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THUR-FRI-SAT-SUN May 4-7, 2000 vol. 11, no. 87 SECTION THREESee why so many consider the Daily CATHOLIC as the "USA Today for CATHOLICS!"
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Cardinal John J. O'Connor
January 15, 1920 - May 3, 2000
Just as we are putting this on line
news reached us that His Eminence John Joseph O'Connor passed away quietly and in total peace at his residence in New York City. He had been ill for some time and recently made his final trip to Rome to bid his adieus to the Holy Father. His cause will eventually be introduced for beatification when the proper time has passed under Church Law for he was truly a holy and obedient prelate and he will be greatly missed by all loyal Catholics. We rejoice he has reached his Heavenly home, but we are sad for the void he has left behind. He was a true visionary for the Church in America and held it together when liberal ramparts from both inside and outside the Church battered at the traditions and values of Holy Mother Church. As always, he stood strongly in defense of Christ and His Church and, on Wednesday night we can just hear Our Lord saying to him, Well done, good and faithful servant." For his story, see CARDINAL JOHN J. O'CONNOR
His Holiness Pope John Paul II spoke to another huge crowd gathered to hear his regular weekly Wednesday general audience yesterday in which the Vicar of Christ spoke of the tremendous devotion of Saint Theresa Benedicta - better known as Saint Edith Stein - to the Passion of Christ. He told those in attendance that "We cannot count on human action alone, but we can count on the Passion of Christ." This brings to light what Our Lord asked of Saint Faustina to trust in Him with the words, "Jesus, I trust in You!" It boils down to that when you place your trust solely in the finite you will come up short and be disappointed, but when you place all your trust in the Infinite Mercy of God you can be assured God will answer. continued inside
WORLDWIDE NEWS & VIEWS with a CATHOLIC slant
Holy Father extols devotion of St. Edith Stein to the Passion of Christ in assuring all to trust in Jesus during Weekly Papal Audience
VATICAN (CWNews.com) -- At his regular weekly public audience on
Wednesday, May 3, Pope John Paul II cited the words of St. Edith
Stein as he spoke on "the glory of the Trinity in the Passion."
On the Cross, the Holy Father said, Jesus "fully offered his anguished
human being to the action of the Holy Spirit, which gave him the
power he needed to make his death a perfect offering to his Father."
The Pope then recalled the words of St. Edith Stein, the Jewish
convert and Carmelite nun who died at Auschwitz in 1942 and was
canonized in 1998. "We cannot count on human action alone, but we
can count on the Passion of Christ," she wrote. She added that she
wished to unite herself with the sacrifice of the Cross, and toward
that end she wrote: "I now accept, with my full will, whatever death
God has destined for me. Lord, accept my life and my death, for the
intentions of the Church, and the increase of your glory."
The Pope concluded his catechetical talk by observing that Christians
must live with the reality of the Cross, but also with the joy of the
Resurrection. He urged the pilgrims who had assembled to hear him,
"welcome the presence of the Resurrection ever more deeply into
your lives, and bear witness to it generously with others."
Marking the feast of the Virgin, Queen of Poland, Pope John Paul II spoke to his fellow Poles, entreating them to keep alive the memory and heritage of their Catholic Faith throughout Poland, and to keep all the youth of the country informed about saints who have played an important role in the Catholic Faith in Poland. He recalled saints of past centuries, and cited in particular the newly canonized Saint Faustina, whose mission was and is to promote devotion to Divine Mercy. He reminded them of her roots and that Poland gave her to the world and should be proud of that contribution. continued inside.
VATICAN (CWNews.com) -- Pope John Paul II has encouraged his
fellow Poles to keep alive the country's Christian heritage, and to
make sure that young people are acquainted with the saints who
have played important roles in Polish history.
The Pope made his remarks on May 3, when Polish Catholic
celebrates the feast of the Virgin, Queen of Poland. Pope John Paul
recalled that the Polish constitution of 1791 was adopted on that
national feast day, after King Jan Casimir placed the entire country
"under the protection of the Mother of God" in 1656.
The Polish people must never forget "these events, so deeply rooted
in the history of the nation," the Pontiff argued. "They are so strongly
impressed on the conscience of the Polish people that their memory
shines through all the most difficult times the country has
undergone: the more than 100 years of partition, the times of great
wars and persecutions, and domination for so many years by a
Communist system."
The Pope particularly cited the importance of several saints whose
influence shaped Polish history. First he mentioned St. Albert, the
bishop of Prague, and St. Stanislas, the bishop of Krakow. Both
bishops were martyred, in the 10th and 11th centuries respectively,
for opposing the immoral dictates of the reigning monarchs. "The
witness of their martyrdom, a thousand years ago in our land, has
endured down the centuries, from one generation to another, bearing
abundant fruits," the Pope said.
From more recent times, the Pope mentioned St. Faustina, whose
canonization he had formally pronounced just a few days earlier.
