Reflection on the first days of Pope Francis' pontificate

I have had a rather rollercoaster experience with regard to the election of Pope Francis on Wednesday. There have been a number of reasons for this, which I will enumerate below. Firstly, however, I wish to pray this following prayer:

O God, who have set over your Church Francis as Bishop of Rome, Successor of Peter, Supreme Pontiff and Vicar of Christ, grant, we beseech you, that we may always follow obediently this earthly shepherd, to whom authority has been given to bind and loose, and so by your grace be admitted to the kingdom of heaven. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

First of all, like many I was very surprised that the election was so short. I had mentally set myself up for a conclave of at least two days. I had the live feed to the chimney open on Wednesday evening, and I went downstairs for something and while downstairs I remember thinking that it would probably be Friday morning or afternoon before there would be any result. Yet I go upstairs and the bells were already ringing announcing a new Pope. A major shock and surprise!

After a tense wait to see who was chosen, there was a series of surprises with the name Francis, and his manner on the loggia. Unlike other bloggers, I didn't notice that he wasn't wearing the mozzetta (I thought that was just an Easter thing - shows what I know about these things!)

After this appearance, I went on the blogs, which was a mistake. I read the doommongerers over at Rorate and my heart sank. I realised how much I had set myself on the fact that from now on, liturgies would only ever improve. While things were going at snail pace, I still hoped in the fact that generally things would improve.

I then read a few more things over the next few days, and I switched between joy at having a man who so dearly loves the poor and fear that Benedict's reform of the liturgy would be undone. It has been exhausting and somewhat disheartening overall that such a contrast is there. I've also had to examine my own motivations for my disappointment. Do I really care for the poor? Probably no, or at least not enough. Do I care too much about externals? Probably yes, respectively. And yet I find that if I take one judgment of the Pope and Pope Emeritus, I judge the other in the opposite manner. It's all so confusing.

Right now, I'd quite like to install myself in a hermitage far from technology... But I can't, so I'll just have to suck it up and get on with things, prayer, penance and work.

In tribute to Pope Benedict XVI

"It is important to recognize that true love carries with it a high seriousness. It desires the true good of the other person, and therefore it has the courage to oppose him whenever he does not see what is good, whenever he is running headlong into misfortune.
In explaining this, we have already said what is positive about love. It likes the other person. It wants things to go well for him, wants him to be happy, to be more truly himself. And for that reason love is good to him. But to be good to that person I must necessarily be guided by what is good, by what is really good for him and make an effort to help him be good. A true act of love is therefore one that springs from goodness and is directed toward what is good. And so, on one hand, self-discipline is always part of love, giving way oneself for the sake of the other, and, on the other, helping him is always a part. Helping him not to be wrapped up in himself, not just to take for himself, but to learn to come out of himself and to discover the way of the grain of wheat." (God and the World)

It's now the day before Ash Wednesday and the start of Lent. My favourite term for this day is not the jovial terms of Pancake Day or Mardi Gras, but Shrove Tuesday. Why? Because to be shriven is a beautiful thing.

Based on yesterday's unexpected news, this Lent is set to be a particularly interesting one. The next Urbi et Orbi blessing that the faithful can receive at the end of Lent will be from a new Pope.

I think one of the best things we can do this Lent is to offer our penances and sacrifices for the cardinal electors and the new Pope, that he may be a faithful guardian of the Church's teaching and an image of Christ to the world. Naturally, we can offer our penances for other things, but the issue of the new Pope will be one that shapes the Church and the world. It will affect our daily lives in some way. Just think of what our current dear Pope has achieved within almost eight years. The Mass of Blessed John XIII is a lot more available. We have Youcat. The Year of Faith. Tighter rules on reporting child abuse. A Pontifical Academy for Latin.

On the other hand, Lent can help put things into perspective. Through prayer, we can gain reassurance that the Holy Spirit is in charge of all things and we should not be too afraid of what is to come. Even if the future is to bring great difficulties, if God is for us, who can be against?

Here is a good article on the importance of Lent.

And here is the collect from the Roman Missal for the election of a Pope. It might be a good idea to pray this in place of Pope Benedict's intentions for March (what happens with those and indulgences during sede vacante anyway??*):

O God, eternal shepherd, who govern your flock with unfailing care, grant in your boundless fatherly love a pastor for your Church who will please you by his holiness and to us show watchful care. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

*Update: Fr Zuhlsdorf has an answer to this and it seems as though we should continue to pray for the intentions in March. So pray the prayer above in addition to the intentions for March. Et sequitur that the normal conditions for indulgences apply too. 

Lenten reading...

Part two of Jesus of Nazareth by Pope Benedict arrived today.
:-D

 It's a hardback copy, too!

Sighting of "Benedictine" altar arrangement in Edinburgh!

At the moment I am not residing at my own house but rather elsewhere in Edinburgh, in a place very very close to a church, St Margaret Mary's. This morning I went to this church for mass and last night I went to the associated parish, Holy Cross, for confession. In both churches I noticed that there was a crucifix on the altar placed so that it was facing the priest. In Holy Cross I think it also had six candles on the altar and in at St Margaret Mary's there were six (lit!) large candles behind the altar, three on either side of the tabernacle. I mention the fact that they were lit because at my own parish there are also six candles beside the tabernacle behind the altar but they are rarely lit. I realised that this was what is often known as the "Benedictine arrangement", so called because it is favoured/required by Pope Benedict at the masses he celebrates. Indeed there was a little contention about the fact that the candles were not placed on the altar at the mass but rather beside the altar on the floor (which did look a bit silly, tbh) at Bellahouston. On further consideration, St Margaret Mary's is just ripe and ready in terms of its architecture and layout of sanctuary for the extraordinary form. It has three steps to the altar, an altar rail and the room for it. Furthermore, the altar on the steps is actually the altar used, meaning there's no stupid secondary altar right in front of it. The only misgiving about it is that it is made from wood. Both churches are similar, and both have a huge message spanning an archway over the sanctuary. At Holy Cross it says "+ Ave Crux Spes Unica +" - "Hail to the Cross, our only hope" and at St Margaret Mary's it says "+ Magister Adest et Vocat Te +" - "The Master is here and He is calling you".

