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2009-12-22T15:38:00.000-08:00

ZENIT

The World Seen From Rome

Daily dispatch - December 22, 2009

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VATICAN DOSSIER

Pope: Society Must See "Power of Faith"

Bishops of Belarus Conclude Visit to Rome

VATICAN CITY, DEC. 22, 2009 (Zenit.org).- In ministering to a society that is falling away from God, it is imperative for bishops to be witnesses to the "power of faith," says Benedict XVI.

The Pope said this last week upon receiving in audience the bishops of Belarus, in Rome for their five-yearly "ad limina" visit. This was the third such visit made by the prelates since national independence in 1991, the first under Benedict XVI.

"During my meetings with you I appreciated the pastoral zeal with which you carry out your ministry," the Pope said, before encouraging the bishops to continue facing the challenges of being pastors in a secular society.

"It is particularly important to proclaim with a new and incisive enthusiasm the perennial Gospel message in a society that is not immune to the temptations of secularization, hedonism and relativism," the Pontiff affirmed.

He noted that the signs of the effects of secularism include a "falling birth rate, the fragility of the family and the illusion of gaining riches beyond the borders of one's homeland."

"The urgent mission of pastors before such challenges is to show the power of faith," the Holy Father said, "a faith rooted in solid tradition, which will contribute to the perseveration of the profound Christian identity of the nation, within the context of respectful dialogue with other cultures and religions."

The Pope also spoke of the importance of education and catechesis, especially of the youth: "As I noted many times before, today we are living a type of 'emergency' in this delicate and essential area, and it is necessary to multiply our efforts so as to offer a solid formation, first and foremost to the new generation."

Catechesis

Benedict XVI noted the importance of catechesis that fits the needs of people in all stages of their lives, and mentioned with particular attention the need to care for vocations.

"I urge you to pay particular attention to profound spiritual and theological formation of candidates to priesthood," he said.

"Always stay close to your priests, especially to those who are about to start their pastoral work," the Pope continued. "An attentive and sincere paternal care of a bishop is the basis for successful priestly service."

"Make use of every good occasion to proclaim and spread the Kingdom of God," Benedict XVI continued, "being witnesses to it with concrete deeds of brotherhood that engender peace."

The Pope urged the bishops to work with the Belarusian Orthodox Church, "whose pastors share with you the commitment to seek the good of believers."

He noted that both the Orthodox and Catholic Churches are both facing the challenge of finding an adequate response to modernity, and how to "correctly transmit the Good News of Christ."

"Let us accept the invitation aimed at increasing efforts in the joint progress toward this objective, which was revealed during the recent Catholic-Orthodox session in Cyprus," the Pope said.

Since the country gained independence in 1991, the Church there has grown to include an archdiocese, three dioceses and some 450 parishes.

Before the end of the Cold War, it had no hierarchy: Priests manned a few Catholic churches, but without a diocese to congregate them or bishops to guide them.

Today, some 14% of the 10 million inhabitants of this former Soviet nation are Catholics. There are 440 priests, 270 of whom are native Belarusians.

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Pontiff Calls Movements Gifts to the Church

Lauds Cardinal Cordes for Helping Them Grow

VATICAN CITY, DEC. 22, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI is praising a cardinal who welcomed the inspiration of new movements in the Church, and is highlighting the positive contribution they have made.

The Pope affirmed this in a letter he sent last week for the 75th birthday of Cardinal Josef Cordes, president of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum.

"I no longer remember when we first met," the Pontiff said, as he recalled a long history of friendship with the cardinal, including a shared membership in the German bishops' conference before both were called to serve in the Roman Curia.

"With courage and creativity at the beginning of your work in Rome you opened up new roads to lead young people to Christ," the Holy Father affirmed. "You also made a contribution to the genesis and the growth of the World Youth Days."

He underlined the prelate's "pastoral involvement" and "commitment to the movements" in his role in the Pontifical Council for the Laity.

"The charismatic movement, Communion and Liberation and the Neocatechumenal Way have many reasons to be grateful to you," the Pope said.

"While at the beginning the organizers and planners in the Church had many reservations in regard to the movements," Benedict XVI stated, "you immediately sensed the life that burst forth from them -- the power of the Holy Spirit that gives new paths and in unpredictable ways keeps the Church young."

Integration

He continued: "You recognized the pentecostal character of these movements and you worked passionately so that they would be welcomed by the Church's pastors.

"Certainly, with respect to organization and planning, there were often good reasons to be scandalized as they brought new and unforeseen elements that could not always be integrated easily into the existing organizational structures."

The Pontiff acknowledged the cardinal's ability to see that what is "organic is more important than what is organized."

He affirmed the prelate's vision that "here were men who were deeply touched by the spirit of God and that in such a way there grew new forms of authentic Christian life and authentic ways of being Church."

The Holy Father continued: "Of course, these movements needed to be ordered to and brought within the totality; they needed to learn to recognize their limits and to become part of the communitarian reality of the Church in her proper constitution together with the Pope and the bishops.

"Thus they need a guide and purification to be able to reach the form of their true maturity."

"They, nevertheless, are gifts to be grateful for," Benedict XVI said. "It is no longer possible to think of the life of the Church of our time without including these gifts of God within it."

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On ZENIT's Web page:

Full text: www.zenit.org/article-27922?l=english

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Benedict XVI Warns Against Secularization

Says Environmental Work Should Include Value for Persons

VATICAN CITY, DEC. 22, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI is urging Finland, and all of Europe, to cling to values promoted by religious groups lest they disappear through secularization.

The Pope stated this Thursday when he met with the new ambassador from Finland to the Holy See, Alpo Rusi.

"A vital contribution that all religious groups can offer in your country, as elsewhere in Europe, is to draw attention to certain values that are in danger of being eroded through the process of secularization," the Pontiff affirmed.

He acknowledged the "pressures that governments face when presented with insistent demands from some quarters, in the name of tolerance, for acceptance of an ever wider range of viewpoints and lifestyles."

However, the Holy Father stated that "the virtue of tolerance is not served by the sacrifice of truth, particularly the truth concerning the dignity of the human person."

He urged the Finnish authorities to "continue to take note of the ethical perspectives based upon the natural law indelibly inscribed in our common humanity."

In this way, Benedict XVI said, "Finland's long-standing esteem for the family and respect for life may shape its response to delicate social issues with long-term implications for the health of any human society."

Better world

That same day, the Pope met with the envoys of seven other nations, including Hans Klingenberg, the new ambassador from Denmark to the Holy See.

In his address to the Danish representative, the Pontiff acknowledged the two-week U.N. summit on climate change that took place this month in Denmark.

"Courage and sacrifice, fruits of an ethical awakening, enable us to envisage a better world and embolden us to pursue with hope all that is necessary to ensure that future generations are bequeathed the whole of creation in such a condition that they too can call it home," he said.

Recalling a recent address he gave to the Food and Agriculture Organization, the Holy Father stated that "development plans, investments and legislation are not enough;" rather, "individuals and communities must change their behavior."

He continued, "For states themselves this includes a redefining of the concepts and principles that have hitherto governed international relations to include the principle of altruism and the resolve to seek out new parameters -- ethical as well as juridical and economic -- capable of building relationships of greater fairness and balance between developing and developed countries."

Benedict XVI highlighted a "holistic understanding of the health of society" in which "our duties toward the environment are never detached from our duties toward the human person."

In this model, he added, "a moral critique of the cultural norms shaping human coexistence, with particular concern for the young, is considered central to the well-being of society."

The Pope observed that "often efforts to promote an integral understanding of the environment have had to sit alongside a reductionist understanding of the person."

This understanding of the person, he said, typically "is lacking in respect for the spiritual dimension of individuals."

As well, the Pontiff said, it is sometimes "hostile toward the family, pitting spouses against each other through a distorted portrayal of the complementarity of men and women, and pitting mother and unborn child against each other through a misconstrued portrayal of 'reproductive health.'"

He affirmed that "responsibility in relationships, including the responsibility of careful parenting, can never be truly nurtured without profound respect for the unity of family life according to the loving design of our Creator."

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On ZENIT's Web page:

Benedict XVI's address to Finnish ambassador: http://zenit.org/article-27919?l=english

Benedict XVI's address to Danish ambassador: http://zenit.org/article-27918?l=english

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Aide: When Will Christians Unite?

Recalls Pope's Visit to Jesus' Birthplace

VATICAN CITY, DEC. 22, 2009 (Zenit.org).- The Vatican spokesman is expressing the hope that this Christmas will bring a new gift to Bethlehem: freedom from the divisions among Christians.

Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, director of the Vatican press office, stated this in his latest edition of "Octava Dies," in which he reflected on Benedict XVI's May 13 visit to the city of Christ's birth.

The priest also noted that on Monday, in an address to the Roman Curia, the Pope spoke about how his visit enabled him to see the "suffering and the hopes present" in the Holy Land.

"Everything that one can see in those countries calls for reconciliation, justice and peace," the Pontiff told the curia.

Father Lombardi recalled the "festive celebration of the Mass," celebrated by the Holy Father in Manger Square, which was "overflowing."

Even though it took place in a very different context from the Bethlehem of 2,000 years ago, he said, "the Eucharist continues being the moment in which the mystery of the real presence of Jesus with us is relived."

However, the spokesman added, it is hard to ignore the presence of the walls around the city. Thus, he said, it is with good reason that Benedict XVI, upon leaving, stated: "We all know that the walls do not last forever. They can be taken down.

"First, though, it is necessary to remove the walls that we build around our hearts, the barriers that we set up against our neighbors."

Fragility and strength

The Pope prayed in the grotto of Bethlehem, but as Father Lombardi noted, "also there -- as in other holy places -- he experienced the fact that Christians are not united: They have to share places and temples to avoid litigation!"

"When will we be able to overcome our divisions?" the spokesman asked.

The Jesuit then noted his "fondest memory," which is when he saw the "sick children at Caritas Baby Hospital in the hands of the Pope."

"Infinite fragility of humanity! Mysterious and invincible force of love," the aide exclaimed. "How fragile was Jesus born in Bethlehem, but how strong is his message of love!"

He noted that this love is offered to us, but that it also demands of us this fragility. "What human intelligence could have imagined this incredible message?" he said.

Father Lombardi concluded: "Let us come and see the Child: God is still with us."

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WORLD FEATURES

Latin Patriarch: Still No Peace on Earth

Reports Signs of Hope, Record Number of Pilgrims

JERUSALEM, DEC. 22, 2009 (Zenit.org).- The Latin patriarch of Jerusalem is observing that although peace has not yet come to the Holy Land, there are many signs of hope for the people there.

Archbishop Fouad Twal affirmed this in a Christmas message that was published today, in which he wished peace to "all the inhabitants of this Holy Land: Palestinians and Israelis, Christians, Muslims, Jews and Druses."

"Our dreams for a reconciled Holy Land seem to be utopia," he said.

The prelate explained: "Despite the praiseworthy efforts of politicians and men of good will to find a solution to the ongoing conflict, all of us, Palestinians and Israelis, have all failed in achieving peace. The reality contradicts our dreams."

"Our hope is still alive," he said. "In the Holy Land, everything is not desperate."

Among the signs of hope, the archbishop mentioned a greater "freedom of movement for Palestinians" due to the removal of over 50 checkpoints by the Israeli military, and an improved economic situation.

As well, he said, "Palestinians are more and more expressing resistance in a nonviolent fashion."

International support

Archbishop Twal underlined the hope brought by the "generosity of the international community."

He also reported that Benedict XVI's May visit to the region uplifted the people, and they "continue to gather fruit from his visit."

The prelate stated that the "massive arrival of pilgrims" has been a positive sign for the Holy Land, and that "2009 will be equal to the year 2000, which was a record in the history of pilgrimages, with 2,700,000 pilgrims."

He acknowledged the hope brought by the construction of a new pediatric hospital in Bethlehem, Madaba University in Jordan, and a housing project in Jerusalem.

"The best gift we seek, above money and wealth, is peace," the archbishop affirmed. "It is the wish of all the inhabitants of this land: Israelis and Palestinians alike."

He concluded: "Peace is a gift of God for men of good will. We have to deserve it."

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On ZENIT's Web page:

Full text: http://zenit.org/article-27914?l=english

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Mary Ward Advances Toward Sainthood

British Founder Was Once Called a Heretic

VATICAN CITY, DEC. 22, 2009 (<A href="http://www.zenit.org">Zenit.org</A>).- Mary Ward, British founder of the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary, has been recognized as venerable by Benedict XVI.

On Saturday, the Pope approved a decree acknowledging the heroic virtue of the Englishwoman, advancing her cause for canonization.

Ward was born in 1585 in Ripon, England, at a time when Catholics were persecuted in that country. In 1589, her family's home was burned down, and she was often separated from her parents for her safety.

She felt called to the religious life at age 15, and in 1606 she left England to enter a Poor Clare monastery. Later realizing that she was not called to the contemplative life, Ward left the cloister and returned to England where she worked in disguise to preserve the Catholic Church.

In 1609, she founded a community of active religious sisters in Saint-Omer, France. The women worked to educate youth, help persecuted and imprisoned Catholics, and "spread the Word of God in places priests could not go," the institute's Web site stated. Ward founded schools in the Netherlands, Italy, Germany, Austria, present-day Czech Republic and Slovakia.

The new style of religious community established by Ward, with an active ministry outside of cloistered life and without a formal habit, was met with opposition.

Ward was accused of heresy, and the congregation was disbanded in 1630. It was revived later and its rule was approved by Pope Clement XI in 1703. In 1877 the congregation was recognized as an institute by Pope Pius IX, but Ward was not formally named as the founder until 1909.

The Englishwoman died in Heworth, near York, England, in 1645. Her cause for canonization was started in 1929.

Her institute, also known as the Congregation of Jesus or the Loreto Sisters, has some 3,000 members working in 44 countries worldwide.

To qualify for beatification, a decree attesting to a miracle attributed to Mary Ward's intercession will have to be approved by the Church.

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Press Union Urges Media to Serve Humanity

Stresses Journalist's Role in Just Economy

GENEVA, Switzerland, DEC. 22, 2009 (Zenit.org).- The International Catholic Union of the Press is underlining the media's role in building economic justice, and is calling on journalists to serve humanity and creation, rather than individual agendas.

The union affirmed this in a document titled "Media for Social and Economic Justice," published this week in order to "emphasize the importance and role of journalism in finding lasting solutions to problems we all face worldwide."

"Social and economic justice forms the foundation for a peaceful and prosperous world," the document stated.

It underlined the "special responsibility" of journalists and media experts "to ensure that social and economic justice worldwide prevail with the purpose of eliminating conflicts, wars and other disasters."

It this light, the press union affirmed that the document they published, which they adopted at their Oct. 31 general assembly, aims at "inspiring journalists and media experts, so that they can work towards establishing exemplary levels of justice and peace worldwide by bringing up this issue at world forums and at decision- and policy-making levels."

The document was prepared by writers, journalists, professors and specialists from Europe, Asia, North America, Africa, the Middle East, the Caribbean and Oceania.

It emphasized the "noble history of journalism," noting that "when crises occurred in the past journalists were able to speak out and show the way to people as well as their leaders."

Now, it stated, the world is dealing with several issues such as "consumerism, standardization, destruction of the environment, globalization, widespread underpaying of workers, and permanent dependence of the poor on the rich."

The press union expressed the hope that this document will aid journalists and media experts in the "noble act" of exploring these issues and making them a priority on the world agenda.

Global welfare

It explained: "Media experts and journalists have probably the most important role to play with regard to social and economic issues. Journalism is the profession where critical thinking and in-depth analysis in favor of global welfare must precede any word or action."

"In this sense," the document affirmed, "no one can be a journalist if he or she discriminates or devalues the other in the name of national, ethnical or religious pride."

It added, "A journalist is at the service of humanity and nature and not at the service of the vested interests of a few."

The union stated that "the media have to rise above differences -- which at the same time need to be distinguished and appreciated in order to serve the greater aims and welfare of all."

Thus, it continued, "the media can bring to light constantly, every day and every minute, the policies and actions that go against the common good and welfare together with their devastating consequences."

"If the media are not able to do this, there is no one else to expose these injustices," the union asserted.

The document underlined the need "to create supra-national, supra-interest and supra-cultural media that can really serve humanity at large and taking into consideration diverse viewpoints and life experiences."

It affirmed: "All journalists, editors and experts, irrespective of their working conditions and salary scales must consider their supreme call to serve humanity at large.

"Probably this is the only way to progress and gradually establish social and economic justice."

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On the Net:

Full text: http://www.ucip.ch/do/mje.htm

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WORDS MADE FLESH

"The Future of Humanity Passes Through the Family"

Reflection for Feast of Holy Family Year C

By Father Thomas Rosica, CSB

TORONTO, DEC. 22, 2009 (Zenit.org).- In the afterglow of Christmas, the Church celebrates the feast of the Holy Family, inviting the faithful to reflect on the gift and mystery of life, and in particular the blessing of family.

Today's Gospel story (Luke 2:41-52) relates an incident from Jesus' youth that is unique in the New Testament. Luke's infancy Gospel, however scarce in details concerning the first part of Jesus' life, mentions that "his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the Passover" (2:41), an indication of their piety, their fidelity to the law and to the tradition of Israel.

"When [Jesus] was 12 years old, they went up according to custom" (2:42). "When they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, without his parents knowing it" (2:43). After searching for three days "they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions" (2:46).

Jesus' mysterious words to his parents seem to subdue their joy at finding him: "How is it that you sought me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?" (2:49). This phrase can also be translated, "I must be immersed in my Father's work." In either translation, Jesus refers to God as his Father. His divine sonship, and his obedience to his heavenly Father's will, take precedence over his ties to his family.

Apart from this event, the whole period of the infancy and youth of Jesus is passed over in silence in the Gospel. It is the period of his "hidden life," summarized by Luke in two simple statements: Jesus "went down with [Mary and Joseph] and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them" (Luke 2:51); and "He progressed steadily in wisdom and age and grace before God and men" (Luke 2:52). With this episode, the infancy narrative ends just as it began, in the setting of the Jerusalem temple.

We learn from the Gospels that Jesus lived in his own family, in the house of Joseph, who took the place of a father in regard to Mary's son by assisting and protecting him, and gradually training him in his own trade of carpenter. The people of the town of Nazareth regarded him as "the carpenter's son" [Matthew 13:55].

When he began to teach, his fellow citizens asked with surprise: "Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary?" (Mark 6:3). Besides his mother, they mentioned also his "brothers" and his "sisters," who lived at Nazareth. It was they who, as the evangelist Mark mentions, sought to dissuade Jesus from his activity of teaching (Mark 3:21). Evidently, they did not find in him anything to justify the beginning of a new activity. They thought that Jesus was just like any other Israelite, and should remain such.

School of Nazareth

The words of Pope Paul VI spoken in Nazareth on Jan. 5, 1964, are a beautiful reflection on the mystery of Nazareth and of the Holy Family. His words inspire all of us to imitate God's family in their beautiful values of silence, family life and work.

He said: "Nazareth is a kind of school where we may begin to discover what Christ's life was like and even to understand his Gospel. Here we can observe and ponder the simple appeal of the way God's Son came to be known, profound yet full of hidden meaning.

"And gradually we may even learn to imitate him. Here we can learn to realize who Christ really is. And here we can sense and take account of the conditions and circumstances that surrounded and affected his life on earth: the places, the tenor of the times, the culture, the language, religious customs, in brief everything which Jesus used to make himself known to the world. [...]

"First we learn from its silence. If only we could once again appreciate its great value. We need this wonderful state of mind, beset, as we are, by the cacophony of strident protests and conflicting claims so characteristic of these turbulent times. The silence of Nazareth should teach us how to meditate in peace and quiet, to reflect on the deeply spiritual, and to be open to the voice of God's inner wisdom and the counsel of his true teachers. Nazareth can teach us the value of study and preparation, of meditation, of a well-ordered personal spiritual life, and of silent prayer that is known only to God.

"Second, we learn about family life. May Nazareth serve as a model of what the family should be. May it show us the family's holy and enduring character and exemplifying its basic function in society: a community of love and sharing, beautiful for the problems it poses and the rewards it brings -- in sum, the perfect setting for rearing children -- and for this there is no substitute.

"Finally, in Nazareth, the home of a craftsman's son, we learn about work and the discipline it entails. I would especially like to recognize its value -- demanding yet redeeming -- and to give it proper respect. I would remind everyone that work has its own dignity. On the other hand, it is not an end in itself. Its value and free character, however, derive not only from its place in the economic system, as they say, but rather from the purpose it serves."

Challenges for today

Today we are witnesses to a worrisome lack of educational environments not only outside the Church, but even within the Church. The Christian family is no longer capable on its own of passing on the faith to the next generation, and neither is the parish, even though it continues to be the indispensable structure for the Church's pastoral mission in any given place.

As a Christian community and as a society in general, we must do more to encourage the committed relationship of man and woman that remains so basic to all civilizations, and has proven to be the best support for the rights and needs of children. We must reflect carefully on the social consequences involved in the redefinition of marriage, examining all that is entailed if society no longer gives a privileged place and fundamental value to the lifelong union of a man and a woman in marriage.

As the keystone of society, the family is the most favorable environment in which to welcome children. At the same time, freedom of conscience and religion needs to be ensured, while also respecting the dignity of all persons, whatever their sexual orientation.

Two distinct challenges emerge from this great debates of our times surrounding marriage and family life. Today's feast of the Holy Family issues an urgent invitation, especially to lay people, to uphold the dignity of the important institution and sacrament of Marriage. Support the Marriage Preparation Programs in your parish communities. Insist that in your parishes and dioceses, there are solid vocational programs for young adults and young people. Parishes, dioceses and lay movements that do not have creative pastoral strategies and vocational programs about marriage for young people leave the door open to tremendous moral confusion and misunderstanding, misinformation, emptiness.

At the same time, we cannot forget that other bonds of love and interdependency, of commitment and mutual responsibility exist in society. They may be good; they may even be recognized in law. They are not the same as marriage; they are something else. No extension of terminology for legal purposes will change the observable reality that only the committed union of a man and a woman carries, not only the bond of interdependency between the two adults, but the inherent capacity to bring forth children.

On this feast of the Holy Family, let us recommit ourselves to building up the human family, to strengthening and enshrining marriage, to blessing and nurturing children, and to making our homes, families and parish communities holy, welcoming places for women and men of every race, language, orientation and way of life.

Foundation of society

"The future of humanity passes through the family," as the Venerable Pope John Paul II would say so often. Today's readings remind us that the family has a vital impact on society.

The foundation of society is the family. And the foundation of the family is marriage. The vocation to marriage is written in the very nature of man and woman. As the keystone of society, the family is the most favorable environment in which to welcome children.

We need young adults to say their "I do" with joy, conviction, faith and hope. They are our future and our hope. Without married people, we cannot build the future of society and the Church. Without committed, married people, we will not have holy families today.

[The readings for the feast of the Holy Family are Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14 or 1 Samuel 1:20-22, 24-28; Colossians 3:12-21 or 3:12-17 or 1 John 3:1-2, 21-24; and Luke 2:41-52]

* * *

Basilian Father Thomas Rosica, chief executive officer of the Salt and Light Catholic Media Foundation and Television Network in Canada, is a consultor to the Pontifical Council for Social Communications. He can be reached at: rosica@saltandlighttv.org.

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On the Net:

Salt and Light: www.saltandlighttv.org

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LITURGY

Adapting the Mysteries of the Rosary

And More on Vigil Masses and on Readings

ROME, DEC. 22, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Answered by Legionary of Christ Father Edward McNamara, professor of liturgy at the Regina Apostolorum university.

Q: What mysteries of the rosary should be said on Sundays of Advent, Christmastime/Epiphany, and Lent? The glorious are scheduled for it, but in the past (before the luminous), we changed the Sunday mysteries to sorrowful in Lent and Advent and joyful in Christmastime. And, of course, when one of the feasts should occur on any day, we changed to that set of mysteries. But now the glorious are said on one day only of the week if Sunday is changed. In the past, it was three days a week and two if Sunday was changed. -- M.C., Cork, Ireland

A: There are two principal official sources regarding this question: the 2001 Directory for Popular Piety issued by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments, and John Paul II's beautiful apostolic letter on the rosary published a year later.

The following text from the Directory illustrates the rosary's nature and the faithful's freedom with respect to the distribution of the mysteries:

"197. The Rosary, or Psalter of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is one of the most excellent prayers to the Mother of God. Thus, 'the Roman Pontiffs have repeatedly exhorted the faithful to the frequent recitation of this biblically inspired prayer which is centered on contemplation of the salvific events of Christ's life, and their close association with the his Virgin Mother. The value and efficacy of this prayer have often been attested by saintly Bishops and those advanced in holiness of life.'

"The Rosary is essentially a contemplative prayer, which requires 'tranquility of rhythm or even a mental lingering which encourages the faithful to meditate on the mysteries of the Lord's life.' Its use is expressly recommended in the formation and spiritual life of clerics and religious.

"199. With due regard for the nature of the rosary, some suggestions can now be made which could make it more proficuous.

"On certain occasions, the recitation of the Rosary could be made more solemn in tone 'by introducing those Scriptural passages corresponding with the various mysteries, some parts could be sung, roles could be distributed, and by solemnly opening and closing of prayer.'

"200. Those who recite a third of the Rosary sometimes assign the various mysteries to particular days. [Following John Paul II, these are now: joyful (Monday and Saturday), sorrowful (Tuesday and Friday), glorious (Wednesday and Sunday), luminous (Thursday).]

"Where this system is rigidly adhered to, conflict can arise between the content of the mysteries and that of the Liturgy of the day: the recitation of the sorrowful mysteries on Christmas day, should it fall on a Friday. In cases such as this it can be reckoned that 'the liturgical character of a given day takes precedence over the usual assignment of a mystery of the Rosary to a given day; the Rosary is such that, on particular days, it can appropriately substitute meditation on a mystery so as to harmonize this pious practice with the liturgical season.' Hence, the faithful act correctly when, for example, they contemplate the arrival of the three Kings on the Solemnity of the Epiphany, rather than the finding of Jesus in the Temple. Clearly, such substitutions can only take place after much careful thought, adherence to Sacred Scripture and liturgical propriety.

"201. The custom of making an insertion in the recitation of the Hail Mary, which is an ancient one that has not completely disappeared, has often been recommended by the Pastors of the Church since it encourages meditation and the concurrence of mind and lips.

"Insertions of this nature would appear particularly suitable for the repetitive and meditative character of the Rosary. It takes the form of a relative clause following the name of Jesus and refers to the mystery being contemplated. The meditation of the Rosary can be helped by the choice of a short clause of a Scriptural and Liturgical nature, fixed for every decade.

"'In recommending the value and beauty of the Rosary to the faithful, care should be taken to avoid discrediting other forms of prayer or of overlooking the existence of a diversity of other Marian chaplets which have also been approved by the Church.' It is also important to avoid inculcating a sense of guilt in those who do not habitually recite the Rosary: 'The Rosary is an excellent prayer, in regard to which, however, the faithful should feel free to recite it, in virtue of its inherent beauty.'"

In his apostolic letter John Paul II also acknowledged the faithful's freedom in adapting the mysteries to the seasons. With respect to Directory No. 201 above, he suggested that the insertion to the Hail Mary is best made after the name 'Jesus' (Rosarium Virginis Mariae, No. 33). This brief insertion should be inspired by the mysteries of Christ's life and is especially suitable for community recitation.

Given that the Church gives grants wide leeway to the faithful, our reader has many options if she desires to pray the glorious mysteries twice in one week. A simple solution would be to switch Tuesday and Sunday and pray the sorrowful mysteries on Sunday and the glorious on Tuesday.

I have misgivings, however, regarding the appropriateness of celebrating the sorrowful mysteries on a Sunday. The Lord's Day always celebrates the Resurrection, even during Lent and Advent. I believe that Sunday's essentially paschal character should be reflected through the glorious mysteries albeit allowing for possible exceptions such as Palm Sunday.

* * *

Follow-up: Christmas Vigil Masses; Options on Readings

A deacon from Toledo, Ohio, had a question related to the topic of Christmas readings (see Dec. 8). He asked: "Could you clarify why the lectionary omits the last part of the Archangel Gabriel's greeting to the Virgin Mary ('Blessed are you among women')? The Gospel according to Luke is very clear on the subject; as a matter of fact, both at the Annunciation and at the Visitation to her cousin Elizabeth we see that the archangel's last words and Elizabeth's first words of salutation are the same: 'Blessed are you among women.' I have seen different Bibles in Latin, Spanish, Italian and English, and they are identical. Who authorized a translation for a lectionary to be read at Masses which shortchanges our Blessed Mother's unique attribute?"

The reason why the lectionary omits the angel's greeting of "Blessed are you among women" is that, according to most modern scholars, the angel probably never said it.

Let me explain. St. Luke's original text is no longer available. All we have are copies from later centuries, even though some of these copies or fragments of the text get quite close to the time of the apostles. Many of these handwritten copies have slight variations among them, and scriptural scholars must decide which text is closer to the original.

