The Only Man That Was the Pope More Than Once

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January 2, 2018

The only official requirements to being elected pope are to be male and to be a baptized Catholic. However, don’t hold your breath – the last time a non-Cardinal was elected was over 600 years ago. That makes being elected to the papacy an incredible and literally once in a life time honor, to be elected the actual Vicar of Jesus Christ. In fact, old Church traditions would have the pontiff-elect refuse the office twice to show the proper reverence before finally accepting. But can you believe there was a pontiff who held the office of the papacy not once or twice, but three total times?

The papacy of Pope Benedict IX is the one of the most unique in the Church’s history. He was the youngest pope ever elected, the first verified pope to ever resign, and the only person to ever hold the office more than once – a total of three times.

Born Theophylactus of Tusculum, he first ascended to the papacy at the age of 20, although some historians place his age at 11 or 12. He began his first and longest term as pope in October of 1032, taking the papal name Benedict IX. it is traditionally said he led a rather dissolute life, and his young age and inexperience made him unqualified for the papacy. However, in matters of theology and Church functions he was entirely orthodox.

In 1044, Benedict IX was deposed by a crowd who drove him from the Lateran Palace over charges of immorality and living a scandalous lifestyle, ending his first term as pope. Pope Sylvester III was elected to succeed him. However, Sylvester III did not sit on the Chair of Peter for more than four months before Benedict IX returned with an army and retook the papacy in the Spring of 1045, beginning his second term.

Not even a month passed in his second term before Benedict IX decided he wished to marry. Benedict IX offered the papacy to his godfather, John Gratian, provided he pay him a hefty sum in return for becoming Pope Gregory VI in 1045. However, Benedict IX soon became bored with life and returned to Rome in 1046, taking the city and the the papacy with it, while Gregory VI continued to be recognized as the true pope. At the same time, Sylvester III reasserted his claim to the papacy.

With three separate claims to the papacy, Emperor Henry III called for the Council of Sutri, in which all three claimants were deposed, and Pope Clement II installed as the new pope. However, Benedict IX did not accept his deposition, and when Clement II died of mysterious causes in in 1047, Benedict IX again seized the throne by force, beginning his third term in November of 1047.

In July of 1048, Benedict IX was forced out of Rome by German soldiers, ending his third term, and then excommunicated for failing to appear on charges of simony. He was sent to live out the end of his days at the Abbey of Grottaferrata. The abbot recounted that before his death in 1056, Benedict IX repented for his sins, made penance, and was welcomed into full communion with the Church.

All three terms of Pope Benedict IX were strife with harsh accusations of living an immoral, scandalous, and dissolute life. However, the late Oxford University historian Reginald Lane Poole suggests these accusations were made by his incredibly hostile political enemies, saying that,

“In a time of acute political hostility, accusations, as we know too well, are made and are believed, which in a calmer time would never have been suggested.”

Editorial credit: Zvonimir Atletic / Shutterstock.com

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The Lord Fulfills His Promises

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Guest Blogger

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December 30, 2017

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Today’s Gospel shares the story of Anna, the prophetess. We can feel Anna’s sorrow and immense grief in this passage of Scripture. After just seven years of marriage, she lost her husband before they had the chance to have children. As a young woman, Anna never could have imagined that she would be left heartbroken and alone. A life of pain in suffering is not what anyone envisions for the future.

Anna, however, does not grow bitter or angry or resentful. She commits herself to the Lord. She spends all day and night worshiping in the Temple. Not just for a few weeks or even a few years, Anna spends decades devoting her life to prayer and fasting.

Some might be tempted to look at her life and say that it was uneventful, unsuccessful, and boring. But, as today’s first reading from 1 John reminds us, “… all that is in the world, sensual lust, enticement for the eyes, and a pretentious life, is not from the Father but is from the world.” Anna lived this verse to the fullest. She believed in the promise that God would meet all of her needs in a way the world never could.

And, that’s exactly what God did.

After years of prayer and fasting, Anna was blessed beyond measure to see the Christ Child coming into the Temple in which she worshipped. Because Anna had spent her life focusing on God, she immediately recognized His Son.

If you’re in a season of pain and suffering, think of Anna’s response. If you’re getting tired of waiting on God, think of Anna’s perseverance. If you don’t think prayer and fasting work, think of Anna’s reward.

Continue to pray, fast, and wait on God, and someday you too will recognize the Lord!

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Where Did the Holy Family Go In Egypt?

