Indeed, they are already diminishing under the current onslaught upon Christianity from illiberal and intolerant secular fanatics."
[I]n addition to the sacred mystery of the Mass itself ... something else was occurring on April 24 in Washington of considerable importance -- of importance for the future of the Church, and so also of importance for the future of the West.
...in the West, in the United States, and precisely in Washington DC, the capital of the US, despite a generation or more of "post-Christian" cultural pressure, there remains a desire, a hunger, to be connected with the Christian past, and to hand on to posterity what was handed down over the centuries, often in the face of much suffering.
In short, the celebration of this Mass, after 40 years, and in the midst of an admittedly profound crisis in the Church, suggests that American Catholics, like their counterparts in Europe and around the world, may yet turn to the riches and treasures of their tradition to find a way forward.
And this will not be pure archaism. It will not reflect a flight from present reality. Nor will it be a rejection tout court of everything that came with the Second Vatican Council.
Rather, it will be an attempt to pick up the threads of our past, and see if they may still be woven into the fabric of our present, in order to create the tapestry of our future. It is our future that it looks toward -- not just our past.
Having just been in Rome, having been present three weeks ago at the papal liturgies during Holy Week, having talked recently with a number of Vatican officials about liturgical matters, and about the Second Vatican Council and its legacy, for me this liturgy reflected what Pope Benedict is trying ceaselessly to teach: that the Catholic tradition has not been lost, that it remains to be discovered, and lived...In this context, we must recall the words "lex orandi, lex credendi." That is, literally, "the law of praying is the law of believing."
To put it less literally: the way one prays, the way the Church prays, shapes and determines and establishes what a person, what the Church, believes. Praying "becomes" believing. And this is the fundamental reason that liturgy matters. [emphasis supplied] Some readers may feel the liturgy is a superficial matter, that time spent discussing or arguing or debating about the liturgy is wasted time, time that could be better spent in study, or prayer, or works of mercy and charity.
But the liturgy is not a superficial matter. It is a fundamental matter. It is fundamental because it determines and establishes the faith itself: lex orandi, lex credendi. And this means that, for those who wish to change faith, or alter it, or destroy it, changing the liturgy is the first, essential step. Likewise, for those who wish to keep the faith, and hand it on, and preserve it, preserving the liturgy is the first and fundamental aim of all their efforts.
Pope Benedict has written: "The Church stands and falls with the Liturgy. When the adoration of the divine Trinity declines, when the faith no longer appears in its fullness in the Liturgy of the Church, when man’s words, his thoughts, his intentions are suffocating him, then faith will have lost the place where it is expressed and where it dwells. For that reason, the true celebration of the Sacred Liturgy is the center of any renewal of the Church whatsoever.”
And so Pope Benedict has been a Pope of liturgical reform, or of liturgical preservation, because he believes that only through the liturgy, through the prayer of the Church, can the Church's faith, that depositum fidei which was entrusted to him, be protected and handed on to his successor.
Lex orandi, lex credendi. In the Early Church there were about 70 years of liturgical tradition before there was any creed -- any formulated statement of what the Church believed -- and about 350 years before there was an accepted biblical canon. The Church's prayer, her liturgy, provided the basis for establishing the other bases of the faith, the creeds and the canon.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church states: "When the Church celebrates the sacraments, she confesses the faith received from the apostles -- whence the ancient saying: lex orandi, lex credendi." ...
And so the liturgy is of central importance to Benedict, and to the Vatican, today. He and his inner circle see the liturgy as critical to the future of Roman Catholicism. But not only to Roman Catholicism. There is another reason for Benedict's focus on the liturgy.
The Orthodox Connection
It is well known that the Orthodox, in a profound way, share Benedict's conviction that the liturgy is fundamental for faith, and so also for practice of the faith.
For example, Eastern Orthodoxy's Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople quoted the phrase "lex orandi, lex credendi" in Latin on the occasion of the visit of Pope Benedict XVI to Istanbul in 2006, drawing from the phrase the lesson that, "in liturgy, we are reminded of the need to reach unity in faith as well as in prayer."
I believe that Pope Benedict's approval, a few months after that November 2006 visit, on July 7, 2007, of wider use of the old Latin Mass in the Latin rite, was intended to help prepare the reunion of the two great divided branches of Christianity, Catholicism and Orthodoxy.
The path toward this reunion must pass, in some essential way, through the liturgy. Through a shared liturgy.
