04 March 2010
Vatican News Update 19 February 2010
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| 02.19.2010 - Twentieth Year - Num. 33 |
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SUMMARY:
- Priests: Men of God, Obedient to His Will - Pope to Canonise Six Blesseds on 17 October - Spiritual Exercises of Pope and Roman Curia
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PRIESTS: MEN OF GOD, OBEDIENT TO HIS WILL
VATICAN CITY, 19 FEB 2010 (VIS) - During his meeting yesterday with parish priests of the diocese of Rome, Benedict XVI commented on certain verses from the Letter to the Hebrews.
Beginning with the Old Testament view of the Messiah, and comparing it to what Christ actually represented in the history of salvation, the Pope noted how "Christ is the true King, the Son of God. But He is also the true priest, and thus all worship, all the reality of sacrifices, ... and of the true sacrifice, finds its key and its fulfilment in Christ".
Thus, he explained, does the priest "emerges in all his pureness and his profound truth". And he went on: "A priest, in order truly to be a mediator between God and man, must be a man, and the Son of God became man precisely in order to become a priest, in order to accomplish the mission of a priest. ... This is the mission of the priest: ... to be a mediator, a bridge that unites and thus brings man to God, to His redemption, to His true light, to His true life".
If the priest is a "bridge" bringing humankind into communion with the divinity, his soul must draw nourishment from constant daily prayer and from the Eucharist, said the Pope.
"Only God", he went on, "can enter my life and take me by the hand. ... Ever and anew we must return to the Sacrament, return to this gift in which God gives me what I could never give. ... A priest must truly be a man of God, he must know God up close", and he achieves this "in communion with Christ. We must live this communion".
Benedict went on to point out that the life choice priests to make requires them to develop their feelings and affections in accordance with God's will. This conversion is anything but simple if we consider the misleading self-indulgence that lies in the modern mentality, he said.
"Thus do people say: 'He lied, he is human. He robbed, he is human'. But this is not the true human being. Human means being generous, human means being good, human means being a person of justice. ... And so, to leave behind, with Christ's help, this cloud over our nature ... is a life process which must begin with education to the priesthood then continue throughout our life".
A priest, who is above all other things a completely-fulfilled man, has a heart dedicated to "compassion". Sin is not a sign of "solidarity" with human weakness; rather, such solidarity is evident in the strength to share the burden of sin in order to redeem and purify it, showing the same capacity for emotion which Jesus showed during His life, and which enabled him to carry His cry of compassion "unto the ears of God".
"We priests cannot withdraw into exile", said the Pope. "We are immersed in the passion of this world and must, with the help of Christ and in communion with Christ, seek to transform it and lead it towards God".
Finally, on the subject of obedience, the Pope said: "It is an unpopular word in our time, when obedience seems like a form of alienation, an attitude of servility. ... Yet on the contrary, ... the word 'obedience' and the word 'freedom' are inseparable, ... because the will of God is not a tyrannical will; ... rather, it is the place where we find our true identity". AC/PRIESTHOOD/ROMAN PASTORS VIS 100219 (600)
POPE TO CANONISE SIX BLESSEDS ON 17 OCTOBER
VATICAN CITY, 19 FEB 2010 (VIS) - At 11 a.m. today in the Consistory Hall of the Vatican Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father presided at an ordinary public consistory for the canonisation of the following Blesseds:
- Stanislao Soltys, called Kazimierczyk, Polish professed religious of the Order of Canons Regular Lateranense (1433-1489).
- Andre Bessette (ne Alfred), Canadian professed religious of the Congregation of the Holy Cross (1845-1937).
- Candida Maria de Jesus Cipitria y Barriola (nee Juana Josefa), Spanish founder of the Congregation of the Daughters of Jesus (1845-1912).
- Mary of the Cross MacKillop (nee Mary Helen), Australian foundress of the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Sacred Heart (1842-1909).
- Giulia Salzano, Italian foundress of the Congregation of Sisters Catechists of the Sacred Heart (1846-1929).
- Battista da Varano (nee Camilla), professed nun of the Order of Poor Clares and foundress of the monastery of St. Clare in the Italian town of Camerino (1458-1524).
At the end of the meeting, the Pope announced that the canonisation ceremony will take place on 17 October. OCL/CONSISTORY CANONISATION/... VIS 100219 (190)
SPIRITUAL EXERCISES OF POPE AND ROMAN CURIA
VATICAN CITY, 19 FEB 2010 (VIS) - The annual spiritual exercises of the Pope and the Roman Curia are due to begin on 21 February, the first Sunday of Lent. This year's meditations will be directed by the Salesian priest, Fr. Enrico Dal Covolo..
