Tag: Holy See

Pope Benedict speaks to Roman Curia, reviews 2012, gives Christmas greetings

B16 blesses Curia 21 Dec 2012.jpgIt’s custom for the Holy Father to speak to the members of his Curia in way that reviews the past year, assessing the “situation” faced in the Apostolic ministry, and to give some idea of what will be worked on in the coming year. The address is ALWAYS worth the time to read, to study, and to reflect on in a serious manner. The Pope is a masterful thinker and writer; he really sets the bar pretty high but with clarity. One is clear to me is that the Pope is calling the laity to a new engagement in faith formation, worship of God, and cultural and political activities (not activism, there’s a difference). You might say that the goal of the Pope in his address is to help us to rediscover the gift and beauty of Catholic faith. As he notes, God comes to us in the circumstances of life. Some people will latch on the sensational parts of the talk, especially with some of the more heated topics discussed in society today but the raising of issues and talking about them intelligently isn’t a sign of trouble or weakness in the communion of the Church, but a way to seriously look at what is before us and to rely on God for help. We do, as you will agree, have a nostalgia for the Infinite which shows that we are limited human beings in need for a deeper conversion to the Good News. What the Pope reminds us here is that our Salvation doesn’t come from within us but is given by Someone outside, that is, by the Most Holy Trinity.
The foci:


A. pastoral visits: Mexcico, Cuba, Milan, Lebanon 

B. post-synodal exhortation to Eastern Churches
C. synod of bishops: on the New Evangelization

D. matters of concern: the family, marriage, justice, peace, interreligious dialogue, sexuality, evangelization, the person, community life, self-giving, conversion

The papal address

It is with great joy that I meet you today, dear Members of the College of Cardinals, Representatives of the Roman Curia and the Governorate, for this traditional event in the days leading up to the feast of Christmas. I greet each one of you cordially, beginning with Cardinal Angelo Sodano, whom I thank for his kind words and for the warm good wishes that he extended to me on behalf of all present. The Dean of the College of Cardinals reminded us of an expression that appears frequently during these days in the Latin liturgy: Prope est iam Dominus, venite, adoremus! The Lord is already near, come, let us adore him! We too, as one family, prepare ourselves to adore the Child in the stable at Bethlehem who is God himself and has come so close as to become a man like us. I willingly reciprocate your good wishes and I thank all of you from my heart, including the Papal Representatives all over the world, for the generous and competent assistance that each of you offers me in my ministry.

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Pope Benedict’s homily for new cardinals: being Catholic embraces the whole universe, bear witness to Christ


As the world knows, the Holy Father created 6 new cardinals. These 6 new Princes of the Church represent the diversity of the “one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.” Their presence in the College of Cardinals reflect Incarnation of Jesus Christ in the life of the local Church, and at the heart of the Church, Rome. They now begin a new dimension of ecclesial service, a new way of being a disciple of Christ, and they offer their full humanity to making Christ known and loved. The Pope’s homily is below.

I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.

These words, which the new Cardinals are soon to
proclaim in the course of their solemn profession of faith, come from the
Niceno-Constantinopolitan creed, the synthesis of the Church’s faith that each
of us receives at baptism. Only by professing and preserving this rule of truth
intact can we be authentic disciples of the Lord. In this Consistory, I would
like to reflect in particular on the meaning of the word “catholic”,
a word which indicates an essential feature of the Church and her mission. Much
could be said on this subject and various different approaches could be
adopted: today I shall limit myself to one or two thoughts.

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Continue reading Pope Benedict’s homily for new cardinals: being Catholic embraces the whole universe, bear witness to Christ

New cardinals are coming

Cardinal Electors November 2012.jpg

The six bishops being created cardinals of the Holy
Roman Church this coming Saturday are: US Archbishop James M. Harvey, 63,
prefect of the papal household; Lebanon’s Maronite Patriarch Bechara Rai, 72;
Indian Archbishop Baselios Cleemis Thottunkal, 53, head of the Syro-Malankara
Catholic Church; Nigerian Archbishop John Olorunfemi Onaiyekan of Abuja, 68;
Colombian Archbishop Ruben Salazar Gomez of Bogota, 70; and Philippine
Archbishop Luis Tagle of Manila, 55. As signs of the new vocation the new cardinals
will receive from the Pope the red cardinal’s hat and a ring. By custom they
are referred as Your Eminence and in print they are often called “Princes of
the Church.”

