As the Church and the world mourn the death of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, we lift him in prayer to the Lord whom he served his entire life with such great devotion and faith; we also ponder his spiritual legacy with gratitude.
Tag: Pope Benedict XVI
Statement from Bishop Hying on the death of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI
I join my prayers to those of millions around the world, as we mourn the passing of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. We are all grateful for his generous service to the Church, as a priest, theologian, professor, bishop, cardinal, and for his leadership of the Dicastery of the Doctrine of the Faith during the pontificate of Pope Saint John Paul II, and his fruitful years as our Holy Father, the pope. His leadership of the Church at the time of Pope Saint John Paul II’s death, the funeral, and the days leading up to the papal conclave particularly stands out.
Farewell to Year of Faith: It opened the door to deeper faith and a desire to share it
Since October 11, 2012, the Catholic Church throughout the world has been observing a special Year of Faith. In his apostolic letter Porta Fidei (“The Door of Faith”), Pope Benedict XVI asked Catholics to experience a conversion — to turn back to Jesus and enter into a deeper relationship with him.
The pope noted that the “door of faith” is opened at Baptism, but during this Year of Faith Catholics were asked to open it again, to walk through it and rediscover and renew their relationship with Christ and his Church.
The first day of the Year of Faith coincided with the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council and the 20th anniversary of the publishing of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Pope Benedict asked Catholics to study and reflect on the documents of Vatican II and the Catechism to deepen their knowledge of the faith.
Virtual World Youth Day: Join with Pope Francis and young people in prayer
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Even though most of us can’t be in Rio De Janeiro this week, we can still join Pope Francis and hundreds of thousands of young people in prayer as they gather for World Youth Day (WYD).
As a “friend” of WYD on Facebook, I’ve been receiving updates and countdowns to the big event for many months. I almost feel like I’m making the trip myself!
I would encourage interested persons to follow WYD on its Facebook Page (World Youth Day Rio 2013). Of course, the Catholic Herald’s own Facebook Page (Madison Catholic Herald) as well as our website (www.madisoncatholicherald.org) and Twitter (@CHMadison) will be carrying coverage of WYD. Our website will include updates from Catholic News Service in English as well as in Spanish.
The Eucharist — Believe it: We truly encounter Jesus’ presence
During this Year of Faith, the Catholic Church is asking all of us to reflect on various aspects of our faith and its meaning in our daily lives.
When Pope Benedict XVI talked about the reasons for calling for a Year of Faith, he said that one of his considerations was that it would provide an opportunity “to intensify the celebration of the faith in the liturgy, especially in the Eucharist, which is the summit towards which the activity of the Church is directed and also the source from which all its power flows” (Porta Fidei).
Pope Benedict’s words are actually taken from a document of the Second Vatican Council called Lumen Gentium, the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, which calls the Eucharist “the source and summit of Christian life.”
Christ is really present in the Eucharist
Our Catholic faith teaches us that Jesus Christ is really present in the Eucharist. At the Last Supper Jesus changed bread and wine into his body and blood. This is a key doctrine of our faith.
What is sad is that surveys have shown that many Catholics do not believe in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Some only believe that the bread and wine are symbols, not the real body and blood of Christ.
Qualities needed for the unique papal office
At the point at which John Paul II began his papacy in the first volume of my biography of him, Witness to Hope, I borrowed some thoughts from Hans Urs von Balthasar and tried to explain a bit of the uniqueness of the papal office:
An impossible task
“To be pope is to take on a task that is, by precise theological definition, impossible. Like every other office in the Church, the papacy exists for the sake of holiness. The office, though, is a creature of time and space, and holiness is eternal. No one, not even a pope who is a saint, can fully satisfy the office’s demands.
The legacy of Benedict XVI
At his election in 2005, some thought of him as a papal place-keeper: a man who would keep the Chair of Peter warm for a few years until a younger papal candidate emerged.
In many other ways, and most recently by his remarkably self-effacing decision to abdicate, Joseph Ratzinger proved himself a man of surprises. What did he accomplish, and what was left undone, over a pontificate of almost eight years?
Bring Lent to life: Look for opportunities to nourish your faith by praying, fasting, and giving
Lent is a special time set aside by the Church to prepare for Christ’s passion, death, and resurrection through 40 days of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.
There are many ways we can observe the Lenten season. In his message for Lent this year, Pope Benedict XVI asked us, especially in the context of this Year of Faith, to “meditate on the relationship between faith and charity: between believing in God — the God of Jesus Christ — and love, which is the fruit of the Holy Spirit and which guides us on the path of devotion to God and others.”
Pope Benedict emphasizes that faith and charity are linked together. “Everything begins from the humble acceptance of faith (‘knowing that one is loved by God’), but has to arrive at the truth of charity (‘knowing how to love God and neighbour’), which remains for ever, as the fulfilment of all the virtues (cf. 1 Cor 13:13).”
A good shepherd: Pope Benedict XVI showed loving care for his flock
It doesn’t seem that long ago. On April 19, 2005, we heard the news that the cardinals had elected a new pope. Some of us had gathered around a television set at the Bishop O’Connor Center to watch the announcement. Who would it be, we wondered?
When I heard the name, “Joseph,” I knew the next pope would be Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger. Then I heard he took the name Benedict XVI.
Holy, gentle man
Our new Holy Father came from behind the curtains. His smile absolutely lit up St. Peter’s Square. I couldn’t help but be impressed by this holy, gentle man who called himself “a simple, humble worker in the vineyard of the Lord.”
What’s in a name? Lamenting the decline in children named after Mary and the saints
When I was a student at Aquinas High School in LaCrosse, there were eight of us in my class with the name Mary. To avoid confusion, we were called by our first and middle name, such as Mary Beth, Mary Ellen, Mary Pat, and Mary Sue. I was usually just called Mary, although I like my middle name and wouldn’t mind being called Mary Clare.