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Thursday, February 28, 2013

The apostolic voyages of Benedict XVI

Reflections on the last General Audience of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI




Venerable Brothers in the Episcopate and in the Priesthood!


Distinguished Authorities!

Dear Brothers and Sisters!

Thank you for coming in such large numbers to this last General Audience of my pontificate.

A heartfelt thanks! I am truly moved! And I see the Church alive! And I think we should also thank the Creator for the beautiful weather that He is giving us today while we’re still in winter.

As the Apostle Paul in the biblical text that we have heard, I too feel in my heart that I must above all thank God, who guides and builds up the Church, who sows his Word and thus nourishes the faith in his People. At this moment my heart expands to embrace the whole Church throughout the world, and I thank God for the "news" that in these years in the Petrine ministry I have been able to receive about the faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love that circulates in the Body of the Church and makes it live in love, and about the hope that opens us and directs us towards the fullness of life, towards the heavenly homeland.  [That is how it should be for all of us.  The end in mind!]

I feel that I carry everyone in prayer, in a present that is God’s, where I recall every meeting, every trip, every pastoral visit. I gather everyone in prayer to entrust them to the Lord, so that we may have full knowledge of His will, in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, and so that we may comport ourselves in a manner worthy of Him, of His love, bearing fruit in every good work (cf. Col 1:9-10).  [All good things are rewarded.  All bad things are punished.]

At this time, I feel great trust, because I know, all of us know, that the Word of the truth of the Gospel is the strength of the Church, it is its life. The Gospel purifies and renews, it bears fruit, wherever the community of believers listens and receives the grace of God in truth and lives in charity. This is my trust, this is my joy.

When, on April 19 almost eight years ago, I agreed to take on the Petrine ministry, I felt this certainty firmly, and it has always accompanied me. At that moment, as I have already stated several times, the words that resounded in my heart were: Lord, why are you asking this of me and what are you asking of me? It is a great weight you are placing on my shoulders, but if this is what You ask, at your word I will let down the nets, confident that You will guide me, [Duc in altum] even with my weaknesses. And eight years later I can say that the Lord has truly guided me, He has been close to me, I could feel His presence every day. It has been a stretch of the Church's journey, which has had moments of joy and light, but also difficult moments; I felt like St. Peter and the Apostles in the boat on the Sea of ​​Galilee: [I really love the imagery of the Lord in the back of the boat of Peter...sleeping.] the Lord has given us many days of sunshine and gentle breeze, days when the fishing has been plentiful, and there were also times when the water was rough and the wind against us, as in the whole history of the Church, and the Lord seemed to sleep. But I always knew that the Lord is in the boat, and I always knew that the boat of the Church is not mine, not ours, but it is His. And He will not let her sink, it is He who leads it, certainly also through the men he has chosen, because so He has willed it. [BELLISIMA!!!] This was and is a certainty, that nothing can obscure. And that is why today my heart is filled with gratitude to God because He has never left me or the Church without His consolation, His light, His love.

We are in the Year of Faith, which I wanted to strengthen our faith in God in a context that seems to put it more and more into the background. I would like to invite everyone to renew their firm trust in the Lord, to trust like children in the arms of God, certain that those arms support us always and are what allow us to walk every day, even when fatigued. I would like everyone to feel loved by that God who gave his Son for us and has shown us his boundless love. I want everyone to feel the joy of being Christian. A beautiful prayer to be recited daily in the morning says: "I adore you, my God, I love you with all my heart. Thank you for having created me, for having made me Christian..." [The full text of this traditional prayer is below.] Yes, we are happy for the gift of faith; it is the most precious thing, that no one can take from us! We thank God for this every day, with prayer and with a coherent Christian life. God loves us, but expects that we too love Him!  [The greatest vocation is to love, be loved and know that you are loved!]

But it is not only God that I want to thank at this time. A Pope is not alone in guiding the barque of Peter, even if the primary responsibility is his; and I have never felt alone in carrying the joy and weight of the Petrine ministry; the Lord has put next to me many people, with generosity and love for God and the Church, they have helped me and have been close to me. First of all you, dear Brother Cardinals: your wisdom, your advice, your friendship has been precious to me; my collaborators, starting with my Secretary of State who has accompanied me faithfully over the years, the Secretary of State and the whole of the Roman Curia, as well as all those who, in various fields, give their service to the Holy See: there are many faces who do not appear, they remain in the shadow, but precisely in this silence, in their daily work, in a spirit of faith and humility, they have been a solid and reliable support for me. A special thought to the Church of Rome, my diocese! I cannot forget the Brothers in the Episcopate and in the Priesthood, consecrated persons and the entire People of God: in the pastoral visits, in encounters, in the auidences, in my travels, I have always perceived great care and deep affection, but I also have loved each and every one, without exception, with that pastoral charity which is the heart of every pastor, especially the Bishop of Rome, the Successor of the Apostle Peter. Every day I have remembered each of you in my prayers, with a father's heart.  [teary eyed...*sniff*]

I would like my greetings and my thanks, then, to reach everyone: the heart of a Pope extends to the whole world. And I would like to express my gratitude to the Diplomatic Corps at the Holy See, which makes present the great family of nations. Here I also think of all those who work for a good communication and I thank them for their important service.

