Call Alice…We’re in Wonderland

Do you ever get the sense that today we've wandered off into a kind of Wonderland? If you recall Lewis Carroll's story, you'll know that for young Alice the wonders of Wonderland weren't particularly pleasant. It was a land ruled largely by a "blind fury," the evil Queen of Hearts, who could make life there very difficult. 

Like Wonderland, our world, especially our corner of the world here in the once-United States of America, just gets stranger and stranger. Every few days, when I can stomach it, I check the news to get a sense of our current relationship with the cosmos. I'm inevitably assaulted by the truth -- at least, I assume it’s the truth. After all it’s on the Internet, so it must be true. Right? What follows are just a few of the assaults on my sense of normalcy that I’ve had to repel. 

Today we're the target of a direct assault, not just on our nation's long-held Judeo-Christian principles and Constitutional rights, but also on the Church itself. It's not enough simply to tolerate the sins of others; we must now openly celebrate them. As Americans we are being told to relinquish our First Amendment right to religious freedom and cower in the face of open attacks on God's Church and its magisterial teaching. This is something we cannot do.

Of course, we must remember that as Christians, we condemn no one, and leave decisions about one's salvation to each individual and to God Himself. But we are still called by God to "make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you..." [Mt 28:19-20]. Yes, indeed, we are called to teach God's commandments to all. And to do so, we must expose the attacks on God and His Church. We must also pray for those who are blinded by the temptings of the evil one, and pray that they will be open to God’s saving grace.

• Navy Drag Queen. The U.S. Navy now has a drag queen as a digital ambassador to aid in recruiting. As a retired Naval officer I’m more than a little outraged. First of all it’s morally despicable. But it’s also remarkably stupid. Does the Navy really believe a drag queen will help recruit the kind of sailors we need to keep the peace and perhaps fight the next war? The Navy chose one of its own petty officers to fill this critical billet, a Yeoman 2/C who goes by the name of Joshua Kelley, except when he slimes into his drag queen role and becomes Harpy Daniels. I find it interesting that, to my knowledge, the Navy's uniformed leadership has said little about all this. None have resigned in disgust because the Biden administration is doing everything in its power to undermine the readiness and morale of our armed forces. Believe me, our current and future enemies — the Chinese Communists, Putin’s Russia, Iran, North Korea, and a host of others — are laughing at us, amazed at our willingness to respond to their growing aggression with such idiocy. I can think of few things more dangerous than a potential enemy who looks at us and sees only weakness. Read the latest here: Navy Drag Queen Violates UCMJ

• U.S. Vatican Embassy Flies Pride Flag. The Biden administration, in its enthusiasm for celebrating so-called Pride Month in honor of a wide variety of sexual perversions collected under the alphabetic umbrella LGBTQIA+, decided to merge this enthusiasm with its equally passionate anti-Catholicism and fly the Pride flag at the U.S. Embassy building in the Vatican. To those who live these lifestyles, the fact that Catholicism considers them sinful is enough to accuse the Church of discrimination and persecution. In its public statement, the Embassy tweeted:

“During the month of June, the celebrates Pride Month . @usinholysee stands with the LBGTQI+ community against discrimination and other forms of persecution because of who they are and whom they love ”

 

Besides the Vatican, there are other nations who object to public celebrations of the LBGTQI+ community — for example, pretty much the entire Muslim world. I think I’m probably safe stating that the Pride flag did not fly outside the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia or in any other Muslim nation. Read more here: Pride Flag at Vatican US Embassy

• Prideful Jesuit. Fr. James Martin, S.J., the LGBTQwhatever apologist has given us another of his incredible statements via Twitter. Here's Fr. Martin's tweet:

“In June, Catholics celebrate the Month of the #SacredHeart. LGBTQ people celebrate #PrideMonth. LGBTQ Catholics celebrate both. One shows us how Jesus loves. The other shows us whom Jesus calls us to love today. 

June: Celebrating the Sacred Heart and celebrating Pride. Where would the Sacred Heart be today? It would be poured out in love on these people who seek love and acceptance.”

Yes, the Sacred Heart of Jesus pours out His love for all, but He neither accepts nor overlooks our sins. He instead tells our LGBTQ Catholics and others just what He told the woman caught in adultery:

Jesus looked up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you: go, and do not sin again” [Jn 8:10-11].

