Death of Pope Benedict XVI - Statement by the Papa-Prince of Rome-Ruthenia

FIRENZE-NUOVA ROMA 31 December 2022 (NRom)

His Holiness the Papa-Prince of Rome-Ruthenia issued the following statement on the death of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI. 

Early this morning, my court officials in the City of Rome informed me of the death of the Bishop Emeritus of Rome and my venerable Apostolic brother His Holiness Benedict XVI (Cardinal Ratzinger). This comes as a great sadness, though is accompanied with joy at the hope of his entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord in Heaven.

Benedict was not only the last Bishop of Rome to date to seek actively to restore the traditions of the Latin Church and of his office, but also was a devoted supporter of the Apostolic See of Sts. Stephen and Mark. He and his curia acting in his name acknowledged and endorsed our Orthodox and Old Catholic See and its legitimate autocephaly (independence of government from the See of Rome and other Sees) and our Patriarchal office, as well as our ecclesiastical monarchy, family dynasty, and their titular patrimony. It was he whom we succeeded as temporal successor of St. Peter the Apostle, and thus it is in part his legacy that we devoutly perpetuate in that office.

Benedict XVI was a Pope-Bishop of Rome who sought to do his duty as a guardian of the faith and tradition. In that regard, he is an example to all -- particularly to those in church leadership. We institute a period of mourning, therefore, in the Imperial Roman Church and the Pontifical Imperial State of Rome-Ruthenia of thirty days.  

95 Theses against Traditionis Custode

WINSTON-SALEM 4 August 2021 (NRom)

95 Theses against Traditionis Custode

Archbishop William Jones

In the Name of the Crucified and Risen Lord, Amen.

The issuance of the Document Traditionis Custodes has caused undue hardship and persecution within the catholic world. As an ecumenical observer of the circus that the Bishop of Rome has created in this machination, we have taken it upon ourselves to issue this correction of errors in Traditionis Custodes; and to call the Bishop of Rome to amendment of his attitudes against the most sacred traditions and history of the Christian faith.

1. In order to guard tradition, one must work with tradition, and not against it.

2. The bishop of Rome has the power to facilitate the liturgy of the church, but not to outlaw or otherwise ban the celebrations thereof.

3. True paternal concern for the souls under one’s care is best expressed by consulting them on such major decisions, rather than forcing them to submit as though they were slaves like the children of Israel under Pharoah.

4. The liturgical books promulgated by Pope Paul VI may express the Lex Orandi of the modern church, however Pope Francis’ welcoming of a pagan deity known as Pachamama into the sacred precincts of St. Peter’s clearly demonstrates the Lex Credindi of the same.

5. The demand of the Roman pontiff for all people to acknowledge his authority and magisterium before they may pray to God as did their ancestors, is repugnant to the spirit of Christ and the Holy Gospels.

6. The denial of permission for those attached to the Tridentine rite to worship in the same spaces as those who are attached to the post-conciliar liturgy is an abuse of authority, and presents a greater threat to the unity of the Catholic faith than the Latin Liturgy ever has.

7. There exists no precedent in church history for the bishops of the local diocese to be granted authority to deny the faithful access to the liturgy in an approved rite of the church.

8. Priests who currently administer the sacraments according to the pre-conciliar liturgy do not require the permission of the local ordinary in order so to do; as they are granted the authority and right so to do by the church’s own history and law.

9. The bishop of Rome does not hold the authority nor power to abrogate those customs and norms which he may find inconsistent with his own personal agenda; that power alone lies with the councils of the church.

10. The Bishop of Rome does not hold the authority nor the power to overturn the privileges and rites of the church and her ministers, especially those granted by the ecumenical and dogmatic councils; including Trent.

11. The claim that those clergy who celebrate the traditional liturgy are less pastoral than those who do not is based not on fact or evidences; but on personal conjecture of the Bishop of Rome and those who seek to enable the liberal agenda he espouses in his writings.

12. The establishment of groups dedicated to prayer is an abominable abuse of the supposed power of the Bishop of Rome; given that he holds no such right to do so. 

13. Demanding that priests who hold the right to celebrate the liturgy of the church obtain permission so they can continue to “enjoy this faculty” is less an encouragement of conformity; and more a damnable, draconian threat against the sacraments of the Church.

14. If the Bishop of Rome alone can impose or suppress the traditions of the church at whim, then neither the church nor its traditions are held sacred by the one who does so.

15. The wishes of the episcopate in regards to tradition may be important; but their importance is nothing compared to the faith of the people of God and the dignity of the Christian people as a whole.

16. The abuse of the conciliar documents to insinuate that the traditions of the church either began with the council or must be subject to the council is not only against the spirit of the conciliar documents themselves; but a flagrant violation of the sacred tradition of the church.

17. Denying the apostolic mandates and promulgated documents of the Bishop of Rome’s
sainted predecessors not only shows a clear and definite break with the traditions of the
church; but expresses a sense of devilish and selfish pride in the current occupant of Saint
Peter’s chair.

18. The Bishop Rome has demonstrated through this document that he is not only happy to
cast aside the works of previous councils and sainted pontiffs; but even to issue such a
public rebuke and correction of his own predecessor, who is still living.

19. The traditions of the church are not a plaything of the popes, and as such are meant to be
guarded lest the incumbent of the office decide he wishes to reform the church in his own
personal image and tastes.

20. It is not pre-conciliar traditions that are the greatest threat to the church in the modern
era; it is the spirit of post-conciliar pride which believes it alone is superior to all that has
passed, including councils and the apostles themselves.

