Milan

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Tuesday, 4 November 2014 : 31st Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Charles Borromeo, Bishop (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we celebrate together the memory of a great saint of the Church and a faithful son of the Church, that is St. Charles Borromeo, or St. Carolus Borromeus, or in his original native language, San Carlo Borromeo, an Italian saint who was a Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church and the Metropolitan Archbishop of Milan, a great diocese of the Church, and one of the most influential figure in Christendom at his time, and a great champion of Counter-Reformation.

St. Charles Borromeo was born to a rich and noble family, the younger son of that noble family, who were not expected to succeed the family riches and titles, and thus as was usual at that time, he entered the seminary at a young age, and was prepared for a church career path. And when his uncle was elected as the Pope, he was invested with the red hat of the cardinalate, as what is now known as a ‘Cardinal-Nephew’.

St. Charles Borromeo nevertheless stood apart from many of his generation’s peoples and their vices, and he stood apart from the other Cardinal-Nephews and from the other servants of the Church. He was incredibly humble and devoted in his life, and in his ministry to the works of the Church and to the people of God. St. Charles Borromeo lived simply during his time in Rome to help the administration of the Holy Roman Church.

When his elder brother died, his family wanted him to quit the church career, to marry and produce heir to continue the family legacy. But St. Charles Borromeo remained true and faithful to his ministries and calling, and devoted himself to aid the growth and reform of the Church, through his crucial and important role in the Council of Trent.

And in accordance to the reforms of the Council of Trent, he wanted to devote himself better to the Church, and therefore decided to go through the full process of devotion, through his ordination to the priesthood, and then as a bishop, vested with the full gifts and authority of the sacred order of God. And he was made the Metropolitan Archbishop of Milan, a great honour but also a great challenge, being the largest Archdiocese in the entire Europe and indeed in the entire Christendom.

The Church in Milan was large and have numerous Catholics, but as a whole, the priests and the laity alike had been unfaithful to the teachings of Christ in the Church. Wickedness and vices were plenty, and many succumbed to the temptations of the flesh and the soul. Selling of indulgences, simony, selling of church titles and positions were rampant. And in accordance with the pious reforms of the Council of Trent, St. Charles Borromeo set about to address all those issues and rejuvenate the Church in Milan.

Under his stewardship, the Church under his care was thoroughly cleansed from the vices and evils which it had accumulated prior to the ministry of his pious undertakings. He cleansed the Church from impurities and wickedness, and realising that all these vices were caused by the lack of education and preparation for the priests, the shepherds of the people, he established many seminaries and institutes to help better equip and prepare priests in their upcoming ministries.

Through his hard works and crucial inputs into the Council of Trent, and through his devoted works towards reform in the diocese he had been entrusted with, he brought much grace and saving grace to the people of God. And through these actions he had done, and from the works he had committed, we can also learn a lot of things and be inspired that we may also follow in his footsteps and do what is righteous in the sight of God.

And how is the life of this saint relevant to the Scripture readings we heard today? That is because St. Charles Borromeo represent the attitude of obedience and listening to the will of God, as what St. Paul wrote to the Church in Philippi, where he highlighted the obedience of Christ, the full and complete obedience without being distracted and misled by the concerns of the world and the self. Christ obediently carried the cross of mankind’s sins to His death, so that we may be saved by that act of ultimate love.

And in the Gospel we heard about Jesus telling His disciples and the people a parable, in which a person held a great feast and invited many guests to come to the feast. Yet, despite the very kind and good offer, the people who were invited refused to come to the feast and instead they went about doing their own activities and routines.

This is much like us, brothers and sisters in Christ. Our Lord Jesus Christ who has prepared a banquet and feast for us, to share in His Body and Blood, which He gave us freely through the sacrifice on the cross, has given us a free gift of salvation and life in Him, and yet we refused to listen to Him and indeed we rejected that generous offer of our Lord, thinking that we can find better options and pleasure in this world.

