The Benedict Blog

Pope Benedict Roundup!

2013-04-30T00:22:00.000-04:00

News

Ratzinger to return to the Vatican the second of May, by Andrea Tornielli. La Stampa "The Vatican Insider" 04/26/13:
Benedict XVI returns to the Vatican. He left the Holy See on 28 February, the last day of his pontificate, which ended officially on the evening of that same day, following his resignation. Unless there is last minute change of plan, the Pope Emeritus is expected to return to the Vatican the second of May. The former cloistered monastery where the former Pope will be living, is now ready for him to move in. ...
Author Charles Coulombe was inspired to write The Legacy of Pope Benedict XVI because he considered Benedict to have been ‘the best pope I’ve lived under' National Catholic Register 04/26/13.
Pope Emeritus Benedict 'relieved' he is no longer pontiff Pope Emeritus Benedict's older brother has said the former pontiff is "relieved" to be free of the responsibility of running the Catholic Church, as he insisted that while he is growing weaker with old age, he is not suffering from illness. The Telegraph 04/23/13.
Ratzinger celebrates first birthday as Pope Emeritus La Stampa 04/16/13
Benedict XVI turned 86 today, celebrating his first birthday as Pope Emeritus in the solitude of Cstel Gandolfo, surrounded by his small “family”, made up of his secretary Georg Gänswein, the four Memores Domini sisters, the secretary Sister Birgit and his brother, Georg Ratzinger.
Pope Francis made a cordial telephone call to him, repeating the wishes he sent him during mass. He also sent his wishes to Georg Ratzinger for his name day on 23 April (the two share the same name, the Pope's own name being Jorge).

Commentary

Pope Benedict XVI’s “First Convert”, by Roger Dubin. The Catholic World Report 04/16/13. The story of how a New York Jew wrestled with Christ and became Catholic.
From the Archives: Neuhaus and Ratzinger, by Matthew Schmitz. First Things "First Thoughts" Recalling Cardinal Ratzinger's 1988 Erasmus Lecture, "Biblical Interpretation in Crisis, presented in New York City and hosted by the Institute on Religion and Public Life.
Pope Benedict XVI’s Legacy: Faith and Future Fr. Angelo Mary Geiger on "Six essential and enduring themes of the pontificate of the Pope Emeritus." Catholic World Report 04/23/13.
Benjamin Wiker has written a seven part reflection on Pope Benedict's pontificate (and his battle with secularism) for the National Catholic Register. Wiker's latest book is Worshipping the State: How Liberalism Became Our State Religion.
- A Tale of Two Benedicts 02/19/13.
- Benedict vs. the Dictatorship of Relativism 02/25/13.
- A Gem of a Pope 03/01/13.
- Totalitarian Irrationality 03/13/13.
- 'Gay Marriage's' looming battle 03/25/13.
- The Church and the Secular State
- Benedict XVI: Doctor of the Church, by Benjamin Wiker. 04/29/13.
Benedict XVI and the End of the “Virtual Council”, by Tracey Rowland. The Catholic World Report 04/19/13. Up to the final days of his pontificate, Benedict XVI emphasized the importance of interpreting the Council in continuity with what came before it.
Pope Francis wishes Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI a Happy Birthday 04/16/13:
[Tuesday] morning, on the occasion of the birthday of Pope emeritus Benedict XVI, the Holy Father Francis began the celebration of Mass in the chapel of the Domus Sanctae Marthae, inviting all those present to pray with these words: “Today is Benedict XVI's birthday. We offer the Mass for him, so that the Lord be with him, comfort him, and give him much consolation.”
During the morning, Pope Francis then made friendly a phone call to Benedict XVI to wish him a happy birthday as well as to extend his greetings and best wishes to his brother, Msgr. Georg Ratzinger, who has been at Castel Gandolfo for several days, staying precisely to celebrate in a familial and fraternal way, today's occasion and who will in turn celebrate his saint's day, St. George, this coming 23 April, just as Pope Francis will.
Pope's sister: Francis 'plenty tough enough' to lead John Allen Jr. interviews Maria Elena Bergoglio, sister of Pope Francis. National Catholic Reporter 04/03/13:
There’s only one other person on earth who can really understand what your brother’s going through, and that’s Benedict XVI. They’ve already spoken several times. In the same way, there’s probably only one other person who can appreciate what you’re going through, and that’s Benedict’s brother Georg. Have you thought about calling him for advice?
You know, no one’s asked me that before. It’s true, probably no one knows what my brother is feeling as much as Benedict. I’ve never thought about calling his brother, but I’m sure it would be a very interesting phone call.
If you did have that phone call, what would you want to ask him?
It’s not so much that I have anything I’d want to ask, but I would like to congratulate him for the brother he has. Benedict XVI is an extremely humble man and an extremely honest man, and it takes a lot of guts to renounce power like he did. Also, I’d like to express how grateful I am to Benedict XVI, because he did all the hard work. First of all, he had to follow John Paul II, which was almost impossible, especially because Benedict was more introverted and shy, more intellectual. I also feel sorry for Benedict because in many ways he had to do the dirty work in the church, such as starting to talk about the bad things in the church, the rotten tomatoes, such as the abuse cases.
You mention the abuse cases. How do you think your brother will respond to them?
I have no idea what he’ll actually do, but I know that he’ll do what needs to be done.
Are you glad that your brother is following Benedict and not John Paul II? Do you feel like that will make things easier for him?
Probably, yes, because John Paul II was so much in the hearts of the people. It was an extremely difficult job for anyone to follow him. I don’t think my brother will be exactly like John Paul II or Benedict XVI … in some ways, at least in terms of personality, he’s a good mix of both of them.
Benedict XVI’s Theology of Holy Saturday, by Tania M. Geist. First Things "On The Square" 03/30/13.
The Archiving of Benedict, or a Defense of Pope Benedict XVI (Dyspeptic Mutterings 03/28/13). A stern (and warranted) essay by Dale Price on those who would use the pontificate of Pope Francis as a means to criticize -- or otherwise dismiss -- his predecessor.
Love, Hope, and Truth: Benedict XVI’s Three Encyclicals, by Carl Olson. CatholicPulse.com. 03/25/13.

Publications

	The Word Made Love: The Dialogical Theology of Joseph Ratzinger/Benedict XVI by Christopher S. Collins. Liturgical Press, February 2013. In The Word Made Love, Christopher Collins identifies in the structure of Ratzinger s thought the presentation of God as one who speaks and who ultimately speaks Himself in the person of Jesus Christ. Humanity s posture before God is one of hearing and responding. For Ratzinger, then, dialogue is the basic structure of all reality, and the Christian vision articulates the radical transformation that happens when we enter into this divine dialogue. Collins argues that this dialogical, communicative structure is a distinctive aspect of Ratzinger s thought and a unique contribution to the renewal of theology in our day. Christopher S. Collins, SJ, is assistant professor of theology at Saint Louis University. He is a former parish priest on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, as well as a high school instructor at both Brophy College Prep in Phoenix, Arizona, and Jesuit College Preparatory in Dallas, Texas.
	Joseph Ratzinger in Communio, Vol. 2: Anthropology and Culture (Ressourcement: Retrieval and Renewal in Catholic Thought) by Pope Benedict XVI. Edited by David Schindler and Nicholas J. Healy. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company (January 2013) In this second volume of Joseph Ratzinger in Communio, Pope Benedict XVI speaks to various issues relating to humanity today -- conscience, technological security, the origin of human life, the meaning of Sunday, Christian hope, and more. As editor David L. Schindler notes, "Cardinal Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI) rarely writes on any churchly matter that does not manifest its implications for man and culture, and vice versa. Indeed, this indissoluble linking is one of the main distinguishing features of his theology." This is the second of three volumes; the first deals with themes relating to the Church, and the third volume is to focus on theological renewal.
By Mariusz Biliniewicz.	The Liturgical Vision of Pope Benedict XVI: A Theological Inquiry Available in the UK only - order overseas from Amazon.co.uk. Peter Lang AG, Internationaler Verlag der Wissenschaften (20 Feb 2013) This book presents and evaluates the liturgical vision of Pope Benedict XVI and the theological background underlying that vision. It describes the main features of Joseph Ratzinger's theology of the liturgy and analyses them within the context of his theology as a whole. Ratzinger's evaluation of the contemporary Roman Catholic liturgy is explored in relation to his overall assessment of the post-Vatican II era in the Church, alongside an examination of his project of liturgical renewal ('reform of the reform') and its practical implementation during his pontificate. The author discusses the various critical voices which have been raised against the Pope's liturgical agenda and against certain aspects of his general theology. Overall, the book offers an assessment of the importance of Ratzinger's vision for the Church at the threshold of the third millennium.

Additional Reference Resources

Pope Benedict XVI on Islam (2005-2009) [Kindle Edition] A comprehensive analysis of 91 official statements made by Pope Benedict XVI from 2005 to 2009 that involved Islam. The 9253 word count includes references and notes. Compiled by Guy Fricano.

Pope Francis to Benedict XVI: "We are Brothers"

2013-03-25T16:29:00.001-04:00

Castel Gandolfo: Pope Francis visits Benedict XVI. Two popes meet. AsiaNews.it 03/23/13:

... Despite the fact that most media seem to enjoy placing the current pope and his predecessor in stark opposition to each other, the reality is that the two share a deeply fraternal relationship. Since the night of his election, on March 13 last year, Francis has always spoken with kindness and cited his "venerable predecessor." His very first gesture, looking out from St Peter's central loggia was to ask everyone to pray for Pope Benedict XVI. The next day he celebrated Mass with cardinals carrying the German pope's processional cross in his hands, in his encounter with the College of Cardinals he quoted him directly with words of sincere praise for his pontificate with which "he enriched and strengthened the Church with his teaching, his kindness, his guidance, his faith, his humility and gentleness that will remain a spiritual heritage for everyone. "
He mentioned him again with great friendliness and devotion during his meeting with the media, at the Mass in the parish of St. Anne, at the first Mass of his pontificate, meeting with Christian and religious leaders and in his meeting with the diplomatic corps.

Francis and Benedict’s historic meeting: “We are brothers” La Stampa "The Vatican Insider":

After briefly greeting the other people present (the Bishop of Albano and the director of the Pontifical Villas, Petrillo), they got into the car Benedict XVI had arrived in. Francis got in on the right hand side, the side the Pope always sits on and Benedict sat on the left. The Prefect of the Papal Household, Mgr. Georg Gänswein, also took the same car which took them to the lifts which took them up to the apartment. They then went to the chapel to pray.
“In the chapel, the Pope Emeritus offered Francis the seat of honour but the latter replied: “We are brothers,” and asked Ratzinger to kneel down with him at the same pew,” Fr. Lombardi said.
After a brief moment of prayer, they went to the private Library where the private meeting started at 12:30. This is the library where the Pope usually receives important guests when he is at Castel Gandolfo. Francis gave the Pope Emeritus a beautiful icon as a gift, after which their conversation began. It lasted 45 minutes and ended at 13:15.
“It should be noted that the Pope Emeritus wears a simple white cassock without a fascia (sash) or shoulder cape: it is these two garments that distinguish him from Francis who does wear a fascia and shoulder cape,” the Vatican spokesman stressed.
The two secretaries, Fr. Georg and Fr. Xuereb attended the lunch as well and the private and confidential meeting concluded with a conversation in the Library.

Pope Francis (L) embraces Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI as he arrives at the Castel Gandolfo summer residence March 23, 2013. Pope Francis travelled by helicopter from the Vatican to Castel Gandolfo for a private meeting with former Pope Benedict XVI. REUTERS/Osservatore Romano

Vatican Radio also reports:

The Holy Father also brought a gift for his predecessor, an icon of Our Lady of Humility, as a gift for Benedict XVI's great humility. The two men then spent an estimated 45 minutes in private conversation in the Library before emerging to lunch with two secretaries.
The intensely reserved nature of the encounter confirms what Benedict XVI had confided to the priests of Rome in his last meeting with them as Pope on February 14th when he said: “Although I am retiring now, I will always be close in prayer, and you will be close to me, even if I remain hidden away from the world".

Pope Francis, left, and the former pope Benedict XVI prayed together at Castel Gandolfo. AFP/Osservatore Romano

Related

Ratzinger-Bergoglio lunch:"A constructive meeting. It would be wrong to draw comparisons" Antonio Spadaro, the director of the Company of Jesus’ journal Civilta Cattolica gives an account of today’s face-to-face meeting between Francis and Benedict XVI. La Stampa 03/23/13.
Unprecedented image in two thousand years of Catholic history, by Andrea Tornielli. La Stampa "The Vatican Insider" 03/24/13:
Gossip over continuity and break based on mozzettas, ermine furs and red shoes is threatening to overshadow the reality of true continuity between Benedict XVI and Francis. Theirs is a continuity that finds proof in several passages, in small deeds and stresses that were seen and heard during the first few days of this pontificate: the humility shown by both, their shared knowledge that the Church is ultimately led by God, their sense of non protagonism. After the election Benedict XVI said that “ everywhere the pope goes he shines the light of Christ, not his own”, Francis too, when talking to journalists, remarked that the protagonist is Christ not the pope.

Another element that the two popes have in common is their awareness of the need to safeguard the environment and all creation, of which mankind is the apex; in fact Benedict XVI had earned the nickname of “Green pope”; not to mention the concern over career-ambition and the “ spiritual worldliness” within the Church. Only people who have forgotten Benedict XVI’s profound homilies on these matters during consistories and during the ceremonies to appoint bishops might think that there is no harmony between the two popes. Only people who do not know Ratzinger’s writings on liturgy might believe that his philosophy would centre around lace, ermine fur and evermore sophisticated parameters rather than the simple encounter with the mystery of Christ. Some time ago, during a TV show, Bergoglio said that mass is not “ a gathering of friends who come to pray and eat bread and wine… To what great extent a priest needs to prepare to celebrate the holy communion !”
The exceptional footage shot yesterday at Castel Gandolfo shows the pope Emeritus pointing out to his successor the papal kneeling stool and then trying to stand aside, but being prevented from doing so by Francis who took him by the hand to pray side by side because in his eyes they are “brothers”. Those who saw the footage perfectly understand the mutual consideration and harmony that exists between these two men. Those who heard Francis’ voice as he gave his predecessor the picture of Our Lady of Humility and said “I thought of you because during your pontificate -- you gave us many examples of tenderness and humility" will not hesitate in recognizing humility as one of the common denominators between the two popes.
Dr. Robert Moynihan comments further on the significance of Pope Francis' gift to Benedict of the icon of the Madonna of Humility:
... a few minutes ago I received an unexpected email from Metropolitan Hilarion, 46, an old friend who is also the “Foreign Minister” (the term isn’t quite accurate, but it suggests the importance of his work and position) of the Russian Orthodox Church’s Moscow Patriarchate, so, the right-hand of Patriarch Kirill. He wrote:
“Pope Francis presented to Pope emeritus Benedict the icon which had been presented to Pope Francis by Metropolitan Hilarion on behalf of Patriarch Kirill [the head of the Russian Orthodox Church] after the private audience [with the new Pope] on 20 March. Отправлено с iPhone [Sent from iPhone]“
So the icon was the Russian icon Hilarion gave to Francis three days ago!
I wrote back: “Amazing. Are you pleased, or upset?”
I added: “It is reported here: ‘They spent 45 minutes talking alone. Pope Francis gave Pope Benedict an icon of Our Lady of Humility, saying that when he received it, he immediately thought of giving it to Pope Benedict.’”
Hilarion wrote back: “Very pleased and touched.”

... at the moment Pope Francis and Pope Benedict first met, at the first meeting ever of the “two Popes” of the Roman Catholic Church, there was a “Russian connection” and an “Orthodox connection” which was present, which was between them, joining them: an image of the Virgin Mary, the Madonna of Humility, brought from Russia and given to Pope Francis in Rome on March 20, an image which immediately struck Pope Francis when he received it as reminding him of Benedict, an image which he decided to bring with him today, to give to Emeritus Pope Benedict, on the occasion of the unprecedented, historic occasion, of their first meeting.

Surprise! -- Pope takes a walk through Rome!

2013-03-20T23:49:00.003-04:00

Pope Benedict XVI made his first public appearance on the streets of Rome on Wednesday afternoon, April 20, as he visited his old apartment near Vatican City to transfer some belongings to his new home in the apostolic palace.
The newly elected Pope, clothed completely in the distinctive white vestments of the papacy, caught onlookers by surprise when he chose to travel on foot, walking the few hundred yards to the apartment in the Citta Leonina where he had lived for years. When the news spread that the Pontiff was walking through the city, hundreds of people quickly gathered, and he spent some time in front of the apartment building, greeting the people and blessing young children. Italian police and Vatican security officials did their best to control the crowd, preserving some breathing room for the Pontiff.
After a short stay in his old apartment, the Pontiff reappeared, entering a black car that was waiting for him at the entrance of the building. He paused again to wave to the crowd, turning slowly from one direction to another so that he could greet as many as possible. The crowd burst into cheers of "Long live the Pope!" and the chant that has already become familiar: "Benedetto!" Pope Benedict later commented that he was "very moved" as he resumed direct contact with the faithful.

As reported on April 20, 2005. Hat tip to Wheat and Weeds, providing a welcome reminder that -- contrary to the attempt of some to drive a wedge between the new pontiff and his predecessor -- "As with Vatican II, so with these papacies: we preach a hermeneutic of continuity, not one of rupture."

Pope Benedict Roundup

2013-03-19T23:19:00.003-04:00

News

Some news and trivia that might have been missed on the final days of Pope Benedict's Pontificate.

