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Pope Benedict XVI Abdicates
As my good friend Kathleen put it so clearly over the phone at 8am this morning: "I feel like a little kid who woke up to find out Santa isn't real!"
Shocking, Truly Shocking
Pope Benedict announced early today that he is stepping down from his position as Vicar of Christ, officially as of Feb. 28th. Director of the Holy See Press Office, Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi said in a press conference that the “Pope took us by surprise”, but denied claims that the resignation has anything to do with a specific illness. In the Pope's own words:
"After having repeatedly examined my conscience before God, I have come to the certainty that my strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry. I am well aware that this ministry, due to its essential spiritual nature, must be carried out not only with words and deeds, but no less with prayer and suffering. However [...] both strength of mind and body are necessary, strength which in the last few months, has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me." Read the Pope's full announcement here.
According to Vatican Expert Rocco Palmo, Fr. Lombardi has since made some clarifications about the Pope's decision.
"Pope Benedict XVI has given his resignation freely, in accordance with Canon 332 §2 of the Code of Canon Law.
Pope Benedict XVI will not take part in the Conclave for the election of his successor.
Pope Benedict XVI will move to the Papal residence in Castel Gandolfo when his resignation shall become effective.
When renovation work on the monastery of cloistered nuns inside the Vatican is complete, the Holy Father will move there for a period of prayer and reflection."
New History
This is definitely uncharted waters for the Church. The last Pope to resign was Pope Gregory XII in 1415 who did so to end a troubling time in the Church of schismatic anti-popes and a confused college of Cardinals. It wasn't exactly a resignation of the same kind. But if you look back before 1415 to the first Pope to resign willfully, things start to get interesting.
Pope Celestine V resigned in 1294 only five months into his pontificate, just after issuing a decree declaring it permissible for a Pope to abdicate. And there are some very interesting and symbolic historical connections between Pope Celestine V of 1294 and Pope Benedict XVI, foreshadowings almost, as Dr. Scott Hahn noted on his Facebook page:
"Back on April 29, 2009, Pope Benedict XVI did something rather striking, but which went largely unnoticed.
He stopped off in Aquila, Italy, and visited the tomb of an obscure medieval Pope named St. Celestine V (1215-1296). After a brief prayer, he left his pallium, the symbol of his own episcopal authority as Bishop of Rome, on top of Celestine's tomb!
Fifteen months later, on July 4, 2010, Benedict went out of his way again, this time to visit and pray in the cathedral of Sulmona, near Rome, before the relics of this same saint, Celestine V.
Few people, however, noticed at the time.
Only now, we may be gaining a better understanding of what it meant. These actions were probably more than pious acts. More likely, they were profound and symbolic gestures of a very personal nature, which conveyed a message that a Pope can hardly deliver any other way.
In the year 1294, this man (Fr. Pietro Angelerio), known by all as a devout and holy priest, was elected Pope, somewhat against his will, shortly before his 80th birthday (Ratzinger was 78 when he was elected Pope in 2005). Just five months later, after issuing a formal decree allowing popes to resign (or abdicate, like other rulers), Pope Celestine V exercised that right. And now Pope Benedict XVI has chosen to follow in the footsteps of this venerable model."
What Now?
Normal canonical protocol in the wake of a Pope's death calls for the voting process of the next Pope to take place between 15 and 20 days from the moment of vacancy. In this situation, however, the nine days of official mourning before the election will not apply. (At least not officially. Twitter and Facebook have already begun the mourning process.)
What should we be doing during this strange middle period between the solemn announcement of our Holy Father's resignation and the election of the next Pope?
Pray. Pray a lot. Thank God for the holy man that has been leading the Church up until now. Pray that he be comforted in this humbling, courageous, and hard decision. Pray for the Cardinals who will be trying to elect a new Pope, that they will be guided by the Holy Spirit. Do some extra penance and prayers this Lent for our Church, for Pope Benedict, and the entire Church.
Express your love and support for Papa Benedict XVI. Facebook, Twitter, your front lawn, anyway you can to let the world and our Beloved Father know that we are praying for him and are so thankful for the gift he is to the church.
And most importantly:
###UPDATE: For a list of current eligible papal electors, see this resource.
The Lost Art of Catholic Drinking
I couldn't not share this article with you all, whom I presume appreciate a good libation every now and then and also appreciate someone who writes about the joys of Catholic drinking. Here is a taste of the article:
Just what constitutes excess is for each person to judge for himself. However, we now approach the main difference between Catholic drinking and Protestant drinking. Protestant drinking tends to occur at one extreme or another: either way too much or none at all, with each being a reaction to the other. Some people, rightly fed up with the smug self-righteousness of teetotalers, drink to excess. And teetotalers, rightly appalled at the habits of habitual drunkards, practice strict abstinence. It seems to occur to neither side that their reaction is just that: a reaction, and not a solution. If they considered it a bit, they might see a third way that involves neither drunkenness nor abstinence, yet is consistent with healthy, honest, humane Christian living.
