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NOVEMBER 30
Bishops in Cuba ask the government to declare Christmas as a holiday

Rome, 30 (NE) Cardinal Jaime Ortega y Alamino, Archbishop of La Habana, informed yesterday that cuban bishops have formally asked the government to declare next Christmas as a holiday. In an interview made public by the agency AFP in Paderborn, Germany, where the Cuban Cardinal is staying on the occasion of a donation given by «Adveniat» to Cuba, he expressed as well his «profound fraternity and gratitude» to the German Catholics for their help. The help which comes from the Church in Germanay has allowed the reconstruction of many temples and convents, as well as helping in the formation of priests and lay people.

The Archbishop of La Habana highlighted the «positive balance from a spiritual and pastoral point of view» of the Pope's visit in January this year. Cardinal Ortega stated too that there had been some «gestures» of the communist government in favor of the Church. Nevertheless, he explained that many demands have still not been answered. For example a greater access to mass media and education. «The Church has a greater and more global objective that goes farther», said Cardinal Ortega, explaining that it aimed to have a normal life in Cuban society.

Pope John Paul II indicates that sanctity constitutes the «most beautiful and effective answer to the hunger of hope and life present in our contemporary world»

Vatican City, 29 (NE) The Message of Pope John Paul II for the XXXVI World Prayer Day for Vocations was made public yesterday. Under the title «The Father calls to eternal life», the journey will take place on April 25th 1999, IV Easter Sunday. In his message, the Holy Father pointed out that «in the way of preparation to the Great Jubilee, the year 1999 opens up "the believer's horizons according to Christ's same vision: the vision of the celestial Father, and he invites to meditate on the vocation which constitutes the authentic horizon of each human heart: eternal life». In the same way, the Pope remembers in his words that «for the human person the fidelity to God is guarantee of fidelity to himself and, in this way, of full realization of the own project of life».

«The vocation to be "saints, because he is saint"-continues- is carried out when it is recognized to God the place which He deserves. In our secularized time, which is also fascinated by the search of the sacred things, there is a special necessity of saints who, living the primacy of God intensely in their lives, make perceptible his provident and loving presence». «Sanctity, Gift which should be requested continually, constitutes the most beautiful and effective answer to the hunger of hope and life of our contemporary world. Humanity needs saint presbyters and consecrated souls who live daily the total giving of themselves to God and the others», he added.

Recalling that the «vocation is above all a gift of God: its not a deal of choosing, but of being chosen», Pope John Paul II affirms that «the fight which Christ liberated with determination against the devil is today trusted to the Church and to each Christian, according to the vocation, the charisma and the ministry of each one». «The pardon and the reconciliation are the great gift which has made irruption in the world from the moment in which Jesus (…) declared the opening of the year of grace of the Lord», he affirms in another moment, requesting for the Church to never lack «saint ministers and apostles who, with the word and the sacraments», prepare the road for the encounter with God.

Archbishop Karlic promotes renewing initiatives in Archdiocese of Paraná

Buenos Aires, 29 (NE) In recently published declarations in the Argentinean newspaper «La Nacion», Archbishop Estanislao Karlic of Paraná pointed out some of the initiatives projected in the Argentinean archdiocese. The first, announced already a time ago, consists in the fact that starting from 1999 Catholics in Paraná will receive the Christian initiation following the order Baptism-confirmation-sacrament, disposition which «responds to a long Christian tradition». On the other hand, explained Archbishop Karlic, the process of the cathecheses will be of nine years.

Another important initiative in the Argentinean archdiocese is the project «Hundred for one». Archbishop Karlic explains it: «We are working in this since many years ago, with the project "Hundred for one". We ask the faithful to offer one percent of their incomes to share it with those that need it the most». The Archbishop of Paraná invited to «live fraternity sharing the talents, the time and the money» adding that «the most difficult thing to share is the heart, to feel solidary. When the heart opens up, the money stays in a second plane».

