A daily news service

March 27

After 37 years, body of Pope John XXIII is well preserved

Rome, 27 (NE) After 37 years of Pope John XXIII's death, the body of the Blessed Pontiff is remarkably well preserved, according to the latest copy of the bulletin entitled "St. Peter's Basilica," produced monthly by the Fabric of St. Peter's. This was discovered last January 16, during the canonical recognition of the body of the Blessed Pope, which took place at the request of Pope John Paul II who wanted the remains of Blessed John XXIII to be transferred from the Vatican Grotto area, below the main floor of St. Peter's Basilica, to an altar in the basilica itself.

Popes have for some time been traditionally buried in three repositories. Pope John's body is within a cypress coffin, which lies within a lead catafalque, which is inside a Travertine marble sarcophagus. At the final stage of the work, Cardinal Secretary of State Angelo Sodano and Archbishop Leonardo Sandri, substitute for General Affairs where present in the basilica.

The entire procedure was documented in writing as well as by photographs. The report describes the recognition of John XXIII as follows: "Having raised the linen which veiled him, his hands appeared, wearing red gloves, and his right ring finger bore the pontifical ring; his hands held the crucifix and mitre, the top of which was turned away from the hands." "The Blessed's face, once the cloth which covered it was lifted, appeared integral, with the eyes closed, the mouth slightly open, and the features were such as to be able to immediately recognize the familiar physiognomy of the venerated pontiff."

"The head", continues the report, "which bore the white skull cap, rested on a red pillow and the body, wearing the pontifical vestments, showed the pallium over the shoulders." "Beneath this was the fanon (a white silk cape worn only by Popes), trimmed in gold, according to ancient papal usage; one could also see the dark red chasuble embroidered in gold, the maniple, two small tunics; at his sides was the succintory. From the knees down one could note a very fine tulle surplice, under which could be seen the white papal vestments; on his feet are red papal shoes embroidered in gold."

"The objective fact is that the body has been conserved -affirmed the Vice Director of the Holy See Press Office-. But this doesn't allow us to make commentaries or hypothesis on supernatural events, which could not be corroborated with what has happened."

Marian Community of Reconciliation celebrates 10th anniversary of foundation

Lima, 27 (NE) With great joy members of the Marian Community of Reconciliation celebrated yesterday their tenth anniversary of foundation. In the day in which the Church celebrated the Annunciation of Lord, sisters of this community gathered with other members of the Sodalite Family, including Luis Fernando Figari, founder of the Community, in the church of Our Lady of Reconciliation in Lima, Peru. The Mass was celebrated by Bishop Miguel Irizar of Callao, Secretary of the Peruvian Bishops' Conference, who expressed his gratitude for the witness of Christian Life of the "fraternas", as they are commonly known. The Bishop invited the sisters of the community to continue their evangelizing effort and urged them to grow more and more according to their spirituality.

Bishop Irizar recalled the origins of the Marian Community of Reconciliation, stressing the its members seek "holiness through the call to a full availability for apostolate. This vocation leads you to seek a complete conformation with Jesus Christ, through filial love to His Mother, Mary of Reconciliation, to be witnesses of the mystery of reconciliation of Christ for the world".

The Marian Community of Reconciliation was founded in Lima in 1991 by Luis Fernando Figari, founder as well of the Sodalitium Christianae Vitae and the Christian Life Movement. Ten years ago, on March 25, Solemnity of the Annunciation, the community received the canonical approval by the then Archbishop of Lima, the late Cardinal Augusto Vargas Alzamora. The sisters of this community are already working in several countries including Peru, Colombia, United States and Italy, developing and intense evangelizing activity with youth, education, families, encouraging works of solidarity with the poor and evangelizing culture.

Illinois bishops back Parental Notification of Abortion Act

Chicago, 27 (NE) In a letter sent to all members of the Illinois House of Representatives, the state's six Catholic bishops, have asked the Parents for the support of the Parental Notification of Abortion Act, a legislation that requires parents to be notified when their minor child seeks an abortion.

"Health care providers require parental consent for medical, dental, health and hospital services for children. Without parental consent, a young girl may not participate in certain school activities, the mildest medication cannot be dispensed, she cannot get her ears pierced at the local department store and yet, she may undergo an abortion procedure without parental consent or notification." affirm the Prelates in their letter.

Explaining this paradoxical situation and making an invitation to support this legislation, the Bishops stressed that it "provides some urgently needed protection for young girls considering abortion". The Prelates point out that the law is important also for states that border Illinois that have effective parental notification laws in place which actually protect the health of minors, since some young women from these surrounding states come to Illinois for abortions to bypass the protections their states provide.

