In Brief...

The Holy Father’s Intentions

Pope John Paul II has announced the following general and missionary intentions for June and July 2000:

June

That Christ—adored and celebrated in the Eucharist—may increasingly be welcomed and shared as the Bread of Life for the good of the world.

That in China priests, religious men and women, and the laity may be animated by an apostolic and Catholic spirit.

July

That the followers of the various religions may grow in mutual respect for justice and peace.

That all those who are tried by sickness and loneliness may offer their suffering with Christ for the conversion of the world.

Travel Tip

As you prepare to go on vacation this summer, you may wish to make a pilgrimage at the same time. As part of the Jubilee celebration, almost every diocese in the United States has designated pilgrimage sites. Wherever you’re going this summer, chances are there’s a pilgrimage site in the area. Why not take advantage of this extraordinary season of grace?

For more information on U.S. pilgrimage sites and/or the Jubilee indulgence, call CUF toll-free at (800) MY-FAITH (693-2484), or visit the NCCB/USCC's website.

From the Upper Room

In his "Letter to Priests on the Occasion of Holy Thursday of 2000," Pope John Paul II remembered the many priests who have witnessed to Christ with their lives. Their martyrdom "has accompanied the entire history of the Church; it has also marked the century just passed, a century characterized by different dictatorial regimes hostile to the Church."

Since the beginning of his pontificate, Pope John Paul II has written a special letter each year to priests as part of the Holy Thursday celebration, the day in which the Church remembers in a special way Christ’s last full day on earth, the institution of the Eucharist, and the foundation of the ministerial priesthood. This Jubilee year, however, the Holy Father signed the letter in the very Upper Room where Christ held the Last Supper, which the Pope visited during his recent Holy Land pilgrimage.

In presenting the letter to the press, Cardinal Darío Castrillón Hoyos, prefect of the Vatican Congregation for Clergy, recalled the words spoken by the Pope the week prior to his pilgrimage to the Holy Land: "It is always Christmas in Bethlehem." Thus, he added, "we can say that in the Upper Room of Jerusalem, it is always Holy Thursday. But these are connected: The Savior is born in Bethlehem and every Mass the Savior is born again among His own. Etymologically, Bethlehem means the ‘House of Bread’ and, in every Mass, we are offered the ‘Bread of Life.’"

From this holy place, Pope John Paul II addressed all the priests of the world, "some younger, some more advanced in years," those who live their vocation with "joy and enthusiasm," and "others perhaps suffering weariness or discouragement. In all of you I honor the image of Christ, which you received at your consecration."

Pope John Paul II told the priests that the history of love between God and man, the evangelical message announced by the Church, continues in spite of "the dark presence of sin" in the lives of priests. "Many times the human frailty of priests has made it hard to see in them the face of Christ. In choosing men like the twelve, Christ was certainly under no illusions: It was upon this human weakness that He set the sacramental seal of His presence." This is, perhaps, the clearest proof that the priesthood is, as the Pope often repeats, a "gift" and a "mystery."

"In this Jubilee Year, 2,000 years after the birth of Christ, we especially need to remember and ponder the truth of what we might call His ‘Eucharistic birth.’ The Upper Room is the place of this ‘birth.’ Here began a new presence of Christ for the world, a presence which constantly occurs wherever the Eucharist is celebrated and a priest lends his voice to Christ, repeating the sacred words of institution," the Pope wrote.

For those priests who hare weighed down by life, Pope John Paul II recalled "the consolation promised by Jesus on the evening of the Last Supper, the secret to overcoming this solitude, the strength to bear their sufferings, the nourishment to make a new beginning after every discouragement, and the inner energy to bolster their decision to remain faithful."

The Holy Father summarized his Letter to Priests with these enthusiastic words: "Let us rediscover our priesthood in the light of the Eucharist!" He also referred to the International Eucharistic Congress, which will take place in Rome from June 18-25, with the theme, "Jesus Christ, the one Savior of the World, Bread for Our Life." It will be a highlight of the Great Jubilee, which is meant to be "an intensely Eucharistic year."

For the complete text of Pope John Paul II’s Holy Thursday 2000 letter to priests, call CUF toll-free at (800) MY-FAITH (693-2484), or click here.

Catechism Update

The second English edition of the Catechism of the Catholic Church is here!

Distributed by the U.S. Catholic Conference and Our Sunday Visitor, the book carries a list price of $14.95 for softcover and $24.95 for hardcover.

