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One of the newer cardinals - Cardinal Salvatore de Giorgi - is Sicily's shining shepherd as the Archbishop of Palermo       Our thirty-first red hat we feature, in alphabetical order is 68 year-old Cardinal Salvatore de Giorgi, the Archbishop of Palermo in Sicily. A native of southern Italy, he has been well received by Sicilians as their shepherd. He received his red hat from Pope John Paul II in the most recent Consistory of February 21, 1998. For more on Cardinal de Giorgi, click on COLLEGE OF CARDINALS COLLECTION

TODAY'S HEADLINES: A few of Padre Pio's friends to attend his beatification in May - like one million of them! Mother Teresa's Postulator named, now the time-consuming work begins Cardinal O'Connor stands up to pro-aborts threats and intimidation Poland hoping to return Sundays to rightful day of worship and rest These headlines and more are featured in today's NEWS & VIEWS below.

Message to the Americas:
Our Lady is your patroness, embrace her warmly and learn from her counsel
      Following up a year after the Bishops of North, Central and South America, along with the Caribbean contingent, met for the month-long Synod of the Americas in Rome at the end of 1997, Pope John Paul II officially closed the Synod with his Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Ecclesia in America at Our Lady of Guadalupe Shrine in Mexico City in January. Because of its significance for all Americans, we bring you this important document in several installments over the next few months. For those wanting to read the entire encyclical or check footnotes, go to Ecclesia in America For the third installment on Encountering Christ in the time of the Church , click on THE VICAR OF CHRIST SPEAKS.

We need to tap into the family fountain of the Church!       In his column today, Pat Ludwa debunks the premise offered by non-Catholics that we shouldn't pray to saints because they're dead and pray only to Jesus. Pat reminds all that the Triune Divinity has established the Communion of Saints for us to tap into, both in refilling the font of Mercy for the souls in Purgatory and to draw from that Mercy from those in Heaven. It is to these Christ directs us to take as our examples and lean on them for their prayers and intercession. For his column titled It's good to have friends in high places! , click on VIEW FROM THE PEW

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The pressure of pressure
     They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but the words of Bishop Fulton J. Sheen have been known to launch a thousand images in one's mind, one of the ways this late luminary did so much to evangelize the faith. Because of the urgency of the times and because few there are today who possess the wisdom, simplicity and insight than the late Archbishop who touched millions, we are bringing you daily gems from his writings. The good bishop makes it so simple that we have dubbed this daily series: "SIMPLY SHEEN".

"Most neuroses are bulwarks against fear...It is actually not fear that is feared; the enemy is the tension between the conscience and what has happened. Fear is like the gauge on a steam boiler. It merely registers pressure."

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Events in Church History     On this date in 752 Pope Saint Zachary I died. This 91st successor of Peter became the first ever Roman Pontiff to consecrate a sovereign when he crowned Pipin the Short as King of the Franks. It marked the beginning of France's long association with the Church, both good and bad, and established France as a Catholic country up to the present day. For other pertinent events throughout the centuries that are memorable in Church history today, click on MILLENNIUM MILESTONES AND MEMORIES

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"I solemnly tell you: Do not let the oil of your lamps run low for you do not comprehend how close is the New Era, the Reign of the Sacred Heart."
      Those words from the Mother of God imparted to the Hidden Flower of the Immaculate Heart in Message #433 on the Solemnity of Christ the King in November, 1993 give hope to all if we can all just persevere and keep the faith, striving to live the messages in anticipation of the glorious age Our Lady foretells. She follows this up on November 24, 1993 reminding all of our responsibility before God for those who have been given much, much is expected. (cf. Luke 12: 48). For Messages #433 and #434 from Our Lady, click on "I SOLEMNLY TELL YOU..."