And thus we often sin, brothers and sisters, we often disobeyed the Lord’s will and preferring to listen to our own desires. We acted like those guests who were invited and yet refused to come. And thus, if we continue on this path, what lies for us ahead is only damnation and destruction. We will also not share in the goodness of the Lord, which He will offer to others willing to listen to Him and change their ways.

Therefore, shall we reflect on our own lives and then also think of what I have shared with you on the life and works of St. Charles Borromeo, the humble and holy saint of God? Let us dwell no longer in our sinfulness, but embrace the love of God, and say yes to Him as He invites us to His feast of everlasting life. In that way therefore, let us be faithful and accept the Most Holy Eucharist, our Lord’s ultimate way of showing His obedience and love for us, with joy and thanksgiving.

May Almighty God guide us always, so that we may grow lesser and smaller in our ego and pride, and instead grow stronger in our charity and love. Let us seek the Lord with hearts full of love and zeal, following in the footsteps of St. Charles Borromeo. St. Charles Borromeo, faithful and true servant of God, pray for us sinners! Amen.

 

First Reading :

https://petercanisiusmichaeldavidkang.com/2014/11/03/tuesday-4-november-2014-31st-week-of-ordinary-time-memorial-of-st-charles-borromeo-bishop-first-reading/

Psalm :

https://petercanisiusmichaeldavidkang.com/2014/11/03/tuesday-4-november-2014-31st-week-of-ordinary-time-memorial-of-st-charles-borromeo-bishop-psalm/

Gospel Reading :

https://petercanisiusmichaeldavidkang.com/2014/11/03/tuesday-4-november-2014-31st-week-of-ordinary-time-memorial-of-st-charles-borromeo-bishop-gospel-reading/

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Tuesday, 4 November 2014 : 31st Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Charles Borromeo, Bishop (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Luke 14 : 15-24

At that time, upon hearing the words of Jesus, one of those at the table said to Him, “Happy are those who eat at the banquet in the kingdom of God!”

Jesus replied, “A man once gave a feast and invited many guests. When it was time for the feast, he sent his servant to tell those he had invited to come, for everything was ready. But all alike began to make excuses.”

“The first said, ‘Please excuse me. I must go and see the piece of land I have just bought.’ Another said : ‘I am sorry, but I am on my way to try out the five yoke of oxen I have just bought.’ Still another said, ‘How can I come, when I have just got married?'”

“The servant returned alone, and reported this to his master. Upon hearing his account, the master of the house flew into a rage, and ordered his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town, and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.'”

“The servant reported after a while, ‘Sir, your orders have been carried out, but there is still room.’ The master said, ‘Go out to the highways and country lanes, and force people to come in, to make sure my house is full. I tell you, none of those invited will have a morsel of my feast.'”

 

Homily and Reflection :

https://petercanisiusmichaeldavidkang.com/2014/11/03/tuesday-4-november-2014-31st-week-of-ordinary-time-memorial-of-st-charles-borromeo-bishop-homily-and-scripture-reflections/

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Tuesday, 4 November 2014 : 31st Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Charles Borromeo, Bishop (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 21 : 26b-27, 28-30a, 31-32

I will fulfill my vows before all who revere You. The lowly will eat and be satisfied. Those who seek the Lord will praise Him. May your hearts live forever!

The whole earth will acknowledge and turn to the Lord; the families of nations will worship Him. For dominion belongs to the Lord and He reigns over the nations. Before Him all those who rest in the earth will bow down, all who go down to the dust.

My descendants will serve Him and proclaim the Lord to coming generations; they will announce His salvation to a people yet unborn, “These are the things that He has done.”

