The Holy See definitively approves the statutes of Regnum Christi
After five years, the Holy See has definitively approved the statutes of Regnum Christi. From the headquarters of the general direction of the federation they affirm that "this approval represents a recognition by the Holy See that gives solidity and stability to the Federation".
After five years, the Holy See definitively approves the statutes of Regnum Christi, which were presented in 2019 by the Federation and had been on trial since then.
From the headquarters of the general management of the organization, they affirm in a press release that "this approval represents a recognition by the Holy See that gives solidity and stability to the Federation".
These statutes are the result of a long journey of renewal that began in 2010. Aware that it was necessary to express more clearly the charism of the organization, the Federation began a process of deepening its spirit. Thus, on May 31, 2019, the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life canonically erected the Regnum Christi Federation and approved "ad experimentum" its statutes.
The statutes of Regnum Christi
Among the changes presented in 2019 were greater participation of the laity and new measures to prevent cases of abuse within the organization. However, the most significant change took place in the definition of the canonical structure, with the aim of finding a figure "that expresses the spiritual unity and apostolic collaboration of all, promotes the identity and legitimate autonomy of each consecrated reality, and allows the other faithful of Regnum Christi to belong to the same apostolic body in a canonically recognized way," as they explained in 2019.
For this reason, the statutes approved in 2019 state that "the Congregation of the Legionaries of Christ, the Society of Apostolic Life Consecrated Sisters of Regnum Christi and the Society of Apostolic Life Consecrated Laity of Regnum Christi are linked to each other through the Regnum Christi Federation".
The Holy See points out that all these changes are intended to help the members of the Federation "to promote the common charism and to foster collaboration in view of the mission entrusted to them by the Church".
Blessed Pius IX, Pope, and St. Richard of Wessex, layman
On February 7, the Catholic saints' calendar celebrates Blessed Pius IX (1792-1878), the longest-serving Pope in the Catholic Pontificate, 31 years and 7 months, perhaps second only to St. Peter. St. Richard of Wessex, father of holy evangelizers of Germany.
Francisco Otamendi-February 7, 2025-Reading time: < 1minute
The years during which Pius IX governed the Church were years of great political turmoil in Italy. In 1848 he had to go into exile in Gaeta while in Rome the Roman Republic of Mazzini was established, which declared the fall of the temporal power of the Pope. In 1850 he was able to return to Rome, and years later he faced the consequences of the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861. Earlier he had reconciled with the Protestant monarchies of the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.
Blessed Pius IX, born Giovanni Maria Mastai Ferretti, worked to preserve the Papal States, which he lost; he promulgated the encyclical 'Quanta cura' with the famous 'Syllabus errorum', proclaimed the dogma of Immaculate Conception (1854) and convoked the First Vatican Council (1869-1870), where papal infallibility as Pastor of the universal Church in matters of faith and morals was defined. His brother Gabriel declared that John Mary considered himself to be "simply a priest"He also became archbishop, cardinal and pope. He was beatified in 2000 by St. John Paul II together with St. John XXIII.
As for St. Richard of Wessex, it is appropriate to cite the Englishman in this way, because there is another Richard in the saints' calendar, such as Bishop Richard of Wyche (April 3). Richard of Wessex was a man of prayer and the father of three sons who accompanied him in pilgrimage After his death, miracles were recorded at his tomb. A son of yours joined St. Boniface and became the first bishop of Eichstätt in Bavaria.
Pope urges bishops to publicize marriage nullity process
In the traditional audience to the Tribunal of the Roman Rota, on the occasion of the inauguration of the Judicial Year, Pope Francis pointed out that, on the occasion of the latest reform, he urged the bishops to make the faithful aware of the abbreviated process of marriage annulment. Moreover, it is important "to ensure that the procedures are free of charge". The reform seeks "not the nullity of marriages, but the celerity of the processes".
Francisco Otamendi-February 7, 2025-Reading time: 5minutes
The inauguration of the Judicial Year of the Tribunal of the Roman Rota was the main act of the Holy Father last Friday, when he received at audience the prelate auditors, officials, lawyers and collaborators of the Tribunal, presided over by its dean, the Spanish archbishop Monsignor Alejandro Arellano Cedillo.
Before the speech of the Pope, he delivered a few words of greeting Monsignor ArellanoIn them, he recalled that "on Christmas Eve, after opening the Holy Door and giving the starting signal for the Jubilee Year, you firmly addressed the whole world: set out without delay to 'rediscover lost hope, renew it in us, sow it in the desolations of our time and of our world'".
"Sowers of hope".
"Holy Father," added the dean of the CourtWe feel directly challenged by the challenges of the present and the future, aware that the Roman Rota, as the Tribunal of the Christian family, is only a 'flap of the mantle' of the Church; nevertheless, it seems to us that it is not foreign to our hope that, by the touch of that mantle, through the administration of justice, wounded persons may find peace, in order to foster tranquillitas ordinis in the Church.
In this line, the dean said, among other things, that "this is our desire: to be sowers of hope for all wounded families, far from the Church or in difficulty, who have lost hope in justice, in mercy, in the love of God that resurrects man and restores his dignity".
Clarify the marital situation
The inauguration of the Judicial Year of the Court of the Roman Rota "gives me the opportunity to renew the expression of my appreciation and gratitude for your work. I cordially greet the Dean and all of you who serve in this Tribunal," the Pope began.
"This year marks the tenth anniversary of the two Motu Proprio 'Mitis Iudex Dominus Iesus' and 'Mitis et Misericors Iesus', with which I reformed the process for the declaration of the nullity of marriage. It seems appropriate to me to take advantage of this traditional occasion to meet with you to recall the spirit that permeated that reform, which you applied with competence and diligence for the benefit of all the faithful".
The aim of the reform was to "respond in the best possible way to those who turn to the Church to clarify their marital situation (cf. Speech to the Tribunal of the Roman Rota, January 23, 2015).
That the faithful are aware of the process and the gratuity
"I wanted the diocesan bishop to be at the center of the reform. Indeed, it is up to him to administer justice in the diocese, both as the guarantor of the proximity of the tribunals and of vigilance over them, and as the judge who must decide personally in cases where nullity is manifest, that is, through the 'processus brevior' as an expression of the solicitude of the 'salus animarum,'" the Pontiff continued.
"For this reason, I have urged that the activity of the tribunals be incorporated into diocesan pastoral care, charging the bishops to see to it that the faithful are made aware of the existence of the 'processus brevior' as a possible remedy to the situation of need in which they find themselves," the Pope noted. "It is sometimes sad to note that the faithful are unaware of the existence of this path. Moreover, it is important 'that the gratuitousness of the procedures be assured, so that the Church [...] manifests the gratuitous love of Christ by which we have all been saved' (Proemium, VI)."
Tribunal: well-trained and qualified persons
In particular, Francis specifies, "the bishop's concern is to guarantee by law the constitution in his diocese of the tribunal, staffed by persons - clerics and laity - well trained and suitable for this function; and to ensure that they carry out their work with justice and diligence. Investment in the formation of these workers-scientific, human and spiritual formation-always benefits the faithful, who have the right to have their petitions considered with attention, even when they receive a negative response."
Concern for the salvation of souls
"Concern for the salvation of souls (cf. Mitis Iudex, Proemium) has guided the reform and must guide its implementation. We are challenged by the pain and hope of so many of the faithful who seek clarity about the truth of their personal condition and, consequently, about the possibility of participating fully in the sacramental life. For so many who 'have lived an unhappy marital experience, the verification of the validity or otherwise of marriage represents an important possibility; and these people must be helped to travel this path as smoothly as possible' (Address to the participants in the Course promoted by the Roman Rota, March 12, 2016)".
"To favor not the nullity of marriages, but the celerity of the processes."
The recent reform, the Holy Father concluded, "also wished to favor 'not the nullity of marriages, but the celerity of the processes, no less than a just simplicity, so that, because of the delay in the definition of the sentence, the hearts of the faithful who await the clarification of their state may not be oppressed for a long time by the darkness of doubt' (Mitis Iudex, Proemio)" (Mitis Iudex, Proemio)".
Indeed, "in order to prevent the saying 'summum ius summa iniuria' ('Excessive right, excessive injustice') (Cicero, De Officiis I,10,33) from occurring as a result of overly complex procedures, I have abolished the need for the trial of double conformation and have encouraged more rapid decision in cases where nullity is manifest, seeking the good of the faithful and wishing to bring peace to their consciences".
All this, the Pope noted, "requires two great virtues: prudence and justice, which must be informed by charity. There is an intimate connection between prudence and justice, since the exercise of prudentia iuris aims at knowing what is just in the concrete case' (Speech to the Roman Rota, January 25, 2024)".
Discernment work
"Every protagonist in the process approaches the conjugal and family reality with veneration," the Pontiff stressed at the end of his reflection. "Because the family is a living reflection of the communion of love that is God the Trinity (cf. Amoris laetitia, 11). Moreover, spouses united in marriage have received the gift of indissolubility, which is not a goal to be attained by their own efforts, nor even a limitation on their freedom, but a promise of God, whose fidelity makes human beings possible".
"Your work of discerning whether or not a valid marriage exists," the Pope told the prelate auditors, "is a service to the salus animarum, for it enables the faithful to know and accept the truth of their personal reality. Indeed, 'every just judgment on the validity or nullity of a marriage is a contribution to the culture of indissolubility, both in the Church and in the world' (St. John Paul II, Speech to the Roman Rota, January 29, 2002)".
In concluding, Pope Francis invoked upon all, "pilgrims in spem, the grace of joyful conversion and the light to accompany the faithful to Christ, who is the meek and merciful Judge. I bless you from my heart and I ask you, please, to pray for me. Thank you.
Cardinal Tolentino praises friendship in the face of ambiguous use of "love"
The Prefect of the Dicastery for Culture and Education, Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça, noted the "inflation of the word love" in today's society, to the detriment of friendship, which is "an inexhaustible path of humanization and hope," on the feast of St. Thomas Aquinas at the San Damaso Ecclesiastical University.
Francisco Otamendi-February 7, 2025-Reading time: 4minutes
In a act presided over by the Archbishop of Madrid and Grand Chancellor of the San Dámaso Ecclesiastical UniversityCardinal José Cobo, and presented by the Rector of the corporation, Nicolás Álvarez de las Asturias, the Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça praised friendship as a necessary asset for the academic community.
On the celebration of the feast of St. Thomas Aquinas, the Cardinal Prefect of Culture and Education at the Holy See, pointed out that "the University would fulfill its mission well if one day it were remembered by those who were formed there, not only for the quality of teaching and research that they found, but also for the beautiful friendships that began there".
However, the reflection of the Portuguese cardinal, a poet as well as a theologian, went further, and constituted a diagnosis of today's society, with regard to the words love and friendship, under the title 'In Praise of Friendship: Rediscovering a Necessary Good'.
Centrality of reflection on friendship
"I hope you will not find it strange that I have chosen friendship as my academic argument, when there would seem to be a thousand more urgent and pertinent issues to propose to a university community in this historical and cultural period of accelerated change," he began.
"In St. Thomas the centrality of reflection on friendship is evident, to the point of asking whether perfect beatitude in glory does not also require the company of friends. But the very history of the University would not be understood without the idea of societas amicorum".
"Massive use of the vocabulary of love": consequences.
The Cardinal went on to note that "it seems that our era only knows how to speak of love. As we witness the inflation of this word, its expressive force is clearly diminishing and it seems to have been hijacked by a monotonous and equivocal use. We know less and less what we are talking about when we speak of love. But this does not constitute a brake".
With the same word, he added, "we designate conjugal love and attachment to a sports team, relationships between relatives and those of consumption, the deepest individual aspirations, but also the most frivolous. Everything is love. It is not by chance that the magnificent poetry of W.H. Auden, which the last century chose as one of its songs, is summed up in the question: 'The truth, please, about love'".
In his opinion, as he explained to a large audience at San Damaso, "the danger presented by the massive use of the vocabulary of love is that of losing ourselves in the indefinite, drowning in the limitlessness of subjectivity: we do not really know what love is; it is always everything; it is a task without limits; and this inextricable totality, all too often, is consumed in a disillusioned rhetoric. Friendship is a more objective, more concretely designed form that is perhaps more possible to experience."
The same is true in the "religious universe".
"In the religious universe, unfortunately, the situation is not much different," Cardinal Tolentino de Mendonça continued. "The term love suffers from an excessive use that does not always favor realism and the deepening of the paths of faith. The reference to love is dissipated in homilies, catechetical discourses, moral propositions: a path so varied that its meaning is diluted."
"We have become accustomed to hearing the call to love, receiving it or reproducing it without much knowledge. I am convinced that an important part of the problem lies in the absence of reflection on friendship."
"Friendship, a path of humanization and hope".
His argument continued in the same vein, skeptical of the indiscriminate use of the word love, and praising friendship. "We ambiguously call 'love' certain affective relationships and practices that would gain greater consistency if we thought of them as modes of friendship. Friendship is a universal experience and represents, for each person, an inexhaustible path of humanization and hope."
Later, he quoted Raïssa Maritain, wife of Jacques Maritainwho composed a kind of autobiography recounting the personal experiences of his friends. "And it is true: friends are our best autobiography. But not only that: they expand it, they conspire to make it luminous and authentic (...). Friends bear witness to our heart that there is always a way".
"Friendship is nurtured by the acceptance of limits."
"Friendship does not contain that pretension of possession that, many times, is characteristic of an exaggeratedly narcissistic love. Friendship is nourished by the acceptance of limits," added the cardinal. "Perhaps the great difference between love and friendship lies in the fact that love always tends toward the unlimited, while in friendship we face limitations lightly, we accept that there is a life without us and beyond us."
The Vatican Prefect for Culture and Education mentioned in his lecture Pope Francis. "It is of vital wisdom to embrace boundaries as multiple aspects and links of the same truth, according to what Pope Francis first enunciated in Evangelii gaudium and has often reiterated in his pontificate: 'The model is not the sphere, where every point is equidistant from the center and there are no differences between one point and another. The model is the polyhedron, which reflects the confluence of all the partialities that in it maintain their originality' (EG n. 236)".
Universities, activate as "laboratories of hope".
In conclusion, he cited the recent note on Artificial Intelligence that his Dicastery has prepared together with the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, which reminds us that "human intelligence is not an isolated faculty, but is exercised in relationships, finding its full expression in dialogue, collaboration and solidarity. We learn with others, we learn thanks to others" (n. 18).
The document exhorted Catholic and ecclesiastical universities to become active "as great laboratories of hope at this crossroads of history." "I believe that we will achieve this best if we do it together, as masters of the friendship that constitutes a concrete expression of hope," he concluded.
I have been in Spain, the most Catholic country in Europe, for two years now, and I am confused by the eagerness of some people to turn the Liturgy into something that, in their view, reminds me of my Protestant childhood in a rented room in the neighborhood library.
I was born in St. Petersburg in 1994. In those years, in the most culturally "western" city of post-Soviet Russia, being "weird" was very common. My family was also "weird": we were fervent Protestants.
The community we frequented was a mixture of Evangelicals and Baptists. Every Sunday we had a meeting in a neighborhood library building. We sang, prayed, listened to sermons and talked with our peers, evangelized by American and English pastors.
Protestant liturgy
The "liturgy" of these meetings was quite simple: first, we hung large signs with the words "Jesus" and "God is faithful" on the walls of the rented assembly hall, then a musical group came on stage - it was their service to the community - with drums, bass, acoustic guitar, violin, flute and keys.
The lyrics of the songs were projected right there. The lyrics were simple, understandable for everyone and motivating, sometimes they even made us cry, either from joy or from feeling like forgiven sinners in the hands of God. They often played world hits of Protestant pop groups translated into Russian. Sometimes we clapped along with them.
Then came the meditation of the Word led by one of the pastors, the moment of "giving peace", - about 5-10 minutes a little uncomfortable, in which we asked ourselves how we were doing and if everything was going well -, followed by a symbolic remembrance of the Last Supper.
There were also retreats (retreats): weekends in cottages spent in silence, praying together, studying the Scriptures and many other activities. Thanks to this Protestant community many people began to read the Bible daily, to address Jesus in their own words and "not to be ashamed of the Gospel of Christ" (cf. Rom 1, 16).
Traditional" Christians
About the more "traditional" Christians, such as the Orthodox and Catholics, if mentioned at all, it was said that their ways of doing things were obsolete, did not respond to the needs of contemporary society and often preferred their archaic rituals to a living relationship with God.
A special comparison was made with the whole Orthodox tradition, the dominant Christian confession in Russia. They criticized the "idolatry" towards icons, long rites in an incomprehensible language (the Liturgy is celebrated in Church Slavonic), the strange clothing of the clergy and old women who scold you if you do not cross yourself when you enter the church or, if you are a woman, when you enter wearing pants or without covering your head. Most of these criticisms, besides not having much real foundation, are nothing more than isolated and punctual events, which have been taken to the extreme and have become stereotypes among people who have not spent a minute to be interested in the why of the things we Christians do.
Conversion to Catholicism
My family converted to Catholicism thanks to my father's intellectual restlessness when I was fourteen years old. My father became interested in early Christian history and one day he took us - my mother, my younger brother and me - to a nearby church. Besides not having to learn Bible verses by heart, being a recent convert from Protestantism, it is unnecessary to relearn how to pray; that same Jesus with whom you had spoken earlier in your personal prayer is in this box that Catholics call the Tabernacle. More than a conversion, it is an encounter.
From this encounter, all the "complexity" and "archaism" of the Liturgy - both Roman and Byzantine - began to seem to me a requirement of common sense. There, before the living Christ, one could not sing the same songs or do the same as in the Protestant community: everything I had done before, all the "modernity" and "clarity" of Protestant worship seemed inadequate. The presence of the living God demanded not "modernity", but "eternity"; not the "understanding" of language, but the "mystery", because God, being eternal, is something more than "modern", and being Mystery, is much more than one can understand.
The "temazos
I don't know what drives certain pastoral decisions, but I suppose that to someone who has encountered God in a Catholic temple, it is strange to see the Alpha and Omega hidden behind a sign - composed in "a current and understandable language" - of the pop genre. As if God cares more about fashions than people.
It seems that there are musical genres whose form is inseparable from the event to which they are dedicated. For example, singing "Cumpleaños feliz" or "Las Mañanitas" only makes sense in the context of the event for which they are intended. However, Mexicans would not think of changing their birthday song - either because it might be "difficult for others to understand" or because it is considered "old-fashioned". It is curious that something similar does not happen with music intended for events such as Mass, an event that has a much deeper meaning in the lives of Christians than a birthday.
I have been in Spain, the most Catholic country in Europe, for two years now, and I am confused by the eagerness of some people to turn the Liturgy into something that, in their opinion, reminds me of my Protestant childhood in a rented room of the neighborhood library: some signs, a stage, a backing entrance song, a sweet melismatics that touches the feelings, but does not help to order them; a "temazo" that says nice things, but whose genre condemns it to monopolize the limelight. "It's what people like. It attracts young people." That's what they used to say in my beloved Protestant community.
The authorYakov Druzhkov
Linguist and translator, PhD in philology from the Peoples' Friendship University of Russia (Moscow).
On February 6, the Church celebrates St. Paul Miki and 25 companions martyred. After the arrival of St. Francis Xavier in Japan (1549-1551), Paul Miki, a Jesuit, was the first Japanese religious to be martyred. With him were crucified in Nagasaki two other Jesuits, six Franciscans and 17 lay people, some of them Spaniards.
Francisco Otamendi-February 6, 2025-Reading time: < 1minute
Saints Paul Miki (1564-1597), Juan de Goto and Diego Kisai are the first Jesuits who gave their lives to imitate the crucified Lord in Japan. Miki came from a well-to-do family near Osaka, and became a Christian when the family's conversion took place. At the age of 20 he enrolled in the Azuchi seminary, taken by the Jesuits, and two years later he entered the Society. He spoke very well and succeeded in attracting Buddhists to the Christian faith. He was only two months away from ordination when he was arrested.
St. Francis Xavierhad sown Christianity in Japan since 1549. He himself converted and baptized a good number of pagans. Later, entire provinces received the faith. It is said that in 1587 there were more than two hundred thousand Christians in Japan. This growth provoked reticence in some authorities, who feared that Christianity was the first step of Spain to invade the country.
They expelled the missionaries from Japan and the persecution intensified, ending with the crucifixion near Nagasaki of the Jesuits, Franciscans and Tertiaries (26) in 1597. The Franciscan saints were Pedro Bautista, Martin De Aguirre, Francisco Blanco, Francisco de San Miguel, Spaniards, Felipe de Jesus, born in Mexico, not yet ordained, and Gonzalo Garcia. The remaining 17 martyrs were Japanese, several catechists and interpreters. From the cross, Pablo Miki pardoned his executioners and delivered a sermon inviting people to follow Christ with joy.
Cardinal Lazzaro You and Prelate Ocáriz, on the centenary of St. Josemaría's ordination
On March 27 and 28, the centenary of the priestly ordination of St. Josemaría, founder of Opus Dei, which took place on March 28, 1925, will be celebrated in Saragossa. After the Archbishop of Saragossa, Msgr. Carlos Escribano, Cardinal Lazzaro You Heung-sik, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Clergy, and the Prelate of Opus Dei, Prelate Fernando Ocáriz, among other participants, will take part in the celebrations.
Francisco Otamendi-February 6, 2025-Reading time: 3minutes
St. Josemaría Escrivá was ordained a priest on March 28, 1925 in Saragossa, in the church of the Seminary of San Carlos, by Bishop Miguel de los Santos Díaz Gómara.
One hundred years have passed, and on the occasion of the centenary of his ordination to the priesthood, a series of events will take place in the Aragonese capital, in which will participate the Cardinal Lazaro You Heung-sik, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Clergy, and the Prelate of Opus Dei, Msgr. Fernando Ocáriz.
About the program of eventsthe organizers, the Alacet Priests' Library, with the collaboration of CARF Foundation and Omnes, inform that first of all, the academic act will take place on Thursday 27th, which is reported below.
Eucharist, prayer vigil
At its conclusion, at 7:00 p.m., a Eucharistic concelebration will take place in the Basilica del Pilar for the priests who wish to attend.
Afterwards (8:00 p.m.), a prayer vigil for vocations will be held for seminarians, young people and families in the church of the Royal Seminary of San Carlos Borromeo, presided over by the Cardinal Lazzaro You.
On March 28, the anniversary day, there will be a solemn Eucharistic concelebration, also in the church of the Seminary of St. Charles Borromeo, in thanksgiving for the fruits of priestly holiness. Afterwards, a fraternal meal will be held in the Throne Room of the Archbishop's Palace.
Centennial stamp.
Academic event
The academic ceremony on the 27th will begin with welcoming remarks by Archbishop Carlos Escribano, Archbishop of Zaragoza, who currently presides over the Episcopal Commission for the Laity, Family and Life of the Spanish Episcopal Conference.
Cardinal Lazzaro You, in addition to being Prefect of the Dicastery for the Clergy, is also a member of the Dicasteries for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments; for Bishops; for Evangelization; for Culture and Education; and of the Pontifical Committee for International Eucharistic Congresses. At the conference he will speak on the holiness and mission of the priest.
Monsignor Fernando Ocáriz, born in Paris in 1944, has been prelate of Opus Dei since January 2017. He is a physicist and theologian, consultor to the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith since 1986 and to the Dicastery for Evangelization since 2022. In 1989 he joined the Pontifical Theological Academy. He will speak in Zaragoza on the centrality of the Eucharist in the life of the priest.
Other speakers
Before, José Luis González GullónThe panel discussion will focus on St. Josemaría's seminary and ordination years. In the afternoon, there will be a round table discussion on the universal heart of the priest: from East to West, passing through the rural world.
The following will participate at the table Esteban AranazJorge de Salas, a priest from the Diocese of Tarazona, a missionary in China; Jorge de Salas, a priest of the Prelature of Opus Dei living in Sweden, judicial vicar of the diocese of Stockholm; and Antonio Cobo, a priest of the Diocese of Almeria in the Alpujarra.
Golden jubilee of priesthood in 1975
St. Josemaría celebrated his Golden Jubilee of priesthood on March 28, 1975, a year before his death in Rome. In mid-January, before crossing the Atlantic on a catechetical trip to America, he addressed a letter to the faithful of Opus Dei in which, as he transcribes Andrés Vázquez de Prada in his biography, he told them:
"I ask you to be very united on that day, with a deeper gratitude to the Lord - it is Good Friday this March 28 - who has pushed us to participate in his Holy Cross, that is to say, of the Love that does not set conditions".
St. Josemaría He also asked them: "Join me in adoring Our Redeemer, truly present in the Holy Eucharist, in all the Monuments of all the churches of the world, on this Good Friday. Let us live a day of intense and loving adoration".
In marriage, complaints are often not reproaches, but requests, which invites us to be strong and fight the complaining attitude, more typical of pettiness than of sanity and positivity.
The Catechism of the Catholic ChurchIn its No. 1808, it states that "Fortitude is the moral virtue that assures firmness and constancy in the pursuit of the good in difficulties. It reaffirms the resolution to resist temptations and to overcome obstacles in the moral life. The virtue of fortitude makes one capable of overcoming fear, even of death, and of facing trials and persecutions. It enables one to go so far as to renounce and sacrifice one's life to defend a just cause (...)".
Are we born strong or do we become strong? Rather the latter, especially in the case of human beings, who come into the world absolutely dependent on others for their survival. It is as one acquires experience of life - that is why it is a virtue, that is, a good operative habit - that one becomes strong.
