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     The voters chose as the 78th TOP CATHOLIC OF THE CENTURY one of the modern crusaders for freedom - Bishop Carlos Felipe Ximenes Belo, the 51 year-old recipient of the 1996 Nobel Peace Prize and shepherd for all of East Timor as Bishop of Dili. All his life he has sought a peaceful settlement to the tragic conditions in East Timor which was unfavorably and suddenly annexed by Muslim Indonesia in the mid-seventies. For more on the 78th selection, click on BISHOP CARLOS BELO

78.    Bishop Carlos Belo

      The voters chose as the 78th selection Bishop Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo, the 51 year-old prelate of East Timor in the Indonesia island chain. He was chosen both for his deserved reception of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1996 and his undying devotion to the people of East Timor and Holy Mother Church.

      He was born on February 3, 1946 in Baucau, East Timor. At the age of 17 he entered the School of Our Lady of Fatima in Dare, East Timor where he graduated in 1968. A year later he heard the calling to the priesthood and traveled to Estoril, Portugal to enroll in the Salesian Secondary School there. After a year of Novitiate in Manique, Portugal in 1973 when he took his first vows, he was sent to Lisbon to study Philosophy at the Theological Studies College for two years, then transferred back to his home city in East Timor for pastoral internship at the Fatumaca School. In 1975 he was sent to Macao for more pastoral training at Dom Bosco School there. From there it was back to school to receive his degree in Theology in 1979 from Portuguese Catholic University in Lisbon, then on to Rome where he specialized in the Spirituality of Pastoral Theology at the Salesian Pontifical University. He took a few weeks off in July 1980 to return to Lisbon to be ordained before returning to Rome to obtain his degree.

      His first assignment as a Salesian priest was to go home again - to Baucau where he worked at the Salesians' Fatumaca School for two years before being appointed Director of the School in March 1983. Three months later he was elevated to Apostolic Administrator of Dili, the capitol of East Timor, a position he held until June 1988 when Pope John Paul II made him one of the youngest bishops by consecrating him Titular Bishop of Lorium and Bishop of Dili which incorporated all of East Timor at the age of 42.

      It was a tremendous responsibility that this native East Timorite threw himself into. During his ad limina visit in January 1989 he asked for and received a personal audience with the Holy Father in which he was able to clearly explain the problems of his people in detail to the Pope. It must have moved the Polish Pope immensely for later that year in October 1989, the Holy Father made a papal visit to Dili. Earlier that same year Bishop Belo wrote UN Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar in 1989 denouncing the situation in East Timor.

      Throughout his life his first concern has always been the Timorese people who were evangelized first by Saint Francis Xavier in 1511 who spent 14 months in the area. He turned the missions over to the Portuguese and due to their devotion to the faith, East Timor has remained solidly Catholic in a sea of Muslim occupation throughout the rest of Indonesia which consists of roughly some 3,000 islands including Borneo, Celebes, Java, the Lesser Sundas, Moluccas, Sumatra, Timor and West Irian. East Timor is midway between Java and the northwestern tip of Australia. In a bloody coup, East Timor was sadly annexed by President General Suharto of Jakarta for Indonesia in 1976 and since that time persecution has been great as the Timorese people have been denied rights after rights and today there is open war throughout this area of Indonesia with Catholics being the target of the infidels. Their greatest crusader remains Bishop Belo and his dedication and commitment to bringing peace back to East Timor caught the attention of the world in the mid-nineties...all the way to Norway where Bishop Belo, along with fellow freedom fighter and countryman Jose Ramos Horta, were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1996.

      Since he became bishop he has been the foremost representative of the East Timorese people, risking his own life for his flock in trying to protect them from infringements and persecution by those in power. He has been the leading exponent of non-violence and seeking dialogue with B.J. Habibe, the new Indonesia president who came to power when General Suharto was forced to resign. Today, things look no better in East Timor as the Muslim students clamor for control and East Timorese students plea for independence. But Bishop Belo will have none of either if it includes or encourages violence. He recommends a slow, sane and wise path through dialogue and understanding so both nations can coexist in peace. Belo has great respect among the Indonesian leaders who both fear and admire him, but the more hot-headed students and rabble rousers who advocate violence could undermine his attempts at a peaceful solution to the problems in East Timor in their fight for independence which all but Australia recognize the Timorese peoples' freedom and the fact Indonesia has no sovereignty over East Timor. But Indonesia will not let go. Already incensed that their dirty deeds were magnified to the world through the attention showered on Bishop Belo and Horta, they seethe with hate toward them and many feel it is only a matter of time before both will die as martyrs at the hands of the infidel. Until such a dastardly act occurs, God-willing it won't, Bishop Belo will continue to bring the sacraments and the teachings of Christ to his fellow countrymen in their struggle to keep the faith and gain their independence.

