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The World Seen From Rome
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VATICAN DOSSIER Working Document Ready for October Synod Faithful Need Beatitude-Living Bishops Papal Appointments Give Prelates Multiple Tasks Neocatechumenate Gets Final Approval WORLD FEATURES Zimbabwean Bishops Plea for Peace Despite Odds Nuns Help Prostitutes Heal, Give Them Hope Watch Out Facebook, Here Comes Something Catholic IN FOCUS A Monastery to Last 1,000 Years ROME NOTES A Towering Meeting; Master of Color DOCUMENTS AT ZENIT WEB PAGE Scripture Synod Working Paper DOCUMENTS Papal Address to Bangladesh Prelates
VATICAN DOSSIER
Working Document Ready for October Synod
Bishops Hope to Bring More People to Read Scripture
By Jesús Colina
VATICAN CITY, JUNE 12, 2008 (
Zenit.org).- The Bible is the most translated book in the world, but not enough people are reading it. And this year's Synod of Bishops hopes to change that, the secretary-general said.
That is one of the goals Archbishop Nikola Eterovic mentioned today during a press conference in the Vatican to present the "instrumentum laboris" (working document), which will serve as guide for the October Vatican meeting.
The 12th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops will be held Oct. 5-26, and focus on the theme "The Word of God in the Life and Mission of the Church."
The instrumentum laboris, released today, was based on answers from episcopal conferences, Synods of the Eastern Churches, dioceses, religious congregations, and entities of the Roman Curia, to the lineamenta (guidelines) issued by the synod's secretariat. These institutions, in turn, consulted local structures such as parishes, movements and associations of the faithful.
The secretary-general explained to journalists that based on these contributions, this synod "should foster knowledge and love of the word of God which is living, effective and penetrating, in order to rediscover the infinite goodness of God who reveals himself to man as friend, encounters him and invites him to communion."
"Moreover," he added, "through the word of God, there is the hope of reinforcing the ecclesial community, fomenting the universal vocation to salvation, reinforcing the mission to those who are close and those far away, renewing imaginative charity, and attempting to contribute to the search for solutions to the many problems of contemporary man, who is hungry both for bread as well as for every word that comes from the mouth of God."
Bible lovers
According to the instrumentum laboris, one of the objectives of the synod is "to bring about a deep love for sacred Scripture, so that 'the faithful, by having greater access' to the Bible, might come to know the unity between the bread of the word and the Body of Christ so as to fully nourish the Christian life."
In particular, "lectio divina" will be promoted, that is, meditation on the word of God "adapted to different circumstances," Archbishop Eterovic added. "It seems vital to rediscover the bond between the word of God and the liturgy, which has its highest point in the celebration of holy Mass."
The Bible, he continued, has been translated into 2,454 languages, while in the world there are some 6,700 languages, 3,000 of which are considered major.
"The Bible is the most translated and disseminated book in the world but, unfortunately, it is not very read," he noted.
The secretary-general gave an example: According to recent research, "only 38% of Italian practicing Catholics have read a passage of the Bible in the past 12 months."
"More than 50% of those consulted in Italy and other countries believe that sacred Scripture is difficult to understand," the archbishop recounted. "Evidently, people need to be introduced and guided in an ecclesial understanding of the Bible."
"The synod will attempt to show the unity between the bread of the Word and of the Eucharist, between the Liturgy of the Word and the Eucharist, which are so united between themselves to the point of forming only one table of the bread of life," he continued, mentioning that the last synod focused on the Eucharist.
In fact, Archbishop Eterovic announced, the synodal assembly will have two important points of reference: the previous Synod on the Eucharist and the Pauline Year, which begins at the end of this month.
"The memory of St. Paul," the prelate suggested, "will inspire a new missionary drive in the Church for the benefit of the whole of humanity."
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On the Net:
Working Document: www.zenit.org/article-22878?l=english
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Faithful Need Beatitude-Living Bishops
Pope Encourages Bangladeshi Prelates in Mission
VATICAN CITY, JUNE 12, 2008 (
Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI says bishops need to live the beatitudes, so that their people who suffer poverty or discrimination can find in the prelates' guidance the faith to recognize God's blessings.
The Pope affirmed this today when he received in audience the bishops of Bangladesh in Rome for their five-yearly visit.
In his English-language address, he told them: "Bishops are called to be patient, mild and gentle in the spirit of the beatitudes. In this way they lead others to see all human realities in the light of the Kingdom of Heaven.
"Many of your people suffer from poverty, isolation or discrimination, and they look to you for spiritual guidance that will lead them to recognize in faith, and to experience in anticipation, that they are truly blessed by God."
The Holy Father emphasized the importance of an "effective transmission of the deposit of faith," noting the need for a sufficient number of lay catechists who are "well prepared and given due recognition by the faithful."
"As you know from your own pastoral experience, catechists play an integral role in preparing lay people to receive the sacraments," the Pontiff said. "This is especially true in the increasingly important work of preparing young men and women to recognize the sacrament of matrimony as a life-long covenant of faithful love and as a path to holiness.
"I have often mentioned my concern regarding the difficulty modern men and women have in making a lifelong commitment. There is an urgent need on the part of all Christians to reassert the joy of total self-giving in response to the radical call of the Gospel."
