There is not much I can add to the wonderful night that
just took place at St. Peter's.
It was
truly an extraordinary experience that was so presented so well by the
CatholicTV Network.The entire staff did
an excellent job in bringing these events into your home.It was truly a team effort.
Please pray for Pope Francis I. May
God guide him and protect him as he leads this Church we all love.
Rome is crying tears from heaven as the rain
comes down hard.Tim and I went to St.
Peter's Square early in the morning and I am glad we did.
As we entered the square I saw a lone figure
in the distance.
As I approached, I saw a man dressed in a burlap sack
kneeling on the hard stone ground praying.
I suddenly noticed that he had no shoes on and that his
feet were battered and worn.It was
clear that he had walked a lot of miles without shoes.
I watched him for quite a while.People would walk by him or take pictures of
him but he did not look at them.
My
first thought was that he was a beggar because there are a lot of those in
Rome.But he was not asking for
money.I saw a nun give him some coins
and I wondered if I should do the same.A number of thoughts crossed my mind:should I give him some money? who was he? was this a scam?
I decided to give him coins but
hesitated.I was nervous to approach
this man who was dirty and very different from me.Then I thought of the readings from the Mass
with the Cardinals yesterday and specifically "love one another".
I made my move.I approached him, held out the coins and he
opened his hand.The coins clang as they
fell into his hand.I thought that was
the end of my meeting with him and began to turn and walk away. But he thanked me and asked where I was from. He told me he was from Assisi.He pulled a pamphlet out of his bag and told
me to love the poor.He again thanked me
and said May God bless you.I walked
away.
I must have broken the ice because after I left a group
gathered around him and I could hear them asking questions.He answered in a very gentle way.
If you open up your heart and mind, if you don't let the fear of the unknown
limit you, the world expands.Love your
neighbor and God will love you.
CatholicTV is now airing a 30-part series of short videos called “Viaggio a Roma” (trip to Rome) which takes viewers on a tour of the eternal city.
Each video, which lasts about 3-5 minutes, features Fr. Robert Reed discussing the history and significance of such sites as St. Peter’s Square, the Vatican Gardens, Church of St. Peter in Chains, the Roman Coliseum, and more.
CatholicTV will add several new videos each week to its website at www.CatholicTV.com/Viaggio-a-Roma and will also air these 3-5 minutes clips throughout the week.
Below is a list of the various sites featured on Viaggio a Roma:
Via Della Concilizione, St. Peter’s Square, Castel San Angelo, Nave of St. Peter’s, St. Peter’s Basilica, tomb of Pope John Paul II, Vatican Gardens, Scavi Office, Swiss Guard Barracks, Piazza della Minerva, Piazza del Pantheone, Trevi Fountain, Piazza Navona, St. Paul Outside the Walls, St. John Lateran, St. Mary Major, Coliseum, Arch of Constantine, Roman Forum, Piazza Venezia, Campidoglio, The Capuchini Bone Chapel, Column of Marcus Aurelius, North American College, Boca della Verita, Circus Maximus, Church of St. Peter in Chains, Tiber River, Trastevere, Church of Santa Maria (in Trastevere).
On December 24th, CatholicTV will air a special episode of the talk show “This is the Day”. Most episodes of This is the Day are produced in the CatholicTV studios near Boston, but this episode will be partly produced from Vatican City.
This special Christmas edition of This is the Day will include an interview with a member of the Swiss Guard, Corporal Erwin Niederberger. Corporal Erwin will discuss the mission of the Swiss Guard and even answer interesting questions such as “What does the Swiss Guard do after the Pope dies?”
As usual, This is the Day will include news reporting by CatholicTV Senior Producer Kevin Nelson. The weekly CatholicTV treasure will be revealed only after a riddle will clue the audience into what the CatholicTV treasure is.
On November 20th, CatholicTV will air the Vatican consistory where Pope Benedict XVI will install 24 new cardinals. The following day, CatholicTV will air the the concelebrated Mass with the new cardinals where Pope Benedict will give the new cardinals their new golden rings which symbolize the cardinals’ bond with the papacy.
These new cardinals will include two Americans- former Archbishop of Saint Louis, Raymond Burke and Donald Wuerl, Archbishop of Washington, D.C.
The consistory and the Mass will air at CatholicTV.com and on CatholicTV at noon and 8PM (EST) on November 20th and 21st.
