Thursday, February 28, 2013

Cardinal Dolan: It’s About Jesus


The following comes from Cardinal Dolan's blog:

“But why didn’t he say anything about his reasons for stepping down, or his plans for the future, or any personal reflections about his own legacy?”  asked the journalist after Mass yesterday at St. Patrick’s Cathedral.

This reporter had gotten up early to watch the last Sunday Angelus address Pope Benedict XVI would ever give, to 100,000 people in Saint Peter’s Square at noon in Rome.  He had spoken of Lent, the Transfiguration of Jesus (the gospel for Sunday), and prayer.

“Because,” I replied, trying to provide an answer to the journalist’s fair-enough inquiry, “Popes don’t talk about themselves.  They are really no longer themselves!  That’s why they change their name.  They take literally what Saint Paul wrote, that “I live now – - no, not I – - Christ lives in me.”  They speak not of themselves but of Jesus.  That’s why!”

“And you,” the reporter courteously persisted, “you didn’t say a word about your plans, your departure for Rome, your thoughts or observations.  We got here to cover your 10:15 a.m. Mass, and you only mentioned the Pope in one prayer, and didn’t say anything personal.”

“Same reason,” I responded.  “The Mass is about Jesus, not about me.”

That could be the most profound lesson this great professor-pontiff has taught the world.  His heroic and humble decision of a week ago to step-down from the Chair of Saint Peter is a lesson:  in the end, when all is said and done, it’s not about office, prominence, prestige, prerogatives.  It’s not about me at all: it’s all about Jesus and His Church.

Tomorrow, though, I do leave New York for Rome.  I take you with me.  When I have the privilege of bidding farewell to the Holy Father this Thursday, the day he leaves, I’ll tell him that we – - you and me – - love him, pray with and for him, and thank him.

I’ll miss you.  Sure, this will be awesome for me.  But, I really like being your archbishop.  And I’ll be eager to get back home to you.  Besides, I can get a good bowl of pasta here in New York, too.

Please God, I’ll be home by Palm Sunday.  Not a day will go by that I will not think of you here with love, prayer and gratitude. If I’m in Rome longer, please send peanut butter.  You can’t get it there.

You Are Everything by Matthew West

In Sede Vacante: Come Holy Spirit


Come Holy Spirit, creator, come
from your bright heavenly throne,
come take possession of our souls
and make them all your own

You Who are called Paraclete
blest gift of God above,
the living spring, the living fire,
sweet unction and true love.

You Who are sevenfold in your grace,
finger of God's right hand;
his promise, teaching little ones
to speak and understand.

O guide our minds with your blest light,
with love our hearts inflame;
and with strength, which never decays,
confirm our mortal frame.

Far from us drive our deadly foe;
true peace unto us bring;
and through all perils, lead us safe
beneath your sacred wing.

Through You may we the Father know;
through You the eternal Son,
and You the Spirit of them both,
thrice-blessed Three in One.

All glory to the Father be,
with his co-equal Son:
the same to You great Paraclete,
While endless ages run.
Amen.

How the Pope got things ready before his resignation


Benedict XVI debated whether to step down, since he returned from his trip to Mexico. So all the decisions he's taken since March, take on a key significance. These are a few of the most important, in chronological order.  
  
His butler's betrayal took a toll on his physical heath. This could explain, perhaps, why, in order to save his successor a few headaches, he created a committee to screen future staff members, led by efficient Vatican adviser, Peter Wells. He also named former Fox News reporter Greg Burke as a media adviser.  


ANTOINE MARIE IZOARD
Director, I.Media Agency

“Greg Burke's nomination was the final decision taken by the Secretariat of State, probably by English-speaking persons. Many say Peter Wells chose to appoint someone inside the Vatican that's familiar with the media, that's a journalist and knows how journalists react. Someone to avoid having the Holy See always on the defensive, but also to counterattack, as they say in soccer.”

Benedict XVI, up until the end, tried to heal the most recent schism within the Church, the one with lefebvrians. In June, he reached out and made them an offer, which they ultimately turned down. Now, this becomes a task for the next Pope.

Near the end of the summer, he made his last foreign visit, to Lebanon. He called for peace in the Middle East, pushed for dialogue with Muslims, and urged Christians to remain in the Holy Land.

