WARC-Identified-Payload-Type: application/xhtml+xml

text:
Bookmark and Share

The Priesthood

Sacrament of Holy Orders

Pope Benedict XVI's Catechesis on Munus docendi
General Audience, Wednesday 14 April 2010 - also in Croatian, French, German, Italian, Portuguese & Spanish

"Dear Friends,
In this Easter Season that brings us to Pentecost and also ushers us into the celebrations for the closure of the Year for Priests, scheduled for this coming 9-11 June, I am eager to devote a few more reflections to the topic of the ordained Ministry, elaborating on the fruitful realities of the priest's configuration to Christ the Head in the exercise of the tria munera that he receives: namely, the three offices of teaching, sanctifying and governing.

In order to understand what it means for the priest to act in persona Christi Capitis in the person of Christ the Head and to realize what consequences derive from the duty of representing the Lord, especially in the exercise of these three offices, it is necessary first of all to explain what "representation" means. The priest represents Christ. What is implied by "representing" someone? In ordinary language it usually means being delegated by someone to be present in his place, to speak and act in his stead because the person he represents is absent from the practical action. Let us ask ourselves: does the priest represent the Lord in this way? The answer is no, because in the Church Christ is never absent, the Church is his living Body and he is the Head of the Church, present and active within her. Christ is never absent, on the contrary he is present in a way that is untrammelled by space and time through the event of the Resurrection that we contemplate in a special way in this Easter Season.

Therefore the priest, who acts in persona Christi Capitis and representing the Lord, never acts in the name of someone who is absent but, rather, in the very Person of the Risen Christ, who makes himself present with his truly effective action. He really acts today and brings about what the priest would be incapable of: the consecration of the wine and the bread so that they may really be the Lord's presence, the absolution of sins. The Lord makes his own action present in the person who carries out these gestures. These three duties of the priest which Tradition has identified in the Lord's different words about mission: teaching, sanctifying and governing in their difference and in their deep unity are a specification of this effective representation. In fact, they are the three actions of the Risen Christ, the same that he teaches today, in the Church and in the world. Thereby he creates faith, gathers together his people, creates the presence of truth and really builds the communion of the universal Church; and sanctifies and guides.

The first duty of which I wish to speak today is the munus docendi, that is, the task of teaching. Today, in the midst of the educational emergency, the munus docendi of the Church, exercised concretely through the ministry of each priest, is particularly important. We are very confused about the fundamental choices in our life and question what the world is, where it comes from, where we are going, what we must do in order to do good, how we should live and what the truly pertinent values are. Regarding all this, there are numerous contrasting philosophies that come into being and disappear, creating confusion about the fundamental decisions on how to live; because collectively we no longer know from what and for what we have been made and where we are going. In this context the words of the Lord who took pity on the throng because the people were like sheep without a shepherd came true (cf. Mk 6: 34). The Lord had noticed this when he saw the thousands of people following him in the desert because, in the diversity of the currents of that time, they no longer knew what the true meaning of Scripture was, what God was saying. The Lord, moved by compassion, interpreted God's word, he himself is the Word of God, and thus provided an orientation. This is the function in persona Christi of the priest: making present, in the confusion and bewilderment of our times, the light of God's Word, the light that is Christ himself in this our world. Therefore the priest does not teach his own ideas, a philosophy that he himself has invented, that he has discovered or likes; the priest does not speak of himself, he does not speak for himself, to attract admirers, perhaps, or create a party of his own; he does not say his own thing, his own inventions but, in the medley of all the philosophies, the priest teaches in the name of Christ present, he proposes the truth that is Christ himself, his word and his way of living and of moving ahead. What Christ said of himself applies to the priest: "My teaching is not mine" (Jn 7: 16); Christ, that is, does not propose himself but, as the Son he is the voice, the Word of the Father. The priest too must always speak and act in this way: "My teaching is not mine, I do not spread my own ideas or what I like, but I am the mouthpiece and heart of Christ and I make present this one, shared teaching that has created the universal Church and creates eternal life".

This fact, namely that the priest does not invent, does not create or proclaim his own ideas, since the teaching he announces is not his own but Christ's does not mean, however, that he is neutral, as if he were a spokesman reading a text that he does not, perhaps, make his own. In this case t0o the model of Christ who said: "I do not come from myself and I do not live for myself but I come from the Father and live for the Father" applies. Therefore, in this profound identification, Christ's teaching is that of the Father and he himself is one with the Father. The priest who proclaims Christ's word, the faith of the Church, and not his own ideas, must also say: "I do not live by myself and for myself, but I live with Christ and by Christ and therefore all that Christ said to us becomes my word even if it is not mine". The priest's life must be identified with Christ and, in this manner, the word that is not his own becomes, nevertheless, a profoundly personal word. On this topic St Augustine, speaking of priests said: "And as for us, what are we? Ministers (of Christ), his servants; for what we distribute to you is not ours but we take it from his store. And we too live of it, because we are servants like you" (Sermo 229/E, 4).

The teaching that the priest is called to offer, the truth of the faith, must be internalized and lived in an intense personal and spiritual process so that the priest really enters into a profound inner communion with Christ himself. The priests believes, accepts and seeks to live, first of all as his own, all that the Lord taught and that the Church has passed on in that process of identification with his own ministry of which St John Mary Vianney is an exemplary witness (cf. Letter for the inauguration of the Year for Priests). "For in charity itself we are all listening to him, who is our One Master in heaven" (En. in Ps 131: 1, 7).

Consequently the priest's voice may often seem to be "the voice of one crying in the wilderness" (Mk 1: 3), but his prophetic power consists precisely in this: in never being conformist, in never conforming to any dominant culture or mindset but, rather, in showing the one newness that can bring about an authentic and profound renewal of the human being, that is, that Christ is the Living One, he is the close God, the God who works in the life and for the life of the world and gives us the truth, the way to live.

In the careful preparation of Sunday preaching, without excluding weekday preaching, in imparting catechetical formation in schools, in academic institutions and, in a special way, through that unwritten book which is his own life, the priest is always an "educator", he teaches; yet not with the presumption of one who imposes his own truth but on the contrary with the humble, glad certainty of someone who has encountered the Truth, who has been grasped and transformed by it, hence cannot but proclaim it. In fact, no one can choose the priesthood on his own, it is not a means of obtaining security in life or achieving a social position: no one can give it to him nor can he seek it by himself. The priesthood is the response to the Lord's call, to his will, in order to become a herald of his truth, not a personal truth but of his truth.

Dear brother priests, the Christian people ask to hear from our teachings the genuine ecclesial doctrine, through which they can renew their encounter with Christ who gives joy, peace and salvation. In this regard Sacred Scripture, the writings of the Fathers and Doctors of the Church, the Catechism of the Catholic Church are indispensable reference points in the exercise of the munus docendi, so essential for conversion, the development of faith and the salvation of humankind. "Priestly ordination... means... to be immersed in the Truth" (Homily at the Chrism Mass, Holy Thursday, 9 April 2009), that Truth which is not merely a concept or a collection of ideas to be assimilated and passed on but, rather, is the Person of Christ with whom, for whom and in whom to live and thus, necessarily, the timeliness and comprehensibility of the proclamation are also born. Only this knowledge of a Truth that became a Person in the Incarnation of the Son justifies the missionary mandate: "Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to the whole creation" (Mk 16: 15). Only if it is the Truth is it intended for every creature, it is not the imposition of some thing but openness of heart to what the creature has been created for.

Dear Brothers and Sisters, the Lord has entrusted a great task to priests: to be heralds of his word, of the Truth that saves; to be his voice in the world to bring what serves the true good of souls and the authentic path of faith (cf. 1 Cor 6: 12). May St John Mary Vianney be an example to all priests. He was a man of great wisdom and heroic fortitude in resisting the cultural and social pressures of his time in order to lead souls to God: simplicity, fidelity and immediacy were the essential features of his preaching, the transparency of his faith and of his holiness. The Christian People was edified by him and as happens for genuine teachers in every epoch recognized in him the light of the Truth. In him it recognized, ultimately, what should always be recognizable in a priest: the voice of the Good Shepherd."

Pope Benedict XVI's Catechesis on Munus sanctificandi
General Audience, Wednesday 5 May 2010 - also in Croatian, French, German, Italian, Portuguese & Spanish

"Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Last Sunday, on my Pastoral Visit to Turin, I had the joy of pausing in prayer before the Holy Shroud, joining the more than two million pilgrims who have been able to contemplate it during the solemn Exposition of these days. That sacred Cloth can nourish and foster faith and reinvigorate Christian devotion because it is an incentive to go to the Face of Christ, to the Body of the Crucified and Risen Christ, to contemplate the Paschal Mystery, the heart of the Christian Message. We, dear Brothers and Sisters, are living members of the Body of the Risen Christ, alive and active in history (cf. Rom 12: 5), each one in accordance with the role, that is, the task the Lord has wished to entrust to each one of us. Today, in this Catechesis, I would like to return to the specific tasks of priests, which tradition claims are essentially three: teaching, sanctifying and governing. In one of our previous Catecheses I spoke on the first of these three duties: teaching, the proclamation of the truth, the proclamation of God revealed in Christ or, in other words the prophetic task of putting the person in touch with the truth, of helping him to know the essential of his life, of reality itself.

Today I would like to reflect with you briefly on the priest's second duty, that of sanctifying people, above all through the sacraments and the worship of the Church. Here we must ask ourselves first of all: what does the word "Holy" mean? The answer is: "Holy" is God's specific quality of being, namely, absolute truth, goodness, love, beauty pure light. Thus sanctifying a person means putting him or her in touch with God, with this being light, truth, pure love. It is obvious that such contact transforms the person. The ancients had this firm conviction: no one can see God without dying instantly. The power of truth and light is too great! If the human being touches this absolute current, he cannot survive. On the other hand there is also the conviction: without a minimal contact with God man cannot live. Truth, goodness and love are fundamental conditions of his being. The question is: how can man find that contact with God, which is fundamental, without dying overpowered by the greatness of his divine being? The Church's faith tells us that God himself creates this contact that gradually transforms us into true images of God.

