29 February 2008
Vatican News Update 29 February 2008
| 02.29.2008 - Eighteenth Year - Num. 42 |
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SUMMARY:
- Interdependence and Solidarity to Meet World Challenges - Charity Work As an Expression of Evangelical Love - Benedict XVI's Prayer Intentions for March - Presentation of Pontifical Yearbook 2008 - Reply from Doctrine of the Faith on Baptismal Formulae - Inculcate Religious Values in Society
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INTERDEPENDENCE AND SOLIDARITY TO MEET WORLD CHALLENGES
VATICAN CITY, 29 FEB 2008 (VIS) - Today in the Vatican, the Holy Father received the Letters of Credence of Mary Ann Glendon, the new ambassador of the United States to the Holy See and former president of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences.
Addressing the new ambassador in English, the Pope expressed his conviction "that the knowledge and experience born of your distinguished association with the work of the Holy See will prove beneficial in the fulfilment of your duties and enrich the activity of the diplomatic community to which you now belong".
"From the dawn of the Republic, America has been ... a nation which values the role of religious belief in ensuring a vibrant and ethically sound democratic order", said the Holy Father, noting the American characteristic "of uniting people of good will, regardless of race, nationality or creed, in a shared vision and a disciplined pursuit of the common good.
"Today", he added, "this task of reconciling unity and diversity, of forging a common vision and summoning the moral energy to accomplish it, has become an urgent priority for the whole human family, which is increasingly aware of its interdependence and the need for effective solidarity in meeting global challenges and building a future of peace".
"The experience of the past century, with its heavy toll of war and violence, culminating in the planned extermination of whole peoples, has made it clear that the future of humanity cannot depend on mere political compromise. Rather, it must be the fruit of a deeper consensus based on the acknowledgement of universal truths. ... The building of a global juridic culture inspired by the highest ideals of justice, solidarity and peace calls for firm commitment, hope and generosity on the part of each new generation".
"The building of a more secure future for the human family means first and foremost working for the integral development of peoples, especially through ... curbing the corruption and militarisation which divert precious resources from many of our brothers and sisters in the poorer countries.
"The progress of the human family is threatened not only by the plague of international terrorism, but also by such threats to peace as the quickening pace of the arms race and the continuance of tensions in the Middle East", said the Pope who also expressed his hope "that patient and transparent negotiations will lead to the reduction and elimination of nuclear weapons and that the recent Annapolis Conference will be the first of a series of steps towards lasting peace in the region".
The Holy Father recalled the role played by the United Nations in resolving this and other problems, highlighting how such international organisations, "by their nature are capable of fostering genuine dialogue and understanding, reconciling divergent views, and developing multilateral policies and strategies capable of meeting the manifold challenges of our complex and rapidly changing world".
Benedict XVI noted with gratitude "the importance which the United States has attributed to inter-religious and inter-cultural dialogue as a positive force for peacemaking. The Holy See is convinced of the great spiritual potential represented by such dialogue, particularly with regard to the promotion of non-violence and the rejection of ideologies which manipulate and disfigure religion for political purposes, and justify violence in the name of God".
The Pope alluded to the "American people's historic appreciation of the role of religion in shaping public discourse and in shedding light on the inherent moral dimension of social issues", noting that at times this role is "contested in the name of a straitened understanding of political life and public discourse".
Such appreciation, he told the ambassador in conclusion, "is reflected in the efforts of so many of your fellow citizens and government leaders to ensure legal protection for God's gift of life from conception to natural death, and the safeguarding of the institution of marriage, acknowledged as a stable union between a man and a woman, and that of the family". CD/LETTERS OF CREDENCE/U.S.A.:GLENDON VIS 080229 (670)
CHARITY WORK AS AN EXPRESSION OF EVANGELICAL LOVE
VATICAN CITY, 29 FEB 2008 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received participants in the plenary assembly of the Pontifical Council "Cor Unum", who are meeting to reflect on the theme: "Human and spiritual qualities of people who work in Catholic charity institutions".
"Charitable activity occupies a central position in the Church's evangelising mission", said the Pope. We must not forget that works of charity are an important area in which to meet people who do not yet know Christ, or who know Him only partially. It is right, then, that pastors and those responsible for pastoral charity work ... should concern themselves with the human, professional and theological-spiritual formation" of people who operate in this field.
"Those who work in the many forms of charitable activity of the Church cannot, then, content themselves just with offering technical services or resolving practical problems and difficulties. The assistance they provide must never be reduced to mere philanthropy but must be a tangible expression of evangelical love".
Charity workers, the Pope explained, must be, "above all, witnesses of evangelical love". They achieve this "if the ultimate aim of their mission is not that of being social service operatives, but of announcing the Gospel of charity. Following Christ's footsteps, they are called to be witnesses of the value of life in all its expressions, especially defending the life of the weak and the sick, following the example of Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta who loved and looked after the dying, because life is not measured in terms of efficiency, but has value always and for everyone".
Ecclesial charity workers, Benedict XVI continued, are also "called to be witnesses of love, of the fact that we fully become men and women when we live for others, that no-one must die and live for themselves alone". And, he concluded, charity workers "must be witnesses of God, Who is fullness of love and invites us to love". AC/CHURCH CHARITABLE ACTIVITY/... VIS 080229 (340)
BENEDICT XVI'S PRAYER INTENTIONS FOR MARCH
VATICAN CITY, 29 FEB 2008 (VIS) - Pope Benedict's general prayer intention for March is: "That the importance of forgiveness and reconciliation between persons and people may be understood and that the Church, through her testimony, may spread Christ's love, the source of new humanity".
His mission intention is: "That Christians, who are persecuted in many parts of the world and in various manners because of the Gospel, may continue, sustained by the strength of the Holy Spirit, to bear witness courageously and openly to the Word of God". BXVI-PRAYER INTENTIONS/MARCH/... VIS 080229 (100)
PRESENTATION OF PONTIFICAL YEARBOOK 2008
VATICAN CITY, 29 FEB 2008 (VIS) - This morning, Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B. presented the Holy Father with the 2008 edition of the "Annuario Pontificio," or pontifical yearbook. Also present were Archbishop Fernando Filoni, substitute for General Affairs, and the officials responsible for compiling and printing the volume.
A communique regarding the presentation highlights some of the salient facts contained in the new yearbook. In 2007, eight new episcopal sees were created, as well as one apostolic prefecture, two metropolitan sees and one apostolic vicariate; 169 new bishops were also appointed.
Between 2005 and 2006, the number of Catholics in the world increased from 1,115 million to 1,131 million, a growth of 1.4 percent. Over the same period, the number of bishops grew from 4,841 to 4,898, an increase of 1,2 percent.
The number of religious and diocesan priests passed from 406,411 in 2005 to 407,262 in 2006 (a growth of 0.21 percent). The number of priests has grown steadily from 2000 to 2006.
However, the distribution of priests differs from continent to continent. Their numbers have fallen in Europe and America, and increased in Africa and Asia.
Students of philosophy and theology in diocesan and religious seminaries number 115,480, an increase of 0.9 percent over last year. Of these 24,034 are in Africa, 37,150 in America, 30,702 in Asia, 22,618 in Europe, and 976 in Oceania. AP/ANNUARIO PONTIFICIO 2008/BERTONE VIS 080229 (240)
REPLY FROM DOCTRINE OF THE FAITH ON BAPTISMAL FORMULAE
VATICAN CITY, 29 FEB 2008 (VIS) - Made public today were the responses of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith to two questions concerning the validity of Baptism conferred with certain non-standard formulae.
The first question is: "Is a Baptism valid if conferred with the words 'I baptise you in the name of the Creator, and of the Redeemer, and of the Sanctifier', or 'I baptise you in the name of the Creator, and of the Liberator, and of the Sustainer'"?
The second question is: "Must people baptised with those formulae be baptised 'in forma absoluta'?"
The responses are: "To the first question, negative; to the second question, affirmative".
Benedict XVI, during his recent audience with Cardinal William Joseph Levada, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, approved these responses, which were adopted at the ordinary session of the congregation, and ordered their publication. The text of the responses bears the signatures of Cardinal Levada and of Archbishop Angelo Amato S.D.B., secretary of the dicastery.
An attached note explains that the responses "concern the validity of Baptism conferred with two English-language formulae within the ambit of the Catholic Church. ... Clearly, the question does not concern English but the formula itself, which could also be expressed in another language".
"Baptism conferred in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit", the note continues, "obeys Jesus' command as it appears at the end of the Gospel of St. Matthew. ... The baptismal formula must be an adequate expression of Trinitarian faith, approximate formulae are unacceptable.
"Variations to the baptismal formula - using non-biblical designations of the Divine Persons - as considered in this reply, arise from so-called feminist theology", being an attempt "to avoid using the words Father and Son which are held to be chauvinistic, substituting them with other names. Such variants, however, undermine faith in the Trinity".
"The response of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith constitutes an authentic doctrinal declaration, which has wide-ranging canonical and pastoral effects. Indeed, the reply implicitly affirms that people who have been baptised, or who will in the future be baptised, with the formulae in question have, in reality, not been baptised. Hence, they must them be treated for all canonical and pastoral purposes with the same juridical criteria as people whom the Code of Canon Law places in the general category of 'non-baptised'". CDF/BAPTISM FORMULAE/LEVADA VIS 080229 (420)
INCULCATE RELIGIOUS VALUES IN SOCIETY
VATICAN CITY, 29 FEB 2008 (VIS) - Made public yesterday afternoon was the final deceleration of the annual meeting of the "Joint Committee for Dialogue of the Permanent Committee of al-Azhar for Religious Dialogue among the Monotheistic Religions and the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue". The meeting was held in Cairo on 25 and 26 February, under the presidency of Sheikh Abd al-Fattah Muhammad Alam and Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran.
In the English-language declaration, the sheikh and the cardinal ask that such "noble principles and exemplary values" as "peace, truth, justice, and right behaviour and co-operation in the development and use of the earth's resources for the benefit of the whole of humanity", may "guide human behaviour, especially at the present time when boundaries and distinctions between peoples are decreasing and the phenomenon of violence, extremism, terrorism is increasing, together with contempt for religions, religious values and everything that is considered sacred".
Taking into consideration the place of al-Azhar as a centre of study and research in the Muslim world, and bearing in mind the specific role of the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue, Sheikh Abd al-Fattah and Cardinal Tauran recognise "on both sides the importance of mutual knowledge and of the search for common ground between the two religions as a basis for wider co-operation and improved relations".
The meeting "examined the theme of 'Faith in God and Love of Neighbour as the Foundations for Inter-religious Dialogue'", says the communique, adding: "During its exchanges the committee underlined common principles and emphasised shared spiritual and moral values", as well as discussing "the question of freedom of expression, noting that it can never justify harming people's feelings in religious matters, thus creating strained relations and destroying brotherly love".
In this context the committee "strongly condemned the republication of offensive cartoons and the rising number of attacks against Islam and its Prophet, as also other attacks against religion".
"The members of the committee expressed their satisfaction at the agreement reached, seeing this as an encouragement to continue to engage in dialogue".
At the end of the meeting participants agreed upon certain recommendations, including the affirmation "that all religions respect the dignity and honour of the human person without consideration of race, colour, religion or conviction, and condemn any offence against personal integrity, property and honour".
They also recommended that "religious leaders, both Muslim and Christian, as well as intellectuals and educators, should make every effort to inculcate these values in their activities in places of learning and in all levels of society".
The recommendations also included an appeal to the communications media "to be vigilant that freedom of expression not be taken as a pretext for offending religions, convictions, religious symbols and everything that is considered sacred, but rather to oppose extremism, to encourage mutual acceptance, love and respect for all, regardless of their religion".
The next meeting of the joint committee is scheduled to be held in Rome on 24-25 February 2009. OP/INTER-RELIGIOUS DIALOGUE/TAURAN VIS 080229 (500)
VATICAN CITY, 29 FEB 2008 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:
- Juan Gavarrete Soberon, ambassador of Guatemala, accompanied by his wife, on a farewell visit.
- Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.
- Msgr. Felix Anthony Machado, archbishop-bishop-elect of Nashik, India.
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 080229 (80) |
| You can find more information at: www.vatican.va - www.vis.pcn.net |
28 February 2008
Vatican News Update February 28 2008
| 02.28.2008 - Eighteenth Year - Num. 41 |
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SUMMARY:
- Salvadorian Bishops: Ambitious Efforts at Evangelisation - Cor Unum Celebrates Its 28th Plenary Assembly
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SALVADORIAN BISHOPS: AMBITIOUS EFFORTS AT EVANGELISATION
VATICAN CITY, 28 FEB 2008 (VIS) - At midday today the Pope received prelates from the Episcopal Conference of El Salvador, who have recently completed their "ad limina" visit.
The Pope highlighted how most Salvadoran people "are characterised by their living faith and deep religious sentiment. The Gospel, taken there by the first missionaries and fervently preached by pastors full of love for God such as Archbishop Oscar Arnulfo Romero, has become deeply rooted in that beautiful land, bringing abundant fruits of Christian life and sanctity".
Benedict XVI remarked on the fact that poverty forces many people to emigrate "in search of better living conditions, often bringing negative consequences to the stability of marriage and the family". He also recognised the prelates' efforts "to promote reconciliation and peace in the country and so overcome the painful events of the past".
Referring to violence, which "is considered as your country's most serious problem, you recognise" the Pope told the prelates "that its increase is the direct consequence of other deeper social scourges such as poverty, a lack of education, the progressive loss of those values which have always forged the Salvadorian soul, and the break-up of families. The truth is that the family is a vital asset for the Church and for society, as well as being a basic factor in constructing peace".
"Hence", he continued, "you feel the need to revitalise and reinforce adequate and effective pastoral care among families in all your dioceses, offering young people a solid spiritual and emotional formation that may help them discover the beauty of God's plan for human love, and enable them coherently to experience the authentic values of marriage and the family such as tenderness, mutual respect, self-control, total dedication and constant fidelity".
In order to tackle the poverty of so many people, said Benedict XVI, it is important "to improve infrastructures and economic conditions in order to enable everyone to enjoy a dignified life. Yet it must not be forgotten that man is not just a product of the material and social conditions in which he lives. ... 'Man needs God, otherwise he remains without hope'".
In this context, the Pope encouraged prelates "to promote ambitious and audacious efforts at evangelisation" so as to ensure that all the faithful may experience "that intimate meeting with the living Christ which as at the basis and origin of Christian existence".
The lay faithful "must be helped to discover the spiritual richness of their Baptism", said the Holy Father. In order to achieve "this most exalted vocation they need to be firmly rooted in an intense life of prayer, to listen assiduously and humbly to the Word of God, to participate frequently in the Sacraments, and to acquire a strong ecclesial sense of belonging and solid doctrinal formation, especially as concerns the Church's social doctrine where they will find clear criteria and guidance to illuminate the society in which they live".
Priests, the Pope told the bishops, "deserve your best attentions and your closeness to each one. [You must be] aware of their individual circumstances, serve them in all their spiritual and material needs and encourage them to proceed joyfully along the path of priestly sanctity". He also encouraged the bishops "to be promoters and models of communion among their own priests", and "to correct irregularities where necessary".
"A priest's love and faithfulness to his vocation", the Holy Father concluded, "will be the best and most effective form of vocational pastoral care, and an example and encouragement to your seminarians, who are the heart of your dioceses and to whom you must dedicate your best resources and efforts, because they are the hope for your Churches". AL/.../EL SALVADOR VIS 080228 (620)
COR UNUM CELEBRATES ITS 28TH PLENARY ASSEMBLY
VATICAN CITY, 28 FEB 2008 (VIS) - The Pontifical Council "Cor Unum" today begins its 28th plenary assembly. The meeting, which will end on 1 March, is dedicated to the theme: "Human and spiritual qualities of people who work in Catholic charity institutions".
One of the aims of the assembly is to re-examine Benedict XVI's Encyclical "Deus caritas est" and to verify if and how it has changed the attitude of those who work in the charitable arm of the Church. Attention will also be given to the question of the integral and continuous formation of managers and workers in the various Catholic charity organisations.
The 28th general assembly will begin with an address by Cardinal Paul Josef Cordes, president of "Cor Unum", followed by a report from Msgr. Karel Kasteel, secretary of that pontifical council. Following this, representatives of the various charitable bodies will discuss their work experiences.
Friday 29 February will be dedicated to examining the principal theme of the meeting, the main contribution coming from the president of the Catholic charities of Alexandria, Virginia, U.S.A. Subsequently, Professor Paul Schallenberg of the university of Fulda, Germany, will address the gathering on the subject: "The place of mercy in the welfare State. Theological-ethical observations". At the end of the second day, participants will visit the "Comunita dell'Agnello", a group of female religious who operate on the streets and in homes announcing the Gospel and working with the poor.
On Saturday 1 March, working groups will meet to discuss ideas and proposals for formation.
Cardinal Cordes, in the belief that the power of Christian witness among people who suffer derives from the personal conviction of those who work in the sector of charity, has invited leaders of national and diocesan Catholic charity organisations of the American continent to a week of spiritual exercises, to be held in June in Guadalajara, Mexico. CON-CU/PLENARY ASSEMBLY/CORDES VIS 080228 (320)
VATICAN CITY, 28 FEB 2008 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:
- Archbishop Giuseppe Lazzarotto, apostolic nuncio to Australia.
- Five prelates from the Episcopal Conference of El Salvador, on their "ad limina" visit:
- Bishop Rodrigo Orlando Cabrera Cuellar of Santiago de Maria.
- Bishop Jose Luis Escobar Alas of San Vicente.
- Bishop Jose Adolfo Mojica Morales of Sonsonate.
- Bishop Elias Samuel Bolanos Avelar S.D.B. of Zacatecoluca.
- Msgr. Fabio Reynaldo Colindres Abarca, military ordinary. AP:AL/.../... VIS 080228 (90)
VATICAN CITY, 28 FEB 2008 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Fr. Sebastiano Paciolla O. Cist., promoter of justice at the Tribunal of the Roman Rota, as under-secretary of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life. NA/.../PACIOLLA VIS 080228 (50) |
| You can find more information at: www.vatican.va - www.vis.pcn.net |
27 February 2008
Vatican News Update 27 February 2008
| 02.27.2008 - Eighteenth Year - Num. 40 |
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SUMMARY:
- God Is the Answer to the Disquiet of Our Hearts - Cardinal Bertone: Cuba Embargo Is Unacceptable
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GOD IS THE ANSWER TO THE DISQUIET OF OUR HEARTS
VATICAN CITY, 27 FEB 2008 (VIS) - In his general audience, held this morning in the Paul VI Hall, the Pope concluded his series of catecheses on the figure of St. Augustine. Before the audience, the Holy Father went to the Vatican Basilica to greet pilgrims who had been unable to find a place in the hall.
