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Monday, April 5, 2010

CATHOLIC WORLD NEWS: MON. APRIL 5, 2010










CATHOLIC WORLD NEWS: MON. APRIL 5, 2010: HEADLINES-
VATICAN: POPE: REGINA CAELI MESSAGE FROM CASTEL GANDOLFO-
AMERICA: USA: HOLLYWOOD ACTOR FIRED FOR KEEPING FAMILY VALUES-
AUSTRALIA: GROUP`S EASTER RE-ENACTMENT SHUT DOWN BY POLICE-
EUROPE: ENGLAND: ANGLICAN WILLIAMS APOLOGIZES FOR COMMENTS-
AFRICA: NIGERIA: CHRISTIANS ARE ASKED TO PRAY FOR PEACE-
ASIA: INDIA: PRIEST RELEASED FROM JAIL ON BAIL-




VATICAN
POPE: REGINA CAELI MESSAGE FROM CASTEL GANDOLFO

CNA report: Pope Benedict prayed the Regina Caeli on Easter Monday from the Pontifical residence at Castel Gandolfo, where he traveled following Sunday's Easter celebrations at the Vatican. During his address before the prayer, he called the faithful to become announcers of God's love.
The Holy Father explained the significance of “Angel's Monday,” as the day following Easter Sunday is traditionally called in Italy, before the recitation of the Marian prayer at noon.
Contemplating the term "angel" during this time of Easter, observed the Pope, our thought goes immediately to Christ's tomb and the announcement by one or two angels that “He is risen,” as recounted in the Gospels.
"But," he added, "the Angel of the resurrection also recalls another meaning."
Besides being applicable to the "spiritual creatures endowed with intelligence and will, servants and messengers of God, it is also one of the oldest titles attributed to Jesus himself," the Pope taught, citing Tertullian's words that Christ is the announcer of the "great design of the Father for the restoration of man."
As the Angel of the Father, Jesus Christ "is the Messenger par excellence of his love," he pointed out.
Pope Benedict went on to explain that the risen Christ's words to the Apostles, "As the Father has sent me, so I send you," mean that we must emulate Jesus' role as the "announcer of the love of God the Father" and "also be this of the love of Christ" as "we are messengers of his resurrection, of his victory over evil and death, carriers of his divine love."
We receive this "mission" through Baptism and Confirmation, he continued, saying that it is referred in a special way to priests as "ministers of Christ."
The Holy Father concluded by invoking the assistance of the Queen of Heaven, so we are able to fully welcome "the grace of the paschal mystery and become courageous and joyous messengers of the resurrection of Christ."
The message and prayer were broadcast from Castel Gandolfo simultaneously through the large screens and speakers of St. Peter's Square.
http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/we_must_seek_to_be_messengers_of_gods_love_declares_pope_on_easter_monday/




AMERICA

USA: HOLLYWOOD ACTOR FIRED FOR KEEPING FAMILY VALUES


CBN report: Hollywood actor Neal McDonough is taking a stand for family values and his Catholic convictions.
The former star of the popular TV series "Desperate Housewives" has been replaced on ABC's new series "Scoundrels" after refusing to do sex scenes.
ABC called it a casting change, but other reports claim McDonough was fired.
Throughout his acting career, McDonough has made it clear that he will not be in sexual situations.
He will reportedly lose as much as $1 million for refusing this latest role.


IMAGE http://rpg.justice-knights.com/males/taken/Nicholas.jpg



http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2010/April/Catholic-Actor-Let-Go-After-Refusing-Sex-Scenes/





AUSTRALIA
GROUP`S EASTER RE-ENACTMENT SHUT DOWN BY POLICE

Cath News report: A group in Norlane, Victoria, whose graphic re-enactment of the crucifixion at a shopping centre was shutdown by police on Saturday, has made an official complaint about religious discrimination.
Leaders of the Heaven on Earth group will meet with Geelong Police to discuss the complaint, over the display that was stopped for being "offensive", said an AAP report in the Geelong Advertiser.
According to an AFP report on Google News, the sight of a man covered in fake blood and apparently nailed to a cross was too much for some children at a shopping centre in Geelong.
"Kids were particularly upset and crying," a local police spokesman is cited saying.
"If they want to do that sort of thing they are quite welcome to do it in a place where it's not going to disturb anyone and where people are going there for that specific reason and know what they are getting themselves into."
Church member Brian Kenneally, the father of Pastor Sarah Kenneally who helped organise the re-enactment, said the group hade made a formal complaint about the conduct of police at the scene.
"We have conducted a formal complaint about the way it was handled and we will know more about what action we can take tomorrow when we meet."
Geelong's Catholic priest, Father Kevin Dillon, said the bloody depiction of Jesus on the cross was too brutal for the public eye.
"I have no doubt that the people who organised it had the best intentions but I think in the public arena this could certainly cause distress," Father Dillon said.
"Ultimately, I don't think such a brutal depiction would be helpful in teaching people about Easter and the story of Jesus."http://www.cathnews.com/article.aspx?aeid=20457



