Vatican News Update

 

SUMMARY:

 

- Note Concerning Publication of Documents on Pius XII

- Audiences

 

___________________________________________________________

 

NOTE CONCERNING PUBLICATION OF DOCUMENTS ON PIUS XII

 

VATICAN CITY, 24 APR 2009 (VIS) - The Press and Information Office of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) today issued a note concerning a news item carried by certain communications media according to which Fr. Adolfo Nicolas S.J., superior general of the Society, had approved the publication of certain documents from the archives of Fr. Robert Graham S.J.

 

  "Such authorisation has never been given", the note says. "The documents will be catalogued but not published. A possible future publication can only happen after the Holy See opens its archives regarding the pontificate of Pope Pius XII".

 

  The private collection of Fr. Graham, who died in 1997 and was considered the leading Vatican expert on the role played by the Pontiff during World War II, contains more than 25,000 documents concerning initiatives undertaken by the Pope and the Vatican during that period.

.../GRAHAM ARCHIVE/...                                                             VIS 090424 (150)

 

AUDIENCES

 

VATICAN CITY, 24 APR 2009 (VIS) - This evening the Holy Father is scheduled to receive in audience Amr Moussa, secretary general of the League of Arab States, accompanied by his wife and an entourage.

AP/.../...                                                                                            VIS 090424 (40)

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SUMMARY:

 

- Christian Families: Schools of Obedience and Freedom

- Bible: Divine Inspiration and Church Tradition

- Integral Education to Combat Racism and Intolerance

- Signing of Agreement with League of Arab States

- Audiences

 

___________________________________________________________

 

CHRISTIAN FAMILIES: SCHOOLS OF OBEDIENCE AND FREEDOM

 

VATICAN CITY, 23 APR 2009 (VIS) - At 7.30 a.m. today, Benedict XVI celebrated Mass in the Vatican's "Redemptoris Mater" Chapel with members of the organising committee of the Sixth World Meeting of Families, which was held in Mexico City, Mexico, last January. Among those present at the Eucharistic celebration were Cardinal Ennio Antonelli, president of the Pontifical Council for the Family, and Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera, archbishop primate of Mexico.

 

  Commenting on the reading from the Acts of the Apostles in which St. Peter affirms that "we must obey God rather than any human authority", the Pope noted in his homily: "The Word of God speaks to us of an obedience that is not mere subjection, nor simply an obeying of orders, rather it arises from an intimate communion with God and consists in an interior vision capable of discerning that which 'comes from on high' and 'is above everything'. It is the fruit of the Holy Spirit which God grants without measure".

 

  "Our contemporaries", he went on, "need to discover this obedience, which is not theoretical but essential. It means opting for specific forms of behaviour which are based on obedience to God's will and which make us fully free. Christian families, with their domestic, simple and joyful lives, in which day by day they share their joys, hopes and concerns, and live in the light of faith, are schools of obedience and environments of true freedom. They know this well who over many years have enjoyed marriage in accordance with God's plan, ... experiencing the goodness of the Lord Who helps and encourages us".

HML/MEETING FAMILIES/...                                                       VIS 090423 (280)

 

BIBLE: DIVINE INSPIRATION AND CHURCH TRADITION

 

VATICAN CITY, 23 APR 2009 (VIS) - This morning the Pope received thirty representatives of the Pontifical Biblical Commission who have just held their plenary assembly, dedicated to the theme: "Inspiration and truth in the Bible". The president of the commission is Cardinal William Joseph Levada, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

 

  Benedict XVI began by underlining the importance of the chosen theme, which "concerns not only believers, but the Church herself, because the Church's life and mission necessarily rest upon the Word of God, which is the soul of theology and, at the same time, the inspiration of all of Christian life". Moreover, "the interpretation of Sacred Scripture is of vital importance for Christian faith and for the life of the Church".

 

  "From a correct approach to the concept of divine inspiration and truth in Sacred Scripture derive certain norms that directly concern its interpretation", said the Pope. "The Constitution 'Dei Verbum', having affirmed that God is the author of the Bible, reminds us that in Sacred Scripture God speaks to mankind in a human manner. For a correct interpretation of Scripture we must, then, carefully examine what the hagiographers really sought to say and what God was pleased to reveal with their words".

 

  The Pope then recalled how Vatican Council II had identified "three perennially-valid criteria for interpreting Sacred Scripture in accordance with the Spirit that inspired it. In the first place, great attention must be given to the content and unity of the whole of Scripture. Indeed, however different the books it contains may be, Sacred Scripture is one by virtue of the unity of God's plan, of which Jesus Christ is the centre and the heart.

 

  "In the second place", he added, "Scripture must be read in the context of the living Tradition of the entire Church. ... In her Tradition the Church carries the living memory of the Word of God, and it is the Holy Spirit Who provides her with the interpretation thereof in accordance with its spiritual meaning. The third criterion concerns the need to pay attention to the analogy of the faith; that is, to the cohesion of the individual truths of faith, both with one another and with the overall plan of Revelation and the fullness of the divine economy enclosed in that plan".

 

  The task of scholars, the Holy Father went on, "is to contribute, following the above-mentioned principles, to a more profound interpretation and exposition of the meaning of Sacred Scripture. The academic study of the sacred texts is not by itself sufficient. In order to respect the coherence of the Church's faith, Catholic exegetes must be careful to perceive the Word of God in these texts, within the faith of the Church".

 

  "The interpretation of Sacred Scriptures cannot be a merely an individual academic undertaking, but must always be compared with, inserted into, and authenticated by the living Tradition of the Church. This norm is essential in order to ensure a correct and reciprocal exchange between exegesis and Church Magisterium. Catholic exegetes do not nourish the individualistic illusion that biblical texts can be better understood outside the community of believers. The opposite is true, because these texts were not given to individual scholars 'to satisfy their curiosity or to provide them with material for study and research'. The texts inspired by God were entrusted to the community of believers, to the Church of Christ, to nourish the faith and to guide the life of charity".

 

  "Sacred Scripture is the Word of God in that its is written down under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Tradition, on the other hand, integrally transmits the Word of God as entrusted by Christ the Lord and by the Holy Spirit to the Apostles and their successors so that they, illuminated by the Spirit of truth, could faithfully conserve, explain and spread it through their preaching".

 

  "Only within the ecclesial context can Sacred Scripture be understood as the authentic Word of God which is guide, norm and rule for the life of the Church and the spiritual development of believers. This means rejecting all interpretations that are subjective or limited to mere analysis [and hence] incapable of accepting the global meaning which, over the course of the centuries, has guided the Tradition of the entire people of God".

AC/.../BIBLICAL COMMISSION                                                  VIS 090423 (730)

 

INTEGRAL EDUCATION TO COMBAT RACISM AND INTOLERANCE

 

VATICAN CITY, 23 APR 2009 (VIS) - Archbishop Silvano M. Tomasi C.S., Holy See permanent observer to the United Nations at Geneva, yesterday delivered a speech before the Conference called to review the 2001 Durban Declaration.

 

  Speaking English, Archbishop Tomasi affirmed that "the stranger and those who are different too often are rejected to the point that barbarous acts are committed against them, including genocide and ethnic cleansing. Old forms of exploitation give way to new ones: women and children are trafficked in a contemporary form of slavery, irregular immigrants are abused, persons perceived to be or who in fact are different become, in disproportionate numbers, the victims of social and political exclusion".

 

  "The Holy See", he went on, "is also alarmed by the still latent temptation of eugenics" which could lead to "the elimination of human beings that do not fulfil the characteristics predetermined by a given society".

 

  The permanent observer also indicated the need to review certain educational systems "so that every aspect of discrimination may be eliminated from teaching, textbooks, curricula and visual resources". Media, he said, "should be accessible and free of racist and ideological control as this leads to discrimination and even violence against persons of different cultural and ethnic background".

 

  The archbishop then went on to underline the importance of a "full implementation of religious freedom for individuals, and their collective exercise of this basic human right".

 

  "The challenges ahead of us demand more effective strategies in combating racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance", he concluded. "The first step for a practical solution lies in an integral education that includes ethical and spiritual values which will favour the empowerment of vulnerable groups like refugees, migrants and people on the move, racial and cultural minorities, people prisoners of extreme poverty or who are ill and disabled, and girls and women still stigmatised as inferior in some societies where an irrational fear of differences prevent full participation in social life".

DELSS/REVIEW CONFERENCE/GENEVA:TOMASI                       VIS 090423 (340)

 

SIGNING OF AGREEMENT WITH LEAGUE OF ARAB STATES

 

VATICAN CITY, 23 APR 2009 (VIS) - This morning in the Vatican Apostolic Palace, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Secretariat of State and the League of Arab States.

 

  According to a communique published at midday today, the Memorandum was signed for the Secretariat of State by Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, secretary for Relations with States, and for the League of Arab States by Amr Moussa, secretary general of that organisation. Among those present at the signing ceremony were Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B. and Walid Al Gargani, head of the Arab League mission to the Holy See.

 

  "The agreement", reads the communique, "further consolidates the existing ties of collaboration between the Holy See and the League of Arab States, especially at a political and cultural level, in favour of peace, security and stability, both regionally and internationally. Furthermore, it proposes instruments for consultation between the two sides, with particular emphasis on initiatives of inter-religious dialogue".

OP/AGREEMENT ARAB LEAGUE/MAMBERTI                                  VIS 090423 (170)

 

AUDIENCES

 

VATICAN CITY, 23 APR 2009 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:

 

 - Thirteen prelates from the Argentinean Episcopal Conference, on their "ad limina" visit:

 

    - Bishop Gustavo Arturo Help of Venado Tuerto.

 

    - Archbishop Guillermo Jose Garlatti of Bahia Blanca, accompanied by Auxiliary Bishop Pedro Maria Laxague.

 

    - Bishop Carlos Maria Franzini of Rafaela.

 

    - Bishop Jorge Ruben Lugones S.J. of Lomas de Zamora.

 

    - Bishop Aurelio Jose Kuhn O.F.M., prelate of Dean Funes.

 

    - Bishop Jorge Luis Lona of San Luis.

 

    - Bishop Baldomero Carlos Martini of San Justo.

 

    - Bishop Carlos Humberto Malfa of Chascomus.

 

    - Archbishop Jose Luis Mollaghan of Rosario.

 

    - Bishop Miguel Mykycej F.D.P. of Santa Maria del Patrocinio en Buenos Aires of the Ukrainians.

 

    - Bishop Antonio Juan Baseotto C.SS.R., military ordinary emeritus.

 

 - Cardinal Raffaele Farina S.D.B., librarian of Holy Roman Church, accompanied by an entourage for the presentation of the book "Die Vatikan-Bible", published by "Belser Verlag".

AL:AP/.../...                                                                                      VIS 090423 (160)

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SUMMARY:

 

- Ambrose Autpert Discovered the Church's True Face

- Perennial Relevance of Teachings of St. Anselm

- Benedict XVI's Activities and Celebrations for May

- Pontifical Commission Joins Post-Earthquake Initiative

- Other Pontifical Acts

 

___________________________________________________________

 

AMBROSE AUTPERT DISCOVERED THE CHURCH'S TRUE FACE

 

VATICAN CITY, 22 APR 2009 (VIS) - In his general audience, held this morning in St. Peter's Square, the Pope proceeded with his series of catecheses on the great writers of the Eastern and Western Churches in the Middle Ages, focusing his attention today on Ambrose Autpert.

 

  Ambrose Autpert, the Holy Father explained, "is a little-known author of the eighth century. His works have, in fact, largely been attributed to other more famous figures, from St. Ambrose of Milan to St. Ildephonsus".

 

  Born to a high-ranking family in Provence, Ambrose Autpert entered the court of the Frankish King Pepin the Short where he was tutor to the future emperor Charlemagne. He subsequently travelled to Italy where he entered the Benedictine monastery of St. Vincent in the duchy of Benevento. Having been ordained a priest in 761, he was elected as abbot sixteen years later and died on 30 January 784.

 

  "He was monk and abbot during a time marked by great political tensions, which also had repercussions on the internal life of the monasteries", something also reflected in his writings, said the Holy Father. "He decried, for example, the contradiction between the splendid outward aspect of the monasteries and the tepidity ('tepiditas') of the monks themselves". In his ascetic tract "Conflictus vitiorum" (Conflict between the Vices and the Virtues) he seeks "to teach monks how to face the spiritual struggle in daily life".

 

  "Observing the lust for profit of the rich and powerful members of the society of his time, he felt moved to write a tract especially for them, 'De cupiditate' in which, with the Apostle Paul, he denounced greed as the root of all evil", said the Holy Father, highlighting how, "in the light of the current world economic crisis, this still has great relevance. From this root, from greed, this crisis was born".

 

  Autpert's teaching also has relevance "for mankind in this world. The rich have the duty to struggle against greed, against the desire to possess, to show off, against a false concept of freedom understood as being able to dispose of everything in accordance with one's own will. The rich must also discover the authentic path of truth, love and a just life".

 

  The Pope went on: "Ambrose Autpert's most important work is his ten-volume commentary on the Book of Revelation, ... the first in-depth commentary in the Latin world on the last book of Holy Scripture". In this work Autpert makes it clear that "the Church cannot be separated from Jesus Christ. He is the Mediator and the Church participates in such mediation because she is His Body".

