«O Clavis David et sceptrum domus Israël, qui aperis et nemo claudit, claudis et nemo aperit: veni, et educ vinctum de domo carceris, sedentem in tenebris et umbra mortis».
Yesterday we had the third Advent meditation in the Paul VI Hall, in the presence of Pope Leo, the events in the ‘Rupnik chapel’ are still being avoided, the usual place for these meditations. Pasolini focuses on the attitude of the Magi who dared bravely, opening themselves to the unknown. Jesus does not contrast those who do evil with those who do good, but those who do evil with those who live the truth. This means that to welcome the light of the Incarnation it is not necessary to already be good or perfect, but to begin to live truthfully; that is, to stop hiding and accept being seen as we are, because God is more interested in our truth than in superficial goodness.
Many comments on the Pope’s Christmas letter to the cardinals with the agenda for the next extraordinary consistory on January 7 and 8. Everything points to Leo XIV’s desire to restore importance to the sacred college, weakened during the government of Pope Francis. He promised his fellow cardinals greater participation in the decision-making process than in the previous twelve years. In his letter, he thanks the cardinals «for the demonstration of filial adherence and the support in prayer that I have perceived since my election, both in personal meetings and in official occasions». The Pope has included the liturgy among the topics of «particular relevance» indicated to the cardinals with the intention of proposing a « profound theological, historical, and pastoral reflection to preserve the sound tradition and, at the same time, open the way to legitimate progress». Quote taken from article 23 of the apostolic constitution Sacrosanctum Concilium.
Another great joy, the Pope authorized the promulgation of decrees on 12 blesseds, including 11 martyrs of the Spanish Civil War of the 1930s (nine seminarians, a diocesan priest, and a layman) and a father, Enrique Ernesto Shaw, Argentine businessman who died in 1962. Three new venerables (two Italians, Friar Berardo Atonna and Sister Domenica Caterina dello Spirito Santo, and an Indian priest, Joseph Panjikaran) have been recognized for their heroic virtues. The martyrdom of the Servant of God Ignacio Aláex Vaquero, seminarian, and ten companions, including a priest, seminarians, and laymen, killed out of hatred for the faith between 1936 and 1937 in the province of Madrid (Spain); the heroic virtues of the Servant of God Joseph Panjikaran, diocesan priest, founder of the Congregation of the “Medical Sisters of St. Joseph”, born on September 10, 1888 in Uzhuva (India) and died on November 4, 1949 in Kothamangalam (India); the heroic virtues of the Servant of God Berardo Atonna (born Giuseppe), professed priest of the Order of Friars Minor, born on July 1, 1843 in Episcopio di Sarno and died on March 4, 1917 in Naples; the heroic virtues of the Servant of God Domenica Caterina dello Spirito Santo (in the world Teresa Solari), founder of the Congregation of the Dominican Sisters of the Little House of Divine Providence, probably born on December 8, 1822 in Ne and died on May 7, 1908 in Genoa.
Pope Leo XIV approved the new statutes of the Apostolic See’s Labor Office (ULSA), a kind of vertical Vatican and Holy See union, founded by John Paul II. It has been working for more than thirty years to promote the consolidation of the labor community in the Roman Curia, the State of Vatican City, and the entities directly administered by the Apostolic See. Pope John Paul II’s initial idea is recovered and the statutory reform allows including, for the first time, representatives from the Secretariat of State, the Vicariate of Rome, Health Care, and the Pension Fund, which surprisingly were not included. The Office will be able to issue technical and advisory opinions on labor law and Vatican law, even in cases of individual or collective conflicts between employees. This office was born with good intentions but was emptied to avoid problems; in the Vatican, papers count for little, we’ll see if what was approved today will have effectiveness or simply be another toast to the sun.
The meetings between the Vatican and Italian politics continue, it seems they want to hastily close the nefarious pontificate of Pope Francis. After Pope Leo XIV’s visit to the senate and his lunch at the Italian nunciature, yesterday we had a visit from the president of the parliament. Fontana: «It was an honor and a profound joy for me to meet today with the Holy Father in a private audience, a few days before Christmas. His words illuminate a moment of great complexity». «I thank Pope Leo XIV for this moment of dialogue and for his constant commitment to peace. His reflections evoke the hope that calls us to action, to service of the common good, and to witness to Christian values and message in daily life: a precious gift, even more so now as we prepare for Christmas».
