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The mountains once again are calling the Pope as he begins his summer vacation today

     Has it been a whole year since the Holy Father spent two relaxing weeks in the Dolomite Mountains last summer? Yes, and, after a grueling year capped by the most strenuous pilgrimage of his twenty-plus year pontificate to Poland, no one is more deserving of a break and a chance to rest up than Pope John Paul II. This year he will return to where he vacationed two years ago: Northwestern Italy in Valle d'Aosta in the tiny village of Les Combes nestled among the tall pines with a view that is breathtaking. There he will relax, make only two scheduled appearances and one visit outside the village while he rests and plans for the Jubilee year ahead. For more, click on Papal vacation .

      VATICAN (CWNews.com) -- Pope John Paul II is prepared for his summer vacation, which will begin when he leaves Rome after his regular weekly public audience on Wednesday, July 7.

      The Holy Father will travel to northwestern Italy, where he will stay in Valle d'Aosta, a region he has previously vacationed in 1989, 1990, 1991, 1994, 1995, and 1997. (He has also spent summer vacation time in the Dolomite Mountains, at Lorenzago di Cadore, in 1987, 1988, 1992, 1993, and last year.) He will stay until July 20 in the village of Les Combes, in a two-story cottage surrounded by pines and larches, from which Mount Blanc is visible.

      The Pope is scheduled to make only two public appearances during his two- week stay. He will recite the Angelus from the window of his vacation cottage on Sunday, July 11. And he will visit a Carmelite convent-- which he himself dedicated in 1989-- on July 18.

      Following the pattern that he has set in previous years, the Pope will spend most of his vacation days in prayer, reading, writing, and walking in the mountains.

World Rosary Day set for end of October this year; record number of participants expected

      Organizers of World Rosary Day slated for Saturday, October 30th this year on the occasion of the Blessed Virgin Mary on Saturday are predicting a record participation globally with over 100 countries taking part. The concept, originated in Mexico City, has been gaining momentum each year and this year, the final year of the millennium is expected to be the biggest ever. Organizers are contacting dioceses worldwide in hopes of gaining the Bishops' cooperation in promoting it in their sees and opening churches so people can pray Our Lady's special prayer before the Blessed Sacrament and the Sacrament of Reconciliation be made available. Leading up to this day will be a special nine-day Marian novena. For more, click on Bouquets for Heaven .

      MEXICO CITY, JUL 5 (ZENIT).- The movement for the organization of World Rosary Day, to be held on October 30 of this year, is well underway. It is an initiative that, for the fourth consecutive year, will join more than 100 countries worldwide in simultaneous praying of the Rosary.

      The principal event will be held at 7 p.m. in Mexico City, where the original promotion group resides. At that time, some 8,000 Rosaries will begin simultaneously, bringing together people from all over the world. The actual venues where the Rosaries will be prayed are very varied, including sports stadiums, bullfighting rings, cathedrals, schools, prisons, hospitals, factories and offices.

      The organization of the event requires a representative in each place to coordinate activities. A public place of ample capacity is the second requirement. The local Bishop or parish priest must give his consent and support. All local religious and lay movements are invited. The event is promoted in all churches, parishes, schools, universities, civic centers, stadiums, hospitals, public offices, commercial centers, buses, etc. And, of course, it is also advertised in the media, including press, radio and television.

      The promoters of World Rosary Day recommend that the Rosary be prayed before the Blessed Sacrament. They also suggest that priests be available for the sacrament of confession, and that participants fast during the day. For nine days prior to World Rosary Day, the organizers suggest that the Marian Prayer be recited, either as individuals, in the family, or in groups.

      They presently have additional information only in Spanish at: http://www.churchforum.org/rosario. ZE99070508

China up to their old dirty tricks as persecution of Catholics intensify

      The FIDES News Agency reports that murders and torture are increasing in mainland China as the communist government there, while denying it to the rest of the world, are intensifying their efforts to suppress the underground Roman Catholic Church in China. A high-ranking Catholic priest was murdered and another treated with the utmost disdain while a group of lay persons who sheltered a priest have been treated inhumanely. These events are happening around Beijing where one billion Catholics reside in the government's efforts to demoralize Chinese Catholics and brainwash them into joining the state-run Patriotic Church which is not in union with Rome. For more, click on red as in blood being spread in Red China .

      HONG KONG (CWNews.com) -- A priest serving the Catholic Church in China has died, a seminarian has been tortured, and four lay people have been arrested and sentenced to "re-education" camps, as authorities in the continue their persecution of Catholics loyal to Rome.

