HOLY FATHER RECALLS HIS APOSTOLIC TRIP TO FRANCE VATICAN CITY, 17 SEP 2008 (VIS) - In today's general audience, which was held in the Paul VI Hall, the Pope spoke of his recent apostolic trip to France, which culminated in his pilgrimage to Lourdes for the 150th anniversary of the apparitions of the Virgin Mary to St. Bernadette. The Church in France "has since the 2nd century played a vital civilising role", said the Holy Father, noting how, "in this context, the need developed for a healthy distinction between the political and religious spheres. ... True laicism", he went on, "does not mean overlooking the spiritual dimension, rather it means recognising that such a dimension is, in a radical way, the guarantor of our freedom and of the autonomy of earthly things, thanks to the dictates of creative Wisdom which human conscience knows how to accept and put into effect. "This was the perspective of my broad-ranging reflections on the theme of 'the origins of western theology and the roots of European culture', which I delivered at my meeting with the world of culture in a place chosen for its symbolic significance, the College des Bernardins". The starting point of that talk, Benedict XVI explained, was "a reflection upon monasticism, the aim of which was to seek God, 'quaerere Deum'". This practice, "by its nature, led monks to a culture of the word. ... In seeking God Who revealed Himself to us in Sacred Scripture, an important role was played by the physical sciences, which seek to investigate the secrets of language. Consequently, what developed in monasteries was the 'eruditio' which facilitated the formation of culture. Precisely for this reason 'quaerere Deum' - seeking God - is today, as it was yesterday, the foundation of all true culture".
The Pope recalled how he had encouraged priests, deacons, religious and seminarians "to give priority to listening to the divine word", while to young people "I consigned two treasures of Christian faith: the Holy Spirit and the Cross. The Spirit opens human intelligence to horizons larger than itself, and brings it to understand the beauty and the truth of God's love revealed on the Cross". During the Eucharistic celebration on the esplanade of Les Invalides, said the Pope, "I invited the faithful ... to seek the living God, Who showed us His true face in Jesus, present in the Eucharist, encouraging us to love our fellows just as He loved us". "In Lourdes", he went on, "I immediately joined thousands of faithful on the 'Jubilee Way'" and "participated in the traditional torchlight procession, which is such a stupendous expression of faith in God and of devotion to His Mother and ours. Lourdes really is a place of light, of prayer, of hope and of conversion, ... where pilgrims learn to see the crosses of their own lives in the light of the glorious Cross of Christ". The Pope highlighted the fact that "the first gesture Mary made when she appeared to Bernadette in the Grotto of Massabielle was the sign of the cross. ... That gesture encapsulates the entire message of Lourdes", he said. During the Mass for sick people, celebrated in front of the basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary on the liturgical feast of Our Lady of Sorrows, Benedict XVI recalled, "I meditated upon the tears Mary shed upon the Cross, and upon her smile which illuminated Easter morning". Having called on the faithful to render thanks to God for the fruits of this apostolic trip, the Holy Father affirmed that "in Lourdes the Holy Virgin invites everyone to consider the earth as the place of our pilgrimage towards our definitive homeland in heaven. The truth is we are all pilgrims, we need the Mother who guides us; and in Lourdes her smile invites us to continue our journey trusting in the knowledge that God is good, God is love".
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Friday, August 22, 2008
This is an excerpt from an article in the Remnant. God bless and protect Rev. Fr. John Del Priore for abolishing the "altar girl" program at the parish. I encourage you to visit the article and send Fr. Del Priore a letter of support at this time.
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On July 3, 2008, an obscure radical group calling itself "Women's Ordination Conference" (WOC) released a press release blasting the courageous decision of Rev. John Del Priore of St. Barnabas Parish in Mazomanie, Wisconsin to terminate the altar girl program as part of a larger measure to encourage vocations to the priesthood. Having been installed as pastor only one month before, Father Del Priore obviously wasn't wasting any time righting the ship.Update (April 2009): I have written him a letter of support
SAN DIEGO, Aug. 20 (UPI) -- The University of San Diego has withdrawn its offer of an endowed chair to a Catholic feminist scholar who supports abortion rights.
The announcement that Rosemary Radford Ruether had been appointed to the Monsignor John R. Portman Chair in Roman Catholic Theology was greeted with dismay by many Catholic and anti-abortion groups, the San Diego Union-Tribune said Wednesday. Ruether sits on the board of Catholics for a Free Choice.
University spokeswoman Patricia Gray Payton said that one person who did not object was the anonymous benefactor who endowed the chair.
"Her public position and the symbol of this chair are in direct conflict," Payton said. "This chair is a powerful, visible symbol of Roman Catholic theology, and in Roman Catholic theology abortion is disallowed."
The news that Ruether's appointment had been rescinded has created more controversy. Two Catholic women's groups have gathered 2,000 signatures on petitions asking the university to change its mind again.
Source: UPI
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
I was recently given the opportunity to review "Into Great Silence: Office of the Night". The CD features the recording of the Monks of the Grande Chartreuse chanting the Sunday offices of Matins and Lauds. I tremendously enjoyed listening to this CD on Sunday mornings as I sat outside and watched the sun rise. As I listened to the beautiful chant, I prayed along with the monks with my Douay Rheims Bible. I highly recommend this CD to all Catholics.Product Description
Only in complete silence, one starts to hear.
Only when language resigns, one starts to see.
