Podcasts about cardinal ouellet

LINKS Vatican bio of Cardinal Lacroix https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/documentation/cardinali_biografie/cardinali_bio_lacroix_gc.html       Gérald Cyprien Lacroix on FIU's Cardinals Database (by Salvadore Miranda): https://cardinals.fiu.edu/bios2014.htm#Lacroix   Cardinal Lacroix on Gcatholic.org: http://www.gcatholic.org/p/24599      Cardinal Lacroix on Catholic-Hierarchy.org: https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/blacrgc.html       Archdiocese of Québec on Gcatholic.org: http://www.gcatholic.org/dioceses/diocese/queb0.htm?focus=24599&tab=info       Archdiocese of Québec on Catholic-Hierarchy.org: https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/dqueb.html ISPX website: https://ispx.org/en-assemblee-pour-sengager-totalement/  National Catholic Register abuse allegation coverage: https://www.ncregister.com/cna/canadian-cardinal-lacroix-named-in-sexual-abuse-lawsuit  Reuters abuse allegation coverage: https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/canadian-cardinal-temporarily-steps-down-after-lawsuit-alleging-abuse-2024-01-26/  America Magazine coverage of abuse investigation and Cardinal Lacroix's return to ministry: https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2024/07/23/quebec-cardinal-vatican-abuse-248430  2020 Salt and Light interview with Cardinal Lacroix (English): https://youtu.be/SvPhxY34AuA?feature=shared    IMAGE CREDIT: CNS photo/Philippe Vaillancourt, Presence, via America Magazine. Imaged cropped. IMAGE SOURCE AND DESCRIPTION: Cardinal Gerald C. Lacroix of Quebec walks with his crosier following a Dec. 12 Mass for the opening of the Holy Door in Notre-Dame Cathedral. https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2017/06/21/canadian-cardinal-spent-9-years-colombian-war-zone-now-he-serves-new-periphery Thank you for listening, and thank my family and friends for putting up with the time investment and for helping me out as needed. As always, feel free to email the show at Popeularhistory@gmail.com  If you would like to financially support Popeular history, go to www.patreon.com/Popeular. If you don't have any money to spare but still want to give back, pray and tell others– prayers and listeners are worth more than gold!   TRANSCRIPT Welcome to Popeular History, a library of Catholic knowledge and insights.   Check out the show notes for sources, further reading, and a transcript.   Today we're discussing another current Cardinal of the Catholic Church, one of the 120 or so people who will choose the next Pope when the time comes.   Before we do, I have a note from last week's episode, courtesy of attentive listener Christine de Pizan, who asked about the fifteenth century Cardinal Louis de Luxembourg when I described Cardinal Höllerich as Luxembourg's first Cardinal. After getting over my elation that someone as cool as Christine listens to my podcast, and apparently listens closely, I dug into the matter and quickly found not one not two but three and nearly four such “de Luxembourg” Cardinals, all listed as French by my sources. The question is fair, where did they get the de Luxembourg thing? Well, if you go back through the generations, according to Christine who was kind enough to help answer her own question, they're all descendants of  Henry V, Count of Luxembourg, who looms fairly large in Luxembourger history, and who I reckon could fairly be called Luxembourgish himself. The de Luxembourg Cardinals are certainly worth mentioning when talking about the history of Catholic Cardinals in connection to Luxembourg, and I look forward to diving into their stories eventually. But by their day, well, I am comfortable continuing to count them as French for now, given their strong connections and daily life in France. The question of national equivalency gets fuzzier and fuzzier the further back you go, enough that I've considered dropping it as a focal point, but in the end people do pay close attention to the national makeup of the College of Cardinals, so it's worth discussing, even if it gets murky. So thank you again Christine for drawing the de Luxembourg Cardinals to my attention, you inspired me to spend a fair amount of time working on my Cardinals database this week, which is always a pleasure, so thank you for that and for listening as well. I also should note that an accusation of abuse of a minor was made against today's Cardinal, Cardinal Lacroix, after I wrote my original summary of his life..Cardinal Lacroix, who categorically denies the allegations, temporarily stepped aside from his duties as a result in January of this year, returning to duty just last month, in July of 2024, after an investigation by a retired judge concluded with no evidence being found to support a canonical trial. The judge did note that the investigation should be considered incomplete, given that Cardinal Lacroix's accuser refused to participate, I'm guessing there's a trust issue, though the investigating judge also described Cardinal Lacroix;s record as “impeccable”.   Anyways, without further ado, let's get into it.   Gérald Cyprien Lacroix was born on July 27th, 1957 in Saint-Hilaire de Dorset, a community in the far south of Canada's Québec Province. His parents were farmers who moved the family to New Hampshire when he was 8 years old, and he finished his childhood in New England. In 1975, presumably after turning 18 though possibly a bit before, he joined the Secular institute Pius X, or ISPX. Presumably he heard about it in part because it was founded in Manchester, New Hampshire, where he went to high school. The ISPX should not be confused with the SSPX, which we'll talk about sometime in the future. As for the Secular Institute part, we're basically talking following the evangelical counsels–you know, poverty, chastity, and obedience–that you normally see in a monastic setting without the monastery part, so there's a focus on living in the world rather than in community.   The ISPX is headquartered in Québec, the land of Gérald's birth, and he went back that way about this time. He didn't jump immediately into seminary though, taking the “secular” part of “secular institute” to heart and working for a restaurant, then as a graphic designer at a publishing house. In 1980 he took a year to do missionary work at a clinic for the poor in Columbia–service to the poor being a special focus of the ISPX. On his return he began studying at the Université Laval, a public university rather than the seminaries you may have come to expect.   The ISPX must have liked what he was doing, because in 1982 they made Gérald their Secretary-General when he was a 25 year old college student who made his perpetual vows that same year. It's not clear what his duties were as Secretary-General, normally as we've seen when it comes to Church stuff secretary is actually a fairly high posting, but I don't get the sense that this was like being Secretary-General at, say, the UN. It definitely wasn't the top post, I can say that much.    He held other posts in the Institute, becoming counselor of the General Counsel in 1985. Presumably that was an advancement, and soon he was Director General of one of their centers for spiritual formation.   In 1988, he was ordained a deacon in New Hampshire, then a few months later a priest in Québec, so very much a two-worlds scenario. Or rather, three worlds, because from 1990 to 2000 he was back serving in Columbia, carrying out tasks from assisting at a local parish to acting as a radio host, presumably in Spanish, though Gérald was also comfortable in English and French because of his background. While in Columia he also established nine houses for the ISPX, and yeah I know I said what made the ISPX a secular institute was a focus on living in the world rather than in community but, well, it's complicated. You still want to have a stable situation and base of operations, so even secular institutes still have religious houses. It goes back to that constant Martha and Mary discussion, as it always does.   Nine houses sounds like good growth for the order, and it seems they agreed, because in 2001 Father Lacroix became the top man for sure, the Director General, and that's how I know Secretary General was apparently not the top job.   Usually I can have more confidence about the inner workings of the religious orders we're discussing because, frankly, they're older and bigger. In the case of the ISPX, I mean, the Church has only formally recognized the concept of a Secular Institute since 1947-which is an odd thing to read on the website of a Secular Institute founded eight years before that in 1939, but hey, these things usually do start at the local level and then bubble up.   In 2008, deep into his second four-year term running the ISPX, Father Lacroix was established as a member of the Executive Council of the World Conference for the Secular Institutes. The following year, 2009, he was made an Auxiliary Bishop of Québec, becoming Titular Bishop of Ilta because as you may recall auxiliary bishops tend to become titular bishops of defunct diocesesA as a way of emphasizing the one-diocese one-bishop model while still allowing for additional admin help in larger sees.   At the time, the Archbishop of Québec was Cardinal Marc Ouellet, though not for much longer as Cardinal Ouellet was made Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, a Curial post of sufficient intensity that he left the Archdiocese for Rome full time. You won't be surprised to learn that the conveniently placed Auxiliary Bishop Lacroix was chosen to succeed him in the post, nor will you be surprised that Pope Francis made him a Cardinal in 2014, during his first consistory. That same year, he was made a member of the Congregation for the Institutes of Consecrated Life and the Societies of Apostolic Life, which makes sense given his background, as well as the Pontifical Councils for Interreligious Dialogue and for Culture. Later, in 2020, he was added to the Council for the Economy, and finally, just last year,, Pope Francis added him to both the Dicastery for Culture and Education and his elite Council of Cardinals. Considering Cardinal Hollerich also made his way onto the Council of Cardinals at the end of our last episode, you'd be forgiven for thinking everyone and their brother is a member, but no, there are only nine members, all Cardinals. Considering there are currently 236 Cardinals, it's an exclusive club within an exclusive club, though I'm sure Pope Francis wouldn't call it that. An advisory body within an advisory body, is that better?   Anyways, unless he resigns early or something, which I am not predicting, Cardinal Lacroix is eligible to participate in future conclaves until he turns 80 in 2037.   Today's episode is part of Cardinal Numbers, and there will be more Cardinal Numbers next week. Thank you for listening; God bless you all!

