The Restored Pauline Chapel in the Vatican: What's this about the Altar?

Doctor Robert Moynihan, editor of 'Inside the Vatican Magazine' is currently publishing from Rome, an extremely interesting series of news flashes for his subscibers. Each one has dealt with several subjects. Today he is particularly interesting, amongst other things, on the restoration of the Altar in the title of this post.

Quote: "The altar...has been restored. Benedict made the decision in February this year. Paul VI had selected a new, modern altar, and moved it away from the back wall of the chapel. Benedict, when he came in to look at the nearly-finished restoration work in February, ordered that the old altar be put back closer to the wall, but leaving a small space so that the tabernacle could be reached (the tabernacle is directly behind the altar, and it would be too far for the priest to lean across the altar and open the tabernacle, so the Pope, instead of moving the tabernacle from the very center of the chapel wall, had the altar moved just about a yard away from the wall). Mass will no longer be celebrated in this chapel with the priest facing toward the people, but with both priest and people facing the tabernacle, the cross above it, and the East."


Now, uncharacteristically Dr Moynihan does not give his source for this information, which in my reading is not totally free of ambiguity. as I'm sure readers will ascertain for themselves!

Apparently the chapel has been under restoration for eight years and Pope Benedict will conduct a 'service of inauguration' on Saturday evening. It is not clear what form this service will take.


It is time for supper. I hope to post again on this matter asap.

As always, may God bless all here and protect and guide our Holy Father.

Pope Benedict and Cardinal Levada (CDF) in private Audience this evening

....that is if everything went according to schedulte as stated by the VIS this afternoon.

No, you can't be 'a fly on the wall'. Enjoy your guesswork. Personally, I would be surprised if the most immediately pressing work re. the PCED has not already been done and that they were able to relax after dotting 'i's and crossing 't's. Of course there is the reverse scenario where recalcitrants are still making trouble...........All we can and must do is watch and pray.

God bless our Pope

Spiritual Motherhood and the Year of the Priest

According to Zenit, the Internet is awash with suggested initiatives for the Year of the Priest, inaugurated by the Holy Father last Friday on the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This may be true but as yet it is not as easy to find reports of individual, group or Diocesan responses in action.


The most frequently made suggestion so far seems to be that of 'adopting' a priest for whom you will pray throughout the year. Three examples on individual blogs are 'Bevansinc' (specifically for priests of the English Diocese of Arundel and Brighton (although you don't have to live in the diocese to take part); Jane Teresa's blog 'My Heart was Restless'; and Anna Arco's blog at the Catholic Herald. Meanwhile last week's 'Joan Knows' on Vatican Radio mentioned the idea in passing, rather as if she had just thought of it!. Mulier Fortis posted that she felt that praying for priests was somehow part of her vocation.

However, I am especially concerned in this post with Spiritual Motherhood, a more permanent commitment and contribution that women can make to the Sanctification of Priests and the renewal of the Priesthood, which are central to our Holy Father's intentions in calling for this Sacerdotal Year. It's not my purpose to describe my own experience as a spiritual mother but I will attest most forcefully that it is indeed a specific vocation, that it is profoundly spiritually demanding, rewarding, and usually hidden, often from the priest or priests whom the Lord sends to the mother as spiritual sons.

This post is published as a gentle exhortation to my female readers who feel attracted to the idea or simply want to find out more. Here are two essential places on my bloglist sidebar where you will find sound spiritual advice and information.

http://www.clerus.org/ This is the website of the Congregation for Clergy headed by Cardinal Hummes. Here, by clicking on the 'stained glass window' you will find several relevant documents, but of specific interest is Document 05 'Eucharistic Adoration for the Sanctification of Priests and Spiritual Motherhood'. This is a 40 page pdf explanatory booklet which begins with the letter the Cardinal wrote to bishops in December 2007.

