CATHOLIC WORLD NEWS: THURS. AUG. 19, 2010: HEADLINES-
VATICAN: POPE'S TRAVEL SCHEDULE FOR TRIP TO UK IN SEPTEMBER-
ASIA: INDIA: TRIBAL MEN EXPELLED FROM BAPTIST VILLAGE FOR CATHOLIC FAITH-
AFRICA: DEM. REP. OF CONGO: AMBUSH OF UN PEACEKEEPERS KILLS 3-
AMERICA: USA: DEATH OF ANNE HIGGINS GOVERNMENT PRO-LIFER-
EUROPE: BELGIUM POLICE RAID OF ARCHDIOCESE JUDGED ILLEGAL BY COURT-
AUSTRALIA: BISHOP FISHER DISCUSSES PARTY OPINIONS ON POPULATION-
VATICAN: POPE'S TRAVEL SCHEDULE FOR TRIP TO UK IN SEPTEMBER
Radio Vaticana report: On Wednesday the Vatican published the detailed itinerary of Pope Benedict XVI’s apostolic voyage to the United Kingdome from September 16th to 19th next.
In the evening, he will travel to London for the second stage of the four day visit. September 17th is a particularly intense day, which starts with the Pope's meeting with the world of Catholic education at St. Mary's University College in Twickenham. Later in the morning, he will meet leaders of other religions.
That afternoon, Pope Benedict XVI will make a fraternal visit to the Archbishop of Canterbury, at Lambeth Palace. Later in the evening, the Pope will deliver a speech to representatives of British civil society in the Westminster Hall. The second day of the trip will conclude with an ecumenical service in Westminster Abbey.
On Saturday, September 18, at the Archbishop's House Westminster, the Pope will meet with the Prime Minister David Cameron, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and leader of the opposition Harriet Harman.
Later Saturday morning, he will celebrate Mass at in the Cathedral of the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Westminster. That afternoon, the Holy Father will visit St. Peter's Residence for Older People, Vauxhall and Saturday evening he will preside over a Vigil for the Beatification of Cardinal Newman in London’s Hyde Park.
On Sunday, September 19, the final day of the trip, the Pope will travel to Birmingham where he will celebrate Mass for the Beatification of Cardinal Newman in Cofton Park and visit the Oratory of St. Philip Neri. In the afternoon, before returning to Rome, Benedict XVI will meet with the bishops of England, Wales and Scotland.
SOURCE http://www.radiovaticana.org/en1/Articolo.asp?c=416272
http://jceworld.blogspot.com/2010/08/vatican-popes-travel-schedule-for-trip.html
ASIA: INDIA: TRIBAL MEN EXPELLED FROM BAPTIST VILLAGE FOR CATHOLIC FAITH
UCAN report: The Catholic Association of Nagaland has appealed to the state government to help two tribal men expelled from a predominantly Baptist village in the northeastern Indian state for embracing the Catholic faith.
The two Pochury tribesmen were ejected from Phokhungri village by the local council. (LOCAL TRIBE MEN PICTURED)
The village must only have Baptists, anyone joining other denominations must leave, a council resolution said.
Lay Catholic organizations in the state have taken the case to civil authorities.
Peter Lichamo, a senior government official, said his office will give its verdict by next month.
The village council, however, allowed the wives and children of the expelled men to stay in the village providing they remain Baptists.
The Pochury Catholic Union and the two men earlier asked civil organizations to help them return to the village.
The Phokhungri Area Public Organization, an influential citizens’ forum in the locality, intervened and requested the village council to withdraw its expulsion order. It, however, refused.
The organization then suggested the men seek help from higher authorities and the courts.
“It’s a very sad state of affairs when rules barring other denominations exist,” said Chichutho Jose, the Catholic union’s general secretary. “It is a fundamental breach of human rights.”
Baptists demolished a Catholic church in Anatongre, Kiphire district, on July 9, apparently on the same grounds. The Catholic Church has also protested the closure of its schools in Nagaland.
Baptists constitute most of the people in Nagaland where Christians form more than 90 percent of its some 1.9 million people. The minority Catholics run several schools and institutions across the state.
http://www.ucanews.com/2010/08/19/indian-villagers-expelled-for-being-catholics/
http://jceworld.blogspot.com/2010/08/india-tribal-men-expelled-from-baptist.html
AFRICA: DEM. REP. OF CONGO: AMBUSH OF UN PEACEKEEPERS KILLS 3
All Africa report: Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned the overnight ambush of a United Nations peacekeeping base in the troubled far east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) which has claimed the lives of three Indian blue helmets.
Several peacekeepers engaged with the attackers, forcing them to retreat, but at least six military personnel were injured in the surprise attack, some of them critically. In the attack, whose motive is unclear, the assailants also stole two MONUSCO weapons.
"The Secretary-General condemns the assault and calls on the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to launch an immediate investigation into this incident and ensure that the perpetrators are swiftly identified and brought to justice," according to a statement issued by his spokesperson.
Les Neuhaus/IRIN
Peacekeepers on patrol in DR Congo.
He conveyed his condolences to the Indian Government and to the families of the three slain soldiers.
