EUCHARISTIC COMMUNION AND
CONTEMPLATION ARE INSEPARABLE
Vatican City, 8 June 2012 (VIS) - At 7 p.m. today, Solemnity of Corpus Christi, Benedict XVI celebrated Mass in the basilica of St. John Lateran, then led a Eucharistic procession along Via Merulana to the basilica of St. Mary Major.
During the liturgical celebration, the Pope pronounced a homily in which he focused on the sacredness of the Eucharist, and in particular on the adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. (IMAGE SOURCE: RADIO VATICANA)
"A unilateral interpretation of Vatican Council II has penalised this dimension", the Holy Father explained, "effectively limiting the Eucharist to the moment of celebrating Mass. It is, of course, very important to recognise the importance of celebration, in which the Lord calls His people, bringing them together around the table of the Word and Bread of life, nourishing them and uniting them to Himself in the sacrificial offering. This interpretation of the liturgical gathering, in which the Lord works and achieves His mystery of communion, naturally retains all its validity, but a rightful balance must be restored. ... By concentrating our relationship with the Eucharistic Christ only on Mass we run the risk that the rest of time and space is emptied of His presence. Thus our perception of Jesus' constant, real and close presence among us and with us is diminished".
"It is a mistake to establish a contrast between celebration and adoration, as if they were in competition with one another. The opposite is true. The cult of the Blessed Sacrament represents the spiritual 'environment' within which the community can celebrate the Eucharist correctly and truthfully. Only if preceded, accompanied and followed by this interior attitude of faith and adoration, can liturgical activity express its full meaning and value", the Pope said.
He then went on to explain that, at the moment of adoration, we are all at the same level, "on our knees before the Sacrament of Love. The common and ministerial priesthood come together in the cult of the Eucharist. ... By remaining together in silence before the Lord, present in His Sacrament, we have one of the most authentic experiences of being Church, one that is complementary to our celebration of the Eucharist. ... Communion and contemplation cannot be separated, they go together", and if contemplation is lacking "even sacramental communion can become a superficial gesture on our part".
Turning then to consider the sacredness of the Eucharist, Benedict XVI noted that here too, in the recent past, there has been "some misunderstanding of the authentic message of Holy Scripture. The Christian novelty of worship has been influenced by a certain secularist mentality of the 1960s and 1970s. It is true, and it remains valid, that the centre of worship is no longer in the ancient rites and sacrifices, but in Christ Himself, His person, His life, His Paschal Mystery. Yet this fundamental novelty must not lead us to conclude that the sacred no longer exists".
Christ "did not abolish the sacred but brought it to fulfilment, inaugurating a new worship which is entirely spiritual but which nonetheless, as long as our journey in time continues, still uses signs and rites. These will only fall into disuse at the end, in the celestial Jerusalem where there will be no temple".
Moreover, the Holy Father went on, "the sacred has an educational function. Its disappearance inevitably impoverishes culture, and especially the formation of the new generations. ... Our Father God ... sent His Son into the world, not to abolish the sacred but to bring it to fulfilment. At the culmination of this mission, at the Last Supper, Jesus established the Sacrament of His Body and His Blood, the Memorial of His Paschal Sacrifice. By doing so he put Himself in the place of the ancient sacrifices, but He did so in the context of a rite, which he ordered the Apostles to perpetuate as a supreme sign of the true sacrifice, which is Him. With this faith, ... day after day we celebrate the Eucharistic Mystery, and adore it as the centre of our lives and the heart of the world".
THE CHURCH IS COMMITTED TO THE COMMON GOOD IN SRI LANKA
Vatican City, 8 June 2012 (VIS) - The Holy See Press Office released the following communique at midday today:
"This morning the Holy Father Benedict XVI received in audience Mahinda Rajapaksa, president of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. The president subsequently went on to meet with Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, secretary for Relations with States.
"During the cordial discussions the parties illustrated the steps taken to favour socio-economic development, and reconciliation among the communities hit by the long internal conflict which has affected the country. The hope was expressed that a global joint solution may soon be found corresponding to the legitimate expectations of all the parties involved.
"Finally, emphasis was given to to how the Catholic Church - which makes an important contribution to the life of the country with her religious witness and educational, healthcare and social assistance activities - will continue to commit herself to the common good, reciprocal understanding and the integral development of all citizens".
THE CHURCH IS NOT INDIFFERENT TO SPORT
Vatican City, 8 June 2012 (VIS) - Benedict XVI has sent a message to Archbishop Jozef Michalik, president of the Polish Episcopal Conference, for the European Football Championships, which will be held over coming weeks in Poland and Ukraine.
"This sporting event involves not only the organisers, the athletes and the fans but, in various ways, the whole of society", the Pope writes. "The Church cannot remain indifferent to such an event, and in particular to the spiritual needs of the participants".
Benedict XVI quoted words of Blessed John Paul II, who said that "the potentialities of sport make it an important instrument for the overall development of the person, and a useful factor for the construction of a more human society".This is because "the sense of brotherhood, magnanimity, honesty and respect for the body - virtues which are undoubtedly indispensable for every good athlete - contribute to building a civil society where competition replaces antagonism, where agreement replaces conflict and loyal confrontation replaces rancorous opposition".
Pope Benedict goes on: "Team sports such as football are an important way to educate people to respect one another including their adversaries, to show a spirit of personal sacrifice for the good of the entire group, and to respect the gifts of each member of the team; in a word, to overcome the logic of individualism and selfishness which often characterise human dealings, and so leave space for the logic of fraternity and love, the only thing capable of authentically promoting the common good, at all levels".
