CATHOLIC NEWS WORLD: WED. APR. 6, 2011: HEADLINES-
VATICAN: POPE: SPEAKS ON ST. THERESE'S LITTLE WAY OF HOLINESS
ASIA: THAILAND: 84, 000 DISPLACED BY SEVERE FLOODING
AFRICA: IVORY COAST: EXPLOSIONS AND FIGHTING
EUROPE: FRANCE: NUN HEALED BY JPII'S INTERCESSION TO SHARE STORY WITH PILGRIMS
AUSTRALIA: DAVID MAHER NEW CEO OF CATHOLIC HEALTHCARE
TODAY'S GOSPEL: APRIL 6: JOHN 5: 17- 30
2011
ST. THERESE OF LISIEUX AND THE LITTLE WAYVATICAN CITY, 6 APR 2011 (VIS REPORTS) - In his general audience in St. Peter's Square today, attended by more than 10,000 people, Benedict XVI dedicated his catechesis to St. Therese of Lisieux, or St. Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face, "who lived in this world for only twenty-four years at the end of the nineteenth century, leading a very simple and hidden life, but who, after her death and the publication of her writings, became one of the best-known and loved saints". (IMAGE SOURCE RADIO VATICANA)
"Little Therese", the Pope continued, "never failed to help the most simple souls, the little ones, the poor and the suffering who prayed to her, but also illuminated all the Church with her profound spiritual doctrine, to the point that the Venerable John Paul II, in 1997, granted her the title of Doctor of the Church ... and described her as an 'expert in scientia amoris'. Therese expressed this science, in which all the truth of the faith is revealed in love, in her autobiography 'The Story of a Soul', published a year after her death".
Therese was born in 1873 in Alencon, France. She was the youngest of the nine children of Louis and Zelie Martin, and was beatified in 2008. Her mother died when she was four years old, and Therese later suffered from a serious nervous disorder from which she recovered in 1886 thanks to what she later described as "the smile of the Virgin". In 1887 she made a pilgrimage to Rome with her father and sister, where she asked Leo XIII for permission to enter Carmel of Lisieux, at just fifteen years of age. Her wish was granted a year later; however, at the same time her father began to suffer from a serious mental illness, which led Therese to the contemplation of the Holy Face of Christ in his Passion. In 1890 she took her vows. 1896 marked the beginning of a period of great physical and spiritual suffering, which accompanied her until her death.
In those moments, "she lived the faith at its most heroic, as the light in the shadows that invade the soul" the Pope said. In this context of suffering, living the greatest love in the littlest things of daily life, the Saint realised her vocation of becoming the love at the heart of the Church".
She died in the afternoon of 30 September, 1897, uttering the simple words, "My Lord, I love You!". "These last words are the key to all her doctrine, to her interpretation of the Gospel", the Pope emphasised. "The act of love, expressed in her final breath, was like the continued breathing of the soul ... The words 'Jesus, I love You' are at the centre of all her writings".
St. Therese is "one of the 'little ones' of the Gospel who allow themselves to be guided by God, in the depth of His mystery. A guide for all, especially for... theologians. With humility and faith, Therese continually entered the heart of the Scriptures which contain the Mystery of Christ. This reading of the Bible, enriched by the science of love, does not oppose academic science. The 'science of the saints', to which she refers on the final page of 'The Story of a Soul', is the highest form of science".
"In the Gospel, Therese discovers above all the Mercy of Jesus ... and 'Trust and Love' are therefore the end point of her account of her life, two words that, like beacons, illuminated her saintly path, in order to guide others along the same 'little way of trust and love', of spiritual childhood. Her trust is like that of a child, entrusting herself to the hands of God, and inseparable from her strong, radical commitment to the true love that is the full giving of oneself", the Holy Father concluded.
AG/
APPEALS FOR PEACE AND DIALOGUE IN IVORY COAST AND LIBYA
VATICAN CITY, 6 APR 2011 (VIS) - Following today's general audience the Pope said that he continued to "follow with great apprehension the dramatic events that the populations of the Ivory Coast and Libya are experiencing in these days. Furthermore, I hope that Cardinal Turkson, whom I have commissioned to visit the Ivory Coast to demonstrate my solidarity, may soon be able to enter the country. I pray for the victims and express my closeness to all those who are suffering at this time. Violence and hate are always defeat! I therefore make a renewed and heartfelt appeal to all parties to the cause to initiate a process of peacemaking and dialogue, and to avoid further bloodshed".
AG/
VATICAN CITY, 6 APR 2011 (VIS) - The Holy Father:
- Appointed Antonio Marino, auxiliary bishop of La Plata, Argentina as Bishop of Mar del Plata (area 22,850, population 869,000, Catholics 695,000, priests 87, permanent deacons 5, religious 165), Argentina.