Benedict’s Finale with Beethoven: A “Heroic” Moment, by Msgr. Daniel B. Gallagher. Pope Benedict’s pontificate comes to a fitting musical conclusion with a performance of Beethoven’s magnificent Eroica Symphony. Catholic World Report 02/19/13.
The last appointments before the departure, by Sandro Magister (Chiesa, 2/26/13). From Gänswein to Balestrero, passing through the IOR. An analysis of the appointments decided by Benedict XVI in the final phase of his pontificate. Not all of them were obligatory. Will they be a hindrance or a help to the future pope?
Notice of Danger: A Church with Two Popes, by Sandro Magister. (Chiesa 03/09/13). The imminent conclave will elect the new pontiff. But it will not dismiss the uncertainties about the role of the so-called "pope emeritus." A great canonist reveals the risks of this title. And of other ambiguities that surround it.
When Pope Benedict XVI officially stepped down from office Feb. 28, his wardrobe changed -- right down to the ring on his finger.
Twilight of a Pontificate: An Eyewitness Report The Rev. Dr. Athanasius McVay relays his eyewitness report of Benedict's final audiences and last days.
Benedict XVI Honored by Eastern Orthodox Hierarchs, by Christopher B. Warner. Catholic World Report 03/04/13. Another look at the Constantinople-Rome schism and a way forward for reconciliation.
Old pope, new pope have a chat, by John Allen Jr. National Catholic Reporter 03/19/13:
Pope Francis today made a phone call to his predecessor, Benedict XVI, after his inaugural Mass to wish him well on his saint's name day -- the feast of St. Joseph. The given name of Pope Benedict XVI, of course, is Joseph Ratzinger. (In addition, Ratzinger's parents were named Joseph and Mary.)
A brief Vatican statement on the phone call appears below.
"This afternoon, shortly after 5:00 pm, Pope Francis called the pope emeritus Benedict XVI by phone to give him warm wishes on the occasion of his saint’s name day, St. Joseph, and to once again express his gratitude and that of the church for his service. The conversation was ample and cordial. The pope emeritus has followed with intense participation the events of these days, in particular this morning’s celebration, and assured his successor of his continued closeness in prayer."

Pope Benedict is the first pope ever to watch coverage of the election of his successor.

Commentary

Winter 2010 Issue of Communio: International Catholic Review features a symposium on Caritas in Veritate, the third encyclical of Pope Benedict XVI, with a number of articles generously made available online.
The “Martyrdom” of Pope Benedict XVI, by Alberto Carosa. Catholic World Report Don Nicola Bux, one of Benedict’s close collaborators, on the deeper meaning of the papal resignation. 03/10/13.
The Ratzinger Legacy, by Ross Douthat. New York Times 03/3/13:
It was the work of Ratzinger’s subsequent career, first as John Paul II’s doctrinal policeman and then as his successor, to re-establish where Catholicism actually stood. This was mostly a project of reassertion: yes, the church still believes in the Resurrection, the Trinity and the Virgin birth. Yes, the church still opposes abortion, divorce, sex outside of marriage. Yes, the church still considers itself the one true faith. And yes — this above all, for a man whose chief gifts were intellectual — the church believes that its doctrines are compatible with reason, scholarship and science.
It was understandable that this project made Ratzinger many enemies. It turned him into a traitor to his class, since it involved disciplining theologians who had been colleagues, peers and rivals. It disappointed or wounded the many Catholics who couldn’t reconcile the church’s teachings with their post-sexual-revolution lives. And it obviously did not solve the broad cultural challenges facing institutional Christianity in the West.
But it did stabilize Catholicism, especially in America, to an extent that was far from inevitable 40 years ago.
Benedict XVI Put Liturgy Front and Center, by Trent Beattie. National Catholic Register 03/20/13. The pope emeritus’ words and deeds regarding the Mass led the faithful closer to God.
David Schütz, (Sentire Cum Ecclesia) on why Lutherans can thank God for the Papacy of Benedict XVI:
From my point of view, as a “Lutheran in communion with the Bishop of Rome”, Benedict XVI will always stand out as unique among all the popes of history as the only one who really read, knew, and understood Martin Luther.
Benedict Face to Face with Islam, Andrew Doran revisits the Pope's Regensburg address and the implications of "dehellenization". First Things "On the Square" 04/20/13.
Amy Welborn: "a short reflection on the explosion of reactions to Pope Francis" Charlotte Was Both 03/18/13:
I’m startled by the number of people who are under the impression that Pope Benedict neglected to mention Jesus Christ, mercy or the poor during his pontificate. Who don’t understand the substantial reforms Pope Benedict undertook over the past few years. So for example: Pope Francis mentioned the danger of the Church becoming seen as just another NGO, to wide acclaim – from some of the same quarters who have looked askance at Pope Benedict making exactly the same points – and putting them into action ...
For me, it comes down to this. Both of these Popes were and are pastors. Both have given their lives for us, for Christ. We can – and should be open to being – taught by both. All I’m saying is that – as Pope Francis himself has acknowledged in his own words these past few days – Pope Benedict was all about Christ. He spent 8 years as your Pope, “proposing Jesus Christ” through his words and actions – even his red shoes. If Pope Francis’ actions so far preach Christ more clearly to you then so be it. Christ is who is important, and we are a Church of great diversity for a reason. But what has been so bizarre and even saddening over the past few days is a tone and implication that Benedict was somehow about something else besides Jesus Christ.

Further reflections on the pontificate and legacy of Pope Benedict XVI.

Forthcoming Books

A Reason Open to God: On Universities, Education, and Culture Catholic University of America Press (July 2013)

With clarity and wisdom, Pope Benedict XVI sets out his vision for Catholic higher education in this first and only collection of his major addresses on the topic.

What is the mission and identity of a Catholic university?
What are the responsibilities of administrators, teachers, and students in Catholic institutes of higher learning?
Where does the central theme of "love of God and others" fit into academia?

The pope's most important statements on the nature of the university and its cultural and educative tasks are brought together in this volume. Featured are the various speeches he has given to university audiences since his pontificate began. Also included are select addresses on education and culture, themes that go to the heart of the mission of the university, and that possess a value for society as a whole. Throughout these addresses, the pope presents 2,000 years of lived tradition with a striking freshness. His response to the contemporary challenges in Catholic higher education will have an enduring historical impact.

A School of Prayer: The Saints Show us How to Pray

Ignatius Press (March 2013)

Prayer is essential to the life of faith. In this superb book, based on Pope Benedict's weekly teaching, he examines the foundational principles of the life of prayer. Believers of various backgrounds and experience in prayer-from beginners to spiritually advanced-will be enriched by this spiritual masterpiece.

Benedict begins considering what we can learn from the examples of prayer found in a wide range of cultures and eras. Next, he turns to the Bible's teaching about prayer, beginning with Abraham and moving though Moses, the prophets, the Psalms to the example of Jesus. With Jesus Christ, Pope Benedict considers not only the Lord's teaching about prayer, but also his example of how to pray, including the Our Father, his prayers in the Garden of Gethsemane, and prayers on the Cross. The prayers of Mary, the Mother of Jesus, and the early Church are also explored. Benedict also draws on insights from spiritual masters, the saints, and the Church's liturgy. He challenges readers to live their relationships with God "even more intensely, as it were, at a 'school of prayer'."

Although Benedict provides a sweeping survey of great figures of prayer, his discussion centers on Jesus Christ and even invokes him in the study of prayer. "It is in fact in Jesus," writes Benedict, "that man becomes able to approach God in the depth and intimacy of the relationship of fatherhood and sonship. Together with the first disciples, let us now turn with humble trust to the Teacher and ask him: 'Lord, teach us to pray' (Lk 11:1)."

Habemus Papam! - Pope Francis

2013-03-14T00:11:00.003-04:00

Vatican City, 13 March 2013 (VIS) - Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, S.J., has been elected as Supreme Pontiff, the 265th successor of Peter, and has chosen the name Francis. He is the first Latin American Pope, the first Jesuit Pope, and the first “Francis” in the pontificate.

At 8:12pm—55 minutes after the appearance of the white “fumata” at 7:06pm—the Cardinal proto-deacon Jean-Louis Tauran made the solemn announcement to the people from the external Loggia of the Hall of Blessings of the Vatican Basilica.
Following are the words pronounced by Cardinal Tauran:
Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum;
habemus Papam;
Eminentissium ac Reverendissium Dominum,
Dominum Georgium Marium
Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae Cardinalem Bergoglio
Qui sibi nomen imposuit Franciscum.
[I announce to you with great joy;
We have a Pope;
The most eminent and most reverend Lord
Lord Mario
Cardinal of Holy Roman Church Bergoglio
Who has taken the name Francis.]

Conclave Notes
The conclave that led to the election of Pope Francis began on Tuesday, 12 March 2013 in the Sistine Chapel of the Vatican Apostolic Palace, with the "Extra omnes" pronounced at 5:33pm by Msgr. Guido Marini, master of the Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff, following the taking of the oath by the 115 cardinal electors.
The first black “fumata” took place at 7:42pm the same day.
On Wednesday, 13 March, there was black smoke at 11:40am.
On Wednesday, 13 March, there was white smoke at 7:06pm.
First “Urbi et Orbi” Blessing of the New Holy Father Francis
Before the new Pope appeared at the balcony, an honour guard of Swiss Guards in full military regalia and bearing the pontifical standard marched into the square and took their places under the Loggia followed by a representation of the various Italian armed forces that, since 1929, have paid homage to the Pope on important occasions as a sign of the reconciliation between the Holy See and the Italian State. The Holy See marching band accompanied the wait. As soon as they heard the name of the new pontiff, the crowd began to chant together: “Francesco, Francesco”.
At 8:24pm, the Holy Father Francis, preceded by the Cross, appeared at the Loggia of the brightly lit Vatican Basilica. Before imparting the “Urbi et Orbi” (“to the city and the world) apostolic blessing he greeted the enormous crowd that had been gathering all afternoon in cold and rainy St. Peter's Square saying:
“Dear brothers and sisters, Good evening. You know that the duty of the Conclave was to give Rome a bishop. It seems that my brother cardinals picked him from almost the ends of the earth. But here we are! I thank you for the warm welcome. The diocesan community of Rome has its bishop. Thank you! First and foremost I would like to say a prayer for our Bishop Emeritus Benedict XVI. Let us pray together for him, that the Lord bless him and the Virgin keep him.”

After leading the Our Father, Hail Mary, and Gloria, Pope Francis again addressed the crowd saying:
“And now let us begin this journey, bishop and people, this journey of the Church of Rome, which is the one that leads all the churches in charity. A journey of fraternity, of trust between us. Let us always pray for one another. Let us pray for the world so that this might be a great brotherhood. I hope that this journey of the Church that we begin today, and in which my Cardinal Vicar here present will assist me, will be fruitful for the evangelization of this beautiful city.”
“Now I would like to impart the blessing, but first, first I ask a favor of you. Before the bishop blesses the people, I ask that you pray to the Lord that He bless me: the prayer of the people asking a blessing for their bishop. Let us pray in silence, this your prayer for me.”
“Now I will impart the blessing to you and all the world, to all men and women of good will.”

After imparting the apostolic blessing Pope Francis added: “Brothers and sisters, I take my leave. Thank you for your warm welcome. Tomorrow I'm going to pray to the Virgin, that she will safeguard all of Rome. Good night and rest well.”

SOURCE: CARDINAL BERGOGLIO ELECTED TO PONTIFICATE Vatican Information Service. 03/13/13.

Conclave 2013 - News, Resources, Commentary

2013-03-12T08:40:00.000-04:00

This post will be updated regularly in the days and weeks to come as we compile news and information resources related to the upcoming 2013 Papal Conclave.

Covering the Conclave: Resources

Vatican Information Service
EWTN Eternal Word Television Network
Edward Pentin (National Catholic Register)
Zenit News Service
Blogging the Conclave with John Thavis (Catholic News Service)

Papabile of the Day John Allen Jr. (National Catholic Reporter profiles cardinals who are frequently touted as papabile, or men who could be pope. These are the names drawing the most buzz in the lead-up to the conclave.

News

Cardinals end pre-conclave meetings, hear report on Vatican bank , by Cindy Wooden. Catholic News Service. 3/11/13.
The famous stove where ballots are burned, by John Thavis (Catholic News Service). 3/9/13.
Citing unauthorized press reports on their preparatory meetings for the upcoming papal election, the College of Cardinals agreed to a media blackout similar to one observed before the previous conclave in 2005. (Catholic News Service 03/06/13).
Even though a conclave to elect a new pope has not yet started, the papal tailors have the white cassock ready for the new pontiff when he appears less than an hour after his election on the balcony overlooking St. Peter's Square. (Catholic News Service 03/04/13).
) -- On the first day of their pre-conclave meetings, all of the cardinals were given a gold-embossed, green book of rites and prayers to accompany them as they enter the conclave, vote, elect a new pope and introduce him to the world. (Catholic News Service 03/05/13).
Canonist explains 'rigid, highly formal' rules for electing pope, by Cindy Wooden. Catholic News Service 2/22/13.
The Mahony case casts a shadow over the Conclave, by Maria Teresa Pontara Pederiva. "The Vatican Insider" La Stampa 2/18/13. The case regarding the cardinal's involvement in the paedophilia scandal has caused a storm in the U.S. which has now reached Rome.
Conclave to silence at least nine tweeting cardinals "Parrots may squawk in the Vatican Gardens during a conclave, but the cardinals are not allowed to tweet." Catholic News Service 2/15/13.
Statement from Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Vatican Secretary of State The Vatican Secretariat of State has issued a statement on the upcoming conclave and the external influence of various news stories.

Conclaves in Modern History: Fun facts, by Deacon Pedro. Salt + Light. 3/11/13. Provided by Dr. Donald Prudlo, Associate Professor of History at Jacksonville State University, Alabama.

Commentary

The key issue for the coming conclave is transparency. Catholic Culture. 3/7/13.
Who Will be Pope #266?, by Michael Severance. Catholic World Report After a long month to think, pray, and meet, the cardinals convene and the world waits.
Is an American Pope Possible, or Prudent?, by Edward Pentin. National Catholic Register 3/8/13. Cardinals and Vatican analysts are considering the matter, as speculation mounts that U.S. cardinals are serious candidates for the seat of St. Peter.
A Quick Course in Conclave 101, by John Allen Jr. National Catholic Reporter 2/15/13. Regarding the traditional Catholic conviction that a conclave unfolds under the direct guidance of the Holy Spirit, he opines:
one shouldn't exaggerate the role of divine inspiration. As one cardinal put it to me after the election of Benedict XVI, "I was never whapped on the head by the Holy Spirit. I had to make the best choice I could based on the information available."
Perhaps the classic expression of this idea belongs to none other than the outgoing pope, Benedict XVI, who as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was asked on Bavarian television in 1997 if the Holy Spirit is responsible for who gets elected. This was his response:
I would not say so, in the sense that the Holy Spirit picks out the Pope. ... I would say that the Spirit does not exactly take control of the affair, but rather like a good educator, as it were, leaves us much space, much freedom, without entirely abandoning us. Thus the Spirit's role should be understood in a much more elastic sense, not that he dictates the candidate for whom one must vote. Probably the only assurance he offers is that the thing cannot be totally ruined.

Then the clincher:
There are too many contrary instances of popes the Holy Spirit obviously would not have picked!
According to Canon Lawyer Dr. Ed Peters, "There are presently 118 cardinals (a papally self-imposed limit of 120 electors is occasionally exceeded), some of them retired (emeritus) from their last posts, eligible to vote in the next papal conclave." He provides additional resources on the next papal conclave here.
McCarrick: We're ready for a Third World pope - The former archbishop of Washington at down for an interview with NCR on Feb. 14 at the North American College, the residence for American seminarians on Rome, to discuss Benedict's resignation and the dynamics of the looming papal election.
A critical tone among cardinals begins to emerge, by John Allen Jr. (National Catholic Reporter 2/15/13):
Earlier this week, I suggested that because the end of Benedict XVI's papacy is not occurring in tandem with his death, it may create greater psychological space for cardinals to take a critical look at the pontificate, without fear of speaking ill of the late pontiff.
A small confirmation of that theory has come in the form of an interview given to a German newspaper by Cardinal Joachim Meisner of Cologne, one of Benedict's closest friends in the College of Cardinals.
On a comical note, Nicholas Farrell (Taki's Magazine) is praying for a black pope. "Think about it: Who better to tell white liberal lefties to [expletive] off than a black pope?" -- while sex-obsessed Hans Kung and a disillusioned Garry Wills give up hope that any newly-elected Pope would reflect their views on contraception and female clergy.

An interactive online tutorial from The Vatican Insider La Stampa)

Is the Next Pope the Last Pope? - Fr. Dwight Longenecker assesses the prophecies of St. Malachy and concludes: "you can probably sleep peacefully tonight. The end of the world is probably not nigh. On the other hand . . . why not prepare your soul, just to be on the safe side?"
Who Will Take Up the Keys of Peter?, by Sandro Magister. Chiesa 2/14/13. The resignation of Benedict XVI. His last actions. The imminent conclave and the candidates for succession. The new and the unknown of a decision without precedent in history.
What the church needs now: Synod gives clues to cardinals' priorities, by Cindy Wooden. Catholic News Service 2/20/13.
Pope intervenes to bring Conclave forward, by Andrea Tornielli. "The Vatican Insider" La Stampa 2/20/13. Benedict XVI is to issue a document motu proprio allowing cardinals to start the election process before the fifteen day waiting period stipulated by Vatican law, if they wish to.
Vatileaks: Pope to ask Commission of Cardinals to tell Conclave members the truth, by Giacomo Galeazzi. "The Vatican Insider" La Stampa 2/22/13. The three-man commission of inquiry into the Vatileaks scandal is to divulge the contents of their report - which has so far been bound by pontifical secrecy – during the general congregations on the next Pope’s election.
Conclave 2.0: Top 10 reasons why this version is different, by John Allen Jr. National Catholic Reporter 2/22/13.
What to Look for in a New Pope. Wall Street Journal 03/08/13. The cardinals now gathered at the Vatican are choosing not just a new pontiff but a future course for their embattled Church. Six views on what sort of leader the next pope should be.
Catholicism, True Reform and the Next Pope, by Samuel Gregg. Crisis 03/05/13:
Given the contempt with which some people regard Catholicism these days, it’s extraordinary just how badly the very same individuals want everyone else to hear their views of the Church’s future. Plainly there’s something about this 2000 year-old faith that truly bothers them. How else can one explain the tsunami of unsolicited advice from pop atheists, incoherent playwrights, angry ex-priests, and celebrity theologians that has erupted since Benedict XVI’s abdication?
Picking the pope a contest among four camps, by John Allen Jr. National Catholic Reporter March 1, 2013.
Pope Material or Not, a Charming, Cheerful Cardinal Gains Notice in Rome. Michael Paulson profiles Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan. (New York Times 03/08/13).
An American in Rome, Bound for the Chair of Peter, by Sandro Magister (Chiesa) "The easiest bet is that the next pope will not be Italian. But not European, African, or Asian ether. For the first time in the bimillennial history of the Church, the successor of Peter could come from the Americas. Or to hazard a more targeted prediction: from the Big Apple."
A Pope in Brown? by Tom Washburn, OFM. America - what would a Sean O'Malley papacy might look like, literally?
Universal priest, prophet and king: Next pope faces global challenges, by Francis X. Rocca. Catholic News Service. 03/08/13.

