Romanian Patriarchate Meets with Nuncio

A Group Of Ambassadors At The Romanian Patriarchate

The Press Office of the Romanian Patriarchate, inform us:

On 13 February 2012, a working session took place at the Patriarchal Palace, between the Preparatory Commission of the Romanian Orthodox Church for dialogue with the Romanian Church United with Rome, Greek-Catholic, made up of His Eminence Laurentiu, Metropolitan of Transylvania, His Eminence Andrei, Metropolitan of Cluj, Alba, Crisana and Maramures, His Grace Ciprian Campineanul, Assistant Bishop to the Patriarch, and a group of ambassadors accredited in Bucharest made up of Their Excellencies Mark Gitenstein, Ambassador of the United States, Mario Cospito, Ambassador of Italy, Estanislao de Grandes Pascual, Ambassador of Sapin, Michael Schwarzinger, Ambassador of Austria,Philipp Brauline, Ambassador of Canada and Jose Antonio Arrospide del Busto, Ambassador of the Republic of Peru. Monseigneur Baudouin Muankembe, representative of the Apostolic Nuncio in Romania was also present at the meeting.

During the meeting, after the discussions on various aspects of the relations between the Romanian Orthodox Church and the Romanian Church United with Rome, Greek-Catholic, the participants reached the conclusion that the resumption of the dialogue as soon as possible remains the best way of solving the disagreements between the two Romanian Churches.

To end with, the participants presented the conclusions of the meeting to His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel, who underlined the fact that the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church has had the initiative to resume the dialogue with the Romanian Church United with Rome, Greek-Catholic, ever since July 2010. At the same time, the Patriarch of Romania reiterated the proposal that the agenda of the Joint Commission for Dialogue should include topical themes of the pastoral-social activity of the two Churches (phenomenon of immigration, activity with the youth, looking after the sick etc.).

Link to original...

Diminishing Liturgical Latin Invariably Leads to Schism and Separation from Mother Church

Linguistic Nationalism Was the Beginning of the End

The Old Liberal Council Fathers laughed at his sensible voice: "Quickly one leaves the safe >>old way<< -- but the new ideas may tear open before us an abyss."

(kreuz.net) The sensible Bishop Giovanni Battista Peruzzo (1963+) of Agrigento in Sicily gave a remarkable speech at the Second Vatican Council.

Actually, the Old Liberal faction sent him off with laughter.

Historian Roberto Mattei (63) wrote this in his book "The Second Vatican Council. A story untold till now".

The prize winning work appeared in December in German in the 'Edition Kirchlich Umschau'.

The anti-Liturgical Movement



Msgr Pruzzo argues historically in his assertions. He recalled the anti-Liturgical movement, which arose at the end of the 15th Century and the beginning of the 16th century.

It appeared in the circles of a heathen humanism.

The first Italian anti-Liturgists were "true and actual heathens" -- maintains the Bishop

The leadership of the movement was undertaken by humanist Erasmus von Rotterdam (+ 1536).

All anti-Liturgists showed themselves in their erratic faith: "They followed each other as brothers in competition, who would later separate themselves from the Catholic Church" -- explained the Bishop.

Finally, we arrived at the Modernists.

They had no Saints on their side.

Bishop Peruzzo insists that there is not a single sainted Bishop who promoted this movement. On the contrary, they would have bound everything to Latin tradition.

He named St. Charles Borromeo (+1584), St. Antonio Maria Claret (+1870), St. Francis de Sales (+1622) or St. Alfonsus de Ligroui (+1787).

Bishop Preuzzo stressed caution:

"One quickly leaves the >>old way<<, which is secure; but the new ideas, what abysses they loom and make ready for us."

A Prophetic Judgement

Msgr. Peruzzo cited the anti-Liturgical theories of the fallen priest Erasmus of Rotterdam.

This one found it "inopportune and comical, when the simple people and women murmured and repeated their Sunday prayers and Psalms like parrots, while they didn't understand their meaning."

The Parisian University condemned Ersasmus' theses as "Godless, erroneous and encouraging of new errors".

Bishop Peruzzo indicated these incisive condemnations as "excessive". Yet still: "They were prophetic."

Everyone, who promotes a reduction of Latin in the Liturgy, always brings the same argument -- he stated.

It is supposed that the people will "be better instructed, inspired to a greater love of God and be more faithful."

The abandonment of latin after the Pastoral Council should have fundamentally refuted this argument.

The Struggle Against Latin Leads to an Abyss

Msgr Peruzzo asserted that the Germanization of the Liturgy thorugh the Reformers was "the first act of separation from Holy Mother the Church".

He cited the famous Abbot Prosper-Louis-Geueranger (+1875) from the Benedictine Cloister of Solesmes.

He admonished, that the separation of the Liturgical language has in the past, "even if a Papal dispensation is granted, led to schism and complete separation from the Catholic Church".

  Link to kreuz.net original...

Part of a Series:

Cool Headed Council Fathers Warned

Modernists Masked Themselves as the Middle Position

A Prophetic Voice at the Vatican Council

50 Theologians Petition Holy Father

Legioniares of Christ: New General Vicar Father Sylvester Heereman

Editor: perhaps it might be thought that Germans are just better at running the Church?

Drumbeat: The papal deligate has named a new General Vicar and a new member of the General Council of the Legion of Christ.

Rome (kath.net/LC/red)Drum beats for the Legion of Christ: Cardinal Velasio De Paolis, the Papal Delegate for the Legion of Christ, has named the 37-year old Father Sylvester Heeremann LC as the new General Vicar of the Congregation of the General Congregation and the Apostolic Movement Movement Regnum Christi on Thursday. On the same day Father Deomar De Guedes LC as another member of the General Council of the Congregation. The both replace P. Luis Garza LC and P. Francisco Mateos LC had submitted their resignations. Sylvester Heereman was the territorial director for the Legionare's of Christ in German speaking areas.
Link to kath.net....

The Ancient Rite Reappears in Lourdes

Edit: we were the first English language organization to report on good news abroad in various cases, because we're just cool like that. We already reported about the new Patriarch of Venice, a disciple of Cardinal Siri. We also reported about the appointment of the new Bishop of Lourdes who is a Traditionalist. Now we're pleased to report what can only be a positive effect of that appointment, which is the restoration of the Ancient Rite there for the edification of the pilgrims.

[Chiesa] VATICAN CITY, February 17, 2012 – Following the "personal" appointment of Bishop Francis Moraglia as patriarch of Venice, Benedict XVI has hit a similar shot with the Church of France. He did so last Saturday, February 11, the feast of the Blessed Virgin of Lourdes, when he appointed the new bishop of the diocese in which the famous Marian shrine stands, that of Tarbes and Lourdes. Pope Joseph Ratzinger has called to this post Nicolas Brouwet, who will turn 50 next August 31, since April of 2008 the auxiliary bishop of Nanterre, the diocese in which he was born and was ordained a priest in 1992. The appointment came earlier than expected, since Brouwet's predecessor, Bishop Jacques Perrier, in office since 1997, passed the retirement age of 75 last December 4, and has therefore had just a couple of months of "prorogatio."

Here's some further cautionary analysis about +Brouwet by Chiesa. One must consider that +Brouwet is a member of a religious organization founded by the late Cardinal von Balthazar SJ.