21. The ‘desire for ecclesial communion’ expressed in Traditionis Custodes is a slap in the
face to those who observe the rites of the church in their traditional form; telling them
they must conform to the new because the bishop of Rome says they have to.

22. The Bishop of Rome has demonstrated that his pastoral concern is only for those who
think like himself, and/ or those who are outside the catholic faith and have no intention
of becoming catholic.

23. The restriction of the tridentine liturgy to strict scheduling and locations expresses less a
pastoral concern for the faithful; and more a prideful statement of believing that the
Bishop of Rome knows what is best for each individual’s spiritual care.

24. The concern of the Bishop of Rome that traditionalists challenge and deny his authority
is a flagrant falsehood; considering true, public, and direct challenges to that same
authority have streamed from the church in Germany for years on end.

25. If there is one church body within the Roman Communion who will cause schism in the
church over the presence of any sense of tradition, it is those who believe that the council
and only the council should be followed.

26. The granting of power to oversee the groups who desire traditional liturgy to the local
ordinaries has already garnered negative and anti-communal fruits; as bishops who claim
union with the successor of Peter kick out priests and communities who desire traditional
worship from their dioceses and churches.

27. The Bishop of Rome does not hold the authority to deny access to the approved liturgies
of Catholic Tradition.

28. The Bishop of Rome does not hold the right to deny the faithful from assembling and
building houses of worship for themselves and their spiritual care.

29. The Bishops of the Church do not hold the authority to deny priests the right to offer
sacraments in the approved rites of the church.

30. The Bishop of Rome demands absolute conformity to his prerogatives and personal
tastes; yet permits those who actively dissent to do as they please, so long as they use the
post-conciliar liturgy.

31. The bestowal of the power to dispose of parishes at whim to the local ordinaries is an
abuse of Papal authority, and repugnant to the word of God; both the written and Living.

32. The office of Bishop exists to further the work of Christ, and to provide for the faithful
entrusted to them; not to deny them the sacraments because it’s not what the bishop likes.

33. The command that the Motu Proprio must be observed regardless of pre-existing
permissions, dispensations, and rights- is an act of despotism, showing unity with the evil
one rather than the spirit of Christ.

34. The command that priests must obtain permission to offer the sacraments in their
traditional form is an abuse of the right of priests to minister to the people of God; in that
it denies the priest the very essence of what his ministry is- to bring the sacraments to
Christ’s own.

35. This Motu Proprio is not in accordance with the spirit of Christ in the Gospels, nor in
accordance with the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

36. This Motu Proprio is based out of personal distaste for the pre-conciliar traditions of the
church; and is a public declaration of the Bishop of Rome’s own hatred rather than
paternal or pastoral care.

37. Traditionis Custodes is not in line with the initiatives of Benedict XVI; but rather a
public rebuke of the work done by him through Summorum Pontificum.

38. Traditionis Custodes expresses great concern for the wishes of the Bishops and
Congregation for the doctrine of the faith; yet holds no concern or interest in the wishes
of the Christian faithful.

39. Traditionis Custodes demonstrates the Bishop of Rome’s lack of concern for the wishes
and desires of the Christian people.

40. The Bishop of Rome holds no right to sit as judge of sacred tradition, only as its assistant.

41. To claim that the Bishop of Rome may judge “the experience” of tradition and decide to
suppress it is a direct violation of the Christian faith, and an offense against the councils
of the church.

42. The expressed desire to “search for ecclesial communion” is laughable, given the
expressed intent of denying the access of people to the sacraments of the church just
because it is in a traditional, approved rite.

43. If the Bishop of Rome may suppress approved liturgies of the church at whim, why does
he only obsess over the Latin Rite; and ignore entirely the other rites within the church
and also those constantly being innovated and changed within the post-conciliar rites?

44. The obsession of the Bishop of Rome with conformity to his machinations demonstrates
the same diabolical mindset which prompted the beginnings of schism and separation
within the church in 1054.

45. It is not the Bishops of the Church which are the visible expression of her unity, but their
common faith and prayer through Christ.

46. The absence of the name of Christ from Traditionis Custodes indicates not only a lack of
inspiration from the same; but a denial of His place in the life of his church.

47. If the Bishop of Rome feels need to admonish the clergy who observe the traditional
liturgy to be “more pastoral” than concerned with “correct celebration of the liturgy”,
then why does he not express the same concern to the papal household or the Cardinalate;
who leech off the people of God’s tithes and give nothing of value in return?

48. The statement “I have considered it appropriate” indicates that the motu proprio is
personally decreed, and given out of a personal distaste for tradition rather than genuine
pastoral concern for souls.

49. Given the reaction of the episcopate across multiple nations and continents to the
issuance of this document; it is clear and apparent to all that the bishops who were
consulted for its drafting were only those who already agreed beforehand with the Bishop
of Rome, and not those who represented any sliver of disagreement with the spirit of the
same.

50. The effects of the motu proprio are deeper and more troublesome than only the exterior
trappings of Latin vs. the vernacular.

51. Traditionis Custodes was issued without concern or regard for those who will be
economically affected by it.

52. Under Traditionis Custodes, bishops now have the right to close down the only parish in
poor communities, especially if they celebrate the traditional liturgy; thus depriving the
people not only of the right to worship, but of the sacraments of Holy Church.

53. This provision to allow the denial of sacraments at Episcopal Whim is an abuse of
authority of the office of Bishop, and a damnable offense against the dignity of the
Christian people and the Faith.

54. There are furthermore apostolates and family-owned businesses who provide vestments,
candles, and other sacred supplies for use in these parishes; who will be negatively
impacted by the absurdity of these provisions.

