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     Today is the Second Monday of Easter while tomorrow we celebrate the Second Tuesday of Easter as well as commemorating the Feast of Pope Saint Martin I, Martyr. For the readings, liturgies, meditations and vignette on St. Martin I, click on DAILY LITURGY.

Monday, April 12: Easter Weekday

First Reading: Acts 4: 32-37
Psalms: Psalm 93: 1-2, 5
Gospel Reading: John 3: 7-15

Tuesday, April 13: Easter Weekday and
Optional Feast of Pope Saint Martin I, Martyr

First Reading: Acts 4: 32-37
Psalms: Psalm 93: 1-2, 5
Gospel Reading: John 3: 7-15

     Born in Todi in the Umbrian region of Italy , Saint Martin I became the 74th successor of Peter taking the name Pope Martin I on July 5, 649. During his pontificate he established the feast of the Immaculate Virgin Mary. His six-year papacy was wrought with persecution and ultimate imprisonment and suffering that ended in "moral martyrdom." Because of their adherence to the heresy that Jesus was only divine and possessed no human nature, Martin condemned the Eastern bishops at a Council he convened at the Lateran shortly after his elevation to the papal throne. Those bishops who had received the bell, book and candle appealed to the Byzantine Emperor Constans II who retaliated by sending his men to capture Martin and bring him back in chains to Constantinople where we was thrown into prison. The horrible conditions of the jail made Martin very, very ill, so much so that Constans sought to rid himself of the headache and responsibility by condemning him to death, but Paul, Patriarch of Constantinople intervened and rather than having Martin executed, the Roman Pontiff was exiled to the Crimea and the island of Cherso where he suffered terrible hardships and, having never recovered from his illness contracted in the filthy elements of Eastern incarceration, he died on April 13, 655. His martyrdom was a long, drawn-out torture that was complicated because of his illness. He was the last Pope to be martyred.

      During Eastertide the Regina Coeli is said in place of the Angelus three times a day. For background on this prayer, see today's CATHOLIC CANVAS. For the beautiful Regina Coeli prayer, see REGINA COELI

Queen of Heaven, rejoice. Alleluia.
For He Whom thou was made worthy to bear. Alleluia.
Has risen as He said. Alleluia.
Pray for us to our God. Alleluia.
V. Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary. Alleluia.
R. For the Lord has risen indeed. Alleluia.

Let us pray.      O God, Who through the resurrection of Thy Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, has vouchsafed to make glad the whole world, grant us, we beseech Thee, that, through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, His Mother, we may attain the joys of eternal life. Through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen.

"Please do as My Mother asks and pray much."

      Those words from Our Lord imparted to the Hidden Flower of the Immaculate Heart in Message #473 on March 22, 1994 reinforces the need to be obedient to Mary's Divine Son Jesus and heed His Mother's words. Christ asks that we put aside the chatter and seek the solitude of silence in our hearts and lives to better pray and aid Our Lady in conversions of hearts. He reiterates there is no need to fear the future if we are truly rooted in His Sacred Heart. The Blessed Mother follows up her Son's words in Message #474 on the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord by encouraging all to encourage their children and set the example so that all may share in the great Triumph of her Immaculate Heart as promised at Fatima. For Messages #473 and #474 from Jesus, click on "I SOLEMNLY TELL YOU..."

Message Four Hundred-seventy-three, March 22, 1994

      Beloved Hidden Flower of My Mother's Immaculate Heart, I love and bless you.

      To all the world I cry out: Come to Me and let Me be your sure Refuge. Humble yourselves and beseech Divine Mercy to come upon you; for I solemnly tell you that many of the events foretold by My chosen messengers shall unfold with great speed, shocking every nation and creating great fear in every heart. Yet, if your heart rests in Mine, you shall not fear but weep for joy, knowing the hour of satan's defeat has dawned.

      Please do as My Mother asks and pray much. Now is the time for few words to be spoken. I seek silent little hearts whose sole joy is to comfort Me. In what greater measure do I pour out My gifts upon these little souls.

      Pray and be on guard, for the time of announcement has come and the angels of Heaven shall deliver the Father's Will!

      I love and bless you, My dear children. I, your Jesus, say again: Come to Me. I alone am your Refuge in these last days!

