Virgin of the Poor - 75 years on

Tomorrow (31st May 2008) is the celebration of the 75th anniversary of the apparitions of the "Virgin of the Poor" in Banneux, Belgium.

In 1949 the Church recognised the authenticity of eight appearances of Our Lady to schoolgirl Mariette Beco (and others) between 15th January and 2nd March 1933. Our Lady identified herself as the "Virgin of the Poor"; her main message was a call to prayer but she also asked for a chapel to be built. This chapel became the centre of a place of pilgrimage, which Pope John Paul II visited in 1985.

Benedict XVI has delegated Brussels Cardinal Godfried Danneels to be his representative at the celebration to take place tomorrow.

From the website (www.banneux-nd.be):

Du 15 janvier au 2 mars 1933, la Vierge Marie est apparue huit fois a une fillette de 11 ans, Mariette Béco.

75 ans après, le message qu’elle lui a laissé est toujours d’actualité.

Chaque année, des centaines de milliers de pèlerins, viennent, seuls ou en groupe, notamment lors de Triduums de malades, confier à Notre Dame leurs pauvretés, leurs souffrances, leurs peines, leurs recherches. Ils viennent se confier à la Mère du Sauveur, et dire leur confiance et leur espérance en Celui qui est la Source de toute grâce, Jésus-Christ.

Aujourd’hui encore, comme elle l’a fait pour Mariette, la Vierge des Pauvres conduit chaque pèlerin de Banneux sur la route de l’existence. Elle l’invite à « pousser les mains dans l’eau » de la Source, pour puiser en Jésus la vraie Vie.

La Démarche Jubilaire est un appel à la conversion du cœur. Cette Démarche nous invite à nous mettre sous le souffle de l’Esprit Saint pour vivre une rencontre personnelle avec le Christ présent dans l’Eucharistie, à reconnaître nos pauvretés, à les offrir au Seigneur et à nous mettre à Sa suite, en répondant à l’appel pressant de la Vierge : « priez beaucoup, priez beaucoup, priez beaucoup ».

Chaque pèlerin est invité à vivre une Démarche Jubilaire concrète, conçue comme un chemin de prière en plusieurs étapes qui le mènera à la Chapelle des Apparitions et à la Source. Il lui sera proposé de renouveler les promesses de son baptême en proclamant sa foi et en recevant une écharpe blanche, signe qu’il a revêtu le Christ. Une dernière étape l'invitera à l’action de grâce par le chant du Magnificat. Un chapelet lui sera offert pour lui permettre de prolonger cette Démarche dans la prière.

Amalfi - oggi ( 8 maggio) traslazione del corpo di Sant'Andrea

La reliquia di Sant'Andrea Apostolo giungerà l'8 maggio ad Amalfi a bordo della Palinuro, la nave scuola della Marina Militare italiana, per la rievocazione storica della Traslazione del corpo del Santo Apostolo. Seguita poi in corteo dalla motonave Falerno della Fantas Cruises, la reliquia sarà condotta in cattedrale per la solenne celebrazione presieduta da S. Em.za il cardinale Walter Kasper, inviato speciale del Papa, con la partecipazione dei Vescovi della Conferenza Episcopale campana e delegazioni delle Chiese ortodosse di Costantinopoli e Mosca

Katholikentag vom 21. bis. 25. Mai in Osnabrück

Here I am again

Hi, there, Euroblessings fan(s), however few you may be. Unfortunately I have had to put Euroblessings on the back burner for several months. But here I am again - at least for the time being - with some updates.

Yes, Reinhard Marx did become archbishop of Munich, no surprise there, but he didn't manage his hoped-for "promotion" to president of the German bishops' conference a couple of months later. In a run-off election he lost to Archbishop Robert Zollitsch of Freiburg,


a more liberal theologian in the vein of predecessor Kardinal Karl Lehmann of Mainz.

Der Spiegel wrote:

Es war eine kleine Überraschung: Statt den Überflieger Reinhard Marx ins Amt zu heben, entschieden sich Deutschlands Bischöfe bei der Wahl ihres Vorsitzenden dafür, die Ära Lehmann fortzusetzen - unter Robert Zollitsch. ...

Zollitsch ist mit seinen 69 Jahren gerade einmal zwei Jahre jünger als Karl Lehmann, dessen Amt er am kommenden Montag übernehmen wird. Lehmann war aus gesundheitlichen Gründen zurückgetreten. ...

Dabei hätte so mancher einiges darauf verwettet, dass Reinhard Marx, der derzeitige Überflieger des deutschen Katholizismus, die Lehmann-Nachfolge antreten würde. Marx siedelte gerade erst von Trier nach München über und übernahm dort als Erzbischof eine der wichtigsten deutschen Diözesen. Mit seinen 54 Jahren ist er nur unwesentlich älter, als es Lehmann bei seinem Amtsantritt als Vorsitzender der Bischofskonferenz vor über 20 Jahren war. ...

Marx gilt als besonders ehrgeizig - manchen vielleicht als zu ehrgeizig. Schließlich erwartet man in der katholischen Kirche auch von dem obersten Hirten vor allem eines: Demut. So könnte ein Beweggrund der Bischöfe der Gedanke gewesen sein, Marx möge sich erst einmal in seine neuen Ämter als Erzbischof und als Vorsitzender der Bayerischen Bischofskonferenz einarbeiten. ...

Einen Paradigmenwechsel im deutschen Katholizismus wird es mit Zollitsch nicht geben. Nach seiner Wahl betonte der Bischof, dass es ihm vor allem um Kontinuität im Amt gehe. Auch die Adjektive, mit denen der künftige Vorsitzende für gewöhnlich beschrieben wird, gleichen jenen, die seinem Vorgänger anhaften: offen, freundlich, verbindend. Und liberal.

So bekannte Zollitsch nach der Wahl auch selbst: "Wir sind uns theologisch und menschlich so nah, dass es schwer sein wird, Unterschiede zu erkennen." Katholische Laien und Jugendliche zeigten sich höchsterfreut. "Sie schickt der Himmel", gratulierte der Bund der Deutschen Katholischen Jugend.

On a lighter note, Reinhard Marx seems to be having a few difficulties in deciding who is his patron. Although he has for some time sported the beard made famous by cousin Karl, he has hesitated to add the hammer and sickle to his new coat of arms, opting instead for the lion of St. Mark's!!

Bishop Marx of Trier rumoured to be new Archbishop of Munich

Reliable sources are naming the current ordinary of Trier, Germany, Bishop Reinhard Marx, as the new man for Pope Benedict's old see of Munich and Freising, following the resignation of Cardinal Wetter at the beginning of the year.


Associated Press wrote:

Der Trierer Bischof Reinhard Marx soll Medienberichten zufolge neuer Erzbischof von München werden. Die offizielle Bestätigung der Ernennung durch Papst Benedikt XVI. stehe kurz bevor, berichtete die katholische Würzburger «Tagespost» (Donnerstagausgabe) unter Berufung auf römische und deutsche Kirchenkreise.

Die bayerische Staatskanzlei bestätigte am Mittwoch, dass es vom Vatikan einen Vorschlag für die Nachfolge von Kardinal Friedrich Wetter gebe, der in Kürze 80 Jahre wird. Das Landeskabinett ermächtigte Ministerpräsident Günther Beckstein, die laut Konkordat erforderliche Stellungnahme der Staatsregierung ohne weitere Rücksprache in den nächsten Tagen nach Rom übermitteln zu lassen. Namen nannte Regierungssprecher Michael Ziegler aber nicht. Zuvor hatte die «Süddeutsche Zeitung» berichtet, Marx solle Wetters Nachfolger werden.

Der 54-jährige Westfale Marx gilt als einer der profiliertesten deutschen Kirchenführer. Der ehemalige Professor für christliche Gesellschaftslehre ist in den vergangenen Jahren immer wieder für die Interessen von Arbeitslosen und sozial Benachteiligten eingetreten. Marx ist im Umgang mit Medien erfahren und vertritt seine Positionen auch in Talkshows. In der Deutschen Bischofskonferenz leitet er die Kommission für gesellschaftliche und soziale Fragen. Marx ist seit Ostern 2002 Bischof von Trier.

