28 December 2007
Vatican Update 28 December 2007
| 12.28.2007 - Seventeenth Year - Num. 222 |
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SUMMARY: DECEMBER 22 - 28
- Joy of Christmas Prompts Us to Announce the Lord - Telegrams for the Death of Cardinal Lorscheider - Christmas: Feast of Restored Creation - God Offers Himself as Sure Hope for Salvation - Martyrs Achieve the Victory of Love over Hatred - Benedict XVI's Prayer Intentions for January - Papal, Holy See Highlights for August - December 2007 - Notice
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VATICAN CITY, DEC 22, 2007 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in audience Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops. AP/.../... VIS 071228 (30)
JOY OF CHRISTMAS PROMPTS US TO ANNOUNCE THE LORD
VATICAN CITY, DEC 23, 2007 (VIS) - At midday today, in remarks before praying the Angelus with pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Square, the Holy Father recalled that on the Solemnity of the Lord's Nativity we celebrate "the great mystery of love, which never ceases to amaze us. God became the Son of man that we may become children of God."
"The evangelizing mission of the Church," the Pope said, "is a response to the cry 'come, Lord Jesus,' which traverses the entire history of salvation and continues to rise from the lips of believers. Come, Lord, to transform our hearts, that justice and peace may spread through the world.
"This," the Holy Father added, "is what the 'Doctrinal Note on some aspects of evangelization,' recently published by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, seeks to recall. The document aims, in fact, to remind all Christians - in a situation in which the raison d'etre of evangelization is unclear even to many faithful - that 'the acceptance of the Good News in faith,' of itself leads people to communicate the salvation they have received as a gift."
"To be touched by the presence of God, Who draws close to us at Christmas, is a priceless gift. ... There is nothing more beautiful, urgent and important than freely to pass on to mankind what we have freely received from God. Nothing can excuse or relieve us from this difficult but fascinating task. The joy of Christmas, ... while filling us with hope, at the same time prompts us to announce to everyone the presence of God among us." ANG/CHRISTMAS/... VIS 071228 (280)
TELEGRAMS FOR THE DEATH OF CARDINAL LORSCHEIDER
VATICAN CITY, DEC 24, 2007 (VIS) - Benedict XVI has sent his condolences for the death of Cardinal Aloisio Lorscheider O.F.M., archbishop emeritus of Aparecida, Brazil, who died on December 23 at the age of 83.
The Pope sent two telegrams conveying his condolences, one to Archbishop Dadeus Grings of Porto Alegre, Brazil, where Cardinal Lorscheider died, and another to Fr. Jose Rodriguez Carballo, minister general of the Order of Friars Minor, of which the late cardinal was a member.
In his telegrams, the Holy Father recalls the "constant and generous commitment" to the Church shown by Cardinal Lorscheider who was bishop of Santo Angelo then archbishop of Fortaleza before becoming archbishop of Aparecida. He was also a member of various congregations of the Holy See, as well as president of the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil and of the Latin American Episcopal Council (CELAM). TGR/DEATH LORSCHEIDER/... VIS 071228 (160)
CHRISTMAS: FEAST OF RESTORED CREATION
VATICAN CITY, DEC 24, 2007 (VIS) - The Pope tonight celebrated Midnight Mass in the Vatican Basilica for the Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord.
"The time came for Mary to be delivered. And she gave birth to her first-born Son and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn," said the Pope, beginning his homily with a quote from the Gospel of Luke. "These words touch our heart every time we hear them" because "in some way mankind is awaiting God, waiting for Him to draw near.
"But when the moment comes," the Pope added, "there is no room for Him. Man is so preoccupied with himself, he has such urgent need of all the space and all the time for his own things, that nothing remains for others - for his neighbor, for the poor, for God. And the richer men become, the more they fill up all the space by themselves. And the less room there is for others.
"St. John, in his Gospel, went to the heart of the matter, giving added depth to St. Luke's brief account of the situation in Bethlehem: 'He came to His own home, and His own people received him not.' This refers first and foremost to Bethlehem," said the Holy Father, but "truly, it refers to all mankind: He through whom the world was made, the primordial Creator-Word, enters into the world, but He is not listened to, He is not received."
"Thank God, this negative detail is not the only one, nor the last one that we find in the Gospel," said Pope Benedict, recalling "the maternal love of Mary, ... the fidelity of St. Joseph, the vigilance of the shepherds and ... the visit of the wise men."
Hence, "there are those who receive Him, and thus, beginning with the stable, with the outside, there grows silently the new house, the new city, the new world. The message of Christmas makes us recognize the darkness of a closed world, and thereby no doubt illustrates a reality that we see daily. Yet it also tells us that God does not allow Himself to be shut out. He finds a space, even if it means entering through the stable; there are people who see His light and pass it on."
The Pope continued: "In some Christmas scenes from the late Middle Ages and the early modern period, the stable is depicted as a crumbling palace. It is still possible to recognize its former splendor, but now it has become a ruin, the walls are falling down - in fact, it has become a stable. Although it lacks any historical basis, this metaphorical interpretation nevertheless expresses something of the truth that is hidden in the mystery of Christmas."
In the stable of Bethlehem, in the city of King David, "the Davidic kingship started again in a new way," the Holy Father explained. "The new throne from which this David will draw the world to himself is the Cross." And the new palace is "different from what people imagine a palace and royal power ought to be like. It is the community of those who allow themselves to be drawn by Christ's love and so become one body with Him, a new humanity. The power that comes from the Cross, the power of self-giving goodness, this is the true kingship."
"Gregory of Nyssa, in his Christmas homilies, developed the same vision setting out from the Christmas message in the Gospel of John: 'He pitched His tent among us'," said the Holy Father. "Gregory applies this passage about the tent to the tent of our body, which has become worn out and weak, exposed everywhere to pain and suffering. And he applies it to the whole universe, torn and disfigured by sin. What would he say if he could see the state of the world today, through the abuse of energy and its selfish and reckless exploitation?"
"Thus, according to Gregory's vision, the stable in the Christmas message represents the ill-treated world. What Christ rebuilds is no ordinary palace. He came to restore beauty and dignity to creation, to the universe: this is what began at Christmas and makes the angels rejoice. The earth is restored to good order by virtue of the fact that it is opened up to God, it obtains its true light anew, and in the harmony between human will and divine will, in the unification of height and depth, it regains its beauty and dignity. Thus Christmas is a feast of restored creation." HML/CHRISTMAS/... VIS 071228 (780)
GOD OFFERS HIMSELF AS SURE HOPE FOR SALVATION
VATICAN CITY, DEC 25, 2007 (VIS) - At midday today, Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord, the Holy Father pronounced his traditional Christmas Message from the central loggia of the Vatican Basilica, and imparted the "Urbi et Orbi" blessing.
Extracts of the Message are given below:
"'A holy day has dawned upon us.' A day of great hope: today the Savior of mankind is born. The birth of a child normally brings a light of hope to those who are waiting anxiously.
"The Creator of man became man in order to bring peace to the world. ... It is only the 'great' light manifested in Christ that can give 'true' peace to men: that is why every generation is called to welcome it, to welcome the God Who in Bethlehem became one of us." And, "if we are to recognize it, if we are to receive it, faith is needed and humility is needed."
"Now, on this Christmas Day, when the joyful news of His saving birth continues to resound, who is ready to open the doors of his heart to the holy Child? ... Who is waiting for the dawn of the new day, keeping alight the flame of faith? Who has time to listen to His word and to become enfolded and entranced by His love? Yes! His message of peace is for everyone; He comes to offer himself to all people as sure hope for salvation."
"May the light of Christ, which comes to enlighten every human being, shine forth and bring consolation to those who live in the darkness of poverty, injustice and war; to those who are still denied their legitimate aspirations for a more secure existence, for health, education, stable employment, for fuller participation in civil and political responsibilities, free from oppression and protected from conditions that offend against human dignity.
"It is the most vulnerable members of society - women, children, the elderly - who are so often the victims of brutal armed conflicts, terrorism and violence of every kind, which inflict such terrible sufferings on entire populations. At the same time, ethnic, religious and political tensions, instability, rivalry, disagreements, and all forms of injustice and discrimination are destroying the internal fabric of many countries and embittering international relations. Throughout the world the number of migrants, refugees and evacuees is also increasing because of frequent natural disasters, often caused by alarming environmental upheavals.
"On this day of peace, my thoughts turn especially to those places where the grim sound of arms continues to reverberate; to the tortured regions of Darfur, Somalia, the north of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the border between Eritrea and Ethiopia; to the whole of the Middle East - especially Iraq, Lebanon and the Holy Land; to Afghanistan, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, to the Balkans and to many other crisis situations that unfortunately are frequently forgotten.
"May the Child Jesus bring relief to those who are suffering and may He bestow upon political leaders the wisdom and courage to seek and find humane, just and lasting solutions.
"To the thirst for meaning and value so characteristic of today's world, to the search for prosperity and peace that marks the lives of all mankind, to the hopes of the poor: Christ - true God and true Man - responds with His Nativity. Neither individuals nor nations should be afraid to recognize and welcome Him."
"Brothers and sisters from every continent, allow the light of this day to spread everywhere: may it enter our hearts, may it brighten and warm our homes, may it bring serenity and hope to our cities, and may it give peace to the world. This is my earnest wish for you who are listening. A wish that grows into a humble and trustful prayer to the Child Jesus, that His light will dispel all darkness from your lives and fill you with love and peace."
Following his Message, the Pope extended Christmas greetings in 63 languages and imparted the "Urbi et Orbi" (to the city and the world) blessing. MESS/URBI ET ORBI/... VIS 071228 (690)
MARTYRS ACHIEVE THE VICTORY OF LOVE OVER HATRED
VATICAN CITY, DEC 26, 2007 (VIS) - Shortly before midday today, feast of St. Stephen, deacon and protomartyr, Benedict XVI appeared at the window of his study to pray the Angelus with faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square below.
The Pope recalled how St. Stephen "was stoned at the gates of Jerusalem and died, like Jesus, invoking forgiveness for his killers. The deep bond that unites Christ to His first martyr," said the Holy Father, "is divine Charity. And the same Love that brought the Son of God ... to obey even unto death on the cross, later brought the Apostles and martyrs to give their lives for the Gospel.
"We must always highlight this distinctive characteristic of Christian martyrdom," the Pope added, "It is exclusively an act of love, towards God and towards man, including our persecutors."
"Over the centuries, how many sons and daughters of the Church have followed their example," he exclaimed, "from the first persecutions of Jerusalem to those of the Roman emperors, and on to the ranks of martyrs of our own times. Today, in fact, not infrequently there comes news from various parts of the world of missionaries, priests, bishops, religious and lay faithful, persecuted, imprisoned, tortured, deprived of their freedom or prevented from exercising it because they are disciples of Christ and apostles of the Gospel. Sometimes people also suffer and die for communion with the Universal Church and faithfulness to the Pope."
Benedict XVI then went on to mention the Vietnamese martyr Paul Le-Bao-Tinh - mentioned in the recent Encyclical "Spe salvi" - explaining how "suffering is transformed into joy by the force of hope that comes from faith" because "Christian martyrs, like Christ and by union with Him, intimately accept the cross and transform it into an action of love. What from outside is an act of brutal violence, from the inside becomes an act of love. ... Christian martyrs achieve the victory of love over hatred and death."
The Pope concluded his remarks by calling for prayers "for all those suffering because of their faithfulness to Christ and His Church. Mary Most Holy, Queen of Martyrs, help us to be credible witnesses to the Gospel, answering enemies with the disarming power of truth and charity." ANG/MARTYRS/ST. STEPHEN VIS 071228 (390)
BENEDICT XVI'S PRAYER INTENTIONS FOR JANUARY
VATICAN CITY, DEC 28, 2007 (VIS) - Pope Benedict's general prayer intention for January is: "That the Church may strengthen her commitment to full visible unity in order to manifest in an ever growing degree her nature as community of love, in which is reflected the communion of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit."
His mission intention is: "That the Church in Africa, which is preparing to celebrate her Second Special Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, may continue to be the sign and instrument of reconciliation and justice in a continent which is still marked by war exploitation and poverty." BXVI-PRAYER INTENTIONS/JANUARY/... VIS 071228 (110)
PAPAL, HOLY SEE HIGHLIGHTS FOR AUGUST - DECEMBER 2007
VATICAN CITY, DEC 28, 2007 (VIS) - Following are highlights of the activities of Pope Benedict XVI and the Holy See for the months of August through December 2007.
AUGUST
- 8: Cardinal Roger Etchegaray travels to Russia for the tenth anniversary of the consecration of the Catholic cathedral of the Transfiguration in Novosibirsk. While passing through Moscow, Cardinal Etchegaray is received by His Beatitude Alexis II, patriarch of Moscow and all the Russias, to whom he delivers a Message and a gift from the Holy Father.
SEPTEMBER
- 1: Pope visits the Italian shrine of Loreto where he presides at a national meeting of young people concluding the first year of the "Agora" of Italian youth, an event promoted by the Italian Episcopal Conference.
- 5: Holy Father receives in audience Farouk al-Charaa, vice-president of the Syrian Arab Republic, who gives the Pope a personal message from Bashar al-Asad, president of Syria.
- 6: Holy Father receives in audience Shimon Peres, president of the State of Israel.
- 6: Holy Father receives in audience Prince Saud Al Faisal, foreign minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
- 7-9: Holy Father Benedict XVI makes an apostolic trip to Austria for the 850th anniversary of the foundation of the Shrine of Mariazell, the seventh trip outside Italy of his Pontificate.
- 13: Holy Father receives the Letters of Credence of Jozef Dravecky, the new ambassador of the Slovak Republic to the Holy See.
- 14: Holy Father receives in audience Omar Hassan Ahmed El-Bashir, president of the Republic of Sudan.
- 15: Holy Father receives the Letters of Credence of Noel Fahey, the new ambassador of Ireland to the Holy See.
- 15: In the Holy Father's name, Cardinal Jose Saraiva Martins C.M.F., prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, presides at the beatification of Servant of God Fr. Basile-Antonie Marie Moreau, founder of the Congregation of the Holy Cross, at Le Mans, France.
- 16: In the Holy Father's name, Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B. presides at the beatification of Servant of God Fr. Stanislaus Papczynski, founder of the Congregation of Marian Clerics of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary, at the Marian Shrine of Lichen-Wloclawek, Poland.
- 16: In the Holy Father's name, Cardinal Jose Saraiva Martins C.M.F., prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, presides at the beatification of Servant of God Marie Celine of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a nun of the Second Order of St. Francis, at Bordeaux, France.
- 23: The Holy Father makes a pastoral visit pastoral visit to Velletri, south of Rome, the suburbicarian diocese of which he held the title from the year 1993 until his election to the pontificate in April 2005.
- 24: Holy Father receives the Letters of Credence of Jose Cuadra Chamorro, the new ambassador of Nicaragua to the Holy See.
OCTOBER
- 4: Holy Father receives the Letters of Credence of Antonio Zanardi Landi, Italy's new ambassador to the Holy See.
- 11: Holy Father receives the Letters of Credence of Francis Kim Ji-young, the new ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the Holy See.
- 12: Pope inaugurates the "Portone di Bronzo" (Bronze Door), the principal entrance to the Vatican Apostolic Palace, returning to service following almost two years of restoration work.
- 13: Benedict XVI visits the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music at its headquarters, recently refurbished at the initiative of the Holy See and thanks to the support of various benefactors including the "Fondazione pro Musica Sacra e Arte Sacra."
- 17: Holy Father announces the names of 23 prelates to be created cardinals in a consistory - the second of his pontificate - on November 24, the eve of the Feast of Christ the King.
- 18: Holy Father receives in audience Michelle Bachelet, president of the Republic of Chile.
- 19: Pope receives a delegation from the Mennonite World Conference, the first official Mennonite visit to Rome.
- 19: Holy Father receives in audience Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, president of the United Republic of Tanzania.
- 20: Holy Father receives in audience Francois Bozize, president of the Central African Republic.
- 21: Pope makes a pastoral visit to Naples, Italy, where he celebrates Mass and meets with participants in an International Meeting for Peace, organized by the Sant'Egidio Community.
- 25: Holy Father receives in audience Zeljko Komsic, president of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
- 26: Holy Father receives in audience Geir H. Haarde, prime minister of Iceland.
- 27: Holy Father receives the Letters of Credence of Fausto Cordovez Chiriboga, the new ambassador of the Republic of Ecuador to the Holy See.
- 27: Pope writes a Letter to Giovanni Maria Vian for the occasion of his appointment as director of "L'Osservatore Romano."
- 28: Cardinal Jose Saraiva Martins C.M.F., prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, presides at a ceremony in St. Peter's Square for the beatification of 498 martyrs of the 20th century in Spain.
- 29: Holy Father receives in audience Oscar Nicanor Duarte Frutos, president of the Republic of Paraguay.
NOVEMBER
- 6: Holy Father receives in audience King Abdallah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia.
- 7: Holy Father receives in audience Calin Popescu Tariceanu, prime minister of Romania.
- 8: Holy Father receives in audience Armando Guebuza, president of the Republic of Mozambique.
- 12: Holy Father receives the Letters of Credence of Suprapto Martosemoto, the new ambassador of Indonesia to the Holy See.
- 24: Holy Father holds an Ordinary Public Consistory, the second of his Pontificate, for the creation of 23 new cardinals.
- 30: Publication of Benedict XVI's second Encyclical, "Spe Salvi," dedicated to the theme of Christian hope. The document takes its theme from a passage in the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans: "spe salvi facti sumus" (in hope we are saved).
DECEMBER
- 5: Plenary Indulgence for the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Lourdes granted by the Holy Father through a decree published today and signed by Cardinal James Francis Stafford and Bishop Gianfranco Girotti, O.F.M. Conv., respectively penitentiary major and regent of the Apostolic Penitentiary.
- 6: Holy Father receives in audience Bamir Topi, president of the Republic of Albania.
- 7: Holy Father receives in audience Donald Tusk, prime minister of the Republic of Poland.
