Looking Back at Pope Benedict XVI's Year

Overall, the Holy Father will probably look upon the year that's passing as a successful one, despite the odd frustration and slip up. But this Pope is not afraid to make mistakes and is well aware of his imperfections.

Professor Vincent Twomey, a former student of Joseph Ratzinger, wrote in his book: Pope Benedict XVI - The Conscience of Our Age:

"...this is one of the keys to Ratzinger's character (and also to his theology; in particular his theology of politics): his acceptance that everything we do is imperfect, that all knowledge is limited, no matter how brilliant or well read one may be...Ratzinger knows in his heart and soul that God alone is perfect and that all human attempts at perfection (such as political utopias) end in disaster."

My round up of his year can be found here.

Discussing Faith in Britain with Roger Scruton

Zenit has published my interview with the English philosopher Roger Scruton. I reproduce it below.

Scruton is sadly a rarity in my homeland: an academic who is a committed Christian and a conservative - atrributes which led to him being marginalized as a professor. But he hasn't been a university lecturer for 20 years and says he prefers writing and speaking. He says his views are more widely heard now than they were as an academic.

The Loss of Beauty

...One of the conference speakers was the renowned Anglo-American philosopher, writer and composer, Roger Scruton. After his address, I sat down with him to talk about his speech and the state of religion in the West, particularly in Britain.

The essence of Scruton's talk was how, until relatively recently, artistic creation of beauty was about giving glory to God, but now is often about desecrating the human form. He explored the reasons why.

"Artists in the post enlightenment period tried hard to hold on to the idea of beauty precisely to compensate for the loss of their faith," he explains. Musicians such as Wagner, he adds, saw it as "the unique vestige of the sacred in our world," and modernism tried to reconnect with the sacred through art created by writers and musicians such as Eliot, Messiaen, and Brittan.

"Then suddenly in our time, since the 1960s and all the rest, we have a new kind of art which is repudiating beauty and putting ugliness in its place," Scruton explains. "I'd say it's an 'art of desecration' which looks not to desecrate beauty, but to desecrate the human form."

He refers to "the examples of the usual young British art types" such as Damian Hirst, and in particular the conceptual artists Jake and Dinos Chapman, two brothers whose work Scruton describes as "particularly repulsive."

"So I asked myself: What does this mean? Why should people want to desecrate the human form and the ordinary ideals of human life? And I say, you only desecrate what is sacred. Only something sacred can be desecrated. So there's this cry from the heart here for the religious meaning of things. It's showing the yearning for God and the sense that these things make no sense without him."

He adds that we have "lost all that idea that beauty is something we create together by way of embellishing our world."

In the past, Scruton has pointed to the difficulties of proving "the truth of religious sentiments." He is well aware of the challenges, having debated the well-known atheists Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens in the past. So how can Christians find a better way of communicating the truth of the faith in the world today?

"Intelligent people don't see a problem in seeing that there can be truths which lie beyond the reach of scientific argument and there can be truths whose content was only revealed through a way of living – that's the task of theology and philosophy, to make that clear," he says. "But ordinary people don't see religion in that way. For them it's a matter of basic certainties. Certainties are very hard to rediscover once they've been lost."

I ask how the faith could be brought back to Britain which appears to be in desperate need of a return to its Christian roots. Just this week a survey revealed that only half of Britons now consider themselves Christian after a "sharp decline" in religious belief over the past quarter of a century. "To re-evangelize the English, you'd need a new Augustine [of Canterbury]," Scruton replies. But he warns that if the Christian faith has vanished completely from Britain, then that leaves a vacuum into which another faith will flow.

"The Christian faith might flow back but then it's in competition with all the other things that might flow in: the New Age type religions, Hinduism, and Buddhism. There may be a complete fragmentation as under the late Roman Empire: before Christianity took over, there were thousands of little cults. But, of course, Islam will then have a big following because it will be the only thing that establishes a unity."

I put it to him that perhaps the Pope's expected visit to Britain next year, the beatification of Cardinal John Henry Newman and the new provisions for disaffected Anglicans point to some urgency toward the re-evangelization of the country. "Yes, that might be a possibility," he says, adding that a general election is also expected in 2010. "Maybe we'll see a wholesale conversion of the English to their faith."

We then turned to today's prominent atheists and the best way to debate them. "You've got to have the right people up against them," he says. "You need people who are stronger and wittier than they are in an argument. You have to get the right audience as well."

He says he doesn't mind debating people like Dawkins and Hitchens. "The problem is what I have to say doesn't directly confront what they have to say," he says. "There's nothing in what Dawkins says that I can actually disagree with -- it's just that it leaves out half of life. He talks perfectly reasonably about the explanation of human life, but not about its meaning."

Although an Anglican, the philosopher is particularly sympathetic to Benedict XVI's stand against what Scruton calls the vandalism of the liturgy and the musical traditions of the Church. "That resonates with me," he says. "I've felt it was so unnecessary giving way to temporary fashions which have now disappeared. But now the Church has to work to rediscover what it could have had without working for it."

John Paul II to be Declared Venerable on Saturday?

If reports in the Italian press are correct, Pope Benedict XVI is to sign a decree on Saturday proclaiming John Paul II 'Venerable' - the penultimate stage to beatification.

Last month, the Vatican voted unanimously in favour of John Paul II having shown 'heroic' virtue'. Once the decree is signed, the Vatican and the Pope need to approve a miracle attributed to his intercession.

One often hears remarkable stories about John Paul II from colleagues in the Vatican press corps. Speaking to one journalist this week, he recounted to me how the late Pope fell and broke his arm when meeting a head of state in the apostolic palace. But instead of ending the meeting, he went on, shaking the hands of everyone despite being in obvious pain.

On a trip to India, all the papal party including the Pope came down with a bout of illness. They all slunk off to their sick beds, he said, but John Paul carried on despite being in obvious discomfort.

John Paul would also happily break with convention and go and greet people. He once sat down with a group of African children in his white cassock and got thoroughly dirty. "The Vatican protocol officials hated him for this!" said the journalist who had followed him for 15 years. "But he would do whatever he thought was right."

He also stressed that when John Paul II died, "he had nothing - absolutely no possessions." He had given everything away.

World Day of Peace Message 2010

Below are extracts of Pope Benedict XVI's Message for the World Day of Peace which takes place on January 1st. Its theme this year is “If You Want To Cultivate Peace, Protect Creation."

Man's inhumanity to man has given rise to numerous threats to peace and to authentic and integral human development - wars, international and regional conflicts, acts of terrorism, and violations of human rights. Yet no less troubling are the threats arising from the neglect - if not downright misuse - of the earth and the natural goods that God has given us. For this reason, it is imperative that mankind renew and strengthen "that covenant between human beings and the environment, which should mirror the creative love of God, from whom we come and towards whom we are journeying".

In 1990 John Paul II had spoken of an "ecological crisis" and ... pointed to the "urgent moral need for a new solidarity". His appeal is all the more pressing today, in the face of signs of a growing crisis which it would be irresponsible not to take seriously. Can we remain indifferent before the problems associated with such realities as climate change, desertification, the deterioration and loss of productivity in vast agricultural areas, the pollution of rivers and aquifers, the loss of biodiversity, the increase of natural catastrophes and the deforestation of equatorial and tropical regions? Can we disregard the growing phenomenon of "environmental refugees", people who are forced by the degradation of their natural habitat to forsake it - and often their possessions as well - in order to face the dangers and uncertainties of forced displacement? Can we remain impassive in the face of actual and potential conflicts involving access to natural resources? All these are issues with a profound impact on the exercise of human rights, such as the right to life, food, health and development.

The ecological crisis cannot be viewed in isolation from ... the notion of development itself and our understanding of man in his relationship to others and to the rest of creation. Prudence would thus dictate a profound, long-term review of our model of development, one which would take into consideration the meaning of the economy and its goals with an eye to correcting its malfunctions and misapplications. The ecological health of the planet calls for this, but it is also demanded by the cultural and moral crisis of humanity whose symptoms have for some time been evident in every part of the world.

Our present crises ... are ultimately also moral crises, and all of them are interrelated. They require us to rethink the path which we are travelling together. Specifically, they call for a lifestyle marked by sobriety and solidarity, with new rules and forms of engagement, one which focuses confidently and courageously on strategies that actually work, while decisively rejecting those that have failed. Only in this way can the current crisis become an opportunity for discernment and new strategic planning.

Environmental degradation is often due to the lack of far-sighted official policies or to the pursuit of myopic economic interests, which then, tragically, become a serious threat to creation. ... When making use of natural resources, we should be concerned for their protection and consider the cost entailed - environmentally and socially - as an essential part of the overall expenses incurred. The international community and national governments are responsible for sending the right signals in order to combat effectively the misuse of the environment. To protect the environment, and to safeguard natural resources and the climate, there is a need to act in accordance with clearly-defined rules, also from the juridical and economic standpoint, while at the same time taking into due account the solidarity we owe to those living in the poorer areas of our world and to future generations.

