Video: Obama and Palin on abortion

First, Sarah Palin connecting the dots:

Via GodSpy.

Now see Obama at Planned Parenthood:

Note the contrast.

Video: Colbert interviews Peter J. Gomes

Video: SNL on Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton

Warning: *Some Adult Language* (it is SNL...)

Video: The Catholic Vote

Some fantastic new work by Grassroot Films:



This is an initiative of http://www.catholicvote.com/

update: more on this CatholicVote.com project from Fidelis.

Video: Bible in a Minute

Video: Colbert with Athiest/Feminist author

From the archives:

Video: Tuesday Morning Wow

It sure wowed me - "Brylcreem's Effortless TV Ad":

And in case you were wondering - no special effects - one take!
See how it was made here. Talent, hard work, patience - results.

Conversion Story: Mark Rutherford

Video: Bp. Fulton Sheen on "What's My Line"

From the Papist Archives:

Ph/t: Dawn.

Awesome Video: Spanish 6-Foot High Incense "Boat"

This knocks my papist socks off (jump to about midway through if you are impatient):

It's called the Botafumeiro (literally, "the smoke boat"):

The Botafumeiro is a famous thurible found in the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral. Incense is burned in this swinging metal container, or "incensory".

The Santiago de Compostela Botafumeiro is one of the largest censers in the world, weighing [approx.] 80 kg and measuring 1.60 m in height. It is normally on exhibition in the library of the cathedral, but during certain important religious occasions it is brought to the floor of the cathedral and attached to ropes hung from the pulley mechanism.

Shovels are used to fill the Botafumeiro, or the Alcachofa, with about 40 kg of charcoal and incense. The thurible is tied to the rope with elaborate knots. The censer is pushed initially to start its motion. Eight red-robed tiraboleiros pull the ropes, producing increasingly large oscillations of the censer. The turible's swings almost reach the ceiling of the transept. The incensory can reach speeds of 68 km/h as it dispenses thick clouds of incense.

It costs about 250€ for each thurible "performance" at the cathedral. Although this is expensive, the swinging of the thurible is very popular with pilgrims, tourists and visitors.

The Botafumeiro produces large volumes of smoke. This is in accord with the well-known saying in religious circles, "More incense, less nonsense." [Wikipedia] Here is a video taken from the sacristy with it in motion:

Things have gone wrong, very wrong before:

One of the most renowned accidents took place during a visit of Princess Catherine of Aragon. She was on a journey to marry the heir to the English throne in 1499 and stopped by the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela. While it was being swung, the Botafumeiro flew out of the cathedral through the Platerias high window. No one was reported to have been injured on this occasion.

It's still awesome.

Taylor Marshall of Canterbury Tales echoes my sentiment:

As I said last year, one of the best things about being Catholic is being in communion not only with the Holy Father, but also with the Botafumeiro itself. Catholic brothers and sisters, if you ever become discouraged, just know that there is a incense thurible over six feet tall swinging around in a Saint James Compestella in Spain. No other religion would dare to have something so awesome.

Ph/t: Creative Minority Report.

Video: Cannes '08 Short Film Winner

A good video for a Sunday:


Description:

Fourth annual Short Film Online Competition - Cannes 2008. The NFB, in association with the Cannes Short Film Corner and partner YouTube, is proud to announce that the winner of the NFB Online Competition Cannes 2008 is Alonso Alvarez Barreda for his short film Historia de un Letrero (The Story of a Sign) produced in Mexico/U.S.A.

Running Time : 04:50

With a stroke of the pen, a stranger transforms the afternoon for another man in this emotionally stirring short film by Alonso Alvarez.

[Ph/t: PhatMass user "Seven77"]

Video: Colbert on the Anglican Schism ... "Skism"?

update: sorry about the broken video, it should work now:



I've actually interviewed with Laurie Goodstein.

She didn't use it. :-)

Video: I Like Being Catholic

Ta-da!



Info:

Earlier this year I gave a speech to a group of parishioners at Divine Mercy Catholic Church in Faribault, Minnesota. At the end of my talk the organizer of the event, Justin Stroh, grabbed his guitar and led the group in a rousing rendition of a song that he wrote, called I Like To Be Catholic. I was so surprised and pleased by the song. It immediately became the unofficial theme song of LoveToBeCatholic.com. After much begging and pleading, Justin's friend Brad posted a music video of the song on LoveToBeCatholic.com. Now I wish to share this fun uplifting song with you. - Tom Hall

Lol. :-)

Video & Report: Catholics Come Home web innitiative results in 6,000 inquires!

Amy Welborn has described the web innitiative Catholics Come Home as a "group dedicated to reconnecting Catholics with their faith, with the byproduct of deepening the faith of all of us."

She continues: "These commercials are miles beyond the quality of most Catholic media efforts we see and are deeply substantive and do things, IMHO exactly right."

I agree with her, so much so that I made CCH my AmP website-of-the-month in June (I realize that we are now deep into July and I haven't updated it yet, no worries - it's coming).

Now Zenit reports that CCH's efforts have resulted in 6,000 inquires and reversions back to the Church:

For many who have left the Catholic Church, there is often a great desire to come home. However, fear and guilt often lead many to put off the gnawing decision to return to the Church. Not knowing where to turn, many who were once faithful feel lost and ashamed.

Tom Peterson, founder of Catholicscomehome.org, has found television and the Internet to be just the place to reach out to those wishing to come back to the Church.

Earlier this year Peterson tested his methods and ideas using an advertising campaign geared toward the 3.5 million who live in the Diocese of Phoenix.

More than 6,000 people inquired and came back to the Church via the Catholicscomehome.org Web site, and many more came back to Catholicism by reporting directly to a parish near their home. One priest reported that 16 people came to him for confession after they saw the television ad.

“One of the biggest surprises for us was the amount of inquiries from those who are not Catholic," said Peterson. "About one quarter of those expressing an interest in the Catholic Church are from those who have seen our commercials or visited our Web site and want to better understand the Catholic Church, or have actually made the decision to become Catholic.”

With results like this, it was frustrating when I first gave them press at the time of their roll-out that their videos were not accessible and able to be distributed through YouTube. This problem has been fixed to some degree, however, with the introduction of the official Catholics Come Home YouTube Channel. This is a very smart move for two reasons: 1) it's free advertising and 2) it allows the message to be easily and widely distributed.

Sadly, however, they've decided to disable the function of embedding these videos. I think this is a very poor decision and I hope it is reconsidered quickly. The vidoes are languishing at about between 1k-10k views. I know this blog alone could help boost those numbers if I were allowed to embed it. And imagine if major Catholic websites were to follow suit?

Please, make it easier for me and other Catholics to promote this video on the internet.

AmP on the road: The Baltimore Basilica & More

Yesterday I made the 40 mile trip from Washington DC to Baltimore. I experienced a very full day of sightseeing, aided in no small part by the helpful assistance of AmP readers!

Since I use public transportation, the trip from my door to the Baltimore Basilica (my first destination) involved stints on the DC metro, MARC commuter train, Baltimore lightrail, metro, and finally my own two legs.

The Basilica tour guide team was very helpful, and regularly offers tours lasting about 50 minutes to interested parties. They provide a good balance between information about the Basilica itself and the wider history of the Catholic Church in America.

The interior of the Basilica [wikipedia entry] is exceptionally bright and welcoming. Most everything has been renovated. The basilica was famously designed by Benjamin Latrobe, who also helped design the U.S. Capitol. He was told to construct an American church and did just that. The windows feature no stained glass and the architecture follows a strict newclassical style. Most impressively, the basilica has a huge, soaring dome, lit at the top with sky lights:

It's really difficult to take a full-size picture of the dome with my camera's aperature. It's really big. They eventually plan to have an online virtual tour which will probably do a better job. So this will have to do.

I found this an interesting piece of information. The upper church avoids any need for pillars through an inventive "reverse arch" system that is visable in the crypt below the church:

I thought the marble high altar, while rather minimal, was very beautiful:

The full name of the church is the "Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary", so appropriately enough. Children of the staff provided the models for the cherubs' faces:

As a Basilica which Pope John Paul II has visited, it has a Tintinnabulum and Conopaeum (visible in this picture to the far right).

As the "first among equals" American church, it features large memorials to the councils and gatherings of Bishops which have taken place in Baltimore over the centuries, as well as a list of the bishops consecrated in the cathedral (not pictured) - it's am impressive who's-who list of American prelates.

To conclude, here is a short video I took inside the Basilica (it's here on YouTube):

Now a couple fun facts:

According to tradition, upon the death of a Cardinal his galero is raised in the sanctuary of his cathedral church. The tongue-in-cheek follow-up is that the cardinal will be in purgatory until his hat disintegrates and falls to the ground. The first hat fell apart during the renovation, and the rector wished to still have one around, so he petitioned Rome for a replacement! I bet the cardinal wasn't too pleased about that.

Another fun fact:

This is the famous "Cardinal Gibbons balcony." The story is that the Cardinal was so popular with the people that he could never have solitude for prayer in his Church, thefore he had an overhang created to the left of the sanctuary so he could say his prayers undisturbed. It remains to this day.

