2013
Vatican Radio REPORT: Pope Francis met with members of the Italian and Argentinian national football squads on Tuesday morning. They are in Rome for a Wednesday night friendly that has been organised in honour of Pope Francis’ pontificate.
Speaking in both Italian and Spanish, the Holy Father expressed his hope that the match would truly be a friendly one. He reminded the players that they are role models for many football fans, encouraged them to take that responsibility seriously. He asked them to foster the “beauty, generosity, and camaraderie” that sport can produce – and called for even professional athletes to recover the idea of being an amateur, of recovering the initial vocation of the athlete. Doing so builds up the common good through those values.
Pope Francis also warned about letting sport become simply a big business. He called on managers to “Do your work in such a way that the sporting character will not be lost.”
Turning to Spanish, the Pope spoke about his memories of going to football matches with his family as a young boy in Buenos Aires – and spoke fondly about his memories of the Gasómetro Stadium in Buenos Aires, and the winning season of 1946. He called on players to “live your sport as a gift from God, an opportunity not only to improve your talents, but also a responsibility. And he returned to the idea that athletes are examples and role models, encouraging them to set an example of loyalty, respect, and selflessness. “I have confidence,” he said, “in all the good you can do, especially among young people.”
Pope Francis ended his remarks by praying that the athletes will continue to be able to pursue the “noble vocation” of sport – and he asked them to pray for him, too, “that in the playing field that the Lord has placed me, I can play the game honestly and courageously, for the good of all.Below, please find the complete text of Pope Francis’ remarks:
Dear friends, queridos amigos,
We’ll do this have in Italian, half in Spanish: is that ok?
I thank you for this visit, on the occasion of the “friendly” match between Italy and Argentina’s national football squads. Really, it would be a little difficult for me to be a fan, but fortunately it’s a “friendly” . . . and I recommend that it really be just that.
Thank you to the managers of the Italian Football Federation and the Argentinian Federation. I greet the athletes of both national squads.
Dear players, you are very popular: the people watch you both on and off the field. This is a social responsibility! Let me explain: In the game, when you are on the field, you find beauty, generosity, camaraderie. If a game is missing this, it loses its force, even if the team wins. There is no place for individualism; everything is directed to the team. Perhaps these three things—beauty, generosity, and camaraderie—ought to be recovered in a sporting term that should never be abandoned: “amateur”. It’s true that the organization of national and international sides professionalised sport — and it has to be that way — but this professional dimension should never lay aside the initial vocation of an athlete or a team: being an amateur. When an athlete, even as a “pro,” cultivates this “amateur” dimension, he is contributing to the good of society, he is building up the common good through the values of generosity, camaraderie, and beauty.
And this leads you to think that, before being champions you are human beings, human persons, with your strengths and your flaws, with your hearts and your ideas, your aspirations and your problems. And then, even if you are personalities, you remain persons, in sport and in life – human persons, bearers of humanity.
To you managers, I want to encourage you in your work. Sport is important, but it must be true sport! Football, like other disciplines, has become a big business! Do your work in such a way that the sporting character is not lost. You too should promote this “amateur” attitude, that, for one thing, will eliminate the danger of discrimination. When teams go along this road, the stadium is enriched in a human way, violence disappears, that problem we all have, making violence disappear, and we will again see families in the stands.
[In Spanish] I remember as boys going with the family to the Gasómetro Stadium. We went with the family: father, mother and children. We went home happy, especially during the season of ’46! Let’s see if any of you have the courage to score a goal like Pontoni! I greet in a special way the Argentine managers and players. Thank you for this visit, which is a great pleasure for me. I ask you to that you live your sport as a gift from God, an opportunity not only to bring your talents to fruition, but also as a responsibility. Dear players, I want especially to remind you that the way you behave, both on the field and off it, in life, is an example. Last Sunday I spoke by telephone with some young people in a group that wanted to greet me, and I spent half an hour with them. And clearly the great theme for this group was the game the next day. They named many of you, and said “I like this one for one thing, and this one for something else.” You are an example, a point of reference. The good you do makes an impression. You do good with your conduct, in your game, with your strengths. People look to you. Take the opportunity to do good. Even if you don’t realize it, you are a model, for good or ill, for so many people who look up to you. So be aware of this, and set an example of loyalty, respect and selflessness. You are also architects of understanding and social peace, which we need so much. You are role models for so many young people, and models of values embodied in life. I have confidence in all the good you can do among the young people.
Dear friends, I pray that you will be able to pursue the noble vocation of sport. I ask the Lord to bless you, and the Virgin Mary to guard you. And I ask you, please, to pray for me, that I too, in the ‘field’ in which the Lord has placed me, can play the game honestly and courageously for the good of all. Thank you!
SHARED FROM RADIO VATICANA
VATICAN INVESTIGATES IN UGANDA FOR STOLEN MONEY IN BANKS
CISA NEWS REPORT
KAMPALA, August 08, 2013 (CISA) -Vatican police have sent a message to Uganda government to hunt for suspected fraudsters who cashed stolen money at a Kampala bank. On 7th July, Police Chief Kale Kayihura disclosed that he had received a request from the Vatican Police to follow through the investigation.
“The other day I received a complaint from the Vatican. Can you imagine! Even people daring to steal money from the Vatican! From God!” Gen Kayihura said while opening a three-day meeting of 25 countries under East African Police Chiefs Cooperation Organisation (EAPCCO), and South African Regional Police Chiefs Corporation (SARPCCO).
Gen Kayihura added that suspected fraudsters stole the money from Vatican and cashed it in Uganda. The police chief, however, did not disclose the details of the amount of money that was allegedly wired and cashed in Kampala.
In June, Pope Francis, ordered an investigation into the Vatican Bank, formally known as The Institute of Religious Works after reports of corruption and fraud.
In the same month, the Pope appointed a panel of five people – headed by Raffaele Farina, an Italian cardinal, forming a commission expected to overhaul the operations of the bank.