A greater sense of inter-generational solidarity is urgently needed. ... Natural resources should be used in such a way that immediate benefits do not have a negative impact on living creatures, human and not, present and future; that the protection of private property does not conflict with the universal destination of goods; that human activity does not compromise the fruitfulness of the earth, for the benefit of people now and in the future.

There is an urgent moral need for a renewed sense of intra-generational solidarity, especially in relationships between developing countries and highly-industrialised countries. ... The ecological crisis shows the urgency of a solidarity which embraces time and space. It is important to acknowledge that among the causes of the present ecological crisis is the historical responsibility of the industrialised countries. Yet the less-developed countries, and emerging countries in particular, are not exempt from their own responsibilities with regard to creation, for the duty of gradually adopting effective environmental measures and policies is incumbent upon all. This would be accomplished more easily if self-interest played a lesser role in the granting of aid and the sharing of knowledge and cleaner technologies.

To be sure, among the basic problems which the international community has to address is that of energy resources and the development of joint and sustainable strategies to satisfy the energy needs of the present and future generations. This means that technologically advanced societies must be prepared to encourage more sober lifestyles, while reducing their energy consumption and improving its efficiency. At the same time there is a need to encourage research into, and utilisation of, forms of energy with lower impact on the environment and "a worldwide redistribution of energy resources, so that countries lacking those resources can have access to them".

A sustainable comprehensive management of the environment and the resources of the planet demands that human intelligence be directed to technological and scientific research and its practical applications. The "new solidarity" for which John Paul II called ... and the "global solidarity" for which I myself appealed in my Message for the 2009 World Day of Peace are essential attitudes in shaping our efforts to protect creation through a better internationally-coordinated management of the earth's resources, particularly today, when there is an increasingly clear link between combating environmental degradation and promoting integral human development.

There is a need, in effect, to move beyond a purely consumerist mentality in order to promote forms of agricultural and industrial production capable of respecting creation and satisfying the primary needs of all. The ecological problem must be dealt with not only because of the chilling prospects of environmental degradation on the horizon; the real motivation must be the quest for authentic worldwide solidarity inspired by the values of charity, justice and the common good.

It is becoming more and more evident that the issue of environmental degradation challenges us to examine our lifestyle and the prevailing models of consumption and production, which are often unsustainable from a social, environmental and even economic point of view. ... We are all responsible for the protection and care of the environment. This responsibility knows no boundaries. In accordance with the principle of subsidiarity it is important for everyone to be committed at his or her proper level, working to overcome the prevalence of particular interests. A special role in raising awareness and in formation belongs to the different groups present in civil society and to the non-governmental organisations which work with determination and generosity for the spread of ecological responsibility, responsibility which should be ever more deeply anchored in respect for "human ecology".

The Church has a responsibility towards creation, and she considers it her duty to exercise that responsibility in public life, in order to protect earth, water and air as gifts of God the Creator meant for everyone, and above all to save mankind from the danger of self-destruction. ... Our duties towards the environment flow from our duties towards the person, considered both individually and in relation to others. Hence I readily encourage efforts to promote a greater sense of ecological responsibility which, as I indicated in my Encyclical "Caritas in Veritate", would safeguard an authentic "human ecology" and thus forcefully reaffirm the inviolability of human life at every stage and in every condition, the dignity of the person and the unique mission of the family, where one is trained in love of neighbour and respect for nature.

On the other hand, a correct understanding of the relationship between man and the environment will not end by absolutising nature or by considering it more important than the human person. If the Church's Magisterium expresses grave misgivings about notions of the environment inspired by eco-centrism and bio-centrism, it is because such notions eliminate the difference of identity and worth between the human person and other living things. In the name of a supposedly egalitarian vision of the "dignity" of all living creatures, such notions end up abolishing the distinctiveness and superior role of human beings. They also open the way to a new pantheism tinged with neo-paganism, which would see the source of man's salvation in nature alone, understood in purely naturalistic terms.

If you want to cultivate peace, protect creation. The quest for peace by people of good will surely would become easier if all acknowledge the indivisible relationship between God, human beings and the whole of creation. In the light of divine Revelation and in fidelity to the Church's Tradition, Christians have their own contribution to make. They contemplate the cosmos and its marvels in light of the creative work of the Father and the redemptive work of Christ, who by His death and resurrection has reconciled with God "all things, whether on earth or in heaven".

Pope's UK Visit Taking Shape

Preparations are continuing for Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to Britain in 2010, although an official announcement is not expected until well into the new year.

Last week, U.K. government officials were at the Vatican to discuss the Pope’s travel plans while their Vatican counterparts have been in Britain also making preparations.

A senior source at the Vatican told me that a four day visit looks likely in mid September next year with the beatification of Cardinal John Henry Newman being the “lynchpin” of the trip.

The Holy Father is expected to make at least two keynote addresses in England: one to politicians and diplomats which may take place in Westminster Hall, the place where St. Thomas More was condemned. The other will be to academics at the University of Oxford. He is also expected to make addresses to clergy and religious, and possibly meet ecumenical and interreligious leaders and young people.

He will then travel to Birmingham for Cardinal Newman’s beatification although it’s not yet clear if he will preside over the ceremony. Usually, beatifications are carried out by the prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints but the Pope, a long admirer of the 19th century theologian, is reportedly expected to waive that rule and beatify him himself. After the ceremony, the Holy Father will then travel up to Scotland.

The senior official denied speculation that the visit will be downgraded from a state visit because of tensions with the Anglican Communion over the Apostolic Constitution for Anglicans. To know better how the Pope will be honoured, he advised looking at Benedict XVI’s visit to Paris last September.

Photo: Pope Benedict XVI meeting the Prime Minister of Montenegro today.

Vatican Statement on Irish Child Abuse Scandal

The Vatican has issued a much anticipated statement on the child abuse scandal in the Irish Church following publication of the Murphy Report on the Archdiocese of Dublin.

The communique reads:

"Today the Holy Father held a meeting with senior Irish Bishops and high-ranking members of the Roman Curia. He listened to their concerns and discussed with them the traumatic events that were presented in the Irish Commission of Investigation’s Report into the Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin.

After careful study of the Report, the Holy Father was deeply disturbed and distressed by its contents. He wishes once more to express his profound regret at the actions of some members of the clergy who have betrayed their solemn promises to God, as well as the trust placed in them by the victims and their families, and by society at large.

The Holy Father shares the outrage, betrayal and shame felt by so many of the faithful in Ireland, and he is united with them in prayer at this difficult time in the life of the Church.

His Holiness asks Catholics in Ireland and throughout the world to join him in praying for the victims, their families and all those affected by these heinous crimes.

He assures all concerned that the Church will continue to follow this grave matter with the closest attention in order to understand better how these shameful events came to pass and how best to develop effective and secure strategies to prevent any recurrence.

The Holy See takes very seriously the central issues raised by the Report, including questions concerning the governance of local Church leaders with ultimate responsibility for the pastoral care of children.

The Holy Father intends to address a Pastoral Letter to the faithful of Ireland in which he will clearly indicate the initiatives that are to be taken in response to the situation.

Finally, His Holiness encourages all those who have dedicated their lives in generous service to children to persevere in their good works in imitation of Christ the Good Shepherd."

The independent report was commissioned by the Irish government to investigate the way in which the Church dealt with allegations of sexual abuse of children by priests in Dublin over the period 1975 to 2004. It concluded that "the Dublin Archdiocese's pre-occupations in dealing with cases of child sexual abuse, at least until the mid 1990s, were the maintenance of secrecy, the avoidance of scandal, the protection of the reputation of the Church, and the preservation of its assets. All other considerations, including the welfare of children and justice for victims, were subordinated to these priorities. The Archdiocese did not implement its own canon law rules and did its best to avoid any application of the law of the State".

Obviously a dreadful story which has done immense damage to the Church. It also does no good to skate over this and pretend it never happened.

The Holy Father has handled this very well, taking his time to read the report before responding, and holding this 'summit meeting' at the Vatican. John Paul II did the same in 2002 soon after the US clerical abuse scandal broke.

Diplomatic Ties with Vietnam?

The Holy Father meets Vietnamese president Nguyen Minh Triet on Friday amid speculation that the communist country may agree to establish diplomatic relations with the Holy See.

In an interview this week with Corriere della Sera, the president expressed a wish to establish formal ties, saying that his country was "working to open diplomatic relations with the Vatican."

If such a development happens, it could give hope to Catholics in communist China who continue to suffer from tight restrictions on freedom of worship.

Earlier this year, the Pope expressed hope for a "healthy" relationship between the Church and Vietnam's communist government, which confiscated Church property after taking power from the French in 1945.