We are interested in emphasizing what is stated in the above-mentioned point: the one who, having contracted a marriage, seeks the good, wants to preserve it in its authenticity and beautydoing whatever it takes to keep your marriage fresh, no matter what it takes, and becoming strong enough to face setbacks.
In prosperity and in adversity...
In the rite of canonical marriage, the future spouses commit themselves to remain faithful to each other in prosperity and adversity; in other words, they assume that their marriage will be difficult, that there will be suffering, but that they will still be faithful to their commitment of love.
In marriage storms appear, but after the storm clouds the sun reappears. That is why when sailors see the winds coming, they prepare themselves to fight against adversity with all their strength, because they know that they will always win in the end and the sea will become calm again; they sail against all odds in the hope that they will find a peaceful, navigable sea.
The same thing happens in marriage: after a setback, well managed, comes the overcoming, and that is where one recognizes the fruit of fidelity to the yes given at the time of contracting it; and that is where one recognizes the beauty of corresponding to love even at the cost of life's setbacks, putting effort and trust, hoping.
Unity and communication
The strength of marriage lies in its unity, in the fact that the spouses feel that they are a single reality. For that reason it is convenient to share - to communicate - the difficulties as if the problem of the other one was also with you. Ask him/her about its meaning, about what it represents, and try to put yourself in his/her place.
We may be able to make sounds, but communicating goes much further. We need to know how to express our ideas without hurting others, describing our point of view, starting with "I" and ending with "we", and expressing our feelings and affections.
Active listening, even more important and necessary than speaking, requires an apprenticeship: paying and maintaining attention, and making sure that the other feels listened to and taken into account. This is difficult, and it is often necessary to "do violence to oneself", from a position of strength, to achieve it.
In marriage it is important to learn to listen to feelings. Focus on what the spouse feels rather than what he or she says. In the sentence "John -a son- is unbearable; I can't take it anymore!", the important thing is not "John is unbearable", but "I can't take it anymore"; and before addressing John's problem, you have to empathize with your spouse's feeling: "You are right: there is no one who can stand it" What can we do?". And that exercise usually requires effort.
Respect, understanding, and care for the little things.
Respect is essential in itself. To take into account the questions and approaches of others, giving them at least the same value or more than one's own ideas. Not to impose one's thoughts, nor to transform one's opinions into dogmas.
Always prioritize the spouse. It is the one who gives meaning to the very existence of the marriage and of each of the spouses. Not to put the desires of others before those of one's own spouse, being prudent, and of course never taking sides against him or her or limiting oneself to "being neutral". Try to put yourself in the other's place. What it means to him or her. That costs...
Taking care of the smallest details of living together, with the constant sacrifice that this requires. We all know that the greatness of things is in the details. On the other hand, if you are careful with the small gestures, you will be preparing yourself for more challenging challenges, and that in marriage finds its space and is a guarantee of fidelity, which is happiness.
Serenity and good humor
Arguing in married life, which will sometimes be necessary, should always be done with serenity: it is appreciated by oneself and by the spouse with whom one has argued. It is a matter of applying a balance between reason and heart, something that often requires effort.
If a spouse feels a strong emotion, it is best to let it flow without manipulating it and, when it has subsided, confront the cause of the disagreement.
And in any case, to laugh a little at life, without dramatizing, without absolutizing excessively. Laughing "with" and not "at" unites much more than we think. But sometimes it is difficult and it is necessary to make an effort to achieve it.
It has been proven that verbal complaints weaken us and infect others with negative attitudes. It is better to look for something positive and not to insist on things that do not provide solutions or do not help to lift our spirits.
Even so, when one hears complaints from one's spouse, one had better think that, in marriage, complaints are often not reproaches, but requests, which, again, invites us to be strong and fight the complaining attitude, more typical of pettiness than of sanity and positivity.
On the 300th anniversary of Kant's birth, we review some lesser-known facets of the first and most important representative of criticism and precursor of German idealism, courageous defender of freedom against political and religious powers.
The recent biography by Manfred Kuehn (2024) reveals a Kant little known to the general public and who was an excellent host and devoted friend. Associated with the Enlightenment, he witnessed the birth of the modern world, and his thought is both an expression of a fast-paced era and a way out of its aporias, becoming one of the most influential thinkers of modern Europe and universal philosophy.
Kant's life spans almost the entire 18th century. His coming of age witnessed some of the most significant changes in the Western world-changes that still resonate today. It was the period during which the world we live in today originated. Kant's philosophy was very much an expression of and a response to those changes. His intellectual life reflected the most significant speculative, political and scientific developments of the time. His views are reactions to the cultural climate of his time. English and French philosophy, science, literature, politics and manners formed the fabric of his daily conversations. Even events as relatively distant as the American and French revolutions had a definite impact on Kant, and thus also on his work. His philosophy must be viewed in this global context.
Immanuel, who later changed his name to Immanuel, was the son of Johann Georg Kant (1683-1746), a master saddler in Königsberg, and Anna Regina Reuter (1697-1737), daughter of another saddler in the same city. Kant was the fourth child of the couple, although when he was born only a five-year-old sister survived. On the day he was baptized, his mother wrote in her prayer book, "May God keep him according to His Promise of Grace to the end of his days, for the love of Jesus Christ, Amen." The name imposed seemed to her to be a very good omen. This prayer was not only the expression of a pious longing, but it also responded to a real desire and expressed a very deep feeling. Of the five siblings born after Kant, only three survived early childhood.
Education received
The great philosopher always kept a deep appreciation for the education received from his parents, mainly through his life example. His family was affected by professional quarrels between different guilds: "... in spite of them, my parents treated their enemies with such respect and consideration and with such firm confidence in the future that the memory of this incident will never be erased from my memory, even though I was only a boy at the time".
Years later, his friend Kraus wrote: "Kant once remarked to me that when he looked more closely at the education in the house of a count not far from Königsberg... he often thought of the incomparably nobler training he had received at home from his parents. He was very grateful to them for that, adding that he had never heard or seen anything indecent in their house."
Kant had only good things to say about his parents. Thus, in a letter from later in his life he wrote: "Both my parents (who belonged to the artisan class) were perfectly honest, morally decent and disciplined. They did not bequeath me a fortune (but neither did they leave me debts). And, from the moral point of view, they gave me an absolutely superb education. Every time I think of this I am overcome with feelings of the most intense gratitude.".
His mother died at the age of forty, when the future philosopher was only 13 years old and was deeply affected. She died infected by the illness of a sick friend whom she cared for on her deathbed. Kant wrote years later that "her death was a sacrifice to friendship." When his father died in 1746, a nearly twenty-one-year-old Immanuel wrote in the family Bible: "On March 24 my dear father has left us with a peaceful death... May God, who did not bring him many joys in this life, allow him to share in eternal bliss.".
Kant and religion
Kant's parents were religious people strongly influenced by Pietism, a religious movement within the Protestant churches of Germany that was largely a reaction to the formalism of Protestant orthodoxy. Pietists stressed the importance of independent Bible study, personal devotion, the exercise of the priesthood among the laity, and a faith embodied in acts of charity. It usually involved insistence on a personal experience of radical conversion or rebirth and disregard for worldly success, which could often be precisely dated. The "old self" had to be overcome by the "new self" in a battle fought with the help of God's grace. Each believer was to form in his environment a small church of "true Christians.", different from the formal church that may have strayed from the true meaning of Christianity.
About the religious ideas of his parents, which would appear as the "demands of sanctity" in Kant's second "Critique," he also wrote: "Even if the religious ideas of that time... and the conceptions of what was called virtue and piety were not clear and sufficient, people were really virtuous and pious. One can say as many evils as one likes about pietism. But the people who took it seriously were characterized by a certain kind of dignity. They possessed the noblest qualities that a human being can have: that tranquility and gentleness, that inner peace which is undisturbed by any passion. No need, no quarrel could enrage them or make them anyone's enemy."
Education of children
In his "Lessons on Pedagogy" (1803) he will leave good ideas for the moral education of children, who must be taught the common duties towards oneself and towards others. Duties based on "a certain dignity that the human being possesses in his inner nature which dignifies him in comparison with all other creatures. It is his duty not to deny this dignity of humanity in his own person".
Drunkenness, unnatural sins and all kinds of excesses are for Kant examples of that loss of dignity by which we place ourselves below the level of animals. The action of "groveling"-drawing in compliments and begging for favors-also places us below human dignity. Lying should be avoided, for it "makes human beings the object of general contempt and tends to rob the child of his or her self-respect.", something that everyone should possess. And when a child avoids another child because he is poorer, when he pushes him or hits him, we should make him understand that such behavior contradicts the right of humanity.
In his "Metaphysics of morals".(1785) offers the example of a man who abandons his project of dedication to an activity that pleases him "immediately, though reluctantly, at the thought that if he were to pursue it he would have to omit one of his duties as a civil servant or neglect a sick father", and that in so behaving he was testing his freedom to the utmost degree.
Kant was horrified when he recalled his school years at the Collegium Fridericianum and, with some exception, said of his professors that "they would be incapable of lighting a fire with a possible spark of our mind about philosophy or mathematics, but would prove very good at putting them out.". Kant recognized that "it is very difficult for every individual to get out of that minority of age, which has almost become his nature... Principles and formulas, mechanical instruments of rational use - or rather abuse - of his natural endowments, are the shackles of a permanent minority of age"..
Faced with the rigorism of his teachers, he wrote in his lessons on anthropology that playing cards "cultivates us, tempers our spirits and teaches us to control our emotions. In this sense it can exert a beneficial influence on our morality.". Because of several unpleasant experiences with soldiers in his city, his concept of the military establishment was not very high.
In his work "The Only Possible Argument in a Demonstration of the Existence of God".(1763) Kant ends by stating that "it is absolutely necessary to be convinced that God exists; but that His existence has to be demonstrated, however, is not equally necessary.". And in his "Observations on the sentiment of the beautiful and the sublime".(1764) comments that "Men who act according to principles are very few, which is even very convenient, because these principles easily turn out to be wrong, and then the harm that results from this goes so much further the more general the principle is and the firmer the person who has adopted it" (1764).. Kant thought that at the age of forty the definitive character was acquired and he thought that the first and most relevant maxim to judge the character of a person is that of truthfulness with oneself and with others.
In a famous passage from the "Critique of Practical Reason".(1788)Kant says: "Two things fill the mind with admiration and respect, ever new and growing the more frequently reflection deals with them: the starry sky above me and the moral law within me.".
He was an enthusiastic supporter of the French Revolution, which he saw as the first practical triumph of the philosophy that had helped to create a government based on the principles of an orderly and rationally constructed system. In his work "Religion within the Limits of Mere Reason."(1794) states that it may happen that "the person of the master of the only religion valid for all worlds is a mystery, that his appearance on earth and his disappearance from it, that his eventful life and his passion are pure miracles... that the very history of the life of the great master is itself a miracle (a supernatural revelation); we can give to all these miracles whatever value we wish, and honor even the envelope... which has set in motion a doctrine that is inscribed in our hearts...".
In 1799, when his weakness was not yet very evident, Kant affirmed to some of his acquaintances: "My lords, I am old and weak, and you must regard me as a child... I am not afraid of death; I shall know how to die. I swear to you before God that, if I feel death approaching during the night, I will join my hands and exclaim God be praised. But if an evil demon were to stand at my back and whisper in my ear: You have made human beings unhappy, then my reaction would be very different.". On February 12, 1804 Kant died at 11:00 a.m., two months short of his 80th birthday.
Being a man with errors, like everyone, St. John Paul II admired him for his defense of the dignity of the human person (never using the person as a means). He was an upright man and truly concerned about the foundations of morality. His most criticizable aspect is his gnoseology, which served as the basis for later subjectivism, although he himself was probably never a subjectivist, as is evident from some of his most famous sentences.
Listening and acting. Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time (C)
Joseph Evans comments on the readings for February 9, 2025 which corresponds to the Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time (C)
Joseph Evans-February 6, 2025-Reading time: 2minutes
There is a clear theme of call in today's readings. The first reading offers us the extraordinary revelation of God's glory that the prophet Isaiah received in the Temple of Jerusalem in the eighth century B.C.
The second reading speaks to us of the appearances of the risen Jesus to his disciples after the Resurrection, principally to the apostle Peter (Cephas). Finally, the Gospel gives us the first miraculous catch of fish, which for Peter was like a revelation of the power of Christ.
However, in spite of the extraordinary character of these episodes, they were also very ordinary. Isaiah was exercising his priestly activity. Peter and his companions were performing the most mundane of tasks: mending their nets.
Jesus enters his boat. He does not ask their permission. Once in it, he complicates Peter's life, asking him to "to move it away from the ground a little". It was only a small request, which interrupted the apostle's work. But it had a decisive effect: it forced Peter to listen. Jesus forces Peter to leave his work to listen to his preaching. Christ meets us and calls us in the midst of our work. But we too need to stop working to listen, to hear and reflect on the word of God.
After having listened to Jesus, the latter can issue Peter a challenge: "Put out into the deep, and let down your nets for a catch.". Christ always challenges us to get out of the shallow waters of our comfort and mediocrity.
Peter had had a fruitless night. But he had faith. His own failure did not discourage him. "Master, we have been struggling all night and have gathered nothing; but at your word, I will let down the nets.". Anyone trying to win souls for Christ will know this feeling. But a soul of faith does not give up. True to Jesus' command, it casts its nets again and again. Finally, such a great catch is caught that it brings with it the good problem of being temporarily unable to cope with so much abundance.
Before this miracle, Peter is overwhelmed. The power of God in Christ leaves him feeling totally sinful, as Isaiah had felt sinful at the sight of the divine glory. "Lord, depart from me, for I am a sinful man.", he says. To which Jesus replies: "Fear not; from now on you will be a fisher of men.". In other words, precisely because you recognize your unworthiness, I call you to the apostolate. The humble acceptance of our misery does not disqualify us from serving Christ. Rather, from this awareness, Our Lord calls us.
The Visitation of Mary and the Magnificat at the center of the Pope's catechesis
During today's Audience, Pope Francis encouraged us to place ourselves "in the school of Mary," who in the Visitation feels the impulse of love and goes out to meet others. He also considered the Magnificat of Our Lady as a "song of redemption" and urged us to pray also for "the displaced people of Palestine".
Francisco Otamendi-February 5, 2025-Reading time: 3minutes
With a cold that prevented him from delivering the catechesis, having to leave the speech to an official of the Secretary of State, Pier Luigi Giroli, Pope Francis has resumed in the Audience This Wednesday the theme that will be developed throughout the Jubilee Year, 'Jesus Christ, our hope'. The reflection was based on the Gospel of St. Luke (1:39-42), with the title: "And blessed is she who believed" (Lk 1:45).
In a Paul VI Hall packed with pilgrims, the Pope's meditation focused on the Visitation of Our Lady to her cousin St. Elizabeth, the second joyful mystery of the Rosarioand in the Magnificat.
The Pontiff encouraged us to ask today "the Lord for the grace to know how to wait for the fulfillment of all his promises; and may he help us to welcome Mary's presence in our lives. By placing ourselves in her school, may we all discover that every soul that believes and hopes 'conceives and begets the Word of God' (St. Ambrose, Exposition of the Gospel according to St. Luke 2:26)".
For priests and consecrated men and women, and for the displaced people of Palestine
In his greeting to the Polish pilgrims, the Pope encouraged them "to pray for priests and consecrated men and women who carry out their ministry in poor countries, and to pray for the priests and consecrated men and women who work in the poorest countries of the world. war-tornespecially in Ukraine, the Middle East and the Democratic Republic of Congo. For many, this presence is proof that God always remembers them".
At the end, addressing the pilgrims in Italian, Francis again asked for prayers for "the martyred Ukraine, Israel, Jordan, so many countries that are suffering, and for the displaced people of Palestine. Let us pray for them," he prayed.
Requests to pilgrims
The Successor of Peter asked the French-speaking pilgrims to "follow the school of Mary, cultivating a heart open to God and to our brothers and sisters"; to the English-speaking pilgrims, his wish that "the Jubilee be for you an occasion of spiritual renewal and growth in the joy of the Gospel"; to the English-speaking pilgrims, his wish that "the Jubilee be for you an occasion of spiritual renewal and growth in the joy of the Gospel"; To the German-speaking faithful, "may we too bring Christ to the men and women of our time"; to the Spanish-speaking faithful, who, like the Poles, made their presence felt, he asked them to "raise to God the song of the Magnificat, like Mary, recalling with gratitude the great things he has done in our lives".
The Pontiff exhorted the Chinese-speakers to "always be builders of peace"; the Portuguese-speakers to "learn from her the availability to serve those in need"; and the Arabs to "bear witness to the Gospel in order to build a new world with meekness, through the gifts and charisms they have received".
Adherence to Christ while visiting the tombs of the Apostles
Before praying the Our Father and giving the final blessing, the Pope personally read two other prayers. First, "I hope that the visit to the tombs of the Apostles will inspire a renewed desire for adherence to Christ and Christian witness in your communities.
In conclusion, he said: "As the Apostle Paul exhorts us, I urge you to be joyful in hope, strong in tribulation, persevering in prayer, and attentive to the needs of your brethren (cf. Rom 12:12-13).
Mary, the impulse of love
In his catechesis, and using the Virgin Mary as an example, the Pope encouraged the following go out to meet of others. "This young daughter of Israel does not choose to protect herself from the world, she does not fear the dangers and judgments of others, but goes out to meet others. When a person feels loved, she experiences a force that sets love in motion; as the Apostle Paul says, 'the love of Christ possesses us' (2Co 5:14), it impels us, it moves us."
"Maria She feels the impulse of love and goes to help a woman who is a relative of hers, but also an elderly woman who, after a long wait, welcomes an unexpected pregnancy, difficult to cope with at her age. But Our Lady also goes to Elizabeth to share her faith in the God of the impossible and her hope in the fulfillment of his promises".
The Magnificat
The massive presence of the Easter motif, the Holy Father commented, "also makes of the Magnificat a song of redemption, which has as its background the memory of Israel's liberation from Egypt. The verbs are all in the past tense, impregnated with a memory of love that enkindles the present with faith and illuminates the future with hope: Mary sings the grace of the past, but she is the woman of the present who carries the future in her womb".
The Church celebrates on February 5 St. Agatha (Agatha), patron saint of Catania. She was a Christian martyr during the persecution of Emperor Decius (3rd century), after defending her virginity and her faith. Her name appears in the Roman Canon together with Felicity and Perpetua, (Agatha), Lucia, Agnes, Cecilia, Anastasia...
Francisco Otamendi-February 5, 2025-Reading time: < 1minute
Born into a Christian family, Agatha decided at a young age to consecrate herself to God, took a vow of virginity and received from the Bishop of Catania the red veilsymbol of the consecrated virgins. This represented her commitment to live a life of purity and service to God. The story of St. Agatha takes place between Catania and Palermo, which dispute her birthplace.
Coinciding with the persecution of Decius against the Christians, the proconsul Quincianus took notice of her beauty. When rejected, she was tortured with the tearing of her breasts and mutilated. Her prayers were heard and according to tradition, she was comforted with the apparition of St. PeterWhen Quinciano ordered that Agueda, wrapped only in the red veil of the bride of Christ, be burned in burning coals, an earthquake prevented it. She died in the cell.
The minutes of the martyrdom that a year later, there was a great eruption of the volcano Etna, and the lava flow was heading towards the city of Catania. Many people went to the tomb of Agatha to ask for her intercession, and her veil was placed in front of the river of lava. Miraculously, the lava stopped. Her relics are preserved in Catania, in the cathedral dedicated to her. The feast of St. Agatha is an institution in the city, and its primitive cult. It is named in Prayer I- .Roman Canon.
Altruism and culture of care: a response to the anthropological crisis.
A conference at the University of Holy Cross, March 6-8, will explore the relevance of altruism and the culture of care. Professor Francesco Russo explains some specific aspects in this interview.
In the context of a contemporary world marked to a large extent by individualism and anthropological crisis, the next academic proposal of the Faculty of Philosophy of the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross - its XXVth Congress of Studies-will be dedicated to altruism.
This act, which is part of a three-year research project on the culture of care, aims to explore the role of altruism in human existence, beyond reductionist interpretations that link it to simple acts of charity or utilitarian calculations.
The activity, which will take place from March 6 to 8, will include contributions from philosophers, neuroscientists, physicians, sociologists and economists, and is intended to take place within the framework of the cultural and educational challenge to which Pope Francis has often referred, inviting a profound rethinking of the relationship between the individual and the community. In this framework, OMNES interviewed Prof. Francesco Russo, Professor of Anthropology of Culture and Society and member of the conference organizing committee.
Why was this topic chosenfor the congress?
- Because philosophy is not alien to its sociocultural context and today everyone agrees that we live in a society sick with individualism. That is why it is important to reflect on altruism in order to understand its role in human existence.
Philosophical reflection is necessary because it cannot be reduced to a superficial gesture of charity, nor can it be framed in what is called "effective altruism," according to a vision that derives basically from utilitarianism or egocentrism in search of mere emotional well-being. Altruism is the essential link between the self and the you, and is an essential human trait, involving compassion and empathy.
Can you also explain this broader link to the so-called "culture of care" and how this can be a response to the anthropological crisis?
- The anthropological crisis to which you refer was pointed out in 2009 by Benedict XVI and recently highlighted on several occasions by Pope Francis. Faced with the problems to be confronted, political or sociological or economic solutions will not suffice if we do not realize that the identity and specificity of the human person are at stake. On Veritatis GaudiumPope Francis, in n. 6, invited scholars, in particular universities and ecclesiastical faculties, to become aware that "what is emerging before our eyes today is 'a great cultural, spiritual and educational challenge that will entail long processes of regeneration'".
For this reason, in the research project promoted by the Faculty of Philosophy of the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross, we have involved 14 researchers from ten European and American university institutions to help re-found the culture of care, which constitutes the deep vocation of the human person, as Pope Francis himself recalled in his Message for the 2021 World Day of Peace: the care of the human being and its flourishing in the different dimensions of existence (such as, for example, relationships, the environment, the common good, the artistic heritage, the sacred).
Is a dialogue between philosophy and the humanities on these issues possible?
- Dialogue is not only possible, but indispensable. Indeed, the conference will be attended not only by philosophers, but also by neuroscientists, physicians, sociologists, educationalists and economists. This interdisciplinarity is reflected not only in the main papers, but also in the forty or so communications that will be presented.
The human sciences, particularly neuroscience, are advancing considerably, but they do not capture the person in his or her corporeal-spiritual integrity: we are not just a biologically complex organism governed by a highly specialized brain. Otherwise, pain, freedom, compassion for others, dedication to others, the very search for the truth about our human condition and the meaning of our actions would remain without explanation or meaning. The rigor of science and the holistic vision of philosophical anthropology can and must confront and dialogue.
You mentioned compassion and empathy - is there still a place for these feelings in today's technologized society?
- As for the sentimental sphere, the omnipresence of technology accentuates illiteracy, because it does not help us to understand, express and recognize our own and other people's feelings. On the other hand, compassion and empathy do not only involve the emotional plane, in the sense that they go beyond a passing state of mind. On the contrary, they are two existential attitudes that imply an openness of heart to the needs of others, an awareness of our constitutive relationality and a willingness to seek the good of others.
I like to emphasize that, providentially, the conference coincides with the Jubilee of Volunteering; we only realized this once the dates were set and we saw in it a confirmation of what I have mentioned: altruism is inherent to human nature, even if individualistic culture blurs its features and scope.
Singing is key in the worship of God, expressing faith and dedication. The Church has always valued it as a means of praise and transmission of faith.
February 5, 2025-Reading time: 2minutes
If there is one thing the Word of God encourages us to do, it is to sing: "Sing!
The saved people sing and dance. It does so in the middle of the desert, when Mary, the sister of Moses, encouraged to sing "to the Lord, exalted conqueror". Dance David "with all their enthusiasm, singing with zithers and harps, with tambourines, sistrums and cymbals."Mary intones a rhythmic psalmody, the Magnificat, at the gates of Elizabeth's house; Christ himself laments the unbelief of the people with a musical comparison: "we have sung to the sound of the flute and you have not danced.".
– Supernatural music is intimately linked to the deepest human emotions and there is God. Worshipping God with songs and dances shows this total surrender of man: that movement that is born from the depths of the heart and manifests itself physically.
It is not in vain that music is said to be the language of the angels, created for the eternal adoration and praise of God. God sings and creates; he creates by singing and there are those who imagined the creation of the world as a musical composition following the powerful image of C. S. Lewis in The Chronicles of Narnia.
Men and women of all times have sung of their deepest aspirations and desires, their clearest loves, their beginning and end. The Church too, as the people of God, has sung of the center of his love since its origins: "the musical tradition of the universal Church constitutes a treasure of inestimable value which stands out among other artistic expressions, mainly because sacred chant, united with words, constitutes a necessary or integral part of the solemn liturgy". affirms the Sacrosanctum Concilium.
In a masterful, and not uncontroversial, article by Marcos Torres published in Omnes on October 9, 2024, the author points out how "to such an extent has religious music been important in the transmission of the truth of the contents of the faith, that the Church through apostolic succession has always taken care to discern and verify the concrete expressions and forms of the various musical creations.". Expressions ranging from liturgical music, proper to the celebration of the Eucharistic sacramental mystery, to the new musical movements linked to adoration (worship).
Music, as a profoundly human and divine expression, is a privileged vehicle to worship God and transmit faith, to incarnate love and to love the God who became man and who, surely, also danced and sang.