The Pope concludes his message by encouraging participants in the championships "to work to ensure that this event is experienced as an expression of the most noble human virtues and actions, in a spirit of joy and peace".
AUDIENCES
Vatican City, 8 June 2012 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in audience:
- Eleven prelates of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands, on their "ad limina" visit
- Archbishop John Ribat M.S.C. of Port Moresby.
- Bishop Rolando Santos C.M. of Alotau-Sideia.
- Bishop Gilles Cote S.M.M. of Daru-Kiunga.
- Bishop Patrick Taval M.S.C. of Kerema.
- Archbishop Francesco Panfilo S.D.B. of Rabaul.
- Bishop Bernard Unabali of Bougainville.
- Bishop William Fey O.F.M. Cap. of Kimbe.
- Archbishop Adrian Thomas Smith S.M. of Honiara, accompanied by Auxiliary Bishop John Doaninoel S.M.
- Bishop Christopher Cardone O.P. of Auki.
- Bishop Luciano Capelli S.D.B. of Gizo.
- Cardinal Marc Ouellet P.S.S., prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.
OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
Vatican City, 8 June 2012 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed:
- Fr. Antonio Manuel Moiteiro Ramos of the clergy of Guarda, Portugal, pastor of the diocesan cathedral, as auxiliary of the archdiocese of Braga (area 2,857, population 963,900, Catholics 885,900, priests 507, permanent deacons 8, religious 784), Portugal. The bishop-elect was born in Aldea de Joao Pires, Portugal in 1956 and ordained a priest in 1981. He has been a member of the diocesan secretariat for Christian education, and professor and spiritual director in the local major seminary.
- Msgr. Nelson J. Perez of the clergy of the archdiocese of Philadelphia, U.S.A., pastor of the parish of St. Agnes in West Chester, and Msgr. Robert J. Brennan of the clergy of the diocese of Rockville Centre, U.S.A., vicar general, moderator of the Curia and pastor of the parish of St. Mary of the Isle, as auxiliaries of Rockville Centre (area 3,164, population 3,527,942, Catholics 1,737,498, priests 485, permanent deacons 270, religious 1,241). Bishop-elect Perez was born in Miami, U.S.A. in 1961 and ordained a priest in 1989. He has served in a number of parishes and, among other roles, has worked as director of the Catholic Institute for Evangelisation. Bishop-elect Brennan was born in New York, U.S.A. in 1962 and ordained a priest in 1989. He has worked as a pastor in various parishes and served as private secretary to bishops of Rockville Centre.
On Thursday 7 June it was made pubic that the Holy Father:
- Appointed Bishop Cesar Daniel Fernandez, auxiliary of Parana, Argentina, as bishop of Jujuy (area 20,082, population 580,000, Catholics 524,000, priests 68, permanent deacons 7, religious 152), Argentina.
- Accepted the resignation from the office of auxiliary of the archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn, Australia, presented by Bishop Patrick Percival Power, in accordance with canons 411 and 401 para. 2 of the Code of Canon Law.
Vatican City, 8 June 2012 (VIS) - At 7 p.m. today, Solemnity of Corpus Christi, Benedict XVI celebrated Mass in the basilica of St. John Lateran, then led a Eucharistic procession along Via Merulana to the basilica of St. Mary Major.
During the liturgical celebration, the Pope pronounced a homily in which he focused on the sacredness of the Eucharist, and in particular on the adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. (IMAGE SOURCE: RADIO VATICANA)
"A unilateral interpretation of Vatican Council II has penalised this dimension", the Holy Father explained, "effectively limiting the Eucharist to the moment of celebrating Mass. It is, of course, very important to recognise the importance of celebration, in which the Lord calls His people, bringing them together around the table of the Word and Bread of life, nourishing them and uniting them to Himself in the sacrificial offering. This interpretation of the liturgical gathering, in which the Lord works and achieves His mystery of communion, naturally retains all its validity, but a rightful balance must be restored. ... By concentrating our relationship with the Eucharistic Christ only on Mass we run the risk that the rest of time and space is emptied of His presence. Thus our perception of Jesus' constant, real and close presence among us and with us is diminished".
"It is a mistake to establish a contrast between celebration and adoration, as if they were in competition with one another. The opposite is true. The cult of the Blessed Sacrament represents the spiritual 'environment' within which the community can celebrate the Eucharist correctly and truthfully. Only if preceded, accompanied and followed by this interior attitude of faith and adoration, can liturgical activity express its full meaning and value", the Pope said.
He then went on to explain that, at the moment of adoration, we are all at the same level, "on our knees before the Sacrament of Love. The common and ministerial priesthood come together in the cult of the Eucharist. ... By remaining together in silence before the Lord, present in His Sacrament, we have one of the most authentic experiences of being Church, one that is complementary to our celebration of the Eucharist. ... Communion and contemplation cannot be separated, they go together", and if contemplation is lacking "even sacramental communion can become a superficial gesture on our part".
Turning then to consider the sacredness of the Eucharist, Benedict XVI noted that here too, in the recent past, there has been "some misunderstanding of the authentic message of Holy Scripture. The Christian novelty of worship has been influenced by a certain secularist mentality of the 1960s and 1970s. It is true, and it remains valid, that the centre of worship is no longer in the ancient rites and sacrifices, but in Christ Himself, His person, His life, His Paschal Mystery. Yet this fundamental novelty must not lead us to conclude that the sacred no longer exists".
