Benedict in America

"Pope Benedict XVI: Essays and Reflections on his Papacy"

2010-10-02T14:06:00.001-04:00

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), with Sheed & Ward, an imprint of Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, has published Benedict XVI: Essays and Reflections on His Papacy -- "an unprecedented look into the first five years of Benedict’s reign":

Edited by Mercy Sister Mary Ann Walsh, director of media relations for the USCCB, it features forewords by King Abdullah II of Jordan and President Shimon Peres of Israel, and articles by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Cardinal Francis George, OMI, USCCB president, and John Thavis, Rome bureau chief for Catholic News Service. ...
Elegantly designed and produced in the style of the USCCB’s award-winning tribute to Benedict’s predecessor, John Paul II: A Light for the World, the new book features more than 100 full-color photographs. Images range from formal public appearances and meetings with world leaders and lay Catholics around the globe, to quiet moments of personal study or contemplation. [...]
Essays by USCCB staff illuminate the pope’s life and work as Pilgrim, Pastor, and Prophet and include topics such as his response to the sex abuse crisis; support of Africa, China, and Latin America; relations with Jews and Muslims; papal travels; liturgical reform; human rights, justice, war and peace, bioethics, the environment, and immigration; and his use of social media.
Personal reflections by friends and church leaders Cardinal Edward Egan, Cardinal Seán O’Malley, OFM Cap., Cardinal Justin Rigali, Sister Eileen McCann, CSJ, Ambassador Johnny Young and many more, provide a glimpse into the warm, human aspect of Benedict, including his sense of humor. The book also includes excerpts from Pope Benedict’s writings and an extensive resource section.

Source: USCCB Press Release. * * *

In the interest of full disclosure, I received a personal copy for review. This is a beautiful tribute, with a full-color photographic retrospective on the pontificate of Benedict XVI to date, accompanied by reflections and brief personal anecdotes. Not only is this a good item for the library of any "Benedict fan", I imagine it would be a fitting gift for somebody not very well acquainted with, and wanting to learn about, the Holy Father.

I can only imagine the time and effort taken to assemble and edit something of this size -- Sister Mary Ann Walsh (and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops) are to be commended for a job well done.

"Pope Benedict In America: The Full Texts of Papal Talks Given During His Apostolic Visit to the United States"

2009-12-05T00:58:00.000-05:00

Pope Benedict In America: The Full Texts of Papal Talks Given During His Apostolic Visit to the United States
with introduction by Fr. James V. Schall. Ignatius Press (May 2008).

During his six-day apostolic visit to Washington and New York, Pope Benedict addressed millions of people--in person or via the media. He gave some fifteen major addresses, ranging from his remarks to the President of the United States, to his address to ecumenical leaders at St. Joseph Parish in New York, from his speech to the General Assembly of the United Nations, to his message to the Jewish community celebrating the feast of Passover. In all of his addresses, Benedict spoke as the Vicar of Christ, with the message of divine truth and love, of genuine faith and a well-founded, Christ-centered hope.

This book contains all of Benedict's major addresses in a handy slim size deluxe hardcover edition perfect for use to study and reflect on the Pope's profound and insightful words on a variety of important spiritual, moral and social issues.

Readers will readily see the truth of Jesuit Father James Schall's statement, from his introduction to this volume: "Benedict XVI is an amazingly learned man . . . There is no one else in any public office in the world that has ... his breadth of knowledge and scholarship. Though he speaks the learned German academic tongue with the best of them, his writings are strikingly straightforward and clear . . . One sensed that the media understood this somehow, that this man was on top of every subject and operated at a depth few could match. The papacy does have the duty of teaching and Benedict does teach. He also thinks and ponders. What is characteristic of him is that he not only speaks authoritatively when he must, but that he mostly offers what he says on the grounds of common sense and reason. He goes directly to the minds and hearts of his readers or listeners."

What Did Pope Benedict Say to America?

2008-07-11T21:08:00.001-04:00

On June 18, the Church of St. Vincent Ferrer hosted a public forum entitled “What Did Pope Benedict Say to America?” Over 100 people gathered to hear three presenters reflect on the speeches and homilies delivered by the Holy Father during his recent visit to the United States.
First, Fr. John Farren, OP, the Advancement Director for the Province of St. Joseph, focused on Pope Benedict’s words to American Catholics. Then, Fr. Richard John Neuhaus, editor of First Things, covered his exchanges with American non-Catholics. Finally, Angelo Matera, editor of Godspy.com, highlighted the Pope’s counsel for American culture.

Click here for a video of the forum.

"Christ our Hope" - Communion and Liberation assesses the 2008 Papal Visit to the U.S.

2008-06-29T02:36:00.001-04:00

The May 2008 issue of Traces, published by Communion and Liberation, is devoted to the U.S. 2008 Papal Visit.

The Pope Showed America the Face of Christ, edited by Davide Perillo. "The heart and the person. Legality and justice. Religious freedom and the role of the Church. On the Pontiff’s return from the United States, we asked Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, the Holy See’s “Foreign Minister,” to provide an assessment of the visit. He accepted, explaining why the Successor of Peter “embodies the message that he brings: Christ is our hope”.
Human rights, “the fruit of unchanging justice”, by Stefano Alberto. In his address to the UN, the Pope returned to an issue which is widely discussed. And he went to the heart of it, continuing the journey begun at Regensburg.
An Extraordinary Lesson of Method, by Lorenzo Albacete. From the bishops in search of answers about evangelization to the more skeptical and distant non-Catholics, everyone was surprised by a fact: a human encounter.
In Service of the Truth, the Pope Educates the Heart of Man, edited by Santiago Ramos. The University of Notre Dame Law Professor (and President of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights) Paolo Carozza gets to the root of the Pontiff’s UN speech.
The Holy Father Speaks at the United Nations: There Are No Human Rights Without Christ When Pope Benedict XVI addressed the United Nations General Assembly on April 18th, he was continuing a tradition that began in 1965. Mario Ramos-Reyes, Professor of Philosophy at Kansas City Community College, writes about Pope Benedict’s contribution to this tradition.
A Choir of Friends Singing for the Pope, by Santiago Ramos. On April 19th the CL Choir was invited to perform for the Pope during the Youth Rally at St. Joseph’s Seminary Yonkers, New York.

Archbishop Sambi: Benedict's U.S. visit "still bearing fruit in local church"

2008-06-12T00:59:00.001-04:00

Archbishop Pietro Sambi, representative of the Pope to the United States, has explained in an interview that Benedict XVI’s successful visit is bearing fruit in the local Church and in has opened the eyes of the secular world (Catholic.org June 12, 2008):

In an interview with Gianluca Biccini, that will be published in Wednesday's edition of L'Osservatore Romano, Archbishop Sambi said that during the April 15-20 papal trip, the theme of the visit, “Christ Our Hope,” permeated all the addresses of Pope Benedict XVI.
Hope filled more than the Pope’s speeches, the archbishop said as he recalled a brief message that Benedict gave to New York Catholic Radio. Speaking to the radio audience the Holy Father said “he had come ‘to confirm you in the faith, but in truth it has also been you who have confirmed me, with your response, your enthusiasm and affection’.”
The Nuncio said that the Pope was impressed by the fact that Americans “always in difficult moments, have always turned to their churches and temples, finding in the presence of God faith, unity and courage. This people has never been separated from the Word of God: the Bible remains the book that mostly accompanies the American citizen... which continues to illuminate the most significant moments of the personal, family and national life.”
“Therefore, speaking on hope, the Pope has touched an issue deeply rooted in the history and the culture of this people, and has stricken a particularly sensitive cord in these times,” the Nuncio added.
The Archbishop also highlighted the issue of evangelization, telling L'Osservatore that, “The United States, as every country in the world, is in need of a new evangelization. It must begin at home, that is to say, at the core of the Church itself, so that Christians may rediscover the joy and the strength of being Christians.”
“The Pope,” Sambi said, “has opened the way, has given the launch signal in his speeches to the bishops, the priests and religious, the educators, the lay people, the youth: all the sectors of the Church have been called to this commitment, to be instruments of the Spirit to a new Pentecost.” ... (Read More)

Details on Pope Benedict XVI's visit to Cardinal Avery Dulles

2008-05-16T23:30:00.001-04:00

America magazine reports on Pope Benedict XVI's visit to the ailing Cardinal Avery Dulles ("In All Things" May 16, 2008). The meeting took place in Cardinal Egan's suite in St. Joseph's Seminary, after the Pope's meeting with disabled children. The following account is taken from the New York Jesuits' newsletter, written by Anne Marie Kirmse, O.P., Cardinal Dulles's longtime assistant:

"The Pope literally bounded into the room with a big smile on his face. He went directly to where Avery was sitting, saying, 'Eminenza, Eminenza, I recall the work you did for the International Theological Committee in the 1990's.' Avery kissed the papal ring and smiled back at the Pope. Then the Pope looked at the people in the room who had accompanied Avery to the Seminary: Fr. Tom Marciniak, who served as Cardinal Dulles's priest-chaplain for the meeting; Sr. Anne-Marie Kirmse, O.P.; and Francine Messiah and Oslyn Fergus of the [Jesuit infirmary's] medical staff. After this warm and friendly exchange of greetings, the Pope sat down next to Avery to hear the remarks that Avery had prepared and which were read for him by Fr. Tom Marciniak. During the presentation, Fr. Tom handed the Pope a copy of Avery's latest book, Church and Society: The Laurence J. McGinley Lectures, 1988-2007, which was published earlier this month by Fordham University Press. The Pope expressed great interest in the book, and even interrupted the reading of the remarks to ask again when the book had been published. He eagerly looked through it, and was touched by Avery's inscription to him. Before leaving, the Pope blessed Avery, assuring him of his prayers, and encouraging him in his sufferings. He then said good-bye in turn to each of the four persons who accompanied Avery."

George Neumayr: Benedict's visit "A New Pentacost"

2008-05-01T23:32:00.000-04:00

A New Pentecost: The Holy Father’s inspiring visit to the United States, by George Neumayr. Catholic World Report May 2008:

Speaking to the US bishops on April 16, Pope Benedict XVI made the arresting comment that an “almost complete eclipse of an eschatological sense” marks “many of our traditionally Christian societies.” America, he didn’t need to add, is one of them, but the very warmth of the welcome the Holy Father received in the US and the intensity of attention during his visit suggested a growing exhaustion with the eclipse of religion under secularism and a hunger for God’s revelation of man’s ultimate purpose.
Burdened by the yoke of an ideology that treats God as irrelevant to the ordering of society—an ideology which has at once destabilized public life, eroded the foundations of culture, and corrupted US Catholicism—Americans were ready for the Holy Father’s theme of “Christ Our Hope,” open to his arguments about the harmony of reason and revelation, and moved by his humility and piety.
Media pundits, stunned by this reaction, speculated on the papacy’s enduring significance. They offered various superficial reasons for it without arriving at the real one: it remains Christ’s way of staying present throughout history.
Into the darkness of godless voids—whether comforting the victims of priestly abuse near the beginning of the trip or kneeling in prayer at the pit of Ground Zero near the end of it—Christ’s vicar brought forth his light. In a false age, Pope Benedict offers truth; to the weary and enslaved, he represents grace. As the eye naturally turns to light, so people of good will turn toward holiness.

Pope Benedict XVI reflects on his Apostolic Visit to the United States

2008-04-30T15:07:00.000-04:00

VATICAN CITY, 30 APR 2008 (VIS) - In today's general audience, which was held in St. Peter's Square, the Pope dedicated his remarks to his recent apostolic trip to the U.S.A. and the headquarters of the United Nations, from 15 to 21 April.
After recalling how the motive for his U.S. visit was the bi-centenary of the elevation of the country's first diocese, Baltimore, to the status of metropolitan archdiocese, and the foundation of the sees of New York, Boston, Philadelphia and Louisville, the Holy Father affirmed that his aim had been "to announce to everyone the message that 'Christ is our Hope', the phrase which was the theme of my visit".
During the meeting with President George Bush in the White House, said the Pope, "I had the opportunity to pay homage to that great country, which from its beginnings was built on the foundation of a harmonious union between religious, ethical and political principles, and which still constitutes a valid example of healthy laicism, where the religious dimension, in the diversity of its expressions, is not only tolerated but turned to advantage as the 'soul' of the nation and the fundamental guarantee of the rights and duties of human beings".
The Holy Father then went on to explain that he had supported his "brother bishops in their difficult task of spreading the Gospel in a society marked by no small number of contradictions, which also threaten the coherence of Catholics and even of the clergy. I encouraged them to make their voices heard on the moral and social questions of the day, and to form the lay faithful so they become good 'leavening' in the civil community on the base of that fundamental cell which is the family. In this context, I exhorted them to re-present the Sacrament of Marriage as a gift and an indissoluble commitment between a man and a woman, the natural environment in which to welcome and educate children.
"The Church and the family, as well as schools", the Pope added, "must co-operate in offering young people a solid moral education. ... Reflecting upon the painful question of sexual abuse of minors by ordained ministers, I told the bishops of my closeness, and encouraged them in the task of binding wounds and strengthening their relationships with their priests".
During the Eucharistic celebration held in the Nationals Stadium in Washington, said Pope Benedict, "we evoked the Holy Spirit" upon the Church in America that she "may face current and future challenges with courage and hope". And when meeting with representatives of other religions "in what may be considered as the homeland of religious freedom, I recalled how such freedom must be defended with congruous efforts to avoid all forms of discrimination and prejudice. I also highlighted the great responsibility religious leaders have, both in teaching respect and non-violence and in upholding the deepest questions of the human conscience".
On the subject of his visit to U.N. headquarters in New York, the Pope pointed out that "providence gave me the opportunity to confirm" - on the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights - "the importance of that Charter, recalling its universal foundation, in other words the dignity of the person who was created by God in His image and likeness in order to co-operate in ... His great plan of life and peace".
In St. Patrick's Cathedral the Pope had celebrated Mass for priests and consecrated people. "I will never forget", he said, "with how much warmth they congratulated me for the third anniversary of my election to the See of Peter. It was a moving moment, in which I particularly felt the support of all the Church for my ministry. And I could say the same about my meeting with young people and seminarians".
At Ground Zero "I lit a candle and prayed for all the victims of the terrible tragedy" of 11 September 2001, said the Pope. And he concluded his reminiscences of his U.S. visit with the Eucharistic celebration in New York's Yankee Stadium which he described as "a feast of faith and of brotherhood. ... To that Church which now faces the challenges of the present time, I had the joy of announcing "Christ our Hope', yesterday, today and forever".
Prior to the audience, the Pope blessed a statue of St. John Leonardi (1541-1609), founder of the Clerks Regular of the Mother of God, which has been placed in a niche on the exterior wall of the Vatican Basilica. On 8 august 2006, the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, by virtue of the powers granted by Benedict XVI, proclaimed him patron saint of pharmacists.

9/11 Survivor reflects on Benedict's visit to Ground Zero

2008-04-29T15:36:00.000-04:00

Meeting pope at ground zero brings tears to Sept. 11 survivor, by Dennis Sadowski. Catholic News Service April 29, 2008:

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Looking into Pope Benedict XVI's eyes as she genuflected in front of him during his visit to the former World Trade Center site, Julie Malik knew the pope understood what she had experienced on a disastrous September morning more than six years ago.
"I remember thinking, 'You're here. You're here to help us. You took your time to understand,'" Malik said of the April 20 meeting.
Malik, 57, was one of four survivors of the Sept. 11, 2001, attack in lower Manhattan who met the pontiff during his visit to ground zero. Four rescue workers and 16 people who lost family members in the disaster also met the pope at the site.
"There's one word I can think of to describe (the meeting) and that is 'amazing,'" Malik told Catholic News Service. "His eyes are so penetrating. He just stares in your eyes." ... (Read More).

Pastor John Hagee on Pope Benedict XVI's U.S. Visit

2008-04-28T23:37:00.000-04:00

Pastor John Hagee of Cornerstone Baptist Church in San Atonio, Texas, thanks the Holy Father for his visit (Washington Post April 28, 2008):

During his recent visit to the United States, Pope Benedict XVI not only conducted mass and met with the Catholic faithful, but he made a series of public statements about the role that our Judeo-Christian faith can play during these challenging times. As an evangelical Protestant I happen to disagree with Pope Benedict on many issues of Christian doctrine and ritual. But when it comes to his moral vision for America and the world I have one thing to say in response to the Pope's visit: Amen.
I and many other evangelical leaders believe that our faith must not be confined to our churches on Sunday mornings. We maintain that our Christian values and compassion can be powerful tools for helping build a more just and humane nation. Pope Benedict thus spoke for all of us when he said that "Any tendency to treat religion as a private matter must be resisted" and called for Christian participation "in the exchange of ideas in the public square."
The pope was recalling the history we all cherish when he cited George Washington's Farewell Address to note that, "religion and morality represent 'indispensable supports' of political prosperity." The pope likewise voiced all of our concerns when he recognized the threats posed by secularism and materialism not only to our morality but to our happiness. ...

"Teacher and Witness" - John F. Cullinan on Benedict's visit to the U.N.

2008-04-28T23:35:00.000-04:00

"Benedict’s remarks to the U.N. General Assembly belong to an entirely different genre [than his other addresses during the visit]" says John F. Cullinan on Benedict's visit to the United Nations. "His purpose was to explore and develop the first principles that underlie state sovereignty and the international system as a whole." (National Review April 28, 2008):

In a nutshell, Benedict sketches a familiar natural-law argument that unexpectedly points to some novel and potentiallycontroversial conclusions.
He begins with the basic and familiar premise that state sovereignty and international order do not exist for their own sake, but rather for that of human dignity. In other words, the state exists for the person, not the other way round; and the same applies to international institutions and laws. This has been established Catholic teaching in one form or another since St. Thomas Aquinas; and it is the philosophical basis of liberal democracy and liberal internationalism.
The second step of his argument is that “natural reason shared by all nations” can discern universal principles needed to shape the political order — both national and international. The natural law is by no means a one-size-fits-all template, but rather basic moral rules of thumb, accessible to reason, that statesmen struggle to discern, approximate, and apply in varying circumstances. And these same principles, “based on the natural law inscribed on human hearts and present in all cultures and civilization,” and therefore “valid at all times and for all peoples,” are best captured by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948).
It is the third step of Benedict’s argument that will provoke controversy. He maintains that that the two greatest threats to the universality of the same human rights for every personare authoritarian secular ideologies, on the one hand, and “majority religious positions of an exclusive nature,” on the other. This is a politely diplomatic but unmistakable reference to Russia and China (and their authoritarian imitators) and to some (but not all) Muslim-majority states.
In their own distinct ways, these “authoritarian” or “exclusive” regimes deny the “universality … indivisibility and interdependence of all human rights” expressed in the Universal Declaration. “Removing human rights from this context,” Benedict maintains, “would mean restricting their range and yielding to a relativistic conception, according to which the meaning and interpretation of rights could vary and their universality would be denied in the name of different cultural, political, social and even religious outlooks” (emphasis added).

(See also Pope's New Name for Sovereignty: Interview With UN Permanent Observer Archbishop Migliore Zenit News Service. April 27).

"Do I love Him?"

2008-04-28T01:36:00.000-04:00

Robert P. Imbelli (Commonweal) cuts to the heart of Benedict's words, a testimony and a challenge to every Catholic:

One cannot read a homily or a pastoral address of the Holy Father without sensing that the proclamation of Jesus as “Lord and Messiah” is the very heart of his message.
But Benedict does not merely bear witness to this. He, in season and out of season, invites Christians to enter into ever-deeper relation with their Savior.
We can argue ceaselessly about why there is something rather than nothing or about the ultimate foundation for human rights. We can passionately debate structural reform in the Church. But in the quiet hours of early morning or late night do we not ultimately wrestle with the question: do I love him?

"Tsunami" of vocational interest following papal visit

2008-04-28T01:33:00.002-04:00

New York Daily News reports that Pope Benedict's U.S. visit has resulted in "a tsunami of New York seminary applications:

A clergy-starved Archdiocese of New York was facing a crisis - until Pope Benedict arrived.
For the first time in 108 years, St. Joseph's Seminary in Yonkers was preparing for a year with no new students.
But, after the Holy Father's whirlwind city tour, dozens have heard the call.
"It's been like a tsunami, a good tsunami of interest," said the archdiocese's vocations director, the Rev. Luke Sweeney.
"I've been meeting people all week and have a lot of e-mails I haven't had the chance yet to respond to. It has been incredible."

For a city whose ratio of priests-to-congregation members is among the worst in the country, Benedict's presence and inspiration has been a blessing to Reverend Sweeney:

"We were hoping the Pope would convince many who were considering the priesthood to make the next step. It looks like he did."
In only three days since the Pope left New York after a visit that included speaking to 25,000 young people on the seminary's grounds, dozens of prospective priests have contacted Sweeney.
"One said he came, saw the crowd, heard what the Pope said and then called us," said Sweeney. "He said his questions and concerns were answered when he heard him speak."

Related

Message of His Holiness Benedict XVI for the 45th Day of Prayer for Vocations April 13, 2008.
Saint Joseph's Seminary (Dunwoodie) (Homepage)

"Fishers of Men" USCCB vocations video produced by Grassroots Films - Part I embedded | "Fishers of Men - Part II

Iraq Veterans reflect on meeting Pope Benedict XVI

2008-04-28T01:28:00.004-04:00

Military.com interviews several U.S. marines and Iraqi veterans, attending the Papal Mass at Nationals Park in Washington:

Cpl. Matthew Bridges, who is an outpatient - injured from an improvised explosive device in Iraq - at the National Naval Medical Center, said he felt his faith in God renew as he attended the mass, even though he is not Catholic. He said when he became injured, he thought of God.
Bridges said he didn't know what to think when the pope reached out and shook his hand. It was a feeling he can't describe, he said, because it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
"I don't know how to explain it," Bridges said. "I have friends who are Catholic that say it's a great blessing to be touched by the pope."
Sgt. James Bane, an administrative assistant in the National Naval Medical Center's Marine Corps Liaison office, said he was honored and privileged to be a part of something so big with a figure that has such a world-wide influence. He said it was uplifting to see so many people from all walks of life taking part in the ceremony.
"I was sitting next to a senator from New Mexico and across the aisle was a group of nuns," Bane said. "Here on one side you have straight politics and on the other side, straight religious. It was neat to have that many people from many different cultures there for the same thing."

Cardinal Mahoney: "I return to Los Angeles a different disciple of Jesus than when I left"

2008-04-28T01:26:00.000-04:00

Cardinal Roger Mahoney of Los Angeles found Benedict XVI's visit "quiet healing grace":

For me personally, the two most memorable moments of grace with our Holy Father were ones shrouded in quiet prayer, silence and few public words: his meeting with victims of sexual abuse in Washington, D.C., and his visit to Ground Zero in New York. Both of these events had the dignity of silence, the depth of sadness, and the promise of hope-filled prayer - and both captured deeply the most wounded parts of our Church and of our country.
Yes, the great outdoor Masses were inspiring, the meetings with ecumenical and interfaith leaders were moving, and the gathering with young people and seminarians was memorable. But the power of those times of quiet healing moved me more deeply than all the rest of the Holy Father's many public appearances.
At first, I didn't know why. After all, concelebrating Mass with the Pope and tens of thousands of people was surely uplifting and a source of joy for us all. Slowly the realization became real: those times of quiet healing grace were exactly what I needed at this time in my own journey of faith. My own mistakes and failures over the years had continued to burden me - a weight that I failed to realize was holding me down.
The gentle and quiet manner of Pope Benedict touched me in the most vulnerable depths of my soul. I felt uplifted by our Shepherd and my heavy burdens somehow seemed lighter. How did our Holy Father accomplish this? Through his consistent call to faithful discipleship in Jesus Christ, and his reassurance that we are truly saved by hope in our loving God! His recent Encyclical Letter, Spe Salvi [Saved by Hope], continues to point us forward and upward on our journeys. He does not allow us to remain mired in our sins and faults, but instead, kept repeating the call to "true freedom" in Jesus who has come as "the way, the truth, and the life" for each one of us.
I return to Los Angeles a different disciple of Jesus than when I left a week ago. Thank you, Lord, for sending us not only the Vicar of Christ and the Successor of Peter, but also a brother and friend who knows Jesus personally and gave us six extraordinary days of grace and hope!

Thomas Peters gives voice to the impressions of many a Catholic -- within Los Angeles and across the nation:

[Cardinal Mahoney] has a long history of doctrinal selectivism, allows and and promotes liturgical abuse, by many accounts has been deeply involved in abuses related to clergy sexual misconduct (during which he has often thrown the interests of the Church under the treads of civil law to protect himself), and is guilty of such deeply imprudent things as the construction of an ugly, vacant, $200 million cathedral in an archdiocese which could ill-afford such expenditures.
Has Mahony learned that it's never too late to begin acting for the best interest of the Church? Has he internalized the full range of Pope Benedict's teachings and exhortations? I hope so, on both counts.