ANTOINE MARIE IZOARD
Director, I.Media Agency

“To me it seemed very brave, because for several months the situation in Syria had become a serious conflict, and the Pope chose to go there. He was brave because later we learned there was threats made against him, which he knew about and the Vatican knew about.”

Before stepping down, the Pope who was also a professor, finished his most important work: A  theological description of Jesus of Nazareth. He wrote it between his free time and finished it in the summer. It was published in November in nine languages and distributed in 50 countries.

He will also be remembered for his Synod on the New Evangelization, the main challenge for the Catholic Church. Nearly 300 bishops from across the globe exchanged ideas about how to spread the word of God to a world that doesn't seem very interested in listening.

In November, he surprisingly created six new cardinals, none of them from Europe, in a bid to diversify the group that will choose the next Pope. Many believe, he was likely thinking about the dynamics within the upcoming conclave.

ANTOINE MARIE IZOARD
Director, I.Media Agency

“It seemed a small consistory that the Pope made before Christmas and that was his decision alone. But today we can read into it differently. The Pope created this small consistory and nominated Msgr. Gaenswein as prefect of the Papal Household. He wanted to leave things in order before leaving office. He knew about it and was very clear about what he was doing.”

Something important is also his first tweet. The Pope has issued several messages, hoping to reach every cell phone and computer screen in the world. He will leave behind his account with more than two million followers.

He also declared former pontiff Paul VI venerable.

In December, he named his personal secretary Georg Gaenswein as the prefect of the Papal Household, ensuring that he will continue working for the next Pope. 

ANTOINE MARIE IZOARD
Director, I.Media Agency

“When he was named archbishop, we all thought it was a great display of loyalty towards him during an intense 2012, with the Vatileaks case, and to give him job security because Benedict XVI is leaving but Gaenswein will remain with the next Pope.”

All of these efforts paved the way for his resignation, and the arrival of his successor.

Cardinal Dolan on the Final Days of Papacy of Pope Benedict and the Coming Conclave


Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Archbishop of New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan talks about Pope Benedict XVI’s final meeting with the cardinals, calling it “a very tender moment” and “mixed feelings” among the cardinals about the upcoming conclave to select a new pope.

Benedict XVI promises 'unconditional obedience' to next Pope

Cardinals bid Pope Benedict Farewell


The following comes from EWTN News:

Echoing the disciples on the Road to Emmaus, Cardinal Angelo Sodano told Pope Benedict that the cardinals’ hearts “burned when walking with you in the past eight years.”

“Yes, Holy Father, I know that our hearts that burned when walking with you in the past eight years. Today we want to once again express our gratitude. We repeat in chorus a typical expression of his dear native land ‘Vergelt's Gott,’ which means
 God reward you!” Cardinal Sodano said on behalf of the cardinals.

Pope Benedict met with all the cardinals who were present in Rome on Feb. 28, his last day as pontiff. Around 50 cardinals and numerous members of the Roman Curia gathered in the Clementine Hall of the Apostolic Palace for a final farewell and to thank the Pope for his eight years leading the Church.

“With great trepidation,” Cardinal Sodano began, “the cardinals present in Rome huddle around you today, to once again express their deep affection and our heartfelt gratitude for your selfless witness of apostolic service, for the good of the Church of Christ and humanity as a whole.”

He recalled how Pope Benedict thanked the cardinals last Saturday for their assistance during his papacy, and remarked, “it is we who must thank you for the example you gave us in the past eight years of your pontificate.”

Perhaps in a reference to the difficulties that experienced by Pope Benedict, Cardinal Sodano said, “with deep love we tried to accompany you in your journey, reliving the experience of the disciples of Emmaus who, after walking with Jesus for a good stretch of road, they said to one another: ‘Do not perhaps it was burning our heart, when we talked on the way?’”

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

A Look at Castel Gandolfo


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When Pope Benedict XVI steps down, he will head to the sleepy town of Castel Gandolfo, used by popes as a quiet sanctuary for 400 years, where he will await the completion of construction on his new home. NBC’s Savannah Guthrie reports.

Forgiveness by Matthew West

Pope Benedict’s Last General Audience




Video streaming by Ustream

Card. Bertone: Prayers of religious fundamental in Conclave

(Vatican Radio) Below we publish the letter written by Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, to the convents and monasteries of contemplative life worldwide, in the lead up to Pope Benedict XVI’s resignation and conclave.

