On June 10, 2004, Pope John Paul II announced a special Year of the Eucharist, which would begin in October of that year and last until October 2005.
It was not the first special year that John Paul II proclaimed.
In fact, it followed close on the heels of the Year of the Rosary (2002-2003), which itself followed the multi-year cycle leading up to the Great Jubilee Year 2000.
Periodically, popes proclaim special, yearlong celebrations to mark important events in the life of the Church and to focus attention on particular aspects of the faith.
While the Year of the Eucharist was not John Paul II’s first such year, it would be his last. He passed away in the midst of the celebration.
At the time, some thought it significant that he passed away during a year devoted to a theme so close to his heart.
When the new pope, Benedict XVI, was elected, he continued the celebration of the Year of the Eucharist, including events planned for it, such as a World Youth Day and a special Synod of Bishops on the Eucharist.
So while he had not proclaimed this year, Benedict XVI completed it.
In time, he called his own specially-themed years. The first of these was the Pauline Year, devoted to St. Paul. This year ran from June 2008 to June 2009. It was timed to coincide with the 2,000th anniversary of St. Paul’s birth, which is generally placed between A.D. 7 and 10.
Jesus appeared to three of his disciples in the mysterious event known as the Transfiguration. What was happening here? What did it mean? Here are 10 things you need to know!
The Gospel reading for the Second Sunday of Lent commemorates the mysterious event known as the Transfiguration.
This event is hard to understand. Why did it happen? What did it mean?
Here are 10 things you need to know.
1. What does the word “transfiguration” mean?
The word “transfiguration” comes from the Latin roots trans– (“across”) and figura (“form, shape”). It thus signifies a change of form or appearance.
This is what happened to Jesus in the event known as the Transfiguration: His appearance changed and became glorious.
Before looking at the Transfiguration itself, it’s important that we look at what happened immediately before it in Luke’s Gospel.
2. What happened right before the Transfiguration?
In Luke 9:27, at the end of a speech to the twelve apostles, Jesus adds, enigmatically:
“There are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.”
This has often been taken as a prophecy that the end of the world would occur before the first generation of Christians died out.
The phrase “kingdom of God” can also refer to other things, though, including the Church–the outward expression of God’s invisible kingdom.
The kingdom is embodied in Christ himself and thus might be “seen” if Christ were to manifest it in an unusual way, even in his own earthly life.
February 22 is the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter. Here are 9 things you need to know about it.
Yes, there is a physical object known as “the Chair of St. Peter.”
It is housed at the Vatican, at the back of St. Peter’s basilica.
February 22 is the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter.
And there is more to the story.
Here are 9 things you need to know . . .
1. What is the Chair of Peter?
It depends on what you mean.
On the one hand, there is a physical object–an ancient, ornamented chair–located in the apse of St. Peter’s Basilica.
On the other hand, there is the spiritual authority that this chair represents.
Here we will look at both the physical object and the spiritual reality it represents.
2. What is the physical Chair of St. Peter?
This object–known as the Cathedra Petri (Latin, “Chair of Peter”)–is located in the apse of St. Peter’s Basilica. It is in the back of the chamber, behind the famous altar, on the far, back wall, below the the well-known, stained glass image depicting the Holy Spirit as a dove (see above).
This display contains an ancient chair that has been repaired and ornamented over time.
The Catholic Encyclopedia states of the original chair:
The seat is about one foot ten inches above the ground, and two feet eleven and seven-eighths inches wide; the sides are two feet one and one-half inches deep; the height of the back up to the tympanum is three feet five and one-third inches; the entire height of the chair is four feet seven and one-eighth inches.
According to the examination then made by Padre Garucci and Giovanni Battista de Rossi, the oldest portion is a perfectly plain oaken arm-chair with four legs connected by cross-bars.
The wood is much worm-eaten, and pieces have been cut from various spots at different times, evidently for relics.
To the right and left of the seat four strong iron rings, intended for carrying-poles, are set into the legs.
Pope Benedict has announced his resignation from the papacy. What popes have done this before, and how has it changed the Church?
In the wake of Pope Benedict’s announcement that he is resigning from the papacy, I thought I would speak with the historian Dr. Andrew Jones about the history of papal resignations.
While it hasn’t happened often in history, there have been popes who have resigned before, and their resignations (technically, their renunciations of the papacy) have left a lasting impact on Church history.
There are also some fascinating cases where we aren’t quite sure what happened.
