This morning, Pope Benedict XVI and Bartholomew I, Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, side by side, celebrated the liturgy of the solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul in St. Peter's Basilica. The Holy Father also gave the pallium to 40 archbishops during that Mass. EWTN will re-broadcast that Mass at 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time/6:00 p.m. Pacific tonight.
During the Mass, the Gospels were proclaimed by a Latin rite Catholic deacon and a deacon from the Orthodox Church. The Holy Father kissed the book of the Gospels used by the Orthodox deacon, and the Ecumenical Patriarch kissed the book of the Gospels used by the Catholic deacon. The Greek formula of the Nicene Creed was recited. Father Zuhlsdorf has a post about the use of the Greek Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed without the filioque.
Following the Gospels, Benedict XVI introduced Bartholomew I, who then gave a short homily. After Bartholomew I's homily, Benedict VXI gave his own homily. The Vatican Press Office has the text of the introduction and both homilies in Italian. An English translation of the introduction and both homilies is provided at Papa Ratzinger Forum. Zenit also has translations of Bartholomew I's homily with the Pope's introduction and Benedict XVI's homily.
Bartholomew I's homily spoke of the unity between the "new Rome" (Constantinople, now known as Istanbul) and the "old Rome" (Rome), and a hope for full unity as soon as possible.
Benedict XVI's homily spoke of the importance of Rome as the place of martyrdom of Saints Peter and Paul. For Paul, he said, going to Rome was part of the universality of his mission to the Gentiles. For Peter, he said, going to Rome was part of a mission for the unity of the Church that was being formed by Jews and pagans. He said that the Church's interior unity, which comes from God's peace, is important in today's world, in which the external unity brought by information technology has prompted new disagreements and re-activated some old ones. He also spoke about the symbolism of the pallium.
After the imposition of the pallium, the Holy Father gave his Angelus reflection and recited the Angelus. The Italian text with greetings in various languages can be found on the Vatican Press Office website. There are English translations at Zenit and Papa Ratzinger Forum. In that reflection, he again spoke of the Pauline year, saying that it would naturally have Rome as its center, but would involve the entire Church, particularly mentioning the locations of St. Paul's missionary journeys, including Tarsus, Turkey, the Holy Land and Malta.
Benedict XVI and Bartholomew I then blessed the people together and went together to the tomb of St. Peter for a moment of silent prayer.
At today's vespers service in Rome, Pope Benedict XVI walked in side by side with Patriarch Bartholomew I, who is the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople and leader of the Greek Orthodox Church. Each of them lit a candle. The candles will burn all year in a special brazier. Each of them spoke, greeting each other during the ecumenical vespers service. Anglican Archbishop Dexter Gomez also attended as the representative of the Archbishop of Canterbury. A special Pauline door was constructed for the occasion.
Various readings and prayers were shared by Catholic,Orthodox and Anglican representatives in Italian, Greek, and English respectively.
The Holy Father's homily mentioned that St. Paul introduced himself as one who was raised as a Jew and who was a teacher of the Gentiles. While describing his own past, those words also opened to the future. St. Paul is also our teacher and Apostle. Paul speaks to us today. We do not just ask "Who was Paul?" but also "Who is Paul."
The Holy Father chose three texts that answer that question. The first was Gal. 2:20 ("I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me; insofar as I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who has loved me and given himself up for me.") What motivated St. Paul was being loved by Jesus Christ and a desire to transmit that love to others.
The second text he mentioned was Acts 9:4. On the road to Damascus, when Jesus appeared to St. Paul, Jesus said, "Why are you persecuting me?" Christ is personally present in one Church, which is His body. In an ecumenical reference, the Holy Father said that there is only one bread, one body. It has become an urgent request to bring us back into one body.
In a third example, which I think was II Cor. 1:7, St. Paul mentioned those who enter into his sufferings. The Holy Father said that "the call to become the teacher of the people is at the same time also intrinsically a call to suffering in the communion of Christ, who has redeemed us through His Passion. In a world where falsehood is so powerful, the truth is redeemed through suffering."
At the end of the vespers service, Patriarch Bartholomew delivered his greeting. He said that Saul of Tarsus' radical conversion shook history and shaped Christianity. He exercised a profound influence on the Church Fathers in the East and West. Having never met Jesus, he received the Gospel directly by revelation. Patriarch Bartholomew expressed a hope that the letters of St. Paul would continue to be a source of inspiration for all peoples.
Abbot Joseph at Word Incarnate has a post titled His Name Is John about this saint who Christ called "the greatest man on earth," and who is the only saint other than Mary who is celebrated on the day of his birth. Others are celebrated on the day of their death. He reflects on the importance of the message of St. John the Baptist for today's Church.
Father Z at What Does the Prayer Really Say has St. John the Baptist: Notes and Oldie PODCAzT, with the Latin entry in the new Martyrologium Romanum, the collect, and the customs historically connected with the feast day. He also has a Podcast from St. Augustine's writing about St. John the Baptist.
Scroll down to the general links at
6/14 and 6/15/08 for links to the English and French pages of videos of
past events and other sources of general interest.
Sunday, 6/22/08:
Homily by Pope Benedict XVI:
The Holy Father appeared live via satellite on large video screens for the Statio Orbis Mass to bring the Congress to a conclusion. An English translation of the full text is available from Zenit.
He encouraged people to witness before all humans, saying that the Eucharist does not remove us from our contemporaries. It calls us to involve ourselves to make the planet a better place. We need to constantly struggle so that all people will be respected from conception to natural death, that societies welcome the poorest, that all people be able to feed themselves, that peace and justice exist in all continents.
He invited everyone to further explore the Eucharist by studying the Vatican II Council's Sacrosanctum Concilium, and called for a renewal of Eucharistic catechesis. The liturgy does not belong to us, he said, but to the Church. We must never forget that the Church is built around Christ, and that the Eucharist is a sacrament of the Church’s unity.
In the Eucharist, Christ’s sacrifice is constantly renewed and Pentecost is constantly renewed. Sunday is the day we honor Christ and get the strength to treat each day as the gift of God. Like the saints, he said, be not afraid. God is accompanying and protecting us. Offer each day to the glory of God our Father. No other action in the Church has the same efficacy as the Eucharist. It is a heavenly liturgy, an anticipation of the banquet of the eternal kingdom, announcing the death and resurrection of Christ until he comes.
At the conclusion of his homily, the Holy Father announced that the next International Eucharistic Congress will be in 2012 in Dublin, Ireland.
