ZENIT
The World Seen From Rome
Daily dispatch - January 20, 2009
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VATICAN DOSSIER Pope to Obama: Rediscover US Spiritual Heritage Pontiff Lauds Finland's Lutheran-Catholic Dialogue Benedict XVI Sends Aid to Gaza Cardinal Expresses Solidarity With Lepers 11 Near Beatification WORLD FEATURES Catholics, Orthodox Have Work Cut Out for '09 A Papal Priority: Ecumenism NEWS BRIEFS Aid to Zimbabwe Hospital Keeps Doors Open SPIRITUALITY 3rd Meditation for Christian Unity Prayer Week LITURGY Applause at Homilies DOCUMENTS Message for 56th World Leprosy Day Papal Address to Ecumenical Delegation Cardinal Bertone's Homily at Close of Family Meeting
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VATICAN DOSSIER
Pope to Obama: Rediscover US Spiritual Heritage
Sends Telegram to New President
VATICAN CITY, JAN. 20, 2009 (
Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI sent a telegram to the new president of the United States, Barack Obama, expressing wishes for the nation to rediscover its heritage of spiritual values and ethical principles.
The Pope sent good wishes to the 44th U.S. president on the occasion of Obama's inauguration today, with an "assurance of my prayers that Almighty God will grant you unfailing wisdom and strength in the exercise of your high responsibilities."
The English text of the telegram, personally signed by the Holy Father, was released by the Vatican today.
He wrote: "Under your leadership may the American people continue to find in their impressive religious and political heritage the spiritual values and ethical principles needed to cooperate in the building of a truly just and free society, marked by respect for the dignity, equality and rights of each of its members, especially the poor, the outcast and those who have no voice."
The Pontiff expressed the hope that "[a]t a time when so many of our brothers and sisters throughout the world yearn for liberation from the scourge of poverty, hunger and violence, I pray that you will be confirmed in your resolve to promote understanding, cooperation and peace among the nations, so that all may share in the banquet of life which God wills to set for the whole human family."
He concluded by invoking blessings of "joy and peace" upon the president's family and the American people.
The full text of the telegram is as follows:
The Honorable Barack Obama
President of the United States of America
The White House
Washington, D.C.
On the occasion of your inauguration as the Forty-fourth president of the United States of America I offer cordial good wishes, together with the assurance of my prayers that the Almighty God will grant you unfailing wisdom and strength in the exercise of your high responsibilities.
Under your leadership may the American people continue to find in their impressive religious and political heritage the spiritual values and ethical principles needed to cooperate in the building of a truly just and free society, marked by respect for the dignity, equality and rights of each of its members, especially the poor, the outcast and those who have no voice.
At a time when so many of our brothers and sisters throughout the world yearn for liberation from the scourge of poverty, hunger and violence, I pray that you will be confirmed in your resolve to promote understanding, cooperation and peace among the nations, so that all may share in the banquet of life which God wills to set for the whole human family (cf. Isaiah 25:6-7). Upon you and your family, and upon all the American people, I willingly invoke the Lord's blessings of joy and peace.
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Pontiff Lauds Finland's Lutheran-Catholic Dialogue
Affirms Unity as Sign of Incorporation in Body of Christ
VATICAN CITY, JAN. 20, 2009 (
Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI is praising Lutheran-Catholic attempts to reach a consensus about the mystery of the Church, and its nature as the sign and instrument of Christ's salvation.
The Pope highlighted this Monday in an audience with members of the ecumenical delegation of Finland on the occasion of their annual visit to Rome and the feast of their patron, St. Henry.
He affirmed, "These pilgrimages are an occasion for shared prayer, reflection and dialogue in the service of our quest for full communion."
The Holy Father noted that the visit took place during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, and he highlighted the theme: "That they may become one in your hand."
He continued, "In the context of ecumenism, it speaks to us of God who constantly draws us into deeper unity in Christ, by renewing us and liberating us from our divisions."
The Pontiff acknowledged that the "Lutheran-Catholic Dialogue Commission in Finland and Sweden continues to consider the Joint Declaration on Justification."
"Under the theme Justification in the Life of the Church," he continued, "the dialogue is taking ever fuller account of the nature of the Church as the sign and instrument of the salvation brought about in Jesus Christ, and not simply a mere assembly of believers or an institution with various functions."
Benedict XVI recalled the example of St. Paul, "whose life and teaching were tirelessly committed to the unity of the Church," and who spoke of the Church as the mystical Body of Christ.
The Church, he said, is "continuously guided by the Holy Spirit; the Spirit of the Father and the Son."
He continued: "It is only based on this incarnational reality that the sacramental character of the Church as communion in Christ can be understood.
"A consensus with regard to the profoundly Christological and pneumatological implications of the mystery of the Church would prove a most promising basis for the Commission's work."
The Holy Father added, "From Paul we also learn that the unity we seek is nothing less than the manifestation of our full incorporation into the Body of Christ."
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On the Net:
Full text of address: http://www.zenit.org/article-24848?l=english
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Benedict XVI Sends Aid to Gaza
VATICAN CITY, JAN. 20, 2009 (
Zenit.org).- The Pontifical Council Cor Unum has sent aid on behalf of Benedict XVI to the suffering peoples of Gaza.
The dicastery, which oversees the charitable works of the Holy See, announced Saturday that it sent "a personal concrete sign to aid the relief efforts of the small but fervent Catholic presence in Gaza."
"In the face of the unrelenting conflict in the Gaza strip, which has provoked a major humanitarian crisis, His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI has affirmed several times His closeness to our brothers and sisters, who have already suffered so much," the council explained.