 

Homily and Reflection :

https://petercanisiusmichaeldavidkang.com/2014/11/03/tuesday-4-november-2014-31st-week-of-ordinary-time-memorial-of-st-charles-borromeo-bishop-homily-and-scripture-reflections/

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Tuesday, 4 November 2014 : 31st Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Charles Borromeo, Bishop (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Philippians 2 : 5-11

Your attitude should be the same as Jesus Christ had : Though He was in the form of God, He did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking on the nature of a Servant, made in human likeness, and in His appearance found as a Man.

He humbled Himself by being obedient to death, death on the cross. That is why God exalted Him and gave Him the Name which outshines all names, so that at the Name of Jesus all knees should bend in heaven, on earth and among the dead, and all tongues proclaim that, Christ Jesus is the Lord to the glory of God the Father.

 

Homily and Reflection :

https://petercanisiusmichaeldavidkang.com/2014/11/03/tuesday-4-november-2014-31st-week-of-ordinary-time-memorial-of-st-charles-borromeo-bishop-homily-and-scripture-reflections/

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Names to watch out for at Habemus Papam announcement : Angelum, Petrum, Odilonem, Marcum, Aloisium, Christophorum

Whose names to watch out for when Cardinal Protodeacon Jean-Louis Tauran reads out the Habemus Papam (We have a Pope) announcement?

http://wdtprs.com/blog/2013/03/latin-names-of-cardinals-well-hear-one-of-these-from-the-loggia-of-st-peters/ (Thanks to Fr. Z’s blog for the latin names he provided for all the Cardinal-electors – I focused into some of them considered papabili/frontrunner)

 

Here is the announcement text :

 

Annuntio vobis Gaudium magnum. Habemus Papam! Eminentissimum ac Reverendissimum Dominum.

Dominum (First Name) Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae Cardinalem (Surname).

Qui sibi nomen imposuit (regnal name) (number)

 

At the point when we listen the ‘First Name’ in fact we may already know who is the new Pope.

 

1. Angelum (Angelo) :

Cardinal Angelo Scola, Metropolitan Archbishop of Milan

Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, Metropolitan Archbishop of Genoa

Cardinal Angelo Amato, Prefect for the Congregation of the Causes of Saints

Cardinal Angelo Comastri, Vicar General of the Diocese of Rome

As there are several Angelo considered as Papabili, for Angelum, there is a need to wait for the surname before confirmation. Similarly with Petrum.

 

2. Petrum (Peter) :

Cardinal Peter Erdo, Archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest

Cardinal Peter Turkson, President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace

 

But other names are straightforward :

 

3. Odilonem (Odilo) :

Cardinal Odilo Pedro Scherer, Metropolitan Archbishop of Sao Paulo

 

4. Marcum (Marc) :

Cardinal Marc Ouellet : Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops

 

5. Aloisium (Alois/Luis) :

Cardinal Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle : Metropolitan Archbishop of Manila

 

6. Christophorum (Christoph) :

Cardinal Christoph Schonborn : Metropolitan Archbishop of Vienna

 

7. Ioannem Franciscum (Gianfranco) :

Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi : President of the Pontifical Council for Culture

 

8. Timotheum (Timothy) :

Cardinal Timothy Michael Dolan : Metropolitan Archbishop of New York

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12 reasons why Cardinal Angelo Scola may be the next Pope : My chosen Papabile

Cardinal Angelo Scola attends a mass in Duomo Cathedral in Milan

Cardinal Angelo Scola (12 reasons why I think he is the best of all the other Candidates, a frontrunner, and should be elected Pope) :

1. Strong in faith and theology : Yes, an intellectual disciple of Pope Benedict XVI, and is as strong as our Pope Emeritus on theology and his deep knowledge of the faith and the Church

2. Close and capable to work with youths : Yes, will be Pope for the youths indeed, and have been working closely with youths in many occasions, especially in his pastoral ministry in Venice and now Milan.

3. Twitter : Already had, and had actively tweeted in the past! Will be no problem to continue to @Pontifex!

4. Italian and other languages : Yes, and Bishop of Rome definitely must speak fluent Italian! Also fluent in several other languages, including English.

