Blog by-the-Sea

The Holy Family

In his reflections before praying the Angelus, on this Sunday during Christmas, the Pope spoke of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph.  Today is the Feast of the Holy Family, and the day's readings of the liturgy are about families.  He spoke about the Gospel accounts of Jesus and his family when he was a child, calling them "the prototype of every Christian family," and speaking of what families of today can learn from them.

Asia News has an article about the Pope's reflections.  Full translations are available from Zenit and from Teresa Benedetta at Papa Ratzinger Forum.

Here is an excerpt from Papa Ratzinger Forum:

"Mary and Joseph educated Jesus, above all, through their example. From His parents, He learned all about the beauty of faith, of love for God and His Law, as well as the demands of justice which find fulfillment in love (cfr Rom 13,10)."

Picture:  The Family of St. John the Baptist Visits the Holy Family, by Julius Schnoor von Carolsfeld, 1817, at the Getty.  (For a page of the same artist's woodcut print illustrations of the Bible, see this site.) 

The Incarnation Is the Fruit of God's Love for Humanity

Here is the Vatican's summary of the Pope's words at today's General Audience, including catechesis about the history and meaning of the Gloria:

"Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Our Audience today is filled with the joy of Christmas, the mystery of God’s eternal Word made flesh for our salvation. Down the centuries Christians have contemplated this mystery of light, seeking to understand more fully why God chose to become man. An answer to this question can be found in the joyful song of the angels on the first Christmas: "Glory to God in the highest, and peace among those whom he favours!" (Lk 2:14). God’s glory, shining on the face of Christ (cf. 2 Cor 4:6), brings that peace which is the crowning of his messianic gifts. Saint Irenaeus tells us that the Word became flesh in order to give us a share in God’s glory: "The glory of God is the living man, and the life of man consists in the vision of God" (Adv. Haer., 20,5,7). Ultimately, the Incarnation is the fruit of God’s infinite love for humanity; it reveals, in von Balthasar’s insightful phrase, that God is not primarily absolute power, but absolute love, a love revealed in the complete gift of himself. May the song of the angels inspire us to give "glory to God" and to build "peace on earth", by humbly receiving the gift that God gives us at Christmas: the gift of his love, the gift of his Son.

"I offer a very cordial welcome to all the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors, especially the groups from Ireland and the United States of America. May your visit to Rome in these holy days be a source of spiritual joy and deepened faith in the Word made flesh. Upon you and your families I invoke the grace and peace of the New-born Saviour. Happy Christmas!"

Asia News has an article with quotations.  Full translations are available from Teresa Benedetta at Papa Ratzinger Forum and Zenit.

The Pope's letter to the international gathering of the Taizé Community

From December 28 to January 1, more than 40,000 youth from throughout the world  are expected to gather in Zagreb, Croatia, for the annual international meeting of the Ecumenical Taizé Community.  As for such meetings in the past, most of the young people will stay in the homes of local families in and around Zagreb.  Eucharistie Miséricordieuse today has an article about the meeting and about the Pope's letter to them, following an earlier article from December 23 about that meeting and letter.  That letter, written in French, was published in the December 23 issue of the Bolletino La Stampa della Santa Sede.  Here is a translation of the letter (my translation):

"The Pope wishes that all of you, the youth, gathered in Zagreb will increasingly be aware of the importance of brotherhood among men and the necessity of opening up to all of the people who surround you.  Thus, in a renewed awareness of others, you will contribute your share to the establishment of more brotherly relations, so that throughout the planet, the human family will be realized concretely, in which each person will be received and loved for himself, will be recognized and respected as a child of God.  In this Croatian land, marked in past years by conflicts, you are the sign of a new hope and you show that you, the youth, want a new humanity, founded on the recognition of all people, independently from their nationality, from their religion.  As Christians, marked by one Baptism which makes us all together sons of the same Father, you are called to show that the evangelical message is universal and joins all men on the way of life.  By your looking to others, by your attention to each one, may you make Christ present, he who calls you to will and to do like him.  It is by this that you will be truly free, and that you will live your human and Christian responsibility.

"Entrusting you to the intercession of the Virgin Mary, Mother of believers, His Holiness Benedict XVI grants to you from the depth of his heart the affectionate apostolic blessing, as well as to the Brothers of Taizé, to all of the people who organized this pilgrimage, to the Pastors and to the faithful who welcome you, and to your families."

Today's article in Eucharistie Miséricordeuse also quotes from a letter from the prior of  Taizé, Brother Aloïs: "The time has come when we can take new steps in the construction of a new future of peace, with the Croatian youth, their neighbors and the youth of all of Europe."  Brother Aloïs encouraged them to resist discrimination and to manifest a visible unity, calling them to a "common prayer."

Other messages were sent to the ecumenical gathering by Kofi Annan, Secretary General of the United Nations; Bartholomew I, Patriarch of Constantinople; Alexis II, Patriarch of Moscow; and Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury.  The Program for the meeting can be found on the Taizé website, along with last minute information for participants and supplemental information for participants from English-speaking countries, as each language group has its own reception point.  Some television coverage will be available in France and by satellite for the Eucharistic celebration on Sunday, December 31. 

St. Stephen and the white robed army of martyrs

Pope Benedict remembered the persecuted Church of China and Viet Nam today at the praying of the Angelus on the memorial of St. Stephen, the first Christian martyr, whose death is recorded in sixth and seventh chapters of the Acts of the Apostles.

Asia News has an article.  Full translations are available from Zenit and from Teresa Benedetta at Papa Ratzinger Forum.

Here is an excerpt from Asia News, remembering that all of the saints from the first four centuries of the Church were martyrs:

"It is an innumerable group that the liturgy calls martyrum candidatus exercitus, the ‘candid crowd of martyrs’. Their death did not strike fear or cause sadness but spiritual enthusiasm amongst new Christians. For believers, the day of death and even more so they day of martyrdom is not the end of everything but rather a “transition” to eternal life; it is the day of one’s final birth, in Latin one’s dies natalis. It is understandable that there is a link between Christ’s and Saint Stephen ‘dies natalis’. If Jesus had not come to earth, men could not be born to the Heaven. Christ was born so that we may be ‘reborn’!”

The meaning of the  phrase "martyrum candidatus exercitus" is explained in the Catholic Encyclopedia under "Te Deum" and "Massa Candida".  The  phrase as found in the Te Deum ("Martyrum candidatus laudat exercitus") is translated "The white robed army of martyrs praise Thee."  The Massa Candida is the remembrance of the deaths of 300 Christians in fourth century Carthage), who St. Augustine called the "white mass of Utica", the crowd in white raiment.  The poet Prudentius wrote about it: ""Whiteness [candor] possesses their bodies; purity [candor] bears their minds [or, souls] to heaven. Hence it [the 'head-long swarm' to which the poet has referred in a preceding line] has merited to be forever called the Massa Candida."

The phrase is derived from the Bible's description of the martyrs in Heaven, in Revelation 7:9-17 (NAB):

After this I had a vision of a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation, race, people, and tongue. They stood before the throne and before the Lamb, wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands. They cried out in a loud voice: "Salvation comes from our God, who is seated on the throne, and from the Lamb.  All the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They prostrated themselves before the throne, worshiped God, and exclaimed: "Amen. Blessing and glory, wisdom and thanksgiving, honor, power, and might be to our God forever and ever. Amen." Then one of the elders spoke up and said to me, "Who are these wearing white robes, and where did they come from?" I said to him, "My lord, you are the one who knows." He said to me, "These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. "For this reason they stand before God's throne and worship him day and night in his temple. The one who sits on the throne will shelter them. They will not hunger or thirst anymore, nor will the sun or any heat strike them. For the Lamb who is in the center of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to springs of life-giving water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."  