Thus we have once again arrived at the priest's task of "sanctifying". No man on his own, relying on his own power, can put another in touch with God. An essential part of the priest's grace is the gift, the task of creating this contact. This is achieved in the proclamation of God's word in which his light comes to meet us. It is achieved in a particularly concentrated manner in the Sacraments. Immersion in the Paschal Mystery of the death and Resurrection of Christ takes place in Baptism, is reinforced in Confirmation and Reconciliation and is nourished by the Eucharist, a sacrament that builds the Church as the People of God, Body of Christ, Temple of the Holy Spirit (cf. John Paul II, Apostolic Exhortation Pastores Gregis, n. 32). Thus it is Christ himself who makes us holy, that is, who draws us into God's sphere. However, as an act of his infinite mercy, he calls some "to be" with him (cf. Mk 3: 14) and to become, through the Sacrament of Orders, despite their human poverty, sharers in his own priesthood, ministers of this sanctification, stewards of his mysteries, "bridges" to the encounter with him and of his mediation between God and man and between man and God (cf. Presbyterorum Ordinis, n. 5).

In recent decades there have been tendencies that aim to give precedence, in the priest's identity and mission, to the dimension of proclamation, detaching it from that of sanctification; it is often said that it would be necessary to go beyond a merely sacramental pastoral ministry. Yet, is it possible to exercise the priestly ministry authentically by "going beyond" the sacramental ministry? What exactly does it mean for priests to evangelize, in what does the professed "primacy of proclamation" consist? As the Gospels report, Jesus says that the proclamation of the Kingdom of God is the goal of his mission; this proclamation, however, is not only a "discourse" but at the same time includes his action; the signs and miracles that Jesus works show that the Kingdom comes as a present reality and in the end coincides with his very Person, with his gift of himself, as we heard today in the Gospel Reading. And the same applies for the ordained ministry: he, the priest, represents Christ, the One sent by the Father, he continues his mission, through the "word" and the "sacrament", in this totality of body and soul, of sign and word. Referring to priests in a letter to Bishop Honoratus of Thiabe, St Augustine says: "Let those, therefore, who are servants of Christ, his ministers in word and sacrament, do what he has commanded or permitted" (Letter 228, 2). It is necessary to reflect on whether, in some cases, having underestimated the faithful exercise of the munus sanctificandi might not have represented a weakening of faith itself in the salvific efficacy of the sacraments, and ultimately in the actual action of Christ and of his Spirit, through the Church, in the world.

Who, therefore, saves the world and man? The only answer we can give is: Jesus of Nazareth, Lord and Christ, Crucified and Risen. And where is the Mystery of the death and Resurrection of Christ that brings about salvation? In Christ's action through the Church, and in particular in the sacrament of the Eucharist, which makes the redemptive sacrificial offering of the Son of God present in the sacrament of Reconciliation in which from the death of sin one returns to new life, and in every other sacramental act of sanctification (cf. Presbyterorum Ordinis, n. 5). It is therefore important to encourage an appropriate catechesis to help the faithful understand the value of the sacraments; but it is likewise necessary, after the example of the Holy Curé d'Ars, to be available, generous and attentive in giving the brothers and sisters the treasures of grace that God has placed in our hands, and of which we are not the "masters" but rather caretakers and stewards. Especially in this time of ours, in which, on the one hand it seems that faith is weakening, and, on the other, a profound need and a widespread quest for spirituality are emerging, it is essential that every priest remember that in his mission the missionary proclamation and worship and the sacraments are never separate and encourage a healthy sacramental ministry, to form the People of God and to help it experience to the full the Liturgy, the Church's worship and the sacraments as freely given gifts of God, free and effective gestures of his saving action.

As I recalled in the Holy Chrism Mass this year: "At the centre of the Church's worship is the notion of "sacrament'. This means that it is not primarily we who act, but God comes first to meet us through his action, he looks upon us and he leads us to himself.... God touches us through material things... that he takes up into his service, making them instruments of the encounter between us and himself" (Chrism Mass, 1 April 2010). The truth according to which in the Sacrament "it is not primarily we who act" (ibid.), also concerns and must concern priestly awareness: each priest knows well that he is an instrument necessary to God's saving action but also that he is always only an instrument. This awareness must make priests humble and generous in the administration of the Sacraments, in respect of the canonical norms, but also in the deep conviction that their mission is to ensure that all people, united to Christ, may offer themselves to God as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to him (cf. Rom 12: 1). St John Mary Vianney, once again, is exemplary with regard to the munus sanctificandi and the correct interpretation of the sacramental ministry; one day, to a man who was saying that he had no faith and wished to ask him about it, the parish priest answered: "Oh! My friend, you are not really speaking to the right person, I do not know how to reason... but it you need some comfort, sit there... (and he pointed to the ever present stool in the confessional) and believe me, many others have sat there before you and have had nothing to regret" (cf. Monnin, A., Il Curato d'Ars, Vita di Gian-Battista-Maria Vianney, Vol. I, Turin 1870, pp. 163-164).

Dear priests, experience the Liturgy and worship with joy and love: it is an action which the Risen One carries out with the power of the Holy Spirit in us, with us and for us. I would like to renew the invitation made recently to "return to the confessional as a place in which to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation, but also as a place in which "to dwell' more often, so that the faithful may find compassion, advice and comfort, feel that they are loved and understood by God and experience the presence of Divine Mercy beside the Real Presence in the Eucharist" (Address to participants in the course on the Internal Forum organized by the Apostolic Penitentiary, 11 March 2010). And I would also like to ask each priest to celebrate and to live intensely the Eucharist which is at the heart of the duty of sanctifying; it is Jesus who wants to be with us, to live in us, to give himself to us, to show us God's infinite mercy and tenderness; it is the one sacrifice of the love of Christ who makes himself present, who makes himself real among us and arrives at the throne of Grace, at God's presence... embraces humanity... and unites us with him (cf. Discourse to the Parish Priests of the Diocese of Rome, 18 February 2010). And the priest is called to be a minister of this great Mystery, in the Sacrament and in life. If "the great ecclesial tradition has rightly separated sacramental efficacy from the concrete existential situation of the individual priest and so the legitimate expectations of the faithful are appropriately safeguarded", this correct doctrinal explanation takes nothing "from the necessary, indeed indispensable aspiration to moral perfection that must dwell in every authentically priestly heart": there is also an example of faith and the testimony of holiness, that the People of God rightly expect from its Pastors (cf. Benedict XVI, Address to the Plenary Assembly of the Congregation for the Clergy, 16 March 2009). And it is in the celebration of the Holy Mysteries that the priest finds the root of his holiness (cf. Presbyterorum Ordinis, nn. 12-13).

Dear Friends, may you be aware of the great gift that priests are for the Church and for the world; through their ministry the Lord continues to save men, to make himself present, to sanctify. May you be able to thank God and above all be close to your priests with prayer and support, especially in difficulty, so that there may be more and more Pastors in accordance with the Heart of God. Many thanks."

Pope Benedict XVI's Catechesis on Munus regendi
General Audience, Wednesday 26 May 2010 - also in Croatian, French, German, Italian, Portuguese & Spanish

"Dear Brothers and Sisters,
The Year for Priests, is drawing to a close; therefore I began to talk in the last Catecheses about the essential tasks of the priest: to teach, to sanctify and to govern. I have already given two Catecheses, one on the ministry of sanctification, the Sacraments above all, and one on that of teaching. So it remains for me today to speak of the priest's mission to govern, to guide - with the authority of Christ, not his own the portion of the People that God has entrusted to him.

How can we comprehend in our modern day culture a dimension of this kind that implies the concept of authority and has its origins in the Lord's own mandate to tend his flock? What is authority really, for us Christians? The cultural, political and historical experiences of the recent past, above all the dictatorships in Eastern and Western Europe in the 20th century, have made contemporary man suspicious of this concept. A suspicion which is often expressed in a conviction that it is necessary to eliminate every kind of authority does not come exclusively from man, and is not regulated and controlled by him. But it is precisely in reviewing those regimes which in the last century disseminated terror and death, that we are forcibly reminded that authority, in every circumstance, when it is exercised without reference to the Transcendent, if it neglects the Supreme Authority, which is God, inevitably finishes by turning against man. It is important, therefore, to recognize that human authority is never an end in itself but always and only a means and that, necessarily and in every age, the end is the person, created by God with his own inviolable dignity and called to relate to his Creator, both along the path of his earthly journey and in eternal life; it is an authority exercised in responsibility before God, before the Creator. An authority whose sole purpose is understood to be to serve the true good of the person and to be a glass through which we can see the one and supreme Good, which is God. Not only is it not foreign to man, but on the contrary, it is a precious help on our journey towards a total fulfilment in Christ, towards salvation.

The Church is called and commits herself to exercise this kind of authority which is service and exercises it not in her own name, but in the name of Jesus Christ, who received from his Father all authority both in Heaven and on Earth (cf. Mt 28: 18) Christ tends his flock through the Pastor of the Church, in fact: it is he who guides, protects and corrects them, because he loves them deeply. But the Lord Jesus, the supreme Shepherd of our souls, has willed that the Apostolic College, today the Bishops, in communion with the Successor of Peter and the priests, their most precious collaborators, to participate in his mission of taking care of God's People, of educating them in the faith and of guiding, inspiring and sustaining the Christian community, or, as the Council puts it, "to see to it... that each member of the faithful shall be led in the Holy Spirit to the full development of his own vocation in accordance with Gospel preaching, and to sincere and active charity" and to exercise that liberty with which Christ has set us free (cf. Presbyterorum Ordinis, 6). Every Pastor, therefore, is a means through whom Christ himself loves men: it is through our ministry, dear priests, it is through us that the Lord reaches souls, instructs, guards and guides them. St Augustine, in his Commentary on the Gospel of St John, says: "let it therefore be a commitment of love to feed the flock of the Lord" (cf. 123, 5); this is the supreme rule of conduct for the ministers of God, an unconditional love, like that of the Good Shepherd, full of joy, given to all, attentive to those close to us and solicitous for those who are distant (cf. St Augustine, Discourse 340, 1; Discourse 46, 15), gentle towards the weakest, the little ones, the simple, the sinners, to manifest the infinite mercy of God with the reassuring words of hope (cf. ibid., Epistle, 95, 1).

