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Cardinal Invited Protestants to Read Pre-Reformation Writings ROME, MAY 5, 2005 (Zenit.org).- A leading Lutheran in Germany said in 1998 that Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, now Benedict XVI, was one of the few who really understood Martin Luther. The Protestant leader's statements were communicated to ZENIT by Sigrid Spath, a German Lutheran, who at times has been Cardinal Ratzinger's interpreter and who, for more than 30 years, has worked in the general curia of the Society of Jesus and collaborates with the Holy See. Spath revealed details of the public meeting she witnessed between the then prefect of the Congregation for...

Help us gauge the historical significance of Pope John Paul II.There are only two possible competitors to John Paul II being the most significant pope since the Reformation: Pius IX in the 19th century, who was also one of the youngest popes ever and reigned for a long, long time. Vatican I and the doctrine of papal infallibility happened under him, along with the loss of the papal states. The other competitor would be John XXIII, and that's just because of Vatican II. But his pontificate was so brief, it was almost like a flare against the darkness. So...

A New Low, Even for the US Bishops... Catholic Leaders Refuse Explicit Papal Directive on Nutrition and Hydration: Will "Study" Life and Death Issue for a Year 5/6/2004 11:49:00 PM - LifeSiteNews.com TAMPA BAY, May 3, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Last month Pope John Paul II stated unequivocally that a person who is ill always has the right to food and water, even if it must be administered to him through a feeding tube. The Pope made it clear that removal of nutrition and hydration from patients in a vegetative state who are not otherwise dying is "gravely immoral". In Catholic...

A new Vatican document on the Eucharist has been delayed by internal debate within the Roman Curia. According to Italian press reports, an early draft of the document has been set aside because of complaints that it was too "conservative." In April, when he released his encyclical Ecclesia de Eucharistia, Pope John Paul II reported that he had directed the Roman Curia to produce "a more specific document, including prescriptions of a juridical nature," to address abuses in the Eucharistic liturgy. That second document has not yet appeared, despite occasional rumors that its publication is imminent. The monthly magazine Jesus,...

The Dignity of the Eucharistic Celebration By Father Edward McNamara, LC In dealing with the dignity of the surroundings and decorum of the eucharistic celebration, the encyclical "Ecclesia de Eucharistia" takes its cue from several Gospel texts which complement and enhance our understanding of the simple, yet solemn moment of the sacrament's institution. Thus, the accounts of the anointing at Bethany (Matthew 26:8; Mark 14:4; John 12:4) "anticipate the honor which his body will continue to merit even after his death, indissolubly bound as it is to the mystery of his person" ("Ecclesia de Eucharistia," No. 47). The "careful" preparation...

VATICAN, Feb 4, 03 (CWNews.com) -- Pope John Paul II will publish a new encyclical, on the Eucharist, within the next few months, informed Vatican sources have revealed.Rumors have been circulating since early last year that the Holy Father has been working on a document about the Eucharist. But the Holy See has made no announcement on the subject, and there had been-- until now-- no indication as to what form that document might take.Now Vatican sources confirm that the Pope is in the final stages of preparing an encyclical letter. The Congregations for the Doctrine of Faith and for...