You are not alone | Musings from Rome

Hello blogolites!

I hope all is well with you wherever you are reading this blog. For the third day in a row it was a rainy morning in the beautiful city of Rome. In a sense that was very appropriate because today we interviewed the pilgrims from Boston who were following the steps of Blessed John Paul II.

It was in 1979 that he visited Boston, Massachusetts and celebrated a Mass in an absolute downpour. During the the Mass, to great applause, he said, "America the beautiful, even in the rain."

So it was in this gloomy rainy backdrop today that the pilgrims would complete their journey from his birth and baptism in Poland, to his resting place inside St. Peter's Basilica. Father Chris O'Connor, who is leading this pilgrimage, celebrated Mass at the tomb of blessed JPII with the pilgrims as his congregation and with Father Jonathan Gaspar and Father Eric Bennett con-celebrating.

During his homily Father Chris said something that resonated with me. He used a line that Blessed John Paul II often quoted, "be not afraid."

During this time of Papal transition we are like a flock of sheep without our Shepard. We are almost adrift as we eagerly await the election of a new Holy Father. But we should not be afraid because God walks beside us to guide and comfort us in good times and bad. He only waits for us to invite Him into our hearts and minds. He is the anchor that keeps our boat buffeted from the waves of doubt and rocks of despair. How fortunate and loved we are as He calls all of us by name.

The world is waiting for our new Shepard but God is ever present and permeates the air we breathe and move in. As St. John said, " God is Love."

Thank you for reading my blog and know you are never alone!

Your Friend,

Jay

Feeling sorry for myself | Musings from Rome

Hello to all my blogolite (my new term) friends!

We just heard that a date was not set for Conclave in the morning session as they await the arrival of one final Cardinal. Today they discussed finance, which is required during the transition of a papacy.

I have to admit, when I heard the news that a date was not set I was disappointed. OK, I was more than disappointed. I was passing angry and going right to ticked on the emotion scale.

Don't get me wrong, I love Rome. In fact, it's my favorite city and I have a number of friends here. It's that I miss my family and I'm going to miss my children's play, sports playoffs, and most importantly their smiles. Don't the Cardinals know I have things to do?!

But I thought about it and realized something important. They do care that I have things to do, and they care that you have things to do, and they want to make sure they make the right decision so that this faith that is so important to all of us is protected.

They cannot rush to judgment. They need to take their time, pray, and make a decision that will be of benefit to the Church and the world.

What an awesome responsibility it is to be charged with being the Vicar of Christ. The Holy Spirit is part of these deliberation as are all of us through our thoughts and prayers. We need to trust in the process. We need to pray for these decision makers. We, and I especially mean me, need to realize that we are not picking out our furniture or a car; we are choosing the Apostolic Successor to Peter.

In a world that demands quick answers and instant updates, I say let's all slow down and become part of this historic moment, opening our hearts and minds to the reality that God does not have a stop watch.

Thank you my fellow blogolites and know I am thinking of you while in Rome.

Your friend,
Jay

Beauty Revealed | Musings from Rome

Hello to all my blog friends following our adventures in Rome!

Today Tim and I traveled to St Peter's square for an early morning interview. You'll be able to watch a video soon so stay tuned.

I love St. Peter's square. It is a blend of so many different people from around the world. By the time I left the square, the line to get into the Basilica stretched all the way around the colonnade to the other side. I felt like telling the pilgrims they had a LONG wait to get through to the metal detectors and security.

There are statues of the saints lining the colonnade. In the past few years the structures and statues have been cleaned due to the generosity of the Knights of Columbus. They look brand new. The Basilica had gotten so dirty over the centuries that it looked black instead of white and hid the beauty.

In fact, when they cleaned the area where the newly elected pope will walk out it revealed beautiful marble red columns and green marble above the door and on the side. At first people were outraged because they thought that the Vatican had painted those areas. What they did not know was that those were the original colors, and that they had been hidden by the grime over the centuries. Look to see if you notice it during coverage by CatholicTV!

That is all from Roma (that is my Italian).