The council said the help was directed to Father Manuel Musallam, Pastor of Holy Family Church, the Missionaries of Charity and other religious congregations, "who serve those especially vulnerable in the homeland of Jesus, now being tragically scourged by death, human pain, material damage, and tears that cry out for peace."
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Cardinal Expresses Solidarity With Lepers
Says Hansen's Disease Continues to Afflict Many
VATICAN CITY, JAN. 20, 2009 (
Zenit.org).- Although leprosy is an illness largely ignored in the media, it affects a significant number of people each year, says the president of the Pontifical Council for Health Care Ministry.
Cardinal Javier Lozano Barragán said this in a message released ahead of the 56th World Leprosy Day, which will be observed Sunday. Raoul Follereau (1903-1977), a French writer and lawyer, initiated the world day in 1954.
In his message, the cardinal called the event "a great appointment of solidarity with our brothers and sisters who are afflicted by Hansen's disease, a disease that is often ignored by the mass media but which still today strikes each year over 250,000 people, most of whom live in conditions of poverty."
Cardinal Barragán cited World Health Organization that reported 254,525 new leprosy cases in 2007. Of those, 12% are children under 15.
"Unfortunately," the cardinal said, "unfounded fears still persist that are generated by ignorance about Hansen's disease. These fears generate feelings of exclusion and often burdensome stigma toward who are afflicted by leprosy, making them especially vulnerable."
He affirmed that the world day is a "suitable opportunity to offer the human community correct, broad and capillary information about leprosy, about the devastating effects that it can have on people's bodies if they are not treated."
"The Church has always dedicated special care to people afflicted by leprosy," Cardinal Barragán affirmed. "Down the centuries it has been present through the institutions of congregations of men and women religious, and through voluntary health care organizations made up of the lay faithful, thereby contributing in a radical way to the full social and communal integration of such people."
The cardinal made a special mention of Blessed Damian de Veuster, "the untiring and exemplary apostle of our brothers and sisters afflicted by Hansen's disease, a lighthouse of faith and love."
He call Father Damien "the symbol of all those consecrated to Christ with religious vows who still today dedicate their lives to such people, making available all their resources for the overall well-being of those afflicted who are by leprosy in every part of the world."
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On the Net:
Full text:
http://www.zenit.org/article-24850?l=english
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11 Near Beatification
6 Spaniards Recognized
VATICAN CITY, JAN. 20, 2009 (
Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI has authorized the promulgation of decrees recognizing heroic virtue and miracles attributed to almost a dozen Servants of God.
On Saturday, the Pope received in private audience Archbishop Angelo Amato, prefect of the Congregation for Saints' Causes, and authorized the congregation to promulgate the following decrees.
Miracles attributed to the intercession of the following:
-- Ciriaco María Sancha y Hervás (1833-1909), Spanish cardinal archbishop of Toledo, founder of the Congregation of the Sisters of Charity.
-- Carlo Gnocchi (1902-1956), Italian diocesan priest and founder of the "Fondazione Pro Juventute."
-- Bernardo Francisco de Hoyos (1711-1735), Spanish professed priest of the Society of Jesus.
-- Raphael Rafiringa (1856-1919) (born Louis), Madagascan professed religious of the Institute of Brothers of Christian Schools.
-- Eustachio Kugler (1867-1946) (born Joseph), German professed religious of the Hospitaller Order of St. John of God.
Proclamation of the heroic virtue of the following was also approved:
-- Juan de Palafox y Mendoza (1600-1659), Spanish bishop of Osma.
-- Robert Spiske (1821-1888), Polish diocesan priest and founder of the Congregation of Sisters of St. Hedwig.
-- Carolina Beltrami (1869-1932), Italian founder of the Immaculatine Sisters.
-- María Salvat Romero (1926-1998) (born Maria Isabella), Spanish superior-general of the Sisters of the Cross.
-- Liberata Ferrarons y Vives (1803-1842), Spanish laywoman of the Third Order of Carmelites.
Last month, the Holy Father also approved a decree promulgating the heroic virtue of José Tous y Soler (1811-1871), Spanish professed priest of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchins and founder of the Capuchin sisters of the Mother of the Divine Shepherd.
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WORLD FEATURES
Catholics, Orthodox Have Work Cut Out for '09
To Concentrate on Study of Papal Primacy
VATICAN CITY, JAN. 20, 2009 (
Zenit.org).- Despite difficulties, dialogue between the Catholic and Orthodox Churches is advancing both at the level of theological accords and in fraternal relations, says a Vatican aide.
This was affirmed by Monsignor Eleuterio Fortino, subsecretary of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, to L'Osservatore Romano in a report on the work of the Mixed Commission representing the two Churches.
The Church is currently celebrating the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, under way through Sunday.
The monsignor said it is significant that there has been development in "constructive relationships" between Rome and Constantinople, and also with the Moscow Patriarchate and other Churches.
Regarding theological dialogue, Monsignor Fortino explained that the commission is currently studying the first millennium's understanding of the primacy of the Bishop of Rome.
To make the work easier, the commission has been divided into two subgroups, one of English-speakers, the other of French-speakers, who will study ecclesial documents dealing with the question, as well as apostolic letters from the first centuries and the fathers of the Church.
They will also study the role of the popes in the refutation of heresies, particularly the condemnation of the iconoclast heresy, which was fundamental for the Eastern Churches.
