Pope Benedict XVI forgives his attacker - sends rosary in return!

Pope Benedict XVI's personal secretary has visited the mentally disturbed woman who assaulted the pontiff at Mass on Christmas Eve (BBC News, January 3, 2010):

Monsignor Gaenswein made the visit to convey Pope Benedict's concern for the woman's situation, Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi told the Associated Press news agency.

He saw Ms Maiolo at a hostel for people with psychiatric problems in the town of Subiaco.

According to Il Giornale, the papal aide brought her a rosary and told her the Pope believed in her good intentions and had pardoned her.

The paper added that an elderly French cardinal, Roger Etchegaray, who suffered a broken hip during the incident in St Peter's, had also passed on his forgiveness.

(HT: Carlos Echevarria).

Pope Benedict XVI's Christmas

Pope Benedict XVI kneels in prayer during Christmas Mass in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, Thursday, Dec. 24, 2009. Associated Press 12/24/09.

• Urbi et Orbi Message of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI, Christmas 2009
• Pope Benedict XVI's homily for the Christmas Vigil Mass in the Vatican. (Zenit)
• Pope Benedict XVI's Christmas Greetings to the Roman Curia. (Zenit)

Pope knocked down as he enters Christmas Eve Mass; Pope forgives!

A woman jumped the barriers in St. Peter's Basilica and knocked down Pope Benedict XVI as he walked down the main aisle to begin Christmas Eve Mass (Associated Press):

The 82-year-old pope quickly got up and was unhurt, said a Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Ciro Benedettini. Footage aired on Italy's RAI state TV showed a woman dressed in a red jumper vaulting over the wooden barriers and rushing the pope before being swarmed by bodyguards.

The commotion occurred as the pope's procession was making its way toward the main altar and shocked gasps rang out through the public that packed the basilica. The procession came to a halt and security rushed to the trouble spot.

Benedettini said the woman who pushed the pope appeared to be mentally unstable and had been arrested by Vatican police. He said she also knocked down Cardinal Roger Etchegaray, who was taken to hospital for a check up.

"During the procession an unstable person jumped a barrier and knocked down the Holy Father," Benedettini told The Associated Press by telephone. "(The pope) quickly got up and continued the procession."

Raw video of the incident. (The Holy Father appears to be ok). More here:

Update!

• According to the New York Times, The woman who leapt at Pope Benedict XVI during Christmas Eve Mass, causing him to trip and fall, had tried the same thing last year, only to be stopped by security.
• The woman who knocked down Pope Benedict XVI has been hospitalized, the Vatican said on Friday. (AFP)
• Protecting the Pope: Keeping Him Safe But Open, by Jeff Israely. Time December 26, 2009.
• Vatican mulls options over woman who lunged at pope Reuters. Decembet 26, 2009.
• Pope Benedict forgives Susanna Maiolo one day after she knocked him down during Christmas Eve Mass December 26, 2009.

"God conquers our hearts not by force, but by love"

In these last days before Christmas, the Church invites us to contemplate the mystery of Christ’s Birth and to experience the joy and hope which the newborn Saviour brings into our world. Gazing on the Christ Child lying in the manger, we contemplate the love of a God who humbly asks us to welcome him into our hearts and into our world. By coming among us as a helpless Child, God conquers our hearts not by force, but by love, and thus teaches us the way to authentic freedom, peace and fulfilment. This Christmas, may the Lord grant us simplicity of heart, so that we may recognize his presence and love in the lowly Babe of Bethlehem, and, like the shepherds, return to our homes filled with ineffable joy and gladness.

Pope Benedict XVI
General Audience, December 23, 2009.

Pope Benedict XVI declares John Paul II and Pius XII "Venerable"

Today, reports the New York Times, Pope Benedict XVI moved two of his predecessors a step closer to sainthood, confirming the “heroic virtues” of John Paul II and, in a surprise move, of Pius XII, the pope during World War II:

After John Paul’s death in April 2005, Benedict bypassed a traditional waiting period to put the much beloved pope on a fast-track to sainthood. At John Paul’s funeral, crowds at Saint Peter’s Square chanted “santo subito,” or “sainthood now.” ...

Benedict has said that Pius worked “secretly and silently” to help save Jews. Although a Vatican committee confirmed his “heroic virtues” in 2007, Benedict had asked for time for reflection, which many saw as a diplomatic effort aimed at calming polemics.

On Saturday, the pope confirmed the committee’s findings. Before the two popes can become saints, another Vatican committee must determine that miracles have been attributed to them.