Vultus Christi, the wonderful and spititually indispensable blog of Fr Mark Kirby has many important posts in its archives. Search them! Typing in 'Bishop Slattery' will enable you to read all about this good and dear bishop's response to Cardinal Hummes' letter and document. Thanks to his Excellency, Tulsa Diocese now has a group of some 30 spiritual mothers. Preparatory to the eventual signing of their individual oblations at a special ceremony of consecration in April this year, they underwent a period of discernment and formation, (see link to report at top of sidebar here) which rightly and properly underlines the seriousness of their promise and commitment. Following from the example of the Tulsa model I would humbly advocate that anyone interested in spiritual motherhood, should consult her Parish Priest or Spiritual Director if she has one. I pray that the reading recommended above will inspire others to consider doing this.

As far as other US dioceses are concerned I can only find Providence and 'Adoro Te' mentioned the other day that a group may be starting up in Minnesota. I have as yet been unable to find any diocese in England and Wales, or in France where the Cardinal's suggestion and wish have been taken up. I wonder how much positive feedback he has had. (If any reader knows differently I'd be most grateful for the information.) As readers know, I'm isolated here and do not have a parish priest to whom I can appeal. My next task is therefore to write to Archbishop Nichols , (who has a most encouraging message about the Year of the Priest on the Westminster website) and to Bishop Dagens of Angouleme.

In the meantime, as I'm sure you'll agree, there is one uniquely special priest for whom we should all pray, namely Pope Benedict himself. Thank you Holy Father for the treasury of spiritual opportunities and graces you have offered to priests and laity in the institution of this sacerdotal year. May God protect and strengthen you and keep you well. Ad multos annos!

With my prayers for all here,
In Christo pro Papa
J

Mayor of San Giovanni Rotondo to Pope Benedict, this morning...

Welcoming Pope Benedict to San Giovanni Rotondo at the start of his day's pilgrimage, the Mayor announced to him that the town is now twinned with Marktl am Inn. Now, isn't that a lovely present to give to our Holy Father and the place of his birth and baptism.

Spiritual Motherhood; Roses for Pope Benedict; Fr. Z's question

Spiritual Motherhood:

I'm in the process of composing a post on this subject and hope to publish after the Holy Father's pilgrimage to San Giovanni Rotondo tomorrow.

Roses for Pope Benedict:

There are over fifty roses in my garden and they have not bloomed according to their usual pattern this year. This may be something to do with the weather or the moon or whatever you like. Suffice to say that my climbing 'Pilgrim' which does not normally flower until later in the season, showed forth masses of pale yellow blooms from the day our 'Pilgrim of Peace' left Rome for the Holy Land until his safe return.

As far as I know, there is no rose yet in the catalogue for Benedict XVI. I gather you have to ask a rose breeder to create a Rose for a given person. Well, I'm going to ask David Austin. 'Pilgrim' is one of his and so it shouldn't be too difficult for him to breed what we call a 'sport' from it for our dear Holy Father. Searching in my French catalogue for a rose to plant for him this year, I found 'Mozart', the only one which seemed appropriate. This rose arrived and was planted in a pot in my courtyard garden. It turns out, appropriately, to be a patio rose. At the beginning of this last week it was in bud, and yesterday for the Sacred Heart and the inauguration of the Year of the Priest, came into full display of delicate sprays of the palest pink.

Fr Z's question:

This was posted on WDTPRS earlier and asked what we had to report about initiatives for the Year of the Priest in our parishes and dioceses. For the answer, I turned instinctively to the Archdiocese of Westminster where I lived for 40 years. Joy: I found a special web page and message from our new Archbishop Vincent Nichols. He calls for the Rosary in each parish; for at least an hour's Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament per week in each one; and even expresses the hope that 'a rhythm of Forty Hours devotion can be established around the deaneries'. My old parish, St. Mary's Cadogan St., just up the road from the Cathedral, directs me to this message but their website doesn't yet indicate that they are about to implement the Archbishop's hopes.

