Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob.
Saint Martin, intercede before the Lord on our behalf, care for our poverty
and lead us closer to Christ.
Saint Martin of Tours
Fulton J. Sheen’s cause for canonization halted
A distressing development has occurred with the canonization process for the Servant of God Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen has been suspended by the Bishop of Peoria, Daniel Jenky, CSC. The issue seems to be the refusal of the Archdiocese of New York to return the mortal remains of Sheen to his home diocese of Peoria; the archbishop died in 1979 at the age of 84, and was entombed in the crypt of the famed Cathedral of Saint Patrick. Earlier that year he met Pope John Paul II in Saint Patrick’s Cathedral in a terrific embrace of brothers. The life and work of Archbishop Sheen might be likened to being a 20th century Saint Dominic of Guzman. After serving for three years (1966-69) as the Bishop of Rochester (NY), Fulton returned to New York City. The diocesan phase of the process was concluded in 2008.
Bishop Jenky’s statement follows:
It is with great sadness and disappointment, Bishop Jenky announces that after nine years of effort and sacrifice, the Diocese of Peoria is suspending its efforts on behalf of the Beatification of Fulton J. Sheen. The Archdiocese of New York has made it clear that it is not likely that they will ever transfer the remains of Fulton J. Sheen to his home diocese of Peoria. The Bishop hopes that the Archdiocese of New York, in whose Cathedral crypt the earthly remains of the Servant of God are still entombed, might now assume this responsibility. In this endeavor he would pledge the cooperation of his diocese. The bishop urges the clergy, faithful and religious of Peoria to continue to pray for the Cause of Archbishop Sheen whose heroic virtues in announcing the Gospel and serving the poor were an extraordinary blessing in the life of the Catholic Church. The bishop would also like to remind all in his diocese and all those throughout the world who have so enthusiastically supported the Sheen Cause that finally it is only God who makes saints, not men.
The Diocese of Peoria remains committed to promote the message of the great priest, Fulton J. Sheen within our Diocese and to continue to develop our museum and research center devoted to his life.
Pope Saint Leo the Great
The Church offers us today the life of someone salvation history has determined to be a significant figure in the proclamation of the Gospel. Pope Saint Leo the Great, a doctor of the Church helped the Church of his era develop orthodox thinking on the person of Jesus Christ that is standard theology today. He defended the two natures of Jesus Christ at the Council of Chalcedon. The Fathers of Chalcedon said, “Peter has spoken through Leo!”
Saint Leo is one of three popes to be given the title “the Great” acknowledging his work as a father of the faithful.
This text is a hymn based on a text taken from the Office of Readings for Matins for Christmas. This text captures Leo and his keeping belief in Christ correct.
God truly is come down from heaven,
begotten of the Father,
and has entered into the womb of the Virgin
and has appeared visibly to us,
clothed in human flesh
received from our first parent:
and He who is both God and man,
Light and Life,
the Creator of the world,
has passed through the closed portal.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Melkite Patriarch calls for unified talk & acting to build better future
A friend sent me this letter of His Beatitude, Patriarch Gregory III addressing the killing and violence inflicted on the Syrian Christian community on October 31 (there’s discrepancy in the letter). His Beatitude is known for straight-talking and this letter indicates that sensibility. Let’s pray for peace in all of our hearts and minds as we pray for our enemies.
Rabweh, 8 November 2010
Christian bloodbath in the Cathedral
of Our Lady of Deliverance, Baghdad
The carnage which took place on Sunday,
November 1, 2010 in the Syrian Catholic Cathedral of our Lady of Deliverance in
Baghdad was of an unprecedented cruelty and barbarity. It was an attack capable
of undermining the good will of genuine bridge-builders between cultures, brave
heroes of inter-religious dialogue, as well as the optimism of the Special
Assembly of the Synod of Bishops for the Middle East.
I offer my sincere
condolences and the assurance of my prayers and those of our Church to His Beatitude
Patriarch Ignace-Joseph III (Younan), to His Eminence Cardinal Emmanuel III
(Delly) and to all those who are broken-hearted at this crime.
We know that
this criminal act is not the work of authentic Islam, and cannot be based on
it. Despite that, we hold Muslims in Iraq and in all Arab countries to be
responsible for Christian security, since they have power, and control the army
and police force.
We urge Arab countries to study the reality of fundamentalist
terrorism and the trends that feed on it. This is a global Islamic
responsibility, because showing Islam under that guise is a disfigurement of
authentic Islam. The real enemies of Islam and Muslims are neither
“Islamophobia” nor “Christian Europe,” but rather these fundamentalist organisations
and trends.
They are also the enemies of Christianity and of every Christian
and Muslim social and human value, whether Arab or not.