The Last Day of Pope Benedict XVI

2013-03-02T10:33:00.001-05:00

"Like the disciples of Emmaus" English translation of the greeting by Cardinal Angelo Sodano, Dean of the College of Cardinals, addressed to Benedict XVI in the Clementine Hall on the afternoon of his departure. (L'Osservatore Romano 2/28/13)
The Church is reawakened in souls Pope Benedict's farewell address to the College of Cardinals. (L'Osservatore Romano 2/28/13):
“The Church reawakens in souls”. The Church is alive, she grows and is reawakened in souls who – like the Virgin Mary – welcome the Word of God and conceive it through the action of the Holy Spirit; they offer to God their own flesh. It is precisely in their poverty and humility that they become capable of begetting Christ in the world today. Through the Church, the Mystery of the Incarnation lives on for ever. Christ continues to walk through the epochs and in all places.
Let us stay united, dear Brothers, in this Mystery: in prayer, especially in the daily Eucharist, and in this way we shall serve the Church and the whole of humanity. This is our joy that no one can take from us.

Benedict pledges obedience to his successor (Vatican Radio 2/28/13):
"“Among you, among the College of Cardinals, there is also the future Pope, to whom, here today, I already promise my unconditional reverence and obedience.”

Benedict XVI: The end of a long goodbye (Vatican Radio 2/28/13):
o) "Thank you, thank you from my heart. I am happy to be here with you, surrounded by the beauty of Creation and your friendship that does me so much good, thank you for your friendship, for caring.
You know that today is different from others… as of eight pm I will no longer be the Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church. I will simply be a pilgrim who is beginning the last part of his pilgrimage on earth. But with my heart, my love, my prayer, with all my inner strength, I will work for the common good and the good of the Church and all humanity.
And I feel greatly supported by your affection. Let us move forward together with the Lord for the good of the Church and the world.
I will now impart upon you all my Apostolic Blessing
Thank you and good night. Thank you all"

As of 20:00 2/28/13, the See of Peter will be vacant.
Benedict XVI retires into a secluded life of prayer and meditation,
at first remaining in Castel Gandolfo before retiring to a monastery in the Vatican gardens.

Pope Benedict's Final Address to the College of Cardinals

2013-02-28T14:00:00.000-05:00

Dear beloved brothers

I welcome you all with great joy and cordially greet each one of you. I thank Cardinal Angelo Sodano, who as always, has been able to convey the sentiments of the College, Cor ad cor loquitur. Thank you, Your Eminence, from my heart.

And referring to the disciples of Emmaus, I would like to say to you all that it has also been a joy for me to walk with you over the years in light of the presence of the Risen Lord. As I said yesterday, in front of thousands of people who filled St. Peter's Square, your closeness, your advice, have been a great help to me in my ministry. In these 8 years we have experienced in faith beautiful moments of radiant light in the Churches’ journey along with times when clouds have darkened the sky. We have tried to serve Christ and his Church with deep and total love which is the soul of our ministry. We have gifted hope that comes from Christ alone, and which alone can illuminate our path. Together we can thank the Lord who has helped us grow in communion, to pray to together, to help you to continue to grow in this deep unity so that the College of Cardinals is like an orchestra, where diversity, an expression of the universal Church, always contributes to a superior harmony of concord. I would like to leave you with a simple thought that is close to my heart, a thought on the Church, Her mystery, which is for all of us, we can say, the reason and the passion of our lives. I am helped by an expression of Romano Guardini’s, written in the year in which the Fathers of the Second Vatican Council approved the Constitution Lumen Gentium, his last with a personal dedication to me, so the words of this book are particularly dear to me .

Guardini says: "The Church is not an institution devised and built at table, but a living reality. She lives along the course of time by transforming Herself, like any living being, yet Her nature remains the same. At Her heart is Christ. "

This was our experience yesterday, I think, in the square. We could see that the Church is a living body, animated by the Holy Spirit, and truly lives by the power of God, She is in the world but not of the world. She is of God, of Christ, of the Spirit, as we saw yesterday. This is why another eloquent expression of Guardini’s is also true: "The Church is awakening in souls." The Church lives, grows and awakens in those souls which like the Virgin Mary accept and conceive the Word of God by the power of the Holy Spirit. They offer to God their flesh and in their own poverty and humility become capable of giving birth to Christ in the world today. Through the Church the mystery of the Incarnation remains present forever. Christ continues to walk through all times in all places. Let us remain united, dear brothers, to this mystery, in prayer, especially in daily Eucharist, and thus serve the Church and all humanity. This is our joy that no one can take from us.

Prior to bidding farewell to each of you personally, I want to tell you that I will continue to be close to you in prayer, especially in the next few days, so that you may all be fully docile to the action of the Holy Spirit in the election of the new Pope. May the Lord show you what is willed by Him. And among you, among the College of Cardinals, is also the future Pope, to whom, here today, I already promise my unconditional reverence and obedience. For all this, with affection and gratitude, I cordially impart upon you my Apostolic Blessing.

Source: News.va

Pope Benedict XVI's Final General Audience

2013-02-27T22:30:00.000-05:00

Venerable Brothers in the Episcopate and in the Priesthood!
Distinguished Authorities!Dear brothers and sisters!

Thank you for coming in such large numbers to this last General Audience of my pontificate.
Like the Apostle Paul in the biblical text that we have heard, I feel in my heart the paramount duty to thank God, who guides the Church and makes her grow: who sows His Word and thus nourishes the faith in His people. At this moment my spirit reaches out to embrace the whole Church throughout the world, and I thank God for the “news” that in these years of Petrine ministry I have been able to receive regarding the faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and the charity that circulates in the body of the Church – charity that makes the Church to live in love – and of the hope that opens for us the way towards the fullness of life, and directs us towards the heavenly homeland.
I feel I [ought to] carry everyone in prayer, in a present that is God’s, where I recall every meeting, every voyage, every pastoral visit. I gather everyone and every thing in prayerful recollection, in order to entrust them to the Lord: in order that we might have full knowledge of His will, with every wisdom and spiritual understanding, and in order that we might comport ourselves in a manner that is worthy of Him, of His, bearing fruit in every good work (cf. Col 1:9-10).
At this time, I have within myself a great trust [in God], because I know – all of us know – that the Gospel’s word of truth is the strength of the Church: it is her life. The Gospel purifies and renews: it bears fruit wherever the community of believers hears and welcomes the grace of God in truth and lives in charity. This is my faith, this is my joy.
When, almost eight years ago, on April 19th, [2005], I agreed to take on the Petrine ministry, I held steadfast in this certainty, which has always accompanied me. In that moment, as I have already stated several times, the words that resounded in my heart were: “Lord, what do you ask of me? It a great weight that You place on my shoulders, but, if You ask me, at your word I will throw out the nets, sure that you will guide me” – and the Lord really has guided me. He has been close to me: daily could I feel His presence. [These years] have been a stretch of the Church’s pilgrim way, which has seen moments joy and light, but also difficult moments. I have felt like St. Peter with the Apostles in the boat on the Sea of Galilee: the Lord has given us many days of sunshine and gentle breeze, days in which the catch has been abundant; [then] there have been times when the seas were rough and the wind against us, as in the whole history of the Church it has ever been - and the Lord seemed to sleep. Nevertheless, I always knew that the Lord is in the barque, that the barque of the Church is not mine, not ours, but His - and He shall not let her sink. It is He, who steers her: to be sure, he does so also through men of His choosing, for He desired that it be so. This was and is a certainty that nothing can tarnish. It is for this reason, that today my heart is filled with gratitude to God, for never did He leave me or the Church without His consolation, His light, His love.
We are in the Year of Faith, which I desired in order to strengthen our own faith in God in a context that seems to push faith more and more toward the margins of life. I would like to invite everyone to renew firm trust in the Lord. I would like that we all, entrust ourselves as children to the arms of God, and rest assured that those arms support us and us to walk every day, even in times of struggle. I would like everyone to feel loved by the God who gave His Son for us and showed us His boundless love. I want everyone to feel the joy of being Christian. In a beautiful prayer to be recited daily in the morning says, “I adore you, my God, I love you with all my heart. I thank You for having created me, for having made me a Christian.” Yes, we are happy for the gift of faith: it is the most precious good, that no one can take from us! Let us thank God for this every day, with prayer and with a coherent Christian life. God loves us, but He also expects that we love Him!
At this time, however, it is not only God, whom I desire to thank. A Pope is not alone in guiding St. Peter’s barque, even if it is his first responsibility – and I have not ever felt myself alone in bearing either the joys or the weight of the Petrine ministry. The Lord has placed next to me many people, who, with generosity and love for God and the Church, have helped me and been close to me. First of all you, dear Brother Cardinals: your wisdom, your counsels, your friendship, were all precious to me. My collaborators, starting with my Secretary of State, who accompanied me faithfully over the years, the Secretariat of State and the whole Roman Curia, as well as all those who, in various areas, give their service to the Holy See: the many faces which never emerge, but remain in the background, in silence, in their daily commitment, with a spirit of faith and humility. They have been for me a sure and reliable support. A special thought [goes] to the Church of Rome, my diocese! I can not forget the Brothers in the Episcopate and in the Priesthood, the consecrated persons and the entire People of God: in pastoral visits, in public encounters, at Audiences, in traveling, I have always received great care and deep affection; I also loved each and every one, without exception, with that pastoral charity which is the heart of every shepherd, especially the Bishop of Rome, the Successor of the Apostle Peter. Every day I carried each of you in my prayers, with the father's heart.
I wish my greetings and my thanks to reach everyone: the heart of a Pope expands to [embrace] the whole world. I would like to express my gratitude to the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Holy See, which makes present the great family of nations. Here I also think of all those who work for good communication, whom I thank for their important service.
At this point I would like to offer heartfelt thanks to all the many people throughout the whole world, who, in recent weeks have sent me moving tokens of concern, friendship and prayer. Yes, the Pope is never alone: now I experience this [truth] again in a way so great as to touch my very heart. The Pope belongs to everyone, and so many people feel very close to him. It’s true that I receive letters from the world's greatest figures - from the Heads of State, religious leaders, representatives of the world of culture and so on. I also receive many letters from ordinary people who write to me simply from their heart and let me feel their affection, which is born of our being together in Christ Jesus, in the Church. These people do not write me as one might write, for example, to a prince or a great figure one does not know. They write as brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, with the sense of very affectionate family ties. Here, one can touch what the Church is – not an organization, not an association for religious or humanitarian purposes, but a living body, a community of brothers and sisters in the Body of Jesus Christ, who unites us all. To experience the Church in this way and almost be able to touch with one’s hands the power of His truth and His love, is a source of joy, in a time in which many speak of its decline.
In recent months, I felt that my strength had decreased, and I asked God with insistence in prayer to enlighten me with His light to make me take the right decision – not for my sake, but for the good of the Church. I have taken this step in full awareness of its severity and also its novelty, but with a deep peace of mind. Loving the Church also means having the courage to make difficult, trying choices, having ever before oneself the good of the Church and not one’s own.
Here allow me to return once again to April 19, 2005. The gravity of the decision was precisely in the fact that from that moment on I was committed always and forever by the Lord. Always – he, who assumes the Petrine ministry no longer has any privacy. He belongs always and totally to everyone, to the whole Church. His life is, so to speak, totally deprived of the private sphere. I have felt, and I feel even in this very moment, that one receives one’s life precisely when he offers it as a gift. I said before that many people who love the Lord also love the Successor of Saint Peter and are fond of him, that the Pope has truly brothers and sisters, sons and daughters all over the world, and that he feels safe in the embrace of their communion, because he no longer belongs to himself, but he belongs to all and all are truly his own.
The “always” is also a “forever” - there is no returning to private life. My decision to forgo the exercise of active ministry, does not revoke this. I do not return to private life, to a life of travel, meetings, receptions, conferences and so on. I do not abandon the cross, but remain in a new way near to the Crucified Lord. I no longer wield the power of the office for the government of the Church, but in the service of prayer I remain, so to speak, within St. Peter’s bounds. St. Benedict, whose name I bear as Pope, shall be a great example in this for me. He showed us the way to a life which, active or passive, belongs wholly to the work of God.
I thank each and every one of you for the respect and understanding with which you have welcomed this important decision. I continue to accompany the Church on her way through prayer and reflection, with the dedication to the Lord and to His Bride, which I have hitherto tried to live daily and that I would live forever. I ask you to remember me before God, and above all to pray for the Cardinals, who are called to so important a task, and for the new Successor of Peter, that the Lord might accompany him with the light and the power of His Spirit.
Let us invoke the maternal intercession of Mary, Mother of God and of the Church, that she might accompany each of us and the whole ecclesial community: to her we entrust ourselves, with deep trust.
Dear friends! God guides His Church, maintains her always, and especially in difficult times. Let us never lose this vision of faith, which is the only true vision of the way of the Church and the world. In our heart, in the heart of each of you, let there be always the joyous certainty that the Lord is near, that He does not abandon us, that He is near to us and that He surrounds us with His love. Thank you!

Source: News.VA

The Legacy of Pope Benedict XVI

2013-02-18T22:32:00.001-05:00

This post will be updated regularly in the days and weeks to come as we compile reflections on the pontificate and legacy of our beloved Pope Benedict XVI.

