Assisi rising

We just arrived in Rome today after a week in Assisi. This is the view from my hotel room in Assisi of Santa Maria degli Angeli in the morning fog. We had an incredible time in the land of Francis and Clare, and are now in Rome. Tomorrow we have Mass at the altar where Blessed Pope John 23rd is entombed and visit more sights of the Eternal City. We're praying for you all.

Dedication of the Lateran Basilica

These are remarks of Pope Benedict from today, the Feast of the dedication of St. John Lateran:

Dear Brothers and Sisters!

Today the liturgy celebrates the dedication of the Lateran Basilica, called “mother and head of all the churches of the city and the world.” In fact, this basilica was the first to be built after Emperor Constantine’s edict, in 313, granted Christians freedom to practice their religion.

The emperor himself gave Pope Miltiades the ancient palace of the Laterani family, and the basilica, the baptistery, and the patriarchate, that is, the Bishop of Rome’s residence -- where the Popes lived until the Avignon period -- were all built there. The basilica’s dedication was celebrated by Pope Sylvester around 324 and was named Most Holy Savior; only after the 6th century were the names of St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist added, and now is typically denominated by these latter.

Initially the observance of this feast was confined to the city of Rome; then, beginning in 1565, it was extended to all the Churches of the Roman rite. The honoring of this sacred edifice was a way of expressing love and veneration for the Roman Church, which, as St. Ignatius of Antioch says, “presides in charity” over the whole Catholic communion (Letter to the Romans, 1:1).

On this solemnity the Word of God recalls an essential truth: the temple of stones is a symbol of the living Church, the Christian community, which in their letters the Apostles Peter and Paul already understood as a “spiritual edifice,” built by God with “living stones,” namely, Christians themselves, upon the one foundation of Jesus Christ, who is called the “cornerstone” (cf. 1 Corinthians 3:9-11, 16-17; 1 Peter 2:4-8; Ephesians 2:20-22). “Brothers, you are God’s building,” St. Paul wrote, and added: “holy is God’s temple, which you are” (1 Corinthians 3:9c, 17).

The beauty and harmony of the churches, destined to give praise to God, also draws us human being, limited and sinful, to convert to form a “cosmos,” a well-ordered structure, in intimate communion with Jesus, who is the true Saint of saints. This happens in a culminating way in the Eucharistic liturgy, in which the “ecclesia,” that is, the community of the baptized, come together in a unified way to listen to the Word of God and nourish themselves with the Body and Blood of Christ. From these two tables the Church of living stones is built up in truth and charity and is internally formed by the Holy Spirit transforming herself into what she receives, conforming herself more and more to the Lord Jesus Christ. She herself, if she lives in sincere and fraternal unity, in this way becomes the spiritual sacrifice pleasing to God.

Dear friends, today’s feast celebrates a mystery that is always relevant: God’s desire to build a spiritual temple in the world, a community that worships him in spirit and truth (cf. John 4:23-24). But this observance also reminds us of the importance of the material buildings in which the community gathers to celebrate the praises of God. Every community therefore has the duty to take special care of its own sacred buildings, which are a precious religious and historical patrimony. For this we call upon the intercession of Mary Most Holy, that she help us to become, like her, the “house of God,” living temple of his love.

Blessed John Duns Scotus

Today is the 7th Centenary of the death of the great Franciscan philosopher/theologian, Blessed John Duns Scotus. I have a few resources for everyone today. The first is a homily preached by Cardinal Keith Patrick O'Brien at the International Centenary Symposium on the Mariology of Scotus last month in Scotland:
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INTRODUCTION:It gives me very great pleasure to welcome you all here to Duns this afternoon to ourbeautiful little church dedicated to Our Lady and St Margaret.I know that you have come on pilgrimage here from the International Symposium being held at Durham University – I would hope a welcome break for you all in the midst of deep theological lectures on various aspects of the life and work of Blessed John Duns Scotus.

Hopefully here in this beautiful border country of Scotland where John Duns Scotus was born you will be able to absorb something of the beauties of nature which affected John as he was growing up and no doubt had a considerable influence on his thought.

As you know John became a Franciscan; studied at the University of Oxford; was ordained to the Priesthood on 17 th March 1291; and continued his studies at Oxford before being sent to Paris. He lectured in Oxford and in Paris for a considerable number of years before he was sent to Cologne where he lectured for some time before his untimely death on 8 th November 1308 at approximately 43 years of age and at the height of his maturity. It is the 700 thanniversary of his death which we are commemorating at this time.

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THEOLOGY OF BLESSED JOHN DUNS SCOTUS: With so many theologians around me I hesitate to try to summarise the theology of Blessed John Duns Scotus in a few words. However I quote from the late Father Eric Doyle O.F.M. who wrote in a pamphlet producedfor the 7 th centenary of the birth of John Duns Scotus: “If one were asked to summarise the vast synthesis of truth created by Duns Scotus, the answer would take no more than a few words – a philosophy of love and of theology centred on Christ”.