Message Four Hundred-seventy-four, March 25, 1994

      Beloved Hidden Flower, know I remain with you. Know that your sufferings will only increase, as all I have asked of you is brought to fulfillment.

      On this the Feast of the Annunciation, I come to all of my little ones to say: I am your Mother and I desire to present each of you to my Divine Son as a little child. It is important that you fully comprehend what it is to be a little child, and this grace comes through humility and obedience.

      I solemnly tell you to be on guard for your children's sake. Love them and consecrate them to my Son through my Immaculate Heart. Let every child wear the crucifix and the scapular, to keep the demons far away. Bless your homes, your children and each other every day with Holy Water, asking all the angels of Heaven to keep guard over you.

      Pray, my little children, very much. Seek my Divine Son daily in Holy Communion, and learn from Him Who is the Font of Mercy. Let all who come, come as a little child. Do not be afraid, for sinners have the first right to His Infinite Mercy, and all who seek Mercy shall be granted abundant graces.

      Dear children, how I love you! Will you grow weary now? Will you forget that I have called you to help me in the Triumph of my Immaculate Heart? O! Do not abandon the plan I have given to all the world, at Fatima, at Akita, and at Medjugorje. There are many other places also where I have spoken the same messages of warning but also of hope.

      Dear children, pray much! Speak little. Seek full abandonment to God, and allow the Holy Spirit to fully possess you. Then shall my Heart triumph sooner! Beg the Father for this grace, and pray unceasingly for Mercy. You do not believe that which is yet to befall mankind.

      I love and bless you. Thank you for responding to my Call!

After years of suffering, God calls 91 year-old Chilean Cardinal Silva home; one of last appointed during John XXIII's Consistory

      Friday afternoon the Church lost one of the few remaining cardinals that were appointed by Pope John XXIII when Chile's 91 year-old Cardinal Raul Silva Henriquez passed away at the Salesian home in Santiago, Chile. He had been a Salesian priest all his life. It was he who built the national shrine to Saint John Bosco. For more, click on Cardinal dies.

      SANTIAGO, 10 (NE) Cardinal Raul Silva Henriquez, Archbishop Emeritus of Santiago, Chile, died yesterday after suffering for approximately a year the effects of a severe arteriosclerosis. At 13:45, local time, the 91-year-old Cardinal died in the Salesian Rest House, having remained in comma since last Tuesday.

      The Cardinal was born on the 27th of September 1907 in Talca, Chile. In 1930 he entered the Salesian Congregation in Macul. He was ordained priest the 4th of July 1938 and in 1959 he was named bishop of Valparaiso. In 1961 he became Archbishop of Santiago and in the next year Pope John XXIII created him Cardinal. He attended the II Vatican Council. He was also the president of the Chilean Bishop's Conference, and was Archbishop of Santiago until 1983.

      After receiving the news of his death, Archbishop Francisco Javier Errazuriz, current Archbishop of Santiago, highlighted the collaboration of the Cardinal supporting national union and reconciliation and the "enormous importance he gave to forgiveness." Chilean president Eduardo Frei announced the decree of official mourning in the whole country for five days.

Bosnia's Cardinal tells Europe they should have seen it coming as Sant'Egidio Community Rep meets with Albanian leader while UN offers abortion and contraception

      The situation in the Balkans is creating situations that range from the sublime to the ridiculous. Such is the case for the former with Bosnia's Cardinal Vinko Puljic plea for Europe to understand the climate in the former Yugoslavia and Monsignor Vincenzo Paglia doing all he can to help effect a peaceful solution. As an example of the bizarre and stupid, we have the UN and their powerful Population Control arm offering abortion and contraceptive pills in lieu of food. Just more evidence how valuable they consider life! For more, click on The Balkans.

      VATICAN (CWNews.com) -- The warfare in Kosovo is the product of Western indecision in confronting earlier conflicts in the Balkans, according to the archbishop of Sarajevo.

      Cardinal Vinko Puljic told the Italian daily Avvenire: "We are paying today for the hesitation and the weakness of the past eight years, when the Western world should have shown more determination in the face of developments in Yugoslavia when that country was dismantled." The cardinal said that if "those who are intervening in Kosovo today" had acted decisively in 1991, "this new intervention would not have been necessary."

