Pope Benedict's Resignation

We at CatholicTV are lifting Pope Benedict up in prayer as he works through the remaining weeks of his papacy. We profoundly respect the humility of his decision, and our love and prayers are with him.

CatholicTV covered the Boston Catholic Press Conference on Tuesday, and we aired it that night. We'll be airing interviews from the event in the coming weeks, and devoting some of our programming to the ministry of Pope Benedict as we prepare to cover conclave in March.

Missed the press conference? You can watch it right here:

 
Stay updated on our coverage of the transition over the next few weeks by checking in with us on Twitter and Facebook.

Honoring Pope Benedict XVI

THE CATHOLICTV NETWORK TO AIR SPECIAL PROGRAMMING HONORING POPE BENEDICT XVI

 

WATERTOWN, MA (February 11, 2013) On Tuesday, February 12, 2013 the CatholicTV Network will air special programming honoring Pope Benedict XVI, after his resignation, set for February 28, 2013.

“After having repeatedly examined my conscience before God, I have come to the certainty that my strengths due to an advanced age are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry,” Pope Benedict XVI told the cardinals. “I am well aware that this ministry, due to its essential spiritual nature, must be carried out not only by words and deeds but no less with prayer and suffering.

“However, in today’s world, subject to so many rapid changes and shaken by questions of deep relevance for the life of faith, in order to govern the bark of St. Peter and proclaim the Gospel, both strength of mind and body are necessary — strengths which in the last few months, has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me.”

 

The CatholicTV Network will air a special episode of House+Home: Papal Household. CatholicTV had the chance to go inside the walls of the Vatican, into Pope Benedict XVI's private residence and captured intimate details of his daily life. This will air at 11AM ET. This program can also be watched on www.YouTube.com/CatholicTV.

The CatholicTV Network will also air Benedict XVI: Love Affair with the Truth, a program from Rome Report which takes a look at the life of Joseph Ratzinger and the pontificate of Pope Benedict XVI at 11:30AM ET followed by Pope Benedict XVI – My Vatican, a documentary on the Pope’s daily life at the Vatican at 12:30PM ET.

As CatholicTV receives additional information from the Vatican, we will update you on CatholicTV and www.CatholicTV.com.

 

CatholicTV
Shannon Muldoon

Public Relations Coordinator

617-923-0220

Over 10,000 Sign Petition to Spread CatholicTV as Pope Calls on Church Leaders to Speak ‘New Language’ of Mass Media

Over 10,000 people have signed a petition used to encourage cable and satellite television providers to add CatholicTV to their channel line ups.

CatholicTV employees have travelled to conferences, retreats, and trade shows in many different states collecting names for its petition.

CatholicTV supporters recently made an impact in Worcester, Massachusetts, where dozens of attendees at a Catholic Men’s Conference signed letters requesting that CatholicTV be added to Charter Cable’s lineup. A few months later, CatholicTV was added to Charter Cable’s lineup.

Interestingly, the number of petition signers crossed 10,000 around the same time (March 1st) as Pope Benedict addressed participants of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications.

CatholicTV created its own social networking site, iCatholic.com in 2010. Since then, members have formed an online prayer community where they discuss their Catholic faith, and share pictures, stories, and videos.

CatholicTV originated as the world’s first diocesan television station in 1955. CatholicTV currently broadcasts on cable throughout New England, Detroit, Baton Rouge, and on Fi-TV in Chattanooga. CatholicTV also airs nationally on Sky Angel, and streams its broadcast online 24 hours per day at CatholicTV.com. Viewers may watch the online broadcast completely free of charge or obligation.

CatholicTV’s petition to help spread its broadcast reach can be signed online at http://www.CatholicTV.com/helpus

CatholicTV is also giving away Flip (portable camcorder) cameras to some petition signers in order to encourage more supporters to sign the petition. The most recent winner of a Flip camera was Karen M of Colorado.

CatholicTV to Air Assumption Mass From Italy With Pope Benedict

On August 15th, CatholicTV will air the Mass of the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary with Pope Benedict XVI presiding. The Mass will take place at the Parish Church of Saint Thomas of Villanova in Castel Gandolfo, Italy.

This Mass will air at CatholicTV.com and on CatholicTV at noon and will rebroadcast at 8PM (both times Eastern).

CatholicTV Receives Gabriel Award As Pope Greets Participants of Media Convention

On June 3^rd, CatholicTV’s Director Fr. Robert Reed and General Manager Jay Fadden accepted the Gabriel Award for “Religious Television Station of the Year” by the Catholic Academy For Communications Arts Professionals (CACAP).

The award was given at the Catholic Media Convention in New Orleans. On June 2^nd, Catholic News Agency reported that the Pope, “Speaking in English to pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square for the general audience, [he] told convention goers that to “touch hearts,” communications media must present witnesses of Christ’s grace to the people.”