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WORLDWIDE
NEWS & VIEWSwith a Catholic slant provided by
Catholic World News Service
and
Noticias Eclesiales Church News

HEADLINES:
One million people expected for Padre Pio's Beatification in May
     It is being considered a dress rehearsal for Jubilee 2000, but we doubt more than one million people will descend on Rome and the Vatican in one day in 2000 like they are expected on Sunday, May 2nd this year when Pope John Paul II will beatify the beloved mystic Padre Pio. Over 2,000 volunteer guides will get their baptism of fire catering to the countless pilgrims and venues throughout Rome are planned to accommodate the crush so all can see the beatification ceremonies, most on large screen projections placed in many areas and plazas. For more, click on Padre Pio draws a crowd .

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Postulator in place for Mother Teresa's beatification process; Sister Nirmala reminds all not to be so impatient.
      Calcutta's Archbishop Henry D'Souza has appointed Father Brian Kolodiejchuk, a Missionaries of Charity priest from Rome to serve as Postulator for the beatification cause of Mother Teresa. With all the anticipation of when Mother will be beatified, her successor Sister Nirmala, who with her fellow sisters and millions around the world would love to see it happen in 2000, cautions all that these things take time and they will in no way put any pressure on Rome, realizing the monumental task ahead for Fr. Brian. For more, click on Mother Teresa's Postulator.

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Cardinal O'Connor reinforces strong stance on Sanctity of Life: We will never compromise!
      America's leading prelate Cardinal John J. O'Connor urged all at the State Catholic Congress in Albany, New York over the weekend to never give up the fight for the Sanctity of Life and to fight abortion and the culture of death with every ounce of our body, heart and soul especially in light of the mounting takeovers of Catholic hospitals and the pressures of pro-aborts in insisting abortions be provided in these institutions. He took his plea to New York Governor George Pataki, a known pro-abortion politician. For more, click on Fight for Life.

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Poland pressing to keep holy the sabbath with store closures
    "And He rested on the seventh day from all the work He had done" (Genesis 2: 2). If Polish legislators and Church officials have their way, honoring the sabbath will return to Poland for they have introduced a law to close stores on Sundays so people will not be forced to work in accordance with what God deigns, devoting the time as it should be to God and family. Since Poland is 90% Catholic it should be well-received in the land that gave the world John Paul II. For more, click on Poland

For more headlines and articles, we suggest 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.

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Daily Dose of curious contents of the Church:
The Mystical Stigmata       With the anticipation of the beatification of Padre Pio, the most well-known stigmatist of our times, we wanted to bring you a brief description of what this is. The word comes from the Greek stizein which means mark as in tattoo mark, and in Latin translates to stigma. The Church considers a stigmata as a supernatural wound or scar that appears on the parts of the body that parallel the wounds Jesus experienced on the Cross and is representative of someone suffering the intense pain of the passion of Christ, usually corresponding to the liturgical time - day or hour that Our Lord suffered. This person is found in a limited amount of souls over the centuries who have practiced heroic virtue and have an undying love for Jesus and are willing to suffer for Him in whatever way God so deigns. The person is always a victim soul who is subjected to tremendous suffering physically and mentally. Saint Francis of Assisi and Padre Pio are excellent examples of the visible stigmata while Saint Catherine of Siena is one who suffered as well but possessed the invisible stigmata that only revealed itself upon her death. There have been over 300 cases the Church has confirmed have had the stigmata throughout Church history with sixty-two persons having been declared saints and many others have been declared blessed, including Padre Pio this comng May. The stigmata cannot be explained by medical experts for it goes against all medical logic. The wounds are fresh and the bleeding is pure blood with no fear of infection or lesions. The wounds are not connected to blood vessels, but a veritable font of fresh blood flows from the surface. The source therefore must be supernatural according to all experts who have examined a true stigmatist. For more we refer you to The Catholic Encyclopedia at New Advent Catholic Supersite. (sources:Catholic Dictionary, Fr. John Hardon, SJ, Doubleday; Catholic Encyclopedia, Thomas Nelson Publishers).

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