 

The Papal Midnight Mass Homily and Urbi et Orbi Blessing

EWTN will re-broadcast last night's Midnight Mass from St. Peter's Basilica this afternoon.  Although this afternoon's re-broadcast is not listed on their December television specials page, it does appear on this week's program grid for today at 4:00 p.m. Pacific time, 7:00 Eastern Time.  To watch online, from the EWTN home page, hold your cursor over "Television", select "Live TV - English" or "Live TV - Spanish" and then choose Real Video or Windows Media.  EWTN will also re-broadcast the Urbi et Orbi blessing at 7:00 p.m. Pacific Time, 10:00 Eastern Time.

KTO TV has archived videos of Midnight Mass and the Urbi et Orbi Blessing that you can watch at any time, with French commentary.  Click on "Regarder la Video" in the little green box to watch.

Vatican Radio has an English translation of the Holy Father's homily from Midnight Mass, and you can click on the speaker, on the same page, to listen to the homily online (in Italian).  The Vatican translation is also available from Zenit and the Vatican.  Sandro Magister at www.chiesa also has the homily (Magister's website is now available in English, Spanish, Italian and French).  The Pope spoke of how the Word of God became "brief" and "small" when Christ was born as a baby, brief and small in the form of a baby in need of help, in shepherds who saw nothing miraculous there but a baby lying in a manger, in the "deeper simplicity and unity" of God's Word -- the Logos who became a child so that God's Word could be grasped by us in the simplicity and unity of its summarization in the command to love God and others -- and in the humble appearance of the host of the Eucharist.  Here is an excerpt from the homily:

"Among the many gifts that we buy and receive, let us not forget the true gift: to give each other something of ourselves, to give each other something of our time, to open our time to God. In this way anxiety disappears, joy is born, and the feast is created." 

The Vatican's English translation of the text of the Urbi et Orbi blessing is available from Vatican Radio Zenit, and the Vatican.  The Vatican Radio page also lets you click on the speaker to listen to the Urbi et Orbi blessing online.  In it, the Pope spoke of how the people of our time are in need of a Saviour.  Here is an excerpt:

"How can we not hear, from the very depths of this humanity, at once joyful and anguished, a heart-rending cry for help? It is Christmas: today “the true light that enlightens every man” (Jn 1:9) came into the world. “The word became flesh and dwelt among us” (Jn 1:14), proclaims the Evangelist John. Today, this very day, Christ comes once more “unto his own”, and to those who receive him he gives “the power to become children of God”; in a word, he offers them the opportunity to see God’s glory and to share the joy of that Love which became incarnate for us in Bethlehem. Today “our Saviour is born to the world”, for he knows that even today we need him. Despite humanity’s many advances, man has always been the same: a freedom poised between good and evil, between life and death. It is there, in the very depths of his being, in what the Bible calls his “heart”, that man always needs to be “saved”. And, in this post-modern age, perhaps he needs a Saviour all the more, since the society in which he lives has become more complex and the threats to his personal and moral integrity have become more insidious. Who can defend him, if not the One who loves him to the point of sacrificing on the Cross his only-begotten Son as the Saviour of the world?"

The deep joy that the birth of the Redeemer brings

At today's final Angelus prayer of Advent, the Pope spoke of preparing for Christmas with a new heart, remembering Christ, in whom all feel welcomed.  Asia News has an article with excerpts in English.  Full translations are available from Zenit and Papa Ratzinger Forum.

Here is an excerpt from Asia News:

"May his birth not find us taken up with celebrating Christmas and forgetting that He is the protagonist of the feast! May Mary help us to keep the state of inner meditation that is necessary to savour the deep joy that the birth of the Redeemer brings."

Picture:  Madonna and Child, painted by a Master of St. Cecilia, Italian, 1290-1295, tempera and gold leaf on panel, at the Getty .  This photo by me.

He Shall Be Peace

Asia News today has a detailed article with quotations from the Holy Father's address today to the Roman Curia.  Vatican Information Service also has such an article.  Full translations are available from the Vatican and from Teresa Benedetta at Papa Ratzinger Forum.

In that address, he summarized his journeys to other countries during the past year, offering his own perspective on each.  He also spoke about the importance of seeking peace in the Holy Land and the past year's clashes between cultures and between religions. A short excerpt (my own translation done before the Vatican translation was available):

"Et erit iste pax" - 'He shall be peace', says the prophet Micah (5:4) about the future Lord of Israel, whose birth in Bethlehem he announces. To the shepherds grazing their sheep in fields near Bethlehem, the angels said, the Messiah has arrived. 'Peace on earth to men' (Luke 2:14).  The same Christ, the Lord, said to his disciples: "I leave you peace.  I give my peace to you" (John 14:27).  From these words the liturgical greeting developed: "Peace be with you."  This peace that is communicated in the liturgy is the same Christ.  He gives himself to us as peace, as reconciliation across every frontier.  Where He is received, islands of peace grow.  We men would have wished that Christ would publicly announce, once and for ever, that all wars would be abolished, armies destroyed, and universal peace established.  But we must learn that peace cannot be gained only from outside, from structures, and that the attempt to establish it by violence only opens the door to ever new violence.  We must learn that peace -as the angel from Bethlehem said - is connected with eudokia, with opening our hearts to God."

"Come nearer, almost on tiptoes"

"The Lord is near; come, let us adore him."

"With this invocation, the liturgy invites us, in these last days of Advent, to come nearer, almost on tiptoes, to the cave in Bethlehem where the extraordinary event took place that changed the course of history: the birth of the Redeemer."

So began the Holy Father's last General Audience catechesis of Advent today.  In it he spoke of how all seek renewal, as we await "the advent of a Savior who renews the world and our lives the advent of Christ, who is the only true Redeemer of mankind and of every man."  We wait in vigilance and prayer as it is our task to spread the truth of Christmas with our lives.

An article is available from Asia News.  Full translations are available from Papa Ratzinger Forum, Zenit and the Vatican.  Quotations here are from Teresa Benedetta at Papa Ratzinger Forum. 

Pope Benedict RoundUp

Christopher Blosser has a new Pope Benedict Roundup this morning.  His characteristically extensive links and discussion include analysis of the Pope's journey to Turkey, recent ecumenical discussions, the Pope's books and views on inter-faith dialogue, and more.

The True Meaning of Joy at Christmas

In his reflection before praying the Angelus today, Benedict XVI spoke of the true joy of Christmas, reflecting the words of today's readings and the antiphon for Rose Sunday "Rejoice in the Lord always . . . the Lord is near" (In Latin, "Gaudate in Domino . . ., from Phil. 4:4-5).  (The third Sunday of Advent, called "Rose Sunday" or "Gaudete Sunday", is a time of Joy, the third Sunday of Advent, when the rose candle is lit from the Advent wreath and the clergy wear rose colored vestments.)

The Christmas Tree is now in place at St. Peter's Square, and today, Roman children brought the baby Jesus that will lie in their mangers in their parishes, schools and homes this year, to have them blessed by the Pope.

Asia News has posted an article.  Full translations are available from Zenit, the Vatican, and from Teresa Benedetta at Papa Ratzinger Forum.

In reflecting on the true joy of Christmas, looking to the coming of the Lord, the Pope remembered those who have fled war torn countries in Africa and the Middle East, refugees, those who are sick or alone, and those who look in vain for joy through self-affirmation and ambition, consumerism, and intoxication.  It is precisely, he said, to the wounded and orphans of life that the message of joy is proclaimed, with Christ, and salvation, rescue that is part of an inner renewal, as the source of true joy.

Here is an excerpt from Teresa Benedetta's translation:

"To transform the world, God chose a humble girl from a village in Galilee, Mary of Nazareth, and called on her in these words: "Rejoice, you who are full of grace, the Lord is with you." In those words lie the secret of the authentic Christmas. God repeats it to the chruch and to each of us: Rejoice, the Lord is near." 