2008-04-28T01:24:00.000-04:00

Pope Benedict XVI arrives to celebrate mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York April 19, 2008.

Joseph Verner Reed: Benedict had a "magisterial" presence

2008-04-28T01:23:00.002-04:00

U.S. diplomat Joseph Verner Reed recalled his personal audience with the pontiff (Neil Vigdor, Greenwich Time April 23, 2008):

Reed, 70, an undersecretary general at the U.N., was part of a group of about 30 senior officials of the international organization who met with the pontiff Friday after his General Assembly address.
"There's an aura, almost magisterial in his robes, in his presence, in how he greets people and the crowds," Reed said. "He's got a wonderful smile and riveting blue eyes."
A chief of protocol in former President George H.W. Bush's cabinet and U.S. ambassador to Morocco under President Reagan, Reed said he lowered his head in deference to the pope and congratulated him on his speech.
"He said, 'Thank you for your words,'" Reed said. "I'll remember it for the rest of my life. It was a highlight. What a privilege and honor it was to be presented to him."
Reed's audience with the pope, who concluded his six-day U.S. visit with a Mass at Yankee Stadium Sunday, is the second time he has met the head of the Roman Catholic Church. In 1990, as Bush's chief of protocol, Reed met Pope John Paul II during a visit to the Vatican. The late pope later tapped Reed as a knight commander in the Order of Pius IX, an honor bestowed by the Vatican.
Reed said he wore the rosette pin on his left lapel during Benedict's visit. He also asked the pope to bless 10 papal medals that he brought along to give friends and family, which Benedict did.

Assessing the cost (and benefits) of hosting a Pope

2008-04-28T01:22:00.002-04:00

Long after the Pope has left, New York city tallies up the financial costs (and benefits) of his visit - Michael Frazier of Newsday reports:

Hours after Benedict's departure, city officials continued to measure the economic benefits of his stay. They also are tallying how much it cost the city to host his holiness.
The city expected to pay significant overtime for police officers.
"This is one of those things were the expenses are relatively negligible, virtually impossible to measure, but the benefits will go on for a long time," Mayor Michael Bloomberg said, pointing to the global exposure the city gained by welcoming Benedict.
While he didn't provide the cost of overtime, the mayor said the city's Police Department has a yearly budget of $5.5 billion, with funding set aside for special events.
Police officials said Monday that overtime cost hadn't been figured. ...
The Greater New York Chamber of Commerce had no figures on how much the city took in during Benedict's trip, though the group's executive director, Helana Natt, said hotels, restaurants and even street vendors profited.
The street closures may have hurt some businesses, but the impact was dampened because the visit occurred over the weekend, Natt said.

According to New York City officials, Pope John Paul II's visit in 1995 totaled "$65 million in spending in the city, including food, hotels and shopping."

"Little acts of love" illuminate Papal Visit

2008-04-28T01:20:00.000-04:00

"Little Acts Of Love Illuminate Pope’s Visit", says Lorraine V. Murray, reminiscing in the Atlanta Georgia Bulletin:

These were so many big shining moments in his first papal visit to the United States, but one small incident brought me to tears.
It was during the offertory at the huge Mass in Nationals Park, when streams of people came forth to bring the gifts to the pope. There were religious brothers and sisters, a mother and father of nine children, a couple married 69 years and a group of disabled adults.
And quietly sitting at the bottom of the steps leading to the altar was a girl in a wheelchair, wearing a pink dress and with her hair neatly braided. She could not get up the steps, so the pope walked down, leaned over gently, blessed her and gave her a papal rosary.
The cameras didn’t show the expression on her face, but we could see her carefully studying the beads that were intertwined in her hands.
Pope Benedict’s gentle gesture seems exactly in keeping with the man who came to the United States to spread a message of hope.

But one of many "small acts of kindness" as accounted in the article.

Archbishop Soroka on Pope's recognition of Ukranian Eastern Catholics

2008-04-28T01:16:00.003-04:00

Catholic News Service interviews Ukrainian Archbishop Stefan Soroka regarding Pope Benedict XVI's special acknowledgment of the Eastern Catholic churches in the United States, which was received with great appreciation:

During his meeting with Catholic bishops at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington April 16, Pope Benedict recognized the presence of bishops from "all the venerable Eastern churches in communion with the successor of Peter."
"Your presence here is a reminder of the courageous witness to Christ of so many members of your communities, often amid suffering in their respective homelands," the pope said during his address to the U.S. bishops, which followed a vespers service.
The Ukrainian Catholic Church is one of 22 Eastern Catholic churches. It is fully in union with Rome but has maintained the liturgical and spiritual heritage shared with the Orthodox churches.
Some of the other Eastern Catholic churches in the U.S. are Armenian, Chaldean, Maronite, Romanian and Syrian. They all have their own distinctive liturgical and legal systems, but are considered equal in dignity, rights and obligations to the Latin tradition within the Catholic Church.
"The Holy Father's comments reflect his knowledge and sensitivity to the sufferings and persecutions endured by many of the hierarchy, clergy, religious and faithful of the Eastern Catholic churches in their homeland," Archbishop Soroka said in a statement issued April 23. "Escaping persecutions and hardships and the search for religious freedoms were often the motivator for the immigration of many to the United States of America."

Read the full statement by Metropolitan-Archbishop Stefan Soroka of the Ukranian Greek Catholic Church.

3,000 volunteers assisted in New York's papal events

2008-04-28T01:14:00.000-04:00

Catholic News Service Angelo Stagnaro reports on the 3,000 volunteers who assisted in New York's papal events, "coordinated under the watchful and loving scrutiny of Sisters Joan Curtin, 63, and Deanna Sabetta, 67, of the Congregation of Notre Dame" (April 24, 2008):

"Cardinal Egan appointed us because of our experience working with volunteers," explained Sister Joan.
She is in charge of the New York Archdiocese's Catechetical Office and oversees 10,000 volunteer catechists in the 10 counties that make up the archdiocese. Sister Deanna is the director of the archdiocesan Office of Vocations and the teacher volunteer program, which places teachers in inner-city Catholic schools.
"The papal volunteers were the most gracious, generous people I've ever come across," Sister Joan said in an interview with Catholic News Service. "The hours didn't matter to them."
Duties for the volunteers included standing outside St. Patrick's Cathedral April 19 to guide cardinals, archbishops, bishops, priests and women religious attending the papal Mass there and helping move people from chartered buses, city buses and the subway into Yankee Stadium April 20.
"Each volunteer worked six- to seven-hour shifts. In the case of the youth rally in Yonkers, (many) didn't leave the site until 11 p.m.," said Sister Deanna, referring to the rally for seminarians and young people at St. Joseph's Seminary. [...]
Sister Deanna noted that "many of the volunteers who served outside of the papal venues (were) simply physically very far away from the pope, answering questions or guiding the lost, and thus didn't actually see him."
But still they helped out because "they just wanted to be in proximity to him," explained Sister Joan.

American Catholic impressions of Pope Benedict XVI (roundup)

2008-04-28T01:05:00.002-04:00

In addition to Cardinal Mahoney and his auxilary bishops, a number of West Coast Catholics were able to attend the events surrounding Benedict's visit to Washington and New York, giving an account of their experience in the Los Angeles diocesian newspaper The Tidings.
Students still buzzing about pope (The Journal Star April 27, 2008) - "The Roman Catholic seminary in Maryland that turns out many of the Diocese of Peoria's priests is still buzzing from Pope Benedict XVI's recent trip to Washington, D.C., said a former Peoria priest now on leave at the seminary."
Monsignor Michael Mullen shares "seven lasting impressions [about Pope Benedict XVI] that will stay with me" (Kansas City Star April 26, 2008).
A Newark resident -- residing in New York City's Ronald McDonald House while receiving leukemia treatments -- recalls his brush with Pope Benedict (as reported by Abbey Stirgwolt, Newsday April 25, 2008): “We’re sitting in our room Saturday night, and we get a call on the phone saying, ‘Oh, do you guys wanna go see the pope? He’s going to be appearing outside tonight ...”
City woman finds pope's visit uplifting, by Jomay Steen. Rapid City Journal April 27, 2008: "Growing up in a rural community on the Rosebud Indian Reservation, the idea that Veronica Valandra would see the pope — in America, no less — was the stuff of dreams. The lifelong Catholic recently talked about her amazing journey as a White House guest to welcome Pope Benedict XVI."
Baltimore's Archbishop William O'Brien recalls the Pope's visit (WJZ-TV Channel 13 News, April 22, 2008):
Archbishop O'Brien says the heavy security did not detract from the personal touch of the pontiff's visit. There were special moments he witnessed, like when a blind boy was trying to get Communion from Pope Benedict XVI.
"The Secret Service tried to stop the boy. He was supposed to have Communion, but his mother was with him. The Secret Service said 'no' to the mother. He spotted that and asked that he be brought up. He gave him Communion and touched him on the chin," said Archbishop O'Brien. ...
"I hope others who have no particular church find that this is an institution worthy of their exploration. The Holy Father has put a great face on the Catholic Church," said Archbishop O'Brien.
"I've been enlivened, energized," said Archbishop O'Brien. "It's one thing to sit in a chair and preach. It's another thing to put the preaching into action. I think he wanted to express his affection for the people who came out to welcome him."

Muslim professor reflects on meeting with Benedict

2008-04-28T01:03:00.001-04:00

The Cleveland Plain Dealer features a column by Zeki Saritoprak, a Muslim professor who was present at the interreligious meeting with Pope Benedict at the John Paul II Cultural Center:

The materials for the "Peace Our Hope" meeting all carried the image of Edward Hicks' painting "Peaceable Kingdom," which depicts the beautiful hope of Isaiah 11:6-9: "The wolf shall live with the lamb," and all of the accompanying imagery of peace and harmony in Creation. This image appears in Islamic tradition as well. ...
Of the approximately 150 other participants at the gathering, 25 of us were Muslim. In the wake of the pope's negative remarks about Islam and its prophet at Regensburg University in Germany in 2006, some Muslims felt trepidation about what to expect at the meeting. Any anxiety was quickly alleviated, however, by the pope's humility and openness, which impressed us all.
It is clear to me that, while the pope is deeply knowledgeable about Western thought and Catholic tradition, he is not overly familiar with other religions. He was warm and welcoming to us all, particularly the Jewish participants, to whom he extended a special greeting in honor of their Passover celebration this week. It appears that he is willing to be a part of interreligious dialogue insofar as it does not contradict the main tenets of his faith.
This is particularly good news for Muslims, who share many common traditions with Catholicism, including a special reverence for Jesus and his mother, Mary. Muslims were honored to hear an expression of our own tradition in the pope's final words to us: "Peace upon you all."

Abraham Foxman: Benedict's meeting with Jews "more show that substance, but for the Vatican even show is substance"

2008-04-28T00:59:00.001-04:00

As Jewish leaders reflect on the Pope's Passover greetings with Jews at the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center and subsesquent visit to a synaogue in New York, some are less than impressed. Abraham Foxman, director of the Anti-Defamation League called it "more show that substance, but for the Vatican even show is substance":

The fact that the pope invited the approximately 50 Jewish representatives to meet with him in a private room was an important gesture, said Foxman, because he "greeted us on the occasion of a Jewish festival, which basically was a recognition of religious Jewish life, Jewish faith, and Jewish rituals, and had that significance."
But there was no real dialogue, in Foxman’s view.
"He reached out, he greeted people and he reiterated his support for Nostra Aetate," the declaration issued by the Second Vatican Council in 1965 that deals with the relationship between the Catholic Church and non-Catholic religions, especially with Judaism. "The importance was in the event."
[...]
According to Foxman, the pope’s visit to the synagogue was more significant than the private meeting with the Jewish representatives, which he saw as a continuation of a policy began by his predecessor, Pope John Paul II, when he visited the Great Synagogue of Rome in 1986.
"When Pope John Paul went to that synagogue he changed the dogma of Catholicism, which believes that Christianity superseded Judaism and that it was the new Judaism," Foxman said. "It was a public statement that Judaism exists, that Judaism lives, and that it has vitality."
At the Park East Synagogue, the pope stood before ark "bearing witness to the Jewish faith today, not when [the Catholic] messiah will come," Foxman said.

Foxman is representative of certain factions within the Jewish-Christian dialogue which believe that Nostra Aetate presented a rupture with, or reversal of, prior Catholic tradition. On the contrary, Benedict and his predecessor would read Nostrae Aetate in continuity with prior tradition, and likewise in conjunction with the other conciliar texts.

This was aptly clarified by Cardinal Kasper in a substantial essay defending Pope Benedict XVI's revisions to the "Good Friday prayer for the Jews" in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung: "Das Wann und Wie entscheidet Gott", March 21, 2008; later republished in L'Osservatore Romano April 10, 2008:

... The exclusion of a targeted and institutionalized mission to the Jews does not mean that Christians must stand around with their hands in their pockets. Targeted and organized mission on one side, and Christian witness on the other, must be distinguished. Naturally, Christians must, where it is opportune, give to their older brothers and sisters in the faith of Abraham (John Paul II) a witness of their own faith and of the richness and beauty of their faith in Christ. Paul did this as well. During his missionary journeys, Paul always went first to the synagogue, and only when he did not find faith there did he go to the pagans (Acts of the Apostles, 13:5,14ff., 42-52; 14:1-6 and others; Romans 1:16 is fundamental).
Such a witness is also asked of us today. It must of course be done with tact and respect; but it would be dishonest if Christians, in meeting with their Jewish friends, should remain silent about their own faith, or even deny it.
We expect just as much from believing Jews toward us. In the dialogues that I have known, this attitude is entirely normal. A sincere dialogue between Jews and Christians, in fact, is possible only, on the one hand, on the basis of a shared faith in one God, creator of heaven and earth, and in the promises made to Abraham and to the Fathers; and on the other, in the awareness and respect of the fundamental difference that consists in faith in Jesus as Christ and Redeemer of all men.
The widespread incomprehension of the reformulated prayer for Good Friday is a sign of how great the task is that still lies before us in Jewish-Christian dialogue. The reactions of irritation that have arisen should, therefore, be an opportunity for clarifying and further deepening the foundations and objectives of Jewish-Christian dialogue. If a deepening of dialogue could be begun in this way, the agitation that has arisen would lead to a truly positive result in the end. One must certainly always be aware that dialogue between Jews and Christians will remain, by its nature, always difficult and fragile, and that it demands a great degree of sensitivity on both sides.

No dialogue is worth its salt unless it is grounded in truth, even if this amounts to respecting each other's core religious convictions. Rabbi Jacob Neusner exemplified this in comparing the Catholic prayers to those found within Judaic tradition for the enlightening of the Gentiles:

Israel prays for the Gentiles. So the other monotheistic religions, including the Catholic Church, have the right to do the same thing, and no one should feel offended. Any other attitude toward the Gentiles would block them from encountering the one God revealed to Israel in the Torah.
The Catholic prayer [for the conversion of the Jews] manifests the same altruistic spirit that characterizes the faith of Judaism. The kingdom of God opens its gates to all of humanity: when they pray and ask for the swift coming of the kingdom of God, the Israelites express the same degree of freedom of spirit that impregnates the papal text of the prayer for the Jews (better: "Holy Israel ") to be recited on Good Friday. ...
The prayers of Jewish and Christian proselytism share the same eschatological spirit, and keep the gate of salvation open to all men.

On the question of the Messiah, Rabbi Neusner and Pope Benedict part ways -- but the latter was appreciative enough to devote a chapter to exploring Neusner's convictions and disagreements in Jesus of Nazareth ("A Rabbi Debates with the Pope. And What Divides Them Is Still Jesus", by Sandro Magister. www.Chiesa November 6, 2007).

Unlike Neusner, Abraham Foxman of the ADL seems unable to accept Benedict's religious convictions or the Catholic call for conversion. For him, the very notion that Catholics would wish the conversion of another, particularly the Jews, is an affront. It seems that Foxman demands something that Benedict nor the Church can provide.

"He is conservative, yet radical"

2008-04-27T02:33:00.000-04:00

Sun-Sentinel religion editor James Davis interviews Irish singer Dana, on singing for Pope Benedict XVI - this story ran on April 19, 2008:

[A]sk the Irish singer Dana her main inspiration, and she gives a charming smile and points upward.
"It's the Holy Spirit," she said in a recent interview in Boca Raton. "I didn't write much until my spiritual life deepened. Writing is difficult because you reveal some of yourself. And often, there are no words for where we are." ...
Dana Rosemary Scallon is among a handful of stars in Catholic contemporary music, lending a contemporary tinge to traditional themes. ...
She and her husband, Damien, wrote Lady of Knock, dedicated to a Marian shrine in Ireland. She wrote Totus Tuus, drawn from John Paul's papal motto. And conservative activist James Dobson interviewed her in 1984 for her song Little Baby (Yet Unborn).

How rare to come across a popular musician who "wears her faith on her sleeve" and wish such appreciation for the Holy Father:

Dana echoed other Catholics who praise Benedict's sharp mind, his gentle manner and his willingness to listen. She met him as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger in 2004, when he congratulated her for becoming the first woman to win the pro-family San Benedetto Award in Italy.
"He has a huge intellect, yet he's a humble man," she said. "It's a beautiful combination. It compels people to listen.
"He is conservative, yet radical. He's pushing us onward to realign ourselves with new responsibilities."
She cited an example: In March, an official in Benedict's Vatican decried new kinds of mortal sins — not just the usual abortion, but also pollution, pedophilia, drug dealing, environmental damage and extreme wealth.
"John Paul brought Christ to the world, shoring up values," Dana said. "Benedict is building on those, stretching and interpreting for our day and time."

Bishop William Lori on Benedict's "challenge" to Cahtolics in America

2008-04-27T02:24:00.002-04:00

Yet another "blogging bishop" -- William Lori of the Diocese of Bridgeport, CT, on Pope Benedict's challenge to Catholics in America:

Pope Benedict challenges us to bring the vision of faith to bear on society’s problems and to join together in constructing a world of love and hope – a world where the rights and dignity of each person are respected, including the unborn, the handicapped, and the frail elderly; where children are welcomed and nurtured in loving families founded upon the love of husband and wife; where the stranger is welcomed and the poor are treated with care and respect; where we are free to worship without fear and to bring the light of faith into the public square; where shared truth and convictions protect our freedom from the tyrannical rule of godless and valueless opinion leaders and trend setters who lead us away from what is true, good, coherent, and beautiful.
Now it is up to us to accept this challenge, to build upon the gift of this papal visit. It is for us to ponder the Holy Father’s words, to be renewed in our life of prayer both private and liturgical; to grow in our knowledge and love of what our faith teaches; and to be men and women of intense charity, not only for those we already know and love, but also for those whom we may never meet but who need our love and help.

David Gibson vs. Cranky Conservative on "deprived" Catholic women

2008-04-26T02:19:00.004-04:00

What you didn't see last week: Women, by David Gibson. Benedictions April 23, 2008:
They are the majority of worshipers every Sunday (and through the week), and they make up some 80 percent of the more than 30,000 lay ministers (and growing fast) serving in the nation's 19,000 parishes. There are more of them working in U.S. churches than there are priests. They distribute communion, raise the next generation in the faith, and younger versions of themselves serve as altar girls. Yes, they are Catholic women. And yes, they were nearly invisible during last week's Pope-a-palooza.
Benedict got an eyeful of the American church while he was here, but not from up close. No women were allowed to distribute communion (nor lay people for that matter--only ordained dudes) nor were any girls allowed as altar servers. In fact, the liturgies that American Catholics are used to, with women and girls playing important roles, had to be re-gendered for the papal masses. ...
Rebuttal from The Cranky Conservative (April 25, 2008):
Really? Speaking as someone who was, you know, actually there, I saw a lot of women - a lot of happy women joyous to be in the Pope’s presence.
From what I understand any female would-be EMC was physically restrained and placed deep in the caverns of both Nationals Park and Yankee Stadium. Allowed only bread, water, and an Ipod filled with liturgical music penned by Marty Haugen, these women were finally released only after they promised never to look a priest directly in the eyes again.
Of course the actual explanation [as to their absence] ... (Read More).

Do they look disgruntled to you? -- Nuns from the Servents of the Lord and the Virgin of Matara from Upper Marlboro, Maryland, sing on the subway after attending Mass with Pope Benedict XVI at Yankee Stadium April 20, 2008 (Getty Images)

Francis X. Clooney, SJ: "Interreligious dialogue is here to stay"

2008-04-25T14:08:00.000-04:00

"The Pope Speaks - As If Dialogue is Here to Stay", by Francis X. Clooney, SJ. America April 25, 2008:

There are many good things and interesting things to reflect on after the Pope's visit to the Washington and New York, but here I pick up on only one: Benedict's April 17th visit with representatives of various religions, at the John Paul II Cultural Center in Washington. Benedict's remarks to the gathered religious leaders made a multi-layered and firm case for interreligious dialogue, putting to rest, permanently I hope, the notion that this Pope wishes somehow to halt the inexorable move toward dialogue that has characterized the post-Vatican II Church.

Of course to the discerning, even as prefect Joseph Ratzinger was never opposed to interreligious dialogue -- his concern was those exceptional cases were a zeal for "dialogue" suppressed and even subverted the mission of the Church, by appeals to religious syncretism and a "watering down" of the claim to truth concerning the salvific unity of Christ and his Church. (Dominus Iesus was chiefly offered as a corrective to erroneous or ambiguous positions; see also 2004's collection of essays: Truth and Tolerance: Christian Belief and World Religions Ignatius Press).

On a parellel note, it can likewise be said that the Holy Father is firmly committed to ecumenism -- in 2006, he plainly stated ""The Second Vatican Council considered as one of its main objectives the re-establishment of full Christian unity -- this is also my objective". But one can tell simply by reading his address during the ecumenical prayer service at St. Joseph's in New York, ecumenism is not a goal to be pursued at the cost of truth, referring with regret to Christian communities who adopted positions motivated by "a hermeneutic not always consonant with the datum of Scripture and Tradition", adopting "a relativistic approach to Christian doctrine":

For Christians to accept this faulty line of reasoning would lead to the notion that there is little need to emphasize objective truth in the presentation of the Christian faith, for one need but follow his or her own conscience and choose a community that best suits his or her individual tastes. The result is seen in the continual proliferation of communities which often eschew institutional structures and minimize the importance of doctrinal content for Christian living.

Neuhaus on the Nationals Park Mass: "For Benedict, aesthetics is never mere aesthetics"

2008-04-25T14:03:00.000-04:00

Fr. Richard J. Neuhaus caused quite a ruckus with his "somewhat critical" remarks about the way Mass was celebrated at Washington National's Park on EWTN. In "Benedict and Beauty" (First Things' "On the Square" April 25, 2008) he responds to his critics:

Where to begin? The matter of taste—or, if you will, aesthetics—enters into it, no doubt. But the problem with the way the liturgy and music was handled is that it focused attention on the gathered people and the performers rather than on what Christ is doing in the Eucharist. It was a display of preening multiculturalism that proclaimed, “Look at us wonderfully diverse people exhibiting our wonderfully diverse talents!” I should add that this was the impression more powerfully conveyed on television, which was what I saw from the broadcast studio. Some people who were in the stadium and participating in the Mass tell me they hardly noticed the sundry musical performances, except as a vague background noise. They were the fortunate ones.
No doubt there are many parishes where people regularly suffer worse than what was perpetrated at Nationals Park. For the most part it was bad music competently performed. But one expects better, one expects much better, at a papal Mass. Especially when the pope is one who has been so very explicit in his views on liturgical and musical practices. ...

To those who dismiss his remarks as a merely aesthetic dispute, Neuhaus cites a strikingly applicable excerpt from Ratzinger's Feast of Faith. He concludes:

I do not wish to be too hard on those who planned the celebration at Nationals Park. It was, sad to say, not unrepresentative of much Catholic worship in our time. The planners and the performers no doubt meant well, but it is worthy of remark that at a papal Mass there was so much that reflected an ignorance of, or defiance of, the very considered views of the pope.

Cardinal Sean reflects on Pope's Benedict's visit, meeting with clergy abuse victims

2008-04-25T02:13:00.002-04:00

On his blog, Cardinal Seán shares his reflections & experiences of the Pope's visit (April 25, 2008):

Then planning a papal visit, so many things can go wrong — and when you are Irish, you expect all of them to go wrong! It was so beautiful that everything — even the weather — cooperated. The Holy Father’s visit was very uplifting and a grace-filled moment for the Catholics of our country.
The Holy Father had announced that his message was going to be “Christ our Hope,” and it certainly has given all of us a lot of hope in the Lord and in the future of our Church.
As I already mentioned in last week’s blog, a very special moment for me and for the Archdiocese of Boston took place on Thursday when the Holy Father met with five survivors of clergy sexual abuse.
The following day, on the day of the Holy Father’s anniversary, the other American cardinals and I had a wonderful opportunity to have dinner with him in the residence of the nuncio to the Vatican mission to the United Nations, Archbishop Celestino Migliore. I want to share with you that at that event, the Holy Father told me how moved he was by that meeting with the victims the day before.