55. The lack of concern for those who give not only of their time, but of their finances and
other gifts to parishes where the Tridentine liturgy is offered; is an offensive denial of the
validity of the gifts offered by the people of God.

56. The Bishop of Rome expresses a desire that traditional communities be subjected to
Inquisition, to ensure they are in line with the “magisterium of the Supreme Pontiffs”; yet
the current occupant of Saint Peter’s chair expresses by this document that he himself is
not in line with the magisterium of the church or his predecessors.

57. The demand that congregations and religious orders who observe tradition to be subject
to the commands of the Motu Proprio are a violation of the agreements and apostolic
mandates for their erection; which the occupant of Saint Peter’s chair has no authority to
overturn of his own accord.

58. The Bishop of Rome expresses a desire for Unity, but issues a document which divides
the people of God rather than uniting them.

59. The Bishop of Rome expresses a desire for conformity, yet undermines the unity of the
church by attacking those entrusted to his care.

60. The tone of Traditionis Custodes is less one of paternal care, and more that of sarcasm
and hatred that one sees in the political sphere.

61. The Bishop of Rome does not have the power or authority to abrogate Sacred Tradition.

62. The Bishop of Rome does not have the authority to deny the Catholic Faithful access to
the sacraments in their traditional form.

63. The 1986 commission of 9 Cardinals ordered by Pope John Paul II issued report of
findings that Bishops do not have the authority to impose restrictions on the celebration
of the Tridentine Rite, in public or in private.

64. Declaring the current Motu Proprio to be in the ‘spirit’ of Trent and Pius V is not only an
offense to their memory, but diametrically opposed to the intentions and purposes of both
the Dogmatic Council of Trent and Pope Pius V.

65. There is no comparison between the actions of previous pontiffs and this current Motu
Proprio; which is not a pastoral document, but a papal decree against the traditions of the
church.

66. There is no comparison between Summorum Pontificum and Traditionis Custodes,
despite the bishop of Rome claiming they are both in line with the same spirit.

67. The spirit of Summorum Pontificum was one of pastoral concern and reconciliation;
whereas the spirit of Traditionis Custodes is one of immense pride and hatred.

68. The presentation of the Current Bishop of Rome’s machinations as being in accordance
with Sacred Scripture and the traditions of the church is blasphemous; and a greater
heresy than the fathers of the Reformation could ever have come up with.

69. The current occupant of Saint Peter’s chair makes it clear in this decree that he is not
concerned with growth or preservation of souls, but with conformity to his own will.

70. The Bishop of Rome seems perfectly content with issuing condemnations and decrees on
the traditional liturgy as being bad for the church; yet gladly welcomes in those who
bring forth pagan idols and anti-Christian theologies.

71. It is a supreme irony that the Bishop of Rome should claim traditionalists represent a
threat to papal supremacy, while the Amazonian Synod denied his authority to his face in
Saint Peter’s basilica.

72. The work of the church is the preservation and salvation of men’s souls; not mere
conformity with the wishes of bishops.

73. Demanding conformity of all Christians to one form of worship flies in the face of the
unique story of every man’s faith journey; as though their lives are seen as non-important
to the Bishop of Rome who claims to care for them.

74. The Council of Trent may have codified and canonized the Tridentine mass; but even
they granted dispensation and infallible permission for the celebration of other, equally
ancient and traditional rites within the church’s liturgy.

75. The unity that the Bishop of Rome seeks does not exist in the liturgy itself, but in the
faith of the people who worship the Risen Christ.

76. The denial of the faithful’s God-given right to prayer and worship in His holy name
simply because the Roman Pontiff does not like it, is not the act of a shepherd of the
flock of Christ; but an act of Anti-Christ.

77. The restricting of traditional parishes and religious orders within the Roman communion
because the Roman Pontiff does not care for their liturgy; demonstrates a shallow, and
ideologically selfish view of the Petrine Ministry.

78. Traditionis Custodes implies to the faithful who are attached to the Tridentine liturgy,
that their prayers are neither acceptable nor desirable; and that the only way to be
Catholic is to follow the momentary, fleeting opinions of the current Bishop of Rome.

79. The Bishop of Rome claims he is handing over the authority on this to the bishops, yet
Traditionis Custodes even states that the bishops must make their decisions only after
consulting the Holy See.

80. By this condition, the Bishop of Rome sets himself up as the sole arbiter of who may or
may not worship in the traditional rites of the church; an act repugnant to the sacred
scriptures, and the traditions and doctrines of the church.

81. It is apparent from the tone of Traditionis Custodes regarding parishes and religious
communities dedicated to the Tridentine Rite, that the concern of the Bishop of Rome is
more with their money than their souls.

82. It is apparent from the tone of Traditionis Custodes regarding individual priests
celebrating the pre-conciliar liturgies, that the concern of the Bishop of Rome is with
blind compliance; rather than whether they be genuine doctors of souls.

83. It is apparent from the tone of Traditionis Custodes regarding the liturgy, that the Bishop
of Rome believes that only the post-conciliar liturgy is an acceptable expression of
Catholic faith and Identity; and all others must be relegated to the past.

84. It is apparent from the tone of the introduction to Traditionis Custodes, that the Bishop of
Rome feels that his decisions are perfectly acceptable and in line with Catholic teachings;
simply because he is who he is, and not by consulting the church on the matter.

85. It is clear from Traditionis Custodes that the Bishop of Rome and his flatterers who
encouraged and proudly promulgate this document did not bother to consult any of the
clergy or parishes which they intend to suppress by this act.

86. It is clear that the current Bishop of Rome is issuing decrees that are based on personal
vendettas and machinations; reverting the church back to renaissance-era corruption
which prompted the Protestant reformation.

