Thursday, November 30, 2006

Peter and Andrew


From Vatican Radio:

This Divine Liturgy celebrated on the Feast of Saint Andrew the Apostle, Patron Saint of the Church of Constantinople, brings us back to the early Church, to the age of the Apostles. The Gospels of Mark and Matthew relate how Jesus called the two brothers, Simon, whom Jesus calls Cephas or Peter, and Andrew: “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Mt 4:19, Mk 1:17). The Fourth Gospel also presents Andrew as the first to be called, “ho protoklitos”, as he is known in the Byzantine tradition. It is Andrew who then brings his brother Simon to Jesus (cf. Jn 1:40f.).

Today, in this Patriarchal Church of Saint George, we are able to experience once again the communion and call of the two brothers, Simon Peter and Andrew, in the meeting of the Successor of Peter and his Brother in the episcopal ministry, the head of this Church traditionally founded by the Apostle Andrew. Our fraternal encounter highlights the special relationship uniting the Churches of Rome and Constantinople as Sister Churches.

With heartfelt joy we thank God for granting new vitality to the relationship that has developed since the memorable meeting in Jerusalem in December 1964 between our predecessors, Pope Paul VI and Patriarch Athenagoras. Their exchange of letters, published in the volume entitled Tomos Agapis, testifies to the depth of the bonds that grew between them, bonds mirrored in the relationship between the Sister Churches of Rome and Constantinople.

On 7 December 1965, the eve of the final session of the Second Vatican Council, our venerable predecessors took a unique and unforgettable step in the Patriarchal Church of Saint George and the Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican respectively: they removed from the memory of the Church the tragic excommunications of 1054. In this way they confirmed a decisive shift in our relationship. Since then, many other important steps have been taken along the path of mutual rapprochement. I recall in particular the visit of my predecessor, Pope John Paul II, to Constantinople in 1979, and the visits to Rome of the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I.

In that same spirit, my presence here today is meant to renew our commitment to advancing along the road towards the re-establishment – by God’s grace – of full communion between the Church of Rome and the Church of Constantinople. I can assure you that the Catholic Church is willing to do everything possible to overcome obstacles and to seek, together with our Orthodox brothers and sisters, ever more effective means of pastoral cooperation to this end.

The two brothers, Simon, called Peter, and Andrew, were fishermen whom Jesus called to become fishers of men. The Risen Lord, before his Ascension, sent them out together with the other Apostles with the mission of making all nations his disciples, baptizing them and proclaiming his teachings (cf. Mt 28:19ff.; Lk 24:47; Acts 1:8).

This charge left us by the holy brothers Peter and Andrew is far from finished. On the contrary, today it is even more urgent and necessary. For it looks not only to those cultures which have been touched only marginally by the Gospel message, but also to long-established European cultures deeply grounded in the Christian tradition. The process of secularization has weakened the hold of that tradition; indeed, it is being called into question, and even rejected. In the face of this reality, we are called, together with all other Christian communities, to renew Europe’s awareness of its Christian roots, traditions and values, giving them new vitality.

Our efforts to build closer ties between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Churches are a part of this missionary task. The divisions which exist among Christians are a scandal to the world and an obstacle to the proclamation of the Gospel. On the eve of his passion and death, the Lord, surrounded by his disciples, prayed fervently that all may be one, so that the world may believe (cf. Jn 17:21). It is only through brotherly communion between Christians and through their mutual love that the message of God’s love for each and every man and woman will become credible. Anyone who casts a realistic glance on the Christian world today will see the urgency of this witness.

Simon Peter and Andrew were called together to become fishers of men. This same task, however, took on a different form for each of the brothers. Simon, notwithstanding his human weakness, was called “Peter”, the “rock” on which the Church was to be built; to him in a particular way were entrusted the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven (cf. Mt 16:18). His journey would take him from Jerusalem to Antioch, and from Antioch to Rome, so that in that City he might exercise a universal responsibility. The issue of the universal service of Peter and his Successors has unfortunately given rise to our differences of opinion, which we hope to overcome, thanks also to the theological dialogue which has been recently resumed.

