&bnsp;Since we were down one full week, be assured that we are extending subscriptions by one week for everyone. So you haven’t missed out except on the news last week. Other than "old news" all articles, columns will be picked up beginning with today’s issue. While we were down it gave us time to work on a few other things - such as pasting up the final print issue of A Call To Peace which will be out next week. In addition, we have finalized subscription costs for next year beginning January 7, 1997. For those who want to subscribe by the month (which is over 20 issues) the costs are $7 per month. For those trying it for three months the cost is $15 which is a savings of $6. overall. However, for those who sign up for a year which includes 250 issues the cost is only $33. a year. That’s a savings of $51 a year over the monthly rate and $27 a year savings over the quarterly rate! With a full year’s passport of 250 issues you also receive access to all 90 back issues which incorporates 45 bi-weekly issues of A Call To Peace and 45 issues of the Daily CATHOLIC (which includes the first 7 issues of 1998 because of the one week computer glitch). In addition, because we’re in the business of evangelization, and believe you are, too, we are offering a two-for-one package for only $50 a year. That way you’ll get two passports, one for yourself and one to give to someone who has the internet but might not sign up for it otherwise…someone who might be a lukewarm Catholic, or one of the misguided ones who have bought into all the modernism permeating our beloved Church today. With the total issues you’ll receive over a year’s time, that’s less than a dime a day for the only daily publication exclusively devoted to things for and about Roman Catholics! The new forms will reflect these new rates beginning next Monday.
Had to take a little time to reintroduce myself to the keyboard and monitor and still a little rusty getting back in the groove now that we’re back up and running. By Wednesday everything should be back to normal and you can expect to receive only the best from the Daily CATHOLIC. That we guarantee…but only with the help of the Sacred and Merciful Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary - Queen of Peace - to whom we have dedicated this ministry. We thank you for your support and enjoy this special day of the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception - a special feast that is inextricably linked with the inevitable and glorious Triumph of the Immaculate Heart. That’s when ol’ horn-head will really get his come-uppance and we get to say, "I told you so, satan!" For now all we can say is "Thank you, Lord, for helping us, and begone, satan!" It was the devil that took a byte out of time - like a week - and it's high time he hightailed it outtahere. So we're calling a spade a spade and a forked tail the culprit, and not blaming it on Murphy!
Operated and designed by Virginian Michael Shea, out of total dedication and gratitude to Our Lady, this site offers three features that are exceptional. First, there is a new quarterly Marian publication entitled Mary Online which offers hard-hitting, right-on editorials and articles with a strong Catholic bent that tell it like it is. The only set-back is that it is a quarterly so the material is quite outdated, and we eagerly look forward to the winter quarterly since the one on-line - their inaugural issue - is dated August. Nevertheless, Shea’s article refuting, or should we say "exposing" the pathetic Newsweek article on Our Lady in late August is well worth reading, as are his editorial and movie review. Loved his intro for the latter: "Reviews of new movies that Catholics may find of interest, or which the culture is going to shove in their face anyway." He also features the excellent article by Patrick Coffin, which we ran two months ago. Coffin is the Information Director for Franciscan University and close associate of Dr. Mark Miravalle who is the foremost authority and proponent on the Fifth or "Final Dogma" on the titles of CoRedemptrix, Advocate and Mediatrix of all graces. All articles are easy to read with categories on Family, the Church, Apologetics and Opinion.
This site also offers the Immaculate Heart Book Store in cooperation with the super international on-line purchasing-power web bookstore Books Now, which features books at discount prices on all subjects of Catholicism. In addition, there is a special Devotional section listing novenas and prayers that are very edifying entitled "Ave Maria". They also offer a web forum, chat-room capabilities, and a links section to other Catholic sites. But probably the best feature of this site is the excellent graphics, most probably because Shea is the owner of AdLib Digital Creations. His expertise in this field comes through throughout the site, including a fabulous collection of over 75 pictures/paintings of the Blessed Virgin Mary - the most of any site we know of. To make it simple for browsers, Shea offers thumbnail sketches to view before clicking on the selection of your choice to see the larger image with some background on it.
Everything on this site, other than the book store, is free and Michael shares his graphics freely with permission. Overall, the generosity of Mary’s Heart pours out in Shea’s own heart for he states that not only is this the reason he offers this site, but all proceeds from sale of books are earmarked for EWTN to help Mother Angelica in her ministry. With that kind of benevolence, how can we not award the GOLDEN CHALICE AWARD this week to the Immaculate Heart of Mary Site, conferring SEVEN Hail Mary's.
The second phase of the Synod of Bishops for America ended, as the twelve language groups presented their proposals for Church renewal, evangelization, inter-religious dialogue, and economic justice.