Der Sprecher des Erzbistums München, Winfried Röhmel, sagte, die Entscheidung treffe der Papst: «Wir beteiligen uns nicht an Gerüchten.» Auch der Trierer Bistumssprecher Stephan Kronenburg lehnte eine Stellungnahme ab.

"Unser Bischof" wird Bischof von Limburg

Münsteraner Weihbischof Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst, Regionalbischof für den Kreis Steinfurt, wo ich wohne, ist gestern zum neuen Bischof von Limburg und Nachfolger von Franz Kamphaus ernannt worden. Wie sein Vorgänger stammt er aus dem Bistum Münster, einer traditionellen "Schmiede" für Bischöfe anderer Diözesen (in den letzten 40 Jahren zählen, außer Limburg, die Erzbistümer Köln und Hamburg, sowie die Bistümer Aachen, Hildesheim, Osnabrück, Trier dazu).

Associated Press schreibt:

Unterdessen hat der Vatikan die Nachfolge des im Februar aus dem Amt geschiedenen Limburger Bischofs Franz Kamphaus geregelt. Das Bistum bekommt mit dem 48-jährigen Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst den jüngsten deutschen Bischof. Das Limburger Domkapitel hatte den Münsteraner Weihbischof am vergangenen Samstag aus einer dreiköpfigen Vorschlagsliste des Vatikans ausgewählt. Papst Benedikt bestätigte die Wahl am Mittwoch.

Tebartz-van Elst sagte in Münster, er habe «das starke und glaubwürdige Zeugnis» von Bischof Kamphaus über viele Jahre in Limburg verfolgt. Dabei habe er nicht geahnt, dass er eines Tages in dessen Fußstapfen treten würde. Der künftige Bischof sagte, seine neue Aufgabe werde einen Brückenbau verlangen zwischen Bewährtem und Neuem, zwischen Aufbruch und Umbruch. Ausdrücklich bekannte sich Tebartz-van Elst zum ökumenischen Dialog. Als besondere Stärke des neuen Bischofs gilt die Pastoraltheologie, die sich mit Fragen der Seelsorge befasst.

Der Vorsitzende der Deutschen Bischofskonferenz, Kardinal Karl Lehmann, bezeichnete die Ernennung des 48-Jährigen als Überraschung. Er sei erfreut, dass mit Tebartz-van Elst der Kreis der deutschen Bischöfe nicht nur verjüngt, sondern auch um einen namhaften praktischen Theologen ergänzt werde.

Tebartz-van Elst wurde am 20. November 1959 als Kind einer Bauernfamilie im Wallfahrtsort Kevelaer geboren. Nach der Priesterweihe 1985 arbeitete er zunächst als Kaplan, bevor er seine Studien in den USA fortsetzte. 2002 wurde er zunächst Professor in Passau, ein Jahr später Weihbischof in Münster.

Summary in English: The diocese of Limburg, Germany, has its second bishop in a row from Münster. My own regional (auxiliary) bishop, Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst, has been appointed successor of the widely respected outspoken bishop Franz Kamphaus, who himself was director ("Regens") of the seminary in Münster before becoming bishop.

Ecumenism is theme of pre-consistory meeting of cardinals

At the meeting of cardinals called by the pope for the day before the public consistory of November 24th, at which 23 new cardinals were created, the topic of discussion chosen by His Holiness was ecumenism, particularly in light of the recent statement of the joint Catholic-Orthodox theological commission, which deliberated in Ravenna (Oct. 8th - 14th) on collegiality and authority in the Church.

According to a press communique of the Vatican:

L’incontro di preghiera e di riflessione del S. Padre con i Cardinali si è aperto questa mattina alle 9.30 con la recita dell’Ora Terza.

Dopo il saluto del Cardinale Decano Angelo Sodano, ha preso la parola il Santo Padre che ha brevemente introdotto il tema della giornata da lui scelto, cioè il dialogo ecumenico alla luce della preghiera e del mandato del Signore: Ut unum sint.

Il Papa ha anche rivolto un particolare augurio al Cardinale Decano in occasione del suo 80° genetliaco ringraziandolo per il suo fedele servizio.

Nella relazione introduttiva il Card. Walter Kasper, Presidente del Pontificio Consiglio per l’unione dei cristiani, ha tracciato a grandi linee il quadro attuale del dialogo e dei rapporti ecumenici, distinguendo tre ambiti principali:
1. I rapporti con le antiche Chiese orientali e le Chiese ortodosse.
2. I rapporti con le Comunità ecclesiali nate dalla Riforma del XVI secolo
3. I rapporti con i movimenti carismatici e pentecostali sviluppatisi soprattutto nel secolo scorso.

La relazione ha presentato i risultati conseguiti in ognuno di questi campi, descrivendo il cammino compiuto finora ed i problemi aperti.

Nel successivo dibattito, si è avuto un ampio scambio di esperienze e di opinioni, che ha rispecchiato la varietà delle situazioni. Sono intervenuti 17 cardinali e sono stati toccati problemi diversi tra cui l’impegno ecumenico comune dei cristiani nel campo sociale e caritativo e nel difendere i valori morali nelle trasformazioni delle società moderne.

In particolare la dottrina sociale della Chiesa e la sua attuazione sono state indicate come uno dei campi più promettenti per l’ecumenismo. Si è parlato dell’impegno di proseguire la "purificazione della memoria" e di usare forme di comunicazione attente a non ferire la sensibilità degli altri cristiani.

Si è suggerito un approfondimento delle possibilità degli sviluppi ecumenici.

Sono stati evocati eventi recenti molto significativi come la Assemblea ecumenica di Sibiu, l’incontro ecumenico ed interreligioso di Napoli, il viaggio del Patriarca di Mosca Alessio II a Parigi, i grandi raduni ecumenici dei movimenti ecclesiali a Stoccarda.
...
L’incontro di preghiera e riflessione del Santo Padre con i Cardinali è proseguito nel pomeriggio alle 17 con la recita del Vespro e poi con nuovi interventi dei porporati. In totale si sono avuti 16 interventi.

Sul tema dell’ecumenismo sono stati toccati ancora argomenti quali la collaborazione fra i cristiani di diverse confessioni per la difesa della famiglia nella società e negli ordinamenti giuridici, e anche l’importanza dell’ecumenismo spirituale e dei rapporti personali con i fedeli e le autorità delle altre confessioni cristiane.

Alcuni interventi si sono occupati delle relazioni con gli ebrei e con l’Islam. Si è parlato del segno incoraggiante rappresentato dalla lettera delle 138 personalità musulmane e della visita del Re dell’Arabia Saudita al Santo Padre.
...
Dopo una breve risposta del Card. Walter Kasper su alcuni punti particolari, ha preso la parola il Santo Padre per un intervento riassuntivo conclusivo, in cui ha anche ringraziato i porporati per la loro partecipazione e il loro contributo, e ha annunciato la prossima pubblicazione della sua nuova enciclica dedicata alla speranza, in risposta alle attese più profonde dei nostri contemporanei.

There follow some very interesting excerpts from the Ravenna statement mentioned above concerning authority in the universal Church:

...
13. Authority in the Church belongs to Jesus Christ himself, the one Head of the Church (cfr. Eph 1, 22; 5, 23). By his Holy Spirit, the Church as his Body shares in his authority (cfr. Jn 20, 22-23). Authority in the Church has as its goal the gathering of the whole of humankind into Jesus Christ (cfr. Eph 1,10; Jn 11, 52). The authority linked with the grace received in ordination is not the private possession of those who receive it nor something delegated from the community; rather, it is a gift of the Holy Spirit destined for the service (diakonia) of the community and never exercised outside of it. Its exercise includes the participation of the whole community, the bishop being in the Church and the Church in the bishop (cfr. St Cyprian, Ep. 66, 8).

14. The exercise of authority accomplished in the Church, in the name of Christ and by the power of the Holy Spirit, must be, in all its forms and at all levels, a service (diakonia ) of love, as was that of Christ (cfr. Mk 10, 45; Jn 13, 1-16). The authority of which we are speaking, since it expresses divine authority, cannot subsist in the Church except in the love between the one who exercises it and those subject to it. It is, therefore, an authority without domination, without physical or moral coercion. ...

