http://www.kandle.ie Kildare & Leighlin Catholic Diocese Ireland. Welcome! Tue, 07 Sep 2010 09:31:05 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 2006-2010 chancellor@kandle.ie (Kildare & Leighlin Diocese) chancellor@kandle.ie (Kildare & Leighlin Diocese) posts 1440 http://www.kandle.ie/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/KandLe_rss.jpg http://www.kandle.ie 144 144 A range of interviews and reflections about church life and social issues hosted by the Diocese of Kildare & Leighlin (RC Diocese in Ireland) kandle, church, diocese, parish, prayer, liturgy, music, communications, Kildare & Leighlin Diocese Kildare & Leighlin Diocese chancellor@kandle.ie no no http://www.kandle.ie/2010/09/06/pope_leo_xiii_200/ http://www.kandle.ie/2010/09/06/pope_leo_xiii_200/#comments Mon, 06 Sep 2010 08:50:52 +0000 KandLe Team http://www.kandle.ie/?p=20336 http://www.kandle.ie/2010/09/06/pope_leo_xiii_200/feed/ 0 2:33 Multimedia coverage of the 200th anniversary of the birth of Pope Leo XIII.  On a visit to his birthplace Pope Benedict XVI recalled his social ... Multimedia coverage of the 200th anniversary of the birth of Pope Leo XIII.  On a visit to his birthplace Pope Benedict XVI recalled his social teaching within his 1891 encyclical "Rerum Novarum". Podcast   This podcast made available from Vatican Radio Pope Benedict XVI marked the second centenary of the birth of the man who became Pope Leo XIII on Sunday, with a trip to his predecessor's birthplace. Author of "Rerum Novarum" - a man of great faith By understanding social questions as something to be dealt with positively and effectively through dialogue and mediation, Pope Leo XIII led a Church capable of dealing with the great issues of contemporary society. This suggestion was made today by Benedict XVI when he made a brief visit to Carpineto Romano, the birthplace of his predecessor. The Holy Father's visit marked the 200th anniversary of the birth of Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci (1810-1903), who was elected to the See of Peter in 1878. Benedict XVI took a helicopter to the small town, some 80 kilometers (50 miles) from Rome, and celebrated a Mass there, returning to Castel Gandolfo just in time for the midday Angelus. Though Leo XIII is best known for his contribution to the Church's social doctrine with his 1891 encyclical "Rerum Novarum," the Pope stressed that he was above all "a man of great faith and profound devotion." This, the Holy Father observed, "always remains the basis of everything, for every Christian, including the Pope." Leo XIII was able to transmit to the People of God a message that joined "faith and reason, truth and concrete reality," the Pontiff said. And this, despite living "in one of the most difficult historical periods of the Church." Peaceful force Benedict considered Leo XIII's contribution to social doctrine by looking at the second reading from today's liturgy, in which St. Paul sends Onesimus the run-away slave back to his former owner Philemon, not as a slave, but baptized, and thus a brother in Christ. The Pope observed: "From this particular experience of St. Paul with Onesimus there can develop a broad reflection on the movement of human promotion brought by Christianity to the path of civilization, and also on the method and style of this contribution, conformed to the evangelical images of the seed and the leaven: Christians, acting as individual citizens or groups within the reality of history, constitute a beneficent and peaceful force for profound change, actualizing the development of the potentialities within reality itself. "This is the form of presence and action in the world proposed by the Church’s social doctrine, which always points to the maturation of consciences as the valid and lasting condition for transformations." The Bishop of Rome considered the context in which Leo XIII found himself: that of a Europe "feeling the effects of the great Napoleonic storm, which followed the French Revolution," in which the Church and elements of Christian culture "were radically called into question." The Pontiff said the Church's magisterium was moved "to elaborate a comprehensive and prospective reading of the new society and its common good." And Leo XIII "felt called to bring this reading to completion." "There were in fact dozens and dozens of saints and blessed since the end of the 1700s to the beginning of the 1900s who sought out and took -- with the imagination of charity -- many roads to actualize the evangelical message within the new social realities," he continued. "Without a doubt these initiatives, with the sacrifices and reflections of these men and women, prepared the soil of 'Rerum Novarum' and of the other social documents of Pope Pecci. "Already at the time that he was apostolic nuncio in Belgium, he had understood that the social question