Lutheran Theologian on Pope Benedict: The Dictatorship of Relativism Strikes Back - and Goes Nuclear

h/t to Kevin Knight over at New Advent for this excellent article by John Stephenson, a Lutheran theologian.

The secular press has had it in for Joseph Ratzinger for going on three decades. Before his election as Pope in the spring of 2005, he was routinely derided in his homeland as the Panzerkardinal (“tank cardinal”) and caricatured in North America as the “Enforcer” or even the “Rottweiler.” The roots of this negative reputation stretch back at least as far as the book-length interview he granted to the Italian journalist Vittorio Messori that catapulted him to global fame when published as The Ratzinger Report in 1985. Prior to that juncture, as a heavyweight German academic who had leapfrogged over a major episcopal see (Munich-Freising) to become a leading official in the Roman curia (as cardinal prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith) under the still new John Paul II, Ratzinger’s was hardly a household name.

Continue reading: Dictatorship of Relativism Strikes Back - and Goes Nuclear

Talk about Nuclear!
Now, just to show that it has gone nuclear we have this from LifeSiteNews.com:  UN Judge: Pope Should be Prosecuted at International Criminal Court for "Crimes against Humanity".  That's it - I'm awarding this judge the "Kangaroo Court" award of the year.

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The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church; it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!

Pope Benedict: The joys of life are not the final goal...

From Zenit:

VATICAN CITY, FEB. 28, 2010 (Zenit.org).- The joys of life are not the final goal, but rather lights on the path to an eternal destination, says Benedict XVI.


This was the conclusion the Pope came to at the end of a reflection today on the Transfiguration, which he called an "extraordinary event" that is "an encouragement in following Jesus."


Before praying the midday Angelus with those gathered in St. Peter's Square, he noted that the three disciples who witness the Transfiguration were asleep: "It is the attitude of those who, although spectators of divine prodigies, do not understand them. Only the struggle against the torpor that assails them allows Peter, James and John to 'see' Jesus' glory."

"As Moses and Elijah depart from Jesus," the Holy Father said recounting the Gospel account, "Peter speaks, and while he is speaking, a cloud covers him and the other disciples with its shadow; it is a cloud that, although it conceals also reveals God's glory, as happened for the people of Israel on pilgrimage through the desert."

"The eyes can no longer see," he added, "but the ears can hear the voice that comes from the cloud: 'This is my Son, my chosen one; listen to him!'"


Benedict XVI explained that suddenly, "the disciples are no longer before a transfigured face, nor before a dazzling garment, nor a cloud that reveals the divine presence. Before their eyes there is 'only Jesus.'


"Jesus is alone before his Father as he prays, but at the same time, Jesus is everything that is given to the disciples of all times: It is what must suffice on the journey.


"He is the only voice to listen to, the only one to follow, he who, going up to Jerusalem, will give his life and one day 'will transfigure our miserable body to conform it to his glorious body.'"


"The Transfiguration reminds us that the joys sown by God in our life are not the destination," reflected the Holy Father, "but they are lights that he gives us on the earthly pilgrimage, so that 'only Jesus' is our Law and his Word the criterion that guides our existence."

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The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church; it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!

Pope Benedict Giving New Direction to Dialogue

Interreligious dialouge has always been a touchy subject. Some involved in it, have not always been clear about the mission of the Church, portraying more of a "all religions are equal" signal in talks. This article explains how Pope Benedict is redirecting these talks. I'll start you out here, and then follow the link to finish reading at Zenit.

Cardinal Says Pope Giving New Direction to Dialogue

Benedict XVI Urges "Crossing Bridges" Built by Predecessors

NAIROBI, Kenya, APRIL 23, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI is encouraging the participants in interreligious dialogue to cross the bridges that have been built by decades of focus on friendship and tolerance, contended the president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue.

Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran affirmed this April 16 when he opened a five-day conference in Nairobi on "Formation in Interreligious Dialogue in Sub-Saharan Africa."

The conference brought together bishops and heads of interreligious dialogue departments of the Church in Africa, as well as representatives of other religions.

Participants examined programs of formation for different pastoral ministers (priests, religious men and women, and the lay faithful) to find out how best to prepare Catholics to relate well with people of other religious traditions.

The cardinal began his opening address by emphasizing that the Church promotes interreligious dialogue: "My dear friends, 43 years ago His Holiness Pope Paul VI, published his first papal encyclical, 'Ecclesiam Suam,' in which he underlined the new spirit of dialogue and collaboration manifesting itself in the world."

Respectful and meek

Paul VI, the cardinal explained, noted three categories of people with whom the Church would dialogue: those opposed to faith, non-Christians, and non-Catholic Christians.

"The foresighted Pontiff went further to describe the characteristics of this dialogue," Cardinal Tauran said. "It must respect human freedom and dignity and be accompanied by meekness. He drew attention to the dangers of relativism of watering down or whittling away of truth."

The pontifical council president went on to explain the advances in dialogue made with the Second Vatican Council's "Nostra Aetate," and the teaching of the Popes since then.

However, he clarified, the Church does not believe that all religions are more or less the same, though all the partners in dialogue are equal in dignity.

"As might be expected, for different reasons, not every person is enthused about interreligious dialogue," Cardinal Tauran acknowledged. "There are those who think that interreligious dialogue, if not a betrayal of the mission of the Church to convert every person to Christ, is a new method of winning members to Christianity.

"There are those who hold that the drive of the Church for interreligious relations is an effort to control the spread of other religions. It is not any of these. In 'Nostra Aetate,' 'The Church … urges her sons -- and daughters -- to enter with prudence and charity into discussion and collaboration with members of other religions. Let Christians, while witnessing to their own faith and way of life, acknowledge, preserve and encourage the spiritual and moral truths found among non-Christians, also their social life and culture."

A journey

Cardinal Tauran continued clarifying the nature of interreligious dialogue: "Interreligious dialogue is certainly a bridge-building exercise. […] It includes creating harmony in society, encouraging development of friendship and spirit of tolerance. But it goes beyond the niceties of polite conversation which encourages people to stay where they are and avoid talking about the grey areas of disagreement. It is a journey in search of the truth."

And, he said, it is dialogue "animated and expressed in works of charity."

Yet, with its now long history, interreligious dialogue is experiencing...
[...continue reading at Zenit]

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Rich Lowry on Pope Benedict and the Dictatorship of Relativism

Aside from Pope John Paul II getting my attention with his death at a time when I had become pretty indifferent interiorly toward's my faith, I would attribute my turning to the Lord to the former Cardinal Ratzinger and his pre-conclave address. It was in that address that he used the words, "dictatorship of relativism". I tried brush off the expression, but it kept haunting me in every paper, every news channel, and the radio. I didn't even know what relativism meant and finally, after seeing it for the umpteenth time, looked it up in the dictionary:

Philos. any theory of ethics or knowledge based on the idea that all values or judgments are relative, differing according to circumstances, persons, cultures, etc

Rich Lowry, the editor of the National Review, posted an editorial on this very subject and Fr. Z comments throughout.

Conversi ad Dominum!

Go read, NatReview: Rich Lowry - editor on “Dictatorship of Relativism”

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Pope Benedict: Sex abuse scandal sometimes very badly handled

Since I could not be home when the Holy Father addressed the bishops, I taped it. I'm blogging as I'm listening to coverage of it.

According to Raymond Arroyo's commentary before the address began, this was suppose to be an "off the record, private meeting" between the Pope and bishops. It was only a few weeks ago that the Holy Father instructed organizers to put cameras in the crypt church below the Basilica of National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception where the address would be given. Raymond Arroyo says he had heard from several sources that the the Pontiff wanted the American people to hear what the Pope said, not what a few bishops said the Pope said.

Considering the topic, this needed to be public and I'm very grateful to the Holy Father for sharing it in this way.

Cardinal George of Chicago, and head of the USCCB opened with a very strong statement in which he acknowledged to the Holy Father that sexual abuse scandal was not handled well by some bishops.

