As We Wait – Blog
By Father Paul J. Tougas
As we wait for the election of a new pope we will hear from people on the ground in Rome and here at home to give us a sense of the anticipation. Today, Donato Infante III, a diocesan seminarian in Rome, explores the legacy of the various popes. The conclave to elect a new pope begins Tuesday. We are beginning a week of retreat this week. Tomorrow at 7:30 am we will be on hand to “pray” the American Cardinals off to the Vatican as they leave from the North American College for the Mass in St. Peter’s for the Election of a Pope (to which we will be going). Today we heard from our Retreat Director, Father James Quigley, a Domincan from Providence College, a quote in similar words to these: “These are topsy turvy times in the church. There has never been such disorder and scandals as we have seen in our age.” That Cardinal was Hugh of St. Cher, the first Dominican cardinal in the 1200′s!!!! So, there is really nothing new under the sun. Trust that all is well. Peace and Love Father Robert Grattaroti Pastor, St. Joseph, Charlton On sabbatical in Rome The Legacy of Pope Benedict, Part I By Donato Infante There are certain events, moments, or decisions that go down in history as defining a pontificate. For example, when people think of Pope Leo XIII, what comes to mind is the publication of Rerum Novarum, an encyclical that established Catholic social doctrine as a branch of theology in many ways moved the papacy away from the old model that had existed during the time of the Papal States to what we are familiar with now, the papacy as the world’s conscience. He is also known for inaugurating the great renaissance in the philosophy and theology of Saint Thomas Aquinas. Blessed John XXIII is remembered for having called the Second Vatican Council. Venerable Pope Paul VI is known for the publication of the controversial encyclical Humanae Vitae, upholding the Church’st2,000-year-old teaching on the sinfulness of using artificial contraception and the immortality of abortion. The pontificate of Blessed John Paul II is still very close in memory, and so many such happenings come to mind. As time goes on, some of these will probably seem less significant than others, but now, eight years after his death, people associate with him the fall of communism, the reform of seminary life with the publication of Pastores Dabo Vobis, many world travels, the creation of World Youth Day, and his final witness that life, even amidst great suffering, is worth living. What will the legacy of Pope Benedict XVI be? Over the next few days, while we wait for the start of the conclave and the election of the new pope, I will be writing about the four things that come to mind which seem to me the main contributions that Pope Benedict made during his pontificate and for which he will be remembered in history. The first of these is that Pope Benedict became a leader in handling the sexual abuse crisis. The leader of the Catholic Church acknowledge the horrendous acts that had been committed by priests and personally met with victims on his international trips in the United States, Malta, Australia, Germany, and the United Kingdom. He spoke publicly, saying that, “The greatest persecution of the church doesn’t come from enemies on the outside but is born from the sins within the church.” Also, “The church needs to profoundly relearn penitence, [and] accept purification…” Regarding the cases in Ireland he wrote a pastoral letter to the Catholics of that country speaking of the matter, and during his pontificate a clarification came out on how to implement the norms that the Congregation for the Doctrine, the office which he ran prior to becoming pope, of the Faith had in place regarding sexual abuse allegations. There do remain those dissatisfied with Pope Benedict in this area, but many victims have praised him for what he has done. I believe time will show his work in this area to be one of the great contributions to the Church. Donato Infante III Seminarian in Rome Conclave begins Tuesday Friday, March 8 By Father Bob Grattaroti Yes, the conclave begins this Tuesday. There is a Mass at St. Peter’s at 10:00 am, then the Cardinals process into the Sistine Chapel for the consistory. I believe there will be at least one ballot taken in the afternoon on that day. It is, of course only the Holy Spirit who knows who it will be, but in the course of human events, there is still much speculation. Heard this morning that it is between Cardinal Marc Ouellet and Cardinal Angelo Scola. Cardinal Ouellet, in some fashion , is being considered an “American,” as he comes from North America. At the coffee shop where I had a cappuccino this morning, the waiter said he was hoping the new pope would have an outgoing personality and was open to the world and could capture the attention of all the people for God. Again it is anyone’s guess. I met two reporters from WBZ radio in Boston at the Munich airport when I arrived there on Thursday. As it turns out, one of them had a seat next to mine on our flight to Rome. In our mid-air conversation it turns out that I performed the marriage of one of his cousins, Kelly Harvey who married Justin Starkus a few years ago, and he was at the wedding. Well, when we got to Rome he interviewed me, asking my thoughts, and it was aired on the morning show on Friday. I then got an email from Billy Yukatonis, formerly of Charlton, who heard the broadcast as he was driving his wife to work. You know, it is after all a small world.. Then I spoke with one of the Venerini SIsters here in Rome. I am in the process, and actually, have just finished, translating a wonderful book on the life of Rosa Venerini, their foundress, from Italian into English. This nun, Sister Piera, is setting up a meeting for me with the author of the book, along with their Mother General. There are many Venerini SIsters in English-speaking India, along with the Americans, who are eager to read it. It is a remarkable story about a remarkable woman who was a couple of centuries ahead of her time. It is now in the final stages and I hope to finalize it and edit it while I am here. Then the American Superior, Sister Hilda Ponte, will finalize the