Oldest Frescoes of St. Benedict Rediscovered in the Ruins of Norcia Monastery

Newly Discovered Frescoes, St. Benedict of Nursia

(Rome) The heavy earthquakes that shook the birthplace of Benedict of Nursia in the late summer and early autumn of 2016 also brought down the consecrated basilica in Norcia's city center. In the rubble, the oldest fresco of the ba

silica was discovered last month.

It is a representation of the saint who founded the Benedictine order in the 6th century. "Due to the collapse caused by the earthquakes, the image came to light," said the Director of the Heritage Office of Umbria, Marica Mercalli. "At present, the collapse-endangered parts of the wall are being cleared away in the transept."

"A precious sign" from the rubble.

"The fresco is of great importance. It was discovered last March by the prior of the Benedictine monastery of Nursia, who also bears the significant name of Benedict. Now we were able to document it in all its beauty," says Mercalli.

The Benedictines knew nothing of this fresco before the earthquake. It only shone from the rubble of the church. "The discovery is a valuable sign for us," said the Prior.

After Napoleon had expelled the Benedictines from the birthplace of their founding father, the first return of monks took place in Holy Year 2000. It is an Old Rite convent that revives the Benedictine tradition in Norcia.

The monastic community lost everything in the earthquake, the monastery and the church. The basilica had been given to them by the local bishop of Spoleto for pastoral care, but also as convent church. In recent years, the monks gradually took the necessary steps for the celebration in the traditional form of the Roman Rite of restoration, as the basilica was up to the liturgical reform of 1969.

With the reconstruction of the basilica after the earthquake, however, the church was deprived of them again by the new local bishop, because he wants to rebuild the ruined church as "modern." This would be make its further use by the monks impossible anyway. The monks accepted the decision in humility and did not say a word about it. Others speak of an "unfriendly" act of the bishop, especially since the funds for the reconstruction were promised by the Italian Prime Minister.

The monks lived in tents after the earthquake. Meanwhile, they were able to build an emergency monastery and an emergency church made of wood, which were consecrated on the Feast of the Holy Cross.

Text: Gi useppe Nardi 
Image: Nebbie del Tempo (screenshot)
Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com
AMDG 

David Berger Now Accuses Pope of Being Homosexual

Editor David Berger is up to no good. Since trying to ride the sex abuse scandal on anti-Church magazine Der Spiegel for all it's worth, he's now taken to attacking the Pope. Cardinal Meisner does nothing.

The homosexually disordered David Berger spits poison and gall in the ecclesiastical pot from which he eats.  Cardinal Meisner isn't bothered in the least.

(kreuz.net) The scatological-theological plump-plump of David Berger, who's still employed by the Archdiocese of Cologne, has broken off again.

He is bad mouthing the Pope for a dirty magazine known as "Fresh".

The laughable little devotional book says that Berger is to be congratulated for being a "high Church functionary".

The homosexual Berger is "in and out of the Vatican" -- insists this magazine.

The garbage theologian serves the magazine with his fantasizes about a supposed "inner life of the Catholic Church".

In reality Berger's insider knowledge, which he has put in a still-born smear novel already, doesn't exceed the level of the readers' opinions at 'kreuz.net', the largest Catholic news portal throughout all of Europe. [shameless plug]

He recalled for 'Fresh' his participation in a march, where he says he freely and finally let everyone know about his homosexual disorder.

That wasn't what happened.  Bergers holy sheen was revealed by 'kreuz.net'.  [he was dumb enough or indifferent enough to publish his activities on Facebook]

The Usual Unproven Suggestions

The magazine did not ask Berger the not unfair question, why the Pope offered his "thoughts about Homosexual Prostitutes".

Berger answered that he finds the Pope's insinuated ideas "completely fantastic", that a prostitute in the Vatican would call the Vatican and ask if he could use a condom.

In another context Berger could have said that the sexual disease of AIDS is so furiously spreading is because the Vatican forbids condoms.

