Benedict XVI: "When There is No Struggle, There is no Christendom"

(Ferrara) on the anniversary of his renunciation the newspaper La Voce di Romagna in Rimini  announced on 10 February  a visit to Benedict XVI. On 5 February   "the great Ratzinger", as the newspaper said,  received two long-time personal friends: the fighting Archbishop Monsignor Luigi Negri of Ferrara and Professor Marco Ferrini.  Archbishop Negri is President and Professor Ferrini is Director General of the International John Paul II Foundation for the Social Doctrine of the Church .

"Benedict XVI. received us in the Vatican in the monastery Mater Ecclesia.  We spent 40 minutes together. We found him very alert and present  for his 87 years, " said Marco Ferrini.

About the interview, he said: "We told him that we have regained, thanks to the Magisterium of John Paul II and his continuity between faith and culture,  with the social and political commitment, certainly with some concern because there is a return to some sort of dualism in a part Church, which wants to lead the Church into a position of self-exclusion. Benedict XVI. told us then:  "All dualism in Christianity is negative." He spoke to us of the difficult conditions under which the Church is today and always, suffering more virulent attacks from the world.  And he said that the  Church has always fought and will always fight.  The hostility of the world is one of its essential characteristics, such as the Lord had promised. ,Benedict XVI. said  to us, 'If there is no struggle, there is no Christianity.' "

The newspaper said that Ferrini was as stirred as Archbishop Negri to be able to see Benedict XVI.  again and how impressed they were "about his unbroken spiritual depth and his great gentleness."

Text: Giuseppe Nardi
image: Papa Benedetto Blog

Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com

Link to Katholisches....

AMGD

The Resignation of Pope Benedict XVI., the "Lobby" and Their Destructive Mischief

(Paris) The French magazine Catholica had a conversation with the priest Ariel Gualdo di Stefano Levi, a Jewish convert who became a Catholic priest. The conversation had been already published last 28th of June in number 120 of the magazine. Nevertheless, take a look at what Levi di Gualdo has to say, he who is known for his direct and unvarnished analysis. The conversation was about how a lobby, says Levi di Gualdo, often triggered aggressive and oppressive media campaigns against the Pope during the pontificate of Pope Benedict XVI.. Since the surrender of the German Pope, however, complete silence prevails. The lobby seems to have reached their goal and may, as the priests of the diocese of Rome, continue undisturbed in their decomposing mischief.

In the years after the Second Vatican Council, says Levi di Gualdo, there has been a return to the situation that prevailed before the Council of Trent. A situation which is characterized by decay and worrying infighting. The resignation of Benedict XVI. represented an unprecedented event, the culmination of a crisis which coincided with the 50th anniversary celebrations of the Council. No coincidence, as the priest says. Especially when you consider that this Council actually was meant to rejuvenate the Church institutions and wanted to give believers new vigor. The resignation of Benedict XVI. remains hard to decipher. Many would, in this connection with unruliness, because many tensions and power struggles have become gradually visible, says Catholica.

Among the authors who comment on the situation of the Church, is counted the Roman priest Ariel Levi Stefano di Gualdo "because of his clear language." He is the author of several books. Including a book about the "Zionist Century" and the 2012 published memoir "And Satan Made ​​Himself Triune" against the "satanic triad" of relativism, individualism and disobedience (see separate report from "Egomaniacal" Council for Homosexualization of the Church - Ariel Levi di Gualdos ). In 2013 a pamphlet by him appeared between the resignation of Benedict XVI. and the election of Pope Francis, called "Quanta cura in Cordibus Nostris. An encyclical in the form of a motu proprio" on the Pontificate of the Pope named Benedict XVII. In the "Encyclical" Ariel Levi di Gualdo outlined the principles that would be necessary for a fundamental renewal of the Church in his view.

Catholica: In your latest book you write about the role of certain Roman dicastries behind many serious scandals. Could you explain this situation in more detail and especially explain where the lack of some curial services is troubling and where are the compromises?