The angel's greeting of "Blessed art thou among women" is one such text. For example, the Jerusalem Bible, one of the most authoritative Catholic Bibles, omits the clause but mentions in the footnotes that some ancient authorities include it.

How do the exegetes decide? They usually follow a set of practical rules such as the text's presence or absence in the oldest manuscripts, the number of its appearances, and if a plausible explanation for its inclusion can be found.

In the case of this clause, a plausible cause of its inclusion was that very early on, the angel's greeting was united to Elizabeth's as a popular prayer, a kind of proto-Hail Mary. This popular usage likely led some copyists, perhaps unconsciously, to add the text to the angel's greeting while copying new versions of the Gospel; and this amended copy was the base of still later copies.

Such a text was the Greek copy used by St. Jerome when he worked on the Vulgate, on which almost all Catholic Bibles were based until relatively recently. The Protestant King James version also used such a text. Thus we have the Latin for Luke 1:28: "et ingressus angelus ad eam dixit have gratia plena Dominus tecum benedicta tu in mulieribus." And we have the King James text: "And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women."

Modern scholars are now practically agreed on the original Greek text of the New Testament and hence usually omit this part of the angelic greeting. Thus the Catholic New Jerusalem Bible: "He went in and said to her, 'Rejoice, you who enjoy God's favour! The Lord is with you.'" And the Protestant Revised Standard: "And he came to her and said, 'Hail, O favored one, the Lord is with you!'"

The lectionaries, therefore, are not deliberately shortchanging the text but rather are following established scriptural versions.

Even if the angel did not say to Mary that she was blessed among women, the Holy Spirit said so through St. Elizabeth, and that more than justifies our greeting her every day with the same words.

Finally, in my previous column I reaffirmed my conviction that the Christmas Midnight Mass should be celebrated at midnight or as close to this time as possible. Recently it has been announced that the Holy Father has decided to celebrate it this year at 10 p.m.

While I stand by my reasoning insofar as I interpreted the rubrics, it would appear that the Holy Father, as supreme legislator in the Church, has allowed himself some flexibility.

This initiative might be for personal reasons such as his advanced age and has not been accompanied by any formal change in the norms. All the same, it would still appear that he considers a late-hour celebration as sufficient for the Midnight Mass, especially if the Mass ends after midnight as is almost certain in the case of St. Peter's Basilica.

* * *

Readers may send questions to liturgy@zenit.org. Please put the word "Liturgy" in the subject field. The text should include your initials, your city and your state, province or country. Father McNamara can only answer a small selection of the great number of questions that arrive.

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DOCUMENTS

Jerusalem Patriarch's Christmas Message

"Our Dreams for a Reconciled Holy Land Seem to Be Utopia"

JERUSALEM, DEC. 22, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Here is the text of the Christmas message from Archbishop Fouad Twal, the patriarch of Jerusalem. The text was published today.

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"Christmas approaches. Therefore I wish peace and Grace to all the inhabitants of this Holy Land: Palestinians and Israelis, Christians, Muslims, Jews and Druses. I extend these greetings to our faithful in Jordan and Cyprus who are also part of this diocese. The Birth of Christ offers several values to meditate upon: peace, hope, love, sharing, hospitality, compassion and human dignity."

First of all, I want to welcome you, all the journalists gathered here today, and thank you for the good but difficult work you perform. Through this work you have the opportunity to seek and serve the truth. Many journalists have paid and continue to pay a real cost to their lives due to their dedication to the truth. Information is not neutral. It has a real ethical dimension. Through informing the readers about what happens in the world, you help them to have an objective and ethical evaluation of the events themselves. Thank you and welcome.

Christmas approaches. Therefore I wish peace and Grace to all the inhabitants of this Holy Land: Palestinians and Israelis, Christians, Muslims, Jews and Druses. I extend these greetings to our faithful in Jordan and Cyprus who are also part of this diocese. The Birth of Christ offers several values to meditate upon: peace, hope, love, sharing, hospitality, compassion and human dignity.

1. Our dreams for a reconciled Holy Land seem to be utopia. Despite the praiseworthy efforts of politicians and men of good will to find a solution to the ongoing conflict, all of us, Palestinians and Israelis, have all failed in achieving peace. The reality contradicts our dreams. Here are some examples:

A. Palestinians still do not have their own State where they can live in peace and harmony with their Israeli neighbors; they still suffer from Occupation, difficult economical situation, destruction of houses in East Jerusalem and internal divisions, thousands of persons living in Jerusalem or Gaza or the Palestinian Territories are waiting for family reunion; one year after Gaza war, Gaza still suffers from economical siege, lack of freedom of movement and from the contamination of its sea and water, which endangers the health of 1.500.000 citizens among which 50% are under the age of 14.

B. The final status for Jerusalem is still under discussion. Many changes are taking place in the Holy City which may alter its vocation as a Universal city for three religions and two peoples, making it into an exclusive city. Indeed, Jerusalem is called to be a city of peaceful co-existence between its inhabitants. Unfortunately, the Al Aksa compound recently witnessed confrontations between Fundamentalists Jews who tried to invade Al Haram Al Sharif and the young Palestinians, who wanted to defend their Holy Place. The impact of these regrettable events should not be underestimated.

C. Israelis live under great fear which prohibits them from taking courageous decisions to end the conflict. The Separation Wall is a material manifestation of this fear. On another side, we had strongly hoped that the exchange of prisoners between Israelis and Palestinians would succeed and give hope to the Palestinians and Israelis. We feel frustrated by the delay.

2. Nevertheless, our hope is still alive. Hope is the "capacity to see God in the midst of trouble. It encourages us to change the reality in which we find ourselves. Hope means not giving in to evil, but rather standing up to it” (Kairos Palestine Document, 2009). In the Holy Land, everything is not desperate. There are a few signs of hope which are:

A. The partial freeze on the construction of settlements and the removal of over fifty checkpoints within the West Bank. This decision from the Israeli Military has markedly improved the freedom of movement for Palestinians and the economic situation. It is not enough, but, a step forward. We hope that other steps may soon follow. On the other hand, Palestinians are more and more expressing resistance in a non violent fashion. It is a positive sign pointing in the right direction.

B. The generosity of the international community: the financial support of the international community is a strong sign of hope. After the Gaza war, there came into being a chain of solidarity from governments, churches and individuals. We thank all the donors and promise to pray for them on Christmas.

C. The visit of the Holy Father in May 2009. Pope Benedict was well received in Jordan, Israel and Palestine. A great thanks to the governments of the three countries. He came here as pilgrim of peace and reconciliation. “No more bloodshed! No more fighting! No more terrorism! No more war! Instead let us break the vicious circle of violence.” We can add: “No more anti-Semitism, no more Islamophobia, no more fear and hatred”. With such words, the Holy Father addressed us during His visit. His different speeches, homilies, meetings and gestures aimed at promoting inter-religious and ecumenical dialogue, reconciliation and justice and at encouraging the Christian community to remain in the Holy Land and to take an active role in the life of the Country. We continue to gather fruit from his visit:

a. The massive arrival of pilgrims. Last October, according to the Israeli Ministry of Tourism, 330.000 pilgrims visited the Holy Land. The year 2009 will be equal to the year 2000, which was a record in the history of pilgrimages, with 2,700,000 pilgrims.

b. The construction of a new pediatric Hospital in Bethlehem named after Benedict XVI, mainly financed by the John Paul II Foundation and other church and civil institutions in Italy.

c. Madaba University in Jordan. Pope Benedict XVI blessed the cornerstone during his last visit. Such a project will represent our contribution in offering excellence in education as we try to do in Bethlehem University.

d. Construction of a housing project in Jerusalem for 72 young couples: Eastern Jerusalem suffers from a severe shortage in housing. Permits are given only with difficulty. Construction is expensive. This project should be a pilot for others.

e. The courageous decision of Benedict XVI to summon a Synod for the Middle East to take place in October 2010. This will give us the opportunity to focus again on the big challenges facing the Churches in the Middle East.

f. The beatification of sister Marie Alphonsine, foundress of the Rosary Sisters. This great event means that the faithful, with real pride and joy, find in her a model of heroic virtues and an intercessor. I want to highlight the fact that this sister was born in Jerusalem, some meters away from the Latin Patriarchate. She also served in different parishes of the Holy Land, including Jordan. She is a model to follow. We will celebrate her feast each 19th of November.

Conclusion. The best gift we seek, above money and wealth, is peace. It is the wish of all the inhabitants of this Land: Israelis and Palestinians alike. Peace is a gift of God for men of good will. We have to deserve it. We are sure that there are many men and women of good will among Israelis and Palestinians. We pray that one day, the beautiful vision of Isaiah will become a reality: "In days to come, the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be raised above the hills; all the nations shall stream to it (…) they shall beat their swords into plough-shares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more" (Is. 2: 2-5).

Happy Christmas and a blessed New Year to all of you.

+ Fouad Twal, Patriarch

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Benedict XVI's Letter to Cardinal Cordes

Praises Cardinal's Work With Youth, Movements, Caritas

VATICAN CITY, DEC. 22, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of a letter that Benedict XVI sent last week to Cardinal Josef Cordes, president of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum, which was included in a book written in the cardinal's honor.

The book, titled "Gott Is Treu" (God is Faithful), published by Sankt Ulrich Verlag, commemorates the cardinal's 75th birthday, which took place Sept. 5.

* * *

Your Eminence, Cardinal Cordes! Dear Friend!

In the volume of studies in your honor, on the occasion of your 75th birthday, I wanted to be present, at least with a word of thanks and benediction. I no longer remember when we first met. I had some idea of you through your articles in the journal “Communio” in the 1970s, when the review had just been founded.

What you wrote about was always connected with relevant, urgent and concrete issues of the present, but it was always marked by a consideration of the essential in such a way that it led the reader to the right answers, following the intimate logic of the thing itself. For about a year we were both part of the German bishops' conference, then you were called to Rome to be part of the Pontifical Council for the Laity. Shortly afterward, the Holy Father put me at the head of the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith, and then we both lived in the eternal city for more than a quarter century.

With courage and creativity at the beginning of your work in Rome, you opened up new roads to lead young people to Christ. Behind the houses of the Via della Conciliazione you found the old Church of San Lorenzo "in Piscibus," which then served as the atrium of a school -- an old sacred edifice that you helped to return to its pristine beauty, and which you made a center of meeting of young people with Christ.

You also made a contribution to the genesis and the growth of the World Youth Days. Especially characteristic of your pastoral involvement is and remains your commitment to the "movements": the charismatic movement, Communion and Liberation and the Neocatechumenal Way have many reasons to be grateful to you. While in the beginning the organizers and planners in the Church had many reservations in regard to the movements, you immediately sensed the life that burst forth from them -- the power of the Holy Spirit that gives new paths and in unpredictable ways keeps the Church young.

You recognized the pentecostal character of these movements and you worked passionately so that they would be welcomed by the Church's pastors. Certainly, with respect to organization and planning, there were often good reasons to be scandalized as they brought new and unforeseen elements that could not always be integrated easily into the existing organizational structures.

You saw that what is organic is more important than what is organized; you saw that here were men who were deeply touched by the spirit of God and that in such a way there grew new forms of authentic Christian life and authentic ways of being Church. Of course, these movements needed to be ordered and brought within the totality; they needed to learn to recognize their limits and to become part of the communitarian reality of the Church in her proper constitution together with the Pope and the bishops. Thus they need a guide and purification to be able to reach the form of their true maturity.

They, nevertheless, are gifts to be grateful for. It is no longer possible to think of the life of the Church of our time without including these gifts of God within it.

Finally, you became president of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum and you are therefore responsible for the charitable activity of the Church in the world. You welcomed this task with your usual energy and with eyes of faith looked to the essential and gave form to this work. Above all you are concerned that Caritas does not become a charitable organization like all the rest, that it does not become oriented toward the political, but that it always remains an expression of faith, which in its intrinsic dynamism must become love.

Vatican City -- Dec. 12, 2009

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Pope's Address to Finnish Ambassador

"Charity ... Transcends Justice in Human Relations"

VATICAN CITY, DEC. 22, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Here is the English-language address Benedict XVI delivered in writing upon receiving in audience Alpo Rusi, the new ambassador from Finland to the Holy See.

The Pope received the envoy Thursday, together with representatives from seven other nations, and addressed all eight with a separate discourse delivered in French.

* * *

Mr Ambassador,

I am pleased to welcome you to the Vatican and to accept the Letters accrediting you as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Finland to the Holy See. I thank you for your gracious words and for the greetings that you bring from your President, Her Excellency Ms Tarja Halonen. Please convey to her my own good wishes and assure her of my continuing prayers for the well-being and prosperity of all the citizens of your land.

For over sixty years, as you have observed, the Holy See has enjoyed cordial diplomatic relations with Finland, and indeed there are many common objectives in international affairs on which we can continue to work together. Your nation has shown a commitment to building up harmonious relations within Europe, particularly among the Member States of the European Union. Finland's border with Russia enables it to act as a bridge to that country, and its proximity to the Baltic States means that it is well placed to foster cooperation and mutual exchange between them and the Nordic lands. The Holy See is eager to lend support to initiatives that encourage fraternity between nations while recognizing that, of themselves, the technical aspects of cooperation and stable coexistence are not enough to create lasting friendship between peoples or to overcome every division. It depends, rather, on charity, a divine gift which both presupposes and transcends justice in human relations (cf. Caritas in Veritate, 19, 34). This is where the voice of the Church has an essential contribution to make to international affairs, as nations like your own have recognized, ever since diplomatic relations were established between us during the dark days of the Second World War.

For many years Finland has been at the forefront of international diplomatic activity in defense of peace and human rights. Indeed the very name of your capital, Helsinki, is associated with this worthy goal in the minds of countless people. Your nation has contributed actively to peace-keeping operations and has recently held with distinction the Presidency of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, an agency that owes its origin in 1975 to the Helsinki Final Act, another fruit of your country’s active presence on the international stage. In this connection, the Holy See particularly appreciates the initiatives that your Government has taken recently to strengthen its links with African nations. I spoke last October at the launch of the Second Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops about the great spiritual contribution that the peoples of that continent can make to a world which in so many ways is undergoing a crisis of faith and hope (cf. Homily, 4 October 2009). While on the one hand economic aid and technology transfer should be granted in justice to the African people, they, with their great vitality and love of life, have much to teach the rest of the world. In this context, your country’s commitment to development sets an example of how to "steer the globalization of humanity in relational terms, in terms of communion and the sharing of goods" (Caritas in Veritate, 42).

The Finns have a distinguished track record in humanitarian aid, and their support for peoples less fortunate than themselves is likewise manifested in the welcome extended to immigrants. This is an area where the Church is able to assist, since the harmonious integration of foreigners into their host countries is greatly facilitated if they can find a spiritual home there, and Catholic communities, especially when small in number, are always very conscious of their communion with fellow Catholics throughout the world. The happy occasion last September of the ordination of a native Finn as Catholic Bishop of Helsinki is a sign both of the ancient roots of the Finnish Catholic Church and of its growth in recent years. In this context, I am also pleased to note the increasing cooperation and dialogue between the different Christian communities in Finland. I thank Your Excellency for the greetings that you bring from the Lutheran and Orthodox Archbishops, and I ask you kindly to reciprocate. These signs of growing fraternity among the followers of Christ augur well for the development of mutual understanding and respect between newly arrived immigrants of various religions and their Finnish hosts.

A vital contribution that all religious groups can offer in your country, as elsewhere in Europe, is to draw attention to certain values that are in danger of being eroded through the process of secularization. I understand the pressures that governments face when presented with insistent demands from some quarters, in the name of tolerance, for acceptance of an ever wider range of viewpoints and lifestyles, but, as I have often pointed out, the virtue of tolerance is not served by the sacrifice of truth, particularly the truth concerning the dignity of the human person. I urge your Government to continue to take note of the ethical perspectives based upon the natural law indelibly inscribed in our common humanity -- those authentically human values to which you have just referred -- so that Finland’s long-standing esteem for the family and respect for life may shape its response to delicate social issues with long-term implications for the health of any human society.

In offering my best wishes for the success of your mission, I would like to assure you that the various departments of the Roman Curia are ready to provide help and support in the fulfillment of your duties. Upon Your Excellency and all the people of Finland I cordially invoke God's abundant blessings.

© Copyright 2009 -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana

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Papal Message to Envoy From Denmark

"Individuals and Communities Must Change Their Behavior"

VATICAN CITY, DEC. 22, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Here is the English-language address Benedict XVI delivered in writing upon receiving in audience Hans Klingenberg, the new ambassador from Denmark to the Holy See.

The Pope received the envoy Thursday, together with representatives from seven other nations, and addressed all eight with a separate discourse delivered in French.

* * *

Your Excellency,

It is with pleasure that I welcome you to the Vatican and accept the Letters of Credence by which you are appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Denmark to the Holy See. I thank you for the kind greetings which you bring from Her Majesty Queen Margrethe II, and I would ask you to convey to Her Majesty, to the Government, and to the people of your country my gratitude for their good wishes and the assurance of my prayers for the spiritual well-being of the nation.

The Church’s diplomatic relations form a part of her mission of service to the international community. This engagement with civil society is shaped by her conviction that in an increasingly globalized world, efforts to promote integral human development and a sustainable economic order must consider the fundamental relationship between God, creation and his creatures. Within this perspective, tendencies toward social fragmentation and piecemeal development initiatives can be overcome by the recognition of the unifying moral dimension constitutive of every human being, and the moral consequence pertaining to every economic decision (cf. Caritas in Veritate, 37). Indeed, contemporary skepticism in the face of political rhetoric, and a growing uneasiness with the lack of ethical points of reference governing technological advances and commercial markets all indicate the imperfections and limitations found within both individuals and society and the need for a rediscovery of fundamental values and a profound cultural renewal in harmony with God’s design for the world (cf. ibid., 21).

Your Excellency, the world’s attention is currently drawn towards Denmark as it hosts the United Nations summit on climate change. The political and diplomatic deliberations at play in addressing the demands of such a complex matter test the resolve of stakeholders to forgo nationalistic or short-term alleged advantages in favor of longer-term benefits for the entire international human family. While some consensus can undoubtedly be reached through the elaboration of shared aspirations matched with policies and targets, fundamental change in any form of human behavior -- individual or collective -- requires conversion of heart. Courage and sacrifice, fruits of an ethical awakening, enable us to envisage a better world and embolden us to pursue with hope all that is necessary to ensure that future generations are bequeathed the whole of creation in such a condition that they too can call it home. When the "moral tenor of society" (ibid., 51) declines, however, the challenges facing today’s leaders can only increase.

This urgent need to emphasize the moral duty to distinguish between good and evil in all human action in order to rediscover and nurture the bond of communion that unites the human person and creation was a central theme of my recent address to FAO. On that occasion the international community considered the pressing issue of food security. Again, I stated that, important as they may be, development plans, investments and legislation are not enough. Rather, individuals and communities must change their behavior and their perception of need. For States themselves this includes a redefining of the concepts and principles that have hitherto governed international relations to include the principle of altruism and the resolve to seek out new parameters -- ethical as well as juridical and economic -- capable of building relationships of greater fairness and balance between developing and developed countries (cf. Address to FAO, 16 November 2009).

Within this framework a holistic understanding of the health of society can emerge in which our duties toward the environment are never detached from our duties toward the human person and in which a moral critique of the cultural norms shaping human coexistence, with particular concern for the young, is considered central to the well-being of society. Too often efforts to promote an integral understanding of the environment have had to sit alongside a reductionist understanding of the person.

Typically the latter is lacking in respect for the spiritual dimension of individuals and at times is hostile toward the family, pitting spouses against each other through a distorted portrayal of the complementarity of men and women, and pitting mother and unborn child against each other through a misconstrued portrayal of "reproductive health". Responsibility in relationships, including the responsibility of careful parenting (cf. "Caritas in Veritate," 44; "Familiaris Consortio," 35), can never be truly nurtured without profound respect for the unity of family life according to the loving design of our Creator.

Denmark's assistance to humanitarian causes is widespread and multi-faceted. The Kingdom's commitment to supporting peace-keeping operations and development projects together with its growing commitment to the continent of Africa are readily recognized by the Holy See for their generosity and professionalism. Among the principles we share in regard to development is the conviction that any form of corruption is always an affront to the dignity of the human person and will always be a severe impediment to the just and equitable progress of peoples. Denmark’s domestic record in this regard is commendable and your foreign financial aid policies rightly insist upon accountability and transparency on the part of receiver nations.

Mr Ambassador, the members of the Catholic Church in your country will continue to pray and work for the spiritual, social and cultural development of all the Danish people. In ecumenical fellowship with other Christians they are attentive to the needs of the migrant communities present in your land as well as other groups that are vulnerable in various ways. Additionally the Church’s schools, pupils from which I regularly welcome to my weekly General Audience, serve the nation as they seek to bear witness to the love and truth of Christ.

Your Excellency, during your term as Denmark’s representative to the Holy See the various departments of the Roman Curia will do all they can to assist you in the discharge of your duties. I offer my best wishes for the success of your endeavors to strengthen the cordial relations already existing between us. Upon you, your family and all your fellow citizens I invoke the abundant blessings of Almighty God.

© Copyright 2009 -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana

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2009-12-21T15:30:00.000-08:00

ZENIT

The World Seen From Rome

Daily dispatch - December 21, 2009

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VATICAN DOSSIER

2009 Unfolded With an Africa Theme, Says Pope
Holy Father Recalls Yad Vashem Visit
Benedict XVI: All Rights Reserved

WORLD FEATURES

Cancer Survivor Grateful to Blessed Mary MacKillop
Hebrew-Speaking Catholics Affirm Pius XII's Virtues
Bishop Olmsted: Church Has Role in the University
Spanish Journalist "Lolo" to Be Beatified
Excavation Uncovers Nazareth Home from Jesus' Time

NEWS BRIEFS

Pontifical Mission for Palestine Marks 60 Years
Archbishop Schnurr Leads Cincinnati Diocese

WITHIN THE COLONNADE

John Paul II's Holiness Was "Unmistakable"

WORDS MADE FLESH

Emmanuel, the Prayer and the Promise

DOCUMENTS

Israel's Hebrew-Speaking Catholics on Pius XII

CLASSIFIED ADS

CD Series from Ipf Publications Teaches Foundations of Dynamic Prayer and Guides Listeners to Personal Relationship with God
New Biblical Studies Solve Important Gospel Contradictions
Seeking the Divine Spark: A Satire in the Style of Evelyn Waugh

VATICAN DOSSIER

2009 Unfolded With an Africa Theme, Says Pope

Stresses Need for Reconciliation on All Levels

VATICAN CITY, DEC. 21, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI, while highlighting key events of this year, noted that 2009 has "passed largely under the sign of Africa."

The Pope affirmed this today when he had his traditional exchange of Christmas greetings with prelates and members of the Roman Curia. In this annual address, the Holy Father highlights key events of the year.

This year he spoke about his apostolic trip to Cameroon and Angola, which took place March 17-23, as well as the Synod of Bishops for Africa, held Oct. 4-25 in Rome.

The visit to Africa, the Pontiff said, was "moving," as he experienced a reception of "great warmth," "festive joy and cordial affection."

He noted that he was "particularly impressed" by the liturgical celebrations he witnessed in those countries.

"The celebrations of the Holy Eucharist were authentic feasts of faith," Benedict XVI affirmed.

He described two "particularly important elements" that he observed: "First of all, there was the great joy that was shared, which was experienced even through the body, but in a disciplined way that was oriented towards the presence of the living God.

"And that in itself already indicated the second element: the sense of sacredness -- the mystery of the living God that was present shaped, so to speak, each single gesture. The Lord is present -- the Creator, he to whom we all belong, from which we all came, and towards whom are all journeying."

Ecclesiology

The Pope next spoke about the synod, which followed a few months after his visit to Africa, and the experience of collegiality among the prelates at that event.

It was "touching" to hear the testimonies from the faithful of that continent, he said, "stories of suffering as well as of concrete reconciliations in the tragedies that have marked the continent's recent history."

The bishops had the task to "transform theology into pastoral activity," the Pontiff noted, to apply Scripture and tradition to "a specific time and place."

He added, however, that "we must not fall into the temptation of taking politics in hand, and turn ourselves from pastors into political leaders."

The synod, the Holy Father said, "sought to examine deeply the concept of reconciliation as a task for the Church today, calling attention to its various dimensions."

He continued: "Part of reconciliation is the capacity to recognize one's fault and to ask forgiveness -- from God, and from one's neighbor.

"Likewise, part of reconciliation is the readiness to do penitence, the readiness to suffer to the utmost for one's fault and to allow oneself to be transformed."

"If reconciliation is not in the heart," Benedict XVI said, "then the political commitment to peace lacks its interior prerequisite."

He recalled that in the synod, "the pastors of the Church committed themselves to that interior purification of man that constitutes the essential preliminary condition to build justice and peace."

The Pope reminded his listeners that "such a purification and interior maturation towards true humanity cannot take place without God."

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Holy Father Recalls Yad Vashem Visit

Calls Experience "Overwhelming"

VATICAN CITY, DEC. 21, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI is describing his visit in May to Israel's Yad Vashem memorial as an "overwhelming" encounter with hatred.

The Pope stated this today in a traditional meeting with the Roman Curia and other officials for the exchange of Christmas greetings. In his address, the Holy Father recalled some of the major events of 2009, including his visit to Jordan and the Holy Land.

The Pontiff made a special mention of his closeness to the people of Israel, the victims of Nazi cruelty, and his visit to the memorial where he placed a wreath in honor of the dead and met with survivors of the Holocaust.

The visit to Yad Vashem was an "overwhelming encounter with the cruelty of human sin and the hatred of a blind ideology that, without justification, sent millions of human beings to their death," he said.

In this, the Holy Father continued, there was an attempt "to chase God himself from the world, the God of Abraham, of Isaac and of Jacob, and the God of Jesus Christ."

"Thus," he said, "Yad Vashem is first of all a commemorative monument against hatred, a heartfelt call for purification and forgiveness, a plea for love."

Benedict XVI added, "This very monument against human sin lent greater significance to my visits to the places of the faith and made their unaltered relevance today even more perceptible."

He thanked the king of Jordan for working in an "exemplary manner" for the peaceful coexistence between Christians and Muslims.

The Pope expressed gratitude toward the Israeli authorities for their work "to ensure my visit could take place peacefully and securely."

He also thanked the Palestinian Authority for the opportunity to celebrate a public liturgy in Bethlehem, and to observe the "suffering and the hopes present in their territory."

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Benedict XVI: All Rights Reserved

Declaration Made on Use of Pope's Name

VATICAN CITY, DEC. 21, 2009 (Zenit.org).- If a university or foundation wants to name itself after Benedict XVI, they are going to have to check with the Vatican first.

An announcement made Saturday by the Vatican press office declared that that "the use of anything referring directly to the person or office of the Supreme Pontiff -- his name, his picture or his coat of arms -- and/or the use of the title 'Pontifical,' must receive previous and express authorization from the Holy See."

The communiqué noted that in the past years, there has been a "great increase of affection and esteem for the person of the Holy Father," as well as a "desire to use the Pope's name in the title of universities, schools or cultural institutions, as well as associations, foundations and other groups."

"Occasionally," the note explained, "attempts have been made to attribute credibility and authority to initiatives by using ecclesiastical or papal symbols and logos," or "for ends and activities which have little or nothing to do with the Catholic Church."

The Holy See affirmed that it "alone has the right to ensure the respect due to the Successors of Peter," as well as the corresponding right "to protect the figure and personal identity of the Pope from the unauthorized use of his name and/or the papal coat of arms."

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WORLD FEATURES

Cancer Survivor Grateful to Blessed Mary MacKillop

Nun and Founder to Be Australia's 1st Saint

SYDNEY, Australia, DEC. 21, 2009 (Zenit.org).- The woman whose cure from inoperable lung cancer has been decreed by the Church as a true miracle of Blessed Mary MacKillop, hopes the nun's canonization will be a source of inspiration.

The woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, was quoted in a statement released over the weekend by the Sisters of St. Joseph, after the Vatican announced that Benedict XVI approved the decree attesting to the veracity of the miracle.

The decree paves the way for Mother Mary MacKillop's canonization, which will make her Australia's first saint.

"This is wonderful news," the woman stated. "I feel personally humbled and grateful to Mary MacKillop and the influence she has had on my life."

"It is a day to celebrate and reflect on Mary's life, the work she did and the love she has shown to so many of us ordinary people around the world," she continued. "Mary MacKillop has always provided me with hope and inspiration, particularly during the most difficult times in my life.

"I hope this news today provides others, especially younger Australians, with inspiration and encouragement to live as generously and compassionately as Mary did."

On Saturday, Benedict XVI approved a total of 21 decrees of the Congregation for Saints' Causes, five of which were decrees that attributed miracles to those the Church had already pronounced blessed. Among those was Mother Mary MacKillop.

