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HEADLINES:
Holy Father extols the blessings and wisdom of old age in his heart-rendering Letter to the Elderly
His Holiness Pope John Paul II, nearing 80 years old next May, released a letter on October 1 dealing with something very close to his heart - growing old and the great blessings the elderly have if they consider their journey into late autumn with the spirit of youth, not forgetting God's purpose for them and reminiscing on the blessings and lessons received, something that can be given back to newer generations. He emphasized it can be a great tool in evangelizing the youth so they can learn from their elders, a successful tradition that surpasses centuries. He also stressed that we can never grow old in our soul if we place everything in our Creator's hands and look to Him for everything for old age merely means we are closer to that bridge to Heaven which should bring great joy and peace of heart. For more, click on Papal Letter to the Elderly.
Two months, thousands of deaths, and hundreds of thousands homeless later, UN finally ratifies approval of East Timor independence
After more than two decades the United Nations finally recognized the sovereignty of East Timor by approving of a transition government to complete steps for total independence for this former territory of Portugal on the far-eastern tip of the Indonesian archipelogos. It was fulfillment of what the majority citizens of this beleaguered, persecuted country mandated in their vote two months ago; a vote that triggered terrible torture, murder and ravaging of homes throughout the island by pro-Indonesian anti-independence forces that have finally been driven out by the more than 9,000 peacekeeping troops sent in by Australia. The Vatican has always recognized East Timor as a separate nation. For more, click on East Timor transition.
Saddam Hussein putting monkeywrench in Papal Plans for historic "Jubilee Journey" in December
The problem is squarely with Baghdad and the despot Saddam Hussein who is trying to use the Holy Father as a pawn and manipulate the Pope to make a political statement if he visits Iraq as hoped by the Holy See and the people of Iraq. While the Vatican is being pressured by western powers not to make the trip, the Iraqi government is trying to dictate what His Holiness will say and do while in Iraq. Hussein wants the Pope to condemn the sanction and absolve him, but John Paul II, as has been his custom throughout his papacy, will not get involved in politics. For now everything is on hold. For more, click on Iraqi irritability
Archbishop of Guadalajara urges all Mexico to be active in their missionary zeal
Cardinal Juan Sandoval Iniquezi, the Archbishop of Guadalajara who we feature in today's COLLEGE OF CARDINALS to the right, spoke in Mexico City Sunday to overflowing crowds and entreated them to wake up from their passive concept of the role of missionaries, reminding them that we are all called to be missionaries for Christ. He also noted that the faithful should take a page from the aggressive evangelicals that have infiltrated Mexico in recent years and "fight fire with fire" for Catholics have to be active and on fire for Jesus and witness to His Word to all they meet. For more, click on Mexican recommitment.
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 and the features, dossiers and Daily Dispatches at ZENIT International News Agency. CWN, NE and ZENIT are not affiliated with the Daily CATHOLIC but provide this service via e-mail to the Daily CATHOLIC Monday through Friday.
Coming
Tomorrow
The 32nd selection in the Countdown of the TOP 100 CATHOLICS OF THE CENTURY
A layman's perspective on the Church today in Pat Ludwa's column VIEW FROM THE PEW
Forty-second installment on our new daily feature APPRECIATING THE PRECIOUS GIFT OF OUR FAITH
Retro issues of our on-going series in our feature series on the Church today with the Archives of WHERE IS HOLY MOTHER CHURCH HEADING AS WE NEAR THE MILLENNIUM?
Time Capsules in Church History with MILLENNIUM MILESTONES AND MEMORIES focusing on October 28th.
DAILY LITURGY for Thursday's Feast of the Apostles Saint Simon and Saint Jude and the Thirtieth Friday in Ordinary Time.
Words of wisdom from Bishop Fulton J. Sheen in SIMPLY SHEEN
...and more in our 206th issue for 1999!