At this point I would like to thank from my heart all the many people around the world who in recent weeks have sent me touching tokens of attention, friendship and prayer. Yes, the Pope is never alone, now I experience this again in so great a way that it touches my heart. The Pope belongs to everyone and many people feel very close to him. It is true that I receive letters from the great ones of the world - from Heads of State, religious leaders, representatives of the world of culture and so on. But I also receive many letters from ordinary people who write to me simply from their heart and make me feel their affection, born from being together with Christ Jesus, in the Church. These people do not write to me the way one writes, for instance, to a prince or a to great person that one does not know. They write to me as brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, with the sense of a very affectionate family tie. Here one can touch firsthand what the Church is - not an organization, not an association for religious or humanitarian purposes, but a living body, a community of brothers and sisters in the Body of Jesus Christ, who unites us all. To experience the Church in this way and to be able almost to touch with your hands the power of its truth and its love, is a source of joy, in a time when many speak of its decline. But we see how the Church is alive today!  [The liberals who do not agree with the theological and liturgical reforms of Pope Benedict are the ones who say the Church is in decline....Hello pro-RH politicians, media and groups in the Philippines!!!]

In recent months, I felt that my strength had decreased, and I asked God earnestly in prayer to enlighten me with His light to make me take the right decision not for my sake, but for the good of the Church. I have taken this step in full awareness of its seriousness and also its novelty, but with profound peace of mind. Loving the Church also means having the courage to make tough choices, difficult ones, having always before oneself the good of the Church and not oneself.

Here allow me to return once again to April 19, 2005. The seriousness of the decision also lay precisely in the fact that from that moment on I was busy always and forever with the Lord. Always - whoever assumes the Petrine ministry no longer has any privacy. He belongs always and totally to everyone, to the whole Church. His life is, so to speak, totally deprived of its private dimension. I experienced, and I am experiencing it now, that one receives life when one gives it. [The parable of the seed...] I said before that many people who love the Lord also love the Successor of Saint Peter and are fond of him, that the Pope truly has brothers and sisters, sons and daughters all over the world, and that he feels safe in the embrace of their communion; because he no longer belongs to himself, he belongs to all and all belong to him.

The "always" is also a "forever" - there is no return to the private sphere. My decision to forgo the exercise of active ministry, does not revoke this. I will not return to private life, to a life of travel, meetings, receptions, conferences and so on. [BOOM!!!  Hope it hits that cardinal who has more time with conferences than actually running the archdiocese!!!  Oh wait....his staff from Ateneo is running it....is Fr. Reggie involved?]  I am not abandoning the cross, but remain in a new way with the Crucified Lord. [An obvious response to Cardinal Dziwisz who made that infamous comment after the resignation.  He mentioned that when John Paul II was sick, the Blessed Pope did not think of going down the cross and continuing the fight.  As I see it, Benedict is saying "I am not Christ.  Why would I be going down from the cross when I am not crucified?"]  I no longer carry the power of the office for the government of the Church, but in the service of prayer I remain, so to speak, within St. Peter's bounds. St. Benedict, whose name I bear as Pope, will be for me a great example in this. He showed us the way to a life which, active or passive, belongs wholly to the work of God.  [Peter he will be no more, he will be Benedict the monk.]

I thank each and everyone for the respect and understanding with which you have accepted this important decision. I will continue to accompany the journey of the Church through prayer and reflection, with the dedication to the Lord and to His Spouse, with which I have tried to live every day until now and with which I want to live forever. I ask you to remember me before God, and above all to pray for the Cardinals, who are called to so important a task, and for the new Successor of Peter: may the Lord accompany him with the light and the power of his Spirit.

Let us invoke the maternal intercession of Mary, Mother of God and of the Church, that she accompany each of us and the whole ecclesial community; we entrust ourselves to Her, with deep confidence.

Dear friends! God guides His Church, he sustains her always, and especially in difficult times. Let us never lose this vision of faith, which is the only true vision of the Church and the world. In our heart, in the heart of each of you, may there always be the joyous certainty that the Lord is near us, he does not abandon us, he is near us and surrounds us with his love. Thank you!

[Translation by Peter Waymel/ZENIT News Agency]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I offer a warm and affectionate greeting to the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors who have joined me for this, my last General Audience. Like Saint Paul, whose words we heard earlier, my heart is filled with thanksgiving to God who ever watches over his Church and her growth in faith and love, and I embrace all of you with joy and gratitude.