Since the Catechism first came out in English in 1994, more than 2.3 million copies have been sold. The new edition is more than 100 pages larger than the original, with an expanded index and a helpful glossary.

Originally issued in French in 1992 by Pope John Paul II, the Catechism of the Catholic Church is the first official compendium of Catholic doctrine published by the Holy See since 1566.

The second English edition incorporates changes made in 1997 with the publication of the definitive Latin edition, known as the editio typica.

The Latin text made about 100 modifications of the original French, including stronger language against the death penalty, a more positive treatment of organ transplants, and clearer presentations of the liturgical and sacramental practices of Eastern Catholic Churches.

To order a copy of the second edition, call Benedictus Books toll-free at (888) 316-2640. CUF members receive a 10% discount on all orders.

CUF Links

CUF recently expanded its outreach services to include Faith Fact Conferences and CUF Links, the quarterly newsletter of CUF’s Information Services. A speakers’ bureau has been established to provide conference talks on a wide range of topics.

Faith Fact conferences provide opportunities for formation in the faith. Talks are based on published Faith Fact issues, which range from traditional teachings of the Church to current issues faced by the faithful today. CUF speakers are available for speaking engagements at conferences, seminars, parishes, CUF chapters, and the CUF office will assist individuals who wish to organize a speaking event.

CUF Links, a quarterly newsletter of Information Services, provides information about Church issues and news about CUF’s Information Services department. Information Services is staffed with trained personnel holding advanced degrees in theology and canon law. CUF invites anyone with a question about the Catholic faith to call (800) MY-FAITH (693-2484). CUF Links may also be obtained by calling the above number.

The Mission of CUF

Lay Witness is the official publication of Catholics United for the Faith, a lay apostolate that has been serving the Church for over 30 years. Here’s our mission:

Catholics United for the Faith is an international lay apostolate founded in 1968 by H. Lyman Stebbins to support, defend, and advance the efforts of the Teaching Church in accord with the teachings of the Second Vatican Council. The efforts of Catholics United for the Faith must be directed toward the unity of the Church and communion with God the Father as intended by Christ (Jn. 17:21). This is accomplished by joining members in a common apostolate to be formed doctrinally and spiritually in the Catholic faith. The desired result is the renewal of their own hearts. This formation also equips members to prayerfully engage in works of evangelization and catechesis for the renewal of the Church and society as lay witnesses to Our Blessed Lord. CUF promotes fidelity to and communion with the Holy Father and the bishops in union with him.

Without a Doubt

CUF episcopal advisor Thomas J. Tobin, Bishop of Youngstown, OH, writes a splendid weekly column in his diocesan paper, the Catholic Exponent, called "Without a Doubt." However, in his May 28, 1999 column, entitled "Matrimony: Is It Still Holy," Bishop Tobin outdid himself, sparking a national dialogue on the subject of marriage preparation.

Bishop Tobin discussed the problem of cohabitation before marriage and the challenges that arise in inter-faith marriages, but focused mostly on the wedding ceremony itself. He wrote that too frequently, "wedding liturgies themselves become parties rather than prayer, making it nearly impossible to maintain any sense of decorum, any sense of the sacred." He cited, among other things, drunken groomsmen, inappropriate music, and disruptive photographers.

One Exponent reader sent the column to Ann Landers, who printed it and invited clergy of all faiths to respond. She devoted two columns to the overwhelming response she received. Most clergy and lay leaders around the country agreed with Bishop Tobin’s assessment.

Bishop Tobin emphasizes that "marriage is a very beautiful and important sacrament. The way we celebrate weddings has to reflect that, or the marriage gets off to a bad start." He says that the publicity resulting from his column should encourage all of us to do a better job of teaching young people about the sanctity of marriage and the sanctity of the wedding ceremony that leads them into marriage.

For the text of Bishop Tobin’s column, call CUF toll-free at (800) MY-FAITH (693-2484) or read the column online by clicking here.

New Book from Emmaus Road Publishing

Emmaus Road Publishing recently acquired the rights to Dr. Frederick Marks’ A Catholic Handbook for Engaged and Newly Married Couples. Fr. Paul Marx calls this book "the best marriage guidebook I’ve ever seen in 45 years as a marriage and family teacher!" To obtain a copy of this excellent resource, call Emmaus Road Publishing toll-free at (800) 398-5470, or visit www.emmausroad.org. 

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