VATICAN : POPE : "I AM NOT ABANDONING THE CHURCH" - FULL TEXT AND VIDEO
Vatican Radio REPORT - “Dear brothers and sisters…The Lord is calling me to "climb the mountain", to devote myself even more to prayer and meditation. But this does not mean abandoning the Church, indeed, if God is asking me to do this, it is so I can continue to serve the Church with the same dedication and the same love with which I have done thus far, but in a way that is better suited to my age and my strength”. "We will always be close in prayer!".
This was Pope Benedict XVI’s parting message on Sunday, during his last Angelus address. At noon the canons sounded from the Janiculum hill and the great bells of St Peter’s basilica rang out. And as the curtains were drawn from his study windows and the red papal banner unfurled, the ocean of pilgrims waiting below erupted.
They had come in their thousands, pouring into the square since early dawn, men, women and children, old and young, religious and lay Catholics. They held banners, emblazoned with messages of gratitude and farewell for the 85 year old Pope, who had guided them in the faith over the past eight years.
Pilgrims such as a father and his young son from the earthquake devastated city of Aquilla, central Italy, who held aloft a homemade sign, thanking Pope Benedict for having visited the city’s people in their time of need, for his material support and spiritual solidarity. Or the Dominican nuns from the Philippines who had held vigil since dawn praying the rosary. And beside them the young people in their sleeping bags, from Spain, Brazil, Mexico with their banner that read “the gates of hell will never prevail”.
With outstretched arms and visibly moved, Pope Benedict greeted them all, repeating ‘grazie, grazie,’ as he attempted to quieten the crowds. An almost impossible task.
Then, as is tradition, he reflected on the Sunday Gospel, Luke chapter 9, which recounts the Transfiguration of the Lord.
Below a Vatican Radio translation of the Holy Father’s Angelus address:
Dear brothers and sisters!
On the second Sunday of Lent, the liturgy always presents us with the Gospel of the Transfiguration of the Lord. The evangelist Luke places particular emphasis on the fact that Jesus was transfigured as he prayed: his is a profound experience of relationship with the Father during a sort of spiritual retreat that Jesus lives on a high mountain in the company of Peter, James and John , the three disciples always present in moments of divine manifestation of the Master (Luke 5:10, 8.51, 9.28).
The Lord, who shortly before had foretold his death and resurrection (9:22), offers his disciples a foretaste of his glory. And even in the Transfiguration, as in baptism, we hear the voice of the Heavenly Father, "This is my Son, the Chosen One listen to him" (9:35). The presence of Moses and Elijah, representing the Law and the Prophets of the Old Covenant, it is highly significant: the whole history of the Alliance is focused on Him, the Christ, who accomplishes a new "exodus" (9:31) , not to the promised land as in the time of Moses, but to Heaven. Peter’s words: "Master, it is good that we are here" (9.33) represents the impossible attempt to stop this mystical experience. St. Augustine says: "[Peter] ... on the mountain ... had Christ as the food of the soul. Why should he come down to return to the labours and pains, while up there he was full of feelings of holy love for God that inspired in him a holy conduct? "(Sermon 78.3).
We can draw a very important lesson from meditating on this passage of the Gospel. First, the primacy of prayer, without which all the work of the apostolate and of charity is reduced to activism. In Lent we learn to give proper time to prayer, both personal and communal, which gives breath to our spiritual life. In addition, to pray is not to isolate oneself from the world and its contradictions, as Peter wanted on Tabor, instead prayer leads us back to the path, to action. "The Christian life - I wrote in my Message for Lent - consists in continuously scaling the mountain to meet God and then coming back down, bearing the love and strength drawn from him, so as to serve our brothers and sisters with God’s own love "(n. 3).
Dear brothers and sisters, I feel that this Word of God is particularly directed at me, at this point in my life. The Lord is calling me to "climb the mountain", to devote myself even more to prayer and meditation. But this does not mean abandoning the Church, indeed, if God is asking me to do this it is so that I can continue to serve the Church with the same dedication and the same love with which I have done thus far, but in a way that is better suited to my age and my strength. Let us invoke the intercession of the Virgin Mary: may she always help us all to follow the Lord Jesus in prayer and works of charity.
I offer a warm greeting to all the English-speaking visitors present for this Angelus prayer, especially the Schola Cantorum of the London Oratory School. I thank everyone for the many expressions of gratitude, affection and closeness in prayer which I have received in these days. As we continue our Lenten journey towards Easter, may we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus the Redeemer, whose glory was revealed on the mount of the Transfiguration. Upon all of you I invoke God’s abundant blessings!