87. The imposing of biased restrictions on communities who seek to preserve the ancient
traditions of the church are counter-productive, and at worst inspired by the spirit of
Anti-Christ.

88. It is clear that by the promulgation of Traditionis Custodes, the Bishop of Rome sets
himself up as a judge of men’s souls; an act repugnant to the nature of the Crucified and
Risen Lord.

89. It is clear by the publication of Traditionis Custodes, that the Bishop of Rome is
attempting to hack away at the branches of the church which he personally dislikes,
regardless of the lasting impact or consequences of his actions.

90. It is painfully obvious by the publication and implementation of this document, that the
Bishop of Rome has set himself up as a contrary authority to Christ himself.

91. It is clear by the attitude of the Bishop of Rome, in issuing this Motu Proprio only days
after he was preserved from harm through a dangerous operation; that the Bishop of
Rome believes his own opinions are semi-divine in nature.

92. It is clear that the intent of the current Bishop of Rome’s design is no less than the
destruction of the Christian faith, inherited by the church over 20 centuries of struggle
and life.

93. It is clear through this motu proprio that the Bishop of Rome has handed over the keys to
the kingdom to those who seek to convert it into a pagan temple to mankind’s selfish
ambitions.

94. The motu proprio is issued in defiance of the Catholic faith and history; and is clearly
targeted at bringing both to naught.

95. It has become painfully obvious that the current attitudes of the authorities in Rome is not
of Christ; but of Anti-Christ.

Patriarchal Encyclical on "Pachamama" and Idolatry

PATRIARCHAL SEE 13 November 2019 (ORCNS) - HIRH Don Rutherford, Florentine Archfather, issued the following Patriarchal encyclical in response to recent issues of pagan idols at the Vatican. 

RVTHERFORDVS I ANG.ITAL. P.I.

Praelatus Ecclesiae Debent Contra Idola Esse Patriarchal Encyclical on Pachamama in the Vatican and General Idolatry in the Holy Church
On the Feast of Saint Didacus, Confessor 

13 November A.D. 2019 

The prelates of the Church must be against idols. That indeed should not have to be said now or ever. Yet, the recent apparent veneration of the pagan idol of Pachamana and use of such pagan idols in the Vatican, including by the Pope, necessitates that we fulfill Our sacred duty to protect, safeguard, and perpetuate the Holy Gospels and the Faith of Jesus Christ. We in Our office, as ecclesiastical successor to the temporal patrimony of Pope Leo X, with Our Roman titular seat in the Stanze di Raffaello in the Holy See and Our titular Roman Catholic church of Santa Maria Antiqua, would fail in Our most sacred duty and obligation, even in the Eternal City to which Our patrimony is so deeply rooted and perpetually connected, if We did not speak clearly and plainly, both to those directly entrusted to Our spiritual oversight and to others of the Christian faithful.

Saint Didacus

At the recent Amazonian Synod, statues of Pachamama, a pagan idol of the indigenous peoples of the Andes, were introduced in the Vatican and used in inappropriate ways in a Christian Church. That included but was not limited to a blessing by the Holy Father himself of at least one such idol. Although pagan imagery may legitimately be kept or displayed in museum settings as examples of art, ancient culture, etc., it may in no way and at no time be kept or displayed by the Christian faithful in any way that might indicate approbation of them, official or otherwise, or that would constitute veneration or could be inferred to constitute veneration. This is even more applicable to the worldwide hierarchy of the Church, for it is to us to whom the faithful look for guidance. If the shepherd does not teach his flock the difference between safe pasture and a perilous cliff, then it can hardly be a surprise when the flock falls off that cliff. Such is the grave responsibility of the shepherd.

We, therefore, call upon the faithful in all communities to join together in acts of spiritual reparation for this atrocity committed in the Vatican and to pray for the conversion of all who participated in such events. We look particularly to Saint Didacus of Alcalá, whose feast we celebrate today, for guidance and intervention. Born in Seville, he was a Franciscan whose ministry involved helping to bring the indigenous people of the Canary Islands to the saving light and love of Our Lord. We further call upon the faithful in all communities to pray for the Holy Father, all prelates of the Holy Church, and all clergy around the world.

A POPULATION THAT DOES NOT CARE FOR CHILDREN AND THE ELDERLY ABUSES THE MEMORY OF THE PAST AND PROMISE FOR THE FUTURE

Vatican City, 13 September 2013 (VIS) – Francis sent a message to participants in the 47th Social Week for Italian Catholics, which will be held from 12 - 15 September in Turin, to commend their choice of the theme “The Family: Hope and Future for Italian Society” and for linking the family with these two concepts. The Pope also commented that for the Christian community, the family is “a path for generations through which faith, love and fundamental moral values are transmitted, as well as concrete solidarity, hard work, patience, and also plans, hope, and future. All of this - which the Christian community lives in the light of faith, hope and charity - it has never kept to herself, but every day it becomes leaven in the dough of society, for the greater common good.”

The tradition of the Social Weeks began in 1907 and one of its promoters was the blessed Giuseppe Toniolo. This will in fact be the first Week convened since his beatification on 28 April 2012. The Weeks are proposed as high profile cultural and ecclesiastical initiatives which aim to face and, if possible, anticipate the at times radical challenges posed by the evolution of society.

“Hope and future”, writes the Pope, “presuppose memory. The memory of the elderly gives us the support we need to continue on our path. The future of society ... is rooted in the elderly and the young: the latter because they have the strength and youth to carry history forward, and the former because they are the source of living memory. A population that does not take care of the elderly and of children and the young has no future, because it abuses both its memory and its promise”.

