specific icon, please drop me a message in the com-box or at TeDeumBlog (at) gmail (dot) com:

This image of Our Blessed Mother comes from the Russian Orthodox tradition where it is called Our Lady of Extreme Humility. Mary is known for her tenderness and humility because she accepted God's will for her life even though she knew it would cause her pain. In Western traditions, we often call this image Our Lady of Sorrows.

I love icons.  I don't know what draws me to them - perhaps God's grace.

UPDATE 5: See the amazing story behind the specific icon given by Pope Francis to Benedict XVI

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UPDATE 3

From Vatican Radio's report: "We are Brothers"

(Vatican Radio) Expectations were high among the thousands of people who huddled into Castel Gandolfo’s tiny Freedom Square Saturday morning. The families, religious and teenagers gathered there had hoped to catch a glimpse of the momentous encounter between Pope Francis and Benedict XVI, Pope Emeritus. Emer McCarthy reports: But they were destined to be disappointed. The event was, as it was always meant to be, a private moment of “profound and elevated communion” between the past and present Pope. The crowds, joined by a surprisingly large number of journalists, had gathered early in the morning, well before Pope Francis’ departure from Vatican City State at noon. As his helicopter circled twice above the Square they began chanting his name and that of his predecessor who has been in residence at the Pontifical Villas since February 28th .

Also, from La Stampa's English Edition - Vatican Insider.... a commentary and some explanations.

Ratzinger-Bergoglio lunch:"A constructive meeting. It would be wrong to draw comparisons" 

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UPDATE 4

Here is another video.  It has some of the same things the first one above has, but some other things, or different angles.

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Something to think about...

 

One last note...

Dr. Robert Moynihan of Inside the Vatican Magazine has been having some excellent coverage of all things papal.  He has an e-letter I've subscribed to for a few years, but he is now finally posting them daily at a website made for this purpose.  Check it out, and if you prefer daily emails, you can subscribe there.  I know he will have a detailed post about this meeting, so keep checking his homepage.

http://themoynihanletters.com

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Pope Francis: There is no true peace without truth!

From the Holy Father's meeting with the diplomatic corp today.

ALESSANDRO BIANCHI/REUTERS/LANDOV

As you know, there are various reasons why I chose the name of Francis of Assisi, a familiar figure far beyond the borders of Italy and Europe, even among those who do not profess the Catholic faith. One of the first reasons was Francis’ love for the poor. How many poor people there still are in the world! And what great suffering they have to endure! After the example of Francis of Assisi, the Church in every corner of the globe has always tried to care for and look after those who suffer from want, and I think that in many of your countries you can attest to the generous activity of Christians who dedicate themselves to helping the sick, orphans, the homeless and all the marginalized, thus striving to make society more humane and more just. 

But there is another form of poverty! It is the spiritual poverty of our time, which afflicts the so-called richer countries particularly seriously. It is what my much-loved predecessor, Benedict XVI, called the "tyranny of relativism", which makes everyone his own criterion and endangers the coexistence of peoples. And that brings me to a second reason for my name. Francis of Assisi tells us we should work to build peace. But there is no true peace without truth! There cannot be true peace if everyone is his own criterion, if everyone can always claim exclusively his own rights, without at the same time caring for the good of others, of everyone, on the basis of the nature that unites every human being on this earth.

Read the full speech here.  He touches on several other things worth reading.

Also, Dr. Robert Moynihan has some additional background on this that may be of interest. 

I remember well that pre-conclave homily of then Cardinal Ratzinger in 2005 where he talked about the "dictatorship of relativism" (as it had been translated for us).  This chased me right out of a nominal Catholic state, and was partly what led me to Assumption Grotto the following month.  Here is the relevant text Pope Francis is talking about, but I offer a bit of a lead-in.  This is all snipped from mid-homily. 

Christ's mercy is not a grace that comes cheap, nor does it imply the trivialization of evil. Christ carries the full weight of evil and all its destructive force in his body and in his soul. He burns and transforms evil in suffering, in the fire of his suffering love. The day of vindication and the year of favour converge in the Paschal Mystery, in the dead and Risen Christ. This is the vengeance of God: he himself suffers for us, in the person of his Son. The more deeply stirred we are by the Lord's mercy, the greater the solidarity we feel with his suffering - and we become willing to complete in our own flesh "what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ" (Col 1: 24). 

Let us move on to the second reading, the letter to the Ephesians. Here we see essentially three aspects: first of all, the ministries and charisms in the Church as gifts of the Lord who rose and ascended into heaven; then, the maturing of faith and the knowledge of the Son of God as the condition and content of unity in the Body of Christ; and lastly, our common participation in the growth of the Body of Christ, that is, the transformation of the world into communion with the Lord. 

Let us dwell on only two points. The first is the journey towards "the maturity of Christ", as the Italian text says, simplifying it slightly. More precisely, in accordance with the Greek text, we should speak of the "measure of the fullness of Christ" that we are called to attain if we are to be true adults in the faith. We must not remain children in faith, in the condition of minors. And what does it mean to be children in faith? St Paul answers: it means being "tossed here and there, carried about by every wind of doctrine" (Eph 4: 14). This description is very timely! 

How many winds of doctrine have we known in recent decades, how many ideological currents, how many ways of thinking. The small boat of the thought of many Christians has often been tossed about by these waves - flung from one extreme to another: from Marxism to liberalism, even to libertinism; from collectivism to radical individualism; from atheism to a vague religious mysticism; from agnosticism to syncretism and so forth. Every day new sects spring up, and what St Paul says about human deception and the trickery that strives to entice people into error (cf. Eph 4: 14) comes true. 

