Vatican News Update

POPE TO RETURN TO CASTELGANDOLFO THIS EVENING

VATICAN CITY, JUL 27, 2007 (VIS) - Yesterday morning, the Pope bid farewell to the civil and military authorities of Lorenzago di Cadore, Italy, where he has been spending an 18-day-long holiday (from July 9 to July 27). This evening, he is due to travel to his summer residence at Castelgandolfo.

The meeting, which took place in the garden of the chalet where Benedict XVI has been staying, was also attended by mayors from the 22 villages which make up the community of Cadore.

"At the end of these two weeks spent in the beautiful land of the Dolomites, I can only give a heartfelt thank-you to each and every one of you for your service and commitment," said the Holy Father.

"Your silent, discreet and competent presence, night and day," he continued, "gave me the opportunity to enjoy an unforgettable period of relaxation, a rest for the body and the soul. In the Book of Psalms we read: 'Your goodness, Lord, surrounds me like the eternal mountains.' And we are surrounded by this divine goodness, visible in the beauty of the mountains. However, throughout this period I have been especially surrounded by human goodness, by your goodness which has accompanied me always.

"You have been real 'guardian angels' to me," the Pope added, "invisible, silent, but ever present and willing; and your presence over all these days remains in my memory."

Pope Benedict will return this evening to the pontifical residence of Castelgandolfo, just south of Rome. There he will spend the rest of the summer, save for his pilgrimage to the Italian shrine of Loreto on September 1 and 2, and his apostolic trip to Austria from September 7 to 9.
AC/FAREWELL/LORENZAGO DI CADORE VIS 070727 (300)

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, JUL 27, 2007 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Bishop Vicente Jimenez Zamora of Osma-Soria, Spain as bishop of Santander (area 5,527, population 562,309, Catholics 548,574, priests 484, permanent deacons 2, religious 1,095), Spain.NER/.../JIMENEZ VIS 070727 (40)

MESSAGE FOR WORLD YOUTH DAY 2008

VATICAN CITY, JUL 26, 2007 (VIS) - Benedict XVI's Message for 23rd World Youth Day, due to be held in Sydney, Australia from July 15 to 20, 2008, has as its theme: "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses" (Acts of the Apostles 1, 8).

The Message is dated July 20 in Lorenzago di Cadore, Italy. Given below are excerpts from the English translation, which was made public yesterday:

1. The XXIII World Youth Day

"The underlying theme of the spiritual preparation for our meeting in Sydney is the Holy Spirit and mission. ... In this message I gladly offer you an outline for meditation that you can explore during this year of preparation. In this way you can test the quality of your faith in the Holy Spirit, rediscover it if it is lost, strengthen it if it has become weak."

2. The promise of the Holy Spirit in the Bible

"Attentive listening to the Word of God concerning the mystery and action of the Holy Spirit opens us up to great and inspiring insights. ... The outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the nascent Church was the fulfilment of a promise made much earlier by God, announced and prepared throughout the Old Testament."

"In 'the fullness of time,' the angel of the Lord announced to the Virgin of Nazareth that the Holy Spirit, 'the power of the Most High,' would come upon her and overshadow her. The Child to be born would be holy and would be called Son of God. ... Before His death on the Cross, He would tell His disciples several times about the coming of the Holy Spirit, the 'Consoler' Whose mission would be to bear witness to Him and to assist believers by teaching them and guiding them to the fullness of Truth."

3. Pentecost, the point of departure for the Church's mission

On the day of Pentecost "the Holy Spirit renewed the Apostles from within, filling them with a power that would give them courage to go out and boldly proclaim that 'Christ has died and is risen!' Freed from all fear, they began to speak openly with self-confidence. These frightened fishermen had become courageous heralds of the Gospel. Even their enemies could not understand how 'uneducated and ordinary men' could show such courage and endure difficulties, suffering and persecution with joy. Nothing could stop them."

4. The Holy Spirit, soul of the Church and principle of communion

"The Holy Spirit is the highest gift of God to humankind, and therefore the supreme testimony of His love for us, a love that is specifically expressed as the 'yes to life' that God wills for each of His creatures. This 'yes to life' finds its fullness in Jesus of Nazareth and in His victory over evil by means of the redemption."

5. The Holy Spirit as "Teacher of the interior life"

"My dear young friends, the Holy Spirit continues today to act with power in the Church, and the fruits of the Spirit are abundant in the measure in which we are ready to open up to this power that makes all things new. ... However, at this point a question naturally arises: who is the Holy Spirit for me? It is a fact that for many Christians He is still the 'great unknown.' This is why, as we prepare for the next World Youth Day, I wanted to invite you to come to know the Holy Spirit more deeply at a personal level."

"The Holy Spirit, the Spirit of the love of the Father and of the Son, is the Source of life that makes us holy. ... Nevertheless, it is not enough to know the Spirit; we must welcome Him as the guide of our souls, as the 'Teacher of the interior life' Who introduces us to the Mystery of the Trinity, because He alone can open us up to faith and allow us to live it each day to the full. The Spirit impels us forward towards others, enkindles in us the fire of love, makes us missionaries of God's charity."

