Incredible! IRS Asks Pro-Life Groups To Divulge The Content Of Their Prayers!

Well, Academicians, here is another proof of religious persecution being instigated by political and governmental agencies -- religious persecution of Pro-Life groups.  

In this clip from C-Span Video, Congressman Aaron Schock (Republican  Illinois, 18th District) questions the outgoing IRS commissioner Steven Miller  on the targeting of anti-abortion groups.

Watch this C-Span video but take your blood pressure medication first!  
Miller's attitude and evasiveness may raise your BP several points from your sheer aggravation.

Hey, Catholics: Go Out And Annoy People: The Pope Okays it!

May 16, 2013 - From Vatican Radio

Pope at Mass: An Apostolic Nuisance

by Emer McCarthy

(Vatican Radio - May 16, 2013) Saint Paul was the focus of Pope Francis’ homily at Mass Thursday morning, May 16 3013,  and in particular his talent at ‘being a nuisance’, at unsettling people who had grown too comfortable in their faith and imbuing them with that Apostolic zeal that is necessary for the Church to move forward. Emer McCarthy reports:

Pope Francis said that Apostolic zeal, implies "an element of madness, but of spiritual madness, of healthy madness” and proclaiming Christ has its consequences, which can often result in persecution. Nonetheless, stated the Pope, we must not be ‘backseat Christians’ cozy in our comfort zones. 

Drawing inspiration from the Acts of the Apostles, chapter 22, where Paul was brought before the Sanhedrin, Pope Francis pointed out that the life of the Apostle to the Gentiles was one of "persecution", but that this did not discourage him. The fate of Paul, he stressed, "is a fate with many crosses, but he keeps going, he looks to the Lord and keeps going":

"Paul is a nuisance: he is a man who, with his preaching, his work, his attitude irritates others, because testifying to Jesus Christ and the proclamation of Jesus Christ makes us uncomfortable, it threatens our comfort zones – even Christian comfort zones, right? It irritates us. The Lord always wants us to move forward, forward, forward ... not to take refuge in a quiet life or in cozy structures, no?... And Paul, in preaching of the Lord, was a nuisance. But he had deep within him that most Christian of attitudes: Apostolic zeal. He had its apostolic zeal. He was not a man of compromise. No! The truth: forward! The proclamation of Jesus Christ, forward! ".

Pope Francis noted that St. Paul was a "fiery" individual, but this fire was not limited to his character. It was the fire of his zeal for the Lord, who accompanied the Saint in his ‘pitched battles’. Indeed, continued the Pope, it was the Lord who led him "onwards," to bear witness in Jerusalem and in Rome:

"By the way, I like the fact that the Lord has cared for this diocese, even since then ... We are privileged! And Apostolic zeal is not an enthusiasm for power, for possession. It is something that comes from within, that the Lord wants from us: Christian with Apostolic Zeal. And where does this Apostolic Zeal come from? It comes from knowing Jesus Christ. Paul found Jesus Christ, he encountered Jesus Christ, but not with an intellectual, scientific knowledge – which is important, because it helps us - but with that first knowledge, that of the heart, of a personal encounter. "

Pope Francis continued, this is what pushes Paul to keep going, "to always proclaim Jesus". "He was always in trouble, not in trouble for troubles’ sake, but for Jesus, proclaiming Jesus; this is the consequence". Apostolic zeal, the Pope stressed, can only be understood "in an atmosphere of love." Apostolic zeal, implies "an element of madness, but of spiritual madness, of healthy madness”. Paul "had this healthy madness." 

The Pope invited all those present to pray to the Holy Spirit for this Apostolic zeal that is not only the preserve of missionaries. Even in the Church, he warned, there are "lukewarm Christians" who "do not feel like moving forward":

"There are backseat Christians, right? Those who are well mannered, who do everything well, but are unable to bring people to the Church through proclamation and Apostolic zeal. Today we can ask the Holy Spirit to give us all this Apostolic fervor and to give us the grace to be annoying when thin are too quiet in the Church the grace to go out to the outskirts of life. The Church has so much need of this! Not only in distant lands, in the young churches, among people who do not know Jesus Christ, but here in the cities, in our cities, they need this proclamation of Jesus Christ. So let us ask the Holy Spirit for this grace of Apostolic zeal, let’s be Christians with apostolic zeal. And if we annoy people, blessed be the Lord. Onwards, as the Lord says to Paul, ‘take courage!' "


Text from page
http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/05/16/pope_at_mass:_an_apostolic_nuisance/en1-692628 
of the Vatican Radio website 

Viva the Little Padre

This video of a 3 year old Colombian boy has been going viral on YouTube.  You'll have to see it to believe it... the little boy, Samuel Jaramillo, is an orphan who lives with his grandparents and his aunt.  He has unbelievably memorized the words and gestures of the priest saying Mass.  His family says that for Christmas he asked for priest's clothes and the objects necessary to say Mass.  His gestures, devotion and exuberance are captivating...although his altar boy needs a little additional training (see esp. at minute 3:00 how the "padre" affectionately pats his server on the head).  The little padre is quite exceptional.  Take a look for yourself.