Anyway, many see this Benedictine arrangement as a sort of middle stage towards returning to worship ad orientem - the worship direction of the ages. Let us pray for our priests that they may keep to the holy traditions of Mother Church.

St Margaret Mary, pray for us!

Prayer to the Sacred Heart for Priests

Remember, O most loving Heart of Jesus, that they for whom I pray are those for whom You prayed so earnestly the night before Your death.  These are they to whom You look to continue with You in Your sorrows when others forsake You, who share Your griefs and have inherited your persecutions, according to Your word: That the servant is not greater than his Lord.  Remember, O Heart of Jesus, that they are the objects of the world's hatred and Satan's deadliest snares.  Keep them then, O Jesus, in the safe citadel of Your Sacred Heart and there let them be sanctified in truth.  May they be one with you and one among themselves, and grant that multitudes may be brought through their word to believe in You and love You.

Bellahouston Mass and the ongoing Papal Visit

Well, the Mass yesterday was wonderful and totally worth the long wait. It was a very long day but I loved every moment of it. The Pope's homily was particularly interesting and totally accurate. Since I have poor analytical skills, I'll leave it to the countless others who have commented on blogs. Here is a list of some of them, which I will update over the next few days as well as more speeches are delivered by the Pontiff:

By Father Z at What Does The Prayer Really Say?:
http://wdtprs.com/blog/2010/09/benedict-xvis-state-visit-begins-in-scotland/#comments
There are loads more on WDTPRS but they start from this point in terms of reporting on the actual visit as opposed to the run-up.

By Scottish Catholic Teuchtar:
http://catholicteuchtar.blogspot.com/2010/09/papal-homily-at-bellahouston-park.html
http://catholicteuchtar.blogspot.com/2010/09/papal-mass-youngster.html
http://catholicteuchtar.blogspot.com/2010/09/scotland-does-pope-proud.html
http://catholicteuchtar.blogspot.com/2010/09/hear-him-read-him-love-him.html

By Seraphic Spouse:
http://seraphicgoestoscotland.blogspot.com/2010/09/live-from-bellahouston-park.html
http://seraphicgoestoscotland.blogspot.com/2010/09/home-from-glasgow-achoo.html
http://seraphicgoestoscotland.blogspot.com/2010/09/bellahouston-mass-report-official.html

At Whispers In the Loggia

By Joe Heschmeyer at Shameless Popery:
http://catholicdefense.blogspot.com/2010/09/police-thwart-possible-terrorist-attack.html

Good Shepherd Sunday

Last Sunday I went to the Extraordinary Form of the Mass for the first time since I arrived here in Heidelberg. And I must say that it was excellent. It was held in a relatively small church somewhat linked within the same Gemeinde or Seelsorgeeinheit as the Jesuitenkirche, in the same church where the only regular confession times are held and the only place for Eucharistic Adoration (the St. Anna Kirche that I mentioned in a previous post - clearly the orthodox place to be).
The mass started with an announcement of the fact that it was the 5th anniversary of the Holy Father's pontificate, and as a consequence, we would be singing and praying the Oremus pro Pontifice for the occasion. And thereafter Holy Mass proceeded. It was actually quite different from the Masses I went to in Nantes, where everyone was so clearly used to the EF, but here, where the small church was quite restrictive, it was perhaps less smooth. Nevertheless, they definitely managed it well. They had a "choir" of two men who could really belt out a tune and were perfect for the size of the church. The priest had a capable singing voice and his homily was the best homily I've probably heard here in Heidelberg. It was a very appropriate occasion to be talking of the Good Shepherd, where His vicar on earth is currently under much attack. I found the Oremus pro Pontifice entirely appropriate and beautiful.
Unfortunately, Holy Mass in the EF is nowhere near as common as in Nantes, and I believe the next one is in two weeks. The only other problem is that it is in the evening, which I really do not like, as I do not know what to do in the morning.

Here is the text of Oremus pro Pontifice:

V.Oremus pro Pontifice nostro Benedicto.
R. Dominus conservet eum, et vivificet eum, et beatum faciat eum in terra, et non tradat eum in animam inimicorum eius.

Pater noster. Ave Maria.

Deus, omnium fidelium pastor et rector, famulum tuum N., quem pastorem Ecclesiae tuae praeesse voluisti, propitius respice: da ei, quaesumus, verbo et exemplo, quibus praeest, proficere: ut ad vitam, una cum grege sibi credito, perveniat sempiternam. Per Christum, Dominum nostrum. Amen.

V. Let us pray Benedict, our Pope.
R. May the Lord preserve him, and give him life, and make him blessed upon the earth, and deliver him not up to the will of his enemies.

Our Father. Hail Mary.

O God, Shepherd and Ruler of all Thy faithful people, look mercifully upon Thy servant N, whom Thou hast chosen as shepherd to preside over Thy Church. Grant him, we beseech Thee, that by his word and example, he may edify those over whom he hath charge, so that together with the flock committed to him, may he attain everlasting life. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.