Vatican News Update

- Genuine Ecumenism Has Its Roots in Prayer

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01.28.2008 - Eighteenth Year - Num. 19

SUMMARY: 26 - 28 JANUARY

- Holy Father Addresses Roman Rota

- Christ Announces the Proximity of the Kingdom of God

- Working for Peace and Remembering Leprosy Sufferers

- Science Must Not Become the Criterion of Good

___________________________________________________________

GENUINE ECUMENISM HAS ITS ROOTS IN PRAYER

VATICAN CITY, 26 JAN 2008 (VIS) - Yesterday afternoon in the Roman basilica of St. Paul's Outside-the-Walls, the Pope presided at the celebration of the second Vespers of the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul. The ceremony, which marked the end of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, was attended by representatives from other Churches and ecclesial communities.

In his homily the Holy Father referred to the conversion of St. Paul, pointing out that the saint's "knowledge that only divine grace could have achieved such a conversion never abandoned him".

"At the conclusion of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity we are more aware than ever of how much the work of recreating unity, which requires all our energy and commitment, is in any case infinitely beyond our capacities. ... It is not in our power to decide when and how this unity will be fully achieved. Only God can do so".

Benedict XVI recalled the theme of this year's Week of Prayer - "pray without ceasing" - indicating that this "invitation addressed by St. Paul to the Thessalonians retains all its validity. Faced with the weakness and sin that prevent the full communion of Christians" the exhortations of the Apostle "have retained all their pertinence, and this is especially true for the command to "pray without ceasing'", he said.

"What would become of the ecumenical movement without individual and joint prayer 'that they may all be one, as you Father are in me and I am in you'? Where can we find that 'extra drive' of faith, charity and hope of which our search for unity has such need today? Our desire for unity should not be confined to sporadic occasions but should become an integral part of our whole life of prayer. ... There is, then, no form of genuine ecumenism that does not have its roots in prayer".

The Pope dwelt on the figure of Fr. Paul Wattson, who a century ago launched the idea of an Octave of prayer for Christian unity and, giving thanks to God for "the great movement of prayer which, for a hundred years, has accompanied and supported believers in Christ in their search for unity", he said: "The ship of ecumenism would never have left port if it had not been moved by this broad current of prayer and driven along by the breath of the Holy Spirit".

Benedict XVI also spoke of the religious and monastic communities which have over these days "invited and assisted their members 'to pray continually' for the unity of Christians", and he mentioned Sr. Maria Gabriella dell'Unita as one of the outstanding figures who prayed for this goal during the last century. At her beatification ceremony in 1983, John Paul II "highlighted the three elements on which the search for unity is built: conversion, prayer and the cross", said Pope Benedict.

"Ecumenism has great need, today as yesterday, of the great 'invisible monastery', ... of that immense community of Christians of all traditions who, without noise or fuss, pray and offer their lives that unity may be achieved".

After greeting representatives from the World Council of Churches and from the various Churches and ecclesial communities present at St. Paul's Outside-the-Walls, the Pope reminded them that the Year dedicated to St. Paul will be inaugurated in the basilica, on 28 June. "May his tireless fervour to build the Body of Christ in unity help us to pray ceaselessly for the full unity of all Christians".

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HOLY FATHER ADDRESSES ROMAN ROTA

VATICAN CITY, 26 JAN 2008 (VIS) - This morning in the Vatican, Benedict XVI received the dean, judges, promoters of justice, defenders of the bond, officials and lawyers of the Tribunal of the Roman Rota, for the occasion of the inauguration of the judicial year.

At the beginning of his address, the Holy Father told his audience that this year's commemoration of the first centenary of the re-establishment of the apostolic tribunal of the Roman Rota, as endorsed by Pope St. Pius X in 1908 with the Apostolic Constitution "Sapienti consilio", provided an appropriate occasion to reflect upon "the jurisprudence of the Rota within the context of the administration of justice within the Church".

"Any juridical system must seek to offer solutions", said the Pope. And in seeking such solutions, "apart from prudently assessing each individual case in its own uniqueness, the same general principles and norms of justice must be applied. Only in this way is it possible to create a climate of trust around the tribunal's activities and to avoid the arbitrariness of subjective criteria".

"These considerations may be perfectly applied to ecclesiastical tribunals. ... The need for unity in the essential criteria of justice and the importance of being able to reasonably foresee the significance of judicial decisions, is a particularly important ecclesial good for the interior life the People of God and for their institutional testimony to the world".

"Sentences must always be founded on shared principles and norms of justice." said the Holy Father adding that such a requirement, "which is common to all legal systems, has particular consequence for the Church" because what is at issue is communion. "This implies the protection of everything that is shared by the Universal Church", and is "especially entrusted to the Supreme Authority and to the bodies that 'ad normam iuris' participate in its sacred power".

Benedict XVI highlighted the Roman Rota's notable achievements in the area of marriage over the last 100 years, indicating how the tribunal is still "called to undertake an arduous task which has great influence on the work of all other tribunals: that of determining the existence or otherwise of the married state, which is intrinsically anthropological, theological and juridical".

"Law cannot be reduced to a mere collection of positive rules which tribunals are called to apply", said the Pope. "The only solid foundation for legal work consists in conceiving of it as a real exercise in 'prudentia iuris', a prudence that is nowise arbitrary or relativist. ... Only in this way do legal maxims acquire their true value and avoid becoming a compilation of abstract and repetitive laws, exposed to the risk of subjective and arbitrary interpretations.

"Hence", he added, "the objective assessment of the facts in the light of the Magisterium of the Church constitutes an important aspect of the activity of the Roman Rota, and has great influence on the work of ministers of justice in the tribunals of local Churches".

The Holy Father went on to highlight how, "through such work in the causes of nullity of marriage, concrete reality may be objectively judged in the light of criteria that constantly reaffirm the truth of indissoluble marriage, which is open to all men and women in accordance with the designs of God".

Due to the universal nature of the Church and the diversity of juridical cultures in which she operates, said the Pope, "there is always a risk of the formation of 'sensim sine sensu' (local forms of jurisprudence), ever more distant from the common interpretation of positive laws and even from Church doctrine on matrimony". In this context, the Holy Father expressed the hope that attention be given to "the right ways to ensure that the jurisprudence of the Rota is ever more characterised by its unity, and is effectively accessible to all who work in justice, so as to find uniform application in all the tribunals of the Church".

The contributions of the ecclesiastical Magisterium concerning the juridical aspects of marriage, including talks by the Pontiff to the Rota, "must be considered from this realistic viewpoint", said Benedict XVI "They constitute an immediate guide for the work of all the tribunals of the Church, in as much as they teach with authority what is essential with respect to the married state".

In closing his address to them, the Pope encouraged members of the Roman Rota to use this hundredth anniversary as an occasion to increase their efforts "with an ever deeper ecclesial sense of justice, which is a true service to salvific communion".

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, 26 JAN 2008 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Archbishop Emil Paul Tscherrig, apostolic nuncio to Korea and Mongolia, as apostolic nuncio to Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Iceland and Norway.

- Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches, as a member of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

- Cardinals Roger Michael Mahony, archbishop of Los Angeles, U.S.A., and Edward Michael Egan, archbishop of New York, U.S.A., as members of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches.

- Msgr. Francesco Di Felice of the clergy of the diocese of Teramo-Atri, Italy, as a consultor of the Pontifical Council for the Family.

- Bishop Pavel Posad of Litomerice, Czech Republic, as auxiliary of Ceske Budejovice (area 12,500, population 748,000, Catholics 295,500, priests 157, permanent deacons 17, religious 175), Czech Republic.

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CHRIST ANNOUNCES THE PROXIMITY OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD

VATICAN CITY, 27 JAN 2008 (VIS) - At midday today, Benedict XVI appeared at the window of his study overlooking St. Peter's Square, to pray the Angelus with faithful gathered below.

Before the Marian prayer, the Pope commented today's Gospel reading, explaining how "it presents the beginning of Christ's public mission", a mission that "essentially consisted in preaching the Kingdom of God and in healing the sick", and that served "to show that the Kingdom is near and, in fact, is already among us".

The Holy Father then went on to point out that Jesus began to preach in Galilee, an outlying area of the Jewish nation where the prophet Isaiah had announced that "the people immersed in darkness would see a great light".

"In Jesus' day the term 'gospel' was used by Roman emperors for their proclamations, Whatever the contents, these were defined as 'good news', in other words as announcements of salvation, because the emperor was considered to be lord of the world and all his edicts as harbingers of good. Thus, applying this word to Jesus' preaching had a strong critical significance as if to say: God, not the emperor, is the Lord of the world and the true Gospel is that of Christ.

"The 'good news' that Jesus proclaimed may be summed up in these words: 'The Kingdom of God - or Kingdom of Heaven - is near'. ... This does not of course refer to an earthly kingdom demarcated in time and space but announces that it is God Who reigns, that it is God Who is Lord, and that His lordship is present, current, it is taking place.

"The novelty of Christ's message", the Pope added, "is that it is in Him that God has drawn near, that He reigns among us, as the miracles and healing He accomplished show".

"Wherever Jesus comes, the creative Spirit brings life and mankind is healed from sickness of body and spirit. God's lordship, then, is shown in the integral healing of man. With this, Jesus wished to reveal the face of the true God, the near God, full of mercy for every human being".

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WORKING FOR PEACE AND REMEMBERING LEPROSY SUFFERERS

VATICAN CITY, 27 JAN 2008 (VIS) - After praying the Angelus today, the Pope addressed a special greeting to children from Catholic Action who had come to St. Peter's Square in the company of their parents and educators on a traditional annual visit marking the closure of their "month of peace".

"Dear young friends", said the Holy Father, "I know you work in favour of your peers who are suffering the effects of war and hunger. Continue along this path, which Jesus showed us, to build true peace!"

Assisted by two of the children, the Holy Father theb released two doves from the window of his study. The birds did not fly back into the apartment as they had on previous occasions causing the Pope to remark with a smile: "This time it went well, sometimes they come back".

Benedict XVI then recalled that today is also the World Day of Leprosy Sufferers, instituted 55 years ago by Raoul Follereau. "I send my affectionate greetings to everyone suffering from this disuse", he said, "giving assurances of my special prayers which I extend to those who, in one way or in another, work at their side, and in particular to volunteers of the Association of Friends of Raoul Follereau".

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SCIENCE MUST NOT BECOME THE CRITERION OF GOOD

VATICAN CITY, 28 JAN 2008 (VIS) - This morning in the Vatican, the Holy Father received participants in an inter-academic conference entitled "The changeable identity of the individual", promoted by the "Academie des Sciences de Paris" and by the Pontifical Academy of Science.

In his address to them, Benedict XVI first expressed his joy and their inter-academic collaboration which, he said, "opens the way to vast and ever more profound multidisciplinary research".

In our time, said the Pope, "the exact sciences, both natural and human, have made prodigious advances in their understanding of man and his universe". However at the same time "there is a strong temptation to circumscribe human identity and enclose it with the limits of what is known. ... In order to avoid going down this path it is important not to ignore anthropological, philosophical and theological research, which highlight and maintain the mystery of human beings, because no science can say who they are, where they come from and where they go. The knowledge of human beings is then, the most important of all forms of knowledge".

"Human beings always stand beyond what can be scientifically seen or perceived", the Pope affirmed. "To overlook the question of man's 'being' inevitably leads to refusing the possibility of research into the objective truth of being ... and, effectively, to an incapacity to recognise the foundation upon which human dignity rests, from the embryo until natural death".

"Starting from the question of the new being, who is produced by a fusion of cells and who bears a new and specific genetic heritage", the Holy Father told his audience, "you have highlighted certain essential elements in the mystery of man". Man, said the Pope is "characterised by his otherness. He is a being created by God, a being in the image of God, a being who is loved and is made to love. As a human he is never closed within himself. He is always a bearer of otherness and, from his origins, is in interaction with other human beings".

"Man", said the Pontiff, "is not the result of mere chance, of converging circumstances, of determinism, of chemical inter-reactions. Man is a being who enjoys a freedom which ... transcends his nature and is a sign of the mystery of otherness that dwells within him. ... This freedom, which is characteristic of human beings, means they can guide their lives to a goal" and "highlights how man's existence has a meaning. In the exercise of his authentic freedom, the individual realises his vocation, he is fulfilled and gives form to his deepest identity".

"Human beings have the specific ability of discerning what is good", the Pope concluded. "In our own time, when the progress of the sciences attracts and seduces for the possibilities it offers, it is more necessary than ever to educate the consciences of our contemporaries to ensure that science does not become the criterion of good, that man is still respected as the centre of creation, and that he does not become the object of ideological manipulation, arbitrary decisions, or abuses".

AC/.../ACADEMIE DES SCIENCES VIS 080128 (530)

AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, 28 JAN 2008 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:

- Eight prelates of the Greek-Catholic Church of Ukraine, on their "ad limina" visit:

- Cardinal Lubomyr Husar, major archbishop of Kyiv-Halyc of the Ukrainians, accompanied by Auxiliary Bishops Bohdan Dzyurakh C.SS.R., Dionisio Lachovicz O.S.B.M., and Wasyl Ihor Medwit O.S.B.M., and by Bishop Hlib Lonchyna, apostolic visitor for Greek-Catholic Ukrainian faithful in Italy.

- Archbishop Ihor Vozniak C.SS.R. of Lviv of the Ukrainians.

- Bishop Milan Sasik S.M., apostolic administrator "ad nutum Sanctae Sedis" of Mukacheve of the Byzantine rite.

- Fr. Demetrius Hryhorak, apostolic administrator "ad nutum Sanctae Sedis" of Buchach of the Ukraninas.

- Archbishop Reinhard Marx of Munich and Freising, Germany.

On Saturday, 26 January, he received in separate audiences:

- Archbishop Henryk Jozef Nowacki, apostolic nuncio to Nicaragua.

- Carlos Luis Custer, ambassador of Argentina to the Holy See, on his farewell visit.

- Fr. Adolfo Nicolas S.J., superior general of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits).

- Bishop Antoni Stankiewicz, dean of the Tribunal of the Roman Rota.

- Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.

AP/.../... VIS 080128 (190)

- Secularism: Main Challenge Facing Church in Slovenia

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Please do not reply to this e-mail.For address changes, cancellations use the links or visit our web.
The news items contained in the Vatican Information Service may be used, in part or in their entirety, by quoting the source:
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01.24.2008 - Eighteenth Year - Num. 17

SUMMARY:

- Communications Media: Spreading and Defending Truth

- The Communications Media Need "Info-Ethics"

___________________________________________________________

SECULARISM: MAIN CHALLENGE FACING CHURCH IN SLOVENIA

VATICAN CITY, 24 JAN 2008 (VIS) - Today in the Vatican, Benedict XVI received prelates from the Slovenian Episcopal Conference who have just completed their five-yearly "ad limina" visit.

In his address to them, the Holy Father dwelt on the great changes the country has seen over the last five years, from its entry into the European Union (2004) to its adoption of the euro (2007) and its adherence to the Schengen Agreement. These changes "are not of an ecclesiastical nature but they nonetheless concern the Church because they touch people's lives, and in particular the question of values in Europe", he said.

Recalling the pastoral letter written by Slovenian bishops in 2004, the Pope noted that it remains valid because, "if Europe wishes to remain - and ever more to become - a land of peace, maintaining the dignity of the human person as one of its fundamental values, it cannot relinquish the principle spiritual and ethical component of its foundation: Christianity.