Benedict XVI's Address to Coptic Catholics

Here is an English translation, by me, of Pope Benedict XVI's Address to Coptic Catholics during his meeting yesterday with His Beatitude Antonios Naguib, Patriarch of Alexandria for the Coptic Catholics:

Beatitude, Venerated Brothers in the Episcopate, Dear Sons and Daughters of the Coptic Catholic Church,

After your election to the patriarchal See of Alexandria for Coptic Catholics, Beatitude, your first official visit to the Successor of Peter is a moment of grace for the Church.  I thank you for the words that you just addressed to me concerning your Patriarchate and for your prayer for my ministry.  I am delighted to meet you here, surrounded by the Bishops of your patriarchate, priests and faithful, to celebrate the "communio ecclesiastica" that I had the joy of granting to you this past April 6.  I greet all of you warmly, who came to share this great moment of brotherly communion and unity of the Coptic Catholic Church with the Apostolic See.  I take advantage of this opportunity to greet His Beatitude Cardinal Stephanos II, Patriarch Emeritus, whom I am happy to welcome, who consecrated his life to the service of God and to the Coptic Catholic Church.

It is in the celebration of the Divine Liturgy that we best see communion in Christ, who makes us brothers.  It is there that the communion among all Catholics is expressed in plenitude, around the Successor of Peter.  You are, Beatitude, the Father and the Head of the Coptic Catholic Church of Alexandria, a prestigious See honored during the first five centuries as the first patriarchate after Rome. 

Your patriarchal community carries a rich spiritual tradition, liturgical and theological – the Alexandrian tradition - whose treasures are part of the patrimony of the Church: it has been the beneficiary of the preaching of the evangelist Saint Mark, interpreter of the Apostle Peter; a particular bond of brotherhood thus binds your Patriarchate to the See of Peter.  Thus, I want to assure you of my prayer and my support for "the special duty" that the Vatican II Ecumenical Council entrusted to the Eastern Catholic Churches: "of promoting the unity of all Christians, especially Eastern Christians" (Orientalium Ecclesiarum, No. 24), particularly with your brothers of the Coptic Orthodox Church.  In the same way, you have an important role in inter-faith dialogue, to develop fraternity and esteem between Christians and Moslems, and among all men.

Beatitude, in becoming Patriarch, you have kept your first name, Antonios, remembering the great current of monasticism, born in Egypt, and that tradition is connected with the work of Saint Anthony, then to that of Saint Pachomius.  Thanks to the Western contribution of Saint Benedict, monasticism became a giant tree that bore abundant and magnificent fruits throughout the world.  In mentioning the Coptic Church, we cannot but think of the writers, the exegetes and the philosophers, such as Clement of Alexandria and Origen, but also the great patriarchs, confessors and Doctors of the Church, such as Athanasius and Cyril, whose illustrious names mark the faith of a fervent people through the centuries.  You must unceasingly follow their footsteps, developing theological and spiritual research specific to your tradition.

In the present day world, your mission is of great importance for your faithful and for all men, to whom the love of Christ presses us to proclaim the Good News.  In particular, I call your attention to the humane, spiritual, moral and intellectual education of youth through a quality scholarly and catechetical network, which constitutes a service to the entire society.  I sincerely hope that this educational commitment may be increasingly recognized, so that fundamental values will be transmitted, with a view to the proper identity of Catholic schools; the young people of today will thus be able to become responsible men and women in their families and in society, eager to build a greater solidarity and a more ardent fraternity among all of the nation’s components.  Convey to the young people all my esteem and all my affection, reminding them that the Church and the entire society need their enthusiasm and their hope.

I invite you to intensify the training of priests and the many young people who wish to consecrate themselves to the Lord.  The vitality of Christian communities in today’s world requires pastors after God’s own heart, who are true witnesses to the Word of God and guides to help the faithful root their lives and missions ever more deeply in Christ!

I know the place that the consecrated life holds in your Church.  Poverty, chastity and obedience lived according to the Evangelical Counsels are a testimony and a call to holiness for the world of today!  May the members of consecrated Institutes pursue their missions, especially among the young people and those most abandoned in society.

At the end of our meeting, I offer you, Beatitude, brotherly wishes that the Holy Spirit may enlighten you in the exercise of your duties, that He may comfort you in difficulties and that He may give you the joy of seeing your patriarchal Church grow in enthusiasm and in number.  At the beginning of your ministry, I wish to speak to you again with all of Christ’s words to the disciples: "Fear not, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the Kingdom" (Luke 12:32).  While I send my cordial greetings to the whole of the Egyptian people through you, I entrust all of you to the intercession of the Virgin Mary and all the Coptic saints.  From the depth of my heart, I grant to you, together with the Bishops and all the faithful of your patriarchate, an affectionate apostolic Blessing.

Updated: As of Jan., 2007, there is now an official Vatican translation of this address.

The Address of His Beatitude Christodoulos to Pope Benedict XVI

Here is my English translation of the Address of His Beatitude Christodoulos to Pope Benedict XVI on the occasion of their meeting at the Vatican on December 14, 2006 (from the Vatican's French):

Holiness Bishop and Pope of Rome,

With joy, we come today from the Apostolic Church of Athens in pilgrimage to the monuments of the saints, especially Saint Paul, the Apostle of the Nations, founder of our Church, located in the famous City of Old Rome.  We come to prostrate ourselves on the tomb of the Holy Apostle Peter, and to pay homage to the martyrs of the catacombs, and to the Greek saints Cyril and Methodius, equal to the Apostles.  We come to pray so that Christ’s truth shines in the world, by applying ourselves "to maintain the unity of Spirit in the bond of peace" (1) so that "we grow in all ways into Him who is the head, into Christ" (2).  With joy, we come on  your courteous invitation, in the capacity of Primate of the very holy Church of Greece, to visit you for the first time in your capacity as Bishop of this city.  We come to you, the eminent theologian and academic, the assiduous researcher of ancient Greek thought and the Greek Fathers of the East; but also the visionary of the unity of Christians and the co-operation of religions to ensure the peace of the whole world.  We remember our previous meeting, on April 8, 2005, the day of the funeral of the blessed Pope John Paul II.  The visit that this great Pope of eternal memory paid to Athens, and our meeting, on May 4, 2001, during which we had had the opportunity to exchange words of love and truth, showed our common desire there to lay the cornerstone, to build comprehension, forgiveness, reconciliation and purification of the Church’s memory.

Today, we give thanks to God for the prodigal opportunity to exchange with Your Holiness the brotherly kiss of charity.  We thus reach a new stage on our Churches’ common path of facing the present world’s problems.  Our Churches’ perpetuation of the veneration of holy relics was often emphasized at the time of the Church of Rome’s courteous return of such relics to our Church’s various metropolitan dioceses and places of pilgrimage.  We are waiting to receive, in the hours which follow, a fragment of the chains of Saint Paul the Apostle, which will be preciously and piously preserved in the very holy Church of Athens.

With great satisfaction, we recall that official delegations from the Church of Greece have gone to the Holy See, notably since 2002, charged with deepening mutual knowledge, informing and cooperating in the social, cultural, educational, ecological and bioethics fields.  We bring to mind, among others, the official delegations sent to the Church of Greece, led by His Eminence Cardinal Walter Kasper in 2003, and others directed respectively by their Eminences Cardinals Jean-Louis Tauran, Dionigi Tettamanzi and Angelo Scola.  We think also of the visits that were paid to us by His Excellency Bishop Vincenzo Apicella, with the head of a delegation of clergy from the Diocese of Rome, and His Excellency Bishop Josef Homayer, president emeritus of COMECE (3), who stressed the importance of a collaboration attended by a delegation of our Church in the European Union with the aforementioned Commission, in order to give to the twenty-first century European a credible message of the Gospel of life, grace and freedom, thanks to this co-operation.

