I'm writing this in the last few hours of December 23rd and soon it will be Christmas Eve. In some parts of the world, Christmas Eve vigil masses will be starting as soon as one or two hours from now. The celebration of our Christmas liturgies, beginning with the vigil, leaves Advent behind and ushers in Christmas. Why? Because Christmas is not a day; it's a season.
While I know how hard it is to delay putting up the tree and wrapping presents, Christmas just has not yet started. We have been celebrating Advent; the preparing for Christmas. Christmas will continue as a season this year until January 9, 2011 when we celebrate the liturgy of the Baptism of Jesus.
So this Saturday, when we wake up and begin our Christmas Day traditions, know that we have about 15 days to go. Christmas Day can begin with Midnight Mass, or Mass in the morning. We may open a few presents before midnight tomorrow night or have the big Santa explosion in the morning. Maybe everyone is coming to your house, or like us, off we go to the relatives.
Whatever your traditions are do not stop celebrating Christmas. The following day, December 26th gives us the day to remember the Holy Family. As we look at our nativity scenes in our homes we can recall all that the Holy Family endured in those early days of Jesus as a baby. Normally, the 26th is reserved for the feast of St. Stephen but this year he gets suppressed because of the Holy Family. As a Deacon, I usually gather with brother Deacons in New Orleans to celebrate good St. Stephen. We will do this again this year despite the calender working against him. Other great Saints we honor during Christmas season include St. John the Evangelist, St. Thomas Becket and St. Sylvester, to name a few.
And as we approach the excitement of the New Year and the fun and parties of New Years Eve we should remind ourselves that we are in the Christmas season. In fact it is such a wonderful tradition that we remember Mary as Mother of God on New Years Day. And we all can recall the celebration of "little Christmas" on the Epiphany, which used to be on January 6th but is now the second Sunday after Christmas day.
So this Christmas season, leave the tree up, keep the twinkling lights burning, keep that Nativity scene prominent and celebrate the season. Even when we all return to work or kids to school on January 3rd, wait til at least the following weekend to pack it all away. Keep the joy we experience going into Christmas day alive at least to the Christmas season is over!
Thursday, December 23, 2010
The story of the nativity
The First Nativity
Many of us cherish the hand carved Italian wooden nativity with its crèche and hanging angel given to us as a gift, or a large Fontanini Nativity we bought when we first got married. Maybe you have a burnished gold one piece nativity passed down through the family or you have your eye on a stained glass nativity. During the holiday season our yard is bedecked with a beautiful, illuminated larger than life nativity. Now, we might think this tradition goes all the way back to the first Christmas in Bethlehem so many years ago. You may be surprised to learn that the tradition actually began with Saint Francis of Assissi:
In the early part of the thirteenth century Saint Francis of Assisi was troubled by the lack of holiness in the holiday season. There was a lot of drunkenness and desire. The fact that God came to earth as a man seemed to be lost in the preparations for the feasting and merry making.
As Francis often did when he was troubled, he went to a cave on Mount Subasio and prayed. In his solitude an answer came to him: he remembered the humble birth of our Lord. Saint Francis came up with a plan to remind people of the real reason we celebrate Christmas.
For weeks he prepared. Three of the monks were dressed as Kings. Other monks would come as shepherds. A farmer agreed to loan him a donkey, a cow, chickens and sheep. He found a carpenter to portray Joseph and a beautiful young maiden to portray Mary.
It was Christmas Eve and everything was set. He chose a cave on the edge of the village of Greccio because it reminded him of the biblical description of the manger. Even in his own time Saint Francis was well known. When word went out that he had arranged a special celebration of Christmas, people came from far and near.
(Imagine now that you are standing on the side of this hill, near the cave. It is just past sunset and the light is fading from a rose colored sky. Looking out over the valley you see hundreds of people gathering. Some are carrying torches, others candles. Each person carries their own light. From each home and village a stream of light flows towards the cave. These streams of light gather into a river of lights. Soon, a flood of light flows up the hill to the mouth of the cave. Each of us brings our own small light to make an ocean of light.)