Pope Benedict's papacy in photos Pope Benedict XVI was elected pope in April 2005. Here's a look back at the last eight years of his papacy. Pam Cohen, National Catholic Reporter
Pope Benedict leaves behind legacy full of ups and downs, by John Allen Jr. National Catholic Reporter. 2/11/13. "Benedict's decision also means the debate over his legacy is now officially open, and as with all things, it's likely to draw widely different verdicts depending on who's performing the evaluation," says Allen. As he himself concludes: "In the end, the first draft of history perhaps boils down to this: Benedict XVI was a magnificent public intellectual, a mixed bag as CEO, withdrawn as a statesman, and a church leader whose "politics of identity" cheered some and horrified others."
Jeffrey Tucker on Pope Benedict XVI’s Musical Legacy (Crisis 2/12/13):
One of the many lasting legacies of the papacy of Benedict XVI concerns liturgical music. Enormous progress has been made in his papacy. Incredibly this progress has happened without new legislation, new restrictions, new mandates, or firm-handed attempts to impose discipline on musicians and artists. The change has happened through the means that Benedict XVI has always preferred: he has led through example and through the inspiration provided by his homilies and writings.
The Radical Return to Ratzinger, by Sean Fitzpatrick (Crisis 2/12/13):
[Pope Benedict XVI will be] remembered by Catholics as radical in the truest sense of the word, whose time at the Petrine helm was devoted to a return to tradition to affect reform. Today, to be a traditionalist is a stigma for being stuck in the past. But Benedict XVI rejoiced in the past and drove it down deep, like a plow, to cultivate the arid areas of the vineyard. ...
Nothing this Pope did (until now) was really what can be called new and exciting. Everything he did, though, was old and exciting. Pope Benedict was a radical pope because he clung to the roots of the Faith—and this was his genius, which is so commonly and mistakenly branded as “closed-mindedness.” It is only an open mind, however, that can take in the relevance of this world, the world that was, and the World to come.
There is the modern radicalism of change, and then there is the ancient radicalism of holding the line. Benedict embodied the latter, a style which is not in vogue. The only things fashionable about Benedict XVI were his red shoes.
A Figure of Impossibility (Catholic World Report 2/16/13). For Carl Olson, "The pontificate of Benedict XVI has been a short, bracing, and often surprising journey in discipleship."
Why I came to love Benedict, by Michael Sean Winters (National Catholic Reporter 2/12/13):
I confess that on the day of his election in 2005, I was worried. On Feb. 28, he will abdicate the office in which he has surprised many of us. The next day, when we go to Mass and the priest does not mention him in the canon, I will miss the reference to "Benedict, our pope." I will miss it long after there is a successor. My dread in 2005 was misplaced. I have come not only to love this pope, but to let his teachings challenge and change me. I am a better Catholic today, and a happier person, because of him. In some of his writings, I felt he was speaking directly to me. Benedict walks into whatever time is left to him and into the historical annals as a good man and a fine pope who directed the church in important ways to remember that what really, really matters in the life of faith is not any ambitious program of human accomplishment, but the ongoing need of Catholics to surrender themselves to the will and the mercy of God. The Christocentric focus of the council has been the focus of Raztinger's entire theological life and the defining characteristic of his papacy. He has sought to impart that vision to the rest of us. Shame on us is we did not notice. Blessings on him for making the attempt.
Andreas Widmer on what's missing from the conversation on Pope Benedict's resignation (Huffington Post 2/12/13):
Every papacy has a "theme" or an "aim." John Paul II's pontificate was focused on realigning the implementation of Vatican II and combating communism and materialism. By contrast Benedict's aim, I believe, was to bring the Church to the doorsteps of what Catholic theologian and thought leader George Weigel calls the next chapter in Church history: Evangelical Catholicism. In order to achieve this goal, Benedict needed to finish the implementation of Vatican II and set the stage for this new chapter in Church life.
Benedict and John Paul II represent two equally valid examples of executing the Petrine ministry, two different but effective approaches to leadership. In very general terms, John Paul was a philosopher who explained the Faith as an answer to the philosophical challenges from Ockham, Descartes, Kant, and Marx. Benedict XVI is the theologian who explains the Faith in very clear and liner terms, encouraging us to read the Bible again as God's ongoing Divine revelation rather than as a historical novel or ancient myth. As popes, they both lead the Church faithfully and effectively. John Paul in a sense started the project that Benedict would bring to completion.
The Weigh-In: Joseph Ratzinger’s Lasting Legacy as the ‘Scholar Pope’, by Don Briel. University of St. Thomas, Minnesota:
As expected, he placed a strong emphasis on addressing the amnesia of European culture about its Christian roots, and in remarkably sophisticated presentations in London, Paris, Berlin and Rome he reminded secular governments about the essential role of faith in modern democratic assumptions and insisted that faith could not be reduced to a private principle and excluded from civic life. He forged unexpected relations with atheistic and agnostic public intellectuals like Marcello Pera and Jürgen Habermas, who testified to the dangers to the common good and to the human person in certain instrumental political developments in modern culture. As pope, his emphasis on the role of faith in the modern world led Ratzinger to a number of interreligious and ecumenical gestures despite his refusal to accept a lowest common denominator approach to interreligious dialogue.
In the end, the insight of the scholar pope that the new evangelization must proceed not on the grounds of disputation but in the invitation to love, Deus Caritas Est, shaped a new understanding of the vitality of orthodoxy, not as a safe middle between the extremes of traditionalists and progressives but as a vital alternative to their frozen fascination with political accounts of the Church.
Blogging at Mirror of Justice, John Breen conveys his appreciation for Pope Benedict's theological scholarship:
More than his encyclicals, I think that as pope Benedict will be remembered for his sermons in a way not unlike Pope St. Leo the Great. He is an extraordinary homilist.
I also think he will be remembered for his theological writings prior to becoming pope. Joseph Ratzinger has a special talent as a thinker and writer for explaining complex theological ideas in a way that makes them understandable to modern men and women for whom talk of religious faith has become problematic. A great deal of contemporary theological writing seems to veer towards the drivel of a new age mysticism and syncretism or the dry prose of an engineering manual, or the latest party platform, providing little if any connection to the Living God of history – the God of Israel, Isaac and Jacob, the God of Jesus Christ. In his writings, Ratzinger has consistently mined the depths of scripture and the theological concepts of the great Catholic tradition (especially the Fathers) while connecting both to philosophy and contemporary thought in a way that provides new insights, all the while keeping the person of Jesus and our relationship with Him foremost in the minds of readers.
In terms of the nearly 1.2 billion people who make up the Catholic Church world-wide, only a tiny fraction were fortunate to be Joseph Ratzinger's graduate students. But through his writings and sermons, many have been given the opportunity to be his pupils, to be students in the Ratzinger seminar on faith and life.
Ratzinger, the Jewish People and Israel: Faithful to the trail blazed by Wojtyla, by Lisa Palmieri Billig. ("The Vatican Insider" La Stampa 2/14/13). "The curtain falling prematurely on Benedict XVIth’s papacy brings to mind the evolution of his relations with the Jewish People and Israel."
Marco Tosatti ("The Vatican Insider", La Stampa) challenges the dismissal of Benedict's reign as "a transitional papacy". 2/13/2012.
John Milbank on The erotic politics of Benedict XVI ACB Religion and Ethics 2/13/13:
To put it bluntly: in his first encyclical, Pope Benedict XVI boldly declared that not only is the Catholic Church not opposed to sexual love, to the contrary it alone truly understands it and fully promotes it. In an epoch-making fashion, a Pope declared that the literal sense of the Song of Songs - in other words, its first intended meaning - is indeed what the naive reader would take it to be. The mystical meaning arises now only through a proper acceptance of the worth of this literal meaning; while, at the same time, the depth of the latter is lost if it is not read also allegorically - that is, as pointing to the mystical marriage between Christ and the Church.
Neither progressive nor conservative: The Romanticism of Benedict XVI, by Adrian Pabst. ABC Religion and Ethics 2/15/13:
What often goes unnoticed is that, behind the facile categorisation of progressive versus reactionary, there lies a much more fundamental contest about the future direction of the Catholic Church, and indeed a struggle for the soul of global Christendom. The authentic Catholic Christian tradition that Benedict has sought to uphold has been under mounting attack from both "conservative" and "liberal" forces, whose apparent opposition barely conceals their deep complicity.
Pope Benedict XVI: God's Rottweiler or the Church's German shepherd?, by Tracey Rowland. ABC Religion and Ethics 2/12/13. The resignation of Pope Benedict XVI brings to an end the era of the governance of the Church by members of the Vatican II generation.
The challenge of Pope Benedict XVI - can it be heard in these Christophobic times?, by George Weigel. ABC Religion and Ethics. 2/12/13:
Benedict XVI, like John Paul II before him, relentlessly invited us to meet the Risen Lord in the Scripture, the sacraments and prayer, and to make friendship with him the centre of our lives. We are being invited to think of ourselves as evangelists, and to measure the truth of our lives by the way in which we give expression to the human decency and solidarity that flows from friendship with Christ the Lord. We are being invited, through the New Evangelisation, to make our distinctive, Catholic contribution to the renewal, and perhaps the saving, of Western civilisation, which is beset from within by the corrosive forces of the dictatorship of relativism and from without by the passions of jihadist Islam.
Through the witness of John Paul II and Benedict XVI, and by the teaching of the Second Vatican Council, we have been invited to have the courage to be Catholic.
A Rabbi Remembers Pope Benedict, by David Novak. First Things 2/12/13.
Pope Benedict: An Anabaptist Appreciation, by Johann Christoph Arnold. First Things 2/11.13.
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew on Benedict Orthodox Christian Network 2/11/13.
Mother who cooked for Pope recalls his paternal care Catholic News Agency. 2/18/13.
Benedict XVI, the Great Augustinian, by Timothy George. First Things "On The Square" 2/19/13.
Jesuit expert calls Benedict 'great reformer' on sex abuse, by John Allen, Jr. National Catholic Reporter 2/16/13. Interview with Jesuit Fr. Hans Zollner, the academic vice-rector of the Jesuit-run Gregorian University in Rome and head of its Institute of Psychology:
Now that Benedict XVI is stepping down, how do you evaluate his legacy on the sexual abuse scandals?
Based on what I know personally, at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith he was the first person, and the most determined person, to take on what he called the ‘open wound’ in the body of the church, meaning the sexual abuse of minors by clergy. He came to know about a number of cases, and the intensity of the wounds inflicted on victims. He became aware of what priests had done to minors, and to vulnerable adults. As a result, he became more and more convinced that it has to be tackled, and at various levels he started to deal with it – the canonical level, the ecclesial, and the personal.
Benedict XVI is the first pope who has met with and listened to abuse victims, who has apologized, and who has written about the problem both in his letter to Irish bishops and in the book Light of the World.
One very important step was to concentrate all the legal and administrative procedures at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Another was to appoint a very intelligent, practical and dedicated man as Promoter of Justice.
Benedict’s Coming Revolution Over State-Funded Catholic Charity, by Christopher Manion. Crisis 2/18/13.
Benedict’s Intellectual Mentors and Students, by Tracey Rowland. Crisis 2/19/13.
Benedict XVI: A (Brief) Theological Appreciation, by Thomas G. Guarino, professor of systematic theology at Seton Hall University and co-chair of Evangelicals and Catholics Together. "On The Square" First Things 2/19/13.
The Pope and the Philistines, by Tracey Rowland. Catholic World Report 2/18/13. "Benedict XVI’s papacy has been one of imagination and urbanity hampered by bureaucracy."
Pope Benedict saw Jews, Muslims as allies in defending belief in God, by Cindy Wooden. Catholic News Service. 2/18/13.
The voice behind the famous “Habemus Papam” phrase "The Vatican Insider" La Stampa 2/19/13. Cardinal Tauran, Proto-Deacon of the College of Cardinals who will announce the name of the newly-elected Pope, shares his thoughts on Benedict XVI's papacy and the one that is to come.
Muslim religious leaders express esteem for Benedict XVI after old misunderstandings, by Giacomo Galeazzi. "The Vatican Insider" La Stampa 2/20/13. The138 Muslim wise men who wrote a letter to Benedict XVI in 2007 in response to a controversial speech he gave in Regensburg are now calling his resignation a "last act to serve as a good example."
As pope, Benedict worked to promote understanding of Vatican II, by Francis X. Rocca. Catholic News Service. 2/20/13.
Has Benedict XVI reshaped his legacy?, by John Allen Jr. National Catholic Reporter 2/28/13: "it would seem that the way in which Benedict is stepping off the stage may be reframing his legacy – not in the sense of resolving debates over his papacy, but perhaps providing a more generous optic for assessing the pope."
Thank you, Pope Benedict XVI Communio thanks His Holiness Benedict XVI, Pope Emeritus, for his service to the Church, providing links to all the articles written by Joseph Ratzinger / Pope Benedict XVI over the years (Ratzinger was co-founder of the theological journal).
Post-Vatican II or Post-John Paul and Benedict?, by Vincent J. Miller (America 2/28/13): "As Benedict XVI’s pontificate comes to an end, we should pause to reflect on what this punctuation means for the Church. What era are we living in? Our answer to this question is important because it frames our approach to the opportunities, challenges and indeed crises we face as a Church."
The Holy Father's Hidden Heroism, by John Roselle, S.J. America 2/26/13:
In the Spiritual Exercises, St. Ignatius sought to help people answer the “Call of the King,” to live under “the Standard of Christ” even to the point of rejection and to follow God’s Spirit that sends us to do everything for God’s greater glory. We would do well to contemplate the life of Joseph Ratzinger as we pray for him in his remaining life of prayer and penance. His was not the cool release of power, the act of a noble politician like the Roman dictator Cincinnatus. It is what Archbishop Gomez of Los Angeles calls “the act of a saint.” Joseph Ratzinger is proceeding in obedience to the One who was nailed to a tree, accepting with and in Him a strange humiliation. Surely he recalls that the first Bishop of Rome was publicly hung upside-down. Many have suggested that Pope Benedict’s was a failed mission. The circumstances of his time in the papacy were not ideal; many goals eluded him. Yet let us remember another Man who at the end of his life was judged a failure. And no servant is greater than his Master.
Putting the Pope in His Place, by Kenneth D. Whitehead. Crisis 2/25/13:
Some of these reactions [to Benedict's resignation] exhibit not just a lack of sympathy or true understanding of what the Church and the faith are all about, but even a seemingly willful determination not to allow oneself to be influenced by what the actual facts of the case might be, meanwhile exhibiting a lofty dissatisfaction with the alleged failure of the pope (and the Church) to “get with the program” of today’s secular liberal world.
Thoughts on the retirement of the Professor Pope, by John Lutheran. The Canadian Lutheran 2/28/13:
Before making the acquaintance of Joseph Ratzinger, Seewald was one of the millions of contemporary Germans who had drifted away from the church; he now attributes his return to the faith in no small measure to the quiet and thoughtful witness of his interviewee. The famous Reformed theologian Karl Barth once bitingly remarked that he knew of no one who had come to “joy and peace in believing” (Romans 15:13) through the work of Rudolf Bultmann, a radical New Testament scholar who considered the Gospels as works that belong to the category of “myth.” The fact that many will join Seewald in coming to a different conclusion concerning the ministry of Joseph Ratzinger constitutes perhaps the highest compliment one could make to the retiring Bishop of Rome.
A deep divide now exists among the theologians of all Western confessions between those who profess the truth of revelation and those who do not. If Joseph Ratzinger is not the “dean” of the worldwide guild of theologians who belong in the first camp, I don’t know who else could be nominated for the honorific position.
Reflecting on Pope Benedict's Papacy, by Francis Rooney, U.S. Ambassador to the Vatican fro 2005 to 2008.
The Legacy of Benedict XVI, by George Weigel. First Things "On the Square" 04/20/13.
Benedict XVI, the Great Augustinian, by Timothy George, dean of Beeson Divinity School of Samford and co-chair of Evangelicals and Catholics Together. First Things "On the Square" 04/19/13.
Benedict's Enduring Legacy: His Love for Beauty, by Michael J. Ortiz. Crisis 04/13/13.

Benedict's final commitments

2013-02-15T02:11:00.000-05:00

Sunday 17 February At 18:00 the Pope will inaugurate the start of the Lenten Spiritual Exercises.
Saturday 23 February End of Spiritual Exercises. The Pope is likely to give a speech.
Saturday 23 Fenruary Private Audience with the President of the Italian Republic Giorgio Napolitano.
Sunday 24 February Angelus.
Monday 25 February Private Audience with some cardinals.
Wednesday 27 February General Audience in St. Peter’s Square.
Thursday 28 February At 11:00 cardinals will greet the Pope in the Clementine Hall in the Vatican. In the afternoon, at about 17:00, Benedict XVI will fly to Castel Gandolfo by helicopter. The sede vacante period will begin at 20:00.

SOURCE: "The Vatican Insider" La Stampa

"The Lord will guide us."

2013-02-13T21:00:00.000-05:00

"As you know, I have decided – thank you for your kindness – to renounce the ministry which the Lord entrusted to me on 19 April 2005. I have done this in full freedom for the good of the Church, after much prayer and having examined my conscience before God, knowing full well the seriousness of this act, but also realizing that I am no longer able to carry out the Petrine ministry with the strength which it demands. I am strengthened and reassured by the certainty that the Church is Christ’s, who will never leave her without his guidance and care. I thank all of you for the love and for the prayers with which you have accompanied me. Thank you; in these days which have not been easy for me, I have felt almost physically the power of prayer – your prayers – which the love of the Church has given me. Continue to pray for me, for the Church and for the future Pope. The Lord will guide us."

Pope Benedict XVI - Ash Wednesday Homily

2013-02-13T19:30:00.000-05:00

Venerable Brothers,
Dear Brothers and Sisters!
Today, Ash Wednesday, we begin a new Lenten journey, a journey that extends over forty days and leads us towards the joy of Easter, to victory of Life over death. Following the ancient Roman tradition of Lenten stations, we are gathered for the celebration of the Holy Eucharist. The tradition says that the first station took place in the Basilica of Saint Sabina on the Aventine Hill. Circumstances suggested we gather in St. Peter's Basilica. Tonight there are many of us gathered around the tomb of the Apostle Peter, to also ask him to pray for the path of the Church going forward at this particular moment in time, to renew our faith in the Supreme Pastor, Christ the Lord. For me it is also a good opportunity to thank everyone, especially the faithful of the Diocese of Rome, as I prepare to conclude the Petrine ministry, and I ask you for a special remembrance in your prayer.
The readings that have just been proclaimed offer us ideas which, by the grace of God, we are called to transform into a concrete attitude and behaviour during Lent. First of all the Church proposes the powerful appeal which the prophet Joel addresses to the people of Israel, "Thus says the Lord, return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning" (2.12). Please note the phrase "with all your heart," which means from the very core of our thoughts and feelings, from the roots of our decisions, choices and actions, with a gesture of total and radical freedom. But is this return to God possible? Yes, because there is a force that does not reside in our hearts, but that emanates from the heart of God and the power of His mercy. The prophet says: "return to the Lord, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love, and relenting in punishment" (v. 13). It is possible to return to the Lord, it is a 'grace', because it is the work of God and the fruit of faith that we entrust to His mercy. But this return to God becomes a reality in our lives only when the grace of God penetrates and moves our innermost core, gifting us the power that "rends the heart". Once again the prophet proclaims these words from God: "Rend your hearts and not your garments" (v. 13). Today, in fact, many are ready to "rend their garments" over scandals and injustices – which are of course caused by others - but few seem willing to act according to their own "heart", their own conscience and their own intentions, by allowing the Lord transform, renew and convert them.
This "return to me with all your heart," then, is a reminder that not only involves the individual but the entire community. Again we heard in the first reading: "Blow the horn in Zion! Proclaim a fast, call an assembly! Gather the people, sanctify the congregation; Assemble the elderly; gather the children, even infants nursing at the breast; Let the bridegroom leave his room, and the bride her bridal tent (vv.15-16). The community dimension is an essential element in faith and Christian life. Christ came "to gather the children of God who are scattered into one" (Jn 11:52). The "we" of the Church is the community in which Jesus brings us together (cf. Jn 12:32), faith is necessarily ecclesial. And it is important to remember and to live this during Lent: each person must be aware that the penitential journey cannot be faced alone, but together with many brothers and sisters in the Church.
Finally, the prophet focuses on the prayers of priests, who, with tears in their eyes, turn to God, saying: " Between the porch and the altar let the priests weep, let the ministers of the LORD weep and say: “Spare your people, Lord! Do not let your heritage become a disgrace, a byword among the nations! Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’"(V.17). This prayer leads us to reflect on the importance of witnessing to faith and Christian life, for each of us and our community, so that we can reveal the face of the Church and how this face is, at times, disfigured. I am thinking in particular of the sins against the unity of the Church, of the divisions in the body of the Church. Living Lent in a more intense and evident ecclesial communion, overcoming individualism and rivalry is a humble and precious sign for those who have distanced themselves from the faith or who are indifferent.
"Well, now is the favourable time, this is the day of salvation" (2 Cor 6:2). The words of the Apostle Paul to the Christians of Corinth resonate for us with an urgency that does not permit absences or inertia. The term "now", repeated several times, says that this moment cannot be let go, it is offered to us as a unique opportunity that will not be repeated. And the Apostle's gaze focuses on sharing with which Christ chose to characterize his life, taking on everything human to the point of taking on all of man’s sins.
The words of St. Paul are very strong: "God made him sin for our sake." Jesus, the innocent, the Holy One, "He who knew no sin" (2 Cor 5:21), bears the burden of sin sharing the outcome of death, and death of the Cross with humanity. The reconciliation we are offered came at a very high price, that of the Cross raised on Golgotha, on which the Son of God made man was hung. In this, in God’s immersion in human suffering and the abyss of evil, is the root of our justification. The "return to God with all your heart" in our Lenten journey passes through the Cross, in following Christ on the road to Calvary, to the total gift of self. It is a journey on which each and every day we learn to leave behind our selfishness and our being closed in on ourselves, to make room for God who opens and transforms our hearts. And as St. Paul reminds us, the proclamation of the Cross resonates within us thanks to the preaching of the Word, of which the Apostle himself is an ambassador. It is a call to us so that this Lenten journey be characterized by a more careful and assiduous listening to the Word of God, the light that illuminates our steps.
In the Gospel passage according of Matthew, to whom belongs to the so-called Sermon on the Mount, Jesus refers to three fundamental practices required by the Mosaic Law: almsgiving, prayer and fasting. These are also traditional indications on the Lenten journey to respond to the invitation to «return to God with all your heart." But he points out that both the quality and the truth of our relationship with God is what qualifies the authenticity of every religious act. For this reason he denounces religious hypocrisy, a behaviour that seeks applause and approval. The true disciple does not serve himself or the "public", but his Lord, in simplicity and generosity: "And your Father who sees everything in secret will reward you" (Mt 6,4.6.18). Our fitness will always be more effective the less we seek our own glory and the more we are aware that the reward of the righteous is God Himself, to be united to Him, here, on a journey of faith, and at the end of life, in the peace light of coming face to face with Him forever (cf. 1 Cor 13:12).
Dear brothers and sisters, we begin our Lenten journey with trust and joy. May the invitation to conversion , to "return to God with all our heart", resonate strongly in us, accepting His grace that makes us new men and women, with the surprising news that is participating in the very life of Jesus. May none of us, therefore, be deaf to this appeal, also addressed in the austere rite, so simple and yet so beautiful, of the imposition of ashes, which we will shortly carry out. May the Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church and model of every true disciple of the Lord accompany us in this time.
Amen!

