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TUESDAY February 29, 2000 vol. 11, no. 42 SECTION TWOSee why so many consider the Daily CATHOLIC as the "USA Today for CATHOLICS!"
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WORLDWIDE NEWS & VIEWS with a Catholic slant: | ||
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".
"Many psyychiatrists today know very well that all they have to do to help certain distressed minds is to listen to their stories. Convince the anxious heart that you know the secret of his anxiety and he is already half cured. Even if we can convince the enemy that we have no bitterness in our heart against him, his arm will fall helpless at his side. All mental abnormalities have their roots in selfishness, all happiness has its roots in kindness. But to be really kind, one must see in everyone an immortal soul to be loved for God's sake. Then everyone is precious."
"But many who are first now will be last, and many who are last now will be first."
So much for predictions. Like many appointments before this, the Holy Father surprised many with the selection of Bishop Sean Patrick O'Malley, a Capuchin Franciscan just like Archbishop Charles Chaput in Denver, as the ninth Archbishop of New York City, ending months of speculation as to who would succeed Cardinal John J. O'Connor who recently turned 80 and has wanted to retire for five years. Bishop O'Malley, a youthful 55, has been the shepherd of Fall River, Massachusetts since 1992 and before that a bishop in the Virgin Islands. He is known for wearing his friar's robes in place of more formal wear, is a strong on pro-life and adherance to Church teaching, and is multi-lingual, a great plus for the various cultures in New York. continued inside
NEW YORK (CWNews.com) - The bishop of Fall River,
Massachusetts, will be chosen as the successor of New
York's Cardinal John O'Connor, according to a report by the
New York Daily News today.
The newspaper quoted Church sources as saying Bishop Sean
O'Malley, 55, who leads the diocese that includes Cape Cod
and tony Martha's Vineyard as well as blue-collar New
Bedford and Fall River, has been placed at the top of the
Vatican's list. "Remember, John O'Connor was a surprise,
too," the source told the Daily News, referring to the
selection in 1984 of the then-bishop of Scranton,
Pennsylvania, to succeed the late Terence Cardinal Cooke.
Before he was appointed to Fall River eight years ago,
Bishop O'Malley, a Capuchin Franciscan known for often
wearing his friar's robes instead of more formal wear, was
bishop of St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands. He also
speaks several languages, including Spanish, an important
consideration in multi-ethnic New York.
The recent appointment of Boston's Cardinal Bernard Law to
the Vatican's Congregation of Bishops may influence Bishop
O'Malley's high-ranking on the short list of successors.
Cardinal Law is a close friend of both Cardinal O'Connor
and his neighbor, Bishop O'Malley. An announcement could
come from the Vatican as early as Tuesday.
Cardinal O'Connor first submitted his resignation from his
office five years ago on his 75th birthday according to
canon law, but after undergoing brain surgery for a tumor
last year, speculation that a successor would be named soon
was stepped up. The cardinal canceled his customary
celebration of Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral on Sunday
because of weakness, spokesman Joseph Zwilling said.
"The cardinal has been experiencing weakness during this
week, and doctors have some concern about his health at
present," Zwilling said. "While he's been weak before, it
seems to have been much more pronounced during this past
week."
On his return from Egypt, the Holy Father lost no time in stating that the Vatican Council II "was an authentic prophecy for the life of the Church," and warned that only the truth of this Council need be studied and applied, and that he is calling for further study upon this great Council that its fullness may be realized in this new millennium. For thirty some years liberals have been running rampant and now he is ready to rein them in by a sterner implementation of the true Conciliar and Post-Conciliar documents so full adherence and obedience will be met...or else. continued inside.
VATICAN CITY, FEB 27 (ZENIT).- "The Ecumenical Council Vatican II was an
authentic prophecy for the life of the Church," stated John Paul II as
he closed the international symposium on the application of Vatican
Council II held in Rome this past weekend. This ends a series of
meetings convoked over the past few years to prepare the Church for the
Jubilee.
According to the Pope, that historical Council was, above all, "an
experience of faith," unchanging testimony of a Church that is "the
People of God walking in the paths of history, the Church of Christ of
which modern men and women are still in need, if they wish to understand
themselves profoundly. Because of this, it is important to continue
studying in depth the teachings of that Council.
