Yesterday was the feast, among others, of Bl. Miguel Pro, a Jesuit priest martyred by the Mexican communists. At left you see him receiving his last wish --to kneel in prayer-- shortly before his execution. More here (curtsy: ATG). Bill Buckley's father was actively supportive of the persecuted Church in Mexico at the time, and his daughter once told me one of her father's tales of Pro's narrow escapes. The good Padre was a master of disguise and traveled throughout Mexico bucking up the faithful at a time when priests were shot on sight. He was in a square somewhere in Mexico and noticed Federales approaching from every entrance. He took the arm of a young woman, whispered, "Please help me. I am a Catholic priest and the soldiers are after me." Without missing a beat she took his arm, announced, "Darling!" and started in with the giggling and the love talk, escorting him safely beyond the soldiers.President Plutarco Calles made Pro's execution a public event and released the photos in an effort to show that Catholics were snivelling cowards. You can see from the next photo --of Padre Pro's funeral-- that the result was rather the opposite. Eventually the Federales made possession of the photos of the martyrdom a crime.
Popery:The new encyclical on Hope, Spe Salvi, is to be released Nov. 30th --just in time for Advent study.
- New red hats at the consistory this morning. The Chaldean bishop was made a cardinal --an expression, the Pope said, of his solidarity with the Christians of Iraq. The homily and other remarks are here, but only in Italian so far. There's an informative little piece at Zenit on the meaning of the rites and the significance of the status of Cardinal. Cardinals' meeting with the Holy Father concerned ecumenism. Cool pictures here.
recurring messianic movements that from time to time proclaim that the end of the world is imminent,but then urges more than resistance: hope.
Dear brothers and sisters, let us welcome Christ's invitation to face daily events trusting in his providential love. Let us not be afraid of the future, even when it appears bleak to us, for the God of Jesus Christ, who took up history to open it up to its transcendent fulfillment, is its alpha and omega, the beginning and the end (cf. Revelation 1:8). He guarantees that in every little but genuine act of love the meaning of the whole universe is contained, and those who do not hesitate to lose their lives for him, will find them again in fullness (cf. Matthew 16:25).He used the occasion to highlight the service of consecrated men and women --whose total dedication is a living sign of this eternal perspective. He also prayed for the cyclone victims of Bangladesh, and highlighted the beatification of Fr. Rosmini later that afternoon.
The pope is going to dedicate the next series of Audiences to figures of semitic Christianity prior to any Greek influence. The first such is Aphraates, "the wise one," a native of Mosul (or Ninevah as it was then known). How interesting:
The community was very closely linked to the Mother Church of Jerusalem, and its bishops were traditionally chosen among what were called James' "relatives," the "Lord’s brother" (cf. Mark 6:3): These people were connected to the Church of Jerusalem by blood and faith.His teaching focuses on humility as the ground of Christian joy: Humility, Aphraates states, is not a negative value: "If man’s root is planted in the earth, his fruits ascend before the Lord of greatness" (Exposition 9,14). By remaining humble, even in his earthly surroundings, a Christian can establish a relationship with the Lord: "The humble man is humble, but his heart rises to the uppermost heights. The eyes of his face observe the earth, but the eyes of his mind observe the highest summit" (Exposition 9,2).
Aphraates spoke Syriac, a Semitic language like the Hebrew of the Old Testament and like the Aramaic spoken by Jesus himself. The ecclesial community in which Aphraates lived wanted to stay faithful to the Judeo-Christian tradition, of which it felt it was a daughter. Therefore it maintained a close relationship with the Jewish world and its sacred books.
Just a bit more in Aphraates' understanding of humility:
The human body, in the example of the humble Christ, is called to beauty, joy and light: "God is attracted to the man who loves, it is right to love humility and to stay humble. Humble individuals are simple, patient, loving, honest, righteous, experts in what is good, prudent, serene, wise, calm, peaceful, merciful, ready to convert, benevolent, profound, thoughtful, beautiful and attractive" (Exposition 9,14).An interesting address to the Kenyan bishops, too. He stress union and solidarity built up by two means: strengthening of priests in prayer and couples in marriage. He also denounces Western secular groups that promote abortion in Africa. Why does that sort of remark not make the same headlines as when he expresses the same idea as "exploitation of the poor by the rich"?
Potpourri:
- Australia: a rowdy episcopal ordination. And World Youth Day's coming up.
- India: Christians there not pleased with Elizabeth, the movie.
- Iraq: Bishop of Kirkuk on conditions in the North.
- Italy:More on Fr. Rosmini, just beatified, and praised by B16 as a man of culture --but whose life as a founder was a cycle of accusations and condemnations. JP the Great refers to him in Fides et Ratio & Card. Ratzinger rehabilitated him in 2001. He joins a long line of faithful churchmen whose enemies were "those of his own household.
- Mexico: gearing up for World Meeting of Families.
- Portugal: The Medical Association refuses a government order to strike a prohibition on abortion from its bylaws.
- U.S.: NCR summarizes the new US bishops' letter on voting & conscience (Subs. only). Minneapolis bishop is in a firefight for teaching that persons with same sex attraction are called to chastity and the Church is called to support them in that. Envoy magazine is back.