“As the Church, we offer a concept of the family rooted in the Book of Genesis, of the unity in the difference between man and woman, and the fruitfulness of this complementarity, and we recognise it as an asset for all, as the first natural society. … The family understood in this way remains the first and principle building block of society and of an economy on a human scale. … The consequences, positive or negative, of decisions of a principally cultural or political nature in relation to the family touch upon the various areas of the life of a society and a country”.

In his message, Pope Francis reiterated that we cannot ignore the suffering of many families caused by a lack of employment, housing problems, the fractures that may develop within a family or a marriage, and “the violence that unfortunately lurks and does damage inside our homes”. However at the same time, he concluded, we must remember the “simple, but beautiful and courageous witness given by many families, who experience matrimony and parenthood with joy, illuminated and supported by the grace of the Lord, without fear of facing the moments of the cross that, lived in union with the Lord, do not obstruct the path of love, but rather make it stronger and more complete”.

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From the Archives: Benedict XVI Honors Religious and Laity of Los Angeles Archdiocese

LOS ANGELES 20 July 2010 - Papal honors were conferred on behalf of Pope Benedict XVI on 189 members of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Of this number, 38 were admitted to the Order of Saint Gregory the Great. The others honorees received the Medal Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice and the Benemerenti Medal.

The Order of Saint Gregory the Great was instituted in 1831 is conferred for outstanding service and commitment to the Catholic Church and the Holy Father. The two medals recognize outstanding service to the local church and local ecclesial community. Paul VI removed the privileges and precedence of the Papal nobility, including Papal knights and dames. Today Papal Honors are simply honorary religious gifts.

Recipients of the Order of Gregory the Great were: Michael J. Smith, William Ahmanson, Thomas Barron, Douglas Cooper, Noel Diaz, Michael Enright, John Given, Lawrence Gray, Honorable Stephen Moloney, Patrick Nally, Joseph Page, Robert Pernecky, Dante Puccinelli, Scott Scherer, Daniel Schwala, John Smet, Brian Stevens, Dr. John Van Dyke, M.D., John Van Dyke, Laughlin Waters, Nicholas Weber, Cheryl Baker, Rosa Cumare, Patricia Gray, Phyllis Hennigan, Elizabeth Hotaling, Angela Howell, Carolyn Ludwig, Barbara McAndrews, Judith McDonald, Caroline Norman, Patricia O'Keefe, Sally Pernecky, Margareta Stark, Maria Uribe, Celeste Von Der Ahe, and Dianne Wilson.

Recipients of the Medal Pro Ecclesia and Pontifice or t he Benemerenti Medal were: Maria Brown, Sylvia
DeVillers, Dot Goerisch, Sally Kutcher, Bernadette Gurule, Geraldine Biggs McGrath, Ola Ostlund, Paul
Salamunovich, Don Williams, and Joanne Williams.

ALLIANZ AWARDS FR. FEDERICO LOMBARDI AS COMMUNICATOR OF THE YEAR

Vatican City, 18 April 2013 (VIS) – The German multinational financial services company Allianz Group, present in over 70 countries and with over 78 million clients worldwide, has awarded the Director of the Holy See Press Office, Fr. Federico Lombardi, S.J., as their Communicator of the Year.

The prize was awarded this morning during a meeting of the company's communications directors who meet once a year in a European capital to analyse themes and strategies tied to the world of communications with the assistance of experts in the field.

Among the reasons for this year's award, Allianz notes that Fr. Lombardi “represents the key to understanding and interpreting the Holy See with great refinement and experience, without seeking to make himself the protagonist.” The text of the award adds that the Press Office Director has always been “at the service of information, from both the side of the one who has it as well as that of the one who seeks it.”

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POPE FRANCIS SHARES SORROW OF PLAZA DE MAYO MOTHERS

Vatican City, 18 April 2013 (VIS) - “The Holy Father shares your sorrow, and that of the many mothers and families who have and are suffering the tragic loss of their loved ones at this moment in Argentina's history.” These are the words that the Pope addressed to Hebe de Bonafini, president of the Association of the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo, in a letter dated 10 April and signed by Msgr. Antoine Camilleri, under-secretary for the Holy See’s Relations with States.

The Bishop of Rome thus responded to the letter that Hebe de Bonafini sent to him this past 21 March, gladdened by Cardinal Bergoglio's commitment in the “slums” of Buenos Aires and asking him to join with “all those in this unjust world who are fighting for an end to poverty.”

The Pope, writes Msgr. Camilleri, expresses his gratitude for the letter and responds to “your kindness, asking God for the strength for the fight, in the ministry that he has just accepted, for the eradication of poverty in the world, so that the suffering of so many who are in need might cease. His Holiness appreciates and highly esteems those who are close to the most disadvantaged and who make the effort to assist them, understand them, and meet their aspirations. In his prayers, he also asks that those responsible for the common good be enlightened so that they might fight the scourge of poverty with effective, equable, and caring means.”

The letter concludes with the Pope's blessing “as a sign of hope and support, at the same time asking the favour that they pray for and have prayers said for him.”

The Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo is an association of Argentinian mothers created in 1977 to denounce the disappearance of their children during the time of the Military Junta that controlled Argentina from 1976 to 1983. Since 1977 they have assembled every Thursday in the Plaza de Mayo in front of the Casa Rosada (the “Pink House”, seat of the Argentinian government) to protest for the crimes committed during that era and to keep alive the memory of the desaparecidos.