"Not all forms of humanism are the same", Pope Benedict added, "nor are they equivalent in moral terms. I am not referring here to religious aspects, but limit myself to ethical and social questions. The various visions of man that can be adopted have consequences for civil coexistence. If, for example, man is conceived - following a widespread modern tendency - in individualistic terms how can we justify efforts for the construction of a more just and united community?"

In this context, the Holy Father quoted from the bishops' pastoral letter: "'Christianity is the religion of hope: hope in life, in endless happiness, in the attainment of fraternity among all mankind'. This is true for all continents, including Europe where many intellectuals still struggle to accept the fact that 'reason and faith need one another in order to fulfil their true nature and their mission'".

The Pope then went on to consider the "main challenge" facing the Church in Slovenia: "Western-style secularism, which is different and perhaps more underhand than Marxist secularism". It results in "the unbridled pursuit of material goods, the drop in nativity and the reduction in religious practice with a notable diminution in vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life".

"Each generation is called to renew the choice between life and goodness and death and evil. We as pastors have the duty to show Christians the path of life, that they in their turn may become the salt and light of society. I encourage the Church in Slovenia, then, to respond to materialist and selfish culture with a coherent evangelising activity that begins in parishes".

Finally, referring to the National Eucharistic Congress which will be held in Slovenia in 2009, Benedict XVI stated that the Eucharist and the Word of God "constitute the true treasure of the Church. Faithful to the teaching of Christ, each community must use earthly goods simply, in the service of the Gospel".

He concluded: "On this subject, the New Testament is rich in teachings and in normative examples so that at all times pastors may correctly approach the delicate problem of worldly good and their appropriate use. In all periods of the Church, witness to evangelical poverty has been an essential element of evangelisation, as it was in the life of Christ".

AL/.../SLOVENIA VIS 080124 (560)

COMMUNICATIONS MEDIA: SPREADING AND DEFENDING TRUTH

VATICAN CITY, 24 JAN 2008 (VIS) - This morning in the Holy See Press Office Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli and Msgr. Paul Tighe, respectively president and secretary of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, presented the Pope's Message for the 42nd World Day of Social Communications.

Noting how the communications media "can be instruments of our hope", Archbishop Celli stressed that "they can and must also be instruments at the service a more just and united world.

"It is no coincidence", he added, "that the Pope mentions, though briefly, the 'decisive' role the media have had and continue to have". The Holy Father also recalls those sectors of human life in which the media "are a real resource, a blessing for everyone: literacy, socialisation, the development of democracy and dialogue among peoples", he added.

The president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications dwelt on "the Pope's clear awareness and knowledge of the fact that unfortunately the media 'risk being transformed into systems aimed at subjecting humanity to agendas dictated by the dominant interests of the day'. This is the challenge facing the media, the challenge we must all face in our daily lives in order to become men and women who show solidarity to all mankind".

Benedict XVI notes the fact that "the media can be used to 'create' events", Archbishop Celli observed before going on to ask: "If the media, rather than recounting events, 'create' them what happens to mankind?" In this context, he noted, the Pope suggests that "many people now think there is a need, in this sphere, for 'info-ethics', just as we have bioethics in the field of medicine and in scientific research linked to life".

These words of the Pope, the archbishop concluded, "make us even more aware of how much the social communications media are profoundly linked to mankind, and invite us to protect human beings jealously in all their environments and in everything that mankind is and is called to be".

For his part, Msgr. Tighe, speaking English, noted how the "true measure of progress is not to be found in the technical or logistical efficiency of the new means of communications alone, but in the purposes which the serve". In using new technologies, he continued, the media can place them "at the service of individuals and communities in their search for the truth or they can allow them to be used to promote their own interests and/or the interests of those they represent in ways that manipulate communities and individuals".

This Message, said Msgr. Tighe, encourages those who work in the media "to be vigilant in their efforts to make known the truth and to defend it 'against those who tend to deny or destroy it'. Media professionals are invited to defend the ethical underpinnings of their profession and to ensure that the 'centrality and the inviolable dignity of the human person' are always vindicated".

Finally, Msgr. Tighe recalled the numerous journalists throughout the world who "have suffered persecution, imprisonment and even death because of this commitment and because of their unwillingness to be silent in the face of injustice and corruption".

OP/MESSAGE SOCIAL COMMUNICATIONS/CELLI:TIGHE VIS 080124 (530)

THE COMMUNICATIONS MEDIA NEED "INFO-ETHICS"

VATICAN CITY, 24 JAN 2008 (VIS) - Made public today, Feast of St. Francis de Sales, patron saint of journalists, was Benedict XVI's Message for the World Day of Social Communications, which this year is due to be celebrated on 4 May, and has as its theme: "The Media: At the Crossroads between Self-Promotion and Service. Searching for the Truth in order to Share it with Others".

The Holy Father's Message has been published in Italian, English, Spanish, German, French and Portuguese. Extracts from the English language version are given below:

"The theme of this year's World Communications Day ... sheds light on the important role of the media in the life of individuals and society. Truly, there is no area of human experience, especially given the vast phenomenon of globalisation, in which the media have not become an integral part of interpersonal relations and of social, economic, political and religious development".

"In view of their meteoric technological evolution, the media have acquired extraordinary potential, while raising new and hitherto unimaginable questions and problems. There is no denying the contribution they can make to the diffusion of news, to knowledge of facts and to the dissemination of information: they have played a decisive part, ... in the spread of literacy and in socialisation, as well as the development of democracy and dialogue among peoples".

"Indeed, the media, taken overall, are not only vehicles for spreading ideas: they can and should also be instruments at the service of a world of greater justice and solidarity. Unfortunately, though, they risk being transformed into systems aimed at subjecting humanity to agendas dictated by the dominant interests of the day. This is what happens when communication is used for ideological purposes or for the aggressive advertising of consumer products. While claiming to represent reality, it can tend to legitimise or impose distorted models of personal, family or social life. Moreover, in order to attract listeners and increase the size of audiences, it does not hesitate at times to have recourse to vulgarity and violence, and to overstep the mark. The media can also present and support models of development which serve to increase rather than reduce the technological divide between rich and poor countries.

"Humanity today is at a crossroads. ... We must ask, therefore, whether it is wise to allow the instruments of social communication to be exploited for indiscriminate 'self-promotion' or to end up in the hands of those who use them to manipulate consciences. ... Their extraordinary impact on the lives of individuals and on society is widely acknowledged, yet today it is necessary to stress the radical shift, one might even say the complete change of role, that they are currently undergoing. Today, communication seems increasingly to claim not simply to represent reality, but to determine it, owing to the power and the force of suggestion that it possesses. It is clear, for example, that in certain situations the media are used not for the proper purpose of disseminating information, but to 'create' events".

"The role that the means of social communication have acquired in society must now be considered an integral part of the 'anthropological' question that is emerging as the key challenge of the third millennium. Just as we see happening in areas such as human life, marriage and the family, and in the great contemporary issues of peace, justice and protection of creation, so too in the sector of social communications there are essential dimensions of the human person and the truth concerning the human person coming into play. ... For this reason it is essential that social communications should assiduously defend the person and fully respect human dignity. Many people now think there is a need, in this sphere, for 'info-ethics', just as we have bioethics in the field of medicine and in scientific research linked to life.

"The media must avoid becoming spokesmen for economic materialism and ethical relativism, true scourges of our time. Instead, they can and must contribute to making known the truth about humanity, and defending it against those who tend to deny or destroy it. ... Utilising for this purpose the many refined and engaging techniques that the media have at their disposal is an exciting task, entrusted in the first place to managers and operators in the sector.

"Yet it is a task which to some degree concerns us all, because we are all consumers and operators of social communications in this era of globalisation. The new media - telecommunications and internet in particular - are changing the very face of communication; perhaps this is a valuable opportunity to reshape it, to make more visible, as my venerable predecessor Pope John Paul II said, the essential and indispensable elements of the truth about the human person".

MESS/WORLD COMMUNICATIONS DAY/... VIS 080124 (800)

AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, 24 JAN 2008 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences seven prelates from the Slovenian Episcopal Conference on their "ad limina" visit:

- Archbishop Alojzij Uran of Ljubljana.

- Bishop Metod Pirih of Koper, accompanied by Auxiliary Bishop Jurij Bizjak.

- Bishop Andrej Glavan of Novo Mesto.

- Archbishop Franc Kramberger of Maribor, accompanied by Auxiliary Bishops Jozef Smej and Peter Stumpf S.D.B.

Yesterday evening, the Holy Father received in audience Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, archbishop of Krakow, Poland.

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, 24 JAN 2008 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Appointed Bishop Thomas Chung An-zu, auxiliary of the archdiocese of Taipei, Taiwan, as bishop of Kiayi (area 3,244, population 1,582,934, Catholics 17,820, priests 41, religious 81), Taiwan.

- Appointed Archbishop Jozef Wesolowski, apostolic nuncio to Kazakhstan, Tadjikistan, Krygyzstan and Uzbekistan, as apostolic nuncio to the Dominican Republic.

- Appointed Msgr. James Vann Johnston of the clergy of Knoxville, U.S.A., chancellor and moderator of the diocesan curia, as bishop of Springfield - Cape Girardeau (area 66,586, population 1,248,000, Catholics 64,900, priests 128, permanent deacons 13, religious 222), U.S.A. The bishop-elect was born in Knoxville in 1959 and ordained a priest in 1990. He succeeds Bishop John J. Leibrecht, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

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- Close Bond between Canon Law and Church Life

You can find more information at: www.vatican.va - www.vis.pcn.net
VIS sends its news service only to those who have requested it.
Please do not reply to this e-mail.For address changes, cancellations use the links or visit our web.
The news items contained in the Vatican Information Service may be used, in part or in their entirety, by quoting the source:
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# posted by irr @ 4:47:00 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

01.25.2008 - Eighteenth Year - Num. 18

SUMMARY:

- Thanking God for the Fruits of Ecumenical Dialogue

- Conclusion of Meeting of Synod's Ordinary Council

___________________________________________________________

CLOSE BOND BETWEEN CANON LAW AND CHURCH LIFE

VATICAN CITY, 25 JAN 2008 (VIS) - At midday today, Benedict XVI received participants in a congress organised by the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts to mark the 25th anniversary of the Code of Canon Law.

In his talk to them the Pope pointed out that "the 'ius ecclesiae' is not just a collection of norms produced by the ecclesial Legislator for that particular group of people who form the Church of Christ. It is, primarily, the authoritative declaration by the ecclesial Legislator of the duties and rights which are founded on the Sacraments and which, consequently, derive from what Christ Himself instituted".

The Pope quoted a phrase used by Blessed Antonio Rosmini to the effect that "the human person is the essence of law". This, he went on, is something "we must also emphasise for Canon Law: the essence of Canon Law is the Christian individual in the Church".

"The Church recognises that her laws have the nature and ... the pastoral function of enabling her to pursue her final aim which is that of achieving 'salus animarum'. ... In order for Canon Law to perform this vital service it must, first and foremost, be well structured. This means, on the one hand, that it must be linked to the theological foundations that give it its reasonableness and that are an essential sign of ecclesial legitimacy and, on the other, that it must it must adhere to the changeable circumstances of the history of the People of God.

"Moreover", he added, Canon Law "must be clearly and unambiguously formulated in such a way as to remain in harmony with the other laws of the Church. Hence it is necessary to abrogate norms that have become outdated, modify those in need of correction, interpret (in the light of the living Magisterium of the Church) those that are unclear and, finally, fill any 'lacunae legis'".

The Pope reminded the members of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts of their duty to ensure "that the activities of those structures within the Church called to dictate norms for the faithful may always reflect ... the union and communion that are characteristic of the Church".

"The Law of the Church is, first of all, 'lex libertatis': the law that makes us free to follow Jesus", the Holy Father concluded. "Hence it is important we know how to show the People of God, the new generations and all those called to follow Canon Law, the real bond [that law] has with the life of the Church". This must be done in order "to defend the delicate interests of the things of God and to protect the rights of the weakest, ... but also in order to defend that delicate 'good' which each of the faithful has gratuitously received (the gift of faith, of the grace of God), which in the Church cannot remain without adequate legal protection".

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THANKING GOD FOR THE FRUITS OF ECUMENICAL DIALOGUE

VATICAN CITY, 25 JAN 2008 (VIS) - Today in the Vatican, Benedict XVI received members of the joint working group of the Catholic Church and the World Council of Churches.

Addressing them in English, the Holy Father pointed out how "the World Council of Churches and the Catholic Church have enjoyed a fruitful ecumenical relationship dating back to the time of Vatican Council II The Joint Working Group, which began in 1965, has worked assiduously to strengthen the 'dialogue of life' which my predecessor, Pope John Paul II, called the 'dialogue of charity'. This co-operation has given vivid expression to the communion already existing between Christians and has advanced the cause of ecumenical dialogue and understanding.

"The centenary of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity", he added, "offers us an opportunity to thank Almighty God for the fruits of the ecumenical movement, in which we can discern the presence of the Holy Spirit fostering the growth of all Christ's followers in unity of faith, hope and love. To pray for unity is itself 'an effective means of obtaining the grace of unity', since it is a participation in the prayer of Jesus Himself. When Christians pray together, 'the goal of unity seems closer'".

"On this day, then, we think back with gratitude to the work of so many individuals who, over the years, have sought to spread the practice of spiritual ecumenism through common prayer, conversion of heart and growth in communion. We also give thanks for the ecumenical dialogues which have borne abundant fruit in the past century".

The Holy Father concluded his address by saying that "the reception of those fruits is itself an important step in the process of promoting Christian unity, and the Joint Working Group is particularly suited to studying and encouraging that process".

AC/ECUMENISM/JOINT WORKING GROUP VIS 080125 (310)

CONCLUSION OF MEETING OF SYNOD'S ORDINARY COUNCIL

VATICAN CITY, 25 JAN 2008 (VIS) - Made public today was a communique concerning the sixth meeting of the Eleventh Ordinary Council of the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops. The meeting, held on 21 and 22 January, was part of preparations for the Twelfth Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod, due to take place from 5 to 26 October on the theme: "The Word of God in the Life and the Mission of the Church".

The participants in the sixth meeting, who were received by the Pope on 21 January, examined the first draft of the "Instrumentum laboris", which is the working document for the forthcoming synodal assembly and was drawn up on the basis of the numerous replies to the "Questionario". The "Questionario" was part of the original consultative document - the "Lineamenta" or draft guidelines - and the replies were sent in by the Synods of Bishops of the "sui iuris" Eastern Catholic Churches, episcopal conferences, dicasteries of the Roman Curia and the Union of Superiors General.

SE/.../SYNOD BISHOPS VIS 080125 (180)

AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, 25 JAN 2008 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:

- Two prelates from the Slovenian Episcopal Conference on their "ad limina" visit:

- Bishop Anton Stres C.M. of Celje

- Bishop Marjan Turnsek of Murska Sobota.

- Cardinal Raffaele Farina S.D.B., archivist and librarian of Holy Roman Church, accompanied by an entourage for the presentation of a number of works from the Vatican Apostolic Library.

AL:AP/.../... VIS 080125 (80)

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, 25 JAN 2008 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed:

- Bishop Hilario Da Cruz Massinga O.F.M. of Lichinga, Mozambique, as bishop of Quelimane (area 62,557, population 847,620, Catholics 741,540, priests 58, religious 191), Mozambique.

- Fr. Jose Elias Rauda Gutierrez O.F.M. head of the office for juridical affairs of the provincial curia of the Friars Minor Franciscans, based in Guatemala, as auxiliary of Santa Ana (area 3,272, population 1,420,810, Catholics 919,409, priests 82, permanent deacons 1, religious 110), El Salvador. The bishop-elect was born in Agua Caliente, El Salvador in 1962 and ordained a priest in 1989.