Just as everyone arrived, Saint Francis realized that he had forgotten something. The shepherds and sheep were there, so were the three kings and their horses. There was a donkey, a cow and some chickens sleeping or scratching in the straw. Mary and Joseph were there. How could he? He had forgotten the most important thing! Saint Francis had forgotten the baby!
Just then he saw a spark in the straw. At first he thought the spark had leapt from a candle or torch, Saint Francis leapt to put it out. But then it took shape. A small ball of fire began to grow and softly glow. Right before the eyes of a thousand seekers, the glowing light took the shape of an infant. For the second time, God came to earth as a child. Everyone present witnessed a miracle.
Francis could not let the baby rest on the cold stone floor of the cave. He scooped the Christ child up into his arms and cuddled him. It dawned on him then and there, the true meaning of Christmas.
God came to earth not as a king but as the child of a poor carpenter. He was not born in a palace but in a manger among animals. Saint Francis realized God is there to take care of us, yes, but we also must nurture that of God within.
Though chaste, in that moment Saint Francis gave birth. For a moment he knew the pleasure of fatherhood. He also gained a deeper appreciation of our Father and his infinite wisdom. What a blessing for us all!
And so it has been to this day: throughout the world we celebrate the birth of Christ with the celebration of the nativity, an idea inspired by a poor man from Assisi.
Do you have a special nativity that you place near the tree at Christmas?
Whether your nativity set is table top or garden statues, when you arrange the decorations on your mantel or in your front yard think of Saint Francis and this story, the first celebration of the nativity. And maybe, just as they do in Italy, you may wish to set the kings and camels at a distance on the first night and inch them closer each day to remind us of that journey we all must make to be nearer to God. Keep the baby Jesus under wraps and place Him in the manger on Christmas Eve to remind us of the real reason for the holiest of seasons.
*This traditional story is based on the medieval book, “The Little Flowers of Saint Francis” and is retold by Brian “Fox” Ellis, author and storyteller. © 2008 All rights reserved. www.foxtalesint.com
Many of us cherish the hand carved Italian wooden nativity with its crèche and hanging angel given to us as a gift, or a large Fontanini Nativity we bought when we first got married. Maybe you have a burnished gold one piece nativity passed down through the family or you have your eye on a stained glass nativity. During the holiday season our yard is bedecked with a beautiful, illuminated larger than life nativity. Now, we might think this tradition goes all the way back to the first Christmas in Bethlehem so many years ago. You may be surprised to learn that the tradition actually began with Saint Francis of Assissi:
In the early part of the thirteenth century Saint Francis of Assisi was troubled by the lack of holiness in the holiday season. There was a lot of drunkenness and desire. The fact that God came to earth as a man seemed to be lost in the preparations for the feasting and merry making.
As Francis often did when he was troubled, he went to a cave on Mount Subasio and prayed. In his solitude an answer came to him: he remembered the humble birth of our Lord. Saint Francis came up with a plan to remind people of the real reason we celebrate Christmas.
For weeks he prepared. Three of the monks were dressed as Kings. Other monks would come as shepherds. A farmer agreed to loan him a donkey, a cow, chickens and sheep. He found a carpenter to portray Joseph and a beautiful young maiden to portray Mary.
It was Christmas Eve and everything was set. He chose a cave on the edge of the village of Greccio because it reminded him of the biblical description of the manger. Even in his own time Saint Francis was well known. When word went out that he had arranged a special celebration of Christmas, people came from far and near.
(Imagine now that you are standing on the side of this hill, near the cave. It is just past sunset and the light is fading from a rose colored sky. Looking out over the valley you see hundreds of people gathering. Some are carrying torches, others candles. Each person carries their own light. From each home and village a stream of light flows towards the cave. These streams of light gather into a river of lights. Soon, a flood of light flows up the hill to the mouth of the cave. Each of us brings our own small light to make an ocean of light.)
Just as everyone arrived, Saint Francis realized that he had forgotten something. The shepherds and sheep were there, so were the three kings and their horses. There was a donkey, a cow and some chickens sleeping or scratching in the straw. Mary and Joseph were there. How could he? He had forgotten the most important thing! Saint Francis had forgotten the baby!
