27 February 2009
Vatican News Update 26 February 2009
| 02.26.2009 - Nineteenth Year - Num. 38 |
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SUMMARY:
- Lent, a Time for More Intense Prayer and Penance - Holy Father Meets Priests of Diocese of Rome
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LENT, A TIME FOR MORE INTENSE PRAYER AND PENANCE
VATICAN CITY, 26 FEB 2009 (VIS) - Yesterday afternoon, Ash Wednesday, Benedict XVI led a penitential procession from the church of Sant'Anselmo on Rome's Aventine Hill to the nearby basilica of Santa Sabina where he presided at a Eucharistic celebration. During the ceremony the ashes were imposed upon him by Cardinal Jozef Tomko, titular of Santa Sabina, after which the Pope himself imposed the ashes upon cardinals, bishops and a number of faithful.
In his homily the Pope highlighted how "the call to conversion emerges as the dominant theme" in today's liturgy. Having then recalled how the Church is currently celebrating the two thousandth anniversary of the birth of St. Paul, he explained that the Apostle was "aware of having been chosen as an example. This exemplarity status concerns conversion, the transformation of his life brought about thanks to the merciful love of God".
"St. Paul recognised that everything in him was the work of divine grace, yet he did not forget the need to accept freely the gift of new life received at Baptism".
"How can we fulfil our baptismal vocation?" the Holy Father asked. "How can we emerge victorious from the battle between the flesh and the spirit, between good and evil, the battle that characterises our lives? Today's Gospel reading shows us three useful means to this end: prayer, alms and fasting.
"In this context", he added, "we also find useful references in the life and writings of St. Paul". The Apostle exhorts us to "persevere" in prayer, and to "pray without ceasing". On the subject of almsgiving, he speaks of "the great collection in favour of our poor brethren" and underlines how "charity is the apex of a believer's life. ... He does not expressly mention fasting, but he often calls for sobriety as a characteristic of people called to live in vigilant expectation of the Lord".
"May Lent", said Pope Benedict concluding his homily, "marked by more frequent contact with the Word of God, by more intense prayer, and by a severe and penitential lifestyle, be a stimulus to convert and to love our brothers and sisters, especially the poor and needy". HML/ASH WEDNESDAY/SANTA SABINA VIS 090226 (370)
HOLY FATHER MEETS PRIESTS OF DIOCESE OF ROME
VATICAN CITY, 26 FEB 2009 (VIS) - In a traditional annual appointment at the beginning of Lent, the Holy Father met this morning in the Vatican's Hall of Blessings with pastors and clergy of the diocese of Rome. .../MEETING ROMAN CLERGY/... VIS 090226 (50)
VATICAN CITY, 26 FEB 2009 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed:
- As consultors of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints: Fr. Priamo Etzi O.F.M., dean of the faculty of canon law at Rome's Pontifical "Antonianum" University, and Fr. Stephane Oppes O.F.M. professor at the faculty of philosophy of the same university.
- Fr. Thomas Rosica C.S.B. as consultor of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications. NA/.../ETZI:OPPES:ROSICA VIS 090226 (70) |
| You can find more information at: www.vatican.va - www.vis.pcn.net |
25 February 2009
Vatican News Update 25 February 2009
| 02.25.2009 - Nineteenth Year - Num. 37 |
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SUMMARY:
- Brazil Fraternity Campaign: Peace Is the Fruit of Justice - Repercussions of Economic Crisis on Human Rights
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BRAZIL FRATERNITY CAMPAIGN: PEACE IS THE FRUIT OF JUSTICE
VATICAN CITY, 25 FEB 2009 (VIS) - Benedict XVI has sent a Message to Archbishop Geraldo Lyrio Rocha, president of the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil, for the start today, Ash Wednesday, of the Fraternity Campaign traditionally promoted by the Brazilian Church during Lent. This year the campaign has as its theme: "Peace is the fruit of justice".
In his Message the Pope refers to the Fifth General Conference of the Episcopate of Latin America and the Caribbean, held in the Brazilian city of Aparecida in 2007, and recalls how the final document of that gathering described the "clear signs of the presence of the Kingdom of God, in the individual and community experience of the Beatitudes, in the evangelisation of the poor, ... in universal access to the goods of creation, in mutual, sincere and fraternal forgiveness, ... and in the struggle not to succumb to the temptation of becoming slaves to evil".
"Lent calls us to an unfailing struggle to do good, precisely because we know how difficult it is for us, as human beings, to dedicate ourselves seriously to the practice of justice, a justice more than ever necessary for a coexistence based on peace and love and not on hatred and indifference. Yet we know that, even if we achieve a reasonable distribution of wealth and a harmonious organisation of society, nothing can remove the pain of sickness, misunderstanding, solitude, the death of people we love, or an awareness of our own limitations".
"Our Lord", the Holy Father writes, "abhors injustice and condemns those who practice it; yet He respects individual liberty and for this reason allows it to exist, because it forms part of the human condition after original sin. Despite this His heart, full of love for human beings, brought Him to shoulder, along with the cross, all our torments: our suffering, our sadness, our hunger, our thirst for justice. Let us ask him for the strength to bear witness to the same feelings of peace and reconciliation that inspired Him on the Sermon on the Mount, in order to achieve eternal Beatitude". MESS/FRATERNITY CAMPAIGN/BRAZIL VIS 090225 (360)
REPERCUSSIONS OF ECONOMIC CRISIS ON HUMAN RIGHTS
VATICAN CITY, 25 FEB 2009 (VIS) - On 20 February Archbishop Silvano M. Tomasi C.S., Holy See permanent observer to the United Nations at Geneva, participated in the tenth special session of the Human Rights Council, which focused on the world economic crisis and its repercussions on human rights.
Speaking English, the prelate noted how the current crisis "has created a global recession causing dramatic social consequences, including the loss of millions of jobs and the serious risk that, for many of the developing countries, the Millennium Development Goals may not be reached. The human rights of countless persons are compromised, including the right to food, water, health and decent work".
"In a recent document, the World Bank estimates that, in 2009, the current global economic crisis could push an additional 53 million people below the threshold of two dollars a day. This figure is in addition to the 130 million people pushed into poverty in 2008 by the increase in food and energy prices".
"It is well known", the permanent observer went on, "that low-income countries are heavily dependent upon two financing flows: foreign aid and migrant remittances. Both flows are expected to decline significantly over the next months, due to the worsening of the economic crisis. ... The delegation of the Holy See would like to focus on a specific case in this crisis: its impact on the human rights of children, which exemplifies, as well, what is symptomatic of the destructive impact on all other social and economic rights. At present some important rights of poor people are heavily dependent on official aid flows and on workers' remittances. These include the right to health, education, and food. In several poor countries, in fact, educational, health and nutritional programmes are implemented with the help of aid flows from official donors. Should the economic crisis reduce this assistance, the successful completion of these programs could be threatened".
"If the reduction of both aid and remittances continue, it will deprive children of the right to be educated creating a double negative consequence", noted Archbishop Tomasi. "Lower educational investment today, in fact, will be translated into lower future growth. At the same time, poor nutrition among children significantly worsens life expectancy by increasing both child and adult mortality rates. The negative economic consequences of this go beyond the personal dimension and affect entire societies".
The nuncio then went on to consider another consequence of the crisis "that could be particularly relevant for the mandate of the United Nations: All too often, periods of severe economic hardship have been characterised by the rise in power of governments with dubious commitments to democracy. The Holy See prays that such consequences will be avoided in the present crisis, since they would result in a serious threat for the diffusion of basic human rights for which this institution has so tenaciously struggled.
"The last fifty years have witnessed some great achievements in poverty reduction", he added in conclusion. "These achievements are at risk, and a coherent approach is required to preserve them through a renewed sense of solidarity, especially for the segments of population and for the countries more affected by the crisis". DELSS/ECONOMIC CRISIS/GENEVA:TOMASI VIS 090225 (540)
VATICAN CITY, 25 FEB 2009 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences five prelates from the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Nigeria, on their "ad limina" visit:
- Bishop John Ifeanyichukwu Okoye of Awgu.
- Bishop Hilary Paul Odili Okeke of Nnewi.
- Bishop Francis Emmanuel Ogbonna Okoboi of Nsukka.
- Bishop Anthouny Okonkwo Gbuji, emeritus of Enugu.
- Msgr. John Williams, diocesan administrator of Maiduguri. AL/.../... VIS 090225 (70)
VATICAN CITY, 25 FEB 2009 (VIS) - The Holy Father:
- Accepted the resignation from the apostolic prefecture of Western Sahara, presented by Fr. Acacio Valbuena Rodriguez O.M.I., upon having reached the age limit.
- Appointed Fr. Rodolfo Luis Weber of the clergy of the archdiocese of Porto Alegre, Brazil, pastor of the parish of "Nossa Senhora das Gracas" in Gravatai, as bishop prelate of Cristalandia (area 66,365, population 158,700, Catholics 157,000, priests 24, permanent deacons 1, religious 58), Brazil. The bishop-elect was born in Bom Principio, Brazil in 1963 and ordained a priest in 1991. He succeeds Bishop Heriberto Hermes O.S.B., whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same territorial prelature the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit. RE:NER/.../VALBUENA:WEBER:HERMES VIS 090225 (130) |
| You can find more information at: www.vatican.va - www.vis.pcn.net |
24 February 2009
Vatican News Update 24 February 2009
| 02.24.2009 - Nineteenth Year - Num. 36 |
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SUMMARY:
- America with Christ. Live the Mission
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AMERICA WITH CHRIST. LIVE THE MISSION
VATICAN CITY, 24 FEB 2009 (VIS) - The Pontifical Commission for Latin America today published its annual message for Hispanic-American Day, which is celebrated annually in the dioceses of Spain. This year the Day falls on Sunday 1 March.
In the message Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re and Archbishop Octavio Ruiz Arenas, respectively president and vice president of the commission, explain that this year's theme - "America with Christ. Live the mission" - highlights "two intimately related questions. On the one hand it reminds us of the call to go out into the world to 'make disciples' of Jesus; on the other it reaffirms a conviction that has its foundation in the Master's promise: 'I am with you always, to the end of the age'"
"At the present time Latin America needs to recover and reaffirm the Christian values that lie at the root of its culture and traditions", they write. "There is an urgent necessity to bring the light of the Gospel to public, cultural, economic and political life".
"How", the two prelates ask, "can we respond to these challenges? How can we find an authentic and truly satisfactory solution to an ever-changing reality in which the values propagated by contemporary culture are in ever greater contrast with the reality of the Gospel?" The Holy Father in his inaugural address to the Fifth General Conference of the Episcopate of Latin America and the Caribbean in Aparecida (2007) "reminded us of a great truth: 'only those who recognise God know reality and are able to respond to it adequately and in a truly human manner'".
"Faced with the crisis of faith in Latin America today", write Cardinal Re and Archbishop Ruiz, "there is a pressing need to make Christ known, and to announce His Word to the men and women of the continent. To this end we must base our missionary efforts, and all of our lives, upon the rock of the Word of God".
"Announcing the Gospel, as is evident from the Apostle Paul's missionary activity, does not consist in the unfeeling transmission of a doctrine but, fundamentally, in bearing witness to an individual experience of meeting a person, Jesus Christ. He is the only reality with the power to open the hearts of men and women to contact with the Truth. Hence, it is only united to Christ, only with Christ, that America can live its mission!"
The message concludes by inviting people, on this Hispanic-American Day, "to shoulder missionary commitment in the Continent of Hope", and encourages priests and religious "to feel in their hearts the ardour of being bearers of the Word 'unto the ends of the earth', and not to be afraid to respond generously to the apostolic mission". COM-AL/HISPANIC-AMERICAN DAY/RE:RUIZ VIS 090224 (460)
VATICAN CITY, 24 FEB 2009 (VIS) - The Holy Father promoted:
- Cardinal Jose Saraiva Martins C.M.F., prefect emeritus of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, to the order of bishops, assigning him the suburbicarian see of Palestrina.
- Cardinal Agostino Vallini, his vicar general for the diocese of Rome, to the order of priests. Cardinal Vallini retains his diaconate of St. Peter Damian ai Monti, elevated "pro hac vice" to presbyteral title. NA/.../SARAIVA:VALLINI VIS 090224 (80) |
| You can find more information at: www.vatican.va - www.vis.pcn.net |
23 February 2009
Vatican News Update 23 February 2009
| 02.23.2009 - Nineteenth Year - Num. 35 |
| You can find more information at: www.vatican.va - www.vis.pcn.net |
20 February 2009
Vatican News Update 20 February 2009
| 02.20.2009 - Nineteenth Year - Num. 34 |
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SUMMARY:
- Eradicating Poverty, Promoting Rural Development - Careful Discernment and Formation of Seminarians - First Session of Vietnam - Holy See Working Group
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ERADICATING POVERTY, PROMOTING RURAL DEVELOPMENT
VATICAN CITY, 20 FEB 2009 (VIS) - The Pope today received participants in a meeting of the governing council of the Rome-based International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), which is celebrating its thirtieth anniversary this year.
Speaking English he said: "When wealthy countries and developing nations come together to make joint decisions and to determine specific criteria for each country's budgetary contribution to the Fund, it can truly be said that the various member States come together as equals, expressing their solidarity with one another and their shared commitment to eradicate poverty and hunger. In an increasingly interdependent world, joint decision-making processes of this kind are essential if international affairs are to be conducted with equity and foresight".
Continuing his remarks, the Holy Father underlined "the emphasis placed by IFAD on promoting employment opportunities within rural communities, with a view to enabling them, in the long term, to become independent of outside aid. ... In this sense the 'rural credit' projects, designed to assist smallholder farmers and agricultural workers with no land of their own, can boost the wider economy and provide greater food security for all.
"These projects", he added, "also help indigenous communities to flourish on their own soil, and to live in harmony with their traditional culture, instead of being forced to uproot themselves in order to seek employment in overcrowded cities, teeming with social problems, where they often have to endure squalid living conditions".
"The principle of subsidiarity requires that each group within society be free to make its proper contribution to the good of the whole. All too often, agricultural workers in developing nations are denied that opportunity, when their labour is greedily exploited, and their produce is diverted to distant markets, with little or no resulting benefit for the local community itself".
The Holy Father expressed his thanks for IFAD's achievements over the last thirty years, affirming the need "for renewed determination to act in harmony and solidarity with all the different elements of the human family in order to ensure equitable access to the earth's resources now and in the future".
"The goals of eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, as well as promoting food security and rural development, far from being over-ambitious or unrealistic, become", he concluded, "imperatives binding upon the whole international community". AC/.../IFAD VIS 090220 (390)
CAREFUL DISCERNMENT AND FORMATION OF SEMINARIANS
VATICAN CITY, 20 FEB 2009 (VIS) - Today in the Vatican, Benedict XVI received forty counsellors and members of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, who have just complete a plenary session during which they examined the current situation of education to the priesthood in Latin American seminaries.
The Pope recalled how the commission was established in 1958 by Pius XII who, "faced with a lack of priests and missionaries, felt the need to create a Holy See institution to intensify and co-ordinate development efforts in support of the Church in Latin America". For his part, John Paul II "continued and intensified this initiative with the aim of underlining the particular pastoral solicitude felt by Peter's Successor towards the pilgrim Churches in those beloved lands".
"Last year", he went on, "I received many bishops from Latin America and the Caribbean on their 'ad limina' visits, with whom I discussed the situation of the particular Churches entrusted to their care. ... I accompany them all with my prayers, that they may joyfully and faithfully continue to undertake their service to the People of God, also by promoting the 'Continental Mission' which is beginning to be implemented as a result of the Fifth General Conference of the Episcopate of Latin America and the Caribbean", held in Aparecida, Brazil, in 2007.
The theme chosen for this mission - "disciples and missionaries in Jesus Christ, that in Him our peoples may have life" - continues "to guide the efforts of the members of the Church in those beloved countries", said the Holy Father.
"When I described my apostolic visit to Brazil before members of the Roman Curia, I asked myself: Was Aparecida right, when seeking life for the world, in giving priority to discipleship of Christ and evangelisation? Was this not a mistaken withdrawal into interior life? To this I replied resoundingly: No! Aparecida was right precisely because a fresh encounter with Jesus Christ and His Gospel - and only that - can create forces which give us the power to find adequate responses to the challenges of our time".
"For all of us", Pope Benedict went on, "the seminary was a decisive moment of discernment and preparation. There, in profound dialogue with Christ, we fortified our desire to root ourselves deeply in Him. Over those years we learned to feel at home in the Church. ... For this reason I am pleased that your plenary assembly focused attention on the current situation in the seminaries of Latin America".
"In order to create priests who accord to the dictates of Christ's heart, we have to trust in the action of the Holy Spirit more that in human strategies and calculations, and faithfully ask God, 'Lord of the harvest', to send many holy vocations to the priesthood. ... At the same time, the need for priests to face the challenges of today's world must not induce us to discard the careful discernment of candidates, nor to overlook the necessary, even rigorous, demands that must be made in order for their formative process to produce exemplary priests".
"And so", he concluded, "the pastoral recommendations of this assembly must be seen as a vital source of illumination for the efforts of bishops of Latin America and the Caribbean in the delicate field of formation for the priesthood. Today more than ever it is important for seminarians ... to aspire to the priesthood exclusively out of the desire to be true disciples and missionaries of Jesus Christ and, in communion with their bishops, make Him present through their ministry and the witness of their lives". AC/PLENARY/COMMISSION LATIN AMERICA VIS 090220 (610)
FIRST SESSION OF VIETNAM - HOLY SEE WORKING GROUP
VATICAN CITY, 20 FEB 2009 (VIS) - On 16 and 17 February a Holy See delegation led by Msgr. Pietro Parolin, under-secretary for Relations with States, travelled to Vietnam at the invitation of the government there, where it participated in the first session of the Vietnam - Holy See Working Group on bilateral diplomatic relations. The meeting was held in the Vietnamese capital Hanoi.
"At the meeting", an English-language joint communique states, "Vice Minister Nguyen Quoc Cuong emphasised Vietnam's consistent policy on the freedom of belief as well as the achievements and current situation on religious affairs in Vietnam's recent years. Vice Minster Cuong expressed his wish for the Holy See's active contribution to the life of the Catholic community in Vietnam, the strengthening of solidarity between religions and of the entire Vietnamese population, and the strong cohesion of the Catholic Church in Vietnam with the nation through practical contributions to national reconstruction".
Msgr. Parolin "took note of the explanations made by the Vietnamese delegation on the policy of freedom of religion and belief, recognising that positive progress has been made in religious life in Vietnam, and wished that the remaining unsolved maters in bilateral relations between Vietnam and the Holy See could be settled with goodwill through sincere dialogue. Msgr. Parolin emphasised the Holy See's policy to respect the independence and sovereignty of Vietnam, by which the Church's religious activities will not be conducted for political purposes. He also stressed that the Church in its teaching invites the faithful to be good citizens, working for the common good of the country".
"The two sides also acknowledged the encouraging development in relations between Vietnam and the Holy See since 1990" and agreed that "efforts should be made to promote bilateral ties". OP/WORKING GROUP/VIETNAM VIS 090220 (310)
VATICAN CITY, 20 FEB 2009 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences three prelates from the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Nigeria, on their "ad limina" visit:
- Bishop Joseph Danlami Bagobiri of Kafanchan.
- Bishop John Niyiring O.S.A. of Kano.
- Bishop Martin Igwemezie Uzoukwu of Minna. AL/.../... VIS 090220 (60) |
| You can find more information at: www.vatican.va - www.vis.pcn.net |
19 February 2009
Vatican News Update 19 February 2009
| 02.19.2009 - Nineteenth Year - Num. 33 |
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SUMMARY:
- Support the Continental Mission Proclaimed at Aparecida - Pope Receives British Prime Minister - Meeting of Bilateral Working Commission Holy See - Israel - Spiritual Exercises of Pope and Roman Curia
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SUPPORT THE CONTINENTAL MISSION PROCLAIMED AT APARECIDA
VATICAN CITY, 19 FEB 2009 (VIS) - This morning in the Vatican, Benedict XVI received 150 members of the community of the Pius Pontifical Latin American College in Rome. The institution, "alma mater" to more than four thousand students, was founded in 1858, originally as a centre for seminarians and, over the last three decades, for deacons and priests.
The Pope described the members of the community as heirs "to a rich human and spiritual heritage, which must be perpetuated and enriched by a serious dedication to the various ecclesiastical disciplines and a joyful experience of the universality of the Church".
Highlighting the fact that the seminarians are the fruit "of the sowing of Christ's message of redemption over history", the Holy Father recalled how they come from various countries "in which for more than five hundred years courageous missionaries made Jesus, our Saviour, known to people. Thus, through Baptism, those people opened themselves to the life of grace which made them adopted children of God. Furthermore, they received the Holy Spirit which made their cultures fruitful, purifying them, developing the seeds that the incarnate Word had placed in them, and guiding them along the paths of the Gospel".
"Your bishops", he told his audience, "have sent you to the Pontifical Latin American College that you may be filled with the wisdom of the crucified Christ and that, returning to your dioceses, you may place this treasure at the disposal of others through the various tasks you will be given. This means that you must put your time in Rome to good use. Application to study and rigorous research ... will create in you a spiritual life rooted in the Word of God and nourished by the incomparable richness of the Sacraments.
"Love for and adherence to the Apostolic See is one of the most outstanding characteristics of the people of Latin America and the Caribbean", the Pope added before going on to recall his own 2007 visit to the Brazilian city of Aparecida for the Fifth General Conference of the Episcopate of Latin America and the Caribbean. "Through my presence there", he said, "I sought to encourage bishops as they reflected on a fundamental aspect of the revival of the faith of the pilgrim Church in those beloved lands: that of leading all the faithful to become 'disciples and missionaries in Jesus Christ, that in Him our peoples may have life'".
In closing, the Holy Father invited the members of the Pontifical College "enthusiastically to embrace this spirit, already manifest in the dynamism with which dioceses have begun, or are beginning, the 'Continental Mission' proclaimed at Aparecida, an initiative that will facilitate the implementation of catechetical and pastoral programmes aimed at the formation and development of evangelised and missionary-oriented Christian communities". AC/.../PONTIFICAL LATIN AMERICAN COLLEGE VIS 090219 (480)
POPE RECEIVES BRITISH PRIME MINISTER
VATICAN CITY, 19 FEB 2009 (VIS) - The Holy See Press Office released the following communique late this morning:
"This morning His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI received in audience Gordon Brown, prime minister of the United Kingdom who, along with the other members of his entourage, then met with Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B., and Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, secretary for Relations with States.
"The cordial conversations dealt with the present global economic crisis and the duty to pursue initiatives benefiting the less-developed countries, and to foster co-operation on projects of human promotion, respect for the environment and sustainable development. Hope was expressed for a renewed commitment on the part of the international community in settling ongoing conflicts, particularly in the Middle East. Finally, several bilateral themes were brought up, of interest above all for the Catholic community in the United Kingdom". OP/AUDIENCE/BROWN VIS 090219 (150)
MEETING OF BILATERAL WORKING COMMISSION HOLY SEE - ISRAEL
VATICAN CITY, 19 FEB 2009 (VIS) - The Bilateral Permanent Working Commission between the Holy See and the State of Israel met yesterday, 18 February, at the Israeli ministry of foreign affairs, to continue negotiations on the "Economic Agreement" concerning fiscal and property matters, according to a communique released today.
"The meeting was characterised by great cordiality and a spirit of co-operation. Progress was achieved, and the delegations renewed their joint commitment to conclude the Agreement as soon as possible. The next meeting of this working-level commission will take place on 7 April". OP/AGREEMENT/... VIS 090219 (110)
SPIRITUAL EXERCISES OF POPE AND ROMAN CURIA
VATICAN CITY, 19 FEB 2009 (VIS) - The annual spiritual exercises of the Pope and the Roman Curia are due to begin on 1 March, the first Sunday of Lent. This year's meditations will be directed by Cardinal Francis Arinze, prefect emeritus of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.
The theme of the spiritual exercises, which will take place in the "Redemptoris Mater" Chapel of the Vatican's Apostolic Palace, is: "The priest meets Jesus and follows Him".
The retreat will begin at 6 p.m. with Eucharistic exposition, the celebration of Vespers, an introductory meditation, adoration and Eucharistic blessing. Over the following days there will be the celebration of Lauds and meditation at 9 a.m.; celebration of Terce and meditation at 10.15 a.m.; meditation at 5 p.m.; and Vespers, adoration and Eucharistic blessing at 5.45 p.m.