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Nuncio takes up work in Ireland

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The Pope’s man in Ireland, Archbishop Charles J. Brown, arrives to take up his duties. He’s greeted by Seán Cardinal  Brady (Archbishop of Armagh) and Archbishop Diarmuid Martin (Archbishop of Dublin). The newly ordained archbishop is a New York native and until recently has been working in the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
Saint Patrick, pray for Ireland.

Carlo Maria Viganò, America’s New Nuncio, to arrive soon

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His Excellency, Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, 70, was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI to be his personal representative to the Church in the United States and to the US government, on 19 October 2011. As ambassador he’ll have to recommend to the Pope the new bishops, handle ecclesial matters of significance and work with the US politicians. Archbishop Viganò met with the Pope this morning. He is set arrive in time for the general meeting of US Bishops, 14-16 November in Baltimore.

David Kerr of The National Catholic Register has a story relating these diplomatic events and more of Viganò’s history.

You may also want to read Cindy Wooden of the Catholic News Service’s October 19th article for a another perspective.

Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò was born in Varese, Italy (Lombardy) and was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Pavia (the place where St Augustine of Hippo is buried) but since 1973 Viganò has been in the service ot the Holy See. Since 1992, he’s been a bishop. His past postings have been as Apostolic Nuncio to Nigeria, and since 1998 he’s been an official in the Secretariat of State. Recently, recently he’s been the Secretary to the Governate of Vatican City State.

Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò’s appointment to the office of Nuncio fills the gap left when Pietro Sambi died on 27 July 2011. His Excellency is the 14th representative of the Pope on US shores.

The United States of America has had a delegation from the Holy See since 24 January 1893; the delegation became a full-fledged Nunciature on 10 January 1984.

May the Blessed Virgin Mary, Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, pray for Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò. 

Pope speaks with new British Ambassador to the Holy See

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This morning Pope Benedict XVI received the new Ambassador of Great Britain to the Holy See, Nigel Marcus Baker in an audeince where the new ambassador presented his credentials to the Pope.


Ambassador Nigel Marcus Baker, 45, succeeds Francis Campbell who moved after a term of service to the Holy See to another post. The new ambassador has worked with his country’s diplomatic service in Central Europe and in South America; recently he was in Bolivia. Baker has worked in the Private Office of Prince Charles and for two years lived and studied in Italy. He’s married  and has one son.


Today’s address is basically diplo-speak, but there are a few points made by Benedict which are worth thinking about today. I am especially focussing on the Pope’s mention of charity, values, relativism, ecomony, and education. In part, the Pope spoke of the UK stituation of government but what he said has implications in the US:

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Archbishop Edwin F. O’Brien to lead the Order of the Holy Sepulchre

EDWIN F. OBRIEN.jpgIt sounds like this appointment of Archbishop Edwin F. O’Brien, 72, to head the 1000 year old lay group Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.

The video of the press conference where Archbishop Edwin O’Brien announces he’s going to head the Order of the Holy Sepulchre.

Up to now he’s been the 15th Diocesan Ordinary of Baltimore; in 2007 Benedict appointed O’Brien to succeed Cardinal William Henry Keeler.

Several articles from Baltimore’s Catholic Review shed some light on Archbishop O’Brien: here, here and his own remarks.
As the Archbishop promised when he took over the Baltimore Archdiocese nearly four years ago, “Whatever I am and all that I have, I give to you” will be the same pledge to the Knights and Dames of the Holy Sepulchre.
Here’s a piece on the playful side of Edwin F. O’Brien.
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Vatican Nuncio to Ireland recalled

Giuseppe Leanza.jpgIn an extraordinary act, the Holy See has recalled the papal nuncio, Archbishop Giuseppe Leanza, 68, to Rome to understand the implications of the July 13, 2011 Cloyne Report (421 pages worth) that indicated yet more of the clerical sex abuse.

This is a most dramatic and essential step in getting to the bottom of the problem of abuse and the response of the Church. The recall, initiated by the Holy See, is being interpreted by the same as the degree of seriousness it wants for an effective response to the failure to protect children and for greater collaboration with the Irish government. This recall is not a permanent close to diplomatic relations between the Irish Republic and the Holy See; it is a measure for greater clarity on how to respond to the crisis.

Hopefully Archbishop Leanza has the grace and competency to be effective in Ireland. His own experience hints that he can be helpful. He is the former papal nunico to Haiti, Malawi, Zambia, Bosnia, Slovenia, Macedonia, Bulgaria before going to Ireland in 2008.
Saint Patrick and Saint Brigid of Ireland, pray for us.