VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 111
DATE 17-06-2014

Summary:
- THE CHURCH IS REJUVENATED BY MOTHERHOOD
- THE POPE TO MAGISTRATES: BE AN EXAMPLE OF MORAL INTEGRITY FOR SOCIETY
- ANNE-MARIE PELLETIER FIRST WOMAN TO WIN THE RATZINGER PRIZE

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THE CHURCH IS REJUVENATED BY MOTHERHOOD
Vatican City, 17 June 2014 (VIS) - At 7 p.m. yesterday in the Paul VI Hall the
Holy Father met with the representatives of the diocese of Rome, gathered to participate in the Diocesan Pastoral Congress on the theme "A people who raise children. Community and family in the major stages of Christian initiation". During his address, Pope Francis spoke on the issue of the "society of orphans": of parents who do not spend enough time playing with their children because of their long working hours, and because of their fatigue when they arrive home that leads the young to be deprived of time spent freely with their
parents. He emphasised that nowadays we need this sense of gratuity within the family, in parishes, in society as a whole, and that the Lord is revealed to us
in gratuity, or rather as Grace: "But if we do not have a sense of gratuity within the family, at school, in the parish, it will be very difficult to understand what the grace of God is: that grace that cannot be bought or sold, that is a gift from God, and is indeed God Himself". He also commented on other
social aspects that contribute to the "orphanhood" of the young: "a technological society that multiplies to infinity the opportunities for pleasure, distraction and curiosity, but is not able to lead man to true joy", and added that only by encountering Jesus can be encounter true joy and understand that we do not lead our lives in vain, as a task has been conferred to each one of us".
The Holy Father went on to describe the Church as a mother who knows how to raise her children. "The great challenge faced by the Church is that of being a
mother", he said, "not a well-organised NGO full of pastoral plans. ... The Church needs to rediscover her maternity. She must be a mother; maternity is the grace that we must now ask of the Holy Spirit in order to go ahead in our pastoral and missionary conversion. However, the Church grows not by proselytism but by maternal attraction, through tenderness, through the testimony of her many children". The Pope remarked that the Mother Church has aged somewhat, to the risk of becoming "Grandmother Church", and that she must therefore be rejuvenated, "but not by taking her to a cosmetic surgeon, no! The
Church becomes younger when she is able to generate more sons; the more children she has, the younger she becomes". The Pontiff added that this means recovering the memory of the Church. In a world in which there exists little sense of history and fear of time, a world in which the present reigns supreme,
in which language is increasingly abbreviated and everything becomes rapid, making us slaves to our situation, we must recover the memory of God's patience. "God is not hasty during our history of salvation, and has accompanied us throughout history". The Pope therefore urged the priests and clergy present not to close the doors of their churches, but rather to welcome all with an open heart, as a family, asking the Lord to make them able to participate in their difficulties and in the problems that children and the young frequently encounter in their lives.
"People hope to find Jesus' gaze in us, often without realising it; they seek a serene and joyful gaze that enters the heart. But the whole parish must transform into a welcoming place, not only the priests and catechists". The Pope encouraged those present to ask themselves whether their parishes were truly welcoming, whether their celebrations were scheduled to favour the participation of the young, if they spoke the language of youth and if their communities kept their doors open.
Before concluding, the Pope acknowledged that the work carried out by priests is not easy. "It is easier to be a bishop", he affirmed, "because we can always
maintain a distance and hide ourselves behind the title of 'Your excellency', and defend ourselves in this way. But being a priest, when the parishioners knock on the door, when they talk to you about their problems ... it is not easy". He commented that the Church in Italy is strong because of her priests, and urged them not to forget the memory of evangelisation and always to stay close to the faithful. "We want a Church of faith, who believes that the Lord is able to make her a mother, to give her many children; our Holy Mother Church".

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THE POPE TO MAGISTRATES: BE AN EXAMPLE OF MORAL INTEGRITY FOR SOCIETY
Vatican City, 17 June 2014 (VIS) - This morning Pope Francis received in audience the members of the High Council for the Italian Magistrature, to whom he expressed his esteem for their work which "aims at the good functioning of a
sector that is vital for social coexistence". He also apologised for not having
received them yesterday as scheduled, explaining that "in the mid-morning I felt unwell and had a fever, so I had to cancel all my appointments. I am sorry
for this".
The ethical aspect of the work of magistrates was the first point in his brief
address, and highlighted that as in all countries, there are legal norms intended to protect their freedom and independence to carry out their important
and delicate task with all the necessary guarantees ... responding adequately to the role that society has conferred upon them and maintaining an irrefutable
impartiality".
The independence of the magistrate and his aim, justice, "require a careful and punctual application of the law", he continued. "The certainty of the law and the balance of the various powers in a democratic society are summarised in
the principle of legality, over which the magistrate presides. The judge is responsible for decisions that affect not only the rights and property of citizens, but which have consequences for their very existence".
The Pope listed some of the intellectual, psychological and moral qualities that all representatives of the magistrature must possess, and which offer a guarantee of reliability, giving special emphasis to prudence, which "is not a virtue because it means staying put: 'I'm careful, I don't move', no! It is a virtue of governance, a virtue for moving ahead", a virtue that enables one "to
weigh with serenity the reason of law and fact that must be at the base of any judgement. One is more prudent when one has a heightened inner equilibrium, and
is able to control the impulses of one's own character, one's own personal views, one's own ideological standpoints".
"Italian society expects much of the magistrature", he remarked, "especially in the current context characterised by the progressive erosion of our heritage
of values and the evolution of democratic structures". He urged the magistrates
not to let down the legitimate expectations of the people, and always to make efforts to be "an example of moral integrity for all of society".
Finally, he recalled some illustrious magistrates, such as Vittorio Bachelet, who led the High Council of the Magistrature through times of great difficulty,
and who fell victim to terrorism during the "years of lead", the period of social and political unrest in Italy between the 1960s and 1980s, and Rosario Livatino, killed by the Mafia, whose cause for beatification has been opened. "They offered exemplary witness to the style typical of the faithful lay Christian: loyal to institutions, open to dialogue, and firm and courageous in their defence of justice and the dignity of the human person".

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ANNE-MARIE PELLETIER FIRST WOMAN TO WIN THE RATZINGER PRIZE
Vatican City, 17 June 2014 (VIS) - This morning a press conference was held in
the Holy See Press Office to present two events organised by the "Vatican Foundation: Joseph Ratzinger - Benedict XVI": the 2014 Ratzinger Prize, which will be awarded on 22 November, and the congress to be held in the Pontifical Bolivarian University of Medellin in Colombia (23-24 October 2014).
The speakers at the conference were Cardinal Camillo Ruini, president of the Scientific Committee of the "Vatican Foundation: Joseph Ratzinger - Benedict XVI", Msgr. Giuseppe Scotti, president of the Foundation, and German Cardona Gutierrez, Colombia's ambassador to the Holy See. Cardinal Ruini announced the names of the prizewinners: the French Professor Anne-Marie Pelletier and Professor Waldemar Chrostowski. Professor Pelletier is the first woman ever to win the Prize, and is a scholar of hermeneutics and biblical exegesis who has also focused on the issue of women in Christianity; Professor Chrostowski, the first ever Polish prizewinner, is a priest, biblicist and expert on Catholic-Jewish dialogue.
Anne-Marie Pelletier, born in 1946, taught general linguistics and comparative
literature at the University of Paris X, then Marne-la-Vallee, as well as theology of marriage at the Catholic Institute of Paris. She has for some years
taught sacred scriptures and biblical hermeneutics at the Notre Dame faculty of
the seminary of Paris. Since 2013 she has held the role of professor of biblical teaching at the European Institute of Science of Religions (IESR). Her
research extends to Judaism and Christianity at the College des Bernardins, and
the monastic world. She has published widely: notable works in the field of hermeneutics and biblical exegesis are "Lectures du Cantique des Cantiques. De l'enigme du sens aux figures du lecteur", "Lectures bibliques. Aux sources de la culture occidentale", "D'age en age les Ecritures. La Bible et l'hermeneutique contemporaine", and "Le livre d'Isaie, l'histoire au prisme de la prophetie". With regard to the question of women in Christianity, she has written two books: "Le christianisme et les femmes. Vingt siecles d'histoire", and "Le signe de la femme".
"Pelletier is therefore a most distinguished figure in contemporary French Catholicism", commented Cardinal Ruini, "who unites deserved scientific prestige and a great and versatile cultural liveliness with an authentic dedication to causes of the highest importance for Christian witness in society".
Msgr. Waldemar Chrostowski was born in 1951 in Chrostowo, Poland. He holds a doctorate in theology and in 2013 received the title of university professor from the President of Poland. He is the general editor of the journal "Collectanea Theologica" and is the president of the Association of Polish Biblicists. His scientific and didactic production is extensive and includes his dissertation "Prophets before history. The interpretation of the story of Israel in Ezekiel 16, 20 and 23 and their reinterpretation in the Bible of the Seventies", the two volumes of "The Garden of Eden - known testimony of the Assyrian diaspora" and "Assyrian diaspora of the Israelites", "God, Bible, Messiah", and "The Church, Jews, Poland". He teaches in the faculty of theology
of the Warsaw Academy, now Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University, and in various
other universities and seminaries.
"Msgr. Chrostowski is engaged in Catholic-Jewish and Polish-Jewish dialogue and has for some time been a member of the commission of the Polish episcopate for dialogue with Judaism. He unites scientific rigour with passion for the Word of God, service to the Church and engagement in interreligious dialogue", concluded Cardinal Ruini.
Msgr. Giuseppe Antonio Scotti went on to present the convention "Respect for life, path for peace", which will take place from 23 to 24 October in the Bolivarian University of Medellin, Colombia. The congress is the fourth since the institution in 2010 of the "Vatican Foundation: Joseph Ratzinger - Benedict
XVI" and, like the previous ones, will count on the participation of the universities in the host country, along with the local Church and representatives of civil society and politics. Since the first encounter, organinsed in Bygdoszcz, Poland, 275 universities have taken part, involving 1600 teachers and students who have carried out projects of reflection and research related to the theme.
"The appointment in Medellin this October ... once more emphasises that universities - the young people and people who study, think and seek there - can and wish to take an active and committed role in the construction of a fully human future, aware that our times, marked by globalisation, with its positive and negative aspects, as well as bloody conflicts and threats of war, necessitate renewed and concerted commitment to seeking the common good, and the development of the whole of humanity and the whole human person".

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For more information and to search for documents refer to the site: www.visnews.org and www.vatican.va

Copyright (VIS): the news contained in the services of the Vatican
Information Service may be reproduced wholly or partially by quoting
the source: V. I. S. - Vatican Information Service. http://www.vatican.va/news_services/press/vis/vis_en.html

--- MPost/386 v1.21
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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 112
DATE 18-06-2014

Summary:
- BEING CHURCH MEANS HAVING A SENSE OF BEING IN GOD'S HANDS
- THE POPE PRAYS FOR REFUGEES: "JESUS WAS ONE OF THEM"
- PROGRAMME OF THE POPE'S APOSTOLIC TRIP TO KOREA
- OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
- NOTICE

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BEING CHURCH MEANS HAVING A SENSE OF BEING IN GOD'S HANDS
Vatican City, 18 June 2014 (VIS) - During this Wednesday's general audience Pope Francis began a new series of catechesis on the Church, "like a son who speaks about his mother, about his own family. The Church is not an institution
that exists for its own ends, or a private association, an NGO; neither must she limit her view to the clergy or the Vatican. The Church is a far broader entity, open to all humanity, and not born unexpectedly. She was founded by Jesus but consists of a people with a long history behind them, prepared long before Christ Himself".
"This story, or 'prehistory' of the Church, is already found in the pages of the Old Testament. According to the Book of Genesis, God chose Abraham ... and asked him to leave his earthly homeland behind to go towards another land, that
He would show to him. But God did not call upon Abraham alone, as an isolated individual, but instead from the very beginning He involved all of his family, his relatives and all those who served in his house. ... The first important fact is this: starting with Abraham, God formed a people in order to bring His blessing to all families on earth. And Jesus was born within this population".
The second element is that it was not Abraham who convoked the people around him. ... Typically man sought the divine, seeking to bridge the distance and invoking support and protection. In this case, however, we see something unprecedented: it was God Himself Who took the initiative and addressed His word to man, creating a bond and a new relationship with him. In this way God constitutes a people of all those who listen to His word and who set out on their path, trusting in Him. This is the sole condition: trusting in God. If you place your trust in God, listen to Him and set out on His path, this means being a Church. God's love precedes everything ... He precedes us. The prophet Jeremiah said that God was like the flower of the almond-tree, as it is the first tree that flowers in spring, meaning that God always flowers before us. When we arrive, He is already there waiting for us. ... He is always there before us".
"Abraham and his family listened to the call of God and set out on their way. ... But this does not mean that they are always convinced and faithful. On the contrary, ever since the beginning there has been resistance, man has withdrawn
into himself and his own interests, and has been tempted to bargain with God in
order to solve problems on his own terms. There are the betrayals and sins that
mark the path of the people throughout the history of salvation, which is the history of God's fidelity to His people, and the infidelity of the people of God. However, God never tires, He is patient and over time He continues to educate and form His people, like a father with his son. He maintains this same
attitude with the Church".
"Indeed, we too, in spite of our intention to follow the Lord Jesus, experience every day the selfishness and hardness of our hearts. However, when we recognise ourselves as sinners, God fills us with His mercy and His love. This is what enables us to grow as the people of God, as a Church; it is not our cleverness, our merits, but rather the daily experience of how much the Lord loves and cares for us. This is what makes us truly feel that we are His, that we are in His hands,and it enables us to grow in communion with Him and among ourselves. Being Church means having a sense of being in the hands of God, Who is our father and loves us, Who awaits us".
The Pope underlined that this is God's plan: "to form a people blessed by His love and able to bring his blessing to all populations on earth. This project does not change, and is always in process. It found its culmination in Christ, and God continues to carry it out in the Church to this day. Let us then ask the grace to remain faithful in following the Lord Jesus and in listening to His Word, ready to set out every day, like Abraham, towards the land of God and
man, our true homeland, and thus to become a blessing and sign of God's love for all His children".
He added, "I like to think that a synonym, another way we could describe Christians is this: we are men and women, we are people who bless. The Christian, through his life, should always bless, should bless God and others. We Christians are people who bless, who know how to bless. It is a beautiful vocation".

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THE POPE PRAYS FOR REFUGEES: "JESUS WAS ONE OF THEM"
Vatican City, 18 June 2014 (VIS) - After his greetings in various languages at
today's general audience, the Holy Father mentioned that Friday 20 June will be
World Day for Refugees, dedicated by the international community to those who are forced to leave their homelands to flee from conflict and persecution. "The
number of our brethren who become refugees is increasing and, in recent days, thousands more people have had to leave their homes to save themselves. Millions of refugee families from many countries, of every religious faith, live through dramatic and painful events from which it is difficult for them to
recover and heal. Let us be close to them, sharing their fears and uncertainty for the future, and alleviating their suffering in a concrete way. May the Lord
support those people and institutions who work generously to guarantee welcome and dignity for refugees, and to give them reasons for hope".
"We think that Jesus was a refugee, who had to flee for His life, with St. Joseph and the Virgin", remarked the Pope. "He went to Egypt as a refugee". The
Holy Father concluded by asking the faithful to pray a Hail Mary for the Virgin
"who knows the suffering of refugees".

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PROGRAMME OF THE POPE'S APOSTOLIC TRIP TO KOREA
Vatican City, 18 June 2014 (VIS) - Today the programme of Pope Francis' apostolic trip to Korea (13-18 August), to attend the 6th Asian Youth Day, was published.
The Pope will depart on Wednesday 13 August at 4 p.m. from Rome's Fiumicino airport and will arrive in Seoul at 10.30 a.m. on Thursday 14. After celebrating Holy Mass in private at the apostolic nunciature, he will make a courtesy visit to the president of the Republic and will meet with the political authorities, whom he will address at the Blue House. The first day will conclude with a meeting with the bishops of Korea at the offices of the Episcopal Conference.
On Friday 15, Solemnity of the Assumption, the Pope will transfer by helicopter to Daejeon where he will celebrate Mass in the World Cup Stadium. He
will then lunch with some young people in the major seminary and from there will proceed by helicopter to the shrine of Solmoe to meet with the young of Asia, returning to Seoul in the late afternoon.
On Saturday 16, he will visit the shrine of the Martyrs of Seo So Mun and at 10 a.m. he will celebrate Mass for the beatification of Paul Yun Ji-Chung and 123 companion martyrs at the Gwanghwamun Gate in Seoul. Following the ceremony he will transfer, again by helicopter, to Kkottongnae, where he will visit the House of Hope, a rehabilitation centre for the disabled. Shortly after he will meet with the religious communities of Korea in the "School of Love" Training Centre. At 6.30 p.m. he will meet with leaders of the apostolic laity at the Spirituality Centre, before returning to Seoul around 7 p.m.
On Sunday 17, the Pope will meet with the bishops of Asia in the shrine of Haemi. After lunching with the prelates, Francis will celebrate Holy Mass at 4.30 p.m. to mark the closing of the 6th Asian Youth Day in the castle of Haemi, from where he will fly to Seoul.
On Monday, 18 August, the Holy Father will spend his final day in Korea meeting with religious leaders in the building of the old Curia of the Archdiocese of Seoul. At 9.45 a.m. he will celebrate Mass for peace and reconciliation in the cathedral of Myeong-dong, at 12.45 p.m. there will be a farewell ceremony at the Seoul air base, and finally at 1 p.m. he will depart. He is expected to arrive at Rome's Ciampino airport at around 5.45 p.m.

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
Vatican City, 18 June 2014 (VIS) - The Holy Father has:
- appointed Bishop Philippe Mousset of Pamiers, France, as bishop of Perigueux
(area 9,060, population 412,082, Catholics 355,900, priests 91, permanent deacons 9, religious 184), France. He succeeds Bishop Michel Mouisse, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese, upon having reached the
age limit, was accepted by the Holy Father.
- appointed Bishop Segundo Rene Coba Galarza, auxiliary of Quito, Ecuador, as military ordinary of Ecuador (priests 60, religious 10). He succeeds Bishop Miguel Angel Aguilar Miranda, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same military ordinariate, upon having reached the age limit, was accepted by the Holy Father.
- appointed Msgr. Luis Gabriel Ramirez Diaz, as bishop of El Banco (area 12,535, population 484,000, Catholics 449,000, priests 20, religious 16), Colombia. The bishop-elect, currently apostolic administrator of the same diocese, was born in Margarita, Colombia in 1965 and was ordained a priest in 1993. He has served in a number of pastoral roles, including priest of the parish of "San Pedro martir de Verona", administrator of the parish of "La Inmaculada Concepcion" in Remolino, vocational promoter, formator and rector of
the "San Jose" major seminary of the diocese of Santa Marta, priest of the parish of "San Sebastian", delegate for priestly pastoral in the diocese of El Banco, priest of the parish of "La Inmaculada Concepcion" in Plato, and vicar general of El Banco.

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NOTICE
Vatican City, 18 June 2014 (VIS) - Tomorrow, Thursday 19 June, Solemnity of Corpus Domini and feast day in the Vatican, the VIS will not transmit its daily
bulletin. Service will resume on Friday, 20 June.

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For more information and to search for documents refer to the site: www.visnews.org and www.vatican.va

Copyright (VIS): the news contained in the services of the Vatican
Information Service may be reproduced wholly or partially by quoting
the source: V. I. S. - Vatican Information Service. http://www.vatican.va/news_services/press/vis/vis_en.html

--- MPost/386 v1.21
* Origin: Sursum Corda! BBS=Huntsville AL=bbs.sursum-corda.com (1:396/45)

VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 113
DATE 20-06-2014

Summary:
- CORPUS DOMINI: LIVING THE EXPERIENCE OF FAITH MEANS BEING NOURISHED BY THE LORD
- THE CHURCH DOES NOT ABANDON THOSE WHO FALL INTO THE VORTEX OF DRUG ABUSE
- RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION, MORE WIDESPREAD TODAY THAN 1700 YEARS AGO
- POPE FRANCIS TO VISIT ROME'S GEMELLI HOSPITAL
- AUDIENCES
- OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

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CORPUS DOMINI: LIVING THE EXPERIENCE OF FAITH MEANS BEING NOURISHED BY THE LORD
Vatican City, 20 June 2014 (VIS) - Yesterday afternoon, on the Solemnity of Corpus Domini, Pope Francis celebrated Holy Mass in the square of St. John Lateran, the cathedral basilica of Rome. He commented in his homily that human beings not only suffer from physical hunger, but hunger also for life, love and
eternity, for the manna that God gave to the people of Israel in the desert and
which the Eucharist symbolises.
Referring to Moses' phrase: "The Lord your God ... fed you with manna which you did not know", Francis spoke about the history of the chosen people, whom God led out of Egypt and their condition of slaves to guide them to the promised land. However, once established there, the Israelites enjoyed prosperity and were in danger of forgetting their past of famine and despair. Moses urged them to return to the essentials, to the experience of total reliance on God, when their survival was entirely entrusted to His hands".
"As well as physical hunger, man also suffers from another form of hunger that
cannot be sated with ordinary food. It is a hunger for life, a hunger for love,
a hunger for eternity. Manna is the sign ... that prefigured the food that satisfies this profound hunger present in man. Jesus gives us this nourishment - or rather, He Himself is the living bread that gives life to the world. His Body is the true food in the form of bread; His Blood is the true sustenance in
the form of wine. It is not a simple form of nourishment to sate our bodies, like manna; the Body of Christ is the bread of the last times, able to give life, eternal life, because the substance of this bread is Love".
The Eucharist communicates "God's love for us: a love so great that it nourishes itself; it is a gratuitous love, always available to every person who
hungers or who is in need of regeneration. To live the experience of faith means allowing oneself to be nourished by the Lord and to build our existence not on material goods, but on a reality that does not perish: the gifts of God,
His Word and His Body".
"If we look around ourselves", continued the bishop of Rome, "we realise that many forms of sustenance are offered to us, that do not come from the Lord and seemingly offer more satisfaction. Some sate themselves with money, others with
success and vanity, others with power and pride. But the food that truly nourishes and sates us is only that which comes from the Lord! The food that the Lord offers us is different from the others, and it may perhaps be less appetising than other delicacies the world offers us. We dream of other meals, like the Hebrews in the desert, who missed the meat and onions they ate in Egypt, but forgot that they ate those meals at the table of their slavery. In that moment of temptation, they retained the memories of that food, but it was a diseased memory, a selective memory".
"The Father says to us: 'I have fed you with manna which you did not know'. Let us restore our memory and learn to recognise the false victuals that delude
and corrupt, because they are the fruit of selfishness, self-sufficiency and sin: poisoned foods. Soon, in the procession, we will follow Jesus, truly present in the Eucharist. The Host is our manna, through which the Lord gives Himself to us. And we turn to Him with trust: Jesus, defend us from the temptations of the worldly food that enslaves us; purify our memory, so that we
may not be imprisoned by selfish and worldly selectivity, but become instead the living memory of Your presence throughout the history of Your people, a memory that becomes a 'memorial' of your gesture of redeeming love".
Following the Eucharistic celebration, the Holy Father led the procession along Via Merulana up to the basilica of St. Mary Major, where he imparted his solemn blessing with the Most Holy Sacrament.

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THE CHURCH DOES NOT ABANDON THOSE WHO FALL INTO THE VORTEX OF DRUG ABUSE
Vatican City, 20 June 2014 (VIS) - This morning the Pope received in audience the participants in the 31st International Drug Enforcement Conference, which took place in Rome from 17 to 19 June. He thanked them for their work "in combating this most serious and complex problem of our time", expressing his hope that they will accomplish their goals: a more effective coordination of anti-narcotics policies, better sharing of relevant information and the development of an operative strategy aimed at fighting the drug trade.
In his address, the Holy Father commented that "the scourge of drug use continues to spread inexorably, fed by a deplorable commerce which transcends national and continental borders. As a result, the lives of more and more young
people and adolescents are in danger. Faced with this reality, I can only manifest my grief and concern".
"Let me state this in the clearest terms possible", he continued: "the problem
of drug use is not solved with drugs! Drug addiction is an evil, and with evil there can be no yielding or compromise. To think that harm can be reduced by permitting drug addicts to use narcotics in no way resolves the problem. Attempts, however limited, to legalise so-called 'recreational drugs', are not only highly questionable from a legislative standpoint, but they fail to produce the desired effects. Substitute drugs are not an adequate therapy but rather a veiled means of surrendering to the phenomenon. Here I would reaffirm what I have stated on another occasion: No to every type of drug use. It is as simple as that. No to any kind of drug use. But to say this 'no', one has to say 'yes' to life, 'yes' to love, 'yes' to others, 'yes' to education, 'yes' to
greater job opportunities. If we say 'yes' to all these things, there will be no room for illicit drugs, for alcohol abuse, for other forms of addiction".
"The Church, faithful to Jesus' command to go out to all those places where people suffer, thirst, hunger and are imprisoned, does not abandon those who have fallen into the trap of drug addiction, but goes out to meet them with creative love. She takes them by the hand, thanks to the efforts of countless workers and volunteers, and helps them to rediscover their dignity and to revive those inner strengths, those personal talents, which drug use had buried
but can never obliterate, since every man and woman is created in the image and
likeness of God".
"The example of all those young people who are striving to overcome drug dependency and to rebuild their lives can serve as a powerful incentive for all
of us to look with confidence to the future", Francis concluded, encouraging the members of the Conference to carry on their work with constantly renewed hope.

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RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION, MORE WIDESPREAD TODAY THAN 1700 YEARS AGO
Vatican City, 20 June 2014 (VIS) - This morning the Holy Father received the participants in the International Congress organised by the Department of Law of the Maria SS. Assunta University of Rome (LUMSA) and the School of Law of the St. John's University on the theme: "religious freedom according the international law and the global conflict of values", held in Rome on 20 and 21
June. Francis remarked that the theme of religious freedom has recently become the subject of intense debate between governments and the various religious confessions, and added that the Catholic Church, in this field, has a long history of supporting religious freedom, culminating in the Vatican Council II Declaration "Dignitatis humanae".
"Every human is a 'seeker' of truth on his origins and destiny. In his mind and in his 'heart', questions and thoughts arise that cannot be repressed or stifled, since they emerge from the depths of the person and are a part of the intimate essence of the person. They are religious questions, and religious freedom is necessary for them to manifest themselves fully". Francis emphasised
that "reason recognises that religious freedom is a fundamental right of man, reflecting his highest dignity, that of seeking the truth and adhering to it, and recognising it as an indispensable condition for realising all his potential. Religious freedom is not simply freedom of thought or private worship. It is the freedom to live according to ethical principles, both privately and publicly, consequent to the truth one has found". The Pope described this situation as the "great challenge of the globalised world, a sickness, in which weak thought even reduces the general ethical level, in the name of a false concept of tolerance that ends up persecuting those who defend the truth on humanity and its ethical consequences".
"Legal systems, at both national and international level, are therefore required to recognise, guarantee and protect religious freedom, which is a right intrinsically inherent in human nature, in man's dignity as a free being,
and is also an indicator of a healthy democracy and one of the main sources of the legitimacy of the State". He added, "religious freedom ... favours the development of relationships of mutual respect between the different Confessions and their healthy collaboration with the State and political society, without confusion of roles and without antagonism".
He underlined that it is incomprehensible and troubling that people continue to suffer discrimination, restriction of their rights and even persecution for professing their faith. "Nowadays, persecution of Christians is stronger than it was in the first centuries of the Church, and there are more Christian martyrs than in that time. This is happening 1700 years after the edict of Constantine, which granted Christians the freedom to publicly profess their faith". Pope Francis concluded by expressing his hope that the Congress would demonstrate in depth and with scientific rigour the reasons that oblige legal systems to respect and defend religious freedom.

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POPE FRANCIS TO VISIT ROME'S GEMELLI HOSPITAL
Vatican City, 20 June 2014 (VIS) - Next Friday, 27 June, on the feast day of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the 90th Catholic University Day, the Holy Father
will visit the Roman "Agostino Gemelli" Hospital, celebrating its 50th anniversary, and the faculty of medicine and surgery of the Catholic University.
He will arrive at 3.30 p.m. and, after visiting the hospital facilities, will celebrate Mass in the square outside the faculty. He will be the fifth pontiff to visit the Roman Athenaeum, thus maintaining a close friendship of fifty years' standing.

___________________________________________________________

AUDIENCES
Vatican City, 20 June 2014 (VIS) - The Holy Father received in audience:
- Fra' Matthew Festing, Prince and Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, and entourage.
- Archbishop Nicolas Henry Marie Denis Thevenin, apostolic nuncio in Guatemala.
- Archbishop Savino Bernardo M. Cassaro Bertollo, emeritus of Puerto Montt, Chile.

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
Vatican City, 19 June 2014 (VIS) - The Holy Father has appointed Bishop Mitchell Thomas Rozanski, auxiliary of the archdiocese of Baltimore, U.S.A., as
bishop of Springfield in Massachusetts (area 7,306, population 871,000, Catholics 248,800, priests 181, permanent deacons 85, religious 362), U.S.A. He
succeeds Bishop Timothy Anthony McDonnell, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese upon reaching the age limit was accepted by the Holy Father.

___________________________________________________________

For more information and to search for documents refer to the site: www.visnews.org and www.vatican.va

Copyright (VIS): the news contained in the services of the Vatican
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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 117
DATE 24-06-2014

Summary:
- INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE WITH INDONESIA
- AUDIENCES
- OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

___________________________________________________________

INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE WITH INDONESIA
Vatican City, 24 June 2014 (VIS) - The secretary of the Pontifical Council for
Interreligious Dialogue, Fr. Miguel Ayuso Guixot MCCJ, and Fr. Markus Solo S.V.D., attache in the same dicastery for Islam in Asia and the Pacific, will be in Indonesia until 27 June in order to meet with various members of the episcopal Conference, as well as the Commission for Interreligious Dialogue and
other Catholic institutions engaged in dialogue. They will also visit Indonesia's most important Islamic organisations, notably the Nahdlatul Ulama and the Muhammadiyah, and will also meet the Council of the Ulama.
In the country with the largest Muslim population in the world, this visit has
the aim of implementing interreligious dialogue within a context of respect and
friendship, as indicated by Pope Francis.

___________________________________________________________

AUDIENCES
Yesterday, the Holy Father received in audience:
- Cardinal Marc Ouellet, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.
- Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri, secretary general of the Synod of Bishops.

___________________________________________________________

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
Vatican City, 24 June 2014 (VIS) - The Holy Father has appointed Msgr. Skiper Bladimir Yanez Calvachi as bishop of Guaranda (area 3,336, population 206,000, Catholics 187,700, priests 34, permanent deacons 6, religious 69), Ecuador. The
bishop-elect was born in Machachi, Ecuador in 1972 and was ordained a priest in
1996. He holds a licentiate in dogmatic theology from the Gregorian Pontifical University and has served in a number of pastoral and administrative roles, including priest in various parishes in the archdiocese of Quito, director of the historical archive of the archdiocese,, notary of the ecclesiastical tribunal of First Instance in Quito and chaplain of various higher colleges. He
is currently judge in the ecclesiastical tribunal of First Instance in Quito, chancellor of the archdiocesan curia, editor of the archdiocesan ecclesiastical
bulletin, member of the metropolitan cathedral chapter, priest of the parish of
"San Juan Bautista" in Sangolqui and episcopal vicar of the zone "Valle de los Chillos y Machachi".

___________________________________________________________

For more information and to search for documents refer to the site: www.visnews.org and www.vatican.va

Copyright (VIS): the news contained in the services of the Vatican
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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 117
DATE 25-06-2014

Summary:
- NAME: CHRISTIAN. SURNAME: BELONGING TO THE CHURCH
- THE POPE LAUNCHES A CAMPAIGN TO HELP AFRICAN ALBINOS
- THE SITUATION OF THE FRANCISCANS OF THE IMMACULATE AND THE LEGIONARIES OF CHRIST
- THE AIF COLLABORATES WITH ARGENTINA AGAINST MONEY LAUNDERING AND THE FINANCING OF TERRORISM
- OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

___________________________________________________________

NAME: CHRISTIAN. SURNAME: BELONGING TO THE CHURCH
Vatican City, 25 June 2014 (VIS) - This morning in St. Peter's Square the Holy
Father, in his general audience, continued to speak about the People of God, a theme that he began to explore last Wednesday. Today he highlighted the importance for a Christian of belonging to this people, and reiterated that we are not isolated Christians. "Belonging is our identity", he said. "We are Christians because we belong to the Church. It is like a surname: if our name is 'I am Christian', our surname is 'I belong to the Church'.
"No-one becomes a Christian alone; we must think first, with gratitude, of all
those who have preceded us", he continued. "If we believe, if we pray, if we know the Lord and are able to listen to His Word, we feel close to Him and recognise Him in our brethren, and because others before us have lived faith and transmitted it to us, have taught us. The Church is a family in which one is welcomed and learns to live as believers and disciples of the Lord Jesus". The Pope explained that this is a path that one may undertake not thanks to others, but rather united with others, and emphasised that a "do-it-yourself Church" does not exist.
"How many times did Benedict XVI describe the Church as an ecclesiastical 'we'? Often we hear people say, 'I believe in God, I believe in Jesus, but I am
not interested in the Church...". There are those who believe they can have a personal relationship, direct and immediate, with Jesus Christ removed from communion and the mediation of the Church. They are dangerous and damaging temptations. They are, as the great Paul VI said, absurd dichotomies. It is true that to walk together is challenging and difficult. ... But the Lord has entrusted his message of salvation to human beings, to all all of us, as witnesses; and it is in our brothers and sisters, with their gifts and their limits, that it comes towards us and is revealed to us. And this is what belonging to the Church means. Remember: being Christian means belonging to the
Church".
Before concluding, the Pope asked that the Lord, by the intercession of the Virgin Mary, might grant us the grace never to give in to the temptation to think we can do without other people, that we can do without the Church and save ourselves alone, that we can be 'laboratory Christians'. On the contrary, it is not possible to love God without loving one's brethren, it is not possible to love God outside the Church; it is not possible to be in communion with God without being in communion with the Church, and we cannot be good Christians other than by staying together with those who follow the Lord Jesus,
as one people, a single body".
Following his catechesis, the Pope greeted a delegation from the Bethlehem University, the first university founded in the West Bank and inspired by the principles of the schools established by the De La Salle Christian brothers, which celebrates its fortieth anniversary this year. He gave special thanks to them for their "laudable academic activity in support of the Palestinian people".

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THE POPE LAUNCHES A CAMPAIGN TO HELP AFRICAN ALBINOS
Vatican City, 25 June 2014 (VIS) - Pope Francis recorded his voice last 30 November, reading several passages from the book "Ombra Bianco" ("White Shadow") by the Italian author Cristiano Gentile, which seeks to raise public awareness of the situation experienced by albinos in Africa: a population often
rejected and repudiated. The Holy Father was invited by the writer to close an international symposium on Africa organised by the Pontifical Academy of Sciences.
The reading and the Pope's testimony form part of a universal message of peace
and brotherhood, addressed on this occasion to African albinos, living symbols of the absolute periphery, the "last of the last".
Today, 25 July, sees the launch of the international awareness campaign, "Help
African Albinos", on the site
www.ombrabianca.com. Any person can follow the Pope's example and lend their voice, reading in Italian, with a multilingual translation system, a phrase from the novel, thus participating in the creation of the first social audio-book ever created. It will be the audio-book read by the greatest number of people in the world and will symbolically give voice to those who have none.
The international campaign has the hashtag #HelpAfricanAlbinos and will launch a petition in 6 languages on the site www.change.org to demonstrate closeness and ask for concrete help for African albinos, which will be made possible thanks to a partnership with various NGOs, including Doctors with Africa-CUAMM. ___________________________________________________________

THE SITUATION OF THE FRANCISCANS OF THE IMMACULATE AND THE LEGIONARIES OF CHRIST
Vatican City, 25 June 2014 (VIS) - The director of the Holy See Press Office, Fr. Federico Lombardi, S.J., has made public the answers received from the secretary of the Congregation for the Institutes of Consecrated Life and the Societies of Apostolic Life in relation to various questions on the Franciscans
of the Immaculate and the Legionaries of Christ, published in full below:
"The Franciscans of the Immaculate: both the commissioner, Fr. Volpi, and all the seminarians of the Franciscans of the Immaculate were received by the Holy Father on 10 June at the Domus Sanctae Marthae, a gesture that demonstrates the
interest with which Pope Francis follows the situation of the Franciscans of the Immaculate and his closeness to the work that the commissioner is carrying out in the name of the Congregation for the Institutes of Consecrated Life and the Societies of Apostolic Life. The Holy Father is punctually informed of all the steps as they taken. At the moment a house in Rome is being sought to accommodate the Friars, brothers of the aforementioned Institute, who attend a Pontifical university in Rome to pursue their studies.
The Legionaries: as anticipated, with the celebration of the General Chapter the Institute has returned to the competence of the Congregation for the Institutes of Consecrated Life and the Societies of Apostolic Life. This progression has ended the work of the Apostolic delegate. As a gesture of fraternal closeness, the prefect and the secretary of the dicastery will meet on 3 July at the Legionaries' central seat to comment personally on various corrections that need to be made to the text of the Constitutions presented to the dicastery, and to communicate the name of the Pontifical assistant. The corrections to the text of the Constitutions are very few in number. With regard to the assistant, the role will be assumed by a consecrated person, as anticipated, who knows the Legionaries and will be able to be of help to the general Council on legal and other themes, according to need. It is to be noted
that this figure is an assistant, not a visitator, commissioner or delegate. The assistant has neither a voice nor a vote, and is merely an assessor, and was agreed upon before the general Chapter.
The governor general of the Legionaries attended the Congregation following the Chapter to meet the prefect and the secretary. On that occasion, the director general had expressed the wish to receive the prefect and secretary of
the dicastery at the seat of the Legionaries. For this reason Cardinal Joao Braz de Aviz and Archbishop Jose Rodriguez Carballo will make their visit on 3 July.

___________________________________________________________

THE AIF COLLABORATES WITH ARGENTINA AGAINST MONEY LAUNDERING AND THE FINANCING
OF TERRORISM
Vatican City, 25 June 2014 (VIS) - The Autorita Informazione Finanziaria (AIF), the Financial Intelligence Unit of the Holy See and Vatican City State, has formalised its bilateral cooperation with Argentina, signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at the Vatican on Tuesday.
The MOU was signed in the Palazzo San Carlo by the director of the AIF, Rene Bruelhart, and the president of the Unidad de Informacion Financiera (UIF) of Argentina, Jose Sbattella.
"We're very pleased to have signed this MOU with Argentina today", Bruelhart said. "This is an important step to further expand the network to support global efforts to fight money laundering and the financing of terrorism. We're looking forward to fruitful cooperation with Argentina, which will be beneficial to both parties".
A Memorandum of Understanding is standard practice and formalises the cooperation and exchange of financial information to fight money laundering and
combat terrorist financing across borders between the competent authorities of both countries. It is based on the model Memorandum of Understanding prepared by the Egmont Group, the global organisation of national Financial Intelligence
Units, and contains clauses on reciprocity, permitted uses of information and confidentiality.
AIF became a member of the Egmont Group in July of 2013, and has already signed MOUs with the Financial Intelligence Units of more than a dozen countries, including the U.K., the United States, France, Spain, Italy and Germany.
AIF is the competent authority of the Holy See/Vatican City State to fight money laundering and the financing of terrorism. It was established in 2010.

___________________________________________________________

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
Vatican City, 25 June 2014 (VIS) - The Holy Father has:
- eliminated the diocese of Guiratinga, Brazil, distributing its territory between the current dioceses of Rondonopolis, Barra do Garcas and Paranatinga.
- renamed the diocese of Rondonopolis, Brazil, now Rondonopolis - Guiratinga.
- erected the diocese of Primavera do Leste - Parataninga, Brazil.
- appointed Bishop Derek John Christopher Byrne, SPS., of Guiratinga, Brazil, as first bishop of Primavera do Leste - Parataninga (area 98,056, population 170,000, Catholics 127,500, priests 24, religious 22), Brazil.
- confirmed the election of Abbot Hryhoriy Komar as auxiliary of the Ukrainian
eparchy of Sambir - Drohobych, Ukraine. The bishop-elect was born in Letnya, Ukraine in 1976 and was ordained a priest in 2001. He is currently vicar general of the same diocese. He holds a licentiate in oriental theology, and has served as a teacher and collaborator in several parishes.

___________________________________________________________

For more information and to search for documents refer to the site: www.visnews.org and www.vatican.va

Copyright (VIS): the news contained in the services of the Vatican
Information Service may be reproduced wholly or partially by quoting
the source: V. I. S. - Vatican Information Service. http://www.vatican.va/news_services/press/vis/vis_en.html

--- MPost/386 v1.21
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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 120
DATE 27-06-2014

Summary:
- AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE HOLY SEE AND SERBIA
- CANONICAL TRIAL OF EX NUNCIO JOZEF WESOLOWSKI
- AUDIENCES
- OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

___________________________________________________________

AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE HOLY SEE AND SERBIA
Vatican City, 27 June 2014 (VIS) - Today in Belgrade a framework Agreement was
signed between the Holy See and the Republic of Serbia on collaboration in higher education, which confirms the principles and defines the arrangement of duties between both parties in the field of higher education. The Agreement was
signed on behalf of the Holy See by Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, secretary for Relations with States, and for the Republic of Serbia by the vice president
of the government and minister of the Exterior, Ivica Dacic.
According to the terms of the Agreement, the Parties will undertake to collaborate in the sector of higher education and to promote direct contract between institutions of this type. Furthermore, they will undertake to standardise the questions regarding mutual recognition of academic qualifications and public documents attesting to higher instruction. To implement this agreement, the two Parties will subsequently stipulate related additional protocols, by which the activities, as well as the organisational and financial conditions of implementation, shall be defined. The Agreement also recognises the right of the Catholic Church in Serbia to establish and direct Institutions of higher education both for ecclesiastical disciplines and
other subjects of higher study.
The Agreement will come into force on the date of receipt of the final information, by diplomatic means, pertaining to the fulfilment of all the requisites of the national legal systems of the two Parties for its implementation.

___________________________________________________________

CANONICAL TRIAL OF EX NUNCIO JOZEF WESOLOWSKI
Vatican City, 27 June 2014 (VIS) - The first stage in the canonical trial against the former apostolic nuncio in the Dominican Republic, Josef Wesolowski, has been concluded with the laicisation of the prelate.
From this moment, the accused has two months in which to make an eventual appeal. The penal trial before the Vatican judicial authorities will continue as soon as the canonical sentence has been made definitive.
Finally, with reference to recent media reports, it is necessary to specify that until now Msgr. Wesolowski has been granted relative freedom of movement, as he awaits the verification by the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith of the basis of these accusations made against him.
Considering the sentence passed by the aforementioned dicastery, all the necessary procedures will be adopted in relation to the former nuncio, in conformity with the gravity of the case.

___________________________________________________________

AUDIENCES
Vatican City, 27 June 2014 (VIS) - Today, the Holy Father received in audience:
- Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson, president of the Pontifical Council "Justice and Peace".
- Cardinal Stanislaw Rylko, president of the Pontifical Council for the Laity.
- Cardinal Fernando Filoni, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation
of Peoples.

___________________________________________________________

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
Vatican City, 27 June 2014 (VIS) - The Holy Father has appointed Msgr. Steven John Raica as bishop of Gaylord (area 28,932, population 546,000, Catholics 75,100, priests 80, permanent deacons 22, religious 33), U.S.A. The bishop-elect was born in Munising, U.S.A. in 1952, and was ordained a priest in
1978. He has a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Michigan State University,
a master's degree in religious studies from the University of Detroit, and a licentiate and doctorate from the Gregorian Pontifical University of Rome. He has served in a number of pastoral roles, including priest of the "Holy Family Parish", Ovid; co-rector of the St. Mary Cathedral, Lansing; priest of the "St.
Mary Parish", Charlotte; judge of the diocesan tribunal; diocesan consultor; member of the presbyteral council, priest of the "St. Ann Parish", Bellevue; chaplain of the Olivet College, Olivet; and superior of the Domus Sanctae Marthae, Rome. He is currently chancellor of the diocese of Lansing.

___________________________________________________________

For more information and to search for documents refer to the site: www.visnews.org and www.vatican.va

Copyright (VIS): the news contained in the services of the Vatican
Information Service may be reproduced wholly or partially by quoting
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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 122
DATE 01-07-2014

Summary:
- POPE FRANCIS JOINS IN THE SUFFERING OF THE FAMILIES OF THREE MURDERED ISRAELI
TEENAGERS
- STATISTICS ON THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA
- IN MEMORIAM
- OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

___________________________________________________________

POPE FRANCIS JOINS IN THE SUFFERING OF THE FAMILIES OF THREE MURDERED ISRAELI TEENAGERS
Vatican City, 1 July 2014 (VIS) - "The news of the killing of the three young abducted Israelis is terrible and dramatic", declared the director of the Holy See Press Office, Fr. Federico Lombardi, S.J., late yesterday afternoon. "The assassination of innocent people is always an execrable and unacceptable crime,
and a very serious obstacle on the path towards the peace for which we must tirelessly continue to strive and pray. Violence begets violence, and feeds the
vicious circle of hatred. Pope France participates in the unspeakable suffering
of the families struck by this homicidal violence and the pain of all persons afflicted by the consequences of hatred, and prays that God might inspire all with thoughts of compassion and peace".

___________________________________________________________

STATISTICS ON THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA
Vatican City, 1 July 2014 (VIS) - The Holy Father will make an apostolic trip to the Republic of Korea from 13 to 18 August, on the occasion of the 6th Asian
Youth Day. The following statistics relate to the Catholic Church in Korea, dating from 31 December 2013, and are provided by the Central Office of Church Statistics.
The Republic of Korea has an area of 99,268 square kilometres and a population
of 50,220,000, of whom 5,393,000 are Catholics, corresponding to 10.7% of the population. There are 16 ecclesiastical circumscriptions, 1,673 parishes and 843 pastoral centres. The apostolate is carried out by 35 bishops, 4,261 priests, 516 male religious and 9,016 female religious, 123 lay missionaries and 14,195 catechists. There are 395 minor and 1,489 major seminarians.
There are 328 educational centres of all levels directed or owned by the Catholic Church throughout the Republic of Korea, in which there are 221,020 students, as well as 49 special centres. There are also 200 health and welfare centres belonging to or directed by the Church: 40 hospitals, 4 clinics, 9 leper colonies, 513 rest homes for the elderly and disabled, 277 orphanages and
nurseries, and 83 centres for family counselling and the protection of life.

___________________________________________________________

IN MEMORIAM
Vatican City, 1 July 2014 (VIS) - The following prelates died in recent weeks:
- Bishop Joseph Befe Ateba of Kribi, Cameroon, on 4 June at the age of 52.
- Bishop Alejandro Antonio Buccolini, S.D.B, emeritus of Rio Gallegos, Argentina, on 6 June at the age of 84.
- Bishop Juan Maria Leonardi Villasmil of Punto Fijo, Venezuela, on 7 June at the age of 67.
-Cardinal Bernard Agre, archbishop emeritus of Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire, on 9 June at the age of 88.
- Bishop Vital Joao Geraldo Wilderink, O. Carm., emeritus of Itaguai, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on 11 June at the age of 82.
- Archbishop Moacyr Jose Vitti, C.S.S. of Curitiba, Parana, Brazil, on 26 June
at the age of 73.
- Bishop Bernard Ferdinand Popp, emeritus of San Antonio, Texas, U.S.A., on 27
June at the age of 96.
- Archbishop Petero Mataca, emeritus of Suva, Fiji, on 30 June at the age of 81.

___________________________________________________________

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
Vatican City, 1 July 2014 (VIS) - The Holy Father has appointed the following as consultors of the Pontifical Council for Culture:
Fr. Paul Bere, S.J., professor of sacred scripture at the Theological Institute of the Society of Jesus in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire; Fr. Pablo d'Ors, C.M.F., director of the theatre writing workshop of the University of Madrid, Spain; Fr. Kevin Fitzgerald, S.J., lecturer in bioethics at Georgetown University, U.S.A.; Fr. Fernando Ortega, dean of the faculty of theology at the
Pontifical Catholic University of Buenos Aires, Argentina; Professor Edward Alam, U.S.A., lecturer in philosophy and theology at the Notre Dame University in Louaize, Lebanon; Professor Ralf van Buhren, Federal Republic of Germany, lecturer in Christian art and religious architecture at the faculty of social communication of the Pontifical University of the Sacred Heart, Rome; Professor
Glen Chatelier, director of the office for international affairs at the Assumption University, Bangkok, Thailand; Edio Costantini, director of the "Luigi Gedda" national study centre of the Centro Sportivo Italiano - CSI, Italy; Professor Ivano Dionigi, rector of the University of Bologna and president of the Pontificia Accademia Latinitatis, Italy; Joachim Hake, director of the Katholische Akademie of Berlin, Federal Republic of Germany; Choe Hyondok, Korea, coordinator of the Catedra de Estudios de Corea y del Este
Asiatico at the University of Costa Rica; Marguerite Lena, lecturer in philosophy at the College des Bernardins in Paris, France; and Piotr Pasterczyk, lecturer in cultural history at the Catholic University of Lublin, Poland.

___________________________________________________________

For more information and to search for documents refer to the site: www.visnews.org and www.vatican.va

Copyright (VIS): the news contained in the services of the Vatican
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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 123
DATE 02-07-2014

Summary:
- MEETING OF THE COUNCIL OF CARDINALS
- OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

___________________________________________________________

MEETING OF THE COUNCIL OF CARDINALS
Vatican City, 2 July 2014 (VIS) - The Council of Cardinals met on the morning of Tuesday, 1 July at the Domus Sanctae Marthae, as planned. The Pope is participating in all the meetings; today, Wednesday morning, he participated in
the entire meeting, as the general Audiences have been suspended. Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin is regularly present at the meetings, and the
Holy Father has established that he will participate fully like the other members of the Council, of whom at present there are nine.
On Tuesday and on Wednesday morning three main themes were considered. There was a presentation by Cardinal Bertello on matters relating to the Governorate,
and a presentation relating to the Secretariat of State by Cardinal Parolin.
The issue of the structure of the Institute for Works of Religion (IOR) was discussed in depth. The meetings, held in two sessions, were also attended by members of the Supervisory Commission of Cardinals present in Rome, Cardinals Santos Abril y Castell≤, Thomas Collins and Jean-Louis Tauran, as well as Pietro Parolin.
With regard to the news and questions circulating in the press in recent days,
the Director of the Holy See Press Office made the following declaration:
"The IOR is in a time of natural and peaceful transition. The contribution of Ernst von Freyberg continues to be deeply appreciated and highly valued, and further clarifications are possible, indeed likely, next week after the meeting
of the Council for the Economy on Saturday".
The Director then gave a concise explanation of the agenda of the next meeting
of the Council for the Economy, which will focus on the Statutes and programme for future work, and will be informed on developments relating to the IOR and -
by the Prefecture for Economic Affairs - on the 2013 budget and the provisional
budget for 2014.
The Director also announced that a major press conference is expected to be held next week on various matters, including the IOR, linked to the sphere of competence of the Council and the Secretariat for the Economy.
The Council is now continuing its meetings, again taking into consideration and systematically developing the reflections already formulated in the first round of study and review of the different bodies of the Roman Curia.

___________________________________________________________

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
Vatican City, 2 July 2014 (VIS) - Yesterday the Holy Father appointed Archbishop Bernardito C. Auza, apostolic nuncio in Haiti, as the Holy See permanent observer to the United Nations.

___________________________________________________________

For more information and to search for documents refer to the site: www.visnews.org and www.vatican.va

Copyright (VIS): the news contained in the services of the Vatican
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.txt { font-size: 12pt; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; color: #000000; } VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - N° 124
DATE 03-07-2014

Summary:
- PRESENTATION OF THE WORLD YOUTH DAY 2016 LOGO
- OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

___________________________________________________________


OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
Vatican City, 3 July 2014 (VIS) – The Holy Father has:
- appointed Rev. Julian LeowBengKim as archbishop of Kuala Lumpur (area 63,760,
population 11,000,000, Catholics 180,000, priests 55, permanent deacons 1, religious 154), Malaysia. The bishop-elect was born in Seremban, Malaysia in 1964 and was ordained a priest in 2002. He holds a licentiate in ecclesiastical
history from the Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome, and has served as vicar
of the “Visitation” parish in Seremban and priest of the “Holy Family” parish in Kajang. He is currently dean of studies and
formator at the major seminary of Penang.
- appointed Bishop Edgar Moreira da Cunha, S.D.V., auxiliary of the archdiocese
of Newark, U.S.A., as bishop of Fall River (area 3,107, population 834,000, Catholics 315,00, priests 224, permanent deacons 81, religious 245), U.S.A. He succeeds Bishop George W. Coleman, whose resignation upon reaching the age limit was accepted by the Holy Father.
- appointed Rev. Fr. John Bonaventure Kwofie, C.S.Sp., as bishop of Sekondi-Takoradi (area 12,681, population 2,033,000, Catholics 408,651, priests
110, religious 70), Ghana. The bishop-elect was born in Powa, Ghana in 1958 and
was ordained a priest in 1988. He holds a licentiate in sacred scripture from the Pontifical Biblical Institute, Rome, and has served as vicar of the “Sacred Heart” parish in Banjul, Gambia and has held a number of pastoral roles in the parishes of “St. John” in Bohyen Bamtama, “Holy Spirit” in the archdiocese of Kumasi, and “St. Catherine” and “St. Maurice” in the archdiocese of Accra. He has also served as vice president of the Conference of Major Superiors for Africa; provincial superior of the Congregation of West Africa; coordinator of the Continental Conference of Major Superiors for Africa, and first assistant of the Superior General of the Congregation.
- appointed Msgr. Jean-Paul Gusching as bishop of Verdun (area 6,211, population 197,100, Catholics 172,700, priests 55, permanent deacons 15, religious 44), France. The bishop-elect was born in Neuville Coppegueule, France in 1955 and was ordained a priest in 1983. He holds a bachelor's degree in theology from the seminary of Rheims and has served in a several pastoral roles, including: priest of the parish of Corbie, vicar of the Cathedral parish, priest at the Amiens city centre parish, priest in the parish of Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Peronne, moderator of the parishes of Saint-Joseph de Moilains-Combles and Notre Dame de Moyenpoint, Roisel. He is currently vicar general of the diocese and diocesan administrator of Amiens.
- appointed Msgr. Hector David Garcia Osorio as bishop of Yoro (area 7,781, population 575,000, Catholics 461,000, priests 28, religious 43), Honduras. The
bishop-elect was born in Concepcion de Maria, Honduras in 1966 and was ordained
a priest in 1997. He holds a licentiate in spiritual theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome, and has served in a number of pastoral roles in the diocese of Choluteca, including diocesan coordinator of delegates for the celebration of the Word of God, diocesan vicar for pastoral care, chancellor of the diocesan curia, vicar general of the diocese, and rector of the “Pablo VI” minor seminary; and then priest of the parish of “San Jeronimo” in Goascoran. He is currently vice rector of the “Nuestra Senora de Suyapa” major seminary in Tegucigalpa and adjunct secretary of the Episcopal Conference of Honduras.

