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The Pope returns to the New World and the Americas intent on rallying 50% of the world's Catholics to share their daily bread

     In today's editorial we remind all of the fruits of the Holy Father's first visit to Cuba a year ago and why he is returning to the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe and the inherent message he hopes to impart through this action. The Pope has a method to his mathness, realizing half of the world's Catholic population reside in the Western Hemisphere and therein is the key to providing help for the rest of the world, and in the process, tremendous help for those in America. For today's commentary entitled It's very difficult to achieve true peace of heart without a piece of bread! , click on CATHOLIC PewPOINT.

It's very difficult to achieve true
peace of heart without a piece of bread!

      As we sit here at the keyboard munching on a fresh ham sandwich on delicious potato bread, it gives us pause to be thankful for our daily bread in more ways than one. This gratitude also prompts us to reminisce about the fact that Cuban people are more blessed than they have been in decades. It will be one year this week since Pope John Paul II scored a historic coup by breaking through the tough, iron-clad heart of Fidel Castro in convincing the communist dictator to open Cuba to the Light of Christ and allow the people to worship and practice their faith, a faith that these persecuted people kept alive from generation to generation through the stifling regimes of first Batista and then Castro. The fruits of the Holy Father's efforts have manifested themselves a hundred-fold as Cuba has softened to the loving pastoral touch of this extraordinary Vicar of Christ. The echo of what the Pope started has reverberated around the world moving many to be more accepting to easing embargoes and restrictions on Cuba. It was this same Pope who, we like to say - singlehandedly (with all the help in the world from above) brought down the iron curtain early in this decade. Now he is peeling away the withered palm fronds of the rusty curtain that has imprisoned Cuba for over three decades. No Pope in the long, illustrious history of Sovereign Pontiffs has ever focused so much attention on the New World. He has made this obvious by his many visits to the Americas - yes, the Americas, for it is this Polish wise man who insists that the Americas - North and South America - are one.

      It is appropriate therefore, that on the week of Prayer for Christian unity the Holy Father wings his way once more to the west. The occasion is the official closing of the Bishops' Synod of the Americas, held late last year at the Vatican. He was invited to close the proceedings with his Apostolic Letter in Mexico City at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe this week. He enthusiastically accepted and why not?! It was on the site of Tepeyac Hill that the Blessed Mother of God, the chief proponent of Christian Unity, appeared to Blessed Juan Diego setting in motion the end of human sacrifice by the Aztecs and inaugurating the conversion of millions of souls to the true faith. It was the seeds of this apparition that has harvested the greatest Catholic population in the world. Brazil remains today the largest Catholic nation with 135,840,000 Catholics out of a total population of 157,870,000. That's 86% of the total. Coming in second is Mexico with 92.4% of the citizens claiming Catholicism as their religion. Leapfrogging two places in the most recent findings published in this year's Catholic Almanac published by Our Sunday Visitor is the United States. There was an increase of 355,855 Catholics since the last census. Even though the total US Catholic population of over sixty-one million comprises only 22.7%, in this land of a potpourri of religions, Catholics are the most plentiful of any faith easily outdistancing the next denomination (Baptists) by over forty-five and a half million! Two of the top three states, California and Texas, boast a strong Hispanic population that can be traced back to Guadalupe.

      His holiness has a method to his madness despite the secular criticism that he is growing senile at age 77. Consider that the Americas as a whole comprise 50% of the world's total Catholic population and we can see why he focuses so much pastoral attention on the New World. It was twenty years ago next week that John Paul II opened the Third General Conference of the Latin American Episcopate at the Shrine, his first visit to Mexico. He had the foresight then to reinforce Pope Pius XII's declaration that Our Lady of Guadalupe was not just the patroness of Latin America as Pope Saint Pius X had designated, but that she was patroness of all the Americas. Our Lady herself has reaffirmed this numerous times in her messages to visionaries and messengers. She has also confirmed that her mission remains the same - to stop human sacrifice. In the sixteenth century it was a pagan ritual performed by the Aztecs in which they would sacrifice full grown humans, most often virgins, on the altar of fire to the Aztec god Quetzelcoatl. At the end of the twentieth century it is the ritual of abortion that is an even more gruesome crime. Sadly, this form of human sacrifice has dulled the collective conscience of the masses who have lost the sense of human dignity with the terrible sin of slaughtering the innocent unborn fetuses. This has been the most divisive issue of our times and only John Paul II has been able to label it what it truly is: the great struggle of the Sanctity of Life vs. the culture of death.

