Archbishop Dolan: 'The Father of Our Family, Il Papa, Needs our Love, Support, and Prayers.'
Archbishop Dolan compared the current situation facing Pope Benedict XVI to the" "unjust accusations, shouts of the mob, and scourging at the pillar" which we commemorate this Holy Week.
'What deepens the sadness now is the unrelenting insinuations against the Holy Father himself, as certain sources seem frenzied to implicate the man who, perhaps more than anyone else has been the leader in purification, reform, and renewal that the Church so needs.'
PrintNEW YORK, NY (Catholic Online) – Archbishop Timothy Dolan loves the Lord and the Church with an infectious enthusiasm borne of a sincere, living faith. Upon his arrival in New York, he quickly won the heart of the Big Apple with his pastoral gifts, warm and loving manner, great preaching and that contagious smile. He is clearly one of the great Leaders of the Catholic Church in the United States of America.
He quickly became a significant personality on the Catholic Channel of the Sirius Radio Network. He is a man comfortable in his own skin, at ease with the use of the media, filled with the Holy Spirit, and eager to share the Gospel, as found in its fullness within the Catholic Church. He is also a true defender of that Faith. In an age of infidelity, he is an advocate of fidelity to the Vicar of Christ, the Successor of Peter, Pope Benedict XVI. He calls all of us to stand in solidarity with the Pope in this challenging hour. We must respond.
In the midst of what has devolved into an almost "open season" of attack on the Pope in much of the Media, Archbishop Dolan made some inspired remarks at this past Sunday´s Passion/Palm Sunday Liturgy. He urged the faithful to defend Pope Benedict´s courageous leadership of the Church during this difficult time of purification. He invited the faithful to pray for Pope Benedict XVI.
In a moving analogy he compared the current situation facing Pope Benedict XVI to the" unjust accusations, shouts of the mob, and scourging at the pillar" which jesus endured and which we will commemorate this Holy Week as we enter into the Triduum. We offer Archbishop Dolan´s remarks at the conclusion of the Palm/Passion Sunday Mass for our global readership. During this Holy Week we ask for concentrated prayer for the whole Church, and, in particular, for our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI:
*****
Remarks of Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan of New York at Saint Patrick´s Cathedral in New York on Sunday, March 28, 2010.
"The father of our family, il papa, needs our love, support, and prayers."
"May I ask your patience a couple of minutes longer in what has already been a lengthy — yet hopefully uplifting —Sunday Mass?
"The somberness of Holy Week is intensified for Catholics this year.
"The recent tidal wave of headlines about abuse of minors by some few priests, this time in Ireland, Germany, and a re-run of an old story from Wisconsin, has knocked us to our knees once again.
"Anytime this horror, vicious sin, and nauseating crime is reported, as it needs to be, victims and their families are wounded again, the vast majority of faithful priests bow their heads in shame anew, and sincere Catholics experience another dose of shock, sorrow, and even anger.
"What deepens the sadness now is the unrelenting insinuations against the Holy Father himself, as certain sources seem frenzied to implicate the man who, perhaps more than anyone else has been the leader in purification, reform, and renewal that the Church so needs.
"Sunday Mass is hardly the place to document the inaccuracy, bias, and hyperbole of such aspersions.
"But, Sunday Mass is indeed the time for Catholics to pray for " . . . Benedict our Pope."
"And Palm Sunday Mass is sure a fitting place for us to express our love and solidarity for our earthly shepherd now suffering some of the same unjust accusations, shouts of the mob, and scourging at the pillar, as did Jesus.
"No one has been more vigorous in cleansing the Church of the effects of this sickening sin than the man we now call Pope Benedict XVI. The dramatic progress that the Catholic Church in the United States has made — — documented again just last week by the report made by independent forensic auditors — — could never have happened without the insistence and support of the very man now being daily crowned with thorns by groundless innuendo.
"Does the Church and her Pastor, Pope Benedict XVI, need intense scrutiny and just criticism for tragic horrors long past?
"Yes! He himself has asked for it, encouraging complete honesty, at the same time expressing contrition, and urging a thorough cleansing.