Vocational abundance
Benedict XVI lauded a "clear sign of this radical commitment" reflected in the "many vocations to the priesthood and the consecrated life the Church in your country is currently experiencing."
"My dear brothers," the Bishop of Rome continued, "you have much to offer the nation. In your love for your country you inspire tolerance, moderation and understanding. By encouraging people who share important values to cooperate for the common good, you help to consolidate your country's stability and to maintain it for the future.
"These efforts, however subtle, give effective support to the majority of your fellow citizens who uphold the country's noble tradition of mutual respect, tolerance and social harmony."
Benedict XVI also mentioned the role of the bishops in dialogue with other religions.
Such dialogue, "based on mutual respect and truth, cannot fail to have a positive influence on the social climate of your country," he said. "The delicacy of this task requires thorough preparation of clergy and lay people, first of all by offering them a deeper knowledge of their own faith and then by helping them to grow in their understanding of Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and the other religions present in your region."
Finally, the Holy Father mentioned the forthcoming Pauline year, "which will be for the whole Church a renewed invitation to announce with unfailing courage the Good News of Christ Jesus. [...] I am aware of the difficulties of this mission entrusted to you.
"Like the first Christians, you live as a small community among a large non-Christian population. Your presence is a sign that the preaching of the Gospel, which began in Jerusalem and Judea, continues to spread to the ends of the earth in accordance with the universal destination the Lord willed for it."
Bangladesh's population of some 153 million is majority Muslim, also with a large Hindu population. All other religions combined make up less than 1% of the population.
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Papal Appointments Give Prelates Multiple Tasks
Benedict XVI Names Members to Roman Curia
VATICAN CITY, JUNE 12, 2008 (
Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI made a series of appointments to the Roman Curia, asking several prelates to serve in various areas.
The Pope made appointments for seven Vatican congregations.
He named Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, archbishop of Genoa, Italy, to three congregations, firstly to the Congregation for Eastern Churches.
The Italian prelate was also named, along with three other cardinals, to the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments. Cardinals Agustín García-Gasco y Vicente, archbishop of Valencia, Spain; Théodore-Adrien Sarr, archbishop of Dakar, Senegal, and John Foley, grand master of the Equestrian Order of the Knights of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem, were also placed on that congregation.
Cardinal Bagnasco was further appointed to the Congregation for Bishops, as were Cardinals André Vingt-Trois, archbishop of Paris; Cardinal Giovanni Lajolo, president of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State and of the Governorate of Vatican City State, and Cardinal Stanislaw Rylko, president of the Pontifical Council for the Laity.
Cardinal Foley was named to the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, along with Cardinal Sarr; Cardinals John Njue, archbishop of Nairobi, Kenya; Leonardo Sandri, prefect of the Congregation for Eastern Churches; and Paul Cordes, president of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum.
Cardinal Cordes was also named to the Congregation for Saints' Causes, along with Cardinal Rylko and Cardinals Angelo Comastri, archpriest of the papal basilica of St. Peter's in the Vatican, the Pope's vicar for Rome, and president of the Fabric of St. Peter's; and Raffaele Farina, archivist and librarian of Holy Roman Church.
Cardinal Cordes was further named to the Congregation for the Clergy, along with Cardinals Odilo Scherer, archbishop of São Paulo, Brazil; and Cardinal Njue.
Cardinal Farina was made a member of the Congregation for Catholic Education.
Other appointments were:
Cardinal Lluís Martínez Sistach of Barcelona, Spain, as a member of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura and as a member of the Pontifical Council for the Laity.
As members of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, Cardinal Sean Baptist Brady, archbishop of Armagh, Ireland, and Cardinal Sandri.
As members of the presidential committee of the Pontifical Council for the Family, Cardinal García-Gasco y Vicente and Cardinal Vingt-Trois.
Cardinal Cordes was named a member of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace.
Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, archbishop of Galveston-Houston, was appointed a member of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Travelers.
Cardinal Sandri was made a member of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue.
Cardinal Lajolo was appointed a member of the Pontifical Council for Culture and the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See.
As members of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, the Pope appointed Cardinal Francisco Robles Ortega, archbishop of Monterrey, Mexico, and Cardinal Rylko.
As members of the Pontifical Commission for the Cultural Patrimony of the Church, Cardinal Brady and Cardinal Farina were named.
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Neocatechumenate Gets Final Approval
Statutes Receive Church Recognition
VATICAN CITY, JUNE 12, 2008 (
Zenit.org).- The Catholic lay Neocatechumenal Way has received the Church's final approval of its statues; the degree of recognition will be presented to the group's founders Friday.
Cardinal Stanislaw Rylko, president of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, will give Kiko Argüello and Carmen Hernández the decree expressing the Church's approval of the groups organization and charism.
The group began in Spain in 1964, the mid 1960s. It is parish-based and forms small communities of renewal within parishes.
The Way was initiated by painter Argüello, a convert from atheistic existentialism, and Hernández, a missionary. They worked among prostitutes, gypsies and ex-convicts in a novel approach to the evangelization of the "fallen away."
Archbishop Casimiro Morcillo of Madrid was the first prelate to support the movement, on his return from the Second Vatican Council. The first communities were born in the parishes of Zamora, Madrid and Rome. Today they are active in some 5,000 parishes worldwide.