St. Augustine "is one of the great converts of Christian history" said Benedict XVI. Reading the "Confessions", he went on, "it is easy to see that Augustine's conversion was neither sudden nor fully achieved right from the start. Rather it may be defined as a ... journey, and remains as a model for each one of us".
"St. Augustine was, ever since the beginning, an impassioned searcher after the truth. ... and the first stage of his journey of conversion ... consisted precisely in his gradual approach to Christianity". He received a Christian education from his mother Monica and, despite having lived a wild youth, "always felt a profound attraction to Christ".
The saint's "passion for mankind and for truth ... made him seek God, great and inaccessible". But "Faith in Christ, led him to understand that the apparently distant God is not in fact distant. He has come close to us, making Himself one of us. In this context, faith in Christ was the culmination of Augustine's long search along the path of truth. ... This path must be followed with courage and, at the same time, with humility, while remaining open to the permanent purification of which each one of us has need".
St. Augustine, the Pope recalled, "was reluctantly ordained a priest in Hippo and assigned to the service of the faithful", in which role "he continued to live with Christ, but while serving everyone. He found this very difficult at the start, but he understood that only by living for others, and not just for his own private contemplation, could he truly live with Christ and for Christ. Renouncing a life of pure meditation he learned, often with difficulty, to place the fruits of his intellect at the service of others, to communicate his faith to the common people, ... and thus to live for them in that city which he had made his own. ... This was his second conversion".
The Pope then went on to identify another stage in Augustine's journey "which we could call his third conversion and which brought him daily to ask forgiveness of God. ... We have a perennial need to be washed by Christ, ... to be renewed by Him". We need "the humility to recognise that we are all sinners, constantly journeying until God definitively gives us His hand and introduces us to eternal life". With such humility Augustine lived and died.
"Having converted to Christ Who is truth and love", the Pope continued, "Augustine followed Him throughout his life and stands as a model for all human beings who seek after God. ... Today too, as in his time, humankind needs to know this fundamental reality and, above all, to put it into practice: God is love and meeting Him is the only answer to the disquiet of our hearts".
Benedict XVI concluded his catechesis with a prayer that "every day we may be able to follow the example of this great convert, meeting in every moment of our lives, as he did, the Lord Jesus, the One Who saves us, purifies us and gives us true joy, true life". AG/ST. AUGUSTINE/... VIS 080227 (600)
CARDINAL BERTONE: CUBA EMBARGO IS UNACCEPTABLE
VATICAN CITY, 27 FEB 2008 (VIS) - Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B. yesterday returned to the Vatican following his six-day journey to Cuba to commemorate the tenth anniversary of John Paul II's visit there. The late Pope's trip was the subject of a Message sent by Benedict XVI to the Cuban bishops on 21 February.
On Monday 25 February, Cardinal Bertone met with Felipe Perez Roque, foreign minister of Cuba. Following the meeting the cardinal announced that both Raul Castro, the new Cuban president, and the Catholic Church wish to respond to the needs of the Cuban people "bearing in mind the difficulties, above all those caused by the economic embargo" against Cuba. Repeating the words of John Paul II, the cardinal described the embargo as "unjust and ethically unacceptable". Ten years ago the late Pontiff had highlighted how the economic blockade is "an oppression for the people of Cuba", not a means "to help the Cuban people achieve dignity and independence" and "a violation of the people's independence".
Answering journalists' questions, the cardinal also affirmed that he had not asked the Cuban government for an amnesty but for "gestures of reconciliation", adding that the Church considers the recent release of certain prisoners as "a positive gesture".
Cardinal Bertone also made it clear that he had personally asked the government of the United States to facilitate the reunion of Cuban emigres with their relatives still on the island, saying this would be a humanitarian gesture and everything possible was being done to achieve it.
Yesterday's meeting with the new Cuban president, Raul Castro, marked the close of the cardinal's visit to Cuba. .../VISIT CUBA EMBARGO/BERTONE VIS 080227 (290)
VATICAN CITY, 27 FEB 2008 (VIS) - The Holy Father:
- Appointed Fr. Adair Jose Guimaraes of the clergy of the diocese of Uruacu, Brazil, pastor of the parish of "Nossa Senhora Aparecida" in Minacu, as bishop of Rubiataba-Mozarlandia (area 26,797, population 96,700, Catholics 75,700, priests 17, religious 18), Brazil. The bishop-elect was born in Mara Rosa, Brazil in 1960 and ordained a priest in 1986. He succeeds Bishop Jose Carlos de Oliveira C.SS.R., whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.
- Appointed Bishop Earl A. Boyea, auxiliary of Detroit, U.S.A., as bishop of Lansing (area 16,098, population 1,801,941, Catholics 230,981, priests 194, permanent deacons 90, religious 535), U.S.A. He succeeds Bishop Carl F. Mengeling, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.
- Erected the new diocese of Floriano (area 60,930, population 193,111, Catholics 173,799, priests 29, religious 51) Brazil, with territory taken from the diocese of Oeiras-Floriano, making it a suffragan of the metropolitan church of Teresina. He appointed Bishop Augusto Alves da Rocha of Oeiras-Floriano as first bishop of the new diocese.
- Appointed Fr. Juarez Sousa Da Silva of the clergy of the diocese of Campo Maior, Brazil, study director at the major inter-diocesan seminary "Sagrado Coracao de Jesus" in the archdiocese of Teresina, as bishop of Oeiras (area 15,096, population 133,140, Catholics 119,826, priests 12, religious 8), Brazil. The bishop-elect was born in Barras, Brazil in 1961 and ordained a priest in 1994.
- Maurizio Prato, consultor of the Prefecture for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See, as international auditor of the same prefecture. NER:RE:ECE:NA/.../... VIS 080227 (290) |
| You can find more information at: www.vatican.va - www.vis.pcn.net |
26 February 2008
Vatican Update 26 February 2008
| 02.26.2008 - Eighteenth Year - Num. 39 |
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SUMMARY:
- Consistory on Several Causes of Canonisation - Growing Interest in Pope's Visit to Australia - Cardinal Bertone to Visit Armenia and Azerbaijan - Pope Sends Economic Aid for Flood Victims in Ecuador
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CONSISTORY ON SEVERAL CAUSES OF CANONISATION
VATICAN CITY, 26 FEB 2008 (VIS) - At 11 a.m. on Saturday, 1 March, in the Consistory Hall of the Vatican Apostolic Palace, an Ordinary Public Consistory will be held for the canonisation of the following Blesseds:
- Blessed Gaetano Errico, Italian priest and founder of the Congregation of the Missionaries of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary (1791-1860).
- Blessed Maria Bernarda Butler (nee Verena), Swiss foundress of the Congregation of the Missionary Franciscan Sisters of Mary Help of Christians (1848-1924).
- Blessed Alfonsa of the Immaculate Conception (nee: Anna Muttathupandathu), Indian professed sister of the Congregation of Poor Clares of the Third Order of St. Francis (1910-1946).
- Blessed Narcisa de Jesus Martillo Moran, Ecuadorian lay woman (1833-1869). OCL/CONSISTORY CANONISATION/... VIS 080226 (130)
GROWING INTEREST IN POPE'S VISIT TO AUSTRALIA
VATICAN CITY, 26 FEB 2008 (VIS) - The Special Council for Oceania of the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops held its ninth meeting in Rome on 14 and 15 February, according to a communique made public yesterday afternoon.
Under the presidency of Archbishop Nikola Eterovic, secretary general of the Synod of Bishops, the meeting was attended by two cardinals, five archbishops and one bishop, most of them from the continent of Oceania.
"The particular Churches on this continent have an unquestionable vitality", says the communique. A vitality "sustained by the 2001 Apostolic Exhortation 'Ecclesia in Oceania' which has been reprinted and translated into various local languages".
"The entire continent is being mobilised - both in the more socially advanced areas and in less developed regions - to prepare" for World Youth Day 2008, which is due to be held in Sydney, Australia, in July. Various economic initiatives have been organised to help young people from the poorest areas of the continent to participate in the event. "The Day", the communique proceeds, "is considered as one of the most important events in the history of Australia, and interest is growing in the visit of Pope Benedict XVI, as an event of special grace".
On the subject of the other theme examined during the meeting, that of the inculturation of the Gospel message, the communique recalls how "this is one of the great pastoral concerns of the Church in Oceania. It is a gradual process by which the Gospel enters the various cultures, transforming or purifying certain values so they can find their place within a genuine Christian culture, without undermining due respect either for the Gospel or for the cultures themselves.
"In this dynamic process", the communique adds in conclusion, "the joint efforts of pastors, priests, deacons and catechists are indispensable. Of particular importance are Catholic schools of all levels, which safeguard Catholic identity and remain as vital instruments of evangelical witness in the modern world, which is so often secularised". SE/SYNOD OCEANIA/ETEROVIC VIS 080226 (340)
CARDINAL BERTONE TO VISIT ARMENIA AND AZERBAIJAN
VATICAN CITY, 26 FEB 2008 (VIS) - At midday today, the Holy See Press Office released the following communique:
"From 2 to 9 March, Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B. will - at the invitation of the religious and civil authorities - make a visit to Armenia and Azerbaijan, in the course of which he will have the opportunity to express the closeness of the Holy Father Benedict XVI to the Catholic faithful in those countries.
"The cardinal will meet the government authorities of Armenia and Azerbaijan.
"During his stay in Armenia from 2 to 6 March, Cardinal Bertone will be received by His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, to whom he will consign a Letter signed by Pope Benedict XVI. In the Letter, the Holy Father expresses his regards and his desire for the Catholic Church to continue the ecumenical journey alongside the Armenian Apostolic Church.
"From 6 to 9 March, Cardinal Bertone will visit Azerbaijan where he will meet Sheikh Allashukur Pashazade, head of Muslims in the Caucasus, and other religious leaders, to tell them of the Catholic Church's desire to collaborate in the joint commitment to peace, harmony between peoples and the good of the human family. In Baku, Cardinal Bertone will attend the inauguration of a new Catholic church built on land donated to Servant of God John Paul II by President Heydar Aliyev, father of the current head of State". OP/VISIT ARMENIA AZERBAIJAN/BERTONE VIS 080226 (250)
POPE SENDS ECONOMIC AID FOR FLOOD VICTIMS IN ECUADOR
VATICAN CITY, 26 FEB 2008 (VIS) - The Pontifical Council "Cor Unum" has, in the Holy Father's name, sent a first consignment of emergency economic aid to the 11 Ecuadorian dioceses affected by recent flooding, according to a communique made public at midday today.
During the Angelus of Sunday 24 February, Benedict XVI launched an appeal for Ecuador "inviting everyone to show fraternal solidarity so that the people of these areas - who are experiencing moments of anguish and tribulation in the wake of devastating floods and the eruption of the Tungurahua volcano - may, as soon a possible, return to the normality of everyday life". CON-CU/ECONOMIC AID/ECUADOR VIS 080226 (120) |
| You can find more information at: www.vatican.va - www.vis.pcn.net |
25 February 2008
Vatican Update 25 February 2008
| 02.25.2008 - Eighteenth Year - Num. 38 |
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SUMMARY: FEBRUARY 23 - 25
- Educating People in Goodness Is Possible in Our Own Times - Everyone Has an Inborn Need of God - Opening the Heart to the Word of God - The Pope Condemns All Forms of Direct Euthanasia
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EDUCATING PEOPLE IN GOODNESS IS POSSIBLE IN OUR OWN TIMES
VATICAN CITY, 23 FEB 2008 (VIS) - In a ceremony held in St. Peter's Square at midday today, Benedict XVI symbolically presented families, teachers and young people with the letter he wrote on 21 January to the diocese and city of Rome concerning the vital importance of education.
In his remarks the Holy Father recalled how "education has never been easy, and today it seems to be becoming more difficult than ever". This means that a lot of parents and teachers "renounce their duty and do not even manage to understand the true nature of the mission entrusted to them. There are, in fact, too may uncertainties, too many doubts circulating in our society and in our culture, too many distorted images propagated by the social communications media". Nonetheless, he continued, "we feel supported by a great hope, a deep trust" that "also in our own time it is possible to educate in goodness, ... and each person is called to make his or her own contribution".
Addressing parents, teachers, priests and catechists, Benedict XVI encouraged them "joyfully to shoulder the responsibility with which the Lord entrusts you, so that the great heritage of faith and culture - which is the most authentic treasure of this our beloved city - may not be lost in the passage from one generation to another, but rather be renewed and strengthened, and become a guide and a stimulus on our journey towards the future".
The Pope called on parents to remain firm in their love for one another and to show "a coherent witness of life" in order to help new generations "clearly to distinguish good from evil and, in their turn, to build solid rules for life that may support them through future trials. Thus you will make your children rich with that most precious and lasting inheritance which consists in the example of the daily practice of faith".
"Your task", the Holy Father told teachers, cannot "be limited to supplying notions and information while ignoring the great question of truth, especially of the truth that can be a guide in life. ... In close association with parents, you are entrusted with the noble art of forming the individual".
Pope Benedict then encouraged priests, religious and catechists of Roman parishes "to be trustworthy friends in whom [children and young people] can reach out and touch Jesus' friendship with them. At the same time, be sincere and courageous witnesses of the truth that makes people free and that shows the new generations the way that leads to life".
Pointing out how education is not just the responsibility of educators, Benedict XVI reminded children and young people that they too are called "to be participants in your own moral, cultural and spiritual development. It is up to you, then, freely to welcome in your hearts, minds and lives the heritage of truth, goodness and beauty that has accumulated over the centuries and that has its cornerstone in Jesus Christ.
"It is up to you to renew and develop this heritage, freeing it from the many lies and distortions that often make it unrecognisable and provoke diffidence and disillusionment in you". On this difficult journey, he concluded, "you are never alone. Not only are your parents, teachers, priests and friends near you, ... but above all that God Who created us and Who is the secret guest of our hearts. ... He is the true hope and the solid foundation of our lives. To Him, most of all, can we entrust ourselves". AC/EDUCATION/DIOCESE ROME VIS 080225 (600)
VATICAN CITY, 23 FEB 2008 (VIS) - The Holy Father:
- Appointed Bishop Francesco Montenegro, auxiliary of Messina-Lipari-Santa Lucia del Mela, Italy, as metropolitan archbishop of Agrigento (area 3,041, population 461,000, Catholics 449,000, priests 286, permanent deacons 34, religious 502), Italy. The archbishop-elect was born in Messina in 1946, he was ordained a priest in 1969 and consecrated a bishop in 2000. He succeeds Archbishop Carmelo Ferraro, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same archdiocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.
- Appointed Bishop Marcelino Hernandez Rodriguez, auxiliary of Mexico, Mexico, as bishop of Orizba (area 2,012, population 551,010, Catholics 498,648, priests 73, religious 188), Mexico. NER:RE/.../MONTENEGRO:FERRARO:HERNANDEZ VIS 080225 (120)
EVERYONE HAS AN INBORN NEED OF GOD
VATICAN CITY, 24 FEB 2008 (VIS) - This morning the Pope visited the Roman parish of Santa Maria Liberatrice a Monte Testaccio, where he celebrated Mass.
At the beginning of his homily, Benedict XVI recalled the fact that this year marks the centenary of the consecration of the current church. He then went on to comment on the liturgy for today, the third Sunday of Lent, and its symbolic references to water. "God", he said, "is thirsty for our faith and wants us to find the source of our true happiness in Him. The risk for all believers is that of practising an inauthentic form of religiosity, of seeking the answer to our most inmate expectations elsewhere than in the heart of God, of using God as if He were at the service of our desires and our plans".
Referring to the Old Testament reading on the journey through the desert, the Holy Father noted how "the people, rather than abandoning themselves faithfully into His hands, insisted that God meet their expectations and requirements and, in the moment of trial, lost trust in Him.
"How often does this happen in out lives", he added. "In how many circumstances, rather than meekly conforming ourselves to divine will, would we like God to accomplish all our designs and fulfil all our expectations. In how many occasions does our faith appear fragile, our trust weak, our religiosity contaminated by magical elements of merely earthly origin?"
In this period of Lent in which the Church invites us "to true conversion, let us humbly and obediently welcome the warning of the responsorial Psalm: 'O that today you would listen to his voice! Do not harden your hearts'".
Turning then to consider the Gospel account of Jesus meeting the Samaritan woman at the well in Sychar, Benedict XVI highlighted how at a certain point the woman asked Jesus for water, "thus showing how everyone has an inborn need of God and of the salvation that only He can achieve".
"Jesus wishes to bring us, like the Samaritan woman, to profess our faith in Him forcefully, that we may then announce and testify to our fellow man the joy of meeting Him and the wonders that His Love brings to our lives".
This Sunday's liturgy, said the Pope, encourages us "to re-examine our relationship with Jesus, to seek His face tirelessly. This is indispensable so that you, dear friends, may continue - in a new cultural and social context - the work of evangelisation and of human and Christian education that has been carried out in this parish for more than a century".
"Open your hearts to that pastoral missionary activity which encourages each Christian to go out and meet people - in particular young people and families - in the places where they live, work and spend their free time, in order to announce to them God's merciful love. ... I encourage you to persevere in you commitment to education, which is the typical charism of all Salesian parishes".
In a meeting held following Mass, the Pope again evoked the episode of the Samaritan woman. She, he said "may appear representative of modern mankind, of modern life. She had had five husbands and lived with another man. She made copious use of her freedom but did not become freer, rather she became emptier. But we also see that this woman had a burning desire to discover true happiness, true joy. In this context, the Pope encouraged the faithful "to continue your pastoral and missionary commitment, your dynamism, to help people today discover true freedom and true joy".
At the end of the visit, one of the parishioners read out a Roman dialect poem in honour of the Pope. "Unfortunately", the Holy Father replied, "I do not speak the Roman dialect, but as Catholics we are all a little Roman, we carry Rome in our hearts and we understand a little of the Roman dialect". HML/.../SANTA MARIA LIBERATRICE VIS 080225 (670)
OPENING THE HEART TO THE WORD OF GOD
VATICAN CITY, 24 FEB 2008 (VIS) - At midday today, the Holy Father appeared at the window of his study overlooking St. Peter's Square, to pray the Angelus with thousands of faithful gathered below.
On this third Sunday of Lent, said the Holy Father, "the liturgy presents us with one of the most beautiful and profound texts of the Bible: the dialogue between Jesus and the Samaritan woman".
"Jesus spoke of 'living water' capable of quenching thirst and of becoming, in her, a spring 'gushing up to eternal life'. He also showed that He knew details of her personal life and revealed that the hour had come to worship the one true God in spirit and in truth. Finally - something very rare - He confided to her that He was the Messiah".