Today, having a clear faith based on the Creed of the Church is often labeled as fundamentalism. Whereas relativism, that is, letting oneself be "tossed here and there, carried about by every wind of doctrine", seems the only attitude that can cope with modern times. We are building a dictatorship of relativism that does not recognize anything as definitive and whose ultimate goal consists solely of one's own ego and desires. 

We, however, have a different goal: the Son of God, the true man. He is the measure of true humanism. An "adult" faith is not a faith that follows the trends of fashion and the latest novelty; a mature adult faith is deeply rooted in friendship with Christ. It is this friendship that opens us up to all that is good and gives us a criterion by which to distinguish the true from the false, and deceipt from truth. 

We must develop this adult faith; we must guide the flock of Christ to this faith. And it is this faith - only faith - that creates unity and is fulfilled in love.

Continue reading full homily

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Magister: More Cardinals to be appointed in early 2012 by Pope Benedict XVI

Cardinal Raymond Burke being elevated at the
November 2010 consistory (Photo by Teak Phillips)

Veteran Vatican journalist, Sandro Magister says a consistory will be held on February 19, 2012 in which more Cardinals will be elevated by Pope Benedict XVI (possibly named as early as January 18th). As Magister points out, this means Cardinal-Electors named by Pope Benedict XVI will be in the majority.

The number of Cardinal-Electors is set at 120. A Cardinal may vote until he reaches the age of 80.   You can see in this Cardinal-Elector list at Catholic-Hierarchy who is about to turn 80 (hint: click on the birth date header to organize by age if it is jumbled)

 The Vatican journalist explains the current situation:

There are currently 192 cardinals. Those under the age of eighty amount to 109, dropping to 107 on February 19 (in addition to Zen, in fact, the Portuguese José Saraiva Martins will turn 80 on January 6. This means that at the next consistory, there will be at least 13 new cardinals, but more likely 15 or more, considering that in the following months of 2012 another 11 cardinals will turn eighty.

Sandro Magister explains likely candidates and you can bet that speculation will turn into a whirlwind leading up to the notification expected in mid-January. 

Magister believes Archbishop Dolan of New York will make this cut even though Cardinal Egan is not yet 80.  He turns 80 in late spring, not long after the consistory. 


What about Detroit?

Archbishop Vigneron
elevates the Host at
Assumption Grotto on
August 15, 2009

There is no mention in his column about the Archdiocese of Detroit.  Some have speculated in the past that Detroit's red hat will be lost due to the decline in number of Catholics.   There can only be so many Cardinals in the US (though there is nothing written in stone).   Other cities, like Houston, have seen increasing numbers and it became a cardinalatial see in 2004 with the elevation of Cardinal DiNardo.

While Archbishop Vigneron may not make this cut, even though Cardinal Maida is now over 80, I'm not convinced that Detroit has lost it's red hat.  Detroit is ranked 7th in Diocese of the United States based on 2004 statistics (which is all I can find at the moment).  Then, 33.4% of the 1.48 million people in it's boundaries were Catholics.  The diocesan page shows a figure for 2006 of 32.5% for 1.47 million.   Without later data from Detroit, and the other "red-hat" sees, it is hard to get a good picture of where Detroit truly stands.  If anyone knows of data which shows a later ranking of these sees, including Detroit, please drop some links or info into my combox.

The Catholic Hierarchy website is a very interesting place to sift through data.  Along with the list of Cardinal Electors shown above, you can find a listing of all past consistories. 

Here again, is  a link to Sandro Magister's article: Vatican Diary / The next cardinals, name by name

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Pope Benedict: Prepare for Christmas with a sober lifestyle and self-assessment

Another reminder to not celebrate Christmas before it gets here.  The Advent season is loaded with material for spiritual reflection.  The Holy Father brings the message home...

Vatican City (AsiaNews) - "Choose a sober lifestyle," and “make an honest assessment your life: they are the exhortations of John the Baptist to Christians during Advent, a period of preparation for Christmas. This is the invitation that Benedict XVI addressed today to 20 thousand people present for the Angelus in St Peter's Square where the Christmas tree, this year from Ukraine has arrived.

His appointment for the recitation of the Marian prayer with the faithful was also an opportunity for the Pope to recall the plight of migrants and refugees. Benedict XVI recalled that "in the coming days, in Geneva and other cities, we will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the World Organization for Migration, the 60th anniversary of the Convention on the Status of Refugees and the 50th anniversary of the Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness. I entrust to the Lord all those who, often forcibly, must leave their homeland, or who are stateless. While I encourage solidarity for them, I pray for all those who are doing their utmost to protect and assist these brothers and sisters in emergency situations, even if it means exposing themselves to serious hardships and dangers "

[snip]

The style of John the Baptist - he continued was meant to call all Christians to choose a sober lifestyle, especially in preparation for the feast of Christmas, when the Lord - as Saint Paul would say - "became poor although he was rich, so that by his poverty you might become rich"(2 Cor 8.9).


With regard to the John’s mission, it was an extraordinary appeal to conversion: his baptism "is tied to a fiery invitation to a new way of thinking and acting, it is above all linked to the announcement of God's justice" (Jesus of Nazareth I, Milan 2007, p. 34) and the imminent appearance of the Messiah, defined as "he who is mightier than I" and who will "baptize with the Holy Spirit" (Mk 1,7.8)”.

