Vatican City, Nov 28, 2010 (Catholic News Agency/EWTN News).
Pope Benedict XVI heralded the beginning of Advent this year with an unprecedented worldwide pro-life vigil. On Saturday night at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, he urged respect for human life and warned against adult “selfishness” and the “darkening of consciences” in modern society.
On Nov. 27, St. Peter's was the center of global focus, as dioceses around the world joined the Pope's invitation to prepare for the season of Christmas by joining in a special Vespers service for the unborn.
Although it is common for the Pope to encourage prayer for particular intentions, the request for a coordinated worldwide vigil – to be held on the same date and approximately the same time, in all dioceses – is highly exceptional.
Pope Benedict began his homily saying that God became a child to experience the life of man in order to “to save it completely, fully.”
“The beginning of the liturgical year helps us to relive the expectation of God made flesh in the womb of the Virgin Mary,” he said, adding that the “Incarnation reveals to us, with intense light and in an amazing way, that every human life has an incomparable, a most elevated dignity.”
Because “God loves us so deeply, totally, without distinction,” the Pope noted that belief in “Jesus Christ also means having a new outlook on man, a look of trust and hope.”
Humankind, therefore, “has the right not to be treated as an object of possession or something to manipulate at will, not to be reduced to a mere instrument for the benefit of others and their interests,” he said.
“In this vein we find the Church's concern for the unborn, the most fragile, the most threatened by the selfishness of adults and the darkening of consciences,” the Pontiff added.
He then reiterated the Church's stance against abortion, warning against “cultural tendencies that seek to anesthetize consciences with misleading motivations.”
“With regard to the embryo in the womb, science itself highlights its autonomy capable of interaction with the mother, the coordination of biological processes, the continuity of development, the growing complexity of the organism,” he said. “This is not an accumulation of biological material, but a new living being, dynamic and wonderfully ordered, a new unique human being.”
“So was Jesus in Mary's womb, so it was for all of us in our mother’s womb.”
Pope Benedict went on to say that even after birth, children around the world face abandonment, hunger, poverty, disease, abuse, violence or exploitation.
“I urge the protagonists of politics, economic and social communications to do everything in their power to promote a culture which respects human life, to provide favorable conditions and support networks for the reception and development of life,” he said.
The Pope concluded by entrusting prayers for the unborn to the Virgin Mary, “who welcomed the Son of God made man with faith, with her maternal womb, with loving care, with nurturing support and vibrant with love.”
Monday, November 29, 2010
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Thousands march against austerity measures
From www.rte.ie/news
Thousands of people have marched in protest against the introduction of spending cuts and tax increases by the Government.
Gardaí said that around 10,000 people started the march, however the crowd swelled to around 50,000 people as it moved down the quays.
Speakers at the march had estimated that the crowd was between 100,000 and 150,000.
A small group of around 400 protestors gathered outside Leinster House after the main rally had ended.
Bangers were lit and thrown amongst the gardaí along with snowballs and eggs. Some of the protestors were wearing masks and a poster with a picture of Brian Cowen on it was set on fire.
Kildare Street was closed to traffic for a short while, but many of the protestors have now left and the street has been re-opened.
Gardaí said no arrests were made.
The earlier protest on O'Connell Street was organised by the Irish Congress of Trades Unions, which maintains the austerity measures are unfair and too harsh.
ICTU General Secretary David Begg said nobody could believe that the country could afford to pay 6.7% interest to pay for money that Ireland did not want to bail out the banks.
Other speakers included SIPTU President Jack O'Connor, while singers Christy Moore and Frances Black have performed.
Mr O'Connor said people had turned out to assert the rights of the citizens of Ireland to decide the future of Ireland.
Journalist and author Fintan O'Toole told the marchers that people had gathered outside the GPO to reclaim a sense of citizenship.
He said that as the fate of our country is being decided, it is a case of mind over matter.
They don't mind, and we don't matter. Our rulers have no shame, and they believe we have no voice,' said Mr O'Toole.
Marchers assembled behind the banners of their unions, including SIPTU, IMPACT, UNITE, TUI and TEEU. Other groups taking part in the march include the new United Left Alliance.
March organisers provided whistles to many of the demonstrators to use as a way to protest.
Three demonstrators took to the Liffey in a curragh and flew banners in support of the marchers.
As the main march came to a close an alliance of left wing groups assembled at the O'Connell monument.
They were addressed by speakers including Cllr Richard Boyd Barrett, Cllr Louise Minihan and MEP Joe Higgins.
Mr Higgins said the bills of bankers and developers are being handed to the Irish working class and he called for a nationwide strike to say we will not pay.
Mr Boyd Barrett called for people to 'lay siege' to the Dáil on Budget day and to demand their unions embark on a general strike.
Gardaí said the protest passed off peacefully.
Chambers Ireland stressed that Dublin city centre would be open to business, but warned the march would do nothing to maintain jobs.
Thousands of people have marched in protest against the introduction of spending cuts and tax increases by the Government.
Gardaí said that around 10,000 people started the march, however the crowd swelled to around 50,000 people as it moved down the quays.
Speakers at the march had estimated that the crowd was between 100,000 and 150,000.
A small group of around 400 protestors gathered outside Leinster House after the main rally had ended.
Bangers were lit and thrown amongst the gardaí along with snowballs and eggs. Some of the protestors were wearing masks and a poster with a picture of Brian Cowen on it was set on fire.
Kildare Street was closed to traffic for a short while, but many of the protestors have now left and the street has been re-opened.
Gardaí said no arrests were made.
The earlier protest on O'Connell Street was organised by the Irish Congress of Trades Unions, which maintains the austerity measures are unfair and too harsh.
ICTU General Secretary David Begg said nobody could believe that the country could afford to pay 6.7% interest to pay for money that Ireland did not want to bail out the banks.
Other speakers included SIPTU President Jack O'Connor, while singers Christy Moore and Frances Black have performed.
Mr O'Connor said people had turned out to assert the rights of the citizens of Ireland to decide the future of Ireland.
Journalist and author Fintan O'Toole told the marchers that people had gathered outside the GPO to reclaim a sense of citizenship.
He said that as the fate of our country is being decided, it is a case of mind over matter.
