Church

by

Brothers and sisters in Christ, Life goes on : Let’s pray and continue our mission!

Brothers and sisters in Christ, life is still ongoing. Even if we are saddened by the resignation of our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, let us show him our support by continuing to do our mission in the Church, for the good of all.

Now that we are waiting for the new Pope to be elected, let us fervently pray that God will give us a great new shepherd to succeed our beloved Pope, Benedict XVI. May God bless all of us. Amen!

As I am currently studying Italian and Latin, I am also writing this in Italian too (below) for my revision. If there is any mistake, do notify me and correct me.

Fratelli e sorelle in Cristo, la vita è ancora in corso. Anche se siamo addolorati per le dimissioni del nostro Santo Padre, Papa Benedetto XVI, cerchiamo di fargli vedere il nostro sostegno continuando a fare la nostra missione nella Chiesa, per il bene di tutti.

Ora che siamo in attesa per il nuovo papa ad essere eletto, con fervore pregare che Dio ci darà un grande nuovo pastore per avere successo il nostro amato Papa, Benedetto XVI. Che Dio benedica tutti noi. Amen!

by

Cardinal Marc Ouellet, Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops : My only other alternative as the potential new Pope

Cardinal Marc Ouellet, former Metropolitan Archbishop of Quebec and Primate of Canada, who is now the Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops is my only other choice for the potential next Pope in the Conclave, besides Cardinal Angelo Scola, the Archbishop of Milan.

Cardinal Ouellet is the top non-Italian and non-European in the Roman Curia, and represents the Roman Curia side of the candidacy, just as Cardinal Angelo Scola represents the non-Curial side of the candidacy. Cardinal Ouellet is a great theologian and has done many work in the field of theology and Catholic education. He has also done a great job in the Congregation for Bishops, and strongly committed to the cause in defense of life and the orthodoxy of the faith of the Roman Catholic Church.

He is my only other choice other than Cardinal Scola, who has the best chance of being elected in my opinion. Let the Holy Spirit decides who will be the worthy 267th successor of St. Peter the Apostle, on whom Christ entrusted the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven and built His Church.

Pray for both Cardinal Scola and Cardinal Ouellet too, may God be with them, and the rest of the College of Cardinals. Amen!

by

Pope Benedict XVI’s message for the World Day of Prayer for the Sick, Monday, 11 February 2013

Pope Benedict XVI announced his resignation or retirement from the office of the Bishop of Rome, and he made his announcement on the Feast day of our Lady of Lourdes, which is also the World Day of Prayer for the Sick, in remembrance of the miraculous healing at Lourdes.

Our Pope has given up his office as he is getting older and unable to shoulder much further the burden of the leadership of the Universal Church, and he is getting sick as old people do. Let us commend him to our Lady of Lourdes, and remember him always in our prayers through his retirement.

Here is the message from the Pope for the occasion, released in January 2013 :

MESSAGE OF THE HOLY FATHER ON THE OCCASION
OF THE TWENTY-FIRST WORLD DAY OF THE SICK
(11 FEBRUARY 2013)

“Go and do likewise” (Lk 10:37)

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

1. On 11 February 2013, the liturgical memorial of Our Lady of Lourdes, the
Twenty-first World Day of the Sick will be solemnly celebrated at the Marian
Shrine of Altötting. This day represents for the sick, for health care workers, for the
faithful and for all people of goodwill “a privileged time of prayer, of sharing, of
offering one’s sufferings for the good of the Church, and a call for all to recognize
in the features of their suffering brothers and sisters the Holy Face of Christ, who,
by suffering, dying and rising has brought about the salvation of mankind” (JOHN
PAUL II, Letter for the Institution of the World Day of the Sick, 13 May 1992, 3). On this
occasion I feel especially close to you, dear friends, who in health care centres or at
home, are undergoing a time of trial due to illness and suffering. May all of you be
sustained by the comforting words of the Fathers of the Second Vatican Council:
“You are not alone, separated, abandoned or useless. You have been called by
Christ and are his living and transparent image” (Message to the Poor, the Sick and the
Suffering).