Christ "did not abolish the sacred but brought it to fulfilment, inaugurating a new worship which is entirely spiritual but which nonetheless, as long as our journey in time continues, still uses signs and rites. These will only fall into disuse at the end, in the celestial Jerusalem where there will be no temple".
Moreover, the Holy Father went on, "the sacred has an educational function. Its disappearance inevitably impoverishes culture, and especially the formation of the new generations. ... Our Father God ... sent His Son into the world, not to abolish the sacred but to bring it to fulfilment. At the culmination of this mission, at the Last Supper, Jesus established the Sacrament of His Body and His Blood, the Memorial of His Paschal Sacrifice. By doing so he put Himself in the place of the ancient sacrifices, but He did so in the context of a rite, which he ordered the Apostles to perpetuate as a supreme sign of the true sacrifice, which is Him. With this faith, ... day after day we celebrate the Eucharistic Mystery, and adore it as the centre of our lives and the heart of the world".
THE CHURCH IS COMMITTED TO THE COMMON GOOD IN SRI LANKA
Vatican City, 8 June 2012 (VIS) - The Holy See Press Office released the following communique at midday today:
"This morning the Holy Father Benedict XVI received in audience Mahinda Rajapaksa, president of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. The president subsequently went on to meet with Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, secretary for Relations with States.
"During the cordial discussions the parties illustrated the steps taken to favour socio-economic development, and reconciliation among the communities hit by the long internal conflict which has affected the country. The hope was expressed that a global joint solution may soon be found corresponding to the legitimate expectations of all the parties involved.
"Finally, emphasis was given to to how the Catholic Church - which makes an important contribution to the life of the country with her religious witness and educational, healthcare and social assistance activities - will continue to commit herself to the common good, reciprocal understanding and the integral development of all citizens".
THE CHURCH IS NOT INDIFFERENT TO SPORT
Vatican City, 8 June 2012 (VIS) - Benedict XVI has sent a message to Archbishop Jozef Michalik, president of the Polish Episcopal Conference, for the European Football Championships, which will be held over coming weeks in Poland and Ukraine.
"This sporting event involves not only the organisers, the athletes and the fans but, in various ways, the whole of society", the Pope writes. "The Church cannot remain indifferent to such an event, and in particular to the spiritual needs of the participants".
Benedict XVI quoted words of Blessed John Paul II, who said that "the potentialities of sport make it an important instrument for the overall development of the person, and a useful factor for the construction of a more human society".This is because "the sense of brotherhood, magnanimity, honesty and respect for the body - virtues which are undoubtedly indispensable for every good athlete - contribute to building a civil society where competition replaces antagonism, where agreement replaces conflict and loyal confrontation replaces rancorous opposition".
Pope Benedict goes on: "Team sports such as football are an important way to educate people to respect one another including their adversaries, to show a spirit of personal sacrifice for the good of the entire group, and to respect the gifts of each member of the team; in a word, to overcome the logic of individualism and selfishness which often characterise human dealings, and so leave space for the logic of fraternity and love, the only thing capable of authentically promoting the common good, at all levels".
The Pope concludes his message by encouraging participants in the championships "to work to ensure that this event is experienced as an expression of the most noble human virtues and actions, in a spirit of joy and peace".
AUDIENCES
Vatican City, 8 June 2012 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in audience:
- Eleven prelates of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands, on their "ad limina" visit
- Archbishop John Ribat M.S.C. of Port Moresby.
- Bishop Rolando Santos C.M. of Alotau-Sideia.
- Bishop Gilles Cote S.M.M. of Daru-Kiunga.
- Bishop Patrick Taval M.S.C. of Kerema.
- Archbishop Francesco Panfilo S.D.B. of Rabaul.
- Bishop Bernard Unabali of Bougainville.
- Bishop William Fey O.F.M. Cap. of Kimbe.
- Archbishop Adrian Thomas Smith S.M. of Honiara, accompanied by Auxiliary Bishop John Doaninoel S.M.
- Bishop Christopher Cardone O.P. of Auki.
- Bishop Luciano Capelli S.D.B. of Gizo.
- Cardinal Marc Ouellet P.S.S., prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.
OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
Vatican City, 8 June 2012 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed:
- Fr. Antonio Manuel Moiteiro Ramos of the clergy of Guarda, Portugal, pastor of the diocesan cathedral, as auxiliary of the archdiocese of Braga (area 2,857, population 963,900, Catholics 885,900, priests 507, permanent deacons 8, religious 784), Portugal. The bishop-elect was born in Aldea de Joao Pires, Portugal in 1956 and ordained a priest in 1981. He has been a member of the diocesan secretariat for Christian education, and professor and spiritual director in the local major seminary.
- Msgr. Nelson J. Perez of the clergy of the archdiocese of Philadelphia, U.S.A., pastor of the parish of St. Agnes in West Chester, and Msgr. Robert J. Brennan of the clergy of the diocese of Rockville Centre, U.S.A., vicar general, moderator of the Curia and pastor of the parish of St. Mary of the Isle, as auxiliaries of Rockville Centre (area 3,164, population 3,527,942, Catholics 1,737,498, priests 485, permanent deacons 270, religious 1,241). Bishop-elect Perez was born in Miami, U.S.A. in 1961 and ordained a priest in 1989. He has served in a number of parishes and, among other roles, has worked as director of the Catholic Institute for Evangelisation. Bishop-elect Brennan was born in New York, U.S.A. in 1962 and ordained a priest in 1989. He has worked as a pastor in various parishes and served as private secretary to bishops of Rockville Centre.