Recall how Jesus began His public ministry with the command:

“This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel” [Mk 1:15].

The first step, then, is always repentance, a change in how we live our lives, a decision to turn away from sin.  

Read more here: Priestly response to Fr. James Martin.

• Big Business Worships Evil. American businesses, large and small, used to accept that employees and customers were generally religious people. To attack religious values was seen as both immoral and bad business. My how things have changed. These days, when the gender crazies go after them, too many businesses simply roll over and do whatever they're told. Bud Light, Target, Kohls, the LA Dodgers, and a host of other companies have capitulated to the current zeitgeist, an ideology pushed forward by a mob representing perhaps 7% of the American population. And believe me, the mob's target isn't Target. No, the real target is God Himself. At their core these attacks have little to do with achieving basic rights for those in the LGBTQ community. They've enjoyed those rights for decades. No, this is an attack on God and His Church, and it will continue. As Archbishop Cordileone of San Francisco told his flock not long ago, "Gird your loins!" I think we're in for quite a ride, one that will certainly test our faith. 

Pray for strength, sisters and brothers. Are all the signs beginning to merge, perhaps pointing to the end times, to the times of worldwide persecution before the glorious return of Our Lord? I haven't a clue. But that doesn't keep me from praying those words of John the Apostle with which he concludes his Book of Revelation: 

The one who gives this testimony says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen! Come, Lord Jesus! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. [Rev 22:20-21]

George Cardinal Pell, R.I.P.

Cardinal Pell, the Australian prelate whom liberals love to hate, and, along with Joseph Cardinal Zen, is among the most persecuted of modern cardinals, died last Tuesday at the age of 81. His funeral Mass will be celebrated today in Rome. May he rest in peace. 

I won’t offer a eulogy here since those who knew him best will do that far better than I. But if you want to come to a better understanding of this remarkable man, just read his three-volume Prison Journals. I also suggest reading another of his books: Test Everything: Hold Fast to What Is Good.

How influential was Cardinal Pell? The Wall Street Journal, certainly no particular friend of the Church, described him as “the most influential Catholic churchman in the English-speaking world.” I certainly agree.

Since March of 2022 a rather lengthy memo has circulated among the cardinals who presumably will take part in the next conclave. The anonymous author called himself “Demos” (Greek for “people”) and most knowledgeable folks in the Vatican believed it was written by a cardinal. After Cardinal Pell’s death, Sandro Magister, a veteran Catholic journalist revealed that Pell was actually the memo’s author.

The 2,000-word memo consists of two sections — “The Vatican Today” and “The Next Conclave” — in which Pell provides a detailed and rather intense description of the papacy of Pope Francis. It is not complimentary. Cardinal Pell, who had been a close collaborator of Pope Francis, had been brought in to clean up the Vatican’s messy financial operations. Pell, however, came to believe Francis’ papacy was trying to take the Church in the wrong direction. In another article, apparently written shortly before the cardinal’s death, he expressed his growing concern about what he sees as serious moral lapses and wokeness on the part of the Vatican:

“...deepening confusion, the attack on traditional morals and the insertion into the dialogue of neo-Marxist jargon about exclusion, alienation, identity, marginalization, the voiceless, LGBTQ, as well as the displacement of Christian notions of forgiveness, sin, sacrifice, healing, redemption.”

In the memo Cardinal Pell pulls no punches and states that “Commentators of every school, if for different reasons … agree that this pontificate is a disaster in many or most respects; a catastrophe.” He also declares that “The Holy Father has little support among seminarians and young priests and wide-spread disaffection exists in the Vatican Curia.”

The memo’s first section describes a litany of problems affecting the Church today, largely, Pell believes, resulting from decisions made by Pope Francis. The second section, addressing the next conclave, focuses on what the kind of pope the Church will need in the near future. Cardinal Pell’s description is clear and concise:

“The Pope does not need to be the world’s best evangelist, nor a political force. The successor of Peter, as head of the College of Bishops, also successors of the Apostles, has a foundational role for unity and doctrine. The new pope must understand that the secret of Christian and Catholic vitality comes from fidelity to the teachings of Christ and Catholic practices. It does not come from adapting to the world or from money.”

