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TUESDAY February 1, 2000 vol. 11, no. 22 SECTION THREESee why so many consider the Daily CATHOLIC as the "USA Today for CATHOLICS!"
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After several delays, a six-story parking garage was officially opened Monday within walking distance of the Vatican just in time to handle the crush of motorists pouring into the city for Jubilee Year 2000. The Holy Father took part in ceremonies opening the new facility that was equally funded by the City of Rome and the Holy See. It is situated beneath the Janiculum hill above Vatican City and will help ease the traffic jams around St. Peter's. continued inside.
VATICAN (CWNews.com) -- A new six-story parking lot, built under the
Janiculum hill within walking distance of St. Peter's Basilica, was formally
opened on January 31, in a ceremony attended by Pope John Paul II and a
number of Italian political leaders.
The construction of the parking facility, which has room for over 700 cars
and nearly 100 buses, began in February 1998, as part of the preparation for
the Jubilee Year. The construction process was marked by controversy, as
conservationists questioned whether the project would cause harm to some
of Rome's archeological treasures.
In August 1999, during the excavation of an access ramp leading into the
garage, workers uncovered what appeared to be the ruins of a home dating
from the 2nd century, decorated with frescoes from that era. That discovery
led to a series of debates as to whether the construction should continue--
and a few accusations that the builders were stealthily removing artifacts
from the site in order to avoid further debates. Finally, in December 1999,
Italian authorities cleared the way for the completion of the construction
project.
Along with the parking lot, the building also houses other facilities for
tourists, including an information center, cafeteria, souvenir stand, and news
kiosk. The construction of this facility-- which is similar to the concourse of
an airport-- was funded by a private Italian agency. The costs of building
the parking lot itself were split equally by the Vatican and the Italian
government.
In his remarks at the opening ceremony, Pope John Paul pointed out that the
complex was artfully designed so that it preserved the view from the
Janiculum, and facilitated the free flow of traffic around the city, while
allowing easy access to the Vatican.
One car that they're taking out of the garage is Pope John XXIII's navy blue Fiat limo and putting it to the kind of use the late Pontiff who will be declared blessed this year would have loved. It will be used exclusively to transport handicapped children to and from the Vatican and around the eternal city to see major attractions such as the Colisseum, Trevi Fountain, etc. It dates back to when the Pope would spontaneously offer children rides calling it the "Pope's Caress." Organizers are even planning for selected celebrities to ride along to enhance the children's experience. continued inside.
VATICAN CITY, JAN 30 (ZENIT).- Handicapped children coming to Rome as
pilgrims for the Jubilee will be able to visit major places in the
Eternal City in Pope John XXIII's car.
The dark navy blue Fiat 2100 with the papal insignias is a very special
car. It was a gift made by the Italian car firm in 1959. Now, after
"hibernating" for many years in the Vatican garage and being
affectionately looked after by pontifical firemen, Pope John's
prestigious car is going out into the streets again, from the Vatican to
Roman Basilicas, transporting children with physical handicaps.
The initiative was organized by the Italian publisher, Count Arnaldo
Blancardi di Sospello, in collaboration with Livia Turco, Minister for
Social Affairs, and Vatican authorities.
The name of the project is very moving in itself: "Pope John XXIII's
Caress to Children." It is explicitly inspired in one of the best known
and loved phrases of the "Good Pope," who on October 11, 1962 -- the
afternoon of the opening of Vatican Council II -- invited pilgrims whom
he met to return home and express spontaneous affection to their
children by saying: "this is the Pope's caress."
Inside the car, the children will find a surprise. Depending on the day,
the driver might be a personality from the world of sport or
entertainment, although there will also be politicians, businessmen, and
public figures. These famous persons are being asked to offer
enthusiastically "a tangible message of real Christian charity."
Any handicapped child who wishes to ride in the car should contact the
Italian Ministry of Social Affairs, or local organizers of the
initiative in their parish.
The initiative is being funded by sponsors. Any funds left over after
expenses will be given exclusively to scientific research against
muscular dystrophy.
ZE00013009
The Cardinal Kung Foundation out of the east coast has confirmed that there has been no improvement in China. Rather the opposite is true with many more arrests and harassment of Catholics loyal to Rome in their attempt to control and force people to profess their allegiance to the Chinese government which runs the Patriotic Catholic Church and is not in union with Rome. Those loyal priests and bishops are further tortured and sentenced to isolation after they refuse to abandon the One, True Church greatly paralleling the early Christian martyrs. continued inside.
