Pope Benedict XVI's recent Christmas messages

On Christmas eve, the Holy Father gave a special address to the UK where he said,

  Our thoughts turn back to a moment in history when God's chosen people, the children of Israel, were living in intense expectation.
  They were waiting for the Messiah that God had promised to send and they pictured him as a great leader who would rescue them from foreign domination and restore their freedom.
  God is always faithful to his promises, but he often surprises us in the way he fulfils them.

Full audio and transcription available courtesy of BBC news.

He also gave a Christmas message to Rome and the universal Church, and he began with these words:

  Dear brothers and sisters listening to me here in Rome and throughout the world, I joyfully proclaim the message of Christmas: God became man; he came to dwell among us. God is not distant: he is “Emmanuel”, God-with-us. He is no stranger: he has a face, the face of Jesus.

Read more at The Telegraph

It is amusing what happened when I googled for 'christmas message, pope', where I found these headlines and subtitles from various media sources:

• Chinese government publication lambasts pope for Christmas remarks..
• Pope condemns 'oppressors' in Christmas message..
• Pope's Christmas message admonishes China..
• Pope urges tolerance in Christmas message..

and so on. Could it be that this is how this went right past many people? How sad, to miss the core of his message for Christmas: the Word became flesh (he repeats that four times).

He ends his address by saying, "Dear brothers and sisters, “the Word became flesh”; he came to dwell among us; he is Emmanuel, the God who became close to us. Together let us contemplate this great mystery of love; let our hearts be filled with the light which shines in the stable of Bethlehem! To everyone, a Merry Christmas!" May it be that this message planted seeds in all who read it in full.

What is news?

No, that was a rhetorical question. Some people will print whatever they please. (You know, Uncle Diogenes is really good with pithy, funny and insightful. If you like 'em, please support them at Catholic Culture.)

Vatican does NOT change tune on condom use for HIV

So AFP reports that the Pope now allows condom use to reduce risk of HIV (reported here at TheAustralian.com.au), but in fact, he did not say that:

There may be a basis in the case of some individuals, as perhaps when a male prostitute uses a condom, where this can be a first step in the direction of a moralization, a first assumption of responsibility, on the way toward recovering an awareness that not everything is allowed and that one cannot do whatever one wants. But it is not really the way to deal with the evil of HIV infection. That can really lie only in a humanization of sexuality.

When asked, "Are you saying, then, that the Catholic Church is actually not opposed in principle to the use of condoms?" he replied: She of course does not regard it as a real or moral solution, but, in this or that case, there can be nonetheless, in the intention of reducing the risk of infection, a first step in a movement toward a different way, a more human way, of living sexuality.

[Italics are quoted from what Pope Benedict XVI said in the interview, emphasis is mine, however]
Apart from the link to Dr. Janet Smith's clarification of this above, Jimmy Akin provides more insights in the National Catholic Register.
The Pope says that condoms are not regarded as a real or moral solution, and if it is not moral, then it is immoral, and is therefore wrong. However, he speculates what is actually a valuable insight: it does demonstrate a growing awareness of responsibility or some moral consideration involved for one who would use condoms with the HIV risk in mind. This simply supports the point that the Holy Father is making: that not everything is simply permitted, and there ought to be a more human view of sexuality.

Catholic Bloggers Ignoring the Pope's "Fundamental Priority"?

From the Sacred Page: I would paraphrase it as "don't forget Domini in the (blogged) verbum. In other words, read Verbum Domini (and I haven't yet).

Update: Five noteworthy points from the exhortation, provided by The New Theological Movement.

Sunday Mass attendance still declining?

Pews get even emptier in the US, according to this blog from Deacon Greg Kandra. The trend may not be the same in other parts of the world (Africa, for example), but it's certainly not something to take lightly. One lukewarm Catholic is quoted as saying "I do see the value in it, but it's just not for me right now" and, regarding Catholicism, "I don't feel aligned with it any more." That's probably true for a lot of Catholics. I put the emphasis on some of those quotes because they do reveal a lot about relativism, don't they? One of the comments pointed out, "If young people aren't going to Mass, could it be because it wasn't treated as important by their parents?" Indeed.

Another comment begins "I'm convinced the answer is TRUTH. People are starved for it.." Not the vague waffling that tries to accommodate any interpretation so that it isn't confronting (which makes it bland, no more salt). What was it that Papa Benedetto said during his recent tour in Britain?

	"A Church that seeks to be particularly attractive is already on the wrong path, because the Church does not work for her own ends, she does not work to increase numbers and thus power. .. the Church does not seek to be attractive in and of herself, but must be transparent for Jesus Christ.. for the great figure of Christ and the great truth that he has brought to humanity. .."
(Visit Sentire Cum Ecclesia for a longer quote.)

Did the Pope give the Milwaukee sex abuser a free pass?

There is much in the news these days about the alleged culpability of the Church leadership, all the way to the pope, concerning an American priest-abuser of about 200 victims. We would not be human if we remained indifferent to such charges, given the gravely evil nature of the abuses perpetrated. But we would not be rational if we fail to investigate the evidence prior to making up our minds. In Scoundrel Times, journalist George Weigel helps us get started. Jimmy Akin provides a more detailed investigation based on letters and accounts concerning the matter. Two other posts by Jimmy add further details: accounts from the tribunal judge involved in the case and analyzing the 1998 memo concerning this case. The evidence is there for all to consider. The only logical conclusion is that, while there is culpability in cooperating with grave evil to dole out, they cannot be assigned to Pope Benedict XVI.

Dr. Jeff Mirus on Infallibility

An informative read. I heard a helpful comment about this recently by Catholic Answers podcast: when dad tells his kids to do something, he does not have to issue a threat each time. That doesn't mean that the kids don't need to obey him during those times, however.
Update: here's an interesting discussion of ancient beginnings of papal infallibility, although not yet defined in detail, in the Council of Chalcedon in the 5th Century. The statements from leaders of Eastern Orthodox are quite striking.

Papa in America

The American Papist provides good reports. He's got Days 1 and 2 covered, including transcripts of interviews, reactions from the public, photos, etc. It appears that Papa is making waves, in that calm, academically serene manner of his. May his mission be a great occasion of grace. Veni Sancte Spiritus!