Easter Greetings

 

Every blessing to you all

on this great Solemnity

of the Resurrection of the Lord.

 

The Lord has truly risen!

 

Alleluia!

Shroud Authentic?

 

One of the last things Pope Emeritus Benedict did before abdicating was to order a brief exposition of the Shroud of Turin for Holy Saturday.  Although it will not be a major public event, I think only a selected number of people will actually view it - groups of sick people and the young among them, Benedict's order includes live transmission of the exposition and a visual recording so the whole world can join in. 

 

This comes at an appropriate time, not only because it is the Triduum, but a new investigation by scientists at the University of Padua has revealed that the Shroud dates from a period between 300 BC and 400 AD, increasing the chances of its being authentic.   This overturns the carbon dating tests which dated the cloth to the Middle Ages.  This is good news.  While our faith does not depend on the authenticity of any relic, the Shroud offers us a profound meditation on the passion and death of the Lord.  It is also a frontier where science and faith work together, undermining the secularist myth that the two are incompatible an that the Church rejects scientific research. 

 

In other news: there was an extraordinary statement from the Irish Bishops in response to the government's plans to introduce gay marriage in Ireland.  The Bishops in their submission to the Constitutional Convention (a group of people who have been empowered by the government to look at the Constitution and see what needs updating, scrapping or rewriting) they have indicated that if marriage is redefined and gay marriage introduced, the Catholic Church will no longer assist or facilitate the civil aspect of Catholic weddings. 

 

At the moment we priests conduct the civil aspects for those couples we marry in Catholic ceremonies - that will cease if the government goes ahead with its plans.  Apart from a taking a stance, it will inconvenience the State: we save the government money as we cover most weddings.   If the Church withdraws the State will have to provide more registrars as Catholic couples will have to attend a separate civil ceremony as well as the Catholic one.

 

I note the media, as ever, stretch to present the story in as negative a light as possible for the Church - I note the Independent describes the action as a "boycott".  It is not boycotting, it is no longer extending a favour to the State, one which, given the growing call for complete separation of Church and State, may well be long overdue.  

 

Despite its aggressive attitude towards the Church in recent years, the State actually depends on the Catholic Church in many areas of life.  For one thing, it depends on our charitable works to help the poor.   Working with a Catholic charity I often come across government officials sending poor people to us to supplement their income when government benefits fall short of the needs of individuals and families.   You don't hear about that in parliament.

Ireland: Pro-Life Pilgrimage

I got an email a while ago from our chancery announcing that the Archbishop of Tuam will host a Day for Prayer for the Unborn at Knock Shrine on Saturday 4th May.  It will be a day of prayer and not a political event.  It would be great to get as many as possible to Knock for that pilgrimage, and to remind those that go that there will be no lobbying.   Pass the word on and start organising groups. 

The Church, Her Poor And Her Art

 

Pope Francis's election has reignited the old chestnut that the Church should get rid of her possessions, in particular her art, and give the money to the poor.   This suggestion tends to pop up a great deal, particularly among critics of the Church.  Well, William Oddie of the Catholic Herald has his view on the question and it is well worth reading.  It is a view I would largely agree with.  However, I think I'll explain my position lest I be accused of not loving the poor.

 

First of all if the Catholic Church was an organisation that simple horded wealth and did not help the poor, then certainly the suggestion would be one to take seriously.  However, she is one of the largest charitable organisations in the world (if not the largest).  Every year the Church and her many organisations spend billions on care for the poor.  Millions of her members are dedicated to working with the poor, and all of her religious, regardless of the particular charism of their congregations, engage in some form of charitable work usually making sacrifices to do so.  These same religious often work without pay, and those who do get a wage for their work go far beyond what is required.  The Church cares for Catholics and non-Catholics - she seeks to help anyone who needs help, she makes no distinction - she simply sees the need and responds to it as generously as she can.

 

In this the Church does more than her critics in her work.  Indeed she usually ends up caring for those that society rejects or polite and sophisticated society does not even see.  Most of her work is hidden because she does not want to draw attention to her charitable organisations, except when she is trying to raise money for her poor.  Someone estimated that the Vatican would get $17 billion for her art: a mere drop in the ocean: that sum would not feed all those in the Church's care for long.

