-
Authentic Law Is Inseparable from Justice
On January 21, 2012, Pope Benedict XVI received the dean, judges, promoters of justice, defenders of the bond, officials and lawyers of the Tribunal of the Roman Rota, for the occasion of the inauguration of the judicial year. The Holy Father focused his remarks on a fundamental aspect of judicial ministry: the interpretation of canon law with a view to its correct application. The hermeneutic of canon law "is closely associated with the very concept of Law in the Church", the Pope explained, and he went on to define two forms of interpretation which lead to impoverishment of the law: "The identification of canon law with the system of canonical legislation", which effectively means overlooking "natural law, divine positive law and the vital relationship of all law with the communion and mission of the Church". In the second form of interpretation, "the specific situation becomes a decisive factor in determining the authentic meaning of a legal precept in a particular case"; but in this way "it is human interpretation that decides what is juridical, and a sense of objective law is lacking".
-
'Let Us Be Concerned for Each Other, To Stir a Response in Love and Good Works' (Heb 10:24)
Made public on February 7, was the 2012 Lenten Message of the Holy Father Benedict XVI, the title of which is taken from the Letter to the Hebrews: "Let us be concerned for each other, to stir a response in love and good works". Lent begins this year with Ash Wednesday on February 22. To "be concerned" for others, the Pope writes, means first to "be attentive" to the activities of our neighbors. The Pope observes: "All too often, however, our attitude is just the opposite: an indifference and disinterest born of selfishness and masked as a respect for 'privacy.'"
-
The Grace and Call of Hospitality
In this article Fr. John Navone, S.J. writes on understanding Jesus' mission through instances of divine and human hospitality in salvation history.
-
Three False Christs: The Myth, the Mortal, and the Guru
Carol Olson discusses the misconceptions of the Person of Jesus Christ and how we remake Christ to suit what we choose to believe.
-
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, which began on January 18, 2012, was the theme of Benedict XVI's general audience celebrated on that day in the Paul VI Hall. The Holy Father explained how this initiative has been held annually for more than a century and brings together Christians from Churches and ecclesial communities, who "invoke that extraordinary gift for which the Lord Jesus prayed during the Last Supper: ... 'That they may all be one'". The Week of Prayer - established in 1908 by Paul Wattson, founder of an Anglican religious community who later entered the Catholic Church - "is one of the most effective annual expressions ... of the impetus which Vatican Council II gave to the search for full union among all Christ's disciples", said the Pope. "This spiritual event, which unites Christians from all traditions, increases our awareness of the fact that the unity we strive for cannot result merely from our own efforts; rather, it is a gift we receive and must constantly invoke from on high".
-
Christian Unity Requires Individual Conversion
Pope Benedict XVI dedicated his catechesis during the January 25, 2012, general audience to Christ's priestly prayer during the Last Supper, as narrated in chapter 17 of the Gospel of St. John. In order to understand this prayer "in all its immense richness", said the Pope, it is important to see it in the context of the Jewish feast of atonement, Yom Kippur, in which the high priest seeks atonement first for himself, then for the order of priests and finally for the community as a whole. Likewise, "that night Jesus addressed the Father at the moment in which He offered Himself. He, priest and victim, prayed for Himself, for the Apostles and for all those who would believe in Him".
-
Called to Radiate the Word of Truth
Pope Benedict XVI's Message for World Mission Day was made public on January 25 2012. This year the day falls on Sunday October 21. The theme of the document is: "Called to radiate the word of truth".
-
Positive Signs of Fraternity on Ecumenical Journey
On January 25, 2012 in the Roman basilica of St. Paul's Outside-the-Walls, the Holy Father presided at the celebration of second Vespers for the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul. The celebration, which marked the end of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, was attended by representatives from other Churches including the Orthodox Church of Greece, the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Anglican Communion and the Patriarchates of Moscow and Romania. In his homily Benedict XVI recalled how the theme of this year's Week of Prayer - "We will all be changed by the victory of our Lord Jesus Christ" - was taken from the First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians.
-
The Renewal of Faith Must Be a Priority for the Church Today
On January 27, 2012, in the Vatican Pope Benedict XVI received participants in the plenary session of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, whom he thanked for their service to the Church, particularly in view of the forthcoming Year of Faith. "As we know", he said in his remarks to them, "in vast areas of the earth the faith risks being extinguished, like a flame without fuel. We are facing a profound crisis of faith, a loss of a religious sense which represents one of the greatest challenges for the Church today. The renewal of faith must, then, be a priority for the entire Church in our time. I hope that the 'Year of Faith' may contribute ... to restoring God's presence in this world, and to giving man access to the faith, enabling him to entrust himself to the God Who, in Jesus Christ, loved us to the end".
-
The Church Fights Back ? A Compilation
A compilation of the Bishops response to the recent Health and Human Services Department decision to force employers to provide insurance which covers contraception, sterilization and abortion.
|
