00 16/09/2012 13:40


September 16, 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time

ST. CYPRIAN OF CARTHAGE (d Carthage [modern-day Tunis] 258), Bishop, Writer, Martyr, Father of the Church
Born to wealthy pagan parents, he was highly educated and a famous orator and teacher. He became a Christian as an adult, receiving his catechesis
from the future St. Caecelius; distributed his wealth to the poor, and vowed himself to chastity before being baptized. He was ordained a priest in 247,
and two years later, he was chosen Bishop of Carthage against his will. Almost immediately, he had to conduct his ministry in hiding after the Decian
persecution began in 250. Many Christians abandoned the Church easily during the persecutions, and their subsequent reinstatement after persecutions
eased, caused great controversies in the third century. Cyprian opposed a rival bishop who simply accepted everyone back without any canonical penance.
He led the opposition, supported by all North African bishops, to Pope Stephen I's decree that on the validity of baptism by heretics if the ritual was
done properly; Cyprian insisted baptism was not valid outside the Church. During a plague in Carthage, he urged Christians to help everyone, including
their enemies and persecutors. He supported Pope St. Cornelius against the anti-Pope Novatian. As a Christian writer (mostly in the form of pastoral
letters) in North Africa, he was considered second only to Tertullian, until Augustine eclipsed them both. During Valerian's persecutions, he was exiled
in 257, then brought back to Carthage where he was sentenced to beheading by sword. He died a martyr as had Pope Stephen I and his successor
Sixtus II in Rome.
Readings for today's Mass:
www.usccb.org/bible/readings/091612.cfm


Final day, Apostolic Visit to Lebanon
Sunday, Sept. 16

BEIRUT

10.00 HOLY MASS
and Handover of the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation
Beirut city center waterfront
- Homily by the Holy Father
- ANGELUS prayers
- Remarks by the Holy Father.

HARISSA

13.20 Lunch with the papal delegation
Apostolic Nunciature

16.50 Farewell from the Nunciature

CHARFET

17.15 ECUMENICAL ENCOUNTER
Salon d'Honneur, Syro-Catholic Patriarchate

BEIRUT

18.30 DEPARTURE CEREMONY
Rafiq Hariri International Airport
- Address by the Holy Father

19.00 Departure for Rome

ROME

21.40 Arrival at Ciampino Airport


Two years ago today...


Benedict XVI began an apostolic visit to the United Kingdom, which was also a state visit. Up to the day
of his arrival, British media were chock-full of the direst predictions about the visit, but starting with
the popular welcome down Edinburgh's High Mile that morning, once again, this greatly 'mis-underestimated'
Pope proved all the Cassandras wrong. The visit, during which he beatified Cardinal John Henry Newman,
was one of the most memorable of his apostolic visits abroad.

[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 16/09/2012 14:58]