      And so he returns to rally this fifty-percent block of Catholics to realize the error of their ways and embrace the Culture of LIfe. He is a true believer in establishing cultural balance through the economy and way of life of the peoples so that countries will not be offered up as the victims of desperation on the altar of exploitation by others. That is why he has been calling on advanced nations to forgive the debts of third-world impoverished lands, asking all to live the Lord's Prayer - "forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who have trespassed against us.".

      Thus, on the brink of the third millennium, despite the preoccupation by so many with things of this finite, materialistic world, John Paul II continues to tweak the conscience of the world, balancing everything with a sincere, practical concern for the whole person both body and soul. It brings to mind another truth, that the dignity of man lies in not what others can do for him, but in what he can do for himself and others by learning to be independent of others and totally dependent on God. He realizes you cannot just tell people what to do; you must teach them how to care for themselves and that is what he continues to convey to leaders of every nation melding the political, economic, sociological and ecclesiastical components and how all can improve the culture of life in their own country as well as the world through adherence to God's Laws and the laws of nature. The Pope has always transcended the political scene to reach deep into the soul of the populace. He understands the need for nourishment both for the body and the soul and he offers both through practical applications and through Jesus Christ present in the Holy Eucharist and in the Word. The Holy Father realizes and continues to impart to all the time-honored axiom that Saint Augustine so eloquently offered - "My soul is restless until it rests in Thee." Wherever he goes, the Holy Father brings home that point as well as the words of the Our Father "Give us this day our daily bread" for Our Lord and His Vicar on earth realize the inalienable fact that it's very difficult to achieve true peace of heart without a piece of bread!

Michael Cain, editor

The Great Schism begins as the Church is divided because of the stubbornness of two men: Pope Urban VI and Clement VII

      If only Pope Urban VI had been more like his namesake predecessor Blessed Pope Urban V, the Church might not have been plunged into the horrendous chasm of division that marked this time known as the Great Schism of the West. The euphoria of the Holy Father returning permanently to Rome was tempered quickly by the fact that the man hastily chosen as the 202nd successor of Peter was not as concerned with the welfare of the Church as he was with his own ego. His alienation of practically the entire conclave led to their selection of Clement VII as the antipope and decades of discord throughout Catholic Europe...all because too many cooks spoiled the broth of faith. For the eighty-ninth installment titled Pope Urban VI: Out of the frying pan of the Avignon Exile, into the fire of the Great Schism. , click on THE HISTORY OF THE MASS AND HOLY MOTHER CHURCH.

Pope Urban VI: Out of the frying pan of the Avignon Exile, into the fire of the Great Schism.

