RORATE CÆLI Editorial note: The time is up

It was quite fitting that the successor of the usurpers of the extinguished see of Canterbury was present today as the news of the Apostolic Constitution which will establish a full-fledged canonical structure for Anglicans within the Catholic Church was made public in simultaneous conferences in Rome and London. He was there to witness the burial of his own Communion.

The stream of Anglicans back to the Catholic Church has been continuous since the events of the 16th century, and particularly intense after the triumph of liberalism in the Church of England and related entities in the 19th century. Confusion set in, as it happened with everything else in Catholicism, in the aftermath of the Second Vatican Council: the Holy See pursued a path away from the only ecumenical path which had worked in the past (that of conversion), as it tried to engage in "dialogue" (ARCIC) with a community whose members cannot even agree on the basic tenets of the Christian faith.

For several decades following the Council, conservative Anglicans were left in a very dire situation: their only choices were a crumbling Communion, a Continuum splitting, in regular Protestant fashion, in thousands of pieces, or trying to face the tough reality of joining a Catholic Church in liturgical upheaval, with chaotic dissent and bishops tolerant of heresy yet intolerant of true Catholic diversity.

The time is up. Despite what the Archbishop of Westminster and the Anglican leader of Canterbury said in their diplomatic joint statement, it is obvious dialogue is dead - and has been dead since the unilateral and anti-Apostolic move of the Anglican Communion in favor of priestesses.

The details of the new Anglican structure will soon be made public, and serious Anglicans will be able to come to the Church without losing anything that is good and true and beautiful in their heritage. The Protestants (Liberals or Evangelicals) will remain in their dying or spiritually handicapped communities; those, still in the Communion or in the myriad of little communities in the Continuum, who wish to take their Catholic views seriously will have only one choice, as the time for role-playing is over:

Christ, present to us in His Body, which is the Church, is the one Mediator and the unique way of salvation. In explicit terms He Himself affirmed the necessity of faith and baptism and thereby affirmed also the necessity of the Church, for through baptism as through a door men enter the Church. Whosoever, therefore, knowing that the Catholic Church was made necessary by Christ, would refuse to enter or to remain in it, could not be saved. (Lumen Gentium, 14)

Our Lady of Walsingham, pray for us.

Saint Thomas of Canterbury, pray for us.

Holy Martyrs of England and Wales, pray for us.

Initial reaction from conservative Anglo-Catholics (UPDATED)

From Forward in Faith:

It has been the frequently expressed hope and fervent desire of Anglican Catholics to be enabled by some means to enter into full communion with the See of Peter whilst retaining in its integrity every aspect of their Anglican inheritance which is not at variance with the teaching of the Catholic Church.

We rejoice that the Holy Father intends now to set up structures within the Church which respond to this heartfelt longing. Forward in Faith has always been committed to seeking unity in truth and so warmly welcomes these initiatives as a decisive moment in the history of the Catholic Movement in the Church of England. Ut unum sint!

+John Fulham

The See of Ebbsfleet has also issued its own statement, with the following announcement:

This is not a time for sudden decisions or general public discussion. We call for a time of quiet prayer and discernment. The coming season of Advent and the celebration of the mystery of the Incarnation at Christmas, seem to us to provide a good opportunity for this quiet prayer and discernment to take place, as well as some pastoral discussions. Some Anglicans in the Catholic tradition understandably will want to stay within the Anglican Communion. Others will wish to make individual arrangements as their conscience directs. A further group of Anglicans, we think, will begin to form a caravan, rather like the People of Israel crossing the desert in search of the Promised Land. As bishops we would want to reassure people that, whatever decisions people, priests and parishes make, they will find peace and blessing in following what they discern to be God’s will for them. We have chosen 22nd February, The Feast of the Chair of Peter, to be an appropriate day for priests and people to make an initial decision as to whether they wish to respond positively to and explore further the initiative of the Apostolic Constitution. Many, understandably, will need a much longer period of discernment and we would counsel against over-hasty reactions of whatever kind.

No word yet from the Traditional Anglican Communion.... but we should be hearing from them very soon.

NOTE OF THE CONGREGATION FOR THE DOCTRINE OF THE FAITH

ABOUT PERSONAL ORDINARIATES FOR ANGLICANS

ENTERING THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

With the preparation of an Apostolic Constitution, the Catholic Church is responding to the many requests that have been submitted to the Holy See from groups of Anglican clergy and faithful in different parts of the world who wish to enter into full visible communion.

In this Apostolic Constitution the Holy Father has introduced a canonical structure that provides for such corporate reunion by establishing Personal Ordinariates, which will allow former Anglicans to enter full communion with the Catholic Church while preserving elements of the distinctive Anglican spiritual and liturgical patrimony. Under the terms of the Apostolic Constitution, pastoral oversight and guidance will be provided for groups of former Anglicans through a Personal Ordinariate, whose Ordinary will usually be appointed from among former Anglican clergy.

The forthcoming Apostolic Constitution provides a reasonable and even necessary response to a world-wide phenomenon, by offering a single canonical model for the universal Church which is adaptable to various local situations and equitable to former Anglicans in its universal application. It provides for the ordination as Catholic priests of married former Anglican clergy. Historical and ecumenical reasons preclude the ordination of married men as bishops in both the Catholic and Orthodox Churches. The Constitution therefore stipulates that the Ordinary can be either a priest or an unmarried bishop. The seminarians in the Ordinariate are to be prepared alongside other Catholic seminarians, though the Ordinariate may establish a house of formation to address the particular needs of formation in the Anglican patrimony. In this way, the Apostolic Constitution seeks to balance on the one hand the concern to preserve the worthy Anglican liturgical and spiritual patrimony and, on the other hand, the concern that these groups and their clergy will be integrated into the Catholic Church.

Cardinal William Levada, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith which has prepared this provision, said: "We have been trying to meet the requests for full communion that have come to us from Anglicans in different parts of the world in recent years in a uniform and equitable way. With this proposal the Church wants to respond to the legitimate aspirations of these Anglican groups for full and visible unity with the Bishop of Rome, successor of St. Peter."