"The theme of thirst runs throughout the Gospel of John", said the Pope, "from the meeting with the Samaritan woman to the great prophecy during the Festival of Booths, and even unto the Cross when, in order to fulfil Scripture, Jesus said before dying 'I am thirsty'. ... Yes, God thirsts for our faith and our love. Like a good and merciful father He desires all possible good for us, and this good is He Himself.
"The woman of Samaria", he added, "represents the existential dissatisfaction of people who have not found what they were seeking. She had had 'five husbands' and was living with another man. Her coming and going to the well to draw water was an expression of a repetitive and resigned existence, but that day everything changed for her thanks to her meeting with the Lord Jesus Who affected her so deeply that she abandoned the water jar and ran to tell the people in the village: 'Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done!" He cannot be the Messiah, can he?'"
Benedict XVI invited the faithful to open their hearts "to a trusting perception of the Word of God so that, like the Samaritan woman, we may meet Jesus Who reveals His love to us and says: the Messiah is your Saviour, 'I am he, the one who is speaking to you'. May Mary, the first and perfect disciple of the Word made flesh, obtain this gift for us".
Following the Angelus, the Pope referred to "recent floods that have devastated extensive coastal areas of Ecuador, causing terrible damage to add to that already caused by the eruption of the Tungurahua volcano. Entrusting the victims of this calamity to the Lord, I express my personal closeness to those experiencing moments of anguish and tribulation and I invite everyone to show fraternal solidarity so that the people of these areas may, as soon a possible, return to the normality of everyday life". ANG/SAMARITAN WOMAN:ECUADOR/... VIS 080225 (480)
THE POPE CONDEMNS ALL FORMS OF DIRECT EUTHANASIA
VATICAN CITY, 25 FEB 2008 (VIS) - At midday today, the Holy Father received participants in an international congress entitled: "Close by the Incurable Sick Person and the Dying: Scientific and Ethical Aspects". the even was promoted by the Pontifical Academy for Life for the occasion of their general assembly which will be held in the Vatican over coming days.
"Death", said the Pope, "concludes the experience of earthly life, but through death there opens for each of us, beyond time, the full and definitive life. ... For the community of believers, this encounter between the dying person and the Source of Life and Love represents a gift that has a universal value, that enriches the communion of the faithful". In this context, he highlighted how all the community should participate alongside close relatives in the last moments of a person's life. "No believer", he said, "should die alone and abandoned".
All society "is called to respect the life and dignity of the seriously ill and the dying", said the Holy Father. "Though aware of the fact that 'it is not science that redeems man', all society, and in particular the sectors associated with medical science, are duty bound to express the solidarity of love, and to safeguard and respect human life in every moment of its earthly development, especially when it is ill or in its terminal stages.
"In more concrete terms", he added, "this means ensuring that every person in need finds the necessary support through appropriate treatments and medical procedures - identified and administered using criteria of therapeutic proportionality - while bearing in mind the moral duty to administer (on the part of doctors) and to accept (on the part of patients) those means for preserving life which, in a particular situation, may be considered as 'ordinary'".
As for forms of treatment "with significant levels of risk or that may reasonably be judged to be 'extraordinary', recourse thereto may be considered as morally acceptable, but optional. Furthermore, it will always be necessary to ensure that everyone has the treatment they require, and that families tried by the sickness of one of their members receive support, especially if the sickness is serious or prolonged".
Just as when a child is born family members have specific rights to take time off work, said the Pope, in the same way "similar rights must be recognised" to the relatives of the terminally ill. "A greater respect for individual human life inevitably comes through the concrete solidarity of each and all, and constitutes one of the most pressing challenges of our times".
After noting how it is becoming ever more common for elderly people in large cities to be alone "even in moments of serious illness and when approaching death", the Holy Father noted that such situations increase pressures towards euthanasia, "especially when a utilitarian view of people has become established". In this context, he once again recalled "the firm and constant ethical condemnation of all forms of direct euthanasia, in keeping with the centuries-long teaching of the Church".
"The synergetic efforts of civil society and of the community of believers must ensure not only that everyone is able to live in a dignified and responsible way, but also that they can face moments of trial and of death in the finest condition of fraternity and solidarity, even where death comes in a poor family or a hospital bed".
Society, said the Holy Father must "ensure due support to families who undertake to care in the home, sometimes for long periods, sick members who are afflicted with degenerative conditions, ... or who need particularly costly assistance. ... It is above all in this field that synergy between the Church and the institutions can prove particularly important in ensuring the necessary help for human life in moments of frailty". AC/.../PONTIFICAL ACADEMY FOR LIFE VIS 080225 (650)
VATICAN CITY, 25 FEB 2008 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:
- Archbishop Giuseppe Pinto, apostolic nuncio to Chile.
- Six prelates from the Episcopal Conference of El Salvador, on their "ad limina" visit:
- Archbishop Fernando Saenz Lacalle of San Salvador, accompanied by Auxiliary Bishop Gregorio Rosa Chavez.
- Bishop Luis Morao Andreazza O.F.M. of Chalatenango.
- Bishop Miguel Angel Moran Aquino of San Miguel.
- Bishop Romeo Tovar Astorga O.F.M. of Santa Ana, accompanied by Auxiliary Bishop-elect Jose Elias Rauda Gutierrez O.F.M. AP:AL/.../... VIS 080225 (90) |
| You can find more information at: www.vatican.va - www.vis.pcn.net |
22 February 2008
Vatican Update 22 February 2008
| 02.22.2008 - Eighteenth Year - Num. 37 |
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SUMMARY:
- The Word of God: Theme of the Lenten Sermons - Cuba Commemorates Tenth Anniversary of John Paul II's Visit - Christians Called to Assist in Evangelization - Pope Gives Thanks for Annual Peter's Pence Donation - Vatican Basilica Patio Dedicated to Gregory Illuminator
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THE WORD OF GOD: THEME OF THE LENTEN SERMONS
VATICAN CITY, 22 FEB 2008 (VIS) - This morning at 9:00 in the Redemptoris Mater Chapel of the Apostolic Palace in the presence of the Holy Father, Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa, O.F.M. Cap., Preacher to the Pontifical Household, gave the first Lenten sermon. The theme of this year's Lenten meditations is: "The Word of God is Living and Active" (Heb 4:12).
A communique reads that "in preparing for the Synod of Bishops on the Word of God (5-26 October 2008) and keeping in mind the 'Lineamenta' (or first draft of the synod's theme), reflection is being offered on the proclamation of the Gospel message in the life of Christ (Jesus 'who preaches') and on the Church's mission (Christ 'preached'), on the Word of God as a means of personal sanctification (lectio divina), and on the relationship between the Spirit and the Word (a spiritual reading of the Bible)".
The following sermons will be given on the Fridays of 29 February and 7 and 14 March. .../LENTEN SERMONS/CANTALAMESSA VIS 080222 (170)
CUBA COMMEMORATES ANNIVERSARY OF JOHN PAUL II'S VISIT
VATICAN CITY, 22 FEB 2008 (VIS) - A message from Benedict XVI to the bishops of Cuba on the tenth anniversary of the visit made by John Paul II to that country (21-26 January 1998) was distributed yesterday afternoon.
The message was delivered to the Cuban prelates by Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Secretary of State, who yesterday began a six-day visit to Cuba for the celebration.
"The ten year anniversary marking those unforgettable days for the Church and the Cuban people that were lived as the enthusiastic world watched", writes the Pope, "is without a doubt a duty of gratitude toward my venerated Predecessor as well as a sign of our passionate intention to renew the commitment to evangelization that he left deeply impressed in the hearts of all".
The Holy Father expressed his admiration for the Cuban bishops' "pastoral unveilings" and his nearness to the "hopes and concerns of all the Cuban people. I constantly ask that the Lord give you the strength and generosity to live your faith ever more intensely and to work toward a world that is enlightened by the Gospel".
"The proclamation of Christ's Gospel continues to find hearts in Cuba that are ready to welcome it. This fact carries with it the constant responsibility to help them to grow in the spiritual life, proposing to them this 'high standard of ordinary Christian living' that is the call to holiness of all baptized persons".
The Pope emphasized that "proclaiming true doctrine, beginning with listening to and deepening one's understanding of the word of God, promoting the participation in the sacraments, and fostering a life of prayer are the primary goals of pastoral action, then bringing to all the salvation of Christ is the nucleus of the Church's mission".
Although recognizing that "some Christian communities are overwhelmed by difficulties due to scarcity of resources, indifference, or even misgivings that can lead to discouragement", Benedict XVI encouraged the Cuban Catholics to "put your hope in Jesus Christ, our Savior who does not disappoint and who fills your hearts with joy, giving meaning and fruitfulness to your life of faith".
"How many times", he continued, "do small gestures of friendship and good will, simple and ordinary gestures of respect, of care for the one who suffers or who gives unselfishly for the good of others, reveal a glimpse of the limitless love that God has for each and every one of us".
In this context, he writes, it is very important that "the Church's mission in Cuba to those in most need acquires a great importance, with concrete works of service to and care for the men and women of all walks of life, who deserve to be supported not only in their material needs, but also welcomed with affection and understanding. The Pope deeply thanks the effort and sacrifice of the people and communities engaged in these works, following the example of Christ who 'came not to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many'".
Benedict XVI urged the faithful Cubans to make the proclamation of the Gospel, which arrived in their country five centuries ago, bear fruit. The values of the Gospel message "had a great influence in the birth of the nation, above all through the work of the Servant of God Félix Varela and José MartÃ, who preached of the love of God among Cubans and all persons. These values are also vital to the harmony and future of the nation".
"This inheritance has deeply marked the Cuban soul that today needs your generous pastoral care to be renewed again and again, showing that the Church, focusing its gaze upon Jesus Christ, does good, promotes the dignity of the person, and, in sowing seeds of understanding, mercy, and reconciliation, contributes to the betterment of persons and of society".
The Holy Father concluded his message with assurances of his concern and "the fraternal prayer and collaboration of the other churches throughout the entire world". MESS/.../CUBAN BISHOPS VIS 080222 (670)
CHRISTIANS CALLED TO ASSIST IN EVANGELIZATION
VATICAN CITY, 22 FEB 2008 (VIS) - The Holy Father's message for the XLV World Day of Prayer for Vocations was published today. The celebration, which will take place on 13 April, the fourth week of Easter, this year, has the theme: "Vocations at the Service of the Church on Mission".
The text is dated 3 December 2007 and is presented in French, English, Portuguese, Italian, Spanish, Polish, and German. Here follow some excerpts:
The Church is missionary in herself and in each one of her members. Through the sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation, every Christian is called to bear witness and to announce the Gospel, but this missionary dimension is associated in a special and intimate way with the priestly vocation. In the covenant with Israel, God entrusted to certain men, called by him and sent to the people in his name, a mission as prophets and priests. (...) The same happened with the prophets.
The promises made to our fathers were fulfilled entirely in Jesus Christ. (...) Jesus already in his public life while preaching in Galilee, chose some disciples to be his close collaborators in the messianic ministry. For example, on the occasion of the multiplication of the loaves, he said to the Apostles: "You give them something to eat", encouraging them to assume the needs of the crowds to whom he wished to offer nourishment, but also to reveal the food "which endures to eternal life" (...) If we pause to meditate on this passage of the Gospel (...) we may take note of those aspects which distinguish the missionary activity of a Christian community, eager to remain faithful to the example and teaching of Jesus. To respond to the Lord's call means facing in prudence and simplicity every danger and even persecutions, since "a disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master". (...) Having become one with their Master, the disciples are no longer alone as they announce the kingdom of heaven; Jesus himself is acting in them. (...) Furthermore, as true witnesses, "clothed with power from on high", they preach "repentance and the forgiveness of sins" to all peoples.
Precisely because they have been sent by the Lord, the Twelve are called "Apostles", destined to walk the roads of the world announcing the Gospel as witnesses to the death and resurrection of Christ. (...) The Acts of the Apostles also assigns a very important role in this task of evangelization to other disciples whose missionary vocation arises from providential, sometimes painful, circumstances such as expulsion from their own lands for being followers of Jesus. (...) First among them is undoubtedly Paul of Tarsus, called by the Lord himself, hence a true Apostle. The story of Paul, the greatest missionary of all times, brings out in many ways the link between vocation and mission. Accused by his opponents of not being authorized for the apostolate, he makes repeated appeals precisely to the call which he received directly from the Lord.
In the beginning, and thereafter, what "impels" the Apostles is always "the love of Christ". (...) In fact, the love of Christ must be communicated to the brothers by example and words, with all one's life.
Among those totally dedicated to the service of the Gospel, are priests, called to preach the word of God, administer the sacraments, especially the Eucharist and Reconciliation, committed to helping the lowly, the sick, the suffering, the poor, and those who experience hardship in areas of the world where there are, at times, many who still have not had a real encounter with Jesus Christ. (...) Statistics show that the number of baptized persons increases every year thanks to the pastoral work of these priests, who are wholly consecrated to the salvation of their brothers and sisters.
There have always been in the Church many men and women who, prompted by the action of the Holy Spirit, choose to live the Gospel in a radical way, professing the vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience. This multitude of men and women religious, belonging to innumerable institutes of contemplative and active life, still plays "the main role in the evangelisation of the world" .With their continual and community prayer, contemplatives intercede without ceasing for all humanity. Religious of the active life, with their many charitable activities, bring to all a living witness of the love and mercy of God.
The gift of faith calls all Christians to co-operate in the work of evangelization. This awareness must be nourished by preaching and catechesis, by the liturgy, and by constant formation in prayer. It must grow through the practice of welcoming others, with charity and spiritual companionship, through reflection and discernment, as well as pastoral planning, of which attention to vocations must be an integral part.
Vocations to the ministerial priesthood and to the consecrated life can only flourish in a spiritual soil that is well cultivated. Christian communities that live the missionary dimension of the mystery of the Church in a profound way will never be inward looking. MESS/WORLD DAY OF PRAYER FOR VOCATIONS/... VIS 080222 (840)
POPE GIVES THANKS FOR ANNUAL PETER'S PENCE DONATION
VATICAN CITY, 22 FEB 2008 (VIS) - Today the Pope received members of the Circle of St. Peter who brought him, as is traditional, the "Peter's Pence" collected every year in the parishes and institutes of Rome's diocese.
Addressing the members of the society on the day that the Church celebrates the feast of the Chair of St. Peter, the Pope emphasized that their service "has always distinguished you for your unconditional faithfulness to the Church and its universal pastor, the Roman pontiff".
"Yours, he continued, is a much appreciated apostolate that offers constant witness to the love that you hold for the Church and in particular for the Holy See". In this context he recalled their service in the Vatican basilica during the celebrations that are presided over by the Pope, the formation they offer, and their activities of assistance and charity "that you generously maintain".
Benedict XVI expressed gratitude for the presentation of the Peter's Pence, which "represents concrete assistance offered to the Pope so that he might respond to the many petitions that come from around the world, especially from the poorest countries. Thank you for this service", he finished, "that you carry out with such generosity and a spirit of sacrifice". AC/.../CIRCLE OF ST. PETER VIS 080222 (220)
VATICAN BASILICA PATIO DEDICATED TO GREGORY ILLUMINATOR
VATICAN CITY, 22 FEB 2008 (VIS) - At noon, during a brief ceremony attended by His Beatitude Nerses Bedros XIX, Patriarch of Cilicia of the Armenian Catholics, and a group of prelates of the Armenian Catholic Church, the Pope dedicated the north patio of the Vatican Basilica to St. Gregory the Illuminator.
Recalling that, a few months before his death, John Paul II blessed the statue of St. Gregory the Illuminator that is located in that patio, Benedict XVI affirmed that "this great saint has made the Armenians, for more than seveneen centuries, a Christian people, and more, the first officially Christian people".
"St. Gregory was called the Illuminator", he continued, "precisely because in him the Lord's face is reflected in an extraordinary way".
The Pope asked that the "Armenian people, through the intercession of this illustrious and distinguished son, continue their journey along the paths of faith, letting themselves be guided, as they have for centuries, by Christ and by his Gospel, which has indelibly marked their culture". AC/PATIO DEDICATION/GREGORY ILLUMINATOR VIS 080222 (170)
VATICAN CITY, 22 FEB 2008 (VIS) - The Holy Father Benedict XVI today received in audience Archbishop George Kocherry, Apostolic Nuncio to Zimbabwe. AP/.../... VIS 080222 (30)
VATICAN CITY, 22 FEB 2008 (VIS) - The Holy Father:
- Accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese of Soissons, France, presented by Bishop Marcel Herriot in accordance with canon 401 para. 2 of the Code of Canon Law. He is succeeded by Coadjutor Bishop Hervé Giraud.
- Appointed Msgr. Noel Treanor as Bishop of Down and Connor (area 2,419, population 1,000,000, Catholics 321,021, priests 243, religious 359), Ireland. The bishop-elect was born in Silverstream (Ireland) in 1950 and ordained a priest in 1976. He succeeds Bishop Patrick Walsh whose resignation from the pastoral care of that diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.
-Appointed Archbishop Giuseppe Leanza, Apostolic Nuncio to Bulgaria, as Apostolic Nuncio to Ireland.
-Appointed Msgr. Luciano Suriani as Apostolic Nuncio to Bolivia, at the same time elevating him to the dignity of archbishop. RE:NER:NN/.../... VIS 080222 (150)
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| You can find more information at: www.vatican.va - www.vis.pcn.net |
21 February 2008
Vatican Update 21 February 2008
| 02.21.2008 - Eighteenth Year - Num. 36 |
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SUMMARY:
- Serbia: Christian Roots Offer Values For Reconciliation - Jesuits: Full Fidelity to the Society's Original Charism - Pontifical Academy For Life: Close by the Incurable Sick
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SERBIA: CHRISTIAN ROOTS OFFER VALUES FOR RECONCILIATION
VATICAN CITY, 21 FEB 2008 (VIS) - Today in the Vatican, Benedict XVI received the credential letters of Vladeta Jankovic, Serbia's new ambassador to the Holy See.
In his speech to the diplomat, the Pope affirmed that the Holy See "greatly values its diplomatic links with Serbia, and hopes thereby to offer encouragement to the continuing efforts to build a future of peace, prosperity, reconciliation, and peaceful coexistence throughout the region, as Serbia and its neighbors seek to take their proper place within Europe".
Few countries in the continent of Europe escaped the ravages of war in the last century", said the Holy Father, "and all can learn from the lessons of the recent past. As you work towards a more secure future, it is vital to remember that the identity and the rich cultural tradition of your nation, as of all European nations, is deeply rooted in the heritage of Christian faith and the Gospel of love".
