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THURSDAY February 3, 2000 vol. 11, no. 24 SECTION THREESee why so many consider the Daily CATHOLIC as the "USA Today for CATHOLICS!"
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WORLD NEWS & VIEWS with a Catholic slant: | ||
With a reported 35,000 religious in Rome for the three-day event for Consecrated Life that included three days of activities and recollection, the Holy Father capped the tridium with solemn Mass on the Feast of the Presentation at St. Peter's where each religious carried a blessed candle as a sign of their consecration to God. The Vicar of Christ reminded all of those religious who had given their lives through martyrdom and that their memory and ideals should never be forgotten. He urged all to recommit totally to their vows and their responsibility of carrying on the virtues God instilled in them. continued inside
VATICAN (CWNews.com) -- More than 35,000 religious men and women
participated in the Jubilee for Consecrated Life at the Vatican, which
concluded on February 2, the feast of the Presentation.
Original plans had called for the three-day celebrate to end with a Mass
celebrated by Pope John Paul II in St. Peter's Basilica. But since the number
of participants nearly doubled the anticipated figure of 18,000, the Mass was
moved outdoors to St. Peter's Square. The ceremony began with a candlelight
procession, with each member of the congregation carrying a lighted candle
into the square, in the traditional observance of the feast once popularly
known as Candlemas.
"I greet you with the kiss of evangelical peace," the Holy Father told the
consecrated religious in his homily. He observed that the Jubilee offered an
opportunity for the participants to pray for "the hopes and problems of your
respective institutions," and to "ask pardon for the eventual breaks which
have marked the lives of different religious families."
The Pontiff emphasized the critical importance of religious life within the life
of the Church, and thus the importance of attracting new vocations to
religious communities. He also paid tribute to the many consecrated religious
who, "even during these last few years, have made the supreme act of
witness through the shedding of their blood" for the faith. (According to the
Fides news agency, 31 religious men and women died for the faith in the
year 1999: 9 in East Timor, 15 in Africa (including 6 in Angola), 1 in India,
and 6 in Latin America.) The Pope observed that the religious vows of
poverty, chastity, and obedience themselves are a witness to the world, to
man's ultimate destiny, and to the Christian expectation of the Lord's return
in glory.
At the conclusion of the ceremony, the Pope delivered his personal greetings
to the assembled religious, in a number of different languages, and then
toured through St. Peter's Square on his popemobile, shaking hands and
giving his blessing to the participants.
The Jubilee for Consecrated Life-- a celebration for the hundreds of
thousands of people who have chosen the witness of religious life-- was
organized by the Vatican's Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life,
under the leadership of the Congregation's prefect, Cardinal Eduardo
Martinez Somano. The celebration had begun with a Vespers service on
January 30, and continued on January 31 with a penance service. About
10,000 religious men and women participated in the latter event. During the
same day, the participants also heard a series of testimonies on the joys and
challenges of religious life, as a series of speakers took the microphone in the
Paul VI auditorium to deliver their own personal testimonies.
In addition to the Mass celebrated by Pope John Paul, the final day of the
celebration was devoted to Eucharistic adoration, as groups of religious--
arranged by their orders-- filed into the basilica of St. Mary Major to pray
before the Blessed Sacrament exposed on the high altar there.
The on-going feud between Christians and Muslims erupted into violence this past Monday when grenades exploded in a restaurant greatly injuring the owner who is Christian and who has been falsely accused of killing a young Muslim even though he was exonerated. Authorities believe it is an isolated incident and won't affect the Holy Father's visit there in March but many are not so sure of that for unrest between Christians and Muslims has been festering for centuries and the mosque issue where the Muslims want to build a mosque directly adjacent to the Basilica of the Nativity has caused great consternation and an international brouhaha. continued inside.
JERUSALEM, FEB 2 (ZENIT).- There has been a renewed outbreak of tensions
and arguments in Nazareth between Muslims and Christians. At the root of
the problem is the controversy over the construction of a mosque in an
area that was to be a Square to facilitate the welcome of pilgrims
during the current Holy Year, in front of the Basilica of the
Annunciation.