Just then he saw a spark in the straw. At first he thought the spark had leapt from a candle or torch, Saint Francis leapt to put it out. But then it took shape. A small ball of fire began to grow and softly glow. Right before the eyes of a thousand seekers, the glowing light took the shape of an infant. For the second time, God came to earth as a child. Everyone present witnessed a miracle.
Francis could not let the baby rest on the cold stone floor of the cave. He scooped the Christ child up into his arms and cuddled him. It dawned on him then and there, the true meaning of Christmas.
God came to earth not as a king but as the child of a poor carpenter. He was not born in a palace but in a manger among animals. Saint Francis realized God is there to take care of us, yes, but we also must nurture that of God within.
Though chaste, in that moment Saint Francis gave birth. For a moment he knew the pleasure of fatherhood. He also gained a deeper appreciation of our Father and his infinite wisdom. What a blessing for us all!
And so it has been to this day: throughout the world we celebrate the birth of Christ with the celebration of the nativity, an idea inspired by a poor man from Assisi.
Do you have a special nativity that you place near the tree at Christmas?
Whether your nativity set is table top or garden statues, when you arrange the decorations on your mantel or in your front yard think of Saint Francis and this story, the first celebration of the nativity. And maybe, just as they do in Italy, you may wish to set the kings and camels at a distance on the first night and inch them closer each day to remind us of that journey we all must make to be nearer to God. Keep the baby Jesus under wraps and place Him in the manger on Christmas Eve to remind us of the real reason for the holiest of seasons.
*This traditional story is based on the medieval book, “The Little Flowers of Saint Francis” and is retold by Brian “Fox” Ellis, author and storyteller. © 2008 All rights reserved. www.foxtalesint.com
Nuns helping rebuild New Orleans
NEW ORLEANS – Sister Paula Gonzalez — dressed in sweats and sneakers — was directing a fellow nun to the ceiling of a closet — the last area in need of insulation before the group begins hanging drywall in a house that has stood empty since Hurricane Katrina flooded it.
"We're all glad to be done with that nasty stuff," Gonzalez said. "Everyone has been itching for days."
Gonzalez, 78, of Cincinnati, is one of 86 nuns from various Roman Catholic orders around the United States and Canada who took part in the latest edition of Nuns Build. The program, begun in 2009, brings nuns to New Orleans twice a year to help rebuild houses flooded by Katrina in 2005, but are structurally sound and can be renovated.
There are still thousands of the houses in the metropolitan area. Many were owned by elderly or poor people without flood insurance and left with no means of reclaiming their homes.
The nuns worked with the St. Bernard Project, a nonprofit disaster recovery organization dedicated to rebuilding homes destroyed by Katrina.
The nuns have been part more than 23,000 volunteers have helped St. Bernard Project rebuild 319 families' homes. Money for the supplies is raised through donations.
In the latest effort, the nuns worked on 17 houses — swinging hammers, working saws, insulating, hanging drywall, painting, putting in flooring and installing doors and windows.
"We do it all," laughed Sister Winnie Brubach, 64, of Cincinnati, as she taped insulation into a closet ceiling. "We just showed up and started in on what they told us to do."
The sisters finished up their stay working at Patricia Gardner's home in the Gentilly section of New Orleans. The house, which was flooded to the roof by the failure of the city's levees following Katrina, was gutted when they arrived. By the time they left at the end of the week, the house had been completely insulated and ceilings and walls covered with dry wall.
"It will be one of our 'Homes for the Holidays' houses," said Amanda Catalani of the St. Bernard Project, said. The agency is working to have 25 houses restored in time for families to return to them before Christmas. A group of volunteers will pick up where the nuns left off at the end of their stay.
"It's doable, definitely doable," Catalani said. "We could use more volunteers, but we have 13 done so we believe we will get them all done."
The nuns working on Gardner's house ranged in age from 62 to 78. All acknowledged that when they entered their orders as young women they would never have imagined themselves involved in such a project.
Every nun working in the house wore full habits when they took orders.
"We were all in the penguin suits," said Sister Luke Boiarski, 62, of Nazareth, Ky., who was dressed in a T-shirt and jeans for the manual labor.
