CATHOLIC WORLD NEWS: SAT. JAN. 9, 2010: HEADLINES-
VATICAN: POPE: MESSAGE FOR 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF N.A. COLLEGE-
EUROPE: BELGIUM: CARDINAL DANEELS STEPS DOWN AFTER 30 YEARS-
AMERICA: USA: NEW MEXICO BISHOP PELOTTE DIES-
ASIA: VIETNAM: CRUCIFIX DESTROYED & FAITHFUL ARRESTED-
AUSTRALIA: CASE FOR SAINTHOOD OF CAROLINE CHISHOLM-
AFRICA: NIGERIA: ARCHBISHOP URGES FREE ELECTIONS-
VATICAN
POPE: MESSAGE FOR 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF N.A. COLLEGESpiritual tradition and solid formation are characteristics of the North American College in Rome. Pope Benedict XVI recalled this in an audience on Saturday morning for students and teachers of the college for the 150th anniversary of its foundation by Pius IX. The Pope spoke of his apostolic visit to the USA in 2008 to highlight how American culture is infused with positive human and Christian values. The Pope said that candidates for the priesthood at the North American College will experience the universality of the Church, and that their theological and human training will enable them to follow Christ and to set and example for men and women of our time. The Pope concluded that he is confident that the college will continue to train pastors capable of transmitting the Faith in its integrity.
(source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rx6tvNJV0TA
VATICAN: OPENING OF JUDICIAL YEAR
The Vatican opened the Judicial Year on Saturday with a Mass presided over by the Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone and report by the Vaticans Promoter of Justice Nicola Picardi. The ceremony took place in the presence of the highest judicial authorities of the Italian State. In his report, the Promoter of Justice stressed the importance of international collaboration even for a state like Vatican City, and touched on some specific points. Among those were the efforts to update legislation, and the importance of a fundamental reorganization of the structures of the Vatican State. He said it must have a flexible and balanced judiciary, and be capable of administering justice more equitbly timely and authoritatively. (SOURCE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8JMPjEuVMs
EUROPE:
BELGIUM: CARDINAL DANEELS STEPS DOWN AFTER 30 YEARS-
Catholic Culture reports that Belgian Cardinal Danneels stepping down after 30 years January 08, 2010
Cardinal Godfried 
Danneels of Brussels will say goodbye to his flock this weekend as he prepares to step down after a remarkable 30 years as the leading figure of the Catholic Church in Belgium. Cardinal Danneels, who has announced his resignation at the age of 76, plans ceremonies at the cathedrals of both Brussels and Mechelen for his formal farewell.
Long a leader of liberal Catholics in Europe, Cardinal Danneels was occasionally mentioned as a potential successor to Pope John Paul II, who had raised him to the College of Cardinals in 1983. Canon Wilfried Brieven former personal secretary, said that the Belgian prelate worked “to save the heritage of the Second Vatican Council.”
Pope Benedict XVI has not yet named a successor to Cardinal Danneels. An announcement is expected from the Vatican soon. (SOURCE: http://www.catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=5126
AMERICA
USA: NEW MEXICO BISHOP PELOTTE DIESCNA reports that Bishop emeritus of Gallup, New Mexico Donald E. Pelotte died on Thursday morning at a Florida hospital after a period of illness. He was 64. Born in Waterville, Maine in 1945, Bishop Pelotte professed re
ligious vows in the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament in August 1967, the Diocese of Gallup reports. He was ordained a priest in September, 1972 and received a doctorate in theology from Fordham University in 1975.He became the provincial of the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament at the age of 33. At the time he was the youngest major superior of a men’s religious community in the United States.
Then, in 1986, he was appointed third bishop of Gallup by Pope John Paul II.
He was the first Native American bishop in the United States. According to the Miami Herald, his father was a member of the Abenaki tribe. Bishop Pelotte had been a national board member of the Tekakwitha Conference, an organization for Native American Catholics, since 1981.
He also was a member of the Catholic Theological Society of America and the American Catholic Historical Society.
Bishop Pelotte ordained his twin brother, Fr. Dana Pelotte, SSS, on Sept. 4, 1999 at their hometown parish in Waterville, Maine. The Diocese of Gallup said this was the first time in known Catholic history a bishop ordained his twin brother.
During his 22 years in the Diocese of Gallup he developed training programs for Native American deacons and lay ministers. He also fought to keep open Casa San Martin, which served Gallup’s homeless population.
In 2007 Bishop Pelotte suffered severe injuries in what he said was a fall down a staircase during an illness. However, a deacon who found him locked in his bedroom room suspected he had been assaulted.
That December, Bishop Pelotte began a medical leave of absence and Bishop Thomas Olmstead of the Diocese of Phoenix was appointed to oversee the diocese.
In a Thursday statement, Bishop Olmstead said he was “saddened” to learn of Bishop Pelotte’s death.