On Thursday 7 June it was made pubic that the Holy Father:
- Appointed Bishop Cesar Daniel Fernandez, auxiliary of Parana, Argentina, as bishop of Jujuy (area 20,082, population 580,000, Catholics 524,000, priests 68, permanent deacons 7, religious 152), Argentina.
- Accepted the resignation from the office of auxiliary of the archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn, Australia, presented by Bishop Patrick Percival Power, in accordance with canons 411 and 401 para. 2 of the Code of Canon Law.
AMERICA : VATICAN CRITICIZES BOOK BY US SISTER FARLEY
WASHINGTON—The Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) has declared that a book on sexual ethics by Mercy Sister Margaret A. Farley does not conform to the teachings of the Magisterium. As such, the CDF said, “it cannot be used as a valid expression of Catholic teaching, either in counseling and formation, or in ecumenical and interreligious dialogue.” (IMAGE SOURCE: GOOGLE)
CDF critiqued the book, “Just Love: A Framework for Christian Social Ethics,” in a five-page notification released at the Vatican June 4. Pope Benedict XVI approved the notification March 16, and ordered its publication.
The notification can be found at http://press.catholica.va/news_services/bulletin/news/29292.php?index=29292&lang=en#. . .
Sister Farley, professor emerita from Yale University Divinity School, where she taught from 1971-2007, published “Just Love” in 2006. She has been in dialogue with CDF over their concerns since 2010. She twice responded in writing to their concerns, but neither response settled what CDF said in the notification were “grave problems in her book.”
The notification addressed “general problems” and said that “Sister Farley either ignores the constant teaching of the Magisterium or, where it is occasionally mentioned, treats it as one opinion among others.” It added that she “also manifests a defective understanding of the objective nature of the natural moral law, choosing instead to argue on the basis of conclusions selected from certain philosophical currents or from her own understanding of ‘contemporary experience.’ This approach is not consistent with authentic Catholic theology.”
The notification specifically criticized the book’s treatment of masturbation, homosexual acts, homosexual unions, indissolubility of marriage and divorce and remarriage.
The notification noted that Sister Farley said that “masturbation ... usually does not raise any moral question at all.” In response, the notification quoted the “Catechism of the Catholic Church,” which states that both the Magisterium “and the moral sense of the faithful have been in no doubt and have firmly maintained that masturbation is an intrinsically and gravely disordered action.”
On homosexual acts, Sister Farley wrote that“same-sex oriented persons as well as their activities can and should be respected whether or not they have a choice to be otherwise.” The notification said that “this opinion is not acceptable” and cited the catechism, which states that homosexual persons “must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity.”It added, however, that Scripture presents homosexual acts as “acts of grave depravity,” and that “tradition has always declared that homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered.”
On homosexual unions, Sister Farley offered a defense for domestic partnerships, civil unions, and gay marriage and said they can be “important in transforming the hatred, rejection and stigmatization of gays and lesbians that is still being reinforced by teachings of ‘unnatural’ sex, disordered desire, and dangerous love....” The notification said her position is “opposed to the teaching of the Magisterium” and cited the 2003 CDF document “Considerations regarding proposals to give legal recognition to unions between homosexual persons.” The 2003 statement holds that “the common good requires that laws recognize, promote and protect marriage as the basis of the family, the primary unit of society.”
“Legal recognition of homosexual unions or placing them on the same level as marriage would mean not only the approval of deviant behavior, with the consequence of making it a model in present-day society, but would also obscure basic values which belong to the common inheritance of society,” the CDF said in 2003.
On indissolubility of marriage, Sister Farley said that her own position “is that a marriage commitment is subject to release on the same ultimate grounds that any extremely serious, nearly unconditional, permanent commitment may cease to bind.” The notification, citing the catechism, said “by its very nature conjugal love requires the inviolable fidelity of the spouses.”
On divorce and remarriage,Sister Farley argued that after divorce, “whatever ongoing obligation a residual bond entails, it need not include a prohibition of remarriage – any more than the ongoing union between spouses after one of them has died prohibits a second marriage on the part of the one who still lives.” The notification said her view “contradicts Catholic teaching that excludes the possibility of remarriage after divorce” adding from the catechism that “the Church maintains that a new union cannot be recognized as valid, if the first marriage was.”
In its conclusion, the notification expressed “profound regret” that Sister Farley, a member of an institute of consecrated life, “affirms positions that are in direct contradiction with Catholic teaching in the field of sexual morality.”
The notification added, “Furthermore the Congregation wishes to encourage theologians to pursue the task of studying and teaching moral theology in full concord with the principles of Catholic doctrine.”
SHARED FROM USCCB
AUSTRALIA : RIP FR. FINBARR WALSH REQUIEM MASS
ARCHDIOCESE OF PERTH REPORT:
Article and photos by Fr R Cross
Every time
we gather as a Catholic community to say farewell to someone who has died, it
seems to me that we are doing a number of things.
Pontifical Requiem Mass Celebrated for
the Repose of the Soul of Fr Finbarr Walsh
Article and photos by Fr R Cross
Archbishop Timothy Costelloe
SDB, Emeritus Archbishop Barry James Hickey and Auxiliary Bishop Donald Sproxton
and the clergy of Perth paid tribute to Fr Henry Finbarr Walsh (known as
Finbarr) on the occasion of his death on Thursday 31 June
2012.
