Pope Benedict XVI Roundup!

• On October 11, 1962, Pope John XXIII opened the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council in St Peter's Basilica. "It was a splendid day," recalls Pope Benedict XVI. L'Osservatore Romano publishes Benedict's reflections on the Second Vatican Council.

• On November 12, 2012, by the Motu Proprio "Latina lingua," Benedict XVI has established the Pontifical Academy for Latin, which will be part of the Pontifical Council for Culture (Vatican Information Service):

  "... in contemporary culture, within the context of a generalised deterioration in humanistic studies, we see the danger of an increasingly superficial knowledge of Latin, which may also be detected in the philosophical and theological studies of future priests. On the other hand, in our world in which science and technology are so prominent, we also find renewed interest in the Latin language and culture, and not only in those continents with Greco-Roman cultural roots. This interest seems particularly significant inasmuch as it is present not only in academic and institutional environments, but also involves young people and scholars from very different nations and traditions.

  "There is therefore an apparent pressing need to encourage commitment to a greater knowledge and more competent use of Latin, in the ecclesial environment as well as in the world of culture at large. To give prominence and resonance to this effort, it is important to adopt teaching methods adapted to contemporary conditions, and to promote a network of relationships between academic institutions and among scholars with the aim of promoting the rich and varied heritage of Latin civilisation".

• On November 13, Pope Benedict visited the "Viva Gli Anziani" Retirement home for the elderly yesterday in Rome, saying that he came not only as Bishop of Rome, but as well as "an elderly man visiting his peers.":

  "I well know the difficulties and limitations of age, and am aware that for many people these difficulties are aggravated by the economic crisis," said the Holy Father.

  "At times", he continued, "at a certain age, one turns to the past with regret for the loss of youth, its energy and plans for the future. At times our perspective is veiled with sadness, as we consider this phase as the twilight of life. This morning, ideally addressing all the elderly and aware of the difficulties that our age brings, I would like to say to you with profound conviction: it is good to be elderly! At every age it is necessary to know how to discover the presence and the blessing of the Lord, and the richness that this brings. We must not allow ourselves to be imprisoned by sadness! We have received the gift of long life. To live is beautiful, even at our age and despite infirmities or limitations. Let our faces always reflect the joy of being loved by God, and never sadness".

  

  The Holy Father recalled that in the Bible, "longevity is considered as a blessing from God; today this blessing is widespread and must be seen as a gift to appreciate and value. Yet often society, dominated by the logic of efficiency and profit, does not welcome it as such; on the contrary, it often rejects it, considering the elderly as unproductive and useless". However, the Pope observed, the elderly are a source of wisdom and "a great resource. The quality of a society, of a civilisation, may also be judged by how it treats its elderly and by the place reserved for them in communal life. To give space to the elderly is to give space to life!"

• On November 16, the Vatican released the Holy Father's Message for the twenty-eighth World Youth Day 2013. The event will take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in July 2013. (Click the link for excerpts of the text in English).

• On November 24, Pope Benedict XVI created six new cardinals from four different continents, representing the Latin rite of the Catholic Church as well as two Eastern Catholic Churches (Catholic News Service):

  The churchmen who joined the College of Cardinals Nov. 24 were U.S. Archbishop James M. Harvey, 63, former prefect of the papal household; Lebanon's Maronite Patriarch Bechara Rai, 72; Indian Archbishop Baselio Cleemis Thottunkal, 53, head of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church; Nigerian Archbishop John Olorunfemi Onaiyekan , 68, of Abuja; Colombian Archbishop Ruben Salazar Gomez, 70, of Bogota; and Philippine Archbishop Luis Tagle, 55, of Manila.

• On December 7, Pope Benedict named Monsignor Georg Gänswein, personal secretary of the Holy Father, as Prefect of the Pontifical Household, at the same time elevating him to the titular see of Urbisaglia with the title of Archbishop (Zenit News Service).

• In internet news, Pope Benedict XVI now has his own personal Twitter account: https://twitter.com/Pontifex. On December 3rd, a press conference was held to explain the Pope's participation in the new media:

  "The Pope's presence on Twitter is a concrete expression of his conviction that the Church must be present in the digital arena. ... The Pope's presence on Twitter can be seen as the 'tip of the iceberg' that is the Church's presence in the world of new media. The Church is already richly present in this environment – there exist a whole range of initiatives from the official websites of various institutions and communities to the personal sites, blogs and micro-blogs of public church figures and of individual believers. The Pope's presence on Twitter is ultimately an endorsement of the efforts of these 'early adapters' to ensure that the Good News of Jesus Christ and the teaching of his Church is permeating the forum of exchange and dialogue that is being created by social media. His presence is intended to be an encouragement to all Church institutions and people of faith to be attentive to develop an appropriate profile for themselves and their convictions in the 'digital continent'. The Pope's tweets will be available to believers and non-believers to share, discuss and to encourage dialogue. It is hoped that the Pope's short messages, and the fuller messages that they seek to encapsulate, will give rise to questions for people from different countries, languages and cultures".

  "Part of the challenge for the Church in the area of new media is to establish a networked or capillary presence that can effectively engage the debates, discussions and dialogues that are facilitated by social media and that invite direct, personal and timely responses of a type that are not so easily achieved by centralized institutions. Moreover, such a networked or capillary structure reflects the truth of the Church as a community of communities which is alive both universally and locally. The Pope's presence on Twitter will represent his voice as a voice of unity and leadership for the Church but it will also be a powerful invitation to all believers to express their 'voices', to engage their 'followers' and 'friends' and to share with them the hope of the Gospel that speaks of God’s unconditional love for all men and women".

  "In addition to the direct engagement with the questions, debates and discussions of people that is facilitated by new media, the Church recognizes the importance of new media as an environment that allows to teach the truth that the Lord has passed to His Church, to listen to others, to learn about their cares and concerns, to understand who they are and for what they are searching. ... It is for this reason that it has been decided to launch the Pope's Twitter channel with a formal question and answer format. This launch is also an indication of the importance that the Church gives to listening and is a warranty of its ongoing attentiveness to the conversations, commentaries and trends that express so spontaneously and insistently the preoccupations and hopes of people".

  According to the VIS, the first tweets from the Pope's handle on Twitter will be given on 12 December, Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

  More from the Catholic Information Service on the logistics of Papal-Twittering:

  The handle "Pontifex" was chosen because it means "pope and bridge builder," said Greg Burke, media adviser for the Vatican's Secretariat of State. The name suggests "reaching out" and bringing unity not just of Catholics "but all men and women of good will," he said. …

  The pope's first tweets from the new accounts will be responses to four or five questions about the Catholic faith sent to the pope on Twitter via the hashtag #askpontifex …

  The pope will personally send the inaugural tweets around noon Dec. 12 at the end of his general audience. …

  The Q&A exchange will be offered just that one time, and the rest of the papal news feeds will be excerpts from his general audience talks, Angelus addresses or other important speeches …

  Each tweet will be crafted by a Vatican official and the pope will review and approve each one before it is sent from the Vatican Secretariat of State's offices . . . The papal tweets will be posted with some regularity but won't be too frequent given the time constraints of the pope and that each tweet needs his approval.

  Like the prophet Daniel into the lion's den. As Twitchy observes, in what is shameful-yet-typical behavior, Pope Benedict joins Twitter and the vile hate has started to spew before his first "tweet".

  Also released by the Vatican is the "Pope App" - a new app that provides live streaming of papal events and video feeds from the Vatican's six webcams. The app should be available Dec. 10 for iPhone and iPad while an Android version is due out in January. (Catholic Information Service).

  Lastly, according to David Gibson, "the focus on the pope’s personal entry into social media ... is really a subplot to a larger, behind-the-scenes effort by the Roman curia to overhaul the Vatican’s notoriously byzantine communications apparatus and head off problems that can’t be glossed over by even the most appealing papal tweets."

• From the Office of Liturgical Celebrations, the calendar of celebrations to be presided over by the Holy Father between November 2012 and January 2013.

Commentary

• "There goes that sexist, woman-hating Catholic Church again…" - Greg Chandra (Deacon's Bench) on the fact that, of the 45 experts and 49 observers nominated by Pope Benedict XVI to attend the Synod of Bishops contains "the largest bloc of women — 10 experts and 19 observers — ever to participate in a Vatican synod."

• The Pope, the Blind Man, and the New Evangelization, a reflection by James V. Schall on a homily given by the Holy Father at the close of the Synod of Bishops.

