ZENIT
The World Seen From Rome
Daily dispatch - January 06, 2009
VATICAN DOSSIER Benedict XVI: Children Have Right to Security Pontiff Offers More Than Good Luck in '09 Pope Confirms Need of Man's Search for Meaning Benedict XVI Praying for the Family in January WORLD FEATURES Vatican Praise for UK Prelate's Defense of Family Mideast Leaders Beg Peace Pope to Send 2 Messages to Family Encounter NEWS BRIEFS New Archbishops for Detroit and Vancouver Survey: Americans More Pro-Life Than Their Laws ANGELUS On the Epiphany On the Feast of Mary, Mother of God On John's Synthesis of Christian Faith LITURGY Shifting or Substituting the Sunday Liturgy
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VATICAN DOSSIER
Benedict XVI: Children Have Right to Security
Continues Plea for End to Gaza Conflict
VATICAN CITY, JAN. 6, 2009 (
Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI appealed for the protection of children, especially those "denied a serene childhood," on a feast day that in many countries is a celebration the youngest members of society.
The Pope made his appeal today after praying the Angelus together with thousands gathered in St. Peter's Square. The Pontiff made a special request to armed groups in Congo to release children captured as soldiers.
"I call out to the authors of these inhuman brutalities to return these young people to their families and to a future of security and development, which is their right," the Pontiff said.
The Holy Father said acts such as these "are even more deplorable give that in 2009 the 20th anniversary of the Convention of the Rights of the Child will be celebrated." He encouraged the international community to renew their commitment to the convention and to "defend and promote childhood throughout the world."
After greeting the Eastern Churches, who follow the Julian calendar and will celebrate Christmas on Wednesday, Benedict XVI turned his attention to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
"I am deeply worried about the violent armed confrontations that are taking place on the Gaza border," he said.
The Pope affirmed that "the rejection of dialogue doesn't bring anything but war," and encouraged efforts to "help the Israelis and Palestinians to sit down at a table and talk."
"May God support the commitment of these builders of peace," he added.
International efforts are under way to propose a cease-fire between Israel and the Islamic militants of Hamas. The 11-day conflict has resulted in more than 600 deaths.
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Pontiff Offers More Than Good Luck in '09
Says Hope Is Anchored by Christian Faith
VATICAN CITY, JAN. 6, 2009 (
Zenit.org).- Holiday best wishes are made "reliable" by the Christian faith, which anchors the traditional greetings to the incarnation of Christ, says Benedict XVI.
The Pope affirmed this when he greeted the New Year with an address before praying the midday Angelus on Jan. 1 with thousands gathered in St. Peter's Square.
After expressing his "fervent best wishes for peace and every good thing," the Holy Father said that "with the grace of the Lord -- and only with it -- we can always hope anew that the future will be better than the past."
And this hope, he affirmed, is not based on good luck or the "secrets of the markets," but instead in "we ourselves making the effort to be a little better and more responsible, so as to be able to count on the Lord's benevolence."
"And this is always possible because 'God has spoken to us through a son' and he continually speaks to us, through the preaching of the Gospel and through the voice of our conscience," the Pontiff continued. "In Jesus Christ, he has shown to all people the path of salvation, which is above all a spiritual redemption, but which takes in everything human, also including the social and historical dimension."
Then noting that Jan. 1 is World Peace Day, Benedict XVI referred to his message for the celebration: "Fighting Poverty to Build Peace."
He explained that his message is a way to "enter into dialogue with the leaders of nations and international groups, offering the contribution of the Catholic Church for the promotion of a world order worthy of man."
"At the beginning of a new year, my first objective is precisely that of inviting everyone -- political leaders and simple citizens -- to not become discouraged in the face of difficulties and failures, but to renew their commitments," the Pope said.
Finally, referring to the global financial crisis, the Holy Father encouraged that it be "interpreted in its depths, as a grave symptom that requires intervention at the level of the causes."
"It is not enough -- as Jesus would say -- to put a new patch on an old cloak," the Bishop of Rome affirmed. "To put the poor in first place means to decidedly move to this global solidarity that John Paul II had already indicated as a necessity, harmonizing the potential of the market with that of civil society, in constant respect for legality and always taking into account the common good."
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Pope Confirms Need of Man's Search for Meaning
Points to Baby Jesus' Revelation of God's Face
VATICAN CITY, JAN. 6, 2009 (
Zenit.org).- Every man and woman needs to find a reason for living, and the revelation of God's face provides one, says Benedict XVI.
The Pope affirmed this Sunday before he prayed the midday Angelus with crowds gathered in St. Peter's Square.
The Holy Father noted how the liturgy of the day returned to the meditation of the Gospel proclaimed on Christmas day, St. John's Prologue.
He called the text a "staggering synthesis of the entire Christian faith."
"It begins on high," the Pontiff explained: "'In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God'; [and] here is the unprecedented and humanly inconceivable novelty: 'And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.'"
