BENEDICT XVI: NEWS, PAPAL TEXTS, PHOTOS AND COMMENTARY

Sept. 2, 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

BLESSED JEAN FRANCOIS BURTE & COMPANIONS, Martyrs of the French Revolution (d 1792, Paris)
Burte was one of hundreds of clergy who were martyrs of the French Revolution. Though their martyrdom spans a period
of several years, they stand together in the Church’s memory because they all gave their lives for the same principle.
The Civil Constitution of the Clergy (1791) required all priests to take an oath which amounted to a denial of the faith.
Each of these men refused and was executed. Jean Francois Burté became a Franciscan at 16; later. he became guardian
of the large Conventual friary in Paris until he was arrested and held in the convent of the Carmelites. Burte and 184 others-
including several bishops and many religious and diocesan priests — were massacred at the Carmelite house in Paris on
September 2, 1792. They were beatified in 1926. (Regrettably, I still have not found any image for Blessed Burte even
from French online sites).
Readings for today's Mass:
www.usccb.org/bible/readings/090212.cfm


WITH THE HOLY FATHER TODAY

Mass with the Schuelerkreis - The Pope celebrated Mass at 8 a.m. at the Mariopolis Center of Castel Gandolfo
with his former doctoral students.

Sunday Angelus - Speaking to the faithful, the Pope reflected on the Law of God which has largely become,
for both Jews and Christians, a mere accessory rather than the most important thing in life, as men have
replaced God's Word with 'false religiosities'. As Jesus told the Pharisees in today's Gospel, citing
the prophet Isaiah: "This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vain
do they worship me" and telling them, "You disregard God's commandment but cling to human tradition".