We must acknowledge the many members of our Church, clergy and laity, who pursued higher education in Roman Catholic educational institutions, benefiting from scholarships granted by the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity.  In turn, by way of reciprocating this brotherly gift, during the past two years, we allotted grants to fifty Catholic ecclesiastics and novices, who are studying in Rome, enabling them to learn Greek, and to familiarize themselves with Greek culture and Orthodox tradition.  We particularly want to continue this program of understanding and co-operation.

On this occasion, we especially wish to emphasize the good collaboration established between our Churches to publish the facsimile of Basil II’s “Menologion”, one of the most important illuminated Byzantine manuscripts, preserved at the Vatican’s Apostolic Library.

The memory of all this, as well as the living hope of transcending dogmatic obstacles that block the path of unity in faith, enrich our prayer and reinforce our will to live full unity by consensus, and to share communion in the Lord’s precious Body and Blood in the same moment of life.  To this end, we wish for the international joint commission, overseeing dialogue between the Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church, to succeed in its work.

The conditions which inform the new face of the world today, especially Europe, require on our part - in our capacity as spiritual fathers of the pious members of our Churches - vigilance in giving timely warnings about all that threatens the values and structures of the European civilization, deeply impregnated with the Christian faith: the current advocacy of increasing de-Christianization, with the goal of excluding the Church from public life, and its social marginalization; problems created by the displacement of thousands of refugees and migrants from any place of origin; dangers resulting from religious fanaticism; presumptuous developments, touching the limits of offence, in the old Greek sense of the term, genetic biotechnology; the widening chasm between the rich and the poor; the risks to which the youth are exposed; the possibility of a conflict between civilizations and religions; the need to preserve the spiritual and cultural identity of European citizens and the family, the building block of society; the depreciation and the devaluation of the human being, often even surreptitiously, often under the guise of humans rights; the frenzy of consumption cultivated by all means and, its corollary, the production of a conditioned way of life whose sole value is pleasure, whatever the psychological price.  In short, many social problems, about which you have often spoken, are true challenges for us, which we are ready to take on, in the true spirit of life in Christ.  In this particular case, the contribution of Orthodox theological and pastoral discourse is absolutely necessary.  The Church must reach out its hand to hold and save the drowning from the torrent of Baal.  It seems that, in the extremely media conscious present day world, She must adopt modern means of communication and speak contemporary language to the man of our time.  That must be done without allowing these technical means to alter our discourse, and without compromising our message with the form of communication.  She is obligated to oppose the State and world superpowers, when she considers that their decisions harm the living image of God on earth.  This she must do, without yielding to the temptation to think herself a power of this world.

However, by calling upon the intercession of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, like that of our holy Athenian predecessors, Anaclet, Hygeinos, Sixtus II, we wish you personally, holiness, health and long life "may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and a good hope by grace, comfort you and strengthen you in all that you do and all that you say for the good" (4).

(1) Eph. 4:3.

(2) Cf. Eph. 4:15.

(3) Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Community.

(4) II Thess. 2:16-17.

The Address of Pope Benedict XVI to His Beatitude Christodoulos

Here is my English translation of the Address of Pope Benedict XVI to His Beatitude Christodoulos on the occasion of their meeting at the Vatican on December 14, 2006 (from the Vatican's original French):

"Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Cor. 1:3)

Beatitude,

Dear Brothers in Christ who accompany the venerable Archbishop of Athens and all Greece on the occasion of our fraternal meeting, I greet you in the Lord.

With a profound joy, I am happy to welcome you with the same expression that St. Paul addressed "to the Church of God which is at Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Cor. 1:2).  In the name of the Lord and with a sincere and brotherly affection, I welcome you among us in the Church of Rome, and I thank God who allows us to live this moment of grace and spiritual joy.

Your presence here revives in us the great Christian tradition which was born and which grew in your beloved and glorious Fatherland.  Through reading the Epistles of St. Paul and the Acts of the Apostles, this tradition reminds us each day of the first Christian communities formed in Corinth, Thessalonica and Philippi.  So we recall St. Paul’s presence and preaching in Athens, and his courageous proclamation of faith in the unknown God, revealed in Jesus Christ, and the message of the Resurrection, difficult for his contemporaries to hear.

In the first Epistle to the Christians in Corinth, who were the first to know difficulties and serious temptations of division, we can see a contemporary message for all Christians. Indeed, a real danger appears when people want to be identified with this or that group while saying: “I belong to Paul, or I to Apollos, or I belong to Cephas.”  It is at this point that Paul poses the frightening question: "Is Christ divided?"  (1 Cor. 1:13).

Greece and Rome developed their relationship from the dawn of Christianity and continued their interaction, which gave life to various types of communities and Christian traditions in the regions of the world that today correspond to Eastern Europe and Western Europe.  These intense relationships also helped to create a kind of osmosis in forming ecclesiastical institutions.  That osmosis - protecting the disciplinary, liturgical, theological and spiritual characteristics of the two traditions, Roman and Greek – made the Church’s evangelistic work and the cultivation of the Christian faith fruitful.

Today, our relationship begins anew, slowly but deeply, with a concern about authenticity.  It is, for us, the opportunity to discover a whole new range of spiritual expressions, rich in significance and mutual commitment.  We give thanks to God for it.

The memorable visit of my venerated predecessor, Pope John Paul II, to Athens, in the context of his pilgrimage in the steps of St. Paul, in 2001, remains a turning point in the increasing intensification of our contacts and collaboration.  During that pilgrimage, Pope John Paul II was welcomed with honor and respect by Your Beatitude and by the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece, and we remember in particular the moving meeting at the Areopagus where St. Paul preached.  Exchanges of delegations of priests and students followed.

In the same way, I neither want to forget, nor could I, the fruitful collaboration that was established between the “Apostoliki Diakonia” and the Vatican’s Apostolic Library.

Such initiatives contribute to a concrete mutual knowledge, and I do not doubt that they will have their role in promoting new interactions between the Church of Greece and the Church of Rome.

If we turn our glance towards the future, Beatitude, we have before our eyes a vast field in which our cultural and pastoral collaboration will be able to grow.

The various countries of Europe work toward the creation of new Europe, which cannot be an exclusively economic reality.  Catholics and Orthodox are called to offer their cultural and, especially, spiritual contribution.  Indeed, they have the duty to defend the continent’s Christian roots, which fashioned it over centuries, and thus to make it possible for the Christian tradition to continue to speak out and to work with all its strength for the protection of human dignity and respect for minorities, taking care to avoid a cultural standardization which would likely involve the loss of immense richness of civilization; in the same way, it is right to work for the protection of human rights, including the principle of individual freedom, especially religious freedom; these rights should be promoted and defended in the European Union and in each country which is its member.

At the same time, it is right to form a collaboration among Christians in each country of the European Union, in order to face new risks confronting the Christian faith, namely, increasing secularization, relativism and nihilism, which open the way to behaviors and even to legislation that undermines a person’s inalienable dignity, and which question institutions as fundamental as marriage.  It is urgent to undertake joint pastoral work, which will constitute a common testimony for our contemporaries and will prepare us to account for the hope that is within us.

Your presence here, in Rome, Beatitude, is the sign of this common commitment.  On its part, the Catholic Church profoundly wishes to undertake all that is possible for our reconciliation, so that we can arrive at full communion between Catholics and Orthodox, and, for the present, supports a pastoral collaboration on all possible levels, so that the Gospel will be proclaimed and the name of God will be blessed.

Beatitude, I repeat my welcome wish to yourself and to the beloved brothers who accompany you in your visit.  Entrusting you to the intercession of the Theotokos, I ask the Lord to fill you with the abundance of celestial Blessings.

