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VATICAN CITY, NOV. 4, 2008 (Zenit.org).- When facing death, one is forced to face reality and recognize things for what they are, says Benedict XVI. The Pope said this Monday upon presiding in St. Peter's Basilica at the traditional November Mass for the souls of cardinals and bishops who died over the course of the year. Members of the College of Cardinals concelebrated with the Holy Father. During the homily the Pontiff recalled the names of the 10 cardinals who passed away during the last 12 months: Stephen Fumio Hamao, Alfons Maria Stickler, Aloísio Lorscheider, Peter Poreku Dery, Adolfo Antonio...

Pope's cat writes purrfect book BY STEPHANIE GASKELL DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER Sunday, April 20th 2008, 4:00 AM There's one very unusual biography of Pope Benedict - a children's book, supposedly written by his cat."Joseph and Chico: The Life of Pope Benedict XVI as Told by a Cat" is a 36-page illustrated book that chronicles the life of Benedict through the words of his cat, Chico. "I'm meeting you in the pages of this book to tell you a story about my very best friend, a wonderful man with whom I've shared so many happy times," Chico says. "I...

Paris --- The European press on Monday changed tack in the row over Pope Benedict's comments on jihad, switching its critical focus from the pontiff to questioning whether the scale of Muslim outrage was justified. Many European papers lamented that the moderate voices of Islam were being drowned out by hardliners and open debate was being thwarted by political correctness. In London, the conservative Daily Telegraph editorial said that 'now is the time for other churchmen to tell their Muslim counterparts that, in addition to dishing out criticism, they must learn how to take it'. French newspaper Le Figaro said...

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Standing before a sea of umbrellas, Pope Benedict yesterday told Poles to preserve their Catholic heritage."Stand firm in your faith, hand it down to your children, bear witness to the grace which you have experienced so abundantly through the Holy Spirit in the course of your history," he told a rain-drenched mass in Warsaw's Pilsudski Square attended by 270,000 people. It was the same spot where Pope John Paul II first challenged the might of communist rule in 1979. Pope Benedict XVI hailed his Polish-born predecessor, saying through a Polish-speaking aide: "How can we not thank God today for all...

POPE John Paul II died worrying that the world seemed dominated by the powers of evil, according to a sermon he had prepared for the day after his death, his successor Pope Benedict said yesterday. "To humanity, which at times seems lost and dominated by the powers of evil, by selfishness and fear, the risen Lord offers the gift of his love which forgives, reconciles and opens up the spirit to hope," the sermon said. Pope Benedict said: "It was written he should leave us on the eve when he was to have pronounced these words."

POPE Benedict XVI today read what he described as a message of love and hope that Pope John Paul II had intended to deliver the day after he died. "In the divine plan it was written that he should leave us right on the vigil," Benedict said during a visit to the God Our Merciful Father Church on the outskirts of Rome. "The pope had written thus: 'To humanity, which sometimes appears lost and dominated by the power of evil and selfishness and fear, the Lord resurrected offers the gift of his love that forgives, reconciles and opens the soul...

Commentary on Second Part of Psalm 134(135) "Two Different Religious Visions" VATICAN CITY, OCT. 5, 2005 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI gave today at the general audience, which he dedicated to comment on the second part of Psalm 134(135):13-21. * * * 1. Psalm 134, a song of paschal tone, is offered to us by the liturgy of Vespers in two distinct passages. We have just heard the second part (see verses 13-21), sealed by the alleluia, the exclamation of praise to the Lord which opened the psalm. After having commemorated in the first part...

COLOGNE, Germany -- Pope Benedict XVI brought his first foreign trip as pope to a joyful conclusion yesterday, telling more than a million mainly youthful and exuberant followers at an outdoor Mass that they should not pick and choose at their faith. "If it is pushed too far, religion becomes almost a consumer product," he said. "People choose what they like, and some are even able to make a profit from it. "But religion constructed on a 'do-it-yourself' basis cannot ultimately help us. It may be comfortable, but at times of crisis we are left to ourselves." For a chance...

POPE Benedict XVI was no more than a white speck to most of the tens of thousands of young Catholics who lined the banks of the Rhine today, but most went away happy. "I will never forget this day, it was an awesome experience. He seemed so full of joy as he waved to us," said Colleen Ackerman, 25, from Cape Town. For Colleen and most of the crowd, it was their first view of a pope in the flesh and the man greeting them from the upper deck of the river cruiser did not disappoint. "We feel blessed that...