EUROPE

ENGLAND: ANGLICAN WILLIAMS APOLOGIZES FOR COMMENTS

Cath News report: The Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams has expressed "deep sorrow and regret" for saying the Irish Catholic Church was "losing all credibility" over the clerical sex abuse scandal.
He reportedly telephoned Diarmuid Martin, the Archbishop of Dublin, to apologise for "difficulties that may have been created" by the remarks, according to an AFP report in The Australian.
Archbishop Martin said he was "stunned" by Dr Williams' "unequivocal and unqualified" criticism of the Catholic Church, made in a BBC radio interview.
But Dr Williams told Archbishop Martin "nothing could have been farther from his intention than to offend or criticise the Irish church".
Dr Williams's comments were unusually outspoken and critical for the leader of another church, especially as they emerged over the Easter weekend.
Dr Williams said in the interview the Irish Catholic Church was suffering colossal trauma. "An institution so deeply bound into the life of a society suddenly becoming, suddenly losing all credibility -- that's not just a problem for the church, it's a problem for everybody in Ireland," he said.
Archbishop Martin said the timing of the comments was unhelpful. "In all my years as Archbishop of Dublin in difficult times I have rarely felt personally so discouraged," he said.
http://www.cathnews.com/article.aspx?aeid=20460






AFRICA


NIGERIA: CHRISTIANS ARE ASKED TO PRAY FOR PEACE



All Africa report: Christians have been implored to use the exemplary opportunity of Easter to pray for peace and unity to prevail in Nigeria and for God to spare the country of endless waste of lives through sectarian crisis, communal wars and cult related violence.
Governor Liyel Imoke of Cross River State made the call in his Easter message to Cross Riverians, saying that they should pray for the consolation of those who have lost dear ones as well as the repose of the souls of the departed.
Imoke remarked that more than the story of salvation for mankind, of the times, death and resurrection of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, this period provides people the challenge of defining their individual mission in life.
According to him, "Easter also reminds us that solidarity with one another, love, care and compassion are really important values that need to be reflected in our society."
http://allafrica.com/stories/201004050654.html








ASIA
INDIA: PRIEST RELEASED FROM JAIL ON BAIL

UCAN report — A priest, who spent nine days in jail in connection with a seminarian’s suicide, says the experience helped him relate better to Christ’s sufferings.
Father Thomas Philip, rector of Bhopal archdiocese’s minor seminary, was released on bail on April 1, Holy Thursday. He was jailed on March 23 for allegedly abetting the suicide of a seminarian.
However, no bail was granted to a Malabar Missionary brother who continues to be in jail over an alleged act of pedophilia. Police in Panna, a town in Madhya Pradesh, arrested Brother John Kuttikatil on March 20.
Bhopal archdiocesan sources said the bail for the priest took nine days since the charges against him were serious offences in Madhya Pradesh, one of the few states that legally ban religious conversion through allurement or force.
The seminarian committed suicide on Jan. 29 inside the seminary on the outskirts of Bhopal, the state capital. His father complained to police that his son was a Hindu and the priest had tried to convert him to Catholicism.
Father Philip told UCA News April 5 that he was implicated in a case in which he had no involvement. However, the time in the jail “helped me really understand the suffering of Christ,” he added.
Reflecting on Christ’s sufferings
The priest said he found it hard and painful to realize he was in a jail for “heinous” crimes. But when “I began to reflect over the life and crucifixion of Christ, new hope began to lead me.”
Jesus suffered for no fault of his, and “I too was imprisoned,” Father Philip said. Such an experience is the price one has to pay occasionally for being Christ’s follower. “Now I can value it,” he added.
The priest also said he felt shattered when the court denied his bail application immediately after his arrest. “Initially, I thought it would be easy to get bail as I had no role in the case, but when that did not happen my confidence began to shake,” he recounted.
The police, he said, did not harm him physically, but he “felt really hurt” as he had to remove his clothes and line up with those accused of serious offenses. “It was really disappointing to realize that no one in the jail was ready to understand your innocence,” he added.
Some jail residents “helped me get my food and wash my clothing,” Father Philip said. “However, the general treatment I got was no way different from what is given to a criminal.”
Father Philip dismissed the allegation of the seminarian’s father as “unfounded and aimed at targeting the Church.” He asserted the seminary, just as other seminaries across the world, admits only baptized Catholics as students.
http://www.ucanews.com/2010/04/05/priest-gets-bail-brother-continues-in-jail