Levi di Gualdo: In this book I explain that we have indeed made the Second Vatican Council, but are then returned to the practice over the years in the period before the Council of Trent, with all their corrupt machinations, their moral decay and their concern for internal power struggles. Now that for half-a-century dialogue and collegiality has been discussed ad nauseum, previously unknown forms of clericalism and authoritarianism have occurred. The progressive master of dialogue and collegiality uses aggression and coercion against anyone who is not as "religiously correct" as he thinks. One can always ridicule the dogmas of faith, can always deconstruct it according to an anthropocentric logic, but woe to those who criticized the "holy" and "infallible" character of the Magisterium of some theologians, who are imbued with Hegelianism and the theology of Karl Rahner, a thinking that leads them to the side of modernism and heterodoxies of any kind: this one is ostracized by the united cliques in both the Roman Curia and in the Pontifical Universities.

It should be added that since 1970, homosexual clergy were admitted whose number has grown considerably over the years by cooption. Today they form a veritable mafia style lobby, powerful and ready to destroy anyone who gets in the way.

There are processes in view for the revaluation of values ​​ - the good is made into evil, virtue is wrong and vice is vice versa - that are so advanced that sound doctrine is converted into heterodoxy, if any of these clergy will be revealed to the competent authority with evidence and witnesses, the sentencing of one of them would be enough to jeopardize their whole system. So you saw in many cases that innocent people were punished and excluded, and the guilty who were protected, even though they themselves were guilty of serious moral transgressions. If it proved to be opportune to remove someone from the Roman Curia, they were taken by the bishops and protected in the dioceses which have formed influential circles, mainly surrounded by homosexuals. Again, this system is as corrupt, as it is impossible to do otherwise, because if a culprit is punished, he would take revenge and carry away all the other members of the mafia in his downfall. One must therefore protect him, no matter what the cost. The overall impression is of a contradiction in the government of the Church: that is evident in the proposals of some Prelates.

Catholica: What do you think are the reasons that restrict the freedom of ecclesiastical authority in this way?

Levi di Gualdo: It is paradoxical that the appointment of people just increased during the pontificate of "theologian Pope" in key positions of Church leadership, who are in stark contrast to the theological premises of Benedict XVI: prelates of dubious theology or a weak profile given the current challenges of the new evangelization. A common set of attributes characterizes it: behind an outward humility lies a preference, but is a preference for their own person but not the Church. I do not know how you will assess this pontificate in a few decades so glowing with its teaching, which is contradicted by the presence of such persons.

Currently, however, I wonder how the hidden influence of some could be so powerful (in the style of power brokers) works to make our Peter so powerless, to be a sailor without a crew in a leaky ship sailing through the stormy waves and winds.

But it is certain that in the Gospel there can be no room for misunderstanding: God will not judge us by our words, but by the wisdom of our works (Matt. 11:19). We will have to answer for ourselves before God for the talents He has given us, and possibly also for the talent that we have buried for fear of thieves (Matt. 25:14 ff). I believe that the Pope has a talent from God as sovereign that is both difficult but also precious and fruitful to use: "You are Peter and on this rock I will build my church." A talent that requires that the person receiving it, has to engage in particular for the fact that "the gates of Hell will not prevail against it" (Mt 16:18).

Without a doubt, the historians, when they study this pontificate, which took place in such a difficult and painful era, deep in this context of decadence that weighs on the church, will provide evidence that Benedict was trying with great effort, in the best sense, to act for the Church of Christ, in the context of what was allowed him to do in the circumstances. The masses will surely not shout upon his death, "Santo Subito". But it is likely that not in a few decades he will be called "Santo sicuro" and will certainly be canonized [...].

Text / Translation: Giuseppe Nardi Image: Fides et Forma Trans from German: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com Link to Katholisches... Here's another translation from the original French Rorate...

High Prelate in Lebanon Urges Conclave to Re-Elect Pope Benedict XVI.

Edit: much has been bandied about in recent times about Benedict XVI’s daring move. Encouragingly, a few of the German journalists have been very sympathetic to him. Not only does this journalist see the potential for a long-term gain, but he cites an unnamed Prelate from Lebanon who, like us, believes that the Pope could and should be re-elected again.  Here’s the article which was captured by Kath.net.

A high prelate from Lebanon has proposed recently that the cardinals in the conclave should best of Benedict XVI. but simply choose again. - By Paul Badde / The World

Vatican (kath.net / DieWelt) Rain in Rome. The conclave will commence on the 12th of March, according to the latest leak in the Vatican. 115 [114] Cardinals from around the world will then begin to choose the successor to Benedict XVI.. Father Federico Lombardi, the Vatican spokesman had promised the message only for Friday evening at 19.00 clock. On Thursday, the last Cardinal had arrived from Vietnam. The rest of the international college had been in the days before in intensive regular plenary sessions in the Nervi Hall and in numerous meetings in the palaces and in the corridors of the Vatican, as in many places around St. Peter's the profile of a successor is exchanged - and the tasks that will fall upon the poor man.