I could include the entire memo here, but it is readily available elsewhere. You may or may not agree with Cardinal Pell's assessment of Francis' papacy and the current state of the Church, but it is still worth reading. It certainly shouldn't be swept under the rug. Read it and, as you always do, pray for Pope Francis and for the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church.

Here’s the link to the original memo: A Memorandum. (Note that the memo was posted on the site before the author's identity was revealed.) 

Inauguration Confusion Among U. S. Bishops

Apparently the U.S. Bishops are not of one mind when it comes to our new president, Joseph Biden. It also seems the Vatican stepped in as well and created even more confusion. I became aware of all this when I read the statement released yesterday by USCCB President, Archbishop Jose Gomez of Los Angeles, addressing the new president and his administration. I first read the statement not on the USCCB website, but on a diocesan site. It seems, however, the statement was released prematurely because the site later deleted it. I then read reports that the Vatican had requested the USCCB delay its publication, presumably because its language would place limitations on the pope’s future dealings with the new president. As it turned out, the statement was eventually released, apparently in its original form, although a little late.

In his statement the Archbishop waxed eloquently about President Biden’s Catholic faith, adding that "it will be refreshing to engage with a President who clearly understands, in a deep and personal way, the importance of religious faith and institutions." Presumably, the archbishop found President Trump's consistent focus on religious freedom, the right to practice one's faith without government interference, and respect for the lives of unborn children to be less than refreshing. 

 

To his credit, though, Archbishop Gomez went on to criticize strongly the new president's proposed “policies that would advance moral evils and threaten human life and dignity, most seriously in the areas of abortion, contraception, marriage and gender,” as well as concerns for the “liberty of the Church and the freedom of believers.”

I also read reports that some bishops, specifically Cardinal Joseph Tobin of Newark and Cardinal Blasé Cupich of Chicago, among others, were particularly upset by this criticism of the new president. Both cardinals are among Pope Francis closest allies among the U.S. Bishops. After the USCCB statement was finally released, Cardinal Cupich went public with his criticism of Archbishop Gomez:

“Today, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops issued an ill-advised statement on the day of President Biden’s inauguration...Aside from the fact that there is seemingly no precedent for doing so, the statement, critical of President Biden came as a surprise to many bishops, who received it just hours before it was released.”

I expect, though, had there been a referendum among U.S. Bishops on the release of the USCCB statement, Archbishop Gomez would have won hands down.

 

Here’s a link to the complete statement by Archbishop Gomez on the occasion of President Biden’s Inauguration: USCCB Statement

The Church Under Attack

My apologies for taking this post offline for a few hours. There were some link problems and other issues that had to be fixed. I think it's all OK now - DGM
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One doesn't have to look very far to find signs of the world's attack on the Church. Here are just a few examples from this week's news.

NFL and NFLPA agree that church attendance is apparently not a good thing. I can only assume that the National Football League considers church services, which traditionally take place on Sunday, a form of competition that should be suppressed.

The league, in its new agreement with the NFL Players Association, bans players from attending any church service with an attendance greater then 25% of the church's capacity. In addition to its ban on church attendance, this latest collective bargaining agreement also prohibits players from attending such indoor venues and activities as nightclubs, bars, concerts, professional athletic events, and parties with more than 15 people in attendance. Players who violate the agreement will be fined. The NFL also encourages members of the community to report players they see attending church services...nice touch.

Conspicuously absent from the list of prohibited activities are protests. In fact, the NFL, recently tweeted that, "We, the NFL... encourage all to speak out and peacefully protest...We believe Black Lives Matter." And on its various social media accounts, the league shares photos of its players taking part in protests across the country.

One can only hope that the faithful will turn their collective backs on the NFL this season...assuming there is a season.

Destruction of Catholic Statues. The recent outbreak of statue and monument defacement and destruction seemed to begin with Black Lives Matter "protestors" taking aim at public statues of Confederate generals and politicians. But BLM and its fellow travelers in Antifa have deep Marxist roots. Their attacks on statues and symbols have, therefore, expanded to include anything or anyone who supported what we might loosely call "Western Civilization."