According to the founders, the Way is a concrete response to numerous pastoral intuitions of Vatican II, such as, the rediscovery of the Easter Vigil, the laity's participation in evangelization. An example of this last principle is the novelty of sending "families on mission," in response to requests from local bishops to provide, together with a priest, an initial evangelization for those areas where the Church has not been established.
The groups first official recognition came in 1990 in the form of a letter of acknowledgement from the Pontifical Council for the Laity, in which Pope John Paul II described the Way as "an itinerary of Catholic formation valid for our society and for our times."
Then, on June 29, 2002, the Way's statutes were approved by the same Council for a period of five years, which has ended with the present final approval.
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WORLD FEATURES
Zimbabwean Bishops Plea for Peace Despite Odds
Decry "Despicable Atrocities"
By Kathleen Naab
HARARE, Zimbabwe, JUNE 12, 2008 (
Zenit.org).- The fact that Zimbabwe's bishops are still pleading for peace in their country is itself a sign of their Christian hope.
A matter-of-fact observation in their latest statement is another: The sun will continue to rise after the runoff election.
But there is little to be hopeful about in Zimbabwe. And the eight prelates and monsignor who signed today's appeal for peace said a phrase from Genesis has come to their minds: "Your brother's blood cries out to me from the soil."
Zimbabwe headed into presidential elections in March with a dire-enough situation. The inflation percentage already had so many zeroes that it took thousands of Zimbabwean dollars to buy a chicken. But when President Robert Mugabe refused to release the results of the election -- for more than a long month -- the situation dramatically worsened.
When the results were finally released, which Mugabe's opponent and much of the international community rejected as falsified, there was no clear victor. A runoff election was then set for June 27.
Meanwhile, as Zimbabwe's bishops again attested today, a "reign of violence […] has been unleashed on the country, especially in the rural areas and former commercial farming areas."
"Base camps from which militias terrorize defenseless rural populations must be disbanded as a matter of urgency," the bishops wrote. "People are being force-marched to political re-orientation meetings and are told that they voted 'wrongly' in the presidential poll on March 29, 2008, and that on June 27, 2008, they will be given the last opportunity to 'correct their mistake,' else the full-scale shooting war of the 1970s will resume.
"It is in this context that despicable atrocities are being committed by members of both contesting parties, ZANU PF and MDC. The words of Genesis 4:10 come to our mind, 'Your brother's blood cries out to me from the soil.' Innocent blood is being spilt. The perpetrators are known. We appeal to the political parties to exercise restraint."
Catholics, too
The bishops lamented that "it is sad to see Christians, including Catholics, among the perpetrators of such violence. Where are our Christian principles and values?"
And regardless of the aggressors' creed, the bishops affirmed that the "prevailing animosity will make post-election reconciliation, unity and healing more difficult to achieve. We call for a conducive environment that enables people to vote according to their consciences. Hatred, intimidation and violence cannot have the last word in our society."
The prelates asked again for measures to make the June 27 election believable.
They called for those who have been displaced or deprived of their identification cards to be allowed to vote. Human rights groups earlier reported that opposition supporters were being given food only in exchange for the IDs they need to vote.
The bishops also asked for the "de-politicization of the armed and uniformed forces and traditional leaders. We call for an immediate cessation of violence and all provocative statements and actions."
They asked for independent monitors and observers, "throughout the country, particularly the rural areas."
"We call for a balanced coverage of the two contesting parties and candidates on state media, which is funded by public funds," they added.
Finally, the bishops said: "We renew the call to prayer for all our needs, which include a credible electoral process, food and provisions for our families, education for our children, medicines for the sick and respect for every human life and dignity.
"Electoral processes and outcomes are not an excuse for breaching God's commandments. The sun will still rise on June 28, 2008, well after the elections. May our present conduct help Zimbabwe rise too, to assume its rightful place among the nations of the world."
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Nuns Help Prostitutes Heal, Give Them Hope
Draw Strength From Charism of Eucharistic Adoration
By Mirko Testa
ROME, JUNE 12, 2008 (
Zenit.org).- A group of religious sisters devoted to Eucharistic adoration say they find the same God in the Blessed Sacrament that they see in the girls with whom they work -- young women rescued from the prostitution trade.
Sister Aurelia Agredano explained the work of her congregation, the Order of the Sisters of Adoration, Slaves of the Blessed Sacrament and of Charity, at a conference in Rome on the plague of human trafficking.
Addressing the congress on June 4, Sister Aurelia explained the projects carried out by her congregation -- which was born in Madrid in 1856 -- to combat the traffic of women for sexual exploitation. Today the congregation has close to 1,300 religious in 22 countries (virtually in all of Latin America, but also in Japan, Cambodia and Vietnam).
The founder, St. María Micaela of the Blessed Sacrament, belonged to the Spanish aristocracy. From her youth, she was active in apostolates and charitable works.
While caring for girls suffering from venereal diseases in Madrid's St. John of God Hospital, she met a young patient -- "the girl with the shawl, who fell victim to an evil life" -- and convinced her to return to her family.
It was then that the religious discovered the social reality of prostitution and decided to found schools to help such girls, victims of poverty and ignorance.
Protagonists
Sister Aurelia Agredano, who has eight years of experience living beside girls from various countries who have fallen into the net of human trade, spoke with ZENIT about the project "Hope," founded in Spain in 1999.