A Muslim argued that a descendant of Saladin was buried near the site,
hence the need for the mosque. Saladin was sultan at the time of the
Crusades. He met with St. Francis of Assisi when the friar came to the
Holy Land on a peace mission.
The crisis in the city of Nazareth has been ongoing since 1998. The
explosion of a hand-grenade in the Danial Restaurant in the neighborhood
of Al Qanuk, which overlooks the city on the road to Cana, triggered a
wave of fear of a new crisis between Christians and Muslims. The owner
of the restaurant, a Christian, is in serious condition following the
explosion. Two days ago, two more unexploded hand grenades were found in
front of public toilets in the heart of town, very near the monument to
Shebab el Din, Saladin's alleged descendant. The cornerstone of the new
mosque, whose construction will actually begin after the Jubilee, is
located nearby.
The police believe the attack on the restaurant owner is probably
vengeance on the part of Muslims. Some months ago the family that owns
the restaurant was accused of killing a Muslim child. Judicial
investigation proved them innocent, however. But the group of Islamic
fundamentalists who are insisting on the construction of the mosque
spread rumors that exacerbated existing hatreds. Finally, it was
established that the murdered child was killed by Muslims for reasons
"of honor" that were not clarified.
Another hypothesis is that the attacks are organized by Muslims who are
dissatisfied with the agreement between the two groups that won the
municipal elections 14 months ago. The agreement resulted in chaos in
the Nazareth city government. The locality belongs to the State of
Israel, but its inhabitants are almost exclusively Muslims and
Christians.
Thanks to a city pact that straightened out a dangerous situation for
the Jubilee celebrations, Ahmad Salman, the fundamentalist leader who
led the struggle for the mosque, was elected Deputy-Mayor, and a friend
of his, a member of another party, will soon be given a similar
appointment. This is a provisional solution. The agreement limits the
trial period to three months. If the two parties agree, the pact will be
signed, if not, the city assembly will be dissolved.
This solution has nothing to do either with the issue of the mosque, or
with the Pope's visit, which will take place on the Feast of the
Annunciation, March 25.
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A document that has been three years in the making will be circulated to bishops and clergy soon to be used as a guideline for conducting the Day of Forgiveness on the First Sunday of Lent on March 12th. The document, a fulfillment of what the Holy Father outlined in his Apostolic Letter on the Jubilee Tertium Millennio Adveniente, is called "The Church and the Sins of the Past: Remembering in Order to Reconcile." It is intended to educate the faithful as to their role in asking forgiveness and forgiving in clearing consciences and souls as part of the goal of cleansing for Jubilee 2000. continued inside.
VATICAN CITY, FEB 2 (ZENIT).- After 3 years of work, the document that
will guide Catholic pastors and faithful in the principles underlying
the Church's request for forgiveness for errors committed by her
children in the past is virtually complete.
The text was requested by the Pope himself. It is entitled "The Church
and the Sins of the Past: Remembering in Order to Reconcile". The
document is the fruit of the work of a team of members of the
International Theological Commission, presided by Cardinal Joseph
Ratzinger.
The document follows the outline established in the Holy Father's
Apostolic Letter "Tertio Millennio Adveniente," in preparation for the
Great Jubilee of the Year 2000. According to the Italian agency
"Adn-Kronos," the document will be published within the next few weeks,
allowing Christians to consult it before the Pope gives his address on
the Day of Forgiveness -- the First Sunday of Lent.
Before writing the final document, the theologians responsible for the
project submitted the text for approval on two occasions to the 30
members of the International Theological Commission meeting in plenary
session. The vote in favor of the document was very substantial.