SHARED FROM RADIO VATICANA
This was Pope Benedict XVI’s parting message on Sunday, during his last Angelus address. At noon the canons sounded from the Janiculum hill and the great bells of St Peter’s basilica rang out. And as the curtains were drawn from his study windows and the red papal banner unfurled, the ocean of pilgrims waiting below erupted.
They had come in their thousands, pouring into the square since early dawn, men, women and children, old and young, religious and lay Catholics. They held banners, emblazoned with messages of gratitude and farewell for the 85 year old Pope, who had guided them in the faith over the past eight years.
Pilgrims such as a father and his young son from the earthquake devastated city of Aquilla, central Italy, who held aloft a homemade sign, thanking Pope Benedict for having visited the city’s people in their time of need, for his material support and spiritual solidarity. Or the Dominican nuns from the Philippines who had held vigil since dawn praying the rosary. And beside them the young people in their sleeping bags, from Spain, Brazil, Mexico with their banner that read “the gates of hell will never prevail”.
With outstretched arms and visibly moved, Pope Benedict greeted them all, repeating ‘grazie, grazie,’ as he attempted to quieten the crowds. An almost impossible task.
Then, as is tradition, he reflected on the Sunday Gospel, Luke chapter 9, which recounts the Transfiguration of the Lord.
Below a Vatican Radio translation of the Holy Father’s Angelus address:
Dear brothers and sisters!
On the second Sunday of Lent, the liturgy always presents us with the Gospel of the Transfiguration of the Lord. The evangelist Luke places particular emphasis on the fact that Jesus was transfigured as he prayed: his is a profound experience of relationship with the Father during a sort of spiritual retreat that Jesus lives on a high mountain in the company of Peter, James and John , the three disciples always present in moments of divine manifestation of the Master (Luke 5:10, 8.51, 9.28).
The Lord, who shortly before had foretold his death and resurrection (9:22), offers his disciples a foretaste of his glory. And even in the Transfiguration, as in baptism, we hear the voice of the Heavenly Father, "This is my Son, the Chosen One listen to him" (9:35). The presence of Moses and Elijah, representing the Law and the Prophets of the Old Covenant, it is highly significant: the whole history of the Alliance is focused on Him, the Christ, who accomplishes a new "exodus" (9:31) , not to the promised land as in the time of Moses, but to Heaven. Peter’s words: "Master, it is good that we are here" (9.33) represents the impossible attempt to stop this mystical experience. St. Augustine says: "[Peter] ... on the mountain ... had Christ as the food of the soul. Why should he come down to return to the labours and pains, while up there he was full of feelings of holy love for God that inspired in him a holy conduct? "(Sermon 78.3).
We can draw a very important lesson from meditating on this passage of the Gospel. First, the primacy of prayer, without which all the work of the apostolate and of charity is reduced to activism. In Lent we learn to give proper time to prayer, both personal and communal, which gives breath to our spiritual life. In addition, to pray is not to isolate oneself from the world and its contradictions, as Peter wanted on Tabor, instead prayer leads us back to the path, to action. "The Christian life - I wrote in my Message for Lent - consists in continuously scaling the mountain to meet God and then coming back down, bearing the love and strength drawn from him, so as to serve our brothers and sisters with God’s own love "(n. 3).
Dear brothers and sisters, I feel that this Word of God is particularly directed at me, at this point in my life. The Lord is calling me to "climb the mountain", to devote myself even more to prayer and meditation. But this does not mean abandoning the Church, indeed, if God is asking me to do this it is so that I can continue to serve the Church with the same dedication and the same love with which I have done thus far, but in a way that is better suited to my age and my strength. Let us invoke the intercession of the Virgin Mary: may she always help us all to follow the Lord Jesus in prayer and works of charity.
I offer a warm greeting to all the English-speaking visitors present for this Angelus prayer, especially the Schola Cantorum of the London Oratory School. I thank everyone for the many expressions of gratitude, affection and closeness in prayer which I have received in these days. As we continue our Lenten journey towards Easter, may we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus the Redeemer, whose glory was revealed on the mount of the Transfiguration. Upon all of you I invoke God’s abundant blessings!