      Father Yan Weiping, the vicar general of the Yixian diocese, was recently found dead on a street in Beijing, according to a report carried by the Fides news service. The priest-- who had been active in the underground Church in Beijing-- had been arrested in May while celebrating Mass in a private home. The Cardinal Kung Foundation, an American-based group which collects information about the Catholic Church in China, believes that he was killed and then thrown out the window of a building in Beijing.

      The Cardinal Kung Foundation also reports that Wang Qing, a seminarian in the Baoding diocese, was beaten, hanged by his hands, and forced to drink a "filthy fluid" after he was arrested while making a pastoral visit to a family in Baoding.

      On Pentecost Sunday, May 23, government agents tried to arrest a priest who was celebrating Mass in a private home. When their effort was foiled, they arrested the four lay people who helped the priest to escape. The Fides news service has also received reports of lay people who were beaten by government officials, and even had their homes set on fire, because they were found to be keeping the sacred vessels used for celebrating Mass.

      These incidents occurred in the Chinese province of Hebei, surrounding Beijing, which is the home to an estimated 1 million Catholics loyal to the Holy See. The Communist government of China has aggressively sought to discourage membership in this "underground" Church, while encouraging Catholics to join the government-approved "Patriotic Catholic Association."

      Fides believes that the Beijing government is stepping up its efforts to suppress Catholicism, and other religious influences, as the country approaches the 50th anniversary of the Communist government in China. That campaign is particularly urgent because Christianity, along with Buddhism, have become increasingly popular among the Chinese people in recent years.

      On July 1, during a ceremony for the 78th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese Communist Party, President Jiang Zemin harshly criticized citizens who "believe in superstitions" and urged them to adhere instead to "historical materialism." And for several weeks the Communist People's Daily newspaper has published a series of articles condemning "religious idealism."

St. Peter's facelift just about complete as workers begin dismantling massive scaffolding

     Those who have visited St. Peter's over the past few years had to have been disappointed with all the scaffolding covering the entire facade of the great basilica. But they can take heart. It's starting to come down, just in time for the Jubilee year with a whole new face looking better than ever as renovations have made much of it look like new. St. Peter's will never look better than when all the heavy metal support structure is dismantled, which should occur by the Fall. For more, see Putting on a fresh face

      ROME, 6 (NE) After more than two years of restorations, yesterday began the process of disassembling of the structure that covers the beautiful facade of Saint Peter's Basilica at the Vatican. The metallic structure began being built in spring 1997 in order to carry out the different works to recover the original splendor and beauty of the facade.

      Even though the process of disassembling has already begun, works will continue and are expected to be finished by autumn.

      This restoration is another form of preparation for the celebration of the Great Jubilee of year 2000. The facade has been polished, and problems caused by the passing of time, earthquakes and pollution have been solved.

      Several lightly colored areas hidden below the dust have been discovered, as happened some months ago during the restoration of the Palazzo Farnese -masterpiece of the Italian renaissance in the city of Rome. After the cleansing of the facade, unknown details were discovered in the XVI century building.

      The facade of St. Peter's Basilica is 114 meters wide and 45 meters tall. 13 statues, 6 meters tall, rise above it, representing the Lord Jesus, John the Baptist and eleven apostles.

      The Basilica -constructed upon the one that Emperor Constantine built in the IV century over the tomb of the Apostle Peter- was consecrated by Pope Urban VIII in 1626. Pope Julius II (1503-1513) began its construction, which lasted more than a century.

      A great number of churches and buildings are now being restored in Rome for the celebration of the Great Jubilee. Among them are also the other three major basilicas: Saint Paul Outside the Walls, Saint John Lateran and Saint Mary Maggiore.

Philadelphians prove they are the city of brotherly love with tremendous outpouring of support for Kosovo refugees

      Spurred on by the urging of Cardinal Anthony Bevilaqua, parishioners in the Philadelphia Archdiocese have collected nearly three quarters of a million dollars earmarked for Albanian refugees in Kosovo. It was the largest collection of the decade in Philadelphia and showed how Philadelphians can put into action their love for others and answer Christ's call for "Whenever you did it for the least of these, you did it for Me." For more, see Outpouring of brotherly love

      PHILADELPHIA, 6 (NE) A campaign organized by the faithful of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia collected approximately 700,000 dollars to help the Kosovar Albanian refugees, victims of the recent conflict at the Balkans.

      Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua, Archbishop of Philadelphia, informed about this campaign emphasizing the testimony of compassion and love of the faithful of the archdiocese for those who suffer and are most in need.

      The campaign, begun in April, exceeded the initial expectations. It has been the greatest collection in the last eleven years. Cardinal Bevilacqua thanked Philadelphia's Catholics for "following the example of Jesus Christ" in this act of charity and solidarity.

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 the features, dossiers and Daily Dispatches at 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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July 7, 1999 volume 10, no. 130   DAILY CATHOLIC