Bruskewitz - 1, Ewers - 0

UPDATE: Bruskewitz - 0?, Particular Church Law - 1?

The premier story for tonight:

Bishop Bruskewitz shoots back at National Review Board

Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz of Lincoln, Nebraska, has responded sharply to criticism from the US bishops' National Review Board about his refusal to cooperate with the Board's "audit" of diocesan plans for implementing national guidelines on sex-abuse programs.

Bishop Bruskewitz released this statement on March 31:

"Some woman named Patricia O'Donnell Ewers, who is the Chair of something called "A National Review Board for the Protection of Children and Young People", has said that her Board "calls for strong fraternal correction of the Diocese of Lincoln." The Diocese of Lincoln has nothing to be corrected for, since the Diocese of Lincoln is and has always been in full compliance with all laws of the Catholic Church and with all civil laws. Furthermore, Ewers and her Board have no authority in the Catholic Church and the Diocese of Lincoln does not recognize them as having any significance.

It is well known that some of the members of Ewers' Board are ardent advocates of partial birth abortion, other abortions, human cloning, and other moral errors. It is understandable then how such persons could dislike the Diocese of Lincoln, which upholds the moral teaching of the Catholic Church.

The words attributed to Ewers seem to confirm the suspicion that the members of her Board are unfamiliar with Catholic teachings, Catholic ecclesiology, and even the basic rudiments of the Catholic Catechism. Rather than concerning themselves with the Diocese of Lincoln about which they appear completely ignorant, Ewers and her colleagues would occupy themselves in a better way by learning something about the Catholic religion and the traditions and doctrines and laws of the Catholic Church.

The Diocese of Lincoln does not see any reason for the existence of Ewers and her organization.

Gerald, Dom (and now Diogenes) give their commentary.

UPDATE: Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam has found the statement that evoked Bishop Brukewitz' response:

In just three years, dioceses/eparchies have worked extremely hard to address the issue of clergy sexual abuse. This conclusion is strongly supported by the audit results.

It disheartens the Board, however, that the bishop of the Diocese of Lincoln, Nebraska, and the eparch of the Eparchy of Newton for Melkite Catholics in Newton, Massachusetts, have refused to participate in the audit process, and the Board calls for strong fraternal correction in these refusals.

Though their governance authority is fully understood by the Board, nonetheless, these refusals go against all of the efforts of the Church to be open and transparent in addressing child protection and reaching out to victims to help with their healing.

[my underlining]

[link to the full original document]

The raw numbers on costs for clergy sex abuse

...from 1950-2006:

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- The cumulative financial cost to the U.S. Catholic Church for clerical sexual abuse of minors is now more than $1.5 billion and still climbing.

...

Among major settlements yet to come are those in the Los Angeles Archdiocese, which has more than 500 cases pending, and in the Portland Archdiocese in Oregon and the Spokane Diocese in Washington, which have entered federal bankruptcy proceedings because of the number and size of legal claims filed against them for clergy sexual abuse. [more]

It's here! Cardinal Arinze Bio/Interview

While fellow bloggers are celebrating the arrival of the Compendium of the CCC, I was thrilled upon my arrival home today to find my copy of God's Invisible Hand waiting for me, fresh from Amazon!

And at over 350 pages, it looks like I've got a great deal to look forward to this weekend!

Read my blog about God's Invisible Hand, the biography of and interview with Cardinal Arinze right here.

CNN roundup: The last days of John Paul II

CNN Video: John Paul II Remembered

While relatively short (~5 min.), it is very worth watching - Cardinal George's testimony is particularly moving...

"CNN Presents" will be airing a John Paul II special on April 1 & 2, 10PM EST.

CNN's roundup of images, video, quotes, etc.

(thanks to reader Dante for alerting me to this)

Closed Cafeteria documents the horror

Gerald Augustinus over at Closed Cafeteria is covering Mahoney Fest 2006 (doubtlessly as a particularly brutal form of Lenten penance):

Day 1 (Youth Day) of Mahony Fest 06

Religious Education Congress 2006

Stay tuned at Closed Cafeteria for more updates.

Kill a Baby - get free movie tickets and a chance to win an iPod!

Unbelievable:

San Francisco, Mar. 31, 2006 (CNA) - Anyone who makes an appointment at one of the eight facilities run by Planned Parenthood Golden Gate (PPGG) before April 30 can enter to win an iPod. This is just one of the schemes the abortion agency has organized to try to lure teens into its San Francisco clinics, reports the group, Life Decisions International.

...

A poster announcing another Planned Parenthood program, called “Tell-A-Friend,” includes the image of a teenage girl whispering into the ear of another teenage girl: “Get free movie tickets? Yes, when you tell a friend about Planned Parenthood.”

[more]

Pope Benedict's latest move to support freedom for the Catholic Church in China

Now he is devoting this month's prayer intention to the cause:

Vatican City, Mar. 31, 2006 (CNA) - The Vatican has announced that during the month of April, Pope Benedict XVI will focus his prayer specifically on the plight of the much-persecuted Church in China.

The text of the Holy Father’s April mission intention, released today, is "That the Church in China may carry out its evangelizing mission serenely and in full freedom."

[more]

Faithmouse's Terri Schindler Schiavo Memorial Illustration

More cartoons about Terri (including comparisons with John Paul II)

View the accompanying message for this illustration at Faithmouse.

Terry Schiavo's One Year Memorial

One year ago today, Terri Schiavo died after being starved to death for 13 days.

Blogs for Terri

ProLife Blogs

Terri's Fight

Amy Welborn's Post

Terri Schiavo: Finding the Answers

A Life That Matters : The Legacy of Terri Schiavo -- A Lesson for Us All
(the book recently published by Terri Schiavo's parents)

Perhaps this Friday we can do penance not only for our lenten intentions but also for the repose of the soul of Terri Schiavo and for all those who are neglected (sometimes criminally) in our society.

AP on Benedict watching film on JP2

The AP covered Pope Benedict watching a made-for-TV movie about John Paul II today.

Explaining the scene that evoked this evident reaction from Papa Benny, he said:

Benedict said he was left "petrified, as if we were present" when watching the reconstruction of the 1981 attempt on John Paul's life by a Turkish gunman in St. Peter's Square.

[Read the rest]

Just a quick brag

My youngest sister (Theresa, 8) won the Metro Parent's annual Overall Best Writer/Illustrator, Ages 8-10 category this evening, beating out about 120 other aspiring authors. Her story is going to be published (illustrations as well) in the next issue of the Metro Parent. The flip side is that she will then have shattered my record for youngest-published in the immediate family (a pathetic 12). Oh well, it feels good to be beaten.

Another iPope Picture

This one found at The Crescat.

Here is a much larger one (different style).

Cosmic Body Prayer - Spiritual/Physical Workout!

From the same "spirit" of Vatican II that gave us the "Flying Dutchmen Gospel Procession" comes the most exciting thing to hit Germany since the "Disco Mass":

I present to you: Cosmic Body Prayer.

Click here to view Cosmic Body Prayer's unique creation, "The Dynamic Our Father." (complete with step-by-step instructions demonstrated by the exuberant Franciscan friar to the left).

The picture to the left shows the "cosmic body expression" of the line "Hallowed be thy name" in the Our Father. What does one do? Just this: "Three cross shapes are outlined in the air, with strained and outstretched hands." ... (can't you just feel him hallowing God's name like crazy?)

"And to not lead us into temptation" is another favorite of mine.

While I did not see anything about this explicitly on the website, I should imagine that the "Our Father" Cosmic Body Prayer is a beginning spiritual exercise ... eventually one can work oneself up to doing a whole decade ... and even (for the especially dedicated) an entire rosary!

Gerald and Jeff, I hereby summon your skills to elucidate the benefits of this spiritual exercise more!

h/t to Catholic Caveman via The Crescat

"The Pill is a No-No"

And while we're at it, now is probably as good a time as any to bring this out of the archives.

Picture of John Paul I with (future) John Paul II

Pope John Paul I (L) meets Cardinal Karol Wojtyla, archbishop of Krakow, in this October 16, 1978 file photograph. (REUTERS/Vatican/Files)

I thought it appropriate to feature this picture today as we are talking about the issue of contraception.

News watch: Magister on "Into Great Silence"

The german documentary of Carthusian monks (which I've blogged about here and here) has been recently discussed by Sandro Magister (h/t: Amy Welborn):

"The film was shot at the Grande Chartreuse in Grenoble, and is 162 minutes of pure contemplation. In Germany, it has met with surprising success. And now it has come to Rome."

ROMA, March 30, 2006 – It was previewed on March 26 in the cathedral of Genoa and on March 28 at the Pontifical Gregorian University. On the 31st it will be released in the movie theatres of Rome and the rest of Italy. Benedict XVI also knows about it, and might see it. The film comes from his homeland of Germany, where it has had surprising success with the public.

