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      On this date in 911 the 119th successor of Peter Pope Sergius III died. He was best remembered as the Sovereign Pontiff who rebuilt the Basilica of the St. John Lateran after a fire completely destroyed the old edifice. He was also the first Pope to wear the papal tiara. For other pertinent events throughout the centuries that are memorable in Church history today, click on MILLENNIUM MILESTONES AND MEMORIES

Historical Events in Church Annals for April 15:

911 A.D.


Death of Pope Sergius III, the 119th successor of Peter. He had been elected on January 29, 904. During his seven year pontificate he had the Basilica of St. John Lateran, which had been destroyed by a fire, rebuilt. He insisted on and defended the rights of the Church against the feudal lords. He was also the first to wear the papal tiara.

1450 A.D.


The Battle of Formigny where the French defeat the English in the 100 year war.

1452 A.D.


Birth of Master Painter Leonardo da Vinci who would go on to paint some memorable religious scenes, most specifically "The Last Supper."

1532 A.D.


The English Clergy is forced to submit to Henry VIII, King of England who bolted from Holy Mother Church.

1912 A.D.


At 2:20 a.m. the S.S. Titanic sinks into the depths of the Atlantic after striking an iceberg, taking with it many Irish Catholics who had sailed in steerage for America seeking a better life.

" Let the world, as one, cry out in faith for Mercy, and It shall be given in abundance. Deny My Mercy and the Father's Justice will come sooner than you expect."

      Those words were conveyed by Our Lord to the Hidden Flower of the Immaculate Heart on Divine Mercy Sunday on April 10, 1994 which echoes the same words conveyed in today's DAILY WORD from today's Gospel of John 3: 36. Jesus urges all parents to bring their children to Him and they will be greatly rewarded in graces and understand better the need to be obedient to His Vicar on earth. He also asserts that the more we rely on His Mercy, the sooner will His Blessed Mother's Immaculate Heart triumph. Our Lady prefaces this with her Message four days earlier on April 6th with the call to ask God for the Font of His Mercy to flow out to all His children for the signs are manifesting themselves that the time of Justice is near. For Messages #479 and #480, click on "I SOLEMNLY TELL YOU..."

Messages 479 and 480

Message Four Hundred-seventy-nine, April 6, 1994

      Beloved Hidden Flower, I bless you and all your family. Offer every suffering to my Son and be abandoned!

      My little children, the blessings of Almighty God are without limit, but you must hunger for them so as to lift your eyes up from this earth and seek Him only!

      O! You rejoice in this season because of its promise of warmth, of springtime beauty. You do not examine your consciences to see if God's beauty, which is His grace, blooms there.

      I solemnly tell you: Do not be deceived in your spiritual journey by the seasons, for they also are commanded by Almighty God. Many of you, my little children, saw the moon rise late on Good Friday. It arose in crimson, and this is but another sign of these end times.

      Dear children, do not linger upon the evil in the world. Rather, pray from your heart and beg God for the Hour of Great Mercy. The River of Sorrow widens, yet you are blind to it. I solemnly tell you, the events foretold long ago are unfolding around you, yet you see not because you look only with human eyes.

      Pray! Pray very much. Let the Holy Spirit fully embrace you. Beseech Almighty God to pour out the Font of Divine Mercy upon all people. Pray for one another and remain faithful, humble and obedient little children.

      I love and bless you. I call each of you by name. Pray! Pray! Pray! Thank you for responding to my Call!

Message Four Hundred-eighty, April 10, 1994

      My Beloved Hidden Flower of My Mother's Immaculate Heart, I bless you!

      On this the Feast of Divine Mercy, I thank all who have so honored My Mercy. They shall know mercy both now and at the hour of their death.

      To all who willfully ignore My Mercy, who do not follow the teachings of My chosen Vicar, I weep tears of blood for you. You cause My Sacred Heart unbearable torment, for you keep My little ones from coming to Me, the Font of Mercy.

      I especially desire for Divine Mercy to be lived now in a very special way. I desire the fullness of My Order of Divine Mercy, and surrounding this order all the world to be joined in the spiritual bond of Mercy.

      I implore all parents to bring their children to Me, to teach them of My Mercy, so that they may know My peace, joy and love. If you do this, I, Jesus Christ, Son of God and Savior of the world, do solemnly promise you the fullness of My Mercy by the hastening of the Triumph of My Mother's Heart.

      Let the world, as one, cry out in faith for Mercy, and It shall be given in abundance.

      Deny My Mercy and the Father's Justice will come sooner than you expect.

      I love and bless you and ask you to give Me, your God and Savior, all respect and reverence.

      Pray! Pray! as My Mother has asked, for I have sent Her to be your guide in these end times.

      I give to you My Peace. Persevere, for I am always with you!

HEADLINES:

Vatican reasserts need for peaceful negotiations to cut short the fuse that could ignite Europe

      The chief foreign officer for the Vatican Archbishop Jean-Louis Tauran reiterated the Holy See's resolve to continue an attempt to seek negotiations for a peaceful settlement in the Balkans at all costs. He confirmed that diplomatic negotiations have been intense over the past several months, contrary to reports you hear in the secular media where the Vatican is a non-player. He reiterated again that justice must be considered for all sides in order to reach a peaceful solution and Europe's responsibility to help. For more, click on Kosovo.