We're observing a new form of atheistic iconoclasm directed at Christianity in general, and the Catholic Church in particular. Indeed, the Catholic Church is the perfect "target of opportunity" for these iconoclasts because of its universal presence and because it uses many different forms of artistic expression to honor our God and His saints. Among these expressions are statues displayed on the grounds of many of its churches. In recent weeks many Catholic churches across the country have had statues defaced, damaged, or destroyed.

Public statues have also been attacked. Several statues of St. Junipero Serra, the early missionary to California who so deeply loved, defended, and protected the native people to whom he ministered, have been destroyed. As a protective measure many others have been moved to safe locations. After a statue of Father Serra in Golden Gate Park was destroyed, Archbishop Cordieone of San Francisco led the faithful in a Rosary, then prayed Pope Leo XIII's Exorcism Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel in Latin and sprinkled the site with holy water. Thank you, Archbishop. California Catholics have also taken part in vigils at the sites of many religious statues to protect them from vandals.

In Missouri, when vandals threatened to destroy the statue of St. Louis, local Catholics announced a public Rosary and counter-demonstration. Predictably, they were labeled as "white nationalists" by those bent on destruction. But the protective vigils continue despite physical attacks by BLM and Islamists.

I've provided a link (below) to a site worth visiting. It includes several videos (click on the Twitter links) showing the attacks on peaceful, prayerful Catholics protecting the statue of this saintly king:

Violent BLM Activists Attack Peaceful Prayer

Bible and Catechism as Hate Speech in Scotland? According to a bill making its way through the Scottish Parliament, Scots could be accused of criminal hate speech if they quoted the Bible or the Catholic Catechism. The bill would criminalize behavior or communication that stirs up hatred against any of the protected groups covered by the bill. These include race, religion. sexual orientation, and transgender identity.

Such legislation simply makes cancel culture legal, and permits the prosecution of anyone who disagrees with the current zeitgeist. Great Britain, once a champion of free speech, might well become the West's most intolerant and anti-religious society. Predictably, the Scottish government has defended the bill:

"Religious beliefs are an integral part of Scottish society and this Bill does not change that in any way...The Bill does not criminalize religious beliefs or practices and possessing a Bible would not constitute an offense...The Bill includes provisions on freedom of expression to provide reassurance that the prohibition on stirring up hatred will not limit people's right to express their faith...No one can commit a stirring up of religious hatred offense unless they act in a threatening and abusive manner or communicate threatening or abusive material that is intended to stip up hatred or likely to stir up hatred."

The problem, of course, is deciding how to define exactly what constitutes "threatening or abusive" behavior or communication. It will be interesting, and perhaps foreshadowing, to watch how this all plays out in Scotland.

Joe's Pro-Abortion VP Choices. If you know me, you can probably guess that I won't be voting for Joe Biden. As I've stated many times, I have never voted for a pro-abortion candidate and never will. How sad that Joe Biden, a Catholic, is so beholden to Planned Parenthood, NARAL, and other anti-life groups, that he rejects the teachings of the Church on a multitude of issues. And sadder still that the Democrat party seems to have made abortion the key criterion for party support. Years ago pro-life Democrats were not uncommon, but not today. And, predictably, not one of Biden's current candidates for the VP job is pro-life. I find that especially troubling since all four of the top candidates are black Americans, a group that has been particularly savaged by abortion. Margaret Sanger, a eugenics supporter, founded Planned Parenthood to limit the "less desirable" races.Today, abortion is the leading cause of black American deaths, taking the lives of thousands of beautiful black infants every year.

Not long ago, Joe Biden said, "We are in a battle for the soul of this nation." I couldn't agree more, Joe.

Failure of China-Vatican Agreement? One wonders when the world will finally accept that the Communist Party of China (i.e., the Chinese government) is simply unable to be truthful or honor agreements. 

Two years after the 2019 signing of the agreement between the Vatican and the Chinese government -- an agreement, by the way, that remains secret -- Chinese Catholics in the underground Church state that "parish places of prayer have been closed, the public celebration of Sunday Mass is no longer allowed, priests can do nothing but celebrate Mass privately in the house of some faithful, without communicating too many faithful for participation. Despite this, even private Masses are often stopped by local officials, not to mention catechesis courses." 