___________________________________________________________

For more information and to search for documents refer to the site: www.visnews.org and www.vatican.va

Copyright (VIS): the news contained in the services of the Vatican
Information Service may be reproduced wholly or partially by quoting
the source: V. I. S. - Vatican Information Service. http://www.vatican.va/news_services/press/vis/vis_en.html

--- MPost/386 v1.21
* Origin: Sursum Corda! BBS=Huntsville AL=bbs.sursum-corda.com (1:396/45)

VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 130
DATE 14-07-2014

Summary:
- ANGELUS: THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER STILL APPLIES TODAY
- NEW CALL FOR PEACE IN THE HOLY LAND
- POPE FRANCIS' VIDEOMESSAGE TO PATIENTS IN GEMELLI HOSPITAL
- REDUCTIONISM DISCARDS AN ENTIRE GENERATION OF YOUNG PEOPLE
- OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

___________________________________________________________

ANGELUS: THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER STILL APPLIES TODAY
Vatican City, 13 July 2014 (VIS) - At midday Pope Francis appeared at the window of his study to pray the Sunday Angelus with thousands of faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square. Before the Marian prayer, the Holy Father commented on the Gospel reading of the day's liturgy, which was the parable of the sower.
"Jesus uses many parables", he said. These constitute "a language comprehensible to everyone, with images drawn from nature and situations from daily life. The first is an introduction to all the parables: that of the sower
who casts his seed freely on all types of terrain".
"The true protagonist of this parable is indeed the seed, which produces more or less fruit, depending on the land on which it falls. The first three terrains are unproductive: on the path, the seeds are eaten by birds; on the rocky ground, the buds dry quickly because they have no roots; among bushes, the seeds are choked by thorns. The fourth ground is good ground: only there does the seed take root and bears fruit".
In this case, continued Francis, Jesus does not limit himself simply to presenting the parable, but also explains it. "The seed that fell on the path signifies those who hear the proclamation of the Kingdom of God but do not receive him, so the Evil One comes and takes it away, as he does not want the seed of the Gospel to germinate in the hearts of men. This is the first comparison. The second is the seed that fell on stony ground: this represents those who hear the word of God, and receive it immediately, but superficially, so it does not take roots and they are inconsistent; and when trials and tribulations arrive, these people lose heart immediately. The third case is that of the seed that fell among thorns. Jesus explains that it refers to those
who hear the word but, owing to worldly concerns and the seduction of wealth, it remains stifled. Finally, the seed that fell on fertile soil represents those who hear the word, welcome it, safeguard it, and understand it - and it bears fruit. The perfect model of this good ground is the Virgin Mary".
This parable speaks to each of us today, as it spoke to the listeners of Jesus
two thousand years ago. It reminds us that we are the land where the Lord tirelessly throws the seed of His Word and His love. How do we receive it? How is our heart? What type of ground do we offer it: a path, a stone, a thorn bush? It is up to us to become good soil without thorns or stones, but instead cultivated with care, so that it can bring forth good fruit for us and for our brethren".
The Pope concluded, "it is good for us not to forget that we too are sowers. God sows good seeds, and at this point too we can ask ourselves: what type of seed comes out of our heart and our mouth? Our words can do great good and also
much evil; they can heal and they can wound, they can encourage and they can depress. Remember: what counts is not what enters, but what emerges from the mouth and the heart".

___________________________________________________________

NEW CALL FOR PEACE IN THE HOLY LAND
Vatican City, 13 July 2014 (VIS) - After praying the Angelus, the Pope launched a fresh appeal for fervent prayer for peace in the Holy Land in the light of the tragic events of recent days.
"I still recall the meeting of 8 June with Patriarch Bartholomaios, President Peres and President Abbas, with whom we invoked the gift of peace and heard the
call to break the cycle of hatred and violence. Some might think that such a meeting took place in vain. But no, because prayer helps us not to allow ourselves to be overcome by evil, nor resign ourselves to violence and hatred taking over dialogue and reconciliation. I urge the parties concerned and all those who have political responsibility at local and international levels to offer a prayer and make some effort to bring an end to all hostilities and to achieve the desired peace for the good of all. And I invite everyone to unite in prayer. In silence everyone, let us pray. Now, Lord, help us! Grant us peace, teach us peace, guide us toward peace. Open our eyes and our hearts and give us the courage to say: "No more war!" "War destroys everything". Give us the courage to take concrete actions to build peace. Make us willing to listen to the cry of our citizens who ask us to transform our weapons into instruments
of peace, our fears into trust, and our tensions into forgiveness".
The Holy Father then went on to comment that today is "Sea Sunday", and greeted all seafarers, fishermen and their families, urging Christian communities, particularly those living in coastal areas, to be attentive to them. "I also invite the chaplains and volunteers of the Apostleship of the Sea
to continue their commitment to the pastoral care of these brothers and sisters", he added, entrusting all, "especially those who are in difficulty and
away from home, to the maternal protection of Mary, Star of the Sea".
Finally, he blessed all the spiritual sons and daughters of St. Camillus de Lellis, as tomorrow marks the 400th anniversary of his death, and invited the Camillan family, in this jubilee year, "to be a sign of the Lord Jesus who, as the Good Samaritan, tends to the wounds of the body and the spirit of suffering
humanity, pouring the oil of consolation and the wine of hope. To those of you gathered here in St Peter's Square, as well as to health professionals serving in hospitals and nursing homes, it is my hope that you may continue grow in the
charism of charity, fuelled by daily contact with the sick".

___________________________________________________________

POPE FRANCIS' VIDEOMESSAGE TO PATIENTS IN GEMELLI HOSPITAL
Vatican City, 14 July 2014 (VIS) - On Sunday morning the Holy Father sent a video message to patients in Rome's Agostino Gemelli Hospital, in which he apologised for be unable to attend the visit planned for 27 June, cancelled due
to an unexpected indisposition. "I extend my apologies not only to the hospital
directors but to all those who have worked with such effort and passion. Above all, I include the patients waiting to be able to pray together during the Holy
Mass, whom I would have liked to greet personally".
Francis encouraged the sick to cultivate in prayer "the flavour of the things of God; bear witness that your strength lies in God alone. You who, as patients, experience the frailty of the body, can offer a powerful testimony to
those who are near you of how the Gospel and the merciful love of the Father are a precious asset in life, not money or power. Indeed, even when a person is
important according to a worldly logic, he is not able to add even one extra day to his own life".
The Pope commented that the summer vacations were approaching and that many people go on holiday to relax. "However, summer is also a difficult moment especially for the elderly and the sick, who are more likely to remain alone and who encounter greater difficulties in obtaining certain services, especially in big cities. So, this time of repose is also the time in which the
difficulties in life can become even greater". He concluded by highlighting the
passion and dedication of the hospital staff, and thanked them warmly for their
work. "I truly looked forward to meeting with you but, as you well know, we are
not the masters of our own lives and things do not always go to plan. We must accept our frailty. With me, cultivate the trust that our strength lies in God alone. I entrust you to Mary and ask that you continue to pray for me, as I need your prayers".

___________________________________________________________

REDUCTIONISM DISCARDS AN ENTIRE GENERATION OF YOUNG PEOPLE
Vatican City, 13 July 2014 (VIS) - Yesterday, Saturday, the Holy Father lunched with the participants in the international seminar dedicated to Pope Francis' proposal in the Apostolic Exhortation "Evangelii Gaudium", for "an increasingly inclusive economy", which took place in the Casina Pio IV in the Vatican.
"What you do is very important", he said. "Reflecting on reality, but reflecting without fear, reflecting with intelligence. Without fear and with intelligence. And this is a service". Referring to the themes considered during
the seminar, he went on to offer a brief discourse on anthropological reductionism.
"I believe that this is the strongest moment for anthropological reductionism.
What is happening to humanity at the moment is what happens when wine becomes brandy: it passes through a phase of distillation, in organisational terms. It is no longer wine, but it is something else: perhaps more useful, more qualified, but it is not wine! For mankind it is the same: man passes through this transformational phase and ends up - and I am serious - losing his humanity and becoming a tool of the system, a social and economic system, a system where imbalance reigns. When mankind loses his humanity, what happens to
us? What occurs is what I would describe in simple terms as a throwaway policy or sociology: what is no longer useful is discarded, because man is not at the centre. And when man is not at the centre, there is something else in his place
and man is at the service of this other thing. The idea, therefore, is to save mankind, in the sense of restoring him to the centre: to the centre of society,
of thought, of reflection. Restoring mankind to the centre. You do good work. You study, reflect, hold conferences for this reason - so that mankind is not discarded. Children are discarded - we all know about today's birth rates, at least in Europe; the elderly are discarded, because they are not 'useful'. And now? An entire generation of young people is discarded, and this is very serious! I have seen a figure: 75 million young people, under the age of 25, without work. The 'neither-nor' young: those who neither work nor study. They do not study because they do not have the opportunity, and the do not work because there is no work. Who will be the next to be discarded? Let us stop this in time, please!".
The Pope thanked those present for their work and their initiatives "to restore balance to this imbalanced situation and to recover mankind, restoring him to the centre of reflection and the centre of life. He is the king of the universe!" he exclaimed. "And this is not theology, it is philosophy and human reality".

___________________________________________________________

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
Vatican City, 12 July 2014 (VIS) - The Holy Father has:
- appointed Archbishop Luigi Bianco, as apostolic nuncio in Ethiopia. Archbishop Bianco was previously apostolic nuncio in Honduras.
- appointed Bishop Claudio Maniago, auxiliary of the archdiocese of Florence, Italy, as bishop of Castellaneta (area 1,043, population 128,687, Catholics 125,861, priests 54, permanent deacons 1, religious 41), Italy.
- appointed Cardinal Jaime Lucas Ortega y Alamino, archbishop of La Habana (Cuba), as his special envoy to the concluding celebration of the 350 th anniversary of the foundation of the parish of Notre Dame-de-QuΘbec, Canada, "mother-church of all the parishes of North America" scheduled for 14 September
2014.
- appointed Rev. Luca Sansalone of the clergy of Rome as judicial vicar of the
Tribunal of First Instance for the causes of nullity of marriage for the region
of Latium. Rev. Sansalone was previously adjunct judicial vicar at the same Tribunal.

___________________________________________________________

For more information and to search for documents refer to the site: www.visnews.org and www.vatican.va

Copyright (VIS): the news contained in the services of the Vatican
Information Service may be reproduced wholly or partially by quoting
the source: V. I. S. - Vatican Information Service. http://www.vatican.va/news_services/press/vis/vis_en.html

--- MPost/386 v1.21
* Origin: Sursum Corda! BBS=Huntsville AL=bbs.sursum-corda.com (1:396/45)

VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 126
DATE 08-07-2014

Summary:
- BUDGETS OF THE HOLY SEE AND GOVERNORATE OF VATICAN CITY STATE: POSITIVE BALANCE
- THE IOR ANNOUNCES ITS SECOND PHASE OF REFORMS
- OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

___________________________________________________________

BUDGETS OF THE HOLY SEE AND GOVERNORATE OF VATICAN CITY STATE: POSITIVE BALANCE
Vatican City, 8 July 2014 (VIS) - During the meeting of the Council of the Economy on Saturday 5 July, the Prefecture for Economic Affairs of the Holy See, as is customary at this time of year, presented a report of the two main budgets for 2013: the consolidated financial statement of the Holy See and the financial statement of the Governorate of Vatican City State.
The data included in these statements may be summarised as follows:
The consolidated financial statement for the Holy See for the year 2013 closes
with a deficit of Ç 24,470,549, due principally to negative fluctuations deriving from the valuation of gold, to the value of around Ç 14 million. Although evaluative elements and therefore not actualised, according to the accounting principles based on the criterion of prudence contained in the "Regulations for the Preparation of the Financial Statements of the Holy See", they were recorded among the negative components in the overview of financial management.
The most significant categories of expenditure at those regarding personnel costs (2,886 persons on 31 December 2013), a net sum of around Ç 125 million, and the payment of taxes which affect the real estate sector, approximately Ç 15 million.
The administration of the Governorate is autonomous, and independent of contributions from the Holy See. Through its various offices, it supervises requirements related to the administration of the State. The 2013 budget closes
with a profit of Ç 33,040,583, an increase of around Ç 10 million compared to last year. As of 31 December 2013 the Governorate employed a total of 1,936 persons.
Contributions made pursuant to canon 1271 of the Code of Canon Law - i.e. the economic support offered by ecclesiastical circumscriptions throughout the world to maintain the service the Roman Curia offers to the universal Church - passed from Ç 22,347,426 in 2012 to Ç 22,435,359, thus remaining substantially stable.
The Institute for Works of Religion (IOR), as it does each year, offered the Holy Father a significant sum in support of his apostolic and charitable ministry. For 2013 this was a sum of Ç 50,000,000.
Considering the overall combined results of the two Financial Statements, as is usual, 2013 closes with a profit of around Ç 10 million.
The Council for the Economy, after hearing the Report, made the following declaration:
"The Council has been informed by the Prefecture for Economic Affairs of the budgets relating to 2013, and has taken note of the declaration by the External
Auditor, according to whom æin all the most important aspects, the financial position of Vatican City State as of 31 December 2013 and the results of transactions relating to the year 2013 comply with the current accounting principles of the regulations of Vatican City State'. On this basis, the Council has approved the 2013 Budget and invites the Secretariat for the Economy to work towards further alignment of Vatican accounting principles with
international standards".
Note on the IOR contribution: Since the Annual Report of the IOR published this morning makes reference to a contribution of Ç 54 million, it is to be noted that, like last year, Ç 50 million were destined for the Holy See budget,
and the other Ç 4 million for other works (in 2012 these included, for example,
donations to the Fund for the support of cloistered monasteries, the Amazon Fund, the Fund to support the Churches of the former Soviet Union).

___________________________________________________________

THE IOR ANNOUNCES ITS SECOND PHASE OF REFORMS
Vatican City, 8 July 2014 (VIS) - The Institute for the Works of Religion (Istituto per le Opere di Religione - IOR) today released its 2013 financial statements and gave a detailed update on the results of Phase I of the Institute's reform. The second phase, namely the integration of the IOR into the new economic-administrative landscape of the Vatican, will be entrusted to a new board and executive team, operating under a new governance structure. The
costs necessary for the completion of Phase I, and costs related to legacy investments, are reflected in the results for 2013.
"As set out in May 2013, we have focused on making the IOR compliant with financial regulation, safer and more transparent, so as to create options for the Holy Father to decide on the future of the Institute. Through this work we have lad the ground for a new team to make the IOR a truly outstanding service provider in Catholic finance", said Ernst von Freyburg, president of the Board of Superintendence. "Notwithstanding this housekeeping effort, the IOR has delivered a creditable performance for its customers, first and foremost the Holy See itself. In the first half of 2014, we delivered a very positive performance that validates the efforts of all those working at the IOR", he added.
The full balance for 2013 can be consulted, in English and Italian, on the IOR's website, as follows:

http://www.ior.va/Portals/0/Content/Media/PressReleases/Press%20Release_IOR_8_July-ENG.pdf
http://www.ior.va/Portals/0/Content/Media/PressReleases/Press%20Release_IOR_8_July-ITA.pdf
___________________________________________________________

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
Vatican City, 8 July 2014 (VIS) - The Holy Father has:
- appointed Abbot Jean-Marie Lovey, C.R.B., as bishop of Sion (area 5,589, population 319,000, Catholics 245,000, priests 222, permanent deacons 17, religious 406), Switzerland. The bishop-elect was born in Orsieres, Switzerland
in 1950, gave his perpetual vows in 1971, and was ordained a priest in 1977. He
holds a licentiate from the University of Fribourg, and has served as chaplain in various colleges and as prior of the Hospice of the Great St. Bernard. He is
currently prepositor general of the Canons Regular of the Congregation of the Great St. Bernard. He succeeds Bishop Norbert Brunner, whose resignation in accordance with canon 401 para. 2 of the Code of Canon Law was accepted by the Holy Father.
- appointed Fr. Wilfred Chikpa Anagbe, C.M.F., as coadjutor bishop of the diocese of Makurdi (area 7,304, population 1,014,000, Catholics 457,070, priests 77, religious 51), Nigeria. The bishop-elect was born in Aondona Village, Nigeria in 1965 and was ordained a priest in 1994. He holds a masters degree in theology from the Spiritan International School of Theology, Enugu State, Nigeria. He has held a number of pastoral roles, including priest of the
"St. Peter's" parish, Gariki; and the "St. Fidelis" parish, Allan; dean of Utonkon in the diocese of Otukpo; and military chaplain of the 34th Artillery Brigade, Obinze. He is currently provincial bursar and military chaplain of the
3rd Battalion, Warri.
- appointed Fr. David Martinez De Aguirre Guinea, O.P., as coadjutor bishop of
the apostolic vicariate of Puerto Maldonado (area 150,000, population 324,000, Catholics 259,000, priests 56, religious 67), Peru. The bishop-elect was born in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain in 1970, took his perpetual vows in 1993 and was ordained a priest in 1999. He holds a licentiate in biblical theology from the University of Deusto, Bilbao. He has served in the apostolic vicariate of Puerto Maldonado, as lecturer in biblical theology in the seminary of the vicariate, as priest in the parish of "Inmaculada Concepcion de Kirigueti and as head of the mission of Kirigueti. He is currently head of the "San Pedro Martir de Timpia" mission, member of the directorate of the "Jose Pio Aza" cultural centre in Lima advisor of the regional Dominican vicariate Santa Rosa de Lima.

___________________________________________________________

For more information and to search for documents refer to the site: www.visnews.org and www.vatican.va

Copyright (VIS): the news contained in the services of the Vatican
Information Service may be reproduced wholly or partially by quoting
the source: V. I. S. - Vatican Information Service. http://www.vatican.va/news_services/press/vis/vis_en.html

--- MPost/386 v1.21
* Origin: Sursum Corda! BBS=Huntsville AL=bbs.sursum-corda.com (1:396/45)

VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 126
DATE 08-07-2014

Summary:
- BUDGETS OF THE HOLY SEE AND GOVERNORATE OF VATICAN CITY STATE: POSITIVE BALANCE
- THE IOR ANNOUNCES ITS SECOND PHASE OF REFORMS
- OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

___________________________________________________________

BUDGETS OF THE HOLY SEE AND GOVERNORATE OF VATICAN CITY STATE: POSITIVE BALANCE
Vatican City, 8 July 2014 (VIS) - During the meeting of the Council of the Economy on Saturday 5 July, the Prefecture for Economic Affairs of the Holy See, as is customary at this time of year, presented a report of the two main budgets for 2013: the consolidated financial statement of the Holy See and the financial statement of the Governorate of Vatican City State.
The data included in these statements may be summarised as follows:
The consolidated financial statement for the Holy See for the year 2013 closes
with a deficit of Ç 24,470,549, due principally to negative fluctuations deriving from the valuation of gold, to the value of around Ç 14 million. Although evaluative elements and therefore not actualised, according to the accounting principles based on the criterion of prudence contained in the "Regulations for the Preparation of the Financial Statements of the Holy See", they were recorded among the negative components in the overview of financial management.
The most significant categories of expenditure at those regarding personnel costs (2,886 persons on 31 December 2013), a net sum of around Ç 125 million, and the payment of taxes which affect the real estate sector, approximately Ç 15 million.
The administration of the Governorate is autonomous, and independent of contributions from the Holy See. Through its various offices, it supervises requirements related to the administration of the State. The 2013 budget closes
with a profit of Ç 33,040,583, an increase of around Ç 10 million compared to last year. As of 31 December 2013 the Governorate employed a total of 1,936 persons.
Contributions made pursuant to canon 1271 of the Code of Canon Law - i.e. the economic support offered by ecclesiastical circumscriptions throughout the world to maintain the service the Roman Curia offers to the universal Church - passed from Ç 22,347,426 in 2012 to Ç 22,435,359, thus remaining substantially stable.
The Institute for Works of Religion (IOR), as it does each year, offered the Holy Father a significant sum in support of his apostolic and charitable ministry. For 2013 this was a sum of Ç 50,000,000.
Considering the overall combined results of the two Financial Statements, as is usual, 2013 closes with a profit of around Ç 10 million.
The Council for the Economy, after hearing the Report, made the following declaration:
"The Council has been informed by the Prefecture for Economic Affairs of the budgets relating to 2013, and has taken note of the declaration by the External
Auditor, according to whom æin all the most important aspects, the financial position of Vatican City State as of 31 December 2013 and the results of transactions relating to the year 2013 comply with the current accounting principles of the regulations of Vatican City State'. On this basis, the Council has approved the 2013 Budget and invites the Secretariat for the Economy to work towards further alignment of Vatican accounting principles with
international standards".
Note on the IOR contribution: Since the Annual Report of the IOR published this morning makes reference to a contribution of Ç 54 million, it is to be noted that, like last year, Ç 50 million were destined for the Holy See budget,
and the other Ç 4 million for other works (in 2012 these included, for example,
donations to the Fund for the support of cloistered monasteries, the Amazon Fund, the Fund to support the Churches of the former Soviet Union).

___________________________________________________________

THE IOR ANNOUNCES ITS SECOND PHASE OF REFORMS
Vatican City, 8 July 2014 (VIS) - The Institute for the Works of Religion (Istituto per le Opere di Religione - IOR) today released its 2013 financial statements and gave a detailed update on the results of Phase I of the Institute's reform. The second phase, namely the integration of the IOR into the new economic-administrative landscape of the Vatican, will be entrusted to a new board and executive team, operating under a new governance structure. The
costs necessary for the completion of Phase I, and costs related to legacy investments, are reflected in the results for 2013.
"As set out in May 2013, we have focused on making the IOR compliant with financial regulation, safer and more transparent, so as to create options for the Holy Father to decide on the future of the Institute. Through this work we have lad the ground for a new team to make the IOR a truly outstanding service provider in Catholic finance", said Ernst von Freyburg, president of the Board of Superintendence. "Notwithstanding this housekeeping effort, the IOR has delivered a creditable performance for its customers, first and foremost the Holy See itself. In the first half of 2014, we delivered a very positive performance that validates the efforts of all those working at the IOR", he added.
The full balance for 2013 can be consulted, in English and Italian, on the IOR's website, as follows:

http://www.ior.va/Portals/0/Content/Media/PressReleases/Press%20Release_IOR_8_July-ENG.pdf
http://www.ior.va/Portals/0/Content/Media/PressReleases/Press%20Release_IOR_8_July-ITA.pdf
___________________________________________________________

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
Vatican City, 8 July 2014 (VIS) - The Holy Father has:
- appointed Abbot Jean-Marie Lovey, C.R.B., as bishop of Sion (area 5,589, population 319,000, Catholics 245,000, priests 222, permanent deacons 17, religious 406), Switzerland. The bishop-elect was born in Orsieres, Switzerland
in 1950, gave his perpetual vows in 1971, and was ordained a priest in 1977. He
holds a licentiate from the University of Fribourg, and has served as chaplain in various colleges and as prior of the Hospice of the Great St. Bernard. He is
currently prepositor general of the Canons Regular of the Congregation of the Great St. Bernard. He succeeds Bishop Norbert Brunner, whose resignation in accordance with canon 401 para. 2 of the Code of Canon Law was accepted by the Holy Father.
- appointed Fr. Wilfred Chikpa Anagbe, C.M.F., as coadjutor bishop of the diocese of Makurdi (area 7,304, population 1,014,000, Catholics 457,070, priests 77, religious 51), Nigeria. The bishop-elect was born in Aondona Village, Nigeria in 1965 and was ordained a priest in 1994. He holds a masters degree in theology from the Spiritan International School of Theology, Enugu State, Nigeria. He has held a number of pastoral roles, including priest of the
"St. Peter's" parish, Gariki; and the "St. Fidelis" parish, Allan; dean of Utonkon in the diocese of Otukpo; and military chaplain of the 34th Artillery Brigade, Obinze. He is currently provincial bursar and military chaplain of the
3rd Battalion, Warri.
- appointed Fr. David Martinez De Aguirre Guinea, O.P., as coadjutor bishop of
the apostolic vicariate of Puerto Maldonado (area 150,000, population 324,000, Catholics 259,000, priests 56, religious 67), Peru. The bishop-elect was born in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain in 1970, took his perpetual vows in 1993 and was ordained a priest in 1999. He holds a licentiate in biblical theology from the University of Deusto, Bilbao. He has served in the apostolic vicariate of Puerto Maldonado, as lecturer in biblical theology in the seminary of the vicariate, as priest in the parish of "Inmaculada Concepcion de Kirigueti and as head of the mission of Kirigueti. He is currently head of the "San Pedro Martir de Timpia" mission, member of the directorate of the "Jose Pio Aza" cultural centre in Lima advisor of the regional Dominican vicariate Santa Rosa de Lima.

___________________________________________________________

For more information and to search for documents refer to the site: www.visnews.org and www.vatican.va

Copyright (VIS): the news contained in the services of the Vatican
Information Service may be reproduced wholly or partially by quoting
the source: V. I. S. - Vatican Information Service. http://www.vatican.va/news_services/press/vis/vis_en.html

--- MPost/386 v1.21
* Origin: Sursum Corda! BBS=Huntsville AL=bbs.sursum-corda.com (1:396/45)

VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 127
DATE 10-07-2014

Summary:
- POPE'S PRIVATE VISIT TO CASERTA
- AUDIENCES
- OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

___________________________________________________________

POPE'S PRIVATE VISIT TO CASERTA
Vatican City, 10 July 2014 (VIS) - On the morning of Saturday 26 July the Holy
Father is provisionally scheduled to pay a private visit to the evangelical pastor Giovanni Traettino, a friend from his time in Buenos Aires, in his church of the Reconciliation in Caserta. The idea arose from Pope Francis' encounter with a group of evangelical pastors last month.

___________________________________________________________

AUDIENCES
Vatican City, 10 July 2014 (VIS) - Yesterday, 9 July, the Holy Father received
in audience Kiko Arguello, founder of the Neocatechumenal Way.

___________________________________________________________

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
Vatican City, 10 July 2014 (VIS) - The Holy Father has:
- appointed Fr. Joseph Mlola, ALCP/OSS, as bishop of Kigoma (area 45,066, population 2,000,000, Catholics 515,701, priests 55, religious 165), Tanzania. The bishop-elect was born in Mashati Rombo, Tanzania in 1966 and was ordained a
priest in 1997. He studied dogmatic theology at the Pontifical Urbanian University and has served in a number of pastoral roles, including parish vicar
of Nairagie Enkare, diocese of Ngong, Kenya; vice rector of the Holy Spirit College, Morogoro, Tanzania; parish vicar of Caliti, Italy, and vice rector of the St. Charles Lwanga interdiocesan major seminary, Dar-es-Salaam. He is currently rector of the St. Paul interdiocesan seminary in Kipalapala.
- appointed Fr. Luis Horacio Gomez Gonzalez as apostolic vicar of Puerto Gaitan (area 56,500, population 140,000, Catholics 80,000, priests 41, religious 4), Colombia. The bishop-elect was born in Salaminas-Caldas, Colombia
in 1958 and was ordained a priest in 1991. He has served in a number of pastoral roles, including priest of several parishes in Castilla, Aguadas-Caldas and Manizales, and is currently vicar for the administration of the archdiocese of Manizales.

___________________________________________________________

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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 131
DATE 15-07-2014

Summary:
- THE POPE CALLS FOR URGENT INTERVENTION IN THE HUMANITARIAN CRISIS OF MIGRANT CHILDREN
- CARDINAL PAROLIN IN MEXICO: MIGRATION AND RESPECT FOR THE PERSON
- OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

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THE POPE CALLS FOR URGENT INTERVENTION IN THE HUMANITARIAN CRISIS OF MIGRANT CHILDREN
Vatican City, 15 July 2014 (VIS) - Yesterday Pope Francis sent a message to the organisers, speakers and participants in the "Mexico/Holy See Colloquium on
Migration and Development", which was read during the inaugural session of the event by Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin. In the text, the Pontiff urges the international community to promote the adoption of new forms of legal
and safe migration and called for protection and a suitable reception for the many children who migrate cross the border with the United States unaccompanied. He also highlights the need for policies to inform potential migrants of the dangers of such a journey and above all, for initiatives to promote development in their countries of origin.
"Globalisation is a phenomenon that challenges us, especially in one of its principal manifestations which is emigration. It is one of the 'signs' of this time that we live in and that brings us back to the words of Jesus, 'Why do you
not know how to interpret the present time?'. Despite the large influx of migrants present in all continents and in almost all countries, migration is still seen as an emergency, or as a circumstantial and sporadic fact, while instead it has now become a hallmark of our society and a challenge.
"It is a phenomenon that carries with it great promise and many challenges. Many people forced to emigrate suffer, and often, die tragically; many of their
rights are violated, they are obliged to separate from their families and, unfortunately, continue to be the subject of racist and xenophobic attitudes.
"Faced with this situation, I repeat what I have affirmed in this year's Message for the World Day of Migrants and Refugees: 'A change of attitude towards migrants and refugees is needed on the part of everyone, moving away from attitudes of defensiveness and fear, indifference and marginalisation - all typical of a throwaway culture - towards attitudes based on a culture of encounter, the only culture capable of building a better, more just and fraternal world'.
"I would also like to draw attention to the tens of thousands of children who migrate alone, unaccompanied, to escape poverty and violence: This is a category of migrants from Central America and Mexico itself who cross the border with the United States under extreme conditions and in pursuit of a hope
that in most cases turns out to be vain. They are increasing day by day. This humanitarian emergency requires, as a first urgent measure, these children be welcomed and protected. These measures, however, will not be sufficient, unless
they are accompanied by policies that inform people about the dangers of such a
journey and, above all, that promote development in their countries of origin. Finally, this challenge demands the attention of the entire international community so that new forms of legal and secure migration may be adopted.
"I wish every success to the laudable initiative of the Mexican government's Ministry of Foreign Affairs in arranging a colloquium of study and reflection on the great challenge of migration and cordially impart my Apostolic Blessing to all those present".

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CARDINAL PAROLIN IN MEXICO: MIGRATION AND RESPECT FOR THE PERSON
Vatican City, 15 July 2014 (VIS) - Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin spoke at yesterday's meeting between Mexico and the Holy See dedicated to "international migration and development", attended also by the foreign ministers of Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala, on the theme of the responsibility of the parties involved in the phases of departure, transit and arrival of migrants. The following are extensive extracts from his address, given in Spanish.
"The great contribution of Christianity to humanity, then, with the maturing of the times, will be recognised for the enlightenment that universal fraternity is a political category. Reason enlightened by faith joyfully shows that the human family are all children of the same Father. ... In a radical way, Christianity has stated from the very beginning that we are all free, we are all equal, we are all brothers. As a result, the dignity of the person derives not from their economic situation, political affiliation, level of education, immigration status or religious belief. Every human being, for the very fact of being a person, possesses a dignity that deserves to be treated with the utmost respect.
"Every day we receive further news of the huge number of people in the world who are forced to leave behind their homeland on account of tragic situations of suffering and pain. The causes are always the same: violation of the most elementary human rights, violence, lack of security, wars, unemployment and poverty. ... In their attempt to arrive in a promised land where it is possible
to lead a dignified life, thousands of people experience hunger, humiliation, violations of their dignity, sometimes torture, and some die amid the indifference of many. It is astonishing to see that, in the twenty-first century, there are victims of human trafficking, forced to work in conditions of semi-slavery or sexually abused; there are those who fall into the clutches of criminal bands who operate at a transnational level, often with impunity on account of corruption and certain collusion. The issue before us today, human mobility in today's world, is entrenched in this world of pain to which no-one can remain indifferent, especially the Church. It is the greatest movement of people, including entire populations, of all time.
"I think I can say with reason that in our globalised world, progress is not achieved only with a greater flow of capital, goods and information. An increase in the commercial and financial exchange between nations does not automatically lead to an improvement in the living standards of the population,
nor does it automatically generate more wealth. In this regard, we note that nations, especially those that are more economically and socially advanced, owe
their development largely to migrants. ... Those societies in which legal immigrants are not openly welcomed, but are instead treated with prejudice, as dangerous or harmful subjects, show themselves to be weak and unprepared for the challenges of the coming decades. By contrast, those that are able to see newcomers as generators of wealth, especially of a human and cultural nature, therefore know how to appropriately welcome them; those societies that make consistent efforts to integrate immigrants, offer an unequivocal message of solidity and guarantees to the entire international community, which can generate further progress.
"It is certain that human mobility and its impact on development are two of the most complex social phenomena, difficult to resolve without a general spirit of trust. On the one hand, immigrants must seek to integrate in the country that receives them, respecting its laws and national identity. On the other, the State also has the duty of defending its borders, without ever forgetting the importance of respect for human righs and the duty of solidarity. It is clear that the phenomenon of migration cannot be resolved solely by legislative measures or by adopting public policies, good though they
may be, and far less so solely through the deployment of the forces of security
and order. The solution to the problem of migration requires a profound cultural and social conversion that enables a closed culture to transform into a 'culture of welcome and encounter'.
"In this context, the Church has always been, and will continue to be, a loyal
collaborator. ... By definition, being Catholic means being universal and transnational. Its message is not confined to the private lives of the faithful, but instead seeks conversion, expanding and reaching towards paths of
culture and social justice, since it is not possible to define oneself as Christian and then turn one's back on justice and fraternity, also with non-believers. Furthermore, the Holy See, the central government of the universal Church, is a subject with full sovereignty in international law and has full legal personality. ... Aided by Pontifical Representatives, the Holy See participates in the most varied political forums with the aim of ensuring that universal human rights are fully protected with respect for the ethical and moral principles that shape social life. The Church will always support, at
national and international level, any initiative for the adoption of joint policies.
"In relation to the phenomenon of migration, we urgently need to overcome atavistic fears and to establish common strategies at sub-regional, regional and worldwide levels to include all sectors of society. Let us think, for example, of the United States of America, whose administration has in recent weeks published data referring to the migratory flow of children who cross borders unaccompanied by adults. The number grows exponentially day by day. Whether they are journeying because of poverty, violence or in the hope of reuniting with families on the other side of the border, it is urgent to protect and help them, as their weakness is greater and, defenceless, they are vulnerable to all forms of abuse and misfortune. Politics is the art of the possible. Let us make possible what seems impossible; let us be ambitious in facing up to challenges. Let us not be discouraged by apparent failures."

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
Vatican City, 15 July 2014 (VIS) - The Holy Father has:
- accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese of Karaganda,
Kazakhstan, presented by Bishop Janusz Wieslaw Kaleta, in accordance with canon
401 para. 2 of the Code of Canon Law.
- appointed Msgr. Giuseppe Satriano as archbishop of Rossano-Cariati (area 1,415, population 139,400, Catholics 136,900, priests 87, permanent deacons 2, religious 105), Italy. The bishop-elect was born in Brindisi, Italy in 1960 and
ordained a priest in 1985. He holds a licentiate in bioethics from the "Regina Apostolurum" Institute in Rome, and has served in a number of pastoral roles, including: spiritual father and subsequently rector of the diocesan seminary of
Ostuni; vicar of the parish of "Maria SS. Annunziati" in Ostuni; and priest "fidei donum" in Kenya-Marsabit, and canon of the Cathedral chapter. He is currently vicar general of the archdiocese and episcopal vicar for the clergy and for consecrated life.
- appointed Msgr. Wojciech Zaluski, nunciature advisor, as apostolic nuncio in
Burundi, at the same time elevating him to the dignity of archbishop. Msgr. Zaluski was born in Zaluski-Lipnewo, Poland in 1960 and ordained a priest in 1985. He holds a degree in canon law and has served in the diplomatic service of the Holy See since 1989, in the apostolic nunciatures of Burundi, Malta, Albania, Zambia, Sri Lanka, Georgia, Ukraine, Philippines, and Guatemala.

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Copyright (VIS): the news contained in the services of the Vatican
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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 132
DATE 16-07-2014

Summary:
- OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
Vatican City, 16 July 2014 (VIS) - The Holy Father has:
- appointed Bishop Tarcisio Scaramussa, S.D.B., auxiliary of the archdiocese of Sao Paulo, as coadjutor bishop of Santos (area 2,423, population 1,779,000, Catholics 1,524,000, priests 86, permanent deacons 23, religious 150), Brazil.
- appointed Bishop Juan Carlos Vera Plasencia, M.S.C., prelate of the territorial prelature of Caraveli, Peru, as military ordinary of Peru (priests 77, religious 14), Peru.
- appointed Archbishop Bernardito C. Auza, Holy See permanent observer to the United Nations (UN) as Holy See permanent observer to the Organisation of American States (OAS).
- appointed the following as consultors, for a five-year period, of the Congregation for the Institutes of Consecrated Life and the Societies of Apostolic Life: Archbishop Bruno Forte of Chieti-Vasto, Italy; Archbishop Angelo Vincenzo Zani, Italy, secretary of the Congregation for Catholic Education; Sister Marcella Farina, F.M.A., ordinary lecturer in fundamental and
systematic theology at the Pontifical Faculty of Science of Education "Auxilium", Rome; Fr. Jose Cristo Rey Garcia Paredes, C.M.F., vice director of the Theological Institute of Religious Life of Madrid, Spain; Fr. Robert J. Gesinger, S.J., lecturer in canon law at the Pontifical Gregorian University, procurer general of the Society of Jesus, Rome; Fr. Loic-Marie Le Bot, O.P., dean of the faculty of canon law of the Catholic Institute of Toulouse, France;
Sister Maria Domenica Melone, S.F.A., rector of the Pontifical University "Antonianum", Rome; Fr. Pier Luigi Nava, S.M.M., lecturer in formation in consecrated life in the Pontifical Faculty of Science of Education "Auxilium", Rome; Fr. Jesu Maria James Pudumai Doss, S.D.B., extraordinary lecturer in the faculty of canon law in the Salesian Pontifical University, Rome; Fr. Bruno Secondin, O. Carm., ordinary lecturer emeritus in modern spirituality and foundations of spiritual life at the Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome; Fr.
Yuji Sugawara, S.J., dean of the faculty of canon law at the Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome; Elena Lucia Bolchi, member of the Ordo Virginum of the archdiocese of Milan, patron of the Lombard Regional Ecclesiastical Tribunal, Milan, Italy; Lourdes Gross Garcia, M. Id., director of the secretary
of the Spanish Episcopal Commission for Consecrated Life, Madrid, Spain.

___________________________________________________________

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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 133
DATE 17-07-2014

Summary:
- POPE TO VISIT CASERTA ON SATURDAY 26 AND MONDAY 28 JULY
- POPE FRANCIS RECEIVES AN AUTOGRAPHED "ALBICELESTE" SHIRT
- IN MEMORIAM

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POPE TO VISIT CASERTA ON SATURDAY 26 AND MONDAY 28 JULY
Vatican City, 17 July 2014 (VIS) - Pope Francis will visit the city of Italian
city of Caserta on 26 and 28 July, the Holy See Press Office confirmed today. In the afternoon of Saturday 26, upon invitation by the bishop of the diocese Giovanni D'Avise, he will meet with the Catholics of the city and celebrate the
Mass of St. Ann, probably in the park of the Royal Palace of Caserta. The Holy Father will return to the Vatican that night and on Sunday 27 he will pray the Angelus with the faithful in St. Peter's Square, as usual. On Monday, 28 July, he will return to Caserta to pay a private visit to his friend, the Protestant pastor Giovanni Traettino, and his community.

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POPE FRANCIS RECEIVES AN AUTOGRAPHED "ALBICELESTE" SHIRT
Vatican City, 17 July 2014 (VIS) - The players of the Argentine national football team have given Pope Francis an "Albiceleste" shirt signed by all the members of the team. Although Argentina fell at the final hurdle during the final of the World Cup 2014 in Brazil, losing 1:0 to Germany in extra time, the
team said they were confident the Pope thought of them throughout the tournament.
A large-scale wall photo of the team with the Pope was installed by the Asociacion de Futbol Argentino (AFA) at the Brazilian sports complex where the team trained during the World Cup, a snapshot taken when the team visited Pope Francis in the Vatican, on the occasion of the friendly match against Italy in his honour.

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IN MEMORIAM
Vatican City, 17 July 2014 (VIS) - The following prelates died in recent weeks:
- Bishop Guy Gaucher O.C.D., auxiliary emeritus of Bayeux-Lisieux, France, on 3 July at the age of 84.
- Bishop John Jobst, S.A.C., emeritus of Broome, Australia, at the age of 94.
- Bishop Estanislau Amadeu Kreutz, emeritus of Santo Angelo, Brazil, on 6 July
at the age of 86.
- Bishop Guillermo Leaden, S.D.B., auxiliary emeritus of Buenos Aires, Argentina, at the age of 100.
- Bishop Pietro Nonis, emeritus of Vicenza, Italy, at the age of 87.

___________________________________________________________

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Copyright (VIS): the news contained in the services of the Vatican
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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 134
DATE 18-07-2014

Summary:
- THE HOLY FATHER TELEPHONES SHIMON PERES AND MAHMOUD ABBAS: SEEK AN END TO HOSTILITIES
- FRANCIS PRAYS FOR THE VICTIMS OF THE MALAYSIAN AIRLINES TRAGEDY
- BROTHERHOOD BETWEEN CHRISTIANS AND MUSLIMS: KEY WORD OF THE MESSAGE FOR THE END OF RAMADAN

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THE HOLY FATHER TELEPHONES SHIMON PERES AND MAHMOUD ABBAS: SEEK AN END TO HOSTILITIES
Vatican City, 18 July 2014 (VIS) - Following last Sunday's heartfelt appeal for continued prayer for peace in the Holy Land, this morning the Holy Father Francis personally telephoned President Shimon Peres of Israel and President Mahmoud Abbas of Palestine to share his very serious concerns regarding the current situation of conflict involving in particular the Gaza Strip which, in a climate of growing hostility, hatred and suffering for the two populations, is claiming many victims and giving rise to a serious humanitarian emergency.
As during his recent pilgrimage to the Holy Land and on the occasion of the invocation for peace on 8 June, the Holy Father assured them of his ceaseless prayer, and that of all the Church, for peace in the Holy Land. He reminded the
presidents, whom he considers to be men of peace and seekers of peace, of the need to continue to pray and endeavour to ensure that all the interested parties and those who hold political office at local and international level work to bring an end to hostilities, making efforts to promote truce, peace and
reconciliation in the hearts of those involved.

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FRANCIS PRAYS FOR THE VICTIMS OF THE MALAYSIAN AIRLINES TRAGEDY
Vatican City, 18 July 2014 (VIS) - The Holy Father Francis has learned with dismay of the tragedy of the Malaysian Airlines aircraft downed in east Ukraine, a region marked by high tensions. He raises prayers for the numerous victims of the incident and for their relatives, and renews his heartfelt appeal to all parties in the conflict to seek peace and solutions through dialogue, in order to avoid further loss of innocent human lives.

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BROTHERHOOD BETWEEN CHRISTIANS AND MUSLIMS: KEY WORD OF THE MESSAGE FOR THE END OF RAMADAN
Vatican City, 18 July 2014 (VIS) - "Towards a genuine fraternity between Christians and Muslims" is the title of the message sent by the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue to mark the end of Ramadan ('Id al-Fitr 1435/2014 A.D.). The document is signed by Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran and Fr. Miguel Angel Ayuso Guixot M.C.C.J., respectively president and secretary of the
dicastery.
"Last year, the first year of his ministry, Pope Francis personally signed the
Message addressed to you on the occasion of æId al-Fitr. On another occasion, he also called you 'our brothers and sisters' (Angelus, 11 August 2013). We all
can recognize the full significance of these words. In fact, Christians and Muslims are brothers and sisters in the one human family, created by the One God".
The message goes on to recall the words of Saint John Paul II to Muslim religious leaders in Nigeria in 1982: "All of us, Christians and Muslims, live under the sun of the one merciful God. We both believe in one God who is the creator of man. We acclaim God's sovereignty and we defend man's dignity as God's servant. We adore God and profess total submission to him. Thus, in a true sense, we can call one another brothers and sisters in faith in the one God".
"We thank the Almighty for what we have in common, while remaining aware of our differences", the message continues. "We perceive the importance of promoting a fruitful dialogue built upon mutual respect and friendship. Inspired by our shared values and strengthened by our sentiments of genuine fraternity, we are called to work together for justice, peace and respect for the rights and dignity of every person. We feel responsible in a particular way
for those most in need: the poor, the sick, orphans, immigrants, victims of human trafficking, and those suffering from any kind of addiction".
"As we know, our contemporary world faces grave challenges which call for solidarity on the part of all people of good will. These include threats to the
environment, the crisis of the global economy and high levels of unemployment particularly among young people. Such situations give rise to a sense of vulnerability and a lack of hope for the future. Let us also not forget the problems faced by so many families which have been separated, leaving behind loved ones and often small children. Let us work together, then, to build bridges of peace and promote reconciliation especially in areas where Muslims and Christians together suffer the horror of war".
The document concludes by expressing the hope that our friendship may "inspire
us always to cooperate in facing these many challenges with wisdom and prudence. In this way we will help to diminish tension and conflict, and advance the common good. We will also demonstrate that religions can be a source of harmony for the benefit of society as a whole. Let us pray that reconciliation, justice, peace and development will remain uppermost among our priorities, for the welfare and good of the whole human family. Together with Pope Francis, we are happy to send you our cordial best wishes for a joyful celebration and a life of prosperity in peace".

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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 135
DATE 21-07-2014

Summary:
- PROGRAMME OF THE POPE'S PASTORAL VISIT TO CASERTA
- IMITATE GOD'S PATIENCE AND AWAIT THE HARVEST WITH HOPE
- APPEAL FOR THE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITIES OF THE MIDDLE EAST
- POPE FRANCIS: TERRORISM IS A MADNESS THAT KNOWS ONLY HOW TO KILL
- CARDINAL SANDRI TO THE ORIENTAL CHRISTIANS: YOUR TEARS AND HOPES ARE OURS
- OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

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PROGRAMME OF THE POPE'S PASTORAL VISIT TO CASERTA
Vatican City, 21 July 2014 (VIS) - The programme of the Holy Father's pastoral
visit to Caserta, Italy, scheduled for Saturday 26 July, was published today.
The Pope will leave the Vatican by helicopter at 3 p.m. and will land 45 minutes later at the heliport of the Italian Air Force (Aeronautica Militare) School in the Reggia or Royal Palace of Caserta. At 4 p.m. he will meet the priests of the diocese at the Air Force Officer's Club and at 6 p.m. he will celebrate Mass in the square adjacent to the Royal Palace. At 7.30 p.m. he will
depart for the Vatican where he is expected to arrive at 8.15 p.m.

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IMITATE GOD'S PATIENCE AND AWAIT THE HARVEST WITH HOPE
Vatican City, 20 July 2014 (VIS) - "In a field where the master sows the grain, one night an enemy sowed tares among them, a plant whose name in Hebrew has the same root as 'Satan' and refers to the concept of division. The following morning the servants wanted to remove the weed, but the master stopped them, 'Lest while you gather up the tares, you root up also the wheat with them'". The Holy Father commented on this parable on Sunday morning, as he
appeared at the window of his study to pray the Angelus with the faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square. "The parable of the good seed and the tares takes on the problem of evil in the world", explained the Pope, "and highlights
God's patience".
"The teaching of the parable is twofold. First, it says that the evil in the world does not come from God, but from His enemy, the devil. This enemy is astute; he has sown evil amidst the good, so that it is impossible for man to clearly separate the two; but God, in the end, will do so". The Holy Father went on to consider the second theme: "the constrast between the impatience of the servants and the patient waiting of the master of the field, who represents
God". He remarked that often we are hasty to judge, classify and sort the good from the bad, and emphasised that God, on the other hand, knows how to wait. "He looks at the 'field' of each person's life with patience and mercy. He sees, far better than we do, the dirt and the evil, but He also sees the seeds of good and waits confidently for them to mature. God is patient, He knows how to wait".
"The attitude of the master is that of hope, based on the certainty that evil has neither the first nor the last word. And, thanks to God's patient hope, that same weed may in time become good grain. But beware: evangelical patience is not indifference to evil; one must not confuse good and evil! Faced with the
weeds in the world, the Lord's disciple is called to imitate God's patience, to
nurture hope with the support of an unshakeable faith in the final victory of good, of God. In the end, we will all be judged by the same yardstick with which we ourselves have judged: the mercy we have shown to others will be used also with us. Let us ask Our Lady, our Mother, to help us to grow in patience, hope and mercy".

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APPEAL FOR THE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITIES OF THE MIDDLE EAST
Vatican City, 20 July 2014 (VIS) - "I have received with some concern the news
from the Christian communities of Mosul, Iraq, and from other parts of the Middle East who, ever since the beginnings of Christianity, have co-existed there alongside their fellow citizens, making a significant contribution to the
good of society", said the Pope after today's Angelus prayer. "Today they are persecuted. Our brothers are persecuted, they are cast out, they are forced to leave their homes without having the chance to take anything with them. To these people I wish to express my closeness and my constant prayer. Dear brothers and sisters, so persecuted, I know how much you suffer, I know that you have been deprived of everything. I am with you in faith in He Who conquered evil".
He urged them to continue their prayer for the situations of tension and conflict that persist in many areas of the world, especially in the Middle East
and Ukraine. "May the God of peace rouse in everyone an authentic desire for peace and reconciliation. Violence cannot be overcome with violence. Violence is defeated with peace! Let us pray in silence, for peace; all of us, in silence. Mary, Queen of Peace, pray for us!".

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POPE FRANCIS: TERRORISM IS A MADNESS THAT KNOWS ONLY HOW TO KILL
Vatican City, 19 July 2014 (VIS) - On Friday 18 July the Holy Father sent a video message to the Argentine Israeli community, to convey his closeness to the families of the victims of the bombing of the AMIA (Argentine Israelite Mutual Association), which took place twenty years ago in Buenos Aires (18 July
1994). It caused 85 deaths and more than 200 casualties, making it one of the most significant terrorist attacks the country has experienced.
"Terrorism is a form of madness"; says Francis in the recorded message. "Terrorism knows only how to kill - it does not build, it destroys. Therefore, I wish to express my closeness to all those who have seen lives derailed and hopes dashed, ruined. Sometimes it is said that Buenos Aires is a city that needs to mourn, but has not yet wept enough. At the risk of repeating a well-worn clichΘ, I repeat: we need to mourn more. We tend to set things aside,
not to come to terms with our history, with our sufferings, with things that could have been beautiful but were not. For this reason, it is so difficult for
us to find the path to justice, to settle the debt that this tragedy has contracted with society. Along with my closeness, along with my prayers for all
the victims, today I wish to add my desire for justice to be done. May God bless you all, institutions and families. And may God give peace to those who died in this act of lunacy".

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CARDINAL SANDRI TO THE ORIENTAL CHRISTIANS: YOUR TEARS AND HOPES ARE OURS
Vatican City, 21 July 2014 (VIS) - Yesterday Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, prefect
of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches, celebrated Mass in the Maronite Cathedral of Our Lady of Lebanon in Los Angeles, United States, on the occasion
of the festivity of Sts. Charbel and Elias, commemorated by Lebanese Maronites all over the world on the third Sunday of July. Around four hundred faithful of
the Oriental Churches participated in the celebration.
According to a communiquΘ from the dicastery, the cardinal spoke in his homily
of the immense suffering caused by the desperate fate of many innocent people and remarked that, while the Christians in Mosul in Iraq and Aleppo in Syria are the most afflicted, the entire area is in a state of insecurity, unfortunately maintained by widespread indifference. He also made reference to those affected by current events in Palestine, "who are in tears, unable to be men and Christians in serenity and dignity. We tell them that their tears are ours, nonetheless we share the same hope, and its name is Christ; and Jesus Christ is faithful. For this, we persevere together in the same journey".
After reading the appeal in support of persecuted Christians, launched by Pope
Francis during yesterday's Angelus, the Cardinal invited the faithful to pray in silence and emphasised the Church's closeness to the Patriarchs, the bishops
and the people of the Syro-Catholic and Chaldean Churches. He emphasised the Church's participation in their suffering and urged them to persevere in the defence of human rights and religious freedom, "particularly where Christians have been living for two thousand years since the beginning of Christianity" to
the benefit of society, and where they may continue to offer their contribution
to the human community.