These Personal Ordinariates will be formed, as needed, in consultation with local Conferences of Bishops, and their structure will be similar in some ways to that of the Military Ordinariates which have been established in most countries to provide pastoral care for the members of the armed forces and their dependents throughout the world. "Those Anglicans who have approached the Holy See have made clear their desire for full, visible unity in the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. At the same time, they have told us of the importance of their Anglican traditions of spirituality and worship for their faith journey," Cardinal Levada said.

The provision of this new structure is consistent with the commitment to ecumenical dialogue, which continues to be a priority for the Catholic Church, particularly through the efforts of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity. "The initiative has come from a number of different groups of Anglicans," Cardinal Levada went on to say: "They have declared that they share the common Catholic faith as it is expressed in the Catechism of the Catholic Church and accept the Petrine ministry as something Christ willed for the Church. For them, the time has come to express this implicit unity in the visible form of full communion."

According to Levada: "It is the hope of the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, that the Anglican clergy and faithful who desire union with the Catholic Church will find in this canonical structure the opportunity to preserve those Anglican traditions precious to them and consistent with the Catholic faith. Insofar as these traditions express in a distinctive way the faith that is held in common, they are a gift to be shared in the wider Church. The unity of the Church does not require a uniformity that ignores cultural diversity, as the history of Christianity shows. Moreover, the many diverse traditions present in the Catholic Church today are all rooted in the principle articulated by St. Paul in his letter to the Ephesians: ‘There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism’ (4:5). Our communion is therefore strengthened by such legitimate diversity, and so we are happy that these men and women bring with them their particular contributions to our common life of faith."

Background information

Since the sixteenth century, when King Henry VIII declared the Church in England independent of Papal Authority, the Church of England has created its own doctrinal confessions, liturgical books, and pastoral practices, often incorporating ideas from the Reformation on the European continent. The expansion of the British Empire, together with Anglican missionary work, eventually gave rise to a world-wide Anglican Communion.

Throughout the more than 450 years of its history the question of the reunification of Anglicans and Catholics has never been far from mind. In the mid-nineteenth century the Oxford Movement (in England) saw a rekindling of interest in the Catholic aspects of Anglicanism. In the early twentieth century Cardinal Mercier of Belgium entered into well publicized conversations with Anglicans to explore the possibility of union with the Catholic Church under the banner of an Anglicanism "reunited but not absorbed".

At the Second Vatican Council hope for union was further nourished when the Decree on Ecumenism (n. 13), referring to communions separated from the Catholic Church at the time of the Reformation, stated that: "Among those in which Catholic traditions and institutions in part continue to exist, the Anglican Communion occupies a special place."

Since the Council, Anglican-Roman Catholic relations have created a much improved climate of mutual understanding and cooperation. The Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC) produced a series of doctrinal statements over the years in the hope of creating the basis for full and visible unity. For many in both communions, the ARCIC statements provided a vehicle in which a common expression of faith could be recognized. It is in this framework that this new provision should be seen.

In the years since the Council, some Anglicans have abandoned the tradition of conferring Holy Orders only on men by calling women to the priesthood and the episcopacy. More recently, some segments of the Anglican Communion have departed from the common biblical teaching on human sexuality—already clearly stated in the ARCIC document "Life in Christ"—by the ordination of openly homosexual clergy and the blessing of homosexual partnerships. At the same time, as the Anglican Communion faces these new and difficult challenges, the Catholic Church remains fully committed to continuing ecumenical engagement with the Anglican Communion, particularly through the efforts of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity.

In the meantime, many individual Anglicans have entered into full communion with the Catholic Church. Sometimes there have been groups of Anglicans who have entered while preserving some "corporate" structure. Examples of this include, the Anglican diocese of Amritsar in India, and some individual parishes in the United States which maintained an Anglican identity when entering the Catholic Church under a "pastoral provision" adopted by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and approved by Pope John Paul II in 1982. In these cases, the Catholic Church has frequently dispensed from the requirement of celibacy to allow those married Anglican clergy who desire to continue ministerial service as Catholic priests to be ordained in the Catholic Church.

In the light of these developments, the Personal Ordinariates established by the Apostolic Constitution can be seen as another step toward the realization the aspiration for full, visible union in the Church of Christ, one of the principal goals of the ecumenical movement.

____________________________________

JOINT STATEMENT

BY THE ARCHBISHOP OF WESTMINSTER

AND THE ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY

Today’s announcement of the Apostolic Constitution is a response by Pope Benedict XVI to a number of requests over the past few years to the Holy See from groups of Anglicans who wish to enter into full visible communion with the Roman Catholic Church, and are willing to declare that they share a common Catholic faith and accept the Petrine ministry as willed by Christ for his Church.

Pope Benedict XVI has approved, within the Apostolic Constitution, a canonical structure that provides for Personal Ordinariates, which will allow former Anglicans to enter full communion with the Catholic Church while preserving elements of distinctive Anglican spiritual patrimony.

The announcement of this Apostolic Constitution brings to an end a period of uncertainty for such groups who have nurtured hopes of new ways of embracing unity with the Catholic Church. It will now be up to those who have made requests to the Holy See to respond to the Apostolic Constitution.

The Apostolic Constitution is further recognition of the substantial overlap in faith, doctrine and spirituality between the Catholic Church and the Anglican tradition. Without the dialogues of the past forty years, this recognition would not have been possible, nor would hopes for full visible unity have been nurtured. In this sense, this Apostolic Constitution is one consequence of ecumenical dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion.

The on-going official dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion provides the basis for our continuing cooperation. The Anglican Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC) and International Anglican Roman Catholic Commission for Unity and Mission (IARCCUM) agreements make clear the path we will follow together.

With God’s grace and prayer we are determined that our on-going mutual commitment and consultation on these and other matters should continue to be strengthened. Locally, in the spirit of IARCCUM, we look forward to building on the pattern of shared meetings between the Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales and the Church of England’s House of Bishops with a focus on our common mission. Joint days of reflection and prayer were begun in Leeds in 2006 and continued in Lambeth in 2008, and further meetings are in preparation. This close cooperation will continue as we grow together in unity and mission, in witness to the Gospel in our country, and in the Church at large.