could be dealt with positively and effectively with dialogue and mediation. In an age of bitter anti-clericalism and of volatile demonstrations against the Po Podcasts, Vatican News, Videos Kildare & Leighlin Diocese no no http://www.kandle.ie/2010/09/05/papal-message-wyd-2011/ http://www.kandle.ie/2010/09/05/papal-message-wyd-2011/#comments Sun, 05 Sep 2010 19:28:48 +0000 KandLe Team http://www.kandle.ie/?p=20324 http://www.kandle.ie/2010/09/05/papal-message-wyd-2011/feed/ 0 http://www.kandle.ie/2010/09/05/israeli-palestinian-peace/ http://www.kandle.ie/2010/09/05/israeli-palestinian-peace/#comments Sun, 05 Sep 2010 18:34:08 +0000 KandLe Team http://www.kandle.ie/?p=20317 http://www.kandle.ie/2010/09/05/israeli-palestinian-peace/feed/ 0 1:59 As the latest attempt to achieve a Israeli-Palestinian peace accord begun in Washington. Pope Benedict XVI welcomed the President of Israel.  Multimedia coverage. Podcast   This podcast ... As the latest attempt to achieve a Israeli-Palestinian peace accord begun in Washington. Pope Benedict XVI welcomed the President of Israel.  Multimedia coverage. Podcast   This podcast made available from Vatican Radio In his podcast Fr Federico Lombardi S.J reflects ‘Hopes for peace’ in the Middle East. “As direct talks between Israelis and Palestinians got underway in Washington under the auspices of the U.S administration, at Castel Gandolfo, the Pope received the President of Israel, Shimon Peres, demonstrating to him the intense hope, his and that of the whole Church, for a successful outcome to negotiations towards "a stable peace in the Holy Land and throughout the region" based on "an agreement that respects the legitimate aspirations of both peoples." No one can deny the difficulty of the undertaking, after many failed attempts and in a context where many act - not only with words but with violence – to ensure that even this fails. But the path of dialogue is the only one capable of building a future of peace in justice, which is really what everyone hopes for even though suffering and hate have clouded their vision. It is the path that the Church has always indicated with patience and with perseverance, and which Pope Benedict, during his memorable journey last year, confirmed with courage even after the terrible crisis in Gaza. The beautiful dedication that President Peres personally composed for the gift offered to the Pope, a silver menorah, a symbol of Israel is an extraordinary testimony to this patient courage: " To his Holiness Pope Benedict XVI, the shepherd who seeks to lead us to the fields of blessings and the fields of peace. With great esteem". The politicians’ commitment is therefore accompanied by the commitment of the great moral and religious authorities. Will there finally be peace? We all have to strive in this direction”. Visit of Israeli President Benedict XVI was visited today by President Simon Peres of Israel at the papal summer residence in Castel Gandolfo. Their dialogue included a discussion on negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians. A Vatican communiqué reported, "Concerning the renewal of direct contacts between Israelis and Palestinians, scheduled for today in Washington, the hope was expressed that this may assist in reaching an agreement that is respectful of the legitimate aspirations of the two peoples and capable of bringing lasting peace to the Holy Land and to the entire region." In Washington D.C., the first direct peace talks between Israeli and Palestinian leaders in nearly two years took place today. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas formally opened negotiations, and agreed to meet every two weeks in the Middle East, beginning Sept. 14. However, the negotiation process has not been without opposition in that region. On Tuesday, a pregnant mother, another woman and two men were killed in the West Bank by Hamas, a Palestinian Islamic organization with a paramilitary force and political arm that has control in the Gaza Strip. Abbas responded by ordering the arrest of some 250 Hamas members. The Vatican reported that the Pope and Peres spoke about the "condemnation of all forms of violence" and they emphasized the "necessity of guaranteeing better conditions of life to all the peoples of the area." Diplomatic relations Other topics of the "cordial" discussion included the Holy Father's pilgrimage to the Holy Land in May, 2009, as well as interreligious dialogue and the international situation. The Vatican reported that "the discussions also permitted the examination of the relations between the State of Israel and the Holy See and those of the state authorities with the local Catholic communities." In this regard, they "underlined the great particular significance of the presence of these communities in the Holy Land and the contribution which they offer for t Podcasts, Vatican