(via Catholic News Agency)

Pope Francis: Jesus In The Confessional Is Not a Dry Cleaner; Shame Is A True Christian Virtue

(Text from Vatican Radio: http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/04/29/pope:_shame_is_a_true_christian_virtue/en1-687330 ) 
The Confessional is not a ‘dry cleaners’ where our sins are automatically washed away and Jesus is not waiting there to ‘beat us up’, but to forgive us with the tenderness of a father for our sins. Moreover, being ashamed of our sins is not only natural, it’s a virtue that helps prepare us for God's forgiveness. This was the central message of Pope Francis’ homily Monday morning during Mass celebrated with staff from the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See (APSA) and religious present in Casa Santa Marta. Emer McCarthy reports:
Commenting on the First Letter of St. John, which states " God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all," Pope Francis pointed out that "we all have darkness in our lives," moments "where everything, even our consciousness, is in the dark”, but this - he pointed out - does not mean we walk in darkness:

"Walking in darkness means being overly pleased with ourselves, believing that we do not need salvation. That is darkness! When we continue on this road of darkness, it is not easy to turn back. Therefore, John continues, because this way of thinking made him reflect: 'If we say we are without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us'. Look to your sins, to our sins, we are all sinners, all of us ... This is the starting point. But if we confess our sins, He is faithful, He is so just He forgives us our sins, cleansing us from all unrighteousness…The Lord who is so good, so faithful, so just that He forgives. "

"When the Lord forgives us, He does justice" - continued the Pope - "first to himself, because He came to save and forgive", welcoming us with the tenderness of a Father for his children: "The Lord is tender towards those who fear, to those who come to Him "and with tenderness," He always understand us”. He wants to gift us the peace that only He gives. " "This is what happens in the Sacrament of Reconciliation" even though "many times we think that going to confession is like going to the dry cleaner" to clean the dirt from our clothes:


"But Jesus in the confessional is not a dry cleaner: it is an encounter with Jesus, but with this Jesus who waits for us, who waits for us just as we are. “But, Lord, look ... this is how I am”, we are often ashamed to tell the truth: 'I did this, I thought this'. But shame is a true Christian virtue, and even human ... the ability to be ashamed: I do not know if there is a similar saying in Italian, but in our country to those who are never ashamed are called “sin vergüenza’: this means ‘the unashamed ', because they are people who do not have the ability to be ashamed and to be ashamed is a virtue of the humble, of the man and the woman who are humble. "

Pope Francis continued: “We must have trust, because when we sin we have an advocate with the Father, "Jesus Christ the righteous." And He "supports us before the Father" and defends us in front of our weaknesses. But you need to stand in front of the Lord "with our truth of sinners", "with confidence, even with joy, without masquerading... We must never masquerade before God." And shame is a virtue: "blessed shame." "This is the virtue that Jesus asks of us: humility and meekness".

"Humility and meekness are like the frame of a Christian life. A Christian must always be so, humble and meek. And Jesus waits for us to forgive us. We can ask Him a question: Is going to confession like to a torture session? No! It is going to praise God, because I, a sinner , have been saved by Him. And is He waiting for me to beat me? No, with tenderness to forgive me. And if tomorrow I do the same? Go again, and go and go and go .... He always waits for us. This tenderness of the Lord, this humility, this meekness .... "


This confidence, concluded Pope Francis "gives us room to breathe." "The Lord give us this grace, the courage to always go to Him with the truth, because the truth is light and not the darkness of half-truths or lies before God. It give us this grace! So be it. " 

Pope Francis: The Final Judgement Must Never Frighten Us: Love Is The Key

Hans Membling's The Last Judgement

Greetings Academicians!

Below, I have reproduced Pope Francis' catechesis from his Wednesday General Audience because it is a subject that many people ask me about often.  I get a lot of questions about the Final Judgement and what it's all about.  Pope Francis' catechesis on this topic is outstanding.  Here it is:

Vatican City, 24 April 2013 (VIS) – Pope Francis dedicated the catechesis of his Wednesday general audience to three Gospel texts that help us to enter into the mystery of one of the truths professed in the Creed: that Jesus “will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead”. The three texts are: the parable of the ten virgins; the parable of the talents; and the final judgement. They all form part of Jesus' teaching on the end of time in the Gospel of St. Matthew.

Before the more than 75,000 persons filling St. Peter's Square, the Holy Father spoke of "the  'immediate time' between Jesus' first and final comings, which is precisely the time in which we are living. The parable of the ten virgins is located within this context." They are awaiting the Bridegroom but fall asleep because he is late in arriving. Five of them, who are wise, keep oil aside and can light their lamps when the Bridegroom arrives unexpectedly. The other, foolish ones, do not have it and, while they look for it, the nuptial celebrations have already begun and the door to enter into the banquet is closed to them.

