Gran Torino

Today we are in Turin, the city of the Holy Shroud, and the city of St John Bosco.  The Shroud has got a lot of coverage this year, but it is well worth visiting the Basilica of Mary, Help of Christians, the Motherhouse of the Salesians.  St John Bosco, his co-foundress St Mary Mazzarello, and his protege, St Dominic Savio are all entombed in the church.   To be honest, this church is perhaps one of the most beautiful I have ever seen.  It is well designed, devotional and colourful - it would really appeal to children (to the child in you!) - maybe that was Don Bosco's idea (see below).   The first time I visited the basilica I was gobsmacked and felt so poor - why can they have beautiful, artistic, prayerful and just wonderful churches here in Italy (and other places), while in Ireland many of our churches are of poor quality, and as for our modern churches: well, a stick of dynamite is the only answer there!

When I was in university, when discerning my vocation, I looked at the Salesians as a possibility.  They had the chaplaincy in our college, so I had plenty of contact with them.  I was very impressed by a number of them. They absolutely loved Don Bosco - for a youngster with little devotion to him it was a bit off-putting - but that was me, not them.  Now, looking back on it, I admire them for the real desire to stay close to their founder (their father!) and to live his charism as best as they could - if only all orders did the same. One priest in particular impressed me - Fr Michael Hicks.  He was an old man by the time I met him, and he was helping out in the chaplaincy.  Every few days I'd ramble in after a lecture for a chat and cup of tea.  He never had fresh milk, only the powered stuff, and while it coloured the tea, it did nothing for the temperature - I'd scald myself most of the time - but no bother on Fr Hicks.  When a group of us set up a Legion of Mary praesidium in the college, he was right behind us and served as our spiritual director.  He had many years of experience, and had travelled a great deal, so he had plenty of stories which we loved to hear.  He was a real son of Don Bosco.  He is gone to God, and I pray he has a high place in heaven with his founder.

So Fr Hicks led me to have great regard for Don Bosco.  As I read more about him, I saw his relevance for our times - particularly his visions.  His vision of the Church as a great barque caught in a storm, with the pope leading it to a safe haven between the two pillars of the Eucharist and Our Lady has proved providential.  In the basilica here, that vision is depicted in vibrant colour.

Some inspirational videos on Don Bosco, first the vision, then a reflection on his life:

Blessed Peacemaker

Today is the feast of Blessed Karl of Austria - the last emperor of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, who tried to broker peace during the First World War.  He was a true peacemaker, but suffered for it.  Refusing to renounce his crown because he saw it not as an honour, but as vocation of service to his people, the allies and new regime in Austria sent him into exile, eventually putting him on the island of Madeira where he died in 1922.  He was accompanied by his faithful wife, the Empress Zita, who is now also being considered for sainthood.  Those who knew him recognised his holiness, and his desire to offer his life in service for his people.  He was treated shamefully by the allies, a good man who fell victim an unjust desire for vengeance, a vengeance which would eventually be a major cause of the Second World War.

Blessed Karl has been occupying my thoughts since my visit to Vienna this summer.  In fact I am developing a devotion to him.  He is a wonderful model for Christian men - for politicians, yes; but most importantly for husbands and fathers.  He had no interest in worldly honours, he saw himself called to a duty and a responsibility - that of a father to his people, and he sought to fulfill that responsibility as faithfully as he could.  That he should find himself in the middle of one of history's most contentious periods was providential because he reveals how a Christian should respond.  He was the only ruler to heed Pope Benedict XV's calls for peace and he tried to implement the pope's plan for bringing the war to an end - he got nowhere because people were not prepared to listen - they had too much at stake - power and national pride. 

In a sense, I think Blessed Karl is a martyr of sorts - one who became an oblation for peace.  In exile he sensed that he was being called to offer his life for his people and for peace.  He spoke to Zita about it, and she discouraged him from making any such offering to the Lord knowing full well that it would be accepted.  He prayed intensely about it, and he was led to understand that is what God was asking.  Karl being Karl responded generously, and made an act of oblation, offering himself for his people and peace.  He died soon after.