The Symposium began on Friday, with the participation of 250 persons,
among whom were Cardinals, Bishops, theologians, and qualified lay
people. The need to reflect again on that Council on the occasion of the
Jubilee was manifested by John Paul II in his 1994 Apostolic Letter
"Tertium Millennium Adveniente," which announced the convocation of the
Holy Year, establishing its preparatory phase for reflection by the
entire Church.
"The Council Fathers were faced with a real challenge," the Holy Father continued. To "understand more intimately, in a period of rapid changes, the nature of the Church and its relation with the world in order to effect an opportune 'updating.'"
Recalling that he was also among the participants in the Council, the Holy Father said: "we accepted that challenge and responded by searching for more coherent understanding of the faith."
The Pope was very clear: "To read the Council assuming that it supposes a rupture with the past, when in reality it is aligned with the everlasting faith, is clearly erroneous."
In "Dei Verbum," the centrality of the Word of God in the life of the Church "asks each one of us to assume our own responsibility at the moment of conserving it intact in the process of transmission."
"Sacrosanctum Concilium" illustrated "the premises for a liturgical life that renders to God the authentic worship owed to him by the people."
"Lumen Gentium," expresses the principle of communion in the Church, which becomes "evident in the various institutional forms in which the ecclesial ministry is carried out and in the function of Peter's successor as visible sign of the unity of all believers." From this moment, the "impetus of the ecumenical desire" became "irreversible," the aspiration for unity among all believers in Christ.
Finally, "Gaudium et Spes" shows that the Church "is conscious of possessing a message that fruitfully summarizes the hope of every man and the response God gives him."
"The Ecumenical Council Vatican II was an authentic prophecy for the life of the Church; it will continue to be this during many years of the third millennium that has just begun," the Pope concluded. ZE00022705
The loyal, conservative shepherd of the Diocese of Peoria, Illinois Bishop John Myers has announced the establishment of an on-going "Diocesan Catechetical Institute." The purpose is to train all teachers of the Faith in the truth to prevent watered down doctrine and liberal tendencies. This will allow all pastors, principals, CCD teachers and other organizations to draw from a pool of well-qualified teachers. It is hoped that this special instituted, dedicated to Saint John Bosco, will be a revival of the dedication once exhibited by the nuns, priests and lay brothers whose sole objective was to educate Catholic youth in the truths of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. With Bishop Myers in charge it is a great start! continued inside.
PEORIA, 28 (NE) Bishop John J. Myers of Peoria recently
announced the establishment of an ongoing "Diocesan Catechetical
Institute," aiming at a renewal in the way teachers of the
Catholic faith -in its schools, religious education programs,
and other ministries- are trained, certified, updated, and
recruited. "It is my hope and firm belief that this Institute
will build the kind of pool of dedicated and effective teachers
and catechists which is the dream of every director, principal,
and pastor," wrote Bishop Myers in a recent letter to all
pastors and administrators of religious education programs.
The institute, to be dedicated to St. John Bosco, will have as
its mission the preparation and formation of catechists in the
deep riches of the faith. "We expect to raise up a veritable
army of teachers and catechists who are able to effect the kind
of catechetical renewal which the Church is not only calling
for, but anticipating," wrote Bishop Myers. The project of
establishing an institute was presented by Bishop Myers for the
first time in a 1993 Pastoral Letter. With the title, "To Reach
Full Knowledge of the Truth," the letter regarding religious
education stressed the urgent need to renew the teaching of
religion in the diocese.
Hoping to convince Catholics in America, especially New York, the Governor of Texas, George W. Bush made a special point to clear the air of any bias and that he harbors no anti-Catholic sentiments whatsoever by writing a sincere letter to Cardinal John O'Connor. He points to his long friendship with the cardinal, citing that he views Catholics as his brothers and sisters in Christ. While acknowledging that accusations are part of the political campaign process, Bush spoke out against Senator John McCain's below-the-belt tactics of "guilt by association" just because the governor spoke at Bob Jones University which does harbor ill feelings toward Catholics. What it all boils down to is that Bush's record and platform, other than on capital punishment, is more in line with Catholic doctrine than McCain's more liberal abortion record. If Alan Keyes cannot gain the steam necessary to make a run, then Bush has to be the Catholic's obvious choice to oust the culture of death from the White House. continued inside.
