Pope Benedict will preside over Vatican’s Holy Week celebrations
Vatican City, Apr 4, 2006 (CNA) - The
Holy See has released its schedule for the celebration of Holy Week and
the Easter Triduum this year in the Vatican. Officials announced that
Pope Benedict himself will preside at the solemn events which mark the
holiest days on the Church calendar.
The Office of
Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff said in a statement
today that the Church’s Holy Week celebrations will begin April
9th--Palm Sunday--with the traditional blessing of palms and olive
branches. Following a procession, Pope Benedict will preside at the
Mass of the Lord’s Passion.
On Holy Thursday
morning in St. Peter’s Basilica, the Holy Father will concelebrate the
Chrism Mass with Cardinals Bishops and a number of priests from the
diocese of Rome.
The Holy See
called this concelebration “a sign of the close union between the
pastor of the Universal Church and his brothers in the priestly
ministry.”
That evening,
the Easter Triduum will begin at the Basilica of St. John Lateran at
5.30 p.m. with the Mass of Our Lord's Last Supper, presided at by the
Holy Father. During the liturgy, the Pope will wash the feet of 12
place recalling Jesus own action at the Last Supper.
Those present will be invited to give alms for the victims of recent landslides in Maasin, Philippines.
Following Mass,
the Blessed Sacrament will be transferred to the chapel of reposition,
where it will remain until Saturday night, signifying Jesus’ death and
burial.
On Good Friday,
Pope Benedict will preside at the celebration of the Passion of Our
Lord in the Vatican Basilica before leading the Stations of the Cross
at Rome’s Coliseum at 9.15 p.m. Following that, he will address the
gathered faithful and will impart his apostolic blessing.
The pinnacle of
the Holy Week celebrations, the Easter Vigil will begin at 10.00 p.m.
in St. Peter's Basilica, where the Pope will begin by blessing the new
fire in the atrium of the church.
Benedict will
then preside over the Mass and the Baptismal liturgies. He will
concelebrate with members of the College of Cardinals who are in Rome.
Triduum
celebrations will conclude on Easter Sunday at 10.30 a.m., when the
Holy Father will celebrate Mass in St. Peter's Square, after which he
will impart the "Urbi et Orbi" blessing ("to the city and the world").
This historic blessing will be given from the central loggia of the Vatican Basilica.
Pope Benedict: John Paul II’s faith was authentic, free from fear and compromise
Vatican City, Apr 4, 2006 (CNA) - Yesterday,
Pope Benedict XVI gathered with thousands of faithful from around the
world in remembering the late John Paul II--a man whom he called a
“rock” in the faith. He passed from this life to the next one year ago
Sunday.
Thousands of
faithful from various countries--most from the late pope’s native
Poland--were on hand in St. Peter’s Square Monday afternoon for a Mass
marking the first anniversary of the pontiff’s death.
A number of
cardinals concelebrated with Pope Benedict, including Cardinal
Secretary of State Angelo Sodano, Cardinal Camillo Ruini, vicar general
for the diocese of Rome, and Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, former
secretary to John Paul II and now archbishop of Krakow, Poland.
During his
homily, Pope Benedict recalled John Paul’s “many human and spiritual
gifts”, pointing out that when he died last year, "Passing through the
crucible of apostolic labors and of illness, he appeared ever more as a
'rock' in the faith."
"Those who had
the opportunity of frequenting him personally”, he went on, “were able
almost to touch that pure and solid faith which, if it impressed his
inner circle of collaborators, did not fail to spread its beneficial
influence, during his long pontificate, throughout the Church in a
crescendo that reached its peak in the final months and days of his
life."
The Pope described John Paul’s faith as "committed, strong and authentic,” calling it “free from fear and compromise."
He pointed out
that it "touched the hearts of so many people, thanks also to his
numerous apostolic pilgrimages all over the world, and especially
thanks to that final 'journey' of his agony and death."
Recalling the
motto of his predecessor’s pontificate "Totus tuus," Benedict stressed
that the late Pope's life was "completely oriented towards Christ
through Mary."