...
32. Each local Church is in communion not only with neighbouring Churches, but with the totality of the local Churches, with those now present in the world, those which have been since the beginning, and those which will be in the future, and with the Church already in glory. According to the will of Christ, the Church is one and indivisible, the same always and in every place. Both sides confess, in the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed, that the Church is one and catholic. Its catholicity embraces not only the diversity of human communities but also their fundamental unity.

...
35. In the course of history, when serious problems arose affecting the universal communion and concord between Churches -- in regard either to the authentic interpretation of the faith, or to ministries and their relationship to the whole Church, or to the common discipline which fidelity to the Gospel requires -- recourse was made to Ecumenical Councils. These Councils were ecumenical not just because they assembled together bishops from all regions and particularly those of the five major sees, Rome, Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch and Jerusalem, according to the ancient order (taxis). It was also because their solemn doctrinal decisions and their common faith formulations, especially on crucial points, are binding for all the Churches and all the faithful, for all times and all places. This is why the decisions of the Ecumenical Councils remain normative.

...
39. Unlike diocesan and regional synods, an ecumenical council is not an "institution" whose frequency can be regulated by canons; it is rather an "event", a kairos inspired by the Holy Spirit who guides the Church so as to engender within it the institutions which it needs and which respond to its nature. This harmony between the Church and the councils is so profound that, even after the break between East and West which rendered impossible the holding of ecumenical councils in the strict sense of the term, both Churches continued to hold councils whenever serious crises arose. These councils gathered together the bishops of local Churches in communion with the See of Rome or, although understood in a different way, with the See of Constantinople, respectively. In the Roman Catholic Church, some of these councils held in the West were regarded as ecumenical. This situation, which obliged both sides of Christendom to convoke councils proper to each of them, favoured dissentions which contributed to mutual estrangement. The means which will allow the re-establishment of ecumenical consensus must be sought out.

...
41. Both sides agree that this canonical taxis was recognised by all in the era of the undivided Church. Further, they agree that Rome, as the Church that "presides in love" according to the phrase of St Ignatius of Antioch (To the Romans, Prologue), occupied the first place in the taxis, and that the bishop of Rome was therefore the protos among the patriarchs. They disagree, however, on the interpretation of the historical evidence from this era regarding the prerogatives of the bishop of Rome as protos, a matter that was already understood in different ways in the first millennium.

42. Conciliarity at the universal level, exercised in the ecumenical councils, implies an active role of the bishop of Rome, as protos of the bishops of the major sees, in the consensus of the assembled bishops. Although the bishop of Rome did not convene the ecumenical councils of the early centuries and never personally presided over them, he nevertheless was closely involved in the process of decision-making by the councils.

43. Primacy and conciliarity are mutually interdependent. That is why primacy at the different levels of the life of the Church, local, regional and universal, must always be considered in the context of conciliarity, and conciliarity likewise in the context of primacy.

Concerning primacy at the different levels, we wish to affirm the following points:

1 Primacy at all levels is a practice firmly grounded in the canonical tradition of the Church.

2 While the fact of primacy at the universal level is accepted by both East and West, there are differences of understanding with regard to the manner in which it is to be exercised, and also with regard to its scriptural and theological foundations.

...
45. It remains for the question of the role of the bishop of Rome in the communion of all the Churches to be studied in greater depth. What is the specific function of the bishop of the "first see" in an ecclesiology of koinônia and in view of what we have said on conciliarity and authority in the present text? How should the teaching of the first and second Vatican councils on the universal primacy be understood and lived in the light of the ecclesial practice of the first millennium? These are crucial questions for our dialogue and for our hopes of restoring full communion between us.

Beatificación de 498 mártires españoles

On October 28th 498 Spanish martyrs were declared blessed in a controversial beatification ceremony in Rome. These Catholics lost their lives at the hands of republican militia before and during the Spanish civil war. The controversy arose because of the ambivalent role of the Catholic church in the 1930's when leading church figures supported General Franco's fascist putsch.

The Neue Zürcher Zeitung comments:

Auf dem Petersplatz in Rom hat am Sonntagvormittag nicht nur die bisher grösste, sondern, wie selbst Radio Vatikan feststellte, auch eine der umstrittensten Seligsprechungen stattgefunden. Es wurden 498 Märtyrer gewürdigt, die in den Jahren 1934 bis 1937, das heisst kurz vor und während des Spanischen Bürgerkriegs, von republikanischen Milizen aus «Hass auf den (katholischen) Glauben» ermordet worden waren. An der von Kardinal José Saraiva Martins in Vertretung des Papstes auf Spanisch zelebrierten Seligsprechung beteiligten sich Zehntausende von Pilgern aus Spanien sowie alle Bischöfe dieses Landes.

Die Regierung Zapatero war der Seligsprechung zumindest mit kritischem Misstrauen begegnet, da die Kirche einst den Militärputsch Francos gerechtfertigt hatte und in Spanien nun endlich auch ein Gesetz zur Rehabilitierung von Opfern der damaligen Militärherrschaft verabschiedet werden soll. Allerdings schickte Zapatero dann doch seinen Aussenminister zur Seligsprechung. Kardinal Martins, der Präfekt der Kongregation für Selig- und Heiligsprechungen, hatte auch immer wieder geltend gemacht, dass die Erhebung der 498 Märtyrer «gegen niemanden gerichtet» sei, schon gar nicht gegen die gegenwärtige sozialistische Regierung. Die Seligsprechung sei schon vor Jahrzehnten in Gang gesetzt worden. Seit 1987 hat der Vatikan in elf Zeremonien auch bereits andere 479 katholische Bürgerkriegsopfer selig gesprochen.

At the opening of the Spanish Bishops' Conference plenary meeting on 19th November, the President, Bishop Ricardo Blázquez Pérez of Bilbao, made the following statement:

El día 28 de octubre fue un día luminoso por fuera y por dentro; un sol radiante brillaba en la plaza de San Pedro en Roma y un gozo grande llenaba el corazón de los participantes. Fueron beatificados 498 mártires del siglo XX en España; 2 Obispos (Ciudad Real y Cuenca), 24 sacerdotes diocesanos; 462 religiosos y religiosas, 1 diácono, 1 subdiácono, 1 seminarista y 7 laicos. Prácticamente todas las diócesis estaban concernidas de cerca, o porque en ellas nacieron, o porque en sus ámbitos desarrollaron su misión, o porque en ellas dieron el supremo testimonio a nuestro Señor Jesucristo. En consonancia con esta amplitud de lugares de origen, de ejercicio de su vocación y de su amanecer a la vida eterna (el martirio era celebrado en la Iglesia antigua como “dies natalis”), tomaron parte en la celebración casi todos los Obispos de la Conferencia Episcopal Española, mostrando así que la Iglesia local es la “patria de todas las vocaciones”.

... Los historiadores españoles y extranjeros han estudiado mucho y previsiblemente continuarán estudiando lo que aconteció en España en el decenio de los treinta; la bibliografía es abundantísima. Fue un periodo agitado y doloroso de nuestra historia; la convivencia social se rompió hasta tal punto que en guerra fratricida lucharon unos contra otros. Con sus conclusiones los investigadores nos ayudan a comprender hechos y datos, causas y consecuencias; sus interpretaciones, debidamente contratadas, nos acercan con la mayor objetividad posible a la realidad muy compleja. Deseamos que se haga plena luz sobre nuestro pasado: Qué ocurrió, cómo ocurrió, por qué ocurrió, qué consecuencias trajo. Esta aproximación abierta, objetiva y científica evita la pretensión de imponer a la sociedad entera una determinada perspectiva en la comprensión de la historia. La memoria colectiva no se puede fijar selectivamente; es posible que sobre los mismos acontecimientos existan apreciaciones diferentes, que se irán acercando si existe el deseo auténtico de comprender la realidad.