Your friend,

Jay

Where is Kevin? | Musings from Rome

Hello to all my blog friends! Well it has been a busy day in Rome. 

 

Father Chris O'Connor from the Archdiocese of Boston is leading a pilgrimage through Poland and Rome.  I had the chance to briefly catch up with them in St. Peter's square and they are a wonderful group. 

 

Aldona, the Director of the Master of Arts and Ministry program is on the pilgrimage as well as students from MAM and the TINE program.  It is clear that they are having a blast.

 

Father Chris never slows down and they have a full schedule.  I spoke to several of the Pilgrims and one of the first questions they asked was, "where is Kevin?" I found this funny because Kevin asks the same question.  Just kidding Kevin!  (OK, he really does ask that question but I don't want to hurt his feelings.)

 

After meeting with the pilgrims from Boston, Tim and I were off to the NAC.  We found out that the Cardinals had decided to halt all press conferences so the 2:30 taping was out.  That however did not slow us down. 
 

Thanks to Msgr. Burrill we were able to interview 4 seminarians and a priest who were from different dioceses across the country.  What a group of outstanding young men.  I couldn't help but think that these are the future leaders of the Church.  If that is the case we are in good hands!  Watch for a special with these men soon on the CatholicTV Network. 

 

From the NAC, Tim and I went to St.Peter's for the prayer service.  I told a person from ABC News that Father Reed was supplying commentary for CatholicTV.  I met Terry Donilon and Greg Tracy, and also Angela Flood from the Archdiocese of Washington there by happenstance. 

It was a beautiful service and I was struck when I saw 2 nuns kneeling on the stone floor.  There was a great crowd all participating in the service.  Another wonderful day in the very rainy city of Rome.  That is right-- it's pouring, and without an umbrella I am now a soaking mess.  Time to dry off.

 

Thank you for reading my blog!

 

Your Friend,

Jay

Close Call | Musings from Rome

Last time I wrote you may remember that I was rushing to get to St. Peter's to do a live Skype interview with Father Reed and Kevin. It had been a very hectic day and time was not a luxury that I had. 

 

I would like to set the scene at St. Peter's.  It is swarming with pilgrims and tourists.  The surprising fact is that most of the people visiting are relatively young.  It's refreshing to witness so many people filled with their Catholic faith. 

 

Surrounding the square are the press.  Not just a few press people, but hundreds.  There have been over 5,000 press credentials given out for this event.  The press hover on the outskirts of the square, never crossing the invisible line to get inside.  They bounce around from one end to the other. 

 

If one does cross into the square they quickly are greeted by the ever present security.  The greeting is not pleasant but always brief.  It consists of a request for credentials, and if the press person does not have them, they are politely but firmly asked to leave. 

 

It's amazing how many security guards there are on the square.  Some drive in small cars, some are in uniform and on foot, and some are undercover. 

 

It was in this environment that I did my live feed inside the square.  I did it with my iPhone.  I held the phone out, arms length away, with St. Peter's behind me. 

 

As I did this security was swarming my area watching me closely.  My arms grew tired from holding the camera and I was fearful that I would be asked to leave during the interview.  If you watch the "This the Day" interview, you will see that I am looking around constantly. 

 

 

During the interview people could hear Fr. Reed and Kevin on my phone and could see me talking so some started to gather.  It was stressful, but fun!  That's all for now.  More to come later so stay tuned and I hope you keep reading. 

As an aside, as I've been writing this, an elderly Italian man keeps singing as he cleans the area I am in during these early am hours.  He is very happy this early in the morning and I have to admit that it put a smile on my face.

 

Stay well.

Your Friend,

Jay

Church on the Ground - a new series from CatholicTV

Introducing Church on the Ground, a new CatholicTV series exclusive for YouTube!

We're kicking off the series in Rome and bringing you updates and insights from Catholics on the ground in Rome for the 2013 Conclave.

Check out our first segment, with Sebastian Gomes of Salt + Light TV. He thinks that this Conclave is an important opportunity for our Church. Find out why:



We'll be uploading new segments every day until Conclave ends, so keep your eye on youtube.com/catholictv for the latest videos.