• Benedict XVI and the Pathologies of Religion, by Dr. Samuel Gregg. Crisis November 7, 2012:

  It passed almost unnoticed, but last month Benedict XVI significantly upped the ante in an argument he’s made one of his pontificate’s centerpieces. To the horror, one suspects, of some professional interfaith dialoguers and wishful-thinkers more generally, the pope indicated the Church should recognize that some types of religion are in fact “sick and distorted.”

• Sandro Magister runs a column on a a collective of intellectuals dubbed "The Ratzingerian Marxists":

  One of these converts, Pietro Barcellona, is also the author, together with three other post-Marxist thinkers, of a manifesto on "the anthropological emergency" that has met with great astonishment.

  And this is the second noteworthy fact. The other three authors of the manifesto are the professors Giuseppe Vacca, an historian; Mario Tronti, a philosopher and political scientist; and Paolo Sorbi, a sociologist. The last of these is Catholic, the other two are not. All four were activists in the Partito comunista, and today are part of the Partito democratico, the main party of the Italian left. Vacca is the director of the Istituto Gramsci. Tronti is president of the Centro per la riforma dello Stato, and was the leading Italian theoretician of operaismo, but also has always shown strong interest in the political theology of Carl Schmitt and frequented the intellectual cenacle of the Catholic magazine "Bailamme" and the Camaldolese monastery of Monte Giove.

  All four have been called "Ratzingerian Marxists." . . . Their manifesto is, in effect, an explicit declaration of appreciation of the vision of Pope Benedict XVI.

  The "Ratzingerian Marxists" charge the left in Italy and the West with having given in to "falsely libertarian cultures, for which there exists no right other than the right of the individual."

  In order to rebuild the foundations of the human community, the four identify therefore the decisive interlocutor with whom the left should engage not as some "borderline" theologian, but as Benedict XVI, the highest and most authoritative expression of the Catholic vision, in particular on "two fundamental themes of his magisterium: the rejection of ethical relativism and the concept of non-negotiable values."

  To this end, the authors of the manifesto have already announced that they will organize in 2013 a major conference precisely on the anthropological vision of Benedict XVI, between believers and nonbelievers.

  The blog Caelum et Terra posts “Ratzingerian Marxist Manifesto” in English.

Jesus of Nazareth: The Infancy Narratives

Jesus of Nazareth: The Infancy Narratives

Image Press, November 21, 2012.

The momentous third and final volume in the Pope’s international bestselling Jesus of Nazareth series, detailing how the stories of Jesus’ infancy and childhood are as relevant today as they were two thousand years ago.

In 2007, Joseph Ratzinger published his first book as Pope Benedict XVI in order “to make known the figure and message of Jesus.” Now, the Pope focuses exclusively on the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ life as a child. The root of these stories is the experience of hope found in the birth of Jesus and the affirmations of surrender and service embodied in his parents, Joseph and Mary. This is a story of longing and seeking, as demonstrated by the Magi searching for the redemption offered by the birth of a new king. It is a story of sacrifice and trusting completely in the wisdom of God as seen in the faith of Simeon, the just and devout man of Jerusalem, when he is in the presence of the Christ child. Ultimately, Jesus’ life and message is a story for today, one that speaks to the restlessness of the human heart searching for the sole truth which alone leads to profound joy.

Summary (Courtesy of the Vatican Information Service):

"The first chapter is dedicated to the genealogies of the Saviour in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, which are very different, although both have the same theological and symbolic meaning: the placing of Jesus in history and his true origin as a new beginning of world history.

"The theme of chapter two is the annunciation of the birth of John the Baptist and that of Jesus. Rereading the dialogue between Mary and the Archangel Gabriel in the Gospel of Luke, Joseph Ratzinger explains that, through a woman, God 'seeks to enter the world anew'. In order to liberate man from sin, he writes, quoting Bernard of Clairvaux, God needs 'free obedience' to his will. 'In creating freedom, he made himself in a certain sense dependent upon man. His power is tied to the unenforceable yes of a human being'. Thus, only thanks to Mary's assent can the history of salvation begin.

"Chapter three is centred on the event in Bethlehem and the historical context of the birth of Jesus, the Roman Empire under Augustus, which extends from East to West and whose universal dimension allows for the entry into the world of 'a universal Saviour'; 'it is indeed the fullness of time'. The single elements of the story of the birth are dense with meaning: the poverty in which 'he who is truly the first-born of all that is' chooses to reveal himself, and therefore 'the cosmic glory' that envelopes the manger; God's special love for the poor, which manifests itself in the annunciation to the shepherds; and the words of the Gloria, whose translation is controversial.

"The fourth chapter is dedicated to the three Magi, who saw the star of the 'King of the Jews' and who had come to adore the child, and to the flight into Egypt. Here the figures of the 'magoi', reconstructed through a rich range of historical, linguistic and scientific information, are outlined as a fascinating emblem of the inner unrest and search for truth of the human spirit.

"Finally, the Epilogue, with the story - according to the Gospel of Luke - of the last episode in the childhood of Jesus, the last account we have of him before the beginning of his public ministry with his baptism in the Jordan. It is the episode of the three days during the Passover pilgrimage to the Temple in Jerusalem, in which twelve-year-old Jesus leaves Mary and Joseph and stays in the Temple to discuss with the rabbis. Jesus, who was growing 'in wisdom and in stature, and in favour with God and man', manifests himself in his nature as true God and, at the same time, true man, who 'thought and learned in human fashion'".

Reviews and Related Links

• Infancy Narratives Seals One of the Pope's Finest Gifts to the Church, by Kevin M. Clarke. (Zenit News Service):

  Because of the timeless newness to these inimitable reflections, our coheirs to the kingdom will doubtless be reading these volumes long after we are in our tombs. With the second installment of the Jesus of Nazareth series, Pope Benedict gave Catholics plenty of food for thought for the Lenten season. His third installment similarly gives much for meditation for Advent.

• What the Pope Really Said About Christmas, by Kevin M. Clarke. First Things' "On The Square" 11/30/12. Clarke, adjunct professor of New Testament Greek at John Paul the Great Catholic University in San Diego, California, lays bare the media's bias and misreadings of the Pope's text.
• Being the Pope's Editor. Gary Jansen, editor of the book and of Image Catholic at Random House, talks to National Review Online’s Kathryn Jean Lopez about meeting the pope, reading the pope, editing the pope, and encountering the ghosts of Christmas past, among other things.
• Read all about it: Pope has not cancelled Christmas (Reuters 11/28/12). "The day after Benedict's latest book "The Infancy Narratives - Jesus of Nazareth" - was published on November 20, Vatican officials found some headlines they were not expecting. ..."
• A vaticanista reads the pope's book, by John Allen Jr. National Catholic Reporter 11/25/12.
• Vatican blasts media coverage of pope’s latest book, by Allesandro Speciale. Religion News Service 11/29/12.
• Pope calls the Infancy Narratives an "Antechamber" to Jesus of Nazareth Volumes I and II (Zenit News Service 11/21/12).
• “The Infancy Narratives”: Not myths, just plausible stories, by Andrea Tornielli. La Stampa "Vatican Insider" 11/20/12:

  The stories about Jesus’ infancy in the first few chapters of the Gospels of Luke and Matthew are not legends or imaginative reconstructions. They are not “midrash” either, that is, interpretations of the Scriptures through narrations, typical of Hebrew literature. They are “history, history which really took place, history which was certainly interpreted and understood on the basis of the Word of God.”

Pope Benedict XVI - Apostolic Journey to Lebanon (14-16 September 2012)

Resources:

• Apostolic Journey to Lebanon (14-16 September 2012) on the occasion of the signing and publication of the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation of the Special Assembly for the Middle East of the Synod of Bishops
• Official Program
• Missal for the Apostolic Journey
• Apostolic Journeys of Pope Benedict XVI (Currently: Lebanon 14-16 September 2012) The Pope Benedict Forum.