" Therefore, John’s appeal - concluded the Pope - goes far beyond and deeper than a call to a sober lifestyle: it is a call for inner change, starting with the recognition and confession of our sins. As we prepare for Christmas, it is important that we find time for self contemplation and carry out an honest assessment of our lives. May we be enlightened by a ray of the light that comes from Bethlehem, the light of He who is "the Greatest" and made himself small, he who is "the Strongest" but became weak".

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Pope Benedict XVI tells university teachers to convey love for knowledge and truth

I learned some time ago, that not everything the Holy Father says is translated into English. When you look at the Angelus in different languages, you will find this to be especially true, even moreso, when he addresses something to a particular language group after the Angelus.   For example, go in this list to September 4, 2011 and click on the German link.  Scroll to view all that is there, then come back and look at the English, and other languages for the same date.

Louis Belanger caught something from the October 2, 2011 Angelus*.  Something he briefly said to the the French is not found in the English version.  While it is a message to university teachers about knowledge and truth, I think the message is true for anyone who passes on the faith. Many thanks for Louis' translation of this.

I'll let you read it at his blog, where he has embedded video, as well.

• Medjupedia: Benedict XVI’s invitation for all persons who are involved in training and education

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World Youth Day - That's a lot of young people!

Ya know.... That's a lot of people seeing the Pope

There was an article in USA Today about World Youth Day the other day that was pretty good.  It was unusual coming from a secular paper.  You want to check your pulse when any of the secular papers isn't deriding all things Catholic. I remembered it today when I saw this aerial shot from WYD in Madrid.

USA TODAY OPINION

Column: For these millennials, faith trumps relativism

On Religion

Faith. Religion. Spirituality. Meaning. In our ever-shrinking world, the tentacles of religion touch everything from governmental policy to individual morality to our basic social constructs. It affects the lives of people of great faith — or no faith at all. This series of weekly columns — launched in 2005 — seeks to illuminate the national conversation.

When a diminutive figure emerges in a white car, they erupt, jockeying for the best view of this international superstar. A rock idol? A marquee athlete? A political prodigy?

Nope: an old man — more scholar than celebrity — smiling shyly to acknowledge the adulation.

Read the whole thing... you might be pleasantly surprised to see some things acknowledged in a secular paper.  Among the sub-headings:  "Tradition Returns" and "Substance and Sacrifice"

The snapshot at top from CTV was taken at the prayer vigil with young people at the Cuatro Vientos Airport earlier today in Spain.  It was live on EWTN this afternoon and I had it on.  Just as the Pope began to deliver his message a storm hit and he had to stop his address.  The people were unphased by the lightening, wind and rain.  It was hot and the rain may have even been welcome to some extent. I felt bad for them nonetheless, but at least they can get his words online.  You can read his address below in one of the links. 

Prayer vigil with the young people at Cuatro Vientos Airport (August 20, 2011)

• [English, French, German, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish]

Also from the 2011 World Youth Day in Madrid, I'd like to point to these.

Meeting with women religious at Patio de los Reyes de El Escorial (August 19, 2011)

• [English, French, German, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish]

Meeting with young university professors gathered in the Basilica de San Lorenzo de El Escorial (August 19, 2011)

• [English, French, German, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish]

Eucharist with seminarians at the Cathedral of Santa María la Real de la Almudena (Madrid, 20 August 2011)

• [English, French, German, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish]

You can see more,  including video at the Holy See's webpage for World Youth Day in Madrid here:

http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/travels/2011/index_madrid_en.htm


Pope Announces St. John of Avila to be named a doctor of universal Church.

Check it out at news.va: http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-proclaims-st-john-of-avila-doctor-of-the-univ

Here is some background at Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_of_Avila

I suppose that means we will see more of his works in English? Does anyone know if there are works published in English yet?

St. John of the Cross and Teresa of Avila listened to the sermons of this secular priest. 

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Pope Benedict Announces New Portal for Vatican News... via Twitter on iPad

Cute .... The Holy Father using an iPad to kick off the Vatican's new portal for news.   This is just to help with the flow of news, and if you are in an English speaking country, or know English, you are fortunate.  It seems the two main languages right now are Italian and English. I believe others will follow.

The site will likely be bug-prone as are most new launches (note the "Beta" in the far right of the icon), so be patient.  Also, from what I understand, the site does not yet have an archive system, so stories will only be there for a limited time.  Keep that in mind if you link to something and perhaps look for an alternate news service if you want the information to remain with your post more indefinitely.

This new site combines several news-related functions into one place (click on the tabs), but the original vatican.va site is still there where you will find archives of the Holy Father's various addresses and homilies, etc.

Go check it out, click around, "Like" them on Facebook (upper right hand corner), follow them on Twitter, etc. 

In any, it's a nice start.  And, even the secular press is taking notice that, as shown in the pic at top, Pope Benedict announced the launch o the new site on with a Tweet on an iPad.  Follow Vatican News on Twitter @news_va_en

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With a Click from Pope Benedict, new Vatican News Portal will Launch

From the National Catholic Register:

VATICAN CITY (EWTN News/CNA) — On June 28, Pope Benedict XVI will launch the Vatican’s first multimedia news portal, which is also designed for mobile devices.


“We are trying to give everybody an opportunity to have Vatican news immediately in a modern and accessible way, using new technology,” said Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli, president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, in an interview with EWTN News on June 27.


He explained that the Pope will have the privilege of giving the “first click” to take the site online, a reflection of the way Pope Pius XI inaugurated the transmission of Vatican Radio 80 years ago.