The spiritual exercises will come to an end on Saturday 7 March with the celebration of Lauds and a closing meditation.
During the retreat all audiences will be cancelled, including the weekly general audience of Wednesday 4 March . PD/CURIA RETREAT/ARINZE VIS 090219 (190)
VATICAN CITY, 19 FEB 2009 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences four prelates from the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Nigeria, on their "ad limina" visit:
- Bishop Charles Hammawa of Jalingo.
- Bishop James Naanman Daman O.S.A. of Shendam.
- Bishop Christopher Shaman Abba of Yola.
- Archbishop Matthew Man-oso Ndagoso of Kaduna. AL/.../... VIS 090219 (60)
VATICAN CITY, 19 FEB 2009 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, apostolic nuncio to Burundi, as apostolic nuncio to Guatemala. NN/.../GALLAGHER VIS 090219 (30) |
| You can find more information at: www.vatican.va - www.vis.pcn.net |
18 February 2009
Vatican News Update 18 February 2009
| 02.18.2009 - Nineteenth Year - Num. 32 |
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SUMMARY:
- Venerable Bede: Saint and Scholar - A Just System of Laws Capable of Protecting Human Life
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VENERABLE BEDE: SAINT AND SCHOLAR
VATICAN CITY, 18 FEB 2009 (VIS) - In the general audience, held this morning in St. Peter's Square in the presence of 15,000 people, Benedict XVI dedicated his catechesis to St. Bede the Venerable.
Bede was born around the year 672 in the English region of Northumbria. When he was seven years old his family entrusted his education to the abbot of a nearby Benedictine monastery and he became, the Holy Father explained, "one of the most outstanding scholars of the early Middle Ages. ... His teaching and the fame of his writings brought him many friends among the principal personages of his day, who encouraged him to continue his work, which brought benefits to so many people".
"Sacred Scripture was the constant source of Bede's theological reflections". He considered "the events of the Old and New Testaments jointly" as "a way towards Christ", a testament to the same faith, "though expressed using different signs and institutions".
As an example of this, Benedict XVI mentioned Bede's interpretation of the construction of the Temple of Jerusalem: "Just as pagans also helped to build the ancient Temple by supplying materials and the technical experience of their master builders, so the edification of the Church involved apostles and masters who came not just from the ancient Hebrew, Greek or Latin peoples, but also from the new peoples, among whom Bede mentions the Irish Celts and the Anglo-Saxons".
The Pope then dwelt upon some of the saint's written works, such as the "'Chronica Maiora' in which he establishes a chronology which would become the basis of the universal calendar 'ab incarnatione Domini', ... and his 'Ecclesiastical History of the English People', for which he is known as the father of English historiography.
"The characteristic traits of the Church which Bede sought to underline are: catholicity, seen as faithfulness to tradition while remaining open to historical developments, and as the search for 'unity in diversity', ... and apostolicity and 'Romanitas'. In this context Bede considered it vitally important to convince the Churches of the Celts and the Picts to celebrate Easter together, in accordance with the Roman calendar".
"Bede was also a great master of liturgical theology, ... educating the faithful to celebrate the mysteries of the faith with joy, and to reflect those mysteries coherently in their lives while awaiting their full manifestation in the return of Christ".
"Thanks to his approach to theology - which involved a combination of the Bible, liturgy and history - Bede has a modern message for the various 'states' of Christian life", said the Pope. "He reminds scholars of two essential tasks: scrutinising the marvels of the Word of God so as to present them in a manner attractive to the faithful, and explaining dogmatic truths while avoiding heretical complications and keeping to 'Catholic simplicity', with the attitude of the meek and humble to whom it pleases God to reveal the mysteries of the Kingdom".
For their part, pastors "must give priority to preaching, not only through sermons and hagiographies, but also by using icons, processions and pilgrimages". To consecrated people, "Bede recommends focus on the apostolate, both by collaborating with bishops in various kinds of pastoral activities in support of young Christian communities, and by offering themselves for evangelising missions".
The scholar saint also affirmed that Christ "wants an industrious Church, ... one intent on cultivating other fields and vineyards, .... in other words on introducing the Gospel into the social fabric and cultural institutions". He also "exhorted the lay faithful to be assiduous in their religious education, ... He taught them how to pray continuously, ... offering all their actions as a spiritual sacrifice in union with Christ".
The Venerable Bede died in May of the year 735. "It is a fact", Pope Benedict concluded, "that with his works he made an effective contribution to the construction of a Christian Europe". AG/VENERABLE BEDE/... VIS 090218 (660)
A JUST SYSTEM OF LAWS CAPABLE OF PROTECTING HUMAN LIFE
VATICAN CITY, 18 FEB 2009 (VIS) - The Holy See Press Office released the following communique at midday today:
"Following the general audience the Holy Father briefly greeted Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, together with her entourage.
"His Holiness took the opportunity to speak of the requirements of the natural moral law and the Church's consistent teaching on the dignity of human life from conception to natural death which enjoin all Catholics, and especially legislators, jurists and those responsible for the common good of society, to work in co-operation with all men and women of good will in creating a just system of laws capable of protecting human life at all stages of its development". OP/HUMAN LIFE/PELOSI VIS 090218 (140)
VATICAN CITY, 18 FEB 2009 (VIS) - The Holy Father:
- Appointed Bishop Jose Nigri P.I.M.E., auxiliary of Florianopolis, Brazil, as bishop of Blumenau (area 3,740, population 580,400, Catholics 407,000, priests 59, permanent deacons 31, religious 93), Brazil. He succeeds Bishop Angelico Sandalo Bernardino, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.
- Accepted the resignation from the office of auxiliary of the archdiocese of Berlin, Germany presented by Bishop Wolfgang Weider, in accordance with canons 411 and 401 para. 1 of the Code of Canon Law.
- Appointed Fr. Matthias Heinrich of the clergy of the archdiocese of Berlin, Germany, canon of the metropolitan chapter and episcopal vicar for the personnel department in the pastoral office of the archiepiscopal curia, as auxiliary of the same archdiocese (area 31,200, population 5,794,507, Catholics 392,701, priests 385, permanent deacons 27, religious 791). The bishop-elect was born in Berlin in 1954 and ordained a priest in 1981.
- Confirmed the election of Fr. Anselm van der Linde O. Cist., secretary of the Cistercian Congregation of Mehrerau and professor of religion at the "Collegium Sancti Bernardi", as abbot ordinary of the territorial abbey of Wettingen-Mehrerau, Austria. NER:RE:NEA:NA/.../... VIS 090218 (210) |
| You can find more information at: www.vatican.va - www.vis.pcn.net |
17 February 2009
Vatican News Update 17 February 2009
| 02.17.2009 - Nineteenth Year - Num. 31 |
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SUMMARY:
- Telegram for the Death of Cardinal Kim Sou-hwan - New Frontiers of Genetics and the Dangers of Eugenics
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TELEGRAM FOR THE DEATH OF CARDINAL KIM SOU-HWAN
VATICAN CITY, 17 FEB 2009 (VIS) - Benedict XVI has sent the following English-language telegram, made public yesterday afternoon, to Cardinal Nicholas Cheong Jinsuk, archbishop of Seoul, Korea, for the death of Cardinal Kim Sou-hwan, archbishop emeritus of the same see. The cardinal died yesterday at the age of 86.
"Deeply saddened to learn of the death of Cardinal Stephen Kim Sou-hwan, I offer heartfelt condolences to you and to all the people of Korea. Recalling with gratitude Cardinal Kim's long years of devoted service to the Catholic community in Seoul and his many years of faithful assistance to the Holy Father as a member of the College of Cardinals, I join you in praying that God our merciful Father will grant him the reward of his labours and welcome his noble soul into the joy and peace of the heavenly kingdom. To Cardinal Kim's relatives and all assembled for the solemn Mass of Christian burial I cordially impart my apostolic blessing as a pledge of consolation and strength in the Lord". TGR/DEATH KIM SOU-HWAN/JINSUK VIS 090217 (190)
NEW FRONTIERS OF GENETICS AND THE DANGERS OF EUGENICS
VATICAN CITY, 17 FEB 2009 (VIS) - In the Holy See Press Office this morning, a press conference was held to present a forthcoming academic congress entitled: "New frontiers of genetics and the dangers of eugenics". The congress, promoted by the Pontifical Academy for Life for the occasion of its twenty-fifth general assembly, is due to take place in the Vatican's New Synod Hall on 20 and 21 February.
Participating in today's presentation were Archbishop Rino Fisichella and Msgr. Ignacio Carrasco de Paula, respectively president and chancellor of the Pontifical Academy for Life, and Bruno Dallapiccola, professor of genetic medicine at Rome's "La Sapienza" University.
"The congress will be attended", Archbishop Fisichella explained, "by scientists from a number of universities, who will examine the question from various points of view: from the strictly biomedical to the legal; from the philosophical and theological to the sociological".
"Thanks to the great work undertaken over the last ten years, above all that of Francis Collins on the Human Genome Project, it is possible to map thousands of genes and thus achieve an understanding of various types of disease; this often offers a real possibility of overcoming heredity ailments".
"The aim of this congress is to verify whether, in the field genetic experimentation, there are aspects that tend towards - or effectively implement - eugenic practices", said the archbishop. Such practices "find expression in various scientific, biological, medical, social and political projects, all of them more or less interrelated. These projects require an ethical judgement, especially when it is sought to suggest that eugenic practices are being undertaken in the name of a 'normality' of life to offer to individuals".
"Such a mentality, which is certainly reductive but does exist, tends to consider that some people are less valuable than others, either because of the conditions in which they live, such as poverty or lack of education, or because of their physical state, for example the disabled, the mentally ill, people in a 'vegetative state', or the elderly who suffer serious disease".
"Not always do the requirements of medical science meet with the approval philosophers or theologians", said the president of the Pontifical Academy for Life. "If, on the one hand, certain people frequently succumb to the temptation to consider the body in purely material terms, on the other, a concern to ensure the fundamental unity of each individual ... is something that must not be marginalised or overlooked".
"Of course research aimed at alleviating individual suffering must increase and develop", he concluded, "yet at the same time we are called to ensure the increase and development of an ethical conscience, without which all achievements would remain limited and incomplete".
The Human Genome Project "is one of the great undertakings of the beginning of this new millennium", said Msgr. Carrasco in his remarks. "If for medicine, and not only for medicine, a knowledge of the human genome is absolutely essential, it is equally important to identify its ethical, legal and social consequences", he added.
"Today", said the chancellor of the Pontifical Academy for Life, "eugenics represents the principal discriminatory utilisation to which the discoveries of genetic science can be put. This is what the congress aims to examine. Obviously, the main objective is to call people's attention to the considerable benefits we may obtain from genetic research if, as seems correct and appropriate, it attracts the efforts of researchers and public and private investments, while overcoming any temptation to follow the deceptive shortcuts presented by eugenics".
In his comments Professor Dallapiccola indicated that "the proliferation of genomic analyses is destined not only to make people's lives more dependent on medicine, but also to transform the role of doctors. ... The post-genome era risks producing a further involution of the figure of the doctor, who is perhaps destined to become a 'genomicist', in other words a specialist in interpreting the sophisticated data emerging from some highly-technological instrument".
"We must", he concluded, "take a critical stance, both towards 'reductionists' who believe the sequence of the human genome is sufficient to clarify the meaning of human life, and towards 'determinists' who hold that they can predict people's biological destiny, simply be examining their DNA". OP/CONGRESS GENETICS EUGENICS/FISICHELLA VIS 090217 (710) |
| You can find more information at: www.vatican.va - www.vis.pcn.net |
Vatican News Update 16 February 2009
| 02.16.2009 - Nineteenth Year - Num. 30 |
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SUMMARY: 14 - 16 FEBRUARY
- Nigerian Bishops: Confront Conflict in Nation and Church - Vatican: Activity in Favour of Solidarity and Common Good - Presidents, Relator and Secretaries of Synod for Africa - Angelus: Rediscovering the Sacrament of Penance - Consistory on Several Causes of Canonisation
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NIGERIAN BISHOPS: CONFRONT CONFLICT IN NATION AND CHURCH
VATICAN CITY, 14 FEB 2009 (VIS) - This morning, Benedict XVI received prelates from the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Nigeria, who have just completed their "ad limina" visit. Addressing them in English, the Pope highlighted how "Almighty God has blessed the Church in your country with generous growth. This is especially visible in the number of new Christians who have received Christ into their hearts and accept joyfully the Church as 'the pillar and bulwark of the truth'.
"The abundant priestly and religious vocations are also a clear sign of the work of the Spirit among you", he added, recalling how "the expansion in the Church calls for special care in diocesan planning and the training of personnel through ongoing activities of formation in order to facilitate the necessary deepening of the faith of your people". This, he explained, requires a number of basic steps: "teaching the art of prayer, encouraging participation in the liturgy and the Sacraments, wise and relevant preaching, catechetical instruction, and spiritual and moral guidance. From this foundation faith flourishes in Christian virtue, and gives rise to vibrant parishes and generous service to the wider community".
"The celebration of the liturgy is a privileged source of renewal in Christian living", said the Pope commending the bishops' efforts "to maintain the proper balance between moments of contemplation and external gestures of participation and joy in the Lord". Referring then to one of the themes of the forthcoming Synod of Bishops for Africa, that of ethnic unrest, he said: "The marvellous image of the Heavenly Jerusalem, the gathering of innumerable men and women from every tribe and tongue and people and nation who have been ransomed by the blood of Christ, encourages you to confront the challenge of ethnic conflict wherever present, even within the Church".
The Holy Father expressed his appreciation "to those of you who have accepted a pastoral mission outside the limits of your own regional or linguistic group and I thank the priests and people who have welcomed and supported you. ...There is no place in the Church for any kind of division. ... All believers, especially seminarians and priests, will grow in maturity and generosity by allowing the Gospel message to purify and overcome any possible narrowness of local perspectives".
He also highlighted "the bishop's task of sustaining the important social and ecclesial reality of marriage and family life. With the co-operation of well prepared priests and lay people, experts and married couples, you will exercise with responsibility and zeal your solicitude in this area of pastoral priority".
Benedict XVI also focused on the "important service to the nation" offered by the prelates through their "commitment to inter-religious dialogue especially with Islam, where with patience and perseverance, strong relations of respect, friendship and practical co-operation are being forged with other religious people".
"Your dedication to derive from Catholic principles enlightened comments on current national problems is greatly appreciated. The natural law, inscribed by the Creator on the heart of every human being, and the Gospel, properly understood and applied to civic and political realities, do not in any way reduce the range of valid political options. On the contrary, they constitute a guarantee offered to all citizens of a life of freedom, with respect for their dignity as persons, and protection from ideological manipulation and abuse based on the law of the strongest".
The Holy Father concluded his remarks by telling the prelates to "continue to exercise your episcopal authority in the struggle against unjust practices and corruption and against all causes and forms of discrimination and criminality, especially the degrading treatment of women and the deplorable practice of kidnapping. By promoting Catholic Social Doctrine you offer your loyal contribution to your country and assist in the consolidation of a national order based on solidarity and a culture of human rights". AL/.../NIGERIA VIS 090216 (650)
VATICAN: ACTIVITY IN FAVOUR OF SOLIDARITY AND COMMON GOOD
VATICAN CITY, 14 FEB 2009 (VIS) - At midday today, the Holy Father received participants in a congress organised to mark the eightieth anniversary of the foundation of Vatican City State.
"For people who work in the daily service of the Holy See, or for those who live in Rome, it is taken for granted that at the heart of the city lies a small sovereign State. Yet not everyone knows that this is the result of a tormented historical process. A process that led to the foundation [of this State], motivated by exalted ideals of faith and by a far-sighted awareness of the ends its was intended to serve".
After highlighting how Pius XI was the "principal architect and protagonist of the Lateran Pacts", and "the true founder and primary builder of Vatican City State", Benedict XVI explained how that Pontiff "guided the Church in the difficult years between the two World Wars. ... He also had to face the difficulties and persecution which the Church suffered in such countries as Mexico and Spain, and the confrontation with the totalitarian regimes that arose and established themselves over those years".
"Vatican City State, which came into being following the Lateran Pacts and in particular following the Lateran Treaty, was considered by Pius XI as a way of guaranteeing the Church her necessary independence from all human power, and giving her and her Supreme Pastor the chance to accomplish fully the mandate received from Christ the Lord".
This eightieth anniversary, he went on, "is a reason to express our profound thanks to the Lord, Who guides the destiny of His Church in the often turbulent events of history, and assists His vicar on earth in carrying out his role of 'Christianae religionis summus Antistes'".
Despite the fact that the "Civitas Vaticana" is "a minute and undefended State, possessing no fearsome armies, ... it has been and still is the centre of constant activities that radiate forth in favour of solidarity and the common good", he said.
"Vatican City State, which contains treasures of faith, of history and of art, is custodian to a precious heritage for all humanity. From its heart, where the Pope lives near the tomb of Peter, there incessantly arises a message of true social progress, of hope, reconciliation and peace".
The Pope concluded by expressing the hope that "Vatican City State may increasingly become a true 'city on the hill', illuminated by the sincerity and generous dedication of those who work there at the service of the ecclesial mission of Peter's Successor". AC/ANNIVERSARY VATICAN CITY STATE/... VIS 090216 (440)
PRESIDENTS, RELATOR AND SECRETARIES OF SYNOD FOR AFRICA
VATICAN CITY, 14 FEB 2009 (VIS) - The Holy Father has appointed the presidents delegate, relator general and special secretaries for the Second Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops, which is due to be held in the Vatican from 4 to 25 October on the theme: "The Church in Africa, at the Service of Reconciliation, Justice and Peace. 'You are the salt of the earth, ... you are the light of the world'".
The presidents delegate are Cardinal Francis Arinze, prefect emeritus of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments; Cardinal Theodore-Adrien Sarr, archbishop of Senegal, Dakar, and Cardinal Wilfrid Fox Napier O.F.M., archbishop of Durban, South Africa.
The relator general is Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson, archbishop of Cape Coast, Ghana, and the special secretaries are Archbishop Damiao Antonio Franklin of Luanda, Angola, and Bishop Edmond Djitangar of Sarh, Chad. .../SYNOD APPOINTMENTS/... VIS 090216 (160)
ANGELUS: REDISCOVERING THE SACRAMENT OF PENANCE
VATICAN CITY, 15 FEB 2009 (VIS) - At midday today, Benedict XVI appeared at the window of his study overlooking St. Peter's Square to pray the Angelus with faithful gathered below.
Commenting upon the Gospel reading from today's Mass, in which St. Mark recounts Jesus' miraculous healing of a leper, the Pope explained how "according to ancient Jewish Law leprosy was considered not just as an illness but as the most serious form of 'impurity'. It was the priest's task to diagnose it and declare as unclean the sick person, who then had to leave the community ... until his recovery, if any, a recovery that had to be properly certified. Leprosy, then, constituted a kind of religious and civil death, and its cure a sort of resurrection.
"In leprosy", he added, "we may see a symbol of sin, which is the true impurity of the heart and has the power to distance us from God. It is not in fact the physical sickness of leprosy, as established by the ancient laws, that separates us from Him, but guilt, spiritual and moral evil. ... The sins we commit distance us from God and, if not humbly confessed with trust in divine mercy, they go so far as to produce the death of the soul". The Holy Father then observed how Christ during His Passion "would become as a leper, made unclean by our sins, separated from God: and He would do this for love, in order to obtain reconciliation, forgiveness and salvation for us".
"In the Sacrament of Penance the crucified and risen Christ, through His ministers, purifies us with His infinite mercy, He restores us to communion with the heavenly Father and with our brothers and sisters, He makes us the gift of His love, His joy and His peace".
Benedict XVI concluded by inviting the faithful "to make frequent use of the Sacrament of Confession, the Sacrament of Forgiveness, which we must increasingly rediscover today in the value and importance it has for our lives as Christians". ANG/CONFESSION/... VIS 090216 (350)
CONSISTORY ON SEVERAL CAUSES OF CANONISATION
VATICAN CITY, 16 FEB 2009 (VIS) - In the Clementine Hall of the Vatican Apostolic Palace at 11 a.m. on Saturday 21 February, an ordinary public consistory will be held for the canonisation of the following Blesseds:
- Blessed Zygmunt Szczesny Felinski, Polish former archbishop of Warsaw and founder of the Congregation of Franciscan Sisters of the Family of Mary.
- Blessed Arcangelo Tadini, Italian diocesan priest and founder of the Congregation of Worker Sisters of the Holy House of Nazareth.
- Blessed Francesc Coll y Guitart, Spanish professed priest of the Order of Friars Preachers and founder of the Congregation of the Dominican Sisters of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
- Blessed Jozef Damian de Veuster, Belgian professed priest of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, and of the Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar (PICPUS).
- Blessed Bernardo Tolomei, Italian founder of the Olivetan Benedictine Congregation.
- Blessed Rafael Arnaiz Baron, Spanish oblate friar of the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance.
- Blessed Nuno di Santa Maria Alvares Pereira, Portuguese religious of the Order of Friars of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel.
- Blessed Gertrude Comensoli (nee Caterina), Italian virgin and foundress of the Institute of Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament.
- Blessed Mary of the Cross Jugan (nee Jeanne), French virgin and foundress of the Congregation of the Little Sisters of the Poor.
- Blessed Caterina Volpicelli, Italian virgin and foundress of the Institute of Handmaidens of the Sacred Heart. OCL/CONSISTORY CANONISATION/... VIS 090216 (270)
VATICAN CITY, 16 FEB 2009 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:
- Archbishop Bruno Musaro, apostolic nuncio to Peru.
- Six prelates from the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Nigeria, on their "ad limina" visit:
- Archbishop Richard Anthony Burke S.P.S. of Benin City, apostolic administrator "sede vacante et ad nutum Sanctae Sedis" of Warri, accompanied by Bishop John 'Oke Afareha, auxiliary of Warri.
- Bishop Gabriel Ghieakhomo Dunia of Auchi.
- Bishop Augustine Obiora Akubeze of Uromi.
- Archbishop Ignatius Ayau Kaigama of Jos.
- Bishop John Francis Moore S.M.A. of Bauchi.
On Saturday 14 February he received in audience Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops. AP:AL/.../... VIS 090216 (120)
VATICAN CITY, 16 FEB 2009 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Fr. Krzysztof Zadarko of the clergy of the diocese of Koszalin-Kolobrzeg, Poland, former official of the episcopal curia, as auxiliary of the same diocese (area 14,640, population 924,000, Catholics 909,000, priests 542, religious 395). The bishop-elect was born in Slupsk, Poland in 1960 and ordained a priest in 1986.
On Saturday 14 February it was made public that he appointed Fr. Sebastian Francis Shah O.F.M., former minister provincial of the Order of Friars Minor in Pakistan, as auxiliary of the archdiocese of Lahore (area 23,069, population 26,510,000, Catholics 385,000, priests 82, religious 291), Pakistan. The bishop-elect was born in Padri-Jo-Goth, Pakistan in 1957 and ordained a priest in 1991. NEA/.../ZADARKO:SHAH VIS 090216 (130) |
| You can find more information at: www.vatican.va - www.vis.pcn.net |
Vatican News Update 13 February 2009
| 02.13.2009 - Nineteenth Year - Num. 29 |
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SUMMARY:
- Benedict XVI Asks God to Watch over the Vatican - Twenty-Fifth Anniversary of John Paul II Sahel Foundation
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BENEDICT XVI ASKS GOD TO WATCH OVER THE VATICAN
VATICAN CITY, 13 FEB 2009 (VIS) - Yesterday evening in the Paul VI Hall, Benedict XVI attended a concert commemorating the eightieth anniversary of the foundation of Vatican City State. Our Lady's Choral Society and the RTE Concert Orchestra, both from Dublin, Ireland, played the "Messiah" by Georg Friedrich Handel. At the end of the performance, the Holy Father pronounced some brief remarks.
"This concert", he said, "which celebrates such a significant anniversary for Vatican City State, is one of a series of events organised for this occasion, on the theme: 'A small territory for a great mission'. ... I would like to thank all the people who have contributed to solemnise such an important moment for the Catholic Church. Commemorating eighty years of the 'Civitas Vaticana', we feel the need to pay homage to all the past and present protagonists of these eight decades of history of this small parcel of land.
"Firstly", he added, "I would like to recall the most important of those protagonists, my venerated Pius XI who, in announcing the signing of the Lateran Pacts and, especially, the foundation of Vatican City State, chose to use an expression of St. Francis of Assisi. He said that the new sovereign status was for the Church, as it had been for St. Francis, 'just enough body to hold the soul together'.