Update: As of Jan. 2007, there is now an official Vatican translation of this address.

Common Declaration between Pope Benedict XVI and Abp. Christodoulos

Here is an English translation, by me, of the Common Declaration entered into today between Pope Benedict XVI and Christodoulos, the Orthodox Archbishop of Athens and all Greece.  The original French text was taken from Eucharistie Miséricordieuse.

After their private meeting of this morning and the exchange of addresses, the Pope and His Grace Christodoulos, Archbishop of Athens and all Greece, signed the following common declaration in French and Greek:

Common Declaration:

1.  We, Benedict XVI, Pope and Bishop of Rome, and Christodoulos, Archbishop of Athens and all Greece, in this sacred place of Rome, made famous by the evangelistic preaching and the martyrdom of the Apostles Peter and Paul, wish to live ever more intensely our mission of giving an apostolic testimony, of transmitting the faith to those who are near and to those afar, and of proclaiming to them the Good News of the Saviour’s birth that we will both soon celebrate.  It is also our common responsibility to overcome, in love and in truth, the multiple difficulties and the painful experiences of the past, for the glory of God, the Holy Trinity, and of His holy Church.

2.  Our meeting in charity renders us more conscious of our common task: to travel together the difficult path of dialogue in truth in order to restore full communion of faith in the bond of love.  Thereby we will obey the divine commandment, and will carry out the prayer of our Lord Jesus Christ, and, enlightened by the Holy Spirit who accompanies and never abandons the Church of Christ, we will continue our commitment, following the apostolic example and showing mutual love and the spirit of reconciliation.

3.  We recognize the important steps accomplished in the dialogue of charity and by the decisions of the Vatican II Council concerning relations between us.  Moreover, we hope that bilateral theological dialogue will make good use of these positive elements to formulate proposals that will be accepted by both sides in a spirit of reconciliation, like our famous Father of the Church, St. Basil the Great, who in a period of multiple divisions in the ecclesial body was persuaded “that with more durable reciprocal communications and discussions without a quarrelsome spirit, if some new explanation is needed, the Lord will provide it, He who makes all things work together for the good of those who love him (Letter 113).

4.  We unanimously affirm the need for persevering on the path of a constructive theological dialogue.  For, despite acknowledged difficulties, this way is one of the essential ways we have to restore the unity that is so greatly desired in the ecclesial body, around the altar of the Lord, as well as to reinforce the credibility of the Christian message during a time of upheaval in societies, in which we live, but also a time of great spiritual searching, among many of our contemporaries, who are also anxious in the face of increasing globalization, which sometimes threatens man, even in his existence and his relationship with God and with the world.

5.  We solemnly renew our desire to proclaim to the world the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and in particular to new generations, for the love of Christ compels us (II Cor. 5:14) to let them discover the Lord who is come into our world so that all might have life, and might have it abundantly.  That is particularly important in our societies, in which many currents of thought move away from God and do not give meaning to existence.  We wish to proclaim the Gospel of grace and love, so that all may be in communion with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, and that their joy may be perfect.

6.  We think that religions have a role to play in ensuring the spread of peace in the world, and that they must by no means be hearths of intolerance or violence.  As Christian religious leaders, together we exhort all religious leaders to continue and to reinforce inter-faith dialogue, and to work to create a society of peace and fraternity among individuals and among peoples.  Such is one of the missions of religions.  It is in this way that Christians work and wish to continue to work in the world, with all men and women of good will, in a spirit of solidarity and fraternity.

7. We wish to pay homage to the impressive progress made in all fields of science, in particular in those that concern humanity, however inviting leaders and scientists to respect the sacred character of the human person and his dignity, for his life is a divine gift.  We are concerned to see that sciences practice experiments on human being, which respect neither dignity nor the integrity of the person in all the stages of existence, from conception to his natural end.

8.  Moreover we seek to show greater sensitivity, to more effectively protect, in our countries, in Europe, and at the international level, basic human rights, founded on the dignity of the person created in the image of God.

9. We hope for a fertile collaboration to enable our contemporaries to rediscover the Christian roots of the European Continent, which forged the various nations and contributed to the development of increasingly more harmonious bonds among themselves.  That will help them to live and to promote fundamental human and spiritual values for the people, as for the development of societies themselves.

10.  We recognize the merits of technological and economic progress for a great number of modern societies.  However, we also invite the rich countries to pay greater attention to countries in the process of development and to the poorest countries, in a spirit of interdependent and grateful sharing as all the men are our brothers, and that it is our duty to come to the assistance of the smallest and the poorest, who are the Lord’s beloved.  In the same way, it is also important not to abusively exploit creation, which is the work of God.  We call upon people who have responsibilities in society, and upon all people of goodwill, that all engage in a reasonable and respectful management of creation, so that it will be properly managed, with the concern of solidarity, especially toward people who are in situations of famine, and to leave for future generations an earth truly habitable for all.

11.  Because of our common convictions, we repeat our desire to collaborate in the development of society, in a constructive co-operation, for the service to mankind and to the peoples, by giving a testimony of the faith and hope which enliven us.

12.  Thinking in particular of the Orthodox and Catholic faithful, we greet them and entrust them to Christ the Saviour, so that they will be tireless witnesses of God’s love, and we offer a fervent prayer that the Lord will give to all the gift of peace, in the charity and unity of the human family.

Some links to articles about Pope Benedict's Meeting with Abp. Christodoulos

Zenit has an article about their meeting and joint declaration, including this quote about their addresses to each other during their private meeting today in the Pope's private library:

After their private meeting today, the members of the Orthodox archbishop's entourage entered the Pope's private library to hear both addresses.

Benedict XVI spoke first, attesting that "today, our relations resumed slowly but profoundly and with a concern of authenticity."

"It offers us the opportunity to discover a whole new range of spiritual expressions full of meaning and a mutual commitment. We thank God," the Pope said.

This afternoon, Abp. Christodoulos took part in a solemn celebration at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls.  He was then given the two links from the chain thought to have bound St. Paul, symbolizing the link between East and West.  (I had thought this was planned for Friday, but it was in fact done today.)

Catholic News Service also has an article, including this about the common declaration:

The pope formally welcomed the primate of the Orthodox Church of Greece to the Vatican Dec. 14, solemnly signing with him a commitment to preaching the Gospel together and to working for full communion.
 
"We want to live more intensely our mission of giving an apostolic witness, of transmitting the faith to those who are near and those who are far," said the joint declaration, written in Greek and in French on a large piece of parchment.

Here are links to the original French text of Abp. Christodoulos' address  to Pope Benedict XVI, Pope Benedict XVI's address to Archbishop Christodoulos, and the Common Declaration they signed together today.  Vatican News Service has all three in French and Greek.

The Orthodox Primate of Greece Arrives Today in Rome

Archbishop Christodoulos, the primate of the Greek Orthodox Church arrives this evening in Rome from Athens for a 3-day visit.  On Friday, he will meet with Pope Benedict XVI, who plans to present him with 2 links from the chain that bound St. Paul. 

The visit has been awaited especially since the Pope's recent visit with the Ecumenical Patriarch in Istanbul last month.  Pope John Paul II originally extended an invitation to Archbishop Christodoulos in 2004, but the archbishop was unable to accept the invitation at that time.  He did journey to Rome for the funeral of Pope John Paul II.  In October, 2005, Pope Benedict renewed the invitation, and it was accepted.  Archbishop Christodoulos' arrival is considered an important sign of the warming of relationships between Catholics and the Orthodox Church. 

An article from today's news in French is available from La Croix.   Catholic World News had an English language article December 4 on the anticipated arrival and plans for the visit.