"This is not a rhetorical image, but a lived experience," the Pope declared. "John, an eyewitness, relates it. […] It is not the erudite word of a rabbi or a doctor of the law, but the passionate testimony of a humble fisherman who, attracted when he was young by Jesus of Nazareth, in the three years of common life with him and the other apostles, experienced love. […] He saw him die on the cross and appear resurrected, and he received together with the others his Spirit.
"From this whole experience, meditated upon in his heart, John arrived to a certainty: Jesus is the Wisdom of God incarnated, in his eternal Word, who became a mortal man."
Benedict XVI explained how Christ's coming was the fulfillment of the Old Covenant. And, he noted the importance of this revelation of God for people of every age.
"Every man and every woman needs to find a deep meaning for their own existence," the Pope said. "And for this, books are not enough, not even sacred Scripture. The Child of Bethlehem reveals and communicates to us the true 'face' of the good and faithful God, who loves us and who does not abandon us even in death."
He added: "The first one who opened her heart and contemplated 'the Word made flesh' was Mary, the Mother of Jesus. A humble girl from Galilee thus became the 'seat of wisdom.' Like the Apostle John, each one of us is invited to 'take her into our homes,' to deeply know Jesus and experience faithful and unfailing love. This is my hope for each of you, dear brothers and sisters, at the beginning of this new year."
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Benedict XVI Praying for the Family in January
VI World Meeting of Families to Be Held in Mexico
VATICAN CITY, JAN. 6, 2008 (
Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI is praying for the family this month, and in particular so that it become a school for learning charity and the faith.
The Apostleship of Prayer announced the general intention chosen by the Pope: "That the family may become more and more a place of training in charity, personal growth and transmission of the faith."
The Holy Father also chooses an apostolic intention for each month. In January, he will pray "that the different Christian confessions, aware of the need for a new evangelization in this period of profound transformations, may be committed to announcing the Good News and moving towards the full unity of all Christians in order to offer a more credible testimony of the Gospel."
Thousands of families will gather Jan. 13-18 in Mexico City for the VI World Meeting of Families. The theme of the meeting is "The Family as Educator in Human and Christian Values."
Benedict XVI will present two video messages for the event, and has sent his secretary of state, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, as his legate to the encounter.
Pope John Paul II initiated the first World Meeting of Families in Rome in 1994 for the occasion of the International Year of the Family promoted by the United Nations.
Subsequent encounters took place in Rio de Janiero (1997), Rome (2000), Manila (2003) and Valencia (2006).
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WORLD FEATURES
Vatican Praise for UK Prelate's Defense of Family
Lancaster Bishop's "Fit for Mission" Gets Rome's Thumbs Up
LANCASTER, England, JAN. 6, 2009 (
Zenit.org).- A document released by the bishop of Lancaster has won Vatican kudos.
Cardinal Ennio Antonelli, president of the Pontifical Council for the Family, praised "Fit for Mission? Church," released last August by Bishop Patrick O'Donoghue.
In a Dec. 5 letter, the cardinal particularly pointed to the bishop's defense of marriage and the family: "The section on Marriage and Family Life is also well done and a good response to the perils of the philosophy of gender which is so widespread nowadays. Your underlining the importance of self-gift is also very pertinent as well as giving explicit example[s] and statistics regarding the consequences of the culture of death that surrounds us."
In a response to the Vatican note, Bishop O'Donoghue wrote: "Now, more than ever, Catholics need to have a confident understanding of the Church's teaching on marriage and family life. We need to help society resist the reduction of human nature and life to a 'consumable' that can be manipulated without restraint, as we see in the homosexual and transsexual culture or IVF and experiments on embryonic human beings, just to name a few."
Praise from the Pontifical Council for the Family follows similar endorsements from Cardinal Renato Martino, president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace; Archbishop Luis Ladaria, secretary to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith; and Archbishop Mauro Piacenza, secretary of the Congregation for the Clergy.
Bishop O'Donoghue continued: "We must shout this truth from the rooftops, 'God has made human beings in his own image, as male and female. True happiness and fulfillment in sexual love can only be found in the diversity and complementarity between a man and a woman, united in lifelong marriage and open to new life. Anything else is a delusion. To live by a delusion that denies this truth not only harms individuals, it also obviously harms their families, their communities and society in general."
Walk the walk
The prelate noted that the endeavor to not only proclaim this truth, but also to live by it, had resulted in separating a charity in his diocese from affiliation with the Catholic Church.
He explained how he asked Catholic Caring Services to seek legal avenues to uphold the teaching of the Church against legislation that seeks to place Catholic children with individuals in same-sex unions. The trustees' refusal to abide by his request, and the "clear moral teaching of the Church, has painfully resulted in the Diocese of Lancaster declaring that Catholic Caring Services is no longer a Catholic charity, and can no longer claim the support of Catholics," he said.
For the beginning of the New Year, Bishop O'Donoghue wrote further on the theme of marriage and families: "The Church is living through troubled times, but it is perhaps reassuring to know that there hasn't been a time in the history of the Church that has been untroubled!