"It is a program that puts women at the center, in their concrete realities, and calls for a choice made in full liberty," she explained. "More specifically, it is a path marked by stages characterized by concrete objectives and different structures of hospitality, where the woman is the authentic protagonist and recipient of individualized and integral care from the physical, psychological, social and spiritual point of view.
"In this way, through daily life in our 'Family Homes,' they begin to recover their lost confidence, start to take active part, to return to a normal life with study, the search for employment … until they achieve complete autonomy."
Social evil
Some 50 women have passed through the congregation's three homes, but about 300 are in contact.
"We are very active in denouncing this social [evil], with activities programmed through the media, magazines and videos," Sister Aurelia said. "We encourage awareness programs to generate common spaces for critical reflection, but above all we are committed to formation
"Our founder saw in formation the only means of salvation or rescue for these girls. Because of this, the social promotion and reinsertion [of the girls] is important, otherwise they run the risk of falling again into the same vicious circle."
The Spanish nun explained that the healing process takes close to two years -- "and it is not simple."
"At first," she said, "we engage in awareness-building at police stations, immigrant centers and embassies. In our reception homes, we live with them, attempting to create a family atmosphere, with all the difficulties entailed, given the diversity of languages and psychological dynamics that are a consequence of the sufferings they have endured."
Threatened
And an already complicated situation is made worse by frequent threats from the "owners" and managers who stand to lose money and business when the girls are rescued.
"We try to be very prudent and agile by changing our dwelling from one place to another," Sister Aurelia acknowledged. "We had to close a home in Belgium because we were threatened."
At the end of the program, the girls can decide if they return to their countries or stay. "In the [latter] case, we offer the opportunity to study the [local] language, to be trained and to seek work," the religious sister explained.
The projects are financed in general by the congregation itself or related foundations, and at times by public and private grants.
But it is the spiritual motivation that keeps the homes up and running.
"Our mission is nourished by continual adoration of the Eucharistic Jesus, in spirit and truth, and directed to liberating and promoting women exploited by prostitution or victims of other situations of slavery," Sister Aurelia affirmed. "We, the adorers, want to look at the world from the Eucharist; the God we adore in the Sacrament is the same we find each time in the women to whom we are sent.
"As adorers, we address the reality of a woman-victim of trade, from a concrete spirituality and pedagogy: a Eucharistic spirituality and the pedagogy of love."
The secret is this, she said: "To educate in liberty and with love, 'without punishments or harshness,' as our founder affirmed. To respect the young girls, to believe in them, to make each one feel important and a protagonist of her own future."
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Watch Out Facebook, Here Comes Something Catholic
Social Networking Site Launched for Sydney Youth Day
SYDNEY, Australia, JUNE 12, 2008 (
Zenit.org).- The archbishop of Sydney launched the first-ever online social networking site developed especially for a World Youth Day, and he's looking for friends.
Based on other popular social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace, the Sydney World Youth Day organizers developed Xt3.com, which stands for Christ in the Third Millennium.
Cardinal George Pell, along with Bishop Anthony Fisher, coordinator of the Sydney World Youth Day, launched the site today at the Telstra Experience Centre with 100 young people. He invited them all to "come online and become one of my friends."
Xt3.com is the exclusive online social network for World Youth Day Sydney 2008, and will connect pilgrims with each other before, during and after the event.
While showing those present his profile on Xte.com, Cardinal Pell admitted he's new to the Internet: "Whatever about my ignorance on this area, it's more than balanced by my recognition of its importance, and my determination that representatives of the Church be actively presented in this area."
"I'm pleased too that I have been persuaded to come online," he added.
Bishop Fisher said at the launch: "We are very excited to launch Xt3.com and to be helping young people and their friends plan their trip and share their faith and excitement for World Youth Day.
"The name Xt3 was inspired by Pope John Paul II and stands for Christ in the Third Millennium. Pope John Paul II spoke of young people's special task to bring the message of Christ to the world in the third Millennium.
"It is hoped that Xt3 users will continue to connect after World Youth Day in July, to build upon friendships made and continue dialogue about what it means to be a young person of faith."
Legacy
Xt3.com is the brainchild of two English brothers, John and Robert Toone, along with Chris Purslow, who will continue to promote the site with the Archdiocese of Sydney after World Youth Day.
"This site has been launched in time for the Sydney event," said Robert Toone, "but it is a legacy piece for the Catholic Church in Australia and the world."
"It is an online platform to enable pilgrims to connect with millions, share the experience and build a better world," he said.
In addition to normal social networking features, such as the ability to join groups, create a profile and post pictures, the site also gives its members the opportunity to submit a question to "Ask a Priest" and ask for prayer intentions.
More than 2,000 users joined the test site since February 2008 to provide testing, feedback, and to enhance the site in time for its worldwide launch.
"This will be the most interactive World Youth Day event to date," said Michael Rocca, group managing director for Telstra Networks and Services.
Pointing to other interactive features such as Papal SMS's and Digital Prayer Walls, he said pilgrims will be "involved before, during and after the event."
A group of trained administrators will oversee Xt3 on a 24-hour basis to ensure that images, videos, comments and discussions are appropriate.