work and have it published. My best to all back home. It is great to be here. Just came back from a holy hour in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel inside St. Peter’s. Many, many people there, and of course, paid my respects at the tombs of Blessed John Paul II and Blessed John XXIII. Saturday, March 9 I will be concelebrating Mass with Msgr. Francis Kelley tomorrow, Laetare Sunday, at St. Peter’s Basilica at the altar of the Chair. My Mass intention is for the people of St. Joseph’s. All the cardinals are saying Mass tomorrow in their various titular churches for the conclave. I was invited to be with Cardinal Theodore McCarrick (retired archbishop of Washington) at his church of Sts. Nereus and Achilles (two Roman soldiers who were martyred because they embraced Christianity), or to Washington Cardinal Donald Weurl’s church of St Peter in Chains. But I chose to go to St Peter’s Basilica for my first public Mass here. (Other ones so far have been in our chapel.) At this point it is anyone’s guess who will be pope, but some of the word I hear is that they expect to have WHITE smoke by or on Thursday of this week. How exciting! O Yes, there is a GOD and a loving Holy Spirit who guides the Church. Father Robert Grattaroti Pastor, St. Joseph, Charlton On sabbatical in Rome A sad good-bye By Donato Infante It seems fitting that I briefly introduce myself to readers. My name is Donato Infante, and I grew up as a parishioner of Saint Anne’s Parish in Southborough. I graduated college in 2009 and entered the seminary for the diocese. I spent two years studying philosophy at St. John’s Seminary in Boston and then was invited by Bishop McManus to study theology in Rome. I am in my second year here, living at the Pontifical North American College, home to over 250 seminarians studying theology here in Rome. I attend class at the Pontifical Gregorian University, founded by Saint Ignatius Loyola and run by the Jesuits. When the North American College was founded by Blessed Pope Pius IX over 150 years ago, part of his desire was to invite Americans studying to be priests to experience the great blessings that an education in Rome has to offer. To be near the tombs of the earliest saints and martyrs, in particular to be near the tomb of Saint Peter, is an education all by itself. With it comes the realization that discipleship is not always easy, and that like Christ was faithful to the Father even to the point of death, we, too, must be faithful even to the point of death if so called. Another blessing, though, is to be near the successor of Saint Peter, and for this past year and half, except on a few occasions, I have walked every Sunday to Saint Peter’s Square to hear Pope Benedict teach about that day’s Gospel. I have been there as he has expressed words of consolation and offered prayers for victims of terrible events, such as natural disasters or the violence that took place this past December in Newtown, Connecticut. What has always struck me is his loving concern for the whole world. One can hear in his voice that these are not empty words. He is truly praying for these victims, saddened by the events, and wants what is best for every person of this world. Thus, it was with much sadness that I heard the news that this great man was stepping down from his office for the good of the Church, so that a man with more energy could lead. I have tried to make the most of these last few weeks, listening even more attentively to his final remarks to the world on Sundays at his Angelus addresses. I was there for his last public Wednesday audience, thinking, “I know you have prayed about this, and if you say this is what is best, I trust you, but I wish you were staying.” On the day when a helicopter took him to Castel Gandolfo for him to begin his retirement, I rushed home from class and quickly made my way to the sixth floor roof. I arrived with seconds (literally) to spare and waved goodbye with my peers as he flew overhead. I hope he knows how much we miss him already, and that the love he has shown us in all his talks is reciprocated. Over the coming days and weeks, I look forward to sharing with all of you more thoughts as events unfold. Donato Infante III Seminarian in Rome Counting Popes By Father Paul Tougas With the surprise resignation of Pope Benedict XVI I quickly decided to count up how many popes I have known and lived under. I realized with the next pope, the number would be eight. So counting backwards it would be Benedict XVI, John Paul II, John Paul I, Paul VI, John XXIII, Pius XII and Pius XI. I soon was urging parishioners to count their popes as well as the children in religious education classes. Even a 9-year-old child has lived with two popes and is approaching their third with the election of a new pontiff. I then decided to check out the lineage of my ordination. Catholicism is “one holy Catholic and apostolic.” Apostolic means the power of the sacrament of Holy Orders goes back to the apostles and every ordination can be traced. I was ordained a priest by Bishop Bernard Flanagan, Bishop of Worcester. He was consecrated Bishop of Norwich by Edward Ryan, Bishop of Burlington, Vermont. Ryan was consecrated by Cardinal Richard Cushing of Boston who in turn was consecrated by William Cardinal O’Connell, Archbishop of Boston. O’Connell received Episcopal Consecration from Francesco Satolli, who was the first Apostolic Delegate to the United States. Satolli was consecrated by Cardinal Raffaela LaValetta Monaco, who was ordained bishop by Blessed Pope Pius IX. So I was delighted that my line of ordination went back to a blessed no less. Blessed Pius IX (Pio Nono as they called him). I continued to track until I came to a pope. This too is the lineage of anyone ordained by Bishop Flanagan. A little history: Pio Nono declared the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception, called the First Vatican Council which proclaimed papal infallibility, and declared himself a “Prisoner of the Vatican” when he lost the papal states to the unification of Italy. He was the longest reigning pope in history, reigning 32 years. He had an eventful time as pope.
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