Podcasts about apostolic palace

The Late Show Pod Show with Stephen Colbert

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 22, 2024 Transcription Available

Full Text of ReadingsTuesday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 474The Saint of the day is Saint John Paul IISaint John Paul II's Story “Open wide the doors to Christ,” urged John Paul II during the homily at the Mass where he was installed as pope in 1978. Born in Wadowice, Poland, Karol Jozef Wojtyla had lost his mother, father, and older brother before his 21st birthday. Karol's promising academic career at Krakow's Jagiellonian University was cut short by the outbreak of World War II. While working in a quarry and a chemical factory, he enrolled in an “underground” seminary in Kraków. Ordained in 1946, he was immediately sent to Rome where he earned a doctorate in theology. Back in Poland, a short assignment as assistant pastor in a rural parish preceded his very fruitful chaplaincy for university students. Soon Fr. Wojtyla earned a doctorate in philosophy and began teaching that subject at Poland's University of Lublin. Communist officials allowed Wojtyla to be appointed auxiliary bishop of Kraków in 1958, considering him a relatively harmless intellectual. They could not have been more wrong! Bishop Wojtyla attended all four sessions of Vatican II and contributed especially to its Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World. Appointed as archbishop of Kraków in 1964, he was named a cardinal three years later. Elected pope in October 1978, he took the name of his short-lived, immediate predecessor. Pope John Paul II was the first non-Italian pope in 455 years. In time, he made pastoral visits to 124 countries, including several with small Christian populations. John Paul II promoted ecumenical and interfaith initiatives, especially the 1986 Day of Prayer for World Peace in Assisi. He visited Rome's main synagogue and the Western Wall in Jerusalem; he also established diplomatic relations between the Holy See and Israel. He improved Catholic-Muslim relations, and in 2001 visited a mosque in Damascus, Syria. The Great Jubilee of the Year 2000, a key event in John Paul's ministry, was marked by special celebrations in Rome and elsewhere for Catholics and other Christians. Relations with the Orthodox Churches improved considerably during his papacy. “Christ is the center of the universe and of human history” was the opening line of John Paul II's 1979 encyclical, Redeemer of the Human Race. In 1995, he described himself to the United Nations General Assembly as “a witness to hope.” His 1979 visit to Poland encouraged the growth of the Solidarity movement there and the collapse of communism in central and eastern Europe 10 years later. John Paul II began World Youth Day and traveled to several countries for those celebrations. He very much wanted to visit China and the Soviet Union, but the governments in those countries prevented that. One of the most well-remembered photos of John Paul II's pontificate was his one-on-one conversation in 1983, with Mehmet Ali Agca, who had attempted to assassinate him two years earlier. In his 27 years of papal ministry, John Paul II wrote 14 encyclicals and five books, canonized 482 saints and beatified 1,338 people. In the last years of his life, he suffered from Parkinson's disease and was forced to cut back on some of his activities. Pope Benedict XVI beatified John Paul II in 2011, and Pope Francis canonized him in 2014. Reflection Before John Paul II's funeral Mass in St. Peter's Square, hundreds of thousands of people had waited patiently for a brief moment to pray before his body, which lay in state inside St. Peter's for several days. The media coverage of his funeral was unprecedented. Presiding at the funeral Mass, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger—then dean of the College of Cardinals and later Pope Benedict XVI—concluded his homily by saying: “None of us can ever forget how, in that last Easter Sunday of his life, the Holy Father, marked by suffering, came once more to the window of the Apostolic Palace and one last time gave his blessing urbi et orbi (‘to the city and to the world'). “We can be sure that our beloved pope is standing today at the window of the Father's house, that sees us and blesses us. Yes, bless us, Holy Father. We entrust your dear soul to the Mother of God, your Mother, who guided you each day and who will guide you now to the glory of her Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.” Learn more about Saint John Paul II! Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

s2e30 History of Prints The Enlightenment (part one)

Platemark

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 16, 2024 98:24

In Platemark's History of Prints series, we are leaving the Baroque behind and are turning to the Enlightenment. The late seventeenth and eighteenth century is a fascinating time when social ideas focused on the value of knowledge in all sectors. Rationalism and empiricism led to the scientific revolution, the separation of church and state, literary salons, and for the purposes of this episode, art academies. The era saw the establishment of taxonomies, dictionaries, encyclopedias, and studies of foreign cultures. The results of all of these studies led to both good and bad, leading Tru and I to discuss alternate terms for the era beyond the Enlightenment: the Endarkenment and the Enwhitenment. Listen in as we parse out this fascinating moment in history. You can listen to Platemark or watch a video version. Links to all the possibilities are on the episode page at www.platemarkpodcast.com. George Peabody Library, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore. Hyacinth Rigaud (French, 1659–1743). Louis VIX, 1700–01. Oil on canvas. 277 x 194 cm. (109 x 76 3/8 in.) The Louvre, Paris. Aerial view of Versailles. Nicolas Poussin (French, 1594–1665). Et in Arcadia ego, 1637–38. Oil on canvas. 85 × 121 cm. (34 1/4 × 47 1/4 in.). Louvre, Paris. Gian Lorenzo Bernini (Italian, 1598–1680). Bust of Louis XIV, 1665. Marble. Palace of Versailles. Façade of the Louvre Museum. Nicolas Poussin (French, 1594–1665). Landscape with St. John Patmos, 1640. Oil on canvas. 100.3 × 136.4 cm (39 1/2 × 53 5/8 in.). Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago. Johann Zoffany (German, 1733–1810). The Academicians of the Royal Academy, 1771–72. Oil on canvas. 101.1 x 147.5 cm. Royal Collection Trust. Raphael (Italian, 1483–1520). School of Athens, 1509–11. Stanza della Segnatura, Apostolic Palace, Vatican. Roman. Laocoön and His Sons, 27 BCE–68 CE. Marble. 208 × 163 × 112 cm. (82 × 64 × 44 in.). Museo Pio-Clementino, Vatican City. Wax ecorché figure. Science Museum, London. Johann Zoffany (German, 1733–1810). William Hunter Lecturing, 1770–72. Oil on canvas. Royal College of Physicians, London. Anton von Maron (German, 1733–1808). Portrait of Johann Joachim Winkelmann, 1767. Oil on canvas. 136 x 99 cm. (53 ½ x 38 7/8 in.). Collection of Schloss Weimar, Weimar, Germany. Jacques-Louis David (French, 1748–1825). The Oath of the Horatii, 1784/85. Oil on canvas. 10.8 x 13.9 ft. Louvre Museum, Paris. Jan van Riemsdyck, Plate VI from The Anatomy of the Human Gravid Uterus. London: S. Baker & G. Leigh, 1774. Engraving. Francisco de Goya (Spanish, 1746–1828). Plate 43 from Los Caprichos: The sleep of reason produces monsters (El sueño de la razon produce monstruos), 1799. Etching and aquatint. Plate: 8 3/8 x 5 15/16 in. (21.2 x 15.1 cm.); sheet: 11 5/8 x 8 1/4 in. (29.5 x 21 cm.). Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Denis Diderot (French, 1713–1784). Title page and frontispiece from Encyclopédie, ou dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers. Paris : André le Breton, Michel-Antoine David, Laurent Durant, and Antoine-Claude Briasson, 1751–72.

new york history chicago art school germany baltimore anatomy landscape collection athens bust physicians palace portrait fa oil enlightenment vatican anton plate johns hopkins university oath versailles louvre bce royal college wax arcadia aerial prints marble art institute baroque metropolitan museum royal academy breton weimar louis xiv tru vatican city science museum stanza rationalism printmaking encyclop engraving etching his sons academicians royal collection trust apostolic palace horatii

Stephen Presents: David Sedaris

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 27, 2024 16:49

Stephen's back on the podcast with exclusive stories from his trip to The Vatican to meet Pope Francis! Hear all about his time at the Apostolic Palace where he was joined by an all-star lineup of comedians and comic artists, including author, old friend, and subject of today's podcast: David Sedaris, whose message to graduates at his 2018 commencement address was that they're perfectly well-equipped for poverty and rejection. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

vatican pope francis david sedaris apostolic palace

News from EWTN Norway: Pope Francis: Jesus in the Eucharist strengthens us in times of trial

EWTN via myPod

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 23, 2024 3:40

Pope Francis: Jesus in the Eucharist strengthens us in times of trialBy Courtney MaresJesus does not spare us from difficulties but strengthens us with the Eucharist to have the courage to face them, Pope Francis said in his reflection on Sunday's Gospel.Speaking from the window of the Apostolic Palace on June 23, Pope Francis asked the crowd gathered below in St. Peter's Square to reflect on how they usually deal with times of trial.Full text story:https://ewtn.no/pope-francis-jesus-in-the-eucharist-strengthens-us-in-times-of-trial/Photo creditPope Francis delivers a message to pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Square for his Sunday Angelus on June 23, 2024, at the Vatican. | Credit: Vatican Media Episode: https://share.transistor.fm/s/07841cd2 Podcast: http://www.ewtn.no

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I'm Ready for You Lord

In Your Presence

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 21, 2024 30:47

This is a meditation preached by Fr. Eric Nicolai on March 15th 2024 at Ernescliff College. It is based on Wisdom 2, 12-20: Let us lie in wait for the righteous man,because he is inconvenient to us and opposes our actions; he reproaches us for sins against the law, and accuses us of sins against our training.He professes to have knowledge of God,and calls himself a child of the Lord.He became to us a reproof of our thoughts;the very sight of him is a burden to us,because his manner of life is unlike that of others,and his ways are strange.We are considered by him as something base,and he avoids our ways as unclean;he calls the last end of the righteous happy, and boasts that God is his father.Let us see if his words are true,and let us test what will happen at the end of his life; for if the righteous man is God's son, he will help him, and will deliver him from the hand of his adversaries." This reality of what is to come serves as a principle of hope in our life. A principle of stability, a guiding post for meaning and purpose in all that will happen. Music: 'First Snow' by Scott Buckley - released under CC-BY 4.0. www.scottbuckley.com Thumbnail: Disputation of the sacrament by Raphael, 1509, Apostolic Palace, Vatican city.

god music lord wisdom vatican scott buckley first snow apostolic palace eric nicolai