Father Federico Lombardi, director of the Holy See’s Press Office, explained to EWTN News that the Pope’s first click will be “a simple but powerful and symbolic action” to demonstrate that the new initiative is a response to “a desire of the Pope for the new communication of the Church.”

Read more: http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/vatican-news-portal-will-launch-with-click-from-pope/#ixzz1QWzgYwiF

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Video: Pope Benedict speaks with Astronauts

Compliments of Nasa.gov, is this video.

The Holy Father had an exchange with the astronauts after briefly addressing them.  He expressed his hope for continued improvement for Gabby Giffords, the wife of Commander Mark Kelly.  He then asked some questions of the astronauts.

Interesting what zero gravity does with long hair, eh? I suppose there is no such thing as a bad hair day in space. But, I suspect there is a scary hair day - LOL.

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Fr. Z offers some thoughts on Vol 2 of Pope Benedict's "Jesus of Nazareth"

Soon to be released is the second volume of Pope Benedict's, "Jesus of Nazareth".  It should be available on March 10th. 

Fr.  Z has a copy of the book, sent to him by the publisher and he offers an initial post on it.  Note the "part 1" so stay tuned...

Go read: REVIEW: Some thoughts about the Pope’s new book – part I

Pre-order/order here: Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week: From the Entrance Into Jerusalem To The Resurrection.  There is also a Kindle Edition.

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Link to Full Text: Holy Father discusses St. John of the Cross

In his general audience this past Wednesday, the Holy Father spoke on St. John of the Cross.  Many of these audiences are found only partially translated (see example here) at the Vatican's website.  Zenit offers us a full translation. 

Follow the link below to continue reading at Zenit.

On St. John of the Cross


"If a Man Has a Great Love Within … He Endures Life’s Problems More Easily"


VATICAN CITY, FEB. 16, 2011 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI gave today during the weekly general audience in Paul VI Hall. In his Italian-language address, the Pope centered his meditation on the figure of St. John of the Cross, priest of the Order of Discalced Carmelites and doctor of the Church (1542-1591).


* * *


Dear Brothers and Sisters,


Two weeks ago I presented the figure of the great Spanish mystic Teresa of Jesus. Today I would like to speak about another important saint of that land, a spiritual friend of St. Teresa, a reformer, and like St. Teresa, a member of the Carmelite religious family: St John of the Cross, proclaimed a doctor of the Church by Pope Pius XI in 1926, and who is traditionally referred to as Doctor Mysticus, "Mystical Doctor."


John of the Cross was born in 1542 in small village of Fontiveros, near Avila, in Castilla la Vieja, son of Gonzalo de Yepes and Catalina Álvarez. The family was very poor because the father, of noble birth from Toledo, was expelled from his home and disinherited for having married Catalina, a humble silk weaver. John's father died when the youth was very young, and at nine years old, John went with his mother and brother Francisco to Medina del Campo, near Valladolid, a commercial and cultural center. Here he attended the "Colegio de los Doctrinos," also carrying out humble works for the nuns of the church-convent of Magdalen.


Subsequently, given his human qualities and the results of his studies, he was admitted first as nurse in the Hospital of the Conception and later in the College of the Jesuits, just founded in Medina del Campo. John entered it at 18 and studied social sciences, rhetoric and classical languages for three years. At the end of his formation, his vocation was very clear to him: the religious life and, among the many orders present in Medina, he felt called to the Carmel.


In the summer of 1563 he began his novitiate among the Carmelites of the city, taking the religious name of Matthew. The following year he was sent to the prestigious University of Salamanca, where he studied Philosophy and Arts for three years. In 1567, he was ordained priest and returned to Medina del Campo to celebrate his first Mass surrounded by the affection of his family.


It was precisely here that the first meeting took place between John and Teresa of Jesus. The meeting was decisive for both: Teresa set forth her plan for the reform of Carmel also in the masculine branch, and suggested that John adhere to it "for the greater glory of God." The young priest was fascinated by Teresa's ideas, to the point of becoming a great supporter of the project. They both worked together for some months, sharing ideals and proposals to open as soon as possible the first house of Discalced Carmelites. The opening took place on Dec. 28, 1568, in Duruelo, a solitary place in the province of Avila.


With John, the first masculine community was formed with three other companions. On renewing their religious profession according to the Primitive Rule, the four adopted new names: John then called himself "of the Cross," the name with which he would later be known universally. At the end of 1572, at the request of St. Teresa, he became confessor and vicar of the Monastery of the Incarnation in Avila, where the saint was prioress. They were years of close collaboration and spiritual friendship, which enriched them both. During that period were written the most important Teresian works and John's first writings.


Adherence to the Carmelite reform was not easy, and it even resulted in grave suffering for John. The most dramatic incident was his seizure and imprisonment in 1577 in the convent of the Carmelites of the Ancient Observance of Toledo, which was the result of an unjust accusation. The saint remained in prison for six months, subjected to privations and physical and moral constraints. Here he composed, along with other poems, the famous "Spiritual Canticle." Finally, on the night of Aug. 16-17, 1578, he was able to escape in a hazardous way, taking refuge in the monastery of the Discalced Carmelites of the city. St. Teresa and his companions celebrated his liberation with great joy and, after a brief time to regain his strength, John was sent to Andalucia, where he spent 10 years in several convents, especially in Granada. He took on increasingly important posts in the order, eventually becoming provincial vicar, and completed the writing of his spiritual treatises.