Mali, Congo and Nigeria: the current situation of the Church in Africa
The Church in Africa is going through a time of great dynamism and challenges. While the continent is experiencing significant growth in the number of faithful, it is also facing difficulties such as violence against Christian communities, poverty and political instability in various regions.
The Catholic education system in Mali faces serious threats due to the increase in jihadist violence in the country. Extremist groups have attacked and destroyed schools, especially in the northern and central regions of Mali, forcing the closure of numerous educational centers. This situation jeopardizes the education of thousands of children and young people, and severely affects local Christian communities.
The Catholic Church, through its educational institutions, has played a crucial role in promoting peace and coexistence in Mali. However, growing insecurity hampers its work and threatens to dismantle the Catholic educational system in the country.
Peace project for Congo
The National Episcopal Conference of Congo (CENCO) and the Church of Christ in Congo (ECC), which brings together 64 Protestant and evangelical denominations, have signed the "Social Pact for Peace and Coexistence in the Congo". Democratic Republic of the Congo and in the Great Lakes Region". This agreement seeks to restore peace in the country's eastern provinces, affected by more than 30 years of violence and the presence of numerous armed groups, many with foreign support. The pact is inspired by the African concept of "Bumuntu", which promotes empathy, mutual respect and solidarity, fostering social cohesion and rejecting exclusion and violence.
To implement the pact, CENCO and ECC will form thematic commissions on peace and social cohesion, charged with drafting a National Charter for Peace and Harmony. In addition, an "International Conference for Peace, Co-Development and Co-Existence in the Great Lakes" will be convened.
The risk of being a priest in Nigeria
In Nigeria, Catholic priests have become "soft targets" for kidnappers. The belief that the Church is a wealthy institution is reinforced by observing the vehicles some priests drive, leading criminals to assume that by kidnapping them, the Church will pay a substantial ransom. Kidnapping has become a lucrative business, and priests are seen as vulnerable targets with access to financial resources.
While religious hatred may also play a role in these kidnappings, economic factors play a crucial role. The rector of the seminary, Father Raymond Olusesan Aina, regrets the violence that Christians and Catholics in particular face in NigeriaThe company's mission is to provide a service to the people, noting that many have suffered and even lost their lives because of their faith, particularly in the northern part of the country.
As Mercedes Temboury Redondo argues, the theological error of the Inquisition consisted in trying to force the conversion of the defendant through a legal process.
Mercedes Temboury Redondo, PhD in Modern Spanish History and tireless researcher of the Spanish Supreme Inquisition and its suffragan courts in the kingdoms of Castile and Aragon, in the funds of the National Historical Archive of Spain, presents in this extensive volume which we now comment on a synthesis of his research.
The Unknown Inquisition: The Spanish Empire and the Holy Office
AuthorMercedes Temboury Redondo
Editorial: Arzalia
Language: English
Number of pages: 496
The angle of vision of this work and its objective coincide in offering a synthesis of the Inquisition from the perspective and interests of the Spanish Empire in Europe, Asia and America during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.
The black legend
This vision attempts to illuminate the dark points of the black legend fabricated especially by Juan Antonio Llorente, the last Secretary of the Supreme Inquisition who went into exile in France in the 19th century and lived off the publication of the "secret" papers he had taken from the archives.
In fact, it has been many years since the Pope St. John Paul II provided the necessary light to understand the origin and theological errors of the Spanish Inquisition. On March 12, 2000, in an impressive ceremony at the Vatican in front of a 12th century crucifix, the Holy Father, surrounded by his cardinals of the Curia, asked forgiveness for all the sins of all Christians of all times and, especially, for the use of violence to defend the faith.
Indeed, Roman law affirmed, and as such passed on to the Church the principle: "de internis neque Ecclesia iudicat". Of internal things neither the Church can judge, only God knows the interior of man.
Theological error of the Inquisition
The theological error of the Inquisition consisted, therefore, in trying to force the conversion of the accused by means of a juridical process. As is the common doctrine of the Church, and as the New Testament and Tradition state, only the grace of God can open the soul to conversion: "No one comes to me unless the Father draws him" (Jn 6:40). Therefore, only persuasion and prayer and penance and good example can stir souls to repentance and rectification.
As all those who have exercised spiritual direction or spiritual accompaniment know well, when a person is sincere in the Sacrament of Penance, with that gift comes the gift of contrition and the soul can regain the peace of God's mercy. To catch a person in the lack of coherence of faith and life and attempt repentance only leads to hardening of the heart and wounded pride.
Indeed, the studies that we have carried out on the subject and that we have published in many articles and monographs on the "theological error of the Inquisition", shed this light: the objective of the inquisitorial process was to objectify the theological error in which the defendant had fallen and then seek conversion under pressure: the Judaizing heresy, the apostasy and return to Islam of the new convert, the denial of the sins established by the positive divine law. The inquisitors usually had a good heart and knew that they had to give an account to the Supreme Court of their rectitude of intention and to God who is the Lord of consciences, that is why so many files are preserved and so prolix.
Spiritual and legal finesse
Evidently, this was a mistake for which we must ask forgiveness because, even if only a single process had taken place, we should already repent and rectify. It is necessary to return to trust in God who will move the soul to conversion and in man who can repent and rectify before the good example and happiness of other Catholics: "If your brother sins against you, go and correct him alone with him. If he listens to you, you have won your brother. If he does not listen, then take with you one or two, so that any matter may be made firm by the word of two or three witnesses But if he will not listen to them, tell it to the Church. If he will not listen to the Church either, consider him a pagan and a tax collector" (Mt 18:15-17).
On the other hand, our author's analysis is full of juridical finesse, thanks to which she demonstrates that the procedural system of the Inquisition protected the defendants from the temptation to seize the assets of the accused or to be condemned for false accusations or to resolve problems of enmity or litigation in the villages. In fact, as the author demonstrates, the complex legal system yielded impressive results: most of the trials ended in the acquittal of the accused because they were not really heretics but people with a lack of elementary Christian education. A few were indeed condemned for heresy, but, upon repentance, they were given medicinal sentences. And only a very few were condemned to death. As Jaime Contreras has already shown in his Inquisition database, only 1.8 % were handed over to the secular arm.
Evidently, only an inquisitorial process would be enough to ask forgiveness for having violated conscience, even if it is argued, as the author does, that the inquisitorial process saved us from events such as: the 50,000 Huguenots murdered in France on the night of Saint Bartholomew, August 23-24, 1572; the 500,000 witches burned in Germany in the Lutheran trials without papers; the death of Michael Servetus by Calvin simply to compensate for the offended divine justice and the martyrdom of the Jesuit Edmund Edmund Servetus.000 witches burned in Germany in the Lutheran trials without papers; the death of Michael Servetus by Calvin simply to compensate the offended divine justice and the martyrdom of the Jesuit Edmund Campion and many other Catholic priests in England because the Anglican inquisitorial court considered them guilty of death for celebrating the Catholic Mass as that would be high treason to Queen Elizabeth, head of the Anglican Church.
A new vision
In reality, this work is a new vision of the Inquisition taken from the reading and research of many files taken from the National Historical Archive and other archives consulted. The author has focused especially on the second life of the inquisitorial process. That is, from 1511 to 1833. In this period, the Inquisition should have disappeared since it had been created for the processes against judaizers and these practically disappeared during this time.
Indeed, it is understood that the aim of this book is to demonstrate that the Inquisition worked above all at the service of the civil and ecclesiastical authorities of the Spanish Empire at a time of close union between civil and ecclesiastical power when the unity of the faith was capital for the renewal of the Church after Trent and the expansion of the Spanish empire in America and Asia.
Pope prepares document to help Church promote children's rights
Pope Francis is preparing a document addressed to children and focused on children's rights, he confirmed on February 3 at the end of a summit on the subject held at the Vatican.
At the end of a Vatican summit on the rights of children, the Pope Francis announced that he would publish a papal document dedicated to children.
He described the February 3 summit, held in the frescoed halls of the Apostolic Palace, as a kind of "open observatory" in which the speakers explored "the reality of childhood throughout the world, a childhood that unfortunately is often wounded, exploited, denied."
Some 50 experts and leaders from around the world, who shared their experience and compassion, he said, also "elaborated proposals for the protection of children's rights, considering them not as numbers, but as faces."
"Children are watching us," he said, "to see how we are doing" in this world. The Pope said he planned to prepare a papal document "to give continuity to this commitment and promote it throughout the Church." The audience applauded the Pope and his brief closing remarks and gave him a standing ovation.
Promoting and defending children's rights
The one-day summit of world leaders, entitled "Love and Protect Them," discussed several issues of concern, including children's right to food, health care, education, family, leisure time and the right to live free from violence and exploitation. It was organized by the newly created Pontifical Committee for World Children's DayEnzo Fortunato, presided by the Franciscan Father Enzo Fortunato.
Among the guests were Nobel laureates, ministers and heads of state, leaders of international and non-profit organizations, senior Vatican officials and other experts.
Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, winner of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize along with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, said in his speech: "The threat of ecological devastation - encompassing the climate crisis as well as the biodiversity crisis - is a terrible burden that we are imposing on our children.
He praised the Pope for stressing that "the spiritual crisis we face comes in part from the willful blindness that prevents so many from seeing the way our economic system is leading us toward exploitation of both people and the planet, at the expense of our moral values and the future of children."
Know the problems, know the solutions
"Those in power today must change our thinking; and our new thinking must lead to profound changes that transform our current systems of economics and politics, ushering in a more just and ecological system that places environmental and social justice at the center of our plans and efforts," Gore said. "We have all the solutions we need."
India's Kailash Satyarthi, co-winner of the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize and an activist who campaigns against child labor in India and advocates for the universal right to education, said in his talk that while he trusts everyone's concern for children, he also feels ashamed.
"I'm embarrassed because we are failing our children every day. I'm ashamed to hear all these facts and statistics that I've been hearing" and talking about for the last 45 years," he said.
"We know the problems, we know the solutions," he said, but so far it has all remained rhetoric and words.
Compassion for children
The world's problem solvers "are not really honest (with) those who suffer the problems," he said, when they lack any sense of "moral responsibility and moral accountability."
"The solution lies in genuine feeling and connection" with each child as if he or she were one's own, he said. Only when people feel genuine compassion will they feel "the sincere urge to act urgently."
"We have to combat this threat (of child labor and poverty) and all other crises through compassion in action. We have to create a culture of problem solving. Let us globalize compassion because they are all our children," Satyarthi said.
This article is a translation of an article first published in OSV News. You can find the original article here.
In the middle of Christmas time, on January 4, Pope Francis dedicated an address to an important group of Italian Catholic educators, based on what he called "the most important and most important of the Italian Catholic educators". Pedagogy of God. With quick strokes he outlined a program for Christian-inspired education. A program that we could call pedagogy of hopeand that illuminates our path in the Jubilee year.
"¿What is -Francisco wondered. God's educational method?"And the answer was: "It is that of proximity and closeness". The trinomial that he usually repeats resounded in the background: closeness, compassion and tenderness. And this may lead us to ask ourselves: how should we Christians deal with a pedagogy of hope?
The curtain opens on the divine pedagogy: "Like a teacher who enters the world of his students, God chooses to live among men in order to teach through the language of life and love. Jesus was born in a condition of poverty and simplicity: this calls us to a pedagogy that values what is essential and places humility, gratuitousness and acceptance at the center.".
In contrast," the Pope explains, "pedagogy that is distant and distant from the students is neither useful nor helpful. In fact, Christmas teaches us that greatness is not manifested in success or wealth, but in love and service to others.
The pedagogy of God
"God's -he shelled out- is a pedagogy of gift, a call to live in communion with Him and with others, as part of a project of universal fraternity, a project in which the family occupies a central and irreplaceable place.".
Let us note how this orientation resonates with the main chords of Francis' teachings, whose center is communion with God and with people. And which leads to praising and thanking him (Laudato si'(the gift that has been given to us in the Heart of Christ (Dilexit uswho loved us). Such is the horizon of Christian proclamation (Evangelii gaudiumof the joy of the Gospel). A proclamation that implies, in fact, the project of a universal fraternity (Fratelli tutti, all siblings), in which the family plays a nuclear role (Amoris laetitiathe joy of love).
For this reason, he continues, God's pedagogy is "an invitation to recognize the dignity of every person, beginning with the discarded and marginalized, as shepherds were treated two thousand years ago, and to appreciate the value of every stage of life, including childhood. The family is the center, let us not forget it!"
The Declaration of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith should be mentioned here, Dignitas infinita (April 8, 2024) which underlines the value of human dignity, easily recognized by the believer, since God loves every human being with an infinite love and "...".thereby conferring infinite dignity" (Fratelli tuttiThe expression is from John Paul II, Message to the disabled16-XI-1980).
With regard to the family, and in order to invite communication in the family, the Pope stops to recount an event. On Sunday, someone was eating in a restaurant. At the next table there was a family, the father and the mother, the son and the daughter, each one attentive to his cell phone, without talking to each other. This gentleman got up and told them that since they were a family, why didn't they talk to each other. The result is that they sent him on his way and went on with what they were doing....
Our hope, the engine of education
In the second part of the speech, Francis placed himself in the the way of the jubilee we are beginning. With the Incarnation of the Son of God, the hope has entered the world.
"The Jubilee -noted- has much to say to the world of education and schools. In fact, 'pilgrims of hope' are all those who are searching for meaning in their lives, and also those who help young people to walk this path.".
That's right. A parenthesis. In the Global education pact that Francis has been proposing, and whose launch was interrupted by the pandemic, the issue of the address occupies a central place (cfr. Instrumentum laboris(2020) In outlining the general lines of the educational task we need today, Benedict XVI is quoted in his Letter to the diocese and city of Rome on the urgent task of education (21-I-2008) when it states: "There is talk of a great 'educational emergency', confirmed by the failures in which very often end our efforts to form solid people, capable of collaborating with others and giving meaning to their lives.".
In fact, the increasing numbers of suicides among young people only confirm this urgency (in 2023, a study showed that in Spain, suicide is the leading cause of death in young people and adolescents between 12 and 29 years of age).
Let us continue with Francis' speech. He maintains the evidence that education has to do in a central way with hope: the hope, supported by the experience of human history, that people can mature and grow. And this hope sustains the educator in his task:
"A good teacher is a man or woman of hope, because he or she is committed with confidence and patience to a project of human growth. His or her hope is not naïve, it is rooted in reality, sustained by the conviction that every educational effort has value and that every person has a dignity and a vocation that deserves to be cultivated.".
In this regard, the Pope expresses his pain when he sees children who have no education and who go to work, often exploited, or who go to look for food or things to sell where there is garbage.
Small and big hopes
But, he asks, "How can we not lose hope and nourish it every day?"
And he advises: "Keep your gaze fixed on Jesus, teacher and companion on the way: this allows you to be truly pilgrims of hope. Think of the people you meet at school, children and adults.".
It was already said in the Bull for the convocation of the Jubilee: "Everyone hopes. In the heart of every person nestles hope as a desire and expectation of the good, even in ignorance of what tomorrow will bring." (Spes non confundit, 1).
This is an argument that had already appeared in the encyclical Spe salvi (cf. Benedict XVI, nn. 30 ff.): there are the small or greater human hopes (which everyone has, in relation to love, work, etc.), depending also on the times of life. And then there is the hope proclaimed by the Christian faith: "the greatest hope that cannot be destroyed even by frustrations in small things or by failure in events of historical importance." (n. 35).
Well, Francis says: "These human hopes, through each and every one of you -educators-, can find Christian hope, the hope that is born of faith and lives in charity.". He adds: "let us not forget: hope does not disappoint. Optimism disappoints, but hope does not disappoint. A hope that surpasses all human desire, because it opens minds and hearts to life and to eternal beauty.".
How, then, can this be done in schools or in Christian-inspired colleges?
An incisive and articulate proposal
Here is the proposal of Francisco: "You are called to elaborate and transmit a new culture, based on the encounter between generations, on inclusion, on the discernment of the true, the good and the beautiful; a culture of responsibility, personal and collective, to face global challenges such as the environmental, social and economic crises, and the great challenge of peace. At school we can 'imagine peace', that is, lay the foundations for a more just and fraternal world, with the contribution of all disciplines and the creativity of children and young people.".
Let us note some elements of the proposal. First of all, the Christian educator does not fly over human hopes in order to take a shortcut to the only important thing, which would be Christian hope. To understand this would be a mistake. Christian hope assumes human hopes, whether personal or social, as long as they are true, good and beautiful, even if some of them can be considered as more small by its scope or duration. "Christian hope assumes all hopes". that we have today, such as peace, although its achievement may seem difficult or distant.
In the second place, the great Christian hope, on this path of assuming the smallest - if we want to speak in this way - human hopes, is making a new culture, to be "a culture of personal and collective responsibility".precisely through education. But this requires an effort, in the personal and social field, in the direction of encounter, inclusion, ethical responsibility.
Third, teaching, not only at the university level but also in schools and colleges, needs the interdisciplinarityThe work of bringing together the different subjects of the curricula so that each one contributes its best in dialogue with the others, thus enriching education and helping students in their personal growth.
In its apostolic constitution Veritatis gaudium (2017), on that anthropological or cultural basis of interdisciplinarity, Francisco proposes a further step: the. transdisciplinarity, understood "as the location and maturation of all knowledge in the space of Light and Life offered by the Wisdom that flows from the Revelation of God". (cfr. 4 c).
Fourth and last, all of it asks, from school or college, discernment and creativity. First, in the teachers, in their minds, in their work, personally and as a team. And then, they must teach the students these fundamental attitudes: to discern the true, the good and the beautiful; and to encourage their creativity. And not to lose themselves in useless imaginations or daydreams, but to "laying the groundwork" of a more just and fraternal world; for a more just and "meeting the challenges" both personal and global.
Hope is not mere utopia
Someone might ask: aren't these too many goals? Isn't this educational project proposed by Francis somewhat utopian, perhaps attractive, but unattainable in reality?
And just before this question, at that moment, it is when our hope is testedthat of each educator. And, before that, that of each family. And, afterwards and at the same time, that of each educational center.
So we could say or tell them, or tell us: you have (have) so much hope, you will have (will have) so much engine, for your (or your) educational task.
For the rest, the Pope does not abandon realism. He says: all of this (imagining peace with realistic dreams) will not be possible if the school allows the "wars"between educators or the bullying Then peace would be unimaginable, as would be all the dreams of education.
The end of the speech is near. What is important in a school or college is not the building, but the people. By its very nature, the educational task involves a path and a community, a place for the testimony of human values.
This was known to the great promoters and educators of educational institutions in which those who listened to the Pope that day were working. Those of us who are now reading this speech know it and wish to take advantage of it to continue in the educational field or to regain new impetus.
Francis knows this well. And he offers, in conclusion, a few pieces of advice or suggestions that, in their apparent simplicity, deserve to be meditated upon and worked on. They appeal both to the "educational passion" and to the responsibility and discernment of educators and school administrators.
They are condensed in this paragraph:
"Never forget where you come from, but do not walk with your heads turned backwards, lamenting the old days. Think rather of the present of the school, which is the future of society, in full epochal transformation. Think of the young teachers who are taking their first steps in school and of the families who feel alone in their educational task. Propose to each one your educational and associative style with humility and novelty".
Francis encourages us to work together on the path of hope: "Hope never disappoints, never, hope never stands still, hope is always on the way and keeps us going".
In search of the theological foundation of sacred and liturgical music
The approach to music must be theological and liturgical. If this perspective had been adopted from the beginning, many historical problems could have been avoided, and the spiritual fruits in the world would have been greater.
Some time ago, while preparing a conference on sacred music, I remembered a biblical episode that always strikes me for its power: the song of the People of Israel after crossing the Red Sea. That scene, recorded in the book of Exodus, shows us a response of amazement and gratitude in the face of God's saving intervention:
I will sing to the Lord, glorious is His victory... My strength and my power is the Lord, He was my salvation.(Ex 15:1b-18).
This moment is not only a historical account, but also a theological key. In the face of the ineffable - the love of God, his wonder to save the people - words are not enough. It is then that song emerges as a language capable of expressing what the moment demands.
Are we losing the sense of the ineffable?
To illustrate the lecture, I wanted to find out how classic films about Moses had depicted these moments. My surprise was great: many omitted the song, focusing on the wonder of the open water, blurring the reaction of the people. This led me to ask myself a question: are we losing the ability to recognize the ineffable?
We live in a culture that seems convinced that everything can be said, explained or defined. But reality reminds us again and again that there are things that escape our words: how to describe the color yellow to a person born blind? How to explain the sound of a trumpet to a deaf person? Even in matters as human as love or friendship, words fall short.
Music as a language
So, if we are unable to grasp what surrounds us with ordinary language, how can we put into words the mystery of God, the love he has for us, our fear and gratitude? Moreover, how could we truly dialogue with Him if we refuse to deploy all the capacities that He Himself has imprinted in our nature to do so?
Let us think of the liturgy. It is the privileged place where God speaks to us about Himself, not only with words, but also through signs, gestures, colors, smells and, of course, music. The liturgy that Jesus Christ has given us has a profoundly dialogical character: it wants to be an encounter between Him and us. And St. Augustine, despite the personal dilemma he had with music because of its Neoplatonic roots, tells us: "Singing is an expression of joy and, if we consider it more attentively, it is an expression of love" (Sermon 34).
A fundamental point, of another order: if it turns out that Jesus Christ himself and his disciples sang at the Last Supper, who could claim any objection against liturgical chant?
Up to this point, everything seems beautiful and coherent. But then, what is happening in our parishes today?
Music, beauty and mystery
First of all, the 'Music'. What is a topic like this doing in such a serious theological journal as Omnes? The question is not obvious and deserves consideration. Joseph Ratzinger considers it 'music of faith', because it proceeds from faith and leads us to it. This alone would be enough to justify the place of sacred music in theological reflection.
However, when we speak of 'liturgical music', his words take on even greater weight. Commenting on the Second Vatican Council - "sacred song, united with words, constitutes a necessary or integral part of the solemn Liturgy" (Sacrosanctum Concilium112), Ratzinger points out clearly: music itself is liturgy. Therefore, the answer is given: we speak of music in Omnes -of certain music, of course- because we speak of theology.
Beauty', which also has much to say in this area, will be dealt with later. As for 'Mystery', we will focus our reflection mainly on liturgical music, without neglecting to illuminate what it can bring us about sacred music in general. In this way we will be able to go deeper with greater clarity.
Dialogues... impossible?
After twenty-one centuries of Church history, liturgical music remains an unresolved issue in many places. The problems are obvious and can be observed with a simple test: ask the opinion of two or three people from the same parish about the music of the Mass. Chances are, if the conversation is not handled tactfully, the discussion will end in conflict.
Then a question arises: why don't the musician and the liturgist talk to clarify things? Although the idea seems logical, today, in many cases, it is impossible. The reason is clear: the content of such a conversation should be theological and liturgical, but the theology necessary to support it is not yet sufficiently elaborated.
An illustrative example
Imagine a conversation between a liturgist and a musician:
- Liturgist (L): I need you to compose something for the offertory at Sunday Mass.
- Musician (M): All right, what do you want me to say my music?
- L: I don't know, something nice, you know!
- M: Wait, I know about music, but I'm asking you what my music should express in this Sunday's offertory. That's something you should tell me.
- L (mumbling): These musicians... always complicating everything!
The conversation ends in stalemate because neither has the tools necessary to move forward. The musician seeks meaning and purpose; the liturgist cannot articulate it. And it's not ignorance on the part of a particular liturgist. Proof? Liturgical books use expressions such as, "Sing here a chant. appropriate". In more favorable cases the indications go as far as proposing the text of a psalm, as an example. And the music? When is it 'appropriate'? Or is the music neutral and not says nothing? These are the questions we urgently need to address in order to build a fruitful dialogue.
A question of deep roots
The lack of communication between musicians and liturgists is not superficial; it has deep roots. Let us remember that the liturgy is not simply a human event: it is a divine gift, given at the price of the Cross. Its proper configuration does not depend solely on good intentions; it requires us to recognize that its true work is carried out by the Holy Spirit, even if He wants to count on our collaboration. Here, precisely, lies the heart of musical activity within liturgical chant.
Two reflections help to better understand this point. First, let us consider how difficult it would be to make a minimal change in the text of the Eucharistic Prayer. Now let us contrast this with the ease with which, at times, the chanting of the Mass is improvised or trivialized, even in solemn celebrations. Not to mention the unusual offers available on the internet for the music of a Catholic marriage....
The second reflection comes from an experience lived in the beloved American continent. In a theology faculty, I was trying to explain these arguments about the need for a theological development of liturgical music. At first, it seems that I was not clear, because a professor commented: -So, what you are looking for is the style of liturgical music, right?
This commentary gave me the opportunity to clarify a fundamental point: the focus is not on styles or instruments. It is in the theological foundations.
Beyond taste and style
A serious theological development is needed on a subject that always seems to slip through our fingers. Bringing music to this depth opens to the freedom, richness and depth of the Mystery of God. Without this perspective, any discussion of liturgical music ends up reduced to personal taste or the possibility of using violins or guitars. In fact, this tension is not new: more than a millennium ago, something similar was already being debated, albeit in other forms.
The pontifical Magisterium has left many indications, but theological development is still insufficient. The questions, at times, are surprising: what does it mean that Gregorian chant is "supreme model of all sacred music" (St. Pius X, Motu proprio Among the applications, 4)? At other times, the questions are essential: what must a piece of music have in order to be called liturgical?
