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FRI-SAT-SUN January 21-23, 2000 vol. 11, no. 15 SECTION TWOSee why so many consider the Daily CATHOLIC as the "USA Today for CATHOLICS!"
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On Friday two years ago His Holiness Pope John Paul II became the first Sovereign Pontiff to ever step on Cuban soil when he landed in Havana for a historic and successful Papal visit to the people there, received with great warmth and welcome. Since then great strides have been made in Cuba for Catholics as Fidel Castro slowly, but surely allows more religious freedom. For other time capsule events that happened in Church history on this date, see MILLENNIUM MILESTONES AND MEMORIES
259 A.D.
Deaths of Saint Fructuosus, Bishop of Tarragona in Castile and the deacons Saint Augurius and Saint Eulogius at the hands of the Roman emperor Valerian.
279 A.D.
Death of Saint Patroclus of Troyes, a rich Christian who provided provisions and housing for Christians throughout Troyes and, when discovered, was tortured and put to death for his faith.
304 A.D.
Death of Saint Agnes, Virgin and Martyr. For more on her, see THIS WEEKEND'S LITURGY.
439 A.D.
Death of Saint Epiphanius, bishop of Pavia who rebuilt the city after the hordes of Odoacer ransacked Pavia. He sought long and hard to ransom all citizens who had been taken hostage and that is how he died, contracting the deadly fever while traveling to pay the ransom.
861 A.D.
Death of Saint Meinrad, Benedictine hermit from Switzerland who turned his back on the world and sought refuge in the mountains, founding a hermitage. On this date in 861 he befriended two men who came to him for help. It was a ruse and they first tried to rob him, but seeing he was only a poor hermit, flew into a rage and clubbed Meinrad to death. Today the St. Meinrad's Seminary in Indiana is named after him.
1118 A.D.
Death of Pope Paschal II, 160th successor of Peter. His pontificate lasted nine years spanning the eleventh and twelfth centuries. This Ravenna-born Pope was forced into exile because of the investiture issue and struggle for supremacy between Paschal and Henry V who succeeded in having himself crowned, prolonging the emperor's right of investiture of bishops.
1008 A.D.
Birth of Saint Wulfstan, Anglo-Saxon bishop of Worcester, England who would defend the faith against Norman invasion and end Bristol's slave trade.
1189 A.D.
King Phillip II, Henry II and Richard the Lion-heartedteam up to set out on the Third Crusade.
1276 A.D.
Cardinal Pierre of Tarentaise, a close confidant of Saint Albert the Great and Saint Thomas Aquinas, is chosen the 185th successor of Peter, becoming Blessed Pope Innocent V. He would be responsible for bringing the faith to the far east, baptizing the three ambassadors sent to him by the great Khan. Innocent would die six months later on June 22, 1276.
1998 A.D.
Pope John Paul II touches down at Havana airport marking the historic occasion of his first visit ever to Cuba, one of the last bastions of Soviet communism. The fruits from this five-day visit would be plentiful as is evidenced today a year later.
418 A.D.
Death of Saint Gaudentius, Bishop of Novara, Italy and martyred for Christ at Bergell.
628 A.D.
Death of Saint Anastasius, a Persian soldier who was strangled and decapitated on the shores of the Euphrates River because he would not renounce his faith but rather converted all the prisoners and prison guards; so much so that even torture could not turn the flood of converts to this mystical, holy man. Miracles attributed to his intercession were said to have occurred abundantly after his death.
1045 A.D.
Death of Brithwold, Benedictine Bishop of Ramsbury and Sarum. He possessed mystical gifts, receiving visions and messages from above.
1588 A.D.
Pope Sixtus V issues his decree "Immense aeterni" reforming the Roman Curia.
1795 A.D.
Death of Saint Vincent Pallotti, priest and teacher of theology in Rome, who was canonized during the Second Vatican Council by Pope Paul VI.
287 A.D.
Death of Saint Asclas from Antinoe who died for his faith during the fierce persecution of Dioceletian. His bleeding body was tossed into the nile where crocodiles devoured him.