Last month, the head of the Vatican Bank, Paolo Cipriani, and his deputy, Massimo Tulli, stepped down after fraud and corruption investigations that led to the arrest of a senior Roman Catholic priest.
In 2010, Cipriani was investigated by Rome on allegations of violating Italy’s anti-money laundering regulations following the seizure of £20 million in a Rome Bank believed to have been wired from a Vatican account.
SHARED FROM CISA NEWS
ANGEL PRIEST IDENTIFIED IN MYSTERY - FR. DOWLING A HERO IN THE USA
IND. CATH. NEWS REPORT
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RULING PARTY WINS ELECTIONS IN CAMBODIA PRIME MINISTER HUN SEN GETS MAJORITY
ASIA NEWS REPORT
The ruling party won 19 of the 24 provinces that comprise the country. Final data on parliamentary seats still pending, but it seems likely to confirm the initial results. The opposition calls for UN investigation on the ballot. United States and the EU admit possible fraud, but investigations "up to Phnom Penh."
Phnom Penh (AsiaNews / Agencies) - The Cambodian People's Party (CPP), led by Prime Minister Hun Sen, has won an overwhelming majority at the provincial level in the general elections of 28 July. This is what emerges from the official results released today by the National Electoral Commission (NEC), supporting the government claims of a solid victory in parliamentary seats, while the official results for the Lower House has yet to be announced.
The electoral challenge between the government and opposition is the most serious political crisis that Prime Minister Hun Sen has faced in his 28 years of unchallenged domination of the country. A nation that has recently experienced rapid economic growth thanks to the influence of China, with Beijing among the closest allies of Phnom Penh.
This morning, the NEC released the official data at the provincial level: the CPP won 19 of the 24 provinces that comprise the country, putting it ahead in the state government for the coming years. The Commission has not yet announced the date when the official results of the relevant parliamentary seats will be published, but according to experts they should be "in line" with the numbers that have so far emerged in the aftermath of the vote.
Strong political tensions have been mounting in Cambodia. Analysts and local experts fear that the conflict between Prime Minister Hun Sen - fresh from a victory marked by allegations of fraud - and the opposition leader Sam Rainsy - of theCambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) - could escalate into violent protests. Both claim victory in the elections of July 28 last, when the CPP won 68 out of 123 parliamentary seats thus ensuring a majority.
For the opposition (55 seats) the outcome of the vote was fraudulently changed and therefore it is calling for the formation of an independent commission, led by the UN, to promote the third and impartial investigation on the outcome of the polls.
The United States and the European Union have expressed "concerns" about irregularities during the vote. Both have added, however, that investigations of fraud are "the responsibility of the Cambodian authorities."
SHARED FROM ASIA NEWS IT
The ruling party won 19 of the 24 provinces that comprise the country. Final data on parliamentary seats still pending, but it seems likely to confirm the initial results. The opposition calls for UN investigation on the ballot. United States and the EU admit possible fraud, but investigations "up to Phnom Penh."
Phnom Penh (AsiaNews / Agencies) - The Cambodian People's Party (CPP), led by Prime Minister Hun Sen, has won an overwhelming majority at the provincial level in the general elections of 28 July. This is what emerges from the official results released today by the National Electoral Commission (NEC), supporting the government claims of a solid victory in parliamentary seats, while the official results for the Lower House has yet to be announced.
The electoral challenge between the government and opposition is the most serious political crisis that Prime Minister Hun Sen has faced in his 28 years of unchallenged domination of the country. A nation that has recently experienced rapid economic growth thanks to the influence of China, with Beijing among the closest allies of Phnom Penh.
This morning, the NEC released the official data at the provincial level: the CPP won 19 of the 24 provinces that comprise the country, putting it ahead in the state government for the coming years. The Commission has not yet announced the date when the official results of the relevant parliamentary seats will be published, but according to experts they should be "in line" with the numbers that have so far emerged in the aftermath of the vote.
Strong political tensions have been mounting in Cambodia. Analysts and local experts fear that the conflict between Prime Minister Hun Sen - fresh from a victory marked by allegations of fraud - and the opposition leader Sam Rainsy - of theCambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) - could escalate into violent protests. Both claim victory in the elections of July 28 last, when the CPP won 68 out of 123 parliamentary seats thus ensuring a majority.
For the opposition (55 seats) the outcome of the vote was fraudulently changed and therefore it is calling for the formation of an independent commission, led by the UN, to promote the third and impartial investigation on the outcome of the polls.
The United States and the European Union have expressed "concerns" about irregularities during the vote. Both have added, however, that investigations of fraud are "the responsibility of the Cambodian authorities."
SHARED FROM ASIA NEWS IT
18000 CATHOLIC TEENS TO GET CRASH COURSE ON ROAD SAFETY IN AUSTRALIA
Catholic Communications, Sydney Archdiocese,
13 Aug 2013
13 Aug 2013
Realistic reenactment of a car crash drives home the safety message to teens
Students in Years 10, 11 and 12 from seven of the city's Catholic high schools will be among more than 18,000 teenagers set to attend a one day crash course in road safety organised by the trauma staff of Westmead Hospital in a bid to reduce the high number of fatalities and horrific injuries from road accidents involving young people.
Held at the Allphones Arena from 20 to 22 August, more than 4500 students will attend one of the three all day forums on road safety.
This year the annual bstreetsmart all day sessions will feature realistic car crashes, testimonies from survivors of road crashes who have suffered spinal or brain injuries as well as testimonies from the recipient of a transplant whose life was saved as well as presentations from families who lost a beloved son or daughter in a road accident and made the decision to donate their organs so someone else could live.
Organised by the trauma staff of Westmead Hospital with the support of the Balnaves Foundation, bstreetsmart is now in its ninth year. Formerly known as the Youth and Road Trauma Forum, bstreetmart has helped educate more than 90,000 students from Catholic, Independent and public schools across Sydney on their responsibilities as drivers, road safety and road smarts.