"We mustn't become despondent or angry, but rather, allow the Holy Spirit to deepen within us the virtues of faith, hope and charity, as Pope Benedict XVI invites through his wonderful teaching."
The prelate went on to praise the present "deepening of the doctrine and appreciation of the sacrament of marriage" in the Church.
"I see this as part of a wider development of the Church's defense of the dignity and destiny of the human person against attack on a variety of fronts, such as assisted suicide, same-sex unions, and experiments on embryonic human beings," he added. "What we are discovering is that respect for the sanctity of marriage is foundational to human life."
Bracing for the crunch
The Lancaster bishop also sounded a warning about the effects of the recession on marriages.
"Tragically, the suffering resulting from the credit crunch will be exacerbated by the decline of strong, extended families held together and protected by the commitment and love of wives and husbands," he predicted. "Many people are going to struggle with financial hardship and stress on their own, while before, during other economic depressions, families provided support. […]
"Therefore, in view of the lack of support for marriage from the government and media, the Church, in collaboration with others of good will, must be responsive to the strains that the credit crunch will put on marriage and family life."
One of the means the bishop recommended is active parish life.
And, he added, "faced with the failure of successive governments to promote the benefits of marriage, it is up to the Church to step into the breach and promote the goods of marriage to society. One practical step I recommend is that parishes and schools should work closely together to show young people, in a realistic and positive way, the joys and rewards of lifelong, permanent, monogamous marriage between men and women."
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On the Net:
ZENIT commentary on "Fit for Mission," with link to full document:
http://www.zenit.org/article-23479?l=english
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Mideast Leaders Beg Peace
Pope Joins Voice to Jerusalem Church
JERUSALEM, JAN. 6, 2009 (
Zenit.org).- Cristina, a 15-year-old Christian girl, is one of the victims of the Israeli-Hamas conflict in Gaza.
She died of a heart attack after days of cold and lack of sleep due to the bombardment. The account of her death, written by Father Manuel Musallam, the parish priest of the Latin parish in Gaza, was read in Arabic on Sunday at a gathering of the 13 heads of Christian Churches in Jerusalem to implore peace.
Cristina is one of the 600 Palestinians to have died in the 11-day Israeli offensive, in which U.N. and Palestinian officials report that nearly half of the dead are civilians.
The plea for peace from the Christian leaders was seconded in Rome by Benedict XVI. He said: "The dramatic news that comes from Gaza shows how the rejection of dialogue leads to situations that weigh indescribably on the population, who once again become victims of hate and war.
"Hate and war are not the solution to problems. Recent history confirms it as well. Let us pray, therefore, so that 'the Child of the manger … inspires in the authorities and leaders of both fronts, Israeli and Palestinian, an immediate action to finish with the current tragic situation.'"
Repugnant
Caritas Internationalis President Cardinal Oscar Rodríguez Maradiaga also called for peace. He said, "Caritas and our Catholic Church partners in the Holy Land call for an immediate ceasefire to enable the sick and wounded to be treated. Innocent people are suffering because aid agencies cannot reach them due to the Israeli military action.
"Caritas calls for action from the U.S.A, the E.U., and the international community on pressing for an immediate ceasefire to create the necessary environment in Gaza for aid agencies to be able to care for the wounded. War cannot be justified by either Israel or Hamas. Arguments over proportionality are morally repugnant when we are talking about the lives of innocent children."
The aid agency urged an immediate end both to Hamas rocket attacks on southern Israel and the Israeli offensive in Gaza.
Caritas Jerusalem Secretary-General Claudette Habesch explained, "Our staff in Gaza is witnessing a collapse of medical services. People are dying in their homes because they can't get treatment. There are 2,053 hospitals beds in Gaza and 2,500 people wounded by the Israeli bombardment. Doctors say they lack bandages and antiseptic."
Lacking the 3 kings' joy
Meanwhile, Sunday's feast of the Epiphany in Bethlehem was somber.
The parish priest of St. Catherine's parish there, Friar Samuel Fahim, spoke to the faithful during the reserved celebration: "What is happening in our region during these days is very sad and lets us touch with our hands what is written in the Gospel, when so many innocent children were massacred.
"But then, Jesus was with them, and still today Jesus is in our midst. That is why we turn to the Lord and beg him to transform our sorrow into joy and war into peace. This is the spirit in which we want to live the feast of the Epiphany."
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Pope to Send 2 Messages to Family Encounter
Cardinal Bertone Named Pontifical Legate
MEXICO CITY, JAN. 6, 2008 (
Zenit.org).- Although Benedict XVI will not attend the VI World Meeting of Families this month in Mexico City, he will present two video messages.
The organizing committee of the congress reported that the Pope will send a message to be shown at the opening of the congress Jan. 14, and will deliver his second message live via satellite during the closing Mass on Jan. 18.
The Holy Father also named Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Pontiff's secretary of state, as the pontifical legate to the event.