Benedict XVI
Homily, Ash Wednesday
February 13, 2013

Pope Benedict XVI leads the Ash Wednesday service at the St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City. Ash Wednesday opens the liturgical 40-day period of Lent, a time of prayer, fasting, penitence and alms giving leading up to Easter. Source: Getty Images

2013-02-11T23:45:00.000-05:00

Lightning strikes St. Peter's basilica during a storm in the Vatican City on Feb. 11, 2013, the same day Pope Benedict XVI announced his resignation (Photo Alessandro Di Meo / EPA)

The Resignation of Pope Benedict XVI

2013-02-11T09:11:00.000-05:00

Dear Brothers,
I have convoked you to this Consistory, not only for the three canonizations, but also to communicate to you a decision of great importance for the life of the Church.
After having repeatedly examined my conscience before God, I have come to the certainty that my strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry. I am well aware that this ministry, due to its essential spiritual nature, must be carried out not only with words and deeds, but no less with prayer and suffering. However, in today’s world, subject to so many rapid changes and shaken by questions of deep relevance for the life of faith, in order to govern the bark of Saint Peter and proclaim the Gospel, both strength of mind and body are necessary, strength which in the last few months, has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me.
For this reason, and well aware of the seriousness of this act, with full freedom I declare that I renounce the ministry of Bishop of Rome, Successor of Saint Peter, entrusted to me by the Cardinals on 19 April 2005, in such a way, that as from 28 February 2013, at 20:00 hours, the See of Rome, the See of Saint Peter, will be vacant and a Conclave to elect the new Supreme Pontiff will have to be convoked by those whose competence it is.
Dear Brothers, I thank you most sincerely for all the love and work with which you have supported me in my ministry and I ask pardon for all my defects. And now, let us entrust the Holy Church to the care of Our Supreme Pastor, Our Lord Jesus Christ, and implore his holy Mother Mary, so that she may assist the Cardinal Fathers with her maternal solicitude, in electing a new Supreme Pontiff.
With regard to myself, I wish to also devotedly serve the Holy Church of God in the future through a life dedicated to prayer.
From the Vatican, 10 February 2013
BENEDICTUS PP XVI

Pope Benedict XVI announcing his resignation on Monday at the Vatican. At left is Msgr. Franco Camaldo, a papal aide. Source: L'Osservatore Romano, via Associated Press

Some points to note regarding Benedict's abdication (Via Frederico Lombardi, SJ, Vatican Spokesman (HT: Commonweal):

Pope Benedict XVI has given his resignation freely, in accordance with Canon 332 §2 of the Code of Canon Law.
Pope Benedict XVI will not take part in the Conclave for the election of his successor.
Pope Benedict XVI will move to the Papal residence in Castel Gandolfo when his resignation shall become effective.
When renovation work on the monastery of cloistered nuns inside the Vatican is complete, the Holy Father will move there for a period of prayer and reflection

Have you ever thought of resigning?

When the danger is great one must not run away. For that reason, now is certainly not the time to resign. One must stand fast and endure the difficult situation. That is my view. One can resign at a peaceful moment or when one simply cannot go on. But one must not run away from danger and say that someone else should do it.

Is it possible then to imagine a situation in which you would consider a resignation by the Pope to be appropriate?

Yes, if a Pope clearly realizes that he is no longer physically , psychologically and spiritually capable of handling the duties of his office, then he has the obligation to resign.

Pope Benedict XVI, Light of the World: The Pope, The Church and the Signs Of The Times (2010)

* * *

Pope Benedict XVI Says He Will Resign (New York Times February 11, 2012:

After examining his conscience “before God,” he said in a statement that reverberated around the world on the Internet and on social media, “I have come to the certainty that my strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise” of his position as head of the world’s one billion Roman Catholics. ...
While there had been questions about Benedict’s health, the timing of his announcement sent shock waves around the world, even though he had in the past endorsed the notion that an incapacitated pope could resign.
“The pope took us by surprise,” said Father Lombardi, who explained that many cardinals were in Rome on Monday for a ceremony at the Vatican and heard the pope’s address. Italy’s prime minister, Mario Monti, said he was “very shaken by the unexpected news.”

According to the Associated Press, "The last pope to resign was Pope Gregory XII, who stepped down in 1415 in a deal to end the Great Western Schism among competing papal claimants."

Considering, however, that Joseph Ratzinger was already 78 -- one of the oldest popes in history when elected -- and had by the time of his election petitioned Pope John Paul II twice to resign his post as Prefect for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (requests which John Paul II in his wisdom had denied), the Holy Father's decision, while shocking, is to me also understandable, being the recognition, made with a clear mind, that he has reached a point in life where he no longer has the capacity to fulfill the requirements of the office.

The Pope's Health

News of the Holy Father's resignation of course have sparked concerns about his health and well-being.

The Vatican has confirmed that Pope Benedict has a pacemaker, and has undergone a routine surgery three months ago to have the batteries replaced. However, ""That hasn't affected his decision [to resign] in any way and simply he felt that his strength was diminishing with the advancement of age," Father Lombardi said. (BBC News, 2/13/13).
Peter Seewald, the German journalist and author of several book-length interviews with the Holy Father, recalls a meeting last August in which he inquired what could be expected of the Pope and his papacy:
Seewald said Benedict replied: “From me? From me, not much more. I am an old man and my strength is running out. And I think what I have done is enough.”
Asked whether he was considering resignation, Seewald said that Benedict responded: “That depends to what extent my physical strength will compel me to.”
According to the Los Angeles Times, Seewald said of the same encounter that his hearing had deteriorated and he appeared to have gone blind in his left eye:
“His body had become so thin that the tailors had difficulty in keeping up with newly fitted clothes. ... I'd never seen him so exhausted-looking, so worn down,” he told Focus, a German magazine, on Saturday.
From "The Vatican Insider" (La Stampa), news that the Pope’s decision to resign came after his fall in Mexico:
The Pope’s decision to renounce the papacy was taken after his trip to Mexico and Cuba, when the Pope suffered a head injury and his collaborators treated him in secret. ...
This incident, which was seen as irrelevant at the time, has been interpreted quite differently by the prelate who was part of the papal entourage, in light of the public revelation made by the director of L’Osservatore Romano. “That day, after dinner – he said – I was told about the jokes exchanged between the Pope and his personal doctor. As he treated the Pope’s head wound, Dr. Patrizio Polisca had remarked: “You see Holy Father why I am so critical of these trips?” With that dash of irony which is so familiar to those who know Benedict XVI well, the Pope replied: “I am also critical...”.”
The prelate was keen to add that “ it was really important for the Pope to embrace the Mexican people, all the crowds of faithful in that big country which had been the first nation to welcome Benedict XVI’s predecessor at the start of his pontificate. But he was also aware of the fact that he no longer had the physical strength to deal with such long journeys, the jetlag that followed and the burden of public commitments.”

Additional News

Q&A on Benedict's bombshell John Allen, Jr. (National Catholic Reporter 2/12/13.
Pope to live in Vatican monastery established by Blessed John Paul II, by Cindy Wooden. Catholic News Agency, 2/12/13.
Benedict will be prayerful presence in next papacy, spokesman says, by Carol Glatz and Cindy Wooden. Catholic News Agency, 2/12/13:
In response to questions about how a conclave and a new papacy will be played out while a former pope is still alive and living in the vicinity, Father Lombardi said, "there will be absolutely no problem" because Pope Benedict is a discreet and "extremely scrupulous" person. No one would ever expect from him any "interference or comments that would cause even minimal awkwardness or problems for his successor," he said.
"Rather, his successor will feel supported by the prayers and intensely loving presence and interest from someone who, more than anyone in the world, can understand and be interested in the worries of his successor," the priest said.
"Pope Benedict will surely say absolutely nothing about the process of the election," the spokesman said, "and not intervene in any way in the process," he said.
Pope will have security, immunity by remaining in the Vatican Reuters. 2/15/13.
Pope Benedict will get a pension worth €2,500-a-month, by Michael Day. The Independent UK.:
When the Pope steps down on 28 February, he will take with him only personal effects and gifts, his piano, his cats and private letters. Everything else – including books, furniture, and documents – will remain in the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican.
The Holy See spokesman, Father Federico Lombardi, said a “distinction will be made between official church documents and personal ones.”
Special Report: The loneliness of the short distance pope, by Philip Puella. Reuters 2/22/13. An exploration of the various factors that might have contributed to the Pope's decision.

Reactions and Commentary

Can the Pope Resign?, Fr. Thomas J. Reese, SJ. (Author of Inside the Vatican: The Politics and Organization of the Catholic Church):
Most modern popes have felt that resignation is unacceptable. As Paul VI said, paternity cannot be resigned. In addition, Paul feared setting a precedent that would encourage factions in the church to pressure future popes to resign for reasons other than health. Nevertheless, the code of canon law in 1917 provided for the resignation of a pope as do the regulations established by Paul VI in 1975 and John Paul II in 1996. However, a resignation induced through fear or fraud would be invalid. In addition, canonists argue that a person resigning from an office must be of sound mind (canon 187).
B16 Resigns: The US Response Rocco Palmo, Whispers in the Loggia 2/11/12. Rocco also remarks:
Beyond the statement, no timetable or other parameters are currently known on the holding of a Conclave – we're in very uncharted territory here, folks, so please be patient. The lone item of canon law to even mention a pontiff's resignation is Canon 332, paragraph 2, which states that "If it happens that the Roman Pontiff resigns his office, it is required for validity that the resignation is made freely and properly manifested but not that it is accepted by anyone."
Along the same lines, there is no protocol whatsoever for the titles or status of a retired Pope. ...
Under the operative norms governing Conclaves in the wake of a Pope's death, the voting college is to start the election between 15 and 20 days from the moment of the vacancy. In this case, however, the traditional novemdiales – the nine days of official mourning before the election – would not apply.
Now comprised of 118 voting members younger than 80, the College as a whole – retirees included – governs the church during a papal interregnum.
A Pope Resigns: What sort of man does the Church need now?, by Gerard V. Bradley, professor of law at the University of Notre Dame. National Review 2/11/13.
Reason's Revolutionary, by Dr. Samuel Gregg. National Review 2/11/13.
Benedict XVI’s Act of Humility by Kathryn Jean Lopez. National Review 2/11/13.
Franciscan University of Steubenville Reacts to News of Pope Benedict XVI’s Resignation Announcement, thoughts from Father Terence Henry, TOR, president of Franciscan University of Steubenville; Dr. Alan Schreck, Dr. Scott Hahn, and Dr. Regis Martin and Father Sean Sheridan.
A Final Act of Papal Teaching, by Vincent Miller (America):
From the beginning of his papacy, in the shadow of John Paul—then called “the Great”—Benedict has struck a lower profile. Of course he lacked his predecessor’s charisma, but his gestures were so often intentional. At his first World Youth Day, he turned from an adoring crowd chanting “Ben-ne-det-to” in silence to face the Eucharist in benediction.
His resignation continues this strand of his papacy—a reduction of the office in a way, subordinating it to tradition.
Benedict: Far from the First Pope to Resign, by Dr. Jeff Mirus (Catholic Culture): "The resignation of a pope is a rare event but not an unprecedented one, as some early reports would have had us believe."
The Reason Benedict Resigned, by William Fahey, Dr. William Edmund Fahey is President and Fellow of the Thomas More College of Liberal Arts in Merrimack, New Hampshire (Crisis):
Benedict’s resignation is utterly consistent with his character. It is traditional—he brings from our history and our law a fact and feature of the Papal Office: one can and—under certain circumstance—should put aside that office.
His resignation demonstrates once again the firm mark of a father and a teacher. A father knows that his role is to provide example, instruction, and discipline, and ultimately put himself aside for the good of his own. The Petrine ministry is not exercised for a man, or for bishops and priests, or even for Catholics alone. It is a ministry exercised for all those seeking God and for all those towards whom God’s mercy is extended. . . .
An Evangelical Looks at Pope Benedict XVI, by Russell D. Moore, dean of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary: "As Pope Benedict steps down, I think it’s important for us to recognize the legacy of the last two bishops of Rome that we ought to honor and conserve: an emphasis on human dignity."
A Turbulent Tenure for a Quiet Scholar, by Laurie Goodstein (New York Times 2/11/13).
Reuters asks: Why Didn't Pope Benedict Tweet Resignation News?:
It could have been the tweet of the century.
But Pope Benedict decided not to announce his resignation on Twitter, which he joined last year in a foray into social media that has reaped uncertain spiritual returns and could be curtailed by his successor.
Obviously keen to avoid any leak of his resignation - which would have been a risk as his tweets are typed up by an aide - the pope announced it in person, in Latin, to a restricted group of cardinals. The video was then given to the world’s media.
Benedict: Last of the Heroic Generation, by R.R. Reno (First Things).
Conclave and the Media: The Silly Season (Creative Minority Report):
Barely 48 hours after the announcement of Pope Benedict's retirement and the approach of a new conclave, the progressive kooks have come out of the woodwork. In 2005, after a generation of John Paul II and watching their 70s progressive dreams stall and slowly lose favor, aging dissident Catholics had hope that finally they would have the progressive Pope of their dreams.
Op-ed pages across the country and the globe were filled with impious lectures from those hold neither the tenets of the faith or understand what the Church is telling the world what the Church really needs. Of course, what the world really needs, it turns out, is a Pope just like them. Instead, to their (laughable) shock, they got Joseph Ratzinger.
So again, with the approach of a conclave, the silly season begins again.
Rocco Palmo (Whispers in the Loggia) revisits Pope Benedict's November 2012 visit and greeting to the "Viva Gli Anziani" (Long Live the Elderly) Home, in which he came "as Bishop of Rome -- but also as an old man, visiting his peers." 2/11/13.
A compilation of reactions to the Holy Father's announcement of his resignation (abdication?) from the See of Peter. (Aletia 2/12/13).
The Papal Resignation: Background and Consequences - Kathryn Jean Lopez interviews Fr. John Jay Hughes, a former student of Ratzinger, Church historian and priest of the Archdiocese of St. Louis. ("None of us now living will ever experience a Lent like this one.")
Resigned to Confusion - Mollie Wilson O'Reilly on the confusion of how one should properly label the Pope's decision: resignation? renunciation? abdication?
Benedict’s Decision in the Light of Eternity, by Rev. George W. Rutler. Crisis 2/13/13.:
The personality cults of our present age had to a degree shaped the young in the Church who had only known one pope. A most attractive charism of Benedict XVI has been his desire to vanish so that the faithful might see only Christ: “cupio dissolvi.” He strengthened the papacy by vaulting sanctity over celebrity. In a grand paradox, nothing in him has become so conspicuous as his desire to disappear. Christ gave the Keys to a Galilean fisherman with a limited life span. He chose Peter; Peter did not choose Him. When the pope relinquishes the Petrine authority, he does not submit a letter of resignation to any individual, for the only one capable of receiving it is Christ. This is why “renunciation” or “abdication” is a more accurate term than “resignation” in the case of the Supreme Pontiff. Unless this is understood, the danger is that a superficial world will try to refashion the pope into some hind of amiable but transient office holder.
Benedict Will Still Be There for Us, by Scott Hahn. (National Catholic Register 2/14/13: "On the morning of Feb. 11, and well into the evening, I found almost unbearable the thought of this man fading from my life."
Carol Zaleski on "The Humble Pope" (New York Times 2/11/13)
Pope Benedict’s announcement that he is retiring — made on the feast day of Our Lady of Lourdes, the World Day of the Sick, on the threshold of an early Lent — was his “Nunc dimittis,” his “I will diminish,” his final summons to a weary church to look beyond politics and the calculus of power, and to recover its real sources of renewal. Even the “spiritual but not religious” set might be intrigued by a pope who, by resigning his position, admits not only his own frailty but that of the throne on which he has been seated. What I see in Pope Benedict XVI is not the shade of one who through cowardice made the great refusal, but the substance of one who through humility and wisdom made the great acceptance.
Benedict's resignation shifts focus from pope's personality to pope's office, by Joshua J. McElwee. National Catholic Reporter 2/13/13. "Don't call it Pope Benedict's resignation. Call it Joseph Ratzinger's exit from the papal office: The pope's surprise announcement Monday fundamentally alters Catholics' perceptions of popes to come."
Michael Barber wonders if Could it be that Benedict, who is well known for his encyclopedic knowledge of the Church Fathers, is taking a page not simply from Gregory XII, the last pope to resign (1415), but also from Gregory the Great (540-604)? (The Sacred Page 2/11/13).
Pope Benedict resigned to avoid arrest, seizure of church wealth by Easter -- or so the The International Tribunal into Crimes of Church and State would have you believe. Peter Bradley (Lex Communis) dismantles the specious attacks and explains why "blaming Ratzinger in some fashion for covering-up or enabling sex abuse against minors because of Crimen Solicitationis is misguided. It is like blaming the Securities and Exchange Commission for not taking a firm enough stand against bank robbery."
A Farewell to Pope Benedict from the General House of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter:
With humility and courage, Benedict XVI has been - for eight years - at the helm of the barque of Peter, facing many storms, concern with leading souls to safe harbor. Giving the example of a deep interior life, he has refocused the attention of the Catholic faithful on the foundations of the faith, alerting them to all forms of relativism, and explaining the recent Magisterium in the light of Tradition. Concerned with the restoration of sacredness, he reconciled the Roman Church with her bimillennial liturgical heritage. A tireless apostle for ecclesial unity, he engaged, in particular, in dialogue with the Society of Saint Pius X, with a view to reaching full reconciliation. This concern of the Pope is particularly dear to us, and recalls the care which he brought to our foundation in 1988, when he aided John Paul II as Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
Sydney Morning Herald 2/12/13. An Italian journalist who beat the world's media on Pope Benedict XVI's decision to resign got the scoop on the utterly unexpected news thanks to her knowledge of Latin.
Benedict XVI’s resignation is a first for Canon Law by Luca Rolandi. La Stampa "The Vatican Insider" 2/11/13. Vatican Insider interviews Giovanni Battista Varnier, Professor of the History of Relations between State and Church at the University of Genoa on Benedict XVI’s shocking and historic decision.
The challenge Pope Benedict has left for his successor—and for ordinary Catholics, by Phil Lawler (Catholic Culture):
In retrospect we can see that Pope Benedict has been preparing for his own departure. If he has been contemplating resignation for months, as his brother reports, it is much easier to understand why he called two consistories within the space of one year. He wanted to ensure an appropriate balance within the College of Cardinals, among the men who will choose his successor. He chose to step down now, no doubt, so that he will not leave that successor burdened with too many tasks that he himself was unable to complete.
So now Pope Benedict has left us, the faithful, with a task of our own. We have a day to swallow the news of his resignation, and another day to digest it. Then Ash Wednesday will arrive, and we must all buckle down to a season of prayer and fasting for the good of the Church, and especially for the strength of Benedict’s successor.
Cardinal Arinze praises Pope's courageous decision to resign, by Gerard O'Connell. [Interview]. "The Vatican Insider" La Stampa 2/23/13.

