I made a passing reference in a post below to the Pope’s message to the Bishops of England and Wales at their Ad Limina meeting this week. There are a couple of points that need to be “headlined” other than his warning against so-called “equality laws”.
1) Make use of the “gifts of the lay faithful”
Make it your concern, then, to draw on the considerable gifts of the lay faithful in England and Wales and see that they are equipped to hand on the faith to new generations comprehensively, accurately, and with a keen awareness that in so doing they are playing their part in the Church’s mission.
Significant here is that the laity’s mission is seen not just as “ad extra” (into the world) but also “ad intra” (within the Church herself). Important here is that the Pope sees the lay faithful as having a crucial role in the catechising mission of the Church. Note the words in bold! (Anima Education, for whom I work in my “night job” – see the side bar advertisement- makes this goal of its mission. Just a quick plug: layman Mark Shea will be speaking at Cardinal Knox Centre tonight at 7:30pm on the topic “Mary: Mother of the Son”).
2) The Appeal for Unity at ALL levels of the Church against Dissent
The next point follows directly from the first:
In a social milieu that encourages the expression of a variety of opinions on every question that arises, it is important to recognize dissent for what it is, and not to mistake it for a mature contribution to a balanced and wide-ranging debate. It is the truth revealed through Scripture and Tradition and articulated by the Church’s Magisterium that sets us free.
I think the Holy Father had England’s equivalent of Brian Coyne and the Catholica folk in mind here…
3) Newman’s personal sacrifice
In light of our previous discussion on this blog re Cardinal Newman:
Cardinal Newman realized this, and he left us an outstanding example of faithfulness to revealed truth by following that “kindly light” wherever it led him, even at considerable personal cost. Great writers and communicators of his stature and integrity are needed in the Church today, and it is my hope that devotion to him will inspire many to follow in his footsteps.
We are ready here to make Cardinal Newman the patron saint of this blog upon his beatification.
4) Anglicanorum Coetibus not opposed to the Church’s Ecumenical and Interreligious vision
Ecumenical and inter-religious dialogue assume great importance in England and Wales, given the varied demographic profile of the population. As well as encouraging you in your important work in these areas, I would ask you to be generous in implementing the provisions of the Apostolic Constitution Anglicanorum Coetibus, so as to assist those groups of Anglicans who wish to enter into full communion with the Catholic Church. I am convinced that, if given a warm and open-hearted welcome, such groups will be a blessing for the entire Church.
Well since JPII beatification is pretty much common currency, so you should be getting your patron soon no probs. Now all you need is one miracle, since he wasn’t a martyr. Call Benny Hinn.
We got one miracle. We just need one more.
BTW, we believe in miracles. Do you?
Here’s the full story.
http://whispersintheloggia.blogspot.com/2009/04/newmans-miracle-deacon.html
Maybe I’m not up on the latest in Roman legalism. I thought as far as miracles go, it only took one now, and, given that a non-martyr has to have one for beatification, there you go.
Hell yes I believe in miracles. I even call them by their theological name, signa, once in a while.
Beatification won’t change my practice re Newman. I’ve called him “that blessed Newman” for years.
Well, yes, one for the beatification and another for canonisation, ie. to be canonised a non-martyr needs two miracles. 1 + 1 = 2. That’s how we count in the Catholic Church.
And if the miracle of healing is a sign, what is it a sign of? We take it as a sign of the goodnss of God and the “blessedness” of the intercessor.
I suppose as long as Base 10 is being used, 1+1=2 is how one counts outside the Catholic Church too. However, arithmetic being absolute multitude by classical definition, the question was one of WHAT? So apparently the one miracle needed for beatification for a non-martyr does not qualify as having fulfilled the one miracle required of anyone to be a saint, if you’re a beatified non-martyr you gotta have one more. That was my question re the current Roman legalism.