Communio – Page 229 – …bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Novena of Prayer to Saint Benedict, Day 2

The man of God, Benedict, forsook the glory of the world, for the Spirit of God was in him. (antiphon)

Pray Psalm 15

The prayer of petition to Saint Benedict may be found here, and then pray the following prayer.

Let us pray.

Mighty God, the source of all perfection, by the gift of Your grace, the blessed Benedict left all things that he might dedicate himself more fully to Your service for the salvation of the world. May all those, who strive to walk the path of perfection, not go astray, but run without stumbling and be rewarded by You with the gift eternal life. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Step by Step Through the Papal Interregnum

If you are looking for a quick run-through of the papal inter-regnum, almost over at this writing, you may be interested in the booklet by The Catholic Truth Society, a handy Step by Step Through the Papal Interregnum (2013) by Monsignor Charles Burns, OBE.

Step by Step does what it proposes to do: the booklet takes the reader through terms, legislation and processes of the period in the Church known as the interregnum and the subsequent papal election. Burns attempts to be exact in what is expected of the cardinals fulfilling their key work as a cardinal of the Holy Roman Church. Historians will like this brief booklet for its mentioning of key historical facts of the conclave.

Monsignor Burns, a priest of the Diocese of Paisely, has worked for the Holy See in the Vatican Secret Archives for more than 35 years; he taught for 25 years at the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy. Since 2012, Burns has been a Canon of Saint Peter’s Basilica.

Here is an audio introduction with Monsignor Burns produced by Vatican Radio.

Novena of Prayer to Saint Benedict, Day 1

Today begins nine days of prayer to Saint Benedict, ending at First Vespers of Saint Benedict’s Transitus (March 20). On March 21, many Benedictine monasteries around the world will observe the death of Benedict (+547) with solemnity, if you follow another liturgical calendar other than the Roman one, while other monasteries will celebrate July 11 as a feast, the translation of Benedict’s bones.

The order of prayer

There was a man of venerable Life, Benedict, blessed by God both in grace and in name. (antiphon)

Pray Psalm 1

The prayer of petition to Saint Benedict may be found here, and then pray the following prayer.

Let us pray.

Almighty and eternal God, may the example of blessed Benedict urge us to strive for holiness of life and, by celebrating his memory, may we be inspired to follow him in the spirit of his Rule. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Cardinal’s mother doesn’t think son can handle the …

“Christoph would not be up to the bitchiness in the Vatican. The intrigues in Vienna are enough for him.”

What right-minded person wouldn’t get annoyed at dishonesty?

“The whole family is afraid that Christoph will be elected pope,” Eleonore Schoenborn, 92, told the Kleine Zeitung newspaper

The Litany Run

Those recent college graduates with educational debt need to pay off their debts prior to following their vocation as a priest, brother, nun or sister. No one is allowed to carry debt into religious life. Morally and economically religious orders can’t assume the educational debt of new recruits. They can help, but it is unfair for them shoulder the entire financial burden given finances today. Some orders, depending on the size of the loan will pay the student loans off over time as the new recruit progresses in the order. But there are ways to work through the financial burden without getting despondent.

Here is Jenn Garza’s story. Jenn wants to be a Norbertine nun of the Bethlehem Priory of Saint Joseph but needs help in paying off $53,000.

Read this website about the Litany Run: 26.2 to the Monastery, and how to help as part of your lenten almsgiving.

Living in debt to a bank, government or a family member is not a good thing at all, even if you are not entering religious life or priesthood. But it is unavoidable today. Modest income people can’t afford huge tuition bills but at the same time our students deserve the best education. So the tensions for Christians is that they ought not to carry large amounts debt, educational or personal for very long. If anything, Christians ought to save a percentage of money for a “rainy day” (like unemployment) and make a sensible donations to worthy causes.

Black smoke on the first ballot

At 2:40 DST black smoke emerged from the smoke stack today. Tomorrow morning at 4:30 DST the voting begins again. 2 votes in the morning, 2 votes in the afternoon.

Here is Vatican Radio’s report.

Extra omnes

At certain point the Papal Master of Ceremonies, Monsignor Guido Marini, a priest of the Archdiocese of Genova, announces “Extra omnes,” a polite way of saying that all those not belonging in the conclave with the cardinals are to leave now. Monsignor Marini then walks through the center of the Sistine Chapel to the doors and closes them.

Cardinals take oath

After a brief introduction and prayer in the Pauline Chapel, the cardinals walking in order of seniority beginning from the junior cardinal deacon to the cardinal bishops, walked to the Sistine Chapel. Once in their assigned places in the Sistine Chapel, the senior Cardinal, Giovanni Battista Re, read aloud the following formula of the oath prescribed by the apostolic constitution Universi Dominici Gregis:

“In conformity with the provisions of No. 52 of the Apostolic constitution Univesi Dominici Gregis, We, the Cardinal electors present in this election of the Supreme Pontiff promise, pledge and swear, as individuals and as a group, to observe faithfully and scrupulously the prescriptions contained in the Apostolic Constitution of the Supreme Pontiff John Paul II, Universi Dominici Gregis, published on 22 February 1996. We likewise promise, pledge and swear that whichever of us by divine disposition is elected Roman Pontiff will commit himself faithfully to carrying out the munus Petrinum of Pastor of the Universal Church and will not fail to affirm and defend strenuously the spiritual and temporal rights and the liberty of the Holy See. In a particular way, we promise and swear to observe with the greatest fidelity and with all persons, clerical or lay, secrecy regarding everything that in any way relates to the election of the Roman Pontiff and regarding what occurs in the place of the election, directly or indirectly related to the results of the voting; we promise and swear not to break this secret in any way, either during or after the election of the new Pontiff, unless explicit authorization is granted by the same Pontiff; and never to lend support or favor to any interference, opposition or any other form of intervention, whereby secular authorities of whatever order and degree or any group of people or individuals might wish to intervene in the election of the Roman Pontiff.”

Then, one-by-one, each of the Cardinal electors, according to seniority, then personally took the oath according to the following formula:

“And I, N. Cardinal N., do so promise, pledge and swear. So help me God and these Holy Gospels which I touch with my hand.”

After all not required to be in the Conclave are asked to depart, Prospero Cardinal Grech, OSA, (a non-electing cardinal) will give a meditation.

Now the “Second Conclave of the Twenty First Century Begins.”

Assembled cardinals March 2013 electing Pope

Fulton Sheen: The Art of Preaching

The Dominican Friars of the Province of St Joseph have a new initiative on preaching using as their model the Venerable Servant of God Fulton J. Sheen, the famed preacher on TV and in Church. Kindly Light media will produce “Fulton Sheen: The Art of Preaching.” It is a worthy project to support.

“Fulton J. Sheen: The Art of Preaching” Examines effective preaching via the words of Fulton J. Sheen, with commentary from experts, including Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, Fr. Peter John Cameron, OP.

Be sure to watch the trailer and read up on the project.