The importance of the initiative has been backed up by research conducted by the University of NSW Injury Risk Management Research Centre which showed students who attended an all-day session left with a changed attitude to driving and were more likely to retain road safety messages not just for a few weeks but over an extended duration.
The program is the brainchild of Julie Steggie and Stephanie Wilson, two trauma nurses and trauma coordinators at Westmead Hospital. They came up with the idea in a bid to raise awareness about safety and responsibility on the roads and impress on teenagers the tragic consequences of a car crash not only to themselves but to others.
Senior highschoolers watch as Careflight treats victims of a car crash on the spot
"There is much more to it than whether you live or die in a crash," Stephanie says pointing out that while the result of a crash may not be death it can still change lives forever and leave someone permanently paralysed or with brain damage.
"Young peole between 15 and 30 are disproportionately represented in road trauma statistics and we remain determined to do something about this," says Julie explaining that for too long she and Stephanie were seeing too many deaths and too many young people with brain injuries or confined to wheelchairs as a result of car and motor cycle accidents.
"That's when we came up with the idea of educating as many young people as possible about their responsibilities not only when they are behind the wheel but when they are passengers in a car," she says.
Now Trauma Coordinator for the Western Sydney Local Health District, Stephanie says many of those who attend the all day bstreetmart sessions each year either have their L-plates or have just received their red P plate. But quite a large number have not yet started driving or even applied for the P plates, she says.
"What's important is not whether the students are drivers but that we get them young and instil the importance of careful and sensible driving - and as soon and as strongly as possible," she says.
Prevention through education is key and next week's 18,000 Year 10, 11 and 12 students will not only be given strategies and information about road safety, but will witness a shockingly realistic car crash. The car crash re-enactment purposefully made as real and as confronting as possible to forcefully drive home the importance of road safety.
The crash is then followed by young crash survivors telling their own stories. Among these will be some now confined to wheelchairs as a result of a car crash while others are from the Brain Injury Unit at Westmead Hospital and have suffered a traumatic brain injury either as a pedestrian, passenger or the driver of a car.
"Talking about their experiences serves as a powerful reminder of how trauma can affect anyone, Julie says and adds that some students are affected by the sight of a crash while others are impacted by the injuries and experiences of the survivors.
Crash dummies are part of the all day bstreetsmart forums
"It's never just one thing that resonates with everyone and stays with them once the session is over. It is a combination of the entire day and what they saw and learned," she says.
Many car accidents involving the under 30s are avoidable triggered by speeding, by ignoring the dangers of getting behind the wheel after two or more drinks, by the current high risk fad of drag racing and by what is increasingly being named as a major cause of accidents, talking or texting on a mobile while driving.
"Young people don't believe an accident will ever happen to them and have no understanding that to take your eyes off the road, even for a second, is a recipe for disaster," says Stephanie explaining that the serious danger of texting or talking on a mobile while driving will be one of the main focuses of next week's bstreetsmart forums.
Sydney Catholic schools with students attending the bstreetsmart forums at the Allphones Arena, Homebush on 20,21 and 22 August are Bethlehem College, Ashfield; Casimir Catholic College, Marrickville; De La Salle College, Ashfield; St Scholastica's College, Glebe; Marist Sisters' College Woolwich; Bethany College, Hurstville; St Patrick's College, Kirrawee.
To find out more about bstreetsmart log on to http://www.bstreetsmart.org/
SHARED FROM ARCHDIOCESE OF SYDNEY
TODAY'S MASS ONLINE : TUES. AUG. 13, 2013
Tuesday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 414
Reading 1 DT 31:1-8
When Moses had finished speaking to all Israel, he said to them,
“I am now one hundred and twenty years old
and am no longer able to move about freely;
besides, the LORD has told me that I shall not cross this Jordan.
It is the LORD, your God, who will cross before you;
he will destroy these nations before you,
that you may supplant them.
It is Joshua who will cross before you, as the LORD promised.
The LORD will deal with them just as he dealt with Sihon and Og,
the kings of the Amorites whom he destroyed,
and with their country.
When, therefore, the LORD delivers them up to you,
you must deal with them exactly as I have ordered you.
Be brave and steadfast; have no fear or dread of them,
for it is the LORD, your God, who marches with you;
he will never fail you or forsake you.”
Then Moses summoned Joshua and in the presence of all Israel
said to him, “Be brave and steadfast,
for you must bring this people into the land
which the LORD swore to their fathers he would give them;
you must put them in possession of their heritage.
It is the LORD who marches before you;
he will be with you and will never fail you or forsake you.
So do not fear or be dismayed.”
“I am now one hundred and twenty years old
and am no longer able to move about freely;
besides, the LORD has told me that I shall not cross this Jordan.
It is the LORD, your God, who will cross before you;
he will destroy these nations before you,
that you may supplant them.
It is Joshua who will cross before you, as the LORD promised.
The LORD will deal with them just as he dealt with Sihon and Og,
the kings of the Amorites whom he destroyed,
and with their country.
When, therefore, the LORD delivers them up to you,
you must deal with them exactly as I have ordered you.
Be brave and steadfast; have no fear or dread of them,
for it is the LORD, your God, who marches with you;
he will never fail you or forsake you.”
Then Moses summoned Joshua and in the presence of all Israel
said to him, “Be brave and steadfast,
for you must bring this people into the land
which the LORD swore to their fathers he would give them;
you must put them in possession of their heritage.
It is the LORD who marches before you;
he will be with you and will never fail you or forsake you.
So do not fear or be dismayed.”
Responsorial Psalm DT 32:3-4AB, 7, 8, 9 AND 12
R. (9a) The portion of the Lord is his people.
For I will sing the LORD’s renown.
Oh, proclaim the greatness of our God!
The Rock–how faultless are his deeds,
how right all his ways!
R. The portion of the Lord is his people.
Think back on the days of old,
reflect on the years of age upon age.
Ask your father and he will inform you,
ask your elders and they will tell you.
R. The portion of the Lord is his people.
When the Most High assigned the nations their heritage,
when he parceled out the descendants of Adam,
He set up the boundaries of the peoples
after the number of the sons of Israel.