Addresses of Pope Benedict XVI

• Meeting of His Holiness Benedict XVI with journalists during the flight to Lebanon (Papal Flight, 14 September 2012)
• Welcoming ceremony at the Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport (14 September 2012)
• Visit to St. Paul's Basilica in Harissa and the signing of the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation (14 September 2012)
• Ecclesia in Medio Oriente: Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation on the Church in the Middle East: Communion and Witness (14 September 2012)
• Meeting with members of the government, institutions of the Republic, the diplomatic corps, religious leaders and representatives of the world of culture (May 25th Hall of the Baabda Presidential Palace, 15 September 2012)
• Luncheon with the Patriarchs and Bishops of Lebanon, members of the Special Council for the Middle East of the Synod of Bishops and the papal entourage (Refectory of the Armenian Catholic Patriachate of Bzommar, 15 September 2012)
• Meeting with the youth in the square across from the Maronite Patriarchate of Bkerké (15 September 2012)
• Holy Mass and the presentation of the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation for the Middle East at the Beirut City Center Waterfront (16 September 2012)
• Presentation of the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation for the Middle East at the Beirut City Center Waterfront (16 September 2012)
• Recitation of the Angelus (16 September 2012)

A general view of St. Paul's Basilica where the Pope Benedict XVI, is seen center delivers his blessing before signing the post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation of the special Assembly for the Middle East of the Synod of Bishops, in Harissa, Lebanon. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

Coverage and Commentary

Catholic News Service (with Francis X Rocca)

• 9-15-12: Pope says religious freedom is necessary for Middle East peace
• 9-15-12: Pope urges interfaith dialogue in Mideast, defends religious freedom
• 9-14-12: Pope Benedict arrives in Lebanon as 'pilgrim of peace'
• 8-30-12: For Pope Benedict in Lebanon, the pastoral is political

La Stampa "The Vatican Insider"

• 9-15-12: Benedict XVI: “Real believers don’t kill”, by Giacomo Galleazzi. The Holy Father met with Lebanese political and religious leaders in the Baabda Presidential Palace, where he was welcomed by the country’s President Michel Suleiman and his wife.
• 9-14-12: Pope calls for new initiatives to bring peace in Syria, by Gerard O'Connel:

  When Pope Benedict drove from Beirut airport to Harissa where he is staying during his visit here, he would probably not have known that he passed close to the Palestinian refugee camp at Sabra and Shatila where over 1700 Palestinians were massacred exactly 30 years ago, on 16-18 September 1982. ...

• 9-14-12: Pope calls for "full rights for Catholics in the Middle East":

  In the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Benedict XVI says Christians in the Middle East need to rediscover the essential aspects of faith, forgiveness prevails over revenge, service over domination and love over hate. The role of women, the value of celibacy, Christian unity against religious intolerance. Armed vehicles line the streets Benedict XVI passes through, in order to ensure his safety. The Pope may need a walking stick to lean on but his steps are determined: he walks through the dusty Lebanese carrying only the 86 page Apostolic Exhortation which brings together all that emerged from the Special Synod for the Middle East in 2010. It contains the antidote to the clash between civilisations and the guidelines for the survival of the Middle Eastern Churches which are being submerged under a swelling wave of radical Islamism.

• 9-13-12: Lebanese hope Pope's visit will reduce tensions and promote peace, by Gerard O'Connell.
• 9-13-12: A journey against all fundamentalism, by Giacomo Galliazi. "Three years ago, it was the murder of the President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Turkey, Luigi Padovese, on the eve of Benedict XVI’s departure for Cyprus. This time it’s the slaughter in Benghazi and the protests against the film which insulted the prophet Muhammad."
• 9-11-12: The “Arab awakening” and the Vatican’s road map for Syria, by Alesandro Speciale:

  Less than a week before Benedict XVI is due to embark on his visit to Lebanon, the Holy See has given a clear and detailed outline of its policy towards war-torn Lebanon. But the speech given by the Colombian priest and Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, the Rev. Miguel Ángel Ayuso Guixot, during a high-level conference on the “Arab Awakening”, held in Istanbul, goes far beyond this: it outlines the Vatican’s position on events that have shaken the Middle East and North Africa over the past two years, at a time when the initial enthusiasm spurred by events in the region has given way to scepticism, with local Christian communities feeling increasingly targeted.

• 9-10-12: From Paul VI to Benedict XVI: Popes in the land of cedars, by Luca Rolandi. Forty eight years after Pope Paul VI and fifteen years after John Paul II, the Catholic Church in Lebanon and the Middle East prepare to welcome another pope, Benedict XVI.
• 9-07-12: Controversial text addressed to the Pope, mysteriously disappears A message published by the Melkite Patriarch Gregory III Laham on the event’s website -- [calling for the explicit recognition of the state of Palestine] -- disappeared just a few hours later. The publication of the message on the web has been a great embarrassment to Rome.
• 9-7-12: Lebanon: Christians and Muslims meet to pray ahead of Pope’s visit An Muslim-Christian vigil was held to invoke God and the Virgin Mary’s protection for Benedict XVI’s visit.

In the gardens of the Presidential Palace, accompanied by Lebanon's Christian president Michael Sleiman, Pope Benedict plants a sapling Lebanese cedar. Source: Reuters (HT: The Benedict Forum)

National Catholic Reporter, with John Allen Jr.

• 9-16-12: On trip about unity, Catholic division a striking omission
• 9-15-12: Archbishop (gently) corrects pope on Arab Spring. Contrasting the Pope's observation that “in itself the Arab Spring is a positive thing" with Archbishop Georges Bou-Jaoude of Tripoli's "slightly less rosy" assessment.
• 9-15-12: Pope tackles elephant in room of Christian exodus:

  In a speech to at least 20,000 Lebanese youth tonight, both Christians and Muslims, Pope Benedict XVI tackled the elephant in the room during his fourth trip to the Middle East: Despite decades of papal appeals, so far nothing has stopped a steep decline in the region’s native Christian population.

  The Catholic Patriarch of Jerusalem, Foaud Twal, recently warned that the Holy Land is on the brink of becoming a “spiritual Disneyland,” full of glittering spiritual attractions but empty of flesh-and-blood Christians. Many observers wonder if a similar fate awaits the entire region.

• 9-15-12: Muslims want Christians in Middle East, mufti tells pope
• 9-14-12: Pope's trip showcases another face of the Middle East:

  When Pope Benedict XVI arrived today at Beirut’s Rafic Hariri airport, the VIP delegation awaiting him consisted of both Christian patriarchs and Muslim clerics, all of whom mingled freely both before and after the welcoming ceremony. The Muslim leaders listened attentively, applauded warmly, and projected a general air of delight.

  Later in the day, when the pope went to a Greek Melkite basilica to sign the concluding document from a 2010 Synod of Bishops on the Middle East, the same visuals played out: bishops and muftis, patriarchs and imams, were all on hand. TV coverage leading up the pope’s arrival had shots of bishops and muftis slapping one another on the back, telling jokes, and sharing quiet conversation.

  It’s not just the clerical establishment. ...

• 9-14-12: In Lebanon, pope mixes bitter and sweet:

  In advance, Benedict XVI's three-day trip to Lebanon shaped up as a balancing act, both reaching out and pushing back -- that is, extending an olive branch to the Muslim majority of both Lebanon and the entire Middle East, while at the same time defending its beleaguered Christian minority and rejecting the radical currents in Islam which exploded anew this week with violence in Egypt, Libya and elsewhere.

• 9-13-12: Getting Lebanon's Catholics to work and play well together "While Catholics make up around one-quarter of the national population of four million, they're divided into seven separate churches – and, to be frank, they don’t always work and play well together."
• 9-11-12: Framing the pope's trip to Lebanon

In Related News

• Lebanese Young People Consider New Evangelization (Zenit 9-11-12). A meeting was held at Harissa, a few miles from Beirut, to prepare young Lebanese people for the task of evangelization -- planned as a prelude to Benedict XVI’s visit.
• Pope to Distribute Arabic-Language YouCat During Lebanon Trip: Catechism Will Be a Personal Gift From Benedict XVI for 50,000 Youth (Zenit. 9/06/12)
• Crowd in Lebanon torches KFC in anger over pope visit/film Hundreds of protesters set alight a Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli on Friday, witnesses said, chanting against the pope's visit to Lebanon and shouting anti-American slogans. (Jerusalem Post 9/14/12).

Pope Benedict Roundup!

• 06-26-12. Pope Benedict named U.S. Archbishop J. Augustine Di Noia to fill a newly created post of vice president of the Pontifical Commission "Ecclesia Dei.":

  The appointment of a high-ranking prelate to this position is a sign of the Holy Father’s pastoral solicitude for traditionalist Catholics in communion with the Holy See and his strong desire for the reconciliation of those traditionalist communities not in union with the See of Peter. ...