As the Times notes, Pius XII has been " point of contention between the Vatican and some Jewish groups, who say he did not do enough to stop the Holocaust." (See: "Pope Pius XII on the Jews archive for news and commentary on this particular topic).

From the Vatican, the 21 decrees of the Congregation for Saints' Causes approved today by Benedict XVI.

Send Pope Benedict a virtual Christmas Card!

The Vatican Web page Pope2you.net has made it possible this Christmas to send Benedict XVI a personalized Christmas card through e-mail or Facebook:

Upon visiting the site -- www.pope2you.net, launched by the Vatican Council for Social Communications in May, click on "Send the Pope your Christmas Greetings." Simply follow the instructions and a personalized, virtual card will be sent to the Holy Father. Even a picture can be included.

Pope2you.net is also offering a Facebook application that one can use to send Christmas cards to friends that feature an official picture of the Pope as taken by L'Osservatore Romano, accompanied by the Pontiff's "words of hope and peace."

The cards can be sent in English, Italian, Spanish, German and French, and there are four options to choose from.

(HT: Zenit).

Change in Mass schedule prompts speculation over Pope's Health

A Vatican spokesman said the decision to move the traditional Christmas Midnight Mass to 10:00pm was taken nearly two months ago, "to tire the pope a little less". CBS News' "The Early Show" reports:

The pontiff has "a very full schedule for a person more than 80 years old," the spokesman added.

The mass generally lasts about 90 minutes, and the Pope has to be back in St Peter's Square on Christmas morning to deliver the "Urbi et Orbi," his annual message to the city and the world. [...]

Benedict suffered a mild stroke in 1991, is thought to have had another one just before he was elected Pope, and broke his wrist in a fall while on holiday in the Italian Alps in July.

Vatican sources, who will only speak off the record, say Benedict is "tired," and meets with only a small number of close advisers.

His personal secretary, Monsignor Georg Ganswein, is said by Vatican insiders to be assuming more and closer control over Benedict's schedule.

On the other hand, Father Federico Lombardi, the director of the Vatican press office, told Agence France Presse that he was “astonished” to encounter speculation about the Pontiff’s health:

Father Lombardi responded that the Vatican has deliberately avoided placing undue demands on the stamina of the 82-year-old Pontiff, and the earlier Mass would allow him to have a full night’s rest before Christmas Day. “It is a sensible precaution,” said the Vatican spokesman, and “no cause for concern or alarm.”

Pope Benedict Roundup!

• 12/12/09: Rowan Williams, Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury, described Pope Benedict's provisions for traditional Anglicans to come into union with the Catholic Church as "theologically eccentric". (Link to Fr. John Zuhlsdorf's commentary on the interview).

• 12/11/09: Pope Benedict XVI and high-ranking members or the Roman Curia met with two members of the Irish bishops’ conference t discuss the issue of sexual abuse in the Archdiocese of Dublin. Dr. Denice Hanley of the Pope Benedict XVI Blog has the roundup.

• 12/10/09 The program for Benedict XVI's May 11-14 trip to Portugal has been confirmed, with visits to Lisbon, Fatima and Porto.

• 12/07/09 When there is conflict in the Church, the way to find sound doctrine, as well as serenity, is following the See of Peter, said Pope Benedict XVI, citing the example of Rupert of Deutz, a 12th-century Benedictine monk. (Click here for the full text of Benedict's homily).

• 12/5/09 - Pope Benedict XVI, in an address to the Bishops of Brazil, warning them of the "deceitful principles of liberation theology" and its "more or less visible consequences ... rebellion, division, dissent, offense, anarchy".

• "A Tale of Two Popes" - InsideCatholic's Joanna Bogle muses in anticipation of Benedict XVI's 2010 visit to England:

  [I]t's worth debunking a few papal myths -- the first being that John Paul II and Benedict XVI are men with wholly different worldviews and perspectives, who were often at variance with one another, especially on issues such as ecumenism, liturgy, and the relationship between the Church and other faiths. Not so. ...

• Pope Benedict is the target of frequent attacks by renegade Catholic theologians -- but this takes the cake: Dr Tina Beattie, Professor of Catholic Studies at Roehampton University, has attacked Pope Benedict XVI’s teaching on the family in the most revolting terms, invoking the case of Josef Fritzl, the Austrian rapist who fathered seven children by his own daughter. Yes, you read that correctly. Damien Thompson wonders: "Will anyone have the nerve to raise the subject at the next Tablet board meeting?"

