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SIMPLY SHEEN:    Who knows who you might meet in Heaven!?!

    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 separation of people into sheep and goats will take place only at the last day. Until then we are forbidden to make any classification. It is very likely that there will be many surprises in Heaven. Many people will be there that we never expected to find, and many will not be there whom we expected to see; and finally, we probably will be most surprised to find ourselves there."

Events Today in Church History

   On this date in 1271 a holy priest who was Archdeacon Tedaldo Visconti was elected the 184th successor of Peter becoming Pope Gregory X who would go on to be beatified. He also had friends in high places, specifically the Angelic Doctor Saint Thomas Aquinas, a Dominican, and the Franciscan Saint Bonaventura, both esteemed Doctors of the Church. It took three years for him to be elected because of disagreements at the conclave in Viterbo. The people became so impatient that no Pope had been elected, they removed the roof of the conclave and put the cardinals on bread and water until they could come to a decision. Needless to say they did and they chose well. Blessed Gregory convened the 14th Ecumenical Council. For other pertinent events throughout the centuries that are memorable in Church history today, click on MILLENNIUM MILESTONES AND MEMORIES

Historical Events in Church Annals for September 1:

827 A.D.


Pope Valentine is elected as the 100th successor of Peter. This Roman-born pontiff was beloved by the people, the nobles, and the clergy for his goodness and charity. The beginning of his very brief pontificate was greeted by manifestations of great joy as an indication of his well-known pious character, but alas he would only live 16 days.

1159 A.D.


Death of Pope Hadrian IV, the 169th successor of Peter who was the only English pontiff in the history of the Holy See. He ruled for nearly five years. During his reign he had a historic meeting with the emperor Barbarossa at Sutri in the Italian Alps. The emperor refused to hold the bridle of the Hadrian's mule as is the custom and the Pope refused him the kiss of peace. However, when an agreement was reached between them and Barbarosa repented, Hadrian officially crowned him as Holy Roman Emperor. Barbarossa would later be excommunicated by succeeding Popes.

1271 A.D.


The simple priest Archdeacon Tedaldo Visconti, friend of Saint Thomas Aquinas and Saint Bonaventure, is elected the 184th successor of Peter, becoming Blessed Pope Gregory X. It took three years for him to be elected because of disagreements at the conclave in Viterbo. The people became so impatient that no Pope had been elected, they removed the roof of the conclave and put the cardinals on bread and water until they could come to a decision. Needless to say they did and they chose well. Blessed Gregory convened the 14th Ecumenical Council.

    Today is the Twenty-second Wednesday in Ordinary Time with tomorrow being the Twenty-second Thursday in Ordinary Time. For the readings, liturgies, and meditations, click on DAILY LITURGY.

Wednesday September 1:
Twenty-second Wednesday in Ordinary Time

Green vestments

First Reading: Colossians 1: 1-8
Psalms: Psalm 52: 10-11
Gospel Reading: Luke 4: 38-44

Thursday September 2:
Twenty-second Thursday in Ordinary Time

Green vestments

First Reading: Colossians 1: 9-14
Psalms: Psalm 98: 2-6
Gospel Reading: Luke 5: 1-11

New Missal among new liturgical texts soon to be introduced by the Vatican

    The Holy See has acknowledged that within the next few weeks they will release a new edition of the Roman Missal as well as various other new liturgical texts such as an updated Breviary and Martyrology plus a Latin Lectionary that will not contain any of the aberrations of the New American Bible but remain true to the Latin Vulgate. The new missal will reflect all the changes and additions of saints and feasts created by Pope John Paul II since this is the first such liturgical work during his pontificate. For more, click on New liturgical texts.

    VATICAN (CWNews.com) -- Vatican officials have confirmed that several new important liturgical texts-- including a new edition of the Roman Missal-- will be published in coming weeks.

    Bishop Francesco Pio Tamburrino, the secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship, told reporters that the Latin "editio typica"-- or authoritative version-- of the Roman Missal will be available before the end of the year. At an August 31 interview with reporters from the I Media news agency in Rome, he said that the new edition of the Missal, along with other texts, was to be available for the Jubilee Year.

    The third edition of the Roman Missal will be the first edition published during the pontificate of John Paul II. The first two editions, following the liturgical renewals of Vatican II, were issued under the aegis of Pope Paul VI.

    Bishop Tamburrino said that the new Missal itself is now being printed. An introduction, he said, is still in the editorial process.

