Real Catholic Blog

George Weigel, a theologian and senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, and renown as the official biographer of Pope John Paul II (the world wide best seller Witness To Hope) will speak at the University of Virginia Friday evening at 5:30 in Minor Hall Auditorium. It is open to the public.

Mr. Weigel will speak on The End and the Beginning: Pope John Paul II, The Victory of Freedom, the Last Years, the Legacy, his new book which details Pope John Paul’s life, epic defeat of communism and his historic quarter century in the seat of Saint Peter. We hope if you are anywhere in the area you can take advantage of this rare opportunity to see Mr. Weigel in person for what will assuredly be an enlightening, informative and inspirational presentation.

His visit is sponsored by the St. Anselm Institute of Catholic Thought, an organization dedicating to promoting . . .  

a Catholic intellectual presence and community at the University of Virginia, to make the richness of the Catholic tradition of thought and action available for public consideration by all, and to contribute to Catholic intellectual and cultural life in Virginia and the United States.

The St. Anselm Institute is a wonderful resource in an environment not usually conducive to cultivating Catholic thought. Through its Web site, sponsored lectures and other outreach, it is another organization fueling the revitalization of the traditional teachings of the Church throughout the laity. If you cannot attend the Weigel lecture, there are other events on its calendar and opportunities to learn through its Web site.

For those who have never seen it, here is an excerpt from the movie Witness To Hope the companion movie to the biography of John Paul II by the same name by George Weigel. It gives an idea of the depth of his research and writing.

Witness To Hope: George Weigel’s in depth chronicle of John Paul II in book and film. Now he follows up with a new work on the late Pontiff’s legacy. 

We rarely get commercial here, but, after all, we are part of a retail operation. So, as a reminder, if you like the devotional, spiritual and moral  elucidations of this blog, and would like to give someone or some people a gift that truly reflects the season, please visit RealCatholic.com, our Ave Maria online store, where we can fulfill all of your Catholic and Christian religious goods needs: Bibles, Christian art, books from numerous authors on almost any subject, including those authored by Pope Benedict XVI and Pope John Paul II (or books about them); or books about Church history and saints; or sacred or contemporary music, devotionals, Rosaries, prayer cards, you name it. We offer quality merchandise and competitive prices and ship anywhere in the world.

So, we thank you for letting us take this commercial time out, and hope you have the opportunity to visit us at RealCatholic.com. We hope you have a very Merry and Spirit-filled Christmas.

Former Speaker of the House of Representatives Newt Gingrich, a recent convert to Catholicism, and one who freely talks about the inspiration he derived from Pope John Paul II before his conversion, has produced a new documentary on the late Pontiff’s return to his native Poland in June 1979, a seminal event that was the first sledge hammer blow at the base of communism. It’s called Nine Days That Changed The World and is due for release sometime before the end of the year.

It’s hard to recall those times, not so much because of the years, but given the context of today’s world. There is little tension between countries of opposing political philosophies, but rather between terrorism and civilization. But then, standing armies and strategic geo-political alliances were balanced and counter balanced constantly. Evil empires enslaved hundreds of millions of people and exiled God . . . or at least tried to.

One Soviet dictator famously ridiculed the power of the Papacy by snidely asking, “How many divisions does the Pope command?” But in October 1978, it began to change through the power of the Holy Spirit with the election of Polish Cardinal Karol Wojtyla as the Successor of Saint Peter.

Even the shortest examination of John Paul The Great’s life reveals that the Holy Spirit had something enormously important in store for him, from his days in Poland under Nazi, then communist rule, barely escaping with his life. The film’s promotional material explained his impact as Pope this way:

What transpired during these nine days that so moved a nation to begin to free itself of its Communist shackles? Why did millions of Poles, almost one third of the entire nation, come to see the Pope during his public appearances? What was the nature of the Communist system in Poland that made John Paul II’s visit a liberating moment?

Nine Days that Changed the World is a story of human liberation. It reveals how Pope John Paul II’s historic visit helped the Poles not only find their courage, but also reclaim their culture. This film presents the Pope’s message — that after the lies of Nazism and Communism, authentic human freedom is only possible through a true understanding of our humanity.

We look forward to hearing more about this film and its eventual release.

John Paul The Great celebrating Mass with millions during his hero’s welcome to his native Poland in 1979. That visit led to the eventual emancipation of Eastern Europe. A third of the entire Polish population saw him in those nine days.