They don't mind, and we don't matter. Our rulers have no shame, and they believe we have no voice,' said Mr O'Toole.
Marchers assembled behind the banners of their unions, including SIPTU, IMPACT, UNITE, TUI and TEEU. Other groups taking part in the march include the new United Left Alliance.
March organisers provided whistles to many of the demonstrators to use as a way to protest.
Three demonstrators took to the Liffey in a curragh and flew banners in support of the marchers.
As the main march came to a close an alliance of left wing groups assembled at the O'Connell monument.
They were addressed by speakers including Cllr Richard Boyd Barrett, Cllr Louise Minihan and MEP Joe Higgins.
Mr Higgins said the bills of bankers and developers are being handed to the Irish working class and he called for a nationwide strike to say we will not pay.
Mr Boyd Barrett called for people to 'lay siege' to the Dáil on Budget day and to demand their unions embark on a general strike.
Gardaí said the protest passed off peacefully.
Chambers Ireland stressed that Dublin city centre would be open to business, but warned the march would do nothing to maintain jobs.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Pope Benedict advocates right sexuality, not condom use, in fight against HIV
Vatican City, Nov 20, 2010(Catholic News Agency/EWTN News).
Excerpts of Pope Benedict XVI’s new book are already causing a stir. Though some media reports claim he offers a change in papal teaching about condom use, Pope Benedict in fact says that a humanized sexuality, not condoms, is the right response to HIV.
The Nov. 21 edition of the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano (LOR) will release excerpts of the pontiff’s book "Light of the World: The Pope, the Church and the Signs of the Times.”
The book contains the Pope's responses to questions from Peter Seewald, a German reporter who spoke with him over a week last summer about the most sensitive and important questions in Church life today.
The themes treated in the book are edgy and the reception of the Pope's words is likely to be varied, but his answers offer a unique look into his teachings and his perspective on the Church and the world.
In the excerpts offered in LOR, just two brief paragraphs provide the Pope's response to a question on sexuality in the world today. He says that concentrating on the use of the condom only serves to trivialize sexuality.
This trivialization leads many people to no longer see sex as an expression of love, but as a self-administered drug. The fight against the banalization of sexuality is part of a great effort to change this view to a more positive one.
According to one much-commented excerpt printed in L'Osservatore Romano, the Pope concedes that there can be single cases in which the use of a condom may be justified.
He uses the example of prostitutes who might use prophylactics as a first step toward moralization, that is, becoming moral. In such a case, condom use might be their first act of responsibility to redevelop their consciousness of the fact that not everything is permitted and that one cannot do everything one wants.
While secular outlets such as Time Magazine characterized this remark as “a stunning turnaround” for the Church, Pope Benedict goes on to explain that this is not the true and proper way to defeat HIV. Instead what is necessary is the humanization of sexuality.
Elsewhere in the excerpts from the forthcoming book, the pontiff speaks of the footprint of Judaism, Islam and Christianity in the modern world.
He also expresses his shock at the extent of the sexual abuse of minors in the Church and the evident wish of mass media to discredit the Church for these abuses rather than purely to investigate the truth.
He warns that true tolerance can fall victim to current misunderstandings of the concept. He also speaks of the destruction of families, young people and society due to drug consumption.
Another controversy Pope Benedict addresses is whether the ordination of women to the Catholic priesthood is possible.
In brief, Pope Benedict says that it is not a question of responding to the wishes of the people, but a question of whether the Church has the power to ordain women. Repeating the words of John Paul II from a 1994 document on the priesthood, he said the Church "has no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women.”
He explains that following Christ's establishment of Church leadership on the foundation of the original 12 male apostles is a question of obedience. It is perhaps one of the most difficult aspects to obey, he explains, but this is what makes it important.
The Church is not an arbitrary regime, he comments, and the priesthood is supposed to be a form of service and not domination. Even though it might be difficult, the Church follows the Lord's will and cannot be molded to the wishes of individuals.
The function of women in the Church is too significant to speak of discrimination, says the Pope, who notes the importance of historic figures such as Mary, Monica and Mother Teresa.
Women are so important, he says, that in many ways they define the face of the Church more than men.
Elsewhere in the excerpts, Pope Benedict describes himself as a beggar who relies on his friendship with the Lord, Mary and the saints to live his vocation. His life without Christian joy would be unsupportable, he declares.
Excerpts of Pope Benedict XVI’s new book are already causing a stir. Though some media reports claim he offers a change in papal teaching about condom use, Pope Benedict in fact says that a humanized sexuality, not condoms, is the right response to HIV.
The Nov. 21 edition of the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano (LOR) will release excerpts of the pontiff’s book "Light of the World: The Pope, the Church and the Signs of the Times.”
The book contains the Pope's responses to questions from Peter Seewald, a German reporter who spoke with him over a week last summer about the most sensitive and important questions in Church life today.
The themes treated in the book are edgy and the reception of the Pope's words is likely to be varied, but his answers offer a unique look into his teachings and his perspective on the Church and the world.
In the excerpts offered in LOR, just two brief paragraphs provide the Pope's response to a question on sexuality in the world today. He says that concentrating on the use of the condom only serves to trivialize sexuality.
This trivialization leads many people to no longer see sex as an expression of love, but as a self-administered drug. The fight against the banalization of sexuality is part of a great effort to change this view to a more positive one.
According to one much-commented excerpt printed in L'Osservatore Romano, the Pope concedes that there can be single cases in which the use of a condom may be justified.
He uses the example of prostitutes who might use prophylactics as a first step toward moralization, that is, becoming moral. In such a case, condom use might be their first act of responsibility to redevelop their consciousness of the fact that not everything is permitted and that one cannot do everything one wants.
While secular outlets such as Time Magazine characterized this remark as “a stunning turnaround” for the Church, Pope Benedict goes on to explain that this is not the true and proper way to defeat HIV. Instead what is necessary is the humanization of sexuality.
Elsewhere in the excerpts from the forthcoming book, the pontiff speaks of the footprint of Judaism, Islam and Christianity in the modern world.
He also expresses his shock at the extent of the sexual abuse of minors in the Church and the evident wish of mass media to discredit the Church for these abuses rather than purely to investigate the truth.