• Boy's wish comes true for papal audience, by Diane Kreiger-Spivak (Chicago Post-Tribune December 4, 2009):

  Andrew lives in the same house his family has owned for 150 years, and is a member of the same church his family has attended just as long, St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, just down the highway.

  His faith, his mom says, is passionate, which is why Andrew, unlike thousands of other gravely ill children, told the Make-A-Wish Foundation that he wanted to go to Rome to visit the pope. ...

• Is Pope Benedict a secret rap lover? - "NO!", says The Catholic Herald's Anna Arco.

• "From Priest to Pontiff (First Things ) - George Cardinal Pell reviews Peter Seewald's From Priest to Pontiff:

  Benedict XVI: An Intimate Portrait effectively brings the pope to the wider world—mostly because its author is a journalist able to ask the questions nontheologians and nonbelievers find interesting. A communist when he first encountered the future pope, Seewald nonetheless had insight and integrity that gradually enabled him to recognize the central claims of Christianity, even when he could not accept their truth. And, as his work with then Cardinal Ratzinger on The Salt of the Earth progressed, he managed to escape the narrow constraints of the German intellectual and theological world, coming to admire his subject.

  Indeed, by his own account, the answers Seewald received “grabbed him by the scruff of the neck.” He started to read the gospels regularly and to go to Mass. Belief became a burning issue for him and he was horrified by the possibility that his questions had no answers. He has now quietly returned to the Church, acknowledging that, by Catholic criteria, only a conservative can be progressive—which is to say, only someone who keeps the treasure of faith complete and intact is able to achieve progress. ...

• Zenit reports that The Russian Orthodox Church has published a book in Italian and Russian with texts from Benedict XVI on the culture of Europe:

  This is the first time the Moscow Patriarchate is publishing a compilation of texts from a Pope. It is titled "Europe, Spiritual Homeland," and includes addresses by Joseph Ratzinger during the course of more than a decade. ...

  "This book is an event of unprecedented historic scope in the millennial history of Catholics and Russian Orthodox," explained the editor of the book, Pierluca Azzaro. "But before and above all, it is a great testimony of love of Christ and between Christians. From this love springs -- should spring -- European culture in all its manifold expressions: a living culture, imbued with an authentically creative moral energy, all together geared to the building of a good future for all."

  Sandro Magister has more, including ntroduction to: Joseph Ratzinger/Benedict XVI, "Europa, patria spirituale," Moscow/Rome, 2009.

Thank You (and Congrats) to CathNews

Thanks to CathNews for selecting the Pope Benedict XVI Fan Club as their 'featured website' of the month -- and congratulations, on CathNews' 10 Year Anniversary!

Something for the Kids: "Joseph and Chico" - The Life of Pope Benedict XVI as Told By a Cat

Joseph and Chico: The Life of Pope Benedict XVI as Told By a Cat Ignatius Press (March 2008) In this beautifully illustrated book for children, Chico the cat describes the life of his "best friend", Pope Benedict, in this authorised biography of the Pope for young people approved by the Vatican. "Dear Children, here you will find a biography that is different than others because it is told by a cat and it is not every day a cat can consider the Holy Father his friend and sit down to write his life story," the Pope's personal secretary, Monsignor Georg Ganswein, says in the foreword. The Pope is known for his fondness of animals, especially cats, and Joseph and Chico is narrated by Chico, a real cat who took up with the Pope in his native Germany long before he became the Pope. Chico tells the story of the life of "my best friend" from his birth in Germany in 1927, through his days as a young man, priest, bishop and cardinal. With a colorful and sometimes amusing language, the author makes this funny cat tell us about the life of the young Joseph all the way up to his election as Pontiff on April 19, 2005. It recounts the Nazi era in Germany when the Pope was a teenager, calling the war years "one of the most dramatic and shameful times in the history of man". Later when he became Cardinal Ratzinger, Chico recounts how each time when the Cardinal returned to Germany from Rome for a vacation, the cat would run into his house and sit on his lap as he played the piano. Related Images from "Joseph and Chico" Sample Pages from "Joseph and Chico" Chico is one of the most famous cats in the world. He is 9 years old and famous for being one of Benedict XVI’s best friends… in fact the only friend to have slept on the papal piano. (ROMEreports TV 10/19/07). Cat Lovers Appreciate Soul Mate in Vatican, by Andy Newman New York Times April 21, 2008.