Fin du rêve pour le cardinal Ouellet. Taxes foncières: l'ultime appel de Boisbriand face aux juifs hassidiques rejeté. Toronto, une église historique et des œuvres d'art « complètement détruites » par les flammes. Asie, il découvre que sa femme est un homme après 12 jours de mariage. Discussion religion avec Alain Pronkin, spécialiste des religions.Pour de l'information concernant l'utilisation de vos données personnelles - https://omnystudio.com/policies/listener/fr

La communauté des dominicaines du Saint-Esprit a été condamnée pour le renvoi d'une religieuse. L'éclipse solaire et la religion. Un timbre canadien souligne deux fêtes musulmanes, à quelques jours de la fin de la fête du Ramadan. Au Nicaragua, les Églises évangéliques n'échappent pas à la répression. Les trois derniers dirigeants de Lev Tahor condamnés par un tribunal américain. 1,390 milliard de catholiques dans le monde en 2022! La rencontre religion avec Alain Pronkin, spécialiste des religions.Pour de l'information concernant l'utilisation de vos données personnelles - https://omnystudio.com/policies/listener/fr

In this episode:Pope claims Benedict XVI's death was instrumentalizedCatholics in India & risk of “Saffron Taliban”Does the Pope's trip to Africa matter?Cardinal Ouellet steps down to fight sexual assault chargesVatican releases nuns from vows, kicks them from conventSupport the show

The late Cardinal George Pell is now the confirmed author of the once-secret memorandum that sought to discredit the papacy of Pope Francis. This, read in concert with a letter by the cardinal, published posthumously—which characterizes Pope Francis' succession to the chair of St. Peter as a “catastrophe”—offers stark insight into the dueling forces present within the ranks of the church's most senior figures. On this episode of “Inside the Vatican,” Ricardo da Silva, S.J., and Gerard O'Connell dive into the revelations since the cardinal's death and recall Cardinal Pell's anti-Pope Francis actions over the years, which date back to the conclave that elected the present pope.  “As one Vatican official said to me,” Gerry says, “maybe he saw quite clearly what direction Pope Francis was leading the church and didn't like what he saw; especially in terms of the position on moral questions but also in the position of moving away from clericalism, giving more responsibility to the laity in the church.” In the second half of the show, they discuss the latest developments in a class-action lawsuit filed in Quebec, Canada, last summer. The case implicates at least 88 clergy members and notably includes Cardinal Marc Ouellet, the prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, which is the Vatican office that manages the selection process of the world's bishops.  In a shocking move this December, which Gerry believes is “unprecedented,” Cardinal Ouellet filed a $100,000 countersuit for defamation against “Ms. F.” He alleged his accuser had tarnished his name by bringing false accusations against him and claimed he did not even know her. Last Friday, Jan. 13, Ms. F. chose to respond to the cardinal's escalated action by publicly revealing herself as Pamela Groleau, saying she intends by this move to reclaim her dignity and bring the church to acknowledge the crimes of its clerics. “I think something else we can expect,” Ricardo says, “which undoubtedly will happen, and which Pamela Groleau herself says in the statement that she made when she revealed her identity, is that this, she hopes, will inspire others to come forward and tell their stories. And so this will open the floodgates.” And the floodgates have already started to crack. Shortly after recording the episode, Golias Hebdo, a French news magazine revealed that a second woman, known only as “Marie,” had also brought accusations of sexual misconduct against Cardinal Ouellet.  Links from the show: Explainer: Cardinal Pell's complicated (and critical) relationship with Pope Francis Cardinal Pell blasts Pope Francis in secret memo: ‘This pontificate is a disaster' Cardinal Ouellet announces lawsuit against woman who claimed sexual assault  Pope Francis says not enough evidence to try Cardinal Ouellet, a close adviser, for sexual assault Podcast: Vatican issues new universal laws on sexual abuse (listen around 11:50) Pope Francis issues new rules for accountability and response to allegations of sexual abuse This page will be updated to include a link to the article mentioned in this episode, about allegations of sexual misconduct against Cardinal Ouellet, as soon as it is published. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tout savoir en 24 minutes avec Alexandre Moranville-Ouellet : transferts en santé entre Ottawa et les provinces : une entente à l'horizon? Le cardinal Ouellet est visé par une deuxième allégation d'inconduite sexuelle. Des employés d'Amazon dénoncent des pratiques illégales. Des engins spatiaux pourront être lancés à partir du Canada. Le numéro d'une ligne de prévention du suicide désormais inscrit sur les rails du CN. 9 ans de prison pour avoir tabassé le nouveau chum de son ex. Une huitième hausse de suite du taux d'intérêt anticipé mercredi prochain. La maison mère de Google supprime 12 000 postes à son tour. Les États-Unis désignent le groupe Wagner comme organisation criminelle, le Kremlin installe des défenses à Moscou. Le premier ministre britannique reçoit une amende pour ne pas avoir porté sa ceinture! Pour de l'information concernant l'utilisation de vos données personnelles - https://omnystudio.com/policies/listener/fr

Alyssa Murphy talked about Pope Francis appointing of 3 women to the dicastery of Bishops, and the scandal involving Cardinal Ouellet. Hannah Brockhaus discussed Pope Francis's next consistory as well as his health. Rob Herbst talked about how daily Mass at  a Catholic school in Kentucky has led to an increase in vocations. Rob also previewed the Catholic Week. 