      VATICAN (CWNews.com) -- The Vatican's chief foreign-policy official has reiterated the belief that the Kosovo conflict should be settled by negotiations.

      "The Holy See has always believes that in the case of the Balkans, the political problems must be resolved through dialogue, respectful of history and of right," said Archbishop Jean-Louis Tauran. The Vatican's Secretary for Relations with States was interviewed by the Italian weekly Famiglia Cristiana.

      The archbishop also said that the Holy See saw the need for "humanitarian interference" when fundamental human rights are at stake, because "no state has the right to violate human rights and hide behind the principle of national sovereignty." This principle, he said, reflects an "important evolution of international law in recent years."

      Archbishop Tauran remarked that Kosovo had been the focus of "intense diplomatic activity" for several months, but that the negotiations produced no accord. He said that political leaders apparently felt that with diplomatic possibilities exhausted, the only remaining option was the use of force. "The responsibility for that choice obviously lies with those who adopted it," he said. The Holy See, he added, wished to call attention to the balance of "the illness that is being combated, as against the consequences of the therapy that has been chosen."

      Fleshing out the notion that a solution to the conflict must be respectful of "history and right," the archbishop noted that the Serbian people certainly have historic ties to Kosovo-- ties that involve their ethnic heritage and identity. On the other hand, he continued, it is equally clear that most of the people of Kosovo today are of Albanian ancestry.

      Finally, Archbishop Tauran emphasized that Kosovo is an integral part of Europe, and the solution to the conflict should be "in the juridical patrimony of the European tradition, based on democracy, respect for human rights, and the free circulation of people and their goods.

Dr. Death who denied life escapes life, but still gets prison for his crimes while down under another suicide monster raises the ugly spectre of the culture of death

      The man who flaunted suicide has finally met his come-uppance. That would be Jack Kevorkian, the notorious "Dr. Death," who was sentenced from ten to twenty-five years for his part in the assisted suicide of a nationally televised event. Pro-lifers hailed it as a victory for the culture of life and a statement that society will never condone snuffing out life that belongs to God alone. Meanwhile in Australia, another "Dr. Death" from down under is making waves by announcing he will conduct seminars on the "how to" of committing suicide, baiting both Australian laws and God's laws. For more, click on Suicide doctors

      PONTIAC, Michigan (CWNews.com) - Assisted-suicide activist Jack Kevorkian was sentenced to 10 to 25 years in prison on Tuesday for second-degree murder in the lethal injection of a Lou Gehrig's patient last year.

      Responding to Kevorkian's earlier public challenge to be prosecuted in the death of Thomas Youk, Judge Jessica Cooper said: "You had the audacity to go on national television, show the world what you did and dare the legal system to stop you. Well, sir, consider yourself stopped." Kevorkian videotaped himself giving Youk a lethal injection on September 17 and turned the tape over to the CBS news show "60 Minutes" which later broadcast it.

      The 70-year-old Kevorkian could have received up to life in prison for the conviction. He was also sentenced to three to seven years for delivery of a controlled substance, to be served concurrently. He will be eligible for parole in six years and eight months.

      Since 1990, Kevorkian has acknowledged assisting in 130 suicides, and was previously acquitted in three trials on assisted suicide charges. The Archdiocese of Detroit issued a statement, saying Kevorkian's "'final solution' approach to pain management has been an unconscionable exploitation of the natural ambivalence to death and suffering." The statement added that now there is "no doubt that society will neither authorize physicians to kill nor look the other way if they do." The sentence was also praised by the American Medical Association and disabled-rights groups.

      Meanwhile, in Melbourne, Australia, Australia's leading euthanasia campaigner announced on Tuesday he would hold seminars to teach terminally-ill patients how to end their own lives.

      The next clinic, to be held in Melbourne later this month, follows two other clinics he held last month. Philip Nitschke said he will give advice on drugs to use and how the law applies to patients and their families. He said he admires US assisted-suicide advocate Jack Kevorkian, who will be sentenced on Tuesday for his part in an American man's death last year. "I think he is an immensely brave person and he really did push the boundaries," he said.

      The Medical Practitioners Board of Victoria is investigating Nitschke in response to a complaint from the Australian Medical Association (AMA), a spokesman said. "The board is taking this extremely seriously and is taking the time required to consider it thoroughly," board spokesman Nicole Newton said.

Cardinal O'Connor echoes Pope's and Cardinal Law's message that there can be no peace in the Balkans without justice for all.

      Following up on what the Holy Father said in his Urbi et orbi message on Easter Sunday, Cardinal John J. O'Connor joined a growing list of high-ranking US prelates calling for a peaceful situation in the Balkans and for America not to be so anxious to condemn or go to war. The cardinal blamed the entertainment industry for desensitizing our abundant culture to having no feelings for those who suffer, forgetting human dignity in this alarming 'virtual mentality' of today. For more, click on Cardinal O'Connor.