In relation to the order in the Christian initiation sacraments, in the last two decades the Eucharist was given first and then Confirmation. Before this, the order was the one contemplated in the traditional presentation of those sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, Communion. As it was pointed out some weeks ago by the official message of the Archdiocese of Paraná , «the fact that the Confirmation is received before the First Communion which is the culminating sacrament, is logical since the Communion is the consecration of the ecclesiastic life, so that it cannot be just a stage but the end of the Christian initiation process».

NOVEMBER 29
Statistics show that Mexico will proportionally have fewer and fewer young people

Mexico City, 28 (NE) Due to the population policies on birth control and to the numerous anti-life campaigns that are being promoted in Mexico, in only 15 years the population of this country will significantly change its configuration. At the moment 30% of the Mexicans have less than 15 years and 5% only surpasses 65. It's expected that for the year 2010 the population over 65 years will have grown in a proportion of three to one. While, for the 2050 it is calculated that there will be a person in stage previous to school or at school, for seven adults, and 65 year-old grown-ups will constitute 25% of the population. That is to say, in 50 years it will quintuple the proportion of 65 year-old grown-ups.

An intense campaign of international pressure exists behind this, centered mainly in the economic side and which promotes an anti-life and anti-values mentality, influencing directly in decision making process on the application of population policies. Accusations as the one made recently by Bishop Felipe Arizmendi, of Tapachula, against the support that the World Bank, the IMF and the UN give to abortionist programs put in evidence this international campaign.

Archbishop states importance of reconciliation for Burundi

Rome, 29 (NE) One of the challenges the Church in Burundi must face is «the moral and spiritual reconstruction of hearts lacerated by evil». Archbishop Simon Ntamwana of Gitega affirmed this in an interview published by the agency «Fides». Burundi recently celebrated its 100th anniversary of evangelization, a celebration that was presided by Cardinal Jean-Marie Lustiger, Archbishop of Paris, as legate of the Holy Father for the event.

After a century of evangelization, Archbishop Ntamwana highlighted that «the Burundians have discovered their identity as God's sons». «A new family has born, that of God's sons, which discovers new values: religious and priestly consecration, forgiveness offered and received, a family funded in an indissoluble marriage. The discovery of this true identity reveals the Burundian that Christ is the plenitude of man». In a similar way, among the main challenges for the Church in Burundi, the Archbishop of Gitega remarked the importance of reconciliation in a country that has suffered greatly because of violence and hatred. «It is necessary to reconcile the Burundians and teach them that God, just and merciful, calls them to be just and merciful.

NOVEMBER 28
Archbishop of Denver writes pastoral letter on conscience, reconciliation and the Great Jubilee

Denver, 27 (NE) Archbishop Charles Chaput of Denver made public this week a new pastoral letter in which he highlights the importance of living the call to reconciliation on the way to the Third Millennium of the Faith. Under the title «River of Mercy», Archbishop Chaput started his new document considering the spirit of Advent, which «separates Catholics fundamentally from the fear that seems to grip so much of the world as we approach the new millennium». Speaking on conversion, that «change in the direction of our lives at their root», he said it was a fundamental condition to live this spirit of joy. «The liturgical year we begin is God's invitation to the conversion we need, and the final step toward the Jubilee».

Following the teachings of the Second Vatican Council, the Archbishop of Denver invited to recover the importance of human conscience, which «is never merely a matter of personal opinion or private preference». Far from «inventing» the truth it «must seek truth out and conform itself to truth once discovered, no matter how inconvenient». Archbishop Chaput affirmed as well «the urgency of reconciliation», lived through a personal closeness to Jesus Christ who «reconciled humanity to the Father through His life, sacrificial death on the cross, and resurrection». «I strongly encourage all Catholics of the archdiocese to return to personal confession on a regular basis as a vital part of their preparation for the Great Jubilee», he added.

The pastoral letter ends with an invitation to live this Great Jubilee, in contrast to the culture of death, turning again «to God's Son». «I began these pastoral reflections by asking: How do we lay claim to an "Advent joy" that seems so often contradicted by the sorrows and confusions of daily life? We know the answer now: by drinking from that river of mercy which is God's free gift of love and forgiveness; and bringing that same love, that same forgiveness, to others. In the desert of our sometimes sinful hearts, in the desert of our often sinful world, this river of mercy is the river which brings life».

