Wednesday Religious Assessment 6/27/07

Wednesday Religious Assessment

Pope has Talk with Blair

Next Election

Elizabeth Edwards Goes West

Who Goest There?

Diagnosing Limbo

Gaza Goes to Hell in a Hamasbasket

The Elite View


CYRIL: CATECHESIS THAT EMBRACES BODY, SOUL AND SPIRIT

VATICAN CITY, JUN 27, 2007 (VIS) - The Holy Father dedicated his catechesis during today's general audience to St. Cyril of Jerusalem (ca. 315-387), whom he described as a bishop of a great "ecclesiastical culture, centered on the study of the Bible." The general audience, Benedict XVI's hundredth, began with his greeting pilgrims in St. Peter's Basilica, then continued in the Paul VI Hall. It was attended by around 7,000 people.

Cyril, the Pope explained, was consecrated a bishop in 348 by Acacius, metropolitan of Caesarea in Palestine and a supporter of Arianism. However, soon afterwards the two men came into contrast, "not only in the doctrinal field, but also in the area of jurisprudence, because Cyril claimed the autonomy of his see from the metropolitan see of Caesarea." He was exiled thee times and only in 378, following the death of the emperor Valens, could Cyril return to his see, "restoring unity and peace among the faithful." Of this saint we have his "Catecheses," 24 catechetical lectures introduced by a prologue.

"Catechesis," the Holy Father explained, "was an important moment, inserted into the broad context of the entire life - and especially the liturgical life - of the Christian community" where "the future faithful were gestated, accompanied by the prayer and witness of their brethren. This was a very important moment, it was not just an intellectual catechesis, but a way of learning to live in the Christian community. As a whole, Cyril's homilies constitute a systematic and pragmatic catechesis on the rebirth of Christians through Baptism."

From a doctrinal point of view, Cyril uses his work - through "a 'symphonic' relationship between the two Testaments" - to reach "Christ, center of the universe." In his moral catechesis, he invites people "to transform pagan forms of behavior on the basis of the new life in Christ." In his "mystagogic" catechesis, he brings the newly baptized "to discover the hidden mysteries ... contained in the baptismal rites."

"The mystery to be understood is the design of God which is accomplished through the salvific action of Christ in the Church. The mystagogic dimension is, in turn, accompanied by the dimension of symbols which express the spiritual experience they bring about."

"This is, then," the Pope concluded, "an integral catechesis which - involving body, soul and spirit - remains emblematic for the catechetical formation of Christians today. Let us ask the Lord to help us understand a Christianity that truly embraces all of our existence and makes us credible witnesses of Christ, true God and true man."
AG/CYRIL OF JERUSALEM/... VIS 070627 (440)

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The Glair - Blair's Bye-Bye

The Glair - Blair's Bye-Bye


One of the greatest Americans ever to hold office as British Prime Minister is stepping down. You were one of the truly greats Tony, right up there with Disraeli, Churchill, and Thatcher, and they treated you exactly the same way. For a modern day liberal, you were a helluvah Conservative.

Godspeed to ya on whatever you do next. My hat's off to ya Limey.

And if it ever strikes ya to do so then come to the Real West and enjoy a well deserved working retirement...




Britain's Tony Blair Promises to Resign Within a Year
Thursday, September 07, 2006

LONDON — Prime Minister Tony Blair promised Thursday to resign within a year, hoping to appease critics in his governing Labour Party who are calling for his resignation by revealing a time frame.
"I would have preferred to do this in my own way," Blair said. He refused to set a specific departure date, but said the annual Labour Party conference this month would be his last. Next year's conference is scheduled for September 2007.

Pressure for the prime minister to announce a departure date had intensified in recent weeks, fueled by widespread anger at Blair's handling of last month's fighting between Israel and Lebanon-based Hezbollah militants.
Many within Blair's governing Labour party were furious at his refusal to call for an early cease-fire, a stance critics saw as tacitly allowing Israel to bomb Lebanon for weeks.

Environment Secretary David Miliband — a key Blair ally — said on Thursday that Gordon Brown was the only person who should succeed Blair and claimed the party was excited about the prospect of his premiership.

"I would say the transition...the energizing, refreshing transition to Gordon Brown — not to anyone else — is a transition that is about ideas and values more than about dates," he said in an interview with the leftist New Statesman magazine, published Thursday.

Miliband, often mentioned as a potential rival to Brown, said he would not be "a runner nor a rider" in leadership and deputy leadership elections following Blair's departure.

Eight junior officials said Wednesday they had quit rather than remove their names from a letter demanding that the prime minister step aside. They were among 15 Labour lawmakers who signed the letter, writing that while they supported the centrist direction Blair had taken the party, he was no longer the right man to lead it.

Tom Watson, the most senior of those to resign, quit his post as minister for veterans in the Ministry of Defense.
Blair smacked back after receiving Watson's resignation letter, saying he would have fired Watson if he had not quit himself, and calling his decision to sign the lawmakers' letter "disloyal, discourteous and wrong."

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