HONG KONG, JAN 31 (ZENIT-FIDES).- Over the last few months, dozens of
priests belonging to the underground Catholic Church have been arrested
by police in mainland China. At least 6 bishops from the underground
Church have "disappeared" -- some for more than 3 years, others for
several months -- all because they refused to accept the control of the
"official" Catholic Church -- the Patriotic Association.
Similar pressure is being exerted on underground Catholic families:
their children are banned from schools and their churches are being
destroyed. According to officials of the Catholic Church in Hong Kong,
the Chinese government is implementing orders from a secret document
issued last August. The government's objective is either to absorb the
underground Church into the Patriotic Association, or to suppress it
altogether.
At the beginning of January, 2000, a number of Catholics were forced to sign and/or fingerprint membership forms after a few days of detention. Some managed to escape, but police state that if they do not return and join the Patriotic Association, their children will be banned from school. Underground Church property, built without government permission, has been burnt or destroyed. In mid-December, two churches were blown up in Wenzhou, after three others were demolished in April.
Just before Christmas, the Cardinal Kung Foundation broke the news of the arrest of Wang Chengqun, a layman. At present, he is in Hebei's Gaoyanxian labor camp for "re-education." This is the seventh time in 20 years that Chengqun has been arrested; at least 10 years of his life have been spent in jail. When he was arrested in 1997, he suffered an attack of paralysis that went unattended.
Fathers Guo Yibao, Wang Zhenghe and Xie Guolin were all arrested in Hebei in 1999. There are 3 Bishops from this area who are missing: Bishop James Su Zhimin, 68, of Baoding; his Auxiliary Bishop Francis An Shuxin, 51, and Bishop Julius Jia Zhiguo, 66, of Zhengding. The first two disappeared in 1996; the third was taken away on August 15, 1999.
From March 20 to April 28, 2000, the U.N. Human Rights Commission will hold a meeting in Geneva. The United States is preparing a resolution to condemn China; the European Union is expected to second the motion. ZE00013120
Cardinal Dionigi Tettamanzi, Archbishop of Genoa, challenged Catholic journalists the world over to live as Christ teaches and apply those principles in their work so that those they are communicating with will receive the truths of Christ directly or indirectly with a special emphasis on truth and ethics in journalism. continued inside.
ROME, 31 (NE) Adhesion to Christ as well as informing with
truthfulness was the invitation recently made by Cardinal
Dionigi Tettamanzi, Archbishop of Genoa, to Catholics involved
in the world of journalism. As the Italian Cardinal pointed out,
recognizing the problem, denouncing it, and always living in
adhesion to the Lord are the three stages through which Catholic
journalists should act.
"The great news," he affirmed, "is the
Lord that responds to all questions." In the same way, the
Archbishop of Genoa invited the Catholic journalists to a
scrupulous verification of the information that they offer to
the people.
For weeks Scotland's Cardinal Thomas Winning had been the lone voice warning the people of the great danger of repealing Section 28, a referendum up for vote in Britain. Were it to pass it would open the door for more permissiveness to homosexuality and promoting the gay lifestyle. While the gay proponents had vehemently denied it, a teaching video tape proves the cardinal is once again right in exposing the gay agenda before it's too late. continued inside.
LONDON (CWNews.com) - A teaching packet which encourages
students as young as 14 to try homosexual sex has outraged
MPs and family campaigners in Britain and the government is
being urged to step in and block it.
"Beyond a Phase" -- produced by the Avon health authority
using taxpayers money -- includes a video which asks
schoolchildren to discuss if the hypothetical
"15-year-old-boy Michael" should have unprotected sex with
his boyfriend. "Michael knows he should use a condom," says
the commentary, "but doesn't know where to go for help. What
should he do?"
In another scene, "college student Karl" tells the audience
they should "try experimenting with both boys and girls to
see who you feel most comfortable with."
The film, already available in 180 schools, is being cited
by campaigners as a prime example of why Section 28 -- the
law which forbids the promotion of homosexuality -- should
be retained.
Valerie Riches, of the Family and Youth Campaign group,
told The Sunday Times: "This puts concepts and activities
into the minds of youngsters they would not normally think
about."
A spokesman for Avon health authority said: "We have
reviewed Beyond a Phase and in our view it treats a
difficult subject with great sensitivity. Local teachers
consider it a valuable resource and we fully support its
use in schools."