The Cardinals themselves can not say a word, since they all had to swear before the plenum individually to strict secrecy. No wonder since the rumor mill has not churned this much in years. What became known before the imposition of the embargo on information was this: all the guests from the five continents in Rome will finally find out exactly what has happened in the last few months at the Vatican. The Cardinal Julián Herranz (82) from Spain, Jozef Tomko (89) from Slovakia and southern Italian Salvatore De Giorgi (82) who meticulously investigated the background of the vanished documents, which disappeared from the Pope’s table, on behalf of Pope Benedict, are therefore now already considered as the secret kingmakers.

Certainly, the three have, in any case, run more than one cardinal from the race. Since they meet in individual meetings with their brothers, their findings are by all means, no secret. The 300-page dossier, in which they have recorded the findings and results of their investigations is true only available to the next pope. However, many details of their investigations have obviously long since made themselves known already in the corridors of the Vatican - where many initiates don’t need their own investigations, to see the conditions in the image, which normally do not penetrate through the walls of the Vatican to the outside.

"The Curia has killed Benedict XVI.” is therefore not an unusual assessment these days in the alleys and streets surrounding St. Peter's. The future Pope must “clean from the ground up” in the Curia, confided the American Archbishop Charles Chaput (66) on Thursday for the Roman newspaper "Il Messaggero". This “pressing task" requires an energy that Benedict XVI. obviously could have managed, and therefore logically waived his office. He's made a mark on many by diverse calculations and plans toward this last step of his official resignation, although this was not only a personal option for himself, by an opportunity, which he saw bound in principle with this office for a long time.

"If the pope can see that he is absolutely unable, then surely he would resign," Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger has entrusted the chief editor, John Schießl, since 11 March 2002 of the Munich church newspaper. His step on 11 February sprang not only from his own personal well-being, but his understanding of the ministry of the Petrine ministry as a whole. Not all in the Catholic Church agree with this understanding of office, not even among the cardinals.

As opposed to the conclave of 2005, in which Joseph Ratzinger had been by far the best-known face, there're no clear favorites for the succession and also no clear camp between conservatives and progressives. This time the Cardinals from around the world are united and separated, especially on the question of how much they agree on this spectacular last step of Benedict XVI - or how much they reject it. Only after the election of a successor can the complex meaning of the resignation be therefore ascertained.

With his last step the pope was also playing his game va banque with the Holy Spirit. For his successor could again thwart all decrees, for which he has staked his future - or else he could connect him to an unprecedented double pontificate, as long as "Benedictus XVI. Emeritus” is still alive. Until this election but now especially the pundits and Pope-ologists like David Berger [likes to bathe in urine] have the floor, which claims to offer currently much sought after interviewees for "gay cliques and networks pink" in the Vatican. The network and server to Saint Peter then crash every few minutes, with the incredible amounts of data that are in beamed these days around the world to and from Rome. Meanwhile, journalists are already more numerous here than in the death of John Paul II. Its own media center had to be set up because the Sala Stampa’s emergency requirements are nowhere near enough.

The Sistine Chapel was already closed on Tuesday to begin the technical preparation for the conclave. With the seats, setting up the furnace in which the ballots are burned, the careful search for possible bugs and the like. The room must also be made electronically completely sterile, so not a cardinal can’t be tweeting the news about the new pope before the rise of white smoke outside.

A high prelate from Lebanon has recently proposed, it would be best if the cardinals in the conclave should elect Benedict XVI. again. Then there would be in the church a few less problems. This election of Benedict, he would necessarily accept and return immediately from Castel Gandolfo to Rome - as Peter when he was on the run from the burning of Rome, he met Jesus on the Via Appia, who only asked him: "Quo vadis?" Where are you going? After his return Benedict XVI. could immediately clamp down like never before. With such a mandate of the election of the frail old man would be the most powerful Pope of the history of the Church.

  Link to kath.net...

Words of Praise from Russian Orthodox Leaders for Benedict XVI

Kyrill I: In the “difficult situation”, in which western Christianity today finds itself, the Pope “courageously” defends the positions and moral values of his church.