News, Videos Kildare & Leighlin Diocese no no http://www.kandle.ie/2010/08/21/papal-visit-uk/ http://www.kandle.ie/2010/08/21/papal-visit-uk/#comments Sat, 21 Aug 2010 15:42:43 +0000 KandLe Team http://www.kandle.ie/?p=20047 http://www.kandle.ie/2010/08/21/papal-visit-uk/feed/ 0 http://www.kandle.ie/2010/08/07/uk-ambassador-holy-see/ http://www.kandle.ie/2010/08/07/uk-ambassador-holy-see/#comments Sat, 07 Aug 2010 10:56:51 +0000 KandLe Team http://www.kandle.ie/?p=19770 http://www.kandle.ie/2010/08/07/uk-ambassador-holy-see/feed/ 0 http://www.kandle.ie/2010/08/01/benedict-xvi-cluster-bomb-ban/ http://www.kandle.ie/2010/08/01/benedict-xvi-cluster-bomb-ban/#comments Sun, 01 Aug 2010 18:43:14 +0000 KandLe Team http://www.kandle.ie/?p=19684 http://www.kandle.ie/2010/08/01/benedict-xvi-cluster-bomb-ban/feed/ 0 1:43 Pope Benedict has welcomed with great satisfaction the fact the Convention on the prohibition of cluster bombs went into effect on 1st August 2010. Podcast   This ... Pope Benedict has welcomed with great satisfaction the fact the Convention on the prohibition of cluster bombs went into effect on 1st August 2010. Podcast   This podcast made available from Vatican Radio On-going suffering Speaking after the midday Angelus prayer in the courtyard of Apostolic Palace of Castel Gandolfo, Benedict XVI expressed his satisfaction for an act in which he said the "international community has shown wisdom, foresight and ability to pursue a significant achievement in the field of disarmament and international humanitarian law" He also drew attention to the many victims who have suffered and continue to suffer physical and moral damage  -including death - from the what the Holy Father called the insidious ordnance, whose presence on the ground often hinders the resumption of the daily normal activities of whole communities. Podcasts, Vatican News, Videos Kildare & Leighlin Diocese no no http://www.kandle.ie/2010/07/28/the-catholic-guy-vatican/ http://www.kandle.ie/2010/07/28/the-catholic-guy-vatican/#comments Wed, 28 Jul 2010 14:35:06 +0000 KandLe Team http://www.kandle.ie/?p=19615 http://www.kandle.ie/2010/07/28/the-catholic-guy-vatican/feed/ 0 http://www.kandle.ie/2010/07/25/jesus-of-nazareth-vol-3/ http://www.kandle.ie/2010/07/25/jesus-of-nazareth-vol-3/#comments Sun, 25 Jul 2010 14:07:57 +0000 KandLe Team http://www.kandle.ie/?p=19570 http://www.kandle.ie/2010/07/25/jesus-of-nazareth-vol-3/feed/ 0 http://www.kandle.ie/2010/07/23/benedict-xvi-7th-oldest-pope/ http://www.kandle.ie/2010/07/23/benedict-xvi-7th-oldest-pope/#comments Fri, 23 Jul 2010 08:46:47 +0000 KandLe Team http://www.kandle.ie/?p=19535 http://www.kandle.ie/2010/07/23/benedict-xvi-7th-oldest-pope/feed/ 0 http://www.kandle.ie/2010/07/18/benedict-xvi-vacation/ http://www.kandle.ie/2010/07/18/benedict-xvi-vacation/#comments Sun, 18 Jul 2010 18:10:18 +0000 KandLe Team http://www.kandle.ie/?p=19472 http://www.kandle.ie/2010/07/18/benedict-xvi-vacation/feed/ 0 2:42 Speaking at the Papal summer villa - Castel Gandolfo - Pope Benedict XVI once again reflected on the benefit of holiday time and the need ... Speaking at the Papal summer villa - Castel Gandolfo - Pope Benedict XVI once again reflected on the benefit of holiday time and the need to give first place to what is actually most important in life. Podcast   This podcast made available from Vatican Radio Remarks by Pope Benedict XVI at Sunday Angelus Castel Gandolfo, 18 July 2010 “Dear brothers and sisters! We are now in the heart of summer, at least in the northern hemisphere. This is the time when schools are closed and most on holidays. Even the pastoral activities of the parishes are reduced, and I too have suspended my audiences for a period. So it is a favourable moment to give first place to what is actually most important in life, i.e listening to the Word of God. This Sunday’s Gospel also recalls us of this, the acclaimed episode of Jesus' visit to the house of Martha and Mary, narrated by Saint Luke (10:38-42). Martha and Mary are two sisters, they also have a brother, Lazarus, but does not appear in this he case. Jesus passes through their village and - the text says - it hosted Martha (cf. 10:38). This detail suggests that of the two, Marta is the oldest, the one who rules the house. In fact, after Jesus has settled, Mary sits down at his feet and listens to him, while Martha is busy with many tasks, due to the certainly exceptional Guest. We seem able to picture the scene: a sister who moves about busily, as the other is held hostage by the presence of the Master and his words. After a while Martha, apparently resentful, most can no longer resist and protests, even feeling entitled to criticize Jesus: "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me". Martha would even teach the Master! Instead, Jesus calmly responds: "Martha, Martha - and this repeating of