Mabuting Balita l Enero 18, 2024 – Huwebes l Ikalawang Linggo ng Taon

PAULINES ONLINE RADIO

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 17, 2024 5:39

Mabuting Balita l Enero 18, 2024 – Huwebes Ikalawang Linggo ng Taon Ebanghelyo: Marcos 3:7-12 Lumayo si Hesus na kasama ang kanyang mga alagad papunta sa dagat. Maraming taga-Galilea ang sumunod sa kanya. Mayroon din namang mga taong galing sa Judea at Jerusalem, at sa Idumea at sa kabilang ibayo ng Jordan, at sa Tiro at Sidon. Maraming-marami ang nagpunta sa kanya nang mabalitaan nila ang lahat niyang ginagawa. Kaya tinagubilinan niya ang kanyang mga alagad na ihanda ang isang bangka para sa kanya dahil maraming tao, at baka nila siya maipit. Marami na siyang pinagaling kaya pilit siyang inaabot ng lahat ng may karamdaman para mahipo siya. Sinusugod siya ng mga inaalihan ng maruruming espiritu pagkakita sa kanya. Nagpapatirapa sila sa kanyang paanan at pasigaw nilang sinasabi: “Ikaw ang Anak ng Diyos.” Ngunit tinagubilinan niya silang huwag siyang ibunyag. Pagninilay Narinig natin sa Mabuting Balita, na isang malaking pulutong ng tao, mula sa iba't ibang lugar at rehiyon ang sumusunod kay Hesus. Malamang sila'y naglalakbay ng maraming araw, upang makita si Hesus. What was it that drew people to Jesus? Marahil, magkaka-iba ang sagot. Ang ilan sa kanila ay dahil curious, kaya gusting makita si Hesus. Ang iba nama'y naghahanap ng kagalingan. Gusto ng iba, na mapakinggan ang mga aral at turo ni Hesus. Mangilan-ngilan sa kanila, gustong malaman kung siya nga ba ang Mesiyas. Ang iba naman, humanap ng ebidensyang gagamitin laban sa kanya. Ikaw naman, kapanalig? Bakit ka naaakit kay Hesus? Ano ang iyong pangunahing layunin sa pagsunod sa kanya? Isa sa mga dahilan, kung bakit positibo ang tugon ng mga tao kay Pope Francis, ay dahil nakikita nila sa kanya si Kristo - sa kanyang kababaang-loob at pagiging simple. Ipinakita ni Pope Francis ang kanyang sarili sa mundo, bilang isang icon ng pagiging simple at mababang-loob. Iniiwasang gamitin ni Pope Francis ang papal limousine, at hindi siya tumira sa magarbong Apostolic Palace. At ang mga tao mula sa lahat ng dako, sa lahat ng antas ng pamumuhay, ay hinangaan at iginagalang siya. Isinasabuhay at sinusunod ni Pope Francis ang turo ng kanyang Gurong - si Hesukristo. Mga kapanalig, tayo din ay nahaharap sa isang malaking hamon na tularan ang Panginoong Hesus. Ang Kanyang pagpapakumbaba ay nagbibigay ng tamang landas at nagsisilbing-daan, upang maitanim natin sa iba ang katotohanan ng Mabuting Balita. Ano kaya ang magiging epekto, kung mas makikita ng mga tao si Kristo sa atin? Nawa'y ang ating presensya ay maging isang magnet, na umaakit sa mga tao upang maihatid natin sila sa Diyos. Amen.

jesus christ jerusalem amen pope francis enero ang judea anak ano gusto kaya tiro sidon mga nawa bakit kristo ikaw maraming diyos marami hesus ngunit mayroon linggo apostolic palace malamang huwebes mabuting balita

December 12, 2023

The WorldView in 5 Minutes

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 12, 2023 3:03

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - Pope Francis on Monday received the prefects of the Italian Republic in the Clementine Hall of the Apostolic Palace and expressed his concern about the low birth rate in the country, lamenting that many times “dogs take the place of children.” Pope Francis reflected on the environmental issue and the “emergencies that are now frequent and involve everyone; linked to atmospheric phenomena that should be unusual and extraordinary, they have become common due to climate change.” He also highlighted his concern about the low birth rate in Italy, “a country that lacks children and the migrants come.” “I am concerned about the problem of the low birth rate here in Italy. They're not having children,” the Holy Father pointed out. Finally, he invited the prefects to think about the responsibility “that Italians have to have children to raise them and also to welcome immigrants as sons and daughters.” https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256242/pope-francis-expresses-concern-about-italy-s-low-birth-rate The bishop of the Diocese of Sacramento, California, announced on Saturday that “after careful consideration and consultation” the diocese will be filing for bankruptcy amid a slate of over 250 clergy abuse lawsuits. Sacramento Bishop Jaime Soto said in a Saturday statement that Chapter 11 bankruptcy is the “only respectful, transparent, and fair way to address the substantial number of claims” and “sustain the sanctifying, teaching, and charitable work” of the diocese. The diocese, which has 102 parishes serving over 1 million faithful, will likely file for bankruptcy in March 2024, according to the bishop. Without bankruptcy, he said the diocese would likely not be able to give all the abuse survivors filing lawsuits “fair consideration of their claim.” https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256241/diocese-of-sacramento-to-file-for-bankruptcy-amid-over-250-clergy-abuse-lawsuits A Catholic priest in Nebraska died Sunday after being stabbed at a parish rectory, the Archdiocese of Omaha said. Police identified a suspect in the case late on Sunday. The sheriff's office named the suspect as 43-year-old Sioux City, Iowa, resident Kierre Williams. No motive was given in the press release, though the sheriff's office said the incident involved an “attempted break-in.” The priest grew up in Omaha and attended the College of Saint Thomas — now the University of Saint Thomas — and Saint Paul Seminary; he was ordained in 1984. In 2007, Gutgsell pleaded guilty to embezzling more than $100,000 from Saint Patrick Catholic Church in South Omaha. He received five years of probation in connection with that case. He returned to priestly ministries later that same year. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256239/nebraska-priest-dies-after-stabbing-in-parish-rectory-suspect-arrested Today, the Church celebrates Our Lady of Guadalupe. In the 1530s, a Native man named Juan Diego, at Mary's direction, found roses growing on a hill near Mexico City, even though it was winter. He gathered them into his cloak, or tilma. When he unfurled the cloak in the presence of the bishop to show him the roses, a miraculous image of Mary was on the tilma. It wasn't until the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared that the native people began to accept Christianity on a large scale. Today, the image forms an inextricable part of the history of Mexico, and facilitated the evangelization of an entire people. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/our-lady-of-guadalupe-82

university california church college mexico christianity italy italian police iowa nebraska sacramento native mexico city omaha pope francis our lady diocese archdiocese holy father juan diego saint thomas sioux city catholic news agency catholic news apostolic palace saint paul seminary

Pope removed pro-life, anti-perversion Catholic bishop; Victory in two Finnish religious liberty cases; Celebrating the life of Augustine

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 15, 2023

It's Wednesday, November 15th, A.D. 2023. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard at www.TheWorldview.com. I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Jonathan Clark Victory in two Finnish religious liberty cases Praise God! A Christian politician and a Lutheran bishop won their free speech case in Finland yesterday. The Helsinki Court of Appeal dismissed all charges against parliamentarian Päivi Räsänen as well as Bishop Juhana Pohjola. The ruling upholds a similar acquittal from last year. Both individuals faced a trial for “hate speech” after publicly expressing their Christian beliefs on marriage and sexual ethics. After the latest ruling, Räsänen said, “It isn't a crime to tweet a Bible verse or to engage in public discourse with a Christian perspective. The attempts made to prosecute me for expressing my beliefs have resulted in an immensely trying four years, but my hope is that the result will stand as a key precedent to protect the human right to free speech.” Church of England considers blessing sexual perversion Over in the United Kingdom, the Church of England's General Synod meets this week to consider blessings for people living sexually perverted lifestyles. Back in February, the Synod already approved plans to introduce such blessings. Meanwhile, the Church of England reports attendance continues to rise since the pandemic, but has not fully rebounded. The number of people who attended worship regularly was 984,000 last year, an increase of 20,000 compared with 2021. However, it is still down from over 1.1 million people in 2019. Jeremiah 10:21 says, “For the shepherds have become dull-hearted, and have not sought the LORD; therefore they shall not prosper, and all their flocks shall be scattered.” Catholic Church signals support for transgenderism The Roman Catholic Church is also signaling its support for sexually perverted lifestyles. Responding to a question from a Brazilian bishop, the Vatican wrote last week, “A transsexual — undergoing hormonal treatment and sex reassignment surgery — can be baptized, under the same conditions as other faithful, if there are no situations in which there is a risk of generating public scandal or disorientation in the faithful.” Pope removed pro-life, anti-perversion Catholic bishop On top of that, Pope Francis removed a prominent bishop in Texas over the weekend. Bishop Joseph Strickland is known for opposing abortion and sexual perversions. He has also been a strong critic of the pope. You can write a letter of objection to Pope Francis, Apostolic Palace, 00120 Vatican City, Italy. Supreme Court introduces code of conduct In the U.S., the Supreme Court released its first code of conduct on Monday. The move comes after months of pressure from the media and lawmakers over several of the justices. Conservative Justice Clarence Thomas has faced criticism for taking undisclosed luxury trips provided by a Republican megadonor. Other reports have noted how liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor used court staff to promote the sale of books she has authored. The new code of conduct does not introduce any major changes, but “represents a codification of principles that we have long regarded as governing our conduct.” U.S. inflation did not rise Overall U.S. inflation did not rise last month. It's the first time in over a year that month to month inflation did not budge. October's core inflation was just 0.2%. And year-over-year inflation rose 4% last month, down from 4.1% in September. Economists expect the slowdown means the Federal Reserve will not continue to hike interest rates. The Fed may even begin to cut rates next year. America's population will start shrinking in 2100 The Census Bureau released its population projections for the U.S. last week. America's population is expected to stop growing by 2080 and to begin shrinking by 2100. It's the first time the bureau has anticipated a decline in population. Deaths are expected to outpace births by 2040. With declining birth rates, only a high immigration rate would keep the population growing. Celebrating the life of Augustine And finally, this week marks the birth of Augustine of Hippo. The renowned Christian theologian was born on November 13, A.D. 354 in what is modern-day Algeria, Africa. Augustine's early life was marred by prodigal living. His mother faithfully prayed for him for years before his eventual conversion in his 30s. This took place after he providentially came across Romans 13:13-14, which says, “Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in … drunkenness … and sensuality. … But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.” Augustine would go on to become Bishop of Hippo, a Roman province in North Africa. An able scholar, he turned his mind to the theological battles of his day, producing Christian classics like Confessions and The City of God. Augustine's life and work would have a dominating influence on Western civilization. The Protestant Reformers, in particular, would quote him extensively in their efforts to reform the church over a thousand years later. Close And that's The Worldview in 5 Minutes on this Wednesday, November 15th in the year of our Lord 2023. Subscribe by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com. Or get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

Today's Catholic Mass Readings Sunday, October 22, 2023

Afternoon Drive with John Maytham

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 22, 2023 Transcription Available