Bishop Brouwet, however, although he is young, is recognized as having a liturgical sensibility that is particularly faithful to tradition. Last December 25, he celebrated Christmas Mass in the extraordinary form of the Roman rite, according to the motu proprio "Summorum Pontificum." He has also participated in the traditionalist pilgrimages from Paris to Chartres on Pentecost. His stance on moral issues is also in keeping with tradition. This does not mean that Brouwet is a traditionalist tout court; it is enough to see his official photos in clerical dress to understand this. He belongs instead to that generation of young priests who, like pope Ratzinger, consider the traditionalist world – very lively in France even in its non-Lefebvrist component – more as a resource than as a problem, unlike the progressive old guard of the episcopate, less and less influential, but also the "Lustigerian" generation that now embodies its leadership, through figures like the cardinal of Paris, André Vingt-Trois, or the archbishop of Rennes, Pierre d'Ornellas. Lourdes is not a cardinal diocese, but with its famous Marian shrine it is like the spiritual heart of France. It is there, in fact, that the plenary assembly of French bishops regularly meets. Not to mention the international dimension of the diocese. Faithful, seminarians, priests, bishops and cardinals from around the world arrive there. Some problems of an administrative nature that have been seen recently in the diocese have been monitored with special attention by the Holy See as well.

Vatican: The Leakers Are Discovered

'Promotions and reassignments':  two high ranking monsigniori are preparing themselves for a 'ONe-Way-Ticket-Trip" to the far East and Africa.  by Armin Schiwbach

Rome (kath.net/as) The scandal of confidential documents, which have flown from various 'leaks" in high positions of the Vatican State Secretariat, appear to have come for the time being to a conclusion.  The ones who have disseminated the documents, will in the near future probably find themselves in an office on Nuncio in a land of the far East and Africa,  "very far from Rome, where they can't do any more damage", says a "source" of the Italian news portal "affanitaliani.it".  Punishment in fthe form of a "promotion and relocation" corresponds to the classical Vatican style of "promotion for the purpose of elimination":  anything that doesn't change can be handled by a heave-ho.

"Vaticanleaks" and its end: and the announcements in the  upcoming appointments to "Vatican Information Service" will be will be interesting in the next coming weeks should contain those guilty of news leaks.  There will be at least two Monsignors who once offered their services to State Secretariat.


That those "promoted and reassigned" by the nomination to nuncios, that is, of ambassadors of the Holy See, are already selected to leave, as the source says of "affariitaliani.it," suggests that the acts of these disloyal Monsigniori were not those of lower employees (or flunkies) act, but very high-ranking employees in the immediate vicinity of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone.

The Vatican's security services have been used extensively with a high-priority job, in finding the  "source". "Finding the chatterboxes out quickly in order to plug news leaks," Cardinal Bertone "lost his patience" this time. The Pope had been informed that the anti-mole-operation may have to take their beginning, with the result: "Exile and the possible end of promising careers." As far as those guilty of a breach of trust, it had been to monsignors that had been very critical of Cardinal Bertone and had begun to spread confidential documents to harm him, "It was an attack that came from inside. This time there was no mandate," said "affariitaliani.it ".

Link to kath.net...

Curial Opus Dei Bishop Ordains Deacons in Old Rite

(Wigratzbad) Curial Bishop Juan Ignacio Arrierta ochoa de Chinchetru, the Secretary of the Papal Advisory for Legislative Texts, dispensed the lower orders and the subdiaconate on the 11th of February at the Seminary of the Society of St. Peter in Wigratzbad in the Immemorial Rite of the Mass of the Catholic Church. The Spanish msgr. Arrieta belongs to the Personal Prelature of Opus Dei. The Titular Bishop of Sao Paulo di Civitate in Apulia is the 260th Bishop of the Catholic Church and the ninth Spanish Bishop, who has celebrated or participated in a Tridentine Rite of the Mass, since Pope Benedict XVI promulgated the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum.

Msgr. Arrieta

Curial Bishop Arrieta, who has been in the Secretariat of the Papal Advisory for Legislative Texts, blessed seven Sudeacons. There are more than 80 Seminarians studying at the seminary of Allgau for the Society of St. Peter. Text: Giuseppe Nardi Bilder: FSSP

Ukraine: 'Catholic-Orthodox Relations Have Never Been so Good as Today'

The Grand Archbishop of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church: In a time of insecurity the Christian churches have been brought toward greater trust.

Kiev (kath.net/KIN) The Superior of the Ukrianian Greek Catholic Church, Grand Archbishop Swjatoslaw Schewtschuk, has descried the relations between the Catholic and Orthodox churches as "excellent" . During a visit to the international center of the Catholic agency "Kirche in Not" he stressed, relations have not been so good since today. The friendly and brotherly contact and concern lays close to him especially in the heart, explained Schewtschuk.

The Ukraine has over 45 million inhabitants, around 75 percent belong to the orthodox church, and most of them are of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which is an autonomous part of the Russian Orthodox Church. In 1991 there was conflict for legitimacy and primacy in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kievian Patriarchate. The third Orthodox Church of the land is the Ukrainian Autocephalus Church.

In 1596 the uniate Ukrianian Greek-Catholic Church arose, which has around 5.5 million faithful. Roman Catholics are about 1.1 million (which are mostly Poles and Germans). The conflict between the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church has been cited as an obstruction to ecumenism by the Moscow Patriarchate.

The Ukraine looks back on more than a thousand years of Christendom, explained Grand Archbishop Swjatoslaw. In the past century they have lived yet through another hundred years of aggressive atheism. The special mission of the Christian Churches lay in, "these Christian roots to rediscover and find new ways, to be present in society as Christians," said Schwetschuk.

"In a time of insecurity, in which there are processes at work in society, from which many have gotten the feeling that they aren't controllable any longer, the Christian Church will bring back great trust," exclaimed the Grand Archbishop. "The results of polls show that more people trust me than the president."

That since the Church is not dependent on the state, may "tell the truth and play an important role in society". Christendom has an essential role for the national unity of Ukraine. 'We are neutral, as far as politics goes, but we teach Christian Social teaching, promote the Gospel and defend the defenseless", explained Schewtschuk. In this authentic sense to be able to work, is one of the priorities for the Church of well formed priests.

The Superior of the these uniates of the Ukrianian Greek-Catholic Church thank "Kirche in Not" for the help, which they have made possible in the Ukraine for decades. He especially honored the founder of "Kirche in Not", Father Werenfrieds van Straaten in 2003. He himself is "a fruit of the work and the activity of Father Werenfrieds", there he received a stipend from "Kirche in Not" after the collapse of the Soviet Union from "Kirche in Not" where he received his Doctorate in Theology and returned back to his home. There he also was able to rebuild the priest seminary in Lemberg with help from "Kirche in Not". "Kirche in Not" still supports the Church in Ukraine today.

Link to kath.net....

Cardinal Kasper Criticizes the "bad style" in the Curia

Vatican City, 13.02.2012 (kath.net/KAP) as "bad style" and "irresponsible", the German Cardinal Walter Kasper, the leaks in the Roman Curia and the Vatican published secret documents referred to. "I do not know if a power struggle behind it," or if someone wanted to harm the Cardinal Secretary of State, he said in an interview with the daily newspaper "Corriere della Sera" (Monday edition). In any case, it would harm the reputation of the church and pins confusion among the faithful, said Kasper, who was 2001-2010 president of the unit responsible for Ecumenical Vatican Council questions. The operation of a lack of awareness of ecclesial witness.

Whoever is dissatisfied or feels mistreated, ought to inform directly to the person concerned. One can criticize others when they have arguments. "But not so," when information comes anonymously to the media.

In recent days, several confidential documents had surfaced in the Italian media in which the Vatican representative to the Vatican complained about nepotism or talking about an alleged murder plot against the pope.

