The proportions of the complex are based on a series of displaced squares and four circles. Three circles of equal radius generate the profiles of the three shells that, together with the spine-wall, make up the body of the church nave and discretely imply the Holy Trinity.
The Jubilee Church is not a traditional church. If the Vicariato wanted a traditional church, they would not have invited me to participate in the competition. This church was always intended to be a work of contemporary architecture, meaningful for our time and one that is marked by openness. Transparency and light cascade down from the skylit roof, literally invading the interior of the church and also penetrating from below through a narrow slot opened at floor level. People in the atrium are enveloped with mystical light.
RM: The purpose of this church is to weave an isolated residential district back into the communal fabric of Rome. I hope we accomplished this architecturally by creating a sense of appropriateness, flow, and movement throughout the site. The Jubilee Church and Community Center will provide the more than 8,000 residents of the immediate area a space for ritual, play, and celebration. Hopefully, the more than 25,000 residents of the larger area of Tor Tre Teste will avail themselves of the church facilities as well.
RM: The Vicariato wanted the project to be exactly as presented in the competition proposal without any changes whatsoever. An architect cannot ask for more support than that. I was given complete freedom. However, it has the traditional organization in relation to the altar and the chapel to the side. The criticism could be made that it is too traditional in its organization.
Among the claims, Urbanski alleged that the bishop: rubbed down Urbanski's legs and upper body after he had competed in a triathlon, booked only one hotel room for the two of them when they traveled together on a couple of occasions, frequently invited Urbanski to his house after work to swim in his pool, and took pictures of Urbanski in his Speedo bathing suit.
Urbanski quoted the bishop as telling him: ``I have a problem. I don't know what to do. I've struggled with my sexuality for the past 30 to 40 years.''
``Do I wish I didn't feel his biceps? Yes,'' he said. ``Do I understand the confusion? Of course. But I know what I did do, and what I didn't do. It's in the eye of the beholder.''
Now, according to Bishop Loverde, women and girls may also have the opportunity to deepen their faith through serving at the altar at their parishes – “an experience which can facilitate a young woman’s discernment of the Lord’s call to religious life.”
Father Paul deLadurantaye, director of the Office of Sacred Liturgy, said that he doesn’t believe allowing women to be altar servers will diminish vocations to the priesthood.
At the conference, held at the Regina Apostolorum Pontifical University, Roberto De Mattei, an Italian historian, recalled that the Crusades were “a response to the Muslim invasion of Christian lands and the Muslim devastation of the Holy Places”.
“The debate has been reopened,” La Stampa said. Professor De Mattei noted that the desecration of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem by Muslim forces in 1009 had helped to provoke the First Crusade at the end of the 11th century, called by Pope Urban II.
He said that the Crusaders were “martyrs” who had “sacrificed their lives for the faith”. He was backed by Jonathan Riley-Smith, Dixie Professor of Ecclesiastical History at Cambridge University, who said that those who sought forgiveness for the Crusades “do not know their history”.
CONFLICT OVER THE HOLY LAND
# Historians count eight Crusades, although dates are disputed: 1095-1101, called by Pope Urban II; 1145-47, led by Louis VII; 1188-92, led by Richard I; 1204, which included the sack of Constantinople; 1217, which included the conquest of Damietta; 1228-29 led by Frederick II; 1249-52, led by King Louis IX of France; and 1270, also under Louis IX
# Until the early 11th century, Christians, Jews and Muslims coexisted under Muslim rule in the Holy Land. After growing friction, the first Crusade was sparked by ambushes of Christian pilgrims going to Jerusalem. The Byzantine Emperor Alexius appealed to Pope Urban II, who in 1095 called on Christendom to take up arms to free the Holy Land from the “Muslim infidel”
"You read it and you weep," George said. "For the many missteps in responding to the accusations of sexual abuse of minors by Father McCormack, I must accept responsibility. And I do. For the tragedy of allowing children to be in the presence of a priest against whom a current allegation of sexual abuse had been made, I am truly sorry."
Childers' report notes that 18 priests accused of sexually abusing minors are being "monitored" ineffectually by the archdiocese in various settings by "monitors" -- three priests, two nuns and a deacon -- none of whom has received any training about sex offender management.
"The monitors are not officially advised of the type of sexual abuse committed," Childers' report said. "One monitor did report requesting information about the sexual activity of the priest he was assigned to monitor, and was advised by the archdiocese that such information could not be revealed because of confidentiality."
Archdiocesan officials have known for more than a decade that McCormack, who was ordained in 1994, was accused of sexual improprieties with two adult men and one minor in 1992 when he was a seminarian.