- Fr. Joseph Hii Teck Kwong, pastor of the parish of the Immaculate Conception in Kapit, as auxiliary of Sibu (area 41,484, population 745,000, Catholics 90,000, priests 17, religious 31), Malaysia. The bishop-elect was born in Sibu in 1965 and ordained a priest in 1993.

- Fr. Tarcicio Pusma Ibanez of the clergy of the diocese of Chulucanas, diocesan bursar, as auxiliary of Trujillo (area 25,500, population 297,000, Catholics 210,000, priests 21, religious 41), Peru. The bishop-elect was born in Nangali, Peru in 1967 and ordained a priest in 1997.

NER:NEA/.../... VIS 080125 (200)

- Prayer Is at the Heart of the Ecumenical Journey

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01.23.2008 - Eighteenth Year - Num. 16

SUMMARY:

- Letter from the Pope on Vital Importance of Education

___________________________________________________________

PRAYER IS AT THE HEART OF THE ECUMENICAL JOURNEY

VATICAN CITY, 23 JAN 2008 (VIS) - Benedict XVI dedicated his catechesis during today's general audience to the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity which began on 18 January and will come to an end on Friday, 25 January, Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul.

Addressing the thousands of faithful gathered in the Paul VI Hall, the Pope explained that during the Week "Christians from various Churches and ecclesial communities will come together ... in a choral entreaty to ask the Lord Jesus to re-establish full unity among all His disciples, ... undertaking to work so that all humanity accepts and recognises Him as their only Pastor and Lord".

The Holy Father gave his listeners a broad historical overview of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, the theme of which this year is "pray without ceasing": More than 100 years ago Fr. Paul Wattson, an Anglican priest from the U.S.A. who later entered into the communion of the Catholic Church, launched "the prophetic idea of an Octave of prayer for the unity of Christians". In 1916 Pope Benedict XV extended the invitation to pray for unity to the entire Catholic Church and later, during Vatican Council II, "the need for unity was felt with even greater urgency".

Vatican Council II promulgated the Decree on Ecumenism "Unitatis Redintegratio" which, the Pope said, "lays great emphasis on the role and the importance of prayer for unity. Prayer", he added, "is at the very heart of the ecumenical journey".

"It is thanks to this spiritual ecumenism, founded on prayer and sincere conversion, ... that the joint search for unity has undergone considerable development over the last few decades, diversifying into many different initiatives: from mutual knowledge to fraternal contact between members of different Churches and ecclesial communities, from ever more friendly dialogue to collaboration in various fields, from theological dialogue to the search for tangible forms of communion".

Vatican Council II "also highlighted prayer in common", said Pope Benedict, "because in joint prayer Christian communities come together before the Lord and, aware of the contradictions caused by their divisions, manifest their desire to obey His will". ... Joint prayer is not, then a form of volunteer work or sociology, but an expression of the faith that unites all Christ's disciples".

"It is the awareness of our human limitations that encourages us to abandon ourselves faithfully in the hands of the Lord. ... The profound significance of the Week of Prayer lies precisely in the fact that it is firmly founded on the prayer of Christ ... 'that they may all be one, ... so that the world may believe'".

"So that the world may believe!" the Pope concluded. "We particularly feel the realism of those words today. The world is suffering from the absence of God, ... it wishes to know the face of God. But how can men and women today know the face of God in the face of Christ if we Christians are divided? Only in unity can we truly show the face of God, the face of Christ, to a world which has such need to see it".

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LETTER FROM THE POPE ON VITAL IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATION

VATICAN CITY, 23 JAN 2008 (VIS) - Made public today was a Letter from the Pope to the diocese and the city of Rome on the vital importance of education.

During last Sunday's Angelus, for the occasion of the Day of Catholic Schools which the diocese of Rome was celebrating that day, the Holy Father had encouraged administrators, teachers, parents and pupils of Catholic schools, despite the difficulties they face, to continue their work "which has the Gospel as its focus, following an educational syllabus that aims at the integral formation of the human person".

In his Letter, which is dated 21 January, Benedict XVI notes that education today "seems to be becoming ever more difficult. ... Hence there is talk of an 'educational emergency', confirmed by the failures which too often crown our efforts to form well-rounded individuals, capable of collaborating with others and of giving meaning to their lives". There is also talk of a 'break between the generations', which certainly exists and is a burden, but is the effect rather than the cause of the failure to transmit certainties and values".

The Holy Father notes that parents and teachers may feel the "temptation to give up" on education, and even run the risk "of not understanding what their role is", and he identifies "a mentality and a form of culture that lead people to doubt the value of the human person, the meaning of truth and of good and, in the final analysis, the goodness of life itself".

Faced with such difficulties, "which are not insurmountable", the Pope says: "Do not be afraid! ... Event the greatest values of the past cannot simply be inherited, we must make them our own and renew them through often-difficult personal choices.

"However", he adds, "when the foundations are shaken and essential certainties disappear, the need for those values returns to make itself imposingly felt. Thus we see today an increasing demand for real education". It is demanded by parents, by teachers, "by society as a whole, ... and by the young people themselves who do not want to be left to face the challenges of life alone".

The Holy Father writes of the need "to identify certain common requirements for authentic education", noting that "it requires, above all, the nearness and trust that are born of love".

"It would, then, be a poor education that limited itself to imparting notions and information while ignoring the great question of truth, above all of that truth which can be a guide to life".

The Pope identifies "the most delicate aspect of education" as that of "finding the right balance between freedom and discipline". However, he affirms, "the educational relationship is above all an encounter between two freedoms, and successful education is formation in the correct use of freedom. ...We must, then, accept the risk of freedom, remaining ever attentive to helping it and to correcting mistaken ideas and choices".

"Education cannot forgo that authoritative prestige which makes the exercise of authority credible" writes the Holy Father, adding that this is "acquired above all by the coherence of one's own life". He also highlights the decisive importance of a sense of responsibility. "Responsibility is first of all personal but there also exists a responsibility we share together", he says.

In this context, Benedict XVI observes that "the overall trends of the society in which we live, and the image it gives of itself through the communications media, exercise a great influence on the formation of new generations, for good but also often for evil. Society", he adds, "is not an abstract concept, in the final analysis it is we ourselves".

In closing, the Holy Father refers to hope, the subject of his last Encyclical, as the "soul of education", indicating that "our hope today is threatened from many sides and we too, like the ancient pagans, risk becoming men without 'hope and without God in the world'".

"At the root of the crisis of education lies a crisis of trust in life," he concludes. "Hope directed towards God is never hope for me alone, it is always also hope for others. it does not isolate us but unites us in goodness, stimulating us to educate one another in truth and in love".

BXVI-LETTER/EDUCATION/... VIS 080123 (720)

AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, 23 JAN 2008 (VIS) - The Holy Father yesterday received in audience Cardinal Paul Josef Cordes, president of the Pontifical Council "Cor Unum".

AP/.../... VIS 080123 (30)

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, 23 JAN 2008 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Fr. Tarcisio Scaramussa S.D.B., general counsellor of the Salesians in Rome, as auxiliary of Sao Paulo (area 1,645, population 7,060,750, Catholics 5,215,000, priests 941, permanent deacons 30, religious 2,825), Brazil. The bishop-elect was born in Prosperidade, Brazil in 1950 and ordained a priest in 1977.

NER/.../SCARAMUSSA VIS 080123 (60)

- Code of Canon Law Promulgated Twenty-Five Years Ago

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01.22.2008 - Eighteenth Year - Num. 15

SUMMARY:

- Cardinals Take Possession of Diaconate Churches

___________________________________________________________

CODE OF CANON LAW PROMULGATED TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO

VATICAN CITY, 22 JAN 2008 (VIS) - In the Holy See Press Office at midday today, a press conference was held to present a forthcoming congress on the theme: "Canon Law in the Life of the Church, research and perspectives in the context of recent Pontifical Magisterium". The event has been organised to mark the 25th anniversary of the Code of Canon Law which was promulgated on 25 January 1983.

Participating in the press conference were Archbishop Francesco Coccopalmerio and Msgr. Juan Ignacio Arrieta, respectively president and secretary of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts.

"Twenty-five years ago, the long process of revising the 1917 Code of Canon Law came to an end", said Archbishop Coccopalmerio, explaining how the revision "had been announced by Pope John XXIII on the same day he proclaimed the celebration of Vatican Council II" and how it aimed "to re-examine the central corpus of the Church's legislative code in accordance with doctrinal aspects contained in the conciliar documents".

The archbishop then went on to consider differences between the Code of Canon Law and the legal codes of nations. The former, he said, "contains the law of the Church, just as a State code contains the laws of a particular nation. And it is called 'Canon Law' because it is made up of 'canons', which are equivalent to the 'articles' of a State code".

However the Code of Canon Law "is not just a collection of norms created by the will of ecclesiastical legislators", it "indicates the duties and rights inherent to the faithful and to the structure of the Church as instituted by Christ".

And the legislator, having identified fundamental duties and rights "also establishes a series of norms that have the aim of defining, applying and defending [those] duties and rights".

"For this reason", the archbishop went on, "the Code of Canon Law is like a large and complex painting depicting the faithful and the communities within the Church, and defining the identity and 'mission' of each. And the painter of this work of art is the ecclesiastical legislator" whose model comes "from the doctrine of the Church and from ... Vatican Council II, as Pope John Paul II taught us when he promulgated the current Code".

Turning his attention to some of the "novelties" of the 1983 Code with respect to that of 1917, Archbishop Coccopalmerio mentioned Canon 208 whence, he said, "arise many tangible consequences that concern all the faithful and especially the lay faithful: all are called to play an active role in the Church". Other novelties include "the definition of matters concerning the Roman Pontiff, the College of Bishops, the Synod of Bishops and the episcopal conferences".

The 1983 Code of Canon Law, said the archbishop, was, "like all human works, ... perfectible". Hence one of the aims of the current congress is "to identify certain points in need of a little restoration".

In closing, the president of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts enumerated the functions of his dicastery: "helping the supreme legislator (the Pope) to keep Church legislation as complete and up to date as possible, ... overseeing the correct application of current laws" and "helping the Pope in the delicate process of interpreting norms".

For his part, Msgr. Arrieta affirmed that the aim of the congress is "to undertake a purposeful study ... into the progress of the application of the Code, and of all the other norms that the various offices of the Roman Curia and individual legislators have produced over the last 25 years".

The congress will begin with an "overall assessment of the development of these norms" presented by Cardinal Julian Herranz, president emeritus of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts, who is, said Msgr. Arrieta, "the historical memory on this subject, having followed the entire process personally since Vatican Council II".

The secretary of the pontifical council highlighted how, due to the time limits of the congress, only some offices of the Roman Curia had been chosen to study the process of the Code's application over the last quarter of a century. Thus, for example, Cardinal Ivan Dias, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples, will speak on the theme: "Acceptance and operation of Canon Law in the mission lands. Cultural encounters and technical limitations".

Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops will deliver an address on: "Universal law and the production of norms at the level of particular Churches, episcopal conferences and particular councils", while for his part Cardinal Zenon Grocholewski, prefect of the Congregation for Catholic Education, will turn his attention to: "The formation of ministers of God: the teaching of Canon Law".

Cardinal Paul Josef Cordes, president of the Pontifical Council "Cor Unum" will give a talk entitled: "Spontaneity of charity. The needs and limits of normative structures".

On Friday, 25 January, before their scheduled audience with the Pope, Cardinal Franc Rode C.M., prefect of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, will address the gathering on: "Consecrated life and normative structures. Experience and perspectives of the relationship between general norms and particular statutes". For his part, Cardinal Peter Erdo, archbishop of Budapest, Hungary, and president of the Council of European Episcopal Conferences, will speak on: "Rigidity and elasticity of normative structures in ecumenical dialogue". Following a brief debate , the congress will conclude with a contribution from Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B. on the theme: "Canon Law and the pastoral government of the Church. The role of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts".

The congress, which is due to be held in the Vatican's Synod Hall on 24 and 25 January, will be attended by members of episcopal conferences, and by professors and students of Canon Law from Italy and the rest of the world.

OP/CODE CANON LAW/... VIS 080122 (980)

CARDINALS TAKE POSSESSION OF DIACONATE CHURCHES

VATICAN CITY, 22 JAN 2008 (VIS) - According to a note published today by the Office of Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff, at 10.30 a.m. on Sunday, 27 January, Cardinal Giovanni Lajolo, president of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State and of the Governorate of Vatican City State, will take possession of the diaconate of St. Mary "Liberatrice" a Monte Testaccio, Via Lorenzo Ghiberti 2, Rome.

The communique also announces that at 6.30 p.m. on Sunday, 27 January, Cardinal Giovanni Coppa, apostolic nuncio, will take possession of the new diaconate of St. Linus, Via Cardinale Garampi 60, Rome.

OCL/POSSESSION DIACONATE/... VIS 080122 (110)

- Benedict XVI Recalls Cardinal Domenico Capranica

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01.21.2008 - Eighteenth Year - Num. 14

SUMMARY: 19 - 21 JANUARY

- The Eucharist, the Role of the Virgin and Suffering

- Holy Father Receives President of Togo

- Evangelising Mission of Church Follows Path of Ecumenism

- University Students, Professors Show Solidarity with Pope

- President of East Timor Received by Pope

- Word of God, the Focus of the Ecclesial Community

- Apostolic Task of Catholic Universities

- Blessing of the Lambs for the Feast of St. Agnes

- Strong Ecumenical Element to Pauline Year

___________________________________________________________

BENEDICT XVI RECALLS CARDINAL DOMENICO CAPRANICA

VATICAN CITY, 19 JAN 2008 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received professors and students of the diocesan seminary of Rome, the "Almo Collegio Capranica", for the feast day of their patroness, St Agnes, which falls on 21 January.

In his talk to them, them Benedict XVI gave particular emphasis to the figure of Cardinal Domenico Capranica, who founded the institution 550 years ago and who, a century before the Council of Trent, was able to see "that the desired reform would not only have to involve ecclesiastical structures but, principally, the lives and choices of those people within the Church who were called to be ... guides and pastors of the People of God".

The same cardinal also drew up the "Constitutiones" of the "Almo Collegio" which regulate "the various aspects of the formation of the young students", said the Pope. With those "Constitutiones", the cardinal "demonstrated his concern for the primacy of the spiritual dimension, and his awareness that the profundity of a solid priestly formation - and its consequent durability - depend to a decisive degree on the completeness and overall structure of the educational syllabus.

"These aspects have even greater importance today", the Pope added, "considering the multiple challenges priests and evangelisers must face on their mission. In this context I have, on a number of occasions, reminded seminarians and priests of the urgent need to cultivate a profound interior life, a personal and constant contact with Christ in prayer and contemplation, a sincere longing for sanctity.

"In fact, without a true friendship with Jesus, it is impossible for Christians, and especially for priests, to carry out the mission with which the Lord entrusts them. For priests, it is clear that this also entails serious cultural and theological preparation".

The Holy Father stressed "the decisive impulse" a period spent in Rome can give to priests' educational itinerary, because of "the presence of the Cathedra of Peter, the work of the people and the institutions that assist the Bishop of Rome", and "a more direct knowledge of certain particular Churches".

"Your pastors", the Pope told his audience, "have sent you to the city of Peter's Successor in the hope that you return enriched by a markedly Catholic spirit, and a fuller and more universal awareness of ecclesial matters".