 

  Autpert also "looks to Mary as a model of the Church", recognising that the Virgin has "a decisive role in the work of Redemption". Thus, "with good reason is he considered the first great Marian theologian of the West. Mercy, which he felt must free the soul from attachment to worldly and transitory pleasures, must be united to a profound study of the sacred sciences, especially meditation on Holy Scripture".

 

  "In Ambrose Autpert we see a person who lived in a time of great political manipulation of the Church, a time in which nationalism and tribalism disfigured her face. Yet amidst these difficulties, which we too also experience, he was able to discover the true face of the Church in Mary and the saints, and thus he understood what it means to be Catholic, to be Christian, to live from the Word of God, to enter into its profundity and so experience the mystery of the Mother of God. ... Let us listen to this message and ask the Lord to help us live the mystery of the Church, also in our own time", the Pope concluded.

AG/AMBROSE AUTPERT/...                                                       VIS 090422 (630)

 

PERENNIAL RELEVANCE OF TEACHINGS OF ST. ANSELM

 

VATICAN CITY, 22 APR 2009 (VIS) - Made public today was a Message from Benedict XVI to Cardinal Giacomo Biffi, archbishop emeritus of Bologna, Italy, and the Pope's special envoy to celebrations marking the ninth centenary of the death of St. Anselm. The celebrations are being marked with a week of cultural and religious events in the Italian city of Aosta, birthplace of this doctor of the Church.

 

  The anniversary of the death of Anselm - who died in Canterbury, England, on 21 April 1109 - provides an opportunity "to call back to our minds one of the most outstanding figures in the tradition of the Church, and in the history of western European thought", writes the Pope.

 

  "Anselm's exemplary monastic life", he goes on, "the originality with which he re-examined the Christian mystery, his subtle theological and philosophical doctrine, his teachings on the vital importance of conscience and on freedom as responsible adherence to truth and goodness, his ardent activities as pastor of souls dedicated to promoting the freedom of the Church, all this never ceased to excite great interest in the past, an interest which the anniversary of his death is happily reawakening and promoting in various ways and various places".

 

  "His intense eagerness for knowledge and his inborn proclivity for clarity and logical rigour would push Anselm towards the 'scholae' of his time. Thus he arrived at the monastery of Le Bec in Normandy, where he was able to satisfy his interest in dialectics and where, above all, his vocation to the cloister was awoken". As a thinker, "the saint sought to achieve a vision of the logical links intrinsic to the mystery, to perceive the 'clarity of truth' and hence to understand the evidence of the 'necessary reasons' underlying the mystery".

 

  "The truth is", the Pope explains, "that his search for the intellect ('intellectus') located between faith ('fides') and vision ('species') had its source in the faith itself and was supported by trust in reason, through which the faith is to a certain extent illuminated". In the monastery of Le Bec, Anselm revealed "his educational genius, which was expressed in that ... style which distinguished the whole of his life, a style which united mercy and firmness".

 

  Pope Urban II appointed him archbishop of Canterbury, a mission in which he gave ample evidence of "his love for truth, his rectitude, his rigorous faithfulness of conscience, his 'episcopal honesty', and his tireless efforts to free the Church from worldly restraints and from enslavement to [political] calculations incompatible with her spiritual nature".

 

  St. Anselm, Pope Benedict concludes, "still retains great relevance and exercises a powerful attraction". His "light continues to shine throughout the Church, especially where people cultivate the truths of faith and a desire to examine them through reason".

MESS/ST. ANSELM CENTENARY/BIFFI                                            VIS 090422 (480)

 

BENEDICT XVI'S ACTIVITIES AND CELEBRATIONS FOR MAY

 

VATICAN CITY, 22 APR 2009 (VIS) - Given below is the calendar of the Holy Father's liturgical celebrations and activities, scheduled for the month of May.

 

 - Sunday 3. Fourth Sunday of Easter. At 9 a.m. in the Vatican Basilica, priestly ordination of deacons of the diocese of Rome.

 

 - Friday 8 to Friday 15. Apostolic trip to the Holy Land.

 

 - Sunday 24. Solemnity of Ascension of the Lord. Pastoral visit to Montecassino, Italy.

 

 - Sunday 31. Solemnity of Pentecost. Mass at 9.30 a.m. in the Vatican Basilica.

OCL/CALENDAR MAY/...                                                            VIS 090422 (100)

 

PONTIFICAL COMMISSION JOINS POST-EARTHQUAKE INITIATIVE

 

VATICAN CITY, 22 APR 2009 (VIS) - The Pontifical Commission for the Cultural Patrimony of the Church, in accordance with Italian Ministry for Cultural Activities and Heritage, has added its voice to the appeal launched on 9 April following the earthquake in the Italian region of Abruzzo for help "in restoring one or more of the mobile works of art damaged during the tremor".

 

  The pontifical commission, explains a communique published today, invites all financial and cultural institutions, museums, public and private restoration workshops, and qualified restorers who have not already done so, to give written confirmation of their spontaneous willingness and readiness "to adopt" a mobile work of art, using the phrase "da chiodo a chiodo" to the following e-mail address: beniculturali@beniculturali.va. The request must be accompanied by a curriculum vitae.

.../ART ABRUZZO EARTHQUAKE/...                                        VIS 090422 (140)

 

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

 

VATICAN CITY, 22 APR 2009 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed:

 

 - Fr. Charles Morerod, dean of the faculty of philosophy at Rome's Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas and professor of dogmatic theology, as secretary general of the International Theological Commission, and consultor of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

 

 - Archbishop Justo Mullor Garcia, apostolic nuncio, as a member of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.

 

 - As members of the Pontifical Council for the Family: Pablo Adrian Cavallero and Marcela Estela Benhaim Varela, Argentina.

 

 - As consultors of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments: Msgr. Juan Miguel Ferrer Grenesche, vicar general of the archdiocese of Toledo, Spain, and Msgr. Wilhelm Imkamp of the clergy of the diocese of Augsburg, Germany.

NA/.../...                                                                                            VIS 090422 (140)

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SUMMARY:

 

- Ninth Centenary of the Death of St. Anselm

- Five Blesseds to Be Canonised on Sunday 26 April

- Aim of the Geneva Conference Is Dialogue

- Twenty-Fifth Anniversary of Consignment of WYD Cross

- Other Pontifical Acts

 

___________________________________________________________

 

NINTH CENTENARY OF THE DEATH OF ST. ANSELM

 

VATICAN CITY, 21 APR 2009 (VIS) - The Holy Father has sent a Message to Fr. Notker Wolf, abbot primate of the Benedictine Confederation, for the occasion of the ninth centenary of the death of St. Anselm, archbishop of Canterbury and doctor of the Church, whose feast day falls today.

 

  St. Anselm was born in Aosta, Italy, in 1033. He was abbot of St. Marie le Bec in Normandy, then archbishop of Canterbury from 1093 until his death in 1109.

 

  "Recalling with a devoted heart the figure of this saint", writes the Pope in his Latin-language Message, "we wish to exalt and illustrate the treasure of his wisdom so that the people of our time, especially Europeans, may draw close to him and receive his sound and abundant doctrine".

MESS/ST. ANSELM/WOLF                                                                     VIS 090421 (140)

 

FIVE BLESSEDS TO BE CANONISED ON SUNDAY 26 APRIL

 

VATICAN CITY, 21 APR 2009 (VIS) - At 10 a.m. on Sunday 26 April, third Sunday of Easter, the Pope will celebrate the Eucharist in St. Peter's Square and canonise the following Blesseds:

 

 - Arcangelo Tadini (1846-1912), Italian diocesan priest and founder of the Congregation of Worker Sisters of the Holy House of Nazareth.

 

 - Bernardo Tolomei (1272-1348), Italian founder of the Olivetan Benedictine Congregation.

 

 - Nuno de Santa Maria Alvares Pereira (1360-1431), Portuguese religious of the Order of Friars of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel.

 

 - Gertrude Comensoli (1847-1903), Italian virgin and foundress of the Institute of Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament.

 

 - Caterina Volpicelli (1839-1894), Italian virgin and foundress of the Institute of Handmaidens of the Sacred Heart.

OCL/CANONISATION/...                                                              VIS 090421 (140)

 

AIM OF THE GENEVA CONFERENCE IS DIALOGUE

 

VATICAN CITY, 21 APR 2009 (VIS) - The Holy See Press Office released the following declaration at midday today:

 

  "The Holy See Press Office, through its director, Fr. Federico Lombardi S.J., anticipated yesterday evening some comments concerning the speech given yesterday by the Iranian president at the Review Conference of the Durban Declaration of 2001 against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance. Moreover, the Press Office wishes to recall the words of Pope Benedict XVI, who said last Sunday: 'I express heartfelt prayers that the delegates present at the Geneva Conference will work together, in a spirit of dialogue and mutual acceptance, so as to put an end to every form of racism, discrimination and intolerance, thereby marking a fundamental step towards the affirmation of the universal value of human dignity and human rights, within a framework of respect and justice for every person and every people'. In consequence, the Holy See deplores the use of this United Nations forum for the adoption of political positions, of an extremist and offensive nature, against any State. This does not contribute to dialogue and it provokes an unacceptable atmosphere of conflict. What is needed, instead, is to make good use of this important opportunity to engage in dialogue together, according to the line of action that the Holy See has always adopted, with a view to effectively combating the racism and intolerance that still today affect children, women, those of African descent, migrants, indigenous peoples, etc., in every part of the world. The Holy See, in renewing the Pope's appeal, reiterates that its own delegation at the conference is working in this spirit".

OP/GENEVA CONFERENCE/...                                                VIS 090421 (280)

 

TWENTY-FIFTH ANNIVERSARY OF CONSIGNMENT OF WYD CROSS

 

VATICAN CITY, 21 APR 2009 (VIS) - A communique released by the Pontifical Council for the Laity announces that at the general audience tomorrow, Wednesday 22 April, the Pope will recall the 25th anniversary of the consignment of the World Youth Day cross by John Paul II to young people of the world.

 

  During the Holy Year of Redemption (1983-1984), John Paul II ordered a simple wooden cross be erected next to the altar in St. Peter's Basilica. At the close of the Holy Year, exactly 25 years ago, he consigned that same cross to the youth of the world, saying: "Take this into the world as a sign of the Lord Jesus' love for humankind, and tell everyone that only through Christ, Who died and rose again, comes salvation and redemption".

 

  The communique goes on: "The invitation was taken literally by the young people of the San Lorenzo International Youth Centre. ... And since then, for twenty-five years, the cross has never ceased to travel the world, visiting above all the countries in which World Youth Days have been held, but carrying a sign of hope also to other places such as the continent of Africa, where it was welcomed with great devotion by thousands of young people". Furthermore, "from 2003, in accordance with the wishes of Pope John Paul II, the cross has been accompanied on its pilgrimage by the Marian icon 'Salus Popoli Romani', as a sign of Mary's maternal protection".

 

  During tomorrow's general audience, Benedict XVI will once again consign the cross to young people of the San Lorenzo Centre, in the presence of Cardinal Stanislaw Rylko, president of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, the Vatican dicastery responsible for organising World Youth Days. At the end of the audience the cross and the icon of Mary will be borne in procession to the San Lorenzo Centre, pausing in St. Peter's Square so those present can venerate them. That afternoon the procession will pass through the historic centre of Rome as far as Piazza Navona. The celebration of the anniversary will conclude at 5 p.m. at the San Lorenzo Centre with an hour of adoration, followed by Mass.

 

  The cross, known as the "WYD Cross", will then leave for a brief pilgrimage through Poland before moving on to Spain where it will be taken through all the dioceses of the country in preparation for the 26th World Youth Day, due to be held in Madrid in August 2011.

CON-L/ANNIVERSARY WYD CROSS/RYLKO                       VIS 090421 (430)

 

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

 

VATICAN CITY, 21 APR 2009 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

 

 - Appointed Bishop Robert J. Cunningham of Ogdensburg, U.S.A., as bishop of Syracuse (area 14,915, population 1,199,000, Catholics 352,000, priests 310, permanent deacons 85, religious 536), U.S.A. He succeeds Bishop James M. Moynihan, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

 

 - Appointed Bishop Robert James Carlson of Saginaw, U.S.A., as metropolitan archbishop of St. Louis (area 15,451, population 2,177,000, Catholics 566,000, priests 737, permanent deacons 248, religious 2,176), U.S.A. The archbishop-elect was born in Minneapolis, U.S.A. in 1944 he was ordained a priest in 1970 and consecrated a bishop in 1983.

 

 - Appointed Bishop Theophile Kaboy Ruboneka of Kasongo, Democratic Republic of Congo, as coadjutor of the diocese of Goma (area 25,000, population 2,039,000, Catholics 795,210, priests 109, religious 293), Democratic Republic of Congo.