"The Secretary-General would like to take this opportunity to commend the men and women serving in MONUSCO in various capacities, for their efforts to protect civilians, facilitate humanitarian assistance and bring peace to the Democratic Republic of the Congo," the statement said.
MONUSCO spokesperson Madnodje Mounoubai told UN Radio that the mission is investigating who carried out the attack and why.
The blue helmets, he stressed, "are not party to the conflict. They are here to ensure peace. So we don't know exactly what are reasons behind this attack."
http://allafrica.com/stories/201008180921.html
http://jceworld.blogspot.com/2010/08/africa-dem-rep-of-congo-ambush-of-un.html
AMERICA: USA: DEATH OF ANNE HIGGINS GOVERNMENT PRO-LIFER
LifeSiteNews.com REPORT- Pro-life leaders in the nation's capital today mourned the loss of Anne Higgins, a well-loved leader in the pro-life movement known for her work defending the life of the unborn as a member of the staffs of three U.S. presidents.
Higgins, 70, succumbed to a decades-long battle with cancer August 12. Her funeral was held at her parish, St. Stephen Martyr Roman Catholic Church in Washington, D.C., where Pat Buchanan delivered the main eulogy reflecting on her behind-the-scenes pro-life work as head of correspondence for Presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, and Ronald Reagan.
Connie Mackey of the Family Research Council, who had been on Higgins' staff, recalled that she "missed no opportunity to bring the President’s message on life to millions of people."
"[Higgins'] name may not mean much to people born after the Roe v Wade decision came down from the Blackman Supreme Court, but she was one of the most effective fighters for life this country has known," wrote Mackey. "Anne used her position to influence not only the President and his cabinet, but Congress and foreign dignitaries as well."
Dan Zeidler, who was present at the funeral, remembered Anne as a dedicated defender of the unborn who maintained a "wonderful positive spirit" even throughout her long battle with cancer. Zeidler says he met Anne while serving as executive director of Wisconsin Right to Life about 30 years ago.
"She's a wonderful person in the movement, a lot of history, great dedication," he said, describing her primary qualities as "loyalty, great love for her faith and for the unborn, just total dedication to the unborn, and a tremendous heart for people, the vulnerable ... a very generous person." Outside her White House position, Zeidler said Higgins also came to the aid of the unborn and their mothers at pregnancy assistance centers.
Together with her husband George, Higgins was famous for her hospitality. She often allowed friends and young people to live at property they owned next door to their own home in the Foggy Bottom district of D.C., virtually free of charge for months at a time.One of Higgins' jobs, according to Buchanan, was to select 30 letters to be handed on to the president at the end of each week to give a feel for the type of correspondence coming in. One letter she passed on was from a woman who had decided against an abortion 40 years ago - and, now dying, was being taken care of by her 40-year-old son.
While Higgins was no public figurehead, noted FRC's Mackey, her behind-the-scenes work was integral to building the pro-life movement, and her friendship with Congressman Harry Hyde "provided the needed platform to launch the fight for those who could not speak for themselves."
"Anne showed us true activism and she never wavered on behalf of the innocent unborn, the infirm, and for creatures great and small. She made a difference in this world," she wrote. "To paraphrase Henry Hyde, she will be met at Heaven’s gate by millions of babies yet unborn who will carry the message, 'job well done … good and faithful servant.'"
SOURCE http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/aug/10081813.html
http://jceworld.blogspot.com/2010/08/america-usa-death-of-anne-higgins.html
EUROPE: BELGIUM POLICE RAID OF ARCHDIOCESE JUDGED ILLEGAL BY COURT
CNA report: In the absence of an official statement from Belgium's judiciary, the lawyer for the Archdiocese of Brussels-Mechelen (pictured) announced the court's decision that the police raids of the archbishop's offices and Cardinal Danneel's residence in June were unlawful.
In an Aug. 13 press conference, noting silence from the appeals court concerning its decision, the Belgian Bishops Conference announced the court's ruling that the search was illegal.
A statement from the archdiocese said that Fernand Keuleneer, the attorney for the archdiocese, was surprised by the prosecution's silence on the decision, especially after the press was, as he put it, so "welcome" during and following the search. The lawyer did, however, concede that the court had no legal obligation to disclose its decision.
As a result of the court's ruling, the items seized, which consist mostly of boxes of files from the now-defunct Interdiocesan Commission on Sexual Abuse and their computers, must be returned and the dossiers from the local judicial investigation must be destroyed.
The bishops expressed their hope that confidence would be restored following this ruling. The new Belgian Bishop's Conference spokesman Jürgen Mettepenningen also said that the bishops are exploring how to best help victims at this point.
As for the original scope of the search, Keuleneer told Vatican Radio this week that its "substance" is still rather unclear. The search was on such a large scale "that one asks himself if there were concrete, specific elements (to it), or if the scope wasn't rather that of going in 'blind' hoping to find something … "
SOURCE http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/police-raid-on-belgian-archdiocese-ruled-illegal-by-appeals-court/
http://jceworld.blogspot.com/2010/08/europe-belgium-police-raid-of.html
AUSTRALIA: BISHOP FISHER DISCUSSES PARTY OPINIONS ON POPULATION
Cath News report: Just a week out from the election the ABC joined the debate over population with a program called Population Puzzle and a follow-up Q&A, writes Anthony Fisher, Bishop of Parramatta.