304 A.D.
Death of Saint Ermerentiana, foster sister of Saint Agnes who was stoned to death while grieving at the tomb of her late relative just a few days after Agnes' death . Ermerentiana also died a virgin and martyr. She is considered the patron saint for those with stomach ailments.
309 A.D.
Deaths of Saint Clement and Saint Agathangelus, both martyred at Ancyra under the command of the Roman emperor Diocletian. Clement was the Galatian Bishop of Ancyra and Agathangelus was a Roman soldier who was converted and baptized by Clement while he was in prison.
356 A.D.
Death of Saint Amasius, Greek bishop of Teano, Italy who the Arians targeted because he refused to go along with the heresy.
667 A.D.
Death of Saint Ildephonsus of Toledo, Spanish abbot, Cardinal and Archbishop of Toledo who unified the Spanish liturgy and was proclaimed a Doctor of the Church.
841 A.D.
Death of Saint Barnard of Vienne, French abbot and archbishop of Vienne who was raised in the inner sanctum of the court of Charlemagne.
880 A.D.
Death of Saint Maimbod, Irish missionary who was martyred by pagan tribes in the Alsace region of France.
1998 A.D.
Pope John Paul II, while in Cuba during his papal visit, condemns the United States policy of the three decade-long embargo against Cuba, imploring President Clinton to lift it for the sake of the people of Cuba. To this date Clinton has still not responded affirmatively.
Historical Events in Church Annals for January 21:
112 A.D.
Death of Saint Publius of Malta, chief of the island who befriended Saint Paul when the Roman contingent stopped in Malta while taking the holy prisoner to Rome. As recorded in Acts 28, Paul cured Publius' father of a sickness and converted to Christianity, later becoming Malta's first bishop. He died a martyr's death at the hands of the cruel Roman emperor Trajan.
Historical Events in Church Annals for January 22:
304 A.D.
Death of Saint Vincent of Zaragosa, Deacon and Martyr. For more on this saint, see THIS WEEKEND'S LITURGY.
Historical Events in Church Annals for January 23:
98 A.D.
Death of Saint Parmenas, one of the original seven deacons designated by the Holy Spirit in the upper room on Pentecost. His apostolate was ministering to the Jewish converts from Greece in the Holy City of Jerusalem. He died for his faith in Philippi, Macedonia.
This weekend we commemorate the Feast of the martyr and virgin Saint Agnes on Friday. Saturday we observe Ordinary Time, the Feast of the deacon and martyr Saint Vincent and the Blessed Virgin Mary on Saturday and Sunday is the THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME. For the readings, liturgies, meditations, and vignettes on these feasts, see DAILY LITURGY
Born in Savoy, France on August 21, 1567, nearly 50 years after the Protestant Reformation, Saint Francis de Sales would go on to play a major role in beginning the swing of the pendulum back to Holy Mother Church. Spurning the luxury of a barrister, this learned graduate of the University of Padua opted to become a priest where, guided by the Holy Spirit, his words and actions helped convert over 70,000 Calvinists back to the One, True Faith. He was so successful Pope Clement VIII elevated him to the See of the Bishopric of Geneva in 1602 at the age of 35. Accused by some of being too gentle, he offered the rationalization, "I would rather account to God for too great gentleness than for too great severity." This gentleness helped convince the widow of the Baron of Chantal, none other than Saint Jane Frances de Chantal, to whom Francis was Spiritual Director, to help him found the Order of Visitation Nuns (the Visitandines) in 1610. The fruits of their labors in this holy endeavor soon spread throughout Europe and eventually the world. Vowed to poverty, Francis refused all provisions and honors, including politely declining the See of Paris to remain head of the Geneva Diocese. He devoted much to writing including his two brilliant works Introduction to the Devout Life which he penned in 1609 as a guide for the nuns to-be, and seven years later wrote Treatise on the Love of God which simply points out that sanctity is achievable in everyone's life. Both books have gone on to become spiritual must-reading for religious and laity alike. Francis fell ill in the winter of 1622 in Lyons, France and passed on to his Heavenly reward three days after Christmas on December 28, 1622 at the age of 55. Later the next year he was the first person to be beatified in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. He was canonized 43 years later by Pope Alexander VII and declared a "Doctor of the Church" by Pope Pius IX in 1877. St. Francis de Sales holds a special place in the hearts of all editors, journalists, writers and authors as their patron saint which was made official on January 24, 1923 when Pope Pius XI proclaimed him the designated patron saint of the Catholic press.