The theme of the spiritual exercises, which will take place in the "Redemptoris Mater" Chapel of the Vatican's Apostolic Palace, is: "The 'Lessons' of God and of the Church on the priestly vocation".
The retreat will begin at 6 p.m. with Eucharistic exposition, the celebration of Vespers, an introductory meditation, adoration and Eucharistic blessing. Over the following days there will be the celebration of Lauds and meditation at 9 a.m.; celebration of Terce and meditation at 10.15 a.m.; meditation at 5 p.m.; and Vespers, adoration and Eucharistic blessing at 5.45 p.m.
The spiritual exercises will come to an end at 9 a.m. on Saturday 27 February with the celebration of Lauds and a closing meditation.
During the retreat all audiences will be cancelled, including the weekly general audience of Wednesday 24 February. PD/CURIA RETREAT/DAL COVOLO VIS 100219 (190)
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18 February 2010
Vatican News Update 18 February 2010
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| 02.18..2010 - Twentieth Year – Num 32. |
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SUMMARY:
- Lent: Crossing the Desert, Abandoning Ourselves to God - Pope Meets with the Pastors of the Diocese of Rome
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LENT: CROSSING THE DESERT, ABANDONING OURSELVES TO GOD
VATICAN CITY, 18 FEB 2010 (VIS) - Yesterday, Ash Wednesday, Benedict XVI presided over the traditional penitential procession from the church of St. Anselm on the Aventine Hill to the Basilica of Santa Sabina where he celebrated Mass. The Pope received ashes from Cardinal Jozef Tomko, Titular of the basilica and then distributed ashes to the cardinals and bishops present as well as to various faithful.
In his homily, the Pope stressed that the "absolute certainty" of God's love sustained Christ during the forty days he spent in the Judean desert. "That long time of silence and fasting for him was a complete abandonment to the Father and to His plan of love. (...) Going into the desert (...) meant voluntarily exposing himself to the enemy's attacks, to temptation" (...) and "entering into battle with him on the open field, defying him without any weapon other than his infinite trust in the Father's omnipotent love".
"Adam was expelled from the earthly paradise, the symbol of communion with God", the pontiff said. "Now, in order to return to that communion and thus to eternal life we must pass through the desert, the test of faith. Not alone but with Jesus (...) who proceeds us and who has already conquered in the fight against the spirit of evil. This is the meaning of Lent, the liturgical time that, each year, invites us to renew our decision to follow Christ on the path of humility in order to participate in his victory over sin and death".
It is from this perspective that we understand the penitential sign of the ashes, the Holy Father explained. "Essentially, they are a gesture of humility that means: I recognize myself for what I am, a fragile creature made of earth and destined to return to the earth, but also made in the image of God and destined to return to Him. Dust, yes, but dust that is loved and shaped by His love (...) capable of recognizing His voice and responding to Him; free and thus also capable of disobeying, of giving in to the temptation of pride and self-sufficiency".
"Sin", Benedict XVI stated, "basically consists in disobeying God, in a lack of love. (...) The first act of justice is recognizing one's own iniquity (...) rooted at the heart of each person (...) An expression of penitence is only worthy in God's eyes if it is the sign of a sincerely repentant heart. (...) The true reward is not the admiration of others but friendship with God and the grace that derives from Him, the grace that gives peace and the strength to do good".
"In Christ's heart, at the center of His human and divine person, the entire drama of freedom was wagered in decisive and definitive terms. God brought His plan of salvation to its ultimate consequences, remaining faithful in His love even at the expense of delivering His only Son to death. (...) Thanks to Christ's action we can enter in to the "greater" justice, which is the justice of love".
