Fr Stephen Smuts

The reminder out on Twitter a while ago:

He is from the Traditional Anglican Communion.

Our prayers and hopes are with him.

Pope Benedict XVI named 22 new Cardinals today, but notably absent from the list was Philadelphia’s Archbishop Charles Chaput and Westminster’s Archbishop Vincent Nichols.

On Archbishop Chaput:

(CBS) – Pope Benedict XVI named 22 new Cardinals Friday, including two from America. But, neither of them is Philadelphia Archbishop Charles Chaput. Was it a snub?

“There are always more people who are in line to become Cardinals than there are slots to make them Cardinals,” says Philadelphia-based Catholic journalist Rocco Palma, who runs the website WhispersInTheLoggia.com.

Palma says it is not a snub from the Vatican and puts this in historical perspective.

“Cardinal Dougherty had been here three years before he was made a Cardinal. Cardinal O’Hara had been here eight years. Cardinal Kroll had been here six years. Cardinal Bevilacqua had been here three years.”

And Archbishop Chaput has been here for only four months. He is highly regarded in the Vatican, according to Palma, but there’s just too much to do. Palma says extra responsibilities of being a cardinal would get in the way of issues at home like school closures, next year’s parish planning and others.

“The archbishop’s focus would want to be on what’s going on in Philly and he wouldn’t want to be diverted by added international responsibilities right now.”

Palma says the 67-year-old’s time could come within the next few years. The new cardinals will be officially elevated next month.

And on Archbishop Vincent Nichols:

… Heretofore, Benedict has been a stickler for the custom that a new cardinal is not named until the previous cardinal of that diocese turns 80 (unless, of course, the retired cardinal dies in the meantime). That’s likely the reason, for instance, that Archbishop Vincent Nichols of Westminster is still in a holding pattern; his predecessor, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor, doesn’t turn 80 until August…

But Fr Z sums up matters well:

The list is out.

I was pleased to see that one of my profs from the Augustinianum was on the list, though he is over 80, Prosper Grech, OSA.  Trappé never had the red hat.

I was sad that good old Archbp. Luigi De Magistris was not included. It is a heavy burden.

No, Archbishop Chaput wasn’t named, but there are two living Cardinal Archbishops of Philadelphia, one of whom can still vote.  Archbishop Nichols of Westminster will remain without the red hat for a while longer, for his predecessor is still of voting age.  Archbishop Dolan is president of the conference and his predecessor is just a few months from turning 80.

Lot’s of Italians, which I don’t think is a great move.

Pray for the new Cardinals.

Freakish man-made monster ants with huge heads and gigantic jaws:

Nightmarish ‘supersoldier’ ants with huge heads and jaws have been created by activating ancient genes.

Scientists believe the monster ants may be a genetic throwback to an ancestor that lived millions of years ago.

Scientists say they can create the supersoldiers at will by dabbing normal ant larvae with a special hormone – the larvae then develop into supersoldiers rather than normal soldier or worker ants…

You can read more here.

I don’t think that this is a great idea…

A Russian Bishop taking part in the Epiphany Baptismal rites.

HT (and more).

22 Cardinal Designates have been announced.

Here is the list of names:

1. Msgr. Fernando Filoni, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples;

2. Msgr. Manuel Monteiro de Castro, Major Penitentiary;

3. Msgr. Santos Abril Y Castellò, Archpriest of the Basilica of Saint Mary Major;

4. Msgr Antonio Maria Veglio, President of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People;

5. Msgr. Giuseppe Bertelli, President of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State and President of the Governorate of the same State;

6. Msgr Francesco Coccopalmerio, President of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts;

7. Msgr JOÃO Braz de Aviz, Prefect of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life;

8. Msgr Edwin O’Brien, Pro Grand Master of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem;

9. Msgr. Domenico Calcagno, President of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See;

10. Msgr Giuseppe Versaldi, President of the Prefecture for Economic Affairs of the Holy See;

11. His Beatitude GEORGE Alencherry, Major Archbishop of Ernakulam-Angamaly of the Syro Malabar (India);

12. Msgr Thomas Christopher Collins, Archbishop of Toronto (Canada);

13. Msgr Dominik Duka, Archbishop of Prague (Czech Republic);

14. Msgr Willem Jacobus Eijk, Archbishop of Utrecht (Netherlands);

15. Msgr. Giuseppe Betori, Archbishop of Florence (Italy);

16. Msgr Timothy Michael Dolan, Archbishop of New York (United States);

17. Msgr. Rainer Maria Woelk, Archbishop of Berlin (Federal Republic of Germany);

18. Msgr John Tong Hon, Bishop of Hong Kong (China);

The Holy Father has also decided to raise to the dignity of cardinal a revered prelate, who carries out his ministry as Pastor and Father of the Church, and three worthy clergymen, who are distinguished for their commitment to serving the Church.