      While saying that "there is no alternative to dialogue," Cardinal Puljic also suggested that there may be times when strong action is necessary-- especially in order to protect those who are least able to defend themselves against violence. He explained: "It can become necessary, in the name of justice, to take draconian action-- in the same way that when medicines are not enough to stop the progress of a disease, surgical intervention may be required." He continued that "once the operation has removed the diseased body, one can return to dialogue."

      Cardinal Puljic said that many refugees have begun arriving in Bosnia, fleeing from the latest fighting. "Many of them are Serbs who are refusing to take up arms," he said. The cardinal expressed fears that the heavy flow of refugees could be "a destabilizing factor" in a region that is already volatile.

      Meanwhile, the leader of a diplomatic contingent from the St. Egidio community has spoken with an Albanian leader in Kosovo, and discussed prospects for a peaceful end to the conflict there, according to a story in the Italian press.

      La Stampa reported that Msgr. Vincenzo Paglia, the head of a team from the St. Egidio community which has become engaged in talks with Yugoslavian government officials, has spoken with Ibrahim Rugova, an Albanian leader who has sought to negotiate with Serbian officials for an end to the fighting and some measure of autonomy for the Kosovo province. Spokesman for St. Egidio in Rome said that they could not confirm the account published in La Stampa, since they had not been in direct contact with Msgr. Paglia since he left for Belgrade on April 6. However, they said that the press story was consistent with their own understanding of the diplomatic mission.

      Rugova is living in Pristina, the capital of Kosovo, under house arrest. But Msgr. Paglia told La Stampa that he believes Rugova is able to speak freely, despite being carefully supervised by Serbian officials and threatened by more radical Albanian activists.

      The St. Egidio community, which has gained international prominence for its efforts to mediate disputes, has opened its own diplomatic effort on Kosovo with the tacit approval of the Vatican. And Msgr. Paglia had contacts with Kosovo-- and with Rugova himself-- prior to the latest outbreak of fighting. In 1997, the St. Egidio community helped to arrange an agreement which was signed by Rugova and Serbian President Milosevic, ending a stalemate over the teaching of Albanians in Kosovo's universities.

      Rugova reportedly told Msgr. Paglia that if he is allowed to leave Pristina, he will travel to Rome to seek aid for Kosovo. Rome would be a natural choice for such a mission, Italy is the only NATO country which has maintained open diplomatic relations with the Belgrade government throughout the latest conflict. Moreover the Vatican itself has been heavily involved in efforts to end the fighting.

      In a related and bizarre story, the UN Population Fund said on Thursday that it will send supplies of abortion pills and contraceptives as well as obstetrical equipment to Albania to help Kosovo refugees.

      Dr. Nafis Sadik, director of the fund, said: "The international community must act quickly to protect the displaced women of Kosovo from unwanted pregnancy and the risks of unattended childbirth." She warned that Kosovar women faced the prospect of unwanted pregnancies resulting from rape by their oppressors.

      The kits will provide supplies for about 350,000 people for three to six months, the fund said in a statement, and include so-called "morning after" pills that induce a spontaneous abortion soon after conception. They also include equipment for safe baby deliveries in areas without medical facilities, pictorial instructions, and a razor blade for cutting the umbilical cord of a newborn.

Corpus Christi's loss is San Juan's gain as Archbishop Gonzalez emphasizes family in first address to his new flock in Puerto Rico

      Making his first appearance in San Juan, Puerto Rico after having been named to replace the retiring Cardinal Luis Aponte Martinez as the new Archbishop there, Archbishop-elect Roberto Gonzalez, OFM from the Diocese of Corpus Christi, Texas emphasized, as he was introduced to the people, that the future of Puerto Rico depends on families For more, click on Brazil General Assembly .

      SAN JUAN, 10 (NE) After having been named new Archbishop of San Juan, Puerto Rico, Archbishop Roberto Gonzalez stated that one of his most important pastoral tasks will be the defense of family. The prelate will succeed Cardinal Aponte Martinez, after the Holy Father's acceptance of the Cardinal's retirement having reached the age limit specified by canon law.