"If we choose to live by the values drawn from our Christian roots", Benedict XVI observed, "we discover the courage to forgive and to accept forgiveness, to be reconciled with our neighbors, and to build together a civilization of love in which all are accepted and respected. I know how deeply the Serb people have suffered in the course of recent conflicts and I wish to express my heartfelt concern for them and for the other Balkan nations affected by the sad events of the last decade".
"The Holy See", he added, "shares your earnest desire that the peace which has been achieved will bring lasting stability to the region. In particular, with regard to the current crisis in Kosovo, I call upon all interested parties to act with prudence and moderation, and to seek solutions that favor mutual respect and reconciliation".
"Not least among the various divisions between the peoples of Europe are those resulting from the tragic loss of Christian unity over the past thousand years", the Pope recalled. He then expressed joy for the progress in relations between the Catholic and Orthodox Christians in Serbia in recent years and for the beneficial collaboration made in various areas. "I earnestly hope that these positive developments will continue to bear fruit", he said, "in particular through joint exploration of Christian social doctrine".
The Holy Father next spoke of the Serbia's geographical situation on the border between Eastern and Western Christianity that offers "a unique opportunity to promote ecumenical dialogue, while its familiarity with Islam, both through its encounter with the Ottoman Empire and through the presence of many Muslims in the region today, opens up rich possibilities for progress in inter-religious dialogue. Both of these processes are of the utmost importance in establishing greater mutual understanding and respect between peoples and nations in the modern world".
"Freedom of religion is an indispensable element in building the kind of society in which such harmony can develop, and the steps taken by Serbia in recent years to guarantee this fundamental human right are greatly appreciated", Benedict XVI said.
"The plan to restore to churches and religious communities property which had been nationalized by the Yugoslav Federation and the introduction of religious teaching in schools have contributed to the spiritual renewal of your country, and in this regard an important example has been given from which other governments can learn".
"I pray that this openness to religious values in society," he concluded, "will continue to grow, so that public debate may be truly nourished by the principles derived from faith". CD/CREDENTIALS/SERBIA: JANKOVIC VIS 080221 (580)
JESUITS: FULL FIDELITY TO THE SOCIETY'S ORIGINAL CHARISM
VATICAN CITY, 21 FEB 2008 (VIS) - This morning the Holy Father received participants of the Society of Jesus' general congregation, with the newly named superior general, Fr. Adolfo Nicolás, which has been meeting in Rome from 7 January.
The Pope encouraged those present and all their brothers in the Society to continue in their faithfulness to the mission received from God, "in full fidelity to the original charism in the ecclesial and social context that characterizes this beginning of the millennium".
"The Church", he said, "urgently needs persons of solid and deep faith, of serious culture, and of genuine human and social sensitivity; of priests and religious who dedicate their lives to living at the margins in order to bear witness and help further the understanding that there exists a profound harmony between faith and reason, between evangelical spirit and a thirst for justice and dedication to peace".
"The Society of Jesus, Benedict XVI continued, "faithful to its best tradition, should continue forming its members with great attention to the sciences and to virtue, without conforming to mediocrity, because the task of confrontation and dialogue in very diverse social and cultural situations with the different mentalities of today's world is one of the most difficult and costly there is".
"In the attempt to build bridges of understanding and dialogue with those who do not belong to the Church or who have difficulty in accepting its positions and messages, you must loyally take charge of the Church's fundamental right to remain faithful to its mandate and adhere completely to the Word of God as well as to the Magisterium's charge of conserving the truth and unity of Catholic doctrine in its entirety".
The Pope emphasized that "this holds not only for the vow of each Jesuit. As you work as members of an apostolic body you have to also remain attentive that your works and institutions always maintain a clear and explicit identity so that the goal of your apostolic activity is neither ambiguous nor obscure and so that many others might share your ideals and might effectively and enthusiastically join with you, collaborating in your vow of service to God and as human beings".
"The themes that are debated and questioned today, such as the salvation of all in Christ, sexual morality, and marriage and the family, should be considered in the context of contemporary reality, maintaining, however, that harmony with the Magisterium that avoids the provocation of confusion and uncertainty in the People of God".
The Holy Father encouraged the Jesuit fathers to "continue and to renew" their mission among and with the poor. "For us", he said, "the option for the poor is not ideological but rather is born of the Gospel". Besides making the "effort to understand and fight the structural causes" of injustice and poverty, he added, "it is necessary to fight the deep roots of evil in the very heart of the human being, the sin that separates us from God, without forgetting to care for the most urgent needs of others in Christ's spirit of charity".
Finally, referring to the Spiritual Exercises, "which from its origins have characterized your Society", the Pope asked that they "continue making them a precious and effective instrument for the spiritual growth of souls. (...) The Spiritual Exercises represent a particularly precious journey and method for seeking and encountering the face of God in and around us and in all things; for coming to know his will and putting it into practice". AC/.../SOCIETY OF JESUS VIS 080221 (590)
PONTIFICAL ACADEMY FOR LIFE: CLOSE BY THE INCURABLE SICK
VATICAN CITY, 21 FEB 2008 (VIS) - At 11.30 a.m. today in the Holy See Press Office, a press conference was held to present an international congress entitled "Close by the Incurable Sick Person and the Dying: Scientific and Ethical Aspects", due to be held in the Vatican on February 25 and 26 under the auspices of the Pontifical Academy for Life.
Participating in today's press conference were Bishop Elio Sgreccia, president of the Pontifical Academy for Life; Joseph Capizzi, professor of Moral Theology at the Catholic University of America, and member of the Foundation "Culture and Life" (USA); Monsignor Maurizio Calipari, one of the academy's moral theologians and bioethics professor at the John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and the Family; and Zbigniew Zylicz, the medical director of "Dove House Hospice" in Hull, East Yorkshire (England).
Bishop Sgreccia briefly summarized the goal of the assembly, which will focus on the moment "in which human fragility is felt most deeply, a moment often intensified by solitude and suffering (...) but one which is very important in the Christian vision because the physical body crumbles and the subject's history comes to an end but they draw near the entrance to full life, eternal life".
This moment of passage is the assembly's specific subject", added the prelate. "We once again", he said, "sense the need to further define the terms of what is and is not licit in the therapeutic sphere, above all in order to respond to the various doubts and continuing debate in the field of medical assistance. The program proposes many ethical themes with the expectation of clarifying with balance and precision, as best as possible, the limits of the therapy and assistance given to the terminally ill and dying. There will also be discussions of cultural and anthropological nature. Above all, we will present the aspects concerning assistance: how society and the Christian community can be mobilized, palliative care, but the main focus will be on treatments that respond to precise ethical questions".
Monsignor Calipari affirmed that "besides ensuring greater possibilities for life and better health conditions for many, new techniques in medical assistance can sometimes carry with them a greater affront than personal suffering to the patient without there being, or even contrary to there being, a real perspective of benefit."
"What should be done in these cases?", he asked. "What criteria should be adopted to be able to express an ethical and functional judgment on the use of means of prolonging life that is well-grounded and justifiable"?
Professor Calipari proposed the outline of "a new systematic standard of evaluation that would dynamically join the concepts of 'proportionality/disproportionality' (which is chronologically more recent) and 'ordinariness/extraordinariness' (more traditional), without depriving them of their differences and their characteristics". From this would derive, he continued, a norm that "could represent a precise reference for the concrete decisions on the choice for and recourse to the different means of prolonging life. The result of this effort is called 'the principle of ethical adaptation on the use of the means of prolonging life'".
Professor Zylicz continued the presentation, speaking on the theme of palliative care, hospices, and household assistance. "Although the concept of the hospice is very Christian, hospices do accept people of all faiths and religions".
"Death", he continued, "should be seen as a part of life, a normal event. The death of a loved one can even be an important moment of personal growth. People working in hospices struggle with many ethical dilemmas, such as (artificial) food and hydration, intensive symptom control, which may result in the earlier death of a patient, anguish and terminal sedation, and, finally, with the increasing societal demands of euthanasia". OP/INCURABLY SICK/SGRECCIA VIS 080221 (610)
VATICAN CITY, 21 FEB 2008 (VIS) - Today the Holy Father received in audience Renato Guarini, the rector of La Sapienza University in Rome. AP/.../... VIS 080221 (20)
VATICAN CITY, 21 FEB 2008 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Bishop Ricardo Watty Urquidi M.Sp.S., previously bishop of Nuevo Laredo in Mexico, as bishop of Tepic (area 22,777, population 1,115,208, Catholics 1,073,321, priests 210, religious 270), Mexico. He succeeds Bishop Alfonso Humberto Robles Cota, whose resignation from the pastoral care of that diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit. NER:RE/.../WATTY:ROBLES VIS 080221 (60) |
| You can find more information at: www.vatican.va - www.vis.pcn.net |
19 February 2008
Vatican Update 19 February 2008
| 02.19.2008 - Eighteenth Year - Num. 34 |
|
SUMMARY:
- Religious Institutes: Rediscover the Original Charism - European and American University Students to Meet Pope
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RELIGIOUS INSTITUTES: REDISCOVER THE ORIGINAL CHARISM
VATICAN CITY, 19 FEB 2008 (VIS) - Made public today was the address Benedict XVI delivered yesterday to members of the executive committee of the International Union of Superiors General, who were meeting in the Vatican to reflect on "some particularly relevant and important aspects of consecrated life".
"We are all aware how, in modern globalised society, it is becoming ever more difficult to announce and bear witness to the Gospel", said the Pope. "The process of secularisation which is advancing in contemporary culture does not, unfortunately, spare even religious communities.
"Nonetheless", he added, "we must not be discouraged, because if (as has been said) many clouds are gathering on the horizon of religious life today, there also exist (indeed they are constantly growing) signs of a providential reawakening which gives rise to consolation and hope.
"The Holy Spirit blows powerfully throughout the Church, creating a new commitment to faithfulness, both in the historical institutes and, at the same time, in new forms of religious consecration that reflect the needs of the times. ... What characterises these new forms of consecrated life is a shared desire ... for a radical form of evangelical poverty, for faithful love of the Church, and for generous dedication to the needy with particular attention to that spiritual poverty which so markedly characterises the modern age".
The Pope subsequently went on to refer to "the orders and congregations with a long tradition in the Church", noting how they have suffered a "difficult crisis due to the ageing of members, a more or less accentuated fall in vocations and, sometimes, a spiritual and charismatic 'weariness'".
Although describing this crisis as "worrying", Benedict XVI highlighted certain positive signs, "especially when communities have chosen to return to the origins and live in a way more in keeping with the spirit of the founder. In almost all recent general chapters of religious institutes the recurring theme has been precisely that of rediscovering the original charism, to then incarnate it and renew it in the present".
Such rediscovery "has helped give institutes a promising new ascetic, apostolic and missionary impulse", said the Pope and he concluded: "It is along this road that we must continue, praying to the Lord to bring to full fruition the work He began". AC/CONSECRATED LIFE/... VIS 080219 (390)
EUROPEAN AND AMERICAN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS TO MEET POPE
VATICAN CITY, 19 FEB 2008 (VIS) - On Saturday, 1 March, to mark the Sixth European Day for Universities, the Holy Father will preside at a Marian prayer vigil in the Paul VI Hall. The theme of the vigil will be: "Europe and the Americas together to build a civilisation of love".
The Day has been promoted by the Council of European Episcopal Conferences (CCEE) and the vicariate of Rome's office for pastoral care in universities.
The university students gathered in the Paul VI Hall will be linked by satellite to other students in various European and American cities: Naples, Italy; Bucharest, Romania; Toledo, Spain; Avignon, France; Minsk, Belarus; Washington DC, U.S.A.; Mexico City, Mexico; Havana, Cuba, Aparecida, Brazil, and Loja, Ecuador.
At 5 p.m. the Holy Father will lead the praying of the Rosary, then address some words to the participants before distributing copies of his Encyclical "Spe salvi" to a number of student representatives.
Also for the occasion of this European Day, a congress is due to be held at Rome's Pontifical Gregorian University from 28 February to 1 March on the theme: "Europe and the Americas together towards integral and solidary development". The event has been promoted by the vicariate of Rome's office for pastoral care in universities together with the European Commission's office in Italy, and the Italian ministries for communication, for university research and for foreign affairs".
The congress will begin with opening addresses on the theme of "The shared roots and historical ties of the relationship between Europe and the Americas" to be given by Florencio Hubenak of the Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina "Santa Maria de los Buenos Aires", and by Bianca Maria Tedeschini Lalli of the "Universita degli Studi Roma Tre".
The meeting will then continue with three main sessions, the first on: "Europe and the Americas in the global society", the second on: "The role of university formation in facing development challenges", and the third on: "University cultures and models in globalisation".
The meeting will come to an end on the morning of 1 March with two round table discussions on "The brain drain problem: U.S.A. - Latin America - Europe" and "Experiences of and prospects for university co-operation for integral and solidary development". .../EUROPEAN DAY UNIVERSITIES/... VIS 080219 (390)
VATICAN CITY, 19 FEB 2008 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed:
- Fr. Valter Dario Maggi, pastor and secretary of the episcopal commission for education of the Ecuadorian Episcopal Conference, as auxiliary of the archdiocese of Guayaquil (area 18,711, population 3,357,000, Catholics 3,022,000, priests 339, permanent deacons 25, religious 678), Ecuador. The bishop-elect was born in Brignano Gera d'Adda, Italy in 1956 and ordained a priest in 1985.
- Fr. Joseph Ponniah, vicar general of Trincomalee-Batticaloa, India, as auxiliary of the same diocese (area 8,397, population 1,545,129, Catholics 68,174, priests 66, religious 131). The bishop-elect was born in Thannamunai, India in 1952 and ordained a priest in 1980. NEA/.../MAGGI:PONNIAH VIS 080219 (120) |
| You can find more information at: www.vatican.va - www.vis.pcn.net |
18 February 2008
Vatican Update 18 February 2008
| 02.18.2008 - Eighteenth Year - Num. 33 |
|
SUMMARY: 16 - 18 FEBRUARY
- Pope Thanks the Preacher of the Spiritual Exercises - Cardinal Cordes Visits India - Christian Life Is Founded on Movement from Death to Life - Appeal for Dialogue and Reconciliation in Lebanon - Instruction on the Diocesan Inquiry of Causes of Saints
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POPE THANKS THE PREACHER OF THE SPIRITUAL EXERCISES
VATICAN CITY, 16 FEB 2008 (VIS) - This morning in the Vatican's "Redemptoris Mater" Chapel, at the conclusion of the Roman Curia's spiritual exercises, the Pope expressed thanks, in the name of all those present, to the preacher Cardinal Albert Vanhoye S.J. The theme of this year's exercises was: "Let us welcome Christ, our High Priest. 'Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession'".
In his remarks, the Pope recalled how Jesus knelt before Peter to wash his feet. This image, he said, "was always before my eyes" and "spoke to me. I saw that it was here, through such behaviour, through such an act of extreme humility, that Jesus' new priesthood was fulfilled. It was fulfilled precisely in the act of solidarity with us, with our weaknesses, our suffering, our trials, even unto death.
"With new eyes I also saw Jesus' red clothing, which speaks to us of His blood", the Pope added. And addressing Cardinal Vanhoye he went on: "You showed us how Jesus' blood was, through His prayer, 'oxygenated' by the Holy Spirit. And thus it became a force of resurrection and a source of life for us".
The Holy Father also noted how Peter had asked the Lord to wash not only his feet but also his head and hands, commenting: "It seems to me that - beyond that specific moment - this expresses the difficulty faced by St. Peter and by all the Lord's disciples in understanding the amazing novelty of Jesus' priesthood, of this priesthood which is debasement, solidarity with us, and thus gives us access to the true shrine: the risen body of Jesus.
"Throughout the period of his discipleship and ... until his own crucifixion, St. Peter had to listen ever and anew to Jesus, in order to enter more deeply into the mystery of His priesthood, the priesthood that Christ communicated to the Apostles and to their successors. In this context, the figure of Peter seems to me like one of us today. You", he concluded, still addressing Cardinal Vanhoye, "have helped us to listen to the voice of the Lord, to relearn the meaning of His priesthood and of ours. You have helped us to participate in Christ's priesthood and thus to receive a new heart, the heart of Jesus, as the centre of the mystery of the new Covenant". AC/THANKS PREACHER/VANHOYE VIS 080218 (420)
VATICAN CITY, 16 FEB 2008 (VIS) - A communique made public today announces that Cardinal Paul Josef Cordes, president of the Pontifical Council "Cor Unum", the Vatican dicastery that promotes the Holy See's charitable activities, has travelled to India to meet with bishops of that country's episcopal conference who are meeting in plenary assembly at Jamshedpur.
The assembly is reflecting on the Church's charitable commitments in the light of the Encyclical "Deus caritas est", and will give particular attention to the question of the Christian roots of charity.
The cardinal's trip to India, which will last until 19 February "will strengthen the witness of the Catholic Church in the field of charity where she continues to make her presence felt through many works of charity. Christians in India run 20 percent of primary schools, 25 percent of support structures for widows and orphans, and 30 percent of centres for the disabled, lepers and AIDS sufferers".
"India, with its 1.2 billion inhabitants", the communique explains, "is a nation in full economic and social expansion, and this fact has important consequences for the charitable organisations active there. The mission of the 'diakonia' remains indispensable, both for the poor and for the essence of the Church herself. 'Diakonia' being an ecclesial activity, the bishop or ordinary plays a fundamental role. His, in fact, is the final responsibility for charitable activity. It is in this particular field that Cardinal Cordes will encourage the Indian prelates".
The first stage of the cardinal's visit will take him to the tomb of Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta. He will then go on to visit the shelters for the poor she founded. CON-CU/CHARITABLE INITIATIVES/INDIA:CORDES VIS 080218 (280)
CHRISTIAN LIFE IS FOUNDED ON MOVEMENT FROM DEATH TO LIFE
VATICAN CITY, 17 FEB 2008 (VIS) - At midday today, Benedict XVI appeared at the window of his study to pray the Angelus with pilgrims gathered below in St. Peter's Square.
In his remarks, the Pope mentioned last week's Gospel reading on the temptation of Christ in the desert and this week's concerning the Transfiguration on Mount Tabor. "On the one hand", he said, "we see Jesus fully as a man Who shares even our temptations; on the other, we contemplate the Son of God Who deifies our humanity".
"We could say", the Holy Father continued, "that these two Sundays act as pillars" supporting the entire edifice of Lent "and, indeed, the entire structure of Christian life, which essentially consists in the Paschal movement from death to life.
"The mountain - Mount Tabor like Mount Sinai - is the place of closeness to God, elevated above everyday life. ... It is the place of prayer. ... The Transfiguration is an event of prayer. In praying, Jesus is immersed in God, ... with His own human will He adheres to the will of love of the Father, and thus He is infused with light and the truth of His being is visibly revealed".
