May 3, 2013 / Maria News

Pope Francis welcomes home Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI

news.va – Pope Francis had words of welcome today as he greeted Benedict XVI, now Pope Emeritus, who returned to take up residence inside Vatican city.
Linda Bordoni reports…

In style with his own personal manner, Pope Francis left the formalities of a welcoming ceremony to Vatican authorities, who awaited the arrival of the Pope Emeritus at the Vatican heliport. These included Cardinals Bertello – President of the Governatorate, Bertone – Secretary of State, and Sodano – the deacon of the College of Cardinals as well as some bishops.

But Pope Francis was awaiting his predecessor at the entrance to the “Mater Ecclesiae” Monastery in the Vatican Gardens where Benedict will be residing. Together they preceded to the chapel for a brief moment of prayer.

The Pope Emeritus left the Vatican on February 28th after his resignation, and had been staying at the Apostolic Palace in Castel Gandolfo in the Alban Hills.

He chose to leave the Vatican immediately after his resignation to physically remove himself from the process of electing his successor.

His absence also gave workers time to finish up renovations on the monastery on the edge of the Vatican gardens that until last year housed groups of cloistered nuns who were invited for a few years at a time to live inside the Vatican to pray for the Pontiff and Church at large.

In the small building, with a chapel attached, Benedict will live with his personal secretary, Monsignor Georg Gaenswein, and the four consecrated women who do the housekeeping and prepare his meals. Inside the building, Benedict has at his disposal a small library and a study. A guest room is available for when his brother, Monsignor Georg Ratzinger, comes to visit.

Today’s was not the first meeting between the Pope and the Pope Emeritus. In fact Francis visited Benedict in March in Castel Gandolfo, and they have spoken by telephone.

Subscribe to Maria News

April 16, 2013 / Maria News

Pope Francis calls on Bostonians to “not be overcome by evil”

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has sent his “sympathy and closeness in prayer” to the people of Boston in a telegram sent on his behalf.

The telegram reads “In the aftermath of this senseless tragedy, His Holiness invokes God’s peace upon the dead, his consolation upon the suffering and his strength upon all those engaged in the continuing work of relief and response. At this time of mourning the Holy Father prays that all Bostonians will be united in a resolve not to be overcome by evil, but to combat evil with good (cf. Rom 12:21), working together to build an ever more just, free and secure society for generations yet to come.”

The full text of the telegram is below

His Eminence Cardinal Sean O’Malley
Archbishop of Boston

Deeply grieved by news of the loss of life and grave injuries caused by the act of violence perpetrated last evening in Boston, His Holiness Pope Francis wishes me to assure you of his sympathy and closeness in prayer. In the aftermath of this senseless tragedy, His Holiness invokes God’s peace upon the dead, his consolation upon the suffering and his strength upon all those engaged in the continuing work of relief and response. At this time of mourning the Holy Father prays that all Bostonians will be united in a resolve not to be overcome by evil, but to combat evil with good (cf. Rom 12:21), working together to build an ever more just, free and secure society for generations yet to come.

Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone
Secretary of State

More news from Vatican Radio

Subscribe to Maria News

April 16, 2013 / MariaNews.com

Pope Francis: Best wishes for Benedict XVI on his birthday

news.va - On the occasion of Benedict XVI’s 86^th birthday, the Holy Father, Pope Francis, began the celebration of Mass in the chapel of the Domus Santa Maria by inviting all present to pray for the pope emeritus. “Today is the birthday of Benedict XVI. Let us offer Mass for him, that the Lord might be with him, comfort him, and give him much consolation.”
Later in the morning, Pope Francis called Benedict to offer him “best wishes” on his birthday.

The Holy Father also greeted Benedict’s brother, Monsignor Georg Ratzinger, who has been staying at Castel Gandolfo to celebrate the occasion, and who, like Pope Francis [Jorge Maria Bergoglio] will celebrate his onomastico, or Name Day, on April 23 – the feast of Saint George.

