BENEDICT XVI: NEWS, PAPAL TEXTS, PHOTOS AND COMMENTARY

Wednesday, Nov. 11

ST. MARTIN DE TOURS (born Hungary 316?-d France 397)
Bishop and Confessor, Patron of France
Son of a Hungarian soldier in the Roman Empire, he grew up in the area that is now Pavia, Italy,
and joined the cavalry at 15. At 18, he had his famous dream of giving half his cloak to a beggar
who turned up later as Christ wearing it. He was baptized, and two years later, he left the army
to be a 'soldier for Christ'. In Tours, France, he became a disciple of Hilary of Poitiers. He went
into exile and back with Hilary, establishing the first French monastery on their return. He was
active in preaching against the various heresies of his time. He was named bishop by popular
acclaim on Hilary's death, and continued to fight paganism and heresies. In the 7th century,
his cult was taken up by Clovis, who founded what became the Merovingian dynasty. His shrine
became a popular stop on the pilgrimage route to the Shrine of St. James in Compostela, Spain,
and he has remained one of the most popular of European saints. Martin Luther, who was baptized
on his feast day, was named for him.



OR today.

The only papal news in this issue is the Holy Father's message to the general assembly
of the Italian bishops' conference meeting this week in Assisi. Other Page 1 stories:
US insists Israel must freeze any activity in the West Bank settlements; Lebanon finally
gets a coalition government several months since the elections; North Korea demands
South Korean apology for firing against a NoKor military motorboat that entered
southern territorial waters; more than 150,000 flood victims in hurricane-hit El Salvador;
and a joint article by the Finance Ministers of France and the UK pushing their initiative
for an international treaty regulating the sale of conventional weapons - an effort
actively supported by the Vatican as it did the campaign that successfully adopted
an international treaty against cluster bombs. Inside, there is an article on a multi-
cultural conference about Caritas in veritate at the Pontifical University of Santa
Croce, with Muslim, Jewish and Protestant participants.




THE POPE'S DAY
General Audience today - The Holy Father paid homage to the medieval reform movement that started
in the Abbey of Cluny which renewed monastic life and gave Christianity new vigor in the 12th century.
The GA was held today in Aula Paolo VI.


The Abbey is celebrating its 11th centenary year. See story in the CHURCH&VATICAN thread last September
benedettoxviforum.freeforumzone.leonardo.it/discussione.aspx?idd=859...