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Events this weekend in Church History

      On May 22, 1545 Pope Paul III, the 220th successor of Peter, in order to regroup Holy Mother Church and stop the onslaught of the Protestant rebellion, called for an Ecumenical Conference that would address reforms. It would be the Nineteenth Council and better be remembered as the Council of Trent which would open on December 13, 1545 in the wintry mountains of Northern Italy and last on and off until 1563 when it would be closed by Pope Pius IV on December 4th and carried out to its fullest by his successor Pope Saint Pius V. For other events throughout the centuries that are memorable in Church history this weekend, click on MILLENNIUM MILESTONES AND MEMORIES

Historical Events in Church Annals for May 21:

996 A.D.


Two weeks after becoming the 138th successor of Peter, Pope Gregory V crowns Otto III as Holy Roman Emperor in St. Peter's, making Otto protector of the Church. Coincidentally, it was also on the Solemnity of the Ascension just as we celebrate it today in 1998.

1170 A.D.


Death of Saint Godric, an English hermit who was known for his austerity, gifts of prophecy, knowledge of events far off in the future, and visions. He died on this date in Finchdale, England in a hermitage.

1254 A.D.


Death of Conrad IV, King of Germany and Holy Roman Emperor and son of Frederick II of Hohenstaufenwho, along with his father and his sons were thorns in the side of the Holy See.

1521 A.D.


Birth of Philip II who would go on to become the King of Spain and form an alliance with the Holy League that would lead to the victory over the Turks at Lepanto fifty years later. His monarchy was one of contradiction. While his policies and military prowess helped preserve Catholicism in Spain, his marriage to Queen Mary of England, daughter of Henry VIII by Catherine of Aragon, backfired in that the English, because of their distrust for her and the Spanish Catholic influence, rebelled and embraced Protestantism in retaliation for the harshness of Mary's actions as Queen, dubbing her "Bloody Mary" for her order to burn heretics at the stake.

1536 A.D.


Catholic Bishops and clergy are ostracized in Geneva, Switzerland as the Protestant Reformation is officially adopted bringing great consternation to Pope Paul III.

1542 A.D.


Death of Spanish explorer Hernando DeSoto who had discovered the Mississippi River and helped bring the faith to middle America through the missionaries he had in his garrisons.

1861 A.D.


Death of Saint Eugene de Mazenod, Bishop and Founder of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate in Marseilles, France. He was canonized by Pope John Paul II on December 3, 1995 and his feast is celebrated with great triumph in Canada. For more, see WEEKEND DAILY LITURGY

Historical Events in Church Annals for May 22:

337 A.D.


Death of Constantine the Great, the Roman Emperor who liberated Christianity. His mother was Saint Helena who discovered the Holy Cross. After three centuries of severe persecutions throughout the Roman Empire, Constantine made Catholicism the state religion and from that time on Christians were free to worship and the faith flourished.

1457 A.D.


Death of Saint Rita in Cascia, Italy. After being abused through an eighteen year marriage where she had two sons, both her unfaithful husband and her children were killed and she became a nun in 1413. She was renowned for her austerity and charity and is said to have wrought many miracles including the stigmata on her forehead after hearing a sermon on the crown of thorns. Canonized by Pope Leo XIII at the turn of the century, Rita is the patron saint of desperate causes.

1509 A.D.


Death of Henry VII, the first of the Tudor monarchy and the one who defeated the House of Warwick and Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field, thus ending the War of the Roses with Henry's marriage to Elizabeth of York. Henry VII was also the last loyal Catholic King of England. His notorious successor and son Henry VIII eventually caused all of England to break away from Rome and the faith.

1545 A.D.


Pope Paul III calls the Council of Trent, inviting both the Catholic Bishops and Protestant leaders of the Reformation to gather in the mountainous city of Trent, Italy for dialog. The Protestants refuse but the Council will go on regardless and thank God it did for it solidified and strengthened Holy Mother Church in a time when she could have been ripped apart by dissension.

Historical Events in Church Annals for May 23:

1192 A.D.


Richard I of England recaptures Daron during the Third Crusade.

