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New cardinal of Taiwan Cardinal Paul Shan Kuo-hsi realizes time is running out on his people in the shadow of communist China's threats

    We continue with this special series introducing you to the Princes of the Church. Our one-hundred-twenty-third red-hat we feature, in alphabetical order is 76 year-old Cardinal Paul Shan Kuo-hsi, S.J., Taiwan's youngest cardinal who has served as novice master for the Jesuits before becoming bishop. He was elevated to the cardinalate during Pope John Paul II's most recent Consistory of February 21, 1991. For more on Cardinal Paul Shan Kuo-hsi, S.J., click on COLLEGE OF CARDINALS COLLECTION

123.   Cardinal Paul Shan Kuo-hsi, S.J.

    With the very sensitive and time-bomb ticking situation in China and the tenuous position of Taiwan, Cardinal Paul Shan Kuo-hsi, S.J. is walking a fine line but he is determined to continue allegiance to Rome along with his flock. Beijing is trying to muscle Taiwan out in regards establishing diplomatic relations with the Vatican and the Holy See can ill afford to turn their back on this island so valiantly defended by Chiang Kai-shek. The same thing happened in 1971 when the UN admitted Communist China and consequently expelled Taiwan with the United State's approval. Pope John Paul II would never turn his back on Taiwan and that is the main hangup on the impasse between the Holy See and Beijing in which the Vatican rightfully will not compromise.

    Cardinal Kuo-hsi was born on the mainland in Puyang, China on December 2, 1923 and entered the Jesuit Seminary after World War II. He was ordained a priest in the Society of Jesus on March 18, 1955 and was assigned various duties with the Jesuits including becoming Director of the Chinese section of the Jesuits' Sacred Heart School on the island of Cebu in the Philippines. From there he became Socius of the Novice Master at the Jesuit Novitiate in Thu-duc, Vietnam and then promoted to Novice Master and Rector of manresa House in Changhua in west central Taiwan. He was promoted by his superiors to St. Ignatius High School in Taipei where he became Rector, remainin ghtere until November 15, 1979 when His Holiness John Paul II made him Bishop of Hualien on the far eastern side of the island on the Pacific Coast.

    Upon his selection to the Sacred Conclave during the Holy Father's most recent Consistory of February 21, 1998 he received the titular church of St. Chrysogonus and was appointed Bishop of Kaohsiung on the South China Sea coast in southwestern Taiwan where he remains today. At the same time he was assigned curial membership in the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, and the Pontifical Council for Social Communications.. He resides at the Bishop's House in Kaohsiung, Taiwan at 125 Szu-wei 3rd Road 80203. At 76 it is expected he will most likely retire here when he feels it is necessary.

Pope's "Jubilee Journey" in retracing the footsteps of Our Savior gets a boost from UN ruling of "free access" to Bethlehem and other places in the Holy Land

    To the delight of the Holy See, the UN has helped pave the way for pilgrims as well as the Holy Father to visit the Holy Land by declaring "free access" to Bethlehem, taking it effectively out of the quarreling hands of Israel and Palestine for the Jubilee 2000 year. The resolution guarantees all pilgrims the opportunity to move freely within the Holy Land with few restrictions and makes it more possible for the Pope to complete his historic "Jubilee Journey" to the places where Christ was born and walked the earth. For more, click on Bethlehem open to all

    NEW YORK, NOV 12 (ZENIT).- The U.N. General Assembly voted unanimously on the resolution to allow "free access" to Bethlehem during the Jubilee. In Jesus' birthplace on the West Bank, the Israeli government will establish military control posts following the outbreak of disorders last month, after a Palestinian was killed by an Israeli soldier.

    The resolution calls for an immediate change in the territory of Bethlehem and its surroundings, especially in regard to guarantees for the freedom of movement and unconditional access to holy places by pilgrims of all nationalities.

    The U.N. General Assembly also recognized this Palestinian city as Jesus Christ's birthplace.