Towards a new era
This theological development is necessary and requires the joint effort of theologians and liturgists, musicians, musicologists and philosophers. It is an open and active question, for all this volume of study must end in the composition and performance of a music, which is liturgical.
What we want to convey is that we are witnessing an important novelty: an epistemological path is opening up that invites us to a new era in our work. This is the program that we wish to propose in these lines and in successive contributions: these paths and ways that allow scholars of subjects that have traditionally been considered disparate to work together, but which are not, because they say of God and they say to God in the liturgy.
A theological question (I). The music says
Therefore, the approach to music must be theological and liturgical. If this perspective had been adopted from the beginning, many historical problems could have been avoided, and the spiritual fruits in the world would have been greater.
We would like to focus on one key idea: music. says. To skeptics, the communicative impact of music may seem debatable. However, when economic interests are involved, the issue is immediately recognized. Just think of how music is used strategically in advertising or cinema to convey specific messages. To illustrate this, we recommend these publicly accessible videos, which are eloquent examples:
The task of conveying that musical message belongs to the art and craft of the composer. That is where the potential dialogue between musician and liturgist begins, provided both are willing and clear about their craft. The central question will be what is it that the music has to say in the liturgical context.
Learning from the past
In this series of publications that we are initiating, our intention is to start from what already exists in the history of music -which has witnessed countless successes- and learn from it. In this way we will be able to discern what we should continue to do and how to do it better. The advantage we have today -we insist- is that we now know the method. However, the work ahead is still immense.
Before describing this general approach, we would like to dwell on a starting point that may be familiar to some. We are talking about liturgy and, as we have explained, in liturgy words are not enough.
A theological question (II). A concrete game
Romano Guardini, in The spirit of the liturgyproposed a little more than a century ago that liturgy, under certain aspects, can be understood as a game. Games create a small universe where everyday concerns fade away and a world with its own rules emerges, appearing and disappearing in time.
The legend of the conversion of Prince Vladimir of Kiev adds an important dimension to this idea. According to the story, in seeking a religion for his people, Vladimir called representatives of some of the major religions to speak with them. Since none convinced him, he decided to send emissaries to the religious celebrations of the different faiths. On their return, those who had attended the liturgy in Hagia Sophia, Constantinople, gave a moving testimony: "We do not know whether we were in heaven or on earth. But we have experienced that there, God is among men." The liturgy was not intended to convince anyone. The definitive argument for Prince Vladimir was that there all things were done, not for a purpose, but only to please God.
Ratzinger, without completely rejecting Guardini's vision, qualifies the idea. The liturgy can resemble a game, but not just any game, because it has to do with the right way to adore God. He alone knows how He wants to be adored, and Jesus Christ has wanted to reveal this to us. From this perspective, the liturgy becomes an anticipation of the future life (Sacrosanctum Concilium, 8).
The liturgy, between play and adoration
Therefore, a game with a rules for worship, in which we know that we please God. Within these rules, we play in freedom. Everyone plays by the same rules, although some do it better than others, because the key is to set out in search of what is essential: a space of truth and beauty where God comes to meet us so that we may seek and find him. Now, the dialogical character of the liturgy is understood in greater depth.
Well, this context of truth and beauty, of freedom to find what is essential, is pointed out by two authors as important for the development of sacred music. The two authors are Joseph Ratzinger and Father Angelo De Santi, S.J. (1847-1922), who was directly involved in the drafting of the Motu Proprio Among the applications of St. Pius X (1903). The reference made by both of them is chapter VIII of the Policy of Aristotle, together with the notion of paideia Greek. The development is not immediate, but we can propose here the conclusions.
Music, paideia and the education of freedom
– Supernatural paideia The Greek religion was an educational guide with a religious dimension, oriented to lead the individual to the essential. On the other hand, the contents of this final chapter of the Policy approaches education as the means to form the individual beyond useful and practical needs, orienting it towards leisure, understood as a noble and elevated activity. This leisure is not mere rest, but a space for the cultivation of truth, beauty and human fulfillment.
The key to our reflection is that Aristotle identifies music as the main discipline for this training, thanks to its unique ability to mold the soul and the emotions. More than mere entertainment, music is an educational tool that fosters inner harmony, virtuous character and integration into a community oriented to the common good. Joseph Ratzinger explains it this way:
If we think that the Church, due to the place in which it was formed, made its own, in many aspects, the attitude of the polis classical, the Aristotelian association of polis and music would have been an ideal starting point for the question of sacred music.
And also:
The theory of music that Aristotle develops in his Policy VIII is strongly influenced by the idea of the paideiaThe idea is that, in music education, it goes beyond what is necessary and useful, and aims to train for the good use of free time, thus becoming an education for freedom and beauty.
(J. Ratzinger, The theological foundation of sacred music).
Our purpose
In order to approach this treatment of music as liturgy, we will begin with a series of articles on music in the history of the Church. It will be a particular journey, from a history of sacred music. The conclusion will be, at the same time, disturbing and hopeful.
Subsequently, we will devote ourselves to unfolding the theological question. We point out at this point that the development requires not one, but two theological perspectives, distinct and complementary. A brief description will now serve:
1. Theology of sacred music (TMS). This approach seeks to answer fundamental questions about sacred music, analogous to how theology reflects on the nature of liturgy and worship. It is a broad study that draws on contributions from a variety of disciplines, from theological and philosophical anthropology to specific areas such as Christology, eschatology, theology of creation, incarnation and liturgy. Its main objective is to understand what sacred music is, what its nature is and how it is linked to divine revelation.
2. Liturgical-musical theology (TLM). Here we find the most novel epistemological proposal. TLM is an extension of liturgical theology that is integrated with the specific means of music and musicology. To better understand this approach, it is useful to look at how liturgical theology is understood in general.
Liturgical theology studies the liturgy. in actuThe theological meaning of a responsorial psalm in the context of a specific celebration; the symbolism of certain gestures of the celebrant; or the peculiarities of a particular liturgical moment. It analyzes, for example, the theological meaning of a responsorial psalm in the context of a specific celebration; the symbolism of certain gestures of the celebrant; or the peculiarities of a particular liturgical moment. This approach transcends the descriptive and responds to the classical motto fides quaerens intellectumThe liturgy itself is the act of seeking God and his Word.
Similarly, the TLM focuses on the theological study of liturgical music. in actu. Its task is to explore how music contributes to the existential theology proper to each celebration, adding a unique and specific dimension not found in any other element of the liturgy.
A necessary dialogue
Our proposal holds that TMS and TLM should develop in constant communication. TMS provides the conceptual and theological foundations, while TLM focuses on the concrete application of music in the liturgical context. However, the result of this collaboration does not remain theoretical: it culminates in the musical act, which has the capacity to express liturgically the Word of God and to manifest the Christ present in the liturgy.
This project transcends the strictly theological field and involves disciplines such as musicology, anthropology and aesthetics so that theology finds its final expression in music. In this sense, the liturgical musical act is not only art, but also lived theology.
In the next articles of this series, we will begin our particular journey through history.
The authorRamón Saiz-Pardo Hurtado
Associate Professor, Pontifical University of the Holy Cross. MBM International Project (Music, Beauty and Mystery)
Exploring the growth of Catholic classical liberal arts education
Jay Boren, principal of St. Benedict Classical Academy since 2015, believes that cultivating wisdom and virtue in the pursuit of truth and conformity to Christ is the ultimate purpose of Catholic classical education.
Jay Boren, director of the St. Benedict Classical Academy since 2015, believes that cultivating wisdom and virtue in the pursuit of truth and conformity to Christ is the ultimate purpose of classical Catholic education. He spoke recently with Charlie Camosy of OSV News about returning to the heart of the education Catholic and whether Catholic education is experiencing a "renaissance" moment following a promising increase in Catholic school enrollment in 2023.
A good number of people have heard a lot more about classical Catholic education in recent years, but they may not know exactly what it means or what it refers to. Let's start there: what is classical Catholic education? It's something much more fundamental than just learning Latin and reading "The Odyssey," right?
- Classical Catholic education is less about learning Latin and reading "The Odyssey" and more about returning to what people in the classical and medieval tradition thought was the true purpose of education, namely, the cultivation of wisdom and virtue, and the conversion of our minds and hearts to what is true, good and beautiful.
As Catholics, we believe that this process of conversion conforms us to Christ and leads us to God. In other words, a classical Catholic education helps us to fulfill the purpose for which we were created: to know, love and serve God.
Classical Catholic education strives to regain a connection to this traditional understanding of what education is. Certainly we think that reading classical texts and learning Latin is important, but only because they connect us to the wisdom of our tradition.
We want our students to know what is true, good and beautiful, but it would be terribly presumptuous to think that it is up to us to decide what counts as "truth." To do that, we have to humbly return to our tradition: to what has stood the test of time and to what the best minds and noblest souls in history have taught and shown us about those things.
This idea of what education is for contrasts with a perspective that sees education primarily as college or career preparation. Certainly we want our students to find meaningful work, earn a living and support their families. But that goal is secondary. If we are producing graduates who get into top colleges and end up making a lot of money in their jobs, but are not virtuous, do not strive for holiness and have no desire to seek truth, we would not consider that a success. This does not sell well to our students. They are called to much more.
They are called to flourish fully, with all the faculties of their minds, hearts and souls freed to know what is true, to love what is beautiful and to do what is good. St. Irenaeus said that the glory of God is man fully alive. We want our students to be fully alive so that they can give glory to God.
Is it too strong to call what is happening lately an explosion of classical Catholic education? It seems that everywhere you look there is a new school being created, a new conference on the subject, professional societies meeting annually, more typical Catholic schools "going classical" and more. Can you give us a brief description of what is happening now?
- I don't know if it's an explosion or not, but it's certainly a renaissance! New schools are being founded every month in every region of the country. I personally talk to eight or ten people a year who are in the process of founding a new school. It is very exciting to hear about new things being founded within the Church and mostly by lay people. The schools came first, but we are also seeing a lot of new initiatives being founded to respond to the needs of those schools. The revival of classical education is also serving as a creative vehicle for connecting faithful Catholics across the country who are involved in the renewal of Catholic education.
These new schools are responding to a very real demand that exists in the Church at this time. There are many parents who fervently desire a rigorous classical education that is formed and grounded in authentic Catholicism. I believe this is definitely a "moment" for the Church and for Catholic education. It is up to us how we deal with that moment.
One of the things that excites me most about this movement is that it forces us to revisit the Catholic school model and reimagine our conception of Catholic education.
Many of these schools were founded by lay people. They are usually run and governed by a lay board of trustees. They are leaving behind a model that relied heavily on religious orders. Figuring out how to manage their schools after the loss of those orders is something that the American Church has failed at. This is very exciting, because instead of managing the decline, we are building something new that is alive and growing. As our chaplain, Father Peter Stamm, points out, "Healthy things grow."
You personally have been doing your part to lead this trend as principal of a new classical Catholic school. Can you say something about what you and your community have created?
- All of this has been a blessing and an incredibly exciting thing to be a part of. Our school is 12 years old, I've been here for 10 years. We've gone from 60 students when I arrived to over 320 this year. A school that started in a shared office space has just moved into a school building of majestic beauty and classic design.
However, as beautiful as the school is, the best thing about this school is the community. We have families who drive an hour each way, passing many schools along the way, to bring their children to our school. To have a school that is mission-aligned across the board is unique and a blessing. We have worked hard to ensure that mission-aligned families who desire this education can access it, regardless of their ability to pay full tuition. We have fought to keep tuition as affordable as possible and also remain adamant about investing in a robust tuition assistance program. We plan to award more than $1,000,000 in tuition assistance next year.
I love everything about this school, but the most important aspect, without a doubt, is the community. I often say that what I love most about this school are my daughters' friends. It has been so uplifting to see how many families want this education for their children and see it as a worthy investment of their time, energy and money.
From your point of view, what can the Church in general do to support this trend in Catholic education? I am thinking in particular of helping to orient and form new teachers and staff when it comes to thinking in a direction they may find unclear or even intimidating.
- Every day new initiatives emerge to face this moment. We are members of the Institute for Liberal Catholic Education. They were really at the forefront of designing programs to support schools that were changing their programming or were being founded. Many Catholic colleges are designing programs to help train students who want to work in these schools.
Tom Carroll has founded the Catholic Talent Project to help recruit and train teachers for these schools. A lot of good things are happening. I believe this trend will only continue and we will need even more initiatives to help address this moment. So many priests have supported our efforts and our local seminary and seminarians have been so supportive, I would love to see more partnerships grow between seminaries and these new schools.
Moreover, from an even broader perspective, I hope that the Church will continue to inspire and encourage young people to study literature, history, philosophy... the liberal arts! And I trust that the effort to master these great disciplines at the highest levels of education will help them discern their personal and professional vocation.
We have hired incredibly talented young teachers who have not studied education explicitly and yet, through close mentoring, professional development and, most importantly, the deep wisdom they have gained through their own studies, have been able to hit the nail on the head as teachers.
This article is a translation of an article first published in OSV News. You can find the original article here.
Pope Francis prayed the Angelus before more than 20,000 faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican. During his message, the pontiff made a special appeal to couples, inviting them to embrace the gift of life and to value the importance of the family as a divine gift. He also stressed the need to protect and care for life in all its stages, recalling the fundamental role of love and responsibility in building a more caring and humane future.
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The Day of Consecrated Life, an antidote to individualism
Both Pope Francis and the Prefect for Institutes of Consecrated Life, Sr. Simona Brambilla, stressed over the weekend the "antidote to solitary individualism" that the vows of consecrated life represent.
The way consecrated women and men live their vows of poverty, chastity and obedience can offer light and hope to a world searching for authentic relationships marked by love and self-giving, Pope Francis said in the eves of the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord.
Looking ahead to the Catholic Church's celebration of the World Day of Prayer for the Consecrated LifeThe Pope thanked the members of religious congregations for their witness, noting that it is "leaven for the Church".
Pope Francis was accompanied by hundreds of sisters, brothers, consecrated virgins and priests of religious orders, including the new leadership of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, Consolata Missionary Simona Brambilla, prefect; and Cardinal Angel Fernandez Artime, Salesian, pro-prefect.
Bearers of light and peace
On the eve, the Pontiff invited consecrated men and women to be light bearers and peace through the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. And he recalled that the most important "return to the origins" "is the return to Christ and his 'yes' to the Father," Vatican News reported.
Poverty "is rooted in the very life of God, the eternal and total reciprocal gift of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. In the exercise of poverty, the consecrated person, with a free and generous use of all things, becomes for them, bearer of blessing".
Chastity has its "origin in the Trinity and manifests a reflection of the infinite love that unites the three divine Persons". Its profession, in the renunciation of conjugal love and in the path of continence, reaffirms the absolute primacy, for the human being, of the love of God, accepted with an undivided and nuptial heart (cf. 1 Cor 7:32-36), and indicates it as the source and model of every other love".
Obedience versus individualism
Regarding the vow of obedience, the Pontiff indicated that "it is an antidote to such solitary individualism, promoting instead a model of relationship based on effective listening, in which 'saying' and 'hearing' are followed by the concretization of 'acting,' even at the cost of renouncing one's own tastes, programs and preferences. In fact, only in this way can the person experience to the full the joy of the gift, defeating loneliness and discovering the meaning of one's existence in God's great plan.
Sister Simona Brambilla: "moving from the I to the we".
In a reflection on the World Day published in L'Osservatore Romano, the prefect of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, Sister Simona Brambilla referred to the fact that "the Final Document of the Synod on Synodality affirms that 'consecrated life is called to challenge the Church and society with its prophetic voice'.
And he noted "Pope Francis has repeatedly spoken of the call to move from the I to the we, of the need to 'meet in a we that is stronger than the sum of small individualities' (Fratelli tutti, 78), of the 'challenge to discover and transmit the mystique of living together' (Evangelii gaudium, 87), of the 'liberating and responsible experience of living as Church the mystique of the we' (Veritatis gaudium on universities and ecclesiastical faculties, 4)."
"One body, People of God".
"The synodal process has taken up, among other things, the Pauline image of the one body, and has made us experience the 'spiritual flavor' of being the People of God, gathered from all tribes, languages, peoples and nations, living in different contexts and cultures. It is never the mere sum of the baptized, but the communitarian and historical subject of synodality and mission," wrote the Prefect.
"This is the refrain that runs through the 'Laudato si' of Pope Francis. The image of the body expresses in a plastic and clear way the connection that exists between us: we creatures, we humans, we Christians, we members of the Body of Christ which is the Church, we belonging to an Institute of Consecrated Life, to a Society of Apostolic Life, to a spiritual Family animated by a unique and original charism. As in a physical body, each part, each organ, each cell of a "charismatic body" influences the rest (...).
Charisma is "Spirit is Life".
Simona Brambilla then adds: "The Charism is not the property of an Institute, of a Society, of a Charismatic Family. It is a gift of God to the world, it is Spirit, it is Life. The Institute (or Society, or Family) and each sister and brother who is a member of it, receives it as a free gift, a vital force to be allowed to flow creatively, freely, not to be 'mummified' or embalmed like a museum piece".
"In the words of Pope Francis: 'Every charism is creative, it is not a museum statue, no, it is creative. It is about remaining faithful to the original source by striving to rethink it and express it in dialogue with new social and cultural situations. It has firm roots, but the tree grows in dialogue with reality. This work of updating is all the more fruitful when it is carried out in harmony with creativity, wisdom, sensitivity to all and fidelity to the Church' (To the Focolare Movement, February 6, 2021)".
The French St. Ansgarius (Oscar) was bishop of Hamburg and Bremen, and sowed in Scandinavian lands the first seed of the proclamation of faith in Christ. The Church also celebrates today, February 3, St. Blaise, physician and later bishop of Sebaste (Armenia) in the 4th century. St. Blaise performed numerous miracles and is invoked for throat diseases.
Francisco Otamendi-February 3, 2025-Reading time: < 1minute
Saint Ansgarius (Oscar), a native of Corbie (France), was a great scholar who from a very young age studied with the Benedictines in the Abbey of Corbie. While a monk, he was designated by Pope Gregory IV as a legacy for all the Scandinavian lands of Northern Europe, proclaiming the Gospel in the Denmark and Sweden. At a very young age he was bishop of Hamburg.
Years later, due to the push from the Vikings, he was forced to taking refuge in Bremen where, as bishop, he spent the last years of his life working, according to some sources, on the edition of a Bible for the poor. Fragments of this ancient Bible are preserved in the cathedral of the city. St. Oscar died in the year 865, without having seen the dream of a profound evangelization of northern Europe, but with the joy of having sown the first seed of faith in those lands.
The Church also celebrates today the patronage of St. Blaise of otorhinolaryngologists and for throat ailments. It is because, according to tradition, he once saved the life of a child who had a fish bone stuck in his throat. In the 17th century, the bishop and martyr Saint Blaise enjoyed great popularity as a protector saint against illnesses, which is why he was depicted in the imagery of the Oviedo Cathedral. In the monastery of the Pelayas, next to the cathedral, a relic of the saint is venerated, which is very popular in Paraguay.
Bishop Martinelli speaks of Dubai "miracle" and wants to be in Yemen
Capuchin Bishop Paolo Martinelli (Milan, 1958) is Vicar of South Arabia, an ecclesiastical jurisdiction that includes Yemen, Oman and the United Arab Emirates. During his visit to Madrid, he said that he wishes to take up again the presence of the Church in Yemen. He also reveals that "in Dubai we have the largest parish in the world, with more than 150,000 faithful every weekend, from one hundred countries. All migrants. It is a 'miracle'".
Francisco Otamendi-February 3, 2025-Reading time: 5minutes
At the age of 66, the Italian Paolo Martinelli shows the drive of a young man in his twenties. He has just preached this week the spiritual exercises to the priests of Communion and Liberation in Spain, and he is in great spirits.
Martinelli went from being auxiliary bishop of Milan (2014) to vicar of the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of South Arabia (2022), with almost one million Catholic faithful, coming from more than a hundred countries, 65 priests, 50 religious sisters. "South Arabia is a church of migrants," he says.
"Even the bishop is a migrant"
Eighty-five percent are of the Latin rite, and 15 percent are from Eastern Catholic churches. "We are all migrants, even the bishop is a migrant," he said in Madrid. In fact, some hundreds of people from Communion and Liberation listened to him and applauded enthusiastically in the space of the Paul VI Foundation, and who knows if he stuck the missionary harpoon into more than one attendee.
On the poster, under the title of the colloquium with José Luis Restán ('Being a Christian in the Middle East'), there was a phrase of his, which he later developed: "Being on mission means being sent by someone, to someone, with someone".
From the city to the desert
Martinelli went from the city to a desert with gigantic and intelligent infrastructures, surrounded by migrants. A unique place also from an environmental point of view, the desert. "I was followed by a few friars, and 42 degrees in the shade." And he concluded by saying that southern Arabia is a "laboratory for the future of the Church".
"My predecessor (Paul Hinder, who was 80 years old, 20 years in the Gulf), was also a Capuchin, three quarters of the clergy are Capuchins (45 out of 65 priests), and not a few of them had been my students in Rome. I realized that my Order has been committed to this land since the first half of the 19th century". That is why, the bishop there has almost always been a Capuchin. "This election of Pope Francis was fulfilling something that was written in my life. I came to Arabia because I was sent to Arabia."
UAE: 7 emirates with 9 million migrants
The United Arab Emirates (UAE), center and seat of the vicariate, is constituted by the union of 7 emirates, since 1971. The state is officially Islamic. The president is the emir of Abu Dhabi, which has ten million inhabitants, of whom 9 million are migrants: 4.5 million are Indians, and apart from Islam, there are Christians, Buddhists, etc. The countries of origin are almost two hundred, and "in the vicariate we have one million Catholics, of whom 850,000 live in the emirates. Most of them are Filipinos, many Indians and from other countries", he explained in the colloquium.
The emirates have had from the beginning a very tolerant attitude towards all cultures and religions. We even have a Ministry of Tolerance and Coexistence, he added.
"It is striking that modernity and tradition coexist peacefully, unlike the occdental situation. The father of the nation was a great visionary, and the development of the country has been very rapid."
"The immigration policy has been very careful. There is an important presence of workers, in various groups. Many arrive without families. The Church tries to have a stable relationship with all of them, promoting initiatives of support and contact with Catholics who wish to live a life of faith."
"The miracle of Dubai".
Bishop Martinelli says, "We have 9 parishes in the various emirates. In Dubai we have the largest parish in the world, with more than 150,000 faithful every weekend. It is a miracle to make it possible for everyone to participate in Mass and catechesis, it is truly a miracle. We are all migrants, a Church in continuous movement, whose organization depends on the work of its faithful, from a hundred countries".
For this reason, he adds, "the parish is structured in linguistic communities, which are the first sign of the Church's closeness to the people. They take care of newcomers, help them to maintain their traditions, their language, etc., to support them in their needs".
"When Pope Francis visited the United Arab Emirates, said that the vocation of this church is to be "a polyphony of faith". This is the way to experience the true universality of the Church. Being different, we have received the same Baptism, the same Faith, the same Spirit".
"It is Christ who sends"
What does it mean to be sent? "On the plane, I reflected: mission means that someone sends you. It is Christ who sends. Jesus said: as the Father has sent me, so I send you. Through someone, through the Church, through the Pope, through a call you receive unexpectedly".
"Then I thought, I am not going alone. I go with someone, the subject of the mission is always a Communion, with my brothers, the priests, it would be impossible to be there alone; it was also a great help to know about some families of the Movement, especially some of them. Memores Dominiare a special gift", and he expressly quoted Giussani.
"And to someone: I am thinking especially of all the migrants who live in the Gulf. Ours is a Church of migrants".
"Being sent makes you love people."
"I am there to confirm them in their faith and to be a sign of unity. At the same time, I recognize that I am sent to the faithful of other religions, especially the faithful of Islam, supported by the example of St. Francis of Assisibut also the Hindus, and so many others," he added yesterday. "To bear witness to the Gospel, to recognize in them the glimmer of that truth that enlightens all men, and to work together for a more fraternal and human world."
In short, "the word mission, the experience of being sent is a principle of action because it moves you, sets you in motion, a principle of knowledge and a principle of affection. Being sent makes you love people".
Yemen: reestablishing the presence of the Church
Three sentences about other countries of the vicariate of South Arabia. First, about YemenFor us it has a fundamental historical importance, because the Apostolic Vicariate of Arabia was born in Yemen 135 years ago and its headquarters was there.
After ten years of civil war, very little remains. The four churches are in ruins, and only in the north, under the command of the Houthi rebels, are there two communities of Missionaries of Charity (St. Teresa of Calcutta), who carry out a great work of charity, and a priest. In 1998 and in 2026, the sisters of Mother Teresa suffered attacks that cost the lives of 7 nuns, martyrs of our time, as Pope Francis defined them.
Only a few hundred Catholics remain. Almost all the migrants have been leaving Yemen. "My greatest wish would be to resume the presence of the Church in Yemen, where there are indigenous Catholics, which is not the case in other Gulf States."
The internal situation between North Yemen and South Yemen "is now quite calm compared to the past. We pray that new avenues of Christian presence will open up, and we hope that the truce between Hamas and Israel can bring some change to Yemen as well."
Good relationship with Oman
The situation in Oman is very different, because violence is rejected, explained Vicar Martinelli. The country is a sultanate and the population is very docile: "They are interlocutors of Yemen, and in any case, our relationship with the authorities of Oman is very good, and that of the nuncio as well. We have 4 parishes, although there are no schools for the moment, and the good relations with the Holy See make us foresee that in the future there could be new parishes, and perhaps some kindergartens".
