This article is especially meaningful to me since Quanah spent two week in Vladivostok, Russia at one of the mission that Alexiy II is saying must go.

Orthodox Church Tells Catholics to Give Up Russia Missions

The head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Alexiy II, told an Italian paper that a first meeting with Pope Benedict would only make sense if the Vatican gave up any missionary ambition to spread Catholicism in his country.

Christianity Today
Wednesday, August 29, 2007, 14:42 (BST)

The head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Alexiy II, told an Italian paper that a first meeting with Pope Benedict would only make sense if the Vatican gave up any missionary ambition to spread Catholicism in his country.

The Russian Patriarch, in comments to Il Giornale published on Wednesday, laid out clear conditions for a meeting between the leaders of the eastern and western branches of Christianity, which split in the Great Schism of 1054."The meeting between the Pope and the Patriarch of Moscow must be well prepared and must run absolutely no risk of being reduced to an opportunity to take a few photographs or appear together before television cameras," he said.

"It must be an encounter that really helps to consolidate relations between our two churches."The break-up of the Soviet Union in 1991 brought increased tension between the Vatican and the Russian Orthodox Church, with clerics in Moscow worried about new opportunities for so-called "soul-poaching" by western Catholics.Senior Catholic cardinals now say a first ever meeting between a Pope and a Russian Patriarch is increasingly likely. Popes have in the past met Ecumenical Patriarchs, the spiritual leaders of the worldwide Orthodox church based in Istanbul.

But centuries of rivalry cannot be forgotten easily."Still today some Catholic bishops and missionaries consider Russia as missionary terrain," the Patriarch said. "But Russia, holy Russia, is already illuminated by a faith that is centuries old and that, thank God, has been preserved and handed on by the Orthodox Church," Alexiy told Il Giornale after greeting some Italian Catholic bishops in Moscow.

"This is the first point of the problems that need to be clarified and smoothed over regarding a meeting with the Pope.

"Another concern, he said, was the spread of "eastern rite" Catholicism throughout former Soviet states. Eastern Catholics have the same Mass as Orthodox churches but, unlike them, have been in full union with the Vatican since the 17th century.

Alexiy said the eastern rite was now spreading to "areas where it never used to exist, such as eastern Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia itself".

Banned in 1946 by dictator Josef Stalin and its property handed over to the more compliant Orthodox church, the eastern rite was permitted again the dying days of Soviet rule."

When these problems are confronted and resolved then the meeting between the Pope and the Patriarch of Moscow will be possible. Then it will have real significance," said Alexiy.

I was interested in this article because Fr. Sal spoke to exactly this point in tonight's homily. The question is: Who does God say is invited to salvation?
Answer: Everyone

What does God expect us to do to achieve this?
Answer: Just one, not so simple thing. Love all. Even those you don't/can't love. All deserve love. It is the key to the narrow gate. We go through one by one. Don't go through the wide gate and get caught up in the crowd.



Get Your "Passport" Ready for Heaven, Says Pope
Stamp It With Works That Show Friendship With Christ

VATICAN CITY, AUG. 26, 2007 (Zenit.org).-
Heaven is an equal-opportunity destination, but to gain entry one needs a "passport" stamped with virtues such as humility, mercy and truth, says Benedict XVI.

The Pope said this today in a reflection he gave on the "narrow gate," before reciting the midday Angelus with several thousand people gathered in the courtyard of the papal summer residence at Castel Gandolfo.

The Pontiff asked: "What is meant by this 'narrow gate'? Why is it that many people do not succeed in entering through it? Is it perhaps a passage that is reserved only for a few elect?"

The Holy Father said that the message of Christ is that everybody has an equal chance of entering through the narrow gate, "but it is 'narrow' because it is demanding, it requires commitment, self-denial and mortification of one's own egoism."

Christ invites all to heaven, he said, "but with one and the same condition: that of making the effort to follow him and imitate him, taking up one's cross, as he did, and dedicating one's life to the service of our brothers."

Benedict XVI makes the point that "we will not be judged on the basis of presumed privileges, but by our works."

"True friendship with Christ," he added, "is expressed by one's way of life: it is expressed by goodness of heart, with humility, meekness and mercy, love of justice and truth, sincere and honest commitment to peace and reconciliation."The Pope adds, "This, we might say, is the 'I.D. card' that qualifies us as authentic 'friends'; this is the 'passport' that permits us to enter into eternal life."

© Innovative Media, Inc.

China arrests Mgr Julius Jia Zhiguo, Catholic Bishop of Hebei

Rome. August 23, 2007. (AsiaNews) –
Chinese authorities this morning arrested Mgr Julius Jia Zhiguo, underground bishop of Zhengding (Hebei), to prevent him from disseminating Pope Benedict XVI’s Letter to Chinese Catholics and organising meetings in which the letter’s contents would be explained to the faithful.

AsiaNews sources confirmed that at 9 am this morning (Beijing time) policemen and members of the Religious Affairs Bureau picked up the prelate and took him to an undisclosed location.
The bishop, who is not recognised by government authorities, was preparing a pastoral letter and organising meetings for the faithful of his diocese in order to explain what the papal letter said.

Whilst expressing profound respect for China’s authorities, the Pontiff’s June 30 letter called for total religious freedom for the mainland’s Christian community, slamming any interference by political organisations in the internal life of the Church, explicitly singling out the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association or CPCA whose raison d’être is to establish a national Church separate from the Holy See.

The CPCA seal was placed on the entrance to Mgr Jia’s residence and to the building he and members of his congregation use for meetings, a clear sign that his arrest was “anti-papal” in intent.

Unlike the CPCA the Chinese government’s response has been quite muted. The CPCA has instead blocked sites that contain the letter and prohibited its dissemination. It also had some priests arrested and made their detention even harsher than usual. AsiaNews sources are aware of at least 11 priests arrested in various regions of China.

The diocese of Zhengding is about 270 kilometres south of Beijing with about 110,000 people affiliated with the underground Church.

Mgr Julius Jia Zhiguo, 73, has spent more than 15 years in prison. Since 1980, when he became an underground bishop, he has been subject to endless arrests and detention where he has been forced to undergo political (brainwashing) sessions so that he may bow to CPCA demands.
The last time he was arrested was on June 5 of this year, but was eventually released on the 22.

On 3 Lessons From St. Basil
"Only If We Are Open to God Can We Build a Just World"

VATICAN CITY, AUG. 16, 2007 (Zenit.org).-
Here is a Vatican translation of the address Benedict XVI delivered Aug. 1 at the general audience in Paul VI Hall. The reflection focused on St. Basil, continuing with the Pope's last catechesis from July 4.* * *

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

After this three-week break, we are continuing with our Wednesday meetings. Today, I would simply like to resume my last Catechesis, whose subject was the life and writings of St Basil, a Bishop in present-day Turkey, in Asia Minor, in the fourth century A.D. The life and works of this great Saint are full of ideas for reflection and teachings that are also relevant for us today.

