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Month: August 2022

Some Reflections on the New Red Hats

Posted by | Aug 28, 2022 | , , , , , , , |

It doesn’t take a deep historical sense – or an overly romantic imagination – to be moved by the great formal events that the Vatican conducts several times a year. They take you to some other place and time. There’s nothing quite like them in the modern world – (though the British monarchy under the great Elizabeth II, occasionally strikes similar, if lesser notes.) My preference is for the large events held outdoors in St. Peter’s Square under the milky blue Roman skies, which make you think of great public liturgies in ancient Jerusalem and Rome.

Yesterday’s ordinary consistories, which confirmed twenty new cardinals and canonized two new saints, took place inside St. Peter’s, perhaps because of the August heat. But it was a glorious affair all the same: The rhythms of Latin, the universal language of the global Church, were lovely. (Ironically, now-Cardinal Arthur Roche, prefect of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and merciless TLM hatchet-man, gave a rather substantial opening discourse in his English-inflected Latin.) The music and colorful vestments and rich décor made it clear that God was being honored with all the beauty and skill of which our poor fallen species is capable. Read more.

The post Some Reflections on the New Red Hats appeared first on The Catholic Thing.

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Pope’s Wonderful Address That Every Acolyte Should Read

Posted by | Aug 27, 2022 | , , , |

“I want to thank you from my heart for the efforts and, at times, the sacrifices you accept to dedicate yourselves to this commitment as ministers, while many other friends of yours prefer to sleep on Sunday mornings, or do sport . . . You can’t imagine to what point you can be a model, a point of reference for so many young people of your age,” said the Pope to French acolytes who came on pilgrimage to Rome .

The post Pope’s Wonderful Address That Every Acolyte Should Read appeared first on ZENIT – English.

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This Is the Legal Situation of the Bishop Arrested in Nicaragua as Told by His Lawyer

Posted by | Aug 27, 2022 | , , , , , , , |

Mons. Rolando Álvarez has not been initiated any type of legal process, having in a legal limbo that constitutes the crime of Kidnapping.

The post This Is the Legal Situation of the Bishop Arrested in Nicaragua as Told by His Lawyer appeared first on ZENIT – English.

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One new cardinal did not attend the consistory due to heart problems — Here is what Pope Francis said:

Posted by | Aug 27, 2022 | , |


Pope Francis at the consistory in St. Peter’s Basilica, Aug. 27, 2022 / Daniel Ibáñez / CNA

CNA Newsroom, Aug 27, 2022 / 13:46 pm (CNA).

Pope Francis ended his homily during the Aug. 27 consistory mentioning that one cardinal-elect, Richard Kuuia Baawobr of Wa (Ghana), was not present. Francis asked for prayers for the African prelate, explaining Baawobr had been taken ill.

The Holy Father said Cardinal Baawobr had been hospitalized and, therefore, unable to attend the ceremony. 

“I do not want to end without recalling Cardinal Richard Kuuia Baawobr, Bishop of Wa, who yesterday, upon his arrival in Rome, felt bad and was hospitalized with a heart problem and I think they did some type of operation,” said Pope Francis after his homily for the day’s festivities. 

“Let us pray for this brother who ought to have been here and is hospitalized,” said the Holy Father. “Thank you.”

Bishop Richard Kuuia Baawobr of Wa, who was elected present of SECAM July 30, 2022. Courtesy of SECAM
Bishop Richard Kuuia Baawobr of Wa, who was elected present of SECAM July 30, 2022. Courtesy of SECAM

Elected President of the Symposium of Episcopal Conference of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) on July 30, the 63-year-old Baawobr is known in Ghana for “many acts of charity, key among them, his love for people suffering from mental challenges and who have been neglected by their families,” CNA’s sister agency ACI Africa reported in July.

Baawobr also serves as a member of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, a post he has held since July 2020. 

He is one of two newly created cardinals from Africa, the other – Cardinal Peter Okpaleke – hails from Nigeria’s Ekwulobia Diocese. Another Ghanaian cardinal, Peter Turkson, currently serves as chancellor of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences.

