Category: Church (ecclesiology)

New cardinals assigned a Roman titular church

Paolo Sardi.jpgThe tradition is that when a cardinal is made by the pope, the cardinal becomes a priest of the Diocese of Rome. As members of the Roman clergy, he receives a church, though now in title only, (which he vicarious takes care of by finding the funding for projects), and has the responsibility of entering a conclave to elect a new pope and when asked, to provide his consultation on certain topics.

The new cardinal will take possession of his new church within the next six months.

Interesting to note: Cardinal Antonios Naguib is not assigned a titular church because he uses Saint Paul outside the Walls because the church’s close, historic connection with the See of Alexandria; Cardinal Fortunato Baldelli is assigned the Benedictine church of Sant’ Anselmo (replacing the recently deceased Cardinal Mayer, OSB);  Cardinal Raymond Burke is assigned Church of Sant’ Agata de’ Gotti, the church where the Stigmatine Fathers have the generalate (replacing the recently deceased Cardinal Spidlik, SJ); the 93 year old Cardinal Domenico Bartolucci is assigned the Church of Santissimi Nomi di Gesù e Maria in via Lata (replacing Cardinal Dulles, SJ).
The complete list of the assignments of the churches is here.

NOW there’s 24 new cardinals of the Roman Church

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The Pope created 24 new cardinals, 20 of them still work as pastors and heads of offices in the Church, 4 are honorary members of the College of Cardinals (they can’t vote for a new pope because they’re over 80 yrs).
The Scripture for today’s Liturgy of the Word:
1 Peter 3 – reverence for the Lord and witness to the reason for our hope
Psalm 145
Mark 10 – they were on the road to Jerusalem, Jesus was ahead of them, those who followed were afraid, and Jesus told the 12 of what was to happen to Him and to them
“… the cardinals witness to the Church and to the world … singular and precious cooperators entrusted to Peter by Christ … to love according to the Law of Christ,” Pope Benedict.

The Pope & his cardinals met today

the new cardinals.jpgBilled my some as extra-ordinary, but likely seen by insiders as ordinary, Pope Benedict met with his cardinals and the new cardinals –24 of them– he intends to make tomorrow, in a forum where information is exchanged and consultation given. The meeting of Pope and cardinals was conducted in the context of prayer. Prayer and exchange, not the making of decisions was the format. It is estimated that about 150 of the worlds 203 cardinals met today. Topics ranged from the sacred Liturgy and religious freedom, but also the exercise of religion, secularism, conversion and entering into full communion with the Catholic Church to healthcare. Since this is also the 10th anniversary of Dominus Iesus, the document which recalls that salvation comes uniquely and universally through the person of Jesus Christ, the Pope and cardinals will reflect on the impact this document has made since its publication.

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Some cardinals expressed their frustration and exhaustion over the sexual abuse crisis, but their feelings aside, this is a central issue that needs to be corrected right now. Certainly people are worn down by the continuous attention the sex abuse crisis has garnered, but the credibility of the Church to proclaim the Gospel of Salvation is at stake if the immoral actions of priests, bishops and laity is not dealt with in forthright manner. Pope Benedict is doing the hard work now, as he has done in the past, to clean up the moral rot found in the Church.
The Vatican Radio has a report.

Cardinals to pray & discuss about Dominus Iesus, sex abuse, Ordinariate for Anglicans wishing to be Catholic

cardinals2.jpgAnna Arco’s article online at the Catholic Herald (of the UK fame) reports that before the consistory of cardinals on November 20, during which the Pope will create 24 new cardinals there will be prayer, reflection and conversation about a number of things but three key topics will be the 10th anniversary of Dominus Iesus, sex abuse crisis and the Ordinariate for Anglicans who desire to enter into full communion the Catholic Church. Other issues to be discussed, but no less crucial to the life of the Church, are religious liberty and the sacred Liturgy.

Read Arco’s article, “Cardinals to discuss Church reactions to sexual abuse and the Ordinariate.” Don’t make the connection between the two issues. There’s no connection.

24 New Cardinals named by Pope Benedict today

cardinals.jpgThe Pope announced his intention to name 24 new cardinals of the Holy Roman Church today. The public consistory is scheduled for November 20 and it is at this ceremony that the Holy Father’s intention becomes official, becoming members of the College of Cardinals. The new cardinals will have their names in inscribed in the list of “Roman priests” who are deputed to elect the Bishop of Rome.

This is the third time the Holy Father has created cardinals since his becoming Pope in 2005. Previous consistories were in 2006 and 2007. The new cardinals reflect the various competences the Church relies upon to preach the Gospel and to serve the Church.