    The Latin-language "editio typica" is a "point of departure" for the translations, which will follow. He said that the new Missal would contain no innovations, but would bring the Roman Missal up to date by incorporating two sorts of material: the new feasts for those who have been canonized or beatified under Pope John Paul II, and the responses to liturgical directives issued since the appearance of the second edition. For example, he said, the new edition would acknowledge the possibility that women could be altar servers. The new text could also include more explicit guidelines on involvement of "lay ministers" in the liturgy.

    The Missal, however, is only one of several new texts that will be issued in coming weeks by the Congregation for Divine Worship. The Congregation is also preparing a new Latin edition of the Lectionary, or book of Scriptural readings for liturgical celebrations. This will be the second authoritative edition of the Lectionary; the first appeared shortly after Vatican II.

    The new Lectionary, Bishop Tamburrino said, will be based on the latest revised version of the Vulgate: the original Latin text of the Bible as translated by St. Jerome nearly 1600 years ago. The new Vulgate, the bishop said, has been prepared with the help of the monks of the famous abbeys of Clairvaux and Solesmes. Again, he said, there would be no major changes, but "certain refinements" in the text.

    The Congregation for Divine Worship has plans to release several other texts in time for the Jubilee:

• - a new Latin edition of the Gospels-- the first such text to be published since Vatican II, containing the Gospel texts together with instructions for chanting them;
• - a new volume of texts from Scripture and the Church Fathers, to be used in the Office of Reading, prayed each day by priests and religious;
• - a new martyrology, or listing of saints and martyrs with their feast days;
• - a guide proposing norms for the discernment of popular traditions and customs which may be encouraged and adapted within the liturgy, and recognizing those customs which are inappropriate to the sacraments; and
• - a guide for priests on the proper way of celebrating the Mass.

    The last text-- the guide for priests-- is still in outline form, Bishop Tamburrino said. He explained that the text would be an effort to help priests "more fully to use the resources of the Roman Missal."

Overwhelming turnout at the polls bodes well for East Timor's Independence

    If ABC, CBS, CNN or NBC took an exit poll in Catholic East Timor yesterday they would have declared the referendum for Independence a resounding success, but officially, because of lesser technology in Indonesia, the results probably won't be known for a week or so. Nevertheless, the overwhelming flood of East Timorese voters, from some accounts 95% of the population, that turned out to vote on whether East Timor remains under Indonesia rule in Jakarta or launches out on its own as a free, independent country speaks volumes that the latter will be the result. Indonesia's president B.J. Habibie has pledged to honor the UN-sponsored vote, but anti-independence military factions have pledged to continue harassing East Timor and there were several accounts of intimidation by soldiers toward many citizens in remote areas of the island. For more, click on East Timor independence.

    DILI, East Timor (CWNews.com) - Local officials in East Timor on Tuesday predicted that the huge voter turnout in a referendum on the territory's future means a choice for independence rather greater autonomy within Indonesia.

    The UN-organized vote saw up to 95 percent of the more than 430,000 registered voters in East Timor cast their ballot, despite threats of violence from anti-independence militias backed by Indonesia's military.

    Indonesia, the most populous Muslim nation in the world, invaded mainly Catholic East Timor, a former Portugese colony, in 1975 and annexed it the following year in a move not recognized by the United Nations. In January, President B.J. Habibie proposed a referendum to allow Timorese to choose either autonomy within Indonesia or full independence.

    "We had a massive (vote). That wouldn't happen if people wanted things to stay the way they are," said a human rights worker who monitored the vote. "A new country has been born." East Timor has been dominated by foreign nations for centuries, first by Portugal and then by Indonesia.

    Nobel Peace Prize winner Bishop Carlos Belo of Dili appealed for calm on Monday and for pro- and anti-independence factions to work together for peace. "My appeal to the leaders is that they are able to convince their bases to accept the verdict of the people and to lay down their arms and help to make political compromise to .. work for peace and reconciliation," he said. "If they are Timorese they have to work together. If they are not, they leave the territory."

    Votes began arriving in Dili on Tuesday and a final result is expected in about a week.

Holy Land braces for record influx of pilgrims in 2000

   Though most of Israel and Palestine is not Catholic, thanks to Saint Francis, his Order is in charge of numerous landmark sites in the Holy Land and because of that, will enable millions of pilgrims to visit these sacred sites unhampered by political pressure for the Franciscans are "custodians of the Holy Land." The Friars, some 300 strong from 37 different nations, have also managed to build new facilities for Jubilee 2000 including a 6,000-seat auditorium in Bethlehem so there will be room at the "in place" for informing large crowds on the various sites available to visit so all may have the extreme privilege of walking in the footsteps of Our Lord. For more, click on Holy Land

    JERUSALEM, AUG. 30 (ZENIT).- The deep desire to follow in the footsteps of Jesus drove Francis of Assisi to visit the Holy Land in 1219-1220. To accomplish his feat he had to overcome serious obstacles in order to finally meet with sultan Melik-el-Kamil and thus began a long history of permanent dialogue with the Muslim world.