- 11: Publication of Benedict XVI's Message for the 41st World Day of Peace. The Day falls on January 1, 2008, and has as its theme: "The Human Family, a Community of Peace."
- 13: Holy Father receives the Letters of Credence of seven new ambassadors to the Holy See: Chaiyong Satjipanon of Thailand, Alain Butler-Payette of Seychelles, Peter Hitjitevi Katjavivi of Namibia, Elizabeth Ya Eli Harding of Gambia, Urmila Joella-Sewnundun of Suriname, Barry Desker of Singapore, and Suhail Khalil Shuhaiber of Kuwait.
- 14: Publication of a "Doctrinal Note on some aspects of evangelization" prepared by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, accompanied by an explanatory summary.
- 16: On his fifth visit as Pontiff to a Roman parish community, the Holy Father visits the parish of "Santa Maria del Rosario ai Maritiri Portuensi" where he celebrates Mass and presides at the consecration of the new church.
- 20: Holy Father receives in audience Nicolas Sarkozy, president of France. .../ACTIVITIES 2007/... VIS 071228 (1250)
VATICAN CITY, DEC 28, 2007 (VIS) - The Holy Father erected the new diocese of Techiman, (area 22,400, population 695,826, Catholics 79,645, priests 31, religious 23) Ghana, with territory taken from the dioceses of Sunyani and Konongo-Mampong, making it a suffragan of the metropolitan church of Kumasi. He appointed Fr. Dominic Nyarko Yeboah of the clergy of the diocese of Sunyani as the first bishop of the new diocese. The bishop-elect was born in Nsuta, Ghana in 1953 and ordained a priest in 1990.
On Thursday, December 27, it was made public that the Holy Father:
- Accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese of Catamarca, Argentina presented by Bishop Elmer Osmar Ramon Miani, in accordance with canon 401 para. 2 of the Code of Canon Law. He is succeeded by Coadjutor Bishop Luis Urbanc.
- Appointed Bishop Agustin Roberto Radrizzani S.D.B. of Lomas de Zamora, Argentina, as archbishop of Mercedes-Lujan (area 19,330, population 716,000, Catholics 687,360, priests 104, permanent deacons 2, religious 222), Argentina. The archbishop-elect was born in Avellanada, Argentina in 1944 he was ordained a priest in 1972 and consecrated a bishop in 1991. He succeeds Archbishop Ruben Hector Di Monte, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same archdiocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.
On Monday, December 24, it was made public that the Holy Father appointed Bishop Richard Anthony Burke S.P.S. of Warri, Nigeria, as archbishop of Benin City (area 13,678, population 3,043,000, Catholics 363,000, priests 90, religious 154), Nigeria. The archbishop-elect was born in Clonmel, Ireland in 1949, he was ordained a priest in 1975 and consecrated a bishop in 1996.
On Saturday, December 22, it was made public that the Holy Father:
- Appointed Archbishop Antonio Jose Lopez Castillo of Calabozo, Venezuela, as archbishop of Barquisimeto (area 8,590, population 1,754,410, Catholics 1,142,504, priests 189, permanent deacons 22, religious 341), Venezuela. He succeeds Archbishop Tulio Manuel Chirivella Varela, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same archdiocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.
- Appointed Msgr. Gianni Ambrosio of the clergy of the archdiocese of Vercelli, Italy, general ecclesiastical assistant to the Catholic University of Milan, as bishop of Piacenza - Bobbio (area 3,715, population 290,000, Catholics 269,000, priests 348, permanent deacons 37, religious 414), Italy. The bishop-elect was born in Santhia, Italy in 1943 and ordained a priest in 1968.
- Appointed Fr. Wieslaw Lechowicz, rector of the major seminary of Tarnow, Poland, as auxiliary of the diocese of Tarnow (area 7,566, population 1,127,656, Catholics 1,121,775, priests 1,339, religious 1,276). The bishop-elect was born in Dabrowa Tarnowska, Poland in 1962 and ordained a priest in 1987.
- Appointed Cardinal John Patrick Foley as grand master of the Equestrian Order of the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.
- Appointed Archbishop Giuseppe Lazzarotto, apostolic nuncio to Ireland, as apostolic nuncio to Australia.
- Appointed Archbishop George Kocherry, apostolic nuncio to Ghana, as apostolic nuncio to Zimbabwe. ECE:RE:NER:NEA:NA:NN/.../... VIS 071228 (500)
VATICAN CITY, DEC 28, 2007 (VIS) - There will be no VIS bulletin on Tuesday January 1, 2008, the next bulletin will be transmitted on Wednesday January 2. The staff of the Vatican Information Service wishes all its readers a very Happy New Year. .../.../... VIS 071228 (50) |
| You can find more information at: www.vatican.va - www.vis.pcn.net |
19 December 2007
Vatican Update 19 December 2007
| 12.19.2007 - Seventeenth Year - Num. 219 |
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SUMMARY:
- Christmas: Reaffirming the Mystery of Salvation
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CHRISTMAS: REAFFIRMING THE MYSTERY OF SALVATION
VATICAN CITY, DEC 19, 2007 (VIS) - In today's general audience, the last of 2007, celebrated in the Paul VI Hall, the Pope spoke on the subject of Christmas.
"If, on the one hand, Christmas is a commemoration of the incredible prodigy of the birth of the only-begotten Son of God from the Virgin Mary in the grotto of Bethlehem," said the Pope, "on the other, it also exhorts us to wait, vigilant and prayerful, for our own Redeemer, Who on the last day 'will come to judge the living and the dead'."
"Perhaps today," the Pope added in off-the-cuff remarks, "we faithful truly believe in the Judge; we all expect justice. We see so many injustices in the world, ... and we expect justice. ... We hope that whoever comes can bring justice. In this context we pray to Jesus Christ to come as a Judge. ... The Lord knows how to come into the world and create justice."
"Hoping for justice in the Christian sense means ... that we too begin to live under the eyes of the Judge, ... creating justice in our own lives. ... In this way we can open the world to the coming of the Son and prepare our hearts to welcome the Lord Who comes."
Returning to his prepared text, Benedict XVI said: "He Who was generated by the Father in eternity became a man in history thanks to the Virgin Mother. The true Son of God is also a true Son of man. Today, in our secularized world, these concepts do not seem to count for very much. People prefer to ignore them or to consider them superfluous to life, advancing the pretext that they are so far distant as to be practically untranslatable into convincing and significant words.
"Moreover," he added, "we have formed a view of tolerance and pluralism such that to believe that Truth has been effectively manifested appears to constitute an attack on tolerance and the freedom of man. If, however, truth is cancelled, is man not a being deprived of meaning? Do we not force ourselves and the world into a meaningless relativism?"
He continued: "How important it is, then, for us to reinforce the mystery of salvation which the celebration of Christ's Nativity brings. In Bethlehem the Light that illuminates our lives was revealed to the world; we were shown the Way that leads us to the fullness of our humanity. If we do not recognize that God was made man, what sense does it have to celebrate Christmas? We Christians must reaffirm with profound and heartfelt conviction the truth of Christ's nativity, in order to bear witness before everyone of the unique gift which brings wealth not just to us, but to everyone.
"From here," the Holy Father added, "arises the duty of evangelization, which is the communication of the 'eu-angelion,' the 'good news.' This was underlined in the recent document from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith 'Doctrinal Note on some aspects of evangelization,' which I wish to present for your reflection and your individual and joint perusal."
"In these days leading up to Christmas," said Pope Benedict, "the Church prays more intensely for the realization of hopes of peace and salvation, of which the world today still has such urgent need. Let us ask God for violence to be defeated with the strength of love, for contrasts to give way to reconciliation, for the desire to dominate to be transformed into a desire for forgiveness, justice and peace. May the wishes for goodness and love that we exchange over these days reach all areas of our daily lives."
"May the message of solidarity and acceptance which arises from Christmas," the Pope concluded, "contribute to creating a more profound awareness of old and new forms of poverty, and of the common good in which everyone is called to participate."
According to a note published today by the Prefecture of the Pontifical Household, a total of 624,100 people participated in the 44 general audiences celebrated by Benedict XVI during the course of 2007. AG/CHRISTMAS/... VIS 071219 (690)
VATICAN CITY, DEC 19, 2007 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed:
- Fr. Michael Wustenberg of the clergy of Hildesheim, Germany, 'fidei donum' missionary and former vicar general of the diocese of Aliwal, South Africa, as bishop of Aliwal (area 31,200, population 536,000, Catholics 42,300, priests 22, religious 71). The bishop-elect was born in Dortmund, Germany in 1954 and ordained a priest in 1982.
- Fr. Roberto Francisco Ferreria Paz of the clergy of the archdiocese of Porto Alegre, Brazil, pastor of the parish of "Nossa Senhora da Paz" in Porto Alegre, as auxiliary of the archdiocese of Niteroi (area 4,722, population 2,094,288, Catholics 1,067,608, priests 125, permanent deacons 18, religious 265), Brazil. The bishop-elect was born in Montevideo, Uruguay in 1953 and ordained a priest in 1989.
- Bishop Karl-Heinz Wiesemann, auxiliary of the archdiocese of Paderborn, Germany, as bishop of Speyer (area 5,893, population 1,364,692, Catholics 607,015, priests 389, permanent deacons 50, religious 762), Germany. NER:NEA/.../WUSTENBERG:FERRERIA:WIESEMANN VIS 071219 (170) |
| You can find more information at: www.vatican.va - www.vis.pcn.net |
17 December 2007
Vatican Update 17 Deecmber 2007
| 12.17.2007 - Seventeenth Year - Num. 217 |
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SUMMARY: DECEMBER 15 - 17
- Cardinal Stickler: Humble Adherence to the Will of God - To Japanese Prelates: Faith Is a Treasure to Be Shared - Celebrations to Be Presided by the Pope over Christmas - Christians Called to Be Witnesses of Hope - Christian Joy Arises from the Certainty That God Is Near - Postulators of Saints: Always at the Service of Truth
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CARDINAL STICKLER: HUMBLE ADHERENCE TO THE WILL OF GOD
VATICAN CITY, DEC 15, 2007 (VIS) - At 5 p.m. yesterday, at the altar of the Cathedra in St. Peter's Basilica, the Pope presided at the funeral of the Austrian Cardinal Alfons Maria Stickler S.D.B., archivist and librarian emeritus of Holy Roman Church, who died on December 12 at the age of 97.
In his homily the Pope recalled how, in his spiritual testament, the late cardinal had written that "as a Salesian I follow the three ideals handed down to us by Don Bosco: love for the Eucharist, devotion to the Virgin Mary and faithfulness to the Holy Father."
Cardinal Stickler "well knew," said the Holy Father, "that to love Christ is to love His Church, which is ever holy despite, as he himself notes in his spiritual testament, 'the sometimes scandalous weakness of we her representatives, in both past and present'."
"Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven," said Benedict XVI quoting the Gospel of Matthew's account of the Sermon on the Mount. "All of us, who through Baptism have been called to serve Jesus, know that we cannot and must not await praise and recognition in this world," he added.
"The faithful disciple's true reward is 'in heaven;' it is Christ Himself. Let us never forget this truth! Let us never give in to the temptation to seek human success and support rather than counting only and always on Him Who came into the world to save us, and Who on the cross redeemed us. Whatever the service to which God calls us in His vineyard, let it always be motivated by humble adherence to His will."
This, the Holy Father went on, "despite human frailties and weaknesses, was the guiding principle of the earthly life of the beloved Cardinal Stickler. ... A life totally dedicated, first to teaching and subsequently to the service of the Holy See."
Pope Benedict recalled how as a young man Cardinal Stickler entered the novitiate of the Salesians. He was ordained a priest in 1937 and, between 1958 and 1966, was rector of the Salesian University. In 1971 he became prefect of the Vatican Apostolic Library, and in September 1983 was appointed to the post of pro-librarian of Holy Roman Church. Two months later he was consecrated a bishop by John Paul II who, the following year, appointed him pro-archivist of Holy Roman Church and, in 1985, made him a cardinal. HML/FUNERAL STICKLER/... VIS 071217 (420)
TO JAPANESE PRELATES: FAITH IS A TREASURE TO BE SHARED
VATICAN CITY, DEC 15, 2007 (VIS) - Today in the Vatican, Benedict XVI received prelates from the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Japan, who have just completed their "ad limina" visit.
Addressing them in English, the Pope began by recalling the recently-deceased Cardinal Stephen Fumio Hamao, president emeritus of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant Peoples, who "in his person ... exemplified the bonds of communion between the Church in Japan and the Holy See."
The Holy Father then mentioned last year's 500th anniversary of the birth of St. Francis Xavier, the apostle of Japan, inviting the prelates to follow the saint's footsteps. "Your task today," he said, "is to seek new ways of bringing alive the message of Christ in the cultural setting of modern Japan. Even though Christians form only a small percentage of the population, the faith is a treasure that needs to be shared with the whole of Japanese society."
"The world is hungry for the message of hope that the Gospel brings. Even in countries as highly developed as yours, many are discovering that economic success and advanced technology are not sufficient in themselves to bring fulfilment to the human heart. ... Remind people that there is more to life than professional success and profit."
Going on to quote from his Encyclical "Deus caritas est," the Holy Father encouraged the prelates to lead their faithful "towards 'that encounter with God in Christ which awakens their love and opens their spirits to others.' This is the great hope that Christians in Japan can offer their compatriots; it is not foreign to Japanese culture, but rather it reinforces and gives new impetus to all that is good and noble in the heritage of your beloved nation.
"The well-merited respect which the citizens of your country show towards the Church, on account of her fine contribution in education, healthcare and many other fields, gives you an opportunity to engage with them in dialogue and to speak joyfully to them of Christ," he added.
Young people, the Pope warned, "are at risk of being deceived by the glamour of modern secular culture" and its "false hopes." The resulting disillusion "not infrequently leads to depression and despair, even to suicide." In this context, he expressed the hope that "youthful energy and enthusiasm can be directed towards the things of God, which alone are sufficient to satisfy their deepest longings."
Noting that over half of Japan's Catholic population is formed of immigrants, the Holy Father observed that this "provides an opportunity ... to experience the true catholicity of God's people. By taking steps to ensure that all are made to feel welcome in the Church," he told the bishops, "you can draw on the many gifts that the immigrants bring. At the same time, you need to remain vigilant in ensuring that the liturgical and disciplinary norms of the universal Church are carefully observed."
In closing, the Pope had words of praise for "the accumulated wisdom of the ancient culture," of Japan and "her stance on the world political stage in the last 60 years." He told the prelates: "you have made the voice of the Church heard on the enduring importance of this witness, all the greater in a world where armed conflicts bring so much suffering to the innocent."
In conclusion, the Pope recalled the forthcoming beatification of 188 Japanese martyrs, saying it "offers a clear sign of the strength and vitality of Christian witness in your country's history." AL/JAPAN/... VIS 071217 (600)
CELEBRATIONS TO BE PRESIDED BY THE POPE OVER CHRISTMAS
VATICAN CITY, DEC 15, 2007 (VIS) - The Office of Liturgical Celebration of the Supreme Pontiff today published the calendar of celebrations at which the Holy Father will preside during the Christmas season:
DECEMBER
- Monday, 24: Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord. The Pope will celebrate Midnight Mass in the Vatican Basilica.
- Tuesday, 25: Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord. At noon from the central balcony of the Vatican Basilica, the Pope will deliver his Christmas message to the world and will impart the "Urbi et Orbi" blessing.
- Monday, 31: At 6 p.m. in the Vatican Basilica, the Holy Father will preside at first Vespers on the Solemnity of Mary Mother of God. This will be followed by the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, the singing of the traditional "Te Deum" hymn of thanksgiving for the conclusion of the civil year, and the Eucharistic blessing.
JANUARY 2008
- Tuesday, 1: Solemnity of Mary Mother of God and 41st World Day of Peace which has as its theme: "The Human Family, a Community of Peace." In the Vatican Basilica at 10 a.m., the Holy Father will preside at the celebration of Mass.
- Sunday, 6: Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord. Holy Father to preside at Mass in the Vatican Basilica at 10 a.m.
- Sunday, 13: Baptism of Our Lord. Benedict XVI will preside at Mass in the Sistine Chapel at 10 a.m., during which he will impart the Sacrament of Baptism to a number of children. BXVI-CALENDAR/CHRISTMAS CELEBRATIONS/... VIS 071217 (270)
VATICAN CITY, DEC 15, 2007 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed:
- Bishop Sergio Pagano B., prefect of the Vatican Secret Archives, as a member of the Pontifical Commission for the Cultural Patrimony of the Church.
- Fr. Adriano Garuti O.F.M., professor of ecclesiology at the Pontifical Lateran University, as a consultor of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. NA/.../PAGANO:GARUTI VIS 071217 (70)
CHRISTIANS CALLED TO BE WITNESSES OF HOPE
VATICAN CITY, DEC 16, 2007 (VIS) - This morning, the Holy Father visited the Roman parish of "Santa Maria del Rosario ai Maritiri Portuensi" where he celebrated Mass and presided at the consecration of the new church. It was his fifth visit as Pontiff to a Roman parish community.
"The liturgy of Advent," said the Pope in his homily, "constantly repeats how we must awake from the slumber of habit and mediocrity, how we must abandon sadness and discouragement ... because the Lord is near." He then went on to recall the fact that the new parish church is located very near the catacombs of Generosa where, according to tradition, three young Christian martyrs were buried: Simplicius, Faustinus and Beatrice.
"Are not the young martyrs who died to bear witness to Christ a powerful stimulus for you, the Christians of today, to continue to follow Jesus faithfully? And does not the protection of Our Lady of the Rosary call upon you to be men and women of profound faith, just as she was? Today too, though in different ways, Christ's salvific message is attacked and Christians, no less than yesterday, are called to give reasons for their hope, to offer the world the testimony of the Truth of the One Who saves and redeems."
"The living community is more sacred than the actual church we have consecrated," said the Holy Father after the rite of consecration. "May the concern we show for this temple ... be a stimulus to show more intense concern in defending and promoting the temple of the individual person."