First of all is the reference to God's mystery, which is still the most meaningful and vital reference for human beings. The Father is "the principal of all things and the cause of being of all that exists, the root of the living" (Hom. 15, 2 de fide: PG 31, 465c); above all, he is "the Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ" ("Anaphora Sancti Basilii"). Ascending to God through his creatures, we "become aware of his goodness and wisdom" (Basil, "Adversus Eunomium" 1, 14: PG 29, 544b).

The Son is the "image of the Father's goodness and seal in the same form" (cf. "Anaphora Sancti Basilii"). With his obedience and his Passion, the Incarnate Word carried out his mission as Redeemer of man (cf. Basil, "In Psalmum" 48, 8; PG 29, 452ab; cf. also "De Baptismo" 1, 2: SC 357, 158).

Lastly, he spoke fully of the Holy Spirit, to whom he dedicated a whole book. He reveals to us that the Spirit enlivens the Church, fills her with his gifts and sanctifies her.

The resplendent light of the divine mystery is reflected in man, the image of God, and exalts his dignity. Looking at Christ, one fully understands human dignity.

Basil exclaims: "[Man], be mindful of your greatness, remembering the price paid for you: look at the price of your redemption and comprehend your dignity!" ("In Psalmum" 48, 8: PG 29, 452b). 
Christians in particular, conforming their lives to the Gospel, recognize that all people are brothers and sisters; that life is a stewardship of the goods received from God, which is why each one is responsible for the other, and whoever is rich must be as it were an "executor of the orders of God the Benefactor" (Hom 6 de avaritia: PG 32, 1181-1196). We must all help one another and cooperate as members of one body (Ep 203, 3).And on this point, he used courageous, strong words in his homilies. Indeed, anyone who desires to love his neighbour as himself, in accordance with God's commandment, "must possess no more than his neighbour" ("Hom. in divites": PG 31, 281b).

In times of famine and disaster, the holy Bishop exhorted the faithful with passionate words "not to be more cruel than beasts ... by taking over what people possess in common or by grabbing what belongs to all ("Hom. tempore famis": PG 31, 325a).

Basil's profound thought stands out in this evocative sentence: "All the destitute look to our hands just as we look to those of God when we are in need".

Therefore, Gregory of Nazianzus' praise after Basil's death was well-deserved. He said: "Basil convinces us that since we are human beings, we must neither despise men nor offend Christ, the common Head of all, with our inhuman behaviour towards people; rather, we ourselves must benefit by learning from the misfortunes of others and must lend God our compassion, for we are in need of mercy" (Gregory Nazianzus, "Orationes" 43, 63; PG 36, 580b).

These words are very timely. We see that St Basil is truly one of the Fathers of the Church's social doctrine.Furthermore, Basil reminds us that to keep alive our love for God and for men, we need the Eucharist, the appropriate food for the baptized, which can nourish the new energies that derive from Baptism (cf. "De Baptismo" 1, 3: SC 357, 192).

It is a cause of immense joy to be able to take part in the Eucharist (cf. "Moralia" 21, 3: PG 31, 741a), instituted "to preserve unceasingly the memory of the One who died and rose for us" ("Moralia" 80, 22: PG 31, 869b).

The Eucharist, an immense gift of God, preserves in each one of us the memory of the baptismal seal and makes it possible to live the grace of Baptism to the full and in fidelity.

For this reason, the holy Bishop recommended frequent, even daily, Communion: "Communicating even daily, receiving the Holy Body and Blood of Christ, is good and useful; for he said clearly: "He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life' (Jn 6: 54). So who would doubt that communicating continuously with life were not living in fullness?" (Ep. 93: PG 32, 484b).

The Eucharist, in a word, is necessary for us if we are to welcome within us true life, eternal life (cf. "Moralia" 21, 1: PG 31, 737c).

Finally, Basil was of course also concerned with that chosen portion of the People of God, the youth, society's future. He addressed a Discourse to them on how to benefit from the pagan culture of that time.He recognized with great balance and openness that examples of virtue can be found in classical Greek and Latin literature. Such examples of upright living can be helpful to young Christians in search of the truth and the correct way of living (cf. "Ad Adolescentes" 3).

Therefore, one must take from the texts by classical authors what is suitable and conforms with the truth: thus, with a critical and open approach -- it is a question of true and proper "discernment" -- young people grow in freedom.With the famous image of bees that gather from flowers only what they need to make honey, Basil recommends: "Just as bees can take nectar from flowers, unlike other animals which limit themselves to enjoying their scent and colour, so also from these writings ... one can draw some benefit for the spirit. We must use these books, following in all things the example of bees. They do not visit every flower without distinction, nor seek to remove all the nectar from the flowers on which they alight, but only draw from them what they need to make honey, and leave the rest. And if we are wise, we will take from those writings what is appropriate for us, and conform to the truth, ignoring the rest" ("Ad Adolescentes" 4).

Basil recommended above all that young people grow in virtue, in the right way of living: "While the other goods ... pass from one to the other as in playing dice, virtue alone is an inalienable good and endures throughout life and after death" ("Ad Adolescentes" 5).

Dear brothers and sisters, I think one can say that this Father from long ago also speaks to us and tells us important things.In the first place, attentive, critical and creative participation in today's culture.

Then, social responsibility: this is an age in which, in a globalized world, even people who are physically distant are really our neighbours; therefore, friendship with Christ, the God with the human face.And, lastly, knowledge and recognition of God the Creator, the Father of us all: only if we are open to this God, the common Father, can we build a more just and fraternal world.

[The Pope then greeted the people in several languages. In English he said:] I greet all the English-speaking pilgrims present at today's Audience, including groups from Iceland, Japan, Canada and the United States of America. I extend a special welcome to the musicians present and to the large group from Cherry Hill, Colorado. May the peace and joy of Our Lord Jesus Christ be with you and may God bless you all!I greet the group of European Scouts, who with their presence this morning desire to reaffirm their membership in the Church, after renewing their scout promise which binds them to doing their duty to God and serving others generously. My thoughts also turn to all the scouts and guides in the world who are renewing their promise this very day, the centenary of the Scout movement, founded on 1 August 1907 with the first scout camp in history on Brownsea Island. I warmly hope that this educational movement, which was born from the profound insight of Lord Robert Baden Powell, will continue to bear fruit in the spiritual and civil formation of human beings in all countries in the world.Lastly, as usual I would like to greet the young people, the sick and the newly-weds, and to express to them the wish that enlivened by Christ's charity they will lead a life that sets an example for all. May Jesus sustain you in your hope, dear young people, in your suffering, dear sick people, and in your fruitful love, dear newly-weds. 
I impart my Blessing to you all.

[After greeting the faithful, the Holy Father said:]At the end of the General Audience, I would like to record some good news about Iraq which has sparked an explosion of popular joy throughout the Country. I am referring to the victory of the Iraqi football team, which won the Asian Cup and for the first time has become the football champion of Asia. I was happily impressed by the enthusiasm that infected all the inhabitants, driving them out onto the streets to celebrate the event. Just as I have so often wept with the Iraqis, on this occasion I rejoice with them. This experience of joyful sharing shows a people's desire to have a normal, quiet life. I hope that the event may help in building in Iraq a future of authentic peace with the contribution of all, in freedom and reciprocal respect. Congratulations!