He warns that true tolerance can fall victim to current misunderstandings of the concept. He also speaks of the destruction of families, young people and society due to drug consumption.
Another controversy Pope Benedict addresses is whether the ordination of women to the Catholic priesthood is possible.
In brief, Pope Benedict says that it is not a question of responding to the wishes of the people, but a question of whether the Church has the power to ordain women. Repeating the words of John Paul II from a 1994 document on the priesthood, he said the Church "has no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women.”
He explains that following Christ's establishment of Church leadership on the foundation of the original 12 male apostles is a question of obedience. It is perhaps one of the most difficult aspects to obey, he explains, but this is what makes it important.
The Church is not an arbitrary regime, he comments, and the priesthood is supposed to be a form of service and not domination. Even though it might be difficult, the Church follows the Lord's will and cannot be molded to the wishes of individuals.
The function of women in the Church is too significant to speak of discrimination, says the Pope, who notes the importance of historic figures such as Mary, Monica and Mother Teresa.
Women are so important, he says, that in many ways they define the face of the Church more than men.
Elsewhere in the excerpts, Pope Benedict describes himself as a beggar who relies on his friendship with the Lord, Mary and the saints to live his vocation. His life without Christian joy would be unsupportable, he declares.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Is this St Joseph's tomb?
From http://www.therecord.com.au/site/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2105&Itemid=29
By Anthony Barich
A BALLAJURA parish group’s pilgrimage to the Holy Land has revealed in October what could very well be the tomb of St Joseph, husband of the Virgin Mary, the Mother of God.
Under the convent of the Sisters of Nazareth in the town where Christ grew up is an archaeological site of 1st century excavations including what is believed to be a Herodian tomb, a 1st century house and chapel almost certainly believed to be of the early Christian era.
Locals suspect the site could well be where Joseph was buried.
Even if the site - discovered in 1884 when a gardener fell through a hole he was filling in - is not absolutely proven to be the tomb of St Joseph, it reveals much about what Jesus’ tomb and even his ‘manger’ would have looked like.
The convent is across the road from the Catholic Basilica of the Annunciation that is believed to house the place where the Archangel Gabriel appeared to Mary and she accepted the responsibility of being the Mother of God.
Descending down into the excavation site under the convent and winding through a cave, the remains of an altar are seen in one corner.
Initially, when the site was found, a skeleton was situated in the corner of the room, set inside a rock in a sitting position, likely the remains of a Bishop, monk or a cleric of the community.
It was common for Bishops to be buried in such a manner as a symbol of their power, so “we are sure this house/chapel is of the early Christian era”, the Sisters’ local Superior Sr Stefania Cantore told the Ballajua group. In the Apocalypse (Revelation) in the Bible, God is referred to as “The Seated One”.
Excavations in the nearby area have revealed many mosaics of the Byzantine era (c 500-1000). All this evidence has led experts to believe that “we are sure that this was a chapel built sometime after the 1st century”, Sr Stefania said.
Space dug out for two graves has also been revealed in the excavations of the chapel area.
The ‘oven’-style grave is a common feature of ancient Jewish graves. Similar open graves were seen by the Ballajura group on their last day in the Holy Land next to an ancient church marking one of four sites believed to be where Jesus appeared to two of His disciples on the road to Emmaus after His resurrection.
In an adjacent room to the chapel in the excavation site under the Nazareth convent, a hole in the roof through which to pull water up and marks in the walls of ropes to pull food up reveals evidence of a functioning 1st century house.
Around another corner are two sets of stairs made by the Crusaders after their conquest of the area in 1099.
It is unknown what the stairs were for as nothing was written on the walls around them, but rocks and stones forming a door in the lower part of the stairs believed to be of the 1st century also provide a model of what is left of a house.
Archaeologists know the walls are 1st century as similar stonework is seen in the walls of a nearby village that was destroyed by the Romans in 70AD when the armies of Titus, son of Roman emperor Vespasian, levelled the whole city of Jerusalem.
In 1900, two holes were discovered from which, when opened by removing stones, incense could still be smelled emanating from the tomb beneath which locals suspect could be that of St Joseph.
They know the Crusaders used the tomb as Knights’ spurs, lamps and spoons for Holy Communion were found. “So we know this area was important for the Crusaders,” Sr Stefania said.
While this is not believed to be the same tomb Christ was buried in – which is actually in Jerusalem, some 105km from Nazareth - this one nonetheless gives a picture of what was common practice at the time. The size of the tomb also indicates that it belonged to “an important person”, Sr Stefania said.
“There are eight such tombs in the country that we know of. They are very few, as they are only made for very important people.” This tomb under the convent, accessed by walking down winding, eroded stairs, reveals something of what Scripture tells us of Jesus’ resurrection:
“When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought perfumed oils with which they intended to go and anoint Jesus. Very early, just after sunrise, on the first day of the week they came to the tomb. They were saying to one another, ‘Who will roll back the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?’ When they looked, they found that the stone had been rolled back. (It was a huge one) (Mk 16:1-4).
And then, later, “(John) did not enter but bent down to peer in, and saw wrappings lying on the ground” (Jn 20:5). As the photos show, a round stone – though not quite “huge” as Mark describes - can be seen rolled back.
It would, nonetheless, be very heavy so could well be of a similar size to that described by the Gospel writer. It can be clearly seen how John would have needed to “bend down” to “peer in”, as through the opening is a lower level where the bodies were buried; then beyond that two more holes with another lower level beyond that.
Just above these tombs in the 1st century house is a manger, as described by Luke: “She gave birth to her first-born son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger”, where animals eat from.
While this was not the manger described by Luke as Christ was born in Bethlehem 128.7km away, the photo fleshes out what Christ’s first bed would have looked like.
By Anthony Barich
A BALLAJURA parish group’s pilgrimage to the Holy Land has revealed in October what could very well be the tomb of St Joseph, husband of the Virgin Mary, the Mother of God.
Under the convent of the Sisters of Nazareth in the town where Christ grew up is an archaeological site of 1st century excavations including what is believed to be a Herodian tomb, a 1st century house and chapel almost certainly believed to be of the early Christian era.