Benedict XVI has made it a priority of his pontificate to build diplomatic relations with those countries without established ties with the Holy See, most importantly, China, Vietnam and Saudi Arabia.

Vietnam's 6 million Roman Catholics are the second largest Catholic-community in Asia.

Photo: Nguyen Minh Triet

Benedict XVI and Pollution of the Media

"There is another pollution, less perceptible to the senses, but just as dangerous. It is the pollution of the spirit; it is that which renders our faces less smiling, more gloomy, which leads us not to greet one another, to not look at one another in the face. [...] Persons become bodies, and these bodies lose the soul, become things, objects without a face, to be exchanged and consumed."
- - - -
In today's media, "evil is recounted, repeated, amplified, accustoming us to the most horrible things, making us become insensitive and, in some way, intoxicating us, because the negative is not fully disposed of and accumulates day after day."

Pope Benedict XVI speaking on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception at the Spanish Steps - a beautiful address, relevant as always to our times.

His comments cannot but resonate with anyone working in the media. It's steady focus on bad news is more harmful than perhaps many people realise, but I can't see editors changing. "If it bleeds, it leads" is generally their rule of thumb and they take their lead, of course, from media consumers. The Pope's real focus, however, was on life in cities, and the Holy Father does go on to point out how the media draws attention to the poor, marginalised and exploited, even if it is "without pity or with false pity."

For a full reading of the address, see Asia News.

Ali Agca to be Released

Mehmet Ali Agca, the Turkish mercenary who tried to assassinate John Paul II in 1981, will soon be free and plans to publish his memoirs.

For more on this, see here.

Unfortunately, Agca is dismissed by many as unbalanced and unreliable and so his testimony is generally ignored. But amid the crazy pronouncements he's made, perhaps there are some glimpses of truth yet to be revealed.

Photo: Pope John Paul II speaks with Mehmet Ali Agca in Agca's prison cell in Rome on Dec. 27, 1983. (AP Photo/Arturo Mari)

Cosmology in Rome

One of the joys of writing on the Church in Rome is that almost every important subject known to mankind forms part of everyday life. It makes living in this great city immensely stimulating, even if discussion on these issues isn't perhaps as lively as it would be in somewhere like Oxford.

Last week, the Pontifical Lateran University held a conference on Galileo and cosmology. Interesting in itself, speakers also touched on entropy - the theory that the universe is possibly heading towards 'heat death' and possibly leading to a second Big Bang.

For an article in Zenit on the conference, I report on what the latest is on the theory according to Prof. George F. Smoot, an American Nobel Prize winner for Physics who addressed the conference last week. Here's the relevant excerpt:

As an interesting aside, Professor Smoot had said in his talk that the universe is "extremely ordered" and appears to be becoming even more ordered.

This prompted a member of the audience to question the professor's observation, asking whether, as is commonly thought, the universe is expanding and cooling to a uniform temperature and therefore becoming more disordered, a process known in thermodynamics as increasing entropy.

The logical conclusion is that, if this is so, then the universe is heading toward eventual death, or what astrophysicists call "heat death" whereby all the energy of the cosmos ends up as a homogeneous distribution of thermal energy, so that no more work can be extracted from any source.

Professor Smoot replied first of all by saying that the very early part of the universe had low entropy. He then continued: "Entropy is greatest where there are black holes, and our present understanding is that most of the entropy of the universe is in large black holes.

"Specific entropy is still quite low, and although the universe started extremely ordered, it has gotten less ordered. Even though it looks more ordered, if you look at how galaxies and dark matter is distributed, it is actually more disordered than the almost uniform distribution it had to start with.

"This disorder is increasing, and one of the major arguments today is whether this entropy will keep increasing forever, or whether at some time that information is lost and erased and you get a new Big Bang.

"That's one of the interesting questions in cosmology now: that even though it appears we're getting more ordered, we're not."

Professor Smoot doesn't break new ground with what he says, but fascinating all the same.

Talking to Tariq Ramadan Before the Swiss Minarets Vote

With Islam and Europe back in the headlines following the Swiss vote over minarets, readers might be interested in this unpublished interview I did earlier this year with Tariq Ramadan, the well known Muslim apologist and scholar who also is Swiss.

Ramadan was in Rome to speak at a conference on the Holy Sites in the Holy Land. The interview was originally for Newsweek but got bumped by something else, though excerpts were used in The Holy Land Review.


How useful was the Catholic-Muslim Forum [the meeting had just been held]? Did it match your expectations?

We must take it for what it was. It was the first step of a dialogue and we decided we would continue in a Muslim majority country and now there are also other countries willing to work with us. I spoke with Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran [head of the Vatican’s interreligious dialogue council] about this. We started with love of God and love of neighbour which was a starting point, but some of the questions this raised were quite important – reciprocity, freedom of belief and worship. All of these issues will be part of the discussion, but the starting point was to acknowledge the fact that we are living in a period beyond the tension created after the Pope’s lecture and the channels are open.

Would you agree that that lecture was actually the stimulus for this and other dialogues taking place today?

Yes. I responded to the Pope’s lecture by saying that the heart of the lecture is not violence. All of the discussion within it is about the roots of Europe - Greek, Christian rationality. At the end it was a philosophical lecture, which many people didn’t even read, but it was a very important one because he is very knowledgeable and very serious about what he said. So we needed a very serious discussion. Then, the consequences in the long term have been much more positive than negative because it’s opened doors to deep discussions on many important levels.

Would you agree that it went very much to the roots of a possible clash of civilizations? If we take the current tensions in Europe over the building of mosques: the West sees these as a threat because Christian identity is so weak, while Muslim identity is very strong. As someone said: the Pope was pointing out that we have people belonging to a religion that has gone ‘cold’ in danger of clashing with one that is now ‘hot.’

Exactly. By being scared of the present, you rebuild the past by saying these are our roots. But I think it’s not only this. Christian, Greek, Jewish, Muslim – all this heritage is there, so I think he’s putting forward a ‘reduction’ of the past, because there are some fears of the present. So this is what the Pope said, but at the same time, Cardinal Tauran said recently in southern Italy that God is coming back [into society] through the presence of the Muslims. So it’s positive.

But wouldn’t it be right that Christianity be re-born in the West to give the West a stronger identity, and thereby minimize such tension?

I think you’re completely right. There’s a sense of alienation with regard to its own societies, and they are saying: ‘The Muslims are coming and they are perceived as assertive and confident, so we are on the defensive.’ So I think it’s up to Muslims to make it clear that what they want is to remain themselves and not to colonize the country or Islamize Europe. This is what I have been saying for years now – that I’m just trying to be a ‘European Muslim.’ But by being a ‘European Muslim’, I want to help Christians to be better Christians, and even the rationalists to be better rationalists, by having more consistency. What we need today is a world of witnesses of their own philosophy and beliefs.

And to be genuine, too?

Exactly. This is what I would like and this is what the world needs to be today – a world of testimony. It’s quite clear there is a sense of witness that’s losing ground in the Christian tradition and this is why we have to take the Pope’s statements very seriously and very sincerely, because he’s very sincere on that.

Yet many Muslims still say, including yourself, that the Pope’s Regensburg lecture was a mistake and that you regret what he said in quoting the Christian emperor’s words.

I never said it was a mistake.

But many Muslims have said it and still say it.

Yes, in many instances. But I said it was not a mistake because I knew him when he was a cardinal. He’s very consistent. He’s a theologian of the highest level. This morning Cardinal Cottier was here [former theologian to the Pope]. Cardinal Cottier was my professor of theology. I studied Kierkegaard with him and he was my professor there for three years. He’s consistent as well and there’s a philosophy here, a religious understanding that you just have to respect the other. I may disagree with this reconstruction of the past, but I disagree out of respect and with respect. I think this is what Muslims should understand. It was not a mistake but a statement on two things: a take on history, and a take on the current situation facing Christians in Europe.

But why are you opposed to the reconstruction of the past that the Pope advocates? Isn’t that what Christianity has in many ways lost, that connection with its past.

Yes. A reconstruction of the past based on an objective take on the past is fine. But a reconstruction of the past because you are scared of the present is problematic.

How do you know that’s the case? Isn’t the Pope wanting to reconstruct the past precisely to bring peace?

No, because by [him] saying objectively that the roots of Europe are Greek and Christian, it’s a reconstruction of the perception that there is an alien element in Europe today which is Islam which is problematic. If you’re serious about philosophy and the history of thought, you cannot say that.

But rather remembering that Islam is part of European history?

Of course. So I respect the fears that are reconstructing this past, but I disagree with the substance.

Turning to the election of Barack Obama, do you think his presidency could help bring great strides in terms of interreligious dialogue with Islam, and perhaps from that, bring peace in the Holy Land?

