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FRI-SAT-SUN February 11-13, 2000 vol. 11, no. 30 SECTION THREESee why so many consider the Daily CATHOLIC as the "USA Today for CATHOLICS!"
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The Holy Father, no stranger to illness from earlier in his life in Poland and presently as he suffers from the early stages of Parkinson's Disease, will open his arms and heart wide this weekend to over 15,000 who have reservations for his special Papal Mass and other ceremonies commemorating World Day of Prayer for the Sick coinciding with the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. The sight of so many suffering and handicapped people from all over the world expressing sheer joy for this weekend has become contagious throughout Rome. continued inside
VATICAN CITY, FEB 10 (ZENIT).- Thousands of sick people from around the
globe have made a point of coming to Rome to participate in the Jubilee
of the sick. At least four thousand seriously physically-handicapped
people will meet with Pope John Paul II today at the Jubilee Mass he
will celebrate -- a total of fifteen thousand, including care personell,
have requested the free tickets.
This Jubilee involves one of the greatest organizational efforts for the
Vatican and the city of Rome. No detail serving to prevent
understandable obstacles has been left to chance, in order give these
pilgrims -- some in wheelchairs, some with crutches -- a hearty welcome.
The numbers speak for themselves: Rome's municipal transportation
commission has added almost 140 buses equipped with special platforms
and wheelchairs, two thousand volunteers have been mobilized, eighty
doctors are on standby at the residences that will house them, and in
the zones to be traveled by these pilgrims the number of first aid
stations has been increased.
The program of celebrations began Thursday afternoon with an opening
Eucharistic celebration in the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls,
in which eight thousand sick people participated; 836 of them in
wheelchair, and 6 on beds. This spiritual meeting opens the door to a
whole series of suggestive encounters. After the Mass with the Holy
Father tomorrow morning, an evening candle-light procession in honor of
Mary will be celebrated on Via della Conciliazione, the street which
leads up to St. Peter's Square from the Tiber River. The day will end
with a sound and light show in front of St. Peter's Basilica.
On Saturday morning there will be a Way of the Cross at the Coliseum,
and in the afternoon the sick will become protagonists in a Festival of
testimonies, prayer, and music in the Paul VI Audience Hall. Finally,
the pilgrims will bid farewell at Holy Cross of Jerusalem Church.
Thursday, a two-day Congress held in preparation for this Jubilee drew to a
close in the Vatican. Sessions took place in groups divided by
categories, and the conclusions of the Congress will be distributed to
the healthcare personnel involved in the debates: doctors, nurses, and
pharmaceutical representatives.
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Stressing the importance of "reconciliation with God" as Our Lady has been emphasizing at Medjugorje for nearly 19 years, the head of the Apostolic Penitentiary and Indulgences, Texas-born Cardinal William Baum asserted that the focal point of any pilgrimage, especially this year during the special Jubilee pilgrimages where a Jubilee Indulgence can be merited, begins with individual, sincere confession in order to make things right with God and our neighbor and present our soul with a clean slate to receive the graces available. continued inside.
VATICAN (CWNews.com) -- In a note published on the front page of the
official Vatican newspaper, the head of the Vatican's Apostolic Penitentiary--
the body concerned with penances and indulgences-- has set out the
conditions for obtaining indulgences during the Jubilee year.
In the February 10 issue of L'Osservatore Romano, Cardinal William Baum
emphasizes that a Jubilee pilgrimage should lead to "reconciliation with God,"
beginning with individual confession.
Msgr. Jean-Marie Gervais, an official at the apostolic penitentiary, explains
that the note from Cardinal Baum is intended to clarify the purpose of the
Jubilee pilgrimage. He explains: "Many people have planned to make a
Jubilee pilgrimage to Rome during the Holy Year, but perhaps they have not
all realized that this should first and foremost be a time of personal
conversion, centered on the Sacrament of Reconciliation."
The note from Cardinal Baum is intended to provide a pastoral
understanding of the pilgrimage and the accompanying indulgence. It also
offers a less formal approach to the topic than had previously been available.
The Apostolic Penitentiary had published a formal decree in November
1999, setting forth the indulgences that could be obtained during the Holy
Year, as well as a "manual of indulgences." But these publications were
formal legal documents; now Cardinal Baum provides a more accessible guide
to the topic.