From the Vatican, 21 February 2013

Reverend Mother,
Reverend Father,

I write to you as the whole Church anxiously follows the final days of the luminous pontificate of His Holiness Benedict XVI and awaits the arrival of the successor whom the Cardinals gathered in conclave and guided by the Holy Spirit will choose, after discerning together the signs of the times of the Church and the world.


His Holiness Benedict XVI has asked all the faithful to accompany him with their prayers as he commends the Petrine ministry into the Lord’s hands, and to await with trust the arrival of the new Pope. In a particularly urgent way this appeal is addressed to those chosen members of the Church who are contemplatives. The Holy Father is certain that you, in your monasteries and convents throughout the world, will provide the precious resource of that prayerful faith which down the centuries has accompanied and sustained the Church along her pilgrim path. The coming conclave will thus depend in a special way on the transparent purity of your prayer and worship.


The most significant example of this spiritual elevation which manifests the most authentic and profound dimension of every ecclesial action, the presence of the Holy Spirit who guides the Church, is offered to us by His Holiness Benedict XVI who, after having steered the barque of Peter amid the waves of history, has chosen to devote himself above all to prayer, contemplation and reflection.


The Holy Father, with whom I shared the contents of this letter, was deeply appreciative, and asked me to thank you and to assure you of his immense love and esteem. 


With affection in Christ I send you greetings, united with you in prayer.

Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone
Secretary of State

Pope Benedict: 'My heart is filled with thanksgiving to God who ever watches over his Church'


The following comes from the Rome Reports site:

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I offer a warm and affectionate greeting to the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors who have joined me for this, my last General Audience. Like Saint Paul, whose words we heard earlier, my heart is filled with thanksgiving to God who ever watches over his Church and her growth in faith and love, and I embrace all of you with joy and gratitude.

During this Year of Faith, we have been called to renew our joyful trust in the Lord’s presence in our lives and in the life of the Church. I am personally grateful for his unfailing love and guidance in the eight years since I accepted his call to serve as the Successor of Peter. I am also deeply grateful for the understanding, support and prayers of so many of you, not only here in Rome, but also throughout the world.

The decision I have made, after much prayer, is the fruit of a serene trust in God’s will and a deep love of Christ’s Church. I will continue to accompany the Church with my prayers, and I ask each of you to pray for me and for the new Pope. In union with Mary and all the saints, let us entrust ourselves in faith and hope to God, who continues to watch over our lives and to guide the journey of the Church and our world along the paths of history.

I commend all of you, with great affection, to his loving care, asking him to strengthen you in the hope which opens our hearts to the fullness of life that he alone can give. To you and your families, I impart my blessing. Thank you! 

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Happy Birthday Johhny Cash


Johnny Cash from Sue Williams on Vimeo.

Young people across globe thank Pope Benedict in video


The following comes from the CNA:

A group of young people from Madrid have posted a two-minute video online with international messages thanking Pope Benedict XVI for his service to the Church.

“We young people are with you,” the video emphasizes to the Pontiff, who will be retiring from his role as Pope at the end of February due to waning strength.

Entitled, “For the 85 year-old young man,” the video has already gone viral, receiving more than 50,000 views on YouTube in just five days.

In the video, young people from around the world thank Pope Benedict for his “teachings of reason, faith and humility,” as well as for showing them the “tenderness of Christ” and offering a sincere witness of hope, generosity and courage.

They reminded the Holy Father that they are praying for him.

Pablo Larrocha, one of the young people promoting the video, said he got the idea to make it after the Pope announced his resignation. 

“I felt a silence in the Church that I didn’t like at all,” he said.

The silence was “in a certain sense normal because the news was unexpected,” he continued. “But I felt I had to do something so that people could see that the Pope is not alone.”

The Pope needed to know “that we young people are at his side, that we continue to be his sons and daughters and that we are going to love him to the end,” Larrocha said.

With the help of his friend Chechu Fuentes, he decided to record thirty young people in Madrid, but another friend suggested they also videoconference with young people in different countries. 

