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Feast of the Apostle and Evangelist SAINT MATTHEW 
| TUESDAY vol. 10, no. 179 September 21, 1999 |
Click on your choice of articles below
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Today we bring you the 58th person selected out of the TOP 100 CATHOLICS OF THE CENTURY. The voters chose Malcolm Muggeridge, the British iconoclast who was one of England's leading modern satirists who discovered the truth through a frail, little Albanian nun in 1968 and found true peace in 1982 when he and his wife converted to Catholicism as the result of Mother Teresa's prayers and example that touched him deeper than anything in his life. Known as the "consummate curmudgeon," he was humble enough to admit God had the answers. For more on the 58th selection, click on |
For additional news from other Catholic wire services, see HEADLINES immediately below on the left |
 WORLDWIDENEWS & VIEWS  
Australian military battalions acting as peacekeepers, having secured the airport and seaport of Dili, began unloading badly needed food supplies for the ravished people of East Timor after weeks of terror. This is just the first wave of help as more are promised after the UN and Indonesia finally ironed out differences and expedited the movement of rescue efforts with Australians at the ready in Darwin, Australia 200 miles from East Timor. Many hope those hiding in fear and trepidation from the pro-Jakarta militia youth, especially in the mountains, will be protected and taken care of as the world begins to tally the catastrophes first hand. East Timor's spiritual leader Bishop Carlos Ximenes Belo hopes to return to his flock sometime this week. For more, click on East Timor rescue
  
Hundreds of thousands turned out to greet and cheer on His Holiness Pope John Paul II during his whirlwind one-day trip to Maribor, the capital city of Slovenia, his second visit there. His purpose was to beatify Bishop Anton Martin Slomsek a native son of Slovenia who inspired so many. The Holy Father did so in Betnava Square at an outdoor Mass concelebrated by sixty bishops representing all of the Oriental Churches in union with Rome and the Secretary of State Cardinal Angelo Sodano who accompanied the Pope on this one-day visit, his 88th trip outside Italy during his twenty year-plus pontificate. For more, click on Slovenia Papal Visit.
Rebels finally release kidnapped bishop, hope to negotiate from strength and trust  
After being held hostage for five weeks, Bishop Jose de Jesus Quintero of the See of Tibu was finally released by the smaller People's Liberation Army in Colombia. He had been kidnapped on the Solemnity of the Assumption by the small group of rebels who were hopeful they could negotiate from strength, but it failed as Bishop Quintero confirmed because force never is the answer for anything. While he was treated well, he was treated with disrespect for his office and advised he could be snatched again if he remained in his Diocese. That didn't scare off the Bishop who assured all he would remain their shepherd and always loyal to the Church of Rome. It was the second time he had been kidnapped. For more, click on Bishop freed in Colombia .
 Pro-lifers tweak UN's conscience as Cardinal O'Connor seeks to clear Catholic and Jewish consciences with letter
  While pro-life groups massed as a coalition to tweak the conscience of UN delegates at the United Nations Headquarters in New York to bring attention to the value of the Sanctity of Life and the grave consequences of the culture of death, the New York Times was publishing an open letter to Jews written by Cardinal John O'Connor in which, in honor of Yom Kippur and the tradition of atonement, asked forgiveness on behalf of all Catholics for any atrocities committed or actions omitted over the past millennium. The gesture was in keeping with the Pope's request to forgive and ask forgiveness of our neighbors as part of a cleansing process in preparation for the Jubilee Year 2000 and a clean slate for all. His letter was well received in the aftermath of much tension between Catholics and Jews over the cross controversy at Auschwitz and malignment of Pope Pius XII. For more, click on New York.
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 and the Dossiers, features and Daily Dispatches from ZENIT International News Agency CWN, NE and ZENIT are not affiliated with the Daily CATHOLIC, but provide this service via e-mail to the Daily CATHOLIC Monday through Friday.
101 and counting, Wednesday:
In sending Your only-begotten Son You have manifested Your love for mankind and You have mercifully invited sinners to be seated at the banquet of the kingdom. Matthew, happy to welcome the Master into his home, generously accepted and, renewed by this encounter with grace, became a herald of Your marvels.
"If we are wrong in the purpose of life, we are wrong on everything. The soul is dyed with the color its beliefs. A popular bromide is to say: 'If I do my best, it will be all right.' The Income Tax Bureau will not accept that philosophy. To 'have done our best' will not console us much if we still miss a train or fail a bar examination. The road to hell is paved with good intentions."
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In today's editorial, we make note that as of tomorrow there are only 100 days left in this millennium, time enough to prepare and time enough to reach out to others in prayer and love offerings, to heed the Gospel message today that we, like Jesus, are to tend to the sick - most notably our Catholic brothers and sisters in the vanquished island of East Timor where half the population has been displaced or murdered. We call upon the Bishops in America to spearhead a campaign to aid the oppressed half way around the world, all part of the universal Church. For the editorial, With 100 days left, let's live our faith to the fullest and give until it hurts! see 
Appreciation of the Sacred Congregations
On this date 78 years ago Pope Benedict XV whose pontificate spanned World War I and the Russian Revolution, reached out with love and compassion to the people of Russia who were being suppressed by the iron fist of Nicolai Lenin after the Kronstadt rising was crushed and Lenin clamped down on state control of the economy. Just like the dire situations in East Timor, Rwanda and the Sudan today, back in 1921 the 258th successor of Peter generously donated one million lira to feed the starving people of Russia, especially in the Ukraine as the iron curtain began to take shape. For other pertinent events throughout the centuries that are memorable in Church history today, click on 
Retroactive articles on Church history from 33 to 1515 A.D. for review 
Good intentions alone won't get us into Heaven
Dear children! Also today I call you to give glory to God the Creator in the colors of nature. He speaks to you also through the smallest flower about His beauty and the depth of love with which He has created you. Little children, may prayer flow from your hearts like fresh water from a spring. May the wheat fields speak to you about the mercy of God towards every creature. That is why, renew prayer of
thanksgiving for everything He gives you. Thank you for having responded to my call.