Other decrees included those attesting to the heroic virtue of two Popes, Pius XII and John Paul II.

Hero

The Sisters of St. Joseph of the Sacred Heart, the congregation founded by Mary MacKillop, reacted with joy.

"This is a special time not only for the sisters but also for Australia and the universal Church," Sister Anne Derwin, Congregational Leader said in a statement.

"Mary has been acknowledged as not only truly saintly but also one of Australia's true heroes," she continued. "Mary was a woman ahead of her time; she was bold and tenacious and let nothing stand in the way of her care for others.

"Her strength, humor and egalitarian vision have important relevance in today's busy and complex times."

"The universal recognition of Mary’s holiness for the Church and the whole world will inspire future generations both in Australia and throughout the world," added Sister Anne.

Mary MacKillop, born in Victoria in 1842, to Scottish parents. She founded the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Sacred Heart in 1866, at the age of 25.

The congregation established schools and charitable organizations across Australia, especially in the country's outback. The sisters cared for orphans, neglected children, the homeless, the sick and the elderly.

Mother MacKillop's efforts to found her congregation met with some resistance from the hierarchy in Australia. At one point she was excommunicated by a bishop, only to have the sentence removed five months later.

She died in 1909. Since then the congregation she founded has grown and now numbers about 1,200, working mainly in Australia and New Zealand, but also scattered singly or in small groups around the world.

An early Christmas

On Sunday, Cardinal George Pell, the archbishop of Sydney, called the announcement "a welcome Christmas present."

He noted that Australians, who are used to called her Blessed Mary MacKillop, will now have to get used to calling her St. Mary MacKillop: "It is a change Australians will be very happy to make."

Cardinal Pell reflected that it isn't "easy to become a saint," adding that "saints often answer the challenges of the time and promote religious renewal."

"In Mary's case, she brought education and religious instruction to many poor youngsters, especially in the bush," he said.

"Mary MacKillop stands at the heart of the Catholic tradition," the archbishop of Sydney affirmed. "She was unusual in her faith and prayer, her ability to inspire others to join her -- so lacking today -- her ability to forgive and her loyalty to her fellow sisters and the Church leadership, which did not always treat her well."

Cardinal Pell noted that Mother MacKillop "suffered much and was treated very badly on occasions. She was often sick, regularly short of money, excommunicated by one bishop and expelled from Adelaide by another."

"She prayed and persevered, never lapsed into bitterness, and regularly spoke well of her opponents," the cardinal continued. "God blessed her in her troubles and her work prospered."

"By the time of her death in 1909, she had established 109 houses, staffed by 650 sisters teaching 12,400 pupils in 117 schools across Australia and New Zealand."

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Hebrew-Speaking Catholics Affirm Pius XII's Virtues

Say Only God Can Know if He Did Enough to Save Jews

JERUSALEM, DEC. 21, 2009 (Zenit.org).- While the Hebrew-speaking Catholics of Israel acknowledge that it may never be "humanly possible" to determine if Pope Pius XII did "enough" to save Jews during the Holocaust, they are affirming the wartime Pontiff's many virtues.

The Hebrew-Speaking Catholic Vicariate in Israel (www.catholic.co.il) issued a statement today that lent its support to Benedict XVI's move Saturday to approve a decree that testifies to the heroic virtues of Pius XII, a gesture that puts the Pontiff one step away from beatification.

For Pius XII to be declared Blessed by the Church, a decree testifying to a miracle attributed to his intercession must be approved.

The note, signed by the community's vicar, Jesuit Father David Neuhaus, and priests of the vicariate, laments that the move has led to another "storm in the relations between Jews and Catholics."

Ronald Lauder, president of the World Jewish Congress, said in a statement over the weekend that "there are strong concerns about Pope Pius XII's political role during World War II which should not be ignored."

He urged the Vatican to open its archives that concern the wartime years of 1939-1945, and added that until that happens, a "beatification is inopportune and premature."

The statement from Israel's Hebrew-speaking Catholic community, however, notes Pius XII's many accomplishments, including his efforts to promote scientific Biblical research, which "brings together Jews and Christians and influences greatly the definition of the shared Jewish -- Christian Biblical heritage."

"The Pope, who served from 1939 to 1958, was active in many different fields and he left his mark on the Church in the 20th century," the statement affirms. "Catholics remember him and honor his memory in a Church context much wider than just the black years of the Second World War."

Accusations

Regarding those who criticize how Pius XII steered the Church during World War II, the note says they "reject the defamation of Pius XII" and accusations of his "cowardice and even anti-Semitism and collaboration with the Nazi enemy. These accusations are absolutely without foundation.

"Likewise, we reject the interpretations that see any honoring of Pius XII as a minimizing of the importance of the Shoah or as a retreat from the breathtaking progress in the relations between Jews and Catholics in the past decades."

Having said that, the community notes that it does "understand the discomfort of many of our Jewish brothers and sisters who argue that the Pope 'did not do enough' in saving Jews in the hour of their sufferings during the Shoah."

"We understand the cry 'he did not do enough' as a cry of deep pain coming from the sense of betrayal among the Jewish people at the time of their trial," the statement explains. "The world indeed did not do enough as it is an undeniable fact that six million members of the Jewish people were murdered.

"Ultimately, there can be no 'enough' in the attempt to confront a tragedy of the dimensions of the Shoah!"

"Could the Pope have done more?" the note asks. "The question is both legitimate and understandable, however, perhaps there is no human answer to this question.

"Only God can know whether he indeed did everything that he could do."

Father Neuhaus and the other priests of the vicariate, however, acknowledge a large body of historical research that documents Pius XII's diplomatic efforts to end World War II, and his instructions to churches and monasteries to aid Jews fleeing persecution, even to the point of providing them with false documents and smuggling them out of Nazi-controlled areas.

"We continue to pray," the note concludes, "that both in the Church and in the Jewish people we will continue in searching together for the historical truth so that we can educate our children in mutual respect and brotherhood, and that we continue our efforts to collaborate for 'the mending of the world' (tikkun olam)."

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Bishop Olmsted: Church Has Role in the University

Phoenix Prelate Underlines Task of Evangelization, Serving Truth

PHOENIX, Arizona, DEC. 21, 2009 (Zenit.org).- The bishop of the Phoenix Diocese is affirming that the Church has a necessary role in the university, which is primarily that of evangelization.

Bishop Thomas Olmsted stated this in a pastoral letter, "Serving Truth in the University," which was released to the public Dec. 12.

In the letter, he discussed a plan for Catholic ministry, especially through the Newman Centers, at two universities in his diocese, Arizona State University and Northern Arizona University.

"A Newman Center takes up the task of promoting the vital interaction between faith and reason, the two harmonious ways to the truth, which is always one," the bishop wrote.

He continued: "This interaction fosters not only a greater love for truth itself, but becomes a vibrant witness to the goodness and beauty of human life.

"The discovery of truth through faith and reason has the power to draw students into a new life characterized by all that is beautiful, good, and true."

The prelate expressed concern over the "substantial distortions of truth" that can hinder university students from discovering and serving the truth.

In our "postmodern university communities," he noted, "materialism, relativism, secular humanism, sexual promiscuity, drug and alcohol abuse" are "pervasive."

True freedom

"These gravely limit true freedom or even disable young persons' capacity for truth and love," Bishop Olmsted affirmed.

Thus, he said, the Church has a mission of evangelization in the university setting, especially through the Newman Center. He listed three components of this evangelization: visible witness, proclamation and conversion, and ongoing conversion and sacramental life.

"In the university environment," the prelate said, "the Newman Center provides this visible witness primarily through the sacred liturgy, through which Christ's unchanging beauty radiates."

As well, he added, this witness comes through "promoting the inalienable dignity of the human person at all stages of life, a commitment to marriage and to social justice, and the integration of knowledge, especially through the authentic interaction between faith and reason."

The bishop called on the Newman Centers to guide students "to the font of grace that is the Eucharist."

"The Blessed Sacrament, which is Jesus Christ himself, is the goal toward which all campus evangelization is directed, as well as the source from which campus evangelization receives its efficacy and strength," he affirmed.

Bishop Olmsted also underlined the importance of encouraging frequent confession, "to ensure that students have ample opportunity to be reconciled to God and the Church."

Marriage

He stressed the role of the Newman Center in preparing students for the sacrament of marriage.

The prelate affirmed: "While remote preparation begins in the womb and is primarily taught by parents in the family, the years of university study are to be a time of reinforcement and maturation, where the sacrament of marriage is honored and discerned.

"It is in this stage of formation that pastoral guidance should help to equip those discerning marriage to engage in honorable courtship."

"A Newman Center must provide a faithful and courageous education in chastity," he said. "Indeed chastity is not a mortification of love as some suppose, but rather a condition and impetus for authentic love."

As well, the prelate pointed out, "it is particularly the work of priests serving at Newman Centers to ensure that the students understand basic principles of prayer and discernment that will enable persons to better know and respond to God's will for them."

Bishop Olmsted underlined the need for collaboration between the university ministry and the diocese.

"This collaboration will help young people remain closely connected to the life of the Church especially in the transition to and from university life," he affirmed.

Bishop Olmsted concluded, "It continues to be a privilege and joy to work in close conjunction with our university communities."

"These indeed are vast oceans of life, creativity and thought," he said, "which have been and must continue to be waters teeming with faith and charity."

--- --- ---

On the Net:

Full text: http://www.catholicsun.org/2009/december/15/serving-truth-pastoral.html

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Spanish Journalist "Lolo" to Be Beatified

Pope Acknowledges Miraculous Healing

By Jesús Colina

VATICAN CITY, DEC. 21, 2009 (Zenit.org).- After Benedict XVI's approval of a decree recognizing a miracle attributed to the intercession of a Spanish journalist known as "Lolo," the way to his beatification is opened.

The Pope authorized the recognition regarding Manuel Lozano Garrido on Saturday morning in an audience with Archbishop Angelo Amato, prefect of the Congregation for Saints' Causes.

The miracle involved the "scientifically inexplicable" cure of Rogelio de Haro Sagra, who was healed of multiple organ failure from Gram-negative sepsis in 1972, when he was two years old.

Lolo was born in Linares, Spain, on August 9, 1920, and died in the same city on November 3, 1971.

He joined Catholic Action as an adolescent and, during the Spanish Civil War, secretly brought Communion to prisoners until he himself was arrested.

As a journalist, Lolo wrote for the daily "Ya," the reviews "Telva" and "Vida Nueva" and the Associated Press.

In 1942 he began to suffer from spondylitis, which deformed his body and left him an invalid in just a year. In 1962 the journalist lost his sight.

Despite the illness, he received professional recognitions, such as the prestigious Bravo journalism award.

In 1956 Lolo founded Sinai, a magazine for sick people. He also authored nine books, which he dictated to his sister Lucía and his friends.

Last Thursday the journalist's remains were transferred to a grotto of the Blessed Virgin in the monastery of the Discalced Carmelites in Linares, in the presence of the bishop of the Jaen Diocese, Bishop Ramón del Hoyo López, Lolo's two sisters, Lucía and Expectación, and numerous friends.

"The child -- now a man -- who 'loaned' his grave illness to God so that his power would shine through the intercession of Lolo, was also there," explained Father Rafael Higueras Álamo, who accompanied Lolo at the moment of death and is the postulator of the cause of his beatification.

The data of Lolo's beatification has not yet been revealed.

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Excavation Uncovers Nazareth Home from Jesus' Time

Provides Unprecedented Window into Ancient Lifestyles

NAZARETH, DEC. 21, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Excavations in Nazareth have uncovered an unprecedented discovery: the remains of a family home from Jesus' time.

A press release from the Israel Antiquities Authority announced today that this finding "is of the utmost importance since it reveals for the very first time a house from the Jewish village of Nazareth and thereby sheds light on the way of life at the time of Jesus."

This discovery is giving archaeologists new information about the way of life in Nazareth during Jesus' time.

Yardenna Alexandre, the authority's excavation director, explained: "The building that we found is small and modest and it is most likely typical of the dwellings in Nazareth in that period.

"From the few written sources that there are, we know that in the first century Nazareth was a small Jewish village, located inside a valley. Until now a number of tombs from the time of Jesus were found in Nazareth; however, no settlement remains have been discovered that are attributed to this period."

The discovery was made during excavations linked to the construction of the International Marian Center of Nazareth, which is being carried out by the Association Mary of Nazareth.

The center is being built next to the Church of the Annunciation, which tradition holds as the site where Mary, the mother of Jesus, lived.

The press release reported that the ancient building that was uncovered had two rooms and a courtyard with a rock-hewn cistern for collecting rainwater.

A few artifacts were found, including pottery fragments from the first and second centuries. As well, some pieces of chalk vessels were discovered, which were used by Jews because the "vessels were not susceptible to becoming ritually unclean," the authority explained.

Another pit with a hidden entrance was found, which was "probably hewn as part of the preparations by the Jews to protect themselves during the Great Revolt against the Romans in 67," Alexandre noted.

The Association Mary of Nazareth announced its plans to conserve the archeological remains inside its new center.

The center, which is scheduled to be completed next year, will be run by the Chemin Neuf Community, a Catholic organization with an ecumenical mission that is active in 25 countries. It aims to offer multimedia educational tools to teach about Nazareth and its role in the Christian faith.

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NEWS BRIEFS

Pontifical Mission for Palestine Marks 60 Years

JERUSALEM, DEC. 21, 2009 (Zenit.org).- The Pontifical Mission for Palestine, a Papal agency for Middle East relief and development, celebrated its 60th anniversary this year.

This Holy See agency was founded in 1949 as a "temporary" solution to help Palestinian refugees until their situation could be resolved.

The anniversary celebration was held last month in the Notre Dame of Jerusalem Center.

Archbishop Antonio Franco, apostolic nuncio to Israel, presided over a Mass for the occasion, which was concelebrated by Archbishop Elias Chacour of Akka, Bishop Giacinto-Boulos Marcuzzo, auxiliary of Jerusalem, Monsignor William Shomali, chancellor of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, and other priests.

At the reception following Mass, the newly appointed regional director of the mission, Sami El-Yousef, spoke about the four-fold focus of the agency: humanitarian assistance, pastoral support, interfaith communication and public awareness.

He presented a new logo for the organization that aims to emphasize the partnership between the Holy See and the Palestinian people in building their society.

In present day, the mission also serves the people of Israel, the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon and Syria.

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Archbishop Schnurr Leads Cincinnati Diocese

Pope Names Bishops in Canada and Kenya

CINCINNATI, Ohio, DEC. 21, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI accepted the resignation of Archbishop Daniel Pilarczyk of Cincinnati, upon having reached the age limit. Coadjutor Archbishop Dennis Schnurr will assume leadership of the archdiocese.

Archbishop Pilarczyk, who turned 75 in August, has been the archbishop of Cincinnati for 27 years.

A native of Dayton, Ohio, Daniel Pilarczyk was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati in 1959, and named auxiliary bishop of the same diocese in 1974.

In 1982, he was named the archbishop of Cincinnati. He served as president of the U.S. episcopal conference from 1989 to 1992.

Archbishop Dennis Schnurr, 61, is a native of Sheldon, Iowa. He studied to be a canon lawyer in Rome, and was ordained in 1974 as a priest of the Diocese of Sioux City, Iowa.

Father Schnurr served as the national executive director of the 1993 World Youth Day in Denver, and from 1995-2001 served as general secretary of the U.S. bishops' conference.

He was appointed bishop of Duluth in 2001, and named the coadjutor archbishop of Cincinnati in 2008.

The Archdiocese of Cincinnati is the 26th largest diocese in the United States, with almost 500,000 Catholics and 220 parishes.

Saskatoon

The Pontiff named Monsigner Donald Bolen, 48, vicar general of the Archdiocese of Regina, Canada, as bishop of Saskatoon. Both dioceses are located in the Canadian territory Saskatchewan.

Donald Bolen was born in Gravelbourg, Saskatchewan, in 1961 and ordained a priest in 1991.

The Diocese of Saskatoon covers an area of 17,304 square miles, with a population of 292,000. The diocese is composed of 88,900 Catholics, 88 priests, 3 permanent deacons, and 225 religious.

Nakuru

On Saturday, Benedict XVI named Father Maurice Muhatia Makumba, 41, of the clergy of the Diocese of Kakamega, Kenya, and rector and professor of the major national seminary of St. Thomas Aquinas in Nairobi, as bishop of the Diocese of Nakuru.

Maurice Muhatia Makumba was born in Lirhanda, Kenya, in 1968 and ordained a priest in 1994.

The Diocese of Nakuru covers an area of 7,010 square miles, and has a population of 1,571,097, of which some 224,653 are Catholics. The diocese counts on 134 priests and 202 religious.

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WITHIN THE COLONNADE

John Paul II's Holiness Was "Unmistakable"

Supreme Knight Carl Anderson Reflects on Pontiff

NEW HAVEN, Connecticut, DEC. 21, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Pope John Paul II's holiness was apparent to anyone who met him, or even read his writings, says the supreme knight of the Knights of Columbus.

Carl Anderson, who met several times with the Pontiff, spoke with ZENIT of the Holy Father's cause for canonization, which advanced one step closer to beatification this weekend.

On Saturday, Benedict XVI approved a decree testifying to John Paul II's heroic virtue. To qualify for beatification, John Paul II, who died in 2005, needs a miracle attributed to his intercession.

ZENIT: Benedict XVI has approved the heroic virtues of Pope John Paul II, and there is talk that the former Pope could be beatified as early as next October. How exceptional is it for a figure to pass so quickly through the process of canonization?

Anderson: It is certainly exceptional for someone's cause to move this quickly, but it is not unprecedented in truly extraordinary cases. Mother Teresa's cause also moved forward very quickly. I think the key with both John Paul II and Mother Teresa was this: Both were known throughout and universally acclaimed for their holiness.

We should not forget the cries of "santo subito" that rang out at John Paul's canonization.

As for John Paul's beatification, I wouldn't want to speculate on the timing of his beatification. Such an event will only come after a process, a careful process, that takes time, but certainly things have been moving forward as quickly as is prudent.

ZENIT: You knew John Paul II personally. What most impressed you about the late Pontiff?

Anderson: Pope John Paul was unforgettable on many levels. It was unmistakable that he was a very holy man, that he loved Christ immensely and that he was Christ's vicar on earth -- a role he took very seriously.

If his holiness was unmistakable, so too was his human side. He had a great sense of humor, and a very bright mind. Anyone who has read John Paul's writing knows just how brilliant he was and just how important his faith was.

Meeting him, I found a man consistent with his writing. A man with a deep concern and compassion for humanity, for his fellow man, for the future. He was a man every bit as remarkable in person as he was in his thought and writing, and that was almost immediately apparent when spending time with him.

ZENIT: Many have analyzed the pontificate of John Paul II, and its impact on the Church and the world. But the process of canonization has to do with the late Pontiff's personal holiness. In what ways can you attest to John Paul II's personal holiness?

Anderson: I think that John Paul's impact on the Church and the world was a direct result of his holiness. He understood that faith was something that needed to be preached, something that needed to be presented to people in order to create a just society in which the dignity of all people -- born and unborn, young and old, rich and poor -- was taken seriously and protected. He brought his faith to bear on the world, with remarkable results.

He also led by example. John Paul had a deep prayer life, and a real relationship with Christ. His love for God and neighbor is obvious from any page of his writing one might read.

During the last years of his life, and indeed, beginning with the assassination attempt in 1981, he was a man who was often in physical pain, but he witnessed to love and hope in spite of the pain. He continued to say Mass, to meet people, to preach, no matter how sick he was, and when he was too sick to be seen in public, he showed the world how beautifully one can die, when one is prepared to meet God as a good and faithful servant.

ZENIT: It's been said that the late Pontiff performed hundreds of miracles. Is this true?

Anderson: As the sainthood process continues, the Congregation for the Causes of Saints will certainly, review the evidence, and if a miracle has occurred, they will certify it. And I think few people will be surprised if we learn that John Paul is still looking out for us from heaven.

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WORDS MADE FLESH

Emmanuel, the Prayer and the Promise

Biblical Reflection for Vigil Mass for Christmas Eve Year C

By Father Thomas Rosica, CSB

TORONTO, DEC. 21, 2009 (Zenit.org).- The Gospel for the liturgy of Christmas Eve, taken from Matthew's infancy narrative (1:1-25), provides a wide-angle view of the Incarnation event, against a rich, biblical panorama.

More than Mark and Luke, Matthew stresses the Jewish origin of Jesus: The genealogy presents him as "son of David, son of Abraham" (1:1) and goes back no further. Matthew is concerned with 14 generations, probably because 14 is the numerical value of the Hebrew letters forming the name of David.

Of the two genealogies of Jesus in the New Testament -- found in Matthew and Luke -- that of Matthew's Gospel is presented in a descending order, listing the ancestors of Jesus, son of Mary, beginning from Abraham.

The one found in Luke's Gospel (3:23-38), is in ascending order, beginning with Jesus and going back to Adam.

While Luke's genealogy links Jesus with the whole of humanity, Matthew's genealogy makes evident the fact that he was of the offspring of Abraham. It is as a son of Israel -- God's Chosen People in the old covenant, to which he directly belongs -- that Jesus of Nazareth is fully a member of the human family.

While the genealogy shows the continuity of God's providential plan from Abraham on, discontinuity is also present. The women Tamar (1:3), Rahab and Ruth (1:5), and the wife of Uriah, Bathsheba (1:6), bore their sons through unions that were in varying degrees strange and unexpected.

These "irregularities" culminate in the great "irregularity" of the Messiah's birth of a young virgin. Matthew has taken care to draw our attention to the peculiarities of these biblical women of the Old Testament, perhaps in order to warn us that something even stranger is coming, or perhaps to enable us, when the news is announced, to connect it with God's strange way of operating in the past. Our God certainly writes straight with crooked lines, and this genealogy is living proof of that fact!

Prophecies fulfilled

Matthew's Gospel is about the scriptures being fulfilled in Jesus. The angel, the dream, the command not to be afraid, the righteous couple doing what they are told -- all is very familiar to anyone reading and listening to the story with biblical lenses.

Matthew tells us that Jesus' birth in human history fulfills at least three biblical themes. He brings Israel into the Promised Land; "Jesus" is the Greek for "Joshua." As Emmanuel, he embodies God's presence with his people (Isaiah 7:14, quoted in 1:23). As the new David, he is the Messiah born at Bethlehem (2:5, fulfilling Micah 5:1-3).

In the genealogy, Jesus is the culmination point toward which Israel's long covenant history has been leading, particularly its puzzling and tragic latter phase. Matthew agrees with his Jewish contemporaries that the exile was the last significant event before Jesus; when the angel says that Jesus will "save his people from their sins" (1:21), liberation from exile is in view.

Jesus, David's true descendant, will fulfill the covenant of Abraham by undoing the exile and all that it entailed.

Drawing upon both biblical tradition and Jewish stories, Matthew portrays Jesus as reliving the Exodus experience of Israel and the persecutions of Moses. His rejection by his own people and his passion are foreshadowed by the troubled reaction of "all Jerusalem" to the question of the magi who are seeking the "newborn king of the Jews" (2:2-3), and by Herod's attempt to have him killed.

The magi who do him homage prefigure the Gentiles who will accept the preaching of the Gospel. The infancy narrative proclaims who Jesus is, the savior of his people from their sins (1:21), Emmanuel -- "God is with us" (1:23), and the Son of God (2:15).

Jesus' mission during his public life is limited "to the lost sheep of the house of Israel" (15:24), and he assigns the same limits to the mission of the Twelve (10:5-6). More than the other evangelists, Matthew takes great care to note that events in Jesus' life happened "so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled" (2:23).

Jesus himself makes it clear that he has come not to abolish the Law, but to fulfill it (5:17). This extraordinary history and story, guided from the very beginning by the powerful hand of the God of the covenant, finds its fulfillment in Jesus, "who is called Christ" (1:16).

The term "Christ" is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew word "Messiah," which means "Anointed." Israel, God's chosen people, had lived for generations in expectation of the fulfillment of the promise of the Messiah, whose coming was prepared by the history of the covenant.

Joseph's perspective

Matthew's story is told from Joseph's point of view, while the more familiar account from Luke is told from the perspective of Mary. Joseph, a righteous man, is presented as a devout observer of the Mosaic law (1:19). His betrothal to Mary was the first part of the marriage, constituting a man and woman as husband and wife. Subsequent infidelity was considered adultery. Some months after the betrothal, the husband would take his wife into his home, at which time normal married life began.

The virginal conception of Jesus is the work of the Spirit of God. Matthew sees the virginal conception as the fulfillment of Isaiah 7:14. Joseph's decision to divorce Mary is overcome by the heavenly command that he take her into his home and accept the child as his own. The natural genealogical line is broken, but the promises to David are fulfilled; through Joseph's adoption the child belongs to the family of David.

Given the circumstances, Joseph wished to break his union with someone whom he suspected of egregious violation of the law. It is commonly said that the law required him to do so, but the texts are usually given in support of that view, (e.g., Deuteronomy 22:20-21 does not clearly pertain to Joseph's situation). He was unwilling to expose her to shame: The penalty for proved adultery was death by stoning (cf Deuteronomy 22:21-23).

In another obvious reference and link to the Old Testament, Joseph of the New Testament receives the Lord's message in a dream, from the "angel of the Lord." These dreams may be meant to recall the dreams of Joseph, son of Jacob the patriarch (Genesis 37:5-11:19). A closer parallel is the dream of Amram, father of Moses, related by Josephus in his Antiquities.

Joseph protected and provided for Jesus and Mary. He named Jesus, taught him how to pray, how to work, how to be a man. While no words or texts are attributed to him, we can be sure that Joseph pronounced two of the most important words that could ever be spoken, and that happened when he named his son "Jesus" and called him "Emmanuel."

God truly with us

On Christmas Eve, we listen attentively to the words of the prophets, to the dream of Joseph, and the promise of the eternal God that takes flesh in the womb of the Virgin. It becomes clear to us that the story of the birth of a baby in Bethlehem was no idyllic country folk tale. It was the true fulfillment of the hopes and longings, dreams and desires of the people of ancient Israel.

God does not abandon humanity, but rather enters into all that frequently makes life on earth so difficult. God's promise of deliverance to Judah at the time of the prophets is seen by Matthew as fulfilled in the birth of Jesus, in whom God is with his people.

In the name "Emmanuel," we find the answer to humanity's deepest longings for God throughout the ages. Emmanuel is both a prayer and plea (on our behalf) and a promise and declaration on God's part. When we pronounce the word, we are really praying and pleading: "God, be with us!" And when God speaks it, the Almighty, Eternal, Omnipresent Creator of the world is telling us: "I am with you" in this Child.

In the baby Jesus, God is "with us" not merely to bless us in some sort of cameo appearance at one difficult moment in history. Nor is God with us in that he is going to use Jesus to help us, protect us, and guide us. No -- the little Lord Jesus asleep in the manger of Bethlehem is "God with us" because he is God.

The true message of Christmas takes our breath away and continues to stagger the imagination: The Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, the only begotten Son of the Father, the eternal Word, our Creator wills to clothe himself in our nature, and to become man, our brother, one of us. God Himself lies in the manger, completely human, completely Divine.

The shepherds went back to the fields rejoicing in Luke's marvelous Christmas story and the wise men bow down in wonder, awe and worship in Matthew's account because they realized what was unfolding before their very eyes: They were in the presence of their Creator made man, of the Word made flesh, of God becoming one of us.

The name Emmanuel is also alluded to at the end of Matthew's Gospel where the risen Jesus assures his disciples of his continued presence: "I am with you always, until the end of the age" (28:20). God did indeed keep his promise in Jesus. Jesus truly fulfills the plan of God in word and deed, in desire and presence, in flesh and blood.

An exaggerated demand

Let us give thanks to the God and Father of Jesus who writes straight with the crooked lines of our own lives and of human history. May Emmanuel find welcome in our hearts and take flesh in our lives at Christmas this year.

Let's conclude with the words of "The Mystery of Christmas" of St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross:

"In order to penetrate a whole human life with the divine life it is not enough to kneel once a year before the crib and let ourselves be captivated by the charm of the holy night. To achieve this, we must be in daily contact with God. [...] Just as our earthly body needs its daily bread, so the divine life must be constantly fed. 'This is the living bread that came down from heaven.'

"If we make it truly our daily bread, the mystery of Christmas, the Incarnation of the Word, will daily be re-enacted in us. And this, it seems, is the surest way to remain in constant union with God. [...] I am well aware that many think this an exaggerated demand. In practice it means for most of those who start the habit that they will have to rearrange their outer and inner life completely. But this is just what it is meant to do. Is it really demanding too much to make room in our life for the Eucharistic Savior, so that He may transform our life into His own?"

[The readings for the Christmas vigil are Isaiah 62:1-5; Acts 13:16-17, 22-25; and Matthew 1:1-25 or 1:18-25]

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Basilian Father Thomas Rosica, chief executive officer of the Salt and Light Catholic Media Foundation and Television Network in Canada, is a consultor to the Pontifical Council for Social Communications. He can be reached at: rosica@saltandlighttv.org.