Subscribe to Maria News

April 15, 2013 / MariaNews.com 

Pope Francis takes first major step to reform Church

By Catholic Online

VATICAN CITY (Catholic Online) – The Vatican announced on Saturday that eight cardinals have been tasked with finding ways to reform the Church. Specifically, the group will advise Pope Francis on how best to reform the Church following scandals including the sexual abuse of children and allegations of corruption.

The Vatican has emphasized the panel’s only purpose is to advise, and that it has no power to change Church law.

However, Pope Francis has already established a reputation as a listener. By drawing cardinals from every continent, he has allowed each region to have some say in how the Church might be reformed.

The selected cardinals are: Giuseppe Bertello, president of the Vatican City State governorate; Sean O’Malley from the United States; Francisco Javier Errazuriz Ossa from Chile; Oswald Gracias from India; Reinhard Marx from Germany; Laurent Monsengwo Pasinya from the Democratic Republic of the Congo; George Pell from Australia; and Oscar Andres Rodriguez Maradiaga from Honduras.

An Italian Bishop, Monsignor Marcello Semerano, is serving the group as a secretary.

The group will start meeting in October and will hopefully provide Pope Francis with ideas on how best to reform the Church from the inside.

The Vatican emphasized that the group will not interfere with the day-to-day operations of the Church.

The cardinals will most closely study the Pastor Bonus, the Apostolic Constitution most recently visited by Pope John Paul II in 1988.

It is unclear how much time the special group has to operate or when their report will be due to Pope Francis. However it is expected that he will strongly consider their advice and will likely make some reforms based on their report.

© 2013, Distributed by NEWS CONSORTIUM.

Subscribe to MariaNews.com

March 31, 2013 / MariaNews.com

Easter Vigil Homily of Pope Francis: Let the Risen Jesus Enter Your Life

By Catholic Online

VATICAN CITY (Catholic online) – Below we present the official Vatican Text of the Homily offered to the faithful by Pope Francis at the Easter Vigil.

*****

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

In the Gospel of this radiant night of the Easter Vigil, we first meet the women who go the tomb of Jesus with spices to anoint his body (cf. Lk 24:1-3). They go to perform an act of compassion, a traditional act of affection and love for a dear departed person, just as we would. They had followed Jesus, they had listened to his words, they had felt understood by him in their dignity and they had accompanied him to the very end, to Calvary and to the moment when he was taken down from the cross.

We can imagine their feelings as they make their way to the tomb: a certain sadness, sorrow that Jesus had left them, he had died, his life had come to an end. Life would now go on as before. Yet the women continued to feel love, the love for Jesus which now led them to his tomb. But at this point, something completely new and unexpected happens, something which upsets their hearts and their plans, something which will upset their whole life: they see the stone removed from before the tomb, they draw near and they do not find the Lord’s body. It is an event which leaves them perplexed, hesitant, full of questions: “What happened?”, “What is the meaning of all this?” (cf. Lk 24:4).

Doesn’t the same thing also happen to us when something completely new occurs in our everyday life? We stop short, we don’t understand, we don’t know what to do. Newness often makes us fearful, including the newness which God brings us, the newness which God asks of us. We are like the Apostles in the Gospel: often we would prefer to hold on to our own security, to stand in front of a tomb, to think about someone who has died, someone who ultimately lives on only as a memory, like the great historical figures from the past. We are afraid of God’s surprises; we are afraid of God’s surprises! He always surprises us!

Dear brothers and sisters, let us not be closed to the newness that God wants to bring into our lives! Are we often weary, disheartened and sad? Do we feel weighed down by our sins? Do we think that we won’t be able to cope? Let us not close our hearts, let us not lose confidence, let us never give up: there are no situations which God cannot change, there is no sin which he cannot forgive if only we open ourselves to him.

But let us return to the Gospel, to the women, and take one step further. They find the tomb empty, the body of Jesus is not there, something new has happened, but all this still doesn’t tell them anything certain: it raises questions; it leaves them confused, without offering an answer. And suddenly there are two men in dazzling clothes who say: “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; but has risen” (Lk 24:5-6).