6. The Sacraments of Confirmation and the Eucharist

"Faith is born and is strengthened within us through the Sacraments, particularly those of Christian initiation: Baptism, Confirmation and the Eucharist. ... This truth concerning the three Sacraments that initiate our lives as Christians is perhaps neglected in the faith life of many Christians. They view them as events that took place in the past and have no real significance for today, like roots that lack life-giving nourishment. ... Yet it is through the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and then, in an ongoing way, the Eucharist, that the Holy Spirit makes us children of the Father, brothers and sisters of Jesus, members of His Church, capable of a true witness to the Gospel, and able to savour the joy of faith."

"Nowadays it is particularly necessary to rediscover the Sacrament of Confirmation and its important place in our spiritual growth. ... Confirmation gives us special strength to witness to and glorify God with our whole lives. It makes us intimately aware of our belonging to the Church, the 'Body of Christ,' of which we are all living members, in solidarity with one another."

"I would like to add a word about the Eucharist. In order to grow in our Christian life, we need to be nourished by the Body and Blood of Christ. ... 'Source and summit' of the Church's life, the Eucharist is a 'perpetual Pentecost' since every time we celebrate Mass we receive the Holy Spirit Who unites us more deeply with Christ and transforms us into Him."

7. The need and urgency of mission

"Many young people view their lives with apprehension and raise many questions about their future. They anxiously ask: How can we fit into a world marked by so many grave injustices and so much suffering? ... How can we give full meaning to life? ... Let us not forget that the greater the gift of God - and the gift of the Spirit of Jesus is the greatest of all - so much the greater is the world's need to receive it and therefore the greater and the more exciting is the Church's mission to bear credible witness to it. ... Once again I repeat that only Christ can fulfil the most intimate aspirations that are in the heart of each person. Only Christ can humanize humanity and lead it to its 'divinization.' Through the power of His Spirit He instils divine charity within us, and this makes us capable of loving our neighbour and ready to be of service. ... There are those who think that to present the precious treasure of faith to people who do not share it means being intolerant towards them, but this is not the case, because to present Christ is not to impose Him.

"Moreover, two thousand years ago twelve Apostles gave their lives to make Christ known and loved. Throughout the centuries since then, the Gospel has continued to spread by means of men and women inspired by that same missionary fervour. Today too there is a need for disciples of Christ Who give unstintingly of their time and energy to serve the Gospel. ... In particular, I assure you that the Spirit of Jesus today is inviting you young people to be bearers of the good news of Jesus to your contemporaries. ... You know the ideals, the language, and also the wounds, the expectations, and at the same time the desire for goodness felt by your contemporaries. This opens up the vast world of young people's emotions, work, education, expectations, and suffering. Each one of you must have the courage to promise the Holy Spirit that you will bring one young person to Jesus Christ in the way you consider best, knowing how to 'give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope, but [to] do it with gentleness and reverence'."

8. Invoking a 'new Pentecost' upon the world
"My dear young friends, I hope to see very many of you in Sydney in July 2008. ... Together we shall invoke the Holy Spirit, confidently asking God for the gift of a new Pentecost for the Church and for humanity in the third millennium."MESS/WORLD YOUTH DAY/... VIS 070726 (1410)

TELEGRAM FOR THE DEATH OF POLISH PILGRIMS IN FRANCE

VATICAN CITY, JUL 25, 2007 (VIS) - Made public yesterday afternoon was a telegram of condolence sent, in the Pope's name, by Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B. for Sunday's road accident near Grenoble, France in which 26 Polish pilgrims, returning from the Shrine of Our lady of Salette, lost their lives.

In the telegram, addressed to Archbishop Zygmunt Kaminski of Szczecin-Kamien, Poland, Cardinal Bertone writes: "We are comforted by our faith in Divine Mercy which induces us to believe that [the victims] have found their journey's end in the glory of the Eternal Father."

"For all the deceased, the Holy Father implores the gift of eternal life in the joy of the union with Christ. To the injured he expresses his hope for a complete and speedy return to health. For the families of the victims of this tragic accident he invokes the gift of courage and consolation even in their pain, and to this end imparts his heartfelt apostolic blessing."
TGR/POLISH PILGRIMS ACCIDENT/BERTONE VIS 070725 (180)

POPE AND PRIESTS: FEET ON EARTH, EYES ON HEAVEN

VATICAN CITY, JUL 25, 2007 (VIS) - Yesterday Benedict XVI met with clergy from the Italian dioceses of Belluno-Feltre and Treviso in the church of St. Justina, Martyr, in Auronzo, near Lorenzago di Cadore where he is spending a few weeks holiday.

During the meeting, which was reserved for priests only, the Pope replied to ten questions concerning "the problem of forming young people and their moral conscience, priestly life, the priority of the ministry in the present conditions of pastoral care in Italy, and the evolution of the current historical situation," as Holy See Press Office Director Fr. Federico Lombardi S.J. explained in a talk on Vatican Radio.