The term "Statio Orbis" came into being at the concluding celebration of the 37th Eucharistic Congress held in Munich 1960. Since then, the concluding celebration of Eucharistic Congresses has had particular Churches from various parts of the world join in communion with the Pope or one of his Legates, called a "Statio Orbis" Mass.
The word "Statio" means "station," as in "station days" in Tertullian's De Oratione. Because Wednesday and Friday, as "station days," were characterized by watchings and processions, when the faithful remained standing, the word "statio" eventually came to mean the place where the faithful walked in procession and stood for the celebration of the liturgy. The churches to which they went came to be known as "stationes" and the route to them became known as the "statio ad" (station to, meaning the procession route to) that place. Station days of that kind were once held in Rome, Constantinople and Jerusalem. Records that remain today give us the most information about such processions in Rome. Going to the "statio" was a major ceremony at one time, in which people carried all of the papal vessels used for the celebration of the Eucharist to a pilgrimage site or station church. The concept may be somewhat familiar today from the station churches of Rome during Lent (See the 2008 list of station churches as an example).
The word "Orbis" means "circle," "ring" or "orb." In ancient Latin documents, it referred to the world. In the phrase "statio orbis," it refers to the global nature of the gathering for the papal closing Mass of each Congress.
There is more information in an interview with Archbishop Piero Marini in the EWTN library, which specifically mentions the Statio Orbis Masses, and an article in the Catholic Encyclopedia, which talks about the history of station days and the word "statio". Catholic Culture also has an article about the past and present practice of station churches.
Saturday, 6/21/08:
Address by Cardinal Christian Wiyghan Tumi, Archbishop of Douala, Cameroon:
Today's theme is being witnesses to the Eucharist in the heart of the world. Cardinal Tumi's catechesis as presented differed somewhat from the written catechesis available online here:
The following summary is taken partly from each because I missed the first part of the TV broadcast, which begins at 6:05 a.m. Pacific Time and could only summarize the first half from the written text.
Cardinal Tumi said that we are gathered to reflect upon the Eucharist, but more to celebrate it. Jesus did not give us the sacrament to contemplate it, but rather to take and eat, to take and drink.
To be witnesses to the Eucharist, we must first of all be witnesses to the Resurrection throughout the world. And whoever speaks of the Resurrection speaks of a way of life that is radically different from the former way of life. St. Paul said "If Christ is not Resurrected, our faith is in vain." (I Cor. 15:14-19). The Church today has nothing else to say, in Douala, in Montréal, in Paris, in Washington. The Resurrection is the meaning of life for each person, married or single, as a choice to make, a direction to take.
We must be transformed by the Eucharist. As a Christian, I must love the other person in order to be in the image of our Master, who loved even though they killed Him. In a noble sense, this person becomes dangerous, because this person could love to the end, as Jesus loved us to the point of giving up His life for us.
In that respect, the Eucharistic person is a dangerous person, burning from the fire of the Spirit, and whose only purpose is to extend that fire and to become fire for others. This person is a person of daring, of confrontation, of radicalism, and of the absolute. If love becomes humanity’s soul, there would be no wars, no terrorism, no political leaders who want to remain in leadership at all cost. A person of the Eucharist disturbs everybody, might even give them the feeling of a bad conscience. That is our vocation so that the other person knows how to distinguish bad from good.
We must be Christian on a daily basis. We cannot be witnesses in the heart of the world without carrying within us an anguish for the poor, for those who are no well loved, without being open to all of love, thinking of each human being as Christ is in each person and each person is in Christ.
Marguerite Barankitse from Maison Shalom in Burundi gave her testimony. She is a Tutsi. She was tied up and saw other people assassinated, and she was asked to betray them. She would not do so. She said that before she is a Tutsi, she is a Christian. She took 25 children and fled with the idea that God is God, and that all the rest has no importance. In Shalom House, she put Tutsi and Hutu children together, as well as Congolese, and told them that their ethnic origin is Shalom. The press called her “a holy woman in hell.” People thought she was crazy, but Jesus was the first crazy one. Will we be crazy with the Eucharist? Will we dare to stop closing in among ourselves, and try to describe the Eucharist, not in writing, but rather we are the Eucharist. We are to go out and be Christ’s witnesses every day.
Francis Cardinal Arinze delivered the homily at Mass. Zenit has the text of the homily in English and an article about it.
He said that Jesus commanded us to love one another as He loves us. Jesus tells us how to love in that He became obedient unto death on a cross. St. Paul describes love in I Cor. 13:1-7.
He said that the Eucharistic celebration is not only a mystery to be believed and celebrated, but also a mystery to be lived. We are sent out to show love to our brothers and sisters who are in need, to console those who are hurting, and to lead the spiritually hungry to the Church and the Sacraments.
We must express Christ in the midst of the world, especially by promoting justice, peace, and harmony in society. The Church preaches mutual love and respect for human rights, including the right to life, honesty and solidarity.
We witness to Christ following the example of the saints. There is a universal call to holiness. Every Christian becomes holy according to that person's vocation and mission. He especially mentioned African saints because today is Africa day in the Congress. Those witnesses walked the 40 days and nights of their earthly lives in the strength of the Holy Eucharist, up to their meeting with the Lord in life eternal.
There was also a prayer vigil in the evening for the youth. The ECDQ Blogue (French) has an article about the vigil. Papal legate Jozef Cardinal Tomko gave a homily. The Holy Father addressed the youth by video during the vigil. Zenit has an article about the Pope's address to youth.
The written text of Cardinal Tomko's homily is available for download in French:
Cardinal Tomko said that neither reason, nor human wisdom, scientific analysis, nor brilliant language would suffice to talk about the Eucharist. It is a great mystery of faith. Like Moses with the burning bush, we must take off our sandals, close our eyes, and listen to He who invented the Eucharist. We can understand a mystery of the faith only by means of a great faith!
He spoke about the 6th chapter of St. John's Gospel. He said it would be a great advantage to have a king who could solve the problem of hunger by multiplication of loaves! However, Jesus wanted to give them living bread. Jesus said that He was the living bread, and that one who eats His flesh would live forever. The Eucharist is not a thing; it is a living person: Jesus Christ.
Cardinal Tomko also spoke of the Last Supper. Jesus surprised His Disciples in saying, "This is my body broken for you." Jesus put His own body and blood in the place of the Passover lamb and asked them to "Do this in memory of me." The Eucharist is the center of the life of the Church, God with us, Emmanuel.