NER:RE:NEC/.../...                                                                         VIS 090421 (150)

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SUMMARY: 18 - 20 APRIL

 

- Franciscans: Continue to Beautify the Face of the Church

- Papal Visit to Earthquake Victims in Abruzzo

- Pope Gives Thanks for Spiritual Solidarity Surrounding Him

- Putting an End to Racism, Discrimination and Intolerance

- Audiences

- Other Pontifical Acts

- In Memoriam

 

___________________________________________________________

 

FRANCISCANS: CONTINUE TO BEAUTIFY THE FACE OF THE CHURCH

 

VATICAN CITY, 18 APR 2009 (VIS) - Today in the courtyard of the Apostolic Palace in Castelgandolfo, Benedict XVI received 3,000 members of the Franciscan Family who recently participated in the "Chapter of the Mats" in Assisi, Italy, commemorating the birth of the Franciscan order on the eighth centenary of the approval of St. Francis' "Protoregula" by Pope Innocent III.

 

  The dozen friars who first followed St. Francis of Assisi, said the Pope, have over the centuries become "a multitude scattered throughout the world. ... And I, as Pastor of the universal Church, wish to thank [God] for the precious gift you yourselves represent for all Christian people. From the brook that sprang up at the base of Monte Subasio, a great river was born which has made a notable contribution to the universal spread of the Gospel".

 

  Francis, the Holy Father continued, "experienced the power of divine grace, as if he had died and been raised again. All his earlier wealth, all his reasons for feeling proud and secure, everything became a 'loss' from the moment he encountered the crucified and risen Christ. At that point abandoning everything became almost a necessity, in order to express the superabundance of the gift he had received".

 

  Pope Benedict then went on to describe the focus of his meeting with the Franciscans as "the Gospel as a rule for life", and he highlighted how St. Francis "viewed himself entirely in the light of the Gospel. This is his appeal. This is his perennial relevance", he said. "Thus the 'Poverello' became a living Gospel, capable of attracting men and women of all times to Christ, especially the young who prefer radical commitment to half measures. Bishop Guido of Assisi, and later Pope Innocent III, recognised evangelical authenticity in the projects of Francis and his companions, and encouraged their efforts, also with a view to the good of the Church".

 

  However, the Pope noted, "Francis could also simply not have come to the Pope. Many religious groups and movements were formed in that period and some of them stood against the Church as an institution, or at least they did not seek her approbation. A polemical attitude towards the hierarchy would certainly have brought Francis many followers. Yet his first thought was to place his own and his companions' development in the hands of the Bishop of Rome, Peter's Successor. This fact demonstrates his true ecclesial spirit. From the beginning he saw the little 'us' he had begun with his first friars as being part of the great 'us' of the one universal Church.

 

  "The Pope recognised and appreciated this", added Benedict XVI. "In fact, he too could have failed to approve Francis' plans. And indeed, we may well imagine that among Innocent III's collaborators some advised him to do just that, perhaps fearing that the little group of friars resembled other heretical and pauperist groups of the period. However, the Roman Pontiff, well-informed by the bishop of Assisi and by Cardinal Giovanni di San Paolo, was able to discern the initiative of the Holy Spirit and welcomed, blessed and encouraged the nascent community of 'Friars Minor'".

 

  "Eight centuries have passed and today you wish to renew your Founder's gesture", the Pope told his audience. "You are all children and heirs of those origins. ... Like Francis and Clare of Assisi, ... always begin again from Christ ... in order to see His face in our brothers and sisters who suffer, and to bring everyone His peace. Be witnesses of the beauty of God, whose praises Francis sang while contemplating the wonders of creation".

 

  "Go forth and continue 'to repair the house' of the Lord Jesus Christ: His Church", cried the Holy Father. "Yet there is another ruin, an even more serious ruin: that of people and of communities", he said.

 

  "Like St. Francis, always begin with yourselves", he concluded. "If you prove capable of renewing yourselves in the spirit of the Gospel, you will continue to help the pastors of the Church to make her face, as the bride of Christ, ever more beautiful. Now as at your beginnings, this is what the Pope expects from you".

AC/ANNIVERSARY FRANCISCAN RULE/...                          VIS 090420 (710)

 

PAPAL VISIT TO EARTHQUAKE VICTIMS IN ABRUZZO

 

VATICAN CITY, 18 APR 2009 (VIS) - On 28 April the Holy Father will travel to the Italian region of Abruzzo to meet people affected by the recent earthquake there.

 

  In a communique made public today, Holy See Press Office Director Fr. Federico Lombardi S.J. announces that the Pope will arrive at the camp set up near the village of Onna at 9.30 a.m. before going on to the city of L'Aquila where he will visit the student hall of residence and the basilica of Collemaggio. He will then move on to the barracks of the "Guardia di Finanza" where he will meet with representatives of the local people and of the rescue services. His return to the Vatican is scheduled for 12.30 p.m.

 

  During his journey by helicopter, the Pope will fly over some of the areas struck by the earthquake.

OP/TRIP EARTHQUAKE ZONE/LOMBARDI                           VIS 090420 (160)

 

POPE GIVES THANKS FOR SPIRITUAL SOLIDARITY SURROUNDING HIM

 

VATICAN CITY, 19 APR 2009 (VIS) - At midday today, the second Sunday of Easter and Divine Mercy Sunday, Benedict XVI prayed the Regina Coeli with faithful gathered in the courtyard of the Apostolic Palace of Castelgandolfo.

 

  The Pope expressed his thanks for greetings he had received over the last few days, both for his birthday, 16 April, and for the fourth anniversary of his election as Pontiff, which falls today 19 April.

 

  "As I had the opportunity to reiterate recently", he remarked, "I never feel alone. And in this special week, which for the liturgy constitutes a single day, I have enjoyed an even greater experience of the communion that surrounds and supports me: a spiritual solidarity, nourished primarily by prayer, that express itself in a thousand different ways. From my collaborators in the Roman Curia to the most far-flung parishes, we Catholics form a family and must feel ourselves to be such, animated by the same sentiments as the first Christian community".

 

  The Holy Father went on to recall how the communion of early Christians "had the risen Christ as its centre and foundation. In fact, the Gospel recounts how at the monument of the Passion, when the divine Master was arrested and condemned to death, the disciples scattered. ... Having risen, Jesus gave His followers a new unity, stronger than before, invincible, because founded not upon human resources but upon divine mercy which made them all feel loved and forgiven by Him. It is, then, the merciful love of God that unites the Church, yesterday as today, and makes humankind a single family".

 

  "Animated by this profound conviction, my beloved predecessor John Paul II wished to dedicate this Sunday, the second of Easter, to Divine Mercy, and to show everyone the risen Christ as their source of faith and hope, accepting the spiritual message transmitted by the Lord to St. Faustina Kowalska, a message encapsulated in the invocation: 'Jesus, in You I trust'".

ANG/DIVINE MERCY/...                                                               VIS 090420 (340)

 

PUTTING AN END TO RACISM, DISCRIMINATION AND INTOLERANCE

 

VATICAN CITY, 19 APR 2009 (VIS) - Today at Castelgandolfo, after praying the Regina Coeli, the Pope expressed his best wishes to "our brothers and sisters of the Eastern Churches who, following the Julian Calendar, celebrate Easter today. For all of them, may the risen Lord renew the light of faith and bring abundance of joy and peace", he said.

 

  The Holy Father then went on to mention the forthcoming review of the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance held in Durban, South Africa, in 2001. The review conference is due to begin tomorrow in Geneva, Switzerland.

 

  "It is an important initiative", he said, "because even today, despite the lessons of history, such deplorable phenomena still exist. The Durban Declaration recognises that 'all peoples and individuals form a human family rich in its diversity. They have contributed to the progress of civilisation and of the cultures which constitute the shared heritage of humankind. ... The promotion of tolerance, of pluralism and of respect can lead to a more inclusive society'. On the basis of these affirmations, what is required is firm and substantial action, at both the national and international level, to prevent and eliminate all forms of discrimination and intolerance. What is needed above all is a vast programme of education to exalt the dignity of individuals and protect their fundamental rights. For her part, the Church reiterates that only recognition for the dignity of man, created in the image and likeness of God, can constitute a sure foundation for such an undertaking. Indeed, it is this shared origin that gives humankind its shared destiny, which should arouse in everyone a strong sense of solidarity and responsibility. I express my sincere hopes that the delegates present at the Geneva conference may work together in a spirit of dialogue and acceptance to put an end to all forms of racism, discrimination and intolerance, thus taking a fundamental step towards affirming the universal value of the dignity of man and his rights, in a context of respect and justice for all individuals and peoples".

 

  This evening Benedict XVI returned to the Vatican at the end of his post-Easter rest period at Castelgandolfo.

ANG/RACISM DISCRIMINATION/...                                          VIS 090420 (380)

 

AUDIENCES

 

VATICAN CITY, 20 APR 2009 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:

 

 - Cardinal Agostino Vallini, vicar general of His Holiness for the diocese of Rome.

 

 - Five prelates from the Argentinean Episcopal Conference, on their "ad limina" visit:

 

    - Archbishop Hector Ruben Aguer of La Plata, accompanied by Auxiliary Bishop Antonio Marino.

 

    - Bishop Hugo Nicolas Barbaro of San Roque de Presidencia Roque Saenz Pena.

 

    - Archbishop Mario Antonio Cargnello of Salta.

 

    - Bishop Alcides Jorge Pedro Casaretto of San Isidro.

 

 - Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, apostolic nuncio to Guatemala.

AP:AL/.../...                                                                                      VIS 090420 (100)

 

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

 

VATICAN CITY, 20 APR 2009 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Fr. Luis Cabrera Herrera O.F.M., definer general of his order, as metropolitan archbishop of Cuenca (area 8,630, population 654,000, Catholics 622,000, priests 119, permanent deacons 11, religious 345), Ecuador. The archbishop-elect was born in Azogues, Ecuador in 1955 and ordained a priest in 1983. He succeeds Archbishop Vicente Rodrigo Cisneros Duran, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same archdiocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

 

  On Saturday 18 April it was made public that the Holy Father:

 

 - Accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese of Tete, Mozambique, presented by Bishop Paulo Mandlate S.S.S., upon having reached the age limit.

 

 - Appointed Fr. Robert Bezak C.S.S.R., administrator of the parish of Banska Bystrica - Radvan and superior of the Redemptorist Fathers in that parish, as archbishop of Trnava (area 4,833, population 635,692, Catholics 461,046, priests 221, religious 405), Slovakia. The archbishop-elect was born in Prievidza, Slovakia in 1960 and ordained a priest in 1984. He succeeds Archbishop Jan Sokol, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same archdiocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

 

 - Appointed Cardinal Jozef Glemp, archbishop emeritus of Warsaw, Poland, as his special envoy to celebrations marking the thousandth anniversary of the death of St. Bruno, due to take place in Lomza and Gizyko, Poland, from 19 to 21 June.

 

 - Appointed Fr. Beda Umberto Paluzzi O.S.B., apostolic administrator of the territorial abbey of Montevergine, Italy, as ordinary abbot of the same territorial abbey (area 1, population 14, Catholics 8, priests 8, religious 14).

 

 - Appointed Bishop Zygmunt Zimowski of Radom, Poland, as president of the Pontifical Council for Healthcare Ministry, at the same time elevating him to the dignity of archbishop. He succeeds Cardinal Javier Lozano Barragan, whose resignation from the same office the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit. The archbishop-elect was born in Kupienin, Poland in 1949, he was ordained a priest in 1973 and consecrated a bishop in 2002.

RE:NER:NA/.../...                                                                            VIS 090420 (350)

 

IN MEMORIAM

 

VATICAN CITY, 20 APR 2009 (VIS) - The following prelates died in recent weeks:

 

 - Cardinal Umberto Betti O.F.M., former rector of the Pontifical Lateran University, on 1 April at the age of 87.

 

 - Bishop Ephraim Silas Obot of Idah, Nigeria, on 12 April at the age of 72.

 

 - Bishop Albert Sanschagrin O.M.I., emeritus of Saint-Hyacinthe, Canada, on 2 April at the age of 97.

.../DEATHS/...                                                                                 VIS 090420 (70)

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SUMMARY:

 

- Benedict XVI Celebrates His 82nd Birthday Today

- Plenary Assembly of the Pontifical Biblical Commission

- Other Pontifical Acts

 

___________________________________________________________

 

BENEDICT XVI CELEBRATES HIS 82ND BIRTHDAY TODAY

 

VATICAN CITY, 16 APR 2009 (VIS) - The Holy Father will today celebrate his 82nd birthday in the Apostolic Palace of Castelgandolfo a few kilometres south of Rome where he is enjoying a brief period of rest following the ceremonies of Holy Week.

 

  Holy See Press Office Director Fr. Federico Lombardi S.J. yesterday commented the circumstance by expressing the hope that the Holy Father "may long continue to carry out his ministry, ... helping the men and women of today to find God".

 

  "The focus of his concern", Fr. Lombardi continued his remarks, "is to bring mankind to God and God to mankind, through a great personal love for Christ. ... Despite the critical attitude it is necessary to adopt towards so many negative aspects of today's culture and mentality, in the final analysis the principle message [the Church] wishes to communicate is a message of love, a message for the good of mankind and of the human person; that is, their reconciliation with God and with all the other men and women who live on this earth".

 

  Joseph Aloysius Ratzinger, the name with which Benedict XVI was baptised, was born on 16 April 1927 in Marktl am Inn, Germany. From 1946 to 1951, the year in which he was ordained a priest and began to teach, he studied philosophy and theology at the University of Munich and at the higher school of philosophy and theology of Freising. In 1953 he obtained a doctorate in theology with a thesis entitled: "The People and House of God in St. Augustine's Doctrine of the Church." Four years later he qualified as a university teacher with a work on St. Bonaventure's theology of history.

