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Cardinal Jozef Glemp - primate of Poland was handpicked by his fellow Pole John Paul II to be Archbishop of Warsaw

      Our forty-eighth red hat we feature, in alphabetical order is the 70 year-old Cardinal Jozef Glemp current Archbishop of Warsaw who was elevated to the cardinalate on February 2, 1983 during the second Consistory held by his close friend Pope John Paul II. For more on Cardinal Glemp, click on COLLEGE OF CARDINALS COLLECTION

48.   Cardinal Jozef Glemp

      Nine years younger than the Holy Father, Cardinal Jozef Glemp experienced much of the same persecutions and travails as his countryman Karol Wojtyla. Cardinal Glemp was born in Inowroclaw, Poland on December 18, 1929. At the age of ten and through his early teens he was assigned to forced labor camp by the Nazis in Rycerzow, but he survived the ordeal to enter the seminary after the war and was ordained On May 25, 1956. Two years after serving as Chaplain of the Institute for Children Suffering from Incurable Diseases, an institution operated by the Dominican nuns at Mielzny as well as doing some pastoral work and studies in Poland, he transfered to Rome where he continued his studies over the next six years, receiving his degree in Roman and Canon Law from the Pontifical Lateran University. In 1964 he was sent back to Poland to become Secretary of the Superior of the Major Seminary at Gniezno. Three years later he was chosen Chaplain of the Primate for the Archdiocese of Gniezno where he remained until March 2, 1979 when Pope John Paul II named his fellow Pole the Archbishop of Warmia. He was ordained bishop six weeks later on April 21, 1979. Two years later he became Archbishop of Gniezno on July 8, 1981 with the

      His greatest honor came two years after that when the Pope named him in the Consistory of February 2, 1983 receiving the red-hat and the titular church of St. Mary in Trastervere. On the Feast of the Annunciation in 1992 the Holy Father elevated Cardinal Glemp to Archbishop of Warsaw and the Primate of Poland as well as the Ordinary for Eastern-rite faithful who did not have bishops for their own rights in Poland. Having served as President of the Polish Bishops' Justice and Peace Commission while Archbishop of Warmia, he was well equipped to serve on the Roman Curia's Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace as well as enjoy active membership on the Congregation for Oriental Churches and the Pontifical Council for Culture. He remains Archbishop of Warsaw residing at ul Miodowa 17-19, 00-246 Warsaw, Poland.

Events Today in Church History

      On this date in 757 Pope Stephen II died. As the 92nd successor of Peter, he was embraced warmly by the people who hoisted him on their shoulders as they carried him through the streets of Rome in joyous celebration. This gave rise to the sedia gestatoria. For other pertinent events throughout the centuries that are memorable in Church history today, click on MILLENNIUM MILESTONES AND MEMORIES

Historical Events in Church Annals for April 26:

757 A.D.


Death of Pope Stephen II, the 92nd successor of Peter. His election generated so much enthusiasm from the citizens of Rome that they hoisted him on their shoulders and that gave rise to the sedia gestatoria.

1228 A.D.


Birth of Conrad IV to the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II. Like his father, Conrad was a ward of the Vatican and would go on to become a real thorn in the side of Holy Mother Church as king of Germany. Thanks to Saint Louis IX King of France, Conrad was unable to gain total control.

1478 A.D.


A plot to murder one of the most powerful Roman family heads Lorenzo de Medici is foiled but some family members are felled including Guillano de Medici.

1564 A.D.


Famous bard William Shakespeare is baptized at Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-on-the-Avon.

"Stand firm in the faith and do not compromise for the sake of worldly peace which is false."

     Those words from the Blessed Mother were imparted to the Hidden Flower of the Immaculate Heart in Message #494 on May 15, 1994 in which Our Lady beseeches us to lean on her Divine Spouse the Holy Spirit Who alone can shed light on how to attain true peace. She prefaces this with her 493rd Message on the 77th anniversary of the first Apparition at Fatima by reaffirming that all she has revealed at Fatima and subsequent apparitions will be fulfilled soon and her Immaculate Heart, as she promised at Fatima, will triumph. For Messages #493 and #494 from Blessed Mary, click on "I SOLEMNLY TELL YOU..."