The issue, Monsignor Fortino explained, is not so much the question of the primacy of Rome itself, which both Churches accept, as the Ravenna document shows, but rather the interpretation of the content of the primacy, about which there are still great differences.
The key, he said, is in "finding a common reading of the historical facts, a common hermeneutic in the interpretation of the data of Scripture and the theological options."
"Dialogue has embarked on a complicated journey, but [it is] the only one that could clear up the horizon toward full communion," the Vatican aide affirmed.
A document on this question of primacy will be studied by the commission in their next plenary session, set for October in Cyprus.
In sum, the monsignor stated, dialogue "continues open in a new phase and in a positive perspective," despite "permanent and new difficulties."
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A Papal Priority: Ecumenism
Official Welcomes Progress With Orthodox
VATICAN CITY, JAN. 20, 2009 (
Zenit.org).-Ecumenical dialogue is a priority for Benedict XVI, as it has been for every Pope since the Second Vatican Council, says a Vatican official in charge of promoting Christian unity.
And, Bishop Brian Farrell continued saying to L'Osservatore Romano, this dialogue is advancing, though not at the same rate on every front. He pointed to significant steps forward with the Orthodox and remaining uncertainties with communities born from the Reformation.
The bishop, secretary of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, was speaking with the Vatican daily for a series of articles marking this week's Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.
Bishop Farrell affirmed that for the present Pontiff, ecumenism is a "priority matter," as is proven by his "numerous meetings and discourses of ecumenical character."
He pointed to one of the Pope's recent discourses in this regard, given Dec. 12, when the Holy Father addressed the plenary assembly of the unity council.
Dialogue of charity
As the Pontiff noted then, Bishop Farrell said, there has been great "progress in the dialogue of charity" between the Catholic Church and the Eastern and Orthodox Churches, with exchanges of official visits from leading prelates from both traditions, and with a "sincere spirit of friendship between Catholics and Orthodox that has been growing in recent years."
"Precisely this progress in the 'dialogue of charity' has permitted the 'theological dialogue' between the Catholic and Orthodox Churches to obtain notable results, even unexpected ones," he said.
Nevertheless, the Vatican official lamented, questions and lack of trust continue regarding the results of dialogue with the Reformation communities. In 40 years of dialogue, the bishop said, even if "many prejudices and misunderstandings of the past" have been overcome, the old differences still exist.
Issues
Bishop Farrell explained that these differences go along two lines: the relationship between Scripture and Tradition on one hand, and the nature of the Church of Christ on the other.
Though agreement has been reached that Scripture and Tradition are not opposed, he said, there is still disagreement about, among other things, the role of the magisterium in interpreting it.
And regarding the nature of the Church, the prelate continued, though the joint declaration regarding the doctrine of justification was a big step forward, there continues to be "profound division" regarding the nature of the Church itself.
"Catholics and Protestants continue deeply divided in the concept of the reality of the Church, between a vision simultaneously spiritual and institutional -- Catholic -- and a vision exclusively spiritual -- Protestant," he said.
But, Bishop Farrell affirmed, "despite that none of these questions has been resolved in the sense of full consensus, and though new difficulties appear on the horizon, the convergences reached corroborate and deepen the sense of the real, though incomplete, existing communion on the base of one baptism and of so many other elements of faith and Christian life preserved from ancient tradition."
After recalling that ecumenism is a "gift of God," the council secretary clarified that though "dialogue cannot be by itself a guarantee of the fulfillment of the final goal of the ecumenical movement, which is Eucharistic unity," nevertheless, "it constitutes a solid base and an incentive to fulfill what is the will of the Lord and the aspiration of so many Christians."
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NEWS BRIEFS
Aid to Zimbabwe Hospital Keeps Doors Open
BULAWAYO, Zimbabwe, JAN. 20, 2009 (
Zenit.org).- One of the last hospitals left in Zimbabwe was given a donation that will keep its doors open for now.
Aid to the Church in Need reported Monday that their donation of more than £22,500 ($31,330) to Mater Dei Hospital in Bulawayo, of southwest Zimbabwe, "came in response to increasing fears that a funding crisis could force the 170-bed acute hospital to shut."
Monsignor Martin Schupp, apostolic administrator of Bulawayo, stated in his application for aid that "government hospitals are barely functioning in the city and Mater Dei Hospital is the only place where any standard of medical care can be obtained."
The report added that doctors in government hospitals are currently on strike over pay, and that many doctors and nurses have fled the country, exacerbating the crisis of obtaining quality healthcare.
The aid fund will be applied to doctors' salaries and essential medicine so that patients can be brought in without being forced to pay upfront, and concessions can be made for impoverished people. Current inflation in the country is 230 million percent and widespread hunger has been exacerbated by a cholera epidemic.
The private Mater Dei hospital, opened in 1952 by the British-based Franciscan Missionaries of the Divine Motherhood, offers services in pediatrics, maternity, obstetrics and accident and emergency.
Said one hospital spokesman: "We feel that as a Catholic institution we should not be turning sick people away just because of money."
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SPIRITUALITY
3rd Meditation for Christian Unity Prayer Week
"We Pray for the Kingdom of God to Arrive"
VATICAN CITY, JAN. 20, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Here is a meditation jointly prepared by the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and the Commission on Faith and Order of the World Council of Churches for the third day of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.
The week began Sunday and continues through Jan. 25, the feast of the Conversion of St. Paul, Apostle. The theme for 2009 is "That They May Become One in Your Hand" (Ezekiel 37:17).