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George Ryan

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December 29, 2017

7

When the Magi announced to Herod “the Great” the birth of the newborn King of the Jews, he ordered the execution of all young male children around the city of Bethlehem in what is known as the Massacre of the Innocents, in order to protect his throne. An angel appeared to Joseph in a dream, and told him to flee to Egypt lest the Holy Child fall victim. Where did the Holy Family go when they fled into Egypt, and where did they stop along the way?

When they had departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him.” – Matthew 2:13

Unfortunately, the Bible lends little information as to the whereabouts of the Holy Family in the time they fled from Herod. In fact, out of the three Synoptic Gospels, only one passage in the Gospel of Matthew even mentions that they fled to Egypt.

While we have little scriptural knowledge of the Flight into Egypt, Coptic traditions lend some insight into where exactly the Holy Family went.

One Coptic tradition says a significant place of refuge was Wadi El Natrun, an oasis in northeastern Egypt, part of the modern-day Beheira Governorate.

It is said that when the Holy Family visited the village of Al-Homra within Wadi El Natrun, the infant Jesus caused a well to be opened. The well was miraculous for it had fresh water in a region surrounding by lakes saturated with salt. It is named Bir Mariam, or Mary’s Well. When the Holy Family left the region, it is said they blessed the desert.

Around 300 year laters, the deserts of Wadi El Natrun became the foundation for the many monastic sites that gave rise to the Desert Fathers. Monks today still inhabit the desert oasis that the Holy Family visited and blessed.

On their journey to refuge at Wadi El Natrun, the Holy Family made many stops for rest before continuing on. One of the most significant stops, according to tradition, was made at the Tree of the Virgin, a sycamore tree in a suburb of Cairo. Tradition says when the Holy Family stopped in Cairo, Mary rested against the tree and a spring of water sprang up to wash Jesus. For years, the faithful have taken bits of tree’s bark as it was believed to have healing properties.

While Coptic Christians have long made pilgrimages to the sites the Holy Family visited during their Flight into Egypt, Egypt is not an official pilgrimage site within the Church. However, in October Pope Francis approved Egypt to be added as an official place of pilgrimage. In 2018, the path the Holy Family took throughout Egypt will be part of the Vatican pilgrimage program.

“I am truly happy to come as a friend, as a messenger of peace and as a pilgrim to the country that gave more than 2,000 years ago refuge and hospitality to the Holy Family as they fled the threats of King Herod.” – Pope Francis

Editorial credit: Renata Sedmakova / Shutterstock.com

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Recognizing the Dark Truth Hidden in the Lights of Christmas

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Guest Blogger

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December 29, 2017

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Of all the apostles, perhaps none strikes the dichotomy and complexity of Saint John the Beloved. The “Beloved Apostle” whose feast we celebrate today, exemplifies the fullness of the Christian life, complete with all of its harmonious dualities.

In his life, he was the son of a simple fisherman but also the author of the most theologically dense and challenging Gospel. He was a docile and gentle servant of Christ who tenderly rested his head on his Master during the last supper, but also a “Son of Thunder” who debated with his brother who would be greater in Heaven. He was the son of his father Zebedee by birth, but also the son of his “mother” Mary after the crucifixion by adoption. He is often portrayed as a young man barely out of his adolescence, but he was the only apostle to live to natural advanced age.

In all of these instances, Saint John typifies the life of a Christian, with its sufferings and joys, with abandonment to divine will while maintaining the personal journey of one’s interior faith.

Being that his feast falls two days after Christmas, reflecting on this saint is a useful way to also reflect on the dichotomies of Christmas. While during the octave of Christmas we celebrate the joy of the infant Christ’s birth in fulfillment of God’s promise, we must also recognize the shadow of the Cross which hung over the manger.

Though Christmas is a season of light, its deeper meaning is that through this joyous feast, the darkness of the world would be ultimately confronted, allowing the very Son of God to be fully enveloped in it, to be pierced by it, to suffer in it.

Saint John recognized this and wrote: “the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5).

If Christmas was just the remembrance of the birth another wise man or philosopher, it would be a nice, but ultimately, meaningless occasion. It is only by the fact that it would lead to the grisly terror of Good Friday and the redemptive sacrifice of the child that lay in swaddling clothes, that makes it a history-shattering event.

Recognizing and confronting the deep darkness that lurks in the bright lights of Christmas is essential to fully understand the Nativity of Christ and allowing it to transform you.

Ryan Scheel is the founder and chief editor of uCatholic.

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Christmas: The Beautiful And The Disappointing

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Guest Blogger

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December 27, 2017

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Today’s reading from 1 John is a strong reminder that we are to act like disciples, rather than only talk like disciples.