"This simple nun recalled to the world that God is love, and rich in
mercy-- that his love is stronger than death, stronger than sin and
every other evil," the Pontiff said.
Cardinal Jozef Tomko, Prefect for the Sacred Congregation for Evangelization of Peoples, encouraged all Chinese Christians to remain loyal to the Holy See, conveying via Vatican Radio that the Patriotic Catholic Association, controlled by the Chinese government, is in schism with Rome, while the underground Catholic Church is in full union with the Holy See. The latter has been greatly persecuted by the communistic regime with many bishops and priests imprisoned or curtailed from fulfilling their ministries. Cardinal Tomko made the remarks on the 50th anniversary of Vatican Radio broadcasting in Chinese throughout China. continued inside.
VATICAN (CWNews.com) -- In a message to the Catholic people of
China, Cardinal Jozef Tomko encouraged the faithful to remain united
with the Holy See, resisting all efforts to divide the Church.
Cardinal Tomko, the prefect of the Congregation for Evangelization,
celebrated a Mass in the chapel of the Vatican Radio station, which is
celebrating the 50th anniversary of its Chinese-language broadcasts.
(The celebration is slightly premature; the broadcasts actually began
in June 1950.)
Taking note of the tensions between the Patriotic Catholic
Association, which is approved by the Beijing government, and the
underground Catholic Church loyal to Rome, Cardinal Tomko said that
"only the bishops in union with the successor to Peter are legitimate
pastors of the Catholic Church."
"No authority, institution, or association can arrogate that function to
itself," the prelate reminded the Catholic faithful of China. "Along
with you-- and with all the faithful throughout the world-- we
profess that the Catholic Church was founded by Christ on Peter."
Invoking the memory of the 120 Chinese martyrs who were
canonized by Pope John Paul II last October, Cardinal Tomko paid
homage to the sacrifices endured by the faithful in China. He
acknowledged that today the underground Church is suffering,
precisely because the faithful Catholics refuse to relinquish their
union with the Holy Father.
The cardinal pointed out that Vatican Radio, through its Chinese-
language programming, has helped to sustain the ties between the
Catholics of China and the Holy See. "We cannot meet with you
personally in your great country," he said, "but we can send you--
across the radio waves-- all our affection and communion." He added
that he sent the greetings of the Pope, who "admires your fidelity,
and urges you always to remain strong in faith."
A list of inappropriate speakers at fourteen Catholic institutions is being circulated far and wide by the Newman Society in an effort to alert loyal Catholics that we should not stand for this attrocity and affront against our beliefs. The Executive Director of the Newman Society has pinpointed that last year 21 of 235 Catholic schools had speakers who openly contradict Catholi cteachings, many coming from the anti-Catholic Clinton administration. The list is included in the article inside. continued inside.
WASHINGTON, DC (CWNews.com) - A Catholic higher education
advocacy group on Wednesday released a list of 14 Catholic
colleges and universities in the US who will have
"inappropriate" commencement speakers address their
graduating classes.
"These colleges have stabbed the backs of the Catholic
bishops, perhaps unwittingly in some cases," said Newman
Society executive director Patrick J. Reilly. "Last
November, the bishops issued very reasonable guidelines for
Catholic higher education after working closely with college
leaders, who assured the bishops of their fidelity. But now
a few colleges go and invite commencement speakers who
undermine our Catholic beliefs. It's tragic."
Reilly said last year 21 of 235 Catholic schools had
graduation speakers who have publicly contradicted Catholic
teachings through their work or public life. This year, the
society has identified speakers at 57 colleges, expressing
concerns about 14 of them.
Many of the speakers are members of the Clinton
administration, including Secretary of the Army Louis
Caldera and Attorney General Janet Reno, former or current
elected officials, or members of the media. Most have
publicly expressed support for legalized abortion.
Following is a list of the speakers deemed inappropriate by
the Cardinal Newman Society with their affiliation or
profession, the reason for the objection, and the college
inviting them:
The good news is that fifteen Catholic hostages were rescued by Filipino troops scouring the mountainside in Basilan in the southern Philippines. The bad news is the Abu Sayyaf rebels killed four hostages, among them Claretian priest Father Ruel Gallardo and three teachers - two women and one man. They were martyred prior to the government troops discovering the terrorists' hideout. Those slain had been shot at close range and hacked with large knives. Of the twenty nine original hostages, six are now dead and fifteen rescued leaving eight hostages still unaccounted for from the original group of Catholic hostages taken at gunpoint last month. Meanwhile 21 more hostages in another region were also taken and terrorist attacks are springing up in the same region as the situation remains extremely explosive. While Filipino foot soldiers continue their search to ferret out the rebels' lair, the ost powerful weapon to defend the hostages remains the Rosary and prayer.continued inside.
MANILA (CWNews.com) - Four hostages were killed fifteen
others were rescued when Philippine soldiers discovered the
Muslim rebel captors moving them in the southern province of
Basilan on Monday.