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INCONSISTENCY OF PASTORS AND FAITHFUL UNDERMINES CHURCH’S CREDIBILITY

Vatican City, 15 April 2013 (VIS) – Yesterday afternoon, Pope Francis presided over Mass at Saint Paul Outside-the-Walls on his first visit to that basilica as Bishop of Rome. Concelebrating with the Holy Father were Cardinal James Michael Harvey, archpriest of the basilica, and Abbot Edmund Power, O.S.B., of the St. Paul Outside-the-Walls Abbey.

In his homily, the Holy Father recalled that the basilica is built above the tomb of St. Paul, “a great yet humble Apostle of the Lord, who proclaimed him by word, bore witness to him by martyrdom and worshipped him with all his heart.” He added that these were the three words—proclamation, witness, worship—that he wanted to reflect upon in light of the Word of God in the liturgy's readings.
Commenting on the first reading, in which the Apostles are imprisoned for preaching of the Risen Christ, the Pope observed that Peter and the Twelve “proclaim courageously, fearlessly, what they have received: the Gospel of Jesus. And we? Are we capable of bringing the word of God into the environment in which we live? Do we know how to speak of Christ, of what He represents for us, in our families, among the people who form part of our daily lives? Faith is born from listening, and is strengthened by proclamation.”

“The proclamation made by Peter and the Apostles,” he emphasized, “does not merely consist of words: fidelity to Christ affects their whole lives, which are changed, given a new direction, and it is through their lives that they bear witness to the faith and to the proclamation of Christ. In today’s Gospel, Jesus asks Peter three times to feed his flock, to feed it with his love, and He prophesies to him: 'When you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish to go'. These words are addressed first and foremost to those of us who are pastors: we cannot feed God’s flock unless we let ourselves be carried by God’s will even where we would rather not go, unless we are prepared to bear witness to Christ with the gift of ourselves, unreservedly, not in a calculating way, sometimes even at the cost of our lives.”

“But this also applies to everyone: we all have to proclaim and bear witness to the Gospel. … In God’s great plan, every detail is important, even yours, even my humble little witness, even the hidden witness of those who live their faith with simplicity in everyday family relationships, work relationships, friendships. There are the saints of every day, the 'hidden' saints, a sort of 'middle class of holiness', as a French author said, that 'middle class of holiness' to which we can all belong.”

“But in different parts of the world, there are also those who suffer ... on account of the Gospel; there are those who give their lives in order to remain faithful to Christ ... Let us all remember this: one cannot proclaim the Gospel of Jesus without the tangible witness of one’s life. I am thinking now of some advice that Saint Francis of Assisi gave his brothers: 'Preach the Gospel and, if necessary, use words'. Preaching with your life, with your witness. Inconsistency on the part of pastors and the faithful between what they say and what they do, between word and manner of life, is undermining the Church’s credibility.”

“All this is possible only if we recognize Jesus Christ, because it is He who has called us, He who has invited us to travel his path, He who has chosen us. Proclamation and witness are only possible if we are close to him, just as Peter, John and the other disciples in today’s Gospel passage were gathered around the Risen Jesus. … And this is important for us: living an intense relationship with Jesus, an intimacy of dialogue and of life, in such a way as to recognize him as 'the Lord'. Worshipping him!”

“I would like all of us to ask ourselves this question: [ask yourself, ask myself] Do we worship the Lord? Do we turn to God only to ask him for things, to thank him, or do we also turn to him to worship him? What does it mean, then, to worship God? … All of us, in our own lives, consciously and perhaps sometimes unconsciously, have a very clear order of priority concerning the things we consider important. Worshipping the Lord means giving him the place that He must have; worshipping the Lord means stating, believing—not only by our words—that He alone truly guides our lives; worshipping the Lord means that we are convinced before him that He is the only God, the God of our lives, the God of our history.”

“This has a consequence in our lives,” the pontiff noted. “We have to empty ourselves of the many small or great idols that we have and in which we take refuge and upon which we often seek to base our security. They are idols that we sometimes keep well hidden; they can be ambition, careerism, a taste for success, placing ourselves at the centre, the tendency to dominate others, the claim to be the sole masters of our lives, some sins to which we are bound, and many others. This evening I would like a question to resound in each of your hearts, and I would like you to answer it honestly: Have I considered which idol lies hidden in my life that prevents me from worshipping the Lord? Worshipping is stripping ourselves of our idols, even the most hidden ones, and choosing the Lord as the centre, as the privileged path of our lives.”

“The Lord,” concluded the Bishop of Rome, “calls us each day to follow him with courage and fidelity. He has made us the great gift of choosing us as his disciples. He invites us to proclaim him with joy as the Risen one, but He asks us to do so by word and by the witness of our lives, in daily life. The Lord is the only God of our lives, and He invites us to strip ourselves of our many idols and to worship him alone. To proclaim, to witness, to worship.”

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Statement by the Patriarch of St. Stephen on the Election of Pope Francis

ROME 18 March 2013 (ACNS) - Text of the statement by the Patriarch of St. Stephen on the Election of Pope Francis. 

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Pope Francis has captivated the world with his humble and endearing ways. Not yet a week ago a great joy was announced to the world that Jorge Mario Cardinal Bergoglio was elected as successor to Saint Peter, becoming the first Pope in history to take the name of Francis. He chose his Papal name in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi. Pope Francis certainly has demonstrated in his own ministry as much caring for the poor as his holy namesake. 

As the earthly ministry of our own glorious Patron Saint Stephen was largely devoted to the care of the Roman poor, this is a point very dear to us. Indeed the Church stands as a representative of the poor, the infirmed, the oppressed, and the marginalized people of the world. As St. Stephen's brother Roman deacon St. Lawrence stated to his captors, the poor are the true treasure of the Church. 

