The Pope Speaks Mozart

And so does China.

A happy coincidence, that. Providential? Perhaps.

At the very least, China Philharmonic's debut at the Vatican, part of a three-city European tour that begins May 4, would carry significant symbolism for the millions of Roman Catholics in China, who are split between official and underground churches. Chinese Catholics are only allowed to worship at state-backed churches, and many worshipping at clandestine sites and professing loyalty to the pope have been persecuted.

Money graf:

It wasn't clear how much the concert would help the Vatican and Beijing move toward reconciliation. But Pope Benedict has made the improvement of relations with Beijing a priority of his papacy, hoping to secure greater freedom for Chinese Catholics.

Rock 'em, Amadeus!

-- David Pearson

In Case You Missed It - Kelly Clarkson's "Ave Maria"

For those who weren't able to be there in person, here's Kelly Clarkson's version of the "Ave Maria."

Strength in 'Poorness'

I'm a little late blogging on the Mass at St. Patrick's earlier today. Better late than never? I hope so. Three quick observations.

1. One thing that struck me from the "press box" (okay, the folding chairs in front of a side altar with an obstructed view of the main altar) was the number of vociferous, almost rowdy, rounds of applause and cheers that went up for the Pope. After all, this was a cathedral full of priests and nuns. I didn't count, but the communicants must have communicated their love for the Holy Father at least a dozen times. One warm welcome for the entrance and another at the departure wouldn't have made me think twice. But the repetition of the roars did.

I wondered how Pope Benedict felt about the adulation. Not to mention the noise level. He's famously attentive to the real presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament wherever it's reserved, and famously insistent on reverence in (or just before, or just after) the liturgy. He's careful to make sure people understand that the celebrant isn't the star; Christ is. Even when the celebrant is Christ's vicar.

Well, guess what? He handled the development very deftly indeed. No, not deftly. Pastorally. At the close of Mass, in an apparently impromptu statement, he both warmly thanked his wowed and vowed "fans" -- and, with fatherly gentleness, reminded them whose shoes he wears.

In this moment I can only thank grace for your love of the Church, for the love of Our Lord and that you give your love also to the poor successor of St. Peter. I will do all that is possible to be a (worthy) successor of the great St. Peter, who also was a man with his faults and sins, but he remains finally the rock for the Church. And so also I, with all my poorness -- spiritual [poorness] -- can be, with the grace of the Lord in this time, the successor of Peter. And with your prayers, your love will give me the certainty that the Lord will help me in this, my ministry.

So I am so deeply thankful for your love, for your prayer, and my answer in this moment to all what you have given to me in this moment and this visit is my blessing at the end of the Holy Mass.

Amen, Holy Father. And Amen again.

Or, as the priests and nuns chanted while the Pope exited: BEN-E-DI-TO! BEN-E-DI-TO!

2. What a scene to step into after Mass, the hordes of humankind queued up behind police cordons for just a glimpse of this man of "spiritual poorness." It seemed the whole of Manhattan turned out to form one long, serpentine line. The view from inside the cordons = a sight I'll never forget. Anyway, I decided to get a few quick quotes from some young priests and religious walking along at about my pace. What, I wanted to know, did celebrating Mass with the Holy Father -- in English, in America -- mean to you?

"I've never  been to Rome but he brought Rome to us a little bit here in the United States," a young member of the Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration in Mishawaka, Ind., told me. "This really, I'm sure, inspires a lot of people to follow the faith more closely and with greater fidelity. Seeing our Holy Father inspires us so much." Were the ovations a distraction from the sacrament at hand? "Well, having the whole Body of Christ here -- complete with our head, priests, religious, lay people -- everybody's here but we're all centered in Christ and in the Eucharist. I was thinking about that at Mass. Everyone was united spiritually in this spot right now but Christ is always here; we have him always. It's amazing, the fullness."

Father Sean Timmerman, ordained five years ago in the Diocese of Lincoln, Neb., said the experience was "a tremendous opportunity, and just very special knowing that we could celebrate with the Holy Father. It's always nice to go to Rome but this was special, having him come to our home." (I got the sense Father Timmerman was a man of few words. His beaming comportment filled in the blanks.)