© Copyright 2007 -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana

A pope who refuses to compromise
By Peter Popham in Rome
Published: 13 August 2007

The Church may change its mind about some things, but abortion is not one of them. The latest development on the subject, under Pope Benedict XVI, is nothing to do with the basic policy but rather with its ramifications for politicians and organisations such as Amnesty International.

The row with Amnesty marks a hardening of the Catholic Church's resolve to take on liberal figures and organisations which have formerly been seen as the church's natural allies; a greater readiness to insist that its convictions on subjects such as abortion, where the Church has no intention of compromising, are more important than alliances with people and groups whose roots and values are secular - values from which the church establishment feels estranged.

The essence of the Church's teaching on abortion is that a human being possesses a soul from the moment of conception. "Surely I was sinful at the time of my birth, sinful from the moment my mother conceived me," declares David in Psalm 51. Since sinfulness belongs to the spirit not to the body, the growing foetus must be in possession of a soul quite as much as the growing child.

The church's teaching on abortion, said Pope John Paul II in 1995, "is unchanged and unchangeable. Direct abortion, that is, abortion willed as an end or as a means, always constitutes a grave moral disorder, since it is the deliberate killing of an innocent human being. This doctrine is based upon the natural law and upon the written word of God."

The position is an absolute one: no balance of possible gains and losses is admitted to the debate. For the Church, the mental or physical suffering of the mother, the circumstances of the child's conception or its life prospects are equally irrelevant.

It was a grave problem for the Church when Mexico voted in the spring to legalise abortion. Asked if he would support Mexican bishops who excommunicated congressmen who had voted for the legalisation, Pope Benedict told reporters that he would. "It is part of the code. It is based simply on the principle that the killing of an innocent human child is incompatible with going in Communion with the body of Christ."

Pope was right to explain, defend Catholic teaching and put down other religions
It's Benedict XVI's job to teach Catholicism, not make nice, and better to know where others stand
By Rod Dreher
DALLAS MORNING NEWS - 07/28/2007

Is the pope Catholic? I ask because the recent foofarah over Benedict XVI's statement that the Roman Catholic Church is the only Christian ecclesial body that possesses the fullness of truth scandalized quite a few folks -- even some Catholics.

Well, what did they expect? It's the pope's job to explain and defend Catholic teaching, which makes unique and exclusive truth claims. It would be logically inconsistent for the pope to affirm Catholic teaching while asserting that churches proclaiming contradictory things are equally correct.

Benedict said nothing new. He reaffirmed the Catholic position that Christ's saving work can occur among non-Catholic Christians, despite rejecting Roman orthodoxy. What caused the most consternation was the pontiff's point that Protestant churches aren't proper churches at all.

Undiplomatic? Sure. But Benedict was clarifying an important point of Catholic theology: that you cannot have a real church without a valid Eucharist. You can't have a valid Eucharist without a sacramentally legitimate priesthood. And you can't have that in ecclesial bodies that have severed the line of apostolic succession, as Protestant communions have.

You don't have to agree, but this is what Catholicism teaches. And this is why Metropolitan Kirill, leader of the ecumenical office of the Russian Orthodox Church -- which Catholicism theologically qualifies as a church, though "defective" inasmuch as it is not in full communion with Rome -- welcomed Benedict's directive as an "honest statement." Better to know where we really stand with one another, Kirill rightly said, than to gloss over fundamental theological differences for the sake of making nice.

The angry reaction, especially from some Catholics, shows why Benedict's statement was necessary. When I endeavored to convert to Catholicism as a young man, the priest and the nun leading our class spent week after week encouraging us to talk about our feelings and nothing but.

Sick of this cotton-candy catechism, I went to a crusty old Irish priest in an inner-city parish. "When I get t'roo wit' ye, lad, ye might not want to be a Catlick," Father Moloney said. "But ye'll know what a Catlick is!"

That good priest respected me and the Catholic faith enough to give me the straight dope. Later, when I was received into the Roman church, I knew what was expected of me and why it mattered.

Years later, after a prolonged spiritual crisis, I lost my Catholic faith and am now a communicant of the Orthodox Church. Rather than be offended that Benedict considers my church to be theologically defective -- as Orthodoxy in turn regards Catholicism -- I rejoice that the Bishop of Rome is far too serious a man to sugarcoat important truths.

Good relations among believers must be built, but only on a foundation of honesty. It does not follow that acknowledging theological differences -- particularly the exclusive correctness of one church or religion -- therefore requires a program enacting political or social superiority. In fact, the Second Vatican Council proclaimed that religious freedom is a fundamental human right. Acknowledging that people have a right to be wrong about God is a moral breakthrough for humanity, an idea that should be spread.

It's wrong and dangerous, though, to expect a religious believer to affirm that all beliefs about God could be equally true -- which is what Benedict's critics really demand. To do so would be to empty religion of its deepest meaning, to turn it into something that's merely socially or personally useful.

That's where American religion is headed, however. Several years ago, researchers with the University of North Carolina's National Study of Youth and Religion polled American teenagers and found that faith was important to them. But it's faith not in established religion but rather in what the study's social scientists termed "Moralistic Therapeutic Deism."

Moralistic Therapeutic Deism, as researchers explain, teaches that a vaguely defined God exists, cares about us and wants us to be good, nice and fair. You don't need to get too involved with God, absent a problem or crisis. The point of life is to be happy and to feel good about oneself. Good people go to heaven.

Whatever that relativist mush is, it has little to do with the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob or any traditional religion. Researchers concluded that either American youths don't know their traditions' teaching or don't much care. Strikingly, they found that many teenagers interviewed had never discussed theology with an adult. The theological content of our faiths is quickly eroding because of the lazy indifference of older generations to whom the traditions were delivered.

Benedict knows how critical this is. Count me on the side of Christians, Jews, Muslims and others who aren't afraid to say -- respectfully -- that I'm wrong about God. At least they understand what's at stake.

Rod Dreher is an editorial columnist at the Dallas Morning News. Reach him at rdreherdallasnews.com.

Personal Friend of Pope to Answer Criticism of Pontiff's Controversial Statements on Latin Mass, Protestants
Contact: Terry Barber, 626-331-3549 Ext. 419, terry@saintjoe.com

WEST COVINA, Calif., July 26 /Christian Newswire/ -- On July 28, a personal friend of Pope Benedict XVI will publicly defend the Pope's recent controversial remarks in support of the traditional Mass in Latin and calling non-Catholic communities "defective" and not truly churches.

The friend, Fr. Joseph Fessio, S.J., wrote his dissertation under then-Cardinal Ratzinger at the University of Regensburg in 1975, and for decades was the exclusive publisher of his books in English. He will make his remarks at the annual Catholic Family Conference in Anaheim, California.

According to Terry Barber, President of the Catholic Resource Center and the sponsor of the Conference, "Fr. Fessio will give us a clear, insight-filled explanation of what the Pope's historic Apostolic Letter authorizing wider use of the traditional Mass means for the Catholic faithful. He'll detail how it will affect them, their parishes, and the Catholic Church in the US."