"It is Jesus," said the Pope, "Who lives in the parish community. Everything then, in the church building and in the Church community, speaks of Jesus. ... The Lord gathers us into the great community of the Church of all times and places, bound in communion with Peter's Successor as a rock of unity." BXVI-PV/PARISH LIFE/ROME VIS 071217 (330)
CHRISTIAN JOY ARISES FROM THE CERTAINTY THAT GOD IS NEAR
VATICAN CITY, DEC 16, 2007 (VIS) - Having returned to the Vatican following his visit this morning to the Roman parish of "Santa Maria del Rosario ai Maritiri Portuensi," the Pope appeared at the window of his private study overlooking St. Peter's Square to pray the Angelus with the faithful gathered below.
In his remarks, the Pope recalled how the third Sunday of Advent is traditionally known as "Gaudete Sunday" because Christians are called to rejoice at the coming of the Lord. "Christian joy," he explained, "flows from this certainty. God is near. ... He is with us, in happiness and in pain, in health and in sickness."
"Some people ask themselves," the Pope went on, "if this joy can still be felt today." The answer, he said, "is supplied by the lives of men and women of all ages and social conditions who are happy to consecrate their existence to others." In this context, the Holy Father mentioned Blessed Mother Theresa of Calcutta, "an unforgettable witness of true evangelical joy."
Mother Theresa, he continued, "experienced the trial of the dark night of faith, yet she continued to give everyone the smile of God. On one occasion she wrote: ... 'Being happy with God means loving like Him, helping like Him, giving like Him, serving like Him.'
"Indeed, joy enters the heart of those who place themselves at the service of the smallest and the poorest," the Pope added. "God dwells in people who love in such a way, and the soul is infused with joy. If, on the other hand, people idolize happiness, they take the wrong path and it becomes truly difficult to discover the joy of which Jesus speaks.
"And this, unfortunately, is what cultures that put individual happiness in place of God propose," he said. Emblematic of such a mentality "is the search for pleasure at all costs" and "the increasing use of drugs as an escape, a refuge in an artificial paradise which is subsequently revealed as merely illusory."
"At Christmas too it is possible to take the wrong path," Pope Benedict concluded, "mistaking the true feast for one that does not open the heart to the joy of Christ. May the Virgin Mary help all Christians - and men and women searching for God - to reach Bethlehem and meet the Child Who was born for us, for the salvation and happiness of all mankind." ANG/HAPPINESS/... VIS 071217 (420)
POSTULATORS OF SAINTS: ALWAYS AT THE SERVICE OF TRUTH
VATICAN CITY, DEC 17, 2007 (VIS) - This morning in the Vatican, the Holy Father received postulators of the causes of beatification and canonization of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.
The Pope began his address to them by mentioning the forthcoming 25th anniversary of the promulgation of the Apostolic Constitution "Divinus Perfectionis Magister" with which, in 1983, John Paul II revised the procedures of the causes of saints in order to respond to the wishes of experts and pastors who were calling "for a more manageable procedure, while still maintaining solidity of research in this field, which is so important for the life of the Church.
"Through beatifications and canonizations," the Pope added, the Church "gives thanks to God for the gift of those of His children who have responded generously to divine grace, honoring them and invoking them as intercessors." And the Church "presents these shining examples for the imitation of all the faithful, called through Baptism to sanctity, which its the aim and goal of every state of life."
At the same time "ecclesial communities come to realize the need, even in our own time, of witnesses capable of incarnating the perennial truth of the Gospel in the real circumstances of life, making it an instrument of salvation for the entire world."
"Saints, if correctly presented in their spiritual dynamism and historical reality, contribute to making the word of the Gospel and the mission of the Church more believable and attractive. Contact with them opens the way to true spiritual resurrection, lasting conversion and the flowering of new saints."
"All those who work in the causes of saints," said Benedict XVI, "are called to place themselves at the exclusive service of truth. For this reason, during the diocesan enquiry, witness statements and documentary evidence should be gathered both when favorable and when contrary to the sanctity of the fame of sanctity or of martyrdom of the Servants of God."
"Hence, the postulators' role is fundamental, both in the diocesan and apostolic stages of the process; their actions must be above criticism, inspired by rectitude and marked by absolute probity." AC/.../POSTULATORS VIS 071217 (370)
VATICAN CITY, DEC 17, 2007 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:
- Cardinal Jose Saraiva Martins C.M.F., prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.
- Cardinal Andrea Cordero Lanza di Montezemolo, archpriest of the Pontifical Basilica of St. Paul Outside-the-Walls.
- Archbishop Jean-Paul Gobel, apostolic nuncio to Iran.
On Saturday, December 15, he received in separate audiences:
- Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.
- Four prelates from the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Japan, on their "ad limina" visit:
- Bishop Marcellino Daiji Tani of Saitama.
- Bishop Peter Toshio Jinushi of Sapporo.
- Bishop Martin Tetsuo Hiraga of Sendai.
- Bishop Rafael Masahiro Umemura of Yokohama. AP:AL/.../... VIS 071217 (120) |
| You can find more information at: www.vatican.va - www.vis.pcn.net |
Vatican Update 14 December 2007
| 12.14.2007 - Seventeenth Year - Num. 216 |
|
SUMMARY:
- Pope Invites Young People to Say "Yes" to God - Nativity Scene and Tree, Symbols of Christ's Nativity - Telegram for Victims of Bomb Attack in Lebanon - Evangelization Requires Freedom and Truth - Doctrinal Note on Some Aspects of Evangelization
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POPE INVITES YOUNG PEOPLE TO SAY "YES" TO GOD
VATICAN CITY, DEC 14, 2007 (VIS) - Yesterday evening following a Eucharistic celebration for Roman university students, celebrated in the Vatican Basilica and presided by Cardinal Camillo Ruini, vicar general for the diocese of Rome, the Pope arrived in the basilica to greet the young people gathered there.
In his remarks to them, the Holy Father reflected on two themes: the spiritual formation of the young, and his own recent Encyclical "Spe salvi."
He began by recalling how 150 university students from the diocese of Rome have decided to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation on the eve of Pentecost next year. Addressing them and the other young people present, the Pope invited them "to turn their gaze to the Virgin Mary. From her 'yes' you should learn to pronounce your own 'yes' to the divine call. The Holy Spirit enters our lives in the extent to which we open our hearts with our 'yes.' The fuller that 'yes' is, the fuller is the gift of His presence."
Referring to his Encyclical on Christian hope, Benedict invited his listeners to reflect upon and consider, individually and as a group, the section dedicated to hope in the modern age.
The Pope continued: "In the seventeenth century Europe went through an epoch-making change. Since then a mentality has become ever more widespread according to which human progress is the work of science and technology, while faith concerns only the salvation of the soul.
"The two great concepts of modernity - reason and freedom - have been, so to say, 'disengaged' from God," the Holy Father added. They have "become autonomous and work together in the construction of the 'kingdom of man,' which in practice contrasts with the Kingdom of God. Hence the spread of materialist ideas, nourished by the hope that, by changing economic and political structures, it will finally be possible to achieve a just society in which peace, freedom and equality reign.
"This process," the Pope concluded, "which is not without its merits and its historical causes, contains, however, a basic error: man is not just the result of certain economic and social conditions; technological progress does not correspond to the moral development of mankind. In fact without ethical principles science and technology can be used - as has happened and unfortunately still does happen - not for the good but to the detriment of individuals and humanity." AC/.../ROMAN STUDENTS VIS 071214 (410)
NATIVITY SCENE AND TREE, SYMBOLS OF CHRIST'S NATIVITY
VATICAN CITY, DEC 14, 2007 (VIS) - This morning the Holy Father received in audience a delegation from the autonomous Italian region of Trentino - Alto Adige/Sud Tirol, led by the regional president and the mayor of the village of St. Martin en Thurn, which has supplied this year's Christmas tree for St. Peter's Square.
"This ancient fir," said the Pope, "cut down without harming the life of the forest, ... will remain standing by the nativity scene until the end of the Christmas festivities. ... It is an important symbol of Christ's Nativity because with its evergreen leaves it recalls the life that does not die. The fir is also a symbol of the popular religiosity in your valleys, which finds particular expression in processions."
"The tree and the nativity scene are elements of that typical Christmas atmosphere which is part of the spiritual heritage of our communities; an atmosphere suffused with religiosity and family intimacy which we must conserve even in our modern societies where the race to consumerism and the search for material goods sometimes seem to prevail.
"Christmas is a Christian feast," added Benedict XVI in conclusion, "and its symbols, especially the nativity scene and the tree hung with gifts, are important references to the great mystery of the Incarnation and the Birth of Jesus, which are constantly evoked by the liturgy of Advent and Christmas." AC/CHRISTMAS TREE/... VIS 071214 (240)
TELEGRAM FOR VICTIMS OF BOMB ATTACK IN LEBANON
VATICAN CITY, DEC 14, 2007 (VIS) - Cardinal Secretary of State Tarciso Bertone S.D.B. has sent a telegram, in the Pope's name, to Cardinal Nasrallah Pierre Sfeir, patriarch of Antioch of the Maronites, for the death of General Francois El Hajj, who was killed along with his driver in an explosion on December 12 which also injured many others.
In the telegram, the Holy Father expresses his "profound communion in the trials that are once again afflicting Lebanon in these difficult and delicate times for the country," and entrusts the souls of the deceased to divine mercy. He also gives assurances of his prayers for the families of the dead and injured, and for all those affected by "this act of unjustifiable violence."
Benedict XVI concludes by appealing to the Lord "to grant all the leaders of public life, and the Lebanese people, the interior strength and courage to discover, beyond particular interests, the road to unity and reconciliation so that the country may develop in peace and security." TGR/LEBANON ATTACK/SFEIR VIS 071214 (180)
EVANGELIZATION REQUIRES FREEDOM AND TRUTH
VATICAN CITY, DEC 14, 2007 (VIS) - This morning in the Holy See Press Office, the presentation took place of a "Doctrinal Note on some aspects of evangelization" prepared by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
Participating in the press conference were Cardinals William Joseph Levada, Francis Arinze and Ivan Dias, respectively prefects of the Congregations for the Doctrine of the Faith, for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, and for the Evangelization of Peoples; and Archbishop Angelo Amato S.D.B., secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
Cardinal Levada explained that the document is intended to respond "to a certain confusion about whether Catholics should give testimony about their faith in Christ. The congregation," he said, "decided to address some specific points which seem to undermine the fulfillment of Christ's missionary mandate. It does so under three general headings:" the anthropological, ecclesiological and ecumenical implications of evangelization.
In his remarks, Archbishop Amato recalled that "evangelization means not just teaching doctrine but announcing the Lord Jesus though word and deed, in other words, becoming instruments of His presence and activity in the world."
The "primary task of the Church," the archbishop went on, "is to lead mankind to friendship with Jesus Christ, in freedom and respect for the conscience of others. ... The necessary respect for different sensibilities and particular traditions cannot preclude the need for freedom or for truth, which are the indispensable prerequisites for any form of dialogue."
"Unity in truth and the exercise of freedom in charity are the arduous but rewarding paths that the Note aims to highlight, in the difficult and fascinating task of bearing witness to Christian faith at the beginning of the third millennium."
In his talk, Cardinal Arinze made a number of observations concerning the regions of sub-Saharan Africa where "African traditional religion has been the dominant religious and cultural context for centuries. It is also from that context that most converts to Christianity in these countries in the past two hundred years have come."
"The sharing of our Catholic faith with others who do not yet know Christ should be regarded as a work of love," he continued, "provided that it is done with full respect for their human dignity and freedom. Indeed if a Christian did not try to spread the Gospel by sharing the excelling knowledge of Jesus Christ with others, we could suspect that Christian either of lack of total conviction on the faith, or of selfishness and laziness in not wanting to share the full and abundant means of salvation with his fellow human beings."
For his part, Cardinal Dias commented on the Note from an "Asian theological perspective." Evangelization "in a context of religious pluralism is nothing new for the Church," he said. However, it does present "a particular challenge in modern times because we are living in an age in which people from different religions meet and interact more than in any other period in human history."
With a range of religious traditions as vast as that of the continent of Asia, said the cardinal, "Christians must seek to discover therein the action of the Holy Spirit - in other words the 'seeds of truth' as Vatican Council II chose to call them - and lead them, with no pretensions to superiority, to full knowledge of the truth in Jesus Christ."
Finally, on the subject of evangelization through inter-religious dialogue, Cardinal Dias expressed the view that "other religions represent a positive challenge for the Church; they stimulate her both to discover and recognize the signs of Christ's presence in the action of the Spirit, and to develop her own identity and bear witness to the integrity of revelation, of which she is the depositary for the good of everyone." OP/DOCTRINAL NOTE/... VIS 071214 (640)
DOCTRINAL NOTE ON SOME ASPECTS OF EVANGELIZATION
VATICAN CITY, DEC 14, 2007 (VIS) - A "Doctrinal Note on some aspects of evangelization" prepared by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith was made public today. Accompanying the publication is an English-language summary outlining the main points of the new document. Extracts from the summary are given below:
"The Doctrinal Note is devoted principally to an exposition of the Catholic Church's understanding of the Christian mission of evangelization, which is to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ," the summary begins.
"Today there is 'a growing confusion' about the Church's missionary mandate. Some think 'that any attempt to convince others on religious matters is a limitation of their freedom,' suggesting that it is enough to invite people 'to act according to their consciences,' or to 'become more human or more faithful to their own religion,' or 'to build communities which strive for justice, freedom, peace and solidarity,' without aiming at their conversion to Christ and to the Catholic faith.
"Others have argued that conversion to Christ should not be promoted because it is possible for people to be saved without explicit faith in Christ or formal incorporation in the Church."
Considering certain "anthropological implications" the document observes that "while some forms of agnosticism and relativism deny the human capacity for truth, in fact human freedom cannot be separated from its reference to truth."
"This search for truth cannot be accomplished entirely on one's own, but inevitably involves help from others and trust in knowledge that one receives from others. Thus, teaching and entering into dialogue to lead someone in freedom to know and to love Christ is not inappropriate encroachment on human freedom, 'but rather a legitimate endeavor and a service capable of making human relationships more fruitful'."
"Through evangelization, cultures are positively affected by the truth of the Gospel. Likewise, through evangelization, members of the Catholic Church open themselves to receiving the gifts of other traditions and cultures."
"Any approach to dialogue such as coercion or improper enticement that fails to respect the dignity and religious freedom of the partners in that dialogue has no place in Christian evangelization."
Going on to examine "some ecclesiological implications," the summary affirms that "for Christian evangelization, 'the incorporation of new members into the Church is not the expansion of a power-group, but rather entrance into the network of friendship with Christ which connects heaven and earth, different continents and ages'."
"The Doctrinal Note cites the Vatican Council II's 'Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World' (Gaudium et Spes) to say that respect for religious freedom and its promotion 'must not in any way make us indifferent towards truth and goodness. Indeed, love impels the followers of Christ to proclaim to all the truth which saves'."
Finally, on the subject of "ecumenical implications," the document "points out the important role of ecumenism in the Church's mission of evangelization. Christian divisions can seriously compromise the credibility of the Church's evangelizing mission."
"When Catholic evangelization takes place in a country where other Christians live, Catholics must take care to carry out their mission with 'both true respect for the tradition and spiritual riches of such countries as well as a sincere spirit of cooperation.' Evangelization proceeds by dialogue, not proselytism." CDF/NOTE EVANGELIZATION/... VIS 071214 (550)
VATICAN CITY, DEC 14, 2007 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:
- Archbishop Nikola Eterovic, secretary general of the Synod of Bishops.
- Four prelates from the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Japan, on their "ad limina" visit:
- Archbishop Peter Takeo Okada of Tokyo, accompanied by Auxiliary Bishop James Kazuo Koda.
- Bishop Francis Xavier Osamu Mizobe S.D.B. of Takamatsu.
- Bishop Tarcisius Isao Kikuchi S.V.D. of Niigata. AP:AL/.../... VIS 071214 (80) |
| You can find more information at: www.vatican.va - www.vis.pcn.net |
12 December 2007
Vatican Update 12 December 2007
| 12.12.2007 - Seventeenth Year - Num. 214 |
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SUMMARY:
- St. Paulinus: Communion, Key to the Mystery of the Church
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ST. PAULINUS: COMMUNION, KEY TO THE MYSTERY OF THE CHURCH
VATICAN CITY, DEC 12, 2007 (VIS) - St. Paulinus of Nola, a bishop and contemporary of St. Augustine, was the theme of Benedict XVI's catechesis during today's general audience, which was held in the Paul VI Hall.
The Pope explained how as a young man St. Paulinus became governor of the Campania region in southern Italy. In that role he stood out for his wisdom and humility, while his contact with "the simple and intense faith" of the people marked the start of his own path to conversion, which was not without difficulties and trials.
"The meeting with Christ was the finishing point of an arduous journey," during which a series of adverse circumstances brought the saint "to a direct experience of the frailty of things," said the Pope.
St. Paulinus' journey to faith also included marriage, but following the death of his newborn child he and his wife Terasia decided to give their possessions to the poor and, living in fraternal chastity, to found a monastic community. His pastoral activity was characterized, the Holy Father went on, "by his particular concern for the poor, and he left behind him the image of a true pastor of charity."
"The conversion of Paulinus made a great impression on his contemporaries" who criticized "his 'disdain' ... for worldly goods and his abandonment of his literary calling," said Benedict XVI. But Paulinus would reply "that giving to the poor did not mean disdain for worldly goods, but rather their employment for the most exalted aim of charity. ... A new aesthetic now governed the saint's sensibility: the beauty of the incarnate God, crucified and risen."
"St. Paulinus did not write theological treatises, but his odes ... are replete with a living theology," said Pope Benedict, "which is constantly examined as light for life. What emerges in particular is the idea of the Church as a mystery of unity. He experienced communion above all through the ardent cultivation of spiritual friendship. ... With remarkable warmth the saint of Nola praises friendship as a manifestation of the one body of Christ animated by the Holy Spirit."