"All we ask is that it be fair, and that the Catholic Church not be singled-out for a horror that has cursed every culture, religion, organization, institution, school, agency, and family in the world.
"Sorry to bring this up … but, then again, the Eucharist is the Sunday meal of the spiritual family we call the Church. At Sunday dinner we share both joys and sorrows. The father of our family, il papa, needs our love, support, and prayers."
- - -
Pope Benedict XVI's Prayer Intentions for January 2013
General Intention: The Faith of Christians. That in this Year of Faith Christians may deepen their knowledge of the mystery of Christ and witness joyfully to the gift of faith in him.
Missionary Intention: Middle Eastern Christians. That the Christian communities of the Middle East, often discriminated against, may receive from the Holy Spirit the strength of fidelity and perseverance.
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Holy Father because of my sins I have crucified our Lord JESUS CHRIST the only son of our father, I confess, I believe my church , I believe the holy Eucharist , I believe thy grace ,thy grace will not let you down. Our prayers will wipe all the evils.
I pray May God bless Our Holy Father.
AVE MARIA.
May God bless Our Holy Father & long may he reign! Thank you, dear Archbishop Dolan for having the strength to preach the truth.....G.Boos
Boy do we miss him in Milwaukee! Once again, Bishop Dolan's practical and spiritually guided words help to ease my mind and soul. God Bless you Bishop Dolan and I will do as he asks and pray for the Holy Father.
Thank God for our Holy Father! As Jesus Himself mentioned, we will have tribulations in the world. But He also told us to take courage - He has overcome the world. This means overcoming the evil in the world. The way to overcome evil is by enduring the suffering it inflicts without yielding to its suggestions to sin, to despair, to give up. In this our Holy Father is "doing what Jesus did". Many like the popular expression, "What would Jesus do?". He showed us on Good Friday - endure the worst the world, the flesh and the devil can throw at you - which meant His own death - and then rising by His Almighty power on the third day. Jesus is the Victor - eternal and everlasting! I notice that there is an increase, at least where I live, of faithful or practical Catholics having trials and sufferings. But it is all a cause for rejoicing, even though we are daily dying. Our Holy Father is our shepherd and exemplar in this - not apart from Christ - but in Christ and through His Power. We can all join our own trials and sufferings in union with the Holy Father - and rejoice - Christ is redeeming us and the world!
May God raise up more strong, faithful bishops and archbishops like Archbishop Dolan. We need strong leaders who speak the truth and defend our Holy Father.
I'm clearly in the minority on this website, but aren't the real victims here...the rape and abuse victims? We aren't the servants of the Pope, we are servants of Christ. The Vatican has constantly prevented proper investigations from being performed. Knee jerk defense of Pope Benedict is not helping the matter. It's time to face reality and realize that this is a real crisis.
As someone who has taught school and who has tried to teach students how to be discerning about anything they read in the press or books, I am appalled at the one sided presentation of the facts in many journals and on television. Many reporters have very carefully selected the "facts" and justaposed these in such as way as to create an appearance of guilt on the part of the Pope in covering up sexual abuse. Given the witch hunting propensities of the press, all the Church can do is to present the full facts surrounding particular cases and the reasoning behind those. Sadly, the only thing that will change the press's obsession is some other scandal or emergency or catastrophe; in which case the press will promptly forget this situation and run after the latest bright shining object.
Dear Holy Father, we all are here to support truth. We all believe in Jesus who said " Do not be afraid. I am with you always" The media is the greatest enemy these days , because Catholic Church is the only organization that do not side with their attitude on sexual morality. They propagate freedom of sex without the restrictions imposed by traditions and religions.
This is the time the Church has to work untireingly for the awareness about sacredness of marriage and family values. The catholic parents have to get up from their slumber and inculcate in their children the need for restraints and sublimation . It is the self mastery of sexual desires and not unhealthy repression as advocated by the West. The right minded Christians, Muslims and Hindus beleive in abstinence till marriage That culture must come to stay to salvage the nation
Jason, I'd encourage you to read this article: http://catholicanchor.org/wordpress/?p=601
The pope was not involved in any kind of cover up!
Just signed up a spiritual boquet for Pope Benedict XVI.
http://www.cardinalnewmansociety.org/