I wrote an article just after his election saying we have to be full of hope but without naivety. The room for manoeuvre is quite narrow. I am sure things are going to improve because, really, after eight years of the Bush administration, it cannot but improve. But still I doubt that we are facing a revolution and new things, and in interreligious dialogue in the Middle East, I don’t see him resisting the various lobbies. Let me be clear: I’m not speaking about the Jewish lobby but the pro-Israeli lobby and APAC.

You’ve said that religious leaders, academics, and politicians need to work together – do you see a forum of all of these leaders as the way forward to help build peace in the Middle East?

Yes, a platform I would say. Religious people should listen to politicians, and politicians should have in mind religious people and intellectuals, and intellectuals should be close to the reality.

Would you say a platform similar to that is already being pursued by King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia?

No, I think it’s very far from that. It’s very formal, this ‘alliance of civilisations’. Now there is this competition between governments, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. I wouldn’t expect this platform to come from a specific government. A government could facilitate the process, but I would rather it were led by scholars, or something more independent.

Some have said that King Abdullah looks upon the Catholic-Muslim Forum as lacking authority because it’s just a group of scholars who have come together.

Yes, and the other group is saying that what King Abdullah is doing is just politics and it is not involving the communities. Both are right, in fact.

What is your view on the argument that the crisis within Islam must be resolved before any fruitful interreligious dialogue with Islam can take place?

I don’t think it’s a concomitant process. It’s not: just because you don’t have this, you cannot have the other thing. I think it’s even the opposite: by being involved in interfaith dialogue, it helps. This is my own experience. I’m dealing with the world and I’m living here so I’m challenged and I come back to my tradition and it’s a two-way process. I’m sure as well that through this process, we will be more open to the dialogue – it’s a virtuous circle. It’s two dimensions and we really have to go through both at the same time.

What is your view of Magdi Allam and his very negative comments about Islam?

He thinks that because of his origins – he’s from Egypt – he can be as critical as he is. He is an essentialist, he thinks that Islam poses a problem, and he’s very tough. He’s very much taking an American neo-con line. We have to take him for who he is and look at his ideas. His ideas are really neo-con ideas that Islam is a problem, per se, and he is building things that are not based on truth.

Would having someone like him, and extremists on the Islamic side, in the same forum be beneficial or is that impossible?

I think it’s impossible to do and it’s not beneficial because they would be caricatures of the true dialogue. They are representing polarisation, per se, and they are nurturing themselves on the two poles of the spectrum. I would say this is not the way forward.

But some would argue these groups are the protagonists of conflict so should be included?

Yes, but we are building peace.

But without them, is that possible?

Of course because we have to show that they have a political agenda, he [Allam] has a political agenda, and there are others nurturing each other. His legitimacy is coming from the other side, and the other side is using him. So I would say: ‘OK, go ahead, let us have a radical voice in between which is vocal, which is perceived and heard and which is constructive.’ I wouldn’t see anything positive coming from a dialogue [of extremists]. In fact, they dialogue by not talking – their dialogue is not to dialogue. This is exactly what they want.

Do you feel threatened at all by extremists for your moderate position?

No, I’m criticised on both sides. Some Muslims criticise me by saying I have left Islam while some Westerners say I am too much of a Muslim fundamentalist. This is the very meaning of a bridge, that on both sides of the river we have people who not happy with you.

Isn’t a major problem here that there isn’t a central authority in Islam?

No, there is. To tell you the truth, people who like what I am saying say: ‘Oh, you are on your own.’ That’s not true. We are not structured, but the mainstream, the silent majority, is following this way. Everywhere I go, from Muslim majority countries to the West, there are always people coming and listening. But we are completely paralysed by the voice of the extremists who are polarising. This is why we have to come together.

And then you will have more central authority?

Of course, or we are not facing up to our responsibilities.

So you’re optimistic about the future?

Yes, I am always optimistic.

Argentina, Chile and Vatican Mediation

Pope Benedict XVI met the presidents of Argentina and Chile yesterday on the 25th anniversary of a peace treaty between the two countries.

The treaty followed the Church's vital contribution in mediating a territorial dispute between the two countries over the Beagle Channel in 1978.

It's one of the very few cases when the Church, thanks to the insistence at the time of John Paul II, has very publicly and successfully mediated in an international dispute.

Vatican diplomats are more often than one might think quietly operating behind the scenes to help avert international conflicts, but because of their discretion you rarely hear about them.

Photo: Chile's Michelle Bachelet (R) and Argentina's Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner (L) exchange gifts with Pope Benedict XVI (AFP)

The End of Dubai's Injustices?

One of the possible outcomes from the collapse of Dubai will be that many labourers who are employed on the vast construction projects in the city will no longer have to live as modern day slaves.

Reportedly a third have already left the city since the recession began. Others have not been paid for months but cannot leave because their employers often confiscated their passports/visas on arrival. Yet it's the sweat - and often the lives - of these people who made Dubai the fastest growing city in the world.

The Church in the Gulf has been concerned about this gross injustice for years. I tried to relay the extent of the problem in an article I wrote last year for the Catholic Herald.

But the problem for the labourers is that even if they can go back to their homes in southern Asia, they are still likely to remain in poverty. To escape the hardships of their own countries and earn a (relatively) decent wage to send home was, for many, one of the main reasons they chose to leave their homelands for the Gulf.

Photo - A typical scene on a Dubai motorway, June 2008: A limousine Hummer, and a non-air conditioned bus taking labourers to work.

Russian President to Visit Pope

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev is to meet Pope Benedict XVI for the first time next week while on a political visit to Italy, the Kremlin disclosed today.

The presidential office said Medvedev would meet the Pope on December 3, the Interfax news agency reported. Former president Vladimir Putin met Benedict in the Vatican in March 2007.

Medvedev’s visit will come at a time when relations between the Russian Orthodox and Catholic Church have never been better, although tensions still remain.

Moscow has still to permit a Pope to visit Russia, arguing among other reasons that it was feared the pontiff would try to lure faithful away from the Russian church.

But Medvedev is reported to be committed to improving relations between the Orthodox and Catholic Churches, and may even try to encourage an historic meeting between the Pope and the Russian Patriarch - probably on neutral territory - when he visits next week.

John Paul II's Self-Flagellation and Love of Prayer

An article I've written for Newsmax should appear here, but there seem to be some technical problems so I reproduce it below.

It focuses on reports that John Paul II scourged himself. The news is not that surprising as it used to be common practice among Christians, and many of the Church's greatest saints practiced corporal mortification including St. Francis of Assisi and Blessed Mother Teresa. Perhaps it would have been surprising if John Paul hadn't imposed on himself some kind of rigorous self discipline.

But it still makes an interesting story and is further proof of the late pontiff's greatness.

As John Paul II’s beatification cause moves forward, more is coming to light about the late pontiff’s life, including testimonies that he would occasionally flagellate himself and sometimes pray non-stop for many hours.

According to Sister Tobiana Sobodka, a Polish nun who worked for Pope John Paul in his private Vatican apartments and at his summer residence in Castel Gandolfo near Rome, John Paul II would “several times” put himself through “bodily penance.”

“We would hear it – we were in the next room at Castel Gandolfo,” said Sister Sobodka who belongs to the Order of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. “You could hear the sound of the blows when he would flagellate himself. He did it when he was still capable of moving on his own."

Emery Kabongo, a secretary of John Paul II, also backed up the claim. “He would punish himself and in particular just before he ordained bishops and priests," he said. “I never actually saw it myself but several people told me about it.” The testimonies appear in ‘Santo Subito’, a new book by Andrea Tornielli, a Vatican correspondent for the Italian newspaper Il Giornale.

The Catholic Church’s tradition of corporal mortification is founded on the Christian belief that Jesus Christ, out of love for mankind, voluntarily accepted suffering and death as the means to redeem the world from sin. The church teaches that Christians are called to emulate Jesus and join him in his redemptive suffering. This means that they try to “die to themselves” every day.

Usually, such mortifications take the form of fasting and abstinence, especially during Lent. But some people in Church history have undertaken greater sacrifices, such as frequent fasting or using a hairshirt, a cilice (a small, light, metal chain with little prongs worn around the thigh), or discipline.

John Paul II used to whip himself, according to the recent testimonies. In 1986, in his annual Letter to Priests, John Paul wrote: “What one must see in these forms of penance – which, unfortunately, our times are not accustomed to – are the motives: the love of God and the conversion of sinners.”

Many of the church’s greatest saints would flagellate themselves. They include St. Francis of Assisi, St. Teresa of Avila, St. Ignatius of Loyola, Blessed Mother Teresa and St. Thomas More. Some members of the church group Opus Dei are also known to wear a cilice – a practice made famous by the Da Vinci Code. “Mortification helps us resist our natural drive toward personal comfort which so often prevents us from answering the Christian call to love God and serve others for love of God,” said Father Michael Barrett, a priest of Opus Dei. “The Da Vinci Code's masochist monk, who loves pain for its own sake, has nothing to do with real Christian mortification.”

