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Hope springs eternal in Cuba because of the efforts of Cardinal Jamie Lucas Ortega y Alamino, the island's first cardinal since 1959

     We continue with this special series introducing you to the Princes of the Church. Our ninetieth red-hat we feature, in alphabetical order is Cardinal Jamie Lucas Ortega y Alamino, the reigning Archbishop of Havana, Cuba who played a significant role in convincing Fidel Castro to lighten up and allow the Holy Father to make his historic Papal Visit to Cuba in January 1998. He became the first Cuban cardinal since 1959 when he received his red-hat in the Consistory of November 26, 1994. For more on Cardinal Jamie Ortega, click on COLLEGE OF CARDINALS COLLECTION

90.   Cardinal Jaime Lucas Ortega y Alamino

      Born on October 18, 1936 in Jaguey Grande, Cuba in the Matanzas Province, Cardinal Jaime Lucas Ortega y Alamino, now 63, has had his share of suffering at the hands of the Castro regime during his years as a priest, bishop and cardinal but through perseverance there is a light at the end of the tunnel for him and his Cuban flock because he has never forsaken the Light of Christ.

      After seminary training at St. Albertus Magnus under the direction of the Mission Fathers in Quebec, Canada and Cuba, he was ordained on August 2, 1964 in the Matanzas Cathedral amid consternation and fear among his people for the Cuban President Batista had been overthrown in 1959 and replaced by a leftist guerrilla commando Fidel Castro who was doing all he could to suppress the people, the Church and introduce the red sickle to these Hispanic shores where poverty was already a problem. After two years of pastoral work as a parish priest, he was arrested and thrown into a concentration work camp in 1966 where he made the best of a bad situation in his Gulag in the Unidades Militares de Apoyo a la Produccion by ministering to the poor wretched souls locked up with him. Because of his influence, Castro released him a year later and allowed him to practice as a parish priest in a limited basis at the Church of his birth. Three years later he was reassigned by the Church to the Cathedral of Matanzas where he had been ordained.

      On December 4, 1978 Pope John Paul II elevated him to Bishop of Pinar del Rio and he was installed on January 14, 1979. Two years later on November 20, 1981 he was promoted to Archbishop of Havana, a position he still holds today. Less than three years after being installed, he was honored with the highest honor of the clergy - the cardinalate during the Holy Father's Consistory of November 26, 1994. He was given the titular church of Sts. Aquila and Pricilla and became the first Cuban to be appointed cardinal since the communist revolution in 1959. He serves membership on the Congregation for the Clergy, the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Assistance to Health Care Workers and the Pontifical Commission for Latin America as well as being the President of the Cuban Episcopal Conference and the main force in bringing the Pope to Cuba two years ago. Through his liaisoning with the Vatican's Secretary for Relations with States Archbishop Jean-Louis Tauran and Castro himself, he was able to clear the way for the Holy Father to make his historic trip in January 1998 where he was greeted so enthusiastically and warmly by the Cuban people. The fruits of the Papal Visit and Cardinal Ortega's wise shepherding, Cuba is experiencing a renewal of the Faith and even Castro can't stop the Holy Spirit!

HEADLINES:

Pope's Jubilee Journey to begin in Iraq in early December

    Though the Holy See has not made it official yet, indications point to December 2-3 as the date for Pope John Paul II to begin his historic Jubilee Journey that will begin in Iraq. Appropriately, on the feast of Saint Francis Xavier, that great Jesuit missionary to the Orient, the Holy Father will walk in the footsteps of the first missionary - Abraham at Ur in Chaldea, northeast of Bagdahd where the Pope will arrive the day before. Despite U.S. objections, the Vicar of Christ sees a need to go to the people of Iraq to commiserate with them. It is highly doubtful he will meet with Saddam Hussein. For more, click on Jubilee Journey

    VATICAN (CWNews.com) -- Although no official announcement has been made, informed Vatican sources confirm that Pope John Paul II will visit Iraq in December.

    Vatican officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, say that the Pope has "for practical purposes, decided" to make the trip to Iraq. In fact, they say, plans for the visit are already well advanced.

    The Pontiff will reportedly travel to Iraq on December 2, for a two- day visit that will fulfill the Pope's desire to make a pilgrimage there, following in the footsteps of the patriarch Abraham. He would arrive in Baghdad, and travel by helicopter to the south of the country, and the ancient home of Abraham: Ur of the Chaldeans.

    A secondary goal of the trip, officials add, is to offer "moral comfort" to the people of Iraq, who are suffering because of an international embargo and the effects of repeated air strikes.

Catholics and Orthodox Christians on the same page in uniting behind people of Serbia

    The Vatican's compassion for the people of Serbia and the Pope's calling for human dignity for all in helping bring about a peaceful conclusion in Kosovo and stop the allied bombing has endeared him and Catholics to the Orthodox Church in Serbia and its followers. Most are in agreement Milosevic Slobodan must go in order for peace and reconciliation to be attained in Serbia and allow all faiths to coexist in peace. For more, click on Alliance in Serbia.

