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February 27

Pope convokes extraordinary consistory for May

Rome, 27 (NE) Pope John Paul II will preside on May this year an extraordinary consistory, during which, together with the College of Cardinals, he will reflect on the Church's prospects for the Third Millennium. The announcement was made yesterday afternoon by the Holy See Press Office Director, Joaquin Navarro-Valls

The Holy Father "has convoked an Extraordinary Consistory which will take place in the Vatican this coming May 21-24" read the statement released by the Holy See Press Office, explaining that "the main theme of this sixth plenary meeting of the College of Cardinals is the study of the Church's prospects for the Third Millennium, in the light of the Holy Father's recent Apostolic Letter 'Novo Millennio Ineunte'". According to the press release, "the entire College of Cardinals is called to participate in this Consistory".

This extraordinary consistory will be the sixth held by Pope John Paul II. The first of these meetings that gathers the College of Cardinals to reflect on a particular theme took place in 1979, one year after the Pope's election. The last one was held in 1994, to reflect on the preparations for the celebration of the Great Jubilee 2000.

Consistory has been "a memorable event", recalls Pope

Rome, 27 (NE) Cardinals "must make visible in their life a love to Christ that does not stop before any sacrifice", recalled last Sunday Pope John Paul II, as he met with pilgrims to pray the Angelus. Addressing faithful from his window overlooking St. Peter's Square, the Pope said that the example of the 44 cardinals created in the consistory held last Wednesday must be "for all Christians an encouragement to serve the divine Lord with generosity", being "living members of his one mystic Body: the Church".

The Holy Father also stressed that the consistory "will undoubtedly last as a memorable event in the annals of the Church". The enlargement of the College of Cardinals, he continued, "expressing the unity of the ecclesial body around the Successor of Peter, highlights at the same time the Catholic dimension" reflected in the fact that the Cardinals come from different countries.

Relating the consistory to the fruits of the Great Jubilee 2000, the Pope said that "the Church is looking ahead and wants to go 'into deep water', encouraged by the spiritual dynamism inspired in her by the jubilee experience". "This dynamism", he further said, "necessarily strengthens and enriches the elements that belong to the, so to speak, 'genetic code' of the ecclesial community: oneness, holiness, catholicity and apostolicity".

Peruvian President sends condolence after death of Christian leader

Lima, 27 (NE) The President of Peru, Valentín Paniagua Corazao, sent last week a letter of condolence to the Superior General of the Sodalitium Christianae Vitae after the death of German Doig Klinge, who died last February 13 and was Vicar general of the Sodalitium and Coordinator of the Christian Life Movement, two institutions born in Peruvian lands.

In his letter, President Paniagua recalls that "throughout his short but fruitful life, Doig Klinge was characterized by his profound Christian commitment and his untiring work for the development of his ecclesial movement, extended today to several countries in America and Europe. He received continuous expressions of sympathy and recognition of his work in service of the Church. Because of this, his memory and work will stay in the memory of all those who he honored with his sincere friendship and permanent support and who had the privilege to know his kindness, profundity and seriousness as a good man".

Croatia: Archbishop recalls figure of Blessed Cardinal Stepinac

Rome, 27 (NE) Cardinal Franjo Kuharic, Archbishop emeritus of Zagreb, recalled last week the figure of Blessed Cardinal Alojzije Stepinac, great witness of faith in Croatia in the XXth century, beatified by Pope John Paul II in October, 1998. In a recent interview, Cardinal Kuharic recalled the difficult years of the II World War and the times of the Communist regime in Croatia. He emphasized the role Cardinal Stepinac played in the defense of the Church and as support and defender of those who were persecuted. Blessed Stepinac "was a man of the Church, a constructor and a defender of the unity with Peter," stated Cardinal Kuharic, who also recalled the unfounded defamations Cardinal Stepinac suffered during the Communist government.

During those years, "many priests and religious were persecuted and murdered, many faithful were reduced to the state of second class citizens due to their religious beliefs, but they didn't betray their conscience", recalled the Cardinal. Defending Blessed Stepinac from the accusations of the Communist regime, he continued, "we defended the foundations of our faith, we defended the human person, each person, and therefore we encouraged our Croatian people to live."

Blessed Alojzije Stepinac was born within a family of peasants with deep religious beliefs at the village of Brezani, near Krasic, on May 8, 1898. During the dark days of the II World War, when Nazi Germany invaded Yugoslavia, to which Croatia belonged as a "federated state," Stepinac, being Archbishop of Zagreb, committed himself to helping the refugees and persecuted. He denounced with greatest energy the destructive power of ideologies, the Nazi ideology as well as communist stalinism, because they injured the human person's dignity and the love of God to His human children.

Cardinal Stepinac died in 1960, as a prisoner of the former Communist regime, which sentenced him to 16 years of imprisonment in 1946 when he openly rejected separation from the faithfulness to the Holy See and the founding of a "Croatian national church" which had to obey the Marxist-Leninist ideology. As defense during his trial he professed his Catholic faith, for which he was ready to give his life, and he also condemned the terrible injustices he and the whole Catholic Church had suffered. On January 12, 1953, Pope Pius XII, who called him "an example of apostolic zeal and Christian fortitude", named him cardinal.

He was buried at the Cathedral of Zagreb. His tomb soon became a pilgrimage site. During his life committed to the Church and his people he intensely lived the motto he wrote during his stay at Krasic: "Our ideals can be resumed to three words: love to God. God is our model, God is our life and God illuminates our path in earth."

Chaldean Patriarch renews call for cease of embargo

Rome, 27 (NE) His Beatitude Raphael Bidawid, Patriarch of Babylon of the Chaldeans, reiterated in recent days his plea for the ending of the embargo to Iraq, expressing as well his desire for peace in the Middle East and the ending of the use of force, as were the recent air raids over the country. "It is time to start sincere dialogue to reach a solution. Blood and violence lead only to more blood and violence", said the Patriarch, in declarations to Fides news agency.

"I appeal to the wisdom and prudence of the governors of these countries: think of the common good which peace can give to all, us and you. If we do not resume dialogue the ghost of a war is not improbable and we risk new chaos," he stressed, recalling as well the state of widespread poverty that affects the country.

In several occasions over the last years, Patriach Bidawid has condemned the embargo that affects 20 million people in Iraq, among them one million Iraqi Christians, of which 80% are Chaldean Catholics. In his declarations to Fides, the Chaldean Patriarch expressed his confidence in the support of the US Bishops. According to the Patriarch, a delegation of the American Bishops' Conference will probably visit Baghdad in two months.

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