"Let us ask the Lord, Who guides the fortunes of the 'Ship of Peter' among the not-always easy events of history, to continue to watch over this small State. Above all, let us ask Him to help, with the power of His Spirit, Peter's Successor who stands at the helm of this ship, that he may faithfully and effectively undertake his ministry as the foundation of unity of the Catholic Church, which has its visible centre in the Vatican whence it expands to all the corners of the earth". AC/CONCERT ANNIVERSARY/VATICAN CITY VIS 090213 (330)
TWENTY-FIFTH ANNIVERSARY OF JOHN PAUL II SAHEL FOUNDATION
VATICAN CITY, 13 FEB 2009 (VIS) - The John Paul II Foundation for the Sahel is commemorating its twenty-fifth anniversary. The idea to create this institution arose following John Paul II's first trip to Africa, when he visited Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, in May 1980. It was established with a Chirograph on 22 February 1984.
The anniversary was marked with a meeting of the foundation's management board held in Ouagadougou on 10 February. The celebrations will conclude with a Mass to be celebrated in that African city on 15 February.
"The John Paul II Foundation for the Sahel is actively involved in managing and protecting natural resources, in the struggle against drought and desertification, in rural development and in the fight against poverty, through the real involvement of local people. Therefore it undertakes the training of animators ("cadres moyens"), and of healthcare workers, engineers, ... agronomists, and livestock and forest farmers ("cadres techniques"). One particularly important characteristic of the foundation is its openness to the different religions of local inhabitants, and thus it is also an instrument of inter-religious dialogue". CON-CU/ANNIVERSARY/OUAGADOUGOU:CORDES VIS 090213 (190)
VATICAN CITY, 13 FEB 2009 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:
- Cardinal William Joseph Levada, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
- Cardinal Stanislaw Rylko, president of the Pontifical Council for the Laity.
- Cardinal Paul Poupard, president emeritus of the Pontifical Council for Culture.
- Three prelates from the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Nigeria, on their "ad limina" visit:
- Bishop Augustine Tochikwu Ukwoma of Orlu, accompanied by Bishop emeritus Gregory O. Ochiagha.
- Bishop Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji of Umuahia. AP:AL/.../... VIS 090213 (100)
VATICAN CITY, 13 FEB 2009 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Bishop Ismael Rueda Sierra of Socorro y San Gil, Colombia, as metropolitan archbishop of Bucaramanga (area 5,397, population 1,264,900, Catholics 1,234,201, priests 212, permanent deacons 32, religious 674), Colombia. The archbishop-elect was born in Suaita, Colombia in 1950, he was ordained a priest in 1981 and consecrated a bishop in 2001. He succeeds Archbishop Victor Manuel Lopez Forero, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same archdiocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit. NER:RE/.../RUEDA:LOPEZ VIS 090213 (100) |
| You can find more information at: www.vatican.va - www.vis.pcn.net |
Vatican News Update 12 February 2009
| 02.12.2009 - Nineteenth Year - Num. 28 |
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SUMMARY: 11 - 12 FEBRUARY
- Faith, Hope and Charity: God's Gift to the Baptised - Christ is the Answer to the Enigma of Suffering and Death - Benedict XVI Praises Reconciliation in Australia - Holocaust Denial Is Intolerable and Unacceptable
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FAITH, HOPE AND CHARITY: GOD'S GIFT TO THE BAPTISED
VATICAN CITY, 11 FEB 2009 (VIS) - In his general audience, held this morning in the Paul VI Hall, the Pope began a new series of catecheses dealing with the great writers of the Eastern and Western Church during the Middle Ages. The focus of his attention today was St. John Climacus, who was born in 575 and died some time after 650.
"Amid the mountains of Sinai, where Moses encountered God and Elijah heard His voice, John lived and recounted his spiritual experiences", said the Holy Father. "At the age of around twenty he decided to live as a hermit in a cave at the foot of the mountains, in a place known as Tola some eight kilometres from the current monastery of St. Catherine. ... After forty years of hermitic life ... he was appointed as 'hegumen' of the great monastery of Mount Sinai".
The saint "became famous for his work the 'Scala' (Klimax), ... a complex treatise on spiritual life in which John describes the monk's path from renouncing the world to perfection of love, a path which, according to the book, has thirty steps".
"This path", the Pope continued, "may be summarised in three phases: the first is expressed in a break with the world in order to return to the state of evangelical infancy, ... which is true infancy in the spiritual sense".
The second phase, Benedict XVI explained, "consists of the spiritual struggle against the passions". For John Climacus "it is important to be aware that passions are not bad in themselves, they become so through the bad use that man's freedom makes of them. If purified, the passions open man to the way that leads to God".
"The last phase of the path, covering the last seven steps of the 'Scala', is Christian perfection", said the Pope. "The first three of these steps are simplicity, humility and discernment, of which John, in harmony with the Desert Fathers, feels the last to be the most important, discernment. ... In this way it is possible to achieve tranquillity of heart ('esichia'), thanks to which the soul can approach the abyss of the divine mysteries. ... The state of tranquillity, of inner peace, prepares the adept for prayer, which in John has a dual function: 'bodily prayer' and 'prayer of the heart'".
The last of the thirty steps is dedicated to "faith, hope and, above all, charity. John also speaks of charity as 'eros' (human love), an image of the nuptial bond between the soul and God. ... John is convinced that an intense experience of 'eros' makes the soul progress much more than the harsh struggle against the passions".
"Can the existence of a man who spent all his life on Mount Sinai so long ago", asked the Holy Father, "still say anything to us today? At first glance the answer may appear to be no, ... but if we look a little closer we see that the monastic life is simply a symbol of the baptismal life, of Christian life".
The Holy Father highlighted the importance of the fact that the last steps of the "Scala" correspond to the fundamental virtues: faith, hope and charity. "They are not accessible only to moral heroes but are a gift of God to all the baptised, in them our life grows", he said.
"Faith is fundamental because ... it means renouncing our own arrogance, ... rejecting the pretension of judging alone without entrusting ourselves to others. ... What we must do is entrust ourselves only to Sacred Scripture, the Word of the Lord, look with humility to the horizon of the faith so as to enter into the vastness of the universal world, the world of God".
"Through hope we transcend everyday life", Pope Benedict concluded. Thus "our lives become great and we can support our daily fatigue and disappointments, we can be good to others without expecting any reward. Only when there is God - the great hope to which we are drawn - can we take the little steps of our lives and so learn charity. In charity is hidden the mystery of prayer, of personal acquaintance with Jesus". AG/ST. JOHN CLIMACUS/... VIS 090212 (710)
CHRIST IS THE ANSWER TO THE ENIGMA OF SUFFERING AND DEATH
VATICAN CITY, 11 FEB 2009 (VIS) - In the Vatican Basilica at 4.30 p.m. today, Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes and the seventeenth World Day of the Sick, Cardinal Javier Lozano Barragan, president of the Pontifical Council for Healthcare Ministry, 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 end of Mass, Benedict XVI arrived in the basilica where he blessed the sick and made some brief remarks.
"This Day invites us to make sick people more intensely aware of the spiritual closeness of the Church", said the Pope, because the Church "is the family of God in the world, within which no-one must suffer for lack of what they need. At the same time, today we have the opportunity to reflect on the experience of sickness and pain, and more generally on the meaning of life which must be lived to the full, even in suffering".
Recalling then how this year's World Day is dedicated to sick children, the Holy Father asked: "If we remain speechless before the suffering of adults, what can we say when sickness strikes a young and innocent child? How can we, even in such difficult situations, see the merciful love of God, Who never abandons His children at their time of trial?"
He went on: "Such questions are frequent and sometimes disquieting, and the truth is that on a merely human level they do not find adequate answers, because the significance of suffering, sickness and death remains unfathomable to our minds. However, the light of faith comes to our aid.
"The Word of God", he added, "reveals to us that these evils are also mysteriously 'embraced' by the design of salvation. Faith helps us to uphold the belief that human life is beautiful and worthy to be lived to the full, even when undermined by sickness.
"God created man for happiness and for life, while sickness and death came into the world as a consequence of sin", the Pope explained. "But the Lord has not left us to ourselves. He, the Father of life, is doctor par excellence to man and never ceases His loving attentions to humanity".
"We are achieving an ever greater awareness of the fact that the life of man is not a disposable product, but a precious casket to keep and safeguard with all possible care, from beginning to final and natural conclusion. Life is a mystery which, of itself, calls for responsibility, love, patience and charity on the part of each and every individual. Even more so, then, it is necessary to surround the sick and suffering with care and respect. This is not always easy, but we know where we can draw the courage and patience to face the vicissitudes of earthly life, in particular sickness and suffering of all kinds".
"For we Christians", he concluded, "the reply to the enigma of suffering and death is in Christ. ... It is in the 'school' of the Eucharistic Christ that we are able to love life always and to accept our apparent impotence in the face of sickness and death".
"May the Light that comes from on high" he concluded, "help us to understand and give meaning and value also to the experience of suffering and death". AC/MASS WORLD DAY SICK/... VIS 090212 (580)
BENEDICT XVI PRAISES RECONCILIATION IN AUSTRALIA
VATICAN CITY, 12 FEB 2009 (VIS) - This morning in the Vatican, Benedict XVI received the Letters of Credence of Timothy Anthony Fischer, the new ambassador of Australia to the Holy See. The Pope began his remarks by expressing his sorrow for the recent bush fires in the Australian region of Victoria, asking the ambassador "to send my condolences to the grieving individuals and families".
Continuing his English-language address, the Holy Father noted how the new ambassador is Australia's first residential ambassador to the Holy See, thus marking a "new stage" in the diplomatic relations between the two countries. "The Church's engagement with civil society is anchored in her conviction that human progress - whether as individuals or communities - is dependent upon the recognition of the supernatural vocation proper to every person", he said. "It is from God that men and women receive their essential dignity and the capacity to seek truth and goodness. Within this broad perspective we can counter tendencies to pragmatism and consequentialism, so prevalent today, which engage only with the symptoms and effects of conflicts, social fragmentation, and moral ambiguity, rather than their roots".
He then went on to recall last year's World Youth Day celebrated in Sydney, commenting that every WYD "is a spiritual event: a time when young people, not all of whom have a close association with the Church, encounter God in an intense experience of prayer, learning, and listening. ... I pray that this young generation of Christians in Australia and throughout the world will channel their enthusiasm for all that is true and good into forging friendships across divides and creating places of living faith in and for our world".
"Cultural diversity brings much richness to the social fabric of Australia today. For decades that collage was tarnished by the injustices so painfully endured by the indigenous peoples. Through the apology offered last year by Prime Minister Rudd, a profound change of heart has been affirmed. Now, renewed in the spirit of reconciliation, both government agencies and aboriginal elders can address with resolution and compassion the plethora of challenges that lie ahead".
The Holy Father had words of praise for Australia's "active support of the Millennium Development Goals, numerous regional partnerships, and initiatives to strengthen the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty". He also highlighted its readiness "to respond to a growing variety of exigencies in a principled, responsible and innovative manner. Not least of these are the menacing threats to God's creation itself through climate change. Perhaps more than ever before in our human history the fundamental relationship between Creator, Creation and Creature needs to be pondered and respected".
Referring then to his Message for this year's World Day of Peace and its focus on "the need for an ethical approach to the creation of positive partnerships between markets, civil society and States", the Holy Father commended "the Australian Government's determination to establish relations of co-operation based on the values of fairness, good governance, and the sense of a regional neighbourhood. ... It is ethics which render imperative a compassionate and generous response to poverty; they render urgent the sacrificing of protectionist interests for fair accessibility of poor countries to developed markets just as they render reasonable donor nations' insistence upon accountability and transparency in the use of financial aid by receiver nations".
Finally Pope Benedict spoke of the activity of the Church within the healthcare sector, highlighting one aspect of particular concern in "the provision of medical care for families, including high-quality obstetrical care for women. How ironic it is", he concluded, "when some groups, through aid programmes, promote abortion as a form of 'maternal' healthcare: taking a life, purportedly to improve the quality of life". CD/CREDENCE/AUSTRALIA:FISCHER VIS 090212 (630)
HOLOCAUST DENIAL IS INTOLERABLE AND UNACCEPTABLE
VATICAN CITY, 12 FEB 2009 (VIS) - At midday today, the Holy Father received members of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organisations.
Speaking English, the Pope began his remarks by recalling his first visit to a synagogue, in the German city of Cologne in August 2005. He then mentioned his trip, in May of the following year, to the extermination camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau. "As I walked through the entrance to that place of horror, the scene of such untold suffering", he said, "I meditated on the countless number of prisoners, so many of them Jews, who had trodden that same path into captivity at Auschwitz and in all the other prison camps".
"How can we begin to grasp the enormity of what took place in those infamous prisons? The entire human race feels deep shame at the savage brutality shown to your people at that time", he said.
The Pope then noted how today's visit "occurs in the context of your visit to Italy in conjunction with your annual Leadership Mission to Israel. I too am preparing to visit Israel, a land which is holy for Christians as well as Jews, since the roots of our faith are to be found there".
"The Church is profoundly and irrevocably committed to reject all anti-Semitism and to continue to build good and lasting relations between our two communities. If there is one particular image which encapsulates this commitment, it is the moment when my beloved predecessor Pope John Paul II stood at the Western Wall in Jerusalem, pleading for God's forgiveness after all the injustice that the Jewish people have had to suffer"
"The hatred and contempt for men, women and children that was manifested in the Shoah was a crime against God and against humanity. ... It is beyond question that any denial or minimisation of this terrible crime is intolerable and altogether unacceptable".
"This terrible chapter in our history must never be forgotten. Remembrance - it is rightly said - is 'memoria futuri', a warning to us for the future, and a summons to strive for reconciliation. To remember is to do everything in our power to prevent any recurrence of such a catastrophe within the human family by building bridges of lasting friendship.
"It is my fervent prayer that the memory of this appalling crime will strengthen our determination to heal the wounds that for too long have sullied relations between Christians and Jews", Benedict XVI concluded. "It is my heartfelt desire that the friendship we now enjoy will grow ever stronger, so that the Church's irrevocable commitment to respectful and harmonious relations with the people of the Covenant will bear fruit in abundance". AC/.../JEWISH ORGANISATIONS VIS 090212 (460)
VATICAN CITY, 12 FEB 2009 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences three prelates from the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Nigeria, on their "ad limina" visit:
- Bishop Vincent Valentine Egwuchukwo Ezeonyia C.S.Sp. of Aba.
- Bishop Solomon Amanchukwu Amatu of Okigwe, accompanied by Bishop emeritus Anthony Ekezia Ilonu. AL/.../... VIS 090212 (60)
VATICAN CITY, 12 FEB 2009 (VIS) - The Holy Father:
- Accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the archdiocese of Medan, Indonesia, presented by Archbishop Alfred Gonti Pius Datubara O.F.M. Cap., upon having reached the age limit. He is succeeded by Coadjutor Archbishop Anicetus Bongsu Antonius Sinaga O.F.M. Cap.
- Appointed Bishop Philip Naameh of Damongo, Ghana, as metropolitan archbishop of Tamale (area 7,383, population 751,000, Catholics 18,450, priests 42, religious 118), Ghana. The archbishop-elect was born in Nandom-Ko, Ghana in 1948, he was ordained a priest in 1977 and consecrated a bishop in 1995.
- Appointed Bishop Juan Navarro Castellanos, auxiliary of the archdiocese of Acapulco, Mexico, as bishop of Tuxpan (area 19,000, population 2,020,000, Catholics 1,300,000, priests 95, permanent deacons 3, religious 14), Mexico.
On Wednesday 11 February it was made public that he appointed Fr. Tarcisio Nascentes dos Santos, pastor of the parish of "Nossa Senhora de Fatima" at Sao Goncalo in the archdiocese of Niteroi, Brazil, as bishop of Divinopolis (area 8,824, population 729,604, Catholics 623,189, priests 96, religious 132), Brazil. The bishop-elect was born in Niteroi in 1954 and ordained a priest in 1978. He succeeds Bishop Jose Belvino do Nascimento, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit. RE:NER/.../... VIS 090212 (230) |
| You can find more information at: www.vatican.va - www.vis.pcn.net |
Vatican News Update 10 February 2009
| 02.10.2009 - Nineteenth Year - Num. 27 |
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SUMMARY:
- International Conference on Biological Evolution - Notice
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INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON BIOLOGICAL EVOLUTION
VATICAN CITY, 10 FEB 2009 (VIS) - In the Holy See Press Office this morning, the presentation took place of an international conference entitled: "Biological Evolution: Facts and Theories. A critical appraisal 150 years after 'The Origin of Species'". The event is due to take place in Rome from 3 to 7 March.
The congress has been jointly organised by the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome and the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, U.S.A., under the patronage of the Pontifical Council for Culture and as part of the STOQ Project (Science, Theology and the Ontological Quest).
Participating in today's press conference were Archbishop Gianfranco Ravasi, president of the Pontifical Council for Culture and president of the Committee of Honour of the congress; Fr. Marc Leclerc S.J., professor of the philosophy of nature at the Gregorian University and director of the congress; Fr. Giuseppe Tanzella-Nitti, professor of fundamental theology at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross, and Saverio Forestiero, professor of zoology at Rome's Torvergata University and a member of the organising committee.
Archbishop Ravasi pointed out that the forthcoming congress responds to the need "to re-establish dialogue between science and faith, because neither of them can fully resolve the mystery of human beings and the universe".
For his part Fr. Leclerc explained that the congress will be divided into nine sessions, focusing on "the essential facts upon which the theory of evolution rests, facts associated with palaeontology and molecular biology; ... the scientific study of the mechanisms of evolution, ... and what science has to say about the origin of human beings". Attention will also be given to "the great anthropological questions concerning evolution, ... and the rational implications of the theory for the epistemological and metaphysical fields and for the philosophy of nature". Finally, he said, "there will be two theological sessions to study evolution from the point of view of Christian faith, on the basis of a correct exegesis of the biblical texts that mention the creation, and of the reception of the theory of evolution by the Church".
Saverio Forastiero observed that "the relative fluidity of contemporary evolutionary theory is largely due to a series of discoveries made in the last quarter of a century, discoveries which require the synthetic theory to be reconfigured and could lead to a theory of evolution of the third generation".
"It is my view", he went on, "that this congress represents an opportunity, neither propagandistic nor apologetic, for scientists, philosophers and theologians to meet and discuss the fundamental questions raised by biological evolution - which is assumed and discussed as a fact beyond all reasonable doubt - in order to examine its manifestations and causal mechanisms, and to analyse the impact and quality of the explanatory theories thus far proposed".
For his part, Fr. Tanzella-Nitti highlighted how "from the perspective of Christian theology, biological evolution and creation are by no means mutually exclusive. ... None of the evolutionary mechanisms opposes the affirmation that God wanted - in other words, created - man. Neither is this opposed by the casual nature of the many events that happened during the slow development of life, as long as the recourse to chance remains a simple scientific reading of phenomena".
"I hope", he went on, "that the natural sciences may be used by theology as a positive informational resource, and not just seen as a source of problems. ... I do not believe biological evolution is possible in a materialist world, without information, without direction, without a plan. In a created world, the role of theology is precisely that of talking to us about nature and the meaning it has, of the Logos which, as Benedict XVI likes to say, is the uncreated foundation of all things and of history". OP/CONGRESS EVOLUTION/RAVASI VIS 090210 (640)
VATICAN CITY, 10 FEB 2009 (VIS) - The Holy Father:
- Appointed Fr. Francis Xavier Vira Arpondratana of the clergy of Bangkok, Thailand, director of the diocesan catechesis centre and secretary of the episcopal commission for catechesis, as bishop of Chiang Mai (area 89,683, population 5,749,882, Catholics 48,927, priests 74, religious 140), Thailand. The bishop-elect was born in Sam Saem, Thailand in 1955 and ordained a priest in 1981. He succeeds Bishop Joseph Sangval Surasarang, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, in accordance with canon 401 para. 2 of the Code of Canon Law.
- Appointed Fr. Marcellin Randriamamonjy of the clergy of Ambositra, Madagascar, former rector of the major inter-diocesan seminary of Vohitsoa, as bishop of Fenoarivo-Atsiranana (area 25,000, population 804,000, Catholics 150,000, priests 34, religious 56), Madagascar. The bishop-elect was born in Sandrandahy, Madagascar in 1963 and ordained a priest in 1992.
- Appointed Fr. Ignatius Loyola Mascarenhas of the clergy of Delhi, India, rector of the preparatory regional seminary at Kauli, as bishop of Simla-Chandigarh (area 83,560, population 20,134,365, Catholics 13,800, priests 98, religious 352), India. The bishop-elect was born in Delhi in 1949 and ordained a priest in 1977.
- Appointed Fr. Mario Fiandri S.D.B., director of the Salesian theologate in Guatemala, as apostolic vicar of El Peten (area 36,000, population 701,000, Catholics 522,000, priests 20, religious 49), Guatemala. The bishop-elect was born in Arborea, Italy in 1947 and ordained a priest in 1974.
- Appointed Fr. Augustinus Kim Jong Soo, rector of the major seminary of the diocese of Daejon, Korea, as auxiliary of the same diocese (area 9,137, population 3,476,805, Catholics 225,560, priests 225, religious 546). The bishop-elect was born in Taehung-dong, Korea in 1956 and ordained a priest in 1989.
- Appointed Msgr. Binay Kandulna of the clergy of Khunti, India, collaborator of the apostolic nunciature in New Delhi, India, as auxiliary of the archdiocese of Ranchi (area 5,299, population 2,993,000, Catholics 116,758, priests 232, religious 1,094), India. The bishop-elect was born in Gondra, India in 1964 and ordained a priest in 1994. NER:RE:NEA/.../... VIS 090210 (360)
VATICAN CITY, 10 FEB 2009 (VIS) - As previously advised, there will be no edition of VIS tomorrow, 11 February, 80th anniversary of the institution of Vatican City State with the signing of the Lateran Pacts. Service will resume on Thursday 12 February. .../.../... VIS 090210 (50) |
| You can find more information at: www.vatican.va - www.vis.pcn.net |
Vatican News Update 9 February 2009
| 02.09.2009 - Nineteenth Year - Num. 26 |
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SUMMARY: 7 - 9 FEBRUARY
- Christian Communities, Help the Families of Sick Children - Absence of God Is Mankind's Most Profound Sickness - Appeal for Peace in Madagascar - Phone Conversation between Pope and German Chancellor - Appreciation for the Attempt to Save Life of Eluana - Brazilian Ambassador Presents His Letters of Credence
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CHRISTIAN COMMUNITIES, HELP THE FAMILIES OF SICK CHILDREN
VATICAN CITY, 7 FEB 2009 (VIS) - The Holy Father's Message for the seventeenth World Day of the Sick was made public today. The Day is celebrated every year on 11 February, Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes.
"This year our attention turns particularly to children", the Pope writes in his Message, "and especially to sick and suffering children. There are young human beings whose bodies bear the consequences of incapacitating illnesses, and others who struggle against sicknesses that remain incurable even today, despite the progress in medical science".
"There are children who have been injured in body and mind by wars, and other innocent victims of the mindless hatred of adults. There are street children who are denied the warmth of family life and left to themselves, and minors profaned by sordid individuals who wish to violate their innocence, inflicting psychological wounds which will stay with them for the rest of their lives. Nor must we forget the countless minors who die of thirst, hunger and lack of healthcare, and the young exiles who emigrate from their own land with their parents in search of better living conditions. All these children raise a silent cry of pain that appeals to our conscience as human beings and believers.
"The Christian community, which cannot remain indifferent in the face of such dramatic situations, feels the pressing duty to intervene", adds the Pope. "My hope, then, is that the World Day of the Sick may give parish and diocesan communities the opportunity to become ever more aware of being the 'family of God', encouraging them ... to make manifest the love of the Lord Who asks that 'within the ecclesial family no member should suffer through being in need'".
Benedict XVI then goes on to observe that, "since a sick child belongs to a family which shares his or her sufferings and often has to face great inconveniences and difficulties, Christian communities cannot but take on the burden of helping families struck by the sickness of a son or daughter. Following the example of the Good Samaritan we must tend to such sorely-tried people and offer them the support of our real solidarity".
"Daily dedication and ceaseless commitment in the service of sick children are an eloquent testimony of love for human life, especially for the lives of the weak and of those entirely dependent upon others. We must, in fact, vigorously affirm the absolute and supreme dignity of each human life. Though time may pass, the teaching incessantly proclaimed by the Church remains unchanged: human life is beautiful and must be lived to the full even when its is weak and enveloped by the mystery of suffering".