Then he returned to the land of his birth, as a member of the general government of the Teresian religious family, which now enjoyed full juridical autonomy. He lived in the Carmel of Segovia, carrying out the office of superior of that community. In 1591, he was relieved of all responsibility and destined to the new religious Province of Mexico. While preparing for the long journey with 10 companions, he retired to a solitary convent near Jaen, where he became seriously ill.


John faced with exemplary serenity and patience enormous sufferings. He died on the night of Dec. 13-14, 1591, while his brothers recited the Morning Office. He took leave of them saying: "Today I am going to sing the Office in Heaven." His mortal remains were taken to Segovia. He was beatified by Clement X in 1675, and canonized by Benedict XIII in 1726.

Now, if you know the Holy Father's style, he is just getting warmed up and providing background.  Continue reading the rest of the address at Zenit. 

http://www.zenit.org/rssenglish-31761

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Pope Benedict's Homily on Consecrated Life; and Wednesday Audience on St. Teresa of Avila

There are two things I would like to draw your attention to tonight, that I myself have not yet had a chance to read, but hope to soo. 

• The Holy Father's homily on the Feast of the Presentation, which focused on consecrated life. 
• The Holy Father's catechesis this past Wednesday, shifts to the Church doctors, and he began with the great mystic, St. Teresa of Avila. 

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Te Deum laudamus; te Dominum confitemur! (EWTN airing First Vespers of Thanksgiving with Pope Benedict)

In a few minutes, EWTN will be airing the First Vespers of Thanksgiving, live from Rome.  It is the vigil of the Solemnity of the Mother of God. (see re-broadcast times in the pic below)

It is also traditional, at this Vespers of Thanksgiving to sing the Te Deum laudamus; te Dominum confitemur, after which this blog is named.  See my 2008 post with the words of this beautiful prayer, links, and some interesting background.

You can watch it on EWTN if you have the cable station, otherwise, go to EWTN and watch or listen to it streaming online.  

Also, if you go to DivineOffice.org - a site which carries all or most of the hours of the Divine Office (breviary) daily, click on Vespers.  Vespers, or evening prayer considers what is happening the following day, in this case, the Solemnity of the Mother of God. 

EDIT: Go to the page for 2010 Homilies at the Vatican website where we will soon see the homily uploaded in various languages. It is currently avaiable in Italian.

AT ASSUMPTION GROTTO TONIGHT

What better way to bring in the New Year than honoring the Mother of God then getting together for post-Midnight celebrations in the school. January first is a holy day of obligation...

However, in the diocese of the United States:

Whenever January 1, the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, or August 15, the solemnity of the Assumption, or November 1, the solemnity of All Saints, falls on a Saturday or on a Monday, the precept to attend Mass is abrogated.

Grotto-goers, and many other Catholics around the US, have never let dispensations from obligation to go to Mass on solemnities get in the way of the freedom to go to Mass on solemnities - when they can find a Mass.


Tonight at Assumption Grotto, at 11:00pm, there will be a vigil Mass for the Solemnity of the Mother of  God.

Before the evening ends, Fr. Perrone will lead the people in the singing of the Te Deum laudamus, te Dominum confitemur.  Other prayers, including the Holy Rosary, will follow the Mass until about 12:20/12:30 at which time those in attendance go over to the school gym for a post-Midnight celebration of the New Year.  If you can, take a dish to pass. There is secured parking.

Te Deum "Turbo-charged"
My most favorite version of the Te Deum laudamus; te Dominum confitemur has to be the one by Berlioz.  It is this movement specifically: H. Berlioz - (1/7) Te Deum, Op. 22 - I. Te Deum (Abbado)

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Pope Benedict's gripping Christmas address to the Roman Curia

Pope Benedict released a powerful message to the Roman Curia.  It was sobering to read, yet he said, what needed to be said.  While he talked a great deal about the clerical sex abuse crisis, he also talked about the culture we live in today and how we are descending into moral decay.  This is something well worth reading.  It seems long, but in reality it is only about a 10 minute read. This is powerful.  It covers far more than just the clerical sex abuse crisis. 
Rather glancing at selective quotes from it, just go read it! I will start you out with the first few paragraphs:

ADDRESS OF HIS HOLINESS BENEDICT XVI
ON THE OCCASION OF CHRISTMAS GREETINGS
TO THE ROMAN CURIA


Sala Regia
Monday, 20 December 2010


Dear Cardinals,
Brother Bishops and Priests,
Dear Brothers and Sisters,


It gives me great pleasure to be here with you, dear Members of the College of Cardinals and Representatives of the Roman Curia and the Governatorato, for this traditional gathering. I extend a cordial greeting to each one of you, beginning with Cardinal Angelo Sodano, whom I thank for his sentiments of devotion and communion and for the warm good wishes that he expressed to me on behalf of all of you. Prope est jam Dominus, venite, adoremus! As one family let us contemplate the mystery of Emmanuel, God-with-us, as the Cardinal Dean has said. I gladly reciprocate his good wishes and I would like to thank all of you most sincerely, including the Papal Representatives all over the world, for the able and generous contribution that each of you makes to the Vicar of Christ and to the Church.


Excita, Domine, potentiam tuam, et veni. Repeatedly during the season of Advent the Church’s liturgy prays in these or similar words. They are invocations that were probably formulated as the Roman Empire was in decline. The disintegration of the key principles of law and of the fundamental moral attitudes underpinning them burst open the dams which until that time had protected peaceful coexistence among peoples. The sun was setting over an entire world. Frequent natural disasters further increased this sense of insecurity. There was no power in sight that could put a stop to this decline. All the more insistent, then, was the invocation of the power of God: the plea that he might come and protect his people from all these threats.


