Potpourri of Popery, Eyewitness Edition

Hangin' w/ my homie

Popery

Just when I'd resigned myself to the fact that we're in the try-to-pay-for-college years of life and would not be having any great travel adventures for the next decade or so, my boss sent me to Rome for a conference, with a papal audience and the vigil and Mass of Pentecost as the bookends of the trip. (My travel buddy & I  snuck in 48 hours in Florence just because.)

I studied in Rome for a semester my Sophomore year of college, lived there for a year after I graduated, and returned periodically for visits, so I know it well, but hadn't been there since 1998.

In all the previous visits, much as I loved Italy and the Italians, I always had the bitter feeling that the Italian Church was dying. If you saw a young nun or priest, it was a foreign national. Heck, in Rome if you saw a child it was a foreign national. I worked in a Catholic school outside Rome those many moons ago, and hardly any of the families went to church and pretty much every kid was an only child -- and spoiled rotten by parents making up for the fact they had no time for them. A colleague used to say, "Poor Romans. So close to the Church and so far from God."

In 1998, John Paul the Great called all the "new movements" in the Church to Rome to celebrate Pentecost with him. Mr. W. & I went, a toddler Eldest Weed in tow and Girl Weed in the oven. It was glorious -- a foretaste of heaven because everywhere you went in Rome, there were crowds of the young, zealous, kind, exuberant Christians the new movements churn out. You didn't have to worry about your wallet, everyone was courteous and joyful -- you have to have been there to understand the atmosphere.

At the vigil celebration, and at the Mass the next day, the crowd literally packed St. Peter's and the spillover went down the Via della Conciliazone all the way down to the Tiber and into all the side streets.

It was astonishing. It was also largely a Latin American phenomenon. If you went into a shop or restaurant in the normal touristy places, you heard Spanish, not Italian. I'm not saying there were literally no Italian movements present -- Focolare and C&L & Saint Egidio were there and their founders spoke at the Vigil event. But the preponderance of the participants --the crowd-- was from all over Latin America. I had the feeling that the Church --Europe-- was being renewed and saved by the Global South.

That was the first instance of what has become a Church tradition: gathering all the movements together to pray at Pentecost. The Vatican does it regularly and many bishops do it in their dioceses.

Fast forward to two weeks ago. Same event, almost 15 years and two popes later. At the vigil prayer service and rally, Pope Francis did a wonderful Q & A with the crowd. He knew their questions in advance as he admitted ("always begin with the truth," he said), but he went off script a great deal -- he seemed to have more notes about what he wanted to say than a prepared speech.

I could listen to him all day. He has a pleasant, mellow voice which always seems calm, yet at the same time his face and hands are very animated when he speaks. He radiates joy -- his eyes are merry and he has a mouth predisposed to smile-- and he's funny. He loves simple examples drawn from everyday life and when he speaks to a crowd, you feel like he's talking to just you and a few friends.

You owe yourself a read through all those questions, because here's what the Pope of Rome told some of his most ardent followers, and those highly committed to being agents of the "New Evangelization" when they asked him what he wants from them.

The most edifying thing for me about the experience, however, was that the massive crowd was Italian. C&L, Focolare, Neocats.... Catholic Action Italia flags were everywhere. I didn't hear a word of any other language except in the formal presentations associated with the event. And there were Italian babies: children! (When Eldest Weed was there in '98, the natives fawned over him as if they'd never seen a baby before.) It felt like the Italian church had come alive in the past 15 years.

That wasn't the only evidence, either. Our first evening in Rome we went to vespers at Quattro Coronati with a community of Augustinian nuns. They are young (-ish). And they had young postulants and novices! Afterwards there was mass and this young Italian priest gave a splendid homily about Christian witness. He was zealous and "alive" and didn't seem like he was slogging slowly through another day at the world's most boring job, which is the vibe the Italian clergy gave off back in the day.

I came away from the week hopeful that there is some counter-movement against the "death of Europe."

I know I've said it before, but in spite of their different styles and modes of expression, Pope Francis reminds me a great deal of BXVI (Francis quotes BXVI all the time, for starters, and not just formally, to establish continuity. It's clear that Cardinal Bergoglio took Benedict's project much to heart and has the same concerns on his mind: Christian unity; engagement with atheists and agnostics, search-and-rescue of the fallen away; the family). They have the same way of speaking to a crowd "man-to-man" as it were. "Look, let's think about this together," they both seem to say.

And as for Francis' simplicity, supposedly so much at odds with BXVI, they seem like peas in a pod to me in the sense that each in his way has tried to shrug off any attention to himself or his own person and focus all the attention on Christ and grace. Each in his way has been or is being criticized for shrinking the papacy in some way. Benedict "caught it" from some quarters for the Jesus of Nazareth volumes and for the interview book -- for speaking as a man and not always magisterially, and for inviting disagreement. Francis is catching it from the same quarters for his daily homilies. I heard on Catholic radio today that people want formal texts of them, but the Vatican only wants to give summaries, because a text would require someone making a transcript and then the Holy Father reviewing the text to produce something formal and subject to scrutiny. The Pope doesn't want those daily homilies to be like that; they're more like Benedict granting an interview. Benedict continued living the intellectual life and sought interlocutors to keep himself grounded. Francis' living at Domus Marta is part of his living in community to keep himself grounded.

In neither case is there any carelessness about the office of the papacy. There's just careful distinction between the man and the office and a deliberate effort not to allow people to put the man on a pedestal. "I" am not important; the One I serve is.

I love Francis' Jesuit-style  "three words" homilies. Take his Pentecost homily, for which I was present.  Newness-harmony-mission.

A recurring topic in Francis' preaching already is the need for the Church --and individual Christians-- to allow God to work in us rather than limiting the life of grace to what we think we can accomplish on our own power. He said it to priests at the Chrism mass and to other groups. Here he's preaching primarily to the new movements:

Newness always makes us a bit fearful, because we feel more secure if we have everything under control, if we are the ones who build, programme and plan our lives in accordance with our own ideas, our own comfort, our own preferences. This is also the case when it comes to God. Often we follow him, we accept him, but only up to a certain point. It is hard to abandon ourselves to him with complete trust, allowing the Holy Spirit to be the soul and guide of our lives in our every decision. We fear that God may force us to strike out on new paths and leave behind our all too narrow, closed and selfish horizons in order to become open to his own. Yet throughout the history of salvation, whenever God reveals himself, he brings newness - God always brings newness -, and demands our complete trust: Noah, mocked by all, builds an ark and is saved; Abram leaves his land with only a promise in hand; Moses stands up to the might of Pharaoh and leads his people to freedom; the apostles, huddled fearfully in the Upper Room, go forth with courage to proclaim the Gospel. This is not a question of novelty for novelty’s sake, the search for something new to relieve our boredom, as is so often the case in our own day. The newness which God brings into our life is something that actually brings fulfilment, that gives true joy, true serenity, because God loves us and desires only our good. Let us ask ourselves today: Are we open to “God’s surprises”? Or are we closed and fearful before the newness of the Holy Spirit?

The surprises of God. Love that!

