A Franciscan leader, preacher and teacher

Bl. John of Parma

Bl. John of Parma

Feastday: March 20

John Buralli, the seventh minister general of the Franciscans, was born at Parma in the year 1209, and he was already teaching logic there when at the age of twenty-five, he joined the Franciscans. He was sent to Paris to study and, after he had been ordained, to teach and preach in Bologna, Naples and Rome. He preached so well that crowds of people came to hear his sermons, even very important persons flocked to hear him.  In the year 1247, John was chosen Minister General of the Order of Franciscans. He had a very difficult task because the members of his community were not living up to their duties, due to the poor leadership of Brother Elias. Brother Salimbene, a fellow townsman who worked closely with John, kept an accurate record of Johns activities. From this record, we learn that John was strong and robust, so that he was always kind and pleasant no matter how tired he was. He was the first among the Ministers General to visit the whole Order, and he traveled always on foot. He was so humble that when he visited the different houses of the Order, he would often help the Brother wash vegetables in the kitchen. He loved silence so that he could think of God and he never spoke an idle word. When he began visiting the various houses of his Order, he went to England first. When King Henry III heard that John came to see him, the King went out to meet him and embraced the humble Friar. When John was in France, he was visited by St. Louis IX who, on the eve of his departure for the Crusades, came to ask John's prayers and blessing on his journey. The next place John visited was Burgundy and Provence. At Arles, a friar from Parma, John of Ollis, came to ask a favor. He asked John if he and Brother Salimbene could be allowed to preach. John, however, did not want to make favorites of his Brothers. He said, "even if you were my blood brothers, I would not give you that permission without an examination." John of Ollis then said, "Then if we must be examined, will you call on Brother Hugh to examine us?" Hugh, the former provincial was in the house, but since he was a friend of John of Ollis and Salimbene, he would not allow it. Instead, he called the lecturer and tutor of the house. Brother Salimbene passed the test, but John of Ollis was sent back to take more studies. Trouble broke out in Paris where John had sent St. Bonaventure who was one of the greatest scholars of the Friars Minor. Blessed John went to Paris and was so humble and persuasive that the University Doctor who had caused the trouble, could only reply, "Blessed are you, and blessed are your words". Then John went back to his work at restoring discipline to his Order. Measures were taken to make sure the Friars obeyed the Rules of the Order. In spite of all his efforts, Blessed John was bitterly opposed. He became convinced that he was not capable of carrying out the reforms that he felt was necessary. So he resigned his office and nominated St. Bonaventure as his successor. John retired to the hermitage of Greccio, the place where St. Francis had prepared the first Christmas crib. He spent the last thirty years of his life there in retirement. He died on March 19, 1289 and many miracles were soon reported at his tomb. His feast day is March 20th.

National Chaplain of Knights of Columbus to be named new Archbishop for Baltimore

Son of Hickey, Heir of Carroll -- Bishop Lori Tipped for Baltimore

From its founding in the lone American colony founded by Catholics, the Premier See of Baltimore and its illustrious occupants have stood as a preeminent icon of religious freedom in these States. And now, the golden thread of that 223-year line is set to continue with particular vigor in the choice of its 16th archbishop.

As soon as tomorrow, sources tell Whispers that Pope Benedict will name Bishop William Lori, 60 -- leader of Connecticut's Bridgeport diocese since 2001 -- as the next head of the nation's oldest local church, first shepherded for 18 years by John Carroll, a cousin of the lone Catholic signer of the Declaration of Independence, and founder of the nation's first Catholic university at Georgetown shortly after his appointment in 1789.

In the post whose holder remains, by Roman decree, the "first among equals" of the American bishops, the Kentucky native would succeed Cardinal Edwin O'Brien, who the pontiff named as Grand Master of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre last August. O'Brien remains Apostolic Administrator of the 550,000-member archdiocese until his successor's installation, and the new cardinal will maintain his American base there afterward as the city's archbishop-emeritus.

Cited as a top prospect for numerous prior metropolitan vacancies, especially heavy speculation began to tip Lori for the Baltimore nod within weeks of O'Brien's appointment to the Rome-based post overseeing the thousand year-old body responsible for supporting the church's works in the Holy Land.