"I'm very sorry about this for the Pope. It must be sad to see how they try to destroy what he built," said Kasper. He tried in his time in office to do its work and had taken care not to cliques in the Curia, said the cardinal. Similarly, Joseph Ratzinger as Prefect of the Congregation made its service to the Church, and meddled not internal disputes. This is a question of dignity, "said Kasper.
Link to kathnet....

Liberal Pax Christi Bishop Spreads Speculation Pope is to Resign

Edit:  the way we figure it, things are pretty good when such open 68ers spread rumors like this.  When's Pax Christi going to be formally condemned.  Isn't that an upcoming event?



A north Italian Bishop had suggested the possibility of retirement for Benedict XVI.

Vatican City (kath.net/KNA) Vatican speaker Federico Lombardi has rejected speculations about the possibility of abdication for Pope Benedict XVI. At present the theme is not pressing, explained Lombardi on Tuesday. The north Italian Bishop Luigi Bettazzi (88), who was superior of Ivrea till 1999 and the long time President of the Catholic Peace Organization Pax Christi, had discussed the possibility of Pope Benedict's resignation in an interview.

As to a recent murder plot against the Pope Bettazzi had said: "I just can't imagine that", Benedict XVI. is a pure and spiritual man. He could imagine a resignation, however.

Lombardi then recalled that the Pope himself in his interview ook with publicist Peter Seewald had discussed this theme. There Benedict XVI. explained: "When the Pope comes to the awareness that he psychically, physically and spiritually can not manage his office any longer, then he has the right, indeed is understood to be duty bound to step down," In any case the Pope may not, in cases of difficulties or dangers "run from them", rather he must be firm in the face of difficult situations.

Link to kath.net...

Patriarch Kyrill Describes Putin as "Wonder" for Orthodoxy

(Moscow) He did not do it, in order to meet Western observers, nor to meet together in a discussion with his promoters about the office of the State President of the Russian Federation. But he took some time on the 8th of February to take some "time off" of the business of government to meet with the religious leaders of Russia. As Vladimir Putin's press speaker said, the religious leaders support his candidacy.

The meeting took place officially on the invitation of the Russian Orthodox Patriarch of Moscow, in the DAnilow Monaster, which is the seat of the Patriarch of Moscow. Patriarch Kyrill described the era of Putin as a "wonder". In the Monastery there were gathered with Putin in the congress, the members of the "traditional religions" of Russia, who were held to be the Orthodox, Muslims, Jews and Buddhists, as also the "non-Traditional Religions", which consisted of the Catholics, Armenians and various Christian denominations.

Patriarch Kyrill "blessed" the political ambitions of the Russian Prime Minister. Putin is "the candidate, with the greatest view, to translate the office of state through his candidature," said Kyrill.

The Moscow Patriarch supported the 2011 demonstrations against election fraud during the parliamentary elections. He is since of the opinion that Putin is the most qualified man on to be at the head of Russia, in order to lead the land, who had been during the last twelve years for the Orthodox Church in Russia, "a wonder". Vladimir Putin was State President from 2000-2008 and has occupied since then the office of Prime Minister.

Also Russians Chief Rabbi Berel Lazr supported a third term of office for Putin, as he had opposed the anti-government protests of the last two months. He was quoted as saying; "The fact that the demonstrations always happen on Saturday shows that it has nothing to do with Jewish issues."

At the same time support comes from the Muslims from the mouth of the President of the Mufti's Council, Ravil Gainutdin, who said of Putin, "The Muslims know him and trust him. They wish him success."

The meeting in Danilow Monstery was critiized by the opposition.
Text: Asianews/Giuseppe Nardi Bild: Asianews

Jesuit Periodical Celebrates 25 Years Since Warhol's Death

München/Munich (kath.net/KAP) Andy Warhol was "despite his deep, albeit ever hidden persistent piety" too peculiar, while his work was stamped by his "rootedness in the Byzantine-Catholic Church". That's how the German Jesuit periodical "Stimmen der Zeit" took note of the 25th anniversary of the death of the famous Pop-Art-Artist. Warhol's portraits of famous stars take on the Iconography of the Eastern Church, its style of repetition recalls Orthodox Liturgy, it says in an article "Modern Icons" by art historian Ruth Langenberg.

Andy Warhol was born on August 6, 1928 in the Ruthenian quarter of Pittsburgh (USA) as Andrew Warhola, who was raised in a strict immigrant family. The Warholas came from the north east of modern Slovakia, recalls Langebach. The participation in  religious life had been understandably important in Andy Warhol's youth in the community of St. John Chrysostom -- which belongs to the Latin Church and is at the same time bound to the Byzantine-Slavic Rite. This influence was not broken by his move to New York and he lived in a home "full of religious objects."

The Pop Art, to which Warhol was inclined and to which he was one of the most famous participants, is considered to be "profane art in any case", says Langenberg. In the early 1960s a few young artists in Great Britain and the USA made the banal everyday, the consumerist world, the formal language of consumerism and comics the elements and formal objects of their art.

If Andy Warhol, for example, originated the face of Marilyn Monroe, by way of a series shortly after her death -- represented in diverse repetitions, he made said "Stimmen der Zeit" on the one conscious of the side of mass media "abrasiveness" through repetition, and on the other side also the quasi "reverential" object. "The principle of repetition, which is the characteristic of Warhol's Pop Art, is in many respects natural for Icon painting", explained Langenberg in his article. "An Icon repeats always a basic image with the least possible variation."

In the picture "Gold Marilyn Monroe" of 1962 even the profane significance of the coincided with the sacred in the "Icon". The portrait of the film star stood like an Orthodox holy painting in an iconostasis in the midst of a golden plaque: "Marilyn appeared almost as Maria."

More and More Religious Themes
From the 1970s Warhol set apart with diverse variations with the death's head as the traditional "memento mori" - motif of Christian painting, says Langenberg. His last five years of life were occupied explicitly with Christian themes -- above all the cross, but also with "Icons of art history" like Raffaels Sixtine Madonna or Leonardo da Vincis Last Supper.

The large sized work "The Last Supper (Christ 112 Times)" of 1986 gives a view of the Leonardo Fresco with the accentuated head of Christ 28-times in four rows. Langenberg evaluated Warhol's work consequently as a "desacralization" of the famous painting, yet at the same time it consisted in the extreme oblique format and the coloration "as a thoroughly valuable, near to sacral radiation, which wasn't preoccupied with the Pop-attitude of other works." And the principle of repetition an explicit summoning of Jesus, to review the last supper, a "sacral connotation".

Andy Warhol died on the 22nd February 1987 following a gall bladder operation and was buried in the city of his birth, Pittsburgh at the Byzantine-Catholic cemetery. At his funeral Mass, Priest John Richardson warned then against taking the artist's apparent superficiality too literally: The knowledge of his secret piety altered the perception of the artist, "who led the world by the nose, till it understood that its only obsessions were gold, fame and glamour (...) the unobtrusive observer was fundamentally a chronicling angel."

Link to original..kath.net...

Yankee Bishop Continues to Oppress Arkansas Traditionalists

I speak Spanish fluently

Edit: Pictures of the Bishop of Little Rock Arkansas are available for twenty bucks or so.  Perhaps someone should investigate whether the Bishop can continue in ministry effectively being as he's so out of touch with and hostile to the religious needs of his flock?  Earlier in his reign, he took Catholics to task for their reverence for Robert E. Lee.  But his words do find actions, even if they take place under the meanest and barest of pretexts in the service of injustice an indifference to the spiritual needs of his community.

A recent article in the Remnant went to some lengths to describe the Bishops hostility to the Traditional community in Arkansas which has long been a problem.  He removed a successful and intelligent man from a  blossoming community over what really looks like a pretext.