Papal Manga Book Signing

2013-01-23T02:04:00.005-05:00

For those in Washington DC: Regina Doman will be signing her mangahero.com graphic novel about Pope Benedict XVI all day this Thursday at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception's bookstore in Washington DC (www.nationalshrine.com). Drop by, buy a book, and say hello!

"Habemus Papam: Pope Benedict II" - Papal Manga!!!

2012-12-19T11:58:00.000-05:00

Readers of the "John Paul II generation" and fellow Catholic comic book fans might recall Marvel Comic's epic biographical portrait of His Eminence. Published in 1983, it chronicled the life of Karol Wojtyla from his childhood to his election, up to the point of the assassination attempt.

Given his (unmerited) reputation as the Vatican's "PanzerKardinal" and Dostoyevskian "Grand Inquisitor", I thought it unlikely that Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger would ever receive the same comic-book treatment with his election in 2005. Likewise, Marvel Comics is an altogether different kind of animal these days, getting into a tiff with the Catholic League over X-Men#424 (July 2003), with a controversial and in some respects anti-Catholic storyline.

And so it is with pleasure that I was recently contacted by Catholic author Regina Doman, who with artist Sean Lam has produced an incredible comic portrait of Pope Benedict XVI in the style of Japanese manga:

Habemus Papam! Pope Benedict XVI (Manga Hero, 2012) is the story of an extraordinary young man who thought he was ordinary. Young Josef Ratzinger faces a number of challenges growing up in German Bavaria: all he wants to do is learn, but the Nazis keep closing down his schools. His father, Captain Ratzinger, a retired police officer, has been trying to stay one step ahead of the Nazis, but as Josef grows older, Germany moves towards war, and every German youth must serve in the army Hitler has taken over. Little does Josef realize that the plan God has for him goes beyond books and the academy - and even beyond Germany! This graphic novel about the life of Pope Benedict XVI is an expanded version of Gabrielle Gniewek's book that was officially published for World Youth Day 2011 in Madrid, Spain, and distributed to 300,000 people. Also included is a nine page appendix with fun facts about the Holy Father, his vehicles, and the Swiss Guards.

Those not used to manga style will need to get aquainted with the traditional habit of turning the pages (and reading the frames) left-to-right, but once accustomed, they will encounter a work of love. The life of the Pope is beautifully rendered in faithful and well-researched detail.

It is also with great appreciation that I wish to relay (with her permission) Regina's special note to the Ratzinger Fan Club on the comic's production:

the main reason I wanted to write was to send my profound thanks to the Pope Benedict XVI Forum. I can say with all honesty that this book would have been nearly impossible to finish, if not write, without all the photographs and information on the Pope which your members have collected over the years.
There is so much misinformation and slander about the Pope on the Internet, and as I spend long nights searching the Web for images to send to the artist as references, I became depressed by all the horrible and hateful images and stories on this good, good man, Josef Ratzinger. But every time I stumbled across an image or a story that brought me hope or made me smile, it was inevitably something that was posted on RatzingerFanClub.com.
One aspect of the Pope's life that I found it nearly impossible to document was his relationship with his sister Maria Ratzinger. I wanted to send a particular thank you to the member who annually posted photos of Maria on the day of her passing from this life. As an author, I had to make up much of Maria's personality, since so little is written about her, but the only photos of her as an adult I could find were the ones posted on your forum. From them, I tried to deduce her personality. Who knows if I've succeeded in telling anything near the truth? But this leap of faith would have been harder to make without the photos, and I am very grateful. It's my hope that my fictional portrait of Maria will at least make more people recognize the significant contributions that this older sister of the Pope made to her younger brother's life.
There's a little visual shout-out to the Forum on p. 213, and I had them put the club URL in the appendix, so hopefully you'll get some interest as a result! But I felt that wasn't enough of a thank-you, so I wanted to write and express my gratitude for the contributions made by the Forum members. At any rate, I wanted to say thank you, and I hope that you can pass this letter onto the Forum members for me.

And finally, the "Ratzinger Fan Club" will be pleased to know that one of our members' meeting with the Holy Father be forever immortalized in comic book form:

[Historical source: New Pope's Reaction to his own fan club]

Credits

Habemus Papam! Pope Benedict XVI is published by Manga Hero and is available on Amazon.com.
Regina Doman is a Catholic wife, mother, author and editor. She is a graduate of Franciscan University and owner of Chesterton Press. Find out more about her at reginadoman.com.
Sean Lam is a professional artist specializing in American-style comic books as well as Japanese anime and manga. He has previously illustrated Paul: Tarsus to Redemption and Judith: Captive to Conqueror, among others for Manga Hero. His past works include the 480-page single volume manga It Takes a Wizard. He is a graduate in graphic design from Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts in Singapore.

Pope Benedict XVI Roundup!

2012-12-09T00:36:00.000-05:00

On October 11, 1962, Pope John XXIII opened the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council in St Peter's Basilica. "It was a splendid day," recalls Pope Benedict XVI. L'Osservatore Romano publishes Benedict's reflections on the Second Vatican Council.
On November 12, 2012, by the Motu Proprio "Latina lingua," Benedict XVI has established the Pontifical Academy for Latin, which will be part of the Pontifical Council for Culture (Vatican Information Service):
"... in contemporary culture, within the context of a generalised deterioration in humanistic studies, we see the danger of an increasingly superficial knowledge of Latin, which may also be detected in the philosophical and theological studies of future priests. On the other hand, in our world in which science and technology are so prominent, we also find renewed interest in the Latin language and culture, and not only in those continents with Greco-Roman cultural roots. This interest seems particularly significant inasmuch as it is present not only in academic and institutional environments, but also involves young people and scholars from very different nations and traditions.
"There is therefore an apparent pressing need to encourage commitment to a greater knowledge and more competent use of Latin, in the ecclesial environment as well as in the world of culture at large. To give prominence and resonance to this effort, it is important to adopt teaching methods adapted to contemporary conditions, and to promote a network of relationships between academic institutions and among scholars with the aim of promoting the rich and varied heritage of Latin civilisation".
On November 13, Pope Benedict visited the "Viva Gli Anziani" Retirement home for the elderly yesterday in Rome, saying that he came not only as Bishop of Rome, but as well as "an elderly man visiting his peers.":
"I well know the difficulties and limitations of age, and am aware that for many people these difficulties are aggravated by the economic crisis," said the Holy Father.
"At times", he continued, "at a certain age, one turns to the past with regret for the loss of youth, its energy and plans for the future. At times our perspective is veiled with sadness, as we consider this phase as the twilight of life. This morning, ideally addressing all the elderly and aware of the difficulties that our age brings, I would like to say to you with profound conviction: it is good to be elderly! At every age it is necessary to know how to discover the presence and the blessing of the Lord, and the richness that this brings. We must not allow ourselves to be imprisoned by sadness! We have received the gift of long life. To live is beautiful, even at our age and despite infirmities or limitations. Let our faces always reflect the joy of being loved by God, and never sadness".

The Holy Father recalled that in the Bible, "longevity is considered as a blessing from God; today this blessing is widespread and must be seen as a gift to appreciate and value. Yet often society, dominated by the logic of efficiency and profit, does not welcome it as such; on the contrary, it often rejects it, considering the elderly as unproductive and useless". However, the Pope observed, the elderly are a source of wisdom and "a great resource. The quality of a society, of a civilisation, may also be judged by how it treats its elderly and by the place reserved for them in communal life. To give space to the elderly is to give space to life!"
On November 16, the Vatican released the Holy Father's Message for the twenty-eighth World Youth Day 2013. The event will take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in July 2013. (Click the link for excerpts of the text in English).
On November 24, Pope Benedict XVI created six new cardinals from four different continents, representing the Latin rite of the Catholic Church as well as two Eastern Catholic Churches (Catholic News Service):
The churchmen who joined the College of Cardinals Nov. 24 were U.S. Archbishop James M. Harvey, 63, former prefect of the papal household; Lebanon's Maronite Patriarch Bechara Rai, 72; Indian Archbishop Baselio Cleemis Thottunkal, 53, head of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church; Nigerian Archbishop John Olorunfemi Onaiyekan , 68, of Abuja; Colombian Archbishop Ruben Salazar Gomez, 70, of Bogota; and Philippine Archbishop Luis Tagle, 55, of Manila.
On December 7, Pope Benedict named Monsignor Georg Gänswein, personal secretary of the Holy Father, as Prefect of the Pontifical Household, at the same time elevating him to the titular see of Urbisaglia with the title of Archbishop (Zenit News Service).
In internet news, Pope Benedict XVI now has his own personal Twitter account: https://twitter.com/Pontifex. On December 3rd, a press conference was held to explain the Pope's participation in the new media:
"The Pope's presence on Twitter is a concrete expression of his conviction that the Church must be present in the digital arena. ... The Pope's presence on Twitter can be seen as the 'tip of the iceberg' that is the Church's presence in the world of new media. The Church is already richly present in this environment – there exist a whole range of initiatives from the official websites of various institutions and communities to the personal sites, blogs and micro-blogs of public church figures and of individual believers. The Pope's presence on Twitter is ultimately an endorsement of the efforts of these 'early adapters' to ensure that the Good News of Jesus Christ and the teaching of his Church is permeating the forum of exchange and dialogue that is being created by social media. His presence is intended to be an encouragement to all Church institutions and people of faith to be attentive to develop an appropriate profile for themselves and their convictions in the 'digital continent'. The Pope's tweets will be available to believers and non-believers to share, discuss and to encourage dialogue. It is hoped that the Pope's short messages, and the fuller messages that they seek to encapsulate, will give rise to questions for people from different countries, languages and cultures".
"Part of the challenge for the Church in the area of new media is to establish a networked or capillary presence that can effectively engage the debates, discussions and dialogues that are facilitated by social media and that invite direct, personal and timely responses of a type that are not so easily achieved by centralized institutions. Moreover, such a networked or capillary structure reflects the truth of the Church as a community of communities which is alive both universally and locally. The Pope's presence on Twitter will represent his voice as a voice of unity and leadership for the Church but it will also be a powerful invitation to all believers to express their 'voices', to engage their 'followers' and 'friends' and to share with them the hope of the Gospel that speaks of God’s unconditional love for all men and women".
"In addition to the direct engagement with the questions, debates and discussions of people that is facilitated by new media, the Church recognizes the importance of new media as an environment that allows to teach the truth that the Lord has passed to His Church, to listen to others, to learn about their cares and concerns, to understand who they are and for what they are searching. ... It is for this reason that it has been decided to launch the Pope's Twitter channel with a formal question and answer format. This launch is also an indication of the importance that the Church gives to listening and is a warranty of its ongoing attentiveness to the conversations, commentaries and trends that express so spontaneously and insistently the preoccupations and hopes of people".
According to the VIS, the first tweets from the Pope's handle on Twitter will be given on 12 December, Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
More from the Catholic Information Service on the logistics of Papal-Twittering:
The handle "Pontifex" was chosen because it means "pope and bridge builder," said Greg Burke, media adviser for the Vatican's Secretariat of State. The name suggests "reaching out" and bringing unity not just of Catholics "but all men and women of good will," he said. …
The pope's first tweets from the new accounts will be responses to four or five questions about the Catholic faith sent to the pope on Twitter via the hashtag #askpontifex …
The pope will personally send the inaugural tweets around noon Dec. 12 at the end of his general audience. …
The Q&A exchange will be offered just that one time, and the rest of the papal news feeds will be excerpts from his general audience talks, Angelus addresses or other important speeches …
Each tweet will be crafted by a Vatican official and the pope will review and approve each one before it is sent from the Vatican Secretariat of State's offices . . . The papal tweets will be posted with some regularity but won't be too frequent given the time constraints of the pope and that each tweet needs his approval.

Like the prophet Daniel into the lion's den. As Twitchy observes, in what is shameful-yet-typical behavior, Pope Benedict joins Twitter and the vile hate has started to spew before his first "tweet".
Also released by the Vatican is the "Pope App" - a new app that provides live streaming of papal events and video feeds from the Vatican's six webcams. The app should be available Dec. 10 for iPhone and iPad while an Android version is due out in January. (Catholic Information Service).
Lastly, according to David Gibson, "the focus on the pope’s personal entry into social media ... is really a subplot to a larger, behind-the-scenes effort by the Roman curia to overhaul the Vatican’s notoriously byzantine communications apparatus and head off problems that can’t be glossed over by even the most appealing papal tweets."
From the Office of Liturgical Celebrations, the calendar of celebrations to be presided over by the Holy Father between November 2012 and January 2013.

Commentary

"There goes that sexist, woman-hating Catholic Church again…" - Greg Chandra (Deacon's Bench) on the fact that, of the 45 experts and 49 observers nominated by Pope Benedict XVI to attend the Synod of Bishops contains "the largest bloc of women — 10 experts and 19 observers — ever to participate in a Vatican synod."
The Pope, the Blind Man, and the New Evangelization, a reflection by James V. Schall on a homily given by the Holy Father at the close of the Synod of Bishops.
Benedict XVI and the Pathologies of Religion, by Dr. Samuel Gregg. Crisis November 7, 2012:
It passed almost unnoticed, but last month Benedict XVI significantly upped the ante in an argument he’s made one of his pontificate’s centerpieces. To the horror, one suspects, of some professional interfaith dialoguers and wishful-thinkers more generally, the pope indicated the Church should recognize that some types of religion are in fact “sick and distorted.”
Sandro Magister runs a column on a a collective of intellectuals dubbed "The Ratzingerian Marxists":
One of these converts, Pietro Barcellona, is also the author, together with three other post-Marxist thinkers, of a manifesto on "the anthropological emergency" that has met with great astonishment.
And this is the second noteworthy fact. The other three authors of the manifesto are the professors Giuseppe Vacca, an historian; Mario Tronti, a philosopher and political scientist; and Paolo Sorbi, a sociologist. The last of these is Catholic, the other two are not. All four were activists in the Partito comunista, and today are part of the Partito democratico, the main party of the Italian left. Vacca is the director of the Istituto Gramsci. Tronti is president of the Centro per la riforma dello Stato, and was the leading Italian theoretician of operaismo, but also has always shown strong interest in the political theology of Carl Schmitt and frequented the intellectual cenacle of the Catholic magazine "Bailamme" and the Camaldolese monastery of Monte Giove.
All four have been called "Ratzingerian Marxists." . . . Their manifesto is, in effect, an explicit declaration of appreciation of the vision of Pope Benedict XVI.
The "Ratzingerian Marxists" charge the left in Italy and the West with having given in to "falsely libertarian cultures, for which there exists no right other than the right of the individual."
In order to rebuild the foundations of the human community, the four identify therefore the decisive interlocutor with whom the left should engage not as some "borderline" theologian, but as Benedict XVI, the highest and most authoritative expression of the Catholic vision, in particular on "two fundamental themes of his magisterium: the rejection of ethical relativism and the concept of non-negotiable values."
To this end, the authors of the manifesto have already announced that they will organize in 2013 a major conference precisely on the anthropological vision of Benedict XVI, between believers and nonbelievers.
The blog Caelum et Terra posts “Ratzingerian Marxist Manifesto” in English.

Jesus of Nazareth: The Infancy Narratives

2012-12-09T00:35:00.000-05:00

Jesus of Nazareth: The Infancy Narratives

Image Press, November 21, 2012.

The momentous third and final volume in the Pope’s international bestselling Jesus of Nazareth series, detailing how the stories of Jesus’ infancy and childhood are as relevant today as they were two thousand years ago.
In 2007, Joseph Ratzinger published his first book as Pope Benedict XVI in order “to make known the figure and message of Jesus.” Now, the Pope focuses exclusively on the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ life as a child. The root of these stories is the experience of hope found in the birth of Jesus and the affirmations of surrender and service embodied in his parents, Joseph and Mary. This is a story of longing and seeking, as demonstrated by the Magi searching for the redemption offered by the birth of a new king. It is a story of sacrifice and trusting completely in the wisdom of God as seen in the faith of Simeon, the just and devout man of Jerusalem, when he is in the presence of the Christ child. Ultimately, Jesus’ life and message is a story for today, one that speaks to the restlessness of the human heart searching for the sole truth which alone leads to profound joy.