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
Vatican City, 21 July 2014 (VIS) - The Holy Father has appointed Bishop Joseph
Gebara, coadjutor of the eparchy of Nossa Senhora do Paraiso em Sao Paolo, Brazil, as bishop of the same eparchy (Catholics 436,000, priests 11, permanent
deacons 3, religious 4). He succeeds Bishop Fares Maakaroun, M.S.P., whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same eparchy in accordance with canon
210 para. 1 of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches was accepted by the Holy Father.
On Saturday, 19 July, the Holy Father appointed Cardinal Ennio Antonelli, president emeritus of the Pontifical Council for the Family, as his special envoy to the consecration of the new Shrine of San Gabriele dell'Addolorata, Teramo, Italy, scheduled for 21 September 2014.

___________________________________________________________

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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 136
DATE 22-07-2014

Summary:
- THE JOY OF THE GOSPEL, A MISSIONARY JOY: WORLD CONGRESS OF ECCLESIAL MOVEMENTS AND NEW COMMUNITIES
- AUDIENCES
- OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

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THE JOY OF THE GOSPEL, A MISSIONARY JOY: WORLD CONGRESS OF ECCLESIAL MOVEMENTS
AND NEW COMMUNITIES
Vatican City, 22 July 2014 (VIS) - The Pontifical Council for the Laity will hold its third world congress of ecclesial movements and new communities from 20 to 22 November 2014, entitled "The joy of the Gospel: a missionary joy", based on Pope Francis' Apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium. The event, to take place at the Pontifical International College Maria Mater Ecclesiae in Rome, Italy, will be attended by delegates from international associations with
the most widespread presence all over the world, already recognised as international associations of the faithful or in constant dialogue with the aforementioned dicastery.
Before the Angelus prayer on 19 May 2013, the Sunday of Pentecost during the Year of Faith, the Holy Father addressed the new movements and new ecclesial communities, encouraging them to continue in their work: "You are a gift and wealth for the Church! Always carry forth the strength of the Gospel! Do not be
afraid! Always keep alive your joy and passion for the communion of the Church!". After this encounter, the Pope presented the Apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, "a true vademecum for ecclesial movements and new communities" that has as its main objective the need for a renewed evangelical phase in the life of the Church in our times.
Starting from this assumption, the Pontifical Council for the Laity has consulted with the movements and new ecclesial communities regarding the organisation, logistics and main themes to be considered in the Congress. The registration of delegates at the Congress is formally open and so far members have enrolled from ecclesial movements and new communities from all continents and from more than eighty international associative entities, which will be accompanied by various bishops from the diocese and organs of the Roman Curia.
In addition, more than fifty-five founders and general heads of various communities from around the world have already enrolled. The superiors of the dicastery dedicated their annual meeting of 27 June 2014 to ecclesial movements
and new communities, in preparation for this important event, and to hearing the participants in the meeting from over thirty international associations of the faithful.

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AUDIENCES
Vatican City, 22 July 2014 (VIS) - Yesterday afternoon, 21 July, the Holy Father received in audience Bishop Nunzio Galantino of Cassano dell'Jonio, secretary general of the Italian Episcopal Conference.

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
Vatican City, 22 July 2014 (VIS) - The Holy Father has:
- appointed the following members of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity: Archbishop Carlos Jose Nanez of Cordoba, Argentina; Bishop Rodolfo Valenzuela Nunez of Vera Paz and president of the Episcopal Conference of Guatemala; and Bishop Gerhard Feige of Magdeburg, Federal Republic of Germany.
- appointed the following as consultors of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity: Cristiano Bettega, director of the National Office for Ecumenism and Interreligious Dialogue of the Italian Episcopal Conference; Hector Sherri, president of the Theological Commission of Malta and the Diocesan Ecumenical Commission, Malta; Michael Joeng-Hun Shin, official for ecumenism of the Korean Episcopal Conference; Fernando Rodriguez Garrapucho, director of the John XXIII Centre for Oriental and Ecumenical Studies at the Pontifical University of Salamanca, Spain; Br. Enzo Bianchi, prior of the Monastery of Bose, Italy; Fr. Franck Lemaitre, O.P., director of the National Service for Christian Unity of the Bishops' Conference of France; John Crossins, O.S.F.S., executive director of the secretariat for ecumenical and interreligious matters of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops; Fr.
Jorge A. Scampini, O.P., professor of ecumenism at the faculty of theology of the Pontifical Catholic University of Buenos Aires, Argentina; Fr. Milan Zust, S.J., Slovenia, lecturer at the faculty of missiology of the Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome; Sister Maria Ha Fong Ko, F.M.A., Macau, lecturer in
New Testament exegesis at the Pontifical Faculty of Education Sciences (Auxilium), Rome and at the Holy Spirit Seminary of Hong Kong.

___________________________________________________________

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Copyright (VIS): the news contained in the services of the Vatican
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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 137
DATE 23-07-2014

Summary:
- NINETY MINUTES FOR PEACE
- AUDIENCES
- OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

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NINETY MINUTES FOR PEACE
Vatican City, 23 July 2014 (VIS) - An "Interreligious Match for Peace" will be
held on 1 September at 8.45 p.m., at the Olympic Stadium in Rome. The event will involve the participation of world level players and coaches such as Lionel Messi, Gianluigi Buffon, Zinedine Zidane, Javier Zanetti, Roberto Baggio, Andrea Pirlo, Yuto Nagatomo and Samuel Eto'o, and the proceeds will be donated to charity.
The idea for the match originates from April 2013, when the Pope met with the Argentine and Italian teams following a friendly match between them. On that occasion, the footballer Javier Zanetti communicated to the Pope his idea of organising a sporting event uniting people of different religions. A year later, the idea took shape. Tickets for the event will be available from Friday
25 July, and all the proceeds will be donated to "Scholas Occurrentes" and to the P.U.P.I. Foundation.
Scholas Occurrentes is an educational organisation, supported by Pope Francis through the Pontifical Council for Sciences, that uses technology, art and sport to promote social integration and the culture of encounter. The P.U.P.I. Foundation is a non-profit organisation created by Paula and Javier Zanetti over ten years ago, promotes and supports distance adoption programmes and assistance for children in difficult social conditions.

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AUDIENCES
Vatican City, 23 July 2014 (VIS) - Today the Holy Father received in audience Archbishop Charles John Brown, apostolic nuncio in Ireland.
Yesterday afternoon, 22 July, the Holy Father received in audience Archbishop Giorgio Lingua, apostolic nuncio in Jordan and Iraq.

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
Vatican City, 23 July 2014 (VIS) - The Holy Father has appointed Fr. Jan Kot O.M.I. as bishop of Ze Doca (area 35,110, population 332,000, Catholics 305,000, priests 25, permanent deacons 1, religious 30), Brazil. The bishop-elect was born in Mokon, Poland in 1962, gave his perpetual vows in 1986
and was ordained a priest in 1992. He holds a licentiate history of the Church from the University of Rybnik, Poland, and has served as priest in the parishes
of Siedlce, Poland, and in Jussarval and subsequently Vitoria di Santo Antao, in the archdiocese of Olinda and Recife, Brazil. He is currently priest of the "Sagrado Coracao de Maria" parish in Campo Alegre do Fidalgo, Brazil. He succeeds Bishop Carlo Ellena, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese, upon reaching the age limit, was accepted by the Holy Father.

___________________________________________________________

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Copyright (VIS): the news contained in the services of the Vatican
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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 137
DATE 24-07-2014

Summary:
- TELEGRAM FOR THE AVIATION ACCIDENT IN MAGONG
- POPE'S MESSAGE FOR THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ARGENTINE SHRINE OF ST. PANTALEON
- OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

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TELEGRAM FOR THE AVIATION ACCIDENT IN MAGONG
Vatican City, 24 July 2014 (VIS) - Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin has sent a telegram on behalf of Pope Francis to the archbishop of Taipei and president of the regional Conference of bishops of China, John Huong Shan-chuan, with reference to the accident that occurred at Magong airport, Taiwan, in which a TransAsia Airways aircraft had to make an emergency landing,
resulting in 48 deaths and 10 injured.
In the text, the Holy Father expresses his sadness for the accident, as well as his closeness to the relatives of the victims, and assures them of his prayers for all those affected by the tragedy, asking God to grant them consolation, strength and peace.

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POPE'S MESSAGE FOR THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ARGENTINE SHRINE OF ST. PANTALEON
Vatican City, 24 July 2014 (VIS) - The shrine is "a temple that seems still, but that the people of God carry forward. In this way it has moved ahead for fifty years in the hearts of the many faithful who have come to venerate the saint, to implore for health, and to profess their faith. In this way it has moved into the heart of the area, projecting itself onto the whole city", said the Pope in the message he sent to the faithful who will meet in the neighbourhood of Mataderos in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the shrine of St. Pantaleon. "I ask the Lord to grant you the grace to continue on your path, to continue this pilgrimage of the heart in the midst of this great city".
The Holy Father went on to recall with nostalgia the time during which, as archbishop of Buenos Aires, he personally visited the parish dedicated to the doctor saint of Nicomedia. "I wish to be close to you to be able to relive in some way the occasions in which I was able to visit the shrine on 27 July to help the priests in confession. I returned home spiritually strengthened by this witness of faith. The good I received is unimaginable. And I wish to give thanks for all this good. May the Lord reward you plentifully".
The pontiff concluded by assuring the faithful of his closeness and prayer and
asked them to pray for him. "In these days of celebration ... I am close to you. ... May Jesus bless you and the Holy Virgin protect you".

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
Vatican City, 24 July 2014 (VIS) - The Holy Father has appointed Ref. Joy Alappat as auxiliary of the eparchy of St. Thomas the Apostle of Chicago of the
Syro-Malabars (Catholics 87,000, priests 53, religious 31), U.S.A. The bishop-elect was born in Parappukara, India, in 1956 and was ordained a priest in 1981. He holds a master's degree in theology from the St.Joseph's Pontifical
Institute, Aluva, and the Adheva University, Wattair, and completed the Clinical Pastoral Education programme at Georgetown University, U.S.A. He has held a number of pastoral roles both in India - in the eparchal cathedral in Chalakudy and as chaplain of the Syro-Malabar community in Chennai - and in the
U.S.A., as chaplain of Georgetown University, and parish priest in New Milford,
Newark and Garfield. He is currently rector of the eparchal Cathedral in Bellwood, Illinois.

___________________________________________________________

For more information and to search for documents refer to the site: www.visnews.org and www.vatican.va

Copyright (VIS): the news contained in the services of the Vatican
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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 139
DATE 25-07-2014

Summary:
- TELEGRAM FOR THE VICTIMS OF THE AIR CRASH OVER MALI
- THE POPE RECEIVES MERIAM, THE SUDANESE CHRISTIAN IMPRISONED FOR APOSTASY
- CONFLICT BETWEEN ISRAEL AND PALESTINE: THE VOICE OF REASON SILENCED BY THE BLAST OF ARMS
- OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

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TELEGRAM FOR THE VICTIMS OF THE AIR CRASH OVER MALI
Vatican City, 25 July 2014 (VIS) - Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin has sent a telegram on behalf of Pope Francis to Archbishop Ghaleb Moussa Abdalla Bader of Algiers, Algeria, in response to yesterday's tragic accident involving an Air Algerie aircraft above Mali, which claimed many lives. "His Holiness Pope Francis joins in prayer with the suffering of those who have lost
loved ones", he writes. "He wishes to convey his condolences and to assure them
of his profound sympathy, and prays that the Lord may receive the souls of the departed and bring consolation and hope to all those affected by the disaster".

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THE POPE RECEIVES MERIAM, THE SUDANESE CHRISTIAN IMPRISONED FOR APOSTASY
Vatican City, 25 July 2014 (VIS) - Yesterday afternoon, at the Domus Sanctae Marthae, the Holy Father Francis received in audience Ms. Meriam Yahia Ibrahim Ishag, the Sudanese Christian woman imprisoned and condemned to death for apostasy, and subsequently freed with the intervention of the international community.
Meriam was accompanied by her husband Daniel Wani and their two small children, Martin (aged one and a half) and Maya, born in prison two months ago.
The family was accompanied by the Italian deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Lapo Pistelli, who completed negotiations in Sudan yesterday and accompanied Meriam and her family to Italy, where they are preparing to move to the United States.
The meeting lasted for slightly less than half an hour and took place in a serene and affectionate atmosphere. The Pope thanked Meriam and her family for their courageous witness of constancy in faith. Meriam gave thanks for the great comfort and support she received from the prayer of the Pope and many other believers and persons of good will. The Pope's secretary, Msgr. Yohannis Gaid, acted as interpreter. The Pope then greeted the Italian staff accompanying Meriam and her family in their stay in Italy.
With this gesture, the Pope wished to demonstrate his closeness, attention and
prayer for all those who suffer for their faith and, in particular, for Christians who suffer persecution or curtailment of their religious freedom.

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CONFLICT BETWEEN ISRAEL AND PALESTINE: THE VOICE OF REASON SILENCED BY THE BLAST OF ARMS
Vatican City, 25 July 2014 (VIS) - Archbishop Silvano Tomasi, the Holy See permanent observer at the United Nations and other international organisations in Geneva, spoke at the 21st Special Session of the Human Rights Council dedicated to the question of human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory
including East Jerusalem, which took place on 23 July.
"As the number of people killed, wounded, uprooted from their homes, continues
to increase in the conflict between Israel and some Palestinian groups, particularly in the Gaza Strip, the voice of reason seems submerged by the blast of arms. Violence will lead nowhere either now or in the future. The perpetration of injustices and the violation of human rights, especially the right to life and to live in peace and security, sow fresh seeds of hatred and resentment. A culture of violence is being consolidated, the fruits of which are destruction and death. In the long run, there can be no winners in the current tragedy, only more suffering. Most of the victims are civilians, who by
international humanitarian law, should be protected. The United Nations estimates that approximately seventy percent of Palestinians killed have been innocent civilians. This is just as intolerable as the rockets missiles directed indiscriminately toward civilian targets in Israel. Consciences are paralysed by a climate of protracted violence, which seeks to impose solution through the annihilation of the other. Demonising others, however, does not eliminate their rights. Instead, the way to the future lies in recognising our common humanity".
The archbishop mentioned that in his pilgrimage to the Holy Land, Pope Francis
demanded that the present unacceptable situation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict be brought to an end. "The time has come for everyone to find the courage to be generous and creative in the service of the common good, the courage to forge a peace which rests on the acknowledgement by all of the right
of two States to exist and to live in peace and security within internationally
recognised borders".
"The legitimate aspiration to security, on one side, and to decent living conditions, on the other, with access to the normal means of existence like medicines, water and jobs, for example, reflects a fundamental human right, without which peace is very difficult to preserve. The worsening situation in Gaza is an incessant reminder of the necessity to arrive at a cease-fire immediately and to start negotiating a lasting peace. 'Peace will bring countless benefits for the peoples of this region and for the world as a whole', adds Pope Francis, 'and so it must resolutely be pursued, even if each side has to make certain sacrifices'. It becomes a responsibility of the international community to engage in earnest in the pursuit of peace and to help the parties in this horrible conflict reach some understanding in order to
stop the violence and look to the future with mutual trust".
"The media should report in a fair and unbiased manner the tragedy of all who are suffering because of the conflict, in order to facilitate the development of an impartial dialogue that acknowledges the rights of everyone, respects the
just concerns of the international community, and benefits from the solidarity of the international community in supporting a serious effort to attain peace. With an eye to the future, the vicious circle of retribution and retaliation must cease. With violence, men and women will continue to live as enemies and adversaries, but with peace they can live as brothers and sisters".

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
Vatican City, 25 July 2014 (VIS) - The Holy Father has:
- appointed Bishop Florentino Galang Lavarias of Iba, Philippines, as metropolitan archbishop of San Fernando (area 2,180, population 3,561,000, Catholics 3,324,000, priests 176, religious 155), Philippines. He succeeds Archbishop Paciano Aniceto, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same archdiocese upon reaching the age limit was accepted by the Holy Father.
- appointed Rev. Severo C. Caermare as bishop of Dipolog (area 7,205, population 977,000, Catholics 787,000, priests 68, permanent deacons 1, religious 58), Philippines. The bishop-elect was born in Poblacion, Philippines
in 1969 and was ordained a priest in 1996. He holds a master's degree in theology and pastoral ministry from the St. John Vianney theological seminary of Cagayan de Oro City, and has served in a number of pastoral roles, including
administrator of the parishes of "Our Mother of Perpetual Help" and "San Isidore" in Zamboanga del Norte; formator, rector, professor and liturgist at the Cor Jesu Seminary of Dipolog City; and formator, professor, dean and rector
of the St. Mary's Theologate of Ozamis City. He is currently administrator of the "St. Anthony of Padua" parish in Gulayon, Dipolog City, and rector of the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary in Dipolog City. He succeeds Bishop Jose R. Manguiran, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese upon reaching the age limit was accepted by the Holy Father.
- appointed Rev. Fr. Celestino Aos Braco, O.F.M. Cap., as bishop of Copiapo (area 75,176, population 272,000, Catholics 207,000, priests 23, permanent deacons 35, religious 76), Chile. The bishop-elect was born in Artaiz, Spain in
1945, gave his perpetual vows in 1967 ad was ordained a priest in 1968. He holds a licentiate in psychology from the University of Barcelona, Spain, and has served in a number of pastoral roles in Chile, including superior of the community of Los Angeles, Santa Maria de Los Angeles; priest of the parish of "San Miguel" in Vina del Mar; superior of the community of Recreo, and episcopal vicar for consecrated life of the diocese of Valparaiso. He is currently vicar of the parish of "San Francisco de Asis" in Los Angeles. He has
also served as provincial bursar for the order in Chile, promoter of justice at
the ecclesiastical tribunal of Valparaiso, and judge at the tribunal of the archdiocese of Concepcion.

___________________________________________________________

For more information and to search for documents refer to the site: www.visnews.org and www.vatican.va

Copyright (VIS): the news contained in the services of the Vatican
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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 141
DATE 29-07-2014

Summary:
- POPE FRANCIS' APOSTOLIC TRIP TO SRI LANKA AND THE PHILIPPINES
- THE POPE TO THE PENTECOSTAL CHURCH: WE ARE ON THE PATH TOWARDS UNITY
- FIFTY THOUSAND MINISTRANTS IN PILGRIMAGE TO ROME

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POPE FRANCIS' APOSTOLIC TRIP TO SRI LANKA AND THE PHILIPPINES
Vatican City, 29 July 2014 (VIS) - The Holy See Press Office today announced that His Holiness Francis, accepting the invitation from the civil authorities and the bishops, will make an Apostolic trip to Sri Lanka from 12 to 15 January
and the Philippines from 15 to 19 January 2015. The program for the trip will be published shortly.

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THE POPE TO THE PENTECOSTAL CHURCH: WE ARE ON THE PATH TOWARDS UNITY
Vatican City, 29 July 2014 (VIS) - Unity in diversity and the plea for forgiveness for the lack of understanding shown by some Catholics towards their
Pentecostal brothers were the key themes of the Pope's address at the Pentecostal Church of the Reconciliation in Caserta yesterday, during his meeting with his friend, the pastor Giovanni Traettino, whom he known for many years, both in Buenos Aires and as bishop of Rome, engaged in ecumenism. The meeting took place in a cheerful and intimate atmosphere, and was attended by 200 people, mostly Pentecostals from Italy, the United States and Argentina, as
well as other countries. "With men like you", said Pastor Traettino to his friend, Pope Francis, "there is hope for us, as Christians".
The Pope's address responded to the discourse pronounced by Pastor Traettino, who had remarked that the presence of Jesus and walking in the presence of Jesus should be at the centre of our life. Francis remarked that "walk" was God's first commandment to his people, represented by Abraham - "walk before me
faithfully and be blameless" - and added, "I don't understand a Christian who stands still! I don't understand a Christian who doesn't walk. A Christian must
walk ... because that which is still, that does not move ahead, becomes corrupt. Like still water, which is the first to become stagnant. ... There are
Christians who confuse walking and moving ahead with moving around. These, instead, are errants who saunter here and there; these are people who lack parrhesia, the boldness to go ahead; they lack hope".
He went on to cite the story of Jacob who, during a time of famine, sent his eleven sons - ten of whom were guilty of betrayal, having sold their brother Joseph - to Egypt to buy grain. There, they once again found Joseph, who in the
meantime had become the vizier. "When we walk in God's presence, we find brotherhood", asserted the Pope. "When instead we stop, we scrutinise each other too much, and we set out on another path, that of gossip. ... And in this
way it begins, from the first moment the division of the Church began. And it is not the Holy Spirit who causes division! ... From the very beginning there has been this temptation in the Christian community. 'I am from this group, you
are from that one', 'No! I am the Church, you are a sect', and so on. ... The Holy Spirit creates diversity in the Church ... diversity, rich and beautiful. But, at the same time, the Holy Spirit creates unity, and so the Church is one in her diversity. To borrow a phrase used by an evangelical, a phrase I love, it is the 'reconciled diversity' of the Holy Spirit, Who creates both of these things: diversity in charisms, and harmony in charisms".
To offer an image of how unity in the Church could be, Pope Francis first described a sphere, all of whose points are equidistant from the centre. This, he said, was an example of uniformity, and "the Holy Spirit does not create uniformity". "Let us imagine, instead, a polyhedron: it is an example of unity,
but with many different parts, each with its own peculiarity and charism. This is unity in diversity. This is the path that we Christians take, giving it the theological name of ecumenism: we seek to ensure that this diversity is harmonised by the Holy Spirit and becomes a unity; we seek to walk in the presence of God to be blameless".
Pastor Traettino had also referred to the incarnation of Jesus, and the Holy Father responded that "the incarnation of the Word is the foundation - it is Jesus Christ! God and man, Son of God and Son of man, true God and true man. This is how the first Christians understood Him to be and they fought hard to maintain this truth: the Lord is God and man. It is the mystery of Christ's flesh. ... I love the poor, the widow, the slave, the imprisoned. ... I love them all, as these people who suffer are Christ's flesh. ... It is not possible
to preach a purely intellectual Gospel: the Gospel is the truth but it is also love and beauty! And this is the joy of the Gospel!".
"On this path, many times we have done the same thing as the brothers of Joseph, when jealous and envy have divided us", he remarked. "That sad story in
which the Gospel for some was lived as truth and they did not realise that behind this attitude there were bad things, things that were not the Lord's, an
ugly attempt at division. That sad history, in which there are repeated the same things that Joseph's brother did: denouncements, the laws of these people who 'are against the purity of the race'. ... And these laws were ratified by baptised persons! Some of those who enacted these laws, and some of those who persecuted, denounced their pentecostal brothers because they were 'enthusiastic', almost 'crazy', who spoiled the race. ... I am a pastor of Catholics, and I beg forgiveness for this. I ask your forgiveness on behalf of those Catholic brothers and sisters who did not understand and who were tempted
by the devil, and who did the same thing that Joseph's brothers did. I ask the Lord for the grace to recognise and to forgive".
Pope Francis went on to comment on Pastor Traettino's words, "The truth is an encounter". "An encounter between people", he emphasised. "The truth is not made in a laboratory, it is made in life, seeking Jesus in order to find Him. But the greatest and most beautiful mystery is that when we find Jesus, we realise that He sought us first, that He had found us first, because He arrives
before us. I like to use the Spanish verb 'primerea' to describe this, meaning that He precedes us, and always awaits us. ... That encounter that transforms us: everything comes from that encounter. This is the path of Christian sanctity: seeking Jesus every day in order to meet him, and letting oneself be sought and found by Jesus every day".
"We are on that path of unity, among brothers", he concluded. "Some people will be surprised: they will say, the Pope has gone to the evangelicals! He has
gone to meet his brothers! Yes! Because - and this is the truth - they came to me first, in Buenos Aires. ... And so this friendship began, this closeness between the pastors in Buenos Aires, and here today. I thank you, and I ask you
to pray for me, as I need your prayers".
Following the meeting, in the mid afternoon, the Pope returned to the Vatican by helicopter.

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FIFTY THOUSAND MINISTRANTS IN PILGRIMAGE TO ROME
Vatican City, 29 July 2014 (VIS) - From 4 to 8 August, more than fifty thousand ministrants from Germany, Austria and Switzerland will make a pilgrimage to Rome, a trip organised every August by German dioceses. This event is intended to strengthen the spiritual potential of an group that is important to German pastoral ministry, consisting of more than 430,00 children,
adolescents and young adults who carry out altar service.
The week's program includes diocesan religious functions, guided tours on themes related to history, culture and spirituality, and cultural and religious
excursions including a trip to Assisi. However, the key moment of the pilgrimage, eagerly awaited by all the participants, will be the audience with Pope Francis, who will receive them in the Vatican on Tuesday, 5 August.

___________________________________________________________

For more information and to search for documents refer to the site: www.visnews.org and www.vatican.va

Copyright (VIS): the news contained in the services of the Vatican
Information Service may be reproduced wholly or partially by quoting
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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 142
DATE 30-07-2014

Summary:
- FUNERAL FOR CARDINAL MARCHISANO
- PAPAL AND HOLY SEE HIGHLIGHTS FOR JANUARY - APRIL 2014
- OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

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FUNERAL FOR CARDINAL MARCHISANO
Vatican City, 30 July 2014 (VIS) - This morning Cardinal Angelo Sodano, dean of the College of Cardinals, presided at the funeral of Cardinal Francesco Marchisano, archpriest emeritus of St. Peter's Basilica, who died on Sunday 27 July at the age of 85. In his homily, Cardinal Sodano recalled the late prelate's 62 years of service to the Church, praising his methodical and silent
approach. "A style that recalls that of the bees depicted on Pope Urban VIII's coat of arms, in memory of his work".
He also commented on Cardinal Marchisano's works of charity, in particular his
thirty years of work at the Institute for the Deaf-Mute, and thanked the Lord "for the gift He has given to the Church, for this generous ministry".

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PAPAL AND HOLY SEE HIGHLIGHTS FOR JANUARY - APRIL 2014
Vatican City, 30 July 2014 (VIS) - The following are highlights of the activities of Pope Francis and the Holy See during the months of January to April 2014.
JANUARY
6: Private visit to the Roman parish of Sant'Alfonso Maria de' Liguori alla Giustiniana, Rome.
9: The Holy Father receives in audience Severin Mathias Akeo, the new ambassador of Cote d'Ivoire to the Holy See, presenting his credential letters.
16: Publication of the Holy Father's message for the 51st World Day of Prayer for Vocations (11 May) on the theme "Vocations: Witness to the Truth".
18: The Holy Father nominates Cardinal Antonio Canizares Llovera, prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, as his special envoy to Panama for the closing ceremony of the jubilee year convoked for the fifth centenary of the erection of the first diocese (Santa Maria la Antigua) on the American continent (14-15 February 2014). 19: Pastoral
visit to the Roman parish of "Sacro Cuore di Ges∙ a Castro Pretorio".
22: Pope's message to the World Economic Forum in Davos.
23: Presentation of the Holy Father's message for the 48th World Day of Social
Communication, entitled, "Communication at the service of an authentic culture of encounter".
24: The Holy Father receives in audience the president of the French Republic,
Francois Hollande.
25: Cardinal Robert Sarah, president of the Pontifical Council "Cor Unum", visits the areas struck by the typhoon Haiyan-Yolanda in the Philippines on 8 November 2013.
27 and 30: Audience with prelates of the Austrian Bishops' Conference, on their "ad limina" visit.
31: Presentation of the Year for Consecrated Life, convoked by Pope Francis in
2015.
FEBRUARY
3: The Holy Father received in audience His Highness Tui Atua Tupua Tamasese Efi, head of State of the Independent State of Samoa.
4: Presentation of the Holy Father's Lenten message for 2014, entitled "He became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich" (cf. 2 Cor 8,9).
6: Publication of the Holy Father's message, dated 21 January 2014, to the young people preparing for the 29th World Youth Day 2014, on the theme: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven".
6: The Holy Father receives in audience Wafaa Ashraf Moharram Bassim, ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt to the Holy See, presenting her credential letters.
7: Audience with the bishops of the Polish Episcopal Conference, at the end of
their five-yearly "ad limina" visit.
13: Audience with the bishops of the Episcopal Conference of Bulgaria, at the end of their five-yearly "ad limina" visit.
14: The Holy Father meets with ten thousand engaged couples from all over the world on the feast of St. Valentine. The encounter, organised by the Pontifical
Council for the Family, takes as its theme "The joy of 'Yes' for ever".
14: The Pope receives in audience prelates of the Czech Bishops' Conference at
the end of their "ad limina" visit.
15: Audience with the president of the Republic of Cyprus, Nicos Anastasiades.
16: Pastoral visit to the Roman parish of "San Tommaso Apostolo" in the Infernetto quarter.
17-19: The Pope meets with the Council of Cardinals, created on 13 April 2013 and confirmed by the chirograph of 28 September, to assist in the governance of
the Universal Church and to draw up a plan for the revision of the Apostolic Constitution "Pastor bonus" on the Roman Curia.
20-21: Extraordinary Consistory on the family.
21: The Holy Father receives in audience Dilma Rousseff, president of Brazil, on the occasion of the Consistory in which Archbishop Orani Tempesta of Rio de Janeiro is created a cardinal.
22: Ordinary Public Consistory for the creation of 19 new cardinals.
24: Motu proprio, "Fidelis et dispensator prudens", (Lk 12,42), by which the Holy Father constitutes a new framework for the coordination of economic and administrative matters of the Holy See and Vatican City State.
24: The president of the Republic of Haiti, Michael Joseph Martelly, is received in audience by Pope Francis.
25: Publication of a letter addressed by Pope Francis to families in view of the upcoming Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, scheduled for October 2014, on the theme "The pastoral challenges of the family in the context of evangelisation".
27: Presentation of the protocol for the Holy See's participation in Expo Milan 2015, on the theme "Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life".
MARCH
1: The Holy Father receives in audience Victor Ponta, prime minister of Romania.
3: Audience with the prelates of the Spanish Episcopal Conference at the end of their five-yearly "ad limina" visit.
3: The Pope appoints Msgr. Alfred Xuereb, official of the Secretariat of State, as prelate secretary general of the Secretariat for the Economy.
4: The Pope opens the gardens of the Pontifical Villas of Castel Gandolfo.
10: It is made public that from 13 to 18 August, the Holy Father will make an apostolic trip to the Republic of Korea, on the occasion of the 6th Asian Youth
Day, to be held in the diocese of Daejeon.
12: Cardinal Jose da Cruz Policarpo, patriarch emeritus of Lisbon, Portugal, dies at the age of 78.
16: Pastoral visit to the Roman parish of "Santa Maria dell'Orazione" at Setteville di Guidonia, in the north sector of the diocese of Rome.
17: Audience with the three prelates of the Episcopal Conference of East Timor
on their "ad limina" visit.
17: Christina Kirchner, president of the Argentine Republic, pays a private visit to the Holy Father.
17: Presentation of the "Global Freedom Network", an agreement between representatives of the great world religions to combat modern forms of slavery and human trafficking, in collaboration with the "Walk Free Foundation".
20: The Pope receives in audience Filip Vujanovic, president of the Republic of Montenegro.
20: Agreement signed by the NTT Data Corporation and the Vatican Apostolic Library to digitally archive 82,000 manuscripts.
21: Pope Francis nominates Cardinal Ennio Antonelli, president emeritus of the
Pontifical Council for the Family, as his special envoy to the celebration of the seventieth anniversary of the destruction and reconstruction of the Abbey of Montecassino, Italy.
21: The Holy Father receives in audience the President of the Republic of Malta, George Abela.
21: Death of His Holiness Mar Ignatius Zakka I Iwas, Syrian Orthodox Patriarch
of Antioch and all the East, at the age of 80.
22: Pope Francis receives in audience Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
22: The Holy Father Francis institutes the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors.
22: Msgr. Brian Ferme is appointed as prelate secretary of the Council for the
Economy.
22: The Holy Father appoints Cardinal Stanislaw Rylko, president of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, as his special envoy to the celebration commemorating the 650th anniversary of the consecration of the Cathedral of Krakow, Poland on 28 March.
24: Audience with the bishops of the Episcopal Conference of Guinea at the end
of their five-yearly "ad limina" visit.
25: The Holy Father appoints Bishop Nunzio Galantino of Cassano all'Jonio, Italy, as secretary general of the Italian Episcopal Conference for a five-year
term.
26: Pope Francis receives in audience Barack H. Obama, president of the United
States of America.
27: Pope Francis receives in audience Karolos Papoulias, president of the Hellenic Republic.
28: The Holy Father receives the bishops of the Episcopal Conference of Madagascar at the end of their five-yearly "ad limina" visit.
APRIL
3: The Holy Father receives in audience Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
3: Pope Francis receives in audience the bishops of the Conference of Catholic
Bishops of Rwanda at the end of their five-yearly "ad limina" visit.
5: The Holy Father Francis receives in audience Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, president of the Republic of Liberia.
6: Visit to the Roman parish of St. Gregory the Great, in the west of the diocese of Rome.
7: Pope Francis receives in audience the bishops of the Tanzania Episcopal Conference, at the end of their five-yearly "ad limina" visit.
7: His Majesty Abdullah II Ibn Al Hussein, King of Jordan, is received in audience by the Holy Father.
8: Death of His Beatitude Cardinal Emmanuel III Delly, patriarch emeritus of Babylon of the Chaldeans, Iraq, at the age of 87.
10: The Pope receives in audience Zvonimir Jankuloski, ambassador of the Republic of Macedonia at the Holy See, presenting his credential letters.
12: Cardinal Orani Joao Tempesta, archbishop of Sao Sebastiao do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, takes possession of the title of St. Mary Mother of Providence
in Monte Verde, Via di Donna Olimpia, 35.
17: Holy Mass "in cena Domini" at the St. Mary of Providence Centre of the Don
Carlo Gnocchi Foundation, Rome.
24: Cardinal Orlando B. Quevedo, O.M.I., archbishop of Cotabato, Philippines, takes of the title of St. Mary "Regina Mundi" in Torre Spaccata, Via Alessandro
Barbosi, 6.
25: Audience with the bishops of the Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference, from South Africa, Botswana and Swaziland, at the end of their "ad limina" visit.
26: The Holy Father receives in audience the prime minister of Ukraine, Arseniy Yatsenyuk.
26: The Holy Father receives in audience Juan Orlando Hernandez Alvarado, president of the Republic of Honduras, with his wife and entourage.
26: Pope Francis receives in audience Their Majesties King Albert II and Queen
Paola of Belgium.
26: Pope Francis receives in audience Bronislaw Komorowski, president of the Republic of Poland, with his wife and entourage.
27: Second Sunday of Easter (Divine Mercy Sunday), canonisation of Blesseds Pope John XXIII and Pope John Paul II.
27: Cardinal Philippe Nakellentuba Ouedraogo, archbishop of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, takes possession of the title of St. Mary the Consoler at Tiburtino, Via de Casal Bertone, 80.
28: Pope Francis receives Their Majesties King Carlos I and Queen Sofia of Spain.
28-30: Pope Francis' fourth meeting with the "Council of Cardinals", created by the Holy Father to help with the governance of the universal Church and to draw up a plan for the revision of the Apostolic Constitution "Pasto bonus" on the Roman Curia.

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
Vatican City, 30 July 2014 (VIS) - The Holy Father has accepted the resignation from the office of auxiliary of the archdiocese of Bombay, India, presented by Archbishop Agnelo Rufino Gracias, upon reaching the age limit.

___________________________________________________________

For more information and to search for documents refer to the site: www.visnews.org and www.vatican.va

Copyright (VIS): the news contained in the services of the Vatican
Information Service may be reproduced wholly or partially by quoting
the source: V. I. S. - Vatican Information Service. http://www.vatican.va/news_services/press/vis/vis_en.html

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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 143
DATE 31-07-2014

Summary:
- FULL AGENDA FOR POPE'S APOSTOLIC TRIP TO TIRANA
- POPE FRANCIS' PRAYER INTENTIONS FOR AUGUST
- PAPAL AND HOLY SEE HIGHLIGHTS FOR MAY - JULY 2014
- AUDIENCES
- OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
- NOTICE

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FULL AGENDA FOR POPE'S APOSTOLIC TRIP TO TIRANA
Vatican City, 31 July 2014 (VIS) - The programme of the Pope's Apostolic trip to Tirana, Albania, scheduled for 21 September, was published today.
The Holy Father will depart at 7.30 a.m. from Rome's Fiumicino airport, and will arrive at the "Mother Theresa" aerodrome in Tirana at 9 a.m., where he will be greeted by the prime minister, Edi Rama. He will proceed to the Presidential Palace to make a courtesy visit to the president of the Republic of Albania, Bujar Nishani, followed by greetings with the political authorities.
At 11 a.m., Francis will celebrate Mass and pray the Sunday Angelus in Mother Theresa Square. He will then transfer to the apostolic nunciature to lunch with
the Albanian bishops and members of the papal entourage. At 4 p.m. he will address the leaders of other religions and Christian denominations at the Catholic University "Our Lady of Good Counsel". At 5 p.m. he will celebrate Vespers with the priests, religious, seminarians and members of Albanian lay movements in the Cathedral of Tirana, after which, at 6.30 a.m., he will visit children at the Betania Centre, along with various people from other charitable
centres in Albania.
At 7.45 the Pope will leave for the airport, departing for Rome at 8 p.m. He is expected to arrive in Rome's Ciampino airport at 9.30 p.m.

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POPE FRANCIS' PRAYER INTENTIONS FOR AUGUST
Vatican City, 31 July 2014 (VIS) - Pope Francis' universal prayer intention for August is: "That refugees, forced by violence to abandon their homes, may find a generous welcome and the protection of their rights".
His intention for evangelisation is: "That Christians in Oceania may joyfully announce the faith to all the people of that region".

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PAPAL AND HOLY SEE HIGHLIGHTS FOR MAY - JULY 2014
Vatican City, 31 July 2014 (VIS) - The following are highlights of the activities of Pope Francis and the Holy See during the months of May to July 2014.
MAY
2: Audience with the president of the Republic of Angola, Jose Eduardo dos Santos.
2: Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, is nominated as the Pope's special envoy to the consecration of the recently restored shrine to St. Augustine d'Ippona at Annaba, Algeria, to take place on 2 May 2014, the centenary of its elevation to
a Basilica.
2: First meeting of the Council for the Economy, instituted by the Holy Father
by the Motu proprio "Fidelis dispensator et prudens" on 24 February.
3: Audience with the bishops of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Sri Lanka,
at the end of their five-yearly "ad limina" visit.
5: Audience with the bishops of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of Burundi,
at the end of their five-yearly "ad limina" visit.
7-12: The Holy See is guest of honour at the 27th Turin International Book Fair.
8: His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians,
meets the Holy Father.
9: Audience with the prelates of the Bishops' Conference of Ethiopia and Eritrea, at the end of their "ad limina" visit.
10: During his audience with Cardinal Angelo Amato, S.D.B., prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, the Holy Father authorised the dicastery
to communicate that the rite of beatification of the Venerable Servant of God Paul VI will take place in the Vatican on 19 October 2014.
11: Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri, secretary general of the Synod of Bishops, takes possession of the diaconate of Sant'Anselmo all'Aventino, Piazza dei Cavalieri di Malta, 5.
12: Death of Cardinal Marco Ce, Patriarch emeritus of Venice, Italy, at the age of 88.
13: Pope Francis presides at the 13th Ordinary Council of the Synod of Bishops.
15: Pope Francis receives the credential letters of seven new ambassadors to the Holy See: Pierre Yves Fux, Switzerland; Rudolf P. von Balimoos, Liberia; Nega Tsegaye Tessema, Ethiopia; Nasreldin Ahmed Wali Abdeltif, Sudan; Margaret Ann Louise Jobson, Jamaica; Claudinah Ntini Ramosepele, South Africa; and Mysore Kapanalah Lokesh, India.
15: The Holy Father receives in audience the Governor General of New Zealand, Sir Jerry Mateparae.
19: Audience with the bishops of the Mexican Episcopal Conference, on their five-yearly "ad limina" visit.
19: The Holy Father Francis receives in audience His Majesty Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, King of Bahrain.
19: The Holy Father Francis receives in audience the prime minister of Poland,
Donald Tusk.
19: The Financial Information Authority (AIF) of the Holy See and the Vatican City State presents its Annual Report for 2013.
19: For the first time, Pope Francis opens the 66th General Assembly of the Italian Episcopal Conference (CEI).
21: Audience with Gjorge Ivanov, president of the Republic of Macedonia, with his wife and entourage.
24-26: Pilgrimage in the Holy Land to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the encounter in Jerusalem between Pope Paul VI and the Patriarch Athenagoras.
25: Cardinal Beniamino Stella, prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy, takes possession of the diaconate of Sts. Cosmas and Damian, Via dei Fori Imperiali, 1.
31: Cardinal Kelvin Edward Felix, archbishop emeritus of Castries, Antilles, takes possession of the title of Santa Maria della Salute a Primavalle, Via Tommaso De Vio, 5.
JUNE
2: Audience with the prelates of the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops' Conference, at
the end of their "ad limina" visit.
2: Death of Cardinal Simon Duraisamy Lourdusamy, prefect emeritus of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches and archbishop emeritus of Bangalore, India, at the age of 90.
5: The Holy Father meets with His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Apostolic Church of Cilicia.
6: Audience with the prime minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe.
7: Cardinal Chibly Langlois, bishop of Les Cayes, Haiti, takes possession of the title of San Giacomo in Augusta, Via del Corso, 499.
7: Audience with the president of Mexico, Enrique Pena Nieto.
7: The Financial Information Authority (AIF) of the Holy See and Vatican City State, formalises its bilateral cooperation with the U.K., France, Malta, Romania, Poland and Peru.
7: Cardinal Ferdinand Filoni, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples, is appointed as the Pope's special envoy to the celebrations for the 500th anniversary of the foundation of the diocese of Funchal, in Madeira, Portugal, from 13 to 16 June 2014.
8: Cardinal Gualtiero Bassetti takes possession of the title of St. Cecilia, Piazza di St. Cecilia, 22.
8: Invocation for Peace in the Vatican Gardens, an initiative Pope Francis proposed to presidents Shimon Peres and Mahmoud Abbas during his pilgrimage to the Holy Land, to pray for the gift of peace for the Israeli and Palestinian peoples.
9: Death of Cardinal Bernard Agre, archbishop emeritus of Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire, at the age of 88.
12: Ordinary Public Consistory for the canonisation, on 23 November 2014, of Blesseds Giovanni Antonio Farina, bishop of Vicenza, Italy, and founder of the Institute of the Sisters of Saint Dorothy, Daughters of the Sacred Hearts; Kuriakose Elias Chavara of the Holy Family, Indian priest and founder of the Congregation of the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate; Ludovico de Casoria, Italian
professed priest of the Order of Friars Minor, founder of the Congregation of the Franciscan Sisters of Saint Elizabeth ("Bigie"); Nicola da Longobardi, Italian professed oblate of the Order of Minims; Eufrasia Eluvathingal of the Sacred Heart, Indian professed religious of the Congregation of the Mother of Carmel, and Amato Ronconi, Italian layperson of the Third Order of St. Francis,
founder of the founder of the Hospital-Hospice for Poor Pilgrims of Saludecio, now the Beato Amato Ronconi Nursing Home.
13: Pope Francis receives in audience Danilo Medina Sanchez, president of the Dominican Republic.
14: Publication of the Holy Father's message for the 88th World Mission Day, to be held on 19 October 2014.
15: Visit to the Sant'Egidio Community.
16: Pope Francis receives in audience the Archbishop of Canterbury, His Grace Justin Welby.
17: The 2014 Ratzinger Prize will be awarded to Professor Anne-Marie Pelletier
and Professor Msgr. Waldemar Chrostowski on 22 November.
21: Pastoral visit to the diocese of Cassano all'Jonio, Calabria.
21: Pope Francis appoints Cardinal Jozef Tomko, prefect emeritus of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples, as his special envoy to the 25th anniversary of the liberation of the Greek Catholic eparchy of Mukachevo, to take place in Uzhhorod, Ukraine, on 28 June 2014.
22: Presentation of the Instrumentum laboris of the 3 rd Extraordinary General
Assembly of the Synod of Bishops (5-19 October 2014), on the theme "The pastoral challenges of the family in the context of evangelisation".
28: The Pope receives in audience the president of the Republic of Madagascar,
Hery Martial Rajaonarimampianina.
30: The Holy Father receives in audience Their Majesties King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain.
JULY
1.4: Fifth meeting between the Pope and the Council of Cardinals, instituted by Pope Francis to assist in the governance of the universal Church and to draw
up a plan for the review of the Apostolic Constitution "Pastor bonus" on the Roman Curia.
5: Pastoral visit to the dioceses of Campobasso-Boiano and Isernia-Venafro in the region of Molise, Italy.
5: Pope Francis proclaims the Celestine Jubilee Year in the Cathedral Square, Isernia, the birthplace of the hermit Pietro da Morrone, the future Pope Celestine V (1209-1296) who was elected in the Conclave of 1292-1294 and after just five months abdicated from the papacy to resume his life as a hermit.
5: Message from the Holy Father to the Archbishop of Agrigento, Francesco Montenegro, on the first anniversary of the papal visit to the Sicilian island of Lampedusa, where he prayed for African migrants who have lost their lives in
the Mediterranean.
7: Seven victims of abuse by members of the clergy attend Mass celebrated by the Holy Father in the Chapel of the Domus Sanctae Marthae.
8: Motu proprio of the Holy Father Francis on the transfer of the Ordinary Section of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See to the Secretariat of the Economy.
8: The Prefecture for Economic Affairs of the Holy See reports a positive balance for the 2013 Budgets of the Holy See and the Governorate of Vatican City State.
26: Pastoral visit to Caserta.
27: Death of Cardinal Francesco Marchisano, archpriest emeritus of St. Peter's
Basilica, at the age of 85.
28: Private visit with the evangelical pastor Giovanni Traettino, Caserta.
29: Announcement of the Holy Father's Apostolic trip to Sri Lanka from 12 to 15 January, and the Philippines from 15 to 19 January 2015.
31: Publication of the programme for Pope Francis' forthcoming Apostolic trip to Tirana, Albania, on 21 September 2014.

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AUDIENCES
Vatican City, 31 July 2014 (VIS) - Today the Holy Father received in audience Msgr. Pio Vito Pinto, dean of the Tribunal of the Roman Rota.

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
Vatican City, 31 July 2014 (VIS) - The Holy Father has appointed Rev. Fr. Ephrem Nariculam as bishop of the eparchy of Chanda of the Syro-Malabars (area 32,233, population 4,357,654, Catholics 13,119, priests 85, religious 563), India. The bishop-elect was born in Sanjopuram, India in 1960, and was ordained
a priest in 1986. He holds a doctorate in spiritual theology from the St. Peter's Pontifical Institute in Bangalore, India, and has served as parish priest in Ernakulam and Delhi and rector of the minor seminary of the eparchy of Chanda. He is currently chaplain of the Syro-Malabar community of Toronto, Canada. He succeeds Bishop Vijay Anand Nedumpuram, C.M.I., whose resignation from the pastoral governance of the same eparchy, upon reaching the age limit, was accepted by the Holy Father.

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NOTICE
Vatican City, 31 July 2014 (VIS) - We inform our readers that during the month
of August, the Vatican Information Service will remain closed. Service will resume on Monday 1 September.

___________________________________________________________

For more information and to search for documents refer to the site: www.visnews.org and www.vatican.va

Copyright (VIS): the news contained in the services of the Vatican
Information Service may be reproduced wholly or partially by quoting
the source: V. I. S. - Vatican Information Service. http://www.vatican.va/news_services/press/vis/vis_en.html

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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 145
DATE 02-09-2014

Summary:
- THE POPE TO FOOTBALL STARS: RELIGION AND SPORT AGAINST DISCRIMINATION

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THE POPE TO FOOTBALL STARS: RELIGION AND SPORT AGAINST DISCRIMINATION
Vatican City, 2 September 2014 (VIS) - Yesterday afternoon in the Vatican's Paul VI Hall the Holy Father received in audience the members of the so-called "Pope's Football Team for Peace" - fifty players who form part of the history of the sport, including Diego Armando Maradona, Radja Nainggolan, Javier Zanetti, Andriy Shevchenko and Andrea Pirlo, to name just a few.
The match, which took place at 8.45 p.m. in Rome's Olympic Stadium, was organised by the Argentine P.U.P.I. Foundation, a charitable organisation, and the proceeds will be devolved to the "Scholas occurentes" initiative which, through technology, art and sport, promotes the social integration of marginalised children and young people. The name of the foundation derives from
the footballer Zanetti's nickname, "Pupi", and is also an acronym for the phrase "Por un piberio integrado", "For an integrated childhood".
In his address to the organisers and participants in the "interreligious football match for peace", the Pope emphasised that the encounter, aside from providing assistance to these projects of solidarity, also offered an opportunity to reflect on the universal values promoted by football and sport in general, such as loyalty, sharing, acceptance, dialogue and trust in others.
He added, "These are values that we all have in common, regardless of race, culture and religious belief. Indeed, this evening's sporting event is a highly
symbolic gesture to show that it is possible to construct a culture of encounter and a world of peace, where believers of different religions, preserving their identity - because when I said 'regardless of', this did not mean 'setting aside', no - believers of different faiths, preserving their own identity, may co-exist in harmony and with mutual respect".
Francis also expressed his hope that sport might contribute to "the peaceful co-existence of all peoples, banishing any form of discrimination on the grounds of ethnic origin, language or religion". Addressing the players, he remarked, "You know that to discriminate may be synonymous with contempt. Discrimination is contempt, and you, in today's match, are saying 'No' to any form of discrimination. Religions, in particular, must be a vehicle for peace and never for hatred, because God's name must be associated only, and always, with love. Religion and sport, in their true sense, are able to collaborate and
offer eloquent signs to all of society of this new era in which peoples "never raise their swords against each other".
Before the beginning of the match, a video message from the Pontiff to the players and the public, in Spanish, was screened in the Olympic Stadium. The full text of the message is reproduced below:
"Good evening. I am glad you are gathered here for this symbolic match. It is a match that highlights the union between the teams, the union between those who participate as spectators, and the desire of all for peace. A match in which no-one plays just for himself, but for others. Or rather, for all. And in
this way each person multiplies, and by playing as part of a team, each one is magnified and becomes a greater person. When playing in a team, competition is not war, but is instead the seed of peace. This is why the symbol of this match
is the olive tree. I especially wish to greet the members of Scholas, who have organised this match and who will plant the olive tree of peace. I invite all of us to plant this tree of peace along with Scholas. I apologise for speaking in Spanish, but it is the language of my heart, and today I wanted to speak from the heart. Thank you".

___________________________________________________________

For more information and to search for documents refer to the site: www.visnews.org and www.vatican.va

Copyright (VIS): the news contained in the services of the Vatican
Information Service may be reproduced wholly or partially by quoting
the source: V. I. S. - Vatican Information Service. http://www.vatican.va/news_services/press/vis/vis_en.html

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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 147
DATE 04-09-2014

Summary:
- RELIGIONS AND PEACE AT THE CENTRE OF THE POPE'S AUDIENCES WITH ISRAELI EX-PRESIDENT SHIMON PERES AND PRINCE EL HASSAN BIN TALAL OF JORDAN
- MEETING OF THE COUNCIL FOR THE ECONOMY
- AUDIENCES
- IN MEMORIAM

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RELIGIONS AND PEACE AT THE CENTRE OF THE POPE'S AUDIENCES WITH ISRAELI EX-PRESIDENT SHIMON PERES AND PRINCE EL HASSAN BIN TALAL OF JORDAN
Vatican City, 4 September 2014 (VIS) - Peace and the role of religions were the central theme of the Pope's meeting with the ex-president of the State of Israel, Shimon Peres. During their long discussion, lasting around 45 minutes, in which Peres presented to the Pontiff his plan to create a sort of United Nations for religions, based on the assumption that while in the past the majority of wars were motivated by the idea of nationhood, in the current world
the trigger for conflicts is primarily the excuse of religion. The Holy Father listened attentively and with interest to the Israeli ex-president's proposal, and the discussion took place in a very cordial atmosphere.
Similarly, peace and religion were the key point in the Holy Father's meeting with Prince El Hassan Bin Talal, of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The prince, founder of the "Royal Institute for Interfaith Studies", presented the centre's activity to the Pope, emphasising the common ground shared by religions and the possibilities of collaboration in activities of solidarity with the least fortunate in a globalised world. The meeting, again of a cordial
nature, lasted around half an hour.

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MEETING OF THE COUNCIL FOR THE ECONOMY
Vatican City, 4 September 2014 (VIS) - The Council for the Economy, instituted
by the Holy Father on 24 February by the Motu proprio "Fidelis dispensator et prudens", will meet today to discuss the statutes of this institution. During the meeting, which will conclude this afternoon, the Council will also discuss the transfer of competences from APSA (Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See) to the Secretariat for the Economy and the criteria for drawing up a budget balances system.