Cardinal O'Malley was also interviewed by the Diocesian newspaper The Pilot, where he spoke more of the circumstances of the Pope's meeting:

Q: Can you explain your involvement in that unannounced meeting in Washington that brought together the Holy Father with five local victims of sexual abuse by clergy?
A: After it was announced that the Holy Father was going to Washington and New York and that Boston was not included, the bishops of the region joined me in writing a letter to the Holy Father asking him to reconsider and talking about the pastoral needs that we have in New England. Then the response came back that, given the very taxing nature of the trip, that they (Vatican officials) really hesitated to add anything else. So I wrote back again asking if the Holy Father would meet with victims and after that the Holy Father responded and asked me to make the necessary arrangements.
Q: Why was this meeting not part of the official schedule?
A: We did our best to keep it a very discreet meeting because we did not want to turn it a media circus and we were afraid that if people found ahead of time that that was just what would happen. Also, some of the survivors who accompanied us wished to remain anonymous and it would have made it impossible for them to participate under the public scrutiny. So, I am just thankful that we were able to carry it off without becoming public before hand.
I was very grateful to the Holy Father. The many times he addressed the sexual abuse crisis indicate how deeply he understands the situation of our Church and what happens here. He obviously feels a great sorrow over what has happened and that he is ashamed but, at the same time, wants to encourage us on the path to healing and reconciliation.
At the Thursday morning Mass at the Nationals’ stadium he talked about the need of giving pastoral care to the victims, and then in the afternoon he gave us a very concrete example of that in his own encounter with them.
Q: Why do you think this was a crucial meeting?
A: I think it was important for the victims to feel as though they had access to the Holy Father. Obviously, not all victims but someone representing them and in a small enough group, in a context that it would allow for a very personal interchange between the Holy Father and the victims. It was not a formal address; the Holy Father made his initial comments and then he spoke with each of the victims individually, he clasped their hands, he blessed them, he prayed with them.
I think for the Holy Father, pastorally, it was very important to experience this. Certainly he has heard through the bishops and through others the devastation of sexual abuse but it is another thing to encounter personally the survivors and to learn first hand of their suffering and pain.

John Allen Jr. devotes his weekly column to substantial "behind the scenes" coverage of the Pope's meeting with the victims, concluding with another interview with Cardinal O'Malley.

Related

Victims of abuse recall meeting with pope - Patricia Rice interviews the partipants in Benedict's meeting with the abuse victims. St. Louis Platform April 23, 2008.

Senator Barbara Boxer: “most dogged foe of unborn human life in the U.S. Senate”

2008-04-23T14:31:00.000-04:00

Denial Is a Senator from California (National Review April 23, 2008) - Paul Kengor comments on Senator Barbara Boxer (D., Calif.) -- “most dogged foe of unborn human life in the U.S. Senate” -- to the point of objecting a United States Senate resolution welcoming Pope Benedict himself:

It turns out, though, that Brownback was guilty of an egregious affront in his draft resolution: He had dared to thank the pope for valuing “each and every human life.” This was an apt acknowledgment for the man in Rome, given his remarkable consistency on life issues across the board, from abortion to AIDS to embryos to war. Nonetheless, Brownback’s statement of the obvious raised the ire of pro-choice Democrats in the Senate, particularly Barbara Boxer, who feared “human life” might extend to the unborn — a group that, by her definition, not only has no human rights but is not even human life.
This, of course, could not stand. Boxer immediately demanded that the “objectionable language” (the words of one senior Democratic Senate aide) be dropped from the resolution.

"On Serving Solemn Pontifical Vespers for the Holy Father"

2008-04-23T14:29:00.000-04:00

Catholic blog Fish in a Barrell offers a remarkable account of meeting the Pope, serving as his vimp, and then receiving a lecture on the importance of serving the liturgy from Msgr. Marini:

I can’t say whether or not people were expectingthe Holy Father to greet us one by one, but I can say with certainty that we had a plan A and a plan B, consisting of left-knee genuflection and damn-near profound bowing, respectively. And so, the elevator opened, out steps Monsignor Rossi and the Monsignori from the Holy See, and all of a sudden we see this kindly-looking old man arrayed in various vesture of brilliant white, his countenance one telling of such deep-seated joy in Christ and love of His Church, such that not even the most gifted artist could capture it. He started making his way greeting each of us, with Monsignor Rossi introducing us. By the time it was perfectly clear that the only way the Holy Father could get to the guy after me was to stop at me, Monsignor Rossi introduces me (more or less): JP Mikolajczyk, he designed the altar for the Mass tomorrow. HOLY SMOKES!!! WOW!!! WOW!!! His Holiness in reply, Ah, zhank you.
There’s really no tactful way to say “you’re welcome” to that, so my existing smile was appropriate, I hope.

Mark Stricherz on Penance and Benedict's call for American social renewal

2008-04-23T14:04:00.000-04:00

Penance and American Social Renewal - Mark Stricherz (In Front of Your Nose) on the starting point of Catholic renewal in America:

“Going to confession is hard,” Dorothy Day writes in The Long Loneliness. Truer words were never ... How many Saturday afternoons have I spent, usually all alone in church, waiting to confess my sins to a priest. Time seems to stop; when I arrive early, I always hear the soft patter of the priest’s shoes against the marble or hardwood floor, the sounds meant only for me; and when I arrive late, I worry that the priest will emerge from the confessional and recognize me. The feelings of alienation, separation, and anxiety are rough.
But that suffering can lead not only to personal reconciliation but also social renewal. Thus said Benedict XVI at Nationals Stadium last Thursday. ...

What did Benedict eat? - Lidia Bastianich reveals the menu

2008-04-22T14:26:00.001-04:00

Chef Lidia Bastianich reveals what was on the menu for Pope Benedict to food blog Serious Eats:

Forty years ago, when Lidia was 12 and living in a refugee camp in Trieste, Italy, with her parents and brother, a Catholic relief organization provided them with safe passage and the proper visas to emigrate to America. But Lidia and her parents had to go to the Vatican to get the blessing of the pope at the time, Pope Paul VI.
So one can only imagine how thrilled she was to cook not one, not two, but three meals for the current pope during his visit to New York City. And Pope Benedict XVI turned out to be a serious eater, which is not surprising, given the fact that his mom was a hotel chef. [...]

Here's a mouth-watering sampling -- from Saturday's Lunch for the Holy Father and his Cardinals in New York:

String bean salad with sheep's milk ricotta and pickled shallots and toasted almonds
Ravioli with fresh pecorino and pears
Risotto with nettles, fava beans, and ramps
Whole roasted striped bass with boiled fingerling potatoes and a frisée salad
Apple strudel with honey vanilla ice cream (with honeycomb intact)

Lidia sums up her experience:

"It was celestial. It meant my life had come full circle. I came to America because a Catholic relief organization provided safe passage, and here I am cooking for, feeding, and nourishing the pope. It doesn't get any better than that, does it?"

(Via Domenico Bettinelli).

* * *

On a related note, the New York Times reveals that Pope Benedict's diet "reflected the digestive needs of a man who had just turned 81 and was at the end of an intense road trip" (A Recipe With an Imprimatur, by Kim Severson. April 23, 2008):

He wanted food that was light and seasonal. And the two formal dinners he ate in the wood-lined dining room at the five-story town house of the papal nuncio to the United Nations on East 72nd Street were to last only 80 minutes.
Besides security checks as each dish was prepared, the most important edict was this: The pope couldn’t handle spices.
Adjustments were made. The pepe was withheld from his ravioli cacio pepe e pere, the classic dish of pasta and pecorino accented with pears and pepper. Strudel, a nod to his German roots, was made without cinnamon. ...
One dish the pope ate in New York stands out as a particularly nice way to mark both spring and the papal visit. This creamy risotto is warm enough to take the chill off a New York spring evening but tastes so green that it satisfies the pent-up desire to eat early spring vegetables as soon as possible.

Related

Lidia Bastianich chosen to be "The Papal Chef" in New York Benedict in America March 23, 2008.

Gary Stern: "Pope appeared to cover all his bases during U.S. visit"

2008-04-22T02:32:00.000-04:00

Pope appeared to cover all his bases during U.S. visit, says Gary Stern, wrapping up the papal visit in an article for the Westchester Journal News April 22, 2008:

Reviewing Pope Benedict XVI's American journey with hindsight, the papal agenda could have looked like this:
A. Introduce Benedict to America as warm, friendly and gracious - without going overboard or trying to make him into something he's not.
B. Celebrate the success of Catholicism in America and of America itself, but warn of the dangers to faith that are presented by relativism, secularism and materialism.
C. Face the fallout from the clerical sex-abuse crisis directly and on his own terms.
Through three days in Washington and three in New York, Benedict repeatedly hammered home points B and C and, through it all, appeared to accomplish point A with little trouble. ...

Spoken Words of Pope Benedict XVI during his Apostolic Visit to the United States April 15-20, 2008

2008-04-22T01:04:00.005-04:00

Interview of the Holy Father during the flight to the United States of America (April 15, 2008)
Welcoming ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington (April 16, 2008)
Joint declaration between the Holy See and the Office of the President of the United States of America released at the end of the private meeting between the Holy Father Benedict XVI and U.S. President George W. Bush (April 16, 2008)
Celebration of Vespers and meeting with the Bishops of the United States of America at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington (April 16, 2008)
Responses of Benedict XVI to the questions posed by the American Bishops (April 16, 2008)
Homily during the celebration of Holy Mass at the Washington Nationals Stadium (April 17, 2008)
Meeting with Catholic educators at the Conference Hall of the Catholic University of America in Washington (April 17, 2008)
Meeting with the representatives of other religions at the “Rotunda” Hall of the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center of Washington (April 17, 2008)
Meeting with representatives of the Jewish community in Washington D.C. (April 17, 2008)
Message to the Jewish community on the occasion of the feast of Pesah (April 17, 2008)
Address of the Holy Father to the General Assembly of the United Nations Organization in New York (April 18, 2008)
Greetings to the staff and the personnel of the United Nations in New York (April 18, 2008)
Meeting with representatives of the Jewish community at Park East Synagogue in New York (April 18, 2008)
Ecumenical Prayer Service at St Joseph's Parish in New York (April 18, 2008)
Homily during the celebration of a Votive Mass for the Universal Church with priests, men and women religious in St. Patrick's Cathedral, New York (April 19, 2008)
Meeting with young people having disabilities at St. Joseph Seminary in Yonkers, New York (April 19, 2008
Meeting with young people and seminarians at St. Joseph Seminary in Yonkers, New York (April 19, 2008)
Prayer during the visit to Ground Zero in New York (April 20, 2008)
Homily during the celebration of Holy Mass at New York's Yankee Stadium (April 20, 2008)
Farewell ceremony at John Fitzgerald Kennedy International Airport of New York (April 20, 2008)

* * *

Collected speeches and homilies in PDF Document - should you wish to print and read offline. (Courtesy of the blog Disputations).

Pope Benedict's telegrams to various Heads of State

2008-04-21T16:02:00.000-04:00

From Zenit News, the text of several telegrams Benedict XVI wrote to officials from the countries he flew over during his flight from New York to Rome, including the President of the United States:

The Honorable George W. Bush
President of the United States of America - Washington
At the conclusion of my visit to the United States and the United Nations Organization I offer heartfelt thanks to you and your fellow citizens for your kind reception and ready assistance during my stay and I renew my prayers that Almighty God will ever guide your Nation in the way of prosperity and peace. Upon all the beloved American people I cordially invoke an abundance of divine Blessings.
Benedictus pp. xvi

The rest of the telegrams are addressed to the heads of state of the United States, Canada, Ireland, France and Italy.

Pope's visit prompts new claims of clergy abuse

2008-04-21T15:05:00.000-04:00

Pope visit prompts new claims of abuse by priests, by Steve Ritea. Newsday April 21, 2008:

The pope's visit and his acknowledging sexual abuse by priests within the church has prompted dozens of people to come forward and claim they were molested as children, the president of a victim support group said yesterday.
"We've been inundated with calls," said Barbara Blaine, president of the Chicago-based Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, a national organization. "Several are saying that they never told anyone."
Any media coverage of the issue often prompts new people to come forward, Blaine said, noting several hundred calls her organization received in 2002, when America's Catholic bishops approved a toughened sex abuse policy after scores of molestation charges against priests became public.
In his address to the nation's Catholic bishops Wednesday, Pope Benedict XVI said that the sexual abuse scandal had been "very badly handled." The pope met later with victims of clergy sexual abuse, in a historic visit.

Reflecting on the Pope's Visit to the United States (Roundup)

2008-04-21T14:30:00.000-04:00

Boston's Cardinal Sean O'Malley recalls his emotional meeting with the Holy Father, discussing the clergy sexual abuse scandal:
Cardinal Sean P. O'Malley became emotional yesterday as he recounted to reporters the dramatic and unprecedented meeting earlier this week between Pope Benedict XVI and five people from Boston who had been sexually abused by priests.
Asked how difficult the meeting was for him personally, O'Malley paused for a long moment and appeared to tear up.
"Just seeing the book makes a great impact," he said, referring to a handmade document he gave the pontiff listing the names of nearly 1,500 alleged victims of clergy sexual abuse in the Archdiocese of Boston. As the pope slowly turned the pages, the cardinal mentioned that some of the victims died from suicide or drug abuse.
"I know the Holy Father was touched by it as well," he said at a news conference at Boston College's Silvio O. Conte Forum where the Boston Catholic Men's Conference was held yesterday. ...
"I was very, very moved by the whole experience," O'Malley said. "The Holy Father spoke about the pain he felt and the shame. He said that for so long he's been praying by those who have been damaged, touched, and hurt by the whole experience. . . . It was a very moving and a very reassuring experience. The Holy Father feels very deeply what these survivors have gone through."
Reflecting on what has gone on liturgically, Shawn Tribe (The New Liturgical Movement): considers a few different aspects in comparison between Washington and New York -- Washington comes out on top in a few departments (sanctuary setups, papal vestments, altar arrangements); New York appears to best the capital in terms of their musical selection. The verdict:
The breakdown that we see here is that Washington comparatively excelled on the scale of those elements which are more visual in relation to the liturgy (altar arrangement, stadium sanctuary design, vestments) while New York excelled in the area of sacred music.
If the two liturgical aspects had come together (and technically they did at the Washington Vespers service) at all the liturgies, it would have been very characteristic of Benedict and Marini as they are able to operate within Rome. (And let us recall that both elements are very important.)
And among the significant gains made in terms of the "reform of the reform":
Three of the four liturgies were characterized by traditional forms of sacred music. Beyond that, we also saw the sung Gospel, the use of the Graduale and more polyphony and chant than has likely been heard at most any papal Mass outside of Rome in recent memory. This is significant.
John Thavis (Catholic News Service) - Pope Benedict XVI achieved three objectives that could be considered critical to the pastoral future of the American church:
First, the pope brought a certain closure to the priestly sex abuse scandal that has shaken the church for more than six years, expressing his personal shame at what happened and praying with the victims.
Second, he set forth a moral challenge to the wider U.S. culture on issues ranging from economic justice to abortion, but without coming across as doctrinaire or bullying.
Third, to a church that often seems divided into conservative and liberal camps, he issued a firm appeal to "set aside all anger" and unite in order to effectively evangelize society.
In the process of his April 15-20 visit, the 81-year-old pope established his own identity in a country that did not know him well and in a sense came out of the shadow of the late Pope John Paul II.
Veritas, by J. Peter Nixon (Commonweal April 20, 2008):
To suggest that there is a single common theme that unites all of [Benedict's addresses] would be hubris. They are too rich to be reduced in that way. Nevertheless, I am struck by the frequency with which Benedict consistently returns to a particular theme: truth.
For Benedict, the quest for truth lies at the heart of what it means to be human. We are able to pose questions about the meaning of our existence, some of which Benedict offered when he spoke to the interfaith gathering at the John Paul II Cultural Center: “What is the origin and destiny of mankind? What are good and evil? What awaits us at the end of our earthly existence?”
Benedict’s conviction—and it is also the Catholic conviction—is that these questions can be answered. Human beings have a nature and a destiny and that nature and destiny give fundamental shape to authentic human happiness and flourishing. What is good and evil for human beings is grounded in reality, in truth. It is not merely the reflection of the will of a legislator. Freedom, properly understood, is the freedom to fully live this nature and arrive at this destiny.
Rich Leonardi (Ten Reasons) posts some Notes from New York including his experience of the Yankee Stadium Mass:
The contrast between New York and Washington speaks for itself. Somehow Cardinal Egan's staff was able to integrate the various languages and sub-cultures of New York into a cohesive, dignified, and sacred liturgy. Generous doses of Latin and superb choral singing were key ingredients. In Washington, diversity was a contrived distraction; here it seemed far more natural -- perhaps even a source of unity. The cardinal has my heartfelt admiration.
and Benedict's visit in general:
Pope Benedict made a connection with the Church in America. It's difficult to describe, but the Holy Father's visit strikes me a defining moment for us. American Catholics, if we're smart about it, will spend the next several years internalizing and acting upon the message of hopeful renewal behind the many addresses, homilies, and exchanges that took place over the past five days.
Gary Stern realizes "it's about the office -- not the man":
... the main thing I take away from the papal extravaganza is this: it’s about the office, not the man.
When I covered JPII a few times, I saw tens of thousands reaching for him, crying for him, and assumed that they were drawn to the man in white, the Polish fellow with the round face and undeniable charisma. And they were, to a degree.
But here comes Benedict. Very different personality. Very different style. German. Shy. Bookish. And the people reach out in the same way, cry for him in the same way.
The only conclusion that I can draw is that it’s about the papacy, not the pope. For Catholics, it’s about the man they believe to be the vicar of Christ, the successor to Peter—no matter who he is. (And for everyone else, it’s about the man who represents, spiritually, 1 out of every 6 people in the world.)
If someone else had been elected in 2005, the same crowds would have been out there. People still would have lined up for hours for a glimpse of the popemobile. People still would have called out “Papa! Papa!” but for a different Papa. There still would have been 25,000 kids at Dunwoodie, talking about how it was a “once-in-a-lifetime-opportunity-to-see-the-pope.”
I’m not knocking Benedict, mind you. He got the job done and deserves a nice rest. But I’m sure that he would be the first one to say that it’s all about the papacy and not Joseph Ratzinger.
"The Papal Week That Was", by Fr. Richard J. Neuhaus (First Things' "On The Square"):
... A moment of historic importance was the magnificent reception at the White House the morning after the pope’s arrival. The administration pulled out all the stops in a symbolic act of closure in the country’s tangled history of anti-Catholicism—or at least of suspicion about the place of Catholicism in our common life. Beyond that, it was a striking response to the larger question of what someone has called the naked public square—public life devoid of religion and religiously grounded moral discernment. In the concluding Mass in Yankee Stadium, Benedict spoke of the “false dichotomy” between Christian faith and the public square, as he did also in his address at the United Nations in New York. His several statements underscored the powerful symbolism of the White House reception. The image of the president and the pope on the South Lawn, along with what each said, deserves a prominent place in any honest history of the Republic.
[...]
The Holy See’s traditionally friendly disposition toward international organizations, and toward the U.N. in particular, was joined with a lucid and forceful argument that the foundation of such organizations, and, more particularly, of the U.N.’s claim to be the protector of human rights, was without credibility unless there is a firm acknowledgment of the dignity of the human person created in the image and likeness of God. Faith, reason, and natural law were highlighted in the contention that the U.N.’s “Universal Declaration of Human Rights,” signed sixty years ago, is not believable unless grounded in transcendent truths about the human person and historical destiny.
The extended standing ovation from the delegates, and the even more extended ovation following the shorter address to the U.N. staff, was remarkable. It was as though they sensed that the moral charter of the organization—an organization that has been so dismally disappointing on so many scores—had been renewed. The response is the more remarkable in view of the recent history of the U.N. in promoting abortion, population control, and other measures in violation of the dignity of the human person.
The Face of Pope Benedict XVI, by Deal Hudson. InsideCatholic.com April 21, 2008:
... Benedict XVI bestowed his peace while confronting every problem awaiting him in the youngest and wealthiest of the countries under his universal pastoral oversight. He addressed the priest sexual abuse scandal on the plane to Washington, D.C. and will be remembered for his willingness to meet with victims. Both his humility and transparency caught the nation off guard.
His transparency was apparent in everything he did and said. He praised the American Revolution for its foundations in divinely-endowed human rights while reminding us of the necessity of exercising freedom "for the cause of good." He congratulated our bishops on the vitality of the Church but asked them to offer "a clear and united witness" on proposed legislation that contradicts sound morality. He recognized the sacrifice made by American Catholics to educate their children, but he admonished presidents of Catholic colleges and universities never to use academic freedom as justification for contradicting "the faith and the teaching of the Church." His admiration for the work of the United Nations was made clear in his speech, but he cautioned, "It should never be necessary to deny God in order to enjoy one's rights."
Benedict XVI gave us peace in spite of his admonishments, in spite of his constant reminders that our freedom should never be used as license, and our affluence should not tempt us toward the isolation of self-consumed individualism.
How did he do it? ...
He did it by relying on something that is rarely discussed in our culture: Benedict XVI spoke the truth. Truth, the Pope knows, is the most disputed idea in our post-modern culture. By proclaiming truth, he defied the accepted opinion of the academy that there is no such thing, only politicized opinions based upon self-interest.

Nice way to send off the Pope, Catholic News Service

2008-04-21T14:20:00.005-04:00

Theology students extol pope's pastoral gifts but say change unlikely, by Chris Herlinger:

NEW YORK (CNS) -- Catholic students at one of New York City's most prominent schools of theology said Pope Benedict XVI's visit did not soften some of their concerns about his papacy and the future of the U.S. Catholic Church.
The students at Union Theological Seminary, a nondenominational graduate school of theology with Protestant roots and a home for Catholic academics who have run afoul of the Vatican, praised Pope Benedict's pastoral gifts and his ability to energize the Catholic faithful.
But they also said the visit will not lead to what they feel are much-needed reforms within the church and expressed concern that the U.S. church's current and future needs are not likely to be addressed any time soon.
[...]
Of the current five full-time Catholic faculty members at Union, three are women. Union's current Catholic faculty includes Jesuit Father Roger Haight, whose book, "Jesus Symbol of God," was sharply criticized by the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith when it was headed by then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict. The Vatican has banned Father Haight from teaching at a Catholic institution.
Another Roman Catholic theologian who has had trouble with the Vatican is Paul F. Knitter, currently Union's Paul Tillich professor of theology, world religions and culture.
Kirk told Catholic News Service April 20 that Union was lucky to have scholars like Father Haight and Knitter on the faculty, adding that the student view of Pope Benedict at Union is colored in large part by the pope's relationship with them, with figures like Father Sobrino and by Pope Benedict's past criticism of liberation theology.
For her part, [Union doctoral student Kim] Harris -- a Catholic who used to be Presbyterian -- said her concern about church reform, specifically the need to expand the eligibility for clergy to include noncelibate men and women, is coming out of real and "lived experience."

It seems to me that "lived experience" is a pretty thin basis for promoting a categorical change in Church teaching.

For example, it is the "lived experience" of the unwed mother that bringing a child into the world can be a burden (should one then be "pro-choice"?)

It is also the "lived experience" that I may feel inclined to sleep in on Sundays or shirk the obligation to confess my sins -- even so, buck as I might, the Church teaches othewise: not only duty-bound to the instructions of its founder, but no doubt with my spiritual health and well being in mind.

Of course celibacy may sometimes perceived more of an imposition by some priests and less a reflection of Christ's sacrifice, or it may be that some women may feel slighted because the Church, bound to the sacred scriptures and the example of its founder believes itself unable to ordain them to the priesthood.

Does this subjective feeling of resentment invalidate the argued position of the Church?

Catholic News Service identifies itself as "the primary source of national and world news that appears in the U.S. Catholic press," however with the disclaimer that "while created in 1920 by the bishops of the United States, is editorially independent and a financially self-sustaining division of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops."

I wonder if "editorially and financially independent" is to the USCCB what "plausible deniability" is for the President, when the CIA does a black operation? Honestly, I would have normally expected this backstabbing tripe from the likes of the National Catholic Reporter.

