 WORLDWIDE
NEWS & VIEWSwith a Catholic slant
HEADLINES:
Bishop Belo reunites with his people of East Timor, pledges reconstruction of peace through trust in God's providence
 
After a month away from his beloved land of East Timor, the island's spiritual leader returned to an emotional welcome in Dili yesterday, vowing to stay with his flock and minister to their spiritual needs while beginning the massive task of rebuilding in the aftermath of the horrific violence and killing that has rendered this Catholic country virtually immobile. He is hopeful word of his return will spread throughout the mountains so the people will realize the can come out of hiding now. For more, click on Bishop Belo returns
Could Papal Trip to Ur in Iraq be in jeopardy?
 
Many are speculating that the Holy See is worried about the pending trip to Iraq for the first leg of the "Jubilee Journey." This became evident when the Vatican suspended yesterday plans for the early December trip to trace the footsteps of Abraham in Ur, south of Baghdad. The Holy Father is still confident he will make the trip despite mixed signals from Saddam Hussein's regime who are trying to intimidate the Pope into condemning the United States and the latter who is trying to pressure the Pope into not going to Iraq. For more, click on Iraq trip temporarily suspended.
Holy Father stresses "Mystery of Infinite Love" in his 920th Wednesday Papal Audience as crowds grow
Each Wednesday it seems the crowds in St. Peter's Square are growing larger as 18,000 gathered to hear Pope John Paul II's 920th weekly catechetical talk on his regular Wednesday Papal Audience open to the public. He called upon all to meditate on the incarnation and the "Mystery of Infinite Love" and that God is not "a remote God" but always with us and we can understand this better when we strive to love Him and others for He is Love. For more, click on Wednesday Papal Audience.
ABC Poll affords tremendous honor to Pope John Paul II as greatest religious leader of the millennium
 Forget Pope Saint Pius V, Thomas Aquinas, even Saint Francis of Assisi, 506 adults polled in a telephone vote by ABC News chose Pope John Paul II as the most influential religious leader of the millennium. Quite an honor of recognition for this great Sovereign Pontiff of our time who has had quite an impact on the world today, yet most of those polled chose people from the twentieth century as their choices, showing their deficiency in history. The memory of Mother Teresa was not lost on them. She finished third on the list just behind Billy Graham. No offense, but Billy Graham?!? For more, click on Man of the Millennium.
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85 and counting,
hoping and praying...
Coming
this weekend:
- The 45th selection of the TOP 100 CATHOLICS OF THE CENTURY
- Another pertinent editorial in CATHOLIC PewPOINT
- Heart-filled words from Sister Mary Lucy Astuto in her column GETTING TO THE HEART OF THE MATTER
- The twenty-eighth installment in our new feature on the treasures of the great Deposit of Faith in our daily series APPRECIATING THE PRECIOUS GIFT OF OUR FAITH
- Time Capsules in Church History with MILLENNIUM MILESTONES AND MEMORIES focusing on October 8th through the 10th.
- Another gem from SIMPLY SHEEN and we highlight another Prince of the Church: Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera of Mexico City in our COLLEGE OF CARDINALS COLLECTION
- DAILY LITURGY for the weekend of the Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time
- ...and much more in our 192nd issue for 1999!
To review past articles in textonly format, click on Archives.
To read the front page graphics versions click on the desired Year below
 To print out this issue in TEXT ONLY, click on the printer icon. For text of this page, click here
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 Danger to the Soul!
When some declare they don't need rules, they have bats in their belfry and are blowing hot air which could get a lot hotter if they're not careful!
