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1030 A.D.
Death of Saint Olaf, king of Norway who used his reign to unify and Christianize his subjects, but rebellion among the nobles ended in his being slain at the Battle of Stiklestad. After his death, miracles were attributed to him and an chapel was built which became the Cathedral of Trondheim.
1095 A.D.
Death of Saint Ladislaus I, king of Hungary who is also known as Laszlo. He joined Pope Saint Gregory VII in his on-going struggles with Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV. Ladislaus was chosen to lead the first Crusade by Pope Blessed Urban II but died before he could take the helm. It is Ladislaus who is largely responsible for bringing the faith to Croatia which to this day remains largely Catholic. He was canonized by Pope Celestine III in 1192.
1099 A.D.
Death of Pope Saint Urban II, 159th successor of Peter. This French-born pontiff was elected at the conclave held in Velletri because Rome was in the hands of the antipope Clement III. Urban was actually the inspirer of the First Crusade, declaring war on the infidels. He also instituted the "Truce of God" which was a brief respite from battle to bury the dead.
1644 A.D.
Death of Pope Urban VIII, 235th successor of Peter whose reign lasted 22 years. During this time he carried out work on the sacred texts - the Pontifical and the Breviary. He celebrated the 13th Jubilee and condemned Galileo Galilei.
In a telegram of condolence written in the Pontiff's name, and addressed both to Father Giovanni Bernardo Gremoli, the apostolic vicar in Arabia, and Sister Nirmala, the head of the religious order founded by Mother Teresa, Cardinal Angelo Sodano said that the Holy Father was praying that the sacrifice of the three nuns would "advance the cause of understanding and respect among religions." The Pope also expressed the hope that their death would bring new blessings to the Missionaries of Charity.
Sisters Tilia, Anetta, and Michael were gunned down on Monday by a group of Muslim extremists. The nuns were killed as they arrived at work, at a hospital for aged and handicapped people near the Red Sea.
In the aftermath of the killings, Yemen's health minister, reacting to the murder of three nuns on Monday, called for the government to provide police protection for all religious workers in the country.
Three sisters of the Missionaries of Charity were shot in a drive-by shooting by suspected Islamic extremists as they entered the health clinics they served as nurses. The Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano reported that Yemeni Health Minister Abdullah Abdul-Wali Nasher visited the order's chapter house to express his sorrow and "contacted his colleague who is responsible for interior affairs to ask for protection for the other religious workers who operate in Yemen."
Yemeni officials said residents captured the gunman, who was identified as Abdullah al-Nasheri, 22, immediately after incident. During an interrogation the gunman said he had killed the nuns, all nurses, because they were "preaching Christianity," the official said. He gave the nuns' names as Sisters Zilia, 35, from India, Elita, 40, from India, and Michaela, 36, from the Philippines. They were among 10 to 12 nuns who provide medical services in Hodeida.
Sister Theodelind Schreck, 57, was principal of a school near Durban. She disappeared on Wednesday after seeing her nephew, and her body was found Sunday in woods on the way back to the Holy Childhood Convent School. Police said they believe the motive was robbery.
A school spokesman said the community has been shocked by the killing. "People are very angry that such a terrible thing could happen to such a dedicated person," said the spokesman. "Sister Theodelind Schreck was dedicated to her teaching and religious duties," said Ben Ngubane, premier of KwaZulu-Natal province. "Violence remains violence, irrespective of motivation."
Mpawenayo said financial considerations have caused the decision. The World Food Program recently stopped sending food assistance to the boarding schools and the problem was exacerbated by a 1996 embargo and the ongoing civil war. The seizure of the schools was part of a program by Bagaza to curtail the power of the Church, which also included the expulsion of foreign religious workers.
Relations between the government and the Church improved when Maj. Pierre Buyoya overthrew Bagaza. The country's bishops have not yet said whether they will accept the government plan since many of the schools are now old and in need of extensive repairs.
The girl, who was allegedly impregnated by her 17-year-old brother almost 29 weeks ago, had been temporarily barred from traveling to Kansas for an abortion because Michigan law prohibits most abortions after the 24th week, while Kansas allows it under certain conditions.
The Conservative News Service reported on Tuesday that the girl's chosen abortionist, Dr. George Tiller of Wichita, may not be allowed to perform the abortion. Tiller disclosed on his own web site that in order to perform the partial-birth abortion, he must determine that the abortion is necessary to safeguard the girl's life or prevent "substantial or irreversible impairment of a major bodily function."
Previously, the girl's lawyers had argued that Kansas allows partial-birth abortion if necessary for "long-term mental or physical health." David Gittrich of Kansas for Life said a new state law passed on July 1 removed the exception for mental health for abortions after 22 weeks.