Spanish Archdiocese encourages ethic reflection on biomedical advances

Madrid, 27 (NE) The Archdiocese of Valencia, Spain, is encouraging the ethical reflection about new biomedical advances. The initiative is specially aimed for priests in the archdiocese, so they are informed about essential aspects regarding the techniques of implantation as well as embryo research, among other "new" themes aroused by today's scientific development. There is a "need of clear information and proper guidelines that allow priests to give answers to the questions that numerous faithful make concerning those themes," stressed a spokesman of the Diocesan Commission of Family and Life commenting the initiative. The priests will take part in conferences to reflect about the reality of the abortive pill, reproductive and therapeutic clonation, and euthanasia, among other themes. "In a society of a constant process of dehumanization, it's urgent to openly propose, with a previous knowledge, which things must be acceptable or not, from an ethical and moral perspective," pointed out the President of the Diocesan Commission of Family and Life.

March 23

Pope opens Pontifical Korean College in Rome

Rome, 23 (NE) Today afternoon Pope John Paul II will inaugurate the Pontifical Korean College in Rome. Encouraged by the Holy Father and desired by the Korean Church for a long time, the College will host student priests from Korea. The Church in Korea is the "mission territory" first Church to open a College in Rome.

The complex includes a church dedicated to the Holy Korean Martyrs, students quarters, 70 rooms, and 10 rooms for superiors and guests, an auditorium, and a library. During the General Audience on December 2, 1998, John Paul II greeted a delegation from Korea and blessed the foundation stone for the College. On January 25, 2000 the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples officially established the Korean College in Rome, dedicated to Saint Andrea Kim and fellow martyrs.

A group of priests has been at the College since October for this academic year 2000-2001. The Pope will be welcomed by the Bishops of Korea, presently in Rome for their ad limina visit, the Rector, the students and the Korean community in Rome.

Bush present at Pope John Paul II Cultural Center with anti-abortion message

Washington, 23 (NE) The Pope John Paul II Cultural Center was inaugurated yesterday in Washington, with a ceremony attended by President George Bush, who praised the effort of the Holy Father in favor of life and defense of human dignity. "We must defend in love the innocent child waiting to be born", said Bush during the ceremony, in a defense of the pope's pposition to abortion. Also present where Cardinal Edmund Casimir Szoka, Papal delegate for the occasion, and Cardinal Adam Maida, Archbishop of Detroit and director of the cultural center.

"The Pope reminds us that while freedom defines our nation, responsibility must define our lives", said President Bush during his address at the opening ceremony. "He challenges us to live up to our aspirations, to be a fair and just society where all are welcomed, all are valued, and all are protected. And he is never more eloquent than when he speaks for a culture of life. The culture of life is a welcoming culture, never excluding, never dividing, never despairing and always affirming the goodness of life in all its seasons."

"In the culture of life", he continued, "we must make room for the stranger. We must comfort the sick. We must care for the aged. We must welcome the immigrant. We must teach our children to be gentle with one another. We must defend in love the innocent child waiting to be born." "This place stands for the dignity of the human person, the value of every life and the splendor of truth. And, above all, it stands, in the Pope's words, for the "joy of faith in a troubled world," he added.

The center, where visitors will be able to explore Catholic culture, history and theology, is in northeast Washington, adjacent to Catholic University and down the street from the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. It houses an exhibit on John Paul's life, including a pair of his skis, a fountain pen, a wristwatch, some of his vestments and books. A 50-minute video in a large theater summarizes his importance in world affairs. Among other things, visitors can enter an immense rotunda showcasing a nearly 2,000-year-old stone that Vatican curators say was excavated from the tomb of St. Peter in Rome.

Korean missionaries prepare for evangelization of North Korea and China

Rome, 23 (NE) In a recent interview made by Fides news agency, Archbishop Nicholas Cheong of Seoul highlighted the commitment of South Korean missionaries in the evangelization of North Korea and China. The Archbishop, in Rome for the five-yearly ad limina visit to the Pope, stressed the the visit gives "above all strength and encouragement for our mission to North Korea."

"We know there are Catholics in the North, but exactly how many we are not sure, 3000 perhaps", he said. "In my diocese we have 60 priests ready to set out for the North as soon as the Pyongyang government gives the word." According to the Archbishop, in spite of the lack of structure, there are young men in the North who want to be Catholic priests. "But for the moment it is impossible, there are no seminaries or other structures. They are not allowed to come to study in the South or in a Chinese seminary…for the future we will see…"

Archbishop Cheong also said that China, North Korea and Mongolia are the main mission fields for the Church in South Korea. In China, he commented, there are already about ten missions. "I know at least two of my young priests are anxious to go to work in China, but if I were to make a public appeal I am certain hundreds would come forward."