2. So as to keep you company on the spiritual pilgrimage that leads us from
Lourdes, a place which symbolizes hope and grace, to the Shrine of Altötting, I
would like to propose for your reflection the exemplary figure of the Good
Samaritan (cf. Lk 10:25-37). The Gospel parable recounted by Saint Luke is part of a
series of scenes and events taken from daily life by which Jesus helps us to
understand the deep love of God for every human being, especially those afflicted
by sickness or pain. With the concluding words of the parable of the Good
Samaritan, “Go and do likewise” (Lk 10:37), the Lord also indicates the attitude that
each of his disciples should have towards others, especially those in need. We need
to draw from the infinite love of God, through an intense relationship with him in
prayer, the strength to live day by day with concrete concern, like that of the Good
Samaritan, for those suffering in body and spirit who ask for our help, whether or
not we know them and however poor they may be. This is true, not only for
pastoral or health care workers, but for everyone, even for the sick themselves, who
can experience this condition from a perspective of faith: “It is not by sidestepping
or fleeing from suffering that we are healed, but rather by our capacity for
accepting it, maturing through it and finding meaning through union with Christ,
who suffered with infinite love” (Spe Salvi, 37).

3. Various Fathers of the Church saw Jesus himself in the Good Samaritan; and
in the man who fell among thieves they saw Adam, our very humanity wounded
and disoriented on account of its sins (cf. ORIGEN, Homily on the Gospel of Luke
XXXIV,1-9; AMBROSE, Commentary on the Gospel of Saint Luke, 71-84; AUGUSTINE,
Sermon 171). Jesus is the Son of God, the one who makes present the Father’s love,
a love which is faithful, eternal and without boundaries. But Jesus is also the one
who sheds the garment of his divinity, who leaves his divine condition to assume
the likeness of men (cf. Phil 2:6-8), drawing near to human suffering, even to the
point of descending into hell, as we recite in the Creed, in order to bring hope and
light. He does not jealously guard his equality with God (cf. Phil 2:6) but, filled
with compassion, he looks into the abyss of human suffering so as to pour out the
oil of consolation and the wine of hope.

4. The Year of Faith which we are celebrating is a fitting occasion for intensifying
the service of charity in our ecclesial communities, so that each one of us can be a
good Samaritan for others, for those close to us. Here I would like to recall the
innumerable figures in the history of the Church who helped the sick to appreciate
the human and spiritual value of their suffering, so that they might serve as an
example and an encouragement. Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy
Face, “an expert in the scientia amoris” (Novo Millennio Ineunte, 42), was able to
experience “in deep union with the Passion of Jesus” the illness that brought her
“to death through great suffering” (Address at General Audience, 6 April 2011). The
Venerable Luigi Novarese, who still lives in the memory of many, throughout his
ministry realized the special importance of praying for and with the sick and
suffering, and he would often accompany them to Marian shrines, especially to the
Grotto of Lourdes. Raoul Follereau, moved by love of neighbour, dedicated his life
to caring for people afflicted by Hansen’s disease, even at the world’s farthest
reaches, promoting, among other initiatives, World Leprosy Day. Blessed Teresa of
Calcutta would always begin her day with an encounter with Jesus in the Eucharist
and then she would go out into the streets, rosary in hand, to find and serve the
Lord in the sick, especially in those “unwanted, unloved, uncared for”. Saint Anna
Schäffer of Mindelstetten, too, was able to unite in an exemplary way her sufferings
to those of Christ: “her sick-bed became her cloister cell and her suffering a
missionary service. Strengthened by daily communion, she became an untiring
intercessor in prayer and a mirror of God’s love for the many who sought her
counsel” (Canonization Homily, 21 October 2012). In the Gospel the Blessed Virgin
Mary stands out as one who follows her suffering Son to the supreme sacrifice on
Golgotha. She does not lose hope in God’s victory over evil, pain and death, and
she knows how to accept in one embrace of faith and love, the Son of God who was
born in the stable of Bethlehem and died on the Cross. Her steadfast trust in the
power of God was illuminated by Christ’s resurrection, which offers hope to the
suffering and renews the certainty of the Lord’s closeness and consolation.