The Israeli Prime Minister's Visit

Vatican Information Service today has a press release on today's visit by the Prime Minister of Israel"

VATICAN CITY, DEC 13, 2006 (VIS) - The Holy See Press Office today released the following communique:

  "Today Wednesday, December 13, the Holy Father Benedict XVI received Ehud Olmert, prime minister of Israel. Subsequently, the prime minister went on to meet Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone who was accompanied by Archbishop Dominique Mamberti and Msgr. Pietro Parolin, respectively secretary and under-secretary for Relations with States.

  "In the course of the discussions, attention turned to the matter of peace in the Middle East, and to questions regarding the position of the Catholic community in Israel, also in view of the forthcoming Christmas celebrations."

Catholic News Service also has an article about their conversation and about the recent drop of the number of Christian tourists and residents in Bethlehem.

The Pope's Message for the World Day of the Sick

The Vatican has released Pope Benedict's Message for the World Day of the Sick for 2007.  The World Day of the Sick will be observed on February 11, 2007 in Seoul, South Korea.  That is the same day when the Church observes the liturgical memorial of Our Lady of Lourdes, as mentioned in the message's introductory paragraph.  The message speaks to the terminally ill and also to those who care for them, and speaks of the Church's need to call for just policies which can eliminate the cause of disease.  Here is an excerpt:

"Here I would like to encourage the efforts of those who work daily to ensure that the incurably and terminally ill, together with their families, receive adequate and loving care.  The Church, following the example of the Good Samaritan, has always shown particular concern for the infirm.  Through her individual members and institutions, she continues to stand alongside the suffering and to attend the dying, striving to preserve their dignity at these significant moments of human existence.  Many such individuals – health care professionals, pastoral agents and volunteers – and institutions throughout the world are tirelessly serving the sick, in hospitals and in palliative care units, on city streets, in housing projects and parishes." 

Sts. Timothy and Titus: Collaborators with St. Paul.

In the General Audience today, Pope Benedict taught about Sts. Timothy and Titus, based upon what is said of them in Scripture and in Church Tradition.  Asia News has an article.  Full translations are available from Zenit and the Vatican. 

Here is an excerpt from the Asia News article:

The two personalities, “considered together”, said the pope, offer “very significant information, the most important being that Paul made use of collaborators in the implementation of his mission. Paul remains the apostle par excellence, but it is clear that he leaned on trusted people who shared his efforts and responsibilities.” The second aspect highlighted by Benedict XVI was the “availability of the collaborators”. The sources “draw attention to their readiness."

"Habemus Papem": A Portrait of a Pope

Sandro Magister has an essay titled "Benedict XVI: A Pope Armed with 'Purity'" offering a portrait of the Pope 20 months into his papacy, including this:

"As pope, Benedict XVI doesn’t give an inch to the preconceptions that were formed about him as a cardinal. He doesn’t thunder condemnations, he doesn’t hurl anathemas. He reasons staunchly, but serenely. His criticisms against modernity or against the “pathologies” that he sees even within the Church are fully elaborated. That is part of the reason why he has practically silenced Catholic progressivism: not because this has turned friendly toward him, but because it is not able to reply to him with arguments of similar persuasive power."

A Reported 1982 Document on the Tridentine Mass

As the Ecclesia Dei Commission meets today at the Vatican, reportedly to discuss the anticipated Motu Proprio to extend the use of the Tridentine Mass, Le Figaro reported today that the Pope's efforts to reform the Mass and to re-introduce acceptance of the Tridentine Mass, together with full acceptance of the Mass of Pope Paul VI, date to 1982. 

According to Le Figaro, when he was head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, then Cardinal Ratzinger organized a meeting of the principal cardinals of the curia, in which they unanimously agreed that the Tridentine Mass should be allowed.  Based upon the reported private November 16, 1982 meeting, attended by 5 cardinals and 1 bishop, Le Figaro states that there was a proposal to initially prepare people for the concepts behind that change, followed by a papal document to diminish abuses and to rehabilitate the old liturgy.  According to that article, Cardinal Ratzinger also wanted to synthesize the old and new liturgies in a "reform of the reform."

Le Figaro reports that it has obtained a copy of the report of that private 1982 meeting, which was previously not made public.  It is not clear when or how Le Figaro obtained the document, whether the Vatican now intends to make it public, or how certain its authenticity might be.  The timing of the Le Figaro article, coming on the day of the previously reported meeting of the Ecclesia Dei meeting, after a few weeks with little news about the Motu Proprio that was mentioned in early November, raises questions in my mind (as I finish this post and hurry out the door).  Was the document given to those attending the Ecclesia Dei meeting today and passed on to Le Figaro, or -- perhaps more likely -- has Le Figaro had the document for a while and published its story now as attention was drawn by the Ecclesia Dei meeting and rumors that a papal post-synodal document on the Eucharist is already in the hands of translators.

As reported by Le Figaro, the document does not specifically mention the LeFebvrists, although they were already a concern.  The Society of St. Pius X had then existed for 12 years, although excommunications would not occur until 1988.

The document also reportedly stated that those who are devoted to the old Mass must not oppose the new Mass (Novus Ordo) and must not imply that the new liturgy is heretical or impaired in any way.  Le Figaro mentions that Archbishop André Vingt-Trois, who just presided over a celebration of the Tridentine Mass in Paris this past Sunday, strongly insists that those who prefer the Tridentine Mass must not make such contentions.

The final stage is reported to have been a synthesis of the two missals, doing away with some exaggerated innovations that have developed since Vatican II, while preserving the Council's liturgical restoration.

Le Figaro quotes Cardinal Philippe Barbarin, questioned last week, as saying that 40 years after Vatican II, it is "normal, understandable and possible" that we want to make an assessment and to recalculate things, to last."

The Human Person, the Heart of Peace

Today, Cardinal Renato Raffaele Martino and Bishop Giampaolo Crepaldi, who are the president and secretary of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, presented the Pope's Message for the World Day of Peace 2007, which has as its theme: "The Human Person, the Heart of Peace."  More of their presentation is given by a Vatican Information Service Press Release.  The Pope's Message for the World Day of Peace (January 1, 2007), can be found in the Vatican's English translation here.

Here is an excerpt speaking of the equality of people and, specifically (in this particular excerpt), the equality of women:

"A fundamental element of building peace is the recognition of the essential equality of human persons springing from their common transcendental dignity. Equality on this level is a good belonging to all, inscribed in that natural “grammar” which is deducible from the divine plan of creation; it is a good that cannot be ignored or scorned without causing serious repercussions which put peace at risk. The extremely grave deprivation afflicting many peoples, especially in Africa, lies at the root of violent reactions and thus inflicts a terrible wound on peace.

"Similarly, inadequate consideration for the condition of women helps to create instability in the fabric of society. I think of the exploitation of women who are treated as objects, and of the many ways that a lack of respect is shown for their dignity; I also think —in a different context—of the mindset persisting in some cultures, where women are still firmly subordinated to the arbitrary decisions of men, with grave consequences for their personal dignity and for the exercise of their fundamental freedoms. There can be no illusion of a secure peace until these forms of discrimination are also overcome, since they injure the personal dignity impressed by the Creator upon every human being [footnote: Cf. Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on the collaboration of men and women in the Church and in the world (31 May 2004), 15-16.]"

The message also speaks about concern for the environment, international law, nations seeking to acquire nuclear weapons, and the role of the Church in peacemaking and defending the dignity of the human person.

Urgent Peaceful and Equitable Solutions Necessary for Lebanon

This morning, Pope Benedict blessed a new church building at a Mass in Rome.  His homily there was the last scheduled papal homily until Christmas Eve.  Translations are available from Papa Ratzinger Forum, Zenit and the Vatican.  The Vatican also has a translation of the Pope's greeting to the parish children.