Today on "Catholic Drive Time": Why is Boston Children's Hospital backtracking on their “youth gender program” and why is there almost no coverage of it? - Edie Heipel – CNA – joins us. AND A life saved from abortion, Mark Houck shares the story. ALSO – Tito Edwards – BigPulpit.com - Vatican Failures in Cardinal Ouellet's Case City of Nashville ordinance gives tax breaks to companies who pay for abortion travel Some 4.9 Million Illegal Aliens Crossed US Border in the last 18 Months Since President Joe Biden Took Office. Federal judge who rules on immigration issues was ALSO arrested for smuggling illegals across the border. Also... 257,110 migrant children have been released into the USA … al Cardinal Leopoldo Brenes, met with the bishop of Matagalpa, Rolando Álvarez, hours after the bishop had been abducted by the Daniel Ortega dictatorship... the "physical condition" of Álvarez "has deteriorated," but "his mind and spirit are strong." Join Email list! GRNonline.com/CDT GRN to 42828 What's Concerning Us Mark Houck A save at the abortion clinic this week. ITW – September 15th - 18th: Into the Wild - Survival Training Guest Seg. Edie Heipel - Political Correspondent for Catholic News Agency – Why is Boston Children's Hospital backtracking on their “youth gender program” 17 vs 18? What are they denying? Why are they denying it? Is parental notification required? Thy are doubling down 2nd Guest Seg. Tito Edwards - BigPulpit.com Vatican Failures in Cardinal Ouellet's Case A Sneak Peak of the Private Papal Chapel at Castel Gandolfo Joe Social Media IG: @TheCatholicHack Twitter: @Catholic_Hack Facebook: Joe McClane YouTube: Joe McClane Adrian Social Media IG: @ffonze Twitter: @AdrianFonze Facebook: Adrian Fonseca YouTube: Adrian Fonseca YouTube: Catholic Conversations Rudy Social Media IG: @ydursolrac Youtube: Glad Trad Podcast Visit our website to learn more about us, find a local GRN radio station, a schedule of our programming and so much more. http://grnonline.com/

The pope rejects a church investigation into Cardinal Ouellet's alleged misconduct, was the preliminary inquiry handled properly? Guest: Emma Anderson, a religious studies professor at the University of Ottawa

Entrevue avec Me Alain Arsenault, avocat au cabinet Arsenault Dufresne Wee Avocats : dans des documents déposés dans le cadre d'une action collective visant le Diocèse de Québec et qui regroupe jusqu'à présent 101 victimes ayant dénoncé avoir été agressées par environ 88 prêtres ou personne du diocèse se retrouve le nom de Marc Ouellet.  Chronique sports avec Mathieu Boulay, journaliste sportif au Journal de Montréal et Journal de Québec : un peu de nostalgie et on parle de la descente des Blue Jays. On parle des propos de Serge Savard à son tournoi de golf. Tennis: défaite au premier tour d'Eugénie Bouchard à Vancouver. La rencontre Pagé-Villemure avec Julia Pagé et Rémi Villemure : 89 entreprises québécoises bénéficient d'une exemption pour polluer. Entrevue avec Maude Laberge, professeure en économie de la santé à l'Université Laval et chercheuse en Santé des populations et pratiques optimales en santé : les coûts pour rénover ou construire des hôpitaux explosent au Québec, faisant grimper les factures de plusieurs centaines de millions de dollars, montre une recension du Journal.  Une production QUB radioAoût 2022Pour de l'information concernant l'utilisation de vos données personnelles - https://omnystudio.com/policies/listener/fr

Entrevue avec Me Alain Arsenault, avocat au cabinet Arsenault Dufresne Wee Avocats : dans des documents déposés dans le cadre d'une action collective visant le Diocèse de Québec et qui regroupe jusqu'à présent 101 victimes ayant dénoncé avoir été agressées par environ 88 prêtres ou personne du diocèse se retrouve le nom de Marc Ouellet.  Pour de l'information concernant l'utilisation de vos données personnelles - https://omnystudio.com/policies/listener/fr

Chronique religieuse avec Alain Pronkin, spécialistes des religions : La Cour supérieure rend son jugement sur la validité de la Loi sur la laïcité de l’État (Loi 21). Le cardinal Ouellet en campagne électorale pour la papauté? Reconstruction de la cathédrale Notre Dame de Paris. Le parlement helvétique a adopté en décembre le projet de loi autorisant le mariage pour les couples homosexuels. Deux infirmières chrétiennes accusées de blasphème. Le port du voile islamique en entreprise française. Un juge fédéral américain a accordé un sursis qui empêche temporairement la marine américaine d'exiger qu'un marin hassidique se rase la barbe. Le nouvel album Surrounded By Time de Sir Tom Jones. Lev Tahor et l'arrestation de Yakov Weingarten au Guatemala pour kidnapping d'enfant. Pour de l’information concernant l’utilisation de vos données personnelles - https://omnystudio.com/policies/listener/fr

Chronique d’Alain Pronkin, spécialiste des religions : Charlie Hebdo republie les caricatures de Mahomet. Les pro-vie interpellent Erin O’Toole. Un baptême par vidéo.

Entrevue avec Alain Pronkin, spécialiste des nouvelles religieuses: Le pape François a récemment refusé la démission du cardinal québécois Marc Ouellet, lui demandant de prolonger ses services au-delà de ses 75 ans, l’âge habituel de la retraite pour les évêques.

Fr. Jenkins comments on Cardinal Marc Ouellet’s ‘Open Letter’. The ‘Open Letter’ is a response to Abp. Viganò’s appeal to Cardinal Ouellet to confirm that the allegations made in Viganò’s letter of 22 August 2018 are true. Ouellet writes to disprove Viganò’s allegations but in fact ends up in confirming them as demonstrated by Fr. Jenkins. Please visit wcbohio.com for more content.

In this special edition of What Catholics Believe, Fr. Jenkins addresses the recent letter of Cardinal Ouellet and the recent statement of Cardinal Cupich concerning Abp. Viganò’s allegations. Fr. Jenkins demonstrates how Viganò’s allegations are being proven true and how Francis is the man whom they (The Pact of the Catacombs & the St. Gallen Group) have chosen for the mission of pushing Vatican II down the throats of the people. The ultimate problem isn’t the abuse but the Novus Ordo itself which is born of Modernism. Please visit wcbohio.com for more content.