Moscow(kath.net/KNA) The Head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kyrill I, has recently found words of praise for Pope Benedict XVI.. In the “difficult situation” in which western Christianity finds itself, the Pope has defended “courageously” the positions and moral values of his church said Kyrill II according to church reports of Sunday evening during a meeting with the new Russian Ambassador to the Holy See, Alexander Awdrejew. Without these positions the Church would not be able to endure any longer and be transformed into a “mixture of various Christian organizations”.

The Patriarch stresses at the same time the stand points of the Russian Orthodox and the Catholic Church agree in the “most significant questions of the past”. Both churches should continue to work together, so that the Christian message as much in the East as also in the West will be convincingly preached. Kremlin Chief, Vladimir Putin had named the former Russian Culture Minister Awdejew as Ambassador of to the Holy See in January.

Since the election of Benedict XVI., the diplomatic and ecumenical relations between the Russian Orthodox and Catholic Church have been remarkably improved. According to the political change of 1989, the Moscow Patriarchate reproached Rome for building of Catholic church structures in the states of the earlier Soviet Union, to serve to proselytize their faithful. The Patriarchate consider the Federation States as the canonical territory of Orthodoxy.

 Link to kath.net…


Also a Russian Orthodox theologian has his own words of praise for Pope Benedict:

Russian scholar praises Benedict XVI, slams John Paul II

Moscow, February 12, Interfax - Outgoing Pope Benedict XVI "has been able to strengthen the Catholic Church and improve relations with" the Russian Orthodox Church, a Russian religious scholar said.

"His decision to resign deserves respect. He has been a powerful leader, and would be able to continue his mission successfully if it weren't for his age," Roman Silantyev told Interfax-Religion.

Benedict took charge of what was "a church that had been seriously weakend by his predecessor," Silantyev said.

"John Paul II wanted to be liked by everyone, and as a result he did huge harm to the Catholics, turning millions of people away from his Church. His tenure saw mass-scale closures or conversions of Catholic Churches in Europe. Seminaries with histories spanning many centuries lost their students, and orphanages in Third World countries became the main source of new clergy," the scholar said.

During Benedict's tenure, "the useless 'thrust toward the East' [alleged proselytism by Uniates], which was taking up huge resources, has come to an end, there has been an improvement in relations with the Russian Orthodox Church, which has proved to be the Vatican's main ally in asserting the Christian way of life in the European Union," Silantyev said.

Benedict "hasn't had the idee fixe of coming to Moscow because he has repeatedly met with the incumbent Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia anyway," he said.

"It appears to be most likely that an Italian cardinal will be elected to this post," Silantyev said.

Pope Benedict XVI to Visit Ukraine?

Pope Benedict XVI may possibly visit the Greek-Catholic Archbishop of Kiev, Swjatoslaw Schwetschuk in the Ukraine.

Arcbishop Schwetschuk

Vatican City (kath.net/KNA)  Pope Benedict XVI may possibly visit the Greek-Catholic Archbishop of Kiev, Swjatoslaw Schwetschuk in the Ukraine, according to him.  The possibility about such a visit was already discussed for this year, said Schwetschuk on Monday in informal talks during the Bishops' Synod.  With a view to the social importance it is being descried as a "delicate matter".

As to the question if the Pope might come to his country, Schwetschuk said: "I believe yes".  The Catholics in Ukraine are awaiting Benedict XVI., says the head of the Greek-Catholic Church in Ukraine.  The possibility of a papal trip to the Ukraine has been speculated upon for quite some time; an invitation has been extended by the Catholics united with Rome.

Link to kath.net....

Photo: C) 2012 KNA Katholische Nachrichten-Agentur GmbH. Alle Rechte vorbehalten.

Benedict XVI: No Unauthorized Changes in the Liturgy

Vatican City (KNA) Pope Benedict has spoke out against unauthorized alterations in the Liturgy. 

Because of the universality of the Church with its "rich tradition and creativity" the Liturgy "is not to be  distorted by communities or experts",  the Pope said this in his general audience at St. Peter's Square. 

(photo:  today in Germany this can be found almost everywhere:  the laity play in sanctuary theater) 

It's not the individual priest or believer who celebrates the Liturgy, but it is God,  who is the center of the Church, he stressed. 

For that reason these forms must be true to the universal Church.  The religious service is about the living presence of Jesus Christ and not for the recollection of something past, said Benedict XVI further. 