(Bill Cork @ Oak Leaves noticed this as well:

"There remains a serious disconnect between Pope Benedict XVI and the US Bishops, especially their bureaucracies, despite the smiles and ring-kissing of the past week. . . .
Where did the reporter go to discover what theology students are thinking? Catholic University of America? Fordham? Boston College? Notre Dame? University of St. Thomas?
No, they didn’t go to any of those, or to any other Catholic university.
They went to Union Theological Seminary, one of the most liberal Protestant schools of theology in the country.

Rosemary Radford Reuther - "prophetic voice" or relic of the 70's?

2008-04-21T02:16:00.000-04:00

It truly boggles the mind why the New York Times felt compelled -- after featuring a largely exemplary cast of commentators -- to trot out feminist theologian Rosemary Radford Reuther to regurgitate her clichéd criticisms of the Pope. In one of her rants, she charges that:

If Catholicism in the U.S. and worldwide presents the appearance of a hierarchical leadership which has lost credibility with much of the laity, the most important cause of this is the failure to rethink its teaching on sexuality and birth control.

Ruether’s comments are straight out of the 70’s -- the last gurgles of a greying "Vatican II generation" hostile to the Church. This particular post is fascinating for the sheer number of rebuttals from vibrant orthodox Catholics. As one observes:

There is a kind of sad irony in the fact people who view themselves as “progressive” are so easily stuck on the same issues that were important to them forty years ago. Of course, disparity between Church teaching and common practice with regard to contraception remains a very real problem in the United States (and most of the world)- but it seems somewhat silly to assert that it must be the Pope who is behind the times- and then to provide (as the sum total of “background” for the issue) events that took place prior to 1970!!! With all due respect to Dr. Radford Ruether, there is an inherent contradiction within this kind of approach that ought to be recognized and corrected.
As a practicing Catholic who is not yet thirty, born ten years after Humanae Vitae was promulgated to a woman who took the pope’s teachings seriously, it is sometimes difficult to suppress feelings of bitterness against those forces in the Church who have systematically taught the practice of disobedience to my generation. Rather than shepherd us toward holiness, they have spent their careers advocating new dogmas based on their own questionable authority- opinions which directly contradict the teachings of the legitimate shepherds- and they continue to insist that they speak for the future of the Church. As someone who will be a member of the Church for the next forty years, I think it is about time they surrendered the floor.
For the rest of my life, I will be dealing with a crisis in the Church that is rarely recognized and yet very real. I am going to have to spend the rest of my days cleaning up a tremendous mess: an entire generation that lives in confusion because the previous generation refused to be faithful… and tried to convince my generation that we were stupid for wanting to be faithful, at least on issues like contraception and abortion. The irony is that these same theologians do want young Catholics to obey the Church on social justice issues- and seem shocked when so many refuse to do so.

The number of commentators who convey similar sentiments -- frustration with the prior generation of Catholics who taught nothing but dissent, and expressing a counter-cultural enthusiasm for embracing the teachings of the Church, speaks for itself. (Via Fructus Ventris).

Departure from John F. Kennedy International Airport

2008-04-20T20:00:00.003-04:00

What's Happening Today: Sunday, April 20
8-8:30 p.m. - Departure from John F. Kennedy International Airport
NOTE: This post will be updated as more information becomes available on this topic.

Approximately 3,250 guests will bid farewell to the Pope in Hangar 19 of JFK airport.

8:00 p.m. - The Pope arrives via motorcade. Bishop Nicholas A. DiMarzio, bishop of Brooklyn, gives a welcome.
Dignitaries
- Cardinal Edward M. Egan, archbishop of New York
- Bishop William F. Murphy, bishop of Rockville Centre
- Bishop Pietro Sambi, apostolic nuncio to the U.S.
- Archbishop Celestino Migliore, Holy See’s permanent observer to the United Nations
- Representative of the president of the United States [VP Richard Cheney]
- Representatives of state and local governments
Program
- Address by President Bush’s representative [VP Richard Cheney]
- Farewell by Pope Benedict XVI
- Presentation by Bishop Nicholas A. DiMarzio and schoolchildren
8:30 p.m. - Departure via Shepherd One

The USCCB's blog reports on the Pope's departure:

Pope Benedict XVI concluded his apostolic journey to the United States this evening, departing from John F. Kennedy International Airport aboard Shepherd One at approximately 8:45 p.m. (EDT).
Pope Benedict arrived at the airport by helicopter. More than three thousand people were in attendance to bid farewell to the Holy Father. While waiting for the Holy Father to arrive, the people participated in a program of prayer and music produced by the Diocese of Brooklyn. ...
Vice President Cheney thanked the Holy Father for his visit. He said that, though the nation faces many challenges, it has innumerable blessings. He assured the Holy Father that he will always be welcome in the United States. He thanked him for his message of hope and salvation. He bid him a safe journey and asked him to pray for the United States.
Pope Benedict gave a brief address thanking U.S. Catholics for their hospitality and for their witness of faith and devotion. He thanked all those responsible for planning the visit. The Holy Father concluded his visit with these words: “I ask you to remember me in your prayers, and I assure you of my affection and friendship in the Lord. May God bless America!” The people responded with a standing ovation. .
Several children, accompanied by Bishop DiMarzio, gave the Holy Father bouquets of flowers.
Pope Benedict is scheduled to arrive in Rome late Monday morning. May God grant him a safe journey.

Text of Pope Benedict XVI's address - John Fitzgerald Kennedy International Airport (Departure Ceremony):

The time has come for me to bid farewell to your country. These days that I have spent in the United States have been blessed with many memorable experiences of American hospitality, and I wish to express my deep appreciation to all of you for your kind welcome. It has been a joy for me to witness the faith and devotion of the Catholic community here. It was heart-warming to spend time with leaders and representatives of other Christian communities and other religions, and I renew my assurances of respect and esteem to all of you. I am grateful to President Bush for kindly coming to greet me at the start of my visit, and I thank Vice-President Cheney for his presence here as I depart. The civic authorities, workers and volunteers in Washington and New York have given generously of their time and resources in order to ensure the smooth progress of my visit at every stage, and for this I express my profound thanks and appreciation to Mayor Adrian Fenty of Washington and Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York.
Once again I offer prayerful good wishes to the representatives of the see of Baltimore, the first Archdiocese, and those of New York, Boston, Philadelphia and Louisville, in this jubilee year. May the Lord continue to bless you in the years ahead. To all my Brother Bishops, to Bishop DiMarzio of this Diocese of Brooklyn, and to the officers and staff of the Episcopal Conference who have contributed in so many ways to the preparation of this visit, I extend my renewed gratitude for their hard work and dedication. With great affection I greet once more the priests and religious, the deacons, the seminarians and young people, and all the faithful in the United States, and I encourage you to continue bearing joyful witness to Christ our Hope, our Risen Lord and Savior, who makes all things new and gives us life in abundance. ... (Read More)

Coverage & Commentary

Cheney, the Clintons and Others Bid Farewell to Pope at Airport by Sewell Chan. New York Times' "City Room" April 20, 2008.
Catholic News Service reveals that After all the speeches were over and the VIPs had gone home, Pope Benedict XVI had a final U.S. send-off from 36 grade-schoolers in Virginia:
Homemade cards from the third- and fourth-graders of St. William of York Catholic School in Stafford, Va., were given to the pope aboard his Alitalia plane after he left New York April 20.
The cards, made of colorful construction paper, offered a spiritual bouquet and birthday wishes to the pope, who turned 81 during his April 15-20 visit to Washington and New York.

2008-04-20T18:01:00.000-04:00

Pope Benedict XVI waves to the crowd after celebrating Mass at the Yankee Stadium in New York, April 20, 2008. (Reuters)

Pope Benedict XVI's Mass at Yankee Stadium (Bronx, NY)

2008-04-20T17:45:00.005-04:00

What's Happening Today: Sunday, April 20
2:30 p.m. - Mass at Yankee Stadium
NOTE: This post will be updated as more information becomes available on this topic.

Pre Mass Concert | Yankee Ministers (Via USCCB - PDF format)

The 200th anniversary of the Archdiocese of Baltimore’s designation as an archdiocese (the nation’s first), as well as the birth of four other archdioceses: New York, Boston, Philadelphia and Bardstown (now Louisville) will be highlighted during the Mass.

9:00 a.m. - Gates open
12:00 noon - The pre-Mass concert begins
2:15 p.m. - The Pope arrives
2:20 p.m. - The Pope travels around the track inside the stadium in the popemobile
2:30 p.m. - Mass begins
5:00 p.m. - Mass ends

Text of Pope Benedict XVI's homily at Yankee Stadium Papal Mass:

... The first reading also makes clear, as we see from the imposition of hands on the first deacons, that the Church's unity is "apostolic". It is a visible unity, grounded in the Apostles whom Christ chose and appointed as witnesses to his resurrection, and it is born of what the Scriptures call "the obedience of faith" (Rom 1:5; cf. Acts 6:7).

"Authority", "obedience". To be frank, these are not easy words to speak nowadays. Words like these represent a "stumbling stone" for many of our contemporaries, especially in a society which rightly places a high value on personal freedom. Yet, in the light of our faith in Jesus Christ - "the way and the truth and the life" - we come to see the fullest meaning, value, and indeed beauty, of those words. The Gospel teaches us that true freedom, the freedom of the children of God, is found only in the self-surrender which is part of the mystery of love. Only by losing ourselves, the Lord tells us, do we truly find ourselves (cf. Lk 17:33). True freedom blossoms when we turn away from the burden of sin, which clouds our perceptions and weakens our resolve, and find the source of our ultimate happiness in him who is infinite love, infinite freedom, infinite life. "In his will is our peace".

Real freedom, then, is God's gracious gift, the fruit of conversion to his truth, the truth which makes us free (cf. Jn 8:32). And this freedom in truth brings in its wake a new and liberating way of seeing reality. When we put on "the mind of Christ" (cf. Phil 2:5), new horizons open before us! In the light of faith, within the communion of the Church, we also find the inspiration and strength to become a leaven of the Gospel in the world. We become the light of the world, the salt of the earth (cf. Mt 5:13-14), entrusted with the "apostolate" of making our own lives, and the world in which we live, conform ever more fully to God's saving plan.

This magnificent vision of a world being transformed by the liberating truth of the Gospel is reflected in the description of the Church found in today's second reading. The Apostle tells us that Christ, risen from the dead, is the keystone of a great temple which is even now rising in the Spirit. And we, the members of his body, through Baptism have become "living stones" in that temple, sharing in the life of God by grace, blessed with the freedom of the sons of God, and empowered to offer spiritual sacrifices pleasing to him (cf. 1 Pet 2:5). And what is this offering which we are called to make, if not to direct our every thought, word and action to the truth of the Gospel and to harness all our energies in the service of God's Kingdom? Only in this way can we build with God, on the one foundation which is Christ (cf. 1 Cor 3:11). Only in this way can we build something that will truly endure. Only in this way can our lives find ultimate meaning and bear lasting fruit. ...

Coverage & Commentary

Benedict Celebrates Mass at Yankee Stadium, by Sewell Chan. New York Times' "City Room" - continually updated during the course of the Mass.
Discussion: Open Yankee Stadium Liturgy Thread @ Amy Welborn's.
New Liturgical Movement provides ongoing images and commentary of the Pope's Mass in New York City.
Canterbury Tales provides us with The Music for the Papal Mass in New York City -- it appears that Dr. Jennifer Pascual (Director of Music) has been far more attentive in choosing what the Pope would appreciate in accordance with his writings on the liturgy.
Build on 'impressive legacy' of U.S. church, pope urges at final Mass Catholic News Service. April 20, 2008:
Honoring the bicentennial of four U.S. archdioceses, Pope Benedict XVI praised the "solid foundations" of the American Catholic Church and said "the future of the church in America" must continue to build on that "impressive legacy."
But in his homily for the final Mass of his April 15-20 U.S. visit, the pope also said the "impressive growth" of the U.S. church has been "not without its challenges," comparing those challenges to the "linguistic and cultural tensions" found in the early church. ...
[Benedict] said the bicentennial should be "more than an occasion of gratitude for graces received."
"It is also a summons to move forward with firm resolve to use wisely the blessings of freedom, in order to build a future of hope for coming generations," he said.

"No hard line" on giving communion to pro-choice pols? - Think again.

2008-04-20T15:56:00.000-04:00

John Allen Jr. asserts that "no hard line from pope on communion for pro-choice pols" (National Catholic Reporter's NCRcafe April 20, 2008):

At least three times during Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to the United States, a prominent pro-choice Catholic politician has received communion during a papal Mass. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Massachusetts Senator John Kerry, both Democrats, took communion during the Mass on Thursday at Nationals Park in Washington, and former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, a Republican, received communion in St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Saturday.
In none of these cases did the politicians receive communion directly from the pope, but it nonetheless happened during a papal Mass, and it took no one by surprise. Pelosi, for example, announced her intention to take communion in response to a question I asked her during a conference call with reporters the day before the Thursday Mass.
While it would be a stretch to say that Benedict XVI authorized what happened, one can at least infer that the pope did not issue strict instructions to the contrary. The cumulative effect of these events will likely be to weaken the case that the Vatican wants the American bishops to take a stricter stance against communion for pro-choice Catholics in public life.

Several thoughts:

Pope Benedict XVI made his wishes explicitly known on this matter in 2004 letter, "Worthiness to Receive Communion: General Principles":
4. Apart from an individuals’s judgement about his worthiness to present himself to receive the Holy Eucharist, the minister of Holy Communion may find himself in the situation where he must refuse to distribute Holy Communion to someone, such as in cases of a declared excommunication, a declared interdict, or an obstinate persistence in manifest grave sin (cf. can. 915).
5. Regarding the grave sin of abortion or euthanasia, when a person’s formal cooperation becomes manifest (understood, in the case of a Catholic politician, as his consistently campaigning and voting for permissive abortion and euthanasia laws), his Pastor should meet with him, instructing him about the Church’s teaching, informing him that he is not to present himself for Holy Communion until he brings to an end the objective situation of sin, and warning him that he will otherwise be denied the Eucharist.
It simply doesn't get any clearer than that, does it?
Pope Benedict XVI also took the opportunity to bring attention to the specific matter of Catholics and abortion in his address to U.S. Catholic Bishops, when he lamented:
a growing separation of faith from life: living “as if God did not exist”. This is aggravated by an individualistic and eclectic approach to faith and religion: far from a Catholic approach to “thinking with the Church”, each person believes he or she has a right to pick and choose, maintaining external social bonds but without an integral, interior conversion to the law of Christ. Consequently, rather than being transformed and renewed in mind, Christians are easily tempted to conform themselves to the spirit of this age (cf. Rom 12:3). We have seen this emerge in an acute way in the scandal given by Catholics who promote an alleged right to abortion.
To mention this issue explicitly, above numerous others, as an example of the "growing separation of faith from life" is a good indication Benedict takes this seriously.
According to John Allen, "While it would be a stretch to say that Benedict XVI authorized what happened, one can at least infer that the pope did not issue strict instructions to the contrary." I don't think Allen's "argument from silence" will hold up. After all, one might just as well infer from this that Pope Benedict is expecting the U.S. Bishops to assert some individual authority over "pro-choice" Catholic legislators in their dioceses and make their own decisions on this matter -- the Holy Father has given his recommendation. He doesn't need to hold their hand.

Amy Welborn on Benedict's attachment to "tradition" & Vatican II

2008-04-20T15:54:00.006-04:00

Et Cum Spiritu Tuo, by Amy Welborn ("A Papal Discussion") - Amy Welborn gives the New York Times a brief lesson on Benedict's understanding of the liturgy and continuity:

The popular way of characterizing Benedict’s support of these elements in liturgy is some rather undefined attachment to “tradition,” leaving the impression that it’s all about taste, aesthetics or a fear of the new.
But that doesn’t even come close to what Benedict’s program is about.
As a Vatican II Baby (born in 1960, totally post-Vatican II formation), I can tell you that the religious sensibility of the time in which I was catechized was totally about the “new.” The Church had dispensed with all the nonsense of most of the past 2,000 years as culturally bound, confining accretions, and it was time to move on. Wasn’t that what Vatican II was all about?
[...]
Benedict is all about saying: “Wait. Maybe not.”
The best and briefest synthesis of Benedict’s thinking on this can be found in the letter accompanying his “Motu Proprio” loosening restrictions on the pre-Vatican II Mass (not the “Latin Mass” for the root text of even the post-Vatican II missal is Latin).
In it, he wrote: “What earlier generations held as sacred, remains sacred and great for us too, and it cannot be all of a sudden entirely forbidden or even considered harmful. It behooves all of us to preserve the riches which have developed in the Church’s faith and prayer, and to give them their proper place.”
There is a lot more to say about this — for example, practical reasons that every Catholic should be familiar with the Latin text of the Mass — why, in a multicultural church, should mixed congregations either have to be subject to the cultural imperialism of one ethnic group’s language (aka. English) or cut at the symbolism of the unity we share by using a number of different languages? Isn’t it more powerful to have all of praying in a shared, ancient language with a sacred resonance?

As Amy goes on to admit, "although I am very supportive of the Pope’s action “freeing” the Extraordinary Form (pre-Vatican II Mass), that form of the Mass is not something I am entirely comfortable with" -- but the more she reads of Pope Benedict's thought on the liturgy, she is "resting less easy with my dismissal of that form." Being a convert and one solely accustomed to the Novus Ordo ("New Mass"), and only recently discovering the riches of centuries prior, I can relate.

"Agent of God" helps a boy meet Benedict

2008-04-20T15:53:00.000-04:00

'Agent' of God helps boy meet Benedict April 20, 2008, by Christina Boyle. New York Daily News:

When Beverly Ruiz and her wheelchair-bound son arrived outside St. Patrick's Cathedral early Saturday they had no hope of getting inside.
But all that changed when 9-year-old Aaron, who has muscular dystrophy, caught the eye of one of the Secret Service agents safeguarding Pope Benedict.
Just moments before the historic Mass began, the federal agent singled out the mother and son and whisked them into the house of worship.
"After the Holy Father arrived and went inside, a man came up to us and said, 'We have a special place for you,'" Ruiz told the Daily News. ...
After celebrating Mass, Benedict walked over to Aaron.
"He came over and blessed him, and my son just smiled," Ruiz said. "It's just a miracle in itself, there's no way to describe it. It's just an absolute miracle that this happened in our lives."

Pope Benedict XVI's visit to "Ground Zero" (World Trade Center)

2008-04-20T12:35:00.003-04:00

What's Happening Today: Sunday, April 20
9:30 a.m. - Visit to Ground Zero - Site of the Former World Trade Center
NOTE: This post will be updated as more information becomes available on this topic.

(World Trade Center Service) |(Ground Zero Participants) - Via USCCB (PDF format).

The Pope will visit the site of the September 11, 2001, attack on the World Trade Center, offer a blessing and greet representatives of the Port Authority, New York fire and police workers, those who survived the attacks, and family members who lost loved ones in the attack.

9:30 a.m. - The Pope arrives via motorcade. A welcome by Cardinal Edward M. Egan.

Program

The motorcade travels down the ramp. The Pope and Cardinal Edward M. Egan leave the limousine and walk the remaining route alone
The Pope kneels before a pool of water and candle, offering a silent prayer
The Pope lights the candle, offers a prayer and blesses the ground and the guests with holy water
Guests approach the Pope individually for a brief exchange

Here is the text of Pope Benedict XVI's prayer at Ground Zero:

O God of love, compassion, and healing,
look on us, people of many different faiths and traditions,
who gather today at this site,
the scene of incredible violence and pain.
We ask you in your goodness
to give eternal light and peace
to all who died here—
the heroic first-responders:
our fire fighters, police officers,
emergency service workers, and Port Authority personnel,
along with all the innocent men and women
who were victims of this tragedy
simply because their work or service
brought them here on September 11, 2001.

We ask you, in your compassion
to bring healing to those
who, because of their presence here that day,
suffer from injuries and illness.
Heal, too, the pain of still-grieving families
and all who lost loved ones in this tragedy.
Give them strength to continue their lives
with courage and hope.
We are mindful as well
of those who suffered death, injury, and loss
on the same day at the Pentagon and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
Our hearts are one with theirs
as our prayer embraces their pain and suffering.
God of peace, bring your peace to our violent world:
peace in the hearts of all men and women
and peace among the nations of the earth.
Turn to your way of love
those whose hearts and minds
are consumed with hatred.
God of understanding,
overwhelmed by the magnitude of this tragedy,
we seek your light and guidance
as we confront such terrible events.
Grant that those whose lives were spared
may live so that the lives lost here
may not have been lost in vain.
Comfort and console us,
strengthen us in hope,
and give us the wisdom and courage
to work tirelessly for a world
where true peace and love reign
among nations and in the hearts of all.

Sewell Chan reports from New York Times' "City Room":

Pope Benedict XVI knelt and prayed at ground zero in Lower Manhattan this morning, blessing the site where more than 2,600 people were killed in the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center more than six years ago. The pontiff offered a prayer to God for peace, mentioning the attacks on 9/11 on the Pentagon in Washington and on a jetliner that crashed near Shanksville, Pa. He made only one, indirect, reference to terror: “Turn to your way of love those whose hearts and minds are consumed with hatred.” The pope made no other public remarks during his half-hour visit to the site, but offered private words of comfort to survivors who were injured and relatives of victims who were killed in the attacks.
Gov. David A. Paterson and Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg of New York were already at ground zero when the pope arrived at 9:31 a.m., as was Gov. Jon S. Corzine of New Jersey.
The visit has particular significance for survivors of 9/11, and relatives of victims who died in the World Trade Center, many of them from Roman Catholic backgrounds. The Rev. Mychal F. Judge, a beloved Catholic chaplain for the Fire Department who died from falling debris on 9/11 and was listed as victim No. 1 by the city chief medical examiner’s office, has become a larger-than-life figure for some.
Pope John Paul II, Benedict’s predecessor, condemned the 9/11 attacks as an “unspeakable horror” on the day they occurred.
[...]
The service was held at the bottom of the giant construction ramp that goes into the construction site for the new towers rising at ground zero. (Construction has been suspended for the papal visit.)
At 9:43 a.m., the pope knelt on a prie-dieu before a pool of water and a candle, praying silently for about two minutes. Then, with assistance from two clerical aides, he lighted a candle — apparently with a little bit of difficulty at first, perhaps because of technical problems.
[...]
Following [his] prayer, the pope used an aspergillum to sprinkle holy water in four directions, blessing the site. Then guests approached the pope individually for brief private exchanges; many of them knelt briefly before the pontiff and kissed his ring. One representative each from the families of 16 people who died in the World Trade Center attack were selected — from among more than 1,100 applicants — for a chance to be present and meet him.

217 miles, 7 hour wait -- for a glimpse of the Pope

2008-04-20T09:44:00.000-04:00

To Look, Perchance to Glimpse (on Tiptoe), by Manny Fernandez. New York Times April 20, 2008:

Ely Rivera drove 217 miles and waited nearly seven hours to see Pope Benedict XVI. In the end, at 8:56 a.m. on Saturday, when the big moment came, she thought not of herself, or of her church, or even of her four children or 14 grandchildren.
She thought of a woman she had never met: a co-worker’s ailing mother. “For her to get better,” Ms. Rivera said.
She had never seen a pope in person. She stepped up on the railing of a metal police barricade as the crowd roared and snapped a picture with her disposable camera, one of thousands of people lining Fifth Avenue outside St. Patrick’s Cathedral. She saw him, dressed in white, seated in the back seat of a black car, on the passenger side, on his way to celebrate Mass. And just like that, it was over ... (Read More)

Awaiting The Pope

2008-04-20T09:00:00.000-04:00

People watch the arrival of Pope Benedict XVI for a prayer service with family members of some of those who were killed on 9/11 at Ground Zero April 20, 2008 in New York City. (Getty Images)

"The Spires of St. Patrick's"

2008-04-20T00:34:00.003-04:00

The spires of St. Patrick's Cathedral are dwarfed by the skyscrapers of the Manhattan skyline, yet in the heart of this busy metropolis they are a vivid reminder of the constant yearning of the human spirit to rise to God.