TODAY'S SAINT



St. Vincent Ferrer
SPANISH DOMINICAN PREACHER
Feast: April 5
Information:
Feast Day:
March 24
Born:
January 23, 1350, Valencia, Kingdom of Valencia
Died:
April 5, 1419, Vannes, Brittany, France
Canonized:
June 3, 1455, Rome by Pope Calixtus III
Major Shrine:
Vannes Cathedral
Patron of:
builders, construction workers, plumbers

Famous Dominican missionary, born at Valencia, 23 January, 1350; died at Vannes, Brittany, 5 April, 1419. He was descended from the younger of two brothers who were knighted for their valour in the conquest of Valencia, 1238. In 1340 Vincent's father, William Ferrer, married Constantia Miguel, whose family had likewise been ennobled during the conquest of Valencia. Vincent was their fourth child. A brother, not unknown to history, was Boniface Ferrer, General of the Carthusians, who was employed by the antipope Benedict XIII in important diplomatic missions. Vincent was educated at Valencia, and completed his philosophy at the age of fourteen. In 1367 he entered the Dominican Order, and was sent to the house of studies at Barcelona the following year. In 1370 he taught philosophy at Lérida; one of his pupils there was Pierre Fouloup, later Grand Inquisitor of Aragon. In 1373 Vincent returned to the Dominican "Studium arabicum et hebraicum" at Barcelona. During his stay there famine was prevalent; filled with compassion for the sufferers; Vincent foretold, while preaching one day, the near approach of ships bearing wheat. His prediction was fulfilled. In 1377 he was sent to continue his studies at Toulouse, where, in his own words, "study followed prayer, and prayer succeeded study". In 1379 Vincent was retained by Cardinal Pedro de Luna, legate of the Court of Aragon, who was endeavouring to win King Peter IV to the obedience of Avignon. The saint, thoroughly convinced of the legitimacy of the claims of the Avignon pontiffs, was one of their strongest champions. From 1385 to 1390 he taught theology in the cathedral at Valencia.
After this Vincent carried on his apostolic work while in Pedro de Luna's suite. At Valladolid he converted a rabbi, later well known as Bishop Paul of Burgos. At Salamanca Queen Yolanda of Aragon chose him for her confessor, 1391-5. About this time he was cited before the Inquisiton for preaching publicly "the Judas had done penance", but Pedro de Luna, recently raised to the papal chair as Benedict XIII, cited the case before his tribunal and burned the papers. Benedict then called him to Avignon and appointed him confessor and Apostolic penitentiary. Notwithstanding the indifference of so many prelates in the papal Court, he laboured zealously among the people. He steadfastly refused the honours, including the cardinalate, which were offered to him. France withdrew from the obedience of Avignon in September, 1398, and the troops of Charles VI laid siege to the city. An attack of fever at this time brought Vincent to death's door, but during an apparition of Christ accompanied by St. Dominic and St. Francis he was miraculously cured and sent to preach penance and prepare men for the coming judgment. Not until November, 1399, did Benedict allow Vincent Ferrer to begin his apostolate, furnished with full powers of a legate a latere Christi. For twenty years he traversed western Europe, preaching penance for sin and preparation for judgment. Provence was the first field of his apostolate; he was obliged to preach in squares and open places, such were the numbers that flocked to hear him. In 1401 he evangelized Dauphiny, Savoy, and the Alpine region, converting many Catharins and Waldensians. Thence he penetrated into Lombardy. While preaching at Alexandria he singled out from among the hearers a youth who was destined to evangelize Italy, Bernadine of Siena. Another chosen soul with whom Vincent came in contact while in Italy was Margaret of Savoy. During the years 1403-4 Switzerland, Savoy, and Lyons received the missionary. He was followed by an army of penitents drawn from every rank of society, who desired to remain under his guidance. Vincent was ever watchful of his disciples, and never did the breath of scandal touch this strange assemblage, which numbered at times 10,000. Genoa, Flanders, Northern France, all heard Vincent in turn. It would be difficult to understand how he could make himself understood by the many nationalities he evangelized, as he could speak only Limousin, the language of Valencia. Many of his biographers hold that he was endowed with the gift of tongues, an opinion supported by Nicholas Clemangis, a doctor of the University of Paris, who had heard him preach.
