Tag Archives: Pope Benedict XVI

Pope Gives Guidance on Elections

October 28, 2010

The United States isn’t the only country with elections coming up. Earlier today, Pope Benedict XVI met with Bishops in Brazil as the country prepares to vote in a presidential election this weekend.

Even though our Pope was speaking to the bishops in Brazil, what he said can certainly be applied to Catholics in US as we head to the polls this crucial election cycle:

 ”Dear brother bishops, to defend life we must not fear hostility or unpopularity, and we must refuse any compromise or ambiguity which might conform us to the world’s way of thinking.”

 …

Pope Benedict told the Brazilian bishops that while direct involvement in politics is the responsibility of the laity, “when the fundamental rights of the person or the salvation of souls requires it, pastors have a serious duty to make moral judgments even in political matters.”

Certain actions and political policies, such as abortion and euthanasia, are “intrinsically evil and incompatible with human dignity” and cannot be justified for any reason, the pope said.

 …

Bishops and priests have an obligation to help Catholic laity live in a way that that is faithful to the Gospel in every aspect of their lives, including their political choices, he said. “This also means that in certain cases, pastors should remind all citizens of their right and duty to use their vote to promote the common good,” the pope said. (Catholic News Service)

Pope Benedict is right on target. As St. Michael Society has written before, Catholics have a moral duty to vote, and to vote to protect the dignity of the person in all its stages. Like Benedict says, we shouldn’t fear “hostility of unpopularity.” The truth is the truth and it doesn’t matter if it’s unpopular or not.

Vote Catholic next Tuesday.

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Wellsprings Capable of Bestowing the Water of Life

June 14, 2010

The news reports out of Rome highlighted that the Pope Benedict XVI “beg[ed] forgiveness from God and from the persons involved, while promising to do everything possible to ensure that such abuse will never occur again.”  The homily delivered at the papal Mass on the feast of the Sacred Heart that marked the end of the Year for Priests was so much more.  Here is the translation:

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Face of Christ

May 27, 2010

Last week one of the St. Michael Society editors had the privilege to see the Shroud of Turin, arguably the Church’s most holy relic.  The shroud is controversial but I will leave that discussion to the scientists.  I believe it is the burial cloth of Jesus but if you want a good review of the science and history of the shroud I suggest these two books:

Stained with blood, sweat and tears as well as the remnants of an unknown “radiation” the shroud allows us to meditate about our faith as no other relic.  The face, clearly visible, calls to mind the humanity of Jesus.  The blood, dispersed in a pattern consistent with a man that has been scourged, crowned with a head dress of thorns and crucified with nails, is a lasting reminder of the suffering our Lord endured for our sake.  The illumination markings on the cloth, impossible to reproduce and unexplained to this day, are signs of His resurrection; the most important miracle of Jesus.

All four Gospels mention the shroud.  The garment left behind by Jesus as he broke open the gates to our salvation offers us a physical sign of the incarnation, passion and resurrection.   Meditating on the shroud allows us to reflect on the greatest events in the history of mankind.

After Pope Benedict XVI prayed before the shroud he spoke eloquently about Holy Saturday, “the day a great silence was upon the earth.  Great silence because the King sleeps.”

The most obscure mystery of faith is at the same time the most luminous sign of a hope without limits. Holy Saturday is the “no man’s land” between death and resurrection, but into this “no man’s land” has entered the One, the Only One, who has crossed it with the signs of his passion for man: “Passio Christi. Passio hominis.” And the Shroud speaks to us precisely of that moment; it witnesses precisely to the unique and unrepeatable interval in the history of humanity and the universe, in which God, in Jesus Christ, shared not only our dying, but also our remaining in death. The most radical solidarity. In that “time-beyond-time” Jesus Christ “descended into hell” (“agli inferi”) What does this expression mean? It means that God, made man, went to the point of entering into the extreme and absolute solitude of man, where no ray of love enters, where there is total abandonment without any word of comfort: “hell” (“gli inferi”). Jesus Christ, remaining in death, has gone beyond the gates of this ultimate solitude to lead us too to go beyond it with him.

A spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Turin said more than 1.7 million people had made reservations to view the shroud up close and countless more without reservations will view the shroud from a distance in the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist.  It is unknown when the shroud will be on display again.

The same day that we visited the Shroud our group joined seminarians from Washington, DC in mass celebrated by Father Carter Griffin.  During his homily he encouraged us to allow our time with the cloth that is renowned for touching Jesus to renew our devotion to the Eucharist. 

The mystery represented by the shroud; the Incarnation, Passion and Resurrection, should be a source of great hope to us all.  God with love so complete enters history, shares in our pain and suffering, defeats death and invites us to join Him in everlasting life.  I pray that the Face on the Shroud inspires you to draw closer to Jesus Christ.

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The Ascension & Our Lady of Fatima

May 13, 2010

Today is a super star feast day in the Catholic Church. For some dioceses here in the US, the feast of the Ascension of our Lord is moved from today until this coming Sunday. In other parts of the country, and the world, the Ascension is celebrated today.

For those of us who don’t celebrate the Ascension today, we get to celebrate the feast day of Our Lady of Fatima. It was on this day, May 13th, when Our Lady first appeared to the three little children in a place called Cova da Iria in Portugal.

The Gospel today was one of those times when Jesus really confused his Apostles (John 16:16-20) and the priest at this morning’s Mass said he was confused too because today our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, is at Fatima and celebrating the Ascension.

The ways of the Lord are mysterious and most of time, you just have to sit back and let it happen!

If you want a refresher on the beautiful story of the children at Fatima, check out this site: http://www.culturalcatholic.com/LadyFatima.htm.

Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us!

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Defending the Pope

April 5, 2010

The following are two articles that completely shred the accusations that have been unfarily leveled against the Pope in the wake of the latest sex abuse scandal.   The first comes from Jimmy Akin and goes to great lengths to use the actual relevant documents and canon law.

The second piece is a correction of the NY Times that comes from Cardinal William Lavada, Prefect for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.  Cardinal Lavada gives a clear explanation of the errors that are being promoted in the media as fact and specifically exposes the anti-Catholic bias over at the NT Times.

Both are necessary reads for anyone who is sick of hearing the Pope get smeared in the media, but feels they don’t have the information to respond.

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Bart Stupak’s Betrayal

March 23, 2010

For the Editors of St Michael Society, the shock over Bart Stupak’s betrayal this weekend has begun to turn into anger and grief. Its one thing to cave to pressures and intimidation but Stupak’s speech on the House floor sheds new light on the man. This was not a man who changed his vote because he was worn down by attacks. Bart Stupak’s speech on the House floor revealed a man, who in the end, decided to put the Democratic Party ahead the life of the unborn, the lives of women who will suffer from abortion, obedience to the bishops and sadly his faith. We need to pray for him and we must work to undo the damage he has done.

Here are the writings of respected voices on the topic:

Kathryn Jean Lopez:  

Unfortunately, if Bart Stupak truly wanted to ensure that human dignity was respected in this legislation, he wouldn’t have surrendered. But surrender he did — and then some, declaring the Democratic party the protectors of the unborn on the House floor last night.

The Democratic party is nothing of the sort — which is another reason no one who wanted to defeat the taxpayer funding of abortion in Obamacare should have expected a Stupak-led victory in this Washington environment. It’s the party that will never offend the abortion industry. It’s the party that owns partial-birth abortion.

William McGurn

By caving at the last hour, he discredited all who stood with him. (What does it say about Ohio’s Marcy Kaptur and Pennsylvania’s Chris Carney that they had already agreed to vote yes even before the fig leaf of the executive order had come through?) In addition to undermining an encouraging partnership with pro-lifers across the congressional aisle, Mr. Stupak signaled that, in the end, you can’t count on pro-life Democrats.

Susan B. Anthony List

Let me be clear: any representative, including Rep. Stupak, who votes for this healthcare bill can no longer call themselves ‘pro-life.’ The Susan B. Anthony List Candidate Fund will not endorse, or support in any capacity, any Member of Congress who votes for this bill in any future election. Now through Election Day 2010, these representatives will learn that votes have consequences. The SBA List Candidate Fund will work tirelessly to help defeat Members who support this legislation and make sure their constituents know exactly how they voted.