Pope Benedict XVI, April 19, 2008

"No free thought without Truth"

2008-04-19T23:47:00.002-04:00

Alenjandro Bermudez ties Pope Benedict's message to Catholic youth with his earlier address to U.S. Catholic educators:

Some of my fellow bloggers have returned to the subject of the Pope’s meeting with the presidents of 200 plus Catholic colleges and universities earlier this week. They justly argue that Benedict was not capable of defining with precision how to reconcile fidelity to the Magisterium with the great value of academic freedom.
It seems that tonight, at the youth rally in Yonkers, the Pope himself found it necessary to go back to the argument too.
Speaking about the duty to expose youth to the truth, Benedict said before the cheering crowd that “the manipulation of truth distorts our perception of reality, and tarnishes our imagination and aspirations,” and that it is no surprise “that numerous individuals and groups vociferously claim their freedom in the public forum. Yet freedom is a delicate value.”
Benedict also called on the young people to notice “how often the call for freedom is made without ever referring to the truth of the human person.”
And then he asked: “What purpose has a ‘freedom’ which, in disregarding truth, pursues what is false or wrong? How many young people have been offered a hand which in the name of freedom or experience has led them to addiction, to moral or intellectual confusion, to hurt, to a loss of self-respect, even to despair and so tragically and sadly to the taking of their own life?”
And he closed the argument: “truth is not an imposition.”
In short, to the Pope’s mind, intellectual freedom is not a value in itself. ... (Read More)

Patrick Reilly strikes a similar note in his explication of Benedict's CUA address ("A Great Day for Catholic Higher Education" InsideCatholic.com April 18, 2008):

Academic freedom must be tied to faith:"[A]ny appeal to the principle of academic freedom in order to justify positions that contradict the faith and the teaching of the Church would obstruct or even betray the university's identity and mission . . . ."
Translation: The "Queer Film Festival" and handing out condoms do not fall under academic freedom.
Students must receive authentic Catholic teachings: Colleges have the duty to "ensure that students receive instruction in Catholic doctrine and practice. This requires that public witness to the way of Christ, as found in the Gospel and upheld by the Church's Magisterium, shapes all aspects of an institution's life, both inside and outside the classroom. Divergence from this vision weakens Catholic identity . . . ."
Translation: Three credits in Wiccan Studies is not a substitute for a required Catholic Theology course. Oh, and that Catholic Theology course must teach authentic Catholicism (for reference, please see the Catechism).

St. Blog's Parish Roundup on the Papal Visit

2008-04-19T23:44:00.003-04:00

This is a nice birthday present: learning that Pope Benedict XVI is a devout believer in Jesus Christ. The news is provided by The Baltimore Sun, which seems somewhat put out by the revelation ..." - Carl Olson Insight Scoop.
Pope2008.com reports that a group of Hispanic Catholics were subjected to insults by anti-Catholic fundamentalists (click for video). How did they respond? -- "the Catholics sang "Allelulia," "Be-ne-de-to," and other songs."
With the Holy Father in Washington D.C. - a nice photo post from Cardinal Sean O'Malley of Boston, MA. (Yes, he's a blogger too).
New York loves the Pope (Pope2008.com):
The Neocatechumenal Way crowd across from the United Nations ... were a lively bunch. As some stood at the front of the police pen that had been set up in an area known for U.N. protest rallies (I remember covering one concerning Sudan once), others behind them danced in a big circular motion as guitars and drum kept a lively tempo. The music, the warm spring sun, the buzz of the city streets, the anticipation of the arrival of the Pope seemed to have a kind of hypnotic effect. Banners in front proclaimed people's warm sentiments for the guest who was about to arrive.
Samuel Gonzalez, who I was interviewing, told me that the empty pen next to them had been set up for those who wished to express opposite sentiments. The pen was empty. "There was a guy there a little while ago, but he just left," Gonzalez said. A policeman confirmed that the empty pen was there for protestors.
Recalling Benedict's homily at the UN Assembly, and later during the ecumenical service, Amy Welborn is "was very much struck by the Pope’s twice-repeated articulation of his presence among us as “the successor of Peter:
What is he communicating? It’s pretty clear, and it’s actually, I think, pretty strong.
We know all about the Catholic identity crisis. We live it, day to day. Every Catholic has a different definition of what they mean when they identify themselves that way. What defines our Catholicism? Our ethnicity? Simply the fact that we were baptized and confirmed? That we belong to a parish?
Benedict reminds us that our faith as Catholics is faith in Christ but its visible unity is rooted in Peter, the office of Peter’s successor and the faith preserved and taught through that office. In other words, it’s not anything you want, folks. We don’t self-define.
Papal onlookers beg Pope to ‘offer up’ poor musical selections from Papal visit for them Catholic News.org:
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Patti Renfroe said she knows that when the Holy Father hears “One Bread, One Body” played this week during his historical trip to the United States, it has to hurt his aesthetical nature, but she is hoping that the pain it causes him may mean she will spend less time in Purgatory.
“As he rode by, I yelled out, ‘Pope Benedict, please offer up ‘One Bread, One Body’ for me and my kids, for our salvation!” He kind of gave me a knowing, but pained smiled and nodded. “What that man has to suffer for us,” said Renfroe, a music teacher at Our Lady Queen of Heaven School in Arlington, Virginia. “People just don’t appreciate it.”

Elementary school kids show up CUA Students how it's done

2008-04-19T23:22:00.005-04:00

Catholic Students Seek Papal Connection, y Daniela Deane and William Wan Washington Post April 18, 2008:
As Pope Benedict delivered a message about academic freedom at American Catholic colleges yesterday, many students said they didn't relate to him as well as they did to his charismatic predecessor but were open to his message and excited to see him. ...
"I don't think he is connecting too well with American youth, not like JP2. I don't feel a connection with him yet," said Matthew Gittens, 21, a history major from Boston, who said he grew up following John Paul II in a deeply Catholic family.
"I still feel like I don't completely know what he's all about," agreed Brian Freiberger, 21, a business major from New Jersey.
Area Catholics reflect on Pope's visit, Mass, by Elaine Gaston and Steve Palisin. Myrtle Beach Online April 18, 2008:
Students at St. Michael's wished they could experience the pope in person, but seeing him live on the computer was still exciting. Shawn Morris, 11, sat in front of a computer monitor with a few other students.
"It's pretty cool to get to see in your lifetime, for him to be in the United States where you can see him on TV," he said. "I remember sitting in the old library here at school and watching the pope being elected."
Eleven-year-old Mary Catherine Merschat said she hoped one day to meet the pope face to face, but watching him on the Internet was something she said she'll never forget.
"I think he's very interesting and wise," Mary Catherine said.
"I'd like to see him one day. It will be something I'd share with my children and tell them about."
Sister Roberta Thoen, principal at St. Michael's Catholic School, said many of the children who tuned in Thursday have followed the pope's rise, beginning with the death of Pope John Paul II in April 2005 and Joseph Ratzinger's election later that month.
"I think it helps them learn about their own church, that we need good moral leaders," Thoen said. "They learn by watching and hearing the Holy Father. ... The little children are our hope."

It's a sad day when 20 year old college students who "can't relate" or "don't know what [the pope] is all about" are shown up by elementary school kids in their enthusiasm for learning about the Holy Father.

Meanwhile, I know 25,000 Catholic youth and seminarians who might dispute the notion that Benedict "isn't connecting too well."

P.S. The Washington Post article better reveals the prejudices of its authors rather than an accurate reflection of CUA; judging by this report of the Pope's enthusiastic reception by CUA students by Elizabeth Scalia, the majority of them responded well. Leave it to the mainstream press to search out the nay-sayers.

Bill Maher APOLOGIZES for calling Pope Benedict a Nazi

2008-04-19T22:26:00.000-04:00

Will wonders never cease? -- Bill Maher apologizes for calling Pope Benedict a Nazi Catholic News Agency April 19, 2008:

New York, Apr 19, 2008 / 09:05 pm (CNA).- Comedian Bill Maher apologized on his HBO show Friday night for accusing Pope Benedict XVI of being a Nazi. After some delay, the Catholic League reports, Maher acknowledged that Joseph Ratzinger as a young man was forced to join the Hitler Youth organization and was not sympathetic to the Nazi ideology.
Maher still insisted that if a CEO were in charge of an institution that housed child molesters, he would be fired.
Bill Donohue, President of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, responded to Maher’s broadcast apology. “We accept Maher's apology for accusing the pope of being a Nazi. Too bad he didn't stop there. For him to suggest that Pope Benedict XVI was in charge of policing molesters, and failed in doing so, is patently absurd,” Donohue said.

Pope Benedict XVI met with Avery Cardinal Dulles!

2008-04-19T19:11:00.003-04:00

According to Commmonweal magazine:

Vatican spokesman confirmed reports that Benedict will meet with Cardinal Avery Dulles this afternoon before (I believe) the youth event at St. Joseph’s Seminary. That is close to the Fordham campus where Dulles, whose health has grown precarious in recent months, is living. It is likely to be a poignant moment between two renowned theologians. Dulles has difficulty speaking now, due to complications from childhood polio.

This post to be updated as I find further confirmation -- what a blessing to Cardinal Dulles for his years of service to the Church!

Update!

Pope makes time to pay homage to U.S. theologian Cardinal Dulles, by Chaz Muth. Catholic News Service. April 21, 2008:

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- During his whirlwind April 15-20 U.S. visit, Pope Benedict XVI took a few moments out of his demanding schedule for a private meeting with one of America's pre-eminent theologians, the ailing, 89-year-old Cardinal Avery Dulles.
The wheelchair-bound Jesuit scholar traveled from his residence at Jesuit-run Fordham University's Rose Hill campus in the Bronx to St. Joseph's Seminary in Yonkers, N.Y., April 19, for a prearranged, 15-minute private meeting with the pope, just after the pontiff met with disabled youths.
"It was a lovely meeting," said Dominican Sister Anne-Marie Kirmse, the cardinal's executive assistant for the past 20 years. She was present to help facilitate the get-together, held in a suite of offices at the seminary.
"The pope literally bounded into the room with a big smile on his face," she told Catholic News Service in a telephone interview April 21. "He went directly to where Cardinal Dulles was sitting, saying, 'Eminenza, Eminenza, Eminenza, I recall the work you did for the International Theological Commission in the 1990s.'"
The pope and cardinal's meeting was also attended by Jesuit Father Thomas R. Marciniak of the Fordham Jesuit community, who served as Cardinal Dulles's priest-chaplain, and Francine Messiah and Oslyn Fergus, health care workers who help the cardinal.
"This meeting is significant because these are two of the leading Catholic theologians who interpreted Vatican II for a generation," said Father James Massa, executive director of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Secretariat of Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs. "It was a meeting of two great Catholic intellectuals."

2008-04-19T18:50:00.000-04:00

Pope Benedict XVI waves before leaving St. Joseph's Seminary after a meeting with youth in Yonkers, New York April 19, 2008. (Reuters)

Kelly Clarkson sings "Ave Maria" for Pope Benedict XVI

2008-04-19T18:47:00.000-04:00

Rally with Seminarians and Youth at St. Joseph's Seminary

2008-04-19T18:30:00.008-04:00

What's Happening Today: Saturday, April 19 (3rd Anniversary of Pope Benedict's Pontificate)
5-6:30 p.m. - Rally with Seminarians and Young People at Saint Joseph Seminary
NOTE: This post will be updated as more information becomes available on this topic.

5-6:30 p.m. - Rally with Seminarians and Young People at Saint Joseph Seminary Approximately 25,000 young Catholics from throughout the United States, including 5,000 seminarians will be in attendance at Saint Joseph Seminary, 201 Seminary Avenue, Yonkers.

12:00 noon - Concert begins. Concert activity ceases when the Pope arrives at seminary for the meeting with youth with disabilities. That meeting inside the chapel will be shown on screens to the rally crowd.
5:00 p.m. - Arrival, welcome, and rally
- The Pope arrives via popemobile at the rally stage
- Cardinal Edward M. Egan makes opening remarks
- Three youth speak
- 10 youth present gifts of dark bread, light bread, rice, unleavened bread and maize, representing the five continents
- Eight youth present birthday gifts to the Pope. They include the following: a spiritual bouquet; the book “Empire State Catholics: A History of the Catholic Community in New York State”; and images of six individuals who were born in or served in New York and have been declared saints, blessed or venerable by the Catholic Church: Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, Saint John Neumann, Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, Venerable Pierre Toussaint and Padre Felix Varela
- Address: Pope Benedict XVI
- Cardinal Edward M. Egan presents 15 young people to the Pope for a personal greeting
- The Pope blesses the crowd and departs to the popemobile, which takes him back to the motorcade in front of the seminary
6:30 p.m. - Rally concludes

Text of Pope Benedict XVI's address to Seminarians at St. Joseph Seminary (Yonkers, NY).

Coverage

Gary Stern (Blogging Religiously) calls it a "mini-World Youth Day":
There are people everywhere. I ran into Father Luke Sweeney, head of vocations for the Archdiocese of NY, and he said that it’s like a mini-World Youth Day.
Hoping for some future priests in that crowd, Father?
The music is loud, just like at a rock concert. Rappers and rockers praising Jesus and pumping up the pontiff. Kelly Clarkson is supposed to come on in about 15 minutes.
I’ve talked to a lot of kids from burbs and, almost to a person, they seem kind of stunned to be with so many other Catholic kids, all waiting for the pope. . . .
Pope cheered at youth rally in Yonkers, By Ernie Garcia, Jorge Fitz-Gibbon and Leah Rae. (The Journal News April 19, 2008):
YONKERS - Pope Benedict XVI rode around the grounds of St. Joseph’s Seminary in the popemobile to cheers from thousands as a youth rally was getting under way that has drawns tens of thousands of young people and families.
The pope arrived at the seminary shortly after 4:35 p.m. and blessed 50 disabled children and their caregivers in the seminary’s chapel.
He glided up the aisle, going back and forth to children lined up on either side of him touched their heads very gently.
In his blessing, he extended his hands over the crowd and said God had blessed them with life and differing talents and gifts so they could serve him in various ways in a “sign of hope for everyone.”
He continued: “Sometimes, it is challenging to find a reason for what appears only as a difficulty to be overcome or even pain to be endured. Yet, our faith helps us to break open the horizon beyond our own selves to see life as God does.”
The pope was seated in the chapel with the Deaf Choir of the New York Archdioces to his left. They expressed a hymn in sign language, and he applauded them.
Three little girls went up to the altar and gave him a child’s painting. Then, he left the chapel and got into the popemobile for the trip to the great stage set up on the grounds for the youth rally.
Tens of thousands of young people and families from all over the country were gathered on a field next to seminary building. They filled hours of waiting by watching performers on a large concert stage, with screens at either side and flanked at the left with the seal of the Archdiocese of New York and at the right with the papal seal. ... (Read More)
Pope urges young people to banish evils of drugs, poverty, racism, by Benedicta Cipolla (Catholic News Service April 19, 2008):
Addressing a crowd of 25,000 young people and seminarians, Pope Benedict XVI spoke of the "monster" that cast a shadow over his own childhood and urged the current generation to banish the darkness that exists today.
Speaking April 19 at a boisterous rally on the grounds of the Archdiocese of New York's seminary in Yonkers, the pope said that while young people now enjoy democracy's freedom, "the power to destroy does, however, remain."
Pope Benedict offered a personal reflection on his own youth in Germany, "marred by a sinister regime that thought it had all the answers." Nazism, he said, "banished God and thus became impervious to anything true and good." The pope was forced to enroll in Hitler Youth as a boy but soon stopped going to meetings. Last year he said at a youth meeting in Germany that he decided to become a priest after witnessing the Nazis' brutality.
At St. Joseph's Seminary, the pope said the evils of substance abuse, homelessness and poverty, racism, violence and the degradation of girls and women result in people being treated as objects and the denial of God-given human dignity.
Pope Benedict called the manipulation of truth "particularly sinister." When freedom disregards absolute truth, relegating it instead to the private sphere of the individual, relativism takes hold, he said.
Truth is neither an imposition nor a simple set of rules.
"Ultimately truth is a person: Jesus Christ," he said.
[...]
During the meeting, young people from schools in the region presented the pope, who celebrated his 81st birthday April 16, with several gifts, including framed photographs of Sts. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Frances Cabrini and John Neumann, Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha and Venerables Pierre Toussaint and Father Felix Varela, all of whom were either born in or served in New York. He also received books on the history of the Catholic Church in New York; bread, rice and maize, which symbolized the varied cultural background of the youth present.
[...]
The rally gathered young people and seminarians, and Pope Benedict encouraged those studying for the priesthood to "reject any temptation to ostentation, careerism or conceit. Strive for a pattern of life truly marked by charity, chastity and humility, in imitation of Christ," he said. ... (Read More)
Benedict and the Young, by Colleen Carroll Campbell:
It happens every time the pope encounters a young crowd, and it is happening again at the papal youth rally in Yonkers: Young Catholics will turn out in droves to give Pope Benedict a warm, rock-star welcome. And many of their elders will watch and wonder: What do they see in him?
Musicians play "Papalpalooza" for Benedict, by Deborah Evans Price (Reuters April 19, 2008)

Blessing for Youth with Disabilities at St. Joseph's Seminary

2008-04-19T17:00:00.002-04:00

What's Happening Today: Saturday, April 19 (3rd Anniversary of Pope Benedict's Pontificate)
4:30 p.m. - Blessing of Youth with Disabilities at Saint Joseph Seminary
NOTE: This post will be updated as more information becomes available on this topic.

On May 17, 1891, Archbishop Michael J. Corrigan laid the cornerstone of the present Saint Joseph Seminary in the Dunwoodie section of Yonkers, just a few miles north of New York City. The first scholastic year began September 21, 1896, with 98 students. The institution now serves men in formation for the priesthood; it has programs for those studying to become permanent deacons and a master of arts in religious studies for lay and clergy. Pope John Paul II visited on October 5, 1995.

4:30 p.m. - The Pope arrives via motorcade at the front of main seminary building. Cardinal Edward M. Egan and Bishop Gerald T. Walsh, rector of the seminary welcome the Pope. The Pope will enter the seminary and proceed forward to the chapel sanctuary. In the audience approximately 50 young people with disabilities and their caregivers.

Program

Greeting and presentation
The Pope blesses those present
The Archdiocesan Deaf Choir performs
The Pope departs out the front door of the Seminary to enter the popemobile
Popemobile route: Popemobile will travel the circle in front of the seminary and proceed west to the “Lower Chidwick” and circle the field

Holy Father calls handicapped to be signs of hope, apostles of prayer Catholic News Agency. April 19, 2008:

New York, Apr 19, 2008 / 04:59 pm (CNA).- This afternoon 50 young people with disabilities had the chance to meet with Pope Benedict, who encouraged them to be a sign of hope and to continue to intercede for others with their prayers.
“God has blessed you with life, and with differing talents and gifts”, the Holy Father told the youngsters. “Through these you are able to serve him and society in various ways. While some people's contributions seem great and others' more modest, the witness value of our efforts is always a sign of hope for everyone,” he said.
The Pope sympathized with the pain that handicapped children endure and called them to see life as God does.
“Sometimes it is challenging to find a reason for what appears only as a difficulty to be overcome or even pain to be endured. Yet our faith helps us to break open the horizon beyond our own selves in order to see life as God does. God's unconditional love, which bathes every human individual, points to a meaning and purpose for all human life. Through his Cross, Jesus in fact draws us into his saving love and in so doing shows us the way ahead - the way of hope which transfigures us all, so that we too, become bearers of that hope and charity for others.”

Full remarks of Pope Benedict XVI during his visit to disabled youth St. Joseph Seminary, Yonkers NY.

2008-04-19T12:30:00.000-04:00

Pope Benedict XVI prays at the altar dedicated to Saint Louis IX behind the main altar, before the Blessed Sacrament at Saint Patrick's Cathedral in New York April 19, 2008. (Reuters)

Mass for Clergy & Religious at Saint Patrick's Cathedral

2008-04-19T12:00:00.006-04:00

What's Happening Today: Saturday, April 19 (3rd Anniversary of Pope Benedict's Pontificate)
9-11:15 a.m. - Mass for Clergy and Religious at Saint Patrick’s Cathedral
NOTE: This post will be updated as more information becomes available on this topic.

Saint Patrick’s Cathedral is the seat of the archbishop of New York, Cardinal Edward M. Egan. It is the largest decorated gothic-style Catholic cathedral in the United States and has been recognized throughout its history as a center of Catholic life in this country.

9:00 a.m. - Arrival and welcome at main entrance of Cathedral. The Pope will be welcomed by Cardinal Edward M. Egan and Msgr. Robert Ritchie, Cathedral rector. Participating in the Mass will be 3,000 deacons, priests and religious men and women from throughout the United States. At least two representatives from each diocese in the country will be present.

Photo credit: Reuters

Text of Pope Benedict XVI's Homily at Holy Mass, St. Patrick's Cathedral, NY:

... Gathered as we are in this historic cathedral, how can we not think of the countless men and women who have gone before us, who labored for the growth of the Church in the United States, and left us a lasting legacy of faith and good works? In today’s first reading we saw how, in the power of the Holy Spirit, the Apostles went forth from the Upper Room to proclaim God’s mighty works to people of every nation and tongue. In this country, the Church’s mission has always involved drawing people “from every nation under heaven” (cf. Acts 2:5) into spiritual unity, and enriching the Body of Christ by the variety of their gifts. As we give thanks for past blessings, and look to the challenges of the future, let us implore from God the grace of a new Pentecost for the Church in America. May tongues of fire, combining burning love of God and neighbor with zeal for the spread of Christ’s Kingdom, descend on all present!
In this morning’s second reading, Saint Paul reminds us that spiritual unity – the unity which reconciles and enriches diversity – has its origin and supreme model in the life of the triune God. As a communion of pure love and infinite freedom, the Blessed Trinity constantly brings forth new life in the work of creation and redemption. The Church, as “a people made one by the unity of the Father, the Son and the Spirit” (cf. Lumen Gentium, 4), is called to proclaim the gift of life, to serve life, and to promote a culture of life. Here in this cathedral, our thoughts turn naturally to the heroic witness to the Gospel of life borne by the late Cardinals Cooke and O’Connor. The proclamation of life, life in abundance, must be the heart of the new evangelization. For true life – our salvation – can only be found in the reconciliation, freedom and love which are God’s gracious gift.
This is the message of hope we are called to proclaim and embody in a world where self-centeredness, greed, violence, and cynicism so often seem to choke the fragile growth of grace in people’s hearts. Saint Irenaeus, with great insight, understood that the command which Moses enjoined upon the people of Israel: “Choose life!” (Dt 30:19) was the ultimate reason for our obedience to all God’s commandments (cf. Adv. Haer. IV, 16, 2-5). Perhaps we have lost sight of this: in a society where the Church seems legalistic and “institutional” to many people, our most urgent challenge is to communicate the joy born of faith and the experience of God’s love.

At the end of the Mass, Pope Benedict (speaking with characteristic humility) expressed his personal thanks:

“At this moment I can only thank you for your love of the Church and Our Lord, and for the love which you show to the poor Successor of Saint Peter. I will try to do all that is possible to be a worthy successor of the great Apostle, who also was a man with faults and sins, but remained in the end the rock for the Church. And so I too, with all my spiritual poverty, can be for this time, in virtue of the Lord’s grace, the Successor of Peter.
It is also your prayers and your love which give me the certainty that the Lord will help me in this my ministry. I am therefore deeply grateful for your love and for your prayers. My response now for all that you have given to me during this visit is my blessing, which I impart to you at the conclusion of this beautiful Celebration.”

Coverage

Ongoing coverage of the St. Patrick's Mass for religious and seminarians courtesy of The New Liturgical Movement. Jeffrey Tucker:
It brings joy to the heart to see the Pope during the recessional with a look of exuberant happiness, with glorious music, following an exceptionally well-done liturgy, that was mostly sung, with chant from the Graduale in which everyone participated, including the Communion proper and some wonderful presentations of many centuries of sacred music.
This was the sound of Catholicism, with majesty fitting for the Pope. Nothing on this earth is as powerful a witness to the faith.
From The Recovering Choir Director the list of music for today’s Votive Mass for the Universal Church at New York’s St. Patrick’s Cathedral, "with links, audio, and scriptural sources for illustrative and educational purposes."
Amy Welborn (New York Times "A Papal Discussion"): Speaking of vintage, the homily at St. Patrick’s Cathedral today, to a congregation of priests and religious, was, indeed, classic Benedict. Heaven Touches Earth: Papal Liturgy at Saint Patrick’s, by Deacon Keith Fournier. Catholic Online April 19, 2008:
In a profound homily, the Holy Father spoke of the essential role of the Holy Spirit. In his unique manner he presented deeply theological truths in an accessible manner.
The homily was a theological exposition of Ecclesiology, the theology of the Church, Soteriology, the theology of salvation and conversion and Pneumatology, the theology of the work of the Holy Spirit. Yet, it was not academic, it was both understandable and inspiring.
It is this ability of Pope Benedict XVI which has shone throughout all of his homilies during this apostolic visit to the United States. He is truly gifted with an ability to articulate deep theological truth in a manner which can be easily understood by the faithful. ...

3 Years Ago Today . . .

2008-04-19T10:00:00.000-04:00

Happy Anniversary, Pope Benedict XVI!

(That day, the Cardinal Ratzinger Fan Club was deluged with over 600,000 hits from curious minds and delighted well-wishers. When the website had recooperated from the onslaught, the first Pope Benedict Roundup was published).

Good things come to those who wait.

