For the 2nd Friday of Lent:
We adore thee, O Christ, and we bless thee:
because by thy holy cross thou hast redeemed the world.
Adoramus te, Christe, et benedicimus tibi:
quia per sanctam crucem tuam redemisti mundum.
[When you go to the link, a prompt will ask to run an Active X control. This will enable the sound on the site. It's fine--it won't hurt the computer. Then, press the triangular button below the icon to hear the hymn.]
UPDATE on the von Balthasar occult book issue: Checking this reference at Amazon. com brings up this link and von Balthasar is, indeed, cited as the author of the afterward. See Amazon’s editorial review for a description of what’s in the book. This book is NOT a refutation of the Tarot.
Announced by the Holy See today—The long-awaited Apostolic Exhortation will be released next Tuesday, March 13th, about noon, Rome time. This means about 6AM our time.
From the Vatican website:
“PRESENTATION OF POST-SYNODAL DOCUMENT ON THE EUCHARIST VATICAN CITY, MAR 6, 2007 (VIS) - In the Holy See Press Office at 11.30 a.m. on Tuesday, March 13, the presentation will take place of the post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation “Sacramentum Caritatis” on the Eucharist, source and summit of the life and mission of the Church. Participating in the press conference will be Cardinal Angelo Scola, patriarch of Venice, Italy, relator general of the 11th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, which was held in October 2005, and Archbishop Nikola Eterovic, secretary general of the Synod of Bishops.
OP/APOSTOLIC EXHORTATION/…VIS 070306 (100)”
This document has been expected for some time but was delayed because of the death of Pope John Paul II, of blessed memory. It’s expected to contain some instructions on the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
It is not known at this time whether the much-mentioned Motu Proprio concerning freedom for the Missal of Paul V will be included in this document or will follow by some interval.
We are also waiting for the new translations of the Mass, but they are yet a bit down the road–1 to 2 years.
Incidentally, I have been informed that under the old calendar, March 13th was the feast day of St. Benedict. I don’t think this is a coincidence.
Caught this article today about the theologian von Balthasar, hailed by many as a great 20th century theologian. I’m interested in this. I read “Razing the Bastions” for a theology class not long ago and I was completely underwhelmed by it. Obviously, if his works can be considered passable theology (and I’m still out on that), it wasn’t because of *that* book. But I’ll have to do some investigating on this issue before I concur on all the author of the article has to say……
I’m not dismissing it out of hand though, because it has already turned out that at least two other ”premier theologians” of the 20th century have been crackpots. I’m referring to Teilhard Chardin and Bernard Lonergan, both of whom tried to make science into theology and ended up with neither.
There is a fragment of an online project for viewing Pope John Paul II’s private chapel, the Redemptoris Mater Chapel. The online project appears to be behind schedule–I’m not sure if they will finish it. Parts of it you can view. There are lovely mosaics on the walls. The link is here.
From Gerald Augustinus at “The Cafeteria is Closed.” Isn’t it beautiful? Click on the stained glass window to go to his blog.
I sometimes write about local events, but thankfully things are quiet right now, so I’ve been free to post on the larger themes in the Church. We’ll have one medium-level dissident passing through in the next month or so, but it’ll be low-profile I expect. Other than the usual baloney around the labyrinth and the solstices, I think it’s quiet. It’s not always been so in the past. This diocese is improving slowly.
More discussion on the Apostolic Exhortation that’s expected soon from the Vatican…..and also the rumored Motu Proprio for the Tridentine….
at Rorate Coeli and at Fr Z’s siteAnd from Envoy Magazine:
“Another notable newsworthy item that Msgr. Schmitz delivered at his February 19, hour-long presentation during the question-and-answer period was that Archbishop Piero Marini, whom many had speculated would have been removed long ago, has finally accepted another assignment.
“The Pope is before all else, a gentlemen,” Msgr. Schmitz said, clarifying for many Catholics in the room why this particular step has taken as long as it has. Vaticanists have expected this move ever since the beginning of Pope Benedict’s pontificate. Msgr. Schmitz did not give any details as to the nature of Archbishop Marini’s new assignment.
As Cardinal Ratzinger, the current pope was openly critical of the style of many of the public liturgies for large gatherings of people during Pope John Paul’s world travels throughout his pontificate. Archbishop Marini, a reported disciple of Archbishop Annibale Bugnini, the primary architect of the post-conciliar liturgical reform, was the mastermind behind these creative” liturgies.”
This is very important because many parishes took their cues as to what was allowable from the atmosphere of the televised masses orchestrated by Abp. Marini. Soon you should see more reverence and better music on those televised masses.
[See Envoy Magazine's Front Page here.]
More news from Fr. Z (late night Roman time)…….
Pope Benedict XVI is on his lenten retreat this week. He has chosen Cardinal Biffi to be the retreat master. Here are a few interesting segments from his talk, as reported in the Lifesite article linked below:
“The 78-year-old cardinal added that if Christians “limited themselves to speaking of shared values they would be more accepted on television programs and in social groups. But in this way, they will have renounced Jesus, the overwhelming reality of the resurrection.” “
“The cardinal said he believes that this is “the danger that Christians face in our days … the Son of God cannot be reduced to a series of good projects sanctioned by the prevailing worldly mentality.”"
I have seen many links to this today, as the type of information in the talk is rarely heard in this age. Cardinal Biffi is an expert on the AntiChrist and has remarked in the past that he believes that the AntiChrist is alive today as you read this.
See the Lifesite article here. See the Zenit article on details of the talk here. And the original Radio Vaticana link here (Italian). The Zenit article is terrific.
The diocese of San Diego filed for bankruptcy late last night, just in time to avoid the failure of last-ditch negotiations for 150 sexual abuse lawsuits this morning.
The news item is here. You can bet you haven’t heard the last of this. Eventually, California is going to go “Boston,” only bigger. Much bigger.