  • Italians

Archbishop Angelo Amato, SDB, Prefect of the Congregation of Saints

Archbishop Mauro Piacenza, Prefect of the Congregation of Clergy

Archbishop Fortunato Baldelli, Major Penitentiary

Archbishop Velasio De Paolis, CS, President of the Prefecture of the Economic Affairs of the Holy See

Archbishop Paolo Sardi, Vice-Chamberlain of the Apostolic Chamber and Patron of the Order of Malta

Archbishop Francesco Monterisi, Archpriest of the Basilica of Saint Paul outside the Walls

Archbishop Gianfranco Ravasi, President of the Pontifical Council of Culture

Archbishop Paolo Romeo, Archbishop of Palermo

  • North Americans

Archbishop Raymond Leo Burke,  Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of Apostolic Signatura

Archbishop Donald William Wuerl, Archbishop of  Washington, DC

  • Other Europeans

Archbishop Kurt Koch, President of the Pontifical Council for the Unity of Christians

Archbishop Reinhard Marx, Archbishop of Munich and Freising

Archbishop Kazimierz Nycz, Archbishop of Warsaw

  • Africa

Archbishop Robert Sarah (Guinea Conakry), President of  Cor Unum

Archbishop Medardo Mazombwe, Emertius Archbishop of Lusaka

Archbishop Laurent Monsengwo Pasinya, Archbishop of  Kinshasa

  • Asia

Archbishop Malcom Ranjith Patabendige Don, Archbishop of Colombo

  • Eastern Church

His Beatitude, Patriarch Antonio Naguib, Patriarch of Alexandria of the Copts 

  • South America

Archbishop Raymundo Damasceno Assis, Archbishop of Aparecida

Archbishop Raul Eduardo Vela Chiribogo, Emeritus Archbishop of Ecudor

  • The Over 80 Cardinals

Msgr. Domenico Bartolucci, Emeritus Master of the Sistine Chapel

Msgr. Walter Brandmüller, Emeritus President of the Pontifical Commission of Historical Sciences

Bishop Elio Sgreccia, Emeritus President of the Pontifical Academy of Life

Archbishop Jose Manuel Estepa Llaurens, Emeritus Ordinary of the Spanish Military


Read journalist John Allen’s analysis of the new cardinals: John Allen the new cardinals 2010.pdf

Synod of Bishops for the Middle East

The Synod of Bishops for the Middle East begins today. The importance of this particular Synod is given by NCR correspondent John Allen.
The Synod’s meeting is the result of requests of bishops and the pastoral visits of the pope to that part of the Church. The Christian minority in the Middle East needs our help.
The Synod is using Arabic for the first time as an official language and a rabbi and 2 Muslims are observers to the Synod.
The North American contingent to the Synod is quite substantial. See the list…

The Synod meets from October 10-24.

We beg the Holy Spirit to guide the work of the Pope, the bishops and other attendees.

Supporting Catholic Schools

This morning the Archbishop of Hartford, Henry J. Mansell hosted what has become the annual Columbus Day Breakfast to provide scholarship grants to students attending Catholic elementary schools in greater New Haven. The Archbishop assisted by the Foundation for the Advancement of Catholic Schools helped us to look with fresh eyes at the need for Catholic education in greater New Haven. I am very happy to have been invited to attend this morning’s breakfast.

Some thoughts though… It was a good networking opportunity but something was missing, the reason why we dragged ourselves out of bed to have breakfast with people vaguely known but connected through our concern for Catholic education: Jesus Christ and our friendship with Him. While we are all very grateful for the $60K raised for Catholic elementary students, the absence of noting who sustains our efforts and why we are at all interested in Catholic education was for me problematic. Do-gooders are well-meaning; they can be helpful and advancing a good mission such as education. Yet, as I mentioned to a friend, I don’t care about Catholic education or any other program if we’re not helping each other seek a relationship with Jesus and try to live as Catholics (Christians, if you will). It is not a “what” that sustains our efforts in education but a “who” –it is Jesus Christ. “Remember Him,” I’d like to say?

I agree that “An education would be most impoverished if it were limited to providing notions and information and neglected the important question about truth, especially that truth which can be a guide in life” (Benedict XVI, January 21, 2008). That truth is none other than unique offer of love and salvation given to us by the Lord. It is the pursuit of Truth that makes education, formal or informal, worth it. Everything else pales. 
Anthony Cernera, President of Sacred Heart University (Fairfield, CT) spoke well of remembering the past and dreaming for the future. When we remember the past we hold in ourselves an attitude of gratitude for graces received. When we dream we look forward in hope for realization of the desires of the heart given by God Himself. If the Church is correct, then those who believe in Christ are obligated to hope, to live concretely in the present yet looking to the fulfillment of the promises God has made personally with each of us. Catholic education is indeed in a difficult place today with the great divorce of remembering and dreaming, faith and reason, and faith and justice. SO, yes, support Catholic education because as Mansell said, “Our schools not only provide a rigorous curriculum, but also an education for a lifetime….”