The original title in German is “Die Grosse Stille,” the great silence. It is a title that is more than appropriate for 162 uninterrupted minutes of pure contemplation. The soundtrack is made only of the chiming of bells, nighttime psalmody, footsteps, wind, rain, and very little else.

Read the rest.

View a high-quality version of the trailer here.

And here is the movie's website.

Archbishop Fitzgerald criticizes Pope Benedict

Looks like someone is a bit sore at being packed off to Egypt:

Rome, Mar. 30 (CWNews.com) - Archbishop Michael Fitzgerald, who was recently replaced as president of the Pontifical Council for Inter-Religious Dialogue, has indirectly criticized Pope Benedict XVI for underestimating the importance of interfaith discussions.

Inter-religious dialogue should not be considered merely as an aspect of cultural discussions, Archbishop Fitzgerald told a Rome seminar on March 29. Pope Benedict apparently thinks otherwise. On March 11, Pope Benedict announced that Cardinal Paul Poupard, the president of the Pontifical Council for Culture, would double as president of the Pontifical Council for Inter-Religious Dialogue. Although that appointment was described as temporary in an official Vatican announcement, many informed observers believe that the Pope intends to merge the two offices.

(boldface added).

Posted without comment

Pope Benedict XVI reacts at the screening at the Vatican of a film on his predecessor John Paul II, during the scene when the late pontiff is shot in St. Peter's Square.

(Thursday March 30, 2006; AP Photo/Pier Paolo Cito)

WYD 2011 in Korea?

Seen on Amy Welborn:

Cardinal Nicholas Cheong Jin-suk, Archbishop of Seoul and Apostolic Administrator of Pyongyang, has said he will “do everything possible” to have Korea host the next World Youth Day (WYD), “one of the biggest events organized by the Catholic Church”.

In an interview with Chosun Ilbo, the neo-cardinal said: “If South Korea manages to host World Youth Day, we would naturally invite the pope to come to visit our entire country.”

I tell you, everyone is taking a look at the list and deciding they want to be on it. :)

Also, I got a kick out of the article designating the new cardinal as a "neo-cardinal" - especially after discovering the neo-bishop recently...

Janet Smith debates Charles Curran on Contraception

Pro-Life activist Dr. Janet Smith debated the dissenter Dr. Charles Curran in front of a packed Dallas audience in 1994. I think the debate is well worth a focused listening because Dr. Smith and Dr. Curran are widely recognized as the top proponents of their respective positions on the contraception issue (at least in the US), and it's a rare occurrence indeed to hear two figures of their stature debating each other live.

[Listen to Part One of the debate] [Listen to Part Two of the debate]

NOTE: Each file is roughly 25mb, so they will take a little while to download even on a broadband connection.

In Part One, Dr. Smith and Fr. Curran give their presentations and rebuttals. In Part Two, they ask each other questions, and then take many more from the audience.

National Catholic Reporter provided coverage of the debate. (poorly, in my opinion)

Over a million copies of Dr. Smith's taped talk "Contraception, Why Not?" have been distributed [read a transcript] [order a free copy]. She is currently serving a second term as a consulter to the Pontifical Council on the Family.

UPDATE: Dr. Smith has also written on this topic "Why Humanae Vitae was right" and "Humanae Vitae: A Generation Later".

NB: It is reaching the end of the month, and I have about 50GB of bandwidth left - I would love to have this bandwidth used up by people downloading and listening to this landmark debate. It's in mp3 format so you can even play it on your iPod. So, please feel free to listen to it yourself and then tell a friend about it, too!

Update: Thanks to others who have linked to it (Curt Jester, Closed Cafeteria) - my bandwidth is humming along and that's what I like to see!

Update 2: Dr. David of C-L-S has an insightful post analyzing Fr. Curran's use of the terms "physicalism" and "biologism" in this debate.

Baptism for TomKat's baby?!

Canon Lawyer Ed Peters over at In the Light of the Law looks at what canon law would have to say about Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes' new baby getting baptized (probably by Grandma Holmes!):

Let's assume that Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes are just two terribly catechized Catholics who don't have the faintest idea what it really means to be "married in the Church." That would explain how they (and the clueless media) could even be talking about their "being engaged" despite Tom's two previous putative marriages (c. 1085) and his apparent apostasy (cc. 751, 1071) to Scientology on the one hand, and the stress of Katie's metapublic pregnancy and her own dalliance with Scientology on the other. The point I wish to address, however, deals not so much with them, as with their baby, due shortly. As things stand now, their baby cannot be licitly baptized in the Catholic Church. [more]

Oh, and in other news: Tom Cruise is crazy.

... and if that doesn't convince you, this should (click here if video does not work):

Results of AP Poll: Which new cardinal are you most excited about?

The results are in...

235 voters participated in this poll. Thanks to the many blogs who linked to it, especially Michael Paulson of the Boston Globe (even though his readership might have tipped the voting a bit...)

However, in the end, Cardinal Zen of China received over 30% of the vote, edging slightly ahead of the American Cardinal O'Malley!

A reader from China sent in this comment: "Wow, it is a surprise that here voted cardinal Zen being elected as the most exciteing. I'm exciteing too.haha!"

(We're all praying for the Church in China and join you in your excitement about Cardinal Zen's election!)

Cardinal Dziwisz, former secretary to John Paul II, put in a strong showing for 3rd with about 15% of the vote.

The always stylish Cardinal Caffara came in 4th, with my guy, Cardinal Canizares of Spain taking 5th (oh well).

American-born Cardinal Levada of San Fransisco received only 4.3% of the vote, which was somewhat suprising for me.

Even Cardinal Dery of Ghana received a few votes!

An excellent reader poll in my opinion - look for the next one to go up in a couple days! Thanks to everyone who voted and promoted it throughout St. Blogs!

And as a quick post scriptum, it looks like Cardinal Zen is happy and excited about his victory:

h/t: Rocco

More details on upcoming Papal Trips

As if Michael Rose reads my blog, suddenly Papa Ratzi Post links to two articles today on future pope visits:

Alcohol ban during forthcoming Pope visit to Poland

Alcohol will be banned from sale from all shops and bars in the Krakow and Warsaw regions during the first visit to Poland of Pope Benedict in late May.

Pope Benedict’s three day schedule, from may 25 to may 28 will include stops in Krakow, Warsaw, the site of the Nazi death camp at Auschwitz and to the Shrine of the Black Madonna, Czestochowa.

A similar drinks ban was put in place during visits by Pope John Paul II to his homeland.

And also this:

Pope expected to visit Quebec City in 2008

TORONTO and QUEBEC — Pope Benedict XVI is expected in 2008 to stand at the hallowed heart of Canadian history -- Quebec City's Plains of Abraham -- and celebrate mass for tens of thousands of Roman Catholics from around the world.

Cardinal Marc Ouellet, Archbishop of Quebec and primate of the Canadian Catholic Church, said he'll meet journalists tomorrow to tell them what he called good news from Rome.

... I guess Cardinal Ouellet didn't like the Pope's trip to Canada receiving a "low" probablity rating on our chart of upcoming Papal visits.

Il Nuovo Vaticanisti

Bettnet points out a new vaticanisti on the st. blogs block:

http://shoutsinthepiazza.blogspot.com/

"fishers of men" vocations video

... I saw it today. great video.

You can view the trailer in Windows Media Player or RealPlayer.

It hits all the important points, without being preachy. It is emotionally compelling and touching without being "touchy-feely" or simpy. Certainly a step in the right direction... plus the production quality is high enough and the editing quality is crisp enough that it should hold even the average highschooler's attention (only 18 min - and it goes quick).

[my post on other vocations videos available on the web]

Now that Pope benedict has a RACING BIKE...

... I'm waiting for him to start having races inside the Vatican gardens with Cardinal Gogfried!

And the question still remains: Why does the Pope have more gear than I do??

[photo source: AP Photo/L'Osservatore Romano]

Your Papist-Picture-of-the-Day (Wed, Mar. 29)

"Sure, the original caption claimed that he's being given a 'traffic tickets pad' - but we here at AP know better: that's a pad of the new one-size-fits-all excommunication forms! Now he just has to fill in the blanks!"

[source: REUTERS/Osservatore Romano]

The Church Fathers were Baptists?!

Kyle Potter has a bit of fun at the expense of some Baptists - who in my opinion completely deserve it since they get caught red-handed trying to rewrite the history books on our own beloved Church fathers. Very funny!

A sample:

Tertullian of Carthage:

"Tertullian was born of heathen parents in Carthage, Africa. He studied law and lived an exceedingly sinful life until he recieved the Lord Jesus at the age of thirty. He became an intense, hard-hitting defender of the fundamentals of the Christian faith against the traditions of Romanism."

That's just precious. Okay, so this might be just a little bit anachronistic. Maybe just a little? Speaking of which, this one is my favorite [pictures], because he's wearing an Anglican clerical collar, for some reason, which is actually a bit of kit that finds its origin in around the 19th century.

