CATHOLIC WORLD NEWS: FRI. AUG. 14, 2009

Catholic world news: Fri. Aug. 14, 2009: headlines:
VATICAN:PAPAL APPOINTMENTS :
MEETING IN ROME AT CLOSE OF YEAR OF THE PRIEST:
POPE'S CIRCLE TO GATHER AUG. 27-30 AT CASTEL GANDALFO:
AFRICA: SOMALIA: HOSTILITIES TOWARDS NGOS PREVENTS AID:
AUSTALIA: 9 AUSTRALIA DIE IN PLANE CRASH:
AMERICA: BISHOPS LAUNCH WEB SITE ON HEALTHCARE:
EUROPE: POLISH NUN SELLS OVER 1 MILLION COOKBOOKS:
ASIA: CARDINAL LAUDS CHURCH OF JAPAN:
TODAY'S SAINT: ST. MAXIMILIAN KOLBE

PAPAL APPOINTMENTS

Pope Benedict XVI accepted the surrender of the auxiliary Office of the Diocese of Opole (Poland), presented by h.e. Mons. Jan Bagiński, in accordance with the canons 411 and 401 § 1 of the code of Canon law.[01198-01.01]

RENUNCIATION OF BISHOP OF OPOLE (POLAND) & APPOINTMENT OF SUCCESSOR

The Holy Father accepted the surrender of the pastoral Government of the Diocese of Opole (Poland), presented by h.e. Mons. Alfons Nossol, in accordance with the can. 401 § 1 of the code of Canon law.The Pope has appointed Bishop of Opole (Poland) Rev.do Mons. Andrzej Czaja, of the clergy of the diocese, same date Professor of dogmatic theology at the Catholic University of Lublin.Rev.do Mons. Andrzej CzajaRev.do Mons. Andrzej Czaja was born on 12 December 1963 to Olesno (Roman Catholic Diocese of Opole).Terminated studies at seminar Maggiore of Nisa Opolski śląsk, the 11 May 1988 has received the priestly ordination to the Diocese of Opole.He completed his theological education at the Catholic University of Lublin (1989-1994), conseguendovi the PhD in theology.In the years 1991-1996 was Assistant in the Faculty of theology in Lublin.In the years 1996-1998 was grantee of the World Institute "Johann Adam Möhler" in Paderborn in Germany.In 1999 was recruited as Professor added at the Faculty of theology of the Catholic University of Lublin.2003 Received certification in dogmatic theology.Since 2004 is Director of the Chair of pneumatology and Ecclesiology at the Faculty of theology to Lublin and Director of the Chair of the ecumenism at the Faculty of theology of Opole University principles.In 2005 became Professor of the Catholic University of Lublin.[01199-01.01]
RENUNCIATION OF BISHOP OF BIJNOR SIRO-MALABARESI (INDIA) & APPOINTMENT OF SUCCESSOR
The Holy Father accepted the pastoral Eparchy of Bijnor Government of the Siro-Malabaresi (India) renunciation by h.e. Mons. Gratian Mundadan, C.M.I., in accordance with the can. 210 §§ 1-2 of the CCEO.The Pope has appointed Bishop of Bijnor of the Siro-Malabaresi (India) the Rev.do p. John Vadakel, C.M.I., to the present Protosincello of the same Eparchy.Fr. John Vadakel, C.M.I. Rev.doThe Rev.mo p. John Vadakel, C.M.I., was born on 8 September 1943 to Beslehem in Kothamangalam Eparchy of the Siro-Malabaresi. Belongs to the Congregation of the Carmelites b. v. Mary Immaculate. He has delivered first vows on 16 May 1964 and was ordained a priest on 19 December 1975.Owns the degree of Baccellierato in Science awarded by the Sacred Heart College, Thevara, and got the license in theology from Dharmaram Vidya Kshetram, Bangalore.After ordering played the Pastoral Ministry in various missionary stations and for some years is dedicated to the training of young people at Dharmaram College. It was a member of the provincial Council for the province St. John ' s, Bijnor and spiritual director confessor.In the present holds the Office of the Eparchy of Bijnor Protosincello.

