July 4
St. Elizabeth of Portugal
(also known as Isabel of Aragon)
(b. Zaragoza 1271- d. Coimbra 1325)
Queen of Portugal (1289-1325)
Widow and Franciscan Tertiary
OR today.
The only papal story in this issue is the announcement of the official program
for the Pope's trip to the Czech Republic. Page 1 stories: UN secretary-general
asks Burmese junta to release political detainees; Syrian president invites Obama
to Damascus; Washington issues a new warningto North Korea which continues
to test missiles regardless; and a commentary predicting that the BRIC nations
(Brazil, Russia India and China) will push for a 'diversification' of the world
financial system, currently pegged to the dollar, at the G8 summit in L'Aquila
next week.
THE POPE'S DAY
The Holy Father met today with
- Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops (weekly meeting)
- Cardinal Franc Rodé, C.M., Prefect of the Congregation for the Institutes of Consecrated Life
and Societies of Apostolic Life
- H.E. Monique Patricia Antoinette Frank, ambassador from the Netherlands, on a farewell visit
- H.E. Lawrence Edward Chewning Fábrega, ambassador from Panama, also on a farewell visit
- Participants in the European Conference on pastoral ministry for vocations. Address in Italian.
At 4 p.m., the Holy Father presides at the celebration of First Vespers to inaugurate the newly-restored
Pauline Chapel in the Apostolic Palace.
The Vatican released the text of a letter from the Holy Father to Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi,
offering some thoughts about the G8 summit which Italy is hosting next week.
(Translated in a later post below).
[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 04/07/2009 23:09]