As far as we know now, there have been no efforts to replace Father Demets on the part of the Bishop.  He's been busy looking for pretexts to fire his traditional parish priests and leave the people in limbo as to a replacement for as long as possible.

This looks like nothing else besides malice combined with effeminate tittering.  He's too busy with his Spanish Masses.

Bishop Anthony Taylor was appointed in the Spring of 2008, after having made a name for himself in Oklahoma City as a champion of illegal immigrants.  He credits Martin Luther King, Jr. for having inspired his vocation, he’s proud (to the point of being annoying) about his ability to speak Spanish, and he’s been known to attempt to convince people that he’s not ideological.  Within a few weeks of his arrival, the community in Berryville was discontinued and Father Thomas Arackal was reassigned with no provision for the Mass to continue.  Shortly thereafter he was sent back to his native country.  A few months later, Father Bradley Barber was accused of some wrongdoing, and with no preliminary investigation he was removed from his position as pastor of St. Josephs in Fayetteville while some very disturbing accusations against him were broadcast to the entire world by the Diocese of Little Rock. The accusations were so unrealistic that they do not deserve to be repeated, unlike the ridiculous and greatly exaggerated accusation against Father Demets at the beginning of this article.  Father Barber was quickly cleared, but to this date his faculties have not been restored. 

The following is yet another verbose and cumbersome letter attempting to justify his unjust treatment of Father Demets and no provision to provide a replacement to the growing Traditional community in Arkansas.  Never mind obeying Summorum Pontificum, Bishop Taylor has his own agenda.

DIOCESE OF LITTLE ROCK
Office of The Bishop
2500 North Tyler Street * P.O. Box7565 * Little Rock, Arkansas 72217 * (501) 664-0340 Fax (501) 664-6304
January 31, 2012
To the priests and people of the Diocese of Little Rock,
As bishop of the Diocese of Little Rock, I take seriously my responsibility to shepherd and protect the flock entrusted to my care. One of my obligations upon receiving credible allegations of misconduct on the part of Church employees and volunteers is to comply with the requirements of Church law and the laws of the state of Arkansas regarding how these cases should be handled.
The reporting mandate of Arkansas law for suspected mistreatment of minors requires us to report not only cases of sexual abuse, but also cases of physical mistreatment--such as incidents in which a child is believed to have been hit or slapped by an adult. The civil investigation to substantiate such cases depends in part on the willingness of the alleged victim and any witnesses to cooperate. Church law requires that the diocese conduct its own investigation of credibly alleged incidents, following the procedures specified in our policy for handling such cases, including:
1. Automatic temporary suspension of the subject of an allegation from Church ministry pending the outcome of the civil and ecclesiastical investigations,
2. Public announcement that an allegation has been received, naming the subject of the allegation and the nature of the incident, asking any who have information to come forward--including other possible victims, if there are any.
In cases where the allegation is not sustained, this fact should be announced and steps be taken to repair the damage inflicted by this process. In the event that the civil and ecclesiastical investigations reach differing conclusions due to the higher standards of conduct demanded of Church employees and volunteers, this too should be noted--hence this letter.
On November 7, 2011 a credible allegation of having slapped a child, was lodged against Reverend Laurent Demets, F.S.S.P regarding an incident alleged to have occurred at St. Michael Catholic Church in Cherokee Village. At that time we complied with the reporting requirements of the state of Arkansas and implemented the procedures ofthe Diocese of Little Rock for handling such allegations. On November 9, 2011 I suspended Fr. Demets' faculties to function as a priest pending completion of the civil and ecclesiastical investigations. I also made the required announcement regarding these allegations in a memo to the priests of the Diocese of Little Rock, which was also published in the Arkansas Catholic and announced in the parishes Where Fr. Demets had been serving.
1. Substantiated in Church law. According to the safe environment policies of the Diocese of Little Rock, striking a child is never permitted, even when not inflicted in anger--for instance, corporal punishment is not permitted in Catholic schools. On November 9, 2011 Fr. Demets admitted that he had indeed slapped the child in question. So the allegation must be considered "substantiated" for purposes of Church law.
2. Unsubstantiated in civil law. On December 13, 2011 the Arkansas Department of Human Services concluded its investigation and informed Fr. Demets that "because the allegations were not supported by a preponderance of evidence, the allegation has been determined unsubstantiated" for purposes of civil law and they assured him that his name would not be placed in the Child Mistreatment Central Registry of Arkansas.
Fr. Demets' community has decided that whatever the outcome of the investigations, they do not intend to re¬assign him to serve in Arkansas, so the issue of under what conditions I might restore to him the faculties of the Diocese of Little Rock does not arise.
Outside entities inquiring about Fr. Demets suitability for ministry will be provided with the information contained in this letter. I apologize for the delay in disseminating this information. I was out of state from January 2-18 and the report of the Arkansas DHS was only received by my office on January 4, 2012.
Sincerely in Christ,
+Anthony B. Taylor
Bishop of Little Rock

67 Percent of Austrians Say No to Buddhist Temple

On Sunday a vote took place over a contentious Buddhist structure in the community of lower Austria. The vote was a debacle for the supporters of the Buddhist proposal.

St. Pölten (kath.net) The inhabitants of the lower Austrian community Gföhl have voted on a contentious Buddhist structure in the woodland community on Sunday in a poll with 67 of the votes cast decisively against. Because of voter's participation of over 50 percent, the outcome is binding. The structure was previously supported by ÖVP mayor Karl Simlinger. Many Catholics and also the St. Pöltner Bishop Klaus Küng viewed the proposal critically. In a "Kurier" interview a few weeks ago, +Küng criticized that the public were informed that the Stupa would be a world peace monument, while its subsequent information, however, pointed to it being a religious center for Korean monks. Link to kath.net...

Belgian Bishops' Feeble Response to "Call to Disobedience"

Edit: Rorate reported on this recently and included the statement from Mark de Vries,  Considering the pernicious nature of the event, we don't know why it deserves anything other than a rebuke, but here is the current response forthcoming from the Belgian Bishops.


Although these "Call to Action" types are disobedient, and after Cardinal Schonborn's eye, even he was forced to suggest the possibility of stern measures, including excommunication be used against them.


One dimension of this which is not often covered in the press is that these mostly elderly dissident pressure groups get more positive attention from the media than they deserve.  Certainly, a conservative group in Austria called, "Call to Obedience" which has around two hundred priests signing in, isn't getting much attention.

Exiled Loyal Polish Priest Returns to St. Pölten!

Edit: he had been untreated by the old scandal Diocese of Linz, and despite having the entire board of the Parish behind him, was asked to leave on the say so of the Austrian media and a few disgruntled parishioners who rarely went to Church and demonstrated even less knowledge of the Catholic faith than they did actual charity from the indeterminate and baseless accusations made against the priest.

The well-known Polish priest is active right now in the Diocese of St. Pölten in the Parish of Neuhofen on the river Ybbs in the Deanery Amstetten and thus is nearer to Linz than before when he was serving at Kopfing.

St.Pölten-Linz (kath.net)The famous Polish Priest Andreas Skoblicki, who is also loved by many, is returning back to Austria and is this weekend at the Diocese of St. Pölten in the Parish of Newhofen on the Ybbs in the Deanery of Amstette as a priest. Interesting detail: Skoblicki is with that, has been moved closer to Linz. The distance to Kopfing from the Diocesan Bishop's residence is 68 kilometers, while the distance to the Parish of Neuhofen to Linz is only 63 kilometers, according to Routenplaner.