He mentioned opportunities provided by the Congress. Among these is the opportunity to learn how to adore Christ in the Eucharist. Like the peasant mentioned by St. Jean Vianney, he said, it is nothing special: "I look at Him, and He looks at me." Begin to look at God, and think about God looking at you. He also mentioned the opportunity to get to know others at the Congress. The Congress helps us to understand the Eucharist as a sacrifice and gift of bread broken for the life of the world. In the Eucharist, the Lord of life remains with us as "the gift of the Father for the life of the world." Cardinal Tomko concluded, "Lord, remain with us for night is falling!" (Luke 24:29).
Friday, 6/20/08:
Address by Cardinal Telesphore Cardinal Toppo, Archbishop of Ranchi, India:
Zenit has the full text of Cardinal Toppo's address, or you can download it from the Congress website here:
Cardinal Telesphore Cardinal Toppo, Archbishop of Ranchi, India, provided the day's catechesis. The theme for Friday's events is the Eucharist and Missions. He mentioned the importance of the Eucharist in the lives of missionaries, including Bl. Teresa of Calcutta in India and Bl. Charles de Foucauld in northern Africa.
He discussed three characteristics of today’s world that impact mission: socio-economic disparity, religious pluralism, and the diversity of cultures. In global socio-economic disparity, in which two-thirds of the world's poorest people live in Asia (60% living on $2 a day or less), he spoke about a need for personal fulfillment and the realization of the values of justice and truth; a strongly felt need to build a more just order; and a great need for communion with fellow human beings. In a world of striking growth of the world's religions, he discussed a need for dialogue. Amid a diversity of cultures, the Church tries to eliminate discrimination. The Eucharistic experience enables the Church to see the presence of God, and facilitates the building of a community in which rivalry and discrimination has no place.
He said that the Early Church fathers placed great stress on communion and on its social dimension. The Vatican II Council taught the role of the Eucharistic celebration in building up community. The changes brought by Vatican II, he said, highlight how the Church’s mission is nurtured by the Eucharist. Christian mission consists in communicating God’s love to all peoples so that all can be gathered into one family, so that all can share in the life of God. Through it, Jesus continues his mission in the Church. He described the basic characteristics of the Christian missionary as, first and foremost, a witness of Christ, who has experienced what he proclaims. He said that the Eucharist is the source of this witnessing power, which makes us capable of proclaiming it, including the social dimension of that message.
José H. Prado Flores (known as "Pepe Prado"), Director/Founder of the School of Evangelization San Andres, gave the day's testimony on the topic of the Word of God. His website has information in Spanish about his work. I have not yet found a transcript of the text. The ECDQ Blogue has an article calling it captivating (French). Delivered without notes, his presentation impressed by the simplicity and conviction of his words. Comparing his conversion to the Emmaeus Road experience, he said that the Lord made his heart burn by the fire of His Word.
Also according to the ECDQ Blogue, in a surprise move at the end of today's Mass, Cardinal Ouellet called upon 130 young people who had served the Congress, asking if they wanted to act as missionaries of the Gospel after the Congress. He then addressed the entire assembly in Spanish, English and French, asking whether they would support the youth in that Eucharistic mission. All answered with enthusiastic support.
Joseph Cardinal Zen Ze-kiun, S.D.B., Bishop of Hong Kong, delivered the homily at the day's Mass. Some may remember that Cardinal Zen Ze-kiun wrote the meditations for this year's Via Crucis at the Colosseum in Rome. In his homily, Cardinal Zen Ze-kiun said that a truly Eucharistic Church is necessarily a missionary Church. The Eucharist is "of the faithful but for the world." He said the Eucharist builds the Church and reminds us of the universal salvation. It establishes the new and eternal covenant between God and the human family. He said that God has His ways to save everyone, but the most common way is that those who have received the faith should be the instruments of its transmission. He mentioned the recent tragedies in China and Myanmar, saying that Jesus was there in the darkness, pain and despair, with each of the victims and in them, making them worthy of completing what was lacking in His sufferings. In conclusion, he said that while we give faith for the gift of faith, we accept the invitation of the Lord to be messengers of His boundless love.
Thursday, 6/19/08:
Bishop Louis Antonio G. Tagle's Address:
Bishop Louis Antonio G. Tagle, Bishop of Imus, the Philippines, spoke at this morning's catechesis. The full text of his address can be found online at Zenit or downloaded in .pdf format from the official website in English at this link:
Coletta has a photo of Bishop Tagle and links to more information about him at Immaculatae.
Bishop Tagle spoke about two elements of living the Eucharist, which he called "spiritual worship" and "authentic adoration." He spoke from the Epistle to the Hebrews in discussing Jesus' sacrifice of his body and blood as an act of worship in reverent submission to the Father, and as an act of solidarity with weak humanity in his priestly service. In baptism, he said, we share in Jesus' sacrifice of obedience to the Father in solidarity with sinners. The Church, he said, must constantly examine its fidelity to Jesus' sacrifice of obedience to God and compassion for the poor. He encouraged people to avoid the blindness caused by self-righteousness, spiritual pride and rigidity of mind.
Regarding adoration, Bishop Tagle said, "Worship is so intimately related to adoration that they could be considered as one." He also said, "Adoration connotes being present, resting, and beholding. In adoration, we are present to Jesus whose sacrifice is ever present to us. Abiding in him, we are assimilated more deeply into his self-giving." Speaking of the poor and the oppressed in many parts of the world, he said that he wished that Eucharistic adoration would "lead us to know Jesus more as the compassionate companion of many crucified peoples of today." Concluding, he said, "Let us adore him for ourselves, for the poor, for the earth, for the Church and for the life of the world."
Ms. Elizabeth Nguyen Thi Thu Hong gave the day's testimony. She is the youngest sister of the late Cardinal Francis Xavier Nguyen Van Thuân of Viet Nam. Arrested in 1975 after the Communist takeover of South Vietnam, he was imprisoned for 13 years, of which 9 years were spent in solitary confinement. After his release, he was expelled from Viet Nam in 1991. He was made a cardinal in 2001 and died of stomach cancer in 2002. On September 15, 2007, Pope Benedict XVI opened his cause for beatification. Zenit has the text of his sister's address (English).