What was a simple act, done surely out of love – going to the tomb – has now turned into an event, a truly life-changing event. Nothing remains as it was before, not only in the lives of those women, but also in our own lives and in the history of mankind. Jesus is not dead, he has risen, he is alive! He does not simply return to life; rather, he is life itself, because he is the Son of God, the living God (cf. Num 14:21-28; Deut 5:26; Josh 3:10).

Jesus no longer belongs to the past, but lives in the present and is projected towards the future; he is the everlasting “today” of God. This is how the newness of God appears to the women, the disciples and all of us: as victory over sin, evil and death, over everything that crushes life and makes it seem less human. And this is a message meant for me and for you, dear sister, dear brother. How often does Love have to tell us: Why do you look for the living among the dead?

Our daily problems and worries can wrap us up in ourselves, in sadness and bitterness… and that is where death is. That is not the place to look for the One who is alive! Let the risen Jesus enter your life, welcome him as a friend, with trust: he is life! If up till now you have kept him at a distance, step forward. He will receive you with open arms. If you have been indifferent, take a risk: you won’t be disappointed. If following him seems difficult, don’t be afraid, trust him, be confident that he is close to you, he is with you and he will give you the peace you are looking for and the strength to live as he would have you do.

There is one last little element that I would like to emphasize in the Gospel for this Easter Vigil. The women encounter the newness of God. Jesus has risen, he is alive! But faced with empty tomb and the two men in brilliant clothes, their first reaction is one of fear: “they were terrified and bowed their faced to the ground”, Saint Luke tells us – they didn’t even have courage to look. But when they hear the message of the Resurrection, they accept it in faith.

And the two men in dazzling clothes tell them something of crucial importance: “Remember what he told you when he was still in Galilee. And they remembered his words” (Lk 24:6,8). They are asked to remember their encounter with Jesus, to remember his words, his actions, his life; and it is precisely this loving remembrance of their experience with the Master that enables the women to master their fear and to bring the message of the Resurrection to the Apostles and all the others (cf. Lk 24:9). To remember what God has done and continues to do for me, for us, to remember the road we have travelled; this is what opens our hearts to hope for the future. May we learn to remember everything that God has done in our lives.

On this radiant night, let us invoke the intercession of the Virgin Mary, who treasured all these events in her heart (cf. Lk 2:19,51) and ask the Lord to give us a share in his Resurrection. May he open us to the newness that transforms. May he make us men and women capable of remembering all that he has done in our own lives and in the history of our world. May he help us to feel his presence as the one who is alive and at work in our midst. And may he teach us each day not to look among the dead for the Living One.

Amen.

Subscribe to MariaNews.com

3 / 13 / 13 – Maria News

New Pope Francis Called Abortion the “Death Penalty for the Unborn”

LifeNews.com – The archbishop of Buenos Aires, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, has been selected to become the next Pope, leading the Catholic Church. Like his predecessors, Pope Benedict XVI and Pope John Paul II, he is a staunch pro-life advocate when it comes to abortion.

He once called abortion a “death sentence” for unborn children, during a 2007 speech and likening opposition to abortion to opposition to the death penalty.

In an October 2, 2007 speech Bergoglio said that “we aren’t in agreement with the death penalty,” but “in Argentina we have the death penalty.  A child conceived by the rape of a mentally ill or retarded woman can be condemned to death.”

The remarks came during the presentation of a document called the Aparecida Document, a joint statement of the bishops of Latin America.

In the document, the new Pope referred to abortion and communion, saying “we should commit ourselves to ‘Eucharistic coherence’, that is, we should be conscious that people cannot receive holy communion and at the same time act or speak against the commandments, in particular when abortion, euthanasia, and other serious crimes against life and family are facilitated.  This responsibility applies particularly to legislators, governors, and health professionals.”

Read the full story at LifeNews.com

Subscribe to MariaNews.com

March 13, 2013 / MariaNews.com

Welcome Pope Francis!

Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio Of Buenos Aires, has been elected to be the 266th pope of the Catholic Church, taking the name Pope Francis.

