The Holy Father's messages

Two excerpts from the Feast of All Hallows that stood out.

From the homily:

But "of what use is our praise of the saints, our tribute of glory, our solemnity that we celebrate?" A famous homily of St. Bernard for the feast of All Saints begins with this question. It is a question that we could ask ourselves even today. The reply that St. Bernard gives is also pertinent to us: "Our saints," he says, "have no need of our honors and they gain nothing from our commemoration. For myself, I must confess, that when I think of the saints, I feel enflamed by great desires" (Homily 2, "Opera Omnia," ed. Cisterc, 5, 364 ff.).

From the Angelus:

Dear brothers and sisters, we meditate on this reality with our soul turned toward our final and definitive destiny, which gives meaning to the circumstances of our daily lives. Let us revive the joyous sentiment of the communion of saints and allow ourselves to be drawn by them to the goal of our existence: the face-to-face encounter with God.

Let us pray that this be the inheritance of all the faithful departed, not only of our own loved ones but also of all souls, especially those most forgotten and most in need of divine mercy. May the Virgin Mary, queen of all saints, guide us to choose eternal life in every moment -- the "life of the world to come," as we say in the Creed; a world already inaugurated by the resurrection of Christ and whose coming we can hasten with our sincere conversion and works of charity.

Amy has more from the other day.

News on this Feast of All Saints

Benedict Will Face Touchy Issues During Turkey Visit
- [NCRegister]

Pope Benedict XVI’s upcoming visit to Turkey is both a diplomatic minefield and a sea of valuable opportunities.

Analysts say the trip is of major importance for three reasons: for furthering religious freedom in Turkey and other Muslim-majority states, for improving Muslim-Christian relations, and for advancing the cause of Christian unity.

As the Register went to press, the details of the apostolic voyage had yet to be finalized. But according to Asia News and Vatican sources, the Pope is scheduled to arrive in the Turkish capital of Ankara Nov. 28, where he will spend the day with the country’s political authorities.

The following day, the Holy Father will travel to the port city of Izmir near Ephesus where he will visit an ancient Christian community, before moving on to Ephesus itself where he is expected to visit Meryem Ana, a small house on a hilltop overlooking the Aegean Sea where, according to tradition, Mary lived out her final years and was assumed into heaven.

On Nov. 29, Benedict is scheduled to arrive in Istanbul, where he will have a private audience with Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew I, the person who first invited the Pope to Turkey.

On Nov. 30, on the feast of St. Andrew, the Pope will attend a solemn Divine Liturgy presided over by the patriarch. The Holy Father is expected to deliver a discourse on the quest for Christian unity and comment on this year’s resumption of the Commission of Theological Dialogue between the Catholic and Orthodox Churches.

Before returning to Rome Dec. 1, the Pope will also meet with Armenian Patriarch Mesrob II, who leads a Christian community that has suffered intermittent persecution for centuries.
[...]

The following is the perfect summation of the internal conflict that goes on on how to deal with Islam.

A number of senior Vatican officials hope Benedict will be able to reach out to Muslims during the trip by conveying the true message of his Regensburg speech, which sparked intense anger in Turkey and other Muslim countries.

Some observers recommended caution in addressing that issue.

“If he refers directly to it, I don’t think it will help because Muslims are not ready to understand it,” said Jesuit Father Samir Khalil Samir, professor of Oriental theology at St. Joseph’s University in Lebanon.

But others insisted that the focus of the Pope’s Regensburg address — the need to reconcile faith and reason — is crucial to furthering Muslim-Christian dialogue and to helping Muslims renounce violent extremism.

“Why do we have to wait to discuss this?” asked Father Justo Lacunza-Balda, rector emeritus of the Pontifical Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies. “For years, we have not confronted these issues; we have to begin somewhere.”

