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FRI-SAT-SUN February 4-6, 2000 vol. 11, no. 25 SECTION TWOSee why so many consider the Daily CATHOLIC as the "USA Today for CATHOLICS!"
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On Sunday 78 years ago Cardinal Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti had to resign his post as Archbishop of Milan for he had been chosen by his fellow College of Cardinals as the 259th successor of Peter. He took the name Pope Pius IX and besides signing the Lateran Treaty with Benito Mussolini in 1929 which essentially made Vatican City State a sovereign nation, he canonized Saint Therese of the Child Jesus and Saint Bernadette as well as proclaiming Saint John of the Cross, Saint Albert the Great, Saint Robert Bellarmine, and Saint Peter Canisius Doctors of the Church. His pontificate lasted seventeen years bridging two wars. For other time capsule events that happened in Church history on this date, see MILLENNIUM MILESTONES AND MEMORIES
708 A.D.
Death of Pope Sisinnius, 87th successor of Peter. There was very little noteworthy to report in a very brief pontificate that lasted only 20 days. He worried about the restoration of the walls of Rome which were constantly menaced by the Lombards and Saracens, but he never had the chance to put his reinforcement plans into action.
1505 A.D.
Death of Saint Joan of Valois, deformed daughter of King Louis XI. Though she was hunch-backed and ugly, she was married for political purposes at the age of 9 to Louis, the Duke of Orleans. Though she remained a virgin, she loved her husband but never bedded with him. When Louis appealed to Pope Alexander VI, the notorious pontiff who kept courtiers, for an annulment, Joan did not stand in his way but saw it as an opportunity to become a religious. After time in seclusion she received help from a Franciscan friar to found a contemplative, cloistered order of nuns with the specific purpose of praying for reconciliation for all our enemies and those who did not share the faith. Even though she suffered from an unknown disease the left her physically doubled over and hideous to look at, she was beautiful on the inside and received her Heavenly crown officially when she was canonized by Pope Pius XII in 1950.
1612 A.D.
Death of Saint Joseph of Leonissa, austere Capuchin missionary who was also a victim soul, suffering much and offering it all for the honor and glory of God. The fruits of his harvest were many, manifested in countless miracles spiritually and physically.
1693 A.D.
Death of Saint John de Britto, Jesuit missionary to India who was responsible for many miracles and who, more than once, was captured and subjected to unspeakable tortures but managed to escape until finally at Orirur in Marava, the raja there was so upset with the number of Christian conversions that he ordered de Britto out of the country. But Fr. John, knowing the people needed him, could not obey the order and thus the raja had him beheaded. Like the early Romans, his martyrdom did more for future conversions despite the raja's drastic measures to stop the flow of Christianity.
345 A.D.
Death of Saint Abraham of Arbela, Bishop of that see who was martyred in Iraq by the shah of Persia Shapur II in what was then Assyria.
519 A.D.
Death of Saint Avitus of Vienne, Bishop of Vienne. He was the son of Saint Isychius a former Roman senator who preceded his son as Bishop. Avitus converted the monarch of Burgundy King Sigismund. He also was effective in fending off the heresies of Arianism and deleting the pagan customs of the Franks through his preaching and effective letters.
1005 A.D.
Death of Saint Fingen, Irish saint fwho was abbot of Metz whose specialty was restoring run-down monasteries and abbeys throughout Ireland. When a controversy arose regarding administration of the abbeys by foreign monks, he was able to convince Pope John XVII to decree that Irish abbeys could only be administered by Irish monks.
1015 A.D.
Death of Saint Adelaide, Abbess of the Abbey at Bellich in Germany. She was a stickler insisting her nuns knew Latin in order that when they prayed they would know what they were praying and offer more edification in their chanting. She did not confine her care just to the contemplative sisters but reached out to the villagers, ministering to them when they were in the greatest need of help during a great famine.
312 A.D.
Death of the Martyrs Saint Silvanus, Phoenicia, Luke, and Mucius who were all tortured and sentenced to death because of their faith after an interminable time in a dank dungeon with little to eat or drink at the order of the cruel emperor Maximian.
337 A.D.
Election of Pope Saint Julius I, 35th successor of Peter. His pontificate would last 15 years in which wh would order that the Eastern Church should celebrate Christmas on December 25th instead of uniting it with the Epiphany. He would go on to be considered the founder of the Holy Archives of the Holy See since he would order that all official acts be preserved.
