Fourth Sunday of Easter
May 15, 2025 News
NEW POPE? The deadline for the Bulletin is Tuesday, May 6, the day before the Conclave begins. So by the time you read this we may have a new Pope. I kind of hope that’s not the case, because I think the Cardinals need to take their time in this Conclave, since 1) they don’t know each other very well, and 2) there are no clear favorites going in.
If there is already a new Pope when you read this, join me in praying for our New Holy Father. If the cardinals are still undecided when you read this, join me in praying for them, that the Lord will move the hearts of those open to his will, and soften the hardhearted who might be playing politics or seeking to impose their own will on the Church.
New Name. Why do Popes change their names when elected? The practice goes back to Pope John II in 533, whose name at birth was “Mercurio,” after the Roman god Mercury. Since it didn’t seem like a good thing for the Catholic Pope to have the name of a pagan god, he chose the name of one of his immediate successors, Pope John I, who died in 526. This precedent was not binding (and technically still isn’t), and didn’t become the norm until the 11th century, but even after that some popes still kept their given names. Pope Marcellus II in 1555 was the last pope to keep his given name, and every Pope since his successor, Pope Paul IV (born Gian Pietro Carafa) has taken a new name. This is called his “regnal name” (the name for his reign as pope).
I think one of the reasons it’s become the “rule” is that it helps us distinguish between a man’s actions, words and writings before and after his elevation to the papacy. This is important, especially when we see the vast amount of scholarly writing by someone like Joseph Ratzinger as priest, professor and cardinal versus as Supreme Pontiff, Pope Benedict XVI: the latter is authoritative, the former only instructive.
There really are no rules about this except one informal rule: no Pope has ever named himself “Peter II,” for obvious reasons.
I wonder what the new Pope’s regnal name is/will be. I’m guessing it might be one of these: Gelasius, Gregory, John or Leo. Personally, I’d like it be Athanasius I, or Augustine I. We’ll see.
Parish Giving. I want to thank all of you for patiently listening to my pre-Mass sermon last weekend on parish giving, and for praying in preparation for this weekend when I am asking you to make a commitment to increase your giving. Thank you also for your generosity in this weekend’s commitment. And remember that if you can’t give or increase your giving, I understand. And if you need financial assistance, please contact the parish office.
I should note that there are several ways to give to the parish. The most common and easiest way is by dropping your envelope in the offertory basket at Mass on Sunday, or setting up a weekly online gift on Faith Direct.
Some have asked me how they can make sure that 100% of their gift/donation stays in the parish. You may or may not know that 11% of the Sunday offertory collection is paid to the Bishop/Diocese: it’s what we call the “diocesan assessment” or “cathedraticum.”
So let me remind you that only donations made through the “Offertory Collection” (the first collection at Sunday or Holy Day Masses) are subject to the 11% diocesan assessment. All other donations to the parish (for example, to the Long-Term Maintenance Fund, or Family Assistance or Youth Apostolate) go 100% to the parish.
However, if you specifically identify your gift to be used for a particular activity (e.g., LT Maintenance, etc.) the parish can only spend it on that activity, i.e., we can’t use it to cover any other operating expenses. So if you prefer to make a donation to the parish that will be used 100% to cover any of the parish operating expenses, at the pastor’s discretion, you can simply send, at intervals of your choosing, a check labeled “Donation” to the parish office or go through Faith Direct and find the equivalent giving designation.
[To be clear: I am not in any way encouraging withholding donations subject to the 11% assessment; I’m just responding to questions in the interest of transparency].
Matching Program. Many businesses offer to match their employees’ charitable donations. We can work with you to do this for the parish. For information, ask your employer or call Maerose in the parish office.
Did You See This in the News? From CatholicVote News Feed (excerpt):
“The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released a sweeping 400-page report Thursday warning of serious long-term risks associated with subjecting children to so-called ‘gender-affirming care,’ including infertility and psychological harm.
“The report found ‘very weak’ scientific evidence supporting the use of puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgical procedures on children suffering from gender dysphoria—concluding that these treatments carry significant and often irreversible consequences.
“‘Despite growing pressure to promote harmful medical interventions for minors, this review makes one thing clear: There is extremely weak evidence that puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, or surgeries have any benefits in children and adolescents with gender dysphoria,’ HHS press secretary Vianca Rodriguez Feliciano told The Daily Signal.
“‘At the same time, the risks—particularly permanent harm like infertility—are becoming increasingly undeniable.’
“HHS stated that the report ‘highlights a growing body of evidence pointing to significant risks—including irreversible harms such as infertility—while finding very weak evidence of benefit. That weakness has been a consistent finding of systematic reviews of evidence around the world.’
“The report’s executive summary emphasized that most cases of gender dysphoria in minors resolve without medical intervention.
“‘Our duty is to protect our nation’s children—not expose them to unproven and irreversible medical interventions,’ said National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya. ‘We must follow the gold standard of science, not activist agendas’…
“Thursday’s release follows a January executive order titled ‘Protecting Children from Chemical and Surgical Mutilation,’ which vowed to cut federal funding to institutions performing the harmful treatments on minors.
“‘Across the country today, medical professionals are maiming and sterilizing a growing number of impressionable children under the radical and false claim that adults can change a child’s sex through a series of irreversible medical interventions,’ President Donald Trump said in January. ‘This dangerous trend will be a stain on our Nation’s history, and it must end.’
“Since the order, several children’s hospitals have suspended the use of puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and trans-related surgeries.
“The new HHS report appears to encourage the directive, concluding: ‘Despite increasing pressure to promote these drastic medical interventions for our nation’s youth, the review makes clear: the science and evidence do not support their use, and the risks cannot be ignored.’
“…[President] Biden’s Assistant Secretary for Health Rachel (born Richard) Levine reportedly urged the organization to revise its standards to align with the administration’s pro-’transgender’ agenda.”
Oremus pro invicem, et pro novum Papam. Fr. De Celles