"Lent enlarges our horizon, orients us toward eternal life (...) it makes us to understand the relativity of earthly goods and thus enables us to make the necessary renunciations, frees us to do good", the Holy Father concluded. HML/ASH WEDNESDAY/SANTA SABINA VIS 100218 (540)
POPE MEETS WITH THE PASTORS OF THE DIOCESE OF ROME
VATICAN CITY, 18 FEB 2010 (VIS) - This morning, as is traditional at the beginning of Lent, the Pope met with the priests and pastors of the diocese of Rome. With the motivation of the Year for Priests, the Holy Father presided over lectio divina, during which he commented on some chapters from the Letter to the Hebrews that make reference to the high priest. .../MEETING ROMAN CLERGY/... VIS 100218 (60)
VATICAN CITY, 18 FEB 2010 (VIS) - The Holy Father:
- Appointed Bishop Jose Domingo Ulloa Mendieta, O.S.A., as archbishop of Panama (area 13,275, population 1,615,000, Catholics 1,453,000, priests 211, permanent deacons 54, religious 402) in Panama. The archbishop-elect, previously auxiliary of the same archdiocese, succeeds Archbishop Jose Dimas Ceno Delgado, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same archdiocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.
- Appointed Fr. Jose Araneta Cabantan as bishop of Malaybalay (area 8,293, population 1,446,314, Catholics 1,167,465, priests 80, religious 164) in the Philippines. The bishop-elect was born in 1957 in Lagonglong, Phillippines, was ordained to the priesthood in 1990, and until now was the pastor of the Miraculous Medal in Cagayan de Oro, Phillippines. He succeeds Bishop Honesto Pacana, S.J., whose resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.
- Accepted the resignation of Bishop Anthony Theodore Lobo from the pastoral care of the diocese of Islamabad-Rawalpindi, Pakistan, in conformity with canon 401, para. 2 of the Code of Canon Law. Bishop Rufin Anthony, previously coadjutor of the same diocese, succeeds him.
- Appointed Bishop Demetrio Fernandez Gonzalez, previously of Tarazona, Spain, as bishop of Cordoba (area 13,717, population 795,356, Catholics 791,098, priests 375, religious 1,047) in Spain. NER:RE/.../... VIS 100218 (210)
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Vatican News Update 17 February 2010
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| 02.17.2010 - Twentieth Year - Num. 31 |
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SUMMARY:
- Lent: Path of Conversion and Openness to Divine Love
___________________________________________________________ LENT: PATH OF CONVERSION AND OPENNESS TO DIVINE LOVE
VATICAN CITY, 17 FEB 2010 (VIS) - "Today, Ash Wednesday, we begin the Lenten path that lasts forty days and which leads us to the joy of the Lord's Easter", the Pope said at the beginning of his catechesis during today's general audience, celebrated in the Paul VI Audience Hall.
Recalling the formula, "Convert and Believe in the Gospel", the Holy Father affirmed that "conversion means changing the direction of the path of our lives. (...) It is going against the current when the "current" is a superficial, incoherent, and illusory way of life that often drag us down, making us slaves of evil or prisoners of moral mediocrity. Nevertheless, through conversion we tend to the highest measure of Christian life, we trust in the living and personal Gospel who is Jesus Christ. He is the final goal and the profound path of conversion, the path that we are all called to travel in our lives, allowing ourselves to be illuminated with his light and sustained by his strength, which moves our steps".
"'Convert and believe in the Gospel' is not just the beginning of the Christian life, but the accompaniment of all our steps, renewing and penetrating all aspects of our lives. Each day is a moment of favour and grace, (...) even when there is no lack of difficulties, weariness, and missteps, when we are tempted to abandon the path that follows Christ and retreat into ourselves and our selfishness without paying attention to the need to keep ourselves open to the love of God in Christ in order to live the very logic of justice and love".
Benedict XVI emphasized that "faced with the innate fear of our end, and most of all in the context of a culture that tends in many ways to censure reality and the human experience of death, the Lenten liturgy reminds us of, on the one hand, death, inviting us to reality and wisdom, but on the other hand encourages us especially to grasp and live the unexpected newness that the Christian faith reveals in the reality of death itself".
"The human being", he continued, "is dust and to dust it will return, but it is dust that is precious in God's eyes because He created humanity, destining us to immortality. (...) Jesus the Lord also wanted to freely share in human frailty with each person, above all through his death on the cross. But it was precisely this death, full of his love for the Father and for humanity, that was the way of glorious resurrection, the means by which Christ became the source of grace given to all who believe in Him and participate in the same divine life".