Father Justo Lacunza-Balda sums it up perfectly. We're going to be waiting forever for the 'perfect' opportunity to engage with Islam since it's never going to happen. For instance, the Hoover Institution's Policy Review has this to say in an article on Islamist inmates interviewed in France:

In light of the violence associated with Islamism, it has become common to hear from Western observers that Islam as such needs to pass through its “reformation.” But the emphasis placed by these inmates on their personal and unmediated relation to the text of the Quran suggests, on the contrary, that contemporary Islamism may well be the Islamic equivalent of the Reformation.11 It is worth recalling in this connection that the historical Reformation of Christianity also gave rise both to extreme rigorist currents (Calvinism) and to violent Millenarian sects.

The reformation of Islam has already happened. The questions are two. When will the West figure it out and how will the West engage it?

Following up on this: VATICAN: POPE NOT TO MEET PM ERDOGAN DURING VISIT
- [AKI]

There will be no official meeting between the Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pope Benedict XVI when the pontiff visits Turkey on 28 November-1 December, according to the Turkish embassy in Rome. Erdogan will be attending a NATO summit in Riga, Estonia, "a very important appointment for us," explained embassy staff. In effect the official programme of the papal visit released by the prime minsiter's office made no mention of an encounter between the head of the Roman Catholic Church and the leaders of the Islamist-based Justice and Development Party (AKP).
The Pope will however meet the president, Necdet Sezer, and the head of the religious affairs directorate, Ali' Bardakoglu, the grand mufti of Turkey.

Following up on this: Campbell reveals Pope’s plan
- [Newry Democrat]

Francis Campbell, who was brought up in Rathfriland and attended St Colman's College in Newry, told the Irish News that a planned visit by Pope Benedict XVI is already in motion.

"A programme for a visit has already been brought together," said Mr Campbell. "Now it is really a matter for the Vatican and the Pope's dairy." A delegation of Irish bishops returned home from Rome on Sunday after a two-week stay and it is has been reported that they met with Mr Campbell and discussed the possibility of the visit coinciding with a visit by the Queen.

New archpriest for Vatican basilica
- [CWN]

Archbishop Angelo Comastri, the vicar general of the Vatican city-state, has been named by Pope Benedict XVI (bio - news) to be archpriest of St. Peter's Basilica. He replaced Cardinal Francesco Marchisano, who has resigned at the age of 77.

Archbishop Comastri, a 63-year-old native of Tuscany, was ordained to the priesthood in 1967 and became Bishop of Massa Marittima-Piombino in 1990. In 1996 he was appointed Archbishop of Loretto, and in February 2005 he became vicar general of Vatican City and coadjutor to Cardinal Marchisano.

The Italian archbishop is known for his Marian devotion, and in March 2003 he was chosen by Pope John Paul II (bio - news) to preach the annual Lenten retreat for the Roman Curia, on the theme of Mary, Mother of Christ. In 2005 he was asked by Pope Benedict XVI to write the meditations for the Way of the Cross on Good Friday.

The archbishop was at one point considered one of the top Papabili in the run up to the election of Benedict XVI. Since then his stock has seemingly fallen among Vaticanisti. Yet he continues to collect positions in Rome.

Across the sea

In his meetings with the Greek bishops on their

ad limina

visits to Rome, Benedict XVI had a few things to discuss with them. Zenit.org has the stories.

1. Relations with the Greek Orthodox:

"The desire is great in all to take part together in the one altar on which is offered under the veil of the Sacrament the one Sacrifice of Christ," the Pope said today when addressing relations with the Orthodox.

"We want to intensify prayer so that the day will come as soon as possible in which we will be able to break together the Bread and drink from the same Chalice in which the price of our salvation is deposited," he added.

In this context, Benedict XVI hoped "that ever greater perspectives will be opened for a constructive dialogue between the Orthodox Church of Greece and the Catholic Church, and that common initiatives will multiply in a spiritual, cultural and practical order."
[...]

Relations between the Greek Orthodox Church and the Holy See have progressed since Pope John Paul II visited Greece in May 2001 and was received by Archbishop Christodoulos, according to Cardinal Walter Kasper, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.