Excita, Domine, potentiam tuam, et veni. Today too, we have many reasons to associate ourselves with this Advent prayer of the Church. For all its new hopes and possibilities, our world is at the same time troubled by the sense that moral consensus is collapsing, consensus without which juridical and political structures cannot function. Consequently the forces mobilized for the defence of such structures seem doomed to failure.


Excita – the prayer recalls the cry addressed to the Lord who was sleeping in the disciples’ storm-tossed boat as it was close to sinking. When his powerful word had calmed the storm, he rebuked the disciples for their little faith (cf. Mt 8:26 et par.). He wanted to say: it was your faith that was sleeping. He will say the same thing to us. Our faith too is often asleep. Let us ask him, then, to wake us from the sleep of a faith grown tired, and to restore to that faith the power to move mountains – that is, to order justly the affairs of the world.


[Continue reading Pope Benedict's 2010 Christmas address to the Roman Curia at the Vatican website...]

Pray for our bishops and priests.  May God give them the holy boldness they need to step up to the plate.

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No, the Pope did not change the Church's teaching on condoms...

Secular journalists around the world have once again not taken the time to actually read what Pope Benedict XVI said and distortions abound on the web. It concerns a topic covered in a new book by Peter Seewald in which he interviewed Pope Benedict XVI: Light of the World: The Pope, The Church and The Signs Of The Times.
I like part of Tom Peters' opening quote from his post: Condoms, Consistency, and the Vatican’s Crisis of (mis)Communication

Like clockwork, the mainstream media has smashed the pope’s nuanced comments through a sausage grinder of bias, ignorance, mistranslation, and agenda into headlines such as this: “Pope says condoms can be justified in some cases.”

Yeah.  that sums up how it happens.   Tom has a number of links in his article. 

Jimmy Akin has some good analysis, and links to others, as well in his post: The Pope said what about condoms?



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The Pope and the Turbo-Charged Censer

The Holy Father was in Spain, and has since departed.  Vatican Radio sums up the visit:

What a difference 32 hours make.


In that space of time Pope Benedict XVI travelled to two cities in two autonomous regions in Spain, imparting his message along the way.


The Holy Father spoke about, pilgrimage, Christianity and its roots, re-evangelisation, encountering God, faith and art, the family, and charity.


Looking back on this visit for me is like a series of snapshots, I recall a foggy morning in Santiago de Compostela that turned into a glorious day; I picture the euphoric atmosphere at the Cathedral of Saint James and the Pope’s happy face as he was greeted by thousands.


Another abiding memory was watching the preparations just before the dedication of the Basilica of the Sagrada Familia and seeing its Chief Architect, who has worked on this masterpiece for years, making sure that everything was in place for the this great occasion.


But of course another snap shot would have to be the day itself and seeing even Pope Benedict marvel at this work by Antoni Gaudi that is now a true place of faith.


But it was also the little things too that made this visit so special, like the young girl at the centre for disabilities who touched the heart of the Pope by her simple but moving speech.


Yes, this visit was short but it was memorable, centring on the Pope’s call to Europe to learn from its Christian past in order to go forward in faith; to be one family like the pilgrims in Santiago de Compostela journeying together for a common purpose that has no barriers, the Gospel of Christ.


Pope Benedict said as he ended his pilgrimage here, with the Lord’s help he would encounter the people of Spain once again for World Youth Day 2011 in Madrid. If this trip is anything to go by a rousing reception is assured.


In Barcelona I’m Lydia O’Kane.

TURBO-CHARGED CENSER

You might remember "Tool Time Tim" from the hit TV series Home Improvement.  He was always "turbo-charging" something.  Tim would be proud of this censer.

You don't need to know Spanish to understand what is going on in this video. There's a bit of background and history over at Whispers.  In a word: Whoa!  I was worried about the Holy Father getting his bell rung on a few of those passes of the censer.





In another video, we see the Holy Father dedicates the Sagrada Familia as a Basilica. 

Italian Journalist Sandro Magister gives us some background on this. His introduction reads as follows:

Benedict XVI is going to Barcelona to consecrate the masterpiece basilica. And he is proposing it as a model for modern builders of churches. A visitor's guide to the astonishing edifice.

Here is another video which goes into some details of the dedication ceremony.

More on the Pope's Visit to Spain from the Vatican website (speeches, homilies, etc.)


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Pope Benedict XVI's address to seminarians is a like steak after decades of cheap hamburger

Pope Benedict XVI with seminarians at Catholic Univeristy of America

in Washington D.C. during his 2008 visit.

(source)

In a word: Wow! 

I, like many, was saddened to see the Year for Priests come to an end, but with this amazing letter to seminarians, he's not done speaking about the priesthood.  He hits one out of the park.

I have to run, but am going to come back later and highlight a few quotes. 

Read this through.  He nails it - as always.  B16 does not serve cheap hamburger when there is so much steak to offer. 