Cardinal Justin Francis Rigali, Archbishop of Philadelphia, delivered the homily at Mass, which can be downloaded here:
Cardinal Rigali said that in the Eucharist, we worship God in spirit and truth. He quoted St. John's Gospel 14:28,31 ("The world must know that I love the Father and do what the Father has commanded me. Come, then, let us be on our way"), and said that Jesus died motivated by great love for the Father. The Eucharist, he said, is above all the mystery of Christ's love for the Father. To understand the Eucharist proclaimed at the Last Supper and enacted in immolation at Calvary, we must go back to the Blessed Trinity. The Father's love in sending His Son to redeem the world explains much about the Eucharist. The Eucharist flows from the love of the Son of God for the Father, in response to the love of the Father and the Holy Spirit. Calvary is the Trinitarian response to sin. The Father's response of love is the Resurrection. The sacrifice of Christ's love becomes, by God's design in the Eucharist, the sacrifice of the Church. We are sent out from the Eucharist to contribute to the building up of the Body of Christ, and we return in Eucharistic adoration. The Eucharist is the center of our life because Jesus is the center of our life. So, he said, Eucharistic adoration is a powerful incentive to service to those in need. In the Eucharist, we live Christ's life and fulfill His words to worship the Father "in spirit and in truth."
The Procession of the Blessed Sacrament through the Streets of Quebec City began at 7:00 p.m., broadcast live on ECDQ - French. The video is one of three videos of the procession available online.
Wednesday, 6/18/08:
Archbishop Jorge Mario Bergoglio's Address:
Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, S.J., Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Primate of Argentina, spoke at this morning's catechesis. The full text of his address in Spanish can be downloaded in .pdf format from the official website at this link:
Wednesday's theme for all of the speakers is, "The Eucharist Builds up the Church, the Sacrament of Salvation." Archbishop Bergoglio drew from the writing of Pope John Paul II, emphasizing the role of Mary in the Eucharist. He spoke of mysteries of the New Covenant in the Eucharist. He particularly considered the mysteries of Mary as a model for the Church, at whose feet we should learn.
In discussing practical consequences, he encouraged people to pray for the grace of receiving the Eucharist as Mary received the Word, feeling that it is Our Lady who is entrusting the sacrament to us; to ask for the grace to anticipate the Eucharist, the grace of believing, placing all of our hope in the sign of salvation that we receive during the Eucharist to be able to conform our lives to what we have received. In Ecclesial life, he said, Mary and the Church are both transformed by the One who chose to dwell in them as the new wineskins. She is the first Eucharistic image. The Church is sanctified and sanctifying because of the covenant the Lord has made with her. Even if we break our covenant with the Lord at the individual level, the Church is the place where the covenant remains intact, and we can recover it through reconciliation. Any reform that we are trying to accomplish must be born out of contemplation of the love for the Church that maintains the covenant with her Lord. The assurance of the Church's sanctity is not a question of personal or social privilege, but it is ordained for service. The Eucharist is not one more gift among others, but the total gift of love. The mystery of the covenant that makes the whole Church holy is a mystery of service and a mystery of life.
There was no witness speaker today, as the Mass began earlier than usual as an Eastern Rite Mass. Archbishop Lawrence Huculac of Winnipeg for Ukrainian Catholics gave the homily. Zenit has a transcript (English). He said that "in this celebration of the Divine Liturgy we experience the great
diversity that constitutes the People of God. But, as we heard in the
letter to the Ephesians, we are united in one faith, one baptism, one
God and Father of us all."
Vatican Radio has an audio interview with Cardinal Marc Ouellet, the Archbishop of Quebec.
Tuesday, 6/17/08:
Cardinal Philippe Barbarin's address:
Cardinal Barbarin gave the day's catechesis. Zenit has an article in English about his address. Having not found an official English translation of his catechesis, I have translated it in order to provide the full text in English translation (link fixed from the original erroneous link). The French original text of Cardinal Barbarin's address is available on the Archdiocese of Lyon
website.
Cardinal Barbarin is my favorite cardinal, now that Cardinal Ratzinger is the Pope. If you can read French, there is much from him on the Archdiocese of Lyon website.
He discussed the concept of "memory" involved when Jesus said, "Do this in memory of me," drawing from the Jewish concept of memory in the Old Testament and the Talmud.
He spoke of what a sacrifice is. It can entail both joy and suffering. Jesus offered himself because he chose to do so. This love offering has the distinctive quality of freedom.
He said that the concepts of communion, sacrifice and presence sum up our faith. It is Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter. The Resurrection is the base of our assurance, which strikes the Apostles all through the Acts of the Apostles. We have the grace of faith that God’s mercy will always triumph, so we are ready to sacrifice everything to follow Christ.
He said that we are united to Christ’s sacrifice. Starting with the priest, when he pronounces the institution, he speaks in the words of Christ but he also offers his entire life. "This is my body broken for you." He is committed to celibacy, and it requires a lot of strength. He spoke of how those words are also felt by a married couple, a pregnant woman, young people who do not yet know their vocation, the disabled, widows and widowers, and the abandoned.
He also remembered the martyrs in Algeria, saying that such love can lead to an extreme. In his address as given, he also mentioned the Sudan, and those who carry
a cardinal’s ring knowing that their lives everyday are a testimony given to
Christ. In his prepared text, he spoke specifically about those martyred in Algeria in 1996.
He said that we can put the words of the Last Supper in
parallel with Jesus' words when He said, "As the father sent me, so I send
you." The verbs "to love"
and "to send" are interchangeable in these sentences. What we learn from the life of Christ, from
the Eucharist, is that our mission is to love.
Father Nicholas Buttet also gave an address today about his experience with Christ in the Eucharist. There is a post about it on the ECDQ TV blog (French). Father Buttet is founder of the Fraternité Eucharistein, a community based upon the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and adoration of the Holy Sacrament. He spoke, with some humor, about conversions, especially conversions of youth, related to the Eucharist. His community's message is one of encountering Christ in the Eucharist and in Eucharistic adoration. Zenit has an interview with Father Buttet. Part I was published today here (English translation).
Zenit has an article about the homily by Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz,
Archbishop of Krakow, during this morning's Mass. Cardinal Dziwisz
called upon people to dive deep into the mystery of the Eucharist. He
spoke about the meaning of the Eucharist in "memory" of Christ and
about the essential importance of humility before the Sacrament,
saying, "Humility before the mystery means a
simple and profound faith, knowing that for God the bread and wine, the
Body and Blood are sufficient to ransom the whole world."
Monday, 6/16/08:
Archbishop Donald Wuerl's address:
Archbishop Donald Wuerl of the Diocese of Washington delivered this morning's address. A complete transcript of his address is available from Zenit.
Abp. Wuerl spoke of the Eucharist viewed in context of the Old Testament Passover. While the Last Supper follows on that sacred ritual, he said, we do not reflect on history in the Eucharist; we live history in the Eucharist. Here we encounter Christ in the moment of His death and resurrection.