2. Legal status of the Church in Greece:

Benedict XVI took up the request of Catholic bishops of Greece to be able to have an "appropriate" juridical status in that country.

The Pope formulated the request today in the wake of meetings with the prelates of that overwhelmingly Orthodox nation, in which Catholics comprise 0.55% of the population.

"In the conversations I have had with you I have gathered your desire to have defined, on the part of the state, the right to have an appropriate and recognized juridical status," the Holy Father told an audience of Catholic bishops of Greece. [...]

Taking into account the Orthodox majority, the Greek Constitution establishes a state license to build "places of prayer" and prohibits proselytism.

Jewish and Islamic worship are recognized by the law as "semi-public," whereas the Catholic Church and other Christian denominations are recognized as private entities. The opening of a Catholic church requires permission from the local Orthodox bishop.

Benedict XVI recalled that "a dialogue is taking place on the issue that does not see the Apostolic See as the first protagonist. It is, in fact, an internal matter to which, however, the Holy See pays much attention, as it desires an appropriate solution of the problems at stake."
[...]

"In this field, in addition to dialogue, perseverance is necessary," he asserted.

The Pontiff told the visiting bishops: "The Catholic Church does not seek any privilege, but only recognition of its own identity and mission, so that an effective contribution can be made to the well-being of the noble Greek people, of which you are a part.

"With patience and in respect of legitimate procedures, and thanks to the commitment of all, the desired understanding will be attained."

Juxtaposing these two stories, it's interesting to see how they fit together. In the first one, Benedict is all about reconciliation and dialogue. He praises the archbishop of the Greek Orthodox Church and bids his own bishops to work towards greater unity. In the second story, the Pope's tone remains the same, one of dialogue, but the message is different: the Catholic Church wants 'recognition of its own identity and mission' for the 'well-being of the noble Greek people'.

In short the message is, 'Unity is good, guys, but don't allow yourselves to be subsumed into the larger Orthodox culture.'

The Emerald Isle

The Belfast Telegraph:

Pope Benedict XVI has been invited by the Roman Catholic Primate Archbishop Sean Brady to visit Ireland.
[...]

As predicted in the Belfast Telegraph at the start of the visit two weeks ago, the invitation to the Pope was likely to be made during the pilgrimage to Rome, where the Irish hierarchy not only met the Pope personally but also a number of leading Vatican officials, including those responsible for his visits.

Informed sources have indicated that Archbishop Brady and his fellow bishops have been anxious for some time that Pope Benedict should come to Ireland to "complete" the visit of Pope John Paul II who was unable to come to Armagh for security reasons.

Such a visit would be particularly appropriate in the event of a political settlement in Northern Ireland, although it is understood that such a visit might cause difficulties for the DUP leader Dr Ian Paisley.

If Dr Paisley was to become First Minister, he could be required by protocol to welcome the Pope formally at Armagh, which would be a key venue in any proposed Papal visit.

On the other hand, Dr Paisley has already made history by meeting Archbishop Brady and his senior colleagues for formal political talks at Stormont.
[...]

That would be interesting to see, Paisley meeting the Pope at the See of St. Patrick. But first we have to see if the northern Irish can get their stuff together and come up with a plan. Otherwise, home rule will be out the window (again).

Back and forth

The informative Magister has a general summary of the 'reasoned' debate going on post-lecture. The line of argument is carried on between Aref Ali Nayed, who first responded to the lecture, and then Alessandro Martinetti replied to Aref Ali Nayed, wbo then replied to Martinetti...

You get the general idea. There are links going to and full-text versions of all the different replies and counter-replies. They're all worth reading.

Monday

I am going to take a break this weekend. I'll be back on Monday.

In the meantime, check out Magister here.