My venerable predecessor, the Servant of God Pope John Paul II, spoke of the mercy that characterizes Peter’s service of unity, a mercy which Peter himself was the first to experience (Encyclical Ut Unum Sint, 91). It is on this basis that Pope John Paul extended an invitation to enter into a fraternal dialogue aimed at identifying ways in which the Petrine ministry might be exercised today, while respecting its nature and essence, so as to “accomplish a service of love recognized by all concerned” (ibid., 95). It is my desire today to recall and renew this invitation.

Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Mass at House of Mary in Ephesus

From the National Post:

The pontiff conducted the open-air mass next to the ruins of a house where the Virgin Mary is thought to have spent her last years.

Security forces had sealed off the area and only 250 invited guests attended, making it one of the smallest crowds to attend a papal mass.

The Vatican said the site could accommodate up to 2,000 people. Many of those attending held small Turkish and Vatican flags. In bright sunshine, the Pope stood on a dais under a white, flower-covered canopy.


The Pope's Homily from the Vatican:

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

In this Eucharistic celebration we praise the Lord for Mary’s divine motherhood, a mystery solemnly confessed and proclaimed in Ephesus at the Ecumenical Council of 431. To this place, so dear to the Christian community, my venerable predecessors the Servants of God Paul VI and John Paul II came as pilgrims; the latter visited this Shrine on 30 November 1979, just over a year after the beginning of his Pontificate. Another of my Predecessors was in this country not as Pope, but as the Papal Representative, from January 1935 to December 1944, Blessed John XXIII, Angelo Roncalli, whose memory still enkindles great devotion and affection. He very much esteemed and admired the Turkish people. Here I would like to quote an entry in his Journal of a Soul: “I love the Turks; I appreciate the natural qualities of these people who have their own place reserved in the march of civilization” (pp. 233-4). He also left to the Church and the world the legacy of his Christian optimism, rooted in deep faith and constant union with God. In that same spirit, I turn to this nation and, in a special way, to the “little flock” of Christ living in its midst, in order to offer a word of encouragement and to manifest the affection of the whole Church. With great love I greet all of you here present, the faithful of Izmir, Mersin, Iskenderun and Antakia, and others from different parts of the world, as well as those who could not take part in this celebration but are spiritually united with us. I greet in particular Archbishop Ruggero Franceschini of Izmir, Archbishop Giuseppe Bernardini, Archbishop emeritus of Izmir, Bishop Luigi Padovese, the priests and the religious. Thank you for your presence, your witness and your service to the Church in this blessed land where, at its very beginnings, the Christian community experienced great growth, a fact reflected in the numerous pilgrimages made to Turkey to this day.


Mother of God – Mother of the Church


We have listened to a passage from Saint John’s Gospel which invites us to contemplate the moment of the Redemption when Mary, united to her Son in the offering of his sacrifice, extended her motherhood to all men and women, and in particular to the disciples of Jesus. A privileged witness to that event was the author of the Fourth Gospel, John, the only one of the Apostles to remain at Golgotha with the Mother of Jesus and the other women. Mary’s motherhood, which began with her fiat in Nazareth, is fulfilled at the foot of the Cross. Although it is true – as Saint Anselm says – that “from the moment of her fiat Mary began to carry all of us in her womb”, the maternal vocation and mission of the Virgin towards those who believe in Christ actually began when Jesus said to her: “Woman, behold your son!” (Jn 19:26). Looking down from the Cross at his Mother and the beloved disciple by her side, the dying Christ recognized the firstfruits of the family which he had come to form in the world, the beginning of the Church and the new humanity. For this reason, he addressed Mary as “Woman”, not as “Mother”, the term which he was to use in entrusting her to his disciple: “Behold your Mother!” (Jn 19:27). The Son of God thus fulfilled his mission: born of the Virgin in order to share our human condition in everything but sin, at his return to the Father he left behind in the world the sacrament of the unity of the human race (cf. Lumen Gentium, 1): the family “brought into unity from the unity of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” (Saint Cyprian, De Orat. Dom., 23: PL 4, 536), at whose heart is this new bond between the Mother and the disciple. Mary’s divine motherhood and her ecclesial motherhood are thus inseparably united.