Born in Cork City, County
Cork, Ireland on 5 March 1929, he was educated at the Christian Brothers'
College, Cork and at All Hallows College Dublin. Fr Walsh was ordained on 21 June 1953 at All Hallows
College for the Archdiocese of Perth, arriving in Perth on 19 November 1953. He
was appointed curate at West Perth on the same day. On 26 February 1954 he was appointed curate at Cottesloe
and in 1957 was again appointed curate to St Mary's Cathedral, where in April
1964 he was appointed the Secretary of the Church Office, a position he held for
five years. On 31 July 1969 he was appointed
Administrator of the St Mary's Cathedral, becoming the Dean of the Cathedral in
1972. In 1973 he was appointed the WA
coordinator for the International Eucharistic Congress held in Melbourne,
Victoria. On 16 May 1976, Fr Walsh was
appointed Parish Priest of the rapidly growing Rockingham Parish where he
oversaw the building of Our Lady of Lourdes Church as well as the presbytery and
Parish Centre. He was also a strong advocate for the building of Kolbe Catholic
College and was the Priest's Representative on the Catholic Education Commission
of Western Australia. In 2007, after many
years of dedicated service, Fr Walsh retired to a house in Shoal Water and later
transferred to Castledare Retirement Village, where he died last
week.
May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed,
through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
Amen
Homily for the Pontifical Concelebrated Requiem Mass for
Fr Henry Finbarr Walsh 1929 - 2012
Every time
we gather as a Catholic community to say farewell to someone who has died, it
seems to me that we are doing a number of things.
First of
all, of course, we are expressing our sorrow that someone we have cared about,
respected, worked with or loved has now gone. I’m sure I speak for everyone here
when I express our very sincere condolences to Father Finbarr’s brother John and
his wife Claire, who arrived from Ireland yesterday, and to his niece, Felicity,
who cared for Fr Finbarr so well in these last few months, and to his family and
friends both here and in Ireland. Our prayers are certainly with you all at this
difficult time.
We are also
remembering all that Fr Finbarr has been for each one of us. For me, of course,
as a newcomer to the archdiocese, the story of Fr Finbarr’s life must be learnt
from others, from all of you. I do know that Fr Finbarr was born in 1929 in
Cork, in Ireland, and came to Australia, and specifically to the Archdiocese of
Perth, in November of 1953, at the age of twenty-four, just five months after
his ordination as a priest.
As you can
see from the booklet, during his active life as a priest here in Perth, Fr
Finbarr was in a variety of places. He started at West Perth, and moved to
Cottesloe as an assistant in 1954. He was then transferred to the Cathedral
parish where he served for many years as assistant priest, secretary,
administrator and Dean.
In 1976 Fr
Finbarr was asked to come to this parish of Our Lady of Lourdes. The Church we
are celebrating in this morning was built by him and is a beautiful and tangible
symbol of his long and fruitful ministry. I think it is fair to say that
Rockingham was Fr Finbarr’s real home and the people of this parish were very
much a part of his family.
As most of
you know Fr Finbarr did other things, too, before he retired in 2007.He was very
involved in the establishing of Kolbe College here in Rockingham, he was the WA
coordinator for the International Eucharistic Congress in 1973 in Melbourne, and
he was for a time a member of the Catholic Education Commission of Western
Australia. Only yesterday one of the assistant directors at the Catholic
Education Office was telling me about Fr Walsh’s absolute determination to see
Kolbe College established, and also of his great devotion to the Mother of the
Lord which led him to choose St Maximilian Kolbe as the patron of the College.
Like this Church the College too is a wonderful testament to Fr Finbarr’s
courage, persistence and faith.
The
positions Fr Finbarr held, and the projects he brought to completion are very
substantial, and it is important that we remember them today. They remind us
that Fr Finbarr has been a very significant contributor to the life of the
Archdiocese over many years. But this list of appointments and achievements
doesn’t and can’t tell the real story of Fr Finbarr’s priestly life. That story
is only really known to the countless people whose lives have been enriched by
him. None of us is perfect and I’m sure that Fr Finbarr made his mistakes, as we
all do. But God can and does work with us and through us even when we are
struggling and stumbling, even when we are not at our best. Who knows how many
children and adults Fr Finbarr brought into the life of the Church and the life
of God’s grace through his celebration of the sacrament of baptism? Who knows
how many people, after they had encountered him in the confessional, went away
forgiven, renewed and with a new sense of hope? Who knows how many people were
able to face their approaching death because Fr Finbarr had been there ready to
offer them the Sacrament of Anointing? Who knows how many people were fed and
strengthened because Fr Finbarr was faithful to the celebration of Mass? And who
knows how many people received a word of encouragement, or understanding, or
perhaps even challenge, just at the very moment when they needed
it?
These are
the things that make up the life of a priest and Fr Finbarr lived that life for
fifty-seven years. And it is this which I, as someone who did not know Fr
Finbarr, find the most remarkable and inspiring thing. Whatever struggles and
limitations Fr Finbarr may have had, and they may have been few or many – I
simply don’t know - the fact is he remained faithful to his priesthood.
Fidelity, it seems to me, is not something that we should take for granted or
discount too easily. It is the product of courage, of determination, of
generosity and, certainly for a priest, of faith. Although I didn’t know Fr
Finbarr, and most of you did, I feel very confident in saying that he must have
been this kind of man for him to live the life of fidelity which we are
remembering today.