The vice rector of Mundelein Seminary when McCormack was a student, the Rev. John Canary, who is now vicar general of the Chicago archdiocese, says the 1992 allegations were noted in McCormack's seminary record. The records have since disappeared.
Twelve priests accused of sexual abuse of a minor live in a "monitored setting" in the Cardinal Stritch retreat house on the Mundelein campus, but the monitoring is done by a deacon who knows little if anything about their sexual histories and has no training in dealing with sex offenders.
The priests have master keys to all the Stritch house rooms, including those used by other men and women who visit throughout the year. They have unrestricted access to the Internet. At least one priest spends most nights away from the retreat house.
Two accused abusers live at an unidentified retirement home for priests in the south suburbs, where they are each monitored by retired priests. The archdiocese is selling some land next to the retirement home to a local municipality that plans to build a children's playground.
“Instead of being given away to antique dealers, they are being used as they were meant to be used,” said Father Santos of the items he has received to improve the aesthetic quality of his parish.
Father Santos was able to acquire a new pulpit, Communion rail, six bronze candlesticks and two angel candelabras and other small pieces for his beloved parish. The pulpit and Communion rail, which came from Nuestra Senora del Carmen Parish in Lowell, are both valuable antiques at over 100 years old.
“I have been working on [obtaining] them since over a year ago,” said Father Santos, adding that he will now only “have to worry about putting them in place.”
Father Santos said, “people were thrilled,” about seeing two angel candelabras in church during the Christmas season. In addition, six bronze candlesticks that were retrieved from St. Mary Church in Marlborough provided majestic lighting to the pontifical “Missa Cantata” celebrated by Bishop Bishop Fernando Areas Rifan, who came from Brazil in September for the event.
“Many things are starting to be reused, it is wonderful,” said Father Santos, later adding, “The more attractive the church is, the more active people will be in their faith and will find God.”
“Doing some real restoration will increase the atmosphere of the liturgy and worship,” said Father Santos. “Keep us in your prayers so that we can accomplish everything we need to do.”
Sunday, Mar. 19, 2006
On Friday, William J. Levada, former Archbishop of San Francisco, will become the first new Cardinal to be elevated by Pope Benedict XVI at a Vatican ceremony. Levada already has the Pontiff's old job maintaining Roman Catholic orthodoxy as head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, making him the most influential U.S. prelate in history. He spoke with Time's Jeff Israely.
Q. How will you feel when you get your red hat from the Pope?
A. Of course, I'm honored. But you also want to make sure your hat is on straight.
Q. Your new job places you in the top ranks of the Vatican hierarchy. Does the responsibility of your new office feel overwhelming?
A. I can say that I'm past the deer-in-the-headlights phase. The biggest challenge now is the amount of reading — not only of new material, but rereading documents and decisions taken by the Congregation.
Q. You raised the issue in the synod about whether politicians should be granted communion [sic]if they support policies counter to Church teachings.
A. There are certain teachings that as Catholics we have to accept as part of Jesus' Gospel. When you see Catholic politicians who favor abortion rights ... you have to ask yourself how this person squares this with his personal faith. Catholic politicians need to take this seriously. Maybe they need to say I'm not able to practice my faith and be a public representative.
Q. As doctrinal chief, can you explain the recent instruction on whether a gay man can become a priest?
A.The document is very clear. It says a person with deep-seated homosexual tendencies is not suited for the priesthood. Somebody who comes to the seminary from a gay lifestyle cannot be a priest. But if you can show us after five or 10 years that you have been able to live a celibate life, it could be possible. But there would need to be spiritual and psychological evaluations.
Q. As a bishop, you had to deal with cases of sex abuse by priests. Now you are final arbiter on some of the more difficult cases from around the world.
A. My experience in the dioceses gives me a firsthand perspective from direct contact with the people affected by these cases. You learn the details of what has happened, and how cases can differ from one to another. We have to keep our eye on what justice requires.
Dancing is not a form of expression for the Christian liturgy. In about the third century, there was an attempt in certain Gnostic-Docetic circles to introduce it into the liturgy. For these people, the Crucifixion was only an appearance. . . . Dancing could take the place of the liturgy of the Cross, because, after all, the Cross was only an appearance. The cultic dances of the different religions have different purposes - incantation, imitative magic, mystical ecstasy - none of which is compatible with the essential purpose of the liturgy as the "reasonable sacrifice". It is totally absurd to try to make the liturgy "attractive" by introducing dancing pantomimes (wherever possible performed by professional dance troupes), which frequently (and rightly, from the professionals' point of view) end with applause. Wherever applause breaks out in the liturgy because of some human achievement, it is a sure sign that the essence of liturgy has totally disappeared and been replaced by a kind of religious entertainment. Such attraction fades quickly - it cannot compete in the market of leisure pursuits, incorporating as it increasingly does various forms of religious titillation.