Full Text of ReadingsTwenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 145The Saint of the day is Saint John Paul IISaint John Paul II's Story “Open wide the doors to Christ,” urged John Paul II during the homily at the Mass where he was installed as pope in 1978. Born in Wadowice, Poland, Karol Jozef Wojtyla had lost his mother, father, and older brother before his 21st birthday. Karol's promising academic career at Krakow's Jagiellonian University was cut short by the outbreak of World War II. While working in a quarry and a chemical factory, he enrolled in an “underground” seminary in Kraków. Ordained in 1946, he was immediately sent to Rome where he earned a doctorate in theology. Back in Poland, a short assignment as assistant pastor in a rural parish preceded his very fruitful chaplaincy for university students. Soon Fr. Wojtyla earned a doctorate in philosophy and began teaching that subject at Poland's University of Lublin. Communist officials allowed Wojtyla to be appointed auxiliary bishop of Kraków in 1958, considering him a relatively harmless intellectual. They could not have been more wrong! Bishop Wojtyla attended all four sessions of Vatican II and contributed especially to its Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World. Appointed as archbishop of Kraków in 1964, he was named a cardinal three years later. Elected pope in October 1978, he took the name of his short-lived, immediate predecessor. Pope John Paul II was the first non-Italian pope in 455 years. In time, he made pastoral visits to 124 countries, including several with small Christian populations. John Paul II promoted ecumenical and interfaith initiatives, especially the 1986 Day of Prayer for World Peace in Assisi. He visited Rome's main synagogue and the Western Wall in Jerusalem; he also established diplomatic relations between the Holy See and Israel. He improved Catholic-Muslim relations, and in 2001 visited a mosque in Damascus, Syria. The Great Jubilee of the Year 2000, a key event in John Paul's ministry, was marked by special celebrations in Rome and elsewhere for Catholics and other Christians. Relations with the Orthodox Churches improved considerably during his papacy. “Christ is the center of the universe and of human history” was the opening line of John Paul II's 1979 encyclical, Redeemer of the Human Race. In 1995, he described himself to the United Nations General Assembly as “a witness to hope.” His 1979 visit to Poland encouraged the growth of the Solidarity movement there and the collapse of communism in central and eastern Europe 10 years later. John Paul II began World Youth Day and traveled to several countries for those celebrations. He very much wanted to visit China and the Soviet Union, but the governments in those countries prevented that. One of the most well-remembered photos of John Paul II's pontificate was his one-on-one conversation in 1983, with Mehmet Ali Agca, who had attempted to assassinate him two years earlier. In his 27 years of papal ministry, John Paul II wrote 14 encyclicals and five books, canonized 482 saints and beatified 1,338 people. In the last years of his life, he suffered from Parkinson's disease and was forced to cut back on some of his activities. Pope Benedict XVI beatified John Paul II in 2011, and Pope Francis canonized him in 2014. Reflection Before John Paul II's funeral Mass in St. Peter's Square, hundreds of thousands of people had waited patiently for a brief moment to pray before his body, which lay in state inside St. Peter's for several days. The media coverage of his funeral was unprecedented. Presiding at the funeral Mass, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger—then dean of the College of Cardinals and later Pope Benedict XVI—concluded his homily by saying: “None of us can ever forget how, in that last Easter Sunday of his life, the Holy Father, marked by suffering, came once more to the window of the Apostolic Palace and one last time gave his blessing urbi et orbi (‘to the city and to the world'). “We can be sure that our beloved pope is standing today at the window of the Father's house, that sees us and blesses us. Yes, bless us, Holy Father. We entrust your dear soul to the Mother of God, your Mother, who guided you each day and who will guide you now to the glory of her Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.” Learn more about Saint John Paul II! Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

Archbishop of Cape Town Stephen Brislin has been elevated to the high rank of cardinal

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 11, 2023 9:03

Stephen Brislin is the Catholic Archbishop of Cape Town and he joins Pippa to celebrate the honour of his new role as ‘Cardinal'. Pope Francis elevated him on a list of names of Priests from across the globe on Sunday during his Angelus prayer from the window of the Apostolic Palace on Saint Peter's Square.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

square rank cape town pope francis priests cardinal elevated archbishop saint peter angelus catholic archbishop apostolic palace saint peter's square

April 10, 2023

Rebuilding The Renaissance

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 10, 2023 2:00

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - Pope Francis encouraged Christians to not be held back by fear of judgment, but to share the good news of Christ's resurrection with others.Pope Francis addressed a crowd of people in St. Peter's Square from a window of the Apostolic Palace for Monday of the Angel. Following his brief message, he recited the Regina Caeli, a Latin antiphon honoring the Virgin Mary which is prayed during the Easter Season. From Easter Sunday to Pentecost, Pope Francis will pray the Regina Caeli instead of the Angelus on Sundays. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/254057/pope-francis-share-the-good-news-of-christ-s-resurrection-with-others A top US military hospital ended its contract with a community of Franciscan friars just before Holy Week, putting a for-profit firm in charge of Catholic pastoral care, according to the Archdiocese of the Military Services. Archbishop Timothy Broglio, the head of the archdiocese, blasted the move by Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, calling it “incomprehensible.” The medical center ended its contract with the friars of Holy Name College in nearby Silver Spring, Maryland, on March 31, the archdiocese said in a statement. The friars have ministered at the medical center for nearly two decades, the archdiocese said. The archdiocese, which serves US military personnel and veterans and their beneficiaries at military facilities around the world, said medical center awarded the contract for Catholic pastoral care to a secular for-profit company. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/254054/broglio-blasts-walter-reed-for-putting-for-profit-firm-in-charge-of-catholic-pastoral-care Today the Church celebrates Saint Fulbert, a scholar and philosopher, and also the bishop of Chartres, France. He spent much of his time as bishop rigorously defending monasticism and orthodoxy. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-fulbert-432

Episode 217 - Michelangelo's “Crucifixion of St. Peter” (Pauline Chapel)

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 15, 2023 21:50

Shortly after completing the “Conversion of St. Paul” fresco in the Pauline Chapel in the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican, the 70-year-old Michelangelo began his complimentary “Crucifixion of St. Peter.” While the image of St. Peter crucified in an upside-down position was quite common in Rome, it was unusual to see him in process of being hoisted upwards as Michelangelo depicted. This episode analyzes this late painting of Michelangelo and the various interpretations associated with it.

rome conversion vatican crucifixion chapel michelangelo st peter apostolic palace

February 13, 2023

New Books in Military History

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 13, 2023 2:41

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - Pope Francis prayed Sunday for the people of Turkey and Syria who are suffering after devastating earthquakes killed more than 28,000 people. “Dear brothers and sisters, let us continue to be close with prayer and concrete support to the earthquake victims in Syria and Turkey,” the pope said in his Angelus address on February 12. Speaking from the window of the Apostolic Palace, Pope Francis described how he was moved by the images of pain and suffering from the catastrophe that he saw on television and urged people to “pray and think of what we can do for them.” The pope spoke as rescue efforts continued over the weekend with rescuers pulling more than a dozen survivors out of the rubble on Saturday. Catholic charities are working to respond to the disaster by providing shelter, food, and other humanitarian aid. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/253621/pope-francis-urges-support-for-earthquake-victims-in-turkey-and-syria Pope Francis entrusted Nicaragua to the intercession of the Immaculate Virgin Mary on Sunday after Bishop Rolando Álvarez was sentenced to 26 years in prison by Daniel Ortega's dictatorship. “The news from Nicaragua has grieved me a great deal, and I cannot but remember with concern Bishop Rolando Álvarez of Matagalpa, whom I care about deeply,” the pope said on February 12. Speaking at the end of his Angelus address, Pope Francis said that he was also praying for the 222 Nicaraguan political prisoners who were deported to the United States and “for all those who are suffering in that dear nation.” Bishop Álvarez, an outspoken critic of Ortega's regime, was charged with being a “traitor of the homeland” on February 10. Ortega's government has in recent years detained, imprisoned, and likely tortured numerous Catholic leaders, including at least one bishop and several priests. His government has also taken action to repress Catholic radio and television stations, and driven Catholic religious orders, including the Missionaries of Charity, from the country. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/253622/pope-francis-asks-virgin-mary-to-intercede-for-nicaragua-after-bishop-sentenced-to-26-years-in-prison Today, the Church celebrates Saint Catherine de Ricci. Born to an ancient Tuscan family, she received the religious veil in the convent of Dominicanesses at Prat, in Tuscany in the year 1535 at fourteen years of age. She experienced the sufferings of Christ's passion for about two years. Her reputation for extraordinary sanctity and prudence drew her many visits from a great number of bishops, princes, and cardinals. She was canonized in 1746. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-catherine-de-ricci-146

In the Swiss Guards: Reflections on Two Years Guarding the Pope

New Books Network

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 26, 2023 45:52

David Geisser was a Swiss Guard protecting Pope Francis and the Apostolic Palace between 2013 and 2015. He was following the footsteps of his father who had been in the service a generation earlier under Pope John Paul II, including on the dark day (May 13, 1981) when a would-be assassin shot the Holy Father. I ask him about his experiences in one of the oldest (est. 1506) and smallest (135 men) military organizations in history. David Geisser's YouTube channel, It's Cooking Time National Geographic, “Inside the Vatican,” 2021: Episode 1 and Episode 2 A Swiss public television documentary on the Swiss Guards (in German) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

reflections pope vatican pope francis guarding pope john paul ii holy father swiss guard swiss guards apostolic palace

In the Swiss Guards: Reflections on Two Years Guarding the Pope

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 26, 2023 45:52

reflections pope vatican pope francis guarding pope john paul ii holy father swiss guard swiss guards apostolic palace

In the Swiss Guards: Reflections on Two Years Guarding the Pope

New Books in Catholic Studies

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 26, 2023 45:52

reflections pope vatican pope francis guarding pope john paul ii holy father swiss guard swiss guards apostolic palace

Ronda Chervin interviews Fr. Michel Legualt, MSA, on his The Two Main Sources of Marie de l'Incarnation's Prayer (January 6, 2022)

I Thought You'd Like to Know

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 7, 2023 26:32

In this episode of "I Thought You'd Like to Know," Dr. Ronda Chervin interviews Fr. Michel Legualt, MSA, on his The Two Main Sources of Marie de l'Incarnation's Prayer (January 6, 2022)On October 28, 1999, the Catholic Church celebrated the 400th anniversary of the birth of Marie Guyard, known now as Saint Marie de l'Incarnation (canonized 3 April 2014 at the Apostolic Palace by Pope Francis), “The Teresa of the New World.” I wish this simple research on Marie de l'Incarnation's prayer (conducted in 1999) to be considered as an act of admiration and gratitude to God the Father who made this humble woman a luminous witness of His love in the beginning of the Church in North America.At the present time, the New Age is searching for new ways of knowledge to reach God. Why does one search in esoterism for the path to God? Marie Guyard, even when she was seven years old, already knew the path to God the Father: this path for her was Jesus whom she met in the Church, who spoke to her in the Scripture, who united her to himself in the Eucharist, and who taught her the divine mysteries through the action of the Holy Spirit.What were the lines of force of Marie Guyard's prayer? How did she nourish it while working for her brother-in law on the docks of Tours as well as teaching Algonquin and French girls in the early years of Quebec City? What are the pillars of her contemplative and apostolic life? It is to answer those questions that I chose to reflect on the foundations of Marie de l'Incarnation's prayer. With what spiritual food did she feed her prayer and her intimate union with God?After having read her letters and some commentaries on her spirituality, Fr. Legault underlines two important sources: first, the Word of God, speaking in Holy Scripture. Second, the sacraments, especially the Eucharist, that Jesus entrusted to his Church to give the life of grace and which are celebrated in the sacred Liturgy, the prayer of the Church. From these two sources – Holy Scripture and Liturgy – he shows how they influenced Marie de l'Incarnation's spiritual life and are the sources of each Christian's life of prayer.https://enroutebooksandmedia.com/mainsourcesofprayer/

