Pope urges U.S. Catholics to renew their missionary energyWASHINGTON (CNS) -- Celebrating Mass in a Washington baseball stadium, Pope Benedict XVI urged U.S. Catholics to renew their missionary energy at a time when American society is at a moral crossroads. The pope warned of "signs of a disturbing breakdown in the very foundations of society" and said people need the church's message of hope and fidelity to the demands of the Gospel. Read the rest...
Catholic University students thrilled to welcome pope 'on our turf'
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- The pope doesn't visit a U.S. college campus very often. So when four seniors at The Catholic University of America heard that Pope Benedict XVI was coming to their campus, the roommates knew they wanted to witness it. So they arrived on the lawn behind the Columbus School of Law shortly before 10 a.m. April 17 to wait for the papal arrival on campus some seven hours later. Read the rest
Pope urges U.S. Catholic educators to lead students to deeper faith
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Pope Benedict XVI urged U.S. Catholic educators April 17 not to simply transmit knowledge to their students but to bring them to a deeper understanding of faith "which in turn nurtures the soul of a nation." "A particular responsibility ... for each of you, and your colleagues, is to evoke among the young the desire for the act of faith, encouraging them to commit themselves to the ecclesial life that follows from this belief," he told more than 400 Catholic college presidents and diocesan education representatives at The Catholic University of America. Read the rest...
For those who watched the Mass, I had a question, where any of you bothered by some of the choice in music there? As in, the couple of songs with marracas, and hands-clapping, the very un-traditional music? (Especially the song they picked for the presentation of the gifts.) I have to say that I was, and from the close up of the Holy Father's face when the presentation music started, it looked a lot like he wasn't too happy about the music either. I thought it pretty disrespectful, especially since the people who picked the music and apporved it at least should know that the Holy Father has written a lot about the music for mass being liturgical music. You think they would know that he's written a lot about not using the 'feel-happy handsclapping king of music. I was a bit upset about it, it really detracts from the mass.
ReplyDeleteAlso, what did you all think about the many languages used? (The spanish first reading, and the prayers of the faithful in multiple languages.) As Father Richard from EWTN said - and I agree with him - it was a "preening display of the many different cultures in America" and that it was "overdone". My mom said that it seemed like they were trying to say "We are not one country, we are many countries living one one piece of ground."
Any thoughts on this?