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On the Net:

Salt and Light: www.saltandlighttv.org

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DOCUMENTS

Israel's Hebrew-Speaking Catholics on Pius XII

"He Left His Mark on the Church in the 20th Century"

JERUSALEM, DEC. 21, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Here is the statement published today by the Hebrew-Speaking Catholic Vicariate in Israel (www.catholic.co.il) on the recent declaration of the virtues of Pius XII. The statement is signed by the vicar, Jesuit Father David Neuhaus, and priests of the vicariate.

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On Saturday, December 19, 2009, Pope Benedict XVI recognized the virtues of 21 men and women in the history of the Church who gave exemplary witness (albeit very diverse witness) to their Christian faith in their lives. Among the outstanding examples were also two popes, John Paul II and Pius XII. This step again led to a storm in the relations between Jews and Catholics.

Hebrew-speaking Catholics live in the midst of the Jewish people in Israeli society. Their existence is founded on their belonging to and love for the Church and their proximity (in some cases their belonging too) and their love for the Jewish people. It is natural, after hundreds of years of history shared by the Church and the Jewish people, history that has known difficult and even tragic periods, that the belonging to these two worlds can be heartbreaking at times. Our vocation as Hebrew-speaking Catholics in Israel is to feel both with the Church and with Israel, to try and be a bridge between the two, and sometimes to even live the painful division of misunderstanding, polemic and mutual defensiveness.

In recent years, the figure of Pope Pius XII has created a storm from time to time in the relations between the Church and the Jewish people. Some in the Church have sought to recognize the Pope as an exemplary believer who faced the great challenges of his time but some Jews have argued that the Pope of the period of the Second World War "did not do enough" to save the Jews of occupied Europe. On Saturday, the Pope recognized the virtues of Pius XII and the reaction of the Jews was expected: This hurts the Jews. The declaration of Pope Benedict concerning the virtues of Pius XII does not focus on the period of the Shoah and does not shut the door on the research of the historians. The Pope, who served from 1939 to 1958, was active in many different fields and he left his mark on the Church in the 20th century. It was he who opened the gate of scientific Biblical research in the Church (research that today brings together Jews and Christians and influences greatly the definition of the shared Jewish -- Christian Biblical heritage). He appointed bishops from non-European countries to serve in Africa and Asia, thus recognizing the changing face of the universal Church. He encouraged the liturgical reform and the dialogue between faith and science. He had to deal with the persecution of the Church in the countries that were under Communist rule. Catholics remember him and honor his memory in a Church context much wider than just the black years of the Second World War.

We, as Hebrew-speaking Catholics in Israel, some of us also members of the Jewish people, express our joy concerning the shared view of many Jews and Catholics when it comes to the virtues of Pope John Paul II. For us what is particularly important is all he did to bring the Church closer to the Jewish people. At the same time, we express our pain once again concerning the division between the Church and the Jewish people when it comes to Pope Pius XII. As Catholics, we are called to understand the figures of the Popes John Paul II and Pius XII in the light of the teaching of the Church. We reject the defamation of Pius XII and that accuses him of cowardice and even anti-Semitism and collaboration with the Nazi enemy. These accusations are absolutely without foundation. Likewise, we reject the interpretations that see any honoring of Pius XII as a minimizing of the importance of the Shoah or as a retreat from the breathtaking progress in the relations between Jews and Catholics in the past decades. On the other hand, we are called to understand the discomfort of many of our Jewish brothers and sisters who argue that the Pope "did not do enough" in saving Jews in the hour of their sufferings during the Shoah.

We understand the cry "he did not do enough" as a cry of deep pain coming from the sense of betrayal among the Jewish people at the time of their trial. The world indeed did not do enough as it is an undeniable fact that six million members of the Jewish people were murdered. Ultimately, there can be no "enough" in the attempt to confront a tragedy of the dimensions of the Shoah! We hear the cry of the Jewish people and we feel their pain. In the light of the Shoah, the question is asked: "Could the Pope have done more?" The question is both legitimate and understandable, however, perhaps there is no human answer to this question. Only God can know whether he indeed did everything that he could do. We are witnesses to the historical research regarding the diplomatic efforts of the Pope to end the war and the terror against the Jewish people. We are witnesses to the many stories about the instructions the Pope gave to open churches and monasteries in order to give refuge to the Jews who were fleeing, to provide them with false documents and to smuggle them out of the dangerous areas. We must commemorate the role of men and women in the Church, heroic "righteous among the nations", who saw themselves under the authority of the Pope and who were active in Italy and other European countries in helping Jews hide and flee. In some cases they paid for this help with their lives.

We continue to pray that both in the Church and in the Jewish people we will continue in searching together for the historical truth so that we can educate our children in mutual respect and brotherhood and that we continue our efforts to collaborate for "the mending of the world" (tikkun olam).

Rev. Father David Neuhaus SJ, Patriarchal Vicar for the Hebrew speaking Catholics and the priests from the Vicariate

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New Biblical Studies Solve Important Gospel Contradictions

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Both the four Easter gospels, and the two Nativity gospels, appear to be mutually completely complying, in detail, when some biasing presuppositions are set aside and replaced by some simple ideas, corroborated by many arguments. No contra-arguments exist. The author's Catholic bishop considered the articles to be scientific and therefore felt no need to grant or deny an Imprimatur.

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Seeking the Divine Spark: A Satire in the Style of Evelyn Waugh

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Give a gift this Christmas: Spread the word about ZENIT

2009-12-21T10:33:00.000-08:00

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2009-12-20T18:38:00.000-08:00

ZENIT

The World Seen From Rome

Daily dispatch - December 20, 2009

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VATICAN DOSSIER

Pontiff to Children: Approach Christ Without Fear
John Paul II Closer to Canonization
Pope Greets Staff of L'Osservatore Romano
Christmas Is Not a Fairytale for Children, Says Pope

ANALYSIS

Turkey's Lack of Religious Liberty

WORLD FEATURES

Mary MacKillop to Be Australia's 1st Saint

NEWS BRIEFS

US Bishops: Senate Bill Still Unacceptable

ANGELUS

On Bethlehem, City-Symbol of Peace

DOCUMENTS

Pontiff Speaks to Children of Catholic Action

CLASSIFIED ADS

Seeking the Divine Spark: A Satire in the Style of Evelyn Waugh

VATICAN DOSSIER

Pontiff to Children: Approach Christ Without Fear

Tells Them That Jesus Is Glad to Hear From Them

VATICAN CITY, DEC. 20, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI encouraged the youth of Italian Catholic Action to not be shy about approaching Christ, as he is very interested in hearing from them.

The Pope affirmed this today in a traditional Christmas meeting with a delegation of the youth organization, urging them to take as a role model the biblical figure of Zacchaeus, "the man who meets the Lord and welcomes him with joy."

"You too are a little like Zacchaeus, who climbed a tree because he wanted to see Jesus," the Holy Father said. "But the Lord, looking up, noticed him immediately, in the midst of the crowd.

"Jesus sees you and hears you even though you are little, even if the grown-ups do not take account of you as you would like."

"Always imitate the example of Zacchaeus," Benedict XVI continued, "who immediately came down from the tree, full of joy he welcomed him into his house and did not cease to celebrate him!"

The Pope spoke to the children of Jesus as a friend who "comes to meet you and calls you!"

"He is the Son of God, he is the Lord whom you see every day in the images in churches, along the street, in houses. He speaks to you always of the love that is 'greater,' able to give itself without limit, to bring peace and forgiveness," the Pontiff added.

"Only Jesus' presence in your lives gives complete joy, because he is able to make everything always new and beautiful," the Holy Father said. "He never forgets you."

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On ZENIT's Web page:

Full text: http://www.zenit.org/article-27894?l=english

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John Paul II Closer to Canonization

Benedict XVI Advances Cause of Pius XII

VATICAN CITY, DEC. 20, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI authorized the decrees that recognize the heroic virtue of Popes John Paul II and Pius XII, which pushes them both one step closer to canonization.

The German Pontiff approved a total of 21 decrees Saturday, five of which are for miracles attributed to those who are beatified, and are now qualified for canonization.

Five decrees are for miracles attributed to those who are venerable, and are now qualified for beatification. One decree testifies to martyrdom, and another is a decree of the heroic virtue of a Blessed.

The nine remaining decrees, including those of the two Pontiffs, testify to the heroic virtue of Servants of God. The nine are now given the title Venerable. The candidates need a miracle attributed to their intercession to qualify for beatification.

Pius XII, born Eugenio Pacelli, was born in Rome in 1876, and served as Pope from 1939 until he died in 1958 at Castel Gandolfo.

The Holy Father steered the Church through the stormy years of the Second World War. He has been criticized for remaining silent in face of the Jewish Holocaust, although many historians note that he served an important role in helping to save the lives of many Jews.

John Paul II, born Karol Wojtyla, was born in 1920 in Wadowice, Poland. He was elected Pope in October 1978, and he served until he died on April 2, 2005. Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims filled St. Peter's Square during his last days, and for his funeral.

The historians of the 20th century attribute the fall of Communism in great part to the Polish Pope, and Church historians note his decisive efforts to faithfully apply the Second Vatican Council.

Australia's 1st saint

Benedict XVI approved a decree attesting to a miracle attributed to Blessed Mary MacKillop, who will become Australia's first saint.

A miracle decree was also approved for Blessed André Bessette, the Holy Cross brother who founded St. Joseph's Oratory in Montreal, Canada.

Another decree attested to the martyrdom "in odium fidei" of Father Jerzy Popieluszko, who was the chaplain of Poland's Solidarity union. The decree paves the way for Father Popieluszko's beatification.

The Communist regime regarded him as a fanatic, an example of militant clericalism. In 1984, at the age of 37, he was kidnapped and killed by secret service agents, who beat him and threw him into the icy waters of the Vistula River.

The cause of canonization of the English nun Mary Ward (1585-1645) was also advanced. A decree was approved that attested to the heroic virtue of the founder of the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary, also known as the Loreto Sisters.

The process

In an audience granted to Archbishop Angelo Amato, prefect of the Congregation for Saints' Causes, and the dicastery's superiors, officials and collaborators, on the occasion of its 40th anniversary, Benedict XVI reflected on the process of canonization.

"The principal stages of recognition of sanctity by the Church, namely, beatification and canonization, are united by a great bond of consistency," he said. "To them must added, as an indispensible phase, the declaration about heroic virtue or of martyrdom of a Servant of God and the verification of some extraordinary gift, the miracle, that the Lord gives through the intercession of his faithful servant."

"What pedagogical wisdom is manifested in such an itinerary," the Pope continued. "In a first step, the people of God are invited to look to these brothers and sisters who, after a first accurate discernment, are proposed as models of Christian life; then they are exhorted to develop a cult of veneration and invocation circumscribed by the ambit of the local Churches and the religious orders."

Finally, the Pontiff added, the faithful are called "to exult with the whole community of believers with the certainty that, thanks to the solemn pontifical proclamation, a son or daughter has reached the glory of God, where they participate in the perennial intercession of Christ on behalf of their brothers."

In this journey, Benedict XVI declared, "the Church welcomes with joy and stupor the miracles that God, in his infinite goodness, gratuitously gives her, to confirm the evangelical preaching. She welcomes, moreover, the witness of the martyrs as the most limpid and intense form of configuration to Christ."

The Pontiff noted that the Church undertakes these processes because "in the itinerary of recognition of sanctity, there emerges a spiritual and pastoral wealth that involves the whole Christian community."

He defined sanctity as the "transfiguration of persons and human realities into the image of the risen Christ," and added that it "represents the ultimate purpose of the plan of divine salvation."

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Pope Greets Staff of L'Osservatore Romano

Daily to Increase International Distribution

VATICAN CITY, DEC. 20, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI directed a "cordial greeting" to the staff of the Vatican's daily newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano, after the recitation of the Angelus today.

On Sundays and Wednesdays during the Christmas season the newspaper will set up a newsstand in St. Peter’s Square, where it will be possible to buy the newspaper together with small picture of the Nativity.

"I wish this initiative well," the Pontiff said, noting the project will not only make the Vatican's daily newspaper readily available to pilgrims, but that it will "also help to build a school in Democratic Republic of the Congo."

In its Sunday edition, L'Osservatore Romano announced that its international distribution will increase, as the Spanish daily La Razon will print and distribute it as an insert in its Sunday paper, beginning Dec. 27.

"The 200,000 copies of the Sunday edition that will be printed in Spanish will join those already printed in the Vatican, Argentina, Mexico and Perù," the paper said.

This initiative is similar to that launched in 2008 with the Italian daily L'Eco di Bergamo, which is distributed every Sunday together with a copy of L'Osservatore. It was the first time that such an agreement was reached with a newspaper with national circulation.

La Razón also made the announcement, explaining that the weekly distribution of L'Osservatore, in full color, will not have an additional cost to the readers.

In statements published by La Razón, the director of L'Osservatore Romano, Giovanni Maria Vian, said that "it is important" to have reached this agreement in Spain, which is "a country of great Catholic tradition that is undergoing, like many other western countries in recent times, a major process of secularization."

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Christmas Is Not a Fairytale for Children, Says Pope

Calls It God's Answer to Mankind's Search for Peace

VATICAN CITY, DEC. 20, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Christmas is much more than the season of Santa Claus and sugar plums; it's God's answer to mankind's yearning for peace, says Benedict XVI.

The Pope affirmed this today in a reflection on Christmas and the town of Bethlehem, which he gave before praying the midday Angelus with the pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Square.

Noting the prophecies regarding the town of Judea in the Book of Micah, which foretell a "mysterious birth," the Holy Father spoke of the "divine plan that includes and explains the times and places of the coming of the Son of God into the world."

"It is a plan of peace," the Pontiff noted, adding that it makes Bethlehem a "city-symbol of peace in the Holy Land and in the whole world."

"Unfortunately," he explained, "Bethlehem does not represent an achieved and stable peace, but rather a peace that is laboriously sought and awaited.

"God, however, never resigns himself to this state of affairs. So, once again this year in Bethlehem and in the entire world, he will renew in the Church the mystery of Christmas, the prophecy of peace for all mankind."

"Christmas is not a fairytale for children," Benedict XVI continued, "but rather God's answer to the drama of humanity in search of peace."

"We are expected to throw open the doors to welcome him," the Pope said, referring to the Messiah. "Let us put ourselves at the service of God's plan with faith.

"Even if we do not fully understand it, let us entrust ourselves to his wisdom and goodness. Let us first seek the Kingdom of God and Providence will help us."

The Pope then wished a Merry Christmas to all the faithful.

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On ZENIT's Web page:

Full text: http://www.zenit.org/article-27892?l=english

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ANALYSIS

Turkey's Lack of Religious Liberty

It's Been a Difficult Year for Christians

By Father John Flynn, LC

ROME, DEC. 20, 2009 (Zenit.org).- It’s been another difficult year for Christians in Turkey and it is finishing just as it began, with problems. Early in December, three Muslims entered the Meryem Ana Church, a Syriac Orthodox church in Diyarbakir, and confronted the Reverend Yusuf Akbulut, according to a Dec. 15 report by Compass Direct News, an agency specializing in reporting on religious persecution.

They told the priest that that unless the bell tower was destroyed in one week, they would kill him. The Muslims were apparently acting in reaction to the recent referendum in Switzerland, which banned the construction of new minarets for mosques.

According to the report Meryem Ana is more than 250 years old and is one of a handful of churches that serve the Syriac community in Turkey.

The Syriacs are an ethnic and religious minority in Turkey and were one of the first groups of people to accept Christianity, said the article by Compass News Direct.

The year had started badly, with a land dispute involving one of the world’s oldest Christian monasteries, reported Reuters, Jan. 21. The fifth-century Syriac monastery Mor Gabriel is located in Midyat, a village near the border with Syria.

"This is our land. We have been here for more than 1,600 years," said Kuryakos Ergun, head of the Mor Gabriel Foundation, according to the report.

Problems began when Turkish government officials redrew the boundaries around Mor Gabriel and the surrounding villages in 2008 as part of work to update a land registry.

According to the monks, the new boundaries take away from them large plots of land the monastery has owned for centuries. It also designates part of the monastery's land as public forest.

Fleeing

According to Reuters, there were 250,000 Syriacs when Ataturk founded Turkey after World War I. Today they number only 20,000, with many having left the country to escape persecution.

The Wall Street Journal published a lengthy article on the dispute over the monastery property on March 7. The article pointed out that the dispute comes at a critical moment in Turkey’s long-standing attempt to be accepted as a member of the European Union.

The monastery’s Bishop Timotheus Samuel Aktas presides over a dwindling community, made up of only 3 monks and 14 nuns. Locally, there are around 3,000 Syriacs.

The monastery, founded in 397, has a great symbolic importance, the article explained and is considered by Syriacs to be a sort of "second Jerusalem."

The battles are still continuing in the courts and, in another link with events in Switzerland, the Federal Council of Switzerland recently adopted a motion in support of the monastery in Turkey.

According to a Dec. 8 report by the Assyrian International News Agency the motion states:

"The Federal Council is to be asked to intervene with the Turkish government to ensure that the ownership of the Syriac Monasteries in southeast of Turkey continue to be guaranteed, and that the minority rights of Assyrians is respected according to the Copenhagen criteria."

The Copenhagen criteria refer to a series of principles that a country seeking to join the European Union, as Turkey is currently doing, must respect. One of them involves respect for human rights and the protection of minorities.

Accusations

Other instances of intolerance punctuated the life of Christians in Turkey during the past 12 months. On Oct. 16 Compass Direct News reported on the trial of two Christians, accused of having insulted Islam.

Defense Attorney Haydar Polat said the trial was a scandal, pointing to the fact that in proceedings three of the witnesses for the prosecution admitted they did not even know the two Christians on trial.

Hakan Tastan and Turan Topal were arrested in October 2006 following charges that they had slandered Turkishness and Islam while talking about their faith with three young men in Silivri, a town about an hour’s drive west of Istanbul. They could be jailed for up to 2 years if found guilty of the charges.

The matter is still not over, with proceedings adjourned until Jan. 28, 2010, due to the court having repeated its summons to three more prosecution witnesses who failed to appear at the hearing.

Then, on Dec. 4 Compass Direct News published a report on a survey that showed more than half of the population of Turkey opposes members of other religions holding meetings or publishing materials to explain their faith.

The survey also found that almost 40% of the population of Turkey said they had "very negative" or "negative" views of Christians.

The survey, carried out in 2008, was part of a study commissioned by the International Social Survey Program, a 45-nation academic group that conducts polls and research about social and political issues.

Overview

Forum 18, a Norwegian-based human rights group, published on Nov. 27 a survey of religious freedom in Turkey. The group takes its name from Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which declares that everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion.

Overall, the study concluded: “that the country continues to see serious violations of international human rights standards on freedom of religion or belief.”

Turkey has not given recognition to religious communities in their own right as independent communities with full legal status -- such as the right to own places of worship and the legal protection religious communities normally have in states under the rule of law, according to Forum 18.

Moreover, the survey observed that Christians have been the object of a series of violent attacks and murders in recent years.

The government, the study explained, remains committed to Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's "secularism." This involves not only state control of Islam, but also restrictions on the ability of non-Muslims and Muslims outside state control to exercise freedom of religion or belief.

Communities as diverse as Alevi Muslims, Catholics, Greek Orthodox, Protestants, and the Syrian Orthodox Church have seen no significant progress in resolving property problems,
the study added.

In fact, even recognized religious communities cannot themselves own properties such as places of worship.

It is virtually impossible to find people from non-Muslim backgrounds in high-level civil servant positions and impossible in senior ranks in the military, the study continued.

Intolerance

Forum 18 listed a number of deadly attacks on Christians in recent years: The murder of Father Andrea Santoro, a Catholic priest in 2006; the killing of two ethnic Turkish Protestants, Necati Aydin and Ugur Yuksel, and a German, Tilmann Geske in Malatya in 2007. Then, in July 2009 a Catholic German businessman engaged to an ethnic Turk, Gregor Kerkeling, was murdered by a mentally disturbed young man for being a Christian.

Among the causes of this intolerance the study cited the habitual disinformation and defamation against Christians, both in public discourse as well as in the media. As well, intolerance is actively promoted within the school curriculum.

The report concluded by saying that the serious problems with the lack of religious freedom in Turkey casts serious doubts about whether the country is really committed to universal human rights for all.

Of course Turkey is not alone in limiting religious freedom. On Wednesday a report titled: “Global Restrictions on Religion,” was published by the Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion and Public Life.

If found that 64 nations -- about one-third of the countries in the world -- have high or very high restrictions on religion. Moreover, because some of the most restrictive countries are very populous, nearly 70% of the world's 6.8 billion people live in countries with high restrictions on religion, the brunt of which often falls on religious minorities. A fact worth meditating on, and praying about, as we celebrate the birth of the child Jesus.

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WORLD FEATURES

Mary MacKillop to Be Australia's 1st Saint

Called a "True Inspiration" In a World Lacking Heroes

ADELAIDE, Australia, DEC. 20, 2009 (Zenit.org).- At a time when heroes are hard to come by, Blessed Mary MacKillop -- who is soon to become Australia's first saint -- is a "true inspiration," says the president of the country's episcopal conference.

Archbishop Philip Wilson of Adelaide said this Sunday, after Benedict XVI approved the decree confirming a second miracle attributed to the nun, paving the way for the canonization of Australia's first saint.

"Today is a great day for the Catholic Church in Australia and for the Australian nation at large," the archbishop said.

"It is always a great joy when the Church recognizes in one of its members the creative, saving and sanctifying action of God at work amongst us," he said. "It is a particular joy for us in Australia that Mary MacKillop is to be formally recognized in this way."

On Saturday, Benedict XVI approved 21 decrees of the Congregation for Saints' Causes, five of which were decrees that attributed miracles to those the Church had already pronounced blessed. Among those was Sister Mary MacKillop of Australia.

Other decrees included those attesting to the heroic virtue of two Popes, Pius XII and John Paul II.

"Mary MacKillop has quite rightly gained a reputation in recent times as 'The Australian Peoples' Saint,'" Archbishop Wilson said. "Largely, this is because people can relate to her."

Mary MacKillop, born in Victoria in 1842, founded the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Sacred Heart, which established schools and charitable organizations across Australia and was devoted to the care of orphans, neglected children, the homeless, sick and elderly. She died in 1909.

"One of us"

"She was one of us," the archbishop continued. "Born in Melbourne, and fired by a deep desire to serve God and to help alleviate the plight of the poor, Mary was an ordinary person who lived a holy life.

"Perhaps it is because of her down to earth nature that we relate to her so well. Mary MacKillop could be feisty and stubborn. She suffered terrible setbacks, discouragement and injustice and yet through all of this her faith in God did not falter."

"At a time when real heroes are in short supply, Mary MacKillop is a true inspiration," Archbishop Wilson continued. "Her heroism is all the more firm because it is built not on celebrity or sporting skill but on her love for Jesus Christ and a life of dedication to God and her fellow human beings."

The archbishop said that Australia looks forward to the canonization "with great hope and joy," and he invited the entire country to take part in the celebrations being planned around the event.

Pope John Paul II beatified Sister MacKillop in 1995, saying she embodied the best of Australia and its people.

He noted her "genuine openness to others, hospitality to strangers, generosity to the needy, justice to those unfairly treated, perseverance in the face of adversity, kindness and support to the suffering."

In 2008, Sister MacKillop was a key patron of the World Youth Day hosted by Sydney, Australia. Ahead of the international youth event, the government honored the nun by featuring her on a collector's coin.

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NEWS BRIEFS

US Bishops: Senate Bill Still Unacceptable

Send Last-Minute Letter on Health Care Reform

WASHINGTON, D.C., DEC. 20, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Despite last-minute efforts to improve the language on abortion and conscience rights in the Senate's proposed health care reform bill, the U.S. bishops oppose its passage.

This was affirmed in a statement released Saturday by Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, chairman of the conference's Committee on Pro-Life Activities; Bishop John Wester of Salt Lake City, chair of the bishops' Committee on Migration; and Bishop William Murphy of Rockville Centre, New York, chair of the Domestic Policy Committee.

The prelates acknowledge the "good faith" efforts of several Senators in proposing changes to the bill, as well as several positive points of the Manager's Amendment that was proposed Saturday.

While praising adoption tax credits and assistance for pregnant women, the letter laments that the current legislation "does not seem to allow purchasers who exercise freedom of choice or of conscience to 'opt out' of abortion coverage in federally subsidized health plans that include such coverage."

"While we appreciate the good-faith efforts made," the letter continues, "our judgment is the same as it was yesterday: This legislation should not move forward in its current form.

"It should be opposed unless and until such serious concerns have been addressed."

In a separate letter issued Friday, Cardinal DiNardo reaffirmed the position of the episcopal conference that "the legislation will be morally unacceptable 'unless and until' it complies with longstanding current laws on abortion funding such as the Hyde amendment."

The cardinal concluded by affirming that the bishops will "continue to work for health care reform which truly protects the life, dignity, conscience and health of all."

"As the bishops have said many times," he continued, "providing affordable and accessible health care that clearly reflects these fundamental principles is a public good, moral imperative and urgent national priority."

A final vote on the bill in the Senate is expected this week.

--- --- ---

On the Net:

A searchable online version of the bill is available here (including the Manager's Amendment): http://www.marpx.com/

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ANGELUS

On Bethlehem, City-Symbol of Peace

"A Peace That Is Laboriously Sought and Awaited"

VATICAN CITY, DEC. 20, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the public address Benedict XVI gave today before praying the midday Angelus with the pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Square.

* * *

Dear brothers and sisters!

With the 4th Sunday of Advent, the birth of the Lord is now before us. With the words of the prophet Micah, the liturgy invites us to look to Bethlehem, the little town of Judea that is witness to the great event: "And you, Bethlehem-Ephrathah too small to be among the clans of Judah, From you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel; Whose origin is from of old, from ancient times" (Micah 5:1). One thousand years before Christ, Bethlehem had given birth to the great king David, whom the Scriptures concur in presenting as the ancestor of the Messiah. Luke's Gospel says that Jesus was born in Bethlehem because Joseph, the husband of Mary, being "of the house of David," had to return there for the census, and it was then that Mary gave birth to Jesus (cf. Luke 2:1-7).

The same prophecy of Micah continues, noting a mysterious birth: "God will give them up," he says "until the time when she who is to give birth has borne, And the rest of his brethren shall return to the children of Israel" (Micah 5:2). There is thus a divine plan that includes and explains the times and places of the coming of the Son of God into the world. It is a plan of peace, as the prophet proclaims, saying of the Messiah: "He shall stand firm and shepherd his flock by the strength of the Lord, in the majestic name of the Lord, his God. And they shall remain, for now his greatness shall reach to the ends of the earth. He himself shall be peace!" (Micah 5:3).

Precisely this last aspect of the prophecy -- that of the messianic peace -- naturally brings us to note that Bethlehem is also a city-symbol of peace in the Holy Land and in the whole world. Unfortunately, Bethlehem does not represent an achieved and stable peace, but rather a peace that is laboriously sought and awaited.

God, however, never resigns himself to this state of affairs. So, once again this year in Bethlehem and in the entire world, he will renew in the Church the mystery of Christmas, the prophecy of peace for all mankind, which commits Christians to face the barriers, the crises, often unknown and hidden, and the conflicts of their lives, with the sentiments of Jesus, to become the instruments and messengers of peace everywhere, to bring love where there is hate, forgiveness where there is offense, joy where there is sadness, and truth where there is error, according to the beautiful expressions of a famous Franciscan prayer.

Today, as in the time of Jesus, Christmas is not a fairytale for children, but rather God's answer to the drama of humanity in search of peace. "He himself will be peace!" the prophet says, referring to the Messiah. We are expected to throw open the doors to welcome him. Let us learn from Mary and Joseph: Let us put ourselves at the service of God's plan with faith. Even if we do not fully understand it, let us entrust ourselves to his wisdom and goodness. Let us first seek the Kingdom of God and Providence will help us. Merry Christmas, everyone!

[After the Angelus, the Pope greeted the pilgrims in various languages. In Italian, he said:]

I address a cordial greeting to the personnel of L'Osservatore Romano, who, during the Sundays and Wednesdays of the Christmas season, will set up a stand in St. Peter’s Square, where one can buy a copy of the newspaper with a little picture of the Nativity. I wish this initiative well. Besides making the Vatican-daily available, it will also help to build a school in Democratic Republic of the Congo.

[Translation by Joseph G. Trabbic]

[In English, he said:]

I greet all the English-speaking visitors and pilgrims here today. On this fourth Sunday of Advent, we are filled with joy because the Lord is at hand. We heard in today’s Gospel about Mary’s journey to visit her cousin Elizabeth. Just as Mary travelled through the hill country of Judah, to share with her kinswoman the joyful news of Christ’s coming, so too the Church is called to journey through history, proclaiming the wondrous message of salvation. As the great feast of Christmas draws near, I invoke God’s abundant blessings upon all of you, and upon your families and loved ones at home.