Life in the "Almo Collegio" enables its students, who come from all over the world, "to gain an intimate knowledge of that mix of cultures and mentalities which is so typical of modern life", the Pope concluded. "Furthermore, the presence of students from the Russian Orthodox Church represents a further encouragement to dialogue and fraternity, and gives nourishment to ecumenical hopes".

AC/.../COLLEGIO CAPRANICA VIS 080121 (450)

THE EUCHARIST, THE ROLE OF THE VIRGIN AND SUFFERING

VATICAN CITY, 19 JAN 2008 (VIS) - The Holy Father's Message for the World Day of the Sick 2008, was made public today. Its theme is: "The Eucharist, Lourdes and Pastoral Care of the Sick". The World Day of the Sick is due to be celebrated on February 11, Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes.

In the Message, which has been published in Italian and English, the Pope explains how this year's World Day is associated with "two important events in the life of the Church: ... The 150th anniversary of the apparitions of Mary Immaculate at Lourdes, and the celebration of the International Eucharistic Congress at Quebec, Canada, in June". This, he writes, "is a remarkable opportunity to consider the close connection that exists between the Mystery of the Eucharist, the role of Mary in the project of salvation, and the reality of human pain and suffering".

"There is an indissoluble bond", the Pope states, "between the mother and the Son generated in her womb by work of the Holy Spirit, and this bond we perceive, in a mysterious way, in the Sacrament of the Eucharist".

Benedict XVI highlights how "Mary 'Mater Dolorosa' is associated with the sacrifice of Christ, suffering with her divine Son at the foot of the cross. The Christian community feels her to be especially close as it gathers around its suffering members who bear the signs of the Lord's passion. Mary suffers with those who are afflicted, with them she hopes, and she is their comfort, supporting them with her maternal help".

The Pope mentions the theme of the Eucharistic Congress of Quebec, "The Eucharist, Gift of God for the Life of the World", then proceeds: "It is He who gathers us around the Eucharistic table, arousing in His disciples loving care for the suffering and the sick, in whom the Christian community recognises the face of its Lord".

"It thus appears clear that it is specifically from the Eucharist that health pastoral care must draw the necessary spiritual strength to come effectively to man's aid and to help him understand the salvific value of his own suffering. ... Mysteriously united to Christ, the man who suffers with love and meek self-abandonment to the will of God becomes a living offering for the salvation of the world".

The Pope invites diocesan and parish communities to celebrate the World Day of the Sick "with full appreciation for the happy concurrence of the 150th anniversary of the apparitions of Our Lady at Lourdes with the International Eucharistic Congress. May it be an occasion to emphasise the importance of Mass, and of the adoration and celebration of the Eucharist, so that chapels in our healthcare centres become beating hearts in which Jesus offers Himself unceasingly to the Father for the life of humanity! The distribution of the Eucharist to the sick, if performed decorously and in a spirit of prayer, is a true comfort to those who suffer".

Benedict XVI concludes his Message by inviting people to consider the World Day of the Sick as "a propitious circumstance to invoke in a special way the maternal protection of Mary over those who are weighed down by illness, over healthcare providers, and workers in health pastoral care. I think in particular of priests involved in this field, religious, volunteers, and all those who with active dedication are concerned to serve, in body and soul, the sick and those in need".

MESS/WORLD DAY SICK/... VIS 080121 (590)

HOLY FATHER RECEIVES PRESIDENT OF TOGO

VATICAN CITY, 19 JAN 2008 (VIS) - The Holy See Press Office announced this morning that "the Holy Father Benedict XVI today received in audience Faure Gnassingbe, president of the Republic of Togo, who subsequently went on to meet Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B., and Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, secretary for Relations with States.

"In the course of the cordial discussions satisfaction was expressed at the good relations that exist between the Holy See and Togo, with particular emphasis on the contribution Catholics make to the integral progress of the Togolese people. The need to achieve complete national reconciliation was underlined as was the urgent importance of bringing aid to the numerous refugees and victims of last October's floods".

OP/VISIT PRESIDENT TOGO/GNASSINGBE VIS 080121 (130)

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, 19 JAN 2008 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese of Kimbe, Papua New Guinea, presented by Bishop Alphonse Liguori Chaupa, in accordance with canon 401 para. 2 of the Code of Canon Law.

- Appointed Bishop Gerulfus Kherubim Pareira S.V.D. of Weetebula, Indonesia, as bishop of Maumere (area 1,732, population 270,000, Catholics 259,598, priests 123, religious 260), Indonesia.

- Appointed Fr. Enrico Solmi of the clergy of the archdiocese of Modena - Nonantola, Italy, diocesan head of the pastoral care of families and director of the regional office for pastoral care of families in Emilia Romagna, as bishop of Parma (area 2,154, population 320,759, Catholics 308,335, priests 281, permanent deacons 11, religious 706), Italy. The bishop-elect was born in San Vito di Spilamberto, Italy in 1956 and ordained a priest in 1980. He succeeds Bishop Silvio Cesare Bonicelli, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

RE:NER/.../... VIS 080121 (180)

EVANGELISING MISSION OF CHURCH FOLLOWS PATH OF ECUMENISM

VATICAN CITY, 20 JAN 2008 (VIS) - Shortly before midday today, the Pope appeared at the window of his study to pray the Angelus with the 200,000 people gathered in St. Peter's Square and its surroundings.

In remarks before the Marian prayer, Benedict XVI mentioned the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity during which Catholics, Orthodox, Protestants, "aware that their divisions represent an obstacle to their acceptance of the Gospel, together implore the Lord, even more intensely, for the gift of full communion".

The Holy Father recalled how the initiative began a hundred years ago when Fr. Paul Wattson suggested an "Octave" of prayer for the unity of all Christ's disciples, and he greeted some of the priest's followers, the Friars and Sisters of the Atonement, who were present in St. Peter's Square.

"We all", said the Pope, "have the duty to pray and to act in order to overcome the divisions between Christians, and to respond to Christ's express wish 'Ut unum sint'. Prayer, conversion of hearts and the strengthening of spiritual bonds of communion represent the essence of this spiritual movement which we hope may soon lead Christ's disciples to the joint celebration of the Eucharist, the expression of their full unity".

Mentioning the theme of this year's Week, "pray without ceasing", taken from St. Paul's Letter to the Thessalonians, the Holy Father explained how the Apostle had sought to show that "new life in Christ and in the Holy Spirit" gives each of us "the capacity to overcome all forms of selfishness and to live together in peace", as well as "willingly to lift the burdens and suffering of others. ... The Church's evangelising mission follows the path of ecumenism, the path of the unity of faith, of evangelical witness and of true fraternity".

Benedict XVI concluded by recalling that on Friday, 25 January, he will close the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in a ceremony at the Roman basilica of St. Paul's Outside-the-Walls, and he invited Romans and pilgrims to participate in the event.

ANG/CHRISTIAN UNITY/... VIS 080121 (350)

UNIVERSITY STUDENTS, PROFESSORS SHOW SOLIDARITY WITH POPE

VATICAN CITY, 20 JAN 2008 (VIS) - After praying the Angelus today, the Pope greeted the 200,000 faithful present, and in particular university students and professors who had come to demonstrate their solidarity after he was compelled to postpone the visit he had been due to make last week to Rome's "La Sapienza" University.

After expressing his thanks to Cardinal Camillo Ruini, his vicar general for the diocese of Rome, who had promoted and organised the participation in today's Angelus, the Holy Father explained how he had at first willingly accepted the invitation to visit "La Sapienza" for the inauguration of the university's academic year. "Unfortunately", he said, "as you know, the climate that had arisen made my presence at the ceremony inappropriate and, against my will, I postponed the visit, though I did send the text of the discourse I had prepared for the occasion.

"To the university environment, which was my world for many years", added Benedict XVI, "I am linked by my love for the search for truth, for discussion, for frank and respectful dialogue between different points of view.

"This is also the mission of the Church, committed to following Jesus, Master of life, of truth and of love. As a professor - so to say, emeritus - who has met many students in his life, I encourage you all, dear university students and professors, always to be respectful of the opinions of others and to seek truth and goodness with a free and responsible spirit".

Going on to address some remarks to administrators, teachers, parents and pupils of Catholic schools, who came for the Day of Catholic Schools which the diocese of Rome is celebrating today, the Holy Father said: "In educating children and young people in the faith, Catholic schools also have an important role to play. I encourage you, then, to continue your work, which has the Gospel as its focus, following an educational syllabus that aims at the integral formation of the human person. Despite the difficulties you encounter, continue your mission with courage and faith, cultivating a constant passion for education and a generous commitment and service to the new generations".

Before concluding the Pope, who was interrupted various times by applause, added some off-the-cuff remarks: "Thank you to everyone for this show of solidarity. ... Let us continue in this spirit of fraternity, of love for truth and freedom, of joint commitment for a more fraternal and tolerant society".

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PRESIDENT OF EAST TIMOR RECEIVED BY POPE

VATICAN CITY, 21 JAN 2008 (VIS) - The Holy See Press Office released the following communique at midday today:

"This morning, the Holy Father Benedict XVI received in audience Jose Manuel Ramos-Horta, president of the Democratic Republic of East Timor, accompanied by his entourage. The president subsequently went on to meet Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B., and Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, secretary for Relations with States.

"During the discussions, mention was made of the cordial relations between the Holy See and the Democratic Republic of East Timor, and of the co-operation between the Catholic Church and the State in the fields of education, healthcare, and the struggle against poverty.

"The political and social situation of the country was also examined, with particular emphasis given to the process of national reconciliation and to the support of the international community for the consolidation of democratic institutions".

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WORD OF GOD, THE FOCUS OF THE ECCLESIAL COMMUNITY

VATICAN CITY, 21 JAN 2008 (VIS) - This morning, the Pope received participants in the Sixth Ordinary Council of the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops, who are meeting to prepare the Synod's General Assembly, due to be held from 5 to 26 October.

After expressing his thanks for a speech by Archbishop Nikola Eterovic, secretary general of the Synod of Bishops, the Holy Father mentioned his own recent Encyclical "Spe salvi". The "social character of hope", he said, is evident in the "'connection between love of God and responsibility for others', which makes it possible not to lapse into selfish desires of salvation".

"It is my belief that the effective application of this fruitful principle is evident in the Synod, in which encounter becomes communion and the solicitude for all Churches is expressed in the shared concern of all.

"The forthcoming General Assembly of the Synod will reflect on the 'Word of God in the Life and the Mission of the Church'", he added. "The great tasks facing the ecclesial community in the modern world (and among the many I particularly stress evangelisation and ecumenism) are centred on the Word of God and, at the same time, draw therefrom their justification and support.

"Just as the Church's missionary activity ... finds its inspiration and its goal in the Lord's merciful revelation, so ecumenical dialogue cannot base itself on the words of human wisdom or on skilful strategies, but must be animated exclusively by constant reference to the original Word, which God consigned to His Church to be read, interpreted and lived in communion".

"In this context, St. Paul's doctrine reveals a particular strength, clearly founded on divine revelation but also on his own apostolic experience which, ever and anew, made it clear to him that not human wisdom and eloquence but only the force of the Holy Spirit builds the Church in faith".

The Pope went on to remark that the Synod will coincide with the celebration of the Pauline Year and that the meeting will provide pastors of the Church with an opportunity to reflect on "the witness of this great Apostle and Herald of the Word of God. ... May his example be an encouragement for everyone to accept the Word of salvation and to translate it into daily life, in faithful discipleship of Christ".

Benedict XVI concluded his talk to the participants in the Sixth Ordinary Council by telling them: "yours is a meritorious service to the Church" because the Synod is the institution best-qualified "for promoting truth and unity of pastoral dialogue within the mystical Body of Christ".

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APOSTOLIC TASK OF CATHOLIC UNIVERSITIES

VATICAN CITY, 21 JAN 2008 (VIS) - This morning in the Vatican, the Pope received participants in the plenary assembly of the Congregation for Catholic Education, to whom he said: "It is highly appropriate that, in our own day, we should reflect on how to render this apostolic task of the ecclesial community incisive and effective", a task "entrusted to Catholic universities and, in particular, to ecclesiastical faculties".

The Holy Father then referred to reforms in the ecclesiastical study of philosophy, reforms that "will not fail to highlight the metaphysical and sapiential dimensions of philosophy". He also mentioned the possibility of "examining the suitability of reforming the 1979 Apostolic Constitution 'Sapientia christina', ... the 'magna charta' of ecclesiastical faculties which serves as the basis upon which to formulate criteria to assess the quality of those institutions, an assessment required by the Bologna Process of which the Holy See has been a member since 2003.

"The ecclesiastical disciplines", he added, "especially theology, are today subjected to new interrogations in a world tempted, on the one hand, by a rationalism which follows a false idea of freedom unfettered by any religious references and, on the other, by various forms of fundamentalism which, with their incitement to violence and fanaticism, falsify the true essence of religion ".

Faced with the educational crisis, Benedict XVI proceeded, "schools must ask themselves about the mission they are called to undertake in the modern social environment". Catholic schools, "though open to everyone and respecting the identity of each, cannot but present their own educational, human and Christian perspective". In this context, he said, they face a new challenge, that of "the coming together of religions and cultures in the joint search for truth". This means, on the one hand, "not excluding anyone in the name of their cultural or religious background", and on the other "not stopping at the mere recognition" of this cultural or religious difference.

The Pope went on to refer to another theme being examined by the plenary assembly, that of reforming the document "Ratio fundamentalis institutionis sacerdotalis" for seminaries, issued in 1970 and updated in 1985. Any reform, said the Pope, "will have to highlight the importance of the proper correlation between the various dimensions of priestly formation in the perspective of Church-communion, following the indications of Vatican Council II. ... The formation of future priests must, furthermore, offer them guidance and help to enter into dialogue with contemporary culture.

"Human and cultural formation must, then, be significantly reinforced and sustained also with the help of modern sciences, because certain destabilising social factors that exist in the world today (such as the situation of separated families, the educational crisis, widespread violence, etc.), render new generations fragile".

The Pope concluded his talk by highlighting the need for "adequate formation in spiritual life so as to make Christian communities, particularly in parishes, ever more aware of their vocation, and capable of providing adequate responses to questions of spirituality, especially as posed by the young. For this to happen, the Church must not lack qualified and responsible apostles and evangelisers".

AC/EDUCATION/... VIS 080121 (520)

BLESSING OF THE LAMBS FOR THE FEAST OF ST. AGNES

VATICAN CITY, 21 JAN 2008 (VIS) - This morning in the Vatican's Apostolic Palace, in keeping with the tradition for today's feast of St. Agnes, the Pope today blessed two lambs, the wool of which will be used to make the palliums bestowed on new metropolitan archbishops on June 29, Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, Apostles.

The pallium is a white woollen band embroidered with six black crosses which is worn over the shoulders and has two hanging pieces, front and back. Worn by the Pope and by metropolitan archbishops, the pallium symbolises authority and expresses the special bond between the bishops and the Roman Pontiff.

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STRONG ECUMENICAL ELEMENT TO PAULINE YEAR

VATICAN CITY, 21 JAN 2008 (VIS) - In the Holy See Press Office this morning, the presentation took place of the programme of events for the forthcoming Pauline Year, and in particular of initiatives to be held at the Roman basilica of St. Paul's Outside-the-Walls. The Pauline year will run from 28 June 2008 to 29 June 2009.

Participating in today's press conference were Cardinal Andrea Cordero Lanza di Montezemolo, archpriest of St. Paul's Outside-the-Walls, Fr. Johannes Paul Abrahamovicz, prior of the basilica's abbey, and Piero Carlo Visconti, of the administrative offices.