March 22

Pope reflects on "Mary, Pilgrim in the Faith, Star of the Third Millennium"

Rome, 22 (NE) During yesterday' catechesis held in St. Peter's Square, Pope John Paul II reflected on "Mary, Pilgrim in the Faith, Star of the Third Millennium." In his words to pilgrims gathered for the general audience, the Pope said that "the annunciation is 'the point of departure for Mary's whole journey towards God'," a journey which passes "through the winding paths of exile in Egypt and inner darkness, when Mary 'did not understand' the behavior of the twelve-year old Jesus in the Temple, and yet 'kept all these things in her heart'."

"The hidden life of Jesus also passes in the half-light. ... Certainly, shafts of light are not lacking in Mary's life, such as at the wedding of Cana, where - though in seeming detachment - Christ welcomes the prayer of His Mother and fulfills the first sign of revelation, stirring up the faith of the disciples." The Holy Father emphasized that "the summit of this earthly pilgrimage in faith is at Golgotha, where Mary intimately lives the Paschal Mystery of her Son: she dies in a certain sense as mother in the death of her Son and opens herself to the 'resurrection' with a new maternity in relation to the Church."

"We turn to her," the Holy Father continued, "that she may continue to guide us towards Christ and the Father, even in the dark night of evil, and in moments of doubt, crisis, silence, and suffering." The Pope recalled that Mary's visit to Elizabeth "is marked by the canticle of the 'Magnificat', a hymn which spans all Christian centuries as perpetual melody: a hymn which unites the souls of Christ's disciples beyond historical barriers, which we are committed to overcoming in view of a full communion."

President Bush praises Pope John Paul II

Washington, 22 (NE) President George Bush praised yesterday Pope John Paul II and urged Americans to put his teachings into practice. During a meeting with Cardinals, Bishops and leaders of the Catholic Church held in the East Room of the White House, Bush stressed that the Pope was "truly one of the great men". The meeting took place at the eve of today's dedication of the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center in Washington. During his brief address, the President also expressed his recognition for the Catholic Church's "universal care for the weak and the suffering" and her "strong focus on making sure every child is educated." "The best way to honor Pope John Paul II, truly one of the great men, is to take his teaching seriously; is to listen to his words and put his words and teachings into action here in America," further said President Bush. "This is a challenge we must accept."

Cardinal Law encourages peace process in Northern Ireland

Washington, 23 (NE) In a recent declaration issued on occasion of St. Patrick's feast, Cardinal Bernard Law, Archbishop of Boston and Chairman of the Committee on International Policy of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, urged "all parties to make haste with due deliberation to that day of lasting peace, freedom and security for all in Northern Ireland".

In his statement, Cardinal Law highlighted that "the recent attacks on homes, mostly Catholic, are a disturbing fact that underscores the need for everyone to condemn such brutality and to support the kind of police force that will be able to offer security and safety to every home in Northern Ireland." The US Cardinal also stressed the importance of the Good Friday Agreement, saying that "all the parties should continue to extend the hand of good faith to one another, conscious that only through mutual cooperation and understanding can confidence be built up and solidified over time."

"While in the past the overwhelming presence of British military might have been justified", the Cardinal also said, "that is not the case today. For many who live in the North the presence of the British military in places such as South Armagh has long been an irritant." "Due consideration and good planning should be brought to bear on this issue so that the British military might be withdrawn from all those places where such presence is not absolutely necessary."

"On this Saint Patrick's Day, U.S. citizens, especially Irish Americans, must renew our solidarity with all those working for peace, and we must avoid support of those fringe groups committed to violence and division." "The process of peace is wider than the Good Friday Agreements and, once begun, can never be allowed to stop. All parties should make haste toward the goal of true and lasting peace and do so with all the deliberation demanded by the realities that must be faced," he said.

March 19

Pope highlights St. Joseph as model of faith

Rome, 19 (NE) During the Sunday Angelus prayer, Pope John Paul II recalled yesterday the feast of St. Joseph, which is celebrated today, stressing that he "is for us, in first place, a model of faith". Addressing pilgrims from his window overlooking St. Peter's Square, the Pope said that St. Joseph is "a comforting example, especially when we are asked to trust God, 'in His word', that is, without clearly seeing His plan"

Catholics, the Pope further said, "are called to imitate him, in the humble exercise of obedience, virtue that shines in him through his silence and his hidden work". People today, assailed by a culture "that frequently exalts appearance and success, autonomy and a false conception of individual freedom", have a great need of "recovering the value of simpleness and obedience, of respect and the loving search for the will of God" that is witnessed in the "precious 'school' of Nazareth".