In this episode of the Jimmy Akin Podcast, Dr. Jones and I begin to go through the cases, explaining what happened, what we know, and what impact the papal resignations have had.
First of two parts.
Here are links to the web sites mentioned in the show:
Jesus fasted in the desert for 40 days and then was tempted by the devil. What is going on in this mysterious incident?
This Sunday the gospel reading speaks of a mysterious event, just after Jesus’ baptism, in which he was tempted by the devil in the wilderness.
How could Jesus–the All-Holy Son of God–be tempted?
Why did this event happen, and what was going on?
Here are 9 things you need to know about Jesus’ “temptations” . . . and ours.
1. Why did Jesus go into the desert after his Baptism?
Empowered and led by the Holy Spirit, Jesus spent forty days fasting in the desert in preparation for his ministry, which his baptism inaugurated. Click here for more information on his baptism.
Forty days recalls various periods of preparation in the Old Testament, including the forty days Moses spent fasting and with God on Mt. Zion at the giving of the Law (Ex. 34:28), the forty days the Israelites spent spying out the Promised Land (Num. 13:25), and the forty years that the Israelites spent wandering in the wilderness before entering the Promised Land (Num. 14:34).
Should we have holy water in the fonts during Lent or should they turn into little ash trays? What does the Church say?
Like other liturgical seasons, Lent has its own special rules, and there are certain things that should not be done in Lent.
Here are 6 of them . . .
1. Instrumental music with no singing
In some parishes, instrumental music is used at certain points during Mass. A passage will be played on an organ or on another instrument or instruments, even though nobody is singing.
But not in Lent (with a few exceptions).
The General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) states:
313. In Lent the playing of the organ and musical instruments is allowed only in order to support the singing. Exceptions, however, are Laetare Sunday (Fourth Sunday of Lent), Solemnities, and Feasts.
2. Singing or saying the Gloria
Just after Sunday Mass begins, it is common to sing or say the Gloria (“Glory to God in the highest”).
But not on the Sundays of Lent.
The General Instruction states:
53. The Gloria in excelsis (Glory to God in the highest) . . . is sung or said on Sundays outside Advent and Lent, and also on Solemnities and Feasts, and at particular celebrations of a more solemn character.
3. Singing or saying the Alleleuia before the Gospel
Yesterday I was interviewed by KPBS–the local PBS affiliate–on the resignation of Pope Benedict and the upcoming conclave.
It was a brief segment–just five minutes, and they told us in advance that they were going to ask like six questions in that five minutes, so we have to be really concise.
What I was most interested in was the whole partisan/political way they tried to frame the issue. It was far more nakedly political than I’d guessed, especially for a network that tries to project an attitude of impartiality.
Would you like to express your love and gratitude to Pope Benedict for his service to the Church? Here is a way you can do it.
After I heard the news that Pope Benedict was renouncing the papacy, I felt moved to record a brief, from-the-heart video expressing my thoughts and feelings. (I don’t like the word “renounce” either, but it is the technically correct term, and it was used by Pope Benedict in his announcement.)
I decided to do the video unscripted, in the form of a video open letter to Pope Benedict, expressing my admiration for him and my gratitude for his service to the Church.
I know he doesn’t know who I am and that he may never see the video, but I wanted to do it anyway.
I have very much valued the service Pope Benedict has given the Church. I have been an admirer of his for many years before he was elected pope, and his service to the Church was already staggering.
When he agreed to shoulder the burden of being the successor of St. Peter, the vicar of Christ, I cheered!
I had been afraid to let my hopes get up that he would be elected pope, but he was!
He is an awesome teacher and a man of deep thought, profound piety, and amazing humility.
I will miss him terribly. I respect and accept his decision. But I could not let this occasion pass without expressing the burden of my heart.
Here’s the video . . .
Now that I’ve had my say, it’s time for yours.
After making the video, it struck me that it would be possible to get people’s expressions of love and gratitude to Pope Benedict after he leaves office. (He’ll be far too busy beforehand.)
Therefore, I invite you to use the comments box to express your prayers and best wishes to Pope Benedict.
After his departure, I will print your messages in a large-type, easy-to-read format and send it to him, along with a cover letter again expressing my own gratitude to him.
(Before sending it, I will also delete any inappropriate messages, so keep it positive.)
But please, do, let him know how much you love him and value his service as the successor of St. Peter and how you support him at this challenging time.
Pope Benedict XVI has announced his resignation. Here is the full statement and first reaction.
