Catholic Carnival 104

Catholic Carnival 104 is up. I submitted a post, but I'll make you check the link to find out which one it is.

Enjoy!

Think You Know the Bible

Who says Catholics don't know the Bible? H/T to Brian.

You know the Bible 93%!

Wow! You are awesome! You are a true Biblical scholar, not just a hearer but a personal reader! The books, the characters, the events, the verses - you know it all! You are fantastic!

Ultimate Bible Quiz
Create MySpace Quizzes

The Future of Latin

Fr. Reggie Foster is the best Latin teacher around. I hope that someday I will get the opportunity to spend a summer studying Latin with him. I will have to get a lot better at it than I am now.

I don't know what got into him with some of these quotes. Although he is known to be pretty liberal and rough around the edges, I doubt he said some of the things he is quoted as saying.

From the Telegraph:

For years it was derided by unwilling schoolboys for being "as dead as dead could be". Now, despite the Vatican's best efforts, the Pope's top adviser on Latin has reluctantly joined them by saying the language of St Augustine and St Thomas Aquinas is almost extinct.

"It is dying in the Church. I'm not optimistic about Latin. The young priests and bishops are not studying it," said Fr Reginald Foster, 68, a Carmelite friar who was appointed the Papal Latinist 38 years ago by Pope Paul VI.

He said priests were no longer compelled to study Latin at seminaries, and now found it impossible to read vital theological tracts.

"You cannot understand St Augustine in English. He thought in Latin. It is like listening to Mozart through a jukebox," he told The Sunday Telegraph. "We still speak Latin in the elevators and around the house in my monastery at San Pancrazio, just like 45 years ago. But nowadays the students don't get it, and I don't blame them – it's not their fault."

Yet even though Fr Foster, who has translated speeches and letters for four popes, says he can see no future for the language, he has just launched a new Latin Academy in Rome, near the Pantheon, in his final effort to prevent it from dying out. He hopes to attract 130 students a year, though he will not say how the new school is being funded.

Originally from Milwaukee, Fr Foster is widely regarded as one of the world's foremost Latin scholars and until recently taught a hugely popular course at Rome's Jesuit-run Gregorian University.

He spends his mornings at the Vatican, in an office just along the corridor from Pope Benedict. Outside his door, he has reprogrammed a Vatican cash machine to display instructions in Latin: "Inserito scidulam quaeso ut faciundum cognoscas rationem" - which, translated loosely, means: "Insert your card so that the account may be recognised."

He said: "I'm not the boss, but I'm the oldest. I translated Deus Caritas Est, the last encyclical. We do bishops' appointments, which are still written on papyrus in Latin, and letters of congratulations from the Pope."

Although Pope Benedict grew up with Latin, and is fluent in the language, Fr Foster said he did not "have time" to compose and translate the hundreds of documents that the Vatican issues. Paul VI insisted on greater use of Latin within the Vatican, but Fr Foster said more junior members of the Catholic hierarchy were less enthusiastic now.

"I'm worried that if one Cardinal makes one or two decisions it could all go," he said. "Already, we are sending congratulation letters to some Cardinals and they say can we please provide a translation. They want to read them out in the church and so on. Of course, I won't provide translations. We might as well be writing in Mandarin."

He said reports that Pope Benedict will reintroduce the Tridentine Mass, which dates from 1570 and is largely conducted in Latin, were wrong – not least because of the Pope's desire to avoid more controversies. A speech last year offended Muslims and more recently he gave initial support to a Polish archbishop who was eventually forced to resign, after admitting that he had collaborated with the communist-era secret police.

"He is not going to do it," Fr Foster said. "He had trouble with Regensberg, and then trouble in Warsaw, and if he does this, all hell will break loose." In any case, he added: "It is a useless mass and the whole mentality is stupid. The idea of it is that things were better in the old days. It makes the Vatican look medieval."

He condemned the loss of Latin teaching in schools across most of Europe, and said that as a result students were missing out on important elements of history. "Like classical music, Latin will always be there. If we cannot understand it, it is we who are losing out."

Italy is, however, different: all schoolchildren, except those who attend technical colleges, must be taught Latin for at least four hours a week until they are 18. But Fr Foster said the techniques used to teach Latin were outdated. "You need to present the language as a living thing," he said. "You do not need to be mentally excellent to know Latin.

Prostitutes, beggars and pimps in Rome spoke Latin, so there must be some hope for us."

Last year Fr Foster was fired from the Gregorian University for allowing too many students to study without charging them.

"I was not going to play the policeman," he said. "I was happy to teach anyone who wanted to learn. Many of my students studied for three, four, five years -without -paying a single cent."

He argued that the only solution to the decline of Latin was for the Pope to lead by example. "Instead of a siesta, he should announce that from 2pm to 4pm every day he will read Latin at the Vatican."

He added with a twinkle: "People who come will get assignments. You will be picked on to answer questions, and if you mess up, the Pope will make you disappear. He can do that, you know."