- Appointed Moses Costa, C.S.C., bishop of Dinajpur, Bangladesh, as Bishop of Chittagong (area 39,247, population 33,852,000, Catholics 37,804, priests 40, religious 126), Bangladesh.
- Appointed Fr. Rolando Santos, C.M. provincial superior of the Lazarist Fathers, Philippines, as Bishop of Alotau-Sideia (area 20,000, population 245,000, Catholics 41,137, priests 23, religious 43), Papua New Guinea. The bishop-elect was born in Rizal, Philippines, in 1949 and ordained a priest in 1974.
- Appointed Msgr. Joseph R. Binzer, vicar general and chancellor of Cincinnati, as Auxiliary Bishop of Cincinnati (area 22,118, population 3,023,332, Catholics 468,204, priests 501, permanent deacons 176, religious 1,190), USA. The bishop-elect was born in Cincinnati in 1955 and ordained a priest in 1994.
- Cardinal Marc Ouellet, P.S.S., prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, as member of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts.
ASIA: THAILAND: 84, 000 DISPLACED BY SEVERE FLOODING
Bangkok (AsiaNews / Agencies) – At least 21 deaths - all Thai citizens - dozens of people missing and 84 thousand displaced people, many of them tourists; this is the toll of a week of torrential rains that hit the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand. Persistent rains in the south of the country have caused floods and landslides, the Civil Protection Department reports that 61 highways were flooded. Meanwhile, the Thai Catholic Church has taken steps to bring aid to affected populations, especially in the southern province of Nakhon Sri Thammarat where "it rained day and night for several days."
Yesterday, the navy deployed ships and helicopters to recover more than 800 tourists stranded by heavy rains in the southern islands. A further 730 passengers spent the night on board the HTMS Chakri Naruebet, a Royal Navy ship, encamped on makeshift mattresses. The displaced people all come from the island of Koh Tao, while a group of 100 was relocated to other islands, including Koh Phangam. The Ministry of Tourism reports that the foreign tourists, who come mostly from the United States, Australia, France, Britain and Russia are at present in Bangkok and Pattaya.
The Catholic Church immediately activated relief operations in the areas most affected by the floods which have damaged several churches and schools. An official of Caritas Thailand told Ucanews that there is an ongoing forum for coordinating efforts in the field. "We sent a team to the region - said the official - to see what kind of aid is needed and we invited Catholic institutions to support those affected."
Fr. Amornkit Prompakdee of the diocese of Surat Thani, said he helped "those affected with food and drinking water, now we are evaluating the situation to understand what is needed". Sister Jintana Rattanasakchaichan, of Mariapitak school in Sri Thammarat, adds that "food is starting to run low in the region" and Catholic institutions have postponed the start of the summer camps. The Ministry of Education reports that so far about 600 schools have been damaged due to torrential rains last week, with damaged furniture, books and other equipment.AFRICA: IVORY COAST: EXPLOSIONS AND FIGHTING
The final battle by Ouattara's men, who is recognised by the international community as the legitimate President of Côte d'Ivoire, began yesterday, 5 April. The UNOCI (United Nations Mission in Côte d'Ivoire) and French forces attacked the heavy weapons of the forces of Laurent Gbagbo, on the basis of UN Security Council Resolution 1975 which provides for the protection of civilians. During the night between 5 and 6 April, Gbagbo, who does not recognise the victory of Ouattara in the November 2010 election, had sought a path of negotiation, to no avail.
EUROPE: FRANCE: NUN HEALED BY JPII'S INTERCESSION TO SHARE STORY WITH PILGRIMS
Cardinal Agostino Vallini, the papal vicar for Rome, said the vigil April 30 would include "the precious testimony" of Joaquin Navarro-Valls, the former papal spokesman; Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz of Krakow, Poland, who was the pope's personal secretary for almost 40 years; and Sister Marie-Simon-Pierre, the member of the Little Sisters of the Catholic Motherhood, who had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and believes she was cured in 2005 through the intercession of Pope John Paul.
Cardinal Vallini, other officials from the Rome diocese and Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman, held a news conference April 5 to discuss the details of Pope John Paul's beatification May 1 and other events surrounding the ceremony.
After the prayer vigil at Rome's Circus Maximus, eight churches located between the vigil site and the Vatican will remain open all night for pilgrims to pray, the cardinal said.
The cardinal also announced that prayers for the Mass and the office of readings for Pope John Paul's feast day should be approved before the beatification, although he said people will have to wait until the beatification Mass to find out which date will be Pope John Paul's feast day each year.
The Vatican, he said, will be "very flexible" in granting permission to use the Blessed John Paul Mass texts around the world.