“So we clearly realized that this had to be a worldwide expression of thanks,” Larrocha continued.
The video features young people from numerous countries including Germany, Romania, France, Peru, Chile, Venezuela, Argentina, Slovakia, Australia, Russia, the United States, New Zealand and China.

Chechu García, Miguel del Moral, Bruno Contreras, Iziar Francín, Pilar Muñoz-Elena and Javier Contreras all contributed to creating the video.

Fr. Rutler: Pope Benedict XVI has been a Very Good Father

By Father George Rutler

The meteorite that exploded over Russia's Ural Mountains with the force of thirty atomic bombs had the biggest impact since the one that exploded over Tunguska in 1908 with a force more powerful than all the bombs, including the atomic ones dropped in the Second World War. But such a force of nature, when observed passing safely by with breathtaking speed, can also be a sign of the beauty and brevity of all things.

So it was in “The Year of Three Popes” when the death of Paul VI was followed by the death of John Paul I just four weeks after his election, and then the election of John Paul II. Cardinal Confaloniere said of John Paul I, in the exquisite Latin for which he was famous: “He passed as a meteor which unexpectedly lights up the heavens and then disappears, leaving us amazed and astonished.”

The impact of that pope's sudden death seemed at the time to be immeasurably hurtful, and yet he made the way for many providential events. Now the gracious abdication of Pope Benedict XVI also amazes and astonishes. When he assumed the papacy, he knew the work would not be easy: “Pray for me, that I may not flee for fear of the wolves.” Without histrionics or self-pity, he quietly took up his burden in the succession of St. Peter to whom the Lord said, “Simon, Simon, Satan has desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith fail not; and that when you are converted, you will strengthen your brethren” (Luke 22:31-32).

In many glorious ways, Benedict XVI has done just that. With unerring fidelity he has explained the sacred deposit of the Faith to its opponents, both cultured and uncultured, with patient eloquence and stunning insight. Many reforms in the Church’s structure and the purification of abuses were his intense initiatives. Rather like St. Francis of Assisi going to meet with the caliph of Egypt clad only in simplicity, Benedict XVI refused to wear a bullet-proof vest when he went to Turkey, turning the anger of many to respect. A new reverence and beauty in worship has been his gift to the Church through his renewal of the sacred rites, and the provision of an ordinariate for whole groups seeking full communion with the Church “amazed and astonished” many.

Now, his renunciation of the Keys entrusted to him, teaches the essence of the papacy as a stewardship that transcends the charisms of any individual. Officially, a pope is Bishop of Rome, Vicar of Christ, Successor of the Prince of the Apostles, Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church, Primate of Italy, Archbishop and Metropolitan of the Roman Province, Sovereign of the State of Vatican City, Servant of the Servants of God. But to the world, this Pope has also been a very good Father. 

Father Rutler is Pastor of the Church of Our Saviour in New York City.

Catholic Church Architecture Part 10 of 10: Vatican II


Monday, February 25, 2013

Pope John Paul II: The Cross leads us spiritually to Calvary


The Cross leads us spiritually to Calvary. With Mary we stand at the feet of the dying Christ. The Cross speaks to us of the mercy of God. Let us be won over by this boundless mercy that summons us, transfigures us, and saves us. It is the way to approach with respect and love the tragedy of the Son of God who offers his life for us. Beloved young people, may you know how to read in the Cross the measure of the love of God: a boundless measure! Turn your gaze toward the Crucifix and await in trepidation the message that He –- the only one with the message of eternal life –- sends out to everyone. From it draw the force to support and feed your testimony as disciples and messengers of the Gospel.
– Blessed John Paul II, Angelus, March 31, 1996
Hat tip to Kathryn Jean Lopez

Catholic Church Architecture Part 9 of 10: Heaven and Architecture

Sunday, February 24, 2013

Awake My Soul by Mumford and Sons

Pope Benedict XVI's farewell Angelus: I will never abandon the Church

The following comes from the Vatican News site:

“Dear brothers and sisters…The Lord is calling me to "climb the mountain", to devote myself even more to prayer and meditation. But this does not mean abandoning the Church, indeed, if God is asking me to do this, it is so I can continue to serve the Church with the same dedication and the same love with which I have done thus far, but in a way that is better suited to my age and my strength”. "We will always be close in prayer!".