The news was announced in a letter signed Dec. 28, in which Benedict XVI offered several examples of Christian families he said it would be helpful to meditate on.
From the Eastern Church, he pointed to Basil and Emmelia, who lived between the third and fourth centuries. Of the couple's nine children, four have been proclaimed saints: St. Basil, St. Gregory Nyssa, St. Peter of Sebaste and St. Macrina the Younger.
The Pope then noted the example from the Western Church of Senator Gordianus, example of political integrity, and his wife Silvia, who were the parents of St. Gregory the Great (c. 540-604).
Among more recent examples, Benedict XVI point to the Spanish martyr María Teresa Ferragud Roig, who was arrested at age 83 together with her four daughters, all four of whom who were contemplative religious women.
The Pope recalled that on Oct. 25, 1936, feast of Christ the King, María Teresa asked to accompany her daughters in martyrdom and to be executed last so she could encourage them to die for the faith. Her death impressed her executioners so much that they exclaimed: "This is a true saint."
The Pontiff also mentioned the exemplary life of the Italian couple Luigi (1880-1951) and Maria (1884-1965) Beltrame Quattrochi, the first couple to be beatified together. He was a lawyer for the state, and she was a professor and writer.
Finally, Benedict XVI referred to the parents of St. Thérèse of Lisieux. Louis Martin (1823-1894) and Marie-Zélie Guérin (1831-1877) were beatified in October.
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On the Net:
For more information:
www.emf2009.com
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NEWS BRIEFS
New Archbishops for Detroit and Vancouver
And Orange, California Gets New Auxiliary
DETROIT, Michigan, JAN. 6, 2009 (
Zenit.org).- Oakland, California's Bishop Allen Vigneron is returning to his home Archdiocese of Detroit, to replace retiring Cardinal Adam Maida as the archbishop.
That appointment, as well as the resignation of Bishop John McRaith, 74, of Owensboro, Kentucky, and the naming of Father Cirilo Flores as an auxiliary bishop of Orange, California, were announced Monday.
Cardinal Maida, 78, served as the archbishop of Detroit since 1990.
Allen Vigneron, 60, was born in 1948 in Michigan and was ordained for the Archdiocese of Detroit in 1975. He worked in the Vatican Secretariat of State from 1991 to 1994. He was named a Prelate of Honor by Pope John Paul II in 1994. In 2003, he was moved to California to be bishop of Oakland.
Cirilo Flores was born in California in 1948 and ordained a priest in 1991.
Meanwhile in Canada, Archbishop Raymond Roussin, 69, of Vancouver, retired for reasons of health. Vancouver's Coadjutor Archbishop Michael Miller, 62, now takes on full leadership of the archdiocese.
Michael Miller was born in Ottawa, Ontario, in 1946, and ordained to the priesthood by Pope Paul VI in 1975.
From 1992 to 1997, he worked in the Vatican Secretariat of State, before returning to the University of St. Thomas, in Houston, Texas, to be the university president.
In 2003, Pope John Paul II appointed him secretary of the Congregation for Catholic Education, at the same time naming him archbishop. In 2007, he was named coadjutor archbishop of Vancouver.
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Survey: Americans More Pro-Life Than Their Laws
Less Than 10% Support Unlimited Abortion
WASHINGTON, D.C., JAN. 6, 2009 (
Zenit.org).- An online nationwide poll sponsored by the U.S. episcopal conference found that an overwhelming majority of Americans want restrictions on the legality of abortion.
Four out of five U.S. adults want limits on abortion, with 11% wanting it illegal in all circumstances. These findings were released last week after a Dec. 10-12 poll.
Thirty-eight percent would limit abortion to the circumstances of rape, incest or to save the life of the mother; and an additional 33% would limit abortion to either the first three or first six months of life. Only 9% said abortion should be legal for any reason at any time during pregnancy.
"These findings are remarkable," said Deirdre McQuade, assistant director for policy and communications at the bishops' Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities. "Fewer than one in 10 Americans support legal abortion for any reason at any time during pregnancy. But that is precisely the current state of abortion law under Roe vs. Wade and Doe vs. Bolton, the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decisions that made abortion legal throughout the nine months of pregnancy for virtually any reason."
The survey of 2,341 adults also found that 95% favor laws ensuring that abortions be performed only by licensed physicians; 88% favor informed consent laws that require abortion providers to inform women of potential risks to their health and about alternatives to abortion; 76% favor laws that protect health care professionals from being forced to perform or refer for abortions; and 73% favor laws to give parents involvement in a minor daughter's abortion decision.
"Support for these measures cuts across 'pro-life' and 'pro-choice' positions," McQuade said. "This research indicates how out of touch pro-abortion groups are with mainstream America."
McQuade lamented that measures that have proven effective in reducing abortion rates are now "seriously threatened by abortion advocates and their allies in Congress."
"Pro-abortion groups have already sent a comprehensive 55-page blueprint for their agenda to the incoming administration," McQuade said. "But their agenda -- including publicly funded abortions, passage of the so-called Freedom of Choice Act, and attacking the Hyde amendment and other longstanding pro-life provisions in appropriations bills -- won't sell in the general public."