Go read the rest.

(by the way - it's a good rule of thumb that if you link to my blog about a dozen times in a single post ... I'll probably link to it)

Overview of Pope Benedict's travel plans

Here is a list of the countries that Pope Benedict might visit in the coming years (as well as places he has specifically denied he will visit).

Please submit your own additions and corrections either via email or in the combox (with a link to your source, if possible). Once the list is polished I'll create a unique page for it so people can access it easily.

(remember, this is a work in progress so please be patient if there are any mistakes...)

(fair and high refer to probablity - you can quibble with me on these designations if you want)

• May 25-28 --- Poland --- Confirmed. [source]
• July 8-9 --- Valencia, Spain --- Confirmed. [source]
• Sept. 9-14 --- Bavaria, Germany --- Confirmed. [source]
• November 28-30 --- Turkey --- Confirmed. [source]
• [Early 2007] --- Israel --- High [source] ... NEW!
• May 2007 --- Brazil --- Confirmed. [source]
• Mid-2007 --- UNITED STATES --- Fair. [source][source]
• Sept. 2007 --- Mariazell, Austria --- (de facto) Confirmed.[source]
• Sept. 2007 --- United Kingdom --- Denied. [source]
• June 2008 --- Quebec City, Canada --- High [source]
• July 15-18, 2008 --- Sydney, Australia (WYD) --- (de facto) Confirmed. [source]
• Date unknown --- Moscow --- Fair. [source]
• Date unknown --- China --- Fair. [source]

USCCB high-quality photos of Pope John Paul II the Great

[more high-quality photos here - perfect for desktop backgrounds]

h/t: Jeffrey Lloyd

WashingtonPost on Catholic Vocations

"Hearing God's Call In Search for Happiness: Catholic Leaders Focus on Positive to Combat Decline in Priests and Nuns"

by Michelle Boorstein, Staff writer

(I don't have time to read it right now - sleep beckons - but I will tomorrow).

Cardinal George Fanclub update

David responds to a recent article published in the Chicago Tribune that attacks Cardinal George (and the Catholic Church).

You know you're a Catholic when...

... you go read GOP Soccer Mom's hilarious list of 50 signs you're a Catholic.

Rocco on Archbishop Marini health scare

Following up on Amy's report, Rocco adds his take:

"A source in Rome related that the archbishop underwent an angioplasty which, so it's said, took place earlier today. The procedure is often employed where an arterial blockage exists, but is not at the point where bypass surgery is the sole feasible option. He is expected to return to work in a week or so."

Rocco also discusses the fascinating rumor that Marini could have been the in pectore cardinal of John Paul II.

Cardinal in pectore or not, he could still use some prayers I'm sure.

Magister on Cardinal Zen

The Vatican’s New Policy on China Has a Color: Cardinal Red

by Sandro Magister (h/t: AMDG)

Cardinal Zen is doing well in our AP poll.

New Lego (Catholic) Churches

This guy builds a new church between Christmas and Easter each year. [Here is this year's Church.]

[Here are previous lego churches of his.] Personally, [this one] is still my favorite.

h/t to Jimmy Akin, who adds: "Y'know, even made of Legos, some of these look more conducive to worship than some of the parishes out there."

I'd have to agree.

Zenit interview on muslim issues discussed in the consistory

Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor spoke today with Zenit about several issues that were discussed in the recent Constistory. [Read it here.]

Two quotes:

But you know, the only answer to what I would call aggressive Islam is very deep Christianity, deep Catholicism, a faith that is strong; I am sure the Holy Father is very preoccupied by Islam, and certainly its militant tendencies.

...

So I think particularly we in the West have to impose a kind of reciprocity: We are tolerant of having mosques or of people wearing particular clothing; we expect the same for minority Christians in Islamic countries, that there would be tolerance of us having crucifixes, freedom to worship in church and so on.

Besides these quotes the interview is fairly bland in my opinion.

Your PPOTD! (Papist-Picture-of-the-Day) Wed, Mar. 28

"Ironically, even with Pope Benedict and Cardinal Zen in the room, the Holy Spirit eventually decided to alight upon the forehead of a nearby photographer."

[source: AP Photo/Plinio Lepri]

GodSpy on American Cities and the Liturgy

From the redoubtable folks at GodSpy, an excellent critique of American cities.

What is it that they lack? Why, the Spirit of the Liturgy!

Well worth a read:

"Jacobs and Alexander have unwittingly demonstrated that cities—or at any rate humane ones—are essentially liturgical." [more]

This week's Catholic Carnival...

...is being hosted by Living Catholicism.

The Arinze Report

I bought my copy today.

And frankly, I hope it doesn't arive anytime soon because I have some studying to do first!

The iceburgs are coming! The iceburgs are coming!

Run for the hills! Bring your hairdryers!

Pope to visit CHINA?

A couple hours later, and Papa Benny is talking about yet another trip.

From Reuters India:

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Pope Benedict wants to visit China but says the timing of any trip is up to God, and he has urged a prominent campaigner for democracy in Hong Kong to continue the fight, a newspaper reported on Tuesday. [more]

I bet Pope Benedict saw this picture and realized he needed to fill in what John Paul II missed:

(red denotes a country John Paul II visited, click for full size)

Pope to visit MOSCOW?

Seriously, my head is starting to spin with all the rumors about where Benedict is (and is not) next headed:

INTERVIEW - Pope visit to Moscow looks increasingly possible

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Long-strained relations between the Roman Catholic and Russian Orthodox churches are improving quickly and a papal trip to Moscow in coming years looks increasingly possible, a Vatican official said on Monday.

Some differences remain to be ironed out before Pope Benedict could make the trip, but a new spirit in bilateral talks has already brought progress, Cardinal Walter Kasper, head of the Vatican's Council for Christian Unity, told Reuters.

A papal visit to the home of the Russian Orthodox Church, the largest in worldwide Orthodoxy, was the great unfulfilled dream of the late Pope John Paul II. But a thaw in chilly relations with Moscow has come under his successor Benedict. [more]

Why no cardinal electors from Africa in this consistory?

An opinion piece by Okiya Omtatah of Nairobi on why Benedict chose to create no cardinal electors (under the age of 80) from Africa, and what kind of message this might be sending (particularly to Kenya):

Kenyan Cardinals: Did the Pope 'Forget' Africa? - The Nation (Nairobi)

...

No inspirational leadership

When a man of Benedict's stature, a no-nonsense disciplinarian and a stickler for quality who has publicly put African issues on the front banner of his papacy, fails in his first consistory to appoint a single elector cardinal from Africa, it means only that all is not well within the local church, especially in Kenya, which has been craving for a replacement to Maurice Cardinal Otunga.

The failure to appoint Africans could indicate the Pope's frustration that the leadership of the local Church is not doing well in its "duties in the service of the people of God".

The top echelons of the Kenyan Church are frustratingly devoid of exemplary, inspirational leadership of the kind Otunga provided. Most are unable to rise above even very stupid things like kowtowing to politicians from the pulpit during the celebration of the Eucharist.

Whereas many Kenyans could not tell Otunga's tribe because of the way he embraced principles and rejected expediency, the average Kenyan bishop today is a tribal chieftain who carries his sorry baggage to the altar of God.

It is for this reason that I support the Pope for raising the bar that high. He is not neglecting Africa. He is demanding very high standards, knowing that since the future of the Church is tied to that of Africa, local standards cannot be allowed to fall any lower.

Could this indeed be an accurate assessment of the situation? Anyone care to comment?

The (now present) "Bishop Crunch"

A great article now available online discussing the present "bishop crunch" happing in the U.S.:

Introductory note: This article first appeared in 1995 as E. Peters, "The coming bishop crunch", Homiletic & Pastoral Review (November 1995) 15-19. I have been asked for copies many times since, but cross-country moves and several computer changes made that impossible. What follows is the original article very kindly transcribed by Richard Chonak. I thought it best to release it here just as it appeared, even though, obviously, some of the predictions have not "come true". (Most of the predictions that did not "come true", did not precisely for the reasons I suggested they might not, primarily, acceleration of open sees). Moreover, the stop gap remedy of simply ignoring Canon 401 is in full use today; its formalization is being debated by advisors to the pope as we speak. In any case, the underlying problems outlined in my 1995 article are plainly still with us, and most of the suggestions for dealing with the bishop crunch are still available. What the Holy Spirit wants to do with this, we shall see...enp, March 2006.

[read the article]

Today's CNA news highlights

Three articles that caught my eye (all from the Catholic News Agency):

• Pope Benedict: New cardinals are called to serve Church as spouses
• Pope promises further collaboration with College of Cardinals
• Vatican announces conditions for establishing official relations with China

Your (second) PPOTD - Monday, Mar. 27

Aide: "Hey, it's the Pope! Over here, Papa Benny!!"

Cardinal Zen: "Where? I don't see him... I've always wanted to meet him!"