Archbishop Vigano launches third testimony letter. This the best one yet where he discusses that he is doing these things to avoid judgment from Christ on the Last Day. He addresses Cardinal Ouellet and corrects and clarifies. More than anything, Vigano says that this crisis about the salvation of souls and discusses how each of us (the Pope included) will have to answer questions on Judgment Day on how whether we were truthful. Very powerful testimony. As Dr Marshall states: “We now have a bishop who actually speaks like a Catholic bishop.” The Taylor Marshall Show Podcast is now also available on Spotify: Play “Taylor Marshall Show” inside Spotify. Listen to audio or watch the Youtube video interview by clicking here. Or listen to the audio mp3 here: If the audio player does not show up in your email or browser, please click here to listen. If you find this podcast episode helpful, please share this podcast on Facebook. Announcements: * The podcast is now on my channel on Youtube.com * The complete Sword and Serpent Trilogy is now published, including the the third Book: Storm of Fire and Blood. * Download the Study Guide at: http://swordandserpent.com * New classes at New Saint Thomas Institute. We have just begun our New Testament Studies curriculum. Please visit: newsaintthomas.com for more details. I’d love to read your feedback: While you listen to today’s podcast, would you please take 30 seconds to write a review? Please click here to Rate this Podcast! Please Share Your Feedback: iTunes: 1,706,247 downloads on iTunes as of today. * Youtube: Leave a comment on Youtube here. SHOUT OUTS: A huge “shout out” to all 832 (!) of you who wrote amazing 5-star reviews at iTunes. Please rate this podcast by clicking here. From there you can leave a review. I appreciate you for this! Thank you! Subscribe to This Weekly Podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, or Youtube: Apple/Mac Users: Please subscribe via iTunes by clicking here and then clicking on “View in iTunes.” Android Users: For listening to The Taylor Marshall Show on Android devices (free) using the 

Archbishop Vigano launches third testimony letter. This the best one yet where he discusses that he is doing these things to avoid judgment from Christ on the Last Day. He addresses Cardinal Ouellet and corrects and clarifies. More than anything, Vigano says that this crisis about the salvation of souls and discusses how each of […] The post 169: Vigano’s Third Letter: Response to Pope Francis and Cardinal Ouellet [Podcast] appeared first on Taylor Marshall.

Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, in his second testimony against Pope Francis called upon Cardinal Marc Ouellet to confirm Vigano's claim that Pope Benedict XVI had placed sanctions on exCardainl McCarrick. Cardinal Ouellet recently responded with an agg...

Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, in his second testimony against Pope Francis called upon Cardinal Marc Ouellet to confirm Vigano’s claim that Pope Benedict XVI had placed sanctions on exCardainl McCarrick. Cardinal Ouellet recently responded with an aggressive open letter to Viganò – but oddly enough confirmed Vigano’s claim against Pope Francis that “restrictions” had been […] The post 165: Vigano attacked by Cardinal Ouellet: Why? [Podcast] appeared first on Taylor Marshall.

For decades there’s been a battle for the soul of the Vatican – will it be faithfully Catholic, or will it conform to the world? For most of that time this battle has been quietly raging behind the scenes, but in recent months it’s come out into the open. What does this mean for the […]

Is it Okay to Criticize Pope Francis? Archbishop Vigano issued his SECOND testimony addressing the silence of Pope Francis, the investigation of Cardinal Murphy O’Conner, and the role of Cardinal Marc Ouellet. Dr Taylor Marshall examines the importance of Cardinal Ouellet and how Cardinal Muller has recently validated the account of Pope Francis canceling the […] The post 163: Is it OK to Criticize Pope Francis? VIGANO Part 2 [Podcast] appeared first on Taylor Marshall.

With the end of the 2018 MLB season, I wanted to review some of the highlights (and lowlights) of the season. I decided to bring on a special guest, someone who is an expert on baseball – and also happens to be my son. Topics covered: Review of our 2018 pre-season predictions Best player of […]

Dans cet épisode nous explorons l'influence indue que l'Église Catholique a exercé au Québec et au Canada dans son histoire. Nous examinons à la loupe certains miracles qui auraient été perpétrés par quelques-uns de nos saints célèbres, dont le Frère André, et examinons les opinions rétrogrades du Cardinal Ouellet. Nous finissons le tout en parlant des enfants de Duplessis, ainsi que des nombreux scandales de pédophilie qui secouent l'Église catholique depuis plusieurs décennies.