Defacing the Sacrament of Reconciliation

Imagine someone approaching a priest to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation and lying in the confessional. Then the fake penitent writes an "expose" article telling their experiences. Despite the disheartening results of the article, what the reporters did is a sacrilege. Sacraments are to never be recieved under false pretenses. To do so defaces the Sacrament and makes a mockery of it.

From the Guardian:

A yawning gulf between the stern doctrines preached by Pope Benedict and the advice offered by ordinary Roman Catholic priests has been exposed by an Italian magazine which dispatched reporters to 24 churches around Italy where, in the confessional, they sought rulings on various moral dilemmas.

One reporter for L'espresso claimed to have let a doctor switch off the respirator that kept her father alive. "Don't think any more about it," she was told by a friar in Naples. "I myself, if I had a father, a wife or a child who had lived for years only because of artificial means, would pull out [the plug]."

Another journalist posed as a researcher who had received a lucrative offer to work abroad on embryonic stem cells. With the extra cash, he said, he and his wife could think about starting a family. So should he take up the post?

"Yes. Yes. Of course," came the reply.

The church's official teaching is that homosexuality is "disordered" and that homosexual behaviour is wrong. Yet a practising gay man in Rome was told: "Generally, the best attitude is to be yourself - what in English is called 'coming out'."

On one issue alone - abortion - the priests all stuck firmly to official doctrine. A reporter who said his wife had discovered their child would be born with Down's Syndrome, and that they were preparing to terminate her pregnancy, was told: "I swear to God: if you do it, you'll be a murderer."

But on other issues, that "moral relativism" so detested by Pope Benedict was the order of the day.

A journalist who said he was HIV-positive and used condoms to protect his partner was told it was "more of a personal problem, one of conscience".

And from Catholic News Service:

The Vatican newspaper denounced an Italian journalist who posed as a penitent and confessed fake sins in order to write an expose on the sacrament of reconciliation.

"Fake confessions in search of a shameful scoop," the newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano, headlined a commentary condemning the cover story of L'Espresso magazine, one of the country's leading weeklies.

"Shame! There is no other word to express our distress toward an operation that was disgusting, worthless, disrespectful and particularly offensive," the newspaper said.

The commentary said the article had exploited the good faith of confessors and offended the religious sentiments of millions of people.
"It was a sacrilege, because it violated the sacred space in which a self-recognized sinner asks intimately to receive God's merciful love," it said.

The reporter made his false confessions to 24 different priests in five Italian cities, including Rome. The magazine said the idea was to see how priests handle difficult pastoral situations and whether they followed the strict norms laid out by church teaching.

The reporter, for example, told two priests he was HIV-positive and wondered whether he should use a condom when having sexual relations with his girlfriend. One told him no, and the other said it was a question of conscience, the magazine reported.

More than once, the magazine said, priests gave quite different advice on his supposed "sins," which included matters relating to homosexuality, divorce, stem-cell research, euthanasia and prostitution.

One issue that found unanimous condemnation by confessors was abortion, the magazine said.

iPod Transmitters and Satelitte Radio

I broke down this weekend and purchased two items I have been wanting for quite some time. I got a FM transmitter for my iPod and a Sirius Satellite Radio.

Let me just say that both of them are awesome and I couldn't be happier.

Now for the down side...I am disappointed with some of the programming on the Catholic Channel on Sirius. While I did enjoy hearing Rocco and Amy this afternoon, I was very disappointed in Dave and Susan Konig's show. I have never heard their show before so this is all I have to go on. I turned the radio on this morning at 11:15 a.m. and was promptly welcomed by their telling of the Mass they "attended" yesterday.

Why is attended in quotes? Well, because while Susan attended, Dave thought it was appropriate to leave the church with their children, aged 7 and 10, to wander around the church grounds. His excuse? The church was crowded, no seats were available, and he wasn't going to get anything out of standing in the foyer.

It got more appalling when he mentioned that his children got more religion in the churchyard then they would have in the church.

What did he teach his children? What did he teach his listeners? The message is simple. Mass is not important. It is not important enough to stand in the foyer and listen to the Mass because it wouldn't be the ideal, prayerful environment.

Guess what? Going to Mass with children isn't the ideal prayerful environment either, but we still bring them. A few weeks ago, I was at a Mass and there was a child in front of me who was running wild in the pew and completely distracting me. I didn't get as much out of the Mass as I would have otherwise, but I didn't even consider leaving.

What happened to going to church to worship God. Why are we looking for what WE will get out of it. IT'S NOT ALL ABOUT US!!!! There are times when we sill be distracted, uncomfortable, inconvenienced. There will be times when the priest doesn't give good homilies or speaks with an accent. There are innumerable things that can cause us to get less out of a Mass than we normally would, but in the end why are we there. What is the essence of what we get out of Mass. It's the EUCHARIST! That is what we get out of Mass. We worship God and He gives us the Eucharist...His own Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. Seriously, what more can we ask for.