MEETING IN ROME AT CLOSE OF YEAR OF THE PRIEST



CNA reports that the Congregation for the Clergy, headed by Cardinal Claudio Hummes, announced this week that the Pope Benedict XVI plans to close the Year for Priests by convoking a huge meeting of priests from around the world between June 9-11 in Rome.
Every Catholic priest in the world—there are around 407,000—is invited to the meeting, which will have the theme of “Faithfulness of Christ, Faithfulness of the Priest."
The program, announced by the Congregation for the Clergy today, indicates that the first day of the gathering will take place at the Basilica of Saint Paul-Outside-the-Walls and will have as theme "Conversion and Mission." The activities will include prayer, a conference to discuss the subject, Eucharist adoration, an opportunity for Confession and a Mass.
On day two, June 10, the theme will be "Cenacle, invocation to the Holy Spirit with Mary, in fraternal communion." The venue for the morning reflections will be the Basilica of Saint Mary Major, while in the evening a “priestly vigil” will be held at Saint Peter's Basilica. The vigil will consist of priests offering their testimonies, singing and adoration of the Eucharist. Pope Benedict XVI will be present at the vigil and will greet the priests.
The Year for Priests will be brought to a close on Friday, June 11, which is the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Pope Benedict XVI will preside over a Mass in Saint Peter's Basilica to conclude the Year for Priests. The final day of the meeting will have "With Peter, in ecclesial communion" as its theme. (Source:http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=16846


POPE'S CIRCLE TO GATHER AUG. 27-30 AT CASTEL GANDALFO

Catholic Register reports that Father Fessio, a former theology student of the future Pope, will be the only American participant at Benedict's 2009 "Schulerkreis." (CNS)
This year’s installment of Pope Benedict XVI’s annual “Ratzinger Schulerkreis.”
In English, “Ratzinger Schulerkreis” means “Ratzinger School Circle.” It refers to the gatherings that the Pope has convened for many years, discussing various themes, with some of his former theology students.
Since he became Pope, themes have included evolution and Islam. This year’s Schulerkreis theme will be the “Mission of the Church,” CNA reported.
The gathering will take place Aug. 27-30 at the Pope’s summer residence at Castel Gandalfo.

(SOURCE: http://www.ncregister.com/daily/benedicts_summer_school_2009/


AFRICA
SOMALIA: HOSTILITIES TOWARDS NGOS PREVENTS AID


Hostility towards relief organizations has caused the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) to postpone the distribution of life-saving supplies to prevent and treat acute malnutrition in over 85,000 children in central and south Somalia, the agency announced today.
Also disrupted was the delivery of insecticide-treated bed nets for more than 100,000 women and children, according to a news release from the agency.
"We need concrete assurances from local authorities for the safe delivery and storage of supplies to ensure that we can carry out programmes for the survival of Somali women and children," said Rozanne Chorlton, UNICEF's representative in the country.
"We hope these assurances will be forthcoming very soon so that we can continue our operations at a level that matches the needs of children and women and prevent the deaths that will otherwise certainly occur," she added. Yesterday, Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, the Secretary-General's Special Representative for Somalia, welcomed the release of four aid workers and two pilots who were abducted nine months ago and called for the freeing of remaining hostages.
"It is with great satisfaction that I received the news concerning the release of the six hostages who had been held for so long, and taken into captivity while working in Somalia," he said.
The four aid workers, who were serving with the French non-governmental organization (NGO) Action Against Hunger, and two pilots were abducted last November from an airstrip in the central Somali town of Dusamareb.