Here it is in it's entirety. Read it slowly, and carefully. It is rich in so many ways.

Address to the Bishops
of the United States

During his Apostolic Journey to the United States the Holy Father met with the Bishops of the United States on 16 April 2008 at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception and delivered the following address.

Dear Brother Bishops,

It gives me great joy to greet you today, at the start of my visit to this country, and I thank Cardinal George for the gracious words he has addressed to me on your behalf. I want to thank all of you, especially the Officers of the Episcopal Conference, for the hard work that has gone into the preparation of this visit. My grateful appreciation goes also to the staff and volunteers of the National Shrine, who have welcomed us here this evening. American Catholics are noted for their loyal devotion to the see of Peter. My pastoral visit here is an opportunity to strengthen further the bonds of communion that unite us. We began by celebrating Evening Prayer in this Basilica dedicated to the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a shrine of special significance to American Catholics, right in the heart of your capital city. Gathered in prayer with Mary, Mother of Jesus, we lovingly commend to our heavenly Father the people of God in every part of the United States.

For the Catholic communities of Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Louisville, this is a year of particular celebration, as it marks the bicentenary of the establishment of these local Churches as Dioceses. I join you in giving thanks for the many graces granted to the Church there during these two centuries. As this year also marks the bicentenary of the elevation of the founding see of Baltimore to an Archdiocese, it gives me an opportunity to recall with admiration and gratitude the life and ministry of John Carroll, the first Bishop of Baltimore - a worthy leader of the Catholic community in your newly independent nation. His tireless efforts to spread the Gospel in the vast territory under his care laid the foundations for the ecclesial life of your country and enabled the Church in America to grow to maturity. Today the Catholic community you serve is one of the largest in the world, and one of the most influential. How important it is, then, to let your light so shine before your fellow citizens and before the world, "that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven" (Mt 5:16).

Many of the people to whom John Carroll and his fellow Bishops were ministering two centuries ago had travelled from distant lands. The diversity of their origins is reflected in the rich variety of ecclesial life in present-day America. Brother Bishops, I want to encourage you and your communities to continue to welcome the immigrants who join your ranks today, to share their joys and hopes, to support them in their sorrows and trials, and to help them flourish in their new home. This, indeed, is what your fellow countrymen have done for generations. From the beginning, they have opened their doors to the tired, the poor, the "huddled masses yearning to breathe free" (cf. Sonnet inscribed on the Statue of Liberty). These are the people whom America has made her own.

Of those who came to build a new life here, many were able to make good use of the resources and opportunities that they found, and to attain a high level of prosperity. Indeed, the people of this country are known for their great vitality and creativity. They are also known for their generosity. After the attack on the Twin Towers in September 2001, and again after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Americans displayed their readiness to come to the aid of their brothers and sisters in need. On the international level, the contribution made by the people of America to relief and rescue operations after the tsunami of December 2004 is a further illustration of this compassion. Let me express my particular appreciation for the many forms of humanitarian assistance provided by American Catholics through Catholic Charities and other agencies. Their generosity has borne fruit in the care shown to the poor and needy, and in the energy that has gone into building the nationwide network of Catholic parishes, hospitals, schools and universities. All of this gives great cause for thanksgiving.

America is also a land of great faith. Your people are remarkable for their religious fervor and they take pride in belonging to a worshipping community. They have confidence in God, and they do not hesitate to bring moral arguments rooted in biblical faith into their public discourse. Respect for freedom of religion is deeply ingrained in the American consciousness - a fact which has contributed to this country's attraction for generations of immigrants, seeking a home where they can worship freely in accordance with their beliefs.

In this connection, I happily acknowledge the presence among you of Bishops from all the venerable Eastern Churches in communion with the Successor of Peter, whom I greet with special joy. Dear Brothers, I ask you to assure your communities of my deep affection and my continued prayers, both for them and for the many brothers and sisters who remain in their land of origin. Your presence here is a reminder of the courageous witness to Christ of so many members of your communities, often amid suffering, in their respective homelands. It is also a great enrichment of the ecclesial life of America, giving vivid expression to the Church's catholicity and the variety of her liturgical and spiritual traditions.

It is in this fertile soil, nourished from so many different sources, that all of you, Brother Bishops, are called to sow the seeds of the Gospel today. This leads me to ask how, in the twenty-first century, a bishop can best fulfill the call to "make all things new in Christ, our hope"? How can he lead his people to "an encounter with the living God", the source of that life-transforming hope of which the Gospel speaks (cf. Spe Salvi, 4)? Perhaps he needs to begin by clearing away some of the barriers to such an encounter. While it is true that this country is marked by a genuinely religious spirit, the subtle influence of secularism can nevertheless color the way people allow their faith to influence their behavior. Is it consistent to profess our beliefs in church on Sunday, and then during the week to promote business practices or medical procedures contrary to those beliefs? Is it consistent for practicing Catholics to ignore or exploit the poor and the marginalized, to promote sexual behavior contrary to Catholic moral teaching, or to adopt positions that contradict the right to life of every human being from conception to natural death? Any tendency to treat religion as a private matter must be resisted. Only when their faith permeates every aspect of their lives do Christians become truly open to the transforming power of the Gospel.

For an affluent society, a further obstacle to an encounter with the living God lies in the subtle influence of materialism, which can all too easily focus the attention on the hundredfold, which God promises now in this time, at the expense of the eternal life which he promises in the age to come (cf. Mk 10:30). People today need to be reminded of the ultimate purpose of their lives. They need to recognize that implanted within them is a deep thirst for God. They need to be given opportunities to drink from the wells of his infinite love. It is easy to be entranced by the almost unlimited possibilities that science and technology place before us; it is easy to make the mistake of thinking we can obtain by our own efforts the fulfillment of our deepest needs. This is an illusion. Without God, who alone bestows upon us what we by ourselves cannot attain (cf. Spe Salvi, 31), our lives are ultimately empty. People need to be constantly reminded to cultivate a relationship with him who came that we might have life in abundance (cf. Jn 10:10). The goal of all our pastoral and catechetical work, the object of our preaching, and the focus of our sacramental ministry should be to help people establish and nurture that living relationship with "Christ Jesus, our hope" (1 Tim 1:1).

In a society which values personal freedom and autonomy, it is easy to lose sight of our dependence on others as well as the responsibilities that we bear towards them. This emphasis on individualism has even affected the Church (cf. Spe Salvi, 13-15), giving rise to a form of piety which sometimes emphasizes our private relationship with God at the expense of our calling to be members of a redeemed community. Yet from the beginning, God saw that "it is not good for man to be alone" (Gen 2:18). We were created as social beings who find fulfillment only in love - for God and for our neighbor. If we are truly to gaze upon him who is the source of our joy, we need to do so as members of the people of God (cf. Spe Salvi, 14). If this seems counter-cultural, that is simply further evidence of the urgent need for a renewed evangelization of culture.

Here in America, you are blessed with a Catholic laity of considerable cultural diversity, who place their wide-ranging gifts at the service of the Church and of society at large. They look to you to offer them encouragement, leadership and direction. In an age that is saturated with information, the importance of providing sound formation in the faith cannot be overstated. American Catholics have traditionally placed a high value on religious education, both in schools and in the context of adult formation programs. These need to be maintained and expanded. The many generous men and women who devote themselves to charitable activity need to be helped to renew their dedication through a "formation of the heart": an "encounter with God in Christ which awakens their love and opens their spirits to others" (Deus Caritas Est, 31). At a time when advances in medical science bring new hope to many, they also give rise to previously unimagined ethical challenges. This makes it more important than ever to offer thorough formation in the Church's moral teaching to Catholics engaged in health care. Wise guidance is needed in all these apostolates, so that they may bear abundant fruit; if they are truly to promote the integral good of the human person, they too need to be made new in Christ our hope.