Locals suspect the site could well be where Joseph was buried.
Even if the site - discovered in 1884 when a gardener fell through a hole he was filling in - is not absolutely proven to be the tomb of St Joseph, it reveals much about what Jesus’ tomb and even his ‘manger’ would have looked like.
The convent is across the road from the Catholic Basilica of the Annunciation that is believed to house the place where the Archangel Gabriel appeared to Mary and she accepted the responsibility of being the Mother of God.
Descending down into the excavation site under the convent and winding through a cave, the remains of an altar are seen in one corner.
Initially, when the site was found, a skeleton was situated in the corner of the room, set inside a rock in a sitting position, likely the remains of a Bishop, monk or a cleric of the community.
It was common for Bishops to be buried in such a manner as a symbol of their power, so “we are sure this house/chapel is of the early Christian era”, the Sisters’ local Superior Sr Stefania Cantore told the Ballajua group. In the Apocalypse (Revelation) in the Bible, God is referred to as “The Seated One”.
Excavations in the nearby area have revealed many mosaics of the Byzantine era (c 500-1000). All this evidence has led experts to believe that “we are sure that this was a chapel built sometime after the 1st century”, Sr Stefania said.
Space dug out for two graves has also been revealed in the excavations of the chapel area.
The ‘oven’-style grave is a common feature of ancient Jewish graves. Similar open graves were seen by the Ballajura group on their last day in the Holy Land next to an ancient church marking one of four sites believed to be where Jesus appeared to two of His disciples on the road to Emmaus after His resurrection.
In an adjacent room to the chapel in the excavation site under the Nazareth convent, a hole in the roof through which to pull water up and marks in the walls of ropes to pull food up reveals evidence of a functioning 1st century house.
Around another corner are two sets of stairs made by the Crusaders after their conquest of the area in 1099.
It is unknown what the stairs were for as nothing was written on the walls around them, but rocks and stones forming a door in the lower part of the stairs believed to be of the 1st century also provide a model of what is left of a house.
Archaeologists know the walls are 1st century as similar stonework is seen in the walls of a nearby village that was destroyed by the Romans in 70AD when the armies of Titus, son of Roman emperor Vespasian, levelled the whole city of Jerusalem.
In 1900, two holes were discovered from which, when opened by removing stones, incense could still be smelled emanating from the tomb beneath which locals suspect could be that of St Joseph.
They know the Crusaders used the tomb as Knights’ spurs, lamps and spoons for Holy Communion were found. “So we know this area was important for the Crusaders,” Sr Stefania said.
While this is not believed to be the same tomb Christ was buried in – which is actually in Jerusalem, some 105km from Nazareth - this one nonetheless gives a picture of what was common practice at the time. The size of the tomb also indicates that it belonged to “an important person”, Sr Stefania said.
“There are eight such tombs in the country that we know of. They are very few, as they are only made for very important people.” This tomb under the convent, accessed by walking down winding, eroded stairs, reveals something of what Scripture tells us of Jesus’ resurrection:
“When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought perfumed oils with which they intended to go and anoint Jesus. Very early, just after sunrise, on the first day of the week they came to the tomb. They were saying to one another, ‘Who will roll back the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?’ When they looked, they found that the stone had been rolled back. (It was a huge one) (Mk 16:1-4).
And then, later, “(John) did not enter but bent down to peer in, and saw wrappings lying on the ground” (Jn 20:5). As the photos show, a round stone – though not quite “huge” as Mark describes - can be seen rolled back.
It would, nonetheless, be very heavy so could well be of a similar size to that described by the Gospel writer. It can be clearly seen how John would have needed to “bend down” to “peer in”, as through the opening is a lower level where the bodies were buried; then beyond that two more holes with another lower level beyond that.
Just above these tombs in the 1st century house is a manger, as described by Luke: “She gave birth to her first-born son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger”, where animals eat from.
While this was not the manger described by Luke as Christ was born in Bethlehem 128.7km away, the photo fleshes out what Christ’s first bed would have looked like.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Pope Pius XII on Missing Red Lamp
Eugene Cardinal Pacelli (the future Pope Pius XII) said something which was very prophetic in 1931:
“I am worried by the Blessed Virgin’s messages to Lucy of Fatima. This persistence of Mary about the dangers which menace the Church is a Divine warning against the suicide of altering the Faith, in Her liturgy, Her theology and Her soul...I hear all around me innovators who wish to dismantle the Sacred Chapel, destroy the universal flame of the true Faith of the Church, reject Her ornaments and make Her feel remorse for Her historical past.”
“A day will come when the civilized world will deny its God, when the Church will doubt as Peter doubted. She will be tempted to believe that man has become God. In our churches, Christians will search in vain for the red lamp where God awaits them. Like Mary Magdalene, weeping before the empty tomb, they will ask, ‘Where have they taken Him?’”
“I am worried by the Blessed Virgin’s messages to Lucy of Fatima. This persistence of Mary about the dangers which menace the Church is a Divine warning against the suicide of altering the Faith, in Her liturgy, Her theology and Her soul...I hear all around me innovators who wish to dismantle the Sacred Chapel, destroy the universal flame of the true Faith of the Church, reject Her ornaments and make Her feel remorse for Her historical past.”
“A day will come when the civilized world will deny its God, when the Church will doubt as Peter doubted. She will be tempted to believe that man has become God. In our churches, Christians will search in vain for the red lamp where God awaits them. Like Mary Magdalene, weeping before the empty tomb, they will ask, ‘Where have they taken Him?’”
Friday, November 12, 2010
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Pope Benedict consecrates Barcelona's Sagrada Familia
From www.bbc.co.uk/news
Pope Benedict XVI has consecrated Antoni Gaudi's unfinished church, the Sagrada Familia, as a basilica in the Spanish city of Barcelona.
The Pope sprinkled holy water on the altar before a congregation of more than 6,500 people.
Gaudi's greatest work has been under construction for more than a century, and will not be finished before 2026.
The current chief architect said he hoped the Pope's visit would provide the boost needed to finish the work.
Before leaving for Rome from Barcelona's El Prat airport, Pope Benedict called on Europe's Catholics to renew their faith.