5. Lastly, I would like to offer a word of warm gratitude and encouragement to
Catholic health care institutions and to civil society, to Dioceses and Christian
communities, to religious congregations engaged in the pastoral care of the sick, to
health care workers’ associations and to volunteers. May all realize ever more fully
that “the Church today lives a fundamental aspect of her mission in lovingly and
generously accepting every human being, especially those who are weak and sick”
(Christifideles Laici, 38).
I entrust this Twenty-first World Day of the Sick to the intercession of Our
Lady of Graces, venerated at Altötting, that she may always accompany those who
suffer in their search for comfort and firm hope. May she assist all who are
involved in the apostolate of mercy, so that they may become good Samaritans to
their brothers and sisters afflicted by illness and suffering. To all I impart most
willingly my Apostolic Blessing.

From the Vatican, 2 January 2013
BENEDICTUS PP. XVI

by

When will the See of Rome become vacant around the world? Let’s pray then!

To all Catholics around the world, my brothers and sisters in Christ, the See of Rome will be vacant as of Rome time (CET/UTC+1), 8.00 pm on 28 February 2013, which corresponds to these times :

Los Angeles / PST / UTC-8 : Thursday, 28 February 2013 at 11.00 am

New York / EST / UTC-5 : Thursday, 28 February 2013 at 2.00 pm

London / GMT / UTC : Thursday, 28 February 2013 at 7.00 pm

Jakarta, Bangkok / UTC+7 : Friday, 1 March 2013 at 2.00 am

Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, Beijing / UTC+8 : Friday, 1 March 2013 at 3.00 am

I do not think many will be awake or stay awake, or at work, and busy at this time, but if you are awake or available, let us make this hour an hour of prayer, for our current Pope Benedict XVI, his to-be-elected successor, and for the whole Church.

by

The Papacy, St. Peter the Apostle, and Christ : the unbreakable chain

‎”No chain is stronger than its weakest link, and the weakest link of the chain of Popes was the first (Peter). But that weak link was held in the hands of Christ. That is why the papacy will never fail.” – Venerable Fulton Sheen

Christ Himself have the Church firmly in His hands, and He will not let go. He is faithful to us just as we are faithful to Him. The Church He has built and the authority He has given to Peter to feed His sheep, will never fail.

by

Cardinal Angelo Scola, Archbishop of Milan : My personal choice as the next Pope

My personal opinion on who will be the next Pope? Cardinal Angelo Scola, former Patriarch of Venice and now the Archbishop of Milan. I have been watching his Masses and homilies at Youtube, and they were great. He does have the potential to be a good Pope.

http://www.youtube.com/user/itleditore (from the Archdiocese of Milan)

Nevertheless, it’s up to the Holy Spirit to decide who will be the 267th successor of St. Peter as the Bishop of Rome. We can pray now for the Holy Spirit to descend on all the Cardinal electors. May God be with them, especially during the Conclave session.

by

A vision that I have for the future College of Cardinals : For Greater Representation and Universality of the Church

This is still updating in the view of more data and research

Curial Cardinals

1. Cardinal Secretary of State

2. Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith

3. Prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches

4. Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments

5. Prefect of the Congregation for Causes of Saints

6. Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops

7. Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples

8. Prefect of the Congregation for Clergy

9. Prefect of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and for Societies of Apostolic Life

10. Prefect of the Congregation for Catholic Education (for Seminaries and Educational Institutions)

11. Major Penitentiary of the Apostolic Penitentiary

12. President of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura

13. President of the Pontifical Council for the Laity

14. President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity

15. President of the Pontifical Council for the Family

16. President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace

17. President of the Pontifical Council ‘Cor Unum’

18. President of the Pontifical Council for Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People

19. President of the Pontifical Council for Pastoral Assistance to Health Care Workers

20. President of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts

21. President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue

22. President of the Pontifical Council for Culture

23. President of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications

24. President of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelisation

25. President of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Holy See

26. President of the Prefecture of the Economic Affairs of the Holy See

27. President of the Governatorate of the Vatican City State

28. Archpriest of the Basilica of St. John Lateran

29. Archpriest of the Basilica of St. Peter in Vatican

30. Archpriest of the Basilica of St. Mary Major

31. Archpriest of the Basilica of St. Paul Outside-the-Walls

32. President of the Financial Information Authority of the Holy See

 

Non-curial cardinals (Residential)

Europe (Sees tied to the Cardinalate)