 

  After a period of teaching dogma and fundamental theology at the higher school of philosophy and theology of Freising, he went on to teach in Bonn from 1959 to 1969, in Munster from 1963 to 1966, and in Tubinga from 1966 to 1969. In that year he was appointed professor of dogmatic theology and of the history of dogma at the University of Regensburg and vice president of the same university. In 1962, he made a noteworthy contribution to the work of Vatican Council II as theological consultant to Cardinal Joseph Frings, archbishop of Cologne.

 

  In 24 March 1977, Paul VI appointed him archbishop of Munich and Freising, making him a cardinal on 27 June 1977. In 1981 he was nominated by John Paul II as prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Subsequently he also became president of the Pontifical Biblical Commission and of the Pontifical International Theological Commission, and dean of the College of Cardinals.

 

  He was elected as Pope on 19 April 2005, the second day of the conclave.

OP/POPE BIRTHDAY/LOMBARDI                                            VIS 090416 (470)

 

PLENARY ASSEMBLY OF THE PONTIFICAL BIBLICAL COMMISSION

 

VATICAN CITY, 16 APR 2009 (VIS) - The Pontifical Biblical Commission is due to celebrate its annual plenary meeting at the Vatican's "Domus Sanctae Marthae" from 20 to 24 April, under the presidency of Cardinal William Joseph Levada, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Fr. Klemens Stock S.J., pro-secretary general of the commission, will oversee and direct the work of the assembly.

 

  This will be the first gathering of the Pontifical Biblical Commission since the partial renewal of its membership, in accordance with current norms. During the meeting attention will be given to a new study entitled "Inspiration and Truth of the Bible", the draft version of which has already been examined by the commission members.

COM-B/PLENARY/LEVADA                                                       VIS 090416 (130)

 

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

 

VATICAN CITY, 16 APR 2009 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

 

 - Appointed Archbishop Domenico Umberto D'Ambrosio of Manfredonia-Vieste-San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy, as metropolitan archbishop of Lecce (area 750, population 266,968, Catholics 265,568, priests 207, permanent deacons 38, religious 440), Italy. He succeeds Archbishop Cosmo Francesco Ruppi, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same archdiocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

 

 - Appointed Archbishop Braulio Rodriguez Plaza of Valladolid, Spain, as archbishop of Toledo (area 19,333, population 655,000, Catholics 634,914, priests 467, religious 169), Spain.

 

 - Gave his assent to the canonical election by the Synod of Bishops of the Greek-Catholic Ukrainian Church of Fr. Yosyf Milan M.S.U., pastor of the cathedral of the Resurrection of the Lord, as auxiliary of the archieparchy of Kyiv (Catholics 240,000, priests 43, permanent deacons 9, religious 37), Ukraine. The bishop-elect was born in Dobryany, Ukraine in 1957 and ordained a priest in 1984.

NER:RE:NEA/.../...                                                                         VIS 090416 (160)

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SUMMARY:

 

- Via Crucis 2009: Persecution of Christians in India

- Other Pontifical Acts

 

___________________________________________________________

 

VIA CRUCIS 2009: PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS IN INDIA

 

VATICAN CITY, 7 APR 2009 (VIS) - Archbishop Thomas Menamparampil S.D.B. of Guwahati, India, has been given the task of writing the meditations for this year's Via Crucis (Way of the Cross), which is due to be presided by the Pope on the evening of Good Friday 10 April at the Colosseum in Rome.

 

  Archbishop Menamparampil's reflections will focus on the question of evil in the world, on pain and on the various forms of suffering which are, he writes, a "symbol of the presence of the cross of Christ in our lives". In this context, he will also refer to Christians who suffer persecution in India and in other countries, as well as to the violence that destroys ethnic and religious groups, and to conflicts fuelled by economic interests".

 

  Thus, for the second consecutive year, the Pope wishes to draw attention to the continent of Asia. The persecutions the Catholic Church faces in various part of the world were also the central theme of the Via Crucis in 2008, written by Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun S.D.B., bishop of Hong Kong, China.

.../VIA CRUCIS MEDITATIONS/MENAMPARAMPIL              VIS 090407 (200)

 

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

 

VATICAN CITY, 7 APR 2009 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed:

 

 - Fr. Sebastian Kallupura, priest of the clergy of Patna, India, director of the Bihar Social Forum, as bishop of Buxar (area 11,298, population 9,743,835, Catholics 24,956, priests 25, religious 97), India. The bishop-elect was born in Kerala State, India in 1953 and ordained a priest in 1984.

 

 - Fr. Paul Lortie of the clergy of the archdiocese of Quebec, Canada, episcopal vicar, and Fr. Gerard Cyprien Lacroix I.S.P.X., superior general of the Pius X Secular Institute, as auxiliaries of the archdiocese of Quebec (area 35,180, population 1,143,488, Catholics 1,007,766, priests 762, permanent deacons 90, religious 3,719). Bishop-elect Lortie was born in Beauport, Canada in 1944 and ordained a priest in 1970. Bishop-elect was Lacroix born in Saint-Hilaire de Dorset, Canada in 1957 and ordained a priest in 1988.

NER:NEA/.../KALLUPURA:LORTIE:LACROIX                        VIS 090407 (150)

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SUMMARY: 4 - 6 APRIL

 

- Audiences

- Only by Saying "Yes" to God Does Life Acquire Meaning

- World Youth Day Cross Begins Its Pilgrimage to Madrid 2011

- Pope Calls on Young People to Follow Christ's Footsteps

- Papal Telegram for Earthquake in L'Aquila

- Other Pontifical Acts

 

___________________________________________________________

 

AUDIENCES

 

VATICAN CITY, 4 APR 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 Franc Rode C.M., prefect of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life.

 

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

 

 - Cardinal Andrea Cordero Lanza di Montezemolo, archpriest of the papal basilica of St. Paul's Outside-the-Walls.

 

 - Archbishop Mario Zenari, apostolic nuncio to Syria.

 

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

AP/.../...                                                                                            VIS 090406 (110)

 

ONLY BY SAYING "YES" TO GOD DOES LIFE ACQUIRE MEANING

 

VATICAN CITY, 5 APR 2009 (VIS) - Young people from all over the world, including a 7,000-strong delegation from the archdiocese of Madrid, Spain where Word Youth Day is due to be celebrated in 2011, participated in the Palm Sunday Eucharistic celebration presided by the Pope in St. Peter's Square this morning. Today also marks 24th World Youth Day, celebrated this year at a diocesan level on the theme: "We have set our hope on the living God".

 

  Before Mass, Benedict XVI blessed the palms and olive branches by the obelisk in the square then led the procession to the altar.

 

  In his homily the Holy Father remarked that Christ, with His death on the cross, demonstrated once again "the fundamental law of human existence: 'Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life'.

 

  "Those who wish to keep their lives for themselves", he added, "to live only for themselves, to keep everything for themselves and exploit every possibility; those people lose their lives. They become empty and boring. Only by abandoning ourselves, only in the disinterested giving of 'I' in favour of 'you', only in the 'yes' to the greater life, which is of God, do our own lives become broader and greater".

 

  "Love", Benedict XVI explained, "means the abandoning of self, the giving of self, not wishing to possess oneself but becoming free of self; not closing in on oneself (what will become of me?) but looking ahead towards others: towards God and towards the people He sends me".

 

  "In reality, however, it is not a question of simply recognising a principle but of living its truth, the truth of the cross and the resurrection. Hence, it is not enough to make one single great decision. It is certainly important to dare to make the great fundamental decision, to dare to say the great 'yes' which the Lord asks of us at a certain moment in our lives", yet this must then be "constantly renewed in our everyday lives in which, ever and anew, we must abandon our own self and place ourselves at the disposal of others".

 

  The Pope went on: "Sacrifice and denial are part of a just life. Those who promise a life without this ever-new gift of self, are deluding others. Without sacrifice, there can be no fulfilling life". In this context he also explained how in his own experience "the times in which I said 'yes' to a sacrifice were the greatest and most important moments of my life".

 

  "The glory of God, His lordship, His will, these are always more important and truer than my thoughts, than my will. What is essential is ... to learn this just ordering of reality and accept it intimately, trusting in God and believing that He is doing the right thing, that His will is truth and love, that my life becomes good if I learn to adhere to this order. For us the life, death and resurrection of Jesus are the guarantee that we can truly trust God. It is in this way that His Kingdom is realised".

 

  The cross "travels from one end of the earth to the other, from sea to sea, and we accompany it. We travel with it on its path and thus we discover our own path.

 

  "When we touch the cross, when, indeed, we carry it, we touch the mystery of God, the mystery of Jesus Christ", the Pope added. "But we also touch the fundamental law, the basic norm of our lives: the fact that without the 'yes' to the cross, without walking in communion with Christ day after day, life can have no success".

 

  Benedict XVI concluded his homily by again emphasising how "those who wish to keep their life for themselves lose it. Those who give their life (in the small everyday actions that are part of the great decision), those people find it. This is the truth, a demanding but beautiful and liberating truth in which, little by little, we wish to enter as the cross journeys across the continents".

HML/PALM SUNDAY/...                                                               VIS 090406 (700)

 

WORLD YOUTH DAY CROSS BEGINS ITS PILGRIMAGE TO MADRID 2011

 

VATICAN CITY, 5 APR 2009 (VIS) - Following this morning's Mass and before praying the Angelus, a brief ceremony took place during which a group of young Australians handed the World Youth Day cross and icon to a group of Spanish youth.

 

  First, however, the Holy Father reminded those present how the United Nations has designated 4 April as the Day "to raise awareness about the problem of anti-personnel mines. Nearly ten years since the convention banning this form of ordinance came into force, and following recent openings with the signing of the convention banning cluster munitions, I wish to encourage countries that have not already done so to sign without delay these important instruments of international humanitarian law, to which the Holy See has always given its backing. At the same time I express my support for all measures that seek to guarantee the victims of such devastating arms the assistance they need".

 

  "With great anguish", Benedict XVI also recalled, "our African brothers and sisters who a few days ago met with death in the Mediterranean as they sought to reach Europe. We cannot resign ourselves to such tragedies which have, unfortunately, been happening for some time. The size of the phenomenon makes it ever more important to co-ordinate strategies between the European Union and African countries, and to adopt adequate humanitarian measures to prevent migrants turning to unscrupulous traffickers. As I pray for the victims, that the Lord may welcome them into His peace, I would like to note that this problem, further aggravated by the global crisis, will find a solution only when the people of Africa, with the help of the international community, are able to free themselves from poverty and wars".

 

  Turning then to the 150 delegates (bishops, priests and lay people) who have been participating in an international meeting on World Youth Days organised by the Pontifical Council for the Laity, the Pope noted: "Thus begin the preparations for the next world gathering of young people, which will take place in 2011 in Madrid, Spain, and for which I have already indicated the theme: 'Rooted and built in Christ, established in the faith' (Col 2, 7).

 

  "As is traditional", he added, "the young Australians will soon consign the World Youth Day cross to young Spaniards, the 'pilgrim cross' which carries the message of Christ's love to all the young people of the world. This handing-over ceremony has a highly symbolic value with which we express our immense gratitude to God for the gifts received at the great meeting of Sydney, and for those He will grant us at the gathering in Madrid".

 

  The Holy Father concluded his remarks by noting how tomorrow the WYD cross, accompanied by the icon of the Virgin Mary, will depart for the Spanish capital where it will be present at the Good Friday procession. It will them begin a long pilgrimage across the dioceses of Spain, returning to Madrid for summer 2011. "May this cross and this icon of Mary be for everyone a sign of the invincible love of Christ and of His - and our - Mother!"

ANG/MINES AFRICA WYD/...                                                     VIS 090406 (540)

 

POPE CALLS ON YOUNG PEOPLE TO FOLLOW CHRIST'S FOOTSTEPS

 

VATICAN CITY, 6 APR 2009 (VIS) - Seven thousand young people from the archdiocese of Madrid, Spain, who have come to Rome to collect the World Youth Day cross for 2011, were received in audience this morning by the Pope.

 

  Speaking of the cross, the Holy Father encouraged the young people to discover therein "the infinite measure of Christ's love. ... You too must respond to the love of Christ", he told them, "offering your own lives to Him with love. In this way preparations for World Youth Day, which you have begun with great enthusiasm and dedication, will be repaid with the hoped-for fruits of those events: renewal and strengthening of the experience of meeting Christ, Who died and rose again for us".

 

  "Follow Christ's footsteps! He is your goal, your path and your prize. In the theme I chose for WYD Madrid, St. Paul invites us to live 'rooted and built in Christ, established in the faith'", said the Pope.

 

  He then invited the young people to "form yourselves in the faith which gives meaning to your lives, and strengthen your convictions in order to remain firm in the face of the difficulties of everyday life. I also exhort you, as you journey towards Christ, to draw in your young friends, companions of study or work, that they too may recognise and confess Him as the Lord of their lives. In order to do this, let the power of the Most High that is within you - the Holy Spirit - reveal Himself in all His beauty".

 

  "Young people today", he went on, "need to discover the new life that comes from God, to quench themselves in the truth that has its source in Christ Who died and rose again, and that the Church received as a treasure for all mankind".

