Paul Zalonski – Page 466

Motu Proprio: Variations to the Code of Canon Law, canons canons 1008, 1009, 1086, 1117 & 1124 –Omnium in mentem

Vatican
City, 15 December 2009 (VIS) – Made public today was Benedict XVI’s Motu
Proprio, “Omnium in mentem”. The document is dated 26 October 2009
and contains two variations to the Code of Canon Law (CIC), variations which
have long been the object of study by dicasteries of the Roman Curia and by
national episcopal conferences.

The document published today contains five
articles modifying canons 1008, 1009, 1086, 1117 and 1124. According to an
explanatory note by Archbishop Francesco Coccopalmerio, president of the
Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts, these variations “concern two
separate questions: adapting the text of the canons that define the ministerial
function of deacons to the relative text in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (1581), and suppressing a subordinate clause in three canons concerning
marriage, which experience has shown to be inappropriate”.

The variation
to the text of canon 1008 will now limit itself to affirming that “those
who receive the Sacrament of Orders are destined to serve the People of God
with a new and specific title”, while canon 1009 “will be given an
additional third paragraph in which it is specified that the minister
constituted into the Order of the episcopate or the priesthood receives the mission
and power to act in the person of Christ the Head, while deacons receive the
faculty to serve the People of God in the diaconates of the liturgy, of the
Word and of charity”.

Archbishop Coccopalmerio’s note then goes on to
explain that the other changes contained in the Motu Proprio all concern the
elimination of the clause “actus formalis defectionis ab Ecclesia
Catholica” contained in canons 1086 para. 1, 1117 and 1124. This clause,
“following much study, was held to be unnecessary and inappropriate”,
he writes.

“From the time the Code of Canon Law came into effect in the
year 1983 until the moment of the coming into effect of this Motu Proprio,
Catholics who had abandoned the Catholic Church by means of a formal act were
not obliged to follow the canonical form of celebration for the validity of
marriage (canon 1117), nor were they bound by the impediment concerning
marriage to the non-baptised (canon 1086 para. 1), nor did they suffer the
prohibition on marrying non-Catholic Christians (canon 1124). The
abovementioned clause contained in these three canons represented an exception
… to another more general norm of ecclesiastical legislation according to
which all those baptised in the Catholic Church or received into her are bound
to observe ecclesiastical laws (canon 11).

“With the coming into effect of
the new Motu Proprio”, Archbishop Coccopalmerio adds, “canon 11 of
the Code of Canon Law reacquires its full force as concerns the contents of the
canons thus modified, even in cases were there has been a formal abandonment.
Hence, in order to regularise any unions that may have been made in the
non-observance of these rules it will be necessary to have recourse, if
possible, to the ordinary means Canon Law offers for such cases: dispensation
from the impediment, sanation, etc”.

The Latin and Italian texts are here.

Rose Hawthorne: Novena Prayer for the Canonization

Lord God, in your special love for the sick, the poor and the
lonely, you raised up Rose Hawthorne (Mother Alphonsa) to be the servant of
those afflicted with incurable cancer and with no one to care for them. In
serving the outcast and the abandoned she always strove to see in them the face
of your Son. In her eyes, those in need were always Christ’s poor.

Grant that
her example of selfless charity and her courage in the face of great obstacles
will inspire us to be generous in our service of neighbor. We humbly ask that
you glorify your servant Rose Hawthorne on earth according to the designs of
your holy will. Through her intercession, grant the favor that I now present
(here make your request).Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Most Sacred Heart of
Jesus, have mercy on us. (3x)

Our Father — Hail Mary– Glory Be

The cause for the Servant of God Rose Hawthorne’s canonization may be read here and here

Saint John of the Cross

Father, You endowed John of the Cross with a spirit of
self-denial and a love of the cross. By following his example, may we come to
the eternal vision of Your glory.