He said that each of us brings our identity, our heritage, our commitment to Christ. In His Church, in the Spirit, united in the Eucharist, all of that becomes one. Each of us in our particularity speaks to a pluralism that is part of the human condition. Yet, to our faith, united as one people in one Church, we are His new people who have passed through the mystery of death and sin into the promise of liberation, freedom and new life because we see with the eyes of faith. Flowing from the Eucharist is not just the remembrance of his death and resurrection, but the strength to be a whole new creation, alive in the Holy Spirit, with a message to bring to the world, because this is Christ’s vision and we are His people. Each of us is called to be an active agent in spreading that faith. With joy and gratitude, we can proclaim Christ has died, Christ is risen , and Christ will come again.
Cardinal Justin Rigali, the Archbishop of Philadelphia also spoke today. Zenit has an article and also the full text of his address. Cardinal Rigali spoke about devotion to the Eucharist in North America.
Jean Vanier, founder of the L'Arche Communities, also spoke. L'Arche Communities work with mentally disabled people in 34 countries. La-Croix (French) has an article about the Congress that mentions Vanier's presentation. In his address, he encouraged people to discover God as a vulnerable God who knocks on the door of our hearts, not forcing the door open, but waiting. Nearing his 80th year, he said that he hoped people would live to be that old so that they would discover their need for others. Zenit - French has a transcript of his testimony (French).
Sunday, 6/15/08:
Here is a video of Jozef Cardinal Tomko's homily at the Opening Mass:
Zenit has an article about Cardinal Tomko's homily.
Here are a few quick links to watch online:
EWTN's special broadcast schedule includes live and re-broadcasts of key events. Watch or listen live online.
ECDQ TV Live Online: This is the English-language online live broadcast of Canadian Catholic ECDQ TV. This page is providing an English translation for the French speakers.
ECDQ Broadcast Schedule for the Congress. The morning addresses may be of particular interest, with exceptional speakers. Those will be at 9:05 a.m. each morning Eastern Time, 6:05 a.m. Pacific Time. The scheduled speakers are:
The Eucharist will be broadcast Monday, Tuesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday mornings at 11:00 a.m. Eastern, 8:00 a.m. Pacific Time. On Wednesday, the Eucharist will be at 10:30 a.m. Eastern, 7:30 a.m. Pacific, and will be the Eastern rite. On Thursday, June 19, the 11:00 a.m. time will go to a penitential rite and the sacrament of reconciliation. Thursday evening at 7:00 p.m. Eastern, there will be a Procession of the Blessed Sacrament through the streets of Quebec City.
Next Sunday's Mass, June 22, will be the Statio Orbis Mass. The Holy Father will deliver the homily by video connection.
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Posted 6/14/08:
The 49th International Eucharistic Congress will begin tomorrow in Quebec. It will run from June 15 to 22. The official website has the program for the week, a video page in English, and another video page in French. They do not have all of the same videos. Some of the videos available include the entire presentation made by some of the speakers, as well as interviews with them that were not broadcast on TV.
The French language blog "le blog de l'arche" has been updated much more recently. ECDQ TV also has a French-language blog which will probably have updates about the Congress. ECDQ also has pages of photo albums online.
Cardinal Sean O'Malley has photos and comments about his experience at the Congress at Cardinal Sean's Blog. His address at the pre-congress Eucharistic Symposium was published in the Boston Pilot.
ECDQ (French Canadian Catholic TV) will have online special broadcasts. To watch the special broadcasts of the congress live online on ECDQ, go here. There is a special broadcast schedule page, which I think will have links to videos on demand from the Congress the day after each live broadcast.
On 7/3/08, Zenit had an article about Cardinal Ouellet's assessment of the success of the Congress. That article also contains some statistics about attendance. More than 11,000 people registered as pilgrims. The average daily attendance was 12,500 people, of whom 68% were Canadian. About 20,000 people visited the Congress website each day.
An estimated 60,000 people attended the statio orbis Mass on the last day of the Congress, according to reports including that of Whispers in the Loggia.
Here are a few key Vatican documents on the Eucharist:
Two years ago, Marc Cardinal Ouellet, the Archbishop of Quebec, provided a prayer to help the people of his diocese prepare spiritually for the 2008 International Eucharistic Congress that began today. Someone posted the prayer on the French language blog of ECDQ TV this past Monday. I don't know if there is an official English translation, but I did not find one in a quick google search. So here is the prayer in my own translation for anyone who may like to have the prepared prayer for use during the Congress:
God our Father, we bless you and give you thanks for your Son Jesus, the gift of your love for the life of the world.
Look upon your Church that celebrates the 49th International Eucharistic Congress in joy and hope.
Renew our faith in the Holy Eucharist, The memorial of Your Son’s death and resurrection.
That Your Holy Spirit may give us His light and His power so that we shall be faithful witnesses to the Gospel.
Nourish us with your Word and your Bread of life so that together with Mary, the mother of your divine Son and of the Church we shall bear much fruit for the salvation of the world.
We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
Canon lawyer Dr. Ed Peters has an article at his blog, In the Light of the Law, titled "Excommunication for Female Ordination." He links to today's decree from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which goes into effect immediately. By that decree, anyone who attempts to confer holy Orders on a woman is excommunicated, as are all women who attempt to receive such holy Orders. Dr. Peters provides analysis of the effects of the new decree.
Additional commentary is provided by Father John Zuhlsdorf, and Insight Scoop has a short post with links to previous articles related to this issue.
This follows Vatican confirmation of excommunication decrees by Archbishop Raymond L. Burke, reported earlier this week in the St. Louis Catholic blog.
Hopefully, these moves will offer support to those in my own Diocese of San Diego who have opposed the actions of "womanpriests" like Jane Via, and will support our bishop's efforts to prevent her from speaking at Catholic functions (see this California Catholic Daily article, for example).
In addition to the articles linked by Insight Scoop, Father Alvin Kimel has more on the issue at Pontifications, and Father Aidan Nichols, O.P., addresses the issue in Chapter 9 of his book Epiphany: a theological introduction to Catholicism.
Last May, Pope Benedict XVI named May 24 as a day for Catholics throughout the world to join in prayer with the Church that is in China. May 24 is the feast day of Our Lady of Sheshan, an important Marian feast observed in China. On May 16, the Vatican published the Pope's prayer to Our Lady of Sheshan for this day of prayer (See Asia News and Catholic World News):
Virgin Most Holy, Mother of the Incarnate Word and our Mother, venerated in the Shrine of Sheshan under the title 'Help of Christians,' the entire Church in China looks to you with devout affection. We come before you today to implore your protection. Look upon the People of God and, with a mother's care, guide them along the paths of truth and love, so that they may always be a leaven of harmonious coexistence among all citizens.
