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Code: ZE06030906Date: 2006-03-09Pope Backs Perpetual Eucharistic AdorationParticularly in Rome DioceseVATICAN CITY, MARCH 9, 2006 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI has supported an initiative to offer the possibility of perpetual Eucharistic adoration in churches of the Rome Diocese. The Pope expressed his enthusiasm for this initiative during his meeting March 2 with Roman parish priests, as reflected in his conversation with them. A text of the conversation was subsequently published in Italian by the Vatican. Father Alberto Pacini, rector of the Church of St. Anastasia on the Pallatine Hill -- which has had perpetual Eucharistic adoration for the past five years -- made...

There seems to be sudden jockeying in various corners of Catholicism as the faithful wait to see where exactly Pope Benedict XVI will settle when it has to do with 'liberal" and "conservative" interpretations of liturgical norms. Was the pope, as Cardinal Ratzinger, as tough as many believe, or was he operating more at the behest of John Paul than previously recognized? That's the question of the hour: how far the Pope, widely described as a liberal before Vatican II, but stringently orthodox since, will keep to the conservative strictures for which he was famous as prefect for the Sacred...

by Leon J. Suprenant, Jr Other Articles by Leon J. Suprenant, Jr Christmas Presence, Lenten Gifts 02/25/06 Nine months after his election, Pope Benedict XVI issued his much-anticipated first encyclical letter, entitled "Deus Caritas Est" (“God Is Love”). No doubt it will provide Christ-centered wisdom and encouragement to a world that increasingly looks for true love “in all the wrong places.” In This Article...Papal TransitionThe Church Is Alive!Vatican II Today Papal Transition As we drink in "Deus Caritas Est" and the many other blessings that God desires to give us this year, I'd like to focus our attention on the first...

AS A NEW YEAR BEGINS SO DOES CHANCE TO START 2006 WITH 'FIRST-FRIDAY' DEVOTIONSBy Susan TassoneOnce, while St. Margaret Mary was praying before the exposed Blessed Sacrament, she saw a vision of Jesus in glory, with His five wounds shining like suns. He then showed her His Heart on fire with love for mankind, a love that, unfortunately, too often, has been ignored or treated with contempt. According to St. Margaret, whose revelations inspired the Sacred Heart devotion, the Lord asked her to make up for this coldness and ingratitude by receiving Holy Communion as often as she was allowed, and...

Interview With Archbishop Comastri, Pope's Vicar for Vatican City State VATICAN CITY, OCT. 20, 2005 (Zenit.org).- Is the real presence of the body and blood of Christ in the Eucharist a convention or a fact? Archbishop Angelo Comastri, the Pope's vicar general for Vatican City State, has asked himself this question and responds in this interview, which comes as the Synod of Bishops on the Eucharist draws to a close this Sunday. "Some years ago, I published an investigation on Eucharistic miracles," he says. "To my surprise, I received a letter that challenged the documents collected, stating that the phenomenon...

"What Are Your Memories of Your First Communion Day?" VATICAN CITY, OCT. 20, 2005 (Zenit.org).- Here is the catechesis that Benedict XVI addressed last Saturday afternoon to children who were receiving their First Communion this year. * * * 1. Andrea [asked the first question]: "Dear Pope, what are your memories of your First Communion day?" Benedict XVI: I would first like to say thank you for this celebration of faith that you are offering to me, for your presence and for your joy. I greet you and thank you for the hug I have received from some of you,...

VATICAN CITY, OCT. 17, 2005 (Zenit.org).- The Synod of Bishops spent a day in reflection and Eucharistic adoration before making its key decisions. There was no general assembly this morning, allowing the relator general, Cardinal Angelo Scola of Venice, and other officials to finish writing the "propositions" that the synod will present to the Pope. The "unified list of propositions" will be presented Tuesday in the synod hall. The list will be analyzed that day and Wednesday by working groups and submitted for possible amendments. The final version of the propositions will be presented Friday. The synodal fathers will vote...

It is generally known, that, since Vatican II, much has changed in the Catholic Church with regard to this veneration of the Host (whic means "sacrificial gift" in Latin). Most of the forms of reverence I have described [such as kneeling for Communion] have disappeared. The liturgical reformers succeeded in convincing the faithful that reverence for the Host, worship of the Host as the real physical appearance of Jesus Christ, has been unknown in the Church of the Apostles and their early successors. This veneration of the Host was medieval, they said. The word "medieval" has an even more pejorative...

by Pat Gohn Other Articles by Pat Gohn The Gaze 07/13/05 I do a weekly adoration hour. If you are familiar with the devotion of Eucharistic Adoration, skip the next paragraph. If not, allow me to explain. In formal settings, when a Catholic church sets up a weekly or daily schedule of Adoration or “Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament,” volunteers (like me) sign up to pray during a designated hour. The Blessed Sacrament, meaning the large consecrated Host that a priest elevates during Mass, is “exposed” or “revealed” in a monstrance — usually an ornate vessel that displays the Host on...