This was Pope Benedict XVI’s parting message on Sunday, during his last Angelus address. At noon the canons sounded from the Janiculum hill and the great bells of St Peter’s basilica rang out. And as the curtains were drawn from his study windows and the red papal banner unfurled, the ocean of pilgrims waiting below erupted. Emer McCarthy reports:


They had come in their thousands, pouring into the square since early dawn, men, women and children, old and young, religious and lay Catholics. They held banners, emblazoned with messages of gratitude and farewell for the 85 year old Pope, who had guided them in the faith over the past eight years.


Pilgrims such as a father and his young son from the earthquake devastated city of Aquilla, central Italy, who held aloft a homemade sign, thanking Pope Benedict for having visited the city’s people in their time of need, for his material support and spiritual solidarity. Or the Dominican nuns from the Philippines who had held vigil since dawn praying the rosary. And beside them the young people in their sleeping bags, from Spain, Brazil, Mexico with their banner that read “the gates of hell will never prevail”. 


With outstretched arms and visibly moved, Pope Benedict greeted them all, repeating ‘grazie, grazie,’ as he attempted to quieten the crowds. An almost impossible task. 


Then, as is tradition, he reflected on the Sunday Gospel, Luke chapter 9, which recounts the Transfiguration of the Lord. 


Below a Vatican Radio translation of the Holy Father’s Angelus address:
Dear brothers and sisters!
On the second Sunday of Lent, the liturgy always presents us with the Gospel of the Transfiguration of the Lord. The evangelist Luke places particular emphasis on the fact that Jesus was transfigured as he prayed: his is a profound experience of relationship with the Father during a sort of spiritual retreat that Jesus lives on a high mountain in the company of Peter, James and John , the three disciples always present in moments of divine manifestation of the Master (Luke 5:10, 8.51, 9.28).The Lord, who shortly before had foretold his death and resurrection (9:22), offers his disciples a foretaste of his glory. And even in the Transfiguration, as in baptism, we hear the voice of the Heavenly Father, "This is my Son, the Chosen One listen to him" (9:35). The presence of Moses and Elijah, representing the Law and the Prophets of the Old Covenant, it is highly significant: the whole history of the Alliance is focused on Him, the Christ, who accomplishes a new "exodus" (9:31) , not to the promised land as in the time of Moses, but to Heaven. Peter’s words: "Master, it is good that we are here" (9.33) represents the impossible attempt to stop this mystical experience. St. Augustine says: "[Peter] ... on the mountain ... had Christ as the food of the soul. Why should he come down to return to the labours and pains, while up there he was full of feelings of holy love for God that inspired in him a holy conduct? "(Sermon 78.3).


We can draw a very important lesson from meditating on this passage of the Gospel. First, the primacy of prayer, without which all the work of the apostolate and of charity is reduced to activism. In Lent we learn to give proper time to prayer, both personal and communal, which gives breath to our spiritual life. In addition, to pray is not to isolate oneself from the world and its contradictions, as Peter wanted on Tabor, instead prayer leads us back to the path, to action. "The Christian life - I wrote in my Message for Lent - consists in continuously scaling the mountain to meet God and then coming back down, bearing the love and strength drawn from him, so as to serve our brothers and sisters with God’s own love "(n. 3).Dear brothers and sisters, I feel that this Word of God is particularly directed at me, at this point in my life. The Lord is calling me to "climb the mountain", to devote myself even more to prayer and meditation. But this does not mean abandoning the Church, indeed, if God is asking me to do this it is so that I can continue to serve the Church with the same dedication and the same love with which I have done thus far, but in a way that is better suited to my age and my strength. Let us invoke the intercession of the Virgin Mary: may she always help us all to follow the Lord Jesus in prayer and works of charity.


I offer a warm greeting to all the English-speaking visitors present for this Angelus prayer, especially the Schola Cantorum of the London Oratory School. I thank everyone for the many expressions of gratitude, affection and closeness in prayer which I have received in these days. As we continue our Lenten journey towards Easter, may we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus the Redeemer, whose glory was revealed on the mount of the Transfiguration. Upon all of you I invoke God’s abundant blessings!

Catholic Church Architecture Part 8 of 10: Rediscovering Liturgical Images

Saturday, February 23, 2013

Lost Highway by Kurt Nilsen and Willie Nelson

Catholic Church Architecture Part 7 of 10: Sacred Images

Friday, February 22, 2013

Colder Weather by Zac Brown Band

Religionless Christianity: Do I need the Church if I am "spiritual"?