"This evening,"
he said, "our thoughts turn with emotion to the moment of the beloved
Pontiff's death, but at the same time it is as if our hearts are
compelled to look ahead. We hear, resounding in our hearts, his
repeated invitations to advance fearlessly down the road of
faithfulness to the Gospel in order to be heralds and witnesses of
Christ in the third millennium.”
"We remember”,
the Pope said, “his incessant exhortations to cooperate generously in
creating a more just and united humanity, to be workers for peace and
builders of hope."
Concluding, he
prayed: "May our gaze always remain fixed upon Christ, 'the same
yesterday and today and forever,' Who firmly guides His Church. ... May
the strength of Jesus' Spirit be for everyone, as it was for Pope John
Paul II, a source of peace and joy."
Hong Kong diocese to baptize 2,400 catechumens
, Apr 4, 2006 (CNA) - The
Diocese of Hong Kong will baptize an astounding 2,400 catechumens
during this year’s Easter vigil, leaving some wondering if this isn’t a
record of sorts.
During the
scrutiny with the catechumens March 19, which precedes the baptism,
Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun (who was elevated to the College of
Cardinals less than one week later) likened the Church to a big family,
reported AsiaNews.
Once candidates
are baptized, they will share in the joys and sorrows of the faithful,
the bishop of Hong Kong reportedly said before the packed church of St.
Francis of Assisi.
“Being a
catechumen is somewhat like going through a period of courtship. With
baptism at Easter, it is like getting married to the Church after
which, through their parishes, those who have been baptized become
members of the Hong Kong diocese and members of the universal Church;
the Body of Christ,” he reportedly said.
Despite the
growth of Catholicism in China, relations between the Vatican and the
communist country remain tenuous. The Vatican wants to improve
relations with China but China has insisted the Holy See must first
break ties with Taiwan.
The Vatican is
currently exploring ways to better serve Catholics in China, where a
government-sponsored Church discourages the faithful -- sometimes
violently -- from adhering to the Pope.
A large
underground Church, faithful to the Pope, exists as well, but experts
say its religious liberties are being trampled by government.
Pope Benedict
XVI’s prayer intention for April is that the Church in China “may carry
out its evangelizing mission serenely and in full freedom." He has
expressed interest in visiting China, but said the timing is up to God.
Cardinal Zen has been on record for having encouraged Catholics in China to “be patient” as they wait for religious freedom.
U.S. Bishops urge national Catholic support for federal marriage amendment
Washington D.C., Apr 4, 2006 (CNA) - Bishop
William Skylstad, head of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops is
calling on all bishops across the country to mobilize their dioceses
and urge the U.S. government to establish a federal constitutional
amendment protecting marriage as an institution between one man and one
woman.
In a letter,
made public yesterday, Bishop Skylstad, who also oversees the Diocese
of Spokane, Washington, said that “there is a growing sense shared by
many people, including a wide range of religious leaders, that a
Marriage Protection Amendment is the only federal-level action that
ultimately will protect and preserve the institution of marriage.”
Addressing
the bishops specifically, he wrote that “timely and focused efforts are
needed to help the Catholic faithful form their consciences on such an
important matter.”
In June, the drafted Protection of Marriage Amendment (S.J. Res. 1) is slated to be brought before the U.S. Senate.
At that time,
said Bishop Skylstad, the Church “will have the opportunity once again
to stand publicly in support of marriage as the God-given union of a
man and a woman.”
He also said
that he is “aware that the time is short for taking action”, and so
urged the bishops “to do whatever you can, given the situation and the
resources available to you.”
Because “in some
states there are upcoming votes for either legislation or
constitutional amendments defining marriage,” Bishop Skylstad admitted
that “We are challenged…to give attention to the interplay of state and
federal level policy as well as to focus our efforts where they are
most needed and can do the most good.”
Calling married
love “a gift of God to humankind and to his Church,” the bishop said
that “It needs to be promoted, preserved, and protected now and for the
future. Indeed, in his first encyclical letter, Deus caritas est, Pope
Benedict XVI places the highest value on love between a man and a woman
‘where body and soul are inseparably joined and human beings glimpse an
apparently irresistible promise of happiness.’”