33. Metropolitan Archbishop of Vienna (Austria)

34. Metropolitan Archbishop of Mechelen-Brussel (Belgium)

35. Metropolitan Archbishop of Zagreb (Croatia)

36. Metropolitan Archbishop of Praha/Prague (Czech Republic)

37. Metropolitan Archbishop of Paris (France)

38. Metropolitan Archbishop of Bordeaux (France)

39. Metropolitan Archbishop of Lyon (France)

40. Metropolitan Archbishop of Rheims (France)

41. Metropolitan Archbishop of Tours (France)

42. Metropolitan Archbishop of Berlin (Germany)

43. Metropolitan Archbishop of Munchen und Freising (Germany)

44. Metropolitan Archbishop of Koln (Germany)

45. Metropolitan Archbishop of Paderborn (Germany)

46. Metropolitan Archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest (Hungary)

47. Metropolitan Archbishop of Armagh (Ireland)

48. Metropolitan Archbishop of Dublin (Ireland)

49. Metropolitan Archbishop of Firenze (Italy)

50. Metropolitan Archbishop of Palermo (Italy)

51. Metropolitan Archbishop of Genova (Italy)

52. Metropolitan Archbishop of Bologna (Italy)

53. Metropolitan Archbishop of Milano (Italy)

54. Metropolitan Archbishop of Torino (Italy)

55. Metropolitan Archbishop of Napoli (Italy)

56. Latin Patriarch of Venice (Italy)

57. Metropolitan Archbishop of Vilnius (Lithuania)

58. Metropolitan Archbishop of Utrecht (Netherlands)

59. Metropolitan Archbishop of Warszawa (Poland)

60. Metropolitan Archbishop of Krakow (Poland)

61. Metropolitan Archbishop of Wroclaw (Poland)

62. Metropolitan Archbishop of Gniezno (Poland)

63. Latin Patriarch of Lisboa/Lisbon (Portugal)

64. Metropolitan Archbishop of Bratislava (Slovakia)

65. Metropolitan Archbishop of Ljubljana (Slovenia)

66. Metropolitan Archbishop of Barcelona (Spain)

67. Metropolitan Archbishop of Sevilla (Spain)

68. Metropolitan Archbishop of Toledo (Spain)

69. Metropolitan Archbishop of Madrid (Spain)

70. Metropolitan Archbishop of Valencia (Spain)

71. Metropolitan Archbishop of Westminster (UK)

72. Metropolitan Archbishop of Saint Andrews and Edinburgh (UK)

Asia  (Sees tied to the Cardinalate)

73. Bishop of Hong Kong (China)

74. Metropolitan Archbishop of Bombay (India)

75. Metropolitan Archbishop of Calcutta (India)

76. Metropolitan Archbishop of Delhi (India)

77. Latin Patriarch of the East Indies, Metropolitan Archbishop of Goa and Daman (India)

78. Metropolitan Archbishop of Ranchi (India)

79. Metropolitan Archbishop of Jakarta (Indonesia)

80. Metropolitan Archbishop of Semarang (Indonesia)

81. Metropolitan Archbishop of Ende (Indonesia)

82. Metropolitan Archbishop of Tokyo / Metropolitan Archbishop of Nagasaki (Japan)

83. Metropolitan Archbishop of Yangon / Metropolitan Archbishop of Mandalay (Myanmar)

84. Metropolitan Archbishop of Lahore (Pakistan)

85. Metropolitan Archbishop of Manila (Philippines)

86. Metropolitan Archbishop of Cebu (Philippines)

87. Metropolitan Archbishop of Davao (Philippines)

88. Metropolitan Archbishop of Lipa (Philippines)

89. Metropolitan Archbishop of Jaro (Philippines)

90. Metropolitan Archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan (Philippines)

91. Metropolitan Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur /Archbishop of Singapore / Metropolitan Archbishop of Kuching / Metropolitan Archbishop of Kota Kinabalu (Singapore and Malaysia)

92. Metropolitan Archbishop of Seoul (South Korea)

93. Metropolitan Archbishop of Daegu (South Korea)

94. Metropolitan Archbishop of Colombo (Sri Lanka)

95. Metropolitan Archbishop of Taipei (Taiwan/ROC)

96. Metropolitan Archbishop of Bangkok (Thailand)

97. Bishop of Dili (Timor-Leste)

98. Metropolitan Archbishop of Ha Noi (Vietnam)

99. Metropolitan Archbishop of Thanh-Pho Ho Chi Minh (Vietnam)

100. Metropolitan Archbishop of Hue (Vietnam)

North America (Sees tied to Cardinalate)