So what is going on in the Diocese of Angouleme, here in France, as far as the Year of the Priest is concerned? I checked the website. All you get there is an invitation to receive a news letter by email. I would love to be wrong, but in St. Romain it's unlikely that there were others who knew what Pope Benedict was doing yesterday evening, and if they did, like me they would have kept it quiet. Perhaps it's time to be bold and put a notice in the window.

There was a 'profession of faith' ceremony for the youngsters last weekend. When I was told that this was imminent I asked one of the parents whether this was to be 'Confirmation' . 'Oh no,' she said, 'They don't do that now.'
A demain,

In Christo pro Papa

Blogger proposes; God disposes

No more blogging for the forseeable future I'm afraid. Too many spiritual, domestic and bureaucratic (French medical system) demands on my time which must take priority. If anyone wants to contact me by email or by commenting here, I'll be most grateful and will reply. I'll keep up to date with everyone else's blogs, and may be constrained to the occasional comment, but that will be as much as I can manage.

LMS friends: I won't be able to come to London for the Westminster Cathedral Mass on June 20th. Colin will probably be home from hospital by then and I cannot possibly leave him. Please pray for us.

God bless our beloved Pope Benedict, and all here.

J

'Benedictine' Roses and a 'John Pauline' Clematis. Report from the Oasis Garden

Ever since the planting season began this year, work in the garden has been slow. March was slightly better than usual from the point of view of fewer high winds and no hail storms. It was however quite cool and there was frequent rain. The swallows arrived late but built their nests as doughtily as ever, not this year, as has formerly been their wont, under out eaves. It was a relief not to have to discourage them. Perhaps they sensed it wasn't safe, and if so, they were right, as we had the front of the house painted towards the end of the month. Before that, the Holy Father went in the direction from which they had come and we had to follow him via kto and/or EWTN. Then, it was Easter before one could turn round, and more wonderful liturgies from Rome not to be missed.

I managed to get some potatoes in before May arrived and then the incessant rain began. Until two days ago, it has been the worst May in my memory of twenty years in this area. Gardening was impossible and so my wonderful plan for getting a great deal done during the week before the Holy Father set off for Jordan came to nothing. Then of course, a few hours before his plane left for Amman, my husband broke his leg............ The following week of shock and fear was taken up with anxious visits to the hospital alternating with the tension of viewing the albeit excellent TV coverage of 'The Pilgrim of Peace'. The rain continued and so at least I didn't have to feel guilty about not gardening!

During the first three weeks of the month, in frequent visits to the garden afforded by the short spells between rain storms, I noted that, as expected, the weeds were coming up with a vengeance. But I noted other things that I greeted with joy. I'm going to tell you about some of these because they demonstrate several things....first, what Cardinal Newman called 'God's little providences', second that gardening reflects the spiritual life in many ways, as I have tried to show in all my published books, (particularly in the Introduction to the first) but third, in recent weeks, I have come to a deepening awareness of things I've always known about gardening in its relation to the life of contemplative prayer and its results in action.

Last year by accident (?), I found in the supermarket plant sale, a clematis named for Pope John Paul II. Until then I had not been aware that such a clematis existed. Naturally, it came home with me and was planted in the Advent section of the garden against the eastern fence. We had terrible frosts during the winter and I thought it was dead. Not so. I discovered at Easter that it was very much alive and much more robust than it had been last year. It had begun to climb and was in bud. The flower opened whilst Pope Benedict was in the Holy Land, I cannot give the exact day, but I know that by the time our present Holy Father returned to the Vatican on May 15, that flower was fully open and is the size of a small saucer in diameter. It is white with purple stamens. Superfluous to labour the symbolism here. But perhaps not so, to admit that I wept by the eastern fence and thanked Pope John Paul, who I believe, interceded continually for his successor in circumstances much more difficult and complex that those he faced during his own visit to the Holy Land in 2000. It wasn't necessary for me to ask him to continue this intercession, only essential that I unite myself with it, which I did.