her name expresses affection - you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her" (10.41-42). Christ's words are clear: no contempt for the active life, let alone for the generous hospitality, but a sharp reminder to the fact that the only thing that is really needed is another: listening to the Word of the Lord; and the Lord in that moment is there, present in the person of Jesus! Everything else will pass and will be taken from us, but the Word of God is eternal and gives meaning to our daily activities. Dear friends, as I said, this Gospel page is very much attuned to the vacation period, because it recalls the fact the human person must work, engage in domestic and professional activities, but needs God first of all, who is the interior light of Love and Truth. Without love, even the most important activities lose their value, and give no joy. Without a deeper meaning, everything boils down to do our sterile and unruly activism. And who gives us Love and Truth, but Jesus Christ? May we learn therefore, brethren, to help each other, to cooperate, but before everything else to choose together the best part, which is and will always be our greatest asset. I am pleased to greet the English-speaking visitors here in Castel Gandolfo. In today’s Gospel we are reminded of the need to rest from our daily labours, so that we may give time to the one thing that is truly necessary in our lives – listening to the word of God in attentive stillness. It is Mary, not Martha, who chose the better part. At this time when many of you are on holiday, I pray that you and your loved ones may be truly refreshed in body and spirit, so that you may return with renewed vigour to the responsibilities of your daily lives. May God bless you all! Podcasts, Vatican News, Videos Kildare & Leighlin Diocese no no http://www.kandle.ie/2010/07/15/normae-de-gravioribus-delictis/ http://www.kandle.ie/2010/07/15/normae-de-gravioribus-delictis/#comments Thu, 15 Jul 2010 14:36:43 +0000 KandLe Team http://www.kandle.ie/?p=19395 http://www.kandle.ie/2010/07/15/normae-de-gravioribus-delictis/feed/ 0 2:06 The Vatican has updated its own norms concerning 'most serious crimes' which include clerical sexual abuse.  The Vatican stresses that civil law must always be ... The Vatican has updated its own norms concerning 'most serious crimes' which include clerical sexual abuse.  The Vatican stresses that civil law must always be followed. click on link below to download Brief Introduction to modifications in "Normae de gravioribus delictis" The significance of the updated norms Note by Fr. F. Lombardi. Vatican Press Office "Civil law concerning reporting of crimes to the appropriate authorities should always be followed" In 2001 the Holy Father John Paul II promulgated a very important document, the Motu Proprio "Sacramentorum sanctitatis tutela", which gave the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith responsibility to deal with and judge a series of particularly serious crimes within the ambit of canon law. This responsibility had previously been attributed also to other dicasteries, or was not completely clear. The Motu Proprio (the "law" in the strict sense) was accompanied by a series of practical and procedural Norms, known as "Normae de gravioribus delictis". Over the nine years since then, experience has naturally suggested that these Norms be integrated and updated, so as to streamline and simplify the procedures and make them more effective, and to take account of new problems. This has been achieved principally by the Pope attributing new "faculties" to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith; faculties which, however, were not organically integrated into the initial Norms. This has now come about, within the context of a systematic revision of those Norms. The serious crimes to which the regulations referred concerned vital aspects of Church life: the Sacraments of the Eucharist and of Penance, but also sexual abuse committed by a priest against a minor under the age of eighteen. The vast public echo this latter kind of crime has had over recent years has attracted great attention and generated intense debate on the norms and procedures applied by the Church to judge and punish such acts. It is right, then, that there should be complete clarity concerning the regulations currently in force in this field, and that these regulations be presented organically so as to facilitate the work of the people who deal with these matters. An initial clarification - especially for use by the media - was provided recently with the publication on the Holy See website of a brief "Guide to Understanding Basic CDF Procedures concerning Sexual Abuse Allegations". The publication of the new Norms is, however, quite a different thing, providing us with an official and updated legal text which is valid for the