© Copyright 2009 -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana

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DOCUMENTS

Pontiff Speaks to Children of Catholic Action

"Jesus Sees You and Hears You, Even Though You Are Little"

VATICAN CITY, DEC. 20, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI gave Saturday to a delegation of the children of Italian Catholic Action upon receiving them in audience at the Vatican.

* * *

Dear Children of Catholic Action,

I greet you with great affection. For me it is always wonderful to meet with you for this pre-Christmas occasion, so long awaited and desired by all of you. I cordially greet the national president of Italian Catholic Action, Dr. Franco Miano, and the assistant general, Bishop Domenico Sigalini. Through them I thank those who generously give their time and personal resources to your worthy association for your religious and human education.

I know that this year you have been especially focusing on the theme "We Are on the Air," to put yourselves in communication with Jesus and with others, having as your point of reference the biblical figure of Zacchaeus, the man who meets the Lord and welcomes him with joy.

You too are a little like Zacchaeus, who climbed a tree because he wanted to see Jesus. But the Lord, looking up, noticed him immediately, in the midst of the crowd. Jesus sees you and hears you even though you are little, even if the grown-ups do not take account of you as you would like. Not only does Jesus see you, but he tunes in to you, he wants to stop at your place and spend time with you, to establish a true friendship with you.

Dear friends, before Jesus always imitate the example of Zacchaeus, who immediately came down from the tree, full of joy he welcomed him into his house and did not cease to celebrate him! Welcome him into your life every day, in games and in chores, in prayer, when he asks for your friendship and your generosity, when you are happy and when you are afraid. During Christmas, once again, Jesus the friend comes to meet you and calls you! He is the Son of God, he is the Lord whom you see every day in the images in churches, along the street, in houses. He speaks to you always of the love that is "greater," able to give itself without limit, to bring peace and forgiveness.

Only Jesus' presence in your lives gives complete joy, because he is able to make everything always new and beautiful. He never forgets you. If you tell him every day that you are "on the air," you must certainly expect that he will call you to send a message of friendship and affection. He does it when you participate in Holy Mass, when you dedicate yourselves to your studies, to your daily chores and when you perform acts of sharing, solidarity, generosity and love toward others. Thus you can say to your friends, your parents, your group leaders, and your teachers, that you were able to take the call with Jesus in your prayer, in your chores, and when you are able to stand with boys and girls who suffer, especially with those from far away countries and are often alone, without parents and without friends.

Dear children, with these sentiments I wish you a happy and holy Christmas. I extend my wishes to your families and to all of Catholic Action and, entrusting you to the protection of the Mother of Jesus, I bless you all from my heart.

[Translation by Joseph G. Trabbic]

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Seeking the Divine Spark: A Satire in the Style of Evelyn Waugh

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End-of-Year Charitable Contribution

2009-12-20T13:08:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends of ZENIT,

We are fast approaching Christmas and the end of the fiscal year, and for many people and companies this is also a time to close budgets and make year-end charitable contributions.

That's why we would like to propose to each one of you the possibility of sending a tax-deductible contribution to ZENIT. We are going through a period of exceptional need, and anything you could send along would help keep us moving forward.

I know that many people are already tightening their belts and cutting back on many important expenditures. If you can find it in your heart in this Christmas season to send a contribution to ZENIT, we would be most grateful.

You can do it using:

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We need to raise about $100,000 before the end of the Year/the first 10 days of January.

That's the amount that allows us to cover the ordinary ZENIT's expenses to reach next month of February, when we will start the annual fund-raising campaign among readers that normally generates enough funds to cover all expenses until the end of next year 2010.

As you know ZENIT exists only thank to the generosity of its readers.

Please help us to continue spreading the voice of the Pope, and the Good News of the Gospel!
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The World Seen From Rome

Daily dispatch - December 19, 2009

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DOCUMENTS

Father Cantalamessa's 3rd Advent Sermon

"Mary, Mother and Model of the Priest"

VATICAN CITY, DEC. 19, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Here is the Advent reflection delivered Friday by Capuchin Father Raniero Cantalamessa, the preacher of the Pontifical Household, for Benedict XVI and members of the Roman Curia. The talk was titled "Mary, Mother and Model of the Priest."

* * *

Mary, Mother and Model of the Priest

In his letter to priests on the occasion of Holy Thursday in 1979, the first of a series during his pontificate, Pope John Paul II wrote: "In our ministerial priesthood there is the wonderful and penetrating dimension of nearness to the Mother of Christ." In this last meditation of Advent, I would like to reflect on this closeness between Mary and the priest.

There is not much talk of Mary in the New Testament. However, if we pay attention, we note that she is not absent from any of the three central events of the Christian mystery, which are: the Incarnation, the Paschal Mystery and Pentecost. Mary was present at the Incarnation because it happened in her womb; she was present at the Paschal Mystery, because it is written that "standing by the cross of Jesus was Mary, his Mother" (cf. John 19:25), she was present at Pentecost, because it is written that the Apostles were "with one accord devoted themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus" (cf. Acts 1:14). Each of these three moments reveals to us something of the mysterious closeness between Mary and the priest. As we are now approaching Christmas, I would like to limit myself to the first of these, and discuss what Mary says of the priest and to the priest in the mystery of the Incarnation.

1. What Is the Relationship Between Mary and the Priest?

First of all I would like to refer to the question of the title of priest attributed to the Virgin in tradition. A writer of the end of the fifth century calls Mary "Virgin, and at the same time priest, and altar who has given us Christ -- bread of Heaven for the remission of sins."[1] After this, there were frequent references to the topic of Mary as priest, which subsequently became the object of theological developments in the 17th century, in the French school of St. Sulpice. In it, Mary's priesthood is not placed so much in the context of a relationship with the ministerial priesthood, but rather with that of Christ.

At the end of the 19th century a true and proper devotion to the Virgin-priest spread, and St. Pius X even accorded an indulgence to its relative practice. However, when the danger was perceived of confusing the priesthood of Mary with the ministerial priesthood, the magisterium of the Church became reticent and two interventions of the Holy Office practically put an end to such devotion.[2]

After the council, the priesthood of Mary is still spoken of, but it is no longer linked to the ministerial priesthood nor to the supreme priesthood of Christ, but rather to the universal priesthood of the faithful. As figure and first fruits of the Church, she possessed in a personal way that "royal priesthood" (1 Peter 2:9), that all the baptized possess in a collective way.

What can we retain of this long tradition that associates Mary to the priest and what meaning can we give to the "closeness " between Mary and the priest affirmed by John Paul II? It seems to me that what remains is the analogy or the correspondence between the different dimensions of the mystery of salvation. What Mary was once and for all times on the plane of historical reality, the priest is ever anew on the plane of the sacramental reality.

In this connection we can understand the words of Paul VI: "What relationship and what distinctions are there between the maternity of Mary, rendered universal by the dignity and charity of the role given to her by God on the plane of redemption, and the apostolic priesthood, constituted by the Lord to be an instrument of salvific communication between God and men? Mary gives Christ to humanity; and the priesthood also gives Christ to humanity, but in a different way, as is clear; Mary through the Incarnation and through the effusion of grace, of which God filled her; the priesthood through the powers of the sacred order."[3]

The analogy between Mary and the priest can be expressed thus: Mary, through the power of the Holy Spirit, conceived Christ and, after nourishing him and carrying him in her womb, gave birth to him in Bethlehem; the priest, anointed and consecrated in the Holy Spirit at ordination, is also called to be filled with Christ to be able to give birth to him and have him be born in souls through the proclamation of the word and the administration of the sacraments.

In this connection, the relationship between Mary and the priest has a long tradition behind it, much more authoritative than the notion of Mary-priest. Taking up a thought of St. Augustine [4], the Second Vatican Council wrote: "[The Church is] converted into Mother, because with preaching and baptism she engenders a new and immortal life in her children conceived by the work of the Holy Spirit and born of God."[5]

The baptistery, said the Fathers, is the womb in which the Church gives birth to her children, and the word of God is the pure milk with which she nourishes them. "O mystic marvel! The universal Father is one, and one the universal Word; and the Holy Spirit is one and the same everywhere, and one is the only virgin mother. I love to call her the Church. [...] She is once virgin and mother -- pure as a virgin, loving as a mother. And calling her children to her, she nurses them with holy milk, with the Word for childhood" (cf 1 Peter 2:2).[6]

The Blessed Isaac of Stella, in a passage which we read in the office of readings last Saturday, made a synthesis of this tradition: "Mary and the Church are one mother, yet more than one mother; one virgin, yet more than one virgin. Both are mothers, both are virgins. Each conceives of the same Spirit, without concupiscence. Each gives birth to a child of God the Father, without sin. Without any sin, Mary gave birth to Christ the head for the sake of his body. By the forgiveness of every sin, the Church gave birth to the body, for the sake of its head."[7]

What is said in these texts of the Church as a whole, as a sacrament of salvation, should be applied in a special way to priests, because by way of their ministry they are the ones who concretely engender Christ in souls through the word and the sacraments.

2. Mary Believed

This is the objective analogy to be made between Mary and the priest, or the analogy of grace. There is, however, an analogy to be made on the subjective plane, that is, between the personal contribution that the Virgin gave to the grace of election and the contribution that the priest is called to give to the grace of ordination. Neither one is a pure channel which lets grace past without any contribution of itself.

Tertullian speaks of a version of Gnostic Docetism, according to which Jesus was born, yes, of Mary, but not conceived in her and by her; the body of Christ, come down from heaven, would have passed through the Virgin, but not generated in her and by her; Mary was for Jesus a way, not a mother, and Jesus for Mary a guest, not a son.[8]

To not repeat this form of Docetism in his life, the priest cannot limit himself to transmit to others a Christ learned from books that did not become first flesh of his flesh and blood of his blood. As Mary (the image is of St. Bernard), he must be a reservoir that is overflowing with what has filled it, and not simply a channel that allows the water to pass without holding back anything.

The personal contribution, which Mary and the priest have in common, is summed up in the faith. Mary, wrote St. Augustine, "by faith conceived and by faith gave birth" (fide concepit, fide peperit).[9] The priest also by faith carries Christ in his heart and through faith communicates him to others. It will be the center of today's meditation: What can the priest learn from Mary's faith.

When Mary reaches Elizabeth, the latter receives her with great joy and, "full of the Holy Spirit," she exclaimed: "And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord" (Luke 1:45). There is no doubt that this having believed refers to Mary's answer to the angel: "Behold I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word" (Luke 1:38).

At first glance, Mary's was an easy act of faith, even taken for granted. To become the mother of a king who was to reign for all eternity over the house of Jacob, mother of the Messiah! Was it not the dream of every young Jewish girl? But this is a way of reasoning that is too human and carnal. Mary found herself in total solitude. To whom could she explain what happened to her? Who would believe her when she said that the babe she is carrying in her womb is the "work of the Holy Spirit"? This had never happened to anyone before, and would never happen to anyone again.

Mary certainly knew what was written in the book of the law, and that is that if a young girl at the moment of marriage was not found in a state of virginity, she had to be brought to the front door of her father's house and stoned by the people of the village (cf. Deuteronomy 22:20 ff). We speak willingly today of the risk of faith, understanding in general with this, the intellectual risk; but for Mary it was a real risk!

Carlo Carretto, in his book on Our Lady, recounts how he came to discover Mary's faith. When he lived in the desert, he knew from some Tuareg friends that a girl from the camp was promised as spouse to a young man, but that she did not go to live with him, being too young. He connected this fact with that which Luke says of Mary. Therefore, going over two years later in that same camp, he asked for news of the girl. He noticed a certain embarrassment among his friends, and later one of them, approaching with great secrecy, made a sign: He passed his hand on the throat with the characteristic gesture of Arabs when they wish to say: "They cut off her head." She was discovered pregnant before marriage, and to preserve the honor of the family they had to kill her. He thought again of Mary, and that same night he chose her as his travel companion and teacher of his faith.[10]

God never takes consent from those he calls, hiding the consequences they will have to face. We see it in all the great calls of God. He tells Jeremiah: "They will fight against you" (Jeremiah 1:19). And of Saul, he says to Ananias: "I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name" (Acts 9:16). Could he have acted differently with Mary, for a mission such as hers? In the light of the Holy Spirit, which accompanies God's call, she certainly would have perceived that her path would not be different from that of the others who had been called. In fact, Simeon would soon express this premonition, when he tells her that a sword would pierce her soul.

A modern writer, Erri De Luca, has described in a poetic way this premonition of Mary at the moment of Jesus' birth. She is alone in the grotto, Joseph is watching outside -- by law no man can be present at a birth; and scarcely has she given birth to the son, when strange associations flashed through her mind: "Why my son were you born here in Bet Lehem, House of Bread? And why must we call you Ieshu? Make this shivering up my back, this shiver come from the future be far away from him." Mary senses that her son will be taken from her, then she repeats to herself: "Until the first light Ieshu is mine alone. I want to sing a song with these three words and no more. This night, here, at Bet Lehem, he is mine alone." And, thus saying, she took him to the breast to nurse him.[11]

Mary is the only one who believed "as a contemporary," that is, while the event is happening, before any confirmation or any corroboration on the part of events and of history.[8] Jesus said to Thomas: "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe" (John 20:29): Mary is the first of those who have believed without yet having seen.

St. Paul says that God loves the one who gives with joy (2 Corinthians 9:7), and Mary said her "yes" to God with joy. The verb with which Mary expresses her consent, and which is translated as "fiat" or as "let it be done." In the original Greek it appears in the optative mood ("genoito"), which is used to express desire and even joyful impatience that a certain thing should happen. It is as if the Virgin said: "I also want, with all my being, what God wants; may what he wishes be fulfilled soon." In truth, as St. Augustine said, before conceiving him in her body, she conceived him in her heart.

However, Mary did not actually say "fiat" as she didn't speak Latin, and she didn't even say "genoito," which is a Greek word. What did she say then? What is the word, which in the language spoken by Mary, corresponds most closely to this expression?

When a Jew wished to say to God, "yes, so be it," he said "amen!" If we try to go back to the exact word that came from Mary's lips, we arrive precisely at the word "amen." Those Psalms that in the Latin Vulgate ended with the expression: "fiat, fiat", in the Greek text of LXX, end with "genoito, genoito" and in the original Hebrew known by Mary with "amen, amen."

Amen is a Hebrew word, the root of which means to be solid, to be certain; it was used in the liturgy as a response of faith to the Word of God. With "amen" one recognizes what has been said as firm, stable, valid and binding. Its exact translation, when it is a response to the Word of God, is this: "So it is, and so be it."

It indicates faith and obedience at the same time; it recognizes that what God says is true and one submits to it. It is to say "yes" to God. In this sense it appears on the lips of Jesus. "Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will" (cf Matthew 11:26).

Furthermore, Jesus is amen personified -- "The Amen […] says this" (Revelation 3:14) -- and through him all other amen's that are said in the world are taken to God (cf 2 Corinthians 1:20). Mary as well, after her son, is the amen to God made person.

The faith of Mary is an act of love and docility, mysterious like every encounter between grace and liberty. This is the true personal greatness of Mary, her blessedness, confirmed himself by Christ. "Blessed is the womb that carried you and the breasts at which you nursed!" (Luke 11:27), says a woman in the Gospel. The woman proclaims that Mary is blessed because she carried Jesus; Elizabeth proclaimed her blessed because she believed; the woman proclaims blessed the one who carries Jesus in the womb; Jesus proclaims blessed the one who carries him in the heart: "Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it," Jesus responds. In this way, it helps this woman and all of us to understand from where this personal greatness of Mary comes from. Who "keeps" the Word of God better than Mary, of whom it says on two occasions in Spirture that she "kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart?" (cf. Luke 2:19,51).

We should not finish our contemplation of the faith of Mary with the impression that Mary believed once, on one occasion, and never again in her life; that there was only one great act of faith in the Virgin's life. How many times, after the Annunciation, Mary was martyred by the apparent contrast of her situation with all that was written and known about the will of God, in the Old Testament, and about the figure of the Messiah. The Second Vatican Council gave us a great gift by affirming that Mary also walked in faith, and more, that she "advanced" in faith, that is to say, faith grew and was perfected in her ("Lumen Gentium," 58).

3. Let's Also Believe!

We move now from Mary to the priest. St. Augustine wrote: "Mary believed, and in her what was believed came to pass. Let's also believe so that what came to pass in her can also happen to us".[9] Let us also believe! The contemplation of Mary should bring us to renew above all our personal act of faith and abandonment to God.

We all should and can imitate Mary in our faith, but in a special way the priest should. "The just man, because of his faith, shall live" (cf. Habakkuk 2:4; Romans 1:17). This applies, in a special way, to the priest. He is the man of faith. Faith is what makes him what he is, that is to say, his "weight" and the efficacy of his ministry.

What the faithful capture immediately in a priest, in a pastor, is if he believes in what he says and in what he celebrates. Those who seek God above all in the priest, realize immediately; those who do not seek God in him can be easily fooled and even fool the priest himself, making him seem important, brilliant, in step with the trends, when in reality he is a "resounding gong or a clashing cymbal."

Those who don't believe, but approach the priest with a spirit of seeking, understand the difference immediately. What puts one in a healthy crisis is not generally a learned discussion on faith, but rather an encounter with one who truly believes with all his being. Faith is contagious. One does not catch something by hearing someone speak of a virus or by studying it, but rather by entering into contact with someone who has it. This is faith.

At times we suffer and even complain in prayer to God, because people abandon the Church, they don't leave sin behind them. We talk, and talk and talk ... and nothing happens. One day the apostles attempted to expel a demon from a young man, but they couldn't do it. After Jesus expelled the demon from the young boy, they approached Christ and took him to one side and asked: "Why could we not drive it out?" Jesus responded: "Because of your little faith" (Matthew 17:19-20).

St. Bonaventure tells us how one day, when he was living on the Alvernia Mount, it came to him what the Fathers say, that is to say, that the devout soul, by the grace of the Holy Spirit and the power of the Almighty, can spiritually conceive by faith the blessed Word of the Father, give birth to it, give it a name and seek it and adore it like the Three Kings, and finally present it happily to God Our Father in his temple. He then wrote a work titled "The Five Feasts of the Child Jesus" to show how the Christian can relive in himself each one of the five moments of the life of Jesus. I limit myself to what St. Bonaventure says of the first two feasts, the conception and the nativity, and I will apply it in particular to priests.

The priest conceives Jesus when, unhappy with the life he is living, and moved by holy inspirations and inflamed with holy ardour, detaching himself resolutely from his old customs and attachments, remains spiritually fecund by the grace of the Holy Spirit and conceives the proposal of a new life.

Once conceived, the blessed Son of God is born in the heart of the priest if, after having conducted a holy discernment, asked opportune counsel, invoked the help of God, he put into practice the holy proposal, beginning to realize what he had been thinking but never undertaken for fear of not being capable.

This proposition of new life should, however, translate itself immediately, without delay, into something specific, in a change, possibly something external and visible, in our life and in our customs. If the proposal is not fulfilled, Jesus is conceived, but is not born. It would be one of so many spiritual abortions, which, unfortunately, the world of souls is full of.

There are two simple words that Maria said in the moment of the Anunciation, and that the priest says in the moment of his ordination: "Here I am," and "Amen" or "Yes." I remember the moment of my ordination, together with some 10 other companion, when my name was called. I responded with emotion, "Here I Am!"

During the rite, they ask us some questions: "Do you want to exercise the priestly ministry during your entire life?", and "Do you want to undertake faithfully and with dignity the ministry of the word through preaching?" "Do you want to celebrate with devotion and fidelity the mysteries of Christ?" To each question we respond: "Yes, I do."

The spiritual renewal of the Catholic priesthood, desired by the Holy Father, will be proportional to the enthusiasm with which each one of us, priests and bishops of the Church, will be capable of pronouncing again a joyful "I am here" and "yes, I do," making one relive the anointing received in the ordination.

Jesus entered the world saying: "Behold, I come to do your will" (Hebrews 10:7). Let's welcome him at Christmas saying these same words: "I have come, Lord Jesus, to do your will!"

NOTES

[1] Ps. Epiphany, Homily in praise of the Blessed Virgin, (PG 43, 497)
[2] Cf. On the questions, R. Laurentin, Mary -- ecclesiology -- priesthood, Paris 1952; art. "Sacerdoti" in the New Dictionary of Mariology, Ed. Paoline 1985, 1231-1242.

[3] Paul VI, General Audience, Oct. 7, 1964.
[4] St. Augustine, Sermons, 72 A, 8 (Misc. Aug. I, p.164).
[5] "Lumen Gentium," 64.

[6] Clement of Alexandria, Paedagogus, I, 6.
[7] Blessed Isaac Stella, Sermons, 51 (PL 194, 1863).

[8] Tertulliano, "De Carne Christi," 20-21 (CCL 2, 910 ss.).
[9] St. Augustine, Sermons, 215, 4 (PL 38,1074).

[10] C. Carretto, "Beata te che hai creduto," Ed. Paoline, 1986, pp. 9 ss.
[11] E. De Luca, "In Nome Della Madre," Feltrinelli, Milano, 2006, pp. 66 ss.

[12] "Lumen Gentium," 58.
[13] St. Augustine, Discourses, 215,4 (PL 38, 1074).

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Decrees of Vatican's Saint Congregation

Testify to 10 Miracles; 10 Cases of Heroic Virtue; 1 Martyrdom

VATICAN CITY, DEC. 19, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Here are the 21 decrees of the Congregation for Saints' Causes approved today by Benedict XVI.

Five of the decrees are for miracles attributed to those who are beatified, and are now qualified for canonization. Five decrees are for miracles attributed to those who are venerable, and are now qualified for beatification.

One decree testifies to martyrdom, and another is a decree of the heroic virtue of a blessed. The nine remaining decrees testify to the heroic virtue of servants of God.

* * *

[Decrees of miracles for blesseds]

-- a miracle attributed to the intercession of Blessed Stanislaw Soltys, called Kazimierczyk, professed priest of the Canons Regular of the Lateran, born Sept. 27, 1433 in Kazimierz (Poland) and died in the same place May 3, 1489;

-- a miracle attributed to the intercession of Blessed André Bessette (born Alfred), religious of the Congregation of the Holy Cross; born in Saint-Grégoire d'Iberville, Canada, Aug. 9, 1845, and died in Montreal, Canada, Jan. 6, 1937.

-- a miracle attributed to the intercession of Blessed Mary MacKillop (born Mary Helen), founder of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Sacred Heart; born Jan. 15, 1842 in Fitzroy, Australia, and died Aug. 8, 1909, in Sydney, Australia;

-- a miracle attributed to the intercession of Blessed Giulia Salzano, founder of the Congregation of the Catechetical Sisters of the Sacred Heart; born Oct. 13, 1846, in Santa Maria Capua Vetere, Italy, and died May 17, 1929, in Casoria, Italy;

-- a miracle attributed to the intercession of Camilla Battista da Varano, sister of the Poor Clares and founder of the monastery of St. Clare in Camerino; born April 0, 1458, in Camerino, Italy, and died in the same city May 31, 1524;

[Decrees of miracles for venerables]

-- a miracle attributed to the intercession of Venerable José Tous y Soler, priest and professed of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin and founder of the Congregation of the Capuchin Sisters of the Mother of the Divine Pastor; born March 21, 1811, in Igualada, Spain, and died Feb. 21, 1871, in Barcelona, Spain.

-- a miracle attributed to the intercession of Venerable Leopoldo de Alpandeire Sánchez Márquez (born Francisco), a professed brother of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin; born July 24, 1866, in Alpandeire, Spain, and died Feb. 9, 1956, in Granada, Spain.

-- a miracle attributed to the intercession of Venerable Manuel Lozano Garrido, a layman; born Aug. 9, 1920, in Linares, Spain, and died in the same city Nov. 3, 1971;

-- a miracle attributed to the intercession of Venerable Teresa Manganiello, a laywoman, of the Third Order of St. Francis; born in Montefusco, Italy, Jan. 1, 1849, and died Nov. 4, 1876;

-- a miracle attributed to the intercession of Venerable Chiara Badano, lay; born in Sassello, Italy, Oct. 29, 1971, and died Oct. 7, 1990;

[Decree recognizing marytrdom]

-- the martyrdom of the Servant of God Jerzy Popieluszko, diocesan priest; born Sept. 14, 1947, in Okopy Suchowola, Poland, and killed for hatred of the faith Oct. 20, 1984, near Wloclawek, Polond;

[Decree recognizing heroic virtue of a blessed]

-- the heroic virtue of Blessed Giacomo Illirico da Bitetto, a professed brother of the Order of the Friars Minor, born in 1400 in Zara, Dalmacia, and died around the year 1496 in Bitetto, Italy;

[Decrees recognizing heroic virtue for servants of God]

-- the heroic virtues of Servant of God Pius XII (Eugenio Pacelli), supreme pontiff; born in Rome on March 2, 1876, and died in Castel Gandolfo on Oct. 9, 1958;

-- the heroic virtues of Servant of God John Paul II (Karol Wojtyla), supreme pontiff; born May 18, 1920, in Wadowice, Poland, and died in April 2, 2005, in Rome;

-- the heroic virtues of Servant of God Louis Brisson, priest and founder of the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales; born June 23, 1817, in Plancy, France, and died n the same city Feb. 2, 1908;

-- the heroic virtues of Servant of God Giuseppe Quadrio, professed priest of the Salesians of St. John Bosco; born Nov. 28, 1921, in Vervio, Italy, and died in Turin, Italy, Oct. 23, 1963;

-- the heroic virtues of Servant of God Mary Ward, founder of the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary, born in Mulwith, England, Jan. 23, 1585, and died in Hewarth, England, Jan. 30, 1645;

Father Giuseppe Quadrio (1921-63), a Salesian.

Sister Mary Ward (1545-1615), an Englishwoman who founded the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Loreto Sisters).

-- the heroic virtues of Servant of God Antonia Maria Verna, founder of the Sisters of Charity of the Immaculate Conception of Ivrea; born in Pasquaro di Rivarolo, Italy, June 12, 1773, and died in the same city Dec. 25, 1838;

-- the heroic virtues of Servant of God Maria Chiara Serafina de Jesús Farolfi (born Francisca), founder of the Missionary Franciscan Clarists of the Blessed Sacrament; born Oct. 7, 1853, in Tossignano, Italy, and died June 18, 1917, in Badia di Bertinoro, Italia;

-- the heroic virtues of Servant of God Enrica Alfieri (born Maria Angela), professed religious of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Charity of St. Juana Antide Thouret; born Feb. 23, 1891, in Borgovercelli, Italy, and died in Milan, Italy, on Nov. 23, 1951;

-- the heroic virtues of Servant of God Giunio Tinarelli, layman, member of the Silent Workers of the Cross, born in Terni, Italy, May 27, 1912, and died in the same city Jan. 14, 1956.

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ZENIT would also be great for ...

2009-12-19T09:27:00.000-08:00

Dear Readers:

Continuing with our last message, we are sending more suggestions to help you give the gift of ZENIT. Potential ZENIT readers could include:

-- The catechists in your parish (maybe they could win the trip to Rome);

-- Non-Catholic friends (the news could help them discover the Church);

-- Your priest friends (especially in this Year for Priests!);

-- Missionaries (the news stories will help them see the importance of their work);

-- People who have helped you through difficulties (you could never repay them for how much they've helped you, but you can show your gratitude);

-- Those who are sick or suffering (they will find reasons to renew their hope and continue forward);

-- Loved ones (ZENIT will give you more themes of conversation);

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-- Youth discerning their vocations (they will reflect on the examples of holy men and women and the roots of their faith);

-- Young people in your parish prayer group (to share information on the needs of the Church);

-- Your old college friends (they will think of you every time they read ZENIT);

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-- Family members who live far away (so they will feel closer to you each day);

-- Those who you e-mail every day ... so that ZENIT will be better known, worldwide!

We would like to remind you that only "confirmed" subscriptions will count toward the contest for a trip to Rome and other prizes.

Giving a subscription to ZENIT is simple. Go to:

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Surprise your friends and loved ones with a free subscription to ZENIT -- and maybe win a trip to Rome.

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2009-12-18T17:02:00.000-08:00

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The World Seen From Rome

Daily dispatch - December 18, 2009

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VATICAN DOSSIER

Pope to Africans: Peace Needs Justice
How the Christmas Tree Evangelizes
Africans Receive University Icon
Vatican, EU Update Financial Accord

WORLD FEATURES

Something Hopeful in Copenhagen

INTERVIEW

US Bishops' Biggest Hope: Life-Affirming Care for All

Spirit of the Liturgy

Liturgical Vestments and the Vesting Prayers

GOD'S MEN

After 55+ Years, Still in Love With Priesthood

DOCUMENTS

Holy See to UN Climate Change Conference
Benedict XVI's Message to Ugandan Envoy
Pope's Address to Sudan's Ambassador
Papal Address to Kenyan Representative

CLASSIFIED ADS

Christmas Gift Ideas-Dvds & Books From The Vatican
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Seeking the Divine Spark: A Satire in the Style of Evelyn Waugh

VATICAN DOSSIER

Pope to Africans: Peace Needs Justice

Urges Sudan to Protect Religious Freedom

VATICAN CITY, DEC. 18, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI is urging an end to violence in Darfur and Kampala, but reminding that a mere absence of conflict does not constitute true peace.

