Happy Birthday and Viva il Papa!

Today is the 85th birthday of our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, and this week we will mark the 7th anniversary of his election to the Chair of Saint Peter.  For this gentle, kind, brilliant, holy teacher and shepherd, we give thanks to God and pray that he continues as Christ's 265th Vicar on Earth for many more years.

In these seven years, he has undertaken 23 international trips, including the first state visit by a Pope to England and Scotland (Pope John Paul II made a pastoral visit in 1982).  He has made 26 pastoral trips throughout Italy.  He has presided over 4 synods of bishops and 3 world youth days.  In 3 encyclicals and in all of his many books, homilies, letters and addresses he has spoken powerfully, clearly and from the heart, to the heart.  One of his frequent references to his predecessor and friendship with Christ provides a beautiful example:

Are we not perhaps all afraid in some way? If we let Christ enter fully into our lives, if we open ourselves totally to Him, are we not afraid that He might take something away from us?...And once again the Pope said: No! If we let Christ into our lives, we lose nothing, nothing, absolutely nothing of what makes life free, beautiful and great. No! Only in this friendship do we experience beauty and liberation....When we give ourselves to Him, we receive a hundredfold in return. Yes, open, open wide the doors to Christ – and you will find true life.

His contributions to building the unity of the Church and healing old divisions have been monumental and historic.  There has never been such friendship and collaboration with leaders of the Orthodox churches as there has been throughout this pontificate.  Through his apostolic constitution Anglicanorum coetibus he has provided a bridge through which thousands of Anglicans and other Protestants are entering the Church, while maintaining their own rich patrimony.  Through his Apostolic letter Summorum Pontificum he has restored the Roman Church's own patrimony, ending nearly a half century of division and conflict and restoring reverence and beauty to sacred liturgy.  And in the English-speaking world he has restored a faithful and reverent translation of the Roman Missal.  He has been tireless in seeking reconciliation with those alienated by false interpretations and reckless innovations following the Second Vatican Council.

Most importantly, his joyful, faithful and total submission to the service of Jesus Christ and His Church has inspired vibrant, new, evangelical growth throughout the universal Church that has also spawned a boom in religious and priestly vocations.

For all of this and so much more, we wish Pope Benedict God's richest blessings, a happy birthday and heartily proclaim "Viva il Papa!"

"My Brother, The Pope" Now on Bookshelves

This coming Monday marks the 85th birthday of Pope Benedict XVI.  Please join us Monday for a special tribute to our quiet, gentlemanly and scholarly Pope, whose prayerful leadership, outreach and respect for the hermeneutic of continuity has truly renewed the Church, healed old wounds, gathered the lost, and done so much toward the building of the Kingdom of God.

The Way of the Cross at the Colosseum

ADDRESS OF HIS HOLINESS POPE BENEDICT XVI
AFTER THE STATIONS OF THE CROSS AT THE COLOSSEUM

Palatine Hill
Good Friday, 6 April 2012

[Video]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Once more in meditation, prayer and song, we have recalled Jesus’s journey along the way of the cross: a journey seemingly hopeless, yet one that changed human life and history, and opened the way to “new heavens and a new earth” (cf. Rev 21:1).  Especially today, Good Friday, the Church commemorates with deep spiritual union the death of the Son of God on the cross; in his cross she sees the tree of life, which blossoms in new hope.

The experience of suffering and of the cross touches all mankind; it touches the family too.  How often does the journey become wearisome and difficult!  Misunderstandings, conflicts, worry for the future of our children, sickness and problems of every kind.  These days too, the situation of many families is made worse by the threat of unemployment and other negative effects of the economic crisis.  The Way of the Cross which we have spiritually retraced this evening invites all of us, and families in particular, to contemplate Christ crucified in order to have the force to overcome difficulties.  The cross of Christ is the supreme sign of God’s love for every man and woman, the superabundant response to every person’s need for love.  At times of trouble, when our families have to face pain and adversity, let us look to Christ’s cross.  There we can find the courage and strength to press on; there we can repeat with firm hope the words of Saint Paul: “Who will separate us from the love of Christ?  Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? … No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us” (Rom 8:35,37).