Cardinal Cordero Lanza di Montezemolo remarked how Pope Benedict had called the Pauline year during the celebration of first Vespers for the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul on 28 June 2007, in order to commemorate the second millennium of the birth of the Apostle of the Gentiles. On that occasion, the Pope had highlighted the ecumenical dimension of the event because St. Paul "was particularly committed to bringing the Good News to all people, and made prodigious efforts for the unity and harmony of all Christians".

The cardinal explained how the Pauline year "will provide an occasion" to undertake various activities: "rediscover the figure of the Apostle; reread the numerous Letters he sent to the first Christian communities; relive the early years of our Church; delve deeply into his rich teaching to the 'gentiles'; meditate on his vigorous spirituality of faith, hope and charity; make a pilgrimage to his tomb and to the numerous places he visited while founding the first ecclesial communities; revitalise our faith and our role in today's Church in the light of his teachings; pray and work for the unity of all Christians in a united Church".

Scheduled activities include a pastoral programme (daily ordinary and extraordinary liturgical celebrations, meetings for prayer and the Sacrament of Penance); a cultural religious programme (catecheses on St. Paul, conferences, congresses, concerts); pilgrimages (to the basilica and to other Pauline sites in and outside Rome); a cultural artistic programme (exhibitions, publications, postage stamps, the coining of a special medal, the issue of a stamp and a two euro coin by the Governorate of Vatican City State); a publishing programme (a guide to the basilica of St. Paul's Outside-the-Walls to be published in various languages, a new edition of the Acts of the Apostles and of the Letters of St. Paul, and the opening of a site www.annopaolino.org constantly updated with information relating to the event).

Finally, the cardinal turned his attention the ecumenical programme, ecumenism being an important aspect of the Pauline Year. He announced that the chapel currently used as the baptistery, located between the basilica and the cloister of St. Paul's Outside-the-Walls, will become the "Ecumenical Chapel, maintaining its characteristic baptismal font but designated as a place in which to offer our Christian brethren a special place for prayer, either within their own groups, ... or together with Catholics, without the celebration of the Sacraments".

This chapel will also be used to house the remains of St. Timothy of Antioch and of other unknown forth century martyrs, which were discovered in the hypogeum of St. Paul during restoration work on the basilica in 2006.

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, 21 JAN 2008 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in audience Cardinal Antonio Maria Rouco Varela, archbishop of Madrid, Spain.

On Saturday, 19 January, he received in separate audiences:

- Cardinal Sergio Sebastiani, president of the Prefecture for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See.

- Two prelates from the Conference of Latin Bishops in the Arab Regions (CELRA), on their "ad limina" visit:

- Bishop Paul Hinder, O.F.M. Cap., apostolic vicar of Arabia.

- Archbishop Paul Dahdah O.C.D., apostolic vicar of Beirut, Lebanon.

- Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.

AP:AL/.../... VIS 080121 (100)

- Maintain a Vigilant Awareness of Truth

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01.17.2008 - Eighteenth Year - Num. 12

SUMMARY:

- Cardinal Martinez Sistach, Possession of Titular Church

___________________________________________________________

MAINTAIN A VIGILANT AWARENESS OF TRUTH

VATICAN CITY, 17 JAN 2008 (VIS) - Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B., yesterday sent a letter to the rector of Rome's "La Sapienza" University, explaining the reasons for which the Pope will not participate in today's ceremony for the inauguration of that institution's academic year.

In his letter the Cardinal writes: "As, unfortunately, the prerequisites for a dignified and tranquil welcome were not present, because of an initiative by a decidedly minority group of professors and students, it was judged opportune to postpone the scheduled visit in order to remove any pretext for demonstrations which would have been unfortunate for everyone concerned".

Nonetheless, the letter continues, given that the majority of professors and students wished to hear "a culturally meaningful word, whence to draw stimuli for their own journey in search of truth, the Holy Father has instructed that the text he prepared for the occasion be sent to you".

In his discourse, which was read out at the end of this morning's ceremony, Benedict XVI recalls the lecture he delivered at Regensburg in September 2006, during the course of his apostolic trip to Germany. On that occasion, he writes, "I spoke as Pope but, above all, as a former professor of what used to be my own university. ... However, I was invited to 'La Sapienza', the ancient university of Rome, as Bishop of Rome, and as such I must speak.

"Of course", he adds, "'La Sapienza' was once the university of the Pope, but today it is a lay university enjoying that autonomy which, on the basis of the principles on which they were founded, has always been part of the nature of universities, which must be exclusively bound by the authority of the truth".

"The Pope is first and foremost the Bishop of Rome and as such, by virtue of his succession from the Apostle Peter, has an episcopal responsibility towards the entire Catholic Church", writes the Pope. "But the community which the bishop has in his care, be it large or small, lives in the world; its conditions, its progress, its example and its word inevitably influence all the rest of the human community".

"The Pope speaks as the representative of a community of believers, ... as a representative of a community that contains within itself a wealth of ethical knowledge and experiences which are important for all humankind. In this way he speaks as a representative of ethical reason".

Benedict XVI asks himself: "What is the university? What is its task?" Then he goes on: "The true, intimate, origin of the university lies in the longing for knowledge which is inherent to mankind. Humans want to know what it is that surrounds them. They want truth".

"Truth is never just theoretical. ... Truth means more than knowing. Knowledge of truth has as its goal knowledge of good. ... What is the good that makes us true? The truth makes us good, and goodness is truth. This is the optimism that lives in Christian faith, because [that faith] has been granted the vision of the 'Logos', creative Reason which in the incarnation of God was revealed as Good, as Goodness itself".

In this context, the Holy Father presents the example of medieval universities in which, he notes, faculties of philosophy and theology "were entrusted with searching for the truth about man in its entirety and, alongside that, with the task of ensuring that awareness of truth remained high". Then, quoting a formula used at the Council of Chalcedon to describe Christology, Benedict XVI affirms that theology and philosophy must co-exist "without confusion and without separation.

"Without confusion", he adds, "means that each of the two disciplines must conserve its own identity. Philosophy must remain a real search for reason, with its own inherent freedoms and responsibilities", while theology "must continue to draw from that wealth of knowledge which it did not invent itself ... and which, since it can never be totally consumed by reflection, always provides fresh stimulus for thought".

"Without separation", he explains, means that "philosophy does not start afresh from zero each time in the mind of the thinker, but is part of the great dialogue of historical wisdom", in which "it must not close itself to what religions - and in particular the Christian faith - have received and donated to humanity as signs along its journey".

"Much of what theology and faith say", Pope Benedict observes, "can be absorbed only within the context of faith itself and therefore cannot be presented as a requirement to those people for whom this faith remains inaccessible. Yet at the same time it is true that the message of Christian faith ... is a purifying force for reason, ... an encouragement towards truth, and therefore a force against the pressures of power and interest groups".

The Holy Father also refers to modern times in which "new dimensions of knowledge" have opened up, represented in universities in two main areas: "the natural sciences, ... and the historical and human sciences". He also notes with satisfaction how "the recognition of the rights and the dignity of man" has increased.

However, despite this, "the danger of falling into inhumanity can never be completely eliminated", in particular "the danger facing the Western world ... is that man today, precisely because of the immensity of his knowledge and power, surrenders before the question of truth. ... This means that, in the end, reason gives way before the pressure of other interests and the lure of efficiency, and is forced to recognise this as the ultimate criterion".

"There is a danger", the Pope observes, "that philosophy, no longer feeling itself capable of playing its true role, may degenerate into positivism; that theology with its message to reason, may be confined to the private sphere of a particular group, large or small as it may be".

In closing his discourse, the Benedict XVI asks: "What does the Pope have to do or to say to the university?" And he answers: "Certainly he must not seek to impose on others, in an authoritarian way, a faith which can only be given in freedom.

"Over and above his ministry as a pastor in the Church and on the basis of the intrinsic nature of such pastoral ministry", the Pope concludes, "it his job to maintain high the awareness of truth, inviting reason ever and anew to seek truth, goodness, God and, on this journey, encouraging it to notice the valuable lights that have arisen during the history of the Christian faith".

AC/TRUTH/LA SAPIENZA VIS 080117 (1100)

CARDINAL MARTINEZ SISTACH, POSSESSION OF TITULAR CHURCH

VATICAN CITY, 17 JAN 2008 (VIS) - Office of the Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff announced today that at 10 a.m. on Sunday, 20 January, Cardinal Lluis Martinez Sistach, metropolitan archbishop of Barcelona, Spain, will take possession of the title of St. Sebastian at the Catacombs, Via Appia 136, Rome.

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, 17 JAN 2008 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Archbishop Ivo Scapolo, apostolic nuncio to Bolivia, as apostolic nuncio to Rwanda.

NN/.../SCAPOLO VIS 080117 (30)

- Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

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01.15.2008 - Eighteenth Year - Num. 10

SUMMARY:

___________________________________________________________

WEEK OF PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY

VATICAN CITY, 15 JAN 2008 (VIS) - The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, traditionally celebrated every year from January 18 to 25, begins on Friday.

The theme chosen for this year's initiative, taken from the First Letter of Paul to the Thessalonians, is: "Pray without ceasing". The texts for reflection and prayer have been prepared by the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and the Commission on Faith and Order of the World Council of Churches.

Each day of the Week will have a different theme:

18 January: Pray always. "Pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5, 17).

19 January: Pray always, trusting God alone. "Give thanks in all circumstances" (1 Thessalonians 5, 18).

20 January: Pray without ceasing for the conversion of hearts. "Admonish the idlers, encourage the faint-hearted" (1 Thessalonians 5, 14).

21 January: Pray always for justice. "See that none of you repays evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to all" (1 Thessalonians 5, 15).

22 January: Pray constantly with a patient heart. "Be patient with all of them" (1 Thessalonians 5, 14).

23 January: Pray always for grace to work with God. "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5, 16).

24 January: Pray for what we need. "... help the weak" (1 Thessalonians 5, 14).

25 January: Pray always that they all may be one. "Be at peace" (1 Thessalonians 5, 13b)

Although the traditional period for celebrating this week of prayer is in the month of January, in the southern hemisphere Churches sometimes seek other periods such as, for example, around the time of Pentecost, which is also a symbolically significant date for the unity of the Church, and was suggested by the Faith and Order movement in 1926.

In the basilica of St. Paul's Outside-the-Walls at 5.30 p.m. on Friday, 25 January, Feast of the Conversion of the Apostle Paul, Benedict XVI will preside at the celebration of Vespers to mark the close of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, 15 JAN 2008 (VIS) - Cardinal Lubomyr Husar, major archbishop of Lviv of the Ukrainians, Ukraine, with the consent of the Synod of the Greek-Catholic Ukrainian Church and in accordance with Canon 85, para. 3 of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches, has erected the archiepiscopal exarchate of Lutsk of the Ukrainians (area 40,300, Catholics 4,000, priests 10), Ukraine

The Holy Father has given his consent to the canonical election by the same Synod of Fr. Josaphat Oleg Hovera, rector of the major seminary of Ternopil-Zboriv, Ukraine, as the first exarch of the new exarchate. The bishop-elect was born in Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine in 1963 and ordained a priest in 1990.

ECE:NER/.../HOVERA VIS 080115 (120)

- Communique on Pope's Audience with President of Benin

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01.14.2008 - Eighteenth Year - Num. 09

SUMMARY: 12 - 14 JANUARY

- The Pope Baptises 13 Infants in the Sistine Chapel

- Mission of Christ: to Baptise in the Holy Spirit

___________________________________________________________

COMMUNIQUE ON POPE'S AUDIENCE WITH PRESIDENT OF BENIN

VATICAN CITY, 12 JAN 2008 (VIS) - The Holy See Press Office released the following communique at midday today:

"This morning in the Apostolic Palace of the Vatican, the Holy Father Benedict XVI received in audience Thomas Yayi Boni, president of the Republic of Benin. The illustrious guest subsequently went on to meet Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B., and Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, secretary for Relations with States.

"In the course of the cordial discussions, attention was focused on the difficult socio-economic situation the country is experiencing, aggravated also by last October's floods.

"Pleasure was expressed at the good relations that exist between Church and State, and the president voiced his thanks, as he had at an earlier meeting with the Pontifical Council "Cor Unum", for the significant contribution Catholics make to the development of the country, in the fields of education, healthcare and human promotion".

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, 12 JAN 2008 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed:

- Cardinal Marc Ouellet P.S.S., archbishop of Quebec, Canada, and Bishop Wilhelm Emil Egger O.F.M. Cap. of Bolzano-Bressanone, Italy, respectively as relator general and special secretary of the Twelfth Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, due to be held in the Vatican from 5 to 26 October on the theme: "The Word of God in the Life and the Mission of the Church".

- Cardinal Nicolas de Jesus Lopez Rodriguez, archbishop of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, as a member of the Special Council for America of the Synod of Bishops.

- Archbishop Cornelius Fontem Esua of Bamenda, Cameroon, as a member of the Special Council for Africa of the Synod of Bishops.

- Msgr. Joseph Marino, nunciature counsellor in Great Britain, as apostolic nuncio to Bangladesh, at the same time elevating him to the dignity of archbishop. The archbishop-elect was born in Birmingham, U.S.A. in 1953 and ordained a priest in 1979.

- Archbishop Nikola Eterovic, secretary general of the Synod of Bishops, as a member of the Congregation for Bishops.

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THE POPE BAPTISES 13 INFANTS IN THE SISTINE CHAPEL

VATICAN CITY, 13 JAN 2008 (VIS) - At 10 a.m. today, Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, the Pope presided at Mass in the Sistine Chapel, during which he administered the Sacrament of Baptism to 13 infants, children of Vatican employees.

"In Baptism", said the Holy Father in his homily, "young human beings receive new life, the life of grace that makes them capable of entering into a personal relationship with the Creator, and this lasts forever, for all eternity.

"Unfortunately", he added, "man is capable of extinguishing this new life through sin, reducing himself to a situation described by Holy Scripture as 'second death'".

He continued: "While for other creatures, who are not called to eternity, death means only the end of their earthly lives, in us sin creates an abyss which risks swallowing us up forever, if God in heaven does not stretch out His hand to us".

The Pope went on to explain the "mystery of Baptism" in these terms: "God wished to save us, and so He went Himself to the bottom of the abyss of death so that all mankind, even those who have fallen so low as no longer to be able to see heaven, may find the hand of God to which to cling, and so come out of the shadows and see the light for which they were created.

"We all feel, we all have an interior perception that our existence is a desire for a life [of] fullness and salvation. This fullness of life is given to us in Baptism".

"The aim of Christ's existence", the Pope said, "was precisely that of giving mankind the life of God and His spirit of love, in order to enable each human being to draw from this never-ending source of salvation. ... It is for this reason that Christian parents bring their children to the baptismal font as soon as possible, knowing that the life they have communicated to them invokes a fullness, a salvation, that only God can give. And in this way the parents become God's collaborators, transmitting to their children not only physical but also spiritual life".

Benedict XVI concluded his homily by addressing the parents of the new-born infants, saying: "Of course, to grow up strong and healthy, these boys and girls will have need of material care and a lot of attention, however what is most necessary, indeed indispensable, to them is to know, love and serve God faithfully, so as to have eternal life. Dear parents, be for them the first witnesses of authentic faith in God!"

A note issued by the Office of Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff explains that "the wooden platform with a special altar" usually brought in for the celebration of the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord was not used for this year's ceremony in the Sistine Chapel. "It was deemed better to celebrate at the old altar so as not to disturb the beauty and harmony of this architectural masterpiece, maintaining the celebratory aspects of its structure and making use of a possibility contemplated by liturgical norms".