Then Berger projects -- as is usual with him -- his sexual disturbances, this time on the Pope.

This one supposedly has himself "a permanent fixation on the theme of homosexuality".

In truth the present Pontifex never brings up the theme in his personal work.

Berger relies on his back alley gossiping, supposed theologians -- that he's invented himself.

From Berger's fantasy theologians are "almost all" of the view that Benedict XVI is "naturally homosexually inclined."

The Holy Father comes though from an ecclesiastical culture, in which the homosexual disorder is "an absolute taboo":

"What he has himself, he projects and attacks it" -- projects Berger as usual.

The Gomorrhist is even setting rumors loose in the world, which can make him some money.

There are "earlier homosexual contacts of the Pope".

Face these unscrupulous calumnies the Cardinal of Cologne will not deal with much longer, as if Berger were not a Church contracted religion instructor in his Archdiocese.

Berger calls upon the conspiracy theoress Valeska von Roques to substantiate his slanders for 'Fresh'.

She has according to Berger, validated the "evidence" that the Pope had even in his time in Rome as Cardinal "attended regular homosexual contacts".

The problem:  Why is Frau von Roques telling these things to an inconsequential homosexual, instead of earning a pile of gold then -- if the allegations are true?

According to Berger's story, Mrs von Roques theories rely on the word of a Swiss guard and others active in the Vatican.

In any event Cardinal Ratzinger didn't live in the Vatican and would have been deprived of the prying eyes of the Swiss Guard.

Homosexual Berger is also slandering the Bishop Franz-Joseph Overbeck of Essen.

He's already criticized the homosexuals from Hell, in order to become the next Cardinal in Cologne.

Berger concludes:  If another Pope would promote the same underwear themes, "then [Msgr.] Overbeck would say the opposite".

A ‘Different Benedict is Here’: Benedict XVI and the New Missionary Age

In a subject dear to our hearts, the Holy Father is speaking about the Benedictine reform at the heart of his Papacy. Taking his cue from the great Benedictine House of Cluny, he traces its missionary importance as a great reforming movement aimed at carrying out the Great Commission.

It can and should be taken as a kind of manifesto and a call to men to consider an apostolic life in the Benedictine order energized by the great spirit of its founder at Nursia in the fifth Century.

This article by Deacon Keith Fournier understands that call and might serve to orient us prayerfully to pray for monks to lead us, as they always have, to lives of greater sanctity and Christian Hope.


The voices of those who wanted to place him in a terminological box have receded. This is a prophetic Pope with an inspired and historic mission that has only just begun.





Pope Benedict, like his namesake St. Benedict, has a vision for the Evangelization of Europe and the West. A 'different Benedict' is here and a new missionary age has begun.

CHESAPEAKE, Va. (Catholic Online) - History shows that the earliest days of a Papacy often send a signal for the watchful observer. We are told by some to pay attention to the name chosen by the new Pope and the content of their first messages. I vividly recall the first days of our current Pope’s service to the Church and the world. Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger chose the name Benedict. One of the young priests who commentated on this choice during the televised coverage of those extraordinary days noted that the new Pope had visited Subiaco before all the events even began. Subiaco is the home of the Benedictine monastic movement. It symbolizes the Christianization of Europe during the First Millennium.

Saint Benedict was born around the year 480 in Umbria, Italy. He is the father of Western Monasticism and co-patron of Europe (along with Saints Cyril and Methodius). As a young man, Benedict fled a decadent and declining Rome for further studies and deep prayer and reflection. He gave his life entirely to God as a son of the united Catholic Church. He traveled to Subiaco. That cave became his dwelling, the place where he communed deeply with God. It is now a shrine called "Sacro Speco" (The Holy Cave). It is still a sanctuary for pilgrims, including Pope Benedict XVI, who visited that very same place of prayer right before his election to the Chair of Peter.

Read further...

The new flowering of Cluny, auf Deutsch.