London, 20 October 2009

+ Vincent Gerard Nichols + Rowan Williams

Anglican-Vatican Rumblings

The Bolletino today has a noteworthy announcement of a press conference scheduled for Tuesday, 20 October 2009, in the John Paul II Hall of the Vatican Press Office:

Si informano i giornalisti accreditati che domani, martedì 20 ottobre 2009, alle ore 11.00, nell’Aula Giovanni Paolo II della Sala Stampa della Santa Sede, si terrà un briefing su un tema attinente ai rapporti con gli Anglicani, cui parteciperanno l’Em.mo Card. William Joseph Levada, Prefetto della Congregazione per la Dottrina della Fede e S.E. Mons. Joseph Augustine Di Noia, O.P., Segretario della Congregazione per il Culto Divino e la Disciplina dei Sacramenti.

Translation:

We inform accredited journalists that tomorrow, Tuesday, 20 October 2009, at 11 a.m., in the John Paul II Hall of the Press Office of the Holy See, a briefing will be held on a theme pertaining to the relationship with the Anglicans, at which His Eminence Cardinal William Joseph Levada, Prefect of the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, and His Excellency Msgr. Joseph Augustine Di Noia OP, Secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments will take part.

Father John Zuhlsdorf offers these observations and speculations:

The main speakers will be the Prefect of the Congregation for Doctrine of the Faith, His Eminence Card. Levada and the fomer Sotto-Segretario of the same CDF, now Secretary of the Cong. for Divine Worship H.E. Augustine DiNoia, OP.

This all makes sense if…if… this is to announce that there will be a reunion of Traditional Anglicans with the Catholic Church. This would be in the bailiwick of the CDF. And Archbp. DiNoia would have been involved when he was at the CDF.

However, a group of Traditional Anglicans would also no doubt have the Anglican Use for their liturgy, and therefore having the English speaking Secretary who had been at the CDF, rather than the Spanish speaking Prefect of the CDW makes perfect sense.

So… I suspect this is about the reunion of the so-called Traditional Anglicans.

Damian Thompson also has received information that Archbishop Vincent Nichols of Westminster and Anglican Archbishop Rowan Williams of Canterbury will host a press conference at 10 a.m., Tuesday, 20 October, at 39 Eccleston Square, London. Thompson reasonably observes, "I cannot believe that the two press conferences are not directly related."

Those who desire and pray for the reunion of the Anglicans with the Catholic Church, and who hope for the union and integration of the Traditional Anglicans into the Church, will be eagerly anticipating the news Tuesday morning.

[Our thanks to Mr. Peter Karl T. Perkins for promptly bringing this to Rorate's attention.]

1000 years ago todayThe sparkle that set all Christendom on fire

On October 18, 1009, the holiest place on this poor earth, the church built around and on top of the sites of the Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Our Lord and God, Jesus Christ, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, was obliterated following orders sent from Cairo by the Fatimid Caliph Abu ‘Ali Mansur Tariq Al-Hakim.

For centuries, the Mohammedans had been forcing, by sword or humiliation, the conversion of the former Christian majorities who lived from Syria and Palestine through the southern Mediterranean lands all the way to the Atlantic Ocean. The persecution of Christians and the destruction of their buildings under Al-Hakim reached unprecedented levels even for Muslims.

Some reconstruction on the site of the former Basilica was allowed by the successors of Al-Hakim, in agreement with the Byzantine authorities, but a full Basilica would only be rebuilt after the Crusaders conquered Jerusalem 90 years later, in 1099 - the same building which, with several modifications and reforms, still stands today and is still held by Christians.

The long-term repercussions of the blasphemous action of Al-Hakim would help awake the Catholic giant: from the Crusades to the Age of Discoveries and beyond.

__________________________

If this land is spoken of in the sacred writings of the prophets as the inheritance and the holy temple of God before ever the Lord walked about in it, or was revealed, what sanctity, what reverence has it not acquired since God in His majesty was there clothed in the flesh, nourished, grew up, and in bodily form there walked about, or was carried about; and, to compress in fitting brevity all that might be told in a long series of words, since there the blood of the Son of God, more holy than heaven and earth, was poured forth, and His body, its quivering members dead, rested in the tomb. What veneration do we think it deserves? If, when the Lord had but just been crucified and the city was still held by the Jews, it was called holy by the evangelist when he says, 'Many bodies of the saints that had fallen asleep were raised; and coming forth out of the tombs after His resurrection, they entered into the holy city and appeared unto many,' and by the prophet Isaiah when be says, 'It shall be His glorious sepulchre,' then, surely, with this sanctity placed upon it by God the Sanctifier Himself, no evil that may befall it can destroy it, and in the same way glory is indivisibly fixed to His Sepulchre. Most beloved brethren, if you reverence the source of that holiness and if you cherish these shrines which are the marks of His footprints on earth, if you seek (the way), God leading you, God fighting in your behalf, you should strive with your utmost efforts to cleanse the Holy City and the glory of the Sepulchre, now polluted by the concourse of the Gentiles, as much as is in their power.

If in olden times the Maccabees attained to the highest praise of piety because they fought for the ceremonies and the Temple, it is also justly granted you, Christian soldiers, to defend their liberty of your country by armed endeavor. If you, likewise, consider that the abode of the holy apostles and any other saints should be striven for with such effort, why do you refuse to rescue the Cross, the Blood, the Tomb? Why do you refuse to visit them, to spend the price of your lives in rescuing them? You have thus far waged unjust wars, at one time and another; you have brandished mad weapons to your mutual destruction, for no other reason than covetousness and pride, as a result of which you have deserved eternal death and sure damnation. We now hold out to you wars which contain the glorious reward of martyrdom, which will retain that title of praise now and forever.

... If all that there is of Christian preaching has flowed from the fountain of Jerusalem, its streams, whithersoever spread out over the whole world, encircle the hearts of the Catholic multitude, that they may consider wisely what they owe such a well-watered fountain. If rivers return to the place whence they have issued only to flow forth again, according to the saying of Solomon, it ought to seem glorious to you to be able to apply a new cleansing to this place, whence it is certain that you received the cleansing of baptism and the witness of your faith.

Urban II

Address at the Council of Clermont

(Version of Dom Guibert, Abbot of Nogent)

November 27, 1095

Excellent

Now, it is truly excellent news that Archbishop Raymond Burke celebrated a Pontifical Mass in Saint Peter's this Sunday - as part of the events related to the Congress on the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum, which has been going on in Rome in the past few days (we had announced this in July - thorough coverage with many pictures at Messa in Latino).