After my tour of the Basilica, I headed down to St. Alphonsus Church, which is quite an experience (and contrast to the crisp neoclassicisc decoration of the Basilica). My photo did not turn out well but captures a bit of the soaring european-style gothic. An impressive and complex beauty:

I attended noon Mass here, celebrated by an Irish priest. Mass was about 20 minutes, but reverent.

For some reason, this put a smile on my face:

That Fr. Visitor sure gets around! I noticed him hearing confessions everwhyere. ;-)

And in case you were wondering, yes I did spend some time in Baltimore itself:

I highly recommend taking a water taxi if you are ever able to visit. "Get in on it." ;-)

I even visited the tomb of Edgar Allan Poe and left him a little present. And said some prayers for him.

The day concluded with dinner, a short tour of Baltimore's federal hill and a pint with some of the fine folks behind InsideCatholic. They were extremely hospitable and I can understand why they choose to live in Baltimore. My sincere gratitude goes out to them. It's always wonderful when I meet the people whose material I read in St. Blogs to find out that their blogging is just one (public) expression of their personal, lived faith. Cheers to that.

In case you were wondering, I always upload my photos from trips like this one to my Flickr page.

I might be back in Baltimore by as early as next week, which is nice because there are plenty of places I wished to visit that I did not have time to see this time around. Again, thanks for all the tips! I put them to good use.

AmP on the road: The Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis

During my recent visit to St. Louis, MO I had the opportunity of visiting the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis [wikipedia], the seat (until August) of Archbishop Raymond Burke.

I was lucky enough to show up at the cathedral precisely when a tour was starting, which I decided to follow around. If facts and figures are your thing, the 83,000 square feet of mosaic art in this Church have been under construction for a period of 75 years I found out!

Pope Paul VI called it the "outstanding cathedral of the Americas" and having been myself, I can see why. It's certainly one of the most beautiful churches I've seen in the Americas, and the most beautiful large one. There's a wealth of artistic and architectural styles harmoniously integrated in its cavernous interior.

The Cathedral Basilica's website offers an online tour of it's art. I took a few pictures myself:

This one below intrigued me - I had never seeing an "Hourglass Angel" before. Have you?

The rest of the pictures are in a new AmericanPapist Flickr Album.

I also took a video of the cathedral interior and put it on my YouTube channel:

If you ever have the opportunity of visiting the St. Louis Cathedral Basilica - do so!

YouTube Video: Call to Action Liturgy

Or as Damien Thompson calls it, "How to scare the kids at Mass."



I blogged about this earlier here. It's still just as scary now, though.

Video: Call to Action's Closing Liturgy

Amy gives us the video (windows media player) from West Coast Call to Action's closing liturgy.

There's a good discussion at Amy's attempting to get deeper than the knee-jerk reactions to such fare.

If it wasn't a liturgical abuse of the Mass, I'd have found it a diversion from tonight's studying marathon.

Video: Stephen Colbert interviews author Anne Lamott

Friday Funny - Stephen Colbert interviews bestselling-author Anne Lamott:



I've talked about Anne Lamott before here.

I've also read portions of her book Grace, Eventually (I was frittering away my time in a book store awhile back). It's a self-absorbed ramble that displays little basic theological or spiritual sense, and sadly reveals someone who has searched and suffered much, only to have learned little. And that's about all she can pass on.

I hope she does receive grace, eventually (she is already, of course, but I hope she comes to accept it fully). But I wouldn't recommend reading her book. Pray for her instead. That can win her grace, presently.

Video & Photo: Pope Benedict Receives Enthusiastic Greeting!

After attending the Papal Mass at Nationals Stadium today in Washington DC, I decided at the last minute to catch a final glimpse of Pope Benedict as he arrived on the CUA campus to address Catholic Educators.

This (shaky) video I took captures well the level of enthusiasm I've been witnessing for the pope:

Amid all this hubbub, I managed to snatch this photo:

What a pope.

AmP Videos: Papal Mass in Washington DC

I've got some good ones for you today!

First, a video I took from the field at Nationals Stadium while waiting for the Papal Mass to begin:

Second, I videotaped the first 60 seconds of Pope Benedict's homily:

Finally, one more scanning shot of the full stadium during the Papal Mass:

Hopefully these videos help give you a feel for what it was like. In a word: awesome.

Video: Catholics Come Home

This video has been receiving alot of (merited) attention. It was also played prior to the Papal Mass this morning at Nationals Stadium on the big screen:

Their website: http://www.catholicscomehome.org/ - tell your non-practicing friends!

President Bush to Pope: "Awesome speech your Holiness"

This recorded comment from President Bush to Pope Benedict is quickly becoming the talk of the town:

When you hear it being talked about on the newsfloor of the BBC, it's gotta be news.

Oh, and by the way, my interview on BBC World News went very well tonight. They talked with me for almost 4 1/2 minutes, which is a good stretch in the television news world, for those who keep track of these things.

Videos: Day 1 highlights of Pope Benedict's visit

First, CNN's raw video of Pope Benedict XVI stepping off the plane and being greeted by President bush:

I've also created a photopost of the ceremony and liveblogged it and listed the dignitaries present.

Second, Dominican Friars pull off an engineering feat in mounting a banner to welcome the pope properly:


It looks like the banner turned out nicely! This is the view Pope Benedict will have of it tomorrow.

Third and finally, Local WBAL reports on the preparations for the Papal Mass happening on Thursday:


Exciting times!

Video: AmP interviewed for Today Show, MSNBC.com

Here's the MSNBC.com feature video, "Holy rolling for the pope", I'm at the end:

The producer emailed me this morning and said there will also be a piece later today that is an extended cut of the interview they did with me last week. Several folks have also said they saw me on the Today Show.

This is why I refrain from announcing TV appearances ahead of time in general - airtimes are unpredictable.

That said, this shouldn't be the end of them in the near future... thanks for all the kind comments already.

And if you're wondering about the papal skateboard contest winner [image], Tim Drake's favorite won.

Rats.

Video: Archdioceses of Philadelphia and Washington DC welcome the pope

Dioceses in the United States are sending welcome videos to Pope Benedict XVI which will be played at Nationals Stadium before his Mass on April 17th. I've found two more videos for your viewing pleasure:

First, Archdiocese of Philadelphia under Justin Cardinal Rigali:

My rating: 8/10. A very strong entry. It features a personal introduction from the Cardinal, with a focus on the Archdiocese' liturgical celebrations, many of them highly public and well-attended. What a good witness.

Second, my own Archdiocese of Washington DC under Archbishop Donald Wuerl. You can view the video on this page (click on "Welcome from Washington D.C." in the middle of the list).

My rating: This video has a very different style from the ones I've previously rated, so I don't think it would be fair to do so. Obviously it begins with an introduction and welcome from the Archbishop, and then provides the personal greetings of a large cross-section of the faithful.

Previous videos in this series that I have watched and rated:

• Prat 8: Archdiocese of Cincinnati and Diocese of Harrisburg (6/10 & 7/10)
• Part 7: Dioceses of Rochester and Corpus Christi (7/10 & 10/10)
• Part 6: Diocese of Arlington (8/10)
• Part 5: Diocese of Providence and Diocese of Charlotte (6/10 & 9/10)
• Part 4: Archdiocese of Baltimore (9/10)
• Part 3: Archdiocese of Los Angeles (1/10)
• Part 2: Diocese of San Diego (6/10)
• Part 1: Diocese of Buffalo and Archdiocese of Chicago (4/10 & 7/10)

Video: Archdiocese of Cincinnati and Diocese of Harrisburg welcome the pope

Dioceses in the United States are sending welcome videos to Pope Benedict XVI which will be played at Nationals Stadium before his Mass on April 17th. Two more videos get added to that growing list today:

Archdiocese of Cincinnati under Archbishop Daniel Pilarczyk

My rating: 6/10. The video is very informative, but I do prefer to see bishops become personally involved in the presentation of their diocese to the Holy Father. And I especially wish that dioceses would spend more time presenting their liturgical and devotional life. Sacraments make the Church, after all. (CCC 1118)

Next up, the Diocese of Harrisburg under Bishop Kevin Rhoades. You can watch it here (WMV).

My rating: 7/10. This video does a good job of describing more properly Catholic features of the diocese, and incorporates the theme of Pope Benedict's visit. And they pray for the pope and his visit.

Previous videos in this series that I have watched and rated:

• Part 7: Dioceses of Rochester and Corpus Christi (7/10 & 10/10)
• Part 6: Diocese of Arlington (8/10)
• Part 5: Diocese of Providence and Diocese of Charlotte (6/10 & 9/10)
• Part 4: Archdiocese of Baltimore (9/10)
• Part 3: Archdiocese of Los Angeles (1/10)
• Part 2: Diocese of San Diego (6/10)
• Part 1: Diocese of Buffalo and Archdiocese of Chicago (4/10 & 7/10)

Video: Carpenter Crafts Furniture for Pope

Here ya are, consider this your human interest story of the day. ;-)


Maybe of the week....

Video: Dioceses of Rochester and Corpus Christi welcome the pope

Dioceses in the United States are sending welcome videos to Pope Benedict XVI which will be played at Nationals Stadium before his Mass on April 17th. Two more videos get added to that growing list today:

Diocese of Rochester, under Bishop Matthew Clark:

My rating: 7/10. Simple, straightforward, innocuous. I wish the diocese were the same.

Second, the Diocese of Corpus Christi under Bishop Edmond Carmody - which you can see here (WMV file).