Even if this pastoral task is founded on the Sacraments, its efficacy is not independent of the personal existence of the priest. In order to be a priest according to the heart of God (cf. Jer 3: 15) it is necessary that not only the mind, but also the freedom and the will be deeply rooted in living friendship with Christ, a clear awareness of the identity received in Priestly Ordination, an unconditional readiness to lead the flock entrusted to him where the Lord desires and not in the direction which might, apparently, seem easier or more convenient. This requires, above all, a continuous and progressive willingness to allow Christ himself to govern the sacerdotal life. In fact, no one is really able to feed Christ's flock, unless he lives in profound and true obedience to Christ and the Church, and the docility of the people towards their priests depends on the docility of the priests towards Christ; for this reason the personal and constant encounter with the Lord, profound knowledge of him and the conformation of the individual will to Christ's will is always at the root of the pastoral ministry .

During the last decades, we have heard the adjective "pastoral" used almost as if it were in opposition to the concept of "hierarchical", and in the same way the idea of "communion" has also been set against it. At this point it may be useful to make a brief comment on the word "hierarchy", which is the traditional designation of the structure of sacramental authority within the Church, ordered according to the three levels of the Sacrament of Holy Orders, episcopate, presbyterate, diaconate: The concept of "hierarchy" carries, in public opinion, an element of subordination and of judgement; therefore to many the concept of hierarchy appears to be in contrast with the flexibility and vitality of the pastoral meaning and also appears contrary to the humility of the Gospel. However, this is a misunderstanding of the meaning of hierarchy, which arose in historical times from abuses of authority and careerism. But these are, in fact, abuses, and have nothing to do with the essential meaning of "hierarchy" itself. Common opinion holds that "hierarchy" is something connected with dominion and therefore cannot correspond to the real sense of the Church, that is unity in the love of Christ. But, as I have said, this is a mistaken interpretation, which has its origins in the abuses of the past, but does not correspond to the real meaning of hierarchy. Let us begin with the word. The word hierarchy is generally said to mean "sacred dominion", yet the real meaning is not this, but rather "sacred origin", that is to say: this authority does not come from man himself, but it has its origins in the sacred, in the Sacrament; so it subjects the person in second place to the vocation, to the mystery of Christ; it makes of the individual a servant of Christ, and only as a servant of Christ can he govern and guide for Christ and with Christ. Therefore he who enters into the Sacred Order of the Sacrament, the "hierarchy", is not an autocrat but he enters into a new bond of obedience to Christ: he is tied to Christ in communion with the other members of the Sacred Order, the Priesthood. Nor can the Pope, reference point for all the Pastors and for the communion of the Church, do what he likes; on the contrary, the Pope is the custodian of obedience to Christ, to his word summed up in the "regula fidei", in the Creed of the Church, and must lead the way in obedience to Christ and to his Church. Thus hierarchy implies a triple bond: in the first place the bond with Christ and with the order given by Our Lord to his Church; then the bond with the other Pastors in the one communion of the Church; and lastly, the bond with the faithful who are entrusted to the individual, in the order of the Church.

Therefore it is clear that communion and hierarchy are not contrary to each other, but they influence each other. Together they form one thing (hierarchical communion). The Pastor fulfils his role precisely when he guides and protects his flock and sometimes prevents it from scattering. Except in a vision which is clearly and explicitly supernatural, the task of governing which belongs to the priest is incomprehensible. On the contrary, sustained by a sincere desire for the salvation of each believer, he is particularly precious and necessary, also in our time. If the aim is to spread the message of Christ and to lead men and women towards a saving encounter with him, so that they may have life, then the task of guiding appears as a service lived in pure giving, for the edification of the flock in truth and holiness, often going against the tide, and remembering that he who is greater must act as the lesser, and he who governs as he who serves (cf. Lumen Gentium, n. 27).

Where can a priest today find the strength for such an exercise of his ministry, in full fidelity to Christ and to the Church, and complete devotion to his flock? There is only one answer: in Christ the Lord. Jesus' way of governing was not through dominion, but in the humble and loving service of the Washing of the feet, and the kingship of Christ over the Universe is not an earthly triumph, but reaches its highest point on the wood of the Cross, which becomes a judgement for the world and a point of reference for the exercising of that authority which is the true expression of pastoral charity. The saints, among them St John Mary Vianney, carried out with love and devotion the task of caring for the portion of God's People entrusted to them, showing themselves to be strong and determined men with the single aim of promoting the true good of souls, and capable of paying a price in person, even to martyrdom, in order to remain faithful to the truth and justice of the Gospel.

Dear priests, "tend the flock of God that is your charge, not by constraint but willingly... being examples to the flock" (1 Pet 5: 2). Therefore, do not be afraid to lead to Christ each one of the brethren whom he has entrusted to you, certain that every word and every action will bear fruit if they come from obedience to God's will: know how to live in appreciating the merits and in recognition of the limits of the culture in which we find ourselves, with the firm assurance that the proclamation of the Gospel is the greatest service to render to man. In fact, there is no greater good, in this earthly life, than to lead people to God, to reawaken faith, to lift the person out of his inertia and desperation, to give the hope that God is near and directs our personal histories and that of the world: this, in the ultimate analysis, is the deep and final meaning of the task of governing that the Lord has given to us. To form Christ in believers, through that process of sanctification that is a conversion of criteria, scale of values, and patterns of behaviour, to allow Christ to live in every one of the faithful. St Paul sums up his pastoral action in these words, "my little children, with whom I am again in travail until Christ be formed in you" (Gal 4: 19).

Dear brothers and sisters, I should like to invite you to pray for me, the Successor of Peter, who have a specific task in governing the Church of Christ, as have all your Bishops and priests. Pray that we may know how to take care of all the sheep, including those that are lost, that make up the flock entrusted to us. You, dear priests, I cordially invite to the closing celebrations of the Year for Priests, to be held on the 9th, 10th, and 11th June, here in Rome: we shall meditate on conversion and on mission, on the gift of the Holy Spirit and on the relationship with Mary Most Holy, and we shall renew our priestly promises, sustained by all the People of God. Thank you!"

Pope St John Paul II's homily at Holy Mass for the Jubilee of Priests
and the 80th birthday of the Holy Father
St Peter's Basilica, Thursday 18th May 2000 - also in French, German, Italian, Portuguese & Spanish

"1. "Ecce Sacerdos magnus, qui in diebus suis placuit Deo".

The great Priest, indeed the High Priest, is Jesus Christ. He - as the Letter to the Hebrews affirms - entered the sanctuary with his own blood once and for all, achieving for us eternal redemption (cf Heb 9, 12). Christ, Priest and Victim: he "is the same yesterday and today and for ever!" (Heb 13, 8). We who, as priests, have been called to participate in his priesthood in a specific way are gathered together this morning to reflect on it.

The ministerial priesthood! Today's liturgy speaks of it to us, taking us back in spirit to the Upper Room, to the Last Supper, when Christ washed the Apostles' feet. The Evangelist John bears witness to it. So does Luke, but, in the passage just proclaimed, he offers us the correct interpretation of this symbolic gesture of Christ, who says of himself: "I am among you as one who serves" (Lk 22, 27). The Teacher leaves to his friends the commandment to love one another as he has loved them, by serving one another (cf Jn 13, 14): "I have given you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you" (Jn 13, 15).

2. The ministerial priesthood! It refers us above all to the Eucharist, in which Christ instituted the new rite of the Christian Passover, at the same time establishing the priestly ministry in the Church.

At the Last Supper Christ took bread into his hands, broke it and gave it to the Apostles, saying: "This is my body which will be given up for you" (Rite of Mass, cf Lk 22, 19). Then he took the cup filled with wine and gave it to the Apostles, saying: "This is the cup of my blood, the blood of the new and everlasting covenant. It will be shed for you and for all so that sins may be forgiven. Do this in memory of me" (Rite of Mass).

As often as you repeat this rite, the Apostle Paul explains, "you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes" (1 Cor 11, 26).

Beloved priests, in this way Christ places in our hands, under the appearances of bread and wine, the living memorial of the Sacrifice he offered to the Father on the Cross. He has entrusted it to his Church, to celebrate it until the end of the world. In the Church, as we know, it is he himself as the Eternal High Priest of the New Covenant who down the centuries acts through us, through his ordained ministers.

"Do this in memory of me": every time you do this, you will proclaim my death until my final coming.

3. The ministerial priesthood! We all share in it, and today we want to offer God a unanimous thanksgiving for this extraordinary gift. A gift for all times and for people of every race and culture. A gift that is renewed in the Church, through God's unchanging mercy and the generous, faithful response of so many frail men. A gift that never ceases to amaze those who receive it.

After more than 50 years of priestly life, I feel an intense need to praise and thank God for his immense goodness. My thoughts return at this moment to the Upper Room in Jerusalem where, during my recent pilgrimage to the Holy Land, I was able to celebrate Holy Mass. In that place my priesthood and yours arose from the mind and heart of Christ. This is precisely why I wanted to address my Letter to Priests for Holy Thursday from that "room on the upper floor", a Letter which I again offer to you today.