R. The portion of the Lord is his people.
While the LORD’s own portion was Jacob,
his hereditary share was Israel.
The LORD alone was their leader,
no strange god was with him.
R. The portion of the Lord is his people.
For I will sing the LORD’s renown.
Oh, proclaim the greatness of our God!
The Rock–how faultless are his deeds,
how right all his ways!
R. The portion of the Lord is his people.
Think back on the days of old,
reflect on the years of age upon age.
Ask your father and he will inform you,
ask your elders and they will tell you.
R. The portion of the Lord is his people.
When the Most High assigned the nations their heritage,
when he parceled out the descendants of Adam,
He set up the boundaries of the peoples
after the number of the sons of Israel.
R. The portion of the Lord is his people.
While the LORD’s own portion was Jacob,
his hereditary share was Israel.
The LORD alone was their leader,
no strange god was with him.
R. The portion of the Lord is his people.
Gospel MT 18:1-5, 10, 12-14
The disciples approached Jesus and said,
“Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?”
He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said,
“Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children,
you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven.
Whoever becomes humble like this child
is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.
And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me.
“See that you do not despise one of these little ones,
for I say to you that their angels in heaven
always look upon the face of my heavenly Father.
What is your opinion?
If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray,
will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills
and go in search of the stray?
And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it
than over the ninety-nine that did not stray.
In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father
that one of these little ones be lost.”
“Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?”
He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said,
“Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children,
you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven.
Whoever becomes humble like this child
is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.
And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me.
“See that you do not despise one of these little ones,
for I say to you that their angels in heaven
always look upon the face of my heavenly Father.
What is your opinion?
If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray,
will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills
and go in search of the stray?
And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it
than over the ninety-nine that did not stray.
In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father
that one of these little ones be lost.”
NOVENA TO OUR LADY : OFFICIAL FOR ASSUMPTION FEAST - PLENARY INDULGENCE
OFFICIAL RACCOLTA NOVENA PRAYER WITH INDULGENCE:i. An indulgence of 300 days, daily.
ii. A plenary indulgence to all who shall assist at these Novenas every day, and who shall afterwards, either on the Feast-day itself, to which each Novena respectively has reference, or on some one day in its Octave, after Confession and Communion, pray to our Lord and to the Blessed Virgin ac cording to the pious intention of the Sovereign Pontiff.
Veni Sancte Spiritus, reple tuorum corda fidelium, et tui amoris in eis ignem accende.
V. Emitte Spiritum tuum, et creabuntur.
R. Et renovabis faciem terrae.
Oremus.
Deus, qui corda fidelium Sancti Spiritus illustratione docuisti: da nobis in eodem Spiritu recta sapere, et de ejus semper consolatione gaudere. Per Christum Dominum nostrum. R. Amen.
TRANSLATION.
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Thy faithful, and kindle in them the fire of Thy love.
V. Send forth Thy Spirit, and they shall be created.
R. And Thou shalt renew the face of the earth.
Let us pray.
O God, who hast taught the hearts of Thy faithful people by the light of the Holy Spirit; grant us in the same Spirit to relish what is right, and evermore to rejoice in his holy comfort. Through Christ our Lord. R. Amen.
HYMN.
O gloriosa Virginum,
Sublimis inter sidera,
Qui te creavit, parvulum
Lactente nutris ubere.
Quod Heva tristis abstulit,
Tu reddis almo germine:
Intrent ut astra flebiles,
Coeli recludis cardines.
Tu regis alti janua,
Et aula lucis fulgida:
Vitam datam per Virginem,
Gentes redemptae plaudite.
Jesu, tibi sit gloria,
Qui natus es de Virgine,
Cum Patre, et almo Spiritu
In sempiterna saecula. Amen.
TRANSLATION.
O Queen of all the Virgin choir,
Enthroned above the starry sky;
Who with pure milk from thy own breast
Thy own Creator didst supply.
What man hath lost in hapless Eve,
Thy sacred womb to man restores;
Thou to the sorrowing here beneath
Hast open’d Heaven’s eternal doors.
Hail, O refulgent Hall of light!
Hail, Gate sublime of Heaven’s high King!
Through thee redeem’d to endless life,
Thy praise let all the nations sing.
O Jesu! born of Virgin bright,
Immortal glory be to Thee;
Praise to the Father infinite,
And Holy Ghost eternally.
GLORY OF MARY AFTER DEATH.
In her Assumption into heaven.
Let us meditate how glorious Mary is in heaven, because she is enthroned there as Queen of the universe, and is ever receiving homage and veneration from countless hosts of angels and of saints; and assisting at her royal throne, let us implore her aid:
i. Sovereign Queen of the universe, who for thy incomparable merit art raised to such high glory in the heavens; in thy pity look upon our miseries, and rule us with the gentle sway of thy protection.
Three Ave Marias.
ii. Sovereign Queen of the universe, who art ever receiving the worship and homage from all the heavenly hosts; accept, we pray thee, these our invocations, offered with such reverence as befits thy dignity and greatness.
Three Ave Marias.
iii. Sovereign Queen of the universe; by that glory which thou hast by reason of thy high place in heaven, vouchsafe to take us into the number of thy servants, and obtain for us grace that, with quick and ready will, we may faithfully keep the precepts of our God and Lord.
Three Ave Maria’s.