However, as Prof. Luc Perrin recalled today at Le Forum Catholique, this has not been the first Traditional Mass celebrated in that august Basilica in 40 years. The catacomb-like Hungarian Chapel (crypt) housed celebrations of low Masses still under the motu proprio Ecclesia Dei. And a Mass was celebrated by Bishop Pascal N'koué, Bishop of Natitingou (Benin) in November 2006, in the extremely tense and difficult months which preceded the publication of Summorum. That celebration, promoted by CIEL, took place in the Chapel of the Choir, which is located opposite to the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament, where today's Mass took place.

All should be extremely happy for today's Mass, celebrated by a powerful, relatively young, and high-ranking prelate, and, as Prof. Perrin mentions, with the notable fact that it was a full Pontifical Mass, with faldstool and all... Yet one must remember the fact that Summorum has been in force for two years. Pontifical Masses should be common and permanent features in the Vatican Basilica by now - the Extraordinary Form should not remain an extraordinary event at Saint Peter's.

Events - Year for Priests Clergy Conference, in Rome

A reader sends us the following announcement of a future event:

The upcoming "Year for Priests' - Clergy Conference - Rome 2010" is the ONLY international conference in the Year for Priests specifically for English-speaking clergy.

The acclaimed Lassus Scholars from Ireland will be providing music for the liturgies, including a Mass in the Extraordinary Form in the Lateran with Cardinal Cañizares Llovera.

Registrations are open only till Nov. 3, 2009.

Visit http://www.yearforpriests.com/

A Note of Thanks

I would like to express my gratitude to all the readers of this blog who offered me material and spiritual support after my losses in the catastrophic flash floods that recently hit Metro Manila, the Philippines. I also thank everyone who prayed for me or asked about my condition. I am humbled that God spared my life and that of my family and I pray that I will be a holier and more grateful Catholic after this experience.

Right now I am taking much-needed rest; I hope to get back to blogging after a week or so.

How to get Italians back to Church

On September 24 through the 27 a survey was taken among 1001 Italians over the age of 15 by the Doxa Institute, a founding member of Gallup which the leads the field in surveys in Italy and is noted for its scientific rigor. The following results were published Saturday in the French Paix Liturgique:

Question 1: Are Italian Catholics aware of the existence of the Motu Proprio "Summorum Pontificum" by which Benedict XVI approved the celebration of the two forms of the Roman rite?

Yes, say 64% of practicing Catholics (attending Mass at least once a month) as opposed to 36% who know nothing about it. Considering all Catholics, practicing or not, 58% are aware and 42% unaware of its existence.


Question 2: Would you find it normal to have both forms of the rite celebrated in your parish?

Tied: 71% of practicing Catholics as well as 71% of all Catholics are in favor of the coexistence of both forms in their churches.


Question 3: If a Mass in the extraordinary form were celebrated in your parish would you attend?

63% of Italians who practice their faith say they would attend at least once a month (33% for all Catholics). The figure breaks down as follows: 40% would attend weekly and 23% at least once a month.

DECLARATION OF THE DIRECTOR OF THE

HOLY SEE PRESS OFFICE, FR. FEDERICO LOMBARDI, S.I.

The first meeting of the foreseen discussions with the Fraternity of Saint Pius X will take place on Monday, October 26, in the morning.

Those who will participate [in the meeting] will be, from the part of the Commission Ecclesia Dei, other than the Secretary of said Commission, Mons. Guido Pozzo, the Secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, H.E. Archbishop Luis F. Ladaria Ferrer, S.I., and the already named experts: Fr. Charles Morerod, O.P., Secretary of the International Theological Commission, consultant of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith; Rev. Mons. Fernando Ocáriz, Vicar General of Opus Dei, consultant of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith; Rev. Fr. Karl Josef Becker, S.I., consultant of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith

The meeting will take place at the Palace of the Holy Office. The contents of the conversations, which regard open doctrinal questions, will remain strictly reserved.

At the end of the meeting, a communiqué will be released.

___________________________

COMMUNIQUÉ OF THE PRIESTLY FRATERNITY OF SAINT PIUS X

Bishop Bernard Fellay has named as representatives of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X for the theological discussions with the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith: Bishop Alfonso de Galarreta, director of the Seminary Nuestra Señora Corredentora de La Reja (Argentina), Father Benoît de Jorna, director of the Séminaire International Saint-Pie X of Ecône (Switzerland), Father Jean-Michel Gleize, professor of Ecclesiology at the seminary of Ecône, and Father Patrick de La Rocque, prior of the Priory of Saint Louis in Nantes (France).

Bishop de Galarreta had already been the president of the commission which was in charge of the preparation of these discussions withon the Fraternity, after the month of April 2009.

The works will start in the second half of the month of October and will require the discretion needed for a serene exchange on difficult doctrinal questions.

Menzingen, October 15, 2009

COLUMBUS NOSTER EST

Now that four centuries have sped since a Ligurian first, under God's guidance, touched shores unknown beyond the Atlantic, the whole world is eager to celebrate the memory of the event, and glorify its author. Nor could a worthier reason be found where through zeal should be kindled. For the exploit is in itself the highest and grandest which any age has ever seen accomplished by man; and he who achieved it, for the greatness of his mind and heart, can be compared to but few in the history of humanity.

By his toil another world emerged from the unsearched bosom of the ocean: hundreds of thousands of mortals have, from a state of blindness, been raised to the common level of the human race, reclaimed from savagery to gentleness and humanity; and, greatest of all, by the acquisition of those blessings of which Jesus Christ is the author, they have been recalled from destruction to eternal life.

Europe, indeed, overpowered at the time by the novelty and strangeness of the discovery, presently came to recognize what was due to Columbus, when, through the numerous colonies shipped to America, through the constant intercourse and interchange of business and the ocean-trade, an incredible addition was made to our knowledge of nature, and to the commonwealth; whilst at the same time the prestige of the European name was marvellously increased.

Therefore, amidst so lavish a display of honour, so unanimous a tribute of congratulations, it is fitting that the Church should not be altogether silent; since she, by custom and precedent, willingly approves and endeavours to forward whatsoever she see, and wherever she see it, that is honourable and praiseworthy. It is true she reserves her special and greatest honours for virtues that most signally proclaim a high morality, for these are directly associated with the salvation of souls; but she does not, therefore, despise or lightly estimate virtues of other kinds. On the contrary, she has ever highly favoured and held in honour those who have deserved well of men in civil society, and have thus attained a lasting name among posterity.