In 1984, German filmmaker Philip Gröning wrote to the Carthusian order for permission to make a documentary about them. They said they would get back to him. Sixteen years later, they were ready.
In 2007, the documentary film Into Great Silence came to American theaters. Audiences and critics embraced it immediately. After releasing the soundtrack to the film, Jade Music is proud to release Into Great Silence: Office of the Night.
This is the first time that any recording of the Office of the Night at the Grande Chartreuse is made available in its entirety. The two-CD album is a collection of chants, readings, prayers, and sounds of silence recorded by the film director Philip Gröning during his six-month stay at the monastery.
This Office of the Night appeared to me to be the core of the Monks life and spirituality, the heartbeat of the Order for more than 1000 years. I wanted to share my experience with an audience. - Philip Gröning
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
On Sunday, August 10, 2008, I decided to take a trip to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. While in Milwaukee, I attended Mass at the Oratory of St. Stanislaus, which is the location of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. Solely by Divine grace did I choose to attend Sunday Mass there on a highly important day for the local Traditional Latin Mass community. On this occasion, a Solemn High Mass was celebrated according to the Missal of 1962 by Right Reverend Father R. Michael Schmitz, Vicar General in the Institute and Provincial for the United States.
Afterwards, I was able to take a few photos of the Oratory of St. Stanislaus. I have attached them to this post. If you wish to publish these photos on the Internet, I ask you to first specifically write to me about your request. I would also be most interested in finding any photos of the Solemn High Mass, as I did not feel it was appropriate to take photos of the Mass while sitting in the midst of the faithful.
After Mass and Breakfast at a nearby restaurant, I attended the Brewers - Nationals Major League Baseball Game, where the Brewers won 5-4 in the 13th Inning. It was a good game to watch.
Photos:
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Afterwards, I was able to take a few photos of the Oratory of St. Stanislaus. I have attached them to this post. If you wish to publish these photos on the Internet, I ask you to first specifically write to me about your request. I would also be most interested in finding any photos of the Solemn High Mass, as I did not feel it was appropriate to take photos of the Mass while sitting in the midst of the faithful.
After Mass and Breakfast at a nearby restaurant, I attended the Brewers - Nationals Major League Baseball Game, where the Brewers won 5-4 in the 13th Inning. It was a good game to watch.
Photos:
Dear Blogger,
The Institute of Christ the King has launched a new Web site at www.institute-christ-king.org.
The new Web site features:
* a fresh, elegant design
* easy navigation and better organization
* a new email list
* RSS news feed
* more resources and information
* new mini-sites for each apostolate with new pictures and maps
* a new home page that pulls the site together
* a solid, secure online donation system
* and much more . . .
This new site will be a great resource for news and information about the Institute, as well as Catholic Liturgy, Tradition, and culture.
The announcement of this new site on your blog would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you, and God bless you.
Yours in Christ the King,
Don Taylor [I have met the webmaster before]
Webmaster, Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Saint Conleth’s Catholic Heritage Association invites you to honour the Holy Year of St. Paul with Holy Mass in the Traditional Latin Rite on Saturday, 30th August, 2008, at 11 a.m. in St. Paul’s Church, Emo, Co. Laois, Ireland, followed by a tour of Emo Court House and Gardens. For the past 15 years, St. Conleth’s Catholic Heritage Association has been working prayerfully for the provision of the Traditional Latin Liturgy in the Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin.
Please confirm your attendance to: catholicheritagegroup@catholic.org
For further details consult: http://www.catholicheritage.blogspot.com
Image Source: Believed to be in the Public Domain
The calumny made headway; and in their credulity the pagans called the first Christians “useless creatures, dangerous citizens, factionists, enemies of the Empire and the Emperors.”But in vain did the apologists of Christianity by their writings, and Christians by their splendid conduct, endeavor to demonstrate the absurdity and criminality of these qualifications: they were not heeded. Their very name was equivalent to a declaration of war; and Christians, by the mere fact of their being such, and for no other reason, were forced to choose between apostasy and martyrdom, being allowed no alternative. During the following centuries the same grievances and the same severity prevailed to a greater or less extent, whenever governments were unreasonably jealous of their power and maliciously disposed against the Church. They never failed to call public attention to the pretended encroachment of the Church upon the State, in order to furnish the State with some apparent right to violently attack the Catholic religion. (Leo XIII: Church & State in France)
The civilization of the world is Christian. The more completely Christian it is, the more true, more lasting and more productive of genuine fruit it is. On the other hand, the further it draws away from the Christian ideal, the more seriously the social order is endangered. By the very nature of things, the Church has consequently become the guardian and protector of Christian society. That fact was universally recognized and admitted in other periods of history. In truth, it formed a solid foundation for civil legislation. On that very fact rested the relations between Church and State; the public recognition of the authority of the Church in those matters which touched upon conscience in any manner, the subordination of all the laws of the State to the Divine laws of the Gospel; the harmony of the two powers in securing the temporal welfare of the people in such a way that their eternal welfare did not suffer. (St. Pius X: Catholic Action)Image Source: Believed to be in the Public Domain
Monday, August 4, 2008
Rev. Fr. A. Esposito SSPX offers the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass at Our Lady of Sorrows Priory, Roodepoort Johannesburg. It is a truly beautiful image - our Lord Jesus Christ in the person of the priest.Source: Summorum Pontificium Johannesburg
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