Let us take part in the joy of the angels praising Mary, and rejoice because we know that she is raised to the dignity of Queen of the universe; while with the seventh choir we sing:
The Litany of Our Lady :
| Lord, have mercy on us. (Christ have mercy on us.) Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us. (Christ graciously hear us.) God, the Father of heaven, (have mercy on us.) God the Son, Redeemer of the world, (have mercy on us.) God the Holy Ghost, (have mercy on us.) Holy Trinity, one God, (have mercy on us.) | |
| Holy Mary, Holy Mother of God, Holy Virgin of virgins, Mother of Christ, Mother of the Church Mother of divine grace, Mother most pure, Mother most chaste, Mother inviolate, Mother undefiled, Mother most amiable, Mother most admirable, Mother of good counsel, Mother of our Creator, Mother of our Savior, Virgin most prudent, Virgin most venerable, Virgin most renouned, Virgin most powerful, Virgin most merciful, Virgin most faithful, Mirror of justice, Seat of wisdom, Cause of our joy, Spiritual vessel, Vessel of honor, Singular vessel of devotion, Mystical rose, Tower of David, Tower of ivory, House of gold, Ark of the covenant, Gate of heaven, Morning star, Health of the sick, Refuge of sinners, Comforter of the afflicted, Help of Christians, Queen of Angels, Queen of Patriarchs, Queen of Prophets, Queen of Apostles, Queen of Martyrs, Queen of Confessors, Queen of Virgins, Queen of all Saints, Queen conceived without original sin, Queen assumed into heaven, Queen of the most holy Rosary. Queen of the family, Queen of Peace, |
p
r a y f o r u s |
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, (spare us, O Lord.)
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, (graciously hear us O Lord.) Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, (have mercy on us.) Pray for us, O holy Mother of God. (That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.) Let us pray. Grant, we beseech Thee, O Lord God, unto us Thy servants, that we may rejoice in continual health of mind and body; and, by the glorious intercession of Blessed Mary ever Virgin, may be delivered from present sadness, and enter into the joy of Thine eternal gladness. Through Christ our Lord. (Amen.) | |
R. Super choros angelorum ad coelestia regna.
Oremus.
Famulorum tuorum, quaesumus Domine, delictis ignosce: ut qui tibi placere de actibus nostris non valemus, Genitricis Filii tui Domini nostri intercessione salvemur.
Oremus.
Deus, qui corda fidelium Sancti Spiritus illustratione docuisti: da nobis in eodem Spiritu recta sapere, et de ejus semper consolatione gaudere. Per Christum Dominum nostrum. R. Amen
TRANSLATION.
V. The holy Mother of God is exalted.
R. Into the heavenly kingdom above the angel choirs.
Let us pray.
We beseech thee, Lord, pardon the shortcomings of Thy servants; that we who by our own works are not able to please Thee, may be saved by the intercession of the Mother of thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ.. Who, & c.
Let us pray.
O God, who hast taught the hearts of Thy faithful people by the light of the Holy Spirit; grant us in the same Spirit to relish what is right, and evermore to rejoice in his holy comfort. Through Christ our Lord. R. AMEN
2013
TODAY'S SAINT: AUG. 13: ST. PONTIAN
St. Pontian
POPE
Feast: August 13
Dates of birth and death unknown. The "Liber Pontificalis" (ed. Duchesne, I, 145) gives Rome as his native city and calls his father Calpurnius. With him begins the brief chronicle of the Roman bishops of the third century, of which the author of the Liberian Catalogue of the popes made use in the fourth century and which gives more exact data for the lives of the popes. According to this account Pontian was made pope 21 July, 230, and reigned until 235. The schism of Hippolytus continued during his episcopate; towards the end of his pontificate there was a reconciliation between the schismatic party and its leader with the Roman bishop. After the condemnation of Origen at Alexandria (231-2), a synod was held at Rome, according to Jerome (Epist. XXXII, iv) and Rufinus (Apol. contra Hieron., II, xx), which concurred in the decisions of the Alexandrian synod against Origen; without doubt this synod was held by Pontian (Hefele, Konziliengeschichte, 2nd ed., I, 106 sq.). In 235 in the reign of Maximinus the Thracian began a persecution directed chiefly against the heads of the Church. One of its first victims was Pontian, who with Hippolytus was banished to the unhealthy island of Sardinia. To make the election of a new pope possible, Pontian resigned 28 Sept., 235, the Liberian Catalogue says "discinctus est". Consequently Anteros was elected in his stead. Shortly before this or soon afterwards Hippolytus, who had been banished with Pontian, became reconciled to the Roman Church, and with this the schism he had caused came to an end. How much longer Pontian endured the sufferings of exile and harsh treatment in the Sardinian mines is unknown. According to old and no longer existing Acts of martyrs, used by the author of the "Liber Pontificalis", he died in consequence of the privations and inhuman treatment he had to bear. Pope Fabian (236-50) had the remains of Pontian and Hippolytus brought to Rome at a later date and Pontian was buried on 13 August in the papal crypt of the Catacomb of Callistus. In 1909 the original epitaph was found in the crypt of St. Cecilia, near the papal crypt. The epitaph, agreeing with the other known epitaphs of the papal crypt, reads: PONTIANOS, EPISK. MARTUR (Pontianus, Bishop, Martyr). The word mártur was added later and is written in ligature [cf. Wilpert, "Die Papstgräber und die Cäciliengruft in der Katakombe des hl. Kalixtus" (Freiburg, 1909), 1 sq., 17 sq., Plate III]. He is placed under 13 Aug. in the list of the "Depositiones martyrum" in the chronographia of 354. TheRoman Martyrology gives his feast on 19 Nov.
