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HEADLINES:
Outside pressures force Vatican to put Papal Trip to Iraq in January on hold
Because Iraq cannot assure the safety of Pope John Paul II in a papal journey to Ur in the Chaldean section of Iraq, the Holy See has seen fit to temporarily cancel the Holy Father's planned trip there which was scheduled in January. The Chaldean Patriarch Raphael I Bidawid stated the problems also stem from the fact that western powers such as the U.S. and Britain control air space and the Iraqis could not guarantee a no-fly zone and the potential for bombing during the Pope's visit. Considering the veiled threats from Washington regarding dissuading the Pope from going to Iraq, many would not put it past the west to create a scene if the Pope went through with his desire to travel to Ur. For more, click on Iraq trip postponed
Holy Father does end run around Beijing, reaches out in prayerful unity to Chinese Patriotic Catholics for Jubilee
To the surprise of many the Holy Father literally took the bull by the horns and rather than going through the censored Chinese channels, directly addressed the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association representing over 10 million Catholics in China who are not in union with Rome but are favorable toward the Pope. He took advantage of this to communicate with them, encouraging them toward unity and expressing his prayerful hope that the Jubilee will bring about the long-sought after unity between Chinese Catholics and the Holy See. That is a key to the on-going negotiations between Rome and Beijing. For more, click on Reaching out to Red China.
Seven million pilgrims pour into Guadalupe for five-day festivities of Our Lady of Guadalupe
Scores of millions, mostly Mexican faithful, poured into Mexico City over the weekend with their destination the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe where they were there to celebrate the annual Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Many make the annual pilgrimage on their knees and decorations of Our Lady's image and Rosaries abound all over the city where it is not unusual to see cars, trucks, taxis and even buses all decorated with flowers and holy images. To accommodate the overflow crowds, large screens were erected outside to televise the events including the main Mass conducted by Cardinal Norberto Rivera, the Archbishop of Mexico City. Also to allow all to attend Mass, there was a Mass an hour throughout the day on Sunday in the Basilica. For more, click on Our Lady of Guadalupe packs 'em in.
Mother Prioress turns terrible trauma of rape into a greater awareness of suffering women have endured during war
Despite the fact a young Mother Prioress of the cloistered Order of the Benedictine Sisters of Perpetual Adoration was forcefully and violently raped in her own priory while her fellow nuns were at dinner. She affirmed that the experience brings home the point that no one is safe and the horrible treatment many women in war over the years have had to endure. It gives her a greater understanding and she wants to make more aware of the evils, evils that can even penetrate the holy, sacred confines of a nunnery. For more, click on Mother Prioress.
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Coming TUESDAY
Number 3 in our countdown of the TOP 100 CATHOLICS OF THE CENTURY
More pertinent viewpoints in our editorial CATHOLIC PewPOINT
Seventieth installment on the treasures of the great Deposit of Faith in APPRECIATING THE PRECIOUS GIFT OF OUR FAITH
Time Capsules in Church History with MILLENNIUM MILESTONES AND MEMORIES focusing on events that occurred on December 14th
DAILY LITURGY for the Feast of Saint John of the Cross, Priest, Religious and Doctor of the Church on Tuesday and the Third Wednesday of Advent.
More gems from Bishop Fulton J. Sheen in SIMPLY SHEEN
And more in our 237th issue for 1999!
To review past articles in textonly format, click on Archives.