Then he moves to harmony. If God is always stirring up "newness," isn't he also stirring up trouble?

the Holy Spirit would appear to create disorder in the Church, since he brings the diversity of charisms and gifts; yet all this, by his working, is a great source of wealth, for the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of unity, which does not mean uniformity, but which leads everything back to harmony. In the Church, it is the Holy Spirit who creates harmony. One of Fathers of the Church has an expression which I love: the Holy Spirit himself is harmony – “Ipse harmonia est”. He is indeed harmony. Only the Spirit can awaken diversity, plurality and multiplicity, while at the same time building unity.

Now watch this, and recall it when anyone tries to invoke Francis' love of the poor in defense of the social welfare state.

Here too, when we are the ones who try to create diversity and close ourselves up in what makes us different and other, we bring division. When we are the ones who want to build unity in accordance with our human plans, we end up creating uniformity, standardization.

(Echoes of one of my favorite Toqueville quotations, and a favorite Benedict-an theme.)  He continues:

 ...if instead we let ourselves be guided by the Spirit, richness, variety and diversity never become a source of conflict, because he impels us to experience variety within the communion of the Church. Journeying together in the Church, under the guidance of her pastors who possess a special charism and ministry, is a sign of the working of the Holy Spirit. Having a sense of the Church is something fundamental for every Christian, every community and every movement. It is the Church which brings Christ to me, and me to Christ; parallel journeys are very dangerous! When we venture beyond (proagon) the Church’s teaching and community – the Apostle John tells us in his Second Letter - and do not remain in them, we are not one with the God of Jesus Christ (cf. 2 Jn v. 9). So let us ask ourselves: Am I open to the harmony of the Holy Spirit, overcoming every form of exclusivity? Do I let myself be guided by him, living in the Church and with the Church?

Then he gets to mission, where he picks up on his urging these movements the previous day not to create blessed enclaves for themselves, but to go out on search and rescue missions. The crisis of today, he said, is neither economic nor cultural. It's a crisis of humanity. Man is in danger, and what he needs is the Gospel. With the previous day's exhortation in the background he says:

The older theologians used to say that the soul is a kind of sailboat, the Holy Spirit is the wind which fills its sails and drives it forward, and the gusts of wind are the gifts of the Spirit. Lacking his impulse and his grace, we do not go forward. The Holy Spirit draws us into the mystery of the living God and saves us from the threat of a Church which is gnostic and self-referential, closed in on herself; he impels us to open the doors and go forth to proclaim and bear witness to the good news of the Gospel, to communicate the joy of faith, the encounter with Christ. The Holy Spirit is the soul of mission.

The events that took place in Jerusalem almost two thousand years ago are not something far removed from us; they are events which affect us and become a lived experience in each of us. The Pentecost of the Upper Room in Jerusalem is the beginning, a beginning which endures. The Holy Spirit is the supreme gift of the risen Christ to his apostles, yet he wants that gift to reach everyone. As we heard in the Gospel, Jesus says: “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to remain with you forever” (Jn 14:16). It is the Paraclete Spirit, the “Comforter”, who grants us the courage to take to the streets of the world, bringing the Gospel! The Holy Spirit makes us look to the horizon and drive us to the very outskirts of existence in order to proclaim life in Jesus Christ. Let us ask ourselves: do we tend to stay closed in on ourselves, on our group, or do we let the Holy Spirit open us to mission?

This homily is so sweet. The Pope celebrated Mass at a Roman parish on Trinity Sunday, and he spoke mainly to a bunch of First Communicants. Here's what he said about Mary:

Our Lady, as soon as she had heard the news that she was to be the Mother of Jesus and the announcement that her cousin Elizabeth was expecting a child — the Gospel says — she went to her in haste, she did not wait. She did not say: “But now I am with child I must take care of my health. My cousin is bound to have friends who can care for her”. Something stirred her and she “went with haste” to Elizabeth (cf. Lk 1:39). It is beautiful to think this of Our Lady, of our Mother, that she hastens, because she intends to help. She goes to help, she doesn't go to boast and tell her cousin: “listen, I’m in charge now, because I am the Mother of God!”. No, she did not do that. She went to help! And Our Lady is always like this. She is our Mother who always hurries to us whenever we are in need.

It would be beautiful to add to the Litany of Our Lady something like this: “O Lady who goes in haste, pray for us!”. It is lovely, isn’t? For she always goes in haste, she does not forget her children. And when her children are in difficulty, when they need something and call on her, she hurries to them. This gives us a security, the security of always having our Mother next to us, beside us. We move forward, we journey more easily in life when our mother is near. Let us think of this grace of Our Lady, this grace that she gives us: of being close to us, but without making us wait for her. Always! She — lets us trust in this — she lives to help us. Our Lady who always hastens, for our sake.

And then he did a typical pastor's Q & A w/ First Communicants. Read it, it's darling.  (Or google for the video so you can see how he interacts w/ the kids. He heard confessions too.)

No Corpus Christi text yet, but you can watch the ceremony w/ English dub here. The Pope walked the one mile from St. John to St. Mary Majors behind the monstrance -- first time in twenty years that's been done. 

A Vatican first:  worldwide Eucharistic adoration took place today at 5 pm Rome time, 11 am EST (text and video at the link).

See also Fr. Schall's commentary on the Pope's address to Italian bishops.

Potpourri

• Rome: Before the Pope spoke at the Pentecost Vigil, two lay people gave testimonies worth reading. They were each carefully chosen for a fat Western Christian audience. John Waters, the Irish journalist, spoke about his conversion from emptiness and the bottle. And Paul Bhatti, brother to slain Pakistani politician Shahbaz Bhatti, who spoke on behalf of the suffering church.  
• Vatican: asks UN for more protection for Christians, of whom 100,000 are killed for their faith each year. THESE are the days of the martyrs, not yesteryear. 
• France: not really popery, though Catholics are involved, but...speaking of the death of Europe being premature, what's gotten into the French? 
• Israel: Church of the Dormition vandalized.
• Jordan: First Catholic University there opens.
• U.S. RIP Fr. Greeley; Grey Lady accuses Card. Dolan of hypocrisy re HHS mandate.

And finally: Mass too long? Pope Francis has a solution.

Potpourri of Popery, Catholic Sundance Edition

Happy Ascension Thursday Sunday for those to whom it applies. The Pope travelled to Portugal last week, where his spokesman had promised us he would deliver an "intense message" at Fatima, which he did, so let's get to it.

Popery 

Benedict made headlines before even disembarking from his plane with his in-flight comments. It is clear he considers the Fatima message and his preaching there an essential moment of grace and purification --the beginning of casting off the "filth" (as he called abusing priests and enabling bishops in 2005) of the 1970s generation of clergy. I am tempted to say the message of the entire pilgrimage was "Die, Boomers, Die," but of course that is not the way he put it. The overall message of the pilgrimage was cling to Christ, renew your faith and embrace penance as the only way some devils are cast out.  

In an interview with reporters, I liked his succinct formulation of Europe's mission:

I think that the precise task and mission of Europe in this situation is to create this dialogue, to integrate faith and modern rationality in a single anthropological vision which approaches the human being as a whole and thus also makes human cultures communicable. So I would say that the presence of secularism is something normal, but the separation and the opposition between secularism and a culture of faith is something anomalous and must be transcended. The great challenge of the present moment is for the two to come together, and in this way to discover their true identity. This, as I have said, is Europe’s mission and mankind’s need in our history.