St. Pontian
POPE
Feast: August 13
Dates of birth and death unknown. The "Liber Pontificalis" (ed. Duchesne, I, 145) gives Rome as his native city and calls his father Calpurnius. With him begins the brief chronicle of the Roman bishops of the third century, of which the author of the Liberian Catalogue of the popes made use in the fourth century and which gives more exact data for the lives of the popes. According to this account Pontian was made pope 21 July, 230, and reigned until 235. The schism of Hippolytus continued during his episcopate; towards the end of his pontificate there was a reconciliation between the schismatic party and its leader with the Roman bishop. After the condemnation of Origen at Alexandria (231-2), a synod was held at Rome, according to Jerome (Epist. XXXII, iv) and Rufinus (Apol. contra Hieron., II, xx), which concurred in the decisions of the Alexandrian synod against Origen; without doubt this synod was held by Pontian (Hefele, Konziliengeschichte, 2nd ed., I, 106 sq.). In 235 in the reign of Maximinus the Thracian began a persecution directed chiefly against the heads of the Church. One of its first victims was Pontian, who with Hippolytus was banished to the unhealthy island of Sardinia. To make the election of a new pope possible, Pontian resigned 28 Sept., 235, the Liberian Catalogue says "discinctus est". Consequently Anteros was elected in his stead. Shortly before this or soon afterwards Hippolytus, who had been banished with Pontian, became reconciled to the Roman Church, and with this the schism he had caused came to an end. How much longer Pontian endured the sufferings of exile and harsh treatment in the Sardinian mines is unknown. According to old and no longer existing Acts of martyrs, used by the author of the "Liber Pontificalis", he died in consequence of the privations and inhuman treatment he had to bear. Pope Fabian (236-50) had the remains of Pontian and Hippolytus brought to Rome at a later date and Pontian was buried on 13 August in the papal crypt of the Catacomb of Callistus. In 1909 the original epitaph was found in the crypt of St. Cecilia, near the papal crypt. The epitaph, agreeing with the other known epitaphs of the papal crypt, reads: PONTIANOS, EPISK. MARTUR (Pontianus, Bishop, Martyr). The word mártur was added later and is written in ligature [cf. Wilpert, "Die Papstgräber und die Cäciliengruft in der Katakombe des hl. Kalixtus" (Freiburg, 1909), 1 sq., 17 sq., Plate III]. He is placed under 13 Aug. in the list of the "Depositiones martyrum" in the chronographia of 354. TheRoman Martyrology gives his feast on 19 Nov.
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TODAY'S SAINT: AUG. 13: ST. HIPPOLYTUS
Information:
Feast Day:
August 13
Died:
236, Sardinia
Patron of:
horses; prison guards; prison officers; prison workers
Martyr, presbyter and antipope; date of birth unknown; d. about 236. Until the publication in 1851 of the recently discovered "Philosophumena", it was impossible to obtain anydefinite authentic facts concerning Hippolytus of Rome and his life from the conflicting statements about him, as follows:
* St. Jerome likewise describes him as the bishop of an unknown see, gives a longer list of his writings, and says of one of his homilies that he delivered it in the presence of Origen, to whom he made direct reference (De viris illustribus, cap. 1xi).
* The Chronography of 354, in the list of popes, mentions Bishop Pontianus and the presbyter Hippolytus as being banished to the island of Sardinia in the year 235; the Roman Calendar in the same collection records under 13 August the feast of Hippolytus on the Via Tiburtina and Pontianus in the catacomb of Callistus (ed. Mommsen in "Mon. Germ. Hist.: auctores antiquissimi", IX, 72, 74).
* According to the inscription over the grave of Hippolytus composed by Pope Damasus, he was a follower of the Novatian schism while a presbyter, but before his death exhorted his followers to become reconciled with the Catholic Church (Ihm, "Damasi epigrammata", Leipzig, 1895, 42, n.37).
* Prudentius wrote a hymn on the martyr Hippolytus ("Peristephanon", hymn XI, in P.L., LX, 530 sqq.), in which he places the scene of the martyrdom at Ostia or Porto, and describes Hippolytus as being torn to pieces by wild horses, evidently a reminiscence of the ancient Hippolytus, son of Theseus.
* Later Greek authors (e.g. Georgius Syncellus., ed. Bonn, 1829, 674 sqq.; Nicephorus Callistus, "Hist. eccl.", IV, xxxi) do not give much more information than Eusebius and Jerome; some of them call him Bishop of Rome, others Bishop of Porto. According to Photius (Bibliotheca, codex 121), he was a disciple of St. Irenæus. Oriental writers, as well as Pope Gelasius, place the See of Hippolytus at Bostra, the chief city of the Arabs.
* Several later legends of martyrs speak of Hippolytus in various connections. That of St. Laurence refers to him as the officer appointed to guard the blessed deacon, who was converted, together with his entire household, and killed by wild horses (Acta SS., August, III, 13-14; Surius, "De probatis Sanctorum historiis", IV, Cologne, 1573, 581 sqq.). A legend of Porto identifies him with the martyr Nonnus and gives an account of his martyrdom with others of the same city (Acta SS., August, IV, 506; P.G., X, 545-48).
* A monument of importance is the large fragment of a marble statue of the saint discovered in 1551 which underwent restoration (the upper part of the body and the head being new), and is now preserved in theLateran museum; the paschal cycle computed by Hippolytus and a list of his writings are engraved on the sides of the chair on which the figure of Hippolytus is seated; the monument dates from the third century (Kraus, "Realencyklopädie der christlichen Altertumer", 661 sqq.).
* The topographies of the graves of the Roman martyrs place the grave of Hippolytus in the cemetery on the Via Tiburtina named after him, mention the basilica erected there, and give some legendary details concerning him. (De Rossi, "Roma sotterranea", I, 178-79); the burial vault of the sainted confessor was unearthed by De Rossi (Bullettino di archeologia cristiana, 1882, 9-76).
Information:
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Martyr, presbyter and antipope; date of birth unknown; d. about 236. Until the publication in 1851 of the recently discovered "Philosophumena", it was impossible to obtain anydefinite authentic facts concerning Hippolytus of Rome and his life from the conflicting statements about him, as follows:
* Eusebius says that he was bishop of a church somewhere and enumerates several of his writings (Hist. eccl., VI, xx, 22).