 

Secondly, one has to ask the question - does the art serve a purpose in the Church?  Well, if we are concerned with mere financial matters, the answer is yes.  The Vatican art collections raise money for the Church's mission.  Like every other organisation the Church needs an income - she cannot exist on fresh air.  Now the excessively pious may suggest that she should rely on God's providence, and she does, but we need to ask the question: how does God's providence work?  Does God shower money down from heaven every morning like the manna in the desert?  No, he doesn't.  He will inspire people to help through donations, but he will also provide the means for the Church to raise money herself.  But God also expects the Church, as he expects all of us, to earn our keep simply because he does not want us to become loafers.  Laziness and expecting continual handouts is not the Christian way: the Church has to earn money too.  So how?  Many ways. One of them is to take the gifts of art which benefactors have given to the Church down the centuries and put them in a museum and charge tourists a fee to see them: that fee is income which will help the Church in her mission, pay the wages of those she employs, pay various bills that come up and then, with what's left over, help the poor.

 

If the Church did not have this income, then she would rely even more on our donations.  So next time a Catholic says the Church should sell everything and give it to the poor ask them how much they personally contributed to the upkeep of the Church - how much did they put in the Peter's Pence envelope.  When I ask that question, people tend to decline to answer and the conversation is quickly changed, or ended all together.

 

A third point, and an important one.  In yesterday's Gospel we read of St Mary of Bethany's anointing of Jesus.  As the fragrance of the ointment filled the room we hear that Judas was complaining - he saw the adoration but could see it only in financial terms.  So too with the critics - they see art and they only see money. In their eyes, it seems, the artistic patrimony of the world is about money, and perhaps only those with money can own these works.  Working with artists and learning from them I see that while they need to eat and live, ultimately their work is not about money - it is about things much more transcendental. It is about expression and exploration; it is about God and humanity; it is about beauty and suffering.  These are things beyond finance - to reduce art to objects to be bought and sold is to diminish it - the real place of art, ultimately, is not in an auctioneer's gallery, but in a public one where people can come and experience it; where they can listen to what the artist is saying, and to learn something about God, the world and ourselves.   To see art in terms of money is to be another Judas who not only betrayed Christ, but betrayed basic humanity in selling that which was beyond price.   W. B. Yeats used to call such people "philistines".

 

In preserving her artistic works - many of which are gifts, the Church first of all seeks to give glory to God - many of the works are actually artistic works of praise.  She also wishes to encourage the work of artists and ensure that this means of expression continues - hence she commissions works (in doing so she helps artists earn a livelihood - many artists are poor too).  The Church also wants to ensure that these works are available for people to appreciate regardless of their financial status.  When you listen to artists speak about their work  it is obvious they do not want their pieces to be hidden away in the private collections of the rich - and that's where Michelangelo's Pieta and various other works would end up if the Vatican sold them.  The rich should not have a monopoly on the world's art - just because they have money doesn't mean they can become the sole possessors of beauty.  Too often beauty is seen as the preserve of the wealthy, and ugliness the inheritance of the poor.  The Church does not believe that: beauty is for all.  Too many works of art are hidden away in the mansions of the rich, at least the Vatican holds her works so all the world can see them.

 

And while I'm on the point - should our churches be beautiful?  Often connected with the demand that the Church sells her art, is that our churches are too resplendent - they should be plainer, dare I say, uglier?  We are told that our beautiful churches offend the poor.  I think this reveals an existentialist problem: some cannot cope with beauty, or at least beauty in the service of God.   We are told that authentic, honest worship of God is naked, bare, unadorned. Well if that is the case, then our worship would be inhuman, because it is in our nature to offer what is beautiful to those we love.  If we love God, then God's house will be a place of beauty, where we praise by our words, our actions and our works - and our artistic works would be included as works of praise.  If we resent making our places of worship beauty, then we are envious of God: we do not want to give him what we want to keep for ourselves.  Remember, during the Reformation as the reformers denuded the churches to make them less Catholic, less "ornate", we can ask: Where did the art and precious vessels go?  Straight into the homes of the rich and powerful: they took the beautiful things from God's house in the name of reform and put them in their own.  So much for spiritual renewal; I'd call that stealing.  And what about the poor?  Well, with no monastries to help them and the Catholic Church persecuted, they ended up on the streets.

 

No, the Church should keep her art, and she will continue her worldwide mission helping the poor and outcasts: it's not either/or, but both. 

Prayers Please

Could I ask your prayers for some intentions please?  An actress is gravely ill and needs people to pray for her - perhaps you might pray to St Genesius for her.

 

Also a prayer for someone who is ill and for their family members who are trying to come to terms with it. 

 

Thank you. 

Benedict: The Suffering Christ In Our Midst

 

Pope Francis continues to charm the world with his simple and holy ways.  Though I have not had time to blog in the last week, I have been watching the discussion around the Holy Father and it seems the political model seems to the only one many use to interpret the new Pope and his actions.  It still hasn't dawned on people yet that Francis is like Benedict who was like John Paul II.  One commentator hit the nail on the head, though I do not think they were speaking positively, when they said that Pope Francis revealed a progressive way of being traditionally orthodox.  Yep, I think that sums it up well. 