We think that in Oman there are many Catholics, but they are not involved in the life of the Church, perhaps because of the distance to the places of worship, because they do not have a vehicle, considers the vicar. This is the case of the Filipinos, more than 45,000 in Oman, almost all of them Catholics. There are also Indian Catholics.
The historic March for Life in Washington had among its speakers the new Vice President J.D. Vance. His personal history explains his strong commitment to the defense of life.
Last January 24, 2025 was the massive and historic March for Life in Washington, a few days after Trump signed multiple express executive orders-among which the Born-Alive Abortion Survivor Protection Act is noteworthy-as Omnes recounted in the article by María Wiering and Marietha Góngora V. (OSV News)The article highlighted the speech of the vice-president of the United States on the impressive pro-life day. But who is this person and where does his commitment to life come from?
James David Vanceturned 40 years old on August 2, 2024. He was born in Middletown, Ohio. The son of a broken family and a drug-addicted mother, he was a Marine and served in the Iraq war, then went to law school, earning his J.D. from Yale in 2013. He married Usha, a fellow Yale law school student, in 2014. He lives in Cincinnati, Ohio, and has three. In 2016 he wrote a book explaining his background and ideas "Hillbilly, a rural elegy".
In 2017 he started working for Revolution LLC, in Silicon Valley. In 2019 he was received into the Catholic Church and chose St. Augustine of Hippo as his confirmation patron saint, for his ability to transmit the faith. From that same year is his famous article, entitled "An elegy for the American dream", published in the digital magazine Unherd in 2019. In 2023, he was elected senator for Ohio, after a few years dedicated to preparing his political career. In the month of July 2024 he was chosen by Trump as a candidate for vice president of the USA, even though in the past he had been his staunch opponent. And he is currently the vice president of this country.
In Unherd's aforementioned article, republished by the same magazine in July 2024, he briefly explains his conservative ideas, which stem largely from a lack of them in his childhood, such as the absence of a structured family.
One of his top priorities is life and its defense as can be read in that journalistic piece: "When I think about my own life, what has made my life better is the fact that I am the father of a two-year-old boy. When I think about the demons of my own childhood and how those demons have vanished in the love and laughter of my oldest child; when I look at friends of mine who have grown up in difficult circumstances and have become parents and have become more connected to their communities, to their families, to their faith, because of the role of their own children, I say we want babies not just because they are economically useful. We want more babies because the children are good."
This testimony gives a better understanding of the speech he gave at the March for Life, when he said, "Let me say very simply, 'I want more babies in the United States of America: I want more babies in the United States of America." This pro-life revival is going unnoticed in Europe, but it will eventually help to stop this silent genocide that is ravaging the world.
Christianity and modernity in the thought of St. Josemaria
On the occasion of the anniversary of "Gaudium et spes" and as a path of reflection towards the centenary of the founding of Opus Dei, the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross has prepared a three-year program of in-depth study, with seminars and meetings of experts, on topics such as the relationship between faith and culture, work and the role of Christians in society.
On the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the publication of the Pastoral Constitution "....Gaudium et spes"The Pontifical University of the Holy Cross has prepared a three-year program of reflection on the relationship between faith and culture, the meaning of work and the role of Christians in the promotion of the common good, with seminars and meetings of experts, as a way of reflecting on the centenary of the founding of Opus Dei (1928-2028).
The second event of this initiative took place on Monday, January 13, in the Alvaro del Portillo Hall, with the participation of Luis Romera, Professor of Metaphysics in the School of Philosophy, and Giuseppe Tanzella-Nitti, Professor of Fundamental Theology in the School of Theology, who spoke on the theme "Identity and telos of secular realities in the light of St. Josemaría's thought.
Work as an instrument of sanctification
The debate was opened by Luis Romera, with a reflection on the centrality of work in the thinking of the founder of the Opus DeiIn this way, every human activity, even the most seemingly ordinary, acquires a transcendent value. "Work is not only a means of subsistence, but a call to participate in God's creative and redemptive plan," he explained, echoing number 40 of "Gaudium et spes."
The philosopher then quoted the German theologian Gerhard Lohfink to underscore how the Kingdom of God is not relegated to eschatology, but is realized in the present through the responsible action of believers. He then reiterated the importance of work as a means of making God's love visible: "Christ is present at the very heart of human work: he inspires it, transforms it and directs it towards the Father," he added.
In a central passage, Romera pointed out that this vision requires a profound theological and intellectual formation, capable of combining competence and faith. Indeed, "it is not enough to know the catechism; it is necessary to understand it in depth, because only in this way can the Christian live authentically his commitment in the world".
The professor of Metaphysics concluded his talk by strongly recalling the role of the Christian as a builder of the Kingdom of God through his work: "every gesture, every activity, if done in Christ, can contribute to making God's love visible in the world. And this is not "a distant utopia, but a reality that is built in the present", since every Christian "is called to transform secular realities, making them a reflection of God's love".
Autonomy and filial freedom
Giuseppe Tanzella-Nitti's talk focused on numbers 33-39 of Gaudium et Spes, dedicated to the theme of the autonomy of earthly realities. The theologian analyzed how modernity has transformed the concept of autonomy into a pretension of self-affirmation and rejection of God, leading to results such as relativism and nihilism. Rather, he explained, citing authors such as Cornelio Fabro and Augusto Del Noce, "modernity has misunderstood autonomy, separating it from its ontological bond with God."
The scholar then pointed out that in St. Josemaría's thought there are valuable elements for overcoming this misunderstanding, since "autonomy and filiation do not exclude each other, but refer to each other. Moreover, true freedom is not opposition to God, but a filial relationship with him.
Particularly incisive was the reference to the "forma Christi," that is, to the Christian's ability to transform the secular world from within, inspired by charity and divine filiation. "Filial freedom does not diminish man's autonomy, but is its foundation and strength," he added.
The same applies to the question of Christian secularity, which is distinct from secularization. In fact, Christian secularity "does not deny the autonomy of earthly realities, but recognizes them as a space for living the faith. It is the place where the creature exercises its freedom in charity, leading the world towards its fullness in Christ".
In concluding his speech, the theologian launched an invitation to practice, concretizing this synthesis between Christianity and modernity beyond theoretical reflection and through "life experiences that reveal how the forma Christi can inform all aspects of human existence."
Next initiative
The next initiative planned by Holy Cross in this three-year program of deepening the centenary of Opus Dei will be a meeting of experts who will reflect on the Images of human work in contemporary thought. It will take place on May 29 and 30, and for the occasion a call of papers.
St. Brigid of Kildare, Abbess and Co-Patroness of Ireland
On February 1, the Church celebrates St. Bridget, founder of one of the first monasteries in Ireland, in Kildare. She was a faithful continuator of St. Patrick's work of evangelization and shares the patronage of Ireland with St. Patrick and St. Columbanus. She is considered the first Irish nun.
Francisco Otamendi-February 1, 2025-Reading time: < 1minute
There are numerous writings that attest to the cult of St. Bridget in Ireland, but there are not so many proven facts about her life. According to history, she was born in the 5th century in Faughart, near Dunkalk, at a time when the evangelization of Europe was taking place, and from an early age she consecrated herself to God and was chosen by Him. She went to account that her mother would send her to collect the butter that the women made from the milk of the cows, and she would give it to the poor.
Very little is known about the great religious foundation at Kill-dara (the oak temple) and its rule. It is supposed to have been a 'double monastery', i.e. it included both men and women, as was common practice among the Celts. It is quite possible that St. Bridget presided over both communities. To this Irish saint are attributed to numerous miracles, such as restoring sight to blind people, quenching plagues, multiplying food, and even turning water into beer to quench thirst in some religious celebration. She is also known as the patron saint of milkmen.
Santa Brígida has been represented in the art with the church of Kildare in flames. Thanks to it, the paganism of the place was replaced by the fire of Christ's Passover. The image of the oak is linked to that of the burning bush, because it is near the tabernacle. The Virgin who generates the body of Christ is the burning bush, the Church is this burning bush.
With the Enlightenment and secularization, many things that were taken for granted have been questioned, to the point of denying the historical existence of Jesus of Nazareth, as well as his divine identity.
We live in a time of great uncertainty. We often blindly believe what influencers on social networks propose to us, without digging deeper. However, we are hungry for truth and certainty.
The same thing has happened to the Christian faith in the last two centuries: with the Enlightenment and secularization, many things that were taken for granted have been questioned, to the point of denying the historical existence of Jesus of Nazareth, as well as his divine identity. At the same time, credit is given to self-styled historians who spread theories without sources or solid foundations.
For those who wish to approach the historical figure of Jesus, we will undertake a journey through the sources and methods of research on the Nazarene that follows a series of articles already published by Omnes on the life of Jesus of Nazareth, his cultural and geographical environment and his death.
What is History?
Let us begin by defining what history is. First, it should be noted that the term derives from the Greek ἱστορία (historia) meaning research, and has the same root ιδ- as the verb ὁράω (orao, to see, to see, verb with three roots: ὁρά-; ιδ-; ὄπ-). The perfect ὁίδα, òida, then, means literally 'I saw', but, by extension, 'I know'. It refers, in practice, to observe and, consequently, to know after experiencing: the same sense we find also in the root of the Latin verb video (v-id-eo and in the term of Greek origin 'idea'). I would add, moreover, that a requirement of historical research is, in addition to the critical sense, intelligence, in the literal sense of the Latin word: intus lĕgĕre, that is, to read inside, to go deeper, maintaining the ability to consider the whole of facts and events.
The historical-critical method
The Enlightenment raised doubts about the figure of the Nazarene, but it also prompted the development of historical research through the historical-critical method, aimed at assessing the reliability of the sources. This method, developed since the 17th century, is applied not only to the Gospels, but to any text transmitted in different variants, in order to reconstruct its original form and verify its historical content.
In the last 150 years, the need to historically substantiate Christian doctrine has led the Catholic Church to firmly reaffirm the historicity of the Gospels, while historians, scholars and archaeologists have used the historical-critical method to distinguish between the "historical Jesus" and the "Christ of faith". However, an excessively ideological application of this method has often led to a clear separation between the pre-Gospel Jesus and the "Christ of faith". Easter and the Christ after Easter. To respond to these doubts, the Church has deepened the exegetical and archaeological study, reaffirming in the Second Vatican Council ("Dei Verbum") "firmly and without any hesitation the historicity" of the Gospels, which "faithfully convey what Jesus, Son of God, during his life among men, actually did and taught for their eternal salvation, until the day he was taken up to heaven."
The Church's position thus combines the "historical Jesus" and the "Christ of faith" in a single figure. However, the vast majority of historians - Christian, Jewish, Muslim or non-believer - do not doubt the historical existence of Jesus of Nazareth. On the contrary, the historical and archaeological evidence in his favor continues to mount, reinforcing the reliability of the Gospels and other New Testament writings.
The "historical Jesus" approach
Today, most historians agree on the historical existence of Jesus, with an increasing amount of corroborating historical and archaeological evidence. This is because historical research has developed around his figure in three main phases:
First Search or Old Search, initiated by Hermann S. Reimarus (1694-1768) and continued by scholars such as Ernest Renan, author of the famous "Life of Jesus". This phase, influenced by enlightened rationalism, systematically denied all the prodigious facts linked to the figure of Jesus, without questioning his existence. However, it soon ran up against its own ideological limitations, as Albert Schweitzer pointed out. Indeed, none of the protagonists of this phase of research ever paid attention to the historical context and archaeological sources, even if Renan himself romantically referred to Palestine as a "fifth gospel".
Second Quest (New Quest or Second Quest), officially initiated in 1953 by the Lutheran theologian Ernst Käsemann, but in reality already initiated by Albert Schweitzer, who pointed out the limitations of the first one. It contrasted with an earlier phase, called No Quest, advocated by Rudolf Bultmann, who was convinced that historical research on Jesus was irrelevant to the Christian faith. The Second Quest rejected the ideological rejection of the "Christ of faith," adopting a more critical and integrative approach, which included the prodigious events without excluding them a priori.
Third Search, predominant today.
The Third Search
While the First Search was conditioned by rationalist ideology and the Second Search introduced a more balanced approach, the Third Search is characterized by a greater attention to the historical context and interdisciplinarity, combining philology, archaeology and hermeneutics. Today, thanks to this method, we have an increasingly solid picture of the historical existence of Jesus and his relevance in the history of the first century.
The exponents of this Third Quest start from the assumption formulated by Albert Schweitzer: one cannot ideologically reject everything in the Gospels and the New Testament that has a miraculous character, discarding it because it does not conform to the canons of enlightened rationalism. Moreover, as Benedict XVI (exponent of the Third Quest, together with authors and scientists such as the Italians Giuseppe Ricciotti and Vittorio Messori, the Israeli Jew David Flusser and the German Joachim Jeremias) adds in his book Jesus of Nazareth, the limits of the historical-critical method consist substantially in "leaving the word in the past", without being able to make it "current, today"; in "treating the words in front of us as human words"; finally, in "further subdividing the books of Scripture according to their sources, but the unity of all these writings as Bible does not result as an immediate historical fact".
The Third Search resorts to textual analysis and hermeneutics to get as close as possible to the original form of the sources under consideration (in this case those relating to Jesus) and includes, as we said, scholars such as the Israeli Jew David Flusser (1917-2000), author of fundamental writings on ancient Judaism and convinced, like many other contemporary Jews, that the Gospels and Pauline writings represent the richest and most reliable source for the study of Second Temple Judaism, like many other contemporary Jews, that the Gospels and the Pauline writings represent the richest and most reliable source for the study of Second Temple Judaism, given the loss of other contemporary materials due to the destruction caused by the Jewish Wars (between 70 and 132 AD.C.). c.).
In the following articles we will see how this methodology has already been applied by the Church, over the centuries, to historical and archaeological sources about the figure of Christ.
Cardinal Fernando Sebastián was a key figure in the Spanish Transition, with a profound influence on the separation of Church and State. He participated in decisive meetings with political leaders from both sides, contributing to the establishment of a plural and free democracy.
February 1, 2025-Reading time: 3minutes
I had the immense good fortune of being a student of Cardinal Fernando Sebastián, a true man of God who was a key figure in the political transition in Spain. In contrast to the majority thinking, he explained to us how it was precisely the Church that put the most effort into the separation of Church and State.
Rector of the Pontifical University of Salamanca since 1971, his enormous intellectual stature led Cardinal Tarancón, then president of the Spanish Episcopal Conference, to choose him as his trusted advisor. He accompanied him in the secret meetings he held with the main leaders of the left and right, some of them still in hiding. Ordained bishop in 1979, he was secretary general of the Spanish bishops in the 1980s and vice-president in various periods of the following two decades. An exceptional witness and, on numerous occasions, a protagonist of those historic events, he reminded us that the social and political doctrine that emerged from the Second Vatican Council was key to bringing Spain to democracy in a peaceful manner.
In the famous text: Affirmations for a time of searching (1976)Fernando asked "to differentiate the Church from civil society, from its institutions and objectives". The position of the Church at that time was not to accept any type of privilege, beyond religious freedom and the recognition of the Catholic Church in a non-confessional state, as was finally included in the Constitution of 1978.
I recover the memory of the wise and beloved professor because I am a bit fed up, as a citizen, of having to keep quiet when some try to present an anti-democratic image of the Spanish Church. This prejudice of a Church greedy for political power, which only seeks privileges and does not value freedom, is a big lie, no matter how much they can always bring out with a lot of noise the particular outrage of this or that person or minority group.
In his "Memories with Hope" (Encuentro, 2016), the Cardinal expressed his sadness for this manipulation of the memory of the role of the Catholic Church in those difficult years: "I have the impression that nowadays the contribution of the Church to the peaceful advent of democracy in Spain has been somewhat forgotten. The conciliar renewal -he recalled- helped us Spanish Catholics to decisively support the establishment of a free and open society, respectful of the political, cultural and religious freedoms of all, without privileges of any kind".
What is paradoxical is that those who continue today with the refrain, using the supposed privileges of the Catholic Church and demanding an even greater separation Church-State, are on the other hand turning the tables and wanting to submit the faith of the Church to the moral and ideological assumptions of the party. It is no longer that they want to confine the voice of the Church to the sacristies; it is that they want to be the ones who, from the sacristies, interpret the Gospel and the ecclesial tradition and explain it to the faithful. In a sort of extemporaneous caesaropapism, they threaten with coercive laws and sanctions, intimidating the personnel and endangering religious freedom, the one for which the Spaniards fought and voted, invading the independence and autonomy of the religious confessions in their own sphere.
Perhaps we should take to the streets to demand, not the separation of Church-State, but the separation of State-Church, because if we continue in this way, we will run the risk of ending up with a national church like China.
In days like these, in which the Transition is being re-read in a self-interested way, I end with another prophetic warning that I have found in the memoirs of D. Fernando, whose death, by the way, has just been six years ago: "We have not just overcome the anti-clerical resabios," said the wise professor. It is true that clericalism has been strong among us. But things have changed almost fifty years ago. In spite of which our leftists are still determined to impose what they call the "secular State", with an excluding and anti-religious secularism that is clearly unconstitutional. The temptation of exclusionary secularism threatens the democratic clarity of our society. Restrictions to the full religious freedom of citizens are a deficit in democracy". Be careful, we are at stake.
Journalist. Graduate in Communication Sciences and Bachelor in Religious Sciences. He works in the Diocesan Delegation of Media in Malaga. His numerous "threads" on Twitter about faith and daily life have a great popularity.
Spanish priest in China: "Christianity in China is silent, but has deep roots".
For years, religious information analysts have been discussing whether the provisional agreement between the Chinese government and the Vatican for the appointment of bishops is being positive. We interviewed a Spanish priest working in China about the situation of the Church in the country.
Father Esteban Aranaz is a priest from Aragon, incardinated in the diocese of Tarazona (Zaragoza) and carries out his pastoral ministry in China. He has been in Shanghai for nearly ten years, although his priestly work in Asia began 22 years ago in Taiwan, where he worked for seven years. Before leaving for China he was Rector of the Major Seminary and Director of the Theological Institute of his Diocese, professor of the same and Vicar General in Tarazona. He speaks Mandarin and seven other languages. He is passionate about art and music.
We spoke with him about the situation of the Church in China and his assessment of the operation of the agreement between the Church and the Chinese government for the appointment of bishops. It is estimated that there are between 15 and 20 million Catholics in China, representing approximately 1% of the population. In comparison, the evangelical community is somewhat larger.
Tell us who you are, how long you have been in Asia and China, and what your pastoral work consists of.
- I am a diocesan priest from Tarazona, Spain. My priestly work in Asia began 23 years ago in Taiwan. I was there for seven years before moving to Shanghai, where I have been for ten years.
My work in China focuses on the pastoral care of the Spanish and Portuguese-speaking Catholic Community of Shanghai and the Community of Yiwú, in the province of Zhejiang. In addition, I travel monthly to Beijing to carry out other pastoral work, where I also give two retreats for young people.
How is it possible for him to work in China? Aren't foreign priests not supposed to practice there?
- In China there are restrictions on the presence of foreign priests, but my work falls within an authorized framework for the foreign community, and my situation has improved considerably in the last three years. Officially, I minister to Spanish-speaking and Portuguese-speaking Catholics, but through personal contact and friendship, I also have a significant relationship with many Chinese. Since last Christmas in fact, I am organist at the Shanghai Cathedral.
Although I dedicate my ministerial work exclusively to foreigners, working in China nevertheless involves adapting to a complex reality. It is not only a question of administrative restrictions, but also of knowing how to move with prudence and discretion, respecting at all times the legal framework in a country that is finally opening its doors and welcoming you. For this reason, although the number of conversions every year is important, the growth of the Church in China is not massive or noisy, but develops in small circles, in daily life, in the trust that is generated with each person. Faith here is a seed that grows in silence, but has deep roots.
What are Chinese Catholics like? How is the faith lived in China?
- The piety of Chinese Catholics is impressive. In Asia, in general, there is a great reverence for religion, and in China it is reflected in a very active participation in the liturgy. In the cathedral of Shanghai, for example, on Sundays up to 700 faithful gather for each celebration with an attitude of deep faith and devotion.
Unlike many Catholics in the West, here it is common to see the faithful, many of them very young, actively participating in the Mass and maintaining a posture of deep piety. Gestures are very important: kneeling, keeping hands together at all times, are expressions that speak of a deep faith before the mystery. The liturgy is very well cared for and the choirs are exceptional, as music is highly appreciated among the Chinese.
Foreigners are very surprised by this fervor. Many are shocked to see the depth and respect with which the Chinese live their faith. I always recommend to those who visit the country to attend a Mass in Chinese, even if they do not understand the language. The attitude and devotion of the faithful speak for themselves.
What role does the Catholic community play in Chinese society?
- The presence of the Church in China is both cultural and social. And therefore one cannot speak of the Catholic faith as a faith of foreigners, as in the past. In China, in practically every city, no matter how small, there is at least one Catholic church. In addition, in many dioceses there are homes for the elderly and orphanages run by nuns or lay faithful. However, access to certain public spaces and responsibilities within the state is still restricted for believers, at least officially.
In some provinces, such as Hebei and Shanxi, the Catholic presence is more visible, with large communities and well-kept temples. Even so, the Church remains a minority community and does not have the same social influence as in other countries.
How do Chinese government policies influence the formation of new priests and the religious education of the faithful?
- China has several prestigious seminaries, such as the diocesan seminary in Beijing or the national seminary also in the capital, which houses more than 100 seminarians and more than 30 religious sisters as a formation center. It must be said that the formation is serious and well structured, with libraries, study rooms and a solid theological formation.
In addition to the seminaries in Beijing, there are other training centers, such as the Sheshan Seminary in Shanghai, which in the past had great relevance and, after a few years of decline, is now making a comeback. There is also the Xi'an Seminary and the Shijiazhuang Seminary in Hebei Province, the latter, with more than 100 students, is the largest in the country.
For years the situation of the formation of Chinese priests has been improving thanks to the material improvements of the seminaries within the country and the help of "Propaganda Fide" and various ecclesial institutions in places like Rome, Germany, Salamanca, Pamplona, France, Belgium, the United States, etc... This has significantly raised the level of the clergy in China. Dioceses such as those of Beijing or Shanghai, among many others, have been pioneers in the formation of a young and well-prepared clergy, with many priests who, in addition to their ecclesiastical studies, have even completed civil careers.
In short, the doctrinal level is good.
- In China, despite what some believe, the doctrine, morals and liturgy of the Church have never been modified in history. Apostolic succession has always been maintained. That is why Rome has never considered the Church in China as a schismatic Church.
Why did Benedict XVI invite the clandestine communities to come out into the open? How is this process progressing?
- In his 2007 letter to Chinese Catholics, Benedict XVI explained that clandestinity is an exceptional situation in the life of the Church and is not the normal way of living the faith. For this reason, the German Pope urged the clandestine communities to integrate whenever possible, and little by little progress is being made in this direction. It must be said that it is not always easy, as there are priests who seek to regularize themselves within Chinese legality, but the authorities in some places still set very restrictive conditions.
And today, does it make sense to keep talking in China about the patriotic community and the underground community?
- Since the signing of the agreement between the Holy See and the Chinese government in 2018, all bishops in China are recognized by the Holy See and in communion with the Pope. This means that one can no longer speak of an official and an underground Church. While there are still many bishops and some communities that have not yet acquired public recognition by the state, on an ecclesiastical and doctrinal level, the Church in China is one, with its bishops fully recognized by Rome.
This provisional agreement, which was initially renewed for two-year periods, will be in force for four years as of September 2024. This is very positive and significant, as it has allowed the Church to grow in unity and strengthen the ties between the Chinese Catholic community and the universal Church.
What is your assessment of the Chinese state's interim agreement with the Vatican?
- The interim agreement between the Holy See and China was, in my opinion, a very positive thing. Although for some it is still a controversial issue, I think it should be analyzed with serenity. It is not a complete or definitive agreement, as it only focuses on the appointment of bishops. However, it has allowed the regularization of many bishops and has helped to normalize the ecclesial and pastoral life of many dioceses, as has happened in Shanghai, facilitating dialogue with the authorities. Although the content of the agreement is not public, its aim is to preserve the unity of the Church in China and to guarantee the communion of all bishops with the Pope.
In such a complex context, any progress, however small, is of great value, even if there are still many challenges ahead. In my view, the attitude of dialogue promoted by Pope Francis and the work of the Secretariat of State of the Holy See have been positively received by the Chinese authorities and all this is helping to make significant progress after years of estrangement and misunderstandings.
And what do you think of Cardinal Zen's pessimism regarding this agreement?
- I have great appreciation and respect for Cardinal Zen, with whom I have had the opportunity to converse on several occasions. In fact, it was he who told me on one occasion years ago "that giving support to the official community or the underground community was equally important because in China there was only one Church."
However, I believe that his critical view of this agreement, while understandable and very respectable, does not favor a constructive approach to China's current reality. Rome has clearly opted for a cautious but more dialogical strategy that seeks to avoid confrontation. This does not mean running away from the cross or anything like it, as is sometimes perceived in the West. But we must move forward.
And is this strategy paying off?
- It should be noted that in China there is freedom of worship and the religious practice of Catholics as well as that of other confessions is respected, formation is allowed and the faithful can attend the sacraments, in the seminaries there are books and they do not study with photocopies as in the past. In short, if one looks at things from here one notices that there are many things that have improved.