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AUDIENCES
Vatican City, 4 September 2014 (VIS) - Today, the Holy Father received in audience fifteen prelates from the National Episcopal Conference of Cameroon, on their "ad limina" visit:
- Bishop Dieudonne Bogmis of Eseka;
- Bishop Dieudonne Espoir Atangana of Nkongsamba;
- Archbishop Antoine Ntalou of Garoua;
- Bishop Bruno Ateba Edo of Maroua-Mokolo, with Bishop emeritus Philippe Albert Joseph Stevens;
- Bishop Joseph Djida of Ngaoundere;
- Bishop Barthelemy Yaouda Hourgo of Yagoua;
- Bishop Jean-Marie Benoit Bala of Bafia, with Bishop emeritus Athanase Bala;
- Bishop Jean Mbarga of Ebolowa, apostolic administrator "ad Nutum Sanctae Sedis" of Yaounde, with Archbishop emeritus Simon-Victor Tonye Bakot of Yaounde;
- Bishop Adalbert Ndzana of Mbalmayo;
- Bishop Sosthene Leopold Bayemi Matjei of Obala, with Bishop emeritus Jerome Owono-Mimboe;
- Bishop Christophe Zoa of Sangmelima.

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IN MEMORIAM
Vatican City, 4 September 2014 (VIS) - The following prelates died in recent weeks:
- Bishop Robert William Donnelly, auxiliary emeritus of Toledo, Ohio, USA, on 21 July at the age of 83.
- Bishop Pedro Luis Antonio, emeritus of Kwito-Bie, Angola on 25 July, at the age of 93.
- Bishop Spiridon Mattar, emeritus of Nossa Senhora do Paraiso em Sao Paulo of
the Greek Melkites, Brazil, on 26 July at the age of 93.
- Cardinal Francesco Marchisano, president emeritus of the Labour Office of the Apostolic See, on 27 July at the age of 85.
- Cardinal Edward Bede Clancy, archbishop emeritus of Sydney, Australia, on 3 August at the age of 90.
- Archbishop Benedito de Ulhoa Vieira, emeritus of Uberaba, Brazil, on 3 August at the age of 93.
- Bishop Luciano Bux, emeritus of Oppido Mamertina-Palmi, Italy, on 8 August at the age of 78.
- Bishop Edmund John Patrick Collins, M.S.C, emeritus of Darwin, Australia, on
8 August at the age of 83.
- Archbishop Leonardo Zamora Legaspi, O.P., emeritus of Caceres, Philippines, on 8 August at the age of 78.
- Archbishop Armando Cirio, O.S.I. emeritus of Cascavel, Brazil, on 11 August at the age of 98.
- Bishop Morkos Hakim, O.F.M., emeritus of Sohag of the Copts, Egypt, on 11 August at the age of 83.
- Bishop Paul Nguyen Thanh Hoan, emeritus of Phan Thiet, Vietnam, on 18 August
at the age of 74.
- Cardinal Edmund Casimir Szoka, president emeritus of the Governorate of Vatican City State, on 20 August at the age of 86.
- Bishop Ramon Echarren Isturiz, emeritus of the Canary Isles, Spain, on 25 August at the age of 84.
- Bishop John Joseph Nevins, emeritus of Venice, Florida, USA, on 26 August at
the age of 82.
- Bishop Simon Akwali Okafor, emeritus of Awka, Nigeria, on 29 August at the age of 79.

___________________________________________________________

For more information and to search for documents refer to the site: www.visnews.org and www.vatican.va

Copyright (VIS): the news contained in the services of the Vatican
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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 151
DATE 10-09-2014

Summary:
- GENERAL AUDIENCE: MERCY IS ESSENTIAL
- MAY THE LORD REWARD AND GIVE COURAGE TO CHRISTIANS IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND SYRIA
- CARDINAL MULLER TO TAKE POSSESSION OF HIS DIACONATE
- OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

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GENERAL AUDIENCE: MERCY IS ESSENTIAL
Vatican City, 10 September 2014 (VIS) - A special aspect of the "maternity" of
the Church is education through mercy, and this was the subject of the Holy Father's catechesis during this Wednesday's general audience in St. Peter's Square.
Like a good mother and educator, the Church focuses on the essential, and the essential, according to the Gospel, is mercy, as Jesus clearly tells his disciples: "Be merciful, just as your father is". "Is it possible for a Christian not to be merciful?" asked Pope Francis. "No. The Christian must necessarily be merciful, because this is at the centre of the Gospel. And so the Church behaves like Jesus. She does not give theoretical lessons on love or
on mercy. She does not spread throughout the world a philosophy or a path to wisdom. Certainly, Christianity is all of this too", the Pope remarked, "but as
a consequence, a reflection. The mother Church, like Jesus, teaches by example,
and words serve to cast light on the meaning of her gestures".
Therefore, "the Mother Church teaches us to give food and drink to those who hunger and thirst, and to clothe those who are naked. And how does she do this?
She does it through the example of many saints who have done it in an exemplary
fashion, but she also does it through the example of many fathers and mothers, who teach their children that what we have left over is for those who are in need of basic necessities. In the most humble Christian families, the rule of hospitality is always sacred: there is always a dish of food and a place to sleep for those in need". And to those who say they have nothing to spare, Francis gave the example of a family in his former diocese who shared half of what they had to eat with a poor man who knocked at their door. "Learning to share what we have is important".
The mother Church teaches us to be close to those who are sick. Like the saints who have served Jesus in this way, there are many people who practise this work of mercy every day in hospitals, rest homes, or in their own homes, providing assistance for the sick.
The mother Church also teaches us to be close to those who are imprisoned. "'But Father', some will say, 'This is dangerous. These are bad people'. Listen
carefully: any one of us is capable of doing what these men and women in prison
have done. We all sin and make mistakes in life. They are not worse than you or
me. Mercy overcomes any wall or barrier, and leads us always to seek the face of the human being. And it is mercy that changes hearts and lives, that is able
to regenerate a person or enable him to be newly reintegrated in society".
"The mother Church teaches us to be close to those who have been abandoned and
who die lonely. This is what Mother Teresa did in the streets of Calcutta and it is what many Christians, those who are not afraid to take the hand of those who are about to leave this world, have done and continue to do. And here too, mercy offers peace to those who depart and to those who remain, making us aware
that God is greater than death, and that by staying with Him, even the final separation is only 'until we meet again'".
"The Church is a mother", he continued, "teaching her children the works of mercy. She has learned this path from Jesus; she has learned that this is essential for salvation. It is not enough to love those who love us. It is not enough to do good to those who do good to us in return. To change the world for
the better is it necessary to do good to those who are not able to do the same for us, as our Father did for us, in giving us Jesus. How much have we paid for
our redemption? Nothing. It was all free. Doing good without expecting anything
in return - this is what our Father did for us and what we too must do". For this reason, he concluded, "let us give thanks to the Lord, who has given us the grace of having the Church as a mother who teaches us the way of mercy, the
way of life".

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MAY THE LORD REWARD AND GIVE COURAGE TO CHRISTIANS IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND SYRIA
Vatican City, 10 September 2014 (VIS) - In his greetings in various languages following the catechesis of today's general audience, the Pope addressed, among
others, the Arab-speaking faithful and in particular those from Syria and the Middle East, to remind them that the Church, following the example of her Master, excels in mercy: "she faces hatred with love, vanquishes violence with forgiveness, and responds to weapons with prayer".
He added, "May the Lord reward your faithfulness, inspire you with courage in the struggle against the forces of evil, and open the eyes of those who have been blinded by evil, so that they may soon see the light of truth and repent for the mistakes they have made. May the Lord bless you and protect you always".
He also greeted the officers and members of the Italian naval forces who participate in the operation "Mare Nostrum", assisting migrants and refugees who attempt to cross the Mediterranean. "I give thanks for your admirable work in the aid of so many of our brethren in search of hope", he said.
Before the general audience in the Vatican's Paul VI Hall, the Holy Father greeted a group of sick people, mostly children, who were not able to attend the audience in St. Peter's Square. He thanked them all for their visit and asked them to pray for him. "I ask you to pray for me. Don't forget! Pray so that I can continue my work. I will pray for all of you and for the children. And so, together, let us pray to the Virgin to bless us", he exclaimed. After praying a Hail Mary with those present, Francis wished them a good day and encouraged them to persevere with hope.

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CARDINAL MULLER TO TAKE POSSESSION OF HIS DIACONATE
Vatican City, 10 September 2014 (VIS) - The Office of Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff today announced that this coming Sunday, 14 September, at 12.15 p.m., Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Muller, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, will take possession of the diaconate of Sant'Agnese
in Agone, Via di Santa Maria dell'Anima, 30/A.

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
Vatican City, 10 September 2014 (VIS) - The Holy Father has appointed:
- Archbishop Luigi Bianco, apostolic nuncio in Ethiopia, as apostolic nuncio in Djibouti and apostolic delegate in Somalia.
- Rev. Fr. Robert J. Geisinger, S.J., (U.S.A.), as procurer general of the Society of Jesus.
- Msgr. Robert W. Oliver of the clergy of the archdiocese of Boston, as secretary of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors. Msgr. Oliver was formerly promoter of justice of the Congregation for the Doctrine of
the Faith.

___________________________________________________________

For more information and to search for documents refer to the site: www.visnews.org and www.vatican.va

Copyright (VIS): the news contained in the services of the Vatican
Information Service may be reproduced wholly or partially by quoting
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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 152
DATE 11-09-2014

Summary:
- Dialogue, religious freedom and rejection of extremism and violence at the centre of the Pope's meeting with the president of Tunisia
- Pope Francis to visit the European Parliament
- The Pope's message to the Ecclesial Pan-Amazonian Network
- Satisfactory meeting of the Vietnam - Holy See Joint Working Group
- Cardinal Sandri: educate so as not to fall prey to a vision of conflict between civilisations or religions
- Audiences

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Dialogue, religious freedom and rejection of extremism and violence at the centre of the Pope's meeting with the president of Tunisia
Vatican City, 11 September 2014 (VIS) - Today the Holy Father Francis received
in audience Mohamed Moncef Marzouki, president of the Tunisian Republic, who subsequently met with Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, accompanied by Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, Secretary for Relations with States.
During the cordial discussions, various themes of common interest were reviewed, such as the promotion of peace, interreligious dialogue and human rights, with particular reference to the defence of freedom of conscience and religious freedom, as well as the refusal of every form of extremism or violence. The Parties noted the commitment of the Catholic Church in social issues and the fields of health and education, in the service of all Tunisian citizens, especially the poorest and most in need.
Finally, various questions of an international and regional nature were examined, paying special attention to the situation in the Mediterranean Basin.

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Pope Francis to visit the European Parliament
Vatican City, 11 September 2014 (VIS) - This morning the director of the Holy See Press Office, Fr. Federico Lombardi, confirmed the communique issued this morning in Strasbourg by the president of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz, that Pope Francis has accepted the invitation to visit the European Parliament and to address its members during a solemn session. The visit will take place on 25 November.

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The Pope's message to the Ecclesial Pan-Amazonian Network
Vatican City, 11 September 2014 (VIS) - Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin has sent a message on behalf of the Holy Father to the participants in the meeting of the Ecclesial Pan-Amazonian Network in Brasilia, Brazil, which concludes tomorrow. The message is addressed to Archbishop Pedro Ricardo Barreto Jimeno S.J., of Huancayo, Colombia, president of the Department of Justice and Solidarity of the CELAM (Latin American Episcopal Council).
The Pope, referring to his apostolic exhortation "Evangelii gaudium", remarks that the participants in the meeting respond to the crucial challenge of "living together, of mingling, of meeting, of taking each other's hands, of supporting each other, of participating in this chaotic and high tide so that it may be transformed into a true experience of fraternity, a cavalcade of solidarity, a holy pilgrimage. In this way, the great potential of communication translates into greater possibilities for encounter and solidarity".
Francis expresses his joy at seeing the results of his appeal for the creation
of an innovative network dedicated specifically to ecological matters related to the Amazon and his hopes for the outcome of the initiative. He also takes the opportunity to remind those present that the network must be rich in humanity - a network not of threads, but of people. "It is not enough to circulate on digital 'paths'", he writes. "It is necessary for this connection to be accompanied by true encounter: we cannot live alone, closed up in ourselves; we need to love and be loved, and we need tenderness. Only in this way can Christian witness, thanks to this network, reach the existential peripheries of humanity, facilitating the work of Christian leaven and bringing
progress to the living cultures of Amazonia and their values".

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Satisfactory meeting of the Vietnam - Holy See Joint Working Group
Vatican City, 11 September 2014 (VIS) - The Vietnam - Holy See Joint Working Group held its fifth meeting in Hanoi from 10 to 11 September, co-chaired by Bui Thanh Son, deputy minister for foreign affairs and head of the Vietnamese delegation, and Msgr. Antoine Camilleri of the Holy See Secretariat for Relations with States and head of the Holy See delegation.
According to a press release published at the end of the meeting, the Holy See
delegation "appreciated the support given by the competent authorities at all levels to the Catholic Church in Vietnam for the accomplishment of her mission.
It also took note of the development in the religious policies of Vietnam, reflected in the 2013 Amended Constitution. The Vietnamese State has facilitated working visits to Vietnam by the non-resident special envoy of the Holy See to Vietnam, Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli. The Holy See delegation reaffirmed that it attached great importance to the development of relations with Vietnam in particular and Asia in general, as evidenced by the recent and upcoming papal trips to the continent. The Holy See reaffirmed its commitment towards the goal of establishing diplomatic relations with Vietnam, and, together with the Catholic Church in the country, wishes to make more active contributions to the country's development where the Catholic Church is strong,
for example in health care, education, charity and humanitarian works. The Vietnamese side reiterated the consistent policy of the State and Party in respecting freedom of religion and belief of all people and supporting the Catholic Church in Vietnam to actively participate in national social and economic development".
"Both Parties emphasised again the underlying principles of 'living the Gospel
within the Nation' and that 'being a good Catholic means being a good citizen'.
The Holy See delegation stressed that Pope Francis had followed with interest recent developments in relations between Vietnam and the Holy See, and encouraged the Catholic Community in Vietnam to continue contributing towards the country's major goals. Both Parties noted with satisfaction the positive developments in relations between Vietnam and the Holy See, as shown by increased exchanges and contacts at all levels, meetings of the Joint Working Group and working visits of the non-resident special envoy in Vietnam. They agreed on maintaining dialogue and contacts while creating favourable conditions for his mission, as he helps the Catholic Church in Vietnam to implement papal teaching".
"The meeting took place in a sincere, candid and mutually respectful atmosphere. The Parties agreed to convene the 6th meeting of the Vietnam - Holy
See Joint Working Group in the Vatican, at a date to be arranged through diplomatic channels".
"On this occasion, the Holy See delegation paid a courtesy visit to the deputy
prime minister and minister of foreign affairs Pham Binh Minh, and met with the
deputy minister of of the interior and Chairman of the Government Committee for
Religious Affairs Pham Dung. The delegation also took the opportunity to visit some Catholic institutions in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City".

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Cardinal Sandri: educate so as not to fall prey to a vision of conflict between civilisations or religions
Vatican City, 11 September 2014 (VIS) - Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches, addressed the Permanent Council of the United States Episcopal Conference in Washington D.C. on Tuesday 9 September. The prelate declared that after his trips to Syria in January 2011 and Iraq in December 2012, he "never would have imagined that we would find ourselves in the present situation". He added, "Still in the twenty-first century, as if history has taught nothing, we must witness barbarities and atrocities which strike above all the weakest: the elderly, women and children.
Along with my preoccupations for the thousands of refugees ... I have ever in mind the bishops and priests still in the hands of kidnappers in Syria, and I cannot forget the journalists so brutally killed".
Cardinal Sandri remarked that, "On the one hand, the action of the Holy Spirit
continues to make the Church fertile in every part of the world, manifesting its characteristic maternity. Yet, on the other hand, it must be recognised that the Churches, which gave rise in great part to the diffusion of the Gospel
in the Apostolic era, are now shaken at their foundations and threatened in their very existence". He also referred to the difficulties experienced by the Church in Jerusalem, reiterating his conviction that "a durable peace in the Holy Land would contribute significantly to the stability of the whole Middle East", also highlighting "the drama of the Church in Antioch". He emphasised, "If these Churches, the historic mothers of the evangelising mission, are struck at their foundations, we, as their children, cannot be silent. ... God chose that part of the world as 'the cradle of a universal plan of salvation in
love'", adding that "for nearly two thousand years these Christians have kept alive the flame of the first Pentecost in those lands".
Cardinal Sandri repeated the words of Pope Francis to the members of the Oriental Congregation at the end of their Plenary Session last November: "Every
Catholic owes a debt of thanks to the Churches that live in that region. From these Churches we may learn, among other things, the effort of the daily exercise of the spirit of ecumenism and of interreligious dialogue. The geographical, historical and cultural context in which they have lived for centuries has indeed made them natural interlocutors with numerous other Christian confessions and with other religions".
He thanked the American Episcopal Conference for the "constant and generous attention" shown to the Oriental Churches, especially in relation to efforts to
raise the awareness of the political authorities. He also thanked the Catholic Near East Welfare Association (CNEWA) for the work of the Pontifical Mission for Palestine, as well as Aid to the Church in Need and Catholic Relief Services, and highlighted the "great hospitality the United States has given over the decades to all of the Eastern Churches in the diaspora".
He mentioned the situation "of extreme urgency" in Iraq, and remarked that "in
dialogue both clarity and fraternal respect are needed. ... We have the responsibility of educating our faithful lest they yield to a vision of conflict between civilisations or religions. We must recall that it has taken Catholic theological and biblical reflection centuries to arrive at its present
capacity for interpreting our sacred texts without undue fear of violating the depositum fidei".
He concluded by encouraging those present to follow with attention the interventions of the Holy See in its various modes and the representatives of the Holy See in various international organisations, and to support the role of
the United Nations, an "effective forum through which to prevent the repetition
of violence and injustice".

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Audiences
Vatican City, 11 September 2014 (VIS) - Today the Holy Father received in audience:
- Archbishop Santo Gangemi, apostolic nuncio in Guinea and Mali
- Twenty-four prelates of the Episcopal Conference of Congo, on their "ad Limina" visit:
- Archbishop Francois Xavier Maroy Rusengo of Bukavu;
- Bishop Melchisedech Sikuli Paluku of Butembo-Beni;
.- Bishop Theophile Kaboy Ruboneka of Goma;
- Bishop Placide Lubamba Ndjibu, M. Afr., of Kasongo;
- Bishop Willy Ngumbi Ngengele, M. Afr., of Kindu;
- Bishop Sebastien Muyengo Mulombe of Uvira;
- Archbishop Marcel Madila Basanguka of Kananga
- Bishop Valentin Masengo Nkinda of Kabinda;
- Bishop Pierre-Celestin Tshitoko Mamba of Luebo;
- Bishop Felicien Mwanama Galumbulula of Luiza;
- Bishop Bernard-Emmanuel Kasanda Mulenga of Mbujimayi;
- Bishop Gerard Mulumba Kalemba of Mweka;
- Bishop Nicolas Djomo Lola of Tshumbe;
- Cardinal Laurent Monsengwo Pasinya, archbishop of Kinshasa, with his auxiliaries, Bishop Edouard Kisonga Ndinga, S.S.S., and Bishop Timothee Bodika Mansiyai, P.S.S.;
- Bishop Cyprien Mbuka, C.I.C.M., of Boma;
- Bishop Jose Moko Ekanga, P.S.S., of Idiofa;
- Bishop Philippe Nkiere Kena, C.I.C.M., of Inongo;
- Bishop Jean Gaspard Mudiso Mund'la, S.V.D., of Kenge;
- Bishop Edouard Mununu Kasiala of Kikwit;
- Bishop Fidele Nsielele Zi Mputu of Kisantu;
- Bishop Daniel Nlandu Mayi of Matadi; and
- Bishop Louis Nzala Kianza of Popokabaka.
- Archbishop Emil Paul Tscherrig, apostolic nuncio in Argentina.

___________________________________________________________

For more information and to search for documents refer to the site: www.visnews.org and www.vatican.va

Copyright (VIS): the news contained in the services of the Vatican
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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 156
DATE 16-09-2014

Summary:
- Presentation of the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia, 2015
- Appointments to the IOR Board of Superintendence finalised
- The Pontifical Sistine Chapel Choir to sing in Macao, Hong Kong and Taipei

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Presentation of the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia, 2015
Vatican City, 16 September 2014 (VIS) - This morning in the Holy See Press Office, Archbishops Vincenzo Paglia, president of the Pontifical Council for the Family and Charles Joseph Chaput, O.F.M. Cap., of Philadelphia, U.S.A., presented the World Meeting of Families on the theme "Love is our mission: the family fully alive", which will take place in the North American city from 22 to 27 September 2015.
In his presentation Archbishop Chaput commented on Philadelphia's deep religious roots and expressed his hope that Pope Francis may be present at next
year's meeting, at which between ten and fifteen thousand people from all over the world are expected to attend. He also explained that the theme of the Meeting was based on St. Irenaeus' famous words, "the Glory of God is man fully
alive". "In like manner, the glory of men and women is their capacity to love as God loves. Life in a family is a summons to embody that love in everyday life".
The event in Philadelphia will be accompanied by an official document, a catechesis that "will help parish and diocesan leaders, catechists and other interested persons prepare Catholics across the globe for next year's meeting. ... It develops its teaching in ten simple steps. It starts with the purpose of
our creation and moves into the nature of our sexuality; the covenant of marriage; the importance of children; the place of priesthood and religious life in the ecology of the Christian community; the Christian home as a refuge for the wounded heart; the role of the Church; and the missionary witness of Christian families to the wider world".
"The text gives us a foundation for all of the different programming that will
go into the World Meeting of Families", continued Archbishop Chaput, "from major talks, to panels and breakout sessions, to family entertainment throughout the event. The text is currently available in English and Spanish. Portuguese, French and other language editions are planned this fall through the efforts of the Pontifical Council for the Family. The catechesis also includes the special prayer we commissioned to prepare for the 2015 gathering".
In addition, a specially-commissioned oil painting will be displayed in Philadelphia's Cathedral Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul throughout the World Meeting. By the artist Neil Carlin, it represents the Holy Family - Jesus, Mary
and Joseph - along with Mary's parents, Sts. Anne and Joachim. "They are a reminder that, today and throughout history, the Christian family includes both
the young and the elderly; it reaches beyond parents and child to include grandparents and many other extended relations".
Archbishop Paglia presented the events that will be organised by his dicastery
this year and the next, in relation to the theme of the family. On 18 September, with the collaboration of Caritas International, a seminar will be held on "Family and poverty", in which it 150 experts on the theme are expected
to participate. On 28 September, with the theme "The blessing of longevity", the elderly and grandparents will meet with Pope Francis in St. Peter's Square.
From 22 to 24 January 2015, an international congress of associations, movements and groups for the family and for life will meet with the aim of "Reviewing together the Extraordinary Synod on the Family", and on 24 March, anniversary of the publication of St. John Paul II's encyclical "Evangelium vitae", a prayer vigil will be held in the Roman basilica of St. Mary Major.
Finally, the president of the Pontifical Council for the Family reported that every day until the opening of the Synod (5 October) on the site www.familia.va, there will be a special edition of "Jará - the spectacle of life", which will present through words and images the main themes of the Synod
and explain how they figure in the Instrumentum Laboris. During the assembly there will be a weekly note presenting and summarising the work of the Synod fathers. All this will be supplemented with exclusive interviews with bishops and experts.
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Appointments to the IOR Board of Superintendence finalised
Vatican City, 16 September 2014 (VIS) - The Commission of Cardinals for the Institute for the Works of Religion (IOR) has appointed Mauricio Larrain (Chile) and Carlo Salvatori (Italy) as members of the IOR Board of Superintendence, according to a press release published by the Institute today.
On the occasion of the nomination Cardinal Santos Abril y Castello, President of the IOR's Supervisory Commission of Cardinals, said: "The IOR is looking forward to working with these two new board members who will add significant financial experience and global perspective at a time when the role of IOR is being reinforced and confirmed to meet the objectives of the Holy Father." With
these appointments, the IOR Board of Superintendence is now complete. Besides Mauricio Larrain and Carlo Salvatori, it is composed of Mr. Jean-Baptiste de Franssu (France), President of the Board, Mr. Clemens Boersig (Germany), Prof. Mary Ann Glendon (USA) and Sir Michael Hintze (UK), who assumed office on 9 July 2014. In addition to these six lay members of the Board, Monsignor Alfred Xuereb, Secretary-General of the Secretariat for the Economy, serves as its non-voting Secretary.
As set out in the Institute's revised Statute from 1990, the IOR Board of Superintendence defines strategy and ensures oversight of operations. The members of the Board of Superintendence are nominated in accordance with the new legal framework and for a period of five years. The nomination of a non-voting Secretary and a sixth member to the IOR Board of Superintendence as well as the nomination of a sixth member to the IOR Cardinals' Commission will be formalised upon completion of the current review of the Institute's Statute.
Mauricio Larrain is external director of Santander Bank Group Chile and general director of the ESE Business School from the Los Andes University of Chile. He served as the Santander Bank Group Chile's Chairman and General Director from 1992 until 2014 and was president of Santander Chile Holding S.A.
And Universita Chile S.A. from 2000 until 2014. During this period, Santander Bank Group Chile was chosen as the Best Bank in Latin America in six different years by the America Economia Magazine.
Carlo Salvatori has served as president of the investment bank Lazard Italy since June 2010 and of the insurance company Allianz SpA since May 2012. Furthermore, he is amember of the Board of Directors of the Sacred Heart Catholic University, of the Bambino Gesu Children's Hospital, of Chiesi Pharmaceuticals and of the Riso Gallo Group and he also is President of the Christian Union of Business Executives' Milanese section.
The Institute for the Works of Religion (IOR) was founded on 27 June, 1942, by
papal decree to serve the Holy See and its customers in the Catholic Church all
over the world. Its origins date back to the "Commissione ad Pias Causas" established in 1887 by Pope Leo XIII. The IOR's purpose is set by its Statute, amended by Pope John Paul II in 1990, and related by-laws. It is "to provide for the custody and administration of goods transferred or entrusted to the Institute by physical or juridical persons, designated for religious works or charity. The Institute can accept deposits of assets from entities or persons of the Holy See and of the Vatican City State".
The IOR strives to serve the global mission of the Catholic Church by protecting and increasing the patrimony of and providing worldwide payment services to the Holy See and related entities, religious orders, other Catholic
institutions, clergy, employees of the Holy See and the accredited diplomatic corps. As of 31 December 2013, the IOR was entrusted with customers' assets (including deposits, assets held in custody and assets held under portfolio management agreements) totalling EUR 5.9bn, and shareholders' equity of EUR 720m. The IOR is situated exclusively on the sovereign territory of the Vatican
City State, and is supervised and regulated by the "Autoritá di Informazione Finanziaria" (AIF), the financial supervisory body for the Vatican City State.

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The Pontifical Sistine Chapel Choir to sing in Macao, Hong Kong and Taipei
Vatican City, 16 September 2014 (VIS) - The Pontifical Sistine Chapel Choir is
to perform for the first time in Macao, Hong Kong and Taipei. The concerts will
be made possible through the Hong Kong Institute for Promotion of Chinese Culture, in collaboration with the Coro Perosi of the Diocese of Macao and the Taipei Philharmonic Foundation. By sharing the rich musical traditions of East and West, these concerts aim to promote cultural exchange through art and music, thereby creating new channels of communication and communion.
The concerts, entitled "Reverberating Heavenly Tunes in Greater China", will include pieces from notable composers such as Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina,
Orlando di Lasso, Gregorio Allegri and Lorenzo Perosi, whose works historically
form part of the repertoire of papal celebrations.
The concerts will take place on 19 September 2014 at 6 p.m. in the Cathedral of Macao; 21 September at 8 p.m. at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre; and 23 September at 7:30 p.m. at the National Concert Hall in Taipei.
In addition, on 21 September at 11 a.m. in the Cathedral of Hong Kong the Sistine Choir will assist, with the authorisation of the Cardinal Secretary of State, at the Sunday celebration of the Eucharist, at which Cardinal John Tong Hon will preside.
The Pontifical Sistine Music Chapel Choir (Sistine Choir), which has its origins in the former Roman Schola Cantorum, has for centuries preserved the musical traditions of the Church and is composed of trained vocal musicians who
sing at Papal liturgies and at other celebrations convoked by the Holy Father.

___________________________________________________________

For more information and to search for documents refer to the site: www.visnews.org and www.vatican.va

Copyright (VIS): the news contained in the services of the Vatican
Information Service may be reproduced wholly or partially by quoting
the source: V. I. S. - Vatican Information Service. http://www.vatican.va/news_services/press/vis/vis_en.html

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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 157
DATE 17-09-2014

Summary:
- The Church, universal and missionary, cannot be wrapped up in herself
- The Pope to the faithful: accompany me in Albania in prayer
- Decrees of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints
- Sixth meeting of the Council of Cardinals
- "Evangelii gaudium" and pastoral ministry: three day meeting in the Vatican

___________________________________________________________

The Church, universal and missionary, cannot be wrapped up in herself
Vatican City, 17 September 2014 (VIS) - The meaning of the terms "Catholic" and "apostolic" when we speak about the Church was the theme of Pope Francis' catechesis at this morning's Wednesday general audience in St. Peter's Square, attended by 50,000 faithful.
When we profess the Creed, we state that we believe in a Catholic and apostolic Church. "Catholic means universal", said the Holy Father, "and a clear sign of this Catholicity is that she speaks all languages. This is none other than the effect of the Pentecost: indeed, it was the Holy Spirit that enabled the Apostles and the entire Church to communicate to all, to the very ends of the earth, the Good News of salvation and of God's love. Thus, the Church was born Catholic - that is, 'symphonic' since the beginning, and she cannot be otherwise, destined as she is for evangelisation and for encountering
everyone": The Pope, remarking that everyone is able to read the Word of God in
his or her own language, again encouraged those present always to carry a copy of the Gospel and to read one or two passages each day.
"If the Church is born Catholic, it means that she was born to go forth, missionary", continued Pope Francis. "If the Apostles had stayed in the Cenacle
without going out to preach the Gospel, the Church would have remained there, in that city, in that country, in that room. It is what we express when we describe her as 'apostolic'. But they went forth. An apostle spreads the good news of Jesus' resurrection. This term reminds us that the Church, on the foundations of the Apostles and in continuity with them, is sent to proclaim the Gospel to all humanity, with the signs of the tenderness and strength of God. The Apostles went forth, they travelled the world, they founded new churches, they consecrated new bishops and in this way, we continue their work".
"And this too derives from the Pentecost. Indeed, the Holy Spirit is able to overcome any resistance, to defeat the temptation to remain wrapped up in ourselves, an elect few, and to consider ourselves as the only ones destined to
receive God's blessing. Imagine if a group of Christians were to consider itself in this way; they would die out. First in soul and then in body, as they
would not be able to generate new life. They would not be apostolic. The Holy Spirit leads us towards our brothers, even to those who are far away in every sense, so that they can share with us the gift of love, peace and joy that the Risen Lord has left us".
"What does it mean, for our communities and for each of us, to be part of a Church that is Catholic and apostolic? First of all, it means taking to heart the salvation of all humanity, not to be indifferent or removed from the fate of so many of our brothers, but rather to be open and in solidarity with them. It also means having a sense of the fullness, the completeness, the harmony of Christian life, always rejecting partial and unilateral positions that close us
up in ourselves".
Being part of the apostolic Church means "being aware that our faith is anchored in the proclamation and the witness of Jesus' Apostles, and therefore always being aware that were are sent out, in communion with the successors of the Apostles, with our hearts full of joy, to proclaim Christ and His love for all humanity".
Pope Francis recalled the "heroic life" of all the missionaries who leave their homelands to take the Gospel to others, encouraging those present to give
thanks to God for the missionaries the Church has had and will continue to need.
"Let us ask the Lord to renew in us the gift of His Spirit, so that every Christian community and baptised person may be an expression of the Catholic and apostolic Holy Mother Church".

___________________________________________________________

The Pope to the faithful: accompany me in Albania in prayer
Vatican City, 17 September 2014 (VIS) - At the end of today's general audience, the Holy Father greeted those present in various languages. In his greetings in Arabic, he addressed the faithful of the Holy Land "from where the
light of proclamation issued forth to the ends of the earth", urging them always to be, "despite difficulties, courageous and joyful bearers of the Message of salvation, truth and blessing".
Before his greetings in Italian, the Pope spoke about his trip to Albania this
coming Sunday, 21 September, and invited the faithful to accompany him in prayer. "I decided to visit this country because it has suffered greatly as a result of a terrible atheist regime and is now realising the peaceful co-existence of its various religious components".

___________________________________________________________

Decrees of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints
Vatican City, 17 September 2014 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in audience Cardinal Angelo Amato S.D.B., prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. During the audience he authorised the promulgation of decrees
concerning the following causes:
MIRACLES
- Blessed Maria Cristina of the Immaculate Conception (nee Adelaide Brando), Italian foundress of the Oblation Sisters of the Holy Sacrament (1856-1906);
- Venerable Servant of God Pio Alberto del Corona, Italian professed priest of
the Order of Preachers, bishop of San Miniato and founder of the Dominican Sisters of the Holy Spirit (1837-1912);
- Venerable Servant of God Marie-Elisabeth Turgeon, Canadian foundress of the Sisters of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary (1840-1881).
The Pontiff also approved the votes of the Ordinary Session of the Cardinal and Bishop Fathers in favour of the canonisation of Blessed Joseph Vaz, Indian priest of the Oratory of St. Philip Neri, founder of the Oratory of the Holy Cross of Miracles in Goa (1651-1711).
Finally, the Holy Father decided that a Consistory will be convoked shortly for the canonisation of Blessed Joseph Vaz and Blessed Maria Cristina of the Immaculate Conception, nee Adelaide Brando.

___________________________________________________________

Sixth meeting of the Council of Cardinals
Vatican City, 17 September 2014 (VIS) - This morning, the director of the Holy
See Press Office, Fr. Federico Lombardi S.J., provided an update on the sixth meeting of the Council of Cardinals, which began on Monday, 15 September and will conclude this afternoon. As usual, the Holy Father was present at all sessions apart from this morning's, due to the Wednesday general audience.
"In the previous meetings, the Cardinals had worked by examining all the Congregations and Pontifical Councils, but they had also assigned a significant
amount of time to hearing the referring Commissions on economic and organisational questions (COSEA and CRIOR) and on matters pertaining to the economic Dicasteries. Work in this area may now be considered complete, following the constitution of the Council and the Secretariat for the Economy. The press conference held by Cardinal Pell in July focused on the results of this work and on the initiation of the activities of these new organs.
"Therefore, in this meeting the Council of Cardinals resumed work on the other
Dicasteries. In the meantime, several contributions had been prepared by various members of the Council on the different issues within their sphere of competence, which were proposed or presented to the Council. During these days,
the Council focused on two principal "hotspots".
"The first includes the themes of the laity and the family. It is a very broad
area, encompassing many issues, including for instance the role of women in society and in the Church, youth, childhood, or matters related to lay associations and movements, and so on.
"The second comprises themes linked to justice and peace, charity, migrants and refugees, health, and the protection of life and ecology, especially human ecology.
"As can be seen, the discussions therefore involved many of the major issues that fall within the competences of the current Pontifical Councils, and how to
face them in a coordinated and integrated fashion.
"The Council of Cardinals, as we are aware, does not make decisions, but formulates proposals for the Pope, who certainly intends to consult in further depth, also with regard to the various Dicasteries, involving those in roles of
responsibility. Therefore, the Council's proposals will be studied further, and
it is to be expected that the Pope will speak about them, for instance, during the meetings with the Heads of the Dicasteries, which are convoked regularly and will certainly take place in the coming months.
"A draft Introduction for the new Constitution was also drawn up and distributed.
"In order to speed up this new phase in the work of the Council, the coordinator Cardinal Maradiaga has prepared an overall plan to facilitate the organisation of the contributions and reflections already offered during the previous meetings and the integration of new ones.
"It may be assumed that, with the next two meetings of the Council (9-11 December 2014 and 9-11 February 2015), the draft Constitution will reach an advanced stage of preparation, making it possible for the Pope to proceed with further consultations".
With regard to the Commission for the Protection of Minors, the director of the Holy See Press Office commented that the appointment of the Secretary, Msgr. Robert Oliver, had been made public during recent days, adding: "In the next few weeks other very important aspects will be specified regarding the Statutes and further members of the Commission. It is expected that these will be clarified at the time of the next meeting of the Commission itself, scheduled for early October (4-5)".
"With regard to the Commission on Vatican media, chaired by Lord Chris Patten,
the first meeting will be held from 22-24 September at the Domus Sanctae Marthae. As a first meeting, it will be dedicated primarily to drawing up a framework for the common base of information necessary to enable the work of the members (several of whom are from contexts external to the Vatican), the planning of the work to be done over the coming months, and the method to be used. The Commission itself, during its first meeting, will establish its own strategy of communication. Therefore, interviews or communications will not be given prior to the meeting", he concluded.

___________________________________________________________

"Evangelii gaudium" and pastoral ministry: three day meeting in the Vatican
Vatican City, 17 September 2014 (VIS) - The international meeting "The Pastoral Project of 'Evangelii gaudium'", organised by the Pontifical Council for Promoting New Evangelisation, will be held in the Vatican from 18 to 20 September and will be attended by more than two thousand pastoral workers from seventy countries worldwide. Bishops, priests, catechists, consecrated persons,
pastoral workers and members of associations and movements will explore in depth the content of the apostolic Exhortation that Pope Francis has indicated as the programmatic document of his papacy. Renowned speakers will discuss specific themes in relation to pastoral ministry and evangelisation. The meeting will culminate with an encounter with the Holy Father on Friday afternoon.
A detailed programme of the event can be found at
www.novaevangelizatio.va ___________________________________________________________

For more information and to search for documents refer to the site: www.visnews.org and www.vatican.va

Copyright (VIS): the news contained in the services of the Vatican
Information Service may be reproduced wholly or partially by quoting
the source: V. I. S. - Vatican Information Service. http://www.vatican.va/news_services/press/vis/vis_en.html

--- MPost/386 v1.21
* Origin: Sursum Corda! BBS=Huntsville AL=bbs.sursum-corda.com (1:396/45)

VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 163
DATE 24-09-2014

Summary:
- Pope Francis' general audience: Albania, example of resurgence of the Church - The Pope calls for prayer for African countries in Ebola epidemic
- Pope Francis to the bishops of Ghana: the importance of the healthcare apostolate
- Vatican City State legal authorities order house arrest for ex-nuncio Jozef Wesolowski
- The Holy See: committed to working against climate change
- Audiences
- Other Pontifical Acts

___________________________________________________________

Pope Francis' general audience: Albania, example of resurgence of the Church
Vatican City, 24 September 2014 (VIS) - Pope Francis devoted today's general audience to recounting last Sunday's trip to Albania. The Holy Father confirmed
that it was important to encourage this population on the path to the peaceful co-existence of the different religious components of society. "Indeed, the various religious expressions have in common a path of life and the will to do good to one's neighbour, without denying or diminishing their respective identities".
Francis recalled his meeting with priests, consecrated persons, seminarians and lay movements, as well as a number of elderly people who had experienced, "in their own flesh, terrible persecutions". "It is precisely from the intimate
union with Jesus, from the relationship of love with Him, that these martyrs, like all martyrs, found the strength to face the painful events that led them to martyrdom ... and it is the strength the Church finds in Christ's love. A strength that supports us in moments of difficulty and inspires our apostolic action today, to offer goodness and forgiveness to all, and thereby bearing witness to God's mercy".
The Pontiff also mentioned the forty priests executed during the communist dictatorship, for whom the cause for beatification is under way. "They take their place among the hundreds of Christians - and Muslims - assassinated, tortured, incarcerated and deported simply because they believed in God. These were dark years, during which religious freedom was razed to the ground and it was forbidden to believe in God; thousands of churches and mosques were destroyed, transformed into warehouses and cinemas for the propagation of Marxist ideology, religious books were burnt, and parents were forbidden from giving their children the religious names of their ancestors. ... Their blood was not shed in vain; it was the seed that will bear the fruit of peace and fraternal collaboration. Today Albania offers an example not only of the rebirth of the Church, but also of peaceful co-existence between religions".
The Pope concluded by thanking the Lord for the trip, "which enabled me to meet a courageous and strong population that has not given way to suffering". He encouraged the brothers and sisters of Albania to "be brave and good, to build the present and the future of their country and of Europe ... and may the
Virgin continue to guide the path of this population of martyrs".

___________________________________________________________

The Pope calls for prayer for African countries in Ebola epidemic
Vatican City, 24 September 2014 (VIS) - At the end of today's general audience, the Holy Father greeted the faithful in various languages, as usual. Before the greetings in Italian, he launched an appeal for the countries in Africa that suffer as a result of the Ebola epidemic. Pope Francis assured his closeness to the many people affected by this virus and invited the faithful to
pray for them and for those who have tragically lost their lives. "I hope that there will be no shortage of necessary help from the international community to
alleviate the suffering of our brothers and sisters".

___________________________________________________________

Pope Francis to the bishops of Ghana: the importance of the healthcare apostolate
Vatican City, 24 September 2014 (VIS) - The tragedy of the Ebola outbreak and the healthcare apostolate, the need for testimony of integrity in the face of corruption, and ecumenical cooperation were the main themes of the written discourse the Holy Father handed to the bishops of the Ghana Bishops' Conference yesterday afternoon, at the end of their five-yearly "ad Limina" visit.
In the document, the Pope comments that "The 2009 Synod on Africa noted as a principal concern the need for the Church's pastors to 'inspire in Christ's disciples in Africa the will to become effectively committed to living out the Gospel in their daily lives and in society ... and to obery Christ who calls constantly for metanoia, for conversion'".
In this regard, he notes that "The work of conversion and evangelisation is not easy, but it bears precious fruit for the Church and the world. Out of the spiritual vitality of all the faithful come the Church's numerous charitable, medical and educational endeavours, and her works of justice and equality. The varied services, carried out in God's name, especially for the poor and weak, are the responsibility of the entire local Church, under the prayerful oversight of the bishop. I think in a particular way about the importance of the Church's healthcare apostolate, not only in Ghana, but throughout western Africa, which is suffering at this time from the outbreak of Ebola. I pray for the repose of the souls of all who have died in this epidemic, among whom are priests, men and women religious and healthcare workers who contracted this terrible disease while caring for those suffering. May God strengthen all healthcare workers there and bring an end to this tragedy".
He continues, "The Church in Ghana is justly respected for the contribution she makes to the integral development of individuals and the entire nation. At the same time, she often finds herself lacking in the material resources necessary to fulfil her mission in the world. In this regard, I would offer you
two thoughts. First, it is imperative that whatever temporal means the Church has at her disposal continue to be administered with honesty and responsibility, in order to provide good witness, especially where corruption has hindered the just advancement of society. ... Second, material poverty can be an occasion to draw greater attention to the spiritual needs of the human person, thus leading to a deeper reliance on the Lord, from whom all good things come. While your communities rightly make many efforts to alleviate extremes of poverty, so too the Church is called, in imitation of Christ, to work with humility and honesty, using the goods at her disposal to open minds and hearts to the riches of mercy and grace flowing from the heart of Christ".
Finally, the Pope advises the bishops, "Be close to other Christian leaders and the heads of other religious communities. Ecumenical and interreligious cooperation, when carried out with respect and an open heart, contribute to the
social harmony of your country, and enable growth in understanding of the dignity of each person and a greater experience of our common humanity. Thankfully, Ghana has been spared many of the tribal, ethnic and religious divisions that have afflicted too many other parts of Africa, a continent whose
promise, in part due to these divisions, has yet to be fulfilled. I pray that you will be ever greater promoters of unity and leaders in the service of dialogue. May you be firm in upholding the Church's teaching and discipline, and unyielding in your charity. And may your generosity in offering Christ be matched only by your humble and patient openness to others".

___________________________________________________________

Vatican City State legal authorities order house arrest for ex-nuncio Jozef Wesolowski
Vatican City, 24 September 2014 (VIS) - The director of the Holy See Press Office, Fr. Federico Lombardi, S.J., gave the following declaration yesterday afternoon:
"Today the promoter of Justice of the Vatican City State Court of First Instance summoned the ex-nuncio Jozef Wesolowski, in relation to whom a criminal investigation has been initiated. The former prelate - previously convicted in the first instance by the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith and reduced to lay status following a canonical penal administrative trial - has been informed of the indictment of the proceedings against him for serious acts of abuse against minors carried out in the Dominican Republic. The
seriousness of the allegations has prompted the investigating office to impose restrictive measures that, in view of the state of health of the accused, attested to by medical documentation, consists of house arrest with its related
limitations, in a location within Vatican City State.
"The initiative taken by the Vatican legal authorities is consistent with the wish expressed by the Pope that such a serious and delicate case be addressed without delay, with the just and necessary rigour, with the full assumption of responsibility on the part of the institutions governed by the Holy See".

___________________________________________________________

The Holy See: committed to working against climate change
Vatican City, 24 September 2014 (VIS) - Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin spoke at the Climate Summit held in New York, U.S.A. yesterday afternoon. Faced with the great risks and socio-economic costs of inertia in relation to this problem, he remarked, "prudence must prevail, which requires thoughtful deliberations based on an accurate analysis of the impact our actions will have on the future. This requires a great political and economic commitment on the part of the international community, to which the Holy See wishes to make its own contribution, being aware that 'the gift of knowledge helps us not to fall into attitudes of excess or error'".
The cardinal went on to emphasise the responsibility of States "to protect the
world climate by means of mitigation and adaptation measures, as well as by sharing technologies and 'know-how'. But above all they have a shared responsibility to protect our planet and the human family, ensuring present and
future generations have the possibility of living in a safe and worthy environment". He also mentioned the efforts made by Vatican City State to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels through diversification and energy efficiency projects, but added that "talking about emission reductions is useless if we are not ready to change our lifestyle and the current dominant models of consumption and production". The Holy See, he concluded, "commits itself to this end, so that in this work the international community may be guided by the ethical imperative to act, inspired by the principles of solidarity and the promotion of the common good, in the knowledge that 'the dignity of each human person and the pursuit of the common good are concerns which ought to shape all economic policies'".

___________________________________________________________

Audiences
Vatican City, 24 September 2014 (VIS) - Yesterday afternoon, 23 September, the
Holy Father received in audience Cardinal Cormac Murphy O'Connor, archbishop emeritus of Westminster, Great Britain.

___________________________________________________________

Other Pontifical Acts
Vatican City, 24 September 2014 (VIS) - The Holy Father has appointed:
- Bishop Fernando Bascope Muller, S.D.B., auxiliary of the diocese of El Alto,
as military ordinary for Bolivia (priests 36, permanent deacons 4, religious 28).
- Bishop Oscar Omar Aparicio Cespedes, as metropolitan archbishop of Cochabamba (area 32,306, population 1,732,000, Catholics 1,593,000, priests 316, permanent deacons 32, religious 1,267), Bolivia, transferring him from the
office of military ordinary of Bolivia.
- Bishop Jose Ronaldo Ribeiro of Janauba, Brazil, as bishop of Formosa (area 47,604, population 346,760, Catholics 257,000, priests 35, religious 47), Brazil.

___________________________________________________________

For more information and to search for documents refer to the site: www.visnews.org and www.vatican.va

Copyright (VIS): the news contained in the services of the Vatican
Information Service may be reproduced wholly or partially by quoting
the source: V. I. S. - Vatican Information Service. http://www.vatican.va/news_services/press/vis/vis_en.html

--- MPost/386 v1.21
* Origin: Sursum Corda! BBS=Huntsville AL=bbs.sursum-corda.com (1:396/45)

VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 163
DATE 24-09-2014

Summary:
- Pope Francis' general audience: Albania, example of resurgence of the Church - The Pope calls for prayer for African countries in Ebola epidemic
- Pope Francis to the bishops of Ghana: the importance of the healthcare apostolate
- Vatican City State legal authorities order house arrest for ex-nuncio Jozef Wesolowski
- The Holy See: committed to working against climate change
- Audiences
- Other Pontifical Acts

___________________________________________________________

Pope Francis' general audience: Albania, example of resurgence of the Church
Vatican City, 24 September 2014 (VIS) - Pope Francis devoted today's general audience to recounting last Sunday's trip to Albania. The Holy Father confirmed
that it was important to encourage this population on the path to the peaceful co-existence of the different religious components of society. "Indeed, the various religious expressions have in common a path of life and the will to do good to one's neighbour, without denying or diminishing their respective identities".
Francis recalled his meeting with priests, consecrated persons, seminarians and lay movements, as well as a number of elderly people who had experienced, "in their own flesh, terrible persecutions". "It is precisely from the intimate
union with Jesus, from the relationship of love with Him, that these martyrs, like all martyrs, found the strength to face the painful events that led them to martyrdom ... and it is the strength the Church finds in Christ's love. A strength that supports us in moments of difficulty and inspires our apostolic action today, to offer goodness and forgiveness to all, and thereby bearing witness to God's mercy".
The Pontiff also mentioned the forty priests executed during the communist dictatorship, for whom the cause for beatification is under way. "They take their place among the hundreds of Christians - and Muslims - assassinated, tortured, incarcerated and deported simply because they believed in God. These were dark years, during which religious freedom was razed to the ground and it was forbidden to believe in God; thousands of churches and mosques were destroyed, transformed into warehouses and cinemas for the propagation of Marxist ideology, religious books were burnt, and parents were forbidden from giving their children the religious names of their ancestors. ... Their blood was not shed in vain; it was the seed that will bear the fruit of peace and fraternal collaboration. Today Albania offers an example not only of the rebirth of the Church, but also of peaceful co-existence between religions".
The Pope concluded by thanking the Lord for the trip, "which enabled me to meet a courageous and strong population that has not given way to suffering". He encouraged the brothers and sisters of Albania to "be brave and good, to build the present and the future of their country and of Europe ... and may the
Virgin continue to guide the path of this population of martyrs".

___________________________________________________________

The Pope calls for prayer for African countries in Ebola epidemic
Vatican City, 24 September 2014 (VIS) - At the end of today's general audience, the Holy Father greeted the faithful in various languages, as usual. Before the greetings in Italian, he launched an appeal for the countries in Africa that suffer as a result of the Ebola epidemic. Pope Francis assured his closeness to the many people affected by this virus and invited the faithful to
pray for them and for those who have tragically lost their lives. "I hope that there will be no shortage of necessary help from the international community to
alleviate the suffering of our brothers and sisters".

___________________________________________________________

Pope Francis to the bishops of Ghana: the importance of the healthcare apostolate
Vatican City, 24 September 2014 (VIS) - The tragedy of the Ebola outbreak and the healthcare apostolate, the need for testimony of integrity in the face of corruption, and ecumenical cooperation were the main themes of the written discourse the Holy Father handed to the bishops of the Ghana Bishops' Conference yesterday afternoon, at the end of their five-yearly "ad Limina" visit.
In the document, the Pope comments that "The 2009 Synod on Africa noted as a principal concern the need for the Church's pastors to 'inspire in Christ's disciples in Africa the will to become effectively committed to living out the Gospel in their daily lives and in society ... and to obery Christ who calls constantly for metanoia, for conversion'".
In this regard, he notes that "The work of conversion and evangelisation is not easy, but it bears precious fruit for the Church and the world. Out of the spiritual vitality of all the faithful come the Church's numerous charitable, medical and educational endeavours, and her works of justice and equality. The varied services, carried out in God's name, especially for the poor and weak, are the responsibility of the entire local Church, under the prayerful oversight of the bishop. I think in a particular way about the importance of the Church's healthcare apostolate, not only in Ghana, but throughout western Africa, which is suffering at this time from the outbreak of Ebola. I pray for the repose of the souls of all who have died in this epidemic, among whom are priests, men and women religious and healthcare workers who contracted this terrible disease while caring for those suffering. May God strengthen all healthcare workers there and bring an end to this tragedy".
He continues, "The Church in Ghana is justly respected for the contribution she makes to the integral development of individuals and the entire nation. At the same time, she often finds herself lacking in the material resources necessary to fulfil her mission in the world. In this regard, I would offer you
two thoughts. First, it is imperative that whatever temporal means the Church has at her disposal continue to be administered with honesty and responsibility, in order to provide good witness, especially where corruption has hindered the just advancement of society. ... Second, material poverty can be an occasion to draw greater attention to the spiritual needs of the human person, thus leading to a deeper reliance on the Lord, from whom all good things come. While your communities rightly make many efforts to alleviate extremes of poverty, so too the Church is called, in imitation of Christ, to work with humility and honesty, using the goods at her disposal to open minds and hearts to the riches of mercy and grace flowing from the heart of Christ".
Finally, the Pope advises the bishops, "Be close to other Christian leaders and the heads of other religious communities. Ecumenical and interreligious cooperation, when carried out with respect and an open heart, contribute to the
social harmony of your country, and enable growth in understanding of the dignity of each person and a greater experience of our common humanity. Thankfully, Ghana has been spared many of the tribal, ethnic and religious divisions that have afflicted too many other parts of Africa, a continent whose
promise, in part due to these divisions, has yet to be fulfilled. I pray that you will be ever greater promoters of unity and leaders in the service of dialogue. May you be firm in upholding the Church's teaching and discipline, and unyielding in your charity. And may your generosity in offering Christ be matched only by your humble and patient openness to others".

___________________________________________________________

Vatican City State legal authorities order house arrest for ex-nuncio Jozef Wesolowski
Vatican City, 24 September 2014 (VIS) - The director of the Holy See Press Office, Fr. Federico Lombardi, S.J., gave the following declaration yesterday afternoon:
"Today the promoter of Justice of the Vatican City State Court of First Instance summoned the ex-nuncio Jozef Wesolowski, in relation to whom a criminal investigation has been initiated. The former prelate - previously convicted in the first instance by the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith and reduced to lay status following a canonical penal administrative trial - has been informed of the indictment of the proceedings against him for serious acts of abuse against minors carried out in the Dominican Republic. The
seriousness of the allegations has prompted the investigating office to impose restrictive measures that, in view of the state of health of the accused, attested to by medical documentation, consists of house arrest with its related
limitations, in a location within Vatican City State.
"The initiative taken by the Vatican legal authorities is consistent with the wish expressed by the Pope that such a serious and delicate case be addressed without delay, with the just and necessary rigour, with the full assumption of responsibility on the part of the institutions governed by the Holy See".