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Day 3
Christians Face-to-Face With Injustice and Poverty
Leviticus 25:8-14 -- "The jubilee which liberates"
Psalm 146 -- "The Lord executes justice for the oppressed"
1 Timothy 6:9-10 -- "The love of money is the root of all evil"
Luke 4:16-21 "Jesus and the jubilee as liberation"
Commentary
We pray for the kingdom of God to arrive. We long for a world where people, in particular the poorest, do not die before their appointed time. However, the economic system of the world today aggravates the situation of the poor and accentuates social inequity.
Today the world community is confronted with the growing precariousness of labor and its consequences. The idolatry of the market (profit), like the love of money according to the author of the Epistle to Timothy, thus appears as ‘the root of all evil’. What can and must the churches do in this context? Let us look at the biblical theme of jubilee which Jesus evoked to define his ministry.
According to the Leviticus text, during the jubilee, liberation was to be proclaimed; economic immigrants could return to their homes and their family; if somebody had lost all his goods he could also live with the populace as a foreign resident. Money was not to be lent for interest nor food sold for profit.
The jubilee implied a community ethic, the freeing of slaves and their return home, the restoration of financial rights and the cancellation of debts. For the victims of unjust social structures, this meant the restitution of law and of their means of existence.
The priorities of today’s world, in which "more money" is seen as the highest value and goal of life, can only lead to death. As churches, we are called to counter this by living together in the spirit of jubilee and following Christ, spreading this good news. As Christians experience the healing of their divisions they become more sensitive to other divisions, which wound humanity and creation.
Prayer
God of justice, there are places in this world overflowing with food, but others where there is not enough and where the hungry and the sick are many. God of peace, there are those in this world who profit from violence and war and others who because of war and violence are forced to leave their homes and become refugees. God of compassion, Help us to understand that we cannot live by money alone but that we can live by the word of God. Help us to understand that we cannot attain life and true prosperity except by loving God and obeying his will and his teaching. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
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On the Net:
Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity: http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/chrstuni/
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LITURGY
Applause at Homilies
And More on Substituting the Sunday Liturgy
ROME, JAN. 20, 2009 (
Zenit.org).- Answered by Legionary of Christ Father Edward McNamara, professor of liturgy at the Regina Apostolorum university.
Q: The parishioners in our church used to be spontaneous in their reactions to excellent homilies that the priests deliver. The parishioners, sometimes, respectfully applaud after the homily, either to communicate that they are in agreement with the priest, or to offer their appreciation. However, when a newly ordained priest came, and this happened after a homily he gave, he gravely scolded the people for the impropriety of their action and reminded them that they are attending a Mass and not a performance. From then on, people's spontaneity is gone; occasionally, applause would be heard, but one can sadly sense the hesitation. Could you enlighten us on the propriety of people applauding after the homily? D.B., Denver, Colorado
A: First of all, it is a very hopeful sign of overall improvement in the quality of homilies that the faithful consider them worthy of applause.
That said, the young priest was correct in stating that, in general, applause is to be discouraged during Mass.
It is not an absolute rule, however; the Pope's homilies usually conclude with applause and are even sometimes interrupted by enthusiastic ovations. In the ancient world, great sermons, such as those of a St. Augustine, were occasionally interspersed with appreciative accolades on the part of the people.
There are also some cultures where applause or hand-clapping is a spontaneous sign of respect and even veneration. For example, some African peoples even clap their hands during the consecration, because this was the traditional gesture observed when their kings were present and it seemed natural to carry it over to greet the presence of the King of kings.
Therefore, while respecting cultural differences and not excluding an occasional spontaneous applause for a particularly inspired and inspiring homily, I would agree that the practice should not be encouraged or regular in Western parish settings.
First of all, the Roman liturgical tradition is usually sober in its external manifestations. This holds true even in those Catholic cultures that are exuberant in the demonstrations of popular piety such as the processions of Latin America, the Iberian Peninsula and southern Italy where applause, cheers and the like are regular features.
After the homily, the liturgy recommends a moment of silence in order to reflect upon and assimilate the message. Applause easily breaks the concentration and makes it harder to gather one's thoughts and bring them to bear on the essential questions of living the Gospel.
When applause is neither common nor expected a priest can prepare the homily with greater freedom, both regarding the doctrine he wishes to transmit and the best means of delivery. In other words, although he should always strive to prepare an excellent homily from the rhetorical point of view, not having to worry about applause makes him less subject to the temptation of striving more to please than to instruct and exhort toward sanctity.
Not being expected to applaud also frees both priests and parishioners from the danger of making subtle and not-so-subtle comparisons among priests. Father X's homily received timed respect; Father Y got a standing ovation, while Father Z's preaching on Christian morals got the silent treatment. I am exaggerating, of course, but the point is that any element that might induce disharmony should be avoided.
The best reaction to a well-thought and delivered homily is a decision to move forward and grow as a Christian. If this is lacking, then all external applause is just so much fluff.
In his book "The Spirit of the Liturgy" the then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger wrote: "Whenever applause breaks out in the liturgy because of some human achievement, it is a sure sign that the essence of liturgy has totally disappeared and been replaced by a kind of religious entertainment" (Page 198).
The context of the present Pope's remarks was regarding applause after so-called liturgical dancing; it did not directly address our present case of applause as a sign of respect and agreement to the message of the homily. The principle involved, however, of not applauding the merely human achievement of one of the liturgical actors could be a good rule of thumb for deciding when applause is appropriate or not.