To me, this situation of winning on the one hand, assuming things that still need to be improved, reminds me of what we experienced in Spain during the Transition. In that context, everyone had to give in on some points, facilitating harmony and reconciliation. There comes a time in the life of individuals and peoples that if you do not forgive, it is impossible to live together and move forward,
How are you attached to your bishop from China?
- Although my pastoral work is carried out in China, I am still incardinated in Tarazona, and I maintain regular communication with my bishop in Spain, informing him of my work and always receiving his support.
But I also live my priesthood in full communion with the local bishop of Shanghai, whom I consider my pastor in this context. Although I cannot yet have a contractual relationship with the Diocese of Shanghai, I participate actively in its ecclesial life. Since the arrival of the new Bishop Joseph Shen, I have been able to concelebrate the Eucharist three times in Xujiahui Cathedral. This double linkage reflects the universality of the Church and the collaboration between different dioceses for evangelization, which also strengthens ecclesial communion.
Since September 29 last year, my priestly work and the community I serve in Shanghai have been officially recognized by the authorities, which has helped me to live and work as a priest practically fully integrated into the local Church.
So, clearly, he values positively the new situation of the Church in China.
- Since 2018, 11 bishops have been appointed respecting the agreement between the Holy See and the Chinese government, which is progress. Outside of what happened in Shanghai, where the transfer of Bishop Shen took place unilaterally by Beijing, the Pope ended up recognizing the appointed bishop, I sincerely prefer to see the bottle half full and underline the positives of the process. As in the world of bullfighting, it is not just a matter of outwitting the bull, it is necessary to enter with courage and determination until the task is successfully completed.
On the website of the Catholic Church in China, the constant presence of officials at religious events is striking. How much autonomy does the Church really have?
- In China the presence and control of the state is present in all areas of public and economic life, education, the media and therefore also in religious life, because administratively the Church, and all religious denominations in China, are dependent on the state. In spite of this, the Church is able to carry on with its mission despite so many challenges.
What I do recommend to everyone is not to lose perspective so as not to forget the special circumstances of this immense country in terms of its size and population, which has undergone, as we all know, evident changes and transformations over the last few decades. However, in the West, there is still a lot of mistrust and prejudices about this country. I invite people to visit it, to know its reality and to understand its particular context.
For this reason, it is important to understand in its proper measure the process of "sinization" of all areas of public and social life in China, which logically also affects the life of the Church, facing under this new concept very important challenges, but also opportunities for growth. A few months ago I participated in an important meeting organized by the diocese of Beijing with the attendance of bishops, priests, religious, seminarians and various lay people, professors and members of the government. I had a communication that allowed me to express frankly some opinions about this interesting process of "sinization".
In my opinion, China can contribute a lot to the universal Church and on the contrary, the Church in China needs to keep alive the communion with the universal Church for its growth and mission.
What is your perspective on the future of the Church in China?
- I am optimistic. The faith in China has not died out, but is still alive and growing in the daily lives of many Chinese. As Pope Francis recalled during his trip to Mongolia: "Catholics in China must be good citizens and good Christians". The challenges are many, the Church has always known how to adapt and find ways to evangelize. The future will depend on the Church's ability to keep alive the apostolic zeal to also continue to foster a constructive dialogue with the authorities that encourages the faithful to continue to live their faith authentically.
What role does friendship play in your relationship with the Chinese faithful?
- Friendship is key, I call it the "eighth sacrament". Although my official work is with foreigners, I really have many Chinese friends. Besides, music and art have been valuable tools to get closer to them, through initiatives such as "Friends of Beauty", meetings and gatherings where we share the cultural richness of China and Christian humanism over a good cup of tea. Now, together with some friends, I am promoting an Institute that I believe is a very interesting project.
What exactly is it about?
- We want to establish the "Diego de Pantoja Institute", a project to build bridges between China and the West in all areas of human relations: history, art, philosophy, business and economics, international relations and diplomacy. Diego de Pantoja, a native of Valdemoro (Madrid) was a Jesuit contemporary of Mateo Ricci, who promoted dialogue between China and Europe in the 17th century. Through the Institute, we promote academic and artistic exchanges, such as the one we have recently carried out by collaborating in the installation of some pictorial works of great artistic value, by the Malaga painter Raúl Berzosa, in the South Cathedral of Beijing or a musical project for the Cathedral of Shanghai, among others.
One last question, how do you stay this optimistic?
- My work in China would not be possible without the prayers and support of my family and many friends. In this regard I would like to point out the spiritual and human help of the Priestly Society of the Holy Cross. Opus Dei is certainly not perfect, like no institution, but despite its mistakes and difficulties, it provides an invaluable service to the Church and especially to diocesan priests.
I would like to say it loud and clear, Opus Dei has been committed to accompanying priests since its origins. And the formation of the clergy has been one of its priorities, promoting a large number of grants and scholarships, the result of the generosity of many good people, to study in Pamplona and in Rome. Most of the priests trained there do not belong to the Work; today some of them are even bishops, but all have benefited from means that have long since redounded to the benefit of the universal Church.
This is a legacy that we have to thank a diocesan priest of Saragossa and universal saint, Josemaría Escrivá, who loved and lived for priests. Blessed Alvaro del Portillo continued this work. There are institutions such as the Bidasoa International Seminary in Pamplona and the Sædes Sapientiæ in Rome, the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre, the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome and many other centers that continue to help the Church and priests throughout the world.
I myself studied at the University of Navarra, which is my "alma mater", and I was trained at the Bidasoa Ecclesiastical College. After several years of ministerial life, I obtained a Licentiate in Dogmatic Theology at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome.
Any thoughts you would like to end this interview with?
-If I may, I would not like to end this interesting encounter without sharing with our readers a thought I wrote a few years ago that may help to understand my love for China:
"We owe our existence to God, to our parents who gave us life. We are part of a tradition with our ancestors! But the heart responds only to the freedom of love! And I, because I am free, for love of Christ, have decided to give it forever to the Chinese people. That is why no matter where Providence takes me, wherever I am, I want to be always one more Chinese!"
A great pedagogue, a great teacher of the spiritual life and an apostle of devotion to Mary. Auxilium Christianorum. The life and legacy of St. John Bosco, which the Church celebrates on January 31, is a guide for thousands of people today.
Manuel Belda-January 31, 2025-Reading time: 3minutes
St. John Bosco was born on August 16, 1815 in Castelnuovo d'Asti, a small town near Turin, in a small village near Turin. family of peasants, poor and very Christian. His father died when he was less than two years old, so he was raised exclusively by his saintly mother, Margherita Occhiena.
On October 30, 1835, he entered the Seminary of Chieri. He was ordained a priest on June 5, 1841 in Turin, where he exercised his priestly ministry in prisons, on the streets and in workplaces. He soon gathered around himself a group of young peopleHe placed them under the patronage of St. Francis de Sales. In 1846 he rented premises in Valdocco, a suburb north of Turin, which constituted the first stable nucleus of his work with young people.
First professional schools, and others
St. John Bosco clearly understood that, when the new industrial world was born, the youth had to be prepared for life, not only morally, but also professionally, so he founded the first professional schools and subsequently numerous other schools. On December 28, 1859, with 17 young people, he founded the Society of St. Francis de Sales, so its members are called "Salesians". Its Constitutions were definitively approved by the Holy See on April 3, 1874. On August 5, 1872, he founded the female branch, the Congregation of the "Daughters of Mary Help of Christians".
He died on January 31, 1888, at the age of 72. He was beatified by Pius XI on June 2, 1929, and canonized by the same Pope on April 1, 1934. On May 24, 1989, he was proclaimed Patron Saint of Youth by St. John Paul II.
His works
St. John Bosco wrote many works, but not systematic treatises, but rather of a pastoral nature, always moved by the circumstances of his life and apostolate. They can be classified into the following genres: pedagogical writings, entertainment, theatrical, hagiographical, biographical, autobiographical, religious instruction, prayer, government documents and epistolary.
Papal Teachings
St. John Bosco was first and foremost a great pedagogueThe "preventive system", which consisted of preventing misconduct, was advocated in his schools at a time when the educational system was still "repressive", consisting of repressing and punishing the mistakes made by the students.
He was also a great teacher of the spiritual life, which he based on a solid sacramental piety. Frequent reception of the sacraments was an essential element in his pedagogy to lead young people towards holiness, and was the key to his educational project: frequent Communion and Confession, daily Mass.
"Everyone has need of Communion."
He taught that frequent Communion is highly recommended, because the Eucharist is both medicine and nourishment for the soul: "Some say that in order to receive Communion frequently, one must be a saint. This is not true. This is a deception. Communion is for those who wish to become saints, not for saints; medicine is given to the sick, nourishment is given to the weak". Communion, therefore, is necessary for all Christians: "All have need of Communion: the good to remain good, the bad to become good: and so, young people, you will acquire the true wisdom that comes from the Lord".
Meditation!
St. John Bosco insisted much on the need for mental prayer. A personal recollection of Blessed Philip Rinaldi, who in 1922 became the Rector Major of the Salesian Society, and who treated his founder during the last years of the latter's life, shows the importance he gave to meditation: "Going to confession with him during the last month of his life, I told him: "You must not tire yourself, you must not speak, I will speak; you will say only one word to me at the end". The good Father, after listening to me, said only one word: Meditation! He added no more, no explanation or comment. Just one word: Meditation! But that word was worth more to me than a long speech."
The Virgin Mary, inspirer and protectress, Mother
St. John Bosco's spirituality was eminently Marian. He said that, together with Holy Communion, Mary is the other pillar on which the world rests. He also affirmed: "Mary Most Holy is the foundress and the one who sustains our works". For this reason, he had the image of the Virgin Mary placed in every corner of the Salesian houses, so that she could be invoked and honored as the inspiration and protector of the Salesian Society. He did not hesitate to say and to assure: "The multiplication and spread of the Salesian Society can be said to be due to Mary Most Holy".
St. John Bosco was the apostle of devotion to Mary. Auxilium Christianorumbut he ended up preferring this title to that of Mary Help of Christians. In December 1862 he communicated his decision to erect a church in Turin under the invocation of Mary Help of Christians, whose foundation stone was laid on April 27, 1865.
However, on her deathbed it was not the invocation "Auxiliatrix" that came from her lips, but that of "Mother", for she died saying: "In manus tuas, Domine, commendo spiritum meum...Mother...Mother, open to me the gates of Paradise".
Sebastian Muggeridge: "You don't give your vocation to yourself, God gives it to you"
Influenced by St. Teresa of Calcutta, English journalist Malcolm Muggeridge converted to Catholicism with his wife in 1982. Now, in 2025, his great-grandson Sebastian Muggeridge will be ordained a priest.
Influenced by St. Teresa of Calcutta, the English journalist Malcolm Muggeridge converted, with his wife, to Catholicism in 1982, at the age of 79. In 1969 he had produced the documentary Something Beautiful for God for the BBC, and two years later he had written a book of the same name about the foundress of the Missionaries of Charity, making her known to the world.
On May 24, 2025, a great-grandson of his will be ordained a priest, Canadian Sebastian Muggeridge, 32 years old, one of the 5 sons of John Muggeridge Jr. and his wife Christine.
The only daughter, Cecilia, is an assistant numerary of Opus Dei. She works at the Roman College of Holy Mary in Rome. Mens sana in corpore sano: it is useful for Cecilia to know English, French, Spanish and Italian, as she helps to maternally care for dozens of female students studying Theology, Canon Law, Philosophy, and Institutional Social Communication of the Church at the Pontificia Università della Santa Croce. In one minute she gives her testimony.
The Muggeridge family lives in Ottawa, Ontario; but Omnes spoke with Deacon Sebastian, Companion of the Cross (CC) from Montreal by WhatsApp, connecting with him where he studies: at Sacred Heart Seminary in Detroit, USA.
Let us first transcribe a quote from the founder of the Companions of the Cross, Father Bob Bedard: “I love the Church... ‘the sleeping giant.’ Once we begin to rediscover what it means to evangelize and to undertake a full-scale revival of this ministry, I see the Church awakening and coming alive in such an explosive way that, with the power of the Holy Spirit, it will shake the earth and the nations with its dynamic presence.”
How did you see your vocation?
–If someone had told me in high school that I would be a priest I would have laughed. Then, studying nursing at the University of Ottawa, I lived as if God didn't exist. Everything changed in 2013 with a confession that brought me deep joy. It was at a university retreat and the priest was a Companion of the Cross. A young university missionary encouraged me to ask Jesus daily that He be at the center of my life. That's what I prayed and that transformed me. I started going to daily Mass.
Some ladies who saw me in church asked me why I didn't become a priest. When I told a priest about it, he reassured me that you don't give yourself a vocation, it is God who puts it in your heart. But one day, sitting in my parish church, I prayed a dangerous prayer: “God, I will do whatever you want, even get ordained. All I ask is that you put that desire in my heart.”
God answered me by my befriending almost without realizing it several priests, some of whom were Companions. I asked to enter their novitiate in 2016. I was ordained a deacon on September 14, 2014, the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, and will be ordained a priest at Notre Dame Cathedral by the Archbishop of Ottawa, Marcel Damphousse.
Who are the Companions of the Cross?
– Since 2003 we have been a Society of Apostolic Life, founded as a community of clerical brothers 40 years ago in Ottawa by then diocesan priest Bob Bedard. I never met him, as he passed away, in Ottawa, in 2011. We have over 40 priests, and two Canadian bishops are Companions as well.
Near this Sacred Heart Seminary in Detroit our community has a formation house of our own where we, a dozen CC seminarians, reside. Our charism is evangelization, we do a lot of parish work, and we are also involved in other work such as university chaplaincies. We are in the provinces of Ontario, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia and in the states of Michigan and Texas. Our Superior General is Father Roger Vandenakker.
What can you tell about your ancestors?
– As my sister Cecilia relates in a video, it is part of the oral tradition of our family to tell the story of Malcolm, who after having lived a worldly life as a youth converted to Catholicism, with his wife Kitty Dobbs. She was the niece of the well-known English feminist and socialist Beatrice Webb. Of Malcolm's three sons, one also converted, my grandfather John Sr., whose wife, Anne Roche Muggeridge, was a well-known Canadian Catholic writer of two books on the challenges in the Church following Vatican II. Anne helped my grandfather and my great-grandparents convert. John and Anne had 4 sons, one daughter and 28 grandchildren.
Zygmunt Bauman thinks that today there is a habitual way of living, characterized by not maintaining any determined course: we live in a “liquid society”. You and your sister found a vocation to celibacy. How can we encourage more young people today to commit themselves vocationally, also in Christian marriage?
– If I had the answer, it would be a very valuable answer... We have to give young people a chance to encounter the person of Christ. They have difficulty in making decisions. But they want authenticity. Deep down, they want to give themselves in a real, noble and inspiring way. We must encourage this encounter, so that many may feel the call to religious life, to the priesthood, to marriage.
I encourage young people to try this dangerous prayer that I did at one time, which is terrifying, but worthwhile. Now I appreciate my sister’s vocation better; since she is older than me, when she joined Opus Dei, I understood it less than I do now. Her dedication is inspiring. Now it’s easier to understand her vocation of service. I began to notice it at the Manoir de Beaujeu, a retreat house near Montreal, where she worked for a while. I will see her this spring when she will visit Canada for my ordination and for my younger brother’s wedding. I hope to return the visit in Rome during the Jubilee once I am ordained.
Gray has its own beauty and richness, with a unique ability to complement and enhance other colors. My nostalgia for the blue skies of summer had blinded me to the subtle splendor of gray.
January 31, 2025-Reading time: 3minutes
Summer is one of the most cherished seasons in Europe. Its charm has been celebrated for centuries, and one need only glance at Shakespeare's sonnets to see how he glorifies its beauty. Personally, I also love summer, especially for the radiant blue of the sky. It's a deep, vibrant hue, which I prefer to describe as a "beautiful blue."
Leaving Europe for the summer, I said goodbye to the deep blue skies to return to the tropics for the rainy season. Upon arrival, I was greeted by a cloudy sky, dominated by gray clouds. It seemed that nature was not smiling on me, as if it had conspired to take away my joy and hope, replacing the lively blue with a somber gray. I had traded "beautiful blue" for "dull gray." Days passed, and prejudices toward the gray weather began to affect my mood. I began to perceive the gray sky as lacking beauty, believing it would doom me to a series of drab, lifeless days.
In this state of mind, little by little he fell into what he G.K. Chesterton describes it as the "heresy" to label a gray day as "colorless." He asserts the opposite, asserting that gray is, in fact, a color, a powerful and pleasing one. If blue is beautiful, so is gray. If blue is vibrant, gray is equally rich. So why do we equate gray with lifelessness? Gray has its own beauty and richness, with a unique ability to complement and enhance other colors. My nostalgia for the blue skies of summer had blinded me to the subtle splendor of gray.
Let's stop to consider the great capacity for change and adaptation that the color gray possesses. There is strength in diversity, and gray has a lot of it. Let's think about the many shades of gray; someone once said there are fifty, but I disagree. It could be forty-nine or fifty-one, I don't care. What matters is the incredible range of its expressions. Some days, the gray clouds gleam like silver; other days, they evoke the gleam of steel, the softness of a dove's plumage, or the pale beauty of ashes, a reminder of that solemn Ash Wednesday.
At times, the clouds become dense and heavy, resembling the machinery of a steel factory. They hold the rain inside and release it as delicate streams falling on rooftops and streets, turning the gray sky into a great steel pipe maker, long tubes of water. "Pour down the rain, heavens, from above!" we might exclaim, marveling at their generosity. Rorate Caeli!
Gray skies are not only beautiful in their own right, they are also catalysts for other colors. They are generous, they make other colors more vivid. When the rains come, they paint the earth brighter greens and deeper reds; we have greener foliage and redder mud.
Do we still need to doubt the beauties of gray? Not only does it allow other colors to bloom, but it also knows how to mix and match with them. I used to wonder why my students matched gray pants or skirts with pink blouses or blue shirts, until I watched the sunrise filtering through gray clouds.
The subtle interplay of gray with the pinks and oranges of sunrise or sunset reflects the choices of these uniforms: the influence of nature at its finest. Also, the patches of gray clouds scattered in a blue sky fit perfectly. I've stopped asking myself that question.
Will we continue to sing the glories of gray? The gray clouds act like a great parasol over the earth, an umbrella that attenuates the sun's rays that reach us, making its warmth more pleasant, more human.
Gray, although a distinctive color, has something of an intermediate character. The dictionary will tell us that it is an intermediate color between black and white. It always seems to be on the verge of something, on the threshold of evolving; to see it is to be on the verge of witnessing a change.
Chesterton captures this essence beautifully, noting that gray exists so that "we may be perpetually reminded of the indefinite hope that is in doubt itself; and when there is gray weather on our hills or gray hair on our heads, we may still be reminded of morning."
Gray is, without a doubt, a glorious color. And if anyone still has doubts, consider this: I have written this essay with a lead pencil, a tool as gray as the skies I have come to admire.
Banco Sabadell has taken an important step in its specialization strategy by deploying specialized units for Religious Institutions and the Third Sector in key cities such as Barcelona, Valencia, Alicante, Murcia and the Balearic Islands, in addition to the already existing unit in Madrid. This expansion reflects the bank's commitment to providing personalized, high-quality service to these sectors, which have shown remarkable growth since the service's inception in 2018.
Since its launch, the segment has experienced remarkable success, with the number of customers increasing fourfold and the volume of business handled tripling by the end of 2024. To respond to the needs of these organizations, Banco Sabadell has designed innovative products such as the DONE System, the first digital system in Spain for collecting donations by means of cards, and a special offer aimed at brotherhoods and fraternities with which it has agreements.
Service, consulting and training
Santiago Portas, director of Religious Institutions and Third Sector at Banco Sabadell, emphasizes that the proximity and high specialization of these new units position the entity as a benchmark in this segment. "Our professionals are trained to offer the best service and close advice, adapting to the needs of each client," says Portas.
In addition to traditional financial services, Banco Sabadell promotes collaboration between religious institutions and Third Sector entities through regular events and training programs. One of these programs is the Financial Advisor Course for Religious and Third Sector Entities, organized together with the Francisco de Vitoria University, whose fourth call for applications is already open.
Transparency and compliance with objectives
With clear policies based on transparency and ESG (environmental, social and governance) standards, Banco Sabadell ensures that both large and small institutions can access services and support tailored to their needs. This specialized approach facilitates the fulfillment of the entities' foundational objectives, while promoting a sustainable and responsible management model.
With these new openings and its continuous development of innovative products, Banco Sabadell reinforces its role as an ally for religious and Third Sector institutions.
The "Cipriani case": chronology and doubts it raises
The news, published in a Spanish media, about an alleged abuse case involving the former Cardinal of Lima, Juan Luis Cipriani, has been followed by a succession of communiqués from different parties that raise the following questions various questions surrounding the development of this case.
María José Atienza / Javier García Herrería-January 30, 2025-Reading time: 4minutes
The succession of communiqués, affirmations and accusations that, for several days now, have been published as a result of the leak of a denunciation against the former Archbishop of Lima for two decades, leaves, besides the evident need to continue fighting against this reality, the importance of a transparent management by the Church in these painful cases.
The following is a detailed chronology of the different communiqués that have taken place over the last week.
Saturday, January 25, 2025
Publication of the accusations
The newspaper El País reports that, in 2019, Pope Francis removed Cardinal Juan Luis Cipriani, former archbishop of Lima and a member of Opus Dei, after he was accused of sexual abuse to a minor in 1983. The victim, now 58 years old, who wishes to remain anonymous, claims that the events occurred when she was 16 or 17 years old at an Opus Dei center in Lima and consisted of certain touching.
Letter from Cardinal Cipriani
A few hours later, Cipriani published a letter categorically denying the facts and assuring that he has never committed any sexual abuse. He shows his regret for the leak of such delicate information and reiterates his unity with Pope Francis.
In his letter, he points out that the complaint filed against him was not handed over to him and no process was opened against him, although the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith imposed on him as precautionary measures to live outside Peru and to limit his ministerial activity. He also adds that, in an audience with Pope Francis in February 2020, he was allowed to resume part of his priestly activity (preaching retreats, public celebration of the sacraments, etc.).
Opus Dei Communiqué in Peru
On the same day, the regional vicar of Opus Dei in Peru issues a statement apologizing for not having met with Cipriani's whistleblower when the latter asked for an audience in 2018.
He explains that, since Cipriani was being investigated by the Vatican, he had no juridical competence in the case and preferred not to interfere in the process so as not to cause an untimely interference. However, he recognizes that he could have offered him his personal and spiritual support.
He also clarifies that there is no record of a formal process against Cipriani while the cardinal was incardinated in the prelature. The now regional vicar points out that in those years there were no protocols as rigorous as the current ones, which could have allowed complaints to go unregistered.
Emphasizes that, nowadays, any accusation follows a clear procedure and is not limited to private conversations. Reaffirms its commitment to prevention, improved complaint management and solidarity with victims of abuse.
Sunday, January 26, 2025
Vatican Statement
Asked by some media, the Vatican spokesman confirms that, in 2019, disciplinary measures were imposed on Cardinal Cipriani due to allegations of pederasty. These measures included his retirement, residence outside Peru, prohibition from making public statements and the use of cardinal symbols.
It also assures that the precautionary measures were still in force, something especially relevant because Cipriani had received on January 7, 2025 an important civil recognition, the most important medal of merit of the city of Lima.
Tuesday, January 28, 2025
Communiqué of the Archbishop of Lima
The Archbishop of Lima, Carlos Castillo, issues a communiqué in support of victims of pederasty and journalists who denounce these cases. He strongly criticizes those who deny the truth and reject the decisions of the Holy See, urging them to conversion and to abandon justifications.
He does not explicitly quote Cipriani, but his message was understood as a position on the case, taking into account the context of the controversy.
Press release from the Peruvian Bishops' Conference
The Episcopal Conference expresses its sorrow for the news about Cardinal Cipriani and regrets the suffering of the victim and the ecclesial community. The Peruvian bishops value the decision of Pope Francis, highlighting the combination of justice and mercy in the measures imposed and call for prayers for the complainant, for Cipriani and for the Church, so that it may be a safe space of reconciliation.
Wednesday, January 29, 2025
Letter from Cipriani to the President of the Peruvian Episcopal Conference
After the various manifestations around this issue, Cardinal Cipriani writes a letter to his brothers in the Peruvian episcopate. In it he reiterates his innocence and maintains that he signed the restrictions imposed by the Vatican in 2019, declaring in the same act that the accusation was false and that he obeyed out of love for the Church. He insisted that he accepted the preventive measures while the truth was being clarified, although he claims not to have been able to defend himself.
In this letter, the former archbishop of Lima for two decades, expresses his surprise that the Peruvian episcopate has not respected his presumption of innocence in the face of the accusations and reiterates his communion with the Pope and his fidelity to the Church.
Legal and procedural issues
The call Cipriani case has raised several questions since, less than a week ago, and in a completely surprising way, it came to light. The doubts, expressed from various media and institutions begin with the fact that the cardinal was sanctioned in 2019 without having had a clear legal process.
To date, the Vatican has not denied that the Peruvian cardinal did not have access to the complaint, nor the conditions under which Cipriani assures that he signed the restrictions imposed. Likewise, some have pointed out the "coincidence" that the leak of this case occurred at a time when thousands of communicators were meeting in Rome on the occasion of the Jubilee of CommunicatorsThe Vatican's Sala Stampa, which is not usually open on public holidays, is open to the public.