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ANGELUS
On the Epiphany
"Jesus Came to the World With Great Humility and in Secret"
VATICAN CITY, JAN. 6, 2009 (
Zenit.org).- Here is the address Benedict XVI delivered today, the feast of the Epiphany of the Lord, before praying the Angelus with those gathered in St. Peter's Square.
* * *
Dear Brothers and Sisters:
Today we celebrate the solemnity of the Epiphany, the "manifestation" of the Lord. The Gospel recounts how Jesus came to the world with great humility and in secret. St. Matthew, nonetheless, refers to the arrival of the Magi, who came from the East, guided by a star, to render homage to the recently born king of the Jews. Each time I listen to this narrative, I am impressed by the clear contrast between the attitude of the Magi, on one hand, and that of Herod and the Jews.
The Gospel says that, upon listening to the worlds of the Magi, "King Herod [...] was greatly troubled, and all Jerusalem with him" (Matthwe 2:3). This reaction can be understood in various ways: Herod became alarmed because he saw in the one the Magi searched for a competitor for him and his sons. The authorities and inhabitants of Jerusalem, however, seemed astonished more than anything else, as if they woke up from a certain lethargy and needed time to think. Isaiah, in reality, had announced: "For a child is born to us, a son is given us; upon his shoulder dominion rests. They name him Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero, Father-Forever, Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:5).
So then, why did Jerusalem become worried? It seems that the Evangelist wanted to anticipate the position that the high priests and the Sanhedrin would take, as well as that of the populous, with regard to Jesus during his public life. Certainly, it highlights the fact that knowledge of Scripture and the messianic prophecies don't lead all to open themselves to him and his word. Christ recalls this, before the passion, when he cries over Jerusalem because it had not recognized the time of its visitation (cf. Luke 19:44).
He we touch upon one of the crucial points of the theology of history: the drama of the faithful love of God in the person of Jesus, who "came to what was his own, but his own people did not accept him" (John 1:11). In light of the entire Bible, this attitude of hostility, ambiguity or superficiality represents that of every man and of the "world" -- in the spiritual sense -- when it closes itself to the mystery of the true God, who comes to meet us with the disarming meekness of love. Jesus, the "King of the Jews" (cf. John 18:37), is the God of mercy and fidelity; he wants to reign with in love and truth, and asks us to convert, to abandon evil works and that we take up with decision the path of the good.
"Jerusalem," as such, in this sense, is all of us. May the Virgin Mary, who welcomed Jesus with faith, help us to not close our heart to his Gospel of salvation. Let us allow ourselves to be conquered and transformed by him -- the "Emmanuel" (God with us) -- to give us peace and love.
[After praying the Angelus, the Pope said:]
I direct my heartfelt congratulation to the brothers and sisters of the Eastern Churches who follow the Julian calendar and will celebrate Christmas tomorrow. May the memory of the birth of the Savior spark in your hearts more and more the joy of being loved by God. Recalling our brothers and sisters in faith takes me spiritually to the Holy Land and to the Middle East. I am deeply worried about the violent armed confrontations that are taking place on the Gaza border. While I confirm that hate and the rejection of dialogue doesn't bring anything but war, I would like to encourage the initiatives and efforts of those who, loving peace, are trying to help the Israelis and Palestinians to sit down at a table and talk. May God support the commitment of these builders of peace!
In many countries, the feast of the Epiphany is also a celebration of children. I am thinking especially of all children, who are the treasure and blessing of the world, and above all of those who are denied a serene childhood. I wish to call attention, in particular, to the situation of hundreds of children and adolescents who, in these past months, which included Christmas, have been kidnapped by armed gangs that have attacked small towns in the eastern province of the Democratic Republic of Congo, which have resulted in numerous victims and wounded.
I call out to the authors of these inhuman brutalities to return these young people to their families and to a future of security and development, which is their right, together with these beloved populations. I wish to express at the same time my spiritual closeness to the local Churches, whose members and works have been hurt, while I exhort the pastors and faithful to remain strong and firm in hope.
Episodes of violence against children, which unfortunately also occurs in other parts of the world, are even more deplorable give that in 2009 the 20th anniversary of the Convention of the Rights of the Child will be celebrated: a commitment that the international community is called to renew so that it can defend and promote childhood throughout the world.
May the Lord help those who work on a daily basis to serve the new generations -- and they are innumerable! -- helping them to be protagonists of the future. Furthermore, the Day of the Child Missionary, which is celebrated on the feast of the Epiphany, is an opportune occasion to highlight that children and adolescents have an important role to play in the diffusion of the Gospel and in the works of solidarity with those of their same age who are in need. May the Lord reward them!
[The Pope then greeted the pilgrims in various languages. In English, he said:]
I greet all the English-speaking visitors who join us for this Angelus prayer. On this feast of the Epiphany, the Church celebrates the revelation of Christ, the Eternal Son of the Father, as the light of the nations and the Saviour of all mankind. May the radiance of the Lord's glory fill you and your families with deep spiritual joy, and draw men and women everywhere to faith and new life in him!