Recalling the dimension of service in the life of St. Joseph, who is a "witness for believers of how 'to reign' means 'to serve'," the Pope said that "in him can be inspired, as a useful master of life, specially those who have the task of being 'fathers' and 'guides' in families, in school and in the Church".

Pope calls for end of embargo in Iraq and peace in the Middle East

Rome, 19 (NE) "The Church must witness the vitality and fruitfulness of the Gospel's message in the land of the Revelation and Redemption", said last Saturday Pope John Paul II, during an audience to Bishops of the Conference of Latin Bishops of the Arab Regions (CELRA). In his message of encouragement and hope, the Holy Father specially recalled the visits he made during the Jubilee Year to the places "in which God manifested Himself to humanity".

"Your communities, which live as minorities in societies in which culture and everyday life are deeply marked by the presence of other religions, must untiringly continue to reflect on your own Christian identity, to maintain the authenticity of the Gospel", stressed the Pope to the Bishops. During the audience, the Pontiff also highlighted the need for the laity to "take part in an increasingly active way in the life and witness of the Church".

The Pope stressed as well the need for Christians in the Holy Places to give a firm witness of their identity, calling faithful in Jerusalem and other cities in Holy Land not to emigrate, since "the Church cannot forget her roots". The Pope also referred to the situation of Christians in other Arab countries, specially Iraq, where the embargo "continues to cause many victims". "Many innocents are paying the consequences of a war in which the effects are affecting the most weak", he said.

"I know the great difficulties that the people in your regions must face", the Holy Father finally said to the Latin rite Bishops. "I want to particularly express my closeness and my affection for all those who suffer and are victims of violence. With you all the Church suffers, hoping to enjoy soon the only wish that cannot be renounced: Peace".

Spanish Cardinal calls faithful to help "reveal" new vocations to priesthood

Madrid, 19 (NE) Cardinal Ricard Maria Carles of Barcelona, Spain, called faithful in this city to collaborate in the promotion of vocations to priesthood. In a recent message on occasion of the Day of the Seminary, celebrated today in several Spanish dioceses, Cardinal Carles stressed that "we are living the beginning of a new century and of a new millenium, in which we are specially asked to be, after ending the Jubilee year, messengers of the Gospel". To talk about seminaries, he said, "must not only make us sensitive to the constant prayer for vocations that are already preparing themselves, and to the collection that we will celebrate in the archdiocese to help in their formation… but each and every one of us who form the diocesan community must feel urged to 'reveal' new vocations to priesthood". "God continues to call, but we must help to make Him be heard", the Spanish Cardinal said.

New Blessed´s liturgical feast will be on September 22

Madrid, 19 (NE) Pope John Paul II has fixed the 22nd of September as the liturgical feast of the 233 martyrs beatified last Sunday March 11. The date was chosen considering that the largest number of martyrdoms in Valencia, during the religious persecution, took place on that day in 1936. For the liturgy, the Archdiocese of Valencia has already proposed to the Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments, headed by Cardinal Jorge Medina Estevez, a special prayer for Mass as well as a second reading for the "Liturgy of the Hours".

The Archdiocese of Valencia will also celebrate on May 3 a thanksgiving Mass for the beatification of the martyrs whose causes have been promoted by the Archdiocese. During the Mass that will be celebrated by the Archbishop of Valencia, Agustín García-Gasco, at the Cathedral, a chapel will be dedicated to the memory of the Valencia martyrs of the 20th Century. Also during the celebration, a reliquary will be blessed and placed under the chapel's altar. At the inside of it will be deposited relics of the 74 martyrs whose causes were promoted by the Archdiocese.

March 16

Pope stresses importance of reflection on "Ethics in the Internet"

Rome, 16 (NE) Pope John Paul II welcomed today participants in the plenary assembly of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, thanking them for their "support of the Church's diversified presence in the world of the media". "Over the years," the Pope said, "the Pontifical Council for Social Communications has acquired a very positive experience of cooperation with the international media in bringing the important events of the Church's life to people in all parts of the world."

Recalling the council's document of June 2000, "Ethics in Communication," the Holy Father stressed that this document "sought to offer moral guidance regarding the use of the media, a varied and complex human reality in which ethical concerns are often subordinated to commercial interests." "I am pleased", he continued, "that in these days you have been considering a similar document on the theme of 'Ethics in the Internet', which would indeed be timely, given the rapid spread of cyber-communications and the many moral questions involved. The Church cannot be a mere spectator of the social results of technological advances."

"The problems and opportunities created by new technology, by the process of globalization, by deregulation and privatization of the media present new ethical and indeed spiritual challenges to those who work in social communications. These challenges will be met effectively by those who accept that 'serving the human person, building up community, grounded in solidarity and justice and love, and speaking the truth about human life and its final fulfillment in God were, are and will remain at the heart of ethics in the media'."