While the fact of the lawsuit and the disciplinary measures by the Vatican is confirmed by both parties, it gives the impression that there has been no formal investigation of the facts, nor a normalized legal process of the case, despite the fact that it was in 2019 when the canonical process of this nature is clarified by Vos estis lux mundi. A series of questions that make it difficult to understand this process, which continues to raise questions at this time.
The authorMaría José Atienza / Javier García Herrería
Morality of AI depends on human decisions, says Vatican in new document
The Vatican warns about the ethical use of artificial intelligence, recalling that it must serve the common good and not cause harm. While recognizing its positive potential, the document urges regulation that guarantees human dignity and avoids abuses.
(OSV News). "Technological progress is part of God's plan for creation," the Vatican said, but people must take responsibility for using technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) to help humanity and not harm individuals or groups.
"Like any tool, the IA is an extension of human power, and while its future capabilities are unpredictable, mankind's past actions provide clear warnings," says the document signed by Cardinals Víctor Manuel Fernández, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, and José Tolentino de Mendonça, Prefect of the Dicastery for Culture and Education.
The document, approved by Pope Francis on January 14 and made public by the Vatican on January 28 - the day after International Holocaust Remembrance Day - says that "the atrocities committed throughout history are sufficient to raise deep concern about possible abuses of AI."
Antiqua et Nova
Entitled "Antiqua et Nova (Old and New): A Note on the Relationship between Artificial Intelligence and Human Intelligence," the paper focuses especially on the moral use of technology and the impact that artificial intelligence is already having or could have on interpersonal relationships, education, work, art, health care, law, war and international relations.
AI technology is not only used in applications such as ChatGPT and search engines, but also in advertising, self-driving cars, autonomous weapons systems, security and surveillance systems, robotics in factories and data analysis, even in healthcare.
The Popes and Vatican institutions, in particular the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, have been monitoring and expressing concern about the development and use of artificial intelligence for more than 40 years.
"Like any product of human creativity, artificial intelligence can be directed toward positive or negative ends," the Vatican document states. "When used in a way that respects human dignity and promotes the well-being of individuals and communities, it can make a positive contribution to the human vocation."
Human decisions
"However, as in all areas where human beings are called to make choices, here too the shadow of evil looms," the dicasteries said. "Where human freedom allows for the possibility of choosing what is wrong, the moral evaluation of this technology must take into account how it is directed and used."
Humans, not machines, make the moral decisions, the paper said. Therefore, "it is important that ultimate responsibility for decisions made using AI rests with human decision-makers and that there is accountability for the use of AI at every stage of the decision-making process."
The Vatican document insisted that, although artificial intelligence can quickly perform some very complex tasks or access large amounts of information, it is not truly intelligent, at least not in the same way that humans are.
"A proper understanding of human intelligence cannot be reduced to the mere acquisition of facts or the ability to perform specific tasks. On the contrary, it implies a person's openness to the ultimate questions of life and reflects an orientation toward the true and the good."
The specifically human
Human intelligence also involves listening to others, empathizing with them, building relationships and making moral judgments, actions that even the most sophisticated AI programs cannot perform, he says.
"Between a machine and a human being, only the human being can be sufficiently self-aware to the point of listening to and following the voice of conscience, discerning with prudence and seeking the good that is possible in each situation," the document said.
The Vatican dicasteries issued several warnings or caveats in the document, calling on individual users, developers and even governments to exercise control over how AI is used and to commit "to ensure that AI always supports and promotes the supreme value of the dignity of every human being and the fullness of the human vocation."
First, they noted, "impersonating AI should always be avoided; doing so for fraudulent purposes is a serious ethical violation that could erode social trust. Similarly, using AI to deceive in other contexts - such as in education or in human relationships, including the sphere of sexuality - should also be considered immoral and requires careful oversight to avoid harm, maintain transparency, and ensure the dignity of all individuals."
New discriminations
The dicasteries warned that "AI could be used to perpetuate marginalization and discrimination, create new forms of poverty, widen the 'digital divide' and worsen existing social inequalities."
While AI promises to increase productivity in the workplace by "taking over mundane tasks," according to the paper, "it often forces workers to adapt to the speed and demands of machines, rather than machines being designed to help those who work."
Parents, teachers and students should also be wary of their reliance on AI, he says, and should know their limits.
"The widespread use of AI in education could increase students' dependence on technology, impairing their ability to perform some tasks autonomously and exacerbating their dependence on screens," the paper states.
And while AI can provide information, according to the paper, it does not actually educate, which requires thinking, reasoning and discernment.
AI and disinformation
Users should also be aware of the "serious risk of AI generating manipulated content and false information, which can easily mislead people because of its resemblance to the truth." This misinformation can occur unintentionally, as in the case of AI "hallucination," where a generative AI system outputs results that appear real but are not, as it is programmed to respond to all requests for information, regardless of whether it has access to it or not.
Of course, according to the paper, AI falsehood can also "be intentional: individuals or organizations intentionally generate and disseminate false content with the aim of misleading or causing harm, such as images, videos and audio...". deepfake -referring to a false representation of a person, edited or generated by an AI algorithm".
Military applications of AI technology are of particular concern, according to the paper, because of "the ease with which autonomous weapons make warfare more viable," the potential for AI to eliminate "human oversight" of weapons deployment, and the potential for autonomous weapons to become the subject of a new "destabilizing arms race, with catastrophic consequences for human rights."
This article is a translation of an article first published in OSV News. You can find the original article here.
Listening to music composed for the ordinary of the Mass by a great composer is always an experience that nourishes faith and aesthetic enjoyment. If the composer is also a sincere Catholic, and the music is extraordinarily appropriate to a particular spiritual and historical situation, listening to the Mass becomes an interesting spiritual and human experience. A good example of this is the "Nelson Mass" by Franz Joseph Haydn.
Antonio de la Torre-January 30, 2025-Reading time: 5minutes
When we think of great Catholic composers, we find some who are Catholic in name only and others who lived an authentic life of faith, devotion and practice in the bosom of the Church. Of the latter, one of the most relevant is the Austrian Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809), the great patriarch of Viennese musical classicism, who developed the most important part of his musical career at the height of the secularist Enlightenment, in the second half of the 18th century. At a time when the Catholic faith was often associated in the most cultivated circles with superstition, obscurantism and cultural immobilism, we are surprised to find a true Catholic among the most balanced, luminous and imaginative musicians of the Age of Enlightenment.
Without going into the personal details of his religious life, we are going to dwell on one of the most evident examples of his faith: one of the Masses belonging to his extensive catalog of compositions for the Catholic liturgy. Many of his contemporaries dedicated themselves to this type of music, among them his great friend Mozart or his brother Michael Haydn, but in none of them do we find the sincerity of expression, the illustration of faith with the music and the serene dignity of the liturgical style as in Franz Joseph Haydn.
A first series of eight Masses was composed between 1749 (at the age of 17, the first, dedicated to St. John of God) and 1782 (at the age of 50, composed for the sanctuary of Mariazeller). His obligations to Prince Esterhazy, his patron, and his trips to London to premiere his music, meant a long break in his dedication to liturgical music. Between 1782 and 1795 he would devote himself intensely to these two commitments, and in this period he would marvelously develop his compositional style for chamber music and for orchestra, to the point that he is considered the father of the string quartet and the symphony, the two most relevant genres in both types of music.
Therefore, when in 1796 he returned to the composition of Masses, his style already had an admirable maturity and mastery of orchestral technique, which makes his last series of six Masses, composed between 1796 and 1802, surely the most important collection of Catholic liturgical music of the classical period. The annual rhythm of the Masses is due to the fact that they were each composed for the feast day of his patron saint and friend Maria, wife of Prince Nicholas of Esterhazy. Therefore, for each September 12, Haydn had already composed a magnificent Mass to be performed in the liturgical celebration of Mary's Name. The third of these, composed in 1798, is possibly the best: the "Missa in angustiis", known as the "Nelson Mass".
A savior for strong anguish
It is striking that a Mass composed for a festive occasion should bear such a dramatic name. The circumstances in which its composition took place, however, explain this dark and disturbing tone suggested by the title, and also the appearance of Admiral Horatio Nelson in the title by which it is usually known. In 1798 Haydn, aged 66, is going through difficult times. His health is deteriorating more and more (he will die 11 years later), and his strength is exhausted by the tremendous work involved in finishing his masterpiece, the oratorio "The Creation", premiered in April 1798. On the other hand, the summer of 1798 was very hard for Austria and Vienna, his favorite city, successively threatened and defeated by Napoleon's revolutionary armies.
As if that were not enough, the war economy substantially cut the musical budget of Prince Esterhazy, who had to do without all the wind players (horns, oboes, flutes, clarinets and bassoons). As it is these that give color to Haydn's orchestra, the Mass had to be composed for a somewhat obscure staff: only strings, trumpets and timpani. The atmosphere, no doubt, suggests in all its dimensions anguish and very strong worries.
However, shortly before the premiere of the Mass, on August 1, 1798, the English fleet, commanded by Lord Nelson, tore apart the French squadron in the battle of Egypt, and thus dealt the first mortal blow to Napoleon's unstoppable expansionism. The admiral's name became synonymous with hope in the face of the French, and his figure immediately rose to the prominence of a savior, like a divine answer to Haydn's imploring plea in his Mass. As if that were not enough, Nelson himself went to Vienna and the Esterhazy palace in 1800, and possibly Haydn, well known to the English public after his trips to London, would perform in his honor the Mass he composed for that time of anguish and danger. Since then, it has been universally known as the "Nelson Mass".
A shuddering plea
The first number of the Mass, "Kyrie", with its trumpet and timpani strokes, written in the somber D minor mode, contains some thrilling invocations of the choir in unison, invoking divine mercy in dark times. It has little to do with the usually luminous beginnings of the Masses of the classical period, in major mode and full of melody and balance. After a brief imitative period in the choir, a chilling coloratura from the soprano, the solo part of the Mass that requires the most virtuosity, bursts over the trumpets, crying "eleison": have mercy.
The "Gloria", on the other hand, is initiated by the soprano in D major, in a more conventional and luminous style, reminiscent of the best choruses of the oratorio "The Creation". Solo and choral interventions lead into a calmer section, in B-flat major, which is recreated with the words "qui tollis peccata mundi," "you who take away the sin of the world." The tone of faith-filled prayer is serenely transparent in this luminous passage, warm and harmonious in the context of anguish and continuous musical alterations. The bass, another soloist part of great virtuosity, accompanies the soprano in this marvelous duet, completed with small interventions by the choir and solo passages by the organ. The end of the "Gloria" repeats its beginning, thus tracing a balanced musical structure typical of Viennese classicism.
From contemplation to combat
The central passage of the "Credo" is one of the most elaborate and original parts of the "Nelson Mass", in which one can perceive with what detail Haydn contemplates musically the central dogma of the faith he professed with all his heart: the incarnation, passion, death and Resurrection of the Son of God. Indeed, after a light beginning, again in D major, the music pauses at the words "He came down from Heaven." A large, slow section, in G major, written for strings and soprano only, sweetly illustrates the incarnation of the Son of God.
After the echo of the choir, the music moves on to the Passion and death of Jesus Christ, accompanied by trumpet and timpani blasts, as in a terrible funeral procession. The deep contemplative tone, and at the same time of exposition of the faith of this passage, reaches a moving moment when the soprano, in the recapitulation of the Crucifixion by the soloists, repeats three times "pro nobis": "for us". After her, only the cellos of the orchestra silently accompany the memory of Christ's burial: "et sepultus est".
Finishing the Mass, before arriving at the solemn "Agnus Dei", which culminates the Mass with a triumphant final D major, Haydn leaves in the second part of the "Sanctus" (the "Benedictus") another moment of inspired originality. Alluding to the one "who comes in the name of the Lord," he composes a military march in 2/4 time signature, again in the somber key of D minor. A strange formula for a section that in the Masses of this period is usually composed in major mode and in a serene and melodious tone. But circumstances dictate: the savior "who comes in the name of the Lord" will have to come in the midst of war and with sovereign military power to overcome the threats and anxieties that dominate the atmosphere. If we cannot literally say that Lord Nelson was the answer to this tremendous plea, we must recognize that his figure fits surprisingly well with the anxieties and hopes expressed by Haydn in this magnificent Mass.
Next, Eraldo Salmieri conducts the Slovak Philharmonic in their performance of the "Nelson Mass".
Joseph Evans comments on the readings of the Presentation of the Lord (C) for Sunday, February 2, 2025.
Joseph Evans-January 30, 2025-Reading time: 2minutes
The Feast of the Presentation of the Lord is a more important feast than we often think. In fact, in various rites and calendars it marks the conclusion of the Christmas season. So it is not surprising that this year it continues to be celebrated, even though it falls on a Sunday.
The feast speaks to us of hope, of the heart, of desire. We think of the hope of the elders Simeon and Anna, who were waiting for "the consolation of Israel" y "the liberation of Jerusalem". We could content ourselves with meaner consolations: some pleasure or satisfaction. We see more clearly Simeon's desires when he speaks of Christ as "...".Salvador" y "light to enlighten the nations and the glory of your people Israel". This is extraordinary. Faced with the public mission of Christ and his teaching, this man is concerned both that the light of faith should reach the pagans and that Israel should discover the true glory of God, revealed in Jesus.
This is a man guided by the Holy Spirit - the gospel tells us explicitly - a man whose desires had been inspired and shaped by the Spirit, whose heart had been formed by the Spirit. And that's why he was so generous and universal, even Catholic. At a time when Jews were, in general, fanatically anti-foreigners, here was a man deeply concerned for the salvation of all men, Jew and Gentile.
The example of Simeon calls us to have a heart with great desires: he was an old man, but his heart burned with a universal desire, the salvation of all. Indeed, petty desires prevent us from seeing Christ. Many other people were in the Temple that day, but they had probably gone for small reasons: for routine, or to check a box, or to be seen, or to pray for success in a business or that the children would marry and do well, etc. They were seeking things of God, not God. They were looking for things of God, not God himself. That is why they did not recognize Jesus. Our Lord is recognized by those who have a great heart and great desires. Simeon was in relationship with the Holy Spirit, he was led by the Spirit. He found God in the arms of a poor villager, because God is found in poverty and in the poor.
Anne found God through her deep life of faith. For some 60 years she had dedicated herself to "with fasting and prayers night and day"in the Temple. His was a deep and sincere search for God, which was rewarded with an encounter with Christ.
Pope highlights St. Joseph's trust in God, prays for DR Congo
In the cycle dedicated to 'Jesus Christ, our hope' of this Jubilee Year, Pope Francis today underlined 'the proclamation to Joseph', his trust in God, and his attitude: Joseph believes, hopes and loves. The Roman Pontiff prayed for an end to the violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo and congratulated millions of Chinese families on the Lunar New Year.
Francisco Otamendi-January 29, 2025-Reading time: 3minutes
With a once again universal vision, the Pope touched on a wide range of topics in the Audience of this Wednesday: the Jubilee of hope, the example of St. Josephthe Lunar New Year for the Chinese familieshis recollection of the victims of extermination in the concentration camps in World War II, the call for the cessation of violence in the DR Congo, peace in the world, and the memory of St. John Bosco on the 31st.
The central theme of his catechesis, centered on Jesus Christ, our hope, and centered on the infancy of Jesus, was the Angel's announcement to St. Joseph and his response of faith.
"Their love was put to the test."
"Joseph enters the scene in Matthew's Gospel as the betrothed of Mary. For the Jews, the betrothal was a true juridical bond, preparing for what would happen about a year later, the celebration of the marriage," the Pope began.
It was during this time that Joseph discovered Mary's pregnancy "and his love was put to a severe test. Faced with such a situation, which would lead to the breaking of the engagement, the Law suggested two possible solutions: either a public legal act, such as summoning the woman to court, or a private act, such as giving the woman a letter of repudiation."
José trusts
"Matthew defines Joseph as a 'just' (zaddiq) man, a man who lives according to the Law of the Lord, who is inspired by it on every occasion of his life." In a dream, Joseph hears these words: 'Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary, your wife, with you. For the child that is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit; she will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins" (Mt 1:20-21)".
In the face of this revelation, the Pope stressed, "Joseph does not ask for more proof, he trusts. Joseph trusts in God, he accepts God's dream for his life and that of his betrothed. Thus he enters into the grace of those who know how to live the divine promise with faith, hope and love".
"Believe, hope and love", "obedience".
The Successor of Peter continued: "JoséIn all this, he does not utter a word, but believes, hopes and loves. He does not speak with 'words to the wind', but with concrete deeds. He belongs to the race of those whom the Apostle James calls those who 'put the Word into practice' (cf. James 1:22), translating it into deeds, into flesh, into life. Joseph trusts in God and obeys: 'His being inwardly attentive to God... spontaneously becomes obedience' (Benedict XVI, The Infancy of Jesus, Milan-Vatican City 2012, 57)".
Sisters, brothers, Francis urged, "let us too ask the Lord for the grace to listen more than we speak, the grace to dream God's dreams and to responsibly welcome Christ who, from the moment of our baptism, lives and grows in our lives."
DR Congo: appeal to the international community
"I express my concern about the worsening security situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Congo", the Pope revealed. "I urge all parties to the conflict to commit themselves to cease hostilities and to protect the civilian population of Goma and other areas affected by military operations."
"I also follow with apprehension what is happening in the capital, Kinshasa, hoping that all forms of violence against people and their property will cease as soon as possible. While praying for the speedy restoration of peace and security, I appeal to the people of Kinshasa for the appeal the local authorities and the international community to do everything possible to to resolve the situation of conflict by peaceful means".
Lunar New Year: peace, serenity and health
Addressing the Chinese-speaking pilgrims, the Pope recalled that -in East Asia and in different parts of the world, millions of families are celebrating the Lunar New Year today, an occasion to live more intensely family relationships and friendships. With my best wishes for the New Year, may my blessing reach all of you, as I invoke peace, serenity and health for each one of you from the Lord".
Custodians of the truth and the memory of extermination in World War II
In his greeting to the Poles, Francis recalled "your compatriots who, together with members of other nations, were victims of extermination in the German concentration camps during the Second World War".
"Be custodians of the truth and of the memory of this tragedy and its victims, among whom there were many Christian martyrs," he said. "Remember your constant commitment to peace and to the defense of the dignity of human life in all nations and religions. I bless you from my heart.
Anniversary of the closing of Vatican II (1965-2025)
Six decades after the closing of the Second Vatican Council, its legacy continues to mark the life of the Church and its challenges in the 21st century. In the face of voices calling for a revision or even a new council, it is time to reflect on the application of its teachings and their relevance to evangelization and Christian life today.
In recent years, some voices have been heard calling for an end to the application of the Second Vatican Council and the convocation of a Third Vatican Council to rethink the situation of the Church in this first quarter of the 21st century and to rethink strategies and communication for the millennium that has just begun.
Undoubtedly, all formulations of the faith and all calls to evangelization in a few years need to be reformulated because human expressions decay, are emptied of content, become routine and no longer express the ever-perennial content of Revelation. In any case, as the Letter to the Hebrews reminds us: "The word of God is living and active, like a two-edged sword that pierces to the depths of the soul" (Heb 4:12).
In reality, what is needed is to invoke the Holy Spirit again and again so that, based on the formulations of the faith approved by the Church's magisterium, he may enlighten the hearts of men and women. As St. Paul forcefully affirmed: "the letter kills, but the spirit gives life" (2 Cor 3:6).
Rereading Vatican Council II
On rereading the rich theology contained in the documents of the Second Vatican Council, the first thing that strikes one is the extraordinary freshness they contain, for they are written to powerfully convey the truth about Jesus Christ, the Church and the world.
Moreover, the theology of the laity, the sources of revelation, the freedom of conscience, the principle of religious freedom, the dignity of the human person, ecumenism, the common priesthood of the faithful, and so many other questions have filled the Christian message with vitality for the end of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century and are announcing that the Second Vatican Council still has a lot of life left in it. St. John Paul II affirmed in his Exhortation "The Church's mission in the world": "The Church's mission in the world".Novo Milenio ineunte"The Church's first dialogue with the contemporary world was undoubtedly to invite it to a knowledge of and friendship with Jesus Christ, which is holiness (n. 1).
The speeches of St. Paul VI delivered sixty years ago were of great optimism, for he truly expected a new springtime for the Church of Jesus Christ in the coming years.
Council Interpretations
As we well know, what happened is that prior to the arrival of the conciliar texts to the particular churches, there was a distortion of the conciliar doctrines promoted by the so-called "phenomenon of contestation", as Cardinal Ratzinger called it in his famous report on the faith, a long interview granted to the famous Italian journalist Messori.
Years later, as pontiff, Benedict XVI referred to those hard and sad years of the post-conciliar Church and interpreted them as "the hermeneutics of rupture" as opposed to the hermeneutics of Tradition.
Undoubtedly, the hermeneutics of Tradition was the application of the authentic council to the life of the Church and all its institutions throughout the world.
Universal call to holiness
The first and most important question was the universal call to holiness (cf. Lumen Gentium, n. 40), which in recent years the Magisterium has been able to put in conjunction with the common priesthood of the faithful (cf. Catechism, n. 1456) through which all Christians have discovered their call to the fullness of holiness and the beatitudes. At the same time, this common priesthood is expressed in the importance of the apostolic action of the lay faithful to be leaven in the masses and to exercise a capillary evangelization in the world, bringing the values of the Gospel and the news of Jesus Christ to all people.
Also, as "Gaudium et spes" affirmed, the lay faithful are "the soul of the world" (n. 4) and therefore must govern their families, the land where they work and all social and professional environments.
The journeys of the Holy Father St. John Paul II, Benedict XVI and Pope Francis, took the whole world and on many occasions. The presence of the Roman Pontiff to the last corner of the earth, carrying the flame of the love of God and love for the Church, fostered the union of the churches and at the same time valued local traditions, to be one people with one shepherd.
Human dignity
Undoubtedly, the conciliar doctrines on the dignity of the human person increased by revaluing human rights, but they also solidly grounded them by showing them to be based on man as the image and likeness of God. As God is in his intimate life subsistent relationships: subsistent relationship Paternity, subsistent relationship Filiation and subsistent relationship Love between the Father and the Son.
Therefore, man has been defined by the Council as relationship. Relationship with God in the first place and relationship with others. Coming from the love of God, it is finalized by God to love in the freedom of the children of God. Hence man in knowing and loving God and others is maturing and growing.
The application of the Council
If one reads all the Encyclicals and Apostolic Exhortations published by St. John Paul II, one can see that the Council has been applied to all the environments of the Church and to all facets of the Church's life. No questions were left unanswered: the Church, the mysteries of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the years dedicated to the Trinity, to the Eucharistic and penitential life. Truly, the Council shed much light. We also have the Catechism and the Code of Canon Law.
In the field of ecumenism, St. John Paul II published a fundamental Encyclical "Ut unum sint" which encouraged the Christian people to know and appreciate the part of common revelation with their separated brethren, to know and understand each other, and, as stated in "Unitatis redintegratio": we must work together for charity.
In fact, the synodality that Pope Francis has applied to the life of the Church in the third millennium was already advocated by the synods of bishops that have been held every two years in Rome with representation of the Universal Church, with which the various Roman Pontiffs have continued to apply the Second Vatican Council to the life of the universal Church.
Joost Joustra: "Works of art have as much to say as theologians".
Joost Joustra, professor at King's College London, delves into the relationship between art and religion in this interview with Omnes, arguing that the works produced by some artists can contribute a lot to the understanding of theological aspects.
Joost Joustra is one of the speakers participating in the 14th Professional Seminar on Church Communication Offices at the end of January 2025, which is being held at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross. He is currently a lecturer at King's College London, where he helps students to understand the complex relationship between the art and religion.
How would you define the interaction between religion and art?
- It's not an easy answer because they're both very broad subjects. I would say that essentially the relationship between religion and art, or specifically between Christianity and art, is that even for people who don't consider themselves believers, there are certain things that they can identify with in these stories that are found in the Bible, for example. Visual art is a very accessible way to get into those themes.
To give you an example, I worked on an exhibit on the subject of sin and, of course, one of the important themes of that exhibit was the Fall of Mankind and the story of the book of Genesis. And if you are Christian or Jewish you will know that story very well, but if not, a picture of Adam and Eve showing some hesitation in Adam when he accepts the fruit can make the story very accessible. Ultimately, that's the power of art when it comes to these subjects.
What is the relevance of this relationship in the contemporary context?
- Traditionally, churches are highly decorated and people like to visit these places regardless of their faith, so there seems to be some kind of attraction. Even if people do not have a personal connection to the religious aspect of the art, they are attracted to it.
How do you see the evolution of religious art and what current trends seem particularly significant to you from a theological perspective?
- A good example, which I would not like to call a "trend" but a "concern," is that I think people are thinking very actively about the environment these days. For example, the exhibition at the National Gallery on St. Francis of Assisi. St. Francis' relationship with the environment and Pope Francis using his writings in recent years is a good example of someone who lived hundreds of years ago but still has something to say about our current moment.
Are there certain recurring elements or symbols in art that you consider universal in representing the divine?
- Of course, they are everywhere. They can be very explicit; the most essential image of Christianity could be Christ on the Cross or the Virgin and Child. But people also find a certain divine presence in abstract paintings. Is it necessary for art to be figurative to convey a certain sense of divinity? I don't think so. Artists can do many things.
What opportunities are there today for greater collaboration between these two fields in the coming decades?