101. Metropolitan Archbishop of Toronto (Canada)

102. Metropolitan Archbishop of Montreal (Canada)

103. Metropolitan Archbishop of Quebec (Canada)

104. Metropolitan Archbishop of Guadalajara (Mexico)

105. Metropolitan Archbishop of Mexico (Mexico)

106. Metropolitan Archbishop of Monterrey (Mexico)

107. Metropolitan Archbishop of Leon (Mexico)

108. Metropolitan Archbishop of Acapulco (Mexico)

109. Metropolitan Archbishop of Tijuana (Mexico)

110. Metropolitan Archbishop of New York (USA)

111. Metropolitan Archbishop of Baltimore (USA)

112. Metropolitan Archbishop of St. Louis (USA)

113. Metropolitan Archbishop of Washington (USA)

114. Metropolitan Archbishop of Boston (USA)

115. Metropolitan Archbishop of Los Angeles (USA)

116. Metropolitan Archbishop of San Francisco (USA)

117. Metropolitan Archbishop of Philadelphia (USA)

118. Metropolitan Archbishop of Chicago (USA)

119. Metropolitan Archbishop of Denver (USA)

120. Metropolitan Archbishop of Detroit (USA)

Central America (Sees tied to Cardinalate)

121. Metropolitan Archbishop of La Habana / Havana (Cuba)

122. Metropolitan Archbishop of Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic)

123. Metropolitan Archbishop of San Salvador (El Salvador)

124. Metropolitan Archbishop of Guatemala (Guatemala)

125. Metropolitan Archbishop of Tegucigalpa (Honduras)

126. Metropolitan Archbishop of Managua (Nicaragua)

127. Metropolitan Archbishop of San Juan de Puerto Rico (USA/Puerto Rico)

South America (Sees tied to the Cardinalate)

128. Metropolitan Archbishop of Buenos Aires (Argentina)

129. Metropolitan Archbishop of Parana (Argentina)

130. Metropolitan Archbishop of Cordoba (Argentina)

131. Metropolitan Archbishop of La Plata (Argentina)

132. Metropolitan Archbishop of Santa Cruz  de la Sierra (Bolivia)

133. Metropolitan Archbishop of Sucre (Bolivia)

134. Metropolitan Archbishop of Aparecida (Brazil)

135. Metropolitan Archbishop of Sao Paulo (Brazil)

136. Metropolitan Archbishop of Sao Sebastiao do Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)

137. Metropolitan Archbishop of Sao Salvador da Bahia (Brazil)

138. Metropolitan Archbishop of Brasilia (Brazil)

139. Metropolitan Archbishop of Porto Alegre (Brazil)

140. Metropolitan Archbishop of Belo Horizonte (Brazil)

141. Metropolitan Archbishop of Florianopolis (Brazil)

142. Metropolitan Archbishop of Manaus (Brazil)

143. Metropolitan Archbishop of Cuiaba (Brazil)

144. Metropolitan Archbishop of Santiago (Chile)

145. Metropolitan Archbishop of Concepcion (Chile)

146. Metropolitan Archbishop of Bogota (Colombia)

147. Metropolitan Archbishop of Bucaramanga (Colombia)

148. Metropolitan Archbishop of Quito (Ecuador)

149. Metropolitan Archbishop of Asuncion (Paraguay)

150. Metropolitan Archbishop of Lima (Peru)

151. Metropolitan Archbishop of Trujillo (Peru)

152. Metropolitan Archbishop of Montevideo (Uruguay)

153. Metropolitan Archbishop of Caracas (Venezuela)

154. Metropolitan Archbishop of Barquisimeto / Metropolitan Archbishop of Maracaibo / Metropolitan Archbishop of Merida / Metropolitan Archbishop of Valencia (Venezuela)

Africa (Sees tied to Cardinalate)