Multitude gathers to pay homage to Peruvian Catholic leader

Lima, 16 (NE) With a Eucharist celebration, more than three thousand faithful commemorated last Tuesday the first month of the death of the Peruvian layman and Catholic leader, German Doig Klinge. Doig, one of the most prestigious laymen in Latin America, was Vicar General of the Sodalitium Christianae Vitae and International coordinator of the Christian Life Movement. L'Osservatore Romano, the official Vatican newspaper, in a recent article highlighted him as an "apostle of the new evangelization".

Members of the Sodalitium, of religious congregations and ecclesial movements, together with over forty Bishops and priests, where present at the Mass, which was also followed by faithful through screens placed outside the church of Our Lady of Reconciliation, in Lima. In other cities of America and Europe, members of the Sodalite Family and faithful who knew him gathered to commemorate the first month of his passing. In Rome, the Mass was presided by Cardinal J. Francis Stafford, President of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, while in Medellin (Colombia) Archbishop Alberto Giraldo Jaramillo of Medellin, President of the Bishops' Conference, also presided a Eucharist celebration.

In Lima, where the main celebration took place, the Mass was presided by Cardinal Juan Luis Cipriani. Also present were the Apostolic Nuncio in Peru, Archbishop Rino Passigato, Archbishop Isaias Duarte of Cali (Colombia) and the Bishop of Callao and Secretary of the Peruvian Bishops' Conference, Miguel Irizar. Attending the celebration was Luis Fernando Figari, Superior General of the Sodalitium Christianae Vitae and founder of the Christian Life Movement.

During his homily, Cardinal Cipriani stressed that the presence of so many Bishops, priests and lay people "speaks to us of the fruits of German's life". The Archbishop of Lima also recalled that all Christians are called to holiness, and that Doig through his life had always aimed to answer that call. Cardinal Cipriani also highlighted several virtues of German Doig, among them his humility and his profound devotion to the Virgin. He recalled finally his "work in favor of the evangelization of culture", being a "man of a mature Christian thought".

A member of the Vatican's Pontifical Council for the Laity, Doig was invited by Pope John Paul II both to attend the General Assembly of the Latin American Bishops' Council in 1992 and the Synod of America, held in Rome in 1998.

Colombia: national "Via Crucis" for peace

Medellin, 16 (NE) Archbishop Alberto Giraldo Jaramillo of Medellin, President of the Bishops Conference of Colombia, asked the government and the guerrilla to be "serious in their commitments, so that trust may be generated in society". In declarations to the press after a recent Bishop's meeting, the Archbishop pointed out that in the frame of the dialogue for peace in Colombia, "dialogue and lie cannot work together." He also informed that during the meeting of the Colombian Bishops in Bogota, the influence that social sins have over violence in the country was analyzed. "Some sins such as drug dealing, illegal enrichment, corruption, armaments, racial discrimination, inequality among social groups, and the destruction of nature, are matters which increase violence" he further emphasized. Archbishop Giraldo also invited the Colombian faithful to take part in the National Via Crucis for peace, which will take place between March 27 and April 8.

Philippines: Bishop confirms sentence against clonation of human embryos

Rome, 16 (NE) The Bishops Conference of the Philippines condemned the clonation of human embryos, highlighting that such proceeding "is not reasonable in any way." According to declarations of the Archbishop of Nueva Cáceres and responsible for the Bioethics department of the Bishops Conference, Bishop Leonardo Legaspi, "creating artificially an embryo goes against nature, because it excludes every connection with human sexuality." The Prelate affirmed that "clonation requires the destruction of the manipulated embryos. The embryo is already a human being, subject of rights, the first of all: the right to live. To destroy it is to kill a human being." "Clonation", he further said "goes against dignity, uniqueness and originality of each person, reducing her to a mere object." It means "the domination of a person (the scientist) over another one and the introduction of an eugenic selection." The Philippine Bishop stressed that "the benefit which can be obtained cannot justify morally vitiated proceedings."

March 13

"Sanctity is not solely a privilege reserved for a few", recalls Pope

Rome, 13 (NE) Pope John Paul II received yesterday in audience the pilgrims who on Sunday attended the first beatification ceremony of the new millennium, for the 233 martyrs of the religious persecution in Spain. After recalling that the new martyrs come from 37 dioceses and represent 12 autonomous communities, the Pope affirmed that each of them offers a model of life "which is most eloquent when combined with the death they freely suffered as supreme proof of their fidelity to Christ and to His Church."

