Author Topic: Pope Francis gives St Peter's relics to Orthodox (Read 734 times)

josefamenendez · « **on:** July 05, 2019, 08:05:57 AM »

From Lifesite news:

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Pope Francis holds reliquary containing bone fragments of St. Peter during chanting of the Creed, concluding Mass for the Year of Faith, Nov. 24, 2013Screenshot

Diane MontagnaFollow Diane

NEWSCATHOLIC CHURCH, FAITHWed Jul 3, 2019 - 11:57 am EST
Pope Francis gives away relics of St. Peter to Orthodox patriarch
Apostolic Palace, Catholic, Orthodox Church, Patriarch Bartholomew, Pope Francis, Relics, Relics Of St. Peter, Vatican
ROME, July 3, 2019 (LifeSiteNews) — In an unexpected and what some in Rome are viewing as an ominous gesture, Pope Francis has given away relics of St. Peter the Apostle to an Orthodox patriarch.
Following a solemn Mass on June 29, the liturgical feast of the Apostles Sts. Peter and Paul, the Pope gave a delegation representing Orthodox Ecuмenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople a bronze reliquary containing nine bone fragments of the first Pope.
The Orthodox Church, while having a valid priesthood and sacraments, is not in full communion with Rome, in part because it does not accept papal primacy. Although a mutual withdrawal of excommunication between Rome and Constantinople was issued at the end of the Second Vatican Council by Pope Paul VI and Patriarch Athenagoras, Catholics do not pray for the Orthodox patriarchs in their liturgy nor do the Orthodox pray for the Pope. There is no sacramental intercommunion between the Churches.
The relics
The nine bone fragments were among the relics of St. Peter discovered during excavations of the Vatican necropolis begun by Pope Pius XI in 1939. During the excavations, archaeologists discovered a funerary monument with a casket engraved with the Greek words Petros eni, or “Peter is here.”
Following subsequent investigations, Italian archeologist Margherita Guarducci published a paper asserting that she had found the bones of St. Peter near the site identified as his tomb.

Fragments of the bones of St. Peter inside the bronze reliquary, Nov. 24, 2013
In 1968, Pope Paul VI, convinced of the authenticity of the discovery, commissioned a bronze reliquary for nine bone fragments and kept the relics in his private chapel in the Apostolic Palace, where they have remained until now. Each year, on the June 29 liturgical feast of St. Peter and Paul, the relics were displayed in the chapel for the private veneration of the Roman Pontiff.
The other relics of St. Peter still remain in a small niche in the wall under the main altar of St. Peter’s Basilica, in the place they were originally discovered.