"And it is in the concept of communion that theology in our own day has found the key for approaching the mystery of the Church," Pope Benedict concluded. "The witness of St. Paulinus of Nola helps us to experience the Church as she is presented to us by Vatican Council II, a sacrament of intimate union with God and of the unity of the whole human race." AG/PAULINUS OF NOLA/... VIS 071212 (430)
VATICAN CITY, DEC 12, 2007 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed:
- Fr. Enemesio Angelus Lazzaris F.D.P., vicar general of the Brothers of Divine Providence in Rome, as bishop of Balsas (area 66,025, population 237,944, Catholics 172,710, priests 27, permanent deacons 2, religious 49), Brazil. The bishop-elect was born in Sideropolis, Brazil in 1948 and ordained a priest in 1975.
- Fr. Tadeusz Wojda S.A.C., official of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, as bureau chief in the same congregation. NER:NA/.../LAZZARIS:WOJDA VIS 071212 (90) |
| You can find more information at: www.vatican.va - www.vis.pcn.net |
11 December 2007
Vatican Update 11 December 2007
| 12.11.2007 - Seventeenth Year - Num. 213 |
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SUMMARY:
- Cardinal Martino Presents Message for World Day of Peace - Message for World Day of Peace 2008
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CARDINAL MARTINO PRESENTS MESSAGE FOR WORLD DAY OF PEACE
VATICAN CITY, DEC 11, 2007 (VIS) - This morning in the Holy See Press Office, Cardinal Renato Raffaele Martino, president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, presented Benedict XVI's Message for the World Day of Peace 2008.
"Throughout the Message," said the cardinal, "the Holy Father shows us how the family and peace are constantly linked in a fruitful union." This, he added, "constitutes one of the most stimulating conditions for creating an appropriate cultural, social and political vision of the complex questions associated with achieving peace in our times."
Thus the first part of the Message "highlights the meaning and the value of the connection between the family and peace," while in the second part "the human family is examined in relation to a series of problems that directly concern peace."
The first part of the Pope's Message is dedicated to "a number of descriptive aspects of the Christian family" because "family life provides an experience of all the fundamental ingredients of peace: justice in relations between brothers and sisters, the importance of law and of the authority of parents, power experienced as service to the weakest, ... help in case of need, willingness to welcome, to make sacrifices and to forgive."
The Holy Father, said Cardinal Martino, "highlights how the family has specific rights," which are "an expression of the natural and universal law that exists in the minds and the hearts of all human beings." The Pope also presents some of his concerns "because the main agent of peace, the family, is incapable of fully playing its role.
"In fact," the cardinal added, "many legislative initiatives work against peace by weakening the family founded on marriage between a man and a woman, by directly or indirectly forcing families not to be open to accepting a morally responsible life, or by not recognizing the family as having primary responsibility in the education of children."
The president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace went on to comment on "the particular requirements of the human family" as enumerated in the Holy Father's Message: environment, economy, morals, overcoming conflict. "The question of the environment is closely linked to peace," the cardinal said, "because for peace in the human family it is important that the earth be considered as our joint home." The world must be managed responsibly and for everyone, he said, to which end the "path of dialogue rather than that of unilateral decisions" must be followed.
On the subject of the economy he said: "Peace is experienced in families when no one lacks what they need and when the economy (the fruit of the work of some, the savings of others and the active collaboration of everyone) is well organized in solidarity, without waste or excess. ... The image of the family helps us to maintain the balance between the two facets of the economy: correct and honest relations among ... peoples enabling them to collaborate in a context of parity and justice and, at the same time, efficient organization of resources for the production and distribution of wealth."
"A family lives under a common standard" which is "a cause of peace because it prevents selfish individualism and bonds the members of a family together, favoring their coexistence. This must be true also of the human family," the cardinal said.
"In this perspective," he went on, "the Holy Father censures arbitrary actions, both within States and in relations between States," and denounces the many situations in which "the weak must bow their heads not before the requirements of justice but before the naked power of those who have greater means then they."
On the question of "overcoming conflicts and reinforcing the process of disarmament," which is dealt with in the last section of the Pope's Message, the cardinal recalled that military budgets over the last decade have been the highest in history. He also highlighted the need to reflect on the "overlap of the civilian economy with the military economy," and on the phenomenon of "dual use," in other words "the possibility of products, services or knowledge being employed for either civilian or military ends."
Another theme for reflection, the cardinal concluded "is the contradiction between anti-terrorism policies and international security policies." Following the attacks against the Twin Towers in 2001, "the international community has adopted severe measures against the risk of terrorism; at the same time States, and particularly nuclear powers, have begun renewing their military structures and armaments." OP/PRESENTATION PEACE MESSAGE/MARTINO VIS 071211 (760)
MESSAGE FOR WORLD DAY OF PEACE 2008
VATICAN CITY, DEC 11, 2007 (VIS) - Made public today was Benedict XVI's Message for the 41st World Day of Peace. The Day falls on January 1, 2008, and has as its theme: "The Human Family, a Community of Peace." The text has been published in English, French, Spanish, Italian, German and Portuguese.
Extracts from the Message are given below:
"The natural family, as an intimate communion of life and love, based on marriage between a man and a woman, constitutes 'the primary place of humanization for the person and society and a 'cradle of life and love.' The family is therefore rightly defined as the first natural society, 'a divine institution that stands at the foundation of life of the human person as the prototype of every social order'."
After highlighting the fact that "the family is the first and indispensable teacher of peace," the Holy Father recalls that it is also "the foundation of society ... because it enables its members in decisive ways to experience peace. It follows that the human community cannot do without the service provided by the family."
"The family, since it has the duty of educating its members, is the subject of specific rights. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which represents a landmark of juridic civilization of truly universal value, states that 'the family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State.' ... The denial or even the restriction of the rights of the family, by obscuring the truth about man, threatens the very foundations of peace.
"Consequently," the Pope adds, "whoever, even unknowingly, circumvents the institution of the family undermines peace in the entire community, national and international, since he weakens what is in effect the primary agency of peace. ... Everything that serves to weaken the family based on the marriage of a man and a woman, everything that directly or indirectly stands in the way of its openness to the responsible acceptance of a new life, everything that obstructs its right to be primarily responsible for the education of its children, constitutes an objective obstacle on the road to peace."
"When society and public policy are not committed to assisting the family," the Holy Father writes, "they deprive themselves of an essential resource in the service of peace." Moreover "social communications media, in particular, because of their educational potential, have a special responsibility for promoting respect for the family, making clear its expectations and rights, and presenting all its beauty."
"We do not live alongside one another purely by chance; all of us are progressing along a common path as men and women, and thus as brothers and sisters. ... By going back to this supreme principle we are able to perceive the unconditional worth of each human being, and thus to lay the premises for building a humanity at peace. Without this transcendent foundation society is a mere aggregation of neighbors, not a community of brothers and sisters called to form one great family."
The earth is the home of the human family, says the Holy Father, highlighting the need "to care for the environment" which "has been entrusted to men and women to be protected and cultivated with responsible freedom, with the good of all as a constant guiding criterion. Human beings, obviously, are of supreme worth vis-a-vis creation as a whole. Respecting the environment does not mean considering material or animal nature more important than man."
"Humanity today is rightly concerned about the ecological balance of tomorrow. It is important for assessments in this regard to be carried out prudently, in dialogue with experts and people of wisdom, uninhibited by ideological pressure to draw hasty conclusions, and above all with the aim of reaching agreement on a model of sustainable development capable of ensuring the well-being of all while respecting environmental balances. If the protection of the environment involves costs, they should be justly distributed, taking due account of the different levels of development of various countries and the need for solidarity with future generations."
In this regard, the Pope dwells on the need "to choose the path of dialogue rather than the path of unilateral decisions. ... One area where there is a particular need to intensify dialogue between nations is that of the stewardship of the earth's energy resources: ... on the one hand, to reassess the high levels of consumption due to the present model of development, and on the other hand to invest sufficient resources in the search for alternative sources of energy and for greater energy efficiency." Poor countries, the Pope adds, "due to their insufficient infrastructures, including their technological infrastructures, are forced to undersell the energy resources they do possess."
"Efforts must also be made to ensure a prudent use of resources and an equitable distribution of wealth. In particular, the aid given to poor countries must be guided by sound economic principles, avoiding forms of waste associated principally with the maintenance of expensive bureaucracies. Due account must also be taken of the moral obligation to ensure that the economy is not governed solely by the ruthless laws of instant profit, which can prove inhumane."
Benedict XVI writes: "A family lives in peace if all its members submit to a common standard: this is what prevents selfish individualism and brings individuals together, fostering their harmonious coexistence and giving direction to their work. ... For the sake of peace, a common law is needed, one which would foster true freedom rather than blind caprice, and protect the weak from oppression by the strong. ... Power must always be disciplined by law, and this applies also to relations between sovereign States."
"The juridic norm, which regulates relationships between individuals, disciplines external conduct and establishes penalties for offenders, has as its criterion the moral norm grounded in nature itself."
"Knowledge of the natural moral norm is not inaccessible to those who, in reflecting on themselves and their destiny, strive to understand the inner logic of the deepest inclinations present in their being. Albeit not without hesitation and doubt, they are capable of discovering, at least in its essential lines, this common moral law which, over and above cultural differences, enables human beings to come to a common understanding regarding the most important aspects of good and evil, justice and injustice. ... Mankind is not 'lawless.' All the same, there is an urgent need to persevere in dialogue about these issues and to encourage the legislation of individual States to converge towards a recognition of fundamental human rights. The growth of a global juridic culture depends, for that matter, on a constant commitment to strengthen the profound human content of international norms, lest they be reduced to mere procedures, easily subject to manipulation for selfish or ideological reasons."
Benedict XVI's Message proceeds: "Humanity today is unfortunately experiencing great division and sharp conflicts which cast dark shadows on its future." In this context, the Pope underlines how "the danger of an increase in the number of countries possessing nuclear weapons causes well-founded apprehension," while in Africa there are still "many civil wars" and "the Middle East is still a theatre of conflict and violence, which also affects neighboring nations and regions and risks drawing them into the spiral of violence. On a broader scale, one must acknowledge with regret the growing number of States engaged in the arms race."
"In difficult times such as these, it is truly necessary for all persons of good will to come together to reach concrete agreements aimed at an effective demilitarization, especially in the area of nuclear arms. At a time when the process of nuclear non-proliferation is at a stand-still, I feel bound to entreat those in authority to resume with greater determination negotiations for a progressive and mutually agreed dismantling of existing nuclear weapons."
Pope Benedict concludes by recalling three special anniversaries: "Sixty years ago the United Nations Organization solemnly issued the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. ... This year also marks the 25th anniversary of the Holy See's adoption of the Charter of the Rights of the Family and the 40th anniversary of the celebration of the first World Day of Peace."
"In the light of these significant anniversaries, I invite every man and woman to have a more lively sense of belonging to the one human family, and to strive to make human coexistence increasingly reflect this conviction, which is essential for the establishment of true and lasting peace. I likewise invite believers to implore tirelessly from God the great gift of peace" MESS/PEACE DAY 2008/... VIS 071211 (1440)
VATICAN CITY, DEC 11, 2007 (VIS) - This evening the Holy Father is scheduled to receive in audience Cardinal Ivan Dias, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples. AP/.../... VIS 071211 (40)
VATICAN CITY, DEC 11, 2007 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Bishop Willem Jacobus Eijk of Groningen-Leeuwarden, Netherlands, as metropolitan archbishop of Utrecht (area 10,000, population 3,904,940, Catholics 822,316, priests 516, permanent deacons 75, religious 1,319), Netherlands. The archbishop-elect was born in Duivendrecht, Netherlands in 1953 he was ordained a priest in 1985 and consecrated a bishop in 1999. NER/.../EIJK VIS 071211 (70) |
| You can find more information at: www.vatican.va - www.vis.pcn.net |
10 December 2007
Vatican Update 10 December 2007
| 12.10.2007 - Seventeenth Year - Num. 212 |
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SUMMARY: DECEMBER 8 - 10
- Mary: Model and Mother of Love for the Young - Without God It Is Not Possible to Build Stable Peace - Angelus: Christ Is the Measure God Has Given Humanity
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MARY: MODEL AND MOTHER OF LOVE FOR THE YOUNG
VATICAN CITY, DEC 8, 2007 (VIS) - At midday today, Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Pope addressed thousands of pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Square to pray the Angelus.
In his remarks, the Holy Father indicated how today's feast is a celebration of "the mystery of God's grace which, from the first moment of her existence, surrounded the life of the creature destined to become the Mother of the Redeemer, preserving her from the contagion of original sin. Looking at her we recognize the greatness and beauty of God's project for each human being: to become holy and immaculate in love, in the image of our Creator.
"What a great gift it is to have Mary Immaculate for a mother," Benedict XVI added. "A mother resplendent in beauty and transparent to the love of God." He then referred to young people of today who are, he said, "growing up in an atmosphere pervaded with messages that propose false models of happiness. These boys and girls risk losing hope because they often seem to be orphaned of that real love which fills life with meaning and joy."
After highlighting how John Paul II had often presented Mary to young people as the "Mother of beautiful love," the Pope went on: "Many experiences show us, unfortunately, that adolescents, young people, and even children fall easy victims to the corruption of love, taken in by unscrupulous adults who ... draw them into the blind alleys of consumerism. Even the most sacred things such as the human body (the temple of God, of love and of life) thus become objects of consumption; and this is happening ever earlier, even before adolescence. How sad it is when children lose their sense of wonder, the enchantment of the most beautiful feelings, the value of respect for the body which is the manifestation of the individual and of his or her unfathomable mystery.
"Of all this we are reminded by Mary Immaculate whom we contemplate in all her beauty and sanctity," the Pope concluded. "To her we faithfully address our prayer as spiritually we make the pilgrimage to Lourdes where today begins the special jubilee year for the 150th anniversary of her apparition in the grotto of Massabielle." ANG/MARY IMMACULATE/... VIS 071210 (390)
WITHOUT GOD IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO BUILD STABLE PEACE
VATICAN CITY, DEC 8, 2007 (VIS) - Early this afternoon, the Holy Father travelled by popemobile to Rome's Piazza di Spagna to pay his traditional homage before the statue of Mary Immaculate. Along the route, the Holy Father greeted the thousands of people who were lining the streets to see him.
Having reached the monument, a column with a statue of the Virgin standing in front of the recently-restored facade of the Spanish embassy to the Holy See, Benedict laid a basket of roses at the base and read a prayer.
Mary Immaculate, said the Pope, "pursued her earthly pilgrimage borne up by an intrepid faith, an unshakeable hope and a humble and limitless love, following the footsteps of her son Jesus. With maternal solicitude she remained at His side from birth to Calvary where she was present at His crucifixion, full of pain but firm in hope. Subsequently she experienced the joy of the resurrection."
"Does she, our heavenly mother, not invite us to avoid evil and to accomplish good, meekly following the divine love written in every Christian heart? Does she (who kept her own hope alive at the moment of harshest trial) not ask us not to lost hope when suffering and death knock at the door of our homes? Does she not ask us to look trustingly to our future? Does the Immaculate Virgin not exhort us to be brothers to one another, joined by the commitment to build together a more just, united and peaceful world?"
The Pope highlighted how the Virgin "reminds us that we are all brothers and that God is our Creator and our Father. Without Him - or, worse still, against Him - we human beings will never be able to find the road that leads to love, we will never be able to defeat the power of hatred and violence, we will never be able to build a stable peace."
In this context, Benedict XVI went on to exhort "people of all nations and cultures" to accept "this message of light and hope," to accept it "as a gift from the hands of Mary, mother of all humanity.
"If life is a voyage," he added, "and this voyage is often dark, difficult and wearisome, what star can illuminate it?" Referring to his own recent Encyclical "Spe salvi," he went on: "in our joint voyage over the sea of history we have need of 'lights of hope,' that is of people who draw light from Christ 'and so guide us along our way.'
"And who better than Mary," the Holy Father asked in conclusion, "can be a 'Star of Hope' for us? With her 'yes,' with the generous offer of the freedom she received from the Creator, she enabled the hope of millennia to become reality and to enter into this world and its history."
Before concluding the ceremony, Benedict XVI addressed some words in French to pilgrims gathered in the Marian shrines of Lourdes and Fourviere in France, for the beginning of the jubilee year marking the 150th anniversary of the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary. BXVI-HOMAGE/MARY IMMACULATE/... VIS 071210 (530)
ANGELUS: CHRIST IS THE MEASURE GOD HAS GIVEN HUMANITY
VATICAN CITY, DEC 9, 2007 (VIS) - At his Angelus prayer today, the second Sunday of Advent, Benedict XVI recalled how St. John the Baptist, the precursor of Christ, preaching in the desert, "put people on their guard, above all against the hypocrisy of those who felt secure for the simple fact of belonging to the Chosen People: before God, ... no one has the right to boast but must 'bear fruit worthy of repentance.'
"As the journey of Advent continues," the Pope added, "as we prepare to celebrate the nativity of Christ, John the Baptist's call to conversion sounds out in our communities. It is a pressing invitation to open our hearts and to welcome the Son of God Who comes among us to make divine judgement manifest. The Father, writes St. John the Evangelist, does not judge anyone, but has entrusted the power of judgement to the Son, because He is the Son of man.
"And it is today, in the present," the Pope added, "that we decide our future destiny. It is with our concrete everyday behavior in this life that we determine our eternal fate. At the end of our days on earth, at the moment of death, we will be evaluated on the basis of our likeness or otherwise to the Baby Who is about to be born in the poor grotto of Bethlehem, because He is the measure God has given humanity."
He continued: "Through the Gospel John the Baptist continues to speak down the centuries to each generation. His hard clear words bring health to us, the men and women of this day in which even the experience and perception of Christmas often, unfortunately, reflects materialist attitudes. The 'voice' of the great prophet asks us to prepare the way for the coming Lord in the deserts of today, internal and external deserts, thirsting for the water of life which is Christ."