Archbishop of Saint Louis highlights the role of lay people in the Church

Saint Louis, 28 (NE) Archbishop Justin Rigali of Saint Louis, who will be receiving Pope John Paul II in January next year, highlighted this week the important role that lay people have in the works of evangelization. «We have Christ living in you and working through you», said Archbishop Rigali. «It's good that we stop and realize the tremendous calling we have and the tremendous gift that God has given». The Archbishop of Saint Louis affirmed as well the importance of the sacrament of Baptism, which initiates people in the life of the Church. He remarked as well the personal relationship of people with God, who sees each one «in a personal way».

«City mission» in Rome gets a new impulse at the doors of the Great Jubilee

Rome, 27 (NE) As a preparation for the Third Millennium of Faith, the «City Mission» in Rome prepares for its third and last year on the way to the Great Jubilee. The effort to announce Jesus in the roman homes gets a new impulse this year with the change of millennium, looking forward to take the Good News to the diverse «areas» and working places. Yesterday Cardinal Camillo Ruini, General Vicar of the Holy Father for the diocese of Rome, presented the new initiatives related to the «City Mission». «There's a compromising work waiting for us, because it's directed to sectors where in general the announcement of Christ has been limited to the generous testimony and each believer's good will», pointed out in this respect the Italian Cardinal.

In order to bring a bigger number of people to faith, the «City Mission» will also head in this new year to a stable and visible presence to the intern of the denominated «areas» and working places. However, Cardinal Ruini affirmed, they won't forget the visits to the families, which have been taking place along the last two years. The President of the Italian Conference of Bishops explained also that the evangelizing efforts in those «areas» and working places were divided in three big areas of service. The first one will be aimed to the ministries, schools, universities, hospitals and big factories, among others. The second will be aimed to the small country properties and business, while the third will aim to announce the Gospel in the «dramatic reality of those excluded».

Archbishop Cláudio Hummes requests collaboration for new Catholic radio station in São Paulo

São Paulo, 27 (NE) Archbishop Cláudio Hummes, of São Paulo, requested this week to the Catholics of the Brazilian archdiocese to collaborate with the project of the «Radio Nove de Julho» (Radio «Nine of July»), a new Catholic radio station dedicated to the evangelization work in the city. Archbishop Hummes remembered that «God loves the one who gives with happiness», presenting different forms of collaborating with the project. In this respect, he pointed out like a way of collaboration the distribution of materials and information about the Catholic radio station. São Paulo's Archbishop manifested that he hopes to inaugurate the radio station on March 19 next year. At the same time he expressed the necessity to increase among the Catholics of the archdiocese the conscience of the urgency of collaborating in order to begin the radio station, which will allow a more effective evangelization of the Brazilian people, «especially in the big cities».

NOVEMBER 27
Archbishop Aguer highlights message of Holy Father's encyclical «Fides et ratio»

Buenos Aires, 27 (NE) Archbishop Hector Aguer, Coadjutor of La Plata, delivered yesterday a conference on the Holy Father's recent encyclical «Fides et ratio». The event was organized by the Argentinean Catholic University and the local newspaper «La Nacion» as homage to the 20 th anniversary of Pope John Paul II´ pontificate. During his conference, Archbishop Aguer highlighted, as the encyclical does, man's capacity to know the truth. The Coadjutor of La Plata underlined the Pope's insistence on the inseparable union of freedom and truth, in close continuity with the encyclical «Veritatis splendor». In a similar way, Archbishop Aguer remarked the centrality of a passage quoted several times by the Pope in his last encyclical which comes from the Constitution «Gaudium et spes» of the II Vatican Council, affirming that the Lord Jesus reveals the mystery of man to man himself.