Francis was elected to the papacy after two days of conclave meetings with a total of five ballots cast. Voting in the conclave, which began Tuesday afternoon, is confidential and cardinals were sworn to secrecy, but Francis received at least 77 votes, which is the minimum two-thirds required to become pope. There were 115 cardinals eligible to vote in the conclave. All were under 80 before Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI’s retirement, as required by Vatican rules. In 2005, when Benedict was elected, it took two days and four votes to elect him.

Francis, whose papacy is effective immediately, will be formally installed in the coming days. It’s unclear when the installation Mass will happen, but Vatican spokesman Fr. Frederico Lombardi said earlier on Wednesday that Tuesday, March 19, the feast of St. Joseph, is a possible date. He spoke before white smoke signalled news of a new pope, and it was unclear if he expected a decision on Wednesday. Lombardi also said in the same interview that the new pope would likely celebrate Mass with cardinals the morning after his election.

Subscribe to MariaNews.com

March 13, 2013 / MariaNews.com

Cardinals Gather in Conclave, Church Gathers in Prayer, Come Holy Spirit

By Catholic Online

VATICAN CITY (Catholic Online) – The eyes of the world look to Rome, most with great interest in an institution which has endured for over 2,000 years, the Catholic Church. Rome is filled with a sense of hopeful anticipation. We will soon have a new Pope.

The speculation is over. The self styled experts have had their day in the sun. Now, the real work begins, in prayer – and by the power of the Holy Spirit. The Cardinal Electors gather to select the 265th successor of the Apostle Peter to govern the Church of Jesus Christ in this critical moment in history.

The Cardinal Electors will first concelebrate a pro eligendo Romano Pontifice Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica in the morning. The Holy See has released the order of Service which can be read here.Who will preach? It is presumed it will be the Dean of the College of Cardinals, Angelo Sodano.

It may be of interest that, in the traditional Catholic liturgical calendar, the Conclave falls on the Feast of St Gregory the Great. That Feast is celebrated in the revised liturgical calendar on September 3. No matter when it is celebrated, Gregory the Great would be a great model for our next Pope.

The last pro eligendo Romano Pontifice Mass celebrated was on April 18, 2005, following the death of Blessed John Paul II. Then Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, who went on to be elected and take the name Benedict XVI, gave a homily wherein he proclaimed these often quoted words:

“Today, having a clear faith based on the Creed of the Church is often labeled as fundamentalism. Whereas relativism, that is, letting oneself be “tossed here and there, carried about by every wind of doctrine”, seems the only attitude that can cope with modern times. We are building a dictatorship of relativism that does not recognize anything as definitive and whose ultimate goal consists solely of one’s own ego and desires.”

“We, however, have a different goal: the Son of God, the true man. He is the measure of true humanism. An “adult” faith is not a faith that follows the trends of fashion and the latest novelty; a mature adult faith is deeply rooted in friendship with Christ. It is this friendship that opens us up to all that is good and gives us a criterion by which to distinguish the true from the false, and deceit from truth. We must develop this adult faith; we must guide the flock of Christ to this faith. And it is this faith – only faith – that creates unity and is fulfilled in love.”

Catholics around the world, joined by other Christians who know the significance of this vote and the important office it will fill, are praying for the Holy Spirit to guide the entire election process. How desperately we need a holy, hearty, humble, naturally and supernaturally gifted, dynamically orthodox and courageous Pope to steer the Barque of Peter.

Tuesday afternoon, the 115 Cardinal Electors will come together in the Pauline Chapel where they will pray and reflect upon the momentous task with which they are entrusted by the Lord, who still works through His Church. They will then process, singing together the Litany of the Saints followed by the singing of the ancient hymn, Veni Creator Spiritus, invoking the Holy Spirit, into the Sistine Chapel, where they will be formally seated.

Cardinal Prospero Grech, an Augustinian friar from Malta, will present a biblical meditation on the grave duty entrusted to the Cardinals. Afterward, the 115 cardinals will take an oath pledging to be faithful to the rules of the conclave, maintain secrecy and not interfere with the process of electing the next Pope.  Cardinal Angelo Sodano will read the oath and each Cardinal will lay his hand upon the Book of the Gospels, and individually pronounce the oath.