Messages 493 and 494

      Beloved Hidden Flower, I give to you my Divine Son's Peace and tell you that many graces are being poured out upon the world from this holy place where my golden angels work so tirelessly.

      I solemnly tell all of my children: You live in the age of the third secret of Fatima, and soon all the world shall come to recognize through many signs that all I revealed at Fatima has been fulfilled. I solemnly tell you: If you are living the Fatima messages you live my messages given at Medjugorje, Akita, Betania, and many other places. If you are living the Gospel message, you are living, teaching and spreading all of my messages.

      I bless all who do honor to me, the Mother of God, and gather your love and petitions to my Immaculate Heart. I beseech you to persevere. It is your human weakness which causes you to grow impatient. But for God, Who is infinite, time does not exist. I repeat to you: Time is very, very short and I need your prayers. Let all come beneath my Immaculate Mantle, the key to my Son's Most Sacred Heart.

      I pray unceasingly for all my children. You do not know the seriousness of the times; be alert always and pray from your heart.

      I love and bless you. Thank you for responding to my Call!

      Beloved Hidden Flower, I am with you. I speak to you so that many will read my words and hear my Divine Son calling them.

      Say now to all the world: O! It is truly the time of great suffering, particularly of my little ones. The persecutions shall mount. There will be lies and rumors of every type. But do not allow the evil one to cause this. Disunity, anger, bitterness, jealousy are all tools of satan. This must not be your way. Your way is the Way of the Cross, of prayer, sacrifice and humble obedience. That which God has asked of His children in these end times will surely be fulfilled. The victory belongs to God alone. You are His instruments. Willingly give yourselves to Him, making Him the heart of your life, and you will not only live the Gospel message fully, but you will more clearly understand my words.

      Soon the Church will celebrate the great feast of Pentecost. Ponder well upon this feast, and daily ask for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit Who will bring unity among mankind, not men. It is the Holy Spirit Who illuminates the heart and mind, Who transforms the soul into the Image of my Divine Son.

      Pray from your heart to the Holy Spirit, and seek the gifts of the Holy Spirit that only good fruits come from your works. Be armed for battle with humility, obedience and above all - love. Stand firm in the faith and do not compromise for the sake of worldly peace which is false. Rather, pray for the Peace of God to reign upon the earth. Then shall my Immaculate Heart triumph.

      Come to me, your Mother, and I will help you, for I take each of you to my Divine Son. Let these words be ever in your heart and upon your lips: "Come, Lord Jesus! Come!"

      I love and bless you. Thank you for responding to my Call!

Denver Archbishop reaches out to all within the sound of his voice as a true shepherd

      Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, OFM Cap., head of the Archdiocese of Denver spoke at a prayer gathering on Friday and echoed much of what he writes in his address today (above) in which he advises that families take account for their own actions and strive toward a non-violent culture beginning at that level and working up to where the culture of life - the sanctity of life will become special and cherished and help snuff out the culture of death which so threatens our society today. For more, click on Archbishop Chaput.

      DENVER, 23 (NE) "We need to change" said Archbishop Charles Chaput of Denver, during the prayer service held yesterday at the city's Civic Center Park.

      The Archbishop raised his prayers for the victims of the tragedy of Littleton, and stated that "violence is pervasive in our society". "The causes of this violence are hostility, hatred, racism, despair, indifference and a growing coarsening of our views of the value of human life", he said. "It's in some ways a very unconsious part of our lives, but a very real part of our lives".

      Archbishop Chaput emphasized the importance of personal change in order to achieve a society that values the authentic human dignity. "We sometimes talk easily about our society needing to change. But societies change when our families are changed. And our families are changed when we as individuals have an experience of conversion to non-violence and to love within our own hearts", affirmed the Archbishop. "It is not enough for us to speak about society, or our communities. We need to speak about ourselves".