Schneider expressed his gratitude to Pope Leo XIV for granting him an audience on Thursday, stating that he was impressed with his “attention and understanding”. “I am deeply grateful to Pope Leo XIV for granting me a private audience, during which I was able to share several proposals oriented toward the spiritual good of the Church”. «Let us pray for Pope Leo XIV, that he may strengthen the faith and promote justice and peace in the liturgical life of the Church».
Tolentino de Mendonça, prefect of Culture and Education, received in the Vatican Luciano Buonfiglio, president of the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI), and Marco Giunio De Sanctis, president of the Italian Paralympic Committee (CIP), for two separate meetings on Tuesday 16 and Thursday 18 December. «Also with a view to the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, direct collaboration has been initiated in the areas of education and inclusion, with a particular commitment to peace, in accordance with the guidelines proposed by the Magisterium of the Holy Father Leo XIV».
A woman is being investigated as part of the Rome prosecutor’s investigation into the disappearance of Emanuela Orlandi, accused of providing false information to the prosecutor. The woman under investigation is a friend and former classmate of the same music school as Emanuela Orlandi. It is Laura Casagrande, who was also interviewed by the Bicameral Investigation Commission just over a year ago. Forty-two years after her disappearance, which occurred on June 22, 1983, the investigation has gained new momentum thanks to the deepening of evidence and testimonies, particularly regarding the hours before her disappearance. The woman under investigation was questioned yesterday accompanied by her lawyer. Laura Sgrò, legal advisor to the Orlandi family: «I learned of the news from her agency, but I knew nothing about it. The Rome Prosecutor’s Office has always operated with maximum secrecy, so this certainly falls within their modus operandi, if the news is confirmed. We have the utmost respect and esteem for the magistrates of the Rome Prosecutor’s Office handling Emanuela’s case. If they have placed this person under investigation, there must be a reason».
Friendship between the imam and the bishop. An imam accused by the Italian Ministry of the Interior of representing a concrete threat to national security—and defended by a Catholic bishop—has been released from an immigrant detention center. The court left in force an expulsion order issued by the Ministry of the Interior for public security reasons following the statements Shahin made about Hamas during a pro-Palestinian demonstration. At the end of November, during Shahin’s detention, Bishop Derio Olivero of Pinerolo had published a video message defending the imam and denouncing his expulsion order. “Mohamed Shahin has been in Italy for 21 years, has no criminal record, and has always worked tirelessly for dialogue and cooperation in Turin”. “It seems strange and absurd that he now risks expulsion for his opinions: in Italy there is freedom of opinion”. In a recent interview, Olivero stated that there was no evidence against Shahin and warned that expelling him could have counterproductive effects: «The risk is radicalization». The Turin Court of Appeal issued an official statement emphasizing that the ruling was not ideological but “based on new information that emerged after the initial detention order”. Shahin was a known collaborator of individuals linked to jihadist movements.
And now for other news with in-depth themes. Highly recommended the dialogue between two leading figures: Nicola Bux and Vito Palmiotti. The Church is not simply debating between «conservatives» and «progressives», but between reality and utopia. The two are co-authors of the book of the same name , which also includes unpublished correspondence between Bux and the emeritus Pope Benedict XVI. When speaking of the difficult period that the Catholic Church is going through in recent decades, we sometimes limit ourselves to superficial definitions of internal divisions, using categories drawn from political jargon such as «conservatives» and «progressives». But, delving deeper, the real clash is between reality and utopia, between realism and ideology. An ideology that has made us lose sight of reality, where «reality is of Christ» (Letter to the Colossians). Christ has become the notorious absent one. «Christ has been expelled, paradoxically, from Christianity». «Bishops and priests, and even some popes (I think of Francis), competed to pursue these ‘dreams’ (a recurring word in the documents), but never asked themselves why they did not take root. Because they were ideologies, utopias. We must understand the reason; no one has sown the good seed, which is Christ. ‘Without me, you can do nothing'».
Bux believes that the beginning of Leo XIV’s pontificate is «in tune with the movement underway in the world, both in the United States and in secularized Europe: a resurgence of Christian identity, in opposition to the progressive agenda that claimed to constitute an ‘awakening’ (but denied the roots of Western civilization). Otherwise, faith would be reduced to a feeling, to an inconsistency. In the USSR, more than one dissident stated: «We are tired of hearing about man, we want to hear about God». And… We didn’t say it by chance: the regime was proposing a paradise on earth. Benedict XVI, Father Bux recalls , «never used the word ‘prophecy’. Because it comes from the Greek ‘the one who speaks face to face’, while in popular culture it is interpreted as ‘the one who foresees the future’. Christian prophecy is Christ speaking to men face to face».