... Pero no es acertado volver al pasado para reabrir heridas, atizar rencores y alimentar desavenencias. Miramos al pasado con el deseo de purificar la memoria, de corregir posibles fallos, de buscar la paz. Recordamos sin ira las etapas anteriores de nuestra historia, sin ánimo de revancha, sino con la disponibilidad de afirmar lo propio y de fomentar al mismo tiempo el respeto a lo diferente, ya que nadie tiene derecho a sofocar los legítimos sentimientos de otro ni a imponerle los propios. La búsqueda de la convivencia en la verdad, la justicia y la libertad debe guiar el ejercicio de la memoria.

... Al recordar la historia nos encontraremos seguramente con hechos que marcaron el tiempo y con personas relevantes. En muchas ocasiones tendremos motivos para dar gracias a Dios por lo que se hizo y por las personas que actuaron; y probablemente en otros momentos ante actuaciones concretas, sin erigirnos orgullosamente en jueces de los demás, debemos pedir perdón y reorientarnos, ya que la “purificación de la memoria”, a que nos invitó Juan Pablo II, implica tanto el reconocimiento de las limitaciones y de los pecados como el cambio de actitud y el propósito de la enmienda. No es casual coincidencia que entre las celebraciones del Año Jubilar adquirieran un sentido peculiar tanto la conmemoración de los testigos de la fe del siglo XX, en el marco incomparable del Coliseo de Roma, como la impresionante celebración del perdón el primer domingo de Cuaresma en la basílica de San Pedro, en que el Papa, abrazado a la cruz del Señor, pidió perdón por los pecados de los hijos de la Iglesia.

... La Conferencia Episcopal Española, sintonizando con el espíritu de Juan Pablo II, hizo público poco antes de cruzar el umbral del año 2000 un documento titulado La fidelidad de Dios dura siempre. ... Acción de gracias por los dones recibidos, reconocimiento de nuestros pecados y petición de perdón, y confianza en las promesas de Dios. De aquel documento son las siguientes palabras que pertenecen a la segunda parte: “También España se vio arrastrada a la guerra civil más destructiva de su historia. No queremos señalar culpas de nadie en esta trágica ruptura de la convivencia entre los españoles. Deseamos más bien pedir el perdón de Dios para todos los que se vieron implicados en acciones que el Evangelio reprueba, estuvieran en uno u otro lado de los frentes trazados por la guerra. La sangre de tantos conciudadanos nuestros derramada como consecuencia de odios y venganzas, siempre injustificables, y en el caso de muchos hermanos y hermanas como ofrenda martirial de la fe, sigue clamando al Cielo para pedir la reconciliación y la paz. Que esta petición de perdón nos obtenga del Dios de la paz la luz y la fuerza necesarias para saber rechazar siempre la violencia y la muerte como medio de resolución de las diferencias políticas y sociales” (n. 14). Debemos estudiar la historia para conocerla siempre mejor; y una vez leídas sus páginas, aprendamos sus principales lecciones: La convivencia de todos en las diversidades legítimas, la afirmación de la propia identidad de manera no agresiva sino respetuosa de otras, la colaboración entre todos los ciudadanos para construir la casa común sobre los cimientos de la justicia, de la libertad y de la paz. Recordamos la historia no para enfrentarnos sino para recibir de ella o la corrección por lo que hicimos mal o el ánimo para proseguir en la senda acertada. ...

Neuer Nuntius für Deutschland

Der neue deutsche Nuntius, Erzbischof Jean-Claude Périsset, war an diesem Freitag beim Papst. Am Christkönigsfest, dem 25. November, begrüßt Kardinal Georg Sterzinsky den gebürtigen Schweizer in der Berliner Hedwigs-Kathedrale. Périsset tritt die Nachfolge von Erzbischof Erwin Josef Ender an, der zum 30. September in den Ruhestand ging. Der neue Vatikanbotschafter in Deutschland war bislang Nuntius in Rumänien und Moldawien, Benedikt XVI. hatte ihn am 15. Oktober für Berlin ernannt. „Für unser Land sind auch die ökumenischen Erfahrungen, die Sie im Lauf Ihres Lebens gewinnen konnten, von großer Bedeutung“, hatte Kardinal Karl Lehmann im Glückwunschschreiben für die Deutsche Bischofskonferenz betont.

Archbishop Jean-Claude Périsset is to be the new papal nunzio in Germany.

Marini goes, Marini comes

Papal MCs since 1947:

Enrico Dante 1947 - 1967 (on left)

Virgilio Noè 1967 - 1982

John Magee 1982 - 1987

Piero Marini 1987 - 2007

Guido Marini 2007 -

The National Catholic Reporter wrote:

Vatican's top liturgical liberal steps down

By JOHN L. ALLEN JR.
New York

In a noteworthy change of personnel, if not of surname, the Vatican announced today that Monsignor Guido Marini will replace Archbishop Piero Marini as the pope’s Master of Ceremonies, meaning the official in charge of how the pope celebrates the Mass and the other rites of the church.

The outgoing Marini was long seen as a more permissive counterpart to the strong traditionalism at the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, the Vatican’s policy-setting agency on liturgical matters. Experts have noted the irony that large-scale papal liturgies organized on Marini’s watch are sometimes more innovative than a strict reading of official policy might permit.

The new Marini, according to Italian observers, does not bring a sharply defined ideological profile into his new position. Though he served as the master of ceremonies in the Genoa archdiocese for both Cardinals Dionigi Tettamanzi and Tarcisio Bertone (today the Vatican’s Secretary of State), Guido Marini, 42, has an academic background in canon law and spirituality rather than liturgy.

Sources close to Piero Marini said ... that the timing of Marini’s departure may be linked to the recent decision by Pope Benedict XVI to liberalize permission for the Latin Mass in use prior to the Second Vatican Council (1962-65). Although Marini never took a public position on the move, it’s widely known that he has expressed reservations in private. Since it is taken for granted in Rome that Benedict XVI will himself celebrate a Mass according to the old rite in St. Peter’s Basilica sometime soon, today’s announcement may have been a way to avoid putting Marini in an awkward position when the times comes.

One hallmark of Marini’s liturgical outlook is an openness to inculturation, or allowing the ritual practice of the church to he shaped by local cultures. That’s something Marini said in a 2003 interview that was lacking in the pre-Vatican II Mass.

“It was the liturgical expression of the countries of the Mediterranean Basin,” he said. “With the separation of the Protestants, also in France, what remained was Spain, Italy, Austria … the church had been reduced to something relatively small. But with the New World, Latin America and the various missions in Africa and Asia, it was necessary to open this liturgy that had been closed to the new peoples. That happened with the Second Vatican Council and with the trips of the pope.”

One illustrative flashpoint is liturgical dance. The Congregation for Divine Worship officially frowns on dance in the liturgy. In 1975 it issued a document titled Dance in the Liturgy, which concluded, “[Dance] cannot be introduced into liturgical celebrations of any kind whatever. That would be to inject into the liturgy one of the most desacralized and desacralizing elements; and so it would be equivalent to creating an atmosphere of profaneness which would easily recall to those present and to the participants in the celebration worldly places and situations.”

In 1998, the congregation wrote to the bishop of Honolulu to ban the use of hula dancing in any liturgical context, a custom that had become common among Catholics in Hawaii. Yet when John Paul visited Brussels in 1995 for the beatification of Father Damien DeVeuster, the famous saint of the Hawaiian lepers, a hula dance was performed smack in the middle of the ceremony.

For those who know Marini’s style, it was hardly a surprise. Anyone who has ever attended a major papal liturgy, such as a World Youth Day Mass or a major canonization Mass, has seen enough dance to remind them of Broadway production numbers. During the World Youth Day Mass in Rome in the summer of 2000, for example, a troupe of young dancers bearing flags with different colors representing the different continents was one of the highlights of the event.

In Mexico in 2002 when John Paul II canonized Juan Diego, native Aztec dancers gyrated down a walkway towards the pope in the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe as native music blared forth. The next day, when the pope beatified a pair of Mayan martyrs in the same spot, another native song-and-dance routine was performed. This time there was the further twist of a limpia, or purification, ceremony. The Indian blessing is believed to cure spiritual and physical ailments by driving off evil spirits. Indian women bearing smoking pots of incense brushed herbs on the pontiff, Mexico City Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera and other prelates as the dancing unfolded.