Bush clears air with Catholics over anti-Catholic misconceptions that were promulgated by the McCain camp
NEW YORK (CWNews.com) - Republican presidential candidate
George W. Bush sent an open letter to Cardinal John
O'Connor of New York on Friday, in which he denied any
association with anti-Catholic bias by a South Carolina
university where he spoke recently.
Bush, the governor of Texas, has been criticized in the
media and by opponent Arizona Sen. John McCain for speaking
at Bob Jones University, whose leaders have called the
Catholic Church a satanic cult. Bush told the cardinal,
"Such opinions are personally offensive to me, and I want
to erase any doubts about my views and values."
Citing the long friendship between the cardinal and his
family, Bush said he sees Catholics as brothers and sisters
in Christ, and that his own brother and sister-in-law are
Catholic. Florida Gov. Jeb Bush converted to Catholicism in
recent years.
"Criticism should be expected in any political campaign,"
Bush wrote. "What no American should expect -- and what I
will not tolerate -- is guilt by association." Bush
supporters have echoed this view, asking if anyone who
appears on the Cable News Network should have to disavow
himself from the views held by founder and Time-Warner
vice-chairman Ted Turner, who has expressed strongly
anti-Christian and especially anti-Catholic sentiments.
Meanwhile, McCain has continued to criticize Bush as a tool
of radical religious leaders, issuing strong rebukes of Pat
Robertson, founder of the Christian Coalition, and Jerry
Falwell, president of Liberty University, as "agents of
intolerance." Speaking before the Virginia GOP primary,
McCain said neither the Republican nor Democratic parties
should "be defined by pandering to the outer reaches of
American politics and the agents of intolerance, whether
they be Louis Farrakhan or Al Sharpton, on the left, or Pat
Robertson and Jerry Falwell on the right."
The Order of the Holy Sepulcher, with over 3,500 Knights and Dames and ecclesiastics globally, will begin their Jubilee celebration tomorrow through from March 4. Estabished during the time of the First Crusade, the Order underwent changes during the course of history and today their role is even more pertinent in light of the Pope's impending visit to the Holy Land next month. The over 20,000 membership give financial aid to the Latin Patriarch and undertake social concerns as well throughout the Holy Land. continued inside.
VATICAN CITY, FEB 27 (ZENIT).- The Jubilee of the Order of the Holy
Sepulcher of Jerusalem will take place from March 1-4. The event will
bring together in Rome some 3,500 Knights, Dames and ecclesiastics from
all over the world, who are members of this institution.
The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher was established to defend
pilgrims threatened by many dangers when journeying to the Church of the
Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem in 1099, shortly after the conquest of the
Holy City by Crusaders. Among pilgrims the custom began to request
membership in the Order upon arrival in Jerusalem. The investiture was
carried out by the Latin Patriarch and, in time, by the Franciscan
Custodian of the Holy Land. In 1496 Pope Alexander VI restricted
membership in the Order of the Holy Sepulcher to important personages
going on pilgrimage to the Holy Land.
In 1847, after the Latin Patriarchy of Jerusalem was re-established,
Pope Pius IX gave new life to the Order with the Bull "Nulla Celebrior,"
entrusting it with the task of helping the Patriarchy in its activities
and needs. The last time these statutes were updated was in 1996, when
John Paul II established that the charitable objectives of the
institution, to insure material and spiritual support to Christian
communities in the Holy Land, remain unaltered. Thus, the Knights of the
Holy Sepulcher have concentrated their efforts in assisting Christian
families, the majority of whom are Palestinian, who are pressed to
emigrate given the difficult social, economic and political situation of
the country.
The 20,000 Knights and Dames of the Order give decisive support to the
Latin Patriarchy's needs, especially priests, the patriarchal seminary,
and parish schools with over 15,000 pupils. They have also undertaken
initiatives of a social nature, including the construction of homes,
assistance to professional schools, and facilitation of loans for
agricultural activities and craftsmanship.
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