May 8, Saturday, Fifth Week of Easter
Center photos: the saint's reliquary in Bellvaux, and a view of the monastery grounds today.
ST. PIERRE DE TARANTAISE (France, 1102-1174), Cistercian, Abbot and Bishop
As a shepherd boy in the Isere region of France, Pierre could recite all the Psalms by heart, then joined the Cistercian order where he rose quickly to become prior and then abbot of Tamie, the monastery he founded in the Savoy (southeast France). Against his will, he was eventually named Bishop of Tarantaise, earning a reputation for his political skills. Nonetheless, he continued to draw strength from the monastic life, often visiting the Grande Chartreuse monastery for spiritual breaks. When Frederick Barbarossa named an anti-Pope against the legitimate Pope, Alexander III, Pierre became involved in seeking to defend the latter's legitimacy. Later, he would be asked to facilitate negotiations between Louis VII of France and Henry II of England. However, he fell ill during the course of the mission and eventually died in the abbey of Bellvaux. His renown was such that less than 20 years after his death, he was canonized. His remains were eventually distributed among the Cistercian monasteries in France. His major shrine is in Bellvaux.
Readings from today's Mass:
www.usccb.org/nab/readings/050810.shtml
OR today.
Papal stories in this issue: The Pope's audience with the President of Georgia and his address to the new members of the Swiss Guard; a preparatory essay on his visit to Portugal; a lecture by the German ambassador to the Holy See on the relevance of Caritas in veritate to resolving the basic issues in the current financial and environmental world crises; and the concert for the Holy Father on May 20 offered by the Patriarch of Moscow to close the 'Days of Russian culture and spirituality' in Rome. Page 1 international news : European leaders working overtime to save Greece from debt collapse; the stalemate in the UK as both the Conservatives and the Labour fight to beat the other at putting together a coalition government after the Tory failure to win an absolute majority in this week's parliamentary elections.
THE POPE'S DAY
The Holy Father met today with
- Bishops of Belgium (Group 3) on ad limina visit, meeting with each of them individually before addressing
all the groups together. Address in French.
- Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops (weekly meeting).
The Vatican also announced today that Benedict XVI has accepted the resignation of Mons. Walter Mixa, as
Bishop of Augsburg and as Military Bishop for Germany, amid new stories that Mixa was not only guilty of
physically striking students in the past but may also have been guilty of sexual misconduct.
The Pope also accepted the resignation of the Primate of Poland, Mons. Henryk Józef Muszyński, as Bishop of
Gniezno, having reached canonical retirement age. The pope named the present Apostolic Nuncio in Poland, Mons.
Józef Kowalczyk, to replace him in both positions.