"May this faith find new vigour on this continent and become a source of inspiration," he said at the end of the two-day visit.
In his earlier homily, he again criticised divorce, same-sex marriage and abortion.
He was seen off by dignitaries including Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia.
Sagrada Familia is currently funded by private donations and visitors' fees.
Following the consecration, the main nave is now open for daily Mass for the first time.
Work began on Barcelona's Sagrada Familia (Expiatory Temple of the Holy Family) in 1882, based on a design by Francisco de Paula Villar, who envisioned a simple church in a traditional neo-Gothic style.
But after he resigned in 1883, Gaudi was appointed the lead architect and redesigned the church entirely. His imaginative plans included 18 spires and five naves, rich with decorated organic detailing.
He once said it was an expression of "the divine history of the salvation of man through Christ incarnate, given to the world by the Virgin Mary".
In 1911, the devout Catholic devoted himself entirely to the project, and spent the next 15 years living and working on site as a virtual recluse, supervising work. He died in 1926, after being run over by a tram.
Already a Unesco world heritage site visited by millions, it will become the world's tallest church when the 170m (560ft) central tower is erected.
In preparation for the Pope's visit, workers covered the central nave and installed stained-glass windows.
Crowds lined the streets to greet the Pope as he drove to the church.
There was also a protest by about 200 gay activists who staged a "kiss-in".
"We are here to demonstrate against the Pope's visit and call for a change in the mentality of the Catholic institution which still opposes our right to different ways of loving," said one protester, Sergi Diaz.
In Santiago de Compostela on Saturday, the Pope warned of an "aggressive anti-clericalism" in Spain which was akin to that experienced during the 1930s.
The comments were a reference to the civil war era, during which Republicans killed thousands of priests and nuns, and burned churches.
Despite opposition from the Roman Catholic Church, Spain's Socialist-led government has introduced laws allowing gay marriage, fast-track divorce and easier access to abortions.
This is Pope Benedict's second visit to Spain since his election, and a third visit is planned next year for World Youth Day, a sign of how important the Vatican considers the health of the Church in the country.
Only 14.4% of Spaniards regularly attend mass, and legal changes to allow divorce, gay marriage and abortion have caused concern to the Church. But 73% of Spaniards still define themselves as Catholic.
Pope Benedict XVI has consecrated Antoni Gaudi's unfinished church, the Sagrada Familia, as a basilica in the Spanish city of Barcelona.
The Pope sprinkled holy water on the altar before a congregation of more than 6,500 people.
Gaudi's greatest work has been under construction for more than a century, and will not be finished before 2026.
The current chief architect said he hoped the Pope's visit would provide the boost needed to finish the work.
Before leaving for Rome from Barcelona's El Prat airport, Pope Benedict called on Europe's Catholics to renew their faith.
"May this faith find new vigour on this continent and become a source of inspiration," he said at the end of the two-day visit.
In his earlier homily, he again criticised divorce, same-sex marriage and abortion.
He was seen off by dignitaries including Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia.
Sagrada Familia is currently funded by private donations and visitors' fees.
Following the consecration, the main nave is now open for daily Mass for the first time.
Work began on Barcelona's Sagrada Familia (Expiatory Temple of the Holy Family) in 1882, based on a design by Francisco de Paula Villar, who envisioned a simple church in a traditional neo-Gothic style.
But after he resigned in 1883, Gaudi was appointed the lead architect and redesigned the church entirely. His imaginative plans included 18 spires and five naves, rich with decorated organic detailing.
He once said it was an expression of "the divine history of the salvation of man through Christ incarnate, given to the world by the Virgin Mary".
In 1911, the devout Catholic devoted himself entirely to the project, and spent the next 15 years living and working on site as a virtual recluse, supervising work. He died in 1926, after being run over by a tram.
Already a Unesco world heritage site visited by millions, it will become the world's tallest church when the 170m (560ft) central tower is erected.
In preparation for the Pope's visit, workers covered the central nave and installed stained-glass windows.
Crowds lined the streets to greet the Pope as he drove to the church.
There was also a protest by about 200 gay activists who staged a "kiss-in".
"We are here to demonstrate against the Pope's visit and call for a change in the mentality of the Catholic institution which still opposes our right to different ways of loving," said one protester, Sergi Diaz.
In Santiago de Compostela on Saturday, the Pope warned of an "aggressive anti-clericalism" in Spain which was akin to that experienced during the 1930s.
The comments were a reference to the civil war era, during which Republicans killed thousands of priests and nuns, and burned churches.
Despite opposition from the Roman Catholic Church, Spain's Socialist-led government has introduced laws allowing gay marriage, fast-track divorce and easier access to abortions.
This is Pope Benedict's second visit to Spain since his election, and a third visit is planned next year for World Youth Day, a sign of how important the Vatican considers the health of the Church in the country.
Only 14.4% of Spaniards regularly attend mass, and legal changes to allow divorce, gay marriage and abortion have caused concern to the Church. But 73% of Spaniards still define themselves as Catholic.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Padre Pio and Confession
Confession was the principal daily activity of Padre Pio. He had the ability to look within the souls of his penitents. It was not possible to lie to Padre Pio during a confession. He saw inside people’s hearts. Often, when the sinners were timid, Padre Pio listed their sins during the confession.
Padre Pio invited all believers to confess at least once a week. He said: "Even if a room is closed, it is necessary to dust it after a week."
In the sacrament of confession Padre Pio was very demanding. He couldn't bear people that went to him only out of curiosity.
A monk once told the following story: "One day Padre Pio didn't give absolution to a penitent and he told him: "If you go to confess to another priest to have gain absolution you will go to hell together with him". He meant that the sacrament of confession is profaned by people that don't want to change their lives. They are guilty in front of God.
A man once went to St. Giovanni Rotondo to confess to Padre Pio. It was between 1954 and 1955. When he finished the accusation of his sins Padre Pio said: "Do you have anything else to confess?" and he said, "No Father!" He repeated the question: "Do you have anything else to confess?" "No Father!" For a third time Padre Pio asked him: "Do you have anything else to confess? At this third negative answer the hurricane exploded. With the voice of the Holy Spirit Padre Pio howled: "Go away! Go away! Because you are not reformed of your sins!"