And a young priest from the Philippines who's in New York for studies put it like this: "When you are inside a church with the Pope, it's really an awesome experience. I cannot explain it. It's the mystery of God's presence in us. It's really wonderful to have this kind of experience in which each one of us is an instrument of God's love. Now we have to communicate that love to the world."

(BTW, the text of the Holy Father's memorable St. Pat's homily, from whose script he did not veer, is here.)

3. Remember the question I raised a few days ago about the "interior struggle" Catholic journalists sometimes experience when covering big Church events like papal Masses? The whole Am I here as a Catholic or as a journalist thing? Well, I now admit what a dumb question that was from the get-go. (Then, too, if you can't hash out a dumb question on a blog, where can you take it?) What settled the matter for me was recognizing, and introducing myself to, a writer I very much admire and respect, Peggy Noonan, before this Mass. I repeated the question and asked her -- klutzily, with an inappropriate specificity that probably alarmed the poor woman (D'oh! Guess I've gotten a little rusty on the ol' field-reporting skills) -- whether or not she would be receiving Communion. "Oh, absolutely," she said. "Absolutely."

Question closed. Promise.

-- David Pearson

Kelly Clarkson's Performing

Yes, it's true. American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson is performing at the youth rally as I type this. Her song is more pop than Pope, but the crowd is bopping along to the tune. The word is that she'll be performing the "Ave Maria" for the Pope near the end of the youth rally. Hopefully, she'll have a wardrobe change before then.

For those who have asked: No, Kelly isn't Catholic.

The Official Papal Skateboard has Been Chosen

That's right, Pope Benedict will now be able to skateboard all he wants at St. Peter's Square. The votes are in and Krystal Melendez is the winner of the Papal Skateboard Contest. It may look familiar. Not only is it the Papal insignia, but we posted it here some time ago. It was my personal favorite, and the favorite of four out of seven in the Drake household.

Pass the Pope a Taco, Please

We had a post to one previous story about a cook who will be preparing food during the Pope's stay in the U.S. Here's another slightly more curious one. The owners of El Paso, Texas' Los Bandidos de Carlos & Mickey's restaurant have been asked to prepare one of five food platters representing the people and traditions of those living in the U.S., Mexico, Latin America, and Central and South America that will be presented to the Pope during his visit to St. Joseph's Seminary

One wonders just how much food the Holy Father needs, and whether he'll choose the gordita or the tostada?

How does an El Paso restaurant end up in New York?

The story has the details. It's all about connections...

Veronica Rayas, an El Pasoan who works for the Archdiocese of New York, is one of the organizers who selected Carlos & Mickey's to make the maize platter for the pope. Rayas, who graduated from Loretto Academy and has a doctorate from Fordham University, said selecting the Arrambide family to cook for the pope was easy.

"When you have guests coming over, you always want to give them the best possible. That's why we chose Carlos & Mickey's," Rayas said.

As the co-director of the Catholic Youth Ministries for the Archdiocese of New York, she is helping prepare the festivities for the youth rally in New York that the pope will attend April 19.

When event organizers decided to follow the tradition of greeting guests with various foods indigenous to an area, Rayas said, she began thinking about El Paso and its good food.

Papal Skateboard Finalists

The photo to the left shows the three finalists in the Archdiocese of New York's Papal Skateboard Art Design Contest. They are (from left to right) Krystal Melendez of St. Elizabeth's Church in Washington Heights, Kayla Cappiello of St. Aedan's Parish in Pearl River, and Sarah Davis of Our Lady of Sorrows in White Plains.

The winner will be chosen at the closing of the on-line voting at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, April 12. There's still time to vote for your favorite design.

Each of the skateboard designs, including those from the other contestants are available for sale. Proceeeds from the sales of the boards will benefit inner-city kids retreat and recreation programs.

The finalist's designs have been manufactured into a 7-ply, 8-inch Canadian Maple skateboard deck by Boardpusher.com. Each deck has been set-up with a pair of wheel axles, also known as "trucks", which have the shape of a Maltese cross embossed on them from Independent Skateboard Trucks. The bushing of the trucks are colored Papal gold. The wheels are white with a red and white pattern of letters that spell "Supreme," which the archdiocese describes as fitting for the Supreme Pontiff.