Both Stephen and Lawrence were martyred for their faith. Pope Francis said, even before becoming Pope, that we must defend the unborn even if we are taken to court or killed. Here stands before us on the throne of Saint Peter a man who understands the duty to live the Christian faith no matter the cost. 

Now let us return to the Holy Father's namesake, Saint Francis of Assisi. He was a nobleman who gave up his wealth to take up his own cross and follow the Lord. He, like our own modern Francis, lived a life of austerity. St. Francis gave up worldly treasure and laid up instead a treasure for himself in heaven. St. Francis abandoned worldly ambition and instead focused all his efforts towards the Church. Thus he was a great supporter and guardian of the Sacred Traditions of the Church. To St. Francis, nothing was too good to be given to our Lord. He ensured a strict and great reverence for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and gave unwavering and ungrudging obedience to the hierarchy of the Church. What a wonderful blessing it is to see these same traits in the Holy Father, Pope Francis. 

What can we as Christians learn from the Holy Father even in this first week of his Pontificate? First, His Holiness stood greeting the people surrounded by the beauty of the Vatican as a man who has given up everything for Christ. There is an example for us all! Our own merit is nothing! Let us all give up our worldly ambition, which is a process that must be one of continual renewal. Let all glory be for Christ and let all beauty be only that which reflects the power, majesty, and radiant splendor of almighty God! 

Next, let us learn and remember that humility is not a shunning of tradition, but an embracing of it. As we embrace the two thousand year traditions of Christ's Holy Church, we necessarily diminish ourselves and submit in humility to Christ. That is true humility. 

Above all, let us learn from the Holy Father's example of service to the poor. I saw before me a man who, like Christ and Saint Francis, suffers for the poor; a man who, like St. Stephen, St. Lawrence, and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ would lay down his own life for others. There is the ultimate love!

I have long said that the world needs more love, and that true love in Christ is the only true solution to the problems facing the world today. Here with Francis we have a Pope who not only promotes that love, he lives it. 

Habemus Papam! Cardinal Bergoglio elected Supreme Pontiff

ROME 13 March 2013 (ACNS) - In the fifth vote, Jorge Cardinal Bergoglio from Argentina was elected as Supreme Pontiff to succeed Pope Benedixct XVI. He chose to be known as Francis.

Patriarch of St. Stephen's statement on the resignation of Benedict XVI

11 February 2013 (ACNS) - The Patriarch of Saint Stephen made the following statement in response to the announcement of Pope Benedict XVI that he intends to resign at the end of the month.

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It was with extreme sadness that I learned of the Holy Father's pending resignation to take place at  the end of the month. Benedict XVI was (and still is) both a forward-looking leader and one who is well-grounded in faith and tradition. This is not a unique combination of traits, but it is not common. What has made Benedict such a good Pope is his true humility. This is not a false humility or humility as so many people wrongly understand it. It is not failing to exercise the Petrine office to the fullest. He was (and still is) the Pope, and he took his office seriously. Rather, the humility that Benedict possesses is that true humility which is a complete surrender to the will of God. This is what has made Benedict such a special and effective Pope in this crucial time in history when secularism has threatened the faith from without and modernism has threatened the faith from within. The gates of hell shall not prevail against the Holy Church, and I believe it is in fulfillment of that promise of our Lord that people like Benedict come to the Petrine office.

We wish the Holy Father a blessed and spiritually rewarding retirement and thank him for the kindness which he has shown us. It will never be forgotten. Now let us all follow the Holy Father's example of trusting in the Lord and doing His will. Let us never be afraid for the future of the Church, and let us be always thankful for this period in which the Church has been blessed with the pontificate of Joseph Ratzinger, Benedict XVI.

Mass of Thanksgiving Celebrated in Peoria for the Venerable Fulton Sheen

PEORIA 9 September 2012 (ACNS) - A mass of thanksgiving was celebrated in Peoria, Illinois, to celebrate the declaration of Archbishop Fulton Sheen as "the Venerable" by the Holy Father earlier this year. The mass was celebrated by the Most Rev. Daniel Jenky, Bishop of Peoria, the home diocese of the Venerable Fulton Sheen. From this point, Sheen may be beatified, declaring him a "Blessed." After that, it is possible that he will be canonized as a Saint by the Holy Father in Rome. For more information about this event, read this article. For more about Fulton Sheen, visit this website.

Cardinal Keith O'Brien Calls Scotland to Defend the Truth about Marriage

GLASKOW, Scotland, UK (Catholic Online) - Keith Patrick Cardinal O'Brien is one of many heroic Catholic Bishops who have taken their place on the front line of the battle of our age to defend true marriage and the family and society founded upon it. Read the entire article by Deacon Keith Fournier at Catholic Online.

SPECIAL REPORT: Pope Benedict and the Crisis over Sexual Abuse

by Staff

As recent news events have shown, the sexual abuse crisis is not unique to the Roman Catholic Church. Yet, this has not lightened the fury of attacks against Pope Benedict and the Vatican. A recent report on CNN entitled "What the Pope Knew" was filled with stories of sexual abuse in the church which were then alleged to be linked to Pope Benedict. This agenda-driven, one-sided, and generally biased program appears linked to the agenda of Jeffrey Anderson, the lawyer who wishes to lay the groundwork for a legal case against the Vatican.

What is most shocking is CNN's lack of interest in making a real contribution to solving abuse issues. Instead they seem more interested in ratings gained by attacking the church. This seems to be the agenda of the mass media these days in general. Instead of presenting the facts in a fair and unbiased manner, they add spin to promote agendas. In doing so, though, they miss many opportunities to make a truly positive impact on the world.

