NEWS ABOUT BENEDICT

The link is www.zenit.org/english/
Friars Minor Support Pope's Measures for Assisi
Communiqué Follows Decision to Give Local Bishop More Oversight

Excerpts-
ROME, NOV. 24, 2005 (Zenit.org).- The Order of Friars Minor has expressed its full support for the measures established by Benedict XVI for the oversight of Assisi's holy places...

The representatives of the Order of Friars Minor said: "[T]he new juridical disposition with its special modalities of collaboration, prescribed by the 'motu proprio,' between the Sanctuary and our Pastors, finds us fully in favor of and desirous to continue such collaboration...

They added: "We also wish to reaffirm our filial obedience to and communion with the Holy Father and the new Diocesan Bishop assigned by him -- Monsignor Domenico Sorrentino -- for the good of the Church itself and of the People of God."

The communiqué is signed by Fathers Massimo Reschiglian, provincial minister of Umbria, and José Rodríguez Carballo, minister general of the order.

[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 25/11/2005 16.50]

I posted this erroneously here earlier today, so I have moved the post to "News about the Church." Sorry...

[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 25/11/2005 21.09]

POPE'S VISIT TO GEMELLI HOSPITAL THIS MORNING

news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051125/ap_on_re_eu/pope_2

He talked about JPII's example during his last days of suffering and also about the value of Catholic hospitals and universities.

ratzi.lella from the main forum above contributes this item today from Dagospia in L'Espresso magazine. It's not the first time we read about the Pope and his cellphone, but this is quite intersting as the story involves some Franciscan friars!
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“Hello,who’s this?” From the other end of the line, “This is the Pope.” It’s not surreal nor is it a practical joke, but it is what can happen to a narrow circle of privileged people, including heads of state and high-ranking Church officials whom the Pope may choose to call without going through a secretary or the normal Vatican channels.

John Paul II made frequent use of the telephone for Church matters as well as for international diplomacy, but Joseph Ratzinger has taken it one step further. He has a cell phone which he carries around almost all the time and which he personally answers.

The number is probably known only to a few Cardinals in the Curia, his closest associates, and probably in the Quirinale, the White House and the Kremlin.

But a few weeks ago, the Pope also gave the number to some Franciscan friars, asking them to call him when they came to Rome, to arrange for a meeting at the Vatican. A few days later, they did call the Pope and arranged to meet him shortly thereafter.

The Pope’s own staff and Vatican security were therefore unprepared when the Franciscans presented themselves at the door for the appointment. A few telephone calls straightened it all out.
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Hmmm. Franciscan friars meeting the Pope without a formal schedule….It would seem like B16 was doing his own internal consultations with some Franciscans before coming out with his Motu Proprio on diocesan jurisdiction in Assisi…

Paparaxvi from the main forum above and Sylvie in the French section next door have already posted pictures from this morning's visit to the Gemelli - Paparaxvi in large format, Sylvie in her now-standard and very welcome "ensemble" presentation via photomontage.

I will single out one photograph and reproduce it here because it shows Benedict with Cardinal Tettamanzi (who, we all remember, had been touted by the Italian media as the leading Italian papabile last April, and I love the expression on the Pope's face.

Can't resist posting at least one picture here from Ratzigirl's extensive sampling of Super-Ratzi pix from last Wednesday's audience:

Thank you benefan for the welcome and for the 2 articles. Interesting to read the NY times one...suprising that it wasn't that bad other than them calling him dowdy and complaining about how he is moving very slowly. On a more positive note, thanks Teresa for the cell phone article. It was interesting to read. Also thanks for the Gemelli article. And finally thanks Teresa for the lovely pic from the Wed. audience

thanks for all the artcile esp. about his cellphone! imagine calling or texting him

FIRST VERPERS PHOTOS

Check out the Yahoo photos of Papa at the Vespers ceremony today. He looks very regal in burgundy and gold. Or in anything.

news.yahoo.com/photos/ss/events/wl/033002pope

POPE WILL BLESS OLYMPIC TORCH

from the AP

"The end of the flame's Greek itinerary will include an event on Dec. 6 at the restored ancient marble stadium of Athens that was used as an archery venue at the 2004 Summer Olympics.

The flame then goes to Italy for a 64-day, 7,020-mile relay involving 10,000 torchbearers.