By leaving the church to wander the churchyard, he deprived himself and his children of the opportunity to worship before the presence of God in the Eucharist. He also deprived himself and at least one of his children the opportunity to receive Jesus in the Eucharist. In addition, he caused his children to miss their Sunday obligation to attend Mass.

The one redeeming part of the show was that Susan was not exactly approving of her husband's Sunday activity, but she didn't seem to have tried to prevent it.

Needless to say, I was appalled to hear this on a Catholic Radio station, much less one operated by the Archdiocese of New York. I will continue to listen and I fervently hope that this is a one time event and not standard for their program.

I will keep you updated.

Catholic Carnival 103

Catholic Carnival 103 is up. It is being hosted by Deo Omnis Gloria.

I have submitted my post on St. Margaret of Hungary. It's the first time I have participated in the Catholic Carnivals.

Life With Karol

Pope John Paul II's secretary, Stanislaw Cardinal Dziwisz, has written a book aptly titled "Life With Karol". While plans for this book's release in English have not been announced yet, it is being released this month in Italian and Polish.

Catholic News Service has posted several articles about the book.

Here are few quotes:

In his last will and testament, made public after his death, Pope John Paul strongly hinted that he had considered resignation as he prepared to turn 80 in the year 2000.

Cardinal Dziwisz said the pope, in fact, decided at the time to consult on the question with his closest aides, including then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger.

The pope concluded that he would remain in office, saying that God had called him to the papacy and that "God will call me back, in the form that he wishes," Cardinal Dziwisz wrote.

"At the same time, John Paul II also established a specific procedure for giving his resignation, in case he would not have been able to carry out his ministry as pope to the very end," Cardinal Dziwisz said."So, as one can see, he considered this possibility," he said.

The book recounts other behind-the-scenes moments, according to excerpts provided by the Italian publisher, Rizzoli:

-- On Sept. 11, 2001, shortly after two planes crashed into the twin towers in New York, the phone rang in the pope's office in Castel Gandolfo outside Rome.

"On the other end of the line was the frightened voice of Cardinal (Angelo) Sodano, the secretary of state. We turned the television on, and the pope was able to see those dramatic images, the collapse of the towers with so many poor victims imprisoned inside.

"The pope passed the rest of the day going back and forth between the television and the chapel to pray, he said."

He was worried, strongly worried that it wouldn't end there, and that the attack could set off an endless spiral of violence," Cardinal Dziwisz wrote.

-- Toward the end of the book, Cardinal Dziwisz described the pope's final moments."It was 9:37 p.m. We had noticed that the Holy Father had stopped breathing. But only in that precise moment did we see on the monitor that his great heart, after continuing to beat for a few moments, had stopped." Someone, he said, blocked the hands of the clock to mark the hour of the pope's passing. Those around the pope's bed began singing a "Te Deum" of thanksgiving, not a requiem.

"We were crying. How could one not cry! They were tears of both sadness and joy. It was then that all the lights in the house were turned on. ... And then, I can't remember. It was as if it had suddenly become dark. It was dark above me, and it was dark inside of me," he said.

Read the complete article here.

And another:

In the winter of 1981, the pope, his secretary and two of his Polish aides decided to make a "getaway" to the mountains from the papal villa in Castel Gandolfo.

They packed into a car owned by one of the priests, in order not to raise suspicions, and when they passed the Swiss Guard post one prelate opened wide a newspaper to hide the pontiff in the back seat.

Then they drove to the central Italian ski town of Ovindoli without an escort, winding through mountain towns and carefully respecting the speed limits.

Once they arrived, they chose a deserted slope and the pope was able to ski all day long. On the way back, the pope smiled and said, "We did it!" It was the first of many such escapes, the papal secretary said.

In the beginning, no one -- including journalists and other Vatican officials -- knew about the mountain excursions.

And the odd thing was that, for a long time, no one recognized the pope, Cardinal Dziwisz said. He would dress as other skiers, with a ski jacket, beret and sunglasses, taking his place in line at the lifts with the rest.

One of the first people to recognize the pope was a young cross-country skier, a boy no more than 10 years old, who was lagging behind the rest of his family when he came upon the papal party. He asked them if they had seen his family go by, and one of the priests pointed to the trail.

At that moment, the pope arrived at the bottom of the slope.The boy looked astonished, pointed to the pontiff and began yelling, "The pope! The pope!"

One of the pope's aides intervened quickly: "What are you saying, silly! You'd better think instead about hurrying up, you're going to lose your group."

The boy skied away, and the pope and his friends quickly returned to their car and headed for Rome before the word got out.

Read the complete article here.

If the entire book is as good as these several stories, it should prove to be a vivid view into the life of our beloved departed Holy Father, John Paul the Great. I, as a proud member of the JPII generation, cannot wait for this book to be released in English.