This "leads our thoughts to Baptism, to the white dress worn by the neophyte. Those who are reborn in Baptism are bedecked in light, in anticipation of heavenly life".
"This is the crucial point", Pope Benedict insisted. "The Transfiguration is an anticipation of the Resurrection, but this presupposes death. Jesus shows the Apostles His glory that they might have the strength to witness the scandal of the cross, and understand that we have to pass though many tribulations in order to reach the Kingdom of God". ANG/EASTER/... VIS 080218 (300)
APPEAL FOR DIALOGUE AND RECONCILIATION IN LEBANON
VATICAN CITY, 17 FEB 2008 (VIS) - After praying the Angelus at midday today with thousands of faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square, the Pope made an appeal for dialogue and reconciliation in Lebanon.
"I am following the persistent manifestations of tension in Lebanon with concern", he said. "For almost three months the country has been unable to elect a head of State. Efforts to resolve the crisis and the support offered by many important figures of the international community, though they have not yet achieved a result, confirm the intention to find a president for all the Lebanese, and thus to lay the foundations for overcoming the current divisions.
"Unfortunately, there is also no shortage of causes for concern, especially because of the unusual verbal violence, and of people who place their trust in the force of arms and the physical elimination of their adversaries.
"Together with the Maronite patriarch and all Lebanese bishops, I ask you to join my prayer to Our Lady of Lebanon that she may encourage the citizens of that dear nation, and in particular the politicians, to work tenaciously for reconciliation, for a truly sincere dialogue, for peaceful coexistence and for the good of a homeland profoundly felt as being shared". ANG/APPEAL LEBANON/... VIS 080218 (220)
INSTRUCTION ON THE DIOCESAN INQUIRY OF CAUSES OF SAINTS
VATICAN CITY, 18 FEB 2008 (VIS) - In the Holy See Press Office this morning, Cardinal Jose Saraiva Martins C.M.F., prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, presented the Instruction "Sanctorum Mater" for conducting diocesan or eparchial enquiries in the causes of saints.
Cardinal Saraiva was accompanied by Archbishop Michele Di Ruberto and Msgr. Marcello Bartolucci, respectively secretary and under-secretary of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.
In his remarks, the cardinal affirmed that the aim of the document "is to contribute to ensuring that current norms for the diocesan inquiry of a cause of beatification and canonisation are applied with ever greater care".
The Instruction is divided into six sections, said Cardinal Saraiva, going on to explain: "The first draws attention to the need for a true reputation of holiness before beginning a process, and explains the duties and roles of the petitioner, the postulator and the competent bishop. The second part describes the preliminary phase of the cause which extends as far as the 'Nihil Obstat' of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. The third section concerns the instruction of the cause. The fourth part concentrates on the gathering of documentary proof and the fifth on the gathering of proof from witnesses. Finally, the sixth section of the document outlines the procedures for the closing of the inquiry".
The cardinal then went on to consider the reasons for the publication of the document, pointing out that 25 years have passed since the promulgation by John Paul II of the Apostolic Constitution 'Divinus Perfectionis Magister', and of the 'Normae servandae' by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. Since then, he said, "in some dioceses, certain provisions of the law have not always been understood and, consequently, not been put into practice with the necessary meticulousness, the which has sometimes made it necessary for the congregation to supply clarifications or to ask diocesan curias to correct errors".
Furthermore, he added, "dioceses do not always have access to specialised individuals with practical experience of the various procedures involved in a cause of canonisation". For this reason, "it is evident that a practical document, such as this Instruction, was useful, indeed necessary".
"When the current legislation on causes of saints came into force", said the cardinal outlining another reason for the publication of the present document, "an unfounded idea became widespread that the traditional methodology ... had been substituted by some kind of historical-critical investigation". And he identified the reason for this confusion in "the fact that the term 'inquisitio' used in Latin (the only official text) to designate the procedure of the diocesan phase of a cause of canonisation was translated in Italian as 'inchiesta' (inquiry)". This Instruction, then, highlights "the importance of procedure" in causes of beatification and canonisation, "and accurately highlights the norms that must be observed".
Turning to the last reason for which the document was published, Cardinal Saraiva noted how, "in the move from the earlier legislation to that in force today, it was unclear to some people that a serious and rigorous verification of the fame of sanctity or martyrdom, undertaken in dioceses, is a prior requirement of absolute importance. Hence, a procedure must not be begin without irrefutable proof that the Servant of God ... is held to be a saint or martyr by a considerable number of faithful, who invoke him or her in their prayers and attribute graces and favours to his or her intercession".
Thus far during the pontificate of Benedict XVI, there have been 20 beatification ceremonies during which 563 Servants of God were beatified (36 confessors and 527 martyrs), including 48 diocesan priests, 485 male and female religious, and 30 lay people, for a total of 509 men and 54 women.
The prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints has presided at 31 ceremonies, 18 in Italy and 13 in other countries (Mexico, Portugal, Brazil, Spain, France, Poland and Austria).
The canonisation ceremonies celebrated thus far during the pontificate of Benedict XVI number four (three in Rome and one in Brazil), during which 14 people were canonised (two bishops, four priests, five male religious and three female religious).
The current total of saints and blesseds of this pontificate is 577. OP/INSTRUCTION SANCTORUM MATER/SARAIVA VIS 080218 (720)
VATICAN CITY, 18 FEB 2008 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in audience members of the council for relations between the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, and the International Union of Superiors General.
On Saturday, 16 February, he received in audience Cardinal Albert Vanhoye S.J., preacher of the spiritual exercises. AP/.../... VIS 080218 (60)
VATICAN CITY, 18 FEB 2008 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Bishop Eugenio Dal Corso P.S.D.P. of Saurimo, Angola, as bishop of Benguela (area 49,920, population 2,303,000, Catholics 1,116,000, priests 132, religious 477), Angola. He succeeds Bishop Oscar Lino Lopes Fernandes Braga, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit. NER:RE/.../LOPES:DAL CORSO VIS 080218 (70) |
| You can find more information at: www.vatican.va - www.vis.pcn.net |
15 February 2008
Vatican Update 15 February 2008
| 02.15.2008 - Eighteenth Year - Num. 32 |
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SUMMARY:
- Continue Support for Catholics in the Holy Land - Human Trafficking: the Slavery of Modern Times
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CONTINUE SUPPORT FOR CATHOLICS IN THE HOLY LAND
VATICAN CITY, 15 FEB 2008 (VIS) - Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches, has sent a letter to bishops all over the world, and to their respective Churches, asking them, in the Pope's name, to continue giving spiritual and material support to the Catholic community in the Holy Land. The letter has been made published in English, Spanish, French, Italian and German.
"The absence of peace", says the cardinal in the English-language version of the letter, "exacerbates the many long-standing problems as well as the poverty afflicting the region of the Holy Places. That absence also contributes to the creation of new difficulties. Thus, we must recognise that Christians who reside there are a priority for the attention of the entire Catholic Church, together with that of all other Churches and ecclesial communities".
The cardinal notes that "the Good Friday Collection has a special relevance", before going on to express the hope that "every local Church shall participate in the effort to further our commitment to charity. The Congregation for the Oriental Churches, by virtue of papal directive, co-ordinates this initiative, and does so with exactitude and fairness. Always, the goal is to assist with the everyday requirements of Christian life.
"In this way", he adds, "the Latin community openly supports the Patriarch of Jerusalem, the Franciscans who are Custodians of the Holy Land, and all those belonging to the Eastern Catholic Churches. The desire of the Holy See is that the charitable outreach by all Catholics will not simply be viewed as occasional, but as so continuous and profound that the future may be welcomed with hope. Nor is this programme of charitable distribution based upon religious, cultural or political distinctions. Rather, it seeks especially to equip the younger generations to take their place in society in a manner which renders them competent and able to transmit the worth of their Catholic education and formation.
"We cannot overlook, however, those numerous other challenges which are serious and urgent. For example, there is the ever present matter of immigration, bringing with it the risk that Christian communities can be deprived of their most important human resources. We must seek to safeguard Christianity's historic legacy by striving to preserve those 'living communities' in which the Mystery of Christ, our Peace, is cherished and celebrated".
"May I also take this opportunity to commend the various particular Churches for their many contributions on behalf of the Holy Land. I would mention, for instance, a word of gratitude to those who participate in pilgrimages, and those who volunteer their time and talents. This brings to mind the highly laudable care rendered by parishes and by the families of religious, and as is evident in their various institutions, foundations and associations". Cardinal Sandri concludes his letter by encouraging his fellow bishops "to authorise once again this 'Collection for the Holy Land' owing to the merit of its objectives and its specific characteristics". CEO/HOLY LAND COLLECTION/SANDRI VIS 080215 (510)
HUMAN TRAFFICKING: THE SLAVERY OF MODERN TIMES
VATICAN CITY, 15 FEB 2008 (VIS) - On 13 February, Archbishop Agostino Marchetto, secretary of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant Peoples, participated in a "Forum to Fight Human Trafficking" held in Vienna, Austria, from 13 to 15 February.
Speaking English, Archbishop Marchetto defined human trafficking as "one of the most shameful phenomena of our era. ... It is well known", he went on, "that poverty, as well as the lack of opportunities and of social cohesion, push people to look for a better future despite the related risks, making them extremely vulnerable to trafficking.
"Moreover", he added, "it should be emphasised that, nowadays, several factors contribute to the spread of this crime, namely, the absence of specific rules in some countries, the victims' ignorance of their own rights, the socio-cultural structure and armed conflicts.
"The Holy See encourages all kinds of just initiatives aimed at eradicating this immoral and criminal phenomenon and at promoting the welfare of the victims. The Palermo Protocol and the successive regional conventions have introduced an exhaustive international legislation against trafficking in human beings. Moreover, the Holy See notes with satisfaction the coming into force, at the beginning of this month, of the Council of Europe's Convention against trafficking in human beings".
In this context, the archbishop recalled that the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant Peoples also monitors "the issue of the victims of human trafficking, considered to be the slaves of modern times". DELSS/HUMAN TRAFFICKING/MARCHETTO:VIENNA VIS 080215 (260)
VATICAN CITY, 15 FEB 2008 (VIS) - The Holy Father accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the archdiocese of Castries, Saint Lucia, presented by Archbishop Kelvin Edward Felix, upon having reached the age limit. He is succeeded by Coadjutor Archbishop Robert Rivas O.P. NER/.../FELIX:RIVAS VIS 080215 (50) |
| You can find more information at: www.vatican.va - www.vis.pcn.net |
14 February 2008
Vatican Update 14 February 2008
| 02.14.2008 - Eighteenth Year - Num. 31 |
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SUMMARY:
- Start of Beatification Process for Sister Lucia - Promoting Full Employment and Decent Work
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START OF BEATIFICATION PROCESS FOR SISTER LUCIA
VATICAN CITY, 14 FEB 2008 (VIS) - The Holy See Press Office released the following communique yesterday evening:
"This evening in the cathedral of Coimbra, Portugal, Cardinal Jose Saraiva Martins C.M.F., president of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, presided at a Mass marking the third anniversary of the death of Sister Lucia dos Santos. Following the ceremony he announced that the Holy Father Benedict XVI, benevolently accepting a request presented by Bishop Albino Mamede Cleto of Coimbra and shared by many bishops and faithful throughout the world, has waived the five-year waiting period established by canonical norms (art. 9 of "Normae servandae") and granted that, just three years after the death of Sister Lucia (known to the world as one of the three seers of Fatima), the diocesan stage of the cause for her beatification may begin". OP/BEATIFICATION SISTER LUCIA/SARAIVA VIS 080214 (150)
PROMOTING FULL EMPLOYMENT AND DECENT WORK
VATICAN CITY, 14 FEB 2008 (VIS) - On 7 February, Archbishop Celestino Migliore, Holy See permanent observer to the United Nations in New York, addressed the 46th session of the Commission for Social Development of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), which was held in New York from 6 to 15 February.
In his English-language talk, the text of which was made public today, Archbishop Migliore stressed two points: "First, that the lack of full employment and decent work and its associated poverty and social disintegration offend human dignity, and second, that we can only hold the trust of the people if we listen to them and concretely take their needs into account".
"The Holy See wishes to recall that the compelling needs of the poor have a priority claim on our conscience and on the choices financial leaders make, and as such, it is incumbent upon international fora to provide a platform to the poor because, more often than not, they are left voiceless in the search for solutions to problems that also deeply matter to them".
The permanent observer expressed the view that "trust, earned rather than given, among all parties is essential in the area of employment". And he concluded: "a lack of mutual trust among parties also means a lack of confidence in the future which, in turn, means the absence of job security. People, especially the young looking for their first job, discover meaning and confidence in the future when they find long-term work with the opportunity for a deserved promotion". DELSS/EMPLOYMENT/MIGLIORE VIS 080214 (270)
VATICAN CITY, 14 FEB 2008 (VIS) - The Holy Father:
- Appointed Archbishop Mario Roberto Cassari, apostolic nuncio to Ivory Coast, as apostolic nuncio to Croatia.
- Appointed Fr. Jose Francisco Gonzalez Gonzalez, vice rector of the minor seminary of Guadalajara, Mexico, and Fr. Juan Humberto Gutierrez Valencia, canon and rector of the cathedral of Guadalajara, as auxiliaries of the archdiocese of Guadalajara (area 20,827, population 6,773,000, Catholics 6,164,000, priests 1,327, permanent deacons 3, religious 3,349). Bishop-elect Gonzalez was born in Yahualica, Mexico in 1966 and ordained a priest in 1995. Bishop-elect Gutierrez was born in Guadalajara in 1941 and ordained a priest in 1967.
Ordered the following restructuring to the ecclesiastical circumscriptions of the Latin Church in Slovakia:
- Erected the metropolitan archdiocese of Bratislava, based in Bratislava, with territory taken from the metropolitan archdiocese of Bratislava-Trnava, appointing Bishop Stanislav Zvolensky, auxiliary of Bratislava-Trnava, as metropolitan archbishop of the new archdiocese. The archbishop-elect was born in Trnava in 1958, he was ordained a priest in 1982 and consecrated a bishop in 2004.
- Erected the archdiocese of Trnava, based in Trnava, making it a suffragan of the metropolitan church of Bratislava, confirming Archbishop Jan Sokol of Bratislava-Trnava, at his own request, as archbishop of Trnava.
- Erected the new diocese of Zilina, based in Zilina, with territory taken from the dioceses of Nitra and Banska Bystrica, making it a suffragan of the metropolitan church of Bratislava, appointing Bishop Tomas Galis, auxiliary of Banska Bystrica, as first bishop of the new diocese.
- Ordered the expansion of the diocese of Nitra with nine deaneries from the former archdiocese of Bratislava-Trnava, Nitra having ceded nine deaneries to the new diocese of Zilina. NN:NEA:ECE:NER /.../... VIS 080214 (290) |
| You can find more information at: www.vatican.va - www.vis.pcn.net |
13 February 2008
Vatican Update 13 February 2008
| 02.13.2008 - Eighteenth Year - Num. 30 |
|
SUMMARY:
- Presentation of the Instruction "Sanctorum Mater"
___________________________________________________________
PRESENTATION OF THE INSTRUCTION "SANCTORUM MATER"
VATICAN CITY, 13 FEB 2008 (VIS) - The Holy See Press Office today announced that at 11.30 a.m. on Monday, 18 February, a press conference will be held to present the Instruction of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, "Sanctorum Mater", concerning norms regulating the opening of causes for beatification.
Participating in the press conference - during which the supplement to the "Index ac status causarum" will also be presented - will be Cardinal Jose Saraiva Martins C.M.F., Archbishop Michele Di Ruberto and Msgr. Marcello Bartolucci, respectively president, secretary and under-secretary of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. OP/INSTRUCTION SANCTORUM MATER/... VIS 080213 (110) |
| You can find more information at: www.vatican.va - www.vis.pcn.net |
Vatican Update 12 February 2008
| 02.12.2008 - Eighteenth Year - Num. 29 |
|
SUMMARY: 9 - 12 FEBRUARY
- Telegram for the Death of Fra' Andrew Bertie - Christians Must Promote the Dignity of Women - Spiritual Exercises Favour the Contemplation of Christ - Celebrations to Be Presided by the Pope: February-April - Lent: A Time to Face up to Evil Together with Christ - Our Sufferings Are also Christ's Sufferings - Three Cardinals to Take Possession of Titles
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TELEGRAM FOR THE DEATH OF FRA' ANDREW BERTIE
VATICAN CITY, 9 FEB 2008 (VIS) - Benedict XVI has sent a telegram of condolence for the death of Fra' Andrew Bertie, prince and grand master of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, who passed away on 7 February at the age of 79.
In the telegram, addressed to Fra' Giacomo Dalla Torre del Tempio di Sanguinetto, ad interim head of the Knights of Malta until the election of a new Grand Master, the Pope expresses his condolences to all members of the Order and highlights "the achievements of this respected man of culture, and the generous commitment he showed in carrying out his exalted role, especially in support of the most needy, as well as his love for the Church and his shining witness to evangelical principles". TGR/DEATH BERTIE/DALLA TORRE VIS 080212 (140)
CHRISTIANS MUST PROMOTE THE DIGNITY OF WOMEN
VATICAN CITY, 9 FEB 2008 (VIS) - This morning in the Vatican Benedict XVI received participants in an international congress on the theme: "Woman and man, the 'humanum' in its entirety". The event was organised by the Pontifical Council for the Laity, for the twentieth anniversary of John Paul II's Apostolic Letter on the dignity and vocation of women "Mulieris dignitatem".
"The relationship between man and woman in their respective specificity, reciprocity and complementarity is without doubt a central aspect of the 'anthropological question' which is so decisive to contemporary culture", said the Pope, going on to mention the many documents the Church has dedicated to this theme, from "Mulieris dignitatem" to John Paul II's 1995 "Letter to Women", as well as the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith's "Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on the Collaboration of Men and Women in The Church and in the World".
"The fundamental anthropological truths of man and woman, their equality of dignity and their unity, the deep-rooted and profound diversity between male and female and their vocation to reciprocity and complementarity, to collaboration and communion", said the Pope, "are based on the foundation of the dignity of each person created in the image and likeness of God, Who 'created them male and female' avoiding indistinct uniformity and flat and impoverished equality, as well as massive and confrontational difference".
"Hence, when man or woman seek to become autonomous and completely self-sufficient, they risk being trapped in a form of self-realisation that considers the overcoming of all natural, social and religious barriers as the conquest of freedom, when in fact it reduces them to a state of oppressive solitude".
The Holy Father highlighted the need for "fresh anthropological research which, on the basis of the great Christian tradition, brings together the latest scientific progress and modern cultural sensibilities, thus contributing to a deeper understanding of .. female identity", as well as of "male identity which is also not infrequently the subject of partial and ideological studies".