As well as this corporal discipline, Tornielli’s book also recalls the late Pope’s love of prayer. “When Karol Wojtyla prayed, he was not distracted by anything,” said Kabongo. “I remember that when serving in the papal apartments, you were told that when the Holy Father was praying, even if it was something important, you had to wait to tell him because for him prayer came first. God came before everything else, even the world’s problems.”

Arturo Mari, for many years the Pope’s personal photographer for L’Osservatore Romano, recalled how the late pontiff would make a point of praying hard for the local people of the countries he visited. “It seemed that he identified with them in their suffering,” Mari said. “I remember in Vilnius, he remained praying on his knees for six hours without stopping.”

Meanwhile, John Paul II’s cause for beatification has moved closer following news that the Vatican Congregation for the Causes of Saints voted last week to approve a decree testifying to the late Pope’s “heroic virtue”. This means that Pope Benedict XVI could, in a matter of weeks, declare John Paul II “venerable,” the penultimate step to beatification. But there is a growing consensus that it is wise not to hasten the cause.

Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, John Paul’s long serving private secretary and a keen proponent of a speedy beatification, told reporters in Argentina last week that the Polish bishops “do not want the Pope to rush [the cause], he should analyze it properly.” One Vatican official said there is still much to know about John Paul and a hasty beatification would amount to “beatifying the personality, not the person.”

On the Black Nobility

The Catholic Herald have this week published my piece on the 'black nobility' - aristocracy who for centuries played a key role in assisting the papal court. They still have important duties, but their influence is much diminished.

To many, particularly republicans, this can all seem very bizarre and perhaps distasteful; to others the thought of an ecclesiastical aristocracy can seem a world away from the Gospel. But it is all in keeping with the Church's revealed tradition, and the important fact that the Pope is a monarch, as indeed is Christ. Tomorrow the Church celebrates the Feast of Christ the King.

Much of the article touches on heraldry, something of particular personal interest as my great grandfather, Sir Gerald Woods Wollaston, was Garter Principal King of Arms from 1930 to 1944. The College of Arms, which the Garter heads, plays a key role in the planning and preparation of the coronation - not currently occupied by a Catholic monarch, of course, but nonetheless considered to be the most 'Catholic-rooted' ceremony in English public life.

The Herald article can be found here

Image: Benedict XVI's coat of arms.

Apostolic Constitution Published

The Apostolic Constitution for Anglicans has been published by the Vatican and can be found here. At first glance, there don't appear to be any surprises, and the Church's teaching on celibacy remains unchanged.

Rev. G P Taylor to Cross the Tiber

The children's author G P Taylor is to become a Catholic.

Vicar-turned-author Rev G P Taylor says he will desert the "sinking ship" Church of England, which he said was the "spiritual arm of New Labour", for Roman Catholicism.

More on this here.

TAC's British Province Unanimously Supports the Apostolic Constitution

The Traditional Anglican Communion’s province in Great Britain has become the first to accept Pope Benedict XVI’s Apostolic Constitution for Anglicans.

Its members voted unanimously Oct. 29th to come into communion with Rome under the terms of the new provision, which allows them to retain their Anglican patrimony.

An undated statement on the province’s website reads:

“That this Assembly, representing the Traditional Anglican Communion in Great Britain, offers its joyful thanks to Pope Benedict XVI for his forthcoming Apostolic Constitution allowing the corporate reunion of Anglicans with the Holy See, and requests the Primate and College of Bishops of the Traditional Anglican Communion to take the steps necessary to implement this Constitution.”

A statement from Bishop David Moyer of the Traditional Anglican Communion reads:

“The well-attended Assembly was a grace-filled gathering where all in attendance became aware of the movement of the Holy Spirit. The bishops, priests, ordinands, and lay representatives were brought to a place of “being in full accord and of one mind,” as St. Paul prayed for the Church in Philippi.

“The questions and concerns that were expressed in regard to what had been read and heard about the forthcoming Apostolic Constitution were addressed by Archbishop John Hepworth. Bishop Mercer and myself.

“The Resolutions unanimously passed by the Assembly were carefully written and clearly reflect TTAC’s corporate desire and intention. All present realized that the requirement for the days ahead is patience, charity, and openness to the Holy Spirit.”

Significantly, this vote took place in the birthplace of the Anglican Communion, and its members voted in favor despite the Apostolic Constitution having not yet been published.

Recently, the Traditional Anglican Communion has been looking at establishing a mother house in England, possibly a former monastery in Lincoln which hasn’t witnessed the ordination of a Catholic priest since the Reformation.

********


When there was a possibility that the news of Apostolic Constitution could be announced during the Pope visits Britain next year, Lord Monckton of Brenchley - someone who has for many years observed Catholic-Anglican relations - gave his opinion on the possibility. His remarks never got published because they were superseded by the annoucement, but they're still relevant now, I think:

"Though we are instructed by the Lord of Life to declaim His good news of salvation from the rooftops," he said, "we are also instructed not to pester those who do not wish to hear His message, but to shake their dust quietly off our feet and move on. So there will be no crowing triumphalism from us, and, however much of a publicity coup it might appear to be if the Traditional Anglicans were to rejoin the one household of the faith while Christ's Vicar on Earth was here in Britain, in my opinion neither the See of Westminster nor the Holy See would do anything to encourage that timing, precisely because it would pointlessly hurt those who are not yet ready to walk with us once again towards the Light."

Looking ahead to the Pope's visit and how it might help bring people back to the Church, he said:

"I have not the slightest doubt that what he says in the UK will have a similarly electrifying effect not only on Catholics but also on those who have begun to think that they can no longer be our separated brethren, but must once again be one with us. I pray that they, and all Christians of goodwill, will be reunited as soon and as completely as possible with the Church that Christ founded, to whose first bishops He said, "He that heareth you heareth Me."

Photo: Christopher Monckton

Vatican Clarifies Celibacy Issue for Anglicans

The Vatican today clarified the issue of married Anglican clergy within the new structures to be set out in the forthcoming apostolic constitution.

In a lengthy statement, Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi relayed an explanation of the situation given by Cardinal William Levada, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

Cardinal Levada stated that any future married Anglican clergy wishing to come into communion under the new provision will be examined on a "case-by-case basis" and that seminarians wishing to become priests in the Catholic Church within the new structures will have to remain celibate, in keeping with current Church practice. But he said their ordinary, together with their bishops’ conference, can petition the Holy See regarding individual cases, for example in cases of married seminarians already in preparation.

"With regard to future seminarians, it was considered purely speculative whether there might be some cases in which a dispensation from the celibacy rule might be petitioned," he said. "For this reason, objective criteria about any such possibilities (e.g. married seminarians already in preparation) are to be developed jointly by the Personal Ordinariate and the Episcopal Conference, and submitted for approval of the Holy See."

This morning’s statement came in response to speculation that the Church might, under the new provision, dispense with the celibacy rule for former Anglicans, and in particular for seminarians coming from the Anglican tradition. More recently, articles in the Italian press, claimed that the seminarian celibacy issue was delaying publication of the apostolic constitution. Cardinal Levada said there was “no substance to such speculation,” adding that the delay “is purely technical in the sense of ensuring consistency in canonical language and references.”

Here is Father Lombardi’s statement in full:

“There has been widespread speculation, based on supposedly knowledgeable remarks by an Italian correspondent Andrea Tornielli, that the delay in publication of the Apostolic Constitution regarding Personal Ordinariates for Anglicans entering into full communion with the Catholic Church, announced on October 20, 2009, by Cardinal William Levada, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, is due to more than "technical" reasons. According to this speculation, there is a serious substantial issue at the basis of the delay, namely, disagreement about whether celibacy will be the norm for the future clergy of the Provision.

Cardinal Levada offered the following comments on this speculation: "Had I been asked I would happily have clarified any doubt about my remarks at the press conference. There is no substance to such speculation. No one at the Vatican has mentioned any such issue to me. The delay is purely technical in the sense of ensuring consistency in canonical language and references. The translation issues are secondary; the decision not to delay publication in order to wait for the ‘official’ Latin text to be published in Acta Apostolicae Sedis was made some time ago.

The drafts prepared by the working group, and submitted for study and approval through the usual process followed by the Congregation, have all included the following statement, currently Article VI of the Constitution:

§1 Those who ministered as Anglican deacons, priests, or bishops, and who fulfill the requisites established by canon law and are not impeded by irregularities or other impediments may be accepted by the Ordinary as candidates for Holy Orders in the Catholic Church. In the case of married ministers, the norms established in the Encyclical Letter of Pope Paul VI Sacerdotalis coelibatus, n. 42 and in the Statement "In June" are to be observed. Unmarried ministers must submit to the norm of clerical celibacy of CIC can. 277, §1.