© Copyright 2009 -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana
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On the Feast of Mary, Mother of God
"We Can Always Hope Anew That the Future Will Be Better"
VATICAN CITY, JAN. 6, 2009 (
Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI gave before praying the midday Angelus on Jan. 1 together with those gathered in St. Peter's Square.
* * *
Dear brothers and sisters,
On this first day of the year, I am happy to offer all of you here present in St. Peter's Square and those who are tuned in by radio and television my most fervent best wishes for peace and every good thing. They are wishes that, we could say, the Christian faith makes "reliable," anchoring them in the events that we are celebrating during these days: the incarnation of the Word of God, born of the Virgin Mary. Indeed, with the grace of the Lord -- and only with it -- we can always hope anew that the future will be better than the past.
This is not about, in fact, trusting in better luck or in the modern secrets of the market and finances, but rather in we ourselves making the effort to be a little better and more responsible, so as to be able to count on the Lord's benevolence. And this is always possible because "God has spoken to us through a son" (Hebrews 1:2) and he continually speaks to us, through the preaching of the Gospel and through the voice of our conscience. In Jesus Christ, he has shown to all people the path of salvation, which is above all a spiritual redemption, but which takes in everything human, also including the social and historical dimension.
That's why, as the Church celebrates the divine maternity of most holy Mary, on this date that for more than 40 years has been World Peace Day, it indicates to everyone that Jesus Christ is the prince of peace. According to the tradition begun by Servant of God Pope Paul VI, I have written for this occasion a special
message, choosing the theme: "Fighting Poverty to Build Peace."
In this way, I wish to once again enter into dialogue with the leaders of nations and international groups, offering the contribution of the Catholic Church for the promotion of a world order worthy of man. At the beginning of a new year, my first objective is precisely that of inviting everyone -- political leaders and simple citizens -- to not become discouraged in the face of difficulties and failures, but to renew their commitments.
The second part of 2008 has brought an economic crisis of vast proportions. This crisis should be interpreted in its depths, as a grave symptom that requires intervention at the level of the causes. It is not enough -- as Jesus would say -- to put a new patch on an old cloak (cf. Mark 2:21). To put the poor in first place means to decidedly move to this global solidarity that John Paul II had already indicated as a necessity, harmonizing the potential of the market with that of civil society (cf. Message, 12), in constant respect for legality and always taking into account the common good.
Jesus Christ did not organize campaigns against poverty, but he announced to the poor the Gospel, for a complete rescue from moral and material misery. The Church does the same, with its endless work of evangelization and human promotion. Let us invoke the Virgin Mary, Mother of God, so that she helps all men to walk together along the path of peace.
[Translation by ZENIT]
[The Holy Father then addressed the people in several languages. In English, he said:]
I am very pleased to greet the English-speaking visitors present at today’s Angelus, and I wish you all a happy New Year! I pray that Christians everywhere, through the intercession of Mary, Mother of God, will be filled with spiritual joy. During this year, may all who believe in Christ promote justice and charity, and bear constant witness to forgiveness, reconciliation and peace! May the Lord bless you and keep you!
© Copyright 2009 -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana
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On John's Synthesis of Christian Faith
"The Fulfillment of the Whole of the Old Covenant"
VATICAN CITY, JAN. 6, 2009 (
Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI gave before praying the midday Angelus last Sunday together with those gathered in St. Peter's Square.
* * *
Dear brothers and sisters,
The liturgy proposes to us to return to the meditation of the same Gospel proclaimed on Christmas day, that is, St. John's Prologue. After the hustle and bustle of recent days to buy gifts, the Church invites us to contemplate again the mystery of the birth of Christ to understand better its profound meaning and importance for our lives. This is an admirable text that offers a staggering synthesis of the entire Christian faith.
It begins on high: "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God" (John 1:1); [and] here is the unprecedented and humanly inconceivable novelty: "And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us" (John 1:14a).
This is not a rhetorical image, but a lived experience! John, an eyewitness, relates it: "and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father's only Son, full of grace and truth" (John 1:14b). It is not the erudite word of a rabbi or a doctor of the law, but the passionate testimony of a humble fisherman who, attracted when he was young by Jesus of Nazareth, in the three years of common life with him and the other apostles, experienced love -- to the point of defining himself as "the disciple whom Jesus loved." He saw him die on the cross and appear resurrected, and he received together with the others his Spirit. From this whole experience, meditated upon in his heart, John arrived to a certainty: Jesus is the Wisdom of God incarnated, in his eternal Word, who became a mortal man.