My rating: 10/10. The bishop proudly introduces his diocese, the ecclesiology is sound, the music selection is moving, and the video even has a sense of drama. It makes for a real sock-knocker!

Previous videos in this series that I have watched and rated:

• Part 6: Diocese of Arlington (8/10)
• Part 5: Diocese of Providence and Diocese of Charlotte (6/10 & 9/10)
• Part 4: Archdiocese of Baltimore (9/10)
• Part 3: Archdiocese of Los Angeles (1/10)
• Part 2: Diocese of San Diego (6/10)
• Part 1: Diocese of Buffalo and Archdiocese of Chicago (4/10 & 7/10)

Video First Look: Pope Benedict's Travel Path at the National Shrine

Just to make sure my camera still works, here's a short video I took of the travel path Pope Benedict will follow when he visits the National Shrine for Vespers with the U.S. Bishops on April 16th:

The beginning of the video shows 4th street, where the Popemobile will originate, and then the ellipse where he will greet the 3,000+ person crowd waiting outside the National Shrine.

I then pan to show the front of the National Shrine, with its two large papal welcome banners displayed, which I photographed yesterday and are now on the AmP Flickr Page.

Humor: Stephen Colbert on the Pope Coming to Town

Catholic Colbert:

Looks like Stephen [Colbert] is all set for the Pope’s visit to New York. He’s got quite a welcome package prepared, right down to a baby to be baptized (son of Colbert Report writer Peter Gwinn). Whether the pope accepts or declines the invitation, it could make for some great comedy bits in the days to come.

A little on the irreverent side at times. Colbert can do better.

Video: DC Metro's video for pilgrims (w/ bobblehead pope and chanted Latin!)

By way of a DC insider, a DC insider blog gives us the scoop on this public service message created by the Washington DC Metro for pilgrims coming to see Pope Benedict XVI and using the special Papal Mass Pass.

Here's the video (update 2: link restored, but see why it was taken down here):



Favorite line: "Avoid the unholy traffic. Take metro."

And I wonder where they found someone to chant in Latin?!

DC insider explanation:

The last time Metro dipped its toes into the exciting world of internet video, DCist was the first to share their low-budget, Peeps going to Nationals Park spectacular. Our readers enjoyed that one so much, Metro just tipped us off to their latest effort, titled "Strangers on a Train", which aims to [promote] their special Papal Mass Pass. The pass itself is a good idea: it costs a flat $9, and gives those who plan to follow Pope Benedict XVI around town when he arrives to give a special mass at Nationals Park on April 17 unlimited rides all day.

We're totally fine with a Pope bobblehead taking Metro. Heck, the more bobbleheads we encounter on public transportation, the better....

Indeed. I take the metro's red line every day, and have yet to encounter the papal bobblehead. Or the pope.

update: the Archdiocese of DC requested this video be taken down from the Metro website.

Video: Pope Benedict's official greeting to the people of the United States

As announced yesterday, the Vatican Press Office is releasing a video greeting today from Pope Benedict XVI in anticipaton of his visit to the United States next week.

Vatican watcher Rocco Palmo explains the importance of this decision:

"... the move underscores both the import the church's central command is placing on next week's events and Rome's understanding of the usefulness and impact of new technology, both on the life of the Stateside church and the wider society here."

Well yes, that and the fact that the Vatican knows how much I love papist videos.

update: okay, not the smoothest roll out we've witnessed....

• update 3: here is the full video:

• The text of the message is available here

update 2: John Thavis of CNS has comments, John Allen as well:

Release of a video from the pope ahead of a foreign trip is not standard Vatican operating procedure. Vatican sources said the decision was the result of an unusually high volume of requests for interviews with the pope from American media outlets sparked by the impending trip. Although the pope turned down those requests, sources said his advisors were impressed with the interest and wanted to offer a response.

Video: Diocese of Arlington welcomes the pope

Dioceses in the United States are sending welcome videos to Pope Benedict XVI which will be played at Nationals Stadium before his Mass on April 17th. Here is another entry, this one from the nearby diocese of Arlington.

My rating: 8/10. A very decent entry. Very high production standards, a broad spectrum of people are featured, plenty of information, and Bishop Paul Loverde provides the narration. If I could ask for one thing, it would be that more of the sacramental and liturgical life of the diocese were better represented.

Previous videos in this series:

• Part 5: Diocese of Providence and Diocese of Charlotte (6/10 & 9/10)
• Part 4: Archdiocese of Baltimore (9/10)
• Part 3: Archdiocese of Los Angeles (1/10)
• Part 2: Diocese of San Diego (6/10)
• Part 1: Diocese of Buffalo and Archdiocese of Chicago (4/10 & 7/10)

Videos: Dioceses of Providence & Charlotte welcome the pope

Dioceses from around the United States are sending welcome videos to Pope Benedict XVI which will be played at Nationals Stadium before his papal Mass on April 17th. Here are two more:

Diocese of Providence, RI under Bishop Thomas Tobin.

My rating: 6/10. A decent video. Heavy on social justice and "the environment" but also features an extended welcome from the Rector and Seminarians of Our Lady of Providence Seminary. And finally - where is the bishop?

For the second video, this one by the diocese of Charlotte, NC, you can click here.

My rating: 9/10. One of the very best I've seen. The Bishop, Peter Joseph Jugis, takes a personal responsibility in presenting and introducing his diocese, and along the way, teaches about how his diocese lives its Catholic faith.

Previous videos in this series:

• Part 4: Archdiocese of Baltimore (9/10)
• Part 3: Archdiocese of Los Angeles (1/10)
• Part 2: Diocese of San Diego (6/10)
• Part 1: Diocese of Buffalo and Archdiocese of Chicago (4/10 & 7/10)

Video: Laugh, then help a big Catholic family win $25k

From Marcel LeJeune of the MarySaggies blog:

Some friends who have a wonderful Catholic family of 9 kids, all home-schooled, are in the final 10 of a $25,000 college scholarship contest (and the parents are Aggie Catholics if you needed more incentive). They created a great video, but now need your votes to help them win. Go here to vote for them (yes, you have to fill out a short registration).

Hey, it's worth the time. If you're feeling industrious, consider blogging it or sending out an email!

Video: LA Archdiocese's simply awful welcome video for Pope Benedict

As the third installment (part 1 - part 2) of my series in which I watch and rate the various "Welcome Pope Benedict" videos being produced by American dioceses, I give you a real humdinger. This isn't a joke.

Not surprisingly, it's the Archdiocese of Los Angeles that has managed to produce a welcoming video not only worse than every other one I've already seen, but laughably bad in comparison. This video, moreover, will be played on the big screens at Nationals Stadium in DC before the Papal Mass, along with the rest.

I've embedded the video below, the original is on the Arch of LA website here.



Here's a transcript of the video:

From it's humble beginnings at La Placita church, to the Cathedral of our Lady of the Angels, Los Angeles' vibrant catholic community [not church!] looks to the future while paying tribute to her past.

Los Angeles has celebrated the blessing of the animals since 1930. A cow traditionally has the place of honor at the head of the parade. She's followed by cats, dogs, turtles, snakes, and a host of other animals.

"Los Angelinos" send their best wishes to his holiness, Pope Benedict the 16th.

(people welcome the Holy Father)

Los Angeles [not the Archdiocese], welcomes you, Pope Benedict, to America.

Yes, you read and watch right: the entire video is about the once-a-year blessing of the animals. And of even that, it's mostly about the animals (and Cardinal Mahony, blithely throwing water at everything in sight).

Truly if these videos say anything about the dioceses that produced them, I hope this is the low point.

I'm going to refrain from laying out exactly all the reasons I find this video inadequate, and let you chime in.

Rating: 1/10 (it mentions the Pope).

update: Curt Jester reveals, in his humerous way, why this was probably the safest thing they could do.

Video: BBC Discovers Amazing *Flying* Penguins!

To quote Dr. Allan Grant, "Life finds a way!"

And who could ever doubt the BBC?

Cardinal Arinze: "Send 12 Swiss Guards to arrest them all!"

The fine folks at the Cardinal Arinze Podcast have given us a gem of a Cardinal Arinze answer:

Watch the first 45 seconds, then jump to 2:30, then to 3:30....

On a more serious note though - is it really as funny as all that?

The Cardinal Arinze Podcast, of course, has the coolest. logo. ever:

It has a permanent place on the AmP sidebar.

Video: Diocese of San Diego welcomes Pope Benedict

On Monday I provided two videos from American dioceses welcoming Pope Benedict. Today, a third - Aux. Bp. Salvatore J. Cordileone and Bp. Brom of the diocese of San Diego:


Rating: 6/10. On the one hand, Auxiliary Bishop Cordileone is awesome, as I've pointed out. I also appreciate the video's depiction of sacraments and San Diego's historic mission. On the other hand, once again, this video is very heavy on the "diversity" theme. I admit there are many cultural backgrounds represented in the diocese, but the faith is more than the culture in which it exists. Oh, and, I guess the welcome video wasn't time to bring up the ongoing unfortunate situation.

update: surprise, surprise - this was a local San Diegan JP Catholic production. (ph/t: Pope 2008).