SHARED FROM RADIO VATICANA
NOVENA FOR POPE BENEDICT XVI AND ELECTION OF A NEW POPE - SHARE
Share - Novena Prayers for Pope Benedict and the Election of a New Pontiff
Heavenly father, Your Providence guides the Church and the successor to St. Peter, Pope Benedict XVI. May he be protected at all times from spiritual attacks so that he may lead Your Church to greater holiness and unity through your Holy Spirit.
We invoke our Mother Mary, united in prayer with the disciples in the Upper Room, to intercede for our cardinals to select the next Holy Father in docility to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, her divine Spouse. With Mary, Mother of God and of the Church, we entrust this conclave to your maternal and Immaculate Heart, and offer these prayers for your guidance and protection over the choosing of the next Vicar of your Son. (Section from Dr. Miravelli)
Prayer for the Pope:
Let us pray for Benedict, the pope.
May the Lord preserve him,
give him a long life,
make him blessed upon the earth,
and not hand him over
to the power of his enemies.
May your hand be upon your holy servant.
And upon your son, whom you have anointed.
Prayer of St. Benedict
Gracious and holy Father,
please give to our Pope, his successor and
to we the faithful:
intellect to understand you;
reason to discern you;
diligence to seek you;
wisdom to find you;
a spirit to know you;
a heart to meditate upon you;
ears to hear you;
eyes to see you;
a tongue to proclaim you;
a way of life pleasing to you;
patience to wait for you;
and perseverance to look for you.
Grant your servant the
Pope, his successor and we the faithful:
a perfect end,
your holy presence.
A blessed resurrection,
And life everlasting.
Our Father...
Hail Mary...
Glory Be...
Amen.
AMERICA : BISHOPS RELEASE FREE GUIDE TO POPE'S ELECTION - LINK
USCCB RELEASE
Catholic dioceses, parishes and schools have permission to download and reproduce these materials for free distribution. Click on the PDF links to download. Printed copies of all of these resources may also be purchased from USCCB. Click on the "order" links for more information.
Prayer for Pope Benedict XVI
O God, true shepherd of all the faithful,
look with kindness on your servant Pope Benedict XVI,
whom you set as head and shepherd of Your Church.
We give you thanks for your grace at work in him
as he had led us by word and example:
in his teaching, in his prayer and in his great love.
Grant him your strength in frailty, comfort in sorrow,
and serenity amid the trials of this world;
and guide your Church, built on the rock of Peter,
with the power of your Spirit as we continue on the path that leads to you.
Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
English Version
Spanish Version
PDF ι Order PDFι Order
Prayer for the Election of a New Pope
O God, eternal shepherd, who govern your flock with unfailing care,
grant in your boundless fatherly love a pastor for your Church
who will please you by his holiness and to us show watchful care.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
English Version
Spanish Version
PDF ι Order PDF ι Order
Bulletin Insert: How a New Pope is Chosen (2-sided)
Download the PDF to read the text.
NOVENA FOR POPE BENEDICT XVI AND ELECTION OF A NEW POPE - SHARE
Heavenly father, Your Providence guides the Church and the successor to St. Peter, Pope Benedict XVI. May he be protected at all times from spiritual attacks so that he may lead Your Church to greater holiness and unity through your Holy Spirit.
We invoke our Mother Mary, united in prayer with the disciples in the Upper Room, to intercede for our cardinals to select the next Holy Father in docility to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, her divine Spouse. With Mary, Mother of God and of the Church, we entrust this conclave to your maternal and Immaculate Heart, and offer these prayers for your guidance and protection over the choosing of the next Vicar of your Son. (Section from Dr. Miravelli)
We invoke our Mother Mary, united in prayer with the disciples in the Upper Room, to intercede for our cardinals to select the next Holy Father in docility to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, her divine Spouse. With Mary, Mother of God and of the Church, we entrust this conclave to your maternal and Immaculate Heart, and offer these prayers for your guidance and protection over the choosing of the next Vicar of your Son. (Section from Dr. Miravelli)
Prayer for the Pope:
Let us pray for Benedict, the pope.
May the Lord preserve him,
give him a long life,
make him blessed upon the earth,
and not hand him over
to the power of his enemies.
May your hand be upon your holy servant.
And upon your son, whom you have anointed.
Prayer of St. Benedict
Gracious and holy Father,
please give to our Pope, his successor and
to we the faithful:
intellect to understand you;
reason to discern you;
diligence to seek you;
wisdom to find you;
a spirit to know you;
a heart to meditate upon you;
ears to hear you;
eyes to see you;
a tongue to proclaim you;
a way of life pleasing to you;
patience to wait for you;
and perseverance to look for you.
