Love will conquer all

      In his column today, Pat Ludwa positions nothing but positives side in providing a plethora of scriptural passages which proves love conquers all, including dissent which Jesus and His disciples all warned about. Dissent does not foster love but hate and there is no room for that in Our Lord's heart or His mansion as He has said. Pat shows that without that love we cannot truly come to know and appreciate Christ for Who He is: the Son of God. For Pat's column Love and dissent, click on VIEW FROM THE PEW

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The Second Century: More saintly Popes guide Holy Mother Church through her infancy

      For a few weeks we will continue to bring you this series in place of our regular WHERE IS HOLY MOTHER CHURCH HEADING AS WE NEAR THE MILLENNIUM? for it is important to know where we have been in order to better understand where we are heading. Therefore a thorough foundation of the Church is vital for our present time as we continue with The Embryo Years: today covering the second century and the holy Sovereign Pontiffs who guided the Church as we detail in this abridged History of the Mass and Holy Mother Church over a 2000 year span called 2000 YEAR VOYAGE ON THE BARQUE OF PETER. For Installment seven, click on BARQUE OF PETER

SIMPLY SHEEN: Respect must be earned

     They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but the words of Bishop Fulton J. Sheen have been known to launch a thousand images in one's mind, one of the ways this late luminary did so much to evangelize the faith. Because of the urgency of the times and because few there are today who possess the wisdom, simplicity and insight than the late Archbishop who touched millions, we are bringing you daily gems from his writings. The good bishop makes it so simple that we have dubbed this daily series: "SIMPLY SHEEN".

"St. Thomas Aquinas said, 'The respect that one has for the rule flows naturally from the respect that one has for the person who gave it.' Authority must always have behind it some value which elicits respect and reverence."

      On this day in 1073 the holy monk Hildebrand was elected the 157th successor of Peter, taking the name Pope Gregory VII which in later years he would be known as Pope Saint Gregory the Great like his namesake - the first Gregory the Great back in 590 who was the 64th successor of Peter and the Holy Father who instituted Gregorian Chant. For other pertinent events throughout the centuries that are memorable in Church history today, click on MILLENNIUM MILESTONES AND MEMORIES

"Beloved little children, give all praise to God Who alone judges hearts, and is always ready to forgive a sincere heart."

      Those words were conveyed by the Blessed Mother on Mother's Day in 1994 to the Hidden Flower of the Immaculate Heart in which Our Lady begs all her little ones to pray with the heart and open the heart to all that God asks, especially that many who have strayed will return to Him. She follows this up on the eve of the Feast of Pentecost on May 11, 1994 from Puerto Rico where the Blessed Virgin asks for a renewed consecration to her Immaculate Heart and her Son's Sacred Heart which is so merciful to all who ask. For Messages #489 and #490, click on "I SOLEMNLY TELL YOU..."

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DAILY LITURGY

      Today is the Third Thursday of Easter while tomorrow we celebrate the Third Friday of Easter and the Feast of Saint George, martyr and the Feast of Saint Adalbert, Bishop and Martyr. For the readings, liturgies, meditations and vignettes on these two saints, click on DAILY LITURGY.

HEADLINES:

Holy Father and Denver Archbishop try to soothe souls and hearts in aftermath of terrible massacre at Denver high school

      In the wake of the deadly and shocking shooting spree at a Denver suburban high school Wednesday, Pope John Paul II sent condolences to Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, OFM Cap. expressing his "deep shock" and hoping this will wake America up to the immense need to respect human dignity. The Archbishop canceled all his appointments to go immediately to the various hospitals to comfort the victims and their families as a true shepherd should. He also called for God's Mercy for the souls of perpetrators of this vile, unspeakable crime. For more, click on Denver disaster.

Pope cautions all not to let Balkans war make faithful forget severe conflicts in Africa

      With the world focused on the Balkans, the Holy Father took time during his regular Wednesday Audinece to remind all not to abandon their prayers and responsibilities toward the tense situation in Africa where various countries are suffering in turmoil, including Rwanda where the government has refused to release Bishop Augustin Misago after he was falsely arrested on trumped up charges and Catholics fear a clash between the Church and the government there as well as many other nations in Africa. For more, click on Africa

Russian Patriarch meets Milosevic, agrees with Pope who wires encouragement to Catholic Archbishop of Belgrade

      The Patriarch of Russia came away from a meeting with Milosevic convinced the Serb strongman will do the right thing but time will tell. Meanwhile the Holy Father expressed his gratitude for the Patriarch's involvement as the chief religious leaders of the Roman Catholic, Russian and Serbian Orthodox Churches are in total unison that peace is mandatory. The Pope also sent a message of encouragement to Archbishop Franc Perko of Belgrade assuring the prelate of the Church's support in the neverending quest to achieve a peaceful settlement in the Balkans. For more, click on Belgrade.

Northern Ireland Protestant leader will meet with Pope this week during special Nobel Peace Prize confab in Rome

      On the occasion of a special meeting of Nobel Peace Prize laureates called by former USSR premier Mikhail Gorbachev for Rome, First Minister of Northern Ireland David Trimble will take time out to confer with the Holy Father. The seminar is being called to discuss the terrible conflicts around the world, specifically Kosovo, Northern Ireland, and Africa. For more, click on Nobel Peace summit in Rome.

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.

Daily Dose of curious contents of the Church:

      On this date in 1418, Pope Martin V closed the Sixteenth Ecumenical Council - the Council of Constance which had been convened by the Holy Roman Emperor Sigismond in which Martin's predecessor Pope Gregory XII renounced the papacy in order to bring order and harmony to the Church in an unselfish act in hopes that the antipopes Benedict XIII and John XXIII would also step down so that a new Pontiff could be elected that would unify the Church and end the Great Western Schism. Though Benedict balked, the man called John went along and the Schism was ended. The Council also enacted reforms and rejected the teachings of Wycliff as well as condemning the heresy of John Huss and his followers who came to be known as the "Hussites." The Council was attended by nearly 200 bishops as well as other dignitaries and experts. Between November 5, 1414 and April 22, 1418 there were 45 sessions held. One of the reforms enacted which would come back to haunt the Church and cause havoc during the rest of the century was conciliarism in which the ecumenical council had superiority over the Pope. This would be rescinded at the Seventeenth Ecumenical Council between 1431 and 1445 when many abandoned the Council at Basle to follow Pope Eugene IV to Ferrara and then finally at Florence where it was decreed that the Pope does have superiority over any consiliar body. For more on the Council of Constance, we recommend NEW ADVENT CATHOLIC SUPERSITE (sources: Cabinet of Catholic Information, Duggan Publishing Co.; 1999 Catholic Almanac, Our Sunday Visitor; Catholic Encyclopedia, Thomas Nelson Publishers).

To review past articles in textonly format, click on Archives.