In 1408 Vincent was at Genoa consoling the plague-stricken. A meeting had been arranged there between Gregory XII and Benedict XIII in the hope of putting an end to the schism. Vincent again urged Benedict to have pity on the afflicted Church, but in vain. Disappointed, he returned to Spain. It would be difficult to overestimate the influence which he exercised in the Iberian peninsula. Castile, Aragon, Valencia, Murcia, Granada, Andalusia, and Asturias were visited in turn, and everywhere miracles marked his progress; Christians, Jews, and Moslems were all lost in admiration of the thaumaturgus. From 1408 until 1416 he worked almost continuously south of the Pyrenees. At different times in Spanish history strenuous attempts had been made to convert the Jewish people, baptism or spoliation being the alternatives offered to them. This state of affairs existed when Vincent began to work among them; multitudes were won over by his preaching. Ranzano, his first biographer, estimates the number of Jews converted at 25,000. In the Kingdom of Granada he converted thousands of Moors. Vincent was often called upon to aid his country in temporal affairs, as the counsellor of kings and at one time the arbiter of the destiny of Spain. In 1409 he was commissioned by Benedict XIII to announce to Martin of Aragon the death of his only son and heir.
After Martin's death, the representatives of the Kingdoms of Aragon, Valencia, and Catalonia appointed Vincent one of the judges to determine the succession to the Crown. At the judgment, known as the Compromise of Caspe, he took the leading part and helped to elect Ferdinand of Castile. Vincent was one of the most resolute and faithful adherents of Benedict XIII, and by his word, sanctity, and miracles he did much to strengthen Benedict's position. It was not until 1416, when pressed by Ferdinand, King of Aragon, that he abandoned him. On 6 January, preaching at Perpignan, he declared anew to the vast throng gathered around his pulpit that Benedict XIII was the legitimate pope, but that, since he would not resign to bring peace to the Church, Ferdinand had withdrawn his states from the obedience of Avignon. This act must have caused Vincent much sorrow, for he was deeply attached to Benedict. Nevertheless, it was thought that Vincent was the only person sufficiently esteemed to announce such a step to the Spanish races. John Dominici was more fortunate in his attempts to pave the way for reunion, when he announced to the Council of Constance the resignation of Gregory XII. Vincent did not go to the Council of Constance; he continued his apostolic journeys through France, and spent the last two years of his life in Brittany, where consciences without number were reformed and instructed in a Christian way of life.
Vincent felt that he was the messenger of penance sent to prepare men for the judgment. For twenty years he traversed Western Europe preaching penance and awakening the dormant consciences of sinners by his wondrous eloquence. His austere life was but the living expression of his doctrine. The floor was his usual bed; perpetually fasting, he arose at two in the morning to chant the Office, celebrating Mass daily, afterwards preaching, sometimes three hours, and frequently working miracles. After his midday meal he would tend the sick children; at eight o'clock he prepared his sermon for the following day. He usually travelled on foot, poorly clad. Among St. Vincent's writings are: De suppositionibus dialecticis"; "De natura universalis"; "De monderno ecclesiae schismate", a defence of the Avignon pontiffs; and "De vita spirituali". His "Sermons" were published at Antwerp (1570), Augsburg (1729), and Lyons (1816); and his complete works at Valence (1591). He was canonized by Calixtus III at the Dominican Church of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva, Rome, 3 June, 1455.
http://www.ewtn.com/saintsHoly/saints/V/stvincentferrer.asp