I think it is in the film 'The Pontificate of Reason' that Pope Benedict says to an interviewer very shortly after his election, that he feels 'the Holy Father' very close to him and that they still talk to each other. (At that stage Joseph Ratzinger had not properly realised that HE was now the Holy Father! But as they say, that is another story.)

pope2you.net/ launched today.

Link to Pope Benedict's Facebook profile etc. in alphabetical bloglist here to left sidebar- sandwiched between 'Orthfully Catholic' and 'Pro Pontifice Maximo' which is fortuitously appropriate!

Carla Bruni: The first 'lady' of France (je ne crois pas!) blames her loss of faith on the Church's teaching on sexual morality.

The Daily Telegraph insinutates in its headline that Bruni has blamed Pope Benedict personally for her lapsation from Catholicism. I fail to see how that can be true since for many years she has been self-confessedly leading a life opposed to the Church's sexual mores.

Some quotes from her:

"I'm monogamous from time to time, but I prefer polygamy and polyandry." Time Magazine, 31st December, 2007.
She has said she is easily "bored with monogamy". and that "love lasts a long time, but burning desire - two to three weeks." BBC News, 15th January, 2008
"I want a man with nuclear power." Times Online, 10th February, 2008.

Leaving aside Bruni's statements about her attitudes to relationships between men and women, which are clearly not in keeping with Catholic orthodoxy, several issues arise from her decision to speak against the Church at this moment.

First, though not the most important, is diplomatic behaviour according to protocol. Danielle Mitterand, a non-believer, but one who had enough to put up with in the marital infidelity stakes, has roundly rebutted Bruni's recent public statements which seem to show no concern whatsoever that they may damage the diplomacy and statesmanship of her husband, whatever one thinks of either of those. It's just not 'comme il faut ma biche'. (Biche, incidentally, is not an insult, but literally a nanny-goat, and a term of affection between female friends.) The French, whether they admit it or not, will be embarrassed by this 'intervention' of their President's wife. (In fact the marriage of Sarkozy to Bruni is, in spite of all stereotypes about French sexuality, an embarrassment to them. It's not mentioned, swept under the carpet in general conversation, almost as if he let the side down. Why did he have to marry her? Why could he not have kept her as a mistress, as has always been done in the past?

The French lay great store by their language being that of diplomacy, and it is still so in the Vatican. Some poor soul will have to tell the Pope! But being Benedict, he will already know and make it easy for the poor blighter.

Second, this Bruni nonsense has allowed the Telegraph to perpetuate another untruth about the attitude of French Catholics to the Pope after the condom uproar. As i pointed out in a post at the time, the supposed 43% of Catholics who thought the Pope should resign, were actually non-practising. Amongst practising French Catholics, his stock rose by 11% as a result. (I am sick of ignorance combined with deliberate manipulation, particularly in a paper that I've read all my adult life, but for which I now refuse to pay 3 euros merely to be infuriated. Thanks but no thanks, not even for my beloved crossword.)

Third, why has Bruni decided to make these statements now? Benedict is by no means without his supporters on the condom issue, and while keeping it in mind, seekers after peace and reason have all moved on, and are now considering the impact of his pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Clearly, she has been asleep. Either that, or she is deliberately trying to discredit the Holy Father and divert attention from his most recent acts and words. Whichever way it is, the woman's arrogance beggars belief.

The British Daily Telegraph shows its abysmal paucity of intellect, of any real concern for the peoples of the Middle East, or of respect for the complex political and religious issues that Pope Benedict genuinely and most courageously addressed for years before this visit and most certainly during it. Underneath all this is the paper's assumption that where politicians have failed, a religious leader, least of all the Pope, cannot possibly succeed. So, rather than offer a seriously considered evaluation of the Papal visit, they are content to repeat the unhelpful and irrelevant dribblings of Carla Bruni. Pathetic.

