Ubi Petrus

Dom has a very interesting point in his post about the Diocese of San Diego declaring bankruptcy. I’ll let him do the talking first:

However we got here, with whomever the fault lies, the fact is that it is the whole Church that must dig ourselves out of this mess. The solution isn’t just found in the Pope or the bishops or the priests, but in all of us because we are all the People of God, the Body of Christ, a Universal Family.

I’m afraid the worst may be yet to come, but I believe that it behooves the rest of us to continue to pray, repent, and reform. Yes, I said repent, because if there’s one lesson we learn in the Scriptures, it is that the sins of my brother are indeed my responsibility. For whose sins did Christ climb that cross? His? Of course not. It was our sins He carried and for which He suffered and in that He taught us a valuable lesson about how to conduct ourselves. We are our brother’s keepers and our duty is not just to point out faults and complain and demand that someone else clean up the mess, but for us to start with ourselves and to pray and sacrifice. And, yes, to point out the problems and complain too. No one says we have to be silent about the problems we see, but we can’t be passive observers either.

Now if that isn’t a Lenten message, I don’t know what is. I, for a variety of reasons, have begun flipping through Genesis recently which is the reason for the post title. We cannot be the Cains of the modern world asking God, “am I my brother’s keeper?” and acting as if there was never anything we could have done differently, even in the slightest way.

Someone, somewhere will tell me this is suggesting the laity are to blame for the abuse scandal. Remeber Dom’s words: “we are all the People of God, the Body of Christ, a Universal Family.” You are your Bishop’s keeper, and that duty starts with prayer for him and continues with repentance and reform on our parts to help him do his job. As a liturgical nit, I often have thought that the “in union with XXX our Pope, YYY our Bishop…” section of the prayer was always under-valued. Yet another opportunity for good catechesis.

After reading this very long and very interesting post over at Open Book (and I can’t wait for her to continue this series on what promises to be a very interesting book), and after a rather, erm, interesting discussion at our RCIA class regarding morality, I’ve decided to be completely insane. I’ve added John Paul II’s Theology of the Body to my Lenten practices this year. The whole thing. The reason I think, at this point, I’m nuts is because the introduction alone is 128 pages.

But that, frankly, doesn’t matter at this point. After having read just a few pages I’ve realized this book speaks directly to much that I’ve been ruminating about theologically and certainly seems a basis for (or perhaps a parallel corollary to) much of the theology I’ve been reading from then-Cardinal Ratzinger. After our discussion this weekend (the launch point for the “interesting” part was a combination of statements that when put together said effectively the Church has effectively left decisions on birth control up to the person since no one ever talks about them from the pulpit…I think I maintained admirable composure, thank you very much) I realized that this was one area of my theological formation that needed some significant plumping up.

It should be an interesting ride. I’ve already realized how long it’s been since I read anything significant by John Paul II, a rather unfortunate coincidence of timing and priorities rather than a specific plan. The positive part is that my von Balthasar book still won’t be here from Amazon until around March 5, so I have some time to get a jump on things.

There’s a great discussion on tradition and traditionalism going on at The Shrine of the Holy Whapping. The discussion started with Dan’s post Tradition and Traditionalism and is continued today with What We’ve Learned and Why It Matters. I have to admit, living in a diocese where the TLM is not celebrated at all (the nearest TLM is, I believe, in Still River, MA – over an hour away) and entering the Church well after the Pauline Missal was well-established I have never seen a TLM in person so I’m not the best commentator on the subject. But what catches me in the discussion is the desire, in part, to utilize the TLM (or its dialog mass variant) as, among other things, a font of refreshment for the Pauline Mass and not just as a way to assuage those who feel some attachment to the older rite.

Indeed, that is my true interest in seeing the TLM opened for free celebration as the community needs (i.e. more Masses for those parishes who are overflowing their TLM celebrations without the need to get special permission from the Bishop). I will assert, and argue if necessary, that the Pauline Mass can be prayed in an honest, faithful and yes even vertical fashion. I will further assert and argue that it is not prayed in that fashion more often than it is. This is precisely where I hope the TLM can provide an opening into the deep treasure of the possibilities of a properly prayed Mass and perhaps impress upon those willing to listen the possibility that “full and active participation” need not involve clericalization of the laity, waving arms or holding hands – that the participation of a soul in deep and intimate communion with the God becoming present in substantial form at the hands of the priest at the altar is, in the end, the greatest “active” participation one can have.

