Posted on 04/28/2005 10:53:14 AM PDT by NYer
Before he was elected pope, Joseph Ratzinger was best known and most fiercely opposed for one thing in particular: the August 6, 2000 declaration “Dominus Jesus,” “on the unicity and salvific universality of Jesus Christ and the Church.”
Benedict XVI did not cite this explicitly during his first week as pope. But in the opening mass of his pontificate, on Sunday, April 24, he did in fact repeat with great emphasis the central doctrine of “Dominus Jesus.” This doctrine is the nucleus of the faith of the New Testament.
In his homily, he said that his agenda is not “to pursue my own ideas, but to listen to the word and the will of the Lord, to be guided by Him.”
No sooner said than done. The first reading of the mass was from the Acts of the Apostles, chapter 4, in which Peter says of Jesus:
“There is no salvation in anyone else, for there is no other name in the whole world given to men by which we are to be saved.”
That same day, Sunday, April 24, in all the churches of the world the Gospel reading was from the fourteenth chapter of John, in which Jesus says of himself:
“I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me.”
Musically, these two Masses were quite congruent with the reforms proposed by Vatican II, and with certain reforms that preceded it. (The papal funeral, less the responsory Credo, may also be counted.)
Congratulations to the Latin faithful and to the College of Cardinals on the selection.
GOOD STUFF.
That's good news.
of course, he himself has emphasized many times that the theologians closest to his heart are the Greek and Latin Fathers.
Viva il Papa!
Sadly, this is impossible.
But happily, the best solution for liturgical problems is also the best solution for all the rest of the Church's problems.
If every bishop is selected for godliness and Christian obedience rather than for politicking and fundraising ability, then things will improve.
"For Benedict XVI, in the great sweep of Christian history the mass, or Eucharist, is the sacrament that creates the Church. It is the model for the Church, and at the same time it presents the image of the Church to the world."
Given His Holiness' well know dedication to the patristic writings of the Fathers, I suspect that when he speaks of the Eucharist he in fact means the sacrament itself primarily and the Mass secondarily as that event during which the Eucharist is celebrated. His focus on the Eucharist as being definitional of the Church is very patristic. Among the earliest f the Fathers, +Ignatius of Antioch placed the Eucharist at the very center of The Church as is demonstrated by continuing themes in his letters like this snip from his Letter to the Philadelphians which also displays his image of the fullness of The Church subsisting in a single diocese:
"Take care, then, to partake of one Eucharist; for, one is the Flesh of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and one the cup to unite us with His Blood, and one altar, just as there is one bishop assisted by the presbytery and the deacons, my fellow servants. Thus you will conform in all your actions to the will of God."
Bumping for a later read. This sure is going to be an exciting time!
Outstanding! Did anybody notice at the Papal Installation Mass that at communion time, a female speaker advised Catholics in attendence to examine their consciences to make sure that they receive Our Lord in the right disposition(paraphrasing)?! I've seen a number of Masses at the Vatican but I don't ever recall people being reminded to examine their consciences! One more thing, again paraphrasing, non-Catholics were,in a nice way, told that since they were not in full communion,they could not receive.I could only make out every other word but that was the gist of it.
Thank you,The_Reader_David for your wonderful remarks! I'm still so happy about the College of Cardinals electing Cardinal Ratzinger as Pope,that I'm still smiling! A lady at my parish said that she started dancing around when she heard about the election. She said that it was like the Cardinals,with this election, were "in your face" to the World.
I noticed that, and you are right. That is the first time I had heard it, too. It was not said during the Funeral Mass.
I'm glad that you heard it too,Miss Marple! I wondered if anybody else heard it too.
NYer, is it just me, but wasn't the gospel reading at this mass the same as the second reading?
Yes I heard that and I was very pleased.
A number of Orthodox friends noticed the same thing. In our parish the priests have been saying this, or basically this, for about 18 months. They remind the non-Orthodox that communion is reserved for the Orthodox since we are not in communion with them and then they remind the Orthodox that they may approach only if they are living their lives in accordance with the teachings of the Church, have properly prepared by seeking forgiveness from those they have wronged and fasted.
I doubt that you will be happier than I will.
But I am very pleased to hear that the Easterns are taking note.
Maybe even the Greek Orthodox??
Although I haven't seen him lately, I'm acquainted with a Greek Orthodox priest who is of the "conservative" persuasion here in Milwaukee.
I'll have to ask him what he thinks of B-16. Should be interesting...
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