New funeral rites for the Pope

 

The new edition of the Funeral Rite of the Roman Pontiff 

VATICAN

• funeral
• pope
• liturgy

Vatican publishes new edition of funeral rites for Roman Pontiff

Pope Francis has approved the updated edition of the liturgical book for papal funeral rites in April, which was written by the Office for the Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff.

By Vatican News

The Office for the Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff has produced and realeased the second edition of the Ordo Exsequiarum Romani Pontificis, approved on 29 April 2024 by Pope Francis, who received the first copy of the printed volume on 4 November.

A number of new elements for papal funerals have been introduced. The ascertainment of death will no longer take place in the room of the deceased but in the chapel, and his mortal remains will be placed immediately inside the coffin.

The faithful will be able to venerate the Pope's body inside the open coffin, and the tradition of having three coffins of cypress, lead, and oak has been eliminated. 

The liturgical book was presented as a new edition following its predecessor, the editio typica of the Ordo Exsequiarum Romani Pontificis approved in 1998 by Saint John Paul II and published in 2000, which was used in the funeral of the same Pontiff in 2005 and, with adaptations, in those of Pope Benedict XVI in 2023. 

"A second edition became necessary," explained Archbishop Diego Ravelli, Master of Apostolic Ceremonies, "first of all because Pope Francis has requested it, as he himself has stated on several occasions of the need to simplify and adapt certain rites so that the celebration of the funeral of the Bishop of Rome may better expresses the faith of the Church in the Risen Christ."

Archbishop Ravelli also noted that "the renewed rite also needed to emphasise even more that the funeral of the Roman Pontiff is that of a pastor and disciple of Christ and not of a powerful person of this world."

Pope Francis establishes plans for World Day of Children

 

Pope Francis meets with children at the Wednesday General Audience  (VATICAN MEDIA Divisione Foto)

POPE

• Pope Francis
• world day
• children
• Roman Curia

Pope creates new Pontifical Committee for World Day of Children

Pope Francis establishes the Pontifical Committee for the World Day of Children, which will promote the World Day and the Church’s mission of advocating respect for the rights and dignity of children.

By Devin Watkins

“A child’s gaze is one of awe and openness to mystery, seeing what adults often fail to perceive.”

Pope Francis upheld the importance of children in his Chirograph establishing the Pontifical Committee for the World Day of Children, which was released on Wednesday.

He entrusted the new Pontifical Committee with the mission of “promoting, organizing, and animating the World Day for Children.”

The Pope appointed Fr. Enzo Fortunato, O.F.M. Conv., as the first President of the Pontifical Committee for the World Day of Children.

Christians called to become child-like in wonder

In his Chirograph, Pope Francis noted that the social status of children has changed greatly throughout human history.

“In Jesus' time, children were not highly regarded,” he said. “They were considered "not-yet-men" and were even seen as a nuisance by rabbis focused on explaining the mysteries of the Kingdom.”

Jesus, added the Pope, overturns this mentality and urges His own disciples to imitate the wonder with which children approach life.

“Disciples,” said the Holy Father, “are called to grow in trust, abandonment, wonder, and amazement—qualities that age and disillusionment often extinguish in humanity.”

Since children have been redeemed by the Blood of Christ, they too have inherent value in their current stage in life, not only for what they will contribute to the Church and society in the future when they become adults,” he said.

“Family, Church, and State exist for children, not the other way around,” said the Pope. “From birth, every human being is the subject of inalienable, inviolable, and universal rights.”

Care for children 'a duty and expression of charity'

Pope Francis then urged the Church to give voice to the rights of children as her duty and as an expression of charity.

Children, he said, have a need and a right “to be recognized, welcomed, and understood by their mothers, fathers, and families, in order to have trust; to be surrounded by affection and experience emotional security, whether they live with their parents or not, to discover their identity; and, to have a name, a family, and a nationality, along with respect and a good reputation, to enjoy emotional stability in their living and educational conditions.”

The World Day of Children, he said, offers an opportunity to put children at the center of the Church’s pastoral action and unite dioceses across the world in recognition of the importance of children.

The Pope also said the World Day helps children to “know, love, and serve Our Lord Jesus Christ in His role as Friend and Good Shepherd and to root their faith in the tradition of the holy children whom the Church treasures as a spiritual heritage”.

Priority of pastoral care for children

In conclusion, Pope Francis said the Pontifical Committee for the World Day of Children will keep the annual event from becoming an isolated event.