In times of trial and tribulation, we are not alone; the family is not alone.  Jesus is present with his love, he sustains them by his grace and grants the strength needed to carry on, to make sacrifices and to evercome every obstacle.  And it is to this love of Christ that we must turn when human turmoil and difficulties threaten the unity of our lives and our families.  The mystery of Christ’s suffering, death and resurrection inspires us to go on in hope: times of trouble and testing, when endured with Christ, with faith in him, already contain the light of the resurrection, the new life of a world reborn, the passover of all those who believe in his word.

In that crucified Man who is the Son of God, even death itself takes on new meaning and purpose: it is redeemed and overcome, it becomes a passage to new life.  “Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it produces much fruit” (Jn 12:24).  Let us entrust ourselves to the Mother of Christ.  May Mary, who accompanied her Son along his way of sorrows, who stood beneath the cross at the hour of his death, and who inspired the Church at its birth to live in God’s presence, lead our hearts and the hearts of every family through the vast mysterium passionis towards the mysterium paschale, towards that light which breaks forth from Christ’s resurrection and reveals the definitive victory of love, joy and life over evil, suffering and death.  Amen.

Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord's Supper

HOMILY OF HIS HOLINESS BENEDICT XVI  

Basilica of St John Lateran
Holy Thursday, 5 April 2012 

(Video)

Dear Brothers and Sisters!

Holy Thursday is not only the day of the institution of the Most Holy Eucharist, whose splendour bathes all else and in some ways draws it to itself. To Holy Thursday also belongs the dark night of the Mount of Olives, to which Jesus goes with his disciples; the solitude and abandonment of Jesus, who in prayer goes forth to encounter the darkness of death; the betrayal of Judas, Jesus’ arrest and his denial by Peter; his indictment before the Sanhedrin and his being handed over to the Gentiles, to Pilate. Let us try at this hour to understand more deeply something of these events, for in them the mystery of our redemption takes place.

Holy Thursday Chrism Mass, Saint Peter's Basilica

HOMILY OF HIS HOLINESS BENEDICT XVI

Saint Peter's Basilica 

Holy Thursday, 5 April 2012

(Video)
 

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

At this Holy Mass our thoughts go back to that moment when, through prayer and the laying on of hands, the bishop made us sharers in the priesthood of Jesus Christ, so that we might be “consecrated in truth” (Jn 17:19), as Jesus besought the Father for us in his high-priestly prayer. He himself is the truth. He has consecrated us, that is to say, handed us over to God for ever, so that we can offer men and women a service that comes from God and leads to him. But does our consecration extend to the daily reality of our lives – do we operate as men of God in fellowship with Jesus Christ? This question places the Lord before us and us before him. “Are you resolved to be more united with the Lord Jesus and more closely conformed to him, denying yourselves and confirming those promises about sacred duties towards Christ’s Church which, prompted by love of him, you willingly and joyfully pledged on the day of your priestly ordination?” After this homily, I shall be addressing that question to each of you here and to myself as well. Two things, above all, are asked of us: there is a need for an interior bond, a configuration to Christ, and at the same time there has to be a transcending of ourselves, a renunciation of what is simply our own, of the much-vaunted self-fulfilment. We need, I need, not to claim my life as my own, but to place it at the disposal of another – of Christ. I should be asking not what I stand to gain, but what I can give for him and so for others. Or to put it more specifically, this configuration to Christ, who came not to be served but to serve, who does not take, but rather gives – what form does it take in the often dramatic situation of the Church today? Recently a group of priests from a European country issued a summons to disobedience, and at the same time gave concrete examples of the forms this disobedience might take, even to the point of disregarding definitive decisions of the Church’s Magisterium, such as the question of women’s ordination, for which Blessed Pope John Paul II stated irrevocably that the Church has received no authority from the Lord. Is disobedience a path of renewal for the Church? We would like to believe that the authors of this summons are motivated by concern for the Church, that they are convinced that the slow pace of institutions has to be overcome by drastic measures, in order to open up new paths and to bring the Church up to date. But is disobedience really a way to do this? Do we sense here anything of that configuration to Christ which is the precondition for all true renewal, or do we merely sense a desperate push to do something to change the Church in accordance with one’s own preferences and ideas?