Grant your servant the
Pope, his successor and we the faithful:
a perfect end,
your holy presence.
A blessed resurrection,
And life everlasting.
Our Father...
Hail Mary...
Glory Be...
Amen.
AMERICA : BISHOPS RELEASE FREE GUIDE TO POPE'S ELECTION - LINK
USCCB RELEASE
Catholic dioceses, parishes and schools have permission to download and reproduce these materials for free distribution. Click on the PDF links to download. Printed copies of all of these resources may also be purchased from USCCB. Click on the "order" links for more information.
Prayer for Pope Benedict XVI
O God, true shepherd of all the faithful,
look with kindness on your servant Pope Benedict XVI,
whom you set as head and shepherd of Your Church.
look with kindness on your servant Pope Benedict XVI,
whom you set as head and shepherd of Your Church.
We give you thanks for your grace at work in him
as he had led us by word and example:
in his teaching, in his prayer and in his great love.
as he had led us by word and example:
in his teaching, in his prayer and in his great love.
Grant him your strength in frailty, comfort in sorrow,
and serenity amid the trials of this world;
and guide your Church, built on the rock of Peter,
with the power of your Spirit as we continue on the path that leads to you.
Through Christ our Lord.
and serenity amid the trials of this world;
and guide your Church, built on the rock of Peter,
with the power of your Spirit as we continue on the path that leads to you.
Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
English Version | Spanish Version |
| | |
| PDF ι Order | PDFι Order |
Prayer for the Election of a New Pope
O God, eternal shepherd, who govern your flock with unfailing care,
grant in your boundless fatherly love a pastor for your Church
who will please you by his holiness and to us show watchful care.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
grant in your boundless fatherly love a pastor for your Church
who will please you by his holiness and to us show watchful care.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
English Version | Spanish Version | ||
| | | ||
| PDF ι Order | PDF ι Order |
Bulletin Insert: How a New Pope is Chosen (2-sided)
Download the PDF to read the text.
AUSTRALIA : JESUIT IN THE ANTARCTIC - FAITH ON A FROZEN CONTINENT
ARCHDIOCESE OF MELBOURNE RELEASE
Antarctic Jesuit
Kairos Volume 24, Issue 2
Words Fr Michael Smith SJ
Pictures Anna Pearson and Fr Michael Smith SJ
I HAVE a ‘bucket list’ of things that I want to do before I die, and one of those was to visit to the South Pole.
I doubted I would ever tick off that item until I heard about the Antarctic Chaplaincy Program coordinated by Fr Dan Doyle of Christchurch Diocese in New Zealand. I emailed him to see if there was a possibility of my being a chaplain at McMurdo Station, the US research centre on the shore of McMurdo Sound in Antarctica. He informed me that a space was available in December 2012. I could go if I passed the medical.
Because Antarctica is so remote and medical facilities are limited, if you want to travel there you must undergo extensive medical and dental checks beforehand. I passed the tests and on 6 December 2012, flew to Antarctica from Christchurch.
I had researched Antarctica before I went, but nothing prepared me for the physical vastness and the beauty I encountered when I stepped out of the aircraft onto the ice runway. Psalm 8 expresses well the sense of being on the frozen continent:
When I look at your heavens, the work of your hands, the moon and the stars that you have established—what are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them?
In the Spiritual Exercises, St Ignatius of Loyola suggests that we consider how God works and labours for us in all things created on the face of the earth. In Antarctica, it is not hard to see God at work in the beauty of creation—in the mountain ranges, in the ice sheet, in the limitless blue sky, in the vastness of the continent, in the seals, in the penguins.
The aspect of life at McMurdo that will stay with me is the relationships. With about 1000 people at the station, and with
us all eating together in the galley, a strong sense of community grew. I found the conversations over meals and the friendships that were forged very life-giving. These conversations often turned to things of God and discussing the meaning of life was an important part of my role. I talked with all sorts of people, always trying to give them the time they needed to express themselves.
The pace of life in Antarctica is quite leisurely, so I had time to pray for an hour each morning in a prayer space in the Chapel of the Snows, which looks out over the Ross Ice Shelf towards Mount Discovery. It was very peaceful and unhurried. I had few of the deadlines or worries that normally crowd in on my prayer time in Melbourne. The silence of Antarctica was immense and very conducive to prayer.
