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East Timorese choose independence by a 78% margin, now await UN enforcement

    UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan released the results Saturday of the independence referendum East Timor citizens voted on last Monday. The result was an overwhelming endorsement for freedom from Indonesia by 78.5% for to 21.5% against. This is truly astounding considering the on-going threats and intimidation by pro-Indonesian forces throughout the island which continue to inflict fear. Now East Timor is hopeful the UN will move in and enforce the referendum, removing the militant segment so East Timor can get on with living as a free country after nearly 25 years of repression and violence in which a fourth of the population have been murdered. For more, click on East Timor Independence

    ROME, 4 (NE) After 24 years of being invaded and illegally annexed to Indonesia, East Timor voted overwhelmingly for independence. Almost 80% of votes registered during the referendum held August 30 went in favor of independence, in spite of the numerous threats and possible acts of violence announced by anti-independence factions

    The results were made known yesterday by the UN's General Secretary, Kofi Annan, and by the chief of the UN mission in Timor East, in Dili. Results showed that 344,580 persons voted for independence (78.5%), while 94,388 voted for autonomy within Indonesia (21.5%).

    A Portuguese colony since 1642, this mainly Catholic island obtained independence in 1975, only to be invaded a few days after by neighboring Indonesia. Since then, East Timor has been subjected to a hard and constant repression. Only in the first 11 years of occupation, approximately 200,000 of a population of about 800,000 died.

    The fall of General Suharto and the election of Habibie -who announced the referendum in January this year- raised new hopes for the population, who finally voted massively in favor of independence. However, in spite of the voting, the reaction of anti-independence forces linked to the Indonesian army is still feared by the population.

Pope's September Prayer intentions focus on media and missionary efforts in evangelizing the Word to millions of refugees

    The Holy Father announced on Friday that the Prayer intentions for September center around the media's responsibility to promote human dignity and the culture of life and that all take the "Bread of the Word of God" to millions of refugees around the world, especially in Africa where so many have been misplaced and persecuted. The second is part of the Apostolate of Prayer which the Pope chooses each month submitted by Congregation for Evangelization of Peoples. The first is the general intention presented by the Apostolate of Prayer pious union promoted by the Society of Jesus. For more, click on September intentions.

    VATICAN CITY, SEP 3 (ZENIT).- Each month, the Holy Father publishes two prayer intentions for the entire Church. This month, they center on ethics in the mass media and world refugees.

    The first intention says, "That those who work in the media always be more conscious of their responsibilities and commit themselves actively to respect for the dignity of every human person, created in the image and likeness of God the Father."

    The second, which each month has a missionary focus, prays "that the bread of the Word of God be shared with millions of refugees, especially in Africa, and that they be offered an effective program of assistance and human development."

    The general and missionary intentions of the Apostolate of Prayer are chosen and approved each month by the Holy Father himself. He chooses among proposals presented by the leadership of the Apostolate (for the general intention) and the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples (for the missionary intention).

    The Apostolate of Prayer is a so-called "pious union" in the Church, with statutes approved by the Holy See. It arose in the middle of the last century as an initiative of the Jesuits inspired by the revelations of the Sacred Heart to St. Margarite Mary Alacoque in the 17th century. The apostolate takes on various functions in diocese throughout the world, and is headquartered in Rome.

    According to their statutes, the Apostolate of Prayer consists primarily in the promotion of the union of the faithful to the Eucharistic sacrifice by offering the prayers, works, joys, and sorrows of each day in reparation for the offenses to the Heart of Jesus, the embodiment of God's redemptive love for humanity. ZE99090201

Tensions between Hindus and Catholics in India erupt with murder of priest

    Just in the days of the Apostles to the times of Saint Francis Xavier evangelizing has its price of martyrdom. So also today for it has been reported that Hindu fundamentalists murdered Father Arun Das Thursday morning in the village of Jamudhi, in the middle of the Similipal forest in Eastern India. Hindus tried to justify the attack by saying too many of their people are being proselytized by Catholic missionaries. Despite their feeble rationalization Indian police arrested two men Friday, accusing them of the murder of the priest. Hindus nationwide are mounting an assault against Christians on the eve of a month-long vote to see what party will rule India. For more, click on Martyred priest .

    BHUBANESHWAR, India (CWNews.com) - Police in India arrested two men on Friday in the murder of a Catholic priest this week and said the religious conversion of Hindus to Catholicism may have sparked the incident.

    "Local issues seem to have led to the killing," Pradeep Kapoor, police chief of Mayurbhanj district in eastern Orissa state, said. "There was a dispute over the celebration of Nuakhai, a Hindu festival. The (Christian) converts separately held the festival which might have angered the nearby villagers," Kapoor said. Sahadeva Sahoo, Orissa's top civil servant, said earlier that two people had been arrested but gave no details.

    Orissa officials blamed Catholics for causing tension in the region. "Catholic priests are trying to separate the families after converting tribals and others, which is leading to social tension," said Ajit Tripathy, the Orissa home secretary.

    Christian groups have condemned the killing as evidence of a widespread bias against Christians perpetuated by extremist Hindu nationalists, including the BJP party of Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee. Vajpayee condemned the murder which took place in the same region where an Australian missionaries and his two young sons were murdered in January.

Fox Media Mogul Rupert Murdoch now trying to buy out the Church in LA with ten million donation for new Cathedral

    It would seem if multi-billionaire media mogul Rupert Murdoch were really sincere in helping the Church it wouldn't be in the ten million dollar gift he gave to Cardinal Roger Mahony Friday but rather in cleaning up his media conglomerate and adhere more to what the Holy Father asks in promoting human dignity and the Sanctity of Life by eliminating all the violence and sex so prevalent on FOX and his other media holdings. The ten million was given to help finance the cardinal's personal monument of the new LA Cathedral for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles - an edifice that, from architectural specs, looks to be as sterile as can be, devoid of the spiritual ambiance associated with a Catholic cathedral. Many question if this isn't Murdoch's payout for the cardinal's influence in awarding Murdoch the coveted papal award. Eyebrows have also been raised regarding Murdoch's intentions to promote the cathedral for "ecumenical, interfaith and cultural endeavors." Why do so many forget that the new cathedral should be, first and foremost, God's House where Jesus Christ resides in the Most Blessed Sacrament. How about using some of that money for 24-hour security in order to keep the doors open in providing the people Perpetual Adoration? For more, click on Murdoch and Mahony .

    LOS ANGELES (CWNews.com) - Australian media mogul Rupert Murdoch donated $10 million toward the construction of a new $163 million cathedral complex in downtown Los Angeles, according to a newspaper report on Friday.

    The Los Angeles Times newspaper said Murdoch, chairman of the international conglomerate News Corp., made a donation from his family foundation toward the building of the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels. Cardinal Roger Mahony of Los Angeles called the donation "an extraordinary gift" and said the money will be set aside for the cathedral's conference center.

    "As the only place of worship in central Los Angeles, the cathedral will serve the people of southern California as a whole. Although it is being built to assist the Catholic Church, it will clearly serve as a center for many ecumenical, interfaith, and cultural endeavors," Murdoch was quoted by the Times as saying.

    Although Murdoch was raised as a Presbyterian, his wife and children are Catholic and the couple was recently awarded a papal award for philanthropy.

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 6, 1999 volume 10, no. 168   DAILY CATHOLIC