As preachers of the Gospel and leaders of the Catholic community, you are also called to participate in the exchange of ideas in the public square, helping to shape cultural attitudes. In a context where free speech is valued, and where vigorous and honest debate is encouraged, yours is a respected voice that has much to offer to the discussion of the pressing social and moral questions of the day. By ensuring that the Gospel is clearly heard, you not only form the people of your own community, but in view of the global reach of mass communication, you help to spread the message of Christian hope throughout the world.

Clearly, the Church's influence on public debate takes place on many different levels. In the United States, as elsewhere, there is much current and proposed legislation that gives cause for concern from the point of view of morality, and the Catholic community, under your guidance, needs to offer a clear and united witness on such matters. Even more important, though, is the gradual opening of the minds and hearts of the wider community to moral truth. Here much remains to be done. Crucial in this regard is the role of the lay faithful to act as a "leaven" in society. Yet it cannot be assumed that all Catholic citizens think in harmony with the Church's teaching on today's key ethical questions. Once again, it falls to you to ensure that the moral formation provided at every level of ecclesial life reflects the authentic teaching of the Gospel of life.

In this regard, a matter of deep concern to us all is the state of the family within society. Indeed, Cardinal George mentioned earlier that you have included the strengthening of marriage and family life among the priorities for your attention over the next few years. In this year's World Day of Peace Message I spoke of the essential contribution that healthy family life makes to peace within and between nations. In the family home we experience "some of the fundamental elements of peace: justice and love between brothers and sisters, the role of authority expressed by parents, loving concern for the members who are weaker because of youth, sickness or old age, mutual help in the necessities of life, readiness to accept others and, if necessary, to forgive them" (no. 3). The family is also the primary place for evangelization, for passing on the faith, for helping young people to appreciate the importance of religious practice and Sunday observance. How can we not be dismayed as we observe the sharp decline of the family as a basic element of Church and society? Divorce and infidelity have increased, and many young men and women are choosing to postpone marriage or to forego it altogether. To some young Catholics, the sacramental bond of marriage seems scarcely distinguishable from a civil bond, or even a purely informal and open-ended arrangement to live with another person. Hence we have an alarming decrease in the number of Catholic marriages in the United States together with an increase in cohabitation, in which the Christ-like mutual self-giving of spouses, sealed by a public promise to live out the demands of an indissoluble lifelong commitment, is simply absent. In such circumstances, children are denied the secure environment that they need in order truly to flourish as human beings, and society is denied the stable building blocks which it requires if the cohesion and moral focus of the community are to be maintained.

As my predecessor, Pope John Paul II taught, "The person principally responsible in the Diocese for the pastoral care of the family is the Bishop ... he must devote to it personal interest, care, time, personnel and resources, but above all personal support for the families and for all those who … assist him in the pastoral care of the family" (Familiaris Consortio, 73). It is your task to proclaim boldly the arguments from faith and reason in favor of the institution of marriage, understood as a lifelong commitment between a man and a woman, open to the transmission of life. This message should resonate with people today, because it is essentially an unconditional and unreserved "yes" to life, a "yes" to love, and a "yes" to the aspirations at the heart of our common humanity, as we strive to fulfill our deep yearning for intimacy with others and with the Lord.

Among the countersigns to the Gospel of life found in America and elsewhere is one that causes deep shame: the sexual abuse of minors. Many of you have spoken to me of the enormous pain that your communities have suffered when clerics have betrayed their priestly obligations and duties by such gravely immoral behavior. As you strive to eliminate this evil wherever it occurs, you may be assured of the prayerful support of God's people throughout the world. Rightly, you attach priority to showing compassion and care to the victims. It is your God-given responsibility as pastors to bind up the wounds caused by every breach of trust, to foster healing, to promote reconciliation and to reach out with loving concern to those so seriously wronged.

Responding to this situation has not been easy and, as the President of your Episcopal Conference has indicated, it was "sometimes very badly handled". Now that the scale and gravity of the problem is more clearly understood, you have been able to adopt more focused remedial and disciplinary measures and to promote a safe environment that gives greater protection to young people. While it must be remembered that the overwhelming majority of clergy and religious in America do outstanding work in bringing the liberating message of the Gospel to the people entrusted to their care, it is vitally important that the vulnerable always be shielded from those who would cause harm. In this regard, your efforts to heal and protect are bearing great fruit not only for those directly under your pastoral care, but for all of society.

If they are to achieve their full purpose, however, the policies and programs you have adopted need to be placed in a wider context. Children deserve to grow up with a healthy understanding of sexuality and its proper place in human relationships. They should be spared the degrading manifestations and the crude manipulation of sexuality so prevalent today. They have a right to be educated in authentic moral values rooted in the dignity of the human person. This brings us back to our consideration of the centrality of the family and the need to promote the Gospel of life. What does it mean to speak of child protection when pornography and violence can be viewed in so many homes through media widely available today? We need to reassess urgently the values underpinning society, so that a sound moral formation can be offered to young people and adults alike. All have a part to play in this task - not only parents, religious leaders, teachers and catechists, but the media and entertainment industries as well. Indeed, every member of society can contribute to this moral renewal and benefit from it. Truly caring about young people and the future of our civilization means recognizing our responsibility to promote and live by the authentic moral values which alone enable the human person to flourish. It falls to you, as pastors modelled upon Christ, the Good Shepherd, to proclaim this message loud and clear, and thus to address the sin of abuse within the wider context of sexual mores. Moreover, by acknowledging and confronting the problem when it occurs in an ecclesial setting, you can give a lead to others, since this scourge is found not only within your Dioceses, but in every sector of society. It calls for a determined, collective response.

Priests, too, need your guidance and closeness during this difficult time. They have experienced shame over what has occurred, and there are those who feel they have lost some of the trust and esteem they once enjoyed. Not a few are experiencing a closeness to Christ in his Passion as they struggle to come to terms with the consequences of the crisis. The Bishop, as father, brother and friend of his priests, can help them to draw spiritual fruit from this union with Christ by making them aware of the Lord's consoling presence in the midst of their suffering, and by encouraging them to walk with the Lord along the path of hope (cf. Spe Salvi, 39). As Pope John Paul II observed six years ago, "we must be confident that this time of trial will bring a purification of the entire Catholic community", leading to "a holier priesthood, a holier episcopate and a holier Church" (Address to the Cardinals of the United States, 23 April 2002, 4). There are many signs that, during the intervening period, such purification has indeed been taking place. Christ's abiding presence in the midst of our suffering is gradually transforming our darkness into light: all things are indeed being made new in Christ Jesus our hope.

At this stage a vital part of your task is to strengthen relationships with your clergy, especially in those cases where tension has arisen between priests and their bishops in the wake of the crisis. It is important that you continue to show them your concern, to support them, and to lead by example. In this way you will surely help them to encounter the living God, and point them towards the life-transforming hope of which the Gospel speaks. If you yourselves live in a manner closely configured to Christ, the Good Shepherd, who laid down his life for his sheep, you will inspire your brother priests to rededicate themselves to the service of their flocks with Christ-like generosity. Indeed a clearer focus upon the imitation of Christ in holiness of life is exactly what is needed in order for us to move forward. We need to rediscover the joy of living a Christ-centred life, cultivating the virtues, and immersing ourselves in prayer. When the faithful know that their pastor is a man who prays and who dedicates his life to serving them, they respond with warmth and affection which nourishes and sustains the life of the whole community.

Time spent in prayer is never wasted, however urgent the duties that press upon us from every side. Adoration of Christ our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament prolongs and intensifies the union with him that is established through the Eucharistic celebration (cf. Sacramentum Caritatis, 66). Contemplation of the mysteries of the Rosary releases all their saving power and it conforms, unites and consecrates us to Jesus Christ (cf. Rosarium Virginis Mariae, 11, 15). Fidelity to the Liturgy of the Hours ensures that the whole of our day is sanctified and it continually reminds us of the need to remain focused on doing God's work, however many pressures and distractions may arise from the task at hand. Thus our devotion helps us to speak and act in persona Christi, to teach, govern and sanctify the faithful in the name of Jesus, to bring his reconciliation, his healing and his love to all his beloved brothers and sisters. This radical configuration to Christ, the Good Shepherd, lies at the heart of our pastoral ministry, and if we open ourselves through prayer to the power of the Spirit, he will give us the gifts we need to carry out our daunting task, so that we need never "be anxious how to speak or what to say" (Mt 10:19).