Cardinal Lopez Trujillo highlights the necessity of a correct anthropology based on truth

Vatican City, 26 (NE) In the context of the Special Assembly for the Bishops of Oceania, Cardinal Alfonso López Trujillo, President of the Pontifical Council for the family, pointed out that «the reason for today's painful confusion is a poor anthropology in which the identity of the family is distorted, often defined under different and inconsistent forms». During the Fourth General Congregation, he also warned about the danger of considering marriage and "de facto" couples in a same level, observing then that the family is not seen as a necessary good of society. In the same way, Cardinal Lopez Trujillo affirmed that the truths about family and life where prisoners of injustice, pointing out the existence of «concerted worldly powers of great influence», which form «a conspiracy against those truths founded in the Lord».

Demonstrations of piety towards Brazilian Blessed Fray Galvão

São Paulo, 26 (NE) The image of the recently beatified Fray Galvão its already enthroned in a Monastery in São Paulo. The Mass that took place amid joy and enthusiasm had the participation of numerous devotes of the «Apostle of charity and peace». Pope John Paul II called Blessed Galvão like this, in recognition to a life full of acts of charity, of help to the needful, of paternal solicitude towards the Franciscan friars that were under his care and towards all those who treated him. After the Mass, the image that represents Fray Galvão giving the blessing and dressed with his Franciscan habit was taken in procession towards the interior chapel of the convent, where thousands of devotes go to implore this first Brazilian born Blessed for his intercession.

NOVEMBER 26
Pope John Paul recalls the signs of hope present in the Church

Vatican, 26 (NE) During yesterday's General Audience, the Holy Father recalled the signs of hope present in the Church, which «are the fruit of the action of the Holy Spirit». In the Paul VI Hall, the Pope highlighted in a special way the Second Vatican Council, thanks to which «the Church has extracted from its treasure "the new and old"», and has experimented in a way the blessing of a new Pentecost». In a similar way, he remarked as another sign of hope «the promotion of the vocation and mission of the laity in order to give a new drive to evangelization».

«And we cannot forget -he remembered afterwards-, the sign of hope represented by ecclesial movements» which «from the start of my pontificate I continue to indicate as a sign of hope for the Church and for society». «They are -he added- a sign of the freedom of the forms in which the one Church fulfills itself and represent a sure novelty that still awaits to be adequately understood in all its positive efficiency for the Kingdom of God that operates in today's history».

Cardinal Rivera asks for a clear understanding of the identity and mission of the Church

Mexico City, 25 (NE) Cardinal Norberto Rivera, Archbishop of Mexico, recently stated the necessity of understanding clearly the identity and mission of the Church. The Archbishop of Mexico affirmed that there are many who reduce it to a merely human level, identifying its work with temporary projects that are a mere social service, or worse, assuming analysis and ideological methods that end up replacing the authentic faith of the Church. In this way he pointed out clearly how the Church and the Kingdom of God «have nothing to do» with the announcements that some groups make in relation to strategic alliances with international socialism or with the dominant liberalism, «wanting to be Marxists or capitalists on behalf of faith».

«The Catholic Church - he continued - is not a political or artificial institution which seeks to justify a merely human power». Finally he explained that in order to properly understand the mission of the Church and the role that it occupies in the social and cultural environment, we should deepen in the conscience that «the Kingdom of God is the Kingdom of truth and life, of sanctity and grace, of justice, love and peace».

Chilean sociologist remarks that culture must «humanize» man

Lima, 25 (NE) Fernando Moreno, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences of the Chilean University «Gabriela Mistral», pronounced yesterday an interesting conference under the title «Person, nature and culture». During his conference Moreno reminded the Holy Father's thought on the topic of culture, pointing out also that «culture supposes the interiority of the human being, whose root is the spirit». In this respect, he stated that «culture has the human person as its cause and it searches to make him each time more perfect».

Criticizing the visions that indicate that all cultural manifestations are good only because they exists, he manifested stated that «cultures are so, as long as they are orientated to the authentic "good" for man», because culture is by definition «that which makes men to end up being what they are». Later on, he pointed out that the human being as a person is a «center of freedom» and an «opened center», «called to overcome himself in the encounter with God and men and in the donation of himself».

