Ankara : Mehmet Ali Agca, the Turk who tried to kill pope John Paul II in 1981, was released from prison on Monday after almost three decades behind bars, his lawyer said. “The release procedure has been completed,” Yilmaz Abosoglu said outside a high-security prison near Ankara, where an army of reporters awaited Agca to emerge from the compound.
VATICAN CITY, 13 JAN 2010 (VIS) – At the end of today’s general audience, held in the Paul VI Hall, the Pope launched an appeal “for the dramatic situation currently being experienced in Haiti”.
“My thoughts go in particular to the population hit just a few hours ago by a devastating earthquake which has caused serious loss of human life, large numbers of homeless and missing people, and vast material damage.
“I invite everyone to join my prayers to the Lord for the victims of this catastrophe and for those who mourn their loss. I give assurances of my spiritual closeness to people who have lost their homes and to everyone who, in various ways, has been affected by this terrible calamity, imploring God to bring them consolation and relief in their suffering.
“I appeal to the generosity of all people so that these our brothers and sisters who are experiencing a moment of need and suffering may not lack our concrete solidarity and the effective support of the international community. The Catholic Church will not fail to move immediately, through her charitable institutions, to meet the most immediate needs of the population”.
Read the whole article on: PAPAL APPEAL FOLLOWING EARTHQUAKE IN HAITI
The death toll is difficult to measure, but The Red Cross reports as many as three million people were affected by the disaster, which left the capital city of Port-au-Prince in shambles.
The Roman Catholic archbishop of Port-au-Prince was among those reported dead.
Alain Le Roy, the chief of U.N. peacekeeping forces, told The Associated Press the organization “cannot give figures for the time being.” He said those still unaccounted for include the head of the U.N. mission in Haiti.
From the weekly bulletin of Gesu Catholic Church By Fr. Eddy O’Alvarez SF
“May the birth of the Prince of Peace remind the world where its true happiness lies; and may your hearts be filled with hope and joy, for the Saviour has been born for us.” The Pope’s English greeting
Pope Benedict XVI was attacked during Christmas Eve Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City. by Susanna Maiolo, a 25-year-old Swiss national from the Ticino region
Despite the attack the pontiff decided to continue the midnight mass services. Although noticeably shaken, he still delivered the traditional “Urbi et Orbi” speech. In this years speech he mentioned the current financial crisis, conflicts in Africa and Israel, and the state of the Christian minority in Iraq.
French Cardinal Roger Etchegaray, an 87-year-old Vatican diplomat, fractured his hip in the commotion and will be operated upon at Rome’s Gemelli hospital, said Vatican spokesman the Rev. Federico Lombardi.
You can see a picture of Susanna Maiolo here>>
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The Advent wreath is part of our long-standing Catholic tradition. However, the actual origins are uncertain. There is evidence of pre-Christian Germanic peoples using wreaths with lit candles during the cold and dark December days as a sign of hope in the future warm and extended-sunlight days of spring. In Scandinavia during winter, lit candles were placed around a wheel, and prayers were offered to the god of light to turn “the wheel of the earth” back toward the sun to lengthen the days and restore warmth.
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Advent Candles
The word Advent derives from the Latin word meaning coming. The Lord is coming. From Christmas Advent site
There are five candles in an Advent wreath.
The first four symbolize — in order — Hope, the Way of Christ, Joy and Peace.
The first, second and fourth candles are traditionally purple and the third candle, is traditionally pink.
The fifth candle, call the “Christ candle,” is white and is placed at the center of the wreath and is lit on either Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, depending on the congregation.
As per David Anderson Staff Writer for ENCToday.com
Lenten Recipes for Your Family
Advent Candles
Advent is the beginning of the Church Year for most churches in the Western tradition. It begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas Day, which is the Sunday nearest November 30, and ends on Christmas Eve (Dec 24). If Christmas Eve is a Sunday, it is counted as the fourth Sunday of Advent, with Christmas Eve proper beginning at sundown.
You can find lots more at: The Season of Advent Anticipation and Hope
Advent is the period of four Sundays and weeks before Christmas.
The Advent wreath and candles are symbols that represent the anticipation of the arrival of the Christ child.
Nice explanation can be found here
A nice website about Christmas is whychristmas?com
I get all kind of phone calls, for me to advertise from different websites, I never did.
Last Sunday at mass the Priest asked us, his parishioners. to place any kind of ad in the bulletin or the Church will have no more bulletin.
That’s when I said why not, so I placed an ad for ByCatholics.com. Of course the ad came out wrong, in stead of ByCatholics.com they printed ByCatholics.org.
So for you the parishioners from Gesu Catholic Church in Miami, Florida ByCatholics.com is the website that the ad was supposed to promote.
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