5. Interreligious dialogue : Yes, and knowledgeable about Islam in particular, and have been active in reaching out to Christian minorities in the Middle East and the Muslim world.

6. Tradition : Strong in liturgy and tradition, a tradition-based Pope just like Pope Benedict XVI, we need a strong anchor of faith! A close and personal understanding of the liturgy through its beauty can only serve to strengthen the faith of the faithful and the Church.

angelo-scola
7. Charisma : Yes, strong charisma and outreach, and also has a global persona and able to connect with youths and other sections of the society.

8. Poverty and charity of the Church : Being born into low-middle income family, made him to have a close connection and personal connection to the poor and the less fortunate in the Church and the world.

9. Age : At 71, is at the prime age for Pope. Not too old (Pope Benedict XVI was elected at 78 and yet managed to lead an almost 8 year Pontificate), and therefore he will be expected to lead for 15-20 years, and relatively healthy, which is what the Cardinals seek. Not too young, and very experienced.

10. Experience (Curia) : Significant term as the Rector Magnificus of Pontifical University, and then as the President of the Pontifical Institute of John Paul II for Studies of Marriage and Family.

11. Experience (Pastoral) : Experience as Bishop of Grosetto, and long experience as the Patriarch of Venice, and also a great job as the Archbishop of Milan. Hence, being accorded the extremely rare honour of having headed to of Italy’s and the world’s most influential dioceses.

12. Bioethics and Family : Knowledgeable and had published books in bioethics (and also many other topics, totalling more than 120 volumes in total), and very supportive of marriage and family, and definitely strong in the matter, being the former President in the Pontifical Institute on the Family (see number 10). It is necessary to have a strong leader in the issue at the time when the institution of marriage and the family is under constant and increasingly serious attacks.

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Who to watch for in 2013 papal conclave? Scola, Ouellet, Ravasi, Scherer

Scola, Ouellet, Ravasi, Scherer, who you should watch for in the Conclave.

 

Scola (Cardinal Angelo Scola, Metropolitan Archbishop of Milan)

Italian, so that even though he’s not in Curia, he did have experience in Rome, and he is already close to Rome, both in distance and relations. Also close to Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI,
and he has also done great job in Venice and then Milan, in which
these two archdioceses alone produced 5 popes in the past century

Only Pope Benedict XV and Pope Pius XII were not from these (excluding Pope John Paul II and Benedict XVI)

Venice : Pius X, John XXIII, John Paul I
Milan : Pius XI, Paul VI

Also at the forefront of communication with Islam through the publications Oasis he created to reach out to Christians in the Muslim world, and involved in interreligious dialogues.

Scola is also more charismatic than Ouellet and also active in the media via youtube, twitter, his site.

Scola is also a well-known author in bioethics, and certainly is a trait needed for a Pope that will lead the Church in its constant battle against the improper use of Science. Yes to an ethical science, but no to unbridled and uncontrolled use of science!

If the conclave proceeds smoothly, he should be the one elected Pope, within 2 or 3 days from the start of the conclave.

 

Ouellet (Cardinal Marc Ouellet, Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops)

In the Roman Curia and in charge of the bishops, but with the problem is that his archdiocesan experience is not that good, and the story has come out that the very church and parish we was born into, was no longer there, which is shameful considering the rate of secularisation in the west. Formerly he was the Metropolitan Archbishop of Quebec in Canada.

But so far he has done quite a good job, and quite in line with Pope Benedict XVI, by appointing bishops who are not only known to be good administrators, but more importantly, bishops who are holy, and are steadfast in their faith, with individuals like Archbishop Chaput of Philadelphia and Cardinal Tagle of Manila as example.

 

Ravasi (Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, President of Pontifical Council for Culture)

Ravasi is the forefront in how the Church communicates with social issues and the media, and he has been quite active in twitter, more so than Scola, but his administrative skill has been found rather lacking, since he has only five or six years experience as a bishop and never had any experience in handling major archdioceses or dioceses.