TODAY'S GOSPEL

Matthew 28: 8 - 15
8
So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples.
9
And behold, Jesus met them and said, "Hail!" And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him.
10
Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid; go and tell my brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see me."
11
While they were going, behold, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests all that had taken place.
12
And when they had assembled with the elders and taken counsel, they gave a sum of money to the soldiers
13
and said, "Tell people, `His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.'
14
And if this comes to the governor's ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble."
15
So they took the money and did as they were directed; and this story has been spread among the Jews to this day.

CATHOLIC WORLD NEWS: SUN. APRIL 4, 2010








CATHOLIC WORLD NEWS: SUN. APRIL 4, 2010: HEADLINES-
EUROPE: GERMANY: DISTURBED MAN ATTACKS BISHOP AT EASTER MASS
AFRICA: SOMALIA: 17 PEOPLE KILLED IN FIGHTING
ASIA: PHILIPPINES: ARCHDIOCES CONDEMNS KIDNAPPING
AMERICA: USA: JOURNALIST DECLARES HER FAITH PUBLICLY
AUSTRALIA: THOUSANDS ATTEND EASTER LITURGIES


VATICAN
POPE: URBI ET ORBI: EASTER SUNDAY MESSAGE

Dear Brothers and Sisters,I bring you the Easter proclamation in these words of the Liturgy, which echo the ancient hymn of praise sung by the Israelites after crossing the Red Sea. It is recounted in the Book of Exodus (cf 15:19-21) that when they had crossed the sea on dry land, and saw the Egyptians submerged by the waters, Miriam, the sister of Moses and Aaron, and the other women sang and danced to this song of joy: “Sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed wonderfully: horse and rider he has thrown into the sea!” Christians throughout the world repeat this canticle at the Easter Vigil, and a special prayer explains its meaning; a prayer that now, in the full light of the resurrection, we joyfully make our own: “Father, even today we see the wonders of the miracles you worked long ago. You once saved a single nation from slavery, and now you offer that salvation to all through baptism. May the peoples of the world become true sons of Abraham and prove worthy of the heritage of Israel.”The Gospel has revealed to us the fulfilment of the ancient figures: in his death and resurrection, Jesus Christ has freed us from the radical slavery of sin and opened for us the way towards the promised land, the Kingdom of God, the universal Kingdom of justice, love and peace. This “exodus” takes place first of all within man himself, and it consists in a new birth in the Holy Spirit, the effect of the baptism that Christ has given us in his Paschal Mystery. The old man yields his place to the new man; the old life is left behind, and a new life can begin (cf. Rom 6:4). But this spiritual “exodus” is the beginning of an integral liberation, capable of renewing us in every dimension – human, personal and social.Yes, my brothers and sisters, Easter is the true salvation of humanity! If Christ – the Lamb of God – had not poured out his blood for us, we would be without hope, our destiny and the destiny of the whole world would inevitably be death. But Easter has reversed that trend: Christ’s resurrection is a new creation, like a graft that can regenerate the whole plant. It is an event that has profoundly changed the course of history, tipping the scales once and for all on the side of good, of life, of pardon. We are free, we are saved! Hence from deep within our hearts we cry out: “Let us sing to the Lord: glorious his triumph!”The Christian people, having emerged from the waters of baptism, is sent out to the whole world to bear witness to this salvation, to bring to all people the fruit of Easter, which consists in a new life, freed from sin and restored to its original beauty, to its goodness and truth. Continually, in the course of two thousand years, Christians – especially saints – have made history fruitful with their lived experience of Easter. The Church is the people of the Exodus, because she constantly lives the Paschal Mystery and disseminates its renewing power in every time and place. In our days too, humanity needs an “exodus”, not just superficial adjustment, but a spiritual and moral conversion. It needs the salvation of the Gospel, so as to emerge from a profound crisis, one which requires deep change, beginning with consciences.I pray to the Lord Jesus that in the Middle East, and especially in the land sanctified by his death and resurrection, the peoples will accomplish a true and definitive “exodus” from war and violence to peace and concord. To the Christian communities who are experiencing trials and sufferings, especially in Iraq, the Risen Lord repeats those consoling and encouraging words that he addressed to the Apostles in the Upper Room: “Peace be with you!” (Jn 20:21).For the countries in Latin America and the Caribbean that are seeing a dangerous resurgence of crimes linked to drug trafficking, let Easter signal the victory of peaceful coexistence and respect for the common good. May the beloved people of Haiti, devastated by the appalling tragedy of the earthquake, accomplish their own “exodus” from mourning and from despair to a new hope, supported by international solidarity. May the beloved citizens of Chile, who have had to endure another grave catastrophe, set about the task of reconstruction with tenacity, supported by their faith.In the strength of the risen Jesus, may the conflicts in Africa come to an end, conflicts which continue to cause destruction and suffering, and may peace and reconciliation be attained, as guarantees of development. In particular I entrust to the Lord the future of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Guinea and Nigeria.May the Risen Lord sustain the Christians who suffer persecution and even death for their faith, as for example in Pakistan. To the countries afflicted by terrorism and by social and religious discrimination, may He grant the strength to undertake the work of building dialogue and serene coexistence. To the leaders of nations, may Easter bring light and strength, so that economic and financial activity may finally be driven by the criteria of truth, justice and fraternal aid. May the saving power of Christ’s resurrection fill all of humanity, so that it may overcome the multiple tragic expressions of a “culture of death” which are becoming increasingly widespread, so as to build a future of love and truth in which every human life is respected and welcomed.Dear brothers and sisters, Easter does not work magic. Just as the Israelites found the desert awaiting them on the far side of the Red Sea, so the Church, after the resurrection, always finds history filled with joy and hope, grief and anguish. And yet, this history is changed, it is marked by a new and eternal covenant, it is truly open to the future. For this reason, saved by hope, let us continue our pilgrimage, bearing in our hearts the song that is ancient and yet ever new: “Let us sing to the Lord: glorious his triumph!”