The man was also petrified because of the shame that he felt in front of so many people. Then he tried to say something but Padre Pio said: "Keep silent, gossiper, you have spoken enough; I now want to speak. Is it true that you go to discos?” "Yes, Father." "Do you know that dancing is an invitation to the sin?" The man was surprised and he didn't know what to say: he had the membership card of a disco in his wallet. The man promised not to commit any other sins and after a lot of effort he received absolution.
One day, a man told Padre Pio: "Father, I tell lies when I am with some friends of mine. I do it in order to make everybody happy". And Padre Pio said: "Oh, do you want to go to hell by joking?!"
When a person speaks badly of a friend, he destroys the reputation and the honour of a brother who has the right to enjoy respect.
One day Padre Pio said to a penitent: "When you gossip about a person it means that you have removed the person from your heart. But be aware, when you remove a man from your heart, Jesus also goes away from your heart with that man."
Once, Padre Pio was invited to bless a house. But when he reached the entrance of the kitchen he said: "There are snakes here. I do not want to go in". And then he said to a priest that often went to that house to eat: “Don't go to that house because they say unpleasant things about their brothers and sisters.”
A man was born in the region of Italy called Marche. He and a friend left their town in a truck, with some furniture they had to transport nearby to St. Giovanni Rotondo. While they were taking the last slope, before reaching their destination, the truck broke-down and it stopped. They tried to start the engine again but without success. At that point the driver lost his calm and full of anger he cursed. The day after the two men went to St. Giovanni Rotondo where one of the men had a sister. With the help of his sister they succeeded in going to Padre Pio to confession. The first man entered the confessional but Padre Pio sent him away. Then it was the turn of the driver. He started saying something to Padre Pio: "I have been angry". But Padre Pio shouted: "Wretch! You have cursed our Mother! What did she do to you, Our Lady?" Then he sent him away as well.
In a hotel in St. Giovanni Rotondo it was not possible to rest neither during the day nor at night because there was a girl who was possessed and shouted for hours. Everybody was frightened of her. The child’s mother brought her every day to the church. She hoped that Padre Pio would free the child from the evil spirit. The child also shouted a lot in the church. One day, when Padre Pio had finished hearing the women’s confessions, he met the child that howled fearfully in front of him. The child was being held back with difficulty by two or three men. The Saint was annoyed by the whole uproar and kicked the child with his foot and then he struck the child’s head and he said: "Stop! Enough!" The child fell to the ground as if she was sleeping. Padre Pio told a doctor who was standing there, to bring the child to St. Michael, in the sanctuary of Monte Sant’Angelo. When the group reached the destination, they entered the cave where Saint Michael had appeared. The child revived but nobody succeeded in bringing her near to the altar of the Angel. In the midst of the confusion, a monk took the hand of the child and touched the altar. She fell down as if she had been struck by lightening. A few minutes later she woke up and as if nothing had happened she asked her mother: "Could you buy me an ice-cream?" At that point the group of people returned to St. Giovanni Rotondo in order to inform and to thank Padre Pio. But Padre Pio told her mother: "Say to your husband not to curse anymore, otherwise the demon will return."
In about 1950, a young doctor went to confess to Padre Pio. He confessed his sins and then he remained silent. Padre Pio asked the young doctor if he had other things to add but the doctor answered he had nothing else. Then Padre Pio told the doctor: "Keep in mind that on holy days you cannot miss Mass, because this is a mortal sin". Suddenly the doctor remembered he had "jumped" Mass with a Sunday appointment, a few months before.
Padre Pio prohibited all magic, spiritism and practices of bad magic. A lady said: "I confessed to Padre Pio in November, 1948. Among the things I told him was that we were worried about our aunt who read Tarot cards in our family”. Padre Pio in a peremptory tone said: "Throw that stuff away, as soon as you can."
In the united and holy family, Padre Pio saw the place where the faith can grow and develop. He said: “Divorce is the passport to hell".
A young lady finished the confession of her sins. She received her penance from Padre Pio who said: "You have to immerse yourself in the silence of prayer and you will save your marriage." The lady was amazed since her marriage didn't have any problems. After a long time, her marriage began to experience trouble. However she was ready to face the problems and overcame them and so avoided the destruction of the family because she had been following the suggestion that Padre Pio gave her.
One day, Padre Pellegrino asked Padre Pio: "Father, this morning you denied absolution to a lady who confessed to an abortion. Why have you been so rigorous with this poor unfortunate? ". Padre Pio said: "The day, in which people, frightened by the economic boom, from physical damages or from economic sacrifices, will lose the horror of the abortion, it will be the most terrible day for humanity. Abortion is not only homicide but also suicide. And with these people we see on the point of committing two crimes…do we want to show our faith? Do we want to save them? " "Why suicide?” Padre Pellegrino asked. "You would understand this suicide of the human race, if with the eye of reason, you could see the Heart populated by old men and depopulated by children: burnt as a desert.”
Padre Pio invited all believers to confess at least once a week. He said: "Even if a room is closed, it is necessary to dust it after a week."
In the sacrament of confession Padre Pio was very demanding. He couldn't bear people that went to him only out of curiosity.
A monk once told the following story: "One day Padre Pio didn't give absolution to a penitent and he told him: "If you go to confess to another priest to have gain absolution you will go to hell together with him". He meant that the sacrament of confession is profaned by people that don't want to change their lives. They are guilty in front of God.
A man once went to St. Giovanni Rotondo to confess to Padre Pio. It was between 1954 and 1955. When he finished the accusation of his sins Padre Pio said: "Do you have anything else to confess?" and he said, "No Father!" He repeated the question: "Do you have anything else to confess?" "No Father!" For a third time Padre Pio asked him: "Do you have anything else to confess? At this third negative answer the hurricane exploded. With the voice of the Holy Spirit Padre Pio howled: "Go away! Go away! Because you are not reformed of your sins!"
The man was also petrified because of the shame that he felt in front of so many people. Then he tried to say something but Padre Pio said: "Keep silent, gossiper, you have spoken enough; I now want to speak. Is it true that you go to discos?” "Yes, Father." "Do you know that dancing is an invitation to the sin?" The man was surprised and he didn't know what to say: he had the membership card of a disco in his wallet. The man promised not to commit any other sins and after a lot of effort he received absolution.