We have
gathered here today then to mourn and to remember. But we have also gathered as
people of faith, just as Fr Finbarr was a man of faith, to entrust him to the
Lord. We have gathered to pray for Fr Finbarr that the Lord will look on him
with compassion and with love, will forgive him his sins and will welcome him
into the fullness of life. And if God is as we say he is, if he is really the
Father that Jesus revealed him to be, then we are people of hope as well as
faith. If Jesus could tell the story of the father who welcomed home his
prodigal son, and if Jesus could say to the woman caught in adultery, “I do not
condemn you”, and if Jesus could say of those who were killing him “Father
forgive them for they don’t know what they are doing”, how can we doubt that God
will reach out and welcome this good and faithful priest into his kingdom and
his love.
One of the
best signs of gratitude we can offer to show our respect for someone who has
died is to commit ourselves to bringing alive in our own lives the qualities we
admired so much in the one we have lost. As each of you remembers Fr Finbarr,
and the story of his own presence in your life, ask what qualities he would most
dearly love to see in you. As you pray for him today, and entrust him to the
Lord, may you also commit yourselves to keeping his memory alive by trying to be
all that he hoped and prayed you would be.
Eternal rest give to him,
O Lord, and let perpetual life shine upon him. May he rest in peace.
Amen
ASIA : INDIA : PRAYING WITH THE POOR - MOTHER TERESA SISTERS
ASIA NEWS REPORT: by Nirmala
Carvalho
The Indian Catholic Church celebrates Corpus Domini next Sunday. The Archdiocese of Mumbai has tasked the Missionaries of Charity with the Eucharistic adoration. The nuns run the Asha Dan hostel in Byculla (south Mumbai), which helps children with severe physical and mental disabilities as well as women with HIV-AIDS and needy people.
_0608_-_Asha_Dan_Corpus_Christi.jpg)
Mumbai (AsiaNews) - The Catholic Church in India is set to celebrate Corpus Domini on Sunday. For the occasion, the Archdiocese of Mumbai has decided to give the Sisters of Mother Teresa the task of the Eucharistic adoration. The latter run the Asha Dan (Gift of hope), a hostel for the disabled, poor and sick.
"For the nuns, praying is a source of strength needed to pursue their very difficult work," Fr Anthony Charanghat told AsiaNews. The decision to give The Missionaries of Charity this responsibility "reflects the current trend of emphasising only the Eucharist's social dimension," said Fr Charanghat, who is the director of the diocesan weekly The Examiner.
This way the Archdiocese of Mumbai highlights what Benedict XVI said yesterday during the celebration of Corpus Domini, namely that "it is wrong to oppose the celebration and adoration," because they are "two aspects, that are connected, of the mystery of the Eucharist."
Asha Dan is in Byculla, a Mumbai neighbourhood. It is run by 12 Sisters of Mother Teresa. It has two buildings and is host to about 400 people, including children aged 2 to 8 suffering from physical and mental disabilities. Police also bring to the hostel women with HIV/AIDS and their kids, as well as others to take them off the streets.
"We feed and wash them," said Sister M. Joyal, one of the missionary at the hostel. "We change their bed sheets, wash their clothes and give them medications. We give them the same respect we would give Jesus. They are all dying, but when the time comes, they can smile because they know that God loves them."
"Christ died among the poor, the oppressed, the unwanted and the needy," said Sister Magdelita, Asha Dan's superior. "We find the strength to serve these people in prayer and daily adoration. In them, we see Jesus. Through our service, we let them be witness of God's love."
SHARED FROM ASIA NEWS IT
The Indian Catholic Church celebrates Corpus Domini next Sunday. The Archdiocese of Mumbai has tasked the Missionaries of Charity with the Eucharistic adoration. The nuns run the Asha Dan hostel in Byculla (south Mumbai), which helps children with severe physical and mental disabilities as well as women with HIV-AIDS and needy people.
_0608_-_Asha_Dan_Corpus_Christi.jpg)
Mumbai (AsiaNews) - The Catholic Church in India is set to celebrate Corpus Domini on Sunday. For the occasion, the Archdiocese of Mumbai has decided to give the Sisters of Mother Teresa the task of the Eucharistic adoration. The latter run the Asha Dan (Gift of hope), a hostel for the disabled, poor and sick.
"For the nuns, praying is a source of strength needed to pursue their very difficult work," Fr Anthony Charanghat told AsiaNews. The decision to give The Missionaries of Charity this responsibility "reflects the current trend of emphasising only the Eucharist's social dimension," said Fr Charanghat, who is the director of the diocesan weekly The Examiner.
This way the Archdiocese of Mumbai highlights what Benedict XVI said yesterday during the celebration of Corpus Domini, namely that "it is wrong to oppose the celebration and adoration," because they are "two aspects, that are connected, of the mystery of the Eucharist."
Asha Dan is in Byculla, a Mumbai neighbourhood. It is run by 12 Sisters of Mother Teresa. It has two buildings and is host to about 400 people, including children aged 2 to 8 suffering from physical and mental disabilities. Police also bring to the hostel women with HIV/AIDS and their kids, as well as others to take them off the streets.
"We feed and wash them," said Sister M. Joyal, one of the missionary at the hostel. "We change their bed sheets, wash their clothes and give them medications. We give them the same respect we would give Jesus. They are all dying, but when the time comes, they can smile because they know that God loves them."
"Christ died among the poor, the oppressed, the unwanted and the needy," said Sister Magdelita, Asha Dan's superior. "We find the strength to serve these people in prayer and daily adoration. In them, we see Jesus. Through our service, we let them be witness of God's love."