 

The Holy Father's style seems to be upsetting many: thankfully the myth of the "Carnival" jibe has been put to rest, Francis is just a simpler man when it comes to liturgy: this is not a condemnation or rowing back on Pope Benedict's reforms - they will continue, and should continue.  Francis has a different mandate, if I can say that - the liturgical reform has begun, now another reform has to happen and Francis will grab that nettle as Benedict grabbed the liturgical one.  But that said we must remember that a Pope is not an elected official who comes into office to do a particular job.  Yes, each Pope has his talents and abilities, and these will be used by the Holy Spirit in the service of the Church at a particular time to deal with particular problems.  But there is more to the Pope: he has been raised up to lead the Church, to confirm us in our faith and to be Peter in this time.  While it is valid to talk about reform of the Curia etc etc, Francis must be more than that - he is Peter.  He is our Holy Father.  And we thank God for him - the Lord has, once again, given us a wonderful pastor.

 

I watched with deep sadness the Holy Father's visit to Pope Emeritus Benedict last Satuday - I was stunned when I saw Benedict - he has failed even in the few weeks since his abdication.  He is a very frail man - I think the conspiracy theorists can give up their musings on the resignation: Benedict did not hide anything from us, he is going down and he knows it.  I could not help think that we may not have Benedict for much longer.   Reflecting on his papacy, I see what those eight years did to him - he has suffered, and he is suffering still. 

 

Talking with friends last week about Benedict's papacy we all agreed that perhaps part of Benedict's call in being Pope was suffering - he was to "take the hit" as the Church tried to crawl out of scandals and deal with various crises.  It was said that Benedict may well be "Benedict the martyr".  In the minds of many this holy and learned man, who always tried to do what was right, who tried to deal with the abuse crisis and take abusing priests out of pastoral appointments and out of the priesthood, was pilloried and blamed for the crisis.  Our own Taoiseach here blamed Benedict for cover up.  We know this was untrue, but those who seek to benefit from the Church's crisis don't care about truth, and sometimes those who have been hurt are, understandably, unable to see the truth in its fullness because of their pain.  In all this Benedict took the blame though he was innocent, and this has now taken its toll on him.  I believe it may well cost him his life as the burden of the Church and the difficulties claim their victim.  In this I think Benedict is Christ-like.  It was because of this that we agreed Benedict may well be Benedict the martyr.

 

One of the group suggested that in the last three Popes we see a fulfilment of St John Bosco's vision.  In this vision he saw one Pope who fell, but got up; but fell again  but did not get up; and a successor who, in the barque of Peter, led the Church through the pillars of the Eucharist and Our Lady to safe haven from storms and attacks.  John Paul II fell - his assassination attempt, but got back up; perhaps the second fall represents another Pope who is engaged in the same battle as the first: according to my friend this is Benedict who has fallen and will not get up; his successor Francis will lead the Church through the ever increasing storms and attacks.  I do not know - Don Bosco's vision, while I believe it is true, never identifies who the Popes were, and perhaps the vision represents the role of the Pope in times of crisis and persecution.

 

We should continue to pray for Benedict - this was his only request of us as he resigned: to pray for him, as he promised to pray and offer his sufferings for us.  Now, hidden with Christ in God, he continues to carry the cross.  Many of us thought he would have a blissful retirement, praying, reading his books, taking his walk - not so - now he suffers in silence, away from our eyes.   This man will be a great Saint!   

 

I will not be surprised when the news of his death comes: then we will mourn openly as now we mourn inwardly for losing him.  But then, I hope, Pope Francis will open the Cause for his Beatification, perhaps even dispensing the requirement to wait five years.  And I agree with those who say that perhaps one day Benedict may well be declared a Doctor of the Church.  But we shall see.

The New Pope's Defence Of Marriage

 

I want to share something with you which I found while doing some research on our new Holy Father.  It is a letter he wrote to four Carmelite monasteries in his diocese requesting prayers in the struggle against the Argentine government's plan to redefine marriage.  It is a good indication of his commitment to the Church's moral teachings.

22nd June 2010

Dear Sisters,

I write this letter to each one of you in the four Monasteries of Buenos Aires. The Argentine people must face, in the next few weeks, a situation whose result may gravely harm the family. It is the bill on matrimony of persons of the same sex.

The identity of the family, and its survival, are in jeopardy here: father, mother, and children. The life of so many children who will be discriminated beforehand due to the lack of human maturity that God willed them to have with a father and a mother is in jeopardy. A clear rejection of the law of God, engraved in our hearts, is in jeopardy.