whole Church. Important aspects in modifications In order to facilitate the reading of the Norms by a non-specialist public, particularly interested in the problems of sexual abuse, we will seek to highlight a number of important aspects: Among the novelties introduced with respect to the earlier Norms, mention must be made, above all, of measures intended to accelerate procedures, such as the possibility of not following the "judicial process" but proceeding by "extrajudicial decree", or that of presenting (in particular circumstances) the most serious cases to the Holy Father with a view to dismissing the offender from the clerical state. Another Norm intended to simplify earlier problems and to take account of the evolution of the situation in the Church concerns the possibility of having not only priests but also lay persons as members of the tribunal staff, or as lawyers or prosecutors. Likewise, in order to undertake these functions it is no longer strictly necessary to have a doctorate in canon law, but the required competency can also be proved in another way; for example, with a licentiate. Another aspect worthy of note is the increase of the statue of limitations from ten years to twenty years, with the possibility of extension even beyond that period. Another significant aspect is establishing parity between the abuse of mentally disabled pe Podcasts, Response to abuse, Safeguarding, Vatican News, Videos Kildare & Leighlin Diocese no no http://www.kandle.ie/2010/07/13/2011-world-day-peace-theme/ http://www.kandle.ie/2010/07/13/2011-world-day-peace-theme/#comments Tue, 13 Jul 2010 15:59:07 +0000 KandLe Team http://www.kandle.ie/?p=19338 http://www.kandle.ie/2010/07/13/2011-world-day-peace-theme/feed/ 0 http://www.kandle.ie/2010/07/12/vatican-reports-financial-loss-in-2009/ http://www.kandle.ie/2010/07/12/vatican-reports-financial-loss-in-2009/#comments Mon, 12 Jul 2010 22:24:37 +0000 KandLe Team http://www.kandle.ie/?p=19316 http://www.kandle.ie/2010/07/12/vatican-reports-financial-loss-in-2009/feed/ 0 http://www.kandle.ie/2010/07/07/papal-trip-uk/ http://www.kandle.ie/2010/07/07/papal-trip-uk/#comments Wed, 07 Jul 2010 22:08:08 +0000 KandLe Team http://www.kandle.ie/?p=19144 http://www.kandle.ie/2010/07/07/papal-trip-uk/feed/ 0 http://www.kandle.ie/2010/06/07/middle-east-synod-document/ http://www.kandle.ie/2010/06/07/middle-east-synod-document/#comments Mon, 07 Jun 2010 19:46:03 +0000 KandLe Team http://www.kandle.ie/?p=18727 http://www.kandle.ie/2010/06/07/middle-east-synod-document/feed/ 0 5:39 The working document (Instrumentum Laboris) for the Special Assembly for the Middle East of the Synod of Bishops (Oct 2010) has been published by the ... The working document (Instrumentum Laboris) for the Special Assembly for the Middle East of the Synod of Bishops (Oct 2010) has been published by the Vatican. Podcast This podcast made available from Vatican Radio In this podcast we hear a synopsis of the Instrumentum Laboris Special Assembly for the Middle East Click on link to download full text of Instrumentum Laboris for Middle East Synod The Special Assembly for the Middle East of the Synod of Bishops will take place from 10-24th October 2010 in the Vatican.  The working document for the Synod was recently presented by Pope Benedict during his visit to Cyprus. The Special Assembly of the Synod of Bishops ..... will attempt to deepen the bonds of communion between the members of your local Churches, and the communion of these churches with each other and with the universal Church. The Assembly also aims to encourage you in the witness of your faith in Christ in those countries where the faith was born and from where it spread. It is also known that some of you have endured great hardships due to the current situation in the region. The Special Assembly is an opportunity for Christians from the rest of the world to offer spiritual support and solidarity to their brothers and sisters in the Middle East. This is an opportunity to highlight the significant value of the Christian presence and witness in countries of the Bible, not only for the Christian community worldwide, but also for your neighbours and fellow citizens. You are help the common good in countless ways, for example through education, health care and social assistance, and you work to build society. You want to live in peace and harmony with your Jew and Muslim neighbours. Often, you act as peacemakers in the difficult process of reconciliation. You deserve recognition for the invaluable role you fill. This is my serious hope that your rights are increasingly respected, including the right to freedom of worship and religious freedom, and that you will never again suffer discrimination of any kind. Pope Benedict XVI Principal aims of Synod In the preface Archbishop Nikola Eterovic, secretary general of the Synod of