Rather, he said, the World Day of Children should become a sustained effort to ensure that “pastoral care for children increasingly becomes a qualified priority in evangelical and pedagogical terms”.

Pope Francis announces canonization date for Blessed Carlo Acutis and Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati

 

Pope to make late Italian millennial Carlo Acutis a saint in April

by ReutersNovember 20, 2024

Sainthood for Italian millennial Carlo Acutis

By Joshua McElwee

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – An Italian teenager who used his computer skills to spread the Catholic faith will become the first saint from the millennial generation when he is canonized next April.

Carlo Acutis, who died of leukaemia in 2006 aged 15, was dubbed “God’s influencer”. Born in London, he grew up in Milan where he took care of the websites for his parish and a Vatican-based academy.

Pope Francis told his weekly general audience at the Vatican on Wednesday that Acutis will be made a saint during the weekend of April 25 to 27.

That weekend, the Vatican is celebrating a Jubilee for Adolescents as part of the Catholic holy year in Rome, which opens at the end of December. The Vatican did not give an exact date for the canonization ceremony.

The pope also said on Wednesday he would canonize Pier Giorgio Frassati, a young Italian man who was known for helping those in need and died of polio in the 1920s, during the weekend of July 28-Aug. 3.

Francis also announced the Vatican would host a meeting on the rights of children on Feb. 3, which he said would include experts from various countries.

(Reporting by Joshua McElwee, editing by Gavin Jones and Angus MacSwan)

Papal General Audience 11.20.2024

 

Pope Francis during this week's General Audience  (VATICAN MEDIA Divisione Foto)

POPE

• Pope Francis
• general audience

Pope at Audience: Charisms are gifts of the Spirit for unity and service

Pope Francis continues his cycle of catechesis and highlights the Holy Spirit's diverse gifts, or charisms, as vital tools for unity and service in the Church, emphasising their purpose for the common good and their rootedness in love.

By Francesca Merlo

As he continued his cycle of catechesis on "The Spirit and the Bride", Pope Francis opened his reflection during his General Audience on Wednesday, November 20th, by inviting the faithful to reflect on the charisms: the diverse and unique gifts of the Spirit.

Reflecting on the reading of the day, taken from St. Paul's words to the Corinthians, Pope Francis highlighted that the Spirit provides different gifts to different people. Yet, he noted, all are unified by their purpose: service of the community. "To each individual, the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit," he said, adding that these gifts are not personal privileges but treasures meant to enrich the Church as a whole.

Charisms for others

Pope Francis then went on to emphasise two key elements that define charisms. First, he said, they are given "for the common good", intended not only for personal sanctification but for building up the Church. Secondly, he continued, they are distributed uniquely and tailored to individuals according to the Spirit’s will. This, the Pope explained, sets charisms apart from sacraments and virtues, which are shared universally among the faithful. "The charisms are the 'jewels' or the ornaments that the Holy Spirit distributes to make the Bride of Christ more beautiful", he said.

Charisms promoting the role of women

Continuing his reflection on the importance of the charisms, Pope Francis underscored how rediscovering them ensures that the promotion of the laity and, in particular, of women "is understood not only as an institutional and sociological fact, but also in its biblical and spiritual dimension".  "The laity are not merely collaborators or auxiliary troops for the clergy but have their own charisms and gifts," he stressed.

Bringing his catechesis to a close, Pope Francis expressed his desire to clarify any misunderstandings. He acknowledged that "many Christians, when they hear talk of charisms, experience sadness and disappointment, as they are convinced that they do not possess any", and feel they are excluded or second-class Christians.

The work of the spirit in unity and love

But, he clarified, charisms are not limited to extraordinary or spectacular manifestations, but that instead, they are often ordinary gifts infused with extraordinary value when inspired by love and the Spirit. He assured those who feel they lack such gifts that they are not excluded. In quoting St Augustine, he said, "If you love, it is not nothing that you have. Charity multiplies charisms; it makes the charism of one the charism of all."

Finally, Pope Francis described charity as "a still more excellent way," which allows all charisms to be shared within the unity of the Church. "Charity makes me love the Church", he said, "and in unity, all charisms become mine, just as mine belong to all."

