Insight Scoop | The Ignatius Press Blog

"It's both Greek and Chinese to me!"

From The Christian Post, news of a new translation of the Bible:

LifeWay Christian Resources, one of the world’s largest providers of Christian products and services, recently printed a modern translation of the New Testament in Chinese. It is reported to be the first time Scripture was directly translated from the original Greek version to Chinese.

Prior to the new LifeWay translation, called the Chinese Standard Bible, Chinese Christians depended on a translation known as the Chinese Union Version. This translation was done back in the 1920s and is based on an English copy of the Bible rather than the original Greek.

With this archaic translation, readers would express confusion over certain passages that were translated in a way where it would be read literally, such as when Jesus told his disciples to drink his blood and eat his flesh.

Lest more confusion ensue, I'll simply note that the Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Churches, and the Ancient Oriental Churches have always followed the archaic translation and ancient understanding of John 6:51ff., which is that Jesus spoke literally and clearly when he said, for example: εἶπεν οὖν αὐτοῖς [ὁ] Ἰησοῦς· ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ἐὰν μὴ φάγητε τὴν σάρκα τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου καὶ πίητε αὐτοῦ τὸ αἷμα, οὐκ ἔχετε ζωὴν ἐν ἑαυτοῖς. (Jn 6:53).

In the words of Jesus, as found in the King James translation: "Doth this offend you?" (Jn. 6:61).

By the way, for my money, it's hard to top The Hidden Manna: A Theology of the Eucharist, by Fr. James T. O'Connor, when it comes to an examination of the biblical, patristic, and Magisterial teachings about the Eucharist.

Williamson apologizes. Schönborn criticizes.

Bishop Richard Williamson has apologized to Pope Benedict XVI for his "imprudent remarks", made in denial of the Holocaust. Here is the text.

Meanwhile, Christoph Cardinal Schönborn has criticized both Williamson and the way the matter has been handled/mishandled by some in the Vatican.

What next?

"Key Aspects of the Theology of Professor Joseph Ratzinger"

That's the title of an address given by Siegfried Wiedenhofer, one of Benedict XVI's former assistants, in November 2008 at the launch of the Joseph Ratzinger/Benedict XVI Foundation. From ZENIT:

In seeking to give a brief overview of the theology of Joseph Ratzinger, one is of course first confronted by the problem of its range. Joseph Ratzinger is among the most prolific theologians of our time, and probably of the history of theology as a whole. His published work to date is contained in the bibliography that has been produced by the Schülerkreis, and in particular by Vinzenz Pfnür, and which will soon be published: 130 books and writings, numerous of which have been translated into many languages, and over 1300 articles, many of which are also available in translation.

But the breadth of the themes is also stunning. Most of these writings are from the field of dogmatic theology and take up the exposition of the main tenets of the Christian faith. However, he began as a fundamental theologian and has continually dealt with particular foundational questions, such as the question of faith and reason, questions of theological method, and especially questions of ecumenical theology. But this is also a theology that understands itself to be particularly in the service of the ecclesial praxis of the faith.

Thus there are also many writings such as homilies and meditations that emerged directly from pastoral tasks, and writings that pertain to ecclesial praxis and would ordinarily be considered to belong to the field of practical theology: writings about spirituality, about the liturgy, but also about ethics, particularly political ethics. In addition, his interpretations of dogma almost always have a strong exegetical dimension, and he has also contributed several recognized works of theological and dogmatic history. A final characteristic that makes an overview of Joseph Ratzinger's theology difficult is the fact that his theology is a dialogical theology through and through -- a theology that develops not only through a listening to what the sources have to say, but also through a critical conversation with other perspectives, a conversation that is not afraid to identify errors and sometimes to argue quite polemically. What Joseph Ratzinger said in his first book, his dissertation on Augustine, surely applies to his own work as well: "Like every great theology, Augustine's grew out of polemics against error, which here too showed itself to be the fruitful power without which living intellectual movement is hardly imaginable."