That's enough for tonight. More tomorrow, but in the meantime, I hope someone will be able to tell me, with proof, that I'm wrong about the Telegraph.

God bless all here, and God bless and preserve our Holy Father Benedict.

EWTN: Live coverage from Westminster

The Installation of Archbishop Vincent Nichols at Westminster will be covered live by EWTN on May 21st Ascension Day.

They will also cover the Papal Masses from Monte Cassino on Sunday 24th and from Rome on Corpus Christi THURSDAY.

Kto will cover the Vespers from Monte Cassino as well as the Mass. They are sticking to Notre Dame for Ascension Day which is rather unimaginative since apart from European Catholic concerns of solidarity, the French musical world stands in admiration of English Cathedral music and there will be Palestrina and new pieces by MacMillan.

No complaints though.

Holy Father back home; husband in 'maison de repos': Deo gratias!

I have to admit that even before my husband's accident, neither of us was looking forward to the week just past. Both of us were very anxious for the Holy Father's safety, wondered what he would achieve by this journey to the Holy Land, and quite frankly wished that he was not going to undertake this 'marathon'.

As it turned out, worry for my husband's survival and the shock of his being taken to hospital just a few hours before the Holy Father set off from Rome, was paramount whilst His Holiness was in Jordan. The minute Colin was out of danger, off went Pope Benedict to Israel and the balance of anxiety shifted. (In spite of everything I 've managed to see everything via kto or EWTN and will comment later on details.)

Next came the Yad Vashem visit and discourse, after which I came from the computer muttering, "That won't be enough for them. They'll be at you." And sure enough, they were. Like many others, I feared that this one occasion would dictate the measure of success or failure of the beloved 'Pilgrim Of Peace'.

On Thursday I was told that the next day, Colin would be moved to a convalescent hospital nearer home and will remain there for about a month. And so it transpired that whilst our Holy Father was giving his farewell address at Tel Aviv airport, Colin was in the ambulance going to the new hospital and was ensconced there just as the Papal plane took off for Rome.

Colin has a pin in his thigh and will have to learn to walk again. He will have to live downstairs and I'm having to reorganise the whole ground floor of the house to accommodate this, including putting a shower, basin and loo in the room which up to now has been my study. All that represents something of a military campaign, I can tell you! Thank God, I'm trained in the principles of work study and time and motion! And that I will have help when it comes to moving heavy furniture.

Yesterday was a day of great relief for me all round. When Colin is well enough I will tease him about organising his accident to distract us from our worries about the Pope.

And his Holiness?....... It strikes me that only the deeply mean-spirited and intransigent naysayer will see his 859 words of farewell to the Holy Land, as anything other than a triumph for the things he holds so dear in all his efforts and prayers. My double novena for his safety and intention for his pilgrimage ended yesterday. Tonight, I start a new one of thanksgiving which will end whilst he is at Monte Cassino next Sunday. kto are broadcasting his Mass and also Vespers later in the day. Have not checked EWTN but imagine they will cover one or the other if not both.

On a personal level I want to say a wholehearted and huge thank you to all our friends who have been supporting us with prayer and concern via this blog, emails, Facebook messages, cards and telephone calls. Here in France two sets of friends have been unstinting in their care and have been ferrying me to and from the hospital whenever necessary. You have all been such a wonderful help and support. And in the darkest hours of lonliness and fear, I have been able to offer up all that has been happening and place everything in the hands of Our Lord and His dear Mother and ours.

God bless all here, and may He sustain our Pope, give him life and make him blessed upon the earth'.

Welcome home dear Papa Benedetto! Ad multos annos!

Hospitalised spouse: heartfelt thanks to friends, in previous post combox

...together with brief explanation as to how it happened.

God bless all and thanks again,
J

Husband in hospital: no blogging for at least two days

My husband Colin is in Girac (Angouleme) hospital with badly fractured femur; taken there by emergency services (the SAMU - excellent as always) at 3am this morning; operation tomorrow; of your charity PLEASE PRAY FOR HIM.