"John Paul II, who gave us a shining example in his patient acceptance of his own suffering, especially at the end of his life, wrote: 'On this Cross is the Redeemer of man, the Man of Sorrows, Who has taken upon himself the physical and moral sufferings of the people of all times, so that in love they may find the salvific meaning of their sorrow and valid answers to all of their questions'".
Finally, Pope Benedict expresses his "appreciation and encouragement to the international and national organisations that care for sick children with generosity and self-sacrifice, especially in poor countries", and to all people "who lovingly dedicate themselves to alleviate the sufferings of the sick.
"My very special greetings", the Holy Father concludes his Message, "to you dear children who are sick and suffering. The Pope embraces you, your parents and your families with paternal affection, and assures you of a special mention in his prayer, inviting you to trust in the maternal assistance of Mary Immaculate". MESS/WORLD DAY SICK/... VIS 090209 (630)
ABSENCE OF GOD IS MANKIND'S MOST PROFOUND SICKNESS
VATICAN CITY, 8 FEB 2009 (VIS) - At midday today, Benedict XVI appeared at the window of his private study to pray the Angelus with faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square below.
The Pope commented on today's Gospel reading which relates the healing of Simon's mother-in-law and of many other sick people. "The healing of the sick occupied a large part of Christ's public ministry", said the Pope, "and it invites us once again to reflect upon the meaning and importance of sickness in all the situations in which human beings may find themselves".
The Holy Father recalled how this Wednesday marks the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes and the World Day of the Sick. "Despite the fact that sickness forms part of the human experience", he said, "we are unable to accustom ourselves to it, not only because it is sometimes so serious and oppressive, but essentially because we are made for life, for a complete life. Rightly enough, our 'interior instinct' leads us to think of God as fullness of life, as eternal and perfect Life.
"When we are tried by sickness", he added, "and all our prayers seem ineffective, doubt arises within us and we ask ourselves in anguish: what is God's will? It is to this question that we find an answer in the Gospel. ... Jesus leaves us in no doubt: God - Whose face Christ Himself revealed to us - is the God of life Who frees us from all evil. The sign of His power of love is the healing He accomplishes, thus demonstrating that the Kingdom of God is near and restoring men and women to their full integrity of soul and body".
The Pope went on: "I say that these acts of healing are signs: they guide us towards Christ's message, they guide us towards God and they help us understand that man's real and most profound sickness is the absence of God, the absence of the source of truth and love".
"Thanks to the action of the Holy Spirit, Jesus' activity is prolonged in the mission of the Church. Through the Sacraments it is Christ Who communicates His life to multitudes of brothers and sisters. He also heals and comforts countless sick people through the many healthcare activities which Christian communities promote with fraternal charity, thus revealing the face of God and His love".
"Let us pray for all the sick, especially those seriously ill who are unable to look after themselves but are totally dependent upon the help of others. May each of them experience, in the care of those near them, the power of God's love and the richness of His salvific grace". ANG/SICKNESS/... VIS 090209 (460)
APPEAL FOR PEACE IN MADAGASCAR
VATICAN CITY, 8 FEB 2009 (VIS) - At midday today, following the Angelus prayer, the Pope launched an appeal for peace following "the strong political tensions that have also led to popular unrest" in Madagascar.
The Holy Father noted how, in the wake of these events, the bishops of the island "have called for a day of prayer to take place today, in favour of national reconciliation and social justice".
"Deeply concerned for the particularly critical situation the country is experiencing, I call upon people to join Malagasy Catholics in entrusting to the Lord those who died in the demonstrations, and asking of Him, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin, a return to harmony of hearts, social tranquillity and civil coexistence". ANG/APPEAL PEACE/MADAGASCAR VIS 090209 (130)
PHONE CONVERSATION BETWEEN POPE AND GERMAN CHANCELLOR
VATICAN CITY, 8 FEB 2009 (VIS) - At midday today Holy See Press Office Director Fr. Federico Lombardi S.J. and Ulrich Wilhelm, spokesman for the German federal government, released the following joint communique:
"The Holy Father Benedict XVI and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, in a telephone conversation which took place at the request of the chancellor, were able to reciprocally exchange of points of view, in an atmosphere of the greatest respect.
"In this context, both referred once again to the declarations made, respectively, by the Holy Father at his general audience on 28 January, and by the chancellor last Thursday.
"Mr. Wilhelm, the German government spokesman, and Holy See Press Office Director Fr. Lombardi commented: 'It was a cordial and constructive discussion marked by their shared and profound conviction that the Shoah represents an ever-valid admonition for humankind'". OP/SHOAH/LOMBARDI:WILHELM VIS 090209 (150)
APPRECIATION FOR THE ATTEMPT TO SAVE LIFE OF ELUANA
VATICAN CITY, 8 FEB 2009 (VIS) - "Yesterday a cordial telephone conversation took place between Giorgio Napolitano, president of the Italian Republic, and Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B.", says a Holy See Press Office communique released today.
"During the conversation attention turned to the case of Eluana Englaro, and to other matters of mutual interest.
"Concerning the Englaro case, appreciation was expressed for the acceleration given by parliament to the approval of the projected law". OP/ENGLARO CASE/BERTONE VIS 090209 (90)
BRAZILIAN AMBASSADOR PRESENTS HIS LETTERS OF CREDENCE
VATICAN CITY, 9 FEB 2009 (VIS) - This morning in the Vatican, the Holy Father received the Letters of Credence of Luiz Felipe de Seixas Correa, the new ambassador of Brazil to the Holy See.
In his address to the diplomat, the Holy Father spoke of his hope that, "in accordance with the principles that safeguard human dignity, of which Brazil has always been a stern defender, fundamental human values may still be fomented and disseminated, especially when this involves explicit recognition for the sanctity of family life, the protection of unborn children [and of life] from the moment of conception to natural end".
On the subject of "biological experimentation, the Holy See has always firmly promoted the defence of ethical principles that do not damage but protect the existence of the embryo and its right to be born", said the Pope.
Benedict XVI highlighted how "in a climate of solidarity and mutual understanding, the government seeks to support initiatives that favour the struggle against poverty, and against shortcomings in technological training, both at national and international level".
The Holy Father noted how "the policy of redistributing internal revenue has facilitated greater wellbeing among people", expressing the hope that Brazil may "continue to encourage a better distribution of wealth, increasing social justice for the good of the people. ... Over and above material poverty, the moral poverty which is spreading throughout the world also has a decisive influence, even where there is no lack of material goods", he said.
"In fact, the danger of consumerism and hedonism, together with the lack of solid moral principles to guide the lives of ordinary citizens, weakens the structure of Brazilian families and society. For this reason we cannot over emphasise the urgent need for solid moral formation at all levels - including the political sphere - in order to counter an ongoing threat from persisting materialist ideologies, and in particular the temptation to corruption in managing public and private finances. In this, Christianity can make an important contribution".
Finally, the Holy Father referred to a recently-signed agreement "defining the juridical status of the Catholic Church in Brazil and regulating the fields of mutual interest between the two sides", highlighting how this is "a significant sign of the sincere collaboration that the Church - while performing her own mission - wishes to maintain with the Brazilian government". Benedict XVI also spoke of his hope that the agreement, "may facilitate the free exercise of the Church's evangelising mission and further strengthen collaboration with civil institutions for the integral development of the person". CD/LETTERS CREDENCE/BRAZIL:CORREA VIS 090209 (440)
VATICAN CITY, 9 FEB 2009 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences six prelates from the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Nigeria, on their "ad limina" visit:
- Bishop Francis Folorunsho Clement Alonge of Ondo.
- Bishop Gabriel 'Leke Abegunrin of Osogbo.
- Bishop Julius Babatunde Adelakun of Oyo, accompanied by Coadjutor Bishop Emmanuel Adetoyese Badejo.
- Bishop Ayo-Maria Atoyebi O.P. of Ilorin.
- Archbishop Anthony John Valentine Obinna of Owerri.
On Sunday 8 February, he received in audience Cardinal Christoph Schonborn O.P., archbishop of Vienna, Austria.
On Saturday 7 February, he received in separate audiences:
- Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.
- Five prelates from the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Nigeria, on their "ad limina" visit:
- Bishop Alexius Obabu Makozi of Port Harcourt.
- Bishop Joseph Effiong Ekuwem of Uyo.
- Archbishop Felix Alaba Adeosin Job of Ibadan.
- Bishop Michael Patrick Olatunji Fagun of Ekiti, accompanied by Coadjutor Bishop Felix Femi Ajakaye. AL:AP/.../... VIS 090209 (170)
VATICAN CITY, 9 FEB 2009 (VIS) - The Holy Father:
- Appointed Fr. Callistus Valentine Onaga, administrator of the cathedral and vicar general of Enugu, Nigeria, as bishop of the same diocese (area 2,738, population 2,160,664, Catholics 1,286,096, priests 268, religious 676). The bishop-elect was born in Agbudu, Nigeria in 1958 and ordained a priest in 1987. He succeeds Bishop Anthony Okonkwo Gbuji, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.
- Appointed Giovanni Amici, vice director of the General Services of the Governorate of Vatican City State, as director of the same institution.
- Luigi Salimbeni, official of the Ordinary Section of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See (APSA), as director for telecommunications of the Governorate of Vatican City State.
On Saturday 7 February it was made public that he:
- Appointed Fr. Francisco Javier Stegmeier Schmidlin of the clergy of the diocese of Los Angeles, Chile, rector of the metropolitan seminary of Concepcion, as bishop of Villarrica (area 18,630, population 391,000, Catholics 274,000, priests 50, permanent deacons 12, religious 177), Chile. The bishop-elect was born in Los Angeles, Chile in 1962 and ordained a priest in 1988. He succeeds Bishop Sixto Jose Parzinger Foidl O.F.M. Cap., whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.
- Appointed Archbishop James Patrick Green, apostolic to nuncio to South Africa, Lesotho and Namibia, as apostolic nuncio to Botswana. NER:RE:NA:NN/.../... VIS 090209 (260) |
| You can find more information at: www.vatican.va - www.vis.pcn.net |
Vatican News Update 6 February 2009
| 02.06.2009 - Nineteenth Year - Num. 25 |
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SUMMARY:
- Solidarity and Subsidiarity to Overcome Social Exclusion - Bertone-Berlusconi Telephone Conversation Denied
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SOLIDARITY AND SUBSIDIARITY TO OVERCOME SOCIAL EXCLUSION
VATICAN CITY, 6 FEB 2009 (VIS) - Archbishop Celestino Migliore, permanent observer of the Holy See to the United Nations in New York, yesterday addressed the 47th session of the Economic and Social Council's Commission for Social Development.
Speaking English the archbishop turned his attention to the question of social integration, underlining how a recent report on that subject from the U.N. secretary general "states that the absence of social integration, resulting in social exclusion, is pervasive in developing and developed regions alike and has common causes, namely poverty, inequality and discrimination at all levels".
The framework for development, he went on, "is marked by the conviction that the logic of solidarity and subsidiarity is the most apt and instrumental to overcome poverty and ensure the participation of every person and social group at the social, economic, civil and cultural levels.
"A broad consensus around the commitment to promote development has been revealed in this last decade in the fight against poverty and in fostering the inclusion and the participation of all persons and social groups", he added.
"The pursuit of the goals and, in the end, of development and social cohesion requires not only financial aid, but the effective involvement of people", said Archbishop Migliore, going on to recall the words of Benedict XVI in his Message for the World Day of Peace 2009: "The problems of development, aid and international co-operation are sometimes addressed without any real attention to the human element, but as merely technical questions - limited, that is, to establishing structures, setting up trade agreements, and allocating funding impersonally. What the fight against poverty really needs are men and women who live in a profoundly fraternal way and are able to accompany individuals, families and communities on journeys of authentic human development".
The permanent observer concluded his remarks by insisting that "the needs of families, women, youth, the uneducated and unemployed, the indigenous, the elderly, migrants and all other groups more vulnerable to social exclusion must be addressed through the appropriate legal, social and institutional structures". DELSS/SOCIAL INTEGRATION/U.N.:MIGLIORE VIS 090206 (350)
BERTONE-BERLUSCONI TELEPHONE CONVERSATION DENIED
VATICAN CITY, 6 FEB 2009 (VIS) - Holy See Press Office Director Fr. Federico Lombardi S.J. today released the following declaration denying a claim made by the Italian newspaper "La Stampa" that Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B. and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi had spoken by telephone concerning the suspension of tube hydration and feeding to Eluana Englaro, an Italian woman who has been in a coma since 1992:
"We categorically deny the report published this morning, with such emphasis, by an Italian daily newspaper, concerning a supposed telephone conversation between Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B. and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. The news is completely unfounded". OP/DENIAL/BERLUSCONI:BERTONE VIS 090206 (120)
VATICAN CITY, 6 FEB 2009 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences seven prelates from the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Nigeria, on their "ad limina" visit:
- Bishop Martin Dada Abejide Olorunmolu of Lokoja.
- Bishop Athanasius Atule Usuh of Makurdi, accompanied by Auxiliary Bishop William Avenya.
- Bishop Michael Ekwoy Apochi of Otukpo.
- Archbishop Joseph Edra Ukpo of Calabar.
- Bishop Camillus Archibong Etokudoh of Ikot Ekpene.
- Bishop John Ebebe Ayah of Ogoja. AL/.../... VIS 090206 (80)
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| You can find more information at: www.vatican.va - www.vis.pcn.net |
Vatican News Update 5 February 2009
| 02.05.2009 - Nineteenth Year - Num. 24 |
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SUMMARY:
- Note from the Secretariat of State - Celebrations to Be Presided by the Pope: February-April
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NOTE FROM THE SECRETARIAT OF STATE
VATICAN CITY, 5 FEB 2009 (VIS) - The Secretariat of State of the Holy See, published the following note yesterday afternoon:
"In the wake of reactions provoked by the recent Decree from the Congregation for Bishops lifting the excommunication on the four prelates of the Society of St. Pius X, and with reference to declarations denying and reducing the Shoah pronounced by Bishop Williamson, a member of that society, it is felt appropriate to clarify certain aspects of the issue:
1. Remission of the excommunication
"As has previously been explained, the Decree from the Congregation for Bishops, dated 21 January 2009, was an act by which the Holy Father benignly responded to repeated requests from the superior general of the Society of St. Pius X.
"His Holiness wished to remove an impediment that hindered the opening of a door to dialogue, and he now awaits a similar readiness to be expressed by the four bishops, in complete adherence to the doctrine and discipline of the Church.
"The extremely serious penalty of excommunication 'latae sententiae', which these bishops incurred on 30 June 1988, formally announced on 1 July of the same year, was a consequence of their illegitimate ordination by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre.
"The remission of the excommunication has freed the four bishops from a serious canonical penalty, but it has not altered the juridical position of the Society of St. Pius X which, at the present time, enjoys no canonical recognition within the Catholic Church. Even the four bishops, though released from excommunication, have no canonical function in the Church and cannot legally exercise a ministry within her".
2. Tradition, doctrine and Vatican Council II
"An indispensable condition for any future recognition of the Society of St. Pius X is their full recognition of Vatican Council II and of the Magisterium of Popes John XXIII, Paul VI, John Paul I, John Paul II, and Benedict XVI.
"As already affirmed in the Decree of 21 January 2009, the Holy See will not fail, in ways considered most appropriate, to join the parties concerned in a profound examination of outstanding issues, so as to be able to reach a full and satisfactory solution to the problems that gave rise to this painful split".
3. Declarations concerning the Shoah
"Msgr. Williamson's views on the Shoah are absolutely unacceptable, and firmly rejected by the Holy Father as he himself said on 28 January when, referring to that brutal genocide, he reiterated his complete and indisputable solidarity with our Brothers and Sisters who received the First Covenant, affirming that the memory of that terrible event must 'induce humankind to reflect upon the unpredictable power of evil when it conquers the heart of man', adding that the Shoah remains 'an admonition for everyone against oblivion, negation and reductionism, because violence against a single human being is violence against all'.
"In order to be readmitted to episcopal functions within the Church, Bishop Williamson must absolutely, unequivocally and publicly distance himself from his views concerning the Shoah, which were unknown to the Holy Father at the moment he lifted the excommunication.
"The Holy Father asks all the faithful to accompany him in prayer, that the Lord may illuminate the path of the Church. May all pastors and faithful increase their commitment in support of the delicate and onerous mission of the Successor of the Apostle Peter, the 'custodian of unity' within the Church". SS/EXCOMMUNICATION BISHOPS/... VIS 090205 (580)
CELEBRATIONS TO BE PRESIDED BY THE POPE: FEBRUARY-APRIL
VATICAN CITY, 5 FEB 2009 (VIS) - Below is the calendar of liturgical celebrations due to be presided over by the Holy Father between 21 February and 12 April.
FEBRUARY
- Saturday 21. At 11 a.m. in the Clementine Hall, concistory for certain causes of canonisation.
- Wednesday 25. Ash Wednesday. At 4.30 p.m. in the basilica of Sant'Anselmo, "statio" and penitential procession. At 5 p.m. in the basilica of Santa Sabina, blessing and imposition of the ashes.
MARCH
- Sunday 1. First Sunday of Lent. At 6 p.m. in the Apostolic Palace's "Redemptoris Mater" Chapel, beginning of the spiritual exercises of the Roman Curia.
- Saturday 7. At 9 a.m. in the "Redemptoris Mater" Chapel, conclusion of the spiritual exercises of the Roman Curia.
- Tuesday 17 to Monday 23. Apostolic trip to Cameroon and Angola.
- Sunday 29. Fifth Sunday of Lent. Pastoral visit to the Roman parish of the Holy Face of Jesus. At 9 a.m., celebration of the Eucharist.
APRIL
- Thursday 2. At 6 p.m. in the Vatican Basilica, Mass attended by young people from the diocese of Rome for the anniversary of the death of Pope John Paul II.
- Sunday 5. 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 9. Holy Thursday. At 9.30 a.m. in the Vatican Basilica, Chrism Mass. At 5.30 p.m. in the Basilica of St. John Lateran, beginning of the Easter Triduum with the Mass of the Last Supper.
- Friday 10. Good Friday. At 5 p.m. in the Vatican Basilica, celebration of the Lord's Passion. At 9.15 p.m. at the Colosseum, Way of the Cross.
- Saturday 11. Holy Saturday. At 9 p.m. in the Vatican Basilica, Easter vigil.
- Sunday 12. 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. OCL/CALENDAR:FEBRUARY-APRIL/... VIS 090205 (340)
VATICAN CITY, 5 FEB 2009 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences six prelates from the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Nigeria, on their "ad limina" visit:
- Cardinal Anthony Olubunmi Okogie, archbishop of Lagos.
- Bishop Alfred Adewale Martins of Abeokuta.
- Bishop Albert Ayinde Fasina of Ijebu-Ode.
- Archbishop John Olorunfemi Onaiyekan of Abuja.
- Bishop Anthony Ademu Adaji M.S.S.P., auxiliary of Idah.
- Bishop Matthew Ishaya Audu of Lafia. AL/.../... VIS 090205 (80)
VATICAN CITY, 5 FEB 2009 (VIS) - The Holy Father:
- Appointed Bishop Victor Sanchez Espinosa, auxiliary of Mexico, Mexico, and secretary general of the Latin American Episcopal Conference (CELAM), as metropolitan archbishop of Puebla de los Angeles (area 20,932, population 4,574,000, Catholics 4,230,000, priests 593, permanent deacons 1, religious 1,192), Mexico. The archbishop-elect was born in Santa Cruz, Mexico in 1950, he was ordained a priest in 1976 and consecrated a bishop in 2004. He succeeds Archbishop Rosendo Huesca Pacheco, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same archdiocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.
- Appointed Bishop Carlos Aguiar Retes of Texcoco, Mexico as metropolitan archbishop of Tlalnepantla (area 682, population 4,069,000, Catholics 3,570,000, priests 366, permanent deacons 13, religious 427), Mexico. The archbishop-elect was born in Tepic, Mexico in 1950, he was ordained a priest in 1973 and consecrated a bishop in 1997. He succeeds Archbishop Ricardo Guizar Diaz, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same archdiocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.
- Appointed Fr. Valentine Tsamma Seane, pastor of the cathedral of Gaborone, as bishop of the diocese of Gaborone (area 109,005, population 1,033,754, Catholics 64,618, priests 31, permanent deacons 6, religious 52), Botswana. The bishop-elect was born in Lobaste, Botswana in 1966 and ordained a priest in 1994. He succeeds Bishop Boniface Tshosa Setlalekgosi, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.
- Appointed Fr. James S. Wall of the clergy of Phoenix, U.S.A., episcopal vicar for the clergy in that diocese, as bishop of Gallup (area 143,648, population 491,400, Catholics 57,927, priests 53, permanent deacons 31, religious 138), U.S.A. The bishop-elect was born in Ganado, U.S.A. in 1964 and ordained a priest in 1998. NER:RE/.../... VIS 090205 (310) |
| You can find more information at: www.vatican.va - www.vis.pcn.net |
Vatican News Update 4 February 2009
| 02.04.2009 - Nineteenth Year - Num. 23 |
|
SUMMARY:
- St. Paul and His Extraordinary Spiritual Heritage - Appeal for an End to Fighting in Sri Lanka - Pope's Condemnation of Holocaust Denial Is Clear
___________________________________________________________
ST. PAUL AND HIS EXTRAORDINARY SPIRITUAL HERITAGE
VATICAN CITY, 4 FEB 2009 (VIS) - In his general audience this morning, dedicated to the subject of St. Paul's martyrdom, the Pope brought to an end his series of Pauline-Year catecheses dedicated to the figure of the Apostle of the Gentiles.
The saint's martyrdom, said the Holy Father, "is first related in the 'Acts of Paul' written towards the end of the second century. They state that Nero condemned him to be beheaded, and that the execution was summarily carried out. The date of his death varies in the ancient sources, which place it between the persecution unleashed by Nero following the fire of Rome in summer 64, and the last year of his reign, 68". According to tradition he was beheaded at a place in Rome known as "Tre Fontane" (Three Fountains), and buried on the Via Ostiense, where the basilica of St. Paul's Outside-the-Walls, erected over his tomb, stands today.
"In any case", he went on, "the figure of St. Paul towers over the events of his earthly life and death. He left an extraordinary spiritual heritage. His Letters soon entered the liturgy where the structure: Prophet-Apostle-Gospel would prove decisive for the form of the Liturgy of the Word. Thanks to this 'presence', ... the Apostle has been, since the very start, spiritual nourishment for the faithful of all times".
"The Fathers of the Church, and later all theologians, drew sustenance ... from his spirituality. For this reason he has, for centuries, been the true Master and Apostle of the Gentiles. ... To him St. Augustine owes the decisive step in his own conversion, and St. Thomas Aquinas left us a magnificent commentary on his Letters, the finest fruit of medieval exegesis. Another decisive moment was the sixteenth-century Protestant Reformation", when Luther "found a new interpretation for the Pauline doctrine of justification which freed him from scruples and concern ... and gave him a new and radical trust in the goodness of God, Who forgives everything unconditionally. From that moment Luther identified Judeo-Christian legalism - condemned by the Apostle - with the life of the Catholic Church, while the Church herself appeared to him as enslaved to the Law, with which he contrasted the freedom of the Gospel.
"The Council of Trent", the Holy Father added, "provided a profound interpretation of the question of justification and found, in line with all Catholic tradition, a synthesis between the Law and the Gospel, in conformity with the message of Scripture considered in its entirety and unity.
"The nineteenth century, drawing on the finest elements of Enlightenment tradition, saw a fresh revival of Pauline studies in the field of academic research, of historical-critical interpretation of Sacred Scripture. ... The new Paulinism of that century considered the concept of freedom as a central part of the Apostle's thought, ... and he is presented almost as a new founder of Christianity. What is certain is that in St. Paul the centrality of the Kingdom of God ... is transformed into the centrality of Christology, the decisive moment of which is the Paschal Mystery whence derive the Sacraments of Baptism and the Eucharist, as a permanent presence of this mystery thanks to which the Body of Christ grows and the Church is constructed".
Over the last two hundred years in the field of Pauline studies "there has been increasing convergence between Catholic and Protestant exegesis, and conformity is being discovered on the very point that gave rise to the greatest historical disagreement. This represents a great hope for the cause of ecumenism, so fundamental for Vatican Council II".