Read the entire address, which is a good, succinct introduction to essentials elements of Ratzinger's theological project.

Related articles and book excerpts from Ignatius Insight:

• Ratzinger's Faith and Reason | Fr. James V. Schall, S.J.
• Benedict XVI's Theological Vision: An Introduction | Monsignor Joseph Murphy | From the introduction to Christ, Our Joy: The Theological Vision of Pope Benedict XVI
• Pope Benedict XVI, Theologian of Joy | Monsignor Joseph Murphy | An interview with the author of Christ, Our Joy: The Theological Vision of Pope Benedict XVI
• Spe Salvi and Vatican II | Brian A. Graebe
• Vatican II and the Ecclesiology of Joseph Ratzinger | Maximilian Heinrich Heim | Introduction to Joseph Ratzinger: Life in the Church and Living Theology.
• The Courage To Be Imperfect | Fr. D. Vincent Twomey, S.V.D. | The Introduction to Pope Benedict XVI: The Conscience of Our Age
• The Theological Genius of Joseph Ratzinger | An Interview with Fr. D. Vincent Twomey, S.V.D.

George Neumayr on "Nancy Pelosi's Modest Proposal"

Here is the editor of Catholic World Report, in a column for The American Spectator:

The full title of Jonathan Swift's work, A Modest Proposal, was, For Preventing the Children of Poor People in Ireland From Being a Burden to their Parents or Country, and for Making Them Beneficial to the Public.

Change a few of the words and it could be a Democratic Party policy paper. Swift suggested that 18th-century Ireland stimulate its economy by turning children into food for the wealthy. Pelosi proposes stimulating the U.S. economy by eliminating them.

Other slumping countries, such as Russia and France, pay parents to have children; it looks like Obama's America will pay parents to contracept or kill them. Perhaps the Freedom of Choice Act can also fall under the Pelosi "stimulus" rationale. Why not? An America of shovels and scalpels will barrel into the future.

Euthanasia is another shovel-ready job for Pelosi to assign to the states. Reducing health care costs under Obama's plan, after all, counts as economic stimulus too. Controlling life, controlling death, controlling costs. It's all stimulus in the Brave New World utopia to come.

Read the entire piece. And if you missed it, here is Neumayr's editorial for the January 2009 issue of Catholic World Report: "A Cultural Earthquake".

Reading the Apostle, the Doctor, and the Pope

Reading the Apostle, the Doctor, and the Pope: An interview with Dr. Matthew Levering | Ignatius Insight | January 30, 2009

Dr. Matthew Levering is associate professor of theology and director of the Graduate Program in Theology at Ave Maria University in Naples, Florida; he has taught at Ave Maria University since 2000. During 2006-2007, he held the Myser Fellowship at the Center for Ethics and Culture at the University of Notre Dame. He is also associate editor of Sapientia Press, and serves as co-editor of the English version of the international philosophical and theological journal, Nova et Vetera. Noted Thomistic scholar Romanus Cessario, O.P., has described Dr. Levering as "one of the most promising of young Thomists" in the United States.

Dr. Levering is the author, co-author, and editor of numerous books, including Christ's Fulfillment of Torah and Temple: Salvation According to Thomas Aquinas (University of Notre Dame Press, 2002), Scripture and Metaphysics: Aquinas and the Renewal of Trinitarian Theology (Oxford: Blackwell, 2004), Sacrifice and Community: Jewish Offering and Christian Eucharist (Oxford: Blackwell, 2005), Holy People, Holy Land: A Theological Introduction to the Bible (with Dr. Michael Dauphinais; Brazos Press, 2005), Participatory Biblical Exegesis (University of Notre Dame, 2008), and Vatican II: Renewal Within Tradition (editor, with Matthew L. Lamb; Oxford, 2008). He also co-authored A Study Guide for Joseph Ratzinger's (Pope Benedict XVI) Jesus of Nazareth, published by Ignatius Press.