Summary of today's show: The media rumors are swirling about who's in the running for the papacy and the speculation this past weekend swirled around Cardinal Seán in journalistic chatter around Rome. Scot Landry and Fr. Michael Harrington discuss the talk and the qualities that might make Cardinal Seán a consideration in the conclave. Then on the day before The Light Is On For You begins again for Lent, they discuss the Sacrament of Reconciliation and God's mercy and love extended for the forgiveness of those who seek Him. Listen to the show: Watch the show via live video streaming or a recording later: Today's host(s): Scot Landry Today's guest(s): Fr. Michael Harrington Links from today's show: Today's topics: Buzz about Cardinal Seán as papabile and the Sacrament of Confession 1st segment: Scot Landry welcomed everyone to the show. He talked about a story over the weekend from John Allen, who covers the Vatican for the National Catholic Reporter newspaper and is considered one of the leading Vaticanists in the US. Allen wrote that the “buzz grows in Rome” for Cardinal Seán. First, Scot played a clip from Cardinal Seán at a press conference last week on what he's looking for in the next pope as he looks at the other cardinals to choose from in the upcoming conclave. He listed the things the new pope should have, which ends up being essentially a list that would make a superpastor: A leader with deep faith energy Passion organizational skills cultural experience who inspires the young facility with languages Scot and Fr. Michael Harrington both agreed that Cardinal Seán himself has many of these same qualities. Fr. Mike said he is also not afraid to introduce new programs and to be an evangelizer in new ways to introduce the faith. Scot said he's happy and willing to try new things. Some have worked out well, others less so. Fr. Mike said he's often the first to try new initiatives, like setting up the first blog by a cardinal, the first to set up a catholic media secretariat in his diocese, the first to take on a pastoral plan the size of Disciples in Mission, focused on evangelization. Scot said he received many emails from friends today telling him about Allen's story. Here's what Allen wrote: For a long time, conventional wisdom held that an American could not be elected to the Throne of Peter because you can't have a “superpower pope.” Not only do the Americans already have too much power, or so the theory went, but a shadow would hang over the papacy as part of the world would suspect its decisions were being secretly crafted by the CIA. In the early 21st century, however, some of the air has gone out of that bias, because the United States is no longer the world's lone superpower. As a result, for the first time an American seems thinkable. While the U.S. media has focused on Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York as the most plausible, if still remote, American prospect, another name has generated a surprising degree of buzz in the Italian press: Cardinal Sean O'Malley of Boston, partly on the strength of his profile as a reformer on the church's sexual abuse scandals, and partly because of his Capuchin simplicity as a perceived antidote to the Vatican's reputation for intrigue and power games. Here's a sampling of what's been in the Italian papers over the last few days vis-à-vis the 68-year-old Capuchin cardinal of Boston. Marco Politi One of Italy's most-cited Vatican writers, Marco Politi gave an interview on Feb. 14 to the Suddeutsche Zeitung, the main daily in Munich, in which he was asked who the favorites are heading into the conclave. He replied: “There are no favorites. It's not like 2005, when there was a clear candidate in Ratzinger and a strong contrast in Martini. The situation is very fragmented, and there are many papabili. There's Cardinal Scola of Milan, and Cardinal Ouellet who heads the Congregation for Bishops. There are candidates from South America, as well as outsiders such as Cardinal O'Malley of Boston and Cardinal Erdo of Budapest. There's not yet any aggregation of votes.” AGI The “Italian Journalistic Agency,” or AGI, ran a piece three days ago on the church's “champions” in the fight against clerical abuse, lauding O'Malley for “restoring credibility to the church after the ‘escape' to Rome of his predecessor, Bernard Law, pursued by legal causes seeking compensation (to compensate the victims, O'Malley sold the archbishop's residence and moved to live in a small room at the seminary).” Arena Published in Verona, Arena had a run-down today of probable candidates for the papacy from outside Italy. “In the United States, the most likely figures are Timothy Dolan, the exuberant archbishop of New York, and Sean O'Malley, the archbishop of Boston,” it said. Il Giornale Last Tuesday, the day after Benedict's surprise announcement, Il Giornale published a run-down of possible popes. “There are diverse names of non-Europeans,” it said. “Among them, the name of the Capuchin archbishop of Boston, Sean O'Malley, is prominent, who resolved a situation rendered fairly dramatic not only by sexual abuses committed by priests but also by the cover-ups by his predecessor, Bernard Law. In recent weeks, among other things, Benedict XVI called to Rome as Promoter of Justice in the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, with responsibility for these cases, the ‘right hand' of O'Malley, Father Robert Oliver.” La Stampa Writing yesterday, Vatican-watcher Giacomo Galeazzi said that the candidate “indicated from the American bishops seems to be the courageous Capuchin friar O'Malley, the only cardinal, with the Archbishop of Vienna Christoph Schönborn, to publicly defend the victims of pedophilia (like Pope Benedict, who gave priority to efforts to render justice to those injured both in the soul and the body, and to relieve their suffering as much as possible) when the dean of the College of Cardinals, Angelo Sodano, defined the scandal as “petty gossip” in an embarrassing salute to the pope in 2010.” Paolo Rodari The well-regarded Vatican writer Paolo Rodari treated O'Malley at greatest length in a blog post last Saturday. “There are many who ask themselves if the next pope will be a Capuchin,” Rodari wrote. “On paper, the Capuchins have the numbers for giving the papacy a turning point. They're close to the people, they don't have a ‘clerical' mentality, they emphasize collaboration with the laity, and they have an attractively simple model of life. Those are three characteristics cut out for a church that's paid a high price for its scandals. … O'Malley is a humble prelate, which is no bad thing in a Roman Curia that's suffering not just a few financial difficulties. It's no accident that he's a Prince of the Church who prefers his simple brown Capuchin habit to the sartorial splendor to which his office entitles him. He's a cardinal who loves to dialogue with his faithful through Twitter, and uses his personal blog as an important instrument not only of communication but for meeting everybody, the faithful and even non-believers.” Scot said these are strong endorsements and credible articles by six leading publications in Italy. Fr. Mike said it shows anything is possible. He said when the cardinals sit down, they will discuss what are the emerging issues at this time for the Church and what does the Church need now. Scot said this all brings it out of the realm that a Pope Sean is a non-starter. He said there's a greater than zero chance of an American pope this time for various reasons. John Allen continues: I can confirm the O'Malley buzz from personal experience. Right now, it's tough for an American journalist to walk into the Vatican Press Office without fielding questions from colleagues about him. At the moment, this is basically journalistic chatter. The real action will begin next week, when most of the cardinals will be in town for Benedict XVI's big farewell on Feb. 28. We'll see then if O'Malley has serious traction as a candidate. As the cardinals from other parts of the world start to take a serious look, they're likely to see both promising qualities in O'Malley and question marks. On the plus side, many cardinals have said they'd like a pope with a global vision, sensitive to the church outside the West where two-thirds of Catholics today live. O'Malley has a Ph.D. in Spanish and Portuguese literature, and has long experience of ministering to both Hispanics and Haitians. He worked in Chile as a priest, and served as the Bishop of St. Thomas in the Caribbean. He's deeply attached to many of the devotions popular at the Catholic grassroots across the developing world. O'Malley has at