Pope Francis incenses relics of St. Peter at concluding Mass for the Year of Faith called by Pope Benedict XVI, Nov. 24, 2013, St. Peter's Basilica.
The nine bone fragments have been displayed only once for public veneration, on November 24, 2013, when Pope Francis had the reliquary placed next to the altar during the closing Mass for the Year of Faith, opened by Pope Benedict XVI.
Pope Francis removed the reliquary from the private chapel of the popes on June 29, the liturgical feast of the Apostles Sts. Peter and Paul, Patrons of Rome.
Leaving the Apostolic Palace
Archbishop Job of Telmessos, who headed the official delegation of the Ecuмenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, said that after the papal Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica on June 29, Pope Francis invited him to accompany him to the tomb of St. Peter under the main altar.
The archbishop said that after the two prayed together at St. Peter’s tomb, the Pope told him he had a “gift for the Church of Constantinople.” The Pope invited the archbishop to accompany him to the Apostolic Palace. There, in the private chapel of the popes, Francis took the reliquary and gave it to Archbishop Job.
“When we entered the chapel,” the Orthodox archbishop said, “Pope Francis explained to me that Pope Paul VI wanted to keep a part of the relics of St. Peter from the Vatican Basilica in his private chapel.”
Pope Francis told him: “I no longer live in the Apostolic Palace, I never use this chapel, I never [celebrate] Holy Mass here, and we have St. Peter’s relics in the basilica itself, so it will be better if they will be kept in Constantinople.”
“This is my gift to the Church of Constantinople,” the Pope added, as he handed over the relics. “Please take this reliquary and give it to my brother Patriarch Bartholomew.”
“This gift is not from me, it is a gift from God,” he said.
Admitting to being somewhat taken aback by the Pope’s decision, Archbishop Job said: “This is an extraordinary and unexpected event that we did not expect. The relics of the Holy Apostle Peter were always kept in Rome where they were the purpose of pilgrimages.”
“The Orthodox Church has never asked for them since they never belonged to the Church of Constantinople,” the archbishop added. “This time, we do not speak of a return of relics to their original place. This time, the relics are being presented as a gift. This prophetic gesture is another huge step on the path to concrete unity.”
An ominous sign?
But some observers view the gesture as an ominous sign for the Church and for Rome.
“Pope Francis literally gave St. Peter away,” one source in Rome told LifeSite. “Incredible as a gesture.”
“The relics were in the Pope’s private chapel,” a priest noted. “He clearly prefers to make a ‘gesture’ of the relics than to pray before them and receive special graces from his patron, the first Pope.”
“It is an entirely secular way of thinking, and what he reaps — secularization — he will sow for the whole Church, in a way no one expects,” he added.
In comments to LifeSite, another priest in Rome noted how important “locus,” i.e. place, is in Catholic thought, and added that it was the Lord’s will that Peter be martyred in Rome.
The priest pointed out that Christian art and literature have depicted Peter fleeing crucifixion in Rome during Emperor Nero’s persecution. According to a Christian tradition, on a road outside the city, Peter met the risen Jesus. In the Latin translation, Peter asks Jesus, “Quo vadis, Domine?,” to which the risen Lord responds: “Romam eo iterum crucifigi” (“I am going to Rome to be crucified again”). The vision gave Peter the courage to return to the city, where he was martyred by being crucified upside down.
“I strongly suspect this is a sign that St. Peter’s protection will be leaving the Vatican,” an observer in Rome said. “What to watch for next: Francis gives relics of St Paul to Protestants. It would be in the same line as the logic of this move. And it would further remove divine protection, preparing St Peter’s for a devastation not seen since the sack of Rome in the 1500s.”
Moving East
On the evening of June 29, the relics were transferred from Rome to Constantinople, accompanied by Monsignor Andrea Palmieri, undersecretary of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity. On June 30, they were exposed for public veneration during a solemn Divine Liturgy celebrated by Patriarch Bartholomew, who described Pope Francis’s decision as a “brave and bold” gesture.
The reliquary is now being kept at the ecuмenical patriarchate in Istanbul.
“Often signs are given to us,” one observer commented on Twitter following the news. “St. Peter leaving Rome for the East means only one [thing]: the judgment has been passed upon Rome.

josefamenendez · « **Reply #1 on:** July 05, 2019, 08:08:29 AM »

Sorry- this is a repeat post. I didn't see the other one

Ladislaus · « **Reply #2 on:** July 05, 2019, 09:16:40 AM »

Those are not his to give away to the schismatics/heretics outside the Church. Who does this guy think he is?

Ladislaus · « **Reply #3 on:** July 05, 2019, 09:19:29 AM »

Quote from: josefamenendez on July 05, 2019, 08:05:57 AM

“I strongly suspect this is a sign that St. Peter’s protection will be leaving the Vatican,” an observer in Rome said. “What to watch for next: Francis gives relics of St Paul to Protestants. It would be in the same line as the logic of this move. And it would further remove divine protection, preparing St Peter’s for a devastation not seen since the sack of Rome in the 1500s.”

Such a response by Almighty God is, in strict justice, long overdue.