"What's more," said Barber, "Fr. Fessio will reveal what the Holy Father meant when he said Protestant communities can't be called churches 'in the proper sense,' the Orthodox church was 'defective,' and the Roman Catholic Church was the 'one true Church of Christ.' He'll also reveal why the Pope said those things, why non-Catholics shouldn't take offense at them, and what they mean for interfaith relations."

Fr. Fessio will speak from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, July 28, at the Catholic Family Conference in the Anaheim Convention Center.

He's a leading figure in the Catholic Church in the US and serves as Theologian in Residence at the new Ave Maria University in Naples, Florida. He is also the founder and former President of Ignatius Press, a leading publisher of Catholic books, the St. Ignatius Institute of the University of San Francisco, and Campion College. He holds degrees from universities in America and Europe.

Pope's secretary warns of Europe's Islamisation

By ANI
Friday July 27, 04:52 PM

London, July 27 (ANI): Pope Benedict XVI's private secretary has warned of the 'Islamisation' of Europe and demanded that the Continent's Christian roots not to be ignored.

"Attempts to Islamise the west cannot be denied," Monsignor Georg Gaenswein was quoted as saying in a copy of the weekly Sueddeutsche Magazine published today.

"The danger for the identity of Europe that is connected with it should not be ignored out of a wrongly understood respectfulness," the magazine quoted him as saying.

Gaenswein also defended Pope Benedict's Regensburg (Germany) speech delivered last year, which linked Islam and violence, saying it was an attempt to "act against a certain naivety."
Gaenswein also confirmed that the Pope wrote his own speeches and that the remarks had not been edited.

Asked if the idea of a serious dialogue with Islam that exists in the real world was naive, given that it was a religion where human rights were trampled under foot, he said: "Attempts to Islamize the West cannot be denied.

Muslims around the world protested against Benedict's speech, with churches set ablaze in the West Bank and a hard-line Iranian cleric saying the Pope was united with US President George W. Bush to "repeat the Crusades".

Gaenswein said: "We first learnt of the harsh reactions at the Rome airport after we had returned from Bavaria. It was a big surprise, also to the Pope, he said. (ANI)

EVOLUTION & GOD DO MIX: POPE
By BILL SANDERSON

July 26, 2007 -- Pope Benedict XVI says the theory of evolution is backed by strong scientific proof - but the theory does not answer life's "great philosophical question."

Benedict told 400 priests at a two-hour event that he's puzzled by the current debate in the United States and his native Germany over creationism and evolution.

Debaters wrongly present the two sides "as if they were alternatives that are exclusive - whoever believes in the creator could not believe in evolution, and whoever asserts belief in evolution would have to disbelieve in God," the pontiff said.

"This contrast is an absurdity, because there are many scientific tests in favor of evolution, which appears as a reality that we must see and enriches our understanding of life and being.
"But the doctrine of evolution does not answer all questions, and it does not answer above all the great philosophical question: From where does everything come?"

A transcript of the Tuesday event was posted in Italian yesterday on the Vatican's Web site.
The speech came at the end of a three-week vacation in the mountains of northern Italy near the Austrian border, where people are worried that global warming will change their way of life.
"We all see that today man can destroy the foundation of his existence, his Earth," Benedict said.
"We cannot simply do what we want with this Earth of ours, with what has been entrusted to us." With Post Wire Services

I have GOT to read more Russell Shaw

The ‘Timidity’ of Pope Benedict

---

By Russell Shaw
Herald Columnist
(From the issue of 7/26/07)

Pope Benedict XVI's critics say he's timid, overly cautious, slow to make decisions. Against that background, and without suggesting the criticism has no basis in fact, it's enlightening to observe that, in recent days, Benedict has taken the following steps: reversed important policy decisions of two of his predecessors, taken a big gamble aimed at healing a dangerous schism, reminded the world's bishops that he's boss, risked offending ecumenical dialogue partners — and then headed off cheerfully on vacation.

If this is timidity, one might reasonably ask, what must boldness look like?

The matters involved in these recent papal moves are well known. First, on June 26 the Vatican released a document from Benedict that makes a potentially crucial change in the procedure for electing a pope.

Back in 1996, in a departure from long tradition, Pope John Paul II decreed that after a conclave had spent 13 days trying unsuccessfully to elect someone by a two-thirds majority vote, the cardinals could switch to election by a simple majority if they wished. Many people felt this was a bad idea, since potentially it allowed a determined group composed of just half the electors plus one to stand pat on its candidate and resist compromise until the time arrived when it could get what it wanted. That's no way to choose a pope, it was privately said.

Evidently, one of those who shared that view was Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger — now, Pope Benedict XVI. His new rule for the conclave insists that, come what may, a pope must have the votes of two-thirds of the cardinals. That also involves potential difficulties, but at least it guarantees that whoever gets elected will be a true consensus choice.

Benedict followed up on July 7 with a second document in effect restoring the old form of the Mass to a position of virtual parity with the new form. In doing so, he was for practical purposes reversing Pope Paul VI's decision back in 1970 which virtually banned celebration of Mass in the old form.
Not only that — Paul VI had allowed for continued celebration of Mass the old way by elderly priests, but only if they got special permission. John Paul II expanded authorization of the old form in 1984 and 1988, while also insisting on the local bishop's permission. Not any more. Under Benedict XVI's regulations, starting Sept. 14 any priest who wants to celebrate Mass in the old form can do so, with no further permission required.

Pope Benedict's intention is clear. "Internal reconciliation" in the Church, he calls it — in other words, reconciliation with traditionalists who yearn for Mass in the old form and, especially, with the 600,000 members of the Society of St. Pius X, the schismatic group of followers of the late, breakaway Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre.

Will it work? Hard to say. Unhappiness with the new form of Mass isn't the Lefebvrists' only complaint. They also have problems with things like ecumenism and religious liberty.

Significantly, the Vatican on July 10 issued a statement from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith reaffirming the salvific uniqueness of the Catholic Church — a principle traditionalists believe has been obscured by ecumenical excesses.

The point isn't that Pope Benedict has suddenly found the key to resolving all these difficulties. But — patient, methodical, fond of consultation as he is — he has the moxie to try. The critics need to let this man be pope his own way. He's going to do that anyway, after all, whether they like it or not.

Shaw is a freelance writer from Washington, D.C., and author of Catholic Laity in the Mission of the Church (Requiem Press).

Pope calls for peace to make "heaven" on earth
Sun Jul 22, 6:57 AM ET

Pope Benedict made an appeal for peace on Sunday, saying nations should halt bloody conflicts around the world to create a heaven on earth.

Addressing the faithful at his mountain retreat in the Italian Dolomites, the Pope said his summer holiday made him particularly sensitive to the suffering caused by war.

"In these days of rest ... I feel even more intensely the painful impact of the news I receive about bloody conflicts and violent events happening in so many parts of the world," he told worshippers gathered in the sunny mountain valley town.

"The beauty of nature reminds us that we were instructed by God to cultivate and keep this garden that is the earth. If men lived in peace with God and with each other, the earth really would look like a 'heaven'."

The Pontiff quoted Benedict XV, pope during World War I, who in 1917 called that global conflict a "pointless carnage."

"Those words, 'pointless carnage', have a wider, prophetic value and can be applied to many other conflicts which have cut short so many human lives." He did not refer explicitly to any current conflict.

