Posts Tagged ‘Pope Benedict XVI’

Pray for Pope Benedict and the Cardinal Electors

As Pope Benedict XVI comes to the end of his ministry at 8pm tonight (Roman local time), we offer two simple prayers to say over the coming days.

The first is for the retiring Pope, written by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales; the second is for those electing his successor.

Prayer for Pope Benedict XVI

Almighty ever-living God, who has given your faithful servant Benedict grace to maintain his faith and hope in you amid the labours of his apostolic ministry; graciously bestow upon him, we pray, the consolations of your Holy Spirit and uphold him in serenity of life. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us. St Peter, pray for us. St Paul, pray for us. St Benedict, pray for us. All holy men and women, pray for us.

Prayer for the Conclave

Heavenly Father, We the People of God, gathered in solidarity as did the disciples in the Upper Room, pray for the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the cardinals who will be in conclave for the election of the next Vicar of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

May the hearts of our cardinals be open to the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, beyond human judgment, to elect the candidate most pleasing to you, Heavenly Father, and who will guide the Church at this momentous time in history at the beginning of the Third Millennium.

We invoke our Mother Mary, we entrust this conclave to her maternal and Immaculate Heart, and offer this prayer for her guidance and protection over the choosing of the next Vicar of her Son.

Amen

Of related interest:

Election of a Pope Election of a Pope (revised ed.) -This booklet explains the new norms promulgated by John Paul II in 1996 and combines the technical with the historical and spiritual elements of the process to produce a unique and highly informative summary.
Benedict XVI Benedict XVI Biography – revised ed – Here we discover a ‘humble and thoroughly kind man’, a leading thinker very much in touch with this modern age.
Thursday, 28 February 2013 12:49

CTS authors reflect on Pope Benedict – Deacon Nick Donnelly

With Pope Benedict XVI having just minutes ago finished his last general audience, Deacon Nick Donnelly, CTS author and successful blogger at Protectthepope.com tells us what he will remember of the Holy Father’s time guiding the bark of St. Peter.

“One of the major themes of Pope Benedict XVI’s pontificate that has made a lasting impression on my understanding about what it means to be a Catholic is his teaching on the essential relationship between love and truth, which was the title of his third encyclical, Caritas in veritate. The Holy Father teaches that we must always keep love and truth together, because if we don’t we inevitably distort the gospel entrusted to us by Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Liberal Catholics make the mistake of focusing on love, forgetting truth, and land up accepting all kinds of sinful behaviour such as abortion, contraception, active homosexuality, and euthanasia. Fundamentalist Catholics make the mistake of focusing on truth, forgetting love, and land up condemning and rejecting people. I must admit that I find it difficult to get the balance right at times, but the Holy Father’s example has encouraged me to keep trying.

We will honour the legacy of Pope Benedict in years to come by seeking to always hold truth and love together, challenging others with the truth, and loving them with compassion and understanding.”

Rev Nick Donnelly
Diocese of Lancaster

Of related interest:

Election of a Pope Election of a Pope (revised ed.) -This booklet explains the new norms promulgated by John Paul II in 1996 and combines the technical with the historical and spiritual elements of the process to produce a unique and highly informative summary.
Benedict XVI Benedict XVI Biography – revised ed – Here we discover a ‘humble and thoroughly kind man’, a leading thinker very much in touch with this modern age.
Wednesday, 27 February 2013 12:05

CTS authors reflect on Pope Benedict – Barry Midgley

Barry Midgley, a prolific biographer for CTS, gives us his thoughts on Pope Benedict XVI’s resignation.

With loving care for the Church Pope Benedict prevents frailty from undermining capability. Aware of human fallibility, he has disseminated orthodox Catholic teaching, defended Christian values in the face of mounting secularization, and confronted clerical child abuse with paternal sympathy for victims while maintaining the dignity of Christ’s Church.

Though problems have not entirely disappeared a healing process has begun. His memorable visit to Britain in 2010 won admiration and affection from all
denominations and faiths for a matchless theological, writer, linguist and musician and, despite a short reign, history will number him among the great Popes.

Barry Midgley has written a large number of CTS biographies of saints.

Of related interest:

Election of a Pope Election of a Pope (revised ed.) -This booklet explains the new norms promulgated by John Paul II in 1996 and combines the technical with the historical and spiritual elements of the process to produce a unique and highly informative summary.
Benedict XVI Benedict XVI Biography – revised ed – Here we discover a ‘humble and thoroughly kind man’, a leading thinker very much in touch with this modern age.
Monday, 25 February 2013 12:28

CTS authors reflect on Pope Benedict – Stratford Caldecott

Stratford Caldecott is one of the commissioning editors here at CTS, who has had the privilege of working with the Holy Father on the theological journal Communio.

When we asked him for his reaction to Benedict XVI’s announcement of his resignation last week, he told us:

“My feelings were mixed when I heard the news about Pope Benedict’s abdication. I was surprised, certainly, but also pleased to think that he would have some peace, some time to pray without the burdens of office.

I admired the spiritual freedom he demonstrated in making this decision, I am sure after long and prayerful consideration. As the theologian Joseph Ratzinger, he had been one of the founders (along with his friends Hans Urs Von Balthasar and Henri de Lubac) of the international theological journal Communio, which has done more than any other to shape the way the Church has interpreted the Second Vatican Council. It continues to be an important influence.

As a member of the editorial board of the journal myself, I have had several occasions to meet him both before and after he became Pope, albeit in a group setting. I attended his lecture in Cambridge many years ago, and in 2001 I spoke at a liturgical conference that he chaired.

His personal courtesy and gentleness was admired by everyone, and his holiness has become ever more evident. But holiness, theological expertise, AND an ability to write like an angel are very rarely combined in one individual. More writings will come. And he has clearly not lost the ability to astonish.”

Of related interest:

Election of a Pope Election of a Pope (revised ed.) -This booklet explains the new norms promulgated by John Paul II in 1996 and combines the technical with the historical and spiritual elements of the process to produce a unique and highly informative summary.
Benedict XVI Benedict XVI Biography – revised ed – Here we discover a ‘humble and thoroughly kind man’, a leading thinker very much in touch with this modern age.
Friday, 22 February 2013 09:49

Benedict XVI – His papacy in his own words part 4

Pope Benedict’s second encyclical on Christian Hope, Spe Salvi, was published in 2007.

In this examination of the second theological virtue to be addressed by the Holy Father, he explored the Christian meaning of hope that has its roots in the gospel message, its importance, history and the vital need for it in the future of the Church and the world.

“The Gospel is not merely a communication of things that can be known—it is one that makes things happen and is life-changing. The dark door of time, of the future, has been thrown open. The one who has hope lives differently; the one who hopes has been granted the gift of a new life.”

(Spe Salvi 1.)

Spe Salvi is available from CTS priced £2.95

Of related interest:

Election of a Pope Election of a Pope (revised ed.) -This booklet explains the new norms promulgated by John Paul II in 1996 and combines the technical with the historical and spiritual elements of the process to produce a unique and highly informative summary.
Benedict XVI Benedict XVI Biography – revised ed – Here we discover a ‘humble and thoroughly kind man’, a leading thinker very much in touch with this modern age.
Thursday, 21 February 2013 09:40
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