The Pope highlighted that the distribution of ashes "is an invitation to spend the time during Lent as a more aware and more intense immersion in the paschal mystery of Christ, in his death and resurrection, through participation in the Eucharist and a life of charity that is born of the Eucharist and which finds its fulfilment in it. "With the distribution of ashes", he concluded, "we renew our commitment to follow Jesus, letting ourselves be transformed by his paschal mystery so that we may conquer evil and do good, so that we can let our 'old selves', tied to sin, die and let the 'new person' be born, transformed by the grace of God". AG/LENT/... VIS 100217 (590)
VATICAN CITY, 17 FEB 2010 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Archbishop Alessandro D'Errico as apostolic nuncio to Montenegro. Archbishop D'Errico is currently apostolic nuncio to Bosnia-Herzegovina. NN/.../D'ERRICO VIS 100217 (30)
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Vatican News Update 16 February 2010
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| 02.16.2010 - Twentieth Year - Num. 30 |
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SUMMARY:
- Communique on Papal Meeting with Irish Bishops
___________________________________________________________ WITNESS AWAKENS VOCATIONS
VATICAN CITY, 16 FEB 2010 (VIS) - "Witness Awakens Vocations" is the title of the Pope's message for the 47th World Day of Prayer for Vocations that will be celebrated on 25 April - Good Shepherd Sunday - the Fourth Sunday of Easter. Here follow excerpts from the document:
"The fruitfulness of our efforts to promote vocations depends primarily on God's free action, yet, as pastoral experience confirms, it is also helped by the quality and depth of the personal and communal witness of those who have already answered the Lord's call to the ministerial priesthood and to the consecrated life, for their witness is then able to awaken in others a desire to respond generously to Christ's call."
"In the Old Testament the prophets knew that they were called to witness by their own lives to the message they proclaimed, and were prepared to face misunderstanding, rejection and persecution. (...) In the fullness of time, Jesus, sent by the Father, would bear witness to the love of God for all human beings, without distinction, with particular attention to the least ones, sinners, the outcast and the poor. Jesus is the supreme Witness to God and to his concern for the salvation of all."
"Similarly the calling of Peter, (...) occurred through the witness of his brother Andrew (...). This was also the case for Nathanael, Bartholomew, thanks to the witness of yet another disciple, Philip (...). God's free and gracious initiative encounters and challenges the human responsibility of all those who accept his invitation to become, through their own witness, the instruments of his divine call. This occurs in the Church even today: the Lord makes use of the witness of priests who are faithful to their mission in order to awaken new priestly and religious vocations for the service of the People of God."
"A fundamental element, one which can be seen in every vocation to the priesthood and the consecrated life, is friendship with Christ. (...) If the priest is a "man of God", one who belongs to God and helps others to know and love him, he cannot fail to cultivate a deep intimacy with God, abiding in his love and making space to hear his Word."
"In following Jesus, everyone called to a life of special consecration must do his utmost to testify that he has given himself completely to God. This is the source of his ability to give himself in turn to those whom Providence entrusts to him in his pastoral ministry with complete, constant and faithful devotion, (...) enabling them too to become open to meeting Christ, so that his Word may become a light to their footsteps. The story of every vocation is almost always intertwined with the testimony of a priest who joyfully lives the gift of himself to his brothers and sisters for the sake of the Kingdom of God."
"A third aspect which necessarily characterizes the priest and the consecrated person is a life of communion. (...) In a particular way the priest must be a man of communion, open to all, capable of gathering into one the pilgrim flock which the goodness of the Lord has entrusted to him, helping to overcome divisions, to heal rifts, to settle conflicts and misunderstandings, and to forgive offences."
"[I]f young people see priests who appear distant and sad, they will hardly feel encouraged to follow their example. They will remain hesitant if they are led to think that this is the life of a priest. Instead, they need to see the example of a communion of life which can reveal to them the beauty of being a priest."
"It can be said that priestly vocations are born of contact with priests, as a sort of precious legacy handed down by word, example and a whole way of life."
"The same can be said with regard to the consecrated life. The very life of men and women religious proclaims the love of Christ whenever they follow him in complete fidelity to the Gospel and joyfully make their own its criteria for judgement and conduct. They become "signs of contradiction" for the world, whose thinking is often inspired by materialism, self-centredness and individualism."
"By letting themselves be won over by God through self-renunciation, their fidelity and the power of their witness constantly awaken in the hearts of many young people the desire to follow Christ in their turn, in a way that is generous and complete. To imitate Christ, chaste, poor and obedient, and to identify with him: this is the ideal of the consecrated life, a witness to the absolute primacy of God in human life and history."