Christians are
peaceable, patriotic, loyal, faithful to their homeland and countries, tolerant
and naturally inclined to forgiveness. But they are not passive, cowardly,
timid, any more than they are inclined to be humiliated. They are not sheep,
designed to be slaughtered by fundamentalists. Christians are builders of
values, nations and cultures, including Islamic culture itself.
If Muslims do
nothing to safeguard this creative strain represented by Arab Christians in
Iraq and throughout the Middle East, the prosperity and drive of Islamic
culture will be in danger of collapse, and Muslims will then be their own worst
enemies, enemies of their faith and of their countries.
Dear Muslim and
Christian Arab brothers, let us adopt a unifying way of talking and act
together to build a better future for all our children and compatriots!
Gregorios
III
Patriarch of Antioch and All the East of Alexandria and of Jerusalem
Dedication of the Basilica of Saint John Lateran
Jerusalem, city of God, you will shine with the light of God’s splendor; all people on earth will pay you homage. Nations will come from afar, bearing gifts for the King of Heaven; in you they will worship the Lord. (the lamp-lighting antiphon from the Dedication of a Church)
At first blush some people will ask, why is the Church celebrating the dedication of a church building. The answer is, she’s not. Some history is crucial in understanding today’s liturgical observance.
Pope Benedict said it well in his 2008 Angelus Address for this feast: “Dear Friends, today’s feast celebrates a mystery that is always relevant: God’s desire to build a spiritual temple in the world, a community that worships him in spirit and truth (cf. John 4:23-4). But this observance also reminds us of the importance of the material buildings in which the community gathers to celebrate the praises of God. Every community therefore has the duty to take special care of its own sacred buildings, which are a precious religious and historical patrimony. For this call upon the intercession of Mary Most Holy, that she help us to become, like her, the ‘house of God,’ living temple of love.”
The cathedral church of the Bishop of Rome, the Pope, is Saint John Lateran, not Saint Peter’s Basilica. And by extension, the Lateran basilica is the head of all churches in the world. The confusion between the Lateran and Vatican basilicas is a common and understandable mistake since Saint Peter’s is the place where the bones of Saint Peter are buried and it’s the place where the Pope most often celebrates ecclesial events. The Lateran was a church built by the Emperor Constantine and consecrated in AD 324 by Pope Sylvester. Notice that the church was consecrated 12 short years following the Edict of Milan.
The feast honoring the role of the basilica church in Christendom, indeed, the entire world at one time, is understood in the aphorism: omnium urbis et orbis ecclesiarum mater et caput (the mother and head of all churches of Rome and the world). The Lateran is the place that symbolizes the ministry of bishop as teacher, servant and sanctifier; it’s the place where charity is most identifiable.
Pope Benedict said it well in his 2008 Angelus Address for this feast: “Dear Friends, today’s feast celebrates a mystery that is always relevant: God’s desire to build a spiritual temple in the world, a community that worships him in spirit and truth (cf. John 4:23-4). But this observance also reminds us of the importance of the material buildings in which the community gathers to celebrate the praises of God. Every community therefore has the duty to take special care of its own sacred buildings, which are a precious religious and historical patrimony. For this call upon the intercession of Mary Most Holy, that she help us to become, like her, the ‘house of God,’ living temple of love.”Read last year’s blog post.
The memory of the attack on Syrian Christians in Iraq
The brutality of the killings of Christians in Iraq just over a week ago can’t be forgotten. Someone wisely videotaped the bloodbath seen here. The images are horrific and rather hard to view but they do provoke one to think and pray about these facts.
Swiss Capuchins: Help wanted
The Capuchin Franciscans in Switzerland are spreading the net far and wide. Their vocation promotion ad reads:
“Wanted: Bankers, traders or lawyers for full-time, lifelong position. No pay. Unmarried Catholic men between 22 and 35 capable of communal living are encouraged to look into the possibility.
The Washington Post carried the news
Possible parishes in a proposed Ordinariate for Anglicans in the US & Canada
You gotta love Google Maps … proposed parishes of the Anglican Ordinariate
Shane Schaetzel put together a map of proposed parishes that may be in a ecclesiastical jurisdiction for Anglicans entering into full communion with the Catholic Church. A lot of work went into developing this fine resource and we’re grateful.
Cardinals to pray & discuss about Dominus Iesus, sex abuse, Ordinariate for Anglicans wishing to be Catholic
Anna 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.
The truth of prayer needs to be lived
Who has not found themselves lost for words to express some deeply held value: not for its subtlety but for its overwhelming simplicity. It is that way with prayer … the truth of prayer to be really known must be lived. And this is what Carmel is all about … a life of prayer in solitude.
Sister Laureen Grady, OCD
Seasons of Carmel