I went to what I thought would be the daily 5:30 p.m. Mass at Saint Benedict Church in Richmond. I was in for a little surprise. Saint Benedict was in the last night of a parish mission by Father Tony Stephens, C.P.M., of the Fathers of Mercy and the parish celebrated with a full-fledged Mass of the Feast of Saint Teresa of Jesus (of Avila) (see Catholic Encyclopedia).

So, instead, the Mass started at 6:00. I had a mild disappointment, to be honest. I could’ve worked longer and the longer and later starting Mass would push my evening back further — including writing here!

But how can one be disappointed at celebrating the Mass? Father Stephens’ homily made sure of that! He spoke about our great Catholic tradition of honoring the Blessed Mother and that devotion to her is Biblically based, despite protestant criticism. He thoughtfully, phrase by phrase, explained the Biblical and theological underpinnings of the Hail Mary. Then he elaborated on the Rosary and the mercy of Our Lady.

The Rosary is one of the oldest and most thorough prayers in the Church. The repetitive nature of the prayers along the decades is Mary leading us to her son, Jesus Christ. He encouraged us to pray the Rosary every day. Even if you have young children, pray it with them, and make it a part of their lives. Sure, very young ones may not be able to keep up with it, so pray one decade with them and put them to bed and continue on. A family that prays together, stays together, so make the Rosary a privilege of getting older: Let the older (and/or well-behaved) children stay up and go further along the decades with you. What a great idea to spur devotion!

A Rosary takes about 17-20 minutes to say. If necessary, pray what you can in the morning and finish upon return from work. When Jesus gave Mary to John at Calvary, He gave her to us all. That’s why, in turn, Mary gives us to Jesus. She is a great intercessor and wants to lead us to her son — exemplified in the path of the Rosary. Because Jesus did give Mary to all of us at the foot of the Cross, she, like any mom, knows her children and wants great things for us. Nothing is greater than His mercy and she is willing to help us, which is why she intercedes for us. 

One final thought: As a seminarian, Father Stephens was a bit confused when Pope John Paul II created the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary. How can he do that? he thought to himself. This is a centuries old prayer, steeped in Church teaching and the Bible. Then he learned why John Paul is considered The Great: None of the first four mysteries were about Jesus’ ministry. The fifth is devoted to Jesus the Priest. How wonderful! How inspirational! Especially in this Year of the Priest, we should all rededicate ourselves to Jesus the Priest through the Rosary, especially the Mystery of Light.

The Holy Father’s message today at the Angelus, after celebrating Mass during the second day of his three day visit to the Czech Republic, was particularly timely because . . . it was about time. No one is immune to the demands of the accelerated pace of modern life. All the convenieces the Internet, cell phones and other technological advances provide us are counter balanced by the additional pressures and increased activity they concoct in our lives. The important (enduring) things sometimes evaporate in the rush to satisfy the (immediate) transitory things.

Here is the introductory remarks of The Holy Father. Click here to read The Holy See’s translations of the rest of them:

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

We have come to the end of this solemn celebration, and the midday hour invites us to pray the Angelus. I am pleased to do so here, in the heart of Moravia, Bohemia’s sister territory, a land marked for many centuries by the Christian faith, a land that reminds us of the courageous mission of Saints Cyril and Methodius.

Twenty years ago, when Pope John Paul II decided to visit Central and Eastern Europe after the fall of Communist totalitarianism, he chose to being his pastoral journey in Velehrad, the place where the famous Unionist Congresses were held, those precursors of ecumenism among the Slav peoples, a place known throughout the Christian world. I am sure you also remember another of his visits, in 1995, when he went to Svatý Kopeček near Olomouc for an unforgettable meeting with young people. I should like to make my own the ideas put forward by my venerable predecessor, as I invite you to remain faithful to your Christian vocation and to the Gospel, so as to build together a future of solidarity and peace.

Moravia is blessed with a number of Marian shrines that are visited by crowds of pilgrims throughout the year. At this moment I should like to make a pilgrimage in spirit to the mountainous forest shrine of Hostýn, where you venerate the Blessed Virgin Mary as your protectress. May Mary keep the flame of faith alive in all of you, a faith that is nourished by traditions of popular piety with deep roots in the past, which you rightly take care to maintain, so that the warmth of family conviviality in villages and towns may not be lost. At times one cannot help noticing, with a certain nostalgia, that the pace of modern life tends to diminish some elements of a rich heritage of faith. Yet it is important not to lose sight of the ideal expressed by traditional customs, and above all to maintain the spiritual patrimony inherited from your forebears, to guard it and to make it answer to the needs of the present day. May the Virgin Mary assist you in this, as we renew the entrustment to her of your Church and of the entire Czech nation.