A brief bio on Saint John of the Cross

The Catholic Encyclopedia article on Saint John of the Cross

The fundamental principle of
St. John’s theology is that God is All and the creature is nothing. Therefore,
in order to arrive at perfect union with God, in which sanctity consists, it is
necessary to undergo an intense and profound purification of all the faculties
and powers of soul and body. The Ascent–Dark Night traces
the entire process of purgation, from the active purification of the external
senses to the passive purification of the highest faculties; The Living
Flame and The Spiritual Canticle describe the perfection of the
spiritual life in the transforming union. The entire path to union is
“night” because the soul travels by faith. St. John of the Cross
presents his teaching in a systematic manner, with the result that it is
spiritual theology in the best sense of the word; not because it is systematic,
but because it uses as its sources Sacred Scripture, theology and personal
experience.

(from Fr. Jordan Auman, OP, Christian Spirituality in the
Catholic Tradition, 1985)

Remembering Avery Dulles before God

Yesterday, about 50 friends of Avery Cardinal Dulles met at
Fordham University Church to remember him before God on the occasion of his first anniversary of death.

Sister Anne-Marie Kirmse,
O.P., the Cardinal’s friend and administrative assistant, gathered us for Mass
celebrated by Jesuit Father Joseph McShane with the homily delivered by Jesuit
Father Joseph Leinhard. There were 17 concelebrants; three of whom were secular
priests (friends of Dulles’) and the balance were old Jesuits. Five of the
Cardinal’s Fairfield County Communio group (myself included) were present as the faithful remnant. As
was recognized, we all miss the Cardinal’s wisdom, affection and much
understated humor.

In his homily Father Leinhard focused our attention on the
moment by recalling Saint Augustine’s 9^th book of the Confessions where Augustine tells us of his mother’s passing
unto eternal life. In between her various states of consciousness and
unconsciousness Monica came to a see life anew. She called her sons together
telling them when she died to bury her body anywhere but to remember her before the Lord, wherever they may be.
As for Monica, so for Avery.

Why remember? Our thinking of Cardinal Dulles
is, as Fr. Leinhard said, wholly different than what went before. Remembering
Avery before God is not quite the same as reminding God who Avery was, just in
case God may have forgotten. What is important about Avery is not his
prestigious family, his education, his conversion to Catholicism, his entrance
into the Society of Jesus nor his ordination to the priesthood, not even his
ministry as a theologian nor his acceptance of the dignity of the Cardinalate.
What is important about Avery is encapsulated in the motto he assumed with the
coat of arms when given the cardinal’s hat by Pope John Paul II, Scio
Cui Credidi, I know whom I have believed.

The
reading from 2 Timothy 1 can be taken as Saint Paul’s last will and testament
as it is his answer to a question of belief: Christ has resurrected from the
dead and I have preached his gospel. For both Saint Paul and Cardinal Dulles
their lives deeply changed in making an act of faith in Christ for Christ
became the key to all understanding.
In Dulles’ Craft of Theology,
the last sentence of chapter 1 speaks to his belief in Christ where he recounts
a vision of Christ in which we look past the “now” and look to Christ as the
center of all things.

At the altar of the Lord we pray for the dead following
the ancient Christian practice. In the Roman Canon of the Mass we pray that the
Lord will remember “those who have gone before us marked with the sign of
faith” granting them the blessedness (happiness) of light and peace. Our
liturgical prayer places hope in our hearts that those who sleep in the Lord
will have the victory over sin and death. Our confidence relies on the sign of
faith received in baptism, that which marks each person not with a pious sign but with indelible mark.

Our remembrance of Avery and of
every one of our beloved dead therefore, is brought home in the consideration
that not to remember is to consign our family and friends to oblivion is awful.
The Christian proposal is lux perpetua: light for the blind, peace for the will.

Eternal rest grant unto
Avery Cardinal Dulles, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May his
soul and the souls of the faithful departed rest in rest. Amen.

A sentimental
remembrance of Cardinal Dulles was the hanging of a cardinal’s red hat and
tassels. No longer given by the Pope to cardinals, the red hat is occasionally
made for a cardinal and hung in his church by his family and friends. In New York’s Saint Patrick’s
Cathedral there are 4 cardinal hats hanging (but none since Cardinal Spellmen
are hanging there). The Archdiocese of Chicago did the same for Cardinal Joseph
Bernardin back in 1997.

How do you define faith?

Faith, whether by word or by sign, opens the eyes and
ears of the heart. Those who believe are said to see and to hear because faith
is a light and a word.