In effect, these indigenous dancers exorcized the pope. Although the choice generated controversy both in Mexico and in Rome, Marini defended the use of such an indigenous ritual within a Catholic framework.

“We discussed it a great deal here in this office with the responsible parties from the local church,” Marini said in 2003. “I spoke with the bishop. At the beginning, I have to say I was against using this rite, which not even they seemed to understand very well. Obviously our penitential act is one thing, their expression is another. But we continued talking, and in the end this was not during the Eucharistic celebration, and the bishop wanted the rite at any cost.”

“It was important as a sign of respect for the indigenous, but it’s also a matter of liturgical history,” Marini said. “Often rites that were not originally Christian have been ‘Christianized.’ If the indigenous have this rite, it can with time take on a Christian meaning concerning the purification of sins. Just as we use holy water, which for us recalls the waters of baptism, forgiveness of sins and the resurrection, so for them this element of smoke can have a sense of liberation and forgiveness. This is the reason for which we at the end agreed to insert this element.”

The following is taken from an interview given by the new Papal MC to the Italian online magazine "Petrus":

Monsignore, zuerst herzlich willkommen, und alles Gute.

Msgr. Marini: Herzlichen Dank für die guten Wünsche - ich kann sie brauchen. Sie wissen ja, ich bin erst seit ganz kurzem in Rom, ich schaue mich um, ich lerne, ich denke: Es ist so viel zu tun, schwer zu arbeiten, das können Sie mir glauben.

So kommen wir also von dem einen Marini zu dem anderen - was sagen sie zu Piero, Ihrem Vorgänger?

Msgr. Marini: Ich danke ihm von Herzen. Er hat der Kirche viel gegeben, er hat zwei Päpsten gedient, und ich stehe erst am Anfang meines Weges.

Sie haben eine schwere Aufgabe übernommen...

Msgr. Marini: Ganz bestimmt. Das Leben jedes Zeremonienmeisters des Heiligen Vaters ist voller Probleme. Wir stehen im Rampenlicht, wir können uns nicht den Luxius erlauben, große Fehler zu machen.

Viele haben gesagt, daß Sie hierhin berufen worden sind, weil Sie liturgisch traditioneller und nüchterner sind als Erzbischof Piero Marini. Was ist denn Ihre Vorstellung von der Liturgie?

Msgr. Marini: Sie ist so, wie die Kirche sie haben will und sie lehrt, nicht mehr, und nicht weniger. Ich bin nicht der Typ, der auf Neuerungen und Besonderheiten aus ist. Ich mag sogar banal erscheinen, aber die Liturgie - das ist Respekt gegenüber den von der Kirche erlassenen Regeln, und ich sehe keinen Grund, warum ich ihnen nicht gehorsam sein sollte.

Man sagt, daß die Liturgie in Genua, wo sie bisher tätig waren, sehr gepflegt wird, nüchtern, aber elegant, ohne bizarre Ausschmückungen...

Msgr. Marini: Aber das ist doch das Wesen der Liturgie. Ich wiederholde das: Niemand kann gegen das Gesetz der Liturgie der Kirche handeln. Die Messe ist ein Geschenk, eine Gnade, keine Vorstellung. Daher: keine Erfindung, sondern vollständige Achtung vor den liturgischen Regeln.

Papst Benedikt XVI ist nicht nur ein großer Theologe, sondern auch ein Liturgiker von Rang. Er schreibt der korrekt ausgeführten Liturgie eine vornehme Signifikanz zu...

Msgr. Marini: Mit dem hl. Vater zusammenzuarbeiten ist für mich ein Geschenk. Die Volkstümlichkeit des Papstes, seine Predigt von Wahrheit und Mut sind für alle sichtbar. In Bezug auf die Lturgie stimme ich voll mit der Hauptaussage des Papstes überein: Die Messe ist ein Opfer.

Gibt es ihrer Meinung nach auch in der jüngeren Zeit liturgische Mißbräuche?

Msgr. Marini: Sie wissen ja - die Kirche ist groß. Aber wie der Papst selbst in seinem Begleitbrief zu „Summorum Pontificum“ anerkannt hat, hat es Mißbräuche und extravagante Interpretationen gegeben. Was ich mit Sicherheit sagen kann, ist, daß ich nicht der Urheber irgendwelcher Machwerke sein werde. Ich werde mich darauf beschränken, die bestehenden Regeln gewissenhaft anzuwenden.

Bei der Gelegenheit: Was halten Sie von dem Motu Proprio, mit dem der Papst die Messe im tridentinischen Ritus freigegeben hat?

Msgr. Marini: Ich stimme dem Motu Proprio hundertprozentig zu. Es ist ein Akt der Vernunft, der Gerechtigkeit, der Liberalität und der Fürsorge.

Episcopal Appointments in September and October

The Italians are in the majority again in September and October:

Two archbishops were appointed (Mons. Francesco Brugnaro to Camerino-San Severino Marche






and Mons. Fabio D'Onorio O.S.B., formerly abbot of the Benedictine monastery of Montecassino, to Gaeta)













and two further ordinaries

(Mons. Carlo Mazza becomes bishop of Fidenza


(Bishop Mazza was until recently the bishops' spokesman for sport and chaplain of the Italian olympic teams; here he is with two olympic swimmers:

and so it is particularly painful to see him on his way to hospital with a broken pelvis shortly after his installation as bishop)



and Mons. Simone Giusti bishop of Livorno),



whilst Mons. Giovanni Tonucci has been named prelate of the sanctuary of Loreto.

















An auxiliary bishop has also been appointed for Naples (Mons. Antonio di Donna).












... followed closely by the French:
Mons. Armand Maillard was appointed archbishop of Bourges,



Mons. Michel Santier bishop of Créteil, near Paris



and a new auxiliary was named for Toulouse, Mons. Hervé Gaschignard.



In Ireland Fr. Séamus Freeman SAC was named bishop of Ossory,
















and in Iceland Mons. Pierre Bürcher became bishop of Reykjavik.





Then there was some movement in the East of Europe:
The former ordinary of Mother of God (Latin) archdiocese in Moscow (Mons. Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz) has been transferred to Minsk-Mohilev,



and Mons. Paolo Pezzi FSCB has been appointed in his stead.



The appointment of two young bishops for the Greek Catholic Church of Romania has been approved by the Pope (Fr. Mihai Catalin Fratila as an auxiliary for the Archeparchy of Fagaras and Alba Iulia,



and Fr. Vasile Bizau for the Curia of the Major Archbishop).

Vingt-Trois est le nouveau numéro Un

At the plenary meeting of the French bishops in Lourdes Archbishop (soon to be Cardinal) André Vingt-Trois of Paris (centre) was elected president of the French Bishops' Conference.

L’Assemblée plénière des évêques de France a élu président de la Conférence des Evêques Mgr André Vingt-Trois, l’archevêque de Paris. André Vingt-Trois prend la suite de Mgr Jean-Pierre Ricard, qui a effectué deux mandats de trois ans à ce poste, la durée maximum.

La coutume veut en général qu’un des deux vice-présidents en poste occupe ensuite le poste de président. Ce n’est pas le cas aujourd’hui. Les deux vice-présidents, dont Mgr Papin, évêque de Nancy et Toul, qui pouvait prétendre à un second mandat, sont également remplacés. Mgr Laurent Ulrich, archevêque de Chambéry, évêque de Maurienne et Tarentaise, et Mgr Hippolyte Simon, archevêque de Clermont, les remplacent.

Mgr André Vingt-Trois, qui sera officiellement fait cardinal le 24 novembre à Rome, a déjà un long CV au sein de la Conférence des évêques de France. Il a été membre de la Commission épiscopale pour le Renouveau de 1988 à 1996, membre du Comité permanent pour l’information et la communication de 1988 à 1997 et membre du Comité permanent pour les affaires économiques de 1997 à 1999, il a été président de la Commission de la famille de 1998 à 2005. Il est membre du Conseil Permanent depuis mars 2005.

(Le Figaro)

et Nicolas SENEZE écrit dans La Croix d'un:

Changement de style à la tête de l'Église de France. La rondeur méridionale du cardinal Jean-Pierre Ricard, archevêque de Bordeaux, laisse la place au flegme ironique de Mgr André Vingt-Trois, archevêque de Paris, élu dimanche 4 novembre au soir à Lourdes.