Father Fessio’s Pope Benedict


The following comes from the The NCR:

As the founder of Ignatius Press, a leading publisher of Catholic theological works, Jesuit Father Joseph Fessio has tackled his fair share of turgid academic prose.

Thus he is especially appreciative of Pope Benedict XVI’s clarity — not only in his writing, but also his public statements.

In both cases, said Father Fessio, the Pope uses simple images and words to present complex themes and teachings.

Father Fessio has known Pope Benedict XVI since 1972, when the American priest began doctoral studies at the University of Regensburg, where then-Father Joseph Ratzinger had a strong following among graduate students.
Father Ratzinger was just 45 years old when the young American Jesuit from San Francisco arrived at the university, but the German-born academic had already earned a reputation for explaining difficult theological concepts in clear, incisive language.

“He was different, and people came to listen to him. He offered a very personal, meditative reflection. As people now recognize, he was articulate, organized and coherent,” recalled Father Fessio, during an interview that shared recollections of Ratzinger’s role as a teacher and offered an appreciation of his gifts as an author.

But Father Ratzinger’s intellectual gifts were even more striking during the graduate seminars, “where there would be five or six of us. In each session, one person would make a presentation, and others would respond,” Father Fessio remembered. “Father Ratzinger would listen, and then, in the discussion, he would make sure that others also spoke. My German was not good, and I couldn’t say very much.”

During the seminars, Father Ratzinger “would sit back, and then, at the end of the seminar, in two or three sentence, he would summarize all that was said. He pulled the discussion together into an organic whole in a way that was always illuminating.”

A Way With Words
Father Fessio soon learned that the same luminous clarity enlivened Father Ratzinger's published works.

“Back in 1968, when he published the Introduction to Christianity, the prose was already there,” said Father Fessio, referring to a work that remains a key textbook for graduate theological studies.

When the Catechism of the Catholic Church was completed in 1992, during the pontificate of Blessed John Paul II, Father Fessio reviewed the text and immediately noticed that it bore signs of Joseph Ratzinger’s distinctive ability to synthesize challenging material. At the time, then-Cardinal Ratzinger was the president of the catechism’s Preparatory Commission, which worked for six years to complete the project.

“When I first received the Catechism, I spent a whole retreat meditating on the Table of Contents — it was so beautiful. The Catechism wasn’t just a summary or a book of lists, it presented the faith as an organic whole,” said Father Fessio.

After his mentor was elected pope, Catholics across the globe had their first taste of Benedict’s literary gifts.

“Love is possible, and we are able to practice it because we are created in the image of God. To experience love and in this way to cause the light of God to enter into the world — this is the invitation I would like to extend with the present encyclical,” wrote Pope Benedict XVI in Deus Caritas Est, his first encyclical.

“He is like a painter using his palette to produce a portrait,” said Father Fessio, noting that the Pope also managed to work his magic in collaborative synodal documents as well as his encyclicals.

“He uses simple images — light and dark. You notice the same thing when you open up The Lord of the Rings and begin reading a paragraph: The majority of words are one syllable, and they convey profound thoughts and emotions.”
Thus, when Pope Benedict was enthroned in 2005, “he talked about the pallium, and, when he spoke to the cardinals, he noted that red is for martyrdom.”

Same Man, Different Settings
Over the course of more than 40 years, Father Fessio has stayed in touch with his former professor, meeting with other students from Regensburg for annual gatherings and collaborating on a variety of projects. During that time, the priest said, he has witnessed very little change in the man who will resign from the Petrine office on Feb. 28.

“He was always a theologian of the Church,” he said. “I saw the same man doing the same thing in different settings. He is a faithful servant, and Blessed John Paul II relied on him a good deal.

“But look how the liturgy changed as soon as Benedict was made pope. Chant was introduced. It means that he was not in favor of the kind of liturgies that Pope John Paul II celebrated, but he accepted it. And when he was pope, he acted differently.”

Indeed, while media commentators still dredge up Cardinal Ratzinger’s nickname of “God’s Rottweiler” from his days as prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Father Fessio has “never heard him raise his voice. He was always a listener, even at the CDF.”