During this Year of Faith, we have been called to renew our joyful trust in the Lord’s presence in our lives and in the life of the Church. I am personally grateful for his unfailing love and guidance in the eight years since I accepted his call to serve as the Successor of Peter. I am also deeply grateful for the understanding, support and prayers of so many of you, not only here in Rome, but also throughout the world.

The decision I have made, after much prayer, is the fruit of a serene trust in God’s will and a deep love of Christ’s Church. I will continue to accompany the Church with my prayers, and I ask each of you to pray for me and for the new Pope. In union with Mary and all the saints, let us entrust ourselves in faith and hope to God, who continues to watch over our lives and to guide the journey of the Church and our world along the paths of history.

I commend all of you, with great affection, to his loving care, asking him to strengthen you in the hope which opens our hearts to the fullness of life that he alone can give. To you and your families, I impart my blessing. Thank you!

[Original text: English]

© Copyright 2012 - Libreria Editrice Vaticana

***

Hope that the example of Pope Benedict will also set a precedent to bishops and cardinals who cling on to their positions as if it were their birthright...

We will surely miss this great pope.  He is really a teacher and pastor, like St. Paul writing to us his letter to the Corinthians about Love.  So simple yet so deep in meaning.

Benedict XVI's pontificate will be remembered as a very eventful pontificate.  In the eyes of the secular media they will look at it through the PR gaffes, the Regensburg address, the Vatileaks scandal, which in my opinion happens to anyone.  He is Pope, infallible but not impeccable.

Google the difference of those two words.

His teachings about rediscovering the Faith in praying what we believe in, brought many back to rediscover the sacred in our Liturgy when most of those who proclaim themselves EXPERTS in Liturgy...those who had been educated by the framers of the Vatican II Constitution on the Liturgy (may God rest his soul) are running wild destroying the sanctity of our Holy Mass turning it into their OWN show, their OWN stage, their OWN time.\

Narcissistic priests have been exposed for who they are and those who prey on the young, the helpless and who roam with the sheep of Christ, wolves dressed as sheep ready to strike down Christ's own...Yet this gentle shepherd defended us with his gentle voice, profound teachings and decisive demeanor.

He is truly the Ecumenical Pope.  He practiced what true ecumenism is...bringing the lost into the One Fold...that all may be one!  He reached out more vigorously to the Orthodox and the ultra-traditionalist group SSPX.  A move that is probably so lukewarm during the time of Blessed John Paul.

He gave us our legitimate right back to worship like how our ancestors, teachers of the Faith, heroes and saints worshiped by giving Summorum Pontificum, clearing all speculations about this rite being abrogated by Vatican II, a charge brought about the hatred of professional liturgists who insist on worshiping according to the Order of the Mass they wrote either on their office desks or a Roman tavern...all because of a common hatred for the past.

He began cleaning the ranks of erring priests and bishops a task that should have been done during the time of his predecessor who in fact was responsible for either appointing these erring bishops or of not disciplining dissenting theologians firmly.  In fairness to John Paul, he did disciplined Liberation Theology and Hans Kung...but those in America and in Asia still cry their hearts out for MODERNISM.

His pontificate IS a pontificate.

In him we saw Peter.

In him we saw that he indeed IS the Vicar of Christ on Earth!

Thank you very much Holy Father!

Thank you!

***

As promised here is the prayer...


O My God, I adore You and I love You with all my heart. I thank You for having created me, for having made me a Christian and for having watched over me this day. Pardon me for the evil I have done this day; and if I have done any good, deign to accept it. Watch over me while I take my rest and deliver me from danger. May Your grace be always with me. Amen. 





The Morning Prayer of Benedict XVI



This is the prayer that the Holy Father Benedict XVI mentioned in his last General Audience in St. Peter's Square on February 27.

May it be our prayer as well.



O My God, I adore You and I love You with all my heart. 
I thank You for having created me, for having made me 
a Christian and for having watched over me this day.
Pardon me for the evil I have done this day; 
and if I have done any good, deign to accept it. 
Watch over me while I take my rest and deliver me from danger.
May Your grace be always with me. Amen. 

Moments in Pope Benedict's pontificate

Sede Vacante 2013

Euro coins have been minted for circulation at the start of the Sede Vacante 2013 tonight at 8:00PM.

The arms of the Cardinal Camerlengo are minted on the coin.  That is the cardinatial arms of Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Cardinal Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church, with the arms of the Holy See Sede Vacante.


Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Breaking of the Fisherman's Ring



At Whispers in the Loggia, it was posted...