      The death of Pope Gregory XI signaled the end of the French reign of Popes, but the Italian who they chose contributed greatly in widening the ever-increasing gap between French and Italian cardinals to the point that the obstinate, unruly Pope Urban VI actually brought the Great Schism of the West on himself. It all started out innocently enough at the conclave following Gregory's death. For the first time in well over seventy years the election was held in Rome. Any thought of electing another Frenchman was curtailed by two factors. One, Gregory not brought all the French cardinals with him to Rome, leaving six still in Avignon; and two, the Italians, furious that the conclave would even consider a Frenchman, demonstrated vehemently and violently at times outside the Vatican demanding that an Italian be chosen. The cardinals who were present were no doubt intimidated and quickly chose the Archbishop of Bari, the Naples-born Cardinal Bartolomeo Prignano as the 202nd successor of Peter. The cardinals felt that by choosing this Naples-born prelate they would not only appease the masses thronging outside, but Prignano was knowledgable of Curia matters having served as Gregory's regent of the papal chancery. Prior to that, despite he was Italian, Prignano had been one of the leading voices in the curia at Avignon. It seemed like a safe choice and Urban VI was enthroned as the Vicar of Christ on Easter Sunday, April 18, 1378. What the Sacred Conclave didn't count on was Urban's violent temper and unrealistic demands. Almost immediately he started making drastic changes, beginning with the curia and the cardinals, demanding that all prelates lead a more austere lifestyle. While this is noble, it was too much too soon and his manner endeared him to no one, including Saint Catherine of Siena who tried desperately to rationalize and counsel Urban. In fact, Catherine was one of the few Urban had any time for. He dared not antagonize this strong-spirited nun. But even Catherine could not do a lobotomy on him or effect a personality change. In short, the power went to his head and Urban began to think he could do anything, treating all from servant to royalty with disdain. Urban insulted Otto of Brunswick who was the husband of Joanna I of Naples who reacted in rebellion. Soon word trickled back to Avignon that the French cardinals should join them in Anagni where they could debate what would be the Conclave's next move. In effect the Great Schism of the West was being formed. The cardinals submitted several ultimatums to Urban who steadfastly resisted any resistance and promised retribution. Rather than reconciliation, this pushed the cardinals - both French and Italian - further away from the Pope. On August 9, 1378 the majority of cardinals published their own document declaring the April election of Urban null and void. Aided by Joanna the French cardinals and disgruntled Italian red-hats met in Fondi, Italy and, on September 20, 1378, elected Cardinal Robert of Geneva, the merciless commander of Gregory's papal army, as Clement VII; in effect, the antipope. Officially, the day he was inaugurated will live in infamy in Church annals. It is no coincidence that it was Halloween, October 31, 1378 for there were scary things ahead for Holy Mother Church and her flock.

      Urban VI could have thwarted this schism had he been more receptive to criticism and more attuned to what the cardinals were saying. His pig-headedness and Jeckly-Hyde personality pushed most within the curia away and made it possible for his enemies to gain strength. Christian Europe was torn. First the Avignon exile for seventy years, now this. It was enough to lose one's faith and many did, losing interest and confidence in their leaders who, as the years passed, they trusted less and less. Like hungry politicians during an hot-and-heavy election campaign, both Urban and Clement VII tried to woo nations. Urban, because of his roots was able to swing most of Italy to his side as well as England and central Europe. France had intended to stay neutral but her monarch King Charles V fell in behind Clement VII when England and Italy, both bitter rivals of the French, declared for Urban. Scotland, Burgundy and Savoy joined France while King Wenceslaus of Germany sided with Urban. With Europe once again divided St. Catherine realized her only avenue was to stand strongly behind the true Pope who was duly elected despite the fact the conclave was rushed and the cardinals greatly intimidated by the crowds. Many might think Catherine was wrong but two things should be considered: First of all, obedience bears the greatest fruit; and secondly, saints are human too. Spain washed her hands of the entire thing, remaining neutral for some time until Aragon and Castile finally declared in favor of Clement. Meanwhile, like master chess contestants Urban and Clement waged a bitter struggle through their respective armies. Even though Clement was a master military man, he conducted the warroom from Rome, but when Urban's mercenaries soundly defeated the former's men at Marino, Clement VII was forced into retreat from his fortress on June 17, 1379 at Castel Sant'Angelo in Rome to Naples and from there to Avignon. Safely back within the papal palace in France, Clement set up his papal court. Rather than being efficient and wise in counsel, the cardinals there opted for the opulence of royalty.