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Follow-up: Shifting or Substituting the Sunday Liturgy
Related to our column on shifting the Sunday liturgy (see Jan. 6), a priest residing in the United States asked the following:
"I searched the GIRM [General Instruction of the Roman Missal] for some light on the patronal celebration of the feast on a Sunday. In Mumbai, India, we observe the solemnity of the feast of the patron saint on the following Sunday so that the entire parish can take part in the celebration.
"I am at a parish dedicated to St. George, and we are celebrating the diamond jubilee of the parish. I suggested to the pastor to have the celebration of the feast, which falls on April 23, on the following Sunday, April 26. He wants to know how it can be done. Could you throw some light on this?"
Actually, this question is not addressed in the GIRM but in No. 58 of the introduction to the Roman calendar published in 1969.
This document states: "For the pastoral advantage of the people, it is permissible to observe on the Sundays in Ordinary Time those celebrations that fall during the week and have special appeal to the devotion of the faithful, provided the celebrations take precedence over these Sundays in the Table of Liturgical Days. The Mass for such celebrations may be used at all the Masses at which a congregation is present."
Therefore, it is legitimate to transfer the celebration of a parish's patron saint (which has the rank of solemnity in the parish itself) to the following Sunday if this is a Sunday of ordinary time.
In the concrete case mentioned by our reader, however, the Sunday following April 23 always falls in Eastertide or, as will occur in 2011, 2038 and 2095, is Easter Sunday itself. This Sunday, therefore, always has a higher rank in the table of liturgical days than the feast of the patron saint. Thus, in this case it is not possible to transfer the feast to the following Sunday.
It is still possible to organize other activities of popular devotion on this Sunday if this is the only day that people can gather, but the Mass must be that of the corresponding Sunday of Easter.
Another priest raised an intriguing question to the follow-up article on Communion under both species: "Further to the question/answer of Jan. 6, as 'the body, blood, soul and divinity of Christ are present in both the consecrated bread and wine,' is there anything -- apart from the fact that 'it isn't done' -- against administering only the Blood of Christ, and not the Body of Christ? I never see the question raised this way round."
I would say that, strictly speaking, this could be done. It is quite regularly done in case of those who are intolerant to wheat and to those incapable of receiving solid food. I would also suppose that it could be done if, in admittedly highly unusual circumstances, a group of isolated Christians found themselves with little bread and a lot of altar wine.
As far as I know, there is no explicit prohibition against this, probably because nobody ever thought of doing it before. But the law presumes that it is not done and that if Communion is given under one species, this species is ordinarily the species of bread.
There are myriad practical reasons that justify the Church's present custom of not distributing only the species of wine, but I think that the reasons go beyond the practical and the budgetary.
Many Old Testament types of the Eucharist, such as the manna in the desert to which Our Lord himself refers to in Chapter 6 of the Gospel according to John, plus the reference to the Eucharist as the "breaking of the bread" found in the Acts of the Apostles, indicate that there is a clear preference toward the species of bread from the very beginning.
Likewise, the species of wine is not easily conserved, and distributing only the species of wine would have made the development of Eucharistic devotion and adoration almost impossible.
I think we can therefore conclude that the prevalence of distributing the consecrated bread rather than just the consecrated wine is a practice guided by the Holy Spirit for the greater good of the Church.
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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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DOCUMENTS
Message for 56th World Leprosy Day
"Children Are Not Spared This Disease"
VATICAN CITY, JAN. 20, 2009 (
Zenit.org).- Here is the statement published by Cardinal Javier Lozano Barragán, president of the Pontifical Council for Health Care Ministry, on the occasion of the 56th World Leprosy Day, which will be observed Sunday.
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To their Excellencies the Presidents of Bishops' Conferences
And Bishops Responsible for Pastoral Care in Health
The annual celebration of the World Leprosy Day is a great appointment of solidarity with our brothers and sisters who are afflicted by Hansen's disease, a disease that is often ignored by the mass media but which still today strikes each year over 250,000 people, most of whom live in conditions of poverty.
According to the most recent calculations of the World Health Organisation, which refer to the year 2007, in that year there were 254,525 new leprosy cases, with 212,802 people already been treated for it.
Unfortunately, children are not spared this disease. According to the calculations of the AIFO (the Italian Association of the Friends of Raoul Follereau), "each year in the world there are 40,000 children with leprosy, and about 12% of all new cases of leprosy are children under the age 15."
In the year of the 20th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and mindful of the predilection of Jesus Christ for them "for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 19:14), I appeal to those who lead government organisations to pay special attention -- in the implementation of health programmes and plans in the various countries of the world -- to children who are sick with leprosy and run the risk of seeing their futures mortgaged by the negative consequences of their illness.
From this flows the urgent need for public institutions to give practical expression to "the right of the child to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health and to facilities for the treatment of illness and rehabilitation of health" that is attributed to them in article 24 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Unfortunately at a social level albeit unfounded fears still persist that are generated by ignorance about Hansen's disease. These fears generate feelings of exclusion and often burdensome stigma towards who are afflicted by leprosy, making them especially vulnerable.
This 56th World Day is thus a suitable opportunity to offer the human community correct, broad and capillary information about leprosy, about the devastating effects that it can have on people's bodies if they are not treated and on families and on society, and to stimulate the individual and collective duty to engage in active fraternal solidarity.
Basing itself on the example of Jesus Christ, the physician of bodies and souls, the Church has always dedicated special care to people afflicted by leprosy. Down the centuries it has been present through the institutions of Congregations of men and women religious, and through voluntary health care organisations made up of the lay faithful, thereby contributing in a radical way to the full social and communal integration of such people.
