National Geographic and Gospel of Judas

Actually my favorite part of the presentation was how they mimiced Mel Gibson's Passion of the Christ when do the re-enactments of the Last Supper.

Emergence of the Gospel of Judas Offers a Tangled Tale of Its Own

William Sloane Coffin dead at 81

Former Yale Chaplain.

The Latest

A short note, one commentor on the Good Friday for Liberals wondered about my "headline" for it, saying they identified themselves as a "liberal"...like anything it is a little tongue in cheek as was my choice of a resurrected Christ for the image...there are those who'll pick up on it right away and those who've entered the game rather late who won't have a clue...obviously it'll be Good Friday for everyone this week, but for some the participation in Our Lord's crucifixion may be felt a little easier.

From Catholic World News:

The silence from Rome is getting downright noisy.

The rumor mills have provided dozens of reports that Pope Benedict will soon issue a document regarding the Latin Mass. But the stories are invariably laced with words like "could" and "perhaps." There has been no confirmation from the Vatican, nor any denial.

Vatican officials who might ordinarily provide useful insights are ducking questions. They are not saying that the reports are wrong. They are simply... not saying.

In his own blog Father John Zuhlsdorf has neatly summarized the circumstantial evidence pointing to the likelihood that the Holy Father will soon confirm the right of every priest to use the 1962 Missal. To his impressive collection of evidence, let me add this: the Congregation for Clergy is still leaving open the possibility that Pope Benedict will issue a statement on Holy Thursday-- which is now less than 36 hours away!

Taken all together, the evidence suggests that Church leaders know there is a statement ready for release, but the exact nature of that statement, and its timing, is known only to Pope Benedict and his closest associates, who (as we already know) don't leak stories to the media.

Good Friday for Liberals?

Could this signal the crucifixion of those in the Church of "what's happening now"?

From Catholic News Agency:

According to the source, the announcement could come “between Holy Thursday and Easter Sunday,” but the exact day has not yet been set. Nevertheless, the source said the decision has already been made by the Holy Father and that it’s “only a matter of time” before it is publicly announced.

“A minor official gesture by the Holy Father would be enough to allow the Mass according to the 1962 Missal to celebrated by whoever desires to do so, thus reiterating that this rite is still valid today simply because it was not abolished,” the source told CNA.

The announcement would be in the context of “the reform of the reform” that Pope Benedict XVI is promoting, which includes norms and principles that will be made public in the upcoming post-synod Apostolic Exhortation on the Eucharist.

Amy's Citadel Talk

Christian Historian Decodes DaVinci

The Truly Great "Yes"--Pope on Palm Sunday

From Asia News Italy:

The Cross, a sign of contradiction and of life, was at the heart of the pope’s homily, given after the dramatic account of the Passion by the evangelist Mark. Benedict XVI said: “There was a time, and it is still not entirely over, when Christianity was rejected precisely because of the Cross. The Cross talked about sacrifice, it was said, the Cross is a sign of denial of life. We, on the other hand, want life without restrictions and without renunciation. We want to live, nothing more than to live. Don’t let’s be limited by precepts and bans: we want richness and fullness – this is what was said and is still being said. All this sounds convincing and seductive, it is the language of the serpent, who tells us: ‘Don’t let yourselves be afraid! Eat serenely from all the trees in the garden!’ Palm Sunday, however, tells us that the truly great ‘Yes’ is precisely the Cross, that the Cross is the true tree of life. We are not alive to become masters of life, but to give it. Love is a giving of self, and this is why it is the way of true life, symbolized by the Cross.”

The Cross is “the road”, the “way” along which Jesus wants to lead us, a royal way at odds with the mentality of the world. Meditating on the episode of the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, astride a donkey, Benedict XVI said: “Jesus entered the Holy City riding a donkey, that is, the animal of simple peasants, and what’s more, a donkey that did not belong to him, but one He borrowed for the occasion. He does not turn up in an opulent, royal carriage, or astride a horse, like the world’s great men, but on a borrowed donkey.”

Thus, in him is fulfilled the promise made by the prophets of Israel, the “king of the poor”, the king of peace”, the king “of universality”. Even these terms contradict the prevailing overstated mentality.

Judas a Tailor?

Gnostic gospel will be all the rage this weekend...Gospel of Judas, dating back to 300 A.D., probably mentioned (condemned) by Irenaeus in 182...

Judas was doing Jesus a favor by helping him get rid of his earthly cloak. In an age of "no one is bad" this is the gospel people want to hear. Unfortunately it's a false one.

Update: Watched a pre-release version last night and those who watch this will definitely need to be catechized. It paints a murky picture that if you aren't aware of early Church history you'd be easily misled by the tone and suspense of the documentary. Although if you are aware, you easily pick up on all the ways they phrase statements, etc. If you watch it, take it as an invitation to read a primer on the history of the early church.

Jesus--an Ice Surfer?

Don't have time to link the story, but this one really is stupid...from a prof at FSU no less.

Questions for the prof to ponder...