  As a respected Dominican theologian, Archbishop Di Noia has devoted much attention to these doctrinal issues, as well as to the priority of the hermeneutic of continuity and reform in the right interpretation of Vatican Council II - a critically important area in the dialogue between the Holy See and the Priestly Fraternity. Under the guidance of Cardinal Levada, with the assistance of Msgr. Guido Pozzo, secretary of the Pontifical Commission, this dialogue has been ongoing over the past three years.

  Related
  • In an interview with the National Catholic Register, the native New Yorker, secretary for the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, discusses his new role and the challenges he expects.
  • "A new chapter in the Society of St. Pius X saga" Interview with La Stampa ("The Vatican Insider") 7/20/12.

• 06-28-12. The Vatican approved the heroic virtues of a number of Catholics, among them Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, the first step in the advancement of the cause to declare him a saint. Among those Catholics likewise honored with decrees were "the first prelate of Opus Dei, the Canadian and Irish-American founders of two orders of religious women, a priest murdered by the Sicilian Mafia, and 154 martyrs killed during the Spanish Civil War."

  Archbishop Fulton Sheen was a universally popular evangelist, radio/TV personality, writer and missionary. He is most known for his television series, “Life is Worth Living” which had a viewing audience of over 30 million people. To learn more about his cause for canonization, visit The Archbishop Fulton John Sheen Foundation.

• 07-02-12. Pope Benedict has appointed (and elevated to the dignity of Archbishop) Bishop Gerhard Ludwig Müller of Regensberg, Germany, successor to Cardinal William Levada (whose resignation for reason of age was accepted by the Holy Father).

  Salt + Light introduces us to the new Prefect:

  Archishop Mueller is, like Pope Benedict, a scholar. He received his doctorate in theology from Freiburg University. His thesis was directed by now-Cardinal Karl Lehmann. After his ordination to the priesthood he spent four years working in parish and teaching high school.

  He returned to University for post-doctoral studies, also directed by Cardinal Lehmann. According to the Diocese of Regensburg, his academic research focuses on ecumenism, modern age theology, the Christian understanding of revelation, theological hermeneutics, and ecclesiology. He taught the Ludwig –MaximilianUniversityinMunichuntil his appointment as bishop of Regensburgin 2002. Archbishop Mueller has authored more than 400 works. Perhaps the best known is “Catholic Dogmatics: for the Study and Practice of Theology” He also co-authored a book called “On the Side of the Poor” with Dominican Father Gustavo Gutierrez.

  His ties to Pope Benedict go back to 1998 when he began serving on the International Theological Commission, which was led by then-Cardinal Ratzinger. In 2008 Mueller helped establish the Pope Benedict XVI institute, which is publishing a complete collection of words by Joseph Ratzinger/ Pope Benedict XVI, at the pope’s request.

  Also, from National Catholic Reporter's John Allen Jr:

  The pope’s new doctrinal czar has a profile in Germany as a staunch defender of Catholic orthodoxy, yet not an ideologue. Among other things, Müller has a strong friendship with Peruvian liberation theologian Gustavo Guttierez.

  Müller clearly enjoys the pope’s confidence.

  Aside from the fact that Müller is the bishop of the pope’s home diocese, where Benedict’s brother Geörg still resides, he’s also the editor of Benedict’s “Opera Omnia,” a comprehensive collection of all the pope’s theological writings.

  Related

  • On July 25th, L'Osservatore Romano published an interview with Archbishop Gerhard Ludwig Müller (via Zenit, with the English translation).
  • A roundup of varied German reactions to Müller's appointment (Hans Kung isn't happy -- which, if you think about it, may be a positive indication).

• 07-05-12. Pope Benedict reaffirmed his trust in the Vatican's secretary of state, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, and defended him against a barrage of "unjust criticism" in the Italian media. According to Catholic News Service:

  ... The Vatican has had to face a number of challenges recently, including leaks of confidential correspondence to the pope and the Secretariat of State; the arrest of the pope's personal assistant in connection to the leaks; and the ouster of the Vatican bank's president, Ettore Gotti Tedeschi, for neglecting his duties amid worsening management problems.

• 07-09-12. Pope Benedict made a private visit to the "Ad Gentes Centre" of the Missionaries of the Divine Word, located in the village of Nemi, close to his summer residence of Castel Gandolfo.

  It was in the building (then called the International Centre of the Society of the Divine Word) that young Joseph Ratzinger, a periti (theological advisor) to the Council, took up residence with other theologians, collaborating in a re-drafting of the Council's decree on missionary activity. Describing his time there as "a wonderful memory, perhaps my fondest memory of the entire council," the Pope reflected on the past (Vatican Information Service):

  Benedict XVI's meeting with the 150 participants of the Society of the Divine Word's general chapter as well as members of the community's mother house in Rome was very warm. The Holy Father recalled that the order's superior general at the time was Fr. Johannes Schutte. "He had suffered greatly in China where he was convicted and expelled from the country. He was full of missionary zeal, of the need to bring a new impetus to the missionary spirit and I was alongside him. I was a very young and not very important theologian;I didn't know why they had invited me but, for me, it was a great gift".

  "Fulton Sheen was also there, fascinating us with his afternoon speeches, and Father Congar, and the great missionaries of Leuven. It was a spiritual enrichment for me, a great gift. The decree was not very controversial. There was this controversy, which I have never really understood, between the schools of Leuven and Munster: was the main scope of the mission the 'implantatio Ecclesiae' or the 'Evangelii' announcement? But everything converged in the one spirit of the need to bring the light of the Word of God, the light of God's love, to the world and to give new joy to this proclamation".

  "Thus in those days was born a good and beautiful decree that was accepted almost unanimously by all the Council Fathers. It was complemented very well for me by 'Lumen Gentium' because in it we find a Trinitarian ecclesiology that begins, above all, from the classical idea of the 'bonum diffusivum sui', the good that carries with it the need to communicate, to give itself, a good that cannot be locked within itself. The good, this same good, is essentially 'communicatio'. This is already apparent in the Trinitarian mystery, as God is in Himself, and is spread throughout salvation history and in our need to give others the good that we have received".

• 07-16-12. On July 16th, Benedict XVI sent a message to Bishop Jesús Garcia Burillo of Avila, Spain, to mark the 450th anniversary of the beginning of the Carmelite Reform and the founding of the Carmelite convent of St. Joseph in Avila. The full text of the Pope's message can be read here. (Zenit)

• 07-27-12. Following the retirement (due to age) of Archbishop George Niederauer, Pope Benedict has appointed Bishop Salvatore Cordileone of Oakland as the archbishop of San Francisco. Rocco Palmo (Whispers in the Loggia) describes it as the most courageously bold -- or stunningly brazen -- American appointment in the seven-year reign of Pope Benedict XVI:

  After a half-century of occupants accused by conservatives of soft-pedaling church teaching in favor of a more conciliatory approach toward constituencies ranging from gays and lesbians to Nancy Pelosi -- a group of prelates among which even the recently-retired lead guardian of church doctrine, Cardinal William Levada, was not exempt from stinging criticism -- the move delivers the long-desired "Holy Grail" of the American Catholic Right firmly into the faction's hands, in the form of a prelate already known widely both for his forcefulness and a stringent doctrinal cred almost unequaled among his confreres on the national bench.

  For liberal Catholics, meanwhile, the appointment is likely to be received as something akin to the city's Great Earthquake of 1906, or even more apocalyptic events.

• 07-27-12. Benedict XVI received in audience the Commission of Cardinals investigating the leak of Vatican documents (popularly referred to as the "Vatileaks" scandal):

  "Yesterday morning 26 July, the Holy Father received in audience the Commission of Cardinals which is undertaking the administrative investigation into the leaking of reserved information: Cardinal Julian Herranz, Cardinal Jozef Tomko and Cardinal Salvatore De Giorgi. The cardinals were accompanied by Fr. Luigi Martignani O.F.M. Cap., secretary of the Commission; Examining Magistrate Piero Antonio Bonnet, and Promoter of Justice Nicola Picardi of the Tribunal of Vatican City State", according to a communique released this morning by the Holy See Press Office.

  "The Holy Father was informed about the conclusions reached by the Commission of Cardinals, and about the progress of the criminal procedures currently underway. He thanked them for the information he had received and invited the Vatican magistrates to proceed expeditiously.