Catholic PewPoint helps put things in perspective and clear up the tunnels of confusion!

      This summer we present all the editorials to date from 1999 for you to review. Take a ride on the twists and turns of humanity in past installments of Catholic PewPoint. In this wild ride of life, through the tunnels of doubt we need to cling to the rails of hope and trust that God will guide us safely over the whirls and swirls, dips and blips, highs and lows that affect us daily in this rollercoaster called life. These commentaries help keep things on a more even keel, slowing the turns so that all can better navigate the dangerous curves and stay on track in heading towards the light at the end of the tunnel. During the summer we will present this archive feature on Tuesdays and a new commentary every Friday. To read any of the fifty installments presently available for 1999, click on the Archives of CATHOLIC PewPOINT.

Retroactive articles on Church history available from 33 to 1515 A.D. for summer review

      This summer we present a review of the period from the time of Christ when He founded the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church to the time of the Reformation and Pope Leo X, the 217th in the Petrus line early in the sixteenth century. These are installments 1 through 106. We will resume our original series in September with installment 107 on Pope Hadrian VI. To read any of the 105 installments presently available in this long on-going series, click on the Archives of THE HISTORY OF THE MASS AND HOLY MOTHER CHURCH.

      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".

"The wisest of men reads out of a philosophy of life, as he eats out of a philosophy of health. Mental garbage is as scrupulously avoided by the eyes in reading, as another kind of garbage is avoided by the lips."

     Today is the Feast of the Apostle Saint Bartholomew while tomorrow we observe Ordinary Time and celebrate the Feasts of Saint Louis of France and Saint Joseph Calasanz, priest, religious founder and educator. For the readings, liturgies, meditations, and vignette on these saints, click on DAILY LITURGY.

Wednesday August 24:
Feast of SAINT BARTHOLOMEW, Apostle

Red vestments

First Reading: Revelations/Apocalypse 21: 9-14
Psalms: Psalm 145: 10-13, 17-18
Gospel Reading: John 1: 45-51

      One of the Apostles chosen by Jesus, was Nathanael, better known as Saint Bartholomew. His closest friend was Saint Philip, a disciple of Saint John the Baptist whose martyrdom we commemorate later this month. Bartholomew came from Cana in Galilee. Bartholomew was renowned for his honesty and simple, strong faith. He is a great inspiration for Catholics today to hold strong to the true faith and renew our loyalty to the Holy Father and Holy Mother Church. St. Bartholomew knew implicitly that Jesus was the Messiah from his reply in John 1: 49, yet originally he is the one the famous quote in John 1: 46 is attributed to: "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Jesus knew Bartholomew's heart when in John 1: 47 Christ said of Bartholomew's heart and soul, "Behold a true Israelite in whom there is no guile." This is a great tribute to this Apostle who was loyal to his Master throughout his apostolate which included India, Mesopotamia, Phrygia, and Arabia after Pentecost. He was marytred in Armenia by pagan Persians who literally skinned him alive peeling the skin from his body. His relics were brought to Rome in the 10th Century and established this day for his feast for the universal Church. His skull was also recovered and venerated in Frankfurt, Germany since 1238. This Apostle is revered as Patron of the Sick.

Wednesday August 25:
Twenty-first Wednesday in Ordinary Time
Feast of Saint Louis of France, Husband, Father and King and
Feast of Saint Joseph Calasanz, Priest, Religious Founder and Educator

Green or white vestments

First Reading: 1 Thessalonians 2: 9-13
Psalms: Psalm Psalm 139: 1, 7-12
Gospel Reading: Matthew 23: 27-32