On March 14th,
the USCCB’s Administrative Committee formally reaffirmed its support
for a federal marriage amendment in the document ‘Promote, Preserve,
Protect Marriage.’
Vatican analyst evaluates pontificates of John Paul II and Benedict XVI
Madrid, Spain, Apr 4, 2006 (CNA) - One
year after the death of John Paul II and the beginning of the
pontificate of Benedict XVI, Vatican analyst Sandro Magister has
offered an evaluation of both papacies, highlighting the similarities
and differences in style of the two popes.
In an interview
with the Spanish daily, El Correo, Magister offered a brief analysis of
the first year of Benedict XVI’s pontificate, noting that the Pope “has
inaugurated a very particular style, substantially based on words.”
Benedict, he stated, “acts as a sort modern-day doctor of the Church,
teaching what he believes to be the central element to be defended and
appreciated: Christian truth.”
According to
Magister, the response to this new style has been “unexpected,
surpassing all expectations.” The proof lies in the high numbers
of attendance at St. Peter’s, “greater than for John Paul II, double or
even triple,” he added.
“And what is
most important is that people listen to him with great
attentiveness. He is a Pope who speaks and is truly listened to,
in contrast somewhat to John Paul II, who people came more to see than
to hear. He attracts attention, and in any case, he inspires
respect for his serenity and depth,” he wrote.
Asked about
changes in the Curia, Magister pointed out that “they have been few and
measured, but they have already set a course that will be followed in
the coming months.” “The naming of his successor to the Doctrine
of the Faith, William J. Levada, indicates that this congregation will
again become the central institute of the Curia, under the direct
control of the Pope.”
“Levada”, he
said, “does not have the role of protagonist, but rather of executor of
orders. This is returning the office to what it was before Paul
VI, who made the Secretary of State the central focal point of the
Curia. Therefore I see the Secretary of State losing power in the
future.”
The Italian
journalist also pointed to important changes in two other
dicasteries. “At the Congregation for Divine Worship, which deals
with issues very dear to the Pope, such as the liturgy, he has named a
completely unknown bishop of Sri Lanka who is very close to him, and he
has relieved Fitzgerald as president of Inter-Religious Dialogue
because of his different vision especially with regards to Islam.”
Magister also
underscored the Pope’s openness to dialogue and debate, noting that he
is “very willing to meet with people and have serious
discussions.” “The number of people he meets with daily is less
than that of John Paul II, but the meetings last longer and are
richer,” he adds.
Benedict XVI
“speaks and discusses with many people, at the audiences, at the synod,
with the bishops. But later, he makes the decisions personally
and alone, and that’s why we are almost always taken by surprise.”
Continuity and complimentarity
Asked his
opinion on the pontificate of John Paul II one year after his passing,
Magister responded that the late Pope “was sometimes a genius at laying
out great perspectives, he wrote great titles. Benedict XVI, on
the other hand, is writing the story behind the titles.”
“But there is an
element of continuity,” he said: “John Paul II returned the Church to
the center of public life and Benedict XVI wants to build the capacity
of the Church to communicate with the world upon this foundation of
great visibility.”
Magister also
noted that Benedict XVI is continuing the dialogue begun by John Paul
II with other Christians and with different groups inside the Church,
“but in a much more selective way. He appreciates the positive in
each movement, but he has no problem calling them to a new
discipline. He has done so with the Neocatechumenate.”
“With other
Christians, the Pope wants to highlight not so much that which unites
them but that which separates them, thus underscoring the uniqueness of
Roman Catholicism. He is not proposing that we find common ground
and leave the divisions in parenthesis, but rather he is going to the
heart of the divisions in order to see which road to take from there,”
Magister said.
Lastly, Magister
noted that Benedict has a unique strategy in dealing with other
religions. “When he met with Muslims in Cologne, it was not at a
mosque, but at the bishop’s residence , with a large cross behind him.”