After praying the Angelus, the Pope mentioned his forthcoming meeting with Roman university students, due to take place on December 13. "Dear young people," he said, "I hope you will come in large numbers so we may prepare for Christmas by invoking the gift of wisdom from the Holy Spirit for the entire university community." ANG/JOHN THE BAPTIST:CHRISTMAS/... VIS 071210 (390)
VATICAN CITY, DEC 10, 2007 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:
- Shawqi Jabriel Armali, director of the office of representation to the Holy See of the Palestine Liberation Organization.
- Four prelates from the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Japan, on their "ad limina" visit:
- Archbishop Joseph Mitsuaki Takami P.S.S. of Nagasaki.
- Bishop Paul Kenjiro Koriyama of Kagoshima.
- Bishop Berard Toshio Oshikawa O.F.M. Conv. of Naha.
- Bishop Dominic Ryoji Miyahara of Oita. AP:AL/.../... VIS 071210 (90)
VATICAN CITY, DEC 10, 2007 (VIS) - The Holy Father:
- Appointed Msgr. Romano Rossi of the clergy of the diocese of Rome, pastor of the parish of "Nostra Signora di Coromoto," as bishop of Civita Castellana (area 1,552, population 224,700, Catholics 213,800, priests 184, permanent deacons 12, religious 473), Italy. The bishop-elect was born in Montevarchi, Italy in 1947 and ordained a priest in 1971. He succeeds Bishop Divo Zadi, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.
- Appointed Archbishop Francisco-Javier Lozano, apostolic nuncio to Croatia, as apostolic nuncio to Romania and Moldova. NER:RE:NN/.../ROSSI:ZADI:LOZANO VIS 071210 (110) |
| You can find more information at: www.vatican.va - www.vis.pcn.net |
07 December 2007
Vatican Update 7 December 2007
| 12.07.2007 - Seventeenth Year - Num. 211 |
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SUMMARY:
- Benedict XVI Attends First Sermon of Advent - Pope Receives Polish Prime Minister - Lights and Shadows of Church Life in Asia
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BENEDICT XVI ATTENDS FIRST SERMON OF ADVENT
VATICAN CITY, DEC 7, 2007 (VIS) - This morning, in the Vatican's "Redemptoris Mater" chapel, the Pope attended the first sermon of Advent, delivered, in keeping with tradition, by Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa O.F.M. Cap., preacher of the Pontifical Household. The theme of this year's meditations is taken from the Letter to the Hebrews (1, 2): "He has spoken to us by a Son."
The meditations will be attended by cardinals, archbishops, bishops, prelates of the Roman Curia and the Vicariate of Rome, and by the superiors general of the religious orders that form part of the "Cappella Pontificia."
The remaining Advent sermons will be given on December 14 and 21. .../ADVENT SERMONS/CANTALAMESSA VIS 071207 (120)
POPE RECEIVES POLISH PRIME MINISTER
VATICAN CITY, DEC 7, 2007 (VIS) - The Holy See Press Office released the following communique at midday today:
"This morning the Holy Father Benedict XVI received in audience Donald Tusk, prime minister of the Republic of Poland, who subsequently went on to meet with Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B., accompanied by Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, secretary for Relations with States.
"The cordial discussions focussed on the situation in the country, with particular reference to Christian moral and religious values which are part of the heritage of the Polish people. Mention was made of the traditionally good relations between Poland and the Holy See, which were given particular impetus during the pontificate of Pope John Paul II. Finally, attention turned to questions regarding Europe and the international role of Poland." OP/AUDIENCE POLISH PRESIDENT/... VIS 071207 (140)
LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF CHURCH LIFE IN ASIA
VATICAN CITY, DEC 7, 2007 (VIS) - The 11th Meeting of the Special Council for Asia of the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops was held in Rome on November 20, under the presidency of Archbishop Nicola Eterovic, secretary general of the Synod of bishops, according to a communique made public today.
During the meeting, attention was focussed on "the situation of the Church in the nations of Asia, ... the implementation of the post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation 'Ecclesia in Asia,' ... the influence exercised by the recent post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation 'Sacramentum caritatis' on the various Churches of Asia, and proposals and suggestions for the Twelfth Ordinary General Assembly which will have as its theme 'The Word of God in the Life and Mission of the Church.'
"The debate," the communique adds, "made it possible to create a broad overview of ecclesial life in Asia, and of the living conditions in civil society, which in many ways are favorable to Church activity. Nonetheless various areas of concern were identified, ... deriving from wars, the arms race, ethnic strife, violence, terrorism, repression and the various limits placed on freedom of conscience."
"The primary victims of persecutions are minorities," the communique notes, "among them Christian minorities who are often forced to abandon their countries of origin, suffering violence also at the hands of fundamentalist groups. The lack of religious liberty takes various forms: limits to communication among bishops and between them and the Holy Father, ... the impossibility of creating episcopal conferences, difficulties in obtaining visas for pastoral card workers, limits on the building of places of workshop, and impediments to [religious] presence in public life."
The communique also notes a number of positive aspects such as "the fraternal welcome shown to Christians who have fled in fear of their lives; the increase in the number of Catholics in regions where they have, up to now, been scarce; the faithfulness even unto the giving of life, as in the case of the four priests killed in Asia in 2006, ... an increase in vocations to the priesthood and to consecrated life, so that now Asians themselves have become missionaries to other particular Churches in Asia and on other continents."
Moreover, "the Church remains open to dialogue with the great religions of Asia, making a notable contribution to tolerance and civil harmony, to reinforcing the State of law and the process of the democratization of society." The Church also exercises an important influence "through her social activities in schools and hospitals, and in favor of human promotion."
The communique also notes how the post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation "Ecclesia in Asia" is "producing abundant fruits above all through programs of diocesan activities and bishops' pastoral letters," while the post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation "Sacramentum caritatis" is being "effectively disseminated, ... and translated into local languages such as Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese and Thai."
The next meeting of the Special Council for Asia of the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops will be held on December 11 and 12, 2008. SE/CHURCH LIFE:ASIA/ETEROVIC VIS 071207 (520)
VATICAN CITY, DEC 7, 2007 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:
- Oded Ben-Hur, ambassador of Israel, on his farewell visit.
- Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate. AP/.../... VIS 071207 (50)
VATICAN CITY, DEC 7, 2007 (VIS) - The Holy Father:
- Appointed Bishop Jean-Marie Le Vert, auxiliary of Meaux, France, as bishop of Quimper, Cornouailles (area 6,785, population 856,000, Catholics 753,000, priests 381, permanent deacons 20, religious 808), France. He succeeds Bishop Clement Guillon C.I.M., whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.
- Appointed Archbishop Manuel Monteiro de Castro, apostolic nuncio to Spain, as Holy See permanent observer to the World Tourism Organization. NER:RE:NN/.../LE VERT:GUILLON:MONTEIRO VIS 071207 (90) |
| You can find more information at: www.vatican.va - www.vis.pcn.net |
Vatican Update 6 December 2007
| 12.06.2007 - Seventeenth Year - Num. 210 |
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SUMMARY:
- Pontifical Oriental Institute: a Heritage of Wisdom - The World Needs Our Common Witness to Christ - Benedict XVI Receives President of Albania - In Brief
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PONTIFICAL ORIENTAL INSTITUTE: A HERITAGE OF WISDOM
VATICAN CITY, DEC 6, 2007 (VIS) - Today in the Vatican the Pope received 280 members of the Pontifical Oriental Institute, which was founded by Pope Benedict XV in 1917.
"The time of that Pope was a time of war," said the Holy Father, "while he himself worked for peace. To achieve peace he launched various appeals and even drew up ... a plan for peace, a detailed plan which unfortunately proved unsuccessful.
"Nonetheless," the Pope added, "in order to ensure peace within the Church, he created ... three monuments of incomparable value: the Congregation for the Oriental Church (later renamed 'for the Oriental Churches'); the Pontifical Oriental Institute for the study of the theological, liturgical, juridical and cultural aspects of Oriental Christian wisdom; and the 'Codex Iuris Canonici'."
Noting his own "particular bond" with Benedict XV, Benedict XVI explained how his predecessor thus favored the Oriental Churches, which came to "enjoy a regime more in keeping with their traditions, under the gaze of the Roman Pontiffs who have never ceased to show their concern with concrete gestures of support."
These communities have known "difficult periods" and "harsh trials," said the Pope. "Though physically distant from Rome, they have always remained close through their faithfulness to the See of Peter. However, their progress and their firmness in difficulties would have been unthinkable without the constant support they were able to draw from that oasis of peace and study that is the Pontifical Oriental Institute, a meeting point for scholars, professors, writers and publishers, some of the greatest experts on the Christian East."
The Holy Father specifically praised the institute's library, "justly famous throughout the world" and "one of the best on the Christian East," saying he was committed to expanding it still further "as a sign of the interest the Church of Rome has in knowledge of the Christian East, and as a means to eliminate any prejudices which could harm the cordial and harmonious coexistence of Christians. I am, in fact, convinced," he added, "that supporting academic study also has an effective ecumenical value, because drawing from the heritage of wisdom of the Christian East enriches everyone."
"The Pontifical Oriental Institute," Benedict XVI concluded, "represents an outstanding example of what Christian wisdom has to offer, both to people who wish to acquire an ever more accurate knowledge of the Eastern Churches, and to those seeking a more profound orientation of life according to the Spirit, a subject on which the Christian East can justly boast a rich tradition." AC/PONTIFICAL ORIENTAL INSTITUTE/... VIS 071206 (430)
THE WORLD NEEDS OUR COMMON WITNESS TO CHRIST
VATICAN CITY, DEC 6, 2007 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in audience members of the joint international commission sponsored by the Baptist World Alliance and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, who are currently meeting in Rome to ponder the theme: "The Word of God in the Life of the Church: Scripture, Tradition and Koinonia."
That theme, said the Pope in his English-language address to the delegates, "offers a promising context for the examination of such historically controverted issues as the relationship between Scripture and Tradition, the understanding of Baptism and the Sacraments, the place of Mary in the communion of the Church, and the nature of ... primacy in the Church's ministerial structure.
"If our hope for reconciliation and greater fellowship between Baptists and Catholics is to be realized," he added, "issues such as these need to be faced together, in a spirit of openness, mutual respect and fidelity to the liberating truth and saving power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ."
"Today, as ever, the world needs our common witness to Christ and to the hope brought by the Gospel," Pope Benedict concluded. "Obedience to the Lord's will should constantly spur us, then, to strive for that unity so movingly expressed in His priestly prayer: 'that they may all be one... so that the world may believe.' For the lack of unity between Christians 'openly contradicts the will of Christ, provides a stumbling block to the world, and harms the most holy cause of proclaiming the good news to every creature'." AC/UNITY/CATHOLICS:BAPTISTS VIS 071206 (270)
BENEDICT XVI RECEIVES PRESIDENT OF ALBANIA
VATICAN CITY, DEC 6, 2007 (VIS) - The Holy See Press Office released the following communique at midday today:
"This morning the Holy Father Benedict XVI received in audience Bamir Topi, president of the Republic of Albania. President Topi subsequently went on to meet with Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B., who was accompanied by Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, secretary for Relations with States.
"The president conveyed his gratitude to the Catholic Church for the help she offers the Albanian people, especially through educational and charitable institutions, also expressing his happiness for the recently-signed Agreement on healthcare and fiscal matters, and his hope that such collaboration may continue, also from a cultural and spiritual standpoint.
"President Topi explained the steps recently taken by the Albanian government to resolve the country's main difficulties, establish a State of law, and proceed towards European integration. Finally, attention turned to a number of bilateral and regional questions; concerning the definitive juridical status of Kosovo, talks dwelt on the need to bear in mind the fundamental requests of the parties and to prevent any recourse to violence." OP/ALBANIAN PRESIDENT/... VIS 071206 (190)
ARCHBISHOP SILVANO TOMASI C.S., HOLY SEE permanent observer to the Office of the United Nations and Specialized Institutions in Geneva, participated in the 30th International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent, which was held from November 26 to 30 on the theme: "Together for Humanity." In his English-language address, which was made public today, Archbishop Tomasi indicated that "pandemics, international migration, urban violence and environmental degradation" all serve as a reminder that "coexistence among social and political communities, and the construction of a peaceful world order, are only possible on the basis of upholding the fundamental value of every person's human dignity."
THE 94TH SESSION OF THE COUNCIL of the International Organization for Migration was held in Geneva from 27-30 November. Among the participants was Archbishop Silvano Tomasi C.S., Holy See permanent observer to the Office of the United Nations and Specialized Institutions in Geneva. Addressing the assembly in English on November 29, he expressed the view that "migrants, aware of their rights, can be more secure in offering their services and talents, and the receiving community, well informed and respectful of these rights, will feel freer in extending its solidarity in order to build together a common future." .../IN BRIEF/... VIS 071206 (210)
VATICAN CITY, DEC 6, 2007 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:
- Cardinal Oscar Andres Rodriguez Maradiaga S.D.B., archbishop of Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
- Carl Albert Anderson, Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus, accompanied by Bishop William Edward Lori of Bridgeport, U.S.A. AP/.../... VIS 071206 (50)
VATICAN CITY, DEC 6, 2007 (VIS) - The Holy Father:
- Appointed Msgr. Francesco Moraglia of the clergy of the archdiocese of Genoa, Italy, professor of dogmatic theology and director of the Institute of Religious Science and of the diocesan office for culture, as bishop of La Spezia-Sarzana-Brugnato (area 881, population 219,551, Catholics 216,983, priests 153, permanent deacons 23, religious 241), Italy. The bishop-elect was born in Genoa in 1953 and ordained a priest in 1977. He succeeds Bishop Bassano Staffieri, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.
- Appointed Bishop William C. Skurla of the eparchy of Van Nuys of the Ruthenians, U.S.A., as bishop of the eparchy of Passaic of the Ruthenians (Catholics 21,808, priests 81, permanent deacons 23, religious 32), U.S.A. He succeeds Bishop Andrew Pataki, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same eparchy the Holy Father accepted, in accordance with canon 210 para. 1 and 2 of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches.
- Appointed Msgr. Gerald N. Dino, "protosincellus" of the eparchy of Passaic of the Ruthenians, U.S.A., and pastor of the church of St. George at Linden, New Jersey, U.S.A., as bishop of the eparchy of Van Nuys of the Ruthenians (Catholics 2,863, priests 24, permanent deacons 8, religious 11), U.S.A. The bishop-elect was born in Binghamton, U.S.A. in 1940 and ordained a priest in 1965.
- Appointed Archbishop Laurent Monsengwo Pasinya of Kisangani, Democratic Republic of the Congo, as archbishop of Kinshasa (area 8,500, population 7,203,000, Catholics 3,601,000, priests 1,038, religious 3,062), Democratic Republic of the Congo.
- Appointed Bishop Patrick Taval M.S.C., auxiliary of Rabaul, Papua New Guinea, as coadjutor of Kerema (area 34,000, population 106,800, Catholics 22,794, priests 12, religious 27), Papua New Guinea.
- Appointed Fr. John Doaninoel S.M. regional superior of the Society of Mary, as auxiliary of the archdiocese of Rabaul (area 15,500, population 256,100, Catholics 141,400, priests 48, religious 189), Papua New Guinea. The bishop-elect was born in Timputz, Papua New Guinea, in 1950 and ordained a priest in 1980.
- Archbishop Giuseppe Pinto, apostolic nuncio to Senegal, Mali, Capo Verde, Guinea-Bissau, and apostolic delegate to Mauritania, as apostolic nuncio to Chile. NER:RE:NEC:NEA:NN/.../... VIS 071206 (380) |
| You can find more information at: www.vatican.va - www.vis.pcn.net |
Vatican Update 5 December 2007
| 12.05.2007 - Seventeenth Year - Num. 209 |
|
SUMMARY:
- St. Chromatius Invites Us to Enter into Contact with God - Plenary Indulgence for the 150th Anniversary of Lourdes
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ST. CHROMATIUS INVITES US TO ENTER INTO CONTACT WITH GOD
VATICAN CITY, DEC 5, 2007 (VIS) - In today's general audience, which was held in the Paul VI Hall, Benedict XVI dedicated his remarks to the figure of St. Chromatius, bishop of Aquileia in northern Italy, "a dynamic center of Christian life located in the 'Decima regione' of the Roman empire, 'Venetia et Histria'."
"Between the middle of the third century and the early years of the fourth," said the Pope, "the persecutions of Decius, Valerian and Diocletian had produced a large number of martyrs." At the same time, the Church of Aquileia was facing "the threat of the Arian heresy."
In 381 Chromatius, then a priest and the expert assistant of Bishop Valerian of Aquileia, participated in a synod "to eliminate the last residues of Arianism in the West."
The Holy Father recalled how Chromatius was born in Aquileia in the year 345, "he was ordained a deacon then a priest and finally elected as pastor of that church in 388. Having received episcopal consecration from St. Ambrose, he dedicated himself courageously and energetically to a task of immense proportions because of the vastness of the lands entrusted to his care: the ecclesial jurisdiction of Aquileia stretched to what is currently the territory of Switzerland, Bavaria, Austria and Slovenia, even reaching as far as Hungary." The saintly bishop died an exile in Grado in 407, the same year as St. John Chrysostom.
The Holy Father indicated that of St. Chromatius' works, more than 40 sermons and over 60 commentaries on the Gospel of St. Mark survive. "He was wise master and a zealous pastor," said the Pope. "In his teaching he always began from the Word of God and to that he always returned. Among subjects particularly dear to him were, primarily, the Trinitarian mystery which he considered in its revelation throughout the history of salvation, the theme of the Holy Spirit, ... and the mystery of Christ. The incarnate Word is true God and true man: He fully assumed the human condition so as to give it His own divinity."
His "insistence on the human nature of Christ led Chromatius to speak of the Virgin Mary," said the Pope, pointing out how the saint described Mary in various ways such as "the evangelical virgin capable of accepting God," and compared her with the Church, both being "virgins and mothers." The Holy Father then explained that "Chromatius' ecclesiology is developed above all in his commentary on Matthew," where he writes that "the Church is unique, she is born from the blood of Christ."
Chromatius "knew how to address his people using a fresh, vivacious and incisive language." As a "good pastor, in troubled times such as his own marked by the barbarian incursions, he stood alongside the faithful to comfort them and open their souls to faith in God, Who never abandons His children."