In Case You Were Wondering

So, what is Joaquin Navarro-Valls, the former Papal spokesman, doing in retirement?

Zenit is reporting that he is going to be president of the of the board of advisors of the Biomedical University of Rome. It is a natural move, since Dr. Navarro-Valls is a medical doctor.

Read the article here.

Also, I came across a website devoted to him. I don't know if it is his own site, or if it is run by an admirer, but there are some interesting links to articles about and by him.

Cardinal Stafford to Visit Archdiocese of Boston

Great idea, I wish I could go. I hope some of you can go, but as badly as I want to, I can't.

St. John's Seminary welcomes
J. Francis Cardinal Stafford,
Major Penitentiary of the Holy See

February 3 and 5, 2007

For Laity: Saturday February 3
4:00 pm The Role of the Laity regarding Reconciliation within the Church’s Life
5:30 pm Mass (priests invited to concelebrate; bring alb, stole)
6:30 pm Light reception (please RSVP)

For Priests: Monday February 5
12:00 Daytime prayer
12:15 Lunch (please RSVP)
1:30 The Role of the Bishop and Priest regarding Reconciliation within the Church’s Life

For Seminarians: Monday February 5
5:00 Holy Hour
6:00 Dinner (please RSVP)
7:00 Ministry of Reconciliation: with special focus on the Apostolic Penitentiary

For more information or to RSVP for meals, please contact Sister M. Pierre Jean, R.S.M.
Telephone 617-779-4369 ● Fax 617-787-2336 ● email srmpierrejean@sjs.edu

Can you guess why I can't go? Yes, I have to play for 4 p.m. Mass. My guess is that many people who would would want to go will have to be at their parishes also. Why isn't this on a Saturday morning?

St. Margaret of Hungary

Today is the feast day of St. Margaret of Hungary. I knew practically nothing about her until Mass this afternoon, where the Dominicans as school preached about her life and how we can learn from her example. It was powerful stuff and exactly what I needed to hear today.

St. Margaret of Hungary was born in 1242. Her parents were Bela IV, king of Hungary and Croatia and his wife Marie Laskaris. Margaret's parents dedicated their next child to the Church if Hungary would be freed from the Tartars. Hungary was freed and Margaret was born. She entered the Dominican convent at the age of three.

When Margaret was 18, her father wanted her to marry the Bohemian king, King Ottokar II. She protested this vehemently, wishing to give her life to God and His Church. Saying, "I esteem infinitely more the King of Heaven and the inconceivable happiness of possessing Jesus Christ than the crown offered me by the king of Bohemia.”

She practiced severe corporal mortification and was known to spend each Friday in tears, contemplating the suffering of Our Lord.

Margaret died on January 18, 1271 at the age of 29.


She was canonized in 1943 by Pope Pius XII.

Now, what does this have to do with us. Well, everything. Margaret set an example for us that all the riches in the world cannot compare to the wealth of graces which come from God.

As the scripture reading for today, (St. Margaret of Hungary) said:

I prayed, and prudence was given me; I pleaded and the spirit of Wisdom came to me.
I preferred her to scepter and throne, And deemed riches nothing in comparison with her,
nor did I liken any priceless gem to her; Because all gold, in view of her, is a little sand, and before her, silver is to be accounted mire.
Beyond health and comeliness I loved her, And I chose to have her rather than the light, because the splendor of her never yields to sleep.

Wisdom 7:7-10

What fitting words for today's feast. St. Margaret did not turn down figurative jewels and riches, scepter and throne to serve the Lord. They were real, and I am sure they were tempting.

Serving the Lord is not always easy, actually it isn't even usually easy. We have to think counter-culturally. We have to put aside the things the world tells us is valuable, the jewels, and trappings of power, and pick up the humility, service and self sacrifice. Those things are considered by the world to be sand, but we know the truth.

I as continue on my journey of study and service, it is easy to get caught up and lose focus. I will never become powerful, famous, and definitely will never be wealthy, but that isn't what matters. It is easy to get caught up in the ways of the world and judge yourself against others. If I think I am holier, smarter or more talented than someone else, in reality I am more sinful, stupider, and less talented.

So, what's the point of this? I don't know. Perhaps, I wrote this just to sort things out in my very confused mind. I hope there is someone out there who will find this post at some time and need it just as I needed the readings and homily at Mass today. Perhaps, that is too arrogant an assumption on my part. Let's just say I am one confused theology student trying to muddle her way though life.

Bishop D'Arcy Ad Multos Annos

From Allston-Brighton TAB:

Not many people get to celebrate a jubilee in their lifetime, but Bishop John D’Arcy has earned that rare distinction. With the anniversary of his 50th year as a priest fast approaching, D’Arcy chose to celebrate the occasion by returning to his roots and giving a Mass in the beloved neighborhood where he was born and raised, and to which he still has close ties.