The text has been written for purposes of consultation; it is not a
papal document. It includes a broad theological reflection on the
meaning of purification of the memory. There is also an explanation of
the doctrinal reasons that make an act of contrition for past sins
possible, reviewing a trajectory that goes back to biblical origins,
such as the great confessions of sin before God of the Jewish people and
continuing with the principles of the Gospel. There are many examples of
historic requests for forgiveness, such as that of Adrian VI, elected
Pope in 1522, who at the time of the Reformation asked for forgiveness
for the sins of the Curia, or that of Paul VI, who atoned for the
offenses inflicted on Eastern Christians.
Recently Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger explained to "Octava Dies," a program
of the Vatican Television Center, that "the idea is not to accuse the
past; we are always sinners and we want to understand this with humility
and do penance, which renews the Church and each one."
According to declarations by Fr. Georges Cottier, secretary of the
International Theological Commission (Cf. ZE99112611) and Theologian of
the Pontifical Household, the document makes a fundamental distinction:
"the Church is holy because it receives and communicates the holiness of
Christ to humanity, although Christians are sinners, as we are all
unfaithful to Christ's grace."
We have to speak about the past, according to Dominican Fr. Cottier, for
two reasons: "the first because the communion of saints exists, by which
the Church is one through the ages, and in the Church there is a
community of charity and prayer for sins committed. In the second place,
it must be said that it is not a question of judging people, as only God
can judge persons, but when we recall the past of the Church we realize
that there have been events that are an obstacle to evangelization. On
this it is necessary to have a purification of the memory, that is, to
make a real judgment that is balanced and just."
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In a recent interview, Sister Hermana Nirmala, M.C., successor to Mother Teresa as Mother General of the Missionaries of Charity worldwide, emphasized the need to make Jesus the central focal point of Jubilee 2000 and "to take the love of Christ to everybody" both for her sisters and the faithful in whatever walk of life they may be in. She emphasized that her goals for her consecrated charges is to strive for sanctity. continued inside.
ROME, 2 (NE) In a recent interview, Sister Nirmala, successor of
Mother Teresa of Calcutta, emphasized the importance of not
forgetting the centrality of the Lord Jesus during the Jubilee
celebrations. "Christ is the center of the Jubilee," recalled
the superior of the Missionaries of Charity, in view of possible
distractions from the essential meaning of this Holy Year. "We
must always keep in mind that all the celebrations have the
purpose of commemorating the 2000 years of the Incarnation of
the Word."
On the other hand, to the question of what she wanted for the
religious under her guidance, she answered: "sanctity." "We
want," she further added, "to take the love of Christ to
everybody, where the bishops need our help in order to aid those
who live in poverty and darkness." Also, she made reference to
the members of the congregation that had been murdered in Asian
countries in the last months, as a consequence of the
persecution against the Church.
"Seven sisters have been murdered carrying out their respective
labors of charity, but we follow Jesus and the persecution and
death are part of the life of whoever follows Him," "We are not
afraid," she added.
Expressing sadness that he could not participate this year in the annual March for Life in Washington D.C. a few weeks ago, Cardinal John J. O'Connor writes that he is even sadder at the horrors of abortion and how it is important that pro-lifers continue to be heard as each year passes and millions more innocent unborns are slaughtered in the wombs, too many have expressed apathy and forgotten the consequences of the Roe vs. Wade ruling. He called for more prayers and more involvement as the only answers. continued inside.
NEW YORK CITY, 2 (NE) "There is no such thing as a merely 'annual'
March for Life. Every march is unique, with its own excitement",
recalled Cardinal John J. O'Connor, Archbishop of New York,
commenting the recent march that took place in Washington in
which thousands of people expressed their opposition to
abortion. "I must confess to a certain bittersweetness about the
March for Life in Washington this year, because I was confined
by illness and unable to make the trip. Perhaps I was more
effective, however, since I prayed that much more fervently for
those physically able to be on hand," wrote the Archbishop, in
his usual column in the archdiocese's weekly publication
"Catholic New York."
Cardinal O'Connor recalled as well the Roe vs Wade decision,
which he named as "devastating." It was on Jan. 22, 1973, that
the United States Supreme Court issued its sweeping abortion
decisions Roe vs. Wade, and Doe vs. Bolton, striking down the
abortion laws of Texas and Georgia. "These decisions asserted
that abortion is a medical procedure and that a woman's right to
privacy in deciding to abort takes precedence over the life of
the unborn child who is not considered a person entitled to the
customary constitutional protections" explained the Archbishop.