In off-the-cuff remarks at the end of his talk, the Pope noted how "St. Chromatius reminds us that Advent is a time of prayer, in which we must enter into contact with God. God knows us, He knows me, He knows each of us. He loves me, He does not abandon me. Thus trustingly, let us proceed into the liturgical time that has just begun." AG/ST. CHROMATIUS/... VIS 071205 (560)
PLENARY INDULGENCE FOR THE 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF LOURDES
VATICAN CITY, DEC 5, 2007 (VIS) - According to a decree made public today and signed by Cardinal James Francis Stafford and Bishop Gianfranco Girotti, O.F.M. Conv., respectively penitentiary major and regent of the Apostolic Penitentiary, Benedict XVI will grant the faithful Plenary Indulgence for the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Lourdes.
"The forthcoming 150th anniversary of the day in which Mary Most Holy, revealing herself as the Immaculate Conception to Bernadette Soubirous, wished a shrine to be erected and venerated in the place known as 'Massabielle' in the town of Lourdes," the decree reads, "calls to mind the innumerable series of prodigies through which the supernatural life of souls and the health of bodies has drawn great advantage from the omnipotent goodness of God."
"Indeed, by venerating the Blessed Virgin Mary in the place 'upon which her feet trod,' the faithful draw nourishment from the Holy Sacraments, expressing the firm intention to lead in the future Christian lives of increasing faithfulness" and they "achieve a vivid vivid perception of the significance of the Church. ... Indeed the succession, over time, of marvelous events ... enables us to glimpse the joint operation of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Church: in the year 1854 the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary was defined," and "in the year 1858 Mary Most Holy showed herself to ... Bernadette Soubirous using the words of the dogmatic definition: 'I am the Immaculate Conception.'
"In order to draw increased fruits of renewed sanctity from this holy anniversary," the decree adds, "the Supreme Pontiff Benedict XVI has decided to concede the gift of Plenary Indulgence" to the faithful under the usual conditions (sacramental Confession, Eucharistic communion and prayer in keeping with the intentions of the Holy Father), in the following way:
A) "If between December 8, 2007 and December 8, 2008 they visit, preferably in the order suggested: (1) the parish baptistery used for the Baptism of Bernadette, (2) the Soubirous family home, known as the 'cachot,' (3) the Grotto of Massabielle, (4) the chapel of the hospice where Bernadette received First Communion, and on each occasion they pause for an appropriate length of time in prayer and with pious meditations, concluding with the recital of the Our Father, the Profession of Faith, ... and the jubilee prayer or other Marian invocation."
B) "If between February 2, 2008 ... and February 11, 2008, Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Lourdes and 150th anniversary of the apparition, they visit, in any church, grotto or decorous place, the blessed image of that same Virgin of Lourdes, solemnly exposed for public veneration, and before the image participate in a pious exercise of Marian devotion, or at least pause for an appropriate space of time in prayer and with pious meditations, concluding with the recital of the Our Father, the Profession of Faith, ... and the invocation of the Blessed Virgin Mary."
The decree concludes by recalling that faithful who "through sickness, old age or other legitimate reason are unable to leave their homes, may still obtain the Plenary Indulgence ... if, with the soul completely removed from attachment to any form of sin and with the intention of observing, as soon as they can, the usual three conditions, on the days February 2 to 11, 2008, in their hearts they spiritually visit the above-mentioned places and recite those prayers, trustingly offering to God, through Mary, the sickness and discomforts of their lives." PENT/DECREE INDULGENCES/STAFFORD VIS 071205 (600) |
| You can find more information at: www.vatican.va - www.vis.pcn.net |
04 December 2007
Vatican Update 4 December 2007
| 12.04.2007 - Seventeenth Year - Num. 208 |
|
SUMMARY:
- Protect the Religious Freedom of All Believers - Economic Agreement between Holy See and Albania - Holy See Delegation at Climate Change Conference
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PROTECT THE RELIGIOUS FREEDOM OF ALL BELIEVERS
VATICAN CITY, DEC 4, 2007 (VIS) - On November 29, Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, secretary for Relations with States, addressed the 15th Ministerial Council of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). The event was held in Madrid, Spain, from November 29 and 30, and was attended by foreign ministers of the 56 member States of the OSCE.
Addressing the gathering in English, Archbishop Mamberti noted that in "the fight against terrorism, it is imperative to protect critical energy infrastructure from attack. It will also be important, on the issue of environmental protection, for the organization to support the various initiatives concerning water management, thus contributing to cooperation, stability and the equitable and sustainable development of each country."
After highlighting how the OSCE is called "to create an area of freedom and the rule of law," the leader of the Holy See delegation indicated that to this end it must "ceaselessly promote the dignity of the human person and defend the intrinsic rights and values of all men and women. In this respect, I also believe," he added, "that it is essential that we continue to oppose human trafficking and the sexual exploitation of children."
"If the OSCE is to promote human dignity in an integral way, it must also effectively combat intolerance and discrimination against Christians, Jews, Muslims and members of other religions. In fact, this question has moved up to become an important political and security theme. Religious discrimination can only effectively be addressed if all religions are equally respected and protected."
The secretary for Relations with States recalled the fact that the European Parliament "has recently adopted a resolution deploring various episodes which endanger the very existence of Christian and other religious communities. The OSCE can be rightly proud that it was one of the first organizations to raise the alarm concerning discrimination against Christians, but it must remain alert. Christians continue to suffer from prejudice, stereotypes, discrimination and violence. Disengagement from these problems cannot be an option!
"We must not hide behind the principle of 'consensus' in order to avoid effective action," he added, "and neither should we be satisfied with blanket condemnations. Rather this consensus should be a catalyst for action to protect fundamental freedoms, and, above all, the religious freedom of every believer and of each religious community." DELSS/RELIGIOUS FREEDOM/SPAIN:MAMBERTI VIS 071204 (400)
ECONOMIC AGREEMENT BETWEEN HOLY SEE AND ALBANIA
VATICAN CITY, DEC 4, 2007 (VIS) - On Monday, December 3, the Holy See and the Republic of Albania signed an agreement concerning certain economic and fiscal matters.
The agreement, signed in the office of the Albanian minister of finance in Tirana, comes in the wake of the accord between the two countries concluded in 2002, and creates a juridical framework for the fiscal treatment of ecclesiastical institutions recognized as non-profit juridical entities. In particular, it regulates the fiscal status of Catholic Church organizations in Albania, the economic administration of such structures, and the contributory-insurance scheme for the non-Albanian religious and lay personnel who serve in them."
The agreement, which will come into effect following the exchange of the instruments of ratification, was signed for the Holy See by Archbishop Giovanni Bulaitis, apostolic nuncio in Tirana and, for the republic of Albania, by Ridvan Bode, finance minister. .../ECONOMIC AGREEMENT/TIRANA VIS 071204 (160)
HOLY SEE DELEGATION AT CLIMATE CHANGE CONFERENCE
VATICAN CITY, DEC 4, 2007 (VIS) - The 13th session of the conference of States parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is being held on the Indonesian island of Bali from December 3 to 14.
A communique made public yesterday afternoon affirms that the Holy See will be present at the Bali meeting with a delegation led by Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli, apostolic nuncio to Indonesia, and composed of Msgr. Andrew Thanya-anan Vissanu, nunciature counsellor in Jakarta, and of three local experts from the Philippines and Indonesia: Fr. Benito B. Tuazon, Fr. Alexius Andang Listya Binawan S.J., and Vera Wenny Setijawati.
"Given that the sessions of the Convention on Climate Change are held once a year in various countries," the communique reads, "the Holy See is usually represented at such meetings with a delegation led by the apostolic nuncio and made up of experts from the area, so as to take advantage of local resources and to achieve a broader and more differentiated vision of the questions being examined." OP/CLIMATE CHANGE CONFERENCE/... VIS 071204 (190)
VATICAN CITY, DEC 4, 2007 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed:
- Francesco Buranelli, director of the Vatican Museums, as secretary of the Pontifical Commission for the Cultural Patrimony of the Church and inspector of the Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archaeology.
- Antonio Paolucci, president of the scientific committee for art exhibitions at the "Scuderie del Quirinale" in Rome, and vice-president of the Higher Council for Cultural Patrimony and consultant to the mayor for the civic museums of Florence, as director of the Vatican Museums. NA/.../BURANELLI:PAOLUCCI VIS 071204 (90)
VATICAN CITY, DEC 4, 2007 (VIS) - The following prelates died in recent weeks:
- Bishop Francois Gourguillon, former auxiliary of Reims, France, on November 23 at the age of 79.
- Archbishop Nicodemus Kirima of Nyeri, Kenya, on November 27 at the age of 71.
- Bishop James Daniel Niedergeses, emeritus of Nashville, U.S.A., on November 16 at the age of 90.
- Bishop Germano Zaccheo of Casale Monferrato, Italy, on November 21 at the age of 73. .../DEATHS/... VIS 071204 (90) |
| You can find more information at: www.vatican.va - www.vis.pcn.net |
03 December 2007
Vatican Update 3 December 3007
| 12.03.2007 - Seventeenth Year - Num. 207 |
|
SUMMARY: DECEMBER 1 - 3
- Continue Theological Dialogue in Mutual Charity - Counter Relativism with Fundamental Truths - Rediscover the Beauty and Profundity of Christian Hope - Benedict XVI's Prayer Intentions for December - Sick People May Perceive the Merciful Love of God - Hope: a Gift That Changes Life - Korean Bishops: Understanding Dynamism of Christian Life
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CONTINUE THEOLOGICAL DIALOGUE IN MUTUAL CHARITY
VATICAN CITY, DEC 1, 2007 (VIS) - As is traditional on November 30, Feast of St. Andrew, patron of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, a delegation from the Holy See, led by Cardinal Walter Kasper, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, travelled to Istanbul, Turkey, for the liturgical celebrations marking that day. Every year, the ecumenical patriarchate sends a delegation to Rome on June 29, Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul.
Yesterday the Catholic delegation attended a solemn liturgy presided by His Holiness Bartholomew I, ecumenical patriarch, in the Church of St. George in Fanar, then met with the patriarch and with members of the synodal commission for relations with the Catholic Church. At the end of the ceremony, Cardinal Kasper presented the ecumenical patriarch with a signed copy of Benedict XVI's Encyclical "Spe salvi," a reproduction of a mosaic showing the "Mystical Lamb" from the vault of the Basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna, and a Message from the Pope.
In his Message, the Holy Father highlights his "vivid recollection" of his own "participation last year in the celebration of this feast at the Ecumenical Patriarchate." He also thanks God for the meeting of the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between Catholics and Orthodox, which was held in Ravenna, Italy, in October, at the same time recognizing that the event "was not without its difficulties."
His English-language Message continues: "I pray earnestly that these may soon be clarified and resolved, so that there may be full participation in the Eleventh Plenary Session and in subsequent initiatives aimed at continuing the theological dialogue in mutual charity and understanding.
"Indeed," he adds, "our work towards unity is according to the will of Christ our Lord. In these early years of the third millennium, our efforts are all the more urgent because of the many challenges facing all Christians, to which we need to respond with a united voice and with conviction.
"I therefore wish to assure you once more of the Catholic Church's commitment to nurture fraternal ecclesial relations and to persevere in our theological dialogue, in order to draw closer to full communion, as stated in our Common Declaration issued last year at the conclusion of my visit to Your Holiness." MESS/ST. ANDREW/KASPER:BARTHOLOMEW VIS 071203 (390)
COUNTER RELATIVISM WITH FUNDAMENTAL TRUTHS
VATICAN CITY, DEC 1, 2007 (VIS) - This morning in the Vatican, Benedict XVI received members of a Forum of Catholic-inspired Non Governmental Organizations, who are currently in Rome to reflect on the contribution they can offer, "in close collaboration with the Holy See, to the solution of the many problems and challenges associated with the various activities of the United Nations and other international and regional organizations."
In his English-language talk, the Holy Father noted how, despite their different backgrounds, the delegates share "a passion for promoting human dignity. This same passion has constantly inspired the activity of the Holy See in the international community," he said.
In this context, the Pope examined the question of international cooperation between governments, noting "with satisfaction ... achievements such as the universal recognition of the juridical and political primacy of human rights, ... the efforts being made to develop a just global economy and, more recently, the protection of the environment and the promotion of inter-cultural dialogue."
"At the same time, international discussions often seem marked by a relativistic logic which would consider as the sole guarantee of peaceful coexistence between peoples a refusal to admit the truth about man and his dignity, to say nothing of the possibility of ethics based on recognition of the natural moral law. This has led, in effect, to the imposition of a notion of law and politics which ultimately makes consensus between states, ... the only real basis of international norms."
Among "the bitter fruits of this relativistic logic," the Pope mentioned "the attempt to consider as human rights the consequences of certain self-centered lifestyles; a lack of concern for the economic and social needs of the poorer nations; contempt for humanitarian law, and a selective defense of human rights."
The Holy Father expressed the hope that the Church's social doctrine may become "better known and accepted on the international level" and encouraged his listeners "to counter relativism creatively by presenting the great truths about man's innate dignity and the rights which are derived from that dignity." This, he said, "will help to advance specific initiatives marked by a spirit of solidarity and freedom.
"What is needed," Pope Benedict added, "is a spirit of solidarity conducive for promoting as a body those ethical principles which, by their very nature and their role as the basis of social life, remain non-negotiable. A spirit of solidarity imbued with a strong sense of fraternal love leads to a better appreciation of the initiatives of others and a deeper desire to cooperate with them."
"An authentic spirit of freedom, lived in solidarity, will help the initiative of the members of non-governmental organization to create a broad gamut of new approaches and solutions with regard to those temporal affairs which God has left to the free and responsible judgement of every individual. When experienced in solidarity, legitimate pluralism and diversity will lead not to division and competition, but to ever greater effectiveness." AC/CATHOLIC NGOS/... VIS 071203 (500)
REDISCOVER THE BEAUTY AND PROFUNDITY OF CHRISTIAN HOPE
VATICAN CITY, DEC 1, 2007 (VIS) - In the Vatican Basilica at 5 p.m. today, the Pope presided at the celebration of the first Vespers of the first Sunday of Advent.
At the start of his homily, the Holy Father recalled how "Advent is the time of hope par excellence" and how Christians, "as they prepare to celebrate the great feast of the birth of Christ the Savior, revitalize their expectation of His glorious return at the end of time."
"It was to the subject of hope," he said," that I dedicated my second Encyclical, which was published yesterday. And today I am happy to present it ideally to the entire Church on this first Sunday of Advent so that, while preparing for Christmas, the community and the individual faithful may read and meditate upon it, and so rediscover the beauty and profundity of Christian hope."
After underlining how "true and certain hope is founded on faith in God-Love, the merciful Father," Benedict XVI made it clear that Advent is a "propitious time for the rediscovery of hope, a hope that is not vague and illusory but sure and trustworthy because 'anchored' in Christ, God-made-man and rock of our salvation."
In his Letter to them, St. Paul reminds the Ephesians "that before embracing faith in Christ they had no hope and were 'without God in the world'," said the Pope. "This expression seems more valid than ever," he added, "because of the paganism of our own day. In particular we may refer it to contemporary nihilism which corrodes hope in man's heart, causing him to think that emptiness reigns within him and around him: emptiness before birth, emptiness after death. The truth is that without God, hope fades."
"What is at stake," he said, "is the relationship between existence in the here and now, and what we call the 'beyond:' this is not a place in which we will 'end up' after death, but rather the reality of God, the fullness of life to which each human being is, so to say, reaching out. To this expectation of mankind God responded in Christ with the gift of hope.
"Man," the Pope added, "is the only creature who is free to say yes or no to eternity, in other words to God. Human beings can extinguish hope in themselves, eliminating God from their lives. ... God knows man's heart. He knows that those who refuse Him have not known His true face, and for this reason He never ceases to knock at our door like a humble pilgrim seeking welcome. This is why the Lord grants new time to humanity: so that everyone may come to know Him! And this too is the significance of a new liturgical year that begins: it is a gift of God Who wishes once more to reveal Himself in the mystery of Christ, through the Word and the Sacraments."
Benedict XVI highlighted how "God loves us and for this reason expects us to return to Him, to open our hearts to His love, to put our hand in His and remember that we are His children. This expectation of God's always precedes our own hope, just as His love always reaches us first."
"All human beings are called to hope, thus responding to God's expectation in them," the Pope concluded. "Hope is indelibly written in man's heart because God our Father is life, and we were made for eternal and blessed life." HML/VESPERS:ADVENT/... VIS 071203 (590)
BENEDICT XVI'S PRAYER INTENTIONS FOR DECEMBER
VATICAN CITY, DEC 1, 2007 (VIS) - Benedict XVI's general prayer intention for December is: "That human society may be solicitous in the care of all those stricken with AIDS, especially children and women, and that the Church may make them feel the Lord's love."
His mission intention is: "That the incarnation of the Son of God, which the Church celebrates solemnly at Christmas, may help the peoples of the Asiatic Continent to recognize God's Envoy, the only Savior of the world, in Jesus." BXVI-PRAYER INTENTIONS/DECEMBER/... VIS 071203 (100)
SICK PEOPLE MAY PERCEIVE THE MERCIFUL LOVE OF GOD
VATICAN CITY, DEC 2, 2007 (VIS) - Early this morning, Benedict XVI visited the Roman hospital of St. John the Baptist, which belongs to the Sovereign Military Order of Malta and specializes in treating people suffering from neurological disorders.
The Holy Father celebrated Mass then went on to visit the reanimation unit, an advanced structure for the cure and rehabilitation of patients recovering from comas.
In his homily, delivered before patients and their families gathered in a hall of the hospital, the Pope gave assurances of his spiritual closeness and his daily prayers, inviting them to "find support and comfort in Jesus, and never to lose trust."
"God visits us mysteriously in suffering and sickness," said the Holy Father, "and if we abandon ourselves to His will, we may experience the power of His love. Hospitals and nursing homes, precisely because they are inhabited by people tried by pain, can become privileged places in which to bear witness to the Christian love that nourishes hope and gives rise to fraternal solidarity."