The Pope prayed for peace and made a plea for people to "refuse with determination the race for arms and, more generally, to reject the temptation to deal with new situations with old systems."

The 80-year-old Pope is due to return to the Vatican at the end of this month after his spell in the mountains.

Copyright © 2007 Reuters Limited.

StarTribune.com
Catholics clarify pope's statement
Last update: July 20, 2007 – 4:58 PM

It appears that in a statement the Vatican issued 10 days ago reasserting the primacy of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Benedict never implied that other denominations do not offer the promise of salvation -- although news service reporters thought that's what he said.

The confusion started when the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith released parts of a document that was originally issued seven years ago, a time when Benedict oversaw that institution before he was pope. Two reporters based at the Vatican, one for Associated Press and the other for the Religion News Service, both interpreted the document as saying that other churches do not offer "the means of salvation."

That's not what the full document says or what Roman Catholic Church law holds, said the Rev. Paul La Fontaine from the Church of St. Charles Borromeo in Minneapolis. On the contrary, he said, church doctrine affirms that "the Church of Christ is present and operative in the churches and ecclesial communities not yet fully in communion with the Catholic Church, on account of the elements of sanctification and truth that are present in them."

When it realized the confusion the document was generating, the Vatican issued an explanation that it "neither changed nor intended to change this doctrine" and said that understandings to the contrary were caused by "erroneous interpretation."

And just in case there's still any confusion, Cardinal Walter Kasper, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity in Rome, wrote an article reminding Christians "that there is more that unites us than divides us. Therefore we should not miss reading the positive statements of the declaration about the Protestant churches, namely that Jesus Christ is effectively present within them for the salvation of their members.

"That's a very clear and simple way of saying what we've been trying to say all along" -- that the document didn't change the church's stance, "it reaffirmed it," said the Rev. Lee Piche of All Saints Church in Lakeville, who heads the ecumenical outreach program for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

Or, to put it in layman's terms: Can we all just get along now?

JEFF STRICKLER
© 2007 Star Tribune. All rights reserved.

Pope Is Man of Heart, Says Cardinal Bertone
Vatican Secretary of State Speaks to Press

PIEVE DI CADORE, JULY 18, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone says that the secret to Benedict XVI's popularity is his character, because he is a man of God who loves, and who speaks from the heart.

The Vatican secretary of state said this today when speaking with journalists in a press conference near Lorenzago di Cadore, the spot where the Pope is vacationing until July 27.Cardinal Bertone was recently sworn in as the chamberlain of the Holy Roman Church in a ceremony took place in the presence of Benedict XVI on July 7. The Pope had named him to the post April 4.

The cardinal told the press how the Holy Father is spending his days of vacation: "The Pope is playing the piano a lot but he is also working. He has a great capacity to write a lot. He is writing the second part of his book, 'Jesus of Nazareth,' and a new encyclical with a social theme -- I don't know when it will be published -- and other things.

"He is a volcano of creativity. He is working on things like the message for World Youth Day 2008 and other things 'in pectore.' And he is drawing out and elaborating further themes he has already written about.

"The extensive press conference included a variety of themes, including women working in the Roman Curia, reactions to three recent Vatican documents, the personality of Benedict XVI and the persecution of Christians.

Asked about women in the Roman Curia, Cardinal Bertone said, "We are designing new posts, and according to the possibilities, there will be posts that women could also take on."

3 documents

Journalists asked the cardinal about recent Vatican documents, which have brought much media attention.

Speaking of Benedict XVI's May 27 letter to the faithful in China, Cardinal Bertone hailed positive reactions among the Chinese people. He spoke of a bishop from that Asian country who had written to say that the papal letter is being meditated upon and studied. Cardinal Bertone expressed his hopes that the official and the underground Church in China would walk together toward unity.

"The Pope's letter has become an instrument of reflection, dialogue and comfort," he said.

Cardinal Bertone also commented on the July 7 apostolic letter "Summorum Pontificum," issued "motu proprio" (on one's own initiative). The cardinal affirmed that the Pope's expansion of the use of the 1962 missal reflects the Holy Father's desire to protect the heritage of the Church.

The Vatican secretary of state spoke of the June 29 document from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, on the Catholic understanding of the Church. Cardinal Bertone said the document, in its honest presentation of Catholic teaching, shows how close Christians are in certain areas, and how far away in others.

"To have honest theological dialogue we must have a clear idea of the positions on the other side. This helps us understand the path we must take," he said. "This document is not a slap in the face, but an invitation" to more open dialogue.

Benedict XVI's patience

Cardinal Bertone also fielded questions regarding his experience as secretary of state and the personality of the Pope.

The 72-year-old cardinal characterized the Pontiff as a man of God and noted his cordiality and infinite patience. "I have never seen him perturbed in meetings in the Vatican, when he may have had reason to be. He is very kind," the cardinal added, noting that he meets with the Holy Father for about two hours, three times a week.

Cardinal Bertone further commented on Benedict XVI's capacity for listening and showing respect, even to the youngest or most inexperienced of his collaborators.

Papal worries

Journalists asked Cardinal Bertone about the phenomenon of pedophilia, especially after Sunday's announcement in Los Angeles, California, of the largest court settlement yet in cases of alleged sexual abuse of children by clergy.

The secretary of state affirmed that it is a concern of the Pope, but also highlighted that the percentage of priests that have been found guilty of abuse is very low. The crime of pedophilia is not something that happens just with Catholics, but among other institutions as well, he added.

Cardinal Bertone said the persecution of Christians is another of the Pope's concerns, citing countries like Iraq. The situation of peace in the Holy Land and European values are also among Benedict XVI's worries, the cardinal said.

The Vatican official also spoke of Catholic relations with Muslims."We have begun a serene conversation with the Muslim world, which is continuing," he said. "We are on the path of open dialogue with the Muslim world."

© Innovative Media, Inc.
Reprinting ZENIT's articles requires written permission from the editor.

Deseret Morning News, Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Pope still a beacon of hope
Deseret Morning News editorial

The movie "Shoes of the Fisherman" showed how difficult it is for a pope to follow in the footsteps of St. Peter. But for Pope Benedict XVI, following in the footsteps of John Paul II has been a big task in itself. Few popes have been as media savvy as John Paul II. Trained as an actor, he had a knack with words and the public that was the envy of many world leaders.

Pope Benedict XVI was a scholar and theologian. And his tendency to voice principle at the expense of people's feelings has created tensions among Christians and non-Christians alike. His remarks about Islam being responsible for much of the evil in the world and his decree that the Catholic Church was the only authentic Christian faith left a few bruises that still smart.

Still, despite the ruffled feathers, Benedict has raised the torch of responsible behavior in the world and on balance has proven to be a force for moral strength. His recent book, "Jesus of Nazareth," is warm, insightful and accessible. He goes about doing good.

Now — taking a page from his predecessor — Benedict XVI is embarking on a world tour to share the "good news" of Christianity. The trips will include forays to the United Nations, Australia, Austria and the shrine in Lourdes, France. He has also been invited to Boston to help heal the wounds of the sexual abuse scandal there.