  In related news:
  • Paolo Gabriele -- the Pope's butler, accused of leaking private documents, claims he did so "for love of the Church and the Pope"; and Cardinal Raymond L. Burke, prefect of the Supreme Court of the Apostolic Signature, described the spate of leaks of confidential Vatican documents as "most grave crimes" and warned that those responsible must be discovered and "appropriately sanctioned."

In Brief

• The Ratzinger Prize in Theology -- referred to as the "Nobel of Theology" -- will be conferred for the second time Oct. 20, 2012, during the Synod of Bishops on the New Evangelization. (Zenit)
• The Pope will travel to Lebanon from Sept. 14-16, visiting Beirut/Harissa, Baabda, Bzommar, Bkerké and Charfet. See www.lbpapalvisit.com/ for details; Zenit news posts the intinerary for the September Lebanon trip.

Commentary

• Ratzinger narrates Jesus’ infancy It’s a working holiday for the Pope this summer as he puts the finishing touches to his third book on Jesus. (La Stampa's "Vatican Insider").

• As pope's vacation begins, taking stock of his work year - Francis X. Rocca (Catholic News Service) asks: "what can the 2011-12 papal "term" tell us about where Pope Benedict XVI is leading the church?"

Pope Benedict and the SSPX: Reunion Imminent?

The U.S. District of the Society of St. Pius X has asked Catholics to join in a special Novena starting May 8 (tomorrow) and ending May 16. According to the SSPX, “[t]he intention of this novena will be that the Holy Ghost may give the graces of light and strength to the Holy Father, Benedict XVI, and to the Superior General of the Society, Bishop Fellay.” The Novena consists of reciting the hymn Veni Creator Spiritus and the Memorare prayer to the Blessed Virgin. A full text of both prayers, along with a note explaining the purpose of the Novena, is available online here.

As La Stampa's Andrea Tornielli ("Vatican Insider") reports, "The week ahead is going to be crucial for relations between Rome and the Society of St. Pius X". This Wednesday, Cardinals and bishop members of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith will discuss the response to the doctrinal preamble sent last 17 April by the Fraternity’s superior, Bishop Bernard Fellay.

This is a delicate moment, particularly after the publication on the Web of the letters exchanged between Fellay and three other Lefebvrian bishops, which Vatican Insider reported on last Thursday. Fellay has been leading negotiations with the Holy See and is prepared to accept Benedict XVI’s proposal; the three bishops, however, are not.

But the words used by Mgr. Fellay in his response to his fellow brothers Tissyer de Mallerais, de Gallareta and Williamson, illustrate the decisive role Benedict XVI has played in the process. “The Pope – Fellay wrote in the confidential letter he sent in response to the criticisms – told us that the eagerness to legalise our status for the good of the Church was at the heart of his pontificate; he also said he knew it would be easier for him and for us to leave the situation as it is at the moment. The willingness he has expressed is therefore determined and fair.”

A Roundup of Recent Events

• Traditionalist leader says group could divide over unity with Rome, by Francis Rocca (Catholic News Service) 5/11/12. The leader of a breakaway group of traditionalist Catholics spoke in unusually hopeful terms about a possible reconciliation with Rome, but acknowledged significant internal resistance to such a move, which he said might lead to the group splitting apart.

• Lefebvrians: The internal battle Following the exchange of letters addressed to the leaders of the Society of St. Pius X in recent weeks, three bishops have expressed their opposition to the agreement. 05/10/2012:

  A website has reported on the letters exchanged a month ago between bishops Tissier de Mallerays, Alfonso de Gallareta, Richard Williamson and the leader of the Society of St. Pius X, Bernard Fellay. The letter which the three bishops sent Fellay on 7 April contains a final appeal asking the superior not to sign the doctrinal preamble or accept the agreement proposed by the Holy See. As readers will recall, the agreement aims to assign the Lefebvrians a personal prelature.

• Letter of the General Council of the Society of Saint Pius X Rorate Caeli 5/11/12. A translation of the internal letter sent by Bishop Bernard Fellay, Superior General of the Society of Saint Pius X (FSSPX /SSPX), and the other two members of the General Council, First Assistant Fr. Niklaus Pfluger and Second Assistant Fr. Alain-Marc Nély, on April 14, 2012.

• Some historical context: Abp. Lefebvre recalls his July 14, 1987, meeting with Cardinal Ratzinger. Rorate Caeli 5/13/12:

  In his long sermon, given one year after the first Assisi meeting took place (Oct. 1986), Abp. Lefebvre summarized the problem and expounded with greater detail the July 14, 1987, meeting with the Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Cardinal Ratzinger, that he had already presented partially in other occasions, including a conference for a priestly retreat held on September 4. In this sermon, he expands and completes the general thoughts regarding negotiations and the relationship of Traditional Catholics and the Supreme Pontiff in the post-conciliar reality.

• Important: Fr. Pfluger speaks on recent developments Fr. Niklaus Pfluger, FSSPX, is the First Assistant of the Superior General of the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) gives account of the most recent developments.

Happy 85th Birthday, Pope Benedict XVI

“I find myself on the last stretch of my journey in life, and I don’t know what is awaiting me.”

“I know, however, that the light of God exists, that he is risen, that his light is stronger than any darkness and that God’s goodness is stronger than any evil in this world, and this helps me go forward with certainty,” he said.

Pope Benedict XVI, remarking on his 85th birthday. (Source: Catholic Herald UK).

Children dressed in traditional Bavarian costumes dance for Pope Benedict XVI during the Pontiff's 85th birthday celebrations in the Clementine Hall at the Vatican April 16, 2012. Source: Reuters

Additional Coverage

• - Edward Pentin reports on the papal celebrations as well as a new book on the Holy Father (National Catholic Register April 15, 2012):

  His birthday will be "a normal working day, he never interrupts his daily routine, but it will be a very Bavarian day," said Monsignor Georg Gaenswein, Pope Benedict's private secretary, in an interview with Gente, a weekly magazine.

  The Pope, who is now the sixth-oldest pontiff in history, returned to the Vatican April 13 after five days of rest at his summer residence in Castel Gandolfo. . . .

  The Holy Father, who has shown increasing frailty and exhaustion in recent weeks, nevertheless remains in relatively good health and appears to have no serious medical ailments apart from arthrosis and pain in his right hip.

  His 88-year-old brother, Msgr. Georg Ratzinger, told a German news agency April 12 that his wish for his younger sibling on his birthday was that he “still finds enough strength to fulfill his service for the blessing of the Church” and that he “continues to stay in good health.”

  [...]

  Twenty leading Germans from the fields of politics, culture, the economy and sport have shared their opinions on the Pope in a new book,Benedikt XVI: Prominente über den Papst (Benedict XVI: Prominent Figures on the Pope). Contributors include the former Bavarian Prime Minister Edmund Stoiber, German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble, former German soccer star Franz Beckenbauer and alpine skier Maria Höfl-Riesch. The opinions of prominent cardinals and evangelical Christians are also included. The book was presented to the Pope on Monday.

• Bavarian band, dancers celebrate pope's birthday in apostolic palace, by Carol Glatz. Catholic News Service. April 16, 2012:

  Pope Benedict XVI celebrated his 85th birthday with guests who treated him to Bavarian "oompah" music and folk dancing in the apostolic palace.

  Bavarian bishops, minister-president of Bavaria -- Horst Seehofer, and a 150-person regional government delegation visited the pope April 16 in the Vatican's Clementine Hall.

  They were accompanied by a small Bavarian band, three female singers and 10 children who danced the skirt-swirling, shoe-stomping, thigh-slapping "Schuhplattler" before the pope.

• “The Pope’s birthday will be a family celebration” (La Stampa's "The Vatican Insider"):

  On 16 April the Pope will celebrate his 85th birthday and three days later, on 19 April, he will begin his eighth year as Peter’s successor.

  “16 April is a Monday, a normal working day and he never interrupts his daily routine. It will however be a very Bavarian day,” Mgr. Gaenswein added. ...

  Fr. Georg also revealed a few little secrets about life with the Pope, a fellow countryman: “He is a Pope who reflects on the meaning of his words. His simplicity, sincerity and courage have often been misunderstood. Perhaps because he is not afraid to call a mistake by its name. But he has always shown sensitivity and respect in his day-to-day relations with others. Including me. He has never said to me: “That’s not right: you are wrong.” Instead he says: “This could be done like this or like that.” Though the essence of these criticisms is serious, they are expressed in a delicate and seraphic manner.”