    Israel voted in favor of the resolution, as it agrees in principle, although it had certain objections regarding its formulation. Aaron Jacob, Israel's Vice Ambassador at the United Nations, explained that his government is pleased with the definition of Bethlehem. Although in the time of Jesus, Bethlehem was Jewish, the political and juridical ordering of the city must still be decided by the negotiators of the permanent agreement between the parts involved, the diplomat said.

    A few days ago, Hanna Nasser, the Palestinian mayor of the city, protested, considering that the Israeli military presence would discourage pilgrims. But Aaron denied this argument, affirming the exact opposite. According to Aaron, the State of Israel is committed to the modernization of the city's structures, according to the proud Israeli tradition of promoting religious liberty.

    The topic of Bethlehem and the Jubilee was also addressed by Archbishop Martino, the Vatican's Permanent Observer at the U.N., in a meeting of the third commission of the General Assembly. Specifically, the Vatican representative commented on the "Bethlehem 2000" plan, which includes a series of celebrations in Territories of the Palestinian Authority during the Jubilee Year.

    UNESCO, the U.N. organization for Education, Science, and Culture, has funded a program in Bethlehem for the Jubilee celebrations. About 2 million pilgrims are expected to visit Christ's birthplace in the year 2000,

    Finally, Archbishop Martino expressed the hope that those who are contributing to the peace process in the Middle East will make every possible effort so that the new millennium can be celebrated in an atmosphere of reconciliation throughout the region. ZE99111109

Ecumenism in vogue at St. Peter's as Swedish King and Pope honor St. Bridget and Catholic-Lutheran pact

    The Holy Father presided at an ecumenical Vespers service in St. Peter's this past weekend with Lutheran leaders and the King and Queen of Sweden in a moving ecumenical service that capped a Symposium on Saint Bridget of Sweden and the Jubilee. The saint who the Pope named one of three patronesses of Europe is an important link between Scandinavian Lutherans and Rome. For more, click on Swedish connection.

    VATICAN CITY, NOV 14 (ZENIT).- On Friday, Nov. 12, Archbishop Crescenzio Sepe, Secretary of the Vatican Committee for the Preparation of the Great Jubilee, opened an international symposium on "Saint Bridget and the Holy Year," sponsored by the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. Two weeks after the signing of the Joint Declaration on Justification, the meeting, which is being held at the Pontifical Gregorian University, brings together Lutheran and Catholic speakers of the highest order.

    During the symposium, King Karl Gustav XVI, and Queen Sylvia of Sweden, and their daughter, Victoria, the Princess heiress, met in the Vatican with John Paul II on Saturday, Nov 13, at 11 a.m.. In the afternoon, the Pontiff presided at an ecumenical celebration of Vespers, in the company of the Swedish monarchs and the Primates of the Lutheran and Catholic Churches of Sweden and Finland.

    Following the religious service, which for the Scandinavian guests at the Vatican will be like an introduction to the Jubilee Year 2000, the Holy Father and the Swedish monarchs inaugurated the 5-meter high statue of Saint Bridget, which will be placed outside the Basilica, in Saint Martha's Square.

    St. Bridget, whom John Paul II proclaimed patroness of Europe, together with St. Catherine of Siena and St. Theresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein), at the opening of the Synod of Bishops for Europe, has always been a point of reference for the unity of the Scandinavian Lutheran Church and the Catholic Church.

    These meetings in Rome are an attempt to reflect on the message transmitted by Bridget to the men and women of our time, especially in light of the Jubilee of the Year 2000. Indeed, the Scandinavian saint came to Rome in 1350 to participate in the second Jubilee in history.

    Bishop Mario Russotto, organizer of the international symposium and spiritual director of the Bridgettine Order, explained that this academic meeting hopes to make an historical analysis in order "to place Bridget in the history of her time and study her relation to the Jubilee of that period."

    Next on the agenda, is "an ecumenical moment. We shall try to understand the ecumenical dimension of Bridget's message and relate Bridget to Elisabetta Hesselblad, who re-founded the Bridgettine Order with an ecumenical dimension."