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Perhaps in thinking of the theology of John we should emphasise his teaching on “the uniqueness of each and every individual person”; we should reflect on his theology of “Christ and his relationship to the world”; and thirdly of course we should realise the depth of the teaching contained in “his defence of the Immaculate Conception of our Blessed Lady” almost 600 years before the Definition of the Dogma by Pope Pius IX in1854.

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Here in this beautiful little parish church his teaching with regard to the Immaculate Conception is summed up in the stained glass window above my head with the engraving ofthe words: “potuit; decuit; ergo fecit”; “it could be done; it would be fitting if it were done; therefore it was done!”.

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SPIRITUALITY OF BLESSED JOHN DUNS SCOTUS: However it is not because of the depth of his theology that we gather today for this symposium and in this little church. It is to thank God for the spirituality of this man.

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Even in his own time when preparations were being made for his reception of his mastership in theology, the Minister General of the Franciscans wrote: “I authorise to be presented…..the beloved father in Christ... John Scotus. I am thoroughly informed, partly from my own experience and partly from his world wide reputation, of his praiseworthy life, his outstanding knowledge, his most subtle mind, and his other remarkable qualities….” Those words were written over 700 years ago.

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And it was less than 20 years ago that there was promulgated the decree of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints in the presence of Pope John Paul II which declared: “The fame of holiness, the virtues, and the cult from time immemorial, given to the servant of God, John Duns Scotus, professed priest of the Order of Friars Minor, born in Duns Scotland towards the end of 1265 and died in Cologne Germany on 8 th November 1308”.

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Many of us here present, including myself, were in St Peter’s Basilica in Rome to share in the joy of the promulgation of that decree of our late Holy Father Pope John Paul II.

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CONCLUSION: As you gather at the Symposium in Durham University and as we gather here this afternoon perhaps we should give some further thought to the relevance of Blessed John Duns Scotus in our world of today.

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He is indeed what we might describe as a “saint for Europe”; we should realise how his theological thought can help us in the realisation of the uniqueness of each one of us as an individual; and we should be led on to ever deeper thought of our union as human beings in the love of God and of the role of Our Blessed Lady in our redemption.

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Underlying it all however should be the realisation that basic to the depth of his theology and the ability to teach of this the “subtle Doctor” there was a good holy man, an exemplary friar, a son of St Francis, a wonderful priest, born and brought up in this beautiful border country of Scotland who grew throughout his life in his knowledge and love of Our Lord and in his desire to serve that same Lord in the simplicity of his life as a Franciscan.

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May we bestrengthened to serve that same Lord and his people with something of the wisdom and simplicity of Blessed John Duns Scotus.

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And, another tidbit for you today, the General Ministers of the Order of Friars Minor and the Third Order Regular have issued a letter for this occassion. You can read it at the link below:

http://www.ofm.org/01other/00VIIscoto.html

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"O Most High, Almighty and gracious Lord, Who exalts the humble and confounds the proud of heart, grant us the great joy of seeing Blessed John Duns Scotus canonized. He honored Your Son with the most sublime praises; he was the first to successfully defend the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary; he lived in heroic obedience to the Holy Father, to the Church and to the Seraphic Order. O most holy Father, God of infinite love, hear, we beseech You, our humble prayer, thorough the merits of Your Only-Begotten Son and of His Mother, the Immaculate Conception."

US BIshops offer congratulations to President-elect

The following letter was sent to President-elect Obama by Cardinal Francis George, current president of the U.S. Bishops Confernce:

Dear President-elect Obama,

I write to you, in my capacity as President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, to express our congratulations on your historic election as President of the United States.

The people of our country have entrusted you with a great responsibility. As Catholic Bishops, we offer our prayers that God give you strength and wisdom to meet the coming challenges.

Our country is confronting many uncertainties. We pray that you will use the powers of your office to meet them with a special concern to defend the most vulnerable among us and heal the divisions in our country and our world. We stand ready to work with you in defense and support of the life and dignity of every human person.

May God bless you and Vice President-elect Biden as you prepare to assume your duties in service to our country and its citizens.

Sincerely yours,
Francis Cardinal George, OMI
Archbishop of Chicago
President USCCB

Vatican hopes President-elect Obama will promote human dignity

Vatican City, Nov 5, 2008 / 11:45 am (CNA).- Speaking to Vatican Radio on Wednesday, the Director of the Press Office of the Holy See, Fr. Federico Lombardi, announced that Pope Benedict XVI has sent his greetings to President-elect Barack Obama, the content of which will not be made public "because of its personal nature."