      Born into royalty on April 25, 1214 in Poissy, France, Saint Louis was crowned King of France in 1226 on the death of his father King Louis VIII. He had been raised in a staunch Catholic atmosphere by his mother Blanche of Castile, who became regent upon her husband's death until her son reached adulthood. The youthful Louis, one of the youngest rulers in French history, weaned on his faith by his mother exemplified his Catholicity throughout his life. It served him well in his long reign which was frought with great crisis including fending off those who would usurp his throne such as Thibault of Champagne. At the age of 20, Louis married the daughter of the Count of Provence, Margaret Berenger and they populated the royal court with eleven children. At the age of 28 Louis quelled rebellion in the south of France and followed that up by soundly defeating the English and King Henry III at the Battle of Taillebourg. With that accomplished, he turned his attention to bringing all the provinces in line with the king, securing this with victories over Guienne, Poitou and Toulouse. Satisfied that France was safe, Louis set his sights on his life-long goal to lead the Crusades in liberating the Holy Land in 1248. His ambitions, at first successful with victory over the Saracens at Damietta in 1249 met harsh reality at the Massacre of El Mansura when he was soundly defeated by the infidels. Historians have not been kind to Louis, claiming his crusade was ill-timed and poorly planned, but they overlook the fact Louis was a peacemaker evidence in Louis' ability to convince his Saracen captors to release him and his troops in order to reach the Holy Land. It was not a cheap gesture as he ransomed many treasures and emptied many a coffer to assure their safety. There in Jerusalem he stayed until 1254 when his beloved mother Blanche died, prompting him to return to France. Always opting for peaceful measures he brought calm to Flanders in 1256 and assured, through the Treaty of Paris with Henry III that the provinces of Anjou, Maine, Normandy, Poitou and Touraine would remain part of France in exchange for Cahors, Limoges and Perigueux as Brit territory. He followed that up with the Treaty of Corbeil in 1258 by giving up Roussillon and Barcelona in order to secure Provence and Languedox from Aragon. Once a crusader, always a crusader and in 1270 he set out once again on an expedition to the Holy Lands. However he would not reach his promised land this time, succumbing to typhus, as well as his dear son Philip, at Tunis on the North African coast where he died on August 25, 1270 at the age of 56 leaving a legacy of peace and fairness to posterity. His last words were "Into Thy hands I commend my soul." Throughout his life he forged numerous peace treaties for allies and foes alike. He was a close friend of the great Doctor of the Church Saint Thomas Aquinas and endowed and founded the Sorbonne University as well as building impressive cathedrals drawing on the Gothic theme which flourished during his reign. He was a friend to vassals whom he protected, forbidding fighting between feudal lords and assuring they would not mistreat their subjects. Louis was a master of streamlining government while remaining always true to his word no matter what he said. He built France's first Naval operations and, despite his defeats in the Holy Land, was considered a master military technician. But war was only a last resort for this saintly king who desired, above all, peace at home and with his neighbors. He was greatly loved by all who prospered during his glorious reign of 44 years of peaceful coexistence with the other countries of Europe as France gained in prestige and profit through peace. One of his other goals was to reunite the Eastern Church with Rome, calling on the Greek Ambassadors to work with him toward reunion. What might have been never materialized for death deprived history of even greater accomplishments. History, however, cannot deny the fact that Louis, a Franciscan Tertiary, lived his faith and preached through example. In fact, this stately king lived the austerity of a monk, praying daily the Divine Office and attending Daily Mass. He received from the Latin emperor in Constantinople the priceless gift of the authentic Crown of thorns that pressed against Our Lord's skull. To honor this sacramental relic, Louis built the renowned Sainte Chapelle in Paris. Thirty seven years after his death Pope Boniface VII canonized Louis, who was a champion of both the poor and privileged classes.