"Sanctity," the Holy Father emphasized, "is not solely a privilege reserved for a few. The footsteps of sanctity are many and run through the small concrete occurrences of every day, endeavoring to perform an act of love in every situation. ... May your personal journey, the journey of your families and communities, be, today more than ever, a journey of sanctity."

The Pope recalled that the new Blesseds "teach us through their life and death that nothing can be preferred to the love expressed by God, which is manifested in Christ Jesus. ... We must be willing to follow the footsteps of the martyrs and live sanctity, as they did, fully in Him, for Him, and with Him."

"Their witness cannot and must not be forgotten. They manifest the vitality of your local Churches. May their example make each of you living and credible witnesses of the Good News for the new times. May our imitation of them produce abundant fruits of love and hope in today's society. This is my desire. Promote the culture of life. Build it with words but also with concrete actions." "Be always and everywhere living and credible witnesses of love, unity and peace," he concluded.

German bishops warn against threats in genetic manipulation

Rome, 13 (NE) The German Bishop's Conference has recently published a document that clearly criticizes the abuses committed in the field of genetics and defends the dignity of the human being. The document -fruit of the general assembly of German bishops- opposes the "selection" of embryos for "therapeutic cloning." "Therapeutic cloning", that is, the production of clones whose stem cells are used to cure genetic diseases, with the consequent destruction of the embryo, is for the German bishops a process that "degrades human embryos to mere biological prime matter for other human beings."

To face these pragmatist manipulations and abuses of many scientists and doctors, states the document, it must become clear that "the concept of human dignity cannot be arbitrarily attributed to some and denied to others," as for example, the embryos that are being destroyed to serve as "replacements" for other human beings. "Human dignity is for all human beings, born and unborn, healthy or ill," emphasized the bishops.

They also acknowledge valuable contributions by genetics and encourage the development of alternative ways for its investigation and application that are not in conflict with ethics. They also warn against possible dangers not very far away in time, such as "genetic discrimination" of those whose genetic code has any potential defect.

New Cardinal in India emphasizes unity with Apostolic See

Rome, 13 (NE) Archbishop Cardinal Ivan Dias of Bombay gathered with a great number of Catholics in India after returning from Rome where he was created cardinal by Pope John Paul II. During the Eucharist celebration he presided, the first after his return, the new Cardinal asked faithful to remember their tradition of faith and their responsibilities to the universal Church. The Cardinal Archbishop of Bombay stated as well that the rings the Pope gave the new cardinals "means that the cardinals must take care of the universal Church, and its concerns must be their concerns." The Archbishop also stated that his "basic responsibility" would be to reinforce the unity of the local Church with the Apostolic See. He said that therefore it is "better to talk about the 'Church in India' than about the 'Indian Church'". Cardinal Dias is the third Archbishop of Bombay who has been created cardinal.

Denver Archbishop stressed need for reconciliation during Lent

Denver, 13 (NE) "Lent is the time when we 'learn the language' of repentance and forgiveness by disciplining our mind, our spirit and our appetites, so that nothing prevents us from hearing God's voice and seeking Him out", stressed Archbishop Charles J. Chaput of Denver, in his weekly column for the Denver Catholic Register. The Archbishop, reflecting about the preparation for Lent, recalled the importance of understanding "our own sinfulness". "Unless we understand the urgency of repentance and reconciliation, the Cross makes no sense", he said, stressing the need to make silence in our hearts. "In the silence of our own hearts", wrote the Archbishop, "if we're honest, we know we hunger for something more than our own selfishness and mistakes. We were made for glory, and we're empty of that glory until God fills us with Himself."

March 12

Pope beatifies 233 Spanish martyrs

Rome, 12 (NE) Pope John Paul II raised to the altars 233 Spanish martyrs, during a ceremony held yesterday in St. Peter's Square. Jose Aparicio Sanz and his 232 martyred companions where killed in the frame of the religious persecution that took place in Spain in the 30´s, specially during the Civil War from 1936 to 1939. The celebration was the largest beatification ceremony held in the history of the Church.

The martyrs beatified yesterday, stressed the Pope in his homily, were "men and women of all ages and conditions: priests, religious men and women, fathers, mothers and lay youth". Approximately 30.000 Spanish pilgrims attended the ceremony. The new Blessed, said the Pope, "are for us models of coherence with what they professed in their life" and at the same time "honor the noble Spanish people and the Church".

"At the beginning of the third millennium, the Church in Spain is called to live a new springtime of Christianity" he further said, recalling a famous phrase of Tertullian "the blood of martyrs is seed of new Christians". "This expression… must fill today with hope your apostolic initiatives and pastoral efforts in the task, not always easy, of the new evangelization."