Videos: Dioceses send welcome messages to Pope Benedict

The Diocese of Buffalo under Bishop Edward Kmiec welcomes the Holy Father:

I'd give it about a 4 out of 10. Very little on the sacramental life, very much on the inculturation.

Second, the Archdiocese of Chicago under Francis Cardinal George welcomes the pope:

This one gets a 7/10. Prayers for the Holy Father, and prayers for the success of his visit.

Did your diocese or organization create a video to welcome Pope Benedict? Send me a link!

Media: Vocations video from America's largest college seminary

St. John Vianney is the largest college seminary in the USA (150+ men). I have many friends studying there now. Some of the students and priests have just released a high-quality video introduction to "SJV":

Part 1:

Part 2:

Feel free to pass these vidoes along (with a tip to AmP, if you please).

More about the project: One of my friends tells me that it was put together over the course of this school year, to explain what a college seminary is and promote vocations, especially to men in highschool.

Video: Real Preachers of Genius

Not to diminish the solemnity of these days, but rather that we might all better appreciate the sacred liturgies we are (hopefully) able to attend over Triduum, I Present "Mr. Seeker-Sensitive Megachuch Pastor":


Ph/t: AmP reader "Padre".

Video: Winner of the first-ever Pro-Life film festival

The first-ever Pro-Life film festival has taken place, "Cinema Vitae: Films for Life."

The winner of the Open category is "A short film related to society's confused views about life, choice, and abortion. Specifially, this film questions issues relating to the abortion pill, RU-486."

"Mad World" by Brooke Burns & Trent Horn:



Other winners:

• Able - Honorable Mention Open Category
• The Poet - Winner College Category
• Wrinkles in Time - Winner High School Category
• Blood Out - Honorable Mention High School Category

Ph/t: Ignatius Insight.

Video: Colbert on anti-Catholic John Hagee

Stephen Colbert interviews Bill Donohue:



I previously reported this story at-length here.

Related: "McCain “categorically rejects” Hagee’s anti-Catholic statements" (CNA)

Video: Pope John Paul II visits CUA in 1979

CUA has released a ten minute video remembrance of Pope John Paul II's visit to Catholic University in 1979, with plenty of file footage and interviews with the people who were there:


Original file here.

From the CUA press release: "In the coming weeks, CUA will post additional videos of current students speaking about the upcoming visit of Pope Benedict XVI on April 17, 2008."

Video: Planned Parenthood Racism Investigation

Because it's always more effective to hear it and see it:



Previous and related posts on Planned Parenthood here.

[ph/t: Hot Air.]

Video: Barack Obama on Terri Schiavo

Video of Barack Obama's comments on Terri Schivo:

My full commentary on this story is available here.

related: "Obama pledged to Planned Parenthood: “I will not yield” to pro-life concerns" (CNA):

The senator said he had a long tradition of support for legalized abortion, citing his efforts in the Illinois State Senate and his classes as a law professor. “I have worked on these issues for decades now,” he said. “I put Roe at the center of my lesson plan on reproductive freedom when I taught Constitutional Law. Not simply as a case about privacy but as part of the broader struggle for women’s equality.”

...

Senator Obama said he was “absolutely convinced that culture wars are so nineties,” saying it was “time to turn the page.”

“We’re tired about arguing about the same ole’ stuff,” he continued.

update 2: "Obama Under Fire for Terri Schiavo Remark"- Christian Post

Video: Stephen Colbert Destroys Biblical Deconstructionalist

Funny segment. Colbert's theological savvy comes out in the end.

... as does a harsh (bleeped) profanity, so be warned.



update: sure enough, the video can now be found on Comedy Central here.

Video: Cardinal Arinze on NFP and "overlapping of rosaries"

From the Cardinal Arinze Webcast YouTube channel:

More information at their website.

Video: The Homeschool family

If you haven't seen this before, you should:

Original source: http://www.doublesharpevideo.com/HomeSchool2/Homeschool2.html

Video: 1964 Dominican Vocations Film

What better way to start your day?

Some of these clips were filmed at the Dominican House of Studies, where I attend classes and work now:



Excerpts from "And the world looks at us", a 1964 Dominican Province of Saint Joseph vocation film written by Fr. Dominic Rover, O.P., and narrated by Dana Elcar. The original film was 28 min in length. The scenes included here were filmed at St. Stephen Priory in Dover, MA, the Dominican House of Studies, Washington, D.C., and St. Dominic Church, Washington, D.C. From the archives of the Dominican Theological Library at the Dominican House of Studies, Washington, D.C. - DHS Priory YouTube Channel

Of course, this isn't just history.

Video: Prince Caspian Trailer (High Quality) + Poster

More information: [IMDB] [Wiki] [Narnia Fans]

And a beautiful poster - Coming May 16, 2008!

Video: Advent with the Dominican Friars: Part One (The Meaning of Advent)

Catholic Exchange introduces this video (I blogged about the same story here):

Welcome to the video portion of Catholic Exchange's new free Advent study, "Renewing the Mystery of Advent", produced by a team of Dominican Friars from the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, D.C. and St. Vincent Church and Priory in New York City. Each week on Thursday we will feature front-page article along with a video presentation by Fr. Aquinas Guilbeau, OP, a Dominican Friar of the Province of St. Joseph.

You can watch or download the video at the Dominican friars blog. The accompanying article is here.

New for Christmas: Santo Subito DVD/Soundtrack!

I'm not quite sure what to make of this one, but here goes.

I think in many ways the project's true nature and intention is lost upon the UK Times correspondent who blogs about it:

"A composer who began his career writing the scores for Italian horror movies has set the life of the late John Paul II to music. The result, as we report on our online faith page, is a DVD described as 'trippy' by the Guardian and the latest in the succession begun by John, Paul and Ringo in The Spectator. Composer Simon Boswell describes it as 'trip hop'. My own description would be 'ambient'. Here are a couple of clips:"

"The DVD website is here. This is backed by the Vatican, and is all part of the campaign for the canonisation of JPII. One of the requirements for canonisation is that there be a 'cult'. This DVD, which takes its title from the traditional chant to make a person a saint, the chant that was shouted and placarded at JPII's funeral, is overtly intended to encourage his cult."

Related: John Paul II to storm charts with 'trip-hop trance' video.

If you think this might make a good stocking stuffer, the soundtrack and DVD are on Amazon. And since I'm always on the look-out for Catholic content (wallpapers, screen savers, chat icons, etc.,): the Santo Subito Website has a few high-quality offerings.

Video: Mike Huckabee's first ad in Iowa... features Chuck Norris

Mike Huckabee's first TV ad to appear in Iowa, and it's a doozy:

Commentary available at Politico. WND reports that Chuck Norris had endorsed Huckabee prior to this TV spot. A NYT blog reports that Huckabee is 2nd in the latest Iowa advance polling, but still hurting for money.

Creating a catchy video clip like this one is a smart move - it's sure to get plenty of traction for its uniqueness.

Video: Pope Benedict and the Saudi King meet

Raw video from Reuters of Pope Benedict meeting with Saudi of Arabia King Abdullah:

Ph/t to Br. Christopher for the link.

And for the especially-dedicated, a 6+ minute video from an Arabian-language station:

You want papist video? We got papist video!

... and I'm always eager for submissions.

Video: Habemus Papam Techno Song

Cleverly called the "Benedictus mix":



Ah, this brings me back!

Video: Tribal dance *after* Mass with Bp. Barnes of San Bernardino

Great Odin's Raven! Is there no sanity in the California episcopate? (besides Robert Vasa in Baker). [ed.: This is why I shouldn't blog late at night, I meant to say Bp. Allen Vigneron of Oakland (V-asa/V-igneron - that's the only explanation I can come up with). As noted in the comments, Robert Vasa serves the diocese of Baker, Oregon.]

Native dance after Mass with Bp. Gerald Barnes of San Bernardino:
Update: The video is still viewable here, just no longer embedded.

I'm calling this "Catholics with Cameras". And I'm taking submissions:

"thomas [at] americanpapist [dot] com."

Ph/t: AMDG, RCB & CCC.

Video: Powerful Skit from a Christian Youth Gathering

This skit was performed at a Christian megachurch's gathering for youth.

It's worth the watch:

The "shadow play" is set to the song Everything by Lifehouse. Good choice.

Video: Chris Matthews surprisingly fair to Ron Paul

Topics treated include Iran, fearmongering, and declaring war:

I was surprised to see CM so open to hear what RP had to say.

Oh, and Ron Paul has moved to 5th in the National Journal ranking.

(Video) Rachmaninoff: Curse of the small-handed!

Funny. Very funny:



Personally, I'll stick with Scott Joplin.

ph/t: Mark Shea.

Meditational video, "The Price of Salvation: The Life of Christ"

Forwarded to me by reader Gabrielle:

Can Emeril break-dance like our priest-turned-TV-chef?

In what has to be one of the most colorful stories Catholic News Services has published in a while, comes the report about Father Leo Patalinghug, the "break-dancing, martial-arts guru who also happens to be a skilled cook." After you read the story, visit his website, "Grace Before Meals."

A summary of one of the shows: "Picky eaters. A mom who hates to cook. One jam-packed schedule. Father Leo helps a busy Maryland family learn how to ditch their fast-food mentality for a delicious Italian meal."

Videos here. And the blog (with recipes) here.