Were the Apostles in an ice breaking ship?

Did Peter slip off the ice?

Was Jesus wearing skates?

Spring Football in Williams Bryce Stadium

With the Ole Ball Coach and his SC Gamecocks:

Removing whatever curse that cost the Gator's a trip to the SEC championship last year:

Joseph at Five

Celebrating with five candles (day before his birthday):



Michael finds another way to celebrate:

The Church, Love and Division

Pope's Angelus which seems like his catechetical series will be based on 1 John, a sort of continuation on his Encyclical but dealing with the more difficult issues, like today's discussion on division, from Asia News Italy:

The Church is “love”, but it is also “truth”: faithfulness to these two features that have co-existed since the times of the Twelve mean that, faced with the danger of losing faith, there is the “clear duty of whoever believes the Church of love, and who wants to live within it, to interrupt communion with he who has distanced himself from the saving doctrine”.

Continuing with his reflection about the mystery of the Church, Benedict XVI addressed 30,000 people who attended the general audience in St Peter’s Square on this windy day. The weather brought forth a joke from Benedict XVI about “wind that could make one think of the Holy Spirit”, of the “service to communion”. Right from the time of the apostles, he said, the community of the disciples “was no stranger to trials, arising above all from clashes about truths of the faith, with subsequent divisions in communion. Just as fellowship in love has existed from the beginning (cfr 1 Jn 1:1ff), so has division taken over from that time: “They went out from us, but they did not belong to us; for if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us. But by going out they made it plain that none of them belongs to us” (1 Jn 2:19). How great is the danger of losing one’s faith! It is a clear duty of those who believe the Church of love and who want to live within it, to interrupt communion with those who distance themselves from the saving doctrine (cfr 2 Jn 9-11)

The growing Church was “well aware of the possible tensions in the experience of communion”.

But “the Church of love is also the Church of truth, understood above all to be faithfulness to the Gospel entrusted to the Lord Jesus to his own. Christian brotherhood arises out of being made children of the same Father by the Spirit of truth: “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God” (Rom. 8:14).

But to live in unity and peace, the family of children of God needs someone to watch over it in truth, and to lead it with wise and authoritative discernment: this is what makes the ministry of the Apostles”.

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New Bishop of Cleveland

The former rector of St. John's... From Vatican Information Service:

The Holy Father appointed Bishop Richard Gerard Lennon, auxiliary of the archdiocese of Boston, U.S.A., as bishop of Cleveland (area 8,842, population 2,853,155, Catholics 802,767, priests 583, permanent deacons 191, religious 1,446), U.S.A. He succeeds Bishop Anthony Michael Pilla, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese, the Holy Father accepted, in accordance with canon 401 para. 2 of the Code of Canon Law.

YIP-EEE!

FLORIDA GATORS ARE THE NATIONAL CHAMPS!

First Hand Account from Rome

From the Roamin Roman...nice picture of the tomb from Sunday as well.

Father's of the Church Blog

By one of my favorite authors, Mike Aquilina!

John Paul's Presence Remains Great

From English News from Korea:

Thousands gathered in Saint Peter's square on the first anniversary of Pope John Paul II's death to pay tribute to the man who led the world's Catholics for 26 years. During the day, many visited his tomb in the crypt underneath Saint Peter's basilica.

By early evening the square was filled with pilgrims holding candles and many waving red and white polish flags. Cardinal Camillo Ruini, president of the Italian bishops conference, led the evening vigil with prayers, hymns and selected readings from John Paul's writings: his poetry, books and homilies.

Pope Benedict XVI appeared at his study window and joined the pilgrims in the recitation of the rosary. It was a reminder of the solemn prayers of the faithful at the same time last year underneath John Paul II's apartments.

At 21.37, the exact time of Pope John Paul's death, pope Benedict addressed the faithful saying that a year has gone by since the death of his predecessor, but his memory continues to be very alive.

The pope said John Paul II continues to be present in our mind and in our heart, he continues to communicate his love for god and his love for man.

"Well done good and faithful servant."

From Pope Benedict today:

Towards the end, Benedict XVI recalled the last days of John Paul II, sick and in silence. The pope said the Lord “stripped him of everything to assimilate him with himself… His gestures and proclamations were reduced to the bare essential: to the gift of himself to the last”. The pope added: “His death was the fulfillment of a testimony of faith that touched many men of goodwill”.

Introducing the Angelus prayer, Benedict stressed that John Paul II died on Saturday, “the day dedicated to Mary”, to who we ask to “make ours that which this great pontiff showed and taught us”.

Pope Calls for Days of Prayer and Fasting for Iraq

For this Monday and Tuesday...

During the Angelus:

The pope launched an appeal for two days of prayer and fasting for peace in Iraq, on 3 and 4 April. The appeal, made by Benedict XVI, was the desire of the Patriarch of Baghdad, Emmanuel Delly and the Iraqi bishops, and it has been made to all believers, including Muslims.

#43. What does it mean to believe in only one God?

The Compendium is out...