Wonder what he would say America's mission is? But that's not what made headlines. This is what made headlines:

the sufferings of the Church come precisely from within the Church, from the sin existing within the Church. This too is something that we have always known, but today we are seeing it in a really terrifying way: that the greatest persecution of the Church comes not from her enemies without, but arises from sin within the Church, and that the Church thus has a deep need to relearn penance, to accept purification, to learn forgiveness on the one hand, but also the need for justice. Forgiveness does not replace justice.

Stung by the just accusations that they'd gone way too far in their Holy Week feeding frenzy on the Pope, they eagerly embraced his absolution in worldwide headlines. Didn't see too much coverage of the remainder of the thought, however:

In a word, we need to relearn precisely this essential: conversion, prayer, penance and the theological virtues. This is our response, we are realists in expecting that evil always attacks, attacks from within and without, yet that the forces of good are also ever present and that, in the end, the Lord is more powerful than evil and Our Lady is for us the visible, motherly guarantee of God’s goodness, which is always the last word in history.

Blah-de-blah, don't bore us with that hope and salvation stuff. Despair! Despair!  Anyway...good stuff, too, on the Greek economic crisis, but at this rate we'll  never leave the plane.

The Pope did what he normally does on pilgrimages. He celebrated Mass with the faithful (beautiful homilies in Lisbon, Fatima, and Porto); he prayed with them (vespers with priests & religious, consecration of all priests to the Immaculate Heart, candlelight rosary); and he met with various groups. His meetings with the faithful are always both challenging and encouraging, and frequently quite beautiful too: the beauty that springs from a profound personal life of prayer. 

This visit was no exception, but I'm going to skip the general homilies and focus on the meetings with groups, where the pope can be, in a good way, quite tough. He is always gentle, but equally direct. The iron hand in the velvet glove as they say.

I sometimes get a kick out of Vaticanese. Where Americans would say, "Meeting with leaders of the arts and sciences," the Vatican has the Pope "meeting with the world of culture." At any rate, here's what he told 'em. It's lengthy but will repay careful attention.

Society continues to respect and appreciate [the Church's] service to the common good but distances itself from that “wisdom” which is part of her legacy. This “conflict” between tradition and the present finds expression in the crisis of truth, yet only truth can provide direction and trace the path of a fulfilled existence both for individuals and for a people. Indeed, a people no longer conscious of its own truth ends up by being lost in the maze of time and history, deprived of clearly defined values and lacking great and clearly formulated goals. Dear friends, much still needs to be learned about the form in which the Church takes her place in the world, helping society to understand that the proclamation of truth is a service which she offers to society, and opening new horizons for the future, horizons of grandeur and dignity. The Church, in effect, has “a mission of truth to accomplish, in every time and circumstance, for a society that is attuned to man, to his dignity, to his vocation. […] Fidelity to man requires fidelity to the truth, which alone is the guarantee of freedom (cf. Jn 8:32) and of the possibility of integral human development. For this reason the Church searches for truth, proclaims it tirelessly and recognizes it wherever it is manifested. This mission of truth is something that the Church can never renounce” (Caritas in Veritate, 9). For a society made up mainly of Catholics, and whose culture has been profoundly marked by Christianity, the search for truth apart from Christ proves dramatic. For Christians, Truth is divine; it is the eternal “Logos” which found human expression in Jesus Christ, who could objectively state: “I am the truth” (Jn 14:6). The Church, in her adherence to the eternal character of truth, is in the process of learning how to live with respect for other “truths” and for the truth of others. Through this respect, open to dialogue, new doors can be opened to the transmission of truth.

He is not saying the Church is open to relativism, under whose tyranny we all currently labor. He is saying that the Church is at one and the same time both the guardian and teacher of Truth and herself learning how to present that truth to the current age. She does not, in other words, stand above the culture in judgment as if her members were not themselves part of their own culture, but seeks and is willing to be enriched by it. Love this line:

Given the reality of cultural diversity, people need not only to accept the existence of the culture of others, but also to aspire to be enriched by it and to offer to it whatever they possess that is good, true and beautiful. 

In other words, the Church is not afraid of what science and the arts have to offer that is true, good and beautiful, and he challenges artists and scientists not to be afraid of what the Church has to offer. Have a little courage, folks!

Ours is a time which calls for the best of our efforts, prophetic courage and a renewed capacity to “point out new worlds to the world”, to use the words of your national poet (Luís de Camões, Os Lusíades, II, 45). You who are representatives of culture in all its forms, forgers of thought and opinion, “thanks to your talent, have the opportunity to speak to the heart of humanity, to touch individual and collective sensibilities, to call forth dreams and hopes, to broaden the horizons of knowledge and of human engagement. […] Do not be afraid to approach the first and last source of beauty, to enter into dialogue with believers, with those who, like yourselves, consider that they are pilgrims in this world and in history towards infinite Beauty!”

He has just told a roomful of artists and scientists that they are not necessarily the open-minded ones in our time. Heh. 

Now, keeping that in mind, look at how he delivers that same message --courage in pursuit of the true, good and beautiful-- in his meeting with bishops.

the times in which we live demand a new missionary vigour on the part of Christians, who are called to form a mature laity, identified with the Church and sensitive to the complex transformations taking place in our world. Authentic witnesses to Jesus Christ are needed, above all in those human situations where the silence of the faith is most widely and deeply felt: among politicians, intellectuals, communications professionals who profess and who promote a monocultural ideal, with disdain for the religious and contemplative dimension of life. In such circles are found some believers who are ashamed of their beliefs and who even give a helping hand to this type of secularism, which builds barriers before Christian inspiration.

Courage is needed, and the bishops are to encourage the brave souls at work in all those fields --but fire and brimstone and anathemas are not what's called for:

The courageous and integral appeal to principles is essential and indispensable; yet simply proclaiming the message does not penetrate to the depths of people’s hearts, it does not touch their freedom, it does not change their lives. What attracts is, above all, the encounter with believing persons who, through their faith, draw others to the grace of Christ by bearing witness to him. The words of Pope John Paul II come to mind: “The Church needs above all great currents, movements and witnesses of holiness among the ‘Christifideles’ because it is from holiness that is born every authentic renewal of the Church, all intelligent enrichment of the faith and of the Christian life,

Simply going back to the way things once were, to some imagined golden age of Churchdom is insufficient --the Church has to find its way of touching men's hearts today. This made me laugh:

One could say, “the Church has need of these great currents, movements and witnesses of holiness…, but there are none!”

Oh yes there are, he says: new movements, and you bishops must walk the delicate path of truly being open to them and to learning from them, while at the same time correcting their defects and slapping down their excesses. 

we must feel responsibility for welcoming these impulses which are gifts for the Church and which give her new vitality, but, on the other hand, we must also help the movements to find the right way, making some corrections with understanding – with the spiritual and human understanding that is able to combine guidance, gratitude and a certain openness and a willingness to learn. 

This seems to signal the Holy Father's attitude about troublesome movements --don't be quick to shut them down, correct the problematic elements. Then he gets to priests and to their own ministry: begone, bishops-as-administrators model!

In this Year for Priests now drawing to a close, rediscover, dear brothers, the role of the Bishop as father, especially with regard to your priests. For all too long the responsibility of authority as a service aimed at the growth of others and in the first place of priests, has been given second place. 