As I conclude my words to you this evening, I commend the Church in your country most particularly to the maternal care and intercession of Mary Immaculate, Patroness of the United States. May she who carried within her womb the hope of all the nations intercede for the people of this country, so that all may be made new in Jesus Christ her Son. My dear Brother Bishops, I assure each of you here present of my deep friendship and my participation in your pastoral concerns. To all of you, and to your clergy, religious and lay faithful, I cordially impart my Apostolic Blessing as a pledge of joy and peace in the Risen Lord.

Link to the page at EWTN with this address. That same page also contains a Response to Questions Posed by the U.S. Bishops and Presentation of a Chalice to the Archbishop of New Orleans, not shown here.

Have you prayed for the US bishops today?

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Media Bias and Pope Benedict's US Visit

Cartoon Credit: Paul Nichols of the Catholic Cartoon Blog

Many of us are watching carefully how the secular media plays Pope Benedict's visit. Believe me, much research will be done and distributed to gage this. One thing we want to keep an eye on is who these news outlets use for their "expert" analyses.

Based on the above cartoon, and the secular media's propensity to seek out the greatest of dissenting clergy and religious for their "expert catholic" analysis, Paul Nichols came up with the above cartoon and Fr. John Trigilio has a commentary that pretty much sums up the behavior of the media in this regard.

I highly recommend watching EWTN either on TV or via the Internet for papal coverage, as opposed to major TV or cable networks. Ditto with newspaper articles. I'll be checking in on some blogs that I know will deal with media bias and will try to put some of it in the spotlight.

If you are wondering why your loved ones, who get all of their catechises from the New York Times, CNN, et al., are diosriented in the faith, you can thank these news outlets for seeking out those whose "theology" coincides not with Church teaching, but how they would like the Church to change. D'oh!!!

Journalism 101: Report facts, not what you desire to be factual or how you would like the Catholic Church to be. Get your facts from those who will give you the Church's true position and accurate details, not from those on the list of dissenting authors and theologians who teach with the mind of the world. Facts should come from priests, religious and theologians and other experts who are fully aligned with the teaching Magisterium and teach with the mind of the Church. This means that those routinely tapped by secular media who present their hippy-era distortions of Catholicism are not wise choices.

Let's put it another way for journalists: Would you present an Islamic Jihadist as an expert in American liberty? Hopefully, not! Then don't consult a dissenting Catholic and present them as an expert on Catholic thought - that is blatantly biased and aimed at distorting facts for some other purpose.

Journalism 102: I would also like to point out to the secular media that these dissenting Catholics are....well,....aging quickly and have equally aging followers. Note the crowd and the age group that follows Pope Benedict! While certain members of the media continue to try to give Pope Benedict a negative image, young people are busy studying his words and seeing the depth and purity of his thinking. Good journalists should take notice and do the same.

You might also want to listen to Teresa Tomeo on Ave Maria Radio from 8-10am EST (listen live on the net), or on EWTN radio from 9-10. Teresa has a two hour program, but only the second hour is broadcast internationally on EWTN. Teresa speaks a lot on media bias and no doubt will be watching the coverage of the Pope's visit with one eye open to that bias.

PRAY FOR DISSENTERS - ESPECIALLY PRIESTS

This is a good time to remind everyone that while it's ok to be disappointed and even angry with the distorted view of Catholicism presented by some Catholic priests, they are still priests. Pray for them. It is easy to comprehend now what I've said in many posts: The mark of the priesthood on the soul of a man is in the cross-hairs of the Angel of Darkness. If he takes one priest down a path of distortion, that distortion is magnified by the number of people who fall for it and spread it. This is widespread today, affecting perhaps an entire generation or more.

I know it is easy to stay angry at these people because of the damage they have caused among the people of God. Don't be angry. Love them. Pray for them and have hope that they will respond to Christ's grace and correct the errors they have spread.

Please listen to the homily given on April 6th, 2008 during the Missa Cantata on EWTN where Rev. Wolfgang Seitz, ORC speaks deeply of the need to pray for priests. If you aren't moved to pray for these folks, especially those who have left the narrow path, I'll be suprised. Hopefully, my link below works, if not you can find it in the list above with the date.

If your knees are not bent in prayer for us[priests], we will fall!

- Rev. Wolfgang Seitz, ORC, April 6, 2008 Homily for the Feast of the Good Shepherd.

Homily MP3 - Pray for Priests!

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Archbishop Pietro Sambi: Simply Listen to Pope Benedict

Watching Raymond Arroyo on EWTN's the World Over Live tonight, I was rather moved by the words of Archbishop Pietro Sambi - the Papal Nuncio here in the US as questions came back asking if the pope would talk about [fill in the blank].

Abp Sambi's response was,

"the most important thing is not to worry what the Holy Father will talk about, but to listen to him

He went on to say, "He is a great thinker....catch all of his speeches".

Of course, if you work like me, you won't be able to watch or listen to Catholic television and radio. But, these speeches will be available online, I'm sure. I'll try to provide links as best I can.



LISTEN TO HIM!

After some pondering about what Abp Sambi said, I began to think about how, when we really turn in our faith, we want the Holy Father to come down on this, and come down on that.

I think the Archbishop has a point. His Holiness is not coming here to talk about what we want him to talk about. He is not coming to talk about the things that we feel are important.

He is coming as Peter on Earth and we must have faith that the topics he chooses to talk on are guided by the Holy Spirit. Pope Benedict XVI is coming to teach and we ought to silence ourselves interiorly so that we may listen and learn.

Above all, we need to stop concerning ourselves with "all those other people" we think the Pope should address and apply his words to ourselves. Each of us should come away more enlightened in order to bring others to Christ. It won't happen by "those other folks" hitting over the head.

Perhaps we should study his example and approach to talking about tough issues. You won't find him making digs at others who aren't on the same page. That would violate charity.


Listen, watch, learn and apply!

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Upcoming Visit of Pope Benedict XVI to the United States

Pope Benedict will be in Washington DC April 15th-17th and then he will go to New York until April 20th. With my job and other responsibilities, I cannot provide detailed coverage of this awesome event. However, I can recommend some websites you should check daily. I know I will. Just a sampling.

First, the Vatican's webpage detailing the Pope's visit.

Second, the USCCB has a website created for this event called Christ Our Hope. This site has it's own blog with contributions from many young Benedict enthusiasts. The blogposts I have read there thusfar, have been excellent. For example, a blogpost entitled The Pope through the Eyes of a Twenty-something, is a very powerful testimony in many ways (emphases mine).

As a twenty-something Catholic, I am regularly referred to as a “JPII Catholic.” To be sure, the papacy of John Paul the Great lasted longer than my life thus far. However, my faith has also been shaped by then-Cardinal Ratzinger and his current papacy. Three ways that he has affected the outlook of many young American Catholics are his vast writings, his over twenty-five stateside elevations of priests to bishops, and his example of a man who remains a priest first.

I cannot downplay the influence of his writings in my own theological study. As the prefect for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, his moral direction shaped John Paul II’s writings, which my classmates and I read with abandon. He also published several theological books on a variety of topics and meditations in his own right. Reading his book-length interview Salt of the Earth with German reporter Peter Seewald provided an expansive look at how Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the man, the theologian, and the priest saw the state of the current Church. Few men who went on to become pope have left such an honest public record of how they perceive the Church. Such honesty led many to believe they knew what his papacy would hold. Almost three years later, it has been shown that no amount of research can show how exactly the Holy Spirit will guide the spiritual leader of almost a billion people. He has reached out to both the “left” and the “right,” greening the Vatican city-state and steadfastly opposing the situation in Iraq while granting wider use of the 1962 Roman Missal with his Apostolic Letter Summorum Pontificum. His life has been one which emphasizes the universal nature of the Church’s mission.