Benedict XVI also recalled how at the opening of last year's Fifth General Conference of the Episcopate of Latin America and the Caribbean he had mentioned "the persistence of a male chauvinist mentality, ignorant of the 'newness' of Christianity which recognises and proclaims the equal dignity and responsibility of women and men.
"There are places and cultures", the Pope added, "in which women are discriminated against and undervalued for the mere fact of being women, where even religious arguments and family, social and cultural pressures are brought to bear to uphold the inequality between the sexes, and where women are subject to acts of violence, ... and exploited for the purposes of publicity".
"In the face of such serious and persistent phenomena, there is an ever more urgent need for the commitment of Christians to become promoters of a culture that grants women, in law and in everyday life, the dignity that is theirs by right".
The Pope continued: "God gave man and woman ... a specific vocation and mission in the Church and in the world". In this context he also mentioned the family, describing it as "a community of love open to life, the fundamental cell of society" in which man and woman "together play an indispensable role in life.
"From their conception, children have the right to a father and mother to take care of them and accompany them as they grow. For its part, the State must support with adequate social policies everything that promotes the stability and unity of marriage, the dignity and responsibility of the spouses and their right ... to be educators of their children".
Benedict XVI concluded by invoking the intercession of Our Lady "to help the women of our time to accomplish their vocation and their mission in the ecclesial and civil communities". AC/WOMEN/CON-L VIS 080212 (650)
SPIRITUAL EXERCISES FAVOUR THE CONTEMPLATION OF CHRIST
VATICAN CITY, 9 FEB 2008 (VIS) - At midday today, the Holy Father received participants in the National Assembly of the Italian Federation for Spiritual Exercises who have been meeting over recent days to reflect on the theme: "Towards a truly Eucharistic Christian spirituality".
The Pope recalled how the federation came into being and developed "by accepting the incessant exhortations on the need for prayer and the primacy of spiritual life as expressed by my venerated predecessors, Servants of God Paul VI, John Paul I and John Paul II. ... Such insistence on the need for prayer still has great relevance and importance".
"Alongside other forms of spiritual retreat, ... there should be no lessening of participation in spiritual exercises, characterised as they are by that climate of complete and profound silence which favours an individual and community encounter with God and the contemplation of the face of Christ. It is impossible to over-stress the importance of this requirement, which I and my predecessors have often underlined.
"During a period in which the influence of secularisation is becoming ever stronger, while at the same time there exists a widespread need to encounter God, there should be no lack of opportunities for intense listening to His Word in silence and in prayer", the Pope added. "Privileged locations for such spiritual experiences are houses of spiritual exercises which, to this end, must be given material support and supplied with adequate staff".
The Holy Father encouraged pastors to ensure that houses of spiritual exercises do not lack "well-trained leaders and workers to act as guides and ... animators, possessed of those doctrinal and spiritual qualities which make them true masters of the spirit, impassioned experts of the Word of God, and faithful to the Magisterium of the Church.
"A good course of spiritual exercises helps participants to renew their joy and taste for the liturgy, in particular the dignified celebration of the Liturgy of the Hours and, above all, of the Eucharist. It helps them rediscover the importance of the Sacrament of Penance, which is the goal of the path of conversion and a gift of reconciliation, as well as of the value and meaning of Eucharistic adoration. During the exercises", the Holy Father concluded, "it is also possible to rediscover the full and authentic significance of the Rosary and ... of the Way of the Cross". AC/SPIRITUAL EXERCISES/... VIS 080212 (400)
CELEBRATIONS TO BE PRESIDED BY THE POPE: FEBRUARY-APRIL
VATICAN CITY, 9 FEB 2008 (VIS) - Below is the calendar of liturgical celebrations due to be presided over by the Holy Father between the months of February and April.
FEBRUARY
- Sunday 24. Third Sunday of Lent. Pastoral visit to the Roman parish of Santa Maria Liberatrice a Monte Testaccio. At 9 a.m., celebration of the Eucharist.
MARCH
- Saturday 1. At 11 a.m. in the Consistory Hall of the Vatican Apostolic Palace, consistory for certain causes of canonisation.
- Sunday 9. Fifth Sunday of Lent. Pastoral visit to the International Youth Centre and the church of San Lorenzo in Piscibus. At 10 a.m., celebration of the Eucharist.
- Thursday 13. At 5 p.m. in the Vatican Basilica, penitential celebration with young people from the diocese of Rome.
- Sunday 16. Palm Sunday and the Passion of the Lord. At 9.30 a.m. in St. Peter's Square, blessing of palms, procession and Mass.
- Thursday 20. Holy Thursday. In the Vatican Basilica at 9.30 a.m., Chrism Mass. In the Basilica of St. John Lateran at 5.30 p.m., the beginning of the Easter Triduum with the Mass of the Last Supper.
- Friday 21. Good Friday. In the Vatican Basilica at 5 p.m., celebration of the Lord's Passion. Way of the Cross at the Colosseum at 9.15 p.m.
- Saturday 22. Holy Saturday. Easter vigil at 9 p.m. in the Vatican Basilica.
- Sunday 23. Easter Sunday. Mass in St. Peter's Square at 10.30 a.m. At midday, from the central loggia of St. Peter's Basilica, "Urbi et Orbi" blessing.
APRIL
- Wednesday 2. In St. Peter's Square at 10 a.m., Mass for Pope John Paul II.
- Tuesday 15 to Monday 21. Apostolic trip to the U.S.A.
- Sunday 27. At 9 a.m. in the Vatican Basilica, priestly ordination of deacons from the diocese of Rome. OCL/CALENDAR:FEBRUARY-APRIL/... VIS 080212 (320)
VATICAN CITY, 9 FEB 2008 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:
- Archbishop Justo Mullor Garcia, apostolic nuncio.
- Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops. AP/.../... VIS 080212 (40)
LENT: A TIME TO FACE UP TO EVIL TOGETHER WITH CHRIST
VATICAN CITY, 10 FEB 2008 (VIS) - Today, the first Sunday of Lent, the Holy Father addressed the pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Square to pray the Angelus, reminding them that the beginning of this liturgical period means "dedicating particular attention to the spiritual struggle to oppose the evil that exists in the world, in each one of us, and around us".
Lent, the Pope went on, means "looking evil in the face and preparing oneself to combat its effects, especially in its causes, even unto its ultimate cause which is Satan. It means not offloading the problem of evil onto others, onto society or onto God, but recognising our own responsibilities and consciously shouldering them".
For this reason, its is important for Christians to listen "to Jesus' invitation for each to take up his or her own 'cross' and follow Him with humility and faith. The cross, however heavy it may be, is not a synonym of misfortune, of a calamity to be avoided, but an opportunity to follow Christ and thus to acquire strength in the fight against sin and evil.
"Thus", he added, "entering into Lent means renewing the individual and community decision to face up to evil together with Christ. The way of the Cross is, in fact, the only one that leads to the victory of love over hatred, of sharing over selfishness, of peace over violence".
The Holy Father then went on to remark that the beginning of Lent this year coincides with the 150th anniversary of the apparition of the Virgin Mary at Lourdes (11 February 1858). "The message the Virgin Mary continues to proclaim at Lourdes", he said, "recalls the words that Jesus pronounced at the very beginning of His public mission: ... 'Convert and believe in the Gospel', pray and do penance. Let us welcome Mary's invitation, which echoes that of Christ, and ask her to enable us 'to enter' with faith into Lent, to live this period of grace with inner joy and generous commitment".
The Pope concluded his pre-Angelus remarks by entrusting the sick and their carers to the Virgin Mary, recalling that tomorrow, 11 February, marks the World Day of the Sick. ANG/LENT:SICK/... VIS 080212 (380)
OUR SUFFERINGS ARE ALSO CHRIST'S SUFFERINGS
VATICAN CITY, 11 FEB 2008 (VIS) - In the Vatican Basilica at 4 p.m. today, Feast of Out Lady of Lourdes and 16th World Day of the Sick, Cardinal Javier Lozano Barragan, president of the Pontifical Council for Health Pastoral Care, celebrated Mass for the sick and for pilgrims of UNITALSI (Italian National Union for Transport of the Sick to Lourdes and International Shrines), and of Opera Romana Pellegrinaggi.
At the beginning of his homily, the cardinal recalled that today marks the 150th anniversary of the apparition of the Virgin Mary to Bernadette Soubirous in the grotto of Massabielle.
Commenting on certain aspects of Benedict XVI's Message for the World Day of the Sick - in which the Pope highlights the intimate bond between the Eucharistic mystery, Mary's role in the project of salvation and the reality of human suffering - Cardinal Lozano asked: "Is it possible to experience the suffering of Christ in our own suffering, to find therein happiness and joy? The answer", he went on, "can only come from the Holy Spirit, fusing our suffering with that of Christ through His infinite Love".
The Eucharist is the memorial of Christ's suffering, said the president of the Pontifical Council for Health Pastoral Care, going on to explain that "the reality of the mystery of suffering - which in Christ becomes positive, creative, redeeming, happiness and joy, while not ceasing to be extremely painful - is the Eucharist. Participation in the Eucharist is the authentic way to make our own suffering part of Christ's suffering. This is Eucharistic communion. The Eucharist is thus our cross and our resurrection. It is the only true remedy to pain. It is the medicine of immortality".
"In order to respond to the full love of the cross", said Cardinal Lozano, we must pronounce "an unreserved 'yes' to the mysterious plan of the Redeemer, a 'yes' that means fullness of Love. This complete 'yes' of love is the Immaculate Conception of our dear Mother, Mary", who participated "on Calvary as the co-redeemer of the Saviour. ... Christ on the cross suffered all the pains that his Most Holy Mother suffered. And she in Christ suffers all our pains, she assumes them and knows how to commiserate with us. Out suffering is also her suffering".
He went on: "Suffering has value in as much as the death of Christ inherently comprehends His resurrection. In other words, suffering has value in as much as it leads towards the destruction of suffering, Thus suffering itself, understood in a Christian sense, encourages us to struggle against suffering in this life, as an anticipation of the resurrection.
"Hence the Eucharist, as participation in Christ's suffering, encourages us to care for our sick brothers and sisters", the cardinal added. "We must share the joy of the resurrection, overcoming the daily manifestation of death in sickness. Here is the engine that drives us forward to combat all infirmities and bring health to everyone. From here arises the obligation to progress constantly in the art and science of medicine and to continue its extraordinary modern developments". .../WORLD DAY SICK/LOZANO VIS 080212 (530)
THREE CARDINALS TO TAKE POSSESSION OF TITLES
VATICAN CITY, 12 FEB 2008 (VIS) - Today, the Office of the Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff announced that:
- At 11 a.m. on Sunday, 17 February, Cardinal Odilo Pedro Scherer, metropolitan archbishop of Sao Paulo, Brazil, will take possession of the Title of St. Andrew al Quirinale, Via del Quirinale 29, Rome.
- At 7 p.m. on Sunday, 17 February, Cardinal John Njue, metropolitan archbishop of Nairobi, Kenya, will take possession of the Title of the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Via Flaminia 732/T, Rome.
- At 6 p.m. on Wednesday, 20 February, Cardinal Daniel N. Di Nardo, metropolitan archbishop of Galveston-Houston, U.S.A., will take possession of the Title of St. Eusebius, Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II 12/A, Rome. OCL/POSSESSION/... VIS 080212 (130)
VATICAN CITY, 12 FEB 2008 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed:
- Bishop Rafael Ramon Conde Alfonzo of Margarita, Venezuela, as bishop of Maracay (area 7,014, population 1,685,000, Catholics 1,393,000, priests 83, permanent deacons 16, religious 127), Venezuela.
- Fr. Michael Gregory Campbell O.S.A., episcopal vicar and pastor of the parish of St. Augustine in the diocese of Westminster, England, as coadjutor of the diocese of Lancaster (area 2,900, population 1,200,000, Catholics 124,256, priests 179, permanent deacons 50, religious 178), England. The bishop-elect was born in Larne, Northern Ireland in 1941 and ordained a priest in 1971.
On Monday, 11 February, it was made public that he:
- Appointed Bishop Vincent Barwa, auxiliary of the archdiocese of Ranchi, India as bishop of Simdega (area 2,323, population 519,700, Catholics 169,188, priests 98, religious 203), India. He succeeds Bishop Joseph Minj, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.
- Appointed Fr. Ivan Sasko of the clergy of the archdiocese of Zagreb, Croatia, professor of liturgy at the Faculty of Theology of Zagreb, as auxiliary of the same archdiocese (area 13,495, population 1,546,064, Catholics 1,272,277, priests 787, religious 1,829). The bishop-elect was born in Divan in 1966 and ordained a priest in 1992.
On Saturday, 9 February, it was made public that he appointed Fr. Carlos Simon Vazquez of the clergy of the diocese of Coria-Caceres, Spain, professor at the "San Pedro de Alcantara" Theological Institute of Caceres and at the "Facultad Teologica del Norte de Espana" in Burgos, as under-secretary of the Pontifical Council for the Family. NER:NEC:RE:NEA:NA/.../... VIS 080212 (280) |
| You can find more information at: www.vatican.va - www.vis.pcn.net |
08 February 2008
Vatican Update 8 February 2008
| 02.08.2008 - Eighteenth Year - Num. 28 |
|
SUMMARY:
- Pope Replies to Questions from Priests of His Diocese - Revitalising the Profound Christian Roots of Costa Rica - Holy Father to Make Apostolic Trip to U.S.A. in April - Notice
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POPE REPLIES TO QUESTIONS FROM PRIESTS OF HIS DIOCESE
VATICAN CITY, 8 FEB 2008 (VIS) - During a meeting held yesterday morning in the Vatican's Hall of Blessings with priests of the diocese of Rome, the Holy Father answered a number of queries put to him on such matters as youth, evangelisation and the challenge of education.
Replying to a question about young people, the Holy Father noted the difficulty they can encounter in trying to live a Christian life, in the face of prevailing lifestyles. For this reason, he said, it is important for priests to bear witness to the fact that we really can know God, that we can be His friends and walk with Him. In this context he also highlighted the importance of the presence of God in the field of education and, referring to a Letter he had recently written on this subject to the diocese of Rome, he indicated that professional formation must be accompanied by formation of the heart, by the presence of God. One aspect of cultural formation, he added, is to know the Gospel.
On the subject of Lent, the Pope indicated that "it should also be a time to abstain from words and images, because we have need of a little silence. We need to create a space free from the constant bombardment of images, ... a silent space for ourselves, without images, in order to open our hearts to the true image, the true Word".
In replying to a question posed by an Indian priest who has lived in Rome for a number of years, Benedict XVI turned his attention to the theme of evangelisation, recalling the Note on that subject recently approved by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Dialogue, he said, means respecting others. Yet, he explained, this dimension of dialogue does not exclude the announcement of the Gospel, which is a gift of Truth that we cannot keep for ourselves but must also offer to others.
Mission is not imposition, rather it means offering the gift of God and allowing His goodness to illuminate us. To do otherwise, said the Pope, would be to neglect a duty. We too would be unfaithful if we did not present our own faith while respecting the freedom of others, he added, highlighting the importance of missionary work. Dialogue and mission do not exclude one another, but need one another.
The Holy Father also dwelt on the importance of the Final Judgement, recognising that in the Church today there is perhaps too little reference to sin, Paradise and Hell. "Also for this reason", he said, "I chose to mention the Last Judgement in my Encyclical 'Spe Salvi'". Anyone who does not recognise the Final Judgement, he added, does not recognise the possibility of failure and the need for redemption. Anyone who does not labour for heaven does not work for the good of mankind on earth. In this context he noted that Nazism and Communism, which were concerned only with this world, ended up by destroying it.
Finally, the Pope turned to consider the increasingly important role of permanent deacons, of whom there are more than 100 in Rome. We must thank the Fathers of Vatican Council II, he said, for revitalising this ministry which, he concluded, is a link between the world of the laity and the priestly ministry. OP/MEETING/ROMAN CLERGY VIS 080208 (570)
REVITALISING THE PROFOUND CHRISTIAN ROOTS OF COSTA RICA
VATICAN CITY, 8 FEB 2008 (VIS) - This morning in the Vatican, Benedict XVI received prelates from the Episcopal Conference of Costa Rica, who have just completed their "ad limina" visit. This is the Puerto Rican bishops' first meeting with the current Pontiff.
"You have before you the task of seeking new ways to announce Christ in situations of rapid and often profound transformation, and of emphasising the missionary character of all pastoral activity", the Pope told the prelates. "In this perspective, the recent Conference of the Episcopate of Latin America and the Caribbean held in Aparecida, Brazil, highlighted how welcoming and absorbing the message of the Gospel is something incumbent upon each individual and each generation, in the various circumstances and stages of their lives".
"The people of Costa Rica", he said, "must constantly revitalise their ancient and deep Christian roots, their vigorous popular religiosity, and the Marian piety they hold so dear, that these things may bring the fruits of a life worthy of the disciples of Jesus".
The Pope then went on to talk of Costa Rica's numerous priests "who are the bishop's main collaborators in his pastoral ministry", he said. For this reason they need "clear guidelines and criteria, constant formation, and support in the exercise of their ministry".
"You well know", he went on, "the risks of lethargic and superficial faith when it has to face such snares as the proselytism of sects and pseudo-religious groups, the multiple promises of easy and immediate wellbeing, ... or the spread of ideologies which, while claiming to exalt human beings, actually debase them. In a situation such as this, it becomes ever more important to announce that 'man's great, true hope which holds firm in spite of all disappointments can only be God - God Who has loved us and Who continues to love us'".
"Male and female religious, and consecrated persons, have the duty of bearing a particularly active witness to this hope" said the Holy Father. "By their vocation, they are called to be a sign of the 'the mystery of the Kingdom of God already at work in history'".
The Holy Father indicated that the laity must "also must participate in this mission, following their specific vocation". He also invited the bishops to express their gratitude to the laity "and to give them encouragement and constant attention" because "they are called to carry Christian values into the various areas of society: the world of work, of civil society and of politics".
"You are right to be concerned at the increasing deterioration of the institution of the family, which has such grave repercussions on the fabric of society and on ecclesial life", Pope Benedict told the bishops. Consequently "it is necessary to promote the good of the family and to defend its rights, ... showing it your pastoral attention, and directly protecting and helping it in its difficulties".