And this is the underground Church, the Church in China that has always been in union with Rome. But, not surprisingly, this persecution isn't restricted to the underground Church. Members of the "official" Church are experiencing identical restrictions. 

The 2019 agreement was, of course, intended to eliminate such persecution. Sounds like a terrific agreement if the goal is to destroy what was once a growing and vibrant Catholic Church in China. And then, to add salt to the wound, the Chinese have recently hacked into the Vatican's computer systems in advance of September's planned talks regarding the renewal of the 2019 agreement.

And Chinese Catholics aren't alone. The communists have applied the same level of persecution to other religions as well. Indeed, the persecution of the Uighurs (a Muslim sect) is horrendous and includes concentration camps and forced sterilization.  

Perhaps it's time for the Vatican to accept that it was a serious mistake to enter into this agreement since no accord with a communist government has ever led to greater religious freedom. Far better for the Vatican to support Chinese Catholics both openly and clandestinely, to encourage governments to apply pressure on China to honor the religious freedom of its citizens, and to call on the faithful to pray for the conversion of communist China.

Note: To learn more about the persecution of the Catholic Church in China, read Joseph Cardinal Zen's enlightening book: For Love of My People: I Will Not Remain Silent.

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There's so much more in this week's news, but I'm too tired and it's time for dinner.

A Book By a Great American

I am proud to say that in all my years as a Massachusetts resident I never voted for former Senator John Kerry. And I certainly didn't vote for him when he ran for president, a race that, thankfully, he lost. Why did he fail? I've always believed one key reason was the public exposure of his less than honorable service during and after the Vietnam conflict. And this exposure was largely due to John O'Neill who formed the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth to counter the steady stream of untruths told by Kerry after his return from Vietnam. The future senator and Secretary of State told many a whopper about his supposed heroics, but far worse he lied about the honorable service of the truly heroic men who served in Vietnam and fought the Viet Cong in the Mekong Delta. Our nation owes a debt of gratitude to John O'Neill for making the truth known.

John Kerry with Jane Fonda

John O'Neill and I are Naval Academy classmates -- Class of 1967 -- which for me is a true honor. My own service in Vietnam doesn't compare to that of John and his fellow warriors in the Brown Water Navy. As a Navy helicopter pilot I flew some search and rescue missions, mostly off the coast of Vietnam, but John and his crews were truly in the thick of things. Yes, indeed, we owe them a lot. It's just so sad that politicians of both parties failed in their responsibility to those whom they sent into harm's way by losing a most honorable and winnable conflict.

Brown Water Navy

But that's all behind us now...well, mostly. And John, too, has turned to other things. In fact, he has written a book, and a wonderful book it is!   

I've long been fascinated by the story of the excavations that uncovered the tomb of St. Peter beneath the Vatican Basilica that bears his name. Over 30 years ago I read John Walsh's book, The Bones of St. Peter. But that earlier book only whetted my appetite to know more.

Remains of St. Peter's Tomb

And then 10 years ago, Diane and I, on one of our trips to Rome, managed to get tickets for the tour of the tombs beneath St. Peter's Basilica. Called the Scavi Tour, it's limited to about a dozen people and includes the tomb of St. Peter and the necropolis uncovered during the excavations. It was a fascinating experience and the highlight of our visit. I even posted a brief description of the tour on this blog: Click here. (Should you not be able to visit Rome and take the tour, you can still experience the virtual tour online. Click here.) And yet, even after that up-close-and-personal visit, I still wanted to know more about the history of the excavations. 

John O'Neill's book, The Fisherman's Tomb: The True Story of the Vatican's Secret Search, has answered all my questions. It's tells the captivating and true story of the search for St. Peter's tomb, a search necessarily conducted in secrecy since it began in the midst of World War II when Hitler's Wehrmacht occupied Rome. It's an exciting story with a remarkable cast of characters: Pope Pius XII, one of my heroes; Margherita Guarducci, a remarkable archaeologist and epigrapher, a woman you will never forget; and a Texas oilman who secretly funded the entire project. John O'Neill has given us a real page-turner. I sat down, opened the book, and began to read. I couldn't put it down until I finished hours later. Get the book. You'll love it!