Mane nobiscum, Domine. Salus infirmorum, ora pro nobis.

Jane

For our Holy Father Benedict: Lilies and wild Bavarian Strawberries - Pt. 1.

To our gentle and sweet earthly shepherd, on the eve of his pilgrimage to the Holy Land, I dedicate with prayer and love, the following extracts from my book 'The Crown of the Year'. (Continuum 2005)

"EASTERTIDE GOOD SHEPHERD SUNDAY AND FOURTH WEEK - DAY LILY 'GENTLE SHEPHERD'(Hemerocalis); STRAWBERRY (Fragaria)

Day lilies are not true lilies, their common name coming from their lily-like flowers....'Gentle Shepherd' has creamy yellow flowers with darker yellow centres and slightly crinkly leaves..........."

(Note added today: This year, to achieve the obvious symbolism of yellow and white, I have planted Lily of the Valley round my clump of 'Gentle Shepherd'. Every May for years to come they will be a memorial of this visit of our dear Pope Benedict to the Holy Land.)

"Dean Hole once asked a boy what a garden is for. 'Strawberris!' the boy replied without hesitation............But where space is at a premium, grow strawberries in traditional pots with spirally arranged holes around the sides. Except for the necessity of frequent wqtering, this is a labour-saving method. Fruit is out of reach of slugs, mulching and hoeing are unnececarry and a net draped over the pot will protect your fruit...........

"History and Lore
.....The strawberry is ancient and findings in Swiss pile-dwellings have shown that its popularity dates back to the Stone Age. Later it was dedicated to the German Goddess Frigg, guardian of marriage and motherhood. In Christian lore it thus became an attribute of the Virgin Mary... and a tradition is recorded that St. John the Baptist ate wild strawberries in the wolderness. If Bavarian children were picking strawberries and passed a cross or chapel, they would make an offering of three fruits...................."

(There is much more German and east European lore in this entry of my book, but you can be sure, if I ever meet the Holy Father, which I'm afraid is highly unlikely,I'll be bound to ask him whether he, Georg and Maria ever offered their three strawberries in accordance with this tradition. On a practical note he may or may not know that strawberry tea makes a good gargle for a sore throat. In other words dear Holy Father, cut out the Fanta and go for the 'Fragaria'!)

'Towards a Meditation' on these plants and the apppropriate Liturgical days, to follow.

Jesuits in Italy have caught up with Thoughts from an Oasis! Goodness gracious me!

'Jesuit journal says secular media excessively critical of Pope, Church' CNS today has a report thus titled.

On April 21st I published a post here, about the Media persecution of the Pope and the agenda behind it. Nine days later and co-incidentally, Civilta, the Jesuit journal published an article which says virtually the same as I had done, although, as far as one can ascertain from the CNS, Civilta does not admit that much of the mischief done by the Media is fed to them from within the Church, and has been for decades. I would be happier if such an admission by the 'Jays' does appear in their assessment of Media treatment of the Holy Father and the Church. But then, such an admission would be tantamount to accusing some of 'their own' would it not? But unless Civilta is prepared to acknowledge this fault line in the Church, it may as well save its breath to cool its polenta.

One cannot just blame the Media or secularism or 'the world' per se. One has to be realistic and honest and not tell half the story. One does not need to be a Jesuit, or any ordained priest to understand this. One only has to have been alive, constantly Catholic and awake for the last forty years (thank God in innumerable cases, less than that), and to listen to our present Holy Father about what is wrong.

What did he say yesterday in his homily before ordaining 19 new priests for the Rome Diocese:

The 'world' is not a place, it's a mentality......It does not want to know God...... That would throw it into crisis....... It infects the Church and EVEN ITS SACRED MINISTERS.......... (He said much more of course but all was the THE TRUTH and he will speak it in season and out. Didn't he once say as Cardinal Ratzinger, 'I have a mustard seed, and I am not afraid to use it.') He knows where that infection is. And he has warned us. I don't think he'd be particularly impressed by anyone who apparently wants to defend him or the Church without facing and owning up to the full reality.