In his article, Cardinal O'Connor expressed as well his concern
for the lack of conscience existing today regarding this issue.
"Here in the year 2000, the term Roe vs. Wade is undoubtedly
meaningless to millions. If they are conscious of having heard
the term, it is unlikely that they relate it to one of the true
horrors of this century. Some 35 or more millions of unborn
babies have been lawfully killed in their mothers' wombs
courtesy of Roe vs. Wade, a devastating 1973 Supreme Court
decision" the Cardinal wrote.
"Death has become life, life death", he continued. "Thank God,"
concluded Cardinal O'Connor, "that today there are veritable
armies who each year march the pro-life march in Washington,
many having traveled the length and breadth of our land to get
there."
With an opportunity to strike a blow for pro-lifers, the United States Senate instead cowered and caved to Democratic demands and the threat of pro-abort Al Gore trumping the bill by being the deciding vote. Therefore Republicans betrayed the culture of life and voted to not exempt organizations from claiming bankruptcy when they are involve demonstrating at abortion clinics. This was a direct slap in the face of Operation Rescue which had been sued by Planned Parenthood and other pro-abort factions in an attempt to derail the pro-life cause. Evidently satan has lots of allies on Capitol Hill. continued inside.
WASHINGTON, DC (CWNews.com) - The US Senate on Wednesday
overwhelmingly approved a new law governing personal
bankruptcy that included a provision narrowly targeting
pro-lifers convicted of civil disobedience at abortion
clinics.
The Senate voted 80-17 for the law which included an
amendment that said people found to have violated laws
protecting abortion clinics could not escape fines or civil
judgements against them through bankruptcy debt
restructuring. The law was prompted by the case of
Operation Rescue found Randall Terry who filed for
bankruptcy in November 1998 blaming court-ordered fines to
abortion groups and clinics.
Although most Republicans initially opposed the amendment
to the bill, but abandoned their opposition when Vice
President Al Gore announced he was returning from
presidential campaigning for any possible tie-breaker. Some
lawmakers wanted to prevent Gore from using the vote to
advance his own political credentials. "With this
amendment, nobody will be able to politically demagogue
this issue," Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, chairman of the
Senate Judiciary Committee, said shortly before the vote.
Gore has been criticized in recent weeks during the
campaign for his flip-flop from seeming pro-life views
early on in his legislative career to a pro-abortion stance
and then denying the switch during a campaign debate.
To commemorate the origins of Christianity in Iceland, brought to this northern island east of the larger Greenland by Irish Monks early in the ninth century, Iceland is issuing a special commemorative stamp in conjunction with the Vatican which has given its stamp of approval, making it the first time the Holy See has jointly issued a postage stamp with Iceland. continued inside.
VATICAN CITY, FEB 2 (ZENIT).- For the first time in history, Iceland and
the Vatican will jointly issue a postage stamp. The news was published
by the Philatelic and Numismatic Office of the Government of Vatican
City.
The stamp, which will be put into circulation on February 4,
commemorates the millennium of Christianity's presence in this Atlantic
island. The picture chosen represents a 15th century altar cloth that
belonged to the Cathedral of Holar, which today is exhibited in
Iceland's National Museum in Reykjavik. The stamp costs 1,500 Italian
liras.
The first inhabitants of Iceland were Irish monks, who arrived at the
end of the 8th century and were expelled in the 9th by the Vikings and
Normans. Scots and Irish settled in communities in the island sometime
later; the communities were isolated and in conflict for a long time, in
spite of the fact that at the end of the 10th century a Parliament was
established to confirm the Island's political unity. The country was
Christianized in the 11th century, and passed to Norwegian and later
Danish political control, remaining in this state until the 19th
century, when Parliament was re-established and autonomy recognized.
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