 In his column today, Pat Ludwa points out, through Sacred Scripture, that those who opt to subscribe to the spiritual do-it-yourself school place the emphasis on self rather than God. When they do this they leave themselves wide open for failure for without rules and regulations, without boundaries man is an anarchist, doomed to fail. History has proven this and only the Church which Jesus Christ founded has survived two millenniums. The reasons are simple, because of the boundaries Our Lord placed on man - dating back to our first parents in the Garden of Eden - the only way to survive and reap the rewards God has promised are by obeying Him in all things. There is no such thing as "cafeteria" Catholicism. There is also no merit in believing the lie spread by the evil one that we don't need organized religion. Minnesota Governor and ex-wrestler Jesse Ventura has come under heavy criticisms for such remarks and rightfully so for he should know that to be with God forever no man can live forever without God. For Pat's column Spiritual Do-it-yourselfers!, click on VIEW FROM THE PEW
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The DAILY WORD
"And I say to you, ask, it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find, knock, and it shall be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; and he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks it shall be opened. Buf if one of you asks his father for a loaf, will he hand him a stone? or for a fish, will he hand him a serpent? or if he asks for an egg, will he hand him a scorpion? Therefore, if you, evil as you are, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Heavenly Father give the Good Spirit to those who ask Him!" Luke 11: 9-13
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 Appreciation of Holy Orders
Today we continue with our new series in the search to uncover the great treasuries of the Church contained in the great Deposit of Faith. We continue with the our short feature on Priests, treating today the Sacrament of Holy Orders and the qualifications for someone to receive this august sacrament. For the twenty-seventh installment, click on APPRECIATING THE PRECIOUS GIFT OF OUR FAITH
DAILY LITURGY
Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary
Today is the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, instituted by Pope Saint Pius V in 1571 to honor the Blessed Mother for her intercession at the Victory of Lepanto which saved Christianity against enormous odds. He proved the power of the Rosary just as Pope John Paul II advocates this secret weapon imparted to Saint Dominic for the Holy Rosary is more vital for us today than ever before in sending bouquets of Hail Mary's to Heaven. Many saints have said the links of the Rosary are the chains that will bind satan. Tomorrow we return to Ordinary Time. For the readings, liturgies, meditations, and vignettes on these feasts, click on DAILY LITURGY.
PRAYER & DEVOTIONS
For the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary we honor Mary with the Preface for the Mass in her honor from the Dominican missal:
On this feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary we praise, bless and proclaim Your name. Consenting to the divine word, Mary became the Mother of God; embracing Your saving will, she became the handmaid of the Lord; devoting herself to the life and work of Your Son. Mary cooperated in the mystery of redemption. Because of this she stands before us, Mother and Model of the Church.
 "It is more blessed to give than to receive."
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".
"One of love's essential laws expressed in the words of Our Lord that the Apostles fondly remembered after He ascended: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive' (Acts 20: 35). Our nation will be happier and our hearts will be more full of joy when we discover the true brotherhood of man, but to do this we must realize that we are a race of illegitimate children unless there is also the Fatherhood of God."
Events that happened this day in Church History
Besides this day being the historical day when Don Juan of Austria led a determined band of Christian sea warriors to victory over the superior forces of the Saracens in 1571, it is also the 1,663rd anniversary of the death of the 34th successor of Peter Pope Saint Mark I whose pontificate lasted less than a year. He is best remembered as the Sovereign Pontiff who introduced the Pallium, a woolen stole from a blessed lamb which the Pope consecrated. It was also during his short papacy that the first religious feast days were placed on a liturgical calendar. For other pertinent events throughout the centuries that are memorable in Church history today, click on MILLENNIUM MILESTONES AND MEMORIES
The clarion sounds as a wake-up call to Catholics as we provide a review of all past articles on the Church today
Like our other feature series, we present installments 1 through 105 of this series which is a set blueprint for Catholics everywhere to take up the banner of truth in defending Christ's One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church as we prepare for this glorious event - the second coming of Christ and the Reign of the Sacred Heart, the Second Pentecost, the Era of the Eucharistic Presence, the Advent of Peace. To read any of the over one-hundred previous installments in this long on-going series, click on the Archives ofWHERE IS HOLY MOTHER CHURCH HEADING AS WE NEAR THE MILLENNIUM?
 For additional religious and secular headlines from around the world, we refer you to our new up-to-the-minute NEWS ticker billboard by clicking on the ARROW
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Dear children! Today again I call you to become carriers of my peace. In a special way, now when it is being said that God is far away, He has truly never been nearer to you. I call you to renew prayer in your families by reading the Sacred Scripture and to experience joy in meeting with God Who infinitely loves His creatures. Thank you for having responded to my call.