The Blessed Father Damian de Veuster, the untiring and exemplary apostle of our brothers and sisters afflicted by Hansen's disease, a lighthouse of faith and love, is the symbol of all those consecrated to Christ with religious vows who still today dedicate their lives to such people, making available all their resources for the overall wellbeing of those afflicted who are by leprosy in every part of the world.
These, together with Blessed Damian, are writing the most beautiful pages of the missionary history of the Church. Inseparably linked to evangelisation in their care for the sick, they proclaim that the redemption of Jesus Christ, and his salvific grace, reach the whole of man in his human condition in order to associate him to the glorious resurrection of Christ.
At their side very many volunteers and men of good will are involved in the organisation of solidarity at a practical level, making means and financial resources available to research institutes so that they can create increasingly effective forms of treatment by which to combat Hansen's disease.
The world of the Catholic laity has its champion in Raoul Follereau, the originator and promoter of this World Day, who continues his beneficial action through the Association of Friends, which is dedicated to him. To him, and to those who follow him with the passing of time, goes an especial applause and our gratitude for the very many initiatives that they promote, which have the merit of always keeping alive care for those afflicted by Hansen's disease, of sensitising public opinion, and of stimulating people's involvement in supporting programmes and the gathering of financial resources.
It is good and comforting to observe that in this struggle against Hansen's disease nongovernmental associations and organisations are present that go beyond religious, ideological and cultural affiliations, all of which meet each other in the common goal of bringing to those who are sick the opportunity of regaining a state of social, health-care, and spiritual wellbeing.
In particular, our gratitude should go to the Sasakawa Foundation for the inestimable contribution that it has made for decades to this cause by financially supporting the institutions of the international community in research in the field of treatment. I encourage the Sasakawa Foundation to continue with determination so that to the positive results that have been achieved hitherto others are added, and ones that are more advanced, for the wellbeing of those afflicted by leprosy and their families.
To those who suffer from Hansen's disease, to men and women religious missionaries active in the field, and to the social and health care workers who help them, I express the nearness of this Pontifical Council for Heath Care Ministry, which expresses the concern of the Church for the sick and those who dedicate themselves to them, as well as its nearness to them.
May the Immaculate Mother of God, "Salus Infirmorum," intercede with her son Jesus, the "physician of bodies and souls," for the overall health of those with leprosy, and imbue those who care for them with a maternal spirit!
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Papal Address to Ecumenical Delegation
"Let Us Pray That the Spirit of Truth Will Guide Us Toward Ever Greater Unity"
VATICAN CITY, JAN. 20, 2009 (
Zenit.org).- Here is the text of the address Benedict XVI gave Monday to an ecumenical delegation from Finland, visiting Rome on the occasion of the feast of their patron.
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Dear distinguished Friends from Finland,
It is with great joy that I welcome all of you on this annual visit to Rome for the feast of your patron, Saint Henrik, and I thank Bishop Gustav Björkstrand for the kind words addressed to me on your behalf.
These pilgrimages are an occasion for shared prayer, reflection and dialogue in the service of our quest for full communion. Your visit is taking place during the Week of Prayer of Christian Unity whose theme this year is taken from the Book of Ezekiel: "That they may become one in your hand" (Ez 37:15-23). The prophet's vision is that of two pieces of wood, symbolizing the two kingdoms into which God's people had been divided, being brought together again into one (Ezekiel 37:15-23). In the context of ecumenism, it speaks to us of God who constantly draws us into deeper unity in Christ, by renewing us and liberating us from our divisions.
The Lutheran-Catholic Dialogue Commission in Finland and Sweden continues to consider the Joint Declaration on Justification. This year we celebrate the tenth anniversary of this significant statement, and the Commission is now studying its implications and the possibility of its reception. Under the theme Justification in the Life of the Church, the dialogue is taking ever fuller account of the nature of the Church as the sign and instrument of the salvation brought about in Jesus Christ, and not simply a mere assembly of believers or an institution with various functions.
Your pilgrimage to Rome takes place within the Pauline Year - the two thousandth anniversary of the birth of the Apostle to the Nations, whose life and teaching were tirelessly committed to the unity of the Church. Saint Paul reminds us of the marvellous grace we have received by becoming members of Christ's body through baptism (cf. 1 Cor 12:12-31). The Church is this mystical Body of Christ, and is continuously guided by the Holy Spirit; the Spirit of the Father and the Son. It is only based on this incarnational reality that the sacramental character of the Church as communion in Christ can be understood. A consensus with regard to the profoundly Christological and pneumatological implications of the mystery of the Church would prove a most promising basis for the Commission's work.
From Paul we also learn that the unity we seek is nothing less than the manifestation of our full incorporation into the Body of Christ, whereby "all you who have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. . . for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (Gal 3:27-28). To this end, dear friends, it is my fervent hope that your visit to Rome will further strengthen the ecumenical relations between Lutherans and Catholics in Finland, which have been so positive for many years. Together, let us thank God for all that has been achieved to date in Catholic-Lutheran relations, and let us pray that the Spirit of truth will guide us towards ever greater unity, in the service of the Gospel.
With these sentiments of affection in the Lord, and at the beginning of this new year, I invoke upon you and your families God's gifts of joy and peace.
© Copyright 2009 - Libreria Editrice Vaticana
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Cardinal Bertone's Homily at Close of Family Meeting
"Love Your Children and Make Them Feel That They Are Loved"
MEXICO CITY, JAN. 20, 2009 (
Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the homily given Sunday by Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Benedict XVI's secretary of state and papal legate to the 6th World Meeting of Families, at the close of that event. The Wednesday-Sunday meeting was held last week in Mexico City.