The Pope went on to mention a number of Pauline-inspired religious movements that have come into being in Catholic Church during the modern age, such as "the Congregation of St. Paul in the sixteenth century, ... the Missionaries of St. Paul in the nineteenth century ... and the Pauline Family or Secular Institute of the Company of St. Paul in the twentieth century".
"Standing before us", he concluded, "is the shining figure of an Apostle and of a fruitful and profound Christian thinker, proximity to whom benefits us all. ... Drawing from him, both from his apostolic example and his doctrine, will be a stimulus for us, if not a guarantee, to consolidate our Christian identity and invigorate the entire Church". AG/ST. PAUL/... VIS 090204 (730)
APPEAL FOR AN END TO FIGHTING IN SRI LANKA
VATICAN CITY, 4 FEB 2009 (VIS) - At the end of today's general audience, held in the Paul VI Hall, Benedict XVI launched an appeal for an end to fighting in Sri Lanka.
"News of the worsening conflict and the growing number of innocent victims induces us to address a pressing appeal to the combatants to show respect for humanitarian law and for people's freedom of movement.
"May they do everything possible to guarantee assistance for the wounded and security for civilians, and enable their most urgent food and healthcare needs to be satisfied.
"May Our Lady of Madhu, so venerated by Catholics and by members of other religions, hasten the day of peace and reconciliation in that dear country". AG/APPEAL PEACE/SRI LANKA VIS 090204 (140)
POPE'S CONDEMNATION OF HOLOCAUST DENIAL IS CLEAR
VATICAN CITY, 4 FEB 2009 (VIS) - Holy See Press Office Director Fr. Federico Lombardi S.J. made the following declaration yesterday afternoon:
"With reference to the latest requests for clarification concerning the position of the Pope and the Catholic Church on the subject of the Holocaust, it should be borne in mind that the Pope's ideas on this matter were very clearly expressed at the synagogue of Cologne, Germany, on 19 August 2005, at the concentration camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau on 28 May 2006, in the general audience of 31 May 2006 and, more recently, at the end of his general audience of 28 January this year, with unambiguous words of which we highlight the following: 'As I once again affectionately express my full and indisputable solidarity with our Brothers and Sisters who received the First Covenant, I trust that the memory of the Shoah will induce humankind to reflect upon the unpredictable power of evil when it conquers the heart of man. May the Shoah be for everyone an admonition against oblivion, negation and reductionism...
"The condemnation of Holocaust denial could not have been clearer, and from the context it is obvious that this also referred to the views of Msgr. Williamson and to all similar views. On the same occasion the Pope also clearly explained the purpose of the remission of the excommunication, which has nothing to do with legitimising Holocaust denial - something that, as we have explained, he clearly condemns". OP/POPE HOLOCAUST/LOMBARDI VIS 090204 (260)
VATICAN CITY, 4 FEB 2009 (VIS) - This afternoon, the Holy Father is scheduled to receive in audience Cardinal Paul Josef Cordes, president of the Pontifical Council "Cor Unum". AP/.../... VIS 090204 (30)
VATICAN CITY, 4 FEB 2009 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Msgr. Grzegorz Kaszak of the clergy of the archdiocese of Szczecin-Kamien, Poland, secretary of the Pontifical Council for the Family, as bishop of Sosnowiec (area 2,000, population 810,000, Catholics 800,000, priests 404, religious 199), Poland. The bishop-elect was born in Choszczno, Poland in 1964 and ordained a priest in 1989. NER/.../KASZAK VIS 090204 (70) |
| You can find more information at: www.vatican.va - www.vis.pcn.net |
Vatican News Update 3 February 2009
| 02.03.2009 - Nineteenth Year - Num. 22 |
|
SUMMARY:
- To Consecrated People: Imitate the Life of St. Paul - Fasting: Self Restraint in Order to Leave Space for God
___________________________________________________________
TO CONSECRATED PEOPLE: IMITATE THE LIFE OF ST. PAUL
VATICAN CITY, 3 FEB 2009 (VIS) - Yesterday afternoon in the Vatican Basilica Benedict XVI met with members of religious congregations, institutes of consecrated life and societies of apostolic life, at the end of a Mass marking the thirteenth Day of Consecrated Life, an annual celebration established by John Paul II.
At the end of the Eucharistic celebration for the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, presided by Cardinal Franc Rode C.M., prefect of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, the Holy Father greeted those present.
In this year dedicated to St. Paul the Pope focused his remarks on the Apostle "who", he said, "has always been recognised as father and master of those who, called by the Lord, have chosen to dedicate themselves unconditionally to Him and His Gospel. ... Imitating him by following Jesus is the best way to respond fully to your vocation of special consecration in the Church", he said.
St. Paul's lifestyle "expresses the substance of a consecrated life inspired by the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity and obedience. In the life of poverty he saw a guarantee that the Gospel would be announced gratuitously. At the same time, such a life is an expression of real solidarity towards brothers and sisters in need".
"Accepting God's call to chastity", noted the Holy Father, the Apostle of the Gentiles "gave his heart entirely to the Lord in order to be able to serve his brethren with greater freedom and dedication. Moreover, in a world in which the values of Christian chastity enjoyed little popularity, he offered secure guidelines of behaviour".
On the subject of obedience, Benedict XVI recalled how St. Paul was "under daily pressure because of his anxiety for all the churches'', and how this "inspired, shaped and consumed his life, making it a sacrifice agreeable to God".
"Another fundamental aspect of Paul's consecrated life was that of mission. He was entirely for Jesus in order to be, like Jesus, for everyone. ... In him, so closely bound to the person of Christ, we recognise a profound capacity to unite spiritual life and missionary activity. In him, these two dimensions support one another".
The Pope told the consecrated people of his hope that the Pauline Year may "give you further encouragment to welcome the witness of St. Paul, meditating daily upon the Word of God through the faithful practice of 'lectio divina', and singing 'psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts'. May the Apostle help you to accomplish your apostolic service in and with the Church, with an unreserved spirit of communion, making a gift of your charisms to others and bearing witness to the greatest charism of all, which is charity". AC/ST. PAUL CONSECRATED LIFE/RODE VIS 090203 (470)
FASTING: SELF RESTRAINT IN ORDER TO LEAVE SPACE FOR GOD
VATICAN CITY, 3 FEB 2009 (VIS) - This morning in the Holy See Press Office, the presentation took place of the 2009 Lenten Message of the Holy Father Benedict XVI. The theme of this year's Message is: "He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was hungry".
Participating in the press conference were Cardinal Paul Josef Cordes and Msgrs. Karel Kasteel and Giovanni Pietro Dal Toso, respectively president, secretary and under-secretary of the Pontifical Council "Cor Unum", and Josette Sheeran, executive director of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP).
Josette Sheeran opened her comments by explaining that "one in six people on earth" suffers hunger. "But this is not a problem of food availability. It is a problem of distribution - and of greed, discrimination, wars and other tragedies", she said.
"Today, a child dies every six seconds from hunger. The question is: Is there anything that can be done to alleviate the humiliation, pain and injustice of hunger? Are there solutions that help people break the hunger trap for themselves, once and for all? The answer is overwhelmingly 'yes'. We have the tools and technology to make this happen, and we have seen it happen in many places around the world".
The WFP director mentioned the examples of Darfur, "where the world has prevented - for less than fifty cents a day per person - mass starvation", and of Senegal where "the most aggressive increase in global food prices in recorded history ... left an estimated forty percent of rural households in danger of hunger and malnutrition". To contrast this, "last year the WFP bought over one billion dollars in food directly from the developing world for its programmes, helping break the cycle of poverty at its root".
"The WFP's school feeding programmes increase school enrolment by twenty-eight percent for girls, and twenty-two percent for boys, serving as an effective and affordable way to provide education and nutrition, while empowering women and girls", as happens, for example, in the programme being implemented in Afghanistan.
The WFP works with "charities and NGOs around the world to ensure that we tailor our programmes to local needs. Catholic charities are key partners for the WFP. For example, WFP works with local Caritas in the dioceses of nearly forty countries, in food-for-work, health and education programmes. We also work with Catholic Relief Services, where we collaborate in fifteen countries", she concluded.
In his remarks Cardinal Cordes noted how "year after year the Pope's words remind us of our duty to open our hearts and hands to those in need. ... Aid - if it is not to sink to the level of an ideology or a purely mental exercise - must always be a concrete action, it must engage directly with situations of poverty".
In this context, the cardinal mentioned his own recent trip to one of the poorest neighbourhoods of Manila, Philippines, and his call to bishops of that country "not simply to surrender before the poverty of mankind; as much as we can we must seek to remedy it. ... This realistic viewpoint enables us to consider the pontifical document in the broader horizon of faith and its relationship with modern lifestyles", he said.
In an age characterised by a concern for wellbeing and physical health, "the Lenten Message seems to contradict social trends", said Cardinal Cordes, yet "the body can become a tyrant" and "the desire for wellbeing and pleasure can reduce freedom and become unmanageable by the human will".
"Fasting aims to make a clean break in our lives. ... It transcends the earthly dimension and pursues an objective that is beyond this world", which in other religions such as Buddhism or Islam may be "entry into Nirvana or obedience towards Allah, Lord of heaven and earth.
"However", he added, "fasting in these religions cannot simply be identified with Christian fasts" because for both those faiths "fasting is a struggle against the material world's power over mankind. It is influenced by a dualistic philosophy. Fasting, hence, has negative connotations: it is a way of freeing ourselves from the burden that created things have upon us. However this risks isolating man and closing him in upon himself. For Christians, on the other hand, mystical desire is never a descent into oneself, but a descent into the profundity of faith, where one meets God".
Thus "fasting in this Lent has no negative connotations. How could we scorn our own flesh if the Son of God took that flesh upon Himself, becoming our brother! Depriving oneself and denying oneself are positive acts: they aim at the encounter with Christ".
Finally, the president of "Cor Unum" recalled how after World War II and Vatican Council II the "Lenten actions" came into being, in which richer dioceses help the poorer with Lenten collections. Despite the fact they "do immense good and revive hope", he said, "it would be superficial if the significance of, and preparations for, Easter were limited to an appeal for funds".
Hence the importance of the "spiritual aspect" of this year's Message with which the Pope "does not simply wish to add another initiative to the many humanitarian initiatives of our day". For the faithful, giving their savings "for what is good and useful, ... must have a Christian meaning. Restraining one's own self must leave space for giving to God because, in the final analysis, only He is the happiness we seek". OP/LENTEN MESSAGE/CORDES VIS 090203 (921)
VATICAN CITY, 3 FEB 2009 (VIS) - Made public today was the 2009 Lenten Message of the Holy Father Benedict XVI. The text, dated 11 December 2008, has as its title a verse from the Gospel of St. Matthew: "He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was hungry". The full English-language translation of the document is given below:
"At the beginning of Lent, which constitutes an itinerary of more intense spiritual training, the Liturgy sets before us again three penitential practices that are very dear to the biblical and Christian tradition - prayer, almsgiving, fasting - to prepare us to better celebrate Easter and thus experience God's power that, as we shall hear in the Paschal Vigil, 'dispels all evil, washes guilt away, restores lost innocence, brings mourners joy, casts out hatred, brings us peace and humbles earthly pride'. For this year's Lenten Message, I wish to focus my reflections especially on the value and meaning of fasting. Indeed, Lent recalls the forty days of our Lord's fasting in the desert, which He undertook before entering into His public ministry. We read in the Gospel: 'Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was hungry'. Like Moses, who fasted before receiving the tablets of the Law and Elijah's fast before meeting the Lord on Mount Horeb, Jesus, too, through prayer and fasting, prepared Himself for the mission that lay before Him, marked at the start by a serious battle with the tempter.
"We might wonder what value and meaning there is for us Christians in depriving ourselves of something that in itself is good and useful for our bodily sustenance. The Sacred Scriptures and the entire Christian tradition teach that fasting is a great help to avoid sin and all that leads to it. For this reason, the history of salvation is replete with occasions that invite fasting. In the very first pages of Sacred Scripture, the Lord commands man to abstain from partaking of the prohibited fruit: 'You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; 17but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die'. Commenting on the divine injunction, St. Basil observes that 'fasting was ordained in Paradise', and 'the first commandment in this sense was delivered to Adam'. He thus concludes: ' 'You shall not eat' is a law of fasting and abstinence'. Since all of us are weighed down by sin and its consequences, fasting is proposed to us as an instrument to restore friendship with God. Such was the case with Ezra, who, in preparation for the journey from exile back to the Promised Land, calls upon the assembled people to fast so that 'we might humble ourselves before our God'. The Almighty heard their prayer and assured them of His favour and protection. In the same way, the people of Nineveh, responding to Jonah's call to repentance, proclaimed a fast, as a sign of their sincerity, saying: 'Who knows, God may yet repent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we perish not?' In this instance, too, God saw their works and spared them.
'In the New Testament, Jesus brings to light the profound motive for fasting, condemning the attitude of the Pharisees, who scrupulously observed the prescriptions of the law, but whose hearts were far from God. True fasting, as the divine Master repeats elsewhere, is rather to do the will of the Heavenly Father, who 'sees in secret, and will reward you'. He Himself sets the example, answering Satan, at the end of the forty days spent in the desert that 'man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God'. The true fast is thus directed to eating the 'true food', which is to do the Father's will. If, therefore, Adam disobeyed the Lord's command 'of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat', the believer, through fasting, intends to submit himself humbly to God, trusting in His goodness and mercy.
"The practice of fasting is very present in the first Christian community. The Church Fathers, too, speak of the force of fasting to bridle sin, especially the lusts of the 'old Adam', and open in the heart of the believer a path to God. Moreover, fasting is a practice that is encountered frequently and recommended by the saints of every age. St. Peter Chrysologus writes: 'Fasting is the soul of prayer, mercy is the lifeblood of fasting. So if you pray, fast; if you fast, show mercy; if you want your petition to be heard, hear the petition of others. If you do not close your ear to others, you open God's ear to yourself'.
"In our own day, fasting seems to have lost something of its spiritual meaning, and has taken on, in a culture characterised by the search for material well-being, a therapeutic value for the care of one's body. Fasting certainly bring benefits to physical wellbeing, but for believers, it is, in the first place, a 'therapy' to heal all that prevents them from conformity to the will of God. In the Apostolic Constitution 'Paenitemini' of 1966, Servant of God Paul VI saw the need to present fasting within the call of every Christian to 'no longer live for himself, but for Him who loves him and gave Himself for him ... he will also have to live for his brethren'. Lent could be a propitious time to present again the norms contained in the Apostolic Constitution, so that the authentic and perennial significance of this long held practice may be rediscovered, and thus assist us to mortify our egoism and open our heart to love of God and neighbour, the first and greatest Commandment of the new Law and compendium of the entire Gospel.
"The faithful practice of fasting contributes, moreover, to conferring unity to the whole person, body and soul, helping to avoid sin and grow in intimacy with the Lord. St. Augustine, who knew all too well his own negative impulses, defining them as 'twisted and tangled knottiness', writes: 'I will certainly impose privation, but it is so that he will forgive me, to be pleasing in his eyes, that I may enjoy his delightfulness'. Denying material food, which nourishes our body, nurtures an interior disposition to listen to Christ and be fed by His saving word. Through fasting and praying, we allow Him to come and satisfy the deepest hunger that we experience in the depths of our being: the hunger and thirst for God.
"At the same time, fasting is an aid to open our eyes to the situation in which so many of our brothers and sisters live. In his First Letter, St. John admonishes: 'If anyone has the world's goods, and sees his brother in need, yet shuts up his bowels of compassion from him - how does the love of God abide in him?' Voluntary fasting enables us to grow in the spirit of the Good Samaritan, who bends low and goes to the help of his suffering brother. By freely embracing an act of self-denial for the sake of another, we make a statement that our brother or sister in need is not a stranger. It is precisely to keep alive this welcoming and attentive attitude towards our brothers and sisters that I encourage the parishes and every other community to intensify in Lent the custom of private and communal fasts, joined to the reading of the Word of God, prayer and almsgiving. From the beginning, this has been the hallmark of the Christian community, in which special collections were taken up, the faithful being invited to give to the poor what had been set aside from their fast. This practice needs to be rediscovered and encouraged again in our day, especially during the liturgical season of Lent.
"From what I have said thus far, it seems abundantly clear that fasting represents an important ascetic practice, a spiritual arm to do battle against every possible disordered attachment to ourselves. Freely chosen detachment from the pleasure of food and other material goods helps the disciple of Christ to control the appetites of nature, weakened by original sin, whose negative effects impact the entire human person. Quite opportunely, an ancient hymn of the Lenten liturgy exhorts: 'Utamur ergo parcius, / verbis cibis et potibus, / somno, iocis et arctius / perstemus in custodia' - Let us use sparingly words, food and drink, sleep and amusements. May we be more alert in the custody of our senses.
"Dear brothers and sisters, it is good to see how the ultimate goal of fasting is to help each one of us, as Servant of God Pope John Paul II wrote, to make the complete gift of self to God. May every family and Christian community use well this time of Lent, therefore, in order to cast aside all that distracts the spirit and grow in whatever nourishes the soul, moving it to love of God and neighbour. I am thinking especially of a greater commitment to prayer, 'lectio divina', recourse to the Sacrament of Reconciliation and active participation in the Eucharist, especially the Holy Sunday Mass. With this interior disposition, let us enter the penitential spirit of Lent. May the Blessed Virgin Mary, 'Causa nostrae laetitiae', accompany and support us in the effort to free our heart from slavery to sin, making it evermore a 'living tabernacle of God.' With these wishes, while assuring every believer and ecclesial community of my prayer for a fruitful Lenten journey, I cordially impart to all of you my Apostolic Blessing". MESS/LENT 2009/... VIS 090203 (1650) |
| You can find more information at: www.vatican.va - www.vis.pcn.net |
Vatican News Update 27 January 2009
| 01.27.2009 - Nineteenth Year - Num. 17 |
| SUMMARY:
- Catholic Journalists: Bear Witness to the Values of Faith
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CATHOLIC JOURNALISTS: BEAR WITNESS TO THE VALUES OF FAITH
VATICAN CITY, 27 JAN 2009 (VIS) - Benedict XVI has sent a message to participants in the national congress of the Italian Catholic Press Union (UCSI). The congress, held last week, commemorated the institution's fiftieth anniversary.
"Half a century after the foundation of the UCSI many things have changed", writes the Holy Father. This change has been "more visible in areas ranging from science to technology, from the economy to geopolitics; less perceptible but deeper, and more worrying, in the field of modern culture, in which respect for the dignity of the individual seems to have notably diminished, along with a sense of such values as justice, freedom and solidarity, which are so essential for the survival of a society".
The work of Catholic journalists, says the Pope, "anchored in a heritage of principles that have their roots in the Gospel, ... is even more arduous today. To your characteristic sense of responsibility and spirit of service, you must add an ever great professionalism, and a capacity for dialogue with the 'lay' world in the search for shared values".
After telling the journalists that "you will be listened to more readily when the testimony of your own lives is coherent", the Holy Father assures them that "no small number of your 'lay' colleagues expect from you the silent witness - not only in appearance but in substance - of a life inspired by the values of faith".
Benedict XVI writes of his awareness that they are committed to "an ever more demanding task, one in which spaces for freedom are often under threat, and economic and political interests often take precedence over the spirit of service and the criterion of the common good.
"I encourage you", he adds in conclusion, "not to make compromises in such important values but to have the courage of coherence, even at the cost of personal sacrifice. Serenity of conscience is a priceless quality". MESS/.../UCSI VIS 090127 (330) |
| You can find more information at: www.vatican.va - www.vis.pcn.net |
02 February 2009
Vatican News Update 2 February 2009
| 02.02.2009 - Nineteenth Year - Num. 21 |
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SUMMARY: 31 JANUARY - 2 FEBRUARY
- A New Culture of Solidarity to Face the Current Crisis - Christ Gives Meaning to Our Suffering - Ask the Lord for Many New Vocations to Consecrated Life - Continue Co-operation in Order to Strengthen Communion - Protect the Vital Cohesive Role of the Family - Turkey: Guarantees of Freedom of Religion and Worship
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A NEW CULTURE OF SOLIDARITY TO FACE THE CURRENT CRISIS
VATICAN CITY, 31 JAN 2009 (VIS) - This morning in the Vatican's Clementine Hall, the Pope received leaders of the Italian CISL trade union, in a meeting marking the organisation's sixtieth anniversary.
The Holy Father began by recalling how sixty years ago the CISL "took its first steps, playing an active role in establishing the free international trade-union organisation to which it brought its own contribution of a firm grounding in the principles of the Church's social doctrine and of autonomous trade-union activity free from political and party leanings".
Today, he told his audience, "you continue to draw inspiration for your activities from the social Magisterium of the Church, with the aim of protecting the interests of workers and pensioners in Italy".
Benedict XVI then went on to refer to the Church's "concern for social problems, which have increased over the last century". In this context he mentioned Leo XIII's Encyclical "Rerum novarum", which "strongly defended the inalienable dignity of workers. The guidelines contained in that document", he said, "helped to reinforce Christian influence on social life".
In 1991 John Paul II marked the hundredth anniversary of "Rerum novarum" by publishing his Encyclical "Centesimus annus". Ten years earlier, in his Encyclical "Laborem exercens", dedicated to the subject of work, the same Pope had described trade unions as "an indispensable element of social life, especially in modern industrialised societies", said Benedict XVI.
"A recurring element in the Magisterium of twentieth-century Popes", he went on, "is the call for solidarity and responsibility. In order to overcome the economic and social crisis we are currently experiencing, we know that free and responsible efforts must be made by everyone. In other words what is needed is to overcome individual and sectorial interests, and unite to confront the difficulties affecting all areas of society, and particularly the world of work. Never before has this been so urgent as it is today; the difficulties afflicting the world of work call for closer and more effective collaboration among the many different components of society".
"My hope is that from the current global crisis there may emerge a shared desire to create a new culture of solidarity and of responsible participation, which are indispensable conditions if we are to build the future of our planet together".
"May the sixtieth anniversary of the CISL", the Pope concluded, "be a cause to renew the original enthusiasm and rediscover your original charism. The world needs people who dedicate themselves disinterestedly to the cause of work in full respect of human dignity and the common good". AC/WORK ECONOMIC CRISIS/CISL VIS 090202 (440)
VATICAN CITY, 31 JAN 2009 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed:
- Bishop Anton Stres C.M. of Celje, Slovenia, as coadjutor archbishop of Maribor (area 3,682, population 419,870, Catholics 356,980, priests 208, permanent deacons 3, religious 130), Slovenia. The archbishop-elect was born in Donacka Goa, Slovenia in 1942, he was ordained a priest in 1968 and consecrated a bishop in 2000.
- Bishop Marcello Semeraro of Albano, Italy, as a member of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.
- Archbishop Luis Francisco Ladaria Ferrer S.J., secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, as a consultor of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.
- Fr. Gerhard Wagner of the clergy of Linz, Austria, pastor at Windischgarsten, as auxiliary of Linz (area 11,909, population 1,407,000, Catholics 1,051,136, priests 736, permanent deacons 82, religious 1,415). The bishop-elect was born in Wartberg ob der Aist, Austria in 1954 and ordained a priest in 1978.
- As members of the Pontifical Biblical Commission: Fr. Pietro Bovati S.J., professor at Rome's Pontifical Biblical Institute; Juan Miguel Diaz Rodelas, professor at the faculty of theology in Valencia, Spain, and president of the Spanish Biblical Association; Fr. Francolino Goncalves O.P., professor at the "Ecole Biblique et Archeologique Francaise" in Jerusalem; John Chijioke Iwe, rector and professor of Old Testament studies at the Seat of Wisdom Major Seminary in Owerri, Nigeria; Thomas Manjaly, professor at the Oriens Theological College of Shillong and the Sacred Heart College of Mawlai, India; Fearghus O'Fearghail, professor of New Testament exegesis at the Mater Dei Institute of Education in Dublin, Ireland; Yeong-sik Johan Pahk of the archdiocese of Seoul, Korea, and Henryk Witczyk, professor at the Catholic University of Lublin, Poland.
- Fr. Pedro Miguel Funes Diaz, official of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, as bureau chief at the same congregation. NEC:NA:NEA/.../... VIS 090202 (310)
CHRIST GIVES MEANING TO OUR SUFFERING
VATICAN CITY, 1 FEB 2009 (VIS) - At midday, before praying the Angelus with faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square, Benedict XVI recalled the fact that today in Italy marks the Day for Life, the theme of which this year is: "The power of life in suffering".