That task can sometimes feel like a bit too much, especially if you just had a season full of #adventfails like I did.

I didn’t finish the St. Andrew Novena. I didn’t even start the Jesse Tree. I didn’t sing Christmas carols at a nursing home. And I forgot to buy the Advent candles altogether.

I am in a season. But not the beautiful, reflective Advent and Christmas season that I planned for back in September. Nope. It’s more appropriate to say that I am in the trenches of child-rearing, child-bearing, and house-renovating. Although I just love this time of year, I didn’t walk just as He walked very much at all this Christmas.

Yet with all the coulda-woulda-shoulda going through my mind, I am fixated by one word from today’s reading in 1 John: Beloved.

We do not preach the Gospel of Legalism. Yes, Jesus does want you to do all of the lovely things that draw you closer to Him. He thinks the Jesse Tree is great. But more than that He wants you to know that you are His beloved.

Jesus draws us up and, through John, tells us to make our life about Him, in action and deed. But with that one word, beloved, we are reminded that He cares for us deeply and understands our faults. Our disorganization. Our frustration. Our sin.

Our Lord doesn’t stick a meme on it and say “it’s no big deal that you failed.” It is a big deal! But He transforms us through that failure and loves us in spite of it. This reminds me 2 Corinthians 12:9 “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’”

We should take John’s words and challenge ourselves. Be the hands and feet of Jesus! But, when we fall short, we should remember that we are His beloved and He wants all of us. The good, the bad, and the lazy.

Amy Swenson is unusually tall. She likes Zach Swenson, going to the movies, and being a girl. A convert from a whole lotta denominations, she came into the Church in 2010. She lives in Augusta, GA, and is thisclose to giving birth to her third child.

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God Will Always Take Care of Us

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December 14, 2017

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Today the Church presents us with two different senses of waiting for God. The first is one of confidence in God as we suffer through difficulty. The second is the proclamation of the Kingdom of God through the witness of John the Baptist leading up to Jesus. There is also a connection that can be made between the two with the help of the Church’s memorial for today, St. John of the Cross.

God has proven Himself to us as a loving Father who has conquered death. Jesus has conquered death – the tomb was empty – and so we have nothing to be afraid of. Not even death! In every other way, He tries to assure us that all our needs will be met and we will never be abandoned by God. The whole point of the spiritual life, of life in general really, is to trust this promise. It is easy to believe that we will be taken care of when we have everything we want readily available, but do we trust during times of difficulty? God lets us go through difficulties so that we can grow in trust.

St. John of the Cross is probably most well-known for his writing about the “Dark Night” in the spiritual life. These are periods of intense suffering that God invites us into so that we may progress further in our relationship with Him. The point is not to suffer, but to detach from our desires and to grow in trust of His goodness. We are called to have peace in the midst of this suffering, knowing in some deep interior way that God loves us and will always take care of us.

Jesus also says at the end of the Gospel today that John the Baptist, “is Elijah.” We call to mind the prophet who told of God’s authority in the midst of so many alternate ways of finding comfort. Elijah also discovered the voice of God speaking to him with “a still, small voice.” God was present in the quiet when all the noise died down.

As we approach Christmas, in this time of waiting and anticipation, let’s take God up on His invitation to trust Him more. When it seems like things are not going well, or it seems like He has disappeared and He is quiet in our lives, we can still believe with the assurance of confident and well-provided-for children that all will be well.

Dr. Greg Bottaro is the Director of the CatholicPsych Institute and teaches how to grow in trust of God at www.catholicmindfulness.com.

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Is The Upcoming Solar Eclipse Foretold In A Prophecy From The Bible?

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George Ryan

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August 18, 2017

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On Monday April 8th, a solar eclipse will occur and be visible for up to two hours across the entire United States. A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the Earth and the Sun, blocking its rays of light and for a short time completely or partially obscuring sunlight from reaching the Earth. For those lucky enough to be in the path of totality that tracks in a narrow band across the entire country, a total solar eclipse will occur where the moon completely blocks the sun. For up to 160 seconds, the sun will vanish and day will turn into night. Is the upcoming solar eclipse a sign for a prophecy as foretold in the Book of Revelation?

The prophecy foretold comes from the Book of Revelation, the vision of the Woman and the Dragon. Some believe it to be part of an apocalyptic prophecy and call it the Revelation 12 Sign. They believe that an astronomical alignment of the constellations Leo and Virgo, along with Mercury, Mars, Venus, Jupiter, the sun and the moon will fulfill the prophecy word for word on September 23rd. The solar eclipse is purported to be a warning sign for the upcoming astronomical alignment.