Wednesday Saint of the Day

 

St. Edmund Rich

Feastday: November 20
Patron: of Abingdon, Oxfordshire; Roman Catholic Diocese of Portsmouth; St Edmund's College, Cambridge
Birth: 1175
Death: 1240

Archbishop of Canterbury England, who battled for discipline and justice, also called Edmund of Abingdon. Born in Abingdon, on November 30, 1180. he studied at Oxford, England, and in Paris, France. He taught art and mathematics at Oxford and was ordained. He spent eight years teaching theology and became Canon and treasurer of Salisbury Cathedral. An eloquent speaker, Edmund preached a crusade for Pope Gregory IX and was named archbishop of Canterbury. He became an advisor to King Henry III and presided in 1237 at Henry's ratification of the Great Charter. When Cardinal Olt became a papal legate with the patronage of King Henry, Edmund protested. A long-lasting feud between Edmund, the king, and his legate led him to resigning his see in 1240. He went to Pontigny, France, where he became a Cistercian. He died at Soissons, on November 16. Edmund was canonized in 1246 or 1247. A hall in Oxford bears his name.

Continue reading about St. Edmund Rich

Christian persecution still a huge issue and getting worse

 

Red Wednesday to put Christian persecution

in the spotlight

By

Michael Kelly

Mass to mark the annual Aid to the Church in Need "Red Wednesday" commemoration for persecuted Christians in St. George’s Cathedral, Southwark, London on Nov. 22, 2023. (OSV News photo/courtesy ACN)

DUBLIN (OSV News) — From Sydney to Santiago, Chile, Catholics across the globe are coming together this November to stand in solidarity with those who suffer for their faith.

Persecution and discrimination against Christians around the world is getting worse — that’s the stark warning from the pontifical charity that works with thousands of vulnerable Christian communities in 140 countries.

This coming Nov. 20 will mark “Red Wednesday,” a commemoration held annually by Aid to the Church in Need to highlight the fact that today one in seven Christians face extreme hostility, violence and repression because of their faith in Christ. In some countries, the observance is being extended throughout the week and is called a “Red Week.”

To highlight the plight of persecuted Christians and raise awareness of the need for world leaders to urgently act on religious freedom, cathedrals, churches and other public buildings and monuments will be highlighted in red — the traditional color of martyrdom.

Throughout Europe, the Americas, and Oceania, approximately 300 ACN events will take place in hundreds of cities.

In Ireland, the world’s tallest statue of St. Patrick — atop the mountain Slieve Patrick — will be lit in red for the week. Organizers hope the fact that the statue will be seen in red for many miles will cause people to pause to think about the suffering of their fellow Christians.
Meanwhile, in Canada, the largest shrine to St. Joseph in the world will be lit in red in commemoration.

A significant highlight of this year’s Red Week is the release of the 2024 edition of “Persecuted and Forgotten?” report. The ACN report examines the situation of Christians in 18 countries of particular concern regarding persecution, revealing that the conditions for Christians in the majority of these countries have either worsened or remained unchanged, with only one showing slight signs of improvement.

In Australia, many dioceses will be lighting their cathedral in red with a particular focus on the suffering of Christians in the Middle East. Many eastern rite Catholics who have fled their ancestral homelands in the cradle of Christianity have now made their home in Australia.

Chile, a country that has witnessed the repeated burning of churches, and Mexico, where priests have been killed for denouncing injustice and fighting for human dignity, will also participate in this global initiative.

In Great Britain, Catholic schools have been to the fore in expressing solidarity with suffering Christians, and many schools will log on to a special livestream and share their experiences.

Additionally, ACN will host events at the houses of Parliament in London and the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh to spotlight the hardships faced by displaced Christians, especially children, due to conflict and persecution worldwide.

Most of the activities and events for Red Wednesday will be taking place in Europe. Dozens of cathedrals in France, Spain, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Germany will be lit in red and host special liturgies.

Red Wednesday events have been confirmed in many other countries, including Portugal, Slovakia, Austria, Italy, Belgium, Malta, and the Philippines. In addition, Catholics on social media are urged to use the hashtag #RedWednesday and wear an item of red clothing or light a red candle in their home to show their concrete solidarity.

Michael Kelly writes for OSV News from Ireland.

Victims urge Vatican to globalize zero-tolerance

 

Abuse survivors urge the Vatican to globalize the zero-tolerance policy it approved in the US

AP photo/Charlie Riedel, File

By  NICOLE WINFIELD

November 18, 2024

ROME (AP) — Survivors of clergy sexual abuse urged the Vatican on Monday to expand its zero-tolerance policy that it approved for the U.S. Catholic Church in 2002 to the rest of the world, arguing that children everywhere should be protected from predator priests.

The U.S. norms, adopted at the height of the abuse scandal there, say a priest will be permanently removed from church ministry based on even a single act of sexual abuse that is either admitted to or established under church law.