"Let Yourselves Be Surprised by Christ!" COLOGNE, Germany, AUG. 18, 2005 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the message Benedict XVI addressed from a ship on the Rhine River this afternoon to young people gathered in Cologne. * * * [In German] Dear Young People, I am delighted to meet you here in Cologne on the banks of the Rhine! You have come from various parts of Germany, Europe and the rest of the world as pilgrims in the footsteps of the Magi. Following their route, you too want to find Jesus. Like them, you have begun this journey in...

First Mass by the new Pope in Sistine Chapel. Procession is going in now. The Pope is using Pope John Paul II's staff.

 HISTORY LABORS--A WORN machine, sick with torsion, ill-meshed--and every repair of an old fault ruptures something new. Or so it seems, much of the time. Our historical choices are limited, constrained by the poverty of what appears possible at any given moment. To be a good leader is, for most figures who walk the world's stage, merely to pick the best among the available options--to push back where one can, to hold on to the good that remains, to resist a little the stream of history as it seems to flow toward its cataract.For the past decade and a half,...

It’s easy, with a man like Pope John Paul II, to make a crucial mistake: to make him superhuman. The achievements in his life seem great and effortless, both at once.Coming into the Church in the middle of a crisis of faith, he said "Open the doors to Christ," and many of us — eventually — did, as his prodding reached down to us, through the Church.He wasn’t the great condemner many wanted him to be. Instead, he searched for the distorted truth at that core of modern errors, and recovered it. He answered Marxism and Madison Avenue with the...

NBC, ANDREA MITCHELL: Carter was told no former presidents were going to pope funeral... Developing...

Deposition, Funeral and Burial Rites of Pope John Paul II Deposition of the Body of the Roman Pontiff in the Coffin Before the Funeral Mass the body will be deposited in a coffin of Cyprus wood. It will the be closed in the presence of the Cardinal Camerlengo, the heads of each Order of Cardinals (Cardinal Bishops, Cardinal Priest, Cardinal Deacons), the Cardinal Archpriest of the Vatican Basilica, the Cardinal Secretary of State, the Cardinal Vicar of Rome, the Substitute of the Secretariat of State, the Prefect of the Pontifical Household, the Almoner of the Supreme Pontiff, the Vice-Camerlengo,...

ROME - Feet hurt but spines were stiff Wednesday in the thick, snaking line that dissected Vatican City and oozed into the streets of Rome. Rome's never seen anything like this crowd of people determined to go the last mile-and-a-half to pay their final respects to Pope John Paul II, even if might take 12 to 24 hours to trudge into St. Peter's Basilica. The line inched across the Vittorio Emanuele II bridge and west past the Umberto I Bridge. On any other day, this path to St. Peter's Basilica would be a 20- to 25-minute stroll. On Wednesday, it...

<p>Pilgrims resumed viewing the body of Pope John Paul II after the doors of St Peter's Basilica were reopened before dawn - the last day that the beloved pontiff would be on display.</p> <p>The basilica reopened at around 4:20am (1220 AEST), about 40 minutes ahead of schedule, as hundreds of thousands were waiting in a kilometers-long line snaking down a wide boulevard and alleyways around the Vatican.</p>

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Faisalabad (AsiaNews) – Muslims in Pakistan will not soon forget John Paul II’s contribution to humanity. Indeed, messages of condolences to the local Catholic community are pouring in from around this predominantly-Muslim country that the Pontiff visited in 1981.President Pervez Musharraf praised the Pontiff for his role in promoting peace in the world, inter-religious harmony and understanding among peoples.Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz for his part said that the service John Paul II rendered to humanity “will be remembered for a long time to come”.From London, Altaf Hussain, leader of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Pakistan’s third most important political party, expressed...

If I were Pope - and no, don't worry, I'm not planning a mid-life career change - but, if I were, I'd be a little irked at the secular media's inability to discuss religion except through the prism of their moral relativism. That's why last weekend's grand old man - James Callaghan - got a more sympathetic send-off than this weekend's. The Guardian's headline writer billed Sunny Jim as a man "whose consensus politics were washed away in the late 1970s". Is it possible to have any meaningful "consensus" between, on the one hand, closed-shop council manual workers demanding a...