The liturgies of the two Churches must express the same faith if the Churches are ever to be once again in unity -- something Christ willed for his disciples in his prayer on the final night with them before his crucifixion.
Thousands law enforcement officers from across the region gathered in downtown LA to pay final respects Tuesday to former Los Angeles police Chief Daryl Gates.
The funeral will be at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels. Gates' casket was escorted from police headquarters to the cathedral a few blocks away, and a private funeral was conducted at 9 a.m.
The funeral music included Frank Sinatra's "My Way."
"Daryl was the Los Angeles Police Department, and the Los Angeles Police Department was Daryl," said LAPD Chief Charlie Beck.
As a rule, the series of intentions is to beI'm trying to think when I last heard a petition for even our own salvation, much less that of the whole world, at Sunday Mass. In fact, I can't remember hearing our need for salvation expressed. (Always excepting at the Reform2 "flagship.")1. For the needs of the Church;
2. For public authorities and the salvation of the whole world;
3. For those burdened by any kind of difficulty;
4. For the local community.
In a statement to be read at all parishes April 24-25, the bishops [of England and Wales] ... said, it is "time for deep prayer and reparation for atonement" of the sins of priests and other Catholics who have abused children.Really?
"We invite Catholics in England and Wales to make the four Fridays in May 2010 special days of prayer," the bishops said in their statement, released April 22.
They recommended visiting the Blessed Sacrament to pray for victims, their abusers and for church leaders who mishandled cases.
[Credit and debit cards are] convenient and compact and often come with small cash-back incentives.But what almost no one realizes is that those benefits are far outweighed by an implicit transaction fee, set by credit card companies and their issuing banks, that costs consumers more than $48 billion a year. ..
Card companies generate ... returns by charging an “interchange fee” for every credit or debit transaction they run — when a merchant accepts your card for a $100 item, it gets approximately $98 in payment. These costs are passed on to all consumers — even those who pay by cash — in the form of higher retail prices.
... many countries have instituted consumer protections against such hidden taxes, while the United States, which has some of the developed world’s highest interchange fees, has left them completely unregulated.
... Washington should take two straightforward steps.First, Congress should recognize the obvious: debit cards, whose use and fees are growing at a rapid rate, are actually no more than plastic checks. Congress and the Federal Reserve do not allow banks to charge their customers a percentage of each check, and it should put the same restriction on debit cards.
Second, Congress should authorize the Federal Reserve to limit credit card interchange fees to their actual cost, fairly determined, plus a reasonable profit. The annual savings to merchants would be in the tens of billions of dollars. Since retailing is highly competitive, most of these savings would be passed on to consumers in lower prices or in the form of improved services by retailers that could afford to hire more people....
If the United States were to reduce the interchange rate from 2.0 percent to 0.5 percent, the savings would be $36 billion per year, less some relatively small offsets.
Not only would such savings make our retail payment system more fair, but it would represent a significant economic stimulus at a time when consumers are just starting to spend again. And best of all, it wouldn’t cost Washington a thing.
“The work is being produced in two versions,... one of which is simplified for use in Catholic parishes, so it is sure to have a big take-up around the country. It is also very much in line with the desires of Pope Benedict XVI for the future of liturgical celebration, as it receives its inspiration from Gregorian chant – a central part of musical liturgical history.
"[The composer's] last Mass setting, the Westminster Mass, was and continues to be an international success,... so a very wide appeal is anticipated for the Schola Missa de Angelis.”
In anticipation of the new translation of the Roman Missal, OCP has chosen five new and four revised Mass settings for initial publication. Misa Santa Cecilia/Mass of St. Cecilia, a new bilingual setting by Estela Garcia-Lopez and Rodolfo Lopez, is among those selected. While Masses in Spanish only are not affected by the new translation of the Roman Missal, bilingual settings must be prepared for communities worshiping in both languages.OCP, the 900 pound gorilla of Catholic church songs, (Himself would say "the Texas Board of Education," rather than the gorilla references,) has a website on all this.
"When you write bilingual music it's always a challenge to make both languages feel natural and flow with the music," said Garcia-Lopez. "We tried to find a good balance between the two languages. The other challenge was presenting the music in a user-friendly way, giving musicians the versatility to switch languages as necessary given the parish's needs. We wanted it to be fully bilingual, meaning one could learn it all in Spanish or English or bilingually."
This parish-tested setting will be included in an Order of Mass supplement, which will be made available to OCP customers using resources affected by the new translation.
Can one imagine the leader of the Music Group saying something similar as he launches into teaching his ensemble "Awesome God"?Gregorian Chant is a PrayerBefore proceeding with the technical theory of this lesson, the author feels that there is a certain value in repeating once again that Gregorian melodies were conceived to pour forth a common prayer, the prayer of the solemn liturgy of all the Christian people. Our liturgy is in fact the very center of Christianity.... Religious music has one purpose: the musical clothing of the words of the liturgy.
*Suddenly he rubbed his eyes in wonder, and looked and looked. It
certainly was a marvellous sight. In the farthest corner of the
garden was a tree quite covered with lovely white blossoms. Its
branches were all golden, and silver fruit hung down from them, and
underneath it stood the little boy he had loved.
Downstairs ran the Giant in great joy, and out into the garden. He
hastened across the grass, and came near to the child. And when he
came quite close his face grew red with anger, and he said, "Who
hath dared to wound thee?" For on the palms of the child's hands
were the prints of two nails, and the prints of two nails were on
the little feet.
"Who hath dared to wound thee?" cried the Giant; "tell me, that I
may take my big sword and slay him."
"Nay!" answered the child; "but these are the wounds of Love."
"Who art thou?" said the Giant, and a strange awe fell on him, and
he knelt before the little child.
On April 3, 2003, Sergeant Jeremy Feldbusch was serving in Iraq, near the Euphrates River, about 100 miles from Baghdad, when he was hit with enemy shrapnel. His wounds were severe, and devastating. He was blinded in both eyes. He suffered traumatic brain injury. Doctors were convinced that he was going to die or, if he lived, he'd never be able to speak or function normally again. Jeremy was placed in a coma for six weeks, to minimize brain swelling. And he was kept alive on a ventilator. Five times, they attempted to remove the ventilator. Five times, he nearly died and had to be resuscitated. Finally, on the sixth try, they succeeded.
Recovering at an army medical center in Texas, Jeremy asked his father, "Why did God take my eyesight?" His father answered with a different question: "Why did God let you live?"
It's a question that Jeremy would spend the next several months trying to answer. He returned home to Blairsville, Pennsylvania and endured several months of therapy. When he became well enough, he made two decisions. The first was to spend his life helping other wounded service members. He's one of the founders of the Wounded Warrior Project.
But a second decision was even more meaningful. It was something he had thought about for a while before he was sent to Iraq - an idea that kept coming back to him again and again. But months of prayer and reflection - and the prayers of so many friends, strangers and family members - convinced him it was something he had to do. It was, he realized, one of the reasons why God let him live.
And so it was that last Saturday night, in a church in Pennsylvania, exactly seven years to the day after that horrific attack that took away his sight...Jeremy Feldbusch became a Catholic. In a profound way, even in his blindness and his disability, he is living out the great message of Easter... a message of resurrection and hope.
And, in connection with this Sunday's gospel, it is a message of belief. Believing in what you cannot see. Trusting what you cannot touch. Just like St. Thomas.
Thomas has always been one of my favorite apostles. I like to tell people that I think he should be the patron saint of journalists; he always needs proof and substantiation for everything. Like a reporter, he has to check his sources. He's the skeptic in the upper room - a realist and a pragmatist. But he's a stand-in, really, for all who struggle to believe the unbelievable, and to accept as possible something impossible.
At one time or another, we are all Thomas. We all face doubts. Faith demands effort, especially today, when we find our faith and our trust in that faith sorely tried and tested.
But one of the lessons that Thomas teaches us is that faith also demands presence. When I read this account, I can't help but wonder: just where was Thomas? What was he doing? Why wasn't he there? The other disciples had locked themselves away in that upper room because they were afraid. But what about Thomas? Was he thinking of leaving the apostles and resuming his old way of life?
What could possibly have been more important to Thomas than being in that room that night of the resurrection?
We might ask ourselves the same question. What are the distractions in our lives that call us away?
What keeps us from being present for Christ?
Thomas was overwhelmed when he encountered the risen Lord -- so overwhelmed by what he saw, in fact, that he finally believed. "My Lord and my God," he said.
Do any of us feel anything like that when we encounter Christ in our lives? When we feel a prayer being answered, a grace being given?
How about when we are confronted with the overwhelming miracle of the Eucharist?
All we can do is echo Thomas's words: "My Lord and my God."
Talk with people baptized into our faith last Saturday night, and most will tell you they do feel like Thomas -- overwhelmed and awed.. And I suspect that Sgt. Jeremy Feldbusch does, too.