For this reason, at certain moments during the Mass, the Pope had "his back to the congregation and his gaze on the Cross". Nonetheless, the note explains, "the ordinary Missal was used".

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MISSION OF CHRIST: TO BAPTISE IN THE HOLY SPIRIT

VATICAN CITY, 13 JAN 2008 (VIS) - At midday today, having celebrated Mass in the Sistine Chapel where he administered the Sacrament of Baptism to 13 infants, the Holy Father appeared at the window of his study overlooking St. Peter's Square, to pray the Angelus with the thousands gathered there.

Before the Marian prayer, the Pope recalled how today's Feast of the Baptism of the Lord closes the liturgical period of Christmas. It was, he said, Christ's "first public appearance" following "thirty years of hidden life in Nazareth".

His Baptism was, at one and the same time, "christophany and theophany" explained Benedict XVI, "Jesus showed Himself as 'Christ', a Greek term translating the Hebrew 'Messiah' which means anointed, yet He was not anointed with oil like the kings and the high priests of Israel, but with the Holy Spirit". In this context, the Pope referred to the Gospel of St. Matthew which recounts how at the moment of Jesus' Baptism "the heavens opened and the Holy Spirit descended on Him like a dove".

"The profound significance" of this, the Holy Father went on, "only emerges at the end of Christ's earthly life, in His death and resurrection. By having Himself baptised by John together with sinners, Jesus began to take upon Himself the burden of sin of all humanity, as the Lamb of God Who 'takes away' the sin of the world. This mission He accomplished on the cross, when he also received His 'Baptism'.

"In fact", he added, "by dying He 'immersed' Himself in the love of the Father and disseminated the Holy Spirit so that believers in Him might be reborn from that never-ending font of new and eternal life. The whole of Christ's mission may be summed up in this way: Baptism in the Holy Spirit to free us from the slavery of death and 'open us to heaven', in other words ... to true and full life".

After praying the Angelus, Benedict XVI remarked on the World Day of Migrants and Refugees which is being celebrated today and has as its theme young migrants. "Many are the young people", the Pope observed, "who for various reasons are compelled to live far from their families and their countries. Girls and minors are particularly at risk", he said, noting that "some children and adolescents were born and grew up in refugee camps" and that "they too have a right to a future".

The Holy Father went on to express his appreciation for "those who work in favour of young migrants, their families and their integration into the workplace and schools". He invited ecclesial communities "to welcome with open arms the young, the very young and their parents, seeking to understand their stories and to favour their insertion into society".

Finally, the Holy Father addressed some words to young immigrants themselves, inviting them to join their peers in building "a more just and fraternal society, undertaking your duties, respecting laws, and never letting yourselves be tempted into violence".

ANG/BAPTISM:IMMIGRANTS/... VIS 080114 (510)

AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, 14 JAN 2008 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:

- Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, archbishop of Genoa, Italy and president of the Italian Episcopal Conference.

- Eight prelates from the Conference of Latin Bishops in the Arab Regions (C.E.L.R.A.), on their "ad limina" visit:

- His Beatitude Michel Sabbah, patriarch of Jerusalem of the Latins, accompanied by Coadjutor Archbishop Fouad Twal; Bishop Salim Sayegh, patriarchal vicar for Jordan; Bishop Giacinto-Boulos Marcuzzo, patriarchal vicar for Israel; Fr. Umberto Barato O.F.M., patriarchal vicar for Cyprus; and Bishop Kamal Hanna Bathish, patriarchal vicar general emeritus.

- Bishop Giuseppe Bausardo S.D.B., apostolic vicar of Alexandria, Egypt.

- Bishop Camillo Ballin M.C.C.I., apostolic vicar of Kuwait.

- Cardinal Andre Vingt-Trois, archbishop of Paris, France and president of the Conference of Bishops of France, accompanied by Archbishops Hippolyte Simon of Clermont, and Laurent Ulrich of Chambery, vice-presidents, and by Fr. Antoine Herouard, secretary general.

On Saturday, 12 January, he received in separate audiences:

- Cardinal Ivan Dias, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples.

- Archbishop Beniamino Stella, president of the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy.

- Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.

AP:AL/.../... VIS 080114 (200)

- Papal Solidarity with the Christians of Iraq

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01.11.2008 - Eighteenth Year - Num. 08

SUMMARY:

- Pope Receives Inspectorate for Public Security in Vatican

- Holy See Press Office Communique

___________________________________________________________

PAPAL SOLIDARITY WITH THE CHRISTIANS OF IRAQ

VATICAN CITY, 11 JAN 2008 (VIS) - Benedict XVI has sent a telegram to Cardinal Emmanuel III Delly, patriarch of Babylon of the Chaldeans, Iraq, expressing solidarity in the wake of recent attacks against Christian communities in various of the country's cities.

The English-language telegram, signed by Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B., makes it clear that the Pope was "deeply concerned to learn of the attacks on Christian targets in Baghdad, Mosul and Kirkuk" on 6 and 9 January, and that he "expresses his spiritual closeness to the injured and their families".

The Holy Father offers the cardinal, who is also president of the Assembly of Catholic Bishops of Iraq, and the archbishops of the cities concerned, his "fraternal assurances of prayer as you seek to offer hope and strength to your people".

The Pope asks Cardinal Delly "to convey his heartfelt solidarity to the superiors of the religious communities affected by these attacks, and to renew his sentiments of sincere solidarity with all members of the Christian communities in Iraq, Catholic and non-Catholic alike.

"Mindful that such attacks are also directed against the whole people of Iraq, His Holiness appeals to the perpetrators to renounce the ways of violence, which have caused so much suffering to the civilian population, and he encourages all those in authority to renew efforts towards peaceful negotiation aimed at a just resolution of the country's difficulties, respectful of the rights of all.

"Praying for a return to the peaceful coexistence of the diverse groups that make up the population of this beloved country, the Holy Father commends all the people of Iraq to the heavenly protection of our almighty and merciful Father".

TGR/ATTACKS CHRISTIANS/IRAQ:DELLY VIS 080111 (290)

POPE RECEIVES INSPECTORATE FOR PUBLIC SECURITY IN VATICAN

VATICAN CITY, 11 JAN 2008 (VIS) - Benedict XVI today received members of the General Inspectorate for Public Security at the Vatican, in their traditional January meeting to exchange New Year greetings.

He expressed his best wishes for 2008, which he also extended to the members of their families, and he recalled how his Message for World Peace Day this year had as its theme: "The Human Family, a Community of Peace".

Quoting from the text of the Message, the Pope indicated that "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 humanisation for the person and society', ... the prototype of every social order".

"In your daily role of vigilance", he told his listeners, "you meet no small number of families. They arrive here from all over the world to pay homage to the Apostles, and in particular to St. Peter upon whose faith Christ founded the Church. They come to renew together their profession of this faith, ... to participate in audiences and celebrations presided by the Apostle Peter's Successor".

The Holy Father thanked the officers of the General Inspectorate for Public Security for their "constant interest in people and in the motives that animate them", as well as for their "willingness, patience and spirit of sacrifice", and he invited them to seek in each pilgrim "the face of a brother or a sister whom God has put in your path, a friend yet unknown, ... in the knowledge that we are all part of the one great human family".

"This is why", he continued, "it is essential for each of us to commit ourselves to living with an attitude of responsibility towards God, recognising in Him the ultimate source of our own life and the lives of others. By returning to this supreme Principle it is possible to perceive the unconditional worth of each human being, and it is thanks to such awareness that we can lay the foundations for constructing a pacified humanity".

The Pope went on: "Without this transcendent foundation, which is God, society risks becoming a mere aggregation of neighbours, and it ceases to be a community of brothers and sisters called to form one great family".

"May the Lord help you to carry out your profession", Benedict XVI concluded, "remaining ever faithful to the ideals which must constantly inspire it. Society needs people who do their duty and are aware that all work, all service conscientiously undertaken, contributes to building a more just and a truly free society".

AC/INSPECTORATE PUBLIC SECURITY/... VIS 080111 (450)

HOLY SEE PRESS OFFICE COMMUNIQUE

VATICAN CITY, 11 JAN 2008 (VIS) - The Holy See Press Office released the following communique at midday today:

"The political manipulation that has followed the words addressed by the Holy Father yesterday to representatives from the Region of Lazio, and the Province and City of Rome cannot but provoke amazement. It was certainly not the Pope's intention to undervalue the social work being carried out with praiseworthy dedication by the leaders of the City of Rome and of the Region. In fact, as Bishop of Rome, he has in various circumstances, even recently, highlighted the achievements made in the service of citizens, achievements he was also careful to underline in yesterday's address. At the same time, however, he could not but mention - giving a voice to the many people who turn to him - certain particularly pressing human problems, which must be faced with everyone's contribution. The Church, as His Holiness has assured, will not fail in her own involvement and collaboration".

OP/POPE ADDRESS ROME/... VIS 080111 (180)

AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, 11 JAN 2008 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:

- Cardinal Camillo Ruini, His Holiness vicar general for the diocese of Rome.

- Cardinal Claudio Hummes O.F.M., prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy

- Cardinal Agostino Vallini, accompanied by Bishop Velasio De Paolis C.S., respectively prefect and secretary of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura.

- Archbishop Aldo Cavalli, apostolic nuncio to Colombia.

This evening, he is scheduled to receive in audience Cardinal William Joseph Levada, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

AP/.../... VIS 080111 (100)

- Respect and Support the Family Founded on Marriage

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01.10.2008 - Eighteenth Year - Num. 07

SUMMARY:

- Cardinals Take Possession of Diaconate, Titular Churches

___________________________________________________________

RESPECT AND SUPPORT THE FAMILY FOUNDED ON MARRIAGE

VATICAN CITY, 10 JAN 2008 (VIS) - This morning in the Vatican, the Pope received Piero Marrazzo, president of the Region of Lazio, Italy; Walter Veltroni, mayor of the City of Rome; and Enrico Gasbarra, president of the Province of Rome, each accompanied by an entourage, for the traditional exchange of New Year greetings.

As is customary during these annual meetings, the Holy Father remarked on a number of subjects of current concern that affect the lives of the inhabitants of Rome and Lazio.

Referring to the "educational emergency" he had highlighted last June during the ecclesial congress of the diocese of Rome, Benedict XVI noted how "it seems ever more difficult convincingly to present new generations with firm certainties and criteria upon which to build their lives". Nonetheless, he told his audience, such an emergency "cannot leave the Church or your administrations indifferent.

"What is clearly at stake in the formation of individuals", the Pope added, "is the very basis of co-existence and the future of society. For its part, the diocese of Rome is dedicating its special attention to this difficult task", with initiatives that touch "the various educational fields, from families and schools to parishes, associations and movements". He then went on to express his thanks to the Region of Lazio for the support it has given to oratories and children's centres run by parishes and ecclesial communities.

The Holy Father called on civil institutions to "increase their efforts at various levels in order to tackle the educational emergency, drawing constant inspiration from the guide-criterion of the centrality of the human person.

"It is clear that respect and support for the family based on marriage have primary importance", he added. "Unfortunately, we daily see how unrelenting and threatening are the attacks and misunderstandings suffered by this fundamental human and social institution. It is, then, more necessary than ever that public administrations do not support such negative tendencies but, on the contrary, give the family their convinced and concrete support, in the certainty that in this way they are working for the common good".

The Holy Father identified poverty as "another worsening emergency situation, ... especially on the outskirts of major cities. ... The increased cost of living, and especially the price of accommodation, a persistent lack of work, and often inadequate salaries and pensions, make living conditions truly difficulty for many individuals and families", he observed.

Going on to consider the problem of security and the degradation of some areas of Rome, Benedict XVI dwelt on the need for "constant and real efforts, with the dual and inseparable aims of guaranteeing the safety of citizens and ensuring that everyone (immigrants in particular) has at least the indispensable minimum for an honest and dignified life. The Church, through Caritas and many other forms of voluntary activity, ... makes prodigious efforts also on this difficult front" which also requires "the intervention of the public authorities".

The Pope concluded by highlighting another area of shared concern for the Church and the public authorities: the sick. "We are well aware", he said, "of the serious difficulties the Region of Lazio has to face in the field of healthcare, but we must also note how the situation of Catholic healthcare structures is also often a dramatic one. ... I must ask, then, that in the distribution of resources [Catholic structures] not be penalised, not for any interest of the Church, but in order to avoid prejudicing a service so indispensable to our people".

AC/.../REGION:PROVINCE:ROME VIS 080110 (590)

CARDINALS TAKE POSSESSION OF DIACONATE, TITULAR CHURCHES

VATICAN CITY, 10 JAN 2008 (VIS) - According to a note published today by the Office of Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff, at 6.30 p.m. on Sunday, 13 January, Cardinal Urbano Navarrete S.J. will take possession of the new diaconate of St. Pontian in Via Nicola Festa 50, Rome.

The communique also announces that at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, 16 January, Cardinal Sean Baptist Brady, archbishop of Armagh, Ireland will take possession of the title of Sts. Quiricus and Julitta in Via Tor de' Conti 31/A, Rome.

OCL/POSSESSION DIACONATE:TITLES/... VIS 080110 (100)

AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, 10 JAN 2008 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:

- Cardinal Giovanni Lajolo, president of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State and of the Governorate of Vatican City State.

- Francis Rooney, ambassador of the United States of America, accompanied by his wife, on his farewell visit.

This evening, he is scheduled to receive in audience Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches.

AP/.../... VIS 080110 (80)

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, 10 JAN 2008 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Ignacio Rodriguez-Iturbe, professor of civil and environmental engineering at Princeton University, U.S.A., as an ordinary member of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences.

NA/.../... VIS 080110 (40)

- Human Dignity, the Basis of All Rights

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01.08.2008 - Eighteenth Year - Num. 05

SUMMARY:

- In Memoriam

___________________________________________________________

HUMAN DIGNITY, THE BASIS OF ALL RIGHTS

VATICAN CITY, 8 JAN 2008 (VIS) - Archbishop Silvano M. Tomasi C.S., Holy See permanent observer to the United Nations at Geneva, spoke on 10 December before the ordinary session of the U.N. Human Rights Council, which throughout 2008 is commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (signed in Paris on 10 December 1948).

Speaking English, Archbishop Tomasi indicated that the declaration "remains the single most important reference point for cross-cultural discussion of human freedom and dignity in the world and represents the customary-law base for any discussion about human rights".

The rights presented in the declaration "are not conferred by States or other institutions but they are acknowledged as inherent to every person, independent of, and in many ways the result of ethical, social, cultural and religious traditions.

"Human dignity concerns democracy and sovereignty, but goes at the same time beyond them", he said. It requires everyone concerned "to work for freedom, equality, social justice for all human beings, while respecting the world's cultural and religious mosaic. The very fact that we share a common human dignity provides the indispensable base that sustains the inter-relatedness and indivisibility of human rights, social, civil and political, cultural and economic".

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights "recognises that the respect of all human rights is the source of peace. ... Peace is not only conceived as an absence of violence but includes also co-operation and solidarity, at the local and international levels, as a necessary way in order to promote and to defend the common good of all people.

"Sixty years after the declaration", the archbishop added, "many members of the human family are still far from the enjoyment of their rights and basic needs. Human security is still not ensured". This sixtieth anniversary, he concluded, may serve to show "that every person, as an individual or as a member of a community, has the right and the responsibility to defend and implement all human rights".