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IN FOCUS
A Monastery to Last 1,000 Years
Traditional Benedictines Flourish in Eastern Oklahoma
By Jason Adkins
HULBERT, Oklahoma, JUNE 12, 2008 (
Zenit.org).- It’s been said that when the revolution comes, you won’t read about it in the newspapers.
Indeed, when the history of this part of the world is written, it may point to the recent establishment of a monastery amid the rolling hills and lakes of eastern Oklahoma as an event of momentous consequence for fostering a renaissance of Christian culture.
On my return drive to Minnesota after living for a year in Texas, I chose to spend some time at Our Lady of the Annunciation of Clear Creek monastery where an order of Benedictine monks, known as the “Clear Creek monks,” is attempting to rebuild monastic life and Christian culture in America from the ground up -- literally.
There, along with sharing in the common life of the monks, I spoke to the monastery’s prior, Father Philip Anderson, about the history and mission of this new monastic community.
Foundation
Father Anderson told me the Clear Creek monks’ story begins at the University of Kansas. There, a Great Books program, funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities, gave students the opportunity to encounter the culture and ideas of Western Civilization.
This program run by John Senior was not a relativistic one -- allowing students to pick and choose among various philosophical viewpoints -- as is common among programs of that type.
Rather, the success of the program resulted from Senior’s willingness to propose answers to the deepest questions, and point to Catholicism as the source of the many fruits the West has produced. Senior also stressed the importance of the Latin language as the medium through which this common civilization and its achievements were bound together.
According to Father Anderson, the program became wildly popular and produced not a few converts to the faith; then some prominent university donors protested and the program was shut down. But Senior spawned a small movement among students that did not end with the closure of the great books program.
When some students, one of whom was Father Anderson, approached Senior about how to rebuild a civilization being lost to modern technocratic society, Senior suggested the students go find some monks in Europe -- for there were few, if any, left in America -- who were living a traditional monastic life.
The journey eventually led Father Anderson and his companions to the medieval French Benedictine Abbey of Fontgombault, where they were welcomed and received formation in the religious life according to the Rule of St. Benedict. All along, these monks intended to return to America to establish a new monastery on their native soil.
The wait would last almost 25 years, concluding in 1998 when Bishop Edward Slattery of Tulsa invited the monks from Fontgombault to form a foundation community of that abbey in his diocese.
According to Father Anderson, building the monastery in eastern Oklahoma was the result of a fortuitous combination of an enthusiastic bishop, a Midwestern location -- close to many of Senior’s original students who could contribute to the foundation -- and the right piece of property. Father Anderson described the rocky property as “perfect for the monastic life.”
Since 1999, the original American monks, along with some Canadian and French brethren, have lived at the Clear Creek site near Hulbert, Oklahoma, where they have slowly -- but quickly, in monastic terms -- been building a monastery.
Marking the Hours
The Clear Creek monastic life centers on liturgical prayer, particularly the Liturgy of the Hours, which the monks chant in Latin eight times a day. The monk’s life, says Father Anderson, is a life of prayer: “God exists, and we have been created for him.” Praying the hours as a community allows the monks to give constant praise and thanks to the living, creator God.
The monks use the traditional -- or extraordinary -- form of the Roman liturgy. Father Anderson told me that the monks believe the traditional liturgy is more suited to the type of traditional, contemplative monastic life they wish to live. It is a symbol and embodiment, he said, of the type of cultural and religious life the monks desire to preserve.
I asked Father Anderson how the monks financially support their quiet life of prayer and praise. He said that unlike some monastic orders that make only one product and often have to build an adjoining factory to mass produce their goods, the Clear Creek monks engage in a variety of tasks and trades. The monks earn their living by raising sheep, running an orchard and vegetable farm, and making cheese, clothes and furniture.
Because the monks can perform many of the tasks needed to run the monastery, operational costs are pretty low. But building a Romanesque church for their monastery, which will be able to last a thousand years, is another matter.
"Per omnia saecula saeculorum"
The Clear Creek monks are raising money to build their church -- one they hope remains a landmark on the Oklahoma landscape for ages to come.
The monks believe their new church will be a sign of contradiction in a consumerist culture where everything is transient or can be thrown away when no longer useful. Change seems to be the only constant. The destabilizing elements in our culture are “poison for the soul” Father Anderson said.
The monks believe that people will always need faith and a culture that derives from that faith. According to the monks’ informational pamphlet, people “need a place in which they can reconnect with creation and with the silent center of their own being where God awaits them. The monastery is such a place.”
“The church will represent something permanent,” Father Anderson continued. “Architecture can have a spiritual effect on people. We hope to build something beautiful that will give value to this region and the people can be proud of.”
Father Anderson hopes construction on the church can begin sometime in 2009.
I asked Father Anderson whether the Clear Creek monks desired to rebuild civilization in America. He laughed and said that the Benedictines had “built Europe without even trying.”
“We focus on prayer,” he said. “We can only see the effects of our life indirectly like we see the ripples from a drop in a pond.”
According to Father Anderson, the work of the monks operates like concentric circles. Everything is centered on the interior life. But that has an effect on everything else, particularly the work of the monks. And the monastic way of life fosters a more contemplative way of being -- a life that explores the important questions and expresses itself through art, music festivals and literature -- that is, true culture.
Already, people have moved close to the monastery to share in the life of the monks, just like in the Middle Ages. Many laity and families show up at all times of day for Mass and to pray the hours with the monks.