EUROPE
GERMANY: DISTURBED MAN ATTACKS BISHOP AT EASTER MASS

NYTIMES report: A mentally disturbed man ran amok in the Münster Cathedral during the Easter service on Sunday, attacking the bishop with a broom handle, the police said.
The bishop fended off the man with a censer, a ceremonial incense holder, as altar servers and other church workers jumped to his defense. They wrestled the attacker to the ground and held him until the police arrived several minutes later.
The bishop, Felix Genn, was unharmed and finished the service.
The church was completely full for the 10 o’clock Easter Mass when the man rose from his seat and rushed toward the altar, swinging a roughly three-foot-long broom handle and knocking over a large candle before turning on the bishop, according to Ulrich Bosse, a spokesman for the Münster police.
“He approached the bishop and wanted to hit him, too, but he did not succeed,” Mr. Bosse said.
The man, identified as a 44-year-old from the nearby town of Steinfurt, gave the police no explanation of his motives and was undergoing evaluation at a nearby psychiatric facility.
There appeared to be no connection to the unfolding scandal in the Roman Catholic Church over sexual abuse, though Mr. Bosse said “nothing could be ruled out.”
The police were previously aware of the man and his psychiatric problems, he said.
A version of this article appeared in print on April 5, 2010, on page A3 of the New York edition.


AFRICA

SOMALIA: 17 PEOPLE KILLED IN FIGHTING

All Africa report: At least 17 people, mostly fighters have been killed and over 20 others injured on Sunday in heavy clashes that erupted in central Somalia, officials and witnesses said.
Heavy fighting erupted on the night of Saturday in Rage Ele area in Middle Shabelle between fighters loyal to Al-Shabaab and archrival Ahlu Sunnah
Wal-Jamaa, killing at least 8 people mostly fighters from both sides and injured 11 others.
Witnesses said the warring sides used heavy and light weapons in the fighting that continued for several hours.
A spokesman for Ahlu Sunnah said his group has captured the area from Al-Shabaab, vowing to continue with the fight.
"We planned for this fight and we have achieved our mission," said Sheikh Omar Muse Hussein, adding Al-Shabaab fled the area, leaving behind the bodies of four fighters.
On other hand, fierce gun battle erupted Sunday between Ahlu Sunnah and Al-Shabaab in an area between Guriel and Elbur towns in Galgadud region, claming 9 lives and few others.
Witnesses said residents have fled the area, which has now fallen under the hands of Al-Shabaab.
The fighting is part of the escalating bloody conflict between the two groups, which both have military presences in central Somalia.http://allafrica.com/stories/201004050037.html



ASIA
PHILIPPINES: ARCHDIOCES CONDEMNS KIDNAPPING
UCAN report – The archdiocese here on April 5 condemned the Easter Sunday kidnapping of a Swiss national’s son in the city.
Monsignor David Alonzo, spokesman of the Archdiocese of Zamboanga, 850 kilometers southeast of Manila, branded the crime “deplorable.”
Local police say eight heavily armed men abducted Charlie Reith, 72, at around 6 p.m. April 4 from the resort where he was staying in Sitio Parkampo, Barangay Patalon, west of Zamboanga.
The kidnap victim was born in the Philippines to a Filipino mother and Swiss father.
His friend, German national Karl Reichling, reportedly managed to fight off the raiders.
“The raiders, disguised as policemen, arrived on several speedboats and abducted Reith,” Army Colonel Santiago Baluyot, commander of a local anti-terror task force, told reporters.
“We have launched a pursuit operation but it was too dark to track down the raiders,” he said.
A crisis committee has also been formed.
No group or individual claimed responsibility for the abduction and the motive is still unknown. But officials said ransom could be the motive.
“We condemn this kidnapping,” Monsignor Alonzo told reporters April 5. “We are also praying for the safe release of the victim.”
Such crime must also be solved by the authorities “so that people will have confidence in the peace and order situation here” in the run-up to the May general election, he said.
Baluyot said Reith may have been taken either to nearby Basilan where Abu Sayyaf militants are active or Zamboanga del Norte province where criminal gangs linked to previous kidnappings and terrorism operate.
Foreigners and wealthy traders have been kidnapped in the past and freed after their families paid ransom. Among those kidnapped in Zamboanga City were Taiwanese, Belgian, German and Chinese citizens.
In nearby Pagadian City, armed men also snatched Irish Columban Father Michael Sinnott last year and held him for US$2 million ransom. He was released after nearly a month reportedly without ransom being paid.http://www.ucanews.com/2010/04/05/zamboanga-priest-condemns-easter-sunday-kidnapping