One day, a man told Padre Pio: "Father, I tell lies when I am with some friends of mine. I do it in order to make everybody happy". And Padre Pio said: "Oh, do you want to go to hell by joking?!"
When a person speaks badly of a friend, he destroys the reputation and the honour of a brother who has the right to enjoy respect.
One day Padre Pio said to a penitent: "When you gossip about a person it means that you have removed the person from your heart. But be aware, when you remove a man from your heart, Jesus also goes away from your heart with that man."
Once, Padre Pio was invited to bless a house. But when he reached the entrance of the kitchen he said: "There are snakes here. I do not want to go in". And then he said to a priest that often went to that house to eat: “Don't go to that house because they say unpleasant things about their brothers and sisters.”
A man was born in the region of Italy called Marche. He and a friend left their town in a truck, with some furniture they had to transport nearby to St. Giovanni Rotondo. While they were taking the last slope, before reaching their destination, the truck broke-down and it stopped. They tried to start the engine again but without success. At that point the driver lost his calm and full of anger he cursed. The day after the two men went to St. Giovanni Rotondo where one of the men had a sister. With the help of his sister they succeeded in going to Padre Pio to confession. The first man entered the confessional but Padre Pio sent him away. Then it was the turn of the driver. He started saying something to Padre Pio: "I have been angry". But Padre Pio shouted: "Wretch! You have cursed our Mother! What did she do to you, Our Lady?" Then he sent him away as well.
In a hotel in St. Giovanni Rotondo it was not possible to rest neither during the day nor at night because there was a girl who was possessed and shouted for hours. Everybody was frightened of her. The child’s mother brought her every day to the church. She hoped that Padre Pio would free the child from the evil spirit. The child also shouted a lot in the church. One day, when Padre Pio had finished hearing the women’s confessions, he met the child that howled fearfully in front of him. The child was being held back with difficulty by two or three men. The Saint was annoyed by the whole uproar and kicked the child with his foot and then he struck the child’s head and he said: "Stop! Enough!" The child fell to the ground as if she was sleeping. Padre Pio told a doctor who was standing there, to bring the child to St. Michael, in the sanctuary of Monte Sant’Angelo. When the group reached the destination, they entered the cave where Saint Michael had appeared. The child revived but nobody succeeded in bringing her near to the altar of the Angel. In the midst of the confusion, a monk took the hand of the child and touched the altar. She fell down as if she had been struck by lightening. A few minutes later she woke up and as if nothing had happened she asked her mother: "Could you buy me an ice-cream?" At that point the group of people returned to St. Giovanni Rotondo in order to inform and to thank Padre Pio. But Padre Pio told her mother: "Say to your husband not to curse anymore, otherwise the demon will return."
In about 1950, a young doctor went to confess to Padre Pio. He confessed his sins and then he remained silent. Padre Pio asked the young doctor if he had other things to add but the doctor answered he had nothing else. Then Padre Pio told the doctor: "Keep in mind that on holy days you cannot miss Mass, because this is a mortal sin". Suddenly the doctor remembered he had "jumped" Mass with a Sunday appointment, a few months before.
Padre Pio prohibited all magic, spiritism and practices of bad magic. A lady said: "I confessed to Padre Pio in November, 1948. Among the things I told him was that we were worried about our aunt who read Tarot cards in our family”. Padre Pio in a peremptory tone said: "Throw that stuff away, as soon as you can."
In the united and holy family, Padre Pio saw the place where the faith can grow and develop. He said: “Divorce is the passport to hell".
A young lady finished the confession of her sins. She received her penance from Padre Pio who said: "You have to immerse yourself in the silence of prayer and you will save your marriage." The lady was amazed since her marriage didn't have any problems. After a long time, her marriage began to experience trouble. However she was ready to face the problems and overcame them and so avoided the destruction of the family because she had been following the suggestion that Padre Pio gave her.
One day, Padre Pellegrino asked Padre Pio: "Father, this morning you denied absolution to a lady who confessed to an abortion. Why have you been so rigorous with this poor unfortunate? ". Padre Pio said: "The day, in which people, frightened by the economic boom, from physical damages or from economic sacrifices, will lose the horror of the abortion, it will be the most terrible day for humanity. Abortion is not only homicide but also suicide. And with these people we see on the point of committing two crimes…do we want to show our faith? Do we want to save them? " "Why suicide?” Padre Pellegrino asked. "You would understand this suicide of the human race, if with the eye of reason, you could see the Heart populated by old men and depopulated by children: burnt as a desert.”
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
THE HEROIC ACT FOR THE POOR SOULS
A decree of the Sacred Congregation of Indulgences dated December 18, 1885, and confirmed the following day by Leo XIII, says:
The Heroic Act of Charity in favor of the souls detained in purgatory consists in this, that a member of the Church militant (Christifidelis), either using a set formula or simply by an act of his will, offers to God for the souls in purgatory all the satisfactory works which he will perform during his lifetime, and also all the suffrages which may accrue to him after his death. Many Christians devoted to the Blessed Vrgin Mary, acting on the advice of the Theatine Regular Cleric Father Gaspar Olider, of blessed memory, make it a practice to deposit the said merits and suffrages as it were into the hands of the Blessed Virgin that she may distribute these favors to the souls in purgatory according to her own merciful pleasure. Olider lived at the beginning of the eighteenth century.
The Heroic Act is often called a vow, yet it partakes more of the nature of an offering made to God and to Mary, and it is also, unlike a vow, revocable at will. This point has been decided by the S.C. Indulg., Feb. 20, 1907, in answer to a question from Chicoutimi in Canada. A special vow "never to revoke the Act" would probably be binding, because its subject matter is an act of the personal will of which man can freely dispose, whereas he has not the disposal of his satisfactory works in favor of the departed; that depends on God; for man it is only a matter of pious desire, and only in this sense a votum. It always remains doubtful to what extent God accepts the oblation, and it is certain that the holy souls altogether lack the power of accepting it. The practice of the Heroic Act is based on the communion of saints, in virtue of which the good deeds of one member of Christ's body benefit all other members. Its meritoriousness results from the more intense charity (love of God and His suffering friends) which inspires it, and on which the intrinsic perfection of all our good deeds depends. Its heroicity arises from the willingness it involves to take upon one's self the dreadful pains of purgatory for the love of one's neighbor, although there remains the reasonable hope that God in His goodness, and the sainted souls in their gratitude, will not allow the punishment to be exacted to the full.