SHARED FROM ASIA NEWS IT
AFRICA : DEM. REP. OF CONGO : BISHOPS PREVENTION OF WAR NECESSARY
Agenzia Fides REPORT - "There are consistent indications
that evoke the specter of a war which still has hidden reasons". This was the
warning given by the Bishops of the Ecclesiastical Province of Bukavu in eastern
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), in a message sent to the Congolese political
authorities, which a copy was sent to Fides Agency.
The Bishops say it is necessary to prevent a global war on the horizon. The document lists the tensions and violence that may escalate into a larger war: the concurrent upsurge in different areas of vicious crimes attributed to gangs and armed individuals; the massacres of the population; the burning of homes and displaced mass populations; the awakening of the movement Mai-Mai (local self-defense militias, ed.) for reasons not well known; the mutinies of soldiers in Uvira; the evasion of the military (deserters, ed.) in Bukavu and the defection of troops in the territory of Beni, the attack on 14 May in Bunyakiri (south Kivu), which killed dozens of Congolese civilians and the wounding of several Pakistani "Blue Helmets" of the UN forces in Congo.
"The wars in the DRC have been and are often internal and external wars of predation, as amply highlighted by different study groups" conclude the Bishops of Kivu, whose territory is rich in agricultural resources, forestry and above all mining, which are the real stakes of over 20 years of war. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 08/06/2012)
The Bishops say it is necessary to prevent a global war on the horizon. The document lists the tensions and violence that may escalate into a larger war: the concurrent upsurge in different areas of vicious crimes attributed to gangs and armed individuals; the massacres of the population; the burning of homes and displaced mass populations; the awakening of the movement Mai-Mai (local self-defense militias, ed.) for reasons not well known; the mutinies of soldiers in Uvira; the evasion of the military (deserters, ed.) in Bukavu and the defection of troops in the territory of Beni, the attack on 14 May in Bunyakiri (south Kivu), which killed dozens of Congolese civilians and the wounding of several Pakistani "Blue Helmets" of the UN forces in Congo.
"The wars in the DRC have been and are often internal and external wars of predation, as amply highlighted by different study groups" conclude the Bishops of Kivu, whose territory is rich in agricultural resources, forestry and above all mining, which are the real stakes of over 20 years of war. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 08/06/2012)
EUROPE : GERMANY : CARDINAL MARX CALLS FOR SOCIAL MARKET ECONOMY
CATHOLIC HERALD REPORT:
By Mark Pattison on Friday, 1 June 2012
By Mark Pattison on Friday, 1 June 2012
Cardinal Marx speaking at the
Berkley Centre in Washington (CNS photo)
Cardinal Reinhard Marx has called for a “social market
economy” in the wake of the fiscal crisis that has gripped much of Europe over
the past year.
In a talk delivered at Georgetown University in Washington, Cardinal Marx, the Archbishop of Munich and Freising, said the economy needed to move “beyond capitalism” in order to be more fair.
He added that he was not calling for the abolition of capitalism, saying that capitalism was “an element” in the social market economy he has in mind. But Cardinal Marx suggested that it was the practice of “financial capitalism” in the era since the tearing down of the Iron Curtain that had brought Europe to its crisis point today.
The cardinal’s talk, “Economic Crisis as an Opportunity for Change”, was delivered at Georgetown’s Berkley Centre for Religion, Peace and World Affairs.
“The revolution of 1989 is one of the prepositions of this crisis,” Cardinal Marx said. “The world became free from Communism. As a consequence, it became free for financial capitalism.” One of the ills this form of capitalism wrought, he added, was that it “separated the virtual from the real economy,” giving people “the dream of permanent easy money” without acknowledging “the problem of debts, particularly in Europe”.
Cardinal Marx said: “We cannot step outside the history, but we can learn from it.” Lessons from the current crisis, he noted, are “not yet learned”.
The cardinal, who wrote Das Kapital: A Plea for Man in 2008, is head of the Committee for Social Issues for the German bishops’ conference and is president of the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Community. He is member of both the Congregation for Catholic Education and the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace.
Christianity has its part to play in formulating lessons to be learned, Cardinal Marx said. “Christianity is the mother tongue of Europe. If you don’t know the mother tongue, you can’t understand.”
Cardinal Marx added: “The Bible is not, in fact, the last word” in coming to terms with the eurozone crisis. “We can make it better. This is very important.”
On the day of judgment, “we will have a new heaven, a new earth,” Cardinal Marx said. “Jesus will ask, ‘Did you make the world a better place while you were on earth, or did you not?’”
In response to a question from the audience, Cardinal Marx said he approved of the idea of “eurobonds,” an instrument that could help manage the debt of eurozone nations more equitably. “In the long term, it’s something like a transfer,” he said. “Subsidiarity works on many levels. But we will have transfers from rich countries to poorer countries.”
He added that rich eurozone nations cannot tell struggling ones, “Oh, you can go out,” or tell themselves that poorer nations’ crises are “not my problem. That’s not how it should work.”
Berkley Centre director Thomas Banchoff noted that some in the United States interpret the Catholic social teaching principle of subsidiarity – which holds that decisions or actions should not be made on a higher level when a lower level of competence would suffice – as meaning “keep the government out of it”.
Cardinal Marx replied: “The state is not a bad thing, as Aristotle told his disciples”, nor is the state “unfriendly”. Without the state, he said, “man does not come to the fullest possible life”, adding: “You cannot navigate the common good only with the assistance of families. It is not possible.”
The cardinal travelled from Washington to Chicago, where he was to lead a May 31-June 1 symposium called “Toward a Moral Economy”.
