broadcast

by

On Homosexuality, Pope Francis’ comments, our Church teachings and our Priests

Regarding homosexuality and priesthood, I just have a simple answer to that.

If heterosexual people choose priesthood as their vocation in life, they have to abandon all sexual desires with the opposite sex and any kind of relationships henceforth all their life. So, the same too must apply to homosexual people who choose priesthood as their vocation in life.

It is really simple, but the problem is, many people, regardless whether they are heterosexual or homosexual, they cannot let go, and they give in to the temptations of the devil.

Yes, I agree that “I am not the one to judge”, and indeed, we must love the sinner, but not love the sin. The Church stance remains the same, and the teachings remain the same.

It is that we must not discriminate against those who may seem to be different, but what is important is that, we must make sure that all priests, no matter what orientation they have, must be pure and 100% focused on the Lord in celibate life, without any attachment, be it to the same or opposite gender, since the day they enter the seminary, the day of their ordination, till the day the Lord calls them back into His embrace in heaven.

It is a great sin, to turn one’s back to the Lord and embrace the devil, once he had committed himself fully to the Lord, and became His bride, in the sacred ordination, the moment when the priest is wed to God and His people, to be their servant, to be the leader and shepherd of God’s people.

So yes, sexual abuse by priests is no no, and no to married priests either, regardless of the needs of the diocese, and no to any sexual acts or perversion by priests whatsoever, with anyone, after they had committed themselves and made that choice.

If they cannot commit themselves 100% to the Lord, till the end of their life, then they cannot be priests. Priests are always tempted daily by the devil, but they must persevere. That is why it is so important for us to pray for our priests and support them!

And make sure to inculcate from early on the love for God and His people in our children and our youths, that if there are those who choose to follow the path of a priest, they will have a solid faith and rock-solid foundation, that will help them better to fight the assaults of the devil.

Remember that the Lord Himself had said that in the parable of the two houses, that a wise man builds his house on a solid ground, while a fool builds his house on sand, and when the wind and waves come and blow on them, only the one with solid foundation will remain standing. Therefore, our priests and our potential future priests too must always ensure that they have strong foundations, that is strong and unassailable faith in God, that no evil can shake and topple.

by

Second Ballot : No smoke. No Pope had been elected yet

As there was no ‘early’ smoke on Wednesday morning, 13 March 2013 in Rome, it is safe to assume that no Pope had been elected in the second ballot. This is because, instead of the usual 2 ballots per session then burn the ballots of both together at the end (session = morning/afternoon), if a Pope is elected on the first of these two ballots, the second ballot will obviously not take place, and thus, the smoke will be early, and will definitely also be white.

This was also the early sign that a Pope had been elected in 2005, when the afternoon smoke went early (this was after the fourth ballot, first of two afternoon ballots) at near 6 pm Rome time, when the smoke, which should have been later if no Pope was elected.

It may be more likely that the white smoke will appear after the third ballot, or the fourth ballot.

Watch live at : http://www.romereports.com/palio/modules.php?name=Content3&pa=showpage&newlang=english&pid=47#.UUA0qBzLoj7

by

How to view the chimney of the Sistine Chapel? Live from Vatican by Rome Reports!

http://www.romereports.com/palio/modules.php?name=Content3&pa=showpage&newlang=english&pid=47#.UT4XGVeJegH

Use this site to view the live recording by the camera from the Vatican Central Television (CTV). The camera will be placed to zoom onto the chimney of the Sistine Chapel so that viewers can keep track of the smoke without the need to be actually there.

White smoke (fumata bianca) = a new Pope had been elected

Black smoke (fumata nera) = no Pope had been elected

 

Pray for our Cardinal-electors! and happy smoke-watching!

by

Summary of the Tenth and the Last General Congregation of the College of Cardinals, and details on the Conclave

New Cardinals have been elected to lead the Particular Congregations (elected every 3 days) in the Conclave. Cardinal Antonios Naguib for the Cardinal Bishops; Cardinal Marc Ouellet for the Cardinal Priests; Cardinal Francesco Monterisi for the Cardinal Deacons. New leaders will be elected if after three days in the Conclave, the Conclave has not yet ended with the election of a new Pope. Their task is to guide the Cardinal Camerlengo, who is Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone.