The voluminous habits with the starched wimples and veils were never questioned, said Sister Joyce Richter, 76, a teacher who now works in information technology and builds websites.
"We just thought 'This is our life,'" Richter said. "But over the years the changes have been drastic. It's been very freeing to put the habits away. I can't imagine us taking on something like this wearing them."
The nuns learned their construction skills on the job, they said.
"This is the first time I did this in my life," said Anita Gagnon, 75, of Halifax, Nova Scotia, as she helped put wall board on a bathroom ceiling. "Wait until I go home and tell my brothers."
>>>A wave of the stole to Deacon's Bench!
"We're all glad to be done with that nasty stuff," Gonzalez said. "Everyone has been itching for days."
Gonzalez, 78, of Cincinnati, is one of 86 nuns from various Roman Catholic orders around the United States and Canada who took part in the latest edition of Nuns Build. The program, begun in 2009, brings nuns to New Orleans twice a year to help rebuild houses flooded by Katrina in 2005, but are structurally sound and can be renovated.
There are still thousands of the houses in the metropolitan area. Many were owned by elderly or poor people without flood insurance and left with no means of reclaiming their homes.
The nuns worked with the St. Bernard Project, a nonprofit disaster recovery organization dedicated to rebuilding homes destroyed by Katrina.
The nuns have been part more than 23,000 volunteers have helped St. Bernard Project rebuild 319 families' homes. Money for the supplies is raised through donations.
In the latest effort, the nuns worked on 17 houses — swinging hammers, working saws, insulating, hanging drywall, painting, putting in flooring and installing doors and windows.
"We do it all," laughed Sister Winnie Brubach, 64, of Cincinnati, as she taped insulation into a closet ceiling. "We just showed up and started in on what they told us to do."
The sisters finished up their stay working at Patricia Gardner's home in the Gentilly section of New Orleans. The house, which was flooded to the roof by the failure of the city's levees following Katrina, was gutted when they arrived. By the time they left at the end of the week, the house had been completely insulated and ceilings and walls covered with dry wall.
"It will be one of our 'Homes for the Holidays' houses," said Amanda Catalani of the St. Bernard Project, said. The agency is working to have 25 houses restored in time for families to return to them before Christmas. A group of volunteers will pick up where the nuns left off at the end of their stay.
"It's doable, definitely doable," Catalani said. "We could use more volunteers, but we have 13 done so we believe we will get them all done."
The nuns working on Gardner's house ranged in age from 62 to 78. All acknowledged that when they entered their orders as young women they would never have imagined themselves involved in such a project.
Every nun working in the house wore full habits when they took orders.
"We were all in the penguin suits," said Sister Luke Boiarski, 62, of Nazareth, Ky., who was dressed in a T-shirt and jeans for the manual labor.
The voluminous habits with the starched wimples and veils were never questioned, said Sister Joyce Richter, 76, a teacher who now works in information technology and builds websites.
"We just thought 'This is our life,'" Richter said. "But over the years the changes have been drastic. It's been very freeing to put the habits away. I can't imagine us taking on something like this wearing them."
The nuns learned their construction skills on the job, they said.
"This is the first time I did this in my life," said Anita Gagnon, 75, of Halifax, Nova Scotia, as she helped put wall board on a bathroom ceiling. "Wait until I go home and tell my brothers."
>>>A wave of the stole to Deacon's Bench!
FlashMob at Lakeside in Metairie
FlashMob hits the largest shopping center in the New Orleans area(Metairie to be exact) and watch to the end as they sing a Christmas song of faith. Enjoy and Merry Christmas!
http://videos.nola.com/2010/12/christmas_flash_mob_-_lakeside_1.html
http://videos.nola.com/2010/12/christmas_flash_mob_-_lakeside_1.html
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Midnight Mass on a December 22nd evening
Tonight was my last visit to Rayburn Prison before Christmas dawns. The Catholic community at Rayburn gathered with me and a visitor who tagged along with me to celebrate Christmas. It was a good night for the men because prior to our gathering they all received gifts and good wishes from the warden.