I actually have to buy another because a friend grabbed my copy the other day and has yet to return it.

Misrepresenting Pope Francis

Aren't you glad you're not the pope? Every pope from Peter to Francis has been asked to bear a cross of one kind or another. For some, like Peter himself, the cross was very real, a companion in both life and death. Peter and many of his successors were men who understood their own weaknesses and accepted God's gift of strength. But others, fortunately far fewer in number, rejected the gift, found the weight of the cross too much to bear, and let it fall, too often onto the shoulders of others.

In modern times we have been blessed with remarkable popes who have been asked to bear some very heavy crosses. Each was publicly ridiculed, wantonly misunderstood, and constantly attacked, always by the smallest of men; and yet each was a man of great humility, so we will never know how much they suffered as they led the Church from Peter's chair.

Our current Holy Father, Pope Francis, is no exception. The world, particularly the secular media, seems determined to misunderstand the man and present him as someone he isn't. He is offered to us as a rebel who will overturn Church teaching on any number of issues that just drive the world to distraction. We are told the pope will "clarify" teachings on such things as contraception, abortion, and homosexual marriage. He will be the anti-Ratzinger and tone down the "excesses" of his predecessors. We can expect an easing of the liturgical strictures imposed by John Paul II and Benedict XVI. Of course, none of ths is true. It is all based on a few isolated comments taken out of context, along with a willful disregard of a lifetime of orthodoxy.

A lot of falsehoods have been written about Pope Francis, so many in fact that the Vatican felt compelled to issue a statement on it's news Facebook page. I've included the entire statement below.
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FALSE STATEMENTS ATTRIBUTED TO POPE FRANCIS

Dear friends, we have been notified by many readers that there are stories currently circulating all over the Internet spreading statements by Pope Francis with regard to a number of issues, concerning the Bible’s content, the relations between religions, the renewal of the Church’s doctrine, and even the calling of an alleged “Third Vatican Council”, which are FALSE. These statements were spread by unknown sources. Therefore, we would like to alert all readers to be careful and not to trust too soon news about the Pope that are not from the Vatican.

There are also many social networks pages that try to put false information in circulation, taking advantage of the fact that it is easy to “throw the stone and hide the hand”.

Many people are also now aware that ALL FACEBOOK PROFILES OF POPE FRANCIS /JORGE MARIA BERGOGLIO ARE NOT OFFICIAL PAGES AND THEY HAVE NOT BEEN AUTHORIZED TO OFFICIALLY REPRESENT THE POPE, THEREFORE THEY SHOULD CLEARLY STATE THEY ARE JUST ‘FAN PAGES’.

We encourage all readers to check the official Vatican media sources for further confirmation of Pope Francis’ statements, or even to check what exactly he said with reference to specific issues.

IF THE STATEMENTS ATTRIBUTED TO THE POPE BY ANY MEDIA AGENCY DO NOT APPEAR IN THE OFFICIAL MEDIA SOURCES OF THE VATICAN, IT MEANS THAT THE INFORMATION THEY REPORT IS NOT TRUE.

Below is a list of the official Vatican media which you should use as valid reference to be sure that any reported statement referred to the Pope is true:

- News.va: a news aggregator portal, it reports the news and information from all the Vatican media in one website, available in five languages: www.news.va
News.va also has a facebook page: www.facebook.com/news.va

- L’Osservatore Romano: www.osservatoreromano.va

- Radio Vaticana: www.radiovaticana.va

- VIS (Vatican Information Service): www.vis.va

- Holy See Press Office:www.vaticanstate.va/content/vaticanstate/en/altre-istituzioni/sala-stampa-santa-sede.html

- Centro Televisivo Vaticano: www.ctv.va
or www.vatican.va/news_services/television/

- Vatican.va: the official website of the Holy See, where you can find the full text of all speeches, homilies and Apostolic documents by the Pope: www.vatican.va

- PopeApp: the official app for smartphones dedicated to the Pope (Copyright News.va)

- @Pontifex: the official Twitter profile of the Pope.

The only official facebook profiles representing the Holy Father and the Vatican are those from News.va and the Vatican media (see the above list of Vatican media).