He has already, at the start of the speech, told us what ought to have first place:

fearing nothing except the loss of eternal salvation for your people

He also asks for renewed attention to the poorest of the poor --again, thinking anew about the methods, not just doing the same old --the Church has to find its way:

I would like to ask you, in your role as leaders and ministers of charity in the Church, to rekindle, in yourselves as individuals and as a group, a sense of mercy and of compassion, in order to respond to grave social needs. New organizations must be established, and those already existing perfected, so that they can be capable of responding creatively to every form of poverty, including those experienced as a lack of the meaningfulness in life and the absence of hope [emphasis added].

B16's address to people working for charitable organizations is instructive both as to the nature and the limits of works of charity. I love this definition of charity:

You have heard Jesus say: “Go and do likewise” (Lk 10:37). He exhorts us to imitate the example of the Good Samaritan, which was just now proclaimed, when approaching situations which call for fraternal assistance. And what is this example? It is that of “a heart which sees.” “This heart sees where love is needed and acts accordingly.”

He is there to praise and encourage their work, but adds some subtle cautions as well:

Conscious, as the Church, of not being able to provide practical solutions to each concrete problem, and lacking any kind of power, yet determined to serve the common good, you are ready to assist and to offer the means of salvation to all.

The Church doesn't think she has political solutions to offer, in other words, and is suspicious of efforts to do everything for everybody. Be sure you are acting out of love:

The pressure exerted by the prevailing culture, which constantly holds up a lifestyle based on the law of the stronger, on easy and attractive gain, ends up influencing our ways of thinking, our projects and the goals of our service, and risks emptying them of the motivation of faith and Christian hope which had originally inspired them. The many pressing requests which we receive for support and assistance from the poor and marginalized of society impel us to look for solutions which correspond to the logic of efficiency, quantifiable effects and publicity.

Never forget that the defense of genuine human liberty --including resisting abortion and defending marriage-- is indispensable to charity. (The Pope's repudiation of same-sex marriage was the only other headline to come out of Fatima --all the press got the vapors at the Pope being Catholic once again.)

The services you provide, and your educational and charitable activities, must all be crowned by projects of freedom whose goal is human promotion and universal fraternity. Here we can locate the urgent commitment of Christians in defence of human rights, with concern for the totality of the human person in its various dimensions.

And there you have it: Pope Benedict remakes the world in the image of Christ. This is so long I think we'll forgo the potpourri this time around.

Excellent pix of the whole pilgrimage here, and all the addresses are gathered here.

Photo credit

Potpourri of Popery, 2nd Week of Lent Edition

Yes, I'm still a Benedict groupie in spite of having given over the weekly Potpourri for some months. There is too much I've missed, so lemme sum up.

Old Popery:

Benedict in France: laicite.

Election of Kyrill as Patriarch of Moscow & All Russia Hopeful news.

For the year of St. Paul, Benedict took us through twenty Audiences on the great apostle. They're all collected at the end of this post.

Did the Pope rehabilitate a holocaust denier? No, he did not, as even a preliminary investigation would have made clear. Catholic bloggers have been denouncing the Vatican for botching this --the Vatican even seems to blame itself. I truly don't. Were I a religion reporter hearing that a holocaust denier was being un-excommunicated, rather than assuming bad faith and running with it, I might have called someone authoritative and tried to understand what the Church thought it was doing and reported that. Then I might have discovered the lifting had nothing to do with one dude's nutter opinions. But hey, that's just me.

The best round-up of what really happened and why is here. The Pope's heroic effort to bring home the SSPX may not be working however. Further developments here.

Popery

• The Pope's Message for Lent reminds us what fasting's about, in case you've forgotten what giving up sweets has to do with being a better person. He cites an intriguing observation from St. Basil about there being fasting even in paradise --from the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

• Beautiful Ash Wednesday homily not yet in English because he departed from his text a great deal. As we might expect, it's about conversion and the battle against sin from the teaching of St. Paul.

• Having completed his Pauline audiences, B16 returned to his series on great figures of the Church. Here's St. Bede.
  

• February 15 Angelus on sin and forgiveness.

• Last Sunday's Angelus on the role of the angels.

• This week the Pope's on retreat with all the curia and papal household. Card. Arinze is preaching. Luckies!

Travels: March 17 the Pope departs for Africa: Cameroon & Angola. And to Israel in May, God willing.

Potpourri:

• Vatican: Worldwide vocations on the uptick this decade. Bishop Fellay making SSPX reconciliation more difficult. Legion of Christ's founder fathered at least one child, at least some uglier charges seem true, too. Catholic blogosphere filled with opinions, most of them heavily Oprahfied IMHO. Seems clear the Legion & Vatican are in the midst of some process unknown to anyone else. Stay tuned. Good pieces for understanding what a charism is: in Communio this month (if that doesn't make you want to be in a "new movement"....); and from pre-PapaRatzi.
• China: new bishop accused of betraying Vatican.
  
• Great Britain: Card. Cormac Murphy-O'Conner nears retirement, will be offered a seat in the House of Lords.
• India: Converts from Islam to pray for B16; Cardinal urges people to vote to defend religious freedom in April election.
  
• Iraq: Tariq Aziz aquitted. Yes, you read that right.
• Korea: Mourning the first native cardinal, Stephen Kim, who lead the Church for 30 years and grew it 6-fold. Great pictures of the crowd and moving account of his funeral here.
  
• Oz: Anglican movement towards union w/ Rome.
• Turkey: International pilgrimage to lands of St. Paul starts tomorrow.
  
• U.S.: New York got a good 'un for its next bishop. Grey Lady finds reason to bitch, however. Biggest news hardly covered: Vatican visitation of women religious is underway. Yay! Some not too happy. Bishops "gravely concerned" over Obama administration's rescinding of conscience protections for pro-life healthcare providers. Obama nominates radical pro-abort "Catholic" to be Sec. of HHS. Bishop Martino chastises Sen. Casey. Twice. Cardinal Mahoney not with the program.
• Vietnam: also just lost a cardinal. (That makes 19 recent episcopal deaths worldwide if you're counting.)
  

And finally: The poor in judgment we have always with us. Yes, that is a priest doing the asperges with a super-soaker. (Curtsy: Curt Jester). Plus, giving tithing a bad rap.
Image credit

Potpourri of Popery, Gearing Up For WydSyd Edition

At left is Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati, patron of WYDSYD and all around fun guy. Really. His feast was July 4th.

Popery
The Holy Father departs for Oz on Saturday, a few days early so he can rest before WYDSYD. He'll be staying at an Opus Dei center while on vacation (do I sense a Dan Brown novel coming on?) According to the official program, he won't be formally welcomed until July 17th, but in Sunday's Angelus he was already thinking of the trip.

Blowing on the Church's sail, the divine Spirit pushes her to "go into the deep," always anew, from generation to generation, to take to everyone the Good News of the love of God, revealed fully in Jesus Christ, dead and resurrected for us. I am certain that from all the corners of the earth Catholics will be united with me and with all the young people gathered -- as in the Cenacle -- in Sydney, intensely invoking the Holy Spirit so that he will flood hearts with the inner light of love of God and of brothers, and of courageous initiative to introduce Jesus' eternal message in the diversity of languages and cultures.