“The Bridegroom is the Lord and the time of awaiting his arrival is the time that He gives us, with mercy and patience, before his final coming. It is a time of vigilance, a time in which we must keep the lamps of faith, hope, and love lit. [It is a time] to keep our hearts open to the good, to beauty, and to truth; a time to live according to God because we do not know either the day or the hour of Christ's return. What is asked of us is to be prepared for the encounter, which means knowing how to read the signs of his presence, to keep our faith alive with prayer and the Sacraments, and to be vigilant so as not to fall asleep, not to forget God. The life of Christians who are sleeping is a sad life, not a happy life. Christians must be happy, [feeling] the joy of Jesus.”

The second parable, of the talents, “makes us reflect on the relationship between how we use the gifts we have received from God and his return when he will ask us how we have used them. … This tells us that our awaiting the Lord's return is a time of action … time to make the most of God's gifts, nor for ourselves, but for him, for the Church, for others. [It is] the time in which to always seek to make good grow in the world. Particularly in this time of crisis, today, it is important not to be locked up in ourselves, removing our talents, our spiritual and material riches, everything that the Lord has given us, but to open ourselves, to be compassionate, to be attentive to others.”

“In the square today there are many young persons. Is this true? Are there many youth? Where are they? To you, who are at the beginning of life's path, I ask: have you thought of the talents that God has given you? Have you thought of how to put them at the service of others? Don't take your talents away! Bet on great ideals, those ideals that enlarge our hearts, those ideals of service that make your talents fruitful. We were not given life so that we might hold it back, jealously, for ourselves, but it was given to us so that we might offer it. Dear young persons, you have great souls! Don't be afraid to dream of great things!”

The Holy Father then spoke of the story of the final judgement that tells of the second coming of the Lord when He will judge all human beings, living and dead. "At his right hand will be those who have acted in accordance with God's will, helping the hungry, the thirsty, the foreigner, the naked, the ill, the imprisoned—I said 'foreigner'. I am thinking of all the foreigners who are here in the Diocese of Rome. What are we doing for them?" the Pope asked.

In the story, at the Lord's left hand are those who did not assist their neighbour. “This tells us that we will be judged by God on charity, on how we have love our brothers and sisters, especially the weakest and most needy of them. Of course, we always have to keep in mind that we are judged, we are saved by grace, by an act of God's gratuitous love that always precedes us. Alone we can do nothing. Faith is foremost a gift that we have received. But, to bear fruit, God's grace always requires our openness to him, our free and concrete response. Christ comes to bring us the mercy of the God who saves. We have been asked to entrust ourselves to him, to make our good lives—made of deeds inspired by faith and love—match the gift of his love.”

“Looking to the final judgement must never frighten us,” the pontiff concluded. “Rather, it urges us to live the present better. With mercy and patience, God offers us this time so that we might learn every day to recognize him in the poor and the small, might strive for the good, and might be vigilant in prayer and love. The Lord, at the end of our existence and of history, may then recognize us as good and faithful servants.”

Happy Birthday Pope Benedict!

Happy 86th Birthday Pope Benedict XVI!

May God bless you and guide you on your humble journey of prayer and faith.

Herzlichen Glückwunsch Zum Geburtstag!

Introducing Our New Masthead Graphic Of Pope Francis

Well, Academicians,  it was a long time coming, but... here's our new masthead graphic. 

Our new masthead, featuring Pope Francis, also incorporates a few meaningful symbols:

First, an acknowledgement to Pope Francis' Jesuit background: Denoted by the Jesuit symbol in the center of the glowing Cross.

Second, an acknowledgement to Saint Francis of Assisi (on the shield): Depicting Saint Francis holding up the Lateran Church building (symbolic of the worldwide Church)  to keep it from collapsing, as seen by Pope Innocent III in a dream.  The image is part of a fresco attributed to the famous painter, Giotto.

Oh, and that big blue marble? That's the planet we occupy for the moment.

The "Assistant Headmaster"

Okay, everyone back to your classrooms! 

Or stare into this thing until your next coffee break:

Good Friday

It is finished.

Today our Savior died allowing us salvation through the perfect sacrifice of his holy cross.  The Earth is silent; the tabernacles around the world are empty...

"We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You, for by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world."

As we reflect on the events of Good Friday, we solemnly await the coming of our Lord, who promised to be raised up on Easter Sunday...

"Weep You Will, After Reading This!" says Catholic Yoda

Well, Academicians, we as a society have just sunk another few inches into the maelstrom!  Now, religious Scots find themselves battling the general British disdain for true religion. Besides Scottish homosexual activists screaming for government recognition of "Same Sex  Marriages", some Scottish "Jedi"  are now calling for the government to legally approve marriages by "Jedi."

From the BBC News: 

A Jedi knight training school in California

19 March 2013 Last updated at 06:28 ET

Jedi could perform marriages,

says Free Church of Scotland

Continue reading the main story

Proposed changes to marriage would open the way for Star Wars Jedi to perform ceremonies, a church has said.

