Holy Father honors four more servants of God with beatifications at St. Peter's Square
      The Holy Father added four more blesseds to the long list of beatified ones on Sunday at St. Peter's Basilica when he beatified a Spaniard, Frenchwoman, and Italian - three founders of religious orders - Father Zeferino Agostini, Italian founder of the Ursuline Sisters, Mother Theodore Guerin, French foundress of the United States order of religious nuns called Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods in Indiana, and Father Faustino Miguez from Spain, founder of the Congregation of the Maids of the Divine Shepherd. The other person beatified was Franciscan Father Antonio de Sant'Anna Galvao from Brazil who founded monasteries and convents throughout his country. For more, click on Beatifications

Besides being the cornerstone for society, the Sacrament of Matrimony is special compared to all other unions Pope asserts
      Speaking out strongly against same-sex unions and other illegitimate bonds - more and more being recognized today, Pope John Paul II asserted that the bond of holy matrimony is the only one which begets family, which calls for total commitment on the couple's part and fosters family which serves as the bulwark of society and culture. Today that commitment is being watered down by loose legislation and pressure from special interest groups that have no interest in God's laws or His Will. Thus the Holy Father, on the heels of calling American bishops on the carpet for making annulments so easy, spoke out strongly on the elevation of family and family values to a group of European politicians and legislators who were meeting in Rome at the invitation of the Pope and the Pontifical Council for the Family. For more, click on Bonds of Family.

Pope continues family theme in welcoming Vatican's new ambassador from Ireland
     The Holy Father welcomed Ireland's newest ambassador to the Holy See, single 62-year old Eamon O'Tuathail, and took the occasion to urge the emerald isle to stay the course and realize that truth transcends everything else. He reiterated much of what he proclaimed in his most recent encyclical Fides et Ratio and urged the Irish people to keep the faith no matter the temptations politically or socially and enlisted the help of governments to provide the proper protection of family through laws that would enhance the moral fiber of the country. The Pope expressed hope that the peace pact signed on Good Friday would provide a permanent platform for peace for all of Northern Ireland. For more, click on Irish Ambassador.

You'll be tricked at Trick or treat time if you think giving to UNICEF is a treat!
      We all like to give to worthy charities but how many times have we been buffaloed into thinking we were giving for a cause that really was not the intent at all? Such is the case of the national campaign sponsored by UNICEF and pushed by public schools to collect money for the poor kids elsewhere in the world. The truth is that money does not go to kids but to fund abortions overseas. The Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute reminded all of that fact and warned all to beware of innocent kids asking for funds that are not innocent but misleading and a flat-out lie! For more, click on unmerciful UNICEF.

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