Ordained a priest for the archdiocese of Washington in 1977 and an auxiliary there in 1995, the theologian-prelate -- long a high-profile figure on the Stateside bench -- has come into an even brighter spotlight over recent months as the appointed head of the bishops' newly-created ad hoc Committee on Religious Liberty, and thus the quarterback of the church's recent surge against the contraceptive mandate of the Federal health-care reform law.

In his most recent comments on the hierarchy's tense face-off with the White House, Lori said he found a meeting last week with Obama administration officials "distressing" given a stance that, he said, made the policy appear "non-negotiable" and "here to stay."

The tenor of the sit-down "does not bode well for future discussions," the bishop told Catholic News Service.

In Baltimore's case, however, the liberty concerns aren't limited to Washington. A concerted religious freedom push by the Maryland church failed on the floor of its state legislature last month, as the cradle of American Catholicism became the seventh US jurisdiction to legalize same-sex marriage. With its enactment, the bill's lead champion, Democratic Gov. Martin O'Malley, became the nation's fifth Catholic chief executive to sign full recognition of gay unions into law.

As a binding referendum on the issue is expected to be held in November -- prior to the move's entering into force next year -- any new archbishop will arrive to find his tenure's first major battle already lined up.

In addition to the key conference slot, Lori has served as Supreme Chaplain of the Knights of Columbus since 2005. He was likewise chair of the Board of Trustees of his alma mater, the Catholic University of America, from 2003 to 2009.

 

>>>This article from Whispers in the Loggia, Rocco Palmo

Rush Limbaugh opines on the Catholic Church; it's HIS opinion, what say you?

Rush Limbaugh: ‘How the Catholic Church got roped into liberalism’
by Thaddeus Baklinski
Mon Mar 19, 2012

 (LifeSiteNews.com) - In the aftermath of the controversy stirred up by Rush Limbaugh’s comments on Georgetown University law student and pro-abortion activist Sandra Fluke, the talk show host speculated last week about how, in his view, the Catholic Church “got roped into the liberal socialist agenda.”

Sandra Fluke sparked a national discussion after she testified at a press conference arranged by Democrat politicians about how her Catholic school, Georgetown law, does not fund her contraception. Fluke was arguing in favor of the Obama administration’s birth control mandate, which would force even religious universities and employers to fund birth control and abortifacient drugs against their consciences.


“If you’re an activist, by definition, you are enrolling to stir it up there,” Limbaugh told a caller on his Open Line Friday show, in reference to Fluke. “You are enrolling to tear down the moral and conscience policies of that institution. That’s the express purpose. The Catholic Church is under siege. The Catholic Church is under attack. It’s a huge target. And the Catholic Church finally knows it.”

Limbaugh said that he “learned a lot during this whole fiasco,” referring to the media uproar when he called Sandra Fluke a “slut” and a “prostitute” after she called on Congress to force her university to pay for her contraception.

“One of the things that I learned was the reason the Catholic Church (all the way back to the days of FDR) got roped into the liberal socialist agenda is that they became convinced that welfare was charity, and churches are big on charity.

“And they thought that it would sound good for them to support massive government wealth-transfer programs, welfare programs, under the guise that it was charity.”

Limbaugh said that this liberalism was not directed at the tenets of faith of the Church, but rather manifested itself it the Church’s “political associations and attachments.”

“So the Catholic Church and its hierarchy in this country slowly but surely migrated to socialism, in terms of its political preferences. Now, not so much the way it dealt with its flock, but outwardly - with its political associations and attachments (i.e. people that they voted for, supported) - under the notion that liberalism is charity, under the notion that welfare is charity.”

“Well, it isn’t,” Limbaugh stated. “Liberals give money to people wanting a payback. The payback is the vote. Liberals are not giving people money to increase their lifestyles or improve their lifestyles. It doesn’t happen, does it? The poor are still poor. The homeless are still homeless. Despite all these great liberal programs, the numbers, the percentages never change.”

“Liberalism doesn’t solve problems,” Limbaugh charged. “It doesn’t fix anything. So it isn’t charity. Real charity is targeted to people in genuine need who cannot help themselves. The purpose of welfare is not to help people who can’t help themselves. If I may be blunt, the purpose of welfare is to create as many people as possible who refuse to help themselves because they don’t have to anymore.”

“Welfare is robbing Peter to buy Paul’s vote,” Limbaugh observed.

“But the Catholic Church got roped into this whole notion that all of that is ‘charity,’ so they became big supporters of it. This is now causing some lights to go on at the upper levels of the Church,” Limbaugh concluded.