      Like Saint Louis, the holy priest Saint Joseph Calasanz was born into royalty. Joseph was the youngest son of the Count Pedro Calasanz from the Castle of Peralta de la Sal in Aragon, Spain. Having the wherewithal to persue his studies, Joseph studied in the finest universities and went on to teach civil and canon law at the University of Alcala before becoming a priest in 1584, despite his father's vocal desire that Joseph become a career soldier. His career was indeed as a soldier, but as a special soldier of Christ. He was appointed Vicar General of his diocese and was soon summoned to Rome where he became theologian for Cardinal Ascanio Colonna. It was in the eternal city that Joseph became renowned for his work with the poor and the sick during the plague of 1595, as well as educating the underprivileged children. In 1597, with the aid of two other priests, he opened a school with no tuition for poor students. Some competitive institutions, who charged great sums to educate, mounted a smear campaign to discredit Fr. Calasanz and his fellow priests as well as their curriculum. It became so vicious that Pope Clement VIII conducted a thorough investigation and found Joseph's school and all parties involved above reproach. So impressed was the Holy Father that he put the school under papal protection which created more schools throughout Italy as well as Bohemia, Germany, Moravia and Poland. This subsequently resulted in the recognition of the religious order of the Clerks Regular of Religious Schools where St. Calasanz served as the first superior general. However, as is so often the case with new religious communities, satan tries his darndest to divide and conquer. So also with Fr. Calasanz' organization as some of his close associates within the order decided to follow their own agenda and the bickering and backbiting provided a tremendous cross for this holy, dedicated priest. One of his great friends Fr. Mario Sozzi turned on Joseph which resulted in the latter being removed as superior general and Sozzi being appointed. Shortly after Sozzi died and his successor Fr. Cherubini followed Sozzi's policies, much to the detriment of the order which was placed under investigation by Pope Innocent X and dissolved in 1646. In its place the pontiff ordered all priests who wished to continue to form a new society of secular priests that they would be subject to their local bishop. He called upon Fr. Cherubini to draw up a new constitution, but a funny thing happened on the way to the forging of a new order; Fr. Cherubini was caught skimming funds from Nazarene College where he was rector. He was forced to resign and, after a period of repentance, reconciled with Joseph who he realized had been greatly maligned by Sozzi and his cohorts. Shortly thereafter Joseph (also known as Saint Joseph Calasanctius), still broken hearted but trusting in God, died on August 25, 1648 in Rome at the ripe age of 92. He would not live to see the fruits of his labors as eight years later his order was reformed and recognized in 1669 as a religious order known as the Piarists by Pope Clement IX. Ninety eight years later he was canonized by Pope Clement XIII in 1767 and proclaimed patron saint of popular Christian schools by Pope Pius XII in 1948.

PRAYER & DEVOTIONS

    In honor of the Feast of Saint Bartholomew we present the Opening Prayer for the Mass in his honor:

Lord, sustain within us the faith which made Saint Bartholomew ever loyal to Christ. Let Your Church be the sign of salvation for all nations of the world.

Events Today in Church History

     On this date 692 years ago French-born Pope Clement V, the 195th successor of Peter who would be influenced by King Philip IV into fixing the Holy See at Avignon, began his association with this wily French monarch by issuing a letter to Philip the Fair in which the Pope outlined the growing danger of the Knights Templar who had gone out of control through greed. The king would curtail their activities three months later and abolish them in 1312 for malpractices. The teaming of Clement and Philip consolidated France's influence on the Church and caused the Templars to go underground, only to eventually emerge as the part of the Masonic Lodge and the growth of Free Masonry. 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 August 24:

63 A.D.


Death of Saint Bartholomew, Apostle. The exact year of his death is up for conjecture but the Roman Martyrology affirms he was beheaded by King Astyages somewhere in Armenia after preaching the Gospel in Egypt, India, Mesopotamia, and Persia. For more, see DAILY LITURGY

684 A.D.


Death of Saint Ouen or Owen, son of Saint Authaire. Ouen was chancellor to King Clovis II of France and served as Archbishop of Rouen.

1307 A.D.


Pope Clement V colloborates with France's King Philip IV over the great danger of the Knights Templar by issuing a special letter to the French monarch. This letter resulted in the Templars being rounded up on October 13 the same year and condemned.

1560 A.D.


The Protestant revolt is complete in Scotland when Mary, Queen of Scots is forced to abdicate and the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is outlawed in Scotland with no allegiance to Rome.

   Dear children! Also today I rejoice with you and I call you all to prayer with the heart. I call all of you, little children, to give thanks to God here with me for the graces which He gives to you through me. I desire for you to comprehend that I want to realize here, not only a place of prayer but also a meeting of hearts. I desire for my, Jesus' and your heart to become one heart of love and peace. That is why, little children, pray and rejoice over everything that God does here, despite that satan provokes quarrels and unrest. I am with you and I lead you all on the way of love. Thank you for having responded to my call.
For more on Medjugorje, click on MEDJUGORJE AND MORE

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August 24, 1999 volume 10, no. 159   DAILY CATHOLIC