After all the 115 Cardinals have taken the oath, the Master of the Papal Ceremonies, Msgr. Guido Marini ,will order anyone other than the Cardinal Electors and conclave participants to leave the Sistine Chapel. He takes his position at the wooden doors of that beautiful chapel and proclaims “Extra omnes!”  the, the doors close and the process begins.

We invite our readers around the world to spend tomorrow in a reflective and prayerful posture. We ask, wherever possible, that you attend Holy Mass or, at least make a visit to the Blessed Sacrament, to pray for the Cardinal Electors to be guided in their service to the Church. This papal election has profound importance in bot the Church and the world into which she is sent.

Faithful Catholics know that what may be perceived by some as an ancient or outdated process by some is, in reality, a vehicle through which the Lord will manifest His plan for the Church. It has immense implications for the Church - and the world into which she is sent to continue in time the work of her head and founder, Jesus Christ. The Church is Christ’s plan for the whole human race.

We do not make the Church in our image; the Church re-makes us into Christ’s Image through the grace which is mediated through the Sacraments, revealed in His Word and experienced in our ecclesial life together as members of the mystical Body of Christ. We are invited to exercise our human freedom and respond to the Lord’s continual gifts of grace.

The Church is the vine into which we are to be grafted. There we receive the nourishment we need to grow in holiness. The Church is the Risen Jesus, Sacramentally made present in the world. One of the most quoted sayings of the early Church fathers is from Cyprian of Carthage who wrote, “He cannot have God for his father who has not the church for his mother”.

The Church is where we learn to love as we enter into the communion of the Love of the Trinity by participation. Birthed from the wounded side of the “New Adam” on the altar of the Cross, the Church is His Body. He has been raised and the Head and the Body cannot be separated.

The early Christians believed that to belong to Jesus was to belong to His Church. They believed that just as we were all born from our mother’s womb – so we are invited by God, in and through Jesus Christ, to be born again into the Church, the new humanity being re-created in Him.

Catholic Christians still believe this. The process of redemption begins when we pass through the Sacramental Waters of the font of Holy Baptism. It continues as we cooperate with the Grace given to us in our life within the Church. We are called to grow in holiness, revealing the very life of Christ to a world waiting to be born again in Him.

Redemption will only be fully completed when the Lord Returns and we are raised in Resurrected Bodies and live in a new heaven and a new earth! This understanding of the Church as a real participation in Christ and entry into the Trinitarian Communion runs throughout the writings of the early Church Fathers.

Origen wrote: “Christ has flooded the universe with divine and sanctifying waves. For the thirsty he sends a spring of living water from the wound which the spear opened in His side. From the wound in Christ’s side has come forth the Church, and He has made her His bride”

Bishop Ireneaeus of Lyons, a disciple of Polycarp, who was himself a disciple of the Apostle John, wrote: “We need to take refuge with the Church, to drink milk at her breast, to be fed with the scriptures of the Lord. For the Church has been planted in the world as a paradise” The early Christians did not see the Church as something onerous or optional, they saw it as normative for every Christian and life giving.

The decision which could be made as early as tomorrow evening has extraordinarily important implications. We need to pray intensely and fervently. I close by inviting my readers to join with me in reciting this prayer, written by Archbishop William Lori of the Diocese of Baltimore, Maryland:

“O Lord Jesus Christ, Supreme Pastor of Your Church, we thank you for the ministry of Pope Benedict XVI and the selfless care with which he has led us as Successor of Peter, and Your Vicar on earth. Good Shepherd, Who founded Your Church on the rock of Peter’s faith and have never left Your flock untended, look with love upon us now, and sustain Your Church in faith, hope, and charity. Grant, Lord Jesus, in Your boundless love for us, a new Pope for Your Church who will please You by his holiness and lead us faithfully to You, who are the same yesterday, today, and forever. Amen.”

Subscribe to MariaNews.com

March 11, 2013 / MariaNews.com

Could you be the next pope? A list of what it will take

By Catholic Online

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) – There’s one other detail we ought to mention before you accept the hat. You will also lead the world’s largest empire of people in all history, and you are responsible for their well-being on Earth as well as their souls. Good luck!