Pope Ratzinger and his vicar, Ruini, see in Italy “a rather favorable terrain” for the public rebirth of Christianity in Europe and the world, too. But many do not accept their view. And the archbishop of Milan, Tettamanzi, has placed himself at the head of the opposition

A thought

Spend Time in Silence, Pope Tells Students

Eh, silence is overrated.

In the UK and other places

The Herald (of the UK) has an article about the Church (Catholic that is) and State (the government of the United Kingdom and particularly the Scottish Executive). The political liaison officer at the Scottish parliament noted that while Tony Blair conpliments the churches for standing up for family values, Blair and his party have pushed an agenda that the most anti-family the country has seen. The whole article is worth a read.

Interfax: "The vice-president of the European Parliament Mario Mauro criticized certain officials of the European Union for inequitable policy on traditional Christian Churches."

‘For the last ten years the Europarliament accused the Orthodox and Catholic Churches of violating human rights more then thirty times, but not once brought similar accusations against such states as, for instance, China or Cuba,’ Mauro said at the ‘Europe at a turning point: confrontation of civilizations or a new dialogue?’

The most interesting comment came not in the article itself, but in the little intro paragraph on the main Interfax-Religion page:

Speaking at the international conference in Moscow, he urged to remember that the blue colour of the flag of the Council of Europe symbolizes the Intercession of the Holy Virgin, and twelve starts depicted in a circle remind of the apostles

According to Wikipedia, such an assertion as to the meaning of the flag is not strictly correct. Note of course that the Council of Europe is not the European Union.

St. Louis gets the win on the road

Tonight in Game 1 of the World Series, the Cardinals scored seven runs and only allowed two by the Tigers. Anthony Reyes pitched eight innings. The Great One and Scottie each hommered.

Game 2 probables are Weaver for the Cards and Kenny Rogers for Detroit.

I was quite pleased to see Pujols and Rolen both get out of their funk. The Great One has not been too bad in the postseason so far, but his brilliance as seen last year with the famous home run at Houston had not been seen until tonight. Rolen gave us all a scare with his collision rounding third. Bad Scott! Bad! Don't put your shoulder into that situation!

Game 2 is tomorrow night once again in Detroit.

Housekeeping

The links down the left have been augmented.

As I've noted before, I don't really care for the Haloscan service. I'm going to see about playing with my template this weekend and reverting back to Blogger. We'll see how badly I screw things up.

EDIT: The template was reset and then I put back in the custom stuff for the sidebar. I noted that with a reset, the page was loading a lot faster than it used to, a nice side benefit.

For all you syndication folks, down the left under Subscribe is the chicklet for Feedburner and then a link for Atom. The little chicklet down in the lower right hand corner was reset from Feedburner and now goes to the Blogger Atom/RSS link. Subscribe to whichever you prefer, though the big chicklet that uses Feedburner will tell me how many subscriptions I have...

ANOTHER EDIT: Over time, I'm going to go through and label all the posts according to their subject label. Don't count on me doing this very quickly though. 'Search this blog' at the top is still everyone's best friend for finding stuff.

From The Economist

The piece in The Economist starts off with the question of if the leaders of the two monotheistic religions can find a way to talk to each other. It mentions the letter from the thirty-eight scholars and the Pope's stated regret for the distress caused by his lecture. Then it oulines the letter in broad strokes and its points illustrating Benedict's supposed mistakes regarding the finer point of the Quran.

Vatican officials have cautiously welcomed the scholars' letter, saying they too see prospects for a tough, meaningful conversation. After all, they point out, the pope has often said that the two faiths have different, but related problems: for the Christian, today's adversary is “reason without faith” or cold secularism. For moderate Muslims, it is “faith without reason” or violent fundamentalism.

The author then goes on to give two reasons for why Benedict is more pessimistic than his predecessor who was more inclined to work with Islamic countries in the UN and according to most objective observers not so inclined to confront Islam's extremist elements.

The first factor suggested by The Economist for Benedict's attitude is of course the fact he was Grand Inquisitor (of course! anything he does has to be because he was the head of the CDF). As such, he had to deal with instances of the Islamization of Christianity by heretical elements.