Carl E. Olson, editor of Ignatius Insight, recently interviewed Dr. Levering about a variety of topics, including the upcoming conference sponsored by the Aquinas Center for Theological Renewal, the year of St. Paul, St. Thomas Aquinas, Scriptural exegesis, and Pope Benedict XVI.

Read the entire interview...

NBC = "No Barack Commercial"*

*Nope, not when that commercial carries the politically-charged, ideologically-driven, and socially-divisive message, "Life: Imagine the Potential":



Go to CatholicVote.org for more info.

The Seven Last Words of Jesus

This beautiful book, written by Romanus Cessario, O.P., is due out this spring from Ignatius Press:

The Seven Last Words of Jesus

The Seven Last Words of Jesus features:

• A profound and lively reflection on Christ’s last words
• Addresses many everyday concerns: marriage, liturgy, suffering, vocations, etc.
• The sacred mysteries of Christ crucified carefully explored through the lens of sacred art
• An invaluable companion – a beautiful resource you will return to throughout the year
• An ideal gift for Catholics and for those who wish to understand the mystery of the Cross of Christ. Well suited for adult catechetical instruction and RCIA
• Foreword by His Eminence, Edward Cardinal Egan, Archbishop of New York
• Soft cover with flaps – 96 pages – 6 1/8 x 6 1/8 in.

“Father Cessario writes powerfully and lovingly about each of the seven statements uttered by the Son of God on Calvary’s cross and finds in each of them a remarkable expression of the ‘divine order,’ the theme that underlies his entire composition. The ease with which he cites Scripture, the Fathers and Doctors of the Church, and theologians of all eras never ceases to amaze. One immediately senses that we are being taught and inspired by a deeply committed follower of the Lord who loves and reveres all that the Church teaches and earnestly desires to share it with others.

"In the name of the thousands who heard Father Cessario on Good Friday 2008 in Saint Patrick’s Cathedral and the thousands more who will have an opportunity to read and meditate these pages, and in my own name as well, I express my admiration and heartfelt gratitude to this extraordinary theologian and preacher.”  — From the Foreword by Edward Cardinal Egan Archbishop of New York

Sample images from the book:

400,000 Anglicans coming home to Rome?

UPDATE: Perhaps not, according to this report.

The Record (Australia) reports that "Rome is on the brink of welcoming close to half a million members of the Traditional Anglican Communion into membership of the Roman Catholic Church...":

The Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has decided to recommend the Traditional Anglican Communion be accorded a personal prelature akin to Opus Dei, if talks between the TAC and the Vatican aimed at unity succeed, it is understood.

The TAC is a growing global community of approximately 400,000 members that took the historic step in 2007 of seeking full corporate and sacramental communion with the Catholic Church – a move that, if fulfilled, will be the biggest development in Catholic-Anglican relations since the English Reformation under King Henry VIII.

TAC members split from the Canterbury-based Anglican Communion headed by Archbishop Rowan Williams over issues such as its ordination of women priests and episcopal consecrations of women and practising homosexuals.
The TAC’s case appeared to take a significant step forwards in October 2008 when it is understood that the CDF decided not to recommend the creation of a distinct Anglican rite within the Roman Catholic Church – as is the case with the Eastern Catholic Churches - but a personal prelature, a semi-autonomous group with its own clergy and laity.

Read the entire piece.

The American Catholic comments. As does Damian Thompson of The Telegraph.

The Pope offers a personal explanation

From ZENIT:

Benedict XVI is offering a personal explanation for his decision to remove the excommunication of four traditionalist bishops ordained without papal permission.

The Pope spoke today at the general audience of the decree made public Saturday, which lifted the excommunication of four prelates of the Society of St. Pius X, illicitly ordained to the episcopate by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre in 1988.

The move has been criticized as an affront to Jewish-Catholic relations because one of the four, Bishop Richard Williamson, told an interviewer that he didn't believe 6 million Jews died in the Holocaust. Another of the cleared bishops, the superior-general of the Society of St. Pius X, Bishop Bernard Fellay, has since silenced the prelate.