"Jesus always taught His disciples that in order to enter into glory He had to suffer, to be rejected, condemned and crucified. Suffering was an integral part of His mission", said the Pope.
"Jesus suffered and died on the cross for love. In this way He gave meaning to our own suffering, a meaning that many men and women of all ages have understood and made their own, thus experiencing profound serenity even amid the bitterness of harsh physical and moral trials".
Recalling then the theme of the Day for Life, a theme chosen by Italian bishops, the Pope explained how it reflects "the pastors' love for their people and the courage to announce the truth, the courage to say clearly, for example, that euthanasia is a false solution to the drama of suffering, a solution unworthy of humankind.
"The true response cannot, in fact, be that of delivering people to death, however 'sweet' a death it may be, but of bearing witness to the love that helps people face pain and agony in a human way. We can be certain that no tear, either of those who suffer or of their loved ones, is lost before God".
The Holy Father concluded by entrusting to the protection of the Virgin Mary people who suffer "and those who work day after day to support them, serving life at every stage: parents, healthcare workers, priests, religious, researchers, volunteers, and many others". ANG/DAY FOR LIFE/... VIS 090202 (300)
ASK THE LORD FOR MANY NEW VOCATIONS TO CONSECRATED LIFE
VATICAN CITY, 1 FEB 2009 (VIS) - Following the Angelus, the Pope recalled the fact that tomorrow marks the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple. "Forty days after the birth of Jesus, Mary and Joseph took Him to Jerusalem, in accordance with the norms of the Law of Moses. Indeed, according to Scripture, each first born belonged to the Lord and had to be redeemed with a sacrifice.
"This event", he added, "makes manifest the consecration of Jesus to God the Father and - associated thereto - that of the Virgin Mary. For this reason my beloved predecessor John Paul II wished this day, on which many consecrated people pronounce or renew their vows, to be the World Day of Consecrated Life".
The Holy Father also indicated that tomorrow evening, following a Mass due to be celebrated in the Vatican Basilica by the prefect of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, he will enter the basilica to greet the consecrated people gathered there.
"I invite everyone to thank the Lord for the precious gift of these brothers and sisters and to ask Him, through the intercession of Our Lady, for many new vocations in the many charisms which make the Church so rich".
Turning then to address Italian pilgrims, Benedict XVI expressed special greetings to members of "the Movement for Life, delegations from the faculty of medicine and surgery of the University of Rome, and everyone involved in the defence and promotion of the fundamental gift of life. I appreciate and encourage the commitment of the diocese of Rome in this field, and express my cordial best wishes for its 'Family Week', which begins today". ANG/CONSECRATED PEOPLE DEFENCE LIFE/... VIS 090202 (300)
CONTINUE CO-OPERATION IN ORDER TO STRENGTHEN COMMUNION
VATICAN CITY, 2 FEB 2009 (VIS) - Made public today was the text of a Message from the Pope to His Holiness Kirill, for the occasion of his enthronement as patriarch of Moscow and All Russia. The ceremony took place yesterday, 1 February, in Moscow's Cathedral of Christ the Saviour.
Cardinal Walter Kasper, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, who led the Holy See delegation to the enthronement ceremony, delivered the Message to Kirill, along with a chalice from the Pope "as a sign of the desire to achieve full communion as soon as possible".
In his English-language Message Benedict XVI tells the new patriarch of his "esteem" and "spiritual closeness", and adds: "I pray that our heavenly Father will grant you the abundant gifts of the Holy Spirit in your ministry and enable you to guide the Church in the love and peace of Christ".
Kirill's predecessor Alexis II, writes the Pope, "left his people a deep and abiding inheritance of ecclesial renewal and development. ... He likewise maintained a spirit of openness and co-operation with other Christians, and with the Catholic Church in particular, for the defence of Christian values in Europe and in the world.
"I am certain", he adds, "that Your Holiness will continue to build on this solid foundation, for the good of your people and for the benefit of Christians everywhere.
"As president of the Department of External Church Relations, you yourself played an outstanding role in forging a new relationship between our Churches, a relationship based on friendship, mutual acceptance and sincere dialogue in facing the difficulties of our common journey.
"It is my earnest hope", the Holy Father concludes, "that we will continue to co-operate in finding ways to foster and strengthen communion in the Body of Christ, in fidelity to our Saviour's prayer that all may be one, so that the world may believe". BXVI-MESSAGE/ENTHRONEMENT/KIRILL VIS 090202 (330)
PROTECT THE VITAL COHESIVE ROLE OF THE FAMILY
VATICAN CITY, 2 FEB 2009 (VIS) - This morning in the Vatican, the Holy Father received the Letters of Credence of Janos Balassa, the new ambassador of Hungary to the Holy See.
In his English-language address to the diplomat, the Pope explained how "the forces that govern economic and political affairs in the modern world need to be ... built upon an ethical foundation, giving priority always to the dignity and the rights of the human person and the common good of humanity.
"In view of its strong Christian heritage, stretching back over a thousand years, Hungary is well placed to assist in the promotion of these humane ideals within the European community and the wider world community, and it is my hope that our diplomatic relations will serve to support this vital dimension of your country's contribution to international affairs".
Referring then to his Message for the 2008 World Day of Peace in which he had "stressed the primordial importance of the family for building peaceful community relations at every level", the Holy Father noted how "in much of modern Europe the vital cohesive role that the family has to play in human affairs is being called into question and even endangered as a result of misguided ways of thinking that at times find expression in aggressive social and political policies.
"It is my earnest hope", he added, "that ways will be found of safeguarding this essential element of our society, which is the heart of every culture and nation. One of the specific ways government can support the family is by assuring that parents are allowed to exercise their fundamental right as the primary educators of their children, which would include the option to send their children to religious schools when they so desire".
Benedict XVI then highlighted how the Catholic church in Hungary, "after decades of oppression, sustained by the heroic witness of so many Christians, ... has emerged to take her place in a transformed society, able once more to proclaim the Gospel freely. She seeks no privileges for herself, but is eager to play her part in the life of the nation, true to her nature and mission".
He concluded: "As the process continues of implementing the agreements between Hungary and the Holy See - I think of the recently signed memorandum on religious assistance for the armed forces and border police - I am confident that any outstanding questions affecting the life of the Church in your country will be resolved in the spirit of good will and fruitful dialogue which has characterised our diplomatic relations ever since they were so happily restored", in 1990. CD/LETTERS CREDENCE/HUNGARY:BALASSA VIS 090202 (450)
TURKEY: GUARANTEES OF FREEDOM OF RELIGION AND WORSHIP
VATICAN CITY, 2 FEB 2009 (VIS) - Bishops from the Episcopal Conference of Turkey were received this morning by the Holy Father, at the end of their "ad limina" visit. A visit, he told them, "that is providentially taking place in the year dedicated to St. Paul", and assumes particular importance because the prelates "are pastors ... in the land where the Apostle of the Gentiles was born and where he founded many communities".
"I know that in your country you have given particular emphasis to this Jubilee Year, and that many pilgrims are visiting the sites so dear to the Christian tradition. My wish is that they may find easier access to those places which are so significant for the Christian faith, and to liturgical celebrations", said the Pope. Then, commenting upon the "ecumenical dimension" of the Pauline year, he expressed the hope that this "may make further progress possible along the path of unity of all Christians".
Benedict XVI went on to recall the "rich history" of the Church in Turkey, a history marked "by the development of the first Christian communities" and by such names as St. John and St. Ignatius of Antioch. As for the modern age, "Benedict XV and Blessed John XXIII also figure in the life of the nation and of the Church in Turkey", said the Pope, going on to mention Fr. Andrea Santoro, an Italian priest killed in the Turkish city of Trabzon on 5 February 2006. "May this prestigious history be for your communities - the vigour of whose faith and abnegation under trial I am well aware - not only a reminder of a glorious past, but also a stimulus to continue with generosity along the journey you have begun, bearing witness among your brothers and sisters to God's love for all human beings".
"In ecclesial communion the people of God will find an effective support for their faith and hope", he said. "Bishops are primarily responsible for the concrete realisation of that union. The profound communion that must exist among them, in the diversity of rites, is expressed above all in the true fraternity and mutual collaboration that enables them to carry out their ministry in a collegial spirit, strengthening the body of Christ".
"The Christian community in your country, lives in a nation governed by a constitution that affirms the lay nature of the State, but where the majority of the population is Muslim. For this reason it is very important for Christians and Muslims to work together to promote humanity, life, peace and justice, The distinction between the civil and the religious sphere is clearly a value that deserves to be protected".
He went on: "It is up to the State to provide effective guarantees that all citizens and all religious communities may enjoy freedom of worship and religion, making any violence against believers, whatever their religion may be, unacceptable. In this context, I am well aware of your desire and readiness to open a sincere dialogue with the authorities in order to find a solution to the various problems your communities have to face, such as recognition for the juridical status of the Catholic Church and her property".
"Such recognition", Pope Benedict concluded, "cannot but have positive consequences for everyone. It would be appropriate for permanent contacts to be established, for example through a bilateral commission, in order to study as-yet unresolved questions". AL/.../TURKEY VIS 090202 (580)
VATICAN CITY, 2 FEB 2009 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences six prelates from the Episcopal Conference of Turkey, on their "ad limina" visit:
- Archbishop Ruggero Franceschini O.F.M. Cap. of Izmir.
- Bishop Luigi Padovese O.F.M. Cap., apostolic vicar of Anatolia.
- Bishop Louis Pelatre A.A., apostolic vicar of Istanbul, apostolic administrator of the apostolic exarchate of Istanbul.
- Archbishop Georges Khazzoum, coadjutor of Istanbul of the Armenians.
- Corepiscopo Yusuf Sag, patriarchal vicar for the Syriac-Catholic faithful in Turkey.
- Msgr. Francois Yakan, patriarchal vicar for the Chaldean faithful in Turkey.
On Saturday 31 January, he received in separate audiences:
- Cardinal William Joseph Levada, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
- Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.
- Bishop Javier Echevarria Rodriguez, prelate of the personal prelature of Opus Dei. AL:AP/.../... VIS 090202 (150) |
| You can find more information at: www.vatican.va - www.vis.pcn.net |
Vatican News Update 29 January 2009
| 01.29.2009 - Nineteenth Year - Num. 19 |
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SUMMARY:
- Pope Thanks Catholic Bishops of Russian Federation - Holy Father Addresses Tribunal of the Roman Rota - Initiatives to Mark the Year of Astronomy
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POPE THANKS CATHOLIC BISHOPS OF RUSSIAN FEDERATION
VATICAN CITY, 29 JAN 2009 (VIS) - This morning in the Vatican, the Holy Father received prelates from the Conference of Catholic Bishops of the Russian Federation, who have recently completed their "ad limina" visit.
The Pope praised the bishops' efforts "towards the inculturation of the faith", and expressed his appreciation "for your commitment to re-launching participation in the liturgy and the Sacraments, to catechesis, to the formation of priests, and to the preparation of a mature and responsible laity capable of becoming an evangelical ferment in families and in civil society".
He encouraged the prelates not to lose heart in the face of difficulties or when "the results you obtain from your pastoral work do not seem to reflect the effort you have put in. Rather", he went on, "nourish - in yourselves and in your collaborators - an authentic spirit of faith, with the evangelical awareness that Jesus Christ will not fail to make your ministry fruitful with the grace of His Spirit".
"With constant care and attention, continue to promote and tend vocations to the priestly and religious life. ... Support priests and religious in their permanent doctrinal and spiritual formation. ... Look to the formation of consecrated people and the spiritual development of the lay faithful, that they may come to consider their lives as a response to a universal call to sanctity, which must find expression in coherent evangelical witness in all the circumstances of daily life".
Benedict XVI highlighted the need for "a renewed commitment to dialogue with our Orthodox brothers and sisters". This dialogue, "despite the progress that has been made, still encounters certain difficulties", he said. In this context he reiterated his best wishes to the newly-elected patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, Metropolitan Kirill, "for the delicate ecclesial task with which he has been entrusted".
"It is important that Christians unite to face the great cultural and ethical challenges of the present moment, which concern the dignity and the inalienable rights of the person, the defence of life at all stages, the protection of the family, and other pressing economic and social questions".
The Holy Father concluded his remarks to the prelates with an expression of his "profound gratitude for all the good you do, undertaking your episcopal ministry with complete fidelity to the Magisterium. ... My thanks also go to the priests, religious and lay people who collaborate with you in the service of Christ and His Gospel". AL/.../RUSSIAN FEDERATION VIS 090129 (420)
HOLY FATHER ADDRESSES TRIBUNAL OF THE ROMAN ROTA
VATICAN CITY, 29 JAN 2009 (VIS) - This morning in the Vatican, Benedict XVI received the dean, judges, promoters of justice, defenders of the bond, officials and lawyers of the Tribunal of the Roman Rota, for the occasion of the inauguration of the judicial year.
The Holy Father focused his remarks on questions concerning mental incapacity in causes of nullity of marriage, which were raised by John Paul II in his addresses to the Roman Rota of 1987 and 1998.
John Paul II's words, he said, "give us the basic criteria, not only for studying the psychiatric and psychological examinations, but also for the judicial definition of the causes".
In this context Benedict XVI recalled how "the Code of Canon Law's norm concerning mental incapacity, and the application thereof, was further enriched and integrated by the recent Instruction 'Dignitas connubii' of 25 January 2005. ... In order for this incapacity to be recognised, there must be a specific mental anomaly that seriously disturbs the use of reason at the time of the celebration of the marriage, ... or that puts the contracting party not only under a serious difficulty but even under the impossibility of sustaining the actions inherent in the obligations of marriage".
"We run the risk", the Pope went on, "of falling into a form of anthropological pessimism which, in the light of the cultural situation of the modern world, considers marriage as almost impossible. ... Reaffirming the inborn human capacity for marriage is, in fact, the starting point for helping couples discover the natural reality of marriage and the importance is has for salvation. What is actually at stake is the truth about marriage and about its intrinsic juridical nature, which is an indispensable premise if people are to understand and evaluate the capacity required to get married.
"Such capacity", he explained, "must be associated with the essential significance of marriage - 'the intimate partnership of married life and love established by the Creator and qualified by His laws' - and, particularly, with the essential obligations inherent to marriage that must assumed by the couple".
The Holy Father pointed our that "certain 'humanistic' schools of anthropology, which tend towards self-realisation and egocentric self-transcendence, idealise human beings and marriage to such an extent that they end up denying the mental capacity of many people, basing this on elements that do not correspond to the essential requirements of the conjugal bond".
"In principle, causes of nullity through mental incapacity require the judge to employ the services of experts to ascertain the existence of a real incapacity, which is in any case an exception to the natural principle of the capacity necessary to understand, decide and accomplish that giving of self upon which the conjugal bond is founded". AC/.../ROMAN ROTA VIS 090129 (470)
INITIATIVES TO MARK THE YEAR OF ASTRONOMY
VATICAN CITY, 29 JAN 2009 (VIS) - In the Holy See Press Office this morning, a press conference was held to present various initiatives marking the year of astronomy, in which the organisations and institutions of the Holy See are participating.
Attending the press conference were Archbishop Gianfranco Ravasi, president of the Pontifical Council for Culture; Fr. Jose Gabriel Funes S.J., director of the Vatican Observatory; Nicola Cabibbo, president of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, and Paolo Rossi, professor emeritus of the history of science at the University of Florence, Italy, and at Rome's "Accademia dei Lincei".
Archbishop Ravasi explained that the United Nations decided to make 2009 the "year of astronomy" in order "to commemorate 400 years since the first astronomic discoveries". The event gives pride of place to Galileo, he said.
After stating that "the Church wishes to honour the figure of Galileo, innovative genius and son of the Church", the archbishop explained that "the time is now ripe for a fresh consideration of the figure of Galileo and of the entire Galileo case".
Referring then to the events planned for this year, Archbishop Ravasi announced that an international academic congress will be held in Florence from 26 to 30 May on the theme: "Galileo Galilei: A new historical, philosophical and theological reading". Organised by the Jesuit-run Stensen Institute of Florence, the congress is being promoted by the Pontifical Council for Culture, the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and the Vatican Observatory. It will be attended by world experts on the subject (theologians, historians and philosophers) such as George Coyne, Evandro Agazzi, Nicola Cabibbo and Annibale Fantoli.
From 15 October 2009 to 15 January 2010 the Vatican Museums will host an exhibition entitled: "Astrum 2009: the historical legacy of Italian astronomy from Galileo to today", dedicated to the historical material held by astronomical observatories in Italy and the Vatican. The exhibition is being organised by the Italian National Institute of Astrophysics (INAF) in collaboration with the Vatican Museums and the Vatican Observatory.
Archbishop Ravsi also mentioned an international congress to be held in November on the theme: "1609-2009. From the birth of astrophysics to evolutionary cosmology. Science, philosophy and theology", organised by Rome's Pontifical Lateran University.
The Vatican Secret Archives are also planning to produce a new edition of all the documents from the trial of Galileo Galilei, due to be published before the end of this year.
The president of the Pontifical Council for Culture concluded his remarks by announcing a new project being promoted by the Italian Church through the internet site www.disf.org (Interdisciplinary Documentation of Science and Faith). "It will", he said, "dedicate particular attention to the year of astronomy, publishing documents, text and ideas every month, so as to give a Christian orientation to the debate between science and faith". OP/YEAR ASTRONOMY/RAVASI VIS 090129 (480)
VATICAN CITY, 29 JAN 2009 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in audience Bishop Antoni Stankiewicz, dean of the Tribunal of the Roman Rota. AP/.../... VIS 090129 (30)
VATICAN CITY, 29 JAN 2009 (VIS) - The Holy Father accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the territorial abbey of Wettingen-Mehrerau, Austria, presented by Fr. D. Kassian Lauterer O. Cist., upon having reached the age limit. RE/.../LAUTERER VIS 090129 (50) |
| You can find more information at: www.vatican.va - www.vis.pcn.net |
Vatican News Update 30 January 2009
| 01.30.2009 - Nineteenth Year - Num. 20 |
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SUMMARY:
- Real and Visible Communion among the Lord's Disciples - Initiatives for Eightieth Anniversary of Vatican City State - Benedict XVI's Prayer Intentions for February
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REAL AND VISIBLE COMMUNION AMONG THE LORD'S DISCIPLES
VATICAN CITY, 30 JAN 2009 (VIS) - Today in the Vatican, Benedict XVI received members of the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches, at the end of their sixth meeting, held over recent days in Rome.
Addressing the group in English, the Pope praised their "steadfast commitment to the search for reconciliation and communion in the Body of Christ which is the Church". He also pointed out that each member of the commission brings to these meetings "not only the richness of your own tradition, but also the commitment of the Churches involved in this dialogue to overcome the divisions of the past and to strengthen the united witness of Christians in the face of the enormous challenges facing believers today.
"The world needs a visible sign of the mystery of unity that binds the three divine Persons and, that two thousand years ago, with the Incarnation of the Son of God, was revealed to us", he added. "Our communion through the grace of the Holy Spirit in the life that unites the Father and the Son has a perceptible dimension within the Church, the Body of Christ, ... and we all have a duty to work for the manifestation of that essential dimension of the Church to the world".
The Holy Father noted how the commission's recently-concluded meeting "has taken important steps precisely in the study of the Church as communion. The very fact that the dialogue has continued over time and is hosted each year by one of the several Churches you represent is itself a sign of hope and encouragement. We need only cast our minds to the Middle East - from where many of you come - to see that true seeds of hope are urgently needed in a world wounded by the tragedy of division, conflict and immense human suffering".
Benedict XVI concluded by referring to the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, recently concluded in the Roman basilica of St. Paul's Outside-the-Walls. "Paul", he said, "was the first great champion and theologian of the Church's unity. His efforts and struggles were inspired by the enduring aspiration to maintain a visible, not merely external, but real and full communion among the Lord's disciples". AC/COMMUNION/EASTERN CHURCHES VIS 090130 (390)
INITIATIVES FOR EIGHTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF VATICAN CITY STATE
VATICAN CITY, 30 JAN 2009 (VIS) - A conference was held this morning in the Holy See Press Office, to present the initiatives planned to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the signing of the Lateran Pacts (11 February 1929) and the foundation of Vatican City State.
Participating in today's press conference were Cardinal Giovanni Lajolo and Bishop Renato Boccardo, respectively president and secretary general of the Governorate of Vatican City State; Barbara Jatta, director of the office for engravings and designs of the Vatican Museums, and Giancarlo Cremonesi, president of Rome's municipal energy and environment firm, ACEA S.p.A, which is the chief patron of the celebrations.
In his remarks Cardinal Lajolo indicated that three initiatives have been planned "for the occasion of the eightieth anniversary of the foundation of this small but not insignificant State".
The first initiative is an exhibition to be held in the Charlemagne Wing - at the end of the left colonnade of St. Peter's Square - from 11 February to 10 May, entitled: "1929-2009: Eighty Years of Vatican City State".
The cardinal went on to explain how the exhibition is divided into five sections. "The first concerns the Vatican prior to 1929; the second is dedicated to Pius XI (Achille Ratti), the architect of conciliation and the great builder of the juridical and architectural structures of the new State; the third focuses on the Lateran Pacts themselves, in other words the Treaty and the Concordat signed in the Lateran Palace on 11 February 1929; the fourth illustrates the construction of the State, its projects and its new buildings; and the fifth is dedicated to the six pontiffs who succeeded Pius XI, each of whom left his own mark".
Cardinal Lajolo then turned to the second of the three initiatives, announcing that an academic congress has been organised to take place from 12 to 14 February on the theme: "A small territory for a great mission". The congress will be held at two separate sites: the Conciliation Hall of the Lateran Palace, where the Pacts themselves were signed in 1929, and the New Synod Hall in the Vatican.
The work of the congress will be opened by Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B., and close with a roundtable meeting to be attended by, among others: Franco Frattini, Italian foreign minister; Abdou Diouf, former president of Senegal, and Michel Camdessus, former president of the International Monetary Fund.
The third initiative, concluded the president of the Governorate of Vatican City State, is a concert to be held in the Vatican's Paul VI Hall at 5 p.m. on Thursday 12 February, in the presence of the Holy Father. Our Lady's Choral Society of Dublin Cathedral and the RTE Concert Orchestra of Dublin will play Handel's "Messiah". OP/VATICAN EIGHTIETH ANNIVERSARY/LAJOLO VIS 090130 (470)
BENEDICT XVI'S PRAYER INTENTIONS FOR FEBRUARY
VATICAN CITY, 30 JAN 2009 (VIS) - Pope Benedict's general prayer intention for February is: "That the pastors of the Church may always be docile to the action of the Holy Spirit in their teaching and in their service to God's people".
His mission intention is: "That the Church in Africa may find adequate ways and means to promote reconciliation, justice and peace efficaciously, according to the indications of the Second Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops". BXVI-PRAYER INTENTIONS/FEBRUARY/... VIS 090130 (90)
VATICAN CITY, 30 JAN 2009 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:
- Cardinal Antonio Canizares Llovera, prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.
- Cardinal Ivan Dias, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples.
- Cardinal Claudio Hummes O.F.M., prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy. AP/.../... VIS 090130 (60)
VATICAN CITY, 30 JAN 2009 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Fr. Guillermo Martin Abanto Guzman of the clergy of the archdiocese of Lima, Peru, episcopal vicar and pastor of the parish of "El Senor de la Divina Misericordia", and Fr. Raul Antonio Chau Quispe also of the clergy of the archdiocese of Lima, former vicar of the parish of "Santa Rosa de Lima", as auxiliaries of Lima (area 639, population 3,335,041, Catholics 3,001,536, priests 548, permanent deacons 4, religious 2,303). Bishop-elect Abanto Guzman was born in Trujillo, Peru in 1964 and ordained a priest in 1992. Bishop-elect Chau Quispe was born in Lima in 1967 and ordained a priest in 1992. NEA/.../ABANTO:CHAU VIS 090130 (120) |
| You can find more information at: www.vatican.va - www.vis.pcn.net |
Vatican News Update 28 January 2009
| 01.28.2009 - Nineteenth Year - Num. 18 |
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SUMMARY:
- Reading Scripture as the Word of the Holy Spirit - Happiness of Pope at Election of New Russian Patriarch - Taking the Steps Necessary for Full Communion - The Shoah: an Admonition Not to Forget or Deny
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READING SCRIPTURE AS THE WORD OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
VATICAN CITY, 28 JAN 2009 (VIS) - In today's general audience, held in the Paul VI Hall, the Pope turned his attention to the theological content of St. Paul's final Letters, known as the pastoral letters because addressed to his close collaborators Timothy and Titus.