December 15, 2022

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 15, 2022 3:47

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - The Jesuit Superior General, Father Arturo Sosa, has confirmed that Jesuit artist Father Marko Rupnik incurred an automatic excommunication in 2019 for abusing the sacrament of confession, a fact his religious order was aware of but did not disclose until now. Rupnik is a world-renowned artist whose works include projects in the Apostolic Palace of the Vatican, the Knights of Columbus' National Shrine to John Paul II in Washington, DC, the Cathedral of Santa María la Real de Almudena in Madrid, and the Fatima Shrine. Abusing the sacrament of confession in the manner that Rupnik did is one of the most serious crimes in the Catholic Church. Rupnik, 68, is also alleged to have sexually abused members of a women's institute of religious life in Ljubljana, Slovenia, while serving as the chaplain there in the early 1990s https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/253079/jesuit-superior-says-that-fr-marko-rupnik-was-excommunicated-in-2019 Four statues at Saint Joseph Parish in Downingtown, Pennsylvania, were vandalized overnight between December 10 and December 11, and police are asking for help identifying a suspect caught on camera. Father Stephen Leva, the pastor of the church, said in an online post December 11 that the four statues affected were of Saint Anthony, Saint Joseph, Our Lady of Lourdes, and the Holy Family. The Downingtown Police Department asked for the public's assistance Tuesday in identifying the perpetrator who was caught on camera. Those photos of the perpetrator can be seen on the department's Facebook page. The church is the second largest parish in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia with more than 5,000 families, according to the parish's website. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/253080/suspect-caught-on-camera-vandalizing-pa-catholic-church Cardinal Joseph Zen has filed an appeal with Hong Kong's High Court following his conviction last month for failing to register a fund that helped pay for the legal fees and medical treatments of Hong Kong pro-democracy protesters. The Hong Kong Free Press reported on December 14 that the 90-year-old cardinal and former bishop of Hong Kong filed an appeal of the verdict this week together with four other trustees of the 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund who were fined about 500 US dollars each. Zen's trial from September to November focused on whether it was necessary for the 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund trustees to apply for local society registration between 2019 and 2021. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/253073/cardinal-zen-appeals-conviction-in-hong-kong-court Today, the Church celebrates Saint Virginia Centurione Bracelli. She founded a refuge center in Genoa in 1625, which soon became overrun with the needy, and she rented an empty convent in 1631 where she cared for the sick with the help of other women, and she instructed the women in the faith in addition to their work. She constructed a church dedicated to Our Lady of Refuge, and soon the women who worked with her in the hospital were formed into two congregations: the Sisters of Our Lady of Refuge in Mount Calvary, and the Daughters of Our Lady on Mount Calvary. Victoria retired from the administration of the orders, and performed manual labor and begged for alms, but was called back to administrative duties soon after. She was canonized by Pope Saint John Paul II on May 18, 2003. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-virginia-centurione-bracelli-85

Today's Catholic Mass Readings Saturday, October 22, 2022

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 22, 2022 Transcription Available

Full Text of ReadingsSaturday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 478All podcast readings are produced by the USCCB and are from the Catholic Lectionary, based on the New American Bible and approved for use in the United States _______________________________________The Saint of the day is Saint John Paul II“Open wide the doors to Christ,” urged John Paul II during the homily at the Mass where he was installed as pope in 1978. Born in Wadowice, Poland, Karol Jozef Wojtyla had lost his mother, father, and older brother before his 21st birthday. Karol's promising academic career at Krakow's Jagiellonian University was cut short by the outbreak of World War II. While working in a quarry and a chemical factory, he enrolled in an “underground” seminary in Kraków. Ordained in 1946, he was immediately sent to Rome where he earned a doctorate in theology. Back in Poland, a short assignment as assistant pastor in a rural parish preceded his very fruitful chaplaincy for university students. Soon Fr. Wojtyla earned a doctorate in philosophy and began teaching that subject at Poland's University of Lublin. Communist officials allowed Wojtyla to be appointed auxiliary bishop of Kraków in 1958, considering him a relatively harmless intellectual. They could not have been more wrong! Bishop Wojtyla attended all four sessions of Vatican II and contributed especially to its Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World. Appointed as archbishop of Kraków in 1964, he was named a cardinal three years later. Elected pope in October 1978, he took the name of his short-lived, immediate predecessor. Pope John Paul II was the first non-Italian pope in 455 years. In time, he made pastoral visits to 124 countries, including several with small Christian populations. John Paul II promoted ecumenical and interfaith initiatives, especially the 1986 Day of Prayer for World Peace in Assisi. He visited Rome's main synagogue and the Western Wall in Jerusalem; he also established diplomatic relations between the Holy See and Israel. He improved Catholic-Muslim relations, and in 2001 visited a mosque in Damascus, Syria. The Great Jubilee of the Year 2000, a key event in John Paul's ministry, was marked by special celebrations in Rome and elsewhere for Catholics and other Christians. Relations with the Orthodox Churches improved considerably during his papacy. “Christ is the center of the universe and of human history” was the opening line of John Paul II's 1979 encyclical, Redeemer of the Human Race. In 1995, he described himself to the United Nations General Assembly as “a witness to hope.” His 1979 visit to Poland encouraged the growth of the Solidarity movement there and the collapse of communism in central and eastern Europe 10 years later. John Paul II began World Youth Day and traveled to several countries for those celebrations. He very much wanted to visit China and the Soviet Union, but the governments in those countries prevented that. One of the most well-remembered photos of John Paul II's pontificate was his one-on-one conversation in 1983, with Mehmet Ali Agca, who had attempted to assassinate him two years earlier. In his 27 years of papal ministry, John Paul II wrote 14 encyclicals and five books, canonized 482 saints and beatified 1,338 people. In the last years of his life, he suffered from Parkinson's disease and was forced to cut back on some of his activities. Pope Benedict XVI beatified John Paul II in 2011, and Pope Francis canonized him in 2014. Reflection Before John Paul II's funeral Mass in St. Peter's Square, hundreds of thousands of people had waited patiently for a brief moment to pray before his body, which lay in state inside St. Peter's for several days. The media coverage of his funeral was unprecedented. Presiding at the funeral Mass, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger—then dean of the College of Cardinals and later Pope Benedict XVI—concluded his homily by saying: “None of us can ever forget how, in that last Easter Sunday of his life, the Holy Father, marked by suffering, came once more to the window of the Apostolic Palace and one last time gave his blessing urbi et orbi (‘to the city and to the world'). “We can be sure that our beloved pope is standing today at the window of the Father's house, that sees us and blesses us. Yes, bless us, Holy Father. We entrust your dear soul to the Mother of God, your Mother, who guided you each day and who will guide you now to the glory of her Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.” Learn more about Saint John Paul II! Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

The Exaltation of the Holy Cross

In Your Presence

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 14, 2022 29:25

The prophet Ezekiel speaks about the merciless destruction of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, but then God says touch no-one with the mark on their foreheads. (Ezekiel 9). What is this mark? This is the letter TAU, the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet. The form of a cross. It is reminiscent of the mark of Cain (on his brow), which protected him from the punishment he deserved. Fr. Eric Nicolai speaks about the saving nature of the Cross of Christ, and how it has such meaning in our life. Preached at Kintore College, Toronto, September 14, 2022. Music: Handel, Opera Rinaldo, Aria "Lascia ch'io pianga", arranged for guitar by Bert Alink. Thumbnail: The Battle of the Milvian Bridge (Giulio Romano) from 1524. In the Stanze di Raffaello, in the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican City.

god jesus christ cross toronto jerusalem hebrew preached exaltation holy cross tau vatican city raffaello stanze apostolic palace eric nicolai

September 12, 2022

Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 12, 2022 2:59

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - Pope Francis in his Angelus address on Sunday honored an Italian missionary sister who was killed by Islamist terrorists in Mozambique. Speaking from the window of the Apostolic Palace on September 11, the pope said: “In this moment of prayer, it is dear to me to remember Sister Maria de Coppi, Combonian missionary, killed in Chipene, Mozambique, where she served with love for almost 60 years.” “May her witness give strength and courage to Christians and all the people of Mozambique.” Sister Maria de Coppi was shot and killed last week as terrorists ransacked and burned the Catholic mission where she served in Mozambique's Diocese of Nacala. The Italian priests and sisters who served at the mission were able to evacuate 68 students who were living at the mission before the church, boarding houses, rectory, and school were destroyed in the five-hour attack on the night of September 6. Sister Maria was about to flee with the other missionaries when she turned back out of concern for the 12 female students who had stayed behind at the mission, according to the pontifical charity Aid to the Church in Need. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/252263/pope-francis-honors-nun-killed-by-islamist-terrorists-in-mozambique A new report from the Religious Freedom Institute quantifies and analyzes the many reported incidents of violence against pro-life people and entities since May and offers recommendations for government officials on how to respond. The RFI concluded that conditions remain in place for more attacks against pro-life entities and people to occur in 2022 and into 2023. According to data compiled by CNA, at least 32 Catholic churches in the United States have been vandalized with a clear pro-abortion motive since the May leak, along with at least 50 pro-life pregnancy centers. Taking a broader view, the US Conference of Catholic Bishops has tracked some 164 total attacks against Catholic entities across 37 states and the District of Columbia since May 2020. The report recommends that pro-life organizations devote more resources to security and security training for staff and volunteers, invest in relationships with law enforcement agencies, and step up their insurance. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/252249/report-assesses-threats-to-religious-pro-life-americans-following-overturn-of-roe-v-wade The political group CatholicVote is inviting Christians nationwide to pray a novena asking for Saint Michael's intercession amid the growing number of attacks targeting churches and pro-life pregnancy centers in the United States. The novena will begin on September 20 and conclude on September 29, the feast of the archangels. Catholics who “pledge to pray” online will receive access to the novena prayers and an email reminder each day to pray. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/252258/catholicvote-to-hold-saint-michael-novena-in-defense-of-churches-pregnancy-centers Today, the Church celebrates Blessed Apollinaris Franco, a Spanish Franciscan who evangelized covertly in Japan in the 17th century and was burned at the stake by authorities in Nagasaki. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/blessed-apollinaris-franco-592

In the Swiss Guards (with David Geisser)