Benedict XVI then recalled how, at its origins, the Sovereign Military Order of Malta - of which Fra' Andrew Bertie is the current grand master - was dedicated to helping pilgrims in the Holy Land by means of a Hospice-Infirmary, and how "it sought to cure the sick, especially the poor and marginalized. One testimony of such fraternal love," he added, "is this hospital which, having been built in the 1970s, is today a center of high technology and of solidarity where, alongside the healthcare staff, many volunteers work with generous dedication."
The Holy Father told the doctors, nurses and volunteers who work in the hospital that they "are called to provide an important service to the sick and to society, a service that calls for abnegation and a spirit of sacrifice.
"In each sick person," he added, "may you know how to recognize and serve Christ Himself. Show Him, with your gestures and your words, the signs of His merciful love."
The Pope also took advantage of his visit to the hospital "ideally" to present his Encyclical "Spe salvi" to the Christian community of Rome. And he invited his listeners to study the text "so as to discover the reasons for that 'trustworthy hope, by virtue of which we can face our present, ... even if it is arduous'." BXVI-VISIT/.../ORDER OF MALTA HOSPITAL VIS 071203 (410)
HOPE: A GIFT THAT CHANGES LIFE
VATICAN CITY, DEC 2, 2007 (VIS) - At midday today, the first Sunday of Advent, Benedict XVI appeared at the window of his study overlooking St. Peter's Square to pray the Angelus with the thousands of pilgrims gathered there.
The Holy Father began his remarks by recalling how during this liturgical time "the People of God resume their journey to experience the mystery of Christ in history. Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever; history however changes and needs to be constantly evangelized."
"This Sunday," he said, "is then an appropriate day to offer the entire Church and all men and women of good will my second Encyclical, which I have chosen to dedicate to the subject of Christian hope. It is entitled 'Spe salvi' because it begins with St. Paul's expression 'Spe salvi facti sumus (in hope we are saved). Here, as in other passages of the new Testament, the word 'hope' is closely linked to the word 'faith.' It is a gift that changes the life of the person who receives it."
"In what does this hope consist, this hope so great and so 'trustworthy' as to make us say that in it we have 'salvation?' It substantially consists in the knowledge of God, in the discovery of His good and merciful Father's heart. With His death on the cross and His resurrection, Jesus revealed His face to us, the face of a God so great in love as to transmit to us an unshakeable hope which not even death can break."
However, "the development of modern science has confined hope and faith ever more to the private and individual sphere, to the point that today it is clear, and at times dramatically clear, that mankind and the world have need of God, ... otherwise they remain without hope.
"Without doubt science contributes to the good of humanity, but it is not capable of redeeming it," the Pope added in conclusion. "Man is redeemed by love which makes personal and social life good and beautiful. For this reason the great hope, the full and definitive hope, is guaranteed by God, by the God Who is love, and Who in Jesus visited us and gave us life." ANG/HOPE/... VIS 071203 (380)
KOREAN BISHOPS: UNDERSTANDING DYNAMISM OF CHRISTIAN LIFE
VATICAN CITY, DEC 3, 2007 (VIS) - Benedict XVI today received prelates from the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea and the apostolic prefect of Ulaanbaator, Mongolia, who have just completed their "ad limina" visit. Their coming to Rome, the Pope observed in his talk, has helped to strengthen "the bonds of collegiality which express the Church's unity in diversity and safeguard the tradition handed down by the Apostles."
Continuing his English-language address to the prelates, the Holy Father spoke positively of the growth of the Church in Asia, recalling how the testimony of Korean martyrs and of many others on the continent "speaks eloquently of the fundamental concept of 'communio' that unifies and vivifies ecclesial life in all its dimensions."
"To remain in Christ's love also has a particular significance for you today," the Pope told the Korean bishops, who in their reports had highlighted the negative effects of a secularist mentality. And he encouraged them to "to be effective shepherds of hope," striving "to ensure that the bond of communion which unites Christ to all the baptized is safeguarded and experienced as the heart of the mystery of the Church."
"The gateway to this mystery of communion with God is of course Baptism. This sacrament of initiation - far more than a social ritual or welcome into a particular community - is the initiative of God. Those reborn through the waters of new life enter the door of the universal Church and are drawn into the dynamism of the life of faith."
"The word 'communio' also refers of course to the Eucharistic center of the Church. ... The Eucharist roots our understanding of the Church in the intimate encounter between Jesus and humanity and reveals the source of ecclesial unity: Christ's act of giving Himself to us makes us His body."
Benedict XVI told the bishops that "programs designed to highlight the importance of Sunday Mass should be infused with a sound and stimulating catechesis on the Eucharist. This will foster a renewed understanding of the authentic dynamism of Christian life among your faithful."
He continued his address to the prelates: "I encourage you to ensure that religious are welcomed and supported in their efforts to contribute to the common task of spreading God's Kingdom." By sharing the "living treasures" of their spirituality with the laity, religious "will help to dispel the notion that communion means mere uniformity."
The Pope then went on to consider "the importance of the promotion of marriage and family life in your region," recalling how, in this "vital apostolate, ... the growing complexity of matters regarding the family ... raises the question of providing appropriate training for those committed to working in this area."
"I am also aware of the practical gestures of reconciliation undertaken for the wellbeing of those in North Korea. I encourage these initiatives and invoke Almighty God's providential care upon all North Koreans," the Holy Father concluded. "Throughout the ages, Asia has given the Church and the world a host of heroes of the faith. ... May they stand as perennial witnesses to the truth and love which all Christians are called to proclaim." AL/.../KOREA VIS 071203 (540)
VATICAN CITY, DEC 3, 2007 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:
- Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.
- Two prelates from the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea, on their "ad limina" visit:
- Bishop Peter Lee Ki-heon, military ordinary.
- Fr. Simon Peter Ri Hyong-u O.S.B., apostolic administrator "ad nutum Sanctae Sedis" of the territorial abbey of Tokwon.
- Bishop Wenceslao Padilla C.I.C.M., apostolic prefect of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, on his "ad limina" visit.
On Saturday, December 1, he received in separate audiences five prelates from the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea, on their "ad limina" visit:
- Bishop John Chrysostom Kwon Hyeok-ju of Andong.
- Bishop Gabriel Chang Bong-hun of Cheongju.
- Bishop Francis Xavier Ahn Myong-ok of Masan, accompanied by Bishop emeritus Michael Pak Jeong-il.
- Bishop Paul Hwang Cheol-soo of Pusan. AL/.../... VIS 071203 (150)
VATICAN CITY, DEC 3, 2007 (VIS) - The Holy Father:
- Appointed Fr. Isaac Jogues Agbemenya, diocesan administrator of Aneho, Togo, as bishop of the same diocese (area 2,712, population 824,170, Catholics 182,265, priests 64, religious 48). The bishop-elect was born in Kpeme, Togo in 1958 and ordained a priest in 1985.
- Appointed Msgr. Michael Akasius Toppo of the clergy of the diocese of Tezpur, India, bursar and diocesan chancellor, as bishop of the same diocese (area 38,700, population 4,382,000, Catholics 110,000, priests 77, religious 213). The bishop-elect was born in Gormara, India in 1955 and ordained a priest in 1986. He succeeds Bishop Robert Kerketta S.D.B., whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.
On Saturday, December 1, it was made public that he appointed Msgr. Ermes Giovanni Viale, official in the Section for General Affairs of the Secretariat of State, as bureau chief at the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples. NER:RE:NA/.../... VIS 071203 (170) |
| You can find more information at: www.vatican.va - www.vis.pcn.net |
Vatican Update 30 November 2007
| 11.30.2007 - Seventeenth Year - Num. 206 |
|
SUMMARY:
- Firm Hope Is Necessary for Facing Difficulties - Spe Salvi, the Pope's Encyclical on Christian Hope
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FIRM HOPE IS NECESSARY FOR FACING DIFFICULTIES
VATICAN CITY, NOV 30, 2007 (VIS) - In the Holy See Press Office this morning, Cardinals Georges Marie Martin Cottier O.P., pro-theologian emeritus of the Pontifical Household, and Albert Vanhoye S.J., professor emeritus of New Testament exegesis at the Pontifical Biblical Institute, presented the Encyclical of Benedict XVI, "Spe salvi," on the theme of Christian hope.
In his talk, Cardinal Cottier explained how "Christian hope has been subject to ever-harsher criticisms" to the effect that "it is pure individualism: by abandoning the world to its misery, Christians allegedly take refuge in an eternal salvation which is exclusive and private."
"A question remains," said the cardinal, "a question that cannot be eluded: how did the idea arise that, with Christianity, the quest for salvation became a selfish quest that refuses service to others?"
New problems "have a vital impact on the modern crisis of Christian faith and hope," and there emerges "a new form of hope which is called 'faith in progress' oriented towards a new world, the world of the 'kingdom of man'."
"Faith in progress," the cardinal explained "has become the ever more dominant conviction of modernity, and two categories are becoming increasingly central to the idea of progress: reason and freedom." Thus, he went on, "reason is considered as a power of good and for good," and progress, having "overcome all forms of dependency," is "moving towards perfect freedom. In this perspective freedom appears as a promise for the full realization of man."
After highlighting the "crisis of Christian hope in modern culture, and its replacement with faith in progress," Cardinal Cottier identified a "question that returns insistently: what may we hope?" In this context he indicated that "sections 22 and 23 of the document are of vital importance. They explain to us the essential objective of the Encyclical from both a pastoral and a cultural standpoint."
For his part, Cardinal Vanhoye indicated how the introduction to the Encyclical "immediately makes clear the decisive importance of hope, which is later reiterated on a number of occasions. In order to be able to face the present with all its problems and difficulties, we have an absolute need for hope and for a truly valid and firm hope."
In sections 10 to 12, on the theme of eternal life, "the Holy Father uses vivid realism to explain the current mentality of many people," said the cardinal. "Eternal life is the subject of hope, but many people today 'do not find the prospect of eternal life attractive. What they desire is not eternal life at all, but this present life. ... Death, admittedly, one would wish to postpone for as long as possible. But to live always, without end - this, all things considered, can only be monotonous and ultimately unbearable."
Cardinal Vanhoye explained how the second part of the Encyclical describes the "settings for learning and practising hope," and thus has a direct and tangible link to Christian life. Three "settings" are identified: "Prayer as a school of hope. Action and suffering as settings for learning hope. Judgement as a setting for learning and practicing hope."
The Encyclical also presents "the Final Judgement of God as one of the 'settings for learning and practising hope'," said Cardinal Vanhoye, but "with a significance evidently different from that of the other 'settings' because the Final Judgement is not a present reality like prayer or suffering. Nonetheless, the Judgement gives rise to hope because it will eliminate evil. Here the Encyclical presents profound reflections on the terrible problem of evil and justice." OP/ENCYCLICAL SPE SALVI/COTTIER:VANHOYE VIS 071130 (600)
SPE SALVI, THE POPE'S ENCYCLICAL ON CHRISTIAN HOPE
VATICAN CITY, NOV 30, 2007 (VIS) - Benedict XVI's second Encyclical, "Spe Salvi" which is dedicated to the theme of Christian hope, was published today. The document - which has an introduction and eight chapters - begins with a quote from the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans: "spe salvi facti sumus" (in hope we are saved).
The chapter titles are as follows: "1. Faith is Hope; 2. The concept of faith-based hope in the New Testament and the early Church; 3. Eternal life - what is it?; 4. Is Christian hope individualistic?; 5. The transformation of Christian faith-hope in the modern age; 6. The true shape of Christian hope; 7. 'Settings' for learning and practicing hope: i) Prayer as a school of hope, ii) Action and suffering as settings for learning hope, iii) Judgement as a setting for learning and practicing hope; 8. Mary, Star of Hope."
The Holy Father explains in his Introduction that "according to the Christian faith, 'redemption' - salvation - is not simply a given. Redemption is offered to us in the sense that we have been given hope, trustworthy hope, by virtue of which we can face our present: the present, even if it is arduous, can be lived and accepted if it leads towards a goal, if we can be sure of this goal, and if this goal is great enough to justify the effort of the journey."
Hence, "a distinguishing mark of Christians" is "the fact that they have a future: ... they know ... that their life will not end in emptiness. ... The Gospel is not merely a communication of things that can be known - it is one that makes things happen and is life-changing. The dark door of time, of the future, has been thrown open. The one who has hope lives differently; the one who hopes has been granted the gift of a new life."
"To come to know God - the true God - means to receive hope." This was well understood by the early Christians, such as the Ephesians who before encountering Christ had many gods but "were without hope." The problem faced by Christians of long standing, the Holy Father says, is that they "have grown accustomed to, ... have almost ceased to notice that we possess the hope that ensues from a real encounter with this God."
The Pope recalls that Jesus "did not bring a message of social revolution" like Spartacus, and that "he was not engaged in a fight for political liberation like Barabbas of Bar-Kochba." He brought "something totally different: ... an encounter with the living God, ... an encounter with a hope stronger than the sufferings of slavery, a hope which therefore transformed life and the world from within, ... even if external structures remained unaltered."
Christ makes us truly free. "We are not slaves of the universe" or of "the laws of matter and of evolution." We are free because "heaven is not empty," because the Lord of the universe is God "Who in Jesus has revealed Himself as Love."
Christ is the "true philosopher" Who "tells us who man truly is and what a man must do in order to be truly human." He shows us "the way beyond death; only someone able to do this is a true teacher of life." He offers us a hope that is, at one and the same time, expectation and presence because "the fact that this future exists changes the present."
The Pope remarks that "perhaps many people reject the faith today simply because they do not find the prospect of eternal life attractive. ... The present-day crisis of faith," he continues, "is essentially a crisis of Christian hope. ... The restoration of the lost Paradise is no longer expected from faith," but from technical and scientific progress whence, it its believed, the "kingdom of man" will emerge. Hope thus becomes "faith in progress" founded on two pillars: reason and freedom which "seem to guarantee by themselves, by virtue of their intrinsic goodness, a new and perfect human community."
The Pope mentions "two essential stages in the political realization of this hope:" the French and the Marxist Revolutions. Faced with the French Revolution, "the Europe of the Enlightenment ... had cause to reflect anew on reason and freedom," while the proletarian revolution left behind "a trail of appalling destruction." Marx's fundamental error was that "he forgot man and he forgot man's freedom. ... He thought that once the economy had been put right, everything would automatically be put right. His real error is materialism. ... Let us put it very simply: man needs God, otherwise he remains without hope. ... Man can never be redeemed simply" by an external structure, "man is redeemed by love," an unconditional, absolute love: "Man's great, true hope which holds firm in spite of all disappointments can only be God - God Who has loved us and continues to love us to the end."
The Pope then identifies four "settings" for learning and practicing hope. The first of these is prayer. "When no one listens to me any more, God still listens to me. ... When there is no longer anyone to help me, ... He can help me."
Alongside prayer is action: "Hope in a Christian sense is always hope for others as well. It is an active hope, in which we struggle ... towards a brighter and more humane world." Yet only if I know that "my own life and history in general ... are held firm by the indestructible power of Love" can "I always continue to hope."
Suffering is another of the "settings" for learning hope. "Certainly we must do whatever we can to reduce suffering," however "it is not by sidestepping or fleeing from suffering that we are healed, but rather by our capacity for accepting it, maturing through it and finding meaning through union with Christ, Who suffered with infinite love." Another fundamental aspect is to suffer with others and for others. "A society unable to accept its suffering members ... is a cruel and inhuman society," he writes.
Finally, another setting for learning hope is the Judgement of God. "There is a resurrection of the flesh. There is justice. There is an 'undoing' of past suffering, a reparation that sets things aright." The Pope writes of his conviction "that the question of justice constitutes the essential argument, or in any case the strongest argument, in favor of faith in eternal life." It is, indeed, impossible "that the injustice of history should be the final word. ... God is justice and creates justice. ... And in His justice there is also grace. ... Grace does not cancel out justice. ... Evildoers, in the end, do not sit at table at the eternal banquet beside their victims without distinction, as though nothing had happened." ENC/SPE SALVI/... VIS 071130 (1160)
VATICAN CITY, NOV 30, 2007 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences nine prelates from the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea, on their "ad limina" visit:
- Bishop Lazzaro You Heung-sik of Daejeon.
- Bishop Boniface Choi Ki-san of Incheon, accompanied by Bishop emeritus William John McNaughton M.M.
- Bishop Paul Choi Deok-ki of Suwon, accompanied by Auxiliary Bishop Matthias Ri Iong-hoon.
- Bishop Joseph Lee Han-taek S.J. of Uijongbu.
- Bishop Jacobus Kim Ji-Seok of Wonju.
- Archbishop John Choi Young-soo of Daegu, accompanied by Auxiliary Bishop Thaddeus Cho Hwan-kil.
This evening, he received in audience Cardinal William Joseph Levada, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. AL:AP/.../... VIS 071130 (120)
VATICAN CITY, NOV 30, 2007 (VIS) - The Holy Father:
- Appointed Bishop Reinhard Marx of Trier, Germany as metropolitan archbishop of Munich and Freising (area 12,081, population 3,473,600, Catholics 1,819,941, priests 1,336, permanent deacons 203, religious 3,219), Germany. The archbishop-elect was born in Geseke, Germany in 1953, he was ordained a priest in 1979 and consecrated a bishop in 1996.
- Appointed Bishop Oscar Urbina Ortega of Cucuta, Colombia, as metropolitan archbishop of Villavicencio (area 50,000, population 550,000, Catholics 502,000, priests 154, permanent deacons 13, religious 59), Colombia. The archbishop-elect was born in Arboledas, Colombia in 1947, he was ordained a priest in 1973 and consecrated a bishop in 1998.
- Appointed Fr. Alfonso Carrasco Rouco of the clergy of the diocese of Mondonedo-Ferrol, professor of dogmatic theology at the "San Damaso" theological faculty of Madrid, Spain, as bishop of Lugo (area 7,703, population 289,080, Catholics 282,125, priests 398, religious 330), Spain. The bishop-elect was born in Villalba, Spain in 1956 and ordained a priest in 1985. He succeeds Bishop Jose Higinio Gomez Gonzalez O.F.M., whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.