For a true Israelite, who knows sacred Scripture, this is not a contradiction; on the contrary, it is the fulfillment of the whole of the Old Covenant. In Jesus Christ, the mystery of a God who speaks to man as friends, who reveals himself to Moses in the Law, to the wise and the prophets, arrives to its fullness. In knowing Jesus, being with him, hearing his preaching and seeing the signs he performed, the disciples recognized that in him, all the Scriptures were fulfilled. As a Christian author would later affirm: "All of divine Scripture constitutes just one book, and this book is Christ; it speaks of Christ and finds in Christ its fulfillment" (Hugo of St. Victor, De Arca Noe, 2, 8).
Every man and every woman needs to find a deep meaning for their own existence. And for this, books are not enough, not even sacred Scripture. The Child of Bethlehem reveals and communicates to us the true "face" of the good and faithful God, who loves us and who does not abandon us even in death: "No one has ever seen God. The only Son, God, who is at the Father's side, has revealed him" (John 1:18).
The first one who opened her heart and contemplated "the Word made flesh" was Mary, the Mother of Jesus. A humble girl from Galilee thus became the "seat of wisdom." Like the Apostle John, each one of us is invited to "take her into our homes" (cf. John 19:27), to deeply know Jesus and experience faithful and unfailing love. This is my hope for each of you, dear brothers and sisters, at the beginning of this new year.
[After praying the Angelus, the Holy Father added:]
Today, in all the churches of the Holy Land, the patriarchs and leaders of the Christian Churches of Jerusalem are inviting the faithful to pray for the end of the conflict in the Gaza Strip and implore justice and peace for their land. I unite myself to them and I also ask you to do the same, remembering, as they say, "the victims, the wounded who have their hearts broken, those who live in anguish and fear, so that God blesses them with the consolation, patience and peace that come from him."
The dramatic news that comes from Gaza shows how the rejection of dialogue leads to situations that weigh indescribably on the population, who once again become victims of hate and war.
Hate and war are not the solution to problems. Recent history confirms it as well. Let us pray, therefore, so that "the Child of the manger … inspires in the authorities and leaders of both fronts, Israeli and Palestinian, an immediate action to finish with the current tragic situation."
With joy, I greet the participants in the international conference on the "Preventive System of Don Bosco and Human Rights," organized by the Salesians. This is a very important theme, since also in the field of human rights the educational aspect is decisive. I wish you, therefore, fruitful work, and I assure you of my prayers. I also welcome with joy the numerous seminarians who have come from various countries to participate in the formation encounter of the Focolare Movement. Dear young people: From my heart I bless your journey. May the Virgin always watch over you.
[Translation by ZENIT]
[The Holy Father then greeted the people in various languages. In English, he said:]
I cordially greet all the English-speaking visitors gathered for this Angelus prayer! In these first days of the New Year, as the Church celebrates the birth of the Saviour, let us pray that the peace proclaimed by the angels at Bethlehem will take ever deeper root in human hearts, banish all discord and violence, and inspire the human family to live in harmony and solidarity. Upon you and your loved ones I invoke the Lord’s abundant blessings!
© Copyright 2009 -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana
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LITURGY
Shifting or Substituting the Sunday Liturgy
And More on Communion and Extraordinary Ministers
ROME, JAN. 6, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Answered by Legionary of Christ Father Edward McNamara, professor of liturgy at the Regina Apostolorum university.
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Q1: We here in Nepal have a very peculiar situation. Sunday is a normal working day in this country (I believe also in many Arabian countries). Therefore, over many years (30-plus), we have been having our entire Sunday celebration shifted to Saturday, the only day on which people could participate fully. However, this has led to some confusion: For some people it is hard to feel that the Sunday obligation is fulfilled by attending Mass on Saturday. Another problem is the question over what Mass to celebrate on Sunday. Some of us just repeat the same Mass; some others instead celebrate the Saturday Mass on Sunday. At times, some of the feasts on Saturdays are lost because of our particular situation. I personally miss the Saturday Mass, because I am used to celebrating on both days. And to add to all this, is our national calendar, which is different from the Gregorian calendar; the month begins somewhere in the middle of the Gregorian calendar. For all official purposes we have to use that national calendar, and most of our people too use that calendar. For example, we had debates on several occasions: When is the first Friday of the month? As per the Nepali calendar or the Christian calendar? -- P.P., Katmandu, Nepal
Q2: Here in our country, very often parishes celebrate the parish feast on Sundays, e.g. the feast of St Jude's Church, etc. Is this correct? If the Sunday Readings are not proclaimed but some other readings pertaining to the feast day are read, I thought that it is not right to do so. -- M.J., Colombo, Sri Lanka
A: As both questions are related to the Sunday liturgy, I will attempt to answer them together.
In the first case, it is important to remember that for Christians Sunday as such is not a transferable feast. During the first three centuries Christians met on Sunday even though it was a normal working day, and many of them were slaves taking a great risk. This often meant getting up very early or perhaps sneaking out in the evening. (Of course, we are also in an epoch when the mere fact of being a Christian could lead to a painful death.) As one group of ancient martyrs famously related to the magistrate who sentenced them, "We cannot live without Sunday."