Father Anderson said the diocese hopes to erect a parish nearby to assist in serving the spiritual needs of these many newcomers.
The Clear Creek monks already number 30, with three or four more expected to enter this year. The new residence they built is already filled to capacity and new monks will have to be housed in sheds adjacent to the monastery.
Father Anderson believes that the Clear Creek monks’ focus on the traditional monastic activities of prayer and manual labor, rather than following the path that many monasteries took by limiting their liturgical life in order to focus on running schools, is the secret of the monks’ vocational success.
As he said, “the life of a monk, hands folded in prayer, is a sermon without words.”
Hopefully, the story of the Clear Creek monks will inspire not only a renaissance in monastic life in the United States, but inspire teachers to be like John Senior and educate their students in truth, beauty, and goodness -- even at great professional cost.
With more teachers like Senior, and monks like those at Clear Creek, the possibility of the renewal of authentic monastic and Christian cultural life in America looks brighter.
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On the Net:
Our Lady of the Annunciation of Clear Creek Monastery:
http://www.clearcreekmonks.org"The Restoration of Christian Culture" by John Senior (IHS Press):
http://www.ihspress.com/index1.htm
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ROME NOTES
A Towering Meeting; Master of Color
Pope Receives Bush in Vatican Gardens
ROME, JUNE 11, 2008 (
Zenit.org).- Like the spring rainstorms that have been sporadically sweeping Rome the past month, a train of high-profile visitors has been making every day an adventure in the Eternal City.
Forty-three heads of state for the U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization summit, Tom Hanks and Ron Howard filming "Angels and Demons," and protests regarding the presence of the president of Iran have invaded piazzas, displaced traffic and given each day a little touch of Roman theater.
This week the catwalk of illustrious visitors reached its climax when U.S. President George Bush flew into town Wednesday. The visit is part of a five-country tour of Europe, almost like a farewell appearance after his eight years in office.
The president is in Rome to visit old friends such as the newly re-elected prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, but he's also making time for a new friend, Benedict XVI. Counting President Bush’s last trip to Rome in June 2007, this meeting will be the third encounter between the two men.
In response to President Bush’s warm reception of the Pope at the White House last April, Benedict XVI made an interesting overture toward forging a more personal bond by selecting a significant venue for their meeting.
In Rome, place is everything. Palaces with myriads of rooms designed for every rung on the protocol ladder, and important historical narratives splashed across every wall bespeak of a city with a strong sense of hierarchy.
From the Renaissance era, Popes developed more informal settings for meetings, looking for places where they could converse in a more relaxed environment surrounded by the beauty of nature.
Benedict XVI chose to host the president not in his office at the end of endless corridors and dramatic spaces, but in the Tower of St. John in the Vatican Gardens, a site traditionally associated with the more intimate moments and friends of the papacy.
The Tower of St. John grows out of the ancient Leonine walls built by Pope Leo IV to protect the precious relics of St. Peter against Saracen attacks in 852. Pope Nicholas V expanded the walls adding towers, including the one known today as the Tower of St. John.
The name probably was given to the structure after Pope John XXIII restored the space, intending to use it a private place of retreat. Little bronze statues of St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist flank the coat-of-arms of John XXIII above the simple and austere entrance arch.
The tower has since been used briefly by both Pope John Paul II in 1978, shortly after his election, and Cardinal Bertone when he was appointed secretary of state. It is best known as a guest residence for special friends of the Pope.
The tower is perched at the highest part of the gardens in one of the most tranquil spots of the Vatican City State. The replica of the grotto of Lourdes is just a few meters away, and it is surrounded by a stunning botanical garden.
The natural setting of the tower is one of the most touching messages of the site. Sheltered by the Leonine wall, dozens of species of plants from all over the world thrive side by side. Exotic and delicate Japanese trees contrast with florid American Magnolias, while a young olive tree sinks its roots into Vatican soil to commemorate the beginning of Vatican-Israeli relations in 1994.
After the meeting, the two men will leave the formal garden and walk toward the English garden where they will stop at the Shrine of the Madonna of the Guardia. This elegant brick aedicule rendered precious by mosaic inlay was a gift to Pope Benedict XV, from his native home of Genoa.
On Aug. 29, 1490, outside a tiny impoverished village near Genoa, the Blessed Virgin appeared before a local farmer named Benedetto (Benedict) Pareto, asking him to build a Church to her on the rough and mountainous site.
Benedict XVI recalled this apparition when he paid homage to Virgin at the start of his apostolic pilgrimage to Genoa last month. He observed that when the farmer worried about all his difficulties, Mary replied, “Trust in me! You will not lack the means. With my help everything will be easy. Only be firm in your will.”
Benedict XVI told the faithful of Genoa: “Mary repeats this again to us today. An ancient prayer, very dear to popular tradition, has us address these words to her, that today we make our own: 'Remember, O, most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help or sought thy intercession was left unaided.'”
These words contain some sound advice for our troubled age.
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Bringing Down a Little Heaven
Sixteenth-century art critic Giorgio Vasari said it best when describing the work of Antonio Allegri, otherwise known as Correggio, “No one ever handled colors better than Correggio, or produced paintings of greater delicacy.”