That’s right, the pope is the world’s greatest emperor, ruling over the world’s largest empire – ever.

With over 1.2 billion Catholics on the planet, and faithful in every county, the pope cannot be an ordinary man. The work is crushing and the responsibility is overwhelming. What more proof do you need that God exists than to see one, typically elderly man, is actually able to manage such an empire himself?

In all world history, no individual has ever been responsible for so much. That’s why the selection of the pope is such a grave matter. The pope is an absolute monarch in an age of republics and tyrants. He must be a moral man, faithful to his very core. His every syllable will be recorded and studied for generations. It’s a tough job, which is why the Cardinals of the Church pray so mightily for God’s guidance, so they might select the one man on a planet of seven billion souls, who can shoulder the responsibility.

How exceptional must this man’s resume be? Here’s a list:

He must be the world’s greatest manager, ever.

A pope is many things, including a CEO. Under his direct supervision are several other heads of major worldwide corporations, archdiocese, religious orders, and semi-secular institutions such as the Vatican bank. The pope must work with each archbishop and director, must know them personally, and must coordinate and direct their efforts for the betterment of the Church. It’s not an easy task.

How hard is it? Imagine how hard it is to get your family to agree on what’s for dinner, or to get your friends to agree on the best sports team. Now imagine directing dozens to hundreds of people to agree on matters that affect the eternal souls of all human beings. Yes, it’s like that.

He must be charismatic.

People want to follow a man with charisma. Indeed, at this time, the Church needs stronger leadership than usual. The next pope will need to have charisma and will have to be more than an iron-fisted emperor. Instead, he will need to motivate and inspire reform and development within even the highest ranks of the Church. That he must also be popular with the people is obvious.

He must be able to communicate.

Communication means speaking clearly, conveying thoughts and ideas so they are easily understood and can be acted upon. This is a standard requirement for any leader, from powder-puff football captain to pope. However, to be the pope, that quality alone is still not enough. To be pope you must also be able to communicate clearly in multiple languages.

Not one, not two, but multiple. Plus Latin. English, Spanish , and Italian are the primary languages expected for a pope, as well as Latin. Any papal contender should have these four languages down. Beyond that, it’s value added. Pope Emeritus Benedict speaks, his native German as well as, English, French, Italian, Spanish, and Latin. He also knows some Portuguese and can read ancient Greek and biblical Hebrew.

This goes to show that it’s not enough to be a smooth talker at home. You also have to speak effectively around the globe.

He must be an evangelist.

The heart of a good religious leader is his ability to gather in the flock. It’s more than speaking clearly. It’s also telling a story that is so compelling that people will be inspired to act. With the Catholic Church facing tribulation both within and without, the winning of new souls and the retention of the old is a serious challenge. People need to hear good and encouraging news if they are to follow as they should.

This means the next pope cannot be camera shy, nor can he be a cloistered theologian. The next pope will be expected to behave almost as a rockstar at times, presenting himself to the faithful, and particularly the youth, in a way that resonates with the crowd. A pope who is aloof, who cannot work the crowd, will be quickly downplayed as the faithful lose interest. The ability to evangelize then, is an important quality.

The next pope must be a man of integrity.

What good times we enjoy to feel that integrity is implicit in any leadership position. It hasn’t always been the case, even with the popes. Unfortunately, recent scandals have caused many Catholics to question the integrity of the Church’s hierarchy.

It will be up to the next pope to lay those concerns to rest. The people must trust their Holy Father to clean up any scandal within the Church and to ensure that scandals do not repeat. There will need to be transparency, a break from the traditional veil of secrecy that until now has been an inherent part of Church culture.

The next pope will need to clean up the Church from the top down, removing poor and failed leaders, and replacing them with good, honest servants of God. People are expecting some spring cleaning within the Church. A fearless man of integrity at the helm will inspire millions to renew their faith, troubled by recent scandals.

The next pope must be able to connect with the people in the streets.

It’s well and good for popes to be theologians and brilliant leaders, but at the end of the day, all their work is to serve the common individual. The parishioner in the pew, the man in the street, the sick in bed, and the downtrodden and destitute in the house of charity.

