Jan. 16 Saint Berard And Companions Protomartyrs. breski1 January 21, 2010 Saint Berard And Companions Protomartyrs He and his fellow missionaries preached in Italy, Aragon, Coimbra, Seville, and …More
Jan. 16 Saint Berard And Companions Protomartyrs.
breski1 January 21, 2010 Saint Berard And Companions Protomartyrs He and his fellow missionaries preached in Italy, Aragon, Coimbra, Seville, and finally in Morocco, where they were banished and, upon their return, martyred. Died martyred on 16 January 1220 in Morocco by being scourged till his ribs appeared bare, having burning oil and vinegar poured into the wounds, body rolled on sharp stones and potsherds, then his heads split by a sword relics were ransomed, and are now in the monastery of the Holy Cross in Coimbra, Portugal.
breski1 January 21, 2010 Saint Berard And Companions Protomartyrs He and his fellow missionaries preached in Italy, Aragon, Coimbra, Seville, and finally in Morocco, where they were banished and, upon their return, martyred. Died martyred on 16 January 1220 in Morocco by being scourged till his ribs appeared bare, having burning oil and vinegar poured into the wounds, body rolled on sharp stones and potsherds, then his heads split by a sword relics were ransomed, and are now in the monastery of the Holy Cross in Coimbra, Portugal.
Pope Benedict XVI Shares the Joy of Beatifying John Paul II
Published January 16, 2011 | Associated Press
Pope Benedict XVI said Sunday that everyone who knew or admired John Paul II shares his joy that he will beatify his predecessor on May 1 — a ceremony in St. Peter's Square that could bring 2 million people into Rome.
Beatification is the last major step before possible sainthood.
The ceremony …More
Pope Benedict XVI Shares the Joy of Beatifying John Paul II
Published January 16, 2011 | Associated Press
Pope Benedict XVI said Sunday that everyone who knew or admired John Paul II shares his joy that he will beatify his predecessor on May 1 — a ceremony in St. Peter's Square that could bring 2 million people into Rome.
Beatification is the last major step before possible sainthood.
The ceremony, a week after Easter, is expected to draw huge crowds, according to Rome authorities rushing to ready the capital for the event. John Paul's funeral in 2005 saw nearly 3 million faithful flock to the Vatican.
"On May 1, I'll have the joy of proclaiming blessed the venerable John Paul II, my beloved predecessor," Benedict said from his studio window overlooking the square, where tourists and pilgrims gathered to receive his traditional Sunday blessing.
"All those who knew him, all those who esteemed and admired him, cannot help but rejoice with the church for this event," the pontiff said.
Many pilgrims will come from John Paul's homeland of Poland. Benedict told the Poles in the square that he shares their joy over the announcement Friday of the beatification.
"This news was much awaited by everyone" and in a particular way by Poles, because John Paul had been "their guide in faith, in truth and in freedom," Benedict said.
The 1978-2005 papacy of the first Polish-born pope is credited with helping to bring the end in the late 1980s to decades of communist rule in Eastern Europe, particularly through his staunch championing of the Solidarity labor movement in Poland.
But John Paul's long tenure at the helm of the Roman Catholic church also spanned years when shocking revelations of sexual abuse of minors by clergy disgusted many faithful. As the scandal exploded, church hierarchy in many dioceses around the world were accused by the abused of systematically covering up rape and molestation by priests.
John Paul's homeland often embraced the church as a bulwark against communism, and priests were often admired as heroes and patriots, and he has been faulted for his overriding concern with safeguarding the rights of accused clergy.
An international Catholic group, which seeks renewal in the church, described John Paul as a "controversial, contradictory pope."
In a statement Sunday reacting to the decision to beatify him, We Are Church contended that John Paul's "penchant for spiritual authoritarianism" contributed to "the greatest tragedy of his tenure as pope: the sexual abuse of thousands of children globally."
"His tragedy lies in the discrepancy between his commitment to reform and dialogue in the world and his return to authoritarianism within the church," We Are Church said.
Published January 16, 2011 | Associated Press
Pope Benedict XVI said Sunday that everyone who knew or admired John Paul II shares his joy that he will beatify his predecessor on May 1 — a ceremony in St. Peter's Square that could bring 2 million people into Rome.
Beatification is the last major step before possible sainthood.
The ceremony, a week after Easter, is expected to draw huge crowds, according to Rome authorities rushing to ready the capital for the event. John Paul's funeral in 2005 saw nearly 3 million faithful flock to the Vatican.
"On May 1, I'll have the joy of proclaiming blessed the venerable John Paul II, my beloved predecessor," Benedict said from his studio window overlooking the square, where tourists and pilgrims gathered to receive his traditional Sunday blessing.
"All those who knew him, all those who esteemed and admired him, cannot help but rejoice with the church for this event," the pontiff said.
Many pilgrims will come from John Paul's homeland of Poland. Benedict told the Poles in the square that he shares their joy over the announcement Friday of the beatification.
"This news was much awaited by everyone" and in a particular way by Poles, because John Paul had been "their guide in faith, in truth and in freedom," Benedict said.
The 1978-2005 papacy of the first Polish-born pope is credited with helping to bring the end in the late 1980s to decades of communist rule in Eastern Europe, particularly through his staunch championing of the Solidarity labor movement in Poland.
But John Paul's long tenure at the helm of the Roman Catholic church also spanned years when shocking revelations of sexual abuse of minors by clergy disgusted many faithful. As the scandal exploded, church hierarchy in many dioceses around the world were accused by the abused of systematically covering up rape and molestation by priests.
John Paul's homeland often embraced the church as a bulwark against communism, and priests were often admired as heroes and patriots, and he has been faulted for his overriding concern with safeguarding the rights of accused clergy.
An international Catholic group, which seeks renewal in the church, described John Paul as a "controversial, contradictory pope."
In a statement Sunday reacting to the decision to beatify him, We Are Church contended that John Paul's "penchant for spiritual authoritarianism" contributed to "the greatest tragedy of his tenure as pope: the sexual abuse of thousands of children globally."
"His tragedy lies in the discrepancy between his commitment to reform and dialogue in the world and his return to authoritarianism within the church," We Are Church said.
St. Berard and Companions (d. 1220)
Preaching the gospel is often dangerous work. Leaving one’s homeland and adjusting to new cultures, governments and languages is difficult enough; but martyrdom sometimes caps all the other sacrifices. In 1219 with the blessing of St. Francis, Berard left Italy with Peter, Adjute, Accurs, Odo and Vitalis to preach in Morocco. En route in Spain Vitalis became sick …More
St. Berard and Companions (d. 1220)
Preaching the gospel is often dangerous work. Leaving one’s homeland and adjusting to new cultures, governments and languages is difficult enough; but martyrdom sometimes caps all the other sacrifices. In 1219 with the blessing of St. Francis, Berard left Italy with Peter, Adjute, Accurs, Odo and Vitalis to preach in Morocco. En route in Spain Vitalis became sick and commanded the other friars to continue their mission without him.
They tried preaching in Seville, then in Muslim hands, but made no converts. They went on to Morocco where they preached in the marketplace. The friars were immediately apprehended and ordered to leave the country; they refused. When they began preaching again, an exasperated sultan ordered them executed. After enduring severe beatings and declining various bribes to renounce their faith in Jesus Christ, the friars were beheaded by the sultan himself on January 16, 1220.
These were the first Franciscan martyrs. When Francis heard of their deaths, he exclaimed, "Now I can truly say that I have five Friars Minor!" Their relics were brought to Portugal where they prompted a young Augustinian canon to join the Franciscans and set off for Morocco the next year. That young man was Anthony of Padua. These five martyrs were canonized in 1481.
Comment:
The deaths of Berard and his companions sparked a missionary vocation in Anthony of Padua and others. There have been many, many Franciscans who have responded to Francis’ challenge. Proclaiming the gospel can be fatal, but that has not stopped the Franciscan men and women who even today risk their lives in many countries throughout the world.
Quote:
Before St. Francis, the Rules of religious orders made no mention of preaching to the Muslims. In the Rule of 1223, Francis wrote: "Those brothers who, by divine inspiration, desire to go among the Saracens and other nonbelievers should ask permission from their ministers provincial. But the ministers should not grant permission except to those whom they consider fit to be sent" (Chapter 12).
www.americancatholic.org/features/saints/saint.aspx
Preaching the gospel is often dangerous work. Leaving one’s homeland and adjusting to new cultures, governments and languages is difficult enough; but martyrdom sometimes caps all the other sacrifices. In 1219 with the blessing of St. Francis, Berard left Italy with Peter, Adjute, Accurs, Odo and Vitalis to preach in Morocco. En route in Spain Vitalis became sick and commanded the other friars to continue their mission without him.
They tried preaching in Seville, then in Muslim hands, but made no converts. They went on to Morocco where they preached in the marketplace. The friars were immediately apprehended and ordered to leave the country; they refused. When they began preaching again, an exasperated sultan ordered them executed. After enduring severe beatings and declining various bribes to renounce their faith in Jesus Christ, the friars were beheaded by the sultan himself on January 16, 1220.
These were the first Franciscan martyrs. When Francis heard of their deaths, he exclaimed, "Now I can truly say that I have five Friars Minor!" Their relics were brought to Portugal where they prompted a young Augustinian canon to join the Franciscans and set off for Morocco the next year. That young man was Anthony of Padua. These five martyrs were canonized in 1481.
Comment:
The deaths of Berard and his companions sparked a missionary vocation in Anthony of Padua and others. There have been many, many Franciscans who have responded to Francis’ challenge. Proclaiming the gospel can be fatal, but that has not stopped the Franciscan men and women who even today risk their lives in many countries throughout the world.
Quote:
Before St. Francis, the Rules of religious orders made no mention of preaching to the Muslims. In the Rule of 1223, Francis wrote: "Those brothers who, by divine inspiration, desire to go among the Saracens and other nonbelievers should ask permission from their ministers provincial. But the ministers should not grant permission except to those whom they consider fit to be sent" (Chapter 12).
www.americancatholic.org/features/saints/saint.aspx