I apologise profusely to Civilta if in fact its article does face up in the way I am convinced is necessary.

In Christo pro Papa

Pope Benedict: Ordination of Deacons tomorrow (46th W.D.P. for Vocations)

The Ordination Mass in St. Peter's Basilica will be broadcast live by EWTN. At the last check kto would not appear to be covering it. However if you tune in to EWTN by 08.30 BST you shouldn't miss anything.

In advance of the opening of the Sacerdotal year, I'm looking forward to our Holy Father's homily.

The Pope's visit to Israel: the most deeply buried 'mine'

This is the mine which is constantly dug up and agitated in the hope that it will finally explode in the face of Benedict XVI and destroy him. The very same people who indulge in this agitation, at the same time wish to manipulate his visit for their own political ends, because in spite of themselves they admit he has some sort of holy and/or political clout, but at the same time insist on perpetuating the suspicion of Nazism because of his admittedly involuntary and extremely brief membership of Hitler Youth.

The other thing these people do is to constantly compare Pope Benedict with his predecessor in unfavourable and outdated terms. Says Israeli 'political scientist' Shlomo Avineri, "John Paul's warmth will be compared to the theological coldness of Benedict." (What would a political scientist know about theological warmth or coldness anyway?!) In any case where has this man been for the last four years, not to mention decades? What has he been reading or watching on his television? It is a good maxim: he who informs should be informed. This man ain't informed. Unfortunately he is given air time and print space but fortunately this JTA article allows Benedict to prove Shlomo absolutely wrong by quoting his stated intention in this visit. On April 12 Pope Benedict said he would "emphatically" bring a message of "justice and truth, mercy, forgiveness and love....Reconciliation - difficult but indispensable - is a precondition for a future of overall security and peaceful coexistence, and it can only be achieved through renewed, persevering and sincere efforts to resolve the Israeli Palestinisn conflict."

If that's cold theology, I'll be happy to freeze in it with my Holy Father.

Pope's visit to Israel fraught with potential minefields: Ruth Ellen Gruber JTA - Jewish & Israel News 30th April 2009

You can, and I believe should, read this article, by following link at top of sidebar here. I will leave it in place until May 15th, the scheduled date of our Holy Father's return to the Vatican.

Later this evening, I intend to post comments on some of the matters it addresses, but will allow time for my regular readers to apprise themselves of its content.

Suffice to say here that the remote chance of the Holy Father contracting swine flu, is the least of his (and our) worries.

Pope Benedict XVI ('The Glory of the Olives'), to plant "roots of peace" in Beit Hanassi

This story comes from yesterday's Jerusalem Post. Together with President Shimon Peres, our Holy Father will plant an olive tree 'in a stretch of ground that has been designatedas as a peace garden'.

In future, all world leaders visiting the garden will be asked to do likewise. so that 'world peace will symbolically take root.'

In Malachy's prophecies, Benedict XVI is assumed to be the penultimate Pope with the motto 'Glory of the Olives'. There is some poignancy in the fact that if world leaders do comply with the tree planting request, there will eventually be a grove of olives, thus fulfilling the prophecy down to the last pluralising letter of the motto. Whether one takes Malachy's prophecies seriously or not, such a grove would be a fitting memorial to Our Holy Father. May he gloriously reign for many years yet!

Archbishop Nichols elected 'unanimously' at Leeds Plenary meeting

The Bishops' Conference of England and Wales yesterday elected Archbishop Nichols as its President. If as stated in the Zenit report, the decision was 'unanimous' then it is a cause for great relief. Not so welcome in some quarters may be the allocation of other responsibilities, e.g. Christian Responsibility and Citizenship; Evangelisation and Catechesis; and International affairs.

See Zenit for full report and Archbishop Nichols' response to his election.