least a basic command of Italian, seen by most as a prerequisite for serving as the Bishop of Rome. O'Malley's simplicity isn't just a matter of wearing his brown habit, or insisting on being called “Cardinal Sean.” By reputation he's not given to building empires or playing political games, and on the back of the Vatileaks mess, ongoing questions about the Vatican Bank, and other perceived Vatican imbroglios, that profile could strike some cardinals as just what the doctor ordered. Despite his overall image as a moderate, O'Malley is by-the-book when it comes to matters of Catholic orthodoxy and is especially committed to the pro-life cause, making him attractive to cardinals concerned that the church hold the line on its positions in the culture wars. O'Malley is also passionate about the “New Evangelization,” expressed not only in his use of Twitter and blogs, but in his general approach to the role of a bishop. Certainly O'Malley's image as a house-cleaner on the sex abuse crisis doesn't hurt. Ironically, the best spokesperson for the O'Malley campaign at the moment may be his fellow American, Cardinal Roger Mahony of Los Angeles, who, fairly or not, has become the latest symbol of the church's failures. Controversy over his presence at the conclave has spread across the Atlantic; this week the widely read Italian magazine Famiglia Cristiana has a cover package on “The Mahony Case,” including an on-line poll for readers to vote as to whether Mahony ought to participate in the election of the next pope. In that context, many cardinals may feel special pressure to pick a pope seen as having “clean hands” on the sex abuse crisis. Those positives, however, come intertwined with some features of O'Malley's biography that may give cardinals pause. For one thing, O'Malley has zero experience in the Vatican. While that means he's not identified with its recent meltdowns, it may also mean some cardinals will wonder if he'd be out of his depth trying to get the place under control, perhaps overly dependent on veteran insiders to get things done. For another, O'Malley is a sensitive soul who occasionally has seemed to struggle under the burden of office. In 2004, facing not only sex abuse litigation but also a painful round of parish closings, he put out an anguished letter to Boston Catholics in which he wrote: “At times I ask God to call me home and let someone else finish this job, but I keep waking up in the morning to face another day of reconfiguration.” On the heels of a pope who just resigned because he felt he no longer had the strength to do the job, some cardinals may wonder if O'Malley possesses the steel to withstand the burdens of the papacy. It's worth noting that O'Malley's record on the abuse crisis has not played to universal praise. The victims' group SNAP faulted him for delaying release of the names of accused priests in Boston, asserting that O'Malley “belatedly and begrudgingly posted a very partial list with minimal information, using hair-splitting excuses for not being more prompt or thorough.” Finally, while 34 previous popes have come from religious orders, there hasn't been one since the 19th century, and there's never been a Capuchin. In some circles, there's a belief that under ordinary circumstances popes ought to come out of diocesan structures rather than religious orders, on the grounds that the diocese represents the ordinary pastoral setting most people experience. In addition, the Capuchins themselves have usually held that they really shouldn't become bishops at all except in mission territories. Among the keenest devotees of tradition in the College of Cardinals, there might be some reluctance along these lines. Scot recapped that Allen talks about Cardinal Seán's strengths, including his connection to other cultures. He said Cardinal Seán comes alive when he speaks with and greets people from other countries and new immigrants. Fr. Mike said Cardinal Seán has the heart of an evangelist and loves working with young people. On the other hand, he said Allen notes that this is all journalistic chatter and in the conclave, it will be the Holy Spirit who cuts through politics and chatter to select the right pope. Scot said he confesses to being partial to Cardinal Seán, to respect his style of leadership, and how he dealt with the sexual abuse crisis, especially in being pastoral toward victims. One of the best ways to make disciples of all nations is to go out and love them and Cardinal Seán exemplifies that. Scot said there were three things he didn't like about the column. First, it is the use of a political word to describe Cardinal Seán as a moderate. He is completely orthodox, not trying to be ideological in anyway. Second, on the criticism of SNAP against Cardinal Seán, Scot has never heard them say a positive word about a bishop. Third, that as a religious Cardinal Seán doesn't have diocesan experience, given that he's been a diocesan bishop for almost 30 years. Fr. Mike confirmed that Cardinal Seán has a keen sense of how to be a diocesan priest with a pastor's heart. Scot asked listeners to pray for Pope Benedict and all the cardinals, but also to pray specifically for Cardinal Seán now as this article places a spotlight on him that he doesn't want, which unleashes both cheerleading and criticism from all sides. 2nd segment: Scot said starting tomorrow and for all the following Wednesday of Lent, all parishes and chapels of the archdiocese will be open for confession from 6:30pm to 8pm as part of the Light Is On For You initiative. Come back to the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Bishop Robert Hennessey, an auxiliary bishop of Boston, leads this effort. Scot emphasized that the website TheLightIsOnForYou.org is a resource for much information on Penance. He noted some of the great lines that Bishop Hennessey gives in the video. He noted that confession is liking hitting the reset button. He said the story of the Prodigal Son is really the story of the Loving Father, who sprints out to his son who has been away, willing to forgive the ways he has hurt him. Fr. Mike said confession is one of God's greatest gifts to His Children. The bishop mentioned the excuses people give about being away so long or being embarrassed or thinking God can't forgive them, and Fr. Mike has heard them all. The Church across the country is embracing this initiative to tell people that they're wrong about this. Fr. Mike said if you're hearing those voices in your heart, that is not the voice of the Holy Spirit, but of the devil. He says every listener should go take advantage of the great gift of Reconciliation. The priest is waiting to receive and give you the loving mercy of God. Scot said if you don't know the prayers or what to do the priest is there to help you. Fr. Mike related a story of going to a juvenile delinquent institution. He heard the confessions of teens who had done some very bad things. As he tried to offer forgiveness, each would deny that God could forgive them and he wondered how he could break through to convince them that God would forgive them. Eventually, he started to ask if they were greater than God. When they would say No, he told them that no matter what their mountain of sins, God is greater than any sin they could commit. Scot said God is always reaching out to us to call us home to the confessional, no matter how long we have been away from him. Now, Scot shared CatholicTV's Fr. Robert Reed's message about confession: Scot said we can't be the person God has created us to be if we're burdened by all the sins we've accumulated since our last confession. Fr. Mike said so many are coming back to confession and so many young people. Whenever he's at a youth event, there are long lines of young people waiting to go to the sacrament of confession. Scot added that there are many humorous videos on TheLightIsOnForYou.org as well, including one from Matt Weber, who has been a guest on TGCL. Scot said a wonderful line: “I don't like going to confession, but I love coming from confession.” Scot talked about going to St. Anthony's Shrine on a regular basis and doesn't think he's had the same priest twice in more than a year. Fr. Mike said it's better to go to a regular confessor, like a spiritual director, who can help someone get through their spiritual barriers, but if that's the obstacle then just go. Fr. Mike emphasized that there will be a priest in every church and chapel on every Wednesday from 6:30pm to 8pm waiting for you to bring to you the loving mercy of God. Scot encouraged everyone to be an apostle of confession, going to confession and sharing the testimony of how it felt to be cleansed.

