Hope has Arrived...

Pope Benedict's second encyclical has arrived. Departing from custom, it was released in several languages on the same day it was presented. It comes at a very busy time for the Pope with so many things in the past few days-- consitory, the Annapolis Middle East Peace Conference, and everyday Vatican on goings. There is a link to the full text of the Encyclical after the introductory paragraph:

ENCYCLICAL LETTER

SPE SALVI OF THE SUPREME PONTIFF BENEDICT XVI

TO THE BISHOPS PRIESTS AND DEACONS

MEN AND WOMEN RELIGIOUS

AND ALL THE LAY FAITHFUL ON CHRISTIAN HOPE

Introduction
1. “SPE SALVI facti sumus”—in hope we were saved, says Saint Paul to the Romans, and likewise to us (Rom 8:24). According to the Christian faith, “redemption”—salvation—is not simply a given. Redemption is offered to us in the sense that we have been given hope, trustworthy hope, by virtue of which we can face our present: the present, even if it is arduous, can be lived and accepted if it leads towards a goal, if we can be sure of this goal, and if this goal is great enough to justify the effort of the journey. Now the question immediately arises: what sort of hope could ever justify the statement that, on the basis of that hope and simply because it exists, we are redeemed? And what sort of certainty is involved here?

FULL TEXT

A Reuters article below on the U.S. Bishop's comments.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 30 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ ---Spe Salvi (Saved by hope), thesecond encyclical of Pope Benedict XVI, offers inspiration to all believers,said Cardinal Francis George of Chicago, president of the United StatesConference of Catholic Bishops.

"Pope Benedict calls us personally and as a community to a hope rootedin Jesus," he said. Cardinal George made his remarks November 30, the day theencyclical was released at the Vatican.

Spe Salvi instructs readers that the Christian message is not only"informative" but also "performative," that is, "the Gospel is not merely acommunication of things that can be known -- it is one that makes things happen and is life-changing," Pope Benedict says. It is in receiving God through Jesus Christ that we receive hope. He illustrates this point narrating the life of the African slave, St. Josephine Bakhita.

The Pope outlines the concept of faith-based hope in the New Testamentand early church and says that Christianity did not bring to the Roman world ahopeful message of social revolution. Jesus, who died on a cross, brought atotally different kind of hope. He made possible an encounter with "the Lordof all lords, an encounter with the living God and thus an encounter with a hope stronger than sufferings of slavery," which therefore transformed life.

This hope exceeds the physical laws of nature and evolution. It is ultimately not these laws that govern the world and mankind and have the final say; a personal God governs the universe -- "reason, will, love -- a Person,"Pope Benedict says.

For the Pope, Christian hope is not individualistic. It is community oriented -- all of us are becoming the people of God -- the body of Christ, he says. Because our hope is a hope that incorporates all men and women, this hope spurs us not only to obtain eternal life, but to also manifest this hopeof eternal life here on earth. We do this by striving to make our life on earth a heavenly life -- a life of productivity, justice, peace, and goodness
-- a positive world order that prospers. -- a positive world order that prospers.

The Holy Father also notes the importance of Christian faith-hope in the modern age. In the encyclical letter, Pope Benedict analyzes the false utopian dreams of the modern age and points out the untold suffering they have caused human beings. From this point of view, redemption is no longer through faith in God's saving action but from what human beings can achieve throughthe application of technical knowledge to all of society's problems. A praxis-oriented science draws on an understanding of progress as the overcoming of all dependency to make room for a "kingdom" in which God is no longer at the center. Pope Benedict reflects that when reason renounces faith in revelation or the moral wisdom of the great religions, it has led to scientific developments which in some cases evoke fear among our contemporaries. Just as man needs God in order to sustain hope, reason needs faith to make the world a more human place. "Reason needs faith to becompletely itself," the pope says.

Pope Benedict also observes that prayer leads to hope. "A first essential setting for learning hope is prayer . . . When I can no longer talk to anyone or call upon anyone, I can always talk to God," he says.

He adds that action and suffering are also settings for learning hope. "We can try to limit suffering, to fight against it, but we cannot eliminate it," he says. "It is not by side stepping or fleeing from suffering that we are healed, but rather by our capacity for accepting it, maturing through it and finding meaning through union with Christ, who suffered with infinite love."

A person "cannot accept another's suffering unless he personally is able to find meaning in suffering, a path of purification and growth inmaturity, a journey of hope. Indeed, to accept the 'other' who suffers, means that I take up his suffering in such a way that it becomes mine also. Because it has now become a shared suffering, though, in which another person is present, this suffering is penetrated by the light of love," he says also.

Pope Benedict highlights the practice of praying for the dead saying it reveals another important element of the Christian concept of hope. "As Christians we should never limit ourselves to asking: how can I save myself? We should also ask: what can I do in order that others may be saved and that for them too the star of hope may rise? Then I will have done my utmost for my own personal salvation as well," he says.

Spe salvi is the second encyclical of Pope Benedict. His first, "Deus Caritas Est," (God is love) explored the meaning of Christian love and how it is expressed in everyday life. He issued it December 25, 2005.

One Last Post About Consistory Weekend

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - The 23 prelates elevated to the College of Cardinals by Pope Benedict on Saturday join the most exclusive group in the Roman Catholic Church, a kind of hand-picked Senate that elects the next pontiff.

Reflecting the global scope of the world's largest Church, 13 of the new cardinals come from Europe, four from Latin America, two from the United States and two each from Asia and Africa.

Following are some facts about cardinals:

WHO ARE THEY?

Cardinals, the "princes of the Church", are a pope's closest advisers and are personally named by him. They are usually archbishops of major dioceses or heads of influential departments at the Vatican.

