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973 A.D.
Birth of the Holy Roman Emperor Henry II son of Otto II during the reign of Pope Benedict VI.
1210 A.D.
The magnificent Cathedral of Rheims in France is destroyed by fire. Arson is suspected but never proven. One year later to the day in 1211 the cornerstone would be laid on complete reconstruction of the new Cathedral of Rheims.
1312 A.D.
Pope Clement V closes the Fifteenth General Council or the Council of Vienne begun in October 1311 in which the Church abolishes the Knights Templar and that all their property be turned over to the Hospitallers who were the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem.
1527 A.D.
The Lutheran army led by the German emperor Charles V sacks Rome, kills 147 of the elite Swiss Guard protecting the pontiff, and captures Pope Clement VII, imprisoning him for six months. Clement, though favored by Charles, opted to throw his support behind Francis I of France and that irked Charles to no end whose conquest ended the High Renaissance in Italy.
1542 A.D.
Saint Francis Xavier arrives in Goa, India in his quest to bring the faith to the Far East.
1998 A.D.
Alois Estermann, his wife Gladys and their purported murderer Cedric Tornay are laid to rest in the second worst catastrophe in Swiss Guard history when there is murder in the Vatican two days prior and the funeral was held on this day last year.
O! How sad is my heart, sorrowful and grief-stricken over the hardness of my little ones' hearts. I weep, for the many who once gave to God their fiat have forgotten their promise. Now they are beguiled by the evil one, the cunning serpent. These are the souls who go about with poison spewing forth from their tongues. The evil one has so blinded them that what they believe to be justifiable is only pride, yes even spiritual pride. These are the souls who now seek the ruin of my chosen messengers and of all my faithful little ones. They go about daily, puffed up by self-righteousness, to destroy all that I have asked for. In their hearts they seek revenge, because their plans, their interpretation of my words is contrary to God's Will. They are, therefore, lost in the mire of satan's wiles. They do not see that their hearts are lacking all mercy and love. They seek to satisfy their human ego, unaware that they gravely offend God and their souls are slowly dying.
I beseech all of my children: Examine your consciences. Are you at peace? Do you truly seek reconciliation with God and with your neighbor? If you do not reconcile in the love and for the love of my Divine Son, you possess not the Spirit of God and are anathema before the Most Blessed Trinity.
To all I solemnly tell you. The time is now, and it is critically short. Do not be proud stubborn children. Do not remain unreconciled, for if you do you will be found wanting at the time of your visitation. If you are truly mine, secure in the Refuge of my Divine Son's Sacred Heart, you will cast off all self-seeking. You will reach out to all in love and be merciful to all.
Those who practice love and mercy in all things have abundant peace and have nothing to fear. Those who speak without love and mercy are hypocrites, and my Son shall bring them to ruin.
Awake now to my call. Love one another as my Divine Son taught you. I love and bless you. Thank you for responding to my Call!
But I behold My children in great sorrow and My Sacred Heart is torn asunder, for so very few want My Peace! No, they seek worldly peace, which for them means worldly prosperity, security and a respite from all suffering. To what lengths do My children go to avoid Me, the True Peace and their only Refuge.
I solemnly tell all the world: Heed My Mother's words, for she comes at the Will of the Trinity to announce the end times, and to prepare all for the battle ahead.
If you heed Her words then the Holy Spirit, the Sanctifier shall fill you with great understanding.
I solemnly tell all who thwart My Mother's role, and who thwart the Perfect Will of God: Woe, triple woe! You are a billy-goat, a wolf that devours the pearls of My Mercy and Peace. You shall see the Justice of God and you shall tremble!
To all who truly seek Me and abide with Me because they are meek and humble of heart, I solemnly tell you: Fear nothing for I am with you and I am your Food and Strength.
Let those who have ears hear.
Let those who have eyes see the signs I am giving.
Be humble and meek. Be obedient little children who rely on Me for all things. Then you will have true Peace and My Mother's Heart shall triumph.