Pope Benedict Meets Fidel Castro

"And the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it."

John 1:5

 

 

From Vatican Insider

By Giacomo Galeazzi

The much awaited and controversial face to face meeting between Benedict XVI and Fidel Castro (who was wearing a dark coat, his neck covered and supported by his wife and children) did take place in the end. These two contemporaries - one nearly 86 and the other about to reach the age of 85 in three weeks – are worlds apart in terms of their personal life stories. “Now that I no longer have the responsibilities that come with governing, I spend a lot of time reading and reflecting. How do you still manage to carry out your service?” the Commander asked Joseph Ratzinger point-blank. The Pope replied: “I am old but I still manage to carry out my duty.” A sharp answer which reduced all rumours about his resignation to nothing.

Arriving in Cuba, Pope Issues Clear Call for Change

Pope Benedict XVI walks with Cuban President Raul Castro upon arrival at Antonio Macedo aiport, in Santiago de Cuba. (AFP Photo/Rodrigo Arangua)

From Catholic World News

Pope Benedict XVI offered a prescription for change in Cuba as he arrived on Monday afternoon, March 26, to begin a 3-day visit there.

The Pope—who had said last week that Marxism has failed in Cuba—said that he was convinced “that Cuba, at this moment of particular importance in its history, is already looking to the future.” He said the future of the island nation should be shaped by “the fine patrimony of spiritual and moral values which fashioned the nation’s true identity, and he mentioned Cuban heroes like José Marti and Felix Varela. Conspicuously missing from his list of great Cuban leaders was Fidel Castro.

As he arrived in Cuba, Pope Benedict recalled the historic visit by Pope John Paul II in 1998, saying that it “left an indelible mark on the soul of all Cubans.” That papal visit was “like a gentle breath of fresh air which gave new strength to the Church in Cuba,” he said.

Gently alluding to the contentious issue of Church-state relations in Cuba, the Pope said that his predecessor’s visit ushered in “a new phase in the relationship between Church and State,” and welcomed a “new spirit of cooperation and trust,” while noting that there were many areas still in need of improvement. In greeting the Pontiff, Raul Castro had asserted that the government welcomes the activity of the Catholic Church; the Pope’s words seemed design to convey that the Church would continue to press for greater freedom.

Pope Benedict also made it clear that he would speak for change in Cuba generally. He said “we can no longer continue in the same cultural and moral direction which has caused the painful situation that many suffer.” A revival of the Cuban nation must be a moral revival, he said, noting: “In the hearts and minds of many, the way is thus opening to an ever greater certainty that the rebirth of society demands upright men and women of firm moral convictions.”

“I carry in my heart the just aspirations and legitimate desires of all Cubans,” the Pope said. Without spelling out the political implications of those words, he issued an unmistakable call for change. 

Additional sources for this story
Some links will take you to other sites, in a new window.

• Full Text: Pope's speech at arrival ceremony in Cuba (Vatican Radio)
• Pope says has 'heartfelt affection' for all Cubans (AP)

Pope Begins Trip to Mexico and Cuba

Pope begins 23rd foreign trip, to Mexico and Cuba

From Catholic World News

Pope Benedict XVI left Rome on March 23, to begin the 23rd foreign trip of his pontificate, his 2nd visit as Pope to Latin America. He will be in Mexico from March 23 to 26, then travel to Cuba, returning to Rome on March 29. As he boarded his morning flight from Fiumicino airport, the Holy Father appeared in public using a cane for the first time. Aides disclosed that he has been walking with a cane around the apostolic palace for several weeks, to ease discomfort from his arthritic knees. Because of his advanced age, Pope Benedict has generally avoided long trips abroad. His schedule for this trip is relatively relaxed, allowing ample time for rest after the international flight. And he will not visit Mexico City, the nation’s capital, where the high altitude might tax his strength. Instead the Pontiff will arrive Friday evening in the city of Leon. During his stay in Mexico the Pope is expected to address the problem of drug trafficking and the associated violence, which has reached frightening proportions in recent months. Some drug-trafficking gangs have announced an informal truce during the days of the papal visit. Archbishop José Guadalupe Martin Rabago of Leon has expressed confidence that Catholics will be able to attend papal events without fear of violence.

