Each weekday, you'll find a new question and answer. Check back for the new question and scroll down to see previous day's entries! Let us know what you think - - or question! -- by emailing us at tcanswer@osv.com.
Catholic New Evangelization
Q. What’s all this I keep hearing about the new evangelization? That sounds very Protestant.
A. Here's a reply from Father Reginald Martin:
The Church’s emphasis on “new evangelization” may seem non-Catholic if we view it narrowly, such as knocking on doors and handing out pamphlets on street corners. In fact, it demands far more, and is primarily the fruit of the Catholic laity’s willingness to be “in the front line of Church life” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, No. 899).
The Second Vatican Council sowed seeds of the new evangelization, and Pope Paul VI spoke eloquently of greater lay participation in the Church’s mission. Pope John Paul II proclaimed the new evangelization a remedy for the ills besetting modernsociety. “Without a doubt a mending of the Christian fabric of society is urgently needed in all parts of the world,” Pope John Paul wrote in the apostolic exhortation Christifideles Laici (No. 34).
The Pope continued, “The ‘world’ is the place and means for the lay faithful to fulfill their Christian vocation.” The Catechism reflects this, describing the lay vocation to “consecrate the world … to God” by the holiness of jobs, marriages and families (see No. 901). This acknowledges the immense power of lay Catholics to act as missionaries and touch the world in direct and intimateways that clergy cannot. A synod of bishops will discuss the new evangelization in the fall of 2012.
May a Pope Resign?
Q. May a pope resign?
Although this is surely little known, the Church’s Code of Canon Law states, “If it should happen that the Roman Pontiff should resign his office, it is required for validity that he makes the resignation freely and thus it be duly manifested, but not that it be accepted by anyone” (Canon 332.2). The provision that the resignation need not be accepted recognizes the supremacy of the Pope, and the reality that no individual holds the authority to accept or deny a Pope’s decision to resign.
Popes have abandoned the office (Pope Benedict IX sold it to his godfather so he couldmarry) or been asked to resign, as was Pope Gregory XII, whose departure in1415 helped end the Western Schism, in which several men claimed to be pope. However, only Pope Celestine V, an 80-year-old hermit, who was elected Pope much against his will in July 1294, seems to have resigned voluntarily.
Pope Celestine was exceptionally holy. However, in every other way, he was quite unsuited to govern the Church, and was bitterly unhappy as pope. Although he is generally identified as the soul Dante encounters in hell, guilty of “the great refusal,” Pope Celestine was canonized by Pope Clement V in 1313.
What was the war in heaven?
Q. The Book of Revelation speaks of a “war . . . in heaven” (Rv 12:7). What could have caused a war in heaven?
Alan DelCarmen, via email
A. Here’s a reply from TCA columnist Father Ray Ryland, Ph.D., J.D
The war was caused by angels who, under the leadership of the angel we now call “Satan,” rebelled against God. The Book of Revelation tells us Michael and his angels defeated the dragon [Satan] and his angels so “there was no longer any place for them in heaven. The huge dragon, the ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, who deceived the whole world, was thrown down to earth, and its angels were thrown down with it” (12:8-9).
Priest, Prophet and King?
Q. Where does the following appear in the Bible — priest, prophet and king? Are we Catholics considered priest, prophet and king?
Kathy Lauber, via e-mail
A. Here is a reply from Father Francis Hoffman, J.C.D.:
I don’t think you will find the phrase “priest, prophet, king” in the Bible, but you will in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (see Nos. 897-913). But don’t worry, there are many things we do and believe that are not specifically stated in the Bible, such as Mass on Sunday and that God is a Trinity of persons. However, all over the pages of the Old Testament you will find priests (Aaron and members of the Levite tribe), prophets (Elijah, Elisha and Moses) and kings (David, Solomon, etc.). All of these Old Testament people in some way prefigure Jesus: the true priest, prophet and king. And in one sentence you will find the three terms (priest, prophet and king), but applied to three different people: “Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anointed [David] king at Gihon” (1 Kgs 1:45).
Jesus is priest because: a) He offered the sacrifice of himself to God in propitiation for our sins, and b) He is the bridge between man and God. Jesus is prophet because of the holiness of His words and teachings and His predictions of the future. Finally, Jesus is king because as God He has the fullness of power to carry out the duties of His kingly office: legislator, executor and judge.
By our baptism we are grafted onto and into Jesus Christ and are made partakers in the divine nature. By virtue of our baptism, all members of the faithful share in the triple mission of Christ: priest, prophet and king. The Code of Canon Law and other documents of the Church describe these roles as the three missions of sanctifying (sacraments), teaching and ruling. These offices are part and parcel of the ordained ministry: sacraments, preaching and governance. But laypeople, too — as taught by the Second Vatican Council in Lumen Gentium (Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, see No. 31) and later codified in the Code of Canon Law — also participate in the priestly, prophetic and kingly mission of Christ. They do so in various ways.
Their priestly role (to sanctify) is normally carried out through their generous spirit of sacrifice in daily work and in their family; but in a ritual way laypeople also participate and cooperate in the sacramental (priestly/sanctifying) mission of the Church as acolytes, lectors, extraordinary ministers of holy Communion and such.
Their prophetic role (to teach) is normally carried out in the workplace, in the community and in the family by their example and also by their friendly and mind-expanding conversations with all they come in contact with. In a more organized and institutional way, laypeople carry out their prophetic dimension by teaching CCD, or serving as a FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students) missionary on a college campus for a few years.
Finally, their kingly role (to rule) is normally carried out at home as parents, but they can also cooperate with the local bishop and priests in the governance of the Church by serving as the chancellor of the diocese, or as a judge on a marriage tribunal, or on the finance council of the local parish.
Prayer and concentration
Q. I have been praying the Rosary almost every day for many years, and I am beginning to feel that all the repetition is too much. I cannot concentrate for the 20 minutes it takes me to say all the Hail Marys. Is it wrong to feel this way? What do you recommend so I can pray better?
N.W., Duluth, Minn.
A. Here’s a reply from OSV columnist Msgr. M. Francis Mannion:
You should not feel guilty about distractions in prayer. These seem to beset the prayer life of virtually everyone (except, perhaps, the mystics). One way to handle distractions is to turn them into the objects of prayer.
Regarding the Rosary, if you find that this prayer is becoming too much for you, you can pray it less frequently or just pray one decade a day. Prayers are not ends in themselves, and they are pleasing to God only when they have a positive spiritual effect on the life of the one praying and arise from a true conversion of heart.
In my experience, people often become frustrated when they take on too many prayers or recite prayers that take a great deal of time. It is much better to pray from the heart for a few minutes a few times a day and to put one’s energy into these short prayers than to battle the spiritual frustration that can come from a more extensive prayer regimen.
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