For God, indeed, is especially wonderful in his Saints - mirabilis in Sanctis suis; but the impress of His Divine virtue also appears in those who shine with excellent power of mind and spirit, since high intellect and greatness of spirit can be the property of men only through their parent and creator, God.

But there is, besides, another reason, a unique one, why We consider that this immortal achievement should be recalled by Us with memorial words. For Columbus is ours; since if a little consideration be given to the particular reason of his design in exploring the mare tenebrosum, and also the manner in which he endeavoured to execute the design, it is indubitable that the Catholic faith was the strongest motive for the inception and prosecution of the design; so that for this reason also the whole human race owes not a little to the Church.

...

We say not that he was unmoved by perfectly honourable aspirations after knowledge, and deserving well of human society; nor did he despise glory, which is a most engrossing ideal to great souls; nor did he altogether scorn a hope of advantages to himself; but to him far before all these human considerations was the consideration of his ancient faith, which questionless dowered him with strength of mind and will, and often strengthened and consoled him in the midst of the greatest difficulties. This view and aim is known to have possessed his mind above all; namely, to open a way for the Gospel over new lands and seas.

...

[I]n his mind, he sought first of all to extend the Christian name and the benefits of Christian charity to the West, as is abundantly proved by the history of the whole undertaking. For when he first petitioned Ferdinand and Isabella, the Sovereigns of Spain, for fear lest they should be reluctant to encourage the undertaking, he clearly explained its object: "That their glory would grow to immortality, if they resolved to carry the name and doctrine of Jesus Christ into regions so distant." And in no long time having obtained his desires, he bears witness: "That he implores of God that, through His Divine aid and grace, the Sovereigns may continue steadfast in their desire to fill these new missionary shores with the truths of the Gospel."

He hastens to seek missionaries from Pope Alexander VI, through a letter in which this sentence occurs: "I trust that, by God's help, I may spread the Holy Name and Gospel of Jesus Christ as widely as may be." He was carried away, as we think, with joy, when on his first return from the Indies he wrote to Raphael Sanchez: "That to God should be rendered immortal thanks, Who had brought his labours such prosperous issues; that Jesus Christ rejoices and triumphs on earth no less than in Heaven, at the approaching salvation of nations innumerable, who were before hastening to destruction." And if he moved Ferdinand and Isabella to decree that only Catholic Christians should be suffered to approach the New World and trade with the natives, he brought forward as reason, "that he sought nothing from his enterprise and endeavour but the increase and glory of the Christian religion." And this was well known to Isabella, ... [f]or she had declared of Columbus that he would boldly thrust himself upon the vast ocean, "to achieve a most signal thing, for the sake of the Divine glory." And to Columbus himself, on his second return, she writes: "That the expenses she had incurred, and was about to incur, for the Indian expeditions, had been well bestowed; for thence would ensure a spreading of Catholicism."

Leo XIII

Quarto abeunte sæculo

July 16, 1892

The Saint of Molokai

Damien was COARSE.

It is very possible. You make us sorry for the lepers, who had only a coarse old peasant for their friend and father. But you, who were so refined, why were you not there, to cheer them with the lights of culture? Or may I remind you that we have some reason to doubt if John the Baptist were genteel; and in the case of Peter, on whose career you doubtless dwell approvingly in the pulpit, no doubt at all he was a ‘coarse, headstrong’ fisherman! Yet even in our Protestant Bibles Peter is called Saint.

Damien was DIRTY.

He was. Think of the poor lepers annoyed with this dirty comrade! But the clean Dr. Hyde was at his food in a fine house.

Damien was HEADSTRONG.

I believe you are right again; and I thank God for his strong head and heart.

Damien was BIGOTED.

I am not fond of bigots myself, because they are not fond of me. But what is meant by bigotry, that we should regard it as a blemish in a priest? Damien believed his own religion with the simplicity of a peasant or a child; as I would I could suppose that you do. For this, I wonder at him some way off; and had that been his only character, should have avoided him in life. But the point of interest in Damien, which has caused him to be so much talked about and made him at last the subject of your pen and mine, was that, in him, his bigotry, his intense and narrow faith, wrought potently for good, and strengthened him to be one of the world’s heroes and exemplars.

Robert Louis Stevenson

Open Letter to the Rev. Dr. Hyde of Honolulu

[Letter by the Protestant writer in response to

the accusations of Dr.C. M. Hyde, Presbyterian minister in Honolulu]

Sydney, February 25, 1890

Interview with Bishop Bernard Fellay, Roodepoort (South Africa)

With the lifting of the decree of excommunication, the doctrinal discussions will be taking place between Rome and the Fraternity of St. Pius X. What is the goal of these discussions?

The goal that we wish to achieve with these doctrinal discussions is an important clarification in the teaching of the Church in recent years. Indeed, the Fraternity Saint Pius X, in union with its founder, Archbishop Lefebvre, had serious objections to the Second Vatican Council and we hope that the discussions will help to dispel the errors or the severe ambiguities that have since been spread with full hands throughout the Catholic Church, as John Paul II himself recognized.

How long will these discussions last? What are the main points that will be addressed and in what fashion?

I have no idea how long the discussions will last. It will certainly depend on the expectations of Rome. They could take a long time. This is because the topics are very broad. Our main objections to the Council, such as religious liberty, ecumenism, and collegiality are well known. However other objections could be raised such as the influence of modern philosophy, liturgical novelties, the worldly spirit and its influence on modern thought which has run rampant throughout the church.

Both rosary crusades have borne fruit. With regards to the Motu Proprio of July 2007, what should our attitude be towards the priests who celebrate the traditional Mass now, even if not exclusively, since they say the New Mass regularly?

Basically, whenever a priest wants to return to the traditional Mass, it is our duty to approach that with a positive attitude; we should rejoice in it and hope that the Mass produces its fruit. Today we already see that this is what happens most of the time. There are also, of course, priests who remain indifferent to the ancient rite. Time will show who is serious about it and who is not.

What advice can you give to the faithful concerning these priests? What should be the approach of the laity be towards them?