Donné favori, Mgr Vingt-Trois n'était pourtant pas assuré a priori des deux tiers des voix nécessaires à son élection.

Certains s'inqiétaient de la place que Paris pourrait prendre dans l'Église de France. La rapidité apparente de l'élection montre que les évêques n'ont pas voulu s'arrêter sur ce point.

Évêques de France : élection à Lourdes du nouveau président

This excerpt from an article on the website of Le Figaro names the archbishops of Marseille and Paris as the two most likely "Presidentabili":

Les noms des archevêques de Paris et de Marseille sont cités parmi les élus potentiels.

Une tendance, plus qu'une tradition, veut que l'un des vice-présidents - Mgr Jean-Louis Papin de Nancy et Toul ou Mgr Georges Pontier de Marseille - soit installé sur le siège du président.

Mais ce n'est pas systématique. Et tout en étant très loin de l'agitation romaine entourant l'élection d'un pontife, les couloirs des évêchés bruissent d'avis sur l'élection possible de Mgr André Vingt-Trois, tout juste créé cardinal par Benoît XVI. D'autres archevêques de Paris ont déjà cumulé ces fonctions, comme les cardinaux Emmanuel-Célestin Suhard (de 1945 à 1948), Maurice Feltin (de 1964 à 1969) et François Marty (de 1969 à 1975).

Une surprise n'est pas impossible. Mais les évêques en titre - seuls électeurs éligibles - susceptibles de rassembler sur eux les deux tiers des voix de leurs confrères se comptent sur les doigts d'une seule main. Les mandats pour un même poste étant limités à deux, seul Mgr Papin, à Nancy, pourra être réélu vice-président. Le nom du trio gagnant devrait être rendu public mardi matin. Le nouveau président terminera l'assemblée et prononcera le discours de clôture. Seront aussi élus les cinq membres du Conseil permanent et le secrétaire général de la CEF.

Monseignieur Georges PONTIER, Archevêque de Marseille

Monseigneur André VINGT-TROIS, archevêque de Paris

Catholic Gap Year - a new website in the U.K.

This week, the Catholic Church is launching a new website to encourage young Catholics to consider spending their gap-year in a Church-run project. It is the first time that a U.K. religious denomination has collated and published its gap-year opportunities on a single ‘umbrella’ site, seeking to market ‘faith’ as a key factor that young people should consider when choosing a gap-year.

The catholicgapyear.com website, a joint initiative between the Catholic Church’s National Office for Vocation and Catholic Youth Services, aims to provide young Catholics with information about how and where they can spend a gap-year in a faith environment. Its main target-audience is sixth-form and university students. 300 Catholic schools with a sixth-form and each university chaplaincy will receive posters advertising the site.

Given that more and more young people are choosing to take a gap-year before going to university or into work, the Church is keen to encourage young Catholics to spend time volunteering in projects which will help develop their faith and provide them with opportunities for vocational discernment, as well as developing the skills that other forms of gap-year ordinarily provide.

Father Paul Embery, from the Church’s National Office for Vocation said: “We have recognised that many of those who volunteer to work in faith-based environments have their faith nourished whilst they are there and also go on to serve the Church and wider community later in life in many different ways – sometimes even in the priesthood or religious life”.
Projects that young Catholics can apply to join include: residential youth work, sharing a home with physically disabled people and even some projects abroad in less-developed parts of the world.

In fact, many of the organisations listed on the website have offered gap-year opportunities for many years; this is the first time however that they have all been brought together and listed this way on-line. Each year, for example, Catholic youth centres and other peer-ministry projects based in the U.K., need to recruit 100 volunteers to adequately fulfil their projects’ aims and demand from users.

Although the majority of the projects listed on the site are run by Catholic agencies and would be best suited to young Catholics, some are also suitable for those who belong to other denominations and religions.

The Church is also keen to point out that it recognises the value of other forms of gap-year: “We are not saying that young Catholics should only spend their gap-year with the organisations listed on our site; rather we are simply drawing their attention to the opportunities that the Church offers. If they think that a different kind of gap-year will suit their needs better, that’s fine.” said Father Embery. “However we do encourage young adults to think what they can put into society, not just what they can get out of it. All of the projects we list will be challenging and character-building.”

Assemblée plénière des évêques de France

A 9h00 ce matin le cardinal Ricard a ouvert la 45ème assemblée plénière des évêques. Cette assemblée, la seconde en 2007, se tient à Lourdes du 3 au 8 novembre.

Au programme de l'Assemblée plénière : échanges et travail sur les thèmes « Ministère des prêtres et vie des communautés chrétiennes », « Catholiques et musulmans dans la France d’aujourd’hui » et « La formation des futurs prêtres », interventions des responsables du Secours catholique et du Comité catholique contre la faim et pour le Développement (CCFD), et du secrétaire général de l’Enseignement catholique. Au cours de cette Assemblée, les évêques éliront le successeur du cardinal Jean-Pierre Ricard, et les deux vice-présidents.

L'Assemblée de novembre 2007 rassemble 110 évêques des diocèses de France en exercice (métropole et DOM), 16 cardinaux et évêques émérites (en retraite), des évêques des territoires d’outre-mer (3), le nonce apostolique (représentant le Pape en France). 11 évêques représentant des conférences épiscopales étrangères, les directeurs des services nationaux de la Conférence des évêques des France, les responsables des conférences des religieux et religieuses, ainsi que des représentants d’autres confessions chrétiennes assistent également à l’Assemblée plénière.

Patriarche Alexis II à Paris

I hope you will forgive me for forgetting to report about the historic visit of Patriarch Alexej II of Moscow to Strasbourg and Paris on 3rd October 2007, hopefully paving the way for a meeting between Pope Benedict XVI and the Patriarch.

Le cardinal Jean-Pierre Ricard a reçu Alexis II, primat de l’Église orthodoxe russe, à déjeuner mercredi 3 octobre à la Maison de la Conférence des évêques de France, avenue de Breteuil.

Ce déjeuner a réuni 26 responsables orthodoxes, catholiques et protestants parmi lequels le Métropolite Cyrille de Smolensk et de Kaliningrad, Monseigneur Innocenti, le Cardinal Philippe Barbarin, archevêque de Lyon, le Cardinal Roger Etchegaray, président émérite des Conseils pontificaux Justice et paix et Cor Unum, Monseigneur André Vingt-Trois, archevêque de Paris, Monseigneur Maurice Gardès, archevêque d’Auch, Président du Conseil pour l’Unité des Chrétiens et les relations avec le judaïsme, le Pasteur Claude Baty, président de la Fédération protestante de France, Monseigneur Emmanuel, Président de l’Assemblée des Evêques orthodoxes de France, le Pasteur Jean-Arnold de Clermont, président de la Conférence des Eglises européennes, Frère Aloïs, de la Communauté de Taizé.

Lors de son allocution de bienvenue, le cardinal Ricard a présenté les cardinaux et évêques catholiques, rappelant leur engagement œcuménique. A ce sujet, il a évoqué la création, il y a 20 ans, du Conseil d’Eglises chrétiennes en France « lieu de rencontre fraternelle, de découverte mutuelle et de témoignage commun ». « Nous cherchons, en effet, à voir comment témoigner en tant qu’Eglises chrétiennes face aux multiples problèmes et défis qui se présentent dans notre société » a-t-il ajouté, remerciant de leur présence le Pasteur Claude Baty, président de la Fédération Protestante de France, Mgr Emmanuel, président de l’Assemblée des évêques orthodoxes de France, tout deux co-présidents du Conseil, le Pasteur Jean-Arnold de Clermont, co-président sortant et président de la Conférence des Eglises européennes.

Le cardinal Ricard a souligné les liens entre Eglises catholique et orthodoxe russe : « Ces liens existent et ils sont anciens (…). Aujourd’hui, dans le respect, la bienveillance et l’estime mutuelle, nous pouvons partager les fruits spirituels de renouveau dans la foi et de dynamisme évangélique que l’Esprit saint ne cesse de faire croître dans chacune de nos Eglises ».