- Appointed Fr. John Corriveau O.F.M. Cap., former minister general of the Franciscan order of Friars Minor Capuchins, as bishop of Nelson (area 78,400, population 370,000, Catholics 75,000, priests 38, religious 25), Canada. The bishop-elect was born in Zurich, Canada in 1941 and ordained a priest in 1965. He succeeds Bishop Eugene Jerome Cooney, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.
- Appointed Msgr. Vittorio Lupi of the clergy of the diocese of Ventimiglia-Sanremo, Italy, vicar general, as bishop of Savona-Noli (area 400, population 148,808, Catholics 146,410, priests 134, permanent deacons 8, religious 458), Italy. The bishop-elect was born in Ceriana, Italy in 1941 and ordained a priest in 1964.
- Appointed Msgr. Paul Tighe of the clergy of the archdiocese of Dublin, Ireland, director of the Diocesan Office for Public Affairs, as secretary of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications.
- Appointed Msgr. Giuseppe Antonio Scotti, official at the Section for General Affairs of the Secretariat of State, as adjunct secretary of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications. NER:RE:NA/.../... VIS 071130 (390) |
| You can find more information at: www.vatican.va - www.vis.pcn.net |
Vatican Update 29 November 2007
| 11.29.2007 - Seventeenth Year - Num. 205 |
|
SUMMARY:
- Holy Father Replies to Muslim Religious Leaders - Slovenian Prime Minister Invites Pope to Visit His Country
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HOLY FATHER REPLIES TO MUSLIM RELIGIOUS LEADERS
VATICAN CITY, NOV 29, 2007 (VIS) - On October 13, for the occasion of the end of the Muslim month of Ramadan (Eid al-Fitr), a group of 138 Muslim religious leaders sent an open letter to the Holy Father Benedict XVI and to other Christian leaders. The letter was entitled: "A Common Word between Us and You."
The Holy Father has replied with a letter of his own, signed by the Cardinal Secretary of State and addressed to Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad bin Talal, president of the Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought and one of the signatories of the original letter.
In expressing his thanks and appreciation for this significant initiative by the eminent group of Muslim figures, the Holy Father reaffirms the importance of dialogue based on effective respect for the dignity of the person, on objective knowledge of the other's religion, on the sharing of religious experience, and on joint commitment to promoting mutual respect and acceptance.
The Secretary of State's reply also mentions the Holy Father's willingness to receive Prince Ghazi and a delegation of the signatories of the letter, and also highlights the readiness of the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue, in collaboration with other specialized pontifical institutes, to organize a working meeting. BXVI-LETTER/.../MUSLIM RELIGIOUS LEADERS VIS 071129 (220)
SLOVENIAN PRIME MINISTER INVITES POPE TO VISIT HIS COUNTRY
VATICAN CITY, NOV 29, 2007 (VIS) - The Holy See Press Office released the following communique at midday today:
"This morning, Thursday November 29, 2007, Janez Jansa, prime minister of the Republic of Slovenia, was received in audience by the Holy Father. He subsequently went on to meet with Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B.
"The prime minister expressed the Slovenian nation's recognition for the concern shown it by the Holy See ever since it independence, and he invited the Holy Father to visit Slovenia in 2009, for the occasion of the Year of Young People and for the closure of the National Eucharist Congress.
"Prime Minister Jansa also outlined the priorities and principal initiatives for the forthcoming six-month Slovenian presidency of the European Union, from January to June 2008. In this context, the Cardinal Secretary of State expressed his hope that the six-month Slovenian presidency may bring positive results and, in particular, peace and stability in the region of southeastern Europe.
"Finally, a number of bilateral questions were addressed, such as the process of restoring ecclesiastical property nationalized under the communist regime, and the prospects for creating a military ordinariate." OP/AUDIENCE/SLOVENIAN PRIME MINISTER VIS 071129 (210)
VATICAN CITY, NOV 29, 2007 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences nine prelates from the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea, on their "ad limina" visit:
- Cardinal Nicholas Cheong Jinsuk, archbishop of Seoul, accompanied by Auxiliary Bishops Andrew Yeom Soo jung, Lucas Kim Woon-hoe and Basil Cho Kyu-man.
- Archbishop Andreas Choi Chang-mou of Kwangju, accompanied by Auxiliary Bishop Hyginus Kim Hee-joong.
- Bishop Peter Kang U-il of Cheju.
- Bishop Vincent Ri Pyung-ho of Jeonju.
- Bishop John Chang Yik of Ch'unch'on, apostolic administrator "sede vacante et ad nutum Sanctae Sedis" of Hamhung. AP:AL/.../... VIS 071129 (100)
VATICAN CITY, NOV 29, 2007 (VIS) - Holy Father appointed Bishop Rochus Josef Tatamai M.S.C., auxiliary of Kerema, Papua New Guinea, as bishop of Bereina (area 19,146, population 86,500, Catholics 69,000, priests 21, permanent deacons 1, religious 39), Papua New Guinea. NER/.../TATAMAI VIS 071129 (50) |
| You can find more information at: www.vatican.va - www.vis.pcn.net |
Vatican Update 28 November 2007
| 11.28.2007 - Seventeenth Year - Num. 204 |
|
SUMMARY:
- Ephrem the Syrian: the Cultural Diversity of Christianity - Increase Efforts to Halt the Spread of AIDS - Message for World Day Migrants and Refugees Presented - Young Migrants, the Theme of the Pope's Message
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EPHREM THE SYRIAN: THE CULTURAL DIVERSITY OF CHRISTIANITY
VATICAN CITY, NOV 28, 2007 (VIS) - Continuing his series of catecheses on Fathers of the Church, Benedict XVI today dedicated his general audience to the figure of St. Ephrem the Syrian, "the most famous poet of the patristic age." The audience was held in the Paul VI Hall in the presence of 8,000 people.
Before discussing St. Ephrem, the Pope remarked how "it is widely believed today that Christianity is a European religion which subsequently exported that continent's culture to other countries. But the truth is much more complex."
"The roots of the Christian religion," the Pope explained, "are in the Old Testament, hence in Jerusalem and the Semitic world. And Christianity constantly draws nourishment from these Old Testament roots. The spread of Christianity in the early centuries was directed both westwards - to the Greco-Latin world where it later inspired European culture - and eastwards to Persia and India, where it contributed to the formation of a specific culture, in Semitic languages and with its own identity."
Benedict XVI indicated that "in order demonstrate the one Christian faith's multiplicity of cultural form ever since its inception" he had chosen to focus his audience on St. Ephrem, a theologian and a poet who was born in Nisibis around the year 306 and died in Edessa in 373.
"Poetry," the Holy Father explained, "enabled him to deepen his theological reflections through the use of paradox and images."
"Ephrem gave poetry and liturgical hymns a didactic and catechetical character, ... so as to use liturgical feasts as opportunities to spread the doctrine of the Church."
Benedict XVI dwelt briefly on Ephrem's ideas concerning God the Creator, saying: "Nothing in the Creation is isolated and the world is - alongside Scared Scripture - a Bible of God. Using his freedom wrongly, man overturns the order of the universe."
For Ephrem, "Jesus' presence in Mary's womb greatly raised the dignity of women ... about whom he always speaks with sensitivity and respect," said the Pope. "Just as there is no Redemption without Jesus, so there is no Incarnation without Mary. And the divine and human dimensions of the mystery of our Redemption are already to be found in the saint's writings."
Honored in Christian tradition with the title of "harp of the Holy Spirit," Ephrem remained a deacon of the Church throughout his life. "This was a decisive and emblematic choice," said the Holy Father. "He was a deacon, in other words a servant in liturgical ministry and, more radically, in the love of Christ ... as well as in charity towards his brethren who, with great skill, he introduced to a knowledge of the divine Revelation." AG/EPHREM/... VIS 071128 (460)
INCREASE EFFORTS TO HALT THE SPREAD OF AIDS
VATICAN CITY, NOV 28, 2007 (VIS) - At the end of today's general audience, which was held in the Paul VI Hall, the Pope launched an appeal for everything possible to be done to halt the spread of AIDS.
"December 1," he said, "marks World AIDS Day. I remain spiritually close to everyone suffering from this terrible sickness, and to their families, especially those who have lost a loved one. To everyone I give assurances of my prayers.
"Furthermore, I wish to exhort all people of good will to increase their efforts to halt the spread of the HIV virus, to combat the disdain which is often directed towards people who are affected by it, and to care for the sick, especially those who are still children." AG/AIDS APPEAL/... VIS 071128 (140)
MESSAGE FOR WORLD DAY MIGRANTS AND REFUGEES PRESENTED
VATICAN CITY, NOV 28, 2007 (VIS) - Today in the Holy See Press Office, Cardinal Raffaele Martino, Archbishop Agostino Marchetto and Msgr. Novatus Rugambwa, respectively president, secretary, and under-secretary of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant Peoples, presented the Pope's Message for the 94th World Day of Migrants and Refugees, due to be held on January 13, 2008 on the theme of "Young Migrants."
Cardinal Martino affirmed that in our own time "the migration of young people is undergoing considerable growth. The young are forced to emigrate because of poverty and want, environmental decay, local and international conflicts, political and religious persecution, the demand for labor in industrialized countries, family reunion, etc."
"Young migrants," the cardinal said, "often find themselves alone, in a no-man's-land halfway between two cultures." This causes them "to live in a situation of great uncertainty that prevents them from conceiving a feasible project for their future and increases the factors that lead to marginalization, opening the doors to criminality, prostitution, alcohol, drugs and larceny."
"The crisis of values of our own day," the president of the pontifical council continued, "leads to the spiritual death of many young immigrants. Most of them are also relatively distant from religious concerns, and often recognize that they have received no ... education in this field."
"Specific pastoral action in support of young immigrants must be undertaken while bearing in mind the existential situation of the individual: ... the language, culture, religion, origin and personal history of each young immigrant."
Archbishop Marchetto focussed above all on aspects concerning the right to asylum and the situation of refugees. After recalling the fact that in some States unaccompanied minors are placed in detention, he turned to consider living conditions in refugee camps.
"Transitional camps," he said, "must go back to the role for which they were intended: places in which to reside temporarily. ... Currently, however, it has become a general practice, especially in countries of the South, to force people to live in overcrowded camps, very often in unspeakable conditions. Normally they are not even allowed to work, while their freedom of movement is limited, and thus they become totally dependent on the internal distribution of food within the camps. Moreover, they are often reduced to a life with a minimum of necessary goods and scant dignity. ... Hence there is little future for people who live in these places, which are often located in remote areas."
Finally, the archbishop praised the work of female religious who, "assisted by Catholic NGOs and by U.N. organizations, care for and accompany young people, especially girls who have suffered violence, rape or threats. There also exist," he added, "centers for underage mothers, offering them a second chance to complete their interrupted education or to learn a trade."
In his remarks, Msgr. Rugambwa considered the position of students who emigrate, highlighting how in his Message the Pope presents them "as a gift for man and for the Church. They bring with them the great resources of their youth, and must be open and receptive to new ideas and experiences while, at the same time, capable of remaining anchored in the truth."
"As the Holy Father says," indicated Msgr. Rugambwa, "these young people, must not only increase their openness to the dynamism of inculturation, but also seek opportunities for dialogue between cultures and religions, ... thus they will experience the universality of the Church." OP/EMIGRANTS:REFUGEES/MARTINO:MARCHETTO VIS 071128 (590)
YOUNG MIGRANTS, THE THEME OF THE POPE'S MESSAGE
VATICAN CITY, NOV 28, 2007 (VIS) - "Young migrants" is the theme of the Message of the Holy Father Benedict XVI for the World Day of Migrants and Refugees, which is to be celebrated on January 13, 2008. The Message has been published in Italian, French, English, German, Spanish and Portuguese. Large extracts of the English-language version are given below:
"The theme of the World Day of Migrants and Refugees invites us this year to reflect in particular on young migrants. ... The vast globalization process underway around the world brings a need for mobility, which also induces many young people to emigrate and live far from their families and their countries. The result is that many times the young people endowed with the best intellectual resources leave their countries of origin, while in the countries that receive the migrants, laws are in force that make their actual insertion difficult."
"For the young migrants, the problems of the so-called 'difficulty of dual belonging' seem to be felt in a particular way: on the one hand, they feel a strong need not to lose their culture of origin, while on the other, the understandable desire emerges in them to be inserted organically into the society that receives them, but without this implying a complete assimilation and the resulting loss of their ancestral traditions. Among the young people, there are also girls who fall victim more easily to exploitation, moral forms of blackmail, and even abuses of all kinds.
"Next, looking more closely at the sector of forced migrants, refugees and the victims of human trafficking, we unhappily find many children and adolescents too. On this subject it is impossible to remain silent before the distressing images of the great refugee camps present in different parts of the world. ... These children and adolescents have only had as their life experience the permanent, compulsory 'camps' where they are segregated, far from inhabited towns, with no possibility normally to attend school."
"The question is raised of how to respond to the expectations of the young migrants? What can be done to help them? Of course, it is necessary to aim first of all at support for the family and schools. But how complex the situations are, and how numerous the difficulties these young people encounter in their family and school contexts! In families, the traditional roles that existed in the countries of origin have broken down, and a clash is often seen between parents still tied to their culture and children quickly acculturated in the new social contexts.
"Likewise, the difficulty should not be underestimated which the young people find in getting inserted into the educational course of study in force in the country where they are hosted. Therefore, the scholastic system itself should take their conditions into consideration and provide specific formative paths of integration for the immigrant boys and girls that are suited to their needs. The commitment will also be important to create a climate of mutual respect and dialogue among all the students in the classrooms based on the universal principles and values that are common to all cultures."
"The Church looks with very particular attention at the world of migrants and asks those who have received a Christian formation in their countries of origin to make this heritage of faith and evangelical values bear fruit in order to offer a consistent witness in the different life contexts."
"Among the migrants ... there is one category to consider in a special way: the students from other countries who because of their studies, are far from home. ... They are young people who need a specific pastoral care because they are not just students, like all the rest, but also temporary migrants. They often feel alone under the pressure of their studies and sometimes they are also constricted by economic difficulties."
"It is necessary to help them find a way to open up to the dynamism of inter-culturality and be enriched in their contact with other students of different cultures and religions. For young Christians, this study and formation experience can be a useful area for the maturation of their faith, a stimulus to be open to the universalism that is a constitutive element of the Catholic Church.
"Dear young migrants, prepare yourselves to build together your young peers a more just and fraternal society by fulfilling your duties scrupulously and seriously towards your families and the State. Be respectful of the laws and never let yourselves be carried away by hatred and violence. Try instead to be protagonists as of now of a world where understanding and solidarity, justice and peace will reign."
"The Church needs you too and is counting on your contribution. You can play a very providential role in the current context of evangelization. Coming from different cultures, but all united by belonging to the one Church of Christ, you can show that the Gospel is alive and suited to every situation; it is an old and ever new message. It is a word of hope and salvation for the people of all races and cultures, of all ages and eras." MESS/YOUNG MIGRANTS/... VIS 071128 (870)
VATICAN CITY, NOV 28, 2007 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed:
- Bishop Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst, auxiliary of Munster, Germany, as bishop of Limburg (area 6,182, population 2,329,472, Catholics 685,458, priests 457, permanent deacons 60, religious 1,267), Germany.
- Archbishop Henryk Josef Nowacki, apostolic nuncio to Slovakia, as apostolic nuncio to Nicaragua. NER:NN/.../TEBARTZ:NOWACKI VIS 071128 (60) |
| You can find more information at: www.vatican.va - www.vis.pcn.net |
Vatican Update 27 November 2007
| 11.27.2007 - Seventeenth Year - Num. 203 |
|
SUMMARY:
- Pope to Visit a Roman Hospital of the Order of Malta - Holy See Delegation at Annapolis Conference
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POPE TO VISIT A ROMAN HOSPITAL OF THE ORDER OF MALTA
VATICAN CITY, NOV 27, 2007 (VIS) - On Sunday, December 2, Benedict XVI is due to visit the Roman hospital of St. John the Baptist, which belongs to the Sovereign Military Order of Malta and specializes in the treatment and rehabilitation of people suffering from neurological disorders.
The Pope will celebrate Mass for the patients and their families before going on to visit the reanimation unit, one of the few Italian healthcare structures specifically dedicated to providing specialized therapy for patients recovering from comas.
According to a note published by the communications office of the Order of Malta, this event has a twofold historical significance: firstly because it is "the first visit by a Pope to this hospital," and secondly because the hospital itself has a long-standing link to the See of Peter, "being built on the site of the ancient 'Castello della Magliana,' used by Pontiffs for centuries as their summer residence." .../HOSPITAL VISIT/ORDER OF MALTA VIS 071127 (170)
HOLY SEE DELEGATION AT ANNAPOLIS CONFERENCE
VATICAN CITY, NOV 27, 2007 (VIS) - The Holy See delegation to the International Middle East Conference which begins today in Annapolis, U.S.A., will be made up of Msgr. Pietro Parolin, under-secretary for Relations with States, and Msgr. Francesco Coppola, nunciature counsellor, according to a statement by Holy See Press Office Director Fr. Federico Lombardi S.J.
Last Sunday, after praying the Angelus, the Pope had encouraged faithful to join the Day of Prayer called by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops to ask for peace in the Holy Land and for "the gifts of wisdom and courage for all participants in this important meeting."
In Annapolis, the Holy Father said on Sunday, "Israelis and Palestinians, with the help of the international community, aim to relaunch the negotiating process in order to find a just and definitive solution to the conflict which, for the last 60 years, has bloodied the Holy Land and brought so many tears and so much suffering to the two peoples." .../HOLY SEE DELEGATION/PAROLIN:COPPOLA VIS 071127 (180)
VATICAN CITY, NOV 27, 2007 (VIS) - The Holy Father accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese of N'Zerekore, Guinea, presented by Bishop Philippe Kourouma, upon having reached the age limit. NER/.../KOUROUMA VIS 071127 (40) |
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