Each stop has been carefully chosen to bring energy to regions where Catholicism is struggling. And though the pope — being who he is — may very well step on a few more toes while speaking his mind on his journeys, his presence and vigor will bring some needed resolve and hope to people who need it.

Pope Benedict XVI may not create the buzz and excitement that his predecessor did, but his counsel and perspective have proven to be valuable and enlightening. He is who he is. And what he is, is a force for Christian behavior in a world in search of an identity. And despite his occasional public relations stumbles, the world is a better place for having Pope Benedict XVI in it.

© 2007 Deseret News Publishing Company

EDITORIAL from the National Catholic Reporter
Issue Date: July 20, 2007

Full participation before all else

Upon learning about Summorum Pontificum, Pope Benedict XVI’s apostolic letter allowing greater use of the Tridentine Mass, no doubt quite a few NCR readers reacted liked Bishop Luca Brandolini, a member of the liturgy commission of the Italian bishops’ conference. “I can’t fight back the tears,” he told the Rome daily La Repubblica in an interview July 8.

“It’s a day of mourning, not just for me but for the many people who worked for the Second Vatican Council. A reform for which many people worked, with great sacrifice and only inspired by the desire to renew the church, has now been canceled.”

On the other hand, many traditionalists see this document as the culmination of a 40-year struggle to preserve an ancient tradition unjustly abandoned.

Our Vatican correspondent John Allen thinks the avalanche of commentary the Latin Mass issue has generated comes from small minorities with vested interests.

To those who would see this as another sign of a rollback on Vatican II, Allen suggests that if they look at Benedict’s full record as pope, they will find little to support the lurch to the right they feared at his election two years ago.

Furthermore, Allen finds scant evidence of a pent-up demand for the old Mass. Individual bishops have been granting permission for use of the 1962 Missal since 1984, and according to Allen, dioceses where it has been allowed report that the celebrations are often well attended, sometimes with a surprising number of younger Catholics, but there has been no widespread exodus from the new rite to the old.

“In the end,” Allen says, “the normal Sunday experience for the vast majority of Catholics will continue to be the new Mass celebrated in the vernacular.”

Allen’s argument, which echoes the opinions of quite a few bishops in the United States and Europe, is persuasive -- for now.

This does not mean that we do not have concerns.

Summorum Pontificum may well ease reconciliation with traditionalists and conservative groups, but what about others -- especially Catholic women -- who have felt deeply pained by the church? What outreach can they expect?

We join with Rabbi Abraham Cooper of the Los Angeles-based Simon Wiesenthal Center and call on the pope to publicly repudiate language in the rite that calls for the conversion of the Jews and for God to lift the “veil from their hearts.”

We know that priests are already strapped for time and energy. That was confirmed by the Synod of the Eucharist convened in Rome last October. We are concerned that priests will be further burdened not just because they have to offer additional services, but because nearly all will need training in the old rites.

But we also have deeper concerns, as we find persuasive the argument that this is a small change that presages more substantive changes.

From the opening words of their first document, the “Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy,” the bishops at the Second Vatican Council proclaimed that the key to reforming the church was reform of the liturgy. And the goal of liturgical reform is enshrined in the core statement of the “Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy,” Paragraph 14:

Mother church earnestly desires that all the faithful be led to that full, conscious and active participation in liturgical celebrations called for by the very nature of the liturgy. ... This full and active participation by all the people is the aim to be considered before all else. For it is the primary and indispensable source from which the faithful are to derive the true Christian spirit.
We fear that re-embracing the Latin Mass could undermine the liturgical reforms that undergird the spiritual and theological developments of the Second Vatican Council. Changes that will set off our alarms include:

Reconfiguring seminary curricula to focus time, resources and talent on training priests to offer Mass and other sacraments in Latin and away from training that would support celebrating the sacraments in the vernacular.

Cutting back on seminary training on pastoral duties, such as counseling and chaplaincies.
Restricting church design and architecture in favor of old forms not conducive to the guidelines in liturgical documents written in the last 20 years.

Discouraging efforts to use contemporary music and other artistic expressions in liturgy.
Increasing restrictions on liturgical ministries open to all laypeople, men and women.

Rembert Weakland, then archbishop of Milwaukee, wrote what must now be seen as a prophetic article in America magazine in 1999 that warned of a creeping rubricism and movement to reinterpret Vatican II to assure validity and orthodoxy. Like Weakland, we have to ask: “Can the two, the reform of the liturgy and the reform of the church, be separated?”

National Catholic Reporter, July 20, 2007

A voice of reason. Thank you, God

Comments by the pope no shocker: He's Catholic
By Terry Pluto, Beacon Journal columnist

When I mentioned to some people that I was going to try to write something about Pope Benedict's comments about the church, a few winced.

One said, ``Good luck. You'll need it.''

Others correctly said to be prepared to get hammered from both sides -- those who like the pope and Catholics, and those who don't.

Finally, the obvious question is, ``Who is Pluto to have to say anything about the pope?''
Good question.

I'm just a sportswriter who has been writing about faith since 2001. And I'm not seminary-trained, just schooled from eight years of weekly jail ministry. So my opinion is just that -- my opinion.

My opinion begins with, ``The pope IS Roman Catholic.''

So it should not be a shock that the pope considers his church to be the one true church.
He is the head of the Catholic Church.

In the document called Dominus Iesus released Tuesday, the pope basically said the Roman Catholic Church is the one true church.

He called the Orthodox churches ``wounded,'' partly because they don't consider the pope to be the final authority.

As for other Christian churches, he wrote, ``Despite the fact that this teaching has created no little distress... it nevertheless is difficult to see how the title `church' could be (used).''
While adding that ``elements of truth'' are found in other churches, he referred to them as ``ecclesiac communities.''

It was reported that the pope seemed to be saying only Catholics could have salvation and go to heaven. Not true, as he wrote, ``The spirit of Christ has not refrained from using them (other churches) as instruments of salvation -- whose value derives from the fullness of grace and truth that comes from the Catholic Church.''

Once again, the Pope IS a Roman Catholic.

He is speaking to Catholics, and he's reaffirming his belief that the Catholic Church is at the center of Christianity. He wrote, ``they (Protestants) do not accept the theological notion of the church in the Catholic sense.''

In other words, he's saying that other churches that aren't Catholic are just that -- not Catholic.
This does not come as a shocking news bulletin.

Time for a story.

I recently vacationed in northern Michigan near a town of 1,800. In the two-stoplight hamlet, there are nine churches -- five of them Lutheran.

I've been to some Southern town about that size, and the breakdown was the same, only it was five Baptist churches out of the total of nine.

Battles over doctrine didn't just show up with the advent of the iPod.

Churches split, denominations splinter, people disagree.

What some people believe is church, others may consider ``ecclesiac communities,'' or something along those lines.

In some church settings, a sideways look can lead to a fracture causing six families to storm out the door and join another church -- or they may start their own.

Right now, you can be certain that some Catholics don't agree with everything the pope just said. They will continue to be good Catholics, and they'll also get along great with their friends in other churches.