He and his family lived in poverty in their exile, and for a time he was not allowed by his keepers  to go to Mass.  He and Zita were separated from their children and not allowed visit them - the children were eventually brought to Madeira.  He was loved by the people of the island, and he grew to love his exiled home.  When he died, his remains were buried in the church of Our Lady of Monte, where they rest to this day. There have been attempts to have his relics translated to Austria, but up to now they have failed.  Perhaps Blessed Karl, having found his last home with the people of Madeira, wants to stay with them, and so Austria, as it exiled its emperor has also lost a saint whose major sanctuary may remain among a foreign people who welcomed him as one of their own.  There is something biblical about that - the first and the last, the ones who take the places of others at the banquet....  His website is here.

His wife, the Servant of God, Zita, suffered a great deal after this death.  She moved to Spain, then, with Hitler on her heels, she had to flee across Europe, eventually finding a home in the US.  In 1982 she was allowed to return to Austria for a visit.  The government of Austria demanded that if she renounced her titles she could come home, she refused, but public pressure became too much for the government and they allowed her return.  She did not stay, and returned to Switzerland where she died in 1989.   Her remains were brought back to Vienna where, after a huge funeral in the cathedral, her remains were laid with the emperors and empresses in the crypt of the Capuchin church.   Read more about her here.

Wonderful footage of Blessed Karl and Empress Zita's wedding:

During World War I, a visit to Bolsano:



His arrival on Madeira:

New Cardinals

The Holy Father has announced, as speculated, that he will hold a consistory on the 20th November and create twenty-four new cardinals.  The list is below. 

As expected Archbishop Dolan of New York and Archbishop Nichols are not included, as their predecessors are still under eighty, and so eligible to vote in a conclave.  Both men deserve it, but they will have to wait until the next consistory. 

Among the new Cardinals, the Holy Father is conferring the dignity on two priests: Mgr Walter Brandmuller, former president of the Pontifical Commission for Historical Sciences, and Mgr Domenico Bartolucci, former director of the Sistine Choir, all of whom are over eighty.  I also see Archbishop Raymond Burke is included - delighted with that. 

God bless them all, may they be true to their dignity and the colour they wear.  We must accompany them with our prayers.

The List: 

•Angelo Amato, prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints;
•Antonio Naguib, patriarch of Alexandria of the Copts,
•Robert Sarah, president of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum,
•Francesco Monterisi, archpriest of St Paul's Outside the Walls,
•Fortunato Baldelli, major penitentiary of the Roman church,
•Raymond Burke, prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura,
•Kurt Koch, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity
•Paolo Sardi, pro-Patron of the Order of Malta,
•Mauro Piacenza, prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy
•Velasio DePaolis CS, prefect for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See (& papal delegate to the Legionaries of Christ)
•Gianfranco Ravasi, president of the Pontifical Council for Culture
•Medardo Joseph Mazombwe, archbishop-emeritus of Lusaka (Zambia)
•Raul Eduardo Vela Chiliboga, archbishop-emeritus of Quito (Ecuador)
•Laurent Monsengwo Pasinya, archbishop of Kinshasa
•Paolo Romeo, archbishop of Palermo
•Donald Wuerl, archbishop of Washington
•Raymundo Damasceno Assis, archbishop of Aparecida
•Kazmierz Nycz, archbishop of Warsaw
•Malcolm Ranjith, archbishop of Colombo
•Reinhard Marx, archbishop of Munich and Freising
•Archbishop Jose Manuel Estepa Llaurens, Military Ordinary-emeritus of Spain
•Bishop Elio Sgreccia, president-emeritus of the Pontifical Academy for Life
•Msgr Walter Brandmuller, president-emeritus of the Pontifical Commission for Historical Sciences
•Msgr Domenico Bartolucci, director-emeritus of the Sistine Choir

The Case of the Kangaroo in the Nightclub

The media here in Ireland have been devoting a good bit of time over the last couple of days to a situation in which a kangaroo (or wallaby) was brought into a Dublin nightclub during a birthday party and made fun of on the dance floor.  Unconfirmed reports claim that the poor creature died from shock afterwards.  Cruelty to animals is horrendous, we really reveal our inhumanity when we abuse those creatures God meant us to look after and care for as stewards of his creation.