This sure beats Emeril. And Bobby Flay. But not David Rosengarten. No one makes a better BLT than him!

Video: IT in the Middle Ages

Quite humorous:



Hey, I've been there!

Ph/t: Happy Catholic.

Videos: NFP vs. Contraception (a la Apple)

A seminarian for the Diocese of Saginaw sent along a link to these three excellent videos entitled "NFP vs. Contraception," done in the style of those popular Apple commercials.

The actors are seminarians who recently participated in the Institute for Priestly Formation in Omaha, Nebraska. I've studied with both of them and I have to tip my hat - they did an awesome job!

Video 1:


Video 2:


Video 3:

Spread the word!

Video: Give Paul Potts a quick listen

Thales at Fumare reminded me today that I had wanted to share this video with my readers.

Thales also tell us why this is an important cultural moment:

But there is a implicit foundation to these [American-Idol type] shows which is wholesome: an inherent recognition that there exists the True, the Good, and the Beautiful. No matter how much a performer relies on glitz, if the performer does not have true talent, the audience sees through the outward appearance and the performer fails. If the performer is truly good and demonstrates truly beautiful art, the audience generally recognizes and honors the performer.

That is what recently happened in Britain, on Britain's Got Talent, the British version of a glorified talent show. In an incredible Cinderella story, Paul Potts, a pudgy, insecure 36-year-old cell phone salesman and amateur opera singer stunned the judges in his first audition and proceeded to capture the hearts of the audience throughout the competition.

Here is Paul Potts's first audition. Be sure to check out the reactions of judges Simon Cowell (a scathing, acerbic judge on American Idol) and Piers Morgan (an acerbic, scathing judge on America's Got Talent), as they go from disdain to disbelief. Sit down without distractions, turn up the volume, and I think your soul might be touched. I was, and I don't even like opera!

Well, I love opera, and it worked for me as well.

Here's the performance:

Paul Potts' first CD, One Chance, is on its way to top the UK charts. It goes on sale in the U.S. July 30th. Fumare has more. You can pre-order it here.

For those looking to dig a bit deeper, Paul Potts chose Nessun dorma from Giacomo Puccini's Turandot, one of the most beautiful arias in opera. Luciano Pavarotti made it his signature song, and it's not hard to see why.

I want to see more commercials like this.

Today seems to be video day. This one is well worth the watch.



h/t: Dom.

Sunday: Benedict in Brazil (Fifth & Final Day)

Today is Pope Benedict's fifth and final day in Brazil, during which he will celebrate Mass at the famous shrine of Aparecida and inaugurate the fifth general conferences of Latin American and Caribbean bishops, before departing and flying back to the Vatican in the evening. Once again, this post will be updated and expanded throughout the day, so keep visiting. Thanks!

NB: Complete roundup of my coverage here, the best photos from the trip are available here.

Sunday's papal itinerary (all times EST):

9:00AM - Holy Mass in the square in front of the Shrine of Aparecida [Homily of the Holy Father] + Recitation of the Regina Caeli [Address of the Holy Father]
3:00PM - Arrival at the Conference Hall & Inauguration session of the Fifth General Conference of the Latin American and Caribbean Bishops' Conferences [Address of the Holy Father]
6:40PM - Farewell ceremony at the Airport of São Paulo [Address of the Holy Father]

Top News & Breaking Reports:

• Photos: The best three pictures from Pope Benedict's final day in Brazil (AmericanPapist selections).
• Breaking: Pope leaves Brazil after "intense and unforgettable" visit (Extra)
• Breaking: Pope assails Marxism, capitalism (AP)
• Revealing: "Benedict ignored security measures to approach the recovering addicts, in an unexpected move that alarmed security agents and even Stapel. 'Police tried to stop him, and I did not agree either. But the pope is an authority. He can do whatever he wants,' Stapel told reporters. Later, Benedict again ignored security protocols by rolling down the windows of his bullet-proof 'popemobile,' seeking closer contact with the faithful as he travelled through Aparecida." [More...]
• Information: Primer explaining the consequences in canon law for being a pro-abortion politician
• Noteworthy: Vatican tones down papal remarks on pro-abortion Catholic politicians (CNS): "Pope Benedict XVI's comments on excommunication for pro-abortion Catholic politicians touched on huge and sensitive issues -- so sensitive that the Vatican issued a toned-down version of his remarks the following day."
• Humor: Today's Papist-picture-of-the-Day.

Important general links:

• AP Photo feed
• EWTN's video coverage (begins 8:30 AM & 3PM)
• Vatican video feed
• Vatican complete itinerary of the journey
• Vatican overview page of the journey
• Official Latin American Bishops's conference page (spanish)
• Official Archdiocese of San Paolo welcome page (some english)
• PapaRaziForum coverage thread
• AmericanPapist(this blog)'s complete pre-visit coverage.

Papal texts and transcripts:

• New: Pope's Address at Rosary Meeting
• New: Pope's Address to "Fazenda da Esperança"
• Benedict XVI's Address to Brazil's Bishops
• Pope's Address at Canonization of 1st Brazilian
• Text of Pope's Meeting with Youth
• Welcome ceremony at the International Airport of São Paulo/Guarulhos - Address (May 9, 2007)
• Greeting and blessing from the balcony of the Monastery of São Bento in São Paulo - Greeting (May 9, 2007)
• John Allen's transcript of the Pope's conference aboard his plane

Notable St. Blog's coverage:

• Whispers: "This Is Our Home!" // The Word as "Staple Diet"

Catholic media coverage/analysis:

• Zenit: Pope: Faith Is Latin America's No. 1 Resource //Be Open to Christ's Light, Urges Pope //Benedict XVI Rebukes Drug Dealers //
• CNS: Pope says Latin America needs 'courageous, effective missionaries'
• CNA: Parents, pray with your children, Pope says // Church grows by attraction, not proselytism, Pope says // Holy Father extols Br. Galvao as example for evangelization
• John Allen: Day Four: Facing dramatic losses, Benedict says: ‘It’s worth it to stay Catholic!’
• CathNews: Green pope says save Amazon

Mainstream coverage (linked not necessarily for accuracy, but to remain informed):

• NYT: The Pope Denounces Capitalism and Marxism
• WashingtonPost: Pope Cites Church's Regional Challenges
• AP: Pope assails Marxism, capitalism
• The Australian: Pilgrims celebrate pope's open-air mass
• AP: In Brazil, Pope Urges Bishops to Action
• O.C.Register: Bishops to reflect on future of the faith

The rest:

Special thanks to Amy Welborn, Domenico Bettinelli, Gerald Augustinus and Rocco Palmo for inviting their readers to my coverage. Special thanks also to Teresa Benedetta and the other regular contributors of the PapaRatzingerForum for their incredible industry and dedication to all things Papa Benny!

Note: For the especially-motivated, even more interesting facts, photos & video here.

Note: I will try to watch EWTN's live coverage of the Pope inaugurating the conference of bishops at 3pm, and "liveblogging" some of my reactions in the combox below.

[photo credit & captions: (1) Pope Benedict XVI blesses the crowd as he arrives for the opening mass of the V Latin American Episcopal Council in Aparecida, Brazil, Sunday, May 13, 2007. (AP Photo/Dado Galdieri) (2)Pope Benedict XVI blesses faithful catholic wearing an Arab headscarfduring the opening mass of the V General Conference of Latin American Bishops in Aparecida, Brazil, Sunday, May 13, 2007. (AP Photo/Dado Galdieri) (3) General view of the grounds of the Aparecida Basilica during the opening mass for the V General Conference of Latin American Bishops celebrated by Pope Benedict XVI in Aparecida, Brazil, Sunday, May 13, 2007. (AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan)]

Saturday: Benedict in Brazil (Day Four)

Today, Pope Benedict continues his apostolic journey to Brazil for a fourth day, visiting a center for drug rehabilitation and then praying the rosary at the famous Shrine of Aparecida. Once again, this post will be updated and expanded throughout the day, so keep visiting!

NB: Complete roundup of my coverage here, the best photos from the trip here.

Highlights of Saturday's papal itinerary (all times EST):

10.30AM - Arrival at the Fazenda da Esperança in Guaratinguetá [Greetings & Address of the Holy Father]
11.45AM - Luncheon with the representatives of the Fifth General Conference of the Latin American and Caribbean Bishops' Conferences at "Bom Jesus" Seminary in Aparecida
5PM - Arrival at the Shrine of Aparecida; Recitation of the Holy Rosary and meeting with Priests, Men Religious, Women Religious, Seminarians and Deacons at the Basilica of the Shrine of Aparecida [Address of the Holy Father]
7:30PM - Transfer by car from the Shrine of Aparecida to "Bom Jesus" Seminary

Top News & Breaking Reports:

• Breaking: Pope Benedict XVI summons Latin American bishops to stem church's decline (AP)
• Breaking: Pope praises 'thirst for God'
• Revealing: "Benedict ignored security measures to approach the recovering addicts, in an unexpected move that alarmed security agents and even Stapel. 'Police tried to stop him, and I did not agree either. But the pope is an authority. He can do whatever he wants,' Stapel told reporters. Later, Benedict again ignored security protocols by rolling down the windows of his bullet-proof 'popemobile,' seeking closer contact with the faithful as he travelled through Aparecida." [More...]
• Photos: L'Osservatore Romano gets the best shots // Waiting for the Pope in Rural Brazil
• Information: Primer explaining the consequences in canon law for being a pro-abortion politician
• Noteworthy: Vatican tones down papal remarks on pro-abortion Catholic politicians (CNS): "Pope Benedict XVI's comments on excommunication for pro-abortion Catholic politicians touched on huge and sensitive issues -- so sensitive that the Vatican issued a toned-down version of his remarks the following day."
• Humor: Today's Papist-picture-of-the-Day.