A new exhibition at the Galleria Borghese presents 25 paintings by this master from Emilia Romagna who lived at the height of the Italian High Renaissance. This is the first large-scale presentation of “moveable” works by an artist whose greatest claim to fame are his frescos in his home city of Parma.
The Borghese Villa was an inspired choice for the show as the permanent collection contains masterpieces by the best of High Renaissance artists such as Raphael and Titian. With Correggio’s works placed side-by-side with their more famous counterparts, visitors can see the unique contributions that the Emilian painter brought to this fertile artistic age.
Comparing the strong but elegant line of Raphael’s "
Entombment" to Correggio’s "
Lamentation Over Dead Christ," one can see that Correggio’s warm colors do much to soften the scene.
Raphael’s figures all fit perfectly into the frame and the composition, whereas Correggio’s image cuts back diagonally toward the cross, and one figure is partially cut out of the scene, giving it a greater sense of immediacy.
Both artists try to appeal to the heart of the viewer. Raphael gives us the poignant contrast of Mary Magdalene’s warm, pink palm cradling the green, lifeless hand of Christ, while the Virgin Mary swoons on the other side of the panel, mirroring the dead Christ’s expression.
Correggio’s Mary also echoes her son’s expression, but with Jesus sprawled across her lap as she sits on ground, the bond between the mother and Son is intensified.
Even compared with the Venetian Titian, world famous for his brilliant use of color, Correggio stands apart. Titian’s masterpiece of "Sacred and Profane Love" is the pride and joy of the Borghese gallery, and for this occasion, the curators brought together Correggio’s four great paintings of the "Loves of Jupiter" from different collections to show the two great painters of female beauty side-by-side.
Titian’s creamy white flesh emerging from chocolate brown shadow and enlivened by streaks of bright fuchsia, provides seemingly tangible effects in his works, Correggio, on the other hand is more subtle; he paints smoke, light or fog, adding a heady atmospheric quality to his works.
The Galleria emphasizes Correggio’s success as a painter of mythological love stories, noting that Scipione Borghese also commissioned a series of mythological sculptures from Bernini.
It is this very quality which made him an excellent religious artist. The same sensuality with which he paints golden hair or soft skin helps viewers imagine the tenderness of baby Jesus with his shining curls and glowing cheeks. It seems at times that one could almost smell the sweet baby scent of the infant Christ.
This appeal to the senses and emotions made Correggio the precursor to the Baroque era. Several of Annibale Carracci’s works, for example, were deeply influenced by Correggio’s "
Noli Me Tangere" featured in the exhibition as well as the abovementioned "Lamentation."
Even Caravaggio found inspiration in Correggio’s works. The great gap in the show is the "
Nativity at Night" from 1522, which unfortunately was not loaned to the gallery. In this work, the Baby Jesus becomes the source of illumination for the panel -- literally the light that came into the world.
The exhibit does have the Uffizi "
Adoration of the Child" however, which renders the same idea.
Even Bernini drew upon the ideas of Correggio. His famous "
Truth Unveiled by Time," sculpted in 1650, drew on the sketch for “
The Allegory of Virtue” in Borghese’s collection.
Correggio’s greatest works were the frescos of the Parma Cathedral where he shows the Virgin Mary assumed bodily into heaven in a spiral of clouds and angels in golden light. These, of course, cannot be moved, but several drawings reveal the extraordinary draftsmanship that would later inspire the Carracci family.
The accuracy of line allowed viewers to feel as if they were glimpsing angels soaring overhead, while the brilliant coloring made one feel bathed in warm, heavenly light.
The joyful love that permeated all his works allowed the brush of Correggio to bring heaven a little closer to earth.
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Elizabeth Lev teaches Christian Art and architecture at Duquesne University’s Italian campus. She can be reached at lizlev@zenit.org.
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DOCUMENTS at ZENIT Web Page
Scripture Synod Working Paper
VATICAN CITY, JUNE 12, 2008 (
Zenit.org).- The full text of the "instrumentum laboris," or working document, of the XII Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on "The Word of God in the Life and Mission of the Church" is available on ZENIT's Web site.
The text was presented today by Archbishop Nikola Eterovic, secretary general of the Synod of Bishops. The synod will take place Oct. 5-26.
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On the Net:
Working document:
http://www.zenit.org/article-22878?l=english
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DOCUMENTS
Papal Address to Bangladesh Prelates
"Bishops Are Called to Be Patient, Mild and Gentle"
VATICAN CITY, JUNE 12, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Here is the English-langauge address Benedict XVI gave today upon receiving the bishops of Bangladesh, in Rome for their five-yearly visit.
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Dear Brother Bishops,
It is with great joy that I welcome you, the Bishops of Bangladesh, on your quinquennial visit to the tombs of the Apostles Peter and Paul. I thank Archbishop Costa for the kind words he has addressed to me on your behalf. Your generous love of God, your solicitude for the people entrusted to your care by the Lord Jesus, and your bond of unity in the Holy Spirit are for me a cause of profound joy and thanksgiving.
