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1170 A.D.
Death of Saint Godric, an English hermit who was known for his austerity, gifts of prophecy, knowledge of events far off in the future, and visions. He died on this date in Finchdale, England in a hermitage.
1254 A.D.
Death of Conrad IV, King of Germany and Holy Roman Emperor and son of Frederick II of Hohenstaufenwho, along with his father and his sons were thorns in the side of the Holy See.
1521 A.D.
Birth of Philip II who would go on to become the King of Spain and form an alliance with the Holy League that would lead to the victory over the Turks at Lepanto fifty years later. His monarchy was one of contradiction. While his policies and military prowess helped preserve Catholicism in Spain, his marriage to Queen Mary of England, daughter of Henry VIII by Catherine of Aragon, backfired in that the English, because of their distrust for her and the Spanish Catholic influence, rebelled and embraced Protestantism in retaliation for the harshness of Mary's actions as Queen, dubbing her "Bloody Mary" for her order to burn heretics at the stake.
1536 A.D.
Catholic Bishops and clergy are ostracized in Geneva, Switzerland as the Protestant Reformation is officially adopted bringing great consternation to Pope Paul III.
1542 A.D.
Death of Spanish explorer Hernando DeSoto who had discovered the Mississippi River and helped bring the faith to middle America through the missionaries he had in his garrisons.
1861 A.D.
Death of Saint Eugene de Mazenod, Bishop and Founder of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate in Marseilles, France. He was canonized by Pope John Paul II on December 3, 1995 and his feast is celebrated with great triumph in Canada.
Citing his own encyclical on the Holy Spirit, Dominum et Vivificantem, the Holy Father recalled some of the references to the Spirit in the Old Testament: the citations of "wind" and "breath" in the process of creation. He said that the Spirit was mentioned more than 100 times in the Old Testament, usually as the source of historic developments.
In the New Testament, "the revelation of the Holy Spirit as a person distinct from the Father and the Son-- already foreshadowed in the Old Testament-- is made clear and explicit," the Pope said. He noted that the Gospel of St. Luke is particular rich in references to the Spirit, and that the epistles of St. Paul make it clear that the work of the Holy Spirit is essential to all evangelization.
Archbishop Pedro Rubiano Saenz invited all Colombians to stop their activities at noon and publicly express their rejection of violence in the country. "Let us send a strong and moving message for peace, in the hope that it will move the heart of those who have chosen the dark path of violence and destruction," said Archbishop Rubiano. Most of the Catholic schools throughout Colombia joined the campaign with silent marches in the streets, while at noon, the bells of all Catholic churches and chapels chimed, marking a moment of silence and prayer for peace. At that time, main streets and squares in the largest Colombian cities were filled by people joining the campaign.
"Each Colombian was invited to pause in their lives to reflect on the need for peace, and we are happy to see how many joined yesterday," said Father Jose Crisanto Ramos Pardo, one of the priests who promoted the event in the region of Apartado, regarded as the most violent in the country. Father Crisanto went door-to-door to invite his parishioners to go out into the streets.
"It was simple but symbolic. We joined our hands, gave each other signs of peace, and prayed for reconciliation in the country," Father Crisanto concluded. The peace campaign was inspired by the murder of radio journalist Bernabe Cortez.
Father Raymond Rossignol, the superior general of the Society for Foreign Missions in Paris, today confirmed that the three sites had been put forward. He said that Hong Kong would represent a diplomatic approach to the fact that China, the world's most populous country, would not accept a papal visit.
Father Rossignol also sided with the auxiliary Bishop Tong Hon of Hong Kong in saying that there is no "schismatic" church in China. He explained that while the government seeks to establish an independent "patriotic" church, in practice the Catholics who belong to that body would prefer to be in union with the Holy See. He argued that the primary task of the Church in China, therefore, is to bring about a "reconciliation" between the patriotic church and the underground Catholics who have endured persecution while remaining faithful to Rome.
Sinatra, who had a long singing and acting career and was linked to scandalous stories involving organized crime and adulterous affairs, reportedly reconciled himself to the Catholic faith of his childhood and returned to church in his last years. More than 400 family and friends attended the private service at Good Shepherd Catholic Church, which included a medley of Sinatra songs, a choir recital, and eulogies by his daughter Nancy, granddaughter Amanda, and close friend, singer Tony Bennett.
Cardinal Mahony said Sinatra was loved because "he didn't have a perfect life, that he did have struggles and he did have trials and he did have difficulties and he had setbacks just like all people do, and yet he had vision and was able to see beyond that," said Father Gregory Coiro, a spokesman for the archdiocese. "And the cardinal said that greatness comes not from struggle. Greatness comes from the ability to see beyond and then encourage others by being able to overcome," he said.
Sinatra was to be buried on Wednesday in a private service in Palm Springs, next to his mother, Natalie, and father, Anthony.