Evoquant la « mission commune », il a rappelé l’importance de « témoigner aujourd’hui de la Bonne nouvelle de l’Evangile à des hommes, des femmes, des jeunes et des enfants qui ne la connaissent pas, que ce soit en Russie, en France ou dans la plupart des pays d’Europe ». Enfin il a appelé de ses vœux une réflexion commune sur « ce qui rend une société plus humaine ou au contraire la déshumanise » : « Catholiques et orthodoxes russes ont élaboré, chacun, une doctrine sociale*.Dans une société européenne marquée par un phénomène profond de sécularisation et où l’idéologie de la consommation risque d’oublier que « l’homme ne vit pas que de pain mais de toute parole qui sort de la bouche de Dieu », il nous faut témoigner ensemble de la dimension transcendante et sacrée de toute personne humaine, de l’importance de la solidarité et de la destination universelle des biens ».

Alors que les Eglises chrétiennes ont rappelé quelle responsabilité les chrétiens devaient assumer dans l’édification de l’Europe lors de la dernière Assemblée œcuménique européenne de Sibiu, le cardinal Ricard a souligné que si l’on avait raison de parler des racines chrétiennes de l’Europe, il ne fallait pas en parler, seulement en termes historiques ou patrimoniaux, c’est-à-dire en référence au passé. « Il est important de montrer par l’engagement de tous les chrétiens et de toutes les Eglises que ces racines, aujourd’hui, sont sources de vie et peuvent porter beaucoup de fruits ».

Il a terminé son discours en exprimant le vœu d’une rencontre entre le patriarche Alexis II et Benoît XVI. « Celle-ci pourrait être, non pas forcément le point d’aboutissement d’un long processus de clarification préalable, même si des points doivent, de fait, auparavant être abordés, mais le point de départ commun d’une longue marche à parcourir ensemble au service de Dieu et au service tous les hommes, aimés de Dieu. Puisse votre voyage en France contribuer à impulser cette dynamique de la fraternité. Nous sommes prêts à nous y engager avec vous ».

En fin de journée Monseigneur André Vingt-Trois a accueilli le patriarche Alexis II dans la cathédrale Notre Dame de Paris, pour y prier au cours d’une célébration solennelle devant les reliques de la Passion.

André Dupleix, secrétaire général adjoint de la conférence des évêques de France écrit:

La visite en France du patriarche Alexis II – primat de l’Eglise orthodoxe russe, avec le titre de patriarche de Moscou et de toute la Russie – est un événement dont nous ne pouvons minimiser l’importance.

Cette visite était déjà souhaitée par lui, dans le cadre de ses déplacements au sein des diocèses de l’Eglise orthodoxe russe. Le diocèse de Chersonèse se trouvant en France, cela coïncidait avec la double invitation du Président de l’Assemblée parlementaire du Conseil de l’Europe à Strasbourg et du Président de la Conférence des évêques de France, le cardinal Ricard. Il est toutefois à noter que c’est la première fois qu’un primat de l’Eglise orthodoxe russe répond directement à l’invitation de la hiérarchie d’une Eglise catholique.

Est-ce surprenant ? Dans le contexte actuel, certainement pas. Et cela pour deux raisons. En inversant l’ordre probable de certains observateurs de notre histoire immédiate, je placerai la raison religieuse avant la raison politique, même si elles sont difficilement dissociables.
Nous ne mesurons pas assez la place importante de la tradition orthodoxe – jusque dans sa diversité – dans le développement du christianisme. L’un des « deux poumons », oriental et occidental, selon l’expression chère à Jean-Paul II, qui nous permettent de respirer. Les relations œcuméniques qui se sont développées depuis le Concile Vatican II nous ont appris à dépasser – certes, non sans difficulté - certains contentieux historiques, pour être témoins du même Christ. Et cela sans que les différences culturelles ou de tradition soient nécessairement des obstacles. En ce sens, nos liens avec l’actuel patriarcat œcuménique de Constantinople et l’archevêque Bartholomée 1er ne nous ont pas distanciés pour autant du patriarcat de Moscou et d’Alexis II.

Mais la raison politique n’est pas très éloignée et ne s’oppose pas nécessairement à la responsabilité spirituelle qu’ont maintenue, jusque dans les contextes les plus troublés – à ne pas juger trop vite sans discernement nécessaire – les chefs de ces Eglises sœurs mais tenant à leur singularité. Alexis II a rappelé, au nom de sa propre mission, les valeurs fondamentales du christianisme, qui ne doivent pas être marginalisées et peuvent développer notre responsabilité morale et spirituelle, tout en permettant, dans le respect de l’espace religieux, un véritable dialogue des cultures et des civilisations.

Et puis, Alexis II, c’est, tel qu’en lui-même, un écho profond de la Russie… Et j’écoute en cet instant le deuxième concerto de Rachmaninov…

New Catholic Archbishop of Moscow Pledges Cooperation with Orthodox

From Catholic World News:

Russian Orthodox Patriarch Alexei II welcomed a new leader for Moscow's Catholic archdiocese on October 28, with a message hoping for "an early resolution of the problems" between the Orthodox and Catholic communities.

Archbishop Paolo Pezzi, the new head of the Mother of God Archdiocese in Moscow, was consecrated at a ceremony attended by over 1,500 people, including a delegation of Orthodox clerics led by Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin, who delivered the message from Patriarch Alexei. In his own remarks, the new Catholic archbishop acknowledged the frequent complaints raised by the Moscow patriarchate about "proselytism" by Catholics in Russia. Drawing a distinction between energetic evangelization of the unchurched and "sheep-stealing" raids on other congregations, Archbishop Pezzi told the Interfax news service that "proselytism starts at the point where real mission ends." As long as both Catholics and Protestants are concerned primarily with genuine evangelization, he said, "we can develop good understanding and pursue unity, as there will be no place left for conflicts."

The outgoing Catholic leader in Moscow, Archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz, presided at the installation of his successor. Archbishop Kondrusiewicz, who is taking up a new post as head of the Archdiocese of Minsk, Belarus, admitted that he was disappointed he had not been able "to establish better relations with the Russian Orthodox Church" during his time in Moscow.
"I have never promoted any proselytizing activities," Archbishop Kondrusiewicz insisted. Nevertheless he voiced his regret for the lack of progress in ecumenical ties, and said, "I wish that the new archbishop may do more in this area."

Officials of the Moscow patriarchate have indicated that they are pleased with the appointment of Archbishop Pezzi, and the new Catholic leader justified their reaction in an extended interview with the Interfax service, saying that he would support efforts to introduce Orthodox religious instruction to the Russian schools and Orthodox chaplains in the military.

Napoli 2007 - A WORLD WITHOUT VIOLENCE - Faiths and Cultures in Dialogue

This article on the annual interfaith summit organised this year in Naples by the Community of Sant'Egidio is taken from European Jewish Press:


Violence committed in God’s name is "blasphemy," dignitaries of the world’s main religions said as they wrapped up a "peace summit" in Naples on Tuesday.

"We can say with more emphasis than before that whoever uses God’s name to hate others, to commit violent acts, to make war, blasphemes the name of God," the some 300 Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox, Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist and Hindu leaders and political figures said in a joint declaration.

The three-day summit on the theme "A World Without Violence: Faiths and Cultures in Dialogue," is an annual event organised by the Rome-based lay Catholic community Sant’Egidio.
Topics this year included AIDS, immigration, the plight of Africa and the quest for peace in the Middle East.

"As (Pope) Benedict XVI told us (on Sunday): ’Never, evoking the name of God can one justify evil and violence’," the statement said.

The pope addressed the inter-faith meeting while on a pastoral visit to the southern Italian city on Sunday, calling on them to "promote reconciliation among peoples ... with respect for the differences among various religions."

Orthodox Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew I, the Ashkenazi great rabbi of Israel Yona Metzger, imam Ibrahim Ezzedin of the United Arab Emirates, Anglican Archbishop Rowan Williams and the head of the Ecumenical Council of Churches Samuel Kobia attended, as well as several Catholic cardinals.