155. Metropolitan Archbishop of Luanda (Angola)

156. Metropolitan Archbishop of Cotonou (Benin)

157. Metropolitan Archbishop of Ougadougou (Burkina Faso)

158. Metropolitan Archbishop of Douala (Cameroon)

159. Metropolitan Archbishop of Bangui (Central African Republic)

160. Metropolitan Archbishop of Brazzaville (Congo)

161. Metropolitan Archbishop of Kinshasa (Zaire)

162. Metropolitan Archbishop of Abidjan (Cote d’Ivoire)

163. Metropolitan Archbishop of Addis Abeba (Ethiopia) (Ethiopic Rite)

164. Metropolitan Archbishop of Cape Coast (Ghana)

165. Metropolitan Archbishop of Tamale (Ghana)

166. Metropolitan Archbishop of Conakry (Guinea)

167. Metropolitan Archbishop of Nairobi (Kenya)

168. Metropolitan Archbishop of Antananarivo (Madagascar)

169. Bishop of Port-Louis (Mauritius)

170. Metropolitan Archbishop of Maputo (Mozambique)

171. Metropolitan Archbishop of Abuja (Nigeria)

172. Metropolitan Archbishop of Lagos (Nigeria)

173. Metropolitan Archbishop of Onitsha (Nigeria)

174. Metropolitan Archbishop of Kaduna (Nigeria)

175. Metropolitan Archbishop of Kigali (Rwanda)

176. Metropolitan Archbishop of Dakar (Senegal)

177. Metropolitan Archbishop of Cape Town (South Africa)

178. Metropolitan Archbishop of Durban (South Africa)

179. Metropolitan Archbishop of Juba (South Sudan)

180. Metropolitan Archbishop of Khartoum (Sudan)

181. Metropolitan Archbishop of Dar-es-Salaam (Tanzania)

182. Metropolitan Archbishop of Kampala (Uganda)

183. Metropolitan Archbishop of Lusaka (Zambia)

184. Metropolitan Archbishop of Harare (Zimbabwe)

Oceania (Sees tied to Cardinalate)

185. Metropolitan Archbishop of Samoa-Apia (Samoa)

186. Metropolitan Archbishop of Sydney (Australia)

187. Metropolitan Archbishop of Melbourne / Metropolitan Archbishop of Perth / Metropolitan Archbishop of Brisbane (Australia)

188. Metropolitan Archbishop of Wellington (New Zealand)

189. Metropolitan Archbishop of Port Moresby (Papua New Guinea)

Eastern Rite Patriarchs and Major Archbishops

190. Patriarch of Alexandria of the Copts (Egypt)

191. Patriarch of Antioch of the Maronites (Lebanon)

192. Patriarch of Antioch of the Syrians (Syria)

193. Patriarch of the Greek-Melkites

194. Catholicos of Cilicia of the Armenians

195. Patriarch of Babylon of the Chaldeans (Iraq)

196. Major Archbishop of Fagaras si Alba Iulia of the Romanians (Romania)

197. Major Archbishop of Ernakulam-Angamaly of the Syro-Malabars (India)

198. Major Archbishop of Trivandrum of the Syro-Malankars (India)

199. Major Archbishop of Kyiv-Halyc of the Ukrainians (Ukraine)

Total Sees tied to Cardinalate + Curial Cardinals = 199

Sees tied to Cardinalate (require resolution of problems regarding the Church in the area)

1. Metropolitan Archbishop of Beijing (China)

2. Metropolitan Archbishop of Nanjing (China)

3. Metropolitan Archbishop of Guangzhou (China)

4. Metropolitan Archbishop of Xi’an (China)

5. Metropolitan Archbishop of Changsha (China)

6. Metropolitan Archbishop of Pyongyang (North Korea)

Grand Total = 205 Cardinal electors minimal (Not counting irregular appointed non-bishop Cardinals, namely Cardinals appointed from priests, theologians, and distinguished members of the Church’s ordained presbyters)

Division by continents (minimum, as more Cardinals from dioceses/archdioceses not listed above can be created)

Europe = 42

Asia = 41

North America = 20

Central America = 7                        America total = 54

South America = 27

Africa = 31

Oceania = 5

Curial = 32 (can be from any continents, although majority will be Italians and Europeans)

(Total College size will be larger <= 350 if counting the Emeritus Archbishops of these Metropolitan Archdioceses and the Roman Curial posts’ Emeritus Cardinals above the age of 80 or non-electors). 

by

Thursday, 28 February 2013 : What a memorable day indeed to me

Thursday, 28 February 2013, will therefore be a very memorable day to me. Not only that, on that day, is my parent’s silver wedding anniversary (They married on 28 February 1988 – 25 years ago), but also on that day, Pope Benedict XVI will, at 20:00 Rome time, no longer be our beloved Pope.