The Free Church of Scotland said the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Bill will allow groups promoting a belief to marry couples.

The government said the change was relevant to bodies such as humanists, who are classed as religious rather than non-religious at the moment.  A spokeswoman said the reputation of Scottish ceremonies would be protected.

The Free Church of Scotland has raised concerns about religious and civil partnership ceremonies being joined by a third category.  Church spokesman, the Reverend Iver Martin, told BBC Alba: "The third category is quite astonishing because it is the so-called belief category without really defining what belief means.  There are loads of people in a diverse society like this for whom belief can mean virtually anything - the Flat Earth Society and Jedi Knights Society - who knows?  I am not saying that we don't give place to that kind of personal belief, but when you start making allowances for marriages to be performed within those categories then you are all over the place."

Jedi Master Yoda contemplates,
"To become a Papist Catholic: How complicated could it be
after in the Free Church Of Scotland being?  Hmmm.
Red shoes could I wear perhaps?"

The Scottish government is holding public consultation on bill. A spokeswoman said: "Our current consultation covers not only the introduction of same sex marriage but also the detail of important protections in relation to religious bodies and celebrants, freedom of speech and education.

"As part of the consultation we have outlined the reason for suggesting a third type of ceremony.

"At the moment, marriage ceremonies by bodies such as humanists have been classed as religious, even though the beliefs of such organisations are non-religious."

She said that the bill made clear the government's determination to ensure the continued reputation of Scottish marriage ceremonies.

The spokeswoman added: "We are proposing the introduction of tests which a religious or belief body would have to meet before they could be authorised to solemnise marriage."

The Flat Earth Society encourages discussion on a theory that the Earth is a flat disk centered at the North Pole. The society also archives literature on the theory.

Founded in the 1800s by English inventor Samuel Birley Rowbotham, the society's theory is largely based on literal interpretations of passages in the Bible.

Jedi knights are characters in the Star Wars franchise, which includes books, comics, toys 
and films. Disney, which owns the rights to the franchise, is preparing to release new movies.

Various groups promote interest in the Jedi and include the Jedi Knight Society - which offers lessons from Master Yoda - and Temple of the Jedi Order.

Training in Jedi skills - such as use of light sabres, are also offered at a knights' school in California.

The Assistant Headmaster, weary from battles,
has a moment of depression: but only a moment's worth!

Pope Francis Wishes For A Church That Is Poor And For The Poor

Vatican City, 16 March 2013 (VIS) – This morning in the the Paul VI Audience Hall, the Holy Father greeted over 6,000 journalists and those working in the media as well as for the Holy See, accredited either permanently or temporarily, to cover the events related to the Conclave. He addressed them with the following words:

“Dear friends, I am pleased, at the beginning of my ministry in the See of Peter, to meet with you who have worked here in Rome at this very intense period that began with the surprising announcement of my venerated predecessor Benedict XVI, this past 11 February. I warmly greet each of you.”

“The role of the mass media has been continuously growing in recent times,” he said, “so much so that it has become essential to narrate the events of contemporary history to the world. I therefore especially thank you for your distinguished service these past few days—you have had a bit of work to do, haven't you?—when the eyes of the Catholic world, and not only, were turned toward the Eternal City, in particular to this area that has St. Peter's tomb as its focal point. In these past few weeks you've gotten a chance to talk about the Holy See, the Church, her rites and traditions, her faith, and, in particular, the role of the Pope and his ministry.”

“A particularly heart-felt thanks goes to those who have been able to observe and present these events in the Church's history while keeping in mind the most just perspective in which they must be read, that of faith. Historical events almost always require a complex reading that, at times, can also include the dimension of faith. Ecclesial events are certainly not more complicated than political or economic ones. But they have one particularly fundamental characteristic: they answer to a logic that is not mainly that of, so to speak, worldly categories, and this is precisely why it is not easy to interpret and communicate them to a wide and varied audience. In fact, the Church, although it is certainly also a human, historical institution with all that that entails, does not have a political nature but is essentially spiritual: it is the people of God, the holy people of God who walk toward the encounter with Jesus Christ. Only by putting oneself in this perspective can one fully explain how the Catholic Church works.”

“Christ is the Church's Shepherd, but His presence in history moves through human freedom. Among these, one is chosen to serve as his Vicar, Successor of the Apostle Peter, but Christ is the centre, the fundamental reference, the heart of the Church! Without Him, neither Peter nor the Church would exist or have a reason for being. As Benedict XVI repeated often, Christ is present and leads His Church. In everything that has happened, the protagonist is, ultimately, the Holy Spirit. He has inspired Benedict XVI's decision for the good of the Church; He has guided the cardinals in their prayers and in their election. Dear friends, it is important to take due account of this interpretive horizon, this hermeneutic, to bring the heart of the events of these days into focus.”