The hospitalization reveals how swiftly numbers for the conclave can change. With the cardinal, today’s consistory brings the total number of cardinal electors from Africa to 17 or 12.8% of the total cardinal electors. Sub-Saharan Africa is one of the world’s fastest-growing regions of Catholicism, according to statistics published by the Vatican in the Annuario Pontificio and the Annuarium Statisticum Ecclesiae.

In a July 28 interview with ACI Africa, Baawobr reflected on his mission as cardinal, saying, “It is an occasion to renew our commitment to serve and to serve in collaboration with the Holy Father.”

“It comes down very strongly that we are not alone in this mission. And the Holy Father is inviting us to share, to collaborate with him,” he said and added, “I think from there also I draw the message that wherever we are, if people are needing our collaboration in order to attain a specific goal, we should offer that with joy and humility and simplicity.”

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One new cardinal did not attend the consistory due to heart problems — Here is what Pope Francis said:

Posted by | Aug 27, 2022 | , |


Pope Francis at the consistory in St. Peter’s Basilica, Aug. 27, 2022 / Daniel Ibáñez / CNA

CNA Newsroom, Aug 27, 2022 / 13:46 pm (CNA).

Pope Francis ended his homily during the Aug. 27 consistory mentioning that one cardinal-elect, Richard Kuuia Baawobr of Wa (Ghana), was not present. Francis asked for prayers for the African prelate, explaining Baawobr had been taken ill.

The Holy Father said Cardinal Baawobr had been hospitalized and, therefore, unable to attend the ceremony. 

“I do not want to end without recalling Cardinal Richard Kuuia Baawobr, Bishop of Wa, who yesterday, upon his arrival in Rome, felt bad and was hospitalized with a heart problem and I think they did some type of operation,” said Pope Francis after his homily for the day’s festivities. 

“Let us pray for this brother who ought to have been here and is hospitalized,” said the Holy Father. “Thank you.”

Bishop Richard Kuuia Baawobr of Wa, who was elected present of SECAM July 30, 2022. Courtesy of SECAM
Bishop Richard Kuuia Baawobr of Wa, who was elected present of SECAM July 30, 2022. Courtesy of SECAM

Elected President of the Symposium of Episcopal Conference of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) on July 30, the 63-year-old Baawobr is known in Ghana for “many acts of charity, key among them, his love for people suffering from mental challenges and who have been neglected by their families,” CNA’s sister agency ACI Africa reported in July.

Baawobr also serves as a member of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, a post he has held since July 2020. 

He is one of two newly created cardinals from Africa, the other – Cardinal Peter Okpaleke – hails from Nigeria’s Ekwulobia Diocese. Another Ghanaian cardinal, Peter Turkson, currently serves as chancellor of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences.

The hospitalization reveals how swiftly numbers for the conclave can change. With the cardinal, today’s consistory brings the total number of cardinal electors from Africa to 17 or 12.8% of the total cardinal electors. Sub-Saharan Africa is one of the world’s fastest-growing regions of Catholicism, according to statistics published by the Vatican in the Annuario Pontificio and the Annuarium Statisticum Ecclesiae.

In a July 28 interview with ACI Africa, Baawobr reflected on his mission as cardinal, saying, “It is an occasion to renew our commitment to serve and to serve in collaboration with the Holy Father.”

“It comes down very strongly that we are not alone in this mission. And the Holy Father is inviting us to share, to collaborate with him,” he said and added, “I think from there also I draw the message that wherever we are, if people are needing our collaboration in order to attain a specific goal, we should offer that with joy and humility and simplicity.”

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New cardinals and Pope Francis pay visit to Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI

Posted by | Aug 27, 2022 | , |


Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI greets Colombian Cardinal Jorge Enrique Jiménez Carvajal at the retired pope’s Vatican residence on Aug. 27, 2022. / Screenshot from EWTN video

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Aug 27, 2022 / 12:55 pm (CNA).

Pope Francis joined 19 of the Church’s 20 newly installed cardinals Saturday in a visit with Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI at his Vatican residence.

Video and photos of the brief encounter provided by Vatican Media showed Pope Francis and the cardinals individually greeting the 95-year-old retired pope, who was seated in a chair. The cardinals received a blessing from both Francis and Benedict and joined them in singing the Salve Regina.

Cardinal Richard Kuuia Baawobr of Ghana was unable to attend the visit for health reasons.

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