After a month of bullying in December, on the part of Linz Diocesan circles, the Polish Priest finally left the Diocese of Linz. From previous letter to KATH.NET by the priest, it was revealed that he was "forced into this decision".

A statement by the Diocese of St. Pölten said the following: "The Diocese of St. Pölten offers Herr Magister Andreas Skoblicki the possibility for a new beginning under another situation. Skoblicki will be employed as a pastoral chaplain in the Parish of Neuhofen on the Ybbs in the Deanery of Amstetten. He is thus subject to the Pastor and Episcopal Vicar Dr. Helmut Prader."

We are happy for all, who work in the kingdom of God," said the press agent of the Diocese of St. Pölten, Markus Riccabona. "We invite all to give Father Skoblicki a fair chance and judge him according to his ministry in the parish."

Link to original kath.net...

It's Official: German Jesuit Will be at Consistory for Cardinal's Hat

Father Karl Josef Becker SJ

Edit: we'd reported earlier, a bit prematurely that the Cardinal was going to get the hat after all.  There is some confusion about this.  Surely it's all just a misunderstanding.  It had been reported that Father Becker wasn't able to come owing to poor health.  He's in good health and he's coming to the Consistory.

The 83 year old German theologian, Father Karl Josef Becker will now be actually raised to the rank of Cardinal on 18. February. Previously it had been said he would not be able to participate in the ceremony because of health reasons and would receive the hat privately.

Vatican City (kath.net/KNA) The 83 year old German theologian, Father Karl Josef Becker will no participate in the ceremony naming the Cardinals on the 18th of February. This has been confirmed by the Vatican. Recently it was said that the Jesuit would not be able to participate in the ceremony because of health reason and would receive the hat privately.

Becker, a longtime advisor of the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine and the Faith belongs to the 22 clergy that Benedict XVI has nominated for inclusion in the College of Cardinals. Among them will be the Berlin Archbishop Rainer Maria Woelki. At a festive Consortium, the candidates receive their purple colored biretta and Cardinal's ring. On the day before the members of the College of Cardinals as well as the Candidates invited to a day of recognition in the Vatican. The meeting is held under the theme Mission and New Evangelization.

Link to kath.net...

Jerusalem: Anti-Christian Slogans Smeared on Monastery Walls

Christian clergy and nuns were spit on or had stones thrown at them, New Testaments were burned.  Radical Jewish settlers are prime suspects.
Jerusalem (kath.net/idea) The walls of a Greek Orthodox Monastery in Jerusalem are smeared with anti-Christian graffiti. Unknown individuals sprayed among other things, "Death to Christians". Press reports suggest that the signature "Maccabees of Mignon" point to settlers as the originators of the defacing. "Maccabees of Mignon" is the name of an illegal settlement near Ramallah in West Jordan.

In the past Christians were repeated victims of attacks by ultra-Orthodox Jews. The ecumenical news agency ENI news reported that Christian clergy and nuns were spit on or had stones thrown at them, and that anti-Christian statements were sprayed on the walls of church buildings. The religious court Beth Din Tzedek, the highest authority for ultra-Orthodox community in Haredi, has sharply condemned these activities. Also, messianic Jews, who believe in Jesus Christ as the chosen Messiah of Israel, complain about stalking by Orthodox Jews. They accuse the anti-Christian recruits of Jewish Orthodox Groups Yad L'Achim of passing out fliers and holding demonstrations, accusing them of 'steeling souls and attempting to "brainwash" Jews'. A New Testament was burned. Of the 7.7 million inhabitants of Israel, 76 percent are Jews, 15 are Muslim and 2 percent are Christian. The number of Messianic Jews stands from 10.000 to 15.000.

  Link to kath.net...

Rome: Letter of Protest Written in 1930 by Priest -- Found by Jesuit at Archive

White Sea. Solovetskie islands ( Solovki ). Golgofa-hill. 
Golgotha and the Crucifixion (Golgotho-Raspyatsky) 
hermitage

Imprisoned priests wrote the Central Committee of the Communist Party in 1930 -- Jesuit found document in the archive of the Papal Oriental Institute.


Rome (kath.net/KAP) A till now unknown document about the persecution of the Church in the Soviet Union during the Second World War was recently discovered in the archive of the Papal Oriental Institute in Rome. The periodical "Pro Oriente" reported this on Saturday, which appeared in an article by "Osservatore Romano" (Friday Edition). The uncovered Russian language document was by a Polish Priest Eugeniusz Senko, who was a researcher from 1917 for years in the Papal Oriental Institute, about the Communist Church persecution.

The document dealt with information resulting from a letter of protest by a Catholic Priest Adolf Filipp to the Central Committee of the Party, dated from 29 June 1930. Filipp was incarcerated with 31 other priests on the island of Anzerskij -- a Solovki Island. How the document came to Rome, may not be reconstructed, it is said.

Before the October Revolution, one of the largest Orthodox monastic cities was located on the Solovki islands. Following the Bolshevik seizure of power it was used for holding, and then established as a work camp for political prisoners, above all, Christians of all confessions. The camp on the Solovki islands formed the foundation of the so-called "Gulag". On the island Anzerskij, on which the Catholic priests were imprisoned, a dungeon was constructed in the consecrated Church of the Trinity.

Adolf Filipp's letter of protest was, according to information by P. Senkos, clearly written by hand originally and then typed on a machine -- the errors in writing the names of the priests incarcerated with Filipp were explained, it said in the broadcast.

The priest described "illegal methods" of the " "Gossudarstwennoje Polititscheskoje Uprawlenije" (GPU), the former Secret Service of the Soviet Union. These were said to have made constant infringements against the codes of the Soviet Constitution regarding freedom of conscience. Filipp stressed that the incarcerated priests, in view of the "enormity of the constitutional infringements" by the GPU could not remain silent any longer, because even such silence could be constituted as a "crime". The priest also described the unbearable conditions in the camp.

He wrote, describing information about the Communist Party promoted campaign of atheism, for example, the mass closing of churches, extreme taxation of churches and their members, as well as the imprisonment and deportation of clergy and their followers and the oppressive activities ascribed to the organizations founded by J.M. Jaroslawksij  or "Societies of Godless Militants".

P Senko published the protest letter in the Italian language which included footnotes, to make the background more clear. Till now it is not known if the letter of protest actual reached the Central Committee and what consequences the letter of complaint against State Atheism and the activities of the GPU had for the author, it read.

Link to kath.net...

Link to photo...

Traditional Bishop Appointed to Lourdes

Edit:  What's going on? Wondering why all the stuff about Lourdes today around and about. Today is the Commemoration of when Our Lady first appeared to the children. Here's the translation from Messa in Latino, it wasn't hard.  Feel free to suggest your own:

[MIL, Italia/Francia] On the day when the Blessed Virgin appeared to St. Bernadette, the Holy Father Benedict XVI has appointed the new bishop of Lourdes : it is His Excellency Monsignor Nicolas Brouwet , the youngest bishop in France, now Auxiliary Bishop of Nanterre. 

 Born in 1962 has participated, both as a priest and bishop, several pilgrimages of Pentecost of Notre-Dame de Chrétienté, from Paris to Chartres, again last Christmas he celebrated Mass in the  ancient Roman rite . His appointment to Lourdes, a Diocese which is international and highly visible, represents a significant turn for the Church of France, which significantly strengthens the bishops who want to operate in the way impressed by Pope Benedict XVI since the beginning of his pontificate.

 Aware that the restoration is proceeding in the best ways, we express to Your Excellency our warmest wishes for a fruitful ministry!

Ad multos annos! 