"At the same time today, it was also confirmed today that – keeping with the rites scripted over centuries to mark a papal vacancy – the Fisherman's Ring with which Benedict was invested on his 2005 election (its casting a departure from the past) will indeed be destroyed to symbolize the end of this pontiff's authority and, per tradition, protect against any potential forgeries of documents."

I don't believe this will be done primarily because what Pope Benedict XVI is wearing is his Fisherman's Ring, yes, no doubt about it, but IT IS NOT the signet Fisherman's ring that is used to make papal bulls or wax seals and stamps on official papal documents.

Pope Benedict is wearing the traditional Fisherman's ring.  Other popes before him did not wear the same ring.  The ring that the pope is wearing right now bears a positive image of St. Peter in a boat casting his net, and the pope's papal name, as you can see on the picture.

But the Fisherman's ring that is traditionally destroyed is the one used to make papal bulls and seals.  The practice of destroying piscatorial ring is not only for purely ceremonial purposes but to destroy the ring so that no other official documents are made under the preceding pope.  That is why it is destroyed in front of the Sacred College who are gathered before the camerlengo who destroys it.  The primary witness is the Cardinals gathered who are now governing the Church during sede vacante.  Pope Benedict XVI who will be emeritus tomorrow at 8:01PM Rome Time is not a member of the Sacred College thus he will not share the power of governing the Church during sede vacante.

Here is a photo of the mark left by the fisherman's ring of Paul VI on a papal bull.  Courtesy of John Sonnen of Orbis Catholicus Secundus.


Now look at the rings in these papal portraits.






Notice the rings?  Either they have a single stone set on it, and they do not resemble the Ring of the Fisherman that Benedict XVI wears or how the traditional design of the ring looks like.

John Paul II wore this kind of ring instead.



It is not the Ring of the Fisherman.

What will be destroyed is the Signet Ring of the Fisherman.  The one that is used to make seals like this kind.

This one here is a reproduction of the Fisherman's Ring by a ring maker in the UK.

The left foreground is the actual ring bearing the negative image.  If you use the ring on a wax, the positive image will look like the one of the right.

Here is another example of seals used in official documents.

The wax is on the left and the press of the seal is on the right.



Now we have dry seals especially on college diplomas and government certificates.  Making these signet rings is expensive and there are no wax (for seals) suppliers here in the country as far as I know.

Here are samples of the wax seals bearing the impression of the Ring of the Fisherman

Clement XII

Pius XII's letter to US President F.D. Roosevelt

John XXIII


Appointments of bishops usually have this mark.  Try asking your bishop if you could take a look at his papal bull.

So what will be the ring that will be destroyed?  Will it be the one Pope Benedict is wearing right now?  I don't think so.  It will be the ring used to make official papal documents.

One of the scenes of the movie The Shoes of the Fisherman, starring Anthony Quinn, shows the detailed process during a sede vacante including the destruction of the Signet Ring of the Fisherman.  The same scene in that hideous movie Angels and Demons does not do justice in the destruction of the ring.  The camerlengo there is not a cardinal and the ritual of showing the ring before it is destroyed is not also shown.  So I'd rather trust the one with Anthony Quinn.

For more info about the Ring of the Fisherman and Papal Bulls, click here and here.

And if you are into making your own seals, try reading this.

BREAKING NEWS! Fr. Gerry Tapiador (RIP)


O God, Thou didst raise Thy servant, Gerardo., to the sacred priesthood of Jesus Christ, according to the Order of Melchisedech, giving him the sublime power to offer the Eternal Sacrifice, to bring the Body and Blood of Thy Son Jesus Christ down upon the altar, and to absolve the sins of men in Thine own Holy Name. We beseech Thee to reward his faithfulness and to forget his faults, admitting him speedily into Thy Holy Presence, there to enjoy forever the recompense of his labors. This we ask through Jesus Christ Thy Son, our Lord. Amen.

Eternal rest grant unto Fr. Gerardo, O Lord and let perpetual light shine upon him.  May he rest in peace.  May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace.  Amen.

Benedict XVI's title and garb after retirement...

Hohum....

Didn't I tell you about this?

I had been debating with both lay and clerics about this online.

And now, I can say it again.

Told you so.



After a few seconds of bragging rights there, I wonder whether he will wear his white fascia with the coat of arms still on them. The Vatican did not mention that.

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Team Patay poster: Affected ka Joel?


Before the elections, pro-RH supporters and lawmakers kept on insisting that there is no such things as a Catholic vote.  Then why oh why is the government now bothered by this campaign against the pro-RH lawmakers and open endorsement for pro-life lawmakers???

Separation of Church and State my foot!  Then sue us!  Bah-humbug!

And now lo and behold, the Jesuit priest who craves the attention like his constitutionalist brother Joaqui Bernas, is trying to hug the limelight by saying that the RH does not violate a Catholic's conscience.  But what is so obvious is that this supposedly learned man does not acknowledge the fact that a Catholic is being forced to use artificial contraception which violates the teachings of the Church!