UNICEF noted today that its compound in Jowhar, central Somalia, which serves as the main hub for operations in the area, was taken over in May, with large amounts of urgently-needed humanitarian supplies and communications equipment either destroyed or taken.
Reports indicate that UNICEF emergency aid stored in a partner agency's warehouse in Jammame was taken earlier this month.
UNICEF provides vaccines and drugs in central Somalia, targeting 1.2 million children under five years of age, as well as 1.4 million women.
The UN has repeatedly called on all parties in Somalia to ensure the safety of humanitarian aid workers, who are tending to the needs of some 3 million people, or 40 per cent of the population, made vulnerable by the combined effects of conflict, drought, high food prices and the collapse of the local currency. (SOURCE:http://allafrica.com/stories/200908130940.html

AUSTRALIA
9 AUSTRALIA DIE IN PLANE CRASH

(Pictured: Police officer Chris and his wife, Leanne Harris - who died in the tragedy - and their two children, Maddison who is 11 and Thomas who is 8. Picture supplied by Victoria Police)

Nine Australians were among the 13 people who died when the plane went down in the Owen Stanley Ranges on Tuesday. Authorities are continuing the painstaking process of removing bodies from the wreckage of the Twin Otter, which crashed in dense jungle about 5000 feet above sea level. This afternoon, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed some remains were on their way to Port Moresby. "The first remains have been taken by helicopter to Port Moresby,'' a spokesman said. Foreign Minister Stephen Smith has confimed a fourth victim's remains have been taken off the plane, two days after the wreckage was found in rough terrain southeast of Kokoda village. Families have been told that the recovery and identification process will take some time. "We now have to brace ourselves for what will be potentially a painstaking and long process, much longer than we would want," Mr Smith said on ABC radio this morning. Many families have cancelled flights to Papua New Guinea until they know when their loved ones' remains will be available to them to bring home. "We didn't know how long it would take to have the bodies identified," one family member said. But the family of Bendigo occupational therapist Kelly Weire are planning to be there when the lost are recovered. "We're bringing Kelly home. We're going to get her ourselves," said Kelly's mother Debra. A makeshift helicopter landing was being hacked out of the dense jungle near the crash site, but the recovery of the bodies could take up to three more days. It was also reported this morning that a 14th body has been found in the wreckage. The body has been identified as that of local mine worker Kinglsey Eroro. But PNG Airlines insisted this afternoon that there were only 13 people on board. It said Mr Eroro was listed twice on the manifest, which might have led to the initial confusion. A victim first identified as a Japanese citizen is now reported to have been a PNG citizen of Chinese descent. Mr Smith also said an RAAF Caribou aircraft would make a flyover of the crash site to look for trekkers stranded at Kokoda by a ban on aircraft near the crash site. The ban prevents planes within 16 kilometres of the site, a radius which takes in the Kokoda airstrip. Emergency evacuee Peter Svehla, 39, who was flown out with heart problems, warned of a fiasco. "We met bunches of groups, say of 20 or 30 people, maybe three groups of 20 we saw heading towards Kokoda," he said. "Some of those groups would have made it to Kokoda by now but they would be stuck because they can't get out. I don't know how they're going to get back. All flights are cancelled." He has described an emotional, chaotic scene as word of the crash first spread. Within hours reports of the crash had spread among the porters on the track. "I don't know how they communicate but the reaction of many of the villagers was simply to run around screaming," he said. Australian authorities are in contact with trekking companies about helping stranded travellers. "This is the peak trekking season," said a senior Australian High Commission official. "There can be dozens of people on the track at any one time." Mr Smith said the Caribou flyover would try to establish how many trekkers remained in the area. "Given the general circumstances we are of course doing everything we can to check that very quickly," he said. But it was unclear what would happen after the flyover, unless the landing ban was suspended to allow them to be retrieved. If the ban remains, the trekkers face a long, treacherous trip out of the moutainous area. Up to 6000 Australians tackle the 96km challenge each year, retracing the steps of World War II Diggers. The cause of the crash will not be known for some time, according to the head of Airlines Papua New Guinea. Australian aviation agencies are assisting the PNG inquiry into the crash. (SOURCE: http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,25926107-5019176,00.html