AMERICA
USA: JOURNALIST DECLARES HER FAITH PUBLICLY

CNA report; Carolyn E. Davis, a staff writer for Us Weekly magazine, wrote a moving column published Easter Sunday in the New York Post focusing on why she is a proud Catholic, despite recent media attacks attempting to drag down the Catholic Church.
“Sure, it was explained to me when I converted that the gate would be narrow, but I had no idea,” she wrote.
Born “nothing,” Davis completed her adult catechism and chose to become a Catholic in 2000, “to the thinly veiled displeasure of people close to me.”
“Archbishop Fulton Sheen put it right when he said, ‘There are not over a hundred people in the US that hate the Catholic Church, there are millions, however, who hate what they wrongly believe to be the Catholic Church, which is, of course, quite a different thing,’” she said.
Davis acknowledged that “the horrific replay of the 2002 clerical sexual-abuse scandals has again stirred up sadness, anger and the inevitable stream of negative postings on my social-networking feeds.”
“There is zero tolerance for pedophiles in the Church today,” she explained, “And the test of moral credibility the Holy See is charged with really applies to the whole church — not just clergy but the whole mystical body of Christ.”
“If we all made this past Lenten season a truly repentant and earnest one, then we’re surely continuing on the path to clearing out the evil and healing those who still suffer its terrible wounds. The beauty of Easter isn’t just the expiation of our own sins but that Jesus suffered and was put to death in the flesh once for us all (1 Peter 3:18) and that his resurrection holds the great promise of his return (Luke 21:25-28),” Davis also wrote.
“The Catholic Church,” she continued “is more than this scandal. I, for one, want to help serve with a church that has done more to help the sick, poor, hungry, suffering and forgotten than any other group in recorded human history.”
“Through everything my relationship with Jesus, especially in the Eucharist, is the source and summit of my spiritual strength and the one thing I will never abandon.”
“Resurrectio Domini, spes nostra! The resurrection of Christ is our hope!” she concluded.http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/journalist_explains_why_i_am_a_catholic_in_ny_paper/
AUSTRALIA
THOUSANDS ATTEND EASTER LITURGIES

Cath News report: Thousands of worshippers attended Easter Sunday religious services, including crowds at the Sydney Opera House for the Wesley Mission's Uniting Church service.
The Superintendent of Wesley Mission, the Rev Dr Keith Garner led the capacity crowd in prayers for asylum seekers, victims of natural disasters and people caught up in conflict overseas, said an AAP report in the Sydney Morning Herald.
"As we look beyond Australia we see the ongoing need for peace in Iraq, Afghanistan and other parts of the world," he said.
"We see the need for help in Haiti, Chile and throughout Africa, and the need for compassionate leadership for asylum seekers in all developed nations."
Australia's Catholic leader, Archbishop Cardinal Pell, called on people to focus, not on problems within the Church, but on the good work done by Christians.
Cardinal Pell said that despite the failings, people should give more recognition to the Christian values that underpin Australian society. 'Australians believe that everyone is entitled to a fair go because of the Christian teaching that every person, unlike the animals, is made in God's image,' he said.
In his Easter address at St Andrew's Cathedral in Sydney, Anglican Archbishop Peter Jensen told the congregation a secular society was a fast track to loneliness.
"I have emphasised human loneliness this Easter because that is what expert observers of our society are saying is a real problem," Dr Jensen said.
"It is what we would expect to occur given the secularist philosophy we have embraced.
"This philosophy emphasises the individual and individual rights, it invites us to invent our own lives and it undervalues commitment to other human beings.
"It is a recipe for loneliness and the path to a very lonely old age." http://www.cathnews.com/article.aspx?aeid=20453



TODAY'S SAINT

St. Isidore of Seville
BISHOP
Feast: April 4
Information:
Feast Day:
April 4
Born:
560 at Cartagena, Spain
Died:
4 April 636 at Seville, Spain
Canonized:
1598, Rome by Pope Clement VIII
Patron of:
computer technicians, computer users, computers, the Internet, schoolchildren, students