___________________________________________________________

The Holy See: committed to working against climate change
Vatican City, 24 September 2014 (VIS) - Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin spoke at the Climate Summit held in New York, U.S.A. yesterday afternoon. Faced with the great risks and socio-economic costs of inertia in relation to this problem, he remarked, "prudence must prevail, which requires thoughtful deliberations based on an accurate analysis of the impact our actions will have on the future. This requires a great political and economic commitment on the part of the international community, to which the Holy See wishes to make its own contribution, being aware that 'the gift of knowledge helps us not to fall into attitudes of excess or error'".
The cardinal went on to emphasise the responsibility of States "to protect the
world climate by means of mitigation and adaptation measures, as well as by sharing technologies and 'know-how'. But above all they have a shared responsibility to protect our planet and the human family, ensuring present and
future generations have the possibility of living in a safe and worthy environment". He also mentioned the efforts made by Vatican City State to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels through diversification and energy efficiency projects, but added that "talking about emission reductions is useless if we are not ready to change our lifestyle and the current dominant models of consumption and production". The Holy See, he concluded, "commits itself to this end, so that in this work the international community may be guided by the ethical imperative to act, inspired by the principles of solidarity and the promotion of the common good, in the knowledge that 'the dignity of each human person and the pursuit of the common good are concerns which ought to shape all economic policies'".

___________________________________________________________

Audiences
Vatican City, 24 September 2014 (VIS) - Yesterday afternoon, 23 September, the
Holy Father received in audience Cardinal Cormac Murphy O'Connor, archbishop emeritus of Westminster, Great Britain.

___________________________________________________________

Other Pontifical Acts
Vatican City, 24 September 2014 (VIS) - The Holy Father has appointed:
- Bishop Fernando Bascope Muller, S.D.B., auxiliary of the diocese of El Alto,
as military ordinary for Bolivia (priests 36, permanent deacons 4, religious 28).
- Bishop Oscar Omar Aparicio Cespedes, as metropolitan archbishop of Cochabamba (area 32,306, population 1,732,000, Catholics 1,593,000, priests 316, permanent deacons 32, religious 1,267), Bolivia, transferring him from the
office of military ordinary of Bolivia.
- Bishop Jose Ronaldo Ribeiro of Janauba, Brazil, as bishop of Formosa (area 47,604, population 346,760, Catholics 257,000, priests 35, religious 47), Brazil.

___________________________________________________________

For more information and to search for documents refer to the site: www.visnews.org and www.vatican.va

Copyright (VIS): the news contained in the services of the Vatican
Information Service may be reproduced wholly or partially by quoting
the source: V. I. S. - Vatican Information Service. http://www.vatican.va/news_services/press/vis/vis_en.html

--- MPost/386 v1.21
* Origin: Sursum Corda! BBS=Huntsville AL=bbs.sursum-corda.com (1:396/45)

VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 163
DATE 24-09-2014

Summary:
- Pope Francis' general audience: Albania, example of resurgence of the Church - The Pope calls for prayer for African countries in Ebola epidemic
- Pope Francis to the bishops of Ghana: the importance of the healthcare apostolate
- Vatican City State legal authorities order house arrest for ex-nuncio Jozef Wesolowski
- The Holy See: committed to working against climate change
- Audiences
- Other Pontifical Acts

___________________________________________________________

Pope Francis' general audience: Albania, example of resurgence of the Church
Vatican City, 24 September 2014 (VIS) - Pope Francis devoted today's general audience to recounting last Sunday's trip to Albania. The Holy Father confirmed
that it was important to encourage this population on the path to the peaceful co-existence of the different religious components of society. "Indeed, the various religious expressions have in common a path of life and the will to do good to one's neighbour, without denying or diminishing their respective identities".
Francis recalled his meeting with priests, consecrated persons, seminarians and lay movements, as well as a number of elderly people who had experienced, "in their own flesh, terrible persecutions". "It is precisely from the intimate
union with Jesus, from the relationship of love with Him, that these martyrs, like all martyrs, found the strength to face the painful events that led them to martyrdom ... and it is the strength the Church finds in Christ's love. A strength that supports us in moments of difficulty and inspires our apostolic action today, to offer goodness and forgiveness to all, and thereby bearing witness to God's mercy".
The Pontiff also mentioned the forty priests executed during the communist dictatorship, for whom the cause for beatification is under way. "They take their place among the hundreds of Christians - and Muslims - assassinated, tortured, incarcerated and deported simply because they believed in God. These were dark years, during which religious freedom was razed to the ground and it was forbidden to believe in God; thousands of churches and mosques were destroyed, transformed into warehouses and cinemas for the propagation of Marxist ideology, religious books were burnt, and parents were forbidden from giving their children the religious names of their ancestors. ... Their blood was not shed in vain; it was the seed that will bear the fruit of peace and fraternal collaboration. Today Albania offers an example not only of the rebirth of the Church, but also of peaceful co-existence between religions".
The Pope concluded by thanking the Lord for the trip, "which enabled me to meet a courageous and strong population that has not given way to suffering". He encouraged the brothers and sisters of Albania to "be brave and good, to build the present and the future of their country and of Europe ... and may the
Virgin continue to guide the path of this population of martyrs".

___________________________________________________________

The Pope calls for prayer for African countries in Ebola epidemic
Vatican City, 24 September 2014 (VIS) - At the end of today's general audience, the Holy Father greeted the faithful in various languages, as usual. Before the greetings in Italian, he launched an appeal for the countries in Africa that suffer as a result of the Ebola epidemic. Pope Francis assured his closeness to the many people affected by this virus and invited the faithful to
pray for them and for those who have tragically lost their lives. "I hope that there will be no shortage of necessary help from the international community to
alleviate the suffering of our brothers and sisters".

___________________________________________________________

Pope Francis to the bishops of Ghana: the importance of the healthcare apostolate
Vatican City, 24 September 2014 (VIS) - The tragedy of the Ebola outbreak and the healthcare apostolate, the need for testimony of integrity in the face of corruption, and ecumenical cooperation were the main themes of the written discourse the Holy Father handed to the bishops of the Ghana Bishops' Conference yesterday afternoon, at the end of their five-yearly "ad Limina" visit.
In the document, the Pope comments that "The 2009 Synod on Africa noted as a principal concern the need for the Church's pastors to 'inspire in Christ's disciples in Africa the will to become effectively committed to living out the Gospel in their daily lives and in society ... and to obery Christ who calls constantly for metanoia, for conversion'".
In this regard, he notes that "The work of conversion and evangelisation is not easy, but it bears precious fruit for the Church and the world. Out of the spiritual vitality of all the faithful come the Church's numerous charitable, medical and educational endeavours, and her works of justice and equality. The varied services, carried out in God's name, especially for the poor and weak, are the responsibility of the entire local Church, under the prayerful oversight of the bishop. I think in a particular way about the importance of the Church's healthcare apostolate, not only in Ghana, but throughout western Africa, which is suffering at this time from the outbreak of Ebola. I pray for the repose of the souls of all who have died in this epidemic, among whom are priests, men and women religious and healthcare workers who contracted this terrible disease while caring for those suffering. May God strengthen all healthcare workers there and bring an end to this tragedy".
He continues, "The Church in Ghana is justly respected for the contribution she makes to the integral development of individuals and the entire nation. At the same time, she often finds herself lacking in the material resources necessary to fulfil her mission in the world. In this regard, I would offer you
two thoughts. First, it is imperative that whatever temporal means the Church has at her disposal continue to be administered with honesty and responsibility, in order to provide good witness, especially where corruption has hindered the just advancement of society. ... Second, material poverty can be an occasion to draw greater attention to the spiritual needs of the human person, thus leading to a deeper reliance on the Lord, from whom all good things come. While your communities rightly make many efforts to alleviate extremes of poverty, so too the Church is called, in imitation of Christ, to work with humility and honesty, using the goods at her disposal to open minds and hearts to the riches of mercy and grace flowing from the heart of Christ".
Finally, the Pope advises the bishops, "Be close to other Christian leaders and the heads of other religious communities. Ecumenical and interreligious cooperation, when carried out with respect and an open heart, contribute to the
social harmony of your country, and enable growth in understanding of the dignity of each person and a greater experience of our common humanity. Thankfully, Ghana has been spared many of the tribal, ethnic and religious divisions that have afflicted too many other parts of Africa, a continent whose
promise, in part due to these divisions, has yet to be fulfilled. I pray that you will be ever greater promoters of unity and leaders in the service of dialogue. May you be firm in upholding the Church's teaching and discipline, and unyielding in your charity. And may your generosity in offering Christ be matched only by your humble and patient openness to others".

___________________________________________________________

Vatican City State legal authorities order house arrest for ex-nuncio Jozef Wesolowski
Vatican City, 24 September 2014 (VIS) - The director of the Holy See Press Office, Fr. Federico Lombardi, S.J., gave the following declaration yesterday afternoon:
"Today the promoter of Justice of the Vatican City State Court of First Instance summoned the ex-nuncio Jozef Wesolowski, in relation to whom a criminal investigation has been initiated. The former prelate - previously convicted in the first instance by the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith and reduced to lay status following a canonical penal administrative trial - has been informed of the indictment of the proceedings against him for serious acts of abuse against minors carried out in the Dominican Republic. The
seriousness of the allegations has prompted the investigating office to impose restrictive measures that, in view of the state of health of the accused, attested to by medical documentation, consists of house arrest with its related
limitations, in a location within Vatican City State.
"The initiative taken by the Vatican legal authorities is consistent with the wish expressed by the Pope that such a serious and delicate case be addressed without delay, with the just and necessary rigour, with the full assumption of responsibility on the part of the institutions governed by the Holy See".

___________________________________________________________

The Holy See: committed to working against climate change
Vatican City, 24 September 2014 (VIS) - Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin spoke at the Climate Summit held in New York, U.S.A. yesterday afternoon. Faced with the great risks and socio-economic costs of inertia in relation to this problem, he remarked, "prudence must prevail, which requires thoughtful deliberations based on an accurate analysis of the impact our actions will have on the future. This requires a great political and economic commitment on the part of the international community, to which the Holy See wishes to make its own contribution, being aware that 'the gift of knowledge helps us not to fall into attitudes of excess or error'".
The cardinal went on to emphasise the responsibility of States "to protect the
world climate by means of mitigation and adaptation measures, as well as by sharing technologies and 'know-how'. But above all they have a shared responsibility to protect our planet and the human family, ensuring present and
future generations have the possibility of living in a safe and worthy environment". He also mentioned the efforts made by Vatican City State to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels through diversification and energy efficiency projects, but added that "talking about emission reductions is useless if we are not ready to change our lifestyle and the current dominant models of consumption and production". The Holy See, he concluded, "commits itself to this end, so that in this work the international community may be guided by the ethical imperative to act, inspired by the principles of solidarity and the promotion of the common good, in the knowledge that 'the dignity of each human person and the pursuit of the common good are concerns which ought to shape all economic policies'".

___________________________________________________________

Audiences
Vatican City, 24 September 2014 (VIS) - Yesterday afternoon, 23 September, the
Holy Father received in audience Cardinal Cormac Murphy O'Connor, archbishop emeritus of Westminster, Great Britain.

___________________________________________________________

Other Pontifical Acts
Vatican City, 24 September 2014 (VIS) - The Holy Father has appointed:
- Bishop Fernando Bascope Muller, S.D.B., auxiliary of the diocese of El Alto,
as military ordinary for Bolivia (priests 36, permanent deacons 4, religious 28).
- Bishop Oscar Omar Aparicio Cespedes, as metropolitan archbishop of Cochabamba (area 32,306, population 1,732,000, Catholics 1,593,000, priests 316, permanent deacons 32, religious 1,267), Bolivia, transferring him from the
office of military ordinary of Bolivia.
- Bishop Jose Ronaldo Ribeiro of Janauba, Brazil, as bishop of Formosa (area 47,604, population 346,760, Catholics 257,000, priests 35, religious 47), Brazil.

___________________________________________________________

For more information and to search for documents refer to the site: www.visnews.org and www.vatican.va

Copyright (VIS): the news contained in the services of the Vatican
Information Service may be reproduced wholly or partially by quoting
the source: V. I. S. - Vatican Information Service. http://www.vatican.va/news_services/press/vis/vis_en.html

--- MPost/386 v1.21
* Origin: Sursum Corda! BBS=Huntsville AL=bbs.sursum-corda.com (1:396/45)

VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 164
DATE 25-09-2014

Summary:
- Catholics and Orthodox to the international community: listen to religious leaders in the Middle East
- Other Pontifical Acts
- Note regarding the succession of the bishop of Ciudad del Este, Paraguay
- Audiences

___________________________________________________________

Catholics and Orthodox to the international community: listen to religious leaders in the Middle East
Vatican City, 25 September 2014 (VIS) - The eighth meeting of the Joint International Commission for dialogue between the Orthodox Church and the Roman
Catholic Church was held in Amman, Jordan from 15 to 23 September. It was hosted by the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, His Beatitude Theophilos III, and attended by His Royal Highness Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad of Jordan who
participated in the plenary session held on the afternoon of Monday, 22 September. The meeting was attended by twenty-three members representing the Catholic Church and all the Orthodox Churches, with the exception of the Patriarchate of Bulgaria. The meetings were chaired by Cardinal Kurt Koch, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and by the Metropolitan of Pergamon Ioannis (Zizioulas) of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
On the first day of the meeting, as is customary, the Roman Catholic and Orthodox members met separately to coordinate their work and to discuss, among other things, the draft text of the document "Synodality and Primacy", drawn up
by the Coordinating Committee in 2012 during the two meetings held in Rome in 2011 and Paris in 2012. Because of the many questions raised about the text, the Commission proposed the drafting of a new one, to be referred to the next Coordinating Committee for further elaboration and improvement, in view of the next plenary session of the Joint Commission.
The Commission members, assembled near the holy sites connected with the baptism of Jesus Christ, united their voices to express their deep concern for and solidarity with the Christians and members of other religious traditions of
this entire region who are being persecuted, displaced and murdered. They categorically rejected the idea that such horrifying crimes can be justified in
the name of God or of religion, and expressed their profound gratitude to all those engaged in bringing relief to millions of refugees and displaced persons.
Furthermore, they prayed for all the religious leaders of the region, so that they might continue to comfort their people and keep alive their vision of their return to their lands and homes, which in recent times have been occupied
and often profaned. The Commission implored the international community to listen seriously to those leaders regarding the most useful ways to intervene and protect those who are being persecuted, and to ensure the continuing vital presence of Christianity in the Middle East. They also launched a fresh appeal for the liberation of the Metropolitans of Aleppo, Mar Gregorios Yohanna Ibrahim and Boulos Yazigi, and all others who have been kidnapped, including priests and religious.
The meeting of the Joint Commission was marked by a spirit of friendship and trustful collaboration. The members greatly appreciated the generous hospitality of the host Church, and they strongly commend the continuing work of the dialogue to the prayers of the faithful.

___________________________________________________________

Other Pontifical Acts
Vatican City, 25 September 2014 (VIS) - The Holy Father has proceeded with the
replacement of Bishop Rogelio Ricardo Livieres Plano of Ciudad del Este, Paraguay, appointing Bishop Ricardo Jorge Valenzuela Rios of Villarrica del Espiritu Santo as apostolic administrator Sede Vacante.

___________________________________________________________

Note regarding the succession of the bishop of Ciudad del Este, Paraguay
Vatican City, 25 September 2014 (VIS) - The Holy See Press Office today published the following note regarding the succession of the bishop of Ciudad del Este, Paraguay, Msgr. Rogelio Ricardo Livieres Plano.
"Following a careful examination of the conclusions drawn following the apostolic visits carried out by the Congregation for Bishops and the Congregation for the Clergy to the bishop, the diocese and the seminarians of Ciudad del Este, the Holy Father has decided to substitute Bishop Rogelio Livieres Plano and has appointed Bishop Ricardo Jorge Valenzuela Rios of Villarrica del Espiritu Santo as apostolic administrator of the diocese of Ciudad del Este.
"This was a difficult decision on the part of the Holy See, taken for serious pastoral reasons and for the greater good of the unity of the Church in Ciudad del Este and the episcopal communion in Paraguay.
"The Holy Father, in the exercise of his ministry as the 'perpetual and visible foundation of the unity of both the bishops and the multitude of the faithful', asked the clergy and all the People of God of Ciudad del Este to accept the Holy See's decision with a spirit of obedience and docility and without prejudice, guided by faith.
"On the other hand, the Church in Paraguay, guided by her pastors, is invited to embark on a serious process of reconciliation in order to overcome any form of sectarianism or discord, so as not to harm the countenance of the one Church, 'born of the blood of His Son' and so that Christ's flock may not be deprived of the joy of the Gospel".

___________________________________________________________

Audiences
Vatican City, 25 September 2014 (VIS) - Today, the Holy Father received in audience:
- Miroslava Rosas Vargas, the new ambassador of Panama to the Holy See, presenting her credential letters;
- Cardinal Angelo Scola, archbishop of Milan, Italy;
- Cardinal Andrew Yeom-Soo-jung, archbishop of Seoul, Korea;
- Archbishop Giacinto Berloco, apostolic nuncio in Belgium and Luxembourg;
- Archbishop Claudio Gugerotti, apostolic nuncio in Belorus;
- Archbishop Ettore Balestrero, apostolic nuncio in Colombia;
- Marcos Aguinis.

___________________________________________________________

For more information and to search for documents refer to the site: www.visnews.org and www.vatican.va

Copyright (VIS): the news contained in the services of the Vatican
Information Service may be reproduced wholly or partially by quoting
the source: V. I. S. - Vatican Information Service. http://www.vatican.va/news_services/press/vis/vis_en.html

--- MPost/386 v1.21
* Origin: Sursum Corda! BBS=Huntsville AL=bbs.sursum-corda.com (1:396/45)

VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 164
DATE 25-09-2014

Summary:
- Catholics and Orthodox to the international community: listen to religious leaders in the Middle East
- Other Pontifical Acts
- Note regarding the succession of the bishop of Ciudad del Este, Paraguay
- Audiences

___________________________________________________________

Catholics and Orthodox to the international community: listen to religious leaders in the Middle East
Vatican City, 25 September 2014 (VIS) - The eighth meeting of the Joint International Commission for dialogue between the Orthodox Church and the Roman
Catholic Church was held in Amman, Jordan from 15 to 23 September. It was hosted by the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, His Beatitude Theophilos III, and attended by His Royal Highness Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad of Jordan who
participated in the plenary session held on the afternoon of Monday, 22 September. The meeting was attended by twenty-three members representing the Catholic Church and all the Orthodox Churches, with the exception of the Patriarchate of Bulgaria. The meetings were chaired by Cardinal Kurt Koch, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and by the Metropolitan of Pergamon Ioannis (Zizioulas) of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
On the first day of the meeting, as is customary, the Roman Catholic and Orthodox members met separately to coordinate their work and to discuss, among other things, the draft text of the document "Synodality and Primacy", drawn up
by the Coordinating Committee in 2012 during the two meetings held in Rome in 2011 and Paris in 2012. Because of the many questions raised about the text, the Commission proposed the drafting of a new one, to be referred to the next Coordinating Committee for further elaboration and improvement, in view of the next plenary session of the Joint Commission.
The Commission members, assembled near the holy sites connected with the baptism of Jesus Christ, united their voices to express their deep concern for and solidarity with the Christians and members of other religious traditions of
this entire region who are being persecuted, displaced and murdered. They categorically rejected the idea that such horrifying crimes can be justified in
the name of God or of religion, and expressed their profound gratitude to all those engaged in bringing relief to millions of refugees and displaced persons.
Furthermore, they prayed for all the religious leaders of the region, so that they might continue to comfort their people and keep alive their vision of their return to their lands and homes, which in recent times have been occupied
and often profaned. The Commission implored the international community to listen seriously to those leaders regarding the most useful ways to intervene and protect those who are being persecuted, and to ensure the continuing vital presence of Christianity in the Middle East. They also launched a fresh appeal for the liberation of the Metropolitans of Aleppo, Mar Gregorios Yohanna Ibrahim and Boulos Yazigi, and all others who have been kidnapped, including priests and religious.
The meeting of the Joint Commission was marked by a spirit of friendship and trustful collaboration. The members greatly appreciated the generous hospitality of the host Church, and they strongly commend the continuing work of the dialogue to the prayers of the faithful.

___________________________________________________________

Other Pontifical Acts
Vatican City, 25 September 2014 (VIS) - The Holy Father has proceeded with the
replacement of Bishop Rogelio Ricardo Livieres Plano of Ciudad del Este, Paraguay, appointing Bishop Ricardo Jorge Valenzuela Rios of Villarrica del Espiritu Santo as apostolic administrator Sede Vacante.

___________________________________________________________

Note regarding the succession of the bishop of Ciudad del Este, Paraguay
Vatican City, 25 September 2014 (VIS) - The Holy See Press Office today published the following note regarding the succession of the bishop of Ciudad del Este, Paraguay, Msgr. Rogelio Ricardo Livieres Plano.
"Following a careful examination of the conclusions drawn following the apostolic visits carried out by the Congregation for Bishops and the Congregation for the Clergy to the bishop, the diocese and the seminarians of Ciudad del Este, the Holy Father has decided to substitute Bishop Rogelio Livieres Plano and has appointed Bishop Ricardo Jorge Valenzuela Rios of Villarrica del Espiritu Santo as apostolic administrator of the diocese of Ciudad del Este.
"This was a difficult decision on the part of the Holy See, taken for serious pastoral reasons and for the greater good of the unity of the Church in Ciudad del Este and the episcopal communion in Paraguay.
"The Holy Father, in the exercise of his ministry as the 'perpetual and visible foundation of the unity of both the bishops and the multitude of the faithful', asked the clergy and all the People of God of Ciudad del Este to accept the Holy See's decision with a spirit of obedience and docility and without prejudice, guided by faith.
"On the other hand, the Church in Paraguay, guided by her pastors, is invited to embark on a serious process of reconciliation in order to overcome any form of sectarianism or discord, so as not to harm the countenance of the one Church, 'born of the blood of His Son' and so that Christ's flock may not be deprived of the joy of the Gospel".

___________________________________________________________

Audiences
Vatican City, 25 September 2014 (VIS) - Today, the Holy Father received in audience:
- Miroslava Rosas Vargas, the new ambassador of Panama to the Holy See, presenting her credential letters;
- Cardinal Angelo Scola, archbishop of Milan, Italy;
- Cardinal Andrew Yeom-Soo-jung, archbishop of Seoul, Korea;
- Archbishop Giacinto Berloco, apostolic nuncio in Belgium and Luxembourg;
- Archbishop Claudio Gugerotti, apostolic nuncio in Belorus;
- Archbishop Ettore Balestrero, apostolic nuncio in Colombia;
- Marcos Aguinis.

___________________________________________________________

For more information and to search for documents refer to the site: www.visnews.org and www.vatican.va

Copyright (VIS): the news contained in the services of the Vatican
Information Service may be reproduced wholly or partially by quoting
the source: V. I. S. - Vatican Information Service. http://www.vatican.va/news_services/press/vis/vis_en.html

--- MPost/386 v1.21
* Origin: Sursum Corda! BBS=Huntsville AL=bbs.sursum-corda.com (1:396/45)

VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 167
DATE 30-09-2014

Summary:
- Cardinal Parolin to the United Nations: unity of action for the common good
- Audiences
- Other Pontifical Acts

___________________________________________________________

Cardinal Parolin to the United Nations: unity of action for the common good
Vatican City, 30 September 2014 (VIS) - Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin spoke yesterday at the 69th Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations, which included a debate on the Transformative Development Agenda, among other themes.
Cardinal Parolin, speaking in English, emphasised that the Holy See values the
United Nations' efforts to ensure world peace, respect for human dignity, the protection of persons, especially the poorest and most vulnerable, and harmonious economic and social development. However, quoting Pope Francis, he remarked that there is the danger of widespread indifference in our time, affecting not only the field of politics but also economic and social sectors, "since an important part of humanity does not share in the benefits of progress
and is in fact relegated to the status of second-class citizens". He added, "at
times, such apathy is synonymous with irresponsibility. This is the case today,
when a union of States, which was created with the fundamental goal of saving generations from the horror of war that brings untold sorrow to humanity, remains passive in the face of hostilities suffered by defenceless populations". In this context, the Cardinal repeated Pope Francis' appeal to the international community this August to "take action to end the humanitarian
tragedy now under way" in the north of Iraq.
He went on to speak in further detail about the situation in Iraq and Syria, where "we are seeing a totally new phenomenon: the existence of a terrorist organisation which threatens all states, vowing to dissolve them and replace them with a pseudo-religious world government". Unfortunately, he continued, even today "there are those who would presume to wield power by coercing consciences ... persecuting and murdering in the name of God. These actions bring injury to entire ethnic groups, populations and ancient cultures. It must
be remembered that such violence is born of a disregard for God and falsifies religion itself, since religion aims at ... making it clear that each human being is the image of the Creator. In a world of global communications, this new phenomenon has found followers in numerous places, and has succeeded in attracting from around the world young people who are often disillusioned by a widespread indifference and a dearth of values in wealthier societies. This challenge, in all its tragic aspects, should compel the international community
to promote a unified response, based on solid juridical criteria and a collective willingness to cooperate for the common good".
"To this end, the Holy See considers it useful to focus attention on two major
areas. The first is to address the cultural and political origins of contemporary challenges, acknowledging the need for innovative strategies to confront these international problems in which cultural factors play a fundamental role. The second area for consideration is a further study of the effectiveness of international law today, namely its successful implementation by those mechanisms used by the United Nations to prevent war, stop aggressors,
protect populations and help victims".
Cardinal Parolin continued, "The situation today requires a more incisive understanding of this law, giving particular attention to the 'responsibility to protect'. In fact, one of the characteristics of the recent terrorist phenomenon is that it disregards the existence of the state and, in fact, the entire international order. ... It also undermines and rejects all existing juridical systems, attempting to impose dominion over consciences and complete control over persons. The global nature of this phenomenon, which knows no borders, is precisely why the framework of international law offers the only viable way of dealing with this urgent challenge. This reality requires a renewed United Nations that undertakes to foster and preserve peace. ... The present situation, therefore, though indeed quite serious, is an occasion for the member states of the United Nations Organisation to honour the very spirit of the Charter of the United Nations by speaking out on the tragic conflicts which are tearing apart entire peoples and nations. It is disappointing that, up to now, the international community has been characterised by contradictory voices and even by silence with regard to the conflicts in Syria, the Middle East and Ukraine. It is paramount that there be a unity of action for the common good, avoiding the cross-fire of vetoes. ... In summary, the promotion of a culture of peace calls for renewed efforts in favour of dialogue, cultural
appreciation and cooperation, while respecting the variety of sensibilities. ... Ultimately, there must be a genuine willingness to apply thoroughly the current mechanisms of law, while at the same time remaining open to the implications of this crucial moment. This will ensure a multilateral approach that will better serve human dignity, and protect and advance integral human development throughout the world".
With reference to the approval of the Transformative Development Agenda, Cardinal Parolin confirmed that the Holy See welcomes the 'Sustainable Development Goals' proposed by the Working Group (Open Working Group for Sustainable Goals), which seek to address the structural causes of poverty by promoting dignified work for all. "Nevertheless, and notwithstanding the efforts of the United Nations and of many people of good will, the number of the poor and excluded is increasing not only in developing nations but also in developed ones. The 'responsibility to protect', as stated earlier, refers to extreme aggressions against human rights, cases of serious contempt for humanitarian law or grave natural catastrophes. In a similar way, there is a need to make legal provision for protecting people against other forms of aggression, which are less evident but just as serious and real. For example, a
financial system governed only by speculation and the maximisation of profits, or one in which individual persons are regarded as disposable items in a culture of waste, could be tantamount, in certain circumstances, to an offence against human dignity. It follows, therefore, that the United Nations and its member states have an urgent and grave responsibility for the poor and excluded, mindful always that social and economic justice is a essential condition for peace", he concluded.

___________________________________________________________

Audiences
Vatican City, 30 September 2014 (VIS) - Today, the Holy Father received in audience Cardinal Raymundo Damasceno Assis, archbishop of Aparecida, Brazil, president of the Brazilian Episcopal Conference, accompanied by Archbishop Jose
Belisario da Silva, of Sao Luis do Maranhao, deputy president, and Bishop Leonardo Ulrich Steiner, auxiliary of Brasilia, secretary general.
On Monday, 29 September, the Holy Father received in audience:
- Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri, secretary general of the Synod of Bishops;
- Msgr. Carlos Nannei of the prelature of Opus Dei, Argentina.

___________________________________________________________

Other Pontifical Acts
Vatican City, 30 September 2014 (VIS) - The Holy Father has appointed Bishop John Stanley Kenneth Arnold, auxiliary of Westminster, England, as bishop of Salford (area 1,800, population 2,603,000, Catholics 267,938, priests 284, religious 280), England. He accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese presented by Bishop Terence John Brain, upon reaching the age limit.
___________________________________________________________

For more information and to search for documents refer to the site: www.visnews.org and www.vatican.va

Copyright (VIS): the news contained in the services of the Vatican
Information Service may be reproduced wholly or partially by quoting
the source: V. I. S. - Vatican Information Service. http://www.vatican.va/news_services/press/vis/vis_en.html

--- MPost/386 v1.21
* Origin: Sursum Corda! BBS=Huntsville AL=bbs.sursum-corda.com (1:396/45)

VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 168
DATE 01-10-2014

Summary:
- Charisms and their action in the Christian community
- Pope's greetings to the Little Apostles of Charity, invitation to pray the rosary, and the memory of Blessed Alvaro del Portillo
- Pope Francis' prayer intentions for October
- Audiences

___________________________________________________________

Charisms and their action in the Christian community
Vatican City, 2014 (VIS) - The charisms that build the Church and make her fruitful constituted the subject of Pope Francis' catechesis during today's general audience in St. Peter's Square, attended by over 35,000 people.
"Ever since the beginning, the Lord has filled his Church with the gifts of His Spirit, making her forever alive ... and among these gifts, we find some that are particularly valuable for the edification and the progress of the Christian community: these are charisms", said the bishop of Rome, explaining that in everyday language we often refer to "charisma" in relation to a talent or natural ability. However, from a Christian point of view, a charism is far more than a personal quality, a predisposition or a gift: it is a grace, a gift
from God the Father, by the action of the Holy Spirit ... so that with the same
gratuitous love it may be placed at the service of the entire community, for the good of all".
On the other hand, Pope Francis emphasised that alone it is impossible to understand whether or not one has received a charism or what form it takes, as it is within a community that we learn to recognise them as a sign of the Father's love for all of His sons and daughters. It is therefore good for us to
ask ourselves, 'Has the Lord made a charism issue forth in me, in the grace of His Spirit, that my brothers in the Christian community have recognised and encouraged? And how do I act, in relation to this gift: do I experience it with
generosity, placing it at the service of all, or do I neglect it and end up forgetting about it? Or does it perhaps become a pretext for pride, so that I expect the community to do things my way?".
"The most beautiful experience, however, is discovering how many different charisms there are, and with how many gifts of the Spirit the Father fills His Church. This must not be regarded as a cause for confusion or unease: they are all gifts that God gives to the Christian community, so that it might grow harmoniously, in faith and in His love, like one body, the body of Christ. The same Spirit that grants this diversity of charisms also constructs the unity of
the Church". He warned, "Beware, lest these gifts become a cause for envy, division or jealousy! As the apostle Paul remarks in his First Letter to the Corinthians, all charisms are important in the eyes of God, and at the same time, no-one is indispensable. This means that in the Christian community everyone needs the other, and every gift received is fully realised when it is shared with brothers, for the good of all. This is the Church! And when the Church, in the variety of her charisms, is expressed in communion, she cannot err: it is the beauty and the strength of the 'sensus fidei', of that supernatural sense of faith, that is given by the Holy Spirit so that together we can enter into the heart of the Gospel and learn to follow Jesus in our life".
Pope Francis went on to recall that today the Church commemorates St. Therese of Lisieux, who died at the age of 24 and "loved the Church so much that she wanted to be a missionary; she wanted to have every sort of charism. And in prayer she realised that her charism was love. She said, 'In the heart of the Church, I will be love', a beautiful phrase. And we all have this charism: the capacity to love. Today let us ask St. Therese of the Child Jesus for this capacity to love the Church, to love her dearly, and to accept all these charisms with this filial love for the Church, for our hierarchical holy mother
Church".

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Pope's greetings to the Little Apostles of Charity, invitation to pray the rosary, and the memory of Blessed Alvaro del Portillo
Vatican City, 2014 (VIS) - Before the catechesis of this Wednesday's general audience in St. Peter's Square, the Pope received in the Paul VI Hall the participants in the pilgrimage organised by the Secular Institute of the Little
Apostles of Charity, founded sixty years ago by Blessed Luigi Monza who worked "with skill and love" in the care of the disabled. Pope Francis mentioned the Institute in his catechesis as an example of the charism of care for the most vulnerable, recalling that the work of Luigi Monza was supported by Pope Paul VI when he was archbishop of Milan, Italy, and urged them to be held as an example "for families and for those who hold public responsibilities".
After the catechesis and during his greetings in various languages, the Holy Father addressed German and Polish pilgrims, reminding them that October is the
month of the Holy Rosary, and invited them to meditate on the path and work of Christ through the eyes of Mary, and to pray the rosary to accompany the work of the Synod of Bishops on the family.
He also addressed the Portuguese-speaking faithful, including members of the "Associacao Crista de Empresarios e Gestores" (Christian Association of Businesspeople and Managers), encouraging them to persevere in their testimony in society and to allow themselves to be guided by the Holy Spirit "to understand the true path of history".
"Keep the flame of faith burning, ignited on the day of your baptism and sustained by the example of the holy martyrs, so that others may see the joy of
your life in Christ", he said to pilgrims from Croatia.
"I also greet Bishop Javier Echevarria, prelate of Opus Dei, as well as the faithful of the prelature present here to give thanks for the beatification of Bishop Alvaro del Portillo", he concluded, in Spanish. "May the intercession and the example of the new blessed help them to respond generously to God's call to holiness and to the apostolate in ordinary life, in the service of the Church and of the whole of humanity. Many thanks, and may God bless you".

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Pope Francis' prayer intentions for October
Vatican City, 2014 (VIS) - Pope Francis' universal prayer intention for October is: "That Lord may grant peace to those parts of the world most battered by war and violence".
His intention for evangelisation is: "That World Mission Day may rekindle in every believer zeal for carrying the Gospel into all the world".

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Audiences
Vatican City, 2014 (VIS) - The Holy Father received in audience Archbishop Levon Boghos Zekiyan, apostolic administrator "sede plena" of Istanbul of the Armenians, Turkey.
On Tuesday, 30 September, the Holy Father received in audience Rev. Mariano Fassio, regional delegate of the prelature of Opus Dei.

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For more information and to search for documents refer to the site: www.visnews.org and www.vatican.va

Copyright (VIS): the news contained in the services of the Vatican
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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 172
DATE 07-10-2014

Summary:
- Programme of the Pope's visit to the European Parliament and the Council of Europe
- The Pope to visit France in 2015
- Second General Congregation
- Third General Congregation
- Other Pontifical Acts

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Programme of the Pope's visit to the European Parliament and the Council of Europe
Vatican City, 7 October 2014 (VIS) - The programme of the Holy Father Francis'
visit to the European Parliament and the Council of Europe, scheduled to take place on Tuesday, 25 November, was published today.
The Pope will leave from Rome's Fiumicino airport at 7.55 a.m., arriving in Strasbourg at 10 a.m., where he will be received privately. At 10.35 he will address the European Parliament and at 12.05 p.m. will speak before the Council
of Europe. At 1.50 p.m. he will depart for Rome, where he will arrive at Ciampino airport at 3.50 p.m.

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The Pope to visit France in 2015
Vatican City, 7 October 2014 (VIS) - The director of the Holy See Press Office, Fr. Federico Lombardi S.J., today announced the Holy Father's intention
to make an apostolic trip to France during 2015.

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Second General Congregation
Vatican City, 7 October 2014 (VIS) - The second general Congregation, held yesterday afternoon, opened the discussions of the Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops. The theme, according to the agenda set forth in the Instrumentum Laboris, was: "God's Plan for Marriage and the Family" (Part I, Chapter 1), and "The Knowledge and Acceptance of the Teachings on Marriage and the Family from Sacred Scripture and Church Documents" (Part I, Chapter 2).
Based on the premise that the family is the basic unit of human society, the cradle of gratuitous love, and that taking about the family and marriage implies education in fidelity, it was reiterated that the family constitutes the future of humanity and must be protected.
From many quarters, however, there has emerged the need to adapt the language of the Church, so that doctrine on the family, life and sexuality is understood
correctly: it is necessary to enter into dialogue with the world, looking to the example offered by the Vatican Council, or rather with a critical but sincere openness. If the Church does not listen to the world, the world will not listen to the Church. And dialogue may be based on important themes, such as the equal dignity of men and women and the rejection of violence.
The Gospel must not be explained, but rather shown - it was said in the Assembly - and above all, the lay faithful must be involved in the proclamation
of the Good News, demonstrating the missionary charism. Evangelisation must not
be a depersonalised theory, but must instead ensure that families themselves give concrete witness to the beauty and truth of the Gospel. The challenge, it was said, is that of passing from a defensive situation to an active, proactive
one, or rather, reviving the capacity for proposing the heritage of faith with a new language, with hope, ardour and enthusiasm, offering convincing testimonies and creating a bridge between the language of the Church and that of society.
In this sense, the use of a "biblical" rather than a "theological-speculative"
catechesis was called for, since, in spite of appearances to the contrary, people are no longer satisfied by selfishness and instead seek ideals. Humanity
desires happiness and the Christian knows that happiness is Christ, but no longer succeeds in finding the suitable language to communicate this to the world. The Church, instead, must be "magnetic"; it must work by attraction, with an attitude of friendship towards the world.
With regard to couples in difficulty, it was emphasised that the Church needs to be close to them with understanding, forgiveness and mercy: mercy, it was said, is God's first prerogative, but it must be seen in the context of justice, as only in this way will the whole of God's plan be respected.
Marriage is and remains an indissoluble sacrament; however, since the truth is
Christ, a Person, and not a series of rules, it is important to maintain the principles while changing the concrete forms of their implementation. In short,
as Benedict XVI said, novelty in continuity: the Synod does not call Doctrine into question, but reflects on the Pastoral, or rather spiritual discernment for the application of such Doctrine in response to the challenges faced by contemporary families. In this sense, mercy does not eliminate the commandments, but it provides the hermeneutic key to them.
Furthermore, it was underlined that even imperfect situations must be considered with respect: for instance, de facto unions in which couples live together with fidelity and love present elements of sanctification and truth. It is therefore essential to look first and foremost at the positive elements, so that the Synod may infuse with courage and hope even imperfect forms of family, so that their value may be recognised, according to the principle of graduality. It is necessary to truly love families in difficulty.
In the context of a society in which there prevails a sort of "ego-latry", leading to defamiliarisation, it is important to acknowledge the loss of a sense of the covenant between a man ( and a woman) and God. The proclamation of
the beauty of the family, therefore, must not be simply aesthetic, the presentation of a mere ideal to imitate, but must instead present the importance of definitive commitment based on the covenant between married couples and God.
Another essential point is the rejection of clericalism: at times the Church seems more concerned with power than with service, and for this reason she does
not inspire the hearts of men and women. It is therefore necessary to return to
the imitation of Christ, and to rediscover humility: the reform of the Church must begin with the reform of the clergy. If the faithful see pastors who imitate Christ they will therefore draw close to the Church once more, enabling
her to proceed from the act of evangelising to being inherently evangelical.
The theme of the essential value of sexuality within marriage was also considered: sexuality outside marriage is discussed so critically that married sexuality can appear almost as a concession to imperfection. The Synod indicated, more briefly, the need for a greater formation of priests in relation to policies in favour of the family and the re-launching of the transmission of faith within the family.
During the hour of free discussion, from 6 to 7 p.m., two suggestions emerged:
that the Synod send a message of encouragement and appreciation to families in Iraq, threatened by extermination perpetrated by Islamic fundamentalists and forced to flee so as not to renounce their faith. The suggestion was subject to
vote and approved by a majority.
Another call was the need to reflect on the married clergy of the oriental Churches, as they too often live through "family crises", which may extend to the question of divorce.

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Third General Congregation
Vatican City, 7 October 2014 (VIS) - The general debate continued throughout today's third general Congregation. The theme according to the order of the Instrumentum Laboris was: "The Gospel of the Family and the Natural Law" (Part I, Chapter 3) and "The Family and Vocation of the Person in Christ" (Part I, Chapter 4).
At the opening of the Congregation, it was announced that the Ordinary Consistory, convoked by the Holy Father for Monday 20 October, will be devoted to the situation in the Middle East, on the basis of the results of the meeting
of various Papal Representatives and Superiors of the competent Dicasteries, held in the Vatican from 2 to 4 October. The theme of the Consistory will be presented by Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin. The meeting will also be attended by six Oriental Patriarchs and the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, His Beatitude Fouad Twal.
The general debate then continued in relation to the issues stated above. It was agreed that greater preparation for marriage is necessary, so that it is not only valid but also fruitful. The suggestion was to look not only towards remedies for failure of the conjugal union, but also to focus on the conditions
that render it valid and fruitful. It is necessary to transmit a vision of marriage that does not regard it as a destination, but rather as a path to a higher end, a road towards the growth of the person and of the couple, a source
of strength and energy. The decision to marry is a true vocation and as such requires fidelity and coherence in order to become a true locus for the growth and the protection of the human being.
For this reason, married couples must be accompanied throughout their path in life, by means of intense and vigorous family pastoral care. The path of preparation for the marriage sacrament, must therefore be long, personalised and also severe, without the fear of eventually leading to a reduction in the number of weddings celebrated in Church. Otherwise, there is the risk of filling the Tribunals with marriage cases.
A further point that emerged during the discussion was the influence of the mass media, at times intrusive, in presenting ideologies contrary to the doctrine of the Church in relation to family and marriage. In this respect, it was said, Catholics must be protected but must also be better prepared: the Church must offer her teaching in a more incisive manner, presenting doctrine not merely as a list of prohibitions, but also by drawing closer to the faithful, as Jesus did. In this way, acting with empathy and tenderness, it will be possible to reduce the gap between doctrine and practice, between the teachings of the Church and the daily life of families. What is needed is not a
choice between doctrine and mercy, but rather the beginning of an enlightened pastoral care to encourage above all those families in difficulty, who are often aware of a sense of not belonging to the Church.
Today's debate then turned again to couples in difficulty and divorced and civilly remarried persons, for whom, it was said, that the Church should offer not judgement but truth, with a gaze of understanding, because people follow the truth, and will follow the Church if she speaks the truth. The "medicine" of mercy offers acceptance, care and support. Also because - it was shown - suffering families do not seek rapid pastoral solutions, and they do not wish to be a mere statistical figure, but rather feel the need to be inspired, to feel that they are welcomed and loved. More space must be allowed for a sacramental rather than a juridical form of logic.
With regard to the approach to the Eucharist by the divorced and remarried, it
was emphasised that it is not the sacrament of the perfect, but rather of those
who are on the way.
Like yesterday afternoon, the debate focused on the need to renew the language
of the proclamation of the Gospel and the transmission of doctrine: the Church must be more open to dialogue, and must listen more frequently (and not only in
exceptional cases) to the experiences of married couples, because their struggles and their failures cannot be ignored; on the other hand, they can be the basis of a real and true theology. Again, in relation to language, some perplexity was expressed at the suggestion - included in the Instrumentum Laboris - to deepen the concept, of biblical inspiration, of the "order of creation" as a possibility of rereading "natural law" more meaningfully: it was
added that it is not enough to change the vocabulary if a bridge to effective dialogue with the faithful is not then created. In this sense, the much foretold and widespread need for change may be understood, it was said, as pastoral conversion, to make the proclamation of the Gospel more effective.
In the Assembly, three specific dimensions of the family were presented: the vocation to life, the missionary aspect understood as witnessing Christ through
the family unity, and acceptance of the other, as the family is the first school of otherness, the place in which it is possible to learn patience and slowness, in contrast to the frenzy of the contemporary world. A further dimension of the family unit is shown also in holiness, as the family educated in holiness is the icon of the Trinity, the domestic Church in the service of evangelisation, the future of humanity.
Other points indicated during the third general Congregation related to the importance of catechesis for families, especially for children, and prayer between domestic walls, so that it may give rise to a true generation of faith,
enabling its transmission from parents to children. Finally, the need for a more thorough formation for priests and catechists was underlined.

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Other Pontifical Acts
Vatican City, 7 October 2014 (VIS) - The Holy Father has accepted the resignation from the office of auxiliary of the archdiocese of Krakow, Poland, presented by Archbishop Jan Zajac upon reaching the age limit.

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Copyright (VIS): the news contained in the services of the Vatican
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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 174
DATE 09-10-2014

Summary:
- Sixth General Congregation: the Church is the house of the Father, not a customs office, and must not be indifferent to weakness
- Seventh General Congregation: The pastoral challenges concerning an openness to life
- Cardinal Parolin to take possession of his title

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Sixth General Congregation: the Church is the house of the Father, not a customs office, and must not be indifferent to weakness
Vatican City, 9 October 2014 (VIS) - During the Sixth General Congregation, which took place yesterday afternoon, the Synod Fathers continued their debate on the theme set forth in the Instrumentum Laboris: "Difficult pastoral situations (Part II, Chapter 3). Situations in Families / Concerning Unions of Persons of the Same Sex".
Firstly, it was underlined that the Church is not a customs house, but rather the house of the Father, and must therefore offer patient accompaniment to all people, including those who find themselves in difficult pastoral situations. The true Catholic Church encompasses healthy families and families in crisis, and therefore in her daily effort of sanctification must not show indifference in relation to weakness, as patience implies actively helping the weakest.
With regard to processes for the declaration of nullity of marriage, in general the need to streamline the procedures was observed by many (along with the need to integrate more competent laypersons in the ecclesiastical Tribunals), but the Assembly also noted the danger of superficiality and the need always to safeguard respect for the truth and the rights of the parties. It was also remarked that the process is not contrary to pastoral charity, and judicial pastoral must avoid attempts to apportion blame, instead encouraging a
calm discussion of cases. Again with regard to marriage nullity, the hypothesis
of recourse to administrative channels, not in lieu of the judicial process but
rather as a complement to it, was considered. It was suggested that it would be
the responsibility of the bishop to decide which requests for nullity could be dealt with through administrative channels.
It was strongly emphasised that an attitude of respect must be adopted in relation to divorced and remarried persons, as they often live in situations of
unease or social injustice, suffer in silence and in many cases seek a gradual path to fuller participation in ecclesial life. Pastoral care must not therefore be repressive, but full of mercy.
With regard to polygamy, on the one hand it was underlined that this is a diminishing tendency as it is favoured mostly within rural contexts and therefore undermined by advancing urbanisation; on the other, it was recalled that there are polygamists who have converted to Catholicism and who wish to receive the sacraments of Christian initiation, and it was asked if there are specific pastoral measures to engage with these situations with the appropriate
discernment.
Attention returned to the need for greater preparation for marriage, especially among the young, to whom the beauty of sacramental union must be presented, along with an adequate emotional education that is not merely a moralistic exhortation that risks generating a sort of religious and human illiteracy. The path to marriage must involve a true growth of the person.
During the hour of free discussion - between 6 and 7 p.m. - the interventions presented experiences and practical models for the pastoral care of divorced and remarried persons, making extensive use of listening groups. It was remarked that it is important to carefully avoid moral judgement or speaking of
a "permanent state of sin", seeking instead to enable understanding that not being admitted to the sacrament of the Eucharist does not entirely eliminate the possibility of grace in Christ and is due rather to the objective situation
of remaining bound by a previous and indissoluble sacramental bond. In this respect, the importance of spiritual communion was emphasised repeatedly. It was also commented that there are evident limits to these proposals and that certainly there are no "easy" solutions to the problem.
Also in relation to the pastoral care of homosexual persons, emphasis was placed on the importance of listening and the use of listening groups.
Further interventions focused on the issue of Catholics who change Christian confession, or vice versa, with the difficult consequences that may arise from inter-confessional marriages and the validation of their validity in the light of the possibilities of divorce in the Orthodox Churches.
Recalling the Ordinary Synod held in 1980 on the theme of "The Christian family", it was observed that great evolution has occurred since then in international legal culture and it is therefore necessary for the Church to be aware of this, and for cultural institutions such as the Catholic Universities to face this situation in order to retain a role in ongoing debate.

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Seventh General Congregation: The pastoral challenges concerning an openness to life
Vatican City, 9 October 2014 (VIS) - The seventh general Congregation, which took place this morning was divided into two phases: the first consisting of further general debate on the theme of the previous afternoon, "Difficult Pastoral Situations" (Part II, Chapter 3. Situations in Families / Concerning Unions of Persons of the Same Sex", and the second regarding the subsequent issue, "The Pastoral Challenges concerning an Openness to Life".
In the first part, therefore, the Assembly continued its reflection on the matter of access to the sacrament of the Eucharist for divorced and remarried persons. Firstly, it re-emphasised the indissoluble nature of marriage, without
compromise, based on the fact that the sacramental bond is an objective reality, the work of Christ in the Church. Such a value must be defended and cared for through adequate pre-matrimonial catechesis, so that engaged couples are fully aware of the sacramental character of the bond and its vocational nature. Pastoral accompaniment for couples following marriage would also be useful.
At the same time, it was said that it is necessary to look at individual cases
and real-life situations, even those involving great suffering, distinguishing for example between those who abandon their spouse and those who are abandoned.
The problem exists - this was repeated several times in the Assembly - and the Church does not neglect it. Pastoral care must not be exclusive, of an "all or nothing" type but must instead be merciful, as the mystery of the Church is a mystery of consolation.
It was in any case recalled that for divorced and remarried persons, the fact of not having access to the Eucharist does not mean that they are not members of the ecclesial community; on the contrary, it is to be taken into consideration that there exist various responsibilities that may be exercised. Furthermore, the need to simplify and speed up the procedures for the declaration of marriage nullity was underlined.
With regard to cohabitation in certain regions, it was shown that this is often due to economic and social factors and not a form of refusal of the teachings of the Church. Often, moreover, these and other types of de facto unions are lived while conserving the wish for a Christian life, and therefore require suitable pastoral care. Similarly, while emphasising the impossibility of recognising same sex marriage, the need for a respectful and non-discriminatory approach with regard to homosexuals was in any case underlined.
Further attention was paid to the matter of mixed marriages, demonstrating that in spite of the difficulties that may be encountered, it is useful to look
also at the possibilities they offer as witness to harmony and interreligious dialogue. The Assembly then returned to theme of language, so that the Church may involve believers, non-believers and all persons of good will to identify models of family life that promote the full development of the human person and
societal wellbeing. It was suggested that the family should be spoken of using a "grammar of simplicity" that reaches the heart of the faithful.
In the second part of the Congregation, the theme of responsible parenthood was considered, emphasising that the gift of life (and the virtue of chastity) are basic values in Christian marriage, and underlining the seriousness of the crime of abortion. At the same time, mention was made of the numerous crises experienced by many families, for instance in certain Asian contexts, such as infanticide, violence towards women and human trafficking. The need to highlight the concept of justice among the fundamental virtues of the family was underlined.
The debate turned to the issue of the responsibility of parents in educating their children in faith and in the teachings it offers: such responsibility is primordial, it was said, and it is important to pay it suitable attention. It was also noted that the pastoral care of children can create a point of contact
with families who find themselves in difficult situations.
With regard to children, the negative impact of contraception on society and resulting decline in the birth rate was underlined. It was remarked that Catholics should not remain silent in relation to this issue, but should instead bring a message of hope: children are important, they bring life and joy to their parents, and they reinforce faith and religious practices.
Finally, attention turned to the essential role of the laity in the apostolate
of the family and in its evangelisation, as well as lay movements able to accompany families in difficulty.

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Cardinal Parolin to take possession of his title
Vatican City, 9 October 2014 (VIS) - The Office of Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff today announced that on Saturday, 11 October, at 6.30 p.m.,
Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin will take possession of the title of
Sts. Simon and Jude Thaddeus at Torre Angela (Via di Torrenova, 162).

___________________________________________________________

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Copyright (VIS): the news contained in the services of the Vatican
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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 177
DATE 14-10-2014

Summary:
- Declaration of the director of the Holy See Press Office on behalf of the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops
- Debate of the Synod Fathers following the post-discussion Report

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Declaration of the director of the Holy See Press Office on behalf of the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops
Vatican City, 2014 (VIS) - The General Secretariat of the Synod, in response to reactions and discussions following the publication of the Relatio post disceptationem, and the fact that often a value has been attributed to the document that does not correspond to its nature, reiterates that it is a working document, which summarises the interventions and debate of the first week, and is now being offered for discussion by the members of the Synod gathered in the Small Groups, in accordance with the Regulations of the Synod.
The work of the Small Groups will be presented to the Assembly in the General Congregation next Thursday morning.