Hyphenated priests (priest-lawyers, priest-doctors, priest-counselors) seem to be on a rise, but in Benedict XVI we have a man who remains a priest first. He serves as an example par excellence for young men discerning the priesthood but who are cautious of the ever-mounting responsibilities associated with the vocation. In the many roles assigned to him, his priesthood stays central. This must be the case for an ever changing papacy and world. Despite the many roles Catholics take on in daily life, they are Catholics first, baptized and missioned in the kingly, priestly, and prophetic offices of Christ.

Many young Catholics view Benedict XVI as a great priest, something the world could use a lot more of.

Daniel Napolitano is an employee of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

Another blog to keep track of daily, as I mentioned before, would be that of the American Papist, Tom Peters, who is following this closely - literally. He's there in Washington DC and will be providing up front coverage and photos. A few samples:

• The New York Times gets ... well, credible
• CNN planning extensive papal coverage
• Pics of National Shrine & CUA welcome banners!

Some recent news headlines follow:

In the "spare us, O Lord" category:

• Pop meets pope: US readies rock star welcome for Benedict XVI
• Washington, D.C. Metro Pulls Ad With "Misdressed" Pope
• Musical Disharmony over Pope's visit

In that last one, do hit the links that say "here" and "here". I am with them on this. Where is the chant? The musical lineup does not surprise me for the US where things like chant are still shunned by a generation bent on "folk" tunes.

In the "interesting" category:

• Pope to visit German parish in NYC
• In U.S. Masses, Pope to Carry Pastoral Staff of BlessedPope Pius IX
• High Security Plans

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Pope Benedict's Message to the US in Video and Papal Visit Resources

The Holy Father shows he is with the times. He has released a video message to Americans ahead of his US visit.



I'm going to have a difficult time providing timely coverage. I highly recommend you check in on these sources daily. I know I will.

American Papist has excellent daily posts. Tom is doing a good job of balancing the good stuff out there, along with highlighting some of the media bias we have become all too familiar with.

The USCCB website dedicated to the Holy Father's visit called Christ Our Hope. It has many references, and they have an excellent blog with some great posts. One that really moved me was a post entitled, The Pope through the eyes of a twenty-something.

The National Catholic Register also has a blog called Pope2008.com dedicated to the Holy Father's visit.

Of course, you can always catch coverage via EWTN on a page they have dedicated to it. Also worth reading would be the blog of Joan Lewis, the EWTN Rome Bureau Chief.

You can purchase items related to His Holiness and his visit at Catholic to the Max




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New Papal Staff is Really Another Oldie

Pope Benedict has been changing one small thing at a time. Here we see a change in the Papal Staff. Fr. Guy Selvester explains that the one seen by Pope Benedict was in use by Pius XII and John XXIII. The one seen with Pope John Paul II was introduced by Paul VI.

We have to wonder: How often will we see the older Papal staff?

Magister Exclusive: The Words that Benedict XVI Adds Spontaneously, When He Preaches to the Faithful

An interesting read at the blog of Italian Catholic journalist, Sandro Magister:

Textual analyses of five of his most recent Wednesday catechesis, on Saint Augustine. The words that the pope added spontaneously, beyond the written text, are underlined. They're on the themes closest to his heart

by Sandro Magister

ROMA, March 11, 2008 – Last Wednesday, Benedict XVI dedicated his weekly audience with the faithful and the pilgrims to a catechesis on Pope St. Leo the Great.

Joseph Ratzinger recalled that he was not only "at the same time both a theologian and a pastor," but was "also the first pope whose preaching has reached us today, first addressed to the people who gathered around him during the liturgies." It is a preaching that consists of "very beautiful sermons" written in "splendid and clear Latin."

And he added:

"It comes naturally to think of him also in the context of the current Wednesday general audiences, appointments that over the past two decades have become for the bishop of Rome a normal form of the encounter with the faithful and with the many visitors from every part of the world."

These words are enough to indicate how Benedict XVI recognizes in himself many traits of this great predecessor, who was a respected advocate of the primacy of Peter and of the bishops of Rome – a primacy that was "necessary then as it is today" – a sure teacher of faith in Christ as true God and true man, in a time of great Christological disputes, and an authoritative celebrant of a Christian liturgy that "is not the memory of past events, but the actualization of invisible realities at work in the life of each person."

Before turning to St. Leo the Great, Benedict XVI dedicated his Wednesday audiences to other Fathers of the Church....[continue reading Benedict XVI at the Chiesa]

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Look to Eucharist for Immortality, Pope tells youth

Via Zenit:

Pope to Youth: Look to Eucharist for True Immortality

Marks 25th Anniversary of San Lorenzo Center

VATICAN CITY, MARCH 9, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Those looking for the fountain of life should look to the Eucharist, the only true source of immortality, says Benedict XVI.

The Pope said this today upon celebrating a Mass marking the 25th anniversary of the San Lorenzo International Center, attended by an international group of 200 young people.

Pope John Paul II inaugurated the San Lorenzo International Center, located near St. Peter's Basilica, on March 13, 1983. During the inauguration the Polish Pope expressed the hope that the center become "a forge for the formation of authentic young Christians who are capable of bearing coherent witness to the Gospel in today's world."

Benedict XVI put aside his text for the homily and offered a meditation on the meaning of life and death in light of this Sunday’s Gospel on the resurrection of Lazarus.

The human being is not only a biological being, the Pope explained, speaking at the Church of San Lorzenzo in Piscibus, which forms part of the center.

“Although he is part of the this great biocosmos, man transcends it because, certainly, man is always man with all his dignity, even if he is in a comatose state, even if he is an embryo; but if he only lives biologically not all of the possibilities of his being will be realized, which open new dimensions,” he said.

The first dimension is that of knowledge, the Holy Father continued, a knowledge that in man, as distinct from animals, is identified with a “thirst for the infinite.”

We all aspire to “drink from the fountain of life itself,” he said, and to do so we entrust ourselves to the “second dimension of human nature,” which is love.

And we know that Deus Caritas est - God is Love!


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2003 Letter from Ratzinger - a past glimpse into the future of the TLM

An interesting letter from 2003 has been circulating on the web, when Pope Benedict XVI was Cardinal Ratzinger, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF). We get a past glimpse into the mind of the future pope when he corresponded with a Dr. Barth on the traditional Latin Mass. I believe it will trickle into American news sources, but for now, give you this link to the english version made available on Kath.net. There are two translations floating around. Fr. Z also dissects this letter using a different translation. You get the benefit of his commentary throughout the letter, and after. Emphases in bold and in red are mine:

Dear Dr. Barth !

My heartfelt thanks for your letter of April 6, which I didn't have time to answer until now. You're asking me to lobby for a wider permission of the old Roman Rite. As you well know, I am very open to such requests, as my efforts towards this end is widely known by now.

Whether the Holy See will permit the old Rite "once more worldwide and without limitations" - as you desire and have heard rumors to that effect - I cannot simply answer, let alone confirm. The dislike for the traditional liturgy, which is called, with contempt, "pre-conciliar" is still very strong among Catholics who've been drilled to reject it for years. Additionally, there would be strong resistance on the part of many bishops.

The situation is different if we consider a limited re-admission - the demand for the old liturgy is limited as well. I know that its value does of course not depend on the demand, but the question about the number of interested priests and laypeople plays some role. Furthermore, such a measure can only - even today - be taken step-by-step, some 30 years after the introduction of the liturgy reform of Pope Paul VI. Another hurried effort would certainly not be beneficial.

I think, however, that, in the long run, the Roman Church must once more have one Roman Rite; the existence of two official rites is difficult to "administrate" for bishops and priests. The Roman Rite of the future should be a single rite, in Latin or in the vernacular, but standing wholly in the legacy of the traditional Rite. It could incorporate some new elements that have proven successful, such as new feast days, some new prefaces in the Mass, an expanded lectionary - more selection than before (the reform), but not too much; an "oratio fidelium", ie a fixed litany of intercessions, following the Oremus before the Offertory where it used to have its place.