Summary (Courtesy of the Vatican Information Service):

"The first chapter is dedicated to the genealogies of the Saviour in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, which are very different, although both have the same theological and symbolic meaning: the placing of Jesus in history and his true origin as a new beginning of world history.
"The theme of chapter two is the annunciation of the birth of John the Baptist and that of Jesus. Rereading the dialogue between Mary and the Archangel Gabriel in the Gospel of Luke, Joseph Ratzinger explains that, through a woman, God 'seeks to enter the world anew'. In order to liberate man from sin, he writes, quoting Bernard of Clairvaux, God needs 'free obedience' to his will. 'In creating freedom, he made himself in a certain sense dependent upon man. His power is tied to the unenforceable yes of a human being'. Thus, only thanks to Mary's assent can the history of salvation begin.
"Chapter three is centred on the event in Bethlehem and the historical context of the birth of Jesus, the Roman Empire under Augustus, which extends from East to West and whose universal dimension allows for the entry into the world of 'a universal Saviour'; 'it is indeed the fullness of time'. The single elements of the story of the birth are dense with meaning: the poverty in which 'he who is truly the first-born of all that is' chooses to reveal himself, and therefore 'the cosmic glory' that envelopes the manger; God's special love for the poor, which manifests itself in the annunciation to the shepherds; and the words of the Gloria, whose translation is controversial.
"The fourth chapter is dedicated to the three Magi, who saw the star of the 'King of the Jews' and who had come to adore the child, and to the flight into Egypt. Here the figures of the 'magoi', reconstructed through a rich range of historical, linguistic and scientific information, are outlined as a fascinating emblem of the inner unrest and search for truth of the human spirit.
"Finally, the Epilogue, with the story - according to the Gospel of Luke - of the last episode in the childhood of Jesus, the last account we have of him before the beginning of his public ministry with his baptism in the Jordan. It is the episode of the three days during the Passover pilgrimage to the Temple in Jerusalem, in which twelve-year-old Jesus leaves Mary and Joseph and stays in the Temple to discuss with the rabbis. Jesus, who was growing 'in wisdom and in stature, and in favour with God and man', manifests himself in his nature as true God and, at the same time, true man, who 'thought and learned in human fashion'".

Reviews and Related Links

Infancy Narratives Seals One of the Pope's Finest Gifts to the Church, by Kevin M. Clarke. (Zenit News Service):
Because of the timeless newness to these inimitable reflections, our coheirs to the kingdom will doubtless be reading these volumes long after we are in our tombs. With the second installment of the Jesus of Nazareth series, Pope Benedict gave Catholics plenty of food for thought for the Lenten season. His third installment similarly gives much for meditation for Advent.
What the Pope Really Said About Christmas, by Kevin M. Clarke. First Things' "On The Square" 11/30/12. Clarke, adjunct professor of New Testament Greek at John Paul the Great Catholic University in San Diego, California, lays bare the media's bias and misreadings of the Pope's text.
Being the Pope's Editor. Gary Jansen, editor of the book and of Image Catholic at Random House, talks to National Review Online’s Kathryn Jean Lopez about meeting the pope, reading the pope, editing the pope, and encountering the ghosts of Christmas past, among other things.
Read all about it: Pope has not cancelled Christmas (Reuters 11/28/12). "The day after Benedict's latest book "The Infancy Narratives - Jesus of Nazareth" - was published on November 20, Vatican officials found some headlines they were not expecting. ..."
A vaticanista reads the pope's book, by John Allen Jr. National Catholic Reporter 11/25/12.
Vatican blasts media coverage of pope’s latest book, by Allesandro Speciale. Religion News Service 11/29/12.
Pope calls the Infancy Narratives an "Antechamber" to Jesus of Nazareth Volumes I and II (Zenit News Service 11/21/12).
“The Infancy Narratives”: Not myths, just plausible stories, by Andrea Tornielli. La Stampa "Vatican Insider" 11/20/12:
The stories about Jesus’ infancy in the first few chapters of the Gospels of Luke and Matthew are not legends or imaginative reconstructions. They are not “midrash” either, that is, interpretations of the Scriptures through narrations, typical of Hebrew literature. They are “history, history which really took place, history which was certainly interpreted and understood on the basis of the Word of God.”

Pope Benedict XVI - Apostolic Journey to Lebanon (14-16 September 2012)

2012-09-16T13:14:00.001-04:00

Resources:

Apostolic Journey to Lebanon (14-16 September 2012) on the occasion of the signing and publication of the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation of the Special Assembly for the Middle East of the Synod of Bishops
Official Program
Missal for the Apostolic Journey
Apostolic Journeys of Pope Benedict XVI (Currently: Lebanon 14-16 September 2012) The Pope Benedict Forum.

Addresses of Pope Benedict XVI

Meeting of His Holiness Benedict XVI with journalists during the flight to Lebanon (Papal Flight, 14 September 2012)
Welcoming ceremony at the Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport (14 September 2012)
Visit to St. Paul's Basilica in Harissa and the signing of the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation (14 September 2012)
Ecclesia in Medio Oriente: Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation on the Church in the Middle East: Communion and Witness (14 September 2012)
Meeting with members of the government, institutions of the Republic, the diplomatic corps, religious leaders and representatives of the world of culture (May 25th Hall of the Baabda Presidential Palace, 15 September 2012)
Luncheon with the Patriarchs and Bishops of Lebanon, members of the Special Council for the Middle East of the Synod of Bishops and the papal entourage (Refectory of the Armenian Catholic Patriachate of Bzommar, 15 September 2012)
Meeting with the youth in the square across from the Maronite Patriarchate of Bkerké (15 September 2012)
Holy Mass and the presentation of the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation for the Middle East at the Beirut City Center Waterfront (16 September 2012)
Presentation of the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation for the Middle East at the Beirut City Center Waterfront (16 September 2012)
Recitation of the Angelus (16 September 2012)

A general view of St. Paul's Basilica where the Pope Benedict XVI, is seen center delivers his blessing before signing the post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation of the special Assembly for the Middle East of the Synod of Bishops, in Harissa, Lebanon. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

Coverage and Commentary

Catholic News Service (with Francis X Rocca)

La Stampa "The Vatican Insider"

9-15-12: Benedict XVI: “Real believers don’t kill”, by Giacomo Galleazzi. The Holy Father met with Lebanese political and religious leaders in the Baabda Presidential Palace, where he was welcomed by the country’s President Michel Suleiman and his wife.
9-14-12: Pope calls for new initiatives to bring peace in Syria, by Gerard O'Connel:
When Pope Benedict drove from Beirut airport to Harissa where he is staying during his visit here, he would probably not have known that he passed close to the Palestinian refugee camp at Sabra and Shatila where over 1700 Palestinians were massacred exactly 30 years ago, on 16-18 September 1982. ...
9-14-12: Pope calls for "full rights for Catholics in the Middle East":
In the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Benedict XVI says Christians in the Middle East need to rediscover the essential aspects of faith, forgiveness prevails over revenge, service over domination and love over hate. The role of women, the value of celibacy, Christian unity against religious intolerance. Armed vehicles line the streets Benedict XVI passes through, in order to ensure his safety. The Pope may need a walking stick to lean on but his steps are determined: he walks through the dusty Lebanese carrying only the 86 page Apostolic Exhortation which brings together all that emerged from the Special Synod for the Middle East in 2010. It contains the antidote to the clash between civilisations and the guidelines for the survival of the Middle Eastern Churches which are being submerged under a swelling wave of radical Islamism.
9-13-12: Lebanese hope Pope's visit will reduce tensions and promote peace, by Gerard O'Connell.
9-13-12: A journey against all fundamentalism, by Giacomo Galliazi. "Three years ago, it was the murder of the President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Turkey, Luigi Padovese, on the eve of Benedict XVI’s departure for Cyprus. This time it’s the slaughter in Benghazi and the protests against the film which insulted the prophet Muhammad."
9-11-12: The “Arab awakening” and the Vatican’s road map for Syria, by Alesandro Speciale:
Less than a week before Benedict XVI is due to embark on his visit to Lebanon, the Holy See has given a clear and detailed outline of its policy towards war-torn Lebanon. But the speech given by the Colombian priest and Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, the Rev. Miguel Ángel Ayuso Guixot, during a high-level conference on the “Arab Awakening”, held in Istanbul, goes far beyond this: it outlines the Vatican’s position on events that have shaken the Middle East and North Africa over the past two years, at a time when the initial enthusiasm spurred by events in the region has given way to scepticism, with local Christian communities feeling increasingly targeted.
9-10-12: From Paul VI to Benedict XVI: Popes in the land of cedars, by Luca Rolandi. Forty eight years after Pope Paul VI and fifteen years after John Paul II, the Catholic Church in Lebanon and the Middle East prepare to welcome another pope, Benedict XVI.
9-07-12: Controversial text addressed to the Pope, mysteriously disappears A message published by the Melkite Patriarch Gregory III Laham on the event’s website -- [calling for the explicit recognition of the state of Palestine] -- disappeared just a few hours later. The publication of the message on the web has been a great embarrassment to Rome.
9-7-12: Lebanon: Christians and Muslims meet to pray ahead of Pope’s visit An Muslim-Christian vigil was held to invoke God and the Virgin Mary’s protection for Benedict XVI’s visit.

In the gardens of the Presidential Palace, accompanied by Lebanon's Christian president Michael Sleiman, Pope Benedict plants a sapling Lebanese cedar. Source: Reuters (HT: The Benedict Forum)

National Catholic Reporter, with John Allen Jr.

9-16-12: On trip about unity, Catholic division a striking omission
9-15-12: Archbishop (gently) corrects pope on Arab Spring. Contrasting the Pope's observation that “in itself the Arab Spring is a positive thing" with Archbishop Georges Bou-Jaoude of Tripoli's "slightly less rosy" assessment.
9-15-12: Pope tackles elephant in room of Christian exodus:
In a speech to at least 20,000 Lebanese youth tonight, both Christians and Muslims, Pope Benedict XVI tackled the elephant in the room during his fourth trip to the Middle East: Despite decades of papal appeals, so far nothing has stopped a steep decline in the region’s native Christian population.
The Catholic Patriarch of Jerusalem, Foaud Twal, recently warned that the Holy Land is on the brink of becoming a “spiritual Disneyland,” full of glittering spiritual attractions but empty of flesh-and-blood Christians. Many observers wonder if a similar fate awaits the entire region.
9-15-12: Muslims want Christians in Middle East, mufti tells pope
9-14-12: Pope's trip showcases another face of the Middle East:
When Pope Benedict XVI arrived today at Beirut’s Rafic Hariri airport, the VIP delegation awaiting him consisted of both Christian patriarchs and Muslim clerics, all of whom mingled freely both before and after the welcoming ceremony. The Muslim leaders listened attentively, applauded warmly, and projected a general air of delight.
Later in the day, when the pope went to a Greek Melkite basilica to sign the concluding document from a 2010 Synod of Bishops on the Middle East, the same visuals played out: bishops and muftis, patriarchs and imams, were all on hand. TV coverage leading up the pope’s arrival had shots of bishops and muftis slapping one another on the back, telling jokes, and sharing quiet conversation.
It’s not just the clerical establishment. ...
9-14-12: In Lebanon, pope mixes bitter and sweet:
In advance, Benedict XVI's three-day trip to Lebanon shaped up as a balancing act, both reaching out and pushing back -- that is, extending an olive branch to the Muslim majority of both Lebanon and the entire Middle East, while at the same time defending its beleaguered Christian minority and rejecting the radical currents in Islam which exploded anew this week with violence in Egypt, Libya and elsewhere.
9-13-12: Getting Lebanon's Catholics to work and play well together "While Catholics make up around one-quarter of the national population of four million, they're divided into seven separate churches – and, to be frank, they don’t always work and play well together."
9-11-12: Framing the pope's trip to Lebanon

In Related News

Lebanese Young People Consider New Evangelization (Zenit 9-11-12). A meeting was held at Harissa, a few miles from Beirut, to prepare young Lebanese people for the task of evangelization -- planned as a prelude to Benedict XVI’s visit.
Pope to Distribute Arabic-Language YouCat During Lebanon Trip: Catechism Will Be a Personal Gift From Benedict XVI for 50,000 Youth (Zenit. 9/06/12)
Crowd in Lebanon torches KFC in anger over pope visit/film Hundreds of protesters set alight a Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli on Friday, witnesses said, chanting against the pope's visit to Lebanon and shouting anti-American slogans. (Jerusalem Post 9/14/12).

Pope Benedict Roundup!

2012-07-29T23:56:00.000-04:00

06-26-12. Pope Benedict named U.S. Archbishop J. Augustine Di Noia to fill a newly created post of vice president of the Pontifical Commission "Ecclesia Dei.":
The appointment of a high-ranking prelate to this position is a sign of the Holy Father’s pastoral solicitude for traditionalist Catholics in communion with the Holy See and his strong desire for the reconciliation of those traditionalist communities not in union with the See of Peter. ...
As a respected Dominican theologian, Archbishop Di Noia has devoted much attention to these doctrinal issues, as well as to the priority of the hermeneutic of continuity and reform in the right interpretation of Vatican Council II - a critically important area in the dialogue between the Holy See and the Priestly Fraternity. Under the guidance of Cardinal Levada, with the assistance of Msgr. Guido Pozzo, secretary of the Pontifical Commission, this dialogue has been ongoing over the past three years.
Related
- In an interview with the National Catholic Register, the native New Yorker, secretary for the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, discusses his new role and the challenges he expects.
- "A new chapter in the Society of St. Pius X saga" Interview with La Stampa ("The Vatican Insider") 7/20/12.
06-28-12. The Vatican approved the heroic virtues of a number of Catholics, among them Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, the first step in the advancement of the cause to declare him a saint. Among those Catholics likewise honored with decrees were "the first prelate of Opus Dei, the Canadian and Irish-American founders of two orders of religious women, a priest murdered by the Sicilian Mafia, and 154 martyrs killed during the Spanish Civil War."
Archbishop Fulton Sheen was a universally popular evangelist, radio/TV personality, writer and missionary. He is most known for his television series, “Life is Worth Living” which had a viewing audience of over 30 million people. To learn more about his cause for canonization, visit The Archbishop Fulton John Sheen Foundation.
07-02-12. Pope Benedict has appointed (and elevated to the dignity of Archbishop) Bishop Gerhard Ludwig Müller of Regensberg, Germany, successor to Cardinal William Levada (whose resignation for reason of age was accepted by the Holy Father).
Salt + Light introduces us to the new Prefect:
Archishop Mueller is, like Pope Benedict, a scholar. He received his doctorate in theology from Freiburg University. His thesis was directed by now-Cardinal Karl Lehmann. After his ordination to the priesthood he spent four years working in parish and teaching high school.
He returned to University for post-doctoral studies, also directed by Cardinal Lehmann. According to the Diocese of Regensburg, his academic research focuses on ecumenism, modern age theology, the Christian understanding of revelation, theological hermeneutics, and ecclesiology. He taught the Ludwig –MaximilianUniversityinMunichuntil his appointment as bishop of Regensburgin 2002. Archbishop Mueller has authored more than 400 works. Perhaps the best known is “Catholic Dogmatics: for the Study and Practice of Theology” He also co-authored a book called “On the Side of the Poor” with Dominican Father Gustavo Gutierrez.
His ties to Pope Benedict go back to 1998 when he began serving on the International Theological Commission, which was led by then-Cardinal Ratzinger. In 2008 Mueller helped establish the Pope Benedict XVI institute, which is publishing a complete collection of words by Joseph Ratzinger/ Pope Benedict XVI, at the pope’s request.
Also, from National Catholic Reporter's John Allen Jr:
The pope’s new doctrinal czar has a profile in Germany as a staunch defender of Catholic orthodoxy, yet not an ideologue. Among other things, Müller has a strong friendship with Peruvian liberation theologian Gustavo Guttierez.
Müller clearly enjoys the pope’s confidence.
Aside from the fact that Müller is the bishop of the pope’s home diocese, where Benedict’s brother Geörg still resides, he’s also the editor of Benedict’s “Opera Omnia,” a comprehensive collection of all the pope’s theological writings.
Related
- On July 25th, L'Osservatore Romano published an interview with Archbishop Gerhard Ludwig Müller (via Zenit, with the English translation).
- A roundup of varied German reactions to Müller's appointment (Hans Kung isn't happy -- which, if you think about it, may be a positive indication).
07-05-12. Pope Benedict reaffirmed his trust in the Vatican's secretary of state, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, and defended him against a barrage of "unjust criticism" in the Italian media. According to Catholic News Service:
... The Vatican has had to face a number of challenges recently, including leaks of confidential correspondence to the pope and the Secretariat of State; the arrest of the pope's personal assistant in connection to the leaks; and the ouster of the Vatican bank's president, Ettore Gotti Tedeschi, for neglecting his duties amid worsening management problems.
07-09-12. Pope Benedict made a private visit to the "Ad Gentes Centre" of the Missionaries of the Divine Word, located in the village of Nemi, close to his summer residence of Castel Gandolfo.
It was in the building (then called the International Centre of the Society of the Divine Word) that young Joseph Ratzinger, a periti (theological advisor) to the Council, took up residence with other theologians, collaborating in a re-drafting of the Council's decree on missionary activity. Describing his time there as "a wonderful memory, perhaps my fondest memory of the entire council," the Pope reflected on the past (Vatican Information Service):
Benedict XVI's meeting with the 150 participants of the Society of the Divine Word's general chapter as well as members of the community's mother house in Rome was very warm. The Holy Father recalled that the order's superior general at the time was Fr. Johannes Schutte. "He had suffered greatly in China where he was convicted and expelled from the country. He was full of missionary zeal, of the need to bring a new impetus to the missionary spirit and I was alongside him. I was a very young and not very important theologian;I didn't know why they had invited me but, for me, it was a great gift".
"Fulton Sheen was also there, fascinating us with his afternoon speeches, and Father Congar, and the great missionaries of Leuven. It was a spiritual enrichment for me, a great gift. The decree was not very controversial. There was this controversy, which I have never really understood, between the schools of Leuven and Munster: was the main scope of the mission the 'implantatio Ecclesiae' or the 'Evangelii' announcement? But everything converged in the one spirit of the need to bring the light of the Word of God, the light of God's love, to the world and to give new joy to this proclamation".
"Thus in those days was born a good and beautiful decree that was accepted almost unanimously by all the Council Fathers. It was complemented very well for me by 'Lumen Gentium' because in it we find a Trinitarian ecclesiology that begins, above all, from the classical idea of the 'bonum diffusivum sui', the good that carries with it the need to communicate, to give itself, a good that cannot be locked within itself. The good, this same good, is essentially 'communicatio'. This is already apparent in the Trinitarian mystery, as God is in Himself, and is spread throughout salvation history and in our need to give others the good that we have received".
07-16-12. On July 16th, Benedict XVI sent a message to Bishop Jesús Garcia Burillo of Avila, Spain, to mark the 450th anniversary of the beginning of the Carmelite Reform and the founding of the Carmelite convent of St. Joseph in Avila. The full text of the Pope's message can be read here. (Zenit)
07-27-12. Following the retirement (due to age) of Archbishop George Niederauer, Pope Benedict has appointed Bishop Salvatore Cordileone of Oakland as the archbishop of San Francisco. Rocco Palmo (Whispers in the Loggia) describes it as the most courageously bold -- or stunningly brazen -- American appointment in the seven-year reign of Pope Benedict XVI:
After a half-century of occupants accused by conservatives of soft-pedaling church teaching in favor of a more conciliatory approach toward constituencies ranging from gays and lesbians to Nancy Pelosi -- a group of prelates among which even the recently-retired lead guardian of church doctrine, Cardinal William Levada, was not exempt from stinging criticism -- the move delivers the long-desired "Holy Grail" of the American Catholic Right firmly into the faction's hands, in the form of a prelate already known widely both for his forcefulness and a stringent doctrinal cred almost unequaled among his confreres on the national bench.
For liberal Catholics, meanwhile, the appointment is likely to be received as something akin to the city's Great Earthquake of 1906, or even more apocalyptic events.
07-27-12. Benedict XVI received in audience the Commission of Cardinals investigating the leak of Vatican documents (popularly referred to as the "Vatileaks" scandal):
"Yesterday morning 26 July, the Holy Father received in audience the Commission of Cardinals which is undertaking the administrative investigation into the leaking of reserved information: Cardinal Julian Herranz, Cardinal Jozef Tomko and Cardinal Salvatore De Giorgi. The cardinals were accompanied by Fr. Luigi Martignani O.F.M. Cap., secretary of the Commission; Examining Magistrate Piero Antonio Bonnet, and Promoter of Justice Nicola Picardi of the Tribunal of Vatican City State", according to a communique released this morning by the Holy See Press Office.
"The Holy Father was informed about the conclusions reached by the Commission of Cardinals, and about the progress of the criminal procedures currently underway. He thanked them for the information he had received and invited the Vatican magistrates to proceed expeditiously.
In related news:
- Paolo Gabriele -- the Pope's butler, accused of leaking private documents, claims he did so "for love of the Church and the Pope"; and Cardinal Raymond L. Burke, prefect of the Supreme Court of the Apostolic Signature, described the spate of leaks of confidential Vatican documents as "most grave crimes" and warned that those responsible must be discovered and "appropriately sanctioned."