The Pope called for justice in Sudan and Uganda when he gave individual messages in writing to new ambassadors to the Holy See from those two nations and six others.

Three of the new ambassadors are from Africa; in addition to the Sudanese and Ugandan representatives, the Kenyan ambassador also presented his credentials on Thursday.

In English-language addresses for the three Africans, the Holy Father reflected on true peace that comes from "the establishment of justice, reconciliation and solidarity."

In the address to Francis Butagira of Uganda, the Pontiff lamented how the "campaign of violence in the north of the country has devastated large areas. The tragedy for the local populations is clear for all to see. Some have had their childhood shattered and have been forced to commit deplorable crimes; there has been extensive destruction of property; widows and orphans are living in dire poverty; and many displaced persons are still unable or afraid to return to their villages and fields."

Benedict XVI noted how it is understood that the situation is improving somewhat, and he expressed his hope that "the lack of security will finally be replaced by a stable peace and prosperity for the sorely tried people of the area."

Africa synod

The Pope noted how reconciliation and peace were precisely the themes of the special synod on Africa, held at the Vatican in October.

"The experience of the Church on your continent has shown that the mere absence of conflict does not constitute peace," he said. "It is only through the establishment of justice, reconciliation and solidarity that true and lasting peace and stability can be achieved."

Minorities

In his address to Sulieman Mohamed Mustafa of Sudan, the Pope spoke not only of ongoing horrors in the Darfur region, but also of the right to religious freedom.

The Holy Father said the four-year-old Comprehensive Peace Agreement gave hope when it was signed, and the "expectations generated by this agreement [...] must be kept alive."

He lamented how "the people of Darfur continue to suffer greatly."

"Negotiated agreements between armed groups have been slow and faltering and are in urgent need of support from all sides," the Pope affirmed. "Respect for civilian populations and their basic human rights, and responsibilities in relation to national and regional stability clearly require renewed attempts to seek lasting agreements.

"It is my heartfelt hope that all parties may pursue every opportunity for settlement through dialogue and the peaceful resolution of conflicts. This is the only way that will lead to stability -- underpinned by truth, justice and reconciliation -- for the Darfur region and for the rest of the country."

Same affection

Turning to the issue of minority rights, the Pontiff noted how Sudan faces "the challenge of seeking a true and just balance between conserving cultural values that mark the identity of the majority of the population while respecting the rights and freedom of minorities."

Religious freedom must be protected by the state, the Holy Father asserted, and this should include rights to schooling.

He explained: "[F]amilies of a religious minority living where schools have educational programs suitable for the religious majority, rightly look for the recognition of their parental rights to determine the education of their children without hindrance from the law.

"Both Muslim and Christian parents share the same affection and concern for their children and their welfare, especially regarding their religious upbringing."

Sudan is 70% Muslim and only 5% Christian.

Kenya

Finally, in addressing Elkanah Odembo of Kenya, Benedict XVI contended that nations struck by poverty must share in the responsibility of overcoming it.

These countries "need to give priority to the fight against corruption and the effort to distribute wealth more equitably," he said. "By correcting the malfunctions that cause divisions between and within peoples, it should be possible to harness the positive potential of the process of globalization so as to ensure a redistribution of wealth and thereby to 'steer the globalization of humanity in relational terms, in terms of communion and the sharing of goods.'"

--- --- ---

On ZENIT's Web page:

Full text of address to Ugandan ambassador: http://www.zenit.org/article-27884?l=english

Full text of address to Sudanese ambassador: http://www.zenit.org/article-27883?l=english

Full text of address to Kenyan ambassador: http://www.zenit.org/article-27882?l=english

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How the Christmas Tree Evangelizes

Pope Reflects on Symbolic Significance of Decoration

VATICAN CITY, DEC. 18, 2009 (Zenit.org).- The Christmas tree -- with its journey from a dark forest to the brilliance of decorative lights -- represents every Christian, called to share the message that the Light of the world has become man.

This was a comparison made by Benedict XVI today when he addressed a delegation from Belgium, which provided the Christmas tree for St. Peter's Square this year.

"In the forest," the Holy Father said, "the trees are close together and each one of them contributes to making the forest a shadowy, sometimes dark, place."

"But here," he continued, "chosen from among this multitude, the majestic tree that you offered us is today lit up and covered with brilliant decorations that are like so many marvelous fruits."

"Leaving aside its dark garments for a brilliant explosion, it has been transfigured, becoming a beacon of light that is not its own, but rather gives testimony to the true Light that comes to this world," the Pope suggested.

He compared the tree's destiny with that of the shepherds, who "keeping watch in the darkness of the night, are illumined by the message of the angels."

"The luck of this tree is also comparable to our own, we who are called to give good fruits to manifest that the world has truly been visited and rescued by the Lord," the Pontiff continued.

Child-God

Benedict XVI said the Christmas tree, in its spot beside the Nativity scene, "shows in its own way the presence of the great mystery present in the simple and poor site of Bethlehem."

"To the inhabitants of Rome, to all the pilgrims, to all who will go to St. Peter's Square by way of the televisions of the whole world, it proclaims the coming of the Son of God."

"Through it," he told the Belgian pilgrims, "the sun of your lands and the faith of the Christian communities of your region greet the Child-God, he who has come to make new all things and to call all creatures, from the smallest to the greatest, to enter into the mystery of Redemption and be united to it."

The tree is decorated in gold and white -- the colors of the Vatican.

It is a fir from the Ardennes forest of Belgium. The 30-meter (about 100-foot) tree is 100 years old, has a 7-meter (22-foot) diameter and weighs 14 tons.

The tree was to be felled, along with others of the same forest, to allow for the growth of other nearby trees and plants.

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Africans Receive University Icon

Our Lady, Throne of Wisdom, Completes Aussie Tour

By Carmen Elena Villa

VATICAN CITY, DEC. 18, 2009 (Zenit.org).- The Sedes Sapientiae icon of Our Lady -- commissioned by Pope John Paul II for university students in 2000 -- has finished its tour of Australia and is headed now to Africa.

A climate of prayer, intercultural friendship, and naturally, the search for wisdom, marked the Thursday vespers service during which the icon was given to African students by their Australian contemporaries.

Breaking with tradition, Benedict XVI himself presided over a pre-Christmas vespers service with university students of Rome (usually the vicar for Rome celebrates the Mass and presides over vespers, and the Pope arrives at the end to give an address).

The icon of Our Lady, Throne of Wisdom -- created by Jesuit Father Ivan Rupnik -- spent the year visiting Australian universities. The Pope chose this venue following the July 2008 World Youth Day in Sydney.

Daniel Hill, of the University of Sydney, was with 10 other young Australians in a delegation that traveled to Rome to entrust the icon to Africa.

He said the icon's time Down Under was "a beautiful experience," explaining that the image visited 13 universities.

Hill recounted to ZENIT how during the tour, small groups of students gathered to reflect on the presence of Mary in university life. "It helped us to understand that the university should be a light that radiates the light of Christ through the example of his holy Mother," he said.

Seminarian Nicholas Rynne spoke of the change experienced by many young Australians over the last two years. "As Catholics, it is easy to feel isolated, but with this icon and with World Youth Day, we have had a powerful experience of communion with the Church."

As 2009 was an important year for the Church in Africa -- with the Pope's first apostolic visit there last March and October's synod on Africa -- 2010 will see the icon traveling to various universities across that continent.

The vespers service in Rome on Thursday already had an African feel, with the entrance and closing Marian hymns being sung to African melodies.

For young Father Paul Ubebe of Nigeria, the presence of the icon "enables us to be closer to the Church as university students. In this way, we value more the role of Mary in our salvation."

Reine Marie Miranda of Senegal told ZENIT that the most moving experience at vespers was the Pope's homily. Benedict XVI said, "Without the wisdom of God, not anything has been made of all that exists: A Christian professor or student reads everything in his light."

For Miranda, "to be humble is to see study with the eyes of little ones. Reasoning as a child, one can make miracles, because for a child, there are no limits."

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Vatican, EU Update Financial Accord

ROME, DEC. 18, 2009 (Zenit.org).- The Vatican and the European Union signed a monetary convention Thursday, updating the 2000 accord that introduced the euro as the official currency of Vatican City State.

The document was signed in the name of the Holy See, as representative of Vatican City State, by Archbishop Andre Dupuy, apostolic nuncio to the European Union, while Joaquin Almunia, European commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs, signed for the European Union.

The provisions of the new convention will come into effect Jan. 1.

Under the accord, the Vatican is allowed to mint €2,300,000 annually, plus a variable supplementary quota. Previously, the value was €1,074,000.

Additionally, at least 51% of Vatican coins should be in circulation. Previously, a large part of them was reserved for collectibles.

Finally, the new convention stipulates Vatican agreement to European Union law on money laundering, fraud and falsification of bills.

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WORLD FEATURES

Something Hopeful in Copenhagen

Positive Steps Don't Depend on Global Accord: Holy See

COPENHAGEN, Denmark, DEC. 18, 2009 (Zenit.org).- The biggest climate change talks of history wrapped up today amid a general sense of disappointment, but the Holy See had something hopeful to say.

Archbishop Celestino Migliore, the leader of the Holy See delegation in Copenhagen, and its permanent observer at the United Nations, said Thursday that the conference reiterates just how long it takes to come up with clear and firm political will.

But he said in his address to the conference, "society and local authorities did not wait for the expected political and legally binding conclusions of our meetings, which take such an incredibly long time. Instead, individuals, groups, local authorities and communities have already begun an impressive series of initiatives."

The archbishop gave some suggestions about why it is so hard for international leaders to come to a consensus.

"Is this political will slow in taking shape due to the complexity of the interlinking issues that we must tackle?" he asked. "Is it mainly a problem of conflicting national interests? Or is it the difficulty in translating into numbers the by-now acquired principle of common and differentiated responsibility? Or is it still the predominance of energy policies over care of the environment?"

It's all of the above, the prelate asserted.

Regardless, he said there are two cornerstones of the response to climate change: adaptation and mitigation.

"While technical solutions are necessary, they are not sufficient. The wisest and most effective programs focus on information, education, and the formation of the sense of responsibility in children and adults towards environmentally sound patterns of development and stewardship of creation," the prelate contended.

And according to Archbishop Migliore, these initiatives "have already started to build up a mosaic of experiences and achievements marked by a widespread ecological conversion. These new attitudes and behaviors have the potential to create the necessary intra-generational and inter-generational solidarity and dispel any sterile sense of fear, apocalyptic terror, overbearing control and hostility toward humanity that are multiplied in media accounts and other reports."

Leading the way

The Vatican representative concluded his talk affirming that the Holy See will continue to offer its support to the process.

And, he said, in its own small way, Vatican City is already setting the pace.

He noted the city-state's projects "targeted at the development of renewable energy, with the objective of reducing emissions of CO2 and its consumption of fossil fuels."

The Holy See is also "giving substance to the necessity to disseminate an education in environmental responsibility, which also seeks to safeguard the moral conditions for an authentic human ecology," the prelate affirmed.

Lifestyles

Archbishop Migliore said these efforts "are about working on lifestyles, as the current dominant models of consumption and production are often unsustainable from the point of view of social, environmental, economic and even moral analysis. We must safeguard creation -- soil, water and air -- as a gift entrusted to everyone, but we must also and above all prevent mankind from destroying itself."

"The degradation of nature is directly connected to the culture that shapes human coexistence," he affirmed. "When the human ecology is respected within society, the environmental ecology will benefit. The way humanity treats the environment influences the way it treats itself."

--- --- ---

On ZENIT's Web page:

Full text: http://www.zenit.org/article-27881?l=english

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INTERVIEW

US Bishops' Biggest Hope: Life-Affirming Care for All

Interview with Richard Doerflinger on Health Care Reform

By Kirsten Evans

WASHINGTON, D.C., DEC. 18, 2009 (Zenit.org).- With only one week left before Christmas, and as ordinary Americans flood shopping malls and prepare for the holidays, the U.S. Senate is working overtime to pass a massive health care reform bill before the end of the year.

President Barack Obama has made health care reform a hallmark issue of his first year in office, calling it the most significant legislation of its kind since Franklin D. Roosevelt's Social Security Act of 1935.

The U.S. episcopal conference has taken an active interest in articulating guidelines for health care reform, and gained national recognition for their influence in advising lawmakers in crafting the "Affordable Health Care for America Act" that passed in the House of Representatives last month, and is awaiting approval in the Senate.

ZENIT caught up this week with Richard Doerflinger, associate director of the bishops' Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities, to ask him about the bishops' interest and involvement in the shaping of health care reform legislation.

ZENIT: Since the presidential election and the inception of the new administration, health care reform has been catapulted to the forefront of American political debate. Was health care reform a concern of the U.S. bishops before 2009?

Doerflinger: Yes, we have been calling for reform to guarantee universal access to health care for over half a century. In recent years, the bishops have been very involved in efforts to expand health care coverage, especially for children and pregnant women, through the Children’s Health Insurance Program established 11 years ago.

ZENIT: Cardinal DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, a relative newcomer to the bishops' conference and chair of the Committee on Pro-Life Activities, has described health care reform as being "urgently needed." Why do the bishops see health care reform as an urgent need?

Doerflinger: We see the right to basic health care as a corollary of the right to life, as Pope John XXIII said in his encyclical "Pacem in Terris." It is a scandal that the wealthiest nation in the world still has tens of millions of people with no health coverage at all.

ZENIT: The bishops have targeted three non-negotiable principles for a just and ethical healthcare reform: respect for life and conscience, affordability, and fair access for immigrants. Could you briefly summarize for us what each of these three issues embodies?

Doerflinger: Respecting life and conscience means that reform must respect everyone's need for health care, from conception to natural death, and never promote abortion or other procedures for taking life. Employers, insurers, insurance purchasers and health care providers must also be free to live according to their conscientious convictions on respect for life.

The criterion of affordability is based on our preferential option for the poor and vulnerable: The first priority in financing the system should be that health care is made affordable for the poor who are most in need of help.

Fairness to immigrants is essential because the right to health care is based on simple membership in humanity, not in political status or place of origin.

ZENIT: There has been a lot of talk recently about the famed Hyde Amendment language and the Menendez Amendment. Could briefly explain to us why these two amendments are so important?

Doerflinger: The Hyde Amendment has prevented federal funding of abortion in most major federal health programs for 30 years, and many parallel provisions have applied this same principle to the remaining programs. Our goal on abortion in the health care reform legislation is very simple: The policy of the Hyde Amendment must be maintained so that this legislation is not used as a vehicle for promoting the destruction of unborn human life.

The Menendez Amendment is part of our effort to maintain fairness to immigrants -- it would allow states to opt out of the current punitive federal policy that prevents legal immigrants from accessing government health care for the first five years they live in our country.

The current policy is both unfair ethically and counterproductive pragmatically -- people deprived of regular access to health care wait until they are very sick and then resort to hospital emergency rooms, where health care is at its most expensive and the cost is passed on to everyone.

ZENIT: The U.S. bishops received a great deal of press and recognition for their impact on crafting the bill that passed in the House last month. This bill contained the Hyde Amendment language we spoke of above. The presence of the bishops was described as decisive in achieving bi-partisan support for this language. To what would you contribute the success of the bishops?

Doerflinger: We are seen by many as an honest broker on issues such as health care and abortion. We strongly support reform, and strongly defend the rights of the unborn; we are not tied to any party, but argue these positions on their merits as moral issues, and we are happy to work with members of both parties to achieve a better policy.

But the decisive factor in the House debate was the active involvement of several dozen pro-life Democrats who shared our twofold commitment to life and health care reform. They made their support for the legislation conditional on the bill's abortion funding problem being fixed. We only lent support and advice -- they put their reputations and careers on the line.

ZENIT: Did you find you made any unsuspected alliances with other organizations in the effort to craft a just health care reform bill?

Doerflinger: I wouldn't say it was unsuspected because it has become a common occurrence. Because we will work with members of Congress on all our issues related to human dignity, we end up being seen as part of the "liberal" coalition on immigration and affordability, and part of the "conservative" coalition on abortion.

We simply see these as complementary aspects of our single message on human dignity. In the effort to address the abortion problem itself, we worked with committed groups ranging from Family Research Council (seen as politically very conservative) to Democrats for Life and Sojourners, seen as being on the liberal side of the spectrum.

ZENIT: Now that the bill has passed to the Senate, we know that the provisions the bishops fought for in the House bill remain at high risk. What is the biggest challenge the bishops are facing as the bill they fought for is now debated on the floor of the Senate?

Doerflinger: Currently the Senate bill falls short of the House version on all three of our criteria. Perhaps the most contentious issue has been abortion, as a majority of the Senate seems committed to using this bill as a way to vastly expand federal subsidies for health plans covering elective abortion.

And the Senate does not have the large number of pro-life Democrats that proved so decisive in the House, though some pro-life members such as [Nebraska's Democratic Senator] Ben Nelson have become especially well-known for their courage in insisting that this issue be addressed. At this point we do not know what the Senate will finally pass, or if it will pass a bill this year.

ZENIT: In concrete terms, what could be some of the conscience issues that ordinary American Catholics could face in the future if a health care reform bill which the bishops do not approve of were to pass?

Doerflinger: Catholic employers could find themselves penalized for trying to purchase health coverage consistent with their core convictions, as they cannot comply with a "basic benefits package" that mandates inclusion of procedures such as contraception and sterilization. Catholic health care providers could also find themselves marginalized in a health system that is required by the government to ensure ready access to procedures that Catholic facilities do not provide. Individual Catholics may no longer be able to find a Catholic health plan in line with their own moral convictions, because Catholic ethical standards do not live up to the government's idea of an essential benefit. These issues need to be addressed in the legislation.

ZENIT: What is the bishops’ biggest hope for health care reform? And what is their biggest fear?

Doerflinger: Our biggest hope is for a renewed health care system focused on basic life-affirming care for all, reflecting our human solidarity and our dependency on each other to live and flourish. Our twofold fear is a continued ailing system that leaves tens of millions without coverage, or a system "reformed" in all the wrong directions to promote the taking of life at its beginning and its end. Neither of those results is acceptable to us.

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Spirit of the Liturgy

Liturgical Vestments and the Vesting Prayers

Father Gagliardi Explains the Tradition and Meaning

ROME, DEC. 18, 2009 (Zenit.org).- In this article, Father Mauro Gagliardi, a consultor of the Office for the Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff, explains the prayers the celebrant says while vesting for the liturgy.

These prayers -- the reciting of which is an ancient custom -- are brief, but very rich from a biblical, theological and spiritual point of view.

"Such a liturgical practice must be retained rather than jettisoned," he explains. "Its beauty and utility for the priest's spiritual life needs to be rediscovered."

* * *

Historical Background

The vestments used by the sacred ministers in liturgical celebrations derive from ancient Greek and Roman secular clothing. In the first centuries the raiment of persons of a certain social level (the "honestiores," persons of rank with property) was adopted for the Christian liturgy and this practice was maintained in the Church, even after the peace of Constantine. As we see in some Christian writers, the sacred ministers wore the best clothing, which was most probably reserved for liturgical use.[1]

While in Christian antiquity the liturgical vestments were distinguished from secular clothing, not by their particular form but by the quality of the material and their special decorum, in the course of the barbarian invasions the customs and, with them, the vesture of new peoples were introduced into the West and brought about changes in profane clothing. But the Church kept, without essential alteration, the vestments used by the clergy in public worship; in this way the secular use of clothing was distinguished from the liturgical use.

Finally, in the Carolingian epoch (which began in roughly the 8th century), the vestments proper to the various degrees of the sacrament of orders, with a few exceptions, took on their definitive form, which they retain to this day.

Function and Significance

Beyond the historical circumstances, the sacred vestments had an important function in the liturgical celebrations: In the first place, the fact that they are not worn in ordinary life, and thus possess a "liturgical" character, helps one to be detached from the everyday and its concerns in the celebration of divine worship. Furthermore, the ample form of the vestments, the alb, for example, the dalmatic and the chasuble, put the individuality of the one who wears them in second place in order to emphasize his liturgical role. One might say that the "camouflaging" of the minister’s body by the vestments depersonalizes him in a way; it is that healthy depersonalization that de-centers the celebrating minister and recognizes the true protagonist of the liturgical action: Christ. The form of the vestments, therefore, says that the liturgy is celebrated "in persona Christi" and not in the priest's own name. He who performs a liturgical function does not do so as a private person, but as a minister of the Church and an instrument in the hands of Jesus Christ. The sacred character of the vestments also has to do with their being donned according to what is prescribed in the Roman Ritual.

In the extraordinary form of the Roman Rite (the so-called Mass of Pius V), the putting on of the liturgical vestments is accompanied by prayers for each garment, prayers whose text one still finds in many sacristies. Even if these prayers are no longer obligatory (but neither are they prohibited) by the Missal of the ordinary form promulgated by Paul VI, their use is recommended since they help in the priest's preparation and recollection before the celebration of the Eucharistic sacrifice. As a confirmation of the utility of these prayers it must be noted that they are included in the "Compendium Eucharisticum," recently published by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.[2] Moreover it is useful to recall that Pius XII, with the decree of Jan. 14, 1940, assigned an indulgence of 100 days for the individual prayers.

The Vestments and the Prayers

1) At the beginning of his vesting he washes his hands, reciting an appropriate prayer; beyond the practical hygienic purpose, this act has a profound symbolism, inasmuch as it signifies passage from the profane to the sacred, from the world of sin to the pure sanctuary of the Most High. The washing of the hands is in some manner equivalent to removing the sandals before the burning bush (cf. Exodus 3:5).

The prayer hints at this spiritual dimension: "Da, Domine, virtutem manibus meis ad abstergendam omnem maculam; ut sine pollutione mentis et corporis valeam tibi servire" (Give virtue to my hands, O Lord, that being cleansed from all stain I might serve you with purity of mind and body).[3]

After the washing of the hands, the vesting proper begins.

2) The priest begins with the amice, a rectangular linen cloth, which has two strings and is placed over the shoulders and around the neck; the strings are then tied about the waist. The amice has the purpose of covering the everyday clothing, even if it is the priest's clerical garb. In this sense, it is important to recall that the amice is worn even when the celebrant is wearing a modern alb, which often does not have a large opening at the neck but fits closely around the collar. Despite the close fitting neck of the modern alb, the everyday clothing still remains visible and it is necessary for the celebrant to cover his collar even in this case.[4]

In the Roman Rite, the amice is donned before the alb. While putting it on the priest recites the following prayer: "Impone, Domine, capiti meo galeam salutis, ad expugnandos diabolicos incursus" (Place upon me, O Lord, the helmet of salvation, that I may overcome the assaults of the devil).

With the reference to St. Paul's Letter to the Ephesians (6:17), the amice is understood as "the helmet of salvation," that must protect him who wears it from the demon's temptations, especially evil thoughts and desires, during the liturgical celebration. This symbolism is still more clear in the custom followed since the Middle Ages by the Benedictines, Franciscans and Dominicans, who first put the amice upon their heads and then let it fall upon the chasuble or dalmatic.

3) The alb is the long white garment worn by the sacred ministers, which recalls the new and immaculate clothing that every Christian has received through baptism. The alb is, therefore, a symbol of the sanctifying grace received in the first sacrament and is also considered to be a symbol of the purity of heart that is necessary to enter into the joy of the eternal vision of God in heaven (cf. Matthew 5:8).

This is expressed in the prayer the priest says when he dons the alb. The prayer is a reference to Revelation 7:14: "Dealba me, Domine, et munda cor meum; ut, in sanguine Agni dealbatus, gaudiis perfruar sempiternis" (Make me white, O Lord, and cleanse my heart; that being made white in the Blood of the Lamb I may deserve an eternal reward).

4) Over the alb and around the waist is placed the girdle or cincture, a cord made of wool or other suitable material that is used as a belt. All those who wear albs must also wear the cincture (frequently today this traditional custom is not followed).[5] For deacons, priests and bishops, the cincture may be of different colors according to the liturgical season or the memorial of the day. In the symbolism of the liturgical vestments the cincture represents the virtue of self-mastery, which St. Paul also counts among the fruits of the Spirit (cf. Galatians 5:22). The corresponding prayer, taking its cue from the first Letter of Peter (1:13), says: "Praecinge me, Domine, cingulo puritatis, et exstingue in lumbis meis humorem libidinis; ut maneat in me virtus continentiae et castitatis" (Gird me, O Lord, with the cincture of purity, and quench in my heart the fire of concupiscence, that the virtue of continence and chastity may abide in me).

5) The maniple is an article of liturgical dress used in the celebration of the extraordinary form of the Holy Mass of the Roman Rite. It fell into disuse in the years of the post-conciliar reform, even though it was never abrogated. The maniple is similar to the stole but is not as long: It is fixed in the middle with a clasp or strings similar to those of the chasuble. During the celebration of the Holy Mass in the extraordinary form, the celebrant, the deacon and the subdeacon wear the maniple on their left forearm. This article of liturgical garb perhaps derives from a handkerchief, or "mappula," that the Romans wore knotted on their left arm. As the "mappula" was used to wipe away tears or sweat, medieval ecclesiastical writers regarded the maniple as a symbol of the toils of the priesthood.

This understanding found its way into the prayer recited when the maniple is put on: "Merear, Domine, portare manipulum fletus et doloris; ut cum exsultatione recipiam mercedem laboris" (May I deserve, O Lord, to bear the maniple of weeping and sorrow in order that I may joyfully reap the reward of my labors).

As we see, in the first part the prayer references the weeping and sorrow that accompany the priestly ministry, but in the second part the fruit of the work is noted. It would not be out of place to recall the passage of a Psalm that may have inspired the latter symbolism of the maniple.

The Vulgate renders Psalm 125:5-6 thus: "Qui seminant in lacrimis in exultatione metent; euntes ibant et flebant portantes semina sua, venientes autem venient in exultatione portantes manipulos suos" (They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. Going they went and wept, casting their seeds, but coming they shall come with joyfulness, carrying their maniples).

6) The stole is the distinctive element of the raiment of the ordained minister and it is always worn in the celebration of the sacraments and sacramentals. It is a strip of material that is embroidered, according to the norm, whose color varies with respect to the liturgical season or feast day.

Putting on the alb, the priest recites this prayer: "Redde mihi, Domine, stolam immortalitatis, quam perdidi in praevaricatione primi parentis; et, quamvis indignus accedo ad tuum sacrum mysterium, merear tamen gaudium sempiternum" (Lord, restore the stole of immortality, which I lost through the collusion of our first parents, and, unworthy as I am to approach Thy sacred mysteries, may I yet gain eternal joy).

Since the stole is an article of enormous importance, which, more than any other garment, indicates the state of ordained office, one cannot but lament the abuse, that is now quite widespread, in which the priest does not wear a stole when he wears a chasuble.[6]

7) Finally, the chasuble is put on, the vestment proper to him who celebrates the Holy Mass. In the past the liturgical books used the two Latin terms "casuala" and "planeta" synonymously. While the term "planeta" was especially used in Rome and has remains in use in Italy ("pianeta" in Italian), the term "casula" derives from the typical form of the vestment that at the beginning completely covered the sacred minister who wore it. The Latin "casula" is found in other languages in a modified form. Thus one finds "casulla" in Spanish, "chasuble" in French and English, and "Kasel" in German.

The prayer for the donning of the chasuble references the exhortation in the Letter to the Colossians (3:14) -- "Above all these things [put on] charity, which is the bond of perfection" -- and the Lord's words in Matthew, 11:30: "Domine, qui dixisti: Iugum meum suave est, et onus meum leve: fac, ut istud portare sic valeam, quod consequar tuam gratiam. Amen" (O Lord, who has said, "My yoke is sweet and My burden light," grant that I may so carry it as to merit Thy grace).

In conclusion, one hopes that the rediscovery of the symbolism of the liturgical vestments and the vesting prayers will encourage priests to take up again the practice of praying as they are dressing for the liturgy so as to prepare themselves for the celebration with the necessary recollection.

While it is possible to use different prayers, or simply to lift one's mind up to God, nevertheless the texts of the vesting prayers are brief, precise in their language, inspired by a biblical spirituality and have been prayed for centuries by countless sacred ministers. These prayers thus recommend themselves still today for the preparation for the liturgical celebration, even for the liturgy according to the ordinary form of the Roman Rite.

Notes

[1] Cf. for example, St. Jerome, "Adversus Pelagianos," I, 30.

[2] (Libreria Editrice Vaticana: Città del Vaticano, 2009), pp. 385-386.

[3] We are using the text of the prayers that is found in the 1962 "Missale Romanum" of Bl. John XXIII (Harrison, NY: Roman Catholics Books, 1996), p. lx.