Other themes considered included "evangelization and respectful dialogue with other religions in a context of vast migration" and the question of "divorced people who have remarried or who cohabit and how to reconcile mercy and truth." Attention was also given to "faithfulness to Vatican Council II and its spirit."

These, said Fr. Lombardi, "are very broad and varied subjects that the Holy Father has considered on other occasions in his talks and documents."

The Holy See Press Office Director went on to say that Benedict XVI had encouraged the priests to live "with their feet on the ground and their eyes on heaven" and had affirmed that "the essence of Christianity cannot be considered just as a collection of dogmas." The Pope also highlighted how "the best way to announce God's message is to live a life of love," he said.

The priests presented the Pope with a walnut statue of St. Benedict, patron saint of Europe, with details in bronze, Murano glass and gold. As he was leaving the church after the meeting, Benedict XVI told waiting journalists that he had spoken with the priests "about the Church, about God and about modern humanity," and he expressed thanks "for the climate of friendship and cordiality" which is characterizing his holiday.
AC/MEETING PRIESTS/AURONZO VIS 070725 (330)

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, JUL 25, 2007 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Bishop Vincent Cadieux O.M.I. of Moosonee, Canada as bishop of Hearst (area 108,830, population 36,681, Catholics 27,908, priests 22, permanent deacons 2, religious 7), Canada. Bishop Cadieux will remain as bishop of Moosonee, governing the two circumscriptions united "in persona Episcopi."NER/.../CADIEUX VIS 070725 (60)

CATHOLIC SCOUTS FROM EUROPE TO MEET POPE ON AUGUST 1

VATICAN CITY, JUL 24, 2007 (VIS) - August 1 will mark the centenary of the opening of the first ever scout camp, organized on Brownsea Island, United Kingdom, by Lord Baden-Powell (1857-1941), founder of the World Scout Movement.

For this occasion, thousands of Catholic scouts and guides from all over Europe will meet with Benedict XVI on Wednesday, August 1, during the general audience which is due to be held in the Vatican.

In a Letter to mark the centenary of the Scout Movement, addressed to Cardinal Jean-Pierre Ricard, archbishop of Bordeaux and president of the Conference of Bishops of France, and published on July 2, the Holy Father recalls the founder of Catholic Scouts, Fr. Jacques Sevin S.J. and gives thanks to God "for all the fruits which, over this century, the Scout Movement has brought."

The Pope also encourages Catholic scouts and guides to continue their journey, offering "young people today an education that forms strong personalities, rooted in Christ and desirous of living exalted ideals of faith and human solidarity.".../SCOUT ANNIVERSARY/... VIS 070724

POPE: POPULAR CULTURE, JOY OF EUROPEAN IDENTITY

VATICAN CITY, JUL 21, 2007 (VIS) - Yesterday afternoon, at the end of a concert of mountain choirs offered in his honor by the diocese of Belluno-Feltre at the castle of Mirabello (Italy), the Holy Father gave a short address.

"Song is an expression of love", the Holy Father said, citing St. Augustine. " I have heard this great love for the earth (...) that the Lord has given us in your songs. In this thanksgiving, in this love for the earth, there is also present and resounding our love for the Creator, the love of God who has given us this land, this life of joy (...) that we see even more clearly in light of our faith, which tells us that God loves us."

"The popular culture evident in such an elevated form is a joy of our European identity that we should cultivate and promote (...) Training in song, in choral singing, is not only an exercise of external hearing and the voice; it is also an education of the inner hearing, of the heart's hearing, an exercise and training in life and peace. In order to sing together it is necessary to pay attention to the other (...) to the totality that we call music and culture and, in this way, singing in a choir is an education in life and peace. It is a walking together."

The Holy Father then commented on the words of the bishop of Belluno-Feltre who had recalled that 90 years ago the area's mountain regions were a site of the First World War. "Let us give thanks to God for the peace of our Europe today," concluded Benedict XVI, "and do everything in our power to make peace grow in us and in our world."
AC/CHORAL CONCERT/MIRABELLO VIS 070723 (300)

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, JUL 21, 2007 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Accepted the resignation of the office of the territorial prelature of Moyobamba, Peru, presented by Bishop Jose Santos Iztueta Mendizabal, C.P., upon having reached the age limit. He is succeeded by Bishop Rafael Escudero Lopez-Brea, previously coadjutor bishop of the same prelature.

- Appointed Msgr. Armando Trasarti, previously Vicar General of the archdiocese of Fermo, Italy, as bishop of the diocese of Fano-Fossombrone-Cagli-Pergola (area 1,100, population 128,916, Catholics 126,064, priests 142, permanent deacons 13, religious 209), Italy. The bishop-elect was born in 1948 in Campofilone, Italy and was ordained a priest in 1974. He succeeds Bishop Vittorio Tomassetti whose resignation for the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.
RE:NER/.../... VIS 070723 (120)

BENEDICT XVI: "NEVER AGAIN WAR!"

VATICAN CITY, JUL 22, 2007 (VIS) - On Sunday, before praying the Angelus in Piazza Calvi of Lorenzago di Cadore where he is spending a brief vacation period, the Holy Father addressed the thousands present there:

Benedict XVI said that in these days of rest he felt "even more intensely" the impact of the news that he received on "the bloody confrontations and episodes of violence happening in many parts of the world. This brings me once more to reflect on the drama of human freedom in the world."