That said, I was a little miffed at the coverage it got: not that it was reported - it needed to be to expose where we in Ireland find ourselves today, but that an item dealing with cruelty to animals received so much time when the media conveniently ignores the wilful murder of millions of innocent children each year, or if it covers the issue of abortion and embryonic harvesting and manipulation, it does so in order to defend and promote it.  Or, as we saw last year, when the murder of a pro-life activist, Jim Pouillon, simply for silently praying at a pro-life event, was ignored by most of the media, the same media that made banner headlines over the equally inexcusable murder of an abortion doctor by people who claimed to be pro-life.   Again it is another indication that the modern world has lost the plot. 

In case this post turns into another rant, and you, dear readers, will be referring to me as the fuming priest on a roll again, we should look at the positive.  Instead of complaining, what can we do?  Well, I always turn to Fr Frank Pavone, a colleague at EWTN, and he inspires me to do what I can for the pro-life cause.  Our paths have never crossed in the network, we are there at different times, but his presence is discernable through he work he has devoted his life to.  God knows how he keeps his sanity and patience working in the area he does: he has a huge dose of charity.   His organisation Priests for Life, does great work, as does Rachel's Vineyard, which he advises.  It would be a good idea to support him in his work, but also all those who devote themselves to the pro-life cause.  Word of caution: avoid the crazies - they do us more harm that good.   Of course, my friends in the US will know that they devote the entire month of October to the pro-life cause, and refer to it as Respect Life Month.

Now I know there will be those who condemn me, say I am condoning the act of cruelty to an animal - I think I have established that I do not, I just happen to be more consistent in this issue than many who fight for the rights of animals but then repeat the inane slogan that it is a woman's right to choose: the devil said that to Eve in the garden, and see where we ended up!  It is ironic to note that, it is because we defend abortion that such dreadful acts take place. After all, if we can kill our own in the womb, then acts of violence against innocent creatures should not surprise us: if we do not respect human life, then animal life will not even register on the radar.

"Ite Ad Joseph!"

As the Church continues to celebrate the canonisation of our new saints, one of them, St Andre Bessette, has a message for the Church of our time: "Ite ad Joseph!"  Go to Joseph.  St Andre was the founder of Montreal's great sanctuary to St Joseph, and through this humble brother's ministry, devotion to the husband of Our Lady experienced a great renewal in the Americas. 

In the years since Vatican II many Catholics have forgotten about St Joseph - he seems to have been thrown out in the frenzied zeal of the reformers to "simplify" our faith.  Yet the life of the Church is impoverished when the Saints are discarded.  When we put the patron of the universal Church to one side, then that presents other problems.  St Joseph, the just man, chosen by God as husband for Mary and guardian and father figure for Jesus, has an important role to play in the life of the Church and in the lives of each individual Christian.  Hence, devotion to St Joseph brings many blessings and graces, as well as his protection.  The canonisation of St Andre is call from the Lord, I believe, reminding us that we must put Joseph back into our lives.  By the way, Wednesday is the day in the week dedicated to St Joseph.

My friend the exorcist (that sounds good!) was telling me about the power of St Joseph's intercession and protection.  The demons, he said, hate him because they had no power over him.  In his life on earth, it seems, Joseph resisted the temptations they laid in front of him: his love for Jesus and Mary was so strong, so complete, no earthly pleasure could distract him.  Now there's a patron to have!  One of St Joseph's titles is "Terror of Demons", so that fits.  Apart from that, in St Joseph we see the model of the devoted servant of Christ.  We also see the model for men and for fathers in particular.  As radical, atheistic feminism has wrecked havoc in society and the Church, St Joseph provides for us men a refreshing antidote to the misandry which has become so prevalent in our times. 

