Here are the last morsels to fall from the rich man’s table in France. Juicy bits. Yummy.
Pope’s Reflection at Lourdes on Eucharist“We Cannot Be Silent About What We Know” [2008-09-15]
Papal Homily at Mass With Sick“Mary Dwells in the Joy and the Glory of the Resurrection” [2008-09-15]
Benedict XVI’s Farewell to France“Pope Was Duty-Bound to Come to Lourdes” [2008-09-15]
French Prime Minister’s Farewell to Pontiff“Your Visit Was a Moment of Peace and Fraternity” [2008-09-15]
I am slowly working my way through it all, but the best of the list so far is still his address to the French Bishops. It really packs a punch. Cop what Papa Benny quotes from no less a personage than St Ignatius himself (the original 2nd Century Bishop Ignatius of Antioch, that is). It seems that he was already preaching his own version of “Sentire Cum Ecclesia” in the immediately post-apostolic Church:
The Christian people must regard you [bishops] with affection and respect. From its origins, Christian tradition has insisted on this point: “All those who belong to God and Jesus Christ, stand by their Bishop”, said Saint Ignatius of Antioch (Letter to the Philadelphians, 3:2), and he added: “When someone is sent by the master of a house to manage his household for him, it is our duty to give him the same kind of reception as we should give to the sender” (Letter to the Ephesians, 6:1). Your mission as spiritual leaders consists, then, in creating the necessary conditions for the faithful to — citing Saint Ignatius again — “sing aloud to the Father with one voice through Jesus Christ” (ibid., 4:2), and in this way to make their lives an offering to God.
Is there some disagreement between Benedict and the Cardinal archbishop of Paris? The words of the bishop in the presence of the pontiff seemed a veil attack in some way on the issue of ‘submission’. Clarification required.
interestingly, when the pontiff arrived down the stairs on the tarmac in paris, the cardinal did not even genuflect let alone kiss Bendict’s ring which was highly unusual for a bishop. I thought this a very disrespectful thing on his part. No cardinal, bishop should fail to do such a thing on greeting the successor of Peter.
Is there tension between these two? Please clarify if possible.
Augustine.
Well, Augustine, I haven’t read the Archbishop Cardinal’s address – I will take a look.
As for the genuflecting and ring kissing – I wonder if that is some sort of reflection of the secularisation of the French church – I mean, “when in Rome and all that, but now you are in France”?.
But we don’t genuflect and ring kiss for bishops any more, do we? I don’t. Although I would be happy to do so if I knew it would be received well by the bishop in question, and not as a joke.
GOOD reply up to a point.
The pope is not just any bishop. He is the bishop of Rome and sucessor Peter and Vicar of Christ. I hope Vingt Trois was not just playing the secular card when greeting the pontiff as this would be really bad. But I still think he was disprespectful.
Besides, there is a huge amount of hypocrisy in France especially from the thrice-married President. The man is a Canon of St John Lateran; he speaks out a lot on religion and the role of faith in the world; but at the same time claims still to be a Catholic.
But hold on, how can you be a ‘good Catholic’ when your previous wives are all still living and you just married a third.
I think Benedict’s meeting with carla bruni must have been the biggest teeth-gripping moment of his reign to date. It’s all so hypocritical.
Augustine.