28 Cardinals had spoken in the Tenth General Congregation, and a total of 161 Cardinals had already spoken in all the past General Congregations. Not all Cardinals who wanted to speak has spoken, as the number of Cardinals that spoke had made the Cardinals to vote whether to continue or to stop the General Congregation at that point (likely because it has taken too much time).

In the meanwhile, during the Sede Vacante, certain offices that represent the Holy See, particularly diplomatic representation, Nuncios, Delegates, and many other offices of the Holy See continue to function as per normal, even when the Apostolic See is vacant, and the Cardinals waiting to elect a new Pope. The Cardinal Camerlengo, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone is the leader during the period of the Sede Vacante, having limited powers, with the College of Cardinals, in order to settle all matters, and all things pertaining to election of the new Pope.

This Monday evening at 5.30 pm Rome time / CET / UTC+1, all the personnels, about 90 of them, who are also ‘locked’ together with the Cardinal-electors in the Conclave, including doctors, nurses, bus drivers, and other staffs involved in maintenance of the Cardinals’ residence at Domus Sancta Marthae, will take their solemn oath of secrecy, in the presence of the Camerlengo of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, and also in the presence of the Secretary of the College of Cardinals, Archbishop Lorenzo Baldisseri, Master of Pontifical Liturgical Celebrations, Monsignor Guido Marini and other officials.

The swearing of the oath of secrecy by the auxiliary personnel will not be live on Vatican Television (Therefore, may not be viewable in Vatican Player).

The Mass for the Election of the Roman Pontiff or Missa pro Eligendo Pontifice, which will begin the Conclave process, will be celebrated in St. Peter’s Basilica on Tuesday morning at 10 am Rome time / CET / UTC+1, and will be in Latin, but also with translations in Italian and English available in the Vatican official website.

Cardinal Dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Angelo Sodano will be the celebrant of the solemn Mass, the concelebrants will be all the Cardinal-electors and the Cardinal non-electors currently present in Rome. The homily will also be available a short period of time just before the Holy Mass on Tuesday morning (Rome time), likely from the Vatican website.

The Cardinals will enter into the Conclave in the Sistine Chapel from the Pauline Chapel, from Cardinal Prosper Grech, who will deliver the second meditation to the Cardinal-electors, followed by the Cardinals in reverse order of precedence (first by order : bishop, priest, and deacon – reverse this), and then within these order, the Cardinals in order of creation (earlier created then later created, and also within the same consistory, those whose names are earlier in the order of creation have higher precedence – also reverse all this).

The last will be the Master of Pontifical Liturgical Celebrations, Monsignor Guido Marini, and Cardinal Giovanni Batista Re, the senior Cardinal Bishop who is an elector, who will be the leader of the Conclave in absence of Cardinal Sodano, the Dean, who is a non-elector (above 80). The Cardinals will proceed into the Sistine Chapel singing the Litany of the Saints, and the hymn Veni Creator Spiritus. After the oath-taking by the Cardinal-electors, Monsignor Marini will order the traditional “extra omnes”, or “all out!” order to all except the Cardinal-electors.

The entry into the Sistine Chapel will begin on Tuesday afternoon, at 4.30 pm Rome time / CET / UTC+1, and will be broadcasted live.

The first smoke signal from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel will be at sometime around 8 pm Rome time, and will not likely be a white smoke (It is unlikely that the new Pope will be elected in the first ballot, as there will only be one ballot session on Tuesday).

The Vatican camera (available in Vatican Player at http://www.vatican.va/video/) will be fixed on the chimney through this period and available live.

The senior Cardinal Bishop-elector, Cardinal Re, will be the one in place of the Cardinal Dean, who is a non-elector, asking the newly elected Pope whether he accepts the election and also ask him the regnal name that he will assume as the Pope.

A new addition for the 2013 Conclave is that, after the Pope receives the homage from all the Cardinal-electors in the Sistine Chapel, he will proceed with all the Cardinal-electors, to the Pauline Chapel, and the new Pope alone will enter the Chapel to pray before the Blessed Sacrament in the Chapel. In the meanwhile, the Cardinal Protodeacon, Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, will announce the traditional Habemus Papam announcement.