"Every priest, every consecrated person, faithful to his or her vocation, radiates the joy of serving Christ and draws all Christians to respond to the universal call to holiness. Consequently, in order to foster vocations to the ministerial priesthood and the consecrated life, and to be more effective in promoting the discernment of vocations, we cannot do without the example of those who have already said "yes" to God and to his plan for the life of each individual. Personal witness, in the form of concrete existential choices, will encourage young people for their part to make demanding decisions affecting their future."
"May this World Day once again offer many young people a precious opportunity to reflect on their own vocation and to be faithful to it in simplicity, trust and complete openness." MESS/WORLD DAY OF PRAYER VOCATIONS/... VIS 100216 (910)
COMMUNIQUE ON PAPAL MEETING WITH IRISH BISHOPS
VATICAN CITY, 16 FEB 2010 (VIS) - Given below is the communique released this morning after the Holy Father's meeting of yesterday and today with the Bishops of the Irish Bishops' Conference.
"On 15 and 16 February 2010, the Holy Father met the Irish Bishops and senior members of the Roman Curia to discuss the serious situation which has emerged in the Church in Ireland. Together they examined the failure of Irish Church authorities for many years to act effectively in dealing with cases involving the sexual abuse of young people by some Irish clergy and religious. All those present recognized that this grave crisis has led to a breakdown in trust in the Church's leadership and has damaged her witness to the Gospel and its moral teaching."
"The meeting took place in a spirit of prayer and collegial fraternity, and its frank and open atmosphere provided guidance and support to the Bishops in their efforts to address the situation in their respective Dioceses."
"On the morning of 15 February, following a brief introduction by the Holy Father, each of the Irish Bishops offered his own observations and suggestions. The Bishops spoke frankly of the sense of pain and anger, betrayal, scandal, and shame expressed to them on numerous occasions by those who had been abused. There was a similar sense of outrage reflected by laity, priests and religious in this regard."
"The Bishops likewise described the support at present being provided by thousands of trained and dedicated lay volunteers at parish level to ensure the safety of children in all Church activities, and stressed that, while there is no doubt that errors of judgment and omissions stand at the heart of the crisis, significant measures have now been taken to ensure the safety of children and young people. They also emphasized their commitment to cooperation with the statutory authorities in Ireland - North and South - and with the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church in Ireland to guarantee that the Church's standards, policies, and procedures represent best practice in this area."
"For his part, the Holy Father observed that the sexual abuse of children and young people is not only a heinous crime, but also a grave sin which offends God and wounds the dignity of the human person created in his image. While realizing that the current painful situation will not be resolved quickly, he challenged the Bishops to address the problems of the past with determination and resolve, and to face the present crisis with honesty and courage. He also expressed the hope that the present meeting would help to unify the Bishops and enable them to speak with one voice in identifying concrete steps aimed at bringing healing to those who had been abused, encouraging a renewal of faith in Christ and restoring the Church's spiritual and moral credibility."
"The Holy Father also pointed to the more general crisis of faith affecting the Church and he linked that to the lack of respect for the human person and how the weakening of faith has been a significant contributing factor in the phenomenon of the sexual abuse of minors. He stressed the need for a deeper theological reflection on the whole issue, and called for an improved human, spiritual, academic and pastoral preparation both of candidates for the priesthood and religious life and of those already ordained and professed."
"The Bishops had an opportunity to examine and discuss a draft of the Pastoral Letter of the Holy Father to the Catholics of Ireland. Taking into account the comments of the Irish Bishops, His Holiness will now complete his Letter, which will be issued during the coming season of Lent."
"The discussions concluded late Tuesday morning, 16 February 2010. As the Bishops return to their Dioceses, the Holy Father has asked that this Lent be set aside as a time for imploring an outpouring of God's mercy and the Holy Spirit's gifts of holiness and strength upon the Church in Ireland." OP/MEETING/IRISH BISHOPS VIS 100216 (670)
OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
VATICAN CITY, 16 FEB 2010 (VIS) - The Holy Father:
- Appointed Bishop Ricardo Antonio Tobon Restrepo of Sonson-Rionegro, Colombia, as Metropolitan Archbishop of Medellin, area 687, population 3,336,000, Catholics 2,899,000, priests 977, religious 4,046) in Colombia. He succeeds Archbishop Alberto Giraldo Jaramillo, P.S.S., whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same archdiocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.
- Accepted the resignation of Bishop Gonzalo de Jesus Rivera Gomez as auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Medellin, Colombia, upon having reached the age limit. NER:RE/.../TOBON: JARAMILLO:RIVERA VIS 100216 (90)
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