[source: AP Photo/Plinio Lepri]

More signs that Yahoo! is guilty of religious favoritism

I'm outraged. simply outraged:

I rest my case. :)

try it yourself.

Your Papist-Picture-of-the-Day (Monday, March 26)

"Sorry, Cardinal O'Malley my friend, but I already called shotgun - you'll have to get in the backseat or wait for the next car - I was still the Pope around here last time I checked."

[source: AP Photo/Plinio Lepri]

"Camels of Mass Destruction"?? Yep.

From the "it's-just-too-good-to-be-true-but-really-is" category:

Saddam planned to deploy 'camels of mass destruction'

"Saddam Hussein planned to use "camels of mass destruction" as weapons to defend Iraq, loading them with bombs and directing them towards invading forces." [more]

Vatican to move Chinese embassy from Taiwan.

Associated press has the story:

VATICAN CITY -- The Vatican's foreign minister said Saturday that the "time is ripe" for the Holy See and Beijing to establish diplomatic relations, and confirmed it is ready to move its embassy from Taiwan.

However, there were some things that the Vatican will not give up, Archbishop Giovanni Lajolo said, in an apparent reference to the Roman Catholic Church's tradition that the pope names his bishops. China demands a say in the appointment of bishops. [more]

Is Pope Benedict against armed intervention in Iraq?

A quote caught my eye from a recent article by Tom Heneghan (religion editor for Reuters) entitled "Vatican stresses culture for dialogue with Islam":

[said Cardinal Poupar, head of dialogue with non-christian religions] "Pope Benedict XVI, like his predecessor John Paul II, never ceases to say this and show it [that US-led wars are attacks by Christian countries on Muslim states] by his acts, such as opposition to armed intervention in Iraq and the nomination of three Asian cardinals at the consistory, a Chinese, a Korean and a Filipino."

Did I miss something? Did Pope Benedict (and for that matter, John Paul II) ever explicitly oppose armed intervention in Iraq? How about implicitly?

New blogads give-away offer! (one week only!)

This week I'll be giving away three (3) sidebar blogads:

• One 2-week blogad (first place - $15 value)
• Two 1-week blogads (second, third place - $12 value each)

Just email me ("thomas [at] americanpapist.com") with a brief pitch for your idea (i.e., promoting a product, website, etc.) by next Sunday (April 2nd).

With this blog receiving around 10,000 page views a week, your idea/product/website could be (ideally) seen by quite a few like-minded people ... all for free! The ads will be placed in the right sidebar area provided.

I know I have many readers with fantastic ideas who are trying to provide excellent content - well, this is a way for them to tell me know about what they do and then in turn promote that content to a wider audience. However, the content you want to promote need not be your own either!

Feel free to spread the word if you know someone who would be interested in this contest.

The small print:

• The advertisement must be Christian/Catholic related or oriented - that's why this blog is here.
• The final decision for winners is completely my own, and I won't give out all three prizes if I receive less than three good proposals.
• Submissions must be received by Midnight (12am EST) on April 2nd.
• You are still welcome to buy an ad at the regular rate during this contest - and thereby help support me as I try to purchase books and pay tuition as a poor theology student. :-)
• Winners will be announced by Tuesday (April 4th), and will simultaneously receive a special promotion code allowing them to place their advertisement for free. Blogads must be submitted to run by the following Friday (April 7th).
• I reserve all other rights related to this contest to myself, but (of course) I'm a reasonable fellow so I will try earnestly to work out any difficulties that may arise. Thanks!

Consistory 2006 Summary

A complete list of AmericanPapist posts on the 2006 consistory (for sidebar inclusion):

News:

• Consistory of Cardinals 2006 Megapost (the big one)
• Consistory of Cardinals Update 1 (March 22)
• Cardinals-designate in the news
• The list of new Cardinals-designate
• First Details & Reactions on the new Cardinals-designate

Photos:

• O'Malley looks good in red
• My favorite photo to come out of the consistory so far...
• Photos of american cardinals-designate arriving
• Brilliant photo of Pope Benedict at today's meeting
• Consistory Photos: The First Day
• Consistory Photos: The Second Day
• Consistory Photos: The Last Day
• Cardinal Macharski Sighting!
• The Cardinals-designate under 80
• The Cardinals-designate over 80

*crosses fingers for a consistory in 2007*

Pope in Pink

[source: AP Photo/Plinio Lepri]

Consistory of Cardinals 2006 Megapost

March (consistory) Madness is upon us! This roundup will continue to be updated throughout the weekend. To start, vote now in our reader poll:

"Which new cardinal you are most excited about being elected?"

(then discuss why in the comments box below)

View a slideshow of images (our recent highlights: day two, day three)

Watching the Consistory on the internet: Vatican Telivision / EWTN / Boston Catholic Telivision (coverage begins at approx. 4am eastern time tonight and tomorrow)

Day 4:

Consistory photo highlights: the last day

More photos can be found at Catholic Press Photo.

• Pope Benedict's Homily for the Annunciation - Vatican News Service
• Pope gives golden rings to new cardinals - ABC News
• In Rome, media finds Boston cardinal wields wicked sense of humor - CNS
• Vatican Sees Warming Relations With China - Associated Press
• Pope, new cardinals, remember John Paul II - Reuters

Some blogosphere links:

• Bettnet: Explanation of the Cardinals' Rings, O'Malley the Happy Cardinal
• Amy Welborn: Papal Pomp
• Shrine of the Holy Whapping: Lace can be manly
• Whispers in the Loggia: Rumors about the dicasteries
• Michael Paulson: Excellent high-quality pictures

In personal news, the convocation ended wonderfully, very beneficial, much to reflect on...

Day 3

11:40 PM EST: End of the Day round-up:

Almost too many news stories to cover (over 1000 news stories covered the event, about 250+ new photos to sift through...), but hey, let's take a stab at it (photo highlights are here):

• Benedict XVI's Homily at Consistory (complete) - Zenit
• Pope creates cardinals, prays for their love for church and Christ - CNS
• Background: New composition of the College of Cardinals - CWNews
• New cardinals assigned to titular churches in Rome - CWNews
• Thumbnail sketches of the new cardinals (better) - Ansa.it
• Pope hands out 15 cardinal's hats - Ansa.it

In personal news, the first day of the convocation I'm attending went marvelously well - we had our keynote speech delvered by Richard John Neuhaus plus (taped) talks by Avery Cardinal Dulles and Francis Cardinal George on topics related to the New Evangelization... now I need to grab a quick 40 winks and get ready for tomorrow's sessions!

Also, thanks to all the "uberbloggers" who responded to my invitation and linked to this megapost - I believe that since the elevation of new cardinals is a celebratory event for the universal Church that this reality should be reflected in our "online presence" as well. In practical terms, reading about the event in the news, looking at photos, watching vidoes, voting in polls, as well as discussing the event in St. Blogs are all ways we can live and share that joy even online! Thanks be to God for our new Cardinals, ad multos annos, ad majorem Dei gloriam!

10:30 AM EST: Habemus Cardinals!

• The most touching moment of the consistory
• Michael Paulson has all the O'Malley-related news
• View the latest images from the consistory
• Google news wire of consistory headlines
• NEW CARDINALS: THE SCARLET IS AN EXPRESSION OF CHRIST'S LOVE (VNS)

12:30 AM EST: Watching the VTN, dawn is breaking in Rome as I write this. Weather looks fine so far (if a bit cloudy)...

Day 2

More articles covering the consistory:
College of Cardinals: an Overview - Zenit
What the Consistory Consists Of - Zenit
With 15 New Cardinals, Tailors Seeing Red - AP
Pope installs first group of new cardinals - Rueters
The Pope's New Cardinals - Time magazine

"Hong Kong's cardinal-designate Joseph Zen suggested Thursday the Vatican might be willing to compromise on the biggest obstacle to its tense relations with Beijing -- the question of who should appoint bishops in China." [read full article] [h/t: Amy Welborn] - investiture controversy, anyone?

"More than 300 Chinese Catholics from around the world, including 100 mainland China clergy and nuns studying in Rome, are gathering at the Vatican to witness the creation of the sixth Chinese cardinal." [More]

Cardinal Dario Castrillon Hoyos: "The Church is waiting with open arms" for the restoration of full communion with the traditionalist Society of St. Pius X." [source]

"As the Pope called the gathering not so much to speak to his cardinals as to hear them out, he likely kept his own words to a minimum during the intervention period" ... "However, no topic is off-limits as the cardinals have been encouraged to bring their own questions and concerns before the gathering." - Rocco

Four topics are being discussed today (at least): The Catholic Church and Islam, possible reunification with the SSPX, duties of post-retirement age bishops (and extending retirement age to 80), as well as the preparation and use of liturgical tests (including the possibility of free use of the latin missal!)