"Adequate pre-matrimonial catechesis is also of vital importance, as is an everyday presence to bring support into each home", said the Pope. He concluded by encouraging the prelates not to forget "those groups of couples and families who help one another to achieve their exalted and indispensable vocation", nor to overlook "the specific services that alleviate situations resulting from family break-ups, economic instability and domestic violence, of which women in particular are victims". AL/.../COSTA RICA VIS 080208 (570)
HOLY FATHER TO MAKE APOSTOLIC TRIP TO U.S.A. IN APRIL
VATICAN CITY, 8 FEB 2008 (VIS) - The Holy See Press Office today released a communique announcing that from 15 to 21 April, the Holy Father will make an apostolic trip to the United States of America and to the headquarters of the United Nations Organisation. The visit will take him to the cities of Washington and New York. OP/PAPAL TRIP/U.S.A. VIS 080208 (70)
VATICAN CITY, 8 FEB 2008 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:
- Three prelates from the Episcopal Conference of Costa Rica, on their "ad limina" visit:
- Bishop Guillermo Loria Garita of San Isidro de El General.
- Bishop Jose Francisco Ulloa Rojas of Cartago.
- Bishop Vittorinio Girardi Stellin M.C.C.I. of Tilaran.
- Cardinal William Joseph Levada, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. AL:AP/.../... VIS 080208 (80)
VATICAN CITY, 8 FEB 2008 (VIS) - The Holy Father:
- Appointed Fr. Sithembele Anton Sipuka of the clergy of the diocese of Queenstown, South Africa, rector of the major seminary of St. John Vianney in Pretoria, as bishop of Umtata (area 22,500, population 1,737,000, Catholics 70,300, priests 37, religious 76), South Africa. The bishop-elect was born in Idutywa, South Africa in 1960 and ordained a priest in 1988. He succeeds Bishop Oswald Georg Hirmer, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.
- Appointed Fr. Pawel Malecha, notary of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, as head of the chancellery of the same tribunal.
- Appointed as members of the Pontifical Council for Culture: Cardinals Marc Ouellet P.S.S., archbishop of Quebec, Canada, and Jean-Louis Tauran, president of the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue.
- Appointed Fr. Anthony Poola of the clergy of the diocese of Cuddapah, India, director of the Christian Foundation for Children and Ageing, as bishop of Kurnool (area 43,000, population 8,547,032, Catholics 78,557, priests 103, religious 398), India. The bishop-elect was born in Poluru, India in 1961 and ordained a priest in 1992. NER:RE:NA/.../... VIS 080208 (210)
VATICAN CITY, 8 FEB 2008 (VIS) - As previously advised, no VIS bulletin will be transmitted on Monday, 11 February, the 79th anniversary of the signing of the Lateran Pacts and of the institution of Vatican City State. Service will resume on Tuesday, February 12. .../.../... VIS 080208 (50) |
| You can find more information at: www.vatican.va - www.vis.pcn.net |
07 February 2008
Vatican Update 7 February 2008
| 02.07.2008 - Eighteenth Year - Num. 27 |
|
SUMMARY:
- Prayer, the Main "Weapon" in the Fight against Evil - All Threats to Life Must Be Resisted - Holy Father Meets Clergy of Rome
___________________________________________________________
PRAYER, THE MAIN "WEAPON" IN THE FIGHT AGAINST EVIL
VATICAN CITY, 7 FEB 2008 (VIS) - At 5 p.m. yesterday, Ash Wednesday, in the basilica of Santa Sabina on Rome's Aventine Hill, the Pope presided at a Eucharistic celebration during which the blessing and imposition of the ashes took place.
The Mass was preceded by a moment of prayer in the nearby church of Sant'Anselmo, after which those present - including cardinals, archbishops, bishops, the Benedictine monks of Sant'Anselmo, the Dominican Fathers of Santa Sabina, and a number of lay faithful - made their way in penitential procession to the basilica of Santa Sabina.
In his homily, the Pope reflected on the themes of prayer and suffering. "Lent", he said, "precisely because it invites people to prayer, penance and fasting, represents a providential moment to revive and strengthen our hope".
Prayer "is the primary and foremost 'weapon' with which to 'face the struggle against the spirit of evil'", said the Holy Father, indicating that "without the element of prayer, the human 'I' ends up by closing in on itself and conscience, which should be the echo of the voice of God, risks being reduced to a mirror of the self. In the same way, interior dialogue becomes a monologue that gives rise to many forms of self-justification.
"Thus prayer is a guarantee of openness to others", he added. "Those who free themselves for God and His needs, open themselves to others, to the brothers and sisters who knock at the door of their hearts and ask to be heard, who ask for attention, for forgiveness, and sometimes for correction, but always in fraternal charity.
"True prayer is never centered on the self but always focuses on others. ... True prayer is the motor of the world, because it keeps us open to God. For this reason, without prayer there is no hope, only illusion.
"It is not, in fact, the presence of God that alienates man, but His absence. Without the True God, Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, hopes turns into an illusion that induces us to evade reality".
"Fasting and almsgiving, harmoniously linked to prayer, may also be considered as 'places' in which to learn the exercise of Christian hope", said the Holy Father. In this context he indicated how "thanks to the joint action of prayer, fasting and almsgiving, Lent ... forms Christians to be men and women of hope, following the example of the saints".
On the subject of suffering, Benedict XVI recalled that Christ "suffered for truth and justice, bringing into the history of mankind the gospel of suffering, which is the other facet of the gospel of love. God cannot suffer, but He is able to and wants to show 'com-passion'".
"The greater the hope that animates us, the greater also is our capacity to suffer for the love of truth and goodness, joyfully offering up the small and great hardships of everyday life, and making them part of Christ's great 'com-passion'".
After recalling how the 150th anniversary of the apparitions of the Virgin Mary at Lourdes are currently being celebrated, the Pope concluded by inviting people "to meditate on the mystery of Mary's participation in the pains of humanity". HML/ASH WEDNESDAY/SANTA SABINA VIS 080207 (540)
ALL THREATS TO LIFE MUST BE RESISTED
VATICAN CITY, 7 FEB 2008 (VIS) - Benedict XVI has sent a Message to Archbishop Geraldo Lyrio Rocha of Mariana, president of the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil, for the start yesterday, Ash Wednesday, of the Fraternity Campaign traditionally promoted by the Brazilian Church during Lent. This year the campaign is dedicated to the theme: "Fraternity and defence of life", and its motto is: "Choose, then, life".
In his Message, the Pope makes it clear that "all threats to life must certainly be resisted", and in this context he refers to his "inaugural address at the Fifth General Conference of the Episcopate of Latin America and the Caribbean" in which "I recalled how the paths being followed by a culture without God and without His commandments, or even against God, lead to 'a culture against human beings and against the good of the Latin American people'".
The Holy Father also refers to the final document of the Aparecida conference which, he writes, "shows us how meeting Christ is the starting point from which to oppose these paths of death, and to choose life. Just as it is also the starting point for a full recognition of the sacredness of life and the dignity of human beings.
"In inaugurating this year's Fraternity Campaign", the Pope adds, "I again express the hope that the various institutions of civil society will show their solidarity with the popular will which, in its majority, rejects everything that runs counter to the ethical requirements of justice and of respect for human life, from its beginning to its natural end".
Benedict XVI concludes by invoking the protection of the Lord, "that His charitable hand may reach over all Brazil, and that new life in Christ may reach all human beings in their personal, family, social and cultural dimensions, spreading its gifts of peace and prosperity, and reawakening in all hearts feeling of fraternity and co-operation". MESS/FRATERNITY CAMPAIGN/BRAZIL VIS 080207 (330)
HOLY FATHER MEETS CLERGY OF ROME
VATICAN CITY, 7 FEB 2008 (VIS) - This morning, in the Hall of Blessings in the Vatican's Apostolic Palace, Benedict XVI celebrated his traditional Lenten meeting with the clergy of the diocese of Rome. .../MEETING CLERGY ROME/... VIS 080207 (50) |
| You can find more information at: www.vatican.va - www.vis.pcn.net |
06 February 2008
Vatican Update 6 February 2008
| 02.26.2008 - Eighteenth Year - Num. 26 |
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SUMMARY:
- Lent, a Great Spiritual Retreat Lasting Forty Days - Appeal for an End to Violence in Chad - Pope Receives in Audience the President of Slovenia
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LENT, A GREAT SPIRITUAL RETREAT LASTING FORTY DAYS
VATICAN CITY, 6 FEB 2008 (VIS) - In this morning's general audience, held in the Paul VI Hall, the Pope dedicated his catechesis to the subject of Lent, which begins today with the rite of the imposition of the ashes and which, he observed, "is like a great spiritual retreat lasting 40 days".
"Today, as every year, we recommence the Lenten journey, stimulated by a more intense spirit of prayer and reflection, of penance and fasting", he said.
Lent, Benedict XVI continued, "helps us to rediscover the gift of faith we received at Baptism and encourages us to approach the Sacrament of Reconciliation, placing our commitment to inner conversion under the protection of divine mercy".
In today's liturgy for Ash Wednesday, we are reminded that "we are limited creatures, sinners in constant need of penance and conversion. How important it is, in our own time, to listen to and accept this call! When he proclaims his complete autonomy from God, modern man becomes self-enslaved, and often finds himself tormented and alone. The call to conversion is, then, an encouragement to return to the arms of God the tender and merciful Father, to trust in Him, and to entrust ourselves to Him as adoptive children regenerated by His love".
The Pope went on to ask whether "achievement of success, desire for prestige and pursuit of luxury, when they completely absorb a person's life to the point of excluding God from the horizon, truly lead to happiness. Can real happiness exist without God? Experience shows that satisfying material wants and needs does not lead to happiness, In truth, the only joy that fills the human heart is the joy that comes from God, because we have need of infinite happiness. Neither daily concerns nor the difficulties of life are able to extinguish the delight that comes from friendship with God".
Jesus' invitation to take up the cross and follow Him may seem a "harsh" rule that "quashes our desire for personal fulfilment", said the Holy Father, going on to highlight that, in fact, "the witness of the saints shows how in the Cross of Christ - in love given as a gift, renouncing the possession of self - is a profound serenity that is the source of generous dedication to our brothers and sisters, especially the poor and needy. And this also brings joy to us".
Echoing the Gospel, "the Church proposes a number of specific duties for the faithful on this itinerary of interior renewal: prayer, fasting, almsgiving", said Benedict XVI recalling how his own Message for Lent this year had focused on "the practice of almsgiving".
"Like the disciples of Jesus Christ", he concluded, "we are called not to idolise worldly goods, but to use them as a means to live and to help others in need, ... in imitation of Jesus Who, as St. Paul says, 'was poor to enrich us with his poverty'". AG/LENT/... VIS 080206 (500)
APPEAL FOR AN END TO VIOLENCE IN CHAD
VATICAN CITY, 6 FEB 2008 (VIS) - At the end of today's general audience, held in the Paul VI Hall, the Pope made an appeal for an end to violence in Chad.
"In these days", he said, "I feel particularly close to the dear people of Chad, tormented by painful civil conflicts which have caused numerous victims and the flight of thousands of civilians from the capital. Also to your prayers and to your solidarity I entrust these suffering brothers and sisters, asking they be spared further violence, and that vital humanitarian assistance be guaranteed. At the same time, I launch a heartfelt appeal for people to lay down their arms and follow the path of dialogue and reconciliation".
The Holy Father then addressed a delegation of parliamentarians from Lebanon, Iraq and Jordan, saying: "I offer my prayerful good wishes for their efforts to promote reconciliation, justice and peace in the region". AG/APPEAL CHAD:MIDDLE EAST/... VIS 080206 (170)
POPE RECEIVES IN AUDIENCE THE PRESIDENT OF SLOVENIA
VATICAN CITY, 6 FEB 2008 (VIS) - The Holy See Press Office today released the following communique:
"Late this morning, the Holy Father Benedict XVI received in audience Danilo Turk, president of the Republic of Slovenia. The president subsequently went on to meet Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B., who was accompanied by Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, secretary for Relations with States.
"The talks provided an opportunity to examine a number of matters concerning the current international scene, in particular the situation in the Balkans, also in the light of the Slovenian presidency of the European Union (January-July 2008). At a bilateral level, mention was made of the good relations that exist between Slovenia and the Holy See, as well as of a number of unresolved questions between the State and the Church and the desire to promote their satisfactory solution". OP/AUDIENCE/SLOVENIA:TURK VIS 080206 (150) |
| You can find more information at: www.vatican.va - www.vis.pcn.net |
05 February 2008
Vatican Update 5 February 2008
| 02.05.2008 - Eighteenth Year - Num. 25 |
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SUMMARY:
- Spiritual Exercises of Pope and Roman Curia
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SPIRITUAL EXERCISES OF POPE AND ROMAN CURIA
VATICAN CITY, 5 FEB 2008 (VIS) - On 10 February, the first Sunday of Lent, the annual spiritual exercises of the Holy Father and the Roman Curia will begin in the "Redemptoris Mater" Chapel of the Vatican's Apostolic Palace.
This year's exercises are dedicated to the theme: "Let us welcome Christ, our High Priest. 'Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession'". The exercises will be directed by Cardinal Albert Vanhoye S.J., former secretary of the Pontifical Biblical Commission.
The retreat will begin at 6 p.m. with the celebration of Vespers, the first meditation, adoration and Eucharistic blessing.
Over the following days there will be the celebration of Lauds and meditation at 9 a.m.; celebration of Terce and meditation at 10.15 a.m.; meditation at 5 p.m.; and Vespers, adoration and Eucharistic blessing at 5.45 p.m.
The spiritual exercises will come to an end on Saturday, 16 February, with the celebration of Lauds and a closing meditation at 9 a.m.
During the retreat all audiences will be cancelled, including the weekly general audience of Wednesday, 13 February. .../CURIA RETREAT/... VIS 080205 (210)
VATICAN CITY, 5 FEB 2008 (VIS) - The Holy Father:
- Accepted the resignation from the office of auxiliary of the diocese of Bilbao, Spain, presented by Bishop Carmelo Echenagusia Uribe, upon having reached the age limit.
- Appointed Msgr. Mario Iceta Gavicagogeascoa, vicar general of the diocese of Cordoba, Spain, as auxiliary of the diocese of Bilbao (area 2,193, population 1,136,181, Catholics 1,006,197, priests 780, permanent deacons 1, religious 1,816), Spain. The bishop-elect was born in Gernika, Spain in 1965 and ordained a priest in 1994. RE:NEA/.../ECHENAGUSIA:ICETA VIS 080205 (90) |
| You can find more information at: www.vatican.va - www.vis.pcn.net |
04 February 2008
Vatican Update 4 February 2008
| 02.04.2008 - Eighteenth Year - Num. 24 |
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SUMMARY: 2 - 4 FEBRUARY
- The "Adventure" of Priesthood Is Necessary for the World - Pope Accepts Resignation of Syrian-Catholic Patriarch - Communique about Audience with President of Kosovo - Following Christ without Compromise - Welcome Life, before Birth and in Its Final Stages - Prayers for Kenya, Iraq and Colombia
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THE "ADVENTURE" OF PRIESTHOOD IS NECESSARY FOR THE WORLD
VATICAN CITY, 2 FEB 2008 (VIS) - Yesterday afternoon, the Holy Father visited Rome's Major Pontifical Seminary for the occasion of the feast of its patroness, Our Lady of Trust. After presiding at Vespers, the Holy Father expressed his joy at having the opportunity, as Bishop of Rome, to visit "his seminary".
"Because the gift of being adoptive children of God has illuminated your lives", the Pope told the seminarians, "you have felt the desire to share this with others. That is why you are here, to develop your filial vocation and prepare yourselves for your future mission as apostles of Christ. ... Savouring the joy of life with God the Father means that you feel the ever more urgent need to become messengers of the Gospel of His Son, Jesus".
"All this cannot but induce great trust, because the gift received is amazing, it fills us with wonder and sates us with intimate joy. And thus you are able to understand the role Mary has in your lives. ... Just as 'the Son was born of woman', of Mary Mother of God, the fact that you are children of God means you have her as mother".
The Pope then addressed the parents of the future priests, saying "you are probably the most surprised of all about what has happened and is happening to your children. You had perhaps imagined for them a mission different from the one for which they are now preparing. ... Let us look to Mary. The Gospel helps us to understand that she too asked herself many question about her Son Jesus, and reflected on Him for a long time.
"It is inevitable that the vocation of children in some way also becomes the vocation of the parents", he added. "You have found yourselves participating in your sons' marvellous adventure. Indeed, although it may appear that a priest's life does not attract the interest of the majority of people, in reality it is the most interesting of adventures and the most necessary for the world: the adventure of demonstrating and realising the fullness of life to which everyone aspires. It is a very demanding adventure and could not be otherwise because a priest is called to imitate Jesus".
The Holy Father then went on to refer to two aspects that characterise the lives of seminarians. In the first place, that of listening to the voice of the Lord which, he said, "requires an atmosphere of silence. For this reason the seminary offers time and space to daily prayer; it pays great attention to liturgy, to meditation on the Word of God and to Eucharistic adoration. At the same time, it asks you to dedicate long hours to study: by praying and studying, you can create within yourselves the man of God that you must become and that people expect a priest to be".
The Pope went on: "There is also another aspect to your lives: ... the community aspect, which is of great importance. ... Your communion is not limited to the present but also concerns the future. The pastoral activity that awaits you must see you acting together united in a single body, an 'ordo' of priests who, with the bishop, watch over the Christian community".
"All this serves as a reminder that God calls you to be saints, and that sanctity is the secret of real success in your priestly ministry. From this moment on, sanctity must be the final goal of all your choices and decisions. Entrust this desire and this daily commitment to Mary, Mother of Trust".
"Follow your journey at the seminary with your hearts open to truth, to transparency, and to dialogue with those who guide you, and this will enable you to respond simply and humbly to the One Who calls you, freeing yourselves from the risk of pursuing a personal project of your own". HML/VESPERS/MAJOR ROMAN SEMINARY VIS 080204 (660)
POPE ACCEPTS RESIGNATION OF SYRIAN-CATHOLIC PATRIARCH
VATICAN CITY, 2 FEB 2008 (VIS) - Benedict XVI has written a Letter to His Beatitude Ignace Pierre VIII Abdel-Ahad, for the occasion of the latter's resignation from the office of patriarch of Antioch of the Syrian Catholics.
In his Letter the Pope refers to another letter, which the patriarch sent him explaining the reasons for his decision, and he recalls how "you presented your resignation from the office of patriarch following a period of reflection and prolonged prayer before the Lord".
"I very much appreciate", the Holy Father goes on, "this gesture of ecclesial love, motivated above all by your concern for the spiritual progress of the faithful and for harmony among bishops, and in which I perceive an admirable confirmation of your apostolic zeal".
Benedict XVI expresses his gratitude "for all the good" achieved during the years "in which you were patriarch, and for the ecclesial service you have performed with abnegation and generosity throughout your life".
Having reflected deeply and having listened to the views of your collaborators, the Pope writes, "I felt it my duty to accept your resignation for the noble pastoral reasons that motivated it".