**Today's host(s):** Scot Landry and Fr. Chris O'Connor**Today's guest(s):** Fr. Joseph Fessio, SJ, founder and publisher at Ignatius Press* [Jesus of Nazareth 2](http://www.ignatius.com/promotions/jesus-of-nazareth/)* [Ignatius Press](http://www.ignatius.com)**Today's topics:** Pope Benedict's new book, "Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week: From the Entrance into Jerusalem to the Resurrection"**A summary of today's show:** Fr. Joseph Fessio, SJ, of Ignatius Press and a friend and student of Pope Benedict, recounts his own journey with the Holy Father, reflects on his papacy and future legacy, and delves this new book which is apropos for this Holy Week as we enter into it.**1st segment:** Happy Patriots' Day. Scot said today is much more than a day off or Marathon Day or a day when the Red Sox play with an early start. It is the start of Holy Week. We celebrated Palm Sunday yesterday and today is officially known in the Church calendar as Monday of Holy Week. Pope Benedict XVI published a book last month entitled "Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week: From the Entrance into Jerusalem to the Resurrection" to help us to get to know our Lord in a special way. On today's broadcast we talked with the English-language publisher of that book, Fr. Joseph Fessio of Ignatius Press. But Fr. Fessio is much more than just the publisher. He has known Pope Benedict since Father was a graduate student and the Pope was known as Fr. Joseph Ratzinger.**2nd segment:** Scot and Fr. Chris welcome Fr. Fessio. Fr. Fessio first met Fr. Ratzinger in 1972. Prior to that he was doing his theology as a young Jesuit scholastic in Lyons, France. He met there [Fr. Henri de Lubac, SJ](http://www.ignatiusinsight.com/authors/henridelubac.asp), who was a wonderful priest, a great Jesuit, and tremendous scholar. When it came for Fr. Fessio to do hiw own doctoral studies, and Fr. de Lubac suggested he do his studies on [Hans Urs von Balthasar](http://www.ignatiusinsight.com/authors/vonbalthasar.asp), the Swiss theologian that de Lubac thought was the great theologian of the Church. He said Fr. Fessio should go to Regensburg to study with the great young theologian Fr. Ratzinger and it was Fr. de Lubac who wrote Fr. Ratzinger on his behalf. Fr. Ratzinger made an exception to accept Fr. Fessio among his graduate students even though he'd been trying to reduce the number of students he was accepting. He was a wonderful teacher as the world now knows.After that, his former doctoral students would gather with him every year, especially after 1977, when he became Archbishop of Munich-Friesing. This was called the Schulerkreis or "student circle". They would go to a monastery, select a theme, bring in a speaker, have discussions, have meals together, Mass together. It was a wonderful opportunity to spend time with their revered mentor. They thought they would end when he became Pope in 2005, but he informed the students that he wanted to continue so they keep going every August. That he continues this, tells Fr. Fessio that he values his friendships he's made, that he values academic discussion and inquiry in o themes of theological interest, and what a warm human person he is that he enjoys this recreation.Fr. Chris asked what qualities Pope Benedict has a professor and teacher that he would admire. He has a brilliant mind and grasps what he reads and remenbers them forever. Is widely read in many subjects, not just theology and philosophy, but also literature and history and others. HE loves art and music and plays piano. He's exceptional for the depth of his knowledge and the sharpness of his intellect. He's also very tranquil and listens well. Most memorable for Fr. Fessio were not Fr. Ratzinger's lectures, which were excellent, but his seminars. In a group of students, he would lead discussion and make sure everyone got a chance to speak and guide it. At the end, he would summarize the whole session into two very beautiful and long German sentences. They would be astounded at his ability to synthesize and grasp the important themes and put them together. He sees it again and again now that he's Pope. At the Synod of the Eucharist, where bishops discuss a theme, then put together a synopsis of themes they'd like the Pope to address, and if you read the document Pope Benedict produced, it's beautiful. When the synod fathers give the Pope their document, they number each item. If you look at the footnotes of the Pope's post-synodal exhortation, [Sacramentum Caritatis](http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/apost_exhortations/documents/hf_ben-xvi_exh_20070222_sacramentum-caritatis_en.html), he took all the little fragments that they'd put into their list and he made them into a mosaic; he put them into order; he synthesized them. The synod was one big seminar where Professor Ratzinger listened and synthesized. Pope John Paul II had put Cardinal Ratzinger in charge of the creation of the Universal Catechism and he did the same with that document.Fr. Fessio once made a retreat and meditated on the table of contents of the Catechism. He didn't read the document, just the table of contents. It is so beautifully organized. It's not just individual statements of our faith; they are put together as an organic whole.Scot said his reaction when he read Pope Benedict's first encyclical, [Deus Caritas Est](http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/encyclicals/documents/hf_ben-xvi_enc_20051225_deus-caritas-est_en.html), was that the Pope was such a clear writer and to be a clear writer, you need to be a clear thinker. Back when he was Fr. Ratzinger, what was the general thinking of where the brilliant professor Fr. Ratzinger was headed in his life? Fr. Fessio said they didn't think he would become part of the ecclesiastical structure of the Church. He was a brilliant professor and in Germany that's a highly revered position and they assumed he would continue a career in theology. In Germany, theologians become bishops. (In the US, it's canon lawyers.) When he became prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the hostile media gave him the image as the Panzercardinal, the great Enforcer, the disciplinarian, harsh and unyielding. When he became Pope, his students rejoiced because as Pope now this wonderful man would be known for who he truly is. Sure enough, in 2005, the journalists all asked what caused the change for him to become so warm and kind and caring. Fr. Fessio said that's the way he's always been. They only just finally got to know him.Scot asked him what it was like to have someone he knew so well to be elected Pope. He was very happy and he sort of predicted it. When he looked at all the candidates, he decided that no one else had the name recognition or great talents. And John Paul II had increased the College of Cardinals and made it more international which means there are cardinals from all over the world. If you are good enough to become a cardinal, you know you can't elect someone on hearsay or a nice impression. You need someone you rely upon or trust or that someone you know relies upon and trusts. Who do all these cardinals know? A cardinal serving in Rome gets to know all the other curial cardinals as well as the worldwide cardinals and because he is such a good person and so fair--even his enemies admire and respect him--it just seemd to Fr. Fessio it was unlikely anyone else would be elected. He was happy for the whole Church.The 20th century was a great century for Popes in his view: from Pius X all the way to Pope John Paul II. We are fortunate to have been alive during two of the greatest pontificates, maybe, of all time. Scot asked Fr. Fessio if he had concern for the Pope upon him being elected Pope in his late 70s as he was preparing for retirement. On the one hand, he knew he would prefer to work in his later years in theology. But on the other hand, he is a person of great serenity. He knew he would live the papacy from within and be quite content within. He didn't want it and wasn't looking for it. In the interview book ["Light of the World"](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1586176064/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=catholicnetrevie&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1586176064), he said, "I saw the guillotine coming." He also said about following John Paul II, he said, "I am who I am. The cardinals elected me. I'll just do the best I can."