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Dear brothers and sisters in the Lord:
1. To all the beloved of God, called to be holy. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 1:7). With these words from the Apostle St. Paul, as the Church is celebrating the bimillennium of his birth, I want to transmit to all of you the affection and spiritual closeness of His Holiness Benedict XVI, whom I have the honor of representing as pontifical legate in this 6th World Meeting of Families.
I greet with special sentiments of fraternal communion Cardinal Ennio Antonelli, president of the Pontifical Council for the Family, sincerely thanking him and his collaborators for the exquisite and efficient diligence with which they have prepared this initiative that gathers families from all over the world in this beautiful nation. I want to recognize as well Cardinal Alfonso López Trujillo, who we entrust to the mercy of God, and who with so much zeal oversaw the preceding World Meetings of Families, also setting under way the path of preparation of the present gathering.
I greet with affection and gratitude, also in the name of the Holy Father, Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera, archbishop primate of Mexico, for the care and great pains with which, together with his diocesan community, he has finalized the celebration of this World Meeting. And I cannot fail to mention also with gratitude the intense work carried out by the organizing committee of this great gathering, presided over by Monsignor Jonás Guerrero Corona, auxiliary bishop of Mexico, and the dedication of the numerous volunteers who have generously collaborated, as well as the kindness with which so many families of this city have opened their houses and their hearts to other families come from afar to participate in this marvelous ecclesial event.
I greet with affection the cardinals, the brothers in the episcopate and the delegations that have come from so many parts of the world, thus giving witness to the determination with which the local Churches are working for the promotion of family ministry in distinct parts of the world.
I direct my cordial and respectful greeting to the authorities present in this Eucharistic celebration thereby showing the vital importance of the family for the present and future of society.
It is to be noted as well the enthusiasm and conviction with which priests, men and women religious and other pastoral ministers give themselves to the promotion and apostolate of and with families.
Thank you, very especially, to the families gathered here in this great liturgical assembly, around the Lord Jesus and under the maternal gaze of Our Lady of Guadalupe. In a little while, the spouses here present will renew their conjugal covenant and the blessing of the Lord will descend on them to revive the sacramental grace of matrimony.
2. The readings that have been proclaimed present us with the Word of God that enlightens and questions us. The first one, taken from the Book of Proverbs, speaks of the counsels from a father to his young son. This is a very appropriate aspect for this 6th World Meeting of Families, which has as a theme the family as educator in human and Christian values.
These paternal teachings refer to good conduct, ethics, human values, and they are the fruit of experience, reflection and good sense. They have concrete recommendations to avoid vice and practice virtue. The text we have heard, in its brevity, lingers only on cases such as drunkenness, gluttony, laziness and the lack of respect for elderly parents. In this regard, the sacred author indicates: "Consort not with winebibbers, nor with those who eat meat to excess; For the drunkard and the glutton come to poverty, and torpor clothes a man in rags. Listen to your father who begot you, and despise not your mother when she is old" (Proverbs 23:20-22). Nevertheless, in the Book of Proverbs as a whole, the panorama is much broader, as it also speaks of pride, arrogance, ire, vengeance, oppression of the poor, especially widows and orphans, prostitution, adultery, lies and deceit.
Virtues, on the other hand, are praised. The proclaimed text earnestly exhorts being wise, upright, just, honest and committed to good. "Hear, my son, and be wise, and guide your heart in the right way. (...) Get the truth, and sell it not -- wisdom, instruction and understanding" (Proverbs 23:19,23). Also in this aspect, the recommendations refer to many other virtues: humility, self-control, patience, loyalty, conjugal fidelity, friendship, forgiveness of enemies, laboriousness, sobriety, defense of the poor, generosity and hospitality.
The principle that regulates and provides a basis for ethical conduct is the fear of the Lord: "The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord" (Proverbs 9:10), that is, the authentic relationship with God, made of respect, adoration, obedience, trust. Something similar is also said in the passage of Scripture we have heard: "Let not your heart emulate sinners, but be zealous for the fear of the Lord always; For you will surely have a future, and your hope will not be cut off" (Proverbs 23:17-18).
Fear of the Lord impels the renunciation of sin and the fulfillment of his will, made concrete in moral norms. And as God only wants our good, to obey him, according to the Book of Proverbs, is the path to have success also in this world, that is, to have health, longevity, well-being, families united, descendants, and social honorability.
The responsorial psalm we have sung goes deeper in the same teaching: "Happy are all who fear the Lord, who walk in the ways of God. What your hands provide you will enjoy; you will be happy and prosper: Like a fruitful vine your wife (...) Like olive plants your children around your table" (Psalm 128:1-3). According to the wisdom literature of the Old Testament, the fear of the Lord, ethical values and moral norms, belong to the logic and the dynamism of life that tends to its plenitude. To accept them means to follow the direction of one's human growth, being faithful to God and faithful to oneself.
This is a matter of values and norms known through experience and reflection, that is, through reason, and which, in being contained in the inspired texts are, at the same time, the Word of God. It is understandable that certain truths accessible to everyone, also to nonbelievers, would be confirmed by biblical revelation, since frequently reason, obscured by instincts and prejudices, does not judge correctly. As St. Augustine says: "God has written on tablets of stone the Ten Commandments that men no longer read on their hearts" (Commentary on Psalm 57:1). Right reason and faith are allies. Authentically human values are also Christian, for as the Apostle Paul exhorts: "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things" (Philippians 4:8).