On its first day in Italy, the torch - designed by Ferrari and Fiat engineers Pininfarina SpA - will enter the Vatican to be blessed by Pope Benedict XVI."


Mary, here is your chance. Somebody needs to carry the torch to the pope to bless. Seize the day!! Or the torch in this case.

I checked out the Vatican site this morning (and again just now) and they still have not posted Papa's homily from yesterday's Vespers, although they already posted the Angelus bulletin from today!

I think maybe Papa's substantial ad-lib into his prepared text threw the Press Office off somehow, and they're waiting to get a full transcript of what was actually delivered before they can report on it.

In Cologne, he practically doubled the length of the prepared text for his address to the Evangelical leaders, but the Press Office had released the text earlier under embargo, so it was released "as prepared" the moment he delivered his address....We didn't get to see the full address "as delivered" until Sandro Magister published the actual transcript a few weeks later!

TODAY'S ANGELUS


AsiaNews says there were 40,000 people at the angelus today despite overcast and rain. Somebody is very popular.

LATEST ON 1ST ENCYCLICAL

Here are the latest details (speculation) on Papa's first encyclical:

www.newkerala.com/news.php?action=fullnews&id=57924

ODDS AND ENDS ABOUT B16

This link has some interesting background information and photos of Papa and, at the very bottom, a pretty good update of all his books currently in print in English.

www.nwicatholic.com/Ratzinge_New_Pope.htm

thanks benefan! i thought we would have it in a few days but whenever's the right time for Papa's encyclical,im for it!

The Cry of the Suffering
Benedict XVI this morning received Cardinal Gabriel Zubeir Wako of Khartoum in the Sudan with a delegation. And the Holy See released the Pope's greeting, given in English, which highlighted the plight of the Darfur.

Note the unusually specific reference to John Garang -- a rebel leader who, weeks after becoming the country's vice-president, died in a helicopter crash. That should be an indicator of how close the Sudanese situation is being watched at the Vatican.

Full text is below.

Your Eminence,
Brother Bishops,

Distinguished Visitors,

It gives me great satisfaction to welcome you to the Vatican and through you to send heartfelt greetings to the people of your country. I very much appreciate the sentiments which have prompted your visit, and I wish to reassure you of my prayers and deep concern for the peaceful development of civil and ecclesial life in your nation.

The cessation of the civil war and the enactment of a new Constitution have brought hope to the long suffering people of Sudan. While there have been setbacks along the path of reconciliation, not least the tragic death of John Garang, there now exists an unprecedented opportunity and indeed duty for the Church to contribute significantly to the process of forgiveness and national reconstruction. Though a minority, Catholics have much to offer through inter-religious dialogue as well as the provision of greatly needed social services. I encourage you therefore to take the necessary initiatives to realize Christ’s healing presence in these ways.

The horror of events unfolding in Darfur, to which my beloved predecessor Pope John Paul II referred on many occasions, points to the need for a stronger international resolve to ensure security and basic human rights. Today, I add my voice to the cry of the suffering and assure you that the Holy See, together with the Apostolic Nuncio in Khartoum, will continue to do everything possible to end the cycle of violence and misery.

Dear friends, upon you and your people I invoke God’s blessings of wisdom, fortitude and peace!

PAPA PUSHES LATIN

Papa met with a group of Latin students today and spoke (in classical Latin, of course) in encouragement of more study of Latin among young people. Qui, quae, quo....

www.zenit.org/english/visualizza.phtml?sid=80753

I was just at the French section of the RFC, where Danielle Vergne had opened a thread on Latin because she decided to have Latin as one of the languages on her benedictuspulcher site.
To alert them to the Vatican site on Latinitas, as follows -
www.vatican.va/roman_curia/institutions_connected/latinitas/documents/index_lt.htm
which has a section called "Lexicon Recentis Latinitatis", in which one learns, among others things, that the Latin for us fans is "admiratores studiosissimi" and that the proper phrase in Latin for the "a priori" we use in English is actually "ex antecaptio iudicio". The words are really usually good definitions, but can get to be a handful as in "diploma vehiculo automatario ducendo" for a driver's license! Have fun!
Me - I'm picking up from Chapter 18 of my Wheelock's and going out to look for back issues of Asterix in Latin!