“A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. She was with child and wailed aloud in pain as she labored to give birth.” – Revelation 12:1-2

On that day, the sun will be within the constellation Virgo, referencing the woman clothed with the sun. The moon will be at the base of the constellation, referencing the moon under her feet. The nine stars of the constellation Leo along with Mercury, Venus, and Mars, comprising the crown of twelve stars. Jupiter will be within the constellation of Virgo, and after the astronomical alignment will exit the constellation towards the feet, referencing the labor and birth of the Woman. That sounds like a convincing argument for the fulfillment of the prophecy, but is this truly a unique event?

Betteridge’s law of headlines (Any headline that ends in a question mark can be answered by the word no.) holds true in the case of whether or not the alignment fulfills the prophecy. While some believe in the Revelation 12 sign, the alignment on September 23rd is not a unique event and actually happens quite often.

Because of the Earth’s orbit around the sun, it passes through all twelve constellations every year. The sun is always in Virgo every September. Similarly, because of the Moons orbit around the Earth, there is at least one or two days every September that the sun is in Virgo, while the moon is at the feet of the constellation. The woman clothed in sun with the moon at her feet happens every year. The only possible unique arrangement is that of the four planets that make up the crown and child. However, the arrangement of the four planets along with the sun and moon, while not a yearly occurrence, still happens regularly. In the past thousand years, it has happened four times.

Astrology used to be a field that astronomers believed to be valid. However, in today’s world we know that astrology has no scientific evidence to back up what it purports to be able to do. Pope Francis himself has even warned those Faithful to the Church about the false revelations that fortune tellers, horoscopes, and astrologers claim to be able to reveal to us.

Photo credit: Amanda Carden / Shutterstock.com

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Why Do Catholic Priests Take a Vow of Celibacy?

By

George Ryan

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August 17, 2017

34

Save for the permanent diaconate, a vow of clerical celibacy is mandated for all newly ordained priests and clergy members within the Catholic Church. However, this was not always the case. For the first thousand or so years of Catholicism, priests would commonly marry and have children. The first pope himself, Saint Peter, was married and most likely had children, and many who came after him also had children.

Last March, Pope Francis interviewed for the German magazine Die Zeit suggested that the Church may return to its early tradition by examining exceptions for married priests in isolated areas without clerical leadership. How did the priestly vow of celibacy evolve to be such an ingrained part of Catholic tradition?

There are many reasons why priests practice celibacy. The Code of Canon Law has to say that

“Clerics are obliged to observe perfect and perpetual continence for the sake of the kingdom of heaven and therefore are bound to celibacy which is a special gift of God by which sacred ministers can adhere more easily to Christ with an undivided heart and are able to dedicate themselves more freely to the service of God and humanity.” – Can. 277 §1

One of the biggest acts of self sacrifice a priest is called upon to make is that of celibacy – forgoing spouse and children to be able to serve and have a relationship with his parishioners and God. When a priest is ordained, the Church becomes his highest calling. If he had a family and children, he would have less time to devote to his spiritual duties.

Celibacy has not only traditional, but biblical foundations as well. The sacrifice of spouse and family is for the sake of the Kingdom and for Christ.

Then Peter said, “We have given up our possessions and followed you.” He said to them, “Amen, I say to you, there is no one who has given up house or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God who will not receive [back] an overabundant return in this present age and eternal life in the age to come.” – Luke 18:28-30

Being ascending to the papacy, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger in his Salt of the Earth interview saw the practice as based on Jesus’ words in the Gospel of Matthew.

“Some are incapable of marriage because they were born so; some, because they were made so by others; some, because they have renounced marriage* for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Whoever can accept this ought to accept it.”” – Matthew 19:12

Historically, the first mention of celibacy in Church tradition comes from the Council of Elvira around the year 305. Canon 33 forbade clerics from have relations with their spouses, although it did not expressly forbid marriage.

“It is decided that marriage be altogether prohibited to bishops, priests, and deacons, or to all clerics placed in the ministry, and that they keep away from their wives and not beget children; whoever does this shall be deprived of the honor of the clerical office.”- Council of Elvira, Canon 33

It was not until around 800 years later that the First Lateran Council was convoked by Pope Calixtus II in 1123. At this council, marriage of the clergy was expressly forbidden, and any clergy currently married had to dissolve their marriage with penance.

“We absolutely forbid priests, deacons, subdeacons, and monks to have concubines or to contract marriage. We decree in accordance with the definitions of the sacred canons, that marriages already contracted by such persons must be dissolved, and that the persons be condemned to do penance.” – First Lateran Council, Canon 21

Photo credit: tomeqs / Shutterstock.com

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Peter Was the First Pope, but Who Was the Second Pope?

