Thursday, March 18
Eztreme right: 15th century painting of St. Jerome appearing to St. Cyril.
ST. CYRIL OF JERUSALEM (315-386), Bishop, Confessor, Doctor of the Church
St. Cyril was born in Caesarea and is among the remarkable group of great 4th century Church Fathers and eventual Doctors of the Church
who were his contemporaries (Ambrose, Jerome, Augustine, Athanasiua, Basil, Gregory Nazianzus, John Chrysostom, Ephraem of Syria,
Hilary of Poitiers). He was ordained deacon by Macarius, and consecrated as a bishop by Maximus, both of whom would become saints. Cyril
lived during the high tide of the Arian heresy, and his determined stand against this heresy earned him exile three times, so that half his life
as bishop was spent in exile. With St. Gregory of Nyssa, he attended the second Council of Constantinople, which adopted a modified version
of the Nicene Creed. Although his orthodoxy was apparently doubted by Jerome and Athanasius, the Council at Constantinople hailed him as
a champion of the faith against Arianism. [In fact, his specific Church title is 'Doctor of Faith and against Heresy'.] Before he became a
bishop in 350, he was assigned to prepare catechumens for Baptism. The Catecheses that he wrote for them survive to this day, and was for
a long time, a primary reference on the liturgy and doctrine of the 4th century. Benedict XVI dedicated his catechesis of June 7, 2007
to St. Cyril.
www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/audiences/2007/documents/hf_ben-xvi_aud_20070627...
Readings for today's Mass:
www.usccb.org/nab/031810.shtml
OR today.
At the General Audience, Benedict XVI says he will sign his letter to Irish Catholics on March 19 to call for
'Repentance, healing and renewal'
In the catechesis, he speaks of the primacy of love in St. Bonaventure's theology
Other papal stories in this issue: The Pope is made honorary citizen of Romano Canavese, Cardinal Bertone's hometown (left
photo), and the text of his homily on Sunday Rome's Lutheran Church. Page 1 news: Asia leads global economic growth - India
now follows China in projected GNP growth this year and may surpass it by 2018; traffic in light arms said to be out of control
in Africa; Mekong River drought threatens Southeast Asia. There are two short items on Cardinal Brady's St. Patrick's Day
homily in Armagh; and Chancellor Merkel's statement to the German Bundestag that she is satisfied the Vatican is confronting
the sexual abuse crisis appropriately.
THE POPE'S DAY
The Holy Father met today with
- Mons. Augustine Kasujja, Apostolic Nuncio in Nigeria
- Bishops of Burkina Faso and Niger (Group 2) on ad limina visit
- Members of the Union of Industrialists and Businessmen of Rome. Address in Italian.
Letter to Irish Catholics
to be published Saturday
Vatican newsmen were informed today that the
Pastoral Letter of the Holy Father Benedict XVI to the
Catholics of Ireland will be published Saturday, March 20. The full text will be available in English and Italian,
and in summary form in the other official Vatican languages. Press director Fr. Federico Lombardi will hold a
briefing on the Letter at 11 a.m. Saturday.
The Pope announced at the General Audience yesterday that he would be signing the letter tomorrow,
Feast of St. Joseph.
[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 19/03/2010 22:21]