The faithful must be very cautious and not get themselves into embarrassing situations. They should consult our priests before approaching these priests. The circumstances are so variable: every priest is different and until it is clear that the attitude of the priest toward the Mass is authentic, the faithful must remain gracious while maintaining a cautious position.

To your knowledge, is there now a greater number of priests who celebrate the Mass of all time exclusively?

It is difficult to give an exact answer because there is no official record and because many of those who would like to celebrate the old Mass dare not. In many countries there is a strong pressure from the hierarchy to prevent its return. Many priests have to say it in secret out of fear. However I believe that the number is growing modestly.

The crisis of the Church is a crisis of faith. It will take some time until all priests say only the "old" Mass. Is it correct to say that even if, through the doctrinal discussions Rome returned to the fullness of truth, there would always be much opposition about the Mass and Vatican II?

We must be realistic. The return, the restoration of the church will take time. The crisis in the Church has affected all aspects of Christian life. To come out of this situation will take more than a generation of constant effort in the right direction - perhaps a century. This means that we must expect resistance. But let’s hope that the worst has passed and that the signs of recovery we see today are the seeds of reality and not just a dream ...

Collegiality has been a disaster for the Church. Can we not see in spite of everything, a slight "crack in the wall of collegiality" with the Motu Proprio of Pope Benedict XVI and more recently with the withdrawal of the decree of excommunication?

Indeed, these decisions are really his. There is a way to correctly understand true collegiality. Paul VI added a "preliminary note" to the document on the Church, Lumen Gentium, that collegiality is to be understood properly. The problem is that this note seems to be forgotten. The general idea that has been propagated and that falsely reduces significantly the powers of the sovereign pontiff is a real danger to the Church and makes governing it impossible. Thus, the various acts of the Pope given "motu proprio" are good signs of a willingness to govern the Church personally and not corporately.

There have been so many comments – both for and against - the decisions of the Pope that he was obliged to write a letter of explanation to the bishops. Is this a good thing that the pope finds himself “up against the wall", so to speak?

It actually depends on the point of view. The authority of the Pope was truly shaken by the tumult at the beginning of the year. It can only be regarded as a good thing due to the opposite effect that it would bring upon Rome, which will allow us to understand who loves the Church and works to build it and who does not.

For the first time in 40 years we see the supreme authority of the Church recognize that there are problems both theological and doctrinal. Does the Pope not realize that the "conciliar church" (to use the words of Cardinal Benelli), and its reforms are doomed and that a return to tradition is necessary?

I'm not sure everyone sees the doctrinal discussions in that way. I would say that for most of the hierarchy these discussions are necessary, not for the Church, but for us and our "return to full communion" to adopt the new ways. In fact, I feel that we are facing a very delicate situation. The reality of the crisis is acknowledged, but not the remedies. We say, and it is proven by the facts, that the solution to the crisis is a return to the past. Benedict XVI said the same thing: He emphasizes the importance of not breaking with the past (the hermeneutic of continuity), but he maintains the improvisations of the council as though they are not a break with this past. According to him the only ones which are wrong and break with the past are those which go beyond the council. It is a very sensitive issue.

The Pope's position on ecumenism does not seem to be as enthusiastic as that of his predecessor. Is it because he sees ecumenism as something more theological as opposed to "ut unum sint" with its dire consequences for the Church?

I do not think the Pope sees ecumenism as a bad thing. He cherishes the fact that the Church continues in this direction and he even said that it was irreversible ... but he seems to want to differentiate between the various faiths and favor those who are nearer such as the Orthodox rather than the Protestants.

This year we celebrate 25 years of the presence of the Society in Africa, specifically the Priory of Our Lady of Sorrows in Johannesburg. What advice or encouragement can you give our parishioners and to all the faithful of the district of Africa?

Thank God for this wonderful anniversary. Given the length of the crisis, 25 years is a great achievement for which we must give thanks. It also demonstrates great loyalty from the faithful. Loyalty is a true glory. It involves the preservation of faith, steadfastness, and perseverance in the battle. So, the best wish I could offer them – to all of us – is that they would be more faithful than ever.

DICI

"In the Church, the bad are many and the good few"

Intravit autem rex ut videret discumbentes, et vidit ibi hominem non vestitum veste nuptiali. Et ait illi: "Amice, quomodo huc intrasti non habens vestem nuptialem?" At ille obmutuit. Tunc dicit rex ministris: "Ligatis manibus et pedibus ejus, mittite eum in tenebras exteriores: ibi erit fletus et stridor dentium." Multi enim sunt vocati, pauci vero electi. (From the Gospel for the Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost. Matthew xxii, 11-14: And the king went in to see the guests and he saw there a man who had not on a wedding garment, and he saith to him: "Friend, how camest thou in hither, not having on a wedding garment?" But he was silent. Then the king said to the waiters: "Bind his hands and feet, and cast him into the exterior darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." For many are called, but few are chosen.)

[I]t should not frighten you that in the Church the bad are many and the good few. [Terrere ...vos non debet quod in Ecclesia et multi mali et pauci sunt boni] For the Ark, which in the midst of the Flood was a figure of this Church, was wide below and narrow above, and at the summit measured but one cubit (Genesis vi, 16). And we are to believe that below were the four-footed animals and serpents, above the birds and men. It was wide where the beasts were, narrow where men lived: for the Holy Church is indeed wide in the number of those who are carnal minded, narrow in those who are spiritual. For where she suffers the morals and beastly ways of men, there she enlarges her bosom. But where she has the care of those whose lives are founded on spiritual things, these she leads to the higher place; but since they are few, this part is narrow. Wide indeed is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction; and many there are who go in thereat. How narrow is the gate that leadeth to life; and few there are that find it!

The Ark is made narrow at the summit, so that it is but one cubit wide: because, of those in the Church, the holier they are, the fewer they are. She reaches her highest perfection in Him Who alone among men was born Holy, and there is none to be compared with Him. He Who, in the words of the Psalmist, has become as a sparrow all alone on the housetop (Psalm ci, 8). And so the more the wicked abound, so much the more must we suffer them in patience; for on the threshing floor few are the grains carried into the barns, but high the piles of chaff that are burned with fire. ...