      In a message published in the weekly magazine of the Puerto Rican Bishop's Conference, Archbishop Gonzalez reminded that the family is the "domestic church" and place where the identity of the people is forged. "The future of Puerto Rico will depend on the future of the Puerto Rican families. These are to occupy a privileged place in the new evangelization to which we have been called", he said. Among other pastoral challenges, the Archbishop underlined that his ministry will aim to achieve and defend the common well being of people.

UN observers to be allowed in to help curb violence against Catholics in East Timor

      East Timor's Bishop Carlos Belo's persistent pleas to President Habibe and the Indonesian governent to step in and provide justice in Catholic East Timor where Indonesian military ambushed 1,200 last week, killing 25 in a Catholic church have finally paid off with the president's pledge to allow UN observers in to investigate the situation thoroughly even though there are signs that the military is unrepentant. For more, click on East Timor solutions

      DILI, East Timor (CWNews.com) - Indonesia has agreed to investigate the massacre of dozens of people in a church in East Timor this week, the United Nations said on Thursday.

      Anti-independence paramilitaries are suspected of killing at least 25 people outside a church on Tuesday in Liquica, although human rights groups say at least twice that number, including 20 children, were shot or blown up by guns and hand grenades. "The Indonesia government has responded positively to a UN suggestion that an impartial inquiry be undertaken to establish facts surrounding these killings," UN spokesman Fred Eckhard said.

      Pro- and anti-independence gangs have stepped up their violent activity in recent weeks as the former Portugese colony prepares for a referendum in July on whether to accept increased autonomy or full independence from Indonesia. Mainly Catholic East Timor was invaded by Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, in 1975 and annexed the following in a move not recognized by the UN.

      Bishop Carlos Belo of Dili has said at least 25 people were killed by anti-independence groups backed by the Indonesian military. On Thursday some of the same militiamen attended a rally of thousands at their base camp in Maliana, vowing to continue their fight against East Timorese separatists.

For more headlines and articles, we suggest you go to the Catholic World News site at the CWN home page and Church News at Noticias Eclesiales. Both CWN and NE are not affiliated with the Daily CATHOLIC but provides this service via e-mail to the Daily CATHOLIC Monday through Friday.

CATHOLIC CANVAS:
Daily Dose of curious contents of the Church:

Regina Coeli

      During the Paschal Season the prayer Regina Coeli replaces the traditional Angelus prayer. The origin of the Regina Coeli, which means "Queen of Heaven," evolves from 596 A.D. when a horrible pestilence was ravaging Rome during Lent and Pope Saint Gregory the Great called the people to penance and a procession to make amends in petition to take away the deadly plague. On Easter morning, Gregory himself went to the church of Ara Coeli, and, taking in his hands a picture of the Blessed Virgin Mary which was believed to have been painted by Saint Luke, he proceeded barefoot to St. Peter's followed by the clergy and massive throngs. As he was passing Castel Sant'Angelo he heard voices singing the Regina Coeli. The Pope replied to the people: "Ora pro nobis Deum, Alleluia." At that very moment it is told that an angel, brilliant with light, was seen by many. The angel placed his sword back in his sheath and the plague ceased that day. With this the anthem Regina Coeli was introduced by Pope Gregory to thank Our Lady whose intercession helped stop the disease. From that time on the Regina Coeli became the popular prayer to be said during Eastertide. It was officially spread to the universal Church by Pope Nicholas III late in the thirteenth century, designated from Easter to Pentecost. The rest of the year the Angelus continues to be said. (source: The Glories and Triumphs of the Catholic Church, Benziger Brothers).

     With the emphasis on the "Queen of Heaven" we present today a special site where you can download a virtual Rosary right on your desktop. It is, naturally, called the VIRTUAL ROSARY SITE. It's a beautiful, inspiring way to pray the Rosary right at your computer if you can't always be in front of the Blessed Sacrament. The webmaster has also just added a Virtual Chaplet. Check it out and once you've downloaded, say a few prayers for the site providing the Virtual Rosary and Chaplet free as well as this DAILY CATHOLIC ministry. All involved in the various Catholic web apostolates are grateful for your prayers.

Click here to return to SECTION ONE or click here to return to the graphics front page of this issue.

April 12, 1999 volume 10, no. 71   DAILY CATHOLIC