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FRI-SAT-SUN     November 19-21, 1999     SECTION THREE      vol 10, no. 220

To print out entire text of Today's issue, print this section as well as SECTION ONE and SECTION TWO


"Pocket Monsters" pick pockets of millions of gullible kids and parents with monstrous opening week for "Pokemon"

Top Ten Films for the second week of November

   The phenomenon of Pokemon swept through America like a Samurai sword in a subliminal Tsunami this past week as "Pokemon: The First Movie" more than quadrupled its competition with a record take for the first week. Our editorial today best sums up the subliminal message within the entire phenomena that has the promotional wizards calling out the wizards to infiltrate and alter young minds. As for the Top Ten reviews for the second week of November prepared by the NCCB, click on MOVIES AND MORALS

TOP TEN MOVIES
FOR THE SECOND WEEK OF NOVEMBER

  • 1.   POKEMON: THE FIRST MOVIE
  • 2.   THE BONE COLLECTOR
  • 3.   it's-a-DOG, MA
  • 4.   THE MESSENGER: THE STORY OF JOAN OF ARC
  • 5.   ANYWHERE BUT HERE
  • 6.   THE INSIDER
  • 7.   THE BACHELOR
  • 8.   HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL
  • 9.   DOUBLE JEOPARDY
  • 10.   THE SIXTH SENSE

    WORLDWIDE
    NEWS & VIEWS

    with a
    Catholic slant

    HEADLINES:

    JOHN PAUL II WILL GO TO HOLY LAND IN MARCH 2000

    Vatican Publishes Official Jubilee Calendar

        VATICAN CITY, NOV 18 (ZENIT).- John Paul II never stops surprising his collaborators with new plans; they have again been forced to make corrections to the official calendar for the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000, which will begin with the opening of the Holy Door in just 37 days time.

        The first, and perhaps most significant, change is the newly scheduled trip to the Holy Land, during the last week of March 2000, announced this morning by Archbishop Crescenzio Sepe, secretary of the Committee of the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000. For the Holy Father, the pilgrimage will be a dream come true.

        As the Pontiff himself wrote at the end of June, this pilgrimage is of a purely spiritual character, embracing the great places of Revelation.

        But the changes do not stop here. Archbishop Sepe confirmed that for the first time in history, the Holy Father will open the Holy Door in four patriarchal basilicas. In previous Holy Years, the Pontiff only opened St. Peter's Door in the Vatican, and the others were opened by Cardinals legate.

        In presenting the changes to the Jubilee calendar, the secretary of the Vatican Committee for the Jubilee disclosed that in the year 2000 the number of expected beatification ceremonies will increase (there will be 3: the first on March 5, the second on April 9, and the third on September 3) as well as canonizations (there will be 2: the first on May 21 and the second on November 1). The increase in these ceremonies is due to the fact that over the last few months several processes have been concluded, multiplying by 2 the number of saints and blessed to be proclaimed in 2000.

        The announced "mea culpa" (petition for forgiveness), in which the Holy Father will acknowledge historical sins of the children of the Church, will take place the first Sunday of Lent (March 12) in St. Peter's, instead of Ash Wednesday (March 8), as originally established in the official calendar.

        Finally, the four official concerts that will be held in the Vatican during the Jubilee have been added to the official calendar. The first is a gift for the Pope who will be 80 on May 18: it will be performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra. The remaining musical events will take place on June 8 (Vienna Philharmonic); September 23 (Hungary's 'Danubia' Youth Orchestra), and October 22 (Brno Symphonic Orchestra of the Czech Republic). ZE99111708


    POPE CALLS GERMAN BISHOPS TO WITNESS TO LIFE

    Refers to Relativism and Dissension Within German Church

        VATICAN CITY, NOV 18 (ZENIT).- The Church in Germany must "give unanimous and clear witness to the Gospel of Life," the Holy Father said to the second group of German bishops, who are in Rome for their five-year "ad limina" visit to the Pontiff and the Holy See.

        The Pope's appeal had a marked personal dimension. "Perhaps Providence has entrusted me with the chair of Peter to be an impassioned 'advocate of life' on the threshold of the third millennium." John Paul II remarked that in saying this, he was not improvising. "During a particularly dark chapter in the history of this century, in my youth I experienced how human life was trampled and annihilated not far from Wadowice, the city of my birth!" Although he did not mention it, it should be noted that not far from Karol Wojtyla's birthplace, is the notorious Auschwitz -- one among a number of extermination camps.

        Among the bishops present at the meeting was Bishop Karl Lehmann of Mainz, president of the Episcopal Conference, and other prelates from Passau, Spira and Augsburg.

        The Pope recalled that in recent letters sent the German bishops, in an attempt to resolve the divisions provoked by the certificate given by Catholic consultation centers to pregnant women seeking an abortion, he has tried to unite them "in the unique and grand symphony of life, to which the Catholic Church must always and everywhere be faithful."