When you obediently said 'Yes' in the house of Nazareth, you allowed God's eternal Son to take flesh in your virginal womb and thus to begin in history the work of our redemption. You willingly and generously co-operated in that work, allowing the sword of pain to pierce your soul, until the supreme hour of the Cross, when you kept watch on Calvary, standing beside your Son, Who died that we might live.
From that moment, you became, in a new way, the Mother of all those who receive your Son Jesus in faith and choose to follow in His footsteps by taking up His Cross. Mother of hope, in the darkness of Holy Saturday you journeyed with unfailing trust towards the dawn of Easter. Grant that your children may discern at all times, even those that are darkest, the signs of God's loving presence.
Our Lady of Sheshan, sustain all those in China, who, amid their daily trials, continue to believe, to hope, to love. May they never be afraid to speak of Jesus to the world, and of the world to Jesus. In the statue overlooking the Shrine you lift your Son on high, offering him to the world with open arms in a gesture of love. Help Catholics always to be credible witnesses to this love, ever clinging to the rock of Peter on which the Church is built. Mother of China and all Asia, pray for us, now and for ever. Amen!
His announcement creating this special day of prayer appear in section 19 of his Letter to the Church in China, which reads:
Dear Pastors and all the faithful, the date 24 May could in the future become an occasion for the Catholics of the whole world to be united in prayer with the Church which is in China. This day is dedicated to the liturgical memorial of Our Lady, Help of Christians, who is venerated with great devotion at the Marian Shrine of Sheshan in Shanghai.
I would like that date to be kept by you as a day of prayer for the Church in China. I encourage you to celebrate it by renewing your communion of faith in Jesus our Lord and of faithfulness to the Pope, and by praying that the unity among you may become ever deeper and more visible. I remind you, moreover, of the commandment that Jesus gave us, to love our enemies and to pray for those who persecute us, as well as the invitation of the Apostle Saint Paul: "First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all men, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, godly and respectful in every way. This is good, and it is acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth" (1 Tim 2:1-4).
On that same day, the Catholics of the whole world – in particular those who are of Chinese origin – will demonstrate their fraternal solidarity and solicitude for you, asking the Lord of history for the gift of perseverance in witness, in the certainty that your sufferings past and present for the Holy Name of Jesus and your intrepid loyalty to his Vicar on earth will be rewarded, even if at times everything can seem a failure.
Sandro Magister has posted articles on the anti-Christian violence by Hindus in India and the government action against Catholics in China. His article about the Church in India, posted May 16, describes the persecution, centered around the state of Orissa, south of Calcutta. Since Christmas, 70 churches and 600 homes have been destroyed in violence against Christians in that state. In another state, Maharashtra, in March of this year, two Carmelite nuns were attacked by Hindu extremists, accused of converting Hindus to Christianity, after they had had a ministry there for 13 years among the outcast tribes. New laws in the state of Rajasthan, thought to be specifically directed against Christians, prohibit conversions "by force, coercion, or fraud."
Magister provides an English translation of a report about the situation, published in the May 2008 issue of the monthly
"Mondo e Missione" of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions. That report, written by Georgio Bernardelli, analyzes the situation and its causes, including this:
"The violence in Orissa is not simply the inheritance of a past that
India is struggling to leave behind it. The clash concerns the present,
and above all the future of the country. It concerns a social situation
in which those who for centuries have remained at the margins are
beginning to come forward. And so those who – on the contrary – want to
maintain the status quo are playing the card of the threat to identity."
Magister's article about China discusses the government's ban against Catholics journeying to the country's most important Marian shrine during the annual day of prayer for the Church in China to be held on May 24. That day was established as a day of prayer for the Church in China by Pope Benedict XVI's Letter to China sent this past June. May 24 was selected for prayer because it is the memorial of Our Lady, Help of Christians. Many Chinese annually travel to the Sheshan shrine of Our Lady, Help of Christians, for the May 24 memorial. The unity of the Chinese Catholics in observing that feast is thought to have an effect in drawing the Chinese people together, including the official Church and the clandestine Church. It is that pilgrimage that has been forbidden this year by the Chinese government, which apparently sees that Catholic unification as a threat.
The Chinese government, on a date that should be expected to draw the attention of Catholics globally to the situation facing Chinese Catholics, and at a time when focus is already drawn to China because of the recent earthquake and the upcoming Olympics, has asked Catholics to observe that Marian feast day within their diocesan territories.
Magister provides a translation of part of one chapter from a new book about China, written by Fr. Bernardo Cervellera (the founder of Asia News). His chapter on religions in China discusses the government's support for Asian religions, while some party members believe that all religions can contribute to social harmony and should be allowed. He mentions that China has such a thirst for faith that religious groups are likely to use the attention drawn to the Olympics to press the government to loosen its control on religion. "What is certain," he says, "is that all of these activities will severely test
Chinese security and the attempt to isolate the games, as an oasis of
freedom, from the rest of life in China, an immense open-air prison."
Here are two videos of Peruvian children singing beautiful Gregorian chant as part of the missionary work done by the Serviteurs des Pauvres du Tiers-Monde (abbreviated "SPTM" and meaning "Servants of the Third World Poor" or "Servants of the Poor of the Third World" as it is called on the movement's English language web page). The first video shows more of the work done by the monks ("contemplatives in action"). The second shows the poverty of one of the towns where they work. This missionary movement has been supported for the past few years by the Benedictine monks of Fontgombault, who are well known for their Gregorian chant in France.
The movement's website explains that the movement was founded in 1983, was given Pope John Paul II's blessing, and is based in Cusco, Peru. Its founder was a Sicilian Augustinian named Giovanni Salerno, who was also a doctor. They have 4 houses in Cusco, one in Lima, Peru and in Hungary. Their charism is to serve Christ in the poor in that part of the world, giving them the testimony of a humble and silent service like that of Jesus Christ. In Cusco, they are working with 700 children who go to them to study, play, receive medical care and receive a Catholic catechesis. They have recently opened a free elementary school for the poorest children. They give a priority to prayer and contemplation, the liturgy of the hours, the rosary, meditation, reflection on the book "The Imitation of Christ" by Thomas à Kempis (their rule of life), frequent spiritual retreats, liturgical life with Gregorian chant in Latin, the Eucharist, the Word of God, and abandonment to the Holy Spirit and to Divine Providence.
I had not heard of this missionary work before today. Anyone who knows more about it is welcome to add information in comments.