To stay updated on all of our 2013 Conclave coverage, follow us on Twitter or like us on Facebook.

Time crunch! | Musings from Rome

This afternoon I had an interesting experience and it was even a bit nerve wracking! 

Tim and I finished taping the press conference with Cardinal O'Malley and Cardinal Dinardo on the grounds of the Pontifical North American (NAC) at 3pm and we planned to walk to St. Peter's to do a live Skype interview with Father Reed and Kevin for This is the Day. 

Well Father Jonathan Gaspar was kind enough to ask if we would like to interview Cardinal O'Malley.  How could we say no?  It could be our last chance with His Eminence's busy schedule and the looming Conclave. 

The Cardinal was wonderful.  He was gracious and gave us time even though I know he had other appointments. 

We finished the interview and I looked at my watch.  It was 3:55!  I told Tim to meet me at St. Peter's and off I ran.  It's about a 10 minute walk but I had told the crew back at CatholicTV that I would call in at 3:45 to make sure all the technical issues were worked out. 

I made my way through the streets of Rome, though the traffic and through my anxiety.  But here's the kicker-- this was the calm part. 

I will write about my experience in St. Peter's Square and why my heart rate skyrocketed in my next blog post.  I hope you can read it.

Stay well and keep Tim and I in your prayers and know we will remember you in ours.

Your friend,

Jay 

Vibrant Church | Musings from Rome

It was a long plane ride to Rome today.

We landed at 7:10 Rome time and caught a cab to the hotel.  Tim and I put our luggage in our rooms and we were off and running. 

As we moved through the narrow streets of Rome you could sense the excitement among the many people who inhabit this ancient city.  There is a buzz in the air and you can see people talking and pointing to the press and to St. Peter's Dome.  They all know that history is at hand and they feel part of the change. 

Our first stop was to get our press credentials.  Msgr. Tighe, a friend of CatholicTV, met us and made the process much easier.  The press office itself reminded me of a bee hive.  People moving in all directions in and out of the front doors.  It was constant motion and we had to watch our step so we did't get caught in the traffic flow--not of cars, but of humans. 

We left the press office and met with Father Rosica and Sebastian.  Father Rosica is in charge of Salt and Light Television in Canada and is in Rome to assist Father Lombardi with the press.  Both he and Sebastian were kind enough to tape interviews with us. 

St. Peter's is overrun by press.  It made me think of the role of the Catholic Church in the world.  This is not a Church in decline but a Church that is alive, vibrant and relevant.  Some try to diminish the Church because they disagree with the teachings. They want the Church to ebb and flow with societal change.  But the Church stands with the teachings of Christ.  Its foundation is solid. Its beliefs are not negotiable based on polls or the popular thinking at the time.  It is a rock. 

We are now off to press conferences and a live interview for This is the Day.  More to come from Rome my friends.  Thank you for reading my musings.

Your Friend,

Jay

Wisdom from... Pope Benedict

When Pope Benedict announced his resignation just over a week ago, the world was taken by surprise. But Benedict's decision was one he evidently has been ruminating over for quite some time.

Not only has he suggested in the past that a pope no longer able to fulfill his duties might be "obligated" to resign; he also seemed to closely identify with a predecessor from the 13th century, Pope Celestine V, who resigned after a short, difficult reign in 1294, saying, "We, Celestine, Pope V, moved by legitimate reasons, that is to say for the sake of humility... do freely and voluntarily resign the pontificate". Visiting the relics of Celestine for the second time in 2010, Benedict serenely laid his stole over the relics, and left it there.

Almost three years later, he stunned the world by humbly stating: "I have had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me. For this reason, and well aware of the seriousness of the act, with full freedom I declare that I renounce the ministry of Bishop of Rome, Successor of Saint Peter."

In a world that views the papacy as other-worldly, Pope Benedict's decision can seem perplexing. But his move reminds us all of something he knows well: the pope is a man with a special ministry, and what is important is the ministry, not the man. His decision is a humble and brave one, and his wisdom is evident.

Let us pray that his precedent will be a comforting and helpful one to future popes, and that Pope Benedict's retirement will be peaceful and prayerful.

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.