AMERICA
BISHOPS LAUNCH WEB SITE ON HEALTHCARE

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) launched a Web page promoting its support of “truly universal health policy with respect for human life and dignity.” The page, www.usccb.org/healthcare, includes letters from bishops to Congress, videos, facts and statistics, frequently asked questions, and links for contacting members of Congress. Letters to Congress include an August 11 letter by Cardinal Justin Rigali, the bishops’ Pro-Life chairman, criticizing abortion provisions in the House version of health care legislation and a July 17 letter from Bishop William Murphy, the bishops’ Domestic Social Justice chairman, outlining the bishops concerns and priorities for health care reform as a whole. The site will feature Web videos of USCCB policy staff discussing the bishops’ position on health care. Kathy Saile, director of Domestic Social Development, outlines the general position and concerns. Richard Doerflinger, associate director of Pro-Life Activities, describes how abortion relates to the health care reform debate. The page also contains facts and statistics about Catholic health care in the United States, which includes 624 Catholic hospitals, 164 home health agencies, and 41 hospice organizations.
(SOURCE: http://www.usccb.org/comm/archives/2009/09-170.shtml


EUROPE
POLISH NUN SELLS OVER 1 MILLION COOKBOOKS

CathNews reports that a Polish Sister Anastazja Pustelnik has become a bestselling author with her five cookbooks that have now sold over one million copies.
Sr Anastazja has been cooking for the Jesuits for years, and they got the idea to put some of her recipes together in a brochure, which later became her first book, 103 Cakes of Sister Anastazja, the Krakow Post reports.
Published in 2001, it is her most popular book, with around 400,000 copies sold to date.
Her later books include recipes for some polish classics and a selection of international dishes, which she learned to cook when some of the Jesuit priests returned from their studies abroad with new requests. Her latest book, which was published last year, puts together 123 salad recipes.
Her talent to create easy recipes has resulted in five cookbooks that have sold at least 1.1 million copies in her country, and negotiations are underway to translate and publish her books in countries like Slovakia and the Czech Republic.
Despite her success as a writer, she says that all of her efforts are in service to God. After morning prayers, she goes to the Jesuit Centre in Krakow and cooks lunch for 20 priests. She claims God gives her the recipes.
Profits from the books go to good causes, including, Jesuit programs.
(SOURCE: http://www.cathnews.com/article.aspx?aeid=15766

ASIA
CARDINAL LAUDS CHURCH OF JAPAN

UCAN reports that a top Vatican official has commended the Catholic Church in Japan for its efforts at fostering interreligious dialogue.

