Vatican II and the Year of Faith

On October 11, 1962, the Second Vatican Council was opened by Pope John XXIII, with over 2000 bishops in attendance.

On October 11, 1992, Pope John Paul II promulgated the publication of the new Catechism of the Catholic Church.

On October 11, 2012, the Catholic Church begins celebrating a "Year of Faith," as announced by Pope Benedict XVI.

The Catholic Biblical Association of America joins with the universal Church in the renewed profession, deeper understanding, more joyful celebration, and more authentic living of our Christian faith.

Here are some foundational documents and online resources you may find helpful:

• The New American Bible
   
• The Documents of the Second Vatican Council
   
• The Catechism of the Catholic Church
   
• The "Year of Faith" website from the USCCB
   
• The "Year of Faith" website from the Vatican

In Memoriam: Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini, S.J.

Italian Jesuit Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini died on August 31, 2012, at the age of 85 after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease.

Cardinal Martini was a renowned biblical scholar, a prolific author, former professor and rector of the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome, and former archbishop of Milan, Italy.

He made church teachings accessible to the public through his frequent columns in an Italian newspaper and in Sunday afternoon dialogues with young people at the cathedral in Milan.

A writer and biblical scholar known for his warm, pastoral style, Cardinal Martini was long considered a papal candidate in the last conclave.

In a telegram to Cardinal Angelo Scola of Milan, Pope Benedict praised Cardinal Martini’s generous service to the Gospel and the church and his “intense apostolic work” as a Jesuit, a professor and “authoritative biblicist.”

As archbishop of Milan, the pope said, Cardinal Martini helped open for the church community “the treasures of the sacred Scriptures.”

Encomium on the CBA's 75th Anniversary

CBA Encomium – by Prof. Amy-Jill Levine – July 29, 2012

(not for citation without permission, and absolution)

[click here for a printable PDF version of this page]
 

John Clabeaux has asked me to address the topic, “what is great and worthwhile about the CBA?” Were all the excellent things this organization does to be recorded, “I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.” But John, that is, Clabeaux, not the other one, allotted me 15 minutes.

I am tasked with preparing an encomium, which is, inter alia, the eighth exercise in the progymnasmata series. Of course, the idea of anything pro-gym or dealing with exercise is antithetical to me – I get my exercise by schlepping my laptop to my office, running down sources, and making leaps of faith. The only vault I find of interest is the unopened one in the basement of the Catholic University building that houses the CBA office. But, I shall take the “when in Rome…” approach and adapt this talk to the encomium form.

Retirement of Fr. Joseph Jensen, O.S.B.

Fr. Joseph Jensen, O.S.B., retired this summer from his position as Executive Secretary of the Catholic Biblical Association of America, which he ably served for 42 years (from 1970 to 2012).

Several tributes were given to Fr. Jensen at a special Banquet dinner at CBA's 2012 Annual International Meeting, hosted by the University of Notre Dame. In case you missed this meeting, you can see and/or read some of the tributes here:

* Slide Show Tribute to Fr. Jensen - in PowerPoint format

* Tribute to Fr. Jensen, by Dr. Mark S. Smith - in PDF format