D’Arcy, who is currently the bishop of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, Ind., is Brighton-born and bred. The son of Irish immigrants, as a child he lived on Upcrest Road and worked in his father’s grocery store. But rather than follow in his father’s footsteps and go into the food trade, D’Arcy chose to follow a higher calling and entered the priesthood.

“It was always something I thought about,” D’Arcy said, “Especially since I grew up in a family with strong Catholic ties, in a town with so much of a Catholic presence.”
Our Lady of the Presentation was his local parish, and the church figured strongly in the D’Arcy family’s life. “My parents were married there, and I celebrated my first Mass there,” he said. “It was our church. It was my spiritual roots.”

D’Arcy has had a rich and rewarding career in the service of God, starting in 1949 when he entered St. John’s Seminary in Brighton. After being ordained in 1957, he served at St. Mary’s in Beverly for nine years. He was then sent to Rome from 1965-68, where he earned a doctorate in spiritual theology.

His path then took him back to St. John’s, where he was on the faculty for several years. In 1975, he was ordained as auxiliary bishop for Boston, and in 1981, he was appointed regional bishop for Lowell. Since 1985, he has been bishop of Ft. Wayne-South Bend, a tough job, but one he loves. “It’s been a joy being in Indiana, but demanding,” he said.

Recently, D’Arcy got a letter from Monsignor William Fay of St. Columbkille’s, inviting him to say a Mass there. Fay has known D’Arcy since their days at St. John’s Seminary, when Fay was a student and D’Arcy a faculty member.

“I thought it would be a great idea for him give a Mass back in his old neighborhood,” said Fay. “I think the world of him. He’s a good priest and a great bishop.”

Last Sunday, more than 400 people attended the Mass, and several dozen came to a celebratory reception on his behalf. Many of the attendees were relatives, former classmates from St. John’s and old friends from the former Presentation parish who came say hello and wish him well.

D’Arcy mourned the loss of Our Lady of Presentation, which was closed in 2004. “I feel sad that OLP was closed,” he said. “I have had to close parishes in Indiana, and I know that it’s hard.” But he expressed excitement that the parish’s former members seem to have transplanted themselves to St. Columbkille’s and continue to carry on Brighton’s strong Catholic traditions.

Though D’Arcy has been a resident of the Midwest for the last 21 years, he will never call anywhere but Brighton home. He has family and friends here, and returns every Easter for a week and every summer for almost a month.

Sandro Magister on Pope Benedict's New Book

Read it here.

Our Lady of the Highway

From ANSA:

The Catholic Church intends to reach out to lonely truck drivers by holding masses in motorway lay-bys and setting up mobile chapels in service stations.

The plan is one of the results of a conference held in the Vatican last month, when clerics and experts from 21 countries talked about how to provide pastoral support to the millions of people whose lives are spent travelling.On the basis of that meeting, the Vatican department which deals with travel and immigration this week released a document outlining its plans to care for the people who live 'on the road'.

Monsignor Agostino Marchetto, head of the department, said that "human mobility" is one of the characteristics of the modern age and so the Catholic Church must make sure its presence is felt in this sphere.

The proposal to create roadside support for truck drivers came from Germany, where Church officials note that about two million people are either drivers themselves or belong to the immediate families of drivers.

But it won keen support from Brazilian clergy, who also talked about the need to create a friendly, family atmosphere among frequent road users. They backed the idea of 'church trucks' moving from one motorway service to another. Monsignor Wolfgang Miehle, migration official at the German bishops' conference, underlined the solitude that truck drivers suffer as they spend days and weeks covering thousands of kilometers alone.

Their work frequently produces "difficulties in maintaining social relations, even within their own families," he continued.

"Their harsh working conditions, bordering on exploitation, mean they can genuinely be considered poor".

Last month's conference in the Vatican was intended as a wake-up call to the Catholic Church to focus more attention on the people who through their work or lifestyles either travel frequently or are involved in the transport infrastructure.

Priests, bishops and Catholic organisations are being called on to offer support not only to truck drivers, but also to bus drivers, tourists, traffic safety officials, petrol pump attendants, people working in motorway toll booths and roadside restaurants and railway workers.

The over-arching goal is "to help them show solidarity and charity towards each other" and so make their world safer and more "human".

Fr. Ralph Tetrault 1938-2007

Most retired priests are never really retired. Instead, they continues to minister to the community at large and assist pastors in all the surrounding towns.

That is what Fr. Ralph Tetrault did. Despite serious heart problems and several heart attacks, he could be found at several area parishes doing what he loved best. Serving God and the faithful.

After he retired, he was given a small organ and decided that he was going to learn to play. He took organ lessons and we even appeared in a few recitals together.

I was blessed to know Fr. Tetrault as a priest, friend, and fellow musician. He will be deeply missed.

Rev. Ralph D. Tetrault, 68, of Fall River died Saturday January 13, 2007 at Catholic Memorial Home.