AC at Messa in Latino

Cardinal Ruini Says Church Should Go to its Roots

Pope Benedict XVI gives Polish President Lech Kaczynski (kneeling) Holy Communion 

13:27 11 FEB 2012 

(AGI) Vatican City - Cardinal Ruini said the Church's mission must now return to what it was in the beginning. Closing the symposium, 'Jesus our contemporary', sponsored by the Italian Bishop's Conference as part of the Cultural Project, Ruini explained: "Today the mission must return to what it was in the beginning: a life choice that involves the entire Christian community and each of its members, each naturally in accordance with the practical conditions of his life." The cardinal added "the most urgent question is one on the future of faith in Jesus by new generations." "Today probably it is no longer enough for some church members to live their faith as a mission 


Link to original...

Link to photosource...

A Priest Need Not Celebrate "Versus Populum" or Facing the People

Vienese theology professor Feulner: according to accepted Liturgical order, every priest can celebrate Mass at the front side of the "people's altar" while "facing the Lord"

Wien/Vienna (kath.net) "In no document of the Second Vatican Council does it say, especially not in the Constitution on the Liturgy "Sancrosanctum Consilium"(1963), that the priest should or must celebrate the Eucharist "versus populum"." [To the people] This is what the Viennese theology professor Hans-Jürgen Feulner said in a recent interview in the newspaper "Der Sonntag".  Feulner explained then that the foundation for the alteration according to the second Vatican Council is the instruction "Inter Oecumeninici"(1964), in which it states, that the high altar must be separated from the back wall, so that one can easily go around to the back side and say Mass facing the people.

This is to begin with only precautionary clause, which had been quickly introduced, that almost in every Catholic Church so-called people's altars were to be erected, which Feulner describes as constituting "the most obvious achievement" of the Council, although there were before the Council in individual churches such "volks-altars". The designation was later addressed in the "General Introduction to the Roman Mass Book" (Nr. 262) and in the 3rd edition of the Mass book.

The theologian pointed out however on that, that at the same time the Congregation of Divine Rites is said to have clearly ordered, that Mass should not be celebrated to the people. "The rubrics themselves of the past Mass books report indirectly, that the rule for celebration "versus Dominum" ("Facing to the Lord, i.e., not facing the community) is, if it meant to say there, e.g.: "...e (except when he turns to face the people); "...facing the Community.../... turning to face the community" (at the kiss of peace and "Behold, the Lamb of God"); „turn toward the altar” (at the Communion of the priest).", observed the professor of the University of Vienna.

As to the question, why then do priests celebrate today the way they do, turned in most cases to the people, Feulner said that this was often derived from the "Meal character" of the Eucharist and calls by the General Council for "active participation", which required an awareness of what was going on at the altar. "Does this, however, overlook the fact that the meal excludes the sacrificial nature or is opposed irreconcileably to facing each other, rather the Eucharistic sacrifice is complete at least partly in the form of a meal," concluded the theologian and pointed also to the cosmic dimension of the Liturgy an the orientation of prayer "ad orientum". The East is a symbol of the Resurrection on Eastern Sunday, of the assumption into heaven and the coming of Christ at the end of all times (compare Mt 24,27; Offb 7,2).

When asked as to whether the priest may celebrate the Liturgy away from the participants of the liturgy, if there were an [editor: unsightly] people's altar in this church/chapel, Feulner then explained, that both ways of celebration are correct. "According the current valid Liturgical order every priest can thus celebrate at the Euchastic celebration self-evidently (except for the offertory) also stand during Mass at the front side of the altar "facing the Lord", that means, facing the same way as the Community, which corresponds to an ancient tradition of Christians.

Orthodoxy Averse Bishop of Regensburg is Campaigning for CDF

Heretical goat is being considered for the Church's faith gardener.
 -kreuz.net

(kreuz.net, Regensburg) The Pope has to decide whom he will name to the Congregation of Doctrin and the Faith.

This is what Heresy-Bishop Gerhard Ludwig Muller (64) of Regensburg said yesterday for the German agency 'dpa'.

Msgr Muller has already had talks in Rome about his appointment to the Congregation for Doctrine and the Faith.

The current incumbent, Cardinal Levada (75) will soon retire.

Disclaimer He needs the appointment for his ego


Msgr Muller is at the moment working to improve his heretic image by saying conservative things.

As far as the office goes, he's interested in:

"It would not irritate me in the sense that I needed the nomination for my own ego, but of course it is an activity that has to do a lot with my career as a theology professor.

Dubious theology career

As a theology professor Msgr. Muller presents a very mixed record.

In his wordy and long winded work "Catholic Dogmatic" he denied, among others, the Virgin birth.

Upon this it happened -- says Msgr Muller -- "not to deviate from physiological particularities in the natural process of birth (such as something like the non opening of the birth canal, the non-injury of the hymen and not experiencing the pains of birth), rather it's in the healing and saving influence of the Grace of the Savior on human nature."

The heretical work appeared in 2010 in an uncorrected third edition.

A denier of the Dogma of Transubstantiation



In 2002 Msgr Muller's work " Die Messe – Quelle christlichen Lebens". [The Mass: Source of Christian Life]

There he says that the body and blood of Christ are not "in reality" the material parts of the person Jesus during his lifetime, nor would it be represented by his transfigured body.

Or he believes that the Eucharist is present in that we participate in Community with Jesus Christ through eating and drinking the "bread and wine".

Msgr Muller compared Holy Communion with a small gift: "Already in the interpersonal area it may represent an approximate message of friendship between people and the receiver is to embody and demonstrate, so to speak, the emotional connection to the addressee.

Thus expressions pass like: "The natural purpose of bread and wine must be attached anthropologically.

He denies the Dogma of Transubstantiation -- the essential change in the Eucharistic substance:

The natural essence of bread and wine will be transformed by God in this sense that the being of bread and wine only are understood to consist, realized and present in the holy community with God."

An Ecumenical Kamikaze Attack


Last October Msgr Muller proposed numerous ecclesiological heresies.

He did this with scandalous praise for the Lutheran Laybishop and homosexual propagandist Johannes Friedrich.

As far as the relationship between the Church and the Protestants he said: "We define our relationship to one another no longer actually with existing differences in teaching, life and constitution of the Church, but over the commonalities, which are fundamental, are where we stand."

He openly denied the unity of the Church: "There is therefore -- strictly speaking -- not several churches together, but there are divisions and splits within the one people of God and his house."

Msgr Muller made complete fools of his audience by claiming that 'Dominus Jesus' -- the Declaration of the Congregation for the uniqueness of Christ and the Church he built in 2000 -- did not deny protestants were part of the Church.

On the contrary: The Doctrine is "far away from that", the Protestants adhere to the being of the church -- stated the distorter.

He "won't say no" to the Pope


Msgr Muller will not refuse an offer to the post:

"Formally, you could probably say no, but is simply not enough to say no to the Pope' -- he joked.

The Pope said he desired a correction to the incorrectly translated German words of transubstantiation, which has yet to be carried out in his diocese today.

Link to original...

Related:
Bishop Muller Decries SSPX

Comunitates Iesus Sacerdos et Rex und Agnus Dei -- Two Traditional Societies

(Rome) Father Theodossios of the Cross in the Archdiocese of Genoa founded the Fraternitas Beatissimae Viriginis Mariae with the permission of Cardinal Siri in1968. It is today active in Italy and France and operates numerous contacts to Scandanavia and to the Orient, but above all to Greece. The Society consists of two branches of consecrated life. The men's branch has the name Communitas Sacerdotalis Jesus Sacerdos et Rex and is a Society of Apostolic Life. The female branch is called Comunitas Agnus Dei and is in a canonical sense a religious institute.

