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     This weekend we celebrate the feast of a great Pope on Friday, commemorating Pope Saint Pius X and on Saturday the glorious Feast of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary which was assigned to this day as a result of the encyclical Lumen Gentium composed chiefly by Pope John Paul II during the pontificate of Pope Paul VI. Sunday is the Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time and Monday we kick off the week by celebrating the Feast of the Apostle Saint Bartholomew. For the liturgies, readings, meditations and vignettes of the above feasts, click on LITURGY

Friday, August 20, 1998

Friday August 20:
Feast of Saint Pius X, Pope

White vestments

First Reading: Ezekiel 37: 1-14
Psalms: Psalm 107: 1-9
Gospel Reading: Matthew 22: 34-40

      Born Joseph Sarto in 1835 near Treviso, Italy at Riese, this young parish priest went on to become one of the greatest Popes ever - Pope Saint Pius X - the Pope of the Blessed Sacrament. Prior to his elevation to the papacy he was ordained Bishop of Mantua in 1884 and became Cardinal Sarto in 1893. Against his own wishes he was unanimously elected the 257th pontiff in the line of Peter at the conclave on August 9, 1903. His pontificate was one of great accomplishments from his liturgical reforms in the Breviary, Mass, and Gregorian Chant to his establishing that all children who had reached the age of reason could receive Holy Communion. He promulgated a new Catechism and the Code of Canon Law and established the Acta Apostolicae Sedis (A.A.S.) He decreed the elevation of the Holst and Chalice at the Consecration of the Mass and was known for his staunch defense of the conservative Church and opposed staunchly to liberalism. He deplored diplomacy in the face of all of the hypocrism and false dealings between nations and many believe the loss of so many lives at the outbreak of World War I contributed to his early death on August 21, 1914, 22 days after war had broken out. His last words were: "To restore all things in Christ, so that Christ may be all in all." That was his motto throughout his eleven year papacy. Today his body is still incorrupt, having been moved from St. Peter's Basilica in Rome in 1959 to his home diocese of Venice, thus bringing true his last words to the Venetians before Cardinal Sarto headed off to the conclave in 1903, "Living or dead, I shall return." Venice sent the Church a great pontiff, now Holy Mother Church was returning a great saint.

Saturday August 22:
Feast of THE QUEENSHIP OF MARY

White vestments

First Reading: Ezekiel 43: 1-7
Psalms: Psalm 85: 9-14
Gospel Reading: Matthew 23: 1-12

      This special feast is the natural progression of what took place after Mary's Assumption into Heaven. Like our present pontiff Pope John Paul II, his Holiness Pope Pius XII was a devotee of the Blessed Mother and proclaimed four years after decreeing the Assumption dogma that the Queenship of Mary would be celebrated henceforth on May 31. This was accomplished through his encyclical Ad Coeli Reginam in commemoration of the one hundred anniversary of the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception. In the Canticle of Mary recited on the feast of the Assumption there is theological substantiation for this feast as we read, "Today the Virgin Mary was taken up to Heaven; rejoice, for she reigns with Christ forever." After Vatican II it was moved to August 22nd as the octave day of the Assumption so Holy Mother Church could properly link her elevation to this glory with the crowning glory of Mary as Queen of the Angels and the Saints. In Lumen Gentium it says "The Immaculate Virgin...was taken up body and soul into heavenly glory when her earthly life was over, and exalted by the Lord as Queen over all things, that she might be the more fully conformed to her Son, the Lord of lords (cf Apocalypse 19: 16) and conqueror of sin and death." In AAS 38, Pius declared: "Mary is queen by grace, by divine relationship, by right of conquest and by singular election." He also proclaimed in Ineffabilis Deus that her queenship should be venerated "as something extraordinary, wondrous, [and] eminently holy." There is no record of a demand for this feast prior to the 20th Century but medieval hymns proclaim often Mary's title as Queen such as Salve Regina, Regina Coeli, and Ave Regina Coelorum. In the Litany of the BVM or Litany of Loreto she is proclaimed Queen in 12 instances beginning with "Queen of angels" to "Queen of peace." There is also the fifth mystery of the Rosary: The Coronation of Mary as Queen of Heaven and Earth. For a special prayer to the Queen of Heaven and Earth, see Devotions.

