Thursday, June 29, 2017

Are The Church's New Cardinals Armed?

On June 26, Pope Francis created five new Cardinals in the Church. The Vatican sent out a press release with the news.
At 16.00 today, in the Vatican Basilica, the Holy Father Francis held an Ordinary Public Consistory for the creation of five new cardinals, for the imposition of the berretta, the consignment of the ring and the assignment of the title or diaconate.

The celebration began with the greeting, oration and reading of a passage from the Gospel according to Mark (10: 32-45). The Pope then pronounced his homily.

The Holy Father then read the formula for the creation of cardinals and solemnly pronounced the names of the new cardinals, announcing the presbyteral or diaconal order. The rite continued with the profession of faith of the new cardinals before the people of God and the oath of fidelity and obedience to Pope Francis and his successors.

The new cardinals, following their order of creation, kneeled before the Holy Father, who imposed upon them the cardinals’ zucchetto and the berretta, consigned the ring and assigned to each one a church of Rome as a sign of participation in the Pope’s pastoral care for the city.

After the consignment of the Bull of the creation of cardinals and the assignment of the title or diaconate, the Holy Father Francis exchanged an embrace of peace with each new cardinal.
This momentous event would have been even more remarkable if the Pope really was assigning the Italian handguns to each Cardinal. Unfortunately, what the writer meant to say was "biretta."

Reminds me of this, unrelated picture...


Image found at Church Militant.

5 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. I agree. I've been shooting with several members of the clergy, but never a Bishop. Not yet any way. :-)

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  2. One of our local Priests was a frequent shooter, with the encouragement of one of our parishioners. He was a hunter too. Our last Bishop was also a hunter.

    Funny, just recently a new priest here was talking to me about a former local priest who is now retired, but who had been, at one time, a prosecutor. "He carried a gun", the priest was telling me, with real surprise. It wasn't that surprising to me, given that he'd had that role in a big city.

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    1. If there's any demographic that should be prepared for self-defense, it's the clergy.

      "Legitimate defense can be not only a right but a grave duty for one who is responsible for the lives of others. The defense of the common good requires that an unjust aggressor be rendered unable to cause harm. For this reason, those who legitimately hold authority also have the right to use arms to repel aggressors against the civil community entrusted to their responsibility."
      -- Catechism of the Catholic Church #2265

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  3. Everyone should be equipped to protect themselves including the clergy

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