Yet McMurdo Station is surprisingly noisy at times. It is the base for all the scientific research done by the United States Antarctic Program. There are about 100 buildings, including laboratories, offices, a small hospital, a fire station, dormitories, a galley, a power plant, fuel dumps, storage sheds, a flight control centre, and a chapel. McMurdo has everything needed to run a small town that supports the work of about 200 scientists. There is a multiplicity of vehicles—graders, front-end loaders, buses, vans, tracked vehicles, helicopters and so on—all designed for the icy conditions. So, when these machines are operating, McMurdo can be very noisy.
Fortunately, there were wonderfully quiet walks near McMurdo, and most days I would get out of the township and walk through the frozen but beautiful landscape. My favourite walk was up to Our Lady of the Snows—a memorial to Petty Officer Richard Williams. He was bringing in supplies from a ship 30 miles out from McMurdo Station on 6 January 1956 when his 30-ton tractor broke through the sea ice and plunged 350 fathoms to the bottom of McMurdo Sound. His body was never recovered. It is a poignant reminder of how dangerous Antarctica can be.
My fixed pastoral duties in a typical day included morning prayer at 8.30am in the Chapel of the Snows, and Mass at 5.45pm. The rest of the time I walked around the station and talked with people in the galley, visited their workplaces, and was available for spiritual conversation.
I said Mass on Christmas Eve and, because there is no night at all during December in Antarctica, midnight Mass was in full sunlight.
The most memorable thing I did was to visit the South Pole. On Monday 10 December, we flew for almost three hours to Amundsen-Scott Station at the South Pole. The weather at the Pole was clear and very cold: minus 36.5 degrees centigrade with the wind-chill factor. Because the South Pole is so high— 2835 metres—the first thing you notice when you get off the plane and walk towards the station is how hard it is to breathe in the rarefied atmosphere.
After lunch at Amundsen-Scott Station, I put on my extreme cold-weather clothing and walked over to the magnetic South Pole. At this point on the earth, everywhere is north. At this place I found myself moved to pray for peace on earth.
On my return to Christchurch, Fr Doyle asked if I would like to go back to McMurdo as Catholic Chaplain in a couple of year’s time.
I am very much open to it.
Read more about Fr Michael’s experience in Antarctica at: antarcticjesuit.com
Fr Michael Smith SJ is Director of the Campion Centre of Ignatian Spirituality in Kew.
Details: www.campion.asn.au
Words Fr Michael Smith SJPictures Anna Pearson and Fr Michael Smith SJ
I HAVE a ‘bucket list’ of things that I want to do before I die, and one of those was to visit to the South Pole.
I doubted I would ever tick off that item until I heard about the Antarctic Chaplaincy Program coordinated by Fr Dan Doyle of Christchurch Diocese in New Zealand. I emailed him to see if there was a possibility of my being a chaplain at McMurdo Station, the US research centre on the shore of McMurdo Sound in Antarctica. He informed me that a space was available in December 2012. I could go if I passed the medical.
Because Antarctica is so remote and medical facilities are limited, if you want to travel there you must undergo extensive medical and dental checks beforehand. I passed the tests and on 6 December 2012, flew to Antarctica from Christchurch.
I had researched Antarctica before I went, but nothing prepared me for the physical vastness and the beauty I encountered when I stepped out of the aircraft onto the ice runway. Psalm 8 expresses well the sense of being on the frozen continent:
When I look at your heavens, the work of your hands, the moon and the stars that you have established—what are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them?
In the Spiritual Exercises, St Ignatius of Loyola suggests that we consider how God works and labours for us in all things created on the face of the earth. In Antarctica, it is not hard to see God at work in the beauty of creation—in the mountain ranges, in the ice sheet, in the limitless blue sky, in the vastness of the continent, in the seals, in the penguins.
The aspect of life at McMurdo that will stay with me is the relationships. With about 1000 people at the station, and with
us all eating together in the galley, a strong sense of community grew. I found the conversations over meals and the friendships that were forged very life-giving. These conversations often turned to things of God and discussing the meaning of life was an important part of my role. I talked with all sorts of people, always trying to give them the time they needed to express themselves.The pace of life in Antarctica is quite leisurely, so I had time to pray for an hour each morning in a prayer space in the Chapel of the Snows, which looks out over the Ross Ice Shelf towards Mount Discovery. It was very peaceful and unhurried. I had few of the deadlines or worries that normally crowd in on my prayer time in Melbourne. The silence of Antarctica was immense and very conducive to prayer.