The Official Papal Visit Commemorative Store Opens

Stories continue about the papal merchandising. Here's one from New York Daily News.

And, none too soon, the official papal visit commemorative store has opened. You'll find T-shirts, caps, medallions, stuffed bears, and rosaries all emblazoned with the logo of the Pope's visit and the theme: Christ Our Hope.

Young are Excited About the Pope's Visit

To further confirm yesterday's post about the excitement building among students at Catholic University of America, there have been some additional stories indicating that young people are excited about encountering Pope Benedict. I've become aware of a number of religious orders with many younger members who will be attending various events during the Pope's visit, from his arrival in New York to the Masses at St. Patrick's Cathedral, Nationals Park, and Yankee Stadium, to the Blessing of Youth with Disabilities and the Youth Rally at St. Joseph's Seminary itself. Suffice it to say that should the media want to tell the story of how the youth are engaged by Pope Benedict, there should be no difficulty in telling that story.

The Washington Post goes where few other media outlets have gone - profiling young traditional Catholics (with both a print story and video) about their love of Pope Benedict and how they live their faith.

ABC 7 has a story and video on the topic. My favorite line from the story comes at the very end, where the father of one of the young people interviewed says how easy it could be for the Pope to connect with young people.

"But Logan's dad Keith thinks reaching his daughter's generation could be as easy as starting a Facebook page. ' He might be one of the only people over the age of 80 on there, but hey, why not,' he said."

Why not indeed. It's not that different from yesterday's viral video the Vatican released.

Meanwhile, this story from the Christian Post offers other ways that it sees the Pope's trip being made "hip" for young people, paying particular attention to the youth rally and the skateboard contest.

Pope Paraphernalia

It's inevitable, but given that one of the Pope's destinations is the "Capital of the World," it's only natural that there would be those who want to "make a buck" off the Pope's visit. ABC7 has this story on the rise of "pope paraphernalia."

According to the story: "Store managers estimate they're raking in an additional $1,000 a day and expect that number to climb when Pope Benedict arrives."

Update: Here's a Washington Post article profiling some of the papal merchandise. Here's a Star-Telegram article. If you're looking for Pope Benedict merchandise, check out Catholic to the Max or Papal Visit 2008. I haven't found a retailer that has more Benedict material than they do. They have it all - T-shirts, keychains, coffee mugs, postcards, magnets, you name it. I'm still searching for that Papst Bier though...

-- Tim Drake

Just How Many Bands are Playing the Youth Rally?

Honestly, every day there's a new announcement of some new band or individual that's performing at the Youth Rally. Today's announcement was regarding the band Three Graces, who will be performing at the event.

The release says that "Three Graces is comprised of Sara Gettelfinger, Kelly Levesque and Joy Kabanuck. Their mix of the best of pop, Broadway, and opera creates a unique listening experience that transcends musicals boundaries. In Greek mythology, the Three Graces represent beauty, wisdom, and charm."

My question is, just how many bands in total are playing at the event? Is it 20 bands all playing 1-2 numbers? From the number of groups and individuals piling up, I suspect that's the case. Is there just one stage or multiple stages? I haven't been able to answer these questions. If you know, post in the comment boxes.

Hollywood Release Critical of the Church Timed for Pope's Visit

Gary Stern over at Blogging Religiously broke the story that the Hollywood film "Constantine's Sword," based on the book by former priest James Carroll is just happening to open on April 18, the day the Pope arrives in N.Y. Coincidence or deliberate? Talk about awkward timing.

Writes Stern: Carroll is a former Catholic priest and sharp critic of the Catholic Church. His book is largely about the history of anti-Semitism in the church.

A release says that in the film “Carroll raises difficult questions about Pope Benedict’s leadership.”