St. Joseph Day at Most Holy Trinity & St. Jane de Chantal

Today was a 1st at both the Catholic Church parishes I hold dear.  Both of these parishes, for the first time ever, had St. Joseph Day Altars.  Both were stunning and surely did not disappoint.  I only wish that I would have taken a few pictures today.

Most Holy Trinity, the parish I am currently assigned to as their Permanent Deacon, is a young parish; only about six years old.  We are still awaiting the go ahead to break ground on our permanent church building.  We still utilize a converted retail space for our worship space, as well as our offices and classrooms.  Space is an immediate issue with the St. Jospeh Altar itself having to be erected in our largest classroom.  So overall size was an issue, presentation, beauty and holding fast to all the traditions was not.  All the volunteers did a great job and all the essentials were there.  I managed to take a ride over to Most Holy Trinity at lunch time, right about the time lunch was being served.  The amount of food being prepared in our kitchen, not to mention all the great fig cookies and other delights, was overwhelming.  And delicious!  Of course everyone received, in addition to the food, a fave bean(see my prior article) and a St. Joseph prayer card. 

This evening I drove north to Abita Springs to visit the St. Joseph Altar at my home parish, and my first assignment as a Permanent Deacon, at St. Jane de Chantal Church.  Again, at least for the past 16 years, this would be the first altar at St. Jane's.  I was overwhelmed as these volunteers put on a spectacular tribute to St. Joseph.  The display was amazing, far larger than I anticipated with all the essentials in place.  What made this display unique was the two miniature replicas of St. Joseph Altars handcrafted.  Simply beautiful!  I visited with a bunch of my MHT parish as I sat down for dinner as they all came to St. Jane's after MHT's altar was disassembled.  And as always, while in Abita, so good to visit with old friends and parishioners!

So this Monday, far from being routine, I celebrated our faith and our traditions, by spending time at two St. Joseph Day Altars at my two favorite parishes.  It was a blessed day!

The tradition of the St. Joseph Altar in New Orleans

St. Joseph's Day Altarsby Anna Maria Chupa

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Background
St. Joseph's Day altars began as a custom brought to New Orleans by Sicilian immigrants. The tradition of building the altar to St. Joseph began as far back as the Middle Ages in gratitude to St. Joseph for answering prayers for deliverance from famine. The families of farmers and fisherman built altars in their homes to share their good fortune with others in need. The tradition grew to a more public event on St. Joseph's Feast Day on March 19. Today the individuals who work on the altars are fulfilling their own promises to St. Joseph "to share their blessings with those in need."(2) Without exception, the altar workers explained that they contributed to the altars not for their own purposes but 'for St. Joseph' or for a family member or friend.(5)

One tradition entails begging for the supplies to build the altar. The altar must not incur "any expense nor any personal financial gain."(2) As an act of devotion to St. Joseph, supplicants would promise to build an altar should their sons return home from war safely. Part of the personal sacrifice involved was the act of begging for food.(5)

Although there are perishable foods on the altars, a large portion of the breads, cookies and cakes are wrapped so that they may be given to charities after the altar is broken. The altar is broken after a ceremony which reenacts the Holy Family seeking shelter. The ceremony is called Tupa Tupa "which in Italian means Knock Knock." Children dressed in costume "knock at three doors asking for food and shelter. At the first two they are refused. At the third door, the host of the Altar greets them and welcomes them to refresh themselves."(2)

Butler's Lives of the Saints lists St. Joseph as the patron saint of Families, Working Men, Social Justice, and the Church. St. Joseph is also the Patron Saint of the dying.(3) Following the blessing of the altar on the afternoon of March 18, visitors are invited to leave written petitions to St. Joseph or donations for the poor. The Mary's Helper Newsletter invited people to mail their petitions for the altar in the event that they could not visit personally.

Spiritualism and Vodun Connection
My own journey to the St. Joseph's Day altars began while I was conducting research on Spiritualism and Vodun in New Orleans. In my search for more information on Damballah, an African spirit who came to be associated with St. Patrick and with Moses in the syncretized Vodun of new world contexts, I also saw frequent references to St. Joseph. Spiritualist churches who honored Black Hawk as a patron spirit of social justice simultaneously honored St. Joseph and Moses in prominent positions on their altars.