The disciples of Jesus also respect the content and coherence proper to human values and activity, but the Christian message elevates these to a new and higher meaning; it integrates them in the filial relationship with God the Father and in the dynamism of faith, hope and charity. The center of the moral task of the Christian is the person of Jesus Christ, dialogue and communion with him, and through him, with the Father in the Holy Spirit. In this new relationship with the divine Persons, the practice of human values and moral norms is perfected, acquires new motivations and energies, the capacity of sacrifice in the following of the Crucified, joy and trust in the company of the Risen.
The Christian family places at the center of its attention the person of the Lord Jesus, it welcomes him into the home, prays and gathers around him, seeks to share his teachings, his sentiments, his desires, and to fulfill his will. Faith in his presence transforms all familial relationships and activities, exalts human values, creates a climate of communion and joy. A human climate and divine at the same time, as is evoked with excitement and enthusiasm in the text of the Letter to the Colossians that we have heard in the second letter:
"Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience; (...) as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do. And over all these put on love, that is, the bond of perfection. And let the peace of Christ control your hearts. (...) Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly. (...) And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Wives, be subordinate to your husbands. (...) Husbands, love your wives. (...) Children, obey your parents in everything. (...) Fathers, do not provoke your children, so they may not become discouraged" (3:12-21).
Here is the "family as educator in human and Christian values." In this [family] many virtues are practiced, united and sublimated by charity; the words and the works of each day are animated by the Spirit of Jesus and oriented by the hearing of his Word. The roles of the spouses and the parents and children are maintained, but all share in loving each other and mutually serving each other.
All the members of the family are implied because all should participate in the development of human and Christian values. But we cannot forget the particular responsibility that corresponds to the parents. Their attitude regarding their children should be similar to that manifested by Mary and Joseph when, according to the narration we have heard in the Gospel, they found Jesus in the temple after having lost him.
Mary and Joseph look for him with unspeakable concern. "Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety" (Luke 2:48). They love their son passionately, with all of their being.
So then, dear fathers and mothers, love your children and make them feel that they are loved and appreciated, respected and understood. Feeling loved gives rise to gratitude and trust in others, in themselves and in the love of the Heavenly Father; and it is a call to respond to love with love.
Mary and Joseph live in intimacy with Jesus; but his person and his behavior are a mystery also for them. "And he said to them, 'Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?' But they did not understand what he said to them" (Luke 2:49-50). Mary and Joseph intuit that Jesus does not belong to them; that he lives for his true Father who is God and places himself totally at the service of the mysterious divine project. Despite not understanding, they accompany him with respectful love and serve him with every solicitude.
Dear fathers and mothers, you also have to respect the personality and the vocation of your children. To educate them is to help them to develop their hidden potential and support them so they can be fully themselves according to the plan God has for their lives. Take care of them as a gift that has been entrusted to you, without being possessive. A famous poet wrote: "Your children are not yours ... They come through you but they are not of you, and though they are with you, they don't belong to you. You can give them your love, not your thoughts; they have their own thoughts. You can give lodging to their bodies, but not to their souls, because their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit even in a dream" (K. Gibran, II Prophet).
A good educative relationship involves tenderness and affection, and at the same time, rationality and authority. Both parents, the father and the mother, should be close to their children and cultivate dialogue with them. Dear fathers and mothers, be generous with your children, without being permissive; be demanding without being severe; be clear with them and do not contradict yourselves; know how to say yes or no in the right moment. Be coherent and given them a good example. Thus you can help your children to mature [with] a balanced personality, constructive and creative, solid and reliable, capable of confronting the challenges and the tests of life, which are never lacking.
Formation in human and Christian values requires a family founded in a monogamous matrimony and open to life; it requires a united and stable family. Spouses who, regardless of human weakness, seek with the grace of God to live ever more coherently in love as a total gift of one's life from one to the other, build their house on rock (cf. Matthew 7:24-25); they make of their family a living Gospel; they build up the Church and civil society; they reflect in history the presence and the beauty of God who is one in three Persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
May the Most Holy Virgin, Our Lady of Guadalupe, obtain this grace for Christian families, so that all the families of the world also benefit from it.
Oh Mary, Mother of beautiful Love, Mother of hope, Help of Christians, gather these humble supplications and give to all the families of the world that which they need to grow in sanctity, to be salt of the earth and light of the world, to be sanctuaries of life and love, of welcome and forgiveness, of human and Christian values. Amen.
[Translation by Kathleen Naab]
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Madonnas of Europe
Give a special present to your Friends and Family. Rosikon Press is pleased to present an unusual book, Madonnas of Europe, which presents 70 Marian shrines in 28 countries of Europe from Portugal to the Urals.
The book is available both in English and Polish language.
For more information visit our webpage www.rosikonpress.com
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The #1 Inspirational Movie of 2008, Fireproof, Comes to DVD on January 27th.
Fireproof, the highest-grossing Christian film after The Passion of Christ, comes to DVD January 27, 2009. The micro-budget movie from Sherwood Pictures that opened at number 4 in the nation and spent three weeks in the top 10, Fireproof is endorsed by Catholic leadership and organizations like World Wide Marriage Encounter. "Fireproof is an excellent film that makes marriage commitment real and attainable with Christ's grace," says Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz, Chairman of the Committee on Marriage and Family for the USCCB. Every Catholic couple and parish needs to see this film!
http://www.FireprooftheMovie.com
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