Bishops, underlines how many people consider that "the present-day situation in the Middle East is much like that of the primitive Christian community in the Holy Land", which had to face difficulties and persecution. The introduction underlines the principal aims of the Synod: firstly "to confirm and strengthen the members of the Catholic Church in their Christian identity, through the Word of God and the Sacraments"; and secondly "to foster ecclesial communion among the 'sui iuris' Churches, so that they can bear witness to Christian life in an authentic, joyous and attractive way". Chapter One The first chapter focuses on the Catholic Church in the Middle East, recalling that all the Churches in the world "trace their roots to the Church of Jerusalem". ... It also recalls that the Churches of the Middle East are apostolic in origin and that it "would indeed be a great loss for the universal Church if Christianity were to disappear or be diminished in the very place where it was born". Here lies the "grave responsibility ... to maintain the Christian faith in these holy lands". ... Christians, then, despite their "low numbers", "are entitled to be a part of the fabric of society and identify themselves with their respective homelands. Their disappearance would mean a loss in the pluralism of the Middle East". Catholics are called to promote the concept of "positive secularism" of the State to "eliminate the theocratic character of government" and allow "greater equality among citizens of different religions, thereby fostering the promotion of a sound democracy, positively secular in nature, which fully acknowledges the role of religion, also in public life, while completely respecting the distinction between the religious and civil orders". ... The document th Podcasts, Vatican News Kildare & Leighlin Diocese no no http://www.kandle.ie/2010/06/01/apostolic-visitation/ http://www.kandle.ie/2010/06/01/apostolic-visitation/#comments Tue, 01 Jun 2010 14:59:48 +0000 KandLe Team http://www.kandle.ie/?p=18595 http://www.kandle.ie/2010/06/01/apostolic-visitation/feed/ 0 http://www.kandle.ie/2010/05/13/world-communications-day-2010/ http://www.kandle.ie/2010/05/13/world-communications-day-2010/#comments Thu, 13 May 2010 09:13:22 +0000 KandLe Team http://www.kandle.ie/?p=18330 http://www.kandle.ie/2010/05/13/world-communications-day-2010/feed/ 0 00:01:01 Multimedia coverage of the Papal message for World Communications Day (16th May) including full text, podcast and a video interview with Bishop John McAreavey. Podcast ... Multimedia coverage of the Papal message for World Communications Day (16th May) including full text, podcast and a video interview with Bishop John McAreavey. Podcast This podcast is made available from RNN. In this podcast Dermot Roantree, Website editor at the Jesuit Communications Centre. He introduces some different types of social media and discusses the essence of the pope's message. Papal Message - World Communications day 2010 "The Priest and Pastoral Ministry in a Digital World: New Media at the Service of the Word" To priests in particular the new media offer ever new and far-reaching pastoral possibilities, encouraging them to embody the universality of the Church's mission, to build a vast and real fellowship, and to testify in today's world to the new life which comes from hearing the Gospel of Jesus, the eternal Son who came among us for our salvation. Dear Brothers and Sisters The theme of this year's World Communications Day - The Priest and Pastoral Ministry in a Digital World: New Media at the Service of the Word  is meant to coincide with the Church's celebration of the Year for Priests. It focuses attention on the important and sensitive pastoral area of digital communications, in which priests can discover new possibilities for carrying out their ministry to and for the Word of God. Church communities have always used the modern media for fostering communication, engagement with society, and, increasingly, for encouraging dialogue at a wider level. Yet the recent, explosive growth and greater social impact of these media make them all the more important for a fruitful priestly ministry. All priests have as their primary duty the proclamation of Jesus Christ, the incarnate Word of God, and the communication of his saving grace in the sacraments. Gathered and called by the Word, the Church is the sign and instrument of the communion that God creates with all people, and every priest is called to build up this communion, in Christ and with Christ. Such is the lofty dignity and beauty of the mission of the priest, which responds in a special way to the challenge raised by the Apostle Paul: The Scripture says, No one who believes in him will be put to shame everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. But how can they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how