These Letters, said the Holy Father, refer to a situation in which "certain erroneous and false doctrines had arisen, such as the attempt to present marriage as something bad. This concern remains current today because Scripture is sometimes read as a historical curiosity and not as the Word of the Holy Spirit, in which we can hear the voice of the Lord Himself and perceive His presence in history".
Against such doctrines, St. Paul affirmed the need to read Sacred Scripture "as 'inspired by' and proceeding from the Holy Spirit". He also speaks of the "good 'deposit', by which he means 'the tradition of apostolic faith which must be safeguarded with the help of the Holy Spirit Who dwells within us, ... and is the criterion of faithfulness to the announcement of the Gospel".
Benedict XVI highlighted how the "sense of universality" of salvation - "God wishes all mankind to be saved and to know the truth" - is "strong and decisive" in these Pauline Letters.
The Letters also contain "a reflection upon the ministerial structure of the Church. They present for the first time the triple division of bishops, priests and deacons".
"Thus", he went on, "we have the essential elements of Catholic structure. Scripture and Tradition, Scripture and announcement form a single whole. But to this structure - so to say, a doctrinal structure - must be added a personal structure, the successors of the Apostles as witnesses of the apostolic announcement".
Speaking of the episcopate, the Pope recalled how in the Letter to Timothy, for example, the bishop "is considered as the father of the Christian community. The idea of the Church as the 'house of God' has its roots in the Old Testament and is again formulated in the Letter to the Hebrews, while in the Letter to the Ephesians we read that Christians are no longer strangers and aliens, but citizens and saints, members of the house of God".
"Let us ask the Lord and St. Paul that we too, as Christians, may always be characterised - with respect to the society in which we live - as members of the 'family of God'. We also pray that the pastors of the Church may increasingly acquire parental sentiments, tender and strong at one and the same time, for the formation of the house of God, the community, the Church". AG/ST. PAUL/... VIS 090128 (450)
HAPPINESS OF POPE AT ELECTION OF NEW RUSSIAN PATRIARCH
VATICAN CITY, 28 JAN 2009 (VIS) - At the end of his general audience this morning, the Pope expressed his happiness at the election of Metropolitan Kirill as the new Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia. "Upon him I invoke the light of the Holy Spirit", he said.
Kirill, who is currently metropolitan of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, and president of the Department for External Church Affairs of the Patriarchate of Moscow, succeeds Patriarch Alexis II who died on 5 December 2008.
In an English-language telegram sent to the newly-elected Patriarch, the Pope writes: "May the Almighty bless your efforts to maintain communion among the Orthodox Churches and to seek that fullness of communion which is the goal of Catholic-Orthodox collaboration and dialogue.
"I assure Your Holiness", he adds, "of my spiritual closeness and of the Catholic Church's commitment to co-operate with the Russian Orthodox Church for an ever clearer witness of the truth of the Christian message and to the values which alone can sustain today's world along the way of peace, justice and loving care of the marginalised".
In a communique published today, the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity also expressed its joy at the election of "a Patriarch with whom we have maintained fraternal relations for many years, and who met the Holy Father immediately following his election in April 2005, and again in the months of May 2006 and December 2007.
"We trust we will be able to continue together down the path of mutual understanding we have already begun. We do not, of course, wish to lose sight of the difficulties that still remain, but we are ready and willing to co-operate in the social and cultural fields in order to bear witness to Christian values while, nonetheless, not forgetting that the ultimate aim of dialogue is the realisation of the testament of Jesus Christ our Lord: the full communion of all His disciples.
"We hope and pray that God may grant the new Patriarch abundant blessings and guide him with the gifts of strength and wisdom". CON-UC/NEW RUSSIAN PATRIARCH/... VIS 090128 (350)
TAKING THE STEPS NECESSARY FOR FULL COMMUNION
VATICAN CITY, 28 JAN 2009 (VIS) - At the end of his general audience today, the Pope mentioned his recent decision to revoke the excommunication on "the four bishops ordained without pontifical mandate by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre in 1988".
"I have undertaken this act of paternal benevolence because those same bishops have repeatedly expressed to me their profound suffering at the situation in which they found themselves.
"I hope that this gesture of mine will be followed by a prompt commitment on their part to take the further steps necessary to achieve full communion with the Church, thus showing true faithfulness to, and true recognition of, the Magisterium and authority of the Pope and of Vatican Council II". AG/FULL COMMUNION/LEFEBVRE VIS 090128 (130)
THE SHOAH: AN ADMONITION NOT TO FORGET OR DENY
VATICAN CITY, 28 JAN 2009 (VIS) - "May the Shoah be for everyone an admonition against oblivion, negation and reductionism, because violence against a single human being is violence against all", the Holy Father told pilgrims attending his weekly general audience.
Referring to recent commemorations of the Shoah, the Pope highlighted how at Auschwitz - a place he has visited several times, the last in May 2006 during his apostolic trip to Poland - "millions of Jews were cruelly massacred, innocent victims of blind racial and religious hatred.
"As I once again affectionately express my full and indisputable solidarity with our Brothers and Sisters who received the First Covenant", he added, "I trust that the memory of the Shoah will induce humankind to reflect upon the unpredictable power of evil when it conquers the heart of man".
"In particular", the Holy Father concluded, "may the Shoah show both old and new generations that only the arduous path of listening and dialogue, of love and forgiveness, can lead peoples, cultures and religions of the world to the longed-for goal of fraternity and peace, in truth. May violence never again humiliate man's dignity". AG/SHOAH/... VIS 090128 (200)
VATICAN CITY, 28 JAN 2009 (VIS) - The Holy Father:
- Appointed Bishop Gil Antonio Moreira of Jundiai, Brazil, as metropolitan archbishop of Juiz de Fora (area 10,757, population 686,000, Catholics 548,000, priests 147, permanent deacons 15, religious 239), Brazil. The archbishop-elect was born in Divinopolis, Brazil in 1950, he was ordained a priest in 1976 and consecrated a bishop in 1999. He succeeds Archbishop Eurico dos Santos Veloso, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same archdiocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.
- Appointed Fr. Jose Valmor Cesar Teixeira S.D.B., former inspector of the Salesian Inspectorate of "Sao Pio X" in the archdiocese of Porto Alegre, Brazil, as bishop of Bom Jesus da Lapa (area 56,230, population 365,000, Catholics 291,000, priests 24, religious 37), Brazil. The bishop-elect was born in Rio do Sul, Brazil in 1953 and ordained a priest in 1979. He succeeds Bishop Francisco Batistela C.SS.R., whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.
- Appointed Fr. Bernardo Johannes Bahlmann O.F.M., head of the "Albergue Sao Francisco" and of the "Centro Franciscano de Re-insercao Social" in the archdiocese of Sao Paulo, Brazil, as bishop-prelate of the territorial prelature of Obidos (area 182,960, population 204,000, Catholics 166,000, priests 18, religious 28), Brazil. The bishop-elect was born in Visbek, Germany in 1960 and ordained a priest in 1997. He succeeds Bishop Martinho Lammers O.F.M., whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same territorial prelature the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.
- Appointed Fr. Sebastian Taltavull Anglada of the clergy of the diocese of Menorca, Spain, director of the pastoral care secretariat of the Spanish Episcopal Conference, as auxiliary of the archdiocese of Barcelona (area 339, population 2,469,000, Catholics 2,340,000, priests 942, permanent deacons 40, religious 3,697), Spain. The bishop-elect was born in Ciudadela, Spain in 1948 and ordained a priest in 1972. NER:RE:NEA/.../... VIS 090128 (330) |
| You can find more information at: www.vatican.va - www.vis.pcn.net |
Vatican News Update 26 January 2009
| 01.26.2009 - Nineteenth Year - Num. 16 |
|
SUMMARY: 24 - 26 JANUARY
- Chaldean Bishops: Facing Ordeals alongside Their Faithful - Remission of Excommunication against Lefebvre Bishops - Conversion: Openness to the Illumination of Divine Grace - Pope Recalls Leprosy Sufferers and Lunar New Year - Prayer for Unity and Reconciliation among Christians - Letters of Credence of New French Ambassador - Programme of Pope's Apostolic Trip to Cameroon, Angola - Message from Pope for End of Jubilee Year of Tarragona
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CHALDEAN BISHOPS: FACING ORDEALS ALONGSIDE THEIR FAITHFUL
VATICAN CITY, 24 JAN 2009 (VIS) - This morning in the Vatican the Holy Father received prelates from the Chaldean Church, who have just completed their "ad limina" visit. In the course of their audience with the Pope, the bishops gave him a cape used by Archbishop Faraj Rahho of Mosul and a stole belonging to Fr. Ragheed Aziz Ganni, both killed in Iraq over recent months.
Through Cardinal Emmanuel III Delly, patriarch of Babylon of the Chaldeans, the Pope sent greetings to all the Chaldean faithful, assuring them of his fervent prayers "at this very difficult time for your region, especially for Iraq". Recalling, among others, Archbishop Rahho and Fr. Ganni, he said: "I ask God that the men and women of peace in that beloved region may unite their efforts to put an end to violence and enable everyone to live in security and mutual harmony".
"The Chaldean Church, the origins of which stretch back to the first centuries of the Christian era, has a long and noble tradition", said the Pope. This tradition "is an expression of her deep roots in the East, ... and of the vital contribution she makes to the Universal Church, especially with her theologians and masters of spirituality. Her history also shows how she has participated actively and fruitfully in the life of your nations. Today the Chaldean Church, which occupies an important place among the various institutions of your countries, must continue this mission at the service of human and spiritual development".
Benedict XVI underlined the fact that the Chaldean Church, "by establishing cordial relations with members of other communities, is called to play a vital moderating role in the building of a new society where everyone can live in harmony and reciprocal respect. I know that coexistence between the Muslim and Christian communities has gone through various vicissitudes", he said. "The Christians who have always lived in Iraq are full citizens of the country with the same rights and duties as everyone else, without any religious distinction".
The Holy Father invited Chaldean bishops to place the Word of God at the centre of their pastoral activities and projects, because "it is on faithfulness to that Word that unity among all the faithful is founded, in communion with pastors". In that patriarchal Church, he went on, "the synodal assembly is an indubitable gift which must be used as a means to help make ties of communion stronger and more effective, and to experience inter-episcopal charity", because the synod "is the place where co-responsibility is effectively achieved thanks to real collaboration among its members".
"Furthermore the Chaldean Church, above all in Iraq where it is the largest [Christian community], has a particular responsibility to promote the communion and unity of the mystical body of Christ. Thus I invite you to continue meeting with pastors of other 'sui iuris' Churches, and with leaders of other Christian Churches, in order to further the cause of ecumenism".
The Pope also dwelt on the critical situations bishops have to face, in the first place that of the "faithful who must confront the daily threat of violence", and he expressed his appreciation "for your courage and tenacity in the face of the ordeals and dangers to which you are subject, especially in Iraq". He then asked the bishops "to help your faithful overcome current difficulties and affirm your presence, appealing to those in charge for the recognition of your human and civil rights", and he invited them "to love the land of your ancestors to which you remain so deeply rooted".
Turning his attention then to the Chaldean diaspora, "whose numbers never cease to grow especially in the wake of recent events", Benedict XVI emphasised the importance of "maintaining and intensifying bonds with your Patriarchate, so as not to feel excluded from its central unity" and "to uphold your cultural and religious identity".
Finally the Pope praised "the Church's witness of charity towards all those in need, without distinction of origin or religion. This cannot but stimulate all people of good will to expressions of solidarity". In Iraq, "despite the terrible moments the country has gone through", such witness has given rise to works of charity "which do honour to God, the Church and the Iraqi people".
"I invite you", he concluded, "to continue your mission with courage and hope. ... May the prayers and assistance of your brothers and sisters in the faith, and of so many people of good will, accompany you, that God's loving gaze may continue to illuminate the long-suffering Iraqi people". AL/.../CHALDEAN CHURCH VIS 090126 (770)
REMISSION OF EXCOMMUNICATION AGAINST LEFEBVRE BISHOPS
VATICAN CITY, 24 JAN 2009 (VIS) - The Congregation for Bishops has published a decree signed by its prefect, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, and dated 21 January, concerning the Pope's remission of the excommunication pronounced on four bishops consecrated by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre in 1988.
The complete text of the decree is given below:
"In a letter of 15 December 2008 addressed to Cardinal Dario Castrillon Hoyos, president of the Pontifical Commission 'Ecclesia Dei', Bishop Bernard Fellay once again requested - also in the name of the other three bishops consecrated on 30 June 1988 - the removal of the excommunication 'latae sententiae' formally pronounced by a decree of the prefect of this Congregation for Bishops on 1 July 1988. In that letter Bishop Fellay affirmed, among other things, that 'we continue firmly resolute in our desire to remain Catholics and to put all our strength at the service of the Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ, which is the Roman Catholic Church. We accept her teachings in a filial spirit. We firmly believe in the Primacy of Peter and in its prerogatives, and for this reason the current situation causes us much suffering'.
"His Holiness Benedict XVI - in his paternal compassion for the spiritual discomfort expressed by the parties concerned, because of the excommunication, and trusting in the commitment they expressed in the aforesaid letter to spare no efforts in examining outstanding questions through the requisite discussions with the authorities of the Holy See in order to reach a prompt, full and satisfactory solution to the original problem - has decided to reconsider the canonical position of Bishops Bernard Fellay, Bernard Tissier de Mallerais, Richard Williamson and Alfonso de Galarreta, which arose following their episcopal consecration.
"With this act it is hoped to consolidate reciprocal relations of trust, and to intensify and stabilise the relations of the Fraternity of St. Pius X with this Holy See. This gift of peace, coming at the end of the Christmas celebrations, also wishes to be a sign to promote the Universal Church's unity in charity, and to remove the scandal of division.
"It is hoped that this step will be followed by the prompt attainment of full communion with the Church by the entire Fraternity of St. Pius X, thus demonstrating true faithfulness and true recognition of the Magisterium and authority of Pope with the sign of visible unity.
"On the basis of the powers expressly granted to me by the Holy Father Benedict XVI, and by virtue of this decree, I remit the sentence of excommunication 'latae sententiae' declared by this congregation on 1 July 1988 against Bishops Bernard Fellay, Bernard Tissier de Mallerais, Richard Williamson and Alfonso de Galarreta. At the same time I declare that, as of today's date, the decree then issued is devoid of juridical effect". CPE/REMISSION EXCOMMUNICATION/SSPX VIS 090126 (480)
VATICAN CITY, 24 JAN 2009 (VIS) - The Holy Father:
- Appointed Cardinal Paul Poupard, president emeritus of the Pontifical Council for Culture, as his special envoy to celebrations marking seven hundred years since the beginning of the Roman Pontiffs' exile in the French city of Avignon (1309-1377). The event will be held in Avignon on 9 and 10 March.
- Appointed Msgr. Robert E. Guglielmone of the clergy of the diocese of Rockville Centre, U.S.A., rector of Saint Agnes Cathedral, as bishop of Charleston (area 80,401, population 4,254,000, Catholics 176,372, priests 141, permanent deacons 91, religious 192), U.S.A. The bishop-elect was born in New York in 1945 and ordained a priest in 1978.
- Erected the new diocese of Hpa-an (area 30,164, population 1,164,000, Catholics 10,781, priests 18, religious 31) Myanmar, with territory taken from the archdiocese of Yangon, making it a suffragan of the same metropolitan church. He appointed Bishop Justin Saw Min Thide, auxiliary of Yangon, as first bishop of the new diocese.
- Appointed Msgr. Luis Alberto Fernandez, vicar general of Lomas de Zamora, Argentina, as auxiliary of the archdiocese of Buenos Aires (area 203, population 2,815,000, Catholics 2,578,000, priests 878, permanent deacons 6, religious 2,352), Argentina. The bishop-elect was born in Lomas de Zamora in 1946 and ordained a priest in 1975. NER:ECE:NEA:NA/.../... VIS 090126 (220)
CONVERSION: OPENNESS TO THE ILLUMINATION OF DIVINE GRACE
VATICAN CITY, 25 JAN 2009 (VIS) - The Holy Father dedicated his remarks before praying the Angelus to today's Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul, and to the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity which also comes to a close today.
Commenting on the reading from St. Mark in which Christ invites people to convert and believe in the Gospel, the Pope explained to the pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Square that in the case of St. Paul "some people prefer not to use the term conversion because, they say, he was already a believer, indeed a zealous Jew, and hence he did not move from non-faith to faith, from idols to God; nor did he have to abandon the Jewish faith in order to adhere to Christ. In fact, the experience of the Apostle can be a model for all true Christian conversion".
"Saul converted because, thanks to the divine light, 'he believed in the Gospel'. His conversion, and ours, consists in this: in believing in Jesus, dead and risen, and in opening oneself to the illumination of His divine grace. At that moment, Saul understood that his salvation depended not upon good works undertaken in accordance with the Law, but on the fact that Jesus died also for him - the persecutor - and was, and is, risen. This truth which, thanks to Baptism, illuminates the life of each Christian, completely changes the way we live". Trusting in Christ's power of forgiveness means "escaping from the quicksand of pride and sin, of lies and sadness, of selfishness and false security, to know and experience the richness of His love".
"The call to conversion - strengthened by St. Paul's own witness - rings out today at the end of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, which is particularly important in the field of ecumenism. The Apostle shows us the right spiritual attitude in order to progress along the path of communion. 'Not that I have obtained this or have already reached the goal, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me His own'. Of course, we Christians have not yet attained the goal of full unity, but if we allow ourselves to be continually converted by the Lord Jesus we will surely reach it". ANG/CONVERSION/... VIS 090126 (400)
POPE RECALLS LEPROSY SUFFERERS AND LUNAR NEW YEAR
VATICAN CITY, 25 JAN 2009 (VIS) - In remarks following the Angelus, Benedict XVI turned his attention to three subjects: the World Day of Leprosy which falls today, the beginning of the new lunar year celebrated in this period in many Asian countries, and his own recent Message for the World Day of Social Communications.
"The Church", he said, "following Jesus' example, has always shown particular concern for" leprosy sufferers. "I am pleased that the United Nations, in a recent declaration from the High Commission for Human Rights, has encouraged States to help leprosy sufferers and their families. For my own part, I assure them of my prayers and give renewed encouragement to those working for their cure and social rehabilitation".
He then expressed the hope that people of various East Asian nations may experience a joyful beginning to the new lunar year. "Joy is an expression of being in harmony with ourselves", he said, "and this can come only from being in harmony with God and with His creation. May joy always abide in the hearts of the citizens of those countries, which are so dear to me, and irradiate to the whole world".
Finally, Pope Benedict mentioned the recent publication of his Message for the World Day of Social Communications, released on the eve of the Feast of St Francis de Sales, patron of journalists, and dedicated this year to "the new technologies which have made the internet a resource of utmost importance. ... Undoubtedly, wise use of communications technology enables communities to be formed in ways that promote the search for the true, the good and the beautiful, transcending geographical boundaries and ethnic divisions, To this end, the Vatican has already launched a new initiative which will make information and news from the Holy See more readily accessible on the world wide web". ANG/LEPROSY NEW YEAR COMMUNICATIONS/... VIS 090126 (320)
PRAYER FOR UNITY AND RECONCILIATION AMONG CHRISTIANS
VATICAN CITY, 25 JAN 2009 (VIS) - Yesterday afternoon in the Roman basilica of St. Paul's Outside-the-Walls, the Pope presided at the celebration of the second Vespers of the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul, thus marking the end of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity which was dedicated to the theme "That they may become one in your hand" (Ezek. 37, 17). The ceremony, which this year coincided with the two thousandth anniversary of the birth of the Apostle, was attended by cardinals and bishops, as well as by representatives from other Churches and ecclesial communities.
In his homily the Holy Father reflected upon the conversion of St. Paul, saying "it presents us with a model of, and shows us the way to, full unity" which, "indeed, calls for conversion: from division to communion, from a lacerated unity, to a restored and complete unity".
The conversion of the Apostle of the Gentiles "was not a move from immorality to morality, from an erroneous faith to a correct faith, rather it was the fact of being conquered by the love of Christ, of renouncing one's own perfection. It was the humility of one who placed himself unreservedly at the service of Christ for his brothers and sisters. And it is only in this self-renunciation, in this conformity to Christ, that we also become united to one another, that we become 'one' in Christ. It is communion with the risen Christ that gives us unity".
"Of course, the unity that God gives His Church, and for which we pray, is communion in a spiritual sense, in faith and in charity; yet we know that this unity in Christ is also a ferment for fraternity at a social level, in relations between nations and among the entire human family. ... The prayers we raise over these days, with reference to Ezekiel's prophecy, are also a form of intercession for the various situations of conflict that currently afflict humankind".
Benedict XVI pointed out that "where human words are powerless because the tragic noise of violence and arms prevails, the prophetic power of the Word of God does not fail but repeats to us that peace is possible, and that we must be instruments of reconciliation and peace. Hence our prayer for unity and peace must always be backed up by courageous gestures of reconciliation among us Christians".
"How important it is", said the Pope referring to the Holy Land, "that the faithful who live there, and the pilgrims who visit, provide testimony before the whole world that the diversity of rites and traditions is not be a hindrance to mutual respect and fraternal charity.
"In the legitimate diversity of varying positions we must seek unity in the faith, in our fundamental 'yes' to Christ and to His one Church", he added. "And thus diversity will no longer be an obstacle that separates us, but a richness in the multiplicity of expressions of the shared faith".
The Holy Father recalled that fifty years ago today Blessed John XXIII "first expressed his desire to call 'an ecumenical Council for the Universal Church'", which led to "a fundamental contribution to ecumenism, as recapitulated in the Decree 'Unitatis redintegratio'".
He went on: "The attitude of interior conversion to Christ, of spiritual renewal, of increased charity towards other Christians, has given rise to a new situation in ecumenical relations. The fruits of theological dialogue, with its points of agreement and with a more exact understanding of remaining differences, encourage us to continue courageously in two directions: in accepting what has been achieved and in a renewed commitment to the future".
"What remains before us is the horizon of complete unity", Benedict XVI concluded. "This is a demanding but stimulating task for Christians who wish to live in harmony with the prayer of the Lord: 'that they may all be one, that the world may believe'". HML/CONVERSION ST. PAUL/... VIS 090126 (660)
LETTERS OF CREDENCE OF NEW FRENCH AMBASSADOR
VATICAN CITY, 26 JAN 2009 (VIS) - This morning in the Vatican, the Holy Father received the Letters of Credence of Stanislas Lefebvre de Laboulaye, the new French ambassador to the Holy See.
Opening his address, the Pope expressed his happiness and gratitude at having been able to make a pilgrimage to the French shrine of Lourdes in September 2008, for the 150th anniversary of the apparitions of the Virgin to Bernadette Soubirous.
Going on then to consider the debate currently taking place in France on the subject of bioethics, Benedict XVI spoke of his contentment "at the parliament having reached prudent conclusions, replete with humanity, on questions concerning the end of life. ... My hope is that this prudence, which recognises the intangible nature of all human life, is upheld when it comes to revising the laws on bioethics".
In order to face the current economic crisis measures are needed that "favour social cohesion, protect those most exposed and, above all, restore to the majority of people the capacity and opportunity to become real players in an economy that creates true services and real wealth", he said.
Turning his attention to a recent agreement between France and the Holy See concerning recognition of diplomas issued by pontifical universities and Catholic institutes, the Pope pointed out how this "will benefit many French and foreign students".
Having then expressed his pleasure at the French government's desire to enter into dialogue with the Catholic Church, Benedict XVI also thanked French bishops for their concern "to lay the foundations for inter-cultural and inter-religious dialogue, in which the various religious communities have an opportunity to demonstrate that they are agents for peace".
In the face "of the many crises currently characterising the international scene ... the Holy See follows with concern situations of conflict and cases of violation of human rights; yet she does not doubt that the international community, in which France plays an important role, can make an ever more just and effective contribution in favour of peace and harmony among nations, and for the development of all countries".
Finally the Holy Father considered Catholic communities in France "whose joy", he said, "will surely be great this year at the canonisation of Jeanne Jugan, foundress of the Congregation of the Little Sisters of the Poor. ... This event will show once again how living faith is prodigious in good works, and how sanctity is a healing balm for the wounds of humankind". CD/LETTERS OF CREDENCE/FRANCE:LEFEBVRE VIS 090126 (420)
PROGRAMME OF POPE'S APOSTOLIC TRIP TO CAMEROON, ANGOLA
VATICAN CITY, 26 JAN 2009 (VIS) - The programme of Benedict XVI's forthcoming apostolic trip to Cameroon and Angola from 17 to 23 March was made public today.