What is so obvious with these pro-RH people is they made fun of the influence of the Catholic Church in this country that they kept on flaunting the results of the SWS survey that says majority are in favor of the RH Bill and that the influence of the Catholic Church among her flock is waning.

If that be the case, what are you afraid of?

If Tabora is Catholic and obedient to the Church, why does he keep on yakking his head off in support of the RH group and in public dissent to Church teaching?

And why is the CBCP or the Archbishop of Davao not doing anything about him?

"Oh, TPC, he talked to him in public."  Yeah, yeah, like I never heard that before.

Like what Bishop Ongtioco did to Fr. Bernas?  The talk was secret but what Bernas and Tabora have written is being copied and pasted over and over and over again by Catholics and non-Catholics who publicly oppose and ridicule the Church, her teachings and her clergy.

Sometimes, you wish you could just pick up the shepherd's staff and whack the heads of wayward sheep yourself, no?

But I am no bishop.  And I trust the Holy Spirit will make them answer for these...in due time.

The powerful homosexual underground


This program is from ChurchMilitant.TV

Yeah, it is all over the Church, not only in the Vatican.

It is present here in the Philippines.

Want a clue?

It is so prevalent in one society, religious congregation or diocese that....

The entire society is openly "practicing" it, and when I mean practicing it is either by acting it out as if they are making fun of acting like drags, (ala Dolphy or Roderick Paulate or for foreigners ala Dustin Hoffman in Tootsie).  Or LITERALLY acting it out.

One diocese has one bishop forcibly asked to resign when the scandal reached the CBCP in Intramuros the Filipino bishops asked the sitting bishop to resign rather than let the Nuncio handle the situation.  It is soooo true.  I have talked to one former seminarian of that diocese who was brought in one of their "night-outs".   It is what they called "part of their training to accept who they are."  The kind of humanistic psychology prevalent in the Church right now.

This homosexual underground is the same group targetting the Church's traditional stand on heterosexual and monogamous marriage, anti-artificial contraception, traditional liturgy. anti-altar girls, etc.

It is so obvious when these wolves in sheep's clothing bark out their so-called "Spirit of Vatican II" teachings.  What is in fact really true is the message BEHIND their message.  It is not just about human rights.  It is not just about contextualizing the Gospel.  It is about conforming the Church and Her teachings to their homosexual lifestyles.

When I talk about homosexuals here, this is not limited to gay men in robes.  It also involves radical feminist nuns who are in fact....eherm...

Remember, the Church loves the homosexual not the homosexual acts.

Pray unceasingly.  The Bark of Peter is under attack not only from the outside.


Mark Wahlberg: "I am Catholic"



During the last Oscar awards night, (no I did not watch). Mark Wahlberg was a presentor for an award.  He came out with Ted the Bear from his latest movie, Ted. In the following exchange, which obviously is scripted, Wahlberg proclaimed who he is in front of the whole world.

Ted: “You’ve got a ‘berg’ on the end of your name. Are you Jewish?”

Mark Wahlberg: “No, I’m Catholic.”

Ted: “Wrong answer. Try again.”

Later on, the bear admitted he is Jewish.

Not sure what was that about.

But shows that being a Hollywood celebrity does not mean you shy away from your religious belief.  Be proud of it, whatever state of life you are in right now.

Especially be proud of your Christian heritage if you are in the public eye.

His life story and his journey back home to the Catholic Church is one that would be a Hollywood movie, someday, hopefully.

Who's medallion is next?

Photo courtesy of Catholic News Service.


This photo was taken in 2011 after Benedict XVI changed the form of his papal pallium.  I made a post about the papal pallium and the change adopted by His Holiness.  You can read about it here.

Some may be wondering what the "IO" in John Paul's name means.  That is the first two letters of the Latin of John "Ioannes", thus IO. What is written under the medallion of John Paul and does not appear under Benedict XVI's is the number of years of his pontificate.  John Paul's had 26 years , 4 months and 15 days .

You will also notice that the light shines only on the medallion of the currently reigning pope.

You can see the medallion next to Benedict XVI is waiting for the next pope.

This is only found in St. Paul's Basilica Outside the Walls.

A cheap imitation was done in St. Peter's Parish Church uhm..."Shrine of Leaders" (darn I find that title weird!) in Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City.  I tell you.  It is a really cheap attempt.


Monday, February 25, 2013

Fr. Sunny Castillo: Playing with the tabernacle

Look at what our playful Fr. Sunny Castillo did to the tabernacle...  God forgive him!



And because he is "in" and "hip", he also collected mugs of pro-gay movement coffee company Starbucks, brandishing the cities where he went to.