In the Upper Room, on the eve of his Passion, Jesus wanted to give us a share in the vocation and mission entrusted to him by the heavenly Father, that is, to bring people into his universal mystery of salvation.

4. I embrace you with deep affection, dear priests of the whole world! It is an embrace that knows no bounds and extends to the priests of every particular Church, reaching you especially, dear sick priests, who are alone or troubled by various difficulties.

I am also thinking of the priests who for different reasons no longer exercise their sacred ministry, but continue to bear in them that special configuration to Christ inherent in the indelible character of Holy Orders. I pray for them often and invite everyone to remember them in prayer, so that, through the properly obtained dispensation, they may continue to fulfil the commitment to Christian integrity and ecclesial communion.

5. Dear priests of every country and every culture, this is a day wholly dedicated to our priesthood, to the ministerial priesthood.

With great affection I greet and thank Cardinal Darío Castrillón Hoyos, Prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy, who at the beginning of the celebration addressed cordial best wishes to me, in your name as well, on this day which is very significant for me. I greet the Cardinals, Archbishops and Bishops present. I greet all of you, dear brothers in the priesthood, who have wished to be here with me today, even by coming from afar at the cost of considerable sacrifice. I hold you all close to my heart.

We have been consecrated in the Church for this specific ministry. We are called in various ways, to contribute, wherever Providence puts us, to the formation of the community of God's People. Our task - the Apostle Peter reminded us - is to tend the flock God entrusted to us, not by constraint but willingly, not as domineering over those in our charge, but by setting them an example (cf 1 Pt 5, 2-3); a witness that, if necessary, can reach the point of shedding one's blood, as many of our confrères did in the century which has just ended.

This is our way of holiness, which leads us to our ultimate meeting with the "supreme shepherd" in whose hands is the "crown of glory" (1 Pt 5, 4). This is our mission at the service of the Christian people. May Mary, Mother of our priesthood, help us. May we be helped by the many holy priests who have gone before us in this sublime mission that is laden with responsibility.

Pray for us too, dear Christian people who have gathered round us today in faith and joy. You are a royal people, a priestly race, a holy assembly. You are the People of God who, in every part of the earth, share in Christ's priesthood. Accept the gift which we renew today in the service of this your special dignity. O priestly people, thank God with us for our ministry and sing with us to your Lord and ours: Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ, for the gift of the priesthood! Grant that the Church of the new millennium may count on the generous work of many holy priests! Amen.

At the end of Mass the Holy Father greeted the priests in various languages:

"Je salue cordialement les prêtres de langue française qui ont participé à cette célébration et je les remercie d’avoir prié avec moi. Je souhaite que leur présence à Rome affermisse leur foi et leur sens de l’Église universelle. De grand cœur je leur donne une affectueuse Bénédiction apostolique.

I greet the English-speaking priests taking part in today’s Jubilee celebration, especially those marking their Silver or Golden Anniversaries of Priestly Ordination and those who, like me, are celebrating their Eightieth Birthday. Let us pray for one another that our lives will be ever more fully conformed to Jesus Christ, the Eternal High Priest, and marked by that pastoral charity which has its source in his Sacred Heart.

Saludo a los sacerdotes de lengua española que participáis en esta celebración jubilar. Os animo a continuar con vuestra entrega generosa y alegre al ministerio recibido, sabiendo que el Señor, que comenzó la obra buena, Él mismo la llevará a término.

Einen herzlichen Gruß entbiete ich den Pilgern deutscher Sprache. Besonders freue ich mich über die große Anzahl von Priestern, die mit mir zusammen in die Danksagung der Eucharistie eingestimmt haben. Liebe Mitbrüder! Danken wir gemeinsam Gott, dem Schöpfer des Lebens, daß er uns geschaffen hat. Danken wir ihm besonders für die Gnade des Priestertums, das wir täglich leben dürfen.

A Cristo, Sumo e Eterno Sacerdote, elevo minhas preces por todos os sacerdotes de língua portuguesa aqui presentes. Peço a Deus que vos abençoe nesta festa jubilar e a todos agradeço pelas demonstrações de afeto e de solidariedade cristã, pela passagem do Meu aniversário natalício.

Pozdrawiam kapłanów z Polski, którzy sprawowali wraz ze mną tę Ofiarę Eucharystyczną tu, na Placu Świętego Piotra z okazji Wielkiego Jubileuszu Roku 2000. Dziękuję wszystkim kapłanom w Polsce za wierność powołaniu i Kościołowi. Kościół liczy na was i na powołania do kapłaństwa. Niech Bóg błogosławi waszej służbie Ludowi Bożemu."

The Sacrament of Holy Orders

Pope Francis' Catechesis on the Sacrament of Holy Orders
General Audience, Wednesday 26 March 2014 - also in Arabic, Croatian, French, German, Italian, Polish, Portuguese & Spanish

"Dear Brothers and Sisters,
We have already had occasion to point out that the three Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and the Eucharist together constitute the mystery of “Christian initiation”, a single great event of grace that regenerates us in Christ. This is the fundamental vocation which unites everyone in the Church as disciples of the Lord Jesus. There are then two Sacraments which correspond to two specific vocations: Holy Orders and Matrimony. They constitute two great paths by which the Christian can make his life a gift of love, after the example and in the name of Christ, and thus cooperate in the building up of the Church.

Holy Orders, in its three grades of bishop, priest and deacon, is the Sacrament that enables a man to exercise the ministry which the Lord Jesus entrusted to the Apostles, to shepherd his flock, in the power of his Spirit and according to his Heart. Tending Jesus’ flock not by the power of human strength or by one’s own power, but by the Spirit’s and according to his Heart, the Heart of Jesus which is a heart of love. The priest, the bishop, the deacon must shepherd the Lord’s flock with love. It is useless if it is not done with love. And in this sense, the ministers who are chosen and consecrated for this service extend Jesus’ presence in time, if they do so by the power of the Holy Spirit, in God’s name and with love.

1. A first aspect. Those who are ordained are placed at the head of the community. They are “at the head”, yes, but for Jesus this means placing ones authority at the service [of the community], as Jesus himself showed and taught his disciples with these words: “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you; but whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave; even as the Son of man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mt 20:25-28/Mk 10:42-45). A bishop who is not at the service of the community fails to perform his duty; a priest who is not at the service of his community fails to perform his duty, he errs.

2. Another characteristic which also derives from this sacramental union with Christ is a passionate love for the Church. Let us think of that passage from the Letter to the Ephesians in which St Paul states that Christ “loved the Church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that he might present the Church to himself in splendour, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing” (5:25-27). Through Holy Orders the minister dedicates himself entirely to his community and loves it with all his heart: it is his family. The bishop and the priest love the Church in their own community, they love it greatly. How? As Christ loves the Church. St Paul will say the same of marriage: the husband is to love his wife as Christ loves the Church. It is a great mystery of love: this of priestly ministry and that of matrimony are two Sacraments, pathways which people normally take to go to the Lord.

3. A final aspect. The Apostle Paul recommends to the disciple Timothy that he not neglect, indeed, that he always rekindle the gift that is within him. The gift that he has been given through the laying on of hands (cf. 1 Tim 4:14; 2 Tim 1:6). When the ministry is not fostered — the ministry of the bishop, the ministry of the priest — through prayer, through listening to the Word of God, through the daily celebration of the Eucharist and also through regularly going to the Sacrament of Penance, he inevitably ends up losing sight of the authentic meaning of his own service and the joy which comes from a profound communion with Jesus.

4. The bishop who does not pray, the bishop who does not listen to the Word of God, who does not celebrate every day, who does not regularly confess — and the same is true for the priest who does not do these things — in the long run lose their union with Jesus and become so mediocre that they do not benefit the Church. That is why we must help bishops and priests to pray, to listen to the Word of God which is one’s daily nourishment, to celebrate the Eucharist each day and to confess regularly. This is so important precisely because it concerns the sanctification of bishops and priests.

5. I would like to conclude with something which comes to mind: how does one become a priest, where is access to the priesthood sold? No. It is not sold. This is an initiative which the Lord takes. The Lord calls. He calls each of those whom he wills to become priests. Perhaps there are some young men present here who have heard this call in their hearts, the aspiration to become a priest, the desire to serve others in the things of God, the desire to spend one’s entire life in service in order to catechize, baptize, forgive, celebrate the Eucharist, heal the sick... the whole of one’s life in this way. If some of you have heard this call in your heart, it is Jesus who has placed it there. Pay attention to this invitation and pray that it might grow and bear fruit for the whole Church."

"Je vous salue bien cordialement, chers amis de langue française, en particulier les jeunes venus de France et de Monaco, ainsi que les pèlerins du Luxembourg.

Je vous invite à prier souvent pour tous les prêtres que vous connaissez, en particulier pour ceux qui sont en difficulté, ou qui ont besoin de retrouver la fraicheur de leur vocation. Qu’ils trouvent toujours auprès de vous accueil et réconfort. Bon pèlerinage à Rome.

I greet all the English-speaking pilgrims present at today’s Audience, including those from the United Kingdom, England, Australia, Denmark, Malta, China, Japan and the United States. Upon you and your families I invoke joy and peace in Christ our Lord.

Ein herzliches Willkommen sage ich den Pilgern aus den Ländern deutscher Sprache. Heute wollen wir besonders für alle Bischöfe, Priester und Diakone beten. Der Herr schenke uns immer wahre Hirten nach seinem Herzen. Gott segne euch!

Queridos amigos de língua portuguesa, que hoje tomais parte neste Encontro: Obrigado pela vossa presença e sobretudo pelas vossas orações! A todos saúdo, especialmente ao grupo de Brasília, encorajando-vos a apostar em ideais grandes de serviço, que engrandecem o coração e tornam fecundos os vossos talentos.Sobre vós e vossas famílias desça a Bênção do Senhor!