The earth, he said, is "a garden" that God entrusted humans with to "care for and cultivate" and that "if men and women live in peace with God and among themselves then the world will truly be a 'paradise'."

"Unfortunately, sin has ruined the divine plan, engendering division and causing death to enter into the world. In this way, persons give into the temptations of Evil and make war. The consequence is that areas of 'hell' have been opened in this stupendous 'garden' of the world."

While emphasizing that war is a "calamity", the Pope recalled that on 1 August 1917 - 90 years ago - Pope Benedict XV called for an end to the First World War and "had the courage to assert that that conflict was 'a pointless carnage'. This expression has been recorded in history. (...) Those words also have a greater, prophetic, meaning and can be applied to many other conflicts that have ripped apart innumerable human lives."

The Holy Father recalled how his predecessor also spoke of "the paths to building a just and lasting peace: the moral force of law, controlled disarmament, the arbitration of controversies, the freedom of the seas, the mutual condemnation of the costs of war, the restitution of occupied territories, and just negotiation in the resolution of disputes."

"The Holy See's proposal was oriented toward the future of Europe and the world according to a plan of Christian inspiration that, however, could be shared by all as it was rooted in human rights. This is the same approach that the servants of God Paul VI and John Paul II followed in their memorable addresses to the assembly of the United Nations, repeating in the Church's name: "Never again war!".

"From this peaceful place in which the horrors of 'pointless carnage' are felt even more forcefully as unacceptable, I renew the call to more tenaciously adhere to the law, to vehemently refuse the arms race and the temptation to face new situations with old systems."

Concluding the Angelus, the Pope greeted the religious and civil authorities present and the brother of Pope John Paul I, Edoardo Luciani, 91 years, a native of the diocese of Belluno, who sponsored today's meeting.ANG/WAR/LORENZAGO DI CADORE VIS 070723 (470)

CELEBRATIONS TO BE PRESIDED BY THE POPE: AUGUST-SEPTEMBER

VATICAN CITY, JUL 19, 2007 (VIS) - Below is the calendar of liturgical celebrations due to be presided over by the Holy Father in the months of August and September.

AUGUST

- Wednesday 15: Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Mass in the parish church of St. Thomas at Castelgandolfo at 8 a.m.

SEPTEMBER

- Saturday 1 to Sunday 2: Trip to Loreto, Italy, for a meeting of Italian youth.

- Friday 7 to Sunday 9: apostolic trip to Austria.

- Sunday 23: Pastoral visit to Velleteri, Italy. Mass in the cathedral there at 9.30 a.m.

RITES OF BEATIFICATION APPROVED BY THE HOLY FATHER (SEPTEMBER)

- Saturday 15: At 4 p.m. in the Antares Center in Le Mans, France, beatification of Servant of God Basile-Antonie Marie Moreau.

- Sunday 16: At 10 a.m. in the Marian Shrine of Lichen-Wloclawek, Poland, beatification of Servant of God Stanislaus of Jesus Mary (ne Jana Papczynski).

- Sunday 16: At 4 p.m. in the cathedral of Bordeaux, France, beatification of Servant of God Marie Celine of the Presentation (nee Jeanne-Germaine Castang).

- Sunday, 30: At 10 a.m. in the church of St. James and St. Agnes in Nysa-Opole, Poland, beatification of Servant of God Maria Merckert.
OCL/CALENDAR:AUGUST-SEPTEMBER/... VIS 070719 (220)

VATICAN CITY STATE OPENS NEW INTERNET PORTAL

VATICAN CITY, JUL 19, 2007 (VIS) - The Governorate of Vatican City State today opened a new Internet portal (www.vaticanstate.va) in order to meet the needs of the ever increasing numbers of pilgrims and tourists in the Vatican, and to respond to the continuous requests for information reaching the various offices of Vatican State though the traditional channels.

A communique made public yesterday afternoon explains that the new website, which will run alongside the official Holy See website (www.vatican.va), has been implemented in five languages (Italian, English, French, Spanish and German) with Portuguese soon to be added. Through its five sections (State and Government, Services, Other Institutions, Monuments and Shop) the portal "presents the State's bodies, the key monuments with descriptions and images, and useful time schedules for the public" reads the English-language communique.

The site also offers a photo tour of the Vatican Gardens, as well as giving real time access via five webcams to some of the most famous sights: the dome of St. Peter's, St. Peter's Square, a panoramic view of Rome, the tomb of John Paul II and the palace of the Governorate.