“I wouldn’t call him shy; I would call him reserved. He is not someone who would enjoy a cocktail party,” said Father Fessio.

“Yes, he is firm. He has tremendous confidence because he has confidence in Christ. Friendship in Christ: It is the bass note in all his work.”

The resulting spiritual serenity sustained him amid the tumultuous decades following the Second Vatican Council, when the German cardinal sparked animosity by insisting that the Council did not constitute a break with the continuity of Catholic Tradition.

Father Fessio recalled a remark the Pope made during a meeting some time after his election.

Another Catholic publisher asked the Holy Father why only Ignatius Press was publishing his works. Father Fessio recalled  that the Pope calmly responded, “Because when no one else cared, they published my works.’”

When Father Fessio learned that the Pope would resign during Lent, he quickly grasped the significance of his timing.

“He was born during Holy Week,” he said. “And I am confident he chose the time for his resignation because he wanted the next pope as an ‘Easter’ pope, with time for reflection.”

Added Father Fessio, “His life begins and ends with the Paschal mystery.”

Catholic Church Architecture Part 6 of 10 Columns

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Where I Belong by Building 429

Catholic Apologetics: The Eucharist

Are we to eat the literal Body of Christ and drink His Blood?  Yes, Jesus Christ meant for us to literally eat His Flesh and drink His Blood as He Himself repeated and emphasized the literality of this teaching by using the words "verily, verily" and "indeed" in describing it.  If He did not mean this teaching literally, He surely would not have allowed disciples to stop following Him over this (John 6:51-71).   In addition, why would St. Paul state that anyone who accepted the Eucharist unworthily is guilty of the blood of Christ if it were only symbolic? (1 Corinthians 11:23-29)

Catholic Church Architecture Part 5 of 10 Decoration and Ornament

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Awake My Soul by Mumford and Sons

Catholic Church Architecture Part 4 of 10: The Classical Tradition

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Catholic Church Architecture Part 3 of 10

Interview with Fr. Dwight Longenecker - On Writing, C.S. Lewis, and Catholicism

Fr. George Rutler on Pope Benedict

The following comes from Fr. George Rutler:

When a pope retires, I have to change the proposed topic of my column. Now I know how a pastor must have felt in 1415 when Pope Gregory XII resigned, and in 1294 when Celestine V did the same. While papal resignations cannot therefore be said to have become a habit, they do remind one that Holy Orders are indelible, but the papacy itself is not.

We also are reminded, as we need to be in an age of diminishing attention spans, that there have been 265 popes. I recently read of a Protestant lady who converted to Catholicism upon being shown that list. God gave the Keys of the Kingdom to Peter, knowing that the Galilean fisherman had a limited life span. Since there is no re-incarnation, there is a succession, and that will go on until the end of time. Even calling Rome the Eternal City is extravagant rhetoric, “For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come” (Hebrews 13:14). No one knows this more clearly than Pope Benedict XVI, whose intellectual brilliance and eloquent teaching have enabled him to explain this to the world in remarkable ways, but never more so than by his own example. 

Pope John Paul II died in the days of Easter, having taught a confused world, as Christ said when He rose from the dead, “Do not be afraid.” Pope Benedict XVI is relinquishing the Keys in Lent, and another will hold them in Easter. This gives a special import to the Forty Days on which we have now embarked. Pope Benedict enters a new phase of his life, when he will be devoted to praying for all of God’s holy Church. All of us can more closely identify now with the first apostles, who were called by Christ to change their lives. The fishermen became fishers of men, and that is why we are here now, worshiping the same Lord that they learned to worship after many signs and revelations. 

 As Lent is a time of abstinence, it would be good to abstain from the vain speculations of the media and self-appointed “experts” inside the Church and out, who see these things with merely human eyes and may use a papal resignation as a suggestion that the papacy is just another human office like a presidency or prime ministership. We should also remember that the world has been around a lot longer than we have, and if an asteroid changed the whole ecology of terrestrial life some 66 million years ago when it struck Mexico, as scientists have now determined, the Good News of Christ really is recent news. What is required at this crucial moment in history is that we follow the example of the first apostles: “So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him” (Luke 5:11).   

Does God judge us on what we know?