Important general links:

• AP Photo feed
• EWTN's video coverage (starts 5pm, encore 9:30PM)
• Vatican video feed
• Vatican complete itinerary of the journey
• Vatican overview page of the journey
• Official Latin American Bishops's conference page (spanish)
• Official Archdiocese of San Paolo welcome page (some english)
• PapaRaziForum coverage thread
• AmericanPapist(this blog)'s complete pre-visit coverage.

Papal texts and transcripts:

• Benedict XVI's Address to Brazil's Bishops
• Pope's Address at Canonization of 1st Brazilian
• Text of Pope's Meeting with Youth
• Welcome ceremony at the International Airport of São Paulo/Guarulhos - Address (May 9, 2007)
• Greeting and blessing from the balcony of the Monastery of São Bento in São Paulo - Greeting (May 9, 2007)
• John Allen's transcript of the Pope's conference aboard his plane

Notable St. Blog's coverage:

• WDTPRS: Brazil: Benedict beats brother bishops black n’ blue //Brazil: Benedict beats brother bishops black n’ blue
• Whispers: A Canonization... and a Challenge

Catholic media coverage/analysis:

• CNS: Pope ask priests, consecrated to remain in “the school of Mary”
• AsiaNews.It: God will call drug dealers to account, says Pope // Pope tells priests to always have a missionary fervour in their hearts
• CNA: Family, human life, fallen away Catholics priorities of the Pope for Church in Brazil // Pope encourages addicts to recover “meaning of life,” slams drug traffickers
• CNS: Pope tells Brazil's bishops to be clear on family, faith, justice

Mainstream coverage (linked not necessarily for accuracy, but to remain informed):

• NYT: Pope to Meet Latin Clerics in Brazil
• Reuters: Pope hears drug addicts' tales, scolds traffickers
• AP: Pope warns drug dealers of divine retribution

From this morning's Vatican Information Service:

VATICAN CITY, MAY 12, 2007 (VIS) - Today, Saturday May 12, having celebrated Mass privately in the chapel of the "Bom Jesus" seminary, the Pope will visit the church of the "Fazenda da Esperanca" in Guaratingueta.

He will then go on to meet members of the "Fazenda da Esperanca" community, which is dedicated to the rehabilitation of people with problems of drug abuse.

At midday he will return to the "Bom Jesus" seminary for lunch with representatives of the presidency of the Fifth General Conference of the Episcopate of Latin America and the Caribbean.

At 6 p.m. (11 p.m. in Rome), he will travel to the shrine of Aparecida to pray the Rosary and meet with priests, religious, seminarians and deacons of Brazil.

The rest:

Special thanks to Amy Welborn, Domenico Bettinelli, Gerald Augustinus and Rocco Palmo for inviting their readers to my coverage. Special thanks also to Teresa Benedetta and the other regular contributors of the PapaRatzingerForum for their incredible industry and dedication to all things Papa Benny!

Note: For the especially-motivated, even more interesting facts, photos & video here.

Note 2: tba

[photo credit & captions: (1) Faithful greet Pope Benedict XVI at the 'Fazenda da Esperanca' or 'Farm or Hope' drug rehabilitation center in Guaratingueta, Brazil, Saturday, May 12, 2007. (AP Photo/Victor Caivano) (2) Pope Benedict XVI hugs children during a visit to a drug rehabilitation center called 'Fazenda da Esperanca' or Farm of Hope in Guaratingueta, Brazil, Saturday, May 12, 2007. (AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan) (3) People attend an event with Pope Benedict XVI at a drug rehabilitation center called 'Fazenda da Esperanca' or Farm of Hope in Guaratingueta, Brazil, Saturday, May 12, 2007. (AP Photo/Victor R. Caivano)

Friday: Benedict in Brazil (Day Three)

Today, Pope Benedict continues his apostolic journey to Brazil for a third day, celebrating the canonization Mass of Brazil's first native-born saint (Bl. Fr. Antonio Galvao) and then spending the night near the famous Shrine of Aparecida. Once again, this post will be updated and expanded throughout the day, so keep visiting!

NB: Complete roundup of my coverage here, the best photos from the trip here.

Highlights of Friday's papal itinerary (all times EST):

8:30 AM Canonization Mass of Blessed Frei Galvão at Campo de Marte in São Paulo
3:00 PM Vespers with the Bishops of Brazil in the Catedral da Sé in São Paulo
7:00 PM Arrival at the heliport of the Shrine of Aparecida; Welcome by the local Authorities; Transfer by "popemobile" to the "Bom Jesus" Seminary in Aparecida [where he will spend the night]

Top News & Breaking Reports:

• Breaking: Benedict XVI's Address to Brazil's Bishops // Papal Meeting With Religious Leaders Fraternal
• Photos: Canonization Mass of Bl. Galvao (AmericanPapist selections)
• Information: Primer explaining the consequences in canon law for being a pro-abortion politician
• Noteworthy: Vatican tones down papal remarks on pro-abortion Catholic politicians (CNS): "Pope Benedict XVI's comments on excommunication for pro-abortion Catholic politicians touched on huge and sensitive issues -- so sensitive that the Vatican issued a toned-down version of his remarks the following day."
• Audio: Vatican radio on Latin America's missionary challenge + pope's meeting with brazil's bishops
• Humor: Today's Papist-picture-of-the-Day.

Important general links:

• AP Photo feed
• EWTN's video coverage (starts today @ 8AM, 9PM encore)
• Vatican video feed
• Vatican complete itinerary of the journey
• Vatican overview page of the journey
• Official Latin American Bishops's conference page (spanish)
• Official Archdiocese of San Paolo welcome page (some english)
• PapaRaziForum coverage thread
• AmericanPapist(this blog)'s complete pre-visit coverage.

Papal texts and transcripts:

• Today: Benedict XVI's Address to Brazil's Bishops
• Today: Pope's Address at Canonization of 1st Brazilian
• Text of Pope's Meeting with Youth
• Welcome ceremony at the International Airport of São Paulo/Guarulhos - Address (May 9, 2007)
• Greeting and blessing from the balcony of the Monastery of São Bento in São Paulo - Greeting (May 9, 2007)
• John Allen's transcript of the Pope's conference aboard his plane

Notable St. Blog's coverage:

• New: Bettnet: Pope Benedict votes for US president
• New: WDTRPS: The Pope’s talk in the Cathedral of São Paolo
• New: Zaodk Romanus: Pope to Brazilian Bishops: It's about Christ!
• Zadok Romanus: Mis-reporting surely... (re: the "internet Mass proposal")
• WDTPRS: Hell’s Bible coverage of the Pope in Brazil
• Related post: What about those Galvao "miracle pills"?

Catholic media coverage/analysis:

• AsiaNews.It: Teach the faith and Christian morality in this age of “of worrying disorientation,” says Pope
• Zenit: Benedict XVI's Address to Brazil's Bishops // Pope Proclaims Brazilian Saint a Model // Enzo, a Miracle Attributed to Blessed Galvão // Papal Meeting With Religious Leaders Fraternal // The Pope and a Farm of Hope // Benedict XVI Shows a Jubilant Style
• CWNews: Pope proclaims first Brazilian saint
• CNS: Pope canonizes Brazilian friar renowned for charity, healings // Brazilians in need, physical or spiritual, seek St. Galvao's pills
• CNA: Pope Benedict canonizes First Brazilian Saint and makes call for reconciliation with God // Pope meets with President of Brazil at Sao Paulo governor’s mansion // Pope Benedict XVI to distribute 10 millionth copy of Child's Bible
• AsiaNews.it: Only from God does true revolution come, says Pope
• CWNews: Pope Benedict in Brazil: Thursday roundup // Pope Benedict in Brazil: Friday roundup
• CNA: Miraculous conception paves way for canonization of first Brazilian saint

Mainstream coverage (linked not necessarily for accuracy, but to remain informed):

• Reuters: Pope decries hedonism to Latin American faithful
• TIME: Pope Canonizes First Brazilian Saint
• TIME: Benedict and Latin America's Catholic Leftists
• BBC: Profile: Saint Antonio Galvao
• UK Telegraph: Pope canonises saint in front of a million
• Pope canonizes 1st Brazilian-born saint (AP)
• Pope's outdoor mass in Brazil draws huge crowd (Reuters)
• BBC News: Pope creates Brazil's first saint: "Following the Mass, the Pope was due to meet some 430 Brazilian bishops at a Sao Paulo cathedral."
• Audio: Pope Makes Appeal to Brazil's Youth (NPR)
• Bishops at odds with Pope over internet Mass (Telegraph UK)
• BBC News' Reporter's Diary
• Associated Press: Pope to Canonize First Brazilian Saint

From this morning's Vatican Information Service:

VATICAN CITY, MAY 11, 2007 (VIS) - Today in Sao Paulo's "Campo de Marte" field at 9.30 a.m. (2.30 p.m. in Rome), the Pope will preside at Mass during which he will canonize Blessed Antonio de Santa Ana Galvao O.F.M., known as Frei Galvao, who will thus become the first native-born Brazilian saint.