Following the appointment of the Archbishop of New York comes Richard Moth, current Bishop of Arundel and Brighton, as Metropolitan Archbishop of Westminster. A center of gravity not only for London, but for British Catholicism as a whole: Westminster is not a diocese «like the others», but the chair from which the metropolitan archbishop leads a community called to face particularly acute pastoral and cultural challenges in the English context. With the acceptance of the resignation of Cardinal Vincent Nichols , the Pope formally closes a period that began in 2009 , when Nichols was called to Westminster after Cardinal Murphy-O’Connor. Unlike the Dolan case , Nichols led the diocese for approximately five more years, beyond the ordinary age for resignation, so Leo XIV concludes the extension period.
We continue with articles about the new Bishop of New York. It seems that the successor to Cardinal Dolan, a native of Chicago, learned more from George than from Cupich, but collaborated effectively with both. He was one of the last missionaries in San Salvador where he stood out for his defense of life and his permissive attitude toward traditional liturgy. Dolan is not only a cardinal, but also one of the key figures in the large-scale election of Leo XIV in the Sistine Chapel last May. Despite this, his compatriot, the Pontiff, has opted for a change. Hicks, a prelate who received episcopal ordination in 2018 from the leader of the liberal American bishops, Cupich,
And today we end a bit on the civil side, though not entirely. Recently published in Washington the programmatic document titled «National Security Strategy of the United States of America» , in which the Trump presidency describes the international situation from the perspective of American security. Regarding Europe, the document states: American officials tend to view Europe’s problems in terms of insufficient military spending and economic stagnation. This is partially true, but the real problems are deeper. (…) The economic decline is overshadowed by the real and stark prospect of the destruction of civilization. It is evident that the Trump administration’s document touched a sensitive nerve. Was it a friendly warning or, rather, a signal of distancing and even abandonment from across the Atlantic, reflecting a symmetric wink to China and Russia? It contains a warning for Europe: if this path continues, the risk of the destruction of civilization looms. «If current trends continue, the continent will be unrecognizable in twenty years».
There is a fundamental misunderstanding that is identifying this European Union with Europe. Europe has existed since the 8th century, when Charlemagne unified much of Western and Central Europe, creating a vast empire, promoting Christianity and a cultural renaissance, which earned him the title of » Father of Europe» and «RexEuropae «. In any case, this European Union is the antithesis of the Carolingian Empire. We can even go back to St. Benedict, also called the «Father of Europe» because he forged the spirit that sustains it, that is, Benedictine spirituality, which later spread across our continent through monastic life. In any case, this European Union is the antithesis of the Benedictine spirit. Europe reached its historical peak in the medieval Christian civilization, that is, Christendom, an era, in the words of Pope Leo XIII, «in which the philosophy of the Gospel governed society. (…) Society drew from this order unimaginable fruits, whose memory endures and will endure, recorded in countless historical monuments, which no malice of enemies can falsify or obscure» (encyclical Immortale Dei ). This Christian civilization then spread throughout the world. In any case, this European Union is the antithesis of Christian civilization and its evangelizing and civilizing work.
Catholics do not want to destroy Europe, they want to resurrect it in all its splendor and the path to achieve it is diametrically opposed to the one undertaken by this European Union. The European Union self-destructs by refusing to incorporate Europe’s Christian roots into its Constitution, thus denying the very identity of our continent. A tree without roots is a reality without identity, destined sooner or later to die. John Paul II: «European identity is incomprehensible without Christianity. It is precisely in Christianity that we find those common roots from which the civilization of the old continent has matured, its culture, its dynamism, its industriousness, its capacity for constructive expansion toward other continents; in a word, everything that constitutes its glory». (Santiago de Compostela 1982).
The European Union self-destructs when it forces its member states to kill innocent children in the womb through abortion, even threatening sanctions against those who do not accept this demographic suicide. The European Union self-destructs when it wages an open war against the fundamental cell of society: the family, while promoting European birth reduction policies, encouraging uncontrolled immigration, especially from Muslim countries, thus profoundly altering the religious structure of the continent. We continue with John Paul II in Santiago de Compostela in 1982: «I, Bishop of Rome and Pastor of the universal Church, from Santiago, cry out to you with love, ancient Europe: ‘Find yourself. Be yourself’. Rediscover your origins. Revive your roots. Relive the authentic values that have made your history glorious and your presence beneficial in other continents. Rebuild your spiritual unity!»
«Oh Key of David and Scepter of the house of Israel, who open and no one can close, close and no one can open, come and free the captives who live in darkness and in the shadow of death!»
«…you will conceive in your womb and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus».
Good reading.