At least Cardinal Ravasi will sure make good use of the social media to help evangelise the faith to many, especially youths. But at the moment, we will also need candidate who are more experienced in administration as well, especially considering the troubles that had befallen the Church in recent years due to some inefficiencies in administration.

 

Scherer (Cardinal Odilo Pedro Scherer, Metropolitan Archbishop of Sao Paulo)

Scherer is rather conservative and as a Latin American, this may boost his chances, but he is quite young and he is not familiar with the curia and with still a relatively short experience as a senior prelate, he needs more experience in managing important archdioceses and other administrative matters.

In addition, the status of Brazil as a country, although having the largest Catholic population in the world, but the rapidly declining number of Catholics in the country as a percentage of the population and the rapidly growing secularisation in the country (also affect the rest of Latin America) may also affect his chances.

 

In fact, this time round, just as it was with the election of Pope Benedict XVI, now our Pope Emeritus, we does have a clear leading papabili, and the number of papabili is in fact not as many as the media mentioned it.

It will not be like the election of Pope John XXIII when there is no clear preferred papabili present, which resulted in the election of Cardinal Angelo Roncalli, later Pope John XXIII as the compromise choice.

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Papabili for the 2013 Papal Conclave (List) : My summary and opinions

Cardinal Angelo Scola : My favourite to be the next Pope. The leading Italian candidate, Archbishop of Milan, and former Patriarch of Venice. He is also a spiritual and intellectual disciple of our beloved Pope Benedict XVI, with similar views on the liturgy. Best person to continue the work that has been started by Pope Benedict XVI on ‘reform of the reform’ and other issues of the faith and the Church.

View his videos, homilies, activities, and Masses at his site : http://angeloscola.it/ and the Youtube page of Archdiocese of Milan at : http://www.youtube.com/user/itleditore

Cardinal Marc Ouellet : Canadian, Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, former Primate of Canada and Metropolitan Archbishop Emeritus of Quebec. My second favourite and alternative to Cardinal Scola to be the next Bishop of Rome, and also widely regarded as the top non-Italian and non-European candidate. He is also close to our Pope Benedict XVI in his views and intellectually as well, though may be not as close as Cardinal Scola is. He has done a great job at the Congregation, and has seen the appointment of bishops who are not just good administrators, but also good in intellect and faith as well.

Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi : Italian, President of the Pontifical Council for Culture, well-known for his activity in engaging the media and the new media, particularly through the Internet, via Twitter and other social media in the approach for new evangelisation, and also has done great works among the youth, who are the Church’s future. May have chance if Cardinal Scola’s candidacy does not make it. Drawback is that he has less experience, being only less than 3 years as a Cardinal and about 6 years as a bishop, with little experience outside the Pontifical Council for Culture.

Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone : Italian, Cardinal Secretary of State. The prime Cardinal in the Roman Curia, the second hand of the Pope. He is seen as a strong leader, but many has seen that he is a rather dominating persona, which may be incompatible with the office of the Papacy, and he is also rather too old at 78 going 79 at the end of this year. As Pope Benedict XVI was elected just on his 78th birthday, just like Cardinal Arinze, who is already above 80, the chance of the College of Cardinals to elect someone too old is getting more remote, especially considering the reason for Pope Benedict XVI’s decision to retire and renounce the position as the Bishop of Rome.

Cardinal Timothy Dolan : American, Metropolitan Archbishop of New York. Jovial and lively, reminds me much of Blessed Pope John XXIII. Conservative in issues and outlook. However, being a Cardinal from the world’s only superpower and also the troubles in the American church makes his chances rather slim. However, his youth, his charisma, and his position as the President of the US Catholic Bishops’ Conference may boost his chances to be elected.

