Joint Statement by The Archbishop of Westminster and The Archbishop of Canterbury

Today’s announcement of the Apostolic Constitution is a response by Pope Benedict XVI to a number of requests over the past few years to the Holy See from groups of Anglicans who wish to enter into full visible communion with the Roman Catholic Church, and are willing to declare that they share a common Catholic faith and accept the Petrine ministry as willed by Christ for his Church.

Pope Benedict XVI has approved, within the Apostolic Constitution, a canonical structure that provides for Personal Ordinariates, which will allow former Anglicans to enter full communion with the Catholic Church while preserving elements of distinctive Anglican spiritual patrimony.

The announcement of this Apostolic Constitution brings to an end a period of uncertainty for such groups who have nurtured hopes of new ways of embracing unity with the Catholic Church. It will now be up to those who have made requests to the Holy See to respond to the Apostolic Constitution.

The Apostolic Constitution is further recognition of the substantial overlap in faith, doctrine and spirituality between the Catholic Church and the Anglican tradition. Without the dialogues of the past forty years, this recognition would not have been possible, nor would hopes for full visible unity have been nurtured. In this sense, this Apostolic Constitution is one consequence of ecumenical dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion.

The on-going official dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion provides the basis for our continuing cooperation. The Anglican Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC) and International Anglican Roman Catholic Commission for Unity and Mission (IARCCUM) agreements make clear the path we will follow together.

With God’s grace and prayer we are determined that our on-going mutual commitment and consultation on these and other matters should continue to be strengthened. Locally, in the spirit of IARCCUM, we look forward to building on the pattern of shared meetings between the Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales and the Church of England’s House of Bishops with a focus on our common mission. Joint days of reflection and prayer were begun in Leeds in 2006 and continued in Lambeth in 2008, and further meetings are in preparation. This close cooperation will continue as we grow together in unity and mission, in witness to the Gospel in our country, and in the Church at large.

+ Vincent + Rowan

Bishop of Rockford IL to ND president – change school's name

via email

March 31, 2009

Reverend John I. Jenkins, C.S.C.
President
University of Notre Dame
400 Main Building
Notre Dame, IN 46556

Dear President Jenkins:

I wish to express in my own name and on behalf of the Catholic community of this Diocese, my dismay and outrage at your decision to invite the current President of the United States to address the 2009 graduates of the University of Notre Dame and to receive an honorary degree.

This decision of yours flies in the face of the expressed directive of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in the year 2004, that Catholic institutions not so honor those who profess opposition to the Church’s doctrine on abortion and embryonic stem cell research.

I would ask that you rescind this unfortunate decision and so avoid dishonoring the practicing Catholics of the United States, including those of this Diocese.  Failing that, please have the decency to change the name of the University to something like, “The Fighting Irish College” or “Northwestern Indiana Humanist University.” Though promotion of the obscene is not foreign to you, [This refers to Fr. Jenkin’s OK to the play The V. Monologues ] I would point out that it is truly obscene for you to take such decisions as you have done in a university named for our Blessed Lady, whom the Second Vatican Council called the Mother of the Church.

I sign myself

Very truly yours,
The Most Reverend Thomas G. Doran, D.D., J.C.D.
Bishop of Rockford

Gingrich converts to Catholicism

Many rumors have been flying around that Newt would be converting around Easter, and they turn out to be true. Newt Converted to the Catholic Church on Sunday.

Gingrich becomes a Catholic

By Betsy Rothstein
Posted: 03/30/09 08:15 PM [ET]

Former Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) converted to Catholicism on Sunday and celebrated his new faith with some close friends at the hot spot Café Milano.

Gingrich, who had been a Baptist, attended Sunday evening Mass at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church on Capitol Hill and was confirmed into the Catholic Church that evening during a separate service.—The HIll

Beautiful Music from King’s College, Cambridge

In dulci jubilo, English

From “Carols for choirs I, fifty christmas carols, edited and arranged by Reginald Jacques and David Willcocks”.

In dulci jubilo

Old German tune

The original melody employed, as a Cantus firmus, in the following composition, is to be found in an old German book published in the year 1570 – which, from its title and contents, appears to be have contained the ritual of the Protestant Congregations of Zweibrueken and Neuburg. Even there it is called “a very ancient song (uraltes Lied) for Christmas-eve;” so that there can be no doubt that it is one of those old Roman Catholic melodies that Luther, on account of their beauty, retained in the Protestant Service. It was formerly sung in the processions that took place on Christmas-eve, and is still in those remote parts of Germany where people yet retain old customs. The words are rather remarkable, being written half in Latin and half in the upper German dialect. I have translated them to fit the music, and endeavoured to preserve, as much as I could, the simplicity of the original. Of the melody there can be but one opinion; namely, that which in spite of religious animosity, secured it the approbation of the Protestant reformers, and that of the German people during many centuries.

Willsbridge, Gloucestershire, 31st of January, 1837. R.L.Pearsall.

In dulci jubilo / Let us our homage shew;
Our heart’s joy recli- / neth in praesepio
And like a bright star shineth, / Matris in gremio.
Alpha es et O, / Alpha es et O.

O Jesu parvule! / I yearn for thee alway! [1]
Hear me, I beseech / thee, O puer optime!
My prayer let it reach thee, / O Princeps gloriae!
Trahe me post te! / Trahe me post te!

O Patris caritas, / O Nati lenitas!
Deeply were we stained / Per nostra crimina;
But thou hast for us gained / Coelorum gaudia.
O that we were there! / O that we were there!

Ubi sunt gaudia, / If that they be not there?
There are angels singing / – Nova cantica,
There the bells are ringing / In Regis curia:
O that we were there, / O that we were there.

[1] Pearsall’s translation of this line was “My heart is sore for thee!”

Beautiful Music from the Sistine Chapel

While searching for a choral piece for my choir I happened upon this video clip of a concert at the Sistine Chapel by the Regensberg Cathedral choir which the Pope’s brother Georg directed for many, many years.  It was broadcast live in Germany and most of the comments are in German.  But it is so gorgeous both to hear and see that I just had to post it here.  We have enough troubles in the world.  Enjoy this heavenly music.  Other than Maria Callas singing “Tosca”, I’ve never heard anything lovelier.

Dear Eliot

All life is precious and this video shows the love of a Mother and Father to a son that was not suppose to be born, but lived for 99 days.