The next pope must be able to connect with these people much as he can connect with his cardinals and archbishops. The conversations will be different. He must be able to speak plainly, comprehensibly, and on topics that matter to the individual.

If the next pope can connect with the parishioners on the street, then he will go a long way to building a lifelong rapport between the Church and the believer.  Ultimately, this may be the most fundamental criteria of all. Although he directs from Rome, the point of every decision is to do what’s best for the flock.

Now are you ready to start? You have a busy first day already lined up.

Some of the cardinals have been leaking some inside perspective on what they’re looking for. You can read about that here.

© 2013, Distributed by NEWS CONSORTIUM.

Subscribe to MariaNews.com

March 5, 2013 / MariaNews.com 

Cardinals Send Their Telegram of Gratitude to His Holiness Benedict XVI 

By Vatican Information Service

VATICAN CITY (VIS) – Fr. Federico Lombardi, S.J., director of the Holy See Press Office, in a press conference, gave updated information on the development of the General Congregations.

“On Monday afternoon from 5:00pm until 7:00pm,” he said, “the second General Congregation of the College of Cardinals took place, during which Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa, OFM Cap., preacher of the Pontifical Household, gave the first of the meditations provided for by the Apostolic Constitution.”

“Additionally, a further five Cardinal electors who had arrived in Rome swore the oath: Cardinal Bechara Boutros Rai, O.M.M., patriarch of Antioch of the Maronites, Lebanon; Cardinal Joachim Meisner, archbishop of Cologne, Germany; Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki, archbishop of Berlin, Germany; Cardinal Théodore-Adrien Sarr, archbishop of Dakar, Senegal; and Cardinal Dominik Jaroslav Duka, O.P., archbishop of Prague, Czech Republic.”

The cardinals are free to address the gathering, having only to sign up and then presenting in the order that they have signed in. Nine cardinals spoke and it was also decided that, on Tuesday and Wednesday, the Congregations will only be held in the morning.

Referring to the third Congregation that took place this morning from 9:30am until 12:40pm, Fr. Lombardi reported that two Cardinal electors-Cardinal Antonio Maria Rouco Varela, archbishop of Madrid and Cardinal Zenon Grocholewski, prefect emeritus of the Congregation for Catholic Education-and five cardinals who are over the age of 80 arrived and swore the oath. In total there were 148 cardinals present.

There were 11 speeches given by cardinals representing each of the continents and the topics discussed were: activities of the Holy See and its relations with bishops throughout the world; Church renewal in light of Vatican Council II; the Church’s position and the need for the New Evangelization in today’s world with its diverse cultural environments. Number 37 of Benedict XVI’s Motu Proprio concerning the beginning of the Conclave was presented to the prelates but no decision regarding its date was made.

There was also a proposal, endorsed by the Particular Congregation, to dedicate tomorrow afternoon to prayer in St. Peter’s Basilica. The Cardinal Dean, Angelo Sodano, will lead the prayers. This initiative will also serve as an invitation to the entire Church to pray at this important moment. The ceremony is open to the public so any faithful who so desire may attend.

In conclusion, the text of a telegram for Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, which was signed by Cardinal Dean Sodano, was approved. It reads: “To His Holiness, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, Castel Gandolfo.”

“The Cardinal Fathers, gathered at the Vatican for the General Congregations in view of the next conclave, send you their devoted greetings and express their renewed gratitude for all your illustrious Petrine ministry and for your example of generous pastoral care for the good of the Church and of the world. With their gratitude they hope to represent the recognition of the entire Church for your tireless work in the vineyard of the Lord. In conclusion, the members of the College of Cardinals trust in your prayers for them, as well as for the whole Church.”

Fr. Lombardi reported that the preparations for the Conclave have begun in the Sistine Chapel so it is now closed to visitors. He also presented data on the media coverage of the events of the Holy See in these days: 4,432 temporarily accredited journalists have joined the 600 permanently accredited journalists. The more than 5,000 journalists represent 1,004 news outlets, 65 nations, and 24 languages.

Subscribe to MariaNews.com