If the celebration doesn't proceed with Christ as the center,  then it doesn't concern Christian Liturgy.   The Liturgy of the smallest community also has the entire Church present, the Pope stressed.

An example for alterations in the Liturgy can be found in a video presentation at a Carnival "Mass" in Ochsenhausen.

From the German District Page of the SSPX...

Nuncio Complains that German Church Does Not Listen to the Pope

Bonn (kath.,net/KNA)  The ambassador of the Pope in Germany is concerned about the future of the Catholic Church in the Bundesrepublik.  "The Pope suffers from an persistently closed attitude toward him in Germany," said the Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Jean-Claude Perisset, in an interview published in the "Zeit" on Wednesday.  It is a "great loss", that the Church in Germany hears the Pope so little.

The Nuncio expressed himself critically about the dialog process in the Catholic Church. "Conflict in the Church is the wrong way.  But dialog is not a conflict, but the opposite".  Whoever only values his own position,  doesn't engage in dialog.  It would be a courageous step of the Bishops, to seek a discussion with the people of the Church.  "Only those who want to turn the Church on its head, are those who do not want dialog."

With a view to the debate surrounding the Kirchensteuer [Church tax], the Nuncio said, the Church in the Bundesrepublik is "sometimes is too concerned with managing resources and forgets the announcing of the good news.".  As to the question for the reason for empty churches and few priestly vocations Perisset recalled that this is not a malfunction of the institution of the Church;  the reasons lay in the mentality of people and in erroneous beliefs.  "We need a new culture of community, of believing together.  For that reason we need also great celebrations like World Youth Day or Papal Masses in the Olympiastadion.  They show: you are not alone."

At the same time, Perisset insisted that the Church must adjust itself in its announcing the faith in today's environment.  "We say things that people don't understand any more.  We must return to the basic elements of the Faith and freshly explain these with simple words in colorful language."  The restoration of the faith has to "come again from the family, so that we might remake the Church.  If the grandparents don't take their grandchildren along, if the adults do not discuss the faith, if the faith is not developed in the family, then there is no future."

Link to kathnet....

Pope Benedict Tries on New Hard Hat

Vatican.  At as brief audience Pope Benedict XVI received a hard hat as a gift.  This was according to the Hamburg news 'Morningpost'.  The Pope put on his hardhat for the camera.  The helmet bears the inscription.  "Benedict XVI".

Link to kreun.zet.

Cardinal Burke to Reprimand Cardinal Kasper With Blessing of Holy Father

[EF Exclusive] According to Catholic Culture, there will be an emergency consistory held by the Pope next week which will deal, in addition to issues related to the clerical sex abuse hysteria, with the reception of Anglicans into the Catholic Church.

We are told by Maximilian Hanlon that it is within the context of this meeting that Cardinal Burke will  publicly reprimand Cardinal Kasper, owing possibly to the notoriously liberal Cardinal's hostility to the "ecumenism of return".  Indeed, since Cardinal Kasper has been opposed to an ecumenism of return, so it should be easy to see why Cardinal Burke would object to this.  What is more surprising is that he is doing this with the blessing of the Holy Father.

Cardinal Kasper had gotten into trouble, you may remember, for saying some controversial things prior to the Pope's trip to England and suddenly became ill and could not participate.

This will be interesting to see how it plays out.

Photo:  St. Louis Today

Related Articles:

Cardinal Kasper complains about SSPX talks

Cardinal Kasper says Europe Must Return to Christian Roots.

A Destroyer of the Faith Leaves the Curia.

Pope Admits Church Wasn't Vigilant Enough

ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE, SEPT. 16, 2010 (Zenit.org).- The Church was not sufficiently vigilant or sufficiently quick in responding to the problem of sexual abusers among clergy, Benedict XVI says.

The Pope made this affirmation today en route to Scotland for the first leg of his four-day trip to the United Kingdom. As is customary, he gave a press conference to a group of journalists on the flight with him.

Speaking of the sexual abuse scandal, he affirmed: "First of all I must say that these revelations were a shock to me, a great sadness; it is difficult to understand how this perversion of the priestly ministry was possible. At the moment of ordination, the priest, prepared for years for this moment, says 'yes' to Christ to be his voice, his mouth, his hands. [...] How a man who has done and said this can then fall into this perversion is difficult to understand.

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