can they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone to preach? And how can people preach unless they are sent? (Rom 10:11, 13-15). Responding adequately to this challenge amid today's cultural shifts, to which young people are especially sensitive, necessarily involves using new communications technologies. The world of digital communication, with its almost limitless expressive capacity, makes us appreciate all the more Saint Paul's exclamation: Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel (1 Cor 9:16) The increased availability of the new technologies demands greater responsibility on the part of those called to proclaim the Word, but it also requires them to become become more focused, efficient and compelling in their efforts. Priests stand at the threshold of a new era: as new technologies create deeper forms of relationship across greater distances, they are called to respond pastorally by putting the media ever more effectively at the service of the Word. The spread of multimedia communications and its rich menu of options might make us think it sufficient simply to be present on the Web, or to see it only as a space to be filled. Yet priests can rightly be expected to be present in the world of digital communications as faithful witnesses to the Gospel, exercising their proper role as leaders of communities which increasingly express themselves with the different voices provided by the digital marketplace. Priests are thus challenged to proclaim the Gospel by employing the latest generation of audiovisual resources (images, videos, animated features, blogs, Catholic New Media, Podcasts, Vatican News, Videos Kildare & Leighlin Diocese no no http://www.kandle.ie/2010/05/08/31-new-swiss-guards-sworn-in/ http://www.kandle.ie/2010/05/08/31-new-swiss-guards-sworn-in/#comments Sat, 08 May 2010 21:14:16 +0000 KandLe Team http://www.kandle.ie/?p=18276 http://www.kandle.ie/2010/05/08/31-new-swiss-guards-sworn-in/feed/ 0 1:43 Multimedia coverage of the most recent swearing in ceremony of 31 new recruits to the Pope's Swiss Guards who fulfill important ceremonial and security roles. Podcast ... Multimedia coverage of the most recent swearing in ceremony of 31 new recruits to the Pope's Swiss Guards who fulfill important ceremonial and security roles. Podcast This podcast made available from Vatican Radio Swiss Guards swearing in With one hand place on the flag and the other raising three fingers, which symbolizes the Trinity, the new recruits committed themselves to the oath. The Swiss who wish to be part of the pope's security team must be at least 5 and a half feet tall, single, under the age of 30 and Catholic. Papal Address Benedict XVI urged the newest members of the Papal Swiss Guard, who were sworn in Thursday, to carry out their work with universal charity. The Pope received the new recruits and their families in an audience today in Clementina Hall, together with the rest of the Swiss Guard. He addressed the group in German, Italian and French, which are the three official languages of Switzerland. "You can be proud, with reason, given that by the oath you have just taken, you have joined a Corps of the Guard with a long history," the Holy Father said. "No sooner you don the familiar uniform, than you are immediately recognized by everyone as a Swiss Guard, and thus you are recognized and respected." "The Successor of Peter sees in you a true support and entrusts to you his safeguarding," he continued. "It is my sincere desire that through your service in the Guard you will maintain the legacy received from your predecessors and that it will make you mature as men and as Christians." Benedict XVI reminded the military corps that the Pontifical Swiss Guard is associated with the "service of Peter in the Church." He urged: "From today on, in your meditation on the Word of God, I invite you to pay much attention to the Apostle Peter when he, after the Resurrection of Christ, commits himself to fulfill the mission that the Lord entrusted to him." "With the Successor of Peter, the charity that animates your soul must be universal," he added. "Your heart is called to enlarge itself. Your service will inspire you to discover in the face of everyone a pilgrim that, on his journey, hopes to meet another face through which he is given a living sign of the Lord, owner of the whole of life and of all graces." The Holy Father said that serving as a Swiss Guard will give the young men "a more living sense of catholicity, together with a more profound perception of the dignity of the man who passes next to you and who seeks in his innermost self the path of eternal life." "Lived with professional awareness and a supernatural sense," he continued, "your duty will prepare you also for future commitments, personal and public, which you will undertake when you leave