Other news & articles:

• "Pope and Cardinals discuss Islam" (h/t: Papa Ratzi Post)
• Vatican Information Service release
• "Four key topics for cardinal's closed-door session." - EWTN News
• "Cardinals Convene to Give Pope Advice" - AP
• Interview with Cardinal-designate Rosales - AsiaNews.it
• Rain or shine? The weather dangers of outdoor Papal events

Day 1

Websites that you should also hang around this week:

• Michael Paulson of the Boston Globe (live-blogging from Rome!)
• Rocco Palmo of the UK Tablet (privy to all the vaticanisti gossip)
• Vatican Television will have live video feed of the major events: including the consistory at 4:30 am (EST) on Friday and the Holy Mass with all Cardinals 4:30 (EST) on Saturday.

News highlights and coverage:

• "Cardinals To Attend Brainstorming Meeting Called By Pope" - Indian Catholic
• "College of Cardinals arriving in Rome to create 15 new 'princes'" - Boston Globe
• "Cardinals gather for prayers ahead of historic consistory" - AFP
• Vatican News Services press release
• Details about the "Meet N' Greet" of Cardinals

The College of Cardinals: Pictures, Resources, Etc:

• "Cardinals" (wikipedia) / "College of Cardinals" (wikipedia) / The list of cardinal electors
• Pictures of the Cardinals-designate under 80 / over 80
• Details of the Cardinals-designate / College of Cardinals Vatican Page / Pictures of every current cardinal / Cardinals recently in the news / "thumbnail sketches" of the 12 cardinal electors /

While my time these next few days is going to be split between blogging and attending the Convocation for the New Evangelization, I will be doing my utmost to keep track of the best articles, news stories and pictures coming out of consistory week 2006. So find something to drink, pull up a chair and stay tuned! It should be a great week.

Please send any additions/corrections to: thomas [at] americanpapist.com

Consistory Photos: The Last Day

There they are, all lined up.

Cardinal O'Malley receiving his ring.

Cardinal Dziwisz receiving his ring.

Cardinal Dery being brought to receive his ring.

Cardinal Zen kissing the Pope's ring.

Pope Benedict staring at John Paul II's crucifix - as he often does.

Consistory Photos: The Second Day

Cardinal Dery is congratulated by the Pope.

Cardinal O'Malley looking happy.

Is that a tag I see? This stuff is new, isn't it?

The big picture.

Destined to become the most memorable image of the consistory - the enfeebled Cardinal Dery being brought up the steps to Pope Benedict.

One of my inside guys getting exclusive coverage.

Let the children come to me!

O'Malley looks good in red

[source: Michael Paulson]

My favorite photo to come out of the consistory so far...

Magnificent.

Photos of american cardinals-designate arriving

Levada

O'Malley

... gotcha! ;-)

Brilliant photo of Pope Benedict at today's meeting

[source: Michael Paulson]

Consistory Photos: The First Day

Old & New: Cardinal (Left) meets Bishop (Right)

"Now that's a crucifix." (opening prayer)

Archbishop O'Malley

The Synod Hall

Archbishop Levada

The 21st century consistory

The view from the other side: protestant theology students

I came across an article from the New York Times today that talks about protestants who are receiving degrees in theology at their "seminaries" while having no intention of serving as ministers.

As a student in a similar situation myself, it was interesting to see what motivates protestants to make a parallel "career" choice as I did (who knows, I may end up debating some of these folks sometime down the road).

"Students Flock to Seminaries, but Fewer See Pulpit in Future"

ATLANTA — Among the important things Kirkland Reynolds has figured out in his three years in the seminary is that he does not want to be a church pastor.

Like many young people here at the Candler School of Theology at Emory University, Mr. Reynolds, 24, hopes to put his religious education to some other use, saying he does not want to preach or take a position of authority in the community.

Across the country, enrollment is up at Protestant seminaries, but a shrinking portion of the graduates will ascend the pulpit. These seminarians, particularly the young ones, are less interested in making a career of religion than in taking their religion into other careers.

Read the rest.

Blogging Monk and other sundries

Fr. Stephanos, O.S.B. of the Prince of Peace Abbey in Southern California now has a blog of his own. Apparently I rate as a "Papist Dude Rockin' in the U.S.A." (which I would humbly agree with). Anyway, go take a look-see and welcome our newest member of the St. Blogs parish.

Fr. Stephanos, aside from being a regular in the combox, recently passed along news of this story: "New monthly will provide ongoing information about beatification of John Paul II"

Also, reader Sebastian sends along this story: "2 More Women Die After Taking Abortion Pill"

Thank you to everyone who sends me links, pictures, encouragement, questions, etc... I often receive too many to answer all at once, but so far I have eventually been able to get around to responding to most of them.

I am especially interested in promoting good Catholic content - articles, video, audio - anything you've done that you would like to see a wider audience have access to (and of course, passes the American Papist muster).

Thanks finally to everyone who has recently added me to their blogroll (including the Catholic Blog Matriarch herself - it's an honor).

Another perspective on Papal Title Dropping

Canon Lawyer Ed Peters makes an interesting point about the future of the Church and Bendict's decision to drop the title "Patriarch of the West".

Why David (and I) support Cardinal George

David of Cosmos-Liturgy-Sex recently posted on why he supports Cardinal George. I agree with his observations and am posting the entirety of his comments below:

Most have probably heard about the report issued by the independent investigators in the wake of the Father MacCormack tragedy in Chicago. You can see my thoughts on it over at the Cardinal George Fan Club.

However, in sum I would say that I continue to be impressed by Cardinal George. I don’t have all of the facts so I cannot say that I would have agreed with every one of his decisions that contributed to this problem, though from a prima facia perspective I cannot find any I would consider negligent. Nevertheless, this is what I find impressive:

• He has clearly explained, all along, what went into his decision making
• He has admitted that some decisions were wrong and apologized (though it is clear that the wrong decisions only become apparent in hindsight)
• He has taken full responsibility for the mistakes
• He immediately hired independent investigators to find out what went wrong (and they pulled no punches)
• [H]e released the full report and then met with the public to take his medicine like a real man, a real father
• He has all along visibly shown the care and concern he has for those who have suffered from this tragedy
• He has over and over again pledged to correct the mistakes that allowed this to happen; committing himself to implementing all of the reports recommendations

Cardinal George has my trust. He may have made mistakes, which probably have more to do with placing his trust in the wrong people than anything else, but I do not think Chicago could hope for a better Shepherd. I still support the Cardinal and I am sure many in Chicago do as well.

Consistory of Cardinals Update 1

All eyes are turning to Rome...

Rocco Palmo will surely have a steady stream of coverage.

Michael Paulson of the Boston Globe is live-blogging from Rome.

And yours truly will be doing his best to keep track of whatever else falls between the cracks...

Cardinals-designate are allowed to attend the pre-consistory meeting:

No set agenda for pre-consistory meeting, cardinal-elect says

Rome, Mar. 22 (CWNews.com) - No agenda has been set for a meeting of the College of Cardinals on March 23, according to one of the invited participants. The meeting comes on the eve of a consistory at which Pope Benedict XVI will elevate 15 new members of the College of Cardinals.

Father Albert Vanhoye, a French Jesuit who will receive his red hat on March 24, told the Roman news agency I Media that he received an invitation to the meeting before the consistory. "So I will go," said the Scripture scholar, "even without yet being a cardinal."

Cardinal-designate O'Malley yucks it up:

"Trying on a cassock, O'Malley said he felt, well, rather conspicuous.

''I said that I could always wear it if I was called to be on a hunting expedition with the vice president," he joked to two dozen Boston-based reporters in Rome yesterday. ''It is very red.""

...

"With the informal nature of Archbishop O’Malley, who prefers to be called “Archbishop Sean,” it is unclear what he will actually want to be called [instead of Archbishop Sean Patrick Cardinal O'Malley, that is]." [source]

Oh well, this is what you get for electing monks into Cardinals...

Construction of World's Tallest Building halted by riots

Associated Press has the story:

Construction on a skyscraper expected to be the world's tallest was interrupted when Asian workers upset over low wages and poor treatment smashed cars and offices in a riot that an official said Wednesday caused nearly $1 million in damage.

The stoppage triggered a sympathy strike at Dubai International Airport, with thousands of laborers building a new terminal also laying down their tools, officials said.

Some 2,500 workers who are building the Burj Dubai tower and surrounding housing developments chased and beat security officers Tuesday night, smashed computers and files in offices, and destroyed about two dozen cars and construction machines, witnesses said.

Gee, I wonder if this kind of thing has ever happened before?

Dissenting Enigma Machine found!

Hi-larious.

My favorite:

Original coded Message:
“We are Church”

Same message after decoding by the D-Enigma machine:
“We are Catholics who really want to be liberal Anglicans.”

h/t: Curt Jester, who now has some lenten shirts!

Cardinal Macharski Sighting!