§2. The Ordinary, in full observance of the discipline of celibate clergy in the Latin Church, as a rule (pro regula) will admit only celibate men to the order of presbyter. He may also petition the Roman Pontiff, as a derogation from can. 277, §1, for the admission of married men to the order of presbyter on a case by case basis, according to objective criteria approved by the Holy See.

This article is to be understood as consistent with the current practice of the Church, in which married former Anglican ministers may be admitted to priestly ministry in the Catholic Church on a case by case basis. With regard to future seminarians, it was considered purely speculative whether there might be some cases in which a dispensation from the celibacy rule might be petitioned. For this reason, objective criteria about any such possibilities (e.g. married seminarians already in preparation) are to be developed jointly by the Personal Ordinariate and the Episcopal Conference, and submitted for approval of the Holy See."

Cardinal Levada said he anticipates the technical work on the Constitution and Norms will be completed by the end of the first week of November.”

The Son of a Saint

Over the summer, I had the honour of interviewing Pierluigi Molla, the eldest child of St. Gianna Beretta Molla who was canonized by John Paul II in 2004.

An edited version has now been published in the Register. Below is the full interview:

Canonized in 2004, St. Gianna Beretta Molla is one of the Church’s very rare lay saints. She rejected the possibility of having an abortion and gave her life instead to save that of her fourth child, Gianna Emanuela. Her heroic example led her to become a patron saint of the unborn, and she has a growing devoted following worldwide – reports of miracles and graces granted through her intercession continue to this day.

An interview with St. Gianna’s first child, Pierluigi, a business consultant based in Milan, in which he reflects on his mother’s example, what it’s like to be the son of a saint, and what St. Gianna would make of the struggle against abortion in the world today.

Although you were only five when your mother died, could you tell us more about her character and faith, perhaps which you came to know through your father?

As you said, when she died I was only five, but I do remember some episodes: she taught me how to ski and also I remember going with her when she went on visits as a doctor. My mother was close to the family and to her profession. At that time in the 1950s it was not common for women to have a family and also be involved in a profession, to be a doctor, and to be active helping people in associations such as Azione Cattolica [Catholic Action] and San Vincenzo [St. Vincent de Paul Society]. But at the same time, she was someone modern who liked to go skiing in the mountains, and liked music.

She lived a very full life?

A full life and also a modern one compared to the average way of life at that time. So these are my memories of my mother. Also I learned from her the faith that she transmitted to us - a trust in Providence, that you have to be committed to the values you hold. These things my father also passed on to us. Also I was able to learn about her life through the documents she left us. She left a lot of documents about her work with Azione Cattolica, and through these documents you can really understand her.

Quotes from your mother have been remembered for posterity, such as "The secret of happiness is to live moment by moment and to thank God for all that He, in His goodness, sends to us day after day." "God's Providence is in all things, it's always present." What’s the most important thing we can learn from her?

As Catholics we need to learn how to be coherent with our values and beliefs. My mother grew up in a family where she received the faith and values from her father and mother, and how to live life in a correct way. She was coherent in these values which she learned in the first years of her life, and she was coherent to the end. The second thing is to be coherent with your vocation. She once thought of leaving Italy to work in Brazil with my aunt. But she understood that her vocation was to be a mother. And, as well as being coherent with her values in her role as a mother, she also strived to be coherent in work as a doctor, and as a volunteer.

In many ways she addresses how important upbringing is, and how vital it is to be brought up properly and the faith

Yes definitely, but not only as a mother. During her time working for Azione Cattolica, a colleague of hers said she rarely did not practice what she preached. My mother would not just say you have to do this or that, she really did it. It was the same in the family and in her choice to be a mother. She was an example for us; consistent in what she believed and what she passed on to the family. She said she wanted to have a holy family and she did everything she could to be lead this holy family towards being coherent in its faith.

What is it like to be the son of a saint?

It is an extraordinary experience. Hard to imagine. What happened to the family during all the beatification and canonization processes wasn’t easy because one has to constantly recall each time the pain of her death. The beatification process meant coming back to a painful moment in my life. As you can imagine, I was only five years old and when you lose your mother at that age, it’s about the worst kind of pain that any child can experience. But at the end of the beatification process in 1994 I was compensated by seeing my mother elevated to the altars. The same thing happened in 2004 at the canonization. Now I am 53 years old. But it really was an extraordinary experience and now I feel very happy that, through the Church, I can celebrate my mother on All Saints Day instead of being sad for her the day after, on All Souls Day. So the transformation to being a saint means that now, if you remember her life, you have a feeling of happiness instead of sadness.

For me and for my sister it’s been extraordinary because what happened to us is not common. I don’t know if we are the first, but it’s really an uncommon experience to see this happen when alive, also for my father. My father is still alive and aged 97. He was with us in St. Peter’s in 2004 for the canonization of his wife. So it’s been an extraordinary experience but probably we’re not the first and only ones. We hope not, because this is a contemporary message, a really great message for the Church: how contemporary people living everyday lives can become saints. Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini said my mother is the saint of everyday life. She shows that saints can be people living ordinary lives, not extraordinary ones. For this reason, we are all ordinary people. Admittedly, my mother was an extraordinary and heroic woman, but in every ordinary things of her life she showed herself just to be living an ordinary life. My father had an extraordinary relationship with my mother. They were together for just five years but are still together.

It must be very consoling for you to have your mother as a saint because you know for sure that she is alive, that she lives on, showing it through interceding in miracles after she died.

Definitely yes, this is a great consolation. It’s also really wonderful to see how the knowledge of my mother is spreading around the world, and how many messages we’ve received from all over the globe testifying to what she’s doing today. Because she’s mediating a lot of graces. Miracles are something recognized by the Church, but these are graces and they’re really extraordinary. Two years ago I received an email from the United States. A woman had problems conceiving a child, and at the end she had two wonderful children. One of them is called Gianna because she said a prayer to my mother. So this is extraordinary; it’s like she is with us and working for the whole world.

It may be the same person, but I also know a couple in America who were trying to have children but couldn’t and then together with their priest at the time, they prayed to your mother and now they have two young children.

Fantastic. It’s not only a rare occurrence; it happens frequently. There is a church close to Genoa with an old and famous shrine, Madonna della Guardia. A priest there put up a picture of my mother in the shrine 15 years ago, and it’s incredible how now it’s now completely full of pink and blue ribbons. This is an Italian tradition – to hang up these ribbons on the outside a house when a new child is born. This shrine is full of these kinds of messages, of graces received through my mother.

Could you tell us a little about Gianna Emanuela?

Gianna is a doctor and studied medicine like my mother. She is a geriatric specialist not a pediatric doctor like my mother. Now she is taking care of my father. Up until 6 years ago he was completely active, but six years ago he started having problems. So Gianna decided to leave her job in a public hospital to take care of him. She also helps to run my mother’s foundation. My father founded the foundation which is a family charity in honor of my mother, and various people write to it from all around the world, giving materials or asking for help. So Gianna is working for that. This is a good way I think to honor my mother and father. Up until six years ago all this was done by my father. He had been completely absorbed in this work over the past 15 years. Once he retired from his job he took care of all the necessities relating to the beatification and canonization causes. As you can imagine, and as I sad before, to be a family, to be a witness to a beatification is not only important but it also involves an immense amount of work. Traditionally, saints come from priestly orders or convents and so they have a lot of people working on these causes for free. But in a family we have to work hard, and also for free.

So it’s been a bit of a burden but a happy one?

Yes.

How does your sister Gianna Emanuela look upon what your mother did for her?

It is amazing. She was only with my mother six days but she received through us and my father a sense of what really happened. And yes, she’s completely grateful to my mother because through giving her life, she is here. But what my mother did for Gianna she would have done for me or my other sisters, because for my mother, Gianna has every right to live as we have.

When Sarah Palin was chosen to run as Vice President of the United States, some referred to your mother as an example of someone who could bring up her relatively large family in the Catholic faith and yet live a very professional and busy life. Are you happy with that comparison?

I didn’t know about this, about the comparison with Sarah Palin. I only know what I read in the papers. I think my mother showed at that time in the 1950s that it was possible for a woman to be coherent with her values and to do well in her life in terms of her profession and family. This is the example of my mother, but I don’t know if it’s really consistent with the life of Sarah Palin. It’s not only Sarah Palin but I think there are a lot of women and many other great saints of the Church who have shown how life can be sanctified through a profession. There’s St. Josemaria Escriva, for instance, who said you can be a good father, and also be sanctified through your profession. So my mother isn’t the only example in the Church of this kind of coherence and commitment to family and professional life. There are many examples.

It also depends on the person?

Yes, and on their experience and history. In my mother’s case, she was completely happy in her family and professional life. She was coherent with this principle and applied it to everything she wanted to do. One of my mother’s favorite expressions was to do everything in depth, not superficially, and not to stop and only do 50 percent. She wasn’t an extraordinary intellectual and at school she got average results. She was not a champion, but she tried her best.