ByzCat3000 · « **Reply #4 on:** July 05, 2019, 10:40:37 AM »

Quote from: Ladislaus on July 05, 2019, 09:16:40 AM

Those are not his to give away to the schismatics/heretics outside the Church. Who does this guy think he is?

The Pope? :P

confederate catholic · « **Reply #5 on:** July 05, 2019, 11:07:39 AM »

Does no one are that the article is at best propaganda?
The Orthodox do not disagree with primacy. There problem is like ours at this point. Papal Supremacy or the pope having the ability to unilaterally act and at times like the promulgation of the NO contrary to the will of the church.
It is ironic that the objection to giving relics away is what the orthodox are saying. He doesn't have the right to just do things unilaterally.
The article says the Pope doesn't pray before the relics, bad pope ignoring the fact that the major relics are under the altar he normally says mass at

confederate catholic · « **Reply #6 on:** July 05, 2019, 11:10:37 AM »

Also just for the record I am not a Greek Orthodox fan. Not really a Byzantine guy either, Copt and Syriac is more me.

Ladislaus · « **Reply #7 on:** July 05, 2019, 12:26:22 PM »

Quote from: ByzCat3000 on July 05, 2019, 10:40:37 AM

The Pope? :P

#1) he'd be wrong.

#2) Just because he holds the office, these relics belong only to the safekeeping of the One Holy Catholic Church, not to a schismatic sect. He has no more right to transfer these relics than he would to transfer ownership of St. Peter's basilica to the Muslims to use as a mosque.

Mr. Humble seems to think he's God. True Popes always had the humility to recognize that they are merely entrusted with the safekeeping of things that belong to the Church. These are not their personal playthings. That's why Popes did not have the audacity of a Montini to pitch out and replace the Tridentine Mass with one of their own fabrication.

Ladislaus · « **Reply #8 on:** July 05, 2019, 12:28:26 PM »

Quote from: confederate catholic on July 05, 2019, 11:07:39 AM

Does no one are that the article is at best propaganda?
The Orthodox do not disagree with primacy. There problem is like ours at this point. Papal Supremacy or the pope having the ability to unilaterally act and at times like the promulgation of the NO contrary to the will of the church.
It is ironic that the objection to giving relics away is what the orthodox are saying. He doesn't have the right to just do things unilaterally.
The article says the Pope doesn't pray before the relics, bad pope ignoring the fact that the major relics are under the altar he normally says mass at

They are heretics and schismatics, and are only materially closer to membership in the Church than Protestants are.

Ladislaus · « **Reply #9 on:** July 05, 2019, 12:29:11 PM »

Quote from: confederate catholic on July 05, 2019, 11:10:37 AM

Also just for the record I am not a Greek Orthodox fan.

Really? Because you could have fooled us. And the fact that you felt the need to say this speaks volumes.

confederate catholic · « **Reply #10 on:** July 05, 2019, 01:47:33 PM »

Yes because anytime one uses fact for a statement they like the Greek Orthodox. :applause:
So according to your reasoning I than do not believe that the Greeks are wrong.
Well I not only know it but know they're to blame for most Catholic-Orthodox problems as well. But I will now change my mind because you know my mind. Aaaaand one wonders why Traditional Catholics can't get along. :cheers:

Author Topic: Pope Francis gives St Peter's relics to Orthodox (Read 734 times)

josefamenendez

Pope Francis gives St Peter's relics to Orthodox

josefamenendez

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Ladislaus

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Ladislaus

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ByzCat3000

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confederate catholic

Re: Pope Francis gives St Peter's relics to Orthodox

confederate catholic

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Ladislaus

Re: Pope Francis gives St Peter's relics to Orthodox

Ladislaus

Re: Pope Francis gives St Peter's relics to Orthodox

Ladislaus

Re: Pope Francis gives St Peter's relics to Orthodox

confederate catholic

Re: Pope Francis gives St Peter's relics to Orthodox