Saint Joseph Catholic Church

On May 6, at their final general congregation before the papal conclave, the members of the College of Cardinals continued their discussion of the challenges facing the universal Church and the priorities that the next Pontiff should face.

Matteo Bruni, the director of the Vatican press office, reported that 26 cardinals had addressed the assembly. The previous day, the cardinals had held an extra afternoon session to accommodate all the prelates who wished to speak. Bruni identified the topics only in general terms, saying that the talks covered “the reforms of Pope Francis that need to be carried forward: legislation on abuse, economic issues, the Roman Curia, synodality, work for peace, and care for creation.”

The Department of Justice has announced an investigation into a new law in the state of Washington that would require priests to divulge information about child abuse even if it was obtained in a sacramental confession.

The Justice Department said that the legislation “appears on its face to violate the First Amendment” by infringing on religious freedom. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dillon added, “Worse Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Worse, the law appears to single out clergy as not entitled to assert applicable privileges, as compared to other reporting professionals.”

Today the Roman Martyrology commemorates St. Angelus of Jerusalem, O.Carm (1185-1220), priest, martyr, hermit, mystic, reformer, thaumaturge, missionary, convert from Judaism and a professed Priest of the Order of the Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel. He is also known as St. Angelus of Sicily and St. Angelo. Born in 1145 at Jerusalem and died by being stabbed to death in 1220 at Licata, Sicily.

"When it was already dawn, Jesus was standing on the shore; but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus." For the third time Jesus appears to His disciples and on the lake of Genesareth renews the miraculous draught of fishes. The Fathers did not fail to see in the one hundred and fifty-three great fishes that Peter brought to land the neophytes born to supernatural life in the waters of baptism and brought by Peter to the feet of the risen Christ.

Today is the Feast of the Apostles Philip and James. Like Sts. Peter and Andrew, St. Philip was from Bethsaida, in Galilee. According to tradition, he was crucified at Hierapolis in Phyrgia, where he had preached the Gospel. He introduced St. Bartholomew (Nathaniel) to Christ. Christ declared to St. Philip, "Whoever has seen me has seen the Father...I am the Father and the Father is in me" (Jn 14:8, 11).

Today the Church celebrates the Memorial of St. Athanasius (295-373), Bishop of Alexandria and a great defender of the orthodox faith, throughout his life opposed the Arian heresy. By denying the Godhead of the Word the Arians turned Christ into a mere man, only higher in grace than others in the eyes of God. St. Athanasius took part in the Council of Nicea in 325 and until the end remained a champion of the faith as it was defined by the Council. In him the Church venerates one of her great Doctors. He was subjected to persecutions for upholding the true teaching concerning the person of Christ and was sent into exile from his see no less than five times. He died at Alexandria in 373 after an episcopate of forty-six years.

The Optional Memorial of St. Joseph the Worker was established by Pope Pius XII in 1955 in order to Christianize the concept of labor and give to all workmen a model and a protector. By the daily labor in his shop, offered to God with patience and joy, St. Joseph provided for the necessities of his holy spouse and of the Incarnate Son of God, and thus became an example to all laborers. "Workmen and all those laboring in conditions of poverty will have reasons to rejoice rather than grieve, since they have in common with the Holy Family daily preoccupations and cares" (Leo XIII).

Today is the Optional Memorial of St. Pius V (1504-1572). He joined the Dominicans at the age of fourteen; he was sixty-two when he was elected Pope. His reign, though short, was one of the most fruitful of the sixteenth century. To Protestantism, which had proclaimed the Reformation, St. Pius replied by applying the decrees of the Council of Trent for the reform of the Church. He played a great part in the return of the clergy to ecclesiastical discipline. Against Islam, which threatened the West, he succeeded in forming a coalition of Christian forces: and by public prayers, organized everywhere at his request, he was instrumental in obtaining the decisive victory of Lepanto in 1571. He died the following year on May 1. We also owe to St. Pius the reformation of the liturgical books of the Roman Rite.

Today is the Memorial of St. Catherine of Siena (1347-1380). She was born Catherine Benincasa in Siena at a date that remains uncertain, was favored with visions from the age of seven. Becoming a tertiary of the Dominican Order, she acquired great influence by her life of prayer and extraordinary mortifications as well as by the spread of her spiritual writings. Her continual appeals for civil peace and reform of the Church make her one of the leading figures of the fourteenth century. Worn out by her mortifications and negotiations she died in Rome on April 29, 1380.

We continue in our Easter joy in the Second Week of Easter, as in the Preface I of Easter "overcome with paschal joy, every land, every people exults in your praise."