Almost Good Catholics

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 8, 2022 41:50

David Geisser was a Swiss Guard protecting Pope Francis and the Apostolic Palace between 2013 and 2015.David Geisser's website: https://davidgeisser.ch/David Geisser's YouTube channel, It's Cooking Time: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLH__-J4nggNUlVxo8pUoDVIAtkjGcSCVcNational Geographic, "Inside the Vatican," 2021.Episode 1: https://youtu.be/2gAYARJ5gLoEpisode 2: https://youtu.be/fUUv7aw9R8kA Swiss public television documentary on the Swiss Guards (in German):https://youtu.be/A0z4PUvwbpI

german vatican pope francis swiss guard swiss guards apostolic palace

Gavin Grey: Joe Biden, Pope to talk virus, climate, poverty at Vatican

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 29, 2021 4:20

Just hours after he arrives in Rome, President Joe Biden will meet with Pope Francis on Friday at the Vatican, where the world's two most notable Roman Catholics plan to discuss the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and poverty.The president takes pride in his Catholic faith, using it as moral guidepost to shape many of his social and economic policies. Biden wears a rosary and frequently attends Mass, yet his support of abortion rights and same-sex marriage has put him at odds with many U.S. bishops, some of whom have suggested he should be denied Communion.White House press secretary Jen Psaki, in previewing the visit, said she expects a “warm and constructive dialogue” between the two leaders.“There's a great deal of agreement and overlap with the president and Pope Francis on a range of issues: poverty, combating the climate crisis, ending the COVID-19 pandemic,” Psaki said. “These are all hugely important, impactful issues that will be the centerpiece of what their discussion is when they meet.”National security adviser Jake Sullivan said the president and pontiff would meet privately, then hold talks with expanded delegations. Biden is visiting Rome and then Glasgow, Scotland, for back-to-back summits, first a gathering for leaders of Group of 20 leading and developing nations and then a global climate conference.As only the second Catholic president after John F. Kennedy, Biden has made his audience with the pope a clear priority. It will be his first scheduled meeting on his five-day trip abroad and his wife, Jill, will also attend. Biden and the pope have previously met three times but this will be their first encounter since Biden became president.Following the papal meeting, Biden will meet separately on Friday with Group of 20 summit hosts Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi. He will end his day by meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron, part of an effort to mend relations with France after the U.S. and U.K. decided to provide nuclear-powered submarines to Australia, scotching an existing French contract.Biden's meeting with Pope Francis generated some controversy in advance as the Vatican on Thursday abruptly canceled plans to broadcast the meeting with Biden live and denied press access. Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said the revised television plan reflected the virus protocol for all heads of state audiences, though he didn't say why more robust live TV coverage had been initially scheduled and then canceled.Viewers will only see the arrival of the presidential motorcade in the courtyard of the Apostolic Palace, where a Vatican monsignor will welcome Biden. There will be no live broadcast of Biden greeting Francis in the palace Throne Room, nor live footage of the two leaders sitting down to begin their conversation in Francis' library.The Vatican said it would provide edited footage of the encounter after the fact to accredited media.A live broadcast was particularly important because the Vatican has barred independent photographers and journalists from papal audiences with leaders since early 2020 due to the coronavirus, even though external news media are allowed into other papal events.This decision comes as U.S. bishops are scheduled to meet in roughly three weeks in Baltimore for their annual fall convention. Among the agenda items for that convention is an effort by conservatives to disqualify Biden from receiving Communion. Any document emerging from the event is unlikely to single out the president by name, but he still could face some form of rebuke.Francis has stressed that he will not reject political leaders who support abortion rights, though Catholic policy allows individual bishops to choose whether to prevent people from taking Communion.Over the years, Vatican meetings between presidents and popes have had their share of awkward moments.President Ronald Reagan had trouble keeping his eyes open on his first visit to the Vatic...

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October 25, 2021

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 25, 2021 2:40

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - Pope Francis made an appeal for migrants Sunday, calling on the international community to stop deporting migrants to unsafe countries. Speaking from the window of the Apostolic Palace, the pope asked the Catholic pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Square to pray in silence for migrants, many of whom he said had been subjected to “inhumane violence.” https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/249387/pope-francis-appeals-that-migrants-not-be-sent-back-to-unsafe-countries On Monday, Pope Francis appointed economist Jeffrey Sachs to the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences. Sachs, the director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University in New York, has been a frequent visitor to the Vatican in recent years. Sachs has in the past advocated for a reduction in fertility rates in developing countries through the dissemination of contraception, a view at odds with Catholic teaching. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/249389/pope-francis-names-jeffrey-sachs-to-pontifical-academy Catholics are praying following the execution of Willie B. Smith III on Thursday evening, the first execution in Alabama since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Smith was sentenced to death in 1992 for the murder of a 22-year-old woman. His attorneys have argued that Smith was borderline intellectually disabled. The Catholic Mobilizing Network said they were praying for the repose of Willie Smith's soul, and the diocese of Birmingham stated that, quote, “capital punishment devalues human life and contributes to a climate of violence in our communities." https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/249376/catholics-pray-after-alabama-executes-death-row-inmate After seven hours of debate and notable opposition in the House of Lords on Friday, the sponsor of a bill that would legalize assisted suicide in England and Wales chose not to take the bill to a vote. The bill would have permitted assisted suicide for terminally ill adults with fewer than six months to live, subject to the approval of two doctors and a high court judge. The Catholic bishops of England and Wales, as well as a number of other religious leaders, have strongly opposed the idea of legalizing assisted suicide. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/249373/english-assisted-suicide-bill-not-put-to-vote-in-house-of-lords Today, the Church celebrates Saints Chrysanthus and Daria, third century martyrs and spouses who converted dozens of people before their martyrdom.

Today's Catholic Mass Readings Friday, October 22, 2021

HodderPod - Hodder books podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 22, 2021

Full Text of ReadingsFriday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 477All podcast readings are produced by the USCCB and are from the Catholic Lectionary, based on the New American Bible and approved for use in the United States _______________________________________The Saint of the day is Saint John Paul II“Open wide the doors to Christ,” urged John Paul II during the homily at the Mass where he was installed as pope in 1978. Born in Wadowice, Poland, Karol Jozef Wojtyla had lost his mother, father, and older brother before his 21st birthday. Karol's promising academic career at Krakow's Jagiellonian University was cut short by the outbreak of World War II. While working in a quarry and a chemical factory, he enrolled in an “underground” seminary in Kraków. Ordained in 1946, he was immediately sent to Rome where he earned a doctorate in theology. Back in Poland, a short assignment as assistant pastor in a rural parish preceded his very fruitful chaplaincy for university students. Soon Fr. Wojtyla earned a doctorate in philosophy and began teaching that subject at Poland's University of Lublin. Communist officials allowed Wojtyla to be appointed auxiliary bishop of Kraków in 1958, considering him a relatively harmless intellectual. They could not have been more wrong! Bishop Wojtyla attended all four sessions of Vatican II and contributed especially to its Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World. Appointed as archbishop of Kraków in 1964, he was named a cardinal three years later. Elected pope in October 1978, he took the name of his short-lived, immediate predecessor. Pope John Paul II was the first non-Italian pope in 455 years. In time, he made pastoral visits to 124 countries, including several with small Christian populations. John Paul II promoted ecumenical and interfaith initiatives, especially the 1986 Day of Prayer for World Peace in Assisi. He visited Rome's main synagogue and the Western Wall in Jerusalem; he also established diplomatic relations between the Holy See and Israel. He improved Catholic-Muslim relations, and in 2001 visited a mosque in Damascus, Syria. The Great Jubilee of the Year 2000, a key event in John Paul's ministry, was marked by special celebrations in Rome and elsewhere for Catholics and other Christians. Relations with the Orthodox Churches improved considerably during his papacy. “Christ is the center of the universe and of human history” was the opening line of John Paul II's 1979 encyclical, Redeemer of the Human Race. In 1995, he described himself to the United Nations General Assembly as “a witness to hope.” His 1979 visit to Poland encouraged the growth of the Solidarity movement there and the collapse of communism in central and eastern Europe 10 years later. John Paul II began World Youth Day and traveled to several countries for those celebrations. He very much wanted to visit China and the Soviet Union, but the governments in those countries prevented that. One of the most well-remembered photos of John Paul II's pontificate was his one-on-one conversation in 1983, with Mehmet Ali Agca, who had attempted to assassinate him two years earlier. In his 27 years of papal ministry, John Paul II wrote 14 encyclicals and five books, canonized 482 saints and beatified 1,338 people. In the last years of his life, he suffered from Parkinson's disease and was forced to cut back on some of his activities. Pope Benedict XVI beatified John Paul II in 2011, and Pope Francis canonized him in 2014. Reflection Before John Paul II's funeral Mass in St. Peter's Square, hundreds of thousands of people had waited patiently for a brief moment to pray before his body, which lay in state inside St. Peter's for several days. The media coverage of his funeral was unprecedented. Presiding at the funeral Mass, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger—then dean of the College of Cardinals and later Pope Benedict XVI—concluded his homily by saying: “None of us can ever forget how, in that last Easter Sunday of his life, the Holy Father, marked by suffering, came once more to the window of the Apostolic Palace and one last time gave his blessing urbi et orbi (‘to the city and to the world'). “We can be sure that our beloved pope is standing today at the window of the Father's house, that sees us and blesses us. Yes, bless us, Holy Father. We entrust your dear soul to the Mother of God, your Mother, who guided you each day and who will guide you now to the glory of her Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.” Click here for more on St. John Paul II! Saint of the Day Copyright Franciscan Media

AUNTIE POLDI AND THE LOST MADONNA by Mario Giordano, read by Matt Addis - audiobook extract

Play Episode Listen Later May 13, 2021 4:30

There's only one Auntie Poldi: bewigged, cursing in Bavarian and knocking back a wee shot of grappa as a pre-breakfast aperitif...or is there? No one is as they seem (and sound) in this hilarious new mystery featuring Sicily's sultriest sleuth. Strange dealings are afoot in the Apostolic Palace - a nun leapt to her death shortly after participating in a seemingly routine exorcism. But when a priest clad in Gammarelli and a Vatican Commissario with an almost unholy level of sex appeal turn up at her door, Poldi is shocked to hear that she's a suspect in their case. Who is the woman being exorcised, and where has she disappeared to? And why in the world does she claim, in perfect Bavarian, to be Poldi, Isolde Oberreiter, of Torre Achirafari? Poldi will need all the help she can get to clear her name, but her nephew has been distracted by a love affair gone sour, someone in the town has been graffitiing death threats on her front door, and her local friends seem to be avoiding her. And even Vito Montana balks when Poldi discovers that the case hinges on a lost Madonna statue, stolen years ago from the Pope himself.... Forza Poldi! With a pair of mysterious twins dogging her every move and a mandate to maintain sobriety, will Poldi be able to find the lost statue in time, and survive her 61st birthday?