Mother of God – Mother of Unity


The first reading presented what could be called the “Gospel” of the Apostle of the Gentiles: all men and women, including the pagans, are called in Christ to share fully in the mystery of salvation. The text also contains the expression that I have chosen as the motto for my Apostolic Journey: “He, Christ, is our peace” (Eph 2:14). Inspired by the Holy Spirit, Paul tells us that Jesus Christ has not only brought us peace, but that he is our peace. And he justifies this statement by referring to the mystery of the Cross: by shedding “his blood”, by offering in sacrifice “his flesh”, Jesus destroyed hostility “in himself” and created “in himself one new man in place of the two” (Eph 2:14-16). The Apostle explains how, in a truly unforeseen way, messianic peace has now come about in Christ’s own person and his saving mystery. He explains it by writing, during his imprisonment, to the Christian community which lived here, in Ephesus: “to the saints who are in Ephesus and are faithful in Christ Jesus” (Eph 1:1), as he says in the salutation of the Letter. The Apostle wishes them “grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (Eph 1:2). Grace is the power that transforms man and the world; peace is the mature fruit of this transformation. Christ is grace; Christ is peace. Paul knows that he has been sent to proclaim a “mystery”, a divine plan that only in the fullness of time has been carried out and revealed in Christ: namely, that “the Gentiles have become fellow heirs, members of the same body, and sharers in the promise in Christ Jesus through the Gospel” (Eph 3:6). This mystery is accomplished, in salvation history, in the Church, the new People in which, now that the old dividing wall has been broken down, Jews and pagans find themselves united. Like Christ himself, the Church is not only the instrument of unity, but also its efficacious sign. And the Virgin Mary, the Mother of Christ and of the Church, is the Mother of that mystery of unity which Christ and the Church inseparably signify and build up, in the world and throughout history.


Let us implore peace for Jerusalem and the whole world


The Apostle of the Gentiles says that Christ “has made us both one” (Eph 2:14): these words properly refer to the relationship between Jews and Gentiles in the mystery of eternal salvation, yet they can also extend, by analogy, to the relationship between the peoples and civilizations present in the world. Christ “came to proclaim peace” (Eph 2:17), not only between Jews and non-Jews, but between all nations, since all have their origin in the same God, the one Creator and Lord of the universe. Strengthened by God’s word, from here in Ephesus, a city blessed by the presence of Mary Most Holy – who we know is loved and venerated also by Muslims – let us lift up to the Lord a special prayer for peace between peoples. From this edge of the Anatolian peninsula, a natural bridge between continents, let us implore peace and reconciliation, above all for those dwelling in the Land called “Holy” and considered as such by Christians, Jews and Muslims alike: it is the land of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, destined to be the home of a people that would become a blessing for all the nations (cf. Gen 12:1-3). Peace for all of humanity! May Isaiah’s prophecy soon be fulfilled: “They shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more” (Is 2:4). We all need this universal peace; and the Church is called to be not only the prophetic herald, but even more, the “sign and instrument” of this peace. Against the backdrop of universal peace, the yearning for full communion and concord between all Christians becomes even more profound and intense. Present at today’s celebration are Catholic faithful of various rites, and this is a reason for joyful praise of God. These rites, when they converge in unity and common witness, are an expression of that marvellous variety which adorns the Bride of Christ. In this regard, the unity of the Ordinaries of the Episcopal Conference in fellowship and the sharing of pastoral efforts must set an example.