The Mary's Helpers Newsletter makes an interesting connection in the interpretation of Joseph as a deliverer. "It was told to the Israelites in the Old Testament, 'Go to Joseph,' if they wanted any favor or benefit, referring to the Joseph of Egypt. 'Go to Joseph,' is the advice and counsel given to every Catholic who wants a favor and believes in the sanctity of the Holy Family."

More on Sicilians in New Orleans
Members of The Greater New Orleans Italian Cultural Society (GNOICS) built their first altar in 1967 "on the front steps of the St. Joseph church on Tulane Avenue."(4) In 1978, the altar location was moved to the Piazza D'Italia, primarily because inclement weather in previous years made the outdoor location on the steps of St. Joseph's problematic.(Chupa:98) Piazza d'Italia is located on "300 Poydras, to the rear of the American Italian Renaissance Foundation Museum and Library building."(4) In 1998, the Altar was prepared under the direction of Mr. and Mrs. Peter Bertucci who have been involved with the altar preparations since 1967. The GNOICS altar has since been reestablished at St. Joseph's Church.

The concentration of Sicilian immigrants in New Orleans explains why this tradition is almost exclusive to this southeastern city. Whereas most immigrants from Naples "settled in New York and other cities along the eastern seaboard" the Sicilians "sailed from Palermo and landed in New Orleans. Between 1850 and 1870, the U.S. Census Bureau estimates that there were more Italians in New Orleans than in any other U.S. city. By 1910, the population of the city's French Quarter was 80 percent Italian. Today there are 200,000 Americans of Italian descent living in New Orleans and its suburbs, making Italian Americans the largest ethnic group in the city."(4)

Symbols in the St. Joseph's Day altar
Many of the altars we visited were constructed in the form of a Latin cross with two additional tables running parallel to the length of the cross. This tripartite arrangement refers to the Trinity. A statue of St. Joseph or a picture of the Holy family is usually at the top of the altar.(1)

"All of the items on the altar -- food, candles, medals, holy cards and fava beans -- are blessed by a priest in a special ceremony the afternoon before an altar is 'broken.'" That evening people may visit to pray and leave petitions. Donations are collected for the poor."(1)

Over the doorway a fresh green branch is placed to indicate that the public is invited to participate "in the ceremony and to share the food."(1) The specially prepared breads on the St. Joseph1s altar make take many forms. As this custom is observed during the Lenten season, and the tradition was begun in Sicily where fish and shellfish were more common than meat, decorative breads in the form of shellfish are common. Other symbolic imagery specific to Joseph might include tools used by a carpenter (ladder, saw, hammer, nails) as well as sandals, lilies and a staff. Some of the breads are prepared with a decorative interlace and filled with figs, alluding to the fig orchards of Sicily.(1)

Breads and cakes may also take the form of more common Christian symbols, i.e., the Monstrance or Spada which holds the sacred Host; the Chalice, which refers to the consecration of the Bread and Wine at the Last Supper; the Cross (crucifixion of Christ), Dove (Holy Spirit), Lamb, Fish (Jesus as the Lamb of God and the Fisher of Men); and Hearts (Sacred Heart of Jesus, Immaculate Heart of Mary. A heart pierced by a dagger also refers to the grieving mother or Mater Dolorosa and may bear the names of recently departed loved ones.) A Crown of Thorns and Palms refer to martyrdom and symbols of eternal love.(1)

Wine bottles on the altar represent the miracle of Cana and the twelve whole fish represent the twelve apostles and the miracle of the loaves and the fishes. Other images specific to Sicily include grapes, olives and figs referring to the orchards and vineyards in Sicily. Two prepared foods that are commonly seen on the altar include the Pignolatti and the Pupaculova. The Pignolatti are fried pastry balls joined together in the shape of a pine cone representing "the pine cones Jesus played with as a child." The Pupaculova is a baked bread which encloses a dyed Easter egg representing the "coming of Easter."(1)

Bread crumbs or "Mudica" are served as a seasoning over the Pasta Milanese on St. Joseph's Feast Day and symbolize sawdust.(1) The food served to the public on St. Joseph1s Day is a reenactment of a promise made to St. Joseph for delivery from famine. "Small bags are given as keepsakes to all who visit the altar. Each bag may contain a blessed medal, holy card, fava beans, cookies or bread."(1)

The people we spoke to had several interpretations regarding the appearance of lemons on the St. Joseph's Day altars. Citrus fruits are common in the orchards of Sicily. One woman said that it was good luck to "steal" a lemon from the altar leaving hidden coins behind for the poor.(5) Several women told us that a lemon blessed on St. Joseph's altar will not turn black and is a symbol of good luck.(6) Another woman said that the lemons are for young married women who want to become pregnant. Still others mentioned that during certain periods, the lemon was a luxury so its appearance on the altar is a way of returning ones good fortune to others.(5)

Artichokes figure prominently in the food served and when they are available in abundance, stuffed artichokes may also appear on the altars. In 1998, because artichokes were so scarce, they were not seen on the four altars we visited. In 1997, the artichokes were plentiful.