The Church is losing members, in part, because of overly "moralistic" preaching of the Gospel, according to Archbishop Juan Francisco Sarasti Jaramillo of Ibague, speaking for his Spanish-language group. That group concluded that the Church must correct her internal problems to prevent the authentic message of Jesus Christ from being lost.
The group also mentioned moral and financial scandals, excessive bureaucracy in certain ecclesial structures, and a lack of solid formation of Catholics in the faith. These problems are aggravated by "a well-financed campaign to destroy the Catholic Church" from without, the group said.
All of the groups agreed that the Church's reaction must begin in parishes, the institution closest to the faithful. The parish has been presented as a "community of communities," in which everyone is welcome: base communities, apostolic movements, and families. Parishes, both rural and urban, must also dismantle their bureaucracies in order to become more missionary.
Some groups, fearing a growing bureaucracy, have opposed the creation of an episcopal council for the entire American Continent. Instead, they propose that CELAM, the episcopal conference of Latin America, create an office to inform the Church in the United States and Canada of its needs. The US episcopal conference has had such an office for several years to keep the South informed.
A concrete expression of the growing solidarity among Synod participants is seen in the agreement that the regions of America better distribute their priests, especially to minister to countries that are suffering shortages.
To overcome the current polarization that has exacerbated the problems with non-Catholics, Bishop Mario del Valle Moronta Rodriguez of Los Teques has proposed a "trialogue" among Jews, Muslims, and Christians. This would include relations with the Protestant groups that most Latin American Catholics call "sects", such as the Baptists and Pentecostals. Some of these groups have been in dialogue with the Holy See for decades. The bishop hopes it will thus be easier to warn the faithful about pseudo-religious groups, such as New Age, which constitute a very real threat and require a serious and effective pastoral strategy.
The Synod has clearly demonstrated the important challenges brought about by economic globalization and the lack of resources that many bishops face in confronting them. One participant went so far as to call for the "criminalization" of globalization. The language groups concluded, however, that the bishops are not experts on economics and therefore are not qualified to provide solutions for financial problems. The bishops, for instance, have presented few proposals for dealing with the external debt in the South.
The Synod also addressed the impact of the means of social communications in a globalized society. It has urged bishops to make more use of new technology.
Spanish Language Group C, moderated by Archbishop Norberto Rivera Carrera of Mexico, encouraged the further development of the Information Network of the Latin American Church (RIIAL) , and television networks such as that of the Brazilian episcopal conference. CELAM recently announced that it will launch two TV channels, one in Portuguese and the other in Spanish.
On Wednesday the Synod will begin to draw up proposals of the whole assembly. The Synod is expected to:
The homily, therefore, during the celebration of the Holy Eucharist, must be reserved to the sacred minister, Priest or Deacon (69) to the exclusion of the non-ordained faithful,even if these should have responsibilities as "pastoral assistants" or catechists in whatever type of community or group. This exclusion is not based on the preaching ability of sacred ministers nor their theological preparation, but on that function which is reserved to them in virtue of having received the Sacrament of Holy Orders. For the same reason the diocesan Bishop cannot validly dispense from the canonical norm (70) since this is not merely a disciplinary law but one which touches upon the closelyconnected functions of teaching and sanctifying.
For the same reason, the practice, on some occasions, of entrusting the preaching of the homily to seminarians or theology students who are not clerics (71) is not permitted. Indeed, the homily should not be regarded as a training for some future ministry.
All previous norms which may have admitted the non-ordained faithful to preaching the homily during the Holy Eucharist are to be considered abrogated by canon 767, § 1.(72)
§ 2. A form of instruction designed to promote a greater understanding of the liturgy, including personal testimonies, or the celebration of eucharistic liturgies on special occasions (e.g. day of the Seminary, day of the sick etc.) is lawful, of in harmony with liturgical norms, should such be considered objectively opportune as a means of explicating the regular homily preached by the celebrant priest. Nonetheless, these testimonies or explanations may not be such so as to assume a character which could be confused with the homily.
§ 3. As an expositional aide and providing it does not delegate the duty of preaching to others, the celebrant minister may make prudent use of "dialogue" in the homily, in accord with the liturgical norms. (73)
§ 4. Homilies in non-eucharistic liturgies may be preached by the non-ordained faithful only when expressly permitted by law and when its prescriptions for doing so are observed.
§ 5. In no instance may the homily be entrusted to priests or deacons who have lost the clerical state or who have abandoned the sacred ministry. (74)
NEXT ISSUE: PRACTICAL PROVISIONS - Article 4 The Parish Priest and the Parish