In Brief

The Ratzinger Prize in Theology -- referred to as the "Nobel of Theology" -- will be conferred for the second time Oct. 20, 2012, during the Synod of Bishops on the New Evangelization. (Zenit)
The Pope will travel to Lebanon from Sept. 14-16, visiting Beirut/Harissa, Baabda, Bzommar, Bkerké and Charfet. See www.lbpapalvisit.com/ for details; Zenit news posts the intinerary for the September Lebanon trip.

Commentary

Ratzinger narrates Jesus’ infancy It’s a working holiday for the Pope this summer as he puts the finishing touches to his third book on Jesus. (La Stampa's "Vatican Insider").
As pope's vacation begins, taking stock of his work year - Francis X. Rocca (Catholic News Service) asks: "what can the 2011-12 papal "term" tell us about where Pope Benedict XVI is leading the church?"

Pope Benedict and the SSPX: Reunion Imminent?

2012-05-14T08:02:00.002-04:00

The U.S. District of the Society of St. Pius X has asked Catholics to join in a special Novena starting May 8 (tomorrow) and ending May 16. According to the SSPX, “[t]he intention of this novena will be that the Holy Ghost may give the graces of light and strength to the Holy Father, Benedict XVI, and to the Superior General of the Society, Bishop Fellay.” The Novena consists of reciting the hymn Veni Creator Spiritus and the Memorare prayer to the Blessed Virgin. A full text of both prayers, along with a note explaining the purpose of the Novena, is available online here.

As La Stampa's Andrea Tornielli ("Vatican Insider") reports, "The week ahead is going to be crucial for relations between Rome and the Society of St. Pius X". This Wednesday, Cardinals and bishop members of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith will discuss the response to the doctrinal preamble sent last 17 April by the Fraternity’s superior, Bishop Bernard Fellay.

This is a delicate moment, particularly after the publication on the Web of the letters exchanged between Fellay and three other Lefebvrian bishops, which Vatican Insider reported on last Thursday. Fellay has been leading negotiations with the Holy See and is prepared to accept Benedict XVI’s proposal; the three bishops, however, are not.
But the words used by Mgr. Fellay in his response to his fellow brothers Tissyer de Mallerais, de Gallareta and Williamson, illustrate the decisive role Benedict XVI has played in the process. “The Pope – Fellay wrote in the confidential letter he sent in response to the criticisms – told us that the eagerness to legalise our status for the good of the Church was at the heart of his pontificate; he also said he knew it would be easier for him and for us to leave the situation as it is at the moment. The willingness he has expressed is therefore determined and fair.”

A Roundup of Recent Events

Traditionalist leader says group could divide over unity with Rome, by Francis Rocca (Catholic News Service) 5/11/12. The leader of a breakaway group of traditionalist Catholics spoke in unusually hopeful terms about a possible reconciliation with Rome, but acknowledged significant internal resistance to such a move, which he said might lead to the group splitting apart.
Lefebvrians: The internal battle Following the exchange of letters addressed to the leaders of the Society of St. Pius X in recent weeks, three bishops have expressed their opposition to the agreement. 05/10/2012:
A website has reported on the letters exchanged a month ago between bishops Tissier de Mallerays, Alfonso de Gallareta, Richard Williamson and the leader of the Society of St. Pius X, Bernard Fellay. The letter which the three bishops sent Fellay on 7 April contains a final appeal asking the superior not to sign the doctrinal preamble or accept the agreement proposed by the Holy See. As readers will recall, the agreement aims to assign the Lefebvrians a personal prelature.
Letter of the General Council of the Society of Saint Pius X Rorate Caeli 5/11/12. A translation of the internal letter sent by Bishop Bernard Fellay, Superior General of the Society of Saint Pius X (FSSPX /SSPX), and the other two members of the General Council, First Assistant Fr. Niklaus Pfluger and Second Assistant Fr. Alain-Marc Nély, on April 14, 2012.
Some historical context: Abp. Lefebvre recalls his July 14, 1987, meeting with Cardinal Ratzinger. Rorate Caeli 5/13/12:
In his long sermon, given one year after the first Assisi meeting took place (Oct. 1986), Abp. Lefebvre summarized the problem and expounded with greater detail the July 14, 1987, meeting with the Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Cardinal Ratzinger, that he had already presented partially in other occasions, including a conference for a priestly retreat held on September 4. In this sermon, he expands and completes the general thoughts regarding negotiations and the relationship of Traditional Catholics and the Supreme Pontiff in the post-conciliar reality.
Important: Fr. Pfluger speaks on recent developments Fr. Niklaus Pfluger, FSSPX, is the First Assistant of the Superior General of the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) gives account of the most recent developments.

Happy 85th Birthday, Pope Benedict XVI

2012-04-17T00:42:00.004-04:00

“I find myself on the last stretch of my journey in life, and I don’t know what is awaiting me.”
“I know, however, that the light of God exists, that he is risen, that his light is stronger than any darkness and that God’s goodness is stronger than any evil in this world, and this helps me go forward with certainty,” he said.

Pope Benedict XVI, remarking on his 85th birthday. (Source: Catholic Herald UK).

Children dressed in traditional Bavarian costumes dance for Pope Benedict XVI during the Pontiff's 85th birthday celebrations in the Clementine Hall at the Vatican April 16, 2012. Source: Reuters

Additional Coverage

- Edward Pentin reports on the papal celebrations as well as a new book on the Holy Father (National Catholic Register April 15, 2012):
His birthday will be "a normal working day, he never interrupts his daily routine, but it will be a very Bavarian day," said Monsignor Georg Gaenswein, Pope Benedict's private secretary, in an interview with Gente, a weekly magazine.
The Pope, who is now the sixth-oldest pontiff in history, returned to the Vatican April 13 after five days of rest at his summer residence in Castel Gandolfo. . . .
The Holy Father, who has shown increasing frailty and exhaustion in recent weeks, nevertheless remains in relatively good health and appears to have no serious medical ailments apart from arthrosis and pain in his right hip.
His 88-year-old brother, Msgr. Georg Ratzinger, told a German news agency April 12 that his wish for his younger sibling on his birthday was that he “still finds enough strength to fulfill his service for the blessing of the Church” and that he “continues to stay in good health.”
[...]
Twenty leading Germans from the fields of politics, culture, the economy and sport have shared their opinions on the Pope in a new book,Benedikt XVI: Prominente über den Papst (Benedict XVI: Prominent Figures on the Pope). Contributors include the former Bavarian Prime Minister Edmund Stoiber, German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble, former German soccer star Franz Beckenbauer and alpine skier Maria Höfl-Riesch. The opinions of prominent cardinals and evangelical Christians are also included. The book was presented to the Pope on Monday.
Bavarian band, dancers celebrate pope's birthday in apostolic palace, by Carol Glatz. Catholic News Service. April 16, 2012:
Pope Benedict XVI celebrated his 85th birthday with guests who treated him to Bavarian "oompah" music and folk dancing in the apostolic palace.
Bavarian bishops, minister-president of Bavaria -- Horst Seehofer, and a 150-person regional government delegation visited the pope April 16 in the Vatican's Clementine Hall.
They were accompanied by a small Bavarian band, three female singers and 10 children who danced the skirt-swirling, shoe-stomping, thigh-slapping "Schuhplattler" before the pope.
“The Pope’s birthday will be a family celebration” (La Stampa's "The Vatican Insider"):
On 16 April the Pope will celebrate his 85th birthday and three days later, on 19 April, he will begin his eighth year as Peter’s successor.
“16 April is a Monday, a normal working day and he never interrupts his daily routine. It will however be a very Bavarian day,” Mgr. Gaenswein added. ...
Fr. Georg also revealed a few little secrets about life with the Pope, a fellow countryman: “He is a Pope who reflects on the meaning of his words. His simplicity, sincerity and courage have often been misunderstood. Perhaps because he is not afraid to call a mistake by its name. But he has always shown sensitivity and respect in his day-to-day relations with others. Including me. He has never said to me: “That’s not right: you are wrong.” Instead he says: “This could be done like this or like that.” Though the essence of these criticisms is serious, they are expressed in a delicate and seraphic manner.”
A Rare Pope: With a Sense of Humor, by Andrea Monda. (Chiesa, April 16, 2012):
I have not made a careful check, but I am willing to bet that if one were to analyze word frequency in the texts of Benedict XVI, the word used most often would be "joy."

Pope Benedict Roundup!

2012-04-02T08:52:00.010-04:00

The most newsworthy event of the past month in the pontificate of Benedict XVI was his apostolic visit to Mexico and Cuba (March 23-29, 2012), including a pope's meeting with Fidel Castro. You can read all about the historic visit here, at our special blog exclusively devoted to the historic visit.

And -- this being Holy Week in the life of the Church -- National Catholic Register's Edward Pentin takes a look at Pope Benedict XVI's events and Masses leading up to Easter.

In Other News

02/07/12 - “Benedict XVI is expected to deliver the Apostolic Exhortation of the Synod of Bishops for the Middle East, held in October 2011, next September in Lebanon.” - This is according to a statement by the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Mgr. Fouad Twal, who was quoted by SIR. Benedict XVI had been invited to Lebanon by the President of the Lebanese Council, Najib Mikati, who was received in audience on 28 November 2011. (La Stampa "The Vatican Insider")
02/24/12 - The Pope will soon have his “own” Twitter account, which he will use to communicate with people, about the Sunday Angelus prayer and his most important speeches (La Stampa "The Vatican Insider"):
It must be stressed that these messages will not be written by the Pope himself but the content will need to receive his approval before it is posted.
Fr. Lombardi clarified that: “Benedict XVI is not on Twitter yet,” but confirmed that “the decision to open a Twitter account to spread his ideas has been taken, but the methods for doing this are still being evaluated.”
(The Pope's account is currently being used to distribute the Pope's thoughts on Lent -- check it out here).
03/10/12 - Vatican ridicules report of plot to kill the pope, by John Allen Jr. (National Catholic Reporter):
In response to a report today about a secret letter from a former high-ranking Vatican cardinal warning of a plot to kill Pope Benedict XVI within the year, a Vatican spokesperson today said it consists of “ravings which in no way should be taken seriously,” and is “so incredible as to defy comment.”
The report, carried by the Italian paper Il Fatto Quotidiano, is based on a letter allegedly penned by Colombian Cardinal Darío Castrillón Hoyos, 82, who served from 1996 to 2006 as the Prefect of the Vatican’s Congregation for Clergy.
In the letter, which carries the date of Dec. 30, 2011, Castrillón supposedly relays information provided by Cardinal Paolo Romeo of Palermo in Sicily, regarding a plot to kill Benedict XVI within twelve months. The letter also speculates that Benedict's successor would be Italian Cardinal Angelo Scola of Milan. ... [More].
03/29/12 - After this journey, the rumour about the Pope’s resignation is silenced (La Stampa "The Vatican Insider"):
“I am old but can still do my job”. The pope uttered these words during the meeting with Fidel in front of the cameras and this statement will put to rest the rumours which have been spreading for months about his possible resignation when he turns 85 (which will be soon) or at the end of the Year of The Faith in 2013. But the truth is that he means to carry on despite old age.

Commentary

According to Dawn Eden, author of My Peace I Give You: Healing Sexual Wounds with the Help of the Saints (due May 2012), Benedict’s ‘theology of saints’ offers a way to spiritual healing for abuse victims (Catholic News Agency, 2/21/12):
Pope Benedict, speaking of how the Church should address the suffering caused by clergy abuse, emphasizes the need to promote “hope born of God’s love and fidelity”; such hope brings us “the vision of a world reconciled and renewed in Christ Jesus, our Savior.” To make that vision present, he often draws from the saints’ experiences, most powerfully in his encyclical Spe Salvi, “Saved in Hope,” where he writes, “The saints were able to make the great journey of human existence in the way that Christ had done before them, because they were brimming with great hope.”
From Zenit, an interview with Michael Roy, the secretary general of Caritas Internationalis -- "The Pope's Charity" (3/27/12). Caritas Internationalis (CI) embraces 162 national Caritas, which in turn coordinate the diocesan Caritas, thus reaching parishes and institutions at the local level. In this interview the secretary general of Caritas Internationalis explains the work of the organization.
"The Pope Is One of Us" - Fr. Franesco Indelicato, a pries of the Parish of Saint John the Baptist of La Salle, at Torrino, in the southern periphery of Rome, reflects on the recent visitation by the Holy Father.
Benedict XVI and the Irrelevance of “Relevance”, by Dr. Samuel Gregg. (Crisis Magazine, 3/8/12) -- responding to the assertions that the Holy Catholic Church is losing its geopolitical "relevance", as recently marked by the Irish government's 2011 decision to close its embassy to the Holy See
. . . Indeed, many of Benedict’s writings are charged with content which shatters the post-Enlightenment half-truths about the nature of freedom, equality, and progress that sharply constrict modern Western political thinking. But Benedict’s entire life as a priest, theologian, bishop, senior curial official and pope also reflects his core conviction that the Church’s primary focus is not first-and-foremost “the world,” let alone politics.
Rather, Benedict’s view has always been that the Church’s main responsibility is to come to know better — and then make known — the Person of Jesus Christ. Why? Because like any orthodox Christian, he believes that herein is found the summit and fullness of Truth and meaning for every human being. Moreover, Benedict insists the only way we can fully comprehend Christ is through His Church – the ecclesia of the saints, living and dead.

In the publishing world ...

On March 1st, Ignatius Press published the English edition of Georg Ratzinger's My Brother, the Pope. From the publisher:

It wasn't always the case that Msgr. Georg Ratzinger lived in the shadow of his younger brother, Joseph. Georg was an accomplished musician, who for over 30 years directed the Regensburger Domspatzchor, the world-famous boys choir of the Regensburg cathedral. Brother Joseph was a brilliant young professor, but mostly known in German academic circles.
Now Georg writes about the close friendship that has united these two brothers for more than 80 years. This book is a unique window on an extraordinary family that lived through the difficult period of National Socialism in Germany. Those interested in knowing more about the early life of Benedict XVI will not be disappointed. They will also learn of the admirable character and inspiring example of the parents, and see how the Catholic faith can shape not just a family, but an entire culture-in this case, that of Bavaria.
Georg's reminiscences are detailed, intimate, and warm. And while they begin with the earliest years of the Ratzinger family, they continue right up to the present day.

The Ratzinger Family Secret, by Rogert Rauhut. (National Catholic Register March 16, 2012). Interview with German journalist Michael Hesemann on his series of interviews with the Pope's brother.
A Family Lesson From the Ratzingers: Micael Hesemann Speaks of Compiling Georg's Testimony in "My Brother, The Pope" (Zenit, February 27, 2012). Speaking with Monsignor Georg Ratzinger revealed to Michael Hesemann two critical convictions: There is a family secret that explains something of the impressive trajectory lived by the two Ratzinger sons; and divine providence laid the foundations for Joseph's path to the See of Peter before he was even born.
Excerpt From My Brother the Pope: "Of Course, He Was Still the Same Old Joseph, and He Still Is Today" (Zenit, February 24, 2012).

Pope Benedict XVI in Mexico and Cuba

2012-03-18T20:53:00.001-04:00

From the Pope Benedict XVI Fan Club, a special blog dedicated to exclusive roundups of news and commentary on Pope Benedict's Apostolic Journey to Mexico and Cuba March 23-29, 2012.