Archbishop of Valencia emphasizes "exceptional witness" of Spanish martyrs

Madrid, 12 (NE) In a recent pastoral letter on occasion of the beatification of 233 martyrs of the religious persecution in Spain, Archbishop Agustin Garcia-Gasco of Valencia stated that the fidelity of the martyrs, "exceptional witnesses" of Jesus Christ, "is actual and fresh today."

They chose, stated the Prelate in his letter, "in the exercise of their freedom, to be faithful to their consciences and thus were condemned for the 'only crime' of being Christians until the last consequences… The Christian fidelity of these martyrs, steadfast to the end, is an admirable and courageous example of belonging to Christ and his Church." While the "ideological and political systems pass away, the testimonial sacrifice of the martyrs remains and is the seed of new believers," he stated, noting that "a Church of martyrs becomes an orienting signal for men who seek God."

Expressing the "deep impression that the heroic witness of our martyrs gave me" and also mentioning "the lesson of sanctity they gave in their lives and the fortitude in faith they had in facing death with an exemplary Christian spirit," the Archbishop of Valencia concluded his letter exhorting the priests, religious men and women and the faithful of his archdiocese to "receive the witness these brothers give us as part of our own history of believers."

Rome: Bishops to discuss situation of Catholics in Middle East

Rome, 12 (NE) From March 12 to 17 the Bishops of the Conference of Latin Bishops of the Arab Regions (CELRA) will make their ad limina visit to the See of Peter to reflect together with the Holy Father on the situation of the Catholic Church in the Middle East. The members of the delegation include His Beatitude Michel Sabbah, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem and CELRA president, and Archbishop Paul Dahdah, Vicar apostolic of Beirut of the Latins, CELRA vice-present.

As it was informed, on the agenda is an exchange of information and experience and discerning common lines for pastoral work in Muslim countries. During the last CELRA meeting, held in Rome in October 2000, the Bishops discussed the social political and religious situation in Arab countries, where Christians are often forced to practice their religion underground and at personal risk. Mission activity is mostly through social and education work: schools, orphanages, hospitals, social centers

According to Fides news agency, the situation of Catholics in Arab countries varies. In Saudi Arabia (880,000 Catholics mostly Filipinos) Christians are not allowed to meet for prayer even in private homes, or to possess a bible, and religious proselytism is punished with the death penalty. Meanwhile, in the Vicariate Apostolic of Arabia, the most open country is Bahrain with 35,000 Catholics assisted by 3 priests and 7 nuns.

In the Arab Emirates Mass may only be celebrated in homes, while in Oman 50,000 Catholics are organized in groups for prayers and the Liturgy of the Word. In Qatar there are 40,000 Catholics, and in Yemen there are about 3000 Catholics, 33 priests and 71 sisters. In this country there are 12 Catholics schools much appreciated for the high level of education. In Kuwait there are about 100,000 Catholics and two churches: the Holy Family in the Desert Cathedral and the Our Lady of Arabia Church. In Egypt there are 6 million Christians, while in Holy Land, the Catholics of Latin Rite are about 70,000, 30,000 in Jordan, 15-20,000 in Israel and the same number in the West Bank territories, all under the authority of the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem.

Consecrated life growing in Cuba says Cardinal

Rome, 12 (NE) The number of vocations for the priesthood and vocations to a consecrated life for men and women is increasing in Cuba, despite the difficulties the Church is going through owing to the constant pressures of the Communist government, recently affirmed Cardinal Jaime Ortega y Alamino, Archbishop of La Habana, in declarations to L´Osservatore Romano. "In Cuba" the Cardinal explained, "there are over 80 seminarians, including those who belong to some religious Orders", when five years ago there were only 25. The number has increased, but "this doesn't mean that the quality has decreased."

Archbishop Ortega especially highlighted the high increase in the vocations of women to religious life. "Many Congregations have had vocations. In Havana there is a very valuable community of contemplative Carmelites. A young girl who I have baptized at the Cathedral has already made her religious profession as a Carmelite. There are others who want to enter the contemplative life and also active life. "It's a fact" Cardinal Ortega further emphasized, "that the number of religious women has increased in Cuba. Fifteen years ago they were over 200 or 250 at most. Now they are almost 600."

March 1

Lent: call to conversion and reconciliation, says Pope

Rome, 1 (NE) Pope John Paul II gathered yesterday, Ash Wednesday, with thousands of pilgrims in the Paul VI Hall for the weekly general audience. During his catechesis, the Pope reflected about the liturgical season of Lent, calling faithful to conversion and reconciliation. This season, he stressed, "invites us above all to relive with Jesus the forty days which He spent in the desert, fasting and praying, before beginning his public mission, which will culminate on Calvary with the sacrifice of the Cross, the definitive victory over sin and death."