Cardinal Franciszek Macharski of Poland (who graces the top banner of this blog) is in Rome this week to prepare for the upcoming consistory:

"Polish Cardinal Franciszek Macharski (L) talks with Mexican Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera before Pope Benedict XVI's weekly general audience in St-Peter square at the Vatican. Leaders of the Roman Catholic Church began gathering in Rome for a day of "prayer and reflection" ahead of the first consistory under Pope Benedict XVI, in which he will elevate 15 cardinals who will help him guide the world's more than one billion Catholics.(AFP/Patrick Hertzog)."

Apparently the Cardinal is still showing a propensity for pointing in every picture taken of him! :-)

All roads lead to Immokalee

An interesting news story found today:

Naples, Mar. 22, 2006 (CNA) - Ave Maria University will take ownership of a college that was formerly the branch of a Baptist university in Nicaragua. Ave Maria College of the Americas in San Marco, Nicaragua, will move to Immokalee and is expected to function as a campus of the Naples-based Catholic university as of next year, reported Naples Daily News.

Read the rest.

Meanwhile, students of the Ave Maria School of Law in Michigan bemoan their school having to move to Florida as well:

We have now reached the point that so many of us feared for our beloved school - the point where Tom Monaghan decides to break up another thriving educational institution that he is the main funder of. As was done to AMC, there are several methods employed by Monaghan and his "yes men" to accomplish this goal.

Read the rest.

Man faces death for converting to Christianity

Catholic News Agency has the story:

Kabul, Mar. 22, 2006 (CNA) - Abdul Rahman was reportedly turned into Afghan authorities by his own family for becoming Christian--an act which could subject him to death according to that country’s strict Islamic laws.

Speaking in Washington yesterday, Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah said that while his government is largely staying out of the affair, he hoped that "through our constitutional process there will be a satisfactory result".

Mollie Zeigler, a writer for the website GetReligion, wondered today if the world body, particularly the U.S., was doing enough to see Rahman freed.

Apart from the importance of the story itself, I like the fact that CNA includes the opinion of the excellent blog Get Religion - the blogosphere's influence continues to expand...

Holy See explains reasoning behind dropping "Patriarch of the West"

Readers I'm sure remember that Pope Benedict recently dropped one of his titles, "Patriarch of the West" (which prompted our first-ever AP Poll). Many people were dismayed at this move (including the Orthodox!), so the Holy See has decided to explain their reasoning for the decision:

Vatican City, Mar. 22, 2006 (CNA) - Following widespread media speculation on the Vatican’s abandonment of the papal title, “Patriarch of the West”, the Holy See today offered clarification about the move saying the title was unclear and had become obsolete. It’s absence, they added, may now increase chances for meaningful ecumenical dialogue.

Speculation first started circulating after observant watchers noticed the familiar title conspicuously missing from this years edition of the “Annuario Pontificio” or pontifical yearbook.

Officials from the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity said in a statement today that "From a historical perspective, the ancient Patriarchates of the East, defined by the Councils of Constantinople (381) and of Chalcedon (451), covered a fairly clearly demarcated territory. At the same time, the territory of the see of the Bishop of Rome remained somewhat vague.”

Read the rest of their historical treatment.

Your Papist-Picture-of-the-Day (Wed., Mar. 22)

"The extraterrestrial was conflicted - on the one hand, it was finally seeing Pope Benedict in person, but on the other hand, it's carefully-disguised antennae were a bit obvious even in the large crowd."

[source: AP Photo/Pier Paolo Cito]

CGF on the AoC's independent investigation report

David of C-L-S posts his thoughts on the recent publication of the Archdiocese of Chicago's self-study regarding issues of clergy sexual abuse:

"...Cardinal George released a statement on the status of the investigation as to what went wrong in the Fr. MacCormack case. The Cardinal’s letter was accompanied by a letter from his Chancellor, Jimmy Lago and a public release of the entire report of an independent investigation done by Dallas based investigators, Defenbaugh and Associates. The report appears scathing on the surface but it also makes it clear that it focused only on what went wrong. That is, it identifies solely the problems found and does not try to contextualize these problems into an overall assessment of the program."

Read the rest.

We should continue to pray for Cardinal George and everyone in the Archdiocese of Chicago.

A busy week for this Papist...

Blogging will be fairly light over the next few days as I prepare to attend the New Evangelization Convocation (which is looking to be quite the shindig). There's also a minor detail of term papers that is beginning to rear its ugly (but not unexpected) head.

However, I do hope to rally somewhat and pull together some information in anticipation of the imminent election of Cardinals this week (because some things just can't go by unblogged).

As a reminder, this week's American Papist Poll has a couple more days left...

Your PPOTD! (Papist-Picture-of-the-Day) Tue, Mar. 21

"Pope Benedict models a special creation for the Spring '06 collection of Vatican Papal wear amid great applause."

[source: AP Photo/L'Osservatore Romano, Arturo Mari]

Sarcophagus in Cyprus from 500B.C. depicts Homeric epic scenes

From the Archaeology beat:

NICOSIA, Cyprus - A 2,500-year-old sarcophagus with vivid color illustrations from Homer's epics has been discovered in western Cyprus, archaeologists said Monday.

In one large painting, Ulysses and his comrades escape from the blind Cyclops Polyphemos' cave, hidden under a flock of sheep. Another depicts a battle between Greeks and Trojans from the Iliad.

Cardinal Arinze Biography/Interview now available!

Here at AmericanPapist I think it's safe to say that we dig Cardinal Arinze.

Well, imagine my happiness at finding out that Ignatius Press has just published a new biography/interview with his Eminence!

So, in addition to the Ratzinger Report, we now have the "Arinze Report"!

Here's what Fr. Kenneth Baker, editor of Homiletic and Pastoral Review has to say about it:

“Cardinal Arinze is a powerful figure in the Holy See. In this book he gives his opinions and insights with clarity and bluntness on hundreds of subjects. His openeness and clarity may surprise some readers since he is such a high-ranking Vatican prelate.”

And here's the book description:

Cardinal Arinze tells his amazing life story, and how he was guided by "God's invisible hand" through many challenging and dangerous moments, to become one of the world's leading Catholic prelates, and one of the top candidates for the Papacy in the recent conclave.

In the style of an interview, Arinze responds to a host of wide ranging questions from journalist Gerard O'Connell. Arinze talks about his life and experiences growing up in Nigeria, becoming the world's youngest Bishop, being on the run during the Nigerian civil war, and as an outspoken Cardinal who led the way for inter-religious dialogue with non-Christian religions, particularly Muslims, Buddhists and Hindus.

The charismatic Cardinal, also tells about his years of working inside the Vatican under three different Popes, and of his close relationship with John Paul II. Arinze and John Paul worked together on various important projects and documents that have had an impact on the Church and the African culture.

New book of the month? I think so.

Pope Benedict enacting liturgical reforms at Vatican and around World

Liturgical watchdogs should start salivating (I am).

First, Pope Benedict is getting ready to tighten-up the Vatican's liturgies:

Milan, Mar. 20 (CWNews.com) - Pope Benedict XVI is reviewing plans for papal liturgical celebrations, the Vatican's top liturgist has disclosed.

Archbishop Piero Marini, the master of ceremonies for papal liturgies, spoke to the Italian internet site on March 20, during a visist to Milan for the publication of his book, Liturgy and Beauty. Archbishop Marini revealed that Pope Benedict XVI has been more demanding than his predecessor in watching plans for liturgical celebrations at the Vatican.

Second, this summer he is going to begin drafting his Apostolic Exhortation for October. A couple juicy predictions:

The Vatican source said that the exhortation would include an invitation to greater use of Latin in the daily prayer of the Church and in the Mass "with the exception of the Liturgy of the Word" as well as in large public and international Masses.

The document would also encourage a greater use of Gregorian chant and classical polyphonic music; the gradual elimination of the use of songs whose music or lyrics are secular in origin, as well as the elimination of instruments that are "inadequate for liturgical use," such as the electric guitar or drums, although it is not likely that specific instruments will be mentioned.

Lastly, the Pope is expected to call for "more decorum and liturgical sobriety in the celebration of the Eucharist, excluding dance and, as much as possible, applause."

All this from the author of the Spirit of the Liturgy. I'm shocked and appalled. ;-)

Your PPOTD! (Papist-Picture-of-the-Day) Mon, Mar. 20

Interviewer: "So, being in charge of the commission tasked with promoting the cause to declare Pope John Paul II a saint, do you ever feel like he's 'watching over you', so to speak?"

Monsignor Oder: "You could say that. I sometimes feel as if he's looking over my shoulder every step of the way."

[source: REUTERS/Darrin Zammit Lupi]

Levada answers 10 quick questions

Cardinal-designate Levada answered 10 questions posed to him by Time Magazine:

You raised the issue in the synod about whether politicians should be granted communion if they support policies counter to Church teachings. There are certain teachings that as Catholics we have to accept as part of Jesus' Gospel. When you see Catholic politicians who favor abortion rights ... you have to ask yourself how this person squares this with his personal faith. Catholic politicians need to take this seriously. Maybe they need to say I'm not able to practice my faith and be a public representative.