 

  Referring then to World Youth Days, the Pope expressed the view that "they reveal the dynamism of the Church and her eternal youth". In this context he pointed out that "those who love Christ love the Church with the same passion, because she enables us to live close to the Lord".

 

  "Cultivate, then, initiatives that enable young people to feel they are members of the Church, in full communion with her pastors and with Peter's Successor. Pray together, opening the doors of your parishes, associations and movements so that everyone may feel in the Church as in their own home, where they are loved with the love of God. Celebrate and live your faith with immense joy, which is the gift of the Spirit".

 

  The Holy Father explained that on the cross "Christ defeated sin and death by the total giving of Himself. For this reason", he concluded, "we must embrace and adore the Lord's cross, make it our own, accept its weight as Simon of Cyrene did, in order to participate in the only thing that can redeem all of humanity. ... Become ever more worthy of the cross and you will never be ashamed of this supreme sign of love".

AC/WYD CROSS/SPANISH YOUTH                                        VIS 090406 (520)

 

PAPAL TELEGRAM FOR EARTHQUAKE IN L'AQUILA

 

VATICAN CITY, 6 APR 2009 (VIS) - Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B. has sent a telegram, in the Pope's name, to Archbishop Giuseppe Molinari of L'Aquila, Italy, for the earthquake that struck the city and province in the early hours of this morning provoking scores of deaths and injuries.

 

  "The dramatic news of the violent earthquake which struck the territory of the archdiocese has filled the Supreme Pontiff's heart with consternation, and he charges Your Excellency to pass on the expression of his heartfelt participation in the suffering of the beloved people affected by the tragic event. Giving assurances of his fervent prayers for the victims, especially the children, His Holiness asks the Lord to bring comfort to their families and, while giving affectionate words of encouragement to the survivors and the people who in various ways are helping in the rescue operations, he sends everyone his special apostolic blessing".

TGR/EARTHQUAKE L'AQUILA/BERTONE                             VIS 090406 (160)

 

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

 

VATICAN CITY, 6 APR 2009 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Bishop Paul J. Bradley, auxiliary of the diocese of Pittsburgh, U.S.A., as bishop of Kalamazoo (area 13,817, population 965,000, Catholics 107,700, priests 76, permanent deacons 36, religious 245), U.S.A. He succeeds Bishop James A. Murray, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

 

  On Saturday 4 April, it was made public that he:

 

 - Appointed Cardinal Josip Bozanic, archbishop of Zagreb, Croatia, as his special envoy to celebrations marking the 1700th anniversary of the martyrdom of St. Quirinus, due to take place in Krk, Croatia, on 4 June.

 

 - Appointed Cardinal Jose Saraiva Martins C.M.F., prefect emeritus of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, as his special envoy to preside at the election of the new minister general of the Franciscan Order of Friars Minor. The ceremony is due to take place during the Order's general chapter in Assisi, Italy, on 4 June.

 

 - Appointed Fr. Silvio Siripong Charatsri, vicar general of Ratchaburi, Thailand, as bishop of Chanthaburi (area 34,000, population 4,454,615, Catholics 38,918, priests 112, religious 215), Thailand. The bishop-elect was born in Ban Nok Kwaek, Thailand in 1959 and ordained a priest in 1987. He succeeds Bishop Lawrence Thienchai Samanchit, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

 

 - Appointed Fr. James Wainaina Kungu of the clergy of Nyahururu, Kenya, rector of the major seminary of Christ the King in the archdiocese of Nyeri, Kenya, as bishop of Muranga (area 4,016, population 1,522,000, Catholics 716,950, priests 99, religious 120), Kenya. The bishop-elect was born in Ngenya, Kenya in 1956 and ordained a priest in 1984.

 

 - Appointed Bishop Thomas Dabre of Vasai, India, as bishop of Poona (area 49,678, population 25,271,000, Catholics 71,236, priests 205, religious 1,220), India. He succeeds Bishop Valerian D'Souza, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

 

 - Appointed Fr. Edmund Woga C.Ss.R., administrator of the diocese of Weetebula, Indonesia, as bishop of the same diocese (area 11,052, population 706,000, Catholics 135,107, priests 85, religious 78). The bishop-elect was born in Hewokloang, Indonesia in 1950 and ordained a priest in 1977.

 

 - Appointed Bishop Hyacinth Oroko Egbebo, auxiliary of Bomadi, Nigeria, as apostolic vicar of the same apostolic vicariate (area 18,000, population 2,884,000, Catholics 22,266, priests 19, religious 7). He succeeds Bishop Joseph O. Egerega, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same apostolic vicariate the Holy Father accepted, in accordance with canon 401 para. 2 of the Code of Canon Law.

 

 - Appointed Fr. Manlio Sodi S.D.B., professor at the faculty of theology of the Pontifical Salesian University and ordinary member of the Pontifical Academy for Theology, as president of the same academy.

NER:RE:NA/.../...                                                                            VIS 090406 (490)

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SUMMARY:

 

- John Paul II Communicated Hope

- Telegram for the Death of Cardinal Betti

- Letters of Credence of New Dominican Ambassador

- Pope Gives Thanks for Annual Peter's Pence Donation

- Decrees of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints

- Christians and Buddhists in Dialogue

- Audiences

- Other Pontifical Acts

 

___________________________________________________________

 

JOHN PAUL II COMMUNICATED HOPE

 

VATICAN CITY, 3 APR 2009 (VIS) - In the Vatican Basilica at 6 p.m. yesterday, 2 April and fourth anniversary of the death of John Paul II, Benedict XVI presided at a Mass in commemoration of his predecessor.

 

  In his homily, Benedict XVI explained how John Paul II "remains alive in people's hearts, as is evident from the non-stop pilgrimage of the faithful to his tomb in the Vatican Grottoes".

 

  Turning then to address young people he said: "Your presence brings to mind the enthusiasm John Paul II was able to infuse in the new generations. His memory is a stimulus for us all, as we gather in this basilica where he often celebrated the Eucharist, to allow ourselves to be illuminated and summoned by the Word of God".

 

  The Holy Father then considered the Gospel readings, highlighting the difficulties involved in being witnesses of Christ. "Our thoughts", he said, "go to the beloved Servant of God Karol Wojtyla - John Paul II, who from his youth showed himself to be a bold and intrepid defender of Christ. For His sake, he did not hesitate to spend all his energies in order to carry His light everywhere. He accepted no compromise when it came to proclaiming and defending His Truth. He never tired of spreading His love. From the beginning of his pontificate, right up to 2 April 2005, he was not afraid to proclaim, always and to everyone, that only Jesus is the true Liberator of man".

 

  Benedict XVI also dwelt on the fruitfulness of John Paul II's pontificate. "We could say ... that he generated many sons and daughters in the faith", he affirmed, telling the young people present that they "ideally represent the ranks of young men and women who have participated in the twenty-three World Youth Days in various parts of the world. How many vocations to the priesthood and the consecrated life, how many young families resolved to live the evangelical ideal and to tend towards sanctity are linked to the testimony and preaching of my venerated predecessor!" the Pope cried. "How many young men and women have converted to, or maintained, the Christian path, thanks to his prayers, his encouragement and the support of his example"!

 

  "John Paul II was able to communicate a powerful message of hope, founded on faith in Jesus Christ Who is 'is the same yesterday, and today, and forever'. ... As an affectionate father and a careful teacher, he indicated sure and sound points of reference indispensable for everyone, especially for the young. And in his final hours and his death this new generation wished to show they had understood his teaching, gathering silently in prayer in St. Peter's Square and many other places around the world. Those young people were aware that his demise was a loss: 'their' Pope was dying, whom they considered as 'their father' in the faith".

 

  "We cannot live without hope", insisted the Holy Father, "but we must be careful. In times such as these, given the cultural and social context in which we live, there is a risk of reducing Christian hope to an ideology, to group slogans, to exterior cladding. Nothing could be more opposite to Jesus' message! He does not want His disciples 'to recite' a role, even a role of hope. He wants them 'to be' hope, and they can be so only if they remain united to Him".

 

  "If the words of Christ remain within us, then we will be able to propagate the flame of love that He lit upon the earth; we will be able to hold high the torch of faith and hope. ... This is the flame that Pope John Paul II left as his legacy. He gave it to me as his successor, and this evening I ideally consign it, once again, to you young people of Rome, that you may continue to be sentinels of the morning, watchful and joyful at this dawn of the third millennium".

HML/JOHN PAUL II/...                                                                   VIS 090403 (680)

 

TELEGRAM FOR THE DEATH OF CARDINAL BETTI

 

VATICAN CITY, 3 APR 2009 (VIS) - The Pope sent the following telegram of condolence to Fr. Jose Rodriguez Carballo O.F.M., minister general of the Order of Friars Minor, for the death of Cardinal Umberto Betti O.F.M., former rector of the Pontifical Lateran University. Cardinal Betti died on 1 April at the age of 87:

 

  "It was with great sadness that I learned the news of the death of Cardinal Umberto Betti and, spiritually sharing in the mourning that has struck the Order of Friars Minor, I wish to express my heartfelt condolences. My soul filled with gratitude to the Lord, I recall the ministry that the lamented Cardinal carried out with such zeal, particularly as illustrious theologian, expert of Vatican Council II, esteemed consultor of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and of the Secretariat of State, and rector of the Pontifical Lateran University. Raising fervent prayers for such a worthy servant of the Gospel and invoking divine goodness to grant eternal peace to his soul, I send my special apostolic blessing to comfort his relatives, confreres, and all those mourning his passing".

TGR/DEATH/BETTI                                                                          VIS 090403 (200)

 

LETTERS OF CREDENCE OF NEW DOMINICAN AMBASSADOR

 

VATICAN CITY, 3 APR 2009 (VIS) - Today in the Vatican, the Holy Father received the Letters of Credence of Victor Manuel Grimaldi Cespedes, the new ambassador of the Dominican Republic.

 

  In his address to the diplomat, the Holy Father noted that for more than five centuries, "thanks to generous and selfless efforts of evangelisation, faith in Jesus Christ became ever more vigorous and effective. ... From the first seed grew a flourishing tree, the Church in Latin America, which with the passing of the years has given abundant fruits of sanctity, culture, and prosperity for all members of society".

 

  Benedict XVI went on: "It is right to recognise the contribution made by the Church, through her institutions, for the benefit and progress of your country, especially in the field of education, with various universities, technical training centres, institutes and parish schools; and in the field of assistance, with the concern she shows towards immigrants, refugees, disabled, sick, elderly, orphans and the poor". In this context the Pope also underlined "the collaboration that exists between local Catholic bodies and the organs of State in the development of programmes which, while always seeking the common good of society, favour those most in need and encourage authentic moral and spiritual values".

 

  He also highlighted how, "in the significant political and social changes that the Dominican Republic has been traversing over recent times", it is important to "implant and prolong the noble principles that distinguish the rich history of the country since its foundation. I am referring primarily to the defence and dissemination of such basic human values as the recognition and protection of the dignity of the person, respect for human life from the moment of conception until natural death, and the safeguarding of the institution of the family based on marriage between a man and a woman, because these elements are indispensable to the social fabric".

 

  The Holy Father highlighted how, despite recent achievements "in social and economic plans, which open hopes for a brighter and more peaceful future, ... there is still a long way to go to ensure Dominicans enjoy a dignified life and to eradicate the blights of poverty, drug trafficking, marginalisation, and violence".

 

  "Everything that tends towards strengthening the institutions is fundamental to the wellbeing of society, a wellbeing which rests upon such pillars as cultivating honesty and transparency, juridical independence, care and respect for the environment and the reinforcement of social services, healthcare and education for the entire population. These steps must be accompanied by a strong determination to definitively eradicate corruption, which brings such suffering especially for the poorest and most defenceless members of society".

 

  The Pope concluded by giving assurances that "in establishing a climate of true harmony, and in searching for effective and stable answers to their most pressing problems, the Dominican authorities will always find the Church's hand outstretched for the building of a freer, more peaceful, just and fraternal civilisation".

CD/CREDENCE/DOMINICAN REPUBLIC:GRIMALDI                VIS 090403 (500)

 

POPE GIVES THANKS FOR ANNUAL PETER'S PENCE DONATION

 

VATICAN CITY, 3 APR 2009 (VIS) - The Pope today received members of the Circle of St. Peter, in a traditional annual meeting in which they present him with "Peter's Pence", the proceeds of collections made every year in the parishes and institutes of the diocese of Rome.

 

  "I thank you", the Pope told them, "because in some way, with this initiative of human and evangelical solidarity, you give concrete expression to the concern of Peter's Successor for those in conditions of particular need".

 

  "We know that the authenticity of our faithfulness to the Gospel may also be measured in terms of the real attention and concern we strive to show towards others, especially the weakest and the marginalised", he added. "Thus charitable service, which can take many forms, becomes a privileged method of evangelisation, in the light of Jesus' own teaching".

 

  The Pope concluded: "From the Cross spring the joy and peace of heart which make us witnesses of hope, of which there is such need in these times of widespread economic crisis".