At 4 p.m. (9 p.m. in Rome), having bid farewell to his hosts at the monastery of Sao Bento, the Holy Father will meet and address Brazilian bishops in Sao Paulo's "da Se" cathedral.

At 6 p.m. local time, the Holy Father is due to depart by helicopter from Campo de Marte airport and fly to Aparecida, site of Brazil's most famous shrine which each year welcomes around eight million faithful.

The origins of the Aparecida shrine date back to the discovery of an image of the Virgin in the year 1717. Three fishermen, after various fruitless attempts at a catch, threw out their nets once more and drew up a small statue of Our Lady, dark in color and without a head. Casting their nets again, they discovered the head and, at the third attempt, drew in their nets full of fish. The three recognized in this event a sign of the divine protection of the Virgin. From that year on, veneration of Our Lady started to spread among the people who called her simply "Aparecida."

Having landed at the shrine's heliport Benedict XVI will go to the "Bom Jesus" missionary seminary where he will dine and spend the night.

The rest:

Special thanks to Amy Welborn, Domenico Bettinelli, Gerald Augustinus and Rocco Palmo for inviting their readers to my coverage. Special thanks also to Teresa Benedetta and the other regular contributors of the PapaRatzingerForum for their incredible industry and dedication to all things Papa Benny!

Note: For the especially-motivated, even more interesting facts, photos & video here.

Note 2: tba

[photo credit & captions: (1) Pope Benedict XVI celebrates mass in the Campo de Marte military airport in Sao Paulo May 11, 2007. Friar Galvao, born in 1739 in the nearby city of Guaratingueta as Antonio de Sant'Anna Galvao, ordained a Franciscan priest and considered the author of many miracles during his lifetime, will be canonized by the Pope during the mass. REUTERS/Caetano Barreira (BRAZIL) (2) Pope Benedict XVI carries a censer during his visit to Campo de Marte in Sao Paulo. Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims have filled a Sao Paulo park for an open-air mass during which the pontiff canonized Brazil's first saint. (AFP/Antonio Scorza) (3) A priest watches an image of Jesus in front of a picture of Brazilian Franciscan monk Antonio Galvao before a mass for his canonization by Pope Benedict XVI in Sao Paulo, Friday, May 11, 2007. (AP Photo/Dado Galdieri)]

Video: Pope Benedict greeting the crowd at the monastery, first night

I discovered this and thought some folks might find it interesting. It's good mostly for the first two minutes that include the Pope's greeting, best wishes, and blessing. Obviously it is in Portuguese but I found it fairly intelligible.

I'd recommend starting with your computer's sound turned low because the default sound level is high:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfSGUYb0dx8

Funny Video: Deacon Payne - Seminary Formationator

Via The Whappsters (and others), "Deacon Payne - Seminary Formationator":



Of course, this is another permutation of Office Linebacker and it's Christian counterpart, Evangelism Linebacker.

Having attended for two years a school where seminarians were in formation, and having many seminarian friends, I can totally see a group of these guys getting together to make a video like this one. Very funny stuff. The part where the priest starts experimenting with some wacky liturgical innovations? Priceless!

Day Two: Benedict in Brazil

*Day Three Coverage HERE*

Pope Benedict continues his sixth apostolic journey for the second day today. This is his first papal trip outside of Europe (excluding Turkey), traveling in the most populous Catholic country in the world, Brazil. Please stay tuned for complete coverage.

NB: Complete roundup of coverage here, top photos of the trip here.

Thursday's papal itinerary (all times EST):

8.00-10:30 Private Mass at the Chapel of the Monastery
11.00-12:00 Visit to the President of the Republic
12.30 Meeting with the representatives of other Christian confessions and religions
13.15 Luncheon with the representatives of the Episcopal Conference of Brazil (CNBB)
18.00-20:00 Meeting with the youth at "Paulo Machado de Carvalho" municipal Stadium [Address of the Holy Father]
20.30 Arrival at the Monastery of São Bento, São Paulo.

Best of the Best & Breaking News:

• Photos: Pope Meets With Youth (AmericanPapist selections)
• For tomorrow/controversy: Bishops at odds with Pope over internet Mass
• Breaking: Pope: Youth Must Avoid 'Snares of Evil' (AP) // In a strong-worded message, Pope calls on Latin American youth to discover, follow God's call (CNA)
• Controversy: No mention of abortion as Pope meets Lula: "Brazil's president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, met Pope Benedict XVI today amid growing controversy over abortion. Presidential aides told reporters that the issue was not mentioned during their 30-minute meeting in Sao Paulo's Bandeirantes palace. Instead the two men focused on poverty reduction and biofuel production, they said. Before the meeting, however, Brazilian newspapers reported that President Lula was bracing himself for criticism over recent comments in which he described abortion as a "public health issue".
• Noteworthy: Vatican tones down papal remarks on pro-abortion Catholic politicians: "Pope Benedict XVI's comments on excommunication for pro-abortion Catholic politicians touched on huge and sensitive issues -- so sensitive that the Vatican issued a toned-down version of his remarks the following day....The pope's opening "yes" to the direct question about excommunication had disappeared, and so had the references to Mexican bishops....In the rest of the edited version, some of the pope's verbs were changed to make his remarks more generic. Asked about the changes, Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, the Vatican spokesman, told reporters May 10 that it was routine for the Vatican Secretariat of State to review the pope's extemporaneous remarks and clean them up a little for publication."
• Humor: Today's Papist-picture-of-the-Day.

Important general links:

• AP Photo feed
• EWTN's video coverage
• Vatican video feed
• Vatican complete itinerary of the journey
• Vatican overview page of the journey
• Official Latin American Bishops's conference page (spanish)
• Official Archdiocese of San Paolo welcome page (some english)
• PapaRaziForum coverage thread
• AmericanPapist(this blog)'s complete pre-visit coverage.

Papal texts and transcripts:

• New: Text of Pope's Meeting with Youth
• Welcome ceremony at the International Airport of São Paulo/Guarulhos - Address (May 9, 2007)
• Greeting and blessing from the balcony of the Monastery of São Bento in São Paulo - Greeting (May 9, 2007)

Most recent headlines:

• New York Times: Pope Addresses Brazil’s Youth and Meets With the President

Notable St. Blog's coverage:

• Whispers in the Loggia: First Day of the Trip: with the "First Protagonists of the Millennium" // The Soul Plane Line Dance -- Benedict: A "More Dynamic" Church; Lombardi: "No Intention" of Excommunication
• WDTPRS: Italian coverage of the Pope’s “excommunication” answer // Italian text of abortion question to Pope on the airplane
• Update: Bettnet: "The crux of what the Pope said about pro-abort pols"
• In the Light of the Law: Legislating in mid-air? First thoughts: possible, but not likely.

Catholic media coverage/analysis:

• Audio: Vatican Radio: The Pope & the Young; The Beauty of Diversity; Survival in the
  Amazon
• Zenit: Pope to Youth: The Church Needs You - Says Christ Is Calling Them to Be Saints
• CNS: Enthusiastic Brazilian youths welcome pope with song, dance, prayers
• AsiaNews.it: Pope: Youth, do not waste your life; build a just and fraternal society
• CNA: Pope arrives in Brazil stressing Christian duty to defend life, solidarity // Holy Father holds short meeting with President Lula da Silva // Pope addresses young crowd in English
• CNS: Vatican tones down papal remarks on pro-abortion Catholic politicians
• CWNews: Pope's 2nd day in Brazil begins quietly //Papal goal: "missionary impetus" for Latin Church

Mainstream coverage (linked not necessarily for accuracy, but to remain informed):

• New York Times: Pope Addresses Brazil’s Youth and Meets With the President
• Los Angelas Times: Pope's abortion comments changed by Vatican
• Reuters: Stay off sex and drugs, Pope tells Brazil's youth
• AP: Vatican changes transcript of abortion remarks
• Reuters: Pope seeks to win over Brazil's youth
• Guardian Unlimited: No mention of abortion as Pope meets Lula

From this morning's Vatican Information Service:

Summary of Apostolic Trip to Brazil (May-9-10):

CHRISTIAN VALUES WILL NEVER BE ERADICATED
POPE REPLIES TO JOURNALISTS' IN-FLIGHT QUESTIONS
VISIT TO PRESIDENT LULA AND MEETING WITH YOUNG PEOPLE

The rest:

Special thanks to Amy Welborn and Domenico Bettinelli for inviting their readers to my coverage. Special thanks also to Teresa Benedetta and the other regular contributors of the PapaRatzingerForum for their incredible industry and dedication to all things Papa Benny!

Note: For the especially-motivated, even more interesting facts, photos & video here.

Note 2: I intend to watch Pope Benedict's visit with young people on EWTN today [here] at 5PM EST, and might do some "live blogging" in the commentbox below....

[photo credit & captions: (1) Pope Benedict XVI is cheered by faithful as he leaves Sao Bento Monastery - AP Photo/L'osservatore Romano. (2) Brazilian nuns wait for a public meeting with Pope Benedict XVI outside Pacaembu stadium - AP Photo/Dado Galdieri. (3) Catholic pilgrims cry after Pope Benedict XVI appears on the balcony of the Sao Bento monastery - AFP/Martin Bernatti.]