As we came together for prayer the men were anxious to sing some Christmas favorites. And we read the readings of Midnight Mass; the beautiful prophecy from Isaiah, the infrequent letter to Titus and the Lucan pronouncement of the Birth of Christ! I also read the proclamation of the Birth of Jesus which traces the historical timeline of Old Testament events leading to the His birth. I preached primarily on the light; how Jesus, the light of the world, has come to dispel the darkness of sin and division.
And the men were eager for the Eucharist tonight. It may be me, but they seemed to receive more reverently tonight.
The men sang beautifully again and after the final blessing presented me with a beautiful hand made Christmas card which included all their signatures and many wonderful personal expressions of thanks. Best Christmas Card I've ever received.
There is a part of me that would love to go back on Christmas Day but that can't happen(prison rules) and of course I will spend the day with family. Since these men cannot be with their families I will ask that all families pray for these men and the families that miss them.
As we came together for prayer the men were anxious to sing some Christmas favorites. And we read the readings of Midnight Mass; the beautiful prophecy from Isaiah, the infrequent letter to Titus and the Lucan pronouncement of the Birth of Christ! I also read the proclamation of the Birth of Jesus which traces the historical timeline of Old Testament events leading to the His birth. I preached primarily on the light; how Jesus, the light of the world, has come to dispel the darkness of sin and division.
And the men were eager for the Eucharist tonight. It may be me, but they seemed to receive more reverently tonight.
The men sang beautifully again and after the final blessing presented me with a beautiful hand made Christmas card which included all their signatures and many wonderful personal expressions of thanks. Best Christmas Card I've ever received.
There is a part of me that would love to go back on Christmas Day but that can't happen(prison rules) and of course I will spend the day with family. Since these men cannot be with their families I will ask that all families pray for these men and the families that miss them.
Another late Advent Saint
HomeCATHOLIC LIFESAINTS & ANGELS.St. John of Kanty
Feastday: December 23
The people of Olkusz in Bohemia in 1431 had every reason to be suspicious of their new pastor. They knew what a Cracow professor would think of their small rural town. But even more insulting, their town was once again being used as a dumping ground for a priest who was "in disgrace."
John had indeed been kicked out of his university position -- unjustly. Rivals who resented John's popularity with the students had cooked up a false charge against him. John was not even allowed to appear at his own hearing or testify in his own defense. So at age 41, he was shipped off to be an apprentice pastor.
Certainly no one would have blamed John if he was furious at such injustice. However, he was determined that his new parishioners would not suffer because of what he happened to him.
But there was no overnight miracle waiting of him in Olkusz. He was nervous and afraid of his new responsibilities. And, despite the energy he put into his new job, the parishioners remained hostile. But John's plan was very simple, and came not from the mind but from the heart. He let his genuine interest and concern for these people show in everything he did. Despite working for years without any sign of success, he was very careful not to demonstrate impatience or anger. He knew that people could never be bullied into love, so he gave them what he hoped they would find in themselves.
After eight years, he was exonerated and transferred back to Cracow. He had been so successful that these once-hostile people followed him several miles down the road, begging him to stay.
For the rest of his life, he was professor of sacred Scripture at the university. He was so well-liked that he was often invited to dinner with nobility. Once, he was turned away at the door by a servant who thought John's cassock was too frayed. John didn't argue but went home, changed into a new cassock, and returned. During the meal, a servant spilled a dish on John's new clothes. "No matter," he joked. "My clothes deserve some dinner, too. If it hadn't been for them I wouldn't be here at all."
Once John was sitting down to dinner when he saw a beggar walk by outside. He jumped up immediately, ran out, and gave the beggar the food in his bowl. He asked no questions, made no demands. He just saw someone in need and helped with what he had.
John taught his students this philosophy again and again, "Fight all error, but do it with good humor, patience, kindness, and love. Harshness will damage your own soul and spoil the best cause."
In His Footsteps:
John put all his effort into a new and frightening job, that others might have considered beneath him. Today do something you have never done before or do something in a new way, perhaps something that has frightened you or you felt was beneath you. This can be something as simple as trying a different type of prayer or as complex as serving others in a new way.