      In hopes of bringing unity, several cardinals and German princes proposed to both Urban and Clement a general council in which the Council Fathers would decide. There had already been enough bloodshed. Both were reluctant, Urban moreso figuring he had nothing to lose by holding out for he was the true Pope and no one could do anything about it. Clement was still reeling, seeking revenge from Urban for his humiliating defeat at Marino. Thus Clement tried to coerce and promise various rulers a "piece of the action" - papal states if they could defeat Urban's troops. Urban countered by excommunicating Queen Joanna I who had aligned with the Clementines, replacing her with her cousin Charles of Durazzo whom he lavishly crowned in 1381 in Rome. But Charles secretly had no allegiance to Urban and his ties to Joanna ran deep, so much so that he tried to have Urban placed under a special council to contain his powers and abuse. Urban retaliated by arresting six cardinals, torturing them and setting a trap for Charles, but Charles was up to the task and evaded the ambush, sending his troops in undercover early. His ploy was so successful that he forced Urban to flee to Genoa. There five more cardinals vanished from the face of the earth. To this day no one knows what happened but many historians believe Urban took his wrath out on these five prelates who he accused of treason. But with Charles at large Urban was smart enough to realize he had better lay low. He seized on his first stroke of good luck in February 1386 when Charles was murdered by Urban's secret force in Hungary. With one of his main thorns eliminated, Urban tried to regroup and muster up forces to return to Rome. To do this he needed the aid of King Wenceslaus whom he invited to march with him into Rome from Pisa. Meanwhile the new French king King Charles VI decided he would beat Urban to the punch by inviting Clement to march into Rome with him as a show of force. But Clement had become fat and sassy in Avignon and had no intention of returning to Rome and all the headaches there. At the same time, Wenceslaus realized Urban did not truly have the Church and her flock in the best interest and put him off, working behind the scenes to promote the special Council to decide the fate of the Church in Europe. Undeterred, Urban began preaching a crusade against Clement and his followers - the Clementines. Urban soon ran out of money, depleted what little was left in the Holy See's treasury and, slowly but surely, most of his soldiers - mercenaries all - began to defect when they discovered they would not be paid. Pretty soon Urban's once mighty river of force had been reduced to a mere trickle and he abandoned his grandiose plans to return to Rome triumphantly, instead stealing back in the middle of the night undetected and walling himself inside Castel Sant'Angelo in October 1388. There, alone except for a small cadre of loyalists, he remained virtually a recluse since the vast majority had abandoned him because of his temperament which had alienated everyone. As history accounts, he alienated one too many for he was poisoned on October 15, 1389. Though his body is entombed in the crypt of St. Peter's, he contributed very little to the ecclesiastical life of the Church other than extending a Franciscan feast - the feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary - to the universal Church. In summary, he was too busy trying to be "king" that he forgot he was a shepherd first and consequently the wolves of the world, the flesh and the devil ravaged his flock from prelates to clergy to the laity. The Church had fallen into great disarray and her leaders were solely responsible. St. Catherine had died in 1380 perhaps realizing the Church had made a grave mistake in selecting this obstinate, uncompromising pontiff.

Next installment: Pope Boniface IX: Trying to pick up the pieces without much help.

      As we begin our installments in our series on Church history today (above) covering the great Schism of the West that began in the latter part of the fourteenth century and lasted thirty seven years, it is important to explain the word "schism." The etimology of the word derives from the Greek word skhisma which translated to the Latin schisma meaning "tear" or "crack." Schism is defined as "the action of one who voluntarily separates himself from the Church through refusal to submit to the authority of the Church or the Pope and forms another sect." Such action is punishable canonically by excommunication and the person is separated from "ecclesiastical communion" with the Church. The longest schism is the Eastern Schism that split the Church into the Eastern and Western Churches. Despite the fact that many pontiffs over the years have sought reconciliation with the Orthodox Church, it has remained in schism since the ninth century with the final split coming in 1054.

      Heresy and apostasy are different than schism in that the two former actions are a common philosophy that "by its nature refers to the mind and is opposed to religious belief, whereas schism is fundamentally volitional and offends against the union of Christian charity." Though there is much heresy and apostasy today, the Blessed Mother Mary has warned many visionaries and messengers, beginning with Rue de Bac, Lourdes and LaSalette that there will be another schism within the Church and urges all her little ones to pray in hopes of mitigating the consequences, quite possibly even entirely avoiding this terrible split. (source: Catholic Almanac, Our Sunday Visitor; The Catholic Encyclopedia, Thomas Nelson, Publishers; and Catholic Dictionary, Fr. John Hardon, SJ, Doubleday.)