Saludo a los peregrinos de lengua española, en particular a los grupos provenientes de España, México, Argentina y otros países latinoamericanos. Invito a todos a rezar al Señor por los ministros ordenados de su Iglesia, en particular por aquellos que se encuentran en dificultad o que necesitan recuperar el valor y la frescura de su vocación. Pidamos también para que nunca falten en nuestras comunidades pastores auténticos, según el Corazón de Cristo. Muchas gracias.

أتوجه بتحية حارة إلى الأخوات والإخوة الناطقين باللغة العربية، وخاصة القادمين من الأردن ومن العراق: إن الخدام المكرسين هم "أناس من أجل الشعب بحسب الإنجيل". لنصلي من أجل الأساقفة والكهنة والشمامسة كي يعيشوا في كنيسة الرب دعوتهم هذه، لخدمة العالم، متبعين مثال الراعي الصالح، الذي غسل أرجل تلاميذه، ووهب حياته على خشبة الصليب من أجل خلاص العالم. فليبارك الرب جميع خدامه، ويجدد حماس المحبطين!

Pozdrawiam polskich pielgrzymów. Drodzy przyjaciele, dzisiaj pragniemy modlić się do Pana za wszystkich szafarzy Jego Kościoła – Biskupów, prezbiterów i diakonów – pamiętając szczególnie o tych, którzy są w trudnej sytuacji, lub którzy muszą odzyskać wartość i świeżość swojego powołania. Chcemy też Go prosić, aby nigdy nie zabrakło w naszych wspólnotach prawdziwych pasterzy, według Jego serca. Dziękuję za waszą modlitwę! Niech Bóg wam błogosławi!

* * *

Saluto i pellegrini di lingua italiana. Sono lieto di accoglierei gruppi parrocchiali e le associazioni, in particolare quelle di volontariato e la Federazione Internazionale Piemontesi nel mondo, accompagnata dal Vescovo di Pinerolo, Mons. Pier Giorgio Debernardi. Saluto gli ufficiali e militari dell’Esercito e della Guardia Costiera di Salerno, specialmente quanti si preparano a partire per la missione di pace in Libano nel prossimo ottobre. Saluto le numerose scolaresche, in particolare l’Istituto Superiore “Mattei” di Vasto che ricorda i cinquant’anni di fondazione; gli Alpini di Lecco e i Bersaglieri della Toscana. A tutti auguro che questo incontro susciti un rinnovato impegno in favore della pace e della solidarietà verso i più bisognosi.

Un pensiero speciale rivolgo ai giovani, agli ammalati e agli sposi novelli. Ieri abbiamo celebrato la Solennità dell’Annunciazione del Signore alla Vergine Maria. Cari giovani, particolarmente gli scouts presenti, sappiate mettervi in ascolto della volontà di Dio come Maria; cari malati, non scoraggiatevi nei momenti più difficili sapendo che il Signore non dà una croce superiore alle proprie forze; e voi, cari sposi novelli, edificate la vostra vita matrimoniale sulla salda roccia della Parola di Dio."


Content-Type: application/http; msgtype=response

WARC-Identified-Payload-Type: text/html

WARC-Type: response

text:
Tag Archives: based business owners

Need Home Based Business Advice? Look Below!

Most people say that starting a business is hard. They say that the income associated to it is not stable and that it is meant to be a full-time gig. This article can show you how to begin a successful home based business.

Business Expenses

If any business expenses arise from having to entertain clients, then these expenses can be claimed as a tax deduction. These meetings you can record as business expenses. Just be careful that these clients are paying or potential clients, or else the entertainment expenses are not justifiably tax deductible.

Keep your business phone line to keep it separate from your personal line. A business that wants to be known as professional and established always has a message specific to it, thus lessening the chances of the wrong person answering the phone.

You need an office space before you begin your business.Although this is something that can be seen as trivial, people find it hard to get down to work if they are not comfortable with their space or they do not have the proper supplies.

Check out any potential employees who you might hire for your home based business.

You should obtain a post office box for your business mailings. Don’t take the risk of using your real home address when putting things on the Internet. This keeps your identity is protected and your household.

Don’t quit your day job when you’re just starting your home business.Having an income while waiting to build up your new business is a good thing to do.

A special business checking account is a way to keep track of your company. Make sure all business-related transactions use this account. This will help you keep track your business is making. It also important to obtain a credit card that you use solely for your business.

Offer incentives to customers who refer their friends. These referral incentives also encourage current customers to stay loyal to you.

Make sure that you are not breaking any laws or local ordinances. You might end up with fines and embarrassing situations if you do this. You want good relations through keeping a low profile. This may mean avoiding signage and the amount of traffic or noise that can be accommodated.

Find a niche that is right for you. Locate the appropriate customers who fit well with the product you sell. Selling becomes simple after you accomplish this. Talk to anyone you know about their thoughts on your niche. You should ask these same people too. Trade shows are another great place to find out who’s looking for what you’re selling.

Keep accurate accounting of all financial records of your business. If the IRS wants to audit your business, you will want to make sure that everything is intact. Keeping detailed records also help you keep track of how well your success and look for ways to reduce expenses.

You need to have your family before you consider starting a home-based business. It can be very hard to start a home business enterprise.Without the support of your family members, maintaining your home business can be hard.

You will have a hard time without help to keep the children doing what they are supposed to be doing.

Choosing the right name is important and should not be made from a work from home business. You will see the business’ name of your business frequently. Your business name should be something you can be proud of and meaning.

Business Emails

To keep your business and personal emails separate, create a business email account that uses your domain name for work related emails only.You should retrieve your email by a different locations as well. For instance, your business emails would go to Microsoft Outlook, while business emails can be done through Outlook.

A well-developed business success.

This is known as virtual hosting and it’s all that is needed to host your business website. You will not need a dedicated server unless you plan to have a bustling forum or a bunch of large files that get accessed often.

You should always look for ways to improve your business. Businesses must grow to remain current, and you are going to need to continue to advertise and get the word out about your business long after it is up and running well. This will help you secure a steady flow of business coming in.

Office Space

You should remember to include your office space written on your taxes. Many people do not know about this write-off since home based business owners often don’t realize that your office space can be confusing.

Business trips can be a legitimate and your business. If you take a trip to a place holding a convention on something related to your business, check for business seminars in the area and attend them. This allows you to deduct the trip as a legitimate business expense.

Your choice in domain name is very important to help you get Internet business. It is important that is appropriate for what you select is meaningful to your business. It will be easier for customers to find you.

If you’re looking to stay home with a young child, a work from home business is a great idea for you. You can work from home and take care for your child while still bringing in an income for the family.

Take advantage of business classes to help you can. Most home based business owners cannot afford a lot of upfront cash, but it is important to invest in local classes that will point you toward your goals. Learning new information can only help your business succeed.

With these helpful tips, it is possible to have a successful home based business. Knowledge and drive are what make business owners successful. These times can help yield a lot of profit in your spare time.

warcinfo:
isPartOf: CC-MAIN-2021-04
publisher: Common Crawl
description: Wide crawl of the web for January 2021
operator: Common Crawl Admin (info@commoncrawl.org)
hostname: ip-10-67-67-250.ec2.internal
software: Apache Nutch 1.17 (modified, https://github.com/commoncrawl/nutch/)
robots: checked via crawler-commons 1.2-SNAPSHOT (https://github.com/crawler-commons/crawler-commons)
format: WARC File Format 1.1
conformsTo: http://iipc.github.io/warc-specifications/specifications/warc-format/warc-1.1/


text:
Wu Heng Dong

Wu Heng Dong

Senior Tai Chi Master

Tai Chi Masters Wu Heng Dong (Kim ) born in July 1979, a native of Fang Cheng Gang, in Guangxi province. He graduated from the Guangxi National College of Health and Physical Education. He is a level 6 tai chi master( Duanwei) , he has obtained a Wushu and Tai Chi Coach Certification of China (Grade 1, First Degree). Kim is the Yangshuo Traditional Tai Chi School’s co-founder and headmaster.

Childhood love martial arts from the 11 year old father learning basic skills of martial arts, under the tutelage of Wang Haijun learning Chen Style Taijiquan and Taiji theory knowledge.
He specializes in teaching: Chen Style Taijiquan;Taiji theory; Tai Chi internal strength;Pushing hands Grappling; Weapons;Self-defense; Wushu (Kungfu); Sanda (boxing）.
Participated in the domestic and international Taijiquan, sword competition and won many gold medals.

Hope that by running a school to spread the extensive and profound, so that more people understand and learn the essence of Tai Chi culture. Teach taught 17 years students of different ages, different colors, different countries from between 4 – 88 years old, liberating the domestic and foreign teaching students 60 multinational staff, about 30000 students. Long term teaching and extensive experience, to be recognized by all sectors of the community and the majority of students of the evaluation.

Once people accept CCTV frequency Taiwan, the United States and the United Kingdom International Film Company, Slovakia TV, Hongkong TV, Guangxi TV, Guilin television, Yangshuo TV, the Guilin Journal interview and shooting

刚柔相济　　阴阳平衡

吴恒栋 1979年7月生，广西防城港市人，毕业于广西民族大学体育与健康学院。桂林阳朔传统太极拳馆创办人兼总教练；中国武术6段，国家一级社会体育指导员、一级拳师。


text:
Mavic XM719 Rims: Probably Not Suitable For Loaded Touring

When choosing a rim for the next wheel on your touring bike, you may want to avoid Mavic’s XM719 model.

We’ve recommended this rim in the past (based on our own experience and the recommendations of others) but it seems something has changed. In the past month, several bike tourists have contacted us to report broken XM719 rims.