“From this is born, above all, a renewed and sincere thanks for your efforts in these particularly challenging days, but also an invitation to always seek to know more the Church's true nature and the spiritual motivations that guide her and that are the most authentic for understanding her. Rest assured that the Church, for her part, is very attentive to your precious work. You have the ability to gather and express the expectations and needs of our times, to provide the elements necessary to read reality. Like many other professions, your job requires study, sensitivity, and experience but it bears with it a particular attention to truth, goodness, and beauty. This makes us particularly close because the Church exists to communicate Truth, Goodness, and Beauty 'in person'. It should be clear that we are all called, not to communicate ourselves, but rather this existential triad that shapes truth, goodness, and beauty.”

“Some people didn't know why the Bishop of Rome wanted to call himself 'Francis'. Some though of Francis Xavier, Francis de Sales, even Francis of Assisi. I will tell you the story. At the election I had the archbishop emeritus of Sao Paulo next to me. He is also prefect emeritus of the Congregation for the Clergy, Cardinal Claudio Hummes [O.F.M.]: a dear, dear friend. When things were getting a little 'dangerous', he comforted me. And then, when the votes reached the two-thirds, there was the usual applause because the Pope had been elected. He hugged me and said: 'Do not forget the poor.' And that word stuck here [tapping his forehead]; the poor, the poor. Then, immediately in relation to the poor I thought of Francis of Assisi. Then I thought of war, while the voting continued, until all the votes [were counted]. And so the name came to my heart: Francis of Assisi. For me he is the man of poverty, the man of peace, the man who love and safeguards Creation. In this moment when our relationship with Creation is not so good—right?—He is the man who gives us this spirit of peace, the poor man … Oh, how I wish for a Church that is poor and for the poor!”

“I wish the best for you, I thank you for everything that you have done. And I think of your work: I wish you to work fruitfully and with serenity and to always know better the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the reality of the Church. I entrust you to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Star of evangelization. I I wish the best for you and your families, for each of your families, and I wholeheartedly impart to all of you the blessing.”

After personally greeting some of the journalists present, Pope Francis, in Spanish, concluded: “I told you I wholeheartedly imparted my blessing. Many of you don't belong to the Catholic Church, others are not believers. From my heart I impart this blessing, in silence, to each of you, respecting the conscience of each one, but knowing that each of you is a child of God: May God bless you.”

Transitional Hiccups

Saw this image on a post by Pat Archbold at the NC Register blog.  I'm sure all of the kinks in the transition to the papacy will be ironed out very soon for our dear Pope Francis!

Habemus Papam Franciscum

Here are a few pictures from Pope Francis' first hours as our Holy Father.  He visited the oldest marian church in Rome Santa Maria Maggiore and prayed to Our Lady for help and guidance.  He is extremely humble, joyful, and holy; I am positive Pope Francis will do much good in the service of his Church.

God bless him on his journey of faith, leading the Church with the guidance of the Holy Spirit...

An Atheist Defends Pope Emeritus Benedict. I'm Serious!

An Atheist defending the Pope? I'm putting you on, right?  Wrong!

On the left side of the interview desk: Piers Morgan, the CNN correspondent you'll see in the video below, who claims to be Catholic while his positions on Church Doctrine and Tradition are way, way out in left field. (To parrot one of his statements in the video: "I find (him) completely unacceptable!")  Morgan is interviewing his guest, seeking the guest's reaction to Pope Benedict XVI retiring.

On the right side of the interview desk: Morgan's guest: Penn Jillette, an entertainer and a magician (part of the duo, Penn And Teller), and an outspoken Atheist.
You won't believe Penn Jillette's responses to self-proclaimed Catholic Piers Morgan. 

Please see for yourself!

Cardinal Collins and the Importance of Prayer During Conclave

Here is a Vatican Radio excerpt from the interview the Catholic news station had with Cardinal Collins.  The day after I "adopted" Cardinal Collins into my prayers, I saw this article on my "Pope App" (a worthwhile free investment for any smart phone user).  His jovial face and accompanying hand wave just said to me, "don't forget to pray for me Chris, I'll need all the prayers I can get."  Needless to say all the Cardinals need our prayers, and I encourage everyone to adopt a Cardinal or prayer for them all during the duration of this Conclave. So enjoy this article, in which Cardinal Collins explains the importance of "the people" praying for their representatives in Rome... 