      "I ask you to join me in praying today and throughout this week, in a very special way for the families that have been affected by this violence in such a personal way. But I also ask you to pray that each of us, including myself, will experience a deep conversion in our hearts towards love and non-violence in all our relationships with others".

      Hundreds of students, parents, teachers and community members have filled churches in the archdiocese for prayer services. Community-wide gatherings of prayer and support are taking place in the archdiocese, especially at St. Frances Cabrini and Light of the World churches in Littleton.

Heroic testimony of faith marks tributes to fallen at Columbine High to enlighten public in a a world of dire darkness as smoke begins to clear

      Accounts of some of the fallen high school students who were shot by suicidal snipers in a Denver suburban high school last Tuesday reveal a tremendous heroic faith in Jesus which they were not afraid to exhibit in the face of certain death as verified by witnesses in the aftermath of the terrible tragedy that shocked the world. For more, click on Young faith.

      DENVER, APR 23 (ZENIT).- Once again, young people have given a heroic testimony of their faith in God during the terrible tragedy of the shooting massacre of Columbine High School. Some have already called them "martyrs."

      While national headlines seem to be dominated by the profile of the two deranged young killers of this horrible incident, a more powerful story of love and faith has emerged that reveals how several of the young students involved in the tragedy were singled out and shot simply because they confessed their belief in God.

      Valerie Schnurr happened to be in the school library when the pair of masked, gun-wielding assailants entered and began hysterically laughing and taunting students. One them approached her, put a gun to her chest and jeeringly asked if she believed in God. Realizing that her answer could mean the difference between life and death, she answered: "Yes, I do." With that, the gunman fired at point-blank range and she fell to the floor. She also received nine shrapnel and bullet wounds to the chest, abdomen, and left arm. She is currently, some say "miraculously," in stable condition at the Swedish medical center.

      Junior, Cassie Bernall, was not that lucky. The 17-year-old student had come to the library during lunch and was also among those confronted by one of the killers. While others hid under desks or ran to the back of the room trying to flee, they overheard the blood-chilling exchange between Cassie and one of the masked attackers. In a cynical tone he asked her: "Do you believe in God?" She didn't answer but only stood in silence. He pointed his gun at her and she began to speak: "Yes, I believe in God." He laughed and asked: "Why?" and shot her before she had time to answer. They were her final words.

      "She died for her faith," said Crystal Woodman, a close friend of Bernalls who was with her during her courageous last moments. "That's why she died and that's how she lived her whole life. She was a martyr for Jesus."

      "She did something that one of the thieves did when Jesus was on the cross," said 16-year-old Joshua Lapp, who also witnessed the scene. "She admitted she believed in Jesus Christ before she died."

      They were not the only ones whose faith was evident during the four-hour ordeal of terror and death.

      Some told how a teacher who had huddled a group of students in a distant corner of her classroom to protect them, led them in prayer to keep them calm and at ease until police finally arrived to escort them out of the building.

      Numerous students trapped in the library with the assassins, told national TV audiences how they prayed with all their heart to be spared as their friends were killed at random before their eyes.

      After the shooting spree finally ended, the first thing that occurred to the students was to organize prayer services at local churches to pray for those who had died. Each of the ceremonies were packed with young people from all over the city.

      Not a day has gone by that students from local schools don't flock to the makeshift shrine in the adjacent park to gather and often, to join hands and pray together. Their silent witness of faith has been an overwhelmingly powerful testimony of the place of God in their lives.

      Like Schnurr and Bernall's intrepid example, we may never know how many other young people's faith brought them solace and peace in their final moments. As Bernall's friend Woodman put it: "She's so much better off than any of us. Now she's in Heaven."

Holy Father releases special letter to artists on the occasion of introducing special exhibit honoring Pope Paul VI

      His Holiness Pope John Paul II released a letter dated Easter Sunday in which he reaches out to artists everywhere charging them with the responsibility to create a harmony with the Creator in their art. The letter coincided with a special art show that opened at the Vatican honoring Pope Paul VI, his life and his work. For more, click on Artists and Pope Paul VI .