Magnificat


In today’s liturgy we have repeated, as the refrain of the Responsorial Psalm, the song of praise proclaimed by the Virgin of Nazareth on meeting her elderly kinswoman Elizabeth (cf. Lk 1:39). Our hearts too were consoled by the words of the Psalmist: “steadfast love and faithfulness will meet, righteousness and peace will kiss” (Ps 85:10). Dear brothers and sisters, in this visit I have wanted to convey my personal love and spiritual closeness, together with that of the universal Church, to the Christian community here in Turkey, a small minority which faces many challenges and difficulties daily. With firm trust let us sing, together with Mary, a magnificat of praise and thanksgiving to God who has looked with favour upon the lowliness of his servant (cf. Lk 1:48). Let us sing joyfully, even when we are tested by difficulties and dangers, as we have learned from the fine witness given by the Roman priest Don Andrea Santoro, whom I am pleased to recall in this celebration. Mary teaches us that the source of our joy and our one sure support is Christ, and she repeats his words: “Do not be afraid” (Mk 6:50), “I am with you” (Mt 28:20). Mary, Mother of the Church, accompany us always on our way! Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us! Aziz Meryem Mesih’in Annesi bizim için Dua et. Amen.

Defender of Freedom and Peace


The Pope in Turkey

What the Pope wrote in the guestbook in Ankara:


“In this land where different religions and cultures meet and which is a bridge between Asia and Europe, I feel happiness to repeat the ‘peace at home, peace abroad' words of founder of the Republic of Turkey,”

Tuesday, November 28, 2006

The Pope in Turkey

From Asia News Italy:

This journey starting today promises to be one of the most sensitive in the history of modern papal trips due to tensions that have amassed around its ecumenical focus. With what kind of spirit are you facing it?

“I am facing it with great faith and hope. I know that many people are accompanying us with their sympathy and with their prayers. I know too that the Turkish people are a hospitable and open people who desire peace; that Turkey has always been a bridge between cultures and thus it is also a place of encounter and dialogue. I would also like to stress that this is not a political journey, it is a pastoral journey and as such, it is defined and determined by dialogue and a shared commitment to peace. Dialogue in different dimensions: between cultures, dialogue between Christianity and Islam, dialogue with our Christian brothers, especially the Orthodox Church of Constantinople and at the same time, better comprehension between us all. Naturally, we should not exaggerate, great results cannot be expected from three days, I would say the value is symbolic; the fruit of such encounters, of encounters in friendship and respect, this meeting as servants of peace, has its worth. I believe this symbolism of a commitment to peace and brotherhood among peoples to be the outcome of this journey.”

Monday, November 27, 2006

The Difficult Journey of Pope Benedict XVI

To a land where Blessed John XXIII and I both once lived...

From Asia News Italy:

The enormous importance enjoyed by the question of ties between the West and the Muslim world has ensured that this matter – in reality not the main reason for the trip – will dominate, especially after the “lectio magistralis” of Regensburg and Muslim reactions to the same. Government leaders in Turkey joined the fray to criticize the pope’s words in that lecture, which is peculiar in a country that makes a constitutional principle out of its secularism. Moreover, such a reaction confirms the substantial attention Turkey is paying to its religious identity at the moment. Further confirmation is provided by the presence of a Muslim party leader, even if “moderate”, at government meetings, and the increased number of women who wear a headscarf to go out.

The focus of attention on anti-papal rallies is a lingering problem despite the numbers that protesters have managed to draw to the streets: perhaps 30,000 in Istanbul yesterday, in response to an appeal by the Muslim party Saadet, which was hoping to get one million people. Then there were 100 at the symbolic occupation of Santa Sofia and one man who fired into the air outside the Italian Consulate. However, the fact remains that according to latest polls, only 10% of Turks approve of the pope’s visit, while 38% are decidedly against, another 38% are indifferent and 14% preferred not to express their views.

