#themission

So many persons that know me have expressed to me that they are scandalized and disappointed by the Pope's decision. These persons are practicing Catholics. After expressing these reactions, they all tend to compare this new situation in the papacy to divorce in marriage and to leaving the priesthood. It is also typical of so many persons to compare Benedict XVI with JP II saying that JP II did not let go despite his great sufferings. I can understand people's surprise to Benedict's choice but these comments that I just mentioned are profoundly misguided and misguiding. Leaving the papacy is not the same as getting divorced or quiting the priesthood. First of all, the papacy is a ministry not a sacrament like marriage or the ordination. Being a pope is a service that a faithful man provides to the Church. It is a very unique and extremely important ministry but it is a ministry that is possible to abandon unlike the consecrations of the priesthood and of marriage. Secondly, we cannot compare one pope to another because not only each person is so different but also each situation in which a man is pope is just unrepeatable.

Right now spreading this message is crucial to help our brothers and sisters in faith to understand the real situation of the Pope's departure and to avoid alarming reactions that are just unnecessary. If you know someone who has similar views to the ones I mentioned above explain to them that the Church in the Canon Law permits such an option as the one that Benedict went for. Tell them the our Pope is not betraying our Church or the faithful in any way. Right now prayers are necessary not doubts or worries.

#together

Some days ago a friend asked me a question that's stuck in my head. He's a young priest from Athens of the ancient Greek Orthodox Church. His question was, "what has been the main general reaction of the faithful Catholics to the Pope's decision?" I'm pretty sure I answered correctly by saying that at least here in Rome the main reaction is the desire to live this moment together with the Pope, that is, the desire to share this situation with Benedict XVI, to go through it together as a Church. Lucky me I gave him the right answer because my friend told me right after that he was going to use this answer in an interview that he was going to have, for one of Greece's most listened news radio station, regarding our Pope's departure.

Each day that goes by I'm confirming more and more that my reply to my Greek friend is accurate. As Catholics are getting over the shock and are starting to hope and believe that the Holy Spirit is behind all of this, that God will bring something great out of this decision if He wants to, more of them are beginning to support the Pope. Here in I not only see support but also this real solidarity with his holiness, particularly by the huge flow of pilgrims that arrives each day to St. Peter's just to offer prayers as the Pope spends this week in a spiritual retreat. The prayers are uniting us all and so we all are certainly going through a historical phase together as the Body of Christ!

#withthevictor

Here in Italy the main Italian TV station presents every Sunday a live streaming of the papal prayer of the Angelus from St. Peter's Square. As many other faithful, we the Somascans gather around at noon right before lunch to watch the images, to pray, and to receive the apostolic blessing. As usual, therefore, today we were all sitting in front of the TV some minutes before noon. When the transmission began what we saw brought a big smile to our faces.

We had never seen so many people gathered in St. Peter's Square for the Angelus as the crowd that we saw on TV today. This unusual amount of faithful gathered was a clear sign of how much support our Pope is receiving from the members of the Church present in this city. I found out later on that there were between 100.000 to 150.000 souls praying with the Pope and welcoming his message. Through the TV transmission we joined them for the occasion.

On this first Sunday of Lent the Pope has highlighted the huge importance of today's Gospel for our preparation for Easter and for our Spiritual growth. Jesus did not give in to any temptations and so the Pope has reminded us that Christ is always the victor in this spiritual battle. Interestingly, Pope Benedict did not mention anything about his decision of renouncing. He concentrated on the message of the Gospel instead. He suggested that today's Gospel of St. Luke is clearly saying to all of us that, like Jesus, we are not called to follow ourselves and our personal ambitions but to follow God. (This suggestion, nonetheless, is what we believe Benedict XVI is doing by deciding to leave). The Pope went on to encourage all of us not to fear facing the battle against the evil spirit, reminding everyone that what matters is to fight this battle along with Jesus, together with Jesus, and never without Him. To Jesus, he added, we can go through Mary. The Pope concluded his messages ONCE AGAIN inviting us to pray for him especially this week in which he will be in a week-long spiritual retreat. So let us continue to pray and to be with Jesus.

#thedesert

"Yet even now—oracle of the LORD— return to me with your whole heart" (Jl 2:12).

I'm starting to think that so far I have dedicated too much time to the news, reading blogs and watching Italian newscasts, to stay informed on the latest regarding the Pope's decision. Today, for instance, I learned that it is possible that for the first time in history the next Conclave might begin before the traditional 15-20 days waiting time.