"The moment of the Father's purification shall strike, and it will purify all of creation."

      Our Lord's words above in Message 355 to the Hidden Flower of the Immaculate Heart verify that the time of cleansing is coming soon. It will not be the end of the world, but the end of an era - an era of greed and selfishness that has tainted mankind and distanced us from God. Jesus reiterates his bid to come to Him and be refreshed in the Font of Divine Mercy that He makes available to all His children. His Blessed Mother reasserts this in Message 356 on the Feast of the Most Holy Trinity early in June, 1993, inviting us to show all due reverence for her Divine Son in the Holy Eucharist, confected in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. For messages 355 and 356, click on "I SOLEMNLY TELL YOU..."

Messages Three Hundred-Fifty-five and Three Hundred-Fifty-six

      My beloved Hidden Flower of My Mother's Immaculate Heart, tell all of My children to come to Me. Let them be still within so that they might hear My Voice. It is not the peel of thunder. It is the tender coo of the dove, the soft bleating of the Lamb.

      I am Jesus Christ, the Word Made Flesh, Only-Begotten Son of God the Father. I am the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, the Savior of the world. I desire you to come and be with Me. How I long to gaze upon My children. When I behold my children what Love does not pour forth from Me? What do you wish to ask of Me? Come, Love Me and ask what you will, for I cannot refuse anything to those who truly believe in Me and live their belief.

      Blessed are they who, in this time of great persecution, who amidst persecutions, show to Me, their God, every respect and reverence. Woe to all who neglect Me, who no longer consider Me as their God, but a mere symbol which is not important. Woe to those who offend Me in My Sacrament of Love, and refuse Me all reverence. The moment of the Father's purification shall strike, and it will purify all of creation.

      Come then, let us gather together. Let us love. I will give you my own heart and you will understand the profound dignity all men must have for Me.

      I await. I call. I long to embrace you, for I, Jesus Christ, am your God.

      O! Beloved Hidden Flower, say to all of my children: Give all praise, glory, honor and thanksgiving to the Most Blessed Trinity. O! You cannot fathom in even the smallest degree the beauty of the Trinity. Give praise for the gift of faith which allows you to believe and grasp the Truth of the Trinity.

      O! On this day when my Divine Son's Church celebrates the Most Blessed Trinity, you do well to bow low in humility; to surrender your own will as the sacrificial lamb upon the altar. Come, let us together place all human wills upon the Holy Altar. See, we shall hold them up as the priest offers to the Father the Most Perfect Sacrifice - my Divine Son. See, your will is no longer your own. It has been nailed to the Cross, and by the nails of poverty, chastity and obedience your will becomes transformed into the Eternal Will. This is the way of perfection, the beauty of the ever-lasting Sacrifice, and you bow in humility by allowing my Divine Son to enter your heart and begin its transformation. Learn this day, my little ones, that by loving my Divine Son you are led by the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit Who transforms you into the image of Jesus, and in this transformation you are led to the Father, Who is, Who has always been, and Who shall always be!

      O! Rejoice and give praise by the surrender of your own will. Be strong. Speak out for the Truth. Never cease your efforts to grow in holiness. God's work for each man is not finished until He has called you home. Take each moment, each day and give all to the Most Blessed Trinity, Who alone is the Source of Life and Love.

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

      Today's Prayer is the Prayer of forgiveness and the one prayer that unites all Christians: the OUR FATHER:

Our Father Who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done. on earth, as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses as we also forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

    Dear children! In this Christmas joy I desire to bless you with my blessing. In a special way, little children, I give you the blessing of little Jesus. May He fill you with His peace. Today, little children, you do not have peace and yet you yearn for it. That is why, with my Son Jesus, on this day I call you to pray, pray, pray, because without prayer you do not have joy or peace or a future. Yearn for peace and seek it, for God is true peace. Thank you for having responded to my call.

For more on Medjugorje, click on MEDJUGORJE AND MORE

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January 19, 1999 volume 10, no. 12   DAILY CATHOLIC