In an introduction to the prelate's note, L'Osservatore Romano notes that "the
gift of an indulgence shows the fullness of God's mercy which is expressed in
the first place through the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation." The
paper goes on to say that even after being absolved of sin, "the human
person is still marked by the 'residue' of sin, because of which he is not fully
open to grace." Thus the individual still needs God's grace to complete the
process of conversion. For this purpose, L'Osservatore states, "the gift of an
indulgence is a powerful help."
The Holy See is placing a heavy stress on the importance of Confession
during the Jubilee Year. Inside St. Peter's Basilica, the entire right side of the
transept has been closed off to tourists, to accommodate confessionals for
pilgrims. Also, the left side of the colonnade in the atrium of the basilica has
been filled with rows of confessionals, where priests from the Roman Curia
are hearing confessions on a regular basis. Vatican officials are doing their
best to ensure that pilgrims will have ready access to the sacrament, with
priests available to hear confessions in a number of different languages.
The Holy Father warmly welcomed the Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Nasrallah Pierre Sfeir and 500 Maronite faithful Thursday in Rome to celebrate the Jubilee. The Pope called for prayers and action to end the hatred and volatile situation in Lebanon where the majority of the Maronites come from. The Patriarch of Antioch and bonafide member of the Sacred Conclave celebrated Mass at St. Mary Major before all met with the Vicar of Christ. continued inside.
VATICAN CITY, FEB 10 (ZENIT).- In his words to five hundred Maronite
Lebanese pilgrims who yesterday celebrated their Jubilee in St. Mary
Major's Basilica, John Paul II asked this morning that an end be put to
hatred and intolerance in Lebanon, so that this country can continue to
be a "message" of coexistence between believers of different religions.
He began by calling to mind the great figures of Maronite Catholicism.
This is a Church that has engendered numerous saints throughout the
centuries. The Pope reminded them of the hermit, Charbel Maklouf,
canonized by Paul VI on October 9, 1977; of blessed Rafqa, a Maronite
nun beatified by John Paul II himself, on November 17, 1987; and of
Nimatullah Al-Hardini, a Maronite monk and priest whom he beatified
eleven years later. The latter's cause concluded just after the
Pontiff's historic visit to Lebanese soil.
Making reference to the Apostolic Exhortation written at the conclusion
of the special Synod for Lebanon held in Rome, he expressed his joy at
seeing its prompt implementation. This was made tangible in the recent
Assembly of Patriarchs and Catholic Bishops of Lebanon, organized last
November.
With heartfelt joy, John Paul II announced that yesterday, after long
years of closure due to the consequences of the second World War and the
delicate situation in Lebanon, he officially reopened the doors of the
Pontifical Maronite College. This institution was created by Pope
Gregory XIII in the sixteenth century and has made a decisive
contribution to the cultural splendor that imbued the whole Lebanese
people, forming some of their sharpest minds.
For the Pope, Lebanon is not only a country, it is a "message.".Hence,
the Lebanese vocation turns this country into a place where "Christians
can live in peace and brotherhood with the followers of other beliefs,
and where they will be able to promote coexistence." He added, "I wish
to tell you today with the strength of love: 'The Pope is always close
to you.' I am at your side as a father in this period when intolerance
leads, at times, to the revival of the spirits of hate, which we would
like to have disappear forever."
Yesterday afternoon in the Basilica of St. Mary Major, Cardinal
Nasrallah Sfeir, Patriarch of Antioch of the Maronites, presided the
Mass in the Syro-Antiochian Maronite rite. Among those present were
hundreds of Maronites, many from Lebanon, celebrating their Jubilee in
Rome.
In his homily, the Patriarch insisted upon the historical relations that
unite the Maronite Church with the See of Peter. The Maronite Church
takes its name from the hermit St. Maron, who died around the year 410
and whose liturgical feast is celebrated on the ninth of February. The
liturgical language of the Church is Aramaic -- the language Jesus
himself spoke. Following the Arab invasions, the Maronites began to use
Arabic, especially from the fourteenth century on. They now use the
language of the country in which they live, although the most sacred
part of the Liturgy, the Consecration of the Eucharist, is conserved in
Aramaic.