Here we encounter Catholic drinking.
Catholic drinking is that third way, the way to engage in an ancient activity enjoyed by everyone from peasants to emperors to Jesus Himself. And again, it is not just about quantity. In fact, I think the chief element is conviviality. When friends get together for a drink, it may be to celebrate, or it may be to mourn. But it should always be to enjoy one another’s company.
The Girl Who Made it Rain
In June a desperate urgency hung over a hot rural town in western Ohio. In the 1920's rain was a sensitive friend to the farmers in this town who relied on the growth of their crops to support their families. If there is too much rain, the corn and tomatoes could be washed out. If not enough rain fell, then few crops would survive the heat and make it to harvesting season. So far this season you could count on one hand how many times it had rained.
By the end of June it seemed the whole town took on the temperament of the fields: hot, grumpy, and thirsty for rain. After hearing an ear full of complaining for the past six weeks, the old Priest of the town took action. At the end of a particularly arid Sunday Mass Father announced a special Mass to be held the following Friday offering up the intentions of all farmers and to ask God to send rain.
"Jesus tells us not to worry. The daisies never worry and yet they are clothed with more splendor than King Solomon." The kind old Priest smiled, "How much more will God take care of you, whom He loves much more than daisies."
Not a few in the pews thought even daisies would not hold up much longer in such a scorcher and wondered if the Priest could not have chosen a better example from the Bible. Even so, they were all a little hopeful and at least determined to pray with all their hearts at next Friday's Mass.
That Friday, the kindly old Priest looked out on the small congregation of winnowing fans in stuffy dresses and brow-wipers in cotton shirts. All the windows were ajar and even the doors to the Church were left open to gasp for air. Every now and then the sighs of uncomfortable horses could be heard, tied up on the shady side of the Church near the doors. Other than this there was no movement nor even the faintest breeze outside.
The worn Priest nervously patted his neck with a handkerchief and wiped his mouth as eyes persisted on him, waiting for the homily. The dry heat was everywhere and on everything. He smirked as he made a silent joke to himself about the effect this Mass might have on the next month's collection if rain did not come soon.
The Priest began to speak, starting the homily on faith he had given every year around this time for decades, when an object in the sea of warm bodies caught his breath. It was small, short, and brightly colored; clutched firmly in the grasp of a small bright girl whose feet hardly touched the ground where she sat. Such an object was unique in the Church and one of its kind on that day. The Priest had not seen one in almost two months.
A familiar feeling of conviction, hope, and reckless abandon stirred anew in the Priest's soul. And the stooped Priest of God stood tall and pointed to the girl and gave a homily that made everyone who heard it forget about the heat and see themselves and God for the first time in months.
No one who retold this story in the years to come could ever remember if rain came that year. Either way wouldn't change the transformation that happened to the eyes of everyone present that day.
But if it did rain, it was because of the faith of the girl with the umbrella.
7 Ways to Engage in the New Evangelization [Video]
[youtube=http://youtu.be/-Indlp95eQc] If you ever heard someone use the phrase "New Evangelization" and wondered what that is and how you can get involved, this is one of the best hours you can spend learning all about it. It was a pleasure to be part of a discussion with three amazing witnesses for the New Evangelization.
Topics discussed include:
What is the New Evangelization? The Importance of Knowing Your Audience New Evangelization and New Media Blessed James Alberione, Patron Saint for the New Evangelization The New Evangelization and the Parish The New Evangelization and the Eucharist Personal Holiness How do you avoid being an isolated Catholic?
The Crew:
Check out these three Catholic bloggers and the great work they are doing in the New Evangelization!
Amanda Mortus: WorthyOfAgape.com Sr. Theresa Noble: PursuedByTruth.blogspot.com Ryan Eggenberger: EntreCatholic.com
Blessed James Alberione, Pray for Us!
Join Tonight! LIVE Webinar on the New Evangelization
Tonight at 8:00 pm EST
I'm pumped to be a part of a discussion on the New Evangelization to be broadcast live tonight. Join me as I'll be hanging out LIVE G+ style with some great Catholic bloggers and evangelists. We'll be discussing ways to engage in the New Evangelization and be able to take some questions and comments from YOU (if you decide to join us). Sign up here to join the conversation with us this Friday.