The Eucharist, however, is calling me these days not pay so much attention to the sensationalism that we are having but to live the Lenten season with more love for God and more dedication. Despite the importance of the events in the Vatican, the Pope himself has invited us all to use this Lenten period to go back to God with a sincere heart that desires Him alone. In the daily readings of the Word, our Merciful Father is calling me to a true conversion to be closer to Him. He wants to lead me to the desert to speak to my heart, to transform my heart (Hos 2:14).

Lent is a providential opportunity to allow Jesus to bring us closer to Him and also a great time to pray intently for the future of the Church. The priority is to love God, with all of our being, and to love our neighbor as Jesus loves concretely through prayer, works of charity, and penance. Only then we will hear his gentle voice in the desert and we will have the grace to respond to his call.

#romanreactions

Four days have gone by since the Pope's announcement of his resignation and this decision still seems unbelievable. This situation has surpassed all fiction and feels surreal. Four days have gone by and here in Rome, for the faithful Catholics, the days still feel strange. As the well-informed Roman barber that gave me a hair cut today said, the following two weeks will indeed be weird because this is the first time that we find ourselves waiting for the moment in which our Pope will no longer be Pope. Things are so confusing that the Vatican's spokesman continues to answer in press conferences that the Vatican still has not come up with a title for Pope Benedict XVI after 8:00 pm on February 20th. Personally this moment in Church history has filled me up with questions and expectations. I hadn't had so many mixed emotions ever since I first rode a roller coaster at the Astroworld fourteen years ago. I am mainly asking myself two questions that the Roman newspapers have asked since Tuesday: First, "is this thing really happening?" After answering to myself in Italian "yes, it is. Get over it!", the second big question is, "how are the cardinals going to act and react to this epical moment?" Gosh! If I'm still asking these questions I'm more Roman than what I wanted to be! Mamma mia!!! I have a suspicion, though, that similar questions are being asked outside of Rome.

What I need to remember is that the Good Lord in his infinite Mercy would not permit in His Church something that is not supposed to happen, something like bringing the ruin of souls. These days, and always, I must remember that the Holy Spirit is in charge of the Church, it's Him who guides Her, not a bunch of human beings. If this situation is confusing and weird is only because I am spiritually blind and I can't see the magnificent greatness that the Spirit will be able to bring out of this moment. So I pray that I may see. Surely we will all see better in the following weeks and years. The Holy Spirit, after all, always writes straight with the crooked lines that we use... mamma mia, is this thing really happening???

#everoldalwaysnew

(Picture taken by Ivan Navarro. Copyright ®)

These days with everything that is happening here in Rome is certainly providential to feel that God is manifesting his infinite and perfect Love through the actions, words and decisions of Pope Benedict XVI. That's not only what I hope and feel but what I believe.

Today the Pope met with all the priests that serve the ancient Diocese of Rome. Two of our Somascan fathers from the Basilica of St. Boniface and Alexis, where I currently live, participated in the event at the Paul VI Hall in the Vatican. They came back in time to have lunch with me and the others. While eating, they described the Pope's gentle and paternal form of recounting to them his personal experiences at the Second Vatican Council. He spoke as a true shepherd of Christ and a man of God, just as he spoke in the homily that I went to hear in person at St. Peter's last night. 

Here in Rome we the faithful are seeing in Benedict XVI a man that continues to bring men to God and God to man even in these last days of his papacy. His witness to those of us who are seeing him in person is so strong and inspiring. Even in his decision of leaving he is donating his life entirely to the Almighty in God's Church.

What's so historical and new about this moment in the Church's history, truly, is the way the Pope is leaving. Yes, is not the first time a pope leaves the papal ministry but this is the first time a pope does it out of free will and proclaiming publicly that such action is for the better of the Church. 

Dear friends, God is teaching us clearly that we are called to serve Jesus Christ only and none other. He is teaching us that only with Jesus Christ we can build God's Kingdom on Earth and we can renew this old and ever-renewing Church. He is teaching us that the way to enter into a perfect communion with God is humility and love for Him and for others in our state of life, in our social and eccelesial roles. God is lovingly teaching all of these salvific truths, and more, through Pope Benedict XVI.

#favorabletime

"Well, now is the favorable time; this is the day of salvation." (2 Cor 6,2).