The Maronite liturgy is quite simple; it was born in an austere
monastery context. The rite has a stupendous spiritual and theological
heritage, transmitted by Syrian Fathers such as Saint Ephraim (306-373),
famous in both East and West for his hymns to Mary, and one of the 33
doctors of the Catholic Church.
The total number of Maronite faithful in the world was given as
3,580,000 in the official 1999 statistics. However, the actual number is
much higher, perhaps 6 million, since in many parts of the world, given
that they cannot find a local Maronite Church, many register themselves
in parishes of the Latin Rite. After Lebanon, the largest Maronite
communities are to be found in the United States, Cyprus, Egypt, Mexico,
and other countries on the American continents.
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So much for County Derry's Bishop Seamus Hegarty offer to safeguard weapons turned in by IRA members for the latter are not willing to cooperate. Since it takes two to tangle, this becomes an even more complicated tangled web for the Sein Fein coalition right now stands as a roadblock to maintaining the peace accord signed on Good Friday two years ago and which since has been dangling by a brittle thread
continued inside.
BELFAST, Northern Ireland (CWNews.com) - The Irish
Republican Army has rejected the offer by Bishop Seamus
Hegarty of Derry to personally accept weapons from the IRA
in an attempt to end the deadlock over decommissioning.
Bishop Hegarty said on Tuesday that he was ready to act as
a guarantor and supervisor for the safekeeping of a
quantity of weapons "to allow time and space for the
political process to develop" on the condition that the
arms were "put beyond use."
But Sinn Fein assembly member Alex Maskey said yesterday
that the matter should be left to General John de
Chastelain who heads the body overseeing decommissioning.
He told the BBC: "While the bishop is responding to this
sense of desperation in attempting to make a positive
contribution, the most effective way of dealing with this
issue is through calm and considered political dialogue and
by allowing the International Independent Commission on
Disarmament to do its job."
Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams said the bishop's offer was
a "well-intended contribution." But Northern Ireland
Secretary of State Peter Mandelson welcomed the bishop's
intervention as "courageous and imaginative." He said he
hoped the parties involved would seriously consider the
offer.
In this pivotal year for pro-life, Republican congressmen are trying their best to take decisions out of the hands of liberal lower courts that have consistently overruled bans on partial birth abortion in so many states. They are submitting a bill that would do just that, leaving it up to the Supreme Court only to make such rulings. The measure is based on Article 3 of the U.S. Constitution and therefore should pass the House. The Senate is another story. continued inside.
WASHINGTON, DC (CWNews.com) - A bill to be introduced in
the US House of Representatives would prevent federal
courts, other than the US Supreme Court, from ruling on the
constitutionality of partial-birth abortion bans.
Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, an obstetrician-gynecologist, and
Rep. Richard Baker, R-Louisiana, are co-sponsors of the law
based on Article 3 of the US Constitution. The measure would
remove "partial-birth abortion related cases from federal
claims court jurisdiction."
Section 2 of Article 3 states, in part, "In all cases
affecting ambassadors, other public ministers and consuls,
and those in which a State shall be a party, the Supreme
Court shall have original jurisdiction. In all the other
cases before mentioned, the Supreme Court shall have
appellate jurisdiction, both as to law and fact, with such
exceptions and under such regulations as the Congress shall
make."
Paul's spokesman said numerous federal courts have
overturned state partial-birth abortion bans with some of
those challenged to the US Supreme Court, with the high
court expected to rule on them this session. The Partial
Birth Abortion and Judicial Limitation Act would help
define the role and jurisdiction of lower federal courts on
the partial birth abortion issue, he said.
If the shoe fits, wear it or, if you can't stand the heat get out of the kitchen. But carpetbagging Hillary Rodham Clinton is in the same mold as her husband when it comes to twisting the truth - a truth she doesn't like being spread and is spewing back by defending herself that she is a woman of faith - yeah, right, like the "faith of the day" that is expedient to her political aims! We hope and pray New Yorkers have sense enough to turn her away at the voting booth. continued inside.
NEW YORK (CWNews.com) - Senate candidate and First Lady
Hillary Clinton said on Wednesday that she was "appalled"
and "outraged" at comments by her Republican opponent, New
York mayor Rudolph Giuliani, that accuses her of having
"hostility toward America's religious traditions."