From the Vatican website

LETTER OF HIS HOLINESS BENEDICT XVI

TO SEMINARIANS

Dear Seminarians,


When in December 1944 I was drafted for military service, the company commander asked each of us what we planned to do in the future. I answered that I wanted to become a Catholic priest. The lieutenant replied: “Then you ought to look for something else. In the new Germany priests are no longer needed”. I knew that this “new Germany” was already coming to an end, and that, after the enormous devastation which that madness had brought upon the country, priests would be needed more than ever. Today the situation is completely changed. In different ways, though, many people nowadays also think that the Catholic priesthood is not a “job” for the future, but one that belongs more to the past. You, dear friends, have decided to enter the seminary and to prepare for priestly ministry in the Catholic Church in spite of such opinions and objections. You have done a good thing. Because people will always have need of God, even in an age marked by technical mastery of the world and globalization: they will always need the God who has revealed himself in Jesus Christ, the God who gathers us together in the universal Church in order to learn with him and through him life’s true meaning and in order to uphold and apply the standards of true humanity. Where people no longer perceive God, life grows empty; nothing is ever enough. People then seek escape in euphoria and violence; these are the very things that increasingly threaten young people. God is alive. He has created every one of us and he knows us all. He is so great that he has time for the little things in our lives: “Every hair of your head is numbered”. God is alive, and he needs people to serve him and bring him to others. It does makes sense to become a priest: the world needs priests, pastors, today, tomorrow and always, until the end of time.


The seminary is a community journeying towards priestly ministry. I have said something very important here: one does not become a priest on one’s own. The “community of disciples” is essential, the fellowship of those who desire to serve the greater Church. In this letter I would like to point out – thinking back to my own time in the seminary – several elements which I consider important for these years of your journeying.


1. Anyone who wishes to become a priest must be first and foremost a “man of God”, to use the expression of Saint Paul (1 Tim 6:11). For us God is not some abstract hypothesis; he is not some stranger who left the scene after the “big bang”. God has revealed himself in Jesus Christ. In the face of Jesus Christ we see the face of God. In his words we hear God himself speaking to us. It follows that the most important thing in our path towards priesthood and during the whole of our priestly lives is our personal relationship with God in Jesus Christ. The priest is not the leader of a sort of association whose membership he tries to maintain and expand. He is God’s messenger to his people. He wants to lead them to God and in this way to foster authentic communion between all men and women. That is why it is so important, dear friends, that you learn to live in constant intimacy with God. When the Lord tells us to “pray constantly”, he is obviously not asking us to recite endless prayers, but urging us never to lose our inner closeness to God. Praying means growing in this intimacy. So it is important that our day should begin and end with prayer; that we listen to God as the Scriptures are read; that we share with him our desires and our hopes, our joys and our troubles, our failures and our thanks for all his blessings, and thus keep him ever before us as the point of reference for our lives. In this way we grow aware of our failings and learn to improve, but we also come to appreciate all the beauty and goodness which we daily take for granted and so we grow in gratitude. With gratitude comes joy for the fact that God is close to us and that we can serve him.


2. For us God is not simply Word. In the sacraments he gives himself to us in person, through physical realities. At the heart of our relationship with God and our way of life is the Eucharist. Celebrating it devoutly, and thus encountering Christ personally, should be the centre of all our days. In Saint Cyprian’s interpretation of the Gospel prayer, “Give us this day our daily bread”, he says among other things that “our” bread – the bread which we receive as Christians in the Church – is the Eucharistic Lord himself. In this petition of the Our Father, then, we pray that he may daily give us “our” bread; and that it may always nourish our lives; that the Risen Christ, who gives himself to us in the Eucharist, may truly shape the whole of our lives by the radiance of his divine love. The proper celebration of the Eucharist involves knowing, understanding and loving the Church’s liturgy in its concrete form. In the liturgy we pray with the faithful of every age – the past, the present and the future are joined in one great chorus of prayer. As I can state from personal experience, it is inspiring to learn how it all developed, what a great experience of faith is reflected in the structure of the Mass, and how it has been shaped by the prayer of many generations.


3. The sacrament of Penance is also important. It teaches me to see myself as God sees me, and it forces me to be honest with myself. It leads me to humility. The Curé of Ars once said: “You think it makes no sense to be absolved today, because you know that tomorrow you will commit the same sins over again. Yet,” he continues, “God instantly forgets tomorrow’s sins in order to give you his grace today.” Even when we have to struggle continually with the same failings, it is important to resist the coarsening of our souls and the indifference which would simply accept that this is the way we are. It is important to keep pressing forward, without scrupulosity, in the grateful awareness that God forgives us ever anew – yet also without the indifference that might lead us to abandon altogether the struggle for holiness and self-improvement. Moreover, by letting myself be forgiven, I learn to forgive others. In recognizing my own weakness, I grow more tolerant and understanding of the failings of my neighbour.


4. I urge you to retain an appreciation for popular piety, which is different in every culture yet always remains very similar, for the human heart is ultimately one and the same. Certainly, popular piety tends towards the irrational, and can at times be somewhat superficial. Yet it would be quite wrong to dismiss it. Through that piety, the faith has entered human hearts and become part of the common patrimony of sentiments and customs, shaping the life and emotions of the community. Popular piety is thus one of the Church’s great treasures. The faith has taken on flesh and blood. Certainly popular piety always needs to be purified and refocused, yet it is worthy of our love and it truly makes us into the “People of God”.