The Pope’s visit may also have implications for Mexico’s political situation, with presidential elections due this summer. Trailing in opinion polls, the ruling National Action Party (PAN) of President Felipe Calderon will hope to generate some excitement from the papal visit in a country where Catholicism remains strong even after years of aggressively secular rule.

From Mexico the Pope will continue on to Cuba, where he will face a different sort of political challenge. The Cuban government has shown a willingness to offer new scope to the Catholic Church, but opponents of the Castro regime fear that the government is co-opting the hierarchy, seeking to quiet complaints about human-rights violations. Church officials counter with the argument that negotiations have opened new vistas for religious activity, leading to greater freedom for all Cubans. Father Federico Lombardi, the director of the Vatican press office, alluded to that argument when he said that Cuban officials must realize the need for “a climate of development, freedom, and reconciliation.”

During his stay in Cuba, the Pope is expected to meet privately with longtime dictator Fidel Castro, who is rumored to be seeking reconciliation with the Church as his health deteriorates.

Additional sources for this story

Some links will take you to other sites, in a new window.

• The Pope Begins His Twenty-Third Apostolic Trip Under the Sign of Hope (VIS)
• Pope Expected To Address Drug Viol

Cuba's State-Run Television Airs Cardinal's Message in Advance of Pope's Visit

In a rare speech on state-controlled television, Cuba's Catholic cardinal said an upcoming visit by the pope would reignite the religious fervor in the island. 

Cardinal Jaime Ortega y Alamino, the Archbishop of Havana, told viewers that Pope Benedict was visiting the island to "revive a sleeping faith, a somewhat erased faith.

Read the rest of this entry >>

Weaker Appreciation of Marriage is Harming Society, Says Pope

From The Catholic Herald (UK)

By Cindy Wooden

Permissive attitudes toward sex, cohabitation before marriage and acceptance of same-sex marriage can damage individuals and are harmful for society, Pope Benedict XVI has told a group of US bishops at the Vatican.

Pope Benedict's Message for Lent 2012

MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS
BENEDICT XVI
FOR LENT 2012

“Let us be concerned for each other,
to stir a response in love and good works” (Heb 10:24)

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

The Lenten season offers us once again an opportunity to reflect upon the very heart of Christian life: charity. This is a favourable time to renew our journey of faith, both as individuals and as a community, with the help of the word of God and the sacraments. This journey is one marked by prayer and sharing, silence and fasting, in anticipation of the joy of Easter. 

Pope Creates 22 New Cardinals and Calls for Canonization of 7 Saints

Pope Benedict has inducted 22 men into the exclusive club of cardinals who will one day elect one of their own to succeed him. 

From The Telegraph

Among the most prominent in the group is New York's Archbishop Timothy Dolan, who is already being touted by some Vatican experts as a possible future candidate to become the first American pope.

The Pope, who turns 85 in April and is showing signs of his age, elevated the men to the highest Church rank below him at a ceremony in St. Peter's Basilica known as a consistory.

"Cardinals are entrusted with the service of love: love for God, love for his Church, an absolute and unconditional love for his brothers and sisters, even unto shedding their blood, if necessary (in defence of the faith)," the pope told the new cardinals before giving them their rings and red birettas, or hats.

Pope Addresses Economic Crisis in "State of the World" Message to Diplomats

ADDRESS OF HIS HOLINESS POPE BENEDICT XVI
TO THE MEMBERS OF THE DIPLOMATIC CORPS
ACCREDITED TO THE HOLY SEE

Sala Regia
Monday, 9 January 2012

 

[Video]