    VATICAN (CWNews.com) -- The Serbian Orthodox Patriarch Pavle reports that Orthodox and Catholics leaders are working closely together in the Balkans.

    In an interview published by the Italian daily Avvenire, Patriarch Pavle said that there are no real tensions dividing Orthodox and Catholic Serbs-- although he did comment that he felt the Vatican recognition of Bosnian independence had been "a bit premature." For the most part, he said, "recently we have find ourselves very much united."

    The Serbian prelate expressed his gratitude for the statements made by Pope John Paul II during the war in Kosovo, when the Pontiff voiced his concern for the Serbian population and called for an end to NATO bombing of Yugoslavia.

    Patriarch Pavle said that he, along with the Serbian Orthodox synod, now sought the resignation of Yugoslavian President Slobodan Milosevic, and the creation of a "provisional government" to guide the country through a period of transition to a new regime. He stressed that the Orthodox Church did not wish to become involved in practical politics, but sought only the welfare of the people.

    At the moment, Pavle observed, "anyone who is in power in Serbia will find himself at an impasse." The country has become "isolated from the world," he said; Serbia is now "reduced to a ghetto, a prison." For that reason, he argued, it is essential to support a change in government, and a drive toward democracy.

    Asked whether the Serbian Orthodox Church had supported the drive for a "Greater Serbia," which was the focus of foreign policy for the Milosevic government throughout the 1990s, the patriarch said that the Church had never backed such a project. In fact, he said, any "Greater Serbia" could be built only on "a mountain of crimes."

Essence of Mother Teresa depicted in 100 various photos at exhibition in Italy

    A Catholic organization in Italy is holding an international exhibition in Rimini, Italy displaying 100 photographs of the late and beloved Mother Teresa depicting all the emotions of her life among the poorest of the poor as portrayed in photos by a Japanese photographer authorized by Mother herself. The exhibit follows with the theme chosen by the Communion and Liberation organization - "Mother Teresa: Unbounded Love." The exhibition, tied in with meetings of the group, is being held through Saturday. For more, click on Mother Teresa exhibit.

    RIMINI (ITALY), AUG 25 (ZENIT).- "Mother Teresa: Unbounded Love," is the theme of the photographic exhibition that the meeting of Friendship Among Peoples, organized by the Communion and Liberation movement, has dedicated to the woman who consecrated her life totally to the poor and the sick. The meeting is being held in the Italian port of Rimini.

    The author of the 100 photographs is a Japanese photographer who met Mother Teresa in 1975. Some of the pictures depict raw suffering, although there are some full of tenderness and hope.

    The photographer himself told the story of his friendship with the Albanian religious. "Mother came in and sat in front of me, a small old woman, with a smiling face lined by deep wrinkles. After giving Mother my letter of introduction from Archbishop Shiro Ainashi of Tokyo, I explained my motives. The year before, I had been profoundly moved by my visit to the house of the poor and the dying. I would like to document the humanitarian activities in pictures to show them to the Japanese."

    In a subdued voice, Mother answered: "I do not know what you mean by humanitarian activities. I am neither a social worker nor a philanthropist. I do what I do only for Christ. If I was a social worker or a philanthropist, I would not have left my happy home, or my parents. I have given my soul to God, therefore, what I do is not humanitarian, it is far simpler."

    The meeting, inspired by the present new ecclesial moment, is being held from August 22-28. Some 500,000 people are participating in conferences, concerts, plays, exhibitions, and festivals, among other activities.

    Communion and Liberation is present in 70 countries. In Italy alone, where it was founded by Archbishop Luigi Giussani, it has 100,000 members, mostly young people. ZE99082505

New Auxiliary consecrated for Detroit Archdiocese by Cardinal Maida

    During installation of the new auxiliary Bishop of Detroit Bishop Leonard Blair, the Archbishop of Detroit Cardinal Adam Maida urged all in attendance to uphold the Sanctity of Life and human dignity through social justice throughout Michigan in the faithfuls' fight against the growing culture of death. For more, click on Detroit Auxiliary.

    DETROIT, 26 (NE) Cardinal Archbishop Adam Maida of Detroit, pointed out this week the need to encourage the Church's social doctrine throughout Michigan state as one of the key areas in evangelization. During the course of a Mass presided by Cardinal Maida, the Archbishop of Detroit consecrated a new Bishop for Michigan, Msgr. Leonard Blair, who will now help to serve the 1.4 million Catholics in southeast Michigan. Cardinal Maida stressed the need to fight abortion as well as assisted suicide, inviting the new Bishop to help him oppose them, and urged to "work against any shadow of racism or prejudice, thus ensuring a more just society in harmony with principles of the Catholic social-justice tradition".

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 and Daily Dispatches, Dossiers and Features from ZENIT International News Agency. CWN, NE and ZENIT are not affiliated with the Daily CATHOLIC but provide this service via e-mail to the Daily CATHOLIC Monday through Friday.

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August 27-29, 1999 volume 10, no. 162   DAILY CATHOLIC