Via the new portal, the communique concludes, "visitors will soon be able to purchase Vatican coins, stamps and other articles available from the Vatican Museum's publications and reproductions sales office."
.../INTERNET PORTAL:SCV/... VIS 070719 (230)

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, JUL 19, 2007 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Appointed Bishop Luciano Monari of Piacenza-Bobbio, Italy, as bishop of Brescia (area 4,538, population 1,094,686, Catholics 959,680, priests 1,059, permanent deacons 35, religious 2,471), Italy. He succeeds Bishop Giulio Sanguineti, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

- Appointed Bishop Robert Rivas O.P. of Kingstown, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, as coadjutor archbishop of Castries (area 616, population 157,775, Catholics 100,243, priests 31, permanent deacons 13, religious 74), St. Lucia. The archbishop-elect was born in Arima, Trinidad, in 1946, he was ordained a priest in 1971 and consecrated a bishop in 1990.NER:RE:NEC/.../MONARI:SANGUINETI:RIVAS VIS 070719 (120)

TELEGRAM FOR VICTIMS OF BRAZILIAN AIR DISASTER

VATICAN CITY, JUL 18, 2007 (VIS) - Given below is the text of a telegram sent by Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B. to Archbishop Odilo Pedro Scherer of Sao Paolo, Brazil, for yesterday afternoon's air accident at the airport of Congonhas, which cost the lives of more than 200 people.

"The Holy Father, distressed by the hundreds of victims of the air disaster in Sao Paolo, which he visited not long ago, wishes to give his most heartfelt condolences to all their relatives. He gives assurances of his prayers for the dead and invokes the strength and consolation of God for the injured and for all those affected by this tragedy, granting everyone, as a sign of his spiritual closeness, his consoling apostolic blessing."
TGR/AIR ACCIDENT/SCHERER VIS 070718 (140)

POPE TO ATTEND A CONCERT AND TO MEET WITH LOCAL CLERGY

VATICAN CITY, JUL 18, 2007 (VIS) - At 8 p.m. on Friday July 20, the Holy Father is due to attend a concert offered in his honor by Bishop Giuseppe Andrich of Belluno-Feltre, Italy, at the Castle of Mirabello in Lorenzago di Cadore, the alpine resort in which the Pope is currently spending his holiday. The concert will be given by seven alpine choirs.

At 11 a.m. on Tuesday, July 24, Benedict will meet with clergy from the dioceses of Belluno-Feltre and Treviso in the church of St. Justina, Martyr in Auronzo.
OP/CONCERT: MEETING CLERGY/LORENZAGO VIS 070718 (110)

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, JUL 18, 2007 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Accepted the resignation from the office of auxiliary of the diocese of Munster, Germany, presented by Bishop Friedrich Ostermann, upon having reached the age limit.

- Appointed Fr. Franz-Josef Overbeck of the clergy of the diocese of Munster, Germany, director of the institute for the diaconate and pastoral ministry, as auxiliary of the same diocese (area 15,265, population 4,269,448, Catholics 2,042,159, priests 1,256, permanent deacons 248, religious 3,150). The bishop-elect was born in Marl, Germany in 1964 and ordained a priest in 1989.

- Appointed Bishop David A. Zubik of Green Bay, U.S.A., as bishop of Pittsburgh (area 9,722, population 1,956,597, Catholics 781,811, priests 531, permanent deacons 37, religious 1,455), U.S.A.

- Appointed Fr. Gaetano Galbusera S.D.B., rector of the major seminary of Pumallucay, Peru, as coadjutor of the apostolic vicariate of Pucallpa (area 52,168, population 500,000, Catholics 390,000, priests 20, religious 45), Peru. The bishop-elect was born in Marasso-Missaglia, Italy in 1940 and ordained a priest in 1967.RE:NEA:NER:NEC/.../... VIS 070718 (180)

POPE WORKING ON BOOK AND REFLECTING ON NEXT ENCYCLICAL

VATICAN CITY, JUL 17, 2007 (VIS) - Holy See Press Office Director Fr. Federico Lombardi S.J. has affirmed that the Pope is dedicating part of the holiday he is spending in the Italian alpine resort of Lorenzago de Cardore to writing the second part of his book "Jesus of Nazareth," and to reflecting upon his next encyclical "which will have a social theme."

During a brief interview given at Lorenzago de Cardore on Sunday July 15, Fr. Lombardi said that the Holy Father "is working mainly upon the continuation of his book on Jesus of Nazareth, while as far as his second encyclical is concerned, it is still at the initial stages of ideas and reflection."

The Holy See Press Office Director recalled that on September 1 and 2, the Pope is due to go to Loreto, Italy to participate in a meeting of Italian youth, and that on the 7 and 8 of that month he will make an apostolic trip to Austria to visit the Shrine of Mariazell.

In the year 2008, said Fr. Lombardi, apart from visiting Sydney, Australia, in July for World Youth Day, it is highly probable that Benedict XVI will make a trip to the United Nations headquarters in New York, and a pilgrimage to Lourdes for the 150th anniversary of the apparition of the Virgin there. In this context, the Holy See Press Office Director recalled that John Paul II went to Lourdes in August 2004 on his last international trip.
.../POPE HOLIDAYS/LOMBARDI VIS 070717 (260)

IN MEMORIAM

VATICAN CITY, JUL 17, 2007 (VIS) - Bishop Pedro Sbalchiero Neto M.S. of Vacaria, Brazil, died on July 3 at the age of 53..../DEATHS/... VIS 070717 (30)

ERADICATION OF POVERTY IS A MORAL COMMITMENT

VATICAN CITY, JUL 14, 2007 (VIS) - Made public today was a an address delivered by Archbishop Silvano Tomasi C.S., permanent observer to the Office of the United Nations and Specialized Institutions in Geneva, during the "Substantive Session" of the United Nations Economic and Social Council.

