QATT KONT TAF.. Li l-festa tat-trasfigurazzjoni tal-mulej, jigifieri meta Kristu tbiddel quddiem l-appostli fuq il-muntanja, xterdet fil-11 ilseklu fl-occident u kienet giet introdotta fil-kalendarju Ruman fis-sena 1457 biex tikkommemora r-rebha go Belgrad fuq l-islam. Qabel dak iz-zmiem din il-festa kienet celebrata fir-riti Sirjani, Bizantini u Kopti. Li l-kelma t Alla, il-bibbja qatt ma kienet prezentata bhal ma hija l-lum,bil-kapitli u l-versi. Kellu jkun Stephen Langton, Arcisqof ta Canterbury li qassamha f kapitli. Imma filwaqt li t-taqsim bil-kapitli kien mezz effikaci u organizzativ kien mahsub li referenza ghal xi frazijiet specifici fl-istess kapitli kienu joholqu sistema aktar facli. U Robert Stephanus dahal ghal din il-bicca xoghol b ruhu u gismu f nofs is- 16 il-seklu billi holoq sistema ta vrus emumerati u kien l-ewwel persuna li stampa il-bibbja bil-vers u l-kapitlu. Il-Bibbja Kattolika thaddan fiha 73 ktieb, 46 kotba fit-testment il-qadim u 27 fit-testment il-gdid. Li d-devozzjoni lejn il-qalb Imqaddsa ta Gesu ilha gejja mill-hdax-il seklu. Pero l-ewwel festa liturgika lill- Qalb Imqaddsa giet celebrata b approvazzjoni episkopali fil-31 ta Awissu 1670 fis-seminarju magguri ta Rennes, fi Franza bit thabrik ta Giovanni Eudes. Kompliet tinxtered wara r-revelazzjonijiet lil Santa Margerita Marija Alacoque. Il-papa approva l-uza ta 1
quddiesa lil Qalb Imqaddsa gewwa l-polonja u l-portugal fis-sena 1765 u approva ohra ghal Venezja, l-awstrija u Spanja fis-sena 1788. Finalment kien il- Papa Piju IX fis-sena 1865 li waqqaf universalment u b mod obbligatorju l-festa lil Qalb Imqaddsa ta Gesu f jum stabbilit jigifieri il-gimgha fuq l-ottava ta Corpus Christi. Il-Papa Piju XII ghollha din il-festa ghall-grad l-aktar gholi. Li s-simbolu ghal San Mattew l-evangelista huwa anglu jew bniedem, ghal San Mark huwa l-iljun, ghal San Luqa l-barri, u ghal San Gwann hija l-ajkla. Issimbolu ta l-anglu jew bniedem jindika lil San Mattew ghaliex huwa jibda l-evangelju tieghu bir-razza jew nisel ta Gesu. L-iljun, l-annimal li jabita fid-dezert huwa l-emblema ta San Mark ghaliex dan jiftah l-evangelu tieghu bir-rakkont tal-missjoni ta San Gwann, il-vuci ta wiehed jghajjat fid-dezert. Billi San Luqa jibda il-kitba tieghu bl-istorja ta Zakkarija u s-sagrificcju tieghu fit-tempju, l-emblema tieghu hija l-barri. Ghal San Gwann tintuza l-emblema ta l-ajka, billi l-ajkla titla l fuq fis-smewwiet, hekk il-bidu tal-kitba ta San Gwann titla, tghola u tohodna l fuq fis-smewwiet: Fil-bidu kienet il-kelma, u l-kelma kienet ma Alla u l-kelma kienet Alla. Li l-papa Benedittu hu l-265 papa, it-8 papa germaniz u l-54 papa li mhux taljan. Il-Papa Benedittu nstalla fid-dar tieghu gewwa Regensbug il-germanja madwar 580 piedi kwadri ta pannelli solari moghtija lilu bhala donazzjoni. Ma intuzaw ebda fondi tal-knisja ghal installazzjoni taghhom. Dawn huma mahsuba li jiggeneraw madwar 6 megawatts ta eletriku u jiffrankaw 11 il- 2
barmil zejt u spejjes ta madwar 3,500 dollaru ta energija li tinbiegh lill -grid germaniz. Il-profitt minn dan il-bejgh ta eletriku jintuza ghall-gid taz-zaghzagh f riskju. L-email address tal-papa Benedittu XVI huwa dan li gej: Ghal dawk li jridu jiktbu bl-ingliz: benedictxvi@vatican.va Ghal dawk li jridu jiktbu bit-taljan: benedettoxvi@vatican.va Ghazel l-isem ta Benedittu bhala tifkira tal-qaddis protettur ta l-italja, San Benedittu minn Norcia li waqqaf ordni monastika fis-sitt seklu. Jghidilna Benedittu XVI li hu jitlob kuljum quddiem in-nicca tal-vergni li Tharisna. Kien il-papa Benedittu XV li, billi kien minn Genoa ried replika ta din in-nicca tal-madonna li Tharisna li hemm gewwa Genoa. Il-Papa jhobb hafna l-pjanu u jdoqqu ghan-nofs siegha kuljum. Dilettant hafna u jisma l-muzika ta Mozart u Bach. Jirrispetta hafna lil annimali u jwissi lillbniedem biex ma jqisx lill-annimal bhala xi ogget li jaghmel li jrid bih. Huwa jikkundanna l-mohqrija maghmluha lil annimali. Jhobb hafna lil qtates u kien gabar wiehed u hadu jghix mieghu meta kien kardinal gewwa Ruma. Fil-prezent ghandu zewgt iqtates bhala pets imma hadd ma jaf fejn izommhom billi ma hemmx permess li jinzammu gewwa l-palazz Appostoliku. Il-Vatikan ma ridx jaghti informazzjoni