Read the other nine.

This week's APP: Did YOU eat meat on St. Patrick's Day?

This Week's American Papist Poll:

Did you eat meat on St. Patrick's Day? Were you dispensed by your Bishop? Vote now!

The context for this week's poll explained:

Washington DC, Mar. 17, 2006 (CNA) - While the Catholic Church prohibits eating meat on Fridays during Lent, bishops in about one-third of the U.S.'s 197 dioceses have issued a one-day waiver of the rule for St. Patrick’s Day, citing the tradition of having meals of corned beef and cabbage, reported the Washington Post.

Among the bishops granting the dispensation are those in Washington, Baltimore, Arlington and Richmond. They said Catholics eating meat this St. Patrick’s Day should offset their action by making another sacrifice tomorrow or on another day during Lent.

Some local Catholics told the Post they still plan to avoid meat today, despite their bishop's permission to indulge.

In dioceses where bishops did not opt for the waiver, such as in Columbus, Ohio, Sioux City and Iowa, the Irish festivities there seemed to talk more of fish and chips—a Lenten staple for American Catholics.

Get Religion has a good post on the way the media has portrayed the choice of some bishops to dispense members of their diocese from their duty to abstain from meat. All this coverage made me wonder just how many people were given the dispensation, and of them, how many chose to take advantage of it.

So, let's see what people did and why!

As usual, please feel free to add your thoughts in the combox. The poll will run until this Thursday night.

Last Week's American Papist Poll Results

170 people voted in this week's poll.

Almost 80% believe that it is most important for a Pope to have served as a priest or bishop at some time in his ecclesial service.

Vote tallies for the "priest" and "bishop" categories were roughly tied until Dom invited his readers to participate and voiced his opinion (which I agree with) that the experience of being a parish priest and serving the day-to-day needs of the faithful is very important to the formation of a future Pope.

Pius X, for instance, had a particularly extended and fruitful ministry as a parish priest, if my memory serves correctly.

Feel free to read the comments box for a few more reasons people voted as they did.

Papa Benny looking fantastic today!

Some great shots of Papa Benny looking happy and chipper:

... don't those purple vestments look great?

(more good pics here).

[source: AP Photo/Pier Paolo Cito]

Most casual cardinal-designate

If cardinal-designate Carlo Caffarra is "most stylish," I hereby dub cardinal-designate Sean O'Malley "most casual."

I'm away from home right now, and the connection I'm on right now won't let me upload any photos (or do much of anything), so the PPOTD will have to wait until tomorrow, as will this week's AP Poll.

Take care folks!

Collection of the Best Irish Quotes

If one could only teach the English how to talk, and the Irish how to listen, society here would be quite civilized.
Oscar Wilde

We have always found the Irish a bit odd. They refuse to be English.
Winston Churchill

The Irish are a fair people - they never speak well of one another.
Samuel Johnson (1709 - 1784)

God invented whiskey to keep the Irish from ruling the world.
Ed McMahon

I showed my appreciation of my native land in the usual Irish way by getting out of it as soon as I possibly could.
George Bernard Shaw (1856 - 1950)

May all who love the Lord, love you and those who don't love you, may the Lord give them a limp so you can see them coming.
Irish Blessing

Only Irish Coffee provides in a single glass all four essential food groups: alcohol, caffeine, sugar, fat.
-Alex Levine

I will try to follow the advice that a university president once gave a prospective commencement speaker. "Think of yourself as the body at an Irish wake" he said. "They need you in order to have the party, but no one expects you to say very much."
-- Anthony Lake, national security advisor, at University of Massachusettes, Amhurst, Graduation 1995

Every St. Patrick's Day every Irishman goes out to find another Irishman to make a speech to.
Shane Leslie

May the road rise to meet you. May the wind always be at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face, the rains fall soft upon your fields and, until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of his hand.
Irish Blessing

When I told the people of Northern Ireland that I was an atheist, a woman in the audience stood up and said, "Yes, but is it the God of the Catholics or the God of the Protestants in whom you don't believe?"
Quentin Crisp

At least I know what a stereotype is.

Top o' the afternoon to ya! (otherwise known as the "Irish early morning")

You're 100% Irish!

Congratulations, you're a shining example of an Irish lass (or lad). There's hardly anyone more Irish than you!

How Irish Are You?

Via Julie @ Happy Catholic.

Some pictures from my trip to Ireland

These pictures were taken during my time in Ireland a couple years ago. I decided this would probably by the only day I could think of an excuse to post a few (click pics for fullsize).

Me and a good friend try our hand at taming the sea. It doesn't work.

Aran Islands, off the west coast of Ireland.

*cough* respecting the local laws...

My favorite picture - hanging out in a graveyard among the celtic crosses.

Sitting on the edge of the Cliffs of Moher (I'm the one in the center - the smartest).

Your Papist-Picture-of-the-Day (Friday, March 17)

"Ah, hello there my friend! I'm the pope."

(thanks to reader Victor for the photo suggestion)

Happy St. Patrick's Day to all my faithful Papist readers!

The sad state of modern bioethics

In my bioethics class, we often read texts by secular bioethics scholars in order to get a sense for what the other side believes. Here's an impressive quote from one of them:

"Traditional Attitudes: No pejorative taint attaches to the act [of suicide] either here [2 Sam. 17-23] or at any other place in the Hebrew Bible where suicide is described. A similar account holds for the Christian scriptures… [they] do not support a prohibition on voluntary death." - Brian Stoffell

Anyone care to refute his claim? The combox is open...

Collection of Celtic Cross photos

Something I had not noticed before is how many Celtic Crosses actually have the figure of the crucified Jesus in the center. Rectaratio has more pics.

Connecting the dots... philosophical tilt and a coat of arms

Hmm, perhaps the "philosophy of tilt" I identified in this post would go far in explaining why the official coat of arms of Bishop Sample (pictured below):

Appears like this on the UP Catholic's website:

I would argue this is another example of the same principle as I discuss in my previous post, i.e., you take the truth (first picture), and tilt it (second picture) in a "cool, contemporary" way to make it more appealing (supposedly) for the youth who are the "future of the Church."

The result? Well, I think the pictures speak for themselves. It's actually funny how silly this principle of "contemporifying" appears when you apply it to something of an intrinsically aesthetic nature, like a Bishop's coat of arms. I would also claim that the "gangster talk" approach to journalistic style in the diocesan youth supplement is basically as forced and, in the end, equally fails in its attempt to entice future generations of the Church... give them the Truth instead, says I. That works. Undressed-up, un-tilted, un-watered-down.

Do we need to present the truth in a beautiful and convincing way? Sure. I think that first coat of arms is beautiful (in its symbolism, its motto, colors, etc). Does it need to be 3D? Nope. Not at all.

(NB: Rocco pointed out the funky "altared" coat of arms first.)

Your PPOTD! (Papist-Picture-of-the-Day) Thu, Mar. 16

"You see, your Holiness, we've encased this engraved bar of chocolate in a glass case to ensure its freshness on Easter Sunday!"

Reminder: This week's poll has only one day left to run - feel free to vote if you haven't already!

[photo source: AP Photo/Osservatore Romano, Arturo Mari]

Canizares does it again

More fire from who is quickly becoming my favorite Cardinal-designate:

Archbishop Cañizares [of Toledo, Spain] denied the government’s claim that the Church is “inappropriately interfering” in public life. “Is it interference to defend fundamental human rights such as the right to life, to defend the human being from the first moment of conception, to protect him against manipulation and destruction?” he asked.

Read the rest.

Terri's Day

March 31 could be established as "Terri's Day":

Detroit, Mar. 16, 2006 (CNA) - An initiative has been launched to establish March 31 as Terri’s Day, an annual national day of remembrance to honor the memory of Terri Schiavo.

The initiative was announced by Schiavo’s father, Bob Schindler, and Kevin Fobbs, president of the National Urban Policy Action Council.

“Terri Schiavo’s legacy has taught us that life is precious and should be protected,” said Fobbs. “We are asking Americans to take a moment of their time to honor Terri’s memory as well as what former Pope John Paul II called the Culture of Life.”

What do you do with the youngest bishop in America?

Apparently, you dress him up as Neo and have him talk about his vocation.

Alex Sample, the new bishop of the diocese of Marquette, at 45, is just a spring chicken by episcopal standards (and yes, that is him pictured left).

The current issue of "altared" (the diocesan newspaper for youth) isn't available, but the previous (and first ever) one has some highlights online here.