He also asked the participants of the G-8 Summit to remember the poorest and weakest peoples:

whose vulnerability has increased because of speculation and financial turbulence and its adverse effects on the price of food and energy.

Financial turbulence, by the way, has affected the Vatican. The falling dollar has caused the Holy See to run a deficit for the first time in five years. Ponder this little detail:

The majority of the Holy See's expenses are in euro, while the majority of the input is in dollars.

This is interesting, too: the dioceses that contribute the most to the Holy See's upkeep. Of approximately $30 million in collections,

Germany contributed the most at 31.57%, followed by the United States at 28.31%. Italy contributed 18.9%. Austria, Canada and Spain contributed more than 3% each, and Korea contributed 2.31%

Korea does as well as Spain!

• Here's the official message for WYDSYD.
• And how to earn the WYD indulgence.
• Watch it at EWTN or here.

In the meanwhile, the Pope's using his vacation to finish Volume II of Jesus of Nazareth & to write his first social encyclical, which may --no promises says the Card. Sec. of State-- be out in the fall. How does he manage it? A photographic memory helps. This from Benedict of Bavaria:

Ratzinger generates volumes in his head as he writes them out by hand or simply speaks. While he was archbishop of Munich and Freising, a bishop recalled that Ratzinger "would dictate while pacing up and down in the room, and you could then print 20 pages with a single mistake. The way he talked was fit to print." and: The Pope's secretaries and assistants say he writes lengthy quotations from other sources verbatim, without looking them up, some of them from works he has not read in many years.

Potpourri

• More Oz: Official WYD site. Check out Pope 2008: Pilgrim profiles. And is the Pope a "rock star"?
• Bahrain: The King visited the Pope and invited the Pope to visit his country.
• Canada: CHRCs blink again: charges dropped against Fr. de Valk. Madonna House and others returning their Orders of Canada in protest over abortionist Henry Morgentaler receiving one (Dear me, the man's a holocaust survivor. Is it Stockholm Syndrome?)
• China: Card. Zen wants to end the synod on scripture with the beatification of Bible's Chinese translator.
• Italy: They're going to read the entire Bible on tv. B16's doing Genesis.
  
• Great Britain: C of E votes to ordain women bishops; flight to Rome ensues.
• Nepal: Catholic priest assassinated. Martyrdom or robbery?
  
• Vietnam: young bishop takes 200 to WYDSYD.

And finally: Jesus is a liberal.

Potpourri of Popery, Eucharistic Congress Edition

Quebec's hosting the International Eucharistic Congress. Livestreaming here. Zenit & many of the big dog blogs are putting up the major addresses. Surf around. I'm especially interested in the talk by the founder of L'Arche (bottom of the post), which I didn't realize was a Canadian-born movement. The Pope will give the closing homily on the 22 via satellite.

Popery
Yesterday's Audience brought us St. Isidore of Seville (unofficial patron of the Internet, BTW) and the "middle way" of being both contemplative and conquering.

In the light of the example of the divine Teacher, Isidore could conclude with this precise moral teaching: "Therefore, the servant of God, imitating Christ, must dedicate himself to contemplation without denying himself the active life. To behave otherwise would not be right. In fact, as we must love God with contemplation, so we must love our neighbor with action. It is impossible, therefore, to live without the presence of one and the other way of life, nor is it possible to love if one has no experience of one or the other" (o.c., 135: ivi, col 91C).

I hold that this is the synthesis of a life that seeks the contemplation of God, dialogue with God in prayer and the reading of sacred Scripture, as well as action in the service of the human community and of one's neighbor.

Alas, only Italian's as yet available for the Pope's visit to the heel of Italy's boot last week. I'm especially enamored of his homily at Santa Maria di Leuca: an absolutely beautiful meditation on Mary. Here's part (very roughly):

What we just heard from the Gospel of Luke is fitting because this Shrine --as illustrated by the plaque above the central door-- is dedicated to the Virgin of the Annunciation. When God calls Mary "full of grace," she becomes the hope of salvation for all mankind: a daughter of our people has found favor in the eyes of the Lord, has been chosen as Mother of the Redeemer. In the simplicity of Mary's home, in a poor village in Galilee, the solemn prophesy of salvation begins to be fulfilled:"I will put enmity between you and the woman, / and between your seed / and its offspring: / he will crush your head / And you will bruise his heel "(Gen 3:15). So the Christian people have embraced a song of praise that the Jews elevated to Judith and we just prayed as the Responsorial Psalm: "Blessed are you, daughter, / by the Most High God / above all the women on earth " (Jud 13.18). Without violence, but with the mild courage of her "yes," the Virgin has released mankind not from an invading enemy, but from the ancient Opponent, giving a human body to the One who will crush his head once and for all.

His address to youth and "citizens" of Brindisi I like as well. It's what he typically says to young people, but I like it, very JP the Great-esque:

...Christ is the answer to all your questions and problems. Every honest aspiration of the human heart finds its support in him. Christ, however, is demanding and refuses half-measures. He knows he can count on your generosity and consistency and for that reason expects a lot from you. Seek him faithfully, and so as to find him, love his Church, feel yourselves responsible for it, don't shrink from being --each in his own atmosphere-- its courageous protagonists. Here is a point to which I would draw your attention: try to know the Church; understand and love it, paying attention to the voices of its pastors. It is composed of men, but Christ is the Head and his Spirit firmly drives it. You are the young face of the Church: don't miss your chance to make a contribution, because the Gospel we proclaim can spread everywhere. Be apostles of your peers!

• Here's the Angelus from Brindisi last week.

• Address to the Pakistani bishops on their ad limina visit. He talks about the centrality of the Eucharist and ecclesial movements. "New movements" in Pakistan? How wonderful!
• The Pope hopes to visit the Holy Land.
• And...countdown to WYDSYD. Everything you need to know at Pope 2008. Scroll around.
  

Potpourri:

• Burma: Silver lining.
  
• Great Britain: Cardinal Castrillon de Hoyos celebrates in the extraordinary form. Remarks cause a stir, reaction round-up here. And: Peter Akinola says Anglican Communion is at an end?
• Ireland: Treaty of Lisbon rejected. Irish Save Civilization Part II?
• Israel: Vatican requests opening of archives related to Pius XII.
  
• Italy: Ron Howard can't use Catholic churches to film anti-Catholic movies. ninme notes a certain proportion in Catholic response to blasphemy. And Holocaust survivors will hold a symposium on Pius XII and his efforts to save Jews this September.
• U.S. Little noticed bishops' meeting ends with a big debate about forthcoming mass translation. Bishop Seratelli explains his position. They also voted to clarify rules about artificial nutrition and hydration. Tim Russert's Catholic send-off. Bigger impact, less-well-known: Edwina Froehlich of La Leche League passed away, Divine Mercy at the Pentagon?

  I felt this would be a good way for the Marians to serve our country, especially in a time of war," says Fr. Mark.

• Vatican: Neocat statutes approved. And: Patriarch Bartholomew I warm to the idea of "dual unity" for Eastern Catholics.
  

And finally: James Bond Priest. And: "severe, austere, manly, natural & despised."

Potpourri of Popery, Octave of Pentecost Edition

Popery
The Holy Father's homily for Pentecost is a doozy. Via Zenit: looked for it first on the Vatican site, where it's up at this writing only in Italian (in which it was delivered) and Croatian. I guess the guys at the Croatian desk don't have much else to work on. I've already mentioned part of what I liked in it, but here are two other ideas in brief. First:

Prayer... is the principal activity of the nascent Church.