fejn dawn qed jinzammu. Il-Papa jimmissja hafna il-juice tal-frott u z-zalzett, prodotti fil-bavarja flimkien mall- Girlanda u s-sigra tal-milied skond it-tradizzjoni fil-bavarja. Billi Benedittu jhobb il-mozzarella, l-isqfijiet tal-campania jibghatulhu bhala rigal dan il-prodott mahdum fil-campania mill-halib tal-baqra u li ghaliha l- Campania hija maghrufa l-ikla favorita tal-papa hija ravjul tal-patata, imsajjar fuq ricetta bavarjana, bilbicciet tal-pancakes. Skont l-osservatore Romano l-papa ghandu l-licenzja ta pilota ta l-helicopters ghall-helicopter papali u jhobb itir mill-vatikan ghar-residenza papali tas-sajf gewwa Castel Gandolfo. Imma ma ghandux licenza tas-sewqan tal-karozza billi 3
biex tiehu l-licenzja ta sewwieq fil-germanja kienet tlahhaq hafna euros. Ghalhekk il-papa ddecieda li jimxi. Skont rapport fl-osservatore Romano l-papa jistqarr li d-donazzjoni ta l-organi tal-gisem hija att ta imhabba u huwa jgorr fuq id-donor card kull hin tal-jum. Pope Benedict XVI 4
"My heart beats Bavarian" Motto: "Co-worker of Truth" 265 th Pontiff April 19, 2005 to Present 8 th German pope 54 th non-italian pope Pope Benedict XVI Pilgrimage to America Pope Benedict XVI Coat of Arms Pope Benedict XVI Messages My Cousin the Pope 5
Vatican and Catholic Pontiffs Pope Benedict XVI installed 580 square feet of donated solar panels on his home in Regensburg, Germany, a home he designed. No Church funds were used. The solar panels are expected to generate 6 megawatts of electricity saving 11 barrels of oil and resulting in $3,500 of excess energy being sold to the German grid annually. Any profit from the sale of excess energy to the German grid will be used for vocational training for at-risk youth. During 2009 Pope Benedict XVI granted 200 private audiences, met with 300 bishops, and celebrated 50 major liturgies. 6
House where Pope Benedict XVI was born in Marktl am Inn, Germany, on April 16, 1927 According to the German newspaper Bild am Sonntag, citing archival documents, the above advertisements were placed by 43-year-old Joseph Ratzinger, Sr. Maria Peintner responded to the advertisement, and the pope's parents were married on November 9, 1920. According to Altöttinger Liebfrauenbote, Pope Benedict XVI is still a subscriber. March, 1920, advertisement in Bavarian diocesan newspaper Altöttinger Liebfrauenbote (Altötting Messenger of Our Dear Lady): "...low-level civil servant" seeks "a good Catholic girl who can cook and sew a bit...to marry as soon as possible, preferably with a picture." Another translation: "Lower-level state civil servant, unmarried, cath. 43 yrs, with pension entitlement, seeks good cath. girl who can cook and also sew a little, with trousseau and a little wealth, for marriage as soon as possible." July, 1920, advertisement in Altöttinger Liebfrauenbote: "...middle-level civil servant" with "irreproachable past" seeks "a good Catholic girl, who can cook and sew a bit...to marry as soon as possible, preferably with a picture." The advertisement said it was "desirable" that his bride have some money, but it was "not a condition" of marriage. Another translation: "Middle ranking civil servant, single, Catholic, 43-years-old, immaculate past, from the countryside, is seeking a good Catholic pure girl, who can cook well, and who can do all housework, who is also capable of sewing and a good homemaker in order to marry at the soonest opportunity. Personal fortune would be desirable but is not however a precondition." Pope Benedict XVI was born Joseph Alois Ratzinger on April 7
16, 1927, in the above house in Marktl am Inn, Germany, a 77% Catholic Bavarian town near the Austrian border and lived here until he was two years old. Pope Benedict XVI's 1745 house is at the end of Main Street and was once lived in by Johann Georg Lankensperger who invented the maneuverable front axle in 1816. The owner said upon hearing of Pope Benedict XVI's election, "Oh my! Now I have to take a vacation day and fix up the house!" The house has since been deeded to the Archdiocese of Munich which has opened the house to the public. Weideneder Brau Vertriebs GmbH, a family-owned brewery in nearby Tann, Germany, has created a special brew