Personal integrity and holiness of life are essential components of a Bishop’s witness since "before becoming one who hands on the word, the Bishop must be a hearer of the word" (cf. Pastores Gregis, 15). Again and again our Christian experience demonstrates the Gospel paradox that joy and fulfilment are to be attained through the complete gift of self for the sake of Christ and his Kingdom (cf. Mk 8:35). Bishops are called to be patient, mild and gentle in the spirit of the beatitudes. In this way they lead others to see all human realities in the light of the Kingdom of Heaven (cf. Mt 5:1-12). Their personal witness of evangelical integrity is complemented and strengthened by the many fruits of grace which the Spirit produces in the faithful as they tend to the perfection of charity (cf. Lumen Gentium, 39). For this reason, I join you in giving thanks to Almighty God for the growth and fervour of the Catholic community in Bangladesh, especially amid the daily challenges it faces. Many of your people suffer from poverty, isolation or discrimination, and they look to you for spiritual guidance that will lead them to recognize in faith, and to experience in anticipation, that they are truly blessed by God (cf. Lk 6:22).
As successors of the Apostles, you are called in a special way to teach God’s chosen people, availing yourselves of the many gifts God has granted his community for the effective transmission of the deposit of Faith. In this regard, I appreciate your efforts to ensure that your lay catechists are sufficient in number, well prepared and given due recognition by the faithful. I pray that their example and dedication will draw other lay men and women to a more active role in the Church’s apostolates. As you know from your own pastoral experience, catechists play an integral role in preparing laypeople to receive the sacraments. This is especially true in the increasingly important work of preparing young men and women to recognize the Sacrament of Matrimony as a life-long covenant of faithful love and as a path to holiness. I have often mentioned my concern regarding the difficulty modern men and women have in making a lifelong commitment (cf. Address to the Bishops of the United States of America, 16 April 2008) . There is an urgent need on the part of all Christians to reassert the joy of total self-giving in response to the radical call of the Gospel.
One clear sign of this radical commitment is seen in the many vocations to the priesthood and the consecrated life the Church in your country is currently experiencing. I encourage your efforts to offer these candidates suitable formation that will bring forth abundant fruits. In this regard, I also wish to express my heartfelt gratitude for the generous assistance offered by the Church in other countries, especially Korea, in the preparation of your seminarians and priests.
The Church is Catholic: a community embracing peoples of all races and languages, and not limited to any one culture or particular social, economic or political system (cf. Gaudium et Spes, 42). She is at the service of the entire human family, freely sharing her gifts for the well-being of all. This gives her a connatural ability to foster unity and peace. My dear brothers, you and your people, as promoters of harmony and peace, have much to offer the nation. In your love for your country you inspire tolerance, moderation and understanding. By encouraging people who share important values to cooperate for the common good, you help to consolidate your country’s stability and to maintain it for the future. These efforts, however subtle, give effective support to the majority of your fellow citizens who uphold the country’s noble tradition of mutual respect, tolerance and social harmony. May you likewise continue to sustain and counsel Catholic lay people and all who wish to offer their service for the good of society in public office, social communications, in education, healthcare and social assistance. May they always rejoice in the knowledge that Christ accepts as a gesture of personal love whatever good is done to the least of his brothers (cf. Mt 25:40).
I am aware of recent initiatives you have taken in the field of interreligious dialogue, and I exhort you to persevere with patient dedication to this essential component of the Church’s mission ad gentes (Ecclesia in Asia, 31). Indeed, much good can be accomplished when it is conducted in a spirit of mutual understanding and collaboration in truth and freedom. All men and women have an obligation to seek the truth. When it is found, they are compelled to model their entire lives in accordance with its demands (cf. Dignitatis Humanae, 2). Consequently, the most important contribution we can bring to interreligious dialogue is our knowledge of Jesus of Nazareth, "the way, the truth and the life" (Jn 14:6). Dialogue, based on mutual respect and truth, cannot fail to have a positive influence on the social climate of your country. The delicacy of this task requires thorough preparation of clergy and lay people, first of all by offering them a deeper knowledge of their own faith and then by helping them to grow in their understanding of Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and the other religions present in your region.
At the end of this month, we will begin the celebration of the Pauline Year, which will be for the whole Church a renewed invitation to announce with unfailing courage the Good News of Christ Jesus. Saint Paul was not ashamed to preach the Gospel; he saw in it the power of God to save (cf. Rom 1:16). I am aware of the difficulties of this mission entrusted to you. Like the first Christians, you live as a small community among a large non-Christian population. Your presence is a sign that the preaching of the Gospel, which began in Jerusalem and Judea, continues to spread to the ends of the earth in accordance with the universal destination the Lord willed for it (cf. Acts 1:8). My prayers accompany you as you lead your priests, men and women religious and lay faithful along the path marked out by so many dedicated missionaries, beginning with Saint Francis Xavier, who brought the Gospel to your country. The Church you represent "proclaims the Good News with loving respect and esteem for her listeners" (Ecclesia in Asia, 20). Continue this task with goodness and simplicity, and with "creativity in charity" (cf. Pastores Gregis, 73), according to your talents, your specific graces and the means at your disposal. Have confidence in the Lord who opens the hearts of listeners to heed what is announced in his name (cf. Acts 16:14).
Dear brother Bishops, I know that you find great courage and inspiration in the words of Christ who commissioned you, "Behold I am with you always, unto the end of time" (Mt 28:20). As you return to your homeland, please convey my prayerful encouragement and affectionate good wishes to your priests, men and women religious, your catechists and all your beloved people. To each of you, and to those entrusted to your pastoral care, I cordially impart my Apostolic Blessing.
© Copyright 2008 -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana
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