DELSS/HUMAN RIGHTS/GENEVA:TOMASI VIS 080108 (340)

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, 8 JAN 2008 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Appointed Bishop Jose Francisco Sanches Alves of Portalegre - Castelo Branco, Portugal, as archbishop of Evora (area 13,547, population 290,000, Catholics 245,900, priests 103, permanent deacons 10, religious 242), Portugal. The archbishop-elect was born in Lageosa da Raia, Portugal in 1941, he was ordained a priest in 1966 and consecrated a bishop in 1998. He succeeds Archbishop Maurilio Jorge Quintal de Gouveia, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same archdiocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

- Appointed Bishop Amandio Jose Tomas, auxiliary of Evora, Portugal, as coadjutor of Vila Real (area 4,237, population 289,200, Catholics 285,600, priests 137, permanent deacons 1, religious 115), Portugal.

NER:RE:NEC/.../SANCHES:QUINTAL:TOMAS VIS 080108 (130)

IN MEMORIAM

VATICAN CITY, 8 JAN 2008 (VIS) - The following prelates died in recent weeks:

- Cardinal Aloisio Lorscheider O.F.M. archbishop emeritus of Aparecida, Brazil, on 23 December at the age of 83.

- Bishop Juan Alfredo Arzube, former auxiliary of Los Angeles, U.S.A., on 25 December at the age of 89.

- Bishop Sebastiao Assis de Figueiredo O.F.M. of Guiratinga, Brazil, on 20 December at the age of 58.

- Bishop Fernando Romo Gutierrez, emeritus of Torreon, Mexico, on 15 December at the age of 92.

.../DEATHS/... VIS 080108 (90)

- Appeal for Peace in Kenya

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01.07.2008 - Eighteenth Year - Num. 04

SUMMARY: 5 - 7 JANUARY

- God Is the Great Hope Humanity Needs

- The Gospel, Light and Guide for All Mankind

- Pope Delivers His Annual Address to the Diplomatic Corps

___________________________________________________________

APPEAL FOR PEACE IN KENYA

VATICAN CITY, 5 JAN 2008 (VIS) - Benedict XVI has made an appeal for peace and dialogue in Kenya following recent violence in the wake of the country's presidential elections.

In the Letter, signed by Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B. and addressed to Cardinal John Njue, archbishop of Nairobi and president of the Kenya Episcopal Conference, the Holy Father gives assurances "of his prayers that this great tragedy will soon come to an end", and expresses his closeness to victims of the violence.

The English-language letter continues: "It is His Holiness's heartfelt hope that this beloved nation, whose experience of social tranquillity and development represents an element of stability in the entire troubled region, will banish as quickly as possible the threat of ethnic conflict".

The Pope "pleads for an immediate end to acts of violence and fratricidal conflict" and "appeals to political leaders, who are responsible for the common good", inviting them "to embark resolutely on the path of peace and justice, since the country needs peace that is based on justice and brotherhood. He encourages them to resolve the present difficulties through dialogue and democratic debate".

BXVI-LETTER/PEACE/KENYA:NJUE VIS 080107 (200)

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, 5 JAN 2008 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Msgr. Beniamino Pizziol, vicar general of the patriarchate of Venice, Italy, as auxiliary of the same patriarchate (area 871, population 370,726, Catholics 355,897, priests 396, permanent deacons 30, religious 899). The bishop-elect was born in Ca' Vio-Treporti, Italy in 1947 and ordained a priest in 1972.

NEA/.../PIZZIOL VIS 080107 (60)

GOD IS THE GREAT HOPE HUMANITY NEEDS

VATICAN CITY, 6 JAN 2008 (VIS) - In the Vatican Basilica at 10 a.m. today, the Pope presided at Mass for the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord.

In his homily, Benedict XVI affirmed that "today we celebrate Christ, Light of the world, and His 'manifestation' to all people".

"The evangelical episode we commemorate at Epiphany - the coming of the Magi to the Baby Jesus at Bethlehem - draws us back to the origins of the history of the people of God", said the Pope, highlighting how in the early stories of the Bible "there is a first 'covenant' established by God with Noah after the flood, ... a universal covenant that concerns all humanity".

He went on: "With the calling of Abraham began God's great plan to make humanity a family, through His alliance with a new people, chosen by Him to be a blessing among all mankind. This divine plan is still underway and has its culminating moment in the mystery of Christ, ... but it needs to be accepted by human history, which always remains a history of faithfulness on God's part and, unfortunately, also one of unfaithfulness by we humans.

"The Church herself, depository of the blessing, is holy and made up of sinners", the Holy Father added. "In the fullness of time, Jesus Christ came to fulfil the covenant. He Himself, true God and true man, is the Sacrament of God's faithfulness to His plan for the salvation of us all, of humanity entire.

"The coming of the Magi from the East to Bethlehem to adore the new-born Messiah is the sign of the manifestation of the universal King to all peoples, and to all men and women who seek the truth".

"The faithful and tenacious love of God, Whose covenant never fails from generation to generation, ... represents the hope of history", said the Pope. "In this mystery of God's faithfulness, the Church fully accomplishes her mission only when she reflects in herself the light of Christ the Lord and thus helps the people of the world on the road of peace and true progress".

"Today too there is still much truth in what the prophet said: 'dense fog envelops nations' and our history", he continued. "Indeed, it cannot be said that globalisation is synonymous with world order".

In this context, "conflicts for economic supremacy and for the monopolisation of energy and water resources and raw materials hinder the efforts of those people who, at all levels, are seeking to build a more just and united world.

"Greater hope is needed", he added, "to as to permit the common good of everyone to prevail over the luxury of the few and the poverty of the many. 'This great hope can only be God, ... not any god, but the God Who has a human face'".

"If there is great hope, it becomes possible to persevere in sobriety. If true hope is lacking, happiness is sought in inebriation, in superfluity, in excess, in the ruination of oneself and of the world.

"Moderation is not then just an ascetic rule, but also a path of salvation for humanity. it is now clear that only by adopting a sober lifestyle, accompanied by a serious commitment to the fair distribution of wealth, will it be possible to establish a just and sustainable order of development. To this end", the Holy Father concluded, "there is need for men and woman who nourish great hope and possess great courage".

HML/EPIPHANY/... VIS 080107 (590)

THE GOSPEL, LIGHT AND GUIDE FOR ALL MANKIND

VATICAN CITY, 6 JAN 2008 (VIS) - At midday today, following the Mass celebrated in the Vatican Basilica for the Epiphany of the Lord, the Pope appeared at the window of his study in the Apostolic Palace to pray the Angelus.

Addressing the thousands of faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square, the Holy Father pointed out that today's feast recalls the Lord's appearance "to the people of the entire world, represented by the Magi who arrived from the East to pay homage to the King of the Jews. Observing the heavens, these mysterious individuals had seen the rising of a new star and, also being well versed in the ancient prophecies, had recognised it as a sign of the birth of the Messiah, a descendent of David.

"From its very first appearance", the Pope added, "the light of Christ began to attract to Him those 'whom God favours' from all languages, peoples and cultures. It is the power of the Holy Spirit that moves hearts and minds in search of truth, beauty, justice and peace".

"Men and women of all generations, have need of guidance on their pilgrimage. What star, then, can they follow? ... The star that guided the Magi ceased its function, but its spiritual light remains present in the words of the Gospel, which even today are able to guide all mankind to Jesus, Those same words - which are nothing other than the reflection of Christ, true God and true man - are authoritatively echoed in the Church ".

The Holy Father went on: "The Church, then, also performs the mission of the star for humankind. But something similar may be said for each individual Christian, called to enlighten through word and deed the footsteps of his fellows. How important it is for we Christians to remain faithful to our vocation. All true believers are always travelling along their own personal itinerary of faith and at the same time, with the little light that each of them carries within, they can and must help those whom they encounter and who perhaps are struggling to find the path that leads to Christ".

Benedict XVI then congratulated "our brothers and sisters of the Eastern Churches who, following the Julian calendar, celebrate Christmas tomorrow. It is a great joy to celebrate the mysteries of the faith in the multifaceted richness of rites which attest to the bi-millennial history of the Church".

Following the Angelus, the Holy Father recalled the fact that today is the World Day of Missionary Children. "Thousands of children seek to meet the needs of other children, inspired by the love that the Son of God, having become a Child, brought to the earth. I say thank you to these little ones", he concluded, "and pray that they may always be missionaries of the Gospel. I also thank their leaders who are accompanying them along the path of generosity, of fraternity and of the joyful faith that generates hope".

ANG/EPIPHANY/... VIS 080107 (510)

POPE DELIVERS HIS ANNUAL ADDRESS TO THE DIPLOMATIC CORPS

VATICAN CITY, 7 JAN 2008 (VIS) - This morning in the Sala Regia of the Vatican, Pope Benedict pronounced his traditional annual address to members of the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See. He also received greetings from the ambassadors in a speech delivered by Giovanni Galassi, ambassador of San Marino and dean of the diplomatic corps.

The Holy See currently maintains diplomatic relations with 176 States, to which must be added the European Union and the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. It also has relations of a special nature with the Russian Federation and the Palestine Liberation Organisation.

At the beginning of his address, the Holy Father recalled how diplomatic relations were established last year with the United Arab Emirates. He also mentioned his own journeys abroad, including the visit to Brazil last May. On this subject, he expressed his hope for "increasing co-operation among the peoples of Latin America, and, within each of the countries that make up that continent, the resolution of internal conflicts".

"I wish to mention Cuba", he said, "which is preparing to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the visit of my venerable predecessor. Pope John Paul II was received with affection by the authorities and by the people, and he encouraged all Cubans to work together for a better future. I should like to reiterate this message of hope, which has lost none of its relevance.

"My thoughts and prayers", he added, "are directed especially towards the peoples affected by appalling natural disasters. I am thinking of the hurricanes and floods which have devastated certain regions of Mexico and Central America, as well as countries in Africa and Asia, especially Bangladesh, and parts of Oceania".

Turning to reflect on the international community's concern for the situation in the Middle East, he said: "I am glad that the Annapolis Conference pointed towards the abandonment of partisan or unilateral solutions, in favour of a global approach respectful of the rights and legitimate interests of all the peoples of the region. I appeal once more to the Israelis and the Palestinians to concentrate their energies on the implementation of commitments made on that occasion, and to expedite the process that has happily been restarted. Moreover, I invite the international community to give strong support to these two peoples and to understand their respective sufferings and fears.

"Who can remain unmoved by the plight of Lebanon, amid its trials and all the violence that continues to shake that beloved country? It is my earnest wish that the Lebanese people will be able to decide freely on their future and I ask the Lord to enlighten them, beginning with the leaders of public life, so that, putting aside particular interests, they will be ready to pledge themselves to the path of dialogue and reconciliation. Only in this way will the country be able to progress in stability and to become once more an example of the peaceful coexistence of different communities.

"In Iraq too, reconciliation is urgently needed! At present, terrorist attacks, threats and violence continue, especially against the Christian community, and the news which arrived yesterday confirms our concern; it is clear that certain difficult political issues remain unresolved. In this context, an appropriate constitutional reform will need to safeguard the rights of minorities. Important humanitarian aid is necessary for the peoples affected by the war; I am thinking especially of displaced persons within the country and refugees who have fled abroad, among whom there are many Christians".

"I should also like to express my support for continued and uninterrupted pursuit of the path of diplomacy in order to resolve the issue of Iran's nuclear programme, by negotiating in good faith, adopting measures designed to increase transparency and mutual trust, and always taking account of the authentic needs of peoples and the common good of the human family.

"Turning our gaze now towards the whole of Asia, I should like to draw your attention to some other crisis situations, first of all to Pakistan, which has suffered from serious violence in recent months. I hope that all political and social forces will commit themselves to building a peaceful society, respectful of the rights of all. In Afghanistan, in addition to violence, there are other serious social problems, such as the production of drugs".

On the subject of Africa, the Holy Father said: "I should like first of all to reiterate my deep anguish, on observing that hope seems almost vanquished by the menacing sequence of hunger and death that is unfolding in Darfur. With all my heart I pray that the joint operation of the United Nations and the African Union, whose mission has just begun, will bring aid and comfort to the suffering populations".

"Somalia, particularly Mogadishu, continues to be afflicted by violence and poverty. I appeal to the parties in conflict to cease their military operations, to facilitate the movement of humanitarian aid and to respect civilians.

"In recent days Kenya has experienced an abrupt outbreak of violence. I join the bishops in their appeal made on 2 January, inviting all the inhabitants, especially political leaders, to seek a peaceful solution through dialogue, based on justice and fraternity".

Finally, the Pope turned his attention to Europe: "I rejoice at the progress that has been made in various countries of the Balkan region, and I express once again the hope that the definitive status of Kosovo will take account of the legitimate claims of the parties involved and will guarantee security and respect for the rights of all the inhabitants of this land, so that the spectre of violence will be definitively removed and European stability strengthened".

Also on the subject of Europe, the Pope gave assurances that he is "following attentively the new phase which began with the signing of the Treaty of Lisbon. This step gives a boost to the process of building the 'European home', which 'will be a good place to live for everyone only if it is built on a solid cultural and moral foundation of common values drawn from our history and our traditions' and if it does not deny its Christian roots.

"From this rapid overview it appears clear that the security and stability of the world are still fragile. The factors of concern are varied", he said, and "law can be an effective force for peace only if its foundations remain solidly anchored in natural law, given by the Creator. This is another reason why God can never be excluded from the horizon of man or of history. God's name is a name of justice, it represents an urgent appeal for peace".

"This realisation could help, among other things, to give direction to initiatives for intercultural and inter-religious dialogue. ... In order to be true, this dialogue must be clear, avoiding relativism and syncretism, while at the same time it must be marked by sincere respect for others and by a spirit of reconciliation and fraternity".

"In every continent the Catholic Church strives to ensure that human rights are not only proclaimed but put into practice. It is to be hoped that agencies created for the defence and promotion of human rights will devote all their energies to this task and, in particular, that the Human Rights Council will be able to meet the expectations generated by its creation.

"The Holy See for its part never tires of reaffirming these principles and rights, founded on what is essential and permanent in the human person. The Church willingly undertakes this service to the true dignity of human persons, created in the image of God. And on the basis of these considerations, I cannot but deplore once again the continual attacks perpetrated on every continent against human life".

"I rejoice that on 18 December the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted a resolution calling upon States to institute a moratorium on the use of the death penalty, and I earnestly hope that this initiative will lead to public debate on the sacred character of human life.

"I regret, once again, the disturbing threats to the integrity of the family, founded on the marriage of a man and a woman. Political leaders, of whatever kind, should defend this fundamental institution, the basic cell of society".

"Even religious freedom, 'an essential requirement of the dignity of every person [and] a cornerstone of the structure of human rights' is often undermined. There are many places where this right cannot be fully exercised. The Holy See defends it, demands that it be universally respected, and views with concern discrimination against Christians and against the followers of other religions.

"Peace cannot be a mere word or a vain aspiration. Peace is a commitment and a manner of life which demands that the legitimate aspirations of all should be satisfied, such as access to food, water and energy, to medicine and technology, or indeed the monitoring of climate change. Only in this way can we build the future of humanity; only in this way can we facilitate an integral development valid for today and tomorrow".

"Finally, I wish to urge the international community to make a global commitment on security. A joint effort on the part of States to implement all the obligations undertaken and to prevent terrorists from gaining access to weapons of mass destruction would undoubtedly strengthen the nuclear non-proliferation regime and make it more effective".

"Diplomacy is, in a certain sense, the art of hope", the Pope concluded. "It lives from hope and seeks to discern even its most tenuous signs. Diplomacy must give hope. ... May God open the hearts of those who govern the family of peoples to the hope that never disappoints!"