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Debate of the Synod Fathers following the post-discussion Report
Vatican City, 2014 (VIS) - During the eleventh General Congregation the "Relatio post disceptationem" was read by the General Rapporteur, Cardinal Peter Erdo.
Immediately after, there followed a period of free discussion among the Synod Fathers. In general, the "Relatio post disceptationem" was appreciated for its capacity to photograph well the interventions that have been offered during this last week, capturing the spirit of the Assembly and highlighting acceptance and welcome as the principle theme of the works. The document, it was said, reveals the Church's love for the family faithful to Christ, but also
her capacity to be close to humanity in every moment of life, to understand that, behind the pastoral challenges, there are many people who suffer. The Synod, it was emphasised, should have the watchful gaze of the shepherd who devotes his life to his sheep, without a priori judgement.
Furthermore, to allow this Report to bring together various points of view to provide a basis for the work of the Small Groups, certain additional reflections were suggested: for example, while the Church must welcome those in
difficulty, it would be useful to speak more widely about those families who remain faithful to the teachings of the Gospel, thanking them and encouraging them for the witness they offer. From the Synod it emerged more clearly that indissoluble, happy marriage, faithful for ever, is beautiful, possible and present in society, therefore avoiding a near-exclusive focus on imperfect family situations.
Other reflections involved giving more emphasis to the theme of women, their protection and their importance for the transmission of life and faith; to include consideration of the figure of grandparents within the family unit; more specific reference to the family as a "domestic Church" and the parish as a "family of families", and to the Holy Family, an essential model for reference. In this respect, it was also suggested that the family and missionary role in proclaiming the Gospel in the world be further promoted.
It is necessary to clarify and explore more deeply the theme of "gradualness",
that may give rise to confusion. With regard to access to the sacraments for divorced and remarried persons, for instance, it was said that it is difficult to accept exceptions unless in reality they become a common rule.
It was also noted that the word "sin" is almost absent from the Relatio. The prophetic tone of Jesus' words was also mentioned, to avoid the risk of conformity to the mentality of today's world.
In relation to homosexuals, moreover, the need for welcome was highlighted, but with the just produced, so that the impression of a positive evaluation of such a tendency on the part of the Church is not created. The same care was advised with regard to cohabitation.
Other insights regarded the need to emphasise the importance of the sacrament of Baptism, essential for fully understanding the sacramental nature of marriage and also its character as a "ministry" in the announcement of the Gospel.
With regard to procedures for the streamlining of cases of nullity, some questions were raised regarding the proposal to entrust greater competence to the diocesan bishop, which may prove to be too great a burden, while the need for deeper and more detailed reflection was indicated in relation to cases of polygamy - especially for those who convert and wish to partake in the sacraments - and the spread of pornography, especially on the internet, which poses a real risk to family unity. Finally, in relation to openness to life on the part of couples, it is necessary to face in more detail and more decisively
not only abortion, but also that of surrogacy.

___________________________________________________________

For more information and to search for documents refer to the site: www.visnews.org and www.vatican.va

Copyright (VIS): the news contained in the services of the Vatican
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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 178
DATE 15-10-2014

Summary:
- General audience: the final destination of the People of God
- Pope's letter for the fifth centenary of the birth of St. Teresa of Avila
- Other Pontifical Acts __________________________________________________________

General audience: the final destination of the People of God
Vatican City, 2014 (VIS) - The final destination of the People of God was the theme of Pope Francis' catechesis during this Wednesday's general audience. The
Holy Father began by recalling St. Paul's words to the Thessalonians, when with
anxiety they asked what would become of them - "we will be with the Lord forever" - remarking that it was one of the most beautiful phrases of the Sacred Scripture, and inviting those present in St. Peter's Square to repeat it
three times.
He went on to comment on how, in the Book of Revelation St. John, returning to
the intuition of the Prophets, describes the final and definitive dimension in terms of "a new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband". And this, then, is who the Church is: she is the people of God following the Lord Jesus and who prepares herself, day by day, for the encounter with Him, like a bride with her groom. And it is not simply a turn of phrase: it will be a true espousal. Yes, because Christ, who made Himself man like us, and making us one with Him, by His death and resurrection, truly took us as His spouse. And this is none other than the fulfilment of the plan of communion and love, woven by God throughout history, the history of the People of God and the history of each one of us".
There is another element that further consoles us and opens our heart: John says that in the Church, bride of Christ, the "new Jerusalem" is visible. This means that the Church, aside from being a bride, is called to become a city, the quintessential symbol of co-existence and human relations. How beautiful it
is to already be able to contemplate, according to another evocative image from
Revelation, all the peoples and populations gathered together in this city, as if they were all under the same roof, in God's home. And in this glorious setting there will be no more isolation, abuse or distinctions of any type - social, ethnic or religious - but we will all be one in Christ".
"In the presence of this unprecedented and wonderful scene, hope cannot but be
strongly confirmed in our heart", he added, since "Christian hope is not simply
a wish, a hope; for a Christian, hope is awaiting, fervently and with passion, the final and definitive fulfilment of a mystery, the mystery of God's love, in
which we are reborn and which we already live. And it is the expectation of someone who is about to arrive: the Lord Christ who is ever closer to us, day after day, and who comes to finally introduce us to the fullness of His communion and His peace". Pope Francis underlined that the Church therefore has
"the task of keeping hope alight and clearly visible, so that it may continue to shine as a sure sign of salvation and may illuminate for all humanity the path that leads to the encounter with the mysterious face of God".
Pope's letter for the fifth centenary of the birth of St. Teresa of Avila
Vatican City, 2014 (VIS) - The Holy Father has sent a message to Bishop Jesus Garcia Burillo of Avila on the occasion of the fifth centenary of the birth of St. Teresa of Avila, whose feast day is celebrated today. In his letter, Pope Francis mentions the joy the saint often spoke of "in encountering the suffering of work and pain", and how she affirmed that "the Gospel is not a bag
of lead that trails heavily behind us, but rather a source of joy that leads the heart to God and urges us to serve our brethren": St. Teresa emphasised the
importance of cheerful perseverance and prayer. For her, contemplative prayer was "a close sharing between friends; ... taking time frequently to be alone with him who we know loves us".
The Pope remarks that this advice is "perennially valid": "In a culture of the
temporary", he says, "to live faithfully 'forever and ever and ever'; in a world without hope, to show the fruitfulness of an enamoured heart; and in a society with many idols, to give witness that 'only God is enough'". A path that, the Holy Father reiterated, we cannot walk alone; we must do so together and, as the Saint said, with Christ. "Teresa of Jesus recommended three things:
to love each other, to free each other, to free oneself of everything, and to aspire to true humility".
"It is this Teresian realism", writes the Pope, "that demands works instead of
emotions, love in the place of dreams, and the realism of humble love instead of eager asceticism". He concludes, "Let us hope that everyone may be infused by this holy impulse to travel the roads of our own time, with the Gospel in our hand and the Spirit in our heart!".
Other Pontifical Acts
Vatican City, 2014 (VIS) - The Holy Father has appointed:
- Bishop Antonio Fernando Brochini, C.S.S., of Jaboticabal, Brazil as bishop of Itumbiara (area 21,152, population 313,000, Catholics 244,000, priests28, permanent deacons 2, religious 26), Brazil.
- appointed Rev. Fr. Vittorio Francesco Viola, O.F.M., as bishop of Tortona (area 2,350, population 281,310, Catholics 274,640, priests 175, permanent deacons 20, religious 409), Italy. The bishop-elect was born in Biella, Italy in 1965, gave his solemn vows in 1991, and was ordained a priest in 1993. He has served in a number of roles, including definitor or the Seraphic Province of Friars Minor in Umbria, custodian of the convent and the Papal Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli alla Porziuncola, guardian of the convent at St. Clare's Basilica in Assisi, head of the Liturgical Office for the region of Umbria, head of the diocesan office for Education, Schools and University in Assisi, and head of the diocesan Caritas. He was recently appointed as custodian of the protoconvent and shrine of Porziuncola. He also teaches at the
St. Anselm Pontifical Athenaeum, Rome, in the Pontifical Liturgical Institute, in the Theological Institute of Assisi, and the Institute of Religious Sciences, Assisi. He succeeds Bishop Martino Canessa, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese upon reaching the age limit was accepted by the Holy Father.


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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 179
DATE 16-10-2014

Summary:
- Twelfth General Congregation: evaluation and suggestions based on the post-discussion report
- Reports of the Small Groups
- Sistine Chapel: New breath, new light

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Twelfth General Congregation: evaluation and suggestions based on the post-discussion report
Vatican City, 16 October 2014 (VIS) - The twelfth General Congregation included the presentation, in the Assembly, of the Reports of the ten Small Groups, divided according to language: two in French, three in English, three in Italian and two in Spanish. In general, the Small Groups presented both an evaluation of the "Relatio post disceptationem" (RPD), a provisional document published at the midway point during the Synod, as well as proposals to incorporate in the "Relatio Synodi" (RS), the definitive and conclusive document of the Assembly.
Firstly, some perplexity was voiced regarding to the publication, although legitimate, of the RPD since, it was said, this is a working document that does
not express a univocal opinion shared by all the Synod Fathers. Therefore, after expressing their appreciation of the work involved in drawing up the text
and regarding its structure, the Small Groups presented their suggestions.
It was first underlined that in the RPD there is a focus on the concerns of families in crisis, without broader reference to the positive message of the Gospel of the family or to the fact that marriage as a sacrament, an indissoluble union between man and woman, retains a very current value in which
many couples believe. Therefore, the hope was expressed that the RS may contain
a strong message of encouragement and support for the Church and for faithful married couples.
Furthermore, it was remarked that it is essential to underline more clearly the doctrine on marriage, emphasising that it is a gift from God. It was further proposed that elements not contained in the RPD be integrated in the RS, such as the theme of adoption, expressing the hope that bureaucratic procedures be streamlined, both at national and international levels, and also the themes of biotechnology and the spread of culture via the internet, which may condition family life, as well as a note regarding the importance of policies in favour of the family.
In addition, it was said that greater attention should be paid to the presence
of the elderly within families, and to families who live in conditions of extreme poverty. The grave problems of prostitution, female genital mutilation and the exploitation of minors for sexual purposes and for labour were denounced. It is important, it was said, to underline the essential role of families in evangelisation and in the transmission of faith, highlighting their
missionary vocation. Overall, the aim is to offer a balanced and global idea of
the "family" in a Christian sense.
With regard to difficult family situations, the Small Groups highlighted that the Church should be a welcoming home for all, in order that no-one feel refused. However, greater clarity was advocated, to avoid confusion, hesitation
and euphemisms in language, regarding for example the law of gradualness, so that it does not become gradualness of the law. Various Groups, furthermore, expressed perplexity regarding the analogy made with paragraph 8 of "Lumen Gentium", inasmuch as this could give the impression of a willingness on the part of the Church to legitimise irregular family situations, even though these
may represent a phase in the itinerary towards the sacrament of marriage. Other
Groups expressed their hope for a more in-depth focus on the concept of "spiritual communion", so that it may be evaluated and eventually promoted and disseminated.
With regard to possibility of divorced and remarried persons partaking in the sacrament of the Eucharist, two main perspectives emerged: on the one hand, it was suggested that the doctrine not be modified and to remain as it is at present; on the other, to open up the possibility of communication, with an approach based on compassion and mercy, but only under certain conditions. In other cases, furthermore, it was suggested that the matter be studied by a specific interdisciplinary Commission. Greater care was suggested in relation to divorced persons who have not remarried, and who are often heroic witnesses of conjugal fidelity. At the same time, an acceleration of the procedures for acknowledging matrimonial nullity and the confirmation of validity was advocated; furthermore, it was emphasised that children are not a burden but rather a gift from God, the fruit of love between spouses.
A more "Christ-centric" orientation was required, as well as clearer emphasis of the link between the sacraments of marriage and baptism. The vision of the world must be one which passes through the lens of the Gospel, to encourage men
and women to the conversion of the heart.
Furthermore, it was emphasised that, despite the impossibility of equating marriage between a man and a woman with homosexual unions, persons of this orientation must receive pastoral accompaniment and their dignity must be protected, without however implying that this may indicate a form of approval, on the part of the Church, of their orientation and way of life. With regard to
the issue of polygamy, especially polygamists who convert to Catholicism and wish to partake in the sacraments, thorough study was suggested.
The Small Groups advocated broader reflection on the figure of Mary and the Holy Family, to be better promoted as a model for reference for all family units. Finally, it was asked that it be highlighted that the RS will in any case be a preparatory document for the Ordinary Synod scheduled for October 2015.

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Reports of the Small Groups
Vatican City, 16 October 2014 (VIS) - The texts of the reports by the twelve Small Groups (Gallicus A and B, French; Anglicus A, B and C, English; Italicus A, B and C, Italian; Hibericus A and B, Spanish) of the Third Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, presented this morning during the twelfth General Congregation, may be consulted on the Holy See Press Office Bulletin web page, at:
http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2014/10/16/0763/03042.html

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Sistine Chapel: New breath, new light
Vatican City, 16 October 2014 (VIS) - A press conference was held this morning
in the Holy See Press Office during which the director of the Vatican Museums, Professor Antonio Paolucci, presented the international congress "The Sistine Chapel, twenty years on: new breath, new light", which will take place from 30 to 31 October. The congress coincides with the twentieth anniversary of the inauguration of the Sistine Chapel by St. John Paul II following the restoration of Michelangelo's frescoes by the experts Fabrizio Mancinelli and Gianluigi Colalucci, and with the 450th anniversary of the death of celebrated artist.
During the congress, information will be given on the new air conditioning and
lighting systems in the Sistine Chapel, put into effect during the last three years. Professor Paolucci explained that the great influx of visitors - more than six million each year with peaks of more than twenty thousand each day - necessitated "a radical intervention guaranteeing the circulation of air, the reduction of dust and other contaminants, temperature and humidity control and an acceptable level of carbon dioxide, factors that, in the long term, may pose
a threat to the conservation of mural paintings, in this case the 2500 square metres that constitute the most important artistic anthology of the Italian Renaissance".
A new lighting system was also necessary, to provide gentle but total illumination, non-invasive and respecting the complex iconographic, stylistic and historic reality of the Sistine Chapel. This involved no special "spotlight" on Michelangelo, but instead providing the possibility of a calm, objective and at the same time delicate observation of every detail of "this great catechism that three popes - Sixtus IV, Julius II and Paul III - wished to display along the walls and on the ceiling of the 'chapel of the world'".

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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 181
DATE 18-10-2014

Summary:
- Message of the Synod Assembly on the pastoral challenges to the family in the
context of evangelisation

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Message of the Synod Assembly on the pastoral challenges to the family in the context of evangelisation
Vatican City, 18 October 2014 (VIS) - This morning a press conference was held
in the Holy See Press Office to present the Message of the Third Extraordinary Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, dedicated to the "Pastoral challenges to the family in the context of evangelisation" (5-19 October). The speakers were Cardinals Raymundo Damasceno Assis, archbishop of Aparecida, Brazil, delegate president; Gianfranco Ravasi, president of the Pontifical Council for Culture and president of the Commission for the Message and Oswald Gracias, archbishop of Bombay, India. The full text of the message is published below:
"We, Synod Fathers, gathered in Rome together with Pope Francis in the Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, greet all families of the different continents and in particular all who follow Christ, the Way, the Truth, and the Life. We admire and are grateful for the daily witness which you
offer us and the world with your fidelity, faith, hope, and love.
Each of us, pastors of the Church, grew up in a family, and we come from a great variety of backgrounds and experiences. As priests and bishops we have lived alongside families who have spoken to us and shown us the saga of their joys and their difficulties.
The preparation for this synod assembly, beginning with the questionnaire sent
to the Churches around the world, has given us the opportunity to listen to the
experience of many families. Our dialogue during the Synod has been mutually enriching, helping us to look at the complex situations which face families today.
We offer you the words of Christ: "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will enter his house and dine with him, and he with me". On his journeys along the roads of the Holy Land, Jesus would enter village houses. He continues to pass even today along the streets of our cities. In your homes there are light and shadow. Challenges often present themselves and at times even great trials. The darkness can grow deep to the point of becoming a dense shadow when evil and sin work into the heart of the family.
We recognise the great challenge to remain faithful in conjugal love. Enfeebled faith and indifference to true values, individualism, impoverishment of relationships, and stress that excludes reflection leave their mark on family life. There are often crises in marriage, often confronted in haste and without the courage to have patience and reflect, to make sacrifices and to forgive one another. Failures give rise to new relationships, new couples, new civil unions, and new marriages, creating family situations which are complex and problematic, where the Christian choice is not obvious.
We think also of the burden imposed by life in the suffering that can arise with a child with special needs, with grave illness, in deterioration of old age, or in the death of a loved one. We admire the fidelity of so many families
who endure these trials with courage, faith, and love. They see them not as a burden inflicted on them, but as something in which they themselves give, seeing the suffering Christ in the weakness of the flesh.
We recall the difficulties caused by economic systems, by the "the idolatry of
money and the dictatorship of an impersonal economy lacking a truly human purpose" which weakens the dignity of people. We remember unemployed parents who are powerless to provide basic needs for their families, and youth who see before them days of empty expectation, who are prey to drugs and crime.
We think of so many poor families, of those who cling to boats in order to reach a shore of survival, of refugees wandering without hope in the desert, of
those persecuted because of their faith and the human and spiritual values which they hold. These are stricken by the brutality of war and oppression. We remember the women who suffer violence and exploitation, victims of human trafficking, children abused by those who ought to have protected them and fostered their development, and the members of so many families who have been degraded and burdened with difficulties. "The culture of prosperity deadens us.... all those lives stunted for lack of opportunity seem a mere spectacle; they fail to move us". We call on governments and international organizations to promote the rights of the family for the common good.
Christ wanted his Church to be a house with doors always open to welcome everyone. We warmly thank our pastors, lay faithful, and communities who accompany couples and families and care for their wounds.
***
There is also the evening light behind the windowpanes in the houses of the cities, in modest residences of suburbs and villages, and even in mere shacks, which shines out brightly, warming bodies and souls. This lightùthe light of a wedding storyùshines from the encounter between spouses: it is a gift, a grace expressed, as the Book of Genesis says, when the two are "face to face" as equal and mutual helpers. The love of man and woman teaches us that each needs the other in order to be truly self. Each remains different from the other that
opens self and is revealed in the reciprocal gift. It is this that the bride of
the Song of Songs sings in her canticle: "My beloved is mine and I am his... I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine".
This authentic encounter begins with courtship, a time of waiting and preparation. It is realized in the sacrament where God sets his seal, his presence, and grace. This path also includes sexual relationship, tenderness, intimacy, and beauty capable of lasting longer than the vigour and freshness of
youth. Such love, of its nature, strives to be forever to the point of laying down one's life for the beloved. In this light conjugal love, which is unique and indissoluble, endures despite many difficulties. It is one of the most beautiful of all miracles and the most common.
This love spreads through fertility and generativity, which involves not only the procreation of children but also the gift of divine life in baptism, their catechesis, and their education. It includes the capacity to offer life, affection, and valuesùan experience possible even for those who have not been able to bear children. Families who live this light-filled adventure become a sign for all, especially for young people.
This journey is sometimes a mountainous trek with hardships and falls. God is always there to accompany us. The family experiences his presence in affection and dialogue between husband and wife, parents and children, sisters and brothers. They embrace him in family prayer and listening to the Word of Godùa small, daily oasis of the spirit. They discover him every day as they educate their children in the faith and in the beauty of a life lived according to the Gospel, a life of holiness. Grandparents also share in this task with great affection and dedication. The family is thus an authentic domestic Church that expands to become the family of families which is the ecclesial community. Christian spouses are called to become teachers of faith and of love for young couples as well.
Another expression of fraternal communion is charity, giving, nearness to those who are last, marginalized, poor, lonely, sick, strangers, and families in crisis, aware of the Lord's word, "It is more blessed to give than to receive". It is a gift of goods, of fellowship, of love and mercy, and also a witness to the truth, to light, and to the meaning of life.
The high point which sums up all the threads of communion with God and neighbor is the Sunday Eucharist when the family and the whole Church sits at table with the Lord. He gives himself to all of us, pilgrims through history towards the goal of the final encounter when "Christ is all and in all". In the
first stage of our Synod itinerary, therefore, we have reflected on how to accompany those who have been divorced and remarried and on their participation
in the sacraments.
We Synod Fathers ask you walk with us towards the next Synod. The presence of the family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph in their modest home hovers over you. United to the Family of Nazareth, we raise to the Father of all our petition for the families of the world:
Father, grant to all families the presence of strong and wise spouses who may be the source of a free and united family.
Father, grant that parents may have a home in which to live in peace with their families.
Father, grant that children may be a sign of trust and hope and that young people may have the courage to forge life-long, faithful commitments.
Father, grant to all that they may be able to earn bread with their hands, that they may enjoy serenity of spirit and that they may keep aflame the torch of faith even in periods of darkness.
Father, grant that we may all see flourish a Church that is ever more faithful
and credible, a just and humane city, a world that loves truth, justice and mercy".

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Copyright (VIS): the news contained in the services of the Vatican
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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 183
DATE 21-10-2014

Summary:
- Programme of Pope Francis' apostolic trip to Turkey
- The responsibility to protect and the rule of law

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Programme of Pope Francis' apostolic trip to Turkey
Vatican City, 2014 (VIS) - The Holy See Press Office today confirmed that His Holiness Francis, accepting the invitation issued by the civil authorities, His
Holiness Bartolomaios I and the bishops, will make an apostolic trip to Turkey from 28 to 30 November 2014, during which he will visit Ankara and Istanbul.
The Pope will leave on the morning of Friday 28 from Rome's Fiumicino Airport,
and will arrive at Esenboga Airport, Ankara at approximately 1 pm. He will first visit the Mausoleum of Ataturk, after which he will transfer to the presidential palace where he will be received by the president of the Republic and the authorities, to be followed by a meeting with the Prime Minister. He will subsequently visit the president of Religious Affairs in the Diyanet.
On the following day, Saturday 29, the Holy Father will travel by air to Istanbul where he will visit the Hagia Sophia Museum, the Sultan Ahmet Mosque, better known as the Blue Mosque, and the Catholic Cathedral of the Holy Spirit,
where he will celebrate Mass. Later, in the patriarchal Church of St. George, there will be an ecumenical prayer and a private meeting with His Holiness Bartholomaios I.
On Sunday 30 Pope Francis will celebrate Mass privately with the apostolic delegation. In the patriarchal Church of St. George a divine liturgy will take place, followed by an ecumenical blessing and the signing of the Joint Declaration. In the afternoon the Holy Father will return to Istanbul Airport to return to Rome, where he is expected to arrive, at Fiumicino Airport, at 6.40 p.m.

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The responsibility to protect and the rule of law
Vatican City, 2014 (VIS) - A state based on the principles of rule of law and justice was the central theme of the address given on 13 October at the United Nations in New York by Archbishop Bernardito Auza, the Holy See permanent observer at the United Nations, during the 69th session of the General Assembly.
"While commitment to the rule of law would appear to be universal, there nonetheless remains persistent disagreement about the definition of 'the rule of law'. The Holy See Delegation has endorsed a definition of the rule of law, which is both rationally and morally grounded upon the substantial principles of justice, including the inalienable dignity and value of every human person prior to any law or social consensus; and, as a consequence of the recognition of this dignity, those elements of fundamental justice such as respect for the principle of legality (Nullum crimen sine lege), the presumption of innocence and the right to due process. Likewise, regarding relations among States, the rule of law means the paramount respect of human rights, equality of the rights
of nations; and respect for international customary law, treaties (Pacta sunt servanda) and other sources of international law. This definition, with its reference point in the natural law, sidesteps self-referential definitional frameworks and anchors the orientation of the rule of law within the ultimate and essential goal of all law, namely to promote and guarantee the dignity of the human person and the common good.
"For this reason, in future debates of the rule of law my delegation would welcome increased attention to the human person and the society in which he or she lives, because, in addition to the police force, courts, judges, prosecutors and the rest of the legal infrastructure, the rule of law is unattainable without social trust, solidarity, civic responsibility, good governance and moral education. The family, religious communities and civil society play indispensable roles in creating a society that can promote public integrity and sustain the rule of law. As Pope Francis affirmed: 'When a society, whether local, national or global, is willing to leave a part of itself on the fringes, no political programs or resources spent on law enforcement or surveillance systems can indefinitely guarantee tranquillity'. This is why the promotion of the rule of law needs to be indispensably supported and verified by prioritising the allocation of public resources to human integral development.
Archbishop Auza went on to observe that the UN Charter and the mandates contained within its purposes and principles are at the centre of the international framework governing rule of law. "In the exercise of these powers, it is appropriate to emphasise the commitment of States to fulfil their
obligations to promote universal respect for, and the promotion and protection of, all human rights and fundamental freedoms for all. If the international rule of law is to reflect justice, frameworks to international protection of persons must be fairly and impartially applied by States to guarantee equal recourse to the protections available under the UN Charter. I refer here in particular to religious and ethnic minorities in the Middle East and other regions awaiting urgent measures to effect this protection, including through further legal elaboration of the responsibility to protect".
He continued, "the 'responsibility to protect' is a recognition of the equality of all before the law, based on the innate dignity of every man and woman. The Holy See wishes to reaffirm that every State has the primary duty to
protect its own population from grave and sustained violations of human rights and from the consequences of humanitarian crises. If States are unable to guarantee such protection, the international community must intervene with the juridical means provided in the UN Charter and in other international instruments. The action of the international institutions, provided that it respects the principles undergirding the international order, cannot be interpreted as an unwarranted imposition or a limitation of sovereignty".
Finally, the nuncio reiterated that the Holy See hopes that the "alarming, escalating phenomenon of international terrorism, new in some of its expressions and utterly ruthless in its barbarity, be an occasion for a deeper and more urgent study on how to re-enforce the international juridical framework of a multilateral application of our common responsibility to protect
people from all forms of unjust aggression".

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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXIV - # 184
DATE 23-10-2014

Summary:
- Audience with Prime Minister of Grenada: Catholic Churh's Crontribution in Responding to Challenges Facing the Country
- Pope to Association of Penal Law: Corruption is Greater Evil than Sin
- Audiences
- Other Pontifical Acts

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Audience with Prime Minister of Grenada: Catholic Churh's Crontribution in Responding to Challenges Facing the Country
Vatican City, 23 October 2014 (VIS) - This morning in the Vatican Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father received the Prime Minister of Grenada, Keith Mitchell,
who subsequently met with Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, accompanied by Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, secretary for Relations with States.
In the course of the cordial conversations, the parties focused on the good relations existing between the Holy See and Grenada, as well as the important contribution made by the Catholic Church in the educational, social, and charitable spheres, to meet the challenges of the country, especially with regard to youth. In this regard, the need for cooperation between all of the social services, in order to promote the common good and the development of the
country, was affirmed.

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Pope to Association of Penal Law: Corruption is Greater Evil than Sin
Vatican City, 23 October 2014 (VIS) - Today, the Holy Father received delegates
from the International Association of Penal Law (AIDP), addressing them with a speech focusing on the issues in their subject area that have recourse to the Church in her mission of evangelization and the promotion of the human person. The Pope began by recalling the need for legal and political methods that are not characterized by the mythological ?scapegoat? logic, that is, of an individual unjustly accused of the misfortunes that befall a community and then
chosen to be sacrificed. It is also necessary to refute the belief that legal sanctions carry benefit, which requires the implementation of inclusive economic and social policies. He reiterated the primacy of the life and dignity
of the human person, reaffirming the absolute condemnation of the death penalty, the use of which isrejected by Christians. In this context he also talked about the so-called extrajudicial executions, that is, the deliberated killing of individuals by some states or their agents that are presented as the
unintended consequence of the reasonable, necessary, and proportionate use of force to implement the law. He emphasized that the death penalty is used in totalitarian regimes as ?an instrument of suppression of political dissent or of persecution of religious or cultural minorities?.
He then spoke of the conditions of prisoners, including prisoners who have not been convicted and those convicted without a trial, stating that pretrial detention, when used improperly, is another modern form of unlawful punishment that is hidden behind legality. He also referred to the deplorable prison condition in much of the world, sometimes due to lack of infrastructure while other instances are the result of ?the arbitrary exercise of ruthless power over detainees?.Pope Francis also spoke about torture and other inhuman and degrading treatment, stating that, in the world today, torture is used not only
as a means to achieve a particular purpose, such as a confession or an accusation?practices that are characteristic of a doctrine of national security?but also adds to the evil of detention. Criminal code itself bears responsibility for having allowed, in certain cases, the legitimacy of torture under certain conditions, opening the way for further abuse.
The Pope did not forget the application of criminal sanctions against children and the elderly, condemning its use in both cases. He also recalled some forms of crime that seriously damage the dignity of the human person as well as the common good, including human trafficking, slavery?recognized as a crime against
humanity as well as a war crime in both international law and under many nations? laws?the abject poverty in which more than a billion people live, andcorruption. ?The scandalous accumulation of global wealth is possible because of the connivance of those with strong powers who are responsible for public affairs. Corruption is a process of death ? more evil than sin. An evil that, instead of being forgiven, must be cured.?
?Caution in the application of penal codes,? he concluded, ?must be the overarching principle of legal systems ? and respect for human dignity must not
only act to limit the arbitrariness and excesses of government agents but as the guiding criterion for prosecuting and punishing behaviors that represent the most serious attacks on the dignity and integrity of the human person.?

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Audiences
Vatican City, 23 October 2014 (VIS) - This morning, the Holy Father received in
separate audiences:
- Archbishop Luigi Ventura, apostolic nuncio to France,
- Cardinal Fernando Filoni, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples,
- Bishop Nunzio Galantino, secretary general of the Italian Episcopal Conference.

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Other Pontifical Acts
Vatican City, 23 October 2014 (VIS) - Today, the Holy Father appointed Abbot Donato Ogliari, O.S.B., as abbot of the territorial abbey of Montecassino, Italy. He formerly served as abbot of the Santa Maria della Scala Monastery in Noci, Italy. The Holy Father has, at the same time, applied the Motu Proprio ?Ecclesia Catholica? to the Abbey of Montecassino with a subsequent reduction of its territory, providing that: the territory on which stand the Abbey Church
and Monastery belongs to the new territorial configuration of the ecclesiastical jurisdiction ?Territorial Abbey of Montecassino?, effective immediately. The 53 parishes with their faithful, secular and religious clergy,
religious communities, and semiarians pass to the pastoral care of the Diocese of Sora-Aquino-Pontecorvo, which will now be named Sora-Cassino-Aquino-Pontecorvo.

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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 193
DATE 04-11-2014

Summary:
- The Holy See at the United Nations: solidarity to eradicate poverty
- Other Pontifical Acts

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The Holy See at the United Nations: solidarity to eradicate poverty
Vatican City, 4 November 2014 (VIS) - Archbishop Bernardito Auza, Holy See Permanent Observer at the United Nations in New York, spoke at the 69th Session
of the General Assembly held on 23 October, regarding the "Eradication of Poverty".
Speaking in English, the nuncio expressed the Holy See delegation's belief that "countries should develop evidence-based policies and strategies to combat
extreme poverty, rather than relying on pre-conceived one-size-fits-all solutions. Analyses and suggested solutions need to be based on on-the-ground expertise and lived experience, rather than on imposed ready-made solutions from the outside, which are not always devoid of ideological colourings".
He also remarked that sustainable development "requires the participation of all in the life of families, communities, organisations and societies. Participation is the antidote to exclusion, be it social, political, economic or cultural". Another barrier to sustainable development, he noted, is "the exclusion of women from equal and active participation in the development of their communities. Excluding women and girls from education and subjecting them
to violence and discrimination violates their inherent dignity and fundamental human rights".
"My delegation wishes to highlight that poverty is not mere exclusion from economic development; it is as multifaceted and multidimensional as the human person. ... Other than its more obvious economic expression, poverty also manifests itself in the educational, social, political, cultural and spiritual dimensions of life. ... Development is more than the sum total of resources invested into development projects and their measurable material results. ... In our efforts to eradicate poverty, we must always return to the foundational principle of our efforts, namely to promote the authentic development of the whole person and of all peoples. Each of us needs to contribute. Each of us can
benefit. This is solidarity".

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Other Pontifical Acts
Vatican City, 4 November 2014 (VIS) - The Holy Father has appointed:
- Bishop Peter F. Christensen of Superior, U.S.A., as bishop of Boise City (area 218,272, population 1,584,985, Catholics 174,348, priests 91, permanent deacons 75, religious 91), U.S.A. He succeeds Bishop Michael P. Driscoll, whose
resignation from the same diocese upon having reached the age limit was accepted by the Holy Father.
- Bishop Christopher Kakooza, auxiliary of Kampala, Uganda, as bishop of Lugazi (area 4,595, population 1,549,134, Catholics 667,362, priests 80, religious 209), Uganda. He succeeds Bishop Matthias Ssekamanya, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese upon having reached the age limit was accepted by the Holy Father.
- Bishop Adolfo Armando Uriona, F.D.P., of Anatuya, Argentina as bishop of Villa de la Concepcion del Rio Cuarto (area 58,519, population 466,000, Catholics 443,000, priests 93, permanent deacons 10, religious 82), Argentina.
- Rev. Fr. Carlos Enrique Trinidad Gomez as bishop of San Marcos (area 3,791, population 982,000, Catholics 637,000, priests 45, religious 103), Guatemala. The bishop-elect was born in Guatemala City, Guatemala in 1955 and was ordained
a priest in 1984. He holds a licentiate in theology and liturgy from the Higher
Institute of Liturgy in Barcelona, Spain, and has served in a number of pastoral and academic roles, as parish priest and episcopal vicar in the diocese of Santiago de Guatemala and as lecturer, bursar and rector of the interdiocesan major seminary.

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For more information and to search for documents refer to the site: www.visnews.org and www.vatican.va

Copyright (VIS): the news contained in the services of the Vatican
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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 194
DATE 05-11-2014

Summary:
- General audience: a Church separated from her bishop is an ailing Church
- The Holy Father: the annulment process must be kept separate from economic interests
- New norms on resignations of diocesan bishops and officials of the Roman Curia
- Exhibition of the Holy Shroud in Turin
- Other Pontifical Acts

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General audience: a Church separated from her bishop is an ailing Church
Vatican City, 5 November 2014 (VIS) - The Holy Father dedicated today's catechesis to the hierarchical dimension of the Church. Christ edifies the Church as His body through her ministries, and it is through the episcopal ministry that the Lord is present in His Church, guiding and caring for her.
"In the presence and in the ministry of the bishops, the presbyters and the deacons", he said, "we are able to recognise the true face of the Church. ... And through these brothers, elected by the Lord and consecrated by the sacrament of ordination, the Church exercises her maternity". Francis emphasised that this office is not, however, an honour but rather a service to be performed following Christ's example.
He also remarked that bishops must be united, as a family. "When Jesus chose and called the Apostles, he imagined them not separated from each other, but together, united with Him, like one family. The bishops too constitute a single
college, gathered around the Pope, who is the guardian and guarantor of this profound communion". He added, "let us think of all those bishops around the world who, while living in widely differing locations, cultures, sensibilities and traditions ... feel close to one another and become an expression of the intimate bond, in Christ, between their communities".
The Pope concluded by explaining that a healthy Church cannot exist if the faithful, deacons and presbyters are not united with their bishop: "The Church separated from her bishop is an ailing Church. This union of the faithful and the bishop is willed by Jesus".

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The Holy Father: the annulment process must be kept separate from economic interests
Vatican City, 5 November 2014 (VIS) - Before arriving in St. Peter's Square for the usual Wednesday morning general audience, Pope Francis received in audience the participants in the course on marriage organised by the Roman Rota, in the Vatican's Paul VI Hall. The Pope commented that during the recent Synod of Bishops, there had been discussions regarding the procedures for annulment and the need to streamline them for reasons of justice. Francis also spoke of the many people who wait for years for a judgement to be reached. "Sometimes the procedures are very long and difficult, which does not help matters, and people give up".
The Pontiff emphasised the importance of this type of course and the need to be careful to ensure that the procedures do not become linked to economic interests, referring to public scandals. He noted that during the Synod some proposals had been made regarding the costs of the process. "When spiritual interest is attached to economic interests, then it not a matter of God". He concluded, "The Mother Church has enough generosity to be able to provide justice freely, as we are freely justified by Jesus Christ. This point is important - these two issues must be separate".

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New norms on resignations of diocesan bishops and officials of the Roman Curia
Vatican City, 5 November 2014 (VIS) - The Rescriptum modifying the presentation and acceptance of resignation from pastoral ministry by diocesan bishops and offices of the Roman Curia by pontifical appointment came into effect today.
The text is as follows:
Art. 1: The current discipline in the Latin Church and in the "sui iuris" Oriental Churches, by which diocesan and eparchal Bishops, and those held to be
of equivalent office in accordance with canons 381 para. 2 of the Code of Canon
Law and 313 of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches, as well as coadjutor
and auxiliary Bishops, are invited to present the resignation from their pastoral office upon reaching the age of seventy-five years, is confirmed.
Art. 2: Resignation from the aforementioned pastoral offices is effective only
from the moment in which it is accepted by the legitimate Authorities.
Art .3: With the acceptance of the resignation from the aforementioned offices, the interested parties cease to hold any other office at national level conferred for a period determined in concomitance with the aforementioned
pastoral office.
Art. 4: The gesture of a Bishop who, by motives of love or the wish to offer a
better service to the community, considers it necessary to resign from the role
of Pastor before reaching the age of seventy-five on account of illness or other serious reasons, is to be deemed worthy of ecclesial appreciation. In such cases, the faithful are requested to demonstrate solidarity and understanding for their former Pastor, providing punctual assistance consistent
with the principles of charity and justice, in accordance with canon 402 para. 2 of the Code of Canon Law.
Art. 5: In some particular circumstances, the competent Authorities may deem it necessary to request that a Bishop present his resignation from pastoral office, after informing him of the cause for this request, and listening closely to his reasons, in fraternal dialogue.
Art. 6: Cardinals serving as Heads of the Dicasteries of the Roman Curia and other Cardinals holding office by pontifical nomination are also required, upon
the competion of their seventy-fifth year of life, to present their resignation
from office to the Pope, who, after full consideration, will proceed.

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Exhibition of the Holy Shroud in Turin
Vatican City, 5 November 2014 (VIS) - A press conference was held in the Holy See Press Office this morning during which Archbishop Cesare Nosiglia of Turin,
Italy, presented the next exhibition of the Holy Shroud, to be held in Turin from 19 April to 24 June, on the theme "The Greatest Love". He also presented the initiatives for the celebration of the bicentenary of the birth of St. John
Bosco and remarked that Pope Francis intends to visit Turin during this period.
Other speaks in the conference were Piero Fassino, mayor of Turin; Elide Tisi,
deputy mayor; and Marco Bonatti, Press Officer for the Exhibition Committee.
This will be the third time the Shroud has been displayed to the public during
this millennium and the event will focus on two themes: the young, and those who suffer. It is precisely for this reason that the Pope has allowed the solemn exposition, which coincides with the Jubilee for the 200th anniversary of the birth of St. John Bosco.
As on previous occasions, special attention will be paid to the sick who visit
the Holy Shroud. The pastoral ministry for healthcare in Turin will make two reception centres available for pilgrims and carers. In addition, with the collaboration of more than 3500 volunteers, moments of prayer will be held, and
a confessional service in different languages will be available in locations in
the area near the Cathedral.
The visit will be free of charge but booking is obligatory, to enable the effective management of the flow of pilgrims. Booking is online, at www.sindone.org.
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Other Pontifical Acts
Vatican City, 5 November 2014 (VIS) - The Holy Father has appointed:
- Bishop Milton Kenan Junior, auxiliary of the archdiocese of Sao Paulo, Brazil, as bishop of Barretos (area 8,770, population 354,000, Catholics 284,000, priests 42, permanent deacons 1, religious 106), Brazil.
- Bishop Joao Jose da Costa, O. Carm., of Iguatu, Brazil, as coadjutor of the archdiocese of Aracaju, Brazil.
- Rev. Pr. Corrado Maggioni, S.M.M., as under secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. Rev. Fr. Maggioni was previously Office Head of the same congregation.

___________________________________________________________

For more information and to search for documents refer to the site: www.visnews.org and www.vatican.va

Copyright (VIS): the news contained in the services of the Vatican
Information Service may be reproduced wholly or partially by quoting
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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 196
DATE 07-11-2014

Summary:
- The Pope to Bishops, friends of the Focolare Movement: the globalisation of solidarity against the globalisation of indifference
- Francis receives the major superiors: charisms are not to be conserved like bottles of distilled water, but to be put to the service of history
- The Holy See at the United Nations: for globalisation in search of mutual benefits
- Audiences
- Other Pontifical Acts

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The Pope to Bishops, friends of the Focolare Movement: the globalisation of solidarity against the globalisation of indifference
Vatican City, 7 November 2014 (VIS) - "The Eucharist, mystery of communion" is
the theme of the ecumenical convention of bishops, friends of the Focolare Movement. This is an annual event uniting bishops not only from different countries but also from different churches and ecclesial communities, defined by Pope Francis as the result of "what is produced by the love of the Word of God and the will to conform existence to the Gospel; these attitudes, created and accompanied by the grace of the Holy Spirit, help nurture many initiatives,
allowing solid friendships to thrive and producing significant moments of brotherhood and sharing".
The Holy Father reiterated the value, in a troubled world, of a "clear testimony of unity between Christians and an explicit declaration of esteem, respect and, more precisely, fraternity between us. This fraternity is a shining sign of our faith in the risen Christ. Indeed, if we intend to endeavour, as Christians, to respond incisively to the many problems and crises
of our time, it is necessary to speak and act as brothers, so that everyone can
easily recognise us as such. This too is a way - perhaps for us the first - of responding to the globalisation of indifference with a globalisation of solidarity and fraternity".
Among the issues that currently call to the conscience of Christians and their
pastors, the Pope mentioned the "lack of freedom to publicly express one's religion and to live openly in accordance with Christian ethics; the persecution of Christians and other minorities; the sad phenomenon of terrorism; the refugee crisis caused by wars and other reasons; the challenge of fundamentalism and, at the other extreme, exasperated secularism".
These challenges are a call to "seek with renewed effort, with constancy and patience, the ways that lead to unity, so that the world might believe, and so that we first may be filled with confidence and courage. Among these paths there is a special route, and it is the Eucharist as the mystery of communion. ... The Lord's Supper, a central moment in the life of the community, a 'moment
of truth', is the encounter between Christ's grace and our responsibility; there, in the Eucharist, we are clearly aware that unity is a gift, and at the same time it is a very serious responsibility", concluded the Pontiff.

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Francis receives the major superiors: charisms are not to be conserved like bottles of distilled water, but to be put to the service of history
Vatican City, 7 November 2014 (VIS) - The participants in the national assembly of the Italian Confederation of Major Superiors (CISM) - around a hundred people - were received in audience by the Pope this morning in the Clementine Hall. The Pontiff wished to share with them a few points of reference for their path, emphasising that religious life helps the Church to achieve the "attraction" that enables her to grow. Faced with the witness of a brother or a sister who truly lives a religious life, people ask themselves, "what is there here?", "what is it that leads this person beyond a worldly horizon?". This is the first issue: helping the Church to grow by attraction. Without proselytising: attraction".
The second point was that radicality, in different forms, is required of every
Christian, but in the case of religious persons it assumes the form of prophetic witness. "The testimony of an evangelical life is what distinguishes the missionary disciple and in particular those who follow the Lord in consecrated life. And prophetic witness coincides with sanctity. True prophecy is never ideological, it does not oppose the institution: it is institution. Prophecy is institutional, it does not follow fashion, but is always a sign of contradiction according to the Gospel, like Jesus was. Jesus, for example, was a sign of contradiction to the religious authorities of His time: to the heads of the Pharisees and the Sadducees, the doctors of the Law, but also to the others, such as the Essenes, Zealots, etc".
To explain the third point, the Pope quoted the president of the Major Superiors: "We do not want to fight rearguard battles in defence, but rather to
spend ourselves among the people", certain of the faith that God has always made germinate and grow in His Kingdom. This is not easy, it is not to be taken
for granted; it requires conversion; it requires, first and foremost, prayer and worship; and it means sharing with the holy people of God who live in the peripheries of history. Removing oneself from the centre. Every charism, to live and to be fruitful, is required to decentralise, because at the centre there is only Jesus Christ. The charism is not to be conserved like a bottle of
distilled water, but must instead be made to bear fruit, with courage, placed at the service of current reality, of cultures, of history, as the great missionaries of our institutes teach us".
Fraternity is another of the signs that religious life must offer in our time,
the Pope affirmed; a time in which the dominant culture is individualistic and focused on subjective rights. "Consecrated life can help the Church and society
as a whole, offering witness of fraternity, that it is possible to live together as brothers in diversity, because in the community one does not put oneself first, but rather one finds oneself with people who are different in terms of character, age, formation, sensibility ... and yet we seek to live as brothers. Of course we do not always succeed, but one recognises one's mistakes, asks for forgiveness and forgives others. This is good for the Church: it causes the lymph of fraternity to circulate. And this is also good for all of society.
But this fraternity "presupposes God's paternity and the maternity of the Church and of the Mother, the Virgin Mary": a relationship cultivated day by day "with prayer, with the Eucharist, with worship, with the Rosary. In this way we renew each day our 'being' with Christ and in Christ, and in this way we
place ourselves in an authentic relationship with the Father in heaven and the Mother Church, our hierarchical Holy Mother Church, and the Mother Mary. If our
life is always located in terms of this fundamental relations, always renewed, then we are able also to achieve an authentic fraternity, a brotherhood of witness, that attracts".

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The Holy See at the United Nations: for globalisation in search of mutual benefits
Vatican City, 7 November 2014 (VIS) - "The central challenge in the post-2015 development agenda is to ensure that globalisation benefits everyone. ... We need to strengthen multilateralism to help achieve this goal and manage the different risks and interlinked challenges associated with globalisation", said
Archbishop Bernardito Auza, Holy See Permanent Observer at the United Nations in New York, speaking at the 69th Session of the United Nations General Assembly on 27 October, on the theme "Globalisation and Interdependence".
The prelate spoke about the great benefits globalisation can bring, as well as
the widening inequalities. "When globalisation brings people together as equal partners, it creates mutually beneficial results, a win-win partnership for all. If not, globalisation breeds greater inequalities and marginalization, exploitation and injustice. Indeed, as with most human endeavours, globalisation works for good or ill, depending on the underlying ethic and policies driving the process".
The nuncio went on to mention two related issues, culture and the phenomenon of migration. "Culture is a prime vehicle to express and share our common humanity", he said. "It is critically important if authentic human flourishing is the ultimate goal of economic activity and development and ... given all these benefits and values of culture, we should not reduce it to the logic of market exchange. ... A community's culture is their gift to the global common good, for it is an expression of their humanity, and through culture we can enter into a real dialogue because it speaks to our common humanity".
On migration, the archbishop emphasised that "it affects everyone, not only because of the extent of the phenomenon, but also because of the social, economic, political, cultural and religious problems it raises", adding that "the Holy See would like to highlight the particularly troubling cases of human
trafficking and contemporary forms of slavery spawned by migration. ... These modern forms of slavery are the opposite of a globalisation driven by the culture of encounter and the values of solidarity and justice".
"It is necessary always to see the human face of migration, to see the migrant
as a fellow human being, endowed with the same human dignity and rights as ourselves. It is only then that we can respond to the globalisation of migration with the globalisation of solidarity and cooperation. Moreover, solidarity with migrants is not enough, if it is not accompanied by efforts towards bringing peace in conflict-ridden regions and a more equitable economic
world order. If globalisation has shrunk the world into a village, we may as well become good neighbours", he concluded.

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Audiences
Vatican City, 7 November 2014 (VIS) - Today the Holy Father received in audience:
- Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Muller, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine
of the Faith;
- Cardinal Agostino Vallini, vicar general of His Holiness for the diocese of Rome;
- Cardinal Claudio Hummes, prefect emeritus for the Clergy; delegate for Amazonia at the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil.
Yesterday, 6 November, the Holy Father received in audience Cardinal Joao Braz
de Aviz, prefect of the Congregation for the Institutes of Consecrated Life and
the Societies of Apostolic Life, with Archbishop Jose Rodriguez Carballo, secretary of the same dicastery.

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Other Pontifical Acts
Vatican City, 7 November 2014 (VIS) - The Holy Father has appointed:
- Msgr. Jean-Philippe Nault as bishop of Digne (area 6,986, population 163,500, Catholics 112,800, priests 41, permanent deacons 10, religious 136), France. The bishop-elect was born in Paris, France in 1965 and ordained a priest in 1998. After his studies in agricultural engineering and artificial intelligence, he obtained a licentiate in theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome, and has served in a number of pastoral roles, including director of the Shrine of Ars, parish priest of Notre-Dame de Bourg and dean of Bourg-en-Bresse, in the diocese of Belley-Ars. He succeeds Bishop Francois-Xavier Loizeau, whose resignation upon reaching the age limit was accepted by the Holy Father.
- Msgr. Terence Robert Curtin and Rev. Fr. Mark Stuart Edwards, O.M.I., as auxiliaries of the archbiocese of Melbourne (area 27,194, population 4,095,921,
Catholics 1,111,981, priests 537, permanent deacons 8, religious 2,218), Australia.
Msgr. Curtin was born in Cremorne, Australia in 1945 and ordained a priest in 1971. He holds a doctorate in theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome and a bachelor's degree in education from the University of Melbourne. He has served in a number of pastoral and academic roles, including chaplain and director of the School of Religion and Philosophy of the Australian Catholic University in Oakleigh; director of the department of religion and philosophy of the Australian Catholic University, Victoria; director of the department of theology of the Australian Catholic University, Victoria; and vice-president and subsequently president of the Melbourne College of Divinity. He is currently director of the Catholic Theological College, Melbourne, parish priest of Greythorn, and episcopal vicar of Melbourne for the East Region. In 2012 he was named Chaplain of His Holiness.
Rev. Fr. Edwards was born in Balikpapan, Indonesia in 1959 and ordained a priest in 1986. He holds a doctorate in philosophy and a bachelor's degree in letters and education from the Monash University of Melbourne. He has held a number of roles in the Congregation of Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, including vice-rector of the Iona College of Brisbane; master of novices art the St. Mary's Seminary, Mulgrave; professor at the Catholic Theological College of Melbourne; and head of scholastics at the St. Mary's Seminary, Mulgrave. He is currently rector of the Iona College, Brisbane.

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For more information and to search for documents refer to the site: www.visnews.org and www.vatican.va

Copyright (VIS): the news contained in the services of the Vatican
Information Service may be reproduced wholly or partially by quoting
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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 198
DATE 11-11-2014

Summary:
- Pontifical Letter to G-20: "Responsibility for the poor and marginalised must
be an essential element of any political decision"
- The Pope to the Italian Episcopal Conference: no to "clerical" or "functionary" priests
- Special College of cardinals and bishops to study the appeals process for serious offences established in the Motu Proprio Sacramentorum Sanctitatis Tutela
- Audiences
- Other Pontifical Acts

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Pontifical Letter to G-20: "Responsibility for the poor and marginalised must be an essential element of any political decision"
Vatican City, 11 November 2014 (VIS) - The Holy Father has sent a message to Tony Abbott, prime minister of Australia, who will chair the Summit of Heads of
State and Government of the 20 Countries (G-20) scheduled to take place on 15 and 16 November in Brisbane. The agenda of the meeting will focus on efforts to
relaunch sustained and sustainable growth of the world economy and the fundamental imperative, which emerged from the preparatory work, of creating dignified and stable employment for all. Extensive extracts from the text are published below:
"I would ask the G20 Heads of State and Government not to forget that many lives are at stake behind these political and technical discussions, and it would indeed be regrettable if such discussions were to remain purely on the level of declarations of principle. Throughout the world, the G20 countries included, there are far too many women and men suffering from severe malnutrition, a rise in the number of the unemployed, an extremely high percentage of young people without work and an increase in social exclusion which can lead to criminal activity and even the recruitment of terrorists. In addition, there are constant assaults on the natural environment, the result of
unbridled consumerism, and this will have serious consequences for the world economy.
It is my hope that a substantial and productive consensus can be achieved regarding the agenda items. I likewise hope that the assessment of the results of this consensus will not be restricted to global indices but will take into account as well real improvements in the living conditions of poorer families and the reduction of all forms of unacceptable inequality. I express these hopes in light of the post-2015 Development Agenda to be approved by the current session of the United Nations Assembly, which ought to include the vital issues of decent work for all and climate change.
The G20 Summits, which began with the financial crisis of 2008, have taken place against the terrible backdrop of military conflicts, and this has resulted in disagreements between the Group's members. It is a reason for gratitude that those disagreements have not prevented genuine dialogue within the G20, with regard both to the specific agenda items and to global security and peace. But more is required. These conflicts leave deep scars and result in
unbearable humanitarian situations around the world. I take this opportunity to
ask the G20 Member States to be examples of generosity and solidarity in meeting the many needs of the victims of these conflicts, and especially of refugees.
The situation in the Middle East has revived debate about the responsibility of the international community to protect individuals and peoples from extreme attacks on human rights and a total disregard for humanitarian law. The international community, and in particular the G20 Member States, should also give thought to the need to protect citizens of all countries from forms of aggression that are less evident but equally real and serious. I am referring specifically to abuses in the financial system such as those transactions that led to the 2008 crisis, and more generally, to speculation lacking political or
juridical constraints and the mentality that maximisation of profits is the final criterion of all economic activity. A mindset in which individuals are ultimately discarded will never achieve peace or justice. Responsibility for the poor and the marginalised must therefore be an essential element of any political decision, whether on the national or the international level".