Your Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is always a particular pleasure for me to receive you, the distinguished members of the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Holy See, in the splendid setting of this Sala Regia, and personally to offer you my cordial good wishes for the New Year. Before all else, I thank your Dean, Ambassador Alejandro Valladares Lanza, and the Vice-Dean, Ambassador Jean-Claude Michel, for the respectful sentiments which they expressed on your behalf, and I offer a special greeting to all those taking part in our meeting for the first time. Through you my good wishes extend to all the nations which you represent and with which the Holy See maintains diplomatic relations. It is a joy for us that Malaysia joined this community in the past year. The dialogue which you maintain with the Holy See favours the exchange of views and information, as well as cooperation in areas of common interest which are bilateral or multilateral in nature. Your presence today evokes the important contribution which the Church makes to your societies in areas such as education, health care and social services. A sign of the cooperation existing between the Catholic Church and States is seen in the Accords reached in 2011 with Azerbaijan, Montenegro and Mozambique. The first has already been ratified; I trust that this will also be the case with the two others, and that those currently under negotiation will soon be concluded. The Holy See also desires to establish a fruitful dialogue with international and regional organizations, and in this context I note with satisfaction that the member states of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) have accepted the appointment of an Apostolic Nuncio accredited to that organization. Nor can I fail to mention that last December the Holy See strengthened its longstanding cooperation with the International Organization for Migration by becoming a full member. This is a sign of the commitment of the Holy See and the Catholic Church, alongside the international community, in the search for suitable solutions to this phenomenon which presents a number of aspects ranging from the safeguarding of the dignity of persons to concern for the common good of both the communities which receive them and those from which they come.

Pope Names 22 New Cardinals

From Catholic World News

Pope Benedict XVI has named 22 new cardinals, including two prelates from the US.

At his Angelus audience on January 6, the Pope announced that a consistory will be held on February 18, and named the 22 prelates who will receive red hats. 

Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York will be among the new cardinals, as will Archbishop Edwin O’Brien, the former Archbishop of Baltimore who was named last year as grand master of the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre. Archbishop Thomas Collins of Toronto was also on the Pope’s list.

Homily of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI for Christmas Midnight Mass

 

SOLEMNITY OF THE NATIVITY OF THE LORD

Saint Peter's Basilica

 24 December 2011

 

(Video)

Dear Brothers and Sisters!

The reading from Saint Paul’s Letter to Titus that we have just heard begins solemnly with the word “apparuit”, which then comes back again in the reading at the Dawn Mass: apparuit – “there has appeared”.  This is a programmatic word, by which the Church seeks to express synthetically the essence of Christmas.  Formerly, people had spoken of God and formed human images of him in all sorts of different ways.  God himself had spoken in many and various ways to mankind (cf. Heb 1:1 – Mass during the Day).  But now something new has happened: he has appeared.  He has revealed himself.  He has emerged from the inaccessible light in which he dwells.  He himself has come into our midst.  This was the great joy of Christmas for the early Church: God has appeared.  No longer is he merely an idea, no longer do we have to form a picture of him on the basis of mere words.  He has “appeared”.  But now we ask: how has he appeared?  Who is he in reality?  The reading at the Dawn Mass goes on to say: “the kindness and love of God our Saviour for mankind were revealed” (Tit 3:4).  For the people of pre-Christian times, whose response to the terrors and contradictions of the world was to fear that God himself might not be good either, that he too might well be cruel and arbitrary, this was a real “epiphany”, the great light that has appeared to us: God is pure goodness.  Today too, people who are no longer able to recognize God through faith are asking whether the ultimate power that underpins and sustains the world is truly good, or whether evil is just as powerful and primordial as the good and the beautiful which we encounter in radiant moments in our world.  “The kindness and love of God our Saviour for mankind were revealed”: this is the new, consoling certainty that is granted to us at Christmas.

In all three Christmas Masses, the liturgy quotes a passage from the Prophet Isaiah, which describes the epiphany that took place at Christmas in greater detail: “A child is born for us, a son given to us and dominion is laid on his shoulders; and this is the name they give him: Wonder-Counsellor, Mighty-God, Eternal-Father, Prince-of-Peace.  Wide is his dominion in a peace that has no end” (Is 9:5f.).  Whether the prophet had a particular child in mind, born during his own period of history, we do not know.  But it seems impossible.  This is the only text in the Old Testament in which it is said of a child, of a human being: his name will be Mighty-God, Eternal-Father.  We are presented with a vision that extends far beyond the historical moment into the mysterious, into the future.  A child, in all its weakness, is Mighty God.  A child, in all its neediness and dependence, is Eternal Father.  And his peace “has no end”.  The prophet had previously described the child as “a great light” and had said of the peace he would usher in that the rod of the oppressor, the footgear of battle, every cloak rolled in blood would be burned (Is 9:1, 3-4).