Discussing his conversion, he told a reporter recently that his vision is clearer since he lost his sight. I can't think of a more beautiful testament to belief.
This is faith.
This is trust.
This is an unshakable certainty in things that can't be seen.
And --as improbable as it sounds -- it is a great gift.
I can't help but think we would all be blessed if we could see our faith through his eyes -- eyes that see beyond the darkness, to the great and never-ending light of Easter hope.
Having criticized particular Catholic cardinals for blaming everything--including the Church’s sex scandal--on “the Jews”, let me now come to the defense of the Pope and of the Church itself on this issue. To begin with, this is an extraordinarily complex problem, because the Church has at least five important traditions that make it difficult to move quickly and aggressively in response to complaints of abuse.
The first tradition involves confidentiality, particularly not exclusively the confidentiality of the priest with regard to the penitent. But there is also a wider spread tradition of confidentiality within the Church hierarchy itself.
Second, there is the tradition of forgiveness. Those of us outside the Church often think, perhaps, that the Church goes too far in forgiving. I was shocked when the previous Pope immediately forgave the man who tried to assassinate him. But this episode and other demonstrate that the tradition of forgiveness is all too real.
Third, there is the tradition of the Church regarding itself as a state. The Holy See is a sovereign state. The Catholic Church is not big on the separation of church and state, as are various Protestant denominations. The Catholic Church, like Orthodox Judaism, believes that matters affecting the faithful should generally be dealt within the church, without recourse to secular authorities.
Fourth, the Vatican prides itself on moving slowly and in seeing the time frame of life quite differently than the quick pace at which secular societies respond to the crisis of the day.
Fifth, the Catholic Church has long had a tradition of internal due process. Cannon [sic] Law provides for scrupulous methods of proof. The concept of the “devil’s advocate” derives from the Church’s effort to be certain that every “t” is crossed and every “I” is dotted, even when it comes to selecting saints.
None of these explanations completely justify the long inaction of the Church in coming to grips with a serious problem. But they do help to explain how good people could have allowed bad things to happen for so long a period of time. Nor is the Catholic Church the only institution that has faced problems of sexual abuse. Every hierarchical body, especially but not exclusively religious ones, has faced similar problems, though perhaps on not so large a scale.
The problem of hierarchical sex abuse has only recently emerged from the shadows. Singling out the Catholic Church, and for stereotyping all priests is simply wrong.
Pope Benedict, both before he became Pope and since, has done a great deal to confront the issue. He changed the policy that kept allegations of abuse within the authority of local bishops, and he acknowledged that the local option had encouraged shifting abusive priests from parish to parish, thereby hiding their sins from potential new victims. He also met with abuse victims and recognized their victimization. Nor has he tried, as other members of the Vaticanhierarchy have, to publicly blame the problem on “the Jews”, “the media,” and others.
It is obvious that despite Pope Benedict’s good efforts, more must be done, and not only by the Catholic Church but by all institutions that have experienced hierarchical sexual exploitation. They must create structures that assure prompt reporting, a zero tolerance policy and quick action, so long as these processes are consistent with due process and fairness, not only to alleged victims but to the accused as well. It’s easy to forget, in the face of real victims with real complaints, that there have also been false accusations as well. Processes must be put in place that distinguish true complaints from false ones.
Most important, this tragedy should not be used as an excuse to attack a large and revered institution that does much good throughout the world. Blame must be placed with precision and praise should be given with precision as well. The eleventh Commandment, Thou Shalt Not Stereotype, must never be forgotten.
A group of students at Trinity University is lobbying trustees to drop a reference to “Our Lord” on their diplomas, arguing it does not respect the diversity of religions on campus.“A diploma is a very personal item, and people want to proudly display it in their offices and homes,” said Sidra Qureshi, president of Trinity Diversity Connection. “By having the phrase ‘In the Year of Our Lord,' it is directly referencing Jesus Christ, and not everyone believes in Jesus Christ.”
Qureshi, who is Muslim, has led the charge to tweak the wording, winning support from student government and a campus commencement committee. Trustees are expected to consider the students' request at a May board meeting.
Other students and President Dennis Ahlburg have defended the wording, arguing that references to the school's Presbyterian roots are appropriate and unobtrusive.
Founded by Presbyterians in 1869, Trinity has been governed by an independent board of trustees since 1969 but maintains a “covenant relationship” with the church.