And since the Church is always in a sense being reborn, we can say it's our principal activity too. It's almost too obvious to say that we can't in any serious sense belong to the Church if we don't pray...and yet how few Christians actually spend their daily15-20 minutes in requisite meditation? This is why Benedict keeps emphasizing in the ad limina visits and meetings with priests: teach people to pray. Secondly, Benedict relates the peace which passes all understanding to peace of conscience.

How important and, unfortunately, how insufficiently understood is the gift of reconciliation that brings peace to hearts! Christ's peace spreads only through the renewed hearts of men and women who have been reconciled and made themselves servants of justice, ready to spread peace in the world only with the force of truth, without compromising with the mentality of the world, because the world cannot give Christ's peace: This is how the Church can be a ferment of that reconciliation that comes from God.

On May 13, anniversary of the apparitions at Fatima, the Pope prayed the rosary at Sta. Maria Maggiore. Like JP the Great before him, he's recording the mysteries of the rosary for Vatican Radio (and eventually you'll be able to purchase the recordings for home use). Here's what he said on the occasion:

the Holy Rosary is not a pious practice banished to the past, like prayers of other times thought of with nostalgia. Instead, the Rosary is experiencing a new Springtime.....When reciting the Rosary, the important and meaningful moments of salvation history are relived. The various steps of Christ's mission are traced. With Mary the heart is oriented toward the mystery of Jesus. Christ is put at the centre of our life, of our time, of our city, through the contemplation and meditation of his holy mysteries of joy, light, sorrow and glory. May Mary help us to welcome within ourselves the grace emanating from these mysteries, so that through us we can "water" society, beginning with our daily relationships, and purifying them from so many negative forces, thus opening them to the newness of God. The Rosary, when it is prayed in an authentic way, not mechanical and superficial but profoundly, it brings, in fact, peace and reconciliation. It contains within itself the healing power of the Most Holy Name of Jesus, invoked with faith and love at the centre of each "Hail Mary."

2008 marks the 40th anniversary of Humanae Vitae, and the Pope addressed an international congress marking the occasion last week. The address hasn't made it into English yet, which is a pity, because what he says is relevant to the CA marriage case:

in a culture suffering from the prevalence of having over being, human life risks losing its value. If the practice of sexuality becomes a drug that seeks to subject the partner to one's own desires and interests, without respecting the rhythms of the beloved, then it is no longer just the concept of love that must be defended, but the very dignity of the human person.

Dignity...and equality. Here it is in Spanish, and here's the Zenit story. [Update: unofficial translation here --thanks! Scroll to post #13417. Further down, address to the Italian pro-life movement too.]

Wednesday's audience marked the return to ordinary time and ordinary topics, and thus a look at another father of the Church, Dionysius the Areopagite. The argument is a bit too complicated to summarize here, but you who are interested in relations between Athens & Jerusalem or Athens & Rome should read it. Meanwhile, I liked this, starting with a citation from Dionysius himself:

"I would not like to cause polemics; I simply speak of the truth; I seek the truth." And the light of truth by itself makes error fade and makes what is good shine. With this principle he purified Greek thought and related it to the Gospel. This principle, which he affirms in his seventh letter, is also the expression of a true spirit of dialogue: It is not about seeking the things that separate, one must seek the truth in Truth itself; this, then, shines and causes errors to fall.

Other addresses of interest:

• To Catholic Action, May 4th
• Address to Israeli Envoy
• Regina Coeli, May 11th
• Address to consecrated virgins living in the world, as part of an international conference.
• Oh, and the Pope's traveling again this weekend. To Savona & Genoa (northwest coast).
  

Potpourri

• Vatican:The Pontifical Council for the Laity is sponsoring a seminar this weekend (started yesterday) on the new movements. Some 100 bishops and reps from 20 or so of the movements are slated to participate. Vatican website: now in Latin. John Paul the Great's cause moves forward.
  
• Bangladesh: Church expanding in this Muslim country.
  
• Burma: Burmese dioceses helping cyclone victims, hampered by Burmese army; refugees housed in monasteries cleared out, forced home (get this: to vote!).
  
• China: The Pope has called for a day of prayer for the Church in China on May 24.
  
• France: Cardinal Gantin of Benin passed away there. He was 86, the funeral will be in Benin. More here.
• Gaza: bomb goes off in front of Catholic school, no one hurt.
  
• Israel: Israeli envoy to the Vatican promises to protect Christians in the Holy Land.
• US: Pastor Hagee reconciled with Catholics; Archb. Naumann asks Gov. Sibelius not to present herself for communion; Chaput the Great on the role of the priest in public affairs.

And finally: Veil of tears: reporter mistakes traditional Catholics for chemo patients.

Photo credit: Vincenzo Pinto, AFP/Getty
The Holy Father's personal secretary removes a necklace given him as he entered for a General Audience.

The Face of Hope

B16 at the youth rally last night.

Photo shamelessly pinched from Benedict in America.

Text of the Holy Father's address to youth and seminarians. I just read this text aloud to my oldest kids and they were transfixed. It means something to them that the Pope has so much hope in young people. We had an interesting discussion. A cute preliminary:

I wish to acknowledge your singing to me Happy Birthday! Thank you for this moving gesture; I give you all an “A plus” for your German pronunciation!

He opens with observations about the American saints & blesseds:

In front of you are the images of six ordinary men and women who grew up to lead extraordinary lives. The Church honors them as Venerable, Blessed, or Saint: each responded to the Lord’s call to a life of charity and each served him here, in the alleys, streets and suburbs of New York. I am struck by what a remarkably diverse group they are: poor and rich, lay men and women - one a wealthy wife and mother - priests and sisters, immigrants from afar, the daughter of a Mohawk warrior father and Algonquin mother, another a Haitian slave, and a Cuban intellectual.

Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, Saint John Neumann, Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, Venerable Pierre Toussaint, and Padre Felix Varela: any one of us could be among them, for there is no stereotype to this group, no single mold. Yet a closer look reveals that there are common elements. Inflamed with the love of Jesus, their lives became remarkable journeys of hope.

And their challenge to us:And what of today?

Who bears witness to the Good News of Jesus on the streets of New York, in the troubled neighborhoods of large cities, in the places where the young gather, seeking someone in whom they can trust?

I found the rest very moving, because he does young people the favor and honor of challenging them and entrusting something big to them, instead of infantilizing & coddling them as the elite culture does. This is another text that should be studied in full, but here are two passages I especially noted. First, I mentioned the other day that in my own diocese I see so much solid intellectual formation and little boldness. I long to see people really dream big dreams where the faith is concerned, so of course I ate this up:

At times, however, we are tempted to close in on ourselves, to doubt the strength of Christ’s radiance, to limit the horizon of hope. Take courage! Fix your gaze on our saints. The diversity of their experience of God’s presence prompts us to discover anew the breadth and depth of Christianity. Let your imaginations soar freely along the limitless expanse of the horizons of Christian discipleship. Sometimes we are looked upon as people who speak only of prohibitions. Nothing could be further from the truth! Authentic Christian discipleship is marked by a sense of wonder. We stand before the God we know and love as a friend, the vastness of his creation, and the beauty of our Christian faith.