1430 A.D.


Saint Joan of Arc is taken prisoner by the Burgundians who ransom her to the English.

1533 A.D.


The marriage of Henry VIII to Catherine of Aragon is declared null and void by Thomas Cranmer who Henry appointed Archbishop of Canterbury after Saint Thomas More resigned in protest for he believed marriage is indissoluble and he could not in good conscience find a legitimate reason to annul the marriage.

Belarus trying to blot out foreign missionaries with new rules that could cripple Church's efforts in former Soviet Union

     With the first Russian priests being ordained since the revolution early in this century, the government of Belarus sees no reason for allowing any foreign Catholic missionaries into the country. This would be fine if the same number of priests had been ordained as foreign missionaries, mostly Polish priests. But the truth is it's the former Soviet Union Republic's way of strongarming and squeezing out both foreign priests and the Church in general. For more, click on Belarus bullies

      MINSK, Belarus (CWNews.com/KNS) - The Belarus government has told the Catholic Church in the former Soviet republic that no more foreign priests could be brought into the country now that the first group of native priests had been ordained, according to Keston News Service.

      "Recently we were officially informed that no more foreign priests could come to Belarus because the Catholic Church now has a seminary of its own and the first priests were already trained," reported Cardinal Kazimierz Swiatek. At age 84, the cardinal serves as archbishop of Minsk and bishop of Pinsk. Condemned to death in 1939, he was imprisoned for a decade and in 1991 became the first Catholic bishop in Belarus for almost 50 years.

      Since that time the first seminary has received 25 candidates for the priesthood annually -- not enough to replenish the parishes, ninety percent of which were destroyed or confiscated by the Communists. The initial rebuilding of the Church has been made possible by 130 Polish priests who have come to serve in Belarus since the early 1990s. These foreign priests -- seven of whom serve in the Chernobyl diocese -- are those affected by this government decree.

      Cardinal Swiatek said, "We are most heavily restricted at the administrative level. The priests who come from abroad require permission from the state, without which they cannot carry out their ministry as priests." Despite severe restrictions the Cardinal said he will press on rebuilding and restoring the Catholic Church. When asked what gives him the strength to continue his work, the cardinal replied, "The Church in Belarus is led by the Holy Spirit, by God. I am only His instrument."

Not much difference between ACCU and ACLU: They're both liberal to the core and don't want to heed authority!

    You could see it coming. The Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities are balking at the Holy Father's directive to uphold the truths of the faith in their curriculum and are prepared to fight the bishops who are endeavoring to carry out the Pope's directive from Ex Corde Ecclesia. It's all part of the growing schism within the American Church and the action will get hotter and more pronounced as the days wind down toward showdown on the Catholic campuses. For more, click on No We Won't Obey U..

      NEW YORK (CWNews.com) - The Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities (ACCU), in a statement public this week, has officially rejected a series of proposals being considered by the US bishops' conference on the implementation of a papal letter on Catholic higher education.

      The papal document, Ex Corde Ecclesia, called on Catholic colleges to more readily adhere to their Catholic identity and Church teaching and asked bishops' conferences to play a greater guiding role. In a draft proposal last year on implementing the directives of the letter, the US bishops proposed that every university president take the Oath of Fidelity, that Catholics constitute the majority of faculty if possible, and that local bishops exercise control over the appointment of theology professors. The ACCU said it opposed all three proposals.

      Some Catholic educators have expressed sometimes vociferous opposition to greater control over the schools by the Vatican or bishops, claiming that academic freedom will be hindered. But the 1990 Vatican documents contends that colleges have academic freedom only "within the confines of the truth and the common good." A bishops' committee is expected to consider proposed changes to the draft proposal at their annual spring meeting June 28-29. The revised version will then be brought before the whole conference of bishops for a vote in November.