AC/.../CIRCLE OF ST. PETER                                                    VIS 090403 (190)

 

DECREES OF THE CONGREGATION FOR THE CAUSES OF SAINTS

 

VATICAN CITY, 3 APR 2009 (VIS) - Today in the Vatican, the Holy Father received in private audience Archbishop Angelo Amato S.D.B., prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, and authorised the promulgation of decrees concerning the following causes:

 

MIRACLES

 

- Venerable Servant of God Maria Pierina de Micheli, Italian sister of the Daughters of the Immaculate Conception of Buenos Aires (1890-1945).

 

HEROIC VIRTUES

 

- Servant of God Franz Joseph Rudigier, Austrian Bishop of Linz (1811-1884).

 

- Servant of God Johannes Evangelist Wagner, German diocesan priest (1807-1886).

 

- Servant of God Innocenzo da Caltagirone Marcinno (ne Giuseppe), Italian Minister General of the Order of the Capuchin Friars Minor (1589-1655).

 

- Servant of God Teresa de la Cruz Candamo Alvarez Calderon, Peruvian foundress of the Congregation of Canonesses of the Cross (1875-1953).

 

- Servant of God Maria Ines-Teresa del Santisimo Sacramento Arias Espinosa (nee Manuela de Jesus), Mexican foundress of the Poor Clare Missionary Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament  and the Missionaries of Christ for the Universal Church (1904-1981).

 

- Servant of God Marie de la Ferre, French co-foundress of the Daughters of St. Joseph of La Fleche (now the Religious Hospitallers of St. Joseph) (1589/1590-1652).

 

- Servant of God Teresita del Nino Jesus Perez de Iriarte Casado (nee Felisa), Spanish  professed religious of the Dominican Nuns (1904-1954).

 

- Servant of God Dulce Lopes Pontes (nee Maria Rita), Brazilian sister of the Congregation of the Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Conception of the Mother of God (1914-1992).

 

- Servant of God Giacomo Gaglione, Italian lay man (1896-1962).

 

- Servant of God Benoite Rencurel, French lay woman of the Third Order of St. Dominic (1647-1718).

CCS/DECREES CAUSES OF THE SAINTS/AMATO                VIS 090403 (270)

 

CHRISTIANS AND BUDDHISTS IN DIALOGUE

 

VATICAN CITY, 3 APR 2009 (VIS) - Made public today was the annual Message to Buddhists for the Feast of Vesakh, issued by the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue and signed by Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, president of the council.

 

  Vesakh, the main Buddhist festivity, marks three fundamental moments in the life of Gautama Buddha. It is held during the full moon of the month of May because, according to tradition, the Buddha was born, achieved enlightenment, and passed away in that period.

 

  This year's message - published in English, French, and Italian - is entitled "Witnessing to a Spirit of Poverty: Christians and Buddhists in Dialogue". In  the message, Benedict XVI recalls that he recently affirmed that there is a "chosen" poverty, "which allows one to tread in the footsteps of Jesus Christ. ... We understand this poverty to mean above all an emptying of self, ... creat[ing] in us a willingness to listen to God and to our brothers and sisters, being open to them, and respecting them as individuals".

 

  The Pope also refers to "a poverty, a deprivation, which God does not desire and which should be fought; a poverty that prevents people and families from living as befits their dignity; a poverty that offends justice and equality and that, as such, threatens peaceful co-existence".

 

  The message ends by thanking Buddhists for their "inspiring witness of non-attachment and contentment. Monks, nuns, and many lay devotees among you embrace a poverty 'to be chosen' that spiritually nourishes the human heart, substantially enriching life with a deeper insight into the meaning of existence, and sustaining commitment to promoting the goodwill of the whole human community".

CON-DIR/BUDDHISTS/VESAKH                                               VIS 090403 (270)

 

AUDIENCES

 

VATICAN CITY, 3 APR 2009 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:

 

 - Archbishop Angelo Amato S.D.B., prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.

 

 - Cardinal William Joseph Levada, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

 

 - Cardinal Fiorenzo Angelini, president emeritus of the Pontifical Council for Health Pastoral Care.

AP/.../...                                                                                            VIS 090403 (60)

 

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

 

VATICAN CITY, 3 APR 2009 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Archbishop Vincent Nichols of Birmingham, England, as metropolitan archbishop of Westminster (area 3,634, population 4,664,000, Catholics 472,600, priests 669, permanent deacons 8, religious 1,560), England. He succeeds Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same archdiocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

NER:RE/.../NICHOLS:MURPHY                                                 VIS 090403 (70)

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SUMMARY:

 

- Argentina: Extensive and Incisive Evangelisation

- Communique: Meeting on the Church in China

- Audiences

- Other Pontifical Acts

 

___________________________________________________________

 

ARGENTINA: EXTENSIVE AND INCISIVE EVANGELISATION

 

VATICAN CITY, 2 APR 2009 (VIS) - This morning in the Vatican, Benedict XVI received a second group of prelates from the Argentinean Episcopal Conference, who have just completed their "ad limina" visit.

 

  "As in many other parts of the world", the Pope told the bishops, "you in Argentina also feel a pressing need to practice an extensive and incisive evangelisation which, bearing in mind the Christian values that moulded the history and culture of your country, may lead to a spiritual and moral renaissance in your communities, and in society as a whole".

 

  "To evangelise is first of all to bear witness, in a simple and direct way, to God revealed by Jesus Christ, in the Holy Spirit. It is to bear witness that in His Son God has loved the world", said the Pope quoting words of his predecessor Paul VI. He went on: "This clear and explicit announcement of Christ as man's Saviour is part of the exhilarating search for truth, beauty and goodness which characterises human beings". For this reason "announcement and witness of the Gospel are the primary service Christians can give to individuals and the entire human race".

 

  "All evangelising activity springs from a threefold love: for the Word of God, for the Church and for the world. ... Through Sacred Scripture Christ makes Himself known to us in His person, His life and His doctrine". Hence, prelates must "facilitate the access of all faithful to Sacred Scripture so that, placing the Word of God at the centre of their lives, they may welcome Christ as Redeemer and His light may illuminate all areas of human existence".

 

  "Given that the Word of God cannot be understood separate from or outside the Church, it is important to foment a spirit of communion and faithfulness to the Magisterium, especially among those whose mission it is to transmit the Gospel message in its entirety", said the Holy Father.

 

  "It must be borne in mind that the primary form of evangelisation is the witness of one's own life", the Pope insisted. Then, referring specifically to priests, he indicated that "the priest has a heavy responsibility to ensure that his conduct appears irreproachable in the eyes of the faithful, closely following Christ".

 

  "Announcing the Gospel involves everyone in the Church, including the lay faithful who receive that mission through Baptism and Confirmation", said the Holy Father, and he encouraged the bishops "to ensure that lay people become increasingly aware of their vocation as living members of the Church and true disciples and missionaries of Christ in all things".

 

  Finally, Pope Benedict concluded: "How many benefits may we hope to see, also for civil society, by the resurgence of mature lay people who seek sanctity in their everyday lives, in full communion with their pastors and firm in their apostolic vocation to be evangelical ferment in the world!"

AL/.../ARGENTINA                                                                        VIS 090402 (490)

 

COMMUNIQUE: MEETING ON THE CHURCH IN CHINA

 

VATICAN CITY, 2 APR 2009 (VIS) - The Holy See Press Office released the following communique at midday today:

 

  "From 30 March to 1 April, the commission established by Benedict XVI in 2007 to study questions of importance concerning the life of the Catholic Church in China held its second meeting in the Vatican.

 

  "With intense interest and a deep-felt desire to offer service to the Church in China, the commission examined the main theme of the meeting: the formation of seminarians and of consecrated people, and the permanent formation of priests.

 

  "In association with the bishops of the Church in China - who bear prime responsibility for the ecclesial communities - it will be sought to promote a more adequate human, intellectual, spiritual and pastoral formation of clergy and of consecrated people, who have the important task of acting as faithful disciples of Christ and as members of the Church, and of contributing to the good of their country as exemplary citizens. In this context, the words of the Holy Father Benedict XVI's 2007 Letter to Chinese Catholics shone out as guidance: 'The Church, always and everywhere missionary, is called to proclaim and to bear witness to the Gospel. The Church in China must also sense in her heart the missionary ardour of her Founder and Teacher. ... Now it is your turn, Chinese disciples of the Lord, to be courageous apostles of that Kingdom. I am sure that your response will be most generous'.

 

  "The participants, drawing also on their own sometimes-harsh experiences, highlighted complex problems of the current ecclesial situation in China, problems deriving not just from internal difficulties of the Church, but also from the uneasy relations with the civil authorities. In this context, news of the re-arrest of Bishop Julius Jia Zhiguo of Zhengding was greeted with profound anguish. Situations of this kind create obstacles to that constructive dialogue with the competent authorities which, as is known, the Holy Father in his above-mentioned Letter expressed the hope might be pursued. This is not, unfortunately, an isolated case. Other ecclesiastics are also deprived of their freedom and subject to undue pressures and limitations in their pastoral activities. To all of them the participants wish to send assurances of fraternal closeness and constant prayers in this time of Lent, illuminated by the Paschal Mystery.

 

  "The meeting concluded with an audience with the Holy Father who, as Peter's Successor, perpetual and visible source and foundation of the unity of the episcopate, underlined the importance of helping Catholics in China to tell others of the beauty and reasonableness of Christian faith, and to present it as the proposal offering the best answers from an intellectual and existential standpoint. The Pope also thanked those present for their commitment in the field of formation, and encouraged them to continue their service for the good of the Church in China".

OP/MEETING CHURCH CHINA/...                                            VIS 090402 (490)

 

AUDIENCES

 

VATICAN CITY, 2 APR 2009 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:

 

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

 

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

 

    - Archbishop Andres Stanovnik O.F.M. Cap. of Corrientes.

 

    - Bishop Luis Urbanc of Catamarca.

AP:AL/.../...                                                                                      VIS 090402 (60)

 

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

 

VATICAN CITY, 2 APR 2009 (VIS) - The Holy Father accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese of Rourkela, India, presented by Bishop Alphonse Bilung S.V.D., upon having reached the age limit. He is succeeded by Coadjutor Bishop John Barwa S.V.D.

RE/.../BILUNG:BARWA                                                                VIS 090402 (50)

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SUMMARY:

 

- Holy Father Recalls His Apostolic Trip to Africa

- Avoid Nationalistic Selfishness and Protectionism

- In Brief

- Other Pontifical Acts

- In Memoriam

 

___________________________________________________________

 

HOLY FATHER RECALLS HIS APOSTOLIC TRIP TO AFRICA

 

VATICAN CITY, 1 APR 2009 (VIS) - As he announced during last Sunday's Angelus, Benedict XVI dedicated his general audience to an analysis of his recently-concluded apostolic visit to Cameroon and Angola. The audience, held this morning in St. Peter's Square, was attended by 20,000 people.

 

  The Pope began his remarks by explaining how, with his visit, he had "sought to embrace all the people of Africa, and bless them in the name of the Lord", beginning with Cameroon, a country that incorporates many characteristics of the African continent, including "a profoundly religious soul which unites the numerous ethnic groups that inhabit it".

 

  He went on to mention his meetings with bishops, first of Cameroon then of Angola and Sao Tome and Principe, to whom he had "reaffirmed the vital importance of evangelisation, which is first and foremost the responsibility of bishops, highlighting the collegial dimension based on sacramental communion. ... I also encouraged them to promote the pastoral care of marriage and the family, of the liturgy and of culture, also by putting lay people in a position to be able to resist the attack of sects and esoteric groups". Finally, he had invited the episcopate to continue "to exercise charity in defence of the rights of the poor".

 

  At the apostolic nunciature in Yaounde, Cameroon, the Holy Father had met with representatives of the local Muslim community, "reiterating the importance of inter-religious dialogue and of collaboration between Christians and Muslims in order to help the world open itself to God".

 

  The Pope recalled how one of the culminating moments of his Africa visit came at the stadium of Yaounde on 19 March, at the end of Mass for the Feast of St. Joseph, when he consigned the "Instrumentum laboris" of the Second Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops. "The Synod will take place in Rome but it has in a certain sense already begun in the heart of the African continent, in the heart of the Christian family that lives, suffers and hopes there. For this reason I was pleased that the publication of the 'working document' coincided with the Feast of St. Joseph, a model of faith and hope like the first patriarch, Abraham. Faith in the 'neighbour God', Who in Jesus showed us His face of love, is the guarantee of a reliable hope for Africa and for the whole world, the guarantee for a future of reconciliation, justice and peace".

 

  During his meeting with members of the Special Council for Africa of the Synod of Bishops, Benedict XVI reflected upon the continent's history "from a theological and pastoral perspective", recalling the deep Christian roots in African soil. "At the present time, as Africa is busy consolidating her political independence and constructing national identities in a now globalised world, the Church accompanies Africans, recalling the great message of Vatican Council II".

 

  "Amidst the unfortunately numerous and dramatic conflicts still afflicting various parts of the continent, the Church is aware she must be a sign and instrument of reconciliation, so that all Africa may come together to build a future of justice, solidarity and peace, implementing the teachings of the Gospel", said the Holy Father.

 

  He also reserved some words for the sick people of the Cardinal Leger Centre with whom, in the midst of their suffering, he had shared "the hope that springs from faith".