Born in New Bedford on October 16, 1938, he was the son of the late Norman G. and Mary Jesse (Langford) Tetrault. He was a graduate of Holy Name School in New Bedford and Fairhaven High School, Class of 1956. He began his studied for the Priesthood at St. Thomas Seminary, Bloomfield, Conn., receiving an Associates Degree in 1959 and a Bachelors Degree in 1961 from St. Mary's Seminary in Baltimore.
Father Tetrault was ordained a priest on May 1, 1965 in St. Mary's Cathedral, Fall River, by the Most Reverend James J. Gerrard, Auxiliary Bishop of the Fall River Diocese. His assignments as a Parochial Vicar included Immaculate Conception Parish, Fall River (1965-1969), St. Patrick's Parish, Wareham (1969-1974), Sacred Heart Parish, Fall River, (1974-1977), and St. Thomas More Parish, Somerset (1977-1981).

He served as Pastor of St. Mary's Parish, North Attleboro from 1981-1994. He was the Pastor of St. Patrick's Parish, Wareham from 1994 until his retirement from active ministry in January 1998 due to failing health. In retirement he resided in Fall River at the Cardinal Medeiros Residence for Retired Priests, while celebrating Mass at the former Our Lady of Fatima Parish, Swansea, St. Dominic's Parish, Swansea, and St. Thomas More, Parish, Somerset.

Survivors include four brothers, Norman of Margate, FL, Wayne and Paul, both of New Bedford, and Gregory of Westport; four sisters, Susan Bryan-Royster of Gloucester; Nancy Rochon of Cumberland, RI, Pamela Silva of Dartmouth; and Valerie Fogarty of Worcester; and many nieces and nephews.

He was the brother of the late Maryann J. DeMelo.

Father Tetrault will be transferred to Holy Name of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Church, 121 Mount Pleasant St., New Bedford on Tuesday at 2 PM, where he will lie in state until a Wake Service at 7 PM. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Wednesday at 11 AM, with Bishop George Coleman as principal celebrant. Burial will be in Sacred Heart Cemetery. Please do not send flowers. Remembrances may be made to the Cardinal Medeiros Residence, 375 Elsbree St., Fall River, MA 02720. For directions and guestbook, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.

I pray that at this moment the Lord is embracing you and saying, "Well done, my good and faithful servant. Well done".

A New Catholic Television News Agency

From the South African Sunday Times:

A new Catholic news agency that will serve television stations and Internet sites has won the backing of the Vatican, the Holy See’s spokesman said.

The Vatican’s television station CTV "is naturally available to collaborate with all initiatives that make for better communication within the Church and about the Church," Federico Lombardi told reporters at the Vatican.

Jesus Colina, director of the religious news agency Zenit, is among the founders of H2O - named after the water molecule to suggest a fount of information.

Lombardi stressed that H2O would be "absolutely independent" of Zenit, which is associated with Legionnaires of Christ, a conservative congregation that is active in Latin America as well as Rome.
Colina told the ANSA news agency that H2O planned to be "self-financing" and hoped to reach at least 20 million users - media, Internet and cell phone - by 2009.

It will enter into competition with an existing television news agency, Rome Report, which is close to the conservative Catholic organisation Opus Dei.

View the H2O site here.
Visit the Rome Reports site here.

All The Pope's Men

Here is an interesting article from the Salt Lake Tribune. Rocco is quoted, as can be expected. lol!

I don't agree with everything in the article, but it does give something to think about.

Since becoming pope in April 2005, Benedict XVI has appointed about 30 U.S. bishops, and some see a pattern emerging that is different from John Paul II's, particularly in his later years.
Benedict is more involved in the process, observers say, poring over dossiers and case files, and he appears to value competence more than ideology.

Benedict's bishops tend to be "unflinchingly positive (men) who avoid conflict at all costs," said Rocco Palmo, a Philadelphia-based Vatican watcher who writes for the Tablet in London.

Such leaders show by example that the essence of the church is to uplift, not condemn. They are "open not only within the church but in public," Palmo said. "They are working for the good of all, Catholics and non."

The latest Benedict appointee who appears to bear this out is Bishop John Wester, the newly chosen leader of Utah's 200,000 Catholics, who is viewed as a pragmatist and nurturer and not as an ideologue.
Archbishop George Niederauer, of San Francisco, Wester's boss and the former head of the Salt Lake diocese, called him "one of the kindest-hearted persons I have ever met. He's solicitous of people's welfare. He has a good sense of humor and sees the inherent silliness in things."

Observers say Wester likely will not threaten to excommunicate Catholic politicians who support abortion rights, or attack gay activists or academics who challenge doctrinal interpretations. They do not think he will be rigid or authoritarian, or impervious to the needs of abuse victims.

"Some bishops come with their own or someone else's agenda," said Monsignor Francis Mannion, pastor at St. Vincent de Paul Church in Millcreek, Utah. "I don't think (Wester) is coming with any heavy agenda."