Yup.  A Roman Catholic priest.  Bragging that he supports an coffee company that sends money to pro-gay movements that are viciously anti-Catholic.

Makes me wonder....Is he.........



Ooops!  Wrong photo.

Here it is.



What do I feel with this latest act from HapiPadi?



Yup........that'll say it.

Saturday, February 23, 2013

After the resignation, Benedict shall be known as...




Don't tell I did not tell you so.  Bishop Emeritus of Rome.

But with his regnal name, good thing the Vatican chose to keep it even though I thought he would be referred to as Bishop Joseph Ratzinger...BUT!

Since he will be the Bishop Emeritus of Rome, and the tradition is for the Rome Bishop to change his name upon election, then it makes sense that he retains his name.

Cardinal Ratzinger....ha!

Friday, February 22, 2013

In Thanksgiving...



You are all invited to the Missa Cantata of the Second Sunday of Lent in Thanksgiving for the Pontificate of Benedict XVI at 2:00 in the afternoon of 24 February 2013 at Holy Family Parish, Roxas District!




Thursday, February 21, 2013

Cardinal Mahony asked to stay home and not join the conclave



From the Washington Post


No copyright infringement intended.

Just a simple blog post.

Duh!


***



VATICAN CITY — The controversy over Cardinal Roger Mahony’s vote in the conclave that will elect a new pope has now reached the Vatican, [uh-oh!] with at least one cardinal musing aloud that the former archbishop of Los Angeles should consider staying home.  [he'd better be!]

Mahony, who led the nation’s largest archdiocese from 1985 to 2011, has been accused of hiding sexual abuse by priests and was recently sidelined by current Archbishop Jose Gomez.  [Last I read, he'd be asked to appear in court!]

Gomez announced that Mahony would no longer have any “administrative or public duties” after a court-ordered release of 14,000 pages of internal church records showed Mahony and others actively tried to shield abusive priests from prosecution. Gomez called the records “brutal and painful reading.”  [Oh yeah, they were.  I read some of them.  Very graphic of how these predators attacked their helpless victims.  FYI, there was a nun!]

Nonetheless, the 76-year old cardinal remains a bishop” in good standing” and retains the right to vote for the future pope until he reaches age 80. Gomez has since said he supports Mahony’s vote in the conclave. [Hope, Pope Benedict XVI strips him of his red hat!]

On Monday (Feb. 18) Italy’s main weekly, the Catholic magazine Famiglia Cristiana, put the so-called “Mahony affair” on the home page of its website, quoting the petition by left-leaning group Catholic United calling the prelate to “stay home.”

The magazine also asked its readers to share their thoughts on whether Mahony should attend the conclave. Within hours, the magazine received hundreds of answers via its website, overwhelmingly asking the cardinal not to come to Rome.

Cardinal Mahony should not only stay home from the conclave but retire to a life of prayer in a monastery,” read one typical comment. “It seems inconceivable to me that he doesn’t feel the moral duty to abstain from the conclave,” read another.

By Tuesday, Mahony’s case was on the front page of most of the main Italian newspapers, prompting the first reactions from within the Vatican.

In an interview with the daily La Repubblica, Cardinal Velasio De Paolis, the former head of the Vatican’s Prefecture for Economic Affairs and the pope’s envoy charged with reforming the disgraced Legionaries of Christ, said that “it will be up to (Mahony’s) conscience to decide whether to take part or not.”  [I think his conscience dictates otherwise.  If he can turn a blind eye to the abuses before, what makes him think he is not worthy of a spot in the Sistine Chapel?]

De Paolis stressed that there is no formal procedure to stop Mahony from attending the conclave. [There is!  The Pope can take away his cardinatial title thus Mahony's right to vote!]

“The common practice is to use persuasion. There is no more that can be done. Cardinal Mahony has the right and duty to take part,” he said. “This is a troubling situation but the rules must be followed.”  [Cardinal Ratzinger, then Cardinal Dean, advised then a very ill Cardinal Sin to stay home and not join the conclave.  Why not Mahony?  He is a lightning rod of controversy!]

According to De Paolis, only “someone with great authority” could advise “through a private intervention” that the retired Mahony not take part. [ So that would be the pope, the Cardinal Dean (Sodano) and the Cardinal Camerlengo (Bertone).]

On Tuesday, the Italian news agency ANSA quoted Bishop Gianfranco Girotti, a former No. 3 official at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith under then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, as saying that “if his presence creates difficulties or embarrassment, then I think it could be opportune to renounce.” [Embarassment is an understatement.]

“But the decision is up to him and his conscience,” Girotti added.

La Caramella Buona, an Italian group for victims of sexual abuse, also called on Mahony not to attend the conclave.

