Early Morning Musings: Mass at St. Peter's & Apostolic Signatura Visit

We have a bit of a gap today in our schedule: early morning activities and late evening visit. I'll submit another post this evening after we return.

This morning began with Mass celebrated at S. Peter's Basilica at the altar of S. Jerome, where B. Pope John XXIII's tomb is located just under the altar. Our "deacon-in-residence" this year, Dn. Touchard Tignou, preached for the first time to our class. Fr. Betancourt was "excited" to be able to celebrate Mass at this particular altar. Wednesday we are celebrating Mass at the altar of the tomb of B. Pope John Paul II; we are very privileged to be able to be at the tombs of two Blesseds who will be officially proclaimed as Saints in April.

Altar of S. Jerome with
B. Pope John XXIII below

After a quick jaunt back to our house (in the pouring rain) for breakfast, we made our way to the Apostolic Signatura (A.S.) (descriptions from Catholic-Hierarchy.org, Wikipedia.org), which is one of three Papal Tribunals in the Roman Curia (the offices created to assist the Pope in his governance of the Church universal). Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke gave us the skinny on the workings of the A.S., where it is in relation to the other Papal dicasteries, and it's scope. The A.S. is the supreme tribunal and also ensures administrative justice within the Church universal. They handle appeals from other tribunals (being the supreme tribunal) and also handle cases concerning administrative acts within the Church around the world.

Post by Dn. Grant Gerlach.