5. Above all, your time in the seminary is also a time of study. The Christian faith has an essentially rational and intellectual dimension. Were it to lack that dimension, it would not be itself. Paul speaks of a “standard of teaching” to which we were entrusted in Baptism (Rom 6:17). All of you know the words of Saint Peter which the medieval theologians saw as the justification for a rational and scientific theology: “Always be ready to make your defence to anyone who demands from you an ‘accounting’ (logos) for the hope that is in you” (1 Pet 3:15). Learning how to make such a defence is one of the primary responsibilities of your years in the seminary. I can only plead with you: Be committed to your studies! Take advantage of your years of study! You will not regret it. Certainly, the subjects which you are studying can often seem far removed from the practice of the Christian life and the pastoral ministry. Yet it is completely mistaken to start questioning their practical value by asking: Will this be helpful to me in the future? Will it be practically or pastorally useful? The point is not simply to learn evidently useful things, but to understand and appreciate the internal structure of the faith as a whole, so that it can become a response to people’s questions, which on the surface change from one generation to another yet ultimately remain the same. For this reason it is important to move beyond the changing questions of the moment in order to grasp the real questions, and so to understand how the answers are real answers. It is important to have a thorough knowledge of sacred Scripture as a whole, in its unity as the Old and the New Testaments: the shaping of texts, their literary characteristics, the process by which they came to form the canon of sacred books, their dynamic inner unity, a unity which may not be immediately apparent but which in fact gives the individual texts their full meaning. It is important to be familiar with the Fathers and the great Councils in which the Church appropriated, through faith-filled reflection, the essential statements of Scripture. I could easily go on. What we call dogmatic theology is the understanding of the individual contents of the faith in their unity, indeed, in their ultimate simplicity: each single element is, in the end, only an unfolding of our faith in the one God who has revealed himself to us and continues to do so. I do not need to point out the importance of knowing the essential issues of moral theology and Catholic social teaching. The importance nowadays of ecumenical theology, and of a knowledge of the different Christian communities, is obvious; as is the need for a basic introduction to the great religions, to say nothing of philosophy: the understanding of that human process of questioning and searching to which faith seeks to respond. But you should also learn to understand and – dare I say it – to love canon law, appreciating how necessary it is and valuing its practical applications: a society without law would be a society without rights. Law is the condition of love. I will not go on with this list, but I simply say once more: love the study of theology and carry it out in the clear realization that theology is anchored in the living community of the Church, which, with her authority, is not the antithesis of theological science but its presupposition. Cut off from the believing Church, theology would cease to be itself and instead it would become a medley of different disciplines lacking inner unity.


6. Your years in the seminary should also be a time of growth towards human maturity. It is important for the priest, who is called to accompany others through the journey of life up to the threshold of death, to have the right balance of heart and mind, reason and feeling, body and soul, and to be humanly integrated. To the theological virtues the Christian tradition has always joined the cardinal virtues derived from human experience and philosophy, and, more generally, from the sound ethical tradition of humanity. Paul makes this point this very clearly to the Philippians: “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (4:8). This also involves the integration of sexuality into the whole personality. Sexuality is a gift of the Creator yet it is also a task which relates to a person’s growth towards human maturity. When it is not integrated within the person, sexuality becomes banal and destructive. Today we can see many examples of this in our society. Recently we have seen with great dismay that some priests disfigured their ministry by sexually abusing children and young people. Instead of guiding people to greater human maturity and setting them an example, their abusive behaviour caused great damage for which we feel profound shame and regret. As a result of all this, many people, perhaps even some of you, might ask whether it is good to become a priest; whether the choice of celibacy makes any sense as a truly human way of life. Yet even the most reprehensible abuse cannot discredit the priestly mission, which remains great and pure. Thank God, all of us know exemplary priests, men shaped by their faith, who bear witness that one can attain to an authentic, pure and mature humanity in this state and specifically in the life of celibacy. Admittedly, what has happened should make us all the more watchful and attentive, precisely in order to examine ourselves earnestly, before God, as we make our way towards priesthood, so as to understand whether this is his will for me. It is the responsibility of your confessor and your superiors to accompany you and help you along this path of discernment. It is an essential part of your journey to practise the fundamental human virtues, with your gaze fixed on the God who has revealed himself in Christ, and to let yourselves be purified by him ever anew.


7. The origins of a priestly vocation are nowadays more varied and disparate than in the past. Today the decision to become a priest often takes shape after one has already entered upon a secular profession. Often it grows within the Communities, particularly within the Movements, which favour a communal encounter with Christ and his Church, spiritual experiences and joy in the service of the faith. It also matures in very personal encounters with the nobility and the wretchedness of human existence. As a result, candidates for the priesthood often live on very different spiritual continents. It can be difficult to recognize the common elements of one’s future mandate and its spiritual path. For this very reason, the seminary is important as a community which advances above and beyond differences of spirituality. The Movements are a magnificent thing. You know how much I esteem them and love them as a gift of the Holy Spirit to the Church. Yet they must be evaluated by their openness to what is truly Catholic, to the life of the whole Church of Christ, which for all her variety still remains one. The seminary is a time when you learn with one another and from one another. In community life, which can at times be difficult, you should learn generosity and tolerance, not only bearing with, but also enriching one another, so that each of you will be able to contribute his own gifts to the whole, even as all serve the same Church, the same Lord. This school of tolerance, indeed, of mutual acceptance and mutual understanding in the unity of Christ’s Body, is an important part of your years in the seminary.


Dear seminarians, with these few lines I have wanted to let you know how often I think of you, especially in these difficult times, and how close I am to you in prayer. Please pray for me, that I may exercise my ministry well, as long as the Lord may wish. I entrust your journey of preparation for priesthood to the maternal protection of Mary Most Holy, whose home was a school of goodness and of grace. May Almighty God bless you all, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.


From the Vatican, 18 October 2010, the Feast of Saint Luke the Evangelist.


Yours devotedly in the Lord,
BENEDICTUS PP. XVI

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