But in a Monday tweet, Mahony signaled his resolve to come to Rome. “Count-down to the Papal Conclave has begun. Your prayers needed that we elect the best Pope for today and tomorrow’s Church,” Mahony wrote.  [He is calloused.  In Filipino "Kapal mo tsong!"]

The tweet sparked dozens of reactions online, with Twitter users calling his decision “shameful.” 

‘’Please recuse yourself for the good of the Church,” asked @bobshineproblem.

In a Monday post on his blog, Mahony also discussed the difficulty of “never rationalizing what is happening in our lives, never protesting misunderstandings, and never getting angry because of false accusations.”

“That is so difficult for us human beings. It is certainly difficult for me on my journey,” he added.

***

If it were difficult for him, then the humane thing to do is to follow the Pope's example.

Retire to a life of prayer and silence.....hidden from the world.

Well, not like the Pope, he has to face the wheels of justice.



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Yes, you need a smartphone, tablet and/or computer for this.

Duh!  And your credit card.

The Inclusivity of Vatican II



It is not the fault of Vatican II.  It is the fault of those who hijack the teachings of Vatican II and contort it to suit their own agenda, liberal or ultra-sedevacantist traditionalist alike.

But this Meme says it all.

Being open to a lot of NEW things, in the SPIRIT OF VATICAN II, which we heard and read a lot from the teachings of the late Fr. Chupungco...EXCEPT...

That which belongs to the sacred patrimony of our Holy Church!

Gregorian chant...
Latin...

Both of which were not prohibited by the Second Vatican Council....BUT!

Which, in the name of the zombie named INCULTURATION, these two are set aside because obviously, DUH!, Latin and Gregorian Chant, are not part of the culture of the WHOLE WORLD!!!

...depending on how you look at things culturally...

especially if you look at it with the 1960s as your reference point in human history.

This is true in the parish level, especially for "professional liturgists", those who have attended a seminar or two in San Carlos or Guadalupe, or have taken academic studies in MST, LST, San Beda and PIL in Bukidnon, who define what they want you to know as the "real" liturgy.

There is a saying "Keep repeating a lie, it will become the truth." or something like that.

These Worship Ministers will have ANYTHING but the traditional!  They will obscure everything that is in the liturgical books!  They will pounce on you when you question their decisions on the Mass, and be blunt to tell you that "I have studied and I know....You don't!"

What they would hate is for your to tell them what is in the liturgical books and which is not.

What Fr. Chupungco left as a horrible legacy, may God grant Him rest, is that the liturgy is "dynamic" but his approach is in a disastrous way in that the dynamism is more homocentric rather than Christocentric.  Even though he wrote in his liturgical memoir that the liturgy should help us focus our attention and lead us to a closer relationship with Jesus Christ, the Eternal High Priest, the highly subjective refereeing of what happens in the Mass that depends on the whims and caprices of the priest of "Worship Minister", and not according to the liturgical books of the Church, then we defeat the purpose of leading man to God and God to man!

If indeed Vatican II "opened its doors", if Vatican II is about being an "inclusive Church" then pray tell...

WHY ARE YOU SO AFRAID OF THE PAST OF THE CHURCH???

Why?






Burke is a hated man...

by liberals and Vatican II worshipers.




Wednesday, February 20, 2013

When meeting a Pope or bishop...



This is long overdue and thanks to Josemaria for reminding me of this one.

How do we show respect to the Pope.

Thanks to Fisheaters for the table below.


***


Latin Catholic

Pope
Face-to-face Greeting
Holy Father
Your Holiness
Most Holy Father
Envelope Address
His Holiness, Pope John Paul II (abbreviated: H.H. John Paul II)
Letter Salutation
Your Holiness
Most Holy Father
Formal Closing
Kissing the Sacred Foot [although this has been discontinued since the time of Paul VI.  Kissing of the Ring is now the protocol]
Abbreviations
His Holiness: H.H.
Other
Kneel on your left knee and kiss ring as sign of respect for his office. If kneeling would be awkward or impossible, bow at the waist and proceed. Stand when he enters the room and remain standing until he invites you to sit. Women should have their heads covered and be dressed in black (only Queens wear white in the Pope's presence); men must remove their hats in his presence. Repeat reverential gestures when leaving his presence.