TobyMac Performing at Youth Rally

Well, it does appear as if New York will be receiving the majority of the celebrity performers - Kelly Clarkson, Harry Connick Jr., Third Day, and now TobyMac. According to a press release, TobyMac has been confirmed as a performer at the Youth Rally taking place at St. Joseph's Seminary in Yonkers, NY. This will be his third appearance at a papal event. TobyMac previously performed at similar rallies - with DCTalk - at World Youth Day in Denver (1993) and St. Louis in 1999.

About being asked to perform before the Pope at the Rally, TobyMac commented, “It's an honor to participate in this Papal visit.  Not too many artists are given this opportunity. We have great respect for the work he does.”

Said the release: TobyMac recently completed his “Boomin’ Beyond Measure Tour” with Jeremy Camp and is preparing for the release of his first Live CD and DVD as a solo artist, “Alive and Transported,” which hits the streets May 26th.

Plácido Domingo and Denyce Graves to be part of Papal Mass at Nationals Park

From a press release issued by the Archdiocese of Washington:

 

American opera star Denyce Graves and world-renowned tenor Plácido Domingo will sing at the Mass celebrated by Pope Benedict XVI at

Nationals

on April 17.

Park

 

Mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves will sing “We are One in the Spirit” as Pope Benedict XVI is poised to walk onto the field just before the start of the 10 a.m. Mass. The 250-voice Papal Mass Choir, the 175-voice Children’s Choir and the entire assembly gathered in the stadium will join in singing with her.

 

“It is a simple but evocative call to worship,” said Tom Stehle, director of music for the Mass, of the song, “and one particularly fitted for this special Mass whose themes focus on the Spirit of God in our lives.” The song, approved by an archdiocesan committee and the

Vatican

, is arranged by Valeria Foster - a well-known

Washington

area interpreter of Gospel music.

 

Following communion Plácido Domingo will sing César Franck’s “Panis Angelicus” (translated as Bread of Angels.) A native of

Spain

, Domingo has sung 124 different roles – more than any other tenor in history and made well over 100 recordings. He is the recipient of nine Grammy Awards and two Latin Grammy Awards. Domingo spends much of his time in

Washington

for his job as General Director of the Washington National Opera, a position he has held since 2003.

 

Denyce Graves is a native of

Washington

,

D.C.

, where she attended the

Duke

for the Performing Arts. She continued her education

Ellington

School

 at Oberlin College Conservatory of Music and the New England Conservatory and is best known to operatic audiences for playing the title roles in Carmen and Samson et Dalila. She will sing the lead role in Carmen for the Washington National Opera in November.

 

The Popemobile Cometh

Catholic News Service has a story about the arrival of the Popemobile, which will reach the U.S. two weeks before its famous occupant. According to CNS, the white, 2002 Mercedes-Benz has left the Vatican and will be delivered via air cargo.

Also from the story:

The Vatican has three popemobiles currently in use:
 
-- A four-month-old, open-topped Mercedes based on the company's G500-series sport utility vehicle, used almost exclusively in St. Peter's Square. The vehicle has an attachable, curved windshield that can protect the pope from rain and wind. Mercedes describes the color as "Vaticanmystic white."
 
-- Two closed, white popemobiles, which are modified versions of the Mercedes-Benz ML430 off-road vehicle. The "glass" top is a cube made of advanced, bulletproof plastic. Both vehicles feature a high seat so the pope can still be visible.
 
One of the ML430 models is being used for the U.S. trip, Gasbarri said.
 
An official in the Vatican motor pool said there really was not a choice to make between the two ML430s since "one is in the repair shop."
 
Mercedes-Benz originally delivered one of the vehicles with a "mother of pearl" tint, but the Vatican decided it was too gray, and so repainted it, the motor pool official said.

My question: Do they need someone to drive it from Washington, D.C. to New York City? Where do I sign up?

 

"Benny Bear"

We've reported on this previously, but Fox News New York has a story on the "Benny Bear" - a bear with a commemorative T-shirt that's being made available as a souvenir of the Pope's U.S. visit. The bears are being made available through Build-A-Bear Workshop. You'll find a video story here. Expect the papal merchandisers to be out in full force.