TOP CATHOLIC OF THE CENTURY
Number 4:Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen The treasure of clay who God molded into His chosen orator for modern times in conveying traditional teachings anchored on the Word and broadcast to the world in the early days of television
Today, as we count down the TOP FIVE CATHOLICS OF THE CENTURY, we bring you the 4th person selected out of the TOP 100 CATHOLICS OF THE CENTURY. The voters chose Archbishop Fulton John Sheen, the dynamic orator and first television evangelist who took the country by storm for Jesus and His Blessed Mother Mary in the forties, fifties and sixties through his tremendously successful "The Catholic Hour" and then his famous "Life is Worth Living" series that reached millions. He was energized by his priestly dedication and daily one-hour vigils with Jesus in the Tabernacle and converted that into countless converts. For more on the 4th selection, click on ARCHBISHOP FULTON J. SHEEN
Warn the sheep! The wolf is howling for another council
In his column today, Pat Ludwa speculates on the possibility of the next Pope calling a Third Vatican Council as some high prelates such as the liberals' darling Cardinal Carlo Martini of Milan have suggested. If this were to come to pass, would it play into the hands of the dissidents such as Call To Action and cater to their demands as they seem to think? Or, would it backfire in their face as is Pat's summation for not only is the pendulum swinging back toward the conservative side, but past Ecumenical Councils dictate the only action a valid council could take in affirming Vatican II would be to declare this liberal lugnut and all parasites like it as anathema. For his column today, The Next Pope and Vatican III , click on VIEW FROM THE PEW
Pope signifies how Our Lady illuminates the way to and through the Holy Door into the new millennium where her Divine Son awaits our fiat.
Today, we bring you the words from His Holiness Pope John Paul II from last Wednesday December 8th in which he replaced his regular weekly Wednesday Papal Audience with a special Angelus for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception showering honor on Our Lady as the first one who went through the portal of the Holy Door as the Immaculate one and providing us with a special blessing that would culminate with her Divine Son redeeming us. He invites all of us to pass through the Holy Door with Mary who lights the way to her Divine Son for us to follow confidently into the new millennium with renewed hope and dedication to her holy cause. For the Pope's words on his talk, Mary, "Full of Grace," Light of the Jubilee, click on THE VICAR OF CHRIST SPEAKS.
Former Archbishop of Madrid Cardinal Angel Suquia Goicoechea coordinated spiritual exercises for priests throughout the old and new world
We continue with this special series introducing you to the Princes of the Church. Our one-hundred-thirty-fourth red-hat we feature, in alphabetical order is 83 year-old Cardinal Angel Suquia Goicoechea, Archbishop emeritus of Madrid who retired on July 28, 1994 after eleven years in that post and 28 years as a bishop. He was elevated to the cardinalate during the Consistory of May 25, 1985 by Pope John Paul II. For more on Cardinal Angel Suquia Goicoechea, click on COLLEGE OF CARDINALS COLLECTION
Appreciation of Divine Revelation
Today we continue with our new series in the search to uncover the wonderful treasures of the Church contained in the great Deposit of Faith. We feature today a segment on Divine Revelation which comprises the Scriptures and Traditions both handed down from the Apostles. We point out the equal importance both hold in the Great Deposit of Faith. For the sixty-ninth installment, click on APPRECIATING THE PRECIOUS GIFT OF OUR FAITH
Events Today in Church History
On this day 454 years ago in 1545, Pope Paul III, represented by three Papal Legates, officially opened the landmark 20th Ecumenical Council known as the Council of Trent because of the remote tiny mountainous village where it was held in the Austrian Tyrol of Northern Italy. It would be the longest in the duration of Ecumenical Councils and illuminate the path for the Counter Reformation for the Church. For other time capsule events that happened in Church history on this date, click on MILLENNIUM MILESTONES AND MEMORIES
SIMPLY SHEEN: There can never be 'Heaven on earth.'
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".
"Anxiety cannot be cured by a surrender to passions and instincts; the basic cause of our anxiety is a restlessness within time, which comes because we are made for eternity. If there were anywhere on earth a resting place other than God, we may be very sure that the human soul in its long history would have found it before this."
DAILY LITURGY
Today is the Feast of the martyred virgin Saint Lucy. Tomorrow we celebrate the Feast of Saint John of the Cross, author of "Dark Night of the Soul." This religious priest was the spiritual confessor to Saint Teresa of Avila For the readings, liturgies, meditations, and profiles on these saints, click on DAILY LITURGY.
The DAILY WORD
"Jesus answered and said to them, 'I also will ask you one question, and if you answer Me this, I in turn will tell you by what authority I do these things. Whence was the baptism of John? from Heaven, or from men?' But they began to argue among themselves, saying, 'If we say, 'From Heaven,' He will say to us, 'Why then did you believe him?' But if we say, 'From men,' we fear the people, for all regard John as a prophet.' And they answered Jesus and said, 'We do not know.' Then He in turn said to them, 'Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things.' " Matthew 21: 24-27
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