Perhaps the most ubiquitous symbol to be found on the altar is the lucky Fava Bean. "The gift of a blessed bean is the most well known of the customs associated with the St. Joseph's Day altar. During one of Sicily's severe famines, the fava bean thrived while other crops failed. It was originally grown for animal fodder, but because of its amazing resilience, it became the sustaining food of the farmers and their families. The dried bean is commonly called the "lucky bean." Legend has it that the person who carries a 'lucky bean' will never be without coins. The fava bean is a token of the St. Joseph's Altar, and a reminder to pray to St. Joseph," particularly for the needs of others.(5)

St. Jospeh; foster-father of Jesus; patron of the universal Church

  St. Joseph

St. Joseph


Feastday: March 19

Patron of the Universal Church

Everything we know about the husband of Mary and the foster father of Jesus comes from Scripture and that has seemed too little for those who made up legends about him.

We know he was a carpenter, a working man, for the skeptical Nazarenes ask about Jesus, "Is this not the carpenter's son?" (Matthew 13:55). He wasn't rich for when he took Jesus to the Temple to be circumcised and Mary to be purified he offered the sacrifice of two turtledoves or a pair of pigeons, allowed only for those who could not afford a lamb (Luke 2:24).

Despite his humble work and means, Joseph came from a royal lineage. Luke and Matthew disagree some about the details of Joseph's genealogy but they both mark his descent from David, the greatest king of Israel (Matthew 1:1-16 and Luke 3:23-38). Indeed the angel who first tells Joseph about Jesus greets him as "son of David," a royal title used also for Jesus.

We know Joseph was a compassionate, caring man. When he discovered Mary was pregnant after they had been betrothed, he knew the child was not his but was as yet unaware that she was carrying the Son of God. He planned to divorce Mary according to the law but he was concerned for her suffering and safety. He knew that women accused to adultery could be stoned to death, so he decided to divorce her quietly and not expose her to shame or cruelty (Matthew 1:19-25).

We know Joseph was man of faith, obedient to whatever God asked of him without knowing the outcome. When the angel came to Joseph in a dream and told him the truth about the child Mary was carrying, Joseph immediately and without question or concern for gossip, took Mary as his wife. When the angel came again to tell him that his family was in danger, he immediately left everything he owned, all his family and friends, and fled to a strange country with his young wife and the baby. He waited in Egypt without question until the angel told him it was safe to go back (Matthew 2:13-23).

We know Joseph loved Jesus. His one concern was for the safety of this child entrusted to him. Not only did he leave his home to protect Jesus, but upon his return settled in the obscure town of Nazareth out of fear for his life. When Jesus stayed in the Temple we are told Joseph (along with Mary) searched with great anxiety for three days for him (Luke 2:48). We also know that Joseph treated Jesus as his own son for over and over the people of Nazareth say of Jesus, "Is this not the son of Joseph?" (Luke 4:22)

We know Joseph respected God. He followed God's commands in handling the situation with Mary and going to Jerusalem to have Jesus circumcised and Mary purified after Jesus' birth. We are told that he took his family to Jerusalem every year for Passover, something that could not have been easy for a working man.

Since Joseph does not appear in Jesus' public life, at his death, or resurrection, many historians believe Joseph probably had died before Jesus entered public ministry.

Joseph is the patron of the dying because, assuming he died before Jesus' public life, he died with Jesus and Mary close to him, the way we all would like to leave this earth.

Joseph is also patron of the universal Church, fathers, carpenters, and social justice.

We celebrate two feast days for Joseph: March 19 for Joseph the Husband of Mary and May 1 for Joseph the Worker.

There is much we wish we could know about Joseph -- where and when he was born, how he spent his days, when and how he died. But Scripture has left us with the most important knowledge: who he was -- "a righteous man" (Matthew 1:18).

