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TUESDAY January 18, 2000 vol. 11, no. 12 SECTION TWOSee why so many consider the Daily CATHOLIC as the "USA Today for CATHOLICS!"
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With numerous cardinals reaching the ineligible age of 80 such as Cardinal John J. O'Connor Saturday and Cardinal James Hickey in October just to mention a few, speculation is growing within Vatican circles that Pope John Paul II will hold his eighth Consistory and name at least 18 eligible cardinals to the Sacred Conclave. Many believe it will be in the Fall after he has selected a replacement for Cardinal O'Connor and Cardinal Basil Hume who passed away last year. His last Consistory was February 21, 1998. continued inside
VATICAN CITY, JAN 17 (ZENIT).- The rumor running through Vatican
corridors and the Italian press is that 20 new Cardinals will be created
for the Jubilee. This rumor is based on plain mathematical reasoning. By
June, there will be 18 vacant places among the Cardinal electors, since
only those under 80 are permitted to vote for a new Pope.
This consistory would be the eighth of this pontificate. On two
occasions, John Paul II has appointed more than the 120 Cardinals who
can participate in a conclave, according to a regulation established by
Paul VI. It should be noted that the Pope can also create an indefinite
number of Cardinals older than 80. These appointments highlight the
example of men who have witnessed to the faith in the Church's service
(martyrs in life, theologians, men of government, etc.)
Many of the appointments will be predictable. There is still speculation
as to whether the Pope will reveal the names of the two Cardinals
created "in pectore" at the last consitory. Many believe that one of
them is Archbishop Giovanni Battista Re, Substitute at the Secretariat
of State for Internal Affairs and close collaborator of the Pope, while
the other is suspected to be a Chinese Bishop of the underground Church
faithful to Rome.
As regards candidates from the Roman Curia, in all probability the
following will receive the honor of the title Cardinal: Portuguese
Archbishop Saraiva Martins, prefect of the Congregation for the Causes
of Saints; Polish Archbishop Zenon Grocholewski, prefect of the
Congregation for Catholic Education; Italian Archbishop Mario Francesco
Pompedda, prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura.
Others who have a good chance of being created Cardinals are Vietnamese
Archbishop François Xavier Nguyên Van Thuân, president of the Pontifical
Council for Justice and Peace; Argentine Archbishop Jorge Mejia, the
Church's Librarian; Spanish Archbishop Julian Herranz, president of the
Pontifical Council for the Interpretation of Legal Texts; and Italian
Archbishop Agostino Cacciavillan.
In addition, there are 15 Sees that traditionally have a Cardinal as
their Archbishop that do not presently have a Cardinal. In Europe, this
is the case of Archbishop Louis-Marie Billé of Lyon, president of the
French Episcopal Conference; of Archbishop Seán Brady of Armagh, Primate
of Ireland; of Archbishop José da Cruz Policarpo, Patriarch of Lisbon;
of Archbishop Ovidio Poletto of Turin; of Archbishop Josip Bozanic of
Zagreb; and of the future Archbishop of Westminster, who will replace
deceased Cardinal Basil Hume. It is possible that among the new
Cardinals the Bishop of Toledo and Primate of Spain will be included.
In America, one of the traditional Sees headed by a Cardinal is New
York, and Cardinal John O'Connor turned 80 on January 15. Cardinal James
Hickey of Washington will turn 80 on October 11.
In Latin America, it should be kept in mind that Sao Paulo, see of
Archbishop Cláudio Hummes, does not have a Cardinal, as is the case with
Archbishop Geraldo Agnelo of Bahia, Brazil, and Archbishop Jorge
Bergoglio of Buenos Aires, Argentina; Archbishop Francisco Javier
Errázuriz of Santiago, Chile; and Archbishop Pedro Rubiano of Bogota.
This list could include Archbishop Ignacio Velasco of Caracas,
Venezuela, and Archbishop Juan Luis Cipriani of Lima, Peru.