But, the Holy Father made clear today that the lifting of the excommunication is about one thing only: Church unity.

"In the homily delivered on the occasion of the solemn inauguration of my pontificate, I said that the 'call to unity' is an 'explicit' duty of the pastor," he said.

The Pontiff recalled how he reflected in that first of his papal homilies on the story of the miraculous catch of fish, and how Christians could now say: "Alas, beloved Lord, with sorrow we must now acknowledge that it [the net] has been torn."

But, he continued quoting from his homily, "We must not be sad! Let us rejoice because of your promise, which does not disappoint, and let us do all we can to pursue the path towards the unity you have promised. … Do not allow your net to be torn, help us to be servants of unity!"

Read the entire piece.

"Accept it ... or never see them again."

Ah, the Brave, New World, Scottish variety, controlled by the courts, overseen by social workers, and thoroughly infected with the politically-correct, anti-family, anti-woman, anti-child virus of pro-homosexual insanity.

"Dignitas Personae": On the Originality of Every Human Person

Dignitas Personae: On the Originality of Every Human Person | Fr. James V. Schall, S.J. | January 29, 2009 | Ignatius Insight

"The body of a human being, from the very first stages of its existence, can never be reduced merely to a group of cells. The embryonic human body develops progressively according to a well-defined program with its proper finality, as is apparent in the birth of every baby." -- Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Dignitas Personae, #4 (Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, "Dignitas Personae: On Certain Bioethical Questions," September 8. 2008, L'Osservatore Romano, December 17, 2008.)

"The originality of every person is a consequence of the particular relationship that exists between God and a human being from the first moment of his existence and carries with it the obligation to respect the singularity and integrity of each person, even on the biological and genetic levels. In the encounter with another person, we meet a human being who owes his existence and his proper characteristics to the love of God, and only the love of husband and wife constitutes a mediation of that love in conformity with the plan of the Creator and heavenly Father." -- Dignitas Personae, #29.

I.

On the February 22, 1987, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, when Cardinal Ratzinger was its Prefect and John Paul II was pope, published a very significant Document called Donum vitae, the Gift of Life. On the 8^th of September, 2008, the same Congregation, now headed by Cardinal Levada, with Benedict XVI pope, in view of the importance of human life, produced a further reflection on the subject matter of the earlier document.

The title of the newer Document is Dignitas personae. It sets out to do what the title suggests, namely, to spell out in reasonable terms just what this dignity implies particularly concerning the conception and birth of human children and the best conditions of their flourishing. In other words, the "gift of life" is the basis of the "dignity of the human person." This gift implies a giver who, ultimately, can account for what it is to be human, something parents themselves do not make but are, in their love, the occasion and co-operative agent of each particular human child who comes to exist in this world.

Read the entire essay...

Miracle on the Hudson

From Vinny Flynn, author of 7 Secrets of the Eucharist:

"Miracle on the Hudson: Divine Mercy and Flight 1549"
 
I'd like to share with you an e-mail letter I received from a survivor of the January 15 crash of US air flight 1549 into the Hudson River. It's a testimony to his love of God that he would allow this to be made public to inspire others. For me, personally, reading it was a very moving experience, because the writer mentions that my book 7 Secrets of the Eucharist brought him comfort as the plane went down, and it is always humbling and rewarding to hear how God has used our efforts to bring people closer to Him and His healing touch.
 
But on another level, the letter is also a powerful witness to God's love and to the often hidden ways He orchestrates events in our lives. I pray it will be a reminder to you of how personally God wants to be involved with each of us and how powerfully He can work in our lives when we remain aware of His presence with expectant trust in His mercy.
 
Here's the letter. May it bless you!
 
Vinny Flynn

Read the letter from Fred Berretta, who was on Flight 1549, and who was interviewed about the crash in the Hudson by Lou Dobbs, Wolf Blitzer and Bill O'Reilly about that dramatic event.