I recall words of Saint Thérèse when she speaks of the infirmity of her childhood. She says that the envy of the Devil tried to extort her family after her older sister joined the Carmel. Here, the envy of the Devil, through which sin entered the world, is also present, and deceitfully intends to destroy the image of God: man and woman, who receive the mandate to grow, multiply, and conquer the earth. Let us not be naive: it is not a simple political struggle; it is an intention [which is] destructive of the plan of God. It is not a mere legislative project (this is a mere instrument), but rather a "move" of the father of lies who wishes to confuse and deceive the children of God.

Jesus tells us that, in order to defend us from this lying accuser, he will send us the Spirit of Truth. Today, the Nation [patria], before this situation, needs the special assistance of the Holy Ghost that may place the light of Truth amid the shadows of error; it needs this Advocate who may defend us from the enchantment of so many sophisms with which this bill is being justified, and which confuse and deceive even people of good will.

That is why I turn to you and ask from you prayer and sacrifice, the two invincible weapons which Saint Thérèse confessed to have. Cry out to the Lord that he may send his Spirit to the Senators who are to place their votes. That they may not do it moved by error or by circumstantial matters, but rather according to what the natural law and the law of God tell them. Pray for them, for their families; that the Lord may visit, strengthen, and console them. Pray that they may do great good for the Nation.

This bill will be discussed in the Senate after July 13. Let us look towards Saint Joseph, to Mary, the Child, and let us ask with fervor that they will defend the Argentine family in this moment. Let us recall what God himself told his people in a time of great anguish: "this war is not yours, but God's". That they may succour, defend, and accompany us in this war of God.

Thank you for what you will do in this struggle for the Nation. And, please, I beg you, pray for me also. May Jesus bless you, and may the Blessed Virgin protect you.

Affectionately,

Card. Jorge Mario Bergoglio s.j., Archbishop of Buenos Aires

The Pope of Christ's Poor

 

Our new Holy Father certainly has an impressive record.  His simplicity and humility apart, he has been a staunch defender of human life, Catholic morality and social justice issues.  He is, in fact, a real Catholic, one who transcends the usual political tags of conservative and liberal: like Benedict and John Paul II, he is orthodox.  He would be considered "conservative" on moral issues, but "liberal" on social justice issues: that's just Catholic.  He also knows what is right and wrong when it comes to the struggle for social justice - he is no fan of liberation theology.  He is heroic - he has taken on the secularist government of Argentina in defence of human life and the family: he was publicly rebuked by the president.  Indeed the media have started to attack him already - that can only be good!

 

There are many things to delight us in this holy Pope.  First of all he sees holiness as important - the aim of the Christian life, and like his two predecessors he preaches this holiness first by the example of his life - just like his namesake St Francis.  This is wonderful because this is at the heart of the reforms of Vatican II: the universal call to holiness.  Pope Francis continues the Council's teaching in this regard.  In terms of the Popes we have had for the last 150 years, Pope Francis is a man of tremendous personal holiness: we have another Saint, my friends!

 

Secondly, he understands the Church's spiritual traditions.  He is a Jesuit, but not in the mould of modern Jesuits who eschew traditional spirituality, he is a simple son of St Ignatius, adhering to his founder's teaching and spirituality.  In his years as a superior in the Society he sought to bring his brother Jesuits back to the charism of their founder.  He made many of them unhappy with this.  We may well see a reform of the Jesuits on the cards.

 

In terms of this traditional spirituality, in Pope Francis we see the faith of the poor.  You do not hang around the simple poor without seeing the value of their faith and devotion: they are at the heart of real traditional Catholicism.  Too often in recent times traditional Catholicism has been associated with the Tridentine Mass and its various liturgies, but it is bigger than that: the holiness of the poor - that is traditional Catholicism and if we are to get the liturgy right we need to remember that piety.  I was deeply touched by Francis's prayers on the balcony - how simple, how devout, how appropriate.  And the people responded: an Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory be for Pope-Emeritus Benedict.

 

The Holy Spirit is speaking to the Church.  He is not rejecting the Pontificate of Pope Benedict XVI, He is complimenting it.  As I have said before God is working to a programme and in each of the Popes we see different witnesses who fulfill various missions in the ongoing reform.  I think after Blessed John Paul brought us in and as Benedict taught us, Francis will touch us with his humility and help us see that we must all become Christ's poor.   Indeed he will confound the Church's critics by his own poverty and, perhaps, bring many back.