In this time of renewal and reform, we have a great friend in St Joseph, as many Saints have found.  St Teresa of Avila said that whenever she went to Joseph for help, he never failed her: hence she placed the reform of the Carmelite Order into his hands, dedicating the first house of the reform to him.  We would do well to dedicate all our efforts for renewal, personal and institutional, to him and allow him to lead us.  St Andre once said that devotion to St Joseph was the way to heaven - how true that is.  As St Joseph safely conducted Jesus and Mary into Egypt and then to Nazareth, he can bring us, safely and surely, to heaven. And let's face it, with Joseph on our side we're in with a pretty influential person: after all, if he asks Jesus to let us into heaven, can the One he brought up refuse him?  Not likely!! 

Prayer to St Joseph:

Remember, most pure spouse of Mary ever Virgin, my loving protector, Saint Joseph, that no one ever had recourse to your protection or asked for your aid without obtaining relief. Confiding, therefore, in your goodness, I come before you and humbly implore you. Despise not my petitions, foster-father of the Redeemer, but graciously receive them. Amen

Collect for the feast of St Andre Bessette:

Lord our God, friend of the lowly,
You gave your servant, Brother André,
a great devotion to Saint Joseph
and a special commitment to the poor and afflicted.
Through his intercession
help us to follow his example of prayer and love
and so come to share with him in Your glory.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

St Mary MacKillop: In the Heart of the Church

My sister Carmelite over at Te-Deum Blog, Diane Korzeniewski, draws our attention to an excellent article on St Mary MacKillop, the recent controversy over her excommunication, and the false interpretation of her life.  It well worth a read.

A Prophet For Our Times

Today the Church in Poland celebrates for the first time the feast of Blessed Jerzy Popiełuszko, the priest martyred in 1984 for daring to stand up to the country's Communist regime.  I remember the events surrounding his disappearance, the finding of his body and funeral.  His name became a slogan for freedom in the 1980's as people behind the Iron Curtain began to revolt against the oppression socialism had imposed on them for almost fifty years.  I was always cautious about Blessed Jerzy because I had thought he was too political a figure.  When his Cause was announced and proceeded, I had to wonder if he was really a martyr - his death seemed more political than religious.  When Pope Benedict recognised his martyrdom I told myself to look again, so I began to read up on his life and murder. 

It became apparent very quickly that his death was indeed martyrdom, and strangely his struggle seemed to have a relevance to Ireland and Europe in these years.   As the day of his beatification came closer, legislation was passing through our parliament which enshrined in law unions which we, as Christians, believe to be deeply immoral.  The legislation, establishing Civil Partnerships for same-sex couples, undermined the special relationship marriage has in our country, and seemed to criminalise Christian morality.  That legislation was passed.   In a homily I reminded politicians who claimed to be members in good standing of the Church, that according to the Gospel and Christian morality, they could not support that legislation, quoting the CDF's document on the issue.  It opened a can of worms and even the Minister for Justice, who was sponsoring the legislation, condemned me in the press.  An interesting side issue emerged when he said that he left his faith and conscience outside the door of the cabinet room - it had no place in his work as a public representative.  Cue: John F. Kennedy's speech to Protestant ministers in Houston.  The affair also led the Minister for the Environment and leader of the Green Party, to insist that the Church and her bishops should stick to the spiritual needs of their flock and not intrude in matters political.  In response to this diktat, Archbishop Martin of Dublin had to remind the same Minister than only a year before he had asked the bishops of Ireland to help the government get the EU Lisbon Treaty passed by openly supporting it!   I think we know that to be double standards.