Generally, when someone is beatified, only Catholics in his or her diocese or religious order can celebrate publicly the blessed's feast day Mass. With canonization, the person -- recognized as a saint -- can be venerated throughout the Catholic Church.
Even after the beatifications of Pope John XXIII and Mother Teresa of Kolkata, the Vatican insisted on maintaining the restrictive rule even though bishops around the world requested permission to have feast day Masses in their dioceses.
Cardinal Vallini said that the Vatican recognizes that Pope John Paul is a "universal figure" and, therefore, public Masses are likely to be approved for more dioceses than just Rome and Krakow, where he served as archbishop.
Father Lombardi told reporters that the grotto under St. Peter's Basilica would be closed to the public April 29 and 30 as Vatican workmen prepare to move Pope John Paul's casket from its grotto burial site to the chapel of St. Sebastian on the main floor of the basilica.
The body of Blessed Innocent XI, who originally was buried in the chapel, will be transferred April 8 to the Altar of the Transfiguration, closer to the main altar, Father Lombardi said.
During the news conference, Msgr. Marco Frisina, director of the Rome diocesan liturgy office, released the text of a hymn he has composed for the beatification. The diocesan communications office, working with the Pontifical Council for Social Communications and assisted by young adult volunteers, announced the addition of a beatification page to the revamped website for young people, www.pope2you.net
AMERICA: USA: CARDINAL CALLS FOR SUPPORT OF RESPECT FOR RIGHTS ACT
WASHINGTON (April 6, 2011)— Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, chairman of the Committee on Pro-Life Activities of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), has written to urge all members of the U.S. House of Representatives to support a bipartisan bill protecting conscience rights in health insurance. Introduced by Reps. Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE) and Dan Boren (D-OK), the Respect for Rights of Conscience Act of 2011 (HR 1179) “will help ensure that the new health care reform act is not misused to violate the religious freedom and rights of conscience of those who offer and purchase health insurance coverage in our nation,” Cardinal DiNardo wrote.
“Federal law, until now, has never prevented the issuers and purchasers of health coverage from negotiating a health plan that is consistent with their moral and religious convictions,” Cardinal DiNardo explained. “This could change, however, with implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) as now written.” He noted that the law “establishes a new list of ‘essential health benefits’ that will be mandatory for most health plans throughout the United States,” and also “requires all group and individual plans to cover general ‘preventive services,’ as well as additional preventive services specifically for women.”
“For months,” Cardinal DiNardo wrote, “Planned Parenthood and other groups have been urging that mandated ‘preventive services for women’ include all drugs and devices approved by the FDA for contraception—including those that can prevent the implantation and survival of a newly conceived human being, and hence are seen as abortifacient by the Catholic Church and many others.”
“Mandated inclusion of contraception, sterilization and abortifacient drugs in health plans poses an obvious potential conflict with rights of conscience,” Cardinal DiNardo wrote. “Such conflicts would also arise if HHS mandates inclusion of some fertility treatments such as in vitro fertilization, treatments using material from deliberately killed unborn children, or other procedures specifically rejected by the teachings of some religions.”
PPACA “arbitrarily and inexplicably does not protect the many religious denominations – including those providing the backbone of the nonprofit health care system in this country – whose moral teaching rejects specific procedures,” Cardinal DiNardo said. “If religious and other stakeholders are driven out of the health insurance marketplace by this aspect of PPACA, legislation whose purpose was to expand health coverage could have the opposite effect.”
The Respect for Rights of Conscience Act “is modest and well-crafted legislation…it only prevents PPACA itself from being misused to deny Americans’ existing freedom to seek health care coverage that meets their medical needs and respects their deepest convictions,” he wrote. “I am sure that most members of Congress voting for PPACA did not intend that it should deny or take away this freedom. Therefore I hope and expect that Representatives who supported PPACA as well as those who opposed it will join in co-sponsoring the Respect for Rights of Conscience Act and in helping to ensure its enactment.”
The full text of the letter may be read at: www.usccb.org/conscienceprotection/DiNardo-ltr-HR1179.pdf.
---http://www.usccb.org/comm/archives/2011/11-067.shtml
AUSTRALIA: DAVID MAHER NEW CEO OF CATHOLIC HEALTHCARE
CATH NEWS REPORT: David Maher has been appointed Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Catholic Healthcare, upon the retirement of the body's first and founding Managing Director, Chris Rigby, the group said in a media release.
Kerry James AM, Chair of the Catholic Healthcare Limited Board, said of the appointment: "The Board is looking forward to working with David and is pleased that the successor to Chris Rigby has been sourced from within the organisation".Maher takes up his new role after 10 years as the General Manager of Hawkesbury District Health Service, a Catholic Healthcare health service in Western Sydney, and many years working as part of Catholic Healthcare's Senior Executive Committee.