Among the dead were Claretian Father Ruel Gallardo, two
female teachers, and a male teacher, officials said. A
priest who anointed the bodies said they appeared to have
been shot at close range and hacked with large knives.
Military spokesmen said the soldiers stumbled upon the Abu
Sayyaf rebels and their captives as they crossed a jungle
stream. The soldiers screamed at the hostages to get down
and opened fire. Fifteen other hostages of the 27 still
held captive were rescued. At least one other adult had
been held, in addition to the 22 children kidnapped from
two Catholic schools in March. Five of the fifteen rescued
hostages were wounded, at least one seriously, the
spokesman said.
The Muslim guerillas have been fighting to establish a
separate Muslim homeland in the south of the mainly
Catholic country. They took over 70 hostages in March to
use as human shields, but released most immediately. During
Holy Week, they beheaded two male teachers as a "birthday
present" for President Joseph Estrada, a move that ignited
the military response. Soldiers overran the rebels'
mountain stronghold on Saturday, but did not find the
captives. The rescued hostages said they were taken from
the camp on Saturday and forced to walk each night through
forest trails.
Meanwhile, soldiers continued to fight another Abu Sayyaf
group in the southern Philippines who kidnapped 21 people,
including 10 foreign tourists, from a nearby Malaysian
island last week. And another rebel group, the Moro Islamic
Liberation Front, claimed responsibility for several bomb
explosions in the southern Philippines that killed at least
10 people and injured dozens.
Monsignor Luciano Guerra, rector of the Fatima shrine is endeavoring to exercise damage control as the secular media pounce on him like maggots with his admission that during the 70's and 80's the shrine had once been in possession of Nazi gold. Much of the gold was obtained during World War II because of Portugal's neutrality, and the Monsignor has stated that if such gold still remains in any Portugal bank and if it is still associated with Fatima, every effort will be made to discover its origin, or at the very least preserve it "as a memorial of that horrible period in the history of mankind." No doubt Our Lady will bless the efforts made by those who strive to keep sacred this holy shrine dedicated to her.continued inside.
LISBON (CWNews.com) - The head of Portugal's Fatima shrine
this week acknowledged that the shrine, during the 1970s
and 1980s, had been in possession of what once was Nazi
gold, after a report in a weekly magazine in March.
Monsignor Luciano Guerra, rector of the shrine, said on
Tuesday they had believed at the time that the gold had
been bought and circulated by the Bank of Portugal. The
four swastika-inscribed gold bars were sold off between
1982 and 1986 to cover building programs.
Portugal was neutral during World War II and traded with
the Allies and Germany, accepting gold from Germany as
payment. In 1944, Portugal stopped taking the Nazi gold
after the Allies warned Germany was raiding the central
banks of countries it overran.
The shrine itself has at times in 80 year history held gold
bars in bank accounts, made from the melted-down offerings
of pilgrims. When the offerings were placed in the Bank of
Portugal, the bars could have been swapped for gold of
equal weight rather than melting the offerings down.
Monsignor Guerra said the shrine had done nothing wrong in
holding possession of the gold, but added that if they
still owned the bars they would seek to discover the origin
of the gold or, failing that, preserve it "as a memorial of
that horrible period in the history of mankind."
Pope John Paul II will visit Fatima next week to beatify
two of the small children who were visited by the Virgin
Mary in 1917.
The Catholic Church in England and Wales, in separate ceremonies, celebrated the 150th anniversary of the restoration of the Catholic hierarchy in both countries. Pope Pius IX's Papal Bull Universalis Ecclesiae reconstituted the Catholic Hierarchy in the United Kingdom. As Masses are said in celebration of this anniversary, prayers and hopes increase that true unity between the Church of England and Rome can be re-established. continued inside.
LONDON, 3 (NE) With different activities and celebrations, the
Catholic Church in England and Wales will celebrate tomorrow,
May 4, the commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the
restoration of the Catholic hierarchy in both countries. The
anniversary will be marked by two events in London to take place
this Thursday. As it was announced, Mass will take place at
Westminster Cathedral at 2.30pm, and Vespers will be celebrated
at St George's Cathedral on the evening.
On 29 September 1850, Pope Pius IX, with the Bull "Universalis
Ecclesiae" reconstituted the structure of the Catholic Church in
England and Wales, establishing 13 dioceses, each with a Bishop.
From 1688 to 1840, there had been 4 districts, and from 1840 to
1850, 8 districts, each governed by a Vicar Apostolic. Since
1850, the number of dioceses has increased to 22.
The choice of churches where celebrations will take place this
year is historically significant. St George's Cathedral was
where Cardinal Nicholas Wiseman, England and Wales's first new
Metropolitan Archbishop since the protestant revolt, was
installed in 1850. Westminster Cathedral was built in 1895 and
became the cathedral of the Archbishops of Westminster. After
Pope Pius IX reform, Westminster became the metropolitan see and
its occupant the lawful successor of the Catholic archbishops of
Canterbury.
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