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      Today is the Third Wednesday of Easter and the feast of Saint Anselm, Bishop, Religious and Doctor of the Church while tomorrow we continue Paschaltide with the Third Thusday of Easter. For the readings, liturgies, meditations and vignette on St. Anselm, click on DAILY LITURGY.

Wednesday, April 21: Easter Weekday and
Feast of Saint Anselm, Bishop, Religious and Doctor of the Church

First Reading: Acts 8: 1-8
Psalms: Psalm 66: 1-7
Gospel Reading: John 6: 35-40

     Born in 1033 in the village of Aosta, Italy near Piedmont St. Anselm became a Benedictine monk despite his father's protests. To fulfill his vocation he was forced to flee to France where he entered the Benedictine monastery at Bec in Normandy, France at the age of 23. There he was appointed abbot in 1078 and became known far and wide as a dynamic preacher. His prowess as a holy man reached across the channel to Britain where the English King William Rufus (William II) requested he become his highness' personal confessor. In 1092 the English clergy overwhelmingly beseeched him to become Archbishop of Canterbury which had been vacant for three years. While Anselm consented to it, he refused to compromise the Church's position with the state and the English king who, for worldly reasons, refused to acknowledge Anselm. To further aggravate the situation, William II demanded excessive payments from Anselm for the diocese which the latter refused to pay. Those who were not loyal to Rome backed the king against Anselm, but when the bishop made an impassioned plea to the people, "If any man pretends that I violate my faith to my king because I will not reject the authority of the Holy See of Rome, let him stand forth, and in the name of God I will answer him as I ought." The common people understood he was one of them and they rallied behind Anselm who fled England to Rome. There Pope Urban I backed Anselm and refused William's demands for fees or threats to confiscate diocesan property. The king realized he had met his match and the "vox populi" sounded solidly behind Anselm against the king. William wilted and died in 1100. With the obstacle gone, Anselm returned triumphantly to England but ran into almost the same problems with William's successor King Henry II over lay investiture. Anselm returned to Rome where Urban's successor Pope Paschal II strongly supported the archbishop. Henry realized it was a no-win situation and recanted allowing Anselm to return and invest bishops and abbots himself instead of the king. In 1102 at a synod in Westminster, Anselm was one of the first to vigorously denounce slave trade in Africa. In 1108, Henry made Anselm a regent and a year later Anselm passed on to his Heavenly reward when he breathed his last on April 21, 1109 at the age of seventy six.

      Though he had been embroiled in many disputes with imperial parties during his bishopric, he wrote many tomes on theology and established a powerful influence on the people of his time, coming to be known as the "Father of Scholasticism." He was studied in depth by such luminaries as Saint Thomas Aquinas. In 1720 Pope Clement XI declared Anselm a "Doctor of the Church."

Thursday, April 22: Easter Weekday

First Reading: Acts 8: 26-40
Psalms: Psalm 66: 1, 8-9, 16-17, 20
Gospel Reading: John 6: 44-51

My plan for a little army must be an army of love and mercy, united by the Holy Spirit.

      Those words come from the Blessed Virgin Mary on the feast of the Apostles Saint Philip and Saint James on May 3, 1994 as imparted to the Hidden Flower of the Immaculate Heart in Message #488 in which Our Lady laments that there is so much division when she needs unity through commitment to her Divine Spouse the Holy Spirit in order to marshall the forces of Mary's Little Army to combat the wiles of satan as dedicated members of the Church Militant in the Communion of Saints. Our Lady prefaces this message a day earlier with the same theme, calling for her little ones to reconcile and stop the bickering and jealousies and use her special month of May to turn over a new leaf and prepare for the glorious feast of Pentecost so that, like the Apostles, we, too, will be infused by the Sanctifier. For Messages #487 and #488, click on "I SOLEMNLY TELL YOU..."

Messages 487 and 488

Message Four Hundred-eighty-seven, May 2, 1994

(Imparted to the Hidden Flower by the Immaculate Heart of Mary)

      Beloved Hidden Flower, I am with you. I bless you and give to you my Divine Son's Peace. Let all who persecute find through your humility that you offer no defense, depending upon God alone.

      For many years now as I have pleaded with you to pray with your heart, I also have warned that many would betray me and be lulled away by a false peace.

      O! I am weeping now more than ever because I see how easily satan has deceived you. The unity of all who are gathered beneath my Immaculate Mantle is frail, and in many places shattered.

      There must be unity of mind and heart through the grace of the Holy Spirit. Let no discord come between you.

      Therefore, in this month especially dedicated to me, I solemnly tell you I need your prayers, Masses, sacrifices, your whole being, so that I might intercede before my Divine Son for unity.

      Pentecost approaches. Prepare for this great feast and pray for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

      May all my children respond now in love and mercy while yet there is time. I love and bless you. Thank you for responding to my Call!