Read more here on Our Sunday Visitor.

Pope Benedict XVI Makes Historic Visit to the United Kingdom

by Staff

19 September 2010


Pope Benedict XVI & Archbishop Williams


Pope Benedict XVI made an historic visit the to United Kingdom this weekend, visiting with Archbishop Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury, and his wife at Lambeth Palace, addressing Parliament, and visiting with Queen Elizabeth II. The trip was in part to support relations between the Roman and Anglican Rites, as well as to beatify the great English theologian, Cardinal Newman. Newman was, if not the first, then the most famous of modern Anglo-Catholics. He serves as an inspiration to both Anglicans and Roman Catholics, and his beatification should increase that inspiration.
Writing in Church Forum., Newman and Escriva., Fr. Arroyo Martinez, PhD., University of the Holy Cross, Rome., edited from the larger work Rt.Rev. Keith P. Steinhurst, highlights Fr. Martinez's illustration of 'constant formation' and 'freedom of conscience' while living in the 'example of the first Christians' wherein the teachings of H.Em. Cardinal Newman and St. Josemaria resonate.


Blessed Cardinal Newman


Tracing a link between St .Josemaria Escriva and Cardinal John Henry Newman might seem forced, the comparison between these two monumental figures in the life of the Church, one in the nineteenth century and the other in the twentieth, could appear slender. Still, their social, cultural and historical backgrounds and contexts while different, +Newman being an Anglican convert to Catholicism, an essayist, and apologist while +Escriva a Spaniard and founder of an institution within the Church, nonetheless, they exhibit a spiritual harmony that parallels their pastoral interests. Both +Newman and +Escriva described the role of the laity within the Church and both suffered for preaching this role, that the Church, as recipient of the deposit of divine revelation, cannot do without the lay faithful, as without them, she would lose a valuable source of faith, the result being a diminution of the genuine nature of the Church, reducing her solely to the ordained ministers and the hierarchy.

St Josemaria +Escriva long maintained that the laity are called to the fullness of Christian life and to sanctity through work. He insisted that lay people are not second-class Christians, but have a specific divine call of their own inclusive of the vocation to marriage, and as such a specific way of following and doing Gods will in the Church and throughout the world. What +Newman would term the sense of faith, +Escriva called, perhaps colloquially, the Catholic nose of the People of God.
(1) Constant formation: Both +Newman and +Escriva saw clearly that the simple fact of being laity in the Church does not make people into spokesmen of the Holy Spirit. They need deep Christian study and formation and an ongoing effort to live in accordance with their faith. +Newman dedicated his intellectual and pastoral efforts to this aim stating famously that "I want a laity, not arrogant, not rash in speech, not disputatious, but men [and women] who know their religion, who enter into it, who know just where they stand, who know what they hold and what they do not, who know their creed so well that they can give an account of it, who know so much of history that they can defend it. I want an intelligent, well-instructed laity. I wish [them] to enlarge [their] knowledge, to cultivate [their] reason, to get an insight into the relation of truth to truth, to learn to view things as they are, to understand how faith and reason stand to each other, what are the bases and principles of Catholicism" (Sermon 9, Duties of Catholics towards the Protestant View, 1851)." +Escriva sought to remind everyone of the universal call to holiness, and make it accessible. The Work he founded not only tries to remind people that they should be saints in their ordinary lives, but to show them how, offering the help they need in order to achieve it. He himself defined the Opus Dei as an immense work of catechesis, because it offers specific formation, especially shaped to enable people to develop what he termed unity of life living in accord with their faith at each moment of the day.

(2) Example of the first Christians: Both +Newman and +Escriva knew that what they were proposing was really nothing new it is as old and as novel as the Gospel, said +Escriva. Both took the lives of the early Christians as their source of inspiration, since, as +Newman said, Christians need to look to them to recover the fullness of the faith. Both stressed the need to achieve a deep unity between faith and reason, on the basis of scientific study in the fields of both sacred and profane learning. Thus, for example, +Escriva required all Opus Dei priests to be experts in some field of academic study all of them have University degrees, and many of them have doctorates. At the same time, he wanted Opus Dei lay-people to study theology and related subjects, to doctorate level when appropriate. +Newman said, "I want the intellectual layman to be religious, and the devout ecclesiastic to be intellectual (Sermon 1, Intellect the Instrument of Religious Training, preached in the University Church, Dublin, feast of St. Monica, Sunday after Ascension, 1856)."
(3) Freedom of consciences: Both +Newman and +Escriva had a deep love for the truth, and refused to elevate conscience to an autonomous principle of morality. While both insisted on the need to form ones conscience, in moral and doctrinal questions, under the guidance of the Churchs Magisterium, both also proclaimed what we could term a freedom of consciences in temporal matters. +Escriva preached tirelessly about the laitys freedom and autonomy in political and social questions, explaining that there should be no ecclesiastical interference or pressure on them in such matters. The laity should, however, strive to be consistent with their faith and faithful to their consciences. They should never allow themselves, he maintained, to separate any of their actions from the dictates of their consciences, but should shoulder full moral responsibility for all that they do. +Newman, in turn, spoke and wrote in depth about the value of conscience as the place of our encounter with God, the deepest truth of mans being, and what drives all moral action.

Though many more aspects of the parallel in teaching of both men could be highlighted, such as the need to combine devotion and doctrine; the need for theologians to do their work prudently and responsibly, in full union with the Church; and a deep understanding of the Church as Mystery and sacrament, which, together with a human element, leads to communion with the divine; The three precepts described above justify the harmony of Catholic thought exhibited between His Eminence John Henry +Cardinal Newman and Saint Josemaria +Escriva.