Are Macs the "Catholic Computers"?

The debate rages (okay, it doesn't "rage," nor is it a debate; more of a fun discussion) over on Scott's Catholicism Blog, where Scott Richert revisits a humorous 1994 essay by novelist Umberto Eco, "The Holy War: Mac vs. DOS", and then asks, "Why are so many prominent Catholics on the web Mac users?"

Jeff Miller, "The Curt Jester", writes:

Well not sure if prominent Catholics on the web do in fact use Macs. Don’t think that Mark Shea, Amy Welborn, Jimmy Akin, or Father Z use Macs.

Kathy Shaidle the first Catholic blogger does in fact use a Mac along with Carl Olson of Ignatius Insight, Julie of Happy Catholic, Lisa Hendley of Catholicmoms.com.

And of course the Vatican uses Linux and has the servers named after archangels.

I switched to Mac in Oct 2007 and haven’t looked back. There is a Catholicity to the Mac. You have both beauty and simplicity. The Mac interface is quite dogmatic with programs adhering to a similar interface. While on Windows finding preferences they could be on any menu. But there is also power in OSX that is like the sacraments in giving direct access via the terminal.

I wrote:

This is, of course, a matter of great importance—so much so that I wonder if the CDF or the Holy Father might have to address this in the near future? (LOL) As Jeff rightly notes, I use a Mac. In fact, I’ve used nothing but Apples/Macs since 1985, when I first began working on computers as a sophomore in high school. There are currently five Macs in our household: three of which are used on a daily basis and two older, retiring types that only come out for [Mac] family reunions and such. I have no idea what role Macs played in my decision to become Catholic in 1997. Nor do I know if my journey would have been any different had I not worked on a Mac. These are indeed deep mysteries, answers to which likely cannot be found this side of heaven.

I've been a committed Mac user for a number of reasons: the first computer I worked on was an Apple, Apple/Mac has long catered to those working in graphic design (which is what I did throughout my twenties), I find Macs to be intuitive and elegant, etc., etc.  But I'm not a Mac fundamentalist; I do believe that truth and goodness can be found in non-Mac computers. And while I know that a few Mac-users can be snobby and elitist, I've also found that there are some very irrational Mac-haters out there. Really, now, shouldn't we be debating matters of more pressing importance?

Honored

Catholic schools, by Congress, during January 25, 2009, to January 31, 2009, which has been designated as Catholic Schools Week by the National Catholic Educational Association and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Here is the text from the House of Representatives. (HT: The Catholic Key)

More pictures...

... of the Walk for Life West Coast can be viewed on EWTN's pro-life page.

Benedict XVI on the Pastoral Letters

From the Vatican Information Service:

READING SCRIPTURE AS THE WORD OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

VATICAN CITY, 28 JAN 2009 (VIS) - In today's general audience, held in the Paul VI Hall, the Pope turned his attention to the theological content of St. Paul's final Letters, known as the pastoral letters because addressed to his close collaborators Timothy and Titus.

 These Letters, said the Holy Father, refer to a situation in which "certain erroneous and false doctrines had arisen, such as the attempt to present marriage as something bad. This concern remains current today because Scripture is sometimes read as a historical curiosity and not as the Word of the Holy Spirit, in which we can hear the voice of the Lord Himself and perceive His presence in history".

 Against such doctrines, St. Paul affirmed the need to read Sacred Scripture "as 'inspired by' and proceeding from the Holy Spirit". He also speaks of the "good 'deposit', by which he means 'the tradition of apostolic faith which must be safeguarded with the help of the Holy Spirit Who dwells within us, ... and is the criterion of faithfulness to the announcement of the Gospel".

 Benedict XVI highlighted how the "sense of universality" of salvation - "God wishes all mankind to be saved and to know the truth" - is "strong and decisive" in these Pauline Letters.