The Heroic Act has been enriched with numerous indulgences by Benedict XIII (1728), Pius VI (1788), and Pius IX (1852). Priests who make it receive the personal privilege of gaining a plenary indulgence for a soul of their choice each time they say Mass. Laymen gain a similar indulgence each time they receive Holy Communion, also each Monday they hear Mass for the departed; in both cases the usual conditions are required.
Words to a formal Act of Heroic Charity are as follows:
O Holy and Adorable Trinity, desiring to aid in the relief and release of the Holy Souls in Purgatory, through my devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, I cede and renounce, on behalf of these souls, all the satisfactory part of my works, and all the suffrages which may be given to me after my death. In their entirety, I offer them to Mary, the Most Holy Mother of God, that she may use them, according to her good pleasure, for those souls of the faithful departed whom she desires to alleviate their suffering. O my God, deign to accept and bless my offering which I make to Thee through the most august Queen of Heaven and Earth. Amen.
The Heroic Act of Charity in favor of the souls detained in purgatory consists in this, that a member of the Church militant (Christifidelis), either using a set formula or simply by an act of his will, offers to God for the souls in purgatory all the satisfactory works which he will perform during his lifetime, and also all the suffrages which may accrue to him after his death. Many Christians devoted to the Blessed Vrgin Mary, acting on the advice of the Theatine Regular Cleric Father Gaspar Olider, of blessed memory, make it a practice to deposit the said merits and suffrages as it were into the hands of the Blessed Virgin that she may distribute these favors to the souls in purgatory according to her own merciful pleasure. Olider lived at the beginning of the eighteenth century.
The Heroic Act is often called a vow, yet it partakes more of the nature of an offering made to God and to Mary, and it is also, unlike a vow, revocable at will. This point has been decided by the S.C. Indulg., Feb. 20, 1907, in answer to a question from Chicoutimi in Canada. A special vow "never to revoke the Act" would probably be binding, because its subject matter is an act of the personal will of which man can freely dispose, whereas he has not the disposal of his satisfactory works in favor of the departed; that depends on God; for man it is only a matter of pious desire, and only in this sense a votum. It always remains doubtful to what extent God accepts the oblation, and it is certain that the holy souls altogether lack the power of accepting it. The practice of the Heroic Act is based on the communion of saints, in virtue of which the good deeds of one member of Christ's body benefit all other members. Its meritoriousness results from the more intense charity (love of God and His suffering friends) which inspires it, and on which the intrinsic perfection of all our good deeds depends. Its heroicity arises from the willingness it involves to take upon one's self the dreadful pains of purgatory for the love of one's neighbor, although there remains the reasonable hope that God in His goodness, and the sainted souls in their gratitude, will not allow the punishment to be exacted to the full.
The Heroic Act has been enriched with numerous indulgences by Benedict XIII (1728), Pius VI (1788), and Pius IX (1852). Priests who make it receive the personal privilege of gaining a plenary indulgence for a soul of their choice each time they say Mass. Laymen gain a similar indulgence each time they receive Holy Communion, also each Monday they hear Mass for the departed; in both cases the usual conditions are required.
Words to a formal Act of Heroic Charity are as follows:
O Holy and Adorable Trinity, desiring to aid in the relief and release of the Holy Souls in Purgatory, through my devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, I cede and renounce, on behalf of these souls, all the satisfactory part of my works, and all the suffrages which may be given to me after my death. In their entirety, I offer them to Mary, the Most Holy Mother of God, that she may use them, according to her good pleasure, for those souls of the faithful departed whom she desires to alleviate their suffering. O my God, deign to accept and bless my offering which I make to Thee through the most august Queen of Heaven and Earth. Amen.
Monday, November 1, 2010
52 killed in Baghdad church attack
From www.rte.ie/news
At least 52 hostages and police officers have been killed after security forces raided a Baghdad church to free more than 100 Iraqi Catholics held by al Qaeda-linked gunmen.
Lieutenant General Hussein Kamal said that 67 people were also wounded.
An al-Qaeda linked group claimed responsibility for the attack.
Five attackers were killed and eight arrested.
There had been more than 100 worshippers at the Sayidat al-Nejat Catholic cathedral in central Baghdad when the group entered the building.
The gunmen had attacked during evening mass after killing two guards at the nearby headquarters of the Baghdad stock exchange.
At least one of the deaths came before the rescue operation: one of the freed hostages, an 18-year-old man, said the first thing the gunmen did when they entered the church was to shoot the priest.
Officials said that at least one of the gunmen who raided the cathedral in the Karrada neighbourhood had blown himself up with a suicide belt as police made a first attempt to enter.
Around 800,000 Christians lived in Iraq in 2003 but their number has since shrunk to 550,000 as members of the community have fled abroad, according to Christian leaders.
At least 52 hostages and police officers have been killed after security forces raided a Baghdad church to free more than 100 Iraqi Catholics held by al Qaeda-linked gunmen.
Lieutenant General Hussein Kamal said that 67 people were also wounded.
An al-Qaeda linked group claimed responsibility for the attack.
Five attackers were killed and eight arrested.
There had been more than 100 worshippers at the Sayidat al-Nejat Catholic cathedral in central Baghdad when the group entered the building.
The gunmen had attacked during evening mass after killing two guards at the nearby headquarters of the Baghdad stock exchange.
At least one of the deaths came before the rescue operation: one of the freed hostages, an 18-year-old man, said the first thing the gunmen did when they entered the church was to shoot the priest.
Officials said that at least one of the gunmen who raided the cathedral in the Karrada neighbourhood had blown himself up with a suicide belt as police made a first attempt to enter.
Around 800,000 Christians lived in Iraq in 2003 but their number has since shrunk to 550,000 as members of the community have fled abroad, according to Christian leaders.
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