The Holy Father also said on Wednesday that the theme of the Catholic Media Convention (Spreading the Good News- Byte by Byte) “highlights the extraordinary potential of new media to bring the message of Christ and the teaching of his Church to the attention of a wider public.”

The CACAP has sponsored the Gabriel Awards for over 40 years. This year’s awards include among others NBC Nightly News’ "Making a Difference" Series, and "Interrupted Lives: Catholic Sisters Under European Communism" by NewGroup Media.

Father Robert Reed said of the award: “It is a tremendous honor for us to be given this prestigious Gabriel Award, not for a specific program, but rather for our entire network. I hold in deep esteem our team members and on-air personalities as well as the entire CatholicTV family of viewers who have sustained the network for some 56 years. This Gabriel Award is a tribute to their dedication and commitment to America’s Catholic Television Network.”

Jay Fadden said, “This impressive award not only reflects the professional and hard work of our entire staff and the leadership of Cardinal Sean O’Malley, but is recognition of the faith of the many loyal viewers who have supported CatholicTV for over 55 years.”

The Gabriel Awards were originated by the Catholic Academy for Communication Arts Professionals in 1965. They were designed to honor works of broadcast excellence that have a positive and creative treatment of concerns to mankind.

"The single most important criterion of a Gabriel winning program is its ability to uplift and nourish the human spirit. Gabriel-worthy programs affirm the dignity of human beings, and recognize and uphold universally-recognized human values such as community, creativity, tolerance, justice, compassion and the dedication to excellence."

CACAP is an organization of professionals in the fields of Catholic print and audiovisual communications, as well as Catholic communications/public relations directors. More about CACAP and the Gabriel Awards is available at http://www.catholicacademy.org/

Vatican Prayer Vigil and Mass Marking End of Year For Priests Will Air on CatholicTV

On June 10^th and June 11^th, CatholicTV will air the prayer vigil and Mass from the Vatican marking the end of the Year For Priests.

The prayer vigil and Mass will be viewable at CatholicTV.com and on CatholicTV.

The schedule is as follows (Eastern Time):

June 10-St. Peter’s Square prayer vigil with priests 8 p.m.

June 11-Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus; Mass for the close of the Year for Priests

Noon and 8 p.m.

In May 2009, the Vatican announced that a Plenary Indulgence would be given to priests and faithful who take the necessary steps. Below are the necessary steps for the faithful:

“All truly penitent Christian faithful who, in church or oratory, devotedly attend Holy Mass and offer prayers to Jesus Christ, supreme and eternal Priest, for the priests of the Church, or perform any good work to sanctify and mould them to His Heart, are granted Plenary Indulgence, on the condition that they have expiated their sins through Sacramental Confession and prayed in accordance with the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff. This may be done on the opening and closing days of the Year of Priests, on the 150th anniversary of the death of St. Jean Marie Vianney, on the first Thursday of the month, or on any other day established by the ordinaries of particular places for the good of the faithful.

According the USCCB website, the closing day for the Year For Priests is on June 19, 2010.

Papal programming can be viewed at CatholicTV.com and on CatholicTV. Archived Papal Programming can be accessed now at http://www.catholictv.com/pope-benedict-xvi.aspx (including Fatima visit, Pentecost, and more).

Journey to Malta with CatholicTV

CatholicTV will broadcast the two-day papal visit to the Maltese Islands beginning at noon on April 17th. The Pope has a busy schedule following the footsteps of the Apostle Paul. 2010 commemorates the 1950th anniversary of Paul's shipwreck there, that accident made it possible for Paul to minister and and bring the Good News to the beautiful and picturesque islands of Malta.

CatholicTV coverage includes:

Saturday, April 17th, 2010 at noon

*Pope's arrival and welcome at the International of Malta in Luqa
* Visit to the President of the Republic, President George Abela,

at the Grand Masters' Palace of Valletta

* Visit to the Cave of Saint Paul in Rabat

Sunday, April 18th, 2010 at noon

*Holy Mass at the Floriana Granaries
* Regina Caeli
* Meeting with the young people at the Great Port of Valletta

* Farewell ceremony at the International Airport of Malta in Luqa

This apostolic journey gives viewers the chance to accompany Pope Benedict and see the wonder and beauty of the Maltese Islands.

CatholicTV Will Air Vespers Service With Pope on Feast of Conversion of St. Paul

On Monday, January 25, CatholicTV will air the Celebration of Vespers presided over by Pope Benedict XVI from the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls in Rome.

This Vespers service will air on CatholicTV cable outlets and on CatholicTV.com at 8PM and will be rebroadcast at noon the following day (all times Eastern).