Relaxed abortion laws mostly came into force in the western world after your mother died. Do you think she’d be campaigning against these laws if she were alive today?

She probably would be, as someone who was committed to Azione Cattolica. As someone who had to give a good example, who tried to be coherent in her commitment to her faith, she would have done everything she could to prevent an abortion from taking place. I think she would have also been committed to this in her job, to be coherent with this aspect of her faith. I saw in yesterday’s Corriere della Sera two pages devoted to a meeting between the Pope and Obama. The main aspect discussed was abortion, so it shows the real value these issues have at the highest level. Because if you agree with this kind of value, you must also be coherent in the policies you make. I was really surprised that Obama wanted to reduce abortion. In the last 10 years of presidential campaigns in the US, abortion has figured highly, so it is of real value.

Certainly my mother represented this value. My mother was a person who lived in the 1950s, died in 1962 and yet the message she left is still very current and topical. Not only in bioethics and abortion, but also in matters relating to the economy and moral values. If we agree on these values and every leader applies these principles to daily life, we can change the general situation.

Seminarian Issue Delaying Apostolic Constitution

The delay in publishing the Apostolic Constitution is due not so much to translation problems as the more weighty issue of priestly celibacy.

According to two reliably informed Italian newspapers, Il Giornale and Il Foglio, canon lawyers are continuing to define what has been a particularly unclear aspect of the new provision: whether married Anglicans could train as seminarians.

Andrea Tornielli of Il Giornale reports that over the last few days, the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts has been working to clarify this point. He writes that “everything suggests” seminarians in these future Anglo-Catholic communities “will have to be celibate like all their colleagues in the Latin Catholic Church.”

Both newspapers also report the Holy Father would have preferred the publication of the Apostolic Constitution to have taken place at the same time as last week’s press conference, mainly to avoid any repeat of the mishandling of his decision to lift the excommunications on four Lefebvrist bishops earlier this year.

But as Cardinal William Levada had already informed the bishops of England and Wales and the Archbishop of Canterbury of the provision, and the date for their joint press conference in London had already been disclosed, it would have been impossible to keep the matter under wraps, Tornielli writes. The Vatican therefore decided to go ahead with the press conference, even though the precise canonical details of the Constitution hadn’t yet been worked out.

Cardinal Kasper To Be Replaced Soon?

Word around the Vatican is that Cardinal Walter Kasper is to retire and be replaced by Mons. Gerhard Ludwig Mueller, the Bishop of Regensburg, Germany.

Pope Benedict XVI is expected to make the announcement on Saturday, according to one source.

If true, the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity will have had two German presidents in succession.

Bishop Mueller is known as a traditionalist and doctrinally conservative.

However, he criticized the Pope for lifting the excommunications on the four Lefebvrite bishops in January this year, one of whom was Bishop Richard Williamson who denied the extent of the Holocaust.

Archbishop Mueller criticized the Pope for extending "both hands to a marginal group" and later banned Bishop Williamson from his diocesan churches and facilities.

The Holy Father was unaware of Williamson's anti-Semitic views until after he had made his decision.

UPDATE: The diocese of Regensburg has denied the rumours, which originally started in the German media, saying as far as they know, no decision has yet been taken. However, Cardinal Kasper is expected to be replaced in the next few months having passed the retirement age of cardinals.

More on the Anglican Apostolic Constitution

“My broad vision is to see the end of the Reformation of the 16th century," Archbishop John Hepworth, head of the Traditional Anglican Communion, a breakaway Anglican group, told me back in 2005.

Together with his bishops, all of whom left the Anglican Communion over the issue of women priests, he was determined to blaze a trail back to Rome and take like-minded Anglicans with him.

After much discussion and head-banging, a significant step was made towards that goal last week after Pope Benedict XVI announced he was preparing a provision which would facilitate large groups of disaffected Anglicans (Episcopalians in the U.S.) to come into communion with Rome.

Such an initiative has been under consideration for at least four years, but only in the past year has the Holy See, strongly backed by the Pope, seriously taken it forward as requests for some kind of structure sharply increased. It’s true that the Vatican only informed Dr. Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, about the precise nature of this provision only two weeks before last Monday’s announcement.

What was not said, however, was that Dr. Williams has known this was on the cards for at least two years. He was said to be implacably opposed to it, but really had no choice but to give it his blessing. This new provision breaks with traditional ecumenical dialogue that has taken place over the past 40 years. Instead, it is a kind of “ecumenism through the back door” or, as some might prefer to see it, a fast track to corporate union with the Catholic Church without vacuous theological discussions.

It may even become the only viable form of ecumenical dialogue between the two confessions in the future. Past dialogue helped build cordiality and friendship, but as worldwide Anglicanism drifted further and further away from Catholic doctrine, it did little more than comfort the Anglican Communion as it has continued towards its demise.

It’s still not clear how many traditionalist Anglicans will want to cross the Tiber and be received into the Catholic Church under this new structure. The Traditional Anglican Communion alone is said to have 400,000 members and is growing. It has a province stretching from Guatemala to Argentina, with a large presence in Colombia and Chile formerly made up of Episcopalian missionaries. It is also regularly welcoming new parishes and dioceses in southern India. Numbers of traditionalist Anglicans from groups such as Forward in Faith in the U.K. are said to be in their hundreds.

Once these structures are in place, these numbers are likely to grow, especially if the Anglican Communion continues to be largely led and controlled by theological liberals. Forward in Faith has just been having a meeting in London to discuss the Pope’s provision. Hepworth, meanwhile, is having each of his national synods vote on the Pope’s plan, and expects all his bishops to unanimously approve it. He is delighted with the new provision. “Everyone thought it would be a minimal deal,” he said. “But it’s a maximal deal, a glorious deal.”

Symbolically, and with sweet irony for Australian Hepworth, the first such synod likely to approve it will be England’s, the birthplace of Anglicanism, at a meeting on Thursday.

The Apostolic Constitution and the Reconversion of England

Could the Apostolic Constitution signify the re-conversion of England has begun in earnest?

Blogger Scott P. Richert interestingly points out on the website About.com that it may well do, given its timing.

Richert writes:

“Pope Benedict XVI is very sensitive to the message that certain dates send. Summorum Pontificum for instance, was signed on June 29, the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, when the Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch sends representatives to Rome each year to take part in the celebration of the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul (and sometimes comes himself). The Orthodox have long been concerned about the decline of the liturgy in the Western Church, and the revival of the Traditional Latin Mass was seen as a major step in the right direction."

Richerts continues: “October 20 is the feast day of Saint Paul of the Cross (1694-1775), the founder of the Passionists. Though Saint Paul spent his life in Italy, the Catholic Encyclopedia notes that "For fifty years he prayed for the conversion of England, and left the devotion as a legacy to his [spiritual] sons." Almost 65 years after his death, the Passionists were first introduced into England, and the Catholic Encyclopedia declares that "They came in the spirit of Apostles without gold or silver, without scrip or staff or shoes or two coats," yet they "soon revived without commotion several Catholic customs and practices which had died out since the Reformation. They were the first to adopt strict community life, to wear their habit in public, to give missions and retreats to the people, and to hold public religious processions."”

He concludes: “All of this may simply be a coincidence. But considering Pope Benedict's sensitivity to the symbolism of dates, I don't think so. In any case, on this historic day, we can join Saint Paul of the Cross in praying for the conversion of England.”

Backing up Richert’s theory is that Monday’s press conference surprisingly went ahead despite the Apostolic Constitution not being ready. Cardinal William Levada said the date had long been set for the announcement. The Register was told back in July that a date had already been fixed to publicize the new structures, but few, even those closely involved in the process, knew exactly when it would be.

Britain, and particularly England, has been considered mission territory for some time, particularly over the past decade, as it suffers from social breakdown, policies which disregard the sacredness of all human life, and widespread ignorance of its Christian – and particularly Catholic – roots.

Cardinal Cormac Murphy O’Connor, Archbishop emeritus of Westminster, famously said in 2001 that Christianity in Britain “has now almost been vanquished.”

Photo: Cambridgeshire countryside

Pope Helps Disaffected Anglicans to Cross the Tiber

Pope Benedict XVI today historically approved canonical structures to allow Anglican clergy and faithful to be received into the Church while retaining elements of their distinctive Anglican spiritual patrimony.

Although I've known an announcement was in the works, it wasn't expected so soon and came as a surprise. The suddenness of the news is possibly part of an attempt to allay possible fallout ahead of the Pope's visit to Britain, and to help future consultation. It also comes in response to an increasing number of requests from groups of traditionalist Anglicans to come into communion.

The new structures would be open to members of the Episcopal Church in the United States, otherwise known as TEC (formerly ECUSA); the TEC is the main American branch of the worldwide Anglican Communion. They will also help regularize John Paul II's 1982 Pastoral Provision which allowed former Anglicans in the U.S. to come into communion while retaining their Anglican liturgies.

