Day: May 23, 2025

NEW VICAR OF CHRIST ON EARTH – Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, Most Welcome!

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As we all know well, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost Martinez was elected Pope on May 8, 2025 in the fourth vote of the Conclave of Cardinals meeting at the Sistine Chapel (the Vatican). He chose as his name Leo XIV, right after Leo XIII, the pope that initiated powerfully and creatively the so-called Social Doctrine of the Church, which is necessary part of the teaching and practicing our Christian faith. When Cardinal Prevost Martinez (with Spanish and French/Italian roots) was elected the 267 Successor of St. Peter, he was the Prefect of the Dicastery of Bishops and the President of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America. 

KEEPER OF THE KEYS (8) – Fine-tuning the liturgy: Evaristus, Alexander I, Sixtus I

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ST EVARISTUS (96/99 – 108)

The Liber Pontificalis notes that Evaristus was, “by nationality a Greek of Antioch, son of a Jew named Judah, from the city of Bethlehem.” Memmo Caporilli, in his chart of The Roman Pontiffs says that Evaristus was the founder of the first seven diaconates in Rome which were entrusted to senior priests. These were given the task of keeping a watch over the doctrinal correctness of the bishop’s preaching! This group of seven priests is believed to be the origin of the present College of Cardinals. How careful were the pastors of the early Church to make sure that they were teaching the doctrine of Christ and not their own!

TWO BEAUTIFUL WAYS OF CELEBRATING ONE HOLY MASS

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I recently had my holiday in the US and I spent it with my relatives there. On a Sunday, I joined them to fulfill my Sunday obligation, and we went to a small and modest church. The mass was entirely in Latin and the liturgy was entirely different. The entire mass has brough me to sleep and I felt I went to see a sad stage show than to Sunday mass. I respectfully told my relatives that I have to attend the real mass. They were horrified to hear my words, and they were claiming that they are now Traditional Roman Catholics and that they prepare the Tridentine or Latin Mass for their Sunday mass.  I have observed how my relatives became so devoted to the church and closer to God now than before. Does this mean that Tridentine mass is more effective and valuable than the ordinary mass, or more reverent than the other?  Could you explain to me the difference? 

6TH SUNDAY OF EASTER – “The Advocate, the Holy Spirit … will teach you everything ….”

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This Sunday’s Gospel Reading is set at the Last Supper.  Yet Jesus speaks in veiled terms about His Ascension to the Father, which of course took place less than seven weeks after the Last Supper.  In Sunday’s Gospel Reading, we hear Jesus proclaim:  “If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father”.  But how could we expect the apostles to rejoice over Jesus leaving them?