Cardinal Jean-Louis Pierre Tauran, head of the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue was speaking in an interview with Vatican Radio Aug. 12, following his return from a trip to Japan.
In Japan, he said, Catholic dialogue with other religions is carried out “at the level of the local Churches, not at the top (leadership) levels; (but) at the levels of the parishes, schools and universities.”
The Catholic Church in Japan has “a prestigious range of schools and universities,” he said, “and these furnish a terrain of spontaneous dialogue of life between the different religions.”
He said he was very impressed by the fact that all this dialogue “is developed in harmony.”
He also applauded the decision of the Japanese Catholic Church to hold an annual day of prayer for interreligious dialogue, in which all parishes throughout the country discuss such dialogue and pray for it.
The cardinal was in Japan Aug. 2-10 and met Japanese Catholic bishops as well as leading representatives of the Shinto, Buddhist and Islamic faiths.
Reflecting on that visit he said he was struck by the fact that “religion is everywhere” in Japan.
He noted that the Japanese “were born into Shintoism” and “practice Buddhism” and because of this, “there is a kind of religious amalgamation and this gives one the impression that religion is a part of the social fabric.”
He said “What struck me is that the Japanese in their religion do not look for an absolute truth but (they seek) rather a sort of pacification with regard to the trials of life.”
During his trip, the French-born cardinal also participated in religious services at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, where the Americans dropped atomic bombs for the first time in 1945.
“It is beyond words to see what man is capable of doing!” he said. However, he also stressed the importance of remembering what happened here, so as “to avoid” similar happenings in the future.
He was greatly impressed too, he said, by the Japanese martyrs of the 16th and 17th centuries and the sufferings they endured. “Beyond doubt,” he said, this is a Church whose roots are to be found in the blood of the martyrs.
Japan’s Catholic Church has 1 million members but half of them are foreigners.
The cardinal said he reminded Japan’s Catholics that they have “a weighty inheritance that must bear fruit” and urged them to pray “that it bears good fruit.”
Cardinal Tauran also pointed out that Pope Benedict XVI has made dialogue between the Catholic Church and other religions in Asia “one of the priorities of his pontificate.”
“Interreligious dialogue is above all a pilgrimage toward truth,” he said.
Sources in Rome told UCA News that as the Vatican’s representative for dialogue with the other religions, Cardinal Tauran is giving greater attention to Asia and its religions this year.
He traveled in June to India for meetings with some of the country’s top Hindu religious leaders as well as leaders of other religions.
In July, he traveled to Kazakhstan and participated in a workshop on “Moral and Spiritual Values, World Ethics,” at the Third Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions. He also has plans to visit other Asian countries later this year.
Sources say the Holy Father is considering making his first visit as pope to Asia in the next 18 months.
(SOURCE:http://www.ucanews.com/2009/08/14/cardinal-applauds-japan-church-for-interreligious-dialogue/




TODAY'S SAINT

St. Maximilian Mary Kolbe
MARTYR
Feast: August 14
Born:
7 January 1894 at Zdunska Wola, Poland
Died:
August 14, 1941, Auschwitz concentration camp, Poland
Canonized:
10 October 1982, Rome, Italy by Pope John Paul II
Major Shrine:
Basilica of the Immaculate Mediatrix of Grace, Niepokalanów, Poland
Patron of:
20th century, Pro-Life Movement, drug addiction, drug addicts, families, amateur radio

He was ordained in Rome on 28 April 1918.
On 16 October 1917, with six companions, he founded the Crusade of Mary Immaculate, with the aim of 'converting sinners, heretics and schismatics, particularly freemasons, and bringing all men to love Mary Immaculate'.
On 21 November 1927 the Franciscans moved from Grodno to Teres,in and on 8 December the friary was consecrated and was given the name of Niepokalanow, the City of the Immaculate. 'Niepokalanow', said Fr Maximilian, 'is a place chosen by Mary Immaculate and is exclusively dedicated to spreading her cult. All that is and will be at Niepokalanow will belong to her. The monastic spirit will flourish here; we shall practise obedience and we shall be poor, in the spirit of St Francis.'

On 17 February 1941 he was arrested and sent to the infamous Pawiak prison in Warsaw. On 28 May Fr Maximilian was with over 300 others who were deported from Pawiak to Auschwitz.
When three prisoners escaped, ten prisoners were be picked in reprisal from the blocks in which the fugitives had lived and would be assigned to the Bunker (the underground starvation cell).' 'After the group of doomed men had already been selected, a prisoner stepped out from the ranks of one of the When the sentence of doom had been pronounced, Gajowniczek had cried out in despair, 'O my poor wife, my poor children. I shall never see them again.' It was then that from among the ranks of those temporarily reprieved, prisoner 16670 (Kolbe) had stepped forward and offered himself in the other man's place. 'In the cell of the poor prisoners there were daily loud prayers, the rosary and singing, in which prisoners from neighbouring cells also joined. Fr Kolbe was given an injection of carbolic acid in the vein of his left arm. Fr Kolbe, with a prayer on his lips, himself gave his arm to the executioner.

(Edited from: http://www.ewtn.com/saintsHoly/saints/M/stmaximilianmarykolbe.asp

TODAY'S GOSPEL

John 15: 12 - 17

"This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
You are my friends if you do what I command you.
No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.
You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide; so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.
This I command you, to love one another.