Saturday, December 12
Images from left: Apparition to Juan Diego; the miraculous image on the tilma; etching of Juan and the cloak; 18th-cent painting "God painting the image of Guadalupe'; battle standard of General Miguel de Hidalgo in the Mexican War for Independence; and Juan Diego's tilma with the image, venerated in the Basilica of Guadalupe.
NUESTRA SENORA DE GUADALUPE, 'Queen of Mexico', Patroness of the Americas
December 12 commemorates the day when the image now venerated as Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared miraculously on the cloak of the man who is now St. Juan Diego, remembered by the Church on December 9, the date of the Lady's first apparition to him on Tepeyac hill (part of what is now Mexico City), bidding him to tell the bishop to build a church in her honor. The skeptical bishop asked for a sign, and Juan Diego returned to Tepeyac to intercede for a sick uncle and convey the bishop's reaction. The Virgin told him his uncle would recover and asked him to gather roses on the hilltop to bring to the bishop. Juan wrapped the miraculous roses in his cloak and when he opened it for the bishop, the cloak itself was found to carry the image of the Lady who had appeared to him. The initial surge of popular devotion and conversions to Catholicism inspired by the miracles, coinciding with the early years of the Protestant Reformation in Europe, grew to be the most popular devotion in all Latin America and perhaps the world. Millions of faithful visit the Shrine of Guadalupe on the two days of spiritual celebrations Dec. 11-12 dedicated to Our Lady.
OR today.
Papal stories on Page 1: The Pope's sorrow and shame for the child abuse and clergy cover-up in Ireland,
and his audience with the President of Vietnam. Other Page 1 stories: North Korea once again claims to be
ready to resume nuclear disarmament talks; Greek government promises European Union it will reduce
its deficit, as the country's loses credit rating; and the draft of a consensus on climate change presented
in Copenhagen.
THE POPE'S DAY
The Holy Father met today with
- H.E. Sali Berisha, Prime Minister of Albania, with his wife and delegation
- Cardinal Vinko Puljić, Archbishop of Vrhbosna-Sarajevo (Bosnia ed Herzegovina)
- Mons. Reinhard Marx, Archbishop of Munich and Freising
- Mons. Giacinto Berloco, Apostolic Nuncio in Belgium and Luxembourg
And in teh afternoon:
- Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.