Message Four Hundred-eighty-eight, May 3, 1994

(Imparted to the Hidden Flower by the Immaculate Heart of Mary)

      Beloved Hidden Flower, am I not your Mother? You have not abandoned God. He permits this intense suffering for the salvation of many souls. That is why this night I come to speak to you, for pain purifies and allows the Holy Spirit to guide and strengthen.

      Therefore, I say to all of my children: O! How I weep for I call and search the world for generous, loving hearts and I do not find them. My plan for a little army must be an army of love and mercy, united by the Holy Spirit. Everywhere satan infiltrates and arouses man's ego and his intellect, and there are only cold hearts of unmerciful love that hear my words but do not understand them. Is this not also a sign of the end times? Have not the many gathered beneath my Immaculate Mantle fallen back upon their own devices, leaving the protection of my Immaculate Heart, because they carry within the poison of hatred, bitterness, fear and anguish because their will is not fulfilled? O! How I weep for you must be humble, little children at all times. This is my motherly plea, which I repeat over and over. Consecrate yourself to my Son's Sacred Heart through my Immaculate Heart. Stand firm in the Truth. Do not waiver. God shall be your shield, your strength, your all.

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

Armenia could be added to Pope's list of former communistic countries to visit

      First it was Romania, then the Ukraine, now it's possible that the Holy Father might visit the former Soviet Union Republic of Armenia. That was the word out of Yereva, Armenia yesterday when the president of Armenia and Armenian Apostolic Catholicos Geregin I jointly made the startling announcement that His Holiness would make a papal visit there this July, even though there has been no official announcement by the Holy See. Despite this, optimism is running high that the Pope will because he himself has expressed a strong desire to visit the former communist countries that made up the USSR. For more, click on Armenian Papal Visit.

      YEREVAN, Armenia (CWNews.com) - The religious and political leaders of the former Soviet republic of Armenia announced on Tuesday that Pope John Paul II will visit their country in July.

      Armenian Apostolic Catholicos Geregin I and President Robert Kocharyan had invited the Holy Father to come to Armenia, according to Deputy Catholicos Garegin Nerseyan at a news conference held by Prime Minister Armen Darbinyan. They also announced the preparations for the papal visit which include a stop at the Armenian Apostolic Church in St. Echmiadzine, a cathedral in Garmi, and Ashotsk (Gukasyan) which has a large Catholic community.

      The Pontiff will visit a primarily Orthodox country for the first time next month when he travels to Romania. He has repeatedly expressed his desire to reach out to Orthodox Christians, including those in Russia. The Vatican has not yet confirmed that the visit to Armenia will take place.

Russian Patriarch teams with Serb Orthodox Patriarch and Belgrade's Catholic Bishop to condemn NATO bombing and call upon Serbs to extend charity to refugees

      In a show of unity for peace at St. Sava's Orthodox Cathedral in Belgrade yesterday, the Russian Patriarch Aleksei II, Serbian Orthodox Patriarch Pavle and Belgrade's Catholic Bishop Franco Perko all echoed the Holy Father's plea for peace, all condemning the NATO bombing and immediate reversal of any ethnic cleansing by extending the olive branch and help to the Albanian refugees of Kosovo. In attendance was the Serbian Prime Minister and members of the Serbian parliament but Serb despot Slobodan Milosevic was conspicuous by his absence. For more, click on Peace refrains from Belgrade.

      BELGRADE (CWNews.com) - Russian Orthodox Patriarch Aleksei II arrived in Belgrade on Monday condemning NATO bombing of the country while also urging Serbs to offer a safe haven for ethnic Albanians in Kosovo.

      The patriarch addressed packed pews at the Serbian Orthodox St. Sava cathedral in the capital. "Our visit here shows that we are together in this difficult time," he said. "We share your sorrow. It's a sorrow of the people who suffer, who have become refugees, who need help and support." He added that he included all victims of the suffering in that sorrow -- Orthodox Christians, Muslims, and Catholics.

      Flanked by Serbian Orthodox Patriarch Pavle, Patriarch Aleksei blasted NATO's continuing campaign of air attacks. "NATO's bombs and missiles are intended to destroy the world order created after World War Two and paid for with a great deal of blood, and to found a new order on brute force." The russian government and public opinion have opposed the attacks since their start, reflecting the two countries long ties as Slavic peoples.

      He also urged Serbs to make peace with Kosovar Albanians, who have seen virtually their entire population of about 1.5 million turned into refugees. "Do everything in your power so all well-intentioned people who left their homes in Kosovo return," he said. "The only just peace is a solid and long-term peace. That's why you must do all you can to foster peace and harmony."

      The memorial service was also attended by Catholic Bishop Franco Perko of Belgrade, as well as Yugoslav Prime Minister Momir Bulatovic and Dragan Tomic, chairman of the Serbian parliament.