“The duty that the President of the United States has is a task of the highest responsibility not only for his country but for the whole world, given the importance that the U.S. has in every field of the world scene," Fr. Lombardi said in Spanish.

“For this reason, we all hope the new President Obama will be able to respond to the expectations and hopes placed in him, by effectively serving what is right and just, finding adequate ways to promote world peace, favoring the growth and dignity of the human person, in full respect of the essential human and spiritual values,” the Vatican spokesman remarked.

“Believers pray that God may enlighten and assist him in this greatest responsibility," Lombardi concluded.

Doctors weigh in on election

The AMA polled its members to see where they stand in regards to the Presidential Election. Here's what they discovered:

• The Allergists voted to scratch it
• The Dermatologists advised not to make any rash moves.
• The Gastroenterologists had sort of a gut feeling about it
• The Neurologists thought the Administration had a lot of nerve
• The Obstetricians felt they were all laboring under a misconception.
• The Ophthalmologists considered the idea shortsighted
• The Pathologists yelled, 'Over my dead body!' while the Pediatricians said, 'Oh, Grow up!'
• The Psychiatrists thought the whole idea was madness
• The Radiologists could see right through it
• The Surgeons decided to wash their hands of the whole thing.
• The Internists thought it was a bitter pill to swallow
• The Plastic Surgeons said, 'This puts a whole new face on the matter.'
• The Podiatrists thought it was a step forward
• The Urologists felt the scheme wouldn't hold water.
• The Anesthesiologists thought the whole idea was a gas
• The Cardiologists didn't have the heart to say no.
• The Dentists thought it was an oral problem.
• I can't tell you what the Proctologists had to say!

Don't forget to vote!!

Study Links Sex on TV To Teen Pregnancy

CHICAGO, Nov. 3, 2008

(CBS/ AP) Groundbreaking research suggests that pregnancy rates are much higher among teens who watch a lot of TV with sexual dialogue and behavior than among those who have tamer viewing tastes.

"Sex and the City," anyone? That was one of the shows used in the research. The new study is the first to link those viewing habits with teen pregnancy, said lead author Anita Chandra, a Rand Corp. behavioral scientist.

Teens who watched the raciest shows were twice as likely to become pregnant over the next three years as those who watched few such programs. Previous research by some of the same scientists had already found that watching lots of sex on TV can influence teens to have sex at earlier ages.

Shows that highlight only the positive aspects of sexual behavior without the risks can lead teens to have unprotected sex "before they're ready to make responsible and informed decisions," Chandra said.

The study was released Monday in the November issue of Pediatrics. It involved 2,003 12- to 17-year-old girls and boys nationwide questioned by telephone about their TV viewing habits in 2001. Teens were re-interviewed twice, the last time in 2004, and asked about pregnancy. Among girls, 58 became pregnant during the follow-up, and among boys, 33 said they had gotten a girl pregnant.

Participants were asked how often they watched any of more than 20 TV shows popular among teens at the time or which were found to have lots of sexual content. The programs included "Sex and the City," "That '70s Show" and "Friends." Pregnancies were twice as common among those who said they watched such shows regularly, compared with teens who said they hardly ever saw them. There were more pregnancies among the oldest teens interviewed, but the rate of pregnancy remained consistent across all age groups among those who watched the racy programs.

Chandra said TV-watching was strongly connected with teen pregnancy even when other factors were considered, including grades, family structure and parents' education level. But the study didn't adequately address other issues, such as self-esteem, family values and income, contends Elizabeth Schroeder, executive director of Answer, a teen sex education program based at Rutgers University.

"The media does have an impact, but we don't know the full extent of it because there are so many other factors," Schroeder said. The question of whether a child's viewing habits in general affected pregnancy rates, mainly the total number of hours spent watching television - not just racy programming - was also not covered, as pointed out on CBS' The Early Show. But Bill Albert, chief program officer at the nonprofit National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, praised the study and said it "catches up with common sense."

"Media helps shape the social script for teenagers. Most parents know that. This is just good research to confirm that," Albert said. Still, U.S. teen pregnancies were on a 15-year decline until a 3 percent rise in 2006, the latest data available. Experts think that could be just be a statistical blip. And Albert noted that the downward trend occurred as TV shows were becoming more sexualized, confirming that "it's not the only influence."

Psychologist David Walsh, president of the National Institute on Media and the Family, cited data suggesting only about 19 percent of American teens say they can talk openly with a trusted adult about sex.

With many schools not offering sex education, that leaves the media to serve as a sex educator, he said. "For a kid who no one's talking to about sex, and then he watches sitcoms on TV where sex is presented as this is what the cool people do," the outcome is obvious, Walsh said.

He said the message to parents is to talk to their kids about sex long before children are teens. Parents also should be watching what their kids watch and helping filter messages sex-filled shows are sending, he said.

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