2008-04-18T23:01:00.001-04:00

Several hundred young adults holding a vigil behind the security perimeter around the house where Pope Benedict XVI was staying were rewarded April 18 with a papal handshake, according to the Catholic News Service:

Members of the Sisters of Life, a religious order founded by the late Cardinal John J. O'Connor of New York, organized young people from three New York parishes to keep a vigil at the residence where Pope Benedict was staying.
"Some just came out of curiosity," but there also were members of the Legionaries of Christ, playing guitars and beating drums, and members of the Franciscan Sisters of the Renewal and Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, she said.
Obviously, Osman said, they had let archdiocesan officials know of their plans and at about 8 p.m., the U.S. Secret Service began allowing small groups to pass the traffic blockade and approach the residence.
Pope Benedict came outside "after dinner" at about 9 p.m., said Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman.
The pope spent about 10 minutes shaking hands with the young religious and other young adults who got the Secret Service nod.

(Via ) -- ABC 7 has video footage of the Pope's mingling with New Yorkers.

The Counter-Cultural Pope

2008-04-18T22:56:00.000-04:00

"Disquieting Words For the Faithful", by E. J. Donne (Washington Post April 18, 2008):

The most jarring word that Pope Benedict XVI is using during his visit to the United States is "countercultural." The American sense of that term is shaped by the 1960s: free love, drugs, hippies, rock music and rebellion. Needless to say, that's not what Benedict is preaching.
That word is the key to understanding how Benedict's message runs crosswise to conventional liberalism and conservatism. Benedict came to the United States as a quiet but forceful critic of "an increasingly secular and materialistic culture," as he put it during yesterday's Mass. Almost any American who paid attention to his sermon had to be uncomfortable because all of us are shaped by the very forces he was criticizing.
Benedict directly challenged an assumption so many Americans make about religion: that it is a matter of private devotion with few public implications.
Not true, said the pope. "Any tendency to treat religion as a private matter must be resisted," he told the country's Catholic bishops on Wednesday. "Only when their faith permeates every aspect of their lives do Christians become truly open to the transforming power of the Gospel."
That is a demanding and unsettling standard for the right and the left alike. . . .

Ecumenical Service at Saint Joseph Parish, Yorkville

2008-04-18T19:00:00.004-04:00

What's Happening Today: Friday, April 18
6:00 p.m. - Ecumenical Prayer Service - Saint Joseph Parish
NOTE: This post will be updated as more information becomes available on this topic.

Saint Joseph Parish, 404 E. 87th Street, Yorkville, was founded in 1873 to meet the needs of German immigrants. The parish grew out of a community worshiping in the chapel of Saint Joseph’s Orphanage, established on the Upper East Side.

6:00 p.m. Greeting by Cardinal Edward M. Egan and Msgr. John Sullivan, administrator of Saint Joseph Parish. Inside an audience of 250 Protestant and Orthodox leaders and 50 Catholics involved in ecumenical efforts.

Program

The Pope proceeds to the papal chair, in front of the altar
Cardinal Egan sits to his right. Already in place is Bishop Dennis J. Sullivan, vicar general for the archdiocese, to the Pope’s left
Bishop Dennis J. Sullivan greets the Pope
Opening hymn: “Draw Us in the Spirit’s Tether,” text by Percy Dearmer; music by Harold Friedell
Prayer and Scripture reading (Ephesians 4:1-6)
Address: Pope Benedict XVI
The Lord’s Prayer
Final blessing and hymn: “Now Thank We All Our God,” music by Johann Crüger

Coverage

Catholic News Service:
Using unusually strong words for an ecumenical prayer service, Pope Benedict XVI said the witness of Christians in the world is weakened not only by their divisions, but also by some communities turning their backs on Christian tradition.
"Communion with the church in every age," he said, is needed particularly "at the time when the world is losing its bearings and needs a persuasive common witness to the saving power of the Gospel."
The pope met April 18 with about 250 representatives of U.S. ecumenical organizations and a dozen Christian churches and denominations for evening prayer at St. Joseph's Church in New York.
He began by praising the ecumenical commitment of U.S. Christians and acknowledging that the agreements found in their theological dialogues have contributed to the theological agreements later forged by the Vatican and its official dialogue partners.
But Pope Benedict also focused on ways the Christian obligation to share the good news of the Gospel suffers in the modern world.
"Too often those who are not Christians, as they observe the splintering of Christian communities, are understandably confused about the Gospel message itself," he said.
But another, growing problem lies in the fact that "fundamental Christian beliefs and practices are sometimes changed within communities by so-called 'prophetic actions' that are based" on a reading of Christianity "not always consonant" with that found in the Bible and in Christian tradition.

Here is the full text of Benedict's address at the "Ecumenical Encounter", Church of St. Joseph (Yorkville, NY) April 18, 2008. He doesn't mince any words, does he?
... My dear friends, the power of the kerygma has lost none of its internal dynamism. Yet we must ask ourselves whether its full force has not been attenuated by a relativistic approach to Christian doctrine similar to that found in secular ideologies, which, in alleging that science alone is "objective", relegate religion entirely to the subjective sphere of individual feeling. Scientific discoveries, and their application through human ingenuity, undoubtedly offer new possibilities for the betterment of humankind. This does not mean, however, that the "knowable" is limited to the empirically verifiable, nor religion restricted to the shifting realm of "personal experience".
For Christians to accept this faulty line of reasoning would lead to the notion that there is little need to emphasize objective truth in the presentation of the Christian faith, for one need but follow his or her own conscience and choose a community that best suits his or her individual tastes. The result is seen in the continual proliferation of communities which often eschew institutional structures and minimize the importance of doctrinal content for Christian living.
Even within the ecumenical movement, Christians may be reluctant to assert the role of doctrine for fear that it would only exacerbate rather than heal the wounds of division. Yet a clear, convincing testimony to the salvation wrought for us in Christ Jesus has to be based upon the notion of normative apostolic teaching: a teaching which indeed underlies the inspired word of God and sustains the sacramental life of Christians today.
Only by "holding fast" to sound teaching (2 Thess 2:15; cf. Rev 2:12-29) will we be able to respond to the challenges that confront us in an evolving world. Only in this way will we give unambiguous testimony to the truth of the Gospel and its moral teaching. This is the message which the world is waiting to hear from us. Like the early Christians, we have a responsibility to give transparent witness to the "reasons for our hope", so that the eyes of all men and women of goodwill may be opened to see that God has shown us his face (cf. 2 Cor 3:12-18) and granted us access to his divine life through Jesus Christ. He alone is our hope! God has revealed his love for all peoples through the mystery of his Son's passion and death, and has called us to proclaim that he is indeed risen, has taken his place at the right hand of the Father, and "will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead" (Nicene Creed).
May the word of God we have heard this evening inflame our hearts with hope on the path to unity (cf. Lk 24:32). May this prayer service exemplify the centrality of prayer in the ecumenical movement (cf. Unitatis Redintegratio, 8); for without it, ecumenical structures, institutions and programs would be deprived of their heart and soul. Let us give thanks to Almighty God for the progress that has been made through the work of his Spirit, as we acknowledge with gratitude the personal sacrifices made by so many present and by those who have gone before us.
By following in their footsteps, and by placing our trust in God alone, I am confident that - to borrow the words of Father Paul Wattson - we will achieve the "oneness of hope, oneness of faith, and oneness of love" that alone will convince the world that Jesus Christ is the one sent by the Father for the salvation of all.

2008-04-18T17:40:00.000-04:00

Pope Benedict XVI shakes hands with a member of the congregation at the Park East Synagogue on April 18, 2008 in New York City. (Getty)

Pope Benedict XVI's visit to the Park East Synagogue (New York City)

2008-04-18T17:30:00.005-04:00

What's Happening Today: Friday, April 18
Visit to Park East Synagogue (en route to Ecumenical Service)
NOTE: This post will be updated as more information becomes available on this topic.

On his way to an ecumenical prayer service at St. Joseph's Church in the Yorkville section of Manhattan, Pope Benedict made a 20-minute visit to the Park East Synagogue, where he met with senior Rabbi Arthur Schneier. Catholic News Service reports:

"I have worked for 46 years for religious freedom, human rights and interreligious dialogue from my pulpit," he said in an interview with Catholic News Service in the days leading up to the papal visit.
"Our synagogue has been the scene of interreligious dialogue on many occasions," he said. It has hosted Russian Orthodox Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow, Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople and the chief rabbi of Israel.
Rabbi Schneier also is founder and president of the Appeal of Conscience Foundation, which he said "concerns itself with the situations involving oppressed Catholics, Jews and people of other religions" ...
"I've seen the consequences of the man's inhumanity to man, and therefore having survived, I have devoted my life to reaching out, to broadening the alliance between believers and developing tolerance and mutual respect between the world's religions," the rabbi said.
Born in Vienna, Austria, Rabbi Schneier was relocated to a ghetto in Budapest, Hungary, in 1938. He escaped the Holocaust and later emigrated to the United States in 1947 and has led the Park East Synagogue congregation since 1962.

Pope Benedict XVI greets the congregation during his visit to the Park East Synagogue,
Friday, April 18, 2008 in New York. (AP Photo/Stephen Chernin)

New York Times' "City Room" has the details of Pope Benedict XVI's synagogue visit (the first ever for any Pope in the United States):

Pope Benedict XVI paid a 22-minute visit to the Park East Synagogue — the first papal trip to a United States synagogue — on Friday afternoon. He presented the synagogue with a replica of a medieval Jewish manuscript from the Vatican library and received three gifts: a seder plate, a Passover haggadah and a box of matzo. The pope offered warm remarks and was showered with praise and music, but in a brief, three-minute address, he did not address the Holocaust, anti-Semitism or historic tensions between Jews and the Catholic Church.
The pope entered the synagogue at 5:16 p.m., as a choir sang a Hebrew liturgical song. Rabbi Arthur Schneier, the leader of the congregation, welcomed the pope, who was seated on a wooden chair to the left of the bimah, the raised platform, where the rabbi spoke from a lectern.
As the choir sang “Sh’ma Yisrael,” a central declaration of faith in Judaism, a synagogue elder drew back a thick blue velvet drape, exposing the Torah scrolls that are stored behind the bimah. Rabbi Schneier told the pope that after Exodus, the Jews “embraced the law that governs the relationship between man and God.”
Rabbi Schneier recalled that he had been invited — but could not attend — the pope’s inauguration in 2005. ...
Pope Benedict XVI and Rabbi Arthur Schneier. April 18, 2008

At 5:29 p.m. [after Rabbi Schneier's remarks], the pope stood, put on his eyeglasses and was presented with a silver seder plate designed by Menahen Ben Ari Berman, a Jerusalem artist. The pope stood behind a lectern in front of the bimah and spoke:
Dear Friends, Shalom! It is with joy that I come here, just a few hours before the celebration of your Pesah, to express my respect and esteem for the Jewish community in New York City. The proximity of this place of worship to my residence gives me the opportunity to greet some of you today. I find it moving to recall that Jesus, as a young boy, heard the words of Scripture and prayed in a place such as this. I thank Rabbi Schneier for his words of welcome and I particularly appreciate your kind gift, the spring flowers and the lovely song that the children sang for me. I know that the Jewish community make a valuable contribution to the life of the city, and I encourage all of you to continue building bridges of friendship with all the many different ethnic and religious groups present in your neighborhood. I assure you most especially of my closeness at this time, as you prepare to celebrate the great deeds of the Almighty, and to sing the praises of Him who has worked such wonders for his people. I would ask those of you who are present to pass on my greetings and good wishes to all the members of the Jewish community. Blessed be the name of the Lord!

He exchanged more gifts with members of the synagogue, presenting them with the replica of a Jewish medieval legal manuscript in the Vatican library circa 1435. In return, he was given a haggadah, or Passover prayer book, and a box of matzo. Then the pope posed for photographs with Rabbi Schneier and other prominent Jews in attendance. ... (Read More)

Coverage

At synagogue, pope seeks 'bridges of friendship' CNN April 18, 2008.
Live Footage: Benedict at the Park East Synagogue from Catholic News Agency. April 18, 2008.
The Jewish People, Joseph Ratzinger and Me, by Fr. James Martin. "A Papal Discussion" New York Times April 18, 2008:
All of us have our blind spots about other people and other groups. Those blind spots can be overcome best by personal contact, honest dialogue, heartfelt prayer, and the hard work of trying to understand someone different than oneself. I think Benedict is trying very hard to do some of that with Jewish groups, with other Christian denominations and with people of other faiths. And I think he’s succeeding in building bridges, and changing relationships “for the better.”
As he does so, I’m finding that I’m succeeding in something, too: in feeling real admiration — and even affection — for the pope whose election I once lamented.
Synagogue Choir Is Set to Serenade Pope, by Sewell Chan. New York Times April 15, 2008.

Music Selections of the NYC Papal Mass

2008-04-18T15:02:00.002-04:00

Argent by the Tiber has the full list of music selected by Dr. Jennifer Pascual, Director of Music/ Mass Conductor.

Related

New York's papal events feature Pope's German classical favorites April 10, 2008.

Addressing the World

2008-04-18T14:05:00.001-04:00

Benedict appears before the United Nations General Assembly. April 18, 2008

Pope Benedict's Address to the United Nations

2008-04-18T14:00:00.001-04:00

What's Happening Today: Friday, April 18
10:00 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. - Address to the United Nations
NOTE: This post will be updated as more information becomes available on this topic.

During his scheduled three-hour visit to UN Headquarters, the Pope will also meet with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, General Assembly President Srgjan Kerim and Ambassador Dumisani Kumalo of South Africa, which holds the rotating Security Council presidency this month. The visit will fall on the first anniversary of Mr. Ban’s visit to the Vatican, when the Secretary-General then invited the Pope to come to the UN. It is the fourth papal visit to the UN, following those of Paul VI in 1965 and John Paul II in 1979 and 1995.

Pope Benedict XVI's Address to the U.N. General Assembly (USCCB Papal Visit blog):

The Holy Father began his address in French before switching to English. He noted that the founding principles of the United Nations – the desire for peace, a sense of justice, respect for the dignity of the human person, and cooperation and humanitarian assistance — are just aspirations of the human spirit. The Holy See shares an interest in these principles.
Questions of security, development, reducing inequality, and care of the environment require collective action in good faith for the common good. While scientific and technological advances can be of great help, some can rob the human person and the family of their identity. He called on the international community to act with juridical means when needed to safeguard human rights.

The Holy Father spoke of the critical importance of protecting human rights, noting the sixtieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Promoting human rights is the most effective strategy for reducing inequality and increasing security. Human rights are not simply a matter of law, but of justice, based in the natural law written on the human heart.
Once again, the Holy Father spoke of the importance of dialogue between religions as a way of building consensus in service of the common good. He emphasized the importance of freedom of religion in its public as well as its private dimension.
Pope Benedict said that the Catholic Church wishes to offer her proper contribution to international relations, making available her centuries of experience. He concluded his address by greeting the assembly in all the official languages of the United Nations, wishing them peace and prosperity with God’s help.
The assembly responded to his address with a standing ovation.

Courtesy of the New York Times: The text of Pope Benedict XVI’s address to the United Nations General Assembly on April 18, "as supplied by the Vatican and checked against delivery. The remarks were delivered partly in French and partly in English."

Coverage & Commentary

Carl Olson provides a helpful list of supplementary essays (mostly by the great Fr. James V. Schall), expanding upon the Pope's discussion of human rights grounded in natural law, "valid at all times and for all peoples" in his U.N. address.
"The pope's impassioned speech on global warming ... that wasn't", by Thomas Peters (American Papist):
British tabloids and other less-than-reputable news organizations claimed last year, early in the papal visit planning process, that Pope Benedict would use his speech at the United Nations to "deliver a powerful warning over climate change." Now that the speech has been delivered and made available, I went looking for the pope's "centrepiece" to complete the Vatican's "environmental blitz" making it a "moral cause for the Catholic Church." ...

Further Reactions & Commentary on the Washington Mass / Mess

2008-04-18T13:54:00.006-04:00

To all those who protested the music, Vox Nova thinks you're a bunch of sour grapes:
Of course, for the few hundred grumpy online Catholics full of sour grapes, there is the great multitude of faithful Catholics, who love the Pope, who love the Pope’s coming to America, and have taken in the greatness of such a wonderful event.
At the mass, one could hear non-Catholic protesters with loudspeakers. They were trying to interrupt the mass. Online, we had Catholic trying to do the same. Since both thought they knew the way of faith greater than the Pope, can someone tell me what separates the two of them?
"Latin Rite Catholics should be spared from appeals to rank tribalism", says Rich Leonardi (Ten Reasons):
I'm blessed with an extended family that traces its ancestral roots to at least three continents. The notion that my African-American niece should automatically feel an affinity for Jazz, or my Asian-American sister-in-law ought to perk up over a prayer given in Tagalog, is offensive and condescending. It is no different than a parish worship commission asking me, an Italian-American, if I would like to see a performance of the Tarantella at the next Mass.
Fr. Rob Johansen (Thrown Back) reigns in some of the more strident protestors (and dispels a few conspiracy theories alog the way):
Firstly, I was taken aback by the sheer violence and passion of the reaction from the supporters of the Reform of the Reform and Traditional liturgy. I'm not here speaking so much of Shawn Tribe and the people at NLM, nor of Fr. Zuhlsdorf at "What Does the Prayer Really Say?". Their commentary has been measured and quite insightful. No, I am speaking of the many commentors at both sites (Some 300 at NLM alone!). I gathered from many of the comments on the above mentioned sites that people were shocked and surprised by what they saw and heard. I can't see why anyone should have been surprised - the music selected for the Mass was announced almost three weeks ago. I don't get the shock: the organizers of the DC Mass reveled three weeks ago that they intended to present a mish-mash, or, again in Fr. Neuhaus' inimitable words, a "liturgical stew". And that's precisely what they did.
"Critics vs. the critics of the critics", by the Cranky Conservative:
I recognized that the music was . . . not good. It didn’t escape my attention. But I am learning as time goes on not to let that sort of thing bother me. We can’t be critics while we’re at Mass. It’s not a performance - it’s Mass. Sure, there are some who seemingly want to make it more of a performance, but those are battles to be fought at other times. Quite frankly I was much more bothered by the idiots shouting into their megaphones about the whore of Babylon than I was by the awkward musical setting of the responsorial psalm. It was much more saddened by the hatred I was hearing outside than the perhaps awkward expressions of love I was hearing inside.
That said, I can certainly sympathize with the critics, especially those who feel that the musical selections were a complete slap in the face to the Pope. I am willing to give the benefit of the doubt and hope that those who planned the Mass were in no way really trying to “send a message.” We don’t know that the Pope was displeased. I’m sure he knew what to expect. And even though the Pope prefers a more traditional setting - as do I - I’m sure he was and is ecstatic to see so many joy-filled and faithful Catholics joined together. In a world where so much is going wrong, 50,000 people getting together and joining in the Eucharist is an occasion for joy, no matter what might be blaring over the loudspeakers.
In the long run, liturgy matters. It is not inappropriate to have a discussion about the liturgy and the musical selections and other things which do detract from the full meaning of our liturgy. It’s certainly questionable as to whether multilingual Masses do more to fracture than to unite us. . . .
I guess this is all a long way of saying that while I was moved and uplifted by the Papal Mass, we can’t ignore the deeper issue of how we celebrate the Holy Eucharist in America. Asking that any discussion be civilized and respectful should go without saying. Sadly, it will probably go without so doing.

Some quick thoughts:

With regards to how the liturgy ought to be performed and also in terms of the musical selections, we have over a decade of writings from Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger to draw from, most prominent of which is The Spirit of the Liturgy).
Certain aspects of the Nationals Park Mass fell far, far short of what the Holy Father probably would have desired (therein lies the motivation for the more reasonable of the complaints).
As Msgr. Marini indicated last month, while cognisant of what was being done, the Vatican opted to take a "hand's off" approach:
Early in the planning process for a papal trip, the monsignor said, his office sends the local church a set of guidelines, which is “substantially the same” as the set developed during the pontificate of Pope John Paul II.
“A few small things were modified to reflect the liturgical attitudes of Pope Benedict,” he said; they include a request that a crucifix be placed on the altar for eucharistic celebrations, that concelebrating priests be as close to the altar as possible and that the offertory gifts be limited to the bread, wine and charitable gifts.
Msgr. Marini said the Vatican did not dictate the choice of music and hymns for the U.S. liturgies.
One could speculate as to why Marini chose not to assert more control over what was chosen — in such cases, I think it’s best to relenquish top-down control to those properly delegated at the local level. As Henry points out Benedict did indeed "clap his hands" to one of the performances, but I'm not sure one could posit that this is, indeed, what he would have preferred.
Fr. Neuhaus sums it up:
When over the years one has been present at papal events beyond numbering, one inevitably develops a measure of critical distance in which even mildly critical comments can clash with the intense piety of many of the Catholic faithful. Anything short of all-Wow!-all-the-time is taken as a sign of insufficient enthusiasm.

Yes, you may PURCHASE "The Official Papal Skateboard"

2008-04-18T13:30:00.000-04:00

THE LIMITED EDITION OFFICIAL PAPAL SKATEBOARD ON SALE NOW for a limited time only. I was informed that "proceeds will to benefit inner city retreats and recreation programs."

Fr. Neuhaus on the National's Park Mass

2008-04-18T11:34:00.003-04:00

Fr. John Neuhaus remarks on the liturgical music performances during the Washington National Mass:

In the response to our EWTN coverage, we received hundreds of complaints about the over-the-top stretch to be multicultural, along with some complaints by those were offended by our mentioning it. It’s hard to win on this score. And I have to remind myself that even mild criticisms of the way the Holy Father’s visit is being handled are taken amiss by people for whom even the chance to see the pope from a distance is one of the great moments of their lives. When over the years one has been present at papal events beyond numbering, one inevitably develops a measure of critical distance in which even mildly critical comments can clash with the intense piety of many of the Catholic faithful. Anything short of all-Wow!-all-the-time is taken as a sign of insufficient enthusiasm. Raymond Arroyo and I have multiple opportunities to remind one another of this dynamic. . . .
Of course nothing can diminish, never mind negate, the astonishment of the Real Presence of Christ in the Mass, but it must be admitted that the mish-mash of music and liturgical practices putatively representing the “other” of multiculturalism did vigorously compete with the central reality. I offered an observation or two on this in the course of our EWTN coverage, provoking the response that the people in the stadium were obviously enjoying themselves and we mustn’t try to impose our elitist musical and liturgical criteria. Ouch. The point I was making is that Benedict has written very specifically over the years about the distortion of the dynamics of worship when attention is focused on “our wonderful selves” rather than on the glory of God. He has also stressed the importance of renewing commitment to and continuity in the tradition of sacred music, including Gregorian chant, a tradition almost entirely absent from the stadium Mass. So the point of the commentary on that Mass is that it is remarkable that, on matters about which Benedict has been so emphatic, his views were so egregiously ignored or defied.
Admittedly, in his frequent writings on matters liturgical, Benedict has often offered a caveat on the difficulty of doing it right on occasions with huge crowds such as is the case here and will be Sunday at Yankee Stadium, so I expect he is resigned to things getting out of hand and his pastoral disposition is to go along with the more or less inevitable. It is also the case that some of those in Nationals Park said they did not notice the music and other multicultural indulgences that were so prominent in what was televised. Which is probably just as well.

Of course Fr. Neuhaus also addressed Benedict's homily in his post, along with subsequent visitation to CUA and the interfaith service at the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center. (Read More).

Touchdown @ JFK

2008-04-18T10:29:00.000-04:00

Screenshot credit: Gothamist (best New Yorker local news/gossip blog ever - Chris)

Pope Benedict XVI Arrives in New York City

2008-04-18T10:00:00.001-04:00

What's Happening Today: Friday, April 18
8:30-10:00 a.m. - Movement to New York City
NOTE: This post will be updated as more information becomes available on this topic.

8:30 a.m. - Departure from Andrews Air Force Base.
9:45 a.m. - Arrival at John F. Kennedy International Airport (Diocese of Brooklyn). Cardinal Edward M. Egan, archbishop of New York and Bishop Nicholas A. DiMarzio, bishop of Brooklyn will welcome Pope Benedict. Two school children will present flowers to the Pope: Kaitlin Karcher, eighth-grader at Our Lady of Grace School, Gravesend, Brooklyn and Christopher Jordan, fifth-grader at Divine Mercy Catholic Academy, Ozone Park, Queens.