During his homily, the Pope spoke of Jerusalem as the City of God, including this (Papa Ratzinger Forum translation):

"The city [in Zech. 2:8-9] is a spouse. Not simply an edifice of stone. Everything which is said about the city in grandiose images refers back to something living: to the Church of living stones of which even now the future city is being built. It refers back to the new people who in the breaking of bread become one Body with Christ (cfr 1 Cor 15,45). As man and woman become 'one flesh' in their love, so Christ and humanity gathered together in the Church become through the love of Christ 'one spirit' (cfr 1 Cor 6,17; Eph 5,29ss)."

In his reflections before praying the Angelus today, the Pope also spoke of the Church as a building, formed by the living stones who are the faithful, as described in I Peter 2:4-5 and Ephesians 2:20-22, with Christ as its cornerstone.  We participate in building that temple, with Christ as the principal mover, as He "pitches his tent among us" (John 1:14).  At the end of time, that building will be completed as the "heavenly Jerusalem."  During Advent, we turn our attention to that heavenly Jerusalem, looking for its coming.  An article about the Holy Father's reflections at the Angelus is available from Asia News.  Full translations are available from Papa Ratzinger Forum, Zenit and the Vatican.

After the Angelus, the Pope drew attention to the situation in Lebanon.  As described today by Reuters and CNN, hundreds of thousands of people flooded Beirut today, calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora.  Siniora has accused Shiite militants from Hezbollah of trying to stage a coup, as the protests have continued for 10 days and are worsening.  Saudi Arabia's King Abdulla, who supports the present Lebanese government, said yesterday that their Arab region is "like a powder keg ready to explode."

As reported yesterday by AINA, Lebanon's Council of Maronite bishops issued a communique this past Wednesday, calling for new elections that can be truly representative of the communities of Lebanon in order to lessen the tension, and called for an urgent meeting of the Lebanese parliament to address the crisis.

Responding to the situation and to the Lebanese bishops' communique, the Pope said (as translated by Papa Ratzinger Forum):

"I therefore share, in the face of recent events, the strong fears expressed by the Patriarch, His Beatitude, Cardinal Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir, and of the Maronite Bishops, in the communique they made public last Wednesday.
 
"Together with them, I ask the Lebanese and their responsible political leaders to have at heart only the good of the nation and harmony among its communities, deriving inspiration for their task from that unity which is the responsibility of all and of everone, and requires patient and persevering efforts, along with a trusting and permanent dialog (cfr ibid. n.20).
 
"I also wish that the international community help identify urgent peaceful and equitable solutions necessary for Lebanon and the entire Middle East, and I invite everyone to prayer at this grave moment."

Greetings, favoured one! The Lord is with you.

EWTN is broadcasting Pope Benedict's address for the feast of the Immaculate Conception from Rome's Piazza di Spagna today.  Asia News has an article about the tribute, which began around 4:00 p.m. at the statue of Our Lady there.  The Pope did not preside at Mass in St. Peter's Basilica this year. 

Zenit and the Vatican have slightly different translations of the Pope's homage to the immaculate conception, which includes this (in the Vatican's version):

"In your Immaculate Conception shines forth the vocation of Christ's disciples, called to become, with his grace, saints and immaculate through love (cf. Eph 1: 4). In you shines the dignity of every human being who is always precious in the Creator's eyes."

Earlier today, the Holy Father prayed the Angelus from the window of his study at the Vatican.  Asia News has an article about his words before praying the Angelus.  Papa Ratzinger Forum, Zenit and  the Vatican have full translations.  His message before the Angelus gave a short catechesis explaining the Immaculate Conception, and saying that we look to Mary as a sign of hope during Advent, a time of faithful waiting for our Lord.  Here is an excerpt from the Asia News translation:

“Not only did Mary not commit any sin, she was also protected from the common legacy of mankind that is original sin. And this because of the mission for which she was always destined by God: to be the Mother of the Redeemer. All this is contained in the truth of faith of the ‘Immaculate Conception’. The biblical foundation of this dogma is found in the words that the Angel spoke to the maiden of Nazareth: 'Greetings, favoured one!  The Lord is with you.' (Lk 1:28).  'Full of grace.'  In the original Greek kecharitoméne – is the most beautiful name of Mary, the one that God Himself gave her, to indicate that she has always been and will always be the beloved, elected, the one chosen to welcome the most precious gift, Jesus, ‘love incarnate of God’ (Enc. Deus Caritas East, 12).”

Picture: The Anunciation, by Paulo Veneziano, about 1348-1350,  These panels were originally the pinnacles of the wings of a portable altarpiece.

The Pope Reflects on His Journey to Turkey

Pope Benedict spoke about his journey to Turkey during today's General Audience.  Responding to the talk about his bowing his head in prayer in the Blue Mosque, he said he was then praying to the “one Lord of heaven and earth, merciful father of all mankind”.  The Pope prayed that God may "make this apostolic journey fruitful and animate across the world the Church’s mission to announce to all nations the Gospel of truth, peace and love."

Asia News has an article.  Full translations are available from Zenit and the Vatican.

According to Asia News, the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I also spoke about the Pope's journey in a speech delivered last Sunday, saying:

"“We are sure that the voyage of the Holy Father to the Ecumenical Patriarchate will bear fruits for dialogue between Christian churches, especially between the Catholic and Orthodox Churches, and more generally to inter-religious dialogue. This real improvement in our ties will contribute to peace on our planet.”

He comes to bridge the distances that divide

Pope Benedict is reflecting on his journey to Turkey, while the Turkish Christians are reflecting too.  In his message after praying the Angelus today, he said he will offer more thoughts on that journey in this week's Wednesday General Audience.

Asia News has an article about the Pope's words.  Full translations are available from the Vatican, Zenit and Papa Ratzinger Forum (scroll down).

He thanked all who prayed for him during the journey, saying that he had felt "accompanied and sustained by the prayers of the entire Christian community."

He also reflected on the meaning of Advent, on this first Sunday of Advent, including this excerpt (quotations from Papa Ratzinger Forum):

"During Advent, the liturgy often reiterates and assures us, almost as if to conquer our natural diffidence against the God-who-is-coming. He comes to be with us, in every situation; he comes to live among us, to live with us and in us; he comes to bridge the distances that divide and separate us; he comes to reconcile us with Him and among ourselves."

The Pope's homily for the first Vespers of Advent, December 2, is available in English from the Vatican website. 

RIvers of Living Water: Man's Most Precious Good

"Gathered this morning in this house of prayer consecrated to the Lord, how can we not evoke the other fine image that Saint Paul uses in speaking of the Church, the image of the building whose stones are closely fitted together to form a single structure, and whose cornerstone, on which everything else rests, is Christ? He is the source of the new life given us by the Father in the Holy Spirit. The Gospel of Saint John has just proclaimed it: "out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water". This gushing water, this living water which Jesus promised to the Samaritan woman, was seen by the prophets Zechariah and Ezechiel issuing forth from the side of the Temple, so that it could make fruitful the waters of the Dead Sea: a marvellous image of the promise of life that God has always made to his people and that Jesus came to fulfil. In a world where men are so loath to share the earth’s goods and there is a dramatic shortage of water, this good so precious for the life of the body, the Church discovers that she possesses an even greater treasure. As the Body of Christ, she has been charged to proclaim his Gospel to the ends of the earth (cf. Mt 28:19), transmitting to the men and women of our time the Good News which not only illuminates but overturns their lives, even to the point of conquering death itself. This Good News is not just a word, but a person, Christ himself, risen and alive! By the grace of the sacraments, the water flowing from his open side on the Cross has become an overflowing spring, "rivers of living water", a flood that no one can halt, a gift that restores life. How could Christians keep for themselves alone what they have received? How could they hoard this treasure and bury this spring? The Church’s mission is not to preserve power, or to gain wealth; her mission is to offer Christ, to give a share in Christ’s own life, man’s most precious good, which God himself gives us in his Son."