 The Letters also contain "a reflection upon the ministerial structure of the Church. They present for the first time the triple division of bishops, priests and deacons".

 "Thus", he went on, "we have the essential elements of Catholic structure. Scripture and Tradition, Scripture and announcement form a single whole. But to this structure - so to say, a doctrinal structure - must be added a personal structure, the successors of the Apostles as witnesses of the apostolic announcement".

 Speaking of the episcopate, the Pope recalled how in the Letter to Timothy, for example, the bishop "is considered as the father of the Christian community. The idea of the Church as the 'house of God' has its roots in the Old Testament and is again formulated in the Letter to the Hebrews, while in the Letter to the Ephesians we read that Christians are no longer strangers and aliens, but citizens and saints, members of the house of God".

 "Let us ask the Lord and St. Paul that we too, as Christians, may always be characterised - with respect to the society in which we live - as members of the 'family of God'. We also pray that the pastors of the Church may increasingly acquire parental sentiments, tender and strong at one and the same time, for the formation of the house of God, the community, the Church".

• Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: Thessalonians, Timothy, And Titus, by Scott Hahn and Curtis Mitch
• Introduction to Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger's God's Word: Scripture, Tradition, Office | Peter Hünermann and Thomas Södin
• What Is Tradition? | Yves Congar, O.P. | The Introduction to The Meaning of Tradition
• Foreword to The Meaning of Tradition | Avery Cardinal Dulles
• Tradition | Thomas Howard
• God, The Author of Scripture | Preface to God and His Image: An Outline of Biblical Theology | Fr. Dominique Barthélemy, O.P.
• Going Deeper Into the Old Testament | An Interview with Aidan Nichols, O.P.
• The Pattern of Revelation: A Contentious Issue | From Lovely Like Jerusalem | Aidan Nichols, O.P.
• Origen and Allegory | Introduction to History and Spirit: The Understanding of Scripture According to Origen | Henri de Lubac
• Motherhood of the Entire Church | Henri de Lubac, S.J.
• Approaching the Sacred Scriptures | Scott Hahn and Curtis Mitch
• How To Read The Bible | Peter Kreeft
• The Bible Gap: Spanning the Distance Between Scripture and Theology | Fr. Benedict Ashley, O.P.
• The Divine Authority of Scripture vs. the "Hermeneutic of Suspicion" | James Hitchcock

Saint Thomas Aquinas, Priest and Doctor of the Church

Saint Thomas Aquinas, Priest and Doctor of the Church | Various Authors | January 28, 2009 | The Memorial of Saint Thomas Aquinas

Selected excerpts about St. Thomas from the writings of G.K. Chesterton, Etienne Gilson, Josef Pieper, John P. McClernon, Fr. Charles P. Connor, and Robert Farren. Click here.

Superior of SSPX silences Bishop Richard Williamson

Via John Allen, Jr., this statement from Bishop Bernard Fellay:

Statement of His Excellency Bernard Fellay, Superior of the Fraternity of St. Pius X

We have become aware of an interview released by Bishop Richard Williamson, a member of our Fraternity of St. Pius X, to Swedish television. In this interview, he expressed himself on historical questions, and in particular on the question of the genocide against the Jews carried out by the Nazis.

It’s clear that a Catholic bishop cannot speak with ecclesiastical authority except on questions that regard faith and morals. Our Fraternity does not claim any authority on other matters. Its mission is the propagation and restoration of authentic Catholic doctrine, expressed in the dogmas of the faith. It’s for this reason that we are known, accepted and respected in the entire world.

It’s with great sadness that we recognize the extent to which the violation of this mandate has done damage to our mission. The affirmations of Bishop Williamson do not reflect in any sense the position of our Fraternity. For this reason I have prohibited him, pending any new orders, from taking any public positions on political or historical questions.

We ask the forgiveness of the Supreme Pontiff, and of all people of good will, for the dramatic consequences of this act. Because we recognize how ill-advised these declarations were, we can only look with sadness at the way in which they have directly struck our Fraternity, discrediting its mission.