Bert and Gillian were the first to get in touch. They’ve broken five of these rims in just 9,000km of cycling around North America. In an email, they wrote:

It started happening after only 1,000km on the back wheel of the bike with the heaviest load. By the time we completed 3,000km a further two back-wheel rims broke on the same bike. At that stage we replaced the back rim on the heavier bike with a SunRingle Rhyno Lite rim, which solved the problem. During the last week, the same issue developed on the front wheel on the bike with the heaviest load (after 9,000km) as well as the back wheel of the bike with the lesser load (after 6,000km).

Bert & Gillian’s touring bikes.

Francesco Alaimo also told us that a crack developed in his XM719 rim after just 1,000km. He was able to ride the bike a further 3,000km before the rim gave out entirely.

In Bishkek I met a guy who had to substitute his XM719 for exactly the same problem after less than 5,000km and a couple on a tandem had exactly the same problem previously.

Cracked XM719 rimFrancesco’s cracked XM719 rim.

When we asked for opinions about rims on Facebook, Charles Coderre also reported failures of the XM719 rim (although his rims did last quite a bit longer than for the other cyclists we heard from).

We are riding fully loaded (bike and gear = 80 to 100 pounds). The Mavic XM719 we had on our rear wheels did not last. After 8,000 kilometers, my rim cracked on the entire circumference and was starting to open. I changed for Sun Rhyno Lite. After 13,000 kilometers my wife’s rear MavicXM719 rim was also starting to crack and open.

To double-check these reports, we asked two bike experts for their opinion. Both Marten Gerritsen and the wheel builders at Bike4Travel recommend Ryde Sputnik rims as a durable choice, and both had concerns about the suitability of Mavic rims for loaded touring.

We put these concerns to Mavic and they said the XM719 was a reliable rim with a return rate of less than 0.5%.

We’ve been selling those kind of rims to globe trotters for decades now (so thousands of them) and with very few issues. That said, this type of use (heavy load on the bike and rider) makes the rim more prone to this kind of fatigue. We have no influence on the wheel assembly and very often those kinds of cracks happen if the spoke tension is too high.

Mavic will replace a rim under warranty (if it’s found to be defective) but that’s of little use to most bike tourists. When your rim breaks during a tour, you just need to get it repaired and keep moving. The last thing you want is to be stuck in one place for days (or possibly weeks) negotiating a replacement with a company — especially when that company makes contact so difficult!

On the Mavic website, there are no obvious contact details (only lists of shops selling their products). It took us several days to get any reply via their social media channels. Compare that to our experience, when a Bontrager rim failed on us after just 3,000km of loaded touring. We were able to contact them easily and had a no-questions-asked refund within days (our previous rims from Alex and Alessa lasted for nearly 30,000km before we opted to replace them).

Given all of this, we can’t recommend the XM719 rim for touring anymore. It’s true that any one of these failures could have been caused by something other than the rim (eg. over-inflation of the tire or a poorly-built wheel) but when we hear so many reports about a single rim, it naturally makes us cautious. To be on the safe side, go for an option such as the Ryde Sputnik. Hopefully that will save you the trouble caused by a rim failure on the road!

, ,

  1. Brian
    8th December 2013 at 4:01 pm #

    I heartily recommend Sun Rhyno Lite rims hand laced to Shimano XT hubs. The rims are about half the price of the Mavics and are pretty bomb proof. The Shimano hubs are a no brainer considering the price, quality and ease of service. My wife and I rode 10,000 kms this year from North Africa thru Europe to Central Asia on these wheels and we only had to do some minor truing. These are fantastic wheels; they’re heavy and definitely NOT sexy, but I don’t have to think about them.

  2. isaac m
    8th December 2013 at 4:55 pm #

    I had the same issue after 3000 km on my back wheel , same rims Mavic xm 719 Im not longer recomend them for touring

  3. Frank
    8th December 2013 at 7:58 pm #

    I have Alex Rims on the Surly and have 20,000 ks plus and still going strong.

  4. Nomadic Justin
    17th December 2013 at 5:30 am #

    I quite literally just finished (two days ago) working with my LBS to build a new touring rig. They originally recommended Sun Rhyno Lite’s as well although I decided to go with Velocity Cliffhanger’s.

    I’ll be riding the TransAmerica in a couple months on these… let’s hope I chose well!

  5. Steven Scheib
    23rd December 2013 at 12:49 am #

    Several touring folks have experienced Cliffhanger failures just like the Mavic 719. Called Velocity several times and they recommend their Psycho rim for bullet proof endurance! One problem is the rim is not made anymore due to lack of sales. Only Peter White has inventory! I have a set and was told I could pass these rims on to someone in my will as they will last the lifetime of any 3 bike frames? We will see!

  6. Tyler
    29th December 2013 at 9:24 pm #

    Add another XM719 failure to the list:[email protected]/4302537445

  7. Sascha
    27th January 2014 at 5:50 am #

    No problems with them and know lots of others who find them more than up to the task…?

  8. Trevor
    27th January 2014 at 10:31 am #

    FWIW, my experience is that the Exal rims ( are great value for money and very reliable. I haven’t broken one yet despite a lot of trying. If you are based in Europe, give them a try.

  9. Shaun
    7th February 2014 at 5:26 pm #

    It’s a real pity Mavic don’t make the X618 anymore. Those are double-eyeletted and pretty bombproof without being too heavy and were my goto rim for mountain biking.

    When I was looking for a new set of X618-ish rims I ended up with some Rose own-brand rims which are double eyeletted, reassuringly heavy at 610g and with the added bonus of being both inexpensive and having reflective strips on the rim. I presume they’re rebranded Alex or some other Taiwanese brand.

    At the time I was also looking for a hub dynamo and Rose had a special offer on for a built set of those rims, XT rear hub, XT 3N80 dynohub, DT spokes, tubes and tyres. I paid about £150 all in figuring the rims were pretty much free after paying for the hubs.

    I’ve had three or maybe four weeks in total fully loaded front and rear and the bike is my commuter with Conti Town & Country tyres which I was pleasantly surprised by both on road and off. I occasionally take the off-piste route. I’ve also had them on my xtracyle, loaded.

    They’ve upped the price a bit but still a bargain IMHO.—sari-m-19r/aid:483388

    I’m honestly not connected with Rose in any way, just happy with my purchase. If I was to mark them down at all, it’s that the reflective strip peels off eventually if you wash your bike with cleaner. I’m using Magura rim brakes and round here it’s gritty sandstone so rims get a battering offroad. These are lasting well after over a year of on and off use and mini-tours.

    Now someone’s going to tell me they had them and they cracked….

  10. Peter
    11th February 2014 at 6:59 am #

    Also had the same issue at the start of a tour up the east coast of Australia in 2012 (inside split in XM719 rear rim). Replaced with EX721 Mavic rim and just doing some maintenance this morning and this rim has also failed (outside split).

  11. Dan
    2nd March 2014 at 6:41 pm #

    Is it possible to split the failure rate data based on whether or not the xm719 rim was hand-built into a wheelset or machine-built?

  12. Julien Roy
    6th March 2014 at 7:19 pm #

    1 more to the list!
    I still haven’t returned it yet officially because my client is still travelling, but the failure is similar to what the picture shows.

  13. Bert & Gill
    9th March 2014 at 3:11 am #

    We were the ones who raised the issue initially with Andrew and Friedel. We have covered 5,000km since we replaced our Mavic XM719s with Sun Rhino Lite rims and they are performing fantastically (on worse roads).

  14. Michal Plech
    16th April 2014 at 5:07 pm #

    I rode few tours on two different Mavic rims. open pro on the read fo about 6000km and XM719 bike packing in Scotland and Iceland. I am not a small guy anymore (105kg) plus all the camping gear adds up. and i had no problems with any of them. XM719 is really proper MTB rim light and raged. If you want something even stronger get XM319. extra extrusion walls inside make it stronger. And from wheel building experiance… too much tension on the spokes. Or not equal tension on all the spokes. pulling eyelets it’s not easy to do. before you go on any tour find the best wheel builder you can and ask for the right set for what you do

  15. Ian
    17th April 2014 at 12:52 pm #

    A really interesting thread here…….. Quite surprising as Mavic usually make quality products…….. Especially their rims.

    I am wondering if it is a poor quality batch of rims that have made it onto the market ?

    Other things to consider ?

    Wheels builder used or ? LBS using the old “pull the spokes by hand to test spoke tension” trick ? That can lead to really uneven spoke tension………… Leading to results that we are seeing here in this thread sadly 🙁

    I ? Am a heavy rider ( 260lbs ) and use a wheel builder that uses a spoke tensioner tool when he builds my wheels from scratch ( being a heavy rider, I ALWAYS have my wheels built by hand and from scratch, as factiry wheels are truly awful ! ) ……The proof is in the pudding….. My 36 Hole Velocity Deep V Rims, spinning on trusty Shimano 105 hubs…….. have just had a minor true on the rear wheel……… After some 10,000 kilometres. These wheels sit on my hack bike and are used and abused to be honest.

    Something else that is actually really relevant to rim health, is tyre pressures…… Personally, I ignore the maximum pressures quoted by bicycle tyre companies and go for somewhere in the middle of highest and lowest.

    Who knows as far as hubs are concerned but I have never and will never go anywhere near Shimano Deore hubs etc etc on a loaded tourer.

    I run a Thorn Nomad Mkll for touring now……….. Rohloff on the back and an admittedly over the top 48 hole Phil Wood touring hub on the front, spokes laced to a pair of Rigida CSS Andra Rims……… The Rohloff built wheel is super strong due to the “lack of dish” …….. Phil Wood….. Well, their products are top quality with few crappy reviews. I ran a 40 front, 48 rear touring hub set up on my now sold Vivente World Randonneur……….. Not a single issue in 6000 kilometres of seriously loaded touring in Australia !