For the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time:
"And passing along by the sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and his brother Andrew, casting their nets into the sea (for they were fisherman). And Jesus said to them, 'Come, follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.' And at once they left the nets, and followed Him."
By next Friday "Next Friday" will have slipped out of the top box office spot and in the spotlight will be the annual celebration of the Feast of the Angelic Doctor of the Church Saint Thomas Aquinas which is of much, much more value than simple celluloid. For the Top Ten reviews for the 2nd week of the third millennium, prepared by the NCCB, see MOVIES AND MORALS
For remaining four, see SECTION THREE
(New Line)
Because of sexual situations, intermittent violence, recurring recreational drug
use, bathroom humor and much rough language, the U.S. Catholic Conference classification is
A-IV -- adults, with reservations. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -
restricted. "Next Friday" is an unfunny sequel to the juvenile 1995 "Friday" in which central
character Ice Cube moves to his uncle's home in the Los Angeles suburbs trying to escape a
bully only to find trouble with his uncle's Chicano neighbors. The characters become
caricatures as the cast squeezes out nothing but cheap laughs from the thin material.
(Sony)
Because of scenes of menace and a few cuss words, the
U.S. Catholic Conference classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents..
The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG -- parental guidance
suggested. "Stuart Little" is a fetching live-action fantasy in which a talking
white mouse (voice of Michael J. Fox) is happily adopted as the younger
son in a human family (in which Geena Davis plays the mom) only to be
targeted as a meal by mean neighborhood alleycats. As loosely adapted
from E. B. White's 1945 classic, the cheery tale has ample visual appeal,
though purists may find the neatly happy ending a cop-out to the author's
more probing tale of self-discovery.
(Universal)
Because of brief violence, fleeting rear nudity, some profanity and
recurring rough language, the U.S. Catholic Conference classification is A-III -- adults. The
Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. "The Hurricane" is a powerful
fact-based account of the 20-year struggle of boxer Rubin "Hurricane" Carter (played by
Denzel Washington) to regain his freedom, aided by an African-American teen (played by
Vicellous Reon Shannon) and his Canadian guardians, after Carter was wrongly convicted of
a 1966 New Jersey barroom triple murder. An a study of institutionalized racism, the movie
chronicles a man's personal agony and triumph as he spiritually transcends his confines
while helped by those committed to social justice.
(Columbia)
Because of a suicide, implied sexual encounters, crude references,
occasional profanity and much rough language, the U.S. Catholic Conference classification is
A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. In "Girl,
Interrupted" a half-hearted suicide attempt lands a spoiled teen (played by Winona Ryder) in
a late 1960's private asylum where living with the more seriously disturbed, especially a
charismatic sociopath (played by Angelina Jolie), allows her to gain some insight into her own
problems. Although unevenly adapted from an ex-mental patient's memoir, the movie is
basically engrossing in spite of some melodramatics and sketchy characterizations.
(Warner Brothers)
Because of some violence including an horrific electrocution, occasional profanity and
intermittent rough language, the U.S. Catholic Conference classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. "The Green Mile" is a prison drama set in 1935 Louisana where death-row head guard Tom Hanks comes to believe in the innocence of a huge, gentle black man played superbly by Michael Clarke Duncan whose miraculous healing powers affect those around him in startling ways. Adapted from the serialized 1996 Stephen King novel, the movie is unduly long but presents affecting character studies of good and evil men with spiritual undertones and a sobering depiction of capital punishment.
(DreamWorks)
It's hard to believe this humorous film has been out for a month and still no available review from the NCCB on this film as of yet.