(Vatican Radio) The general congregations are an essential part of preparing to elect a Pope, particularly for Cardinals from local Churches, but what’s equally important for the men called to vote in Conclave is prayer and the spiritual support of the Universal Church and this, according to Cardinal Thomas Christopher Collins, Archbishop of Toronto, Canada, is a point often lost on secular media in the race - “understandable” as it is - to single out ‘contenders’.
Last week, ahead of his first experience in a Conclave, Cardinal Collins dropped by Vatican Radio to speak to Emer McCarthy about what he sees as the dual dimension of the papal transition: the human dimension and the Divine dimension. Listen: “ I have had constant contact from people who are saying ‘we are praying for you and the other cardinals’. This is a great consolation and I think it’s something people don’t realize. In the whole process there is a great deal that is very human. Discussion, in fact, is required. It’s part of the rule of the Conclave you must have time to discuss things, think things through. But at the same time its Divine. There is the praying for the guidance of the Holy Spirit as we make this choice. There are these two dimensions which go together, like faith and reason, that’s the way God made us, grace builds on nature. So we need to be attentive to both dimensions. It is something that people sometimes when they are thinking of this in terms of who are the contenders, there is a whole political paradigm, it’s all understandable but it misses the point”. Another point that has many confused are the purpose of the general congregations. These are the meetings of the entire College of Cardinals, electors (under 80 ) and non-electors, that precede the Conclave. There is no fixed number and, once they have all gathered together, the cardinals decide how long they will last and when to begin the Conclave. For Cardinal Collins these pre-Conclave ‘summits’ are essential, especially for the vast majority of voting Cardinals who are not members of the Roman Curia (over 70):“The Cardinals who are working together with the Holy Father in Rome, they meet one another all the time and so are very familiar with the different issues they are dealing with. The Cardinals who, like myself, are responsible for dioceses around the world, which is the majority of the voting cardinals, we are not in Rome that often – we do have to go to various meetings – but most of our responsibilities is to care for the people entrusted to our care in our own dioceses. So although we are always very conscious as cardinals, I think one of our chief responsibilities is to be very conscious of the needs of the Universal Church and also to get to know the other cardinals, we don’t always have an opportunity to do that and so these days before the Conclave but after the See is vacant is a tremendous opportunity for all the cardinals to discuss the issues with one another, to get to know one another better and therefore to be better prepared for the moment when those who are cardinal electors enter into the Conclave”Once the General Congregations have begun, the Cardinals are sworn to secrecy and cannot reveal the content of discussions. So Emer McCarthy asked Cardinal Collins ahead of the first meeting Monday morning what concerns he would raise with his fellow cardinals.“I think that my concern will be to listen to the cardinals from around the world. I will also probably express my own sense of some of the issues . I think that in the Western part of the world, North America and Europe and so on, the issue of secularism is very important, of individualism. But in other parts of the world they are not so important, there are other issues, persecution, social justice issues, many others…so I think as each cardinal speaks from his own perspective all of us will begin to get a broader picture of the whole concern that people have. Because the Holy Father has to be responsible for the whole world, and therefore sometimes, each cardinal coming from his own perspective will think certain things are very important others not so much, whereas it’s the reverse with other cardinals, so it’s important to get the whole picture and I think that’s what we’ll do. I think one of the great consolations that we all have is that during the period after the See is vacant and especially during the Conclave is to know how many people will be praying for us”.

http://www.news.va/en/news/human-and-divine-cardinal-collins-on-preparing-for

Kiddie Conclave - Wow!

Via Father Z again, a nice story about students at St. Louis Catholic School holding a mock conclave.  Whoever made these costumes should be given an award!  Talk about authenticity.  Anyway, go over to the school's website and take a look at the "cardinals", "Swiss Guards" and others.  I didn't see the name of the new "pope", but we here at the Catholic Jedi Academy wish him well.

And the votes are tallied:

Habemus Papam!

A Walk Through the New Home of Benedict XVI - The Vatican Gardens

Last Summer during a visit to Rome, we had the opportunity to take a tour of the Vatican Gardens.  In hindsight, I am so glad that we did.  Who knows what will be open to the public after our pope emeritus moves into his new home in those gardens?

During the hot, hot days of July in Rome, the Vatican Gardens are a cool, shaded, peaceful retreat.  One can easily imagine Pius IX or Benedict XV strolling the cobbled walks, Rosary in hand.  Especially during the conflict with secular authorities after the First Vatican Council, the gardens would most likely have been the familiar sanctuary for the pontiffs.

The tour begins in the noisy and very crowded Vatican museum.  So, it is quite a wonderful contrast stepping into the fragrant and secluded gardens.

Here is a view of the dome of St. Peter's taken from the same vantage point as the monastery where Benedict XVI will be living.  Perhaps this will be the view from his window.

The altar at the Lourdes grotto.  I have seen photos of our pope emeritus praying his Rosary by this grotto.

Lourdes Grotto

Crest of John Paul II on Planter

One of many fountains installed by Pope Paul V -
Who was nicknamed "Fontifex" due to
his love of fountains 

The heliport is at the rear corner of the Vatican gardens.  A turret from one of the walls overlooks it on one side.  Our tour guide told us that Pope John XXIII like to retire to that turret to relax.  Our Lady of Loreto is the patron of the heliport.  The holy house of Loreto is said to be the house of the Holy Family that miraculously "flew" from the Holy Land to Loreto, Italy.  Hence, the patronage of flight.