In Asia, the Pope would almost certainly name Archbishop Ivan Dias of
Bombay Cardinal. In Africa, there is talk of Archbishop Rafael Ndingi
Mwana'a of Nairobi, Kenya, and Archbishop Bernard Agré of Abidjan, Ivory
Coast.
As can readily be seen, the candidates surpass the 18 available places
and it is possible that some of the traditional candidates will not be
included in the list. The when and whom are questions that are entirely
the prerogative of the Pope. In the meantime, "Vaticanists" as they are
known in Rome, have plenty to talk about in their free time.
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The Archbishop of New York, Cardinal John J. O'Connor is expected to retire soon as he continues to recover from brain surgery late last summer. He celebrated his 80th birthday Saturday in great spirits, receiving a congratulatory letter from the Holy Father who encouraged him, and he joked with the overflow congregation at St. Patrick's Cathedral quipping if anyone had any job offers for him. Also in attendance was Archbishop Renato Martino, the Holy See's Permanent Observer to the UN. continued inside.
NEW YORK (CWNews.com) - Cardinal John O'Connor of New York
celebrated his 80th birthday this weekend as speculation
rose that Pope John Paul II could name a successor to head
the archdiocese as early as this week.
Thousands of well-wishers sang "Happy Birthday" to the
cardinal as he celebrated Mass on Sunday, after which he
jokingly asked, "Well, this is wonderful, but does anybody
have a job for me?" Cardinal O'Connor had submitted his
resignation to the Holy Father in 1995 upon reaching the
canonical retirement age of 75, but it has not yet been
accepted.
However, with the cardinal still recovering from surgery
last August to remove a brain tumor, a replacement to lead
the 2.4 million-member archdiocese is expected soon. "At
this time, when your illness makes new demands upon your
spiritual and physical resources, I pray that you will
press forward, with faith and hope," the Pope said in a
letter read during Mass.
Customarily, the Vatican announces new appointments for US
dioceses on Tuesdays which means a successor could be
appointed as early as this week, although New York
archdiocese spokesman Joseph Zwilling said the announcement
may not be made that soon.
One factor that may influence the timing is that the Holy
Father is expected to soon call for a consistory that would
name up to 15 new cardinals, filling vacant voting spots for
a papal election. New York is one of eight archdioceses in
the US whose archbishop is customarily named as a cardinal.
The Holy Father is receiving numerous delegations of Christian leaders in Rome for the second largest assembly for ecumenism present for today's opening of the Holy Door at St. Paul's Outside-the-Walls. It is second only to Vatican II. The Pope received the Finnish delegation privately and expressed great hope that this week of Prayer for Christian Unity will bear great fruits among all faiths. continued inside.
VATICAN CITY, Jan 17 (ZENIT).- Monday morning, on the eve of the Week of
Prayer for Christian Unity, which the Pope inaugurates Tuesday
morning with the opening of the Holy Door of the Roman Basilica of St.
Paul Outside the Walls, John Paul II received an ecumenical delegation
of Christian Churches of Finland in the Vatican.
When greeting the delegation, the Pope said it was a "particularly
significant" visit, as it is taking place precisely in the year of the
Great Jubilee in which Christians want to celebrate the second
millennium of the Savior's birth more united.
"Your visit is based on the promising initiatives that have brought
Orthodox, Lutheran and Catholic Christians closer in recent times. It
encourages me to pursue the path towards unity which the Successor of
the Apostle Peter must be the first to take," stated the Holy Father.
The Pontiff then referred to what will be the second largest ecumenical
meeting in history, after the opening of Ecumenical Vatican Council II,
that is, tomorrow's opening of the Holy Door of St. Paul's Basilica. On
this occasion the Pope will push open the Door with the help of two
representatives from other Christian Churches. "As we pass through the
Holy Door, may we take another step closer to the unity in Christ which
Peter and Paul proclaimed, and which the Lord himself so clearly wills,"
the Pope said.
Finally, the Holy Father expressed his gratitude to the members of the
Finnish Christian delegation for their support of the dialogue among
Christians.