Giuliani made the remarks in a letter sent out months ago
to potential supporters and donors that said Clinton showed
her contempt for religion by defending a Brooklyn museum
that presented a painting of the Virgin Mary composed of
elephant dung and pornographic photos.
"In the minds of left-wing activists like Hillary Clinton,
I guess it's okay to use taxpayer funds to subsidize
religious expression so long as it involves the desecration
of religious symbols," Giuliani wrote. He also referred to
"the 30-year war" waged by the left-wing in the courts
against religion.
A visibly angry Clinton said in Rochester, New York, that
the letter is an outrage. "As a person of faith, I am
appalled that he would make false statements about me and
my respect for religion in order to raise money for his
campaign," she said.
Facing extradition for suspicion of involvement in the murder of human rights activist and Auxiliary Bishop Juan Gerardi Conedera who was bludgeoned to death on April 30, 1998, Father Orantes Najera was arrested for the second time after returning to Guatemala City and checking into the hospital there. He had come directly from Houston where he was was being treated for medical problems stemming from his incarceration a year ago. Human rights advocates are still convinced arresting Father Orantes is merely a smokescreen to cover up the real culprits - member of the powerful military. continued inside.
GUATEMALA CITY (CWNews.com) - Prosecutors arrested Father
Mario Orantes Najera on Wednesday as he returned from the
US where he was receiving medical treatment, and he was
charged with taking part in the 1998 murder of a bishop.
Auxiliary Bishop Juan Gerardi Conedera was murdered at his
home in April 1998, two days after releasing a report
blaming most of the deaths in the country's 36-year civil
war on the military. Father Orantes, who had lived with
Bishop Gerardi, was arrested in July 1998 and released
months later for lack of evidence. He was taken into
custody in a Guatemala City hospital on an arrest warrant
issued last month.
A police spokesman said Father Orantes, who was in a
Houston clinic when the warrant was issued, will be allowed
to stay in the Guatemalan hospital under police guard.
Last month, prosecutors arrested three military officers
connected to an elite unit and the former housekeeper. The
new arrests followed a pledge by new President Alfonso
Portillo to investigate state security forces' alleged role
in the bishop's murder. Human rights groups and religious
leaders have persistently accused the military and said
Father Orantes was a convenient scapegoat. Prosecutors
have not yet made public what they believe is the link
between the military suspects and the priest.
Two previous prosecutors and two magistrates involved in
the case have resigned from the investigation since the
murder after they and their families received death threats.
Cardinal Jaime Lucas Ortega y Alamino, Archbishop of Havana, defended the American nun who is sheltering the six year-old Cuban boy Elian Gonzalez,who has become an world celebrity in the tug of war between the U.S. and Cuba. He warned that by attacking Sister Jeanne O'Laughlin they are attacking Holy Mother Church and asked all Cubans to pray that God's will be done in this sensitive international incident. continued inside.
HAVANA (CWNews.com) - Cardinal Jaime Ortega of Havana urged
Cubans to pray for six-year-old Elian Gonzalez, but said
they should not criticize the Catholic Church for an
American nun's support for keeping him in the US.
Elian entered the US in November after he was found
clinging to a raft off the coast of Florida. His mother and
10 others died when the boat they were using to travel to
the US sank. Now Communist Cuba has demanded the boy be
returned to his father in the island-nation, while
Cuban-Americans maintain the boy should remain with US
relatives.
Massive protests have been organized by the Communist
government and began to turn against the Church after
Elian's grandmothers traveled to the US last month and were
hosted by Sister Jeanne O'Laughlin, president of Barry
University, as they met the boy. After the meeting,
O'Laughlin said she was convinced the boy should remain in
the US.
In a statement released Wednesday, Cardinal Ortega
expressed concern about the derogatory references to
O'Laughlin that appear daily in the local media and about
criticism of Pope John Paul II for not pressing for Elian's
return. He denounced "repeated references in the media to
the sexual conduct of priests in the United States and
statistics about clergyman sick with AIDS." He added that
he hoped the comments were not part of a
government-orchestrated campaign, and said the comments had
unleashed "prejudices and dark feelings" against the Church.