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George Ryan

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June 14, 2017

25

Every Catholic faithful to the one true Church knows that Saint Peter was the first pope. As we see in Matthew 16:18, Jesus Christ founded His Church upon Peter, making him the first Vicar of Jesus Christ and establishing the papacy. With his ordination as the first pope, the papal line of succession was also established. While we know that Peter was the first, who was the second pope?

And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. – Matthew 16:18

The earliest account shows that Pope Saint Linus was the second pope and successor to the Prince of the Apostles. In a passage from the book Adversus Haereses written by Saint Irenaeus around the year 180, it is claimed that Pope Linus is the direct successor to Peter, the same Linus mentioned by Saint Paul in his second epistle to Timothy 4:21. The passage reads:

After the Holy Apostles (Peter and Paul) had founded and set the Church in order (in Rome) they gave over the exercise of the episcopal office to Linus. The same Linus is mentioned by St. Paul in his Epistle to Timothy. His successor was Anacletus.

According to the Liber Pontificalis, Linus was Italian, born in Tuscany. His father’s name was recorded as Herculanus, and his mother’s name recorded as Claudia (The same Claudia that is mentioned immediately after Linus in 2 Timothy 4:21). His papacy began the year 67 and ended the year 76.

Try to get here before winter. Eubulus, Pudens, Linus, Claudia, and all the brothers send greetings. – 2 Timothy 4:21

The papacy of Pope Linus existed during a period of great religious persecution in Rome, where it was very dangerous to be Catholic. After a fire broke out in Rome that left several districts of the city destroyed, the Emperor Nero blamed members of the newly formed Church to deflect theories that he set the city ablaze for new construction. He punished the early faithful by feeding them to lions, burning them at the stake, and through crucifixion.

The Liber Pontificalis also asserts that after his death, he was buried next to Saint Peter in the Vatican. A tomb was found at the St. Peters Basilica in 1605 bearing the letters LINVS, but was later found to be part of a longer name, perhaps Aquilinus. Today, the feast of Pope Saint Linus is celebrated on September 23rd.

Photo credit: Raimond Spekking / CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

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Is This The Actual Robe Of Jesus Christ?

By

George Ryan

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May 30, 2017

12

Although a majority have been lost to history, some of the earliest relics of the Church still survive to this day. Of the surviving artifacts, those associated with Jesus Christ Himself have been most studied and fascinating of them of all.

Some of these include the Holy Sponge, True Cross, Holy Lance, and Holy Prepuce, the Virgin’s Girdle, and the Holy Robe of Jesus Christ, reported to be the robe worn by Jesus shortly before His crucifixion. What remains of it, and where is it located today?

According to the Gospel of John, the clothing of Our Lord was divided into four pieces by the Roman soldiers that had crucified Him. However, because His robe was woven in one piece of fabric without seams, they cast lots to determine its ownership, so as not to divide it.

“When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and divided them into four shares, a share for each soldier. They also took his tunic, but the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from the top down. So they said to one another, ‘Let’s not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it will be,’ in order that the passage of scripture might be fulfilled [that says] ‘They divided my garments among them, and for my vesture they cast lots.’ – John 19:23-24

According to tradition, Saint Helena discovered the Holy Robe around the year 328 along with other relics, including the True Cross. In distributing the relics she had unearthed, she bequeathed the Holy Robe to the Diocese of Trier located in Trier, Germany. Not much is known about the history of the Seamless Robe until the 12th century, when Archbishop John I of Trier had the altar containing the Robe consecrated. Throughout its history, it has had pieces of silk sewn to the cloth, and in the 19th century was coated in a rubber solution in efforts to preserve it.

Typically it is held folded in a reliquary, not available for direct viewing. However, in 1512 Emperor Maximilian I demanded to view the Holy Robe, kept in the High Cathedral of Saint Peter in Trier. The Archbishop Richard von Greiffenklau zu Vollrads arranged for the original consecrated altar to be opened. The locals of Trier heard of this, and also demanded to view the Holy Robe. After the original opening of the altar in 1512, irregular pilgrimages to Trier took place throughout history.

The last viewing of the Holy Robe took place in 2012, with over half a million making the pilgrimage to see it. In speaking about the Holy Robe and its authenticity, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI said “This relic makes present the final dramatic moments of the earthly life of Jesus: His death on the cross.” Of the seamless and whole nature of the Holy Robe, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI said it reflects on the ‘the unity of the Church’ and its ‘unique and indivisible community.”