    • Bert & Gill
      23rd April 2014 at 12:00 am #

      Based on our experience we can rule out the wheel builder/bad batch theories because we had the same issue happening to rims purchased in 3 different locations and built by 3 different wheel builders.
      Also, after the first failure we purchased a tyre gauge and carefully monitored our tyre pressure. This didn’t prevent further failures.
      Unfortunately only after we broke 5 rims did we meet a wheel builder who knew of problems with Mavic rims. He had a lot of experience building touring bikes and called them garbage.

      • Ian
        23rd April 2014 at 12:14 am #

        Well, looks like Mavis have out sourced the rim making side of their production…….. With catastrophic results for both Cycle Tourers AND their share of the wheel market.

  16. Phil
    26th April 2014 at 12:34 pm #

    @Ian: Mavic outsourcing their rim production – is that a fact or just a guess?

    I’m currently thinking about getting Mavic 819 rims for a Rohloff back wheel with loaded touring in sight (NZ South Island with kid and trailer). I wonder if Mavic’s FORE technology might make these rims stronger and more durable.

  17. Sascha
    8th June 2014 at 7:22 am #

    I don’t see any mention of whether it’s rims failing more with rim brakes or discs? Are they failing with both brake systems? Seems to me mainly rims using traditional brakes which is odd as the splits are down the middle like they are built with too much tension?

  18. andrei
    9th July 2014 at 9:21 pm #

    How much it was inflate your tire and if you use disc brake system with rim brake rim is normal to broke because is not made for that

  19. Alberto Contreras
    17th July 2014 at 1:58 pm #

    Another bad user experience here. In our case though, the rim was extremely worn out after about 5000 km of touring, loaded, and in the Andes. Sure enough, tough condition for it, but on our other bike we had an Rigida (Ryde) Sputnik also in the back. This rim shows no sign of wear, after the same conditions and km and with a heavier load.

    Also experienced the same problem when trying to contact Mavic directly, so contacted the supplier Rose Bikes. Their response was pretty poor also: a rim is an expendable part, 5000 km can be enough to wear it out, and was out of warranty. Unfortunately we counld only get yet another Mavic rim (X221) in Northern Perú, although we now know it is know a “touring” rim and what to expect..also we did not pay a fraction of what the 719s cost.

  20. menNOMADS
    18th August 2014 at 2:00 am #

    Last week I experienced a similar problem. Not sure what type of rim, but it’s Mavic Crossmax SLR. Rims are factory spoked and equiped with disc brakes. I have used them many years for mountain biking w/o any problem. Then after 3 days of touring with a BOB Yak trailer, the rim completely cracked.

    No more Mavic for me, especially after reading this blog. The rims might be perfect for MTB, but they are not suited for heavy load touring.

  21. Chris
    10th December 2014 at 7:38 pm #

    I am touring South America. Had to buy two Mavic rims for my bike . There are alternatives here as I have 700C wheels. When I intially researched this I found Mavic rims got rave reviews, but I just contacted a mate with a bike shop England and he says they are terrible. He won’t stock them. Now I read this! Worried I am not going make it all the way to Argentina. 🙁

    • Bert & Gill
      21st December 2014 at 8:41 am #

      We were the ones who raised the issue initially with Andrew and Friedel. I wouldn’t worry too much if I were you. We experienced the problems using heavy loads on the 26 inch 36 spokes version of the wheel. My theory is that the distance between the spokeholes on the 26 inch 36 spokes model is too small too support the weight. All our rims started cracking between the valve and the spokes next to it. Since you are using 700C wheels, the distance between the spokeholes will be greater…and the wheel stronger

      Enjoy the riding

  22. Nation
    25th December 2014 at 9:51 am #

    Mavic have had issues with rims cracking in the past in the late 90’s early 00’s I believe.

  23. Andrew G
    8th January 2015 at 8:57 pm #

    Add yet another failure for the Mavic XM719 rims. I had them built around Phil Wood Hubs by Paul White. Rim cracked the entire circumference and the side wall blew out. Essentially ended my 5 months trip through South America. Overall, about 6000km on them. Paul White was no help (tried to blame me for riding them at too low of a PSI though the rim states the minimum for a 2.5 inch tire and I was well above the minimum). Mavic was no help either. Terrible customer service. Good luck even trying to get ahold of them! Never will I buy another Mavic rim. Cheers!

  24. ul71m85p1n
    2nd February 2015 at 3:49 am #

    If I might try to shed some light on the XM719 rim and it’s suitability for touring, perhaps the x-section of this rim could illustrate that, unlike cheaper Mavic rims (like XM119) that are heavier and don’t have the advantage of Maxtal aluminium or the SUP welding process, the XM719 does not have the circular structure between the wall of the rim and the wall-bracing cross member. Cheaper, heavier rims that are less sensitive to tight spokes and high tire pressures under heavy load could potentially be far better suited to touring in the long run, especially using poly-ax spoke nipples. Also, factors like long descents using disc brakes can lead to tire pressure increase, due to the heating effect of prolonged braking on the wheel hubs, which will eventually raise the temperature of the rim (sooner rather than later the more spokes you have). The XM719 may well be a response from Mavic to the demand for a strong, light rim that can take large tires from lighter riders that do not clock up much mileage on the road. Still, they look like you could fit rim brakes in addition to disc brakes, and still get a reasonable braking response.

  25. Simon
    1st May 2015 at 11:35 am #

    I think some more investigation is required here. At the very least, are thosewho are reporting malfunctions using rim or disc brakes? Hand-made or bought off the shelf? I have over 20,000km on 719 rims, 14,000 of which was and currently still is, fully loaded touring on sealed roads and unsealed tracks. I use disc rims and the wheelset was made by a pro builder. I don’t wish to tempt fate as I am still travelling but I have had absolutely no issues regarding the durability of these rims under load and on rough ground.

    • Peter
      5th May 2015 at 4:57 am #

      Hi Simon, not sure anyone is thinking it is 100% failure rate, but certainly the rate appears to be high enough to shed considerable doubt as to the rims being a robust option for touring. As with most cases that I’m aware of, my rims were hand built by a well experienced professional touring bike specialist that has considerable familiarity with the rims (and no longer recommends them due to the failure rate they have experienced). My first rim failed very early (1500km) and the second later (5000km). My setup is 2010 LHT with rim brakes & I’m now using Rigida Andra rims.

  26. Peder
    17th August 2015 at 4:52 pm #

    I’ve had the Mavic A319 rims for over 40,000 kilometres. Still going strong. The Shimano hub (XT and later deore) has broken twice, however. 🙂

  27. coco
    22nd February 2016 at 5:03 pm #

    I have problem with my LX Mavic XM719. less than a year with 7’000 km
    rear rim is “inflate” in just one part, consequently, when i brake …
    I am just lucky this did not happen during a long trip …
    What the fuss playing with the warranty, too risky

    will not buy anymore mavic

  28. Andrew
    11th April 2016 at 2:52 pm #

    These arguments are silly, the Rigida is 300g more than an A719 which is a huge amount relative to the weight of the rim and that naturally will offer, “weight” for it, … a stronger rim!

    To ride a 319/719 on a tandum isn’t a fault of the rim but of poor user choice.

    The 319/719 having less alloy will be more prone to overtight spoke issues.

    I’ve toured with A319’s on some of the worst riding surfaces imaginable and they’ve held up.

    • Peter
      20th April 2016 at 10:46 pm #

      Not quite sure why the discussion turned to A719 rims, it is XM719 rims that have failed for myself and others?????

  29. phil weatherley
    25th April 2016 at 2:58 pm #

    This rather alarming conversation from people who broke their Mavic XM719 rims omitted one significant detail – namely; the weight of the entire load INCLUDING the rider. With the average American (and increasingly the UK) rider becoming significantly overweight we may be simply looking at gross overload rather than a shortcoming in the rim.
    My own experience has this 719 Disc rim on a Rohloff hub on a Marin Pt Reyes 2010 with Tioga FS100 2.1″ tyres. The high-volume tyres give a very smooth ride. The rim is as pristine as new after 5 years of my mixed-condition riding. Rough-terrain, big stones, cobbles, bumping up kerbs and other foolish, stressing behaviours seem to not have any effect. The Mavic 317 on the front not showing any signs of stress either. However after this blast from the crypt I shall be examining the rims more frequently just in case.

  30. S.S.Agius
    29th October 2016 at 1:36 am #

    Here it says that the XM719 can only support up to 115kg (excluding the bike).

  31. stefan l.
    10th November 2016 at 1:44 pm #

    Hello there everybody,

    I am in the process of building a wheelset for my gravel bike and have looked at the Mavic XM719 Disc as well.

    At one webiste I did find the information that the XM719 has a maximum load capacity of 115kg. Mavic states here rider + load excluding the bike itself. Typically Mavic.
    DT Swiss states always a max weight for rider+luggage+bike. Makes more sense.

    Anyway, I guess every touring bike packed with rider will be way over the recommended total load.

    So, yes the XM719 is not a touring bike rim.

  32. Mike
    15th June 2017 at 4:09 pm #

    Purley anecdodal but I’ve been beating the crap out of mine for 5 year loaded on very very rough roads. As with all wheels the key is skill of the builder.