Pope Benedict has announced his resignation and the election of a new pontiff.
This is not a joke.
This is the first time this has happened since 1415.
Here is Pope Benedict’s statement and some first thoughts on it.
The Statement
Here’s the full statement from Pope Benedict on his resignation:
Dear Brothers,
I have convoked you to this Consistory, not only for the three canonizations, but also to communicate to you a decision of great importance for the life of the Church.
After having repeatedly examined my conscience before God, I have come to the certainty that my strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry.
I am well aware that this ministry, due to its essential spiritual nature, must be carried out not only with words and deeds, but no less with prayer and suffering.
However, in today’s world, subject to so many rapid changes and shaken by questions of deep relevance for the life of faith, in order to govern the bark of Saint Peter and proclaim the Gospel, both strength of mind and body are necessary, strength which in the last few months, has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me.
For this reason, and well aware of the seriousness of this act, with full freedom I declare that I renounce the ministry of Bishop of Rome, Successor of Saint Peter, entrusted to me by the Cardinals on 19 April 2005, in such a way, that as from 28 February 2013, at 20:00 hours, the See of Rome, the See of Saint Peter, will be vacant and a Conclave to elect the new Supreme Pontiff will have to be convoked by those whose competence it is.
Dear Brothers, I thank you most sincerely for all the love and work with which you have supported me in my ministry and I ask pardon for all my defects.
And now, let us entrust the Holy Church to the care of Our Supreme Pastor, Our Lord Jesus Christ, and implore his holy Mother Mary, so that she may assist the Cardinal Fathers with her maternal solicitude, in electing a new Supreme Pontiff.
With regard to myself, I wish to also devotedly serve the Holy Church of God in the future through a life dedicated to prayer.
First thoughts . . .
1. I’m disappointed. I think Pope Benedict is an amazing teacher, and I have truly valued his time as pope.
2. I have to accept his judgment. He knows his personal situation and the demands of his office better than I do. If he thinks it’s time to go, I have to respect that.
3. It’s not entirely a surprise. He himself has said things before that indicated this could someday be a live possibility for him.
4. It’s not without precedent. A number of popes have resigned before, most recently in 1415, when Gregory XII resigned.
5. It’s good that this happened “out of the blue,” rather than when there were calls for a papal resignation. The latter could encourage divisiveness (that is, if dissidents got the idea that all they had to do to oust a pope they don’t like is make a big enough stink).
We know that John Paul II thought about resigning repeatedly but didn’t, likely in significant part because there were calls for his resignation and it would have set a terrible precedent.
6. While there were no resignations for almost 600 years, just as there were no non-Italian popes for 450 years, we’re probably going to see more of both in the future.
While the next pope might be an Italian, the diversification of the college of cardinals has already resulted in a trend toward non-Italian cardinals. That will continue.
More to the present subject, the on-the-job demands for a pope have gone up in recent years. Being the leader and public face of the billion-member Catholic Church in a time of rapid change and diminishing faith is not an easy task.
At the same time, advancing medical technology means increasingly long lifespans with a longer period of frail health.
It is not easy to be eighty five (Pope Benedict’s age) or ninety or ninety five and feel confident steering the ship of Peter in today’s world.
Unless we get really wizard regenerative medical technology really soon, we’re likely to have more popes in that kind of situation, and thus there are likely to be more resignations in the future.
7. Pope Benedict may follow the pattern of previously resigned popes and spend the rest of his days in a monastery. Alternately, he may live quietly with his brother. Either way, he will do his best to stay out of the public eye so as to give his successor the freest hand possible. (This is the same thing that usually happens when a U.S. president leaves office; it’s traditional for him to more-or-less vanish, at least for a time.)
8. The fact that Pope Benedict chose to do this now, just before Lent begins, so that his resignation takes place in two weeks and we should have a new pope before Easter, means that his deterioration of health is serious. This is also the case in view of the big agenda he set for this year (the Year of Faith) and that he will now not complete.
9. I hope he does release his new encyclical–on faith–before his resignation is effective. His successor could release it anyway, with any suitable modifications he deemed appropriate. Or it could not come out at all. But I hope it will, and under Pope Benedict’s name, while he’s still pope.
10. Let us all fervently pray for both Pope Benedict, for his successor, and for the Church.
On June 10, 2004, Pope John Paul II announced a special Year of the Eucharist, which would begin in October of that year and last until October 2005.