called Pabstbier/Pope Beer. The label reads, "Dedicated to the Great Son of our Homeland, Pope Benedict XVI." The tavern owner across the street from Pope Benedict XVI's homestead is very happy. Pope Benedict XVI was the youngest of three children whose father, Joseph Sr., was a police officer. His brother, Monsignor Georg Ratzinger, is a retired priest who was Music Director at Regensburg Cathedral until 1994, and his sister, Maria, was Pope Benedict XVI's housekeeper until her death at age 69 on November 2, 1991. Pope Benedict XVI's mother's maiden name was Maria Peintner. Mr. and Mrs. Ratzinger and Maria Ratzinger are buried in Ziegetsdorf Cemetery in Pentling, Germany. The Pope and Monsignor Ratzinger visited their parents and sister's graves on Wednesday, September 13, 2006. A photograph of Mr. Ratzinger as a police officer hangs on the wall in the above photograph. On August 21, 2008, Pope Benedict XVI's brother, Monsignor Georg Ratzinger, was made an honorary citizen of Castel Gandolfo, the pope's summer residence, for his 84 th birthday. "From the beginning of my life my brother has always been, not only a companion for me, but a trustworthy guide, a point of reference with the clarity and determination of his decisions. He showed me the road to 8
take even in difficult situations. We have arrived at the last stage of our lives, at old age, and the days left to live grow progressively fewer, but even at this stage as well, my brother helps me to accept with serenity, humility, and courage the weight of each day. For this, I thank him." Monsignor Ratzinger lives in Regensburg, Germany, and spends summers with the pope. In 1945 during World War II, Pope Benedict XVI deserted from the German army and was a United States prisoner of war. Monsignor Georg Ratzinger explained, "The State ordered all school age kids, according to their age, to be signed up for certain youth groups. It was obligatory. We were registered as a block. There was no freedom to choose, and not showing up would have brought very negative consequences." Monsignor Ratzinger said Pope Benedict XVI did not attend Hitler Youth meetings. Pope Benedict XVI's father said Nazism was, "a catastrophe and not only the great enemy of the Church but also of all faiths and of human life in general." 9
Pope Benedict XVI (first from right) was ordained a priest on June 29, 1951, and proclaimed cardinal on June 27, 1977 by Pope Paul VI. Before becoming pope, Pope Benedict XVI was a theology professor at the University of Regensburg, Archbishop of Munich and Freising, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, and Dean of the College of Cardinals. His 1953 doctoral thesis was entitled, The People and House of God in Saint Augustine s 10
Doctrine of the Church. Cardinal Ratzinger made retreats at Roman Benedictine monasteries. After purchasing his land, Pope Benedict XVI designed his home in Pentling to include a chapel. Pope Benedict XVI could walk from his home in Pentling to his teaching duties at Regensburg University in Regensburg, Germany. Pope John Paul II called Cardinal Ratzinger to the Vatican in 1981, and Cardinal Ratzinger and Pope John Paul II had weekly 90-minute meetings followed by lunch. The two spoke in German. 11
On a visit to the Vatican library, Pope Benedict XVI said wistfully: "At the end of my 70 th year of age, I would have liked it very much if the beloved Pope John Paul II would have allowed me to dedicate myself to the study and research of the interesting documents and items you carefully safeguard. The Lord had other plans for me, and here I am among you, not as a passionate scholar of ancient texts, but as the pastor called to encourage all the faithful to cooperate for the salvation of the world. Each one does God's will where He places us to work." Pope Benedict XVI chose the name Benedict after Saint Benedict of Norcia, Patron Saint of Italy, who founded the monastic Rule in the sixth century. "He represents a fundamental point of reference for the unity of Europe and a strong reminder of the unrenounceable Christian roots of its culture and civilization," said Pope Benedict XVI. Shrine of the Virgin of the Guard, in the mountains