 

This will, I think, be a simpler Papacy, perhaps like Blessed John Paul's, though not as dramatic in an external sense.  I believe the young will love him - he will smile and reach out to them and their hearts will melt.   His clothing will be simple: we may not see the vestments and traditional clothing revived under Benedict, but like John Paul he'll be happy with his simple cassock.  That may frighten some who were delighted with all the traditional papal attire coming back, but at the end of the day these things are secondary.  If he keeps Mgr Marini as his master of ceremonies there may be some wonderful clashes ahead, we shall see.  Of course he will have to make changes: he is now Pope and that means he will have to reorient his life and habits.  But that's where humility comes in.  For one thing, he will not be cooking for himself any more - he won't have time!

 

And note the first appointments in his diary: a visit to Our Lady at St Mary Major's and a visit to Pope-Emeritus Benedict in Castel Gandolfo: a good start.

 

Anyway, just a few thoughts.  Let us all pray for our new Holy Father: may the Lord bless him abundantly and assist him in the task which has been laid on his shoulders.   

Our New Holy Father: Pope Francis

 

We have a Pope!    Pope Francis: the Cardinal Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio - we didn't see that coming.   The poor man looked stunned as he stood on the balcony - he probably cannot believe it.  He asked us to pray for him, let us do so with great joy and devotion.

 

Spinning The Spin

 

I made a mistake last night - I skipped over from EWTN to some secular news channels to see how they were reporting the Black Smoke.  I should have stayed with Ray and the gang.  The language of the BBC, SKY and CNN was negative.  At least I did not pop over to RTE, I had too much sense for that.

 

The BBC reported that the Cardinals had "failed" to elect a Pope.   It seems they may well be intent on creating a crisis story for the Church.  In fact one tweeter said this morning that the media will try and use the time it takes to elect a Pope and make it feel as if they cannot come up with a candidate and so the Catholic Church is in so much trouble she cannot even get a leader.  Part of the problem is living an age when everything is instant - the media and many today, cannot cope with process, they must have an answer now, today, and not to get one immediately is interpreted, rightly or wrongly, as a sign that there is a problem. 

 

CNN was better, a little more objective, but then they resorted to the usual cache of issues, particularly women priests.  One reporter was interviewing Cardinal Egan, Emeritus Archbishop of New York, and her line was that the Church is near its end, sunk in a crisis it cannot get out of because she doggedly holds on to old fashioned doctrines.  Poor Cardinal Egan did his best, but I think she was unconvinced.

 

The media is obsessed with "crisis" - the Church must always be in "crisis".  They list scandals and problems and think the Church will crumble beneath the weight of them.  I think for some this is wishful thinking: they want the Church to crumble, or rather her adherence to Christ's teachings: a neutral, neutered Church would be no problem for them. 

 

Is the Church in crisis?  Yes and no.  Yes in that she is always in a state of crisis - she is trying to preach the Gospel in age of disbelief, struggling under persecution, while some of her own members resist the Gospel themselves and even sin greviously.  Crisis - yes, perhaps, although I think St Paul puts it better when he says that we are growing, labouring, coming to birth.  

 

The Church has dealt with some bad situations in the past - the Arian crisis may well have been worse than this, the Reformation was not easy either.  As for crisis Conclaves - that which was called after the death of Pope Pius VI was a crisis Conclave - they could not even meet in Rome and the threat of another imprisoned Pontiff hung over them.  Yet the Church and Papacy emerged triumphant: as Napoleon dragged Pius VII through Paris to humilate him at the imperial coronation, the people of France saw how their Holy Father was being treated and it led to a revival of faith and love of the Pope.  Somehow the Church always comes through, not through her own efforts, but by the help and guidance of the Holy Spirit.  In faith we can say that this will continue in our time.

 

As for this election: the process of electing a Pope, as we know, takes time - the Cardinals do not rush into a decision.  We must also understand that a Conclave is in fact a liturgy - some Cardinals have been reminding us of that recently.  During the scrutinies they do not talk to each other, they pray.  They vote, and then as each one presents his vote he prays, there is silence, a time for meditation.  Indeed during the first Conclave of 1978 Cardinal Wojtyla was able to write poetry.  So the Cardinals will not be hasty to accomodate the lunchtime news: they are involved in something important here. The fact that a candidate has to get two-thirds majority also means it will take time. 

 

So no rush, and no crisis.  If a Conclave lasts a few weeks, then the media can start to talk about a log-jam, but until then, just take it easy boys and girls.  Sit down, read a good book, have a Horlicks and pray with the rest of us.  Constantly spinning the spin must be exhausting.

 

Now, we'll settle down to watch the chimney.   We have confirmation in our parish today, so that will keep me occupied.