It is clear that Pope Benedict doesn't want "showboats as much as good, convincing men of integrity," said David Gibson, author of "The Rule of Benedict: Pope Benedict XVI and His Battle With the Modern Mind."

"It is part of a campaign for competency, especially after the sexual abuse crisis … (to find men) who can preach the Gospel and mind the store," he added.

Benedict has "actually disappointed people on the right who wanted a purge, and eased fears on the left," Gibson said. "He has not appointed crusaders, just good, strong orthodox bishops who can engage the culture without being flamboyant, without stirring divisions."
Niederauer, appointed by Benedict to be archbishop of San Francisco last year, is one such man.

He is gregarious, urbane, warm and witty. While he supports the church's positions, he is open-minded on such issues as gays in the seminary. Everyone, he argues, pledges celibacy whatever his attractions.

Niederauer "has been a hit," said the Rev. Thomas Reese, senior fellow at Georgetown's Woodstock Theological Center. "That was a great appointment."

Others see further evidence of Benedict's priorities in the choice of Archbishop Donald Wuerl, who took his place in June, for the Washington, D.C., diocese.

The Washington Post called the 65-year-old Wuerl a "poised, teacherly Pittsburgher … known as a behind-the-scenes bridge-builder, someone who preferred pressing quietly in private to making demands in public."

Wuerl is "thoughtful and well educated," Gibson said.

Priestly Chic

What's the latest in fashion? Clerical style. Namely, Msgr. Georg style. Don't believe me? Read this article from the Telegraph.

Priestly chic has hit the catwalk in Milan, with Pope Benedict's pin-up personal secretary inspiring the latest collection by Donatella Versace.
Father Georg Gänswein, or Gorgeous Georg to his admirers, represents a triumph of "more brain and less muscle", according to Miss Versace, who sent blond male models down the catwalk with clerical black jackets and priestly white shirts.

Clerical black and white in Donatella Versace’s collection at Men’s Fashion Week in Milan
"I was certainly inspired by him," she said. "I find his austerity very elegant. It is the right moment to show an ethical and spiritual man, free from all those pointless details. I also like Gregorian garb." She said her ideal man has biceps but "looks for his inside quality and trains it up, the muscles of the soul."

The collection at Men's Fashion Week in Milan won unanimous praise from the fashion press yesterday, and reignited Italy's fascination with the 50-year-old Bavarian who shares breakfast and lunch with the Pope every day.

Father Georg shot to fame after he was promoted to be Benedict's right-hand man in 2003 and became the pin-up of the Vatican, especially after pictures of him playing tennis appeared in Italy's gossip magazines.

Born in the Black Forest town of Riedern-am-Wald, Fr Georg was a part-time ski instructor in Germany and a professor at the Santa Croce University in Rome, run by Opus Dei, before joining the Pope's staff. His main duties involve handling correspondence.

"He is simply beautiful. He is the best news to come out of the Vatican," a female journalist at La Stampa gushed.

The austere and conservative priest, whose hair is now raffishly flecked with grey, fanned the flames of his female fans, who call themselves the Georgiste, by admitting that he had crushes on girls when he was younger. "My senses are healthy, and those that have healthy senses use them," he said.

And another article from the Times Online.

Donatella Versace has often raised eyebrows — and hemlines — with her outrageous designs for women. Yesterday, however, she stunned even blasé fashionistas by launching a “clergyman look” for men, inspired by Father Georg Gaenswein, the handsome 50-year-old private secretary to Pope Benedict XVI.

The outfit, modelled at the Milan menswear 2007-08 winter collection, features grey-black trousers and jacket with a clerical-style collar. “I was thinking of an austere, severe and ethical man. I find Father Georg’s austerity very elegant,” said Ms Versace.

Spirituality was “not the same as bigotry”, she said, adding that she was open to the idea of civil unions between gays or heterosexual couples. Proposals to make civil unions legal in Italy have divided the centre-left Government of Romano Prodi and aroused fierce opposition in the Vatican.

“It is the moment to display the muscles of the mind, not those of the gym,” Ms Versace said. “Fashion needs more rigour.” She said she had used a fabric that was “as soft to the touch as the wings of an angel”. The result was dubbed “priestly chic” by fashion writers.

Father Gaenswein, an amateur pilot and keen tennis player, hardly ever makes public comments, least of all on the frequent tributes to his good looks in Italian gossip columns. Last year he broke cover to complain about satirical sketches on Italian TV depicting the Pope. “Satire is fine. But these things have no intellectual quality and offend men of the Church,” he said. The sketches have been dropped.

Father Gaenswein became personal secretary to Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger in 2003, and moved into the Vatican with him after he was elected Pope. When Father Gaenswein turned 50 last July he gave a rare interview to Vatican Radio revealing their daily routine.

