January 30, Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
ST. GIACINTA (Hyacinth) MARISCOTTI (Italy, 1585-1640)
Virgin, Third Order Franciscan, Founder, Oblates of Mary
Daughter of a noble family in Viterbo, Clarice Mariscotti decided to join the Franciscan
Third Order for laywomen, taking the name Giacinta, after a nobleman she hoped to
marry chose her sister instead. However, she spent the next 15 years living confortably
amid colleagues who strictly observed the Franciscan rule. During a severe illness,
her confessor counselled her to change her ways, and she did - divesting herself of
every comfort and thereafter living penitentially, doing humble work in the convent.
She later established confraternities devoted to helping the poor, the aged and
prisoners, and to promote Eucharistic adoration. She became so renowned for her
holiness that when she died, people who came to venerate her took away pieces of
her clothing so that her garments had to be replaced three times while she lay in
state. She is buried in the Poor Clares convent in Viterbo and was canonized in 1807.
Readings for today's Mass: www.usccb.org/nab/readings/013011.shtml
OR today.
The main story is the popular uprising in Egypt against President Hosni Mubarak - it has not abated although Mubarak has appointed a widely respected military figure, Omar Suleiman, as his vice-president. Other Page 1 stories: Against the background of these anti-gvernment uprisings in Algeria (where it began), Tunisia and now Egypt, the African Union is holding its annual summit in Addis Ababa Jan. 30-31; in Afghanistan, a provincial vice-governor is killed by a terrorist bomb; at the Davos World Economic Forum, UK Prime Minister David Cameron joins German Chancellor Angela Merkel in saying Europe's primary fiscal responsibility is to bring down public debt. Papal stories in this issue are the Holy Father's audience with the community of the Pontifical Ethiopian College in Rome (photo), and his videomessage to the Pontifical University of Santo Tomas in Manila, which is celebrating the 400th anniversary of its founding.
PAPAL EVENTS TODAY
Sunday Angelus - The Holy Father reflected on the Beatitudes from today's Gospel. After the prayers,
he reminded the faithful that today is both the World Day for Lepers, as well as the World Day of
Intercession for Peace in the Middle East. He welcomed the Children's Catholic Action of Rome in their
annual Caravan for Peace, and helped two children release the 'doves of peace'. He also greeted the
peoples of the world who celebrate the lunar New Year this week.
- If you had any doubts about Turkey's ultimate intentions, look at these recent unabashedly blunt statements from a very high-ranking official:
Turkish Vice-PM says
'Europe too Christian'
Translated from
Jan. 28, 2011
It may sound like a joke in poor taste at a time of massive Islamic immigration into Europe and increasing Christianophobia, but at the World Economic Forum held in Davos, Switzerland, last week, the Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan told the President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy that "Europe is too Christian - the European Union is a club for Christians that is closed in on itself and not open to enlargemmnt".
Babacan said one of the reasons for the 'hostility' to Turkey's entry into the EU was precisely the 'Christian predominance in Europe'. [That is, of course, blatantly false. Turkey's entry has been hindered because all these years, it has failed to meet the EU's requirements for observance of human rights including religious freedom.]
[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 31/01/2011 02:04]