On the third anniversary of the death of the Servant of God Pope John Paul II (Vatican page), Pope Benedict XVI presided at a Mass this morning in St. Peter's Square. The Mass also marked the beginning of a World Apostolic Congress on Mercy. The number of people present were estimated by the Vatican at more than 40,000 people, and estimated by Catholic World News at more than 60,000. Asia News also has an article about today's Mass.
Zenit has a full translation of the Holy Father's homily remembering John Paul II. Here is a portion of it:
"Venerated and dear brothers: I give thanks to all of you for having
united yourselves to me in this Mass for the soul of the beloved John
Paul II. I address a particular thought to the participants in the
first world congress on Divine Mercy, which begins precisely today, and
which aims to go deeper in his rich magisterium on this theme. The
mercy of God, he himself said, is a privileged key for interpreting his
pontificate. He wanted the message of the merciful love of God to reach
all men and women and he exhorted the faithful to be its witnesses.
(Cf. Homily at the dedication of the Shrine of Divine Mercy, Aug. 17, 2002.)"
The 45-page instructions made public today by the Congregation for Saints' Causes, the Vatican is encouraging dioceses to exercise greater prudence in considering local sainthood causes, and requiring better documentation, as discussed today in Catholic News Service. The new rules were introduced today at a Vatican Press Conference. The new instructions had been encouraged by Pope Benedict XVI, following efforts by his predecessors related to the proper review of saints' causes and the proper place of saints in the life of the Church.
A press release by Vatican Information Service today discussed the reasons for the new instructions given at that pres conference by Cardinal Jose Saraiva Martins, C.M.F., who is the Prefect for the Congregation for Causes of the Saints:
The cardinal then went on to consider the reasons for the publication of the document, pointing out that 25 years have passed since the promulgation by John Paul II of the Apostolic Constitution 'Divinus Perfectionis Magister', and of the 'Normae servandae' by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. Since then, he said, "in some dioceses, certain provisions of the law have not always been understood and, consequently, not been put into practice with the necessary meticulousness, the which has sometimes made it necessary for the congregation to supply clarifications or to ask diocesan curias to correct errors".
Furthermore, he added, "dioceses do not always have access to specialised individuals with practical experience of the various procedures involved in a cause of canonisation". For this reason, "it is evident that a practical document, such as this Instruction, was useful, indeed necessary".
"When the current legislation on causes of saints came into force", said the cardinal outlining another reason for the publication of the present document, "an unfounded idea became widespread that the traditional methodology ... had been substituted by some kind of historical-critical investigation". And he identified the reason for this confusion in "the fact that the term 'inquisitio' used in Latin (the only official text) to designate the procedure of the diocesan phase of a cause of canonisation was translated in Italian as 'inchiesta' (inquiry)". This Instruction, then, highlights "the importance of procedure" in causes of beatification and canonisation, "and accurately highlights the norms that must be observed".
Turning to the last reason for which the document was published, Cardinal Saraiva noted how, "in the move from the earlier legislation to that in force today, it was unclear to some people that a serious and rigorous verification of the fame of sanctity or martyrdom, undertaken in dioceses, is a prior requirement of absolute importance. Hence, a procedure must not be begin without irrefutable proof that the Servant of God ... is held to be a saint or martyr by a considerable number of faithful, who invoke him or her in their prayers and attribute graces and favours to his or her intercession".
Contrary to the notion that the new rules were intended to cut down on the number of saints, Cardinal Martins mentioned, (as discussed in Catholic World News) that 563 people have been beatified and 14 have been canonized since the election of Pope Benedict XVI.
The evidence for the causes is collected and studied with supreme care
and with a diligent search for the historic truth through testimonies
and documentary proof "omnino plenae", for they have no other
aim than the glory of God and the spiritual good of the Church and of
all who are in search of the Gospel truth and perfection.
Benedict XVI, in that same letter, mentioned the Apostolic Constitution Divinus Perfectionis Magister, issued by Pope John Paul II in 1983, which addressed the need for instructions about the process of evaluating causes for saints. That Apostolic Constitution addressed both the inquiry to be made by bishops and that to be made by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.
Separate and apart from the issue of caution in the process of canonization is the issue of the importance attributed to saints' feast days, and the number of saints' feast days in the universal calendar. The 1969 Motu Proprio of Pope Paul VI, Mysterii Paschalis, suggested that some saints' feast days should be celebrated only by a particular Church or nation, or within a particular order, reflecting a concern of the Vatican II Council's Sacrosanctum Concilium, 111. The concern expressed there was the importance that the feasts that commemorate the divine mysteries should take precedence over the feasts for saints' days. The relevant portion of that Motu Proprio, quoting Sacrosanctum Concilium, is this:
Indeed, the Catholic Church has always held that the
paschal mystery of Christ is proclaimed and renewed in the feasts of the
saints.
It cannot be denied, however, that in the course of centuries the feasts of
the saints have become more and more numerous. The Sacred Synod has therefore
decreed: "Lest the feasts of the saints take precedence over the feasts which
commemorate the very mysteries of salvation, many of them should be left to be
celebrated by a particular Church or nation or religious community; only those
should be extended to the universal Church which commemorate saints who are
truly of universal significance."
In order to execute this decision of the Ecumenical Council, the names of
some saints have been removed from the universal Calendar, and the faculty has
been given of re-establishing in regions concerned, if it is desired, the
commemorations and cult of other saints. The suppression of reference to a
certain number of saints who are not universally known has permitted the
insertion, within the Roman Calendar, of names of some martyrs of regions where
the proclaiming of the Gospel arrived at a later date. Thus, as representatives
of their countries, those who have won renown by the shedding of their blood for
Christ or by their outstanding virtues enjoy the same dignity in this same
catalogue.
For these reasons we think that the new universal Calendar, prepared for
the Latin rite, is more in harmony with the piety and the needs of our times,
and that it better reflects the universality of the Church, in the sense that it
proposes the names of the most important saints, who present to all the People
of God a shining example of sanctity in a variety of ways. It is superfluous to
say that this will contribute to the spiritual well-being of the entire
Christian world.
This year, the Vatican's spiritual exercises will be led by Cardinal
Albert Vanhoye, S.J., the former Secretary of the Pontifical Biblical
Commission, on the theme, "We Receive Christ, our High Priest." The
theme is most likely drawn from the discussion of Christ's high
priestly role in the Epistle to the Hebrews (see Hebrews 9:11).
As a Scripture scholar, Cardinal Vanhoye is best known for his work
on that Epistle.
Updated 6/29/08: Some of the pages on the Pauline Year were not yet available in English when I wrote the following post, and new ones are being added as the Pauline Year begins. Here are the links for the English language pages now available. I may add more as I find them:
The Pauline Year = This is a page from the website of the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls.