Key Dead Sea Scroll debut in Cleveland, part of exhibit which seeks to walk visitors through New Testament
Cleveland, Ohio, Apr 4, 2006 (CNA) - The
Cradle of Christianity exhibit, which opened at the Maltz Museum of
Jewish Heritage in Cleveland April 1, is designed to give visitors the
sense of walking through chapters of the New Testament, reported
National Public Radio journalist David Barnett.
The curator made
great efforts to link historical objects to biblical stories. For
example, bronze and silver coins dating back 2,000 years, have been
arranged on a pedestal to illustrate the annual fee that worshippers
were charged when they visited the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem during
biblical times.
Curator David Mevorah told NPR that is what prompted an angry Jesus of Nazareth to kick the moneychangers out of the courtyard.
The 15 tons of
artifacts on display also include a cornerstone bearing the name of
Pontius Pilate, a rusted nail that was used in a crucifixion, an
ancient incense container, a first-century ossuary with the
inscription: "Jesus (Yeshua) son of Joseph." However, both were very
common names during that time. The exhibit also includes the
reconstruction of the altar area of a Byzantine-era Christian church,
the components of which were excavated from 10 different sites.
One of the main
attractions, however, comprises three scraps of slightly yellowed
parchment, illuminated by a dim spotlight that slowly pulses on and off
at 40-second intervals. They form one of the most important texts of
the Dead Sea Scrolls and they are making their first appearance ever
outside of Israel.
The
2,000-year-old Hebrew scrolls, whose author is unknown, are clearly
legible and read as a critique of religious practices of the time.
The artifacts, including the scrolls, are permanently housed in Jerusalem's Israel Museum.
Australian government to oppose same-sex unions
Canberra, Australia, Apr 4, 2006 (CNA) - Australia’s Prime Minister John Howard has said he will oppose any new laws legalizing same-sex unions.
Prime Minister
Howard said he did not intend to allow the institution of marriage "to
be in any way undermined," saying that there is "a special place” in
Australia for marriage “as historically understood,” reported the BBC.
Authorities in
the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) introduced a bill on same-sex
civil unions last week. If the legislation is passed, it will be the
first such law in Australia, but the federal government can overturn
it.
Attorney General
Philip Ruddock added that if is “quite inappropriate” if the ACT
authorities “seek to portray civil unions as a marriage."
"It suggests to
people who might be interested in civil union that what they have is a
marriage, when in fact it is not," he stated.
Australian law formally defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman.
Parish holds memorial for unknown girl
Chicago, Ill., Apr 4, 2006 (CNA) - More
than 100 Catholic parishioners in the suburb of Little Village near
Chicago gathered Saturday to pray around the grave of a 5-year-old girl
whom they never knew but whom they’ve taken in as one of their own,
reported the Chicago Tribune.
The
circumstances around the death of Jessica Chavez one year ago April 2
remains a mystery, and the people who claimed to be her family have
disappeared. But parishioners at St. Agnes of Bohemia continue to pray
for the little Mexican girl, whom they call "God's little angel." They
held a memorial service on the first anniversary of her death.
Parishioners
speculate that Jessica was being smuggled into the country from Mexico
and her real mother was here illegally, which would explain why she
never came forward. The little girl has become a symbol for many in
Little Village of the tragedies that often befall illegal immigrants.
"We gather
because none of us walks alone, and none of us is forgotten,” said Fr.
Matt Foley, who buried the girl in an unmarked pauper's grave at Mt.
Olivet Cemetery on the South Side last year.
“We gather
because we're all responsible to remember that each moment we have a
child in our midst is a moment we are blessed." Jessica’s grave
remained unmarked until recently, when a local company donated a
headstone.
Jessica was
brought to a hospital in Kansas City, Mo., by a short and heavyset
woman who identified herself as Mariam Chavez and claimed to be her
mother.
Hospital
officials pronounced the girl dead on arrival. An autopsy later showed
that the dirty and skinny girl had died of sepsis, a blood infection,
caused by a severe case of bronchopneumonia.
The woman told
police in broken English that the girl had been living in Mexico with
relatives, but had gotten sick. Chavez said she had gone to Mexico,
picked up Jessica and was bringing her back to Chicago.