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The Pope to the Italian Episcopal Conference: no to "clerical" or "functionary" priests
Vatican City, 11 November 2014 (VIS) - Yesterday afternoon, Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, archbishop of Genoa, Italy, read the message sent by Pope Francis to the participants in the 67th General Assembly of the Italian Episcopal Conference, of which Cardinal Bagnasco is president. The meeting, which will finish next Thursday, is being held at the Domus Pacis of St. Mary of the Angels in Assisi, and is dedicated to the life and formation of priests.
In his message, the Holy Father writes that convening in Assisi recalls "the great love and veneration that St. Francis nurtured for the hierarchical Holy Mother Church, and in particular for priests ... through whom the maternity of the Church reaches the entire People of God. How many of them we have known!" he exclaims. "We have seen them spending their lives amongst the people of our parishes, educating the young, accompanying families, visiting the sick at home
and in hospital, and taking care of the poor", in the knowledge that the gravest error is to separate oneself from others.
"Holy priests are sinners who have been forgiven, and instruments of forgiveness. Their existence speaks the language of patience and perseverance; they are not tourists of the spirit, eternally undecided and unsatisfied, as they know that they are in the hands of He Who never fails in His promises, and
whose Providence ensures that nothing can ever separate them from their belonging. ... Yes, it is still the time for priests of this substance, 'bridges' enabling the encounter between God and the world".
"Priests like this cannot be improvised: they are forged through the valuable formative work of the Seminary, and Ordination consecrates them forever as men of God and servants of His people". However, "the identity of the presbyter, precisely as it comes from above, demands he follow a daily itinerary of reappropriation, starting from that which made of him a minister of Jesus Christ. ... The formation of which we speak .... is without end, as priests never cease to be disciples of Jesus and to follow Him. Therefore, formation as
discipleship accompanies the ordained minister throughout his life", writes the
Holy Father. "Initial and continuing formation are two parts of a single entity: the path of the presbyter disciple, enamoured of his Lord and constantly following him". "You are aware that there is no need for clerical priests whose behaviour risks distancing people from the Lord, or functionary priests who, while they fulfil their role, seek their consolation far from Him.
Only those who keep a steady gaze on what is truly essential may renew their acceptance of the gift they have received. ... Only those who allow themselves to conform to the Good Shepherd find unity, peace and strength in the obedience
of service; only those who take their breath in presbyteral fraternity leave behind the falsehood of a conscience that claims to be the epicentre of everything, the sole measure of their feelings and actions".
The Pontiff concluded by expressing his hope that the participants in the Assembly would experience "days of listening and comparison, leading to the definition of itineraries of permanent formation, able to link spiritual and cultural, communicative and pastoral dimensions: these are the pillars of life formed according to the Gospel, preserved in daily discipline, in prayer, in the guardianship of the senses, in care for oneself, in humble and prophetic witness; lives that restore to the Church the trust that she first placed in them".

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Special College of cardinals and bishops to study the appeals process for serious offences established in the Motu Proprio Sacramentorum Sanctitatis Tutela
Vatican City, 11 November 2014 (VIS) - St. John Paul II's Motu Proprio Sacramentorum Sanctitatis Tutela (SST), published on 30 April 2001 and implemented on 21 May 2010 by Pope Benedict XVI, defines the offences reserved to the competence of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (cf. Art. 1-6), in accordance with Art. 52 of the Apostolic Constitution Pastor Bonus.
The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith judges these offences by penal or administrative procedures (cf. Art. 21 paras 1 and 2, No. 1 SST), taking into account the possibility of submitting the decision directly to the Supreme
Pontiff in the most serious cases (see Art. 21 para. 2, No. 2 SST). Crimes against faith remain, in the first instance, within the sphere of competence of
the Ordinary or the Hierarch (cf. Art. 2 para. 2 SST).
Due to the number of appeals and the need to guarantee that they are examined more rapidly and following detailed reflection, in the Audience granted to Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin on 3 November 2014, the Holy Father Francis decreed the following:
1. A special college is to be instituted within the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, composed of seven cardinals or bishops, who may either be members of the Dicastery or external to it;
2. The President and the members of the aforementioned College are to be appointed by the Pope;
3. The College is a provision made by the Ordinary Session of the Congregation
to enable greater efficiency in processing appeals in accordance with Art. 27 SST, without substantive modification to its competences as established in the same Art. 27 SST;
4. Should the offender be of episcopal dignity, his appeal shall be examined by the Ordinary Session, which will also be able to decide specific cases according to the Pope's judgement. Other cases to be decided by the College may
also be deferred to the Ordinary Session;
5. The College shall periodically report its decisions to the Ordinary Session;
6. Specific internal regulations shall determine the working methods of the College.

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Audiences
Vatican City, 11 November 2014 (VIS) - The Holy Father received in audience Emma Madigan, new ambassador of Ireland to the Holy See, presenting her letters
of credence.

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Other Pontifical Acts
Vatican City, 11 November 2014 (VIS) - The Holy Father has appointed Rev. Prosper Balthazar Lyimo as auxiliary of the archdiocese of Arusha (area 67,340,
population 2,364,000, Catholics 512,073, priests 128, religious 639), Tanzania.
The bishop-elect was born in Kyou-Kilema, Tanzania in 1964 and was ordained a priest in 1997. He studied canon law at the Pontifical Urbanian University, Rome, and subsequently obtained a doctorate in canon law from St. Paul's University, Ottowa, Canada, and is currently chancellor and judicial vicar of the archdiocese of Arusha, Tanzania.

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Copyright (VIS): the news contained in the services of the Vatican
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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 199
DATE 12-11-2014

Summary:
- General audience: the spiritual and human alphabet of ministers of the Church - Francis expresses his closeness to persecuted Christians and the Mexican people
- Audiences
- Other Pontifical Acts

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General audience: the spiritual and human alphabet of ministers of the Church
Vatican City, 12 November 2014 (VIS) - What is required of ministers of the Church - bishops, priests and deacons - for their service to be authentic and fruitful?". This was the question posed by Pope Francis in his catechesis during this Wednesday's general audience in St. Peter's Square.
In his pastoral epistles, St. Paul lists, alongside faith and spiritual life, a number of human qualities essential for these ministries: hospitality, temperance, patience, gentleness, reliability, and goodness of heart. These, said the Holy Father, are "the alphabet, the grammar at the base of every ministry! Without this predisposition to encounter, know, enter into dialogue with, appreciate and relate to one's brethren in a respectful and sincere way, it is impossible to offer a service and a truly joyful and credible witness".
There is another basic attitude that Paul recommends to his disciples and, consequently, to all those in whom pastoral ministry is invested: the continual
renewal of the gift received. "This means always keeping alive the awareness that one does not become a bishop, priest or deacon for being more intelligent or better than others, but by receiving a gift from God ... for the good of His
people. This knowledge is truly important and constitutes a grace to be asked for every day. Indeed, a pastor who is aware that his ministry stems solely from the mercy and from the heart of God can never assume an authoritarian attitude, as if he had everyone at his feet and as if the community were his own property, his own personal kingdom".
"The awareness that it is all a gift, it is a grace, also helps the pastor not
to give in to the temptation to place himself at the centre of attention and to
trust only in himself. These are the temptations of vanity, pride, sufficiency,
arrogance. God does not like it when a bishop, priest or deacon thinks that he knows it all, that he always has the right answer for everything and has no need for anyone else", exclaimed Francis. "On the contrary, the knowledge that he, first and foremost, is the object of God's mercy and compassion must lead a
minister of the Church always to be humble and understanding towards others. While in the knowledge of being required to courageously guard the faith entrusted to him, he must always be willing to listen to the people. Indeed, he
is aware that there is always something to learn, even from those who may be distant from the faith and from the Church. All this must lead him to assume, with his brethren, a new attitude characterised by sharing, corresponsibility and communion".
"We must always be grateful to the Lord Who, in the person and the ministry of
the bishops, priests and deacons, continues to guide and form His Church, enabling her to grow along the path of sanctity. At the same time, we must continue to pray, so that the pastors of our communities may be the living image of communion and of God's love", concluded the bishop of Rome.

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Francis expresses his closeness to persecuted Christians and the Mexican people
Vatican City, 12 November 2014 (VIS) - "It is with great trepidation that I follow the dramatic events of Christians who in various parts of the world are persecuted and killed for their religious beliefs. I feel the need to express my profound spiritual closeness to the Christian communities who are so badly afflicted by an absurd violence that shows no sign of stopping, and I encourage
the pastors and all faithful to be strong and firm in their hope".
The Pope thus launched a heartfelt appeal to all those with political responsibility at local and international levels, as well as all persons of good will, "to mobilise consciences on a large scale in favour of persecuted Christians. They have the right to find safety and serenity in their own countries, freely professing their faith".
Before concluding the general audience, the Pope greeted the faithful in various languages, and dedicated some off-the-cuff comments to pilgrims from Mexico. "I wish to express to the Mexicans, those present and those in their homelands, my closeness in this painful moment following the formal disappearance, which we know to be the assassination, of students. This makes visible the dramatic reality of the criminality behind the trade and trafficking in drugs. I am close to you and your families".
Francis also recalled that in these days the thirtieth anniversary of the signing of the peace treaty between Argentina and Chile, which was achieved as a result of the "will to dialogue", and, recalling with gratitude the role played by St. John Paul II and Cardinal Antonio Samore in this treaty, he expressed his hope that "all peoples in conflict for any reason, territorial or
cultural, will be encouraged to resolve them through dialogue and not by the cruelty of war".

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Audiences
Vatican City, 12 November 2014 (VIS) - Today, the Holy Father received in audience:
- a delegation from the Catholic-Muslim forum;
- a group of sick children and disabled persons.

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Other Pontifical Acts
Vatican City, 2014 (VIS) - The Holy Father has:
- appointed Bishop Cesar Augusto Franco Martinez as bishop of Segovia (area 6,949, population 166,200, Catholics 156,200, priests 185, religious 387), Spain. Bishop Franco Martinez is currently auxiliary of the archdiocese of Madrid. He succeeds Bishop Angel Rubio Castro, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese upon reaching the age limit was accepted by the Holy Father.
- appointed Fr. Antonio Tourinho Neto as auxiliary of the archdiocese of Olinda e Recife (area 4,058, population 3,996,000, Catholics 3,777,000, priests
275, permanent deacons 23, religious 1,216), Brazil. The bishop-elect was born in Jequie, Brazil in 1964 and was ordained a priest in 1990. He holds a licentiate in canon law from the Institute of Canon Law of the archdiocese of Sao Sebastiao do Rio de Janeiro and has served in a number of pastoral roles in
the diocese of Jequie, including: defender of the bond and promoter of justice,
judge auditor of the Ecclesiastical Chamber, parish priest of the Santo Antonio
Cathedral, chancellor of the diocesan curia, spiritual director of the Joao Paulo II diocesan seminary, and parish priest of the community of Santo Antonio
do Quilometro Cem in the municipality of Brejoes. He is currently vicar general
in the diocese of Jequie.
- accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the archdiocese of Zaragoza, Spain, presented by Archbishop Manuel Urena Pastor, in accordance with canon 401 para. 2 of the Code of Canon Law.

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Copyright (VIS): the news contained in the services of the Vatican
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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 200
DATE 13-11-2014

Summary:
- Pope Francis receives the president of Austria
- "Habemus Papam": first historical documentation of the music of a Conclave
- Catholics and Muslims, working together to serve others
- Audiences

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Pope Francis receives the president of Austria
Vatican City, 13 November 2014 (VIS) - This morning, in the Vatican Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father Francis received in audience the president of the Republic of Austria, Heinz Fischer, who subsequently went on to meet with Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, accompanied by Archbishop Dominique
Mamberti, secretary for Relations with States.
During the cordial discussions, after emphasising the positive bilateral relations between Austria and the Holy See, the Parties focused on themes of common interest, including the importance of promoting religious freedom and human rights, and commitment to interreligious and intercultural dialogue.
Finally, various issues of an international nature were examined, especially regarding the situation in the Middle East.

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"Habemus Papam": first historical documentation of the music of a Conclave
Vatican City, 13 November 2014 (VIS) - This morning a press conference was held in the Holy See Press Office to present the CD "Habemus papam", a compilation of the music of all the celebrations of the 2013 Conclave performed
by the Pontifical Sistine Chapel Choir under the direction of the maestro Msgr.
Massimo Palombella, S.D.B. and issued by Deutsche Grammaphon. The speakers at the conference were Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, president of the Pontifical Council for Culture; Msgr. Massimo Palombella, S.D.B., director of the Pontifical Sistine Chapel Choir; Fr. Federico Lombardi, S.J., director general of Vatican Radio, and Mirko Gratton, director of the Classical Division of Deutsche Grammophon Italia.
Maestro Palombella explained that in September 2014 an exclusive agency contract was signed between the record label Deutsche Grammophon and the Pontifical Sistine Chapel Choir two produce two musical collections. The first,
"great ecclesial events", which opens with the CD "Habemus papam", is dedicated
to live recordings by Vatican Radio of celebrations at which Pope Francis has presided. The second consists of studio recordings by the Sistine Chapel Choir of its characteristic repertoire, music composed throughout history for papal celebrations.
The double CD "Habemus papam", on sale in Italy from 11 November and in the rest of the world from 28 November, contains all the music performed during the
celebrations of the Conclave in 2013 (Mass for the election of the Roman Pontiff in St. Peter's Basilica, entry into the Conclave, Mass with the Cardinal Electors in the Sistine Chapel and Mass for the inauguration of the Petrine Ministry in St. Peter's Square), along with the "Habemus Papam" announcement and Pope Francis' first address from the Loggia of the Blessings. This publication is presented as the first historical documentation of the music of a Conclave", commented Msgr. Palombella. "They are all live recordings, with the qualities and limits that this entails. Indeed, one perceives the freshness of "authenticity" along with the background noise, coughs, the clicks of cameras and even a helicopter circling above St. Peter's Square".
The prelate remarked that the Pontifical Choir is the oldest choral institution in the world and is composed of 20 permanent adult singers and around 30 child choristers. The Choir normally performs at Celebrations presided at by the Pope, providing a primarily ecclesial service. Its concert activity is therefore directed exclusively towards evangelisation and to the promotion of ecumenical dialogue. To this end, on the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, the Choir sang alongside the Anglican Choir of Westminster, in 2013 with the Leipzig Thomanerchor, and in 2014, with the Orthodox Choir of the Patriarchate of Moscow. In September 2014, the Choir made an historic tour in China, performing in Hong Kong, Macao and Taipei.
"For the Pontifical Sistine Chapel Choir, the agreement with the prestigious German record label Deutsche Grammophon is a tangible response to its mandate, which requires it on the one hand to safeguard the great musical heritage of the Church, and on the other, especially in the liturgical sphere, to participate in fruitful dialogue with modernity", concluded the maestro.
The director of Vatican Radio, Fr. Federico Lombardi, S.J., spoke about the experience accumulated by the radio station in the field of sound recording and
broadcasting of numerous concerts in the Vatican, especially in the Paul VI Hall. "We all recall the concerts of exceptional quality during the pontificate
of Benedict XVI". He offered the example of the extraordinary Christmas 1937 concert in the Hall of Blessings, broadcast live to 23 countries. "A concert directed by the Maestro Lorenzo Perosi, Msgr. Palombella's predecessor, with the Pontifical Sistine Chapel Choir, recorded by Vatican Radio and broadcast with the help of German technology", as during that year the new Telefunken transmitter was inaugurated.
Fr. Lombardi also highlighted the activity of Vatican Radio in the production and exchange of quality recordings within the framework of the EBU/UER, the European Broadcasting Union, which brings together the public broadcasters of all European countries. Vatican Radio offers on average around ten high quality
recordings per year as part of the EBU concert exchange circuit. Vatican Radio is also engaged in research and experimental activities in the field of sound recording, using new generation microphones, in collaboration with the Centre for Technological Research and Innovation of the Technological Strategies Directorate of the RAI (Radiotelevisione Italiana).

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Catholics and Muslims, working together to serve others
Vatican City, 13 November 2014 (VIS) - The third seminar of the Catholic-Muslim Forum was held in Rome from 11 to 13 November, on the theme "Working Together to Serve Others". Three specific issues were considered: working together to serve young people, enhancing interreligious dialogue, and service to society.
The Catholic delegation was headed by Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, president of
the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue. Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad of Jordan, co-ordinator of the Muslim side, was unable to attend the event for health reasons. The assembled participants sent him a message expressing their good wishes. The Muslim delegation was therefore headed by Seyyed Hossein Nasr,
professor of Islamic Studies at the George Washington University, Washington D.C., U.S.A.
The delegates acknowledged many examples across the world of active Catholic-Muslim collaboration in educational, charitable, and relief efforts. After the presentations of the papers and the discussions, which ensued in a cordial and fraternal atmosphere, the participants agreed on the following points:
1. The delegates recognised that their gathering took place in a time of severe tension and conflict in the world, underlining the vital importance of enhanced service and mutual cooperation. In this context the delegates unanimously condemned acts of terrorism, oppression, violence against innocent persons, persecution, desecration of sacred places, and the destruction of cultural heritage. It is never acceptable to use religion to justify such acts or to conflate such acts with religion.
2. The education of young people, be it in the family, school, university, church or mosque, is of the utmost importance for the promotion of a well-rounded identity which builds respect for others. To this end, school curricula and textbooks should portray an objective and respectful image of the
other.
3. The participants affirmed the importance of the culture of interreligious dialogue for deepening mutual understanding. This is required to overcome prejudice, distortions, suspicions, and inappropriate generalisations, all of which damage the peaceful relationships we all seek.
4. It was felt that dialogue should lead to action, particularly among young people. The participants encouraged Christians and Muslims to multiply opportunities for encounter and cooperation on joint projects for the common good.
On Wednesday, 12 November, Pope Francis received the participants in audience,
encouraging them to persevere on the path of Christian-Muslim dialogue, and he expressed his approval of their shared commitment to the selfless service of society.
Finally, the delegates expressed their satisfaction at this fruitful encounter
and their hopes for the next meeting of the Forum.

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Audiences
Vatican City, 13 November 2014 (VIS) - The Holy Father has received in audience:
- Cardinal Kurt Koch, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity;
- Cardinal Robert Sarah, president of the Pontifical Council "Cor Unum";
- Archbishop Joseph Marino, apostolic nuncio in Malaysia and East Timor, apostolic delegate in Brunei.

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For more information and to search for documents refer to the site: www.visnews.org and www.vatican.va

Copyright (VIS): the news contained in the services of the Vatican
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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 201
DATE 14-11-2014

Summary:
- Audience with the president of Peru: promote full development and the protection of the environment
- Francis to accountants: the dignity of the person must prevail over bureaucracy
- Programme for the Pope's apostolic trip to Sri Lanka and the Philippines
- Third World Congress of Movements Guided by Evangelii gaudium
- Audiences

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Audience with the president of Peru: promote full development and the protection of the environment
Vatican City, 14 November 2014 (VIS) - The Holy Father Francis today received in audience, in the Vatican Apostolic Palace, the president of the Republic of Peru, Ollanta Moises Humala Tasso, who subsequently met with Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, secretary for Relations with States, in the absence of Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin.
During the cordial discussions, mention was made of the good relations between
the Holy See and the Republic of Peru, with particular emphasis on the special role of Christianity in the formation of the identity of the country, as well as the contribution the Catholic Church has given and continues to guarantee in
favour of the human, social and cultural progress of the population.
Finally, there was an exchange of views on the political and social situation in the Region, with attention to the efforts made to promote full development and the protection of the environment.

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Francis to accountants: the dignity of the person must prevail over bureaucracy
Vatican City, 14 November 2014 (VIS) - "From your professional observatory, you are well aware of the dramatic situation faced by many people who are precariously employed or have lost their jobs; of the many families who pay the
consequences; of the many young people in search of a first occupation and dignified work. They are many, especially immigrants, who are compelled to work
illegally, and lack the most basic legal and economic guarantees", said the Pope this morning in his address to the seven thousand participants at the World Congress of Accountants, held in Rome from 10 to 13 November.
In this economic context, there is a "strong temptation to defend one's own interests without worrying about the common good, without paying too much attention to justice and legality. However, we are all, especially those who exercise a profession associated with the good functioning of the economic life
of a country, required to play a positive and constructive role in carrying out
our work on a daily basis, aware that behind every piece of paper there is a story, and there are faces. In this task ... the Christian professional draws strength every day from prayer and the Word of God to carry out his or her own duties well, with skill and wisdom; and then, to go further than this, which means reaching towards those in difficulty; exercising that creativity that allows solutions to be found in situations of impasse; to make the reason of human dignity prevail over the rigidity of bureaucracy".
Francis affirmed that the economy and finance are "dimensions of human activity and may be opportunities for encounters, dialogue, cooperation, the recognition of rights and the rendering of services, of dignity affirmed in work. But it is therefore necessary always to place man and his dignity at the centre, opposing those dynamics that tend to homogenise everything and place money at the summit. When money becomes the aim and reason for every activity and initiative, this leads to the prevalence of a utilitarian perspective and the untrammelled logic of profit that does not respect people, with the consequent widespread decline in the values of solidarity and respect for the human person. Those who work in various roles in economics and finance are required to make decisions that favour the social and economic well-being of humanity as a whole, offering everyone the opportunity to realise their own development".
"You, in your profession", he said, addressing the accountants, "work alongside companies, but also families and individuals, to offer economic and financial advice. I encourage you always to work responsibly, favouring relationships of loyalty, justice and, if possible, fraternity, courageously facing, above all, the problems faced by the weakest and poorest. It is not enough to give concrete answers to economic and material questions; it is necessary to promote and cultivate the ethics of the economy, finance and work;
it is necessary to keep alive the value of solidarity as a moral attitude, an expression of attention to others and all their legitimate needs. If we wish to
hand our environmental, economic, cultural and social patrimony to future generations in a better condition than that in which we have inherited it, we must assume the responsibility of working for a globalisation of solidarity. ... And the social doctrine of the Church teaches us that the principle of solidarity works in harmony with that of subsidiarity. Thanks to the effect of these two principles, processes are placed at the services of humanity and enable the growth of justice, without which there cannot be true and lasting peace".

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Programme for the Pope's apostolic trip to Sri Lanka and the Philippines
Vatican City, 14 November 2014 (VIS) - Today the Holy See Press Office published the programme for Pope Francis' upcoming trip to Sri Lanka and the Philippines, scheduled for 12 to 19 January 2015.
The Holy Father will depart from Rome's Fiumicino airport on Monday, 12 January at 7 p.m. and will arrive in Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka, on Tuesday 13 at 9 a.m. Following the welcome ceremony he will meet with the country's bishops at the archbishop's residence, after which he will pay a courtesy visit to the president of the Republic. The day will conclude with an interreligious meeting at the Bandaranaike Memorial.
On Wednesday, 14 January, during a Mass to be celebrated at 8.30 a.m. at the Galle Face Green, he will canonise Blessed Joseph Vaz and will then transfer by
helicopter to the Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary at Madhu. From there he will
proceed by helicopter to Colombo.
Thursday will begin with a visit to the chapel of Our Lady of Lanka in Bolawalana, after which the Pope will leave Sri Lanka and depart by air, at 9 a.m., for Manila, the capital of the Philippines, where he will be officially received at 5.45 p.m.
On Friday, 16 January, Francis will pay a courtesy visit to the president of the Philippines in the presidential palace, followed by an address to the authorities and the diplomatic corps. At 11.15 a.m. in the cathedral of the Immaculate Conception he will celebrate Mass with bishops, priests and consecrated persons. His final activity on Thursday will be an encounter with families in the Arena Mall of Asia.
On Saturday, 17 January, the Pontiff will transfer by air to Tacloban International Airport where he will celebrate Mass, followed by and lunch with survivors of Typhoon Yolanda. In the afternoon he will bless the Pope Francis Centre for the Poor and will meet priests, consecrated persons, seminarians and
families of the typhoon survivors in the cathedral of Palo. He will then return
to Manila.
On Sunday, 18 January, he will meet with the religious leaders of the Philippines at the St. Thomas University of Manila and later with young people at the university sports field. The day will conclude with a Mass celebrated in
Rizal Park.
On Monday, 19 January, the Pope will conclude his trip, leaving from Manila at
10 a.m. The aircraft carrying the Holy Father is expected to land in Rome's Ciampino airport at 5.40 p.m.

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Third World Congress of Movements Guided by Evangelii gaudium
Vatican City, 14 November 2014 (VIS) - This morning, in the Holy See Press Office, a conference was held to present the Third World Congress of Ecclesial Movements and new communities. Promoted and organised by the Pontifical Council
for the Laity on the theme "The Joy of the Gospel: a missionary joy", the Congress will be held from 20 to 22 November in the Maria Mater Ecclesiae Pontifical College, Rome.
The speakers in the conference were Cardinal Stanislaw Rylko, president of the
Pontifical Council for the Laity; Bishop Josef Clemens, secretary of the same dicastery; Maria Voce, president of the Focolare Movement; and Jean-Luc Moens, president of Fidesco, young volunteers in evangelisation and development projects, and member of the Pontifical Council "Cor Unum".
Cardinal Rylko remarked that the Pontifical Magisterium has perceived in the phenomenon of movements "a current of grace, a gift and a timely response from the Holy Spirit to the serious challenges that today's world poses to the mission of the Church". He recalled that, for St. John Paul II, movements constituted a "reason for hope for the Church and for mankind", and were seen by Pope Benedict XVI as "new incursions of the Holy Spirit in the life of the Church, powerful ways of living faith, a healthy provocation, of which the Church is always in need, and 'creative minorities', decisive for the future of
humanity". He added that Pope Francis, in this respect, is in perfect harmony with his predecessors.
The Congress will be attended by approximately three hundred laypersons - founders, moderators and general delegates - representing around a hundred movements and new communities, with a broad international dimension. They will be joined by a large number of pastors, bishops and priests. The prelate explained that the novelty of this Congress derives from the fact that it originated from the great meeting with the Pope that took place at Pentecost in
2013 in the context of the Year of Faith, and added that the theme of the congress clearly expresses that "our work is guided by the Apostolic Exhortation 'Evangelii gaudium'. This is the great challenge that Pope Francis presents to us. ... He wants an 'outbound' Church, that reaches out to the geographical and existential peripheries of our world, a Church that is particularly attentive and close to all the poor, suffering and excluded, the bitter product of the 'throwaway culture' that dominates nowadays. ... And it is precisely this that is the great and fundamental challenge that the movements wish to accept during this third world Congress'".

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Audiences
Vatican City, 14 November 2014 (VIS) - The Holy Father received in audience:
- Cardinal George Pell, prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy;
- Franco Anelli, rector of the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart.

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For more information and to search for documents refer to the site: www.visnews.org and www.vatican.va

Copyright (VIS): the news contained in the services of the Vatican
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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 203
DATE 18-11-2014

Summary:
- The Pope receives in audience the President of Senegal: Church's commitment to peace and national reconciliation
- International Conference on autism: three days to inspire hope
- The Holy See at the United Nations: civilians are the first victims of conventional weapons
- Fifty years on from the Council decree Unitatis Redintegratio

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The Pope receives in audience the President of Senegal: Church's commitment to
peace and national reconciliation
Vatican City, 18 November 2014 (VIS) - Today, the Holy Father Francis received
in audience Macky Sall, president of the Republic of Senegal, who subsequently met with Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, accompanied by the secretary for Relations with States, His Excellency Archbishop Dominique Mamberti.
During the discussions, the cordial relations between the Holy See and Senegal
were noted, and the important contribution offered by the Church in the sectors
of education and healthcare was underlined, as well as her generous and greatly
appreciated commitment to promoting peace and national reconciliation.
Finally, there was an exchange of views on various themes of international interest, with particular reference to the current situations of crisis in the Region.

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International Conference on autism: three days to inspire hope
Vatican City, 18 November 2014 (VIS) - This morning a press conference was held in the Holy See Press Office to present the 29th International Conference organised by the Pontifical Council for Health Care Workers, on the theme "The person with autism spectrum disorders: animating hope", which will take place in the Vatican from 20 to 22 November.
The speakers were Archbishop Zygmunt Zimowski, president of the Pontifical Council for Health Care Workers (for Health Pastoral Care); Msgr. Jean-Marie Mate Musivi Mupendawatu and Fr. Augusto Chendi, M.I., respectively secretary and under-secretary of the same dicastery; and Stefano Vicari, head of the Department of Child Neuropsychiatry at the Bambino Gesu Paediatric Hospital, Rome.
Archbishop Zimowski explained that the term "autism" was first used by the Swiss psychiatrist Eugen Bleuler in 1911 to describe the introversion of schizophrenic patients. Subsequently, in 1943, his colleague Leo Kanner described the disorder for the first time, affirming that autistic children were born with a congenital incapacity to establish normal contact with other people. It is currently defined as a "neuro-behavioural disturbance (also known
as Kanner's Syndrome) of a pervasive type", of multifactorial origin. In general, autism spectrum disorders manifest themselves before the age of three,
and are life-long. The most recent statistics confirm that around 1% of children worldwide are affected.
"The many difficulties, including those of an ethical, moral and spiritual nature, faced by those with autism spectrum disorders and their carers have led
us to choose such an important, difficult and delicate theme for this conference", the prelate explained. "It will be a special occasion for observing the advances that have been made in research and treatment, as well as legal and political-administrative aspects; three valuable days for listening and exchanging experiences, and learning from the world's most qualified specialists."
The Conference will be attended by more than 650 people from 57 different countries, and will include an encounter with the Holy Father during the Wednesday general audience, as well as an exhibition of paintings by the Taiwanese autistic artist Leland Lee, a moment of prayer and testimonies from people affected by autism spectrum disorders, their families, and associations.
Various famous Italian singers will offer a musical contribution.

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The Holy See at the United Nations: civilians are the first victims of conventional weapons
Vatican City, 18 November 2014 (VIS) - Archbishop Silvano Tomasi, Holy See Permanent Observer at the United Nations in Geneva spoke at the annual meeting of Parties to the Convention on prohibitions or restrictions on the use of certain conventional weapons which may be deemed to be excessively injurious or
to have indiscriminate effects (CCW), held on 13 November.
Speaking in English, the prelate presented three issues to be considered. First, he spoke on the work carried out on lethal autonomous weapons systems. He emphasised that, with regard to the automation and consequent risk of the dehumanisation of war, a global - "scientific, legal, cultural, economic, ethical, and humanitarian" - rather than solely military approach is indispensable. He added, "I would like to reaffirm our wish that the mandate regarding this topic be renewed taking into account the importance of preserving an official trace of the statements, documents, debates and discussions".
Secondly, he considered the theme of the use of explosive weapons in populated
areas. "With growing urbanisation of the world population, the tendency of urban wars will increase. How to protect the civilian populations? What should we do to safeguard civil infrastructures, indispensable for the livelihood of large communities? ... What is certain, from the observations and data presently available, is that civilian populations are the first victims of conflicts. In many cases, they have no protection: millions of refugees and displaced people, a majority of them civilian victims, a great number are women
and children; there is total or partial destruction of numerous urban centres; total disorganisation of social, academic, economic and political life; the exacerbation of hatred and of feelings of revenge that makes the re-establishment of peace and national reconstruction more difficult, if not impossible. It seems to me that an essential question touches all States parties: Does the CCW have something to say and do in such a situation? For the
credibility and the integrity of the Convention and for the respect of the numerous victims, I would like to suggest adding this question to the agenda of
the CCW".
Finally, he mentioned the use of armed drones. "We are witnessing a certain proliferation of this technology and a growing use of it in various conflicts. ... The choice of indifference in relation to this question is counter-productive. The fact of not addressing problems at the right moment can
have disastrous consequences and make them almost insoluble, as experience in other domains teaches us". He concluded by emphasising that "there is still time for the CCW to become interested in drones before they become an additional source of greater destabilisation when the international community needs, more than ever, stability, cooperation and peace".

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Fifty years on from the Council decree Unitatis Redintegratio
Vatican City, 18 November 2014 (VIS) - On 21 November 1964, after a long and laborious process, the Council Fathers approved the decree on ecumenism, "Unitatis Redintegratio" by 2,137 votes to 11. The document, which undoubtedly marked a qualitative leap in the relations between the Catholic Church and the other Churches and ecclesial Communities, continues to represent an indispensable point of reference for the Catholic Church in her commitment to ecumenism.
The Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity will commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the promulgation of the decree with two events. On Thursday, 20 November, in the Basilica of St. Paul Outside-the-Walls, Vespers will be celebrated, open to all, and attended by the members and consultors of this Council and the representatives of the Churches and ecclesial communities present in Rome, to give thanks to God for the fruits already gathered along the path of ecumenism during these last fifty years, and to invoke His blessing
for the road that still lies ahead.
On 21 November a meeting will take place in the Great Hall of the Pontifical Gregorian University, during which the Pastors and theologians of the Catholic Church and other Churches and ecclesial communities will reread the Council decree, each from his own point of view, discussing today's ecumenical challenges and those that await us in the future. The moderator of the event will be Professor Giovanni Maria Vian, editor of L'Osservatore Romano, and the speakers will be Cardinal Kurt Koch, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity; Bishop Irinej Bulovic of Backa, the Serb Orthodox Patriarch; Professor Timothy George of the Baptist World Alliance; Fr. William Henn, O.F.M. Cap., of the Pontifical Gregorian University; Teny Pirri Simonian of the Armenian Orthodox Church, Catholicosate of Cilicia; and Friederike Nussel of the Lutheran Church.
The meeting will conclude the Council's plenary session, which will take place
from 18 to 21 November and will focus on the theme: "The aim of ecumenism: principles, opportunities and challenges, fifty years after 'Unitatis Redintegratio'". Fifty years after its promulgation, the dicastery considers it
useful to examine how the Council degree continues to inspire the ecumenical efforts of the Catholic Church in a changing landscape.

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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 204
DATE 19-11-2014

Summary:
- General Audience: We are all called to be holy
- New appeal for the Holy Land: building peace is difficult, but life without peace is a torment
- Cooperation and development in the pastoral care of migration must focus on positive aspects
- Other Pontifical Acts

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General Audience: We are all called to be holy
Vatican City, 19 November 2014 (VIS) - As is usual on Wednesday morning, the Pope toured St. Peter's Square to greet the faithful and pilgrims awaiting him before the beginning of the General Audience. He dedicated today's catechesis to the universal vocation to sanctity, to provide an answer to the question, "In what does this universal vocation consist? And how can we fulfil it?"
"Firstly, we must take into account that sanctity is not something that we procure, that we obtain ourselves through our qualities and capacities. Sanctity is a gift, it is the gift that the Lord Jesus gives to us, when He takes us with Him and clothes us in Himself, making us like Him", he said. "Sanctity is the most beautiful face of the Church: it is rediscovering oneself
in communion with God, in the fullness of His life and His love. ... It is not the prerogative of the few: sanctity is a gift that is offered to all, without exclusion, and which therefore constitutes the distinctive characteristic of every Christian".
"To be holy", he continued, "it is not necessary to be bishops, priests or religious. ... We are all called to be holy! ... It is by living with live and offering one's own Christian witness in our everyday occupations that we are called to become holy; and each person in the condition and in the state of life in which he finds himself": consecrated persons, married couples, unmarried baptised persons, parents, grandparents, catechists, educators and volunteers. "Every state of life leads to sanctity, if lived in communion with the Lord and in the service of one's brethren".
Pope Francis urged those present to examine their consciences, asking how they
could respond to the Lord's call to sanctity. He emphasised that when the Lord calls us to be holy, he does not ask us to do something weighty or sad, but rather offers us an invitation to share in his joy. "If we understand it in this way, everything changes and acquires a new meaning, beautiful, starting from the little things of everyday life. ... And each step towards sanctity will make us better people, free of selfishness and self-centredness, and open to our brothers and their needs". He added, "we do not walk the path of sanctity alone, each for himself, but rather together, in that single body that
is the Church, loved and sanctified by the Lord Jesus Christ", and concluded by
encouraging those present to continue on this path.

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New appeal for the Holy Land: building peace is difficult, but life without peace is a torment
Vatican City, 19 November 2014 (VIS) - "I follow with great concern the alarming increase in tension in Jerusalem and other areas of the Holy Land, with unacceptable episodes of violence that do not even spare places of worship", said the Pope following today's catechesis. "I assure a special prayer for all the victims of this dramatic situation and for those who suffer its consequences. From the depths of my heart, I appeal to those parties involved to put an end to this spiral of hate and violence and to take courageous decisions for reconciliation and peace. Building peace is difficult,
but living without peace is a torment!"
He went on to remark that on Friday 21 November, the liturgical memory of the Presentation of Mary Most Holy at the Temple, Pro Orantibus Day will be celebrated, dedicated to cloistered religious communities. "It offers a good opportunity to thank the Lord for the gift of so many people who, in monasteries and hermitages, devote themselves to God in prayer and constructive
silence, acknowledging the primacy due solely to Him. Let us thank the Lord for
the witness of cloistered life and ensure that they do not lack our spiritual and material support in order to fulfil their important mission".
In his greetings in various languages, the Pope addressed the Polish pilgrims who yesterday celebrate the memory of Blessed Karolina Koszka, virgin and martyr, on the centenary of her death. "This young girl fulfilled her vocation to sanctity, dedicating herself to the service of those close to her through her purity of heart and fidelity to Christ unto death. May her example encourage all, especially the young, to seek ways to sanctity, even if this involves going against contemporary tendencies to seek an easy life, concentrating on selfish pleasure. I entrust the members of the "Pure Hearts Movement" to the protection of their Blessed patroness".
Finally, the Holy Father greeted in Italian the young professionals, businesspeople and social entrepreneurs who are participating in the congress organised by the World Economic Forum, in collaboration with the Pontifical Universities of Rome, to promote approaches and attitudes to overcome social and economic exclusion. "I hope that this initiative may contribute to favouring a new mentality in which money is not considered an idol to be served, but rather a means for pursuing the common good", he concluded.

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Cooperation and development in the pastoral care of migration must focus on positive aspects
Vatican City, 19 November 2014 (VIS) - ""Cooperation and Development in the Pastoral Care of Migrations" is the theme of the 7th World Congress on the Pastoral Care of Migrants, organised by the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral
Care of Migrants and Itinerant People, and taking place from 17 to 21 November.
The meeting will be attended by more than three hundred people from 93 countries of all five continents, and will be structured in relation to three themes: the diaspora, migrants as partners, and the dignity of the migrant. In addition, during the conference eleven episcopal conferences will present their
pastoral work with migrants and at the end of the meeting a final document will
be drawn up, to serve as a guide for the next five years.
The Congress is so designed that each day is dedicated to a different topic within the wider context of the theme of this Event: "Cooperation and Development in the Pastoral Care of Migrations". Our plan of action is structured in such a way so as to culminate, through the different conferences and further debates that elaborate on the key note addresses, in the personal exchange and the expression of concrete ideas and thoughts in the Working Groups of the afternoon. My dear friends, we are here not only to share our experiences and ideas, but to work together to elaborate recommendations and ideas that will be of assistance to each one of us in our pastoral care for the
next few years.
The speakers in the inaugural session will be Cardinal Antonio Maria Veglio, president of the Pontifical Council, the Italian minister of the Interior, Angelino Alfano, and the director general of the International Organisation for
Migration (OMI), William Lacy Swing. A text sent by Msgr. Antonio Camilleri, under secretary for Relations with States, will also be read.
Cardinal Veglio spoke on the challenges of the migratory phenomenon and the situations of emergency that require the attention of the international community, emphasising the risk that the destination countries receive migrants
with hostility, distrust and prejudice. As a response to this problem he proposed two major lines of action: cooperation and development which, in the specific context of pastoral care, must accentuate the positive aspect of migratory phenomena.
The minister of the Interior, Angelino Alfano, acknowledged that migration constitutes a political and institutional priority, and affirmed that receiving
and helping immigrants is a responsible decision that Europe must take "to demonstrate in practice that the protection of every human life is the first duty of a State that wishes to define itself as civilised and democratic". The director of the International Organisation for Migration underlined the absolute priority of welcoming all immigrants and saving every human life, citing the example of the Italian "Mare Nostrum" project, and reiterated the need for more functional cooperation between the states of the European Union to better face salvage operations.
Finally, Msgr. Camilleri, in his discourse, referred to the Church's ongoing commitment to accompanying countries and peoples on their path, often troubled and full of the unpredictable aspects linked to dislocation, and underlined the
urgency of combating phenomena such as criminality and violence linked to migration.
In his presentation of the Conference Archbishop Joseph Kalathiparambil, secretary of the Pontifical Council, recalled that in the diaspora - "when migrants often leave behind their families and relatives in the hope of sending
back remittances to better their economic and social status, and one day finding a way to help them migrate abroad as well" - there clearly emerges the theme of the family, whose care "requires not only cooperation between the country of origin and the country of destination, but also a strong cooperation
between the Church of origin, and the Church which welcomes the migrant family".
With reference to migrants as partners, he remarked that they contribute and cooperate substantially to the well-being and to the development not only of their country of origin, but of their country of adoption, and emphasised the need of improving public perception of migrants and immigration. He also spoke on the role of women migrants, whose movement in the past was closely linked to
family reunification, whereas now they are "protagonists and leading players along with their male counterparts in the role that they undertake in today's society".
With regard to the final theme, the dignity of the migrant, the archbishop commented that it is a concept that derives from the acknowledgement that all persons are created in God's own image and likeness and that religious, ethnic,
social and cultural variables, citizenship or lack thereof, do not change this fact that gives any individual an inherent and immeasurable worth and dignity. The prelate concluded his presentation by noting the potential of young migrants in building social, economic, cultural and religious bridges of cooperation and understanding across societies and Church communities.

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Other Pontifical Acts
Vatican City, 19 November 2014 (VIS) - The Holy Father has:
- appointed Rev. Fr. Hilario Gonzalez Garcia as bishop of Linares (area 33,453, population 407,000, Catholics 360,000, priests 42, religious 58), Mexico. The bishop-elect was born in Monterrey, Mexico in 1965 and was ordained
a priest in 1995. He holds a licentiate from the Pontifical University of Mexico and has served in a number of pastoral roles in the archdiocese of Monterrey, including spiritual director, prefect of studies in philosophy and vice rector of the major seminary; chaplain in various female religious communities; and executive secretary of the Commission for Ecumenism and Dialogue of the Mexican Episcopal Conference. He is currently rector of the major seminary of Monterrey. He succeeds Bishop Ramon Calderon Batres, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese upon reaching the age limit was accepted by the Holy Father.
- appointed Rene Bruelhart, director of the Financial Information Authority (AIF), as president of the same Authority.

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For more information and to search for documents refer to the site: www.visnews.org and www.vatican.va

Copyright (VIS): the news contained in the services of the Vatican
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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 211
DATE 28-11-2014

Summary:
- The Pope arrives in Turkey, a land able to promote an encounter of civilisations and identify viable paths of peace and authentic progress
- Indulgences for the Year of Consecrated Life
- Notice

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The Pope arrives in Turkey, a land able to promote an encounter of civilisations and identify viable paths of peace and authentic progress
Vatican City, 28 November 2014 (VIS) - This morning Pope Francis began the sixth apostolic trip of his pontificate. His visit to Turkey is essentially of an ecumenical nature, like those of his predecessors; the country has occupied a privileged position in the geography of papal trips ever since the visit of the Apostolic Delegate Angelo Roncalli, referred to by the Turkish authorities as "the first Turkish pope in history" following his election as Pope John XXIII. Turkey was also the destination of Paul VI's fifth apostolic trip in 1967, a corollary of his pilgrimage to the Holy Land and his historic embrace with the Ecumenical Patriarch Atenagoras in Jerusalem. John Paul II continued the tradition with his fourth trip (1979) as did Benedict XVI with his fifth apostolic trip, in 2006.
The Holy Father departed from Rome's Fiumicino airport at 9 a.m., and reached the Turkish capital Ankara at 1 pm (local time) where he was received by the civil and religious authorities. He transferred by car to the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, founder and first president of the Turkish Republic, the
"Father of the Turks" who guided Turkey's radical rupture with its Ottoman past, laying down the foundations of the modern secular state in its 1937 Constitution. Upon arrival the Pope was received by the Commander of the Guard,
ascended the Steps of Honour, left a floral tribute and prayed for a moment. He
was then accompanied to the nearby "Tower of National Pact", where he signed the guest book.
He then paid a visit to the Presidential Palace or "Ak Saray" (White Palace), inaugurated just two months ago by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and substituting the historic Cankaya Palace. The Holy Father was received by the president, and the two spoke in private for a few minutes, after which Pope Francis gave his first public address on Turkish soil, addressed to the authorities gathered in the Ak Saray.
"I am pleased to visit your country so rich in natural beauty and history, and
filled with vestiges of ancient civilisations. It is a natural bridge between two continents and diverse cultures", the Pope began. "This land is precious to
every Christian for being the birthplace of Saint Paul, who founded various Christian communities here, and for hosting the first seven Councils of the Church. It is also renowned for the site near Ephesus which a venerable tradition holds to be the 'Home of Mary',the place where the Mother of Jesus lived for some years. It is now a place of devotion for innumerable pilgrims from all over the world, not only for Christians, but also for Muslims.
"Yet, the reasons why Turkey is held with such regard and appreciation are not
only linked to its past and ancient monuments, but also have to do with the vitality of its present, the hard work and generosity of its people, and its role in the concert of nations. It brings me great joy to have this opportunity
to pursue with you a dialogue of friendship, esteem and respect, in the footsteps of my predecessors Blessed Paul VI, Saint John Paul II and Benedict XVI. This dialogue was prepared for and supported by the work of the then apostolic delegate, Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, who went on to become Saint John XXIII, and by the Second Vatican Council".
The Pope reiterated the need for a dialogue to "deepen the understanding and appreciation of the many things which we hold in common. Such a dialogue will allow us to reflect sensibly and serenely on our differences,and to learn from them. There is a need to move forward patiently in the task of building a lasting peace, one founded on respect for the fundamental rights and duties rooted in the dignity of each person. In this way, we can overcome prejudices and unwarranted fears, leaving room for respect, encounter, and the release of more positive energies for the good of all".
Therefore, "it is essential that all citizens - Muslim, Jewish and Christian -
both in the provision and practice of the law, enjoy the same rights and respect the same duties. They will then find it easier to see each other as brothers and sisters who are travelling the same path, seeking always to reject
misunderstandings while promoting cooperation and concord. Freedom of religion and freedom of expression, when truly guaranteed to each person, will help friendship to flourish and thus become an eloquent sign of peace.
"The Middle East, Europe and the world all await this maturing of friendship. The Middle East, in particular, has for too long been a theatre of fratricidal wars, one born of the other, as if the only possible response to war and violence must be new wars and further acts of violence. How much longer must the Middle East suffer the consequences of this lack of peace? We must not resign ourselves to ongoing conflicts as if the situation can never change for the better! With the help of God, we can and we must renew the courage of peace! Such courage will lead to a just, patient and determined use of all available means of negotiation, and in this way achieve the concrete goals of peace and sustainable development".
Addressing the president, the Pope reaffirmed that "interreligious and intercultural dialogue can make an important contribution to attaining this lofty and urgent goal, so that there will be an end to all forms of fundamentalism and terrorism which gravely demean the dignity of every man and woman and exploit religion. Fanaticism and fundamentalism, as well as irrational fears which foster misunderstanding and discrimination, need to be countered by the solidarity of all believers. This solidarity must rest on the following pillars: respect for human life and for religious freedom, that is the freedom to worship and to live according to the moral teachings of one's religion; commitment to ensuring what each person requires for a dignified life; and care for the natural environment. The peoples and the states of the Middle East stand in urgent need of such solidarity, so that they can 'reverse the trend' and successfully advance a peace process, repudiating war and violence and pursuing dialogue, the rule of law, and justice.
"Sadly, to date, we are still witnessing grave conflicts. In Syria and Iraq, particularly, terrorist violence shows no signs of abating. Prisoners and entire ethnic populations are experiencing the violation of the most basic humanitarian laws. Grave persecutions have taken place in the past and still continue today to the detriment of minorities, especially - though not only - Christians and Yazidis. Hundreds of thousands of persons have been forced to abandon their homes and countries in order to survive and remain faithful to their religious beliefs.
Turkey, which has generously welcomed a great number of refugees, is directly affected by this tragic situation on its borders; the international community has the moral obligation to assist Turkey in taking care of these refugees. In addition to providing much needed assistance and humanitarian aid, we cannot remain indifferent to the causes of these tragedies. In reaffirming that it is licit, while always respecting international law, to stop an unjust aggressor, I wish to reiterate, moreover, that the problem cannot be resolved solely through a military response. What is required is a concerted commitment on the part of all, based on mutual trust, which can pave the way to lasting peace, and enable resources to be directed, not to weaponry, but to the other noble battles worthy of man: the fight against hunger and sickness, the promotion of sustainable development and the protection of creation, and the relief of the many forms of poverty and marginalisation of which there is no shortage in the world today".
The Pope concluded, "Turkey, by virtue of its history, geographical position and regional influence, has a great responsibility: the choices which Turkey makes and its example are especially significant and can be of considerable help in promoting an encounter of civilisations and in identifying viable paths
of peace and authentic progress. May the Most High bless and protect Turkey, and help the nation to be a strong and fervent peacemaker".

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Indulgences for the Year of Consecrated Life
Vatican City, 28 November 2014 (VIS) - The Holy Father, on the occasion of the
Year of Consecrated Life, will concede plenary indulgences, with the customary conditions (sacramental confession, Eucharistic communion and prayer in keeping
with the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff) to all members of the institutes of
consecrated life and other truly repentant faithful moved by a spirit of charity, starting from the first Sunday of Advent this year until 2 February 2016, the day of the closure of the Year of Consecrated Life. The indulgence may also be offered for departed souls in Purgatory.
Indulgence may be obtained:
- In Rome, in participation in the international meetings and celebrations established in the calendar of the Congregation for the Institutes of Consecrated Life and the Societies of Apostolic Life, and pious reflection on for a suitable period of time, concluding with the Lord's Prayer, the Profession of Faith in any legitimate approved form, and invocations of the Virgin Mary;
- In all the particular Churches, during the days devoted to consecrated life in the diocese, and during diocesan celebrations organised for the Year of Consecrated Life, by visiting the cathedral or another sacred place designated with the consent of the Ordinary of the place, or a convent church or oratory of a cloistered monastery, and publicly reciting the Liturgy of the Hours or through a suitable period of time of devout reflection, concluding with the Lord's Prayer, the Profession of Faith in any legitimate approved form, and pious invocations of the Virgin Mary.
Members of the Institutes of Consecrated Life who, on account of ill health or
other serious reasons are prevented from visiting these sacred places, may nonetheless receive Plenary Indulgence if, completely detached from any type of
sin and with the intention of being able to fulfil the three usual conditions as soon as possible, devoutly carry out the spiritual visit and offer their illness and the hardships of their life to God the merciful through Mary, with the addition of the prayers as above.
To facilitate this access to divine grace by means of pastoral charity, the Apostolic Penitentiary Cardinal Mauro Piacenza, who signed the decree, asks that the canons, members of the Chapter, the priests of the Institutes of Consecrated Life and all others able to hear confessions offer themselves willingly and generously to the celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation and regularly administer Holy Communion to the sick.

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Notice
Vatican City, 28 November 2014 (VIS) - Special editions of the VIS bulletin will be transmitted on Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 November, on the occasion of Pope Francis' apostolic trip to Turkey.

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For more information and to search for documents refer to the site: www.visnews.org and www.vatican.va

Copyright (VIS): the news contained in the services of the Vatican
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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 212
DATE 29-11-2014

Summary:
- Francis at the Diyanet: violence seeking religious justification warrants the
strongest condemnation
- Pope Francis visits the Museum of Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque
- Cardinal Schonborn, Pope's special envoy in Kiev

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Francis at the Diyanet: violence seeking religious justification warrants the strongest condemnation
Vatican City, 28 November 2014 (VIS) - Yesterday afternoon, following his address before the Turkish authorities in the Presidential Palace, the Holy Father met with the prime minister Ahmet Davutoglu, after which he proceeded to
the Diyanet, the Department for Religious Affairs and highest Sunni Islamic authority in Turkey. Although a secular state, 98% of the Turkish population is
Muslim, of whom 68% are Sunni and 30% Shia. The president of the Diyanet, Mehmet Gormez, welcomed the Pope upon arrival and accompanied him to his office
where they spoke privately for a minute. They then entered the Hall together, where Francis addressed the gathered Muslim and Christian political and religious leaders.
"It is a tradition that Popes, when they visit different countries as part of their mission, meet also with the leaders and members of various religions. Without this openness to encounter and dialogue, a papal visit would not fully correspond to its purposes. And so I wished to meet you, following in the footsteps of my venerable predecessors. In this context, I am pleased to recall
in a special way Pope Benedict XVI's visit to this very same place in November 2006. Good relations and dialogue between religious leaders have, in fact, acquired great importance. They represent a clear message addressed to their respective communities which demonstrates that mutual respect and friendship are possible, notwithstanding differences. Such friendship, as well as being valuable in itself, becomes all the more meaningful and important in a time of crisis such as our own: crises which in some parts of the world are disastrous for entire peoples".
He continued, "Wars cause the death of innocent victims and bring untold destruction, inter-ethnic and interreligious tensions and conflicts, hunger and
poverty afflicting hundreds of millions of people, and inflict damage on the natural environment - air, water and land. Especially tragic is the situation in the Middle East, above all in Iraq and Syria. Everyone suffers the consequences of these conflicts, and the humanitarian situation is unbearable. I think of so many children, the sufferings of so many mothers, of the elderly,
of those displaced and of all refugees, subject to every form of violence. Particular concern arises from the fact that, owing mainly to an extremist and fundamentalist group, entire communities, especially - though not exclusively -
Christians and Yazidis, have suffered and continue to suffer barbaric violence simply because of their ethnic and religious identity. They have been forcibly evicted from their homes, and have had to leave behind everything to save their
lives and preserve their faith. This violence has also brought damage to sacred
buildings, monuments, religious symbols and cultural patrimony, as if trying to
erase every trace, every memory of the other.
"As religious leaders, we are obliged to denounce all violations against human
dignity and human rights. Human life, a gift of God the Creator, possesses a sacred character. As such, any violence which seeks religious justification warrants the strongest condemnation because the Omnipotent is the God of life and peace. The world expects those who claim to adore God to be men and women of peace who are capable of living as brothers and sisters, regardless of ethnic, religious, cultural or ideological differences".
However, as well as denouncing such situations, he added, "we must also work together to find adequate solutions. This requires the cooperation of all: governments, political and religious leaders, representatives of civil society,
and all men and women of goodwill. In a unique way, religious leaders can offer
a vital contribution by expressing the values of their respective traditions. We, Muslims and Christians, are the bearers of spiritual treasures of inestimable worth. Among these we recognise some shared elements, though lived according to the traditions of each, such as the adoration of the All-Merciful God, reference to the Patriarch Abraham, prayer, almsgiving, and fasting - elements which, when lived sincerely, can transform life and provide a sure foundation for dignity and fraternity. Recognising and developing our common spiritual heritage - through interreligious dialogue - helps us to promote and to uphold moral values, peace and freedom in society. The shared recognition of
the sanctity of each human life is the basis of joint initiatives of solidarity, compassion, and effective help directed to those who suffer most. In this regard, I wish to express my appreciation for everything that the Turkish people, Muslims and Christians alike, are doing to help the hundreds of
thousands of people who are fleeing their countries due to conflicts. There are
two million of them. This is a clear example of how we can work together to serve others, an example to be encouraged and maintained".
In this regard, the Holy Father expressed his satisfaction at the good relations between the Diyanet and the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue. "It is my earnest desire that these relations will continue and be strengthened for the good of all, so that every initiative which promotes authentic dialogue will offer a sign of hope to a world so greatly in need of peace, security and prosperity. Following my meeting with the president, I am also hopeful that this interreligious dialogue will take on creative new forms".
He concluded by thanking again the president of the Diyanet and his collaborators for this meeting, and expressed his gratitude to all present for their presence and their prayers for him and his ministry. "For my part, I assure you of my prayers. May the Lord grant us all his blessing".
Following the encounter, the Pope transferred to the apostolic nunciature, where he spent the night.