Lutheran Bishop Ikka Kantola of Turku, one of the Pope's guests,
commented after the meeting, "We need patience, and we must continue to
carry forward an increasingly profound dialogue; we need to get to know
each another better and better. We Christians must not forget that we
have a mission to fulfill in the world; only if we are united will we be
able to fulfill it in a credible and effective way."
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The Holy Father met yesterday with the Cuban Foreign Minister in a renewed push to encourage more religious liberty in Cuba stemming from agreements during his January papal visit there two years ago. In addition the case that has caused an international furror - of returning six year-old Elian Gonzalez to his father in Cuba - was brought up and while the Pope made no political statement, he reinforced the importance of family and his rightful place and bond between father and son. The United States Bishops have already called for the boy to be returned. continued inside.
VATICAN CITY, JAN 17 (ZENIT).- This morning, two years after the Pope's
historic visit to the Island, John Paul II received Cuban Foreign
Minister Felipe Perez Roque, in order to analyze Church-State relations
in Cuba.
The Cuban Foreign Minister, who also met Cardinal Angelo Sodano, Vatican
Secretary of State, and Archbishop Jean-Louis Tauran, Vatican Secretary
for Relations with States, confirmed "the will of his government to
foster mutual and harmonious collaboration," according to an official
statement published by the Vatican Press Office.
During several meetings in the past, the Pope and his collaborators
"have requested greater religious liberty for believers in the Island,"
in keeping with the Holy Father's proposals during his visit to Cuba in
January of 1998.
The Vatican press statement reveals that the two parties were in
agreement "when analyzing several topics of international politics as
well as the need to promote greater solidarity in favor of the poorest
countries."
Hours before the meeting, Perez Roque said that he hoped to explain to
the Pope the Cuban claim against the United States for repatriation of
the boy Elian Gonzalez. The Vatican press statement, however, does not
refer to the case.
The Cuban Foreign Minister's visit to the Vatican is part of a tour of
Europe, which will take him to Italy, San Marino, France, Denmark, and
Russia. He will reiterate Havana's position on the case of ferryman
Elian Gonzalez, who was rescued from the sea after the shipwreck in
which his mother died, to the government of these countries. "I will
speak to all about the experience Cuba is living through at present, and
the inconceivable situation that a small boy should be kidnapped."
As the Cuban Minister himself indicated, this is a unique opportunity to
sensitize international public opinion to Cuba's claims against the
United States. The 6-year old boy is living with relatives in Miami, who
are trying to prevent his return to Cuba, while his father is calling
for his return to the island, with the support of the Castro government.
Thus a child has become the innocent object of exchange and negotiations
between two countries.
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Bob Hope and Bing Crosby wouldn't recognize this "Road to Bali" for it is filled with hate and destruction as Muslim extremists continued rioting on the resort island of Bali, torching churches and making life miserable for Christians as they continue to carry out their crusade for a holy war against all Christians even though the Prime Minister has spoken out strongly against such action. continued inside.
JAKARTA (CWNews.com) - Muslim rioters went on a rampage in
Indonesia today, burning down as many as a dozen churches
on Lombok island, near the tourist destination of Bali.
A diocesan spokesman in the city of Mataram said only two
churches are left standing "which means at least 12 or 13
churches there have been torched." Police said thousands
of Muslims roamed the town during the day, burning churches
and other buildings, after attending a rally earlier in the
day.
Some extremist Muslims in Indonesia have called for a holy
war against Christians because of reporting by state media
and other sources that Christians are slaughtering innocent
Muslims in the Malukus province. Over the past year, more
than 2,000 people of both religions have been killed in the
region once called the Spice Islands as Christian and Muslim
gangs have warred with one another.
Indonesia is the most populous Muslim majority country in
the world, although Christians are sizeable minority in the
Spice Islands, former Dutch colonies.
A resident in Mataram, told Reuters news agency rioters
wielding machetes and Molotov cocktails shouted "Finish off
the Christians, finish off the churches!" as they rampaged
about 10 km (six miles) from the main tourist strip of
Senggigi beach. The local hospital said eight people had
been admitted with gunshot wounds, but no one had been
reported killed.