Note: If you'd like a very nice papal souvenir, bring a brand new white zucchetto with you when meeting the Pope. His Holiness will trade his for yours.
Cardinal
Face-to-face Greeting
Your Eminence
Your Grace (British)
Envelope Address
His Eminence, John Cardinal Doe, Archbishop of Erewhon
("Cardinal" goes between first and last names)
Letter Salutation
Most Revererend Eminence
Most Eminent Cardinal
Formal Closing
Kissing the Sacred Purple
Abbreviations
His Eminence: H.E.;
Eminence: Emus. (Eminentissimus)
Other
Kneel on your left knee and kiss ring as sign of respect for his office. If kneeling would be awkward or impossible, bow at the waist and proceed (do not do either if the Pope is present). Stand when he enters the room and remain standing until he invites you to sit. Men must remove their hats in his presence. Repeat reverential gestures when leaving his presence.
Patriarch
Face-to-face Greeting
Your Beatitude
Envelope Address
His Beatitude
Letter Salutation
Your Beatitude
Other
Stand when he enters the room and remain standing until he invites you to sit. Men must remove their hats in his presence. When it is your own Patriarch, kneel on your left knee and kiss ring as sign of respect for his office. If kneeling would be awkward or impossible, or if he is not your own Patriarch, bow at the waist and kiss his ring (do not do either if the Pope is present). Repeat reverential gestures when leaving his presence.
Archbishop/Primate
Face-to-face Greeting
Your Excellency
Your Grace (British)
Envelope Address
The Most Reverend John Doe, Archbishop of Erewhon
Letter Salutation
Your Excellency
Formal Closing
Kissing the Sacred Ring
Abbreviations
Archieps. (Archiepiscopus), or Arch.
Other
Stand when he enters the room and remain standing until he invites you to sit. Men must remove their hats in his presence. When it is your own Archbishop, kneel on your left knee and kiss ring as sign of respect for his office. If kneeling would be awkward or impossible, or if he is not your own Archbishop, bow at the waist and kiss his ring (do not do either if the Pope is present). Repeat reverential gestures when leaving his presence.
Bishop
Face-to-face Greeting
Your Excellency
My Lord Bishop (British)
Your Lordship (British)
Envelope Address
The Most Reverend John Doe, Bishop of Erewhon
The Right Reverend John Doe, Bishop of Erewhon (British)
Letter Salutation
Your Excellency
Your Lordship
Formal Closing
Kissing the Sacred Ring
Abbreviations
Ep., Epus. (Episcopus)
Other
Stand when he enters the room and remain standing until he invites you to sit. Men must remove their hats in his presence. When it is your own Bishop, kneel on your left knee and kiss ring as sign of respect for his office. If kneeling would be awkward or impossible, or if he is not your own Bishop, bow at the waist and kiss his ring (do not do either if the Pope is present). Repeat reverential gestures when leaving his presence.
Monsignor
Face-to-face Greeting
Monsignor
Envelope Address
The Very Right Reverend Monsignor Doe
The Reverend Monsignor John Doe
Letter Salutation
Dear Monsignor
Abbreviations
Right Reverend Father: RR. (for Reverendissimus)
Other
Stand when he enters the room and remain standing until he invites you to sit. Men must remove their hats in his presence. Repeat reverential gestures when leaving his presence.
Priest
Face-to-face Greeting
"Father," "Reverend Father," or "Your Reverence." Though it is common, it's not proper to address a priest using his first name, as in "Hi, Father John!"
Envelope Address
The Reverend Father John Doe
Letter Salutation
Dear Father 
Reverend and Dear Father Doe
Abbreviations
Father: F. or Fr.
Fathers, Plural: FF.
Reverend Father: Rev. Fr. (or "R.P." for Reverendus Pater)
Other
Stand when he enters the room and remain standing until he invites you to sit. Men must remove their hats in his presence. If a priest visits your home, it is customary to ask for his blessing; the simple words, "Father, bless" are fine. When blessed by a priest, kneel on both knees until he is finished. It is also customary for many people, especially those in Latin cultures, to kiss the priest's hand to honor the Eucharist, as they alone are able to consecrate (unless the Pope is present).
Deacon
Face-to-face Greeting
Deacon
Envelope Address
Reverend Mr Deacon
Letter Salutation
Dear Mr. Deacon
Abbot
Face-to-face Greeting
Father Abbot
Envelope Address
Right Reverend John Doe, (Initials of Order)
Ex. Right Reverend Doe, O.S.D.
Abbreviations
Abbot: Ab.
Letter Salutation
Dear Right Reverend Father
Dear Abbot
Brother
Face-to-face Greeting
Brother
Envelope Address
Brother John Doe, (Initials of Order)
Ex. Brother Doe, O.S.D.
Abbreviations
Br. or Bro.
Letter Salutation
Dear Brother
Mother Superior
Face-to-face Greeting
Reverend Mother
Envelope Address
The Reverend Mother Jane Doe, (Initials of Order)
Ex. The Reverend Mother Jane Doe, O.S.D.
Abbreviations
Rev. Mother
Letter Salutation
Dear Reverend Mother
Sister
Face-to-face Greeting
Sister
Envelope Address
Sister Jane Doe, (Initials of Order)
Ex. Sister Jane Doe, O.S.D.
Abbreviations
Sr. (for Soror)
Letter Salutation
Dear Sister
Dear Sister Jane Doe