From CNA:

Algiers, Feb 26, 2007 / 09:22 am (CNA).- A group of Trappist monks have plans to return to Algeria, following an 11-year absence, to establish a new community. The monks left the country for Morocco in 1996, after the murder of seven French Trappists during Alegeria’s bloody civil war.

Cardinal Philippe Barbarin of Lyon shared the news with reporters during a visit to the monks’ graves at Our Lady of Atlas monastery. The now-abandoned monastery is located near Medea, 70 km south of Algiers.

The Cardinal called for prayers for this new effort, especially since previous attempts at establishing a new community had failed.

Cardinal Barbarin was on a tour of the country with Azzedine Gaci, President of the Rhone-Alpes Regional Muslim Council, in an effort to promote inter-religious understanding. Both men led prayers in the monastery’s courtyard, calling for brotherhood and dialogue.

In the 1990s, the Trappists at Our Lady of Atlas monastery — the only monastery in Algeria — had decided to stay on despite threats against them by militants. Seven were eventually abducted in March 1996 and killed two months later by the Guerrillas of the Armed Islamic Group, after France refused to negotiate the release of Algerian-Islamist detainees.

The monks had worked among the people in the poor district. They had provided free medical care, a service that is deeply missed by the locals.

Pray for them and their apostolate. It is a mission the Church cannot ignore, and an area of the world sorely in need of all the services the Church has to offer.

Reading Fr. Martin Fox’s post about the “Jesus tomb” fiascostory got me to thinking. Among other very insightful statements, he says:

It’s providential insofar as it will occasion quite a bit of discussion about what Resurrection means.

Another way it’s providential is that it will help clarify who stands for what, and help Christians realize the scalding hatred that is and always will be directed against our Lord.

Some will no doubt say that’s a case of whistling past the graveyard, that this is yet another heavy attack on Christianity in general and Catholicism in particular (albeit only slightly more in this case, unlike Da Vinci). Certainly, there will be some few whose already very weak faith in Christ and his Church is shaken to the breaking point, and for them we feel and moreso pray. But the truth is simply that this attack will not lead to the emptying of churches, just as Da Vinci failed to spark mass exodus.

More is waiting for us, however. God does not waste opportunities, and it is up to us to make true and full what Fr. Fox states above, that this attack of woefully inadequate intellectual proportions becomes instead a providential opportunity to reinforce the faith of those who may be inclined to believe in it and find their faith in a loving God who lived, breathed, suffered, died and rose for each and every one of them and maybe, just maybe it will become an opportunity for the catechesis we have been longing for.

We should be thankful Mr. Cameron was, frankly, stupid enough to bring this story out at a time when the Church (Catholic and catholic) is more focused on what it is and what it is called to be than at any other time in the year. Deny Easter when people are so tightly focused on deepening their understanding of what Easter is, how it is true and why it matters. What a feat of incompetent marketing. They’ve done their part – the question is, do we do our part? God doesn’t waste opportunities – will we?

Update: I see The Anchoress has also made the same type of statement, saying, “I think it’s an extraordinarly good thing that this issue is coming up during Lent, when we’re already supposed to be in a mindset of humility and conciliation.” I’d say great minds think alike, but I don’t want to insult her.

From CWN:

Vatican, Feb. 26, 2007 (CWNews.com) – Attacks against the right to life are increasing, Pope Benedict XVI (bio – news) warned members of the Pontifical Academy for Life during a private audience on February 24.

The Holy Father expressed particular concern about “the obsessive search for the perfect child.” The use of advanced biotechnology, he warned, threatens to unleash “a new wave of eugenic discrimination.”

In his remarks to the members of the Pontifical Academy, who had gathered in Rome for their 13th general assembly, the Pope remarked that arguments in defense of life are based not upon sectarian religious beliefs but on “the natural law written on the heart,” and therefore accessible to “all people of sound conscience.”

Despite the inherent logic of the arguments for life, the Pontiff continued, assaults on human dignity are proliferating. He listed the drive for legalization of abortion in Latin America, the use of “new forms of chemical abortion under the pretext of reproductive health,” the mounting international campaign for population-control measures, the quest for “designer babies,” the pressure for legalization of euthanasia and assisted suicide, and the drive to obtain government recognition for “forms of cohabitation alternative to marriage and closed to natural procreation.”

In light of these dangers, the Pope said, Christians have an urgent responsibility to educate their neighbors, to counteract “the inclination of the masses and the flattery of propaganda.”