 

  Turning then to consider the second stage of his African journey, which took him to Angola, the Pope recalled how that county, "having emerged from a long civil war, is now committed to reconciliation and national reconstruction". This, however, could not hope to be successful if it came about "at the expense of the poorest who, like everyone else, have the right to share in the resources of their land.

 

  "This is why, with my visit, the primary aim of which was to confirm the Church in her faith, I also sought to encourage the ongoing social processes", the Holy Father added. "In Angola there is a palpable sense of something my venerated predecessors oft repeated: everything is lost with war, everything can be reborn with peace. But great moral energy is required to build a nation; and here, once again, the Church has an important part, called to play an educational role, and working to renew and form people's consciences".

 

  In the cathedral of Luanda, which is dedicated to St. Paul, the Pope recalled how he had spoken of the risen Christ "Who is capable of transforming individuals and society. Historical contexts change - something we must not forget - but Christ remains the true force for radical renewal of mankind and of human communities".

 

  Remarking then upon two special meetings he had held, with young people and with women, the Pope first reiterated his sorrow for the death of two girls killed in a stampede at the Stadio dos Coqueiros in Luanda, then said: "Africa is a very young continent, but too many of her sons and daughters - children and adolescents -have suffered serious wounds. Only Jesus Christ, crucified and risen, can heal them, infusing them ... with the power to love and to commit themselves to justice and peace".

 

  In his meeting with women, Benedict XVI recalled how he had reaffirmed "their full right to participate in public life, yet without compromising their role in the family, which is a fundamental mission that must always be carried out through shared responsibility with husbands and fathers".

 

  "I told the African people that if, like ancient Israel, they base their hope on the Word of God, in the richness of their religious and cultural heritage, they can truly build a future of reconciliation and stable peace for everyone".

 

  Finally, the Pope dwelt on "the generous activity of missionaries, religious, volunteers, priests and catechists, in young communities full of enthusiasm and faith". And he asked everyone to pray "for the people of Africa, who are so dear to me, that with courage they may face the great social, economic and spiritual challenges of the present time".

AG/AFRICA/...                                                                                VIS 090401 (1020)

 

AVOID NATIONALISTIC SELFISHNESS AND PROTECTIONISM

 

VATICAN CITY, 1 APR 2009 (VIS) - Benedict XVI has expressed his appreciation to heads of State and government who are due to participate in the G20 Summit which will take place in London, England, on 2 and 3 April for the "noble objectives" they have set themselves. These objectives, he writes, arise from the conviction "that the way out of the current global crisis can only be reached together, avoiding solutions marked by any nationalistic selfishness or protectionism".

 

  In his English-language Letter, addressed to British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, the Pope recalls that the aim of the gathering is "to co-ordinate, with urgency, measures necessary to stabilise financial markets and to enable companies and families to weather this period of deep recession, as well as to restore sustainable growth in the world economy and to reform and substantially strengthen systems of global governance, in order to ensure that such a crisis is not repeated in the future".

 

  Pope Benedict mentions his recent visit to Africa, where he was able "to see at first hand the reality of severe poverty and marginalization, which the crisis risks aggravating dramatically".

 

  He also notes the fact that "sub-Saharan Africa is represented [at the meeting] by just one State and some regional organisations". This, he writes, "must prompt a profound reflection among the summit participants, since those whose voice has least force in the political scene are precisely the ones who suffer most from the harmful effects of a crisis for which they do not bear responsibility".

 

  After underlining how "a key element of the crisis is a deficit of ethics in economic structures", the Pope insists that "the same crisis teaches us that ethics is not 'external' to the economy but 'internal' and that the economy cannot function if it does not bear within it an ethical component".

 

  He also emphasises the need for "a courageous and generous strengthening of international co-operation, capable of promoting a truly humane and integral development. Positive faith in the human person, and above all faith in the poorest men and women - of Africa and other regions of the world affected by extreme poverty - is what is needed if we are truly to come through the crisis once and for all, without turning our back on any region, and if we are definitively to prevent any recurrence of a situation similar to that in which we find ourselves today".

 

  The Pope concludes his Letter by expressing the wish to add his voice "to those of the adherents of various religions and cultures who share the conviction that the elimination of extreme poverty by 2015, to which leaders at the UN Millennium Summit committed themselves, remains one of the most important tasks of our time".

 

  Gordon Brown has replied, expressing agreement with the Pope's ideas and indicating the paths to follow in order to implement them.

MESS/.../G20 SUMMIT                                                                 VIS 090401 (490)

 

IN BRIEF

 

CARDINAL SECRETARY OF STATE TARCISIO BERTONE S.D.B. has sent a message to the labour ministers of the G8 member States (Italy, France, Germany, Great Britain, United States, Japan, Canada and Russia) and of a further six nations with the world's largest economies, who participated in the Social Summit, held in Rome from 29 to 31 March. The aim of the meeting was to formulate proposals to ensure that solutions to the world economic crisis take job protection and workers' rights into account.

 

MSGR. RENATO VOLANTE, HOLY SEE PERMANENT OBSERVER to the United Nations Organisation for Food and Agriculture, addressed the 29th FAO regional conference for Asia and the Pacific, held in Bangkok, Thailand, on 28 March. In his address Msgr. Volante affirmed, among other things, that "the crisis affecting markets, financial activities and food prices calls for agricultural policies to be revised" and highlighted the need "to work with all possible methods and instruments".

.../IN BRIEF/...                                                                                 VIS 090401 (160)

 

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

 

VATICAN CITY, 1 APR 2009 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

 

 - Accepted the resignation from the office of auxiliary of the diocese of Amboina, Indonesia, presented by bishop Josephus Tethool M.S.C., upon having reached the age limit.

 

 - Appointed Fr. Henrique Soares da Costa of the clergy of the archdiocese of Maceio, Brazil, rector of the church of "Nossa Senhora do Livramento", as auxiliary of the archdiocese of Aracaju (area 7,019, population 1,202,000, Catholics 1,010,000, priests 116, permanent deacons 11, religious 286), Brazil. The bishop-elect was born in Penedo, Brazil in 1963 and ordained a priest in 1991.

RE:NEA/.../TETHOOL:SOARES                                                 VIS 090401 (110)

 

IN MEMORIAM

 

VATICAN CITY, 1 APR 2009 (VIS) - The following prelates died in recent weeks:

 

 - Bishop Silvio Cesare Bonicelli, emeritus of Parma, Italy on 6 March at the age of 76.

 

 - Archbishop Luis Mena Arroyo, former auxiliary of Mexico, Mexico, on 3 March at the age of 88.

 

 - Archbishop Felipe Santiago Benitez Avalos, emeritus of Asuncion, Paraguay on 19 March at the age of 82.

 

 - Bishop Ramon Mantilla Duarte C.SS.R., emeritus of Ipiales, Colombia on 16 March at the age of 83.

 

 - Archbishop Paulo Eduardo Andrade Ponte, emeritus of Sao Luis do Maranhao, Brazil on 15 March at the age of 77.

 

 - Bishop Luis Rojas Mena, emeritus of Culiacan, Mexico on 18 March at the age of 91.

 

 - Bishop Manuel P. del Rosario, emeritus of Malolos, Philippines on 22 March at the age of 93.

 

 - Bishop Loras Joseph Watters, emeritus of Winona, U.S.A. on 30 March at the age of 93.

.../DEATHS/...                                                                                 VIS 090401 (160)

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SUMMARY:

 

- Appeal for Release of Red Cross Workers in Philippines

- Faith in the Divine Initiative - the Human Response

- Benedict XVI's Prayer Intentions for April

- Meeting of World Youth Day Organisers

 

___________________________________________________________

 

APPEAL FOR RELEASE OF RED CROSS WORKERS IN PHILIPPINES

 

VATICAN CITY, 31 MAR 2009 (VIS) - The Holy See Press Office released the following communique yesterday afternoon:

 

  "The Holy Father, sharing the concern of the families, and of everyone worried about the safety of the three Red Cross workers kidnapped on the island of Jolo in the Philippines, wishes to raise his voice and make an appeal that humanitarian values and reason may prevail over violence and intimidation.

 

  "The Holy Father, in the name of God, asks for the hostages to be released and calls upon the authorities to favour a peaceful solution to the dramatic situation".

OP/RELEASE HOSTAGES/PHILIPPINES                                           VIS 090331 (110)

 

FAITH IN THE DIVINE INITIATIVE - THE HUMAN RESPONSE

 

VATICAN CITY, 31 MAR 2009 (VIS) - Made public today was the Message of Benedict XVI for the 46th World Day of Prayer for Vocations, which is due to be celebrated on 3 May, the fourth Sunday of Easter, and which has as its theme this year: "Faith in the divine initiative - the human response". The Message has been published in Spanish, English, French, Italian, German, Portuguese and Polish.

 

  Extracts from the text are given below:

 

  "The exhortation of Jesus to His disciples: 'Pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into His harvest' has a constant resonance in the Church. Pray! The urgent call of the Lord stresses that prayer for vocations should be continuous and trusting".

 

  "The vocation to the priesthood and to the consecrated life constitutes a special gift of God which becomes part of the great plan of love and salvation that God has for every man and woman and for the whole of humanity".

 

  "In the universal call to holiness, of particular relevance is God's initiative of choosing some to follow His Son Jesus Christ more closely, and to be His privileged ministers and witnesses. ... Responding to the Lord's call and docile to the movement of the Holy Spirit, over the centuries, countless ranks of priests and consecrated persons placed themselves totally at the service of the Gospel in the Church. Let us give thanks to God, because even today He continues to call together workers into His vineyard.

 

  "While it is undoubtedly true that a worrisome shortage of priests is evident in some regions of the world, and that the Church encounters difficulties and obstacles along the way, we are sustained by the unshakeable certitude that the One Who firmly guides her in the pathways of time towards the definitive fulfilment of the Kingdom is He, the Lord, Who freely chooses persons of every culture and of every age and invites them to follow Him according to the mysterious plans of His merciful love.

 

  "Our first duty, therefore, is to keep alive in families and in parishes, in movements and in apostolic associations, in religious communities and in all the sectors of diocesan life this appeal to the divine initiative with unceasing prayer".

 

  "What is asked of those who are called ... is careful listening and prudent discernment, a generous and willing adherence to the divine plan, and a serious study of the reality that is proper to the priestly and religious vocations, so as to be able to respond responsibly and with conviction".

 

  "In the Eucharist, that perfect gift which brings to fulfilment the plan of love for the redemption of the world, Jesus offers Himself freely for the salvation of mankind. ... It is priests who are called to perpetuate this salvific mystery from century to century. ... In the celebration of the Eucharist it is Christ Himself Who acts in those whom He chooses as His ministers; He supports them so that their response develops in a dimension of trust and gratitude that removes all fear, even when they experience more acutely their own weakness, or indeed when the experience of misunderstanding or even of persecution is most bitter".

 

  "To believe in the Lord and to accept His gift, therefore, leads us to entrust ourselves to Him with thankful hearts, adhering to His plan of salvation. When this does happen, the one who is 'called' voluntarily leaves everything and submits himself to the teaching of the divine Master; hence a fruitful dialogue between God and man begins, a mysterious encounter between the love of the Lord Who calls and the freedom of man who responds in love".

 

  "This intertwining of love between the divine initiative and the human response is present also, in a wonderful way, in the vocation to the consecrated life. ... Attracted by Him, from the very first centuries of Christianity, many men and women have left families, possessions, material riches and all that is humanly desirable in order to follow Christ generously and live the Gospel without compromise, which had become for them a school of deeply rooted holiness".

 

  "The response of men and women to the divine call, whenever they are aware that it is God Who takes the initiative and brings His plan of salvation to fulfilment, ... expresses itself in a ready adherence to the Lord's invitation. ... Without in any sense renouncing personal responsibility, the free human response to God thus becomes 'co-responsibility', responsibility in and with Christ, through the action of His Holy Spirit; it becomes communion with the One Who makes it possible for us to bear much fruit.

 

  "An emblematic human response, full of trust in God's initiative, is the generous and unmitigated 'Amen' of the Virgin of Nazareth, uttered with humble and decisive adherence to the plan of the Most High. ... I want to entrust to her all those who are aware of God's call to set out on the road of the ministerial priesthood or consecrated life.

 

  "Dear friends, do not become discouraged in the face of difficulties and doubts; trust in God and follow Jesus faithfully and you will be witnesses of the joy that flows from intimate union with Him".

MESS/WORLD DAY VOCATIONS/...                                        VIS 090331 (890)

 

BENEDICT XVI'S PRAYER INTENTIONS FOR APRIL

 

VATICAN CITY, 31 MAR 2009 (VIS) - Pope Benedict's general prayer intention for April is: "That the Lord may bless farmers' work with an abundant harvest and sensitise the richer populations to the drama of hunger in the world".

 

  His mission intention is: "That the Christians who operate in the territories where the conditions of the poor, the weak and the women and children are most tragic, may be signs of hope, thanks to their courageous testimony to the Gospel of solidarity and love".

BXVI-PRAYER INTENTIONS/APRIL/...                                     VIS 090331 (100)

 

MEETING OF WORLD YOUTH DAY ORGANISERS

 

VATICAN CITY, 31 MAR 2009 (VIS) - The Pontifical Council for the Laity has organised an international meeting of World Youth Day organisers, in preparation for the next World Youth Day, which is due to be held in Madrid, Spain, in 2011. The meeting will take place in Rome from 3 to 5 April.