In His Footsteps:

Joseph was foster father to Jesus. There are many children separated from families and parents who need foster parents. Please consider contacting your local Catholic Charities or Division of Family Services about becoming a foster parent.

Prayer:

Saint Joseph, patron of the universal Church, watch over the Church as carefully as you watched over Jesus, help protect it and guide it as you did with your adopted son. Amen

Did you see pink(I mean rose) today at Mass? What is Laetare Sunday?

What Is Laetare Sunday?

By Scott P. Richert, About.com Guide

See More About:

Question: What Is Laetare Sunday?

Most Catholics today are used to the Mass being conducted in English, and they hardly ever think about the fact that Latin remains the official language of the Catholic Church. But occasionally, Latin reasserts itself, as it does in the case of Laetare Sunday.

Answer: Laetare Sunday is the popular name for the Fourth Sunday in Lent. (See When Is Laetare Sunday? for the date of Laetare Sunday in this and future years.) Laetare means "Rejoice" in Latin, and the Introit (entrance antiphon) in both the Traditional Latin Mass and the Novus Ordo is Isaiah 66:10-11, which begins "Laetare, Jerusalem" ("Rejoice, O Jerusalem"). Because the midpoint of Lent is the Thursday of the third week of Lent, Laetare Sunday has traditionally been viewed as a day of celebration, on which the austerity of Lent is briefly lessened. The passage from Isaiah continues, "rejoice with joy, you that have been in sorrow," and on Laetare Sunday, the purple vestments and altar cloths of Lent are set aside, and rose ones are used instead. Flowers, which are normally forbidden during Lent, may be placed on the altar. Traditionally, the organ was never played during Lent, except on Laetare Sunday. Laetare Sunday is also known as Rose Sunday or Refreshment Sunday, and it has a counterpart in Advent: Gaudete Sunday, the Third Sunday of Advent, when purple vestments are exchanged for rose ones. The point of both days is to provide us encouragement as we progress toward the end of each respective penitential season.

Bishop of Jerusalem, fought against Arianism

St. Cyril of Jerusalem

St. Cyril of Jerusalem

Feastday: March 18
315 - 386

"Make your fold with the sheep; flee from the wolves: depart not from the Church," Cyril admonished catechumens surrounded by heresy. These were prophetic words for Cyril was to be hounded by enemies and heretics for most of his life, and although they could exile him from his diocese he never left his beloved Church.

Cyril's life began a few years before Arianism (the heresy that Jesus was not divine or one in being with the Father) and he lived to see its suppression and condemnation at the end of his life. In between he was the victim of many of the power struggles that took place.

We know little about Cyril's early life. Historians estimate he was born about 315 and that he was brought up in Jerusalem. He speaks about the appearance of the sites of the Nativity and Holy Sepulchre before they were "improved" by human hands as if he were a witness. All we know of his family were that his parents were probably Christians and he seemed to care for them a great deal. He exhorted catechumens to honor parents "for however much we may repay them, yet we can never be to them what they as parents have been to us." We know he also had a sister and a nephew, Gelasius, who became a bishop and a saint.

He speaks as one who belonged to a group called the Solitaries. These were men who lived in their own houses in the cities but practiced a life of complete chastity, ascetism, and service.

After being ordained a deacon and then a priest, his bishop Saint Maximus respected him enough to put him in charge of the instruction of catechumens. We still have these catechetical lectures of Cyril's that were written down by someone in the congregation. When speaking of so many mysteries, Cyril anticipated the question, "But some one will say, If the Divine substance is incomprehensible, why then do you discourse of these things? So then, because I cannot drink up all the river, am I not even to take in moderation what is expedient for me? Because with eyes so constituted as mine I cannot take in all the sun, am I not even to look upon it enough to satisfy my wants? Or again, because I have entered into a great garden, and cannot eat all the supply of fruits, would you have me go away altogether hungry?.. I am attempting now to glorify the Lord, but not to describe him, knowing nevertheless that I shall fall short of glorifying God worthily, yet deeming it a work of piety even to attempt it at all."

When Maximus died, Cyril was consecrated as bishop of Jerusalem. Because he was supported by the Arian bishop of Caesarea, Acacius, the orthodox criticized the appointment and the Arians thought they had a friend. Both factions were wrong, but Cyril wound up in the middle.