The Pope goes on to speak about four essential aspects of faith: prayer and silence, liturgy, charity in action and vocations. In the section on vocations I noted his emphasis on charism:

the history of the Church is perhaps most beautifully portrayed through the history of her schools of spirituality, most of which stem from the saintly lives of founders and foundresses. Through the discovery of charisms, which yield such a breadth of spiritual wisdom, I am sure that some of you young people will be drawn to a life of apostolic or contemplative service. Do not be shy to speak with Religious Brothers, Sisters or Priests about the charism and spirituality of their Congregation. No perfect community exists, but it is fidelity to a founding charism, not to particular individuals, that the Lord calls you to discern.

May as well give you the close.

Friends, again I ask you, what about today? What are you seeking? What is God whispering to you? The hope which never disappoints is Jesus Christ. The saints show us the selfless love of his way. As disciples of Christ, their extraordinary journeys unfolded within the community of hope, which is the Church. It is from within the Church that you too will find the courage and support to walk the way of the Lord. Nourished by personal prayer, prompted in silence, shaped by the Church’s liturgy you will discover the particular vocation God has for you. Embrace it with joy. You are Christ’s disciples today. Shine his light upon this great city and beyond. Show the world the reason for the hope that resonates within you. Tell others about the truth that sets you free.

Breakfast With The President

Mr. W. & I attended this morning's National Catholic Prayer Breakfast. I wasn't expecting the President to attend this year; I figured in pulling out all the stops for the Holy Father this week he'd done more than enough by us mackerel-snatchers. But lo and behold we got the email last night saying come early to get through security, W's coming. And he was in rare form, I must say. He's always relaxed with this crowd --no one knows better than the city's Catholic activists what a champion of life this President has been, and therefore no one better appreciates him. But even for him in this audience, he was by turns almost giddy talking about the Holy Father, excited talking about the programs that mean most to him, and then choked up talking about how much people's prayers mean to him. Here's the text. There's video at the site, too, and you should take 5 minutes to watch it. A few nice moments:

[The after breakfast program was going to show the Pope's visit to the UN, so the President opened thus]: I understand that this program builds up to another speech. (Laughter.) It's not every day you get to be the warm-up act to the Holy Father. (Laughter.)

And:

This has been a joyous week. (Applause.) It's been a joyous time for Catholics -- and it wasn't such a bad week for Methodists, either. (Laughter.)

More:

The excitement was just palpable. The streets were lined with people that were so thrilled that the Holy Father was here. And it was such a privilege to welcome this good man to the United States.

For those of you on the South Lawn -- who saw the South Lawn ceremony live, it was -- what an unbelievable -- it was just such a special moment. (Applause.) And it was a special moment to be able to visit with the Holy Father in the Oval Office. He is a humble servant of God. He is a brilliant professor. He is a warm and generous soul.

He is courageous in the defense of fundamental truths. (Applause.) His Holiness believes that freedom is the Almighty's gift to every man, woman and child on Earth. He understands that every person has value, or to use his words, "each of us is willed, each of us is loved, [and] each of us is necessary." (Applause.)

Senator McCain was in attendance, Sen. Brownback acting as Sherpa. The President's biggest applause line was this --it got him loud cheering and a lengthy standing ovation:

We've worked together to protect unborn victims of violence, and to end the barbaric practice of partial-birth abortion. (Applause.) We have stood fast in our belief that promising medical advances can co-exist with ethical medical practices. (Applause.) Last November, scientists discovered a way to reprogram adult skin cells to act like embryonic stem cells. This is a significant breakthrough, because science -- scientists have found a path that can lead beyond the divisive debates of the past -- and extend the healing potential of medicine without destroying human life. (Applause.)

I don't think the crowd was thinking about McCain --it was genuine, not pointed, applause--but I hope McCain noticed. I won't quote the President's whole litany of his positive experiences with Catholics in various apostolates, but those nuns in Galilee came up:

I've seen wonders on the Sea of Galilee during my recent trip to the Middle East. On a recent visit my guides were joyful Catholic nuns who preserve the holy sites for all mankind -- even as they struggle with the dangers to the region's Christian minority.

And he's told this story before-- I

n February, I saw a 9-year-old girl who is HIV-positive, who had lost both her parents to AIDS. And for the last year, Catholic Relief Services had been paying for the girl to receive treatment at the clinic. I want to tell you what her grandmother said: "As a Muslim, I never imagined that a Catholic group would help me like that." She went on to say, "I am so grateful to the American people." And I am grateful for those who provide love and compassion in America and around the world. (Applause.)

-- but he got all choked up as he quoted the woman being grateful to America, and uttering his own gratitude for the people who made that experience possible.

Having the Prez among us once again was a delight, but it would have been a great day anyway--all the table chatter was about the Pope's visit (you could tell who'd been at yesterday's Mass by whether or not their faces were sunburned). Bishop Robert Finn of Kansas City gave the keynote address, which was terrific. He's one of the upcoming "baby bishops" who are going to change the face of the church over the next decade as the Boomer Bishops retire. I'll post his text once it's up.

Other highlights:

• really cool ads from Catholics Come Home (Scroll down on the home page to find them).
• tear-jerker of a testimony from Thomas Loome whom readers of this blog may know as the Loome Theological Books fellow. He studied theology under Joseph Ratzinger at one time. I didn't know that he & his wife are part of the Catholic Worker Movement and have arranged the care of 71 women and 48 children since 2001 --all without a dime of federal or state money, and indeed, without even incorporating or running a business. They just live simply, pray a lot, ask for help and recruit others. As Loome put it (from memory),

  there isn't anything at all original in what we do --at least, we hope not! It's just Christianity.

  He said they live by three principles: belief in what the Church teaches, period. The belief that each life is sacred, even the wicked, no exceptions. And a commitment to evangelical non-violence --which, interestingly, he said, we follow not as a command, but a counsel. I had the feeling I was in the presence of a saint as he spoke, although I expect he would not like to hear anyone say that: a very modest man.
• A prayer for the Church in Iraq led by the head of the Chaldean Assyrian Syriac Council of America. He closed by praying the Our Father in Aramaic --and he, too, got choked up. Lot of crying this year, come to think of it.
  

Potpourri Of Popery, It's Not St. Joseph Day Edition

Popery:
A huge crowd for the papal audience filled Paul VI hall and St. Peter's today. The crowd congratulated the Pope on his name-day (even though it's suppressed this year for Holy Week). I can't find a text anywhere, but here's at least a news account. Apparently he walked us through the significance of all the major moments of the Triduum, and made a plea for peace in Tibet.

The pope is following "with great trepidation" what is taking place in Tibet, and feels "sadness and sorrow in the face of so much suffering", issuing an appeal to recall that "violence never resolves problems, but only worsens them", and asking that "God may illuminate the minds of all and give each one the courage to choose the path of dialogue and tolerance.".
[snip] "We know", he said to the 15,000 faithful present at the general audience, "that hatred, division, and violence never have the last word in the events of history.

Funny, but I just did a quick perusal of the websites of the major papers here and abroad, and I don't see any "Pope denounces China's war" headlines. Not that I'm positing any equivalence at all between Iraq & Tibet or China & the US. I simply note the Holy Father's tireless and prophetic calls for peace are construed politically on a somewhat selective basis.