Blessed Jerzy was also told by the Polish government to keep his nose out of "political matters" - of course those matters were actually religious and moral issues - human freedom and religious freedom.  So too in Ireland - the issue of marriage is a human issue, a moral issue, and as the government has now enshrined penalties in law for those who, in conscience, cannot cooperate with what they believe is immoral, it is also an issue of religious freedom.  In the end the bill was rushed through parliament without a vote, thus undermining the process of democracy: this was hailed as "mature" by the same politicians.  I had thought, stupidly, that I had the right as a citizen of this nation to say what I believed,  but what I said did not accord with the agenda of the ruling power of our country, so it seems I do not.  I also thought that, as a pastor, I could remind my flock of what their Lord and Saviour taught them with regard to certain moral issues: again, it seems I was wrong in that.  My government tells me I cannot preach the Church's moral teaching from the pulpit.  I was branded as an interfering priest like (but certainly not on a parr with) St Thomas Beckett and Blessed Jerzy. 

I thought Blessed Jerzy was too political a figure, but I was wrong, and I know why from personal experience.  Should the Church and her ministers engage in matters which are classed as political?  If they affect her, yes.  The Church cannot and should not be silenced in the public square.  Blessed Jerzy, in condemning the abuses of a tyrannical regime, spoke up for the oppressed as any Christian pastor should, and defended the rights of the Church and her members.  The Church reserves the right to do the same.  A democratic government will respect that and even listen to what the Church has to say instead of condemning her and attempting to undermine her. 

Blessed Jerzy has since helped me in so many ways, particularly when dealing with the condemnation of a member of our government, and I am humbled by his prayers and presence.  Since then I have been given a first class relic of Blessed Jerzy, and I treasure it - it is on the altar of my little chapel.  I believe he is a saint for our times, given the gradual growth of secularism and increasing powers of the state.  I think we should pray for his speedy canonisation, and his assistance in these difficult times.

Almighty God,
by whose grace and power your holy martyr Blessed Jerzy
triumphed over suffering and was faithful unto death:
strengthen us with your grace,
that we may endure reproach and persecution
and faithfully bear witness to the name
of Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

Trailer of a new movie about Blessed Jerzy:

Tracking For Stalkers

Watching BBC News, I see that a new website is due to be launched next week which will track the movements of celebrities.  Through JustSpotted.com fans will be able to keep an eye on their idols and where they are at any given moment.  The idea, it seems was that people around the globe would be encouraged to keep an eye out for celebrities and then inform the website if they have spotted any via Twitter.  The site has angered celebrities, so much so that Twitter has pulled out from the deal, but that will not be enough to stop the website going live on Tuesday because those running the site have other sources of information.

Well, we already know the world we are living in is one mad place, and this is just another lunatic idea.  This website will be a stalker's paradise and, no doubt, we will probably see a rise in stalking incidents in the years to come.  JustSpotted may need to have a permanent legal team on staff to deal with the various law suits which may be filed against them.  Apart from that, one has ask the question, have the press/media learned nothing from recent events?   More than likely if the paparazzi had not been so bolshie, and had more respect for celebrities' privacy, Diana, Princess of Wales would probably be alive today. 

The excuse we often hear wheeled out is that celebrities have chosen to put their lives and careers in the public eye, so when the press follow them for stories, they should not be surprised.  While there is an element of truth in that, common sense dictates that people, regardless of who they are or what they do, should be allowed personal space and respect which allows them the same rights and dignities all of us enjoy, including privacy.  Again the media will say that people have a right to know - I'm not convinced by that one. I do not think anyone has the right to leer at other's people's private lives or misfortunes.  Let's hope enough people have the sense to leave "celebrities" alone.  

Of course, the message to those seeking fame - be careful, you might just get what you are looking for.  In the last decade or so the rise of reality TV shows has allowed ambitious people a forum in which to become famous - Andy Warhol and his fifteen minutes has a lot to answer for!  We now have people who are famous for being....famous!   No talent, no career, just....a celebrity.  That is another piece of lunacy of the age we live in.  But it also reveals a hunger: people are looking for something, and think fame, the cult of celebrity, will satisfy that hunger.  It doesn't - experience shows it creates problems.  This new website is just one of the problems they face; although, given the insatiable need for fame some are nurturing, you might find some of them will be delighted to be stalked if it means they become a celebrities.  Will we now have minor celebrities vying to get themselves spotted?  As the song says, it's a mad world.