Before parting ways on Tuesday, the delegations prayed separately at various venues in Naples, then took part in a "peace procession" attended by Italian President Giorgio Napolitano.
In the declaration, they said violence was a "contagious disease" that "takes the form of war, terrorism, poverty and despair, and exploitation of the planet."

Violence "strikes innocents (and) disfigures humanity," they said, adding that "violence is always a defeat for all of us." Sant’Egidio’s next inter-faith summit will take place in Cyprus, the organisers said.

Here is the text of the Peace Appeal 2007:

In the heart of the Mediterranean Sea and in this extraordinary city, which is well acquainted with poverty and greatness of heart, we stooped down upon the wounds of the world. There is an illness that pollutes every thing and its name is violence. Violence is the grim daily companion of too many men and women on our planet. Violence becomes war, terrorism, poverty and despair, exploitation of our planet. It is fuelled by contempt, it stuns people with hatred, it kills hope and sows fear, it strikes down the innocent, and debases humanity. Violence seduces the hearts of human beings and tells them, “nothing can change”. This pessimism makes people believe that living together is impossible.

From Naples we can say, stronger than before, that anyone who uses the name of God to hate the other, to practice violence, or to wage war, is cursing the name of God.

As Benedict XVI told us, “Never can evil and violence be justified by invoking the name of God”.
We focused on our diverse religious traditions, we heard the sorrow of the South of the World, and we felt the burden of pessimism rising from the 20th century with its weight of war and shattered illusions. We need the strength that comes from the spirit of love, which helps rebuild and mend the unity of humankind. The power of the spirit changes the hearts of men and women and transforms history.

In the depths of our religious traditions we have discovered that a world without dialogue is a world without hope, where people are fated to fear each other. Dialogue does not cancel differences. Dialogue enriches life and dispels pessimism that makes one see the other as a threat. Dialogue is not the illusion of the weak, it is the wisdom of the strong, who rely on the weak power of prayer. And prayer changes the world and the destiny of humankind. Dialogue weakens no-one’s identity, and it encourages everyone to see the best in the other. Nothing is lost with dialogue, everything is possible through dialogue.

To those who still kill, to those who still sow terrorism and wage war in the name of God, we say: “Stop! Do not kill! Violence is always a defeat”.

We commit ourselves to learn the art of living together and to offer it to our fellow believers. There is no alternative to the unity of the human family. We need brave builders, in all cultures, and in all religious traditions. We need the globalization of the spirit, which reveals to us what we no longer see: the beauty of life and of the other, in all circumstances, even the hardest.Our religious traditions teach us that prayer is an active power in history, and it moves peoples and nations. Humbly, we offer this ancient wisdom to the service of all peoples, of every man and every woman, to open a new era of freedom from fear and contempt for the other. It is the spirit of Assisi, and here, from Naples, full of courage and strength, it challenges violence and any abuse of religion as a pretext for violence.

Following in this path, confident that peace can be a gift to the whole world, we commit ourselves to the Most High.

Naples, 23 October 2007

European Cardinals to be created at consistory

A consistory to create new cardinals will be held on 24 November 2007. The following Europeans will be added to the College of Cardinals at that time:
Giovanni Lajolo, President of the Governatorate of Vatican City State.
Paul Josef Cordes, President of the Pontifical Council "Cor Unum"
Angelo Comastri, President of the Fabric of St. Peter
Stanisław Ryłko, President of the Pontifical Council for the Laity
Raffaele Farina, S.D.B., Archivist of the Vatican Secret Archives
Agustín García-Gasco y Vicente, Archbishop of Valencia, Spain
Seán B. Brady, Archbishop of Armagh, Ireland
Lluís Martínez Sistach, Archbishop of Barcelona, Spain
André Armand Vingt-Trois, Archbishop of Paris, France
Angelo Bagnasco, Archbishop of Genova {Genoa}, Italy

Plus 3 over 80, namely:
Giovanni Coppa, Apostolic Nuncio Emeritus to Czech Republic
Urbano Navarrete, S.J., già Rettore della Pontificia Università Gregoriana
Umberto Betti, O.F.M., già Rettore della Pontificia Università Lateranense,

making a total of 13 of the 23 new cardinals, well over half the total number.

Pope meets youth at Loreto

“Dare un nuovo slancio alla pastorale giovanile nelle 226 diocesi del nostro Paese e rendere i giovani sempre più protagonisti nel cammino della Chiesa”. Questo l’obiettivo dell’Agorà dei giovani italiani, il percorso pastorale triennale promosso dalla Conferenza Episcopale Italiana. Finalità e contenuti dell’Agorà dei giovani italiani, che impegnerà le comunità ecclesiali italiane dall’autunno 2006 all’estate 2009, sono legati sia alle tematiche proposte da Benedetto XVI per il percorso di avvicinamento alla Gmg di Sydney 2008, sia alle indicazioni fornite dalla Chiesa Italiana.“

Al centro dell’intero cammino c’è la missione”, spiega mons. Paolo Giulietti, responsabile del Servizio nazionale per la pastorale giovanile della Cei, per il quale “la comunicazione del Vangelo appare come il grande orizzonte entro il quale ripensare la vita e l’azione della Chiesa, chiamata ad evangelizzare e ad assumere allo stesso tempo atteggiamenti e metodi adeguati al terzo millennio”. In questa prospettiva, l’Agorà rappresenta per le comunità cristiane e gli operatori impegnati nella pastorale giovanile una proposta di riflessione e di sperimentazione nel campo della comunicazione del Vangelo con particolare attenzione ai giovani. “Il triennio, che simbolicamente abbiamo chiamato Agorà per evocare il senso di uno spazio e di un laboratorio di confronto, si inserisce organicamente - sottolinea Giulietti - all’interno del prossimo decennio tracciato dalla Chiesa italiana dopo il 4° Convegno ecclesiale nazionale di Verona”.

L’Agorà sarà scandita da alcuni grandi eventi: oltre all’incontro nazionale dei giovani a Loreto nel settembre 2007, sono previsti nel luglio 2008 la Giornata Mondiale della Gioventù a Sydney e nell’estate 2009 un meeting nazionale “in simultanea” negli antichi e nuovi “santuari” dei vari territori diocesani.

Il percorso pastorale si articola su tre temi. Il primo anno (2006-2007) è dedicato all’ascolto del mondo giovanile e ha come obiettivo quello di portare la Chiesa (le comunità, i giovani, i sacerdoti, gli operatori...) fuori dei propri spazi, per instaurare nuove relazioni con i giovani. Il momento clou sarà il raduno nazionale di Loreto che culminerà nell’incontro con il Papa e sarà preceduto da alcune giornate di condivisione e riflessione sul tema “Come io vi ho amato” (dal 29 al 31 agosto). L’appuntamento nella città del santuario mariano è stato definito dal Governo, con un’apposita ordinanza, “grande evento”.

Il secondo anno (2007-2008) è dedicato alla dimensione interpersonale dell’evangelizzazione e si pone in continuità con la dinamica estroversa del primo anno, a livello di testimonianza e presenza quotidiana negli ambienti di vita, ma anche di iniziative straordinarie di missione. L’appuntamento centrale del secondo anno, che ha per tema “"Mi sarete testimoni", è la GMG di Sydney 2008 che offrirà ai giovani la possibilità di approfondire il senso del mandato missionario, in un contesto culturale e sociale estremamente stimolante. La partecipazione, fisica o “virtuale”, all’evento di Sydney è quindi un passaggio importante per tutti coloro che sono coinvolti nel cammino triennale.

Il terzo anno (2008-2009), dedicato alla dimensione culturale e sociale dell’evangelizzazione, focalizza l’attenzione sulla testimonianza cristiana nelle frontiere delle grandi questioni culturali e sociali. Tutto l’itinerario si conclude con un evento vissuto simultaneamente in ciascuna delle diocesi italiane, nelle piazze, nei santuari diocesani o in qualche “nuovo santuario” del nostro tempo (centri commerciali, stazioni, cinema, piazze, stadi, luoghi dell’emarginazione...). Il tema, "Fino ai confini della terra", sottolinea l’esigenza che l’annuncio del Vangelo si declini nei linguaggi e nelle culture dei giovani di oggi, spesso assai distanti da quelli delle precedenti generazioni.