Cardinal Seán O’Malley, Archbishop of Boston will discuss the consistory and the new cardinals during his show “Conversations with Cardinal Seán”. This special episode will air during the week of November the 15th at the following times: Wednesday 1:30PM; Friday 4PM; and Saturday 4AM.
According to a Catholic New Agency article, “Cardinals are considered within the Church to be the Pope's closest advisors. All belong to the College of Cardinals, the body whose main function is to elect a new Pontiff. Cardinals under 80 years of age are allowed to vote in such an election, while those over 80 can serve only in the capacity of counselors. Traditionally, the number of voting-age cardinals is kept at 120, while the total number of cardinals -- including the non-voting cardinals -- has no specific limit.”
This will be the third time the Pope has called a consistory to create new cardinals. Pope Benedict has now named 62, or more than half, of the current College of Cardinals. The consistory will be held in the Sistine Chapel. Pope Benedict will concelebrate Mass with the new cardinals on November 21st at St. Peter's Basilica.
On October 20th, Pope Benedict said, “The universality of the church is reflected in the list of new cardinals.” Over a dozen countries are represented by the new cardinals, including four African countries, two Latin America countries, two Cardinals from North America, and one representing Asia.
CatholicTV will produce several programs in Rome, Italy during the week of September 20th-25th. CatholicTV invites its viewers and anyone interested to watch special videos and follow “tweets” online at CatholicTV’s Facebook and Twitter pages.
Father Robert Reed, President and Jay Fadden Executive Vice President and General Manager of the CatholicTV Network will lead the staff in producing shows including a series called “Viaggio a Roma” which explores some of the beautiful and holy places in Rome.
CatholicTV’s Facebook page will post daily videos of some of the various places filmed. The Viaggio a Roma series will include footage and commentary of: St. Peter’s Square, the Vatican Gardens, the Basilica of St. John Lateran, and many more sights and experiences of Rome.
CatholicTV plans to produce several new recitations of the rosary while in Rome. These devotions will be recorded at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, the Catacombs of Priscilla, and more.
CatholicTV will also record a special episode of the show “House + Home”, and its signature talk show “This is the Day” while in Rome.
CatholicTV asks that its supporters pray for CatholicTV and its employees especially during this trip to Rome.
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).
On June 10th and June 11th, 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).
CatholicTV will air vespers service from the Vatican at 8PM Eastern on New Year’s Eve. CatholicTV will also air the Mass of the Solemnity of Mary the Mother of God at noon and 8PM on Jan 1st. New Year’s Day will also mark the 43rd World Day of Peace originally introduced by Pope Paul VI.
These Vatican events will stream at www.CatholicTV.com and also on CatholicTV where available.
The World Day of Peace is a feast day of the Catholic Church dedicated to peace. It was introduced in 1967 and was inspired by the encyclicals Pacem in Terris and Populorum Progressio of John XXIII and Paul VI.
Pope Benedict has already released a message for World Day of Peace and in it, the Pope talks extensively about the need to be respectful to the environment, which is God’s creation.
Vespers service will include a homily by the Holy Father. In the first Vespers service of Advent, Pope Benedict XVI said, “In our daily lives we all experience having little time for the Lord and also little time for ourselves. We end by being absorbed in "doing". Is it not true that activities often absorb us and that society with its multiple interests monopolizes our attention? Is it not true that we devote a lot of time to entertainment and to various kinds of amusement? At times we get carried away. Advent, this powerful liturgical season that we are beginning, invites us to pause in silence to understand a presence. It is an invitation to understand that the individual events of the day are hints that God is giving us, signs of the attention he has for each one of us”.
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)
CANONIZATION OF BLESSED DAMIEN DE VEUSTER, JEANNE JUGAN AND OTHER BLESSEDS from St. Peter's Square on October 11th Canonization of Blesseds: Zygmunt Szczesny Felinski, Francesc Coll y Guitart, Jozef Damien de Veuster, Rafael Arnaiz Baron, and Mary of the Cross (Jeanne) Jugan.
MASS OF THANKSGIVING FOR CANONIZATION OF JEANNE JUGAN Foundress of the Little Sisters of the Poor on October 25th CatholicTV will air the Mass of Thanksgiving from the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. The Mass is offered in thanksgiving for the Canonization of Jeanne Jugan.
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.
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.