But the
following day, a tall, fluently English-speaking woman showed up at St.
Agnes Church in Chicago claiming to be Mariam Chavez. She told Fr.
Foley her daughter had died in Kansas City the night before and she
needed help getting the body back to Chicago. The priest made all the
arrangements, but on the day of the funeral, April 7, the woman did not
show up. Only a few people claiming to be relatives quietly paid their
respects. Fr. Foley was never able to reach members of Jessica’s family
again.
Pope Benedict accepts resignation of Cleveland’s Bishop Pilla, elevates Bishop Lennon in place
Washington D.C., Apr 4, 2006 (CNA) - Today,
the Vatican announced that Pope Benedict XVI has accepted the
resignation of Cleveland’s Bishop Anthony M. Pilla, who has served as
head of that diocese since 1981.
In his place,
the Holy Father appointed Bishop Richard G. Lennon, who is auxiliary of
the Archdiocese of Boston and Titular Bishop of Sufes. He was ordained
a bishop in 2001.
The announcement was made in Washington by Archbishop Pietro Sambi, Apostolic Nuncio to the United States.
From 1995 to
1998, Bishop Pilla served as head of the U.S. Conference of Catholic
Bishops, an office now occupied by Spokane’s Bishop William Skylstad.
The Diocese of
Cleveland is the 15th largest in the country, and home to 802,767
Catholics, or 28 percent of the 8-county geographic area which
comprises the diocese.
U.S. Presbyterian leader claims ‘religious freedom’ exists in Cuba
Havana, Cuba, Apr 4, 2006 (CNA) - During
religious services Monday at the first Presbyterian church in Havana,
the moderator of the Presbyterian Church USA, Rick Ufford Chase, denied
that there is a “lack of religious freedom” in Cuba, despite the
constant complaints by believers and abundant evidence to the contrary.
Chase said
church leaders in the US “are asking our government for more openness,
more opportunities to make pastoral visits to Cuba for religious
reasons,” and he denied there were restrictions on freedom of religion
in Cuba, openly contradicting the report on human rights by the US
State Department and the public testimony of leaders in Cuba such as
Oswaldo Paya of the Christian Liberation Movement.
“The official US
government has this idea that there is no freedom to practice religion
in Cuba. After being here for one week, this is obviously not
true,” Chase claimed. “It’s obvious that the churches here are
active and are growing and they are doing so openly,” he added.
In a recent
interview with the internet magazine Encuentro en la Red, Paya argued
that while there is a certain freedom of worship in Cuba, the
oppression in many places is “palpable,” with government agents openly
monitoring Masses in an attempt to intimidate people.
“Although this
is not public, I must speak about it,” he said, “because I know
firsthand how many religious sisters and brothers are victims of
threats, intimidating phone calls and blackmail.”
Church fair towards homosexuals, according to Bishop from Quebec
Quebec City, Canada, Apr 4, 2006 (CNA) - Bishop Luc Cyr of Valleyfield in Quebec depicted the Church’s behavior towards homosexuals as fair, in reaction to the open letter published on February 26 by 19 priests of Quebec strongly criticizing the Church’s position on the issue.
The Bishop accused the priests of "lack of intellectual rigor." Bishop Cyr expressed his opinion in a letter sent to the priests, deacons and all the pastoral agents of his diocese, and to the media as well.
"It is important for me to give you my reaction, because it has to do with the spirit of truth and the necessary communion within the Church to perpetuate the Gospel, as Our Jesus transmitted it to his apostles and their successors, the bishops."
"There are many points in this open letter that reveal a partial, biased analysis, adding to the lack of spiritual discernment, in the act of publicly laying out what should be discussed between them and their bishops," added Bishop Cyr.
The letter referred to the instruction from the Congregation of Catholic Education barring men with "deep-seeded" homosexual tendencies to enter the priesthood. Bishop Cyr says the instruction doesn’t reject homosexuals and reminded that the vocation is not a right but rather a call from the Lord that the Church has the responsibility to confirm.