SUNDAY August 23:
TWENTY-FIRST SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

White vestments

First Reading: Isaiah 66: 18-21
Psalms: Psalm 117: 1, 2
Second Reading: Hebrews 12: 5-7, 11-13 Gospel Reading: Luke 13: 22-30

      Regarded as the first canonized saint of the New World, Saint Rose of Lima was born of humble Spanish parents in 1586 and baptized Isabel Flores y de Oliva. However her parents were so taken by her beauty and innocent that they gave her the "nickname" Rose from early infancy. At the turn of the 17th Century she was confirmed by Saint Turibus, the archbishop of Lima. So influenced was she by St. Turibus and three other contemporary saints - Saint Martin de Porres, Saint John Macias (both Dominicans) and Saint Francis Solano, a Franciscan, that Rose rejected a grandiose and secure marriage proposal opting to enter the Dominicans and become a Tertiary nun, politely telling her suitor who fawned over her beauty, "Only beauty of the soul is important." Marriage to this rich nobleman would have secured her and her family for life in worldly wealth, but she disdained it all for eternal wealth. Jesus had asked her to be a life-long virgin through private revelation and visions in which He requested, "Rose of My Heart, be My spouse." She dedicated her life to penance, visiting the poor with food and faith and offering her life as a victim soul while founding the first monastery of cloistered nuns in Peru, dedicated to Saint Catherine of Siena. Because of her total dedication to God's Will she became a serious threat to satan and was put through fierce trials by the evil one but in every instance came out smelling like God's Rose. In the mid 17th Century a fleet of Dutch ships sailed into the Peruvian harbor and all of Lima was terrified except Rose who ran to the altar before the Tabernacle in petition for her townspeople and willing to die to protect the Blessed Sacrament. Through her prayers, the Dutch mysteriously left and Rose's wish to die a martyr was denied so that God could take her home peacefully on August 24, 1617. Upon her death all of Lima immediately venerated her as a saint. It wasn't until 55 years later that she was canonized by Pope Clement X in 1671 and also declared "patroness of the Americas."

Monday August 24:
Feast of SAINT BARTHOLOMEW, APOSTLE

Red vestments

First Reading: Revelation/Apocalypse: 21-9-14
Psalms: Psalm 145: 10-13, 17-18
Gospel Reading: John 1: 45-51

      One of the Apostles chosen by Jesus, was Nathanael, better known as Saint Bartholomew. His closest friend was Saint Philip, a disciple of Saint John the Baptist whose martyrdom we commemorate later this month. Bartholomew came from Cana in Galilee. Bartholomew was renowned for his honesty and simple, strong faith. He is a great inspiration for Catholics today to hold strong to the true faith and renew our loyalty to the Holy Father and Holy Mother Church. St. Bartholomew knew implicitly that Jesus was the Messiah from his reply in John 1: 49, yet originally he is the one the famous quote in John 1: 46 is attributed to: "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Jesus knew Bartholomew's heart when in John 1: 47 Christ said of Bartholomew's heart and soul, "Behold a true Israelite in whom there is no guile." This is a great tribute to this Apostle who was loyal to his Master throughout his apostolate which included India, Mesopotamia, Phrygia, and Arabia after Pentecost. He was marytred in Armenia by pagan Persians who literally skinned him alive peeling the skin from his body. His relics were brought to Rome in the 10th Century and established this day for his feast for the universal Church. His skull was also recovered and venerated in Frankfurt, Germany since 1238. This Apostle is revered as Patron of the Sick.

     In honor of the Queenship of Mary, we present the beautiful Regina Coeli Prayer - or "Hail, Holy Queen" said following every Rosary. Like the Memorare, this prayer carries an indulgence as well, but it is for five years as opposed to three:

Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy; hail, our life, our sweetness, and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve; to thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears. Turn, then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us; and after this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary!

Kenya's Archbishop calls for reconciliation and restitution, but not revenge

     Thousands gathered in Nairobi to pay their respects to the hundreds who were killed and thousands injured in the senseless boming of the U.S. Embassy last week. One of the speakers was Archbishop Raphael Ndingi a'Nzeki of Nairobi who called for reconciliation, while insisting restitution must be made, but not by revenge. A solidarity of religious and political leaders vowed to stand together despite efforts to divide the country. For more, click on Kenya

      NAIROBI (CWNews.com) - Kenya's religious and political leaders gathered in Nairobi's Uhuru Park along with thousands of others to mourn the hundreds killed in a bomb attack on the US embassy two weeks ago.

      Archbishop Raphael Ndingi a'Nzeki of Nairobi, the Catholic primate of Kenya, urged forgiveness for the bombers, but added: "Forgiveness does not necessarily exclude restitution but it must exclude revenge." President Daniel arap Moi called the attack a dark day. "August 7 will forever remain the darkest day in our history," Moi said. "It is the day that Satan visited Nairobi."

      US Ambassador Prudence Bushnell, who was injured in the blast that killed 253 and wounded more than 5,000 others, said Kenya and the US would overcome the tragedy together. "Evil-doers have tried to divide us and put a wedge between us. They cannot and shall not," Bushnell said. Other religious leaders present at the memorial service include the heads of the country's Protestant churches and Muslim and Hindu religions.

