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Pope Benedict XVI embraces a child upon his arrival for a meeting with priests in Introd, Italy, July 25. The pope met with priests, religious and deacons from the Valle d'Aosta region.
All members of the faithful are invited to a farewell Mass for Archbishop William J. Levada planned for 11:00 a.m., Sunday, Aug. 7 at St. Mary’s Cathedral. Archbishop Levada will leave for Rome in mid-August to take up his full-time duties as the first American Prefect for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Various communities of the Archdiocese have planned good-byes for the Archbishop in August and many have expressed their goodwill through gifts and tributes. The Aug 7 Mass is an opportunity for all the faithful to gather around their bishop in prayer at the table of the Eucharist, Cathedral administrator Fr. John Talesfore said. The Church teaches and Archbishop Levada truly believes that “the Church is most present” when the people are gathered round the bishop at his Cathedral for Eucharist, Talesfore said. “The gift that would mean most to him, would be to have the Cathedral full with people to pray for him,” he said. Auxiliary Bishops John C. Wester and Ignatius Wang along with priests from throughout the Archdiocese will concelebrate. Music will be provided by the Cathedral Choir under the direction of
Christoph Tieztze. The choir of St. Dominic Church in San Francisco will join in providing music for the liturgy. St. Dominic’s Choir is taking special time out to help see their bishop off, Fr. Talesfore said, since Aug. 7 is the feast of St. Dominic and traditionally an important celebration for their parish. The liturgy will incorporate elements of special importance to Archbishop Levada, Talesfore said. “He has always been fond of calling San Francisco, Assisi by the Bay, and so in honor of St. Francis we will do ‘All Creatures of Our God and King,’ based on the thought of St. Francis”, Father Talesfore said. The introit and post communion music will include English and Latin renditions of a chant in honor of Archbishop Levada’s motto, “Freatres in Unum,” taken from Psalm 133, “How good it is when brothers come together as one.” The Knights of the Holy Sepulchre and Knights of Malta, as well as the Board of Regents of the Cathedral, will join in the celebration, and members of the Archbishop’s staff will present the offertory gifts. Mass will be followed by a reception, including food and drink, with an opportunity to meet and greet Archbishop Levada and Bishops Wester and Wang.
(CNS PHOTO FROM REUTERS)
Farewell Mass for Archbishop Levada at Cathedral Aug. 7
Pope condemns wave of ‘abominable terrorist attacks’ By Catholic News Service LES COMBES, Italy — Pope Benedict XVI decried a wave of “abominable terrorist attacks” in Egypt, Turkey, Iraq and Britain and called on God to convert the hearts of those responsible for the bloodshed. Such violent attacks “offend God and humanity,” the pope said after praying the Angelus July 24 from the Alpine retreat where he was vacationing. May “God stay the murderous hand” of the terrorists who are driven by “fanaticism and hatred” and may he “convert their hearts” to the ideals of reconciliation and peace, he said. Bomb blasts July 23 at the Egyptian resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh were the latest in a string of terrorist attacks to hit Europe and the Middle East. The predawn explosions in Egypt left at least 88 people dead, according to reports from local hospitals. Upon hearing the news of the Red Sea resort-town blast, Pope Benedict expressed his “heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims” in a telegram sent July 23 to local church and government authorities. The message, sent on behalf of the pope by the Vatican’s secretary of
state, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, reiterated the pope’s condemnation of such “senseless acts” of violence that cause “so much suffering to civilian populations.” “His holiness appeals to all to renounce the way of violence” and “instead to embrace the way of peace,” the telegram said. While investigators suspect diverse Islamic militant groups to be behind the different terrorist attacks, Pope Benedict told reporters he believed the violence was not aimed against Christianity. “I feel the intention is far more general and not specifically against Christianity,” he said July 25 after a meeting with priests and deacons of the Valle d’Aosta region where he is vacationing. When asked by journalists whether Islam could be thought of as a religion of peace, the pope said, “I would not like to use big words to apply generic labels.” Islam “certainly contains elements that can favor peace; it also has other elements; we must always seek the best elements,” he said. Meanwhile, the Vatican’s newspaper POPE ON TERRORISTS, page 19
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July 29, 2005
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