Most Protestants who heard what the pope said really won't care when it comes to interacting with their Catholic friends. They know there's far more in common than what keeps us apart.
That's why I love faith in action such as food kitchens, helping the handicapped, jail ministry, rest home ministry, etc. There are no great theological debates because the problems in front of the volunteers are so pressing, there isn't time for them.

I've seen Catholics and Protestants and some major skeptics join hands for prayer, then get down to doing God's work -- helping those who are hurting.

That is the church in action, no matter what you may want to call it.

Terry Pluto can be reached at terrypluto2003@yahoo.com. Sign up for Terry's free, weekly e-mail newsletter ``Direct from Pluto'' at www.ohio.com.

MY PERSONAL THOUGHTS

The fallout from Benedict's reassertion of the Church being the one true Faith continues and in a most personal way. Today a friend came by and told me of his possible cancer diagnosis. Still many tests to pursue and I pray that he does not have cancer. In the course of the conversation, a radical turn was taken when he asked if I had heard about the Pope's most recent statement. As a Baptist Protestant, he was quite upset by it. I cautioned him that even though Benedict had approved the statement, it really takes a deep understanding of Christian history to fully understand the impact of his words. He also asked me about the doctrine of infallibility which of course is very misunderstood. I gave him the short explanation and then sent him a link that explains it more fully.

I also pointed out to him that since the Pope was speaking from the point of view of continuity of Christ's own teaching regarding His Church, we have to believe that with Martin Luther's break from the Church and the Protestant Reformation, that what the Pope was saying was true. We are talking history here.

Protestants, of course, regard the proliferation of the various Christian religions as man's effort to get back to the Truth. It is my understanding that they would consider the Roman Catholic Church as the first breaks from Christianity. Since we consider Peter our first Pope, we trace an unbreakable lineage to him. Others would disagree with that. And so it goes.

I expect that the fallout from this will be long and damaging. Not nearly as noisy as what happened with the Muslims but no doubt will have very far reaching consequences.

Benedict sure knows how to stir the pot. I admire his courage.

Pope Benedict XVI reasserts other Christian denominations are not true churches By Nicole Winfield

LORENZAGO DI CADORE, Italy (AP) - Pope Benedict reasserted the primacy of the Roman Catholic Church, approving a document released Tuesday that says other Christian communities are either defective or not true churches and Catholicism provides the only true path to salvation.

The statement brought swift criticism from Protestant leaders. "It makes us question whether we are indeed praying together for Christian unity," said the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, a fellowship of 75 million Protestants in more than 100 countries.

"It makes us question the seriousness with which the Roman Catholic Church takes its dialogues with the reformed family and other families of the church," the group said in a letter charging that the document took ecumenical dialogue back to the era before the Second Vatican Council.
It was the second time in a week that Benedict has corrected what he says are erroneous interpretations of the Second Vatican Council, the 1962-1965 meetings that modernized the church. On Saturday, Benedict revived the old Latin Mass - a move cheered by Catholic traditionalists but criticized by more liberal ones as a step backward from Vatican II.

Among the council's key developments were its ecumenical outreach and the development of the New Mass in the vernacular, which essentially replaced the old Latin Mass.

Benedict, who attended Vatican II as a young theologian, has long complained about what he considers its erroneous interpretation by liberals, saying it was not a break from the past but rather a renewal of church tradition.

The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which Benedict headed before becoming Pope, said it was issuing the new document Tuesday because some contemporary theological interpretations of Vatican II's ecumenical intent had been "erroneous or ambiguous" and had prompted confusion and doubt.

The new document - formulated as five questions and answers - restates key sections of a 2000 text the Pope wrote when he was prefect of the congregation, "Dominus Iesus," which riled Protestant and other Christian denominations because it said they were not true churches but merely ecclesial communities and therefore did not have the "means of salvation."

The commentary repeated church teaching that says the Catholic Church "has the fullness of the means of salvation."

"Christ 'established here on earth' only one church," said the document released as the Pope vacations at a villa in Lorenzago di Cadore, in Italy's Dolomite mountains.

The other communities "cannot be called 'churches' in the proper sense" because they do not have apostolic succession - the ability to trace their bishops back to Christ's original apostles - and therefore their priestly ordinations are not valid, it said.

Rev. Sara MacVane, of the Anglican Centre in Rome, said that although the document contains nothing new, "I don't know what motivated it at this time."

"But it's important always to point out that there's the official position and there's the huge amount of friendship and fellowship and worshipping together that goes on at all levels, certainly between Anglicans and Catholics and all the other groups and Catholics," she said.

The document said that Orthodox churches were indeed "churches" because they have apostolic succession and enjoyed "many elements of sanctification and of truth." But it said they do not recognize the primacy of the pope - a defect, or a "wound" that harmed them, it said.

"This is obviously not compatible with the doctrine of primacy which, according to the Catholic faith, is an 'internal constitutive principle' of the very existence of a particular church," said a commentary from the congregation that accompanied the text.

Despite the harsh tone, the document stressed that Benedict remains committed to ecumenical dialogue.

"However, if such dialogue is to be truly constructive it must involve not just the mutual openness of the participants, but also fidelity to the identity of the Catholic faith," the commentary said.

The top Protestant cleric in Benedict's homeland, Germany, complained the Vatican apparently did not consider that "mutual respect for the church status" was required for any ecumenical progress.

In a statement titled "Lost Chance," Lutheran Bishop Wolfgang Huber argued that "it would also be completely sufficient if it were to be said that the reforming churches are 'not churches in the sense required here' or that they are 'churches of another type' - but none of these bridges is used" in the Vatican document.

The Vatican statement, signed by the congregation prefect, American William Cardinal Levada, was approved by Benedict on June 29, the feast of Saints Peter and Paul - a major ecumenical feast day.

There was no indication why the Pope felt it necessary to release it now, particularly since his 2000 document summed up the same principles.

Some analysts suggested it could be a question of internal church politics or that the congregation was sending a message to certain theologians it did not want to single out. Or, it could be an indication of Benedict using his office as pope to again stress key doctrinal issues from his time at the congregation.

In fact, the only theologian cited by name in the document for having spawned erroneous interpretations of ecumenism was Leonardo Boff, a Brazilian clergyman who left the priesthood and was a target of then Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger's crackdown on liberation theology in the 1980s.

Copyright © 2007 Yahoo! Canada Co.

After reading this TIME article, I realized yet again that I am glad the Old Rite has been returned to us. I would not return to it 100% but I like having the option of enjoying a Mass as I remember it from my childhood. I think I was perhaps 13-14 years old when the altar was turned around and the Mass was said in English. It took some serious getting use to. If it was hard for me, how much harder it must have been for those so much older than I.

I like the knowledge that I can enjoy the meditation and holiness of the Tridentine Mass, a meditation that is harder to achieve in our post-Vatican II world. I love the mystery and unity of the old Mass.

Today's liturgy is not so cohesive and sometimes it goes overboard communally. Case in point: So many churches now get to the end of the Mass and before the priest gives the final blessing there is a pause as someone comes up and makes the announcements for the week. This break in the closing of the Mass disrupts the flow to the end of the celebration. Whatever happened to putting such things in the church bulletin and simply expecting parishioner to read the bulletin?