“Any cultural reference, even if it is religious, our first instinct should not be to remove it, but to accept it and tolerate it,” said Brendan McNamara, president of the College Republicans.
McNamara pointed out that Trinity displays other signs of its Christian heritage, including a chapel on campus, a chaplain, Christmas vespers and a Bible etching on the Trinity seal.
“Once you remove that phrase, where do you draw the line?” McNamara asked.
FR. LOMBARDI ON DEBATE CONCERNING SEXUAL ABUSE
VATICAN CITY, 9 APR 2010 (VIS) - Given below is a text entitled "Following Holy Week, Holding Our Course", written by Holy See Press Office Director Fr. Federico Lombardi S.J. and published today on the website of Vatican Radio.
"The debate concerning sexual abuse, and not only that committed by the clergy, continues with news items and comments of various kinds. How can we sail through these stormy waters while maintaining a secure course and responding to the evangelical motto 'Duc in altum - Put out into the deep'?
In the first place, by continuing to seek truth, and peace for the victims. One of the most striking things is that today so many inner wounds are coming to light, wounds that also date to many years (sometimes decades) ago, but evidently still open, Many victims do not seek financial compensation but inner assistance, a judgement on their painful individual experiences. There is something that we have yet to fully understand; perhaps we need a more profound experience of events that have had such a negative impact on the lives of individuals, of the Church and of society. One example of this, at the collective level, is the hatred and violence of conflicts between peoples which are, as we see, so difficult to overcome in true reconciliation. Abuse opens wounds at a deep inner level. For this reason, certain episcopates were right when they courageously resumed developing ways and places in which victims could express themselves freely, listening to them without taking it for granted that the problem had already been faced and overcome by the workshops established sometime ago. For this reason also, other episcopates and individual bishops were right to intervene paternally, showing spiritual, liturgical and human concern for victims. It seems certain that the number of new accusations of abuse is falling, as is happening in the United States, but for many people the road to profound healing is only now beginning, and for others it has yet to start. In the context of this concern for victims, the Pope has written of his readiness to hold new meetings with then, thus sharing in the journey of the entire ecclesial community. But this journey, in order to achieve profound effects, must take place in respect for people and the search for peace.
Alongside concern for victims we must continue to implement, decisively and truthfully, the correct procedures for the canonical judgement of the guilty, and for collaborating with the civil authorities in matters concerning their judicial and penal competencies, taking the specific norms and situations of the various countries into account. Only in this way can we hope effectively to rebuild a climate of justice and complete trust in the ecclesiastical institution. It has happened that a number of leaders of communities and institutions, through inexperience or unpreparedness, have not had a ready understanding of the protocols and criteria for intervention which could have helped them intervene decisively even when this was very difficult or painful for them, also because they were often surprised by the accusations. But, while civil law intervenes through general norms, canon law must take account of the specific moral gravity of an abuse of the trust placed in persons who hold positions of responsibility within the ecclesial community, and of the flagrant contradiction with the conduct they should show. In this sense, transparency and rigour are urgent requirements if the Church is to bear witness to wise and just government.
The formation and selection of candidates for the priesthood, and more generally of the staff of educational and pastoral institutions, is the basis for an effective prevention of the risk of future abuses. Achieving a healthy maturity of the personality, also from a sexual point of view, has always been a difficult challenge, but today it is particularly so, although the best psychological and medical knowledge is of great help in spiritual and moral formation. It has been observed that the greatest frequency of abuses coincided with the most intense period of the 'sexual revolution' of past decades. Formation must take account of this context and of the more general context of secularisation. In the final analysis, this means rediscovering and reaffirming the sense and importance of sexuality, chastity and emotional relationships in today's world, and doing so in concrete, not just verbal or abstract, terms. What a source of disorder and suffering their violation or undervaluation can be! As the Pope observed in his Letter to Irish Catholics, a Christian priestly life today can respond to the requirements of its vocation only by truly nourishing itself at the wellspring of faith and friendship with Christ.
People who love truth and the objective evaluation of problems will know where to seek and find information for a more overall comprehension of the problem of paedophilia and the sexual abuse of minors in our time, in different countries, understanding its range and pervasiveness. Thus they will be able to achieve a better understanding of the degree to which the Catholic Church shares problems that are not only her own, to what extent they have particular gravity for her and require specific interventions,and, finally, the extent to which the experience the Church is going through in this field may also be useful for other institutions or for society as a whole. In this context, we truly feel that the communications media have not yet worked sufficiently, especially in countries in which the Church has a stronger presence and in which she is more easily subject to criticism. Yet, documents such as the national US report on the mistreatment of children deserve to be better known in order to understand what fields require urgent social intervention, and the proportions of the problem. In the U.S.A. in 2008 alone, 62,000 people were identified as having committed acts of abuse against minors, while the proportion of Catholic priests was so small as not to be taken into consideration as a group.