"I wish to inform you that having given the matter careful attention - and consenting to certain requests of the extraordinary Synod which met in the Vatican from 26 to 28 April 2007 - I have decided that the government of the Syrian-Catholic Church should be entrusted for an appropriate period of time, until the election of your successor, to an episcopal committee composed of three members: Archbishop Theophile Georges Kassab of Homs, Hama and Nabk of the Syrians, who will also administer the patriarchal eparchy; Archbishop Athanase Matti Shaba Matoka of Baghdad of the Syrians; and Archbishop Gregorios Elias Tabe of Damascus of the Syrians. The patriarchate will be presided by each of the three members in turn".
The Holy Father concludes his Letter by expressing the certainty that His Beatitude "will continue to offer the precious gift of prayer, wise counsel and the sacrifice of heart, as well as the trials and the joys that Divine Providence does not fail to dispense to good pastors". BXVI-LETTER/.../IGNACE PIERRE VIII VIS 080204 (370)
COMMUNIQUE ABOUT AUDIENCE WITH PRESIDENT OF KOSOVO
VATICAN CITY, 2 FEB 2008 (VIS) - Given below is the communique released this morning by the Holy See Press Office concerning today's audience of the Holy Father Benedict XVI with Fatmir Sejdiu, president of Kosovo:
"The Holy Father Benedict XVI today received in audience Fatmir Sejdiu, president of Kosovo, in the first place to express his closeness to the entire population of that land, where Christianity has been present since the first centuries of our era. Currently the Catholic Church there numbers about 65,000 faithful and performs an important service (especially in the fields of healthcare and education) in favour of all Kosovars, whatever their ethnic or religious background.
"The meeting also served to enable the Holy Father to receive first-hand information on the current situation and future prospects.
"The audience with the highest institutional authority of the current autonomous province of Serbia, administered by the United Nations under the terms of Security Council Resolution 1244, does not represent any change in the position of the Holy See vis-a-vis the definitive juridical status of Kosovo.
"As for any possible declaration of independence by Kosovo, the Holy See will follow developments on the ground with particular attention and, in her appraisal thereof, will bear in mind the position of the international community.
"The Holy See neglects no opportunity to exhort everyone to reconciliation, justice and peace. In this case, she reiterates what the Holy Father said to the diplomatic corps on 7 January 2008, when he expressed the hope that security and respect for the rights of those who live in that land be guaranteed, that the threat of violent conflict be definitively dispelled, and European stability reinforced". OP/KOSOVO/SEJDIU VIS 080204 (290)
FOLLOWING CHRIST WITHOUT COMPROMISE
VATICAN CITY, 2 FEB 2008 (VIS) - This evening in the Vatican Basilica, following a Eucharistic celebration for the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord and the 12th Day of Consecrated Life, presided by Cardinal Franc Rode C.M., prefect of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, the Pope entered the basilica to greet the male and female religious gathered there.
In his address to them, the Holy Father indicated that "following Christ without compromise, as presented in the Gospel, has, over the centuries, constituted the ultimate and supreme norm of religious life".
The mission of consecrated life, said Benedict XVI, "is to recall that all Christians are invited by the Word to live from the Word and to remain under its authority. It is, then, the particular duty of male and female religious 'to remind the baptised of the fundamental values of the Gospel'. In this way, their testimony gives the Church 'an incentive towards ever greater fidelity to the Gospel'. Indeed, we could say that theirs is 'an eloquent, albeit often silent, proclamation of the Gospel'". In this context, the Pope recalled how in his own two Encyclicals, and on other occasions, he had "not failed to indicate the example of saints and blesseds from institutes of consecrated life".
The Pope called on the religious to fill their days "with prayer, meditation and listening to the Word of God", and to help the faithful to appreciate the practice of "lectio divina". He went on: "You must know how to translate the indications of the Word into daily witness, allowing yourselves to be formed by the Word which, like seed sown in good soil, brings abundant fruit. Thus you will remain docile to the Spirit and grow in union with God, you will cultivate fraternal communion among yourselves and be ready to serve your brethren generously, especially those most in need. May mankind see your good works, the fruit of the Word of God that lives within you, and so give glory to the heavenly Father". AC/DAY CONSECRATED LIFE/... VIS 080204 (350)
VATICAN CITY, 2 FEB 2008 (VIS) - The Holy Father:
- Accepted the resignation from the office of patriarch of Antioch of the Syrian Catholics presented by His Beatitude Ignace Pierre VIII Abdel-Ahad, and appointed as members of the committee that will govern the Syrian-Catholic Patriarchate until the election of a new patriarch:
- Archbishop Theophile Georges Kassab of Homs, Hama and Nabk of the Syrians, Syria, who at the same time will administrator the patriarchal eparchy as apostolic administrator "sede vacante".
- Archbishop Gregorios Elias Tabe of Damascus of the Syrians, Syria.
- Archbishop Athanase Matti Shaba Matoka of Baghdad of the Syrians, Iraq.
- Appointed Bishop Giovanni Paolo Benotto of Tivoli, Italy, as metropolitan archbishop of Pisa (area 847, population 312,307, Catholics 305,618, priests 216, permanent deacons 19, religious 434), Italy. The archbishop-elect was born in San Giuliano Terme, Italy in 1949, he was ordained a priest in 1973 and consecrated a bishop in 2003. He succeeds Archbishop Alessandro Plotti, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same archdiocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.
- Accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese of Uije, Angola, presented by Bishop Jose Francisco Moreira dos Santos O.F.M. Cap., upon having reached the age limit. He is succeeded by Coadjutor Bishop Emilio Sumbelelo.
- Accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the apostolic vicariate of Puerto Maldonado, Peru presented by Bishop Juan Jose Larraneta Olleta O.P., upon having reached the age limit. He is succeeded by Coadjutor Bishop Francisco Gonzalez Hernandez O.P.
- Appointed Msgr. Fabio Reynaldo Colindres Abarca, apostolic administrator "sede vacante et ad nutum Sanctae Sedis" of the military ordinariate of El Salvador, as military ordinary of El Salvador. The bishop-elect was born in Ilobasco, El Salvador in 1961 and ordained a priest in 1986.
- Appointed Archbishop Emilio Carlos Berlie Belaunzaran of Yucatan, Mexico, as counsellor of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America.
- Appointed as consultors of the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue: Fr. M. Santiago, India; Fr. Franco Mulakkal, India; Fr. Heinz Wilhelm Steckling O.M.I., Germany; Br. Pombo Kipoy, Democratic Republic of the Congo; and Sr. Kateri Mitchel S.S.A., U.S.A. RE:NA:NER/.../... VIS 080204 (370)
WELCOME LIFE, BEFORE BIRTH AND IN ITS FINAL STAGES
VATICAN CITY, 3 FEB 2008 (VIS) - At today's Angelus prayer on this the fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time, Benedict XVI entrusted various intentions to the prayers of the faithful present in St. Peter's Square and to everyone listening to him.
Remarking that yesterday is the Day of Consecrated Life, the Pope called for prayers for all those people whom "Christ calls to follow Him more closely with a special form of consecration". And he asked the Virgin Mary "to ensure many holy vocations to consecrated life, which is a priceless treasure for the Church and for the world.
"Another prayer intention", said the Holy Father, "is offered to us by the Day for Life which is being celebrated today in Italy and which has as its theme 'Serving life'". In this context he exhorted everyone, "each according to his or her possibilities, profession and responsibilities, to feel in themselves an obligation to love and serve life, from its beginning to its natural end. It is, in fact, everyone's duty to welcome human life as a gift to be respected, protected and promoted, even more so when it is fragile and in need of attention and care, either before birth or when it is in its final stages".
The Pope encouraged those who "with exertion but with joy, without fuss but with great dedication, assist elderly or disabled relatives", and those who "regularly consecrate part of their time to helping people of all ages whose lives are burdened by so many different forms of poverty".
On the subject of Lent, which begins next Wednesday, Benedict XVI asked that it "be a time of authentic conversion for all Christians, who are called to an ever more authentic and courageous witness of their faith".
The Holy Father concluded his remarks by recalling that, from yesterday and up to and including 11 February, Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes and the 150th anniversary of the apparitions there, "it is possible to receive plenary indulgence, which may be applied to the deceased, under the usual conditions (sacramental Confession, Eucharistic communion and prayer in keeping with the intentions of the Holy Father) and by praying before a blessed image of Our Lady of Lourdes exposed to public veneration. For the sick and elderly this is possible if they formulate such a desire in their hearts". ANG/DEFENDING LIFE/... VIS 080204 (400)
PRAYERS FOR KENYA, IRAQ AND COLOMBIA
VATICAN CITY, 3 FEB 2008 (VIS) - After praying the Angelus today with thousands of people gathered in St. Peter's Square, the Pope invited people to pray for peace in Kenya and in Iraq, and called for an end to kidnappings in Colombia.
"I invite you to join our brothers and sisters of Kenya, some of whom are present in St. Peter's Square, in a prayer for reconciliation, justice and peace in their country", he said. "I assure everyone of my closeness, and hope that mediation efforts currently underway will prove successful and lead, with the goodwill and collaboration of all, to a rapid solution of the conflict which has already provoked too many victims".
The Pope then turned his attention to Iraq "where evil, and the suffering it brings, seem to know no limits ... as the sad news of these days informs us. Once again", he said, "I raise my voice in support of that sorely-tried people, and invoke upon them the peace of God".
Speaking Spanish, he then said: "I also raise ceaseless and fervent prayers to God for Colombia, where for some time, many sons and daughters of that beloved country are suffering the effects of extortion, kidnapping and the violent loss of their loved ones".
"May such inhuman suffering come to a definitive end, and ways be found for reconciliation, mutual respect and genuine harmony, thus recreating fraternity and solidarity which are the solid foundations upon which to construct just progress and stable peace".
Finally, the Holy Father turned his attention to the family, saying that it is there "that children learn the lexicon of civil co-existence and discover human values". He also encouraged parents "to rediscover the greatness and beauty of the educational mission" noting that "education is very demanding but also exhilarating". ANG/ PEACE KENYA IRAQ COLOMBIA/... VIS 080204 (310)
VATICAN CITY, 4 FEB 2008 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:
- Juan Somavia, director general of the International Labour Organisation.
- Four prelates from the Episcopal Conference of Costa Rica, on their "ad limina" visit:
- Archbishop Hugo Barrantes Urena of San Jose de Costa Rica.
- Bishop Angel San Casimiro Fernandez O.A.R. of Alajuela, apostolic administrator "sede vacante" of Ciudad Quesada.
- Bishop Jose Rafael Quiros Quiros of Limon.
- Bishop Oscar Gerardo Fernandez Guillen of Puntarenas.
- On Saturday, 2 February, he received in separate audiences:
- Cardinal Francis Arinze, prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.
- Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.
- Desire Koumba, ambassador of Gabon, accompanied by his wife, on a farewell visit. AP/.../... VIS 080204 (140) |
| You can find more information at: www.vatican.va - www.vis.pcn.net |
01 February 2008
Vatican Update 31 January 2008
| 01.31.2008 - Eighteenth Year - Num. 22 |
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SUMMARY:
- Scientific Progress Must Respect Human Dignity - Presentation of First World Apostolic Congress on Mercy
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SCIENTIFIC PROGRESS MUST RESPECT HUMAN DIGNITY
VATICAN CITY, 31 JAN 2008 (VIS) - This morning, Benedict XVI received participants in the plenary session of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which is being held this week in the Vatican.
The Pope recalled how last year the congregation published "two important documents presenting ... certain clarifications necessary for the correct functioning of ecumenical dialogue, and of dialogue with the religions and cultures of the world".
The first of these documents, "Responses to some Questions Regarding Certain Aspects of the Doctrine on the Church", confirms that "the one and only Church of Christ has subsistence, permanence and stability in the Catholic Church and, consequently, that the unity, indivisibility and indestructibility of the Church of Christ is not invalidated by separations and divisions among Christians".
The Holy Father went on to note how the document calls attention "to the difference that still persists between the different Christians confessions, as concerns their understanding of 'being Church' in a strictly theological sense. This, far from impeding true ecumenical commitment, will be a stimulus to ensuring that discussion of doctrinal questions is always carried out with realism, and with complete awareness of the aspects that still divide Christian confessions", he said.
The Pope then referred to the other document published by the congregation last year, the "Doctrinal Note on some aspects of evangelisation", issued in December. "Faced with the risk of persistent religious and cultural relativism", he said, this document "stresses that the Church, in a time of dialogue between religions and cultures, is not dispensed from the need to evangelise and undertake missionary activity among peoples, nor does she cease asking mankind to accept the salvation that is offered to everyone. The recognition of elements of truth and goodness in other religions of the world, ... collaboration with them in the defence and promotion of the dignity of the human person and of universal moral values, cannot be understood as a limitation to the Church's missionary task, which involves her in the constant announcement of Christ as the way, the truth and the life".
Benedict XVI invited the members of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith to give particular attention to "the difficult and complex problems of bioethics". In this context, he indicated that the "Church's Magisterium certainly cannot and should not intervene on every scientific innovation. Rather, it has the task of reiterating the great values at stake, and providing the faithful, and all men and women of good will, with ethical-moral principals and guidelines for these new and important questions.
"The two fundamental criteria for moral discernment in this field", he added, "are: unconditional respect for the human being as a person, from conception to natural death; and respect for the origin of the transmission of human life through the acts of the spouses".
The Pope highlighted "new problems" associated with such questions as "the freezing of human embryos, embryonal reduction, pre-implantation diagnosis, stem cell research and attempts at human cloning". All these, he said, "clearly show how, with artificial insemination outside the body, the barrier protecting human dignity has been broken. When human beings in the weakest and most defenceless stage of their existence are selected, abandoned, killed or used as pure 'biological matter', how can it be denied that they are no longer being treated as 'someone' but as 'something', thus placing the very concept of human dignity in doubt".
The Holy Father highlighted how "the Church appreciates and encourages progress in the biomedical sciences, which opens up previously unimagined therapeutic possibilities". At the same time, he pointed out that "she feels the need to enlighten everyone's consciences so that scientific progress may be truly respectful of all human beings, who must be recognised as having individual dignity because they have been created in the image of God". In this context, he concluded by ensuring participants in the plenary assembly that study of such themes "will certainly contribute to promoting the formation of consciences of many of our brothers and sisters". AC/DOCTRINE CHURCH:EVANGELISATION/... VIS 080131 (680)
PRESENTATION OF FIRST WORLD APOSTOLIC CONGRESS ON MERCY
VATICAN CITY, 31 JAN 2008 (VIS) - In the Holy See Press Office this morning, the First World Apostolic Congress on Mercy was presented. The congress is due to be held in Rome from 2 to 6 April.
Participating in the press conference were Cardinal Christoph Schonborn O.P., archbishop of Vienna, Austria and president of the congress, Fr. Patrice Chocholski, co-ordinater general, and Mauro Parmeggiani, secretary general of the vicariate of Rome.
It is a good sign, said Cardinal Schonborn, that the first world congress on mercy should open on 2 April, third anniversary of the death of John Paul II, because "that great and unforgettable Pope, from his boyhood on, remained fascinated by the secret of divine mercy. In the year 2002, at the inauguration of a magnificent shrine to divine mercy at Krakow-Lagiewniki, Poland, he said: 'There is no source of hope for human beings, save the mercy of God'".
Hence "the congress in Rome must clearly show that mercy is the central core of the Christian message", the cardinal said. "This message promotes peace in the world, between peoples and religions. It helps people to discover the true face of God, but also the true face of man and of the Church.
"Many believers", he added, "consider it a special sign that John Paul II died on the eve of Divine Mercy Sunday, which he himself had introduced during the Holy Year 2000, ... and which is closely associated with the figure of Faustina Kowalska, whom John Paul II proclaimed as a saint on 30 April of that same year".
The archbishop of Vienna recalled how during the saint's life (1905-1938) the message of divine mercy was "a special support and an inexhaustible source of hope ... for all the Polish people. This message is more necessary than ever in our own times, as the daily news constantly confirms".
"In 2004 John Paul II appealed to the entire Church to be 'witness to mercy'", said the cardinal. "While at the Regina Coeli prayer on 3 April 2005 he would have said: 'Love changes hearts and brings peace. How great is the need for mercy in the world'. Death prevented that great Pope from pronouncing those words, but the message has lost none of its validity or relevance".
Cardinal Schonborn concluded: "The message of John Paul II and of Faustina Kowalska is not some abstract principle, it has a name and a face: Jesus. ... "Looking to Christ', that is the heritage of John Paul II, it was also the theme of Benedict XVI's visit to Austria last year, and will be the nucleus of the First World Apostolic Congress on Mercy". OP/CONGRESS:MERCY/SCHONBORN VIS 080131 (460)
VATICAN CITY, 31 JAN 2008 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences five prelates of the Greek-Catholic Church of Ukraine, on their "ad limina" visit:
- Bishop Mykola Simkaylo of Kolomyia-Chernivtsi of the Ukrainians.
- Bishop Julian Voronovsky of Sambir-Drohobych of the Ukrainians, accompanied by Auxiliary Bishop Jaroslav Pryriz C.SS.R.
- Bishop Mychajlo Koltun C.SS.R. of Sokal of the Ukrainians.
- Bishop Vasyl Semeniuk of Ternopil-Zboriv of the Ukrainians. AL/.../... VIS 080131 (80)
VATICAN CITY, 31 JAN 2008 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed:
- Bishop Jose Maria De la Torre Martin, auxiliary of the archdiocese of Guadalajara, Mexico, as bishop of Aguascalientes (area 11,200, population 1,622,000, Catholics 1,599,000, priests 293, permanent deacons 1, religious 760), Mexico.
- Fr. Prasad Gallela of the clergy of the diocese of Kurnool, India, spiritual director and professor of philosophy at St. John's Regional Seminary in Kondadaba, India, as bishop of Cuddapah (area 15,359, population 6,035,581, Catholics 81,580, priests 104, religious 355), India. The bishop-elect was born in Adoni, India in 1962 and ordained a priest in 1989.
- Fr. Joaquim Augusto da Silva Mendes S.D.B., director of the Manique Salesian School in Lisbon, Portugal, as auxiliary of the patriarchate of Lisbon (area 3,735, population 2,336,132, Catholics 1,936,268, priests 618, permanent deacons 65, religious 1,740). The bishop-elect was born in Casteloes de Cepeda, Portugal in 1948 and ordained a priest in 1983.
- Professor Takashi Gojobori, vice-director of the National Institute of Genetics in Mishima, Japan and professor of genetics at the institute's Centre for Information Biology and DNA Data Bank, as an ordinary member of the Pontifical Academy of Science. NER:NEA:NA/.../... VIS 080131 (200) |
| You can find more information at: www.vatican.va - www.vis.pcn.net |
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