Prayer:
Saint John of Kanty, you were unjustly fired from your work. Please pray for those who are jobless or in danger of losing their jobs that they may find work that is fulfilling in every way. Guide us to ways to help those looking for work. Amen
Feastday: December 23
The people of Olkusz in Bohemia in 1431 had every reason to be suspicious of their new pastor. They knew what a Cracow professor would think of their small rural town. But even more insulting, their town was once again being used as a dumping ground for a priest who was "in disgrace."
John had indeed been kicked out of his university position -- unjustly. Rivals who resented John's popularity with the students had cooked up a false charge against him. John was not even allowed to appear at his own hearing or testify in his own defense. So at age 41, he was shipped off to be an apprentice pastor.
Certainly no one would have blamed John if he was furious at such injustice. However, he was determined that his new parishioners would not suffer because of what he happened to him.
But there was no overnight miracle waiting of him in Olkusz. He was nervous and afraid of his new responsibilities. And, despite the energy he put into his new job, the parishioners remained hostile. But John's plan was very simple, and came not from the mind but from the heart. He let his genuine interest and concern for these people show in everything he did. Despite working for years without any sign of success, he was very careful not to demonstrate impatience or anger. He knew that people could never be bullied into love, so he gave them what he hoped they would find in themselves.
After eight years, he was exonerated and transferred back to Cracow. He had been so successful that these once-hostile people followed him several miles down the road, begging him to stay.
For the rest of his life, he was professor of sacred Scripture at the university. He was so well-liked that he was often invited to dinner with nobility. Once, he was turned away at the door by a servant who thought John's cassock was too frayed. John didn't argue but went home, changed into a new cassock, and returned. During the meal, a servant spilled a dish on John's new clothes. "No matter," he joked. "My clothes deserve some dinner, too. If it hadn't been for them I wouldn't be here at all."
Once John was sitting down to dinner when he saw a beggar walk by outside. He jumped up immediately, ran out, and gave the beggar the food in his bowl. He asked no questions, made no demands. He just saw someone in need and helped with what he had.
John taught his students this philosophy again and again, "Fight all error, but do it with good humor, patience, kindness, and love. Harshness will damage your own soul and spoil the best cause."
In His Footsteps:
John put all his effort into a new and frightening job, that others might have considered beneath him. Today do something you have never done before or do something in a new way, perhaps something that has frightened you or you felt was beneath you. This can be something as simple as trying a different type of prayer or as complex as serving others in a new way.
Prayer:
Saint John of Kanty, you were unjustly fired from your work. Please pray for those who are jobless or in danger of losing their jobs that they may find work that is fulfilling in every way. Guide us to ways to help those looking for work. Amen
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Pope Benedict addresses abuse scandal in year-end message
Pope Benedict XVI says Catholic Church must reflect on what allowed child sex abuse
Published: Monday, December 20, 2010, 11:30 PM
By The Associated Press
Pope Benedict XVI told Vatican officials Monday that they must reflect on the church's culpability in its child sex-abuse scandal, but he also blamed a secular society in which he said the mistreatment of children was frighteningly common.
In his traditional, end-of-the-year speech to Vatican cardinals and bishops, Benedict said revelations of abuse in 2010 reached "an unimaginable dimension" that required the church to accept the "humiliation" as a call for renewal.
"We must ask ourselves what was wrong in our proclamation, in our whole way of living the Christian life, to allow such a thing to happen," the pope said.
Benedict also said, however, that the scandal must be seen in a broader social context, in which child pornography is seemingly considered normal by society and drug use and sexual tourism are on the rise.
"The psychological destruction of children, in which human persons are reduced to articles of merchandise, is a terrifying sign of the times," Benedict said.
He said that as recently as as the 1970s, pedophilia wasn't considered an absolute evil but rather part of a spectrum of behaviors that people refused to judge in the name of tolerance and relativism.
As an avalanche of cases of pedophile priests came to light, church officials frequently defended their previous practice of putting abusers in therapy, not jail, by saying that was the norm in society at the time. Only this year did the Vatican post on its website unofficial guidelines for bishops to report pedophile priests to police if local laws require it.