Turret used by John XXIII

Statue of Juan Diego with miraculous tilma
of Our Lady of Guadalupe

Bench with Crest of Benedict XVI

Hope you enjoyed this little stroll through the Vatican Gardens, the future home of Benedict XVI.  May he have many years of peace within its bounds.

n.b. - pictures by Christopher Heller, 2012

Spiritually Uniting Ourselves to the Conclave - Adopt a Cardinal!

EWTN radio just broadcast an interview with a young German woman named Uli Henkel who was inspired to create a novel website pertaining to the upcoming conclave.  Uli felt that the Holy Spirit was calling all of the Catholic faithful to participate in the conclave through prayer, by spiritually adopting one of the Cardinal fathers who will be voting.  While we cannot be physically present, we are all needed to lift up the Church spiritually in a very important way.

The website for "Adopt a Cardinal" is www.adoptacardinal.org   Take some time to visit the site and see which cardinal is waiting for your prayers.

Photo:  GuardianUK

P.S. - I just visited the site and have "adopted" Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re.  He is the prefect emeritus of the Congregation of Bishops and he is on the older side (78).  I have to go read up on him now and I will certainly start praying!

An Insult To Our Pope Emeritus: Linking Him To "Prophecies" Of The Apocalypse, The Last Judgment, Free Gasoline, Etc.

Hey, Academicians,
   I am disturbed and angered that some Catholics - who should know better -  are linking Benedict XVI, our Pope Emeritus, to so-called "prophecies" which predict the Apocalypse, Armageddon, and The Last Judgment -- even casting him in the role of the Antichrist -- thus making Benedict XVI the indirect source of future evil, terror and confusion.

   Let me make myself clear about this: Shame on any Catholic who engages in this sinful (yes, I did write sinful) and degrading speculation which damages the reputation and accomplishments of our Pope Emeritus. Drop it; confess it; and never bring it up again.

   At the weekly Men Of Saint Joseph meetings in Hicksville, New York this week and last week, some of the guys were asking about the so-called "Prophecy Of Saint Malachy" concerning Popes and especially the final Pope.

   Saint Malachy was the archbishop of Armagh, Ireland in the 1100s.  The "Prophecy" Of Saint Malachy was supposedly "discovered" in 1590 (notice the 490 year gap between its supposed date of origin and the date it was conveniently  "discovered." Where was it all that time? On sabbatical?).
   There are 112 "mottoes" (now called "prophecies" by some people).  Each one briefly, cryptically describes each of the future Popes. The last Pope "prophesied" about will supposedly guide the Church through apocalyptic tribulations, culminating with the Last Judgment.

I am sorry to break the news to you Malachy groupies:

   The "ancient" document containing Saint Malachy's "prophecies" is not legitimate - it is bogus! The majority of serious and reputable scholars agree that this document is a forgery, a manufactured and contrived concoction from the16th-century, created and "discovered" for some sort of ecclesiastical political scheming.

   In his wonderfully detailed and informative post,  How Reliable Is The St. Malachy Prophecy?,  Jimmy Aikin says (and I agree with him 100%), "There is also another factor weighing against the St. Malachy prophecy: What is it supposed to do? How is it supposed to help us? God does not give revelations to satisfy our curiosity, but that seems precisely what the prophecy of the Popes is designed to do.  ... There is almost nothing in the prophecy that could provide a plan of action or guidance in how to live the Christian faith in particular periods ... ."

   Jimmy Aiken concludes thusly: "I try to take seriously St. Paul’s exhortation: “do not despise prophesying, but test everything; hold fast to what is good” (1 Thess. 5:20-21).  I am not unfriendly to prophecies, and I have as much curiosity about the future as anyone. But in the case of the St. Malachy prophecy of the Popes, I am afraid that it does not appear credible, from either a historical or a theological perspective:   It is an unapproved, alleged private revelation.  It cannot be shown to have existed before 1590.  The predictions it makes for the period before 1590 are markedly better than those it makes after 1590.  Contrary to the nature of revelation (both public and private), it has virtually no practical value. It speaks of antipopes as if they are Popes and even speaks positively of some.  It encourages calculations regarding the end of the world."

   John Zmirak (author of  The Bad Catholics Guide to the Catechism, who blogs at The Bad Catholics Bingo Hall), wrote a mildly acerbic but insightful post on peoples' predilection for all-things-apocalyptic:  The Apocalypse Cow: Why Do We Keep Milking It?
   Zmirak writes, "There’s another, sadder reason why we crave signs and wonders, skipping lightly over works of mercy or Eucharistic adoration to go visit some dubious site of the Blessed Virgin’s Twitter account: We aren’t sure God exists. We don’t fully believe in the afterlife, or spiritual beings, and we’d really like some proof in the form of a miracle that we aren’t deluding ourselves. ...When we line up alongside the Telemundo [TV] trucks to see the quesadilla with Jesus’ face, each of us is doing the same: Begging for evidence that the spiritual world exists, that the life we are slogging through is not a “snuff” farce whose curtain drops with the grave. When we really go off the rails, we might find ourselves sneaking into séances, or asking young women from California to teach us how to 'channel.' In search of the shadow of God, we can plunge into a darkness that’s all too real."