Meet the Crew:
First and foremost, Amanda is a woman after the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus. Amanda is also a Colorado native and can hardly imagine living anywhere else. She graduated from Belmont Abbey College in North Carolina in 2009 with a BA in Theology, as well as minors in Psychology and Philosophy. Amanda is a youth minister and loves leading teens in a journey towards Christ. Her blog can be found at worthy of Agape.
Sr. Theresa Noble is a novice, aka nun in training, with a religious congregation of sisters in the US. She left her job in California with eBay to follow God two years ago. She currently lives in a convent in Boston where she prays, evangelizes, bakes bread and blogs at Pursued by Truth.
Ryan is a young Catholic convert. He evangelizes by teaching people how to achieve their career, business, or entrepreneurial goals. Follow Ryan on twitter by clicking @RyanEggenberger or jump over to his blog at EntreCatholic.com to say hi!
And this guy.
We’re going to have a great time talking about the New Evangelization, and we want as many people as possible to join us for the event. Be sure to share it on Facebook, Twitter, and even Email folks who you think would enjoy the discussion!
Go to www.EntreCatholic.com/Hangout to sign-up. Share this link with your friends!
LIVE Webinar This Friday
This Friday Feb. 8th, 8:00 pm EST
Join me as I'll be hanging out LIVE G+ style with some great Catholic bloggers to talk about the New Evangelization. We'll be discussing ways to engage in the New Evangelization and be able to take some questions and comments from YOU (if you decide to join us). Sign up here to join the conversation with us this Friday.
Meet the Crew:
First and foremost, Amanda is a woman after the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus. Amanda is also a Colorado native and can hardly imagine living anywhere else. She graduated from Belmont Abbey College in North Carolina in 2009 with a BA in Theology, as well as minors in Psychology and Philosophy. Amanda is a youth minister and loves leading teens in a journey towards Christ. Her blog can be found at worthy of Agape.
Sr. Theresa Noble is a novice, aka nun in training, with a religious congregation of sisters in the US. She left her job in California with eBay to follow God two years ago. She currently lives in a convent in Boston where she prays, evangelizes, bakes bread and blogs at Pursued by Truth.Ryan is a young Catholic convert. He evangelizes by teaching people how to achieve their career, business, or entrepreneurial goals. Follow Ryan on twitter by clicking @RyanEggenberger or jump over to his blog at EntreCatholic.com to say hi!And this guy.
We’re going to have a great time talking about the New Evangelization, and we want as many people as possible to join us for the event. Be sure to share it on Facebook, Twitter, and even Email folks who you think would enjoy the discussion!
Go to www.EntreCatholic.com/Hangout to sign-up. Share this link with your friends!
NEW: The CatholicStand.com
I am pleased to announce a new Catholic website - Catholic Stand - whose mission is to inform and equip Catholic citizens with the Truth of our Catholic faith as it relates to various areas of the culture we live in. Its not your readers-digest-type website, and will hopefully dive pretty deeply into topics and provide plenty of research to back up the articles.
If you are looking for a website to challenge you to stretch your Catholic brain, this is a great place to turn and I am honored to be a columnist among the ranks of many great columnists who write for this new site.
Stacy Trasancos, Ph.D., Chief Editor for Catholic Stand, was a guest on Teresa Tomeo's Radio Show "Catholic Connection" on Ave Maria Radio to talk about her conversion story and Catholic Stand. Give a listen if you're interested.
Catholic Citizens Unite!
March for Life 2013
[youtube=http://youtu.be/Opl0jnKbn5Y] Send some prayers our way today as our youth group joins over 200,000 others in a March on DC to stand up for LIFE. Check out more about the March for Life here.
"But I feel that the greatest destroyer of peace today is abortion, because it is a war against the child, a direct killing of the innocent child, murder by the mother herself. And if we accept that a mother can kill even her own child, how can we tell other people not to kill one another?"
- Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta
The Name and a Future Saint - Between the Pint and the Cross Ep. 2
Just two guys podcasting somewhere between the pint and the Cross, hoping to glorify God through meaningful rants young adults may or may not find interesting.
This week we try to figure out what the heck we are doing, and to work out the idea behind the name. Also, there's a surprise at the end!
[audio http://catholicyouthminister.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/bpc-1-the-name.mp3]
"G.K. Chesterton said, “In Catholicism, the pint, the pipe and the Cross can all fit together.” Indeed, they can, and they must. For it is equally the heretic and the heathen who falsely consider all drinking is drunkenness and all smoking is vice, but it is the Catholic - whether he is a formal member of the Catholic Church or not - who accepts the pint, the pipe, and the Cross. For though neither of them are good for the body but each, in their proper place, are good for the soul." -Monkrock.com
Blessed James Alberione, pray for us.
Interdum
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