Sunday Mass has not lost any of its value or importance to the lives of Catholics, nor have they become less heroic in defending their faith as recent events have shown. At the same time, the present circumstances of Christian living and the Church's desire to care for the spiritual needs of as many of the flock as possible can lead to some innovations.
Therefore what is the situation of Sunday in Nepal, Arabia and some similar situations?
First of all, Sunday always remains Sunday, and the proper liturgy of the day should always be celebrated. Likewise as far as possible the faithful should attend Mass on Sunday or on Saturday evening. If it is necessary and useful, then priests should be willing to celebrate Mass at unusual times.
In those cases where permission has been granted for Sunday liturgy to be celebrated on a Friday or Saturday morning because Sunday is a normal workday, it is important to note that it is not a case of transferring Sunday to another day. Rather, it is a pastoral response so that those Catholics who find it impossible to attend Mass on Saturday evening or Sunday might not be deprived of the riches offered by the three-year cycle of biblical readings and prayers.
Canonically speaking, those who are objectively unable to attend Sunday Mass are dispensed from the precept and in fact have no obligation to attend Mass on Friday or Saturday Morning. If they do attend, then they do something that is very good. And when this is a common situation pastors act well in addressing their spiritual needs by providing the best liturgical fare while being careful to avoid the impression that they are moving Sunday to another day.
As our correspondent points out, this can sometimes lead to losing some celebrations that fall on a Saturday. In some cases it might be enough to mention the feast in the prayers of the faithful and the homily; on others it might be pastorally more useful to actually celebrate the feast on Saturday morning instead of using the Sunday texts.
The other question, regarding the proper calendar to follow when the local one is different, is something of a conundrum. In such cases the local bishops would be the ones to decide. If need be, the bishop would ask the Holy See for permission to change the dates of certain liturgical feasts that are tied to the Gregorian calendar, such as the solemnity of the Sacred Heart.
Since practices such as the first Friday or first Saturdays are devotional and not official liturgical practices, I see no difficulty in adjusting the practice to local needs.
Finally, a reply to our reader from Sri Lanka: Since the patron saint of a parish is usually ranked as a solemnity within the parish church itself, it is permitted to transfer the celebration to the nearest Sunday so as to allow as many parishioners as possible to attend.
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Follow-up: Extraordinary Ministers and Both Species of Communion
In the wake of our comments on Communion under both species (see Dec. 16), a Drogheda, Ireland, reader asked for a clarification on the role of the instituted acolyte with respect to purification. After summarizing the relevant documents, he asked: "Am I right in thinking that if acolyte, deacon and priest are present, then the deacon should purify; if priest and deacon are present, then the deacon should purify; and if priest and acolyte are present, then the acolyte should purify?"
In a nutshell, yes! This is the proper procedure in the cases described.
Other readers had asked specific questions about the distribution of Communion under both species. A Calgary, Alberta, reader asked: "Is it appropriate to have Communion under both species at weekday Masses and Sunday Masses in Ordinary Time, or should this be reserved for feast days and other celebrations? If there is more than one Mass on a Sunday, can just one of the Masses be in both species or should all Masses be the same?"
There is no universal answer to this question. The decision as to when to offer Communion under both species now falls primarily on the local ordinary who, in some cases, may delegate the decision to the local pastor.
Distributing the Precious Blood in parishes on weekdays is rare, but the bishop could permit this practice if circumstances warrant it. It is quite common in seminaries and religious houses and during spiritual retreats.
Similarly there could be good practical reasons why a parish would offer the Precious Blood at only some Masses on a Sunday, for example, if one particular Mass was so packed that there was real danger of spillage or of overly extending the time of communion. In such cases the reasons should be explained to the faithful so that they may choose at what Mass to assist.
Finally, a Colorado reader asked: "If the body, blood, soul and divinity of Christ are present in both the consecrated bread and wine, does not one receive Communion twice if one receives under both species? If not, why?"
The answer is no! The reason is a tad more complex. Receiving Communion should always be related to participation at Mass and the context of completing the holy sacrifice, and not be seen exclusively from the point of view of the doctrine of the real presence. This is one reason why the priest celebrant must, with rare exceptions, communicate under both kinds at every Mass.
Even if one occasionally may receive Communion outside of Mass, it is always related in some way to the sacrifice in which this host was consecrated.
In this light, for the faithful, receiving Communion at Mass is the high point and completion of each person's personal participation in the holy sacrifice. From the point of view of the sign this completion is fuller when Communion is received under both species but are, so to speak, two moments of a single act of communion.
Nor is there any difference, from the point of view of communion, in receiving the Precious Blood directly from the chalice or by intinction of the sacred hosts.
At the same time, while Communion under both species is a fuller sign of participation at Mass, the fact that Christ is fully present in both species means that reception under just one species is sufficient for holy Communion.
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Readers may send questions to liturgy@zenit.org. Please put the word "Liturgy" in the subject field. The text should include your initials, your city and your state, province or country. Father McNamara can only answer a small selection of the great number of questions that arrive.
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