• A Rare Pope: With a Sense of Humor, by Andrea Monda. (Chiesa, April 16, 2012):

  I have not made a careful check, but I am willing to bet that if one were to analyze word frequency in the texts of Benedict XVI, the word used most often would be "joy."

Pope Benedict Roundup!

The most newsworthy event of the past month in the pontificate of Benedict XVI was his apostolic visit to Mexico and Cuba (March 23-29, 2012), including a pope's meeting with Fidel Castro. You can read all about the historic visit here, at our special blog exclusively devoted to the historic visit.

And -- this being Holy Week in the life of the Church -- National Catholic Register's Edward Pentin takes a look at Pope Benedict XVI's events and Masses leading up to Easter.

In Other News

• 02/07/12 - “Benedict XVI is expected to deliver the Apostolic Exhortation of the Synod of Bishops for the Middle East, held in October 2011, next September in Lebanon.” - This is according to a statement by the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Mgr. Fouad Twal, who was quoted by SIR. Benedict XVI had been invited to Lebanon by the President of the Lebanese Council, Najib Mikati, who was received in audience on 28 November 2011. (La Stampa "The Vatican Insider")

• 02/24/12 - The Pope will soon have his “own” Twitter account, which he will use to communicate with people, about the Sunday Angelus prayer and his most important speeches (La Stampa "The Vatican Insider"):

  It must be stressed that these messages will not be written by the Pope himself but the content will need to receive his approval before it is posted.

  Fr. Lombardi clarified that: “Benedict XVI is not on Twitter yet,” but confirmed that “the decision to open a Twitter account to spread his ideas has been taken, but the methods for doing this are still being evaluated.”

  (The Pope's account is currently being used to distribute the Pope's thoughts on Lent -- check it out here).

• 03/10/12 - Vatican ridicules report of plot to kill the pope, by John Allen Jr. (National Catholic Reporter):

  In response to a report today about a secret letter from a former high-ranking Vatican cardinal warning of a plot to kill Pope Benedict XVI within the year, a Vatican spokesperson today said it consists of “ravings which in no way should be taken seriously,” and is “so incredible as to defy comment.”

  The report, carried by the Italian paper Il Fatto Quotidiano, is based on a letter allegedly penned by Colombian Cardinal Darío Castrillón Hoyos, 82, who served from 1996 to 2006 as the Prefect of the Vatican’s Congregation for Clergy.

  In the letter, which carries the date of Dec. 30, 2011, Castrillón supposedly relays information provided by Cardinal Paolo Romeo of Palermo in Sicily, regarding a plot to kill Benedict XVI within twelve months. The letter also speculates that Benedict's successor would be Italian Cardinal Angelo Scola of Milan. ... [More].

• 03/29/12 - After this journey, the rumour about the Pope’s resignation is silenced (La Stampa "The Vatican Insider"):

  “I am old but can still do my job”. The pope uttered these words during the meeting with Fidel in front of the cameras and this statement will put to rest the rumours which have been spreading for months about his possible resignation when he turns 85 (which will be soon) or at the end of the Year of The Faith in 2013. But the truth is that he means to carry on despite old age.

Commentary

• According to Dawn Eden, author of My Peace I Give You: Healing Sexual Wounds with the Help of the Saints (due May 2012), Benedict’s ‘theology of saints’ offers a way to spiritual healing for abuse victims (Catholic News Agency, 2/21/12):

  Pope Benedict, speaking of how the Church should address the suffering caused by clergy abuse, emphasizes the need to promote “hope born of God’s love and fidelity”; such hope brings us “the vision of a world reconciled and renewed in Christ Jesus, our Savior.” To make that vision present, he often draws from the saints’ experiences, most powerfully in his encyclical Spe Salvi, “Saved in Hope,” where he writes, “The saints were able to make the great journey of human existence in the way that Christ had done before them, because they were brimming with great hope.”

• From Zenit, an interview with Michael Roy, the secretary general of Caritas Internationalis -- "The Pope's Charity" (3/27/12). Caritas Internationalis (CI) embraces 162 national Caritas, which in turn coordinate the diocesan Caritas, thus reaching parishes and institutions at the local level. In this interview the secretary general of Caritas Internationalis explains the work of the organization.

• "The Pope Is One of Us" - Fr. Franesco Indelicato, a pries of the Parish of Saint John the Baptist of La Salle, at Torrino, in the southern periphery of Rome, reflects on the recent visitation by the Holy Father.

• Benedict XVI and the Irrelevance of “Relevance”, by Dr. Samuel Gregg. (Crisis Magazine, 3/8/12) -- responding to the assertions that the Holy Catholic Church is losing its geopolitical "relevance", as recently marked by the Irish government's 2011 decision to close its embassy to the Holy See

  . . . Indeed, many of Benedict’s writings are charged with content which shatters the post-Enlightenment half-truths about the nature of freedom, equality, and progress that sharply constrict modern Western political thinking. But Benedict’s entire life as a priest, theologian, bishop, senior curial official and pope also reflects his core conviction that the Church’s primary focus is not first-and-foremost “the world,” let alone politics.

  Rather, Benedict’s view has always been that the Church’s main responsibility is to come to know better — and then make known — the Person of Jesus Christ. Why? Because like any orthodox Christian, he believes that herein is found the summit and fullness of Truth and meaning for every human being. Moreover, Benedict insists the only way we can fully comprehend Christ is through His Church – the ecclesia of the saints, living and dead.

In the publishing world ...

On March 1st, Ignatius Press published the English edition of Georg Ratzinger's My Brother, the Pope. From the publisher:

It wasn't always the case that Msgr. Georg Ratzinger lived in the shadow of his younger brother, Joseph. Georg was an accomplished musician, who for over 30 years directed the Regensburger Domspatzchor, the world-famous boys choir of the Regensburg cathedral. Brother Joseph was a brilliant young professor, but mostly known in German academic circles.

Now Georg writes about the close friendship that has united these two brothers for more than 80 years. This book is a unique window on an extraordinary family that lived through the difficult period of National Socialism in Germany. Those interested in knowing more about the early life of Benedict XVI will not be disappointed. They will also learn of the admirable character and inspiring example of the parents, and see how the Catholic faith can shape not just a family, but an entire culture-in this case, that of Bavaria.

Georg's reminiscences are detailed, intimate, and warm. And while they begin with the earliest years of the Ratzinger family, they continue right up to the present day.

• The Ratzinger Family Secret, by Rogert Rauhut. (National Catholic Register March 16, 2012). Interview with German journalist Michael Hesemann on his series of interviews with the Pope's brother.

• A Family Lesson From the Ratzingers: Micael Hesemann Speaks of Compiling Georg's Testimony in "My Brother, The Pope" (Zenit, February 27, 2012). Speaking with Monsignor Georg Ratzinger revealed to Michael Hesemann two critical convictions: There is a family secret that explains something of the impressive trajectory lived by the two Ratzinger sons; and divine providence laid the foundations for Joseph's path to the See of Peter before he was even born.

• Excerpt From My Brother the Pope: "Of Course, He Was Still the Same Old Joseph, and He Still Is Today" (Zenit, February 24, 2012).

Pope Benedict XVI in Mexico and Cuba

From the Pope Benedict XVI Fan Club, a special blog dedicated to exclusive roundups of news and commentary on Pope Benedict's Apostolic Journey to Mexico and Cuba March 23-29, 2012.

Pope Benedict Roundup!

In the News

• 11/09/11 - At the end of a general audience, a delegation from Natz-Schabs (Naz-Siaves), located in the Italian province of Bolzano, conferred honorary citizenship upon the Pope. Noting that the town was birthplace to his great-grandmother, Elisabeth Maria Tauber, and his grandmother, Maria Tauber-Peintner, Benedict XVI then reminisced about the stories told him by his mother. Zenit News has the full text.

• 11/17/11 - The Vatican secretariat of state is seeking legal protection for the Pope's image after an advertising campaign in Italy made use of a fake photograph of Benedict XVI:

  According to a statement from the Vatican today, "The Secretariat of State has authorized its lawyers to initiate actions, in Italy and elsewhere, to prevent the circulation, via the mass media and in other ways, of a photomontage used in a Benetton advertising campaign in which the Holy Father appears in a way considered to be harmful, not only to the dignity of the Pope and the Catholic Church, but also to the sensibility of believers."