Dignitaries

Archbishop Celestino Migliore, Holy See’s permanent observer to the United Nations
Bishop William F. Murphy, bishop of Rockville Centre
Bishop Gregory John Mansour, eparch of Saint Maron of Brooklyn for Maronites
Bishop Manuel Batakian, eparch of Our Lady of Nareg in New York for Armenian Catholics
Bishop Thomas V. Daily, bishop emeritus of Brooklyn
State and local government representatives

Teaching by example: Pope Benedict meets victims of clergy sex abuse

2008-04-18T02:55:00.002-04:00

On Thursday, Pope Benedict also met privately with victims of clergy sexual abuse. John Allen, Jr. reports:

In an unexpected and essentially unprecedented move, Pope Benedict XVI met quietly with five victims of clerical sexual abuse this afternoon at the Vatican’s embassy to the United States, located in Washington, D.C.
Prior to this afternoon, no pope had ever met with victims of sexual abuse by priests. That omission has been oft-cited by critics of the church’s response to the crisis as an indication that Rome and the papacy are out of touch with American realities, or in denial about the magnitude of the problem.
All five victims who met with Pope Benedict today are from the Boston area, and sources told NCR that Cardinal Sean O’Malley of Boston played a role in arranging their encounter with Pope Benedict. In the end, however, those sources say, it was the pope’s choice to take the meeting.

Allen goes on to discuss the demands for reform made by David Clohessy of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, but adds:

... the pope’s forceful language, coupled with today’s meeting, is likely to at least diminish impressions that the pope is “out of touch” with the American situation.
Expectations created by the pope’s language, some observers say, could also make it more difficult for church officials to resist pressure for transparency, including the full disclosure of relevant documents related to allegations of sexual abuse, in the future.

Additional Commentary

From the New York Times, Fr. James Martin says "I had a prayer answered today":
Since 2002, in my prayers, meditations and discussions about the sex abuse crisis, I’ve often returned to thoughts about the healing power of ritual. Besides the necessary concrete remedies (making financial restitution to the victims, removing and disciplining abusive priests and the bishops who moved around those priests, and setting up guidelines for safer environments for children, for example), I’ve often wondered if symbolic gestures could help encourage the process of healing victims and their families.
"Unfiltered access" -- Victims of abuse by clergy members talk to CNN's Campbell Brown about their meeting with the pope. April 17, 2008. "I went to Rome in 2003 wanting this meeting, and now I finally got it"; "He seemed to intrinsically understand what we were talking about."

Rosemary Radford Reuther vs. Bush / Benedict

2008-04-18T02:49:00.004-04:00

Perhaps to provide "balance" to the generally positive commentary at the "Papal Discussions" blog, the New York Times felt compelled to roll out feminist theologian Rosemary Radford Reuther:

For both Bush and Benedict XVI, sharp attacks on women’s reproductive rights, not only access to abortion, but also contraception and family planning, have been key aspects of what they regard as infusing and informing public policy by Catholic or Christian views. While America is in no immediate danger of losing its principles of freedom of religion, Americans should think carefully about how the attitudes of one religious tradition should shape public policy and inform American identity.

Must every attempt to protect the unborn be construed as the draconian imposition of religious dogma on nonbelievers? It's called the "natural law" tradition. Moral truths accessible to every human being, independent of divine revelation. Check out C.S. Lewis' The Abolition of Man for starters.

Or perhaps George Weigel (responding to similar arguments from self-styled "pro-choice Catholic" Senator Kerry):

"This is simply false. The Church's pro-life teaching is something that can be engaged seriously by anyone. You don't have to believe that there are seven sacraments to deal with this, you don't have to believe in the primacy of the bishop of Rome to engage this position. You don't even have to believe in God to engage this [pro-Life] position because it's a position rooted in basic embryology and in basic logic, and anybody can engage that."

A point Weigel discussed in detail in "Christian Conviction & Democratic Etiquette" First Things Issue 41, (March 1994): 28-35):

But how are we to make our case to those who do not share that prior religious commitment, or to those Christians whose churches do not provide clear moral counsel on this issue? And how do we do this in a political-cultural-legal climate in which individual autonomy has been virtually absolutized?
The answer is, we best make our case by insisting that our defense of the right to life of the unborn is a defense of civil rights and of a generous, hospitable American democracy. We best make our case by insisting that abortion-on-demand gravely damages the American democratic experiment by drastically constricting the community of the commonly protected. We best make our case by arguing that the private use of lethal violence against an innocent is an assault on the moral foundations of any just society. In short, we best make our case for maximum feasible legal protection of the unborn by deploying natural law arguments that translate our Christian moral convictions into a public idiom more powerful than the idiom of autonomy.

Democrats censor U.S. Senate Resolution welcoming Pope Benedict XVI

2008-04-18T02:42:00.001-04:00

U.S. Democrat Barbara Boxer held up a U.S. Senate resolution welcoming the Pope because she objected to language about how the pope values "each and every human life":

The measure later cleared the Senate Thursday afternoon after the sponsor of the resolution, Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.), dropped the reference to "human life" because some Democrats saw it as a reference to abortion. According to Republican aides, Brownback, a devout Catholic, did not want a high profile fight over the resolution, which was adopted on a voice vote. In fact, Brownback blackberried his staff from the Pope's mass at Nationals Park to direct them to drop the references to human life.

(Via Jay Anderson @ Catholics in the Public Square, who has a roundup of coverage on this story).

Interreligious Gathering at the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center

2008-04-17T19:00:00.003-04:00

What's Happening Today: Thursday, April 17
6:30 p.m. - Interreligious Gathering at the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center
NOTE: This post will be updated as more information becomes available on this topic.

The Pope will meet with representatives of other religions on the theme “Peace Our Hope.” Construction on the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center began in 1997 on 12 acres adjacent to the Catholic University of America. Since its dedication in 2000, the Center has been the site of many interreligious discussions and events.

6:30 p.m. - The Pope will enter through the front door of the Center. Bishop Richard J. Sklba, chairman, USCCB Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs will welcome the Pope along with an audience of some 220 individuals representing five religions: Buddhism, Hindu, Islam, Jainism and Judaism. Pope Benedict XVI will give an address. The Holy Father will then be presented with symbols of peace by five young people:
- Judaism: Menorah, presented by David J. Michaels, director for intercommunal affairs, Center for Human Rights and Public Policy at B’nai B’rith International.
- Islam: Qur’an, presented by Saman Hussain, coordinator, Unity Walk 2007.
- Jainism: Metallic cube, presented by Aditya Vora, a Jain young adult studying at Haverford College in Pennsylvania.
- Buddhism: Bell, presented by Masako Fukata, a youth leader of Rissho Kosei-kai, a socially engaged Buddhist organization headquartered in Tokyo.
- Hinduism: Sculpture of syllable Om by Dr. Ravi Gupta, assistant professor of religion, Centre College, Danville, Ky.
A greeting of interreligious leaders will be followed by a song: "Peace Prayer", attributed to Saint Francis of Assisi, sung by a schola cantorum.

Text of Benedict XVI's address - Meeting with representatives of other religions Pope John Paul II Cultural Center:

Americans have always valued the ability to worship freely and in accordance with their conscience. Alexis de Tocqueville, the French historian and observer of American affairs, was fascinated with this aspect of the nation. He remarked that this is a country in which religion and freedom are "intimately linked" in contributing to a stable democracy that fosters social virtues and participation in the communal life of all its citizens. In urban areas, it is common for individuals from different cultural backgrounds and religions to engage with one another daily in commercial, social and educational settings. Today, in classrooms throughout the country, young Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, and indeed children of all religions sit side-by-side, learning with one another and from one another. This diversity gives rise to new challenges that spark a deeper reflection on the core principles of a democratic society. May others take heart from your experience, realizing that a united society can indeed arise from a plurality of peoples - "E pluribus unum": "out of many, one" - provided that all recognize religious liberty as a basic civil right (cf. Dignitatis Humanae, 2).
The task of upholding religious freedom is never completed. New situations and challenges invite citizens and leaders to reflect on how their decisions respect this basic human right. Protecting religious freedom within the rule of law does not guarantee that peoples - particularly minorities - will be spared from unjust forms of discrimination and prejudice. This requires constant effort on the part of all members of society to ensure that citizens are afforded the opportunity to worship peaceably and to pass on their religious heritage to their children.

The transmission of religious traditions to succeeding generations not only helps to preserve a heritage; it also sustains and nourishes the surrounding culture in the present day. The same holds true for dialogue between religions; both the participants and society are enriched. As we grow in understanding of one another, we see that we share an esteem for ethical values, discernable to human reason, which are revered by all peoples of goodwill. The world begs for a common witness to these values. I therefore invite all religious people to view dialogue not only as a means of enhancing mutual understanding, but also as a way of serving society at large. By bearing witness to those moral truths which they hold in common with all men and women of goodwill, religious groups will exert a positive influence on the wider culture, and inspire neighbors, co-workers and fellow citizens to join in the task of strengthening the ties of solidarity. In the words of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt: "no greater thing could come to our land today than a revival of the spirit of faith".

Coverage

Pope meets interreligious leaders, says dialogue discovers truth

"Open mike at interfaith papal forum, by Cathy Lynn Grossman. USA Today April 17, 2008:
... when the pope and invited Jewish guests had left the room so the pope could share a private greeting for the Passover holiday, which begins at sunset Saturday, one of the Muslim representatives called on the others who had spoken to the pope to share what they said.
Sayyid Syeed of the Islamic Society of North America said he had thanked the pope for years of efforts toward Catholic-Muslim dialogue, but asked that he be cautious not to disrupt it. Muzammil Siddiqi of the Fiqh Council of North America, told the pope he hoped Muslims might have a special meeting, too.
Imam Hassan Al-Qazwini said he asked the pope to establish a permanent dialogue between the church and Muslims, noting that the two religions make up more than half of the world's population.

Pope Benedict wishes Jewish community Happy Pesach!

2008-04-17T18:28:00.000-04:00

Pope Benedict took the opportunity to offer the Jewish community a happy pesach [Passover], in a private meeting today. Gary Stern (Blogging Religiously) posts the text of the Pope's Passover Greeting:

My visit to the United States offers me the occasion to extend a warm and heartfelt greeting to my Jewish brothers and sisters in this country and throughout the world. A greeting that is all the more spiritually intense because the great feast of Pesah is approaching. “This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord; throughout your generations you shall observe it as an ordinance for ever” (Exodus 12: 14). While the Christian celebration of Easter differs in many ways from your celebration of Pesah, we understand and experience it in continuation with the biblical narrative of the mighty works which the Lord accomplished for his people.
At this time of your most solemn celebration, I feel particularly close, precisely because of what Nostra Aetate calls Christians to remember always: that the Church “received the revelation of the Old Testament through the people with whom God in His inexpressible mercy concluded the Ancient Covenant. Nor can she forget that she draws sustenance from the root of that well-cultivated olive tree onto which have been grafted the wild shoots, the Gentiles” (Nostra Aetate, 4). In addressing myself to you I wish to re-affirm the Second Vatican Council’s teaching on Catholic-Jewish relations and reiterate the Church’s commitment to the dialogue that in the past forty years has fundamentally changed our relationship for the better. ... (Read More)

Pope Benedict's Address to Catholic Educators at Catholic University of America (CUA)

2008-04-17T17:00:00.002-04:00

What's Happening Today: Thursday, April 17
5:00 p.m. - Address to Catholic Educators at The Catholic University of America (CUA)
NOTE: This post will be updated as more information becomes available on this topic.

The Catholic University of America is the national university of the Catholic Church in the United States. It is the only papally chartered university in the United States and the only institution of higher learning sponsored by the nation’s bishops. Pope John Paul II came to CUA on October 7, 1979, a year after he had become pontiff.

5:00 p.m. - Arrival and welcome via motorcade at east side of Edward J. Pryzbyla University Center. Archbishop Donald W. Wuerl, archbishop of Washington, Bishop William E. Lori, chairman of the CUA board of trustees, Father David O’Connell, CM, president of CUA will welcome the Pope. Approximately, 4,000 CUA students, faculty and staff will greet the Holy Father outside.
5:15 p.m. - Pope Benedict XVI enters the hall. In the hall: 200 presidents of Catholic universities and colleges in the U.S., 195 directors or superintendents responsible for Catholic education (elementary and secondary schools) in each of the archdioceses or dioceses of the U.S., Board of trustees of CUA and selected administrators and representatives of CUA will greet Pope Benedict XVI. Father O’Connell will introduce 10 individuals to the Pope and then the Pope will give an address.
6:15 p.m. - Departure - The Pope will enter the popemobile on the east (lower) side of the Przbyla Center and move through the campus of the Catholic University of America.

Catholic University of America's report:

Before a packed audience of more than 400 Catholic educators gathered at The Catholic University of America, Pope Benedict XVI greeted his audience as “bearers of wisdom,” invoking the prophet Isaiah’s words as the opening for his speech: “How beautiful are the footsteps of those who bring good news.”
Indeed, the Holy Father stressed education’s integral place in the Church’s mission to proclaim the Good News, making the link between reason and faith an integral part of his address. Stressing the high expectations society places on Catholic educators, Pope Benedict XVI told the audience that such expectation “places upon you a responsibility and offers an opportunity.”

[...]
The pope spoke of “the difficulty or reluctance many people have today in entrusting themselves to God,” especially the younger generation. Thus, he told the audience, “A particular responsibility for each of you, and your colleagues, is to evoke among the young the desire for the act of faith.”
At the center of this act of faith, he said, is the knowledge that “the truths of faith and reason never contradict one another.” This balance between faith and reason served as a central theme of the Holy Father’s address, which he directed toward societies where “secularist ideology drives a wedge between truth and faith.”
The pope emphasized the crucial role of educational institutions in the Church’s primary mission of evangelization. He also made several appeals toward continued outreach by Catholic educators in inner cities and poorer areas — a petition that prompted a burst of applause from the audience — “where there are many hollow promises which lure young people away from the path of truth and genuine freedom.”

Full text of Remarks by Pope Benedict XVI to The Catholic University of America

Coverage

Catholic University students are praying throughout the night in adoration for the pope’s visit to the university tomorrow. The Pope at CUA has video.
3,000 CUA students "rock the Pope" (CUA Public Affairs April 17, 2008):
Beginning at 10 a.m., the students began gathering on the grass to watch a live broadcast of the pope’s Washington, D.C., Mass at Nationals Park on a 23-foot-wide JumboTron, mingle with friends and eagerly await the arrival of Pope Benedict XVI.
The students, many wearing sports jerseys emblazoned with the name Benedict and the number 16, took part in a seven-hour papal pep rally as they waited for the pontiff’s arrival at 5 p.m.
In addition to the screening of the papal Mass at Nationals Park, the day also included several organized and impromptu activities accompanied by both prayer and rock music. ...
At just before 5 p.m. the rumble of motorcycles could be heard and students crowded to barriers along the edge of the lawn, eager to see the pope. A cheer went up as the motorcade arrived. The cheers grew louder as the Holy Father emerged from a limousine and students waved Vatican flags beneath trees that had budded yellow just the day before.
Students chanted “Benedict! Benedict!” as the pontiff walked up the stairs to the Edward J. Pryzbyla University Center. At the top of the steps, Benedict, wearing white robes, turned and faced the students. Students cheered and continued to shout his name.
New York Times' Colleen Carroll Campbell calls it a "A Catholic Identity Overhaul":
Any Catholic college or university presidents bracing for a scolding from Pope Benedict probably breathed a sigh of relief after hearing his remarks at the Catholic University of America today. Benedict made no mention of pro-choice commencement speakers or performances of “The Vagina Monologues.” He said that a school’s Catholic identity “is not simply a question of the number of Catholic students” and cannot “be equated simply with orthodoxy of course content” — remarks that surely came as good news to leaders of the many Catholic schools that fall short on both counts.
Yet the pope’s decision to avoid a nuts-and-bolts discussion of the controversies dominating headlines in Catholic higher education should not be construed as a confirmation of the status quo. In his speech, Benedict called for nothing less than a fundamental shift in the way Catholic educators view their mission and serve their students. ...
Quotable Benedict: On Academic Freedom, and Heterodox Teaching, by Thomas Peters (American Papist):
"In Pope Benedict's address to Catholic educators delivered yesterday, he succintly framed the questions about (and implied the answers to) some basic issues which seem to continually escape the erudite academic community here in the United States. In the grand spirit of recent academic scholarship, let me provide some Cliffs Notes ...

Well -- apart from the music, how was the Mass?

2008-04-17T14:08:00.000-04:00

The brief glimpses I had of the Washington Nationals Mass on television before embarking for work didn't offer much in the way of music, but according to Catholic News Service, those who arranged it had the very best of intentions:

The liturgical celebration of Pope Benedict XVI's April 17 Mass in Nationals Park reflected the diversity of Catholic heritages and sensibilities reflected in the Archdiocese of Washington, where the Mass was held.
It acknowledged both the roots of tradition and the branches that have sprouted from those roots

However, I quickly gathered something was wrong when the comments started to pour in on an earlier post from February entitled "Meet Thomas Stehle", music director for the papal mass in Washington:

Shame on you...
Chironomo | 04.17.08 - 11:50 am | #
The sensibilities of the Holy Father are no secret regarding music. Did you purposely attempt to insult him? If so shame on you indeed!
Fr. John | 04.17.08 - 11:56 am | #
The Holy Father's views on sacred music and the liturgy are well-known. I am deeply disappointed that he was subjected to such banal music.
Luke | 04.17.08 - 12:13 pm | #
I feel ill after listening to that travesty that was the music.
Demo | 04.17.08 - 12:48 pm | #

... and so on and so forth. Well, it appears that the worst fears of The New Liturgical Movement were confirmed today. Amy Welborn describes the experience thus in her Open Nationals Stadium Liturgy Thread:

The core problem with this liturgy was that it had such a heavy performance vibe to it. Commenters have called it a “review” and I think that’s apt. I don’t want to make the multiculturalism the center of any critique myself. I don’t think that’s the point. The point is that, for example, after the Holy Father intoned the Doxology at the end of the Eucharistic Prayer, what happened next? A solemnly chanted “Amen” fitting in with what he had just done?
No - we get freakin’ trumpets - the same trumpets that preceded all three of the Mass parts used from the Mass of Creation.
There was a bombastic, almost frenzied sensibility, as various musical styles were pulled in, Cantor A was replaced by Cantor B and every Mass part had to be introduced by overwhelming musical stylings of someone.
I am not sure how, exactly, one could pull of a Mass in a stadium with 50,000 or so people without making it big in this sense. I don’t know if there is a bigness possible that would pull everyone present into the ritual while at the same time respecting the fact that this is the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, not Talent Night At St. Hippodrome’s. Someone can, perhaps enlighten me on that score.

(As a Hispanic Catholic added from her combox: "I’m frankly rather tired of finding that everywhere in the US, the only music in Spanish used during Mass sounds like it belongs in a salsa club").

Blogging at The New Liturgical Movement", Jeffrey Tucker described the music as "the end of an era" and pulled no punches in their remarks:

It was to the grave embarrassment of all American Catholics that the music employed at the papal Mass at the Nationals stadium in Washington, D.C., not only represented a repudiation of everything that this pope has written on music appropriate to Mass. We can go further to say that there is no robust tradition of liturgical scholarship that is capable of defending what happened, and that is because it is indefensible. ...
In the name of "multiculturalism," the Pope was subjected to music more suitable to dingy dance halls than Churches. The Psalms of David were distorted to the point of ear-splitting dissonance. The congos, pan flutes, meringue rhythms, the jazz and blues and rock, the swaggering vocals, the puffed-up soloing, went beyond even the most pessimistic predictions.
Indeed, when Marty Haugen's Mass of Creation finally came on at the Sanctus, it was a moment of dignity—so much so that I want to take back all my negative comments back when I thought that this Mass setting was unsuitable for a Papal Mass. I don't think anyone knew before this what the phrase "unsuitable" could really mean.
I personally feel the greatest hurt toward American Catholics of diverse races and ethnicities, who have been quite viciously caricatured here. How wounded they must personally feel by this presentation done in their name.

If anything, today's experience was a vindication of Cardinal Ratzinger's call for "a new Liturgical Movement." The post -- worth reading in full -- concludes with a "call to arms" from Pope Benedict XVI himself:

When the community of faith, the world-wide unity of the Church and her history, and the mystery of the living Christ are no longer visible in the liturgy, where else, then, is the Church to become visible in her spiritual essence? Then the community is celebrating only itself, an activity that is utterly fruitless. And, because the ecclesial community cannot have its origin from itself but emerges as a unity only from the Lord, through faith, such circumstances will inexorably result in a disintegration into sectarian parties of all kinds - partisan opposition within a Church tearing herself apart. This is why we need a new Liturgical Movement, which will call to life the real heritage of the Second Vatican Council.

More from Fr. John Zuhlsdorf; Fr. Ray Blake ("How blessed one is being a priest, I would be tempted to lapse inside a year if I had to endure this stuff week after week, how the laity are tortured by the clergy!"); Carl Olson (who adds: "Yet another reason I am thankful to be able to attend a Byzantine Catholic parish. We don't have fights about who plays guitar, or how many people should be in the orchestra. There are no instruments").

Catholic Conservation invites his readers to express their sentiments to the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (via their own blog) concerning the music selections for the Papal Mass in Washington, DC -- but it may be in vain:

There is no question that anger, even fury, is palpable. The USCCB has been deleting comments from its own website. Fr. Richard J. Neuhaus, in his running commentary on EWTN, expressed astonishment. The blogs are overflowing with bitter comments...

Not everybody's complaining, however:

what a splendid event this was — great music, faultless presentation. Fabulous, cool weather and sunny skies didn't hurt, either.
And in the midst of a baseball field at that. The pitcher's mound was demurely enclosed by a white fence; home plate was covered by the archdiocesan shield.
The one blot: Coffee was either not ready at the concession stands or they ran out early.

* * *

Amy Welborn reigns in the combox critics with some sage advice:

1) We should, as much as we can, drawing on the Holy Spirit, resist the temptation to view the Mass from a critic’s standpoint. It is destructive. No one knows this better than those involved in Church ministry, and not only liturgical ministers. It is a temptation for anyone whose relationship with the Church, the parish or the diocese is that of employee or professional volunteer. We evaluate, we judge, we have meetings afterwards in which we assess. ...
2) HOWEVER. Despite that - and with that constantly in mind, it is fine to spend time evaluating a liturgy. To do so in charity, respectful of persons and the work they put into the event, to be sure. But the Mass is not anything. It is Something. And the form of the Mass should express that Something as much as humanly possible. There is a degree of subjectivity involved, but actually not as much as we might think. Particularly in this case, when we have a pope who has written extensively on liturgy, whose views are well-known, and whose liturgical priorities as pope are also no secret. It is fair to compare what happened today with the principles of Catholic liturgy as well as the Pope’s own writing. That’s fair. ...
So keeping all of those realities in balance, I think it is fine to discuss a liturgy like this as long as we don’t let it dominate our sense of the event, overwhelming the Pope’s own call to unity in the Church for the sake of a more powerful, Christ-centered presence in the world.

Homework

Music and the Liturgy Joseph Ratzinger | From The Spirit of the Liturgy
Cardinal Ratzinger on Liturgical Music | Michael J. Miller (July 2000; Homiletic & Pastoral Review

2008-04-17T14:05:00.000-04:00

Pope Benedict XVI celebrates Mass at Nationals Park in Washington, April 17, 2008. (Reuters)

Pope Benedict XVI's Mass at Nationals Park

2008-04-17T14:00:00.008-04:00

What's Happening Today: Thursday, April 17
10:00 a.m. - Mass at Nationals Park
NOTE: This post will be updated as more information becomes available on this topic.

The Pope will celebrate Mass at the new Nationals Park in Washington. This will be the first non-baseball event in the park, which opened March 31.

6:00 a.m. - Gates open; pre-Mass program begins
6:30 a.m. - Confessionals open
8:30 a.m. - The procession of clergy begins
9:30 a.m. - The Pope arrives at the stadium
9:35 a.m. - The Pope travels around the track inside the stadium in the popemobile
10:00 a.m. - Mass begins
12:00 noon - Mass ends; concession stands open
2:00 p.m. - All concession stands close

Pope Benedict XVI's homily at Washington Nationals Park Mass, via the USCCB:

... In the exercise of my ministry as the Successor of Peter, I have come to America to confirm you, my brothers and sisters, in the faith of the Apostles (cf. Lk 22:32). I have come to proclaim anew, as Peter proclaimed on the day of Pentecost, that Jesus Christ is Lord and Messiah, risen from the dead, seated in glory at the right hand of the Father, and established as judge of the living and the dead (cf. Acts 2:14ff.). I have come to repeat the Apostle's urgent call to conversion and the forgiveness of sins, and to implore from the Lord a new outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the Church in this country. As we have heard throughout this Easter season, the Church was born of the Spirit's gift of repentance and faith in the risen Lord. In every age she is impelled by the same Spirit to bring to men and women of every race, language and people (cf. Rev 5:9) the good news of our reconciliation with God in Christ.
The readings of today's Mass invite us to consider the growth of the Church in America as one chapter in the greater story of the Church's expansion following the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. In those readings we see the inseparable link between the risen Lord, the gift of the Spirit for the forgiveness of sins, and the mystery of the Church. Christ established his Church on the foundation of the Apostles (cf. Rev 21:14) as a visible, structured community which is at the same time a spiritual communion, a mystical body enlivened by the Spirit's manifold gifts, and the sacrament of salvation for all humanity (cf. Lumen Gentium, 8). In every time and place, the Church is called to grow in unity through constant conversion to Christ, whose saving work is proclaimed by the Successors of the Apostles and celebrated in the sacraments. This unity, in turn, gives rise to an unceasing missionary outreach, as the Spirit spurs believers to proclaim "the great works of God" and to invite all people to enter the community of those saved by the blood of Christ and granted new life in his Spirit.
I pray, then, that this significant anniversary in the life of the Church in the United States, and the presence of the Successor of Peter in your midst, will be an occasion for all Catholics to reaffirm their unity in the apostolic faith, to offer their contemporaries a convincing account of the hope which inspires them (cf. 1 Pet 3:15), and to be renewed in missionary zeal for the extension of God's Kingdom. ...