      VATICAN (CWNews.com) -- In a letter to artists, released by the Vatican on April 23, Pope John Paul II writes that creative work should give rise to awe and enthusiasm for life, adding that these are qualities which "the men of today and tomorrow will need to confront and overcome the crucial challenges that loom on the horizon."

      The Pope's letter, which he officially dated and signed on April 4-- Easter Sunday-- says that artists can act as the voice of "the universal longing for redemption." That can be true, he observes, even when the artist's work explores "the most obscure depths of the soul or the most distressing aspects of evil."

      The 20-page document begins with the observation that the artist is "an image of the Creator God," and that this "special vocation" consists in "the service of beauty." The artist, the Holy Father writes, has a duty to use his talent "in service to his neighbors and to all humanity." If he does that, the Pope continued, then the artist can make enormous contributions to the common good.

      The arts have historically had a fruitful alliance with the Gospel, the Pope writes. He traces the history of Christian art, concluding that although many modern artists and thinkers are indifferent to faith, "religious art has never lost its vitality." In fact, he observes, contemporary art is often characterized by "the absence of God and often by opposition to him." But the highest forms of art, he argues, show the "profound affinity" between the creative world and the world of religious faith.

      The Church needs art, the Pope said; and art needs the Church. The faith offers artists "a world particularly rich in themes for inspiration," while works of art help the Church to transmit the message of the Gospels. The Pope issues an appeal to artists-- especially, but not exclusively, to Christian artists-- to rediscover "the depth of the spiritual and religious dimensions" of human life.

      Pope John Paul II presided at the April 23 opening of a Vatican art exhibit dedicated to the life of Pope Paul VI.

      The exhibit, which will be open to the public until June 12, contains 100 works of art which relate to the life and pontificate of Paul VI. It was organized in homage to that Pontiff's work as a patron of modern art. During his pontificate, Pope Paul added some 700 new works of religious art to the collections of the Vatican Museum.

      In opening the exhibit, Pope John Paul cited his letter to artists, which was released by the Vatican on the same day. The Pope spoke of the rich history of Christian art, and the fruitful cooperation between artists and pastors in service to the Gospel.

      The Pope said that the new Vatican exhibit should serve two important purposes: highlighting the role of Pope Paul VI as a patron of artistic endeavors, and demonstrating the alliance that it possible between artistic creativity and evangelical outreach.

Serbs offer an Orthodox compromise to the fighting gridlock in the Balkans

      What many reports have failed to report is that ever since the Vatican sent a delegate and the Russian Orthodox Patriarch met with Serb strongman Slobodan Milosevic the latter has been more willing to seek peace. The latest is his acceptance of Christian Orthodox troops to act as mediators and observers in the Balkans, something of a breakthrough in negotiations over the past few months. The biggest stumbling block right now is Bill Clinton and his stubborn, self-righteous, pompous stance trying to forcefeed NATO to the American people as his own precious poll ratings plummet. For more, click on Orthodox observers

      WASHINGTON, DC (CWNews.com) - US President Bill Clinton on Thursday cautiously welcomed a reported offer by Yugoslavian President Slobodan Milosevic to accept soldiers from Christian Orthodox countries to guarantee peace in a post-war Kosovo.

      The Russian Itar-Tass news agency reported that Russian envoy Viktor Chernomyrdin had crafted a document with Milosevic that would allow "an international presence in Kosovo" under United Nations control and with Russian participation. "What kind of international forces they will be or from which countries -- this is yet to be discussed. But the main thing is that Russia take part," Tass quoted Chernomyrdin as saying.

      Clinton did not reject the offer as he has rejected others in the past. "If there is an offer for a genuine security force, that's the first time Mr. Milosevic has done that, and that represents I suppose some step forward," Clinton said. The United States has said from the beginning that Russian troops should take part in the international force for Kosovo, as well as Ukrainian troops, troops from Slavic countries and from Orthodox Christian countries, to protect the Serb minority from reprisals from ethnic Albanians on their return to Kosovo, Clinton noted.

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.

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April 26, 1999 volume 10, no. 81   DAILY CATHOLIC