At a Vatican press conference this morning, American Cardinal William Levada, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, announced that an Apostolic Constitution has been prepared in response to “many requests” from groups of Anglican clergy and faithful wanting to enter into full communion with the Church.

The Apostolic Constitution, which Cardinal Levada said “provides a reasonable and even necessary response to a world-wide phenomenon”, will be a “single canonical model for the universal Church which is adaptable to various local situations and equitable to former Anglicans in its universal application.”

The new canonical structure, which aims to “preserve elements of distinctive Anglican spiritual patrimony,” will be made up of ‘Personal Ordinariates’. This means groups of Anglicans won’t be received as a bloc, en masse, but rather that bishops' conferences around the world will be able to create a special, supra-territorial, structure to accept Anglicans under the leadership of a former Anglican minister who would be designated a bishop.

The new structure will allow for married former Anglican clergy to be ordained. However, in common with Catholic and Eastern Rite Churches, married clergy will not be allowed to be ordained to the episcopate. Former married Anglican bishops will also not be allowed to be bishops in the new structure.

These ‘Personal Ordinariates’ will be formed, “as needed, in consultation with local Conferences of Bishops, and their structure will be similar in some ways to that of the Military Ordinariates which have been established in most countries to provide pastoral care for members of the armed forces and their dependents throughout the world”, the cardinal prefect said.

He added: “The provision of this new structure is consistent with the commitment to ecumenical dialogue which continues to be a priority for the Catholic Church, particularly through the efforts of the Pontifical Council for Promotion of Christian Unity.”

Archbishop Augustine DiNoia, former under-secretary at the CDF who helped draft the new structure, said: “We’ve been praying for unity for forty years. Prayers are being answered in ways we did not anticipate and the Holy See cannot not respond to this movement of the Holy Spirit for those who wish communion and whose tradition is to be valued.” He said there has been a “tremendous shift” in the ecumenical movement and “these possibilities weren’t seen as they are now”.

Technical details still need to be worked out, and these Personal Ordinariates may vary in their final form, Archbishop DiNoia said. Full details of the Apostolic Constitution will be released in a few weeks but today’s press conference went ahead today because it had been planned sometime ago, Cardinal Levada said.

The Vatican’s note on the Constitution can be found here: http://212.77.1.245/news_services/bulletin/news/24513.php?index=24513&lang=en
The archbishops’ joint statement can be found here:
http://212.77.1.245/news_services/bulletin/news/24514.php?index=24514&lang=en

To underline the importance of this decision, and to perhaps lessen tensions, Archbishop Vincent Nichols of Westminster and the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, held a joint press conference in London today.
“The Apostolic Constitution is further recognition of the substantial overlap in faith, doctrine and spirituality between the Catholic Church and the Anglican tradition,” they said in a joint statement. “Without the dialogues of the past forty years, this recognition would not have been possible, nor would hopes for full visible unity have been nurtured. In this sense, this Apostolic Constitution is one consequence of ecumenical dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion.”

The two leaders said they hoped “this close cooperation will continue as we grow together in unity and mission, in witness to the Gospel in our country, and in the Church at large.”

Last week, Cardinal Walter Kasper, president of the Pontifical Council for Christian Unity, said “there is agreement” between Williams and the Vatican that anyone who wishes to be received must have their conscience respected. But Cardinal Kasper stressed “we are not fishing in the Anglican lake” and that ecumenical dialogue “is not aiming to proselytize.”

Breakaway Anglican groups who will benefit from the new structure include the Traditional Anglican Communion, an ecclesial body which claims to have 400,000 members worldwide. Its membership has swelled in the past couple of years, its leadership says, as the Anglican Communion has been torn by issues over homosexual clergy and bishops and the Church of England’s decision to ordain women as bishops.

The TAC broke from the Anglican Communion in 1991 over the decision of the Church of England to ordain women as priests. As well as other breakaway groups of traditionalist Anglicans, it has been hoping for such a canonical structure ever since.

The TAC formally made a request two years ago, after all its bishops symbolically signed a copy of the Catechism of the Catholic Church at a ceremony in England. The discussions that followed were protracted owing to the unique nature of such a structure, in particular over whether Anglicans should have their own rite.

Archbishop John Hepworth, the TAC’s primate, has played a key role in trying to bring the matter to a conclusion. He will no longer be allowed to be bishop in the new structure, but he has always said he is willing to step aside and let others lead the ecclesial body if such a structure would oblige him to do so.

The Apostolic Constitution will no doubt be discussed when Archbishop Williams visits the Holy Father and the Vatican next month. The visit was supposed to be routine and low-key, but that’s now unlikely after today’s announcement.

Pope to Visit Rome Synagogue in January

From the Register's blog:

The Vatican announced today that Pope Benedict XVI will visit Rome's synagogue slightly later than the expected, in the afternoon of 17th January next year.

According to a statement, the visit will coincide with the 21st Day of Deepening and Development of Catholic-Jewish Dialogue, as well as a Jewish festival.

The visit has been on the cards for sometime: papal spokesman Fr. Federico Lombardi confirmed it to the Register back in July but no date had then been fixed.

The Holy Father's visit will come after recent controversies such as the Good Friday prayer in the extraordinary form that calls for the conversion of Jews, and the lifting of the excommunication of Bishop Richard Willamson. The Pope has been trying to steer relations back on track, making a special point of thanking some Jewish leaders for their understanding following the controversy over Williamson who denies the extent of the Holocaust. He also condemned anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial during his trip to the Holy Land.

The Jewish place of worship belongs to the oldest Judaic community in Europe and one of the oldest continuous Jewish settlements in the world, dating back to 161 B.C. It was also the venue for John Paul II’s historic visit in 1986, when he became the first Pope ever to set foot inside a synagogue. His gesture helped confirm a path of friendship between Christians and Jews, in the conciliar spirit of Nostra Aetate (In Our Time), the Second Vatican Council’s declaration on relations between the Church and non-Christians.

The Vatican also announced today that the Holy Father will visit the Rome headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) for the opening of the World Summit on Food Security on November 16.

Why Are You Only a Spectator?

I received this powerful message through the group 'Europe4Christ'. Ahead of Pope Benedict XVI's visit to Britain, what this Nigerian seminarian has to say seems especially relevant. As nasty articles and falsehoods begin to appear in the British media before the Holy Father's arrival next year, now is as good a time as any to respond by proclaiming the truth of the Church's teaching. It also appropriately coincides with the Synod on Africa which is now underway here in Rome.

Why are you only a spectator?

Why don’t you get involved?

Why are you not proclaiming the truth?

An African Christian registers with horror the Anti-Christian climate in Europe and is astonished with what passivity European Christians accept that.

"In Western Europe, there has been a storm of critique on Christianity for a long time, an Anti-Christian trend. To have faith is seen as a pitiful situation. To say it gently, the majority of Christians waits helplessly and inactively for the total destruction of already wounded Christianity. I am not worried that the Church would not survive difficult situations (Mt 16:18) or that Christ would abandon his Church (Mt 28:20). But I worry about the degree of carelessness and apathy that Christians in Europe show in this difficult situation.

Christians meet the increasing wave of Anti-Christianity with total passivity. Because of the media, daily newspapers, magazines, TV and radio, people are on a daily basis confronted with ideologies that only deep faith and clear discernment can withstand. The question is: How do Christians react to this? What did they do until now?

I read daily newspapers and I am bewildered because of the eagerness with which journalists and editors make arbitrary statements, leap to illogical conclusions and criticize the Church in a hostile way. The passivity with which Christians react on these assaults is alarming.

Why do you observe instead of argue, defend and proclaim the truth from a rational point of view? Why not react on negative developments, especially when they turn into a dangerous ideology?

Now it is time to wake up, everyone in their way and in their environment! Let’s write! Let’s speak loudly! We have to prepare ourselves, because as Christ has already warned us: “...for the sons of this age are more shrewd in relation to their own kind than the sons of light...” (Lk 16:8)

It is not enough to wait for a miracle! We could not impede this development by waiting for a wonder from God. Why should He perform a miracle, when he already gave us the ability to act through faith and common sense?

Prayer is undeniably the first step that we have to make, but it is not enough. We have to act. We owe that to our descendants. People leave the church because they receive wrong answers to their questions. And they get these wrong answers from the wrong people.

An average European who reads daily newspapers probably will tend to lose their faith than remain a believer. It is time to let Christ lead us. Let everyone around you notice that there is a Christian. Where are you? What do you see? What do you hear? What do you know? Speak aloud! Our silence is our pain."

Kizito Chinedu Nweke

Nweke Kizito Chinedu is a seminarian originally from Nigeria and currently studying at the Pontifical University Heiligenkreuz near Vienna.

http://www.europe4christ.net/