Born at Cartagena, Spain, about 560; died 4 April, 636.
Isidore was the son of Severianus and Theodora. His elder brother Leander was his immediate predecessor in the Metropolitan See of Seville; whilst a younger brother St. Fulgentius presided over the Bishopric of Astigi. His sister Florentina was a nun, and is said to have ruled over forty convents and one thousand religious.
Isidore received his elementary education in the Cathedral school of Seville. In this institution, which was the first of its kind in Spain, the trivium and quadrivium were taught by a body of learned men, among whom was the archbishop, Leander. With such diligence did he apply himself to study that in a remarkably short time mastered Latin, Greek, and Hebrew. Whether Isidore ever embraced monastic life or not is still an open question, but though he himself may never have been affiliated with any of the religious orders, he esteemed them highly. On his elevation to the episcopate he immediately constituted himself protector of the monks. In 619 he pronounced anathema against any ecclesiastic who should in any way molest the monasteries.
On the death of Leander, Isidore succeeded to the See of Seville. His long incumbency to this office was spent in a period of disintegration and transition. The ancient institutions and classic learning of the Roman Empire were fast disappearing. In Spain a new civilization was beginning to evolve itself from the blending racial elements that made up its population. For almost two centuries the Goths had been in full control of Spain, and their barbarous manners and contempt of learning threatened greatly to put back her progress in civilization. Realizing that the spiritual as well as the material well-being of the nation depended on the full assimilation of the foreign elements, St. Isidore set himself to the task of welding into a homogeneous nation the various peoples who made up the Hispano-Gothic kingdom. To this end he availed himself of all the resources of religion and education. His efforts were attended with complete success. Arianism, which had taken deep root among the Visigoths, was eradicated, and the new heresy of Acephales was completely stifled at the very outset; religious discipline was everywhere strengthened. Like Leander, he took a most prominent part in the Councils of Toledo and Seville. In all justice it may be said that it was in a great measure due to the enlightened statecraft of these two illustrious brothers the Visigothic legislation, which emanated from these councils, is regarded by modern historians as exercising a most important influence on the beginnings of representative government. Isidore presided over the Second Council of Seville, begun 13 November, 619, in the reign of Sisebut. But it was the Fourth National Council of Toledo that afforded him the opportunity of being of the greatest service to his county. At this council, begun 5 December, 633, all the bishops of Spain were in attendance. St. Isidore, though far advanced in years, presided over its deliberations, and was the originator of most of its enactments. It was at this council and through his influence that a decree was promulgated commanding all bishops to establish seminaries in their Cathedral Cities, along the lines of the school already existing at Seville. Within his own jurisdiction he had availed himself of the resources of education to counteract the growing influence of Gothic barbarism. His was the quickening spirit that animated the educational movement of which Seville was the centre. The study of Greek and Hebrew as well as the liberal arts, was prescribed. Interest in law and medicine was also encouraged. Through the authority of the fourth council this policy of education was made obligatory upon all the bishops of the kingdom. Long before the Arabs had awakened to an appreciation of Greek Philosophy, he had introduced Aristotle to his countrymen. He was the first Christian writer to essay the task of compiling for his co-religionists a summa of universal knowledge. This encyclopedia epitomized all learning, ancient as well as modern. In it many fragments of classical learning are preserved which otherwise had been hopelessly lost. The fame of this work imparted a new impetus to encyclopedic writing, which bore abundant fruit in the subsequent centuries of the Middle Ages. His style, though simple and lucid, cannot be said to be classical. It discloses most of the imperfections peculiar to all ages of transition. It particularly reveals a growing Visigothic influence. Arévalo counts in all Isidore's writing 1640 Spanish words.
Isidore was the last of the ancient Christian Philosophers, as he was the last of the great Latin Fathers. He was undoubtedly the most learned man of his age and exercised a far-reaching and immeasurable influence on the educational life of the Middle Ages. His contemporary and friend, Braulio, Bishop of Saragossa, regarded him as a man raised up by God to save the Spanish people from the tidal wave of barbarism that threatened to inundate the ancient civilization of Spain, The Eighth Council of Toledo (653) recorded its admiration of his character in these glowing terms: "The extraordinary doctor, the latest ornament of the Catholic Church, the most learned man of the latter ages, always to be named with reverence, Isidore". This tribute was endorsed by the Fifteenth Council of Toledo, held in 688. SOURCEhttp://www.ewtn.com/saintsHoly/saints/I/stisidoreofseville.asp


TODAY'S MASS READINGS

SOLEMNITY OF EASTER SUNDAY/YEAR C

Acts 10: 34, 37 - 43
34
And Peter opened his mouth and said: "Truly I perceive that God shows no partiality,
37
the word which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism which John preached:
38
how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.
39
And we are witnesses to all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree;
40
but God raised him on the third day and made him manifest;
41
not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.
42
And he commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that he is the one ordained by God to be judge of the living and the dead.
43
To him all the prophets bear witness that every one who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name."

Psalms 118: 1 - 2, 16 - 17, 22 - 23
1
O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his steadfast love endures for ever!
2
Let Israel say, "His steadfast love endures for ever."
16
the right hand of the LORD is exalted, the right hand of the LORD does valiantly!"
17
I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the LORD.
22
The stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner.
23
This is the LORD's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.

Colossians 3: 1 - 4
1
If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
2
Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.
3
For you have died, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
4
When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
GOSPEL

John 20: 1 - 9
1
Now on the first day of the week Mary Mag'dalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb.
2
So she ran, and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him."
3
Peter then came out with the other disciple, and they went toward the tomb.
4
They both ran, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first;
5
and stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in.
6
Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; he saw the linen cloths lying,
7
and the napkin, which had been on his head, not lying with the linen cloths but rolled up in a place by itself.
8
Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed;
9
for as yet they did not know the scripture, that he must rise from the dead.