That “one strike and you’re out” policy in the U.S. has long stood out as the toughest in the church. It is held up by some as the gold standard, by others as excessive and by still others as imperfect but better than most. It was adopted by U.S. bishops as they scrambled to try to regain credibility following the revelations of abuse and cover-up in Boston documented by the Boston Globe’s “Spotlight” series.

Since then, the church abuse scandal has erupted globally, and survivors from around the world said Monday there’s no reason why the U.S. norms couldn’t and shouldn’t be applied universally. They called for changes in the church’s in-house canon law and reasoned they could be approved since the Holy See already approved the norms for the U.S. church.

“Despite Pope Francis’ repeated calls for zero tolerance on abuse, his words have yet to lead to any real action,” said Gemma Hickey, a transgender survivor of abuse and the president of the global survivor network Ending Clergy Abuse.

The proposal launched at a press conference was hammered out during an unusual meeting in June in Rome between survivors and some of the Catholic hierarchy’s top priestly experts on preventing abuse. It was described by participants at the time as a “historic collaboration” between two groups that often talk past one another, given victims’ deep distrust of the Catholic hierarchy.

The priestly participants in that meeting included the Rev. Hans Zollner, who heads the church’s main academic think tank on safeguarding; the No. 2 at the Vatican’s child protection advisory board, Bishop Luis Manuel Ali Herrera; and the Gregorian University’s canon law dean, the Rev. Ulrich Rhode as well as diplomats from the U.S., Australian and other embassies.

However, there was apparently no one from the Vatican legal office, secretariat of state or the discipline section of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, which processes all abuse cases worldwide and largely sets policy on applying the church’s canon law — albeit in secret since its cases are never published.

As a result, it was unclear what would become of the proposed policy changes, given the U.S. norms only came about because U.S. bishops pushed the Vatican to approve them, driven by their outraged flocks and insurance companies.

Nicholas Cafardi, a U.S. canon lawyer who was an original member of the U.S. National Review Board that provided input to the 2002 U.S. norms, said globalizing that policy into universal church law “would be one of the logical next steps” for Francis to take to continue the fight against abuse.

But Cafardi, author of “Before Dallas,” about the lead-up to the 2002 Dallas bishops’ meeting that approved the norms, said that some bishops today bristle at how the policy limits their authority and freedom. And in a telephone interview, he noted that even in the U.S., the norms are only still in place because the U.S. bishops keep formally asking to keep them, which he acknowledged was a “weakness” in the system.

“It seems to me that a good protection would be ‘Let’s just make it universal law,’” said Cafardi. “Once you have that law, you don’t have to worry about the bishops asking for it in country after country. It’s just the law.”

However, the proposal faces an uphill battle since the Vatican in recent years has repeatedly insisted on “proportionality” in its sentences for abuse, refusing to apply a one-size-fits-all approach and taking into account cultural differences in countries where abuse isn’t as openly discussed as it is in the West.

That has resulted in seemingly light punishments for even confirmed cases of abuse which, in the U.S., would have resulted in a priest being permanently removed from ministry.

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

Tuesday Saint of the Day

 

St. Nerses the Great

Bishop and martyr, the father of St. Isaac the Great. A native of Armenia, he studied in Cappadocia and wed a princess who gave birth to Isaac. After she died, he served as a chamber lain in the court of King Arshak of Armenia. In 353 he was made Catholicos of the Armenians. Nerses devoted much effort to reforming the Armenian Church, including convening a synod in 365 based on the principles he had studied under St. Basil at Caesarea. Though he established hospitals and monasteries, his reforms and denunciation of King Arshak's murder of the queen led to his exile. He returned after Arshak's death in battle, but relations were not much better with the new Armenian ruler, Pap, whose dissolute lifestyle caused Nerses to refuse him admission into church. Nerses was invited to a royal banquet at Khakh, on the Euphrates River, and was assassinated by poison.

 

Continue reading about St. Nerses the Great

Cardinal Arinze: Shorten up those homilies

 

Cardinal Arinze cautions priests against lengthy homilies

Cardinal Francis Arinze during the centenary celebrations of Bigard Memorial Major Seminary in Rome in November 2024. | Credit: Bigard Memorial Major Seminary

By Jude Atemanke

Enugu, Nigeria, Nov 17, 2024 / 07:00 am

Vatican-based Nigerian Church leader Cardinal Francis Arinze has urged priests to avoid lengthy homilies, saying a homily should not be an exhibition of “theological acrobatics” but rather a reflection of the priest’s prayer life and a clear, concise proclamation of the Gospel.