The protection of minors and young people is, then, an immense and unlimited field, which goes well beyond the specific problem concerning certain members of the clergy. People who sensitively, generously and attentively dedicate their efforts to this problem deserve gratitude, respect and encouragement from everyone, especially from the ecclesial and civil authorities. Theirs is an essential contribution for the serenity and credibility of the education and formation of young people, both inside and outside the Church. The Pope rightly expressed words of great appreciation for them in his Letter to Irish Catholics, though naturally with a view to a vaster horizon.
Finally, Pope Benedict XVI, a coherent guide along the path of rigour and truth, merits all respect and support, testimony of which is reaching him from all parts of the Church. He is a pastor well capable of facing - with great rectitude and confidence - this difficult time in which there is no lack of criticism and unfounded insinuations. It must be said that he is a Pope who has spoken a lot about the Truth of God and about respect for truth; and he has become a credible witness of this. We accompany him, learning from him the constancy necessary to grow in truth and transparency, continuing to open our horizons to the serious problems of the world and responding patiently to the slow and gradual release of partial or presumed 'revelations' which seek to undermined his credibility, and that of other institutions or individuals of the Church.
This patient and solid love of truth is necessary, in the Church, in the society in which we live, in communicating and in writing, if we wish to serve rather than confuse our fellow men and women".
Music which accompanies worship should never be performed in a fast tempo.
Devotional music, whether vocal or instrumental, cannot be hurried without losing much of its prayer.
Charles Marie Widor, at present the oldest among great church organists, has often said, "Time was made for God and organists."
The spirit of worship is opposed to any hurried feeling.
A(lexander? loysius? lbert?lphonsus?) S(mith? chwietzer?keffington?)
M (arch?ay?usic?) '37
Would [some revered Telly talking head, presumably,] [some other revered Telly talking head,] have urged his listeners to "take a look", rather than "have a look", at something? Unlikely. Is it possible thatwould have asked one of his interviewees if he planned to "meet with" someone? Hardly. And what about [a third revered Telly talking head,] – can you imagine him describing a difficult challenge as a "big ask"?Really, what could be more shocking than such vulgarity? "Meet with"??!?#?%??&???
Of course not – which is why [a woefully inadequate, in the opinion of the editorialist, presenter,] (current occupant of [#3 above,] The World At One chair) prompted such irritation when she used the phrase "fess up" (rather than "confess") the other day. Not only is it lazy talk, it is Americanised lazy talk, and listeners do not like it. One of the BBC's roles is to act as guardian of the Queen's English, a responsibility that should not be tossed aside carelessly by presenters archly trying to sound like shock jocks.
His inspiration comes from many sources, but his liturgical music is a direct expression of the ideals expressed in Pope Pius X's 1903 apostolic letter "Motu Proprio," which laid out how church music was to be performed.Kevin will be directing the schola for this June's Musician's Retreat at Mundelein, which makes me mourn, not for the first time, that so often, so many wonderful, IMPORTANT things are all scheduled for the same time!"After reading (that letter)," Allen said, "I was faced with a challenge that has been my endeavor from that day until now -- 'to increase the beauty and splendor of the ceremonies of the church.'"
Benedict... hoped to ... promote eucharistic adoration (a devotion outside of Mass that focuses one's attention and prayer on the consecrated Host.)Hmmm... okay, he's writing for a secular, predominantly non-Catholic audience, I can see where he'd feel the need to explain his particular bete noir (he has contempt for, perhaps hates Adoration, writes to that effect often.)
Second Vatican Council's reforms of... the way authority is exercised in the church, from the bottom up rather than the top downAnd this made me giggle: the pope's forceful personality.
The first four Bishops of the Los Angeles territory were Hispanic Bishop, to be followed by five Bishops/Archbishops of Irish descent, and myself of German and Italian background.With a name like that, he's not of Irish extraction?
On this, your night of grace, O heavenly Father,
accept this candle, a solemn offering,
the work of bees and of your servants’ hands,
an evening sacrifice of praise,
the gift from your most holy Church.