[4] The "Institutio Generalis Missalis Romani" (2008) at No. 336 permits the amice to be dispensed with when the alb is made in such a way that it completely covers the collar, hiding the street clothes. In fact, however, it rarely happens that the collar is not seen, even partially; hence, the recommendation to use the amice in any case.

[5] No. 336 of the "Istitutio" of 2008 also allows the cincture to be dispensed with if the alb is made in such a way that it fits closely to the body without the cincture. Despite this concession, it is important to recognize: a) the traditional and symbolic value of the cincture; b) the fact that the alb -- in the traditional style, and especially in the modern style -- only fits snugly to the body with difficulty. Although the norm foresees the possibility, it should only be regarded as hypothetical when the facts are taken into account: indeed, the cincture is always necessary. Sometimes today one finds albs that have a cloth fastener that is sown about the waist of the garment that can be drawn together. In this case the prayer can be said when this is tied. Nevertheless, the traditional style remains absolutely preferable.

[6] "[T]he Priest, in putting on the chasuble according to the rubrics, is not to omit the stole. All Ordinaries should be vigilant in order that all usage to the contrary be eradicated." Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, "Redemptionis Sacramentum," March 25, 2004, No. 123.

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GOD'S MEN

After 55+ Years, Still in Love With Priesthood

Former Anglican Recounts Joy of Celebrating Mass

By Father John Jay Hughes

ST. LOUIS, Missouri, DEC. 18, 2009 (Zenit.org).- "Priests who like being priests are among the happiest men in the world." Those words by the Chicago priest and sociologist, Father Andrew Greeley, lifted me out of my chair when I read them a few years ago. "Andy, you're right," I e-mailed him. "I can confirm that from my own experience."

The son and grandson of priests in the Episcopal Church, I grew up in a world in which public worship and private prayer were as much a part of daily life as eating and sleeping. From age nine I was a choirboy at New York's Cathedral of St. John the Divine, then a kind of American version of Canterbury Cathedral or York Minster in England. We sang the psalms at daily Evensong (Vespers), and on Sundays anthems and the musical portions of the Eucharistic liturgy. I loved it.

From age 12 I knew that I wanted to be a priest. Required when I went away to boarding school to write an essay on, "What I expect to be doing in 20 years," I wrote about serving as a missionary priest in Africa. This idea, to which I had previously devoted not a moment's thought, must have come from the school chaplain, a priest of the Anglican Order of the Holy Cross, which had a mission in Liberia.

Every time I served Mass I thought: "One day I'll stand there. I'll wear those vestments. I'll say those words." The idea of a missionary vocation soon faded. But priesthood never. I went straight toward that goal, like a steel needle to a magnet, until, 12 years later, I achieved it. Following my first Mass on April 4, 1954, I was so happy that I recited the whole of the "Te Deum" aloud in the sacristy.

During six happy years of parish ministry, I found priesthood all that I had hoped for, and more. My personal religion was "Catholicism without the Pope." My studies had taught me that the modern papal claims to universal jurisdiction and infallibility were illegitimate additions to the faith of the ancient Catholic Church. Popular Catholic tracts claiming that the Pope was some kind of oracle "who gives us the answer to every question" (a caricature of authentic Catholic belief) confirmed my rejection of papal infallibility, so defined. During those years I visited countless Catholic churches on both sides of the Atlantic. I found the silent and rushed Masses, the Latin (when you could hear it) so gabbled and garbled that it might have been Chinese, an off-putting comedown from the reverent Anglican liturgy which I loved, with full congregational participation, including fervent hymn singing which I continue to miss to this day.

I always realized that Anglicanism was a theological house of cards. But it was my house. It was where the Lord had put me. You don't leave the place God has assigned you without very serious reasons. Doing so became a possibility only when I discovered, during a lengthy European trip in 1959, that the Catholic Church had a different face from the one familiar to me in the United States. This launched me on a period of agonized study and reflection, accompanied by lengthy daily prayer. For close to a year the questions of the Church, and of my conscientious duty, were not out of my mind for two waking hours together.

My final decision, at Easter 1960, to leave the Anglican Church, which I loved (it had taken me from the font to the altar), and enter an alien world, which still had little outward appeal to me, was the hardest thing I have ever done. Looking back years later (but only then), I recognized that it was the best thing I have ever done.

I became a priest for one simple reason: so that I could celebrate Mass. Doing so was wonderful the first time I did it, almost 56 years ago. It is, if possible, even more wonderful today. Celebrating Mass and feeding God's holy people with the bread of life is a privilege beyond any man's deserving. To prepare, it has been my practice for years to spend a half-hour waiting in silence on the Lord who told Moses at the burning bush: "Put off your shoes from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground" (Exodus 3:5).

Priesthood has other rewards as well. There is the joy of preaching the Gospel: feeding God's people from the table of his word. An evangelical hymn defines the preacher's task thus: "Tell me the old, old, story / Of Jesus and his love." John's Gospel says it more briefly, in words once posted inside pulpits for the preacher to see: "Sir, we would like to see Jesus" (John 12:21). His story, and Jesus' words, uphold us when we are down, rebuke us when we go astray, and fill our mouths with laughter and our tongues with joy (to use the Psalmist's words) when the sunshine of God's love shines upon us.

There is also the joy of pastoral ministry. Like priests everywhere, I have witnessed miracles of God's grace in the people we serve. Not 10 years ago a man came into my confessional bruised and bloodied from a failed marriage. Then one of our CEO Catholics (Christmas-and-Easter only), he is today a daily communicant, and a frequent penitent. Every priest has stories like that, many of them more dramatic.

Have every one of my almost 56 years of priesthood been happy? Of course not. That does not happen in any life. A widow spoke for married people when she told me: "Father, when you walk up to the altar on your wedding day, you don't see the Stations of the Cross."

Priesthood has brought me suffering as well as joy. For seven years I was without assignment and literally unemployed. Subject to a German bishop, but resident in St. Louis, I was like an army officer who has got detached from his regiment. The clerical system didn’t know what to do with me. The Church for which I had sacrificed everything seemed not to want me. I survived only by prayer. To anyone who asks, however, whether I have ever regretted my decision for priesthood, I answer honestly and at once: Never, not one single day.

Writing in April 2005 to my former teacher during my doctoral studies in Münster/Germany, Joseph Ratzinger, to express my joy at his election as Pope, and assure him of my prayers, I closed the letter, "In the joy of our common priesthood." What more can one say than that? From age 12, priesthood has been all I ever wanted. If I were to die tonight, I would die a happy man.

* * *

A priest of the St. Louis Archdiocese and a Church historian, Father John Jay Hughes is the author of 12 books and hundreds of articles. This article is an excerpt from his memoir, "No Ordinary Fool: a Testimony to Grace" (Tate Publishing): the story of his difficult journey to the Catholic Church; and the story too of a man who, almost 56 years after ordination, is still in love with priesthood. He can be reached at jaystl@sbcglobal.net.

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This article is part of the column God's Men -- a series of reflections on the priesthood ZENIT is offering its readers during this Year for Priests. If you or someone you know has an inspiring testimony of the priesthood to contribute, please contact our editor at info.news@zenit.org.

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DOCUMENTS

Holy See to UN Climate Change Conference

"The Way Humanity Treats the Environment Influences the Way It Treats Itself"

COPENHAGEN, Denmark, DEC. 18, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Here is the statement Archbishop Celestino Migliore, permanent observer of the Holy See at the United Nations, delivered Thursday to the U.N. conference on climate change, currently under way in Copenhagen. Archbishop Migliore is head of the Holy See delegation to the meeting.

* * *

Mr President,

This conference reiterates how long it takes to create the clear and firm political will necessary to adopt common binding measures and adequate budgets for an effective mitigation and adaptation to ongoing climate change.

Is this political will slow in taking shape due to the complexity of the interlinking issues that we must tackle? Is it mainly a problem of conflicting national interests? Or is it the difficulty in translating into numbers the by-now acquired principle of common and differentiated responsibility? Or is it still the predominance of energy policies over care of the environment? Undoubtedly, there is a little of all of this.

However, it should be noted how the many considerations that are being developed during this process converge on a central aspect: the necessity of a new and deeper reflection on the meaning of the economy and its purposes, and a profound and far-reaching revision of the model for development, to correct the malfunctions and distortions. This, in fact, is required by the good ecological health of the planet and especially as an urgent response to the cultural and moral crisis of man, whose symptoms have long been evident all over the world.

With realism, trust and hope we must assume the new responsibilities which call us to the scene of a world in need of a deep cultural renewal and a rediscovery of fundamental values on which to build a better future. The moral crises that humanity is currently experiencing, be they economic, nutritional, environmental, or social -- all deeply interlinked -- oblige us to redesign our way, to establish new guidelines and to find new forms of engagement. These crises become thus the occasion for discernment and new thinking.

Obviously, this obligation requires the collection of detailed and accurate scientific analysis to help avoid the anxieties and fears of many and the cynicism and indifference on the part of others. It also requires the responsible involvement of all segments of human society to search for and discover an adequate response to the tangible reality of climate change. If the diagnosis -- by force of circumstances in the hands of science, information and politics -- finds it difficult to provide clarity and to motivate the concerted and timely action of those responsible for human society, reason and the innate sense of shared responsibility of the people once again must prevail.

Civil society and local authorities did not wait for the expected political and legally binding conclusions of our meetings, which take such an incredibly long time. Instead, individuals, groups, local authorities and communities have already begun an impressive series of initiatives to give form to the two cornerstones of the response to climate change: adaptation and mitigation. While technical solutions are necessary, they are not sufficient. The wisest and most effective programs focus on information, education, and the formation of the sense of responsibility in children and adults towards environmentally sound patterns of development and stewardship of creation.

These initiatives have already started to build up a mosaic of experiences and achievements marked by a widespread ecological conversion. These new attitudes and behaviors have the potential to create the necessary intra-generational and inter-generational solidarity and dispel any sterile sense of fear, apocalyptic terror, overbearing control and hostility towards humanity that are multiplied in media accounts and other reports.

Mr President,

The Holy See, in the albeit small state of Vatican City, also is making significant efforts to take a lead in environmental protection by promoting and implementing energy diversification projects targeted at the development of renewable energy, with the objective of reducing emissions of CO2 and its consumption of fossil fuels.

In addition, the Holy See is giving substance to the necessity to disseminate an education in environmental responsibility, which also seeks to safeguard the moral conditions for an authentic human ecology. Many Catholic educational institutions are engaged in promoting such a model of education, both in schools and in universities. Moreover, Episcopal Conferences, Dioceses, parishes and faith-based NGOs have been devoted to advocacy and management of ecological programs for a number of years.

These efforts are about working on lifestyles, as the current dominant models of consumption and production are often unsustainable from the point of view of social, environmental, economic and even moral analysis. We must safeguard creation -- soil, water and air -- as a gift entrusted to everyone, but we must also and above all prevent mankind from destroying itself. The degradation of nature is directly connected to the culture that shapes human coexistence: when the human ecology is respected within society, the environmental ecology will benefit. The way humanity treats the environment influences the way it treats itself.

In his recent encyclical "Caritas in Veritate" and World Day of Peace Message 2010 Pope Benedict XVI addressed to all those involved in the environmental sector an inescapable question: how can we hope that future generations respect the natural environment when our educational systems and laws do not help them to respect themselves?

Mr President,

Environment and climate change entail a shared responsibility toward all humanity, especially the poor and future generations.

There is an inseparable link between the protection of creation, education and an ethical approach to the economy and development. The Holy See hopes that the process in question can ever more appreciate this link and, with this outlook, continues to give its full cooperation.

Thank you, Mr President.

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Benedict XVI's Message to Ugandan Envoy

"The Mere Absence of Conflict Does Not Constitute Peace"

VATICAN CITY, DEC. 18, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Here is the English-language address Benedict XVI delivered in writing upon receiving in audience Francis K. Butagira, the new ambassador from Uganda to the Holy See.

The Pope received the envoy Thursday, together with representatives from seven other nations, and addressed all eight with a separate discourse delivered in French.

* * *

Your Excellency,

I am pleased to welcome you to the Vatican as you present the Letters of Credence by which you are appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Uganda to the Holy See. I am grateful for the courteous greetings and good wishes which you have expressed on behalf of His Excellency President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni. I willingly reciprocate and I ask you kindly to convey to His Excellency and to the people of Uganda the assurance of my prayers for their well-being.

Diplomatic relations between the Holy See and the Republic of Uganda continue to offer many opportunities for mutual assistance and cooperation for the spiritual good and welfare of the people of your nation. Likewise the climate of freedom and respect in your nation towards the Catholic Church has allowed her to be faithful to her proper mission. The fruits of cooperation between the Church and the State, especially in areas related to development, education and healthcare, are widely recognized. Indeed, such a solid foundation should promote personal integrity, justice and fairness in local communities and hope for the whole nation, both among those who govern and among the general population, and should be an important factor in stability and growth.

Mr Ambassador, in your address you mentioned the steady economic growth of the nation. The progress made to counter the causes of underdevelopment is certainly encouraging. Initiatives to promote more productive forms of agriculture, the proper use of the country’s resources and the implementation of concrete policies of regional cooperation are also very welcome. These and other efforts in various spheres, such as the provision of clean drinking water for all, the protection of the environment, the promotion of a sound, universal education and the struggle against corruption in its various forms, are part of an ambitious programme which will require good governance.

The campaign of violence in the north of the country has devastated large areas. The tragedy for the local populations is clear for all to see. Some have had their childhood shattered and have been forced to commit deplorable crimes; there has been extensive destruction of property; widows and orphans are living in dire poverty; and many displaced persons are still unable or afraid to return to their villages and fields. It is understood that this situation has improved to some extent and I hope that the lack of security will finally be replaced by a stable peace and prosperity for the sorely tried people of the area. As the world looks for concrete results from the meeting held recently in Uganda on the plight of displaced persons, refugees and returnees, I pray that the Kampala Declaration may lead those in positions of responsibility in your nation and beyond to give due support and assistance to all who, through no fault of their own, have been forced to flee their homes.

In this context, I would like to recall that reconciliation and peace were the principal themes of the recent Special Synod for Africa held here in the Vatican just a few months ago. The experience of the Church on your continent has shown that the mere absence of conflict does not constitute peace. It is only through the establishment of justice, reconciliation and solidarity that true and lasting peace and stability can be achieved. I assure Your Excellency that Ugandan Catholics, in living the values of the Gospel, wish to serve their fellow men and women in the promotion of deep-rooted reconciliation and peace. The Church will also continue to work for justice for all, accompanied by the fervent prayer that such a precious gift may become a reality for all citizens, without regard for ethnicity, region or creed.

Your Excellency, I am sure that your time as Ambassador will help to strengthen the cordial relations which already exist between the Holy See and Uganda. The various departments of the Roman Curia are ready to assist you and, as you begin your high mission, I am pleased to assure you of my prayers. I invoke Almighty God's abundant blessings upon you, your family, and upon all the people of Uganda.

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Pope's Address to Sudan's Ambassador

"The People of Darfur Continue to Suffer Greatly"

VATICAN CITY, DEC. 18, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Here is the English-language address Benedict XVI delivered in writing upon receiving in audience Sulieman Mohamed Mustafa, the new ambassador from Sudan to the Holy See.

The Pope received the envoy Thursday, together with representatives from seven other nations, and addressed all eight with a separate discourse delivered in French.

* * *

Your Excellency,

It is my pleasure to welcome you to the Vatican today and to receive the Letters accrediting you as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of the Sudan to the Holy See. I am grateful for the greetings you have expressed on behalf of His Excellency Omar al-Bashir, President of the Republic, and I ask you kindly to convey my good wishes to all your beloved fellow citizens.

The Holy See willingly establishes diplomatic relations with different countries as a vehicle for fostering dialogue and cooperation worldwide. This dialogue can assist greatly in overcoming tensions, misrepresentations and misunderstandings, especially when these endanger the cause of peace and development. In the case of Sudan, the Holy See was profoundly gratified at the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement four years ago which ended a tragic period of immense suffering, loss of life and destruction. The expectations generated by this agreement, contracted by important parties within the country and with the support of the international community, must be kept alive. The positive results, based on a genuine search for just solutions to tensions and on multi-party cooperation, should inspire further improvements in the process of implementation. Likewise in this delicate period, the good work being undertaken by international peacekeepers in sensitive areas and by humanitarian agencies deserves the support and due assistance of all national and regional authorities.

Mr Ambassador, the country you represent has the resources and the population to become an important actor on the African Continent. It will prosper when the nation's citizens live in a land where harmony and goodwill prevail, on the basis of the just resolution of existing conflicts acceptable to all parties. Violence "puts the brake on authentic development and impedes the evolution of people towards greater socio-economic and spiritual well-being" (Caritas in Veritate, 29); peace and development, two essential elements for the well-being of any nation, cannot exist without the safeguarding of human rights for all citizens without exception.

In this context, it must be noted that the people of Darfur continue to suffer greatly. Negotiated agreements between armed groups have been slow and faltering and are in urgent need of support from all sides. Respect for civilian populations and their basic human rights, and responsibilities in relation to national and regional stability clearly require renewed attempts to seek lasting agreements. It is my heartfelt hope that all parties may pursue every opportunity for settlement through dialogue and the peaceful resolution of conflicts. This is the only way that will lead to stability -- underpinned by truth, justice and reconciliation -- for the Darfur region and for the rest of the country.

Mr Ambassador, the Catholic Church in your country is committed to the spiritual and human well-being of her members and indeed of all the citizens of the nation, especially through education, healthcare and development projects and by fostering a spirit of tolerance, peace and respect for others through dialogue and cooperation. Catholics seek only that freedom, recognition and respect proper to the Church’s identity and mission.

Sudan, like many countries is faced with the challenge of seeking a true and just balance between conserving cultural values that mark the identity of the majority of the population while respecting the rights and freedom of minorities. Public authorities need to ensure that the fundamental human right of religious freedom be truly enjoyed by people of all faiths. Likewise, families of a religious minority living where schools have educational programmes suitable for the religious majority, rightly look for the recognition of their parental rights to determine the education of their children without hindrance from the law. Both Muslim and Christian parents share the same affection and concern for their children and their welfare, especially regarding their religious upbringing.

Your Excellency, I invite you to avail yourself of the willing cooperation of the Departments of the Roman Curia as I wish you every success in your mission to further the cordial relations existing between the Sudan and the Holy See. May the Almighty bestow his blessings upon Your Excellency, your family and the nation you represent.

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Papal Address to Kenyan Representative

"Harness the Positive Potential of the Process of Globalization"

VATICAN CITY, DEC. 18, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Here is the English-language address Benedict XVI delivered in writing upon receiving in audience Elkanah Odembo, the new ambassador from Kenya to the Holy See.

The Pope received the envoy Thursday, together with representatives from seven other nations, and addressed all eight with a separate discourse delivered in French.

* * *

Your Excellency,

I am pleased to welcome you to the Vatican and to accept the Letters accrediting you as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Kenya to the Holy See. I thank you for the greetings which you bring from your President, His Excellency Mwai Kibaki, and I ask you to convey my respectful gratitude to him and to assure him of my continuing prayers for the well-being of all your people.

As you know, the Second Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops was held in Rome in October of this year, and some six months earlier I made my first Apostolic Visit to Africa. These are signs of the continuing commitment of the Holy See to maintain and strengthen its cordial relations with the peoples and nations of your continent, and to ensure that the African dimension of the pressing concerns you mention -- religious freedom, interreligious dialogue, international peace and justice and all areas of human development -- will remain firmly on the agenda of the international community. As I said on my arrival last March, Africa has suffered disproportionately at a time of global food shortages, financial turmoil and disturbing patterns of climate change (Address at Welcome Ceremony, 17 March 2009), and it is essential that attempts to resolve these problems take due account of the needs and rights of the peoples of Africa.

You have spoken of the dark period experienced by Kenya about two years ago, in the aftermath of disputed election results. Let me seize this occasion to assure you again of my heartfelt compassion for all those who suffered injury or bereavement in the course of the violence, and my earnest hope that the reform agenda on which your Government has embarked may succeed in restoring the peace and stability for which Kenya was justly renowned for many years. Dialogue and popular consent, matched by accountability and transparency, are the hallmarks of a sound and stable democratic government. In pursuing these objectives, the Kenyan authorities will be laying the foundations of a just and peaceful society for a long time to come.

In view of the abundant human and natural resources with which Kenya is blessed, the goal of prosperity for all her citizens ought to lie within her grasp. Naturally, the global economic downturn of the past twelve months has taken its toll, and the Holy See will continue to urge the "pressing moral need for renewed solidarity" between countries at different stages of development (Caritas in Veritate, 49), in the interests of economic justice. Yet the responsibility for striving to overcome poverty must also be shouldered by the societies concerned, which need to give priority to the fight against corruption and the effort to distribute wealth more equitably. By correcting the malfunctions that cause divisions between and within peoples, it should be possible to harness the positive potential of the process of globalization so as to ensure a redistribution of wealth and thereby to "steer the globalization of humanity in relational terms, in terms of communion and the sharing of goods" (ibid., 42).

This is where the local Church offers a most valuable contribution, highlighting the ethical dimension of the issues that present themselves in the life of the nation. I thank you for the appreciation you have expressed of the work of the Catholic community in Kenya in the areas of healthcare, education and human rights, and particularly in promoting initiatives for peace and reconciliation at the time of the post-election crisis. I can assure you that Catholics in Kenya are eager to continue this mission of service to the wider community, especially in the light of the renewed commitment to reconciliation, justice and peace that was the particular focus of the recent Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops. That solemn event was a summons to the Church in Africa to proclaim with joy the good news of her life-giving faith, so as to bring hope to the hearts of all the people of the continent.

Your Excellency, I am confident that the diplomatic mission which you begin today will consolidate the good relations that exist between the Holy See and the Republic of Kenya. In offering you my best wishes for the years ahead, I would like to assure you that the various departments of the Roman Curia are always glad to provide help and support in the fulfilment of your duties. Upon you, your family and all the people of Kenya I cordially invoke God’s abundant blessings.

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The World Seen From Rome

Daily dispatch - December 17, 2009

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VATICAN DOSSIER

Vatican Dismisses Milingo From Clerical State
Pope Urges Useful and Just Climate Accord
Pontiff Speaks of Urgent Task: Being Happy
Benedict XVI Praises Theology-Art Link
Pope Accepts Irish Prelate's Resignation

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Christmas Has Mexican Look in Paul VI Hall

INTERVIEW

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DOCUMENTS

Vatican Statement on Emmanuel Milingo

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VATICAN DOSSIER

Vatican Dismisses Milingo From Clerical State

Calls Move an "Extraordinary" Measure

VATICAN CITY, DEC. 17, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Retired Archbishop Emmanuel Milingo of Lusaka, Zambia, who attracted the world's attention in 2001 when he attempted to marry a Korean acupuncturist during a ceremony of Sun Myung Moon's Unificationist Church, has been dismissed from the clerical state.

A communiqué published today by the Vatican press office notes that the "dismissal of a bishop from the clerical state is most extraordinary," and adds that the Church "hopes that Archbishop Milingo will see the error of his way."

Although the scandal of Milingo's attempted marriage -- so noted because the Church doesn't recognize its validity -- garnered much more media attention, the Church didn't take the extreme measure to dismiss him from the clerical state until after he began in September 2006 to ordain bishops without permission from the Vatican. The ordinations are part of an effort to abolish celibacy in the priesthood.

"By so doing," the Vatican statement affirms, "he incurred the penalty of excommunication latae sententiae (Canon 1382) which was declared by the Holy See on 26 September 2006 and is still in force today."

"Sadly, Archbishop Milingo has shown no sign of the desired repentance with a view to returning to full communion with the Supreme Pontiff and the other members of the College of Bishops," the note continues. "Rather, he has persisted in the unlawful exercise of acts belonging to the episcopal office, committing new crimes against the unity of Holy Church.

"Specifically, in recent months Archbishop Milingo has proceeded to several other episcopal ordinations. The commission of these grave crimes, which has recently been established, is to be considered as proof of the persistent contumacy of Archbishop Emmanuel Milingo.

"The Holy See has therefore been obliged to impose upon him the further penalty of dismissal from the clerical state."

"While expressing hope for their conversion, the Church reaffirms what was declared on 26 September 2006, namely that she does not recognize these ordinations, nor does she intend to recognize them, or any subsequent ordinations based on them, in the future," the Vatican affirms. "Hence the canonical status of the supposed bishops remains as it was prior to the ordination conferred by Archbishop Milingo."

Citing Canon 292, the communiqué explains that dismissal from the clerical state implies the "loss of the rights and duties attached to the clerical state, except for the obligation of celibacy; prohibition of the exercise of any ministry, except as provided for by Canon 976 of the Code of Canon Law in those cases involving danger of death; loss of all offices and functions and of all delegated power, as well as prohibition of the use of clerical attire."

"Consequently, the participation of the faithful in any future celebrations organized by Archbishop Emmanuel Milingo is to be considered unlawful," the note says, adding that the Church "entrusts to the power of prayer the repentance of the guilty party and of all those who -- be they priests or lay faithful -- have in any way cooperated with him by acting against the unity of Christ’s Church."

From Lusaka to Rome

Emmanuel Milingo, 79, was born in Mnukwa, Zambia. He was ordained a priest in 1958 and was named archbishop of Lusaka in 1969. He was 39.

Before being named archbishop, he had founded the Daughters of Zambia Helpers' Society and the Daughters of the Redeemer.

In 1983, he was called to Rome to answer accusations of improper use of the powers of exorcism. The Pope accepted his resignation as archbishop and was transferred to the Vatican as a functionary in the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People.

Archbishop Milingo spent his time, however, organizing exorcisms and healing services, attended by thousands of faithful. Since these ceremonies were often emotional, with "reinterpretations" of the exorcism ritual, the Italian bishops prohibited Archbishop Milingo from holding them in their dioceses

As a result, the Zambian started holding the services in hotel reception rooms. It also led him to seek recognition of his work from the Unification Church.

In 1999, the archbishop was removed from his post in the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People.

In May 2001 -- at the age of 71 -- Milingo attended a group marriage ceremony with Maria Sung celebrated within Sun Myung Moon's Family Federation for World Peace and Unification.

Milingo met his future wife -- a 43-year-old Korean acupuncturist -- two days before the wedding. Although she was chosen by Unification Church founder Moon himself, Milingo said he regarded her as "a twin soul." He said he had no idea where they would live.

Shortly after the ceremony Milingo visited Pope John Paul II in Rome and expressed his desire to return to the Catholic Church and leave Maria. The reconciliation was mediated by Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Pope's secretary of state, who at the time was an archbishop and the secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

After a long period of spiritual retreat in Argentina, the archbishop returned to his ministry in the town of Zagarolo near Rome.

In 2006, the situation changed. After weeks of keeping out of the public eye, he appeared on July 12 in Washington, D.C., to announce that he would again be living with Maria Sung and would publicly contest priestly celibacy.

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Pope Urges Useful and Just Climate Accord

Says Key to Peace Is Putting Person at Center of Policies

VATICAN CITY, DEC. 17, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI today urged political leaders to advance binding international accords to protect the environment.

The Pope made this exhortation in a French-language address to eight new ambassadors to the Holy See, from Denmark, Uganda, Sudan, Kenya, Kazakhstan, Bangladesh, Finland and Latvia. The U.N. conference on climate change, under way in Copenhagen, is set to conclude Friday.

"I heartily encourage the political authorities of your respective countries and of the family of nations, not only to strengthen their activities in favor of protecting the environment, but also -- given that the problem can only be confronted at the particular level in each country -- to be a force for proposals and incentives, so as to reach binding international accords that are useful and just for everyone."

"As much in the individual realm as in the political one, it is now necessary to take up more decided commitments and ones that are shared more widely, in that which pertains to creation," he contended. "People cannot exclude themselves from [responsibility for creation], nor defer it to coming generations."

The Bishop of Rome also pointed to the connection between creation and world hunger.

He cautioned that the deterioration of the environment "is a direct threat for the survival of man and for his proper development; and it can even directly threaten peace between people and populations."

Reckless consuming

The Pope recalled that "the good of man is not found in ever more reckless consumption nor in the limitless accumulation of things -- consumption and accumulation that are reserved to a small number and proposed as models for the masses."

Instead, Benedict XVI proposed, religions are a source of peace.

Religions emphasize the "primacy of the person and the spirit," he said, though the state as well has this duty.

The Pope continued by telling the ambassadors that nations should encourage the person in his spiritual quest.

"We all know that peace needs political and economic, cultural and spiritual conditions to establish itself," he affirmed. "Peaceful coexistence among different religious traditions within each nation is sometimes difficult."

"More than a political problem, this coexistence is also an internal problem," he continued.

In God's eyes

The key to the solution, the Holy Father proposed, is recognizing God as the creator of man: "of every man, regardless of his religion, social condition or political opinions."