April 21, 2021

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 21, 2021 2:17

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - The archbishop of Saint Paul and Minneapolis is calling for peace and reconciliation, following the trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin. Chauvin was found guilty of the murder of George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, in 2020. Archbishop Bernard Hebda said the crucified and risen Christ is an example of the healing power of forgiveness and compassion. The archbishop prayed that Christ would bring healing to the Twin Cities, comfort to Floyd's family, and satisfaction to those who thirst for justice. A bill that would end religious exemptions from childhood vaccine requirements has advanced in the Connecticut House of Representatives. The bill has the support of Connecticut's governor, but it still needs to pass the state Senate. There has been an increase in the number of requests for religious exemption from childhood vaccinations. In as many as 100 schools in Connecticut, vaccination rates have fallen below 95 percent. Public health officials stress the importance of high vaccination rates to protect against outbreaks. If the latest bill passes, it will go into effect in 2022. And finally, in his general audience today, Pope Francis encouraged Catholics to read the 19th-century spiritual classic, “The Way of a Pilgrim.” The book shares the story of an unnamed pilgrim who travels across Russia, seeking to discover the secret of constant prayer. Francis said the book can help today's Catholics better understand vocal prayer. Francis gave his address in the library of the Apostolic Palace, due to coronavirus restrictions.

jesus christ black russia public george floyd connecticut senate minneapolis pilgrims floyd derek chauvin catholics pope francis twin cities saint paul catholic news agency catholic news connecticut house apostolic palace

TGCL #0497: Pope Francis meets Benedict; Stays in his simple quarters; His pre-conclave remarks to the cardinals; Holy Thursday and Good Friday

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 28, 2013 55:32

Due to some production technical difficulty, the first 1.5 minutes of the show were not recorded today. We apologize for the inconvenience. Summary of today's show: Our usual Thursday panel of Scot Landry, Susan Abbott, and Gregory Tracy review the headlines of the week, including Pope Francis' historic meeting with his predecessor Benedict XVI; his decision not to move into the Apostolic Palace, but to stay in the simple quarters of the Domus Sancta Martae; his pre-conclave address to the General Congregation of cardinals; the annual recognition of two Boston priests; and reflections on Holy Thursday and Good Friday. Listen to the show: Watch the show via live video streaming or a recording later: Today's host(s): Scot Landry and Susan Abbott Today's guest(s): Gregory Tracy, managing editor of the Pilot, the newspaper of the Archdiocese of Boston Links from today's show: Some of the stories discussed on this show will be available on The Pilot's and The Anchor's websites on Friday morning. Please check those sites for the latest links. Today's topics: Pope Francis meets Benedict; Stays in his simple quarters; His pre-conclave remarks to the cardinals; Holy Thursday and Good Friday 1st segment: Scot Landry welcomed everyone to the show as we begin the Sacred Triduum with Holy Thursday. Scot welcomed Gregory Tracy to the show and noted that as an adult convert he came into the Church at the Easter Vigil. Scot said the only Mass on Holy Thursday in this diocese is in the evening at the Mass of the Lord's Supper. Susan Abbott spoke about her preparations for the Sacred Triduum as well. Scot said the world's attention is still focused on Pope Francis. He said last Saturday Pope Francis traveled to Castel Gandolfo to meet with Benedict XVI and he commented how frail Benedict looked. He said they prayed together in the chapel and had a private meeting. Greg said no other pope has had a predecessor to turn to ever like this. He said in essence, it's like when a bishop or archbishop has a living predecessor around so it's not completely unusual. Yet, it's good to have someone to talk to about a unique circumstance of being pope and the reports say they have talked several times on the phone. Greg said that Benedict looks so frail that he wonders if he was keeping up a brave front, keeping private how frail he was. He also noted how when they prayed, Pope Francis didn't take his place of primacy in the chapel, but said that as brothers they would kneel next to each other. He said without the secular papal monarchy of the past, it lets him leave behind many of the trappings of monarchy. Scot said another conspicuous element of the meeting in the photos was a big box of papers sitting between them that hasn't been explained. Some reports have said that it was a 300-page memo that Benedict wrote to Pope Francis, like a transition memo. Susan Abbott repeated that it was startling to see the frailty of Benedict and that it was a special moment between the two men when they knelt together. Scot said Pope Francis didn't have much time to jump into Holy Week after being elected even as it is the busiest week of the year. It's also been announced that Pope Francis has chosen not to move into the Apostolic Palace, where popes have lived since 1903, but to stay in the Domus Sancta Martae. Scot said he was surprised he was going to live in the Domus. Susan said he had said he wanted to live in community and that many parish priests say themselves that living along is very lonely and it must be even more so for the pope. She said a friend has stayed there and reported that it is comfortable but simple. Scot noted that Pope Francis has celebrated Mass there with Vatican gardeners and cleaners and wants to continue to say public Masses. Greg Tracy reported that Antonio Enrique, the editor of the Pilot, once stayed in Room 201 of the Domus, the suite where the Pope is now living. Greg said Antonio was traveling with Cardinal Seán and the other rooms were all filled up and this was the only room left even though it wasn't supposed to be given out. Greg said there's a small receiving room with a desk and chair, about the size of a medium-sized office. Right off that is a bedroom and bathroom and that's it. Very sparse and simple. Scot said we also have to have Fr. Jonathan Gaspar on the show to talk about how he ran into Pope Francis in the Domus and had one of the first private audiences with the Holy Father. Greg said it fits with the personality of the Pope that we've learned about, which is that he doesn't want to be cut off from the common man. He said his concern is perhaps for the Pope's security. Scot said when Pope Francis was given the tour of the Apostolic Palace he was heard to remark that 300 people could live there. Greg did point out that the Pope will continue to work in the Apostolic Palace each day and give the Angelus address each Sunday from its window. Scot predicted that Pope Francis will be living in the Apostolic Palace within two years for security reasons and for the sake of his successors who will live there one day. In the next story, before the conclave, Cardinal Bergoglio gave a talk to the General Congregations like the other cardinals. Afterward, the cardinal from Havana received the notes he spoke from and after the conclave asked Pope Francis to publish them and received permission. In it, he made four points about evangelization. Evangelizing implies apostolic zeal. Evangelizing presupposes in the Church the “parresia” of coming out from itself. The Church is called to come out from itself and to go to the peripheries, not only geographical, but also existential: those of the mystery of sin, of suffering, of injustice, those of ignorance and of the absence of faith, those of thought, those of every form of misery. When the Church does not come out from itself to evangelize it becomes self-referential and gets sick (one thinks of the woman hunched over upon herself in the Gospel). The evils that, in the passing of time, afflict the ecclesiastical institutions have a root in self-referentiality, in a sort of theological narcissism. In Revelation, Jesus says that he is standing at the threshold and calling. Evidently the text refers to the fact that he stands outside the door and knocks to enter… But at times I think that Jesus may be knocking from the inside, that we may let him out. The self-referential Church presumes to keep Jesus Christ within itself and not let him out. The Church, when it is self-referential, without realizing it thinks that it has its own light; it stops being the “mysterium lunae” and gives rise to that evil which is so grave, that of spiritual worldliness (according to De Lubac, the worst evil into which the Church can fall): that of living to give glory to one another. To simplify, there are two images of the Church: the evangelizing Church that goes out from itself; that of the “Dei Verbum religiose audiens et fidenter proclamans” [the Church that devoutly listens to and faithfully proclaims the Word of God - editor's note], or the worldly Church that lives in itself, of itself, for itself. This should illuminate the possible changes and reforms to be realized for the salvation of souls. Thinking of the next Pope: a man who, through the contemplation of Jesus Christ and the adoration of Jesus Christ, may help the Church to go out from itself toward the existential peripheries, that may help it to be the fecund mother who lives “by the sweet and comforting joy of evangelizing.” Scot said it can be seen to criticize the Church today of looking inward to much rather than outward to where people live, in their minds and physically. This must have influenced some of the cardinals in electing him. Greg said he didn't see it as a criticism. Yes, the Church always has human flaws and frailty, but when there have been problems with the Church we have tended to look to our own interests and our own well-being, rather than to turn outward to go out to the whole world. Scot said Christianity is a movement of coming to Christ and going out into the world, never to be stagnant. Susan said she loves the repetition by the then-Cardinal about “sweet and comforting joy of evangelizing” in the opening and closing of the address. Susan said she was talking to Fr. Paul Soper recently who reflected that the apostles were cowering in fear in the upper room, but when the Holy Spirit came they went out with apostolic zeal and never returned. Scot reflected that many cardinals who weren't in the 2005 conclave didn't know Cardinal Bergoglio and so perhaps what he said in the General Congregations made the cardinals think he was the right man for the papacy at this time. Pope Francis said in his Chrism Mass homily to Rome's priests is that he wants them to go out to where the people are, not just to stay in their churches and rectories. In Buenos Aires, he had encouraged priests to say Mass in places where the people are if they found it difficult to get to the church. The Church needs to go out and find the lost sheep rather than wait for them to come back to the parish. 2nd segment: Scot said earlier this week, Cardinal Seán celebrated Palm Sunday Mass at the cathedral and on Tuesday, the Chrism Mass, along with hundreds of priests and many Catholic school students. Scot said after the Chrism Mass, there is typically the announcement of honors for two priests. Fr. Arnold Colletti, who has served 51 years, is pastor in Lexington, and Fr. John Sheridan, pastor of St. James, Salem, who will be moving to Middleboro-Lakeville-Rochester as part of Phase 1 of Disciples in Mission. Scot read the words of Cardinal Seán: “We honor a couple as a way of saying thanks to all of you for your generous service of God's people, fur the selfless ministry that makes the Good Shepherd's love: and pastoral care present and visible among us.” “I thank you for all of your support, fur your prayers. I am so proud co be your bishop and so lucky to be your bishop, and hope that all of you will have a glorious Holy Week. Know that each day during Holy Week, and every day of the year, I lift all of you up in prayer. God bless all of you. Thank you for being Catholic priests,” Cardinal O'Malley said Greg noted that the honors are not for particular acts, but that they have lived the priesthood faithfully and that the honor could go to many more priests. Scot said the priests who win the awards are always holy, happy, and healthy in terms of their relationships with their parishes. Greg noted that Fr. Colletti joked that the award he really wanted was to be the next Archbishop of Boston. Scot said tonight will be the Mass of the Lord's Supper. On this night, Jesus instituted the priesthood and the Eucharist. He taught us all what it means to be a disciple, not in places of honor, but in places of service. He noted that the liturgy doesn't end, but that the Eucharist is processed for silent adoration in a place of recession. Greg said growing up he had neither priesthood nor Eucharist and so he has come to understand what a great gift these are. He was given a gift that had always been there but he had never known. Scot said tomorrow is Good Friday, which we call Good because we recognize that through the cross we have received eternal joy. We can venerate that cross ourselves on Good Friday. Susan said we can't take a shortcut to the empty tomb, nor should we stay fixed on Good Friday. Tomorrow's The Good Catholic Life will be pre-empted by EWTN's coverage of Good Friday at the National Shrine of the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception.