The fact is that the “offence to Islam” felt because of the – barely read – lecture in Regensburg has become intertwined with the “Europe question”, that is, with demands put forward by the European Union for Turkey’s entry. Thus, European demands like respect for religious freedom, the elimination or radical change of Article 301 of the Criminal Code (held to be contrary to freedom of expression), limiting army interference in public life and, especially, the request to open ports and airports to the hated Republic of Cyprus (an EU member), have been viewed as a “western” – hence sort of “Christian” – imposition. So a nationalist reaction was born in defence of Turkish identity, of which Islam is felt to be a part, contrary to Christianity.

All this may even have pleased the current government were Erdogan not objectively deeply committed to taking Turkey into Europe.

The government attitude has thus taken on contradicting tones and behaviours as it seeks to follow the wave of reactions and press ahead with its programme. On the one hand, in the aftermath of Regensburg, the head of religious affairs, Ali Bardakoglu, came out against the pope, and Tayyp Erdogan himself criticised his words. The premier, foreign affairs minister and Parliament speaker all made it clear – a while ago – that they would not meet Benedict XVI because of prior engagements abroad, so much so that the Aksam daily published a front page photo of the pope with the caption “The pope is coming, run!” On the other hand however, on the eve of the pope’s arrival, the premier said there may be adjustments made to his programme to enable him to see the pontiff.

The second reason – and in reality this was the main objective – for the visit is ecumenical, that of furthering ties with the Orthodox and especially with the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, the “first in honour” of all the patriarchates. The ecumenical journey, especially with Churches of the East, is high on the agenda of this pontificate, according to what Benedict XVI himself has said. The first invitation to the pope to go to Turkey was made by Patriarch Bartholomew I already last year and it is not by chance that Benedict XVI refused suggestions to change the dates of the trip that “must” be around 30 November, the feast of the apostle Andrew, founder of the Church of the East, as Peter is the founder of that of the West.

The pope and Bartholomew I will meet three times over two days; each will go to the Church of the other to celebrate a ritual, they will have private talks and will sign a joint declaration together. No historic announcements are expected in this document, nor any leaps in the ecumenical journey, but certainly another step ahead is anticipated, not least in the light of deliberations of the now reactivated mixed commission that is tackling theological matters. A few weeks ago, in Belgrade, it even touched upon the fundamental problem of the Petrine Primacy.

The third reason for the visit is to meet the miniscule Catholic community – a few thousand people – wounded by the murder of Don Andrea Santoro on 5 February last. The meetings with the pope, in Ephesus on 29 November and in Istanbul on 1 December, will surely hearten this community.

Sunday, November 26, 2006

Pope's Angelus: Pray for Me

...that his journey to Turkey may bear the fruit God desires, also elaborates on today's Feast of Christ the King

From Asia News Italy:

Just two days before his trip to Turkey, Benedict XVI today asked an enormous crowd of pilgrims gathered in St Peter’s Square for the Angelus to accompany him “in prayer, so that this pilgrimage may bear all the fruits that God desires”. The voyage of the pope to Ankara, Ephesus and Istanbul is presenting problems, given the opposition voiced by a section of Turkish opinion linked to Islamist and nationalist ideology, and certain hesitation on the part of the Ankara government. The pope has bypassed these tensions: “From now, I want to send cordial greetings to the dear Turkish people, rich in history and culture; to these people and its representatives, I express sentiments of respect and sincere friendship.” As a mark of this respect, the organizers of the papal trip are trying to fit a visit to Istanbul’s Blue Mosque into the pontiff’s already packed schedule. Anyhow, the aim of the trip is to participate in celebrations for the feast of St Andrew on 30 November together with the Greek-Orthodox Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I. The pope continued: “With great emotion, I look forward to meeting the small Catholic community, which is always in my heart, and to uniting fraternally with the Orthodox Church on the occasion of the feast of the apostle St Andrew. With confidence, I follow in the footsteps of my venerated predecessors Paul VI and John Paul II and I invoke the heavenly protection of the Blessed John XXIII who for 10 years was Apostolic Delegate in Turkey and who fostered affection and respect for that nation.”

Before, Benedict XVI dwelt upon the meaning of today’s feast: Christ, King of the universe.