This Vespers service takes place at the conclusion of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Each year the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and the Commission on Faith and Order of the World Council of Churches chooses a theme for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. This year, 2010, the theme is based on the biblical verse of Luke 24:48: You Are Witnesses of These Things. Honoring the Week of Prayer takes place between the feasts of Saints Peter and Paul. The week gives Christians an annual opportunity to continue to work towards unity which is already shared in Christ. It is also a time to gather in praise of the Triune God and to deepen the understanding of the ecumenical movement.

During the same feast in 2009, the Pope spoke of conversion in his homily saying, “one recognizes that this new journey cannot come from oneself. It consists in letting oneself be conquered by Christ. As St Paul says: "I am racing to grasp the prize if possible, since I have been grasped by Christ [Jesus]" (Phil 3: 12). Conversion demands our "yes", my "racing"; ultimately it is not my action, but a gift in letting myself be formed by Christ.”

CatholicTV regularly airs Papal and Vatican events: More information can be found at http://www.CatholicTV.com/shows/default.aspx?seriesID=57

Advent Vespers Service With Pope Benedict XVI Will Air at CatholicTV.com

On Sunday, November 29th, CatholicTV.com will air the Vespers service with Pope Benedict XVI from St. Peter’s Basilica. November 29th is the first Sunday of Advent. The Vespers service will air simultaneously on CatholicTV where available.

The Vespers service will air at noon (EST) and again at 8PM. CatholicTV will air additional special events with Pope Benedict XVI from the Vatican during the Advent and Christmas season.

CatholicTV is a nationally-broadcasted television network headquartered near Boston. CatholicTV streams its broadcast simultaneously, 24 hours a day at www.CatholicTV.com

These special events will include the following (broadcast times in parentheses): The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception on December 8 (noon and 8PM), Christmas Eve Mass (11PM), and New Year’s Eve Vespers (noon and 8PM)

CatholicTV regularly airs Papal events. Details on CatholicTV Papal Programming as well as archived videos can be viewed at http://www.catholictv.com/shows/default.aspx?seriesID=57

All online shows at CatholicTV.com are viewable free of charge.

Coverage of President Obama’s Vatican Visit To Be Televised On CatholicTV

On Friday, July 10th, Pope Benedict will meet with President Barack Obama in Rome. Coverage of this Vatican event will be televised on CatholicTV.com and on CatholicTV where available.

Once they've allowed the photographers their opportunity, Pope Benedict and President Obama will speak alone and in private for what will likely be less than one hour.

The meeting between the Pope and President Obama will be broadcast on July 10th, at noon (Eastern) and will be rebroadcast at 8PM.

Pope’s June 21st Visit of Padre Pio Will Air on CatholicTV

On Sunday, June 21st Pope Benedict XVI will visit Padre Pio’s tomb at San Giovanni Rotundo, Italy. His visit will include adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, a visit of Padre Pio’s tomb, Mass, and finally a meeting with employees of the hospital which Padre Pio established.

Television coverage of this papal visit will be broadcast online at CatholicTV.com and also on CatholicTV where available.

The Pope’s schedule for Sunday, June 21st will be as follows (local time, Rome, Italy):

The Pope will arrive on Sunday by helicopter at 9:15AM, and take the Popemobile through the city until arriving at Our Lady of Grace Sanctuary.There, representatives of the community of Capuchin Friars Minor will welcome him, and he will have a time of adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. The Holy Father will also visit the first cell of the monastery, where Padre Pio died in 1968. Then, the Pontiff will go to the crypt to pray before the tomb of the saint. There he will be accompanied only by Capuchins. He will light two candles before the tomb, symbolizing his apostolic visit and that of Pope John Paul II.Benedict XVI will vest for Mass in the sacristy there and be transferred by Popemobile to the Plaza of the Church of San Pio de Pietrelcina, where he will preside over a 10:15AM Eucharistic celebration. After Mass, he will pray the midday Angelus in the same place.At 4:45PM, the Holy Father will meet with directors, employees and patients of the hospital established by Padre Pio, the Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza the "Home to Relieve Suffering." Afterward, the Pope will return to the Church of San Pio de Pietrelcina, where he will meet with priests, religious and youth. The Pontiff will return to Rome by helicopter, arriving at the Vatican at 7:30.

The Pope’s visit will broadcast on CatholicTV on Sunday, June 21st at 8PM (Eastern). This visit will rebroadcast on Monday, June 22nd at noon.

To begin the Year of the Priest on Friday, June 19th, CatholicTV.com and CatholicTV will also air Vespers from St. Peter’s Basilica. Pope Benedict has announced the Church will celebrate a special year for priests to begin on June 19th, the 150th anniversary of the death of the Cure d'Ars, St Jean Vianney. The Pope will inaugurate the year on June 19th by presiding at Vespers in St Peter's Basilica, where the relics of the 'Cure of Ars' will be brought for the occasion by Bishop Guy Bagnard of Belley-Ars, France.