The Vatican Press Office today released the detailed official program for the Pauline Year (in Italian), which will run from June 28, 2008 to June 29, 2009, celebrating the second millenneum of the birth of St. Paul.
Vatican Information Service
issued a press release in English about the press conference releasing
the program. During the press conference, Cardinal Cordero Lanza di
Montezemolo mentioned that Pope Benedict XVI announced the Pauline year
in his homily for First Vespers
of the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul on June 28, 2007. In that
homily, the Pope mentioned the ecumenical dimension of the feast, "was especially committed to taking the Good News to all peoples" and "left
no stones unturned for unity and harmony among all Christians."
The activities encouraged during the Pauline Year, mentioned by the
Cardinal, will include re-reading St. Paul's Epistles, pilgrimages to
his tomb and to the places he visited during his missionary journeys,
revitalizing our faith and role in today's Church in the light of his
teachings, and praying and working for Christian unity.
The chapel now used as the baptistery
between the basilica and the cloister will become an "Ecumenical
Chapel" during the Pauline Year, providing a place where Christians who are
not Catholics can pray within their own groups or together with
Catholics, without the celebration of the Sacraments.
A page on the Pauline Year has been provided on the Vatican's website, although the English language portion is not working yet.
The Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls has an official website www.annopaolina.org with an English language page that, like the Vatican page, is coming soon but not yet working. An Official Program booklet is available there now in French and Italian, and will surely be available soon in English once the English language page is working. That program booklet does not mention all of the specific initiatives listed in today's press conference. Rather, it is a 17-page booklet of suggestions for parish groups and for pilgrims planning to come to Rome during the Pauline Year. The website invites people to spread the program to parish groups, youth groups, and others, so you can download it here in French or Italian:
The booklet includes a proposed itinerary of places to visit in Rome during the Pauline Year, a photo of the tomb of St. Paul, other photos of places associated with St. Paul in Rome, a map of his missionary journeys, and other features. At the end, there is a prayer, translated here by me into English:
Glorious Saint Paul, Apostle full of zeal, Martyr by Christ's love, obtain for us a profound faith, a firm hope, a burning love for the Lord so that we can say with you: "It is no longer I but the Christ who lives in me." Help us to become apostles who serve the Church with a pure conscience, witnesses of its greatness and its beauty amid the darkness of our time. With you we praise God our Father, "To Him be the glory in the Church and in Christ from age to age forever." Amen.
On January 25, the Pope will celebrate Vespers at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls to conclude the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. EWTN's schedule of special programming includes a live broadcast and re-broadcast of that event.
Francis Cardinal Arinze gave the keynote address on the subject of the liturgy at the Archdiocese of St. Louis's Gateway Liturgical Conference November 11, 2007. The text is available from the Vatican and also, in three parts, from Zenit (Part 1, 2, and 3).
Other major addresses by Cardinal Arinze are also available on the Vatican's site for the Congregation for Divine Worship. His address on the liturgy given in Paris in October 2006, which is available on that page only in French, was posted on this blog in my translation here.
In an interview with L'Osservatore Romano published January 4, Claudio Cardinal Hummes, O.F.M., Prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy, announced an initiative for prayer for priests, including worldwide Eucharistic adoration for reparation for the damage caused by clergy sex abuse. Rorate Caeli has an English translation of two excerpts from the interview, and the full text in Italian.
Catholic News Service has an article about it today. According to that article, Cardinal Hummes said that while fewer than 1% of all priests are involved in problems with moral or sexual conduct, all priests need spiritual assistance to help them carry out their ministries. The purpose of the initiative is to provide that spiritual assistance to clergy. In addition, he said, the Church has always prayed for the reparation for the sins of all people.
The Cardinal sent a letter to bishops in December concerning the initiative. That letter reportedly requests two things. First, it seeks to have everyone participate in Eucharistic adoration in reparation for the damage that was done, upholding the integrity of the victims. Secondly, the initiative seeks "spiritual mothers" to pray for priests and for vocations to the priesthood.
In the L'Osservatore Romano interview, the Cardinal said that this initiative for a worldwide movement of perpetual Eucharistic adoration is intended to foster prayer for priests 24 hours per day, "so that from every corner of the earth, prayer of adoration, thanksgiving, praise, intercession and reparation is always rising to God: a 'prayer without ceasing' to bring about a sufficient number of holy vocations to the priesthood and, in addition, to spiritually support, with a sort of spiritual motherhood, the many already called to the priesthood." (my translation)
The initiative specifically mentions Eucharistic adoration because the Eucharist is the center of the life of the Church. In parishes throughout the world, people recognize that Jesus is present and can meet us in a direct way. Moreover, the Eucharist has a special connection with the clergy, who are ordained first and foremost for the purpose of celebrating the Eucharist.
Father Dwight Longenecker has a very worthwhile post today titled Church Militant or Church Mollified that considers whether the underlying problem in western Christianity is that it has lost its reason for existence in following the American view that life is about "the pursuit of happiness." He asks, "What if we perceive this world, not as a playground, but as a battleground?" What if we see the "confessional as the field hospital where we get healed after being wounded in battle, and the liturgy as the light of a letter or a food parcel from home?"
With the earliest states now choosing which candidates they will support in the upcoming Republican and Democratic primaries, now is a good time to draw new attention to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' statement on citizenship, titled "Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship." It was one of three statements adopted by the USCCB at its November 2007 bishops meeting. The other two were about stewardship and cooperation on responsible transition in Iraq.
The statement on citizenship and bulletin insert can also be ordered online to obtain professionally printed copies for personal use or parish distribution.
The National Catholic Register has a new article about the statement, mentioning the bishops' hands-on approach to preparing this new document. Without endorsing candidates or telling people how to vote, the bishops state that their role is "to teach fundamental moral principles that help Catholics form their consciences correctly, to provide guidance on the moral dimensions of public decisions, and to encourage the faithful to carry out their responsibilities in political life." (Section 15) The statement has 4 primary areas of concern:
1. Defending human life 2. Promoting family life 3. Pursuing social justice 4. Practicing global solidarity
It summarizes Church teaching on several issues of concern for Catholics and sets out 10 goals for political life (Section 90). The 10 goals offer challenges for citizens, candidates and public officials alike. As the NCR states that as many as 25% of the U.S. electorate are Catholic, it would be interesting for us, and surely worthwhile for the candidates, to consider the bishops' input on those moral dimensions of public life and to respond to them as they continue their campaigns for the U.S. election.
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