1077 A.D.
Death of Saint Gerald of Ostia, Bishop of Ostia. He had succeeded Saint Peter Damian as Prior at Cluny before Pope Alexander II made him papal legate to France, Spain and Germany. It was in the latter where the German emperor Henry V, incensed over the investiture issue and Alexander's steadfast refusal to budge, had Gerald arrested for a while, trying to use the holy legate as a bargaining chip with the pontiff. It didn't work and so Gerald was finally released and appointed to the See of Ostia.
1897 A.D.
Deaths of Saint Paul Miki and his Companion Martyrs near Nagasaki, Japan by fierce pagan Samurai warriors. For more on this, see DAILY LITURGY.
1922 A.D.
Cardinal Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti, Archbishop of Milan is chosen the 259th successor of Peter taking the name Pope Pius XI on this date. His pontificate would last 17 years. In the seventh year of his pontificate he would conclude a Concordat with Benito Mussolini between the Church and the Italian State. He also would commission Marconi to construct Vatican Radio.
Historical Events in Church Annals for February 4:
540 A.D.
Death of Saint Isidore of Pelusium. This Alexandrian monk was a prolific writer, having said to have written over 10,000 letters with 2000 of his written epistles still in existence today. He was a vociferous foe of Nestorian and his heresies as well as those who promoted Eutychianism.
Historical Events in Church Annals for February 5:
250 A.D.
Death of Saint Agatha, Virgin and Martyr. For more on this early saint, see DAILY LITURGY.Historical Events in Church Annals for February 6:
300 A.D.
Death of Saint Dorothy, Virgin and Martyr who was thrown into jail for her faith. Not only did she convert two women who had infiltrated the prison to convert her to apostasy in Caesarea, but on her way to be executed she was taunted by the Caesarean lawyer Theophilus who taunted her about her faith, baiting her to send him a basket of "golden apples and roses" when she reached the promised land she spoke of. To his utter surprise an agnel appeared to her a few seconds later with a basket that she presented the incredulous Theopilus. He was so moved that he renounced apostasy and was converted on the spot and he, too, was put to death with St. Dorothy on this date. She is considered the patron saint of gardeners.
This weekend we commemorate Ordinary Time on the FIRST FRIDAY and the Feast of the martyred virgin Saint Agatha on Saturday and the FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME. For the readings, liturgies, meditations, and profile on St. Agatha, see DAILY LITURGY.
For the Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time:
"And He said to them, 'Let us go into the neighboring villages and towns, that there also I may preach. For this is why I have come.' And He was preaching in their synagogues, and throughout all Galilee, and casting out devils."
In preparation for the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes next Friday, we present a special Nine Day Novena from the Treasury of Novenas that began on the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord and will end on the vigil of the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes with this weekend covering Day Three on Friday, Day Four on Saturday and Day Five on Sunday. See NOVENA
Predictably, movie audiences fell off dramatically over Super Bowl week with the top film last week "Eye of the Beholder" garnering a measely six million and all others way down in attendance. Despite the mediocre fare, "Toy Story 2" jumped back into the Top Ten and the two worthwhile films "Stewart Little" and "The Green Mile" maintained their consistency along with the harmless, humorous "Galaxy Quest" continuing to surprise. Word of mouth has greatly helped these flicks as well as Denzel Washington's masterful performance in "The Hurricane". All else other fare in the Top Ten are chaff. For the Top Ten reviews for the 4th week of the third millennium, prepared by the NCCB, see MOVIES AND MORALS
(Destination Films)
Because of recurring brutal violence, promiscuous sexual situations,
some nudity, brief drug abuse and frequent rough language, the U.S. Catholic Conference
classification is O - morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -
restricted. "Eye of the Beholder" is a pathetic psychological thriller about a British agent
(Ewan McGregor) who becomes obsessed with an icy American murderer (Ashley Judd) he has been assigned to investigate. The trashy melodrama is unintentionally laughable,
presenting an absurdly smitten agent who chooses to protect the serial killer instead of her
random victims.
(New Line)
Because of sexual situations, intermittent violence, recurring recreational drug
use, bathroom humor and much rough language, the U.S. Catholic Conference classification is
A-IV -- adults, with reservations. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -
restricted. "Next Friday" is an unfunny sequel to the juvenile 1995 "Friday" in which central
character Ice Cube moves to his uncle's home in the Los Angeles suburbs trying to escape a
bully only to find trouble with his uncle's Chicano neighbors. The characters become
caricatures as the cast squeezes out nothing but cheap laughs from the thin material.