Dear Dr. Barth, if you work for the cause of the liturgy in this manner, you will certainly not stand alone, and you prepare the "public opinion" in the Church in favor of an expanded use of prior Missals. One needs to be cautious, however, so as to not spark expectations that are too high among the faithful who feel close to tradition.

I shall use this opportunity to thank you for your highly esteemed efforts for the liturgy of the Roman Church, in your books and lectures, although I'd like a bit more love and understanding here and there for the teaching authority of the Pope and bishops. I hope that the seeds you're sowing will germinate and bring much fruit for the renewed life of the Church, whose "source and summit", whose very heart indeed is and must remain the liturgy.

I gladly bestow the requested blessing and remain yours with kind regards

Your Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger

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200,000 fill St. Peter's Square Today in Support of Pope Benedict XVI

I was unable to cover the news when the Holy Father had to cancel a visit to La Sapienza Univeristy in Rome where he was invited due to the threat of violence. A minority of students and professors were causing such a disruption that the safety of the Pope was in question.

Pope Benedict XVI sent a copy of his prepared speech to the university. It is a pity that they who cry the most about "censorship" missed an opportunity to hear about "reason" and brought about the exact censorship they desired - to prevent others from hearing the Holy Father.

Cardinal Ruini asked for there to be a show of support for Pope Benedict this Sunday at St. Peter's square, where some 200,000 gathered with so little notice, many reportedly among the "reasonable" at La Sapienza.

Amy Welborn has an excellent post with links to many who were there to witness this event, complete with photos.

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Pope Benedict to celebrate Mass using ad orientem posture

Many of you will read this too late, but at 4:00am EST, you can watch Pope Benedict celebrate a Novus Ordo Mass using the ad orientem posture. Rocco Palmo posts as follows. Note that I did not say a Tridentine.

In another significant liturgical turn at the very top, B16 will celebrate tomorrow's annual Sistine Chapel Mass for the Baptism of the Lord in the ad orientem stance -- that is, facing away from the congregation and toward the cross that stands at the chapel's back wall.

In an explanatory note from the Office for Papal Liturgical Celebrations picked up by the Italian wires, the papal MC Msgr Guido Marini announced that the Mass, to be conducted according to the post-Conciliar "Ordinary Use" approved by Paul VI, would employ the main altar of the Sistina. As a result, the note said, "at certain moments the Pope will have his shoulders [back] to the faithful and his gaze toward the Cross."

As the chapel's original altar is not freestanding, versus popolorum celebrations there have required the construction of a temporary altar and platform. While John Paul II celebrated his first Mass after his 1978 election using the permanent altar and no freestanding altar exists in the Pope's private chapel, a public papal liturgy has not been celebrated using the "common orientation" in recent memory.

"The celebration at the old altar is being restored so as not to alter the beauty and harmony of this architectural jewel," the note said, "preserving its structure from the celebratory point of view and using an option contemplated by the liturgical norms." The change of orientation, Marini's statement said, would seek to enhance "the attitude and disposition of the whole assembly."

The annual liturgy features the baptism of several infants by the pontiff. The contemporary baptismal font designed by Lello Scorzelli -- also the designer of the pastorali, the cross-topped liturgical staffs used by Paul VI and his successors -- will likewise be maintained.

Deo Gratias!


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Get Your "Passport" Ready for Heaven, Says Pope

From Zenit.org, with emphases mine:

Stamp It With Works That Show Friendship With Christ

VATICAN CITY, AUG. 26, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Heaven is an equal-opportunity destination, but to gain entry one needs a "passport" stamped with virtues such as humility, mercy and truth, says Benedict XVI.

The Pope said this today in a reflection he gave on the "narrow gate," before reciting the midday Angelus with several thousand people gathered in the courtyard of the papal summer residence at Castel Gandolfo.

The Pontiff asked: "What is meant by this 'narrow gate'? Why is it that many people do not succeed in entering through it? Is it perhaps a passage that is reserved only for a few elect?"

The Holy Father said that the message of Christ is that everybody has an equal chance of entering through the narrow gate, "but it is 'narrow' because it is demanding, it requires commitment, self-denial and mortification of one's own egoism."

Christ invites all to heaven, he said, "but with one and the same condition: that of making the effort to follow him and imitate him, taking up one's cross, as he did, and dedicating one's life to the service of our brothers."

Benedict XVI makes the point that "we will not be judged on the basis of presumed privileges, but by our works."

"True friendship with Christ," he added, "is expressed by one's way of life: it is expressed by goodness of heart, with humility, meekness and mercy, love of justice and truth, sincere and honest commitment to peace and reconciliation."

The Pope adds, "This, we might say, is the 'I.D. card' that qualifies us as authentic 'friends'; this is the 'passport' that permits us to enter into eternal life."

Before I begin a rather indepth commentary, I wish to provide a disclaimer. I am single and don't have children. Some of this comes from how I was raised and in seeing the sacrifices my mom and dad made in their lives. I see some of those same values in Grotto families and wish to expand on them more here because Pope Benedict has opened the door for the topic.

Mortification? Didn't Vatican II do away with that?

The very points the Holy Father makes in this article on yesterday's Gospel reading are points which have me glued to Assumption Grotto. I can't recall hearing about things like mortification and self-denial in the many years I spent outside of this fine parish and I credit the priests for having the courage to discuss what has become undiscussible. No. Vatican II never did away with concepts of mortification, self-denial, and sacrifice, but it is terminology missing from many puplits today. Yet, are these not the very things needed to serve brother and sister? And, such service is a fruit of our relationship with God, Whom is Love.

IT ALL STARTS AT HOME

Moms

When we think of service, we often think of serving those on the streets or the homeless - a very noble thing to be involved with. However, something I noticed as an "outsider" when I first discovered Assumption Grotto in 2005 is the charity visible in many families - the first place we should mirror the love of Christ. When I observed many families who are visibly open to every life that God sends them - whether just one, or 8 or 17, I could see the self-denial of mothers caring for their brood with joy. These mothers don't belong to bowling leagues, they don't get a day to spend a chunk of money at the mall and they don't get to have a $3.00 capuccino on a daily basis.

The families themselves make sacrifices by accepting all that comes with stay-at-home moms, many of whom are well-educated or well-skilled professionals who happily give up the bigger house and material things for an opportunity to raise their own children. The children don't get all of the latest electronic gadgets, the designer clothes, and other vanity-building material goods, but they learn how to temper wants and to distinguish those wants from needs.

I remember as a child being jealous because the neighbors got to go to McDonald's more often. I didn't see the sacrifice my mother was making in putting hours into a much cheaper and much more wholesome homemade meal. Mom's who make sacrifices know that the family can eat for days on the same amount it costs to eat just once at a fast-food restaurant. And, they can be made with less fat, less sodium, and much more nutritious - something we should want for those we love.

In some cases, mom's must make the sacrifice of working because of debt not associated with too many material goods. My mother wanted very badly to be a stay-at-home mom, but had to go to work when medical bills exceeded what my dad's income could handle. He had been hospitalized for a year with pancreatic tumors and nearly died. When, by the grace of God he got better, mom had to go to work. But, I now see the graces associated with it by the slack me and my siblings had to pick up. We had to play a greater role in helping out around the house. The key difference is in why two spouses must work. Is it to support "wants", or "needs"?

Perhaps we need to do an examination of conscience on what "needs" really are before we can truly answer that question for ourselves.

Dads

Dad doesn't get to join an endless number of sports leagues or watch his favorite sports. Some of the best dads I know love to watch football, basketball, or baseball, but deny themselves this without complaining to spend precious Sunday time with the family and kids. They recognize the need for this, given how little time they see them while at work. My dad knew how to cook and wash clothes - something he learned to do out of love for my mother who needed an occasional break. In some cases, fathers are so busy with their first responsibility - providing for the family and spending time with them - that it is not even practical for them to participate in any of the fine apostolates we have at our parish. This itself is a sacrifice, which at times, is the right sacrifice, if it interferes with job-1: the family.

