France: waiting for the Pope”It’s a great honour for our Country and a great joy for all Catholics”: the bishops of Ile de France thus welcomed Pope Benedict XVI’s journey to France on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the Lourdes apparitions (September 12-15 2008). “Before going to Lourdes, the Pope will spend two days in Paris – wrote the archbishop of the French capital city, Cardinal André Vingt-Trois along with the other eight bishops.- In the heart of our region we will have to opportunity of listening to him and praying with him”. On the afternoon of September 12, the bishops declared, the pope will deliver a speech in the Collège des Bernardins, followed by the celebration of the Vespers together with the priests, religious men and women, seminarians, and deacons in the Cathedral of Notre-Dame. On Saturday 13 a solemn Mass is scheduled for 10 at the Esplanade des Invalides. It will be “an important moment of communion in faith”, the prelates remarked inviting the faithful to take part in all the events “with their own movements, parishes, or individually”. “Let us be prepared to welcome the Pope”, the prelates concluded, entrusting “to the prayer of religious communities, of the sick and of the elderly this trip and the fruits it will bear”. In the meantime, the chorales of the parishes in Ile de France are rehearsing chants for the liturgical prayer at the Esplanade. In the past days 1200 chorists gathered for the first time in the church of Saint Ferdinand des Ternes. “They came from Paris and from throughout the Ile de la Cité. They have never previously sung together – underlined father Olivier de Cagny, who will be co-celebrating the Mass -, however, they will play a crucial role during the celebration. On the occasion of the visit of the Pope, symbol of the Church’s unity, they will accomplish a common deed by coming together to sing praise to the Lord”. Info: www.papeaparis.org. Portugal: “The feast of the Bible”The multi-media exhibition “The Feast of the Bible”, organized by the diocese of Algarve, ended after the scheduled two weeks devoted to conferences, debates, concerts and other events aimed at promoting further understanding of the role played by the sacred text in past societies, in contemporary society and in view of future prospects. The balance is more than positive. The event was attended by over 5 thousand visitors, with a large number of people equally attending the four-day conference on the Lectio Divina . On the final day, the diocese’s general Vicar for Pastoral Care, José Pedro Martins, recalled the main purpose of the exhibition: “the objective was that of bringing the Bible in our daily lives, since it must not remain on the shelves of our libraries, and we ought to keep on reading our own reality in it”. “For this reason – he added – we don’t consider this as a concluded experience. Rather, we view it as an event enabling us to open new opportunities for the faithful of our diocese and for all those who took part in the initiative”. In his address, the bishop of Algarve ensured that “enjoying the pleasure of joint Biblical reading for many days in a row, has proved to be a very pleasant experience. A profound reflection on this event is needed in view of promoting new initiatives that will follow this same direction”. Msgr. Manuel Quintas concluded expressing his wish “that the Christians of Algarve may continue celebrating the Word of God throughout the course of their lives, striving to keep an open heart that will bear fruits and blossom in daily deeds”. England: cardinal Newman The Congregation for the Cause of Saints asked the exhumation of Venerable John Henry Cardinal Newman (1801-1890). “The corpse will be placed in the Birmingham Oratory within the framework of his beatification process”, is written in a Note issued by the diocese of Birmingham. Cardinal Newman, who founded the English Oratory of Saint Filippo Neri, died in his room inside the Oratory’s home in Edgbaston, on August 11, 1890 at 89 years-old and was buried in a small cemetery in Rednal, on the outskirts of Birmingham. On January 22nd 1991, Cardinal Newman was proclaimed ‘Venerable’ by John Paul II. Father Paul Chavasse, Provost of the Oratory and postulator of the Cardinal’s Beatification Cause, said: “We hope that Cardinal Newman’s new resting place in the Oratory Church in Birmingham will enable more people to come and pay his respects to him and perhaps lit a candle there”. “Many will surely wish to honour this great and holy man”. While in the meantime – states a Note from the Diocese of Birmingham – father Paul Chavasse and the Archdiocese of Birmingham are seeking the procedure’s approval from the Minister of Justice”.