It took about one hour in 2005 Conclave from the white smoke appearance until the new Pope made his appearance on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica (also known as the Loggia). As the new addition of prayer in the Pauline Chapel is made for the 2013 Conclave, we can expect a time frame of slightly longer than 1 hour between the white smoke, and the appearance of the new Pope on the balcony.

by

Missa pro Eligendo Pontifice/Mass for the Election of the Roman Pontiff and the beginning of the Conclave

Both events are live from Rome, at Vatican Player, http://www.vatican.va/video/ and I believe are also covered live by several Catholic televisions in the USA, Canada, and other countries.

 

1. Missa pro Eligendo Pontifice / Mass for the Election of the Roman Pontiff

The Cardinals present in Rome, all the Cardinal-electors that will be entering the Conclave, will first gather for a Solemn Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica on Tuesday morning, 12 March 2013 at 10 am Rome time (CET or UTC+1). The Mass will be lead by the Cardinal Dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, who is a non-elector.

Time in other parts of the world :

Tuesday, 12 March 2013 at 9 am UTC // 4 am EST // 1 am PST // 4 pm WIB or UTC+7 // 5 pm Singapore time or UTC+8

 

2. Beginning of the Conclave : Entry of the Cardinal-electors into the Sistine Chapel

The Cardinal-electors will assemble in Pauline Chapel on Tuesday afternoon, and the event will begin live at 4.30 pm Rome time (CET or UTC+1). The Cardinals will wear their full choir dress and then will proceed into the Sistine Chapel while singing the hymn Veni Creator Spiritus to invoke the Holy Spirit.

Then in the Sistine Chapel, the Cardinal-electors will take their oath, beginning with the senior Cardinal Bishop-elector, Cardinal Giovanni Batista Re, who leads the Conclave, and then the famous ‘extra omnes’ or ‘everybody else out’ order will be said by the Master of Papal Liturgical Celebrations, Monsignor Guido Marini.

Time in other parts of the world :

Tuesday, 12 March 2013 at 3.30 pm UTC // 10.30 am EST // 7.30 am PST // 11.30 pm WIB or UTC+7 //  Wednesday, 00.30 am Singapore time or UTC+8

by

Regarding Vatican Player video at www.vatican.va/video/ : How to view past videos

If you have missed the live broadcast of any past Papal events and events involving the Holy See, such as the press conferences in recent days by Fr. Federico Lombardi of the Holy See Press Office, you can access the recording at the Vatican Player site itself at http://www.vatican.va/video/

Instead of picking to watch live at the TV tab above (There are three tabs : Radio, TV, and agenda), pick the agenda tab, and then at the calendar at the right side, pick the date of the event that you like (For example, pick 13 February 2013 for the Ash Wednesday Mass and Pope Benedict XVI’s last public Mass). Then pick the event from the left side out of the list of events that occured that particular day.

Only those that has the TV icon has the recording though. If the TV icon is there, click on it, then click on the other TV icon on the upper-right hand side of the window, and then happy watching!

In addition, the website http://www.benedictxvi.tv/ also has a vast collection of papal videos (Pope Benedict XVI and documentaries of other Popes) available. Do visit and support the site!

by

Live from Rome : Papal visit to the Major Seminary of Rome (begin at 5 pm UTC on Friday, 8 February 2013)

http://www.vatican.va/video/

The Pope will visit the Major Seminary of Rome today, 8 February 2013 at 6 pm Rome time (Central European Time/UTC+1) or corresponding to Saturday, 9 February 2013 at 1 am for Singapore, Malaysia, China, HK, and other UTC+8 countries.

The other timings for other regions are Friday, 8 February 2013 at 5 pm UTC, and in New York it is on Friday at 12 pm EST (UTC-5), and on Friday at 9 am for PST regions (UTC-8).

Well, hopefully one day soon, I will be one of the students there, looking forward to my ordination as a priest at that time. Pray for me! 

Surprisingly, Italian (and Latin) is not too difficult to understand, since at the moment, in fact, my ability to understand and comprehend Italian has actually surpassed my ability to comprehend Chinese (not good, but good enough for daily conversations, and to use for basic conversations). Nevertheless, pray for me that I will be ever faithful in my journey!

+Ut Omnes Unum Sint, ad Maiorem Dei Gloriam+

(That they all may be One, for the greater glory of God)