  The ad campaign portrays various world leaders kissing on the mouth those who are or could be perceived as their enemies. The image portrayed as Benedict XVI is kissing the image of Imam Ahmed el-Tayyeb of Cairo's Al-Azhar mosque. The mosque also protested the ad, calling it irresponsible.

  According to the National Catholic Reporter, Hours after the Vatican condemned the advertisement, the Italian fashion house Benetton withdrew the photo.

• 11/17/11 - Benedict XVI was selected to receive a Polish honor recognizing his contribution in the fields of theology and culture". According to Zenit News, the award was granted to Benedict XVI in the context of the bicentenary of the University of Wroclaw. (Pope John Paul II was the first recipient of the prize in 2003).

• 11/26/11 - Johannes Christian Sundermann, a lawyer from Unna in North Rhine Westphalia, has filed a complaint against Pope Benedikt XVI for not wearing a seat belt in his "Popemobile" during his last trip to Germany. The pope allegedly broke the law during his visit to Freiburg at the end of September as part of his tour of Germany. (Source: "The Local: Germany's News in English"; HTP Curt Jester).

• 11/30/11 - Benedict XVI addressed a group of people working to the end the death penalty, expressing his hopes that their efforts will succeed:

  "I express my hope that your deliberations will encourage the political and legislative initiatives being promoted in a growing number of countries to eliminate the death penalty and to continue the substantive progress made in conforming penal law both to the human dignity of prisoners and the effective maintenance of public order."

• 12/06/11 - This past December, Benedict XVI used a tablet computer to switch on the lights of the world's biggest Christmas tree. The "tree" is made up of an arrangement of 700 colored lights on the side of Mount Ingino. It is a tradition at the site since 1981. (Zenit)

• 12/16/11 - News that Benedict XVI is set to appoint Hildegard of Bingen as a Doctor of the Church in October of 2012. RomeReports has the details.

• 01/0/12 - The Pope, at the end of the Angelus announced the list of 22 cardinals -- including 18 under 80 years of age (La Stampa "Vatican Insider").

Anticipating Benedict's Visit to Mexico and Cuba

• On November 10, it was announced that Benedict XVI is studying the possibility of a trip to Mexico and Cuba in the spring of 2012, "the nuncios in Mexico and Cuba have been instructed to inform the highest civil and religious authorities that the Pope is examining concrete plans to visit those states, in response to invitations he has received." (Zenit)

• In a message for Thursday's feast of the Immaculate Conception, the bishops of Cuba laid out an evangelization plan for the upcoming jubilee in celebration of the island's patron, extending a welcome to the Holy Father. According to Zenit:

  The bishops outlined steps that they propose to their country's Catholics for the Marian Jubilee Year, which will commemorate the 400th anniversary of the discovery of the image of the Virgin of Charity, patroness of Cuba. The year runs from Jan. 7, 2012, to Jan. 5, 2013.

• On December 12th, Benedict confirmed his travel plans to Cuba and Mexico during a Mass in St. Peter's Basilica honoring Mexico's patron saint, the Virgin of Guadalupe:

  In his homily, Benedict said it was his responsibility as pope to help confirm the faith in such an important Catholic stronghold. He said he hoped the region would continue to create new missionaries who would help build a society "rooted in the development of the common good, the triumph of love and the spread of justice."

  "With these wishes, and supported by the help of divine providence, I intend to make an apostolic trip before Easter to Mexico and Cuba," he said as applause erupted in St. Peter's Basilica. He said it was a "precious time to evangelize with a solid faith, a lively hope and ardent charity."

• December 15th - Zenit features a two part interview on "The Cuba That Will Welcome Benedict XVI" Part I; Part II, interviewing Cardinal Jaime Lucas Ortega y Alamino, archbishop of Havana, Cuba, on what the Holy Father should expect to find

• On January 6, 2012, The Vatican confirmed the dates and locations of of the Pope's visit to Cuba and Mexico: The March 23-28 trip will be centered in Leon, Mexico, and in Santiago and Havana, Cuba, and will include the feast of the Annunciation. (Zenit).

• The "Vatican Insider" reports that the Vatican and the Cuban government are working towards a face-to-face meeting between Benedict XVI and the now-sick and elderly leader, Fidel Castro. "The unknowns surrounding the meeting are largely related to Fidel’s health, which justifies the secrecy maintained around the project so far."

• Cuba and its patron saint await Pope Benedict (Reuters):

  The Virgin of Charity of El Cobre is a gold-clothed, doll-like figurine which, according to Cuban legend, three fishermen found floating in a bay as Spain colonized the region with the sword and the cross.

  She is Cuba's patron saint and Pope Benedict will visit her in the eastern city of Santiago de Cuba on March 26 to mark the 400th anniversary of her discovery.

Commentary

• Back in October 2011, concerns were raised when Pope Benedict XVI was pulled down the aisle of St. Peter’s basilica on a rolling platform before he celebrated Mass -- the same platform used by Pope John Paul II in his later years. Similar to his predecessor, provoking observations from the press on how "tired, weak and worn out" the Pope appeared and even speculations of retirement. Fr. Federico Lombardi at the time dismissed concerns, asserting that no medical condition prompted the decision to use the moving platform in St. Peter's; "the sole purpose is to ease the effort of the Holy Father, to reduce the fatigue."

  On November 9, 2011, Andrea Tornielli (La Stampa's "Vatican Insider") makes he claim that "Pope Benedict suffers from arthrosis, a degenerative condition in the joints of his legs ... [making] it painful for the Pope to walk long distances." Phil Lawler of Catholic Culture comments on the peculiar silence of the Vatican:

  A degenerative joint condition can be quite painful. But it is not a life-threatening condition. Nor is there any shame involved. We all know that age is taking its toll on the Pope’s physical condition, and aching joints are a common complaint among men of his years. There is abundant evidence that the Holy Father can no longer walk without difficulty. Eyewitnesses notice that his stride is labored; his right leg seems gimpy. In past years he vacationed in the Italian Alps, where he could take long walks; this year he opted instead for a few quiet weeks at Castel Gandolfo, where he could relax, play the piano, and stay off his feet.

  So why not tell the whole truth?

• The Pope’s Life of Jesus - Anglican Bishop and biblical scholar N.T. Wright reviews Pope Benedict's Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week: From the entrance into Jerusalem to the Resurrection. (Times Literary Supplement December 14, 2011).

• The perils of a 'part-time pope' John Allen Jr. reviews Joseph Ratzinger: Crisis of a Papacy, a critical review of Benedict's pontificate by a veteran Italian journalist and commentator Marco Politi:

  I've known Politi for two decades, covering Vatican happenings with him and reading his stuff. Whatever one makes of his big-picture perspective, he's an astute observer, and there's always something to learn from what he has to say. (Proof that Politi is taken seriously in the Vatican is that Gian Maria Vian, editor of L'Osservatore Romano, was among the panelists at a Nov. 16 presentation of the book in Rome -- even though Vian said he came as a "devil's advocate" to argue that the book "shouldn't be canonized.")

  Politi's core thesis is expressed in the provocative assertion that Benedict XVI is a "part-time pope."

  As Politi sees it, Benedict dips in to running the church or acting as a global leader only when circumstances require it. His passion, however, is focused on his private theological studies and his own writings.

• Benedict’s Christocentrism: Realities of a Primary Order, by Elizabeth Scalia. (First Things "On the Square" December 20, 2011):

  Pope Benedict has served Christ and the Church for very nearly his whole life, and it seems that even in the infancy of his ministry he was called to deliver a clear and unambiguous message against relativism, which he many decades later famously (and rightly) referred to as a “dictatorship.”

  Perhaps the Holy Spirit understands more than those worrying about a “governance gap” that while we watch governments and nations founder and fail in the fogs of their own contrived and faulty gospels, the pope we need right now is the one who will keep reminding us that there is only one truth, and one constant reality.

• Pope Benedict's 'State of the World' address - summary and detailed analysis from Catholic World News of Pope Benedict's annual address to the Vatican's diplomatic corps, noting with respect to the varied reactions from the press that Reuters "devoted most of its analysis to the question of same-sex marriage: a topic that the Pope did not mention." (Here is the full text of the Pope's address to the diplomatic corps of the Holy See).