I just came back from Pope Benedict's last public Mass of his papacy which was held at St. Peter's Basilica, where I heard this verse proclaimed. What an amazing time to be in Rome! What an awesome and great Pope do we have!!! The emotions I'm feeling right now are so many and so strong. I thank God for the opportunity to have praised his Sacred Body at St. Peter's tonight and for the visible Shepherd that He gave us in Pope Benedict XVI.

I have been to at least five papal Masses while living here in Rome. Tonight's Mass had a completely different atmosphere. The atmosphere was so special. There were thousands of faithful Catholics in line to get in the Basilica. We all were there to give thanks to God for his Powerful Divine Mercy, as always, but this time also to give thanks for the Mercy He showed in giving us Pope Benedict.

Inside the packed Basilica the emotional moments, authentically spiritual moments, were innumerable. The silence of thousands of persons after the rosary before Mass began, as we waited for the Pope to enter in a procession, had something to it as well as the silence after receiving communion. The Holy Father's sincere thanksgivings in his homily were just touching. I know, also, that I will never forget the speech that the secretary of the Vatican gave at the end of the Mass to thank the Pope in the name of all of us. I won't forget the endless clapping, after the speech, that surely lasted more than five minutes. From my heart, and from the top of my lungs, I yelled a strong "Grazie mille Papa" as he passed by next to me in the exit procession. Thank God for this favorable time of Grace.

(I share with you the memorable images: Click Here!)

#igotohim

It's crazy right now. I'm getting ready to go to Pope Benedict's last public Mass as Pope. This is one of my crazy last minute decisions. It's worth it though. He has been a great shepherd. The thing is that he was supposed to come to the neighborhood where I live as he did last year and the previous years. As other popes have done. On Ash Wednesday the papal tradition is to celebrate mass at the Basilica that is next door to my house, literally! I took the picture above on the last Ash Wednesday when he came. The camera I used then was just terrible and I was obviously shaking.

Pope Benedict XVI himself has come to visit those of us who live on the Aventino Hill on the first day of Lent. This year I go to him. I go to St. Peter's because the Holy See has made the smart decision not to keep the papal tradition this year. The Holy See has decided out of prudence that the Pope should celebrate the first Mass of Lent in the Vatican this year. It would've been super-crazy around here, full of journalists and other persons.  I go to him together with some other brother Somascans because we want to show our support and our appreciation for all he has done. This was not in my plans, I still have one more exam on Friday, but I'm going. 

I was at St. Peter's two hours ago trying to find tickets and the atmosphere is of support. The faithful have showed up. One example: there was a musical band from some small village in Germany with traditional dresses playing traditional music and holding signs of support to the pope.

I am leaving on this moment, heading to St. Peter's, to live this Mass, this last Mass, with Pope Benedict XVI and the faithful. I will remember you all in my prayers. Please remember me in yours because right now it's the good Time to do it, as always.

#secondnight

Hi everyone. I welcome you to my experience in Rome on this month of February 2013. I have lived here now for three years and five months. Right now it's 11:04 pm on the second night after the pope's decision to leave the papacy. First thing to say is this: leaving the papacy is not like leaving the episcopacy or the priesthood at all! The pope in fact will continue to be a bishop.

I find myself exhausted. Today is my 1000th long day here in Rome. It's one after many long days, after four theology exams and two theology essays. This morning, at 10:05 am, I had a tough exam. This is all part of my preparation to become a priest in the Order of Somascan Fathers. After the exam I decided to relax my brain by going to see the statue of "St. Theresa's Ecstasy" by Lorenzo Bernini. After lunch I spent at least three hours walking all over Rome looking for a copy of the Osservatore Romano newspaper. It was sold out in Rome's major newspaper stores. I only found copies on St. Peter's Square. I was shocked to see the hundreds of journalists that have invaded the surroundings of St. Peter's basilica. Over there, I also found a classmate and we talked about how incredible this situation is. The last time the Church had popes leaving the pontificate was about six-hundred years ago. In the 1400's we had two popes at the same time, one in Rome and one in the city of Avignon, in France. The solution to this duality in the papacy was to ask them to quit and they did. Obviously the history was more complicated and more interesting than how I just told it. But I'm dead tired.

Tired as I am, I am very happy and excited to finally begin a blog and to do so regarding this real experience. I will share as much as I can about my Vatiexperience as we all get ready to receive from God a new pope that will lead the Body of Christ, His Church. I trust this humble effort to Mary, the Mother of the Church. May she guide me and help us all as she always does.