Sacred Duties, Episcopal Ministry: what’s wrong with the US Conference of Bishops

Few people in these parts (in the Eastern part of the USA) know the name Robert F. Vasa except ecclesial-philes like myself, but that’s because he’s on the other side of the country. Never mind. Who could say with honesty that there’s a genuine concern for knowing ecclesial affairs viz. from a person who has little name recognition such as Robert Vasa. That is, until now, who, with some excellent, even controversial ideas, is sure to anger the round heads. Only now Vasa’s thinking is gaining some currency. But let’s give him his just due respect. Robert F. Vasa, 59, is the Bishop of Baker, OR, a priest of the Lincoln Diocese who delivered an extraordinarily good address titled, “Sacred Duties, Episcopal Ministry” on September 16, 2010 at the 2010 InsideCatholic Partnership Award Dinner in Washington, DC, that has not received the attention it deserves.

The Bishop is taking a critical look at the contemporary ministry of the bishop, at least in the USA, as we’ve seen it unfold with the existence of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).
I DON’T like the USCCB and would prefer to see it close, or at least downsize significantly. I find USCCB officials intrusive, their work open to misinterpretation, the bishops not doing what they are supposed to do for “needy bishops” –to give fraternal constructive correction to bishops not doing or incapable of doing their episcopal ministry as expected– and I find the USCCB documents compromised or agenda driven. In addition, I find the tax paid on each “Catholic head” in the dioceses to be excessive and it’s a genuine burden on many dioceses, particularly the Eastern Church dioceses who don’t have access to large amounts of money. One last word on the bishops’ documents: they are often not written by the bishops themselves (who would have the time?) but are produced by the staffers of the USCCB or outsiders and are vague and lack substance that would clearly address the issues at hand; when the documents are “committee documents” they are often ground for the lefty-loonies to manipulate for their own ends.
There are few instances where I think a conference of bishops in the USA is useful but not absolutely necessary. The usefulness of a conference of bishops would be seen in knowing the needs of the Church in North America, in the work done in the fields of the sacred Liturgy, certain questions on immigration, healthcare and pro-life and certain relief agencies like CRS. The translation of texts is labor intensive and it needs wider episcopal oversight and input that 10 bishops can give. BUT let’s be clear, the USCCB is not an alternative teaching body for the Church in America; it has no authority to teach or make laws over and above the Universal Church or the individual diocesan bishop; it does not speak for the Church’s bishops. Diocesan bishops can’t absolve themselves of the duty to rightly to teach, govern and sanctify the people entrusted to them personally by the Holy Spirit and for the Church in general. Episcopal ministry is exercised not with strategies and programs but by listening, praying and teaching when needed. 
Some people who are USCCB favorable will be dramatic by saying, “The USCCB said and demands thus and such….” AND the response you should give is, “SO what.”
Read, study and pray with Bishop Vasa’s address noted above. You may want to say a prayer for him, too. He’ll likely get hate mail for his attempt to teach what is true. In my mind this address is necessary reading for informed Catholics. The point here is not be disrespectful of the sacred duties and responsibilities of bishops. My point here is to live, to act and to think with the Church under the Roman Pontiff and the bishops in communion with him. As Catholics we are to be total and radically centered on the person of Jesus Christ lived in the sacrament of the Church and under her magisterium. I follow Christ through the ministry of the Pope, the bishop of this diocese but not in a bureaucracy of bishops.

Counsellors to assist Legion of Christ restructuring announced

Archbishop
Velasio de Paolis, C.S., the Pope’s delegate for the Congregation of the Legionaries
of Christ, announced the names his four counsellors who will assist him in
restructuring and renewing the Legion.

The counselors:

  • Father Agostino Montan
    C.S.I., episcopal vicar for religious life in the Diocese of Rome;
  • Monsignor Mario
    Marchesi, vicar general of the Diocese of Cremona, Italy;
  • Father Gianfranco
    Ghirlanda S.J., former rector of the Pontifical Gregorian University;
  • Bishop Brian Farrell, LC,  secretary of the Pontifical
    Council for Promoting Christian Unity.

Archbishop Ricardo Blazquez Perez of
Valladolid, Spain, is the visitator for Regnum Christi.