It is a light, in accordance with what the apostle says:
God, who told the light to shine out of the darkness, has shone in our hearts
to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus
Christ (2 Cor 4:6).

The time that God told the light to shine out of darkness
was when he called us from darkness to his own wonderful light (I Peter 2:9),
when he dispersed the darkness of ignorance and said: let there by light, and
there was light (Gen 1:3).

Faith is a word, in accordance with what the apostle
James says: Receive the inborn word with meekness. (James 1:21). The word inborn
because when God speaks within, it is implanted in our heart. The apostle
speaks of this when he says: But what does the scripture say? The word is near
you, in your mouth and in your heart (Rom 10-8; Deut 30:14).

The Commendation of
Faith

Baldwin of Forde, a 12th century Cistercian Abbot

Prayers for Tina Lillig, RIP, 1945-2009

Prayers were requested by my friend, Suzanne, for a
friend, Tina Lillig, one of the pioneers of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS)
here in the U.S., and indeed Director of the National Association of the CGS. Tina
suffered a stroke Friday afternoon while at work. She underwent surgery at
Loyola Medical Center (Chicago). Tina died early this morning. Here is the note
sent by her friends at CGS:

We share with great sadness that our beloved Tina
Lillig has been received into the heavenly fold of the Good Shepherd. She
passed away peacefully at 12:05 am Sunday morning surrounded by her loving
family and all the prayers from so many around the world that were lifted
up on her behalf. Funeral arrangements are pending and will be shared with you,
our members, soon.

Into your hands, O merciful Savior, we commend your servant,
Tina. Acknowledge, we humbly beseech you, a sheep of your own fold, a lamb of
your own flock, a sinner of your own redeeming. Receive her into the arms of
your mercy, into the blessed rest of everlasting peace, and into the glorious
company of the saints in light. Amen.

Tina, our dear sister in Christ, may your
rest be this day in peace, and your dwelling place in the Paradise of God. May
you see your Redeemer face to face, and enjoy the vision of God for ever. Amen.

Tina impacted countless lives with her loving care. She served as our National
Director with such devotion and grace. She fully gave of her gifts and skills
to further the work of Catechesis of
the Good Shepherd. She was a vital branch on the True Vine who knew
the joy of first remaining and then of bearing fruit. How full of
gratitude we are for who she is and what she has done in service to God. How
grateful we are for her friendship. She will be deeply missed. May her life be
an inspiration to all of us who seek to love and serve the Lord with such
joyful purpose.

CGS Board of Directors and Staff

Saint Lucy

While Saint Lucy prayed, there appeared unto her blessed Agatha, who comforted the handmaid of Christ.

Hear us, O God our Savior, that as we rejoice in the feast of blessed Lucy, Thy virgin and Martyr, so may we also be strengthened in the love of true piety.

About Saint Lucy

Since Saint Lucy is the patron saint of those diseases of the eyes, let us remember these people before God through the intercession of Saint Lucy. Also, let us pray for those women who live their lives in the Order of Consecrated Virgins that Saint Lucy will guide them.

Avery Dulles: 1st anniv of death

O God, Who was pleased to raise They servant Avery Robert Dulles to the dignity of the cardinalate, we beseech Thee, vouchsafe to admit him to the fellowship of Thine Apostles forevermore. Amen.

A noon Mass is being celebrated at Fordham University for the soul of His Eminence, Avery Cardinal Dulles. Pray for him.

Our Lady of Guadalupe

Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mystical Rose, make intercession
for the holy Church, protect the Sovereign Pontiff, help all those who invoke thee in their necessities, and
since thou art the ever Virgin Mary and Mother of the true God, obtain for us from thy most holy Son the
grace of keeping our faith, sweet hope in the midst of the bitterness of life, burning
charity and the precious gift of
final perseverance. Amen.

Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of the Americas, pray for us.

This prayer was approved and enriched with an
indulgence by Pope Pius X at all audience held on August, 1908, and was
included in the official edition of approved indulgenced prayers (1950).