The pope said: “He did not come to dominate peoples and lands, but to free men from the slavery of sin and to reconcile them with God.” The pontiff turned to the gospel of today’s Mass, which presents the dialogue between Jesus and Pilate, during which the scourged Jesus claims for himself the title of king and witness of truth. “But what is the ‘truth’ that Christ came to testify to in the world?” asked the pope. “His entire existence reveals that God is love: this then is the truth to which He bore full witness with the sacrifice of his very life on Calvary. The Cross is the ‘throne’ from which he revealed the sublime royalty of God Love: offering himself in expiation for the sins of the world, He defeated the dominion of ‘the prince of this world’ (Jn 12:31) and he installed the Kingdom of God definitively. A Kingdom that would manifest itself fully at the end of time, after all its enemies, finishing with death, would have been destroyed (cfr 1 Cor 15:25, 26).

The way to “enter” into God’s Kingdom “does not permit shortcuts”; rather, “every person must freely welcome the truth of the love of God. He is Love and Truth and both love and truth never impose themselves: they knock at the door of the heart and mind and, wherever they may enter, they bring peace and joy. This is God’s way of reigning; this is his project of salvation, a ‘mystery’ in the biblical sense of the word, which is a plan that is revealed little by little throughout history.”

Benedict XVI added: “The sovereignty of Christ has been associated in a most singular way with the Virgin Mary. God asked Her, the humble girl from Nazareth, to become the Mother of the Messiah, and Mary responded to this call with all of herself, uniting her unconditional ‘yes’ with that of the Son Jesus, making herself obedient with Him to the extent of sacrifice. For this, God exalted her above all creatures and Christ crowned her Queen of Heaven and earth. We entrust the Church and all humanity to her intercession, that God’s love may reign in all hearts and that his plan of justice and peace may be done.”

Looking for the Perfect Christ-Mass Gift?

This Christmas, let's keep the "Mass" in Christmas...and Christ will reign supreme!

An excellent time of the year to catechize why this celebration is named after the central act of worship in the Catholic Church...

Give a personalized copy of The How-To Book of the Mass or How to Get the Most Out of the Eucharist...for more details go here.

Saturday, November 25, 2006

"Nativity" Premiere at Vatican, Pope will Not Attend

Neither will pregnant sixteen year old actress who plays Mary in the movie ...

From the Times Online:

The plot of The Nativity Story is familiar enough. But the parallels between the lives of the Virgin Mary and the teenage actress who plays her in the first feature film to be premiered at the Vatican are causing controversy.

The Pope, upon whose doorstep the first showing takes place on Sunday, will not be attending. Nor will Keisha Castle-Hughes, the 16-year-old unmarried actress who plays Mary and who is expecting her first child in the spring.

Castle-Hughes, who said she was “thrilled” to be pregnant”, said she had made the film “in a state of grace”. Playing Mary, a “sweet, strong and courageous” figure, had been “a source of spiritual richness”.

A Vatican spokesman said yesterday that the Pope “never was going to attend. The surprise would have been if he had.” His decision had nothing to do with the film. He is 79 and preparing for a visit to Turkey on Tuesday.

Wisdom on Praying from Evagrius

From Drinking from the Hidden Fountain: A Patristic Breviary : Ancient Wisdom for Today's World (Cistercian Studies, No 148):

  • Pray that the Lord may soften the hardness of your soul.
  • Pray that the Lord may forgive the sins you confess to him.
  • Don't pray that what you want may come to pass. It does not necessarily coincide with the will of God.
  • Pray rather as you have been taught, saying "Your will be done in me!"
  • Pray that the will of God may be done in everything. He, in fact, wants what is good and useful for your soul, while you are not always seeking that and only that.

Pope May Visit Mosque in Turkey

The "Blue" Mosque is in the same neigborhood as the Hagia Sophia. I've been there a couple of times--you have to leave your shoes in the courtyard, but someone will probably carry the pope's shoes, don't you think? You also make ablutions at the fountain before entering--similar (but not the same) to Catholics blessing themselves with holy water when entering a church-actually the priest washing his hands may be a more apt metaphor to what one does when entering a Mosque.