We would like to thank you all for your kind attention as well as for your notifications and suggestions. Please do share this information as much as possible with your contacts! Thank you very much!

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Art Restoration

My first visit to the SistineChapel was in the year 2000, several years after the remarkable restoration of Michelangelo's work had been completed. I can recall the moment when Dear Diane and I first stepped through the doorway and tried to take in the overwhelming beauty of that work. It was truly breathtaking. I remember thinking that what we saw, all 5,000 square feet of it, was pretty much was Pope Julius II saw when the frescoes were finally finished after four years of work by the master. The restoration, accomplished by some of the best experts in the field, actually required 12 years to complete, which says much about the poor condition of the frescoes after nearly 500 years.



Unfortunately, all restorations are not handled quite so professionally. The other day I came across an article describing the "unofficial" restoration of a fresco in the church of Santuario de la Misericordia in Borja, Spain. The fresco, "Ecce Homo" (Behold the Man), which depicts Jesus crowned with thorns, had suffered damage over the years due largely to flaking as a result of moisture in the church walls. It seems a local parishioner, an elderly woman, decided to undertake its restoration with less than desirable results. The photos below show the fresco as it originally looked, in it's damaged state, and after its "restoration". One hopes it can be repaired.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Christmas 2011

Over the past week or so I've come across several news stories, most related to Christmas, that I decided might be of interest to those who read this blog. I found these stories intriguing because they span the globe and don't really form a cohesive whole or obvious pattern. The events described depict our world in all its often contradictory strangeness, and show us how ill-advised it can be to draw general conclusions from single events. I'll refrain from making too many editorial comments and will let the stories speak or themselves, letting you draw your own conclusions.

Indonesia. Members of a number of Muslim groups attended Christmas Masses in Catholic churches and services in Protestant churches in an effort to discourage attacks by Islamic terrorists who have targeted these churches in the past. 1,500 members of one of these groups, the Muslim United Organization, actually patrolled Christian churches to protect them from attack. The result for Indonesian Christians was one of the most peaceful Christmas seasons in recent years. To read more: Muslim commitment ensures peaceful Christmas

Bethlehem and Gaza. This is the story of two Christmases, one in Bethlehem, a city in Israel governed by the secular Fatah of the Palestinian National Authority, and the other in Gaza, ruled by Hamas. This Christmas in Bethlehem, over 100,000 Christians from across the globe celebrated Christmas, worshiping the newborn Jesus in Manger Square. For Fatah Christmas is a real money-maker, and they also must accept that large numbers of Arab Christians still live in Bethlehem. But in Gaza, where all is controlled by the Hamas Islamist terrorists, there were no Christmas celebrations by the Christians living there. They know better. Any public display of their Christian faith can have dire consequences. Even the UK's leftist, pro-Palestinian Guardian found the plight of Gaza Christians worth addressing: Hamas cancels Christmas. To read more on the difference between these two celebrations: Bethlehem and Gaza

USA and Canada. From Toronto to Florida it's apparently become an "in thing" to steal the Baby Jesus from nativity scenes. The thieves seem to be interested only in the Baby Jesus and generally do not take the other statues in the nativity scenes. Although I have my suspicions, I won't hazard any guesses as to the motives behind these odd thefts and will let you decide for yourselves. Read more here: Baby Jesus thefts

Nigeria.  For the second straight year, Islamist terrorist have attacked Catholic churches in Nigeria at Christmas. This year 39 people were killed in the attacks; last year 32 were killed. And each year dozens more have been seriously injured. The group responsible for the attacks, Boko Haram, has as its goal the institution of Sharia Law throughout Nigeria. According to their spokesman, "There will never be peace until our demands are met. We want all our brothers who have been incarcerated to be released; we want full implementation of the Sharia system and we want democracy and the constitution to be suspended." I suspect such a group is not likely to engage in meaningful negotiation. To read more: Church attacks in Nigeria