Spouses

I have known people - men and women - who for the sake of involvement in a parish, allow their marriage to fall apart when they don't temper the time spent in those activities. This is not self-denial, but a misguided application of serving the Lord. In these cases, the sacrifice should have been made by spending less time at the parish. Spouses should also consider the sacrifice of allowing each other a little time away in activities that will build virtue and enhance the spiritual life so it is a sacrifice to "let go" of a spouse. For those who do have a little spare time, it becomes a sacrifice to join organizations like the Knights of Columbus where self-denial comes in the form of spending a Sunday afternoon or weekday evening helping at a parish function or charity event, rather than watching a football game. The Knights give up every Tuesday night to run a bingo at St. Sharbel's parish hall in Warren. Do we make the sacrifice when we can to go and support them in this fund-raiser for the parish, if we can spare the money?

Kids

Children need opportunities to make small sacrifices and I see this at Grotto too. Siblings care for siblings in order to give mom a break. They help with work around the house to lessen the load on mom and dad, while picking up useful skills and mortifying that endless appetite to be entertained and to just hang-out - a past time not without spiritual dangers. I've known parents who wash their children's clothes all the way up to and through college. I am amazed to see a young adult - male or female - who has no idea how to put on a load of clothes to wash. There is a temptation to do it all for the kids without realizing the greater sacrifice is in teaching them skills they will need for life, while occupying idle time. Kids as young as 10 or 11 are capable of learning to wash and fold a load of towels if properly taught. This enables them to share in making sacrifices and to learn how to mortify the apetite to serve only the "I", and no one else - a problem so visible in society today.

SECONDLY: THE EXTENDED FAMILY

Charity and self-denial don't end with immediate family. There are needy siblings, elderly parents and grandparents who provide all of us with opportunities to practice mortification. That is, the opportunity to do not what we want, but what God places in our path. I just heard on Catholic radio that nursing homes are overflowing with elderly people whom no one visits. Many of these are alzheimers patients who may not recognize us, but nonetheless still need t be loved. Whatever their favorite dish, they will undoubtedly still enjoy those old familiar tastes regardless of their ability to remember.

Visiting a relative with alzheimers or dementia provides us with a great opportunity to practice charity without getting nothing in return. Anything we may do for them may be forgotten only a few seconds later. In some cases, older people need to be in nursing homes if they are a danger to themselves or others, or if their needs are such that physically we cannot care for them. But, how many are willing to make the sacrifice of taking in an elderly parent or in-law who truly doesn't need a nursing home? What must we give up, but time to the service of others in such a case? This time could be spent watching TV, surfing the net, playing sports, or working excessively in order to keep up with the many non-essential material goods that have no role in our getting through the narrow gate.

THIRDLY: OUR LESS FORTUNATE BRETHREN

It's only by the grace of God that we have the work to sustain our lives, a roof over our heads, the food on our table and the clothes on our backs. All it takes is one event out of our control to all fade quickly. While God provides for the needs of the birds and the fish, he depends on us to be the instruments by which this gets done for our needy neighbors. God's love is manifest in the love we give to them in their time of need, while providing opportunities of self-denial and mortifcation for us.

If we have done our best to give up the non-essentials in life, then the children have a good start in witnessning what it means to die to self. But, it's not enough to start and end with the family. Rather, families need to spend some of that time to do no-cost activities in the form of service. It could be at a prayer vigil outside of an abortion clinic, or in taking used items to a crisis pregnancy center, such as Imago Dei. It could be in taking food and clothing to homeless shelters and food pantries. Taking the kids to the nursing home and hospital is also a must if they are to learn by example.

When we follow through with the kind of self-denial, mortification, humility and charity about which our Holy Father speaks, we have begun the trek through the narrow gate.

ST. MONICA - EXEMPLIFIES SACRIFICE

In closing, I would like to point to St. Monica as an example. She could have used her spare time to do so many other things, but she chose to make the sacrifice of using time to pray for her beloved son, St. Augustine.

While we can use some of our spare time to rest watching TV or doing other things, why not rest in prayer for at least 15 minutes daily for the benefit of our family members and friends.

May we learn from St. Monica how to work and hope for the salvation of all those we know and come into contact with, especially family members.

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The "Ratzinger Effect"

Lots of news today so keep scrolling....

Interesting piece from Focus Information Service in Bulgaria, which provides news in both Bulgarian and English. Keep in mind, some periodicals here in the US are in denial about the level of support Pope Benedict has. I find it interesting to hear that donations are doubling. Deo Gratias!

I don't think the expression "amends Vatican II" is appropriate here, at least not from what we read on the motu proprio which says the older form of the Roman rite was not abrogated by Vatican II.

Vatican. 7 July 2007

With donations to the Church from around the world almost doubling and pilgrims pouring into Rome in ever-greater numbers, Vatican watchers are beginning to reassess the two-year-old pontificate of Pope Benedict XVI and noting a positive “Ratzinger effect”.

Today the Vatican will publish the Pope’s “motu proprio” decree allowing broader use by Roman Catholics of the Latin Tridentine Mass - the pontiff’s last act before leaving for his traditional summer holiday.

The move, which amends the Second Vatican Council’s decision in the 1960s that worship should be in the vernacular, is regarded as yet another sign of Benedict’s conservative attachment to tradition and doctrine.

Original Source Article

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The motu proprio: Summorum Pontificum

It's been just over 30 minutes since the motu proprio has been released.

I humbly turn you over to someone qualified to comment, Fr. Zuhlsdorf. He has an extensive post up and has even built in a podcazt!

Te Deum laudámus:
te Dóminum confitémur.
Te ætérnum Patrem,
omnis terra venerátur.
Tibi omnes ángeli,
tibi cæli
et univérsæ potestátes:
tibi chérubim et séraphim
incessábili voce proclámant:
Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus,
Dóminus Deus Sábaoth.
Pleni sunt cæli et terra
maiestátis glóriæ tuæ.

As Fr. Z prepared for the embargo to be lifted, he had a special visit.

The link he has to the actual motu proprio is not in English. But, Fr. Z has been looking over both English and Latin.

We should start seeing it appear in news outlets today, now that the embargo has been lifted at noon, Rome time. As of 6:30am this morning, there is nothing. I would imagine most newspapers will focus on it in their Sunday papers so tomorrow ought to be a big day. That is when we will begin a new media watch, probably through the eyes of Fr. Z.

Here is an unofficial translation from the Vatican Information Service. I don't know if this is the source of the USCCB version, which has already received some critiquing with regards to accuracy (softened in contrast to official Latin). We need to see the Vatican's English translation before we can comment further. What is sad is that many will run forever with the English version they find from the USCCB. We will assume, for the sake of charity, that any softening is unintended lest we fall into what the ccc calls, rash judgment.

Also at the VIS, is the letter to bishops. And, excerpts from the Explanatory Note from Pope Benedict in English

I am not going to be too available today, so I encourage you to visit Fr. Z's homepage daily, if not a few times daily if you really want your motu proprio fix.

Other good resources to watch:

The New Liturgical Movement (NLM)

Fr. Tim Finigan in the UK

Rorate Caeli

MOTU PROPRIO DISCUSSION ON EWTN JULY 9TH

Don't miss The World Over Live special at 9:00pm EST on July 9th. Some of you may be interested to know of this on EWTN:

THE WORLD OVER LIVE SPECIAL:
ANALYSIS OF MOTU PROPIO: SUMMORUM PONTIFICUM

Discussion of the newly- released papal document by Pope Benedict XVI widening use of the 1962 Roman Missal.

Most Rev. Fabian Bruskewitz, Bishop of Lincoln, Nebraska
Monsignor James Moroney, Executive Director of the USCCB Secretariat for the Liturgy
Fr. Kenneth Baker, SJ, Editor of Homiletic & Pastoral Review
Most Rev. Thomas G. Doran, Bishop of Rockford, Illinois
Fr. George Gabet, FSSP, North American District Superior of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter

JULY 9, 9:00 PM

All comments on this blog are now moderated - whether new or old posts. Please submit your comment only once and when I have a few minutes I will check in and publish them. The only things I reject outright are advertisements, lewd comments, attacks against the Catholic faith, links to web-pages containing private revelations not fully approved by the Catholic Church, and comments or links to web pages containing detraction or calumny.