 

  "This is the first international meeting of WYD organisers in preparation for Madrid", reads an English-language note published by the Pontifical Council for the Laity. "The organising committees of Sydney 2008 and Madrid 2011 will be present. There will be delegates at the meeting from around 70 countries and representatives from 35 international Catholic communities, associations and movements, a total of around 150 people".

 

  The sessions will begin on 3 April with a greeting by Cardinal Stanislaw Rylko, president of the Pontifical Council for the Laity. Evaluation of Sydney 2008 will take place with Cardinal George Pell, archbishop of that city, and Auxiliary Bishop Anthony Fisher O.P. speaking of the fruits of the event as experienced in their archdiocese and throughout Australia. Fr. Eric Jacquinet will moderate a discussion which will enable the impact of WYD at a local level to be evaluated, and which will explore how WYD can serve as a model for the regular pastoral care of youth. Mass presided by Cardinal Pell will conclude the day's sessions.

 

  "Towards Madrid 2011" is the theme for the sessions of 4 April. Cardinal Antonio Maria Rouco Varela, archbishop of Madrid, and Auxiliary Bishop Cesar Augusto Franco Martinez will talk about the Church in Spain, and present the reasons, challenges and expectations of this new phase in World Youth Days. A number of young Spaniards will also speak, and some initial information about organisational planning will be presented. Bishop Josef Clemens, secretary of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, will present Benedict XVI's Message for 24th World Youth Day, after which Cardinal Rylko will make some concluding remarks.

 

  On 5 April, Palm Sunday, participants will attend the Mass celebrated by the Pope in St. Peter's Square during which, in a traditional hand-over ceremony, the Australians will consign the World Youth Day cross to the Spaniards. A tangible "passing of the baton among the youth of the world", the note concludes, "which places before us as a point of reference the stark reality of the Cross, the hope that springs from the Resurrection".

CON-L/WYD MEETING/RYLKO                                                 VIS 090331 (410)

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SUMMARY: MARCH 28 - 30

 

- Conversion of Hearts, the Only Way to Peace

- Meeting on Catholic Church in China

- God Helps and Accompanies Us in Our Difficulties

- Thanks to Missionaries in Africa

- Holy Week Celebrations to Be Presided by the Pope

- Audiences

- Other Pontifical Acts

 

___________________________________________________________

 

CONVERSION OF HEARTS, THE ONLY WAY TO PEACE

 

VATICAN CITY, 28 MAR 2009 (VIS) - At midday today in the Vatican, the Holy Father received 7,000 young volunteers of the Italian "Servizio Civile".

 

  The Pope thanked them for the generosity with which they carry out their mission of peace. Commenting then on the final part of the Vatican Council II Pastoral Constitution "Guadium et spes", which focuses on the subject of peace among peoples, he remarked: "unfortunately wars and violence are unending, and the search for peace is always arduous.

 

  "At a time marked by the danger of possible planetary conflict", he added, "Vatican Council II - with this text - made a strong condemnation of the arms race". The Council Fathers made it clear, he said, that "new approaches based on reformed attitudes must be taken to remove this trap and to emancipate the world from its crushing anxiety through the restoration of genuine peace".

 

  "Today, as then, the true conversion of hearts is the right way, the only way, that can lead each of us, and humanity entire, to the peace we all long for".

 

  "Be, then", Pope Benedict told the young people, "always and everywhere, instruments of peace, decisively rejecting selfishness and injustice, indifference and hatred, in order to spread ... justice, equality, freedom, reconciliation, acceptance and forgiveness in all communities".

 

  "Each of you", the Holy Father went on, "through your experience of voluntary work, can reinforce your social awareness, achieve a closer knowledge of people's problems and become an active promoter of true solidarity. The main objective of the Italian national 'Servizio Civile', is clearly an educational one: to teach the young generations to cultivate a sense of responsibility towards people in need and the common good".

 

  "Life is a mystery of love", Benedict XVI told the young volunteers, "which is more truly our own the more we donate it; or rather, the more we donate our own self, making a gift of ourselves, our time, our resources and our qualities for the good of others".

 

  "May this", he concluded, "always be the logic of your lives. Not just now when you are young, but also tomorrow when you hold - I hope - important positions in society and form a family. May you remain people ready to sacrifice yourselves for others, willing even to face suffering for good and for justice".

AC/.../VOLUNTEER SERVIZIO CIVILE                                     VIS 090330 (400)

 

MEETING ON CATHOLIC CHURCH IN CHINA

 

VATICAN CITY, 28 MAR 2009 (VIS) - In a communique published today the Holy See Press Office announces that the commission established by Benedict XVI in 2007 to study questions of importance concerning the life of the Catholic Church in China will meet in the Vatican from 30 March to 1 April.

 

  "Said commission includes superiors of the dicasteries of the Roman Curia with responsibility in this area, as well as certain representatives of the Chinese episcopate and of religious congregations", reads the communique.

 

  "The first plenary meeting, which took place from 10 to 12 March 2008, had as its theme the Letter the Holy Father Benedict XVI addressed to Chinese Catholics on 27 May 2007. The meeting considered how that pontifical document was received, both inside and outside China. Participants also reflected upon the theological principles that inspired the Letter in order to understand the prospects arising therefrom for the Catholic community in China.

 

  "During the next plenary meeting, certain aspects of the life of the Church in China will be examined in the light of the same Letter. Particular attention will be given to important ongoing religious questions".

OP/COMMISSION CATHOLIC CHURCH CHINA/...               VIS 090330 (200)

 

GOD HELPS AND ACCOMPANIES US IN OUR DIFFICULTIES

 

VATICAN CITY, 29 MAR 2009 (VIS) - At 9 a.m. today, the fifth Sunday of Lent, the Pope visited the parish of the Holy Face of Jesus, located in the Magliana neighbourhood in the western sector of the diocese of Rome. The church, dedicated to St. Maximilian Kolbe in 1982, took the name of Holy Face of Jesus in 2001.

 

  Before Mass, the Holy Father greeted people gathered outside the church under heavy rain. "Unfortunately it is raining, but the sun is on its way", he told them. "We know that the sun, though it may be hidden, exists; that God is near, that He helps us and accompanies us. In this way do we wish to progress towards Easter, knowing that suffering and difficulties are part of our life, but aware that behind them is the sun of divine goodness".

 

  In his homily during the Eucharistic celebration, the Pope encouraged the parishioners to place themselves at the service of others in the present time of "economic and social crisis", so as to counter fear and solitude, maintaining trust in God. In this context he identified a model of charity in St. Maximilian Kolbe who sacrificed his own life in Auschwitz concentration camp in order to save the life of another prisoner.

 

  "In our times, marked by a generalised social and economic crisis, there is a particular merit in the efforts you are making, especially though parish Caritas and the Sant'Egidio Community, to respond ... to the requirements of the poor and needy", he told his congregation.

 

  Commenting upon the Gospel of St. John of this fifth Sunday of Lent, the Pope exhorted the faithful to seek to share Jesus' state of mind in the period running up to Easter, reliving the mystery of His crucifixion, death and resurrection, not as mere spectators but as protagonists.

 

  Turning then to address young people, the Holy Father said: "Allow yourselves to be attracted by Jesus. Looking at His Face with the eyes of faith, ask Him: Jesus, what do You want me to do with You and for You? Listen to Him and, guided by His Spirit, accept the plans He has for each one of you".

HML/.../HOLY FACE OF JESUS                                                 VIS 090330 (380)

 

THANKS TO MISSIONARIES IN AFRICA

 

VATICAN CITY, 29 MAR 2009 (VIS) - Having returned from his pastoral visit to the Roman parish of the Holy Face of Jesus, Benedict XVI appeared at the window of his study to pray the Angelus with faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square.

 

  The Pope, who is due to speak at length about his recent visit to Africa in his next general audience, highlighted how during his visit to the continent he had been particularly impressed by people's joy "at being part of the one family of God" and by "the strong sense of the sacred which was palpable during liturgical celebrations. ... The visit", he went on, "gave me a better view and understanding of the situation of the Church in Africa, her various experiences and the challenges she has to face at the current time".

 

  Going on then to quote from today's Gospel where, in the imminence of His Passion, Christ says: "unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit", the Pope highlighted Jesus' readiness to do the will of God, which is "to give eternal life to us who have lost it. For this to happen, though, Jesus has to die, like a grain sown by God the Father in the world. Only in this way, in fact, can a new humanity take seed and grow, free from the sway of sin and capable of living fraternally, like sons and daughters of the one Father Who is in heaven.

 

  "In the great feast of faith we experienced together in Africa", Benedict XVI added, "we felt this new humanity to be alive, though with its human limitations. There, where missionaries, like Jesus, gave and continue to give their lives for the Gospel, we gather abundant fruits. To them - religious and lay people - goes my gratitude for the good that they do. It was for me a beautiful sight to see the fruit of their love for Christ and to appreciate the profound recognition Christians have for them. Let us give thanks to God for them and pray to Mary Most Holy that Christ's message of hope and of love may be spread throughout the world".

 

  After the Angelus prayer, the Holy Father gave his "affectionate greetings to the large numbers Africans who live in Rome", many of whom were in St. Peter's Square accompanied by Archbishop Robert Sarah, secretary of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples. "You have come", said the Pope, "to express your joy and recognition for my apostolic trip to Africa. I thank you from the bottom of my heart, and I pray for you, for your families and for your home countries".

ANG/AFRICA/...                                                                             VIS 090330 (470)

 

HOLY WEEK CELEBRATIONS TO BE PRESIDED BY THE POPE

 

VATICAN CITY, 30 MAR 2009 (VIS) - The Office of Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff today published the calendar of ceremonies to be presided over by Benedict XVI during Holy Week.

 

 - Sunday 5 April: Palm Sunday and Our Lord's Passion; 24th World Youth Day on the theme: "We have placed our hope in the living God". At 9.30 a.m. in St. Peter's Square, blessing of palms, procession and Mass.

 

 - Thursday 9 April: Holy Thursday. At 9.30 a.m. in St. Peter's Basilica, Chrism Mass. At 5.30 p.m. in the Basilica of St. John Lateran, beginning of Easter Triduum of the Lord's Passion and Resurrection with the Mass of Our Lord's Last Supper. Collection to be given to the Catholic community in Gaza.

 

 - Friday 10 April: Good Friday. At 5 p.m. in the Vatican Basilica, celebration of the Passion of Our Lord. Way of the Cross at the Colosseum at 9.15 p.m.

 

 - Saturday 11 April: Easter Saturday. At 9 p.m. in St. Peter's Basilica, beginning of Easter Vigil.

 

 - Sunday 12 April: Easter Sunday. At 10.15 a.m., Mass in St. Peter's Square. At midday, "Urbi et Orbi" blessing from the central loggia of the Vatican Basilica.

OCL/HOLY WEEK CELEBRATIONS/...                                    VIS 090330 (210)

 

AUDIENCES

 

VATICAN CITY, 30 MAR 2009 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:

 

 - Four prelates from the Argentinean Episcopal Conference, on their "ad limina" visit:

 

    - Archbishop Fabriciano Sigampa of Resistencia.

 

    - Bishop Hugo Manuel Hugo Manuel Salaberry Goyeneche S.J. of Azul, accompanied by Bishop emeritus Emilio Bianchi di Carcano.

 

    - Bishop Adolfo Armando Uriona F.D.P. of Anatuya.

 

 - Bishop Paul Hinder O.F.M. Cap., apostolic vicar of Arabia, accompanied by Bishop Camillo Ballin M.C.C.J., apostolic vicar of Kuwait.

 

 - Frere Alois, prior of Taize.

 

  On Saturday 28 March he received in separate audiences.

 

 - Bishop Walter Mixa, military ordinary for Germany.

 

 - Three prelates from the Argentinean Episcopal Conference, on their "ad limina" visit:

 

    - Bishop Charbel Georges Merhi of San Charbel en Buenos Aires of the Maronites.

 

    - Bishop Mario Aurelio Poli of Santa Rosa.

 

    - Bishop Juan Horacio Suarez of Gregorio de Laferrere.

 

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

AP:AL/.../...                                                                                      VIS 090330 (160)

 

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

 

VATICAN CITY, 30 MAR 2009 (VIS) - The Holy Father accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese of Suwon, Korea, presented by Bishop Paul Choi Deok-ki, in accordance with canon 401 para. 2 of the Code of Canon Law. He is succeeded by Coadjutor Bishop Matthias Ri Iong-hoon.

 

  On Saturday 28 March it was made public that the Holy Father appointed:

 

 - Cardinal Salvatore De Giorgi, archbishop emeritus of Palermo, Italy, as his special envoy to closing celebrations marking the millennium of the dedication of the co-cathedral of Sarsina, Italy, due to take place on 31 May.

 

 - Msgr. Adriano Tessarollo of the clergy of the diocese of Vicenza, Italy, pastor of the parish of "San Pietro Apostolo in Schio", as bishop of Chioggia (area 1,000, population 124,000, Catholics 123,000, priests 121, permanent deacons 3, religious 155), Italy. The bishop-elect was born in Tezze sul Brenta, Italy in 1946 and ordained a priest in 1971.

RE:NA:NER/.../...                                                                            VIS 090330 (170)

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