The Pope will depart from Rome's Fiumicino airport at 10 a.m. on Tuesday 17 March, arriving at 4 p.m. in Yaounde, Cameroon, where he will be greeted by the authorities.
On Wednesday 18 March he will make a courtesy visit to the president of Cameroon at the Palais de l'Unite in Yaounde. Later he will meet with the country's bishops in the church of Christ-Roi in Tsinga, then celebrate Vespers with local clergy and with representatives of ecclesial movements and of other Christian confessions in the basilica of Marie Reine des Apotres.
In the apostolic nunciature in Yaounde on Thursday 19 March, the Holy Father will meet with representatives of the Muslim community of Cameroon. At 10 a.m. he will celebrate Mass at Yaounde's Amadou Ahidjo stadium, to mark the publication of the "Instrumentum Laboris" of the Second Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops. At 4.30 p.m. he will meet with sick people in the Cardinal Paul Emile Leger Centre. Later he will pronounce an address before members of the Second Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops.
On Friday 20 March, the Pope will travel from Yaounde to the Angolan capital Luanda where he is due to arrive at 12.45 p.m. Following the welcome ceremony at the airport, he will visit the president of the Republic of Angola in the presidential palace in Luanda where, at 5.45 p.m. he will also deliver an address to political leaders and the diplomatic corps. At 7 p.m., he is due to meet with bishops of Angola and Santo Tome in the chapel of the apostolic nunciature in Luanda.
At 10 a.m. on Saturday 21 March, Benedict XVI will celebrate Mass in Luanda's church of Sao Paulo. At 4.30 p.m. he will meet with young people in the stadium of Coquieros.
On Sunday 22 March, he will celebrate Mass with bishops of IMBISA (Inter-Regional Meeting of the Bishops of Southern Africa) at Cimangola. That afternoon in the parish of Santo Antonio in Luanda he will meet with Catholic movements for the promotion of women.
At 10.30 a.m. on Monday 23 March he will leave Luanda for Rome, where his plane due to land at Ciampino airport at 6 p.m. OP/VISIT CAMEROON ANGOLA/... VIS 090126 (410)
MESSAGE FROM POPE FOR END OF JUBILEE YEAR OF TARRAGONA
VATICAN CITY, 26 JAN 2009 (VIS) - The Holy Father sent a Message to Archbishop Jaume Pujol Balcells of Tarragona, Spain, for the conclusion yesterday, 25 January, of the archdiocese's Jubilee year marking the 1750th anniversary of the martyrdom of St. Fructuosus, bishop and patron of the city, and of his deacons St. Augurius and St. Eulogius.
"The commemoration of these martyrs", writes the Pope in his Message dated 19 January, "brings to mind a community which, having received at the dawn of Christianity the evangelical message transmitted by the Apostles, fearlessly confessed, lived and celebrated its faith in an atmosphere of incomprehension and hostility. The witness of those who gave their blood for Christ continues to illuminate and strengthen the faith of the Church, because it unequivocally indicates that the significance and fullness of our lives, our reason for hope and our deepest joy, is our relationship with God, the source of life".
"With this Jubilee Year, the ecclesial community of Tarragona ... has had a special opportunity to appreciate the treasure it conserves at its heart and that must shine out again today to give greater splendour and profundity to Christian life in people, families, and social relationships". MESS/ST. FRUCTUOSUS/TARRAGONA:PUJOL VIS 090126 (220)
VATICAN CITY, 26 JAN 2009 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences four prelates from the Conference of Catholic Bishops of the Russian Federation, on their "ad limina" visit:
- Archbishop Paolo Pezzi F.S.C.B. of the archdiocese of the Mother of God in Moscow.
- Bishop Clemens Pickel of San Clement at Saratov.
- Bishop Cyryl Klimowicz of St. Joseph in Irkutsk, apostolic administrator "ad nutum Sanctae Sedis" of the apostolic prefecture of Yuzhno Sakhalinsk.
- Bishop Joseph Werth S.J. of the Transfiguration at Novosibirsk, ordinary for faithful of the Byzantine rite resident in Russia.
On Saturday 24 January he received in separate audiences:
- Archbishop Philip Edward Wilson of Adelaide, Australia, president of the Australian Catholic Bishops' Conference.
- Bishop Petros Hanna Issa Al-Harboli of Zaku of the Chaldeans, Iraq, on his "ad limina" visit.
- Bishop Michel Kassarji of Beirut of the Chaldeans, Lebanon, on his "ad limina" visit.
- Bishop Youssef Ibrahim Sarraf of Le Caire of the Chaldeans, Egypt, on his "ad limina" visit.
- Bishop Antoine Audo S.J. of Alep of the Chaldeans, Syria, on his "ad limina" visit.
- Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops. AL:AP/.../... VIS 090126 (200) |
| You can find more information at: www.vatican.va - www.vis.pcn.net |
Vatican News Update 23 January 2009
| 01.23.2009 - Nineteenth Year - Num. 15 |
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SUMMARY:
- Holy Father Receives President of Macedonia - Syriac Catholic Bishops: Unity of Pastors and Communities - New News Channel on the Holy Father - New Technologies and Relationships: Respect and Dialogue
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HOLY FATHER RECEIVES PRESIDENT OF MACEDONIA
VATICAN CITY, 23 JAN 2009 (VIS) - The Holy See Press Office released the following communique at midday today:
"This morning the Holy Father Benedict XVI received in audience Branko Crvenkovski, president of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. The president subsequently went on to meet Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B., and Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, secretary for Relations with States.
"The president expressed his recognition for the interest the Holy See has shown in his country since its independence, and underlined the good relations that exist between the two sides, one sign of which is the annual visit of an official delegation to Rome for the Feast of Sts. Cyril and Methodius.
"The overall situation in the region was also examined, and consideration given to certain bilateral questions". OP/AUDIENCE PRESIDENT/MACEDONIA:CRVENKOVSKI VIS 090123 (140)
SYRIAC CATHOLIC BISHOPS: UNITY OF PASTORS AND COMMUNITIES
VATICAN CITY, 23 JAN 2009 (VIS) - This morning in the Vatican, Benedict XVI received bishops of the Syriac Catholic Church, led by His Beatitude Ignace Youssif III Younan, recently elected as patriarch of Antioch of the Syrians by the Synod of Bishops of the Syriac Catholic Church, meeting in Rome from 18 to 20 January.
The Pope began his remarks by asking the Lord to concede "the grace of the apostolate" to the new patriarch, that he may "serve the Church and glorify her Holy Name before the world". He then greeted Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches, who presided over the recent synod; Cardinal Ignace Moussa I Daoud, prefect emeritus of same dicastery; His Beatitude Ignace Pierre Andel Ahad, patriarch emeritus of Antioch of the Syrians, and all the prelates who came to Rome "to carry out this most important act of synodal responsibility".
"Since the origins of Christianity", he continued, "the Apostles Peter and Paul were intimately associated with Antioch where the disciples of Jesus first received the name of Christians". He also mentioned various illustrious Fathers of the faith from that region, including St. Ignatius and St. Ehprem, "whose spirituality continues to illuminate the universal Church".
"The new patriarch is the main guardian of this heritage", he said, "yet each of you, as brothers and members of the synod, will have to help him in his task in a spirit of authentic episcopal collegiality. In the hands of the new patriarch and of the Syriac Catholic episcopate I place, first and above all, the duty to maintain unity, both among pastors and within ecclesial communities".
The Holy Father then went on to refer to the ecclesial communion requested of him by the new patriarch, underlining how he had granted it "willingly, thus performing a part of the Petrine ministry which gives me particular pleasure. Communion with the Bishop of Rome, Peter's Successor, established by the Lord as the visible foundation of unity in faith and charity, guarantees the bond with Christ the Pastor and introduces the particular Churches into the mystery of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church".
Having reviewed the biography of the new patriarch, who was born in Syria but spent his episcopal ministry in America, Benedict XVI affirmed that "the diaspora has also contributed to giving the Syriac Church her new patriarch. In this way, even stronger ties will be forged with a motherland that so many Eastern Christians have had to leave in search of better living conditions".
"My hope is that in the East, where the Gospel was first announced, Christian communities may continue to live and bear witness to their faith, as they have over the centuries. At the same time I hope that all those outside their homeland may receive adequate pastoral care so as to maintain the bond with their religious roots". The Pope then expressed the hope that the Eastern communities, "wherever they may be, are able to integrate themselves into their new social and ecclesial surroundings without losing their own identity and conserving the imprint of their Eastern spirituality, so that, using the words East and West, the Church may speak effectively of Christ to modern mankind".
The Pope concluded by indicating that the members of the Syriac Catholic Church should "be peacemakers in the Holy Land, Iraq and Lebanon", where their historical presence has been "much appreciated". AC/SYRAIC CATHOLIC BISHOPS/YOUNAN VIS 090123 (580)
NEW NEWS CHANNEL ON THE HOLY FATHER
VATICAN CITY, 23 JAN 2009 (VIS) - This morning in the Holy See Press Office, the Message for the 43rd World Day of Social Communications was presented. The theme this year is: "New Technologies, New Relationships: Promoting a culture of Respect, Dialogue and Friendship".
Participating in today's press conference were Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli and Msgr. Paul Tighe, respectively president and secretary of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications; Fr. Federico Lombardi, S.J., director of Vatican Radio, of the Vatican Television Centre (CTV) and of the Holy See Press Office, and Henrique de Castro, Managing Director of Media Solutions for Google.
In his remarks Archbishop Celli underlined the fact that this year's Message represents "a real watershed" because, he said, "the theme itself guides us along the path of novelty, not only by focusing on new technologies but by exploring their effects. It does so by addressing the 'digital generation', thus appealing directly to the young".
"The cordial tone is the first distinctive feature of a Message which provides ... ample evidence of an open and positive attitude, even defining the new technologies as 'truly a gift to humanity'. ... The Message also accentuates the values that distinguish such an environment, in the first place that of friendship and of the networks of relationships that new technologies have now made possible".
"Yet the range of benefits is even greater and also spreads into the sphere of family relationships (families can eliminate differences more easily), and into that of study and even of scientific research which cannot but draw advantage from the continuous breaking down of barriers" by people working together while geographically distant from one another.
"Truly, we are facing a new world", the archbishop concluded. A world "to be explored not by opening our eyes in amazement before new technological advances, but by opening our hearts and giving room to hope in the face of the great possibilities for the common good opening before us. This is even more important if we consider that the Message also examines certain dangers, associated not just with media distortion but with inequality in the uses to which the media may be put. One is reminded of that 'digital divide' which cannot but be a cause for concern, precisely because the new technologies must be considered as primary resources for human development and promotion".
"Never before, perhaps, has a Message been so powerful but also so challenging".
For his part Msgr. Tighe highlighted how the Message "celebrates the capacity of the new technologies to foster and support good and healthy relationships and various forms of solidarity. It appeals to friendship as a motive to ensure that the new digital world is truly accessible to all. It finds in friendship a shared reference point with all of humanity that grounds the appeal of the Message to promote a culture where there is respect for all and where all are invited to search for truth in dialogue".
Fr. Lombardi announced the creation of a new Vatican channel on YouTube, through which various forms of video news will be available concerning the activities of the Pope and events in the Vatican. The site will be updated with one or two news pieces each day, none longer than two minutes, he said. For the moment, the languages available are English, Spanish, German and Italian.
The web page of the new channel, he explained, contains various links via which the visitor can find more information and documentation on the Pope, the Vatican and the Catholic Church. The main links connect to the multi-lingual web pages of CTV and Vatican Radio, to the Vatican and to the new site of Vatican City State. "Of particular importance", said Fr. Lombardi, "is the link to H2O News which transmits other video news items on the life of the Church in the world".
He went on: "Further links under the main video give access to other Vatican news sources: in each linguistic sub-channel is a link to the web page of Vatican Radio in that language, to the web page of the Holy See Press Office Bulletin (with complete texts in original language), and to that language's edition of the 'Osservatore Romano' newspaper".
In the light of the possibility offered by YouTube to exchange information, establish relationships, etc., "we will consider how best to administer this 'global' flow of comments and replies", said the Holy See Press Office Director.
"The Pope", he concluded, "was personally informed of our project, and gave his approval with his usual courtesy and graciousness. For us this is a great encouragement". OP/SOCIAL COMMUNICATIONS DAY/... VIS 090123 (780)
NEW TECHNOLOGIES AND RELATIONSHIPS: RESPECT AND DIALOGUE
VATICAN CITY, 23 JAN 2009 (VIS) - Made public today was the Holy Father's Message for the 43rd World Day of Social Communications, which will be celebrated on 24 May and has as its theme: "New Technologies, New Relationships: Promoting a culture of Respect, Dialogue and Friendship".
The Message, dated 24 January, Feast of St. Francis de Sales, patron of journalists, has been published in English, Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese and German. Excerpts from the Message are given below:
"The new digital technologies are bringing about fundamental shifts in patterns of communication and human relationships. ... In this year's message, I am conscious of those who constitute the so-called 'digital generation' and I would like to share with them, in particular, some ideas concerning the extraordinary potential of the new technologies, if they are used to promote human understanding and solidarity. These technologies are truly a gift to humanity and we must endeavour to ensure that the benefits they offer are put at the service of all human individuals and communities, especially those who are most disadvantaged and vulnerable".
"Young people, in particular, have grasped the enormous capacity of the new media to foster connectedness, communication and understanding between individuals and communities, and they are turning to them as means of communicating with existing friends, of meeting new friends, of forming communities and networks, of seeking information and news, and of sharing their ideas and opinions".
"The desire for connectedness and the instinct for communication that are so obvious in contemporary culture are best understood as modern manifestations of the basic and enduring propensity of humans to reach beyond themselves and to seek communion with others. In reality, when we open ourselves to others, we are fulfilling our deepest need and becoming more fully human. Loving is, in fact, what we are designed for by our Creator".
"Reflecting on the significance of the new technologies, it is important to focus not just on their undoubted capacity to foster contact between people, but on the quality of the content that is put into circulation using these means. I would encourage all people of good will who are active in the emerging environment of digital communication to commit themselves to promoting a culture of respect, dialogue and friendship.
"Those who are active in the production and dissemination of new media content, therefore, should strive to respect the dignity and worth of the human person. If the new technologies are to serve the good of individuals and of society, all users will avoid the sharing of words and images that are degrading of human beings, that promote hatred and intolerance, that debase the goodness and intimacy of human sexuality or that exploit the weak and vulnerable.
"The new technologies have also opened the way for dialogue between people from different countries, cultures and religions. The new digital arena, the so-called cyberspace, allows them to encounter and to know each other's traditions and values. Such encounters, if they are to be fruitful, require honest and appropriate forms of expression together with attentive and respectful listening. The dialogue must be rooted in a genuine and mutual searching for truth if it is to realise its potential to promote growth in understanding and tolerance. Life is not just a succession of events or experiences: it is a search for the true, the good and the beautiful. It is to this end that we make our choices; it is for this that we exercise our freedom; it is in this - in truth, in goodness, and in beauty - that we find happiness and joy. We must not allow ourselves to be deceived by those who see us merely as consumers in a market of undifferentiated possibilities, where choice itself becomes the good, novelty usurps beauty, and subjective experience displaces truth.
"The concept of friendship has enjoyed a renewed prominence in the vocabulary of the new digital social networks that have emerged in the last few years. The concept is one of the noblest achievements of human culture. ... We should be careful, therefore, never to trivialise the concept or the experience of friendship. It would be sad if our desire to sustain and develop on-line friendships were to be at the cost of our availability to engage with our families, our neighbours and those we meet in the daily reality of our places of work, education and recreation. If the desire for virtual connectedness becomes obsessive, it may in fact function to isolate individuals from real social interaction while also disrupting the patterns of rest, silence and reflection that are necessary for healthy human development.
"Friendship is a great human good, but it would be emptied of its ultimate value if it were to be understood as an end in itself. ... It is gratifying to note the emergence of new digital networks that seek to promote human solidarity, peace and justice, human rights and respect for human life and the good of creation. These networks can facilitate forms of co-operation between people from different geographical and cultural contexts that enable them to deepen their common humanity and their sense of shared responsibility for the good of all.
"We must, therefore, strive to ensure that the digital world, where such networks can be established, is a world that is truly open to all. It would be a tragedy for the future of humanity if the new instruments of communication, which permit the sharing of knowledge and information in a more rapid and effective manner, were not made accessible to those who are already economically and socially marginalized, or if it should contribute only to increasing the gap separating the poor from the new networks that are developing at the service of human socialisation and information.
"I address myself in particular to young Catholic believers: to encourage them to bring the witness of their faith to the digital world. Dear brothers and sisters, I ask you to introduce into the culture of this new environment of communications and information technology the values on which you have built your lives".
"The proclamation of Christ in the world of new technologies requires a profound knowledge of this world if the technologies are to serve our mission adequately. It falls, in particular, to young people ... to take on the responsibility for the evangelisation of this 'digital continent'. Be sure to announce the Gospel to your contemporaries with enthusiasm",
"The greatest gift you can give to them is to share with them the 'Good News' of a God Who became man, Who suffered, died and rose again to save all people. Human hearts are yearning for a world where love endures, where gifts are shared, where unity is built, where freedom finds meaning in truth, and where identity is found in respectful communion. Our faith can respond to these expectations: may you become its heralds! The Pope accompanies you with his prayers and his blessing". MESS/SOCIAL COMMUNICATIONS DAY/... VIS 090123 (1170)
VATICAN CITY, 23 JAN 2009 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:
- Cardinal Emmanuel III Delly, patriarch of Babylon of the Chaldeans, Iraq, accompanied by Auxiliary Bishops Shlemon Warduni and Andraos Abouna, and by Auxiliary Archbishop Jacques Ishaq, on their "ad limina" visit.
- Archbishop Louis Sako of Kerkuk of the Chaldeans, accompanied by Archbishop emeritus Andre Sana, on their "ad limina" visit.
- Bishop Mikha Pola Maqdassi Alquoch of the Chaldeans, Iraq, on his "ad limina" visit. AL/.../... VIS 090123 (90)
VATICAN CITY, 23 JAN 2009 (VIS) - The Holy Father granted the ecclesial communion requested of him by His Beatitude Ignace Youssif III Younan, canonically elected as patriarch of Antioch of the Syrians by the Synod of Bishops of the Syriac Catholic Church, which met in Rome from 18 to 20 January. The new patriarch was born in Hassake, Syria in 1944, he was ordained a priest in 1971 and consecrated a bishop in 1995. NA/.../YOUNAN VIS 090123 (80) |
| You can find more information at: www.vatican.va - www.vis.pcn.net |
Vatican News Update 22 January 2009
| 01.22.2009 - Nineteenth Year - Num. 14 |
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SUMMARY:
- Benedict XVI Becomes Honorary Citizen of Mariazell - Message Published for World Day of Leprosy
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BENEDICT XVI BECOMES HONORARY CITIZEN OF MARIAZELL
VATICAN CITY, 22 JAN 2009 (VIS) - At midday yesterday, during a brief ceremony held in a room of the Paul VI Hall, the Pope was made an honorary citizen of the Austrian town of Mariazell, home to one of the most important Marian shrines in Europe.
Among those present at the ceremony, which was held following the Pope's weekly general audience, were Helmut Pertl, town mayor; Bishop Egon Kapellari of Graz-Seckau, and Fr. Karl Schauer O.S.B., rector of the Shrine of Mariazell.
In his remarks, the Holy Father expressed his joy "at being a citizen of Mariazell and at being able to live so close to the Mother of God". The Pope visited the town in September 2007.
"Mariazell is much more than just a 'place'", he said. It also represents "the living history of a pilgrimage of faith and prayer down the centuries", in which "a real answer is also present: ... that God exists and that, through His mother, He wishes to remain close to us. ... For this reason I am happy to be at home in my heart and now, so to say, also by law, in Mariazell".
After highlighting how Our Lady of Mariazell "has such impressive names as: 'Magna Mater Austriae', 'Domina Magna Hungarorum', 'Magna Mater gentium slavorum'", Benedict XVI explained that the Virgin "is above all 'Magna Mater' yet", he said, "her greatness is evident precisely in the fact that she addresses herself to the smallest, that she is present for them, that we can turn to her at any moment ... just with our hearts". AC/HONORARY CITIZENSHIP/MARIAZELL VIS 090122 (280)
MESSAGE PUBLISHED FOR WORLD DAY OF LEPROSY
VATICAN CITY, 22 JAN 2009 (VIS) - The Message for the World Day of Leprosy was published today. It bears the signature of Cardinal Javier Lozano Barragan, president of the Pontifical Council for Healthcare Ministry. The Day itself is due to be held on Sunday 25 January.
The document describes leprosy as "a sickness often ignored by the communications media, but which still today still strikes more than 250,000 people every year, most of whom live in absolute poverty". According to World Health Organisation statistics, 254,525 new cases of leprosy were diagnosed in 2007, of which 212,802 are receiving treatment.
"In the year of the twentieth anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child", writes the cardinal in his message, "I appeal to the heads of governmental organisations to ensure, as they implement their healthcare programmes and plans, that they give particular attention to children suffering from leprosy".
"Unfortunately many unfounded fears still persist, nourished by ignorance of Hansen's disease. These fears generate attitudes of exclusion and often brand leprosy sufferers, making them particularly vulnerable. This fifty-sixth World Day is, then, an occasion to provide ... more broad-ranging and capillary information on leprosy, on the devastating effects it can have on bodies if left untreated, on families and on society, and to arouse a sense of individual and collective responsibility".
The cardinal lays emphasis on the special concern the Church has always shown for leprosy sufferers over the centuries, and through various religious congregations. In this context he particularly mentions Blessed Damien, "a symbol of all the people consecrated to Christ who still today dedicate their lives to this noble cause".
Finally, in the name of his dicastery, he expresses his thanks for the acts of solidarity of the many volunteers involved in the struggle against Hansen's disease. To non-government associations and organisations, in particular the "Sasakawa Foundation", he expresses his recognition for "many decades of financial support for the research activities of the institutions of the international community". CON-AVA/WORLD DAY LEPROSY/LOZANO VIS 090122 (340)
VATICAN CITY, 22 JAN 2009 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:
- Horst Seehofer, minister-president of Bavaria, Germany, accompanied by his wife and an entourage.
- Bishop Rabban Al-Qas of Amadiyah of the Chaldeans, Iraq, apostolic administrator of Arbil of the Chaldeans, Iraq, on his "ad limina" visit.
- Bishop Ibrahim Namo Ibrahim of Saint Thomas the Apostle of Detroit of the Chaldeans, U.S.A., on his "ad limina" visit.
- Bishop Djibrail Kassab of Saint Thomas the Apostle of Sydney of the Chaldeans, Australia, on his "ad limina" visit.
- Bishop Sahrad Yawsip Jammo of Saint Peter the Apostle of San Diego of the Chaldeans, U.S.A., on his "ad limina" visit. AP:AL/.../... VIS 090122 (120)
VATICAN CITY, 22 JAN 2009 (VIS) - The Holy Father:
- Appointed Bishop Francesco Beschi, auxiliary of Brescia, Italy, as bishop of Bergamo (area 2,442, population 918,016, Catholics 882,000, priests 1,000, religious 2,672), Italy. He succeeds Bishop Roberto Amadei, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.
- Appointed Msgr. Salvatore Muratore of the clergy of the archdiocese of Agrigento, Italy, vicar general, as bishop of Nicosia (area 1,475, population 80,538, Catholics 80,012, priests 68, permanent deacons 3, religious 56), Italy. The bishop-elect was born in Campobello di Licata, Italy in 1946 and ordained a priest in 1970.
- Appointed Msgr. Antonio Stagliano of the clergy of the archdiocese of Crotone-Santa Severina, director of the "Istituto Teologico Calabro", as bishop of Noto (area 1,355, population 214,400, Catholics 212,500, priests 123, permanent deacons 15, religious 243), Italy. The bishop-elect was born in Isola Campo Rizzuto, Italy in 1959 and ordained a priest in 1984.
- Accepted the resignation from the office of auxiliary of the diocese of Bergamo, Italy, presented by Lino Bortolo Belotti, in accordance with canon 411 and canon 401 para. 1 of the Code of Canon Law. NER:RE/.../... VIS 090122 (210) |
| You can find more information at: www.vatican.va - www.vis.pcn.net |