When a famine hit Jerusalem, the poor turned to Cyril for help. Cyril, seeing the poor starving to death and having no money, sold some of the goods of the churches. This was something that other saints including Ambrose and Augustine had done and it probably saved many lives. There were rumors, however, that some of the vestments wound up as clothing for actors.

Actually, the initial cause of the falling out between Acacius and Cyril was territory not beliefs. As bishop of Caesarea, Acacia had authority over all the bishops of Palestine. Cyril argued that his authority did not include Jerusalem because Jerusalem was an "apostolic see" -- one of the original sees set up by the apostles. When Cyril did not appear at councils that Acacius called, Acacius accused him of selling church goods to raise money and had him banished.

Cyril stayed in Tarsus while waiting for an appeal. Constantius called a council where the appeal was supposed to take place. The council consisted of orthodox, Arians, and semi-Arian bishops. When Acacius and his faction saw that Cyril and other exiled orthodox bishops were attending, they demanded that the persecuted bishops leave. Acacius walked out when the demand was not met. The other bishops prevailed on Cyril and the others to give in to this point because they didn't want Acacius to have reason to deny the validity of the council. Acacius returned but left again for good when his creed was rejected -- and refused to come back even to give testimony against his enemy Cyril. The result of the council was the Acacius and the other Arian bishops were condemned. There's no final judgment on Cyril's case but it was probably thrown out when Acacius refused to testify and Cyril returned to Jerusalem.

This was not the end of Cyril's troubles because Acacius carried his story to the emperor -- embellishing it with details that it was a gift of the emperor's that was sold to a dancer who died wearing the robe. This brought about a new synod run by Acacius who now had him banished again on the basis of what some bishops of Tarsus had done while Cyril was there.

This exile lasted until Julian became emperor and recalled all exiled bishops, orthodox or Arian. Some said this was to exacerbate tension in the Church and increase his imperial power. So Cyril returned to Jerusalem. When Acacius died, each faction nominated their own replacement for Caesarea. Cyril appointed his nephew Gelasius -- which may seem like nepotism, except that all orthodox sources spoke of Gelasius' holiness. A year later both Cyril and Gelasius were driven out of Palestine again as the new emperor's consul reversed Julian's ruling.

Eleven years later, Cyril was allowed to go back to find a Jerusalem destroyed by heresy and strife. He was never able to put things completely right. He did attend the Council at Constantinople in 381 where the Nicene Creed and orthodoxy triumphed and Arianism was finally condemned. Cyril received justice at the same Council who cleared him of all previous rumors and commended him for fighting "a good fight in various places against the Arians."

Cyril had eight years of peace in Jerusalem before he died in 386, at about seventy years old.

Catholic Republicans seem to favor Romney over Santorum; an interesting read

Republican Catholics cool so far to Rick Santorum

By KASIE HUNT and RACHEL ZOLL |

Enlarge Photo

FILE - In this Jan. 15, 2012, file photo Republican …

• Enlarge Photo FILE - In this Feb. 8, 2012, file photo Republican …

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — At El Sendero De La Cruz evangelical church, Rick Santorum sought prayers along with votes.

He told the San Juan congregation that he felt "very blessed" to be with people of faith and said he can withstand the demands of campaigning because of the many people like them he meets while running for president.
"The first thing they almost always say to me, 'I'm praying for you,'" Santorum said. "It works."

It's the kind of spirit-infused language that is helping Santorum connect with evangelical Republicans, who have fueled his strong showing in state after state. Yet, in one of the more puzzling developments among many in the GOP contest, he's nowhere near as successful with his fellow Roman Catholics.

Across all states where Republican primary voters were asked their religion in exit polls, Mitt Romney, a Mormon, trounced Santorum among Catholics, with an average margin of victory above 20 percentage points. Even in Southern states, where Romney has struggled, Catholics broke his way.

On Sunday, overwhelmingly Catholic Puerto Rico was holding its primary.
Catholics haven't voted as a bloc in decades, leading analysts to declare "the Catholic vote" as such doesn't exist. Still, the results are surprising given that the former Pennsylvania senator puts Catholicism at the center of his public service and personal life.
Known for attending Mass almost daily, Santorum organized a Catholic study group for lawmakers when he served in Congress, has fought abortion and defended traditional marriage. He cites his faith for his support for humanitarian work, such as financing programs that fight AIDS in Africa. He has home-schooled his seven children and sent some to private schools affiliated with the Catholic movement Opus Dei. Santorum has said that growing up north of Pittsburgh, his parents expected him to attend church every Sunday without fail.
"You had to basically be dead not to go," he said in a 2005 interview with the New York Times.
Religious identity is not as much of a consideration for Catholic voters as it is for members of some other faiths.
Only 1 in 5 Catholics on average said it mattered "a great deal" that a candidate share their religious beliefs, compared with one-third of non-Catholics in exit polls that asked the question.
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, also Catholic, on average trails Santorum among Catholics.