* St. Jerome likewise describes him as the bishop of an unknown see, gives a longer list of his writings, and says of one of his homilies that he delivered it in the presence of Origen, to whom he made direct reference (De viris illustribus, cap. 1xi). * The Chronography of 354, in the list of popes, mentions Bishop Pontianus and the presbyter Hippolytus as being banished to the island of Sardinia in the year 235; the Roman Calendar in the same collection records under 13 August the feast of Hippolytus on the Via Tiburtina and Pontianus in the catacomb of Callistus (ed. Mommsen in "Mon. Germ. Hist.: auctores antiquissimi", IX, 72, 74). * According to the inscription over the grave of Hippolytus composed by Pope Damasus, he was a follower of the Novatian schism while a presbyter, but before his death exhorted his followers to become reconciled with the Catholic Church (Ihm, "Damasi epigrammata", Leipzig, 1895, 42, n.37). * Prudentius wrote a hymn on the martyr Hippolytus ("Peristephanon", hymn XI, in P.L., LX, 530 sqq.), in which he places the scene of the martyrdom at Ostia or Porto, and describes Hippolytus as being torn to pieces by wild horses, evidently a reminiscence of the ancient Hippolytus, son of Theseus. * Later Greek authors (e.g. Georgius Syncellus., ed. Bonn, 1829, 674 sqq.; Nicephorus Callistus, "Hist. eccl.", IV, xxxi) do not give much more information than Eusebius and Jerome; some of them call him Bishop of Rome, others Bishop of Porto. According to Photius (Bibliotheca, codex 121), he was a disciple of St. Irenæus. Oriental writers, as well as Pope Gelasius, place the See of Hippolytus at Bostra, the chief city of the Arabs. * Several later legends of martyrs speak of Hippolytus in various connections. That of St. Laurence refers to him as the officer appointed to guard the blessed deacon, who was converted, together with his entire household, and killed by wild horses (Acta SS., August, III, 13-14; Surius, "De probatis Sanctorum historiis", IV, Cologne, 1573, 581 sqq.). A legend of Porto identifies him with the martyr Nonnus and gives an account of his martyrdom with others of the same city (Acta SS., August, IV, 506; P.G., X, 545-48). * A monument of importance is the large fragment of a marble statue of the saint discovered in 1551 which underwent restoration (the upper part of the body and the head being new), and is now preserved in theLateran museum; the paschal cycle computed by Hippolytus and a list of his writings are engraved on the sides of the chair on which the figure of Hippolytus is seated; the monument dates from the third century (Kraus, "Realencyklopädie der christlichen Altertumer", 661 sqq.). * The topographies of the graves of the Roman martyrs place the grave of Hippolytus in the cemetery on the Via Tiburtina named after him, mention the basilica erected there, and give some legendary details concerning him. (De Rossi, "Roma sotterranea", I, 178-79); the burial vault of the sainted confessor was unearthed by De Rossi (Bullettino di archeologia cristiana, 1882, 9-76).
The discovery of the "Philosophumean" has now made it possible to clear up the most important period of the life of St. Hippolytus through his own evidence, and at the same time to test and correct the conflicting accounts contained in the old authorities. We proceed on the assumption that Hippolytus was really the author of the aforesaid work, an hypothesis almost universally accepted by investigators today.
Hippolytus was a presbyter of the Church of Rome at the beginning of the third century. There is no difficulty in admitting that he could have been a disciple of St. Irenæus either in Rome or Lyons. It is equally possible that Origen heard a homily by Hippolytus when he went to Rome about the year 212. In the reigh of Pope Zephyrinus (198-217) he came into conflict with that pontiff and with the majority of the Church of Rome, primarily on account of the christological opinions which for some time had been causing controversies in Rome. Hippolytus had combated the heresy of Theodotion and the Alogi; in like fashion he opposed the false doctrines of Noetus, of Epigonus, of Cleomenes, and of Sabellius, who emphasized the unity of God too one-sidedly (Monarchians) and saw in the concepts of the Father and the Son merely manifestations (modi) of the Divine Nature (Modalism, Sabellianism). Hippolytus, on the contrary, stood uncompromisingly for a real difference between the Son (Logos) and the Father, but so as to represent the Former as a Divine Person almost completely separate from God (Ditheism) and at the same time altogether subordinate to the Father (Subordinationism). As the heresy in the doctrine of the Modalists was not at first clearly apparent, Pope Zephyrinus declined to give a decision. For this Hippolytus gravely censured him, representing him as an incompetent man, unworthy to rule the Church of Rome and as a tool in the hands of the ambitious and intriguing deacon Callistus, whose early life is maliciously depicted (Philosophumena, IX, xi-xii). Consequently when Callistus was elected pope (217-218) on the death of Zephyrinus, Hippolytus immediately left the communion of the Roman Church and had himself elected antipope by his small band of followers. These he calls the Catholic Church and himself successor to the Apostles, terming the great majority of Roman Christians the School of Callistus. He accuses Callistus of having fallen first into the heresy of Theodotus, then into that of Sabellius; also of having through avarice degraded ecclesiastical, and especially the penitential, discipline to a disgraceful laxity. These reproaches were altogether unjustified. Hippolytus himself advocated an excessive rigorism. He continued in opposition as antipope throughout the reigns of the two immediate successors of Callistus, Urban (222 or 223 to 230) and Pontius (230-35), and during this period, probably during the pontificate of Pontianus, he wrote the "Philosophumena". He was banished to the unhealthful island (insula nociva) of Sardinia at the same time as Pontianus; and shortly before this, or soon afterward, he became reconciled with the legitimate bishop and the Church of Rome. For, after both exiles had died on the island of Sardinia, their mortal remains were brought back to Rome on the same day, 13 August (either 236 or one of the following years), and solemnly interred, Pontianus in the papal vault in the catacomb of Callistus and Hippolytus in a spot on the Via Tiburtina. Both were equally revered as martyrs by the Roman Church: certain proof that Hippolytus had made his peace with that Church before his death. With his death the schism must have come to a speedy end, which accounts for its identification with the Novatian schism at the end of the fourth century, as we learn from the inscription by Damasus.
The fact that Hippolytus was a schismatic Bishop of Rome and yet was held in high honour afterwards both as martyr and theologian, explains why as early as the fourth century nothing was known as to his see, for he was not on the list of the Roman bishops. The theory championed by Lightfoot (see below), that he was actually Bishop of Porto but with his official residence in Rome, is untenable.