Yet McMurdo Station is surprisingly noisy at times. It is the base for all the scientific research done by the United States Antarctic Program. There are about 100 buildings, including laboratories, offices, a small hospital, a fire station, dormitories, a galley, a power plant, fuel dumps, storage sheds, a flight control centre, and a chapel. McMurdo has everything needed to run a small town that supports the work of about 200 scientists. There is a multiplicity of vehicles—graders, front-end loaders, buses, vans, tracked vehicles, helicopters and so on—all designed for the icy conditions. So, when these machines are operating, McMurdo can be very noisy.
Fortunately, there were wonderfully quiet walks near McMurdo, and most days I would get out of the township and walk through the frozen but beautiful landscape. My favourite walk was up to Our Lady of the Snows—a memorial to Petty Officer Richard Williams. He was bringing in supplies from a ship 30 miles out from McMurdo Station on 6 January 1956 when his 30-ton tractor broke through the sea ice and plunged 350 fathoms to the bottom of McMurdo Sound. His body was never recovered. It is a poignant reminder of how dangerous Antarctica can be.
My fixed pastoral duties in a typical day included morning prayer at 8.30am in the Chapel of the Snows, and Mass at 5.45pm. The rest of the time I walked around the station and talked with people in the galley, visited their workplaces, and was available for spiritual conversation.
I said Mass on Christmas Eve and, because there is no night at all during December in Antarctica, midnight Mass was in full sunlight.
The most memorable thing I did was to visit the South Pole. On Monday 10 December, we flew for almost three hours to Amundsen-Scott Station at the South Pole. The weather at the Pole was clear and very cold: minus 36.5 degrees centigrade with the wind-chill factor. Because the South Pole is so high— 2835 metres—the first thing you notice when you get off the plane and walk towards the station is how hard it is to breathe in the rarefied atmosphere.
After lunch at Amundsen-Scott Station, I put on my extreme cold-weather clothing and walked over to the magnetic South Pole. At this point on the earth, everywhere is north. At this place I found myself moved to pray for peace on earth.
On my return to Christchurch, Fr Doyle asked if I would like to go back to McMurdo as Catholic Chaplain in a couple of year’s time.
I am very much open to it.
Read more about Fr Michael’s experience in Antarctica at: antarcticjesuit.com
Fr Michael Smith SJ is Director of the Campion Centre of Ignatian Spirituality in Kew.
Details: www.campion.asn.au
SHARED FROM ARCHDIOCESE OF MELBOURNE
ASIA : CHINA : RIP BISHOP JOSEPH MA XUESHENG
Agenzia Fides REPORT– Bishop Joseph Ma Xuesheng, bishop of the diocese of Zhoucun (Chowtsun), in Shandong (mainland China) died on February 8 at the age of almost 90. He was born on 16 September 1923, in the district of Zouping (Shandong). The late bishop started his vocational path at the local minor seminary. After completing his studies in philosophy and theology at seminaries in Hankou, Macao and Beijing , he was ordained a priest on 3 April 1957. Until 1966, due to government political pressure on the Church, he was forced to alternate his pastoral ministry with manual work as a cook. In 1966, at the beginning of the Cultural Revolution, he was sent to work in the fields until 1980. In 1988 he was ordained Coadjutor of the diocese of Zhoucun, becoming diocesan Bishop in 1997.
Bishop Ma demonstrated great understanding towards young people and sought advice before reaching any decision. The diocese of Zhoucun, situated in central Shandong, today has a community of about 18.000 Catholics, 65 church buildings, twenty priests and a small community of sisters. The Diocese’s present situation is due to the commitment, faith and support, of the late Bishop.
In 2009, the procedure for the appointment of a new coadjutor Bishop completed, cerebral paralysis prevented Bishop Ma from taking part in the ordination of his successor, Bishop Joseph Yang Yongqiang, ordained on 15 November 2010.
The funeral of Mgr Ma was held on 18 February in the church at Zibo. The late Bishop returned to the House of the Father a few days after the death of one hundred year old Bishop Liu Jingshan di Yinchuan (Ningxia). The sacrifice and faithfulness of this generation of Bishops remain a mark of love for Christ and love for the people of China. (Agenzia Fides 22/2/2013).