Greens leader Senator Bob Brown was as trenchantly anti-population as ever, while the Opposition, though more pro-population, joined the auction to be the party toughest on migrants and refugees.
The Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, keeps telling us that Western Sydney is already suffering particular “stress” or “congestion” from population. With roughly two-thirds of the extra 1.7 million people projected for Sydney by 2036 expected to make their homes out West, we are told that we are already over-populated. But how would we know?
All parties now want to slow Australia’s immigration rate and “get tough” (or even tougher) on asylum seekers. Incredibly, some people also want to reduce Australia’s family sizes – already among the world’s lowest.
A range of interests, prejudices and genuine arguments collide here: the perennial fear of newcomers; a view of human beings as “pollution” of an ideally people-free environment; fear of a boat-borne “Asian invasion”, complete with people smugglers, queue-hoppers and terrorists; anti-capitalist and anti-development feeling; Malthusian nightmares of people over-breeding and over-consuming resources.
There is also: the sheer costs and complexity of providing for ever-expanding cities; evasion of responsibility for urban planning and infrastructure; annoyance with peak hour congestion and other symptoms of rapid city growth; the ongoing climate apocalyptic; and anti-family and anti-child attitudes.
There are some serious issues here, as well as prejudice and paranoia. Slogans and spin driven by such passions are no basis for sound policy.
My point is simply: Australia – including Western Sydney where I live – is nowhere near population overload. Our problem is a lack of appropriate planning, infrastructure and services to match our population.
SOURCE http://www.cathnews.com/article.aspx?aeid=22900
http://jceworld.blogspot.com/2010/08/australia-bishop-fisher-discusses-party.html
TODAY'S SAINT: ST. JOHN EUDES
St. John Eudes
FOUNDER
Feast: August 19
Information: Feast Day: August 19
Born: November 14, 1601, Ri, France
Died: August 19, 1680, Caen, France
Canonized: 1925 by Pope Pius XI
Father Eudes, during his long life, preached not less than one hundred and ten missions, three at Paris, one at Versailles, one at St-Germaine-en-Laye, and the others in different parts of France. Normandy was the principal theatre of his apostolic labours. In 1674 he obtained from Clement X six Bulls of indulgences for the Confraternities of the Sacred Heart already erected or to be erected in the seminaries. He also established the Society of the Heart of the Mother Most Admirable -- which resembles the Third Orders of St. Francis and St. Dominic. This society now numbers from 20,000 to 25,000 members. Father Eudes dedicated the seminary chapels of Caen and Coutances to the Sacred Hearts. The feast of the Holy Heart of Mary was celebrated for the first time in 1648, and that of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in 1672, each as a double of the first class with an octave. The Mass and Office proper to these were composed by Father Eudes, who thus had the honour of preceding the Blessed Margaret Mary in establishing the devotion to the Sacred Hearts. For this reason, Pope Leo XIII, in proclaiming his virtues heroic in 1903, gave him the title of "Author of the Liturgical Worship of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Holy Heart of Mary". Father Eudes wrote a number of books remarkable for elevation of doctrine and simplicity of style. His principal works are:--"Le Royaume de Jésus"; "Le contrat de l'homme avec Dieu par le Saint Baptême"; "Le Mémorial de la vie Ecclésiastique"; "Le Bon Confesseur"; "Le Prédicateur Apostolique"; "Le Cœur Admirable de la Très Sainte Mère de Dieu". This last is the first book ever written on the devotion to the Sacred Hearts. His virtues were declared heroic by Leo XIII, 6 Jan., 1903. The miracles proposed for his beatification were approved by Pius X, 3 May, 1908, and he was beatified 25 April, 1909.
SOURCE http://www.ewtn.com/saintsHoly/saints/J/stjohneudes.asp
http://jceworld.blogspot.com/2010/08/todays-saint-st-john-eudes.html
TODAY'S GOSPEL: THURS. AUG. 19, 2010
Matthew 22: 1 - 14
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1 And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying,
2 "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a marriage feast for his son,
3 and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the marriage feast; but they would not come.
4 Again he sent other servants, saying, `Tell those who are invited, Behold, I have made ready my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves are killed, and everything is ready; come to the marriage feast.'
5 But they made light of it and went off, one to his farm, another to his business,
6 while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them.
7 The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.
8 Then he said to his servants, `The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy.
9 Go therefore to the thoroughfares, and invite to the marriage feast as many as you find.'
10 And those servants went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good; so the wedding hall was filled with guests.
11 "But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment;
12 and he said to him, `Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?' And he was speechless.
13 Then the king said to the attendants, `Bind him hand and foot, and cast him into the outer darkness; there men will weep and gnash their teeth.'
14 For many are called, but few are chosen."
http://jceworld.blogspot.com/2010/08/todays-gospel-thurs-aug-19-2010.html