Day One: Benedict in Brazil

*Day Two Coverage HERE*

Pope Benedict begins his sixth apostolic journey today, his first papal trip outside of Europe (excluding Turkey), to the most populous Catholic country in the world, Brazil. Please stay tuned for complete coverage.

Today's papal itinerary (all times EST):

4:30 - Arrival at the International Airport of São Paulo/Guarulhos.
Welcome ceremony at the International Airport of São Paulo/Guarulhos [Papal address]
5:30 - Transfer by helicopter from the International Airport of São Paulo/Guarulhos to the Campo de Marte Airport in São Paulo
6:00 - Arrival at Campo de Marte Airport in São Paulo. Welcome by the local authorities
6:10 - Transfer by "popemobile" from Campo de Marte Airport to the Monastery of São Bento in São Paulo
6:45 - Arrival to the Monastery of São Bento in São Paulo
Greeting and blessing from the balcony of the Monastery of São Bento in São Paulo [Papal address]

Best of the Best & Breaking News:

• Photos of Day One here (AmP selections), photos of the crows greeting the Pope here.
• Updated: Ed Peters contextualizes and explains the Pope's comments regarding excommunication and politicians who support abortion
• Breaking: Pope does not intend to excommunicate anyone (AP): "[Lombardi said] Since excommunication hasn't been declared by the Mexican bishops, the pope has no intention himself of declaring it," said Lombardi, who was on board the plane. "Legislative action in favor of abortion is incompatible with participation in the Eucharist. ... Politicians exclude themselves from Communion." [More here.]
• Breaking: Pope Benedict XVI arrives in Brazil (AP) - Photos here.
• Humor: Today's Papist-picture-of-the-Day.

Important general links:

• AP Photo feed
• EWTN's video coverage (begins at 3:30PM, rebroadcast 9pm)
• Vatican video feed
• Vatican complete itinerary of the journey
• Vatican overview page of the journey
• Official Latin American Bishops's conference page (spanish)
• Official Archdiocese of San Paolo welcome page (some english)
• PapaRaziForum coverage thread
• AmericanPapist(this blog)'s complete pre-visit coverage.

Papal texts and transcripts:

• John Allen's transcript of the Pope's conference aboard his plane

Most recent headlines:

• CNS: Pope says he wants to help reinforce Christian values, counter threats
• CWNews: Pope begins voyage to Brazil [Updated]

Notable St. Blog's coverage:

• Open Book: The Pope in Brazil
• Whispers in the Loggia: No Caminho....
• The Benedict Blog: Preparing for Pope Benedict's Trip to Brazil
• BettNet: Pope on excommunicating pro-abort pols

Catholic media coverage/analysis:

• CWNews: Pro-abortion politicians excommunicated, Pope says
• CWNews: Brazilian soccer superstar excited by papal visit
• Kath.net: Pope Departs on his Apostolic Trip to Brazil ("The 9,477-kilometer flight is expected to last twelve and a half hours.")
• LifeSiteNews: Pope Supports Excommunication for Pro-Abortion Politicians - "Incompatible with Receiving Communion"
• CWNews: Pope likely to discuss violence, poverty with Brazilian president
• CWNews: Pope begins voyage to Brazil
• CWNews: Liberation theology: Pope Benedict offers perspectives
• Sandro Magister: Benedict XVI Is in Brazil. But Meanwhile, the "Latinos" Are Invading the North
• CNS: Pope tells reporters church must keep fighting abortion, poverty
• CWNews: Pro-abortion politicians excluded from Communion: Pope

Mainstream coverage:

• John Allen: Inside the papal plane
• BBC News: Pope embarks on Brazilian visit
• BBC News: Pope's Brazil tour: Reporter's diary
• Reuters: Pope warns Catholic politicians who back abortion
• AP: Mexico City Politicians In Hot Holy Water
• Time: Brazil Welcomes a Very Different Pope
• NYT: As Pope Heads to Brazil, Abortion Debate Heats Up

From this morning's Vatican Information Service:

VATICAN CITY, MAY 9, 2007 (VIS) - At 9 a.m. this morning, the Pope departed by plane from Rome's Fiumicino airport bound for Brazil. The 9,477-kilometer flight is expected to last twelve and a half hours and the papal plane is scheduled to land at the international airport of Sao Paulo / Guarulhos in Brazil at 4.30 p.m. local time, 9.30 p.m. in Rome.

The Holy Father will be greeted at the airport by Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the president of the Federal Republic of Brazil. Following the welcome ceremony, during which Benedict XVI will deliver a talk, the Pope will travel by helicopter to the "Campo de Marte" airport where he will be received by the local authorities.

At 6.10 p.m. (11.10 p.m. in Rome), the Holy Father will travel by popemobile to the monastery of Sao Bento where he will be staying during his time in Sao Paulo. The complex of buildings includes, apart from the Benedictine monastery, the Sao Benito College, one of the most prestigious schools in Sao Paulo, and the basilica of Our Lady of the Assumption.

Following a moment of prayer in the monastery's chapel, the Pope will appear at the balcony to greet and bless the faithful gathered below.

The rest:

Special thanks to Amy Welborn and Domenico Bettinelli for inviting their readers to my coverage. Special thanks also to Teresa Benedetta and the other regular contributors of the PapaRatzingerForum for their incredible industry and dedication to all things Papa Benny!

Note: For the especially-motivated, even more interesting facts, photos & video here.

Note 2: I'll be posting comments in the comment box below as I watch live TV coverage of the Pope today. You are more than welcome to do the same!

[photo credit: REUTERS/Dario Pignatelli (ITALY)]
[photp captions: (1) Pope Benedict XVI descends from his personal helicopter as he arrives at Rome's Fiumicino International airport to leave for Brazil. (2) The Alitalia Boeing 777-200 plane, with Pope Benedict XVI onboard, leaves the Rome's Leonardo da Vinci international airport. (3) Pope Benedict XVI boards an Alitalia Boeing 777-200 plane at Rome's Leonardo da Vinci international airport.]

The most touching video you'll see today.

Update, October 8th: I've featured this video on the homepage this month as a I tribute to the 40 Days for Life campaign now going on across the United States.

Original Post:

Via C-S-L, HappyCatholic, The Curt Jester and finally Dawn Patrol, a very moving and wonderful video.

This is a testament to a child and his parents who profoundly witness to the goodness and value of all human life, however threatened and fleeting it may be. Since this is a very emotional video to watch, please be prepared to have your heart touched and your day changed (hopefully for the better).



More on this video here at 99 Balloons.

Dawn also links to benotafraid.net, which provides aid to parents facing a poor prenatal diagnosis.

God Bless the people in this video, and those in similar circumstances, that they may face such challenges with faith, courage and confidence in God's providential love.

What to expect in Brazil (ongoing post including photos & video)

(this post is an alalgam of content gleaned from the PapaRatzingerForum for those especially interested in learning more about Pope Benedict's trip to Brazil.)

A few highlights of Pope Benedict's trip to Brazil:

• Pope Benedict will pray in Portuguese during his visit
• Mass attendance of up to two million persons
• Two pope mobiles and three helicopters on-call
• 3200 journalists will be covering the visit

Pictures related to this trip:

• San Paolo's downtown, population 8 million
• Beaches of Rio de Janeiro
• The basilica of Our Lady of Aparecida (outside) - it can hold 75k persons
• The basilica of Our Lady of Aparecida (altar) - "in the round" style...
• The basilica of Our Lady of Aparecida (back) - better sense of dimensions
• graphically-enhanced image of soccer stadium where Pope Benedict will speak to youth
• graphically-enhanced image of soccer stadium, visualized at night
• Pope Benedict's slippers
• commemorative Brazilian stamp

Embedded video for a computer-generated visualisation of the Pope's Mass at Aparacedia:

Additional multimedia/video content:

• An interactive map of the places Pope Benedict will visit is available here.
• Italian video coverage via SkyTV here.
• Brazilian video coverage via Globo here.

Colbert's Word: The Unquisition

This week's Word with Colbert takes a stab at organized atheism.

Watch the video here: "Unquisition".

Video: The Transformation of an Altar

Fr. Z has an amazing find that I'd like to share with my readers. As he explains it:

This is a 5:25 length video of the transformation of a typical modernistic free-standing altar into a very beautiful ad orientem altar. The setting is a church in France where the FSSP are able to work. The French text says the transformation took 15 minutes. The video is accelerated. This could be VERY instructive for priests in parishes. VERY instructive. I recommend you make this little video known and loved.

The video, at the very least, shows the stark contrast between the modernist and traditional aesthetic and perhaps gives some hope of reclaiming beauty to those currently worshiping in desacralized churches.

Isn't that wonderful? The only thing I could hope for would be that the pews shown at the end of the video were chock full of the faithful. Oh well, in time.

Video: The Mystery Song

I love Hugh Laurie, not just for his recent mega-success with the popular TV show House, M.D. (I'm addicted), but also for his many years logged as the lovable Bertie of Jeeves & Wooster. What you might not know, however, is that he's a very versatile musician and comedian in his own right. This song unites both his fine qualities in an explosively-funny mix. Enjoy!