Founder of the Christian Life Movement urges to sanctity in every-day life

Arequipa, 24 (NE) Before an audience of hundreds of members of the Christian Life Movement (MVC) in Arequipa, Luis Fernando Figari, founder of the MVC, urged the people to commit with the call to sanctity, living it in every-day life. There are millions of «saints of every-day life», he remembered, «those who have been able to listen the voice of the Lord from the top of the Cross» and allowed «Mary to take them to her heart and teach them to love the Lord Jesus». The path of evangelization involves an «interior force that drives us to Him, the grace of God moves us to Him, acting on us and igniting us in his fire, making us burn as live flames», he said.

«Sanctity -he remarked during his conference- as evangelization and prayer, is not a plus of existence. Because of God's grace, of God's Plan, the human being is invited to sanctity. Not being it is, as I say, death. Falling in sin is a suicide act. Living in sin is to live in death, that is, not live, falsify our existence». «Let us open our hearts to the love of God. Let us allow his grace to make us live the life in this earthly pilgrimage, living in his presence and according to his Plan».

«Let us not be afraid because we have nothing to lose with the Lord. Let us no be afraid because in the courage and radicalness we receive from the Spirit we can overcome all the limitations we encounter», said the founder of the MVC at the end of his conference. Remembering Holy Mary's answer to the grace of God, he ended asking the intercession of the Mother of God, «and that she obtain for us the grace to be able to answer as She did».

NOVEMBER 25
Recent document of Spanish archdiocese highlights the role of lay people in the mission of the Church

Madrid, 25 (NE) Was made public recently in the Archdiocese of Merida-Badajoz an important document on the role of lay people in the mission of the Church. Under the title «the integral formation of lay people», the document establishes criteria and lines of action for a growing theological, moral, humanist and social preparation of lay people in the Spanish archdiocese. The document highlights the importance of the synthesis between faith-life in Christian commitment. In a similar way, making an analysis of the formation of lay people, the paper remarks that a formal integration would require a solid knowledge of the Christian message, the practice and the ethics in coherence with what is believed, as well as a sense of belonging to the Church.

Archbishop Cláudio Hummes points out plan to renew solemnity of Corpus Christi in Brazilian archdiocese

São Paulo, 24 (NE) With the pastoral purpose of renewing the celebration of the festivity of the Corpus Christi, Archbishop Cláudio Hummes of São Paulo, announced recently that the next celebration of this festivity, one of the most appreciated by Brazilian people, will be carried out at parochial level, and not at diocesan level, as it had been in the last years. Archbishop Hummes stated also that the festivity of the Corpus Christi «is part of the Catholic culture» and it is «one of the liturgical festivities with a higher popular religiosity», highlighting that for that reason it should be renewed «with new strength in the parishes».

According to the Prelate, it will be celebrated at a parochial level and if it is possible with the traditional procession, although the itinerary is a small one, in order to renew in the Church in São Paulo the devotion and participation in this important celebration. In this way, next year should take place the celebration at parochial level, while in the year 2000 it would be celebrated again at diocesan level, alternating successively between the parish and the diocese during the following years. With this it is expected to increase «the possibility of continuing forming in our town the bases for the meaning and beauty of this festivity», and to gather again, in its celebration, a growing number of believers.

Cardinal López Rodríguez warns about the danger of false religious activities

Santo Domingo, 24 (NE) Cardinal Nicolás de Jesús López Rodríguez, Archbishop of Santo Domingo, warned yesterday to the families of the Dominican Republic about the diverse false religious activities carried out in certain places of the Caribbean country. In front of recent accusations about the realization of satanic adoration rites, the Archbishop of Santo Domingo highlighted that these practices were not coherent with faith, asking families to be watchful about such practices. It is not permitted «to invoke, to introduce strange practices that go against the faith of a town» and «which are realities in opposition with the elementary principles of coexistence, of seriousness and respect to life, and whoever realizes it, is making a nonsense and is also abusing of a concept that cannot be allowed».

«These realities are to be kept in mind in order to point out to parents their responsibilities, and to tell the youth to open up their eyes, that we are not playing with foolishness», stated Cardinal López Rodríguez. «This is a country that we have to rescue of all its moral decadence, its decadence in all aspects, we cannot stay here arms crossed as if nothing was happening. I consider that this is an attitude that cannot be justified», he added.

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