Vespers will air at CatholicTV.com and on CatholicTV on Friday, June 19th at 8:30PM (Eastern) and will rebroadcast at noon on Saturday, June 20th. Throughout the year CatholicTV will offer special presentations to honor the Year of the Priest.

Papal Visit to the Holy Land - Benedict asks the crowd to Keep Families Strong

At yesterday's Mass in Nazareth, Pope Benedict XVI encouraged the crowd of approximately 40,000 to keep families strong and loving, no matter what faith. This took place at Mt. Precipice near the areas where the Holy Family lived and where Mary gave her "fiat" to the angel Gabriel when asked to give birth to the Son of God.

"Let everyone reject the destructive power of hatred and prejudice, which kills men's souls before it kills their bodies," the pope said during his homily

Stay tuned to CatholicTV on cable each day at 8pm and again the following day at noon for coverage or PopeinIsrael.com

CatholicTV: Pope's visit to Holy Land

May 8-15, tune in each evening at 8:00 p.m. (EDT) to see all the highlights from the day's events with Pope Benedict XVI in the Holy Land. In the meantime, relive past travels of Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI. This year's events will be archived here as well. Please share videos with friends and family.

Friday, May 8

Arrival in Amman, Jordan

Saturday, May 9

Vespers from St. George Melkite Cathedral

Sunday, May 10

Mass from Amman Soccer Stadium and visit to
the site of Jesus Baptism

Monday, May 11

Arrival in Israel and visit to Yad Vashem
Holocaust Memorial

Tuesday, May 12

Visit to holy sites including Dome of the Rock and
Western Wall, and Mass in the Valley of Josaphat

Wednesday, May 13

Visit to Bethlehem and Mass in Manger Square

Friday, May 14

Visit to Galilee and Mass in Nazareth

Tune in CatholicTV coverage each day at 8:00 p.m. (EDT) with encore broadcasts at noon the following day.

CatholicTV in HD

For the first time, CatholicTV^® will broadcast Holy Week services from The Cathedral of the Holy Cross in High-Definition. All the events from the Cathedral can be seen here at Your Catholic Broadband Network in HD with Digital Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound.

To watch the Great Vigil of Easter live on Saturday evening at 8:00 pm, please go to this special page: http://catholictv.com/HD-Holy-Week.aspx

The Schedule for The Sacred Triduum on CatholicTV:

+ Thursday, April 9: The Chrism Mass from Rome at 11 a.m.; Mass of the Lord’s Supper from Rome at 2:30 p.m.; and the Cathedral Mass of the Lord’s Supper at 7:30 p.m. (HD)

+ Friday, April 10: The Cathedral Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion services at 3 p.m. (HD); Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion from Rome at 5 p.m.; and Way of the Cross with the Holy Father at 8 p.m.

+ Saturday, April 11: The Easter Vigil from Rome 4 p.m. and the Cathedral Easter Vigil at 8 p.m. (HD)

+ Sunday, April 12: Easter Mass from Notre Dame at 10 a.m. and Easter Mass from Rome Pope Benedict XVI at 11:30 a.m.

Ash Wednesday Mass from Rome

CatholicTV is presently broadcasting the Ash Wednesday Mass from Rome this Ash Wednesday. The procession will begin at the Basilica of San Anselmo and will conclude at Rome’s Basilica of Santa Sabina.

Prior to Mass, the Holy Father presided at brief prayer in the nearby Church of San Anselmo on Rome’s Aventine Hill. This is also where the ashes are blessed.

During the Mass at Santa Sabina, the Pope will also preside over the traditional rite of blessing and imposition of ashes.

The Vatican pointed out in a communiqué that the day’s activity will continue an ancient Lenten tradition, long held by the Church in Rome of celebrating Mass in designated "station" or churches, which change each year.

All of this is airing on CatholicTV and a live stream at CatholicTV.com on Wednesday, Feb 25th and will include English translation. The airtimes will be 12:30PM and an encore presentation at 8:00PM.

CatholicTV 's eye on the Consistory

Pope Benedict XVI created 23 new cardinals today, including 2 Americans. This new group of Red Hats includes 18 electors who under the age of 80 and therefore eligible to vote for the next pope.

The two Americans are Cardinal John Foley who served for 23 years as President of the Pntifical Council for Social Communication and Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of Galveston-Houston. DiNardo, born in Steubenville, Ohio, and a priest of the Pittsburgh diocese, also served in the Congregation for Bishops from 1984 until 1990. In the case of Cardinal DiNardo, many feel that the red hat is considered a recognition of the shifting Catholic population in the United States, away from its long-held center on the East Coast toward the Southwest.

A consistory is the gathering of Cardinals and the ceremony in which the nominees formally become members of the College. The appointments bring the total number of American cardinals to 17, and the number of cardinal-electors to 13.