(Universal)
Because of brief violence, fleeting rear nudity, some profanity and
recurring rough language, the U.S. Catholic Conference classification is A-III -- adults. The
Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. "The Hurricane" is a powerful
fact-based account of the 20-year struggle of boxer Rubin "Hurricane" Carter (played by
Denzel Washington) to regain his freedom, aided by an African-American teen (played by
Vicellous Reon Shannon) and his Canadian guardians, after Carter was wrongly convicted of
a 1966 New Jersey barroom triple murder. An a study of institutionalized racism, the movie
chronicles a man's personal agony and triumph as he spiritually transcends his confines
while helped by those committed to social justice.
(Sony)
Because of scenes of menace and a few cuss words, the
U.S. Catholic Conference classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents..
The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG -- parental guidance
suggested. "Stuart Little" is a fetching live-action fantasy in which a talking
white mouse (voice of Michael J. Fox) is happily adopted as the younger
son in a human family (in which Geena Davis plays the mom) only to be
targeted as a meal by mean neighborhood alleycats. As loosely adapted
from E. B. White's 1945 classic, the cheery tale has ample visual appeal,
though purists may find the neatly happy ending a cop-out to the author's
more probing tale of self-discovery.
(Warner Brothers)
Because of some violence including an horrific electrocution, occasional profanity and
intermittent rough language, the U.S. Catholic Conference classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. "The Green Mile" is a prison drama set in 1935 Louisana where death-row head guard Tom Hanks comes to believe in the innocence of a huge, gentle black man played superbly by Michael Clarke Duncan whose miraculous healing powers affect those around him in startling ways. Adapted from the serialized 1996 Stephen King novel, the movie is unduly long but presents affecting character studies of good and evil men with spiritual undertones and a sobering depiction of capital punishment.
(Miramax)
Because of implied affairs, sexual references and an instance of rough
language, the U.S. Catholic Conference classification is A-III - adults. The Motion Picture
Association of America rating is PG-13 - parents are strongly cautioned that some material
may be inappropriate for children under 13. "Down to You" is a romantic comedy about college
sweethearts (played by Freddie Prinze Jr. and Julia Stiles) who become serious when the are too young to cope with the work involved in making a relationship last. The cookie-cutter
film romanticizes the thrill of first love then wraps up all the loose ends too predictably.
(DreamWorks)
It's hard to believe this humorous film has been out for a month and a half and still no available review from the NCCB on this film as of yet, but it has received favorable reviews and is rated PG so it can't be all bad. Actually is quite funny with Tim Allen as a mock William Shatner from "Star Trek" fame.
(Columbia)
Because of a suicide, implied sexual encounters, crude references,
occasional profanity and much rough language, the U.S. Catholic Conference classification is
A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. In "Girl,
Interrupted" a half-hearted suicide attempt lands a spoiled teen (played by Winona Ryder) in
a late 1960's private asylum where living with the more seriously disturbed, especially a
charismatic sociopath (played by Angelina Jolie), allows her to gain some insight into her own
problems. Although unevenly adapted from an ex-mental patient's memoir, the movie is
basically engrossing in spite of some melodramatics and sketchy characterizations.
(Paramount)
Because of occasional gory violence, and implied affair,
discreet homosexual innuendo, fleeting full nudity and a few instances of rough language, the
U.S. Catholic Conference classification is A-IV -- adults, with reservations. The Motion Picture
Association of America rating is R -- restricted. "The Talented Mr. Ripley" is a disquieting
melodrama set in 1958 Italy where, after befriending a rich expatriate couple (played by Jude
Law and Gwyneth Paltrow), an impoverished young American assumes his identity and
stops at nothing to keep the risky charade going. Adapted from Patricia Highsmith's 1955
novel, a chilling cautionary tale of materialism expanding to grotesque evil unfolds replete with
seductive visuals and sleek performances -- but an ambiguous ending.
(Disney)
The U.S. Catholic Conference classification is A-I -- general patronage. The
Motion Picture Association of America rating is G -- general audiences. In "Toy Story 2" the
animated adventures of toys that come to life when humans aren't around continues as
cowboy Woody (with Tom Hanks as the voice) is stolen by a greedy toy collector, sending Woody's toy buddies, led by Buzz Lightyear (voiced by Tim Allen), on a breathless rescue mission. Featuring even better animation, the briskly paced cartoon sequel is slightly less original, but zippy action scenes and gentle humor should amuse small fry and grown-ups alike.