In his English-language talk, which he delivered on July 4, Archbishop Tomasi made it clear that "the continued effort to address the plight of people trapped in poverty and to search for new ways and means to free them from its destructive consequences remains essential if the international community wants to achieve truly integral human development."

"Poverty elimination demands an integration between the mechanisms that produce wealth and the mechanisms for the distribution of its benefits at the international, regional and national levels."

"The projects of multilateral institutions and developed countries aimed at reducing poverty and improving growth in poor regions, like the Millennium Development Goals, the Highly Indebted Poor Countries Initiative and the Poverty Reduction Strategy, have made some limited progress," said the permanent observer.

After highlighting the fact that "eradication of poverty is a moral engagement," Archbishop Tomasi concluded by saying that "the various religions and cultures see the achievement of this end as a most important task that frees people from much suffering and marginalization, that helps them to live peacefully together, and that provides individuals and communities the freedom to protect their dignity and actively contribute to the common good."
DELSS/POVERTY/TOMASI:GENEVA VIS 070716 (250)

HOLIDAYS: PHYSICAL REST AND SPIRITUAL NOURISHMENT

VATICAN CITY, JUL 15, 2007 (VIS) - At midday today, Benedict XVI prayed the Angelus at the Castle of Mirabello, near the chalet where he is spending a holiday in the alpine locality of Lorenzago di Cadore, Italy.

Before the Marian prayer, the Pope addressed some words to the hundreds of people who had gathered to see him. "Before this panorama of fields, woods and peaks towering up to the sky," he said, "we feel a spontaneous desire to praise God for the wonders of His work, and our admiration for such natural beauty is easily transformed into prayer.

"Each good Christian," he added, "knows that holidays are an appropriate moment for physical relaxation, as well as for nourishing the spirit by giving greater space to prayer and mediation, in order to grow in our personal relationship with Christ and to adapt ourselves ever more to His teachings."

The Pope then went on to consider today's Gospel reading on the Good Samaritan, saying that "each of us must be a neighbor to everyone we come across. ... Love, says Jesus, is to behave like the Good Samaritan. And we know that the Good Samaritan par excellence is He; for although He is God, He did not hesitate to lower Himself to becoming a man and to giving His life for us.

"Love, then, is the 'heart' of Christian life. In fact only love, aroused in us by the Holy Spirit, makes us witnesses of Christ," said the Holy Father and he recalled how "this important spiritual truth" will be at the heart of his Message for 23rd World Youth Day, due to be published on Friday, July 20, with the title: 'You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses."

"This is the theme, dear young people," he concluded, "upon which I invite you to reflect over the coming months, so as to prepare yourselves for the great appointment due to take place in Sydney, Australia, in a year's time."
ANG/HOLIDAYS:WYD/... VIS 070716 (350)

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, JUL 16, 2007 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Appointed Msgr. Mariano Crociata of the clergy of the diocese of Mazara del Vallo, Italy, vicar general, and pastor of the mother church of Marsala, as bishop of Noto (area 1,355, population 213,000, Catholics 211,000, priests 123, permanent deacons 15, religious 249), Italy. The bishop-elect was born in Castelvetrano, Italy in 1953 and ordained a priest in 1979. He succeeds Bishop Giuseppe Malandrino, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

- Erected the new diocese of Sandakan (area 43,657, population 1,000,000, Catholics 64,000, priests 8, religious 2) Malaysia, with territory taken from the diocese of Kota Kinabalu, making it a suffragan of the metropolitan church of Kuching. He appointed Fr. Julius Dustin Gitom, priest of the diocese of Kota Kinabalu, as first bishop of the new diocese. The bishop-elect was born in Kampung Loltos, Malaysia in 1957 and ordained a priest in 1989.

- Appointed Msgr. Mieczyslaw Mokrzycki, in service in the Holy Father's personal secretariat, as coadjutor archbishop of Lviv of the Latins (area 68,000, population 4,500,000, Catholics 150,000, priests 138, permanent deacons 1, religious 213), Ukraine. The archbishop-elect was born in Majdan Lukawiecki, Poland in 1961 and was ordained a priest in 1987.

- Appointed Bishop Marian Buczek, auxiliary of Lviv of the Latins, Ukraine, as coadjutor bishop of Kharkiv-Zaporizhia of the Latins (area 196,300, population 19,561,190, Catholics 61,200, priests 40, religious 114), Ukraine.

- Appointed Fr. Justin Saw Min Thide, bursar of the archdiocese of Yangon, Myanmar, as auxiliary of the same archdiocese (area 66,535, population 15,932,000, Catholics 84,259, priests 83, religious 312). The bishop-elect was born in Thaung, Myanmar in 1951 and ordained a priest in 1984.