**3rd segment:** Fr. Chris said it's great to discover that the Pope's new book is #5 on the New York Times' bestseller list. To what does Fr. Fessio attribute this great success? He said we have the best known teacher on the planet writing a book about the most important figure in human history and that should be of interest to even the readers of the New York Times. Even in these secularized times, there are still people who value a book like this by a man like this.Scot asked the significance of the book in the papacy of Pope Benedict XVI. Scott Hahn says that the "Jesus of Nazareth" project will be the Pope's great legacy, just as the Theology of the Body was Pope John Paul's. Fr. Fessio said the project is a work of Pope Benedict's mature years, is close to his heart, he's worked on it at great length with great devotion, and it's on Jesus. He also does something in this book that's not been done in any major book about Jesus. We've had lives of Jesus, but this is not a life of Jesus. We've had Christologies, books on the theology of the divinity and humanity of Christ and the function of his being a savior, but Pope Benedict said in the introduction that it's not his goal to do that.His goal is to present the figure and the message of Jesus in a way that will inspire a personal commitment and give people a certitude about their faith. In the last century, there has been an historical scholarship to find the "real" Jesus, but it always ends up with someone how is wispy and amorphous or someone who represents the pet project of the scholar, i.e. Jesus the revolutionary or social worker. But in this book, he says that that the results of historical scholarship are in now and there's not much more to say there. What we need to do now is expand it into theological exegesis that recognizes faith as a way of seeing the Gospel. And it stays historical because it's about a real person who lived.He integrates the results of historical scholarship and the vision of faith and that, Fr. Fessio said, will be a landmark for a long time to come.On the other hand, he believes Pope Benedict's legacy will be larger than this and it will be marked by two things. First, his greatest love is the liturgy and after he was named archbishop in 1977 he didn't write any more books. He gave talks and wrote articles that were collected into books and wrote an autobiography, but he in 1990 said he would work on a book on the liturgy. Fr. Fessio believes the book, "The Spirit of the Liturgy", is the masterpiece on the Catholic Mass. It is the best of any that has been written and he doesn't see how it can be surpassed in the future. That, along with his motu proprio in 2007 [Summorum Pontificum](http://www.ewtn.com/library/papaldoc/b16summorumpontificum.htm) which made the Extraordinary For of the Mass more available, mark a turning point in liturgical renewal which will have a longstanding effect on the Church.Third, you can't have a healthy Catholic Church without priests. You can't have a large number of priests without strong bishops who have good solid seminaries. Fr. Fessio said he lived through a dark age of seminaries after the 2nd Vatican Council, which is changing now. For the last three or four years, bishops' appointments have been men who've been willing to stand up for the faith, to take a stand for it, have great talents, and are quite loyal to the Church. This isn't by chance. Last July he appointed Cardinal Mac Ouellet as prefect for the Congregation for Bishops, the congregation that oversees the appointment of bishops. Fr. Fessio has know him for many years and both were close to Fr. Ratzinger. He's extraordinary, intelligent, and a man of faith, and he's in charge of the appointment of bishops worldwide. For the US, Cardinal Burke is a member of that Congregation and he knows the situation in the US and knows priests and bishops and here.Scot asked Fr. Fessio to describe what in Pope Benedict's and Cardinal Ouellet's mind makes a good bishop for the 2010s. Of course, they want men of prayer deeply committed to Jesus and his Church. They want bishops with intellectual foundation to defend the faith and be prophetic in proclaiming the Word of God. They also want bishops who can recognize the importance of hermeneutics of continuity, an understanding that the Second Vatican Council is not a break with the past, of everything that went before it. Fr. Fessio has heard a lot of people say, "Oh, that's pre-Vatican II. We don't do that any more." This Pope's view is that the Vatican council was a moment in the Church's long living tradition in which there was organic development that was called for, a renewal that was rooted  in Tradition. After the council , there were many bishops who thought the council was a complete transformation of the Church.Fr. Chris said that it seems that with the current Jesus of Nazareth book ending with the Resurrection that it wraps up the series. Or is there another volume coming? Fr. Fessio said the Holy Father has promised that he would write a short book (in Italian "fascicolo") on the infancy of Christ. So there's the public life of Christ to the Transfiguration and then the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Christ in two volumes and then a small half-book being worked on now that he hopes to finish it by the summer. Scot asked if Ignatius Press will publish that book. Fr. Fessio said they don't have the contract yet, but the Pope has been very loyal to Ignatius as Ignatius has been to him. He knows of a New York publisher who went to Rome personally to offer a $2.1 million advance for the book, which Ignatius wasn't required to pay, but the Holy Father's publisher said No, that Ignatius Press was going to do it.After he was elected Pope, Ignatius had 23 of his books in print. Other publishers wanted to get on the bandwagon and one American publisher who knows the Pope and his secretary who asked him, "Holy Father, why is that only Ignatius Press is allowed to publish your books?" He said, "Before anyone cared about me, they published my books."Scot asked Fr. Fessio why does it have both Joseph Ratzinger and Pope Benedict XVI on the cover? At what level of magisterial authority does he write this book? Fr. Fessio said it is not at all magisterial, in the technical sense of being an authoritative statement for the Church. It is really a book by Joseph Ratzinger as a private theologian, but this man happens to be Pope. So in order to help sell the books and to let people understand, they book both the name and the title.  It doesn't have the Church's authority behind, but neither does the phone book and that's full of true statements. So it's full of truth in that sense even while you can disagree with his conclusions. He has also become what his office is. Joseph Ratzinger doesn't put on a costume as Pope Benedict XVI. He really is the successor of Peter and he is what his office is. **4th segment:** Fr. Chris asked Fr. Fessio what his favorite part of the book is. Fr. Fessio said he couldn't pick a favorite part. It's not a book that's easily divided into parts. It's sequential as it goes through Holy Week and it's a story. The whole story is what is powerful for him. In every part he sees wonderful insights and clarity of thought. What he likes most are certain constant features that everywhere throughout the book. Pope Benedict uses the Old Testament in a certain way. He'll talks about saying and acts of Jesus that may be hard to understand by going back to Old Testament texts in which Jesus' acts are the fulfillment. But he goes deeper an deeper into the historical context. It's also so Christ-centered because he shows how the sayings of Christ, his words to us, are actually expressions of the way Christ lived his life. Pope Benedict's character as a teacher is seen throughout the book. He enumerates many things, he begins with questions and then answer them. He has a teaching style.Fr. Fessio said he's working on adapting the books into an online college course, working with the [College of St. Thomas More](http://www.cstmo.org/) in Fort Worth, a fully online Catholic university. Every time  he re-reads the books in preparation for these classes, he gets something new. They discuss Scot's favorite passage of the book on Christ washing the feet of the Apostles. Pope Benedict says it's an encapsulation of the ministry of Christ, that God stoops down to serve man, that "God did not grasp at divinity, but rather emptied himself and took on the form of a slave." The bathing of the whole body is also a reference to baptism and feet-washing is a reference to the need for continual cleansing necessary through confession. When Christ washes our feet, it is an expression of an inner reality of service to others, not just to show us who He is, but to gives us an example of who were to be. Now, the Pope goes deeper. Christ knows we can't do that as an act of our own moral strength. Noting that this takes place at the Last Supper, he says we need to be united to Christ in the Eucharist, then we can let that life flower in us as a moral life. We don't do it on our own.Fr. Chris said in the foreword of the book, Pope Benedict says he has the task as communicating the figure and message of Christ. Fr. Fessio said that his is against the background of the historical scholarship. Pope Benedict wants to show us that having read the scholarship, there can still be a full concrete attractive image of Jesus, the man who was God, not a shriveled and shrunken image made by questioning everything we know about Christ. He wants to give the fullness of Christ as we receive Him in the Gospels. The message is similar. Some scholars say we can't be sure of what Christ said because earlier editors could have inserted anything into the texts of the Gospels we have today. But Pope Benedict says we can have a genuine figure of Jesus, filled out and fleshed out and we can have have real teachings of Jesus from the Gospels; we can rely on them. Otherwise who will follow Jesus? No one will follow a stick figure Jesus.About the Resurrection, Fr. Fessio notes that Pope Benedict says with St. Paul that if Jesus isn't risen our faith is in vain. He also addresses whether the tomb was empty. Some scholars say  that Jesus could have died and his spirit rose to heaven and his body decomposed and it would not alter our belief in the resurrection of Jesus. But the Pope says while there could be a resurrection of the crucified Christ without the body leaving the tomb, because it's a transhistorical, beyond empirical event, but there would have been no belief in it, the Jews at the time knew where he was buried. If they'd gone to the tomb and found a body, it would have been a dis-proof of the resurrection and there wouldn't have been a belief in Jesus in the early Church.Fr. Fessio said there is a [study guide](http://www.ignatius.com/IProducts/56149/jesus-of-nazareth-study-guide-volume-ii.aspx?src=ipjon) available for the book and Holy Week is a good time to study and pray with this book.He suggests that Holy Week is a good time to get away from the world--Facebook, Twitter, TV, and magazines--and be with the Lord in this special time.