Coverage

Nats' New Cathedral to Baseball Prepares for Pontiff, by Daniel LeDuc and Mary Beth Sheridan. Washington Post April 15, 2008 - on the preparations:
The transformation of Nationals Park into an open-air church for a Mass celebrated by Pope Benedict XVI began [Monday], with workers installing hundreds of thousands of square feet of flooring over the Kentucky bluegrass outfield. ...
Nationals Park Fills With Thousands of Pope Fans, by Petula Dvorak, Jacqui Salmon and Michael Ruane. Washington Post:
Thousands of people converged on the stadium before daylight today, a crowd as frenetic and giddy as the one assembled for the stadium's opening three weeks ago.
By 6 a.m., long lines were already building at the entrance as hundreds of people poured out of the Metro station and through tight security. There were 25 metal detectors beeping and chirping, as bags were searched and metal-detecting wands were passed over people's bodies.
The Metro disgorged streams of worshipers, many wearing commemorative black hats that read "Christ Our Hope" or carried the colors of their Catholic school. There were priests and nuns in their various vestments. Vendors were selling papal flags, hats and bumper stickers. There were people with tickets and those without, including one man whose written plea was held aloft on a sign: "Need one miracle."
More than 46,000 people are expected at today's service, requiring 300 Ushers and 300 Eucharistic ministers to serve communion. The pope will be accompanied by 14 cardinals, 250 bishops and 1,300 priests.
The Nationals Park Mass: Ongoing Coverage and Commentary @ The New Liturgical Movement, by Gregor Kollmorgen:
I would like to repeat Shawn's call for expectation management, especially since from what we have heard so far, and in comparison to yesterday's outstanding Vespers liturgy, at today's Mass there are bound to be elements which, for reasons extensively discussed in the last weeks, may seem disappointing from a reform-of-the-reform perspective. The NLM, however, will as always focus on those elements which can be understood as helping push forward one or another aspect of Benedict's programme for liturgical reform in continuity. I would encourage commenters to do likewise, but in any case, and as ever, to "criticize principles, not people; be discriminating, not nitpicking; be academic, not acerbic; be principled, not polemical" ...
Politicization of the Eucharist? - Nancy Pelosi and John kerry, two of the nations' most notorious, obstinately-defiant "pro-choice Catholics" receive communion at the Nationals Mass. As Jay Anderson (Pro Ecclesia) remarks:
I am particularly unconcerned about whether these politicians receiving Communion during a Papal Mass is a "public relations coup of the highest order for the Democrat Party". Who cares which party is benefited by such things? Partisan politics is completely irrelevant in such a matter. ...
I'm more concerned about whether public reception of Communion by those who publicly dissent from Church teaching provides an occasion for scandal to the faithful, and creates the impression that the Church's teachings are "optional" - that, as one commenter at InsideCatholic puts it, "one can [publicly] dissent from the Magisterium teaching on abortion and other issues, and still remain in good standing with the Church."

Benedict celebrates mass at Nationals Park, Washington
Source: Catholic Herald [UK]

"I guess you had to be there" - Wheat and Weeds has an excellent account of her experiences:
What an uplifting morning. We Christians like to talk about re-claiming the world for Christ, but there's nothing like a Papal Mass in an unexpected place for making you feel such a thing is possible. If you've never been, there's an infectious spirit in the crowd that begins even before you enter the venue. It's in the subways as you approach: the smiles of recognition among the folks mass-bound (the crucifixes or Benedict shirts & buttons give it away); the amazed looks from regular commuters who feel themselves invaded by people who smile, people who thank the transit police for their assistance, people who yield their seats to the handicapped, people who seem happy. It's in the stadium, where you run into your friends everywhere; and there's a huge tent where 50-some priests are hearing confession after confession for the three hours before Mass begins; and all these beautiful young people are around reminding you that the Church is young, as Cardinal Ratzinger told us at JPG's funeral; and there are scads of young priests of course; and nuns, beautiful nuns, nuns in real habits -- blue nuns, white nuns, brown nuns, red nuns, everywhere young nuns with the most radiant smiles you've ever seen. Take one look at a nun and you know immediately whether she's of the sour "spirit of Vatican II" variety or if she's "got it" --and the nuns at the papal masses all "got it." Audacity of hope? Got it right here, pal, everywhere you look, at least for these few hours.
and the music -- about which there have been a considerable amount of complaints:
However, I'd ask people to bear in mind that some things necessary for a stadium mass may not come across on tv, where close-ups give a false appearance of intimacy. I've read at papal events, and the echo and re-verb are so bad you simply have to speak very slowly and dramatically in order to be understood; and there absolutely must be a cantor directing people or all the parts of the mass will descend into canon form because the sound of the first note hits different parts of the stadium at different times. Some folks are saying the mass was too self-consciously "diverse." Perhaps. Our chancery office and the USCCB staff certainly suffer from diversity disease. On the other hand, the Archdiocese of Washington is majority Hispanic now, and Washington, DC, the host city, is majority black. Anyway, I don't want to get into the liturgical questions right now. I'll simply say that Mr. W. is a traditionalist with a capital "T," and he wasn't offended (not to say thrilled, but thought on the whole it turned out better than he might have expected). However it played on television, in the pews, we were moved by and attentive to the mass, and there was a definite rapport between the crowd and the Holy Father.
The Papal Mass in DC: A pictoral journey", by Morning's Minion @ Vox Nova. A great selection of on-the-ground photos.
Pope leaves 46,000 happy (and sunburned!) Catholics, by Thomas Peters American Papist April 18, 2008.

Public Service Message: "Catholics, Come Home"

2008-04-17T11:18:00.001-04:00

President Bush reflects on the Pope's Visit

2008-04-17T11:07:00.000-04:00

St. Blog's Parish Roundup on Papal Visit

2008-04-17T02:55:00.000-04:00

"Good Morning America" goes negative on the Pope, by Matthew Archibold Creative Minority Report April 16, 2008.
"The head of the cult of Mary has arrived and you see all American media and our President fawning over him!" - Cacciaguida surveys what some fundamentalist Protestant blogs are saying about the papal visit. Of course, if you begin with the premise that Rome is the whore of Babylon and the Pope is the AntiChrist ...
Betrayal of Religious Leaders by Kisses is Still Fashionable, observes the "Ragin' Cajun'" @ Unskilled Labor.
Who needs shoddy papal journalism when you have your own Papal Visit Report-o-matic? - Devised by Kevin Jones of Philokalia Republic.

American Papist has the goods ...

2008-04-17T02:00:00.001-04:00

Thomas Peters (American Papist) is uploading his videos and photos from Pope Benedict's visit to the National Shrine with the U.S. Bishops:

Videos will go to the AmP YouTube Channel
Pictures will be on the AmP Flickr page.

John Stewart's "Daily Show" on the Pope's visit

2008-04-16T23:59:00.000-04:00

Papal Coverage on John Stewart's The Daily Show (New York Times religion journalist Peter Steinfels was interviewed).

Vespers and Address to U.S. Catholic Bishops at the National Shrine

2008-04-16T20:57:00.010-04:00

What's Happening Today: Wednesday, April 16
7 p.m. - Vespers and Address to U.S. Bishops at the National Shrine
NOTE: This post will be updated as more information becomes available on this topic.

The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception is the largest Roman Catholic church in the United States and North America, and one of the ten largest churches in the world. It is the nation’s pre-eminent Marian shrine, dedicated to the patroness of the United States: the Blessed Virgin Mary, under her title of the Immaculate Conception. Backgrounder on the National Shrine.

5:15 p.m. - Parade to the Basilica - beginning at 3211 4th St. NE. At end of route, popemobile travels the circle in front of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.
5:20 p.m. - Arrival - Welcome by Msgr. Walter Rossi, rector of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. The crowd will form on the east side of the Shrine on the mall.
5:30 p.m. - Vespers in the Crypt (lower area of the Shrine) with the bishops of the United States. Vespers, also called Evening Prayer, is part of the Liturgy of the Hours, also known as the Divine Office.
6:00 p.m. - Address to the bishops by Pope Benedict XVI.
7:00 p.m. - Program ends.

Coverage

Papal Vespers, Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, by Shawn Tribe. The New Liturgical Movement provided ongoing coverage of the Papal Vespers service from the Crypt Church of the Shrine Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. (with the usual focus on liturgical form, music and vestments):
the corpus on the altar cross was directed toward the nave where the people sat, rather than toward the "Eastern" side of the altar, or in other words, what would be facing the celebrant where it a Mass in this configuration.
Given this, when it came time for the Pope to incense the altar at the Magnificat, he began, not from the side of the altar where he reverenced, facing towards the people, but rather on the side of the altar as would be done traditionally.
In so doing, the Pope was facing the Lord crucified upon the cross. He was "turning towards the Lord" (conversi ad Dominum) and was ad orientem liturgicum.
As Shawn reminds his audience:
It is perhaps worthwhile to note that people should manage their expectations with regard to these events. If you are expecting liturgies as you might see them at in St. Peter's Basilica, Rome, or which fully confirm with Pope Benedict's liturgical vision, that would not be terribly realistic for a variety of pragmatic reasons.
In view of this, the NLM's own approach and focus for these events will be upon those things which can be understood as helping push forward one or another aspect of Benedict's programme for liturgical reform in continuity.
(The music received high marks -- according to Michael E. Lawrence "If you could watch all this with a dry eye, you're a better man than me.").
The prepared remarks of Cardinal Francis George to Pope Benedict before the papal address to the U.S. bishops at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington.
The prepared text of Pope Benedict XVI’s speech before the bishops of the United States at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, as provided by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Discussion of the Pope's remarks to the Bishops @ Amy Welborn's (Charlotte was Both)
Archbishop Chaput reacts to Pope's address Catholic News Agency April 16, 2008.
Pope calls sex abuse scandal 'countersign' to Gospel of life, by Julie Asher. Catholic News Service. April 16, 2008:
One of the "countersigns to the Gospel of life" in the United States is the sexual abuse of minors, a situation "that causes deep shame," Pope Benedict XVI told about 300 U.S. bishops gathered April 16 in the crypt church at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington.
He called it an "evil" and said the U.S. bishops have "rightly moved" to address it. The programs they have put in place to discipline priests and other church personnel who are abusers, to create safe environments protecting young people, to foster healing and to "bind up the wounds" caused by "such breach of trust" are bearing fruit, he said.
But the pope also said the problem of sex abuse must be placed in a wider context when pornography, violence and "the crude manipulation of sexuality" are so prevalent in society today. ...
In his talk, the pope said priests themselves "have experienced shame" over abuse carried out by fellow clergy and others and they need the bishops' "guidance and closeness during this difficult time." He also said people must remember the "overwhelming majority" of priests and religious in the U.S. do "outstanding work." ...
In his talk, the pope said priests themselves "have experienced shame" over abuse carried out by fellow clergy and others and they need the bishops' "guidance and closeness during this difficult time." He also said people must remember the "overwhelming majority" of priests and religious in the U.S. do "outstanding work."
The pope also addressed the effect of secularism and materialism on how Catholics and others live out their beliefs in a day-to-day world, the state of the family within society, "a certain quiet attrition" of Catholics leaving the faith and the need for vocations.
He talked about the role of the bishops in addressing issues of the day, especially during an election year when church leaders cannot assume, he said, that "all Catholic citizens think in harmony with the church's teaching on key ethical issues."
"It falls to you to ensure that the moral formation provided at every level of ecclesial life reflects the authentic teaching of the Gospel of life," Pope Benedict said, noting that currently in the U.S. and elsewhere there is "proposed legislation that gives cause for concern from the point of morality."
"The CEO From Rome Faces His Flock" Time's Jeff Israely & David Van Biema take a look at Benedict's key talking points.
American Papist posts photos of Benedict's address to bishops and visit to the National Shrine.
J. Peter Nixon (Commonweal Magazine)wonders whether Benedict's "distinct voice" has been blunted in this particular speech:
My first thought, I have to admit, was that this was an address that had been touched by many hands. That’s always true with papal addresses, of course, but Benedict has a distinctive style that can often give his words great force. I found that the edges of that style had been sanded down a bit.
Tim Drake @ Pope2008.com notices something missing from the majority of the coverage:
Predictably, all of the major media stories concentrate on the sexual abuse crisis and the other contentious issues mentioned by the Pope - secularism, materialism, individualism. In speaking with Dr. Pia de Solenni on her radio program on Sirius' The Catholic Channel last night, she described the speech as a "job description for the bishops."
Few of the media reports, however, have addressed the spiritual dimension, or how the Pope's message concluded, with the Holy Father encouraging the bishops to lead by example, especially with regard to prayer.
Pope presents special chalice to show solidarity with Katrina victims, by Julie Asher. Catholic News Service. April 17, 2008.

Amy Welborn: "What’s the value of the personal presence of the Pope?"

2008-04-16T18:06:00.000-04:00

Amy Welborn (New York Times "A Papal Discussion") asks: "What’s the value of the personal presence of the Pope? How can it be more than just one more celebrity hogging the headlines and taking up our time? What’s renewing about it?:

In today’s Rose Garden speech, the Pope said, “As I begin my visit, I trust that my presence will be a source of renewal and hope for the Church in the United States…”
Now, wait. To hope such a thing — who does this Benedict think he is? Pope? And why do these thousands pouring into D.C. and heading to New York City care about being in the presence of the Pope and what can be renewing about the whole experience?

Washington Post on the "Liturgy Wars" and the Benedict Generation

2008-04-16T17:03:00.000-04:00

"Between Medieval And Folk, Two Mass Audiences" Hank Stuever of the Washington Post takes a look at the "liturgical music wars":

Imagine a bizarro world where all the 25-year-olds want Mozart and all the 60-year-olds want adult-contemporary. The kids think the adults are too wild. The backlash against "Kumbaya Catholicism" has anyone under 40 allegedly clamoring for the Tridentine Mass in Latin, while the old folks are most sentimental about Casual Sunday (even more rockin', the Saturday vigil Mass), and still cling to what's evolved from the lite-rock guitar liturgies of the 1970s. The result, for most parishes, has been decades of Masses in which no one is entirely satisfied, and very few enjoy the music enough to sing along.
"The great majority [of Catholics] are totally inert at Mass," says Thomas Day, 65, a humanities and music professor at Salve Regina University in Newport, R.I. Day wrote a book called "Why Catholics Can't Sing: The Culture of Catholicism and the Triumph of Bad Taste," which is often cited by those who'd like to see a return to Mass music that is to them more sacred. "Most Catholics have either forgotten or never knew traditional music," Day says.
The great enemy in the Benedict era? Why, somehow, it's Sister and her guitar.

Pope Benedict and President Bush pray together "for the family, as an institution"

2008-04-16T16:04:00.000-04:00

The Prayer of the Pope and the President, Reuters. April 16, 2008:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Pope Benedict and U.S. President George W. Bush and his wife Laura prayed together in the White House on Wednesday, the Vatican said.
Vatican spokesman Rev. Federico Lombardi said that the "brief prayer" took place after the pope and Bush had finished their private talks in the Oval Office and Laura Bush joined them.
"There was a brief prayer for the family (as an institution)," Lombardi said.
Bush is a Methodist. Both he and the Roman Catholic pope have said that the traditional family, based on the marriage of a man and a woman, is under threat.

I wonder how many other Popes and U.S. Presidents have prayed together?

David Gibson on the "genesis" of Ratzinger's concern over clergy sex abuse

2008-04-16T15:53:00.000-04:00

According to David Gibson (Benedictions), the genesis of his statements went back to a meeting that took place more than four years ago, not with other bishops, but with leaders of the lay review board set up to keep an eye on how the American hierarchy was complying with their own guidelines:

[Following the termination of Frank Keating], a well-respected Chicago jurist, Anne Burke, was then named to lead the blue-ribbon panel of 13 lay leaders, and while she was more politic in public, she found it tough going as she tried to arrange meetings with various bishops about the issue. She got nowhere, and in frustration, Burke and other board members started calling and faxing various Vatican offices asking if they could fly over, at their own expense, to meet with them. A few offices responded, among them the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, headed by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger.
In January 2004, Burke and several other board members met with Ratzinger and his aides in his offices, for a full two-and-a-half hours. They set out the scope and depth of the scandal, which Ratzinger (and other Vatican officials) said they had not known. The U.S. bishops, Burke said, weren't giving the Vatican the full story. Ratzinger listened attentively, and at the end of the meeting stood up and promised the lay leaders he would get back to them. His time and response was something that one of the cardinal's top aides told Burke was very unusual.
“Cardinal Ratzinger was far more open to meeting with members of the national review board than our own bishops and cardinals,” Burke later told Newsday. Burke said Ratzinger was very engaged in the topic, beyond the fact that his department was charged with dealing with most cases to determine whether a priest should be defrocked, or “laicized” in church terms. “He took in everything we had to say and answered our questions. And we pulled no punches: We told him what was going on in terms of the extent of the actual abuse by the priests and about our dismay with the U.S. church hierarchy." ... Read More)

On pilgrimage

2008-04-16T15:05:00.000-04:00

"Texas Pilgrims Lose Their Way, but Not Their Faith", by Ralph Blumenthal. New York Times April 16, 2008:

It was 2:30 a.m. Tuesday, nearly 42 hours after Mr. Pequeño, his wife, Maria, and their four sleepy children left Spring, Tex., on a pilgrimage to see Pope Benedict XVI.
After singing hymns, saying the rosary and listening to a traveling companion discuss the mysteries of Jesus Christ, they were in their S.U.V. somewhere near Falls Church, Va., leading a dozen Texas neighbors in an accompanying van, hopelessly lost.
It was not the trip’s first test of their faith, said Mr. Pequeño, a 44-year-old mechanic and follower of the Neocatechumenal Way, a back-to-early-Christianity movement, who had once waited 14 hours in a bus to catch a glimpse of Pope John Paul II passing through the airport in Monterrey, Mexico.
But he said: “This is not a vacation. This is not a pleasure trip. This is a pilgrimage, a trip of faith. We want our faith to be stronger. The Lord wants us here.” ...

Catholic U's Independent Student Newspaper starts a Papal Blog

2008-04-16T14:45:00.000-04:00

THE POPE AT CUA - The staff of Catholic University of America's The Tower newspaper have launched a blog of their own to cover the papal visit and the Pope's appearance on campus:

The Tower Newspaper is the Independent Student Newspaper at The Catholic University of America. The staff at the paper thought it to be a good idea to have a place where all of the articles on the pope’s visit to Catholic University could be easily accessed. This blog isn’t just a collection of articles though, it’s a guide that CUA students and others can use to help learn more about the Pope’s visit and what life will be like when he’s around.
During his visit this blog will be constantly updated by our staff. The Tower has obtained media credentials to capture photographs of Pope Benedict’s arrival at Andrews Air Force Base, his speech at the Pryzbyla Center, and the mass at National’s stadium. In addition, Tower reporters and photographers will be attending the ceremony at the White House and be mixed into the crowd on the Pryzbyla Center lawn to capture student reaction to this once in a lifetime opportunity. Tower staff will also be at the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast on April 18.

"To see the Pope is to feel closer to him and the Church"

2008-04-16T13:37:00.001-04:00

"A Bit of a Miracle" Washington Post' PopeWatch has a touching story of a couple waiting to catch a glimpse of the PopeMobile:

For an hour and a half they joked and sang and chanted. As noon approached the crowd swelled as workers from the World Bank streamed out to watch. Janitors in their work uniforms and accountants in dark business suits all jostled along the street and on park benches for a better view.
"It's a once in a lifetime thing to see the pope," said Nancy Lim, a budget officer for the World Bank. As noon approached, Lim moved through the crowd, debating the merits of different positions.
"To see the pope is to feel closer to him and the church," she said, explaining her anxiousness to get the best view possible.
Then suddenly the moment came upon them.
The boisterous Hispanic singers from Houston picked up the beat and raised their voices as the motorcade approached. Scattered cheers rose up from the crowd.
But as the actual popemobile came into sight and began to pass by, for a split-second, a hush fell over many in the crowd, as though shocked to finally encounter what they had been come so far and waited all morning to see. Even the boisterous Houston singers paused mid-song to take snapshots.
Then in the space of a few seconds it was over, and the motorcade had passed.
Merino turned to his wife to see what she had captured on camera.
"I don't know what happened," she said, looking at a blank screen. Jostled by the crowd, trying to see past the police, she had cracked under the pressure of the moment.
"I couldn't get the camera to work," she told her husband.
Merino reflecting on this for a moment then simply repeated his mantra: "You just never know what will happen on a pilgrimage. You just have to have an open mind and heart."

* * *

Crowds Line Up to Catch Glimpse of Pope; Dominicans Lead Prayer as Families, Students Await Arrival Zenit News Service. April 16, 2008:

The Holy Father arrived at the basilica this afternoon after a ride in the popemobile through the streets of Washington, D.C., where a throng of anxious supporters awaited him.
And once at the university, he found another throng -- whose deafening applause greeted him before he entered the basilica and sent him off once he had spoken with his brother bishops.
Miguel Martinez, a researcher from Arlington, Virginia, arrived four hours early to get a prized spot just outside the shrine, giving him the best chances to catch a glimpse of the Pope before or after his address.
Martinez told ZENIT that he made the sacrifice of coming so early "because [the Pope] is the Vicar of Christ," and to "reciprocate the affection he has shown to the entire Church, and now especially for the United States." ...
Mark Brzozoski, a librarian in Washington who took the day off to await the Pope's arrival, said he came because none of his other family members were able to make the trip. "There is something significant about making a pilgrimage," he said. "My family can't do it, so I am making the effort on their behalf -- bringing their prayers, as well as those of friends who have asked me to pray for them while in his presence."

Ambassador Glendon: "Meeting between Pope and President a proud day for Americans"

2008-04-16T13:36:00.000-04:00

U.S. ambassador to the Vatican Mary Ann Glendon calls the meeting between Pope Benedict XVI and President George W. Bush was a proud day for Americans:

It was wonderful to have this great world religious leader express his appreciation for so many things we take for granted," Mary Ann Glendon told Catholic News Service April 16.
"From the inside, we Americans read the Pew polls and see the glass half-empty," she said.
But the pope, in his speech to the president, reminded people that "we have many different religions that coexist in harmony and flourish in this kind of political arrangement," she said.
That kind of affirmation was special, she said. So was the fact that the pope and the president both seemed to be thoroughly enjoying the occasion.
Glendon noted that the speeches of the two leaders overlapped on several key issues, especially where Bush echoed some of the pope's main themes -- on the need for love, hope and respect for life.
"The president, I think, was particularly eloquent today. I think it was one of the best talks he's ever given," she said.

Ambassador Glendon was also interviewed by the National Review today:

Lopez: Is Benedict’s vision of human rights different than the one that, say, Amnesty International or the U.N.’s human-rights embody?
Glendon: The pope has spelled out his vision of human rights pretty clearly: They will be precarious unless they can be grounded in acceptance of universal moral principles that are inscribed in human nature. Not every desire or agenda item of this or that interest group is a human right. If a right is fundamental, it is not an item on a menu from which one can pick and choose. Human rights are universal, indivisible and interdependent, but there can be different ways of bringing them to life — a “legitimate pluralism in forms of freedom.”

Pope2008 on "Why does the Pope "wave badly"?

2008-04-16T12:43:00.000-04:00

Why does Benedict "wave badly"?

Tom Hoopes here. Yesterday we noticed that Pope Benedict has a spring in his step and a joyful air about him. He extends his arms in a kind of embrace that is electrifying, when you're a Catholic excited about seeing the Holy Father. But as he walked by us at Andrews Air Force Base, his most common gesture was a wave in which he plays "air piano" with his fingers.
It was commented on by several of the reporters there. Why does he wave like that?

Pope2008.com explains.