TOP CATHOLIC OF THE CENTURY COUNTDOWN:
Number 32:The "Fatima Popes"
Pope Benedict XV
and
Pope Pius XI Two Popes intrinsically linked to the occurrences and message of Fatima during one war and the rumblings of another
Today we bring you the 32nd persons selected out of the TOP 100 CATHOLICS OF THE CENTURY. We say "persons" because the voters chose The "Fatima Popes", who were, of course Pope Benedict XV, the 258th successor of Peter and Pope Pius XI, the 259th in the long line of Sovereign Pontiffs. They are often considered the "Fatima Popes" because it was during their pontificates covering a combined quarter of a century that the famous and pivotal Apparitions at Fatima first occurred and later were approved as worthy of belief by Holy Mother Church. Both played an intricate role in bringing the world to an awareness of the Fatima messages. Both served as a bridge between two world wars, between two even-numbered Popes named Pius, between the bloody revolts that saw the end of imperialism and the rise of anarchy, between the Cross of Christ and the hammer and sickle of atheism along with the fascist swastika, and between the troubled transition of the old order to the new power brokers. This was the time of the "Fatima Popes." For more, click on THE "FATIMA POPES"
The Holy See expands in the post Gregorian years The Agony and ecstasy of the Church after Pope Gregory the Great
We continue with our on-going series of this abridged History of the Mass and Holy Mother Church over a 2000 year span called 2000 YEAR VOYAGE ON THE BARQUE OF PETER. Today we resume the voyage early in the seventh century after the death of Pope Saint Gregory the Great when the Church was at a crossroads, undergoing severe growing pains. She turned outward, reaching out to new nations and rising up saints who would promulgate the Faith in new and distant countries as the threat of Islamism cast a long shadow over Europe prompting the idea of the Crusades to recoup sacred ground where Christ walked in the Holy Land. For Installment twenty-four The Agony and ecstasy of the Church after Pope Gregory the Great - part one: The first 300 years following the Gregorian Era in the BARQUE OF PETER
Events Today in Church History
On this date in 624 Pope Honorius I was elected the 70th successor of Peter. He was born in Capua and died on October 12, 638. His fourteen year pontificate was highlighted by his instituting the Feast of the Holy Cross on September 14th universally and was a great friend of the missions, dispatching missionaries throughout the known world. He also resolved the problem of the Eastern Church in bringing them back in unison with Rome, quashing the Aquileian schism which revolved around the question of the "Three Chapters." For other pertinent events throughout the centuries that are memorable in Church history today, click on MILLENNIUM MILESTONES AND MEMORIES
Appreciating the Indefectibility of the Church
We continue our new daily series in uncovering the great treasuries of the Church contained in her Deposit of Faith. Today, we feature, in the Foundation and Mission of the Church, the first part of Indefectibility of the Church For the forty-third installment, click on APPRECIATING THE PRECIOUS GIFT OF OUR FAITH
Cardinal Juan Sandoval Iniguez was born and raised in the archdiocese where he is Archbishop of Guadalajara in Jalisco, Mexico
Our one-hundred-sixteenth red-hat we feature, in alphabetical order is the 66 year-old prelate Cardinal Juan Sandoval Iniguez, Archbishop of Guadalajara since 1994 and former seminary rector in the same Archdiocese. He received his red-hat and elevation to the cardinalate from Pope John Paul II in the Consistory of November 26, 1994. For more on Cardinal Juan Sandoval Iniguez, click on COLLEGE OF CARDINALS COLLECTION
SIMPLY SHEEN: Gentlemen, start your humility engines!
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".
"Pride is what we think ourselves to be; humility is the truth we know about ourselves, not in the eyes of our neighbor, but in the eyes of God. As Chesterton put it, 'There is no such thing as a being a gentleman at important moments; it is at unimportant moments that a man is a gentleman... If once his mind is possessed in any strong degree with the knowledge that he is a gentleman, he will soon cease to be one.'"
DAILY LITURGY
Today we commemorate the Thirtieth Wednesday in Ordinary Time while tomorrow we celebrate the Feast of the Apostles Saint Simon and Saint Jude. For the readings, liturgies, meditations, and vignettes on this feast, click on DAILY LITURGY.
October 25th Medjugorje Monthly Message
Dear children! Do not forget: this is a time of grace; that is why, pray, pray,
pray! Thank you for having responded to my call.
For more on Medjugorje, click on MEDJUGORJE AND MORE
To review past articles in textonly format, click on Archives.
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