Cardinals in Philadelphia and Mexico focus on peace at home and abroad

      From Philadelphia to Mexico City the cry has gone out for peace and an end to violence. From the city of Brotherly Love, the Archbishop of Philadelphia Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua has called for all his flock to pray for peace and taken up a special collection through May 10 to help the Kosovo refugees. In Mexico City, Cardinal Norberto Carrera Rivera kicked off a week of emphasizing that peace begins at home, focusing on prayer and cutting down on family violence in order to be more loving people according to God's laws. For more, click on Peace pleas at home and abroad.

      PHILADELPHIA, 20 (NE) As the weekly publication of the archdiocese informed some days ago, Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua, Archbishop of Philadelphia has requested all archdiocesan parishes to pray for the peace in the Balkans, as well as carry out an emergency special collection, "due to the great need for food and medical supplies" of the refugees.

      "Mindful of the sufferings of those forced from their homes," the Cardinal writes in his letter, "and those who find themselves in harm's way during this crisis (…) I encourage each parish to schedule an evening of prayer for peace, that this conflict may be resolved swiftly and peacefully." He also requested that the collection be carried out as soon as possible "on any weekend prior to May 10."

      Meanwhile, in Mexico City, Cardinal Norberto Rivera, Archbishop of Mexico City presided at a Mass to inaugurate the "National Week of prayer against violence" last Sunday. Under the motto "Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good," this initiative aims to put all the country's efforts for peace and reconciliation in God's hands and generate a greater social conscience of the necessity of facing these problems.

      The president of the organization "Mexico United against Delinquency," -one of the promoters of the campaign- affirmed that Mexico is one of the countries with the highest rate in homicides, and that only last year more than a thousand hijackings occurred. "We made this campaign -he explained- because we figured out either we appealed to God, or we won't be able to handle so much impunity, injustice and organized crime."

      Every day will have a specific intention: Monday, prayers for the victims and their families; on Tuesday, for police, public ministries and other civil authorities; on Wednesday, for the imprisoned, especially those punished wrongly. On Thursday, for the protection of Mexican families; on Friday, for those who suffer because of violence and injustice; on Saturday, for the conversion of criminals and of all Mexicans, and on Sunday, for the participation of citizens in favor of this cause. Bishops also invited faithful and non-believers to fast next Friday and help out other people through charity, offering their intentions for peace in the country.

Catholic church burned on Sulawesi Island in revenge motive for explosion in Indonesia's largest mosque

     Tensions intensified in Indonesia over the weekend when 600 angry Moslims retaliated against Catholics for the supposed bombing of their country's largest mosque by torching a Catholic church on the Island of Sulawesi. The president of Indonesia had urged the Moslem people not to retaliate for the bombing of the mosque but insurgents took matters into their own hands. For more, see Inferno in Indonesia

      JAKARTA (CWNews.com) - A mob of Muslims burned a Catholic church in eastern Indonesia on Tuesday in apparent retaliation for the bombing of the country's largest mosque.

      Tensions between Christians and Muslims has been high in the most populous Muslim nation in the world for several months as the worst economic crisis in decades continued its stranglehold on the nation. On Monday, a bomb exploded at the Istiqlal Mosque and President B.J. Habibie said the bombing was the work of those who want to disrupt June 7 parliamentary elections and urged Muslims not to respond.

      Police said a mob of 600 people attacked the church in Ujung Pandang on Sulawesi Island early Tuesday morning. One man was injured and 21 people arrested. Security forces in the capital Jakarta guarded several mosques and churches, and searched a Catholic cathedral near the Istiqlal Mosque following a bomb threat. No device was found.

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.

Daily Dose of curious contents of the Church

      With the announcement that the Pope might possibly visit Armenia in July, we provide some information on the Armenian rite. Its liturgy possesses elements from the Byzantine, Jerusalem and Syriac rites and dates back to the 5th century. In medieval time some of the Latin traditions and liturgical practices were adapted, but the official liturgical language remains classic Armenian. It combines the Armenian Apostolic and Catholic Churches called the Armenian Catholic Church as a member of the Eastern Churches in union with Rome. There are two dioceses in Syria, one in Argentina, Egypty, France, Greece, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Romania, Turkey, the United States and the Ukraine as well, of course, as Armenia. In the U.S. and Canada it is called the Apostolic Exarchate with the see in New York City with 35,000 members in both nations combined. The country of Armenia itself has 3.7% of the populations who claim they are Armenian Catholics. Diplomatic relations with the Vatican were established with Armenia on May 23, 1992 after the collapse of the USSR. The Patriarch is Jean Pierre XVIII Kasparian. For more on Armenia we recommend New Advent Catholic Supersite. (source: 1999 Catholic Almanac, Our Sunday Visitor).

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SITE OF THE DAY

   Today, in honor of Cardinal Francis E. George, OMI who we feature in our series on the College of Cardinals, we present his official Archdiocesan site: ARCHDIOCESE OF CHICAGO: CARDINAL FRANCIS E. GEORGE, OMI This is not the main page, but you can reach the home page by clicking on at the left of the page in the particular area of interest. We felt readers would be more interested in Cardinal George and what he has to say.

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

April 21, 1999 volume 10, no. 78   DAILY CATHOLIC