- Pope Benedict XVI, Homily at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, Istanbul, December 1, 2006.

Information and Prayer for the Pope's Visit to Turkey

(Updated December 2)

Background and Overview Information

Christopher Blosser has an extensive post titled "Anticipating Pope Benedict's Papal Visit to Turkey" with much information and analysis about the country, its Muslim population's view of the Pope and his lecture at Regensburg, the Pope's view of Islam, and the journey that David Van Bierna in Time Magazine says "has the potential to define his papacy."

John L. Allen, Jr. is posting frequent and very informative articles at  NCR Cafe.

The American Papist is following the news in anticipation of the journey, and Papa Ratzinger Forum has a section devoted to the journey. 

The Vatican has published an itinerary for the journey, which will take place this coming Tuesday through Friday, November 28 to December 1.

Zenit has posted the Introduction to the Missal that the Pope will follow during the journey, which can also be found on the Vatican website.  It includes statements about the significance of the Apostolic Journey, and provides information about plans for celebrations with the Catholic community and ecumenical celebrations.

Television coverage for the journey will be provided by EWTN beginning November 28.  To watch EWTN live online, go to the main page, hold your cursor over "Television" at the top of the page, then over "Live TV - English", and then select Real Video or Windows Media.  A different EWTN page has the schedule of its broadcasts planned for the trip.  Television coverage also will be provided live online by KTO (French Catholic television).  KTO may have some archived videos available for watching online  at a later date, as they do for the journey to Bavaria.

Vatican Radio has a page on apostolic visits, which will probably include some radio news broadcasts as well as written texts of the Pope's homilies and addresses during the journey.  Vatican Radio has an  Arabic site for Christian readers in Arabic speaking countries.

Yahoo's Papacy and the Vatican slideshow officers photos of the journey.

Le Figaro offers an interactive map and photos of each of the locations on the Pope's itinerary. (No need to read French to view the map and photos. Click on the orange arrow.)

Prayer for the Journey:

The Knights of Columbus has organized a spiritual pilgrimage to accompany the Pope in prayer as he journeys to Turkey, beginning tomorrow with the Solemnity of Christ the King.  Printable (.pdf) versions of the prayer can be downloaded from the K of C site.  Here is the prayer that appears on the Knights of Columbus website, which all Catholics are asked to pray daily:

"Heavenly Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name, we humbly ask that you sustain, inspire, and protect your servant, Pope Benedict XVI, as he goes on pilgrimage to Turkey – a land to which St. Paul brought the Gospel of your Son; a land where once the Mother of your Son, the Seat of Wisdom, dwelt; a land where faith in your Son’s true divinity was definitively professed. Bless our Holy Father, who comes as a messenger of truth and love to all people of faith and good will dwelling in this land so rich in history.  In the power of the Holy Spirit, may this visit of the Holy Father bring about deeper ties of understanding, cooperation, and peace among Roman Catholics, the Orthodox, and those who profess Islam.  May the prayers and events of these historic days greatly contribute both to greater accord among those who worship you, the living and true God, and also to peace in our world so often torn apart by war and sectarian violence.

"We also ask, O Heavenly Father, that you watch over and protect Pope Benedict and entrust him to the loving care of Mary, under the title of Our Lady of Fatima, a title cherished both by Catholics and Muslims. Through her prayers and maternal love, may Pope Benedict be kept safe from all harm as he prays, bears witness to the Gospel, and invites all peoples to a dialogue of faith, reason, and love.  We make our prayer through Christ, our Lord.  Amen."

Monday, November 27:

The Pope has added to his itinerary a visit to Istanbul's Blue Mosque.  Turkey's prime minister has agreed to meet the Pope Tuesday at the Ankara airport before departing for a NATO summit.

Security measures will be unprecedented for Turkey.  The greatest risk may be to the churches, homes and businesses of ordinary Christian families rather than to the Pope and those accompanying him, according to a quote from anti-terrorist expert Ely Karmon at NCR Cafe.  Part of the problem is that Turkish nationalists identify Christianity with the nation's rival, which is Greece.

Meanwhile, in the political background, AFP reported this morning that negotiations between the European Union and Turkey have broken off over the issue of opening Turkey's ports and airports to Cyprus.  Discussions are now expected over whether to suspend Turkey's EU accession negotiations.   A  decision is not expected until December 11.  The Pope's visit had nothing to do with this decision.  The Pope's opposition to EU membership for Turkey, years ago, has been mentioned in recent news articles, and ANSA has now reported that Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, has stated that he hopes Turkey can fulfill requirements for EU membership.  While the latter statement was conciliatory, it could be construed as a reference to such issues as Cyprus.

3,000 reporters are expected to cover the story of this apostolic journey.

Tuesday, November 28:

On departure this morning from Rome, the Pope told journalists that his journey is "pastoral, not political."

John L. Allen, Jr. reports on the Pope's answers to 3 questions from reporters on the plane.  The Pope spoke of the importance of dialogue and brotherhood with Muslims, Turkey's bid for EU membership, its constitution rooted in the French constitution, the importance of his meeting with Bartholomew I, and the historic importance of Constantinople to Christianity.

John Allen also reports on the Pope's brief meeting with Turkey's prime minister at the airport in Ankara, a meeting that reportedly was uncertain until the last minute.  The Vatican viewed it as a positive sign, while the Italian press saw it as an effort by the Turkish government to avoid the freeze in negotiations for its admission to the EU, according to L'Evangile de la Vie.

Articles on the Pope's arrival are also available from Catholic News Service and Catholic News Agency.

Address to the President's Office of Religious Affairs:  Vatican Radio has published the transcript of the Pope's address to the President of Turkey's Office of Religious Affairs today in Ankara, also available on the Vatican website and Zenit.  The address was given in English.  He spoke of his love for the Turks, the spiritual bond that unites Muslims and Christians, and the wish to come to know each other better.  He also mentioned the importance of freedom of religion for individuals and communities, and .  Here is an excerpt from his expression of what Muslims and Christians can accomplish together:

". . . . As men and women of religion, we are challenged by the widespread longing for justice, development, solidarity, freedom, security, peace, defence of life, protection of the environment and of the resources of the earth. This is because we too, while respecting the legitimate autonomy of temporal affairs, have a specific contribution to offer in the search for proper solutions to these pressing questions.

"Above all, we can offer a credible response to the question which emerges clearly from today’s society, even if it is often brushed aside, the question about the meaning and purpose of life, for each individual and for humanity as a whole. We are called to work together, so as to help society to open itself to the transcendent, giving Almighty God his rightful place. The best way forward is via authentic dialogue between Christians and Muslims, based on truth and inspired by a sincere wish to know one another better, respecting differences and recognizing what we have in common. This will lead to an authentic respect for the responsible choices that each person makes, especially those pertaining to fundamental values and to personal religious convictions."

Speech to the Diplomatic Corp: Vatican Radio also has a translation of the Pope's Speech to the Diplomatic Corp, given at the Apostolic Nunciature in Ankara, also available on the Vatican website and Zenit.  That address was given primarily in French, as the language of diplomacy.  He stated that he had "come here as a friend and as an apostle of dialogue and peace."  He spoke of the importance of international institutions, authentic debate, and the threats posed by spreading terrorist action.  He encouraged freedom of religion in the secular state of Turkey, to people of various religions, adding that the presence of religions as a source of progress and enrichment for all "assumes, of course, that religions do not seek to exercise direct political power, as that is not their province, and it also assumes that they utterly refuse to sanction recourse to violence as a legitimate expression of religion."  He spoke of the different roles of the Church and the international community in matters of interest to both, and mentioned a wish to cooperate with Muslims to promote "peace, liberty, social justice, and moral values."

Here is an excerpt:

"Assuredly, recognition of the positive role of religions within t