“The Pope’s day begins with Mass at 7am, followed by morning prayer and a period of contemplation,” he said. “Afterwards we eat breakfast together, and my day then begins with sorting through the correspondence, which arrives in considerable quantity.” He said that he accompanied the Pope to morning audiences, followed by lunch together, a “short walk” and a rest, after which “I present to the Pope documents which require his signature, or his study and approval”.

A Versace spokeswoman confirmed that the clergyman look had been inspired by Father Gaenswein, adding: “Few other places in the world are as influential as the Vatican.”

Is It Cold?

From un-Muted Mumblings:
H/T to Brian

- Your lips freeze to the metal crucifix as you kiss your Rosary for the morning commute.
- You bless yourself with holy ice instead of holy water from the font by the front door.
- You experience an apparition walking by the front yard statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary; she isn't crying, but she appears to be shivering.
- The Rosary swinging from the rear view mirror chips ice off the windshield as you slam on the brakes.

and the number one way to know it is cold (not exclusive to Catholics)
- The environmentalists stop talking about global warming.

Interesting Use of the Pallium

Here is Archbishop-elect Cremona's coat of arms. I find it very interesting, especially since the pallium is superimposed on the Dominican symbol. The representation of the white habit and black cloak.

From Malta Star:

The coat of arms incorporates the three families of Mgr Cremona and his Episcopal insignia. In the top half of the shield there is the black cloak over the white habit of the Dominican order which has been the Archbishop’s religious family since he joined the order 45 years ago aged 16. In the remaining space of the shield the left half is taken up by the arms of the Cremona family while the Cauchi family, of Mgr. Cremona’s mother, is seen on the right.
The arms are surmounted by the green galero or Episcopal hat with a set of 10 tassels on either side. Emerging between the tassesls from behing the shield is a white Maltese cross to indicate the territory over which Mgr Cremona has pastoral responsibility. Below the galero and behind the shield there is also an archiepiscopal cross to indicate, together with the tassels and the pallium on the upper half of the shield, Mgr. Cremona’s rank.

At the bottom, below the shield is the new Archbishop’s motto – Prepare the way for the Lord!

Archbishop Cremona and the Papal Alb

Archbishop-elect Paul Cremona will be ordained a bishop on January 26th. At his ordination, he may be wearing a very interesting alb.

From Malta Star:

Archbishop-elect, Mgr Paul Cremona’s life long devotion and admiration for the pope of his childhood, Blessed John XXIII (Angelo Roncalli), has led to him being informed that he will be presented with the late pope’s alb for his Episcopal ordination later this month. maltastar.com is informed that the alb will then be kept at the Cathedral museum in Mdina.

The idea of having a memento of the man known as “Il Papa buono”, the good Pope, is the brainchild of Franciscan friar, Fr Anton Farrugia OFM. Fr Farrugia, who is a liturgy specialist, is currently posted at the Franciscan convent and church of Sacre Couer in Sliema, apart from assisting in the Maltese Curia’s Commission for the liturgy. Fr Farrugia is also a personal friend of Archbishop Loris Capovilla who is presently the Pontificial Prelate for the shrine of Our Lady of Loreto in Italy and, more importantly, was the private secretary of the Blessed John XXIII.

Fr Farrugia wrote to Mgr Capovilla, now 91 years old, after the announcement that Fr Paul Cremona had been nominated to succeed Mgr Mercieca as archbishop of Malta and informed him of the new archbishop’s devotion and admiration for the late Papa Roncalli, so much so that Fr Cremona’s doctoral thesis was entitled The Concept of Peace in Pope John XXIII. Fr Farrugia suggested that Mgr Capovilla find a suitable memento of the late Pope to present to Malta’s archbishop elect. For some reason, Mgr Capovilla took some time to answer and Fr Farrugia asked a lay friend of his, Mr Joseph Mifsud of Sliema and who communicates with the Italian prelate regularly by phone, being himself also a devotee of the John XXIII, to check and see whether Bishop Capovilla had received his letter.

After this, Bishop Capovilla contacted Fr Farrugia and told him that he had decided to present Mgr Cremona with an alb, the white vestment priests dress when celebrating mass, which the Blessed Pope John XXIII used to wear when he was known Angelo, Cardinal, Archbishop Roncalli, Patriarch of Venice. Archbishop Capovilla said that the alb had been given to him by the late pope himself but that he would gladly let the new Maltese archbishop have it seeing how devoted he is to John XXIII. It was agreed that Bishop Capovilla would send the alb to the Roman convent of the Franciscan Friars Minor where Fr Farrugia would be attending a seminar this week and he would then bring it over to Malta with him to present to Mgr Cremona.

maltastar.com is informed that it was Fr Farrugia who informed the Archbishop-Elect of the news. We are also informed that Fr Cremona was overjoyed and visibly moved with the news and that he insists that, if he does not wear it during his ordination, it should be put somewhere prominent in St John’s Co-Cathedral because the archbishop elect regards the alb of the late pope as a holy relic.