The Good Catholic Life #0160: Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 19, 2011 56:30

Today's host(s): Scot Landry and Fr. Matt Williams Today's guest(s): Fr. Dan Hennessey, Director of Vocations for the Archdiocese of Boston Today's topics: Serra Club of Boston, the Adopt-a-Priest ministry, and Blessed John Paul's Feast Day Summary of today's show: Fr. Dan Hennessey, director of vocations, talks with Scot and Fr. Matt about one of the biggest events in boston this fall, the Mass in recognition of the Adopt-a-Priest Apostolate of the Serra Club on the Feast Day of Blessed John Paul II. They talk about the fruits of families that adopt a priest in prayer for a year for both the priest himself and the families as they create a culture of vocations in their home. Scot, Fr. Matt, and Fr. Dan also discuss Bl. John Paul's radical discipleship that inspired many vocations to the priesthood, religious life, and marriage and look forward to papal biographer George Weigel's talk on Saturday on Bl John Paul as a saint for our times. 1st segment: Scot asked Fr. Matt about the LIFT series that continued last night. The series is called “Get a Life”. And the God of This City tour is taking place Nov 28 through Dec 2. This past Sunday, he was at St. Patrick's on Stoneham for a wedding of friends who both serve work in ministries with youth and in parishes. Fr. Matt was the key to them meeting each other when he asked them both to volunteer on a particular retreat. The wedding itself had seven priests to concelebrate and they were two very faith-filled young people who made it a particularly beautiful wedding ceremony. Their witness and faith were palpable. 2nd segment: Scot welcomed Fr. Dan to the show. Fr. Dan said the Vocations Office focuses primarily on the vocation to the diocesan priesthood and often sponsors gatherings to bring together young men who might consider the vocation of the priesthood. He said the Adopt-a-Priest apostolate is a ministry of the Serra CLub of Boston, which is part of the Serra Clubs internationally. It is named for Bl. Junipero Serra, a famed missionary who founded many of the California missions. The adopt-a-priest apostolate creates a booklet for each Boston diocesan priest with a photo, name, ordination date, and birthday, seals them up and distributes them to willing families which pledge to pray for the priests. Fr. Dan said priests tell him how the people are praying sometimes contact the priests and a relationship is sometimes formed. Every year, the assignments change. This Saturday's Mass happens to fall on the feast day of Blessed John Paul II as declared by Pope Benedict earlier this year. This is the first celebration of this feast. Following the Mass at the Cathedral of the holy Cross on Saturday at 10am will be a talk by George Weigel, noted scholar and autobiographer of John Paul II. Fr. Dan pointed out that it doesn't have to be families who adopt a priest. They are asked to pray on a daily basis, perhaps offer a Mass for the priest or say the rosary for them. Even make spiritual sacrifices. Scot said his family has participated in the adopt-a-priest apostolate. Two years ago, Scot's family was assigned Msgr. Bob Deeley, who was serving in Rome. Scot sent him a letter saying that his family was praying for him. It's a wonderful thing within a family with young kids to create a culture of vocations, to help them think about not only what they want to be when they grow, but what God wants them to be. One way to do so is to pray regularly for a priest. It helps create awareness of the beauty of the vocation to the priesthood and religious life. Fr. Matt said praying for priests helps strengthen the married couple to understand their own call to holiness as well as their own children. Fr. Dan said it helps the family put a context on their own vocation, to understand the give and take between and all vocation. He makes a point of saying in his preaching that all vocations are good. If you follow what God desires of you, it will bring you joy and fulfillment. Fr. Dan said he was on Boston Common in 1979 when Pope John Paul II visited Boston. He said John Paul's talk is on YouTube in which he called people to follow Christ, which was the message of John Paul. When we follow Christ, Christ reveals Man to himself. John Paul was the inspiration for so many priests in their vocations, but also religious sisters and married couples. His Theology of the Body aided so many married couples to live their vocation of marriage more fully. Fr. Dan said he was so excited when he found out the Mass on Saturday would be on the same day as the Feast Day for Bl. John Paul II. Scot said on of the reasons we have 70+ seminarians in Boston is the work of the Serra Club. Fr. Dan said the club has Mass once per month, on the third Saturday morning, at St. Mary in Waltham. The club was brought back to Boston during the Year for Priests. It was a gift to Cardinal Sean from the many people who wanted to re-found the club. 3rd segment: This Mass on Saturday is for Bl. John Paul II and it is the first time it will be celebrated in the Archdiocese of Boston. It can be a wonderful gathering for anyone inspired by John Paul II. Fr. Dan said it's significant because we can recognize the holiness in his life. Many people are hoping he will be canonized soon ad we're all very happy when we look at his life and see his life of holiness, despite the struggles he faced. He's a witness to hope, as George Weigel called him. He's also a witness to the priesthood. There are many people in the world who may not know a priest very well, but there's something about John Paul that even though he was often physically distant, people felt close to him. Scot said he was the most authentic human being and the most human person. Fr. Matt said he lived an authentic life. Young people saw that. They gathered in immense numbers for World Youth Day and they felt close to him. Even as he would drive by crowds of thousands, they felt he was looking at them. Fr. Matt said in his homily for the Mass of Beatification, Pope Benedict recalled that John Paul intoned in his first solemn Mass in St. Peter's he called for us to open wide the doors to Christ. Scot asked what will be different about this Mass. Fr. Dan said the Archdiocesan Boy's Choir will provide the music, one of the best boys' choir schools in the country. Cardinal Sean will be the celebrant and homilist. Scot said the prayers are specific to the celebration of the Feast, including the opening prayer for the Mass. O God, who are rich in mercy and who willed that the Blessed John Paul II should preside as Pope over your universal Church, grant, we pray, that instructed by his teaching, we may open our hearts to the saving grace of Christ, the sole Redeemer of mankind. Who lives and reigns. It recalls in the words of opening our hearts John Paul's call to open wide the doors to Christ. Fr. Dan said when someone is beatified, the Church creates the Mass texts, including the opening prayers and brings together Mass texts from particular Masses, including in this case, the Mass for Pastors and Popes. Fr. Dan said in the Office for Readings which priests pray there also particular texts for John Paul on October 22. Out of all the millions of words he composed, the Office of Readings chose his first words as Pope when he appeared on the balcony in the Apostolic Palace after being elected Pope in 1978. Fr. Dan said the Mass is for everyone, not just those in the adopt-a-priest apostolate. 4th segment: It's time to announce the winner of the weekly WQOM Benefactor Raffle. This week's benefactor card raffle winner is If you would like to be eligible to win in an upcoming week, please visit . For a one-time $30 donation, you'll receive the Station of the Cross benefactor card and key tag, making you eligible for WQOM's weekly raffle of books, DVDs, CDs and religious items. We'll be announcing the winner each Wednesday during “The Good Catholic Life” program. 5th segment: Scot said one of the best books about Pope John Paul II is “Witness to Hope” by George Weigel. He was selected personally by Pope John Paul II. There is no greater authority in the United States on the life of the Holy Father. Fr. Dan said Weigel always gives an interesting talk and will answer questions and sign books after. Scot said Weigel says that John Paul was a radical Christian disciple, who takes his faith seriously, who was all in. You never felt like you were in the presence of a CEO or corporate leader, but he always felt like a pastor. Fr. Matt said when he met Pope John Paul in 1999, as a seminarian on pilgrimage to Rome, they were able to attend daily Mass with him. He'll never forget coming into the chapel and seeing the Holy Father already kneeling in deep contemplative prayer and feeling that he was in the presence of a man who was closely united to God. Scot said one of the top moments of his life was taking his one-year-old son and wife to Rome and meeting Pope John Paul at an audience. As the Holy Father moved along through the crowd, the Holy Father took Scot's son and gave him a kiss. You could see the Holy Father paused as he saw the baby, praying for the young person before him. Fr. Dan wondered how many people in the world have stories like that and knows many people do. He recalled during World Youth Day in Rome in 2000 being in the field of Tor Vergata and thinking how he felt like he was alone with the Holy Father and he was speaking right to him. One of the reasons he's looking forward to the Mass on Saturday was John Paul's love for Divine Mercy. He believes the message of Divine Mercy came just when we most needed it and it comes through the priesthood, especially through the confessional, but also through baptism and the Eucharist. It is through the priesthood that God gives us himself, not just abstractly, but through the instrumentality of the priesthood, which is an irrevocable and indispensable for the Church. Scot said George Weigel earlier this year tried to sum up the life of John Paul II in a . One of the things he hoped that people would remember was John Paul's love for the Divine Mercy devotion. The second thing I hope the Church holds onto, as it enrolls John Paul II among the blessed, is the significance of the date of his beatification: Divine Mercy Sunday. John Paul's fondness for the Divine Mercy devotion, and his designation of the Octave of Easter as Divine Mercy Sunday, struck some as a Polish imposition on a universal Church. Those who thought this were mistaken. John Paul II had an acute sense of the gaping holes that had been torn in the moral and spiritual fabric of humanity by the murderous cruelties of the 20th century. A century that began with a robust human confidence in the future had ended with a thick fog of cynicism hanging over the western world. As he wrote in his striking 2003 apostolic letter, “The Church in Europe,” Christianity's historic heartland (and, by extension, the entire western world) was beset by guilt over what it had done in two world wars and the Cold War, at Auschwitz and in the Gulag, through the Ukrainian hunger famine and the communist persecution of the Church. But having abandoned the God of the Bible, it had nowhere to turn to confess this guilt, seek absolution, and find forgiveness. That, John Paul II was convinced, was why the face of the merciful Father had been turned toward the world now. The insight came from Poland; the need was universal. That was why he created “Divine Mercy Sunday.” That is why we should remember that he was beatified on that day. The show ended by restating that all are invited to the Mass for the Adopt-A-Priest Apostolate on the Feast Day of Bl. John Paul II at 10:00 on Saturday in the Cathedral of the Holy Cross, followed by a talk by George Weigel.