The second factor is far more credible and less insulting:

Another factor is the increased profile in the papal entourage of Arab Christians whose view of Islam is influenced by their own experience of inter-religious tensions in their homelands. In 2005, a few months after his election, Benedict presided at a meeting of his former doctoral students [a synopsis can be found here from www.chiesa] at which the topic was Islam. One of the two outsiders invited to the discussions was an Arab Jesuit with uncompromising views. The meeting is understood to have ended with broad agreement that there is little scope for discussing the basics of theology with Muslims: as a religion that puts overwhelming stress on revelation, its tenets are fixed and not open to re-interpretation. So (on this controversial view) it would be more worthwhile for the two faiths to discuss practicalities, like curbing violence and ensuring religious freedom.

The article closes with the usual Economist preachiness:

If that view prevails, it will be a disappointment to some of the scholars who wrote to the pope. As many authorities on Islam would point out, Muslim thinkers were arguing hard over the boundary between faith and reason 1,000 years ago—and there are Muslims today who want to revive the “rationalist” side of that argument. Without interfering, the pope could help by indicating he does not see all Muslims as unreasonable types.

The problem with that conclusion is that it mischaracterizes the problem that Islam faces today regarding reason. Islam is fundamentally a judicial faith. Jurists of the various schools of thought regarding the interpretation of the Shariah law are far more prevalent than any true theologians. As my professor liked to drum into my class, Islam is about 'right practice', not 'right thought'. Unlike modern judicial systems, the so-called 'gates of itjihad' (i.e. 'independent juridical reasoning' based on the law) were closed centuries ago in the majority Sunni world.

For those who would introduce a more rationalist approach to Sunni jurisprudence, efforts are severely hampered by the idea that the Shariah is literally the Word of God and cannot be tampered with in any way. Note that the ones who are proclaiming this view are more often than not the very fundamentalists who are willing to resort to violence in order to ensure their view prevails.

The Economist is right in that the Pope can help by recognizing without interfering. The problem is that fundamentalists won't reciprocate; Christians in the Holy Lands are waiting to be driven away one way or another. So it's back to practicalities and arguing over religious freedom.

Life and death in Portugal

The BBC:

(The RSS drop down menu that came by default with Firefox is quite convenient.)

MPs in Portugal have agreed that the country should hold a new referendum on whether to legalise abortion.

Currently abortions are only legal in Portugal if a woman has been raped, if her life is in danger, or if the baby has serious abnormalities.

But the governing Socialist Party is proposing that women should be allowed to choose an abortion up to the 10th week of pregnancy.

The public vote is expected to be set for January.

It was proposed by the governing Socialists, and backed by the main opposition centre-right Social Democrats and the far-left Left Block.

The Communist party voted against, while the Christian Democrats abstained.
[...]

The article goes on to talk about how the PM wants to further legalize abortion so that the poor women of Portugal don't end up getting back alley abortions while the rich women jet off to countries where abortion is legal.

Then the fact that Portugal is largely Catholic is made known and that it has some of the most restrictive abortion laws in Europe.

Nothing out of the ordinary can be found here (socialists take power and start legalizing all kinds of stuff) EXCEPT for one thing: the Christian Democrats abstained?! What!?

Brouhaha in Turkey

AsiaNews:

Ankara (AsiaNews) – Benedict XVI will be welcomed as a "foreign leader of state” on his arrival in Turkey and not as a religious leader.

Hurriyet, Turkey’s most popular daily, pointed to a “diplomatic crisis” brewing over the upcoming papal visit. The newspaper said the Vatican generally described the Pope's visits as "religious missions," but state officials said that since he has been invited by the President of the Republic of Turkey, Ahmet Necdet Sezer, the Pope would be welcomed as a "foreign leader of state."

The newspaper said that “although it was not clear at first whether this would be acceptable to the Vatican, agreement should be reached this week”.