AC/NEW YEAR/DIPLOMATIC CORPS VIS 080107 (1630)

- Almost Three Million People in Papal Meetings in 2007

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# posted by irr @ 3:56:00 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

01.03.2008 - Eighteenth Year - Num. 02

SUMMARY:

___________________________________________________________

ALMOST THREE MILLION PEOPLE IN PAPAL MEETINGS IN 2007

VATICAN CITY, 3 JAN 2008 (VIS) - During the year 2007, almost three million faithful participated in public meetings with the Pope, either in the Vatican or at his summer residence of Castelgandolfo.

According to statistics released by the Prefecture of the Pontifical Household, a total of 2,830,100 people attended the Wednesday general audiences, special audiences, liturgical celebrations and Sunday Angelus prayers during the course of the year.

The Wednesday general audiences, held in St. Peter's Square and the Paul VI Hall, attracted 729,100 people. This figure reflects the number of tickets distributed, and does not take into account the thousands of faithful who arrive without tickets and also participate.

The Angelus prayers of 2007 drew 1,450,000 people to St. Peter's Square - 155,000 more than last year - while 442,000 attended the various liturgical ceremonies presided by the Holy Father. April 2007, the month in which Holy Week fell, saw the greatest numbers of faithful attending the Wednesday general audiences and the liturgical celebrations: respectively 130,000 and 250,000.

PD/POPE AUDIENCES/... VIS 080103 (180)

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, 3 JAN 2008 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Bishop Patrick James Zurek, auxiliary of the archdiocese of San Antonio, U.S.A., as bishop of Amarillo (area 67,185, population 422,448, Catholics 39,609, priests 48, permanent deacons 47, religious 118), U.S.A. He succeeds Bishop John Walter Yanta, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

NER:RE/.../ZUREK:YANTA VIS 080103 (70)

- Telegram for the Assassination of Benazir Bhutto

You can find more information at: www.vatican.va - www.vis.pcn.net
VIS sends its news service only to those who have requested it.
Please do not reply to this e-mail.For address changes, cancellations use the links or visit our web.
The news items contained in the Vatican Information Service may be used, in part or in their entirety, by quoting the source:
V.I.S. -Vatican Information Service.
Copyright © Vatican Information Service 00120 Vatican City

# posted by irr @ 3:38:00 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

01.02.2008 - Eighteenth Year - Num. 01

SUMMARY: 29 DECEMBER - 2 JANUARY

- Bear Witness to Beauty of Marriage and the Family

- Lack of Hope in Life Is the "Dark" Evil of Modern Society

- Peace, a Divine Gift to Be Constantly Implored

- The Family Is the Primary "Agency" of Peace

- Mary Helps Us to Be True Friends of Her Son

- Notice

___________________________________________________________

TELEGRAM FOR THE ASSASSINATION OF BENAZIR BHUTTO

VATICAN CITY, 29 DEC 2007 (VIS) - Yesterday afternoon it was made public that the Holy Father sent a telegram of condolence, signed by Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B., to Archbishop Lawrence John Saldanha of Lahore, president of the Pakistan Catholic Bishops' Conference, for the recent assassination of Benazir Bhutto, former prime minister and leader of the Pakistan People's Party:

"Following the brutal terrorist attack in which Ms Benazir Bhutto, former prime minister and leader of the Pakistan People's Party, was fatally wounded, the Holy Father expresses sentiments of deep sympathy and spiritual closeness to the members of her family and to the entire Pakistani nation. He prays that further violence will be avoided and that every effort will be made to build a climate of respect and trust, which are so necessary if good order is to be maintained in society and if the country's political institutions are to operate effectively".

TGR/BHUTTO ASSASSINATION/BERTONE VIS 080102 (170)

BEAR WITNESS TO BEAUTY OF MARRIAGE AND THE FAMILY

VATICAN CITY, 30 DEC 2007 (VIS) - Today, Feast of the Holy Family, the Pope appeared at the window of his private study overlooking St. Peter's Square to pray the Angelus.

Addressing the thousands of faithful gathered below his window, the Holy Father explained how today "we celebrate the mystery of a God Who chose to be born of a woman, the Blessed Virgin, and to enter this world in the same way as all mankind. Thus He sanctified the family, filling it with divine grace and fully revealing its vocation and its mission".

Benedict XVI recalled a phrase much repeated by John Paul II - "the good of the individual and of society is closely connected to the 'good health' of the family" - indicating that "for this reason the Church is committed to defending and promoting the holiness and the natural dignity of the married state and its superlative value".

He then went on to address participants in a Meeting of Families being held today in Madrid, Spain, inviting Christian families "to experience the loving presence of the Lord in their lives" and encouraging them, "by drawing inspiration from Christ's love for mankind, to bear witness before the world of the beauty of human love, of marriage and of the family".

The family, "founded on the indissoluble union between a man and a woman, is the privileged place in which human life is welcomed and protected, from its beginning to its natural end. For this reason parents have the fundamental right and obligation to educate their children in faith and in the values that lend dignity to human existence.

"It is worth working for the family and for marriage", the Pope added, "because it is worth working for humankind, the most precious beings created by God". In this context, he called upon children "to love and pray for their fathers and siblings" and upon young people, "stimulated by their parents' love, generously to pursue their own matrimonial, priestly or religious vocation". To the elderly and the sick he expressed the hope "that they may find the assistance and understanding they need" and, finally, to married couples he said: "may you always rely on the grace of God, that your love may become ever more fruitful and faithful".

ANG/FAMILY/... VIS 080102 (390)

LACK OF HOPE IN LIFE IS THE "DARK" EVIL OF MODERN SOCIETY

VATICAN CITY, 31 DEC 2007 (VIS) - In the Vatican Basilica at 6 p.m. today, the Pope presided at first Vespers of the Solemnity of Mary Mother of God. This was followed by the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, the singing of the traditional "Te Deum" of thanksgiving for the conclusion of the year, and the Eucharistic blessing.

The day's Gospel reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Galatians, which touches on "the liberation of man achieved by God through the mystery of the Incarnation", said the Pope, "discreetly mentions the woman by whom the Son of God entered into the world".

"Mary is the Mother of the Saviour", said the Holy Father. "She is also our mother because, in her unique maternal relationship with the Son, she shared His mission, for us and for the salvation of all mankind. ... Thus Mary represents the Church's most authentic image: the person in whom the ecclesial community must continually discover the authentic meaning of its own vocation and mystery".

The Word Incarnate "became like us to make us like Him: children in the Son and, hence, men and women free from the law of sin. Is this not one of the main reasons to give thanks to God ... for the numerous benefits and the constant assistance we have experienced over the course of the last twelve months?" It is for this reason, the Pope explained, "that this evening each Christian community comes together to sing the 'Te Deum', the traditional hymn of praise and thanksgiving to the Most Holy Trinity".

The Pope called upon the Lord "in His mercy" to help individuals and families whose lives "are weighed down by serious shortages and poverty which prevent them from looking trustingly to the future". Many people, he went on, "especially the young, are attracted by the false exaltation or, more accurately, the profanation of the body and the trivialisation of sexuality".

The Holy Father dwelt upon "the many challenges ... associated with consumerism and secularism", pointing out how, "even in Rome we notice that deficit of hope and trust in life which constitutes the 'dark' evil of modern Western society". Nonetheless, he noted, "there is no shortage of lights and of reasons for hope" for which we must "implore special divine blessing".

Benedict XVI then went on to refer to the diocesan community of Rome and its commitment to respond to the "educational emergency", which is "the difficulty we find in transmitting to new generations the basic values of existence and of correct behaviour.

"Without clamour and with patient trust", he added, "we seek to confront that emergency, especially within the family". In this context, the Pope noted how efforts by parishes and associations over recent years have ensured that the pastoral care of families "continues to develop and is producing fruit".

May the Lord, said Pope Benedict, "protect the missionary initiatives that involve the world of youth. These are increasing and see a now considerable number of young people assume the responsibility and the joy of announcing and witnessing the Gospel".

The Pope concluded by highlighting how "Christ is our 'dependable' hope. ... Let us call on the Lord to make each of us a true ferment of hope in our various fields of activity, that we may build a better future" for the whole world.

HML/VESPERS:TE DEUM/... VIS 080102 (580)

PEACE, A DIVINE GIFT TO BE CONSTANTLY IMPLORED

VATICAN CITY, 1 JAN 2008 (VIS) - This morning in the Vatican Basilica, Benedict XVI presided at a Eucharistic celebration for the Solemnity of Holy Mary Mother of God and the 41st World Day of Peace, which has as its theme this year: "The Human Family, a Community of Peace".

At the beginning of his homily, the Pope asked for "the gift of peace for our families, for our cities, for the entire world".

"We all aspire", he went on, "to live in peace. But real peace, the peace announced by the angels on Christmas night, is not simply an achievement of man's or the result of political agreements; it is above all a divine gift to be constantly implored and, at the same time, a commitment to be shouldered patiently while remaining ever obedient to the Lord's commands".

Benedict XVI recalled how in his Message for World Peace Day this year he had emphasised "the close relationship that exists between the family and the construction of peace in the world. The natural family, founded on marriage between a man and a woman, is a 'cradle of life and love' and 'the first and indispensable teacher of peace'". For this reason, he went on, the family is "the 'primary agency of peace' and 'the denial or even the restriction of the rights of the family, by obscuring the truth about man, threatens the very foundations of peace'.

"Because humanity is 'one great family'", he added, "if it wishes to live in peace it cannot but draw inspiration from those values upon which the family community is founded and supported".

Referring then to the mystery of Mary's divine maternity, the Holy Father said that "if in the Child born of her we recognise the eternal Son of God and we accept Him as our only Saviour, we may be called - and we truly are - children of God: children in the Son".

"The Child crying in the manger, though apparently similar to all the children of the world, is at the same time completely different. He is the Son of God, He is God, true God and true man. This mystery - the incarnation of the Word and the divine maternity of Mary - is a great mystery and certainly not easy to understand with merely human intelligence. However, at the school of Mary, we may capture with the heart that which the eyes and the mind alone are unable to perceive or to contain".

"Only be conserving in our hearts", the Pope concluded, "in other words by discovering a unity in all our life experiences, can we, following Mary, enter into the mystery of a God Who, for love, became man and calls us to follow Him along the path of love; a love to be translated day after day into generous service to our brothers and sisters".

HML/NEW YEAR MASS/... VIS 080102 (490)

THE FAMILY IS THE PRIMARY "AGENCY" OF PEACE

VATICAN CITY, 1 JAN 2008 (VIS) - At midday today, shortly after the Mass he celebrated in the Vatican Basilica, Benedict XVI addressed some remarks to pilgrims who had gathered in St. Peter's Square for the Angelus prayer.

"We have begun the new year and I hope that it will prove serene and fruitful for everyone", said the Pope. "I entrust it to the heavenly protection of the Virgin Mary who is today evoked in the liturgy with her greatest title, Mother of God".

"And it is precisely in the name of Mary", the Holy Father went on, "Mother of God and of man, that for the last 40 years the first day of the year has marked the World Day of Peace. The theme I have chosen for the anniversary this time is: 'The Human Family, a Community of Peace'. The same love that builds the family, the vital cell of society, and keeps it united, favours the creation among the people of the earth of relationships of solidarity and collaboration, ... appropriate to members of the one human family".

The Pope noted the existence of a "close bond between the family, society and peace" then, quoting from his Message for the World Day of Peace, added: "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".

Furthermore, he continued still quoting his Message, "'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'. It is then, truly important that each of us shoulders his or her responsibilities before God, recognising in Him the original source of their own existence and that of others. From this awareness arises the commitment to make humanity a real community of peace administered by a common law that fosters 'true freedom rather than blind caprice, and protects the weak from oppression by the strong'".

The Holy Father concluded: "May Mary, Mother of the Prince of Peace, support the Church in her tireless activities at the service of peace, and help the community of peoples - who in 2008 will celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights - to follow a path of true solidarity and stable peace".

ANG/PEACE/... VIS 080102 (410)

MARY HELPS US TO BE TRUE FRIENDS OF HER SON

VATICAN CITY, 2 JAN 2008 (VIS) - At the first general audience of 2008, held this morning in the Paul VI Hall in the presence of 7,000 people, the Pope dedicated his catechesis to the Virgin Mary's title of Mother of God, the solemnity of which falls today.

The Holy Father recalled that "Theotokos" or "Mother of God" was "the title officially attributed to Mary in the fifth century, at the Council of Ephesus of 431". On that occasion, solemn confirmation was given, "on the one hand, to the unity of the two natures (the divine and the human) in the person of the Son of God and, on the other, to the legitimacy of attributing to the Virgin the title of Theotokos" against those who, "in an attempt to safeguard the full humanity of Jesus", suggested she be called "Christotokos" or "Mother of Christ", the which represented "a threat to the doctrine of the full unity of divinity and humanity in Christ".

Following the Council of Ephesus, "Marian devotion underwent an enormous expansion, and many churches dedicated to the Mother of God were built. Outstanding among them was St. Mary Major here in Rome.

"The doctrine concerning Mary, Mother of God, was again confirmed at the Council of Chalcedon in 451", the Holy Father added, "and Vatican Council II included it in the eighth chapter of the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church 'Lumen gentium'".

"All the other titles attributed to the Virgin Mary have their foundation in her vocation as Mother of the Redeemer", he said: the Immaculate Conception, the Assumption, and Mother of the Mystical Body of Christ which is the Church. "It was right, then, that on 21 November 1964, during Vatican Council II, Paul VI solemnly attributed to Mary the title of 'Mother of the Church'".

Benedict XVI continued: "Precisely because she is the Mother of the Church, the Virgin is also mother to each of us, who are members of the Mystical Body of Christ. ... At the culminating moment of His messianic mission, Jesus left each of His disciples, as a precious legacy, His own mother the Virgin Mary".

"In these first days of the year, we are invited to give attentive consideration to the importance of Mary's presence in the life of the Church and in our own lives. Let us entrust ourselves to Her that she may guide our steps in this new period of time the Lord has given us to live, and help us to be true friends of her Son and courageous architects of His Kingdom in the world, a Kingdom of light and truth".

AG/MOTHER OF GOD/... VIS 080102 (450)

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, 2 JAN 2008 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese of Sale, Australia, presented by Bishop Jeremiah Joseph Coffey, upon having reached the age limit.

- Appointed Bishop Paulo Francisco Machado, auxiliary of the archdiocese of Juiz de Fora, Brazil, as bishop of Uberlandia (area 13,852, population 830,000, Catholics 612,000, priests 64, permanent deacons 19, religious 119), Brazil.

On Saturday, 29 December 2007, it was made public that the Holy Father:

- Appointed Bishop Stefan Regmunt, auxiliary of Legnica, as bishop of Zielona Gora-Gorzow (area 10,805, population 1,119,214, Catholics 1,035,994, priests 609, religious 338), Poland. He succeeds Bishop Adam Dyczkowski, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

- Accepted the resignation from the office of auxiliary of the diocese of Sandomierz, Poland, presented by Bishop Marian Kazimierz Zimalek, upon having reached the age limit.

RE:NER/.../... VIS 080102 (170)

NOTICE

VATICAN CITY, 2 JAN 2008 (VIS) - During the year 2008, the VIS bulletin will be transmitted every week from Monday to Friday, except on the following days:

11 February (Monday)

19 March (Wednesday)

20 March (Holy Thursday)

21 March (Good Friday)

24 March (Easter Monday)

25 March (Tuesday)

1 May (Thursday)

22 May (Thursday)

The entire month of August

8 December (Monday)

24 December (Wednesday)

25 December (Thursday)

26 December (Friday)

31 December (Wednesday)

.../.../... VIS 080102 (80)