The Good Catholic Life #0054: Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Play Episode Listen Later May 24, 2011 56:31

**Today's host(s):** Scot Landry and Fr. Chris O'Connor **Today's guest(s):** Fr. Robert Reed, president of the CatholicTV network * [CatholicTV](http://www.catholictv.com) * [CatholicTVjr](http://www.catholictvjr.com) * [iCatholic](http://icatholic.catholictv.com) * [Catholic TV Everywhere](http://www.catholictveverywhere.com) * [Carry Your Faith: CatholicTV iPhone app](http://www.carryyourfaith.com) * [CatholicTV Magazine](http://www.catholictv.com/catholic-magazine.aspx) * [VisitThePope.com](http://www.VisitThePope.com) **Today's topics:** CatholicTV, America's Catholic Broadband Network, and Fr. Robert Reed **A summary of today's show:** Fr. Robert Reed shares with Scot and Fr. Chris the roots of his call to the priesthood and how he came to be President of the CatholicTV network. Also, the history of CatholicTV, its dynamic and far-reaching present, and the bright future ahead. **1st segment:** Scot welcomes Fr. Chris O'Connor to the show. The Ordination Mass this past weekend was the high point of the year. Six men from St. John Seminary were ordained at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross by Cardinal Sean. Fr. Chris was at a diaconate ordination for one of his seminarians down in the Diocese of Providence. Scot was able to watch the Mass on CatholicTV, because he couldn't be present himself. Scot's 7-year-old daughter commented on how many hugs the new priests receive. All the priests in attendance give a holy embrace to each of the ordinandi during the ceremony and many of the priests in the Archdiocese were in attendance. When Cardinal Seán celebrates an ordination, you know an ordination has taken place after 3 hours! Cardinal Seán charges a "fee" to the new priests by requesting their first priestly blessing at the end of the Mass. Then he kissed their hands to show that these are priestly hands consecrated to the work of Christ. You can watch the ordination at CatholicTV.com. Click on "cathedral events." Fr. Chris said the only thing as special as the ordination Mass are the first Masses celebrated by the priests on Sunday. **2nd segment:** Scot and Fr. Chris welcome Fr. Bob Reed. Fr. Bob notes that Scot is prepared for heading out to coach his kids' baseball and soccer team this afternoon, and Scot said he thinks it's good for kids to see him and his wife outside the house helping them in other activities. Scot asked Fr. Reed how his vocation came about and what his influences led him to respond to the call. He was born in Boston and grew up in Swampscott. His parish was St. John the Evangelist, right there on the ocean. His vocation began in tragedy. He lost his dad in a tragic car accident when he was 7, just months before his First Communion. It caused him to think deeply about his Catholic faith and discover there was a lot there in his faith. His mother re-married a number of years later to a friend of his father. He also has 3 brothers and a sister. He also had marvelous priests in his parish and the Sisters of St. Joseph in the parochial school. It all developed this call that came from God. Scot asked when he knew he wanted to enter the seminary. Fr. Bob said he was always thinking of the priesthood. Even though he was encouraged to look at other options, he remained sure. He was accepted to other colleges, but he decided to go to St. John's and never regretted it. Fr. Chris asked which priests were most role models. Fr. John Carroll and Fr. Dick Little were in his parish and the greatest influences. Fr. Little was once the chancellor for the Archdiocese. Fr. Little brought a crucifix to Fr. Reed's home after his father's funeral and Fr. Bob thought to himself, "Those are the hands of a priest!" In 1985, at his ordination, as he emerged from the cathedral, a man fell to his knees in front of Fr. Bob and kissed his hands too. Fr. Reed studied at St. John's Seminary College and then at the North American College in Rome. Studying at the NAC gives a man a great experience of situating him at the center of the Church to experience the universality of the Church and meet men from the Church throughout the United States. Fr. Chris asked if he had a pivotal moment in Rome. Fr. Bob said the first few months were difficult because he'd never been away from home, realizing he couldn't come home for two years. On Pentecost Sunday in 1985, he was the deacon for Pope Bl. John Paul II and chant the Gospel in Latin at the Mass in St. Peter's Square. After ordination, he served in parishes in Malden, Norwood, Haverhill, and Whitman. At the time, Immaculate Conception, Malden, was the largest parish in the archdiocese and it was an experience of the Church in a bygone era. In Norwood at St. Catherine's was similar. In Boston at St. Matthew's was a different experience. All along the way, there have been great people he's met and he remains in contact with them to this day and they have taught him a wonderful lesson about what the priesthood is. Priests give, but they also receive so much. Scot said that he hears good things about Holy Ghost in Whitman and it all seems to stem from the Perpetual Adoration launched by Fr. Bob there and that continues to this day. Fr. Bob said he'd never been to Whitman before he was named pastor and he said the people there love that it's a small town off the beaten path. When he came to the parish, he wanted to find a way to keep the church open at all times to allow people a place to come and pray, to bring their struggles and fears before Jesus in the Eucharist. And that happened thanks to the generosity of some 200 people. * [Holy Ghost, Whitman](http://www.holyghostwhitman.org/) Fr. Chris said that many parishes that have Perpetual Adoration are those that are producing vocations and it's both the prayers and the Eucharistic mindset of the parish. **3rd segment:** CatholicTV is the oldest Catholic network in the country founded on January 1, 1955 with a New Year's Day Mass with Cardinal Cushing. From that time, Sunday Mass has been celebrated on television. It started on Granby Street in Boston, right next to Boston University's Catholic center. After a fire, it moved to Newton and then Watertown. The Granby Street studio was on the second floor of a building originally owned by Cardinal O'Connell. While the technology was different, it was remarkably similar to today's setup. The then-Boston Catholic Television moved to a former Raytheon building in Newton. The vision had always been for CatholicTV to have its own home and not be constantly renting. So they purchased a former convent from St. Patrick, Watertown, and built the building out with all the new studios. He gives credit to General Manager Jay Fadden and Chief Engineer Mark Quella for converting a convent to a television studio. They managed to keep the convent chapel and it is now used to celebrate the daily Mass on Boston's channel 68 and on cable. Fr. Bob said it's also great to have a place to pray during the day with the Blessed Sacrament reserved there. Fr. Chris said it's a great place to celebrate Mass even with the cameras on you. Fr. Bob said St. Therese of Lisieux has always been a personal favorite of his and when he came to CatholicTV he promoted her as their patron. She is the patron saint of missionaries and he considers what they do to be missionary. Scot asked him how it's different to be a priest on television rather than in a parish. Fr. Bob said that Msgr. Frank McFarland called it the Parish of the Airwaves. Fr. Bob said he misses the intimacy with people in a community you come to live and come to know people's lives. He still helps out in a couple of parishes on the weekends. But the intimacy he experiences now is unique because when you're in front of a camera it's you and one other person, multiplied by thousands. For the person on the other end of the TV, they are listening to you. Fr. Chris asked about CatholicTV's reach. Fr. Bob said it reaches beyond the Archdiocese of Boston to most of New England, on Comcast, Verizon, Charter, Sky Angel, RCN and a number of smaller cable outlets. Norwood Light and Braintree Light have cable systems for just those towns, for example. They also have unlimited video on demand on Verizon FIOS. They reach 10 million households. It's a responsibility to be creative and faithful. Scot said there's also lots of content available beyond the television, including CatholicTV.com, an iPhone app, and CatholicTVjr. CatholicTVjr is a widget that anyone can place on their own website or blog so that all of CatholicTV's videos and shows can be watched on those sites. Not only does it help people to learn about their faith, it also drives traffic to their own sites. Fr. Bob said Sean Ward is the guy at CatholicTV responsible for the website and CatholicTV magazine. **4th segment:** Scot said the Daily Mass and the Daily Rosary at the signature programs for CatholicTV because it appeals to many shut-ins and homebound. Fr. Bob said many priests and Eucharistic ministers tell him that the homebound they visit are watching the Daily Mass every day and they leave CatholicTV on all day as a constant companion. Scot asked how it works to schedule priests for every day for the Mass and they bring parishioners with them. Fr. Bob said it's becoming more and more difficult to get priests who are often alone in a parish and have funerals and the like, so he always says how grateful he is for the priests who come in. The Sunday Mass is celebrated at the studios of Channel 7 at 7 am. The more people the priests can bring with them, the more it seems like a real parish experience, which is important to Fr. Bob. Fr. Bob said he likes that the studios are at a parish in a neighborhood and wants to bring that feeling to their broadcast. Fr. Chris said Fr. Reed follows three great priests who led CatholicTV. Msgr. Walter Flaherty started it all after attending a symposium on the new technology of television. From the beginning, CatholicTV has been completely supported by its viewers, which was Msgr. Flaherty's vision. Msgr. Frank McFarland was beloved by staff and viewers alike and gave 27 years of his priesthood to Catholic television. He had a way, a gift to stand in front of a camera and make a connection one-on-one with people, particularly his deep love for the Blessed Mother and the Rosary. The Daily Rosary was the brainchild of Msgr. MacFarland. This summer will mark the 10th anniversary of his death. Msgr. Paul McInerny came in during a difficult time in the history of the Archdiocese and left the network in a good way when Fr. Reed came in six years ago. Fr. Reed said he's always had a fascination with media in general. They've just completed an incredible upgrade to high definition at CatholicTV, which isn't just new cameras, but every bit of technology, which sets them up to bring their media to every platform and every device available and yet to be built. He hopes to leave the place set for the future so they can continue to bring the Gospel message of Jesus Christ in a difficult time in our society when the Gospel is not always welcome. Scot said other programs on CatholicTV include the Daily Rosary, which is recorded in many different places in the US and the world. Fr. Bob said whenever they go anywhere they take the occasion to record one or two rosaries. This past week they were in Washington DC with the St. Paul's Choir from Cambridge and they prayed the rosary with the boys singing some beautiful motets. Fr. Reed said when he prays the rosary, either personally or for the TV, he thinks of how blessed we are to have the Blessed Mother. He has a beautiful pair of rosary beads that he brought back from Medjugorje in 1990 and gave to his mother. They were used every day by his mother until she went into a surgery from which she didn't recover. Before the surgery she gave him the rosary beads and told him to pray them every day until she got better and as she did not, he is still praying them to this day. **5th segment:** Scot said there are 110 different programs at CatholicTV. Fr. Bob said Catholic Destinations premiered a new episode. Kevin Nelson takes us to various sacred places and shrines and churches all over the US, Canada, and Europe. This latest edition focused on [Bl. John XXIII National Seminary](http://www.blessedjohnxxiii.edu/). He's been to many pilgrimage sites. One of Scot's favorite kinds of episodes is when Kevin visits new cathedrals that are built and he liked the episode on the new cathedral in Los Angeles. Scot asked him about Wow, a Catholic quiz show for kids, mainly 3rd graders. Fr. Bob said our photographer George Martell took some great pictures of the shows recently and they are on our Flickr page. He said the kids are prepared ahead of time with the questions and answers. He tells the kids that they are teaching the audience about whatever the theme of the show is for the day. There is a large audience of 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders. There are other programs that highlight archdiocesan priests. Fr. Bill Kelly and Fr. Chip Hines review movies from a Catholic perspective on the show Spotlight. Going My Way with Fr. Chris Hickey and Fr. Paul Rouse sing songs and are interviewed by Fr. Hickey. Fr. Reed hosts House + Home, going into the homes of local Catholic families to see how they make their houses into homes. Fr. Bob said it comes out of his deep respect for families as the domestic church and put the focus on great Catholic families living out the challenge of making a home; to show the beauty and power of family life. They had a special episode about the Pope's home in the Apostolic Palace in Rome. The episode is at [VisitThePope.com](http://www.VisitThePope.com). Scot said people often ask what it's like to work with Cardinal Seán and how he lives and he thinks people are similarly curious about the Pope. Fr. Reed said for the future, CatholicTV is going to all high definition on July 1.

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The Good Catholic Life #0034: Tuesday, April 26, 2011