The “diplomatic crisis” hinted at in Turkey does not seem to have any substance in reality. There have already been papal trips where the pope is welcomed as “head of the Vatican” and not as head of the Catholic Church. Moreover, the Holy See has already given official notice of the visit, which has been scheduled from 28 November to 1 December.

Hurriyet said that when he arrives in Turkey, Benedict XVI will be greeted at the airport by top level government officials, and then taken to the Cankaya President Palace to be formally welcomed by the head of state. The newspaper said the Pope will give President Sezer an antique Bible and a book of some of his works and prayers.

Around 1,000 journalists are expected to cover the event.

In covering this, Catholic World News noted that the Turkish government is apparently ignoring the fact that Benedict is visiting because of an invitation from the Patriarch of Constantinople. Aside from whatever is going on in the Turkish collective psyche lately, I don't see how this is all that big of a deal. Turkey is supposed to be 'secular', in fact it is militantly so (given its secular nature is guaranteed by the military). If there were no ulterior motives behind this declaration, then it only makes sense that the Turkish government would receive the Pope as a head of state.

But I'd say it's obvious that there are ulterior motives. The ruling party of Turkey, AKP, controls both the presidency and the prime ministership. Much of its cohesion comes from its bid to join the EU as a full member, a bid that Benedict XVI has in the past opposed. Though the prime minister claims otherwise, a survey cited in the Wiki article showed that a majority of respondants believed that AKP was in fact a party "political party with a religious axis."

The dots are certainly there for any who care to connect them.

RIP Cardinal Pompedda

According to Zenit.org, Cardinal Pompedda died Tuesday night in a Rome clinic where he had been for quite some time. He was 77.

In a telegram, sent by Benedict XVI on hearing the news, the Pope recalled the service carried out by the Italian cardinal, a "distinguished jurist and for many years diligent collaborator of the Holy See, in particular of the Tribunal of the Roman Rota and of the Apostolic Signature, offering everywhere an appreciated testimony of priestly zeal and fidelity to the Gospel."
[...]

Born in Ozieri, Sardinia, on April 18, 1929, he had been a priest since Dec. 23, 1951, and a bishop since Jan. 6, 1998. Pope John Paul II elevated him to cardinal in 2001.

He exercised his priestly ministry for 30 years in the parish church of Our Lady of Guadalupe, in the Monte Mario district of Rome.

The Office for Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff announced that the cardinal's funeral will be presided over by Benedict XVI this Friday at 5 p.m. in St. Peter's Basilica.

The College of Cardinals now has 187 members, including 115 electors who could participate in a conclave.

Articles mentioning His Eminence both in life and in death are listed at CardinalRating.org.

Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church has a dossier with more in depth info on Cardinal Pompedda's various academic accomplishments and curial postings.

Assumptions and presumptions

Michael Paulson wrote this article for the Bostom Globe. It covers the usual ground. Its phrasing is what I find interesting.

The Catholic bishops of the United States, faced with ongoing controversy over the church's posture toward homosexuality, next month will vote on a proposal that would condemn ``scorn and hatred" of gays and lesbians but would also declare that gay couples should not be allowed to marry or adopt children, that baptizing the children of same-sex couples presents ``a pastoral concern," and that the church has the right to deny ``roles of service" to gays and lesbians who are not celibate.
Article Tools

The proposal, which is to be voted on in Baltimore at the next semi annual meeting of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, is sure to ratchet up the debate over gays and lesbians in the Catholic Church, which teaches that men and women who are attracted to people of the same sex should be celibate, as should unmarried heterosexuals. In recent years, the Catholic Church, in Rome and in Boston, has been outspoken in its opposition to same-sex marriage, and, in the wake of widespread presumptions that there is a disproportionately high number of gay men in the Catholic priesthood, the Vatican has undertaken a review of American seminaries that asks students and teachers about the presence of gay men.

