Monday thru Friday on the CATHOLIC-INTERNET NETWORK at http://www.catholic-internet.org See why so many consider the Daily CATHOLIC as the "USA Today for CATHOLICS!" e-mail: DailyCatholic@catholic-internet.org

Moral failure of President reason to impeach say American religious leaders

      The National Clergy Council, composed of Catholic, Jewish and Protestant religious leaders, joined a growing list in calling for impeachment of Bill Clinton because of his total disregard for God's laws as well as the laws of our nation, specifically lying under oath and his ammoral behavior. For more, click on Impeachment.

      WASHINGTON, DC (CWNews.com) - A national organization of Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox clergy said on Tuesday that President Bill Clinton should be impeached.

      The National Clergy Council said in a statement, "The appalling moral failure of our President, his violation of his oath of office and his oath before the courts, his refusal to take personal and complete responsibility for his actions, as well as his use of government personnel and resources to evade detection and punishment should result in impeachment." The group added that Clinton's obligation to own up to his moral failings and to bear the consequences for them should impel the House of Representatives to impeach him.

      A growing number of representatives by Wednesday had indicated that they will vote to impeach Clinton, referring the case to the US Senate for a trial in January. Clinton has admitted to having an affair with a White House intern in 1996 and 1997, but denies having lied about it in a civil sexual-harassment case as well as using the resources of the White House to block an investigation into the allegations.

Holy Father gets jump on 1999 with Catechetical talks on God the Father

     Having completed catechetical talks on the Holy Spirit during his Wednesday Papal Audiences in 1998, the Pope launched his first in a series of talks that will last through next year on God the Father at yesterday's Papal Audience at Paul VI Hall. The year 1997 was dedicated to Jesus, Son of God, this year to the Holy Spirit, and 1999 to the Father in preparation for the Jubilee 2000 year. For more, click on Papal Audience.

      VATICAN (CWNews.com) -- Pope John Paul II today began a new series of catechetical talks, preaching at his regular Wednesday audience on the theme of God the Father-- to whom the last year of preparation for the Jubilee has been consecrated.

      The Pope recently concluded a series of talks on the workings of the Holy Spirit. His weekly public audiences have been organized around a series of themes, with each theme providing the topic for several months of addresses.

      In the less formal portion of his public audience, the Pope offered a special salute to a group of 360 soccer players who were in attendance, having come to Rome to compete in a tournament organized by an Italian soccer federation. The Holy Father said that the competition "highlighted the true meaning of sport as a service to young people, to understanding between different peoples, and to peace."

Suspicions of murder cause investigators to exhume body of former Vatican banker

      Roberto Calvi, the powerful financial banker who was dubbed "God's banker" for his involvement with the Vatican Bank back in 1982 when the domino effect caused a massive financial collapse, was murdered and did not commit suicide as many have been led to believe. That is the reason prosecutors trying to prove it was a conspiracy have ordered Calvi's body to be exhumed to do a full autopsy on the body. For more, click on God's banker.

      COMO, Italy (CWNews.com) - Italian prosecutors prepared on Wednesday for exhumation of the body of a man once known as "God's banker" for his ties to the Vatican Bank.

      Roberto Calvi was first believed to have committed suicide in 1982 on London's Blackfriar Bridge after the collapse of the Italian Banco Ambrosiano. The bank, in which the Vatican Bank held a major interest, collapsed when it couldn't cover $1.4 billion in loans made to sham companies in Latin America. Calvi was the bank chairman.

      Defense lawyers for Roman businessman Flavio Carboni, who has been charged with conspiracy to kill Calvi, presented a report to prosecutors that indicated Calvi hanged himself. Prosecutors then asked for the exhumation to disprove the report.

Guns for food proves resounding success at Catholic parishes in El Salvador for the stomach is mightier than the sword

     Proving that a piece of bread can bring peace of mind and peace without weapons, Catholic parishes throughout El Salvador have collected over 10,000 weapons in a little over a week in a program that exchanges food for guns with no questions asked in an effort to cut down on violence in this Central American country. The program is being funded in a grant from the Norwegian government which could offer it to the world with El Salvador a model program. For more, click on salve for El Salvador .

      SAN SALVADOR (CWNews.com) - More than 10,000 firearms have been surrendered to the pastors in San Salvador in exchange for food, in a program modeled on a similar arms-exchange campaign in New York.

      For nine days, the Catholic parishes of the city offered free food in exchange for weapons, with no questions asked. The firearms will now be handed over to the country's National Guard, to be taken out of service. The program was designed to decrease the number of firearms in use in the city, thereby easing the threat of violence.