On Saturday, July 14, it was made public that the Holy Father appointed Msgr. Marcello Bartolucci, bureau chief at the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, as under-secretary of the same congregation.

PAPAL LETTER FOR FEAST OF PATRON OF ITALIAN FOREST RANGERS

VATICAN CITY, JUL 13, 2007 (VIS) - Made public today was a Letter from Benedict XVI to Bishop Maffeo Ducoli, emeritus of Belluno-Feltre, Italy, for yesterday's Feast of St. John Gualbert, patron of the Italian Forest Rangers.

Yesterday, in the church of the Virgin of the Snows at Pra Mirino, Bishop Ducoli presided at a Eucharistic concelebration attended by members of the Forest Rangers from the provincial headquarters of Belluno. That ceremony, writes the Pope in his Letter, "has particular significance this year because it coincides with the 20th anniversary of the visit my predecessor John Paul II made to that church, so beloved by the inhabitants of this splendid region."

"This is an appropriate occasion for me to express my appreciation and affection for the Forest Rangers, certain that they will seek to undertake their activities in a spirit of service so as to remain close to the people and to protect as best they can the richness of nature, which is a gift from God to everyone."


OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, JUL 13, 2007 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Appointed Msgr. Roberto Busti of the clergy of the archdiocese of Milan, provost of Lecco, as bishop of Mantova (area 2,080, population 366,789, Catholics 344,083, priests 233, religious 389), Italy. The bishop-elect was born in Busto Arsizio, Italy in 1940 and ordained a priest in 1964. He succeeds Bishop Egidio Caporello, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

- Appointed Msgr. Mario Delpini, episcopal vicar for pastoral zone 4 (Melegnano) in the archdiocese of Milan, Italy, and Msgr. Franco Giulio Brambilla, president of the Theological Faculty of Northern Italy, as auxiliaries of Milan (area 4,217, population 5,191,510, Catholics 4,913,510, priests 3,011, permanent deacons 82, religious 8,122). Bishop-elect Delpini was born in Gallarate, Italy in 1950 and ordained a priest in 1975. Bishop-elect Brambilla was born in Missaglia, Italy in 1949 and ordained a priest in 1975.

DOCUMENT REGARDING CERTAIN ASPECTS OF CHURCH DOCTRINE

VATICAN CITY, JUL 10, 2007 (VIS) - Made public today was a document from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith: "Responses to some Questions Regarding Certain Aspects of the Doctrine on the Church." It is dated June 29, Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, Apostles, and bears the signatures of Cardinal William Joseph Levada and Archbishop Angelo Amato S.D.B., respectively prefect and secretary of the congregation.

The document has been published in Latin, Italian, French, English, German, Spanish, Portuguese and Polish. The complete English-language version is given below:

"Introduction

"The Second Vatican Council, with its Dogmatic Constitution 'Lumen gentium,' and its Decrees on ecumenism ('Unitatis redintegratio') and the Oriental Churches ('Orientalium Ecclesiarum'), has contributed in a decisive way to the renewal of Catholic ecclesiology. The Supreme Pontiffs have also contributed to this renewal by offering their own insights and orientations for praxis: Paul VI in his Encyclical Letter 'Ecclesiam suam' (1964) and John Paul II in his Encyclical Letter 'Ut unum sint' (1995).

"The consequent duty of theologians to expound with greater clarity the diverse aspects of ecclesiology has resulted in a flowering of writing in this field. In fact it has become evident that this theme is a most fruitful one which, however, has also at times required clarification by way of precise definition and correction, for instance in the declaration 'Mysterium Ecclesiae' (1973), the Letter addressed to the Bishops of the Catholic Church 'Communionis notio' (1992), and the declaration 'Dominus Iesus' (2000), all published by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

"The vastness of the subject matter and the novelty of many of the themes involved continue to provoke theological reflection. Among the many new contributions to the field, some are not immune from erroneous interpretation which in turn give rise to confusion and doubt. A number of these interpretations have been referred to the attention of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Given the universality of Catholic doctrine on the Church, the Congregation wishes to respond to these questions by clarifying the authentic meaning of some ecclesiological expressions used by the Magisterium which are open to misunderstanding in the theological debate.

"Responses to the Questions

"First Question: Did the Second Vatican Council change the Catholic doctrine on the Church?

"Response: The Second Vatican Council neither changed nor intended to change this doctrine, rather it developed, deepened and more fully explained it.

"This was exactly what John XXIII said at the beginning of the Council. Paul VI affirmed it and commented in the act of promulgating the Constitution Lumen gentium: 'There is no better comment to make than to say that this promulgation really changes nothing of the traditional doctrine. What Christ willed, we also will. What was, still is. What the Church has taught down through the centuries, we also teach. In simple terms that which was assumed, is now explicit; that which was uncertain, is now clarified; that which was meditated upon, discussed and sometimes argued over, is now put together in one clear formulation.' The Bishops repeatedly expressed and fulfilled this intention.

"Second Question: What is the meaning of the affirmation that the Church of Christ subsists in the Catholic Church?