Pope rekindles need for NATO to lay aside the arms and clasp arms in reconciliation

     The Holy Father took the occasion of his Wednesday Papal Audience to peak the conscience of 120 members of the NATO Defense College comparing them to the 2,500 surviving World War II Polish soldiers who were in attendance to celebrate the 55th anniversary of the capture of the Benedictine Monastery Monte Cassino from the Nazis. While the latter touched the Pope's heart and memories, the former he challenged to strive for peace at all costs. For more, click on Papal Audience.

Remembers Participants in Heroic Battle of Montecassino

      VATICAN CITY, MAY 19 (ZENIT).- At the end of his audience this morning with close to 15,000 pilgrims in Saint Peter's Square, the Pope spoke about the urgency to return to peace in Yugoslavia through dialogue and negotiation. These needs, as well as the issue of the "just war," have been constantly on the Pope's mind over the last few weeks.

      The occasion was propitious when the Pope greeted 120 members of the NATO Defense College, and 2,500 Polish compatriots who came to Rome to celebrate the 55th anniversary of the memorable battle of Monte Cassino.

      "I am always pleased to greet the NATO Defense College, recognizing your organization's role in the service of peace. Today, unfortunately, the Balkans are without peace, and we are witnesses daily of the great suffering of so many of our brothers and sisters. I urge you to keep clearly before you the need for everyone to work to insure that dialogue and negotiation will succeed in bringing an end to violence in the area," the Pope told them.

      When greeting his compatriots, who were led by Cardinal Josef Glemp, Primate of Poland, the Pope addressed the soldiers who took part in the battle of Monte Cassino, "inscribed forever in the history of Poland and Europe."

      John Paul II was referring to the battle for the conquest of the Benedictine monastery, a powerful obstacle in 1944 to the progress of the Allied Armies who fought all the way up the Italian peninsula on their way to Rome. Among the many incidents was the battle of an Anglo-Polish division of 300,000 soldiers, in which 150,000 died. The German force had 60,000 men, 20,000 of whom lost their life. In addition, 6,577 Frenchmen, of a division of 15,000 soldiers, died. The Polish regiments were in the font lines of the assault which, as the numbers reveal, had extremely heavy casualties.

      According to the Holy Father, who had personal friends among the victims, the "Polish soldier fought for a just cause." It is important to understand the reasons which justified the use of arms against the Nazi domination. The Poles were fighting to guarantee "the right of the nation's existence, to independent existence, to social life in the spirit of national convictions and religious traditions, and the sovereignty of the State itself," the Pope explained. ZE99051905

House Armed Services thwarts abortion end-run by pro-abort rep who ousted most outspoken pro-life candidate last year

    In a stunning defeat against Loretta Sanchez who won a controversial nailbiting congressional race against incumbent and strong pro-life candidate Bob Dornan in Southern California last year, the House Armed Services Committee shot down her proposal to allow military women and dependents overseas to have abortions and be paid by medical plans which, for the military, are paid by the American taxpayers. For more, click on Pro-aborts aborted overseas.

      WASHINGTON, DC (CWNews.com) - The House Armed Services Committee on Wednesday turned back new proposals that would have allowed abortions to be performed on military bases overseas.

      The proposal by Rep. Loretta Sanchez, D-California, would have allowed military women or dependents use their own funds to pay for abortions at military hospitals. The current law only allows abortions in case of rape or incest or when the life of the mother is endangered. Public funds can only be used to perform abortions in such hospitals when the life of the mother is threatened.

      The committee did expand the circumstances under which public funds could be used for abortions to include pregnancies that resulted from rape or incest reported to law enforcement authorities, but excluding cases of statutory rape.

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 ZENIT International News Agency. These news services are not affiliated with the Daily CATHOLIC but provide this service via e-mail to the Daily CATHOLIC Monday through Friday.

     This weekend, in honor of the Feast of Saint Eugene de Mazenod and Father Al Svobodny's Fiftieth Anniversary as a priest we present two sites dedicated to the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate. The first is the new site for the United States Province, a new development in which all the provinces merged into one this year and can be found at OMI-USA and the official site internationally for the Oblates at MISSIONARY OBLATES OF MARY IMMACULATE.

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May 21-23, 1999 volume 10, no. 99   DAILY CATHOLIC