Then the king said to the waiters: "Bind his hands and feet, and cast him into the exterior darkness. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." Then through this dread sentence, their hands and feet are bound who now will not restrain them from evil deeds, through amendment of life. For then chastisement shall bind those whom sin now restrains from doing good. For the feet that cared not to visit the sick, the hands that gave nothing to those in need, are now through their own fault no longer free to do what is good. Those therefore who now of their own free will are bound fast in sin, shall then against their will be bound fast in torment.

Rightly is it said that he shall be cast into exterior darkness. For we call blindness of heart, interior darkness; exterior darkness, the eternal night of damnation. Each one therefore who is damned, is cast, not into interior, but into exterior darkness: for there against his will he shall be cast forth into the night of damnation who here of his own will has fallen into blindness of heart; where, we are told, there shall also be weeping and gnashing of teeth: so that there teeth shall gnash which here delighted in gluttony, there eyes shall weep which here turned hither and thither in wanton desire. For each single member shall suffer punishment for the sins for which they were used in this life.

And when this one has been cast forth, in whom manifestly the whole body of the wicked is set before us, straightaway He adds a general sentence, which says: "For many are called, but few are chosen."

Dearest brethren, we should fear with a great fear the words we have just now heard. All we here present, already called through faith, have come to the marriage of the Heavenly King. We believe and confess the mystery of His Incarnation, and we partake of the banquet of the Divine Word. But in a day to come the King of judgement will enter in among us.

That we are called, we know; that we are chosen, we do not know. And so the more each one of us knows not whether he is chosen, so much the more do we need to humble ourselves in humility. There are, we know, those who do not even begin to do good; and some who do not remain constant in the good works they begin. Another is seen to pass almost his whole life in evil-doing, but close to the end he is drawn back from wickedness through tears of earnest repentance. Another seems to lead the life of one of the elect, and yet it happens that at the end of his life he will turn aside to the wickedness of heresy. Another begins well, and ends even better; while another, from his first years, gives himself to every evil, and growing ever worse than himself is destroyed in the midst of these very evils. In the measure therefore that each one knows not what is yet to come, in that measure should he live in fear and anxiety for himself before God: for, and let us say it over and over again, and let us never forget it: many are called, but few are chosen.

Saint Gregory the Great
Homilia XXXVIII
(Habita ad populum in Basilica Beati Clementis Martyris)

On the 400th Anniversary of the death of St. John Leonardi

There is another aspect of the spirituality of St. John Leonardi that I would like to highlight. In many circumstances he had to confirm that a living encounter with Christ is realized in his Church: holy but fragile, rooted in history and in a sometimes dark future, where wheat and weeds grow together (cf. Matthew 13:30), but, nevertheless, always the sacrament of salvation.

Having a clear awareness that the Church is the field of God (cf. Matthew 13:24), he was not scandalized by her human weaknesses. To oppose the weeds he chose to be good wheat: He decided, that is, to love Christ in the Church and to contribute to render her an ever more transparent sign of him.

He saw the Church with great realism, her human frailty, but also her being "God's field," the instrument of God for the salvation of humanity. And not only this. For love of Christ he worked with alacrity to purify the Church, to render her more beautiful and holy. He understood that every reform is made within the Church and never against the Church.

In this, St. John Leonardi was truly extraordinary and his example is always timely. Every reform certainly involves structures, but in the first place it must be engraved in the hearts of believers. Only the saints, men and women who allow themselves to be guided by the divine Spirit, ready to carry out radical and courageous choices in the light of the Gospel, renew the Church and contribute, in a decisive way, to building a better world.

Dear brothers and sisters, St. John Leonardi's existence was always enlightened by the splendor of the "Holy Face" of Jesus, kept and venerated in the Cathedral Church of Lucca [his hometown], becoming the eloquent symbol and the indisputable synthesis of the faith that animated him.

Conquered by Christ like the Apostle Paul, he pointed out to his disciples, and continues to point out to all of us, the Christocentric ideal for which "it is necessary to divest oneself of every self interest and only look to the service of God," having "before the mind's eye only the honor, service and glory of Christ Jesus Crucified."

Benedict XVI

General Audience (English)

October 7, 2009

The "Axé" Mass

Father João de Campos Júnior, SDB, celebrates a "Missa Axé" ("Axé Mass") in the Parish of Santo Agostinho, Diocese of São Miguel Paulista, in Itaquera (São Paulo, Brazil). This celebration took place in early 2009.

The word "axé" (x pronounced as sh), according to our source, stems from a Yoruba religious greeting used in African-Brazilian pagan religions and means "soul", "light", or "spirit".

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Source: Brazilian reader

Jewish-Catholic Dialogue: Not an invitation to baptism

On June 18, 2009, the Committee on Doctrine and the Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs of the USCCB issued the "Note on Ambiguities Contained in Reflections on Covenant and Mission" (please see the Rorate post on this document.)

Now a clarification on the clarification has been issued. On October 5, 2009, the USCCB issued a "Statement of Principles" affirming, among other things, that "Jewish-Catholic dialogue, one of the blessed fruits of the Second Vatican Council, has never been and will never be used by the Catholic Church as a means of proselytism – nor is it intended as a disguised invitation to baptism.” (Statement of Principles #3, emphasis mine). The statement of principles accompanied a letter from Francis Cardinal George and four other prelates responding to a letter from several rabbis attacking the June 18 "Note". In their letter, in addition to affirming that they expect to encounter Jews "faithful to the Mosaic covenant" in Jewish-Christian dialogue, the bishops also stated that the following passage will be removed from the "Note on Ambiguities":

"For example, Reflections on Covenant and Mission proposes interreligious dialogue as a form of evangelization that is 'a mutually enriching sharing of gifts devoid of any intention whatsoever to invite the dialogue partner to baptism.' Though Christian participation in interreligious dialogue would not normally include an explicit invitation to baptism and entrance into the Church, the Christian dialogue partner is always giving witness to the following of Christ, to which all are implicitly invited."

The final sentence had been the particular object of ire of certain rabbis, who considered it an invitation to "apostasy."

For more details: Bishops revise commentary on Catholic-Jewish dialogue

Uh-oh

From our friend Chris Gillibrand, at Catholic Church Conservation:

Investigations against SSPX Bishop progressing [BILD]

After months of cliffhanging, the investigation into the controversial Bishop and Holocaust denier Richard Williamson is progressing again. According to the Regensburg Prosecutor's Office on Monday, the case now has before them a declaration of a Swedish television company. A reporter from Sweden interviewed last year, the bishop of the ultra-conservative SSPX. Williamson had forcibly relativised the mass murder of Jews. Because of legal issues, a journalist in Sweden could not so far be questioned. Now, the investigators are examining the new letter.