They are:

1. His Beatitude Lucian Muresan, Major Archbishop of Fagaras and Alba Julia of the Romanians (Romania);

2. Rev. Julien Ries, priest of the Diocese of Namur and professor emeritus of history of religions at the Catholic University of Louvain;

3. Fr. Prospero Grech, OSA, Professor Emeritus of various Roman universities and Consultant to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith;

4. Fr. Karl Becker, SJ, Professor Emeritus of the Pontifical Gregorian University, Consultant for many years the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

They will be elevated on 18 February 2012.

Congratulations Your Eminence.

In Moscow…

Way to go.

Today is Epiphany:

… or Theophany, meaning “vision of God”, which falls on January 6, is a Christian feast day that celebrates the revelation of God the Son as a human being in Jesus Christ. Western Christians commemorate principally (but not solely) the visitation of the Biblical Magi to the Baby Jesus, and thus Jesus’ physical manifestation to the Gentiles. Eastern Christians commemorate the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River, seen as his manifestation to the world as the Son of God.

Eastern Churches following the Julian Calendar observe the Theophany feast on January 19[4] because of the 13-day difference today between that calendar and the generally used Gregorian calendar. For Roman Catholics in many countries, the feast is celebrated on the Sunday that falls between January 2 and January 8…

The Church in Jerusalem Epiphany Prayer:

O God Who by a star guided the wise men to the worship of your Son we pray you to lead to yourself the wise and great of every land that unto you every knee may bow, and every thought be brought into captivity Through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Epiphany Hymn of St. Ambrose:

Most High God! Thou that enkindlest the fires of the shining stars! O Jesus! Thou that art peace and life and light and truth, hear and grant our prayers.

This present day has been made holy by thy mystic baptism, whereby thou didst sanctify those waters of the Jordan, which of old were thrice turned back.

It is holy by the star shining in the heavens, whereby thou didst announce thy Virginal Mother’s delivery and didst, on the same day, lead the Magi to adore thee in thy crib.

It is holy too, by thy changing the water of the pitchers into wine; which the steward of the feast, knowing that he had not so filled them, drew forth for the guests.

Glory be to thee, O Lord Jesus, that didst appear on this Day! And to the Father and to the Holy Spirit, for everlasting ages.

Amen.

Writes Fr Dwight Longenecker (and I was thinking something similar yesterday):

I believe St John Neumann was not a large man. Physically short and frail, he was nevertheless a terrier of a bishop–tireless and fervent in all that he attempted. Read more about him here and here. What a dynamo! Serving the poor, establishing parishes, building churches, building schools, learning umpteen languages. Lord, give me a portion of that energy and focus! St John Neumann pray for us!

What struck me today at Mass for St John Neumann is that he did all this in the midst of great opposition. He faced poverty and persecution (the Know Nothings) and hardship and peril. He was an immigrant and away from his home country, yet see what he did in Philadelphia!

Now the Archdiocese of Philadelphia has another “little guy” to lead it. Archbishop Chaput has taken the helm of a diocese reeling under yet more stories of corrupt priests, financial crisis and seemingly terminal decline.  Parishes and schools must be closed and consolidated. There is a shortage of priests. There is loss of faith. There is heresy and complacency and persecution and resistance. See how Chaput has begun to face this head on from the beginning by reading his letter–which Jimmy Akin fisks here. All of this St John Neumann also battled. All of this all of us have in one way or another if we seek to proclaim the gospel and be faithful to the cross of Christ. To be a priest, to be one of the faithful baptized we must battle all these things.

Abp. Chaput has gone into the storm with a firm resolve to put things right. It will be interesting to see how things go in Philadelphia. I think what we are witnessing is the beginning of a great change within the American church. The old establishment, complacent, cultural Catholic church of the great cities is dying, and if not dying, then evolving into something very different. This article by Fr. McCloskey explains what is going to be required: a leaner, more efficient and committed Catholic population. We must be “Intentional Disciples“– equipped to evangelize, sacrifice and live the faith of the apostles in a way that is, as yet, unexpected and unpredicted and unimagined by many Catholics.

We will have to have the same, astringent and invigorating missionary spirit that charged St John Neumann. I believe Archbishop Chaput has such a spirit as he begins his new task.

I hope and pray he succceeds. May St John Neumann–his saintly predecessor intercede for him.