The Society originated in the confusion which immediately followed the Second Vatican Council, with the objective, to protect and defend priestly identity and the unadulterated Catholic doctrine of the Faith. "In a time of upheavals and alteration Father Theodossios detected a necessity for renewal in the truth of the great tradition of the Church." He saw the roots of the society in the Apostolic School of St. Pope Pius X.

Close to the defense of the patrimony of the Faith, the concern for the Liturgy is the second column of the Society. The priests of the Society celebrate the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass simultaneously in the ordinary as well as in the Immemorial Mass of All Ages of the Roman Rite. They also concern themselves with Gregorian Choral and church music. The Society promotes consecration to Mary above all things.

All members of the Society are consecrated to the Mother of God. The priests operate parishes for the Diocese, in which they are recognized. The sisters devote themselves primarily to the spiritual apostolate as catechists, in the education of children, in hospital service and by spiritual retreats for families, custodians of churches and in service to the sacristy.

The General Superior of the Society at the time, Father Giacomo Maria di Jesus Sacerdos et Rex has his seat in Bagnoregio in the Italian region of Latium about 100 kilometers north of Rome. The male as well as the female branches operate educational institutions and retreat houses.

Comunitas Jesus Sacerdos et Rex
via Fidanza 62
01022 BAGNOREGIO (VT)
Tel. (0039) 0761 792101
jsr.bagnoregio@libero.it
www.viasacra.net

Comunitas Agnus Dei
Piazza S. Agostino 7
01022 BAGNOREGIO (VT)

Der Sitz der Gemeinschaft in Frankreich:
Comunitas Jesus Sacerdos et Rex
3 rue du Château
F-89660 Mailly le Château
Tel. (0033) 03 86 81 43 63

Text: Giuseppe Nardi
Bild: divinavocacion

Putin Promises to Protect Persecuted Christians Abroad

Edit: like the Czars of old, Putin promises to defend Christendom from its oppressors.

Presidential Candidate promises action for the oppressed abroad -- Putin responds to statements by the Russian Orthodox Metropolitan Illarion, that every five minutes a Christian must die for his faith.

Moscow(kath.net/idea) The Russian Premier Minister and Presidential candidate, Vladimir Putin wants to protect persecuted Christians abroad. He made this promise on February 8th in Moscow at a meeting of members of various confessions. Putin responded to a statement by Russian Orthodox Metropolitan Illarion, that every five minutes a Christian must die for his faith. Especially noteworthy are the persecutions, so says the Director of the Foreign Office of the Moscow Patriarchate, in lands like Iraq, Egypt, Pakistan and India. [Not Syria?] For Putin it is important that the various confessions continue to cooperate internationally, according to the Russian news agency "RIA Novosti". Link to kath.net...

Factions Fighting for Position in the Vatican

Edit: Considering how the Jesuit, Father Becker, was passed over for a Cardinal's hat, when he's clearly in good health, there's a lot going on at the Secretary of State. It seems that Cardinal Bertone is opposing some of the more conservative appointments, but then, it also seems as though the criticisms being leveled against him aren't very substantial either. It's also interesting in light of frantic reports in the Italian press about a supposed threat on the Pope's person.

It is not impossible that these Cardinals have a foreseeable future in the Congregation of Doctrine and the Faith.

(kreuz.net) On the 12th of January the journalist Franco Massimo reported about apparent factionalism in the Milan daily 'Corriere della Sera'.

There are two factions: the group of State Secretary Cardinal Bertone and his opponents.

Between the lines, Massimo ascertained that the opponents of the Secretary of State are to be found in the ranks of the Italian Bishops Conference.

There was  [?]  even a group of Cardinals who intend to draw up an anti-Bertone memorandum.

Inner-Italian Conflict

Massimo says that with the most recent increase in the Consistory of Cardinals -- 30 of 120 -- has generated a lot of frustration.

At the same time, the Italian Bishops' Conference and the Vatican agrees that the Italians will not be able to agree on a candidate at the next Papal election.

Thus, Massimo points out the lines of conflict.

The Confidence of the Secretary of State


Of the new Cardinals there are three followers of Secretary of State Bertone:

- Archbishop Domenico Calgano, the President of Apsa, which manages the assets of the Holy See.

- Archbishop Giuseppe Versaldi, the President of the Prefecture for Economic Affairs of the Holy See.

-Archbishop Giuseppe Bertello, the President of the Vatican Governorate.

Msgr Versalde had originally been Cardinal Bertoni's candidate for the Archdiocese of Turin.

Actually, the Italian Bishops' Conference chose another candidate -- Msgr. Cesare Nosiglia (67).

Thus Msgr Versalde has been summoned to Rome, where he is to receive a Cardinal's hat before the current Archbishop of Turin.

In any case, the Secretary of State had no luck when the Patriarch of Venice, Angelo Cardinal Scola was named Archbishop of Milan.

According to Massimo's information, he is to have opposed this nomination.

The Charges Against Cardinal Bertone

The journalist explains that the Pope had not once succeeded in calming the conflict between the Bertone group and their opponents -- although he has publicly and privately called them to order.

Against Cardinal Bertone there are many -- often unspecific -- charges:

-Through the naming of new Cardinals his power base will -- in so far as a powerless Vatican generally allows -- grow further.

-He has made the Secretariat of State into a kind of Vice-Pope.

-He is one of the worst Secretaries of State, which the Vatican has ever had.

- He is indebted to provincialism and has reduced the international profile of the Catholic Church.

Two Unmentioned Things


Two important things were left unmentioned by Massimo.

Cardinal Bertone is already 77 -- and consequently a Secretary of State on call for retirement.

Other than that, there is a Salesian of Cardinal rank, the Old Liberal Prefect of the Congregation for Causes of Saints, Cardinal Angelo Amato (72).

Like Cardinal Bertone, he is a former Secretary of the Congregation of Doctrine and the Faith.
It is not to be ruled out that Cardinal Amato could could return to there as Prefect.

Italian Media in Frenzy About "Plot Against Pope"

Edit: Rorate Caeli has reported a feeding frenzy in the Italian press over speculation that there is a plot against the Holy Father.  (from Corriere della Sera):

Milan - "Vatican, plots and intrigues. A plot against the Pope, he will die in the next 12 months" This is the title in the first page of Il Fatto Quotidiano in its February 10 edition. Written in German - The news would have been given in a letter handed by Cardinal Castrillon to Benedict XVI. Included in the note, a report of a conversation [in a trip to China in November 2011] of the Archbishop of Palermo, [Cardinal] Romeo, in which he affirms that the Holy Father is in great risk and that an attack is feared within 12 months. The document is dated from December 30 2011, but it was given to the pope in January 2012. ... Romeo would have also spoken of the probable successor and indicated [Cardinal] Scola, Archbishop of Milan. The author of the article is journalist Marco Lillo. The director of Il Fatto Quotidiano, Antonio Padellaro, has said that the document will be published in its entirety in the paper. ... Soon afterwards, the reply of the Vatican arrived through Father Federico Lombardi, spokesman of the Holy See: "These are clearly ravings, which are not at all taken seriously. This is madness."

http://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2012/02/for-record-italian-media-in-frenzy.html

Will Castro End His Life as a Devoted Catholic?

Fidel Castro will be received back into the communion of the Roman Catholic Church during Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to the island in March, the Italian press is reporting. If true, this is a remarkable story — and one that has yet to catch the attention of editors this side of the Atlantic.