    Finally, the congress will analyze Bridget's message to contemporary women. The Catholic and Lutheran Archbishops and Bishops of Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Norway will attend the symposium, as will a group of 150 Poles among whom is Lech Walesa, founder of "Solidarnosc" and ex-president of Poland . ZE99111207

Pope remembers three cardinals and 111 bishops who passed away this past year during traditional Mass at St. Peter's Friday

    This past Friday Pope John Paul II celebrated the annual traditional memorial Mass for the repose of the souls of Cardinals and Bishops at a special altar at the Chair of St. Peter's. He prayed for the repose of the souls of 111 Bishops and three cardinals who passed on this year - two from Chile Cardinal Carlos Oviedo Cavada who died at 72, his predecessor Cardinal Raul Silva Henriquez, S.D.B.; and England's Cardinal George Basil Hume, Archbishop of Westminster who died this past summer of cancer. That leaves only 154 in the College of Cardinals and 4,466 Bishops worldwide. For more, click on Memorial Mass for deceased prelates .

    VATICAN CITY, NOV 14 (ZENIT).- On Friday, Nov. 12, in the traditional Mass for the repose of souls, which the Holy Father offers every year at the beginning of November at the altar of the chair of St. Peter, John Paul II prayed for the Cardinals and Bishops who have died this past year. They are an "example that inspires confirmation of faith in Christ, from whom one receives the consoling certainty that death is a passage to eternal life," the Pope said.

    Three Cardinal died this year. Cardinal Carlos Oviedo Cavada, Archbishop of Santiago, Chile; his successor, Cardinal Raul Silva Henriquez; and Cardinal George Basil Hume, Archbishop of Westminster, England.

    Their deaths reduces to 154 the number of members of the Sacred College of Cardinals. Also in 1999, some 111 Bishops died, bringing the number of Bishops worldwide to 4,466.

    "To all these deceased prelates we direct our heartfelt thoughts and gratitude," the Pope said.

    In all, 23 Cardinals and numerous Bishops and clergy from the Roman Curia, concelebrated Mass with John Paul II under Bernini's Gloria. The principal concelebrants were Cardinal Bernardin Gantin, Dean of the Sacred College of Cardinals, and Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. ZE99111205

Connection from Vatican to Castel Sant' Angelo to reopen for Jubilee after 130 years since King Emmanuel captured it from Pius IX

    During the Jubilee Year 2000 Celebration pilgrims will be able to resurrect memories of heroism along the passageway between the Vatican palaces and the famed Castel Sant' Angelo where nearly 150 Swiss Guards gave their lives to protect, defend and help the Sovereign Pontiff Pope Clement VII flee to safety in the castle during the bitter battle with Protestant emperor Charles V in 1527. The passageway itself that links the Vatican with the castle is about the length of 8 football fields between the wall of the Holy See and the circular castle overlooking the Tiber River. Pilgrims will be able to travel its distance in a special arrangement between the Italian government and the Vatican. For more, click on New passageway to open.

    VATICAN (CWNews.com) -- A passage along the fortified wall between the Vatican and the Castel Sant' Angelo will soon be open to the public for the first time since 1870.

    The "passetto," which has been the property of the Italian government since 1991, has been completely renovated during preparations for the Jubilee, and will be open to visitors in the year 2000.

    This stretch of the wall has been closed since 1870, when the Vatican lost the last of the pontifical states and most of its property in the city of Rome. Since the Castel Sant' Angelo-- a building located about 800 yards from the Vatican itself-- was no longer the property of the Holy See, the passageway was no longer useful.

    However, the "passetto" retains a strong historical significance. In May 1527, during the sack of Rome, Pope Clement VII made his escape all that passage to gain safety in the castle as the troops of Emperor Charles V rampaged through the city. During that battle, 147 of the 200 Swiss Guards protecting the Pope were killed.

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November 15, 1999 volume 10, no. 216  DAILY CATHOLIC