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HEADLINES:
New look unveiled with blessings and fireworks in St. Peter's Square
Over seventy thousand packed St. Peter's Square Friday night to see the Pope bless the new-look bright St. Peter's Basilica and Square and marvel to the extravagant fireworks display accompanied by the Te Deum sung by the Vatican Choir. These were all part of the kickoff celebration in preparation for Jubilee 2000 which officially begins Christmas Eve when the Holy Father will open the Holy Door. For more, click on Pope blesses restored St. Peter's
Unborn Victims Violence Act passes in the House despite threats of veto by abortion-mad Clinton
The efforts of pro-life groups like Judie Brown's American Life League and Human Life International founded by Father Paul Marx to name a few, were rewarded with the passage of a bill that would make it criminal to harm an unborn fetus. But pro-lifers are holding their breath to see the Senate's reaction and then wait out the battle with William Jefferson Clinton, an ally and promoter of the culture of death who epitomizes the depths morals have plummeted to during his administration. For more, click on Trying to protect the unborn.
Salesians will return to East Timor to help rebuild as word comes 18 seminarians missing in East Timor
Despite the presence of UN peacekeeping troops, violence is still a threat in East Timor. In the aftermath of the senseless slaughter of three seminarians, two nuns, a deacon and several laymen including a reporter, word comes that eighteen seminarians are missing as well. Meanwhile the Church continues to harbor refugees in other parts of Indonesia trying to keep them safe from pro-Indonesian militia who have wreaked all the havoc. Finally, contrary to some speculation that Bishop Carlos Ximenes Belo, spiritual leader of East Timor, would run for office in the new independent government to be formed, he has declined, opting to lead his people spiritually rather than politically. For more, click on East Timor .
Pivotal European Synod of Bishops opens in Rome
The month-long European Synod began Friday at the Vatican. It is the Second Special Assembly of this body of Bishops and the last before the Third Millennium, the main theme of the Synod as the Holy Father points out is to unify Europe for the Faith and to bring her back into the fold of loyalty for Europe has slipped badly over the century and his goal is to return her to her past glory within the Church. For more, click on European Synod .
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Appreciation of the Commissions and Committees
Today we continue with our new series in the search to uncover the great treasuries of the Church contained in the great Deposit of Faith. We continue with the Roman Curia, treating today the non-curial offices of the commissions and committees assigned to the Curia in Rome. For the twenty-fourth installment, click on APPRECIATING THE PRECIOUS GIFT OF OUR FAITH
Coming
TUESDAY
Number 48 in our countdown of the TOP 100 CATHOLICS OF THE CENTURY
Twenty-fifth installment on the treasures of the great Deposit of Faith in APPRECIATING THE PRECIOUS GIFT OF OUR FAITH
Another pertinent editorial in CATHOLIC PEWPOINT
Time Capsules in Church History with MILLENNIUM MILESTONES AND MEMORIES focusing on events that occurred on October 5th
DAILY LITURGY for the Twenty-seventh Tuesday in Ordinary Time and the Twenty-seventh Wednesday in Ordinary Time along with the Feasts of Saint Bruno , priest, hermit and religious founder and Blessed Marie-Rose Durocher, virgin and relgious founder.
More gems from Bishop Fulton J. Sheen in SIMPLY SHEEN
And more in our 189th issue for 1999!
TOP CATHOLIC OF THE CENTURY
Number 49:Judie Brown Founder of American Life League who has given her all for ALL
Today we bring you the 49th person selected out of the TOP 100 CATHOLICS OF THE CENTURY. The voters chose Judith Ann Brown, the dauntless, dedicated founder of the American Life League. For the past three decades she has fought valiantly with every ounce of her breath for the unborn to have the right to breathe, taking on those who would dare promote the culture of death and calling upon her Catholic faith for strength and purpose in perpetuating the essence of Humanae Vitae and Veritatis Splendor and Evangelium Vitae and educating the masses as to the intrinsic wrongs of abortion and euthanasia. For more on the 49th selection, click on JUDIE BROWN
DAILY LITURGY
Today is the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi mystic, stigmatist and founder of the Order of Friars Minor, better known as the Franciscans. Tomorrow is the Twenty-seventh Tuesday in Ordinary Time. For the readings, liturgies, meditations, and vignette on Saint Francis, click on DAILY LITURGY.