The bolding is my own. According to Mr. Paulson, the Church is debating even though its teaching is clear cut. Perhaps what he should say is that different people are wringing their hands and deciding whether or not they can follow the teaching or find some way to undermine it in their favor.

Commentary on the open letter

Sandro Magister has an extensive point-by-point commentary on the open letter sent by thirty-eight Muslim scholars last week which I linked to here. His preliminary paragraph summarizes well the points of the letter:

nstead of saying they are offended and demanding apologies, they express their respect for him and dialogue with him on faith and reason. They disagree on many points. But they also criticize those Muslims who want to impose, with violence, “utopian dreams in which the end justifies the means”

The analysis of the letter has a lot of great points and it's definitely worth a read both as a summary of the letter or as a companion. I don't need to repeat it here. One remark of Magister's that is important is this one:

It is worthwhile to recall that even the most authoritative leader of Shiite Islam, the Iraqi grand ayatollah Ali Al-Sistani, has expressed toward Benedict XVI the respect and attention that can also be found in the letter of the 38. And he did this much sooner. In the most violent days of the anti-papal protest that exploded in the Muslim world, representatives of Al-Sistani visited on two occasions the secretary of the Vatican nunciature in Baghdad, monsignor Thomas Hlim Sbib, to express his friendship toward Benedict XVI and his desire for a meeting with him in Rome.

We should all pray for the continued health of Sistani. He's probably the greatest friend the West has anywhere in Islam today. That is to say his goals and those of the West largely coincide. His website can be found here in case anyone is interested in learning more.

Other newsy items

From The Trumpet is a piece on Benedict, Islam, Iran and world peace. One quote stands out:

Political scientists still largely regard religion as passe. But it is now clear that, while they were looking for the formula for world peace, religion was working behind the scenes for a mighty comeback! That comeback was to be sourced within, and stimulated by, two great religions: Roman Catholicism and pan-Islamism.

Political scientists still WHAT?! I was going to comment on this piece at length, but then I read the above paragraph and it just destroyed all credibility of the author. I don't know what planet Ron Fraser lives on, but MY poli sci department didn't discount religion by any means. Moving on...

Catholic Online has a nice article about the renovation of the basilica in Baltimore.

On that Saturday – 200 years after the basilica’s cornerstone was laid in 1806 – the $32-million restoration project will be revealed to a public whose interest has been greatly heightened as more and more people begin to understand the basilica’s special place in U.S. Catholic history, not only as a symbol of religious liberty but also as an architectural gem.

There's lots more in the article on what all has been renovated and the historical arcitecture of the basilica.

Finally, Catholic World News has its top ten stories. Guess what they are before you go look here.

VIS: Calendar

CALENDAR OF CELEBRATIONS FOR NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER

VATICAN CITY, OCT 17, 2006 (VIS) - The Office of Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff made public today the calendar of celebrations to be presided over by the Holy Father in the months of November and December 2006:

NOVEMBER

- Thursday, 2: All Souls Day. At 6 p.m. in the Vatican Grottoes, a moment of prayer for deceased Supreme Pontiffs.

- Saturday, 4: At 11.30 a.m. at the altar of the Cathedra in the Vatican Basilica, Mass for the repose of the souls of cardinals and bishops who died during the course of year.

- Tuesday, 28 to Friday, December 1: Apostolic trip to Turkey.

RITES OF BEATIFICATION APPROVED BY THE HOLY FATHER

- Sunday, 5: 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time. At 10 a.m. in the cathedral of Sao Paulo, Brazil, beatification of Servant of God Mariano de la Mata Aparicio.

DECEMBER

- Saturday, 2: At 5 p.m. in the Vatican Basilica, First Vespers for the first Sunday of Advent.

- Friday, 8: Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. At 4 p.m. in Rome's Piazza di Spagna, homage to Mary Immaculate.

- Sunday, 10: 2nd Sunday of Advent. At 9 a.m., pastoral visit and Mass at the Roman parish of "S. Maria Stella d'Evangelizzazione."