      The weapons-exchange program was underwritten by a grant from the government of Norway. Organizers of the campaign say that they plan to repeat the process again next year.

Guadalajara hosts International Congress for Catholic Communicators

     Catholic journalists must have a solid foundation in theology, morals, ethics and philosophy in order to communicate with the masses. This is what Archbishop John Foley, head of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, emphasized in Guadalajara, Mexico during the opening day of the International Congress for Catholic Communicators from dioceses around the world. Other bishops speaking on the first day called for a unity in professing the true teachings of the Church and keeping God first and foremost in communicating to the faithful. For more, click on Dateline Guadalajara.

      GUADALAJARA, 15 (NE) The International Congress for Catholic Communicators began yesterday in the city of Guadalajara in Mexico. Promoted by the Archdiocese of Guadalajara and the Social Communication's Commission of the Mexican Conference of Bishops, attended to the congress people in charge of diocesan communications, journalists as well as students of journalism and communications. The Congress began with an Eucharistic celebration, presided over by Cardinal Juan Sandoval, Archbishop of Guadalajara. During his homily, the Mexican Cardinal pointed out that "all Christian communication should be referred to this supreme communication of God and, therefore, should be related to the salvation manifested by Jesus Christ."

      Bishop Onésimo Cepeda, President of the Bishop's Commission for the Social Communications, gave the first conference, affirming that to speak of communication in the Church is not only to speak of media of the Church, but of Catholics that make possible communication. The communication agents in the Church should be propagators of unity. In the same way, he highlighted the apostolic sense that should have the Catholic communication agent, underlining the necessity that they have a solid Catholic identity. Also, during the press conference that preceded the beginning of the activities, Archbishop John Foley, President of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, manifested the necessity that journalists shouldn't have just a good professional formation, but also moral, ethical, philosophical as well as theological.

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.

LITURGY OF THE DAY

      Today is the Third Thursday of Advent which officially begins "Late Advent." It is also the second day of Las Posadas, a Mexican tradition dating back to the 16th century, in preparation for the birth of the Savior. Tomorrow is the Third Friday of Advent and the third day of Las Posadas. For today and tomorrow's liturgies and meditations, click on LITURGY FOR THE DAY.

Thursday December 17:
Third Thursday of Advent

Violet vestments

First Reading: Genesis 49: 2, 8-10
Psalms: Psalm 72: 3-4, 7-8, 17
Gospel Reading: Matthew 1: 1-17

Friday December 18:
Third Friday of Advent

Violet vestments

First Reading: Jeremiah 23: 5-8
Psalms: Psalm 72: 1, 12-13, 18-19
Gospel Reading: Matthew 1: 18-24

PRAYERS & DEVOTION

      For the special Novena Prayer for this day during this time of preparation during Late Advent, click on LATE ADVENT

ADVENT NOVENA PRAYER

    O Triune Divinity, we come to you through the intercession of Blessed Mary, ever-Virgin, and St. Joseph, her chaste, holy spouse. In this season of Advent we desire to obtain the grace of purity of intention, that through our obedience to Your Heavenly Will, we, too, can transform our poor, miserable lives into the resplendent stable at Bethlehem where You Only-begotten Son was born.
Through the intercession of Mary, and all the hosts of Heaven, we beseech You, through the merits gained for us by Jesus Christ, Your Only-begotten Son, to help us convert our hearts, to live the messages of Your Mother, and to ardently beseech You to bring about the Triumph of Mary's Immaculate Heart now, that the Reign of the Sacred Heart might be upon the world.
Heavenly Father, we trust in Your goodness and beseech You to hear us, not because of our worthiness, but because of our willingness to be Your little children who kneel in adoration to their God. Come, let us adore Him!

PRAYER for December 17: Third Thursday of Late Advent

   Blessed Mother, we can not be sure just when the journey began for you and St. Joseph to Bethlehem. You had so little that you had to take with you. It was difficult to travel in those days. Through your intercession, help us to remember that we offer so little sacrifice to God, and that we could give Him so much more by surrendering the luxuries of this life in anticipation of the glories of the next.

CHRISTMAS NOVENA PRAYER for December 17: Second Day of Novena

   O Wisdom that comest out of the mouth of the Most High, that reachest from one end to another, and orderest all things mightily and sweetly, come to teach us the way of prudence! (Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be)

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

December 17, 1998 volume 9, no. 244   DAILY CATHOLIC