Kelly, p.99
Conciliatory and universally popular, he was probably chosen to heal the divisions at Rome opened up by his predecessor. …The meeting took place at Rheims in Oct. 816, the pope being welcomed with elaborate ceremonial, and at a festive mass in the cathedral Stephen anointed and crowned Louis and his consort Irmengard, using an alleged “crown of Constantine” which he had brought from Rome for the purpose. …A concession which Stephen obtained, important for peace at home, was a pardon for the aristocratic conspirators whom Charlemagne had banished to Gaul in 800 for their part in the rebellion against Leo III.
McBrien, p.131-132
Conciliatory by nature, Stephen had been a widely popular choice for pope. He was probably elected (on June 22, 816) to heal the divisions created by his predecessor, Leo III. …It took place at Rheims in October 816. After an elaborate welcome by the emperor, Stephen anointed and crowned Louis and his consort, Irmengard, in the cathedral, using an alleged “crown of Constantine” he had brought with him from Rome. …For the sake of peace at home, the pope won a concession from Louis the Pious to grant pardons for the aristocratic conspirators whom Charlemagne had exiled to Gaul in 800 because of their part in the rebellion against Pope Leo III.
The appellants are Roman Catholics who were charged, pursuant to s. 172(3) of the Criminal Code, with wilfully disturbing the order or solemnity of an assemblage of persons met for religious worship. The appellants opposed a change in the liturgy, approved by the Bishop, requiring communion to be received by parishioners while standing rather than kneeling as had been the previous practice. As a result of this liturgical change, there had been an ongoing dispute between appellants and their parish priest and other members of the congregation. A diocesan directive, describing in particular the manner communion was to be administered and received, was regularly read at services and twice during mass on the day in question. However, appellants attempted to receive communion in a kneeling position. Each was told by the priest to stand if he wished to receive it. After a few seconds, each one stood and, without having received communion, returned to his seat in an orderly manner. The trial judge convicted the accused, finding their actions hampered the spirituality of this part of the service, held up the communion lines briefly and created a degree of anxiety and tension which distracted the priests and some members of the congregation. Both the County Court and the Nova Scotia Supreme Court, Appellate Division, upheld the conviction
"In obedient compliance with the expressed written request of Most Reverend Harry J. Flynn, Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, Father Altier’s homilies and spiritual presentations can no longer be published on www.desertvoice.org or broadcast on Relevant Radio. Please be assured that this action of the archbishop is not related to any scandal or sexual misconduct on the part of Father Robert Altier. We regret any inconvenience and humbly ask for your prayers."
"Priests are into materialism and worldliness. And if you want the material, you can't have the spiritual. Priests have gotten into a lot of worldliness."
"I got sick and tired of all the lies. I just laid it out. There are three groups that have infiltrated the Church, the Masons, the Communists, and the homosexuals, who came in 1924," he alleges. "85 percent of all the abuse cases are homosexual. There is rank homosexuality. Homosexuals chose the best and brightest and best looking and put them into the priesthood."
"I think because people don't want to deal with sin," he says. "The loss of the sense of sin is one of the great tragedies of our time. They don't want to deal with the idea that God would allow any kind of purification. We focus on His mercy so much that we forget His justice. The devil is resisting the idea of chastisement. If we can explain it scientifically, it denies the spirituality of an event, and what the devil desires most is to remain hidden. Certainly he is going to be involved in some of these things, whether directly or from chaos at spiritual level. He is inspiring chaos at spiritual level.
Parents want their children to be properly dressed for Church, but how do they also allow their children to feel comfortable, to feel connected to their peers, and not to develop an aversion to going to Church simply because it always involves a painful encounter over apparel.
But for versatility and variety in love, give me the bent head, and the closed eyes, and the genuflected knee, and a prostration on the floor, and a shower of holy water. I challenge the angels to even remotely contrive the variety of ways we can show our love: a little palm on Palm Sunday, ashes on a forehead on Ash Wednesday, purple vestments on the priest in sad seasons and white ones in other seasons, flowers on the altar on feast days, and at other times a stripped altar, a Gloria in one Mass and none in another. Good God, how fascinated we must be if we just watch thse things in terms of love!