Cooking for the Pope

"Saturno" tip to blogger Amy Welborn for this interesting article from the New York Times about Lidia Bastianich, who will be preparing some of the Pope's meals while he's in New York. Bastianich is the owner of the Italian Felidia and Del Posto restaurants.

From the article: "She said that she would write the menu and help prepare the food for a dinner for 52 on April 18 and a dinner for 24 on April 19. Both will be private. Neither will be in a restaurant."

“We discussed some of the things, what he likes and dislikes, what he can and cannot eat,” she said. “What was stressed really was simplicity, seasonality, a light, balanced meal.”

Though Vatican City is in Italy, the Pope is German. Why put himself in the hands of an Italian cook?

Ms. Bastianich noted that Istria — the region that her family is from and that her food reflects — was once in northeastern Italy but is now mostly in Croatia. “A little Mitteleuropa is in there,” she said. “So I’m going to put a little Mitteleuropa in the meal. Some form of cabbage or sauerkraut will be there. That’s as much as I’m telling you!”

Fragile Tomorrow Also to Perform at Youth Rally

Hat tip to Benedict in America for some interesting details regarding the Pope's visit to St. Joseph's Seminary. In addition to Kelly Clarkson's appearance at the youth rally at St. Joseph's Seminary, he blogs that the folk-rock band Fragile Tomorrow will also be performing, as originally reported by the Times Herald-Record.

According to the article, the band is made up of the Church-going Kelly brothers vocalist Dominic and his twin Sean, and guitar playing brother Brendan, and Shaun Rhoades on bass and keyboards.

Dana on "The Concert of Hope" and Pope Benedict

I spoke with Irish singer Dana during the week. She's in the U.S. for some concerts. She's sang for Pope John Paul II, and will also be singing for Pope Benedict at the "Concert of Hope" that's being held prior to the Mass at Yankee Stadium. She confirmed for me that Harry Connick Jr. and Il Divo (Update: I spoke with the producer and Il Divo will not be performing) will also be performing at the concert. While she doesn't have the details yet on what she'll be singing, or how long she will be singing, she hopes to perform "We Are One Body," which she performed for Pope John Paul II at World Youth Day in Denver, and "Our Lady of Knock."

In addition, she had some interesting things to say about the Holy Father. She told me that she met Cardinal Ratzinger for a 45-minute meeting back in 2004.

“I don’t know what I expected. I expected a 6’ 6” imposing man to come through the door,” said Dana. “Instead, I found a very warm person come through the door.” Dana had been presented with the San Benedetto Award for her work upholding the family and life and met with Cardinal Ratzinger after receiving the award.

“Because I was, at that time, involved in politics, we talked about the European charter and the planned European Constitution,” said Dana. “He’s written extensively on the dangers contained in the fundamental charter of human rights. I had campaigned heavily for a reference to

“We had had a contentious referendum on abortion in

Ireland

,” added Dana. “He assured me that my position was correct and was in the Church’s teaching.”

Dana described the Pope as a “gentle, humble, warm, intelligent man.” She believes that the Pope may address some of the new sins that have been reiterated by the

Vatican

.

“I’m sure that he must be going to expand on that,” said Dana. “I hope that he does expand upon them. We need to be taught, focused, and reminded of the responsibilities we have as Catholic Christians.”

Europe

’s Christian roots and a reference to God in the Constitution, and the dangers to life and the family in the charter. We discussed those things.”

More on Kelly Clarkson and the Pope

Dr. Jennifer Pascual, director of music at St. Patrick's Cathedral and director of all the music at the liturgical events for the papal visit in the Archdiocese of New York confirmed with me today that "American Idol" winner Kelly Clarkson is indeed singing at one of the events, but not the "Concert of Hope" as I had reported on this blog earlier. Rather, she will be performing the "Ave Maria" at the youth festival being held at St. Joseph's Seminary. Benedict in America has more information on the event. The event, as well as the Mass at Yankee Stadium, are being produced by Stig Edgren of SEG Events, the same production company that produced Pope John Paul II's 1995 Mass in Central Park.