In the 2004 race, Democrat John Kerry was the first Catholic presidential candidate from a major party since John F. Kennedy in 1960. Still, Kerry lost Catholics in the general election to President George W. Bush, a Protestant who emphasized his born-again religious conversion.

"Just being Catholic by no means buys you anything in the Catholic vote anymore," said Mark Gray, a researcher at Georgetown University's Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate who specializes in American Catholics.

Santorum's style of campaigning, in which he frames political issues in emotional, starkly moral terms of good and evil, is more common to evangelical than Catholic culture. He is often mistaken for a Protestant conservative, by both evangelicals and Catholics, according to a poll conducted last week by the Pew Research Center.
"One of the great blessings I've had in every political campaign is people underestimate me, people underestimate what God can do," Santorum told the congregation at First Baptist Church of Bossier City, La., on Sunday.

Less than half of the Catholic Republicans surveyed knew Santorum's faith, the survey showed, while 11 percent of Catholic Republicans and 35 percent of white evangelical Republicans thought Santorum was an evangelical.

"The rhetoric often comes out in a way that many people would take to be similar to how evangelicals express themselves," said Russell Shaw, an author and writer for Our Sunday Visitor, a theologically conservative Catholic magazine, and a former spokesman for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. "No nuances and no holds barred."
For most of his fellow Catholics, Santorum's views are as likely to alienate as attract. Less than one-quarter of Catholics attend Mass weekly. Most use artificial contraception, support gay civil unions or marriage, and hold other views contrary to church teaching. Religious conservatives have called these Catholics "CINOs" — Catholics in Name Only.
Santorum underscored his distance from other Catholics by saying recently that he "almost threw up" when he read Kennedy's famous 1960 speech to the Greater Houston Ministerial Association addressing anti-Catholic bias. Kennedy had said, "I believe in an America where the separation of church and state is absolute," which Santorum and many religious conservatives interpret as endorsing a secular outlook. Santorum has said he wished he could take back the remark, but stood by his criticism of the speech.
Voters in a Republican primary, who are among the most motivated and active party members, are assumed to include more Catholics in line with Santorum, politically and religiously.
Deal Hudson, who was a Catholic outreach adviser to Bush's presidential campaigns, rejects that idea. He believes Catholic Republicans include many faithful who aren't as religiously active as Santorum and instead "pretty much behave like the general public."
Exit polls generally don't ask about church attendance, considered a critical measure of religious devotion, so there is no way to know for sure. But the exit polls, conducted for The Associated Press by Edison Research, do hold some clues about the gap between Catholic Republicans and Santorum.
In Ohio, where Romney narrowly edged Santorum, Catholic primary voters were less likely than Protestants to see Santorum as their best ideological match. The polls found that 52 percent of Protestant voters described Santorum's positions as just right, compared with 42 percent of Catholics, while 28 percent of Catholics called Santorum too conservative. Even among Ohio voters who described themselves as conservative, more Protestants than Catholics said Santorum's positions were about right — 62 percent to 52 percent.

In Michigan, a majority of Catholics who backed Romney said they were strongly behind their candidate, while just 28 percent of Catholics who voted for Santorum said the same.

In fact, Catholics in the exit polls tend to look more like the typical Romney Republican. Catholics are less deeply conservative and less likely to back the Tea Party movement. They have more formal education than non-Catholics and higher incomes, with 74 percent reporting annual household incomes over $50,000, compared with 67 percent of non-Catholics.

Catholics are also less likely than other Christians to hesitate over Romney's Mormonism, even though the Catholic Church, like many faith traditions, does not recognize Mormons as part of historical Christianity, although Mormons themselves do.

"One reason Catholics don't have a religious problem with it is because they've been a persecuted religious group," said Hudson, chairman of Catholic Advocate, a conservative advocacy group that aims to politically organize Catholics. "Catholics know what it's like for people to think their beliefs are crazy."