“I am your merciful Mother, the Mother of all who live united in this land, and of all mankind, of all those who love me, of those who cry to me, of those who have confidence in me. Here I will hear the weeping and their sorrows, and will remedy and alleviate their sufferings, hardships and misfortunes…Do not be troubled or weighed down with grief. Do not fear any illness or vexation, anxiety or pain. Am I not here who am your Mother? Are you not under my shadow and protection? Am I not your fountain of life? Are you not in the folds of my mantle? In the crossing of my arms? Is there anything else you need?”

Words spoken by Our Lady of Guadalupe, December 12, 1531

God Today: With Him or Without Him Everything Changes

Almost two weeks ago Pope Benedict sent a message to the president of the Italian Bishops’ Conference, Angelo Cardinal Bagnasco, who is chairing a meeting where the agenda is talking about God, of all things. Well, it beats talking about bishops, nuns and the environment all the time. This topic interests me not in the sense of mere curiosity but because it is taking seriously my seeking the face of God (this topic ought to concern all people who consider themselves Catholic, spiritual and/or religious). To say God interests me sounds like an academic exercise; it is and it is not entirely that. God is interesting to me because seeking God is like no other search I know of, for it concerns my entire self and it intersects all that I do in the world. Is God totally unknowable, the Mystery and desirous of a personal relationship with me (and you)? The Pope makes some great points in these few paragraphs. The curious points are emphasized below.

On the occasion of the Congress “God Today: With or
Without Him Everything Changes,” which is taking place in Rome from
December 10-12, I wish to express to you, venerated Brother, to the Italian
Episcopal Conference and, in particular, to the Committee for the Cultural
Project, my profound appreciation for this important initiative, which
addresses one of the great topics that has always fascinated and questioned the
human spirit.

The question of God is also central in our time, in which man is
often reduced to one dimension, the “horizontal,” considering
openness to the Transcendent as irrelevant for his life. The relationship with
God, instead, is essential for humanity’s journey and, as I have had the
occasion to affirm many times, the Church and every Christian, in fact, have
the task to make God present in this world, to attempt to open to men access to
God.

Planned from this perspective is the international event of these days.
The breadth of the approach to the important topic that characterizes the
meeting, will make possible the sketching of a rich and articulated picture of
the question of God, but above all it will be a stimulation for a profound
reflection on God’s place in the culture and life of our time.

On one hand, in
fact, an attempt is being made to show the different ways that lead to
affirming the truth about the existence of God, that God which humanity has
always known in some way, even in the chiaroscuro of his history, and who
revealed himself with the splendor of his face in the covenant with the people
of Israel and, beyond that, in every measure and hope, in a full and definitive
way, in Jesus Christ.

He is the Son of God, the Living who enters into the life
and history of man to illumine him with his grace, with his presence. On the
other hand, the desire is precisely to bring to light the essential importance
that God has for us, for our personal and social life, for understanding
ourselves and the world, for the hope that illumines our way, for the salvation
that awaits us beyond death.

Directed to these objectives are the numerous
interventions, according to the many points of view which will be the object of
study and exchange: from philosophical and theological reflection on the
witness of the great religions; from the impulse to God, which finds its
expression in music, literature, the figurative arts, the cinema and
television; to the development of the sciences, which attempt to read in depth
the mechanisms of nature, fruit of the intelligent work of God the Creator; from
the analysis of the personal experience of God to the consideration of the
social and political dynamics of an already globalized world.

In a cultural and
spiritual situation such as the one we are living in, where the tendency grows
to relegate God to the private sphere, to consider him irrelevant and
superfluous, or to reject him explicitly, it is my heartfelt hope that this
event might at least contribute to disperse that semi-darkness that makes
openness to God precarious and fearful for the men of our time, though he never
ceases to knock on our door.

The experiences of the past, although not remote
to us, teach us that when God disappears from man’s horizon, humanity loses its
direction and runs the risk of taking steps to its own destruction. Faith in
God opens man to the horizon of certain hope, which does not disappoint; it
indicates a solid foundation on which to base life without fear; it calls for
abandoning oneself with confidence in the hands of the Love which sustains the
world.

To you, cardinal, to all those who have contributed to prepare this
congress, to the speakers and to all the participants I express my cordial
greeting with the desire for the full success of the initiative. I support the
works with prayer and with my apostolic blessing, propitiator of that light
from on High, which makes us capable of finding God, our treasure and our hope.