A LOOK BACK AT POPE BENEDICT XVI's LAST DAYS AS PONTIFF

POPE BIDS FAREWELL TO ITALIAN PRESIDENT

POPE'S LAST ANGELUS

POPE'S LAST GENERAL AUDIENCE

POPE'S LAST MEETING WITH THE CARDINALS

POPE LEAVES THE VATICAN AND LAST SPEECH AT CASTEL GANDOLFO

POPE'S LAST TWEET

When Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger was elected Pope in April 2005, his older brother Father Georg Ratzinger said, "I would have thought his advanced age and unstable health would have been reason enough for the Cardinals to pick someone else."

His decision of resigning because of his unstable health was not an easy one. He knew that many people will judge him including his very own flock - Catholics worldwide - and that he will be subjected to numerous speculations and suspicions. But he stood firm in his decision regardless of what other people will say.

During the pontificate of John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI who was then assigned as Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith wanted to retire, but his resignation was rejected twice by his predecessor. But now, seven years of papacy is long enough for an aging and suffering pontiff - he has been using a pacemaker and his left eye is almost blind. What more can we ask for? As we move on, let us not forget all the valuable things that he taught us. God bless Pope Benedict XVI.

ST. JOHN BOSCO'S VISIT TO THE PHILIPPINES

NEGROS AND CEBU PROVINCES St. John Bosco's relic is on world tour, and the Philippines is one of those countries his relic visited. His relic made visits to different provinces, cities and towns in the country. From December 5 to December 23, 2010, his relic visited the cities and towns of the provinces of Negros and Cebu. The relic's first destination in the Philippines was the Negros province where it stayed there from December 5 to December 11, 2010. The relic arrived in my hometown, Cebu City on December 12 at the church of the Archdiocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes, and from there, it visited other Salesian schools, homes, centers and the church of Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral. On December 23, the relic was brought back to the Archdiocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes for a farewell mass before its voyage to the nation's capital, Manila. The relic's journey in the Philippines ended on January 15, 2011. St. John Bosco's relic...

BLESSED JOHN PAUL II'S TOTUS TUUS

"Totus Tuus". It is a Latin phrase which means "I am totally yours." This was Blessed John Paul II's motto addressed to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Have you ever wondered why John Paul II had so much devotion to Mary? Source: Wikimedia Commons / cc In his book, Crossing The Threshold of Hope, John Paul II explained that his motto Totus Tuus was not just an expression of piety and devotion, it was his total abandonment and personal consecration to the Mother of God. His deep devotion to Mary was manifested in many different ways; among these is his Coat of Arms which bears the letter M that stands for Mary. Even his coffin has a letter M on it. He credited St. Louis Marie de Montfort for his Totus Tuus when he read the saint's book "True Devotion to Mary." John Paul II came to know the book "True Devotion to Mary" when he worked as a factory worker at a chemical plant during World War II. He studied the book and oftent...

SUMMARY OF THE HISTORY OF THE HOLY ROSARY

The Holy Rosary is composed principally and in substance of the "Our Father" and the "Hail Mary". But what is the history of the Holy Rosary? In 1214, St. Dominic, a priest, was working hard for the conversion of the Albigensian heretics, but his efforts were hindered by the gravity of people's sins. Feeling so depressed, he withdrew into a forest near Toulouse, France where he unceasingly prayed for three days and three nights. He did nothing but weep and do harsh penances in order to appease God's anger. His body was lacerated that he finally fell into a coma. The Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to him and said: "Dear Dominic, do you know which weapon the Blessed Trinity wants to use to reform the world?" St. Dominic answered: "Oh my Lady, you know far better than I do because next to your son Jesus Christ, you have always been the chief instrument of our salvation." Our Lady replied: "I want you to know th...

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