• The meditations for Friday's Stations at the Colosseum are up in Italian already. As reported previously, Hong Kong's Cardinal Zen wrote them, and they're accompanied by Asian art. You'll notice they aren't the traditional stations. For example, the 6th station is: "Christ is scourged & crowned with thorns." (Shown above is the --usually 2nd-- 7th station, Christ accepts his cross.) Fr. Z. reports the Pope will join the procession only for the last three stations this time. (Heh. He said "Zen meditation.")
  
• Cardinal Bertone, Vatican Sec. of State, presided over the funeral of Chiara Lubich, foundress of the Focolare Movement, who died earlier this week. The Pope sent a message to Card. Bertone to be read at the funeral.
  
• Against the Grain posts a new study guide for Spe Salvi.
  
• Remember my post about charity as a virtue without which truth can't be recognized? Lo, if rumors are true, the Pope's forthcoming "social enyclical" is be called Caritas in Veritate and it is suggested it may be about the relationship between truth and love. (The Holy Father and I are like this, as we used to say when we were kids, holding up two fingers and pressing them tightly together).

Potpourri:

• Iraq: NCRegister's tribute to Archishop Rahho.
• Israel: the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem retired today. I hadn't realized he was natively from Nazareth.
  
• Italy:An old Good Friday meditation from the late Chiara Lubich; and I already told you Gorby's a Christian.
  
• Japan: merging its two seminaries. Vocations, $$ in short supply.
• Russia:the big meeting between Alexy II & the Catholic bishop of Moscow was cancelled.

And finally: St. Thomas on whether carob breaks a chocolate fast. Also, dubiously popish, but hilarious (who made the walrus, that's the connection I am making).

Potpourri Of Popery, Templeton Prize Edition

Three big stories around the world, so let's begin this time with

Potpourri:

• China: Cardinal Zen sees the olympics as an opportunity to highlight China's human rights violations. The Bush Administration likewise, at least in theory. The State Dept? Not so much.
• Iraq: pray for the soul of that kidnapped Iraqi Archbishop Rahho: his body's been found. He was kidnapped after stations of the cross....
• Poland: Polish scientist and priest wins the Templeton prize. Interesting choice:

  he "has brought to science a sense of transcendent mystery, and to religion a view of the universe through the broadly open eyes of science."

  In the WaPo story, he's said to be a critic of Intelligent Design on theological grounds. The statement at the Templeton Foundation site gives a fuller picture, RTWT.

• Lebanon: ecumenical meeting to discuss the fate of Christians in the country.
• Great Britain: Cardinal Castrillon de Hoyos is going to celebrate mass in the extraordinary form in Westminster Cathedral.
  
• Movements New & Old : C&L re-elected its president. Focolare's founder is in the hospital; Knights of Malta have a new Grand Master; Taize's head met with B16; Jesuits wrap up General Chapter with 5 decrees.
  

Now, onward to Popery:

Amy Welborn riffs on what we can learn from when and how the Pope departs from his prepared texts:

It is not the Pope’s intelligence, or even the still-lively and absorbing mind of a man in his 80’s. It is that what Benedict is moved to break from the text and emphasize is the reality of Jesus Christ for you and me, today, in this moment. She goes on to note that the Pope "really believes this stuff."

Exactly. And that's the real reason the press gets all Catholic stories so grossly wrong; they only look for tactics, maneuvers, power plays. They cannot see or hear --not truly-- a person who simply believes something is true and proclaims it in season and out of season.

• The Angelus from Laetare Sunday, on Lazarus:

  “Jesus loved them very much” (John 11:5), and for this reason wants to work the great prodigy. “Our friend Lazarus has died, but I am going to awaken him” (John 11:11). This is how he spoke to the disciples, expressing God’s view of physical death with the metaphor of sleep: God indeed sees it as sleep from which one can awaken. Jesus shows an absolute power in the face of this death: One sees it when he gives life back to the young son of the widow of Nain (cf. Luke 7:11-17) and to the 12-year-old daughter (cf. Mark 5:35-43). Of the young girl he says, “She is not dead but sleeping” (Mark 5:39), provoking the derision of those present. But in truth this is precisely what it is: The death of the body is a sleep from which God can awaken one at any moment.
  

• [snip]he solemnly declares to Martha: “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, he will live; whoever lives and believes in me, will never die.” And he adds: “Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26).
  It is a question that Jesus addresses to each one of us; a question that certainly overwhelms us, it overwhelms our ability to understand, and it asks us to entrust ourselves to him, as he has entrusted himself to the Father. Martha’s response is exemplary: “Yes, O Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world” (John 11:27). Yes, O Lord! We too believe, despite our doubts and our darkness; we believe in you, because you have the words of eternal life; we want to believe in you, who gives us a trustworthy hope of life beyond life, of authentic and full life in your kingdom of light and peace.

• Yesterday's Audience covered Boethius & Cassiodorus. He seems to take these two Christian politicians as models for public men in our current clash of cultures:

  We also live in times where cultures meet, where violence threatens to destroy culture, where we have a duty to pass on the great values and to teach the new generations the ways of peace and reconciliation. We will find this way by turning toward God and his human face, the God revealed to us in Christ.

• The Apostolic Penitentiary holds a course each year during Lent on different aspects of the sacrament of Penance. The Pope's remarks are here. He puts the sacrament in the context of the contrast in the gospel between Simon the Pharisee and the woman who washes Christ's feet with her hair:

  The message that shines out from this Gospel passage is eloquent: God forgives all to those who love much. Those who trust in themselves and in their own merits are, as it were, blinded by their ego and their heart is hardened in sin. Those, on the other hand, who recognize that they are weak and sinful entrust themselves to God and obtain from him grace and forgiveness. It is precisely this message that must be transmitted: what counts most is to make people understand that in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, whatever the sin committed, if it is humbly recognized and the person involved turns with trust to the priest-confessor, he or she never fails to experience the soothing joy of God's forgiveness. ... Might it not be true that today we are witnessing a certain alienation from this Sacrament? When one insists solely on the accusation of sins - which must nevertheless exist and it is necessary to help the faithful understand its importance - one risks relegating to the background what is central, that is, the personal encounter with God, the Father of goodness and mercy. It is not sin which is at the heart of the sacramental celebration but rather God's mercy, which is infinitely greater than any guilt of ours.

• Homily at the 25th anniversary of a youth center in Rome (scroll to post #12288), where he takes on nothing big. Just:

  what is life? what is death? how should we live? how should we die?

  The text riffs on St. John's use of two words for life: bios and zoe:
  

  Let us try to imagine what would happen if medicine did find this prescription against death, the prescription for immortality. Even in such a case, it would still have to do with medical means within the biosphere, medicine that is useful for our spiritual and human life, but by itself, still confined to the biosphere.
  
  It is easy to imagine what would happen if man's biological life were without end, if man were immortal. We would find ourselves in an 'old world', a world full of aged people, a world that would leave little room for the young, for the renewal of life.
  
  So we understand that this is not the immortality that we aspire to. This is not the possibility of drinking at the fountain of life that we all desire.

  Tell that to the Boomers, Holy Father! But seriously, RTWT.
• Today the Pope held a day of Penance with the young people of Rome. I'll post the homily here when it's available.