A Homily by Father Franklyn M. McAfee - "Come, Lord Jesus, Come"

Homily of Reverend Franklyn M. McAfee, D.D.

Pastor Emeritus

St. John the Beloved Catholic Church

McLean, Virginia

December 7, 2008

Choir of Trinity College, Cambridge - "Komm, Jesu, Komm" - J. S. Bach

Pope Meets with Russian President: Full Diplomatic Relations with Holy See a Major Step Forward

From LifeSiteNews

By Hilary White

The President of Russia, in a visit to Rome, has pledged his government to full diplomatic relations with the Vatican, a move that is being called an historic step forward for relations between the former communist state and the Catholic Church.

On a one-day visit to Rome, Dmitry Medvedev met with the pope for 30 minutes, speaking through interpreters. A media release from the Vatican said that President Medvedev had spoken with Pope Benedict on the "value of the family and the contribution believers make to life in Russia."

Previous visits by Russian leaders to the Holy See have failed to heal the rift between the Catholic Church and Russia after 70 years of anti-religious communism and a thousand years of schism between Catholicism and the Russian Orthodox Church.

The Russian presidential spokeswoman Natalia Timakova said that the Russian foreign ministry has been asked to "lead discussions to establish the relations and raise the level of representation to apostolic nuncio and embassy." Until now Russia and the Vatican have maintained diplomatic representation, but below the rank of ambassador.

The visit follows moves to create stronger ties between the Vatican and the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, with both bodies expressing concerns about the secularization of European life.

The Russian government has increased its attention to supporting marriage and childbirth in the face of massive loss and aging of its population. The country has considerably improved its economic condition since the collapse of communism, with a 72 percent increase in GDP and 150 percent increase in average wages during the premiership of Vladimir Putin. But Russia still faces huge challenges including a looming demographic crisis with a below-replacement birth rate and staggeringly high rates of abortion.

Demographers have estimated that Russia's population has been declining at about 0.5 per cent per year, or about 750,000 to 800,000 people per year during the late 1990s and most of the 2000s. A UN report warned that Russia will lose about a third of its population by 2050 unless the current trends are halted.

Improvement of relations between the Russian Federation, the Russian Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church could signal the country's determination to stand against the depopulating and secularizing trends in Europe.

In a statement released today, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia stressed the importance of Orthodox-Catholic dialogue in opposing the challenges of atheistic society. Kirill thanked the Catholic Church for its support in opening an Orthodox seminary in France.

"Today we're facing the challenges of secularism. We need to respond the challenges together basing on historical experience," Patriarch Kirill said at a Thursday meeting with a delegation of the Catholic Church at the Moscow patriarchal residence.

"Therefore Churches working in apostolic tradition are called to close interaction,"
Patriarch Kirill said.

Relations between the Catholic and Russian Orthodox churches have warmed considerably recently since the death of the former primate, the late Patriarch Alexy II, a hardliner who accused the Catholic Church of "poaching" Orthodox believers.

Reuters reports that Medvedev, himself a practicing Russian Orthodox, took part in a ceremony in which the Italian government granted a pilgrimage centre in the southern city of Bari to the Orthodox Church in March.

The Russian Orthodox Patriarchate of Moscow has published in both Russian and Italian a collection of speeches by Pope Benedict XVI titled, Europe Spiritual Homeland, and CatholicCulture.org reports that a government official in Belarus suggested that his country might be an appropriate place for the much-anticipated ecumenical summit between the two faiths.

"A Date Which Will Live in Infamy"

Sixty-eight years ago this week, the First Air Fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy attacked American military installations and our fleet at Pearl Harbor. The attack killed more than 2,400 Americans and brought America’s entry into World War II.

The next day President Roosevelt addressed a Joint Session of Congress and gave his “Day of Infamy” address. It remains a striking and memorable response to an act of brutal aggression:

Yesterday, December 7th, 1941 -- a date which will live in infamy -- the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.

The United States was at peace with that nation and, at the solicitation of Japan, was still in conversation with its government and its emperor looking toward the maintenance of peace in the Pacific.

Indeed, one hour after Japanese air squadrons had commenced bombing in the American island of Oahu, the Japanese ambassador to the United States and his colleague delivered to our Secretary of State a formal reply to a recent American message. And while this reply stated that it seemed useless to continue the existing diplomatic negotiations, it contained no threat or hint of war or of armed attack.

It will be recorded that the distance of Hawaii from Japan makes it obvious that the attack was deliberately planned many days or even weeks ago. During the intervening time, the Japanese government has deliberately sought to deceive the United States by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace.

The attack yesterday on the Hawaiian islands has caused severe damage to American naval and military forces. I regret to tell you that very many American lives have been lost. In addition, American ships have been reported torpedoed on the high seas between San Francisco and Honolulu.

Yesterday, the Japanese government also launched an attack against Malaya.

Last night, Japanese forces attacked Hong Kong.

Last night, Japanese forces attacked Guam.

Last night, Japanese forces attacked the Philippine Islands.

Last night, the Japanese attacked Wake Island.

And this morning, the Japanese attacked Midway Island.

Japan has, therefore, undertaken a surprise offensive extending throughout the Pacific area. The facts of yesterday and today speak for themselves. The people of the United States have already formed their opinions and well understand the implications to the very life and safety of our nation.

As commander in chief of the Army and Navy, I have directed that all measures be taken for our defense. But always will our whole nation remember the character of the onslaught against us.
No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory.

I believe that I interpret the will of the Congress and of the people when I assert that we will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost, but will make it very certain that this form of treachery shall never again endanger us.

Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that our people, our territory, and our interests are in grave danger.

With confidence in our armed forces, with the unbounding determination of our people, we will gain the inevitable triumph -- so help us God.

I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday, December 7th, 1941, a state of war has existed between the United States and the Japanese empire.

* * *

As terrible as this moment in history was, it is important to remember that even more Americans were murdered on September 11, 2001. Then, like now, most Americans wanted no part in war. But there was a consensus that the evil foisted upon Americans required a firm and resolute response. That generation rolled back the evil and created a better world in the process. May each generation respond to the troubles and evil of its own day with the same determination to “gain the inevitable triumph – so help us God.”

Russia and Vatican to Establish Full Diplomatic Relations

From Catholic World News

Russia and the Holy See have agreed to establish full diplomatic relations. The agreement was announced on December 3 after Pope Benedict XVI met with Russian President Dmitri Medvedev.

Since 1990, Russia has maintained a mission at the Vatican. That representation will now be upgraded to a fully accredited embassy, and an apostolic nunciature will be established in Moscow.

Source(s): these links will take you to other sites, in a new window.

• Pope, Russia agree to upgrade diplomatic ties (AP)
• Russia establishes diplomatic relations with Vatican (RIA Novosti)

Bishops Consult Lesbian on Health Care

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