PRAYER & DEVOTIONS
In honor of today's Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi we present a special prayer from My Daily Prayer book:
O God, Who, through the merits of Blessed Francis, didst give increase to Thy Church by the enrichment of a new offspring; grant that we may so follow his example as to despise the things of this world and ever to rejoice in the partaking of Thy Heavenly gifts. Through Our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen.
The Church is not a guinea pig for dissident groups to have their say!
In his column today, Pat Ludwa challenges those who would twist the Church to fit their mold and try to get the Magisterium to run in place in man's wheel rather than fitting the mold God wants us to blend into and come full circle to Him for His sake and the sake of our souls. As Pat illustrates in his column, be careful of what you wish for, you may get it and be stuck with it. That is why the lipservice that modernists, dissidents, and feminists spiel is merely a smokescreen. Reading between the lines one can easily see these groups are not interested in changing the Church for the good of God's people but for their own selfish, insecure reasons that would elevate themselves above God. They are guilty of false advertising and ultimately will get called on the carpet, and, if they're not careful, could be vacuumed up into the oblivion of the nether regions. When will they realize the Church is not a guinea pig? For Pat's column Dog and Pony Show!, click on VIEW FROM THE PEW
Holy Father further clarifies meaning of indulgences
In his most recent regular weekly Wednesday Papal Audience in St. Peter's Square, Pope John Paul II followed up his document on indulgences released a few months ago with a further clarification that indulgences are "concrete stepping stones" that we can utilize to shorten our time in Purgatory only if we fulfill all the requirements and strive toward holiness as the purpose of indulgences provide. For the Pope's words on his talk, "The Gift of Indulgences," click on THE VICAR OF CHRIST SPEAKS.
Archbishop of Madagascar's major See Cardinal Armand Gaetan Razafindratandra played a major role in maintaining the faith of his flock and bringing democracy to his land
We continue with this special series introducing you to the Princes of the Church. Our one-hundred-sixth red-hat we feature, in alphabetical order is 74 year-old Cardinal Armand Gaetan Razafindratandra, Archbishop of Antananarivo, the major see on the Island of Madagascar. Cordoba. He was elevated to the cardinalate by Pope John Paul II during the Consistory of November 26, 1994. For more on Cardinal Armand Gaetan Razafindratandra, click on COLLEGE OF CARDINALS COLLECTION
Events Today in Church History
On this day 98 years ago in 1903 Pope Saint Pius X, not wasting any time, released his first of sixteen encyclicals. This one, on the restoration of all things in Jesus entitled E supremi earmarked the goals he had set out for his pontificate in following the influential twenty-five year papacy of Pope Leo XIII. Pius X issued it less than two months after being elected the 257th successor of Peter on August 7, 1903. For other pertinent events throughout the centuries that are memorable in Church history today, click on MILLENNIUM MILESTONES AND MEMORIES
SIMPLY SHEEN: Obeying God isn't meant to be popular!
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but the words of Bishop Fulton J. Sheen have been known to launch a thousand images in one's mind, one of the ways this late luminary did so much to evangelize the faith. Because of the urgency of the times and because few there are today who possess the wisdom, simplicity and insight than the late Archbishop who touched millions, we are bringing you daily gems from his writings. The good bishop makes it so simple that we have dubbed this daily series: "SIMPLY SHEEN".
"The fact is religion is popular only when it ceases to be truly religious. Religion by its very nature is unpopular - certainly unpopular with the ego."
September 25th Medjugorje Monthly Message
Dear children! Today again I call you to become carriers of my peace. In a special way, now when it is being said that God is far away, He has truly never been nearer to you. I call you to renew prayer in your families by reading the Sacred Scripture and to experience joy in meeting with God who infinitely loves His creatures. Thank you for having responded to my call.
To review past articles in textonly format, click on Archives.
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