“I join with Bishop James Wall, who now heads the Gallup Diocese, and the priests, religious and faithful in mourning the death of the first Native American bishop in the United States.”
“Because the Diocese of Gallup encompasses part of Northeastern Arizona, it was my good fortune to come to know Bishop Pelotte over the years,” he continued, assuring the Catholics of Gallup that he was united with them in prayer.
He also enjoined the people of Phoenix to pray for the deceased prelate and his family.
Bishop Wall also expressed sadness at the death of his predecessor, saying he “so faithfully served the Church throughout his life.”
“During this difficult time, we look to our Lord, Jesus Christ, who is the way, the truth, and the life—and we pray for the repose of the soul of our brother, Donald, and for the comfort and consolation of his family members,” Bishop Wall said in a Thursday statement.
Bishop Pelotte’s funeral Mass will be held on Jan. 14 in Sacred Heart Cathedral in Gallup. In accordance with his wishes, he will be buried in the crypt of the cathedral at the end of the liturgy.(SOURCE: http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/bishop_emeritus_of_gallup_donald_e._pelotte_dies_at_64/
ASIA
VIETNAM: CRUCIFIX DESTROYED & FAITHFUL ARRESTED
The brutal attack on the crucifix of the cemetery in Hanoi and the destruction of sacred symbols "ingredients of the policies" of the communist regime in resolving disputes. The bishops call for dialogue to find a peaceful solution. The faithful build a new bamboo cross; the police arrest five Catholics and close down the site.
Hanoi (AsiaNews) - The bishops of North Vietnam, in solidarity with the archbishop of Hanoi, have expressed dismay at the destruction of sacred symbols of faith and for the brutal attack on the Catholic community. At the end of a meeting held yesterday in the office of the archdiocese in the capital, the 10 bishops declared that the destruction of the crucifix in the churchyard of the parish of Dong Chiem, on 6 January, and violence against the faithful are "two ingredients of government policy in resolving disputes with religions".
Archbishop Joseph Ngo Quang Kiet, archbishop of Hanoi, along with the North Vietnamese bishops personally visited the faithful of the parish of Dong Chiem, victims of the brutal police attack. In a gesture of defiance toward the government, the faithful erected a new cross in bamboo (see photo), in the same place where the cross destroyed in recent days was located. They want to affirm the right of ownership of the land that "has belonged to the parish for more than 100 years and will not be abandoned."
In response, the police arrested five Catholics and prevented access to the area. The place where they were conducted is currently unknown. The officers have so far not destroyed the new bamboo cross. The state media, however, have taken over the smear campaign against Catholics, accusing them of "fostering hatred" in the country.
Following Vietnamese President Nguyen Minh Triet’s visit to the Vatican and his meeting with Pope Benedict XVI, there were signs of hope that the pending conflict between the Church and the communist government could find "a peaceful solution through dialogue."
However, the attack against the faithful of the parish of Dong Chiem recalls the methods used against the faithful in Tam Toa and Bau Sen (in the diocese of Vinh) and Loan Ly (Archdiocese of Hue). The two dioceses were the scene of violence by government officials and police, which destroyed the symbols of faith, beat and arrested faithful and priests and seized the properties of Catholics.
The North Vietnamese bishops have warned the government not to use measures that might create "further discontent, anger and mistrust among the people" and reiterated the previous statements of the Bishops Conference, which call for a change "in the laws governing the possession of land and property". Hanoi denies these rights, because "the land belongs to the people" and "the State administers it". The bishops respond that the right to own private property is enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and must be respected.
At the end of their message, the bishops confirm their willingness to "collaborate with the government" for the good of the country and the construction of a "big family" where all members can coexist peacefully.
(source: http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Vietnamese-bishops-accuse-the-government-crackdown-on-the-destruction-of-the-crucifix-17303.html
AUSTRALIA
CASE FOR SAINTHOOD OF CAROLINE CHISHOLM
Cath News reports that following Mary MacKillop's forthcoming ascent to sainthood, there are moves to push the case for similar recognition of Caroline Chisholm, for her work among immigrants in Colonial Australia.
"If Caroline Chisholm had belonged to a religious order or like Blessed Mary MacKillop had established one, I am sure
she would have been considered for beatification by now," said Clara Geoghegan, historian and long-time champion of the cause for Sainthood for Caroline Chisholm.
"But because she was a lay woman, her unstinting work for women immigrants in the Colonies in the 1800s was barely noticed by the Church hierarchy of the time," Ms Geoghegan told the Sydney Archdiocese Catholic Communications.
A search is now underway to uncover more information as well as any incidents where prayers said in her name have resulted in her intercession and possible miracles, the report says.
Following the Pope's statement on Bl Mary MacKillop, Archbishop of Sydney Cardinal George Pell said the canonisation of Mary MacKillop gave hope to the cause of other women such as Chisholm (already honoured on the Australian five dollar note) due to the "enormous work she did for women in Sydney" during the rough and squalid 19th century in the penal colony.