   Also, please add to  your knowledge about this topic by viewing the video featured below.  It is from ChurchMilitant.TV, featuring Michael Voris hosting his series "The Vortex."
   Michael Voris is right on the money concerning Catholics who are "into" Saint Malachy's "Prophecy" or any other idiotic apocalyptic predictions (yes, I did write "idiotic").  I'm presenting his video here because Michael Voris says exactly what I want to say to all of our Catholic "apocalypse junkies."

And, finally, dear Academicians, please do refresh your knowledge of Our Lord Jesus Christ's teaching concerning the end of the world and His Second Coming, and what you and I are supposed to do about it.
   I direct your attention to the video below -- from your beloved Academy's School Of The Video Arts -- wherein you may view our magnificent production of epic catechesis, Doomsday For Dummies (A Catholic Nine Minute Guide).

   If you have been privately or publicly engaged in linking Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI to "prophecies" of the Apocalypse, the Last Judgment, free gasoline from Satan, etc., please heed my advice:  Stop it right now. Throw away the books or magazine articles concerning these superstitious pursuits. Stop visiting any website promoting these falsehoods.
   Stop insulting dear Papa Benedict. Stop treating him like some disgraceful celebrity you'd find humiliated in the pages of The National Enquirer.
   As I stated above, shame on any Catholic who engages in this sinful and degrading speculation which damages the reputation and accomplishments of our Pope Emeritus.  Drop it; confess it; and never bring it up again.

Prayers for the Conclave

Taylor Marshall at his excellent blog, Canterbury Tales, has posted a novena to be prayed for the upcoming conclave.  He is asking that we try to pass on the novena to others so that the Cardinal fathers can be lifted up in prayer as they make the momentous decision of who should be the next pope.

Here is the novena prayer:

Novena to St. Peter

O Holy Apostle, because you are the Rock upon which Almighty God has built His Church,obtain for me I pray you: lively faith, firm hope, and burning love, complete detachment from myself, contempt of the world, patience in adversity, humility in prosperity, recollection in prayer, purity of heart, a right intention in all my works, diligence in fulfilling the duties of my state of life, constancy in my resolutions, resignation to the will of God and perseverance in the grace of God even unto death; that so, by means of your intercession and your glorious merits, I may be made worthy to appear before the Chief and Eternal Shepherd of Souls, Jesus Christ, Who with the Father and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns forever. Amen.

Gracious Father, by Whose Hand Thy servant Simon Peter was most wonderfully delivered out of prison and from impending death. Grant us, in all the changes and chances of mortal life, to dread nothing but the loss of Thee, and to cast all our care upon Thee, Who carest for us. When disasters lie ahead, help us to avoid them if we may, and to endure them if we must, knowing that we walk with Him Who endured all for us, Thy Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ, Who now liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

Litany of St. Peter, Prince of the Apostles

Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. 

Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us. 

God the Father of Heaven, Have mercy on us.

God the Son, Redeemer of the world, Have mercy on us.

God the Holy Ghost, Have mercy on us. 

Holy Trinity, One God, Have mercy on us. 

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us. 

Queen conceived without Original Sin, pray for us.

Queen of Apostles, pray for us. 

Saint Peter, pray for us. 

Prince of the Apostles, pray for us. 

St. Peter, to whom were given the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, pray for us. 

St. Peter, so ardent for the glory of Christ, pray for us. 

St. Peter, whose heart was pierced with one look from Jesus, pray for us. 

St. Peter, who ceased not to grieve for having denied the Son of God, pray for us. 

St. Peter, whose cheeks were furrowed by a stream of tears which flowed to the end of thy life, 

pray for us. 

St. Peter; who cried out, "Lord, Thou knowest that I love Thee," pray for us. 

St. Peter, bound in chains for Christ, pray for us. 

St. Peter, delivered from prison by an Angel, pray for us. 

St. Peter, who rejoiced to suffer for Christ, pray for us. 

St. Peter, whose very shadow healed the sick, pray for us. 

St. Peter, whose voice even the dead obeyed, pray for us. 

St. Peter, that we may have a constant and mutual charity among ourselves, pray for us. 

That we may taste and see more and more how sweet is the Lord, pray for us. 

That we may be zealous in loyalty to thy successor, the present Vicar of Christ, pray for us. 

That we may help, at least by prayer, to restore to the unity of thy Holy See the scattered sheep, 

pray for us. 

That we may be prudent and watchful in prayer, pray for us. 

That we may die the death of the just, pray for us. 

V. Let the mercies of the Lord give glory to him,

R. And His wonderful works to the children of men.

V. Pray for us, Saint Peter the Rock, 

R. That we may be worthy of the Vicar of Christ.

Let Us Pray: O Lord Jesus Christ, Who upon blessed Peter, Thine Apostle, didst bestow the pontifical power of binding and loosing, and didst give to him the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, grant that his intercession may ensure our deliverance from the bondage of sin, Thou Who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.