The *cough* teen-speaked-out introduction goes like this:

"Here’s the 4-1-1 on Altared: It’s like this thing, you know. It’s eavy and fun and deep, but not too deep (and maybe not too fun or heavy, but fun and heavy enough). Oh geez, I’m running out of room here. What’s up with this tiny little space? Anyway, old-school Catholics might not understand, and may not even like Altared. But that’s all good. Altared is not for anyone over 25 anyway. It’s for us. Sure, being Catholic alters our outlook and makes us counter-cultural. But it sure doesn’t mean we have to be grumpy or boring. Being Catholic rocks! So stay Altared! -- ZJ"

In other articles, deep philosophical questions are asked: "So, what makes a good song gojudgmentsdgements about people's views are made: "Scally [a music critic] is a bit whack."

(in fairness, I guess the stuff on "just war" theory is okay. It mentions Augustinian roots, etc.)

Here's my comment: I don't mind trying to talk to teens in language they can understand. That's great. But do we really have to revert to baby-babble to get their attention and be "cool"? It seems to me that they way to evangelize the youth is to show them how the "old-CatholicsCatholis are cool and do understand. I still agree with "ZJ": "being Catholic rocks!" But let's just be careful to give them the real reasons it rocks.

Update: I had a chance to read the latest issue of altared and my opinion remains the same, albeit a little more nuanced. In essence, the magazine tries to deliver decent content, but remains convinced that this content has to be packaged in a "contemporary" language and style in order for youth to find it interesting (I would argue this "contemporary" language comes off as artificial and forced - and that's a good thing, who really wants to be so expresionally impoverished?).

For instance, when describing unique liturgical and dress items that only a Bishop is allowed to use, they name the column "itza bling thing" and tell people to "Check out some of Bishop Sample's gear." Each item is described accurately, but then they feel they have to add some cute joke or jab at the end.

"Miter: The liturgical headdress used bya bishop as a sign of his office. It's constructed to life flat with two ribbons which hang from the back. In the Western church it is worn at all solemn functions. My mom never let me wear a hat in church, what's up with that?"

"Pectoral Cross: The pectoral cross is worn, suspended from a green cord itnertwined with gold threads. Has nothing to do with the packers."

The interview with Bishop Sample, however, is good. And I pray he is able to utilize his charismatic appearance, relative-youth and rigorous orthodoxy to work great things for the Catholic youth in the Marquette diocese.

Second encyclical in the works? Probably!

Catholic News Agency has the story:

Vatican City, Mar. 15, 2006 (CNA) - Sources close the Holy See have indicated that Pope Benedict XVI is preparing his first social encyclical, which may be entitled “Labor Domini,” or, “The Work of the Lord.”

According to the report, which has not yet been officially confirmed by the Holy See, the encyclical would present a Christian vision of human work and address the importance of work for society. Likewise, it would explore the necessity and duty of the human person to work in some capacity.

A central theme of the document looks to be work as a participation in the creative action of God and, as a consequence, a means of sanctification. It may also address the challenges of “neo-liberalism” and of a lack of solidarity in the world. Sources add that the document would probably not be issued until at least Christmas.

Read the rest.

Carlo Caffarra impatient for Cardinalhood

At least, that's what it looks like to me...

More good pics here at CatholicPressPhoto.

Carl Olson on Coded Craziness

I've resisted getting interested in the debates swirling around the Da Vinci Code, but Carl Olson has three good posts (here and here and here) on the suprising revalations being made in Dan Brown's court case.

A highlight:

So it appears that Brown's pro-feminist credentials are a bit shaky: his wife did much or most of the leg work and he gets the glory. As one Scoop reader noted: "Another irony: Dan Brown writes a novel spouting radical feminist propaganda and claims it's well-researched, then, when accused of having copied the whole thing, he blames his wife." Go figure...

Check back at InsightScoop for your daily dose of Dan Brown debunking...

The Cardinal-designate's new gloves

Check those out:

Though even I know the ring should be worn over the gloves...

[via Fr. Jim + Rocco]

Pope kisses babies, proclaims truth about Christ and his Church

Just an average day in the life of a Pope:

Step 1) Kiss babies:

Step 2) Proclaim truth about Christ and his Church.

Quote from the CWN coverage:

Speaking to about 30,000 people in St. Peter's Square, the Holy Father said that there is "a deep, inseparable, and mysterious connection" between Jesus and the Church founded on his apostles. Warning against "individualistic" approaches to faith, and the temptation to separate individual piety from "organized religion," the Pope said: "There is no conflict between Christ and his Church."

[photo source: Photo/Plinio Lepri]

Is he going or isn't he?

Glasgow's Daily Mirror newspaper is claiming that Pope Benedict will visit England in September 2007. However, the Archbishop of Westminister denies the report (and besides, it would conflict with a visit he is planning to Austria at about the same time). Personally, I can't believe a British tabloid would publish anything but the confirmed truth, so I'm conflicted. ;-)

All may not be over for Catholic Charities in Boston

Sure, it's probably just a political move (update: Dom explains how), but hopefully a lesson has been learned (by Catholic Charities): putting your foot down might lead to more results than endlessly compromising:

BOSTON -- Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has asked his staff to draft a "very narrow" bill that would let Catholic Charities provide adoption services without serving gay couples.

The governor acknowledged that same-sex couples have a legitimate interest in adopting children, but he said the services Catholic Charities provides are more important than maintaining a faith-blind law.

"They have within their religion the belief that marriage should be between a man and a woman, and that children should not be sent into homes without a mother and a father," Romney said Monday. "We'd like them to be able to be true to their religion."

Read the rest.

Cardinal Pell optimistic about future of the Church

Our favorite Aussie prelate has some hopeful things to say:

Cardinal Pell Optimistic About Church in Australia
Tells of Enthusiasm Among Young People
ROME, MARCH 14, 2006 (Zenit.org).- Cardinal George Pell is optimistic about the future of the Church in Australia, in part because of the country's increase of vocations to the priesthood.

The archbishop of Sydney gave a picture ofCatholicism in Australia when he addressed a convention in Rome on the 40th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council decree "Ad Gentes." The Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples organized the March 9-11 convention.

According to the report by the Vatican congregation's Fides agency, Cardinal Pell said: "Today the situation of Catholics in Australia is stable and I am optimistic for the mission of the Church."

"We see a growth in vocations to the priesthood and new enthusiasm in the faith, especially among young Catholics," he said.

"According to recent surveys, the percentage of declared believers in Australia is increasing," the cardinal said. "This is encouraging and the Church must be ready and able to meet this spiritual and religious reawakening.

I would venture to say that something similar is going on in the U.S.
Praised be Jesus Christ!

Update: Spanish Cardinal is witnessing the same upswing in vocations...

Does Zenit read my blog?

A day after I first post about this, Zenit does the same. Coincidence?

Yeah, probably.

I'm a happy papist tonight

... because I got a blessing from a Cardinal. :-)

Vatican Stamps to commemorate Jesuits, a painter and ... religious pluralism?

The story (with my commentary in dark red):

Mar. 14 (CWNews.com) - The first series of stamps issued by the Vatican postal service will be introduced on March 16. The stamps commemorate the integration of cultures in Europe, the founders of the Jesuit order, and the Italian painter Andrea Mantegna.

A mixed bag if you ask me. In the first run of Vatican stamps, couldn't we get something like, oh I dunno - Pope JP2 or B16 stamps? Even a picture of St. Peter's Basilica would be nice. I'd buy those and I think many other people would too.

Two stamps will be dedicated to religious pluralism in Europe. One will display a church, a mosque, and a synagogue, representing the three great monotheistic religions. The other will show children in a school classroom, symbolizing the meetingplace of future citizens.

Religious pluralism? Is that what the Vatican is the symbol of? No. Is that what its message to the world is? Read Dominus Iesus (the answer is "No" to that one, too). As for children in a classroom - I'd like to see a stamp depicting children in a Church (they are already in classrooms, let's promote getting them back in Church, especially in Europe).

Three other stamps will bear the portraits of great founders of the Society of Jesus: St. Ignatius of Loyola (1491- 1556), St. Francis Xavier (1506- 1552), and Blessed Pierre Favre (1506- 1546). St. Ignatius, the founder of the Jesuits, died 450 years ago in a house in central Rome where he had spent his last years. For St. Francis Xavier, the year 2006 is the 500th anniversary of his birth. The French Jesuit Pierre Favre died 440 years ago, as he was traveling to Trent to take part in the Council there, at the invitation of Pope Paul III.

This is fine -I have no problem with honoring the Jesuit founding founders. Perhaps this is a little tacit sign that Pope Benedict is still supportive of the Jesuits especially as they prepare to change superior generals.

For the 500th anniversary of the death of Mantegna, the Vatican will unveil three new stamps showing his works: an image of the Virgin and Child, another of Sts. Gregory and John the Baptist, and one of Sts. Peter and Paul.

Now this is more like it. Mantegna has some great works. Here is a google gallery of many of his pieces. I wouldn't be surprised if this is the Virgin and Child they are thinking of using.

Oh well, Mantegna almost removes the bad taste of "religious pluralism" from my mouth ... I hope that wording wasn't in the original press release.