We pray for him in his retirement and also for his successor, who will be elected soon, and I will also pray for my parents’ and their loving and happy marriage that it will continue to be so. I hope they will be there when I become a priest, and if God willing, maybe a bishop, a Cardinal, and Pope. Reminds me of Cardinal Sarto (later to become Pope Pius X), whose mother managed to stay on until just after he was made Cardinal. It was he himself who presided over the funeral.

I want to give my mom a Catholic funeral, because although my mom’s identity doesn’t say that she is, she is and always is a Catholic since the day of her baptism many years ago. But that is still long to come, and while she and my dad are still with me, I will treasure them, just as I treasure the Lord in my heart.

by

Full text of Pope Benedict XVI’s announcement on resignation/retirement, effective Thursday, 28 February 2013 at 20:00 Rome time

http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-benedict-xvi-announces-his-resignation-at-end

Dear Brothers,

I have convoked you to this Consistory, not only for the three canonizations, but also to communicate to you a decision of great importance for the life of the Church. After having repeatedly examined my conscience before God, I have come to the certainty that my strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry. I am well aware that this ministry, due to its essential spiritual nature, must be carried out not only with words and deeds, but no less with prayer and suffering. However, in today’s world, subject to so many rapid changes and shaken by questions of deep relevance for the life of faith, in order to govern the bark of Saint Peter and proclaim the Gospel, both strength of mind and body are necessary, strength which in the last few months, has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognize my incapacity toadequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me.

For this reason, and well aware of the seriousness of this act, with full freedom I declare that I renounce the ministry of Bishop of Rome, Successor of Saint Peter, entrusted to me by the Cardinals on 19 April 2005, in such a way, that as from 28 February 2013, at 20:00 hours, the See of Rome, the See of Saint Peter, will be vacant and a Conclave to elect the new Supreme Pontiff will have to be convoked by those whose competence it is.

Dear Brothers, I thank you most sincerely for all the love and work with which you have supported me in my ministry and I ask pardon for all my defects. And now, let us entrust the Holy Church to the care of Our Supreme Pastor, Our Lord Jesus Christ, and implore his holy Mother Mary, so that she may assist the Cardinal Fathers with her maternal solicitude, in electing a new Supreme Pontiff. With regard to myself, I wish to also devotedly serve the Holy Church of God in the future through a life dedicated to prayer.

From the Vatican, 10 February 2013
BENEDICTUS PP XVI

by

My blog has reach its 1,000th view. Thank you for all those who visited my blog and the posts! God bless!

My blog has been viewed more than 1,000 times as of today. Thank you very much for your visit to my humble blog. May God bless us all, that all of us will grow deeper in faith, and able to help one another to be filled with love and live a holy life.

Total visitors : 619

Total view : 1,001

Details by country (total recorded : 982) :

1. United States of America : 337

2. Singapore : 279

3. Philippines : 68

4. United Kingdom : 56

5. Canada : 46

6. Malaysia : 35

7. France : 17

8. India : 16

9. Italy : 13

10. Australia : 13

11. Ireland : 12

12. Germany : 9

13. Trinidad and Tobago : 6

14. Indonesia : 5

15. Switzerland : 4

16. Belgium : 4

17. Poland : 4

18. Chile : 4

19. Brazil : 3

20. Thailand : 3

21. Mexico : 3

22. Argentina : 3

23. Hong Kong : 3

24. Kenya : 3

25. Czech Republic : 3

26. Nigeria : 3

27. Brunei Darussalam : 3

28. Laos : 2

29. Malta : 2

30. Colombia : 2

31. Spain : 2

32. Vietnam : 2

33. Namibia : 2

34. New Zealand : 2

35. Zimbabwe : 2

36. Croatia : 1

37. Lithuania : 1

38. Timor-Leste : 1

39. Macau : 1

40. Republic of Korea (South Korea) : 1

41. United Arab Emirates : 1

42. South Africa : 1

43. Japan : 1

44. Sweden : 1

45. Sri Lanka : 1

46. Denmark : 1

I love at how the word of God is being spread across the whole world. It’s beautiful to see the universality of our Catholic Church, where all believers in Christ come together to worship God transcending the boundaries of race, language, and geography. One Church, united in Christ!