overlooking Genoa, Italy, was replicated at the Vatican (picture) by Pope Benedict XV who was from Genoa. "I myself pray every day in front of that statue," said Pope Benedict XVI. Pope Benedict XVI's email addresses: English: benedictxvi@vatican.va Italian: benedettoxvi@vatican.va Spanish: benedictoxvi@vatican.va French: benoitxvi@vatican.va German: benediktxvi@vatican.va Portuguese: bentoxvi@vatican.va Pope Benedict XVI is fluent in German, English, Italian, French, and Spanish and has knowledge of Portuguese. Pope Benedict XVI can also speak classical Latin. Although the pope reads several languages, the email addresses are different because the email messages are screened by the pope's assistants who may only read in the language of the email. The assistants forward a synopsis of the email or the full email onto the pope or answer the email themselves whichever is appropriate. 12
Cardinal Ratzinger at the piano Pope Benedict XVI 80 th birthday cake at the Vatican Pope Benedict XVI's 81 st birthday cake at the White House in Washington, D. C. 13
Pope Benedict XVI's 83rd birthday cake at the Vatican Pope Benedict XVI cruises in Sydney Harbor during World Youth Day 2008 Giancarlo Giuliani/CPP Church of Santo Spirito in Bressanone, Italy, where Pope Benedict XVI spent his 2008 summer vacation. Pope Benedict XVI vacationed in the German-speaking alps in the northern Italian region of Trentino-Alto Adige in the Diocese of Bolzano- 14
Bressanone from July 28 to August 11, 2008. Pope Benedict XVI greets the faithful while on vacation in Bressanone in the Alpine Mountains of northern Italy in July, 2008 Pope Benedict XVI vacationing in July, 2008, Bressanone, a German speaking Alpine village in northern Italy that once belonged to Austria. Seated to the pope's right is his brother Father Georg Ratzinger and seated to the pope's left is his secretary, Father Georg Gaenswein. 15
Pope Benedict XVI and his brother, Monsignor Georg Ratzinger, vacation in the Italian Alps Upon visiting the hamlet of Oies in the Alps, the birthplace of Saint Joseph Freinademetz who was a missionary to China, Pope Benedict XVI said of China, "It is important for this great country to open itself to the Gospel." Alessia Giuliani/Catholic Press 16
Sunday, January 25, general audience Redemptorist Office of Mission Advancement On behalf of the United States, President Barack Obama presented this Redemptionist Saint John Neumann, Archdiocese of Philadelphia bishop from 1852 to 1860, stole to Pope Benedict XVI during the president's Friday, July 10, audience with the pope. Pope Benedict XVI gave President Obama a mosaic of Saint Peter's, his fifth anniversary medal, and an autographed copy of the encyclical Caritas in Veritate. 17
Pope Benedict XVI thanks staff as he leaves hospital with a broken wrist. The pope had two metal pins inserted into his wrist bone after a nighttime fall in his bedroom while on vacation in the Alps. "Some suffering is not a bad thing," said Pope Benedict XVI. 18
"Unfortunately my own guardian angel did not prevent my injury, certainly following superior orders. Perhaps the Lord wanted to teach me more patience and humility, give me more time for prayer and meditation," said Pope Benedict XVI regarding his fall which resulted in a broken wrist. 19
Pope Benedict XVI returns to his Alpine chalet after his right wrist was set in a cast. On April 17 and 18, 2010, Pope Benedict XVI spent 27 hours in Malta to celebrate the 1,950 th anniversary of Saint Paul's shipwreck on the Island of Malta and the beginning of Christianity in Malta. "Life's shipwrecks can be part of God's plan for us, and they may also be useful for new beginnings in our lives," said Pope Benedict XVI. While in Malta, Pope Benedict XVI met with, and cried with, abuse victims. Malta has a population of 443,000, 95% of whom are Catholic. On April 18, Pope Benedict XVI celebrated an open-air Mass in Floriana, Malta, and met with young people in the Port of Valletta. The pope also met with the bishops and Maltese President George Abela. Pope Benedict XVI Pilgrimage to America Pope Benedict XVI Coat of Arms My Cousin the Pope Pope Benedict XVI Messages Vatican and Catholic Pontiffs 20