this service, and which will enable you to assume them as true disciples of the Lord." VATICAN CITY, MAY 7, 2010 (Zenit.org) Podcasts, Vatican News, Videos Kildare & Leighlin Diocese no no http://www.kandle.ie/2010/05/08/benedict-xvi-text-messages/ http://www.kandle.ie/2010/05/08/benedict-xvi-text-messages/#comments Sat, 08 May 2010 19:03:22 +0000 KandLe Team http://www.kandle.ie/?p=18277 http://www.kandle.ie/2010/05/08/benedict-xvi-text-messages/feed/ 1 http://www.kandle.ie/2010/04/04/urbi-et-orbi-easter-2010/ http://www.kandle.ie/2010/04/04/urbi-et-orbi-easter-2010/#comments Sun, 04 Apr 2010 19:55:54 +0000 KandLe Team http://www.kandle.ie/?p=17702 http://www.kandle.ie/2010/04/04/urbi-et-orbi-easter-2010/feed/ 0 6:00 Read the full text of the traditional Urbi et Orbi (to the city and the world) Easter message given by Pope Benedict XVI on Easter ... Read the full text of the traditional Urbi et Orbi (to the city and the world) Easter message given by Pope Benedict XVI on Easter Sunday in St. Peter's square. Podcast This podcast made available from Vatican Radio To the City and the World Cantemus Domino: gloriose enim magnificatus est - Let us sing to the Lord, glorious his triumph! (Liturgy of the Hours, Easter, Office of Readings, Antiphon 1). Dear Brothers and Sisters, I bring you the Easter proclamation in these words of the Liturgy, which echo the ancient hymn of praise sung by the Israelites after crossing the Red Sea. It is recounted in the Book of Exodus (cf 15:19-21) that when they had crossed the sea on dry land, and saw the Egyptians submerged by the waters, Miriam, the sister of Moses and Aaron, and the other women sang and danced to this song of joy: Sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed wonderfully: horse and rider he has thrown into the sea! Christians throughout the world repeat this canticle at the Easter Vigil, and a special prayer explains its meaning; a prayer that now, in the full light of the resurrection, we joyfully make our own: Father, even today we see the wonders of the miracles you worked long ago. You once saved a single nation from slavery, and now you offer that salvation to all through baptism. May the peoples of the world become true sons of Abraham and prove worthy of the heritage of Israel. The Gospel has revealed to us the fulfilment of the ancient figures: in his death and resurrection, Jesus Christ has freed us from the radical slavery of sin and opened for us the way towards the promised land, the Kingdom of God, the universal Kingdom of justice, love and peace. This exodus takes place first of all within man himself, and it consists in a new birth in the Holy Spirit, the effect of the baptism that Christ has given us in his Paschal Mystery. The old man yields his place to the new man; the old life is left behind, and a new life can begin (cf. Rom 6:4). But this spiritual exodus is the beginning of an integral liberation, capable of renewing us in every dimension  human, personal and social. Yes, my brothers and sisters, Easter is the true salvation of humanity! If Christ  the Lamb of God  had not poured out his blood for us, we would be without hope, our destiny and the destiny of the whole world would inevitably be death. But Easter has reversed that trend: Christ's resurrection is a new creation, like a graft that can regenerate the whole plant. It is an event that has profoundly changed the course of history, tipping the scales once and for all on the side of good, of life, of pardon. We are free, we are saved! Hence from deep within our hearts we cry out: Let us sing to the Lord: glorious his triumph! The Christian people, having emerged from the waters of baptism, is sent out to the whole world to bear witness to this salvation, to bring to all people the fruit of Easter, which consists in a new life, freed from sin and restored to its original beauty, to its goodness and truth. Continually, in the course of two thousand years, Christians  especially saints  have made history fruitful with their lived experience of Easter. The Church is the people of the Exodus, because she constantly lives the Paschal Mystery and disseminates its renewing power in every time and place. In our days too, humanity needs an exodus, not just superficial adjustment, but a spiritual and moral conversion. It needs the salvation of the Gospel, so as to emerge from a profound crisis, one which requires deep change, beginning with consciences. I pray to the Lord Jesus that in the Middle East, and especially in the land sanctified by his death and resurrection, the peoples will accomplish a true and definitive exodus from war and violence to peace and concord. To the Christian communities who are experiencing trials and sufferings, especially in Iraq, the Risen Lord repeats those consoling and encouragi Podcasts, Vatican News Kildare & Leighlin Diocese no no