Leave a comment


text:
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

TEKTON 5866 12-Inch Oil Filter Pliers

TEKTON #ad - Right-angle teeth grip while turning in either direction. Soft, comfortable grips offer nonslip control. Three-position slip joint design quickly adjusts to size. Fits oil filters from 2-1/4 inches to 4-1/2 inches in diameter. Long handles reach into tight spaces.
BrandTEKTON #ad
ManufacturerTEKTON #ad
Height1 Inches
Length16.69 Inches
Weight1.07 Pounds
Width5.82 Inches
Part Number5866
WarrantyAlways Guaranteed: [email protected]

OEM 25320 2-1/2-Inch to 4-5/8-Inch Oil Filter Pliers/Wrench

OEM TOOLS #ad - Engine filter wrench built to last: Fashioned of high quality steel, designed to last a lifetime. Intelligently designed filter wrench: Slip joint handles for easy adjustment, allows these pliers to fit most common car and small vehicle oil filters. Adjustable oil filter removal tool: fits filters from 2-1/2 inches to 4-5/8 inches 63. 5 to 117. 5mm. Work in tight spaces: Comfortable cushioned handles are nonslip, making it easier to work in tight spaces. Secure grip: machined jaw teeth provide a sure grip without damaging filters.
BrandOEM TOOLS #ad
ManufacturerOEM #ad
Height0.71 Inches
Length13.7 Inches
Width4.25 Inches
Part Number25320
WarrantyOEM Limited Lifetime

3. Channellock

And Fittings | Forged from High Carbon Steel | Made in the USA, Conduit, Channellock 209 9-Inch Oil Filter & PVC Pliers | Ideal for Engine Filters

Channellock #ad - Package length:18. 0". Package height:21. 0". Country of Origin:United States. Package width:18. 0".
BrandChannellock #ad
ManufacturerChannellock #ad
Height1 Inches
Length18 Inches
Weight0.3 Pounds
Width5.9 Inches
Part Number209
Warranty1 year manufacturer

OEMTOOLS 25447 4-in-1 Swivel Oil Filter Wrench | Remove Almost Any Sized Oil Filter Without Damage | Swivel Grip Oil Filter Wrench Set Comes with One Swivel Hand & Four Steel Wrench Bands

OEM TOOLS #ad - Size range 2-3/8 inch to 4-3/8 inch 603 mm to 111. 1 mm. Handles all your needs with one set. One swivel hand with four stainless steel bands. Bands are removed and installed with the use of two detent pins. Webb lock design.
BrandOEM TOOLS #ad
ManufacturerGreat Neck Saw #ad
Height1.5 Inches
Length12.25 Inches
Width6.75 Inches
Part Number25447
WarrantyOEMTOOLS Limited Lifetime

5. Powerbuilt

942099, Auto Specialty Tools, Powerbuilt Self-Adjust Oil Filter Pliers 30 Degree Angle Jaws, Service Tools, 2-1/4 to 4-3/4 inch, Grease and Lubrication Oil Filter Wrench

Powerbuilt #ad - Proven and tested for durability and function in real world conditions. Fit to match the needs on the shop, at home or in the field. Meeting or exceeding all required and standardized testing in the industry. Crafted with the user in mind using the high quality materials and world class Craftsmanship. Made to withstand even the toughest jobs.
BrandPowerbuilt #ad
ManufacturerAlltrade Tools, LLC #ad
Height13.25 Inches
Length5.38 Inches
Weight0.87 Pounds
Width2 Inches
Part Number942099

9-45570, Craftsman 2 Piece 16 Inch Rubber Strap Wrench Set

CRAFTSMAN #ad - Backed by Craftsman's Lifetime Guarantee. The small wrench manages items up to 4 inches in diameter. The large wrench manages items up to 6 3/8 inches in diameter. Cushioned plastic handles are comfortable to hold. Straps are made of strong, reinforced rubber.
ManufacturerCraftsman #ad
Weight0.95 Pounds
Part Number00945570000P

7. CTA Tools

74.5mm x 14 Flute, CTA Tools A267 Cap-Type Oil Filter Wrench

CTA Tools #ad - Applications: dodge Sprinter, BMW and Mercedes. Wrench diameter is 74. 5-millimeters. Use with a 3/8-Inch Square Drive. Heavy-duty construction Allows for Strength and Durability. Features 14 Flutes.
BrandCTA Tools #ad
ManufacturerCTA Tools #ad
Height1.25 Inches
Length6 Inches
Weight0.35 Pounds
Width3.5 Inches
Part NumberA267

8. CTA Tools

CTA Tools 2485 Heavy Duty Oil Filter Cap Wrench, 64mm x 14mm

CTA Tools #ad - Built with Higher Torque Specs. 14 flutes. Design features 14 Flutes. Diameter 86 Millimeters. Fits 64-millimeter oil filters on toyota and specific other cars Extra Thick Wall Construction Combination Square and Hex Drive Built with Higher Torque Specs Diameter of 64-Millimeters Design Features 14-Flutes. Combination Square and Hex Drive. Extra thick Wall Construction.
BrandCTA Tools #ad
ManufacturerCTA Tools #ad
Height2 Inches
Length6.5 Inches
Weight0.3 Pounds
Width5.5 Inches
Part Number2485

OEMTOOLS 25231 4-1/8 Inch to 4-5/8 Inch Heavy Duty Truck Oil Filter Wrench

OEM TOOLS #ad - Extra wide Band for Secure Grip. Range of 4-1/8 in to 4-5/8 in 104 to 118mm. Heavy duty design for Strength and Durability. Designed for use with 1/2 in Drive Tools.
BrandOEM TOOLS #ad
ManufacturerGreat Neck Saw #ad
Height3.5 Inches
Length8.6 Inches
Weight1.85 Pounds
Width5.4 Inches
Part Number25231
WarrantyOEMTOOLS Limited Lifetime


text:
Viewpoint Between Cathedrals

Watchtowers with panoramic views of the city
Plaza Catedral
Mirador entre Catedrales

The Viewpoint between Cathedrals, as its name indicates, is located right in the gap between the New Cathedral and the Church of Santa Cruz or the Old Cathedral. Designed by Alberto Campo Baeza, the architect, the result is a structure that, apart from protecting the underlying archaeological site, provides a viewing deck looking out to sea.
The square is reached by a large side ramp and there is a shade structure, where people can shelter from the sun and rain. It is the ideal spot to gaze out over the ocean.   The whole made up of paving stones, structures and balustrades is white in colour as a means create a feeling of lightness and bolster the presence of the light, so unique to Cadiz.  Behind the viewing deck,  work was carried out on the party wall with the Bishop’s House, where a shell limestone wall was built in keeping with the materials used for the cathedrals.  The wall thus provides a backdrop for the viewing deck and merges the two parts together.

Admission free. Check for times of performances

Admission free. Check for times of performances

Assisted access
Avda. Campo del Sur (Acceso adaptado)
+34 956 241 001
Correo electrónico:
Perfil de Facebook:
Perfil de Twitter:


text:
This is a new family comedy from screen writer Lisa McGee (Being Human, London Irish, Indian Summers). Its actions take place in an Irish town during The Troubles in Northern Ireland. This is 1994. Erin lives in Nothern Ireland with her uncompromising mother, her long-suffering father and formidable Uncle Joe the man whose love to his daughters and granddaughters is bigger than his disdain to his son-in-law. Erin is used to see her country in evening news. Armed cops in the armored Land Rovers, border control posts of the British Army and peace walls. These things are every day life of sixteen-years-old Erin and her friends.

Country: GB
Release date: 2018-01-02
Runtime: 25 min

Other seasons of this show:

Derry Girls (season 1) Derry Girls (season 2)

See also:

Shrink (season 1)
Three's Company (season 3)
Grace and Frankie (season 3)
Motherland (season 1)

Download links and episode guide:

If you find a dead link write in the comments or email us, and we will fix it in short time.

Episode 1
S01E01 - Episode 1

Episode 2
S01E02 - Episode 2

Episode 3
S01E03 - Episode 3

Episode 4
S01E04 - Episode 4

Episode 5
S01E05 - Episode 5

Episode 6
S01E06 - Episode 6


text:
Putin’s invitation to foreign minister’s wedding draws criticism in Austria

Austria has criticized the fact that Russian President Vladimir Putin was invited to the wedding of Austrian Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl. The Russian president’s visit “damages” Austria, Austrian political scientist Gerhard Mangott told the German Press Agency in an interview.

Mangott believes that the upcoming visit will cause people to suspect that Austria is “Russia’s Trojan horse in the EU”. The political scientist also says that Putin is being given an opportunity to demonstrate that he is not in isolation, and is even welcomed into an EU member state.

Several hundred police officers and Cobra special forces will be used in order to ensure the Russian president’s security in the federal state of Styria. Styrian police spokesperson Franz Grundnig explained such measures in light of the Security Police Act and the obligations of international law. He confirmed that the security costs will be covered by the Interior Ministry.

The Austrian media have drawn attention to the fact that Putin’s last visit to Vienna two months ago cost Austrian taxpayers € 423,000.

The Austrian Foreign Ministry spokesperson called the Russian president’s visit a “work visit”. According to him, such security measures “are taken when representatives of another country visit”. Russia “will pay its own expenses independently,” he noted.

Costs pertaining to the wedding celebration, “including expenditure on the services of a private security company,” will be born by the bridal couple.

The Foreign Ministry also emphasized that it will be a “personal visit to a private celebration, which does not indicate a change in Austria’s foreign policy position”.

However, European Parliament member from the Austrian Green Party Michel Reimon called for Kneisl’s resignation.

If the head of the foreign policy department “does not do this willingly”, then Austrian Federal Chancellor Sebastian Kurz should propose his resignation to President Alexander Van der Bellen, Reimon stressed in an interview with the Austrian Press Agency.

Austrian opposition party Pilz List has criticized both the fact that taxpayers will have to pay for the important guest’s wedding attendance, and the political aspect.

“How should the world perceive Austria as a mediator if the Austrian foreign minister and the Russian president evidently already have close relations?” asked Austrian MP Bruno Rossmann.

The Austrian foreign minister’s wedding, to be attended by the Russian president, will take place on August 18. Later that day, Putin will be received by German Chancellor Angela Merkel. The meeting will take place in the Schloss Meseberg – the German government residence, located not far from Berlin. The topics of discussion will be “current foreign policy matters” - the war in Syria, the conflict in eastern Ukraine, and matters pertaining to the energy sphere, such as the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.

  Russia, Vladimir Putin, Austria, Nord Stream - 2, Syrian Conflict, War in Ukraine