At Mass yesterday, Fr. Salvatore, our new and permanent pastor, closed the Mass and went directly to the final blessing. No interruptions. No announcements. It ended as it began, in holiness.

Why the Pope is Boosting Latin Mass
Saturday, Jul. 07, 2007 By JEFF ISRAELY/VATICAN CITY


After months of intense speculation, Pope Benedict XVI has eased restrictions on the Catholic Church's traditional Latin Mass — a move that could raise controversy both within the Church, and in its interfaith relations, given the fact that the old rites include a Good Friday prayer for the conversion of Jews.

The decree, called a motu proprio, or personal initiative of the Pontiff, was made public Saturday along with an explanatory letter to the world's bishops acknowledging the recent "news reports" and "confusion" about the lifting of restrictions for access to the old rite. Known as the Tridentine rite — delivered in Latin with the priest usually facing the altar, his back to the congregation — the old Mass (though never banned) had effectively been replaced, following the mid-1960s reforms of the Second Vatican Council, by a liturgy recited in the vernacular. Some Vatican insiders caution that Benedict's new ruling will simply ease restrictions on access to the old liturgy, which has continued to be followed by a small minority of traditionalists. But others predict that the decree could turn into the most explosive internal Church policy of Benedict's papacy, bound to undercut decades of reform and sharpen divisions among the faithful. Here's why both may be true.

What changes
The old Tridentine rite was never actually abolished, but local bishops had to grant approval for a priest to say the Mass. Benedict's ruling authorizes parish priests to celebrate the Tridentine rite if a "stable group of faithful" requests it, without needing their bishop's permission. It also permits the old rite for weddings, funerals and other liturgical proceedings.

Why now
For more than a year, Vatican insiders knew Benedict was keen to ease restrictions on the Tridentine mass. Indeed, in the first months of his papacy, he'd met with leaders of the "schismatic" followers of the late ultratraditionalist Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, who'd split with the Vatican over the introduction of the vernacular and other Vatican II reforms. In his explanatory letter, Benedict says this decree alone will not heal the rift, which is on "a deeper level." So the Pope seems to be showing the ultratraditionalists — who want to undo all the Vatican II reforms — that he will move, but only so far, to accommodate their concerns. Benedict also acknowledged the document required many months of "reflection, numerous consultations and prayer."

Bishops in the West, particularly in France, had shared their concerns that widening access to the old Mass would deepen the rifts and create splinter movements among their followers. The Pope also listened to concern about how this document could affect inter-faith affairs, given the inclusion of the Good Friday prayer calling for the conversion of Jews. Though much less offensive than a reference to "perfidious Jews" that Pope John XXIII eliminated in 1962, some Jewish leaders are bound to ask why, after years of growing mutual respect, the Pope would not simply excise the conversion prayer.

The Pope says he knows some wonder if the document calls into question the very heart of the Second Vatican Council. "This fear," Benedict declares, "is unfounded." As for the precise timing of the release of the document, one can wonder (with a wink) if it's more than coincidence that it came out just before Benedict zips out of Rome for a three-week mountain retreat.

Why it may not be as big a deal as it seems
In practical terms, the vast majority of Catholics — even among the most traditionalist — are unlikely to relinquish the vernacular Mass. The number of priests who have the language skills or liturgical training for the old Latin Mass is small, and likely to get smaller. Undoubtedly reflecting his own personal experience, the 80-year-old Pope cites Catholics for whom the Tridentine rite "had been familiar to them from childhood." As those generations pass there may be ever fewer faithful who are attached to the old Mass, and Benedict is simply providing a sort of bridge for the current over-50 crowd.

Why it may be an even bigger deal than it seems
The symbolic weight of this decision may actually be heavier than the practical effect. Church progressives, and indeed some conservatives, are asking why Benedict went out of his way to reopen a hot-button issue that, for the vast majority of Catholics, has long been settled. With traditionalists emboldened and progressives feeling under siege, the Church hierarchy and local bishops may wind up caught in the crossfire. Still, on a more substantive level, Benedict's real long-term objective may be a sort of "counter-reform" of the alternative practices of the new Mass rather than a widespread return to the old one. He says the Vatican II reform "was understood as authorizing or even requiring creativity, which frequently led to deformations of the liturgy which were hard to bear." This document is certainly a clear warning to those progressives who have their own ideas about reforming the Mass.

What it says about Pope Benedict
The Pope, in any case, does seem to have an affinity for the old Latin Mass, as he does generally for the Church's ancient traditions. His explanatory letter states: "What earlier generations held as sacred, remains sacred and great for us too, and it cannot be all of a sudden entirely forbidden or even considered harmful." Still, even as he continues to show his traditionalist stripes, Benedict wants all corners of the Church to know that he is open to at least listen to their input. What remains to be seen is whether this latest decree is ultimately more about the future, or simply the past.

Pope Removes Restrictions On Use of Old Latin Mass
By Nicole WinfieldAssociated PressSunday, July 8, 2007

VATICAN CITY, July 7 -- Pope Benedict XVI on Saturday removed restrictions on celebrating the old Latin Mass, reviving a rite that was all but swept away by the liberalizing reforms of the Second Vatican Council.

The decision, a victory for traditional, conservative Roman Catholics, came over the objections of liberal-minded Catholics and angered Jews because the Tridentine Mass contains a prayer for their conversion.

Benedict, who stressed that he was not negating Vatican II, issued a document authorizing parish priests to celebrate the Tridentine rite if a "stable group of faithful" requests it. Under Vatican II rules, the local bishop must approve such requests -- an obstacle that supporters of the rite said had greatly limited its availability.

"What earlier generations held as sacred remains sacred and great for us, too," Benedict wrote.
The Tridentine rite contains a prayer on Good Friday calling for the conversion of Jews. The Anti-Defamation League called the move a "body blow to Catholic-Jewish relations," the Jewish news agency JTA reported.

The Simon Wiesenthal Center urged Benedict to publicly point out that such phrases "are now entirely contrary to the teaching of the church."

In reviving the rite, Benedict was reaching out to the followers of an excommunicated ultratraditionalist, the late Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, who split with the Vatican over Vatican II, particularly the introduction of the new Mass celebrated in the vernacular.

The Vatican excommunicated Lefebvre in 1988 after he consecrated four bishops without Rome's consent. The bishops were excommunicated as well.

Benedict has been eager to reconcile with Lefebvre's group, the Society of St. Pius X, which has demanded freer use of the old Mass as a precondition for normalizing relations. The other precondition is the removal of the excommunication decrees. The Vatican did not address the excommunication issue Saturday, and there was no indication if or when it would.

The current head of the society, Bishop Bernard Fellay, welcomed Benedict's document in a statement. He said he hoped "the favorable climate established by the new dispositions of the Holy See" would eventually allow other doctrinal disputes that emerged from Vatican II to be discussed, including ecumenism, religious liberty and the sharing of power with bishops.
The old rite differs significantly from the new Mass. In addition to the Latin, the prayers and readings are different, and the priest faces the altar, to be seen as leading the faithful in prayer.
Benedict, a conservative theologian, has made no secret of his affinity for the Tridentine rite and has long said that Catholics should have greater access to it.