And by recognizing this, he said, "every one will respect the other in his uniqueness and difference."

"Before God there is no category or hierarchy of persons, inferior or superior, dominant or protected," the Pontiff declared. "There is nothing for Him more than the person he has created out of love and who He wants to see live, in his family and in society, in fraternal harmony."

"For the person of faith or of good will, the resolution of human conflicts, like the fragile co-existence of different religions, can transform itself in human coexistence in an order full of goodness and wisdom that has its origin and dynamism in God," he continued. "This coexistence in the respect for the nature of things and the inherent wisdom that comes from God [...] is called peace."

In his place

The Pope acknowledged that it is sometimes difficult in the political and economic world to give primacy of place to the person.

Even more challenging is admitting "the importance and the necessity of religion," he said, and giving "religion its true nature and space in the public sphere."

But, the Holy Father concluded, "peace -- which is so desired -- will not be reached in any way other than with the joint action of individuals, who discover their true nature in God, and of the leaders of civil and religious societies who -- with respect for the dignity and the faith of each one -- know how to recognize and give to religion its noble and authentic function of completing and perfecting the human person."

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Pontiff Speaks of Urgent Task: Being Happy

Welcomes Honorary Citizenship of Introd

VATICAN CITY, DEC. 17, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI says it is urgent to offer people the joy of living as God's children, a gift that is freely offered by Christ.

The Pope said this Wednesday when he received an honorary citizenship of Introd -- a municipality in northern Italy's Aosta Valley, nestled within the Alps.

The Holy Father vacationed there this year and in 2006.

He affirmed his "great joy" at receiving citizenship of a place of "unforgettable periods of rest, surrounded by the splendid alpine panorama, which favors an encounter with the Creator and restores the spirit."

The Pontiff said the citizens of the region "always have given me a warm and cordial welcome and, at the same time, [have been] discreet and respectful of my rest."

"Now I have more right to say that I am from Introd, that delicious alpine spot," the Holy Father declared.

He also praised the Church of the region, saying it "doesn't tire of proclaiming the ever new 'news' of Jesus, the Word of God, who became man to offer people the joy of living, already here on earth, the exciting experience of being the beloved children of God."

The Bishop of Rome suggested that this task "seems especially urgent in a society that nourishes -- especially among new generations -- illusions and false hopes.

He said that "the Lord also today calls [us] to be transformed into the 'family' of the children of God, who live with 'one heart and one soul' to give witness to the love of life and the poor."

Finally, Benedict XVI voiced his prayer that the Lord will continue protecting the region of the Aosta Valley, and "will help it to build a future, which, with God in the first place, will always be more just, solidary and full of hope."

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Benedict XVI Praises Theology-Art Link

Lauds Work of 90-Year-Old Czech Cardinal

VATICAN CITY, DEC. 17, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI is recognizing the contribution made by Cardinal Tomas Spidlik to theological dialogue between the East and West. The Pope celebrated a Mass for him today on the cardinal's 90th birthday.

He celebrated the Mass in the Redemptoris Mater chapel in the Apostolic Palace, which was designed under the supervision of Cardinal Spidlik.

The Czech cardinal, a Jesuit, is a specialist in Eastern theology and spirituality and he is the founder of the Aletti Center. The center is attached to the Pontifical Oriental Institute.

The Redemptoris Mater chapel is a work of Father Marko Ivan Rupnik, of the Aletti Center. The chapel is an artistic-theological synthesis of Eastern and Western Christian spirituality.

In this context, the Holy Father emphasized the important contribution of Cardinal Spidlik, "interweaving through the years a lively and, in many senses, original theological vision, in which the Christian East and West come together organically, mutually exchanging their respective gifts."

The Pope continued: "Its foundation is the life of the Spirit; the beginning of knowledge: love; study: an initiation in spiritual memory; dialogue with the individual person: an indispensable criteria; and its context: the ever living body of Christ, which is his Church.

"Directly linked to this theological vision is the exercise of spiritual paternity, which Cardinal Spidlik has constantly developed and continues to develop."

The Pontiff reflected on the work carried out by the Aletti Center, "which seeks to take up his precious teaching, making it fruitful with new intuitions and new investigations, also through artistic representation."

Benedict XVI stated that it seems to him "particularly beautiful to emphasize the link between theology and art that flows from [the cardinal's] thought."

Cardinal Spidlik "has travelled a rich itinerary of thought, always communicating with ardor and profound conviction that the center of all of revelation is a Tripersonal God, and that, consequently, man created in his image is essentially a mystery of liberty and love, who is fulfilled in communion: the same mode of being as God," the Pope explained. "This communion does not exist for itself, but rather proceeds -- as the Christian East tirelessly affirms -- from the divine Persons who freely love each other.

"Liberty and love, constitutive elements of the person, are not apprehensible through rational categories, which is why the person cannot be understood, if not within the mystery of Christ, true God and true man, and in a communion with him, which becomes acceptance of the divine-human also in our existence."

--- --- ---

On the Net:

Aletti Center: http://www.lipaonline.org/ealetti.htm

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Pope Accepts Irish Prelate's Resignation

Bishop Murray of Limerick Steps Down Amid Scandal

VATICAN CITY, DEC. 17, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI has accepted the resignation of Bishop Donal Murray of Limerick, after an official report on clergy sex abuse accused him of failing to adequately deal with allegations brought to his attention as prelate.

According to a communiqué from the Holy See, the Pope accepted the bishop's resignation according to Canon 401 of the Code of Canon Law, which stipulates that a bishop can resign for a "grave cause" that diminishes his capacity to govern. The resignation went into force today.

The 69-year-old bishop received pressure to step down since the Nov. 26 publication of an official report into clergy sexual abuse from 1975 to 2004 in the Archdiocese of Dublin. Bishop Murray was an auxiliary bishop there from 1982 to 1996.

Bishop Murray is the only active bishop named in the report for failing to deal properly with sexual abuse cases.

In a Dec. 2 interview with the Limerick Leader, Bishop Murray affirmed that in conscience, he did not consider himself involved in a cover-up, and attributed any failings in his handling of allegations to inexperience and naïveté. Both the bishop and the report itself have pointed to failures in the system of internal communication within the archdiocese.

Today, Bishop Murray announced in St. John's Cathedral in Limerick that the Pope had accepted his resignation.

"I have heard the views of many survivors, especially in the days following the publication of the Murphy Report," he said. "Some expressed the wish that I should resign; others asked me not to do so. I know full well that my resignation cannot undo the pain that survivors of abuse have suffered in the past and continue to suffer each day."

The prelate reiterated his apology and affirmed to survivors that his primary concern "is to assist in every way that I can, on their journey toward finding closure and serenity."

He continued: "A bishop is meant to be a person who seeks to lead and inspire all the people of the diocese in living as a community united in the truth and love of Christ. I asked the Holy Father to allow me to resign and to appoint a new bishop to the diocese because I believe that my presence will create difficulties for some of the survivors who must have first place in our thoughts and prayers."

"We are people who believe that God’s mercy and God’s healing are without limit," he affirmed, citing an earlier statement. "We are meant to be bearers of that hope to one another and especially to people whose trust was betrayed when they were just little children and who endured the terror, helplessness and suffering inflicted by a frightening and dominant adult. They should always have a special place in our prayers."

Praying for victims

Bishop Murray had informed his collaborators Dec. 1 of his request to resign.

On Dec. 7, he met with Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, who agreed to present the request to the Holy Father at his weekly meeting with the Pontiff on Dec. 12.

The day before that, the Pope had met with the president of the Irish bishops' conference, Cardinal Sean Brady, and Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin.

A communiqué from the Vatican following that meeting affirmed, "The Holy Father shares the outrage, betrayal and shame felt by so many of the faithful in Ireland, and he is united with them in prayer at this difficult time in the life of the Church."

It added that "His Holiness asks Catholics in Ireland and throughout the world to join him in praying for the victims, their families and all those affected by these heinous crimes."

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NEWS BRIEFS

Christmas Has Mexican Look in Paul VI Hall

VATICAN CITY, DEC. 17, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Christmas decorations in Paul VI Hall have a Mexican flair this year, with a 20-foot Nativity scene and Christmas tree.

The decorations were presented to Benedict XVI on Wednesday during the general audience held in the hall.

The president of the Mexican episcopal conference, Archbishop Carlos Aguiar Retes of Tlanepantla, told ZENIT that "I could see that the Holy Father was very content as he contemplated the Nativity."

The spirit of Mexico also spreads beyond Paul VI Hall this year. A photo exhibit with 20 one-meter religiuosly-inspired scenes of Mexico is adorning Via della Conciliazione.

"Christmas is a family holiday, a holiday that brings together family members, and there is an exchange of gifts. [...] We remember that the greatest gift that the Lord has given us in his son. Thus, it is a very important moment of evangelization," the archbishop said.

In 2007, Paul VI Hall was also decorated with gifts from Mexico. That year, the Nativity scene and tree adornments were donated by the state of Jalisco, in the context of the 15th anniversary of the re-establishment of diplomatic relations between Mexico and the Holy See.

[Reporting by Mercedes de la Torre]

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INTERVIEW

The Church's Charity Crusader (Part 2)

Interview With Cardinal Paul Josef Cordes

ROME, DEC. 17, 2009 (Zenit.org).- For the past 15 years, Cardinal Paul Josef Cordes has worked as the president of the dicastry that seeks "to orient and to inspire the charitable work of the Catholic Church." One aspect of that work is to help the aid agencies maintain their Catholic faith and identity.

Cardinal Cordes, 75, has been the president of Pontifical Council Cor Unum since 1995, when it separated from the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace. He has recently published two books: "Where are the Helpers: Caritas and Spirituality?" (Notre Dame University Press), and "Why Priests? Various Answers Guided by the Teachings of Benedict XVI" (Scepter Press).

In part 2 of this interview with ZENIT, Cardinal Cordes discusses what the Pontifical Council Cor Unum is doing to help aid organizations maintain their Catholic identity, and what Benedict XVI has done to articulate a clear teaching on the role of caritas in Catholic social doctrine.

Part 1 of this interview appeared Wednesday.

ZENIT: What is Cor Unum doing to ensure these agencies do not become ideological or veer toward adopting secular values in their practices?

Cardinal Cordes: There are at least three important elements:

First, alongside the proclamation of the Word and the celebration of the liturgy, the bishop is the first responsible of the mission of charity in his diocese. In the course of the "ad limina" visits of the bishops to Cor Unum and my visits to the various episcopal conferences worldwide, I seek to remind the pastors of this responsibility.

"Deus Caritas Est" confirms this in a categorical way: "In conformity with the episcopal structure of the Church, the bishops, as successors of the Apostles, are charged with primary responsibility for carrying out in the particular Churches the programme set forth in the Acts of the Apostles" (#32). Since the bishops bear the burden for charity, they cannot simply delegate or abdicate this final accountability to others. This in no way means that he must do everything himself, as this would be impossible. But it does mean that those who assist in this necessary work do so in connection and under the supervision and guidance of the shepherd the Lord has provided for the diocese.

As a second area, Cor Unum has, as one of its principal duties, the proclamation of the "Catechesis of Charity." The Holy Father’s encyclical makes this easier and ever more vivid, but, most importantly, it provides an opportunity for reflection, both for the dicastery and for all Catholic charitable organizations.

When I think about the several hundred people I have met, faith-filled and motivated by their love for Christ, who carry out the countless works of charity within the Church each day, a growing number of whom are volunteers, I actually encounter hardly anyone who wants to follow the wrong path.

We encourage them to put into practice the ordinary demands of the Christian life and urge their bishops to give them inspiring and proper guidance. We try to support a greater openness on the part of full-time employees of charitable organizations to the ever-increasing volunteers to be found in every parish and in so many new movements. We will also seek to make known the directives provided in the new encyclical to the leadership of the agencies. At our last two Plenary Assemblies, we reflected with our members and consultors about the need to establish guidelines in order to help the formation of workers in charitable agencies, both salaried and volunteer.

A third and recent initiative of the Pontifical Council is "Spiritual Exercises" for the directors of Caritas and other Catholic charitable organizations, organized for the different continents. In June 2008, these were held in Guadalajara, Mexico, for America (North and South), attended by some 500 persons, including 40 bishops. This past September, a similar gathering was held in Taipei, Taiwan, for the great continent of Asia. Over 450 directors welcomed our invitation of which five were cardinals and some 60 bishops.

The highly positive feedback that we have received from both events shows the thirst for spirituality in the field of charity. The participants appreciated particularly that Christian charity cannot be separated from its root, the Word, and that it must always be nourished by prayer. The Word of God and prayer: These nourish the roots of faith in charitable activity. The importance of this initiative may be gauged from the moving words of an archbishop of a large diocese in Vietnam: "After the spiritual exercises, I am convinced more than ever that charitable work means this: to reveal to others the love of God; to conform myself to Jesus always through an intimate relation with the Father; and to radiate this intimacy to my people without any distinction. I will try to share the experience of Taipei with the People of God in my archdiocese."

At the Plenary Assembly of the Australian bishops, we expressed our desire to offer spiritual exercises for the directors of the Church's charitable organizations in Australia, New Zealand and Oceania. The bishops were positive, and are now looking for the most suitable timeframe.

ZENIT: How much is it up to regional episcopal conferences to ensure the Catholic agencies carry out their work as the Church intends?

Cardinal Cordes: Some time ago -- Sept. 9, 2002, to be exact -- the former secretary of state, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, sent a letter to all of the bishops' conferences throughout the world on this very topic. He clarified that the ultimate responsibility for all of the charitable activity in his diocese, even though he may rely on others to help him, belongs to the bishop: "In fact," the cardinal noted, "witnessing to charity in the name of Christ is explicitly mentioned in the liturgy of episcopal ordination with the question: 'Are you willing to always be welcoming and merciful, in the name of the Lord, toward the poor and all those in need of comfort and help?'"

Benedict XVI's encyclical "Deus Caritas Est" confirms this responsibility in an even more categorical way.

ZENIT: How do you see the future of Catholic aid and development work?

Cardinal Cordes: We must not make the mistake of thinking that we can eradicate poverty by ourselves, since the Lord Himself assured us that the poor with always be with us. Paradise on earth is an illusion. As Benedict XVI states in "Deus Caritas Est": "There will never be a situation where the charity of each individual is unnecessary, because in addition to justice man needs, and will always need, love" (No. 29).

We come to a greater appreciation of the future of Catholic aid and development work by reflecting on the life of the early Church: "He (Jesus) went about doing good and healing all those oppressed by the devil, for God was with him" (cf. Acts 10:38ff). It is of the very mission of the Church to "do good" and to proclaim the Good News to the poor as Christ did.

The credibility of our Gospel witness through charity will be found rather in doing our best to provide an experience of God's goodness, thus allowing him to heal the wounds of humanity.

ZENIT: You also gave a lecture at the Australian Catholic University on the Holy Father's latest encyclical, "Caritas in Veritate." What was your main thought?

Cardinal Cordes: I have sought to understand the encyclical within the history of the Church's social teaching. From the time of the Industrial Revolution, the Church's fight for human dignity focused on social and political goals. It aimed at inner worldly efficiency. At the recent Special Synod for Africa at the Vatican (October 2009), the interventions of many bishops also centered on this. The work of Caritas or the encyclical "Deus Caritas Est" were hardly mentioned. Indeed, the preparatory paper -- the "lineamenta" -- spoke of the keyword "justice" no less than 160 times (the word "love" appeared just three times). Of course, these details are inspired by the current, varied needs of Africa.

The very theme of the synod -- "Justice, Peace, Reconciliation" -- encouraged such contents. It was regrettable, however, that the charitable work of the local Churches and the commitment of volunteers in communities, of which we at Cor Unum hear so much good during the "ad limina" visits of the African bishops, had no resonance.

Even more disturbing is the fact that almost exclusively engagement on behalf of humanity wishes to change social structures. In this way, the understanding of Caritas and its goals will be dominated by a merely political perspective. Obviously, the example of certain large Church charitable organizations, which accompany some U.N. events and world gatherings with political protests, encouraging the "protest culture," has become a school. It is quite logical then that the description of goals for the work of Caritas Africa, which was presented to the bishops' synod in a pamphlet, culminates in social change ("Advocacy for the Poor").

In his new document, "Caritas in Veritate," Benedict XVI is clearly aware of this secularizing trend. He takes up the faith perspective, and places the Church's social directives in the light of Caritas, love. The Pope teaches: "Charity is at heart of the Church's social doctrine" (No. 2). The love that is meant here is "received and given" by God (No. 5): It is the love of the Father as Creator God, the Son as Redeemer, and poured forth through the Holy Spirit that graces the communal life of men and women on the basis of certain principles.

For human development, the encyclical asserts the "central place of charity" (No. 19). The wisdom -- it says later -- that is capable of directing men "must be 'seasoned' with the 'salt' of charity" (No. 30). These simple and self-evident phrases that we find have important implications: cut off from Christian experience, social teaching would become like any other ideology, which Pope John Paul II rejected. Or it can even become a political manifesto without a soul. In reality, social instruction "incarnates" the faithful in society. It places a duty upon the Christian to give flesh to his or her faith. As the teaching document states: "Charity always manifests God's love in human relationships as well, it gives theological and salvific value to all commitment for justice in the world" (No. 6).

Such features of social doctrine anchor it firmly in Revelation. Here we see direct continuity with the message of "Deus Caritas Est" and its faith orientation for all Church diakonia.

ZENIT: You have written two books, which will soon be released in English. What do these concern?

Cardinal Cordes: "Where are the Helpers: Caritas and Spirituality?" (Notre Dame University Press) addresses in an in-depth way Benedict XVI's "Deus Caritas Est" (God Is Love), the first encyclical of his papacy. Since this represents the magna carta of our work -- to orient and to inspire the charitable work of the Catholic Church -- in this volume, I present my own studies and other reflections that investigate the meaning of Christian help, comment on the theological, spiritual, and canonical guidelines of "Deus Caritas Est," and illustrate concrete ways to help the needy and, in doing so, experience the goodness of God. The work shows the need of a "formation of the heart" for those engaged in charitable activity.

"Why Priests? Various Answers Guided by the Teachings of Benedict XVI" (Scepter Press) is the second book. It is written in the context of the "Year for Priests," called for by Benedict XVI. It seeks to tackle some highly relevant questions facing the Church today. When -- as we often hear -- there are too few priests, can and should lay people assume some part of the priestly ministry? When all men and women have equal dignity in the eyes of God, is it not also time to organize parishes democratically? Behind the efficient division of labor in the care of souls or the organized structures of parishes, why does the Church need priests at all?

I look for an answer through a dialogue with the theologian Benedict XVI, whose foundational statements on the ministry of priests are presented at the start of each chapter. In this way, "various answers" are offered regarding the Catholic priesthood, which are useful for the priest and his parish, the seminarian and his ambience, as well as all those interested in the priestly ministry and the Church's decision-making process.

--- --- ---

On ZENIT's Web page:

Part 1 of the interview: http://www.zenit.org/article-27861?l=english

On the Net:

"Where are the Helpers: Caritas and Spirituality?": http://undpress.nd.edu/book/P01390

"Why Priests? Various Answers Guided by the Teachings of Benedict XVI": http://www.scepterpublishers.org/product/index.php?FULL=649

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ROME NOTES

God Is Relevant; The Art of Desecration

Rome Conference Discusses the Importance of Faith, Religion

By Edward Pentin

ROME, DEC. 17, 2009 (Zenit.org).- It's hard to imagine a serious conference on the importance of God in the world taking place in many of the West's capital cities today. If they do take place at all, they usually degenerate into televised spectacles and malicious attacks on the Church.

Yet a three-day conference in Rome last week -- titled "God Today: With Him or Without Him, That Changes Everything" -- successfully brought together leading theologians, philosophers, artists, politicians and Church to discuss, rationally and calmly, the importance and relevance of God to people's daily lives. An estimated 2,500 people -- many of them young people -- filled the auditorium near the Vatican, despite some secularists predicting they would never turn up.

Benedict XVI sent a message underlining the significance of the meeting, which was originally the idea of Cardinal Camillo Ruini and hosted by the Italian bishops conference. "The issue of God," he wrote, "is central in our time, which often tends to reduce man to a single dimension -- the 'horizontal' dimension -- in the belief that his openness to the Transcendent is irrelevant to his life."

Man's relationship with God, he stressed, "is essential for the journey of humankind" and the Church and all Christians have the task of making God present in the world. The Pope then highlighted what made this conference different from the usual sceptical debates about religion.

Its starting point was to show the various paths that lead to affirming the truth about the existence of God fully revealed through Jesus Christ. It also aimed at throwing light on the essential importance that God has for mankind, for each person's life and his salvation.

"In a cultural and spiritual situation such as the present, where there is a growing tendency to relegate God to the private sphere, to consider him as irrelevant and superfluous, or even to reject him explicitly, it is my heartfelt hope that this event may contribute, at the least, to dispersing the shadow that makes modern man hesitant and timorous before the idea of openness to God," the Pope wrote.

Particularly impressive were the short yet heartfelt opening words of Rome's mayor, Gianni Alemanno. "This conference is a very good provocation against ideological secularism which wants to exclude any public debate on God," he told the audience. "But it's also a provocation against that very 'easygoing' secularism which is very present in our everyday life and which takes God, and our need for reflection on the very meaning of life and death, away from our daily lives."

"Without God and without religion," he added, "there are deeply rooted problems -- everything becomes more difficult if we don't have something in common which goes beyond our daily lives." But with God, he said, there can be a "new humanism" where "everything is really enhanced and its real value is taken into account."

Although brief, his comments received rapturous applause.

* * *

The Loss of Beauty

One of the conference speakers was the renowned Anglo-American philosopher, writer and composer, Roger Scruton. After his address, I sat down with him to talk about his speech and the state of religion in the West, particularly in Britain.

The essence of Scruton's talk was how, until relatively recently, artistic creation of beauty was about giving glory to God, but now is often about desecrating the human form. He explored the reasons why.

"Artists in the post enlightenment period tried hard to hold on to the idea of beauty precisely to compensate for the loss of their faith," he explains. Musicians such as Wagner, he adds, saw it as "the unique vestige of the sacred in our world," and modernism tried to reconnect with the sacred through art created by writers and musicians such as Eliot, Messiaen, and Brittan.

"Then suddenly in our time, since the 1960s and all the rest, we have a new kind of art which is repudiating beauty and putting ugliness in its place," Scruton explains. "I'd say it's an 'art of desecration' which looks not to desecrate beauty, but to desecrate the human form."

He refers to "the examples of the usual young British art types" such as Damian Hirst, and in particular the conceptual artists Jake and Dinos Chapman, two brothers whose work Scruton describes as "particularly repulsive."

"So I asked myself: What does this mean? Why should people want to desecrate the human form and the ordinary ideals of human life? And I say, you only desecrate what is sacred. Only something sacred can be desecrated. So there's this cry from the heart here for the religious meaning of things. It's showing the yearning for God and the sense that these things make no sense without him."

He adds that we have "lost all that idea that beauty is something we create together by way of embellishing our world."

In the past, Scruton has pointed to the difficulties of proving "the truth of religious sentiments." He is well aware of the challenges, having debated the well-known atheists Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens in the past. So how can Christians find a better way of communicating the truth of the faith in the world today?

"Intelligent people don't see a problem in seeing that there can be truths which lie beyond the reach of scientific argument and there can be truths whose content was only revealed through a way of living – that's the task of theology and philosophy, to make that clear," he says. "But ordinary people don't see religion in that way. For them it's a matter of basic certainties. Certainties are very hard to rediscover once they've been lost."

I ask how the faith could be brought back to Britain which appears to be in desperate need of a return to its Christian roots. Just this week a survey revealed that only half of Britons now consider themselves Christian after a "sharp decline" in religious belief over the past quarter of a century. "To re-evangelize the English, you'd need a new Augustine [of Canterbury]," Scruton replies. But he warns that if the Christian faith has vanished completely from Britain, then that leaves a vacuum into which another faith will flow.

"The Christian faith might flow back but then it's in competition with all the other things that might flow in: the New Age type religions, Hinduism, and Buddhism. There may be a complete fragmentation as under the late Roman Empire: before Christianity took over, there were thousands of little cults. But, of course, Islam will then have a big following because it will be the only thing that establishes a unity."

I put it to him that perhaps the Pope's expected visit to Britain next year, the beatification of Cardinal John Henry Newman and the new provisions for disaffected Anglicans point to some urgency toward the re-evangelization of the country. "Yes, that might be a possibility," he says, adding that a general election is also expected in 2010. "Maybe we'll see a wholesale conversion of the English to their faith."

We then turned to today's prominent atheists and the best way to debate them. "You've got to have the right people up against them," he says. "You need people who are stronger and wittier than they are in an argument. You have to get the right audience as well."

He says he doesn't mind debating people like Dawkins and Hitchens. "The problem is what I have to say doesn't directly confront what they have to say," he says. "There's nothing in what Dawkins says that I can actually disagree with -- it's just that it leaves out half of life. He talks perfectly reasonably about the explanation of human life, but not about its meaning."

Although an Anglican, the philosopher is particularly sympathetic to Benedict XVI's stand against what Scruton calls the vandalism of the liturgy and the musical traditions of the Church. "That resonates with me," he says. "I've felt it was so unnecessary giving way to temporary fashions which have now disappeared. But now the Church has to work to rediscover what it could have had without working for it."

* * *

Edward Pentin is a freelance writer living in Rome. He can be reached at: epentin@zenit.org.

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DOCUMENTS

Vatican Statement on Emmanuel Milingo

Holy See Has Imposed Penalty of Dismissal From the Clerical State

VATICAN CITY, DEC. 17, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Here is the statement released today by the Vatican press office concerning the former archbishop of Lusaka, Zambia, Emmanuel Milingo, and the Holy See's move to dismiss him from the clerical state.

* * *

For a number of years the Church has followed with great concern the difficulties caused by the regrettable conduct of Archbishop Emmanuel Milingo. Many attempts have been made to bring Archbishop Milingo back into communion with the Catholic Church, including the consideration of suitable ways to enable him to exercise the episcopal ministry. Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI were directly involved in those efforts and both Popes personally followed the case of Archbishop Milingo in a spirit of paternal solicitude.

In the course of this unhappy series of events, Archbishop Milingo became irregular in 2001 as a result of his attempt to marry Mrs. Maria Sung, and incurred the medicinal penalty of suspension (cf. Canons 1044 § 1, n. 3; 1394 § 1 of the Code of Canon Law). Thereafter, he headed certain groups calling for the abolition of clerical celibacy and gave numerous interviews to the media in open disobedience to the repeated interventions of the Holy See, creating serious upset and scandal among the faithful. Then, on 24 September 2006 in Washington, Archbishop Milingo ordained four Bishops without pontifical mandate.

By so doing, he incurred the penalty of excommunication latae sententiae (Canon 1382) which was declared by the Holy See on 26 September 2006 and is still in force today. Sadly, Archbishop Milingo has shown no sign of the desired repentance with a view to returning to full communion with the Supreme Pontiff and the other members of the College of Bishops. Rather, he has persisted in the unlawful exercise of acts belonging to the episcopal office, committing new crimes against the unity of Holy Church. Specifically, in recent months Archbishop Milingo has proceeded to several other episcopal ordinations.

The commission of these grave crimes, which has recently been established, is to be considered as proof of the persistent contumacy of Archbishop Emmanuel Milingo. The Holy See has therefore been obliged to impose upon him the further penalty of dismissal from the clerical state.

According to Canon 292 of the Code of Canon Law, the penalty of dismissal from the clerical state, now added to the grave penalty of excommunication, has the following effects: loss of the rights and duties attached to the clerical state, except for the obligation of celibacy; prohibition of the exercise of any ministry, except as provided for by Canon 976 of the Code of Canon Law in those cases involving danger of death; loss of all offices and functions and of all delegated power, as well as prohibition of the use of clerical attire. Consequently, the participation of the faithful in any future celebrations organized by Archbishop Emmanuel Milingo is to be considered unlawful.

It must be pointed out that the dismissal of a Bishop from the clerical state is most extraordinary. The Holy See has felt obliged to act in this way due to the serious consequences for ecclesial communion resulting from repeated episcopal consecrations carried out without pontifical mandate; nevertheless, the Church hopes that Archbishop Milingo will see the error of his ways.

As for those recently ordained by Archbishop Milingo, the Church’s discipline in imposing the penalty of excommunication latae sententiae upon those who receive episcopal consecration without pontifical mandate is well-known. While expressing hope for their conversion, the Church reaffirms what was declared on 26 September 2006, namely that she does not recognize these ordinations, nor does she intend to recognize them, or any subsequent ordinations based on them, in the future. Hence the canonical status of the supposed bishops remains as it was prior to the ordination conferred by Archbishop Milingo.

At this moment, as the Church experiences profound sorrow for the grave acts perpetrated by Archbishop Milingo, she entrusts to the power of prayer the repentance of the guilty party and of all those who -- be they priests or lay faithful -- have in any way cooperated with him by acting against the unity of Christ’s Church.

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