By Elizabeth Lev ROME, MAY 26, 2005 (Zenit.org).- Santa Maria Maggiore proudly crowns the Esquiline Hill. It is Rome's most important church dedicated to the Blessed Mother as well as a patriarchal basilica. This week it also led Romans and pilgrims alike toward a greater experience of the Year of the Eucharist. From May 19 to 21, Rome saw the Forty Hours devotion offered for the first time in decades. The basilica stayed open all day and all night allowing residents and pilgrims to stop by for a few moments with the Blessed Sacrament. The Host was in a monstrance...

St. Francis and the Eucharist Gordon Plumb, Tertiary from the Lincoln Area examines the centrality of the Eucharist for us. The Eucharist At the end of his life Francis dictated a document that has remained a primary expression of his Gospel vision. He says in what has become known as The Testament: …the Lord gave me, and gives me still, such faith in priests who live according to the rite of the holy Roman Church because of their orders that, were they to persecute me, I would still want to have recourse to them…..And I act in this way because,...

by Fr. William Saunders Other Articles by Fr. William Saunders Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament 02/18/05 For the Year of the Eucharist, my parish is having all-day adoration and benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. I just recently moved here and I am not familiar with this practice at all. Can you explain it? Unfortunately, the lack of familiarity with exposition and benediction of the Blessed Sacrament is not uncommon these days. I remember when I was growing up in the '60s, that on special occasions my home parish, St. Bernadette Church in Springfield, had exposition and benediction. Then, for whatever reason,...

Code: ZE05011720Date: 2005-01-17Adoration for Vocations to be Promoted WorldwideROME, JAN. 17, 2005 (Zenit.org).- In the Year of the Eucharist, Serra International and the Vatican Congregation for Catholic Education are working to make it a year of adoration for vocations. On Nov. 24, the two organizations launched the Worldwide Adoration for Vocations campaign in Rome, with John Paul II blessing six monstrances, which will be used to promote the effort in continents worldwide. The U.S. bishops' conference officially launched the campaign in North America on Jan. 12 with Adoration for Vocations at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate...

The Adoration of the Name of Jesus (c. 1578), El Greco (1541-1614) "...God great exalted Him and bestowed on Him the Name that is above every name, that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in Heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Phil. 2: 9-11) In illustrating this quote from an epistle of Saint Paul, Domenikos Theotokopoulos, popularly known as "El Greco," drew upon his Greek heritage and composed a painting that is both an exaltation of...

How many times have you heard someone speak about his favorite actor this way? "Oh, I just adore him. I love his work!" People have a tendency to describe in glowing terms someone whose artistic efforts kindle the fire of inspiration in them. The next common reaction is for the fan to wish, "If I ever meet him I would love to get his autograph." What the person desires is to gain even a small piece of their adored performer. It's funny how many of us, myself included, react in the directly opposite manner when it comes to the greatest...

VATICAN CITY, JAN. 6, 2004 (Zenit.org).- A Web site that aimed to log 100,000 hours of eucharistic adoration for vocations as an gift for John Paul II ended up surpassing its goal. The site, www.vocation.com, logged more than 125,000 hours by the time its six-month campaign for eucharistic adoration ended on Christmas Day. Catholic faithful from 41 countries logged in their time spent praying before the Blessed Sacrament with this intention. Participating countries included Australia, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, India, China, South Korea, Brazil, Mexico, the United States, Britain, Zimbabwe, Kazakhstan, France, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Bulgaria. Last Friday, officials...

"Could you not watch one hour with Me?" It all began at the Last Supper on Holy Thursday... 1st Century: Evangelists and St. Paul made it plain to the apostolic Church that the Eucharistic Elements were literally Jesus Christ continuing His saving mission among men (according to "the tradition which I handed on to you that came to me from "The Lord Himself""(1 Cor. II: 23-26)). Ignatius of Antioch warned people to not be taken in by the Gnostics who denied the Real Presence and thus abstained from The Eucharist. 2nd Century: The Rite of Fermentum was practiced. This...

French police sources said that after they received the U.S. information, six people were questioned but no one was arrested. All of the men had tickets for Air France Flight 68 to Los Angeles and were on a watch list provided by U.S. authorities, an Interior Ministry spokesman said.

The Mass Explained    CORMAC BURKE The following commentaries on the Holy Mass — one for each day of the month — were first prepared for school use. They can easily be adapted for other uses. ContentsIntroductionChrist's actionLove for the MassFaith The purposes of the MassThe first purpose: adoration The second purpose: to give thanks The third purpose: to make up for our sinsThe fourth purpose: petitionReadingsGospelCreedPresentation of the giftsPresentation of the giftsOrate, fratresSanctusConsecrationConsecration-CommunionThe Our FatherPreparation for CommunionCommunionHoly Mass: self-givingOpening prayer, prayer over the gifts, Prayer after communionMass: presence of God Sorrow for one's sin Thanksgiving IntroductionTo judge the...

I read something on a Catholic message board the other that chilled my blood. The mother of one of a cognitively challenged brother in Christ had posted my piece "Special Love for Special Children" to the board, letting others know about the work of the Order of Alhambra does among God's special children. Nothing unusual about that. Nevertheless, one of the homosexual activists (at least it appears that way) on the list replied: "If I had Down's Syndrome, I would hope that my parents would have the good sense to abort me because I could not lead a productive life."...