They outrank all other clergy besides a pope. "Cardinal" comes from the Latin "cardo" (hinge) and symbolizes the link they assure between the Vatican and major dioceses.

Their trademark red hat stands for their readiness to shed their blood for the Church.

WHAT DO THEY DO?

The cardinals' most important job is electing a new pope from among their own ranks in a conclave after the death of a pontiff. Only those under the age of 80 can participate. As the pope's top advisers, they help him govern by serving on Vatican congregations and councils, the equivalent of government ministries. Those who are archbishops also run large dioceses such as capital cities.

HOW TO GET THE RED HAT

The pope occasionally names a group of new cardinals to replace those who have retired or died and to reward bishops for their achievements, such as running a prominent archdiocese or making other major contributions to the life of the Church.

The last consistory to install new cardinals was held in March 2006, when Pope Benedict named 15 of them.

THE NUMBERS

With the latest intake, the College of Cardinals now counts 201 cardinals from 70 different countries, 120 of whom are under 80 and thus eligible to vote in the next conclave. Church law sets a ceiling of electors at 120.

Sixty electors are from Europe, 21 from Latin America, 16 from North America, 12 from Asia, 9 from Africa and 2 from Oceania. Italy has the most electors with 21, followed by the United States with 13 and Germany, France and Spain with 6 each.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS CONSISTORY

Among the new cardinals, the spotlight has been most on Emmanuel III Delly, the Baghdad-based Patriarch of Babylon of the Chaldeans, an Eastern rite church linked to Rome. Pope Benedict singled him out for praise in his consistory sermon calling for peace in Iraq.

The choice of Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, archbishop of Galveston-Houston, drew attention to population shifts within the United States towards the southwest and the growing role of Hispanic Catholics in the U.S. church.

The most prominent in the Church hierarchy is Argentinean Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, now head of the Congregation for Oriental Churches. In the late Pope John Paul's final years, he often stepped in to finish reading a sermon the ailing Pontiff could no longer deliver. (Editing by Peter Millership)

In other news today...

In other news, today's liturgy, marked the first of major liturgical celebrations overseen by recently appointed Master of Pontifical Liturgical Ceremonies, Msgr. Guido Marini. Changes in the approach to liturgy and liturgical environment are already evident. For instance, the altar was adorned with a six candles and an altar crucifix set in the center, similar to the arrangement of candles and altar crucifix in on pre-Vatican II times. In past masses, the cross was placed on the corner of the altar flanked by a candle on either side. Also, worthy of note, was the choice of liturgical vestments for the celebrations of last couple days. Yesterday, Pope Benedict wore a mighty mitre once worn by Pope Pius IX. The cope and stole incorporate orphery said to be over 300 years old. This is quite a departure from the modern, multi colored vestments recently worn in Austria. The Papal Throne used in yesterday's liturgy was also a throwback to Pope Leo XIII's papacy.

I have to admit, I will miss Archbishop Piero Marini, but, as with Benedict's papacy, let's wait and see what comes.

Ring Ceremony for the Newly Created Cardinals

CONSITORY 2007: The Ring Ceremony

This morning, at a solemn Mass on the Feast of Christ the King, Pope Benedict conferred the Cardinal's ring on each of the newly created members of the College of Cardinals. Benedict placed a gold ring on the fourth finger of the right hand of each of the new cardinals as he said to each one, “Receive the ring from the hand of Peter and, with the love of the Prince of the Apostles, may your love to the Church be reinforced.” Pope instructed the new cardinals that in "taking the ring, Cardinals are constantly called to give their lives for the Church."

In his homily, Pope Benedict reminded the cardinals that their “first and foremost mission,” is to provide constant life for the Church and to pray for peace and unity, especially among the disciples of Christ. The Pope furthermore, reminded them that the cross is the “throne” of Christ the King. He urged them: “entire hierarchy of the Church, each charisma and ministry, everything and everyone are in the service of His Lordship.”

Speaking of the ring, the Pope said, “This for you, dear new Brother Cardinals, will always be a reminder of the King you serve, on what throne He has been elevated and how faithful he has been till the end when he defeated sin and death with the strength of divine mercy. Mother Church, Christ’s bride, gives you this insignia as a memento of Her Husband as Christ loved the church and handed Himself over for her (cf Eph 5:25). Thus, wearing the cardinalitial ring, you shall constantly be reminded to give your life to the Church.”

In his reflection of today's reading from the Epistle to the Colossians, the pope said, “this text of the Apostle expresses a synthesis of truth and faith that is so powerful that we cannot but admire it deeply. The Church is the repository of Christ’s mystery. It is so with humility and no trace of pride or arrogance because it is the highest gift that it was given, with no merit in getting it, but which it is called to offer freely to humanity in every age as a horizon of meaning and salvation. It is not philosophy, nor gnosis, even though it includes wisdom and knowledge. It is the mystery of Christ, Christ Himself, Logos incarnate, who died and has risen, becoming the King of the universe. How not to feel a wave of enthusiasm filled with gratitude to be allowed to contemplate the splendour of this revelation? How at the same time can we not feel the joy and sense of responsibility to serve this King, bear witness with one’s life and words to His Lordship? This, in particular, is our task, my venerated Brother Cardinals, namely to announce to the world Christ’s truth, hope for every man and for the entire human family.”

It is fitting that the ring ceremony for the "Princes of the Church" be held today on the Celebration of Christ the King. May the Cardinalate of our church exercise their office of leadership with humility before Him through and for whom they serve. Prayers and blessings to the new Cardinals, and our continued prayers for the College of Cardinals, the Princes of the Church.