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Thanks Mom! For the gift of Life

Today, June 4, is my birthday. I wouldn't advertise if the cat hadn't gotten out of the bag with the choir (thanks, Nancy!). There is a tradition within the Assumption Grotto choir to sing a beautifully harmonized, "Happy Birthday" to those who are "lucky" enough to have their birthday known. There was one exception the last time Fr. Perrone's birthday came around and the choir fell into total "disharmony" in a way that probably had our beloved pastor's musical ears damaged for life. Actually, we were just trying desensitize him to our more subtle - and not so subtle - mistakes during Mass. I got my birthday song two minutes before Mass as the choir worked their way from the school over to the Church.

Some people I know get depressed on their birthday. I don't go there. Rather, I am grateful for every year the Lord gives me to work the kinks out of the life he has given me, to his glory.

Most of all, I thank my mother for choosing life - my life!

EDIT: I managed to take a little of that unpaid overtime back from work and made it into the adoration chapel at Grotto this afternoon. Rather than think about age, I pondered life itself and the many graces I have had just to be born, and to be born with a family that embraced Christ. Afterwards, I followed through with something I said I was going to do on my birthday: I bought mom a dozen roses for giving me the gift of life. I had heard that a bishop did this every year, but I can't remember who. Was it Archbishop Chaput? Does anyone remember hearing about this? Well, I propose we could start a new pro-life tradition and for those who can, buy your mother a dozen roses on YOUR birthday.

I would like to share, this day, a reading from a wonderful book I picked up at the Assumption Grotto Gift Shop. I took the last one and Cathy was going to order more, so if you want it and don't see it, ask her about it. For those who cannot get to the Assumption Grotto Gift Shop, you can get it from a number of sources, including Amazon.

This book carries a reading for each day from the writings of Pope Benedict XVI and is put out by Magnificat. Here is today's reading (and I'll have to correct typo's later as I must get off to work).

June 4: Liturgy as our Bond with Heaven

The beginning of the Gospel stands for the whole; uttering it, one is as it were sending out the breath of the Holy Spirit to engage the four winds, pervading them and turning them to good. The world is thus declared to be the realm of God's creative word; matter subordinated to the power of his Spirit. For matter too is his creation and hence the sphere of his gracious power.

Ultimately we receive the very bread of the earth from his hands. How beautifully the new eucharistic bread imparts its blessings to the daily bread, and each loaf of the latter silently points to him who wished to be the bread of us all.

So the liturgy opens out into everyday life, into our earthly life and cares; it goes beyond the church precincts because it actually embraces heaven and earth, present and future. Howe we need this sign!

Liturgy is not the private hobby of a particular group; it is about the bond which holds heaven and earth together, it is about the human race and the entire created world. In the Corpus Christi procession, faith's link with the earth, with the whole of reality, is represented "in bodily form," by the act of walking, of treading the ground, our ground.

CORPUS CHRISTI PROCESSION AT GROTTO

I'll use this opporuntity to remind you about Assumption Grotto's Corpus Christi procession, which will take place outdoors following the noon Orchestra mass, weather permitting. Next to August 15th, this is one of the finest days for a one-tank drive to Assumption Grotto. It should all end by 3:00 leaving plenty of time for a commute home the same day.

See photos from last year's Corpus Christi procession beginning with this final post (scroll to the bottom to click all of the photo-post links)

Te Deum Laudamnus! Home

Ratzinger 1988 - Desacralization of the Liturgy

I only have a few minutes to lead you elsewhere for a most inspiring read...

With hat-tips to the Pontifications blog and Fr. John Zuhlsdorf at WDTPRS, I would like to draw your attention to a 1988 speech by Cardinal Ratzinger when he visited Chile that year.

The entire speech is worth reading and I have only gotten through two-thirds of it. But, I want to lead you into it before heading off to work.

While the article discusses Lefebvre and SSPX, Cardinal Ratzinger delves deeply into discussion around the liturgy, how it was desacralized following Vatican II, and how attitudes changed during that era. He explores these things in his speech not to excuse Lefebvre, but in a spirit of a shepherd who sees the need for the Church to do some soul searching on those attitudes and changes seen in liturgy. He is not questioning Vatican II, but to my mind, going after the perversion of Vatican II.

I will only give you one excerpt here and you will need to follow the link to Fr. Zuhlsdorf's blog, where he provides interesting tidbits, comments, and emphases throughout the speech. Here, Cardinal Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, gets into the first of three points around which he makes an "examination of conscience". (The emphases and red comments are that of Fr. Z).

While there are many motives that might have led a great number of people to seek a refuge in the Traditional liturgy, [1] the chief one is that they find the dignity of the sacred preserved there. After the council there were many priests who deliberately raised “desacralization” to the level of a program, [Pay attention to what follows: Ratzinger describes a theological argument for the undermining of sacral liturgy.] on the plea that the New Testament abolished the cult of the Temple: the veil of the Temple which was torn from top to bottom at the moment of Christ’s death on the cross is, according to certain people, the sign of the end of the sacred. The death of Jesus, outside the City walls, that is to say, in the public world, is now the true religion. Religion, if it has any being at all, must have it in the nonsacredness of daily life, in love that is lived. Inspired by such reasoning, they put aside the sacred vestments; they have despoiled the churches as much as they could of that splendor which brings to mind the sacred; and they have reduced the liturgy to the language and the gestures of ordinary life, by means of greetings, common signs of friendship, and such things. [Okay… does that not sound like the arguments used by H.E. Donald W. Trautman when he runs down the translation norms of Liturgiam authenticam and argues for liturgical language in the style of everyday common speech?]

There is no doubt that, with these theories and practices, they have entirely disregarded the true connection between the Old and the New Testaments: It is forgotten that this world is not the Kingdom of God, and that the “Holy One of God” (John 6:69) continues to exist in contradiction to this world; that we have need of purification before we draw near to Him; that the profane, even after the death and the Resurrection of Jesus, has not succeeded in becoming “the holy.” The Risen One has appeared, but to those whose heart has been opened to Him, to the Holy; He did not manifest Himself to everyone. It is in this way a new space has been opened for the religion to which all of us would now submit; this religion which consists in drawing near to the community of the Risen One, at whose feet the women prostrated themselves and adored Him. I do not want to develop this point any further now; I confine myself to coming straight to this conclusion: We ought to get back the dimension of the sacred in the liturgy. The liturgy is not a festivity; it is not a meeting for the purpose of having a good time. It is of no importance that the parish priest has cudgeled his brains to come up with suggestive ideas or imaginative novelties. The liturgy is what makes the Thrice-Holy God present amongst us; it is the burning bush; it is the Alliance of God with man in Jesus Christ, who has died and risen again. The grandeur of the liturgy does not rest upon the fact that it offers an interesting entertainment, but in rendering tangible the Totally Other, whom we are not capable of summoning. He comes because He wills. In other words, the essential in the liturgy is the mystery, which is realized in the common ritual of the Church; all the rest diminishes it. Men experiment with it in lively fashion, and find themselves deceived, when the mystery is transformed into distraction, when the chief actor in the liturgy is not the Living God but the priest or the liturgical director. [As WDTPRS repeats incessantly, the true Actor in the sacred action of Holy Mass is Christ, the Hight priest: Christ as Head of the Body is seen in the priest, alter Christus; Christ the Body is the congregation united to the Head; together they are Christus totus. Thus, we must be interiorly disposed and united to the action and obey the Church’s norms so that Christ acts in our words and gestures.]

Fr. Zuhlsdorf: Flashback 1988: Ratzinger 1988 on the Lefebvre "Schism" (with commentary)

Original Pontifications post (just the speech without commentary)