Cardinal Maida digs in for fight against culture of death

      The state of Michigan is in for a fight and leading the assault against the referendum to legalize doctor-assisted suicide is the head prelate of the state - Detroit's Cardinal Adam Maida who has strongly urged his priests and flock to oppose this culture of death measure vociferously. A spokesman for the opposition played down the Cardinal's influence by saying Catholics would make up their own mind. Maybe modernist "Catholics" might, but anyone who is loyal to the Magisterium knows the only way to vote is to uphold the Culture of Life and soundly defeat the measure on the ballot in November. For more, click on Cardinal digs in

      DETROIT (CWNews.com) - The archbishop of Detroit has urged priests in his archdiocese to preach more forcefully on the sanctity of life as Michigan voters prepare to cast ballots in November on referendum to legalize doctor-assisted suicide, the Detroit Free Press newspaper reported on Thursday.

      Cardinal Adam Maida sent a letter to diocesan priests, telling them: "Now, more than ever, we need to read and interpret the Sunday Scriptures through the lens of our Church's teaching on the sanctity of life." The cardinal said the archdiocese would provide audiovisual aids to help explain the Church's teaching that suicide is immoral. He also promised that October, annually called "Respect Life" month by the US bishops, will feature a major emphasis on the issue.

      The cardinal's letter was dismissed by the group sponsoring the referendum, the newspaper reported. "He certainly has a right to express his beliefs, but many supporters of Merian's Friends are good Catholics and will continue to support us," Dr. Ed Pierce, chairman of Merian's Friends, said. "People make up their own minds. I'm sure that the cardinal has influence over people, but most of the Catholics I know pick and choose the doctrines they believe in. That's true for most non-Catholics, too."

Sandinistas ignore will of the people regarding Catholic curriculum in state schools

     Despite the urging of the Minister of Education to include the Catholic Catechism in the state school system's curriculum and the overwhelming support of 83% of Nicaraguan parents, the Sandinista-led congress nixed the idea prompting the Secretary of Education to strongly rebuke their actions, crying foul that their veto denies parents their rights as outlined by law. For more, click on Nicaragua.

      MANAGUA (CWNews.com) - Sandinista Front representatives in Nicaragua's Congress on Tuesday opposed to a proposed law that would allow religious education in public schools.

      The bill, presented by the Secretary of Education, includes an optional course on the Catholic Catechism in public schools that responds to the desire of 83 percent of Nicaraguan parents, as a recent study revealed. But, Sandinista congressmen have said they will vote against the bill because "it violates the secular nature of the state by involving religion in public education."

      Sergio Boffelli, spokesman for the Ministry of Education, responded to the Sandinistas, saying: "The congress should not impede the rights of parents to choose the type of education they provide to their children." He explained that religious education will not be compulsory, will not be delivered during the regular school schedule, and will not be paid for by the government. "Each school council, with the involvement of parents, will decide if the school will or will not provide religious education," said Boffelli. "The law is not intended to impose religious education, but to provide parents with the option of having it taught."

Jersey Judge strikes down effort to manipulate Catholic school

     A Buddhist freshman at St. John Vianney High School in New Brunswick, New Jersey had sought to upset the apple cart by demanding she did not have to have vaccinations because of her religion. The judge shot that down but the underlying problem lies in the philosophy of Catholic faculties and bishops over the past thirty years to open up their schools to all creeds because that brings the most money - high tuition that rich parents can afford. However, maybe it's time to return to the days when Catholic education was for Catholics regardless whether parents could afford the stiff fees or not and offer a unique approach to the Catholic schools curriculum: teach the tenets of Catholicism in all areas to produce solid, Catholic leaders. For more, click on Catholic Schools.

      NEW BRUNSWICK, New Jersey (CWNews.com) - A Catholic parochial school is not required to admit a 14-year-old Buddhist girl who cited religious beliefs in refusing required vaccinations, a New Jersey judge ruled on Tuesday.

      St. John Vianney high school had initially accepted Sarah Metler in January, but rescinded that acceptance when she refused to receive immunization shots. The girl claimed that her Buddhist beliefs prevent her from ingesting animal products, which includes the vaccines because they are grown in chicken eggs.

      The girl took the school and the Diocese of Trenton to court, seeking an order requiring the school to admit her. Superior Court Judge Jack Lintner declined to issue one Tuesday.

For more headlines and articles, we suggest you go to the Catholic World News site. CWN is not affiliated with the Daily CATHOLIC but provides this service via e-mail to the Daily CATHOLIC Monday through Friday.

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August 21-23, 1998 volume 9, no. 164   DAILY CATHOLIC