Upcoming Books

	Joseph Ratzinger: Fundamental Speeches from Five Decades Ignatius Press (March 2012) While a professor of theology and throughout his rise in the Roman Catholic hierarchy, Joseph Ratzinger again and again delivered important speeches over the course of five decades at the Catholic Academy of Bavaria (1963-2004). The broad spectrum of topics from the primacy of the papacy to the moral foundations of western society demonstrated not only his breadth of knowledge but also his prescience, for these issues remain important for both the Church and modern man. The fundamental speeches in this volume are arranged thematically. And before each one is a brief introduction written by Dr. Florian Schuller, the director of the Catholic Academy of Bavaria in Munich, who also contributed the foreword.
	Holy Men and Women Of the Middle Ages and Beyond Ignatius Press (March 2012) While a professor of theology and throughout his rise in the Roman Catholic hierarchy, Joseph Ratzinger again and again delivered important speeches over the course of five decades at the Catholic Academy of Bavaria (1963-2004). The broad spectrum of topics from the primacy of the papacy to the moral foundations of western society demonstrated not only his breadth of knowledge but also his prescience, for these issues remain important for both the Church and modern man. The fundamental speeches in this volume are arranged thematically. And before each one is a brief introduction written by Dr. Florian Schuller, the director of the Catholic Academy of Bavaria in Munich, who also contributed the foreword.
	My Brother, the Pope Ignatius Press (March 2012) It wasn't always the case that Msgr. Georg Ratzinger lived in the shadow of his younger brother, Joseph. Georg was an accomplished musician, who for over 30 years directed the Regensburger Domspatzchor, the world-famous boys choir of the Regensburg cathedral. Brother Joseph was a brilliant young professor, but mostly known in German academic circles. Now Georg writes about the close friendship that has united these two brothers for more than 80 years. This book is a unique window on an extraordinary family that lived through the difficult period of National Socialism in Germany. Those interested in knowing more about the early life of Benedict XVI will not be disappointed. They will also learn of the admirable character and inspiring example of the parents, and see how the Catholic faith can shape not just a family, but an entire culture-in this case, that of Bavaria. Georg's reminiscences are detailed, intimate, and warm. And while they begin with the earliest years of the Ratzinger family, they continue right up to the present day.
	Benedict XVI's Reform: The Liturgy Between Innovation and Tradition Ignatius Press (April 2012) When Benedict XVI reestablished the celebration of the older Latin Mass, voices of protest rose up from many sides. The widespread fear was-and is-that the Pope had revealed himself as the reactionary defender of tradition that many have accused him of being since he was the prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the former Holy Office. Defenders of Benedict XVI have responded to these objections by explaining that the use of the Tridentine Rite is not a "step backward" to pre-Vatican II times, but rather a step forward. Now the Church can see what the older rite offered in terms of beauty, reverence, and meaning and perhaps desire more of those elements in the ordinary form of the Mass. A professor of theology and liturgy, the author of this book explains the motives behind the Pope's decision to allow two forms of the Mass. He does this by turning to the Pope's own theological and liturgical writings, but he also draws from his experiences on various Church commissions and in offices of the Roman Curia.

Pope Benedict XVI - Apostolic Journey to Benin (November 18-20, 2011)

From the Vatican

• Program
• Africae Munus: Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation on the Church in Africa in Service to Reconciliation, Justice and Peace (November 19, 2011)

Pope Benedict waves at the crowd as he arrives in his Popemobile to celebrate a mass at the Stade de l'Amitie (Friendship Stadium) in Benin's economic capital Cotonou November 20, 2011. Source: Reuters

Addresses of the Holy Father

• Meeting of His Holiness Benedict XVI with journalists during the flight to Benin (Papal Flight, 18 November 2011)
• Welcome Ceremony at Cardinal Bernardin Gantin International Airport of Cotonou (November 18, 2011)
• Visit to the Cathedral of Cotonou (November 18, 2011)
• Meeting with Government members, representatives of the Institutions of the Republic, Diplomatic Corps and representatives of the major religions gathered in the Presidential Palace of Cotonou (November 19, 2011)
• Meeting with priests, seminarians, men and women religious and lay faithful gathered in the Courtyard of St Gall Seminary (Ouidah, 19 November 2011)
• Visit at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception of Mary of Ouidah and signing of the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation (November 19, 2011)
• Meeting with children at St. Rita Parish in Cotonou (November 19, 2011)
• Meeting with the Bishops of Benin at the Apostolic Nunciature of Cotonou (November 19, 2011)
• Holy Mass at the "Stade de l’amitié" of Cotonou (November 20, 2011)
• Consignment of the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation to the Bishops of Africa at the "Stade de l’amitié" of Cotonou (November 20, 2011)
• Recitation of the Angelus Domini (Cotonou, 20 November 2011)
• Farewell ceremony at Cardinal Bernardin Gantin International Airport (Cotonou, 20 November 2011)

Pope Benedict XVI celebrates a mass at the 'Friendship Stadium' in Cotonou on November 20, 2011. Source: Getty Images

Commentary

Veteran papal journalist John Allen Jr. (National Catholic Reporter) accompanied the Pope -- and blogged the papal journey:

• From rumba to voodoo, subtext abounds on pope’s Africa trip 11/17/11.
  For anyone seeking an off-beat lens through which to see the journey, there’s almost an embarrassment of riches. From witchcraft to voodoo, from funky rumba music to politically incorrect comic books, subtext abounds – and that’s even without any new papal commentary on condoms, which was the sideshow that dominated Benedict’s last outing to Africa in 2009."
• Don't surrender to laws of market, pope says 11/18/11.
  On the heels of a controversial Vatican document blasting free-market ideologies and calling for a global authority to regulate the economy, Benedict XVI today warned the continent of Africa against an “unconditional surrender to the law of the market or that of finance,” in a speech opening his second African journey as pope.
• The political nerve of Catholicism in Africa 11/18/11.
  A core motive for Benedict XVI’s trip to Benin this weekend is to honor the late Cardinal Bernardin Gantin, yet it's actually another former Archbishop of Cotonou whose memory may be most helpful in grasping one key feature of African Catholicism: Its brazen disregard of Western notions of church/state separation.
• From a Eurocentric pope, a remarkably African message 11/19/11.
  If one were to survey African Catholic leaders about their most pressing social challenges, responses would likely focus on their struggles against corruption and religious intolerance. As it happens, those were precisely the two themes raised today by Pope Benedict XVI, in a highly anticipated speech to government and religious leaders at Benin’s Presidential Palace.
• In voodoo capital, Benedict blasts 'occultism and evil spirits' 11/19/11.
  In a West African city widely regarded as the spiritual capital of voodoo, Benedict XVI today urged Catholics to resist a “syncretism which deceives” and to uphold a Christian faith that “liberates from occultism” and “vanquishes evil spirits.”
• On AIDS, Benedict avoids the ‘C’ word 11/19/11.
  Heading into Pope Benedict XVI’s Nov. 18-20 trip to Benin, one bit of drama was whether this African outing, like the last one two years ago, would be engulfed by controversy over the pope’s stance on condoms and AIDS. That now seems unlikely, for a simple reason: The “C” word has not passed from the pope’s lips.
• Benedict’s Africa plan: Stay spiritual, and stay Catholic 11/19/11.
  Pope Benedict XVI came to Africa this weekend primarily to deliver his conclusions from a 2009 Synod of Bishops for Africa, representing a papal game plan for the faith in the region of its most explosive growth. He chose an evocative setting – the city of Ouidah on Benin’s Atlantic coast, a onetime slave port known as the spiritual capital of the Vodun religion, referred to in the West as voodoo.
• The lonely liberation theology of Benedict XVI 11/20/11.
  Anyone just tuning in now to Pope Benedict XVI, who doesn’t know much about him but somehow caught wind of his Nov. 18-20 trip to Benin, could be forgiven a bit of confusion about exactly what the pope came here to say about the political role of Catholicism in Africa. Understanding that a unique form of ‘liberation theology’ circulates in the pope’s intellectual and spiritual bloodstream can, perhaps, help make sense of things.
• Hard questions about Pope Benedict in Africa 11/23/11.
  It may seem counterintuitive that an 84-year-old German intellectual should be the Western leader most enthusiastic about Africa, yet it actually makes all the sense in the world. Spiritually speaking, Africa is a superpower -- both the world's largest manufacturer and consumer of religion. For a pope who has spent a lifetime lamenting the "death of God" in Europe, Africa can't help but seem an oasis of vibrant faith. Africans seemed to return the sentiment.