Considering Bill Clinton's lifestyle and morality, is anyone surprised that he is trying to get the UN to legalize prostitution internationally by altering the definition and further eroding morals? That's exactly what he and his wife Hillary are attempting despite protests from strong Christian circles, but it might be too late since the UN has already made preliminary approval of "voluntary" prostitution in an effort to stop violence against women and children. continued inside.
NEW YORK (CWNews.com) - The Clinton administration may be
pushing the United Nations to change the definition of
prostitution, legalizing some type of the practice,
according to a report by the Catholic Family and Human
Rights Institute (C-Fam) on Friday.
The group said that the US Interagency Council on Women,
headed by First Lady and US Senate candidate Hillary
Clinton, proposed to a meeting in Vienna working on the UN
Convention on Transnational Organized Crime that they make
a distinction between "forced" and "voluntary"
prostitution. The meetings were called to hammer out a
protocol to address the burgeoning sexual trafficking of
women and children.
In local jurisdictions where the distinction has been made,
such as Holland and parts of Bangladesh and Indonesia, the
result has been legalized prostitution. C-Fam said the
Clinton prostitution push has resulted in an unusual
coalition of Christian conservatives, led by Bill Bennett
and Charles Colson, and radical feminists, including Gloria
Steinem, Planned Parenthood head Gloria Feldt, NOW president
Patricia Ireland.
"There is universal agreement that the trafficking of women
and children for prostitution is a growing menace, for the
people involved and for governments," said C-Fam. "Though
most prevalent in the developing world, even in the United
States women are lured into positions of sexual slavery
from which they can rarely escape."
C-Fam noted that most of those opposed to the current
proposal are surprised to learn that parts of the UN have
already approved "voluntary" prostitution. "Although the
1979 Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) explicitly condemned
prostitution, last year the CEDAW committee ordered China
to legalize prostitution," the group said.
All that is needed for final approval of Ben Kingsley to play the Pope John Paul II is the Pope's personal approval. Because of the quality of the film series by Mediaset, an Italian television company that has produced a series of biographies including one on Pope John XXIII, it is highly speculated permission will be forthcoming. The British actor Kingsley gained fame for his portrayal of Ghandi in the film of the same name and his role in Steven Spielberg's "Schindler's List". continued inside.
ROME (CWNews.com) - An Italian television company announced
on Friday that it is planning a TV movie of the life of Pope
John Paul II starring Ben Kingsley as the pontiff.
Mediaset is reportedly in talks with the actor, who has
starred in the Oscar-winning films "Ghandi" and
"Schindler's List," as well as the British director of
"Ghandi," Sir Richard Attenborough. The film would be part
of a series of biographies of key figures of the 20th
century, which has included Pope John XXIII, Stalin,
Mussolini, and Bill Gates.
Kingsley has worked with Mediaset in the past, starring as
Moses in their Bible series. The company said the Vatican
still had to give its approval to the project, but foresaw
no complications.
If you want a half hour of the news of the week from the Vatican, ForeignTV.com may be your ticket. Sponsored by Octava Dies, you can catch the past week's events that took place at the Vatican. This service also offers news of other sites of the world and has been able to penetrate such censored areas as China and Turkey to mention a few where it is aligned with the public television channels in those countries, allowing the Holy Father's words to reach those who wouldn't otherwise hear it. continued inside.
VATICAN CITY, (ZENIT).- Beginning this past Sunday, Vatican TV began
broadcasting a weekly report via internet. The newsmagazine "Octava
Dies" is being published in conjunction with ForeignTV.com.
To access the service, go to http://www.foreigntv.com/worldnews and
select Vatican News. The program a summary of the important events that
have taken place in the Vatican and the Church over the last 7 days. The
news is up-dated every Wednesday, and is available in Windows Streaming
Video format.
According to CTV spokesman Lewis Goldberg, the purpose of the agreement
with ForeignTV.com is to "carry the papal message to the largest
audience possible." The Vatican news appears on the same page as the
news of public television channels in countries like the Peoples
Republic of China, Turkey, Lebanon, Algeria and Jordan.
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