High Noon: How the Sun and Moon Guided Prayer Times and Liturgy

From Catholic News Service

By Carol Glatz

Hidden among the paving stones of St. Peter's Square there is a simple clock and calendar. All you need is a sunny day.

The 83-foot stone obelisk in the middle of the square acts as a sundial that can accurately indicate midday and the two solstices thanks to a granite meridian and marble markers embedded in the square.

Pope Benedict XVI proudly pointed out the hidden timepiece during an Angelus address he gave on the winter solstice a few years ago.

"The great obelisk casts its shadow in a line that runs along the paving stones toward the fountain beneath this window and in these days, the shadow is at its longest of the year," he told pilgrims from the window of his library.

In fact, at noon on Dec. 21, the obelisk's shadow falls on the marble disk furthest from the obelisk's base, while at noon on June 21 -- the summer solstice -- the tip of the shadow will fall just a few yards from the obelisk. In between are five other disks marking when the sun enters into which sign of the zodiac.

Pope Benedict to Visit Cuba and Mexico Before Easter 2012

From Vatican Radio

In a special liturgy Monday evening in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, Pope Benedict XVI entrusted to Our Lady of Guadalupe the people of Latin America and reiterated the right of the unborn to live, while urging nations to effectively confront the social and public justice challenges that face them.

The Pope also announced his intention to make an apostolic journey to Cuba and Mexico ahead of Easter next year. Pope Benedict said that he desired to make the trip in order to "preach the Word of Christ" and to confirm anew that now is the time to proclaim the Gospel with true faith, living hope, and ardent charity.

Pope Appoints Archbishop Viganò as New Papal Nuncio to U.S.

From CNA

By Michelle Bauman

Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, 70, was appointed today by Pope Benedict XVI to serve as his official representative to the United States.

Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, called the appointment “yet another sign” of the great care the Pope has for the U.S. and its Catholic community.

“As the personal representative of our Holy Father, you will serve as a continuing sign to us of that source of renewal and hope that Pope Benedict brought to our country,” said Archbishop Dolan in an Oct. 19 letter welcoming the new nuncio.   

Pope Benedict Proclaims a 'Year of Faith'

From Catholic World News

Pope Benedict XVI has announced a special “Year of Faith,” dedicated to rousing a “new impetus to the mission of the whole Church to lead men out of the desert in which they often find themselves, to the place of life, of friendship with Christ.”

The Year of Faith will begin on October 11, 2012: a date that marks the 50th anniversary of the opening of Vatican II. Pope Benedict notes that the date is also the 20th anniversary of the publication of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which he describes as “a precious and indispensable tool” for the task of evangelization. The special observance will end on November 24, 2013: the feast of Christ the King. Pope Benedict announced the Year of Faith on Sunday, October 16, as he celebrated Mass in St. Peter’s basilica at the conclusion of a conference on the “new evangelization.” In his homily the Pontiff explained that the “new evangelization”--which is aimed at restoring the strength of the faith in traditionally Christian countries now dominated by secularism—is a natural complement to the mission ad gentes, the drive to bring the faith to societies that have not yet heard the Gospel message. On the same day, October 16, the Pope released a motu proprio entitled Porta Fidei (“The Door of Faith”), formally proclaiming and explaining the Year of Faith. The initiative, he said, is required “because of a profound crisis of faith that has affected many people.”

Pope Believes Secularized Nations Can Become Christian Again

From CNA

By David Kerr

Pope Benedict XVI told over 8,000 Catholics involved in the “new evangelization” that he has every confidence they can return their respective nations to Jesus Christ.

“Seeing all of you and knowing the hard work that everyone of you places at the service of the mission, I am convinced that the new evangelists will multiply more and more to create the true transformation which the world of today needs,” the Pope said Oct. 15. in the Vatican’s Paul VI Audience Hall.

The Pope was addressing a conference entitled “New Evangelizers for the New Evangelization - The Word of God grows and spreads,” organized by the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization.