An empty St. Peter’s Basilica / Credit: Vatican Media
Vatican City, Mar 22, 2021 / 05:30 am (CNA).- The restriction of private Masses in the upper side chapels of St. Peter’s Basilica went into force Monday.
The basilica was quiet on March 22 without the usual murmur of prayers in many languages being offered to God in the sacrifice of the Mass at the tombs of saints.
A person entering the basilica at 8:30 a.m. would not have seen any Masses taking place in the empty side chapels.
The only official Mass scheduled at that time occurred out of sight behind a curtain behind a barricade. Only eight people were present at the Mass offered in Italian by one priest ad orientem (facing liturgical east) without any hymns.
A sign on the door of St. Peter’s Basilica lists four official daily Masses — all in Italian — taking place in the upper basilica at 8:30 a.m., 10 a.m., 11 a.m., and 5 p.m. during March. A security guard told CNA that Masses also took place on March 22 at 7 a.m. in the Chapel of the Choir and at 9 a.m. at the Altar of the Chair.
The basilica appeared more like a silent museum where the art above the altars can be viewed, but the altars themselves are left unused for their intended purpose.
Security guards chatted and watched as maintenance workers ascended on an aerial lift above the bronze statue of the apostle St. Peter, the first pope, to whom the basilica is dedicated.
Until now, the 45 altars and 11 chapels in St. Peter’s Basilica have been used every morning by priests to celebrate their daily Mass. Many of them are Vatican officials who begin their day with the celebration.
At 8:15 a.m. on March 18, four days before the suppression of private Masses in the upper basilica went into effect, a Mass could be seen taking place at nearly every chapel in the upper basilica and more Masses were offered below in the crypt chapels surrounding the archaeological excavation of the tomb containing relics of St. Peter.
The restriction of private Masses in the upper part of St. Peter’s Basilica came about in an unusual fashion 10 days ago.
A letter from the Vatican Secretariat of State was posted to the sacristy door in St. Peter’s Basilica on March 12. The letter was not accompanied by any kind of official Vatican communication. Nor was the letter signed in full by Archbishop Edgar Peña Parra, who heads the First Section of the Secretariat of State, but only included his initials.
The letter from the Secretariat of State was not addressed to Cardinal Mauro Gambetti — the new archpriest of St. Peter’s Basilica, appointed by Pope Francis on Feb. 20 — but to Archbishop Mario Giordana, extraordinary commissioner of the Fabric of St. Peter.
This is unusual, since the Fabric of St. Peter does not deal with liturgical celebrations in the Basilica, but is instead charged with its conservation and maintenance.
The letter’s release by the First Section of the Secretariat of State has also garnered attention, as the first section is a sort of ministry of internal affairs, in charge of the direction and coordination of offices of the Roman Curia, but typically not liturgical celebrations.
These anomalies prompted speculation that the letter might have been a forgery. But two Vatican officials who asked for anonymity confirmed to CNA on March 12 that the document was real and its directives would be enforced beginning March 22, as the letter instructed.
The letter stressed that Lent is a time to focus on the Word of God and the celebration of the Eucharist. It said that the changes were intended to ensure “the Holy Masses in St. Peter’s Basilica take place in a climate of recollection and liturgical decency.”
Under the new measures, all priests will be able to concelebrate in the official scheduled Masses. The measures also ask that the Masses have lectors and cantors.
On the feast day of a saint whose relics are in the basilica, such as the altar at the tomb of St. John Paul II, one of the Masses can be celebrated at the altar dedicated to that saint.
Another change: Mass offered in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite will be limited to the Clementine Chapel in the Vatican Grotto.
Pope Francis has often said that the Catholic faith is not a thing of the past, like an artifact in a museum, but rather is kept alive through continuous personal encounters with Christ.
“There is always a danger that can dim the light of faith, and that is the temptation to reduce it to something from the past, something important but belonging to another age, as if the faith were a beautiful illuminated book to be kept in a museum,” the pope said in a homily on June 25, 2016.
“Once it is locked up in the archives of history, faith loses its power to transform, its living beauty, its positive openness to all,” the pope said.
“Faith, however, is born and reborn from a life-giving encounter with Jesus, from experiencing how his mercy illumines every situation in our lives. We would do well to renew this living encounter with the Lord each day.”
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Bishop Joseph Brennan of Fresno speaks at a rally of the UFW march for a labor union voting rights bill in Calwa, Calif., Aug. 11, 2022. / Diocese of Fresno
Denver Newsroom, Aug 18, 2022 / 18:00 pm (CNA).
Bishop Joseph Brennan of Fresno joined … […]
A defining theme of Pope Francis’ papacy has been his urging of humanity to better care for the natural environment, which he has done most prominently in his landmark 2015 encyclical Laudato Si’ and numerous subsequent writings and speeches.
The pope’s emphasis on this topic — especially his foray into climate science via his recent encyclical Laudate Deum — has variously drawn both praise and consternation from Catholics in the United States, about half of whom do not share Pope Francis’ views on climate change, according to surveys.
In Laudate Deum, which was released in October as a continuation to Laudato Si’, Francis wrote that the effects of climate change “are here and increasingly evident,” warning of “immensely grave consequences for everyone” if drastic efforts are not made to reduce emissions. In the face of this, the Holy Father criticized those who “have chosen to deride [the] facts” about climate science, stating bluntly that it is “no longer possible to doubt the human — ‘anthropic’ — origin of climate change.”
The pope in the encyclical laid out his belief that there must be a “necessary transition towards clean energy sources, such as wind and solar energy, and the abandonment of fossil fuels.” This follows a call from Pope Francis in 2021 to the global community calling for the world to “achieve net zero carbon emissions as soon as possible.”
He further lamented what he called “certain dismissive and scarcely reasonable opinions [on climate change] that I encounter, even within the Catholic Church.”
In light of the new encyclical — which extensively cites the U.N.’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) — Pope Francis was invited to speak at this week’s United Nations Climate Change Conference, known as COP28. Though the 86-year-old pope was forced to cancel his trip due to health issues, the Vatican has indicated that he aims to participate in COP28 this weekend in some fashion. It announced today that Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin will represent the pope at the conference.
While various Catholic groups have welcomed the pope’s latest encyclical, some Catholics have reacted with persistent doubts, questioning whether the pope’s policy prescriptions would actually produce the desired effects.
How do Americans feel about climate change?
According to a major survey conducted by Yale University, 72% of Americans believed in 2021 — the latest available data year — that “global warming is happening,” and 57% believe that global warming is caused by human activity.
More recent polling from the Pew Research Center, conducted in June, similarly suggests that two-thirds of U.S. adults overall say the country should prioritize developing renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar, over the expansion of the production of oil, coal, and natural gas. That same survey found that just 3 in 10 adults (31%) say the U.S. should completely phase out oil, coal, and natural gas. The Yale study found that 77% of U.S. adults support at least the funding of research into renewable energy sources.
Broken down by party affiliation, Pew found that a large majority of Democratic and Democratic-leaning independents — 90% — favor alternative energy sources, while just under half, 42%, of Republicans and Republican-leaning adults think the same. Within the Republican cohort, however, 67% of Republicans under age 30 prioritize the development of alternative energy sources, compared with the 75% of Republicans ages 65 and older who prioritize the expansion of oil, coal, and natural gas.
In terms of the expansion of alternative energy sources, two-thirds of Americans think the federal government should encourage domestic production of wind and solar power, Pew reported. Just 7% say the government should discourage this, while 26% think it should neither encourage nor discourage it.
How do America’s Catholics feel about climate change?
Surveys suggest that Catholics in the United States are slightly more likely than the U.S. population as a whole to be skeptical of climate change, despite the pope’s emphatic words in 2015 and since.
A separate Pew study suggests that 44% of U.S. Catholics say the Earth is warming mostly due to human activity, a view in line with Pope Francis’ stance. About 3 in 10 (29%) said the Earth is warming mostly due to natural patterns, while 13% said they believe there is no solid evidence the planet is getting warmer.
According to the same study, 71% of Hispanic Catholics see climate change as an extremely or very serious problem, compared with 49% of white, non-Hispanic Catholics. (There were not enough Black or Asian Catholics in the 2022 survey to analyze separately, Pew said.)
One 2015 study from Yale did suggest that soon after Laudato Si’ was released, U.S. Catholics were overall more likely to believe in climate change than before. That same study found no change, however, in the number of Americans overall who believe human activity is causing global warming.
Pope Francis’ climate priorities
Beyond his groundbreaking writings, Pope Francis has taken many actions during his pontificate to make his own — admittedly small — country, Vatican City, more sustainable, including the recent announcement of a large order of electric vehicles, construction of its own network of charging stations, a reforestation program, and the continued importation of energy coming exclusively from renewable sources.
Francis has often lamented what he sees as a tepid response from developed countries in implementing measures to curb climate change. In Laudate Deum, he urged that new multinational agreements on climate change — speaking in this case specifically about the COP28 conference — be “drastic, intense, and count on the commitment of all,” stating that “a broad change in the irresponsible lifestyle connected with the Western model would have a significant long-term impact.”
The pope lamented what he sees as the fact that when new projects related to green energy are proposed, the potential for economic growth, employment, and human promotion are thought of first rather than moral considerations such as the effects on the world’s poorest.
“It is often heard also that efforts to mitigate climate change by reducing the use of fossil fuels and developing cleaner energy sources will lead to a reduction in the number of jobs,” the pope noted.
“What is happening is that millions of people are losing their jobs due to different effects of climate change: rising sea levels, droughts, and other phenomena affecting the planet have left many people adrift. Conversely, the transition to renewable forms of energy, properly managed, as well as efforts to adapt to the damage caused by climate change, are capable of generating countless jobs in different sectors.”
‘Leave God’s creation better than we found it’
Dr. Kevin Roberts, president of the Washington, D.C.-based Heritage Foundation think tank, told CNA that he has noticed a theme of frustration and confusion among many Catholics regarding the Holy Father’s emphasis on climate change.
A self-described outdoorsman and former president of Wyoming Catholic College, Roberts spoke highly to CNA of certain aspects of Laudato Si’, particularly the pope’s insights into what he called “human ecology,” which refers to the acceptance of each person’s human body as a vital part of “accepting the entire world as a gift from the Father and our common home.”
Dr. Kevin Roberts, president of the Heritage Foundation. Courtesy of Heritage Foundation.
“I like to think [Pope Francis] personally wrote that, because I could see him saying that,” Roberts said of the passage, which appears in paragraph 155 of the encyclical. Roberts said he even makes a point to meditate on that “beautiful and moving” passage during a retreat that he does annually.
That portion of Laudato Si’ notwithstanding, Roberts said he strongly believes that it detracts from other important issues, such as direct ministry to the poor, when Pope Francis elevates care for God’s natural creation as “seemingly more important than other issues to us as Catholics.” He also said he disagrees with Pope Francis’ policy prescriptions, such as a complete phasing out of fossil fuels, contained in Laudate Deum.
“We of course want to pray for him. We’re open to the teaching that he is providing. But we also have to remember as Catholics that sometimes popes are wrong. And on this issue, it is a prudential matter. It is not a matter of morality, particularly when he’s getting into the scientific policy recommendations,” Roberts said.
Roberts said the Heritage Foundation’s research and advocacy has focused not on high-level, multinational agreements and conferences to tackle the issues posed by climate change but rather on smaller-scale, more community-based efforts. He said this policy position is, in part, due to the historical deference such multinational conglomerates of nations have given to China, the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases overall.
He said agreements within the U.S. itself, with businesses and all levels of government working together, have produced the best results so far when it comes to improving the environment. He also pointed to examples of constructive action that don’t involve billions of dollars, such as families making the choice to spend more time outdoors or engaging in local activities that contribute to environmental conservation and community life, such as anti-litter campaigns and community gardening. The overarching goal, he said, should be to “leave God’s creation better than we found it.”
Roberts — who said he personally believes humans likely have “very little effect” on the climate — said he was discouraged to read other portions of Laudato Si’, as well as Laudate Deum, that to him read as though they had come “straight out of the U.N.” Despite his criticisms, Roberts urged his fellow Catholics to continue to pray for the Holy Father and to listen to the pope’s moral insights.
“I just think that the proposed solutions are actually more anti-human and worse than the purported effects of climate change,” he added.
‘A far more complex issue’
Greg Sindelar, a Catholic who serves as CEO of the Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF), a conservative think tank that studies the energy industry, similarly expressed concerns to CNA about the potential impact of certain climate change mitigation policies on human flourishing.
Like Roberts, Sindelar spoke highly of certain aspects of the pope’s message while expressing reservations about some of the U.N.-esque solutions proposed in Laudate Deum.
“I think the pope is right about our duty as Catholics to be stewards and to care for the environment. But I think what we have to understand — what we have to balance this with — is that it cannot come at the expense of depriving people of affordable and reliable energy,” Sindelar said in an interview with CNA.
“There’s ways to be environmentally friendly without sacrificing the access that we all need to reliable and affordable energy.”
Greg Sindelar is CEO of the Texas Public Policy Foundation, a think tank in America’s leading energy-producing state. Courtesy of Texas Public Policy Foundation
Sindelar said TPPF primarily promotes cheap, reliable access to energy as a means of promoting human flourishing. The free-market-focused group is skeptical of top-down governmental intervention, both in the form of regulation and incentives or disincentives in certain areas of the energy sector.
When asked what he thinks his fellow Catholics largely think about the issue, Sindelar said many of the Catholics he hears from express the view that government policies and interventions rarely produce effective solutions and could potentially hinder access to energy for those in need.
“I think it’s a far more complex issue than just saying we need to cut emissions, and we need to transfer away from fossil fuels, and all these other things. What we need to do is figure out and ensure ways that we are providing affordable and reliable electricity to all citizens of the world,” he reiterated.
“When the pope speaks, when the Vatican speaks, it carries a lot of weight with Catholics around the world, [and] not just with Catholics … and I totally agree with him that we need to be thinking about the most marginalized and the poorest amongst us,” Sindelar continued.
“[But] by going down these policy prescription paths that he’s recommending, we’re actually going to reduce their ability to have access to that,” he asserted.
Sindelar, while disagreeing with Pope Francis’ call for an “abandonment of fossil fuels,” said he appreciates the fact that Pope Francis has spoken out about the issue of care for creation and has initiated so much public discussion.
“I think there is room for differing views and opinions on the right ways to do that,” he said.
Effective mitigation efforts
Susan Varlamoff, a retired biologist and parishioner at St. John Neumann Catholic Church in the Atlanta area, is among those Catholics who are committed to Pope Francis’ call to care for creation and to mitigate the effects of climate change. To that end, Varlamoff in 2016 created a peer-reviewed action plan for the Archdiocese of Atlanta to help Catholics put the principles contained in Laudato Si’ into action, mainly through smaller, more personal actions that people can take to reduce their energy usage.
Retired biologist Susan Varlamoff. Photo courtesy of Susan Varlamoff
The Atlanta Archdiocese’s efforts have since garnered recognition and praise, Varlamoff said, with at least 35 archdioceses now involved in an inter-diocesan network formed to exchange sustainability ideas based on the latest version of the plan from Atlanta.
“It’s fascinating to see what everybody is doing, and it’s basically based on their talents and imaginations,” Varlamoff said, noting that a large number of young people have gotten involved with their efforts.
As a scientist, Varlamoff told CNA it is clear to her that Pope Francis knows what he’s talking about when he lays out the dangers posed by inaction in the face of climate change.
“He understands the science, and he’s deeply concerned … he’s got remarkable influence as a moral leader,” she said.
“Part of what our religion asks us to do is to care for one another. We have to care for creation if we’re going to care for one another, because the earth is our natural resource system, our life support, and we cannot care for one another if we don’t have that life support.”
Responding to criticisms about the financial costs associated with certain green initiatives, Varlamoff noted that small-scale sustainable actions can actually save money. She offered the example of parishes in the Atlanta area that have drastically reduced their electric bills by installing solar panels.
“[But,] it’s not just about saving money. It’s also about reducing fossil fuels and greenhouse gas emissions, and protecting the natural resources for future generations,” she said.
Moreover, Varlamoff said, the moral imperative to improve the natural environment for future generations is worth the investment. “When [Catholics] give money, for example, for a social justice issue like Walking with Moms in Need or special needs, the payback is improving lives. We’re improving the environment here,” she emphasized.
Pope Francis greets 80,000 teens on pilgrimage in St. Peter’s Square on April 18, 2022. / Vatican Media
Vatican City, Apr 19, 2022 / 05:30 am (CNA).
Pope Francis urged 80,000 teenagers gathered in St. Peter’s Square on Monday to turn to the Ble… […]
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We read: “The letter from the Secretariat of State was not addressed to Cardinal Mauro Gambetti — the new archpriest of St. Peter’s Basilica, appointed by Pope Francis on Feb. 20 — but to Archbishop Mario Giordana, extraordinary commissioner of the Fabric of St. Peter [but that] the Fabric of St. Peter does not deal with liturgical celebrations in the Basilica, but is instead charged with its conservation and maintenance.”
Clearly, St. Peter’s Basilica is to become a well-conserved and well-maintained museum [!], with the uppity Secretariat of State [!] now weirdly countering Turkey’s semi-secular President Edogan’s recent Islamic maneuver to convert the museum of the confiscated (originally Christian) Hagia Sophia back into a Mosque.
In these incoherent and seemingly pre-adolescent times, one silver lining (and intention?) might be that the German “synodal path” bishops are now prevented from otherwise invading Rome later this year like Attila (“the Scourge of God” and sacker and pillager of Roman cities) to concelebrate (in non-Italian) in the Basilica itself their inter-communion apostasies with their non-apostolic, Protestant mercenaries.
A Vatican intent on keeping up appearances. If we were to read into the restrictions, there is an apparent shift from the Mass as the center of worship to, “Faith, born and reborn, a life giving encounter with Jesus experiencing his mercy”. Keep in mind, this is the year of celebrating Amoris Laetitia. Rather than “an artifact in a museum, religion [now] kept alive through continuous personal encounters with Christ”. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass at the Basilica we might assume is that artifact. Now tidied up with dignity, Mass available at a streamlined number of concelebrations. No longer a horde of liturgy chattering priests busied with a relic of the past. “The basilica appeared more like a silent museum where the art above the altars can be viewed, but the altars themselves are left unused for their intended purpose” (Courtney Mares CNA). If there were anyone found to be responsive outside the Vatican, Hyacinth Bucket would.
Not only has “mercy” been appropriated to accommodate the no-fault demands of amoral lifestyles, faith practice must now be bleached of any semblance of that burdensome and boring attitude of humility that a Sacrificial Mass would require. It’s only a matter of time before the side altars are replaced by secular art, maybe some subtle soft porn to make the gays feel “welcome.” Oh wait. I live in New York. It’s already happening in Manhattan Churches.
Levity aside the prohibition of private Mass is a very serious matter not simply because of restriction, rather as alluded to in my comment that it reflects a devaluation of the Mass in effect the privately offered Mass with focus on the horizontal concelebrated community Mass. It would appear, on the surface that the trend will not end at St Peter’s Basilica. Mystery surrounding the initialed letter considered ineffectual for lack of protocol is nevertheless practically effective in its application. Why archpriest Cardinal Gambetti was circumvented and the edict issued by a Secretariat undersecretary speaks to assumption of power by cardinal Parolin Vat Secretary of State in all affairs beneath the papacy and with approbation by the Papacy. That strong arm tactic indicates signalling a policy preference.
We read: “The letter from the Secretariat of State was not addressed to Cardinal Mauro Gambetti — the new archpriest of St. Peter’s Basilica, appointed by Pope Francis on Feb. 20 — but to Archbishop Mario Giordana, extraordinary commissioner of the Fabric of St. Peter [but that] the Fabric of St. Peter does not deal with liturgical celebrations in the Basilica, but is instead charged with its conservation and maintenance.”
Clearly, St. Peter’s Basilica is to become a well-conserved and well-maintained museum [!], with the uppity Secretariat of State [!] now weirdly countering Turkey’s semi-secular President Edogan’s recent Islamic maneuver to convert the museum of the confiscated (originally Christian) Hagia Sophia back into a Mosque.
In these incoherent and seemingly pre-adolescent times, one silver lining (and intention?) might be that the German “synodal path” bishops are now prevented from otherwise invading Rome later this year like Attila (“the Scourge of God” and sacker and pillager of Roman cities) to concelebrate (in non-Italian) in the Basilica itself their inter-communion apostasies with their non-apostolic, Protestant mercenaries.
A Vatican intent on keeping up appearances. If we were to read into the restrictions, there is an apparent shift from the Mass as the center of worship to, “Faith, born and reborn, a life giving encounter with Jesus experiencing his mercy”. Keep in mind, this is the year of celebrating Amoris Laetitia. Rather than “an artifact in a museum, religion [now] kept alive through continuous personal encounters with Christ”. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass at the Basilica we might assume is that artifact. Now tidied up with dignity, Mass available at a streamlined number of concelebrations. No longer a horde of liturgy chattering priests busied with a relic of the past. “The basilica appeared more like a silent museum where the art above the altars can be viewed, but the altars themselves are left unused for their intended purpose” (Courtney Mares CNA). If there were anyone found to be responsive outside the Vatican, Hyacinth Bucket would.
Not only has “mercy” been appropriated to accommodate the no-fault demands of amoral lifestyles, faith practice must now be bleached of any semblance of that burdensome and boring attitude of humility that a Sacrificial Mass would require. It’s only a matter of time before the side altars are replaced by secular art, maybe some subtle soft porn to make the gays feel “welcome.” Oh wait. I live in New York. It’s already happening in Manhattan Churches.
Levity aside the prohibition of private Mass is a very serious matter not simply because of restriction, rather as alluded to in my comment that it reflects a devaluation of the Mass in effect the privately offered Mass with focus on the horizontal concelebrated community Mass. It would appear, on the surface that the trend will not end at St Peter’s Basilica. Mystery surrounding the initialed letter considered ineffectual for lack of protocol is nevertheless practically effective in its application. Why archpriest Cardinal Gambetti was circumvented and the edict issued by a Secretariat undersecretary speaks to assumption of power by cardinal Parolin Vat Secretary of State in all affairs beneath the papacy and with approbation by the Papacy. That strong arm tactic indicates signalling a policy preference.