Catholic Healthcare was established in 1994 by the Bishops of NSW and the ACT, with a mission to promote life in all its fullness by providing aged, health and community services inspired by the Catholic tradition.
TODAY'S SAINT: APR. 6: ST. WILLIAM OF ESKILSOE
St. William of Eskilsoe
ABBOT OF ESKILLE, CONFESSOR
Feast: April 6
| He was born of an illustrious family in Paris, about the year 1105, and received his education in the abbey of St. Germain-des-Prez, under his uncle Hugh, the abbot. By the regularity of his conduct, and the sanctity of his manners, he was the admiration of the whole community. Having finished his studies, he was ordained sub-deacon, and installed canon in the church of St. Genevieve au-Mont. His assiduity in prayer, love of retirement and mortification, and exemplary life, seemed a troublesome censure of the slothful and worldly life of his colleagues; and what ought to have gained him their esteem and affection, served to provoke their envy and malice against him. Having in vain endeavored to prevail on this reformer of their chapter, as they called him, to resign his canonry, in order to remove him at a distance, they presented him to the curacy of Epinay, a church five leagues from Paris, depending on their chapter. But not long after, Pope Eugenius III. coming to Paris, in 1147, and being informed of the irregular conduct of these canons, he commissioned the celebrated Suger, abbot of St. Denys, and prime minister to King Louis the Young, to expel them, and introduce in their room regular canons from the abbey of St. Victor: which was happily carried into execution, Eudo of St. Victor's being made the first abbot. St. William with joy embraced this institute, and was by his fervor and devotion a pattern to the most perfect. He was in a short time chosen sub-prior. The perfect spirit of religion and regularity which he established in that community, was an illustrious proof of the incredible influence which the example of a prudent superior has over docile religious minds. His zeal for regular discipline he tempered with so much sweetness and modesty in his injunctions, that made all to love the precept itself, and to practice with cheerfulness whatever was prescribed them. The reputation of his wisdom and sanctity reached the ears of Absalon, bishop of Roschild, in Denmark, who, being one of the most holy prelates of his age, earnestly sought to allure him into his diocese. He sent the provost of his church, who seems to have been the learned historian Saxo the Grammarian, to Paris on this errand. A prospect of labors and dangers for the glory of God was a powerful motive with the saint, and he cheerfully undertook the voyage. The bishop appointed him abbot of Eskille, a monastery of regular canons which he had reformed. Here St. William sanctified himself by a life of prayer and austere mortification; but had much to suffer from the persecutions of powerful men, from the extreme poverty of his house in a severe climate, and, above all, from a long succession of interior trials: but the most perfect victory over himself was the fruit of his constancy, patience, and meekness. On prayer was his chief dependence, and it proved his constant support. During the thirty years of his abbacy, he had the comfort to see many walk with fervor in his steps. He never left off wearing his hair-shirt, lay on straw, and fasted every day. Penetrated with a deep sense of the greatness and sanctity of our mysteries, he never approached the altar without watering it with his tears, making himself a victim to God in the spirit of adoration and sacrifice, together with, and through the merits of the holy victim offered thereon: the dispositions in which every Christian ought to assist at it. He died on the 6th of April, 1203, and was canonized by Honorius III. in 1224. See his life by a disciple in Surius, and at large in Papebroke's Continuation of Bollandus, t. 1, Apr. p. 620. Also M. Gourdan in his MSS. Lives of Illustrious Men among the regular Canons at St. Victor's, in Paris, kept in the library of MSS. in that house, in fol. t. 2, pp. 324 and 814. |
SOURCE: http://www.ewtn.com/saintsHoly/saints/W/stwilliamofeskilsoe.asp#ixzz1It7DwdsN
TODAY'S GOSPEL: APRIL 6: JOHN 5: 17- 30
| John 5: 17 - 30 | |
| 17 | But Jesus answered them, "My Father is working still, and I am working." |
| 18 | This was why the Jews sought all the more to kill him, because he not only broke the sabbath but also called God his Father, making himself equal with God. |
| 19 | Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing; for whatever he does, that the Son does likewise. |
| 20 | For the Father loves the Son, and shows him all that he himself is doing; and greater works than these will he show him, that you may marvel. |
| 21 | For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will. |
| 22 | The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, |
| 23 | that all may honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. |
| 24 | Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears my word and believes him who sent me, has eternal life; he does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. |
| 25 | "Truly, truly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. |
| 26 | For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself, |
| 27 | and has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of man. |
| 28 | Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice |
| 29 | and come forth, those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment. |
| 30 | "I can do nothing on my own authority; as I hear, I judge; and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me. |
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