"In the 1970s, pedophilia was theorized as something fully in conformity with man and even with children," the pope said. "It was maintained — even within the realm of Catholic theology — that there is no such thing as evil in itself or good in itself. There is only a 'better than' and a 'worse than.' Nothing is good or bad in itself."
"The effects of such theories are evident today," he said.
The traditional Christmas speech to Vatican cardinals and bishops is an eagerly anticipated address that Benedict uses to focus the church hierarchy on key issues.
Benedict has previously acknowledged that the scandal was the result of sin that the church must repent for, and make amends with victims. He repeated Monday that the church must do a better job of screening out abusers and helping victims heal.
"It is fundamentally disturbing to watch a brilliant man so conveniently misdiagnose a horrific scandal," said Barbara Blaine, president of the main U.S. victims' group Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests.
She said the scandal wasn't caused by the 1970s but rather by the church's culture of secrecy and fixation with self-preservation in which predator priests and the bishops who moved them around rather than turn them in were rarely disciplined.
"Whenever the pope tires of talking about abuse and starts acting on abuse, he should focus on taking immediate, pratical steps to oust those who commit, ignore and conceal clergy sex crimes first," Blaine said.
The sex abuse scandal, which first exploded in the U.S. in 2002, erupted on a global scale this year with revelations of thousands of victims in Europe and beyond, of bishops who covered up for pedophile priests and of Vatican officials who turned a blind eye to the crimes for decades.
Questions were raised about how Benedict himself handled cases both as archbishop in Munich and as head of the Vatican office that handled abuse cases.
Recently, the Vatican released documentation showing that as early as 1988 then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger sought to find quicker ways to permanently remove priests who raped and molested children in a bid to get around church law that made it difficult to defrock priests against their will.
While Ratzinger was unsuccessful then, Vatican rules now allow for fast-track defrocking. But victims advocates say the Vatican still has a long way to go in terms of requiring bishops to report sex crimes to police and release information and documentation about known pedophiles.
Nicole Winfield of the Associated Press wrote this report.
Published: Monday, December 20, 2010, 11:30 PM
By The Associated Press
Pope Benedict XVI told Vatican officials Monday that they must reflect on the church's culpability in its child sex-abuse scandal, but he also blamed a secular society in which he said the mistreatment of children was frighteningly common.
In his traditional, end-of-the-year speech to Vatican cardinals and bishops, Benedict said revelations of abuse in 2010 reached "an unimaginable dimension" that required the church to accept the "humiliation" as a call for renewal.
"We must ask ourselves what was wrong in our proclamation, in our whole way of living the Christian life, to allow such a thing to happen," the pope said.
Benedict also said, however, that the scandal must be seen in a broader social context, in which child pornography is seemingly considered normal by society and drug use and sexual tourism are on the rise.
"The psychological destruction of children, in which human persons are reduced to articles of merchandise, is a terrifying sign of the times," Benedict said.
He said that as recently as as the 1970s, pedophilia wasn't considered an absolute evil but rather part of a spectrum of behaviors that people refused to judge in the name of tolerance and relativism.
As an avalanche of cases of pedophile priests came to light, church officials frequently defended their previous practice of putting abusers in therapy, not jail, by saying that was the norm in society at the time. Only this year did the Vatican post on its website unofficial guidelines for bishops to report pedophile priests to police if local laws require it.
"In the 1970s, pedophilia was theorized as something fully in conformity with man and even with children," the pope said. "It was maintained — even within the realm of Catholic theology — that there is no such thing as evil in itself or good in itself. There is only a 'better than' and a 'worse than.' Nothing is good or bad in itself."
"The effects of such theories are evident today," he said.
The traditional Christmas speech to Vatican cardinals and bishops is an eagerly anticipated address that Benedict uses to focus the church hierarchy on key issues.
Benedict has previously acknowledged that the scandal was the result of sin that the church must repent for, and make amends with victims. He repeated Monday that the church must do a better job of screening out abusers and helping victims heal.
"It is fundamentally disturbing to watch a brilliant man so conveniently misdiagnose a horrific scandal," said Barbara Blaine, president of the main U.S. victims' group Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests.