Ms Geoghegan, who is also Education officer for the Archdiocese of Melbourne's Office for Evangelisation, says attempts to highlight the extraordinary work of Chisholm and promote her cause as a Saint date back to the 1920s when a Sydney newspaper first suggested the woman who had single-handedly saved the lives of thousands of young female immigrants and families, be considered for canonisation.
In the 1950s, with the publication of Mary Kiddle's biography, the question of sainthood was raised again and in the 1960s, picked up by the Catholic Women's League who worked on Caroline Chisholm's cause for more than 20 years. But with the unexpected death of CWL member and Chisholm biographer, Mary Hogan, progress stalled.
(SOURCE: http://www.cathnews.com/article.aspx?aeid=18642
AFRICA
NIGERIA: ARCHBISHOP URGES FREE ELECTIONS
CNS reports that Archbishop John Olorunfemi Onaiyekan of Abuja urged the Nigerian government to ensure free and fair elections in 2011, noting that anything less would lower the nation's standing with other countries.Archbishop Onaiyekan, president of the Christian Association of Nigeria, stressed that Nigerian leaders should understand the meaning of power. Speaking in Abuja Jan. 3, he said all Nigerians need to have a change in attitude and understand that power was meant for the service of the people and not for selfish interests."We need to change in the right direction. If we don't, we will continue to fumble around," he said."We should also decide that honesty is the best policy, which means we should stop the politics of deceiving the poor people and telling lies," Archbishop Onaiyekan said."We cannot do things the way we did it before and expect a different outcome," he said. "There has to be a complete change in the hearts and minds of all Nigerians."Past Nigerian elections, federal and statewide, have been marred by vote-rigging, blackmail and excessive spending."Rigging elections, giving victories to those who have lost elections, changing figures up and down and recording results where no elections took place -- that is not going to carry us far," the archbishop said. "As far as we continue to deal with elections like that, we will continue to have difficulties in good governance because by their fruit we shall know them."Archbishop Onaiyekan said that 2010 should be a time for Nigerians to pray earnestly to God for peaceful elections in 2011. He also expressed hope that the revision of the country's electoral law would be complete by the end of this year.(SOURCE: http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1000043.htm
TODAY'S SAINT
St. Mary Cleophas
MOTHER OF ST. JAMES THE LESS AND JOSEPH
Feast: April 9
Information:
Feast Day:
April 9
This title occurs only in John, xix, 25. A comparison of the lists of those who stood at the foot of the cross would seem to identify her with Mary, the mother of James the Less and Joseph (Mark 15:40; cf. Matthew 27:56). Some have indeed tried to identify her with the Salome of Mark, xv, 40, but St. John's reticence concerning himself and his relatives seems conclusive against this (cf. John 21:2). In the narratives of the Resurrection she is named "Mary of James"; (Mark 16:1; Luke 24:10) and "the other Mary" (Matthew 27:61; 28:1). The title of "Mary of James" is obscure. If it stood alone, we should feel inclined to render it "wife of (or sister of) James", but the recurrence of the expression "Mary the mother of James and Joseph" compels us to render it in the same way when we only read "Mary of James". Her relationship to the Blessed Virgin is obscure. James is termed "of Alpheus", i.e. presumably "son of Alpheus". St. Jerome would identify this Alpheus with Cleophas who, according to Hegesippus, was brother to St. Joseph (Hist. eccl., III, xi). In this case Mary of Cleophas, or Alpheus, would be the sister-in-law of the Blessed Virgin, and the term "sister", adelphe, in John, xix, 25, would cover this. But there are grave difficulties in the way of this identification of Alpheus and Cleophas. In the first place, St. Luke, who speaks of Cleophas (xxiv, 18), also speaks of Alpheus (6:15; Acts 1:13). We may question whether he would have been guilty of such a confused use of names, had they both referred to the same person. Again, while Alphas is the equivalent of the Aramaic, it is not easy to see how the Greek form of this became Cleophas, or more correctly Clopas. More probably it is a shortened form of Cleopatros. (SOURCE: http://www.ewtn.com/saintsHoly/saints/M/stmarycleophas.asp
TODAY'S GOSPEL
John 3: 22 - 30
22
After this Jesus and his disciples went into the land of Judea; there he remained with them and baptized.
23
John also was baptizing at Ae'non near Salim, because there was much water there; and people came and were baptized.
24
For John had not yet been put in prison.
25
Now a discussion arose between John's disciples and a Jew over purifying.
26
And they came to John, and said to him, "Rabbi, he who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you bore witness, here he is, baptizing, and all are going to him."
27
John answered, "No one can receive anything except what is given him from heaven.
28
You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.
29
He who has the bride is the bridegroom; the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom's voice; therefore this joy of mine is now full.
30
He must increase, but I must decrease."
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