SHARED FROM CATHOLIC HERALD
In a talk delivered at Georgetown University in Washington, Cardinal Marx, the Archbishop of Munich and Freising, said the economy needed to move “beyond capitalism” in order to be more fair.
He added that he was not calling for the abolition of capitalism, saying that capitalism was “an element” in the social market economy he has in mind. But Cardinal Marx suggested that it was the practice of “financial capitalism” in the era since the tearing down of the Iron Curtain that had brought Europe to its crisis point today.
The cardinal’s talk, “Economic Crisis as an Opportunity for Change”, was delivered at Georgetown’s Berkley Centre for Religion, Peace and World Affairs.
“The revolution of 1989 is one of the prepositions of this crisis,” Cardinal Marx said. “The world became free from Communism. As a consequence, it became free for financial capitalism.” One of the ills this form of capitalism wrought, he added, was that it “separated the virtual from the real economy,” giving people “the dream of permanent easy money” without acknowledging “the problem of debts, particularly in Europe”.
Cardinal Marx said: “We cannot step outside the history, but we can learn from it.” Lessons from the current crisis, he noted, are “not yet learned”.
The cardinal, who wrote Das Kapital: A Plea for Man in 2008, is head of the Committee for Social Issues for the German bishops’ conference and is president of the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Community. He is member of both the Congregation for Catholic Education and the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace.
Christianity has its part to play in formulating lessons to be learned, Cardinal Marx said. “Christianity is the mother tongue of Europe. If you don’t know the mother tongue, you can’t understand.”
Cardinal Marx added: “The Bible is not, in fact, the last word” in coming to terms with the eurozone crisis. “We can make it better. This is very important.”
On the day of judgment, “we will have a new heaven, a new earth,” Cardinal Marx said. “Jesus will ask, ‘Did you make the world a better place while you were on earth, or did you not?’”
In response to a question from the audience, Cardinal Marx said he approved of the idea of “eurobonds,” an instrument that could help manage the debt of eurozone nations more equitably. “In the long term, it’s something like a transfer,” he said. “Subsidiarity works on many levels. But we will have transfers from rich countries to poorer countries.”
He added that rich eurozone nations cannot tell struggling ones, “Oh, you can go out,” or tell themselves that poorer nations’ crises are “not my problem. That’s not how it should work.”
Berkley Centre director Thomas Banchoff noted that some in the United States interpret the Catholic social teaching principle of subsidiarity – which holds that decisions or actions should not be made on a higher level when a lower level of competence would suffice – as meaning “keep the government out of it”.
Cardinal Marx replied: “The state is not a bad thing, as Aristotle told his disciples”, nor is the state “unfriendly”. Without the state, he said, “man does not come to the fullest possible life”, adding: “You cannot navigate the common good only with the assistance of families. It is not possible.”
The cardinal travelled from Washington to Chicago, where he was to lead a May 31-June 1 symposium called “Toward a Moral Economy”.
SHARED FROM CATHOLIC HERALD
TODAY'S MASS ONLINE FRIDAY JUNE 8, 2012
| Mark
12: 35 - 37
| |
| 35 | And as Jesus taught in the temple, he said, "How can the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David? |
| 36 | David himself, inspired by the Holy Spirit, declared, `The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, till I put thy enemies under thy feet.' |
| 37 | David himself calls him Lord; so how is he his son?" And the great throng heard him gladly. |
TODAY'S SAINT : JUNE 8 : ST. MEDARD
St. Medard
BISHOP
Feast: June 8
|
Information:
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ST. MEDARD, one of the most
illustrious prelates of the Church of France in the sixth century, was born of a
pious and noble family, at Salency, about the year 457. From his childhood he
evinced the most tender compassion for the poor. On one occasion he gave his
coat to a destitute blind man, and when asked why he had done so, he answered
that the misery of a fellow-member in Christ so affected him that he could not
help giving him part of his own clothes. Being promoted to the priesthood in the
thirty-third year of his age, he became a bright ornament of that sacred order.
He preached the word of God with an unction which touched the hearts of the most
hardened; and the influence of his example, by which he enforced the precepts
which he delivered from the pulpit, seemed irresistible. In 530, Alomer, the
thirteenth bishop of that country, dying, St. Medard was unanimously chosen to
fill the see, and was consecrated by St. Remigius, who had baptized King Clovis
in 496, and was then exceeding old. Our Saint's new dignity did not make him
abate anything of his austerities, and, though at that time seventy-two years
old, he thought himself obliged to redouble his labors. Though his diocese was
very wide, it seemed not to suffice for his zeal, which could not be confined;
wherever he saw the opportunity of advancing the honor of God, and of abolishing
the remains of idolatry, he overcame all obstacles, and by his zealous labors
and miracles the rays of the Gospel dispelled the mists of idolatry throughout
the whole extent of his diocese. What rendered this task more difficult and
perilous was the savage and fierce disposition of the ancient inhabitants of
Flanders, who were the most barbarous of all the nations of the Gauls and
Franks. Our Saint, having completed this great work in Flanders, returned to
Noyon, where he shortly after fell sick, and soon rested from his labors at an
advanced age, in 545. The whole kingdom lamented his death as the loss of their
common father and protector. His body was buried in his own cathedral, but the
many miracles wrought at his tomb so moved King Clotaire that he translated the
precious remains to Soissons. (Taken from Lives of the Saints, by Alban Butler) |
source: http://www.ewtn.com/saintsHoly/saints/M/stmedard.asp#ixzz1xAeBcFky
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