She said the scandal wasn't caused by the 1970s but rather by the church's culture of secrecy and fixation with self-preservation in which predator priests and the bishops who moved them around rather than turn them in were rarely disciplined.
"Whenever the pope tires of talking about abuse and starts acting on abuse, he should focus on taking immediate, pratical steps to oust those who commit, ignore and conceal clergy sex crimes first," Blaine said.
The sex abuse scandal, which first exploded in the U.S. in 2002, erupted on a global scale this year with revelations of thousands of victims in Europe and beyond, of bishops who covered up for pedophile priests and of Vatican officials who turned a blind eye to the crimes for decades.
Questions were raised about how Benedict himself handled cases both as archbishop in Munich and as head of the Vatican office that handled abuse cases.
Recently, the Vatican released documentation showing that as early as 1988 then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger sought to find quicker ways to permanently remove priests who raped and molested children in a bid to get around church law that made it difficult to defrock priests against their will.
While Ratzinger was unsuccessful then, Vatican rules now allow for fast-track defrocking. But victims advocates say the Vatican still has a long way to go in terms of requiring bishops to report sex crimes to police and release information and documentation about known pedophiles.
Nicole Winfield of the Associated Press wrote this report.
A Baby Boy comes to save us
Mary's baby boy comes to save us.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyYv80hibTw&feature=fvst
What a beautiful version by Reba McIntire with beautiful video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyYv80hibTw&feature=fvst
What a beautiful version by Reba McIntire with beautiful video.
Light from light; true light!
Tonight is the shortest day of the year for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere. This is the first day of winter and darkness descends early. On a cold crisp winter night, I like the darkness. The darkness forces us to seek the light. And it's hard to do with all the artificial light we generate these days. And this time of year our yards and porches and roofs are covered in Christmas lights, as is the tree tucked away in a prominent place in our homes. Check out the highways and byways near any shopping center and we see a steady stream of headlights coming and going.
I love living far out in the country, on the edge of the woods. On these cooler winter nights, I like the darkness. Why? Because it forces me to seek the light. If I turn off the outdoor lights, including those adorning the front porch for Christmas, I can glance into a clear winter sky and see bright sparkling lights from stars light years away. If I try hard enough I may even see constellations and planets and other beautiful night lights. On occasion I may even see a shooting star. And last night I arose in the middle of my winter sleep to see the beautiful lunar eclispe.
All of this serves as a reminder to me that in the darkness of this world in which we endure, we must always seek the light; that true light which is Jesus, coming to us this week as a newborn king. His coming to us; to save us, is bringing the light of truth to all. Sometimes to appreciate his light we must turn down the lights that distract us from Him, our busy lives, our routines of hustle and bustle and all of our doing and our noise. Just like I must turn down that artificial light to see the lights of the beautiful sky, we must turn down the artificial lights that blind us from the light of truth.
So as we prepare for the celebration of Christ coming to us at Christmas, turn down the artificial light and focus on light from light, true God from true God. Welcome Jesus into your hearts and lives as the light of your life!
I love living far out in the country, on the edge of the woods. On these cooler winter nights, I like the darkness. Why? Because it forces me to seek the light. If I turn off the outdoor lights, including those adorning the front porch for Christmas, I can glance into a clear winter sky and see bright sparkling lights from stars light years away. If I try hard enough I may even see constellations and planets and other beautiful night lights. On occasion I may even see a shooting star. And last night I arose in the middle of my winter sleep to see the beautiful lunar eclispe.
All of this serves as a reminder to me that in the darkness of this world in which we endure, we must always seek the light; that true light which is Jesus, coming to us this week as a newborn king. His coming to us; to save us, is bringing the light of truth to all. Sometimes to appreciate his light we must turn down the lights that distract us from Him, our busy lives, our routines of hustle and bustle and all of our doing and our noise. Just like I must turn down that artificial light to see the lights of the beautiful sky, we must turn down the artificial lights that blind us from the light of truth.
So as we prepare for the celebration of Christ coming to us at Christmas, turn down the artificial light and focus on light from light, true God from true God. Welcome Jesus into your hearts and lives as the light of your life!
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