Behold, the hour of great strife has already dawned. Great shall be mankind's sufferings. Come to Me, all who are meek and humble, and take comfort from My Sacred Heart.
I love you. I bless you. Prepare, for the hour is at hand!
The Holy Father expressed a greeting in particular to the Patriarch of Cilicia of the Armenians, His Beatitude Jean-Pierre XVIII, and called on the bishops to have "a new apostolic spirit" on the occasion of the 1,700th anniversary of the evangelization of Armenia, begun in 301 by Gregory the Illuminator. The Church is "grateful" to the Armenian people, affirmed the Pope, "for their faithful witness to Christ."
The Armenian Catholic Church, which dates from the 18th century, has its patriarchal see in Beirut, Lebanon and includes some 250,000 people in Armenia, in Lebanon, and in Syria. On the other hand, the Armenian Apostolic Church -- separated from Rome -- accounts for approximately 3.5 million faithful in Armenia, with other significant communities in Russia, in Georgia, the Middle East, in America, and in Europe. The Apostolic Church is independent of the other Orthodox Churches, and split from Rome in the year 506 when an Armenian synod rejected the conclusions of the Council of Chalcedon in 451.
Although the Vatican has still not given official confirmation of a trip by the Holy Father to Armenia from July 2-4, 1999, preparations are already underway at the Congregation of the Eastern Churches.
At the end of his audience with 12,000 faithful in the Vatican Paul VI Hall, the Pontiff referred to the informal meeting which is taking place at the U.N. headquarters in New York from May 5-7, to try to overcome the disagreements which emerged during the last week of March among the delegations of the different countries, when it came to writing a joint document reviewing the commitments made at the Cairo summit.
During the March meeting, which was also held in New York, the Holy See insisted on making its voice heard regarding the commitments signed in 1994. Some European delegations, as well as that of the United States, tried to add to the text the so-called "right to reproductive health," whose objective is to introduce abortion and different methods of contraception as a means of controlling population growth. With this measure, the rich nations hope to impose these practices on nations where abortion is illegal. The Vatican received the support of the so-called "Group of 77" countries; in general, these are poor countries.
Already at the Cairo Conference, the Pope said today, "the Holy See insisted on the human person being placed at the center of any development program. This implies that the solution of problems relating to population must respect the dignity of every human being and, at the same time, promote his fundamental rights, among which is, in the first place, the right to life. To this must be added the right to health and education, involving the family in its irreplaceable role as the institution upholding human, spiritual and moral values."
The Pope concluded by insisting that "five years after the international Conference on population and development, the governments must renew their signed commitments to insure a real and lasting human development."
Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO's) have revealed that some organizations at this informal U.N. session are placing impediments for the accreditation of other organizations which are not in agreement with the official U.N. line. The same thing happened during The Hague meeting in February, where the participation of NGO's was greatly restricted because they were not in agreement with the line of the U.N. Population Fund. ZE99050508
Father Julian Parque was celebrating his final Mass in the village of Mejia when he was abducted by the women. After a 48-hour standoff with police, the women agreed to release the priest when the bishop agreed to extend his time in the village for another month.
Negotiations were expected to continue over further extending the deadline for Father Parque to leave his post.
Tomorrow, 35 new recruits will be sworn in. At the same time, three documents will be published establishing new norms which will govern discipline in the Corps. Among other things, there is a change in the criteria for recruitment. Special attention will be given to psychological requirements. Candidates will be administered a professional examination. New directives will be given, which will cover honors and promotions.
The Swiss Guard is the oldest army in the world. It was established by Pope Julius II in 1503. Its feast day is May 6. On that day, in 1527, the Guards gave proof of heroism by sacrificing their lives in defense of the Pope during the sacking of Rome by the imperial forces of Charles I of Spain. These historic origins, according to Pius Segmuller, Estermann's successor, are the reason why changes are "slow, so as not to destroy important traditions." The reform will also institutionalize contacts with the Swiss army and police.
The Swiss Guard has taken advantage of its feast day to inaugurate a new site on Internet at http://www.vatican/curia_romana/guardia_svizzera ZE99050505
