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News Ticker from Catholic World News For more from CWN and other Catholic wire services, see stories below

   North Korea expressed its desire to invite John Paul II to visit this communist country. The news was disclosed by South Korean President, Kim Dae-jung, upon his return from the historic summit between the two leaders of these countries. A spokesman for the South Korean President explained that during the 3-day meeting, which ended on June 15, Kim Dae-jung asked his North Korean counterpart, Kim Jong Il, to invite the Pope to visit his country. continued inside.

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Archbishop-elect Edward M. Egan officially becomes Archbishop, will be installed today before packed house at St. Patrick's
   St. Patrick's will be overflowing Monday afternoon when Archbishop Edward M. Egan is officially installed by Apostolic Nuncio to the United States Archbishop Gabriel Montalvo. If you don't have a ticket, stay home and watch it on EWTN, either at 2 p.m. EDT or repeated at 8 p.m. Monday evening. He will become the eleventh in a line of illustrious successors to head the vast Archdiocese of New York. He succeeds one of the greatest of our time, Cardinal John J. O'Connor who passed away on May 3rd this year. continued inside.

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Bishop Misago will travel to Rome to personally thank Holy Father as Catholics celebrate release of the Bishop of Gikongoro
   An elated and grateful Bishop Agustin Misago of Gikongoro will personally travel to Rome to thank His Holiness Pope John Paul II for standing behind him when times were the darkest. Prelates throughout Africa and in Rome rejoiced at the news that he was completely exonerated of the false charges of complexity in the genocide of Tutsis in the mid nineties. continued inside.

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Vatican's Secret Agent Man Cardinal Agostini Casaroli's memoirs released; point to his behind the scenes genius during Cold War
  While Pope John Paul II completed the task of bringing down communism, the late Cardinal Agostini Casaroli reveals in his memoirs that it was originated by Pope John XXIII back in the early sixties when Casaroli, who passed into history as the great diplomat of negotiations with communist countries during the Cold War, was sent to Hungary in 1963, when the trauma of the 1956 uprising was still raw. Cardinal Casaroli was John Paul II's right hand man for 13 years. Significantly, his memoirs are entitled "Martyrdom of Patience." continued inside.

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Holy Father encourages new Order of nuns meeting in Rome for their first general chapter
   John Paul II received the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate, who were meeting in their first general chapter. The Holy Father gave them the examples of the Virgin Mary and Maximilian Kolbe as models for their vocation.This recently established religious congregation, which has 200 Sisters and 30 houses in different countries of the world, is dedicated to helping persons suffering from indigence. They are inspired in St. Francis of Assisi and St. Maximilian Mary Kolbe, founder of the City of the Immaculate in Poland, who himself was a martyr of charity, having offered his life to save the father of a family condemned to death in the Auschwitz Nazi concentration camp. continued inside.

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Gays running scared as they recruit Elton John to attack the Church and Cardinal Winning of Scotland
   Raise your hands if you didn't know rock icon Elton John, who boasts of his bi-sexuality, is an expert on the Church. He must think so for he's telling Scotland's Cardinal Thomas Winning how to run things. What it really boils down to is Cardinal Winning has touched a nerve and the gays are reeling, using every trick they can to thwart the staunch Catholic Cardinal and make him into the "bad guy." But he won't stop and they know it and, because of that, they have made him a target for daring to tell the truth about the gay agenda and its inherent mortal dangers for the soul. continued inside.

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Offer to spend time in "Purgatory" could be just the spark many executives in Ireland need to rejuvenate their lives spiritually
   Imagine lawyers, educators, doctors and top business leaders signing up to spend some time in Purgatory! But that's what Monsignor Richard Mohan is predicting will happen when top executives throughout Ireland receive their invitations to spend three days fasting and praying at a special retreat on the small island on Lough Derg, popularly known as "St. Patrick's Purgatory." The country's patron saint is said to have spent time fasting and praying in the County Donegal sanctuary which has been a Christian center since at least the 6th century. Now in the 21st century, it is being revived so that many can "re-tune the personal batteries" says Msgr. Mohan. continued inside.

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Bishop appeals to international community to help his people in Sri Lanka
   Sri Lankan Bishop Rayappu Joseph has issued an appeal to the international community, asking for help in protecting innocent civilians who have been caught between combatants in that country's civil war. He reported that there have been at least 500 civilian casualties in the area of Jaffna, where the Sri Lankan army is conducting artillery bombardments against positions held by the Tamil Tiger (LTTE) rebel group. The bishop said that thousands of civilians have been pinned down by the shelling-- unable to move to a safer location, and unable to obtain food while living in bunkers. continued inside.

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