- In my day-to-day work at King's College London I have come to realize that teaching is important in this relationship. At King's College we offer a Masters program in Christianity and Art, which means that people come together and some of them may be trained in Theology and some of them may be trained in Art History. But they all come together because of that common interest.
During this course, art historians become familiar with the Bible and certain religious concepts, and theologians become familiar with the vision.
One challenge, which is also an opportunity, is that we have to reintroduce the image in religion. Since the Reformation these images have disappeared a bit, at least in some parts of the world. But I think images and works of art have as much to say as texts and theologians.
From an Art History perspective, how has the representation of religious themes evolved over the years?
- Early Christian art was based on certain symbols, such as the cross or the fish. Gradually a tradition emerged, stories were told and figuration and naturalism became important. Ultimately, it was about identification, about people identifying with these stories. That is why the cult of saints became so important in medieval Europe.
The heyday of the Renaissance and the Counter-Reformation period is the real flowering of this type of art. During the Enlightenment there was somewhat less interest in it, but even when you think of the great painters and artists of the 19th century, there is a great interest in these subjects which, even if the representation changes, remain the same.
St. Thomas Aquinas, "lamp of the Church and of the world".
On January 28, the Church celebrates St. Thomas Aquinas, the Angelic Doctor. St. Paul VI called him "lamp of the Church and of the whole world". St. John Paul II, "master of thought". Benedict XVI underlined his work of "harmony between faith and reason", and Pope Francis encouraged us to put ourselves "in his school" by launching three years of celebrations.
Francisco Otamendi-January 28, 2025-Reading time: < 1minute
The influence that the figure and work of St. Thomas Aquinas (Roccasecca, 1225-Fossanova Abbey(March 7, 1274), barely 50 years old, has had an unquestionable impact on the development of Western philosophical and theological thought, not only for the "initiated," beginning with his doctrine of being, but also on Trinitarian theology. This has been pointed out by Popes and numerous specialists, such as the Prefect of the Vatican Library, Mauro Mantovani, in a dossier of Omnes in the Summer 2024 issue.
After the anniversary of his canonization in 2023 (700 years), and of his death in 2024 (750), the anniversary of the birth (800 years) of the Dominican priest (Order of Preachers), patron of Catholic universities and schools (Leo XIII), has arrived in 2025. The invitation of Pope Francis has been rediscover through the work of St. ThomasThe treasure that can be extracted from it "to respond to the cultural challenges of today". St. Thomas wrote the 'Summa Theologica' and is the author, for example, of the five philosophical ways to demonstrate the existence of God.
Dr. Mauro Mantovani, Lorella Congiunti, and other experts have synthesized a great contribution of the wise Aquinas. See explained Benedict XVI in 2010: "Following the school of Albert the Great, he carried out an operation of fundamental importance for the history of philosophy and theology; I would say for the history of culture: he made an in-depth study of Aristotle and their interpreters, obtaining new Latin translations of the original Greek texts. (...) Thomas Aquinas showed that between Christian faith and reason there subsists a natural harmony (they go together). This was the great work of St. Thomas".
Are we already living in an eschatological stage of the history of salvation, with foreshadowings of the parousia? Enrique Cases reflects on this in his latest book 'The Eternal Gospel'.
Francisco Otamendi-January 28, 2025-Reading time: 5minutes
"The overwhelming force (of Jesus' message) consisted in the fact that Jesus announced with authority the coming end of the world, the coming of the Kingdom of God," said Joseph Ratzinger in his work 'Eschatology. Death and Eternal Life' (1977), that Enrique Cases he quotes in the introduction to his book.
"In the vigor of this hope would have consisted the explosive, the new, the great of Jesus, and all his words should be interpreted starting from this center. For Jesus, being a Christian would be summed up in this central petition of the Our Father: "Thy Kingdom come", a petition that would be set in the collapse of the world and the irruption of what only God can do", he added. Ratzinger.
The announcement of Christ's coming at the end of time
However, "the eschatologyas a 'doctrine of the last days,' has occupied the last place in theological treatises," and "for centuries it has been sleeping the sleep of the just. Only "recently, as a consequence of the historical crisis of our time, has it come to occupy the center of theological thought," he analyzed. the one who later would be Benedict XVI.
Enrique Cases, author prolific, who has already dealt with the theme of the Hereafter, reflects on the stages of salvation history, and advanced his book on 'The Eternal Gospel', he considers two things:
1) In the first place, "the proclamation of the coming of Christ at the end of time is contained in all the manifestations of the Church's faith, with the witness of the Fathers, the liturgy and the teaching of the Magisterium. And the absence of a theological reflection worthy of its transcendence constituted a lamentable void. Today the situation has changed (,,.). The interest in the parousia has been reactivated".
What is heaven like, and what is hell like?
In addition, as a further reflection, the author of 'The Eternal Gospel' (edited by ExLibric), he will also say: "What is Heaven like? It is of great interest to know something or everything about this question, for it is forever" (p. 140).
The same applies to the hellThe author takes it from St. John Bosco and St. Teresa of Jesus, mentioning also the vision in Fatima the three little shepherds, and some other people, several saints, who "have seen it and tell about it" (p.149).
However, the space dedicated to the Sky is far superior, the whole second part of the book, which relates a beautiful dialogue between a blessed woman from Heaven, from San Luis Potosi, to a layman in Mexico, entitled 'The Accidental Glory of Heaven', which includes 'The Delights of the Beyond'. The recommendation here is to read it in support of Christian faith and hope, without getting distracted by picturesque or scientific details.
The Eternal Gospel
AuthorEnrique Cases
EditorialExLibric
Number of pages: 338
Language: English
After-effects of numbness
We said that the author considers two things. The second is this: 2) "The aftermath of this gradual numbing of eschatological awareness has given a negative bias to ecclesial conduct". A Church that no longer feels - even if it is theoretically known - as the community of those who await the coming of the Lord Jesus, "almost without perceiving it, will be inclined to settle in the world as comfortably as possible", Enrique Cases points out (pp. 132-133).
"Only the disquieting memory of the imminence of the Parousia can free the Church for a liberating function," he adds. In the key of "a Church convinced of the real proximity of the Lord, we must place the role of the signs of the Parousia".
Joachim of Fiore and the history of salvation
We will see what these signs are. But first, it seems appropriate to recall some contributions of the Cistercian abbot Joachim of Fiore (1130-1202), analyzed by the Catalan theologian.
Starting from faith in the triune God, Joachim of Fiore deduces a historical development in three stages: the age or epoch of the Father, the time between Adam and Christ (Old Testament); the age of the Son, which begins with Jesus, the Messiah, and continues with the Church, and concludes with his second coming or Parousia; and the age of the Holy Spirit, which ends with the final coming of Christ, the end of time.
The age of the Holy Spirit
The author devotes several skipped chapters to the Holy Spirit, particularly as the book progresses. At the Last Supper, Jesus announces to the Apostles that he will send them the Holy Spirit, "who will lead them to the truth". At Pentecost, "part of that action" is seen.
In the age of the Son, this action is "very intense in individual holiness, in contemplatives, in gifts, in foundations, apostolic initiatives, conversions, efficacy of the sacraments... "But in the next age it will be more intense".
Peter's Church-John's Church, the laity
In the age of Holy Spiritother gifts are attributed to him: inspirations, charisms (there is another chapter dedicated to them), divine impulses, lights, fervent conversions, forgiveness, regeneration ("the great gift of this age, following St. Paul: 'We shall not all die, but we shall all be changed'"), renewal and sanctification, "leading the Church, which can be called the Church of John, without ceasing to be the Church of Peter," the book points out.
In the first two thousand years of the Church, "the Papacy was the foundation of the faith," reflects the author, and "the prestige of the Church was above all in the monks and religious," with contemplative, civilizing, formative and apostolic activity. But in the millennium after the second coming, "in the age of the Holy Spirit, it will extend to the laity, as is already evident in the 20th century in a multitude of movements, foundations and new paths, uniting work and prayer, family and prayer, science and prayer, culture and prayer," writes the professor from Barcelona.
Parameters of the second coming of Christ
Before this age of the Holy Spirit, the millennium, the end of the age of the Son, the second coming of Jesus, announced by Himself, will take place., "intermediate between birth and the Last Judgment".
The author reflects in these pages on the 24th chapter of St. Matthew, "in which Christ announced many of the signs that precede the second coming, together with its parallel Mark 13 and Luke 21", and a call to be vigilant, "because you do not know on what day your Lord will come".
Many of the promises announced by the prophets "have not been fulfilled in the age of the Son, such as immortality, peace, the conversion of the Jews...," but "the Word of God is infallible, which means that they will be fulfilled in the future after the second coming of Christ". Enrique Cases enters here into the times of the second coming and the signs, although we leave for the reader his reflection on the thousand years, millenarianism. "Six times it (the Apocalypse) says that the Kingdom of Christ will last a thousand years" (Rev. 20).
Time of the second coming
When will this second coming of Jesus and the beginning of the millennium be? This question was already asked by the disciples to Jesus. We know neither the day nor the hour, but some signs are prophesied that precede it, as the star was for the magi with their astronomical science" (p. 87). And when Jesus rose to Heaven at the Ascension, two men dressed in white said: "Galileans (..), the same Jesus who has been taken from among you and taken to Heaven, will return as you have seen him go to Heaven".
Detailed signs
Necessarily synthesized, the author mentions these "detailed signs" that will precede the second coming (the signs cited and the commentaries are textual of the book):
– "Departure from Satan and his kind. (…). –Preaching the Gospel to the whole world. – Return of the twelve tribes to Jerusalem (completed in 1948). Great apostasy. We are in it. - Great tribulation. We are in it. -Wars. We are in them but according to the prophets more and more deadly ones will come. -Persecution of Christians (…). –Confusion. Many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. -Increase in sins (The sins of this age are overwhelming, anti-God laws, abortions by the millions, blasphemies, satanisms. When you see the abomination of desolationannounced by the prophet Daniel (...). The sign before the coming of Christ can be suppression of the Eucharistthe perpetual sacrifice. There will be signs in the sun. and the moon and the stars.; (...)".
The apostle Paul added to these signs, in his first Letter to the Thessalonians, ".apostasy y the Antichrist".
The Eucharistic Reign
Another contribution of the book concerning "the coming of Christ in the interim between the birth of Jesus and the Last Judgment" is the concept that "the interim will be Eucharistic," says St. Irenaeus of Lyons. In fact, among the characteristics of the subsequent millennium, the author emphasizes in the first place the "Eucharistic Reign". "Jesus Christ instituted the Eucharist to perpetuate its visibility before man. God wants to extend it in time. To this end, he makes man the living Eucharist".
Faced with the series of executive orders issued by President Donald Trump on the first day of his term in office, the bishops of the United States expressed their rejection of policies contrary to the moral law. In two statements, Bishop Timothy P. Broglio, president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and Bishop Mark J. Seitz of El Paso, chairman of the USCCB Committee on Migration., noted: "Church teaching recognizes the right and responsibility of a country to promote public order, safety and security through well-regulated borders and fair limits on immigration. However, as pastors, we cannot tolerate injustice, and we emphasize that national interest does not justify policies with consequences contrary to the moral law."
The bishops also reject the use of epithets to disqualify undocumented persons: "The use of sweeping generalizations to denigrate any group, for example by describing undocumented immigrants as 'criminals' or 'invaders,' to deprive them of protection under the law, is an affront to God," the bishops say.
Among the executive orders signed by the U.S. President are those referring to the end of the right to asylum, the declaration of a "border emergency" with Mexico and therefore "sealing" the border to "repel the invasion that includes massive illegal migration, drug trafficking, human trafficking and other criminal activities". Two other decrees order massive deportations, the suspension of the refugee admission program and the reimplementation of the "Stay in Mexico" program. MexicoThe "asylum seekers wait in that country while their case is being processed, which can take months or years to be concluded.
The rejection of the USCCB
In light of these provisions, the U.S. bishops say, "While the emphasis on combating human trafficking is welcome, several of the executive orders signed by President Trump this week specifically aim to dismantle humanitarian protections enshrined in federal law and undermine due process, subjecting vulnerable families and children to grave danger. The indefinite deployment of military assets to support civilian immigration enforcement along the U.S.-Mexico border is especially troubling."
The prelates call on the U.S. president to reconsider the new provisions especially those concerning migrants and refugees, the environment, the death penalty and foreign financial aid: "We hope you will reconsider those provisions that ignore not only the human dignity of a few, but of all of us. We urge President Trump to abandon these enforcement policies and adopt just and merciful solutions, working in good faith with members of Congress to achieve meaningful, bipartisan immigration reform that promotes the common good with an effective and orderly immigration system," Bishop Broglio said. The bishops pledged to support immigrants "in accordance with the Gospel of Life."
Genuine care
However, the purpurates point out that not all of the new orders issued by Trump are negative; some can be viewed from a more positive perspective, such as the provision that recognizes at the federal level that there is only male or female and no other "genders."
Our actions, says Msgr. Broglio, must show a "genuine care for our most vulnerable brothers and sisters, including the unborn, the poor, the elderly, the sick, migrants and refugees. The just Judge expects nothing less."
The Pope also shows his concern
Not only the bishops of the Church have expressed their grave concern to the US president, but also Pope Francis, who said on Sunday, January 19, in a television interview that a mass deportation in the US would be a "disgrace" because "it makes the poor pay the costs of the imbalance". Likewise, members of other Christian denominations have expressed to President Trump their dismay at the new immigration provisions.
Mass deportations will also cause major problems for Mexican border cities, many of which no longer have the logistical capacity to accommodate more people seeking to reach the United States. To alleviate the problem, Mexico implemented a program called "Mexico embraces you", only for Mexican nationals under which assistance will be provided to deportees. Likewise, the network of 50 Mexican consulates is on alert to provide assistance to their fellow citizens.
Uncompromising faith in the college soccer championship
The biggest news in national championship soccer these days has not been that the University of Notre Dame lost to Ohio State 34-23. Rather, it was that the existing rivalry has given way to a unabashed demonstration of Christian faith by both teams, on the field and at press conferences.
In a culture whose leaders often seek to relegate religious belief to the private realm and marginalize expressions of faith, the college soccer national championship showdown between Notre Dame and Ohio State has visualized a different story.
The unabashed demonstration of Christian faith by both teams (on the field, in press conferences and through personal testimonies) offered a refreshing reminder that faith should not be hidden but lived out boldly in the public space.
Getting closer to Jesus
"While it's great to be on this podium, there are a lot of things in life that I appreciate a little bit more," shared Notre Dame quarterback (team offensive leader) Riley Leonard during a pregame press conference. "Like, first and foremost, my relationship with Christ."
For his part, Ohio State player TreVeyon Henderson posted on X days before the championship: "We don't have to be afraid to approach Jesus, He knows what we have done and yet He chose to die for you and me because He loves us. Put your faith in Jesus and He will save you from sin and give you new and eternal life. Don't be afraid, follow Jesus."
A truth that transcends soccer
These athletes are using their platforms to proclaim a truth that transcends soccer: that God is real, active and central in their lives. Their testimony is more than a personal sentiment; it is an appeal to a society in need of hope.
This public manifestation of faith is especially striking if we take into account the cultural climate in which, in recent years, expressions of Christianity have been met with skepticism or open hostility.
For decades, we have seen a growing tendency to confine faith to personal lives, as if it has no place beyond our churches or our homes. And yet, at times like this, we are reminded that faith is not just a matter of personal conviction, but shapes individuals and institutions alike, they commented.
Notre Dame Culture
Notre Dame, a Catholic university, has a long tradition of fostering spiritual growth along with athletic excellence. Coach Marcus Freeman, who re-established the tradition of pre-game Mass, and speaks openly of his own conversion to Catholicism, understands that true leadership requires guiding young men to grow in their faith.
"I have very strong faith," Freeman said at a press conference before the championship. "And a lot of times we talk about having to trust beyond having proof, trust beyond knowing, which is another motto for having faith. And we're not shy about doing that."
At public Ohio State, also
Ohio State University, though public, has also embraced the faith in a remarkable way. Last year, led in part by Buckeye soccer players, the campus was the scene of dozens of students baptized and many others inspired to seek Christ. Stories of teammates coming together for Bible study and prayer before games demonstrate that faith is thriving today in places you wouldn't expect it to.
"We are strengthened in faith by coming to the game."
In his post-game comments, Riley Leonard praised the culture of faith present on both teams. "Ohio State and we at Notre Dame are the two teams that praise Jesus Christ the most," Leonard said. "I think we strengthen each other in our faith by coming to this game and competing against each other. So I'm happy to see godly men succeed, regardless of the circumstances."
This year, the national championship will be more than a celebration of athletic excellence, several players say. Faith, when lived authentically and publicly, can change lives and transform culture. In the end, the conversion of hearts and minds is the greatest victory.
Ohio State won, but Notre Dame did itself proud.
Notre Dame's quest for a 12th national title ended in disappointment with a loss to Ohio State at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. However, head coach Marcus Freeman and captains Riley Leonard and Jack Kiser praised their team's perseverance and belief. "It's a tough time," said Freeman, who added about the team, "I'm proud of them and proud of what they've done."
Leonard thanked Jesus Christ and highlighted the Scriptures that inspired him, including Matthew 23:12 and Proverbs 27:17. He acknowledged his disappointment, but thanked Notre Dame's coaches and players for helping his journey. Kiser stated, "It's the people that make this place different."
January 27 marks the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp, one of the most painful symbols of the Holocaust.
Over the years, this site has been visited by three Popes who, with their presence, have paid homage to the victims and reaffirmed the Church's commitment to memory and reconciliation. John Paul II, Benedict XVI and Francis have toured the grounds of Auschwitz, each with his own message of reflection, condemnation of the horror and call for peace, underlining the importance of not forgetting the tragic events that marked the history of humanity.
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St. Angela Merici, and Saints Timothy and Titus yesterday.
On January 27, the Church celebrates the Italian St. Angela Merici (15th-16th centuries), founder of the Ursuline Order, whose patroness is St. Ursula, a virgin martyr of the 4th century. On Sunday, the 26th, Saints Timothy and Titus, bishops and disciples of St. Paul, were commemorated. The conversion of the apostle was celebrated on Saturday.
Francisco Otamendi-January 27, 2025-Reading time: < 1minute
St. Angela Merici was born around 1474 in Desenzano, in northern Italy. The family would gather in the evenings to listen to the narrations of the lives of the saints read by her father, John. Thanks to these readings, Angela began to cultivate a special devotion to St. Ursula, a young woman martyred in the fourth century along with her companions. At the age of 15, she prematurely lost her sister and father, and became a Franciscan Tertiary.
In 1535, together with several collaborators, St. Angela founded the "Company of the Minimes of St. Ursula" (they did not wear the traditional monastic habit), who left the cloister to dedicate themselves to the education and formation of young women, in obedience to the bishop and the Church. Her name is now Roman Union of the Order of St. Ursula.
Saints Timothy and Titus, whose memorial was yesterday, January 26, after the conversion of St. Paul, were disciples and collaborators of the apostle. Appointed by him, they helped him in his ministry as bishops of Ephesus (the first), and Crete, respectively, and he calls them "sons in the faith". San Pablo to Timothy and one to Titus, which are included in the New Testament, and which contain tips for their task as Pastors in the Church, such as guarding sound doctrine, and with personal allusions of affection.
Christian hope since the Bull "Spes non confundit".
The Bull "Spes non confundit" develops a profound reflection on Christian hope, sustained especially by the Paulines. This document highlights the love of God, the centrality of Christ and the strength of hope in the face of tribulations, inviting the faithful to live this virtue as a source of spiritual and communitarian transformation.
Rafael Sanz Carrera-January 27, 2025-Reading time: 5minutes
In this Holy Year of Hope, inaugurated by Pope Francis, the Church invites us to reflect on this fundamental theological virtue. One of the main tools for this reflection is the papal bull "Spes non confundit"This document presents a profound theological meditation on Christian hope, based on a careful selection of biblical texts, especially from the Pauline letters.
If I were to assess what percentage of influence the biblical quotations have on the composition of the document, I would estimate it to be around 70-80%. It may seem exaggerated but I have based this appraisal on the way the document interprets and applies biblical teachings to the Jubilee context; on the frequent and direct use of quotations to substantiate the main points; on the structure of the document, which closely follows the biblical teachings on hope; and, finally, on the language and concepts used, which are strongly rooted in the biblical tradition. I will try to demonstrate this in this article.
The Scripture in "Spes non confundit"
The document displays a selection of biblical passages that form a clear thematic outline on hope. The main quotations and their theological context are presented below:
Romans 5,5And hope will not be disappointed, because the love of God has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us". This passage highlights the certainty of Christian hope, based on the divine love communicated by the Holy Spirit.
John 10,7.9Therefore Jesus said again, "Truly I tell you the truth, I am the door of the sheep". [...] "I am the door. He who enters by me will be saved; he may come in and go out, and he will find his food."" These words of Jesus highlight his role as the only means of salvation, the essential foundation of Christian hope.
1 Timothy 1:1Paul, apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope". This text underlines the Christocentric character of hope, presenting Christ not only as its foundation, but also as its personification.
Romans 5,1-2.5Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we are at peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. By him we have obtained through faith the grace in which we are established, and through him we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. [...] And hope will not be disappointed, because the love of God has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us." This passage integrates hope as the fruit of justification and the peace with God that it generates.
Romans 5,10For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more now that we are reconciled, we shall be saved by his life." Here the hope in salvation as a gift arising from reconciliation with God is enhanced.
Romans 8:35,37-39Who then can separate us from the love of Christ? tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, the sword? but in all these things we have obtained a great victory, thanks to him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities, nor things present nor things to come, nor spiritual powers, nor height nor depth, nor any other creature will ever be able to separate us from the love of God, manifested in Christ Jesus our Lord." This passage emphasizes the indestructibility of the divine love that grounds hope.
Romans 5,3-4"Moreover, we glory even in tribulations themselves, for we know that tribulation produces steadfastness; steadfastness, tested virtue; tested virtue, hope." This verse highlights how trials and tribulations strengthen and perfect the virtue of hope.
2 Corinthians 6:3-10Although not quoted verbatim, this passage describes the difficulties Christians face in following Christ, along with the profound joy and spiritual richness they generate.
Romans 15,5May the God of constancy and consolation grant you to have the same sentiments towards one another, after the example of Jesus Christ. Here the importance of unity and mutual consolation in the Christian community as a fruit of hope is highlighted.
1 Thessalonians 1:3We remember without ceasing the work of their faith, the labor of their love and the constancy of their hope in our Lord Jesus Christ before God, our Father". This text links hope with persevering effort and love in the Christian life.
Theological scheme of hope
From the biblical quotations in the document, we can configure a theological outline that illuminates the main dimensions of Christian hope:
1. Foundation of hope
The love of God (Romans 5:5).
Faith in Christ (Romans 5:1-2).
The action of the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5).
2. Christ as center
Christ is the "Door" of salvation (John 10:7,9).
Christ is our hope (1 Timothy 1:1).
3. Effects of hope
Peace with God (Romans 5:1).
Glory in tribulations (Romans 5:3-4).
Perseverance (Romans 5,3-4).
4. Security of hope
Hope does not disappoint (Romans 5:5).
It is based on reconciliation with God (Romans 5:10).
Nothing can separate us from the love of God (Romans 8:35,37-39).
5. Living in hope
Constancy and consolation (Romans 15,5).
Faith, hope and love in action (1 Thessalonians 1:3).
Spiritual consequences
From the outline of biblical quotations presented, we can draw important conclusions and spiritual applications that highlight the theological and practical scope of Christian hope:
A hope based on God's love The central quotation from Romans 5:5, "Hope will not be disappointed," constitutes the thematic axis of the document, emphasizing that Christian hope is not based on human expectations, but on the love of God poured into hearts by the Holy Spirit. This divine love is the guarantee of the solidity of our hope and of its capacity to sustain us at all times.
The Christocentric character of hope Biblical reflection underlines that Christ is not only the object of our hope, but also its foundation and personification. The metaphor of Jesus as the "door of the sheep" (John 10:7,9) and the affirmation that Christ is "our hope" (1 Timothy 1:1) reinforce the idea that salvation and fulfillment can only be achieved in him.
Justification and reconciliation as the basis for hope The link between justification by faith, reconciliation with God and hope (Romans 5:1-2,5) underlines that this virtue is not an abstract idea, but a reality deeply rooted in the salvific work of Christ. Peace with God and the promise of divine glory are the pillars on which the believer's hope is built.
Hope in the midst of tribulations A key teaching of the document is the capacity of hope to flourish in difficulties. According to Romans 5:3-4, tribulations strengthen steadfastness, which in turn strengthens the virtue of hope. This Pauline approach, complemented by 2 Corinthians 6:3-10, offers a vision of hope as a robust force that not only perseveres in suffering, but is refined through it.
The indestructibility of divine love Romans 8:35,37-39 emphasizes that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. This certainty provides an unshakable basis for hope, even in the face of the most severe trials, showing that Christian hope is immutable because it is rooted in divine faithfulness.
Conclusion
The analysis of the biblical quotations in "Spes non confunditThe book "The Theology of Hope" reveals a theology of hope that is both profound and practical. This virtue, anchored in the love of God, finds its center and guarantor in Christ, and is designed to sustain the believer in the midst of tribulations and strengthen his spiritual life.
In this Holy Year of Hope, Pope Francis invites us to rediscover this theological virtue as a transforming force, capable of renewing hearts and communities. In a world facing uncertainties and challenges, the message is clear: in Christ, hope does not disappoint, but inspires, sustains and gives life.
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Missions in empty Spain with young people from Regnum Christi