- Sunday, 24: Vigil of the Solemnity of the Birth of Our Lord. Midnight Mass in the Vatican Basilica.

- Monday, 25: Solemnity of the Birth of Our Lord. At midday from the central loggia of the Vatican Basilica, "Urbi et Orbi" blessing.

- Sunday, 31: At 6 p.m. in the Vatican Basilica, First Vespers of thanksgiving for the past year.

RITES OF BEATIFICATION APPROVED BY THE HOLY FATHER

- Sunday, 3: 1st Sunday of Advent. At Ollur in the archdiocese of Trichur, India, beatification of Servant of God Eufrasia of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Eluvathingal.
OCL/CALENDAR NOVEMBER:DECEMBER/... VIS 061017 (320)

Old Order, New Order, Old Order

In case anyone was wondering, I haven't sounded off yet on the whole Tridentine/Pian/Old/Latin/etc. Mass yet because frankly others have made better points.

For example, Amy and Father Jim Tucker make a lot of good points.

On a purely academic level, the return of the Pian Mass (recall, brethren, the great discussion Papabile had over the best term to use in referencing it) is a positive for the Church. As many have already noted, the SSPX and others out there are not going to return en masse just because of an indult (or whatever legal framework is designed).

For my own personal tastes, I can't say that I'm waiting for the Pian Mass's return with much enthusiasm. I have never seen personally the worst modern excesses of the Novus Ordo and due to my situation, I don't have to listen to the wailing and crooning of overzealous music directors anymore (which in itself is rather disappointing, you don't miss it until it's gone).

My own taste as far as what makes a church Catholic has really gone towards exterior and interior appearance. If you all look down to the picture I posted of the new church going up in Tennessee, you'll get an idea of what I mean.

Buildings aside though, liturgy is fundamental for the life of the Church. It's always interesting to read about people talking about bad music and soft, squishy homilies, but being unable to hear Mass leads one to really focus on the little details such as decor and what the priest is doing up there amid his surroundings. Everyone would do well to put on a pair of earmuffs or stick in some ear plugs and just sit through the Liturgy of the Eucharist and watch the priest. Over and above what he has to say for a homily or how he might intone the various parts of the Eucharistic Prayer, his basic motions I would surmise say a lot more about him. My parish priest I think says Mass more reverently than any other man I've ever seen.

As one friend noted, even with an indult, the Pian Mass is not going to make massive inroads out here in Iowa if only because there are not enough trained personnel to pull one off except in special locations such as the basilica up in Dyersville or other approved parishes. I think the point that the Pian Mass will enrich the Novus Ordo is valid and such a filtering down of the best of the Pian Mass's attributes onto the Novus Ordo would be the best outcome. But in the end for me, the quality of Mass is based on the where it's at and the how it's done, not the what is being done.

Milingo's appeal back home

Spero has a nice translation of an African journalist's thoughts on the whole Milingo affair and what Africans back home think about the Archbishop's fling with his wild side.

Is it foreseeable that many of Milingo’s followers in Africa will join “Married Priests Now!” (the archbishop’s newly-minted sect) and Rev. Sun Myung Moon’s family federation. Not likely.

It is true that Milingo impressed many people, in Africa and elsewhere, with his alleged supernatural gifts. However, for the people here, religion and the sacred is much more than that: if not, it would be little more than the services rendered by a witch doctor or faith healer – those who only the very poor and uneducated take seriously today. In matters of religion, people want to trust: a Church that they can trust, with ministers they can trust.

The experience with Milingo shows that people will not follow false prophets, at least not for very long. Also, priests are like the village elders, men who are chosen for upright conduct and clear minds; they are expected to be good examples of both.

That kind of cultural respect for the office of priest/bishop is a very positive sign. That view of the office as being sacred and a position of respect is something the West has definitely lost in a lot of ways. Martyn Drakard the journalist's thoughts are quite heartening when it comes to a continent that is known for its faith supposedly being ten miles wide and only an inch deep.