This statement, made by a few authorities, results from a confusion with a martyr of Porto, due perhaps to a legendary account of his martyrdom. Moreover De Rossi's hypothesis, based on the inscription by Damasus, that Hippolytus returned from exile, and subsequently became an adherent of Novatian, his reconciliation with the Roman Church not being effected until just before his martyrdom under the Emperor Valerian (253-60), is incompatible with the supposition that he is the author of the "Philosophumena." The feast of St. Hippolytus is kept on 13 August, a date assigned in accordance with the legend of St. Laurence; that of Hippolytus of Porto is celebrated on 22 August.
Hippolytus was the most important theologian and the most prolific religious writer of the Roman Church in the pre-Constantinian era. Nevertheless the fate of his copious literary remains has been unfortunate. Most of his works have been lost or are known only through scattered fragments, while much has survived only in old translations into Oriental and Slavic languages; other writings are freely interpolated. The fact that the author wrote in Greek made it inevitable that later, when that language was no longer understood in Rome, the Romans lost interest in his writings, while in the East they were read long after and made the author famous. His works deal with several branches of theology, as appears from the aforementioned list on the statue, from Eusebius, St. Jerome, and from Oriental authors. His exegetical treatises were numerous: he wrote commentaries on several books of the Old and New Testaments. Most of these are extant only in fragments. The commentary on the Canticle of Canticles, however, has probably been preserved in its entirety ("Werke des Hippolytus", ed. Bonwetsch, 1897, 343 sqq.); likewise the fullest extant commentary on the Book of Daniel in 4 books (ibid., 2 sqq.). Eight of his works, known by their titles, dealt with dogmatic and apologetic subjects, but only one has come down entire in the original Greek. This is the work on Christ and Antichrist ("De Antichristo", ed. Achelis, op. cit., I, II, 1 sqq.); fragments of a few others have been preserved. Of his polemics against heretics the most important is the "Philosophumena", the original title of which is kata pason aireseon elegchos (A Refutation of All Heresies). The first book had long been known; books IV to X, which had been discovered a short time previously, were published in 1851. But the first chapters of the fourth and the whole of the second and third books are still missing. The first four books treat of the Hellenic philosophers; books V to IX are taken up with the exposition and refutation of Christian heresies, and the last book contains a recapitulation. The work is one of the most important sources for the history of the heresies which disturbed the early Church. Origen is cited in some manuscripts as the author of the first book. Photius attributes it to the Roman author Caius, while by others it has been ascribed also to Tertullian and Novatian. But most modern scholars hold for weighty reasons that Hippolytus is undoubtedly its author. A shorter treatise agains heresies (Syntagma), and written by Hippolytus at an earlier date, may be restored in outline from later adaptations (Libellus adversus omnes haereses; Epiphanius, "Panarion"; Philastrius, "De haeresibus"). He wrote a third antiheretical work which was universal in character, called the "Small Labyrinth". Besides these Hippolytus wrote special monographs against Marcion, the Montanists, the Alogi, and Caius. Of these writings only a few fragments are extant. Hippolytus also produced an Easter cycle, as well as a chronicle of the world which was made use of by later chroniclers. And finally St. Jerome mentions a work by him on Church laws. Three treatises on canon law have been preserved under the name of Hippolytus: the "Constitutiones per Hippolytum" (which are parallel with the eighth book of the Apostolic Constitutions), the Egyptian Church Ordinance, in Coptic, and the "Canones Hippolyti". Of these works the first two are spurious beyond doubt, and the last, the authenticity of which was upheld even by Achelis (Die Canones Hippolyti, Leipzig, 1891), belongs in all probability to the fifth or sixth century.
The works of Hippolytus have been edited by Fabricius, "S. Hippolyti episcopi et mart. opera" (2 vols., Hamburg, 1716-18); by Gallandi in "Bibliotheca veterum patrum", II, 1766; in Migne, P.G., X; by Lagarde (Leipzig and London, 1858); and by Bonwetsch and Achelis, "Hippolytus" I, pts. I and II (Leipzig, 1897), in "Die gr. chr. Schriftsteller", a series published by the Berlin Academy. The "Philosophumena" was edited by Miller, as the work of Origen (Oxford, 1851); by Duncker and Schneidewin as the work of Hippolytus (Göttingen, 1859), and in P.G., XVI. The "Canones Hippolyti" were edited by Haneberg (Munich, 1870); by Achelis, "Die altesten Quellen des orientalischen Kirchenrechts:, I, in "Texte und Untersuchungen", VI (Leipzig, 1891), 4.
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2013
TODAY'S SAINT: AUG. 13: ST. JOHN BERCHMANS - PATRON OF ALTAR BOYS
 Information:
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ST. JOHN BERCHMANS : PATRON OF ALTAR BOYS
In 1615, the Jesuits opened a college at Malines, and St. John Berchmans was one of the first to enter. He was an energetic student and was a leader among the students. In 1616, he entered the Jesuit novitiate at Malines and came under the influence of Father Antoine Sucquet. The young Berchmans developed a strong and deep spirituality based on the loving practice of fidelity. St. Aloysius of Gonzaga was his spiritual model, and he was influenced as well by the example of the Jesuit English martyrs.
It was his realistic appreciation for the value of ordinary things, a characteristic of the Flemish mystical tradition, that constituted his holiness. He was affable, kind, and endowed with an outgoing personality that endeared him to everyone. In 1618, he was sent to Rome to study philosophy and was an exceptional student. He requested after ordination to become a chaplain in the army, hoping to be martyred on the battlefield.
In the summer of 1619, the intense heat of Rome started to affect his health and he began progressively to get weaker. The doctors could not determine what was wrong, and for two years he was continually sick, requiring medical care, and as the summer of 1621 came, it was clear that he would not last long. He died peacefully on August 13, 1621, and numerous miracles were attributed to him at the time of his funeral.
He was beatified by Pope Pius IX in 1865 and canonized by Pope Leo XIII in 1888. His body lies in the church of St. Ignatius in Rome, where Aloysius of Gonzaga is also buried.
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