Boston. The famed MBTA, Boston's subway authority, donned a Scrooge suit on Christmas night instead of the traditional "gay apparel", and reprimanded one of their dispatchers for programming the lyrics to "Deck the Halls" on the Park Street LED sign that normally displays only the date and time. Apparently the authority's authorities considered any display of Christmas spirit in the bleak underground world of the MBTA to be undesirable. Passengers, however, seem to disagree. Speaking of the cheery sign, one rider, Miriam Monlisa Gharavi, stated, “...it's probably one of the best things they’ve ever done. I can’t remember the last time the T made somebody smile.” To read more: MBTA Scrooges dispatcher

Vatican City. Pope Benedict XVI, in his final general audience of 2011, urged the faithful to focus on the truth and reality of Christmas and not so much on the often distracting externals. In his words, "Christmas greetings, which are exchanged in these days, must not lose their religious significance in today's society and the celebration must not be absorbed by external aspects that touch the heartstrings. Certainly, the external symbols are beautiful and important, provided they do not distract us, but rather help us to experience Christmas in its truest sense, which is sacred and Christian, so that our joy is not superficial but profound." The pope added, "Today - every day - we are invited to discover the presence of God's saving love in our midst. In the birth of Jesus, God comes to us and asks us to receive him, so that he can be born in our lives and transform them, and our world, by the power of his love. The Christmas liturgy also invites us to contemplate Christ's birth against the backdrop of his paschal mystery. Christmas points beyond itself, to the redemption won for us on the Cross and the glory of the Resurrection. May this Christmas fill you with joy in the knowledge that God has drawn near to us and is with us at every moment of our lives." To read his entire address: Papal Audience

Bangladesh. An interesting effort undertaken by a Buddhist has resulted in the construction of a hostel for that welcomes orphaned, abandoned and disabled tribal children, Buddhist and Christian, with the aim of educating them so they will have a significant impact on the future of the nation. Joined by several of his colleagues, the founder, Mong Yeo Marma, who spent much of his own childhood in an orphanage, has already built a Christian chapel and a Buddhist temple on the grounds of Hill Child Home. According to Mong Yeo, "This sense of frustration is something you carry inside you from when you are small. This is why this hostel is so important. It provides opportunities for these kids to grow up in an environment where they feel welcome and accepted for who they are, where they can explore, discover and develop their talents, to learn respect for and the value of women. Even the tribal children are the future of this country and education plays a fundamental role. Only when the entire population is educated, can there be a real development of the state. Education is the cornerstone of a nation." To read more: Bangladesh hostel

Yes, it's a strange, unpredictable world. Thank God for God, and the power of His love.

The Rabbi and the Pope

Lord Jonathan Sacks, the Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom and the British Commonwealth, paid a visit this week to Pope Benedict XVI in a private audience at the Vatican. During his visit Rabbi Sacks echoed what the pope has been saying for years and expressed his concerns about Europe and the rejection of its Judeo-Christian roots. "We are very concerned obviously with the soul of Europe, I mean Europe was built on Judeo-Christian foundations, even the market was built on Judeo-Christian foundations,” the rabbi later stated in an interview with Vatican Radio. He believes these Judeo-Christian roots are responsible for Western civilization's remarkable political and economic success over the centuries.

The rabbi added that although religious leaders are powerless in the world's eyes, they can exert a tremendous amount of influence in the world. Indeed, he stated that the pope's influence brought him to Rome "because I think if Jewish and Christian voices are heard, along parallel lines, then they should not underestimate the influence they have.” Rabbi Sacks was impressed by the overwhelming positive response to Pope Benedict's visit to England and Scotland last year and the "acute and...widespread" interest the pope's trip generated.

At the same time he also expressed optimism that many Europeans are beginning to question the secularism and materialism at the root of so many of Europe's problems. They have come to recognize that "there is something lacking in the wider secular culture where all that matters is ‘what I am, what I spend, what I buy, what I earn,’ instead of ‘what I am.’” Rabbi Sacks has noticed symptoms of this new awareness in the increase in attendance at synagogues and among Jewish parents who are now enrolling their children in Jewish schools.

Rabbi Sacks also urged Christians and Jews to unite against anti-Christian and anti-Jewish persecution throughout the world, and only recently condemned the persecution of Christians during a debate in the House of Lords.

To read more click here:

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks on Vatican Radio

Rabbi Sacks delivers inaugural Pope Benedict Lecture in UK (September 2011) -- Listen to audio file


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