"Concert of Hope" to Feature Harry Connick, Jr. and Dana

Father John Gallagher, pastor at St. Joan of Arc parish in Palm Beach, Florida shared with me the news that Harry Connick, Jr., Dana, and the Spanish quartet Il Divo (Update: the producer notified me that Il Divo will not be performing) have been asked to perform at the "Concert of Hope" prior to the papal Mass in N.Y. The news comes via Dana, who is holding a concert at Father Gallagher's parish this Friday. She shared this news with Father Gallagher last week. She's been asked to sing a number of songs, one of which will be "We Are One Body." Father Gallagher speculated that another might be "Totus Tuus." I'll have more details as they are available.

First There was "Benny Bear" and Now "The Pope's Cologne"

Yes, you read that right. Another group is looking to make a buck off the Pope's visit. In honor of Pope Benedict's upcoming visit to the U.S., Monastery Greetings - a company that offers products made by abbeys, monasteries, convents and hermitages - is offering "The Pope's Cologne." They describe it as "a classic Old World cologne made from the private formula of Pope Pius IX (1792-1878)...that was obtained from descendants of the commander of his papal guard and lifelong friend, General Charles Charette."

They describe the cologne as having notes of "violet and citrus." 2 oz. cost $29.95. The Pope's Cologne is made in the U.S.

"The scent has an ancient charm about it, especially when the floral notes start being felt, that is quite remarkable," said perfume critic Marie-Helene Wagner in "The Scented Salamander."
 

Kelly Clarkson and the Pope?

There's a rumor floating around online that former American Idol pop singer Kelly Clarkson will be singing in New York for the papal visit. One rumor says that she'll be singing at the noon "Concert of Hope" at Yankee Stadium. Another says she'll be singing as part of a charitable event. I have not been able to verify these rumors, but have been told that there will be celebrity entertainers as part of the Yankee Stadium experience.

Update: I was able to confirm that Kelly Clarkson will, in fact, be singing the "Ave Maria" as part of the youth festival taking place outdoors at St. Joseph's Seminary.

Baby Benedicts

Hat tip to Amy Welborn for this great piece in the Washington Times on the advent of popularity of the baby name Benedict, a name that thanks to Benedict Arnold probably hasn't been very popular in this country previously. According to the NamePlayground.com, the name Benedict - which means "blessed" - reached the height of its popularity between 1914-1918. The average age of those named Benedict is 72.

Julia Duin writes:
    "I was talking with Jem Sullivan, a professor of theology at Dominican House of Studies near Catholic University and the adoptive mom of a little boy named...well, you've guessed it.

    It all started in October 2004, and she and her husband, Scott, traveled to Italy for an art exhibition. They decided to go to Subiaco, the Italian site where the original Saint Benedict — at the age of 14 — lived as a hermit in the late fifth century before he began founding monasteries.

    "We always had a fondness for St. Benedict," she told me. "We fell in love with the place. It was mountainous and absolutely breathtaking. On this amazing hill, you have carved into the rock the actual cave in which he lived. We were in that cave and we looked at each other and said, 'That's the name of our son."

"Benny Bear": First Official U.S. Papal Visit Souvenir Announced

From USA Today: The first officially announced souvenir for Pope Benedict XVI's visit will be the "Benny Bear." That's the nickname Archdiocese of Washington spokeswoman Susan Gibbs has given the bear, which will be sold only at six Washington, D.C.-area Build-A-Bear Workshop stores. "It's cute. It's fun. It brings the Holy Father into secular culture and lets parents go into a family-friendly store and do something related to their faith," said Gibbs. The bears costs $10 to $20. The Christ Our Hope logo T-shirt costs $6, and a portion of the shirt sales will help pay for the pope's trip.

Do you have a child named Benedict or Benedicta?

Dear Readers,

Faith and Family magazine is searching for a few more children or babies named either Benedict or Benedicta for a special feature in the publication. If you have a child named after the pope, consider sending the photo to the editors.

Each printed photo wins a baby-sized mug with a Baby Mugs logo on it. The printed feature will be sent to the Holy Father. Please send your Benedict Baby photo entries to:

Baby Mugs
Faith & Family Magazine
432 Washington Ave
North Haven, CT 06473

Or click here to send them by email.