In his keynote address during the 12-day centenary celebrations of Nigeria’s Bigard Memorial Major Seminary, Arinze emphasized the importance of priests delivering homilies that are deeply rooted in Scripture, liturgical texts, and sound theology. 

“A homily well prepared should last around 10 minutes. A university lecture of 45 minutes is for a different setting. A homily is not a display of theological acrobatics nor a harangue about money,” the cardinal said during a Nov. 13 event.

A homily, Arinze added, “is not an exposition of the local political climate nor a social disquisition on the economic hardships of the people. It should be the sharing of the prayer life of the priest for the past week in the presence of the Lord Jesus in the holy Eucharist.”

He explained that the major points of the homily are best put in writing and that the language of a homily should be clear — “not an admixture of English and the local language, nor an exhibition of the preacher’s ability to navigate in idioms.”

“A poor homily is an offense against the Word of God and against God’s people gathered to hear his word,” the cardinal said.

In his address titled “The Impact of Formations House on Education in Nigeria,” Arinze reflected on the priestly vocation and the role of seminaries in preparing future priests.

“It is expected that the seminary will train the future priest to be a good pastor of God’s people. He is the spiritual director of individual Catholics and of their associations … [h]is patient attendance at their meetings, where he delivers well-prepared addresses, is one of the ways in which he serves them,” the cardinal continued. “Lay leaders remain necessary according to the nature of each association. But the priest is their irreplaceable shepherd. As a good shepherd, he is neither in front nor behind his people; he is in their midst. As the pope would put it, he has the smell of the sheep.”

Arinze noted the alarming trend of young people drifting from the Catholic faith, turning instead to African traditional religions and other superstitions. 

“In many parts of our country, Nigeria, there is a lamentation that many young people today are rather poor in their knowledge of the Catholic faith. Many of them relapse into practices of the African traditional religion,” he said.

“They may engage in real idol worship; they believe in charms; they consult fortune tellers and some go so far as to kill even a relative in the hope that that will attract big money. It is not a surprise if such young people keep away from the sacraments.”

Arinze continued: “The problem is not solved by blaming the catechists for a job not well done. Some Nigerian dioceses have a remarkable increase in the number of their priests … Suppose such a diocese adopts the policy that a priest is to be the teacher of religion in every class in schools primary or secondary. It is not below the dignity of the priest to teach the young about God and religion. Moreover, the teenagers need answers to life’s challenges.”

“The seminary also has the role of preparing its [students] to be good preachers. A priest should be a convinced announcer of the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ.”

In his keynote address at the beginning of the 12-day centenary celebrations, Arinze reflected on the challenge of inculturation in the Catholic Church in Nigeria.

The cardinal pointed to ongoing efforts in the Church to respect local cultures, including the adoption of local names in baptism and hymns in Indigenous languages. 

However, he underscored the need for a more thorough and careful process of inculturation, involving bishops, theologians, and cultural experts. 

“For an element of culture to be inculturated, the bishops’ conference of the area or country in question has first to set up a multidisciplinary study commission of experts in theology, liturgy, scriptural studies, ethnology, psychology, and music. Such a high-powered commission will have to sift the many sides of an indicated custom or tradition and, if it considers it ripe, make recommendations to the bishops’ conference,” he said.

“Inculturation is very demanding on a local Church,” Arinze pointed out. “It is not a one-man affair. It is not the fruit of someone’s over-fertile imagination, which concocts an idea on Saturday evening and forces it down the throat of the innocent and unsuspecting Sunday Mass congregation the following morning.”

As Bigard Memorial Seminary enters its second century of formation, Arinze expressed gratitude for its successes, calling on future generations of seminarians and priests to continue the work of evangelization and faith integration. 

“Bigard Memorial Seminary has come a long way in 100 years in preparing clergy for evangelization. It has done a good job!” the cardinal said. “May the Lord of the harvest continue to bless and guide this respected alma mater of ours as it walks into its second century. May the Most Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of Apostles, intercede for Bigard.” 

Bigard Memorial Major Seminary in Enugu was founded in Onitsha in 1922 and officially opened in 1924. It was moved to its current location in 1951. It was named after benefactors Stephanie and Jeanne Bigard, a French mother and daughter who were foundresses of the Pontifical Society of St. Peter the Apostle, who donated the funds for the main building.

In 1982, Pope John Paul II visited Bigard Memorial Major Seminary, the first Nigerian seminary to receive such a guest. 

This story was first published by ACI Africa, CNA's news partner in Africa, and has been adapted by CNA.