Miracles

Interesting article in the Montreal Gazette on miracles, well worth a read.

Boost For Religious Life

All six Blesseds canonised today were members of religious orders, so might say that today religious life is getting a boost from the Lord.  Each of the six have their own stories, experiences and difficulties, but all are united in their love of Christ and their desire to offer themselves to him in consecrated life.  What is so wonderful is that all three vocations within traditional religious consecration are represented.

St Stanislaw Soltys was a priest and professed member of the Canons Regular of the Lateran.  St Candida Maria  de Jesus Cipitria y Barriola, St Guilia Salzano, St Camilla Battista Varano and St Mary MacKillop were sisters. St Andre Bessette was a professed brother.  In their canonisation, the Church offers to all of us, but to our religious in particular, examples of how to follow Christ in every aspect of life.  I am particularly delighted with St Andre's glorification because we need to be reminded of the unique vocation of the Brother.  For too long professed brothers were seen as those who did not quite make the mark to be priests, yet their calling is as unique and particular as that of priests and sisters.  St Andre reveals through his life the rich possibilities that exist within the vocation.  He was not impoverished because he could not say Mass or hear confessions, he was enriched because in his calling he could exercise a ministry which the priests of his order were unable to do. 

Yesterday's profession ceremony in Stamullen was beautiful - simple, yet solemn and wonderful.  Sr Cora Marie vowed to live the evangelical counsels for the rest of her life while devoting herself to a life of prayer and service for the Church and the world.  As one of the vows recalled, she was to be hidden with Christ in humble service.  This is what each of our six new saints did: the fact that Sr Cora Marie's profession took place on the weekend of the canonisation of six religious, is no coincidence, I think, but providential.  I hope many will follow in her steps, and inspired by the Church's holy religious, make the generous offering of their own lives.

Another wonderful thing about this canonisation is that it is a welcome moment for the religious of the west, and for Ireland, if they choose to acknowledge it.  Many are depressed by the recent scandals - innocent and good religious who spent their lives in humble service of those in need, are now hated, despised and demonised by many in Irish society and the media here.  They did no wrong, but they are crucified all the same.  On the other hand, there are others who have thrown off their religious life and pursue "personally fulfilling lives" and chide the Church for her adherence to the teachings of Christ.   Anyway, no giving out. 

The renewal of religious life was one of the aims of the Second Vatican Council, and while many religious have gone haywire, as we say here, God love them, the renewal is still happening, even new forms of religious life are emerging - always a sign that a great spiritual regeneration is taking place.  The two last times we had this was, first, in St Francis's time when the new form of friars emerged - these friars - Franciscan, Dominican, Carmelite, among others, were responsible for a great reform of the 12th and 13th centuries.  Then, the second great period, was that around Trent. Again new, revolutionary forms developed - the Jesuits and Oratorians among them.  And again these new orders, societies and congregations, joining forces with the existing Orders which reforming either from within or from breakaway groups, began a great evangelisation.  Even a quick look at Church history teaches us that.

Now look at what is happening - Church history is repeating itself.  New congregations and forms are emerging: new societies of friars, monks and nuns.  The innovative form of the Secular Institutes, consecrated lay people and the myriad of movements which united priests, religious, consecrated and non-consecrated lay people.  And God is confirming that these new ways of life sanctify, as, for example the canonisation of St Josemaria Escriva and beatification of Blessed Chiara Luce Badano prove.  In Ireland, we are still waiting for that, although the movements are present, some of them.  We need more of them, and we need new religious - particularly native foundations.  When a man or woman finally founds a new congregation in Ireland, we will know the reform has begun.  I hope our six new Saints will pray for that.