"Response: Christ 'established here on earth' only one Church and instituted it as a 'visible and spiritual community', that from its beginning and throughout the centuries has always existed and will always exist, and in which alone are found all the elements that Christ himself instituted. 'This one Church of Christ, which we confess in the Creed as one, holy, catholic and apostolic. ... This Church, constituted and organized in this world as a society, subsists in the Catholic Church, governed by the successor of Peter and the Bishops in communion with him'.

"In number 8 of the Dogmatic Constitution 'Lumen Gentium' 'subsistence' means this perduring, historical continuity and the permanence of all the elements instituted by Christ in the Catholic Church, in which the Church of Christ is concretely found on this earth.

"It is possible, according to Catholic doctrine, to affirm correctly that the Church of Christ is present and operative in the churches and ecclesial Communities not yet fully in communion with the Catholic Church, on account of the elements of sanctification and truth that are present in them. Nevertheless, the word 'subsists' can only be attributed to the Catholic Church alone precisely because it refers to the mark of unity that we profess in the symbols of the faith (I believe... in the 'one' Church); and this 'one' Church subsists in the Catholic Church.

"Third Question: Why was the expression 'subsists in' adopted instead of the simple word 'is'?

"Response: The use of this expression, which indicates the full identity of the Church of Christ with the Catholic Church, does not change the doctrine on the Church. Rather, it comes from and brings out more clearly the fact that there are 'numerous elements of sanctification and of truth' which are found outside her structure, but which 'as gifts properly belonging to the Church of Christ, impel towards Catholic Unity.'

"'It follows that these separated churches and Communities, though we believe they suffer from defects, are deprived neither of significance nor importance in the mystery of salvation. In fact the Spirit of Christ has not refrained from using them as instruments of salvation, whose value derives from that fullness of grace and of truth which has been entrusted to the Catholic Church.'

"Fourth Question: Why does the Second Vatican Council use the term 'Church' in reference to the oriental Churches separated from full communion with the Catholic Church?

"Response: The Council wanted to adopt the traditional use of the term. 'Because these Churches, although separated, have true sacraments and above all - because of the apostolic succession - the priesthood and the Eucharist, by means of which they remain linked to us by very close bonds,' they merit the title of 'particular or local Churches,' and are called sister Churches of the particular Catholic Churches.

'It is through the celebration of the Eucharist of the Lord in each of these Churches that the Church of God is built up and grows in stature.' However, since communion with the Catholic Church, the visible head of which is the Bishop of Rome and the Successor of Peter, is not some external complement to a particular Church but rather one of its internal constitutive principles, these venerable Christian communities lack something in their condition as particular churches.

"On the other hand, because of the division between Christians, the fullness of universality, which is proper to the Church governed by the Successor of Peter and the Bishops in communion with him, is not fully realized in history.

"Fifth Question: Why do the texts of the Council and those of the Magisterium since the Council not use the title of 'Church' with regard to those Christian Communities born out of the Reformation of the sixteenth century?

"Response: According to Catholic doctrine, these Communities do not enjoy apostolic succession in the sacrament of Orders, and are, therefore, deprived of a constitutive element of the Church. These ecclesial Communities which, specifically because of the absence of the sacramental priesthood, have not preserved the genuine and integral substance of the Eucharistic Mystery cannot, according to Catholic doctrine, be called 'Churches' in the proper sense.

"The Supreme Pontiff Benedict XVI, at the Audience granted to the undersigned Cardinal Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, ratified and confirmed these Responses, adopted in the Plenary Session of the Congregation, and ordered their publication."

The Responses are accompanied by a commentary which explains: "In this document the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith is responding to a number of questions concerning the overall vision of the Church which emerged from the dogmatic and ecumenical teachings of the Second Vatican Council. ... The Council 'of the Church on the Church'."

"This new document of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which essentially summarizes the teaching of the Council and the post-conciliar Magisterium, constitutes a clear reaffirmation of Catholic doctrine on the Church. Apart from dealing with certain unacceptable ideas which have unfortunately spread around the Catholic world, it offers valuable indications for the future of ecumenical dialogue. This dialogue remains one of the priorities of the Catholic Church. ... However, if such dialogue is to be truly constructive it must involve not just the mutual openness of the participants but also fidelity to the identity of the Catholic faith."

"Catholic ecumenism might seem, at first sight, somewhat paradoxical. The Second Vatican Council II used the phrase 'subsistit in' in order to try to harmonize two doctrinal affirmations: on the one hand, that despite all the divisions between Christians the Church of Christ continues to exist fully only in the Catholic Church, and on the other hand that numerous elements of sanctification and truth do exist outwith the visible boundaries of the Catholic Church whether in the particular Churches or in the ecclesial Communities that are not fully in communion with the Catholic Church."

"Although the Catholic Church has the fullness of the means of salvation, 'nevertheless, the divisions among Christians prevent the Church from effecting the fullness of catholicity proper to her in those of her children who, though joined to her by baptism, are yet separated from full communion with her.' The fullness of the Catholic Church, therefore, already exists, but still has to grow in the brethren who are not yet in full communion with it and also in its own members who are sinners."