On 1 Feb 2012, La Republicca — [Italy’s second largest circulation daily newspaper, La Republicca follows a center-left political line and is strongly anti-clerical; not anti-Catholic per se but a critic of the institutional church] — reported that as death approaches, the octogenarian communist has turned to God for solace.

ABC’s Global Note news blog is the only U.S. general interest publication I have found that has reported this story.  It referenced the La Republicca story and said that Castro’s


Link to GotReligion...

A Progressive Referendum Against Homosexuality in Slovenia

Slovenia.  A progressive citizen's initiative in Slovenia has enough signatures collected against a homosexual law of June 2011 in order to bring a referendum to a vote.  The signatures were presented to Parliament last Friday.  The homosexual law allows Gomorrhists to adopt.  The Church supports the proposed referendum.  The Slovenian people foresee bringing the law to account by March.

Link...

Similar measures are being undertaken in Russia, in St. Petersburg, which promise to punish those promoting homosexuality with a fine of $16,700.  The measure is intended to protect the virtue of Russian youth.

New Pravda seems unhappy about the measures as it points out that homosexuality was only legalized under Boris Yeltsin, when it was specifically prescribed under Soviet Law.  They point out that, "anti-gay sentiment is still widespread."


Link at pravda...

Vatican Talks with SSPX: Recylcing Tornielli's False Report of Last Week

(Vatikan/Econe)Some people can't help themselves. The supplement Christ und Welt(ex Rheinischer Merkur)the weekly paper of Die Zeit reported in today's edition, that "according to the estimate" of the Italian Vaticanista Andrea Tornielli, the negotiations between the Society of St. Pius X and the Holy See have been a "failure". The Catholic news agency KNA has distributed the information further. Even so it is being assumed by countless worldwide Catholic media.

In fact, it is just the (false) message that Alessandro Speciale spread last week on the 3rd of February which appeared on the same day as Tornielli's report. Speciale stated that the Superior General of the SSPX, Bishop Bernard Fellay had declared the talks a failure. Nothing of the kind was done.

Instead, it was the same day that Speciale had already spread his message in the morning that a meeting between Pope Benedict and Cardinal Levada took place instead, the Prefect o fthe Congregation who led the negotiations with the SSPX. The them of the meeting were the discussions with Econe. The Pope himself discussed the current status with Cardinal Levada and also what the next steps of the Holy See will be. It is in fact the Vatican's turn to answer the SSPX.

A failure of the talks is not excluded, however, any more than there being an agreement between Rome and Econe. What Speciale and others more widely published, was targeted at disruption and torpedoing the talks, an attempt to influence from the outside, which makes the father of this wish easy to surmise. The report from the Christiches Welt and Tornielli's analysis corresponded to the 3 February 2012 (this time only in German). Since then nothing more in Italy has been published on the subject, not even in his own blog. The question of whether or not there has been an agreement or a failure of the talks between Rome and Econe is still open.

Die Zeit's editorial appears to appeal to thoughts which appeal to the failure of the talks, which have newly warmed themselves with the report of last week. That parts of the Catholic Church are interested in the failure of the discussions was known then. The dissemination of these premature negative reports serve to sketch a map, of whom is attaching themselves to this kind of wishful thinking. This is thoroughly decisive for observers of the Catholic Church. It is at the present time, nothing more and nothing less.

Link to katholisches...

Demons Driven Out During Papal Audience

The Vatican quakes at the knees by the thought that the incident could become known. -kreuz.net

Father Amorth's new book cover in Italian

(kreuz.net) Pope Benedict XVI. had driven the devil from two men at a Papal audience in 2009 at St. Peter's Square.

This is what famous Roman exorcist, Father Gabriele Amorth said in his new book "The Last Exorcist".

The Italian boulevard magazine 'Panorama' published the excerpt yesterday.

Thrown back three meters


Father Amorth described them both by their first nnames Giovanni and Marco.

Two attendants brought the men to the Wednesday audience at St. Peter's Square. They were located in the section which is reserved for the handicapped.

While waiting for the arrival of the Holy Father, they were increasingly disturbed.

As Benedict XVI. neared them in the Popemobile, they men were thrown on the ground, struck their heads on the earth and began to wail.

As the Pope held his hand outside of the car to raise in blessing, the men were hurled back three meters.

Finally, they became calm.

Fear of the rage of the demoniac


The speaker for the Vatican, Father Federico Lombardi, indirectly described the incident.

E said that the Pope had not known that there were two demoniacs were present at St. Peter's Square on that day.

Then he proceeded quickly to downplay the incident:  If the fact was really true, one could not speak of a spiritual cleansing by the Pope.

Because he had "no intention" to conduct an exorcism.

Actually, that's not really true.  Because every blessing has an exorcising function.

The Vatican fears that the case being widely discussed could subsequently bring throngs of possessed  to the Vatican as pilgrims.

That would be a significant disturbance of the normal course of Wednesday audiences

Link to original...

Underground Bishop Lorenz Zhang Wenchang is Dead -- 24 Years in Concentration Camp

Bishop Lorenz Zhang Wencheng

(Hong Kong) At the age of  92 Msgr Lorenz Zhang Wencheng has died.  The Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Kunming had passed twenty four years of his life in Communist concentration camps.  The Bishop died on the 5th of February.  His burial is planned for the 12 of February.

Bishop Zhang, who died in his home village of Shilin, was the Apostolic Administrator of three church districts south of Yunnan: Kunming, Dali and Zhaotong.

In 2006 the Communist regime has been on a collision course with the Vatican and recently on its own and without the approval of the Pope its own Bishop loyal to the regime in Kunming.  The unjustly consecrated Ma Yinglin drew an excommunication upon himself immediately.  Subsequently the Communist Party in china has promoted him to become the President of the Council for China's Bishops.  The Council, not being recognized by Rome, is true to the regime in opposition to the Bishops Conference which is loyal to Rome.

Despite the support from the regime for the loyal Patriotic Union, Ma Yinglin is avoided by the Catholic Faithful.  Where ever he goes out in public, Catholics leave and refuse to receive the Sacraments from him.

Bishop Zhang belongs to the underground Church.  Till his life's end he lived under strict police surveillance.  His life was that "typical" of the Martyrs to Communism.  Born in 1920 in a Catholic family, he went to Catholic schools. In 1946 he was ordained a priest by Bishop Alexandre Derouineau.  Msgr Derouineau was expelled by the Communist takeover of China in 1952.

Msgr Zhang served next at the Cathedral Church in his home Diocese.  In 1953 he had to give up his pastoral activity during the Maoist persecutions and became a rabbit and chicken farmer.  in the underground he continued to work as a priest and cared for hidden Christians.

In 1958 Msgr Zhang was imprisoned during the Communist campaign, "Agains the Reaction" and condemned to 20 years of imprisonment.  Under the cynical motto "Reeducation Through Work", the priest passed his period of forced labor in a concentration camp till 1982.  Till 1987 he was recognized as a pries t by the state and worked openly as a clergyman again.

The Church of Yunnan numbers around  60.000 Catholics.  The majority belong to ethnic minorities.  Since the expulsion of Bishop Derouineau in 1952, the See has been officially vacant.  The government has prevented since then the appointment of Bishops by Rome.  Instead, the Communist regime installed its own loyal Bishops in 1962, without the agreement or recognition by the Pope.  Msgr Kong Lingzhong usurped the Bishop's See till his death in 1992.  Since 2006 Ma Yinglin  has unjustly occupied the Bishop's See.  The Holy See has since named underground Bishops for the vacant Diocese, which are occupied by a standing persecution.

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Text: Asianews/Giuseppe Nardi
Bild: Asianews