Final Letter of Pope John Paul II to the Faithful Pope John Paul II's own words were read aloud by Archibishop Leonardo Sandri at the conclusion of the requiem mass in St. Peter's Square. It was the Pope's final letter to the world and was to be read by the Pope himself at today's mass of the Divine Mercy, had he been able. The Vatican has posted the text of this letter on its Web site. So far it is only available in Italian. I have translated it into English. Note that this is not an official translation, as none...

If I were Pope — and no, don't worry, I'm not planning a mid-life career change — but, if I were, I'd be a little irked at the secular media's inability to discuss religion except through the prism of their moral relativism. That's why last weekend's grand old man — James Callaghan — got a more sympathetic send-off than this weekend's. The Guardian's headline writer billed Sunny Jim as a man "whose consensus politics were washed away in the late 1970s". Is it possible to have any meaningful "consensus" between, on the one hand, closed-shop council manual workers demanding a...

The Daily Telegraph announces that the Pope's funeral will take place on Friday, 8a.m. G.M.T.

"The Apostolic Constitution Universi Dominici gregis, promulgated by John Paul II on February 22, 1996 have been activated." Read the entire directive... JOHN PAUL II SUPREME PONTIFF APOSTOLIC CONSTITUTIONUNIVERSI DOMINICI GREGIS ON THE VACANCY OF THE APOSTOLIC SEE AND THE ELECTION OF THE ROMAN PONTIFF

ABC News Experts: New Pope Unlikely to Be American Vatican Experts Are Convinced New Pope Chosen by Cardinals Won't Be From United States Cardinals attend a Mass for the late Pope John Paul II celebrated by the Vatican secretary of State, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, not seen, on the steps of St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, Sunday April 3, 2005. (AP Photo/Massimo Sambucetti) By RICHARD N. OSTLING The Associated Press Apr 3, 2005 — When the cardinals enter their secretive conclave to pick the new pope, the 11 Americans voting will be the second-largest national group behind the Italians. But don't...

World Mourns Pope as Pilgrims Gather in Homage 21 minutes ago Top Stories - Reuters By Philip Pullella and Jane Barrett VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope John Paul's body was laid in view of the world Sunday and his words resonated across St. Peter's Square as faithful mourned the Pole who helped topple Communism in Europe but left a riven Church. Streams of pilgrims converged on Rome in a spontaneous outpouring of affection for the Pontiff, who died Saturday evening aged 84 in his Vatican bed after an extended struggle with ill health that slowly sapped his strength. The Pope's...

Pope John Paul II, a man of faith, peace OUR OPINION: HE OPENED THE CATHOLIC CHURCH TO THE WORLD There was so much to the man. Vigilant shepherd, profound theologian, tireless evangelist, astute strategist, master politician. Pope John Paul II was all of this and more, a man so full of energy and passion to spread the word of Christ the Redeemer that in 26 years as leader of the Roman Catholic Church he became one of the most influential religious figures of modern times. He was a man of paradoxes: poet and sportsman; introspective and gregarious; inflexible and forgiving....

Israel expressed "deep sorrow" at the passing of Pope John Paul II, who in 1986 referred to the Jewish people as "our elder brothers." Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom issued a statement saying that "Israel, the Jewish people and the entire world, lost today a great champion of reconciliation and brotherhood between the faiths." "On behalf of the government and people of Israel, we extend our condolences to the Catholic Church and the flock of Pope John Paul II," Shalom said. "This is a great loss, first and foremost for the Catholic Church and its hundreds of millions of believers, but...

President Bush called Pope John Paul II "an inspiration to us all" on Saturday and reacted to the pontiff's death by immediately ordering that the flags over the White House fly at half-staff. Bush planned to speak at the White House not even 90 minutes after the death of the leader of the Roman Catholic Church. The pope died at 2:37 p.m. EST in his Vatican apartment. Hours earlier, in his weekly radio address, Bush spoke of John Paul as "a faithful servant of God and a champion of human dignity and freedom." "He is an inspiration to us all,"...