Monday, February 18, 2013

Timshel by Mumford & Sons

Brandon Vogt: 3 Things I’ve Learned from Pope Benedict XVI

The following comes from Brandon Vogt at Ignitum Today:

As an Evangelical Christian in 2008, “God’s Rottweiler” worried me. From what I heard, he was a cold and stodgy disciplinarian with a hyper-traditionalist streak, more likely to crack a whip than save a soul. But then I became Catholic. I devoured his books and studied his speeches, and I discovered a much different man. He was humble, spiritual, and wise—more Gandalf than Stalin.
 
In the five years since becoming Catholic, Pope Benedict has taught me several lessons. But three stick out in particular: the priority of encountering Christ, the proper interpretation of the Bible, and the astounding power of the new media.
 
First, when you study Pope Benedict’s work you’ll quickly notice his evangelical bend. He incessantly reminds us that Christianity is not about a philosophy, a set of doctrines, or a moral list of do’s and don’ts: it’s about a relationship with Christ. Those other things certainly matter but they aren’t central—they aren’t the “one thing necessary” (Luke 10:42).
 
For instance, in a recent speech to Filipino prelates, Pope Benedict defined their sole mission as to “propose a personal relationship with Christ as the key to complete fulfillment.” Likewise, in the Introduction to his second Jesus of Nazareth book we see the same focus: “I have attempted to develop a way of observing and listening to the Jesus of the Gospels that can indeed lead to a personal encounter.”
 
Coming from an Evangelical background, which stressed the importance of “knowing Jesus in a personal way,” this vision immediately captured me. I saw it as a bridge to my Evangelical friends, for here was a Pope even they could love. In fact, during a roundtable discussion of the Pope’s Jesus of Nazareth series, a well-known Protestant biblical scholar revealed that he would gladly assign the books for his seminary class. He explained that if the series didn’t say “Pope Benedict” on the cover, his students would probably not know they were reading Catholic books. Now, that’s not to say Pope Benedict softens Catholicism for ecumenical purposes—far from it. Instead, it testifies to the central role he gives to encountering Jesus Christ, a “mere Christianity” to which most Protestants happily agree.
 
The second thing Pope Benedict has taught me regards the interpretation of Scripture. In his recent exhortation on the Word of God, Verbum Domini, he reiterated the Bible’s proper interpretive home: the Church. Just as I wouldn’t make sense of The Lord of the Rings without consulting Tolkien’s intentions, nor determine the Constitution’s meaning without heeding the Supreme Court, I can’t fully understand Scripture without listening to the Church.
 
Without proper interpretation, critics suggest Tolkien’s epic was really about racial divide and class warfare. Or that the Constitution really supports abortion and “same-sex marriage.” Or that Scripture really advocates slavery and holy wars. Pope Benedict taught me that the same Spirit who inspired the Bible guides the Church today and therefore we must look confidently to her lead when interpreting the written Word of God.
 
Finally, the new media. While researching my book on the the Church and technology I read everything Pope Benedict said about new media. And that was a lot. Despite being in his mid-eighties, this Pope keenly grasped the power and potential of new media better than most of his younger contemporaries.
 
In his annual World Communications Day messages, for example, the Pope called these digital tools “a gift to humanity.” Over the years, he’s covered topics like the dangers of self-promotion, the value of silence, and seeking truth and authenticity in the digital world. His latest message, which I consider his best, is titled “Social Networks: Portals of Truth and Faith, New Spaces for Evangelization.
 
These tools are especially helpful in reaching non-Catholics: “New horizons are now open that were, until recently, unimaginable…[the new media] stir our wonder at the possibilities.”
 
With my Facebook profile I can connect with more people than St. Paul, Genghis Khan, Constantine, or Napoleon. With my cell phone I have more evangelical reach than St. Augustine, St. Francis Xavier, or Ven. Fulton Sheen. Pope Benedict agrees and has thus encouraged Catholics to respond to this technology with creativity and ardor.
 
Pope Benedict has left an indelible mark on my life in the five years I’ve known him. He’s taught me that nothing matters more than knowing and loving Jesus Christ. He’s shown that to understand the Word of God I must view it through the Church’s continuous tradition. And he’s invited me to join an evangelical adventure, riding the barque of a 2,000-year old Church onto the shores of the digital world.