Metropolitan John of Pergamon: No imminent reunion between Orthodoxy and Catholicism

On September 26, 2009, Metropolitan John (Zizioulas) of Pergamon, the Ecumenical Patriarchate's most prominent exponent of ecumenical dialogue, sent a letter to the Metropolitans of the Orthodox Church of Greece denouncing the vehement opposition within that Church to dialogue with Rome. In the course of the letter the Metropolitan states:

3. It is being propagated very falsely and conspiringly that the signing of the union of the Churches is imminent! A professor emeritus of Theology, who is well known for his ill-will towards my person, had visited a Hierarch of the Church of Greece and had told him that he knew with certainty (!) that the union had already been signed (in Ravenna!) and that the relative announcement was a matter of time!!! Clergy and laity have approached me and asked me if it is true that the union is to be signed in Cyprus, in October! Obviously, a feeling of unrest is being attempted among the people of God through this behaviour, with unpredictable consequences for the unity of the Church. However, those who are disseminating these things are fully aware (as long as they have not been blinded by empathy, fanaticism or a mania for self-projection), firstly, that the ongoing theological Dialogue has yet to span an extremely long course, because the theological differences that have accumulated during the one thousand years of division are many; and secondly, that the Committee for the Dialogue is entirely unqualified for the "signing" of a union, given that this right belongs to the Synods of the Churches. Therefore, why all the misinformation? Can't the disseminators of these false "updates" think of what the consequences will be for the unity of the Church? «He who agitates (God's people) shall bear the blame, whoever he may be» (Galatians 5:10)

While the letter is directed towards some sectors of the Orthodox Church of Greece, its strictures are doubtless applicable as well to certain Catholic journalists, apologists and clerics who have been perpetually predicting the imminent reunion of Orthodoxy and Catholicism, without regard for the continued dogmatic differences (whether real or perceived) between the two. The letter also shows how imprudent and unrealistic talk about "imminent reconciliation" only causes renewed anti-Roman agitation within the Orthodox Churches.

Also of interest: a letter from the very anti-Roman Metropolitan Seraphim of Pireaus, quoting the harsh denunciation by Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople in 1997 of papal infallibility and of the Filioque -- something that I suspect some of our professional ecumenists, with their rose-tinted glasses, have either not read or do not want to read.

"Stand up, stand up, People of God!"

Chorus:

Debout, debout, Peuple de Dieu ! [Stand up, stand up, People of God!]

Debout, debout, tous les vivants ! [Stand up, stand up, all living things!]

Debout, debout, Peuple de Dieu ! [Stand up, stand up, People of God!]

Le monde t'attend ! [The world expects you!]

Mass after the pilgrimage of young Catholics (14-17) from Strasbourg to the church of Notre Dame du Chêne, in Plobsheim (France) - Pentecost Monday, 2009.

The face of the Church in Canada

The now famous former Bishop of Antigonish, Nova Scotia, was released on bail to faces charges of possession of child pornography. Look at the picture of the bishop surrounded by his lawyers: isn't he the perfect poster boy for the Church in Canada?

As you read the CBC report above, a reader notices, "note the difference between the settlement and the arrest dates (5 days) and the total absence of the word 'sin' in all the statements".

Fellay watch

From Spanish blog Sector Católico:

[T]he superior general of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X [FSSPX / SSPX], Bishop Bernard Fellay, would have been seen in Saint Peter's Square [near the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith] last Friday, September 25. The rumors of a new rapprochement between the Holy See and this movement are, therefore, still on the rise.

Scandal in BrazilBishops' Conference Chairman defends appointment of abortion supporter to Supreme Court

Our reader Marcos Mattke reports from Brazil:

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Our National Conference of Bishops (CNBB) is supporting a lawyer that is a well known ally of our president and DEFENDS ABORTION AND RESEARCH WITH EMBRYONIC CELLS and who was appointed by the President for the Supreme Federal Court. If his indication is approved it will be loss to pro-life fight because the liberalization of abortion is in the docket for judgment at the Supreme Court.

First, an introduction to an interview granted by the appointed lawyer to the country's most read weekly [Veja] earlier this year:

José Antônio Toffoli has been the personal lawyer of President Lula in the last three [presidential] campaigns, occuppied the juridical consultancy of the Office of Chief of Staff in the administration of the former minister José Dirceu and, since March of 2007, he has been the Solicitor-General of the government - sort of a legal consultant of the government. At the age of 41, he is preparing himself for a big leap in his career: he is the favorite in the Planalto [Presidential Palace] to fill one of the two positions of Justice of the Supreme Federal Court that will be open before the end of 2010. Toffoli says that he will accept the position if he is invited, but he rejects the suggestions that he will be a soldier of the Workers' Party [the government party] in the Court. In an interview to VEJA, the young lawyer ... defends the decriminalization of abortion and gay marriage - even though he is a practicing Catholic, the brother of a priest and nephew of a monsignor and goes assiduously to Sunday Mass.

Now, the declaration of the Chairman of the Brazilian Bishops's Conference, Bishop Dimas Lara Barbosa, in an interview published today:

The secretary-general of the CNBB [Conferência Nacional dos Bispos do Brasil - National Conference of the Bishops of Brazil], Bishop Dimas Lara Barbosa, defended the appointment of the Solicitor-General, Minister José Antônio Dias Toffoli, to the STF [Supreme Federal Court] this Tuesday. The bishop said that Toffoli, a Catholic by formation, has the competency to take over the position of Justice Menezes Direito in the Court - who died one month ago.

"The Minister has declared to be a Catholic person. Father Toffoli himself attested to the competency and ethical behavior of his brother. Therefore, we expect that the Judiciary may exert its function with the collaboration of the future Justice in order to make justice happen in our country", the bishop affirmed.

The lawyer is the brother of Father José Carlos Toffoli, a former assistant of the CNBB. Toffoli will be heard this Wednesday by the CCJ [Constitution and Justice Committee] of the Senate. His name must be approved by the full Senate before being named to the STF.

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Well, what else could one expect from the most "Progressive" Episcopal Conference in the world?