<p>"The Pilgrim Pope" - Since Thursday, March 31 and the announcement of the Pope?s critical condition, high fever, and urinary tract infection, and subsequent septic shock there has been a constant vigil of the faithful while media coverage has been continually providing updates along with stories, and historical information on this holiest of holy men.</p>

The Associated Press reported early this morning that Pope John Paul II is receiving nutrition through a feeding tube. His increasingly frail health is likely the reason Rizzoli moved up publication of the 84-year-old pontiff's fifth book, Memory and Identity: Conservations at the Dawn of a Millennium. But the book itself should put to rest to any suggestion that the Pope has been anything but alert during the last few years. Memory and Identity came out of conversations the Pontiff had in 1993 with two Polish philosophers. An anonymous editorial note at the beginning says the Pope has revised the...

On a bright Sunday afternoon in November 1999, I was standing in St. Peter’s Square in Rome. My family and I had just attended Sunday Mass, my feet were sore as it had been standing room only, and the scent of incense was lingering as it wafted out of the immense cathedral.As I walked through the crowds of believers, some holding flags and signs indicating their country of origin, my father tapped me on the shoulder and pointed at a building in the distance. I could see from my vantage point that a window had opened, and there stood a...

VATICAN CITY (AP) - Pope John Paul II showed the first signs of losing consciousness at dawn on Saturday, the Vatican said, as priests around the world prepared the Roman Catholic faithful for his passing. But John Paul, 84, was not in a coma and opened his eyes when spoken to, papal spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls said. The pope's health began deteriorating Thursday after he suffered a urinary tract infection. In its latest statement the Vatican, which earlier described his heart and kidneys as failing, said his condition was unchanged and "very grave." Navarro-Valls said the pope was still speaking late...

'Poland is at the Pope's bedside' By Dominic Bailey BBC News, Krakow Poland waits - as the rest of the of the world waits for news of the nation's favourite son. In Krakow, where Pope John Paul II was once a priest and bishop, the town's many churches were open throughout the night for prayer vigils, and continued to draw hundreds of people on Saturday. Hundreds have turned to Krakow's Catholic churches For such an unprecedented event, people wanted to be where they could find comfort and make their small contribution. Television stations have rolled continuous coverage of the...

DUBLIN (Reuters) - Pope John Paul signaled he is ready to die by choosing not to return to hospital, his former private secretary said on Friday. "The fact that he has not gone back to hospital is (shows) that he is serenely carrying the cross and ready to give up and to say 'It is finished'," said John Magee, Bishop of Cloyne in Ireland, who worked for the Pope for nine years and was with him during an assassination attempt in 1981. The 84-year-old Pope appeared close to death on Friday after heart failure and breathing problems although the Vatican...

BEING given the last rites did not mean Pope John Paul's death was imminent, Melbourne auxiliary Bishop Christopher Prowse said today. Pope John Paul II had developed a very high fever caused by a urinary infection and was very, very sick, the Vatican said today. The Italian media has reported that the Pope has been given the last rites, but this has not been confirmed by the Vatican. Bishop Prowse said the Pope had probably received the sacrament before today because of his deteriorating health. "It (last rites) doesn't mean he's necessarily going to die," Bishop Prowse told the Channel...

VATICAN CITY (CNN) -- Pope John Paul II was given the last rites of the Roman Catholic Church late Thursday night as his health deteriorated, a Vatican source has told CNN. The pope is taking antibiotics, a Vatican spokesman said.

VATICAN CITY - Looking gaunt, Pope John Paul (news - web sites) II appeared at his open studio window Wednesday before thousands of pilgrims and tourists in St. Peter's Square for Holy Week, raising his hand in blessing a few times but remaining silent. John Paul's appearance was anxiously awaited by the faithful after Italian news reports that the 84-year-old leader of the Roman Catholic Church was not responding well to medication after Feb. 24 throat surgery to ease his breathing troubles. Some among the thousands of pilgrims and tourists assembled in the square had tears in their eyes as...

Pope John Paul II never ceases to rock our world.As he burst out of the Gemelli hospital last week and rode triumphantly through the streets of Rome back to the Vatican, he resembled the Roman generals of old marching back from war, blood-stained and battle-scarred, but victorious once again.The throngs of journalists and paparazzi that had been waiting for hours to steal a glimpse of the Pope as he was whisked back to the Vatican nearly keeled over in surprise as John Paul appeared not in an armored limousine with tinted glass to conceal his condition, but on full display...