“Life is the primary good we have received from God, the foundation of all the others,” the Pope pointed out. The campaign to protect that gift “is a duty upon which the future of humanity depends.”

Some will say there isn’t much we can do about this. I say we must remain vigilant and not lose heart for it is truly not our work that will bring an end to this scourge but that of God Himself working through us. We must not allow people to sink into the comfortable self-assurance that these things of which the Pope speaks do not all have a common root and a common aim. Satan does not stop – neither can we.

Rich Leonardi has a great interview with the Cincinnati Director of Vocations, Fr. Kyle Schnippel (of Called by Name fame) at Catholic Exchange. He also blogged about it briefly here, and I think the title of the post says it all – “Faithfulness attracts others”. Perhaps the greatest attractant for priestly vocations is a happy, holy, faithful priest as an example to follow; the same can be said for vocations to the different forms of consecrated life and the diaconate as well. For me, the money quote is:

Fr. Schnippel: It is pretty simple, actually: happy priests attract other priests. A priest who is content and fulfilled in his ministry, who loves his people and his parish (even with the warts) will have that joy come across in what he does and how he interacts with his parishioners. Then, when a young man thinks about the priesthood, the image of a happy man who is making a difference in other people’s lives will come up. Faithfulness attracts others, because people recognize that it is not about him, it is about him leading others to Christ, whom he knows and loves. It very much squares with my experience. Parishes with good, strong pastors, who have a clear identity of who they are, attract more vocations than a parish that is run by a team without strong leadership from the priest.

I’ve been looking for a three-column template for quite a while now and finally stumbled on Blogcrowds. For those of us to whom XML is YALWDU (Yet Another Language We Don’t Understand) Blogcrowds is a great resource. First, they provide all sorts of three-column templates absolutely free – but even better is the forum for Q&A for anyone trying to tweak their blog just so. The question is, do you like the three-column look or not?

I should also apologize to anyone who may have stumbled on this blog while I was in the midst of my gyrations of trying to get it all to work. There were some very trying times, and some downright ugly goof-ups in the process. Forgive me if you got caught up in one of them. So…should I keep the three columns or go back to the old template? Speak now or forever hold your peace…

From CWN:

Feb. 23, 2007 (CWNews.com) – The University of Regensburg– where Pope Benedict XVI (bio – news) once taught theology and where he made the most controversial speech of his pontificate to date– is planning to publish a complete set of the Pontiff’s written work.

The Regensburg project would include all of the books and essays written by Joseph Ratzinger from his early days as a theology professor through his work as Roman Pontiff. The collection, which would span many volumes, would be annotated by scholars at Regensburg. The university, with support from the Regensburg diocese, is creating a faculty position to study the Pope’s work.

Pope Benedict taught theology at Regensburg from 1969 until 1977, when he was named Archbishop of Munich. He remains on the faculty roster as an honorary professor, and still owns a home near the university.

Because, you know, I don’t have enough reading to do already… Truth be told, by the time they’re able to publish the set, I may actually be done with my to-be-read pile. If you believe that, I have a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you… Even so, I’m very excited someone is taking on this voluminous task.

From CWN:

Pope Benedict XVI (bio – news) has announced that he will soon release the apostolic exhortation summarizing the work of the Synod on the Eucharist, which concluded its deliberations 16 months ago.

The appearance of the apostolic exhortation is “imminent,” the Holy Father told priests of the Rome diocese, during a traditional early-Lenten meeting in the Hall of Benedictions at the Vatican on Thursday morning.

The only downside is this:

Pope Benedict did not mention the motu proprio that he is also expected to release in the near future, allowing broader use of the pre-conciliar Latin liturgy. Several Vatican journalists have suggested that the motu proprio is likely to appear in conjunction with the apostolic exhortation on the Eucharist, although the Holy See has not confirmed that speculation.

But, as they say, it is expected they will be released close together, if not simultaneously. I had just been thinking about writing that I didn’t expect to see anything on either of these issues during Lent so as to not distract from the season, nor immediately after Easter for the same reason (and think of the diocesan offices having to deal with new requests for TLM masses during the already busy Lent and Easter seasons). It’s possible I’m still right in that thought, or it’s possible that pastoral concern makes it prudent to issue one or both sooner for the fullness of Easter. Either way, both the fact of the word “imminent” and the fact it came from Pope Benedict’s own lips are rather significant developments.