Bishop Ma demonstrated great understanding towards young people and sought advice before reaching any decision. The diocese of Zhoucun, situated in central Shandong, today has a community of about 18.000 Catholics, 65 church buildings, twenty priests and a small community of sisters. The Diocese’s present situation is due to the commitment, faith and support, of the late Bishop.
In 2009, the procedure for the appointment of a new coadjutor Bishop completed, cerebral paralysis prevented Bishop Ma from taking part in the ordination of his successor, Bishop Joseph Yang Yongqiang, ordained on 15 November 2010.
The funeral of Mgr Ma was held on 18 February in the church at Zibo. The late Bishop returned to the House of the Father a few days after the death of one hundred year old Bishop Liu Jingshan di Yinchuan (Ningxia). The sacrifice and faithfulness of this generation of Bishops remain a mark of love for Christ and love for the people of China. (Agenzia Fides 22/2/2013).
EUROPE : SCOTLAND : RIP FR. MURPHY FOUNDER OF NUNRAW
IND. CATH. NEWS REPORT
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SUNDAY MASS ONLINE : 2ND OF LENT - YEAR C - FEB. 24, 2013
| Genesis 15: 5 - 12, 17 - 18 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5 | And he brought him outside and said, "Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them." Then he said to him, "So shall your descendants be." | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 6 | And he believed the LORD; and he reckoned it to him as righteousness. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 7 | And he said to him, "I am the LORD who brought you from Ur of the Chalde'ans, to give you this land to possess." | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 8 | But he said, "O Lord GOD, how am I to know that I shall possess it?" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 9 | He said to him, "Bring me a heifer three years old, a she-goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon." | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 10 | And he brought him all these, cut them in two, and laid each half over against the other; but he did not cut the birds in two. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 11 | And when birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, Abram drove them away. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 12 | As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram; and lo, a dread and great darkness fell upon him. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 17 | When the sun had gone down and it was dark, behold, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 18 | On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, "To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphra'tes,
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TODAY'S SAINT : FEB. 24 : ST. ETHELBERT
St. Ethelbert
KING OF KENT
Feast: February 24
Information:
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King of Kent; b. 552; d. 24 February, 616; son of Eormenric, through whom he was descended from Hengest. He succeeded his father, in 560, as King of Kent and made an unsuccessful attempt to win from Ceawlin of Wessex the overlordship of Britain. His political importance was doubtless advanced by his marriage with Bertha, daughter of Charibert, King of the Franks (see BERTHA I). A noble disposition to fair dealing is argued by his giving her the old Roman church of St. Martin in his capital of Cantwaraburh (Canterbury) and affording her every opportunity for the exercise of her religion, although he himself had been reared, and remained, a worshipper of Odin. The same natural virtue, combined with a quaint spiritual caution and, on the other hand, a large instinct of hospitality, appears in his message to St. Augustine when, in 597, the Apostle of England landed on the Kentish coast
In the interval between Ethelbert's defeat by Ceawlin and the arrival of the Roman missionaries, the death of the Wessex king had left Ethelbert, at least virtually, supreme in southern Britain, and his baptism, which took place on Whitsunday next following the landing of Augustine (2 June, 597) had such an effect in deciding the minds of his wavering countrymen that as many as 10,000 are said to have followed his example within a few months. Thenceforward Ethelbert became the watchful father of the infant Anglo-Saxon Church. He founded the church which in after-ages was to be the primatial cathedral of all England, besides other churches at Rochester and Canterbury. But, although he permitted, and even helped, Augustine to convert a heathen temple into the church of St. Pancras (Canterbury), he never compelled his heathen subjects to accept baptism. Moreover, as the lawgiver who issued their first written laws to the English people (the ninety "Dooms of Ethelbert", A.D. 604) he holds in English history a place thoroughly consistent with his character as the temporal founder of that see which did more than any other for the upbuilding of free and orderly political institutions in Christendom. When St. Mellitus had converted Sæbert, King of the East Saxons, whose capital was London, and it was proposed to make that see the metropolitan, Ethelbert, supported by Augustine, successfully resisted the attempt, and thus fixed for more than nine centuries the individual character of the English church. He left three children, of whom the only son, Eadbald, lived and died a pagan.
(Taken From Catholic Encyclopedia) |
source: http://www.ewtn.com/saintsHoly/saints/E/stethelbert.asp#ixzz1nJ0hEFOI