ROME (Reuters) - Pope John Paul (news - web sites) spent a restful night in hospital after throat surgery and was breathing unassisted but doctors have advised him not to speak for several days, the Vatican (news - web sites) said on Friday. The Vatican's first medical bulletin, issued some 16 hours after the Pope had a tracheotomy to open his windpipe and help him breathe, aimed at soothing a worried Roman Catholic Church. Spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls told reporters the 84-year-old Pope's heart and blood circulation were good and he had no bronchial pneumonia infection -- a possible complication of...

VATICAN CITY - Pope John Paul (news - web sites) II is breathing on his own, but his doctors have advised him not to speak for a few days, the Vatican (news - web sites) said Friday, a day after he was rushed to a hospital and underwent surgery to ease another breathing crisis. Papal spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls said the frail 84-year-old John Paul spent a restful night at Rome's Gemelli Polyclinic, where doctors said there was no sign the pope had a lung infection such as pneumonia. The pontiff had been taken by ambulance to the hospital on Thursday...

John Paul has fever and breathing difficulties, officials say VATICAN CITY (CNN) -- Doctors treating Pope John Paul II are considering whether to perform a tracheotomy -- an incision into the windpipe -- to ease the ailing pontiff's breathing, according to Italian media. The pope, who was rushed to hospital by ambulance Thursday, is believed to be suffering a recurrence of the flu that forced him to be hospitalized for 10 days earlier this month.

Pope John Paul II, recently hospitalized with the flu, is being returned to the hospital, wire services report. Details soon.

Off to the Vatican to affirm collegial ties with Holy Father 06/17/2004 Archbishop John Vlazny This year the bishops of the United States are making their Quinquennial Visits Ad Limina Apostolorum. This trip to Rome for the bishops of the Northwest is now scheduled from June 20 through 26. I promise to keep you uppermost in my thoughts and my prayers during my days in the Eternal City, and I ask you to pray for me as well.This event, which normally takes place every five years, has three principal moments. Each one has its own meaning. The first is...

ADDRESS TO THE HOLY FATHER ADDRESS TO THE HOLY FATHER Holy Father, More than thirty years ago, under your predecessor, Pope Paul VI, a major reform modified the Latin rite of the Catholic Liturgy, especially the "Order of the Mass." This reform immediately raised troubles and controversies across the entire world. Some studies which were made, notably the "Brief Critical Examination of the Novus Ordo Missae" given to Pope Paul VI by Cardinals Ottaviani and Bacci, pointed out the troubling deficiencies and ambiguities affecting this reform. The Liturgy has certainly evolved over the course of history, as is shown by...

JOYFUL MYSTERIES 1. THE ANNUNCIATION For all priests who have lost a love of humility and who disobey Church teaching as taught by the Holy Father and Magisterium 2. THE VISITATIONFor all bishops and priests who fail to show the compassion of Christ to all sheep given to their care 3. THE NATIVITYFor all priests who no longer love God above all things 4. THE PRESENTATION IN THE TEMPLE For all priests who do not possess a spirit of sacrifice 5. THE FINDING OF JESUS IN THE TEMPLEFor all priests who have lost zeal for the glory of God...

(\O/) / \ WINGS EWTN’s Weekly Electronic Newsletter - With News on upcoming Special Events and Programs July 19, 2002 In less than one week, Pope John Paul II arrives in Toronto for World Youth Day 2002 and EWTN Radio and Television will take you there! You’ll hear live and encore coverage of all the events on EWTN. For complete information, go to: http://www.ewtn.com/wyd2002/index.asp WORLD YOUTH DAY Coverage (All Times Eastern)Tues, July 23 1:00 PM LIVE! WYD 2002:The Pope Arrives in Canada (60:00)Tues, July 23 4:00 PM LIVE! WYD 2002:Opening Mass in Canada (2 hrs)Thur, July 25 1:00 AM ENCORE!...

+++ The Burden / Cross of the Holy Father John of Salisbury in the 12th century writing in his political treatise "Policraticus" : "The cathedra of the Roman Pontiff is a bed of thorns, his mantle, trimmed with the sharpest points all over, is so heavy that it weighs down, bruises, and crushes the strongest shoulders, and the tiara with its crown may well seem bright because it is made of fire."(VI, 24) "At this time too, as priests we are personally and profoundly afflicted by the sins of some of our brothers who have betrayed the grace of...