Cardinal Raymond Burke : American, Prefect of Supreme Tribunal of Apostolic Signatura (or the Supreme/Chief Justice of the Holy See). Relatively young and traditional, worn the traditional Cardinal dress (galero and cappa magna) and one of the more-traditionally minded Cardinal in the College. Often celebrated the Mass in the Extraordinary Form. May be a good choice for those looking for a more traditional candidate as the next Pope, to continue the ‘reform of the reform’ of Pope Benedict XVI.

Cardinal Christoph Schonborn : Austrian. Metropolitan Archbishop of Vienna. Long seen as the contender for the Papacy, even since the 2005 election. Still rather young at 68 (even younger during the 2005 conclave). However, he is a controversial figure, often recorded with the liturgical abuses (he himself may not mean so, as his funeral Mass for the late Archduke Otto of Austria was done very reverently and liturgically correct), such as the youth Mass with rock concert/party style-Mass and not-so-traditional types of worship, and then with a German currently as the Bishop of Rome, it is less likely that the Cardinals will elect another German as Pope, even though he came from neighbouring Austria.

Cardinal Francis Arinze : Nigerian, Former Prefect of the Congregation for the Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. Often touted recently in the media with Cardinal Peter Turkson, another African (Ghana), due to the intense media bias on the possibility of having an African Pope in this Conclave. Not to be biased, but what the media often reported is not what is the actual happening on the ground. Main problem is, according to Universi Dominici Gregis, although it specifically state that he cannot vote as elector because he is already above 80 of age, he may still be elected, but considering that Pope Benedict XVI has resigned at the age of 85 going 86, the Cardinals will likely want to elect someone in their early 70s like Cardinal Scola or late 60s like Cardinal Ouellet.

Cardinal Peter Turkson : Ghana (Africa), President of Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace. Seen by many as a strong contender, but with main issues regarding his frequent gaffes and improper comments regarding Muslim-Christian relations, which is a very important and delicate matter in the Church indeed. He was also censured somewhat for his screening of a clip that showed the rise of Islam in Europe last year, which quite a few Cardinals saw as fearmongering. In addition, his name, Peter, may bring about intense speculation on Petrus Romanus (Peter the Roman) in the Prophecy of St. Malachy on the Popes. Petrus Romanus, being the last Pope, will come at the time near the end of time, heading the Church in the time of persecution (as perhaps told in the Book of Revelations). As this last prophecy is not numbered, it is most likely that St. Malachy purposely did so / the vision given by the Lord purposely did so such that we know what’s going to happen, but not the exact time when the Lord will come again, so that we will always be ready for His coming. So, no, most likely we won’t have a Peter or Pope Peter in this time round. (Addition : Cardinal Turkson has also openly announced that he is ready to be elected if he is. Normally this is frowned, as this is seen as ambition, and incompatible with the will of the Holy Spirit. Remember that the papal conclave is not the same as the US presidential elections or any other secular elections, it is far above that).

Cardinal Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle : Filipino (Asia), Metropolitan Archbishop of Manila. A young and new Cardinal appointed by the Pope at his last consistory last November. This may be seen by some as the Pope appointing his ‘successor’ but it is actually not so. I myself hope that he will be elected Pope, but not this time, maybe after the next one, and he can have the chance to be the 268th Pope instead (we are electing the 267th Bishop of Rome in this conclave). First is his very young age, and his relative lack of experience in both as a Cardinal and the Archbishop of Manila. I have very high opinions on Cardinal Tagle and was very glad when he was named a Cardinal last year, but to me, let Cardinal Tagle do great works first in Manila for many more years, and then, with all those experiences, then he can become an even better Pope next time.

This list is still incomplete, and I will post additions from time to time. In any case, it is not man to decide who’s the next leader of the Universal Church, the Vicar of Christ. It is Christ Himself, through the Holy Spirit, and thus through the Cardinal-electors inspired by the Spirit who decides. Pray for them, and for the entire Universal Church, and for the whole world. Amen.