    Thanks to that first visit of St. Francis and his love for the land of Jesus, the "Custody of the Holy Land" was established and today consists of Franciscan friars from 37 nations, dedicated to helping others get to know the land where Jesus of Nazareth once lived. Their custody is not only oriented to conserving archeological treasures but especially to sustaining the light of faith and the heritage of the marvels worked by God in these lands, in the example of Mary who "guarded all things in her heart."

    With only four months remain before the beginning of the Jubilee Year 2000, which by express wish of Pope John Paul II will be simultaneously celebrated in Rome, the Holy Land, and each local church around the world, the Guardian of the Holy Land, Father Giovanni Battistelli, admitted that they are expecting the largest numbers of pilgrims in history. The role of the custodians will be, above all, of a spiritual and religious nature, since transportation, lodging and practical arrangements will be taken care of by the Israeli and Palestine governments.

    "We take care of the sanctuaries, the holy places," Fr. Battistelli said. "To accomplish this we have formed a Secretariat in which all the different Catholic ordinaries of the Holy Land are represented and which serves as the intermediary with the local governments."

A Point of Reference

    "Nevertheless," he added, "regarding the work of the custodians, we have a specific Secretariat, the C.I.C. (Center of Christian Information), that is in charge of organizing all pilgrimages and events within the sanctuaries themselves. This helps to avoid confusions and everything is a little better organized. For example, in Bethlehem, by using a large area of our school there, we have been able to build a comfortable auditorium for 6,000 people.

    Today, the Custody of the Holy land consists of over 300 religious brothers (priests and laymen) distributed among 74 locations in Israel, the occupied territories, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Cyprus and Rhodes. The brothers work in a very important social, cultural and religious context for the whole Church.

    "This is a land where the three great monotheistic religious meet," Fr. Battistelli said; "Western and Oriental culture; peoples of Semitic, Arab and Israeli civilizations. In a situation like this the presence and activity of the Franciscans is not in any way something secondary."

    Among its numerous activities, they direct 15 schools with over 7,000 students and some 480 teachers; homes for the elderly and orphanages; hostels for pilgrims; as well as providing scholarships, housing and medical attention for poor families.

    The "Studium Biblicum Franciscanum" and the "Franciscan Press" offers theological and scientific formation for members of the Custody, especially regarding ecumenical and interreligious dialogue and the archeological exploration of the important sites and shrines.

    But the Franciscans are best known for their hospitality towards the numerous pilgrims who venture every year to the Holy Land to retrace the footsteps of Jesus in these historic places, as Francis did so long ago, in order to deepen their faith in the Son of God and of Mary. ZE99083005

Inner city Catholic schools could make a comeback if Indianapolis experiment proves fruitful

   In the spirit of Saint Dom Bosco, the shepherd of the Indianapolis Archdiocese Archbishop Daniel Buechlein is taking education back to the streets - the urban streets of the city by reopening a parish school in the inner city, the first in forty years when the nuns ruled the roost and discipline was respected. How it fares in the dangerous ghetto area of Indiana's state capitol will be the litmus test on whether other bishops follow Buechlein's courageous move and begin refurbishing parish schools that had been closed in over the past few decades. For more, click on Inner city Catholic schools.

    INDIANAPOLIS, AUG 30 (ZENIT).- Indianapolis Archbishop Daniel Buechlein says it's an example that could be used to build more parochial schools throughout the country. The fact is that what many are calling the first new Catholic, inner city school to open in more than 40-years has just begun its inaugural school year.

    With the help and financial contributions of several corporations and sponsors that helped raise money for the project, Holy Angels Elementary School located in downtown Indianapolis on Martin Luther King Jr. Street has attracted 250 new students to its classrooms. While the beginnings of this new endeavor are simple it is hoped that it will be only the beginning of a new push to open, refurbish or renew other schools in urban areas that have been closed because of lack of funds. ZE99083022

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 the features, dossiers and Daily Dispatches at ZENIT International News Agency. CWN, NE and ZENIT are not affiliated with the Daily CATHOLIC but provide this service via e-mail to the Daily CATHOLIC Monday through Friday.

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September 1, 1999 volume 10, no. 165   DAILY CATHOLIC