IN BRIEF
Léonard explains himself The Brussels Archbishop André-Joseph Léonard has sought to explain his recent controversial remarks about HIV/Aids in a long open letter that essentially blames the media for misinterpreting him. He said he had spoken of Aids as “a kind of immanent justice” (see The Tablet, 30 October) because his interviewer had insisted on asking whether it was a divine punishment, possibly in the hope of get- ting a shocking headline out of the answer.
Bishops back Rousseff The Bishops’ Conference of Brazil (CNBB) has congratulated Dilma Rousseff, 62, for her victory in the run-off presidential elec- tion on 31 October. The Workers’ Party candidate secured 56 per cent of the vote despite pro-life voices, including senior bishops, speaking out against her. In a statement, the CNBB asked the presi- dent-elect to work with “fidelity in fulfilling election promises”, including her promise not to promote any bill that was pro- choice, pro-gay marriage or was a threat to religious freedoms.
Pope fifth in global power ranking Pope Benedict XVI has landed fifth place on the latest list of the world’s most pow- erful people, compiled by Forbes magazine. He comes in behind Chinese President Hu Jintao, US President Barack Obama, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, and Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, in that order. The Pope has moved up the list from number 11 in last year’s ranking, which considers influence over people and over world events.
Robinson to retire early Gene Robinson, the Bishop of New Hampshire and the first openly gay bishop of the Episcopal Church, has announced he is to step down in January 2013, when he will be 65, seven years younger than the usual retirement age for an Episcopal bishop. “The last seven years have taken their toll on me, my family, and you,” he told parishioners last weekend.
Colleges ban bottled water Two Catholic colleges in the US have banned the sale of water in plastic bottles on campus. Jesuit-run Seattle University will sell reusable steel water bottles, with revenue going towards paying for water treatment systems in Haiti. Holy Cross Fr William Beauchamp, president of the University of Portland, said the decision “fits into the Catholic belief that water cannot be treated as a commodity and that access to water is a universal and inalienable right”.
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Letter from Barcelona A
ntoni Gaudí’s Sagrada Familia is, without a doubt, one of the major tourist attractions in Barcelona. It
draws up to three million visitors a year. Leaving aside the much discussed exterior, the inside of the church is breathtaking. The Rite of Dedication of a Church and Altar is one of the most splendid and symbol- laden rituals in all of Catholic worship. Especially moving is the consecration of the altar, which the Pope did by splashing prodigious amounts of olive oil on the mensa and massaging it into the marble. A large brazier of hot coals was then placed upon this sacred table and handfuls of festive incense were thrown in, causing great billows of sweet-smelling smoke to rise to the heights of the ceiling. The music at this particular papal liturgy was also magnificent. The congregation, led by a large mixed chorus, was able to sing most of the hymns and parts. But there were also several pieces of polyphony executed by the elite boys’ choir from Our Lady of Montserrat, known as the Escolania. This is probably Europe’s oldest conservatory, dating from the thirteenth century. Some 50 students aged nine to 14 live at the school, which is operated by the Benedictine Abbey of Montserrat, situated in the mountains about an hour north-west of Barcelona. The abbey is the spiritual heart of Catalonia and the boys regularly participate in the Catalan liturgy that some 70 monks pray several times each day in the abbey church. Last week was not the first time the Escolania sang at a papal Mass. In 1950, the boys travelled to Rome and performed the Alleluia when Pope Pius XII declared the dogma of the Assumption.
one has to have a special ticket. For most Catholics, getting one of these is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The papal master of ceremonies, Mgr Guido Marini, took steps shortly after taking up his job in 2006 that reinforce the idea that receiving Communion from the Pope is somehow different or better than receiving it from anyone else. He decided that those with the famous “Communion ticket” would come forward and kneel on a prie-dieu before the Pope and take Communion on the tongue. To highlight the solemnity of this, two candle bearers stand on either side of the Pope. During the papal liturgies, including on his foreign journeys, only Pope Benedict distributes Communion in this manner. The other eucharistic ministers stand before a queue of people who have the option of receiving in the hand or on the tongue. The discrepancy has perplexed even some traditionalists who say there should
M
ass is the highlight during papal visits. But in order to receive Holy Communion from Pope Benedict,
be a unified procedure for receiving Holy Communion. They say that, just because he’s the Bishop of Rome, it does not make Communion he distributes more holy. And not everyone believes that it is holier if you kneel and receive on the tongue, either. Apparently, Queen Sofia of Spain is in this group. At Mass last Sunday, she surprised many onlookers when she approached Pope Benedict for Holy Communion, remained standing and stretched out her cupped hands. Mgr Marini looked like he was going to jump out of his lacy surplice. But the Pope was unfazed and graciously placed the host in her hands, which she consumed and then returned to her seat. No one knows why the Queen chose to receive Communion like this. But progressives might say noblesse oblige.
S
ome progressive Catholics in Spain joined their voices to groups that raised questions over the cost of the papal visit. It was estimated that the few hours in Santiago de Compostela cost as much as €3 million (£2.5m) and the overnight in Barcelona was over €1.8m (£1.5m). But most politicians and business leaders in both parts of the country downplayed the concerns, saying the attention the visit brought the region would help generate more tourism and pilgrimages. That is certainly going to be the case with the newly designated Basilica of Sagrada Familia. But the Spaniards, even if they were few in number, were not the only ones to scratch their heads over the expenditure. Rome-based journalists accredited to the Holy See press office and who normally vie for one of the limited spots on the papal plane also voiced their concerns over the costs of the trip – with their wallets. While there were 61 reporters and photographers that travelled with Pope Benedict (only nine fewer than the visit to the UK in September), many of the regulars were not aboard. The biggest reason was that the plane ticket alone cost over €2,000 (£1,700). “You usually get a pretty good meal on the Pope’s jet, but not that good!” said one colleague who took a low-cost airline to Barcelona for just over €100 (£85) return. The only drawback of going privately was the near impossibility of finding flights that would conveniently allow one to go to Santiago de Campostela, too. There were only three
English-language journalists on the papal plane – reporters from US Catholic News Service, the Associated Press and UCAN, the Asian Catholic news agency. Most of the seats seemed to be taken up by Spanish and French media outlets. But the Pope again spoke to the journalists only in Italian. Robert Mickens
13 November 2010 | THE TABLET | 35
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