JON-2 has now sold
1.8 million worldwide
MILAN, April 5 (SIR) – “1.8 million copies of the Pope’s book have already been sold around the world - 430,000 in Italy alone”, said Mgr. Giuseppe Costa, director of Libreria Editrice Vaticana, the Vatican publishing house, at a presentation
Jesus of Nazareth. From the Entrance into Jerusalem to the Resurrection.
[It must be recalled that the initial print order at the time the book was released last March 10 was 1.2 million, which means another 600,000 have been reprinted since then. The first printing in Italian was 300,000 which sold out in 3 days.]
The event took place at the Catholic University of Milan, with the Secretary-General of the Italian Bishops’ Conference, Mgr. Mariano Crociata, as the principal presenter.
Mgr. Costa said the book is a non-fiction best-seller "in almost all the countries in which it is sold. Up to now, the book has been printed in 12 countries but we have already made agreements to distribute it in 25”.
He pointed out that the book is particularly useful for Catholics this Lent, point out that it is used by many prayer groups to reflect on the events of salvation represented by Jesus's life.
Since the following item is about Milan, in a way, I am posting it in this box, because a new postbox will go on to Page 201...
Cardinal Martini to visit
the Pope on Saturday
Adapted and translated from
April 5, 2011
It has been learned that the Pope will receive Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini, emeritus Archbishop of Milan, at a private audience on Saturday.
The Jesuit cardinal, who turned 84 in January, has been suffering from Parkinson's disease for several years. After his retirement as archbishop of Milan, he retired to Jerusalem where he pursued his lifelong Biblical studies. He now lives in a Jesuit rest home in Gallarate near Rome.
The meeting is considered significant among other things because Benedict XVI will decide soon who will succeed Archbishop Dionigi Tettamanzi, Martini's successor in Milan. [Tettamanzi is due to retire on his 77th birthday, having asked the Pope in 2009 for a two-year extension when he turned 75.]
My addenda:
In the 2005 Conclave, Martini was touted as the candidate of the liberal wing of the Church, but his illness probably kept him from presenting any real challenge in terms of actual votes cast at the first ballot.
He has not always preached the Church Magisterium, particularly on social issues, but has been careful not to express anything that is openly heterodox. The media have been quick to hype such borderline statements, treating him, in effect, as the anti-Pope to Benedict XVI.
Last year, he took the unusual step of expressing support publicly for Benedict XVI at the height of the accusations against him in connection with the pedophile-priest scandals,
And recently, for the first time, he corrected media statements that claim he supports the abolition of priestly celibacy, saying that it was not celibacy he was questioning but the isolation of priests unless they live in a community, or at least with other priests.
In effect, Joseph Ratzinger's two most famous contemporaries, Cardinal Martini and Hans Kueng, are also his strongest ideological opponents. Martini turned 84 in January, Kueng turned 85 in March, and the Pope will be 84 on April 16.
[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 06/04/2011 00:47]