      NEW YORK, 14 (NE) "What is the heart of the papal message to the world? That it doesn't matter how 'smart' our bombs are; war itself is becoming increasingly insane," stated Cardinal John O'Connor, Archbishop of New York, recalling the words of the Pope's last "Urbi et Orbi" message.

      Cardinal O'Connor urged to seriously listen to the words of the Holy Father and his appeal for peace. "The only way to peace with justice, our Holy Father makes clear in his first encyclical, is man himself. Man is the way," he emphasized. "Unless and until we come to believe in the sacredness of every human person, (...) there can be no lasting peace with justice."

      New York's Archbishop also called to pay attention to the insensitivity in the face of human suffering that the entertainment culture of our days generates. He warned on "how terrifyingly easy we disconnect ourselves from the sufferings of the war and its consequences."

Shoah memorial monument erected by Holy See to honor fallen Jews annihilated at Auschwitz

      The Vatican, sensitive to Catholic-Jewish relations, took a step closer to resolving their differences and making complete reconciliation possible in 2000 with the Holy Father's visit to Jerusalem by establishing a memorial monument at the North American Pontifical College in Rome to commemorate the millions of Jews who died at Auschwitz and establish an exchange program with Jewish students so students from both faiths can learn more of each's culture and beliefs. The ceremonies coincided with the Jewish observance of Holocaust Memorial Day. For more, click on Shoah memorial.

      VATICAN (CWNews.com) -- A monument dedicated to the memory of the 6 million Jews who died in the Nazi Holocaust has been erected on the grounds of the North American Pontifical College in Rome.

      The dedication of the memorial on April 13 brought together Catholic and Jewish leaders, and marked the beginning of an exchange program through which Catholic seminarians and Jewish students will study in each other's institutions, in an effort to deepen mutual understanding.

      Cardinal William Keeler of Baltimore, who came from the United States to preside over the dedication ceremonies, said that two historic events in the year 2000 should bring Catholics and Jews closer together. He was referring to a scheduled Vatican symposium on Catholic-Jewish relations, tentatively scheduled for October 3, 2000, and the anticipated trip by Pope John Paul II to Jerusalem.

      On April 14, the participants in the dedication ceremony received special greetings and acknowledgement from Pope John Paul II at the end of the Pope's regular public audience.

For more headlines and articles, we suggest you go to the Catholic World News site at the CWN home page and Church News at Noticias Eclesiales. Both CWN and NE are not affiliated with the Daily CATHOLIC but provides this service via e-mail to the Daily CATHOLIC Monday through Friday.

Daily Dose of curious contents of the Church:

      Today is "Tax Day" - Beware the Ides of April - that day when we fulfill, for many painfully, Our Lord's words in Matthew 22: 21, Mark 12: 16 and Luke 20: 25, "Render, therefore, to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God, the things that are God's. Besides taxes to the government there are also "payments" to the Church which are called tithing for we are commanded by the Commandments of Church "To contribute to the support of the Church." We do this through donations and tithing, directed by Sacred Scripture, both in the Old Testament with Leviticus 27: 30 and Deuteronomy 13: 22 and in the New Testament in Matthew 23: 23-24; 1 Corinthians 9: 7-8, 14; 2 Corinthians 8: 2-6; 1 Timothy 5: 18 and James 2: 17 as well as Canon Law 222 and 1262. This practice of tithing, which is also called stewardship or pledging, calls for one to give one tenth of their income or goods to support of the Church either to an Order, to the Diocese, the person's parish or a Catholic ministry that upholds and promotes the tenets of the Church. It is vital to support the works of the Church at the parish level on up and one can tithe through three ways: giving of their time, talent and/or treasure. The first deals with spending time in support of the Church helping in whatever capacity needed; the second covers the various specialities each person can contribute in expertise to the Church; and the final refers to contributing a portion of their financial means to the Church in thanksgiving and in cooperation with the universal Church in doing their part as members of the Mystical Body of Christ to support the Church and those committed to spreading the gospel. As Saint Paul says in 1 Corinthians 9: 14 that "The Lord directed that those who preach the gospel should have their living from the gospel." For more on tithes, we recommend NEW ADVENT CATHOLIC SUPERSITE (sources: Cabinet of Catholic Information, Duggan Publishing Co.; My Catholic Faith, My Mission House; 1999 Catholic Almanac, Our Sunday Visitor; Catholic Encyclopedia, Thomas Nelson Publishers).

     Today, in the spirit of Tax Day, we present a site that is not afraid to take on the government when it comes to rendering to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things that are God's. This site is YELLOWSTONE INFO which questions whatever is not in accord with Church teaching. Don't let the name fool you, it is a compendium of interesting comments from readers and the webmaster Roger Thibault on a sortie of subjects, many of which you won't find at other sites. It's not fancy, just filled with information.

Click here to return to SECTION ONE click here to return to the graphics front page of this issue.

April 15, 1999 volume 10, no. 74   DAILY CATHOLIC