From Reuters UK:

Pope Benedict, who drew fire from Muslims over his comments on Islam, is likely to make a hastily added stop at Istanbul's Blue Mosque on his trip to Turkey next week, the Vatican said on Saturday.

It would be his first visit to a mosque. His predecessor, Pope John Paul II, made the first visit by a pontiff to a mosque during a trip to Damascus in 2001.

Friday, November 24, 2006

Benedict Calendar


Not the Italian one....

New Abbot at Mepkin

A new era dawns at Mepkin Abbey

After Tennis: Life as an Anglican Dominican

Tennis Star Andrea Jaeger's New Life as a Nun

Sales of Pope Murder Book Soar in Turkey

But still only 10,000 copies have sold...(media generated story?)

From ADN Kronos International:

Yuvel Kaya's book, which features Benedict XVI in front of a burning cross with a bearded gunman aiming a rocket launcher at him, is on sale at major Turkish bookstores such as D&R, Kabalci, Pandora.

Despite the absence of any promotional campaign - no billboards, posters or pamphlets at bookstores - sales are rapidly picking up, according to Lale Yilmaz from Kabalci, one the country's biggest book stores. However she told Adnkronos International (AKI) exact sales figures could not be released to the public.

"More copies of the book have been bought over the last 10 days than any other time," Zeynep Yaman an employee with Alfa Dagitim, one of the six companies distributing the books, told AKI.

Protecting the Sacred

Catholic activist battles online sale of relics

Thursday, November 23, 2006

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Let all men know your forbearance. The Lord is at hand.Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
Philippians 4:5-6

The Pope in the News


Meets with Anglican Primate

Condom Use in the News Again

The Ghosts of Past Pope's Haunts Papal Trip to Turkey which includes this:

"My readers were, for the most part, very supportive and pleased with what Benedict said in Regensburg," said Amy Welborn, who runs the popular US Catholic blog Open Book.

They also appreciated his call to Western Christians to reject a narrow, modern version of reason that he said shuts out faith and strips away the ethical foundations of society itself.

"They would like to see more Muslims have the same attitude toward their own faith, and particularly how that faith is lived out in the modern world," she said.


It should be noted that Ms. Welborn's husband lived in Turkey for one year of his life and frequently joined Muslims in a cup of chai (tea) and was edified by their fidelity to their beliefs. "In the Muslim's faithfulness, we can see how far we have become secularized in our beliefs," he said. (Not in the story but pertinent.)

Calendar Goes on Sale in Italy

The Brits: Pope Questions his Infallibility (about the Jesus book--and obviously reflecting total ignorance on what infallibility is)

Anti-pope protest planned for Istanbul this Sunday

Kissinger to Advise Pope?

From the National Catholic Register:

According to the Italian newspaper La Stampa, Pope Benedict XVI has invited the 83-year-old former adviser to Richard Nixon to be a political consultant, and Kissinger has accepted.

Quoting an “authoritative” diplomatic source at the Holy See, the paper reported Nov. 4 that the Nobel laureate was asked at a recent private audience with the Holy Father to form part of a papal “advisory board” on foreign and political affairs.

Wednesday, November 22, 2006

Something to Give Thanks for...

That I didn't go to Florida for Thanksgiving, looking for relief from the cold...

Snow! Flakes spotted in Central Florida

The "Rain" of Pope Benedict XVI

Today's audience held in the wind and rain at St. Peter's...


  1. New book on Jesus.
  2. Will be accompanied by 2,000 Journalists on trip to Turkey
  3. Prays for rain to stop:
    “Let us hope that the Lord is propitious and makes this rain stop,” said the pope, whose words were followed shortly afterwards by a timid ray of sun. “I would like to thank the Lord for giving us a moment of light and a break from the rain,” he added jokingly at the end of the audience.