Pope Benedict XVI: February 2006 Archives

Into the Desert with the Pope.

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With Lent quickly approaching, here are a couple of handy links from Zenit - my favorite source for ecclesial primary documents:

  • Pope Benedict XVI's message for Lent. A must-read, this message's surprising focus is on development. Benedict subtly addresses a severe temptation during Lent: to turn completely inward. Of course, Lent is a time for personal prayer, purification and mortification through meditation on the paschal mysteries in preparation for the celebration of these same mysteries in the Easter Triduum. Yet in this message the Pope calls us out of ourselves and reminds us that a necessary fruit of this purification is "to become conformed to [Christ's] 'gaze,'" that, the Holy Father says, "impels us to affirm the true content of this "complete humanism" that, according to Paul VI, consists in the "fully-rounded development of the whole man and of all men."

    Like I said, a must-read.

  • The Pope's address before praying the Angelus with the faithful this past Sunday.
    A wonderful pre-Lent pep-talk. Benedict reminds us to face Lent with a "new spirit of the one who has found in Jesus and his paschal mystery the meaning of life, and now feels that everything must make reference to him." Our Lenten penance should proceed from a positive love for God and desire for Him to be the center of our life rather than a dour, negative attitude of duty, which he dubs the "old spirit."

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Pope announces New Cardinals, Consistory

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At today's weekly general audience, the Holy Father announced that a consistory will take place on March 24 at which he will create 15 new cardinals.

The names are:

  • Archbishop William Joseph Levada, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
  • Archbishop Franc Rode C.M., prefect of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life.
  • Archbishop Agostino Vallini, prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura.
  • Archbishop Jorge Liberato Urosa Savino of Caracas, Venezuela.
  • Archbishop Gaudencio B. Rosales of Manila, Philippines.
  • Archbishop Jean-Pierre Ricard of Bordeaux, France.
  • Archbishop Antonio Canizares Llovera of Toledo, Spain.
  • Archbishop Nicholas Cheong Jin-suk of Seoul, Korea.
  • Archbishop Sean Patrick O'Malley O.F.M. Cap., of Boston, U.S.A.
  • Archbishop Stanislaw Dziwisz of Krakow, Poland.
  • Archbishop Carlo Caffarra of Bologna, Italy.
  • Bishop Joseph Zen Ze-kiun S.D.B. of Hong Kong, China
  • Archbishop Andrea Cordero Lanza di Montezemolo, archpriest of the Basilica of St. Paul's Outside-the-Walls.
  • Archbishop Peter Poreku Dery, emeritus of Tamale, Ghana.
  • Fr. Albert Vanhoye S.J., formerly rector of the Pontifical Biblical Institute and secretary of the Pontifical Biblical Commission.

What strikes me most about this is the internationa flavor of the list, particularly the two Asian cardinals. Note also the elevation of Archbishop Dziwisz, who served as the longtime personal secretary of Pope Johm Paul II and who is now the late pope's successor in the see of Krakow. Poland is surely rejoicing today over the elevation of one of its hometown boys who made very, very good.

The last three names on the list are all over the age of 80 and thus unable to vote for a new pope in the event of a conclave. Pope Benedict has decided to maintain the limit of 120 cardinal-electors established by Pope Paul VI and ignored by JPII.

In addition to the consistory, the Pope also invited all of the cardinals of the world to the Vatican on March 23 for "a meeting of reflection and prayer." What an amazing event to think about! This year, the feast of the Annunciation on March 25 is going to have a very special additional grace attached to it.

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Papa Ratzi coming to town?

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CNA reports that Cardinal Keeler of Baltimore has hinted that Pope Benedict XVI may be visiting America in 2007.

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About this Archive

This page is a archive of entries in the Pope Benedict XVI category from February 2006.

Pope Benedict XVI: January 2006 is the previous archive.

Pope Benedict XVI: March 2006 is the next archive.

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