This is something we cannot accept, and we declare that we will continue to preach Catholic doctrine and to administer the sacraments of grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Menzingen, January 27, 2009

And from ZENIT, an interview with Cardinal Jean-Pierre Ricard, a member of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei:

In fact, he explained, there are two fundamental issues still to be resolved before the schism can be considered healed: "the integration of the juridical structure of the Fraternity of St. Pius X in the Church" and "agreement in dogmatic and ecclesiological questions."

Among these issues to consider, Cardinal Ricard noted the issue of the Second Vatican Council and its acceptance as a "magisterial text of primary importance. This is fundamental."

The prelate also referred to cultural and political difficulties, including "unacceptable declarations from Bishop Williamson negating the drama of the extermination of the Jews."

The cardinal was referring to uproar caused by Bishop Richard Williamson, one of the bishops whose excommunication was lifted, in an interview in which the bishop claimed that historical evidence denies the gassing of Jews in Nazi concentration camps.

Cardinal Ricard affirmed that with issues such as these, "the road will undoubtedly be long, and will demand better understating and mutual esteem. But the lifting of the excommunication will permit walking it together."

Read the entire interview.

The new Russian Orthodox Patriarch

From Robert Moynihan, editor of Inside the Vatican magazine:

 On the very first day of voting, the bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church this evening elected a new patriarch to succeed the late Patriarch Alexi II, who died in December: Kirill, Metropolitan of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, age 62, according to a reliable source in Moscow. ....

Kirill, whom I have had the occasion to meet and come to know, is a dynamic person, energetic, decisive. He has deeply-held convictions about his faith, about the role of that faith in the future of his country, and about the role of that faith in the future of Europe and the world. He is persuaded that only a return to "real values" can enable Russia and Europe to confront the current economic and cultural crisis. He believes Russia's greatness, eclipsed in recent years, can only be restored by the renewal of her ancient Orthodox faith.

     Therefore, Kirill will attempt a double agenda: (1) to build on what Patriarch Alexi accomplished during the 18 years of his patriarchate, continuing to rebuild the Church's ruined infrastructure (thousands of Orthodox churches have been rebuilt around Russia since 1991); and (2) to launch a series of new initiatives to strengthen the Church's voice and influence in Russian society.

     Kirill can be expected, then, to continue rebuilding Russian churches, reopening schools, expanding seminaries, renewing monasteries, and in general restoring the outward signs of Russian Orthodox religious life.

     But Kirill, who was the key figure behind the unprecedented promulgation of the Church's social teaching in a document in the year 2000, can also be expected to take bold new steps to go beyond renewing the institutional structure of the Church.

     Kirill wants to affect society.

Read the entire report.

The validity of the original SSPX excommunications...

... is the topic of a new post by Dr. Ed Peters at "In the Light of the Law":

While we await the L'Osservatore Romano article that is to offer an account of how Pope Benedict XVI arrived at the decision to lift the excommunication imposed on the four priests who received episcopal orders illicitly (c. 1382) from Abp. Marcel Lefebvre in 1988, the materials now coming from the Society of St. Pius X continue, in my opinion, to add to the burden such an article must carry if the remission is to make sense to otherwise well-disposed outside observers.

In the meantime, for the benefit of those who would like to see some responses to the canonical arguments by which the SSPX claims that the 1988 excommunications were never incurred in first place, let me very briefly note the following:

SSPX Arg. 1. A person who violates a law out of necessity is not subject to a penalty (Canon 1323.4). Correct, but in asserting what amounts to an affirmative defense, the burden is on the SSPX to prove that it was objectively necessary for them to ordain four bishops in violation of universal canon law and the specific prohibitions of the Holy See. Of course, most people who break the law think they are justified in breaking it. But it's not the offender's opinion of "necessity" that counts, it's lawful authority's determination of "necessity" that matters. And Rome is the lawful authority here, not the SSPX.

Read the entire post.