CWA

…in the 11th hour, he caved. He succumbed to the pressures of the most pro-abortion Administration in history just because they said they would write on a piece of paper that the federal government won’t fund abortion. It’s not even a law the President wrote. It’s not worth the Post-It note he wrote it on.

 Shame on you Bart Stupak. Shame on all the other Members who walked the plank with you. You all sold out and scorned millions of voters who trusted you and believed in you. 

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From the Breviary – 3/15/10

March 16, 2010

Yesterday, those of us in the Diocese of Arlington were asked to keep a day of prayer and fasting by Bishop Loverde to ask God’s protection and guidance for those who are crafting health care legislation.  I imagine that it is no accident that the petitions for Evening Prayer in the Divine Office for yesterday started off with these:

Glory to God the Father, who has promised through his Son to grant what is asked by those who pray together. With confidence in this promise, let us pray:
– Lord, save the people you have redeemed.

Lord, you gave the Law to Moses on Mount Sinai, and brought it to perfection in your Anointed One,
may all recognize the Law written in their hearts, and keep it faithfully as a covenant.
– Lord, save the people you have redeemed.

Give those in authority a true concern for their brothers and sisters entrusted to their care,
and inspire the hearts of the people to support their leaders.
– Lord, save the people you have redeemed.

It may be a good idea to keep these petitions close to you in the coming days and pray them everyday as we grow closer to a vote on this legislation.  We cannot know what God will allow to happen, but we do know that it is our job to pray for the best.

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Pelosi Corrected By Bishop…. AGAIN!

February 9, 2010

This one almost slipped by unnoticed, but thanks to a friend I came across this recent public chastisment of Nancy Pelosi by Archbishop George Niederauer of San Francisco after comments she made last month about her disagreements with Church teaching.  Ms. Pelsoi, as only Ms. Pelosi can do, managed once again to completely misrepresent the faith she claims she so avidly follows.

Anyway, the news here is not Pelosi’s heretical ramblings.  Those have been well documented before.  The news here is that another bishop has risen to publically correct those ramblings – to make sure that the liberals no longer go unchecked when they pretend to evenagelize in the media. 

The St. Michael Society is happy to report on the courage and leadership that is being shown by many of our American bishops since the Obama-Notre Dame scandal.  This time, Archbishop Niederauer gets the props.  If you have a moment, send him your thanks, support and prayers.  (you can contact him at info@sfarchdiocese.org)

Here is his open letter to Nancy Pelosi on the real meaning of conscience, free will, and what it means to be a Catholic.

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Harry Knox, Pope Benedict, and the Debate On Condoms in Africa

February 5, 2010

by Christopher Gross and Patrick Looby

It is rare that philosophical arguments can be resolved by simply appealing to empirical data.  In many instances, participants in the dispute may agree on the facts but disagree about the implications of those facts or how much weight should be given to them.  However, there are rare cases where a thorough examination of the evidence proves one side is correct and the other side clearly wrong.  The “debate” between Harry Knox and Pope Benedict is one of those rare instances.

As you may know, Harry Knox, who serves on President Obama’s faith-based advisory council, said earlier this week that he stood by a statement he made last year concerning the Pope.  According to Knox, the Pope is “hurting people in the name of Jesus,” because the Holy Father has suggested that promoting condom use in Africa will not end the suffering caused by the AIDS epidemic there and in fact increases the spread of HIV/AIDS.  The problem with Knox’s position, despite his appeal to the ‘science,’ is that the empirical evidence does not support his attack.  It actually favors the Pope. 

read more »

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Great News from the Pope for Massachusetts Catholics!

February 2, 2010

The Vatican has announced that Pope Benedict XVI has granted a plenary indulgence for anyone who makes a pilgrimage visit to the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy in Stockbridge, MA during its jubilee year of 2010.

Officially dedicated in 1960, the Shrine has been the home to the Marian Helpers whose prayers and hard work benefit most especially those who are dedicated to the Blessed Mother.

If you aren’t too sure what a plenary indulgence is (or any indulgence for that matter) check out this article from Catholic Answers.  Then make your plans to visit the National Shrine before December 31, 2010!

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