After recalling that man is destined for eternal life, the Pope affirmed that the Ash Wednesday liturgy "helps us to place this fundamental truth of faith in focus and urges us to undertake a decisive program of personal renewal. We must change our way of thinking and acting, fixing our gaze upon the face of Christ and making His Gospel our daily rule of life. 'Be converted and believe in the Gospel': may this be our Lenten program, as we enter into a climate of prayerful listening to the Spirit."

The Pope also recalled that the means for living Lent well are "prayer, fasting, and penance, as well as almsgiving, that is, the sharing of what we own with the needy. It involves a personal and communal ascetic journey, which is sometimes particularly difficult due to the secularized environment which surrounds us. Precisely for this reason, however, the effort must become stronger and more resolute."

United States: Collection aids Church in Central and Eastern Europe

Peoria, 1 (NE) Different parishes in the United States participated yesterday, Ash Wednesday, in the 2001 Collection to Aid the Church in Central and Eastern Europe, a collection that aids Catholics in 21 formerly communist nations. With the theme "Enduring in Faith and Hope", Catholics in the United States offered their contribution to help the Church in Central and Eastern Europe continue its recovery from decades of communist oppression.

As Adam Cardinal Maida, Archbishop of Detroit, said recently, the collection will be taken up in most dioceses of the United States on either Ash Wednesday, February 28, or the First Sunday in Lent, March 4, 2001. In a letter to the Bishops of the United States, the Cardinal said there is urgent need for this collection "which is helping to rebuild the infrastructure of the Church in this part of the world."

"Decades of atheistic indoctrination have left Catholics with little or no exposure to the reforms of Vatican II," the Cardinal stated. "Churches, destroyed or confiscated, require repair, seminaries, forced to close, need funds to train new priests, catechetical centers, once plentiful, need books and supplies to educate lay leaders. TV, radio and computer technologies require funding," said the Cardinal.

"The theme for the year 2001 collection to Aid the Church in Central and Eastern Europe testifies to the courageous endurance of people in this part of the world to keep alive their Catholic faith," Cardinal Maida said. "For nearly fifty years these people experienced a growing defenselessness against the inroads of atheistic communism and its drive to eradicate life's religious content. Now they are free but stripped of the infrastructures that supported their former religious richness. They need our help."

Virgin of Fatima to pilgrim through Italy

Rome, 1 (NE) The image of the Virgin of Fatima, which was taken to Rome last year on occasion of the Great Jubilee of 2000, will make a new pilgrimage through Italian lands. The image will visit different parishes in the regions of Lazio, Campania, Tuscany, Piamonte and Lombardy, from April 17 to July 16. "This pilgrimage will be a shower of blessings," stated Patriarch Jose Da Cruz Policarpo of Lisbon, recently created Cardinal by Pope John Paul II during the consistory that took place February 21 at the Vatican. The initiative is organized by the World Apostolate of Fatima. The image of the Virgin of Fatima was present in Rome last year in October, during the Jubilee of Bishops. On that occasion, in presence of more than 80 cardinals and 1400 bishops from all the world, Pope John Paul II, before the image of the Virgin of Fatima, entrusted the destiny of humankind in the third millennium to the intercession of Mary.

"It is time for the evangelization of Asia", stresses new Cardinal from India

Rome, 1 (NE) "It is time to get ready for the big moment of grace, the time for the Gospel to spread all over Asia", stressed recently Cardinal Ivan Dias of Bombay, one of the two Cardinals from India created by Pope John Paul II in the last consistory. In declarations to UCANews, the new cardinal highlighted the Pope's call to evangelize all Asia.

In his declarations, Cardinal Dias lamented the presence of a "small group of fundamentalists" that attack the Church in India, saying that nevertheless the attacks and persecution "will be all for the good of the Church." "The history of the Church teaches that persecutions have always preceded a Church that was flourishing," he said, noting that it happened in Rome almost 2,000 years ago and in Korea 200 years ago, where some 10,000 Christians were martyred in the first 100 years of Christianity.

"Today," the cardinal noted, "there are conversions in many parts of India," and from various sectors of society. However, "we can only spread the Good News and the Gospel values," he added. "The one who changes the heart is God. Conversion is the work of the Holy Spirit."

Consecrated Archbishop at St. Peter's Basilica in 1982, Cardinal Dias was made pro-nuncio to Ghana, Togo and Benin. Five years later he became pro-nuncio to South Korea. He was appointed Bombay Archbishop in January 1997, while serving as nuncio to Albania. Years before, after serving in the Holy See's diplomatic missions in Europe, Indonesia and Africa during 1965-1973, he worked in the Vatican's Secretariat of State from 1973 to 1982.

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