    The Bishops and Pontiff

        In this connection, the Pope -- who added no further comments on the issue of the consultations centers -- took time to analyze the bishops' work, who "carry out their mission with the Bishop of Rome," as the latter, "being the pastor of all the faithful, has the mission to attend to the common good of the whole Church and the good of each one of the churches, presiding over the universal community of love." This does not mean that the supreme and universal power of the Pope annuls the bishops' own power, the Pope clarified. On the contrary, it "is confirmed, corroborated and affirmed by him." And he added: "together with the Supreme Pontiff, and under his authority, the bishops have the mission to perpetuate the work of Christ."

        Quoting Vatican Council II, John Paul II explained that "the task of the pastors consists in teaching Christian doctrine and discipline in a manner appropriate to the needs of the time in which we live, in such a way that it responds to the difficulties and problems that afflict the anguished men of today."

        "The men and women of today are more sensitive to the witness of our life than the power of our speeches. They want to see in us persons whose life is totally oriented to Jesus Christ."

    Relativism

        The Pope did not fail to point out "the climate of mistrust and hostility" in which the German bishops have to carry out their mission, "as many contemporaries are opposed to the demand for certainty in knowledge of the truth." This is "a very widespread mentality today, which tries to exclude from life the questions on ultimate truths and relegates religious faith and the conviction of moral values to the private sphere."

        Consequently, the Pope asked "what is the role attributed to God at present, to whom fifty years ago the fathers of the fundamental law of your country wanted to make explicit reference, when they referred at the beginning of the Constitution to 'awareness of their responsibility before God and men.' "

        Unfortunately, "in a climate of widespread religious individualism, some members of the Church even arrogate to themselves the right to choose what in their judgment is admissible in matters of faith and teachings. But the truths of the faith are an organic whole, which does not allow for such arbitrary discriminations," the Pope said.

    Dissension

        Arriving at this point, the Holy Father called on the bishops to announce the Gospel in a courageous and serene way in all circumstances. "Without a doubt, moral conscience must be respected as a man's 'sanctuary,' in which he is alone with God, whose voice resounds in the intimacy of his heart. But with equal fervor you must remind your faithful that conscience is an exacting tribunal, whose judgment must always conform to God's norms, authoritatively proposed by the Church with the help of the Spirit."

        The Holy Father said that if the bishops announce "in a clear and unanimous way the teachings on these questions, they will influence in a positive way the necessary return to the sacrament of reconciliation in a positive way, which, tragically, today is deserted, including in the Catholic regions of your country." ZE99111804


    FORMER COACH SUES ST. JOHN'S UNIVERSITY OVER NIKE FIRING

        NEW YORK (CWNews.com) - A former soccer coach filed a lawsuit against St. John's University, the largest Catholic university in the US, and the Nike athletic wear company.

        James Keady said he was fired from his position as assistant soccer coach at St. John's when he refused to wear the Nike logo on his uniform, following pressure by Nike on the university. Keady said he was an outspoken critic of the New York school for accepting a multimillion-dollar licensing deal while workers at overseas Nike plants were being subjected to alleged sweatshop conditions.

        "We, as a Catholic university ... are called to measure success by guaranteeing all persons human dignity, not profit margins," Keady wrote in a recent letter to Nike officials, explaining his position. Keady's lawsuit contends St. John's and Nike conspired to damage Keady's reputation, breached his contract as a graduate assistant employed by the university, violated his First Amendment rights to free speech, and forced him out for his religious beliefs.

        University officials said they had no comment until the lawsuit is officially filed on Friday. A Nike spokesman said the lawsuit is without merit and that Keady's contentions were unfounded.


    DIANA'S MOTHER LAUNCHES CHARITY RECORD FOR LOURDES PILGRIMS

        LONDON (CWNews.com) - Frances Shand Kydd -- mother of Diana Princess of Wales -- on Wednesday launched a charity record to raise funds for handicapped children visiting Lourdes.

        "Will You Walk on By?" is sung by former Runrig lead singer Donnie Munro and will raise money for HCPT, The Pilgrimage Trust, which Shand Kydd has supported for the last decade. It will be launched in the US between Christmas and New Year.

        Shand Kydd stressed that this was a one-time charity project and that the record captured many of the concerns close to her late daughter's heart. "The first moment I heard it I knew it was special," she said. "It captured all the concerns both Diana and I cared about. I have always been reluctant to put my name to anything, but this is the one exception -- it is a beautiful song with a heartfelt message that should be heard by everyone."

        She added, "I hold dear, very dear, events and happenings which try to continue her caring and I think that is what tributes should be about, not just remembering somebody because they are dead, but because what they were to the world and live on continuously. I would not be involved in anything that was not ongoing of her concerns. I never really ever wanted to put my name to anything when she was alive or dead -- but this is the one-off exception."

        Twice-divorced Shand Kydd, who converted to Catholicism in 1994, has only used her celebrity status for one other cause -- to raise funds to built the first Catholic chapel and retreat house on the Scottish island of Iona in 400 years.





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    November 19-21, 1999 volume 10, no. 220  DAILY CATHOLIC