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Pope Francis visits the Museum of Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque
Vatican City, 29 November 2014 (VIS) - This morning, Pope Francis travelled by
air from Ankara to Istanbul. The only city in the world divided across two continents, Asia and Europe, it is situated on the banks of the Bosphorus, the river that connects the Black Sea with the Mediterranean. Upon arrival he was welcomed by the Governor of Istanbul and by the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomaios I, and then transferred by car to the Blue Mosque, or the Mosque of the Sultan Ahmed.
Built between 1609 and 1917 by Ahmed I on what had been the site of the great palace of Constantinople, the mosque became the most important place of worship
of the Ottoman Empire. The name "Blue Mosque" derives from the 21,043 turquoise
ceramic tiles adorning the walls and the dome. The ceramics used to cover the walls, columns and arches originated from Iznik in ancient Nicaea, and range in
colour from deep blue to green. Benedict XVI visited the mosque during his trip
to Turkey in 2006. Pope Francis was received by the Grand Mufti and remained a moment in silent prayer.
The Holy Father then proceeded to the Museum of Hagia Sophia, the basilica dedicated to Divine Wisdom, first built in the year 360 by the emperor Constantine on a site previously occupied by pagan temples. It was later destroyed by two fires, one in 404 and another in 532, and the emperor Justinian undertook its reconstruction in order to make it into "the most sumptuous work since the time of Creation", ordering all the provinces of the empire to provide their best marble and most prized materials. Hagia Sophia was
inaugurated for the third time in 537. During the conquest of Constantinople in
1204, it was despoiled of its richest adornments by Latin Christians and in 1453, when it fell into the hands of the Ottomans, Mehmet II ordered it to be transformed into the first imperial mosque of Istanbul. During the subsequent three centuries, this Muslim place of worship received splendid gifts from various sultans, until the eighteenth century, when the mosaics were covered with plaster. In 1847 the Sultan Abdulmegid engaged the Swiss architects Gaspare and Giuseppe Fossati to uncover the mosaics and restore the building. In 1935, at the behest of Ataturk, Hagia Sophia became a museum, which it remains to this day. Popes Paul VI, John Paul II and Benedict XVI all visited it during their trips to Turkey.
Pope Francis was received at the Imperial Door by the director of the Museum, who accompanied him on a guided tour lasting around half an hour. The Holy Father signed the guest book of Hagia Sophia, first in Greek with the phrase ???a ????a s?t Te?? (Holy Wisdom of God) and then in Latin: "Quam dilecta tabernacula tua Domine (Psalm 38).
After leaving Hagia Sophia through the Beautiful Gate, Francis proceeded to the papal representation where he was awaited by members of the Catholic communities (Latin, Armenian, Syrian and Chaldean) of Istanbul, and where he was greeted by the president of the Episcopal Conference of Turkey, Archbishop Ruggero Franceschini, O.F.M. Cap.

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Cardinal Schonborn, Pope's special envoy in Kiev
Vatican City, 29 November 2014 (VIS) - In a letter published today, written in
Latin and dated 18 November, the Holy Father nominated Cardinal Christoph Schonborn, archbishop of Vienna, as his special envoy at the celebration of the
25th anniversary of the liberation of the Greek-Catholic Church in Ukraine, scheduled to take place in Kiev on 10 December 2014.
The mission accompanying the cardinal will be composed of Rev. Yurij Kolasa, vicar for Greek-Catholics in Austria, and Rev. Ihor Sfiaban, head of the Ecumenical Commission of the Curia of the Major Archbishop.

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For more information and to search for documents refer to the site: www.visnews.org and www.vatican.va

Copyright (VIS): the news contained in the services of the Vatican
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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 213
DATE 01-12-2014

Summary:
- To the Swiss Bishops' Conference: safeguard your country's long Christian tradition
- The Pope speaks to the press on the return flight to Rome
- Francis denounces the degrading living conditions of many refugees
- Pope Francis' prayer intentions for December
- Audiences
- Other Pontifical Acts

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To the Swiss Bishops' Conference: safeguard your country's long Christian tradition
Vatican City, 1 December 2014 (VIS) - This morning Pope Francis received the prelates of the Swiss Bishops' Conference at the end of their five-yearly "ad Limina" visit and handed them the text of the discourse he had prepared in advance, in which he referred to the country's long Christian tradition and the
responsibility of prelates to keep faith strong. "Without living faith in the risen Christ, your beautiful churches and monasteries will gradually transform into museums; all the commendable works and institutions lose their soul, leaving behind only empty spaces and abandoned people", he writes. "The mission
that has been entrusted to you is to nurture your flock, proceeding in accordance with current circumstances. ... The People of God cannot exist without their pastors, bishops and priests; the Lord has given the Church the gift of the apostolic succession in the service of the unity of faith and its full transmission".
In this way, the Pope encourages them to continue their efforts in the formation of the seminarians, which constitutes the challenge for the future of
the Church, and invites them to pay attention to their priests, especially in the case of estrangement or when the meaning of episcopal paternity appears to be forgotten. "A humble, honest and fraternal dialogue often enables a new beginning", he writes. Similarly, he urges the bishops to acknowledge the support and efforts of the laity, differentiating between the common priesthood
of the faithful and the ministerial priesthood. He encourages them to continue in the formation of the baptised regarding the truths of faith and their importance to liturgy, the parish, family and life, and to carefully select personnel to permit the laity to be truly integrated in and to take their rightful place in the Church.
The Holy Father mentions that the Church was born in Pentecost when the apostles went out and spoke in all languages thus reaching all mankind through the power of the Holy Spirit, and he recalls the Redeemer's invitation to preach the Gospel to all, proclaiming the Good News without bending to the whims of man. Finally, he imparts his apostolic blessing and expresses his hope
that they may continue to cultivate God's field with diligence and patience, maintaining their passion for the truth, and he encourages them to entrust the future of evangelisation in their country to the Virgin Mary and to the intercession of St. Nicolas de Flue, St. Maurice, and their companions.

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The Pope speaks to the press on the return flight to Rome
Vatican City, 1 December 2014 (VIS) - Yesterday, as is his custom, Pope Francis spoke with the journalists accompanying him on the return flight from Istanbul to Rome. The questions touched mostly on the themes of relations between Islam and Christianity, and ecumenism.
The Holy Father affirmed that the Qu'ran is a book of peace and that Islam cannot be equated with terrorism; however, he remarked, it is necessary for Muslim political, religious and academic leaders to condemn terrorist attacks so that the people may hear this directly from such figures. He also revealed that in the Blue Mosque, he prayed above all for peace. Referring later on to so-called "Christianophobia" or anti-Christian sentiment, as opposed to "Islamophobia", he underlined that today there are many Christian martyrs among
the populations of the Middle East, and he mentioned those compelled to leave their homes. This martyrdom has been the fate of faithful of different Christian confessions and has given rise to an "ecumenism of blood".
With regard to the Middle East, he spoke about the situation in Syria, condemning the traffic and sale of arms, and reiterated that behind every war there are always political and economic problems and commercial interests, in attempts to save a system that accords centrality to the god of money, rather than human beings. The Pope observed that it seems to him we are experiencing a
third world war, fragmented and dispersed in various places, and expressed his wish to go to Iraq, although he remarked that at the moment it would not be possible since it would create important problems for the authorities and difficulties regarding security. Francis revealed that he considers the opening
of the Turkish-Armenian border to be a very important issue, but is aware that there are political issues that make this difficult, and he invited prayer to contribute to making this opening possible.
The Pope focused closely on the question of ecumenism, commenting that it is a
path that must be followed together and stressing the importance of spiritual ecumenism - praying, working and carrying out charitable works together. He added that with orthodoxy, this joint path is proving successful thanks to the sacraments and the apostolic succession, and that it will be fundamental to provide an answer to the question posed by John Paul II when he asked the Orthodox to help arrive at a formula for primacy acceptable to these Churches. He also expressed his wish to go to Moscow in order to meet with the Patriarch Kiril, but not at the moment due to the pressing problems in Ukraine. Again in relation to ecumenism, he stressed that when the Church looks inwardly to herself rather than at Christ, when she believes herself to be a creator of light rather than a bringer of light, she creates divisions. Finally, he remarked on the desire of Christians to be able to celebrate Easter on the same
date.
One of the final questions related to the recent Synod of Bishops, and the Holy Father affirmed that the Synod is a path and a process, and therefore a person's opinion or a draft document cannot be given consideration. Nor is the Synod a parliament, but rather a protected space where one may let the voice of
the Spirit be heard.

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Francis denounces the degrading living conditions of many refugees
Vatican City, 30 November 2014 (VIS) - Pope Francis chose to conclude his final day in Turkey by meeting a group of around a hundred refugees and asylum seekers. Christians and Muslims, they were mostly from Iraq and Syria, although
some were from other countries in the Middle East and Africa, and have been assisted for some time by the Salesian community in Istanbul. The meeting took place in the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit.
"I wish to assure you that I share your sufferings; I hope my visit, by the grace of God, may offer you some consolation in your difficult situation", said
the Pope. "Yours is the sad consequence of brutal conflicts and war, which are always evils and which never solve problems. Rather, they only create new ones".
He emphasised the difficulty of the living conditions of refugees, who often find themselves deprived, sometimes for long periods, of "basic needs such as a
dignified home, healthcare, education and work. They have had to abandon not only their material possessions, but above all their freedom, closeness to family, their homeland and cultural traditions. The degrading conditions in which so many refugees are forced to live are intolerable! For this reason, we must do everything possible to eradicate the causes of this situation. I appeal
for greater international cooperation to resolve the conflicts which are causing bloodshed in your homelands, to counter the other causes which are driving people to leave their home countries, and to improve conditions so that
people may remain or return home. I encourage all who are working generously and steadfastly for justice and peace not to lose heart. I ask political leaders to always remember that the great majority of their people long for peace, even if at times they lack the strength and voice to demand it".
The Holy Father praised the work of many organisations in aid of refugees, including numerous Catholic groups "which offer generous aid to many in need without discriminating. I wish also to express deep gratitude to the Turkish authorities for the great efforts they have made in assisting the displaced, in
particular Syrian and Iraqi refugees, and for the authorities' tangible commitment in trying to meet their needs. I hope that the necessary support of the international community may not be lacking".
He offered some words of encouragement to the young people present. "It is easy to say this, but please make an effort not to be discouraged. With the help of God, continue to hope in a better future, despite the difficulties and obstacles which you are currently facing. The Catholic Church is with you, including through the invaluable work of the Salesians. The Church, in addition
to other forms of help, also offers you the opportunity to see to your education and formation. Remember always that God does not forget any of his children, and that those who are the smallest and who suffer the most are closest to the Father's heart".
"For my part, together with the whole Church, I will continue to pray to the Lord, asking him to inspire those in leadership, so that they will not hesitate
to promote justice, security and peace and do so in ways that are clear and effective", he concluded. "Through her social and charitable organisations, the
Church will remain at your side and will continue to hold up your cause before the world. May God bless you all! Please pray for me. Thank you!"
Following the meeting, the Pope proceeded to the hospital to visit the Armenian Orthodox Patriarch Mesrob II, who was admitted some years ago and remains in a coma. He subsequently went to Ataturk Airport where, after farewell greetings with the local civil and religious authorities, he departed for Rome. The aircraft carrying the Holy Father landed at 6.40 p.m. Before returning to the Vatican, he stopped in the Basilica of St. Mary Major to commend the fruits of his apostolic trip in Turkey to the Virgin.

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Pope Francis' prayer intentions for December
Vatican City, 1 December 2014 (VIS) - The Holy Father's universal prayer intention for December is: "That the birth of the Redeemer may bring peace and hope to all people of good will".
His intention for evangelisation is: "That parents may be true evangelisers, passing on to their children the precious gift of faith".

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Audiences
Vatican City, 1 December 2014 (VIS) - Today, the Holy Father received in audience:
- Archbishop Jude Thaddeus Okolo, apostolic nuncio in the Dominican Republic and apostolic delegate in Porto Rico;
- Archbishop Jean-Marie Speich, apostolic nuncio in Ghana;
- Marco Vinicio Vargas Pereira, new ambassador of Costa Rica to the Holy See, presenting his credential letters;
- Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church;
- Archbishop Stephan Burger of Freiburg im Breisgau, Federal Republic of Germany;
- Thirteen prelates of the Swiss Bishops' Conference, on their "ad Limina" visit:
- Bishop Felix Gmur of Basel, with his auxiliaries, Bishop Martin Gachter and Bishop Denis Theurillat;
- Bishop Vitus Huonder of Chur, with his auxiliary Bishop Marian Eleganti;
- Bishop Charles Morerod, O.P., of Lausanne, Geneve et Fribourg, with his auxiliaries, Bishop Pierre Farine and Bishop Alain de Raemy;
- Bishop Valerio Lazzeri of Lugano;
- Bishop Markus Buchel of Sankt Gallen;
- Bishop Jean-Marie Lovey, C.R.B. of Sion;
- Fr. Urban Federer, O.S.B., abbot of Maria Einsiedeln, and
- Bishop Joseph Roduit, abbot of Saint-Maurice.

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Other Pontifical Acts
Vatican City, 1 December 2014 (VIS) - The Holy Father has accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese of Mocoa-Sibundoy, Colombia, presented by Bishop Luis Alberto Parra Mora, in accordance with canon 401 para.
2 of the Code of Canon Law.

___________________________________________________________

For more information and to search for documents refer to the site: www.visnews.org and www.vatican.va

Copyright (VIS): the news contained in the services of the Vatican
Information Service may be reproduced wholly or partially by quoting
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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 214
DATE 02-12-2014

Summary:
- Religious leaders gathered in the Vatican for the eradication of modern slavery
- Declaration of religious leaders for the eradication of slavery

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Religious leaders gathered in the Vatican for the eradication of modern slavery
Vatican City, 2 December 2014 (VIS) - For the first time in history, the leaders of the world's major religions gathered together in the Vatican this morning with the aim of eliminating modern slavery. Today, International Day for the Abolition of Slavery, a ceremony was held in the seat of the Pontifical
Academy for Sciences in the Vatican's Casina Pio IV for the signing of the Declaration of Religious Leaders against Slavery. This solemn act follows the agreement signed of 17 March in the Vatican, established by the Global Freedom Network to eradicate, by 2020, modern forms of slavery and human trafficking. The Declaration was signed by Pope Francis, along with eminent Orthodox, Anglican, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist and Hindu representatives.
The following is the full text of Pope Francis' address, which he began by thanking all religious leaders for their commitment to assisting survivors of human trafficking, and all those present for their active participation in this
act of fraternity, "especially for our brothers and sisters who suffer most".
"Inspired by our confessions of faith, we are gathered here today for an historical initiative and to take concrete action: to declare that we will work
together to eradicate the terrible scourge of modern slavery in all its forms. The physical, economic, sexual and psychological exploitation of men, women and
children that is currently inflicted on tens of millions of people constitutes a form of dehumanisation and humiliation.
"Every human being, man women, boy and girl, is made in God's image. God is the love and freedom that is given in interpersonal relationships, and every human being is a free person destined to live for the good of others in equality and fraternity. Every person, and all people, are equal and must be accorded the same freedom and the same dignity. Any discriminatory relationship
that does not respect the fundamental conviction that others are equal is a crime, and frequently an aberrant crime.
"Therefore, we declare on each and every one of our creeds that modern slavery, in terms of human trafficking, forced labour and prostitution, and organ trafficking, is a crime against humanity. Its victims are from all walks of life, but are most frequently among the poorest and most vulnerable of our brothers and sisters. On behalf of all of them, our communities of faith are called to reject, without exception, any systematic deprivation of individual freedom for the purposes of personal or commercial exploitation; in their name,
we make this declaration.
"In spite of the great efforts of many, modern slavery continues to be an atrocious scourge present on a large scale throughout the world, also as tourism; this crime is frequently concealed in apparently accepted customs but the reality is that it claims victims in prostitution, human trafficking, forced labour, slave labour, mutilation, the sale of organs, drug abuse, and child labour. It is hidden behind closed doors, in certain homes, in the streets, in cars, in factories, in fields, in fishing boats and in many other places. And it takes place in both cities and villages, in the slums of the richest and poorest nations in the world. And the worst thing is that the situation is unfortunately worsening every day.
"Let us call to action all persons of faith and their leaders, Governments, businesses, all men and women of good will, to lend their unwavering support and to join the movement against modern slavery, in all its forms.
"Supported by the ideals of our confessions of faith and our shared human values, we all can and must raise the standard of spiritual values, our joint efforts, our liberatory vision, to eradicate slavery from our planet. I pray that the Lord will grant us the grace to become a neighbour to all persons, without exception, and to provide active support whenever we encounter on our way an elderly person abandoned by all; an unjustly enslaved and mistreated worker; a refugee caught in the snares of crime; a young person walking the streets of the world, a victim of the sex trade; a man or a woman tricked into prostitution by people with no fear of God; a child mutilated for his or her organs, all of whom call out to our consciences, echoing the voice of the Lord:
I assure you that whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.
"Dear friends, thank you for this meeting, and thank you for this joint effort
that involves all of us. We are all a reflection of the image of God, and we are convinced that we cannot accept that the image of the living God be subject
to the most aberrant trafficking".

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Declaration of religious leaders for the eradication of slavery
Vatican City, 2 December 2014 (VIS) - The following is the full text of the Joint Declaration of Religious Leaders against Modern Slavery
"We, the undersigned, are gathered here today for a historic initiative to inspire spiritual and practical action by all global faiths and people of good will everywhere to eradicate modern slavery across the world by 2020 and for all time.
"In the eyes of God*, each human being is a free person, whether girl, boy, woman or man, and is destined to exist for the good of all in equality and fraternity. Modern slavery, in terms of human trafficking, forced labour and prostitution, organ trafficking, and any relationship that fails to respect the
fundamental conviction that all people are equal and have the same freedom and dignity, is a crime against humanity.
"We pledge ourselves here today to do all in our power, within our faith communities and beyond, to work together for the freedom of all those who are enslaved and trafficked so that their future may be restored. Today we have the
opportunity, awareness, wisdom, innovation and technology to achieve this human
and moral imperative".
*The Grand Imam of Al Azhar uses the word "religions".
- Catholicism: Pope Francis;
- Hinduism: Her Holiness Mata Amritanandamayi (Amma);
- Buddhism: Venerable Bhikkhuni Thich Nu Chan Khong, representing Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, Thailand; Venerable Datuk K. Sri Dhammaratana, Chief High Priest of Malaysia;
- Judaism: Rabbi Abraham Skorka and Rabbi David Rosen KSG, CBE;
- Orthodox: His Eminence Emmanuel, Metropolitan of France, representing the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomaios I;
- Islam: Abbas Abdalla Abbas Soliman, undersecretary of State of Al Azhar Alsharif, representing Mohamed Ahmed El-Tayeb, Grand Imam of Al Azhar; the Grand Ayatollah Mohammad Taqi al-Modarresi; Sheikh Naziyah Razzaq Jaafar, special advisor, representing Grand Ayatollah Sheikh Basheer Hussain al Najafi;
Sheikh Omar Abboud;
- Anglicanism: His Grace Most Reverend and Right Honourable Justin Welby, archbishop of Canterbury.

___________________________________________________________

For more information and to search for documents refer to the site: www.visnews.org and www.vatican.va

Copyright (VIS): the news contained in the services of the Vatican
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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 215
DATE 03-12-2014

Summary:
- General audience: Francis' trip to Turkey
- Declaration by the Director of the Holy See Press Office
- Other Pontifical Acts

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General audience: Francis' trip to Turkey
Vatican City, 3 December 2014 (VIS) - Pope Francis dedicated the catechesis of
this Wednesday's general audience to his recent visit to Turkey, a land dear to
many Christians for being the birthplace of the apostle Paul, hosting the first
seven councils, and for the presence, near Ephesus, of the "House of Mary". In the same way as he asked the faithful, before his journey, to accompany him in prayer, today he asked them to give thanks to the Lord for the success of the trip and to pray that it might bear the fruit of dialogue in our relationship with our Orthodox and Muslim brothers, and in the path towards peace among peoples.
Francis spoke first of his meeting with the authorities on Friday 29, thanking
them for the care and respect with which they greeted him. In a constitutionally secular country with a Muslim majority, the Pope noted that it
is oblivion to God and not His glorification that engenders violence, and insisted before the leaders of the nation on the importance of concerted efforts between Christians and Muslims for solidarity, peace and justice, reaffirming the need for States to guarantee real freedom of worship to citizens and religious communities.
On the second day, the Pope visited the Museum of Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and the Catholic Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, highly symbolic places for the different religions that co-exist in Turkey. "I did so, feeling within my heart the wish to invoke the Lord, God of Heaven and Earth, merciful Father of all humanity". The central event of the day was the Mass held in the Cathedral, attended by pastors and faithful of the various Catholic rites in Turkey, along with representatives of other confessions, to invoke together the
Holy Spirit, "who builds the unity of the Church: unity in faith, unity in charity, unity in internal cohesion", so that the People of God, "in the richness of their traditions", may grow in openness and obedience to His divine
action".
The feast of St. Andrew the Apostle, patron of the Church of Constantinople, on 30 November, offered the ideal context for consolidating the fraternal relations between the Bishop of Rome and the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomaios
I, who renewed their joint commitment to the path of re-establishing full communion between Catholics and Orthodox, and signed a Joint Declaration which represents a significant step along the way. Francis expressed his joy at having participated in the Divine Liturgy and for the dual blessing imparted by
the Pope and the Patriarch at the end. "Prayer is the foundation of any fruitful ecumenical dialogue under the guidance of the Holy Spirit".
The Holy Father's final meeting, of which he spoke with emotion, was with a group of young refugees from the war zones of the Middle East, under the care of the Salesians. "It was very important for me to meet them", he said, "both to express my closeness and that of the Church, and to highlight the importance
of hospitality; a value to which Turkey is committed". The Pope again thanked the country for its work in this field, praised the Salesians for their work with the young refugees, and concluded by again asking all those present to pray for refugees and internally displaced people, and for the removal of the causes of this "painful scourge".

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Declaration by the Director of the Holy See Press Office
Vatican City, 3 December 2014 (VIS) - The Director of the Holy See Press Office, Fr. Federico Lombardi, S.J., answered questions posed by journalists late yesterday afternoon on the situation regarding the ex-nuncio Msgr. Wesolowski.
"This morning, the Promoter of Justice of the Tribunal of Vatican City State, Professor Gian Piero Milano, met with the Attorney General of the Dominican Republic, Francisco Dominguez Brito, upon request by this latter, during a trip
in Europe to make contacts in Poland and the Vatican. The meeting took place within a broader context of international level cooperation amongst the investigative bodies engaged in the proceedings against Msgr. Wesolowski and the related investigations in progress, and it was useful for both parties given the complexity of the enquiry and the possibility of a letter rogatory from the Vatican to request further elements.
Meanwhile, regarding the situation of Msgr. Wesolowski, I am able to state that the Magistrature of Vatican City State, continuing its investigations, has
already questioned the defendant, and future rounds of questioning will take place. As the custody time limit has lapsed, and in view of his state of health, Msgr. Wesolowski has been permitted a certain freedom of movement, but is obliged to remain within the State and is subject to appropriate restrictions on external communications".

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Other Pontifical Acts
Vatican City, 3 December 2014 (VIS) - The Holy Father has:
- appointed Rev. Ivan Pereira as bishop of Jammu-Srinagar (area 222,236, population 13,849,892, Catholics 18,161, priests 61, religious 214), India. The
bishop-elect was born in Vasai, India in 1964 and was ordained a priest in 1993. He holds a B.A. in education and a Master's degree in English, and has served in a number of pastoral and administrative roles, including parish vicar
in Jammu; parish priest in various parishes, including the Cathedral and "Our Lady of Fatima", Srinagar; rector of St. Paul's minor seminary, Akalpur, Jammu;
secretary of the Regional Catholic Council of North India; and president of the
Regional Conference of Diocesan Priests, North India. He is currently director of the Diocesan Education Board of the diocese of Jammu-Srinagar and principal of the Burn Hall Higher Secondary School, Srinagar. He succeeds Bishop Peter Celestine Elampassery, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese was accepted by the Holy Father, upon having reached the age limit.
- appointed Bishop Odelir Jose Magri, M.C.C.J., of Sobral, Brazil, as bishop of Chapeco (area 15,663, population 772,000, Catholics 635,000, priests 85, religious 223), Brazil.
- appointed Bishop Zanoni Demettino Castro of Sao Mateus as coadjutor archbishop of Feira de Santana (area 6,730, population 963,000, Catholics 895,000, priests 73, permanent deacons 9, religious 157), Brazil.
- appointed Bishop Waldemar Passini Dalbello, auxiliary of Goiania, Brazil, as
coadjutor bishop of Luziania (area 16,424, population 776,000, Catholics 624,000, priests 55, permanent deacons 4, religious 100), Brazil.

___________________________________________________________

For more information and to search for documents refer to the site: www.visnews.org and www.vatican.va

Copyright (VIS): the news contained in the services of the Vatican
Information Service may be reproduced wholly or partially by quoting
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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 216
DATE 04-12-2014

Summary:
- Audience with the President of Mozambique: Church's fundamental contribution to development
- Francis receives the volunteers of the FOCSIV
- St. Peter's Square prepares for Christmas
- Audiences
- Other Pontifical Acts

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Audience with the President of Mozambique: Church's fundamental contribution to
development

Vatican City, 4 December 2014 (VIS) - Today in the Vatican Apostolic Palace the
Holy Father Francis received in audience the president of the Republic of Mozambique, Armando Emilio Guebuza, who subsequently met with Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, accompanied by Msgr. Antoine Camilleri, under secretary for Relations with States.

During the cordial discussions the good relations between the Holy See and the Republic of Mozambique were highlighted. In this context, reference was made to
the fundamental contribution of the Catholic Church to the development of the country through her educational and healthcare institutions, and her important role in the promotion of peace and national reconciliation.

Finally, attention turned to various regional challenges, such as disarmament and the struggle against poverty and social inequality.

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Francis receives the volunteers of the FOCSIV

Vatican City, 4 December 2014 (VIS) - The image of a Church at work in the service of those in difficulty is promoted by the Federation of Christian Organisations for International Volunteer Service (FOCSIV), which seeks to combine the accumulated experience of its members with the dimension of voluntary service to the poor in the style of the good Samaritan and according to Gospel values. Starting from their Christian identity, they are "volunteers in the world", offering many development projects to offer concrete responses to the "scandals" of hunger and war. Pope Francis emphasised these characteristics in his address to two thousand members of the federation in the
Vatican's Paul VI Hall this morning.

"Your work alongside men and women in difficulty is a living announcement of the tenderness of Christ, Who walks alongside humanity in all times", affirmed the Pope. "There is a great need to bear witness to the value of gratuity: the poor must not become an opportunity for profit! The face of poverty is changing
nowadays, and there are those among the poor who are developing different expectations: they aspire to be protagonists, they are organised, and above all
they practise that solidarity that exists between those who suffer, between those who are left behind. You are called upon to perceive these signs of the times and to become an instrument of service to assist in enabling leadership among the poor. Solidarity with the poor means thinking in terms of community, of the priority of the life of all above the appropriation of goods by the few.
It also means combating the structural causes of poverty: inequality, unemployment and homelessness, and the denial of social and working rights. Solidarity is a way of making history with the poor, avoiding supposedly altruistic works that reduce others to passivity".

Among the main causes of poverty, Francis did not neglect to mention the existence of an economic system that exploits natural resources. "I think in particular of deforestation, but also of environmental disasters and the loss of biodiversity. It is necessary to reaffirm that creation is not property from
which we can derive pleasure and dispose of as we please, and much less the property of just a few. Creation is a marvellous gift that God has given us for
us to take care of and use for the benefit of all, with respect. I therefore encourage you to continue in your commitment to ensuring that creation remains the patrimony of all, to be handed on in all its beauty to future generations".

Many of the countries where the FOCSIV works are at war, and the Pope emphasised that working for the development of the people also means cooperating in building peace, "seeking with tenacious perseverance to disarm minds, to draw closer to people, to build bridges between cultures and religions. Faith will help you to do this even in the most difficult countries,
where the spiral of violence no longer seems to leave space for reason. A sign of peace and hope is your activity in refugee camps, where you encounter desperate people, faces marked by abuse, children who hunger for food, freedom and a future. How many people in the world flee from the horrors of war! How many people are persecuted for their faith, forced to abandon their homes, their places of worship, their homelands, their loved ones! How many broken lives! How much suffering, how much destruction! Faced with all of this, a disciple of Christ cannot step or turn away, but instead seeks to take care of this suffering humanity with evangelical closeness and acceptance".

The Pope reiterated his concerns for migrants and refugees, who "seek to flee from hard living conditions and dangers of every type", and insisted on the need for collaboration between "institutions, NGOs and ecclesial communities, to promote itineraries of harmonious co-existence between different peoples and
cultures. "Migratory movements require adequate forms of reception that do not leave migrants at the mercy of the sea and bands of unscrupulous traffickers. At the same time, there is a need for active collaboration between States to regulate and effectively manage such phenomena".

Finally, Francis thanked the volunteers of the Federation who, for more than forty years, have shown themselves to be "true witnesses of charity, workers of
peace, builders of justice and solidarity", and, encouraging them to continue in their progress, he invited them to find time each day for a personal encounter with God in prayer. "It will be your strength in moments of greatest difficulty, disappointment, solitude and incomprehension".

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St. Peter's Square prepares for Christmas

Vatican City, 4 December 2014 (VIS) - The 25 and a half metre-tall white fir tree that will decorate St. Peter's Square this Christmas arrived in the Vatican this morning. From Passo dell'Abbate, in the Italian province of Fabrizia, Calabria, its peculiar characteristic is its double or "twin" trunk: two trunks joined together as one.

The ceremony of the lighting of the tree will take place on 19 December at 4.30
p.m. and will coincide this year with the illumination and unveiling of the nativity scene. Entitled "Il Presepe in Opera" ("The Nativity Scene in Opera") and composed of around 25 life-size terracotta statues, it is a gift from the "Verona for the Arena" Foundation and will be inspired by the operatic works for which the city is famed, with the intention of promoting Italian opera throughout the world. This also provides the basis for the title of the display, which is a play on the double meaning of the word "opera" in Italian: it is "at work", in the sense that its message is universal and active, and also based on the material used to stage the operatic work "The Elixir of Love"
by Gaetano Donizetti.

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Audiences

Vatican City, 4 December 2014 (VIS) - Today, the Holy Father received in audience:

- Cardinal Severino Poletto, archbishop emeritus of Turin;

- Archbishop Michael W. Banach, apostolic nuncio in Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands;

- Archbishop Giovanni d'Aniello, apostolic nuncio in Brazil;

- Juan Pablo Cafiero, ambassador of Argentina to the Holy See, on his farewell visit.

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Other Pontifical Acts

Vatican City, 4 December 2014 (VIS) - The Holy Father has appointed Rev. Patrick Michael O'Regan as bishop of Sale (area 44,441, population 405,000, Catholics 120,340, priests 39, permanent deacons 5, religious 34), Australia. The bishop-elect was born in Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia in 1958 and was ordained a priest in 1983. He holds a licentiate in liturgy and sacramental
theology from the Institut Catholique, Paris, and has served in a number of pastoral roles, including deputy parish priest in Lithgow, Cowra and Orange, vice dean of the Cathedral of Bathurst, parish priest in Wellington and Layney,
diocesan administrator and chancellor of the diocese of Bathurst. He is currently dean of the Cathedral and vicar general of the same diocese.

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For more information and to search for documents refer to the site: www.visnews.org and www.vatican.va

Copyright (VIS): the news contained in the services of the Vatican
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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 217
DATE 05-12-2014

Summary:
- The Pope reminds the Theological Commission of the importance of listening to
the People of God
- The family, special home of solidarity
- Pope's message to the Santa Marta Group in London against human trafficking
- Peace, central theme of the Advent sermons in the Redemptoris Mater chapel
- Fr. Lombardi's response to questions on Cardinal George Pell's article in "Catholic Herald"
- Audiences
- Other Pontifical Acts

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The Pope reminds the Theological Commission of the importance of listening to the People of God
Vatican City, 5 December 2014 (VIS) - This morning the Holy Father received the members of the International Theological Commission (CIT), whose president is Cardinal Gerhard L. Muller, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. The Commission was established shortly after Vatican Council II following the request by the Synod of Bishops in order to enable the Holy See to make more direct use of the reflection of theologians from various parts of the world. The mission of the Commission is therefore that of "examining doctrinal questions of major importance", especially those that present new aspects and, in this way, of offering assistance to the Magisterium of the Church.
This mission, as Francis remarked, presupposes not only intellectual competences but also spiritual dispositions; among the latter, the Pope focused
in particular on listening. He cited the passage from Ezekiel: "Son of man, listen carefully and take to heart all the words I speak to you", emphasising that "the theologian is, above all, a believer who listens to the living Word of God and welcomes it into his heart and mind ... but he must also humbly listen to what the Spirit tells the Church through the different manifestations
of faith lived by the People of God".
Indeed, this activity is mentioned in the recent document of the Commission on
"The sensus fide in the life of the Church". The Pope continued, "Along with the Christian people, the theologian opens his eyes and ears to the signs of the times. He or she is required to "hear, distinguish and interpret the many voices of our age, and to judge them in the light of the divine word, so that revealed truth can always be more deeply penetrated, better understood and set forth to greater advantage".
In this light, the Pope expressed his satisfaction at the increasingly diverse
composition of the Commission, in particular the presence of women, "a presence
that is an invitation to reflect on the role that women can and should occupy in the field of theology", and the contribution that they bring to "the intelligence of faith".
Another aspect of the Commission is its international character, which reflects "the Catholicity of the Church". Therefore, "the diversity of points of view must enrich Catholicity without prejudice to unity", since "the unity of Catholic theologians derives from their common reference to a single faith in Christ and is nurtured by the diversity of the gifts of the Holy Spirit". "Starting from this foundation in a healthy pluralism, various theological approaches, developed in different cultural contexts and using different methods, cannot ignore each other, but must enrich and correct each other in theological dialogue".
The Holy Father commented that "the Virgin is a teacher of authentic theology"
since, as a "privileged witness to the great events of salvation history", she "treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart". "Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and with all the resources of her female wisdom, she never ceased to further enter into 'all the truth'. Mary is therefore the icon of the
Church who, anxiously awaiting her Lord, progresses day after day in the intelligence of faith, thanks to the patient work of theologians, male and female".

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The family, special home of solidarity
Vatican City, 5 December 2014 (VIS) - "The future of humanity depends upon the
family, and it is therefore necessary to allow it to play its role", writes the
Pope in his message to the participants in the Festival of the Family, taking place in Riva del Garda, Italy, on the theme "The Life and Work Ecosystem". "But", he adds, "it is not enough to reiterate the importance of the family and
to affirm its rights: it is necessary to consider how the tasks of the family and of society can be structured in real terms, especially with regard to the relationship between professional life and family life".
The family has its own mission, in the service of its members, its development, and life; it has rights and therefore needs support and guarantees
to be able to exercise them. On the other hand, the family also has a duty to society; it must offer its collaboration in the service of the community. It is
a privileged environment for the harmonious practice of solidarity and subsidiarity, or rather a synergy between public and private, enterprise and families. Precisely on account of the effort and responsibility required to raise and educate children, families need appropriate assistance from public agencies and companies, in the context of mutual collaboration. The worrying demographic trend requires an extraordinary and courageous strategy, on the part of all interested parties, in favour of families. This may also give rise to an economic recovery for the country. In this regard, the crisis of unemployment, especially amongst the young, must be addressed and resolved".
The Pope goes on to write about policy in relation to families, the social and
legal status of the family in general, the assistance that should be offered to
those who are materially or morally disadvantaged, and the attention that should be given to female work. "We must ensure that women are not, for economic reasons, compelled to undertake too heavy a burden or accept excessive
working hours, which are then added to all their responsibilities in housekeeping and raising children. But above all, it is necessary to recognise that women's work, at all levels of family life, also constitutes an unparalleled contribution to the family and the future of society".

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Pope's message to the Santa Marta Group in London against human trafficking
Vatican City, 5 December 2014 (VIS) - The Pope has sent a message to Cardinal Vincent Nichols, archbishop of Westminster and president of the Episcopal Conference of England and Wales on the occasion of the Second Conference of the
Santa Marta Group, taking place in London, United Kingdom, on 5 and 6 December.
The Santa Marta Group - whose name derives from the Holy Father's residence, where the members stayed during their first conference held in the Vatican last
April - is composed of High Commissioners of international police forces and bishops from around the world who, along with members of civil society, are working together to prevent and eradicate human trafficking, and to help victims. Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis, London, and Cardinal Nichols are the co-presidents of the group.
Francis expressed his deep gratitude to all present for their resolve in combating this evil and for your commitment to carry on the work begun at the conference held in the Vatican in April of this year. "Your labours to promote ongoing dialogue on the legal remedies to human trafficking and on the essential care of those who suffer this enslavement are especially important because of the hidden nature of this crime. We must never forget, nor may we ignore, the suffering of so many men, women and children whose human dignity is
violated through this exploitation".
He went on to thank the Home Secretary of the British government, the Metropolitan Commissioner of Police, and the Bishops' Conference of England and
Wales for organising the event and the delegates "who demonstrate anew their commitment by their participation in this initiative. In assuring you that the Church remains steadfast in her pledge to combat human trafficking and to care for victims of this scourge, I offer the promise of my prayers that Almighty God may bless and guide your efforts".

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Peace, central theme of the Advent sermons in the Redemptoris Mater chapel
Vatican City, 5 December 2014 (VIS) - This morning in the Redemptoris Mater chapel the Holy Father attended the first sermon of Advent, pronounced by Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa, O.F.M., preacher of the Papal Household. The theme was "Peace on earth to humanity, loved by the Lord", based on the Gospel of St. Luke.
Peace, as Fr. Cantalamessa explained to L'Osservatore Romano, was selected as the theme in part due to its tragic current relevance and also to restore to the word the richness of its meaning as it is used in the Bible.
Today's sermon was dedicated to peace as a gift from the Lord Jesus Christ, for as the Preacher of the Papal Household remarked, "the Word of God teaches us that the primary and most important form of peace , is vertical - that is, between God and humanity".
The sermon of 12 December will focus on peace as a task that requires work, with reference to the phrase from the Sermon on the Mount: "Blessed are the peacemakers". The third meditation will be on peace as a fruit of the Spirit, or rather the inner peace of the soul.

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Fr. Lombardi's response to questions on Cardinal George Pell's article in "Catholic Herald"
Vatican City, 5 December 2014 (VIS) - The Director of the Holy See Press Office, Fr. Federico Lombardi, S.J., today issued the following declaration in response to requests for clarification regarding an article by Cardinal George Pell published in the Catholic Herald.
"It should be observed that Cardinal Pell has not referred to illegal, illicit
or poorly administered funds, but rather funds that do not appear on the official balance sheets of the Holy See or of Vatican City State, and which have become known to the Secretariat for the Economy during the current process
of examination and revision of Vatican administration, to acquire a more comprehensive knowledge of the latter in view of the planned rationalisation. It is indeed a sign and result of constructive cooperation between the various Vatican institutions.
"Moreover, it was known and had been previously explained, also publicly by the Prefecture of Economic Affairs, that the consolidated balance sheets of the
Holy See and Vatican City State, presented every year to the College of Cardinals, do not in any way encompass the totality of the numerous administrations under Vatican auspices, but only the main institutions of the Roman Curia and the State".

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Audiences
Vatican City, 5 December 2014 (VIS) - Today, the Holy Father received in audience:
- Cardinal Fernando Filoni, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation
of Peoples;
- Archbishop Silvano Maria Tomasi, Holy See Permanent Observer at the United Nations at Specialised Institutions in Geneva and at the World Trade Organisation; Holy See Representative at the International Organisation for Migration;
- Salvatore Martinez, president of Renewal in the Holy Spirit in Italy;
- Kiko Arguello, founder of the Neocatechumenal Way.

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Other Pontifical Acts
Vatican City, 5 December 2014 (VIS) - The Holy Father has appointed Rev. Joseph Obanyi Sagwe as bishop of Kakamega (area 3,517, population 2,744,000, Catholics 696,138, priests 92, religious 410), Kenya. The bishop-elect was born
in Kebiro, Kenya in 1967 and was ordained a priest in 1996. He studied at the Pontifical Lateran University and has served as parish vicar and diocesan coordinator for pastoral ministry in the diocese of Kisii, Kenya. He is currently parish priest of the Cathedral and vicar general of the same diocese.

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For more information and to search for documents refer to the site: www.visnews.org and www.vatican.va

Copyright (VIS): the news contained in the services of the Vatican
Information Service may be reproduced wholly or partially by quoting
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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 220
DATE 11-12-2014

Summary:
- Consistory for the creation of new cardinals in February 2015
- 20th Conference on Climate Change: solidarity, encounter and dialogue to protect the planet
- To the participants in the 4th European Congress on youth pastoral ministry: "Your task is to sow, but only God can make the seeds grow"
- Audiences

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Consistory for the creation of new cardinals in February 2015
Vatican City, 11 December 2014 (VIS) - A press conference was held today during which the director of the Holy See Press Office, Fr. Federico Lombardi, S.J., announced the Holy Father's wish to convene a Consistory for the creation
of new cardinals on 14 and 15 February 2015. He also announced two other important appointments: a meeting of the Council of Cardinals for the reform of
the Roman Curia (9 to 11 February) and a meeting of the College of Cardinals (12 to 13 February) to discuss matters relating to the reorganisation of the Holy See.

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20th Conference on Climate Change: solidarity, encounter and dialogue to protect the planet
Vatican City, 11 December 2014 (VIS) - The Holy Father has sent a message to Manuel Pugal Vidal, minister for the environment of the Republic of Peru and president of the 20th Conference of States Party to the United Nations Framework Agreement on Climate Change, held in Lima, Peru from 1 to 12 December. The Pope assured the organisers and participants of his closeness and
encouragement "so that your work may be carried out during these days with an open and generous spirit", and he remarked that the current debate affects all of humanity, in particular the poorest and future generations. "It is a grave ethical and moral responsibility".
"The consequences of environmental change, which are already dramatically felt
in many states, especially the islands of the Pacific, remind us of the grave consequences of mismanagement and inaction. The time for seeking global solutions is running out. We can find suitable solutions only if we act together and in agreement. There exists, however, a clear, definitive and unpostponable ethical imperative to act". Pope Francis thus emphasised that an "effective battle against global warming will be possible only through a responsible collective response that sets aside particular interests and behaviours and develops free from political and economic pressures. A collective response that is also capable of overcoming distrust and promoting a
culture of solidarity, encounter and dialogue; capable of demonstrating our responsibility for protecting the planet and the human family".
Finally, before imparting his blessing to all the participants and the citizens of the countries represented, the Pontiff expressed his wish that this
Conference and subsequent meetings on climate change put into effect "a dialogue imbued with ... the values of justice, respect and equality", and give
rise to fruitful decisions and initiatives, in the service of all humanity.

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To the participants in the 4th European Congress on youth pastoral ministry: "Your task is to sow, but only God can make the seeds grow"
Vatican City, 11 December 2014 (VIS) - "Those of you who work in the field of youth pastoral ministry, carry out valuable work for the Church. The young need
this service: both adults and other young people of mature faith who accompany them on their path, helping them to find the road that leads to Christ", writes
the Pope in his message to Cardinal Stanislaw Rylko, president of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, and to the participants in the 4th European Congress on Youth Pastoral Ministry, promoted by the same dicastery and in collaboration with the Council of Episcopal Conferences of Europe, held in Rome
from 11 to 13 December on the theme: "A young Church, witness to the joy of the
Gospel".
"This pastoral ministry consists of walking with them, accompanying them personally in the complex and at times difficult contexts in which they are immersed", he continues. "Youth pastoral ministry must engage with the questions posed by the youth of today, and from this starting point, initiate a
real and honest dialogue to bring Christ into their lives. And a true dialogue in this sense can be achieved by those who experience a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus, which then overflows into their relationships with their brethren".
The Pope acknowledges in his message that much remains to be done, and encourages the participants never to tire of announcing the Gospel, with their life and their word, since "Europe needs to rediscover it!". He also encourages
them to consider the current situation of young Europeans through the eyes of Christ. "He teaches us to see not only the challenges and problems, but also to
recognise the many seeds of love and hope dispersed across the continent, that has given to the Church as great number of saints, many of whom were young. Let
us not forget that we are given the task of sowing, but it is God Who makes these seeds grow".
"While you sow the Word of the Lord in this vast field that is European youth,
you have the opportunity of bearing witness to the reasons for the hope that is
within you, with gentleness and respect. You are able to help the young to realise that faith is not opposed to reason, and thus to accompany them as they
become joyful agents for the evangelisation of their peers". Pope Francis concludes his message by remarking that "youth pastoral ministry is required to
offer to the young a path of vocational discernment, to prepare them to follow Jesus on the way of conjugal and family life, or that of special consecration in the service of God's Kingdom".

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Audiences
Vatican City, 11 December 2014 (VIS) - Today, the Holy Father received in audience Alicia Castro, Argentine ambassador to the United Kingdom.

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For more information and to search for documents refer to the site: www.visnews.org and www.vatican.va

Copyright (VIS): the news contained in the services of the Vatican
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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 223
DATE 16-12-2014

Summary:
- Presentation of the Final Report of the Apostolic Visitation of Institutes of
Women Religious in the United States of America
- Other Pontifical Acts

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Presentation of the Final Report of the Apostolic Visitation of Institutes of Women Religious in the United States of America
Vatican City, 16 December 2014 (VIS) - This morning a press conference was held in the Holy See Press Office to present the Final Report of the Apostolic Visitation of Institutes of Women Religious in the United States of America.
The speakers in the conference were Cardinal Joao Braz de Aviz, prefect of the
Congregation for the Institutes of Consecrated Life and the Societies of Apostolic Life; Archbishop Jose Rodriguez Carballo, O.F.M., secretary of the same congregation; Mother M. Clare Millea, A.S.C.J., director of the Apostolic Visitation in the United States; Sister. Sharon Holland, I.H.M., president of the "Leadership Conference of Women Religious" (LCWR); Sr. Agnes Mary Donovan, S.V., coordinator of the "Council of Major Superiors of Women Religious" (CMSWR), and Fr. Thomas Rosica, C.S.B., assistant to the Visitation Committee.
Cardinal Braz de Aviz explained that the Visitation was initiated "because of our awareness that apostolic religious life in the United States is experiencing challenging times. Although we knew that any initiative of this magnitude would have its limits,we wished to gain deeper knowledge of the contributions of the women religious to the Church and society as well as those
difficulties which threaten the quality of their religious life and, in some cases, the very existence of the institutes.
"Our final report on the Apostolic Visitation is addressed to the women religious of the United States as well as to the Church's Pastors and faithful.
In addition to publishing this general report, our Dicastery will send individual reports to those institutes which hosted an on-site visitation and to those institutes whose individual reports indicated areas of concern. We will also send letters of thanks to those institutes which participated in the first two phases of the Visitation. ... We are aware that the Apostolic Visitation was met with apprehension by some women religious as well as the decision, on the part of some institutes, not to collaborate fully in the process. While this was a painful disappointment for us, we use this present opportunity to express our willingness to engage in respectful and fruitful dialogue with those institutes which were not fully compliant with the Visitation process".
The cardinal went on to remark that Pope Francis had asked the dicastery, in close collaboration with the Congregation for Bishops, to update the curial document Mutuae Relationes regarding the collaboration among bishops and religious, "in accord with the Church's resolve to foster the ecclesial communion which we all desire". He concluded by expressing his joy at Pope Francis' many recent statements about "the indispensable and unique contributions of women to society and the Church. I assure you that this Congregation is committed to collaborate in the realisation of Pope Francis' resolve that 'the feminine genius' find expression in the various settings where important decisions are made, both in the Church and in social structures. We will continue to work to see that competent women religious will
be actively involved in ecclesial dialogue regarding "the possible role of women in decision-making in different areas of the Church's life".
Archbishop Jose Rodriguez Carballo, O.F.M, secretary of the Congregation, then
went on to present an overview of the final report. He explained that the dicasteries of the Apostolic See regularly authorise Apostolic Visitations, which involve sending one or more visitors to evaluate an ecclesiastical entity
in order to assist the group in question to improve the way in which it carries
out its mission in the life of the Church. "In some ways, however, this Apostolic Visitation was unprecedented. It involved 341 religious institutes of
women religious which engage in apostolic ministry and which have a generalate,
provincialate and/or initial formation program in the United States. Both diocesan and pontifical right institutes, to which approximately 50,000 women religious throughout the United States belong, were part of the Visitation. Each province of institutes which had more than one province in the United States was considered a separate unit, for a total of 405 entities involved in the Visitation. Our dicastery appointed a woman religious from the United States, Mother Mary Clare Millea, A.S.C.J., as Apostolic Visitator, granting her the faculties to design and carry out the Visitation. She, in turn, chose a
core team of American religious who assisted her throughout the process".
"The Visitation took place between 2009 and 2012 and was divided into four phases. In the first phase, 266 superiors general (78% of their total number)voluntarily engaged in personal dialogue with the Visitator. Subsequently, all major superiors were asked to complete a questionnaire requesting empirical data and qualitative information regarding the spiritual, community and ministerial life of the individual institutes. On-site visits were then conducted in a representative sample of 90 religious institutes, representing about half of the apostolic women religious in the United States. In the final phase of the Visitation, the Visitator submitted to our dicastery a final general report on the major issues and trends in women's religious life
in the United States. While these trends cannot be presumed to apply to each of
the institutes, they were significant enough to warrant mention in her report".
"The document we are presenting today is our Congregation's response to the Vistitator's general report. Following a brief introduction, it describes the rationale and offers an overview of the Visitation process. It then briefly treats the principal issues evaluated during the Visitation process: empirical data, charism and identity, vocations and religious formation, Christ-centred prayer, community life and ministry, governance and financial stewardship, collaboration in the evangelising mission of the Church and ecclesial communion. On each of these topics, a point of reference is given in the form of a brief statement of current Church teaching on the issue being reviewed. This is followed by a summary of the Visitator's overall evaluation of the reality. The third part of each section contains the Congregation's recommendations to all religious institutes regarding that issue".
Archbishop Rodriguez Carballo added that "any oral summary of the Apostolic Visitation during this press conference would risk impoverishing its content. The full text of the Report will be made available for consultation at: www.vatican.va, www.uisg.org, www.vidimusdominum.org, www.lcwr.org, www.cmswr.org, and www.usccb.org) and will be sent to all the participating religious institutes.
The Visitator, Sr. M. Clare Millea, A.S.C.J., remarked that the Visit had provided many opportunities for "reflection, dialogue and communion among women
religious in the United States as well as with the Church's pastors and lay faithful. Congregation leaders, including those who at first expressed resistance to this initiative, have shared that the process has yielded surprising positive results, such as honest confrontation with the transformative power of the Word of God, deep spiritual conversations with our sisters about the life, witness and message of our foundresses and founders, earnest delving into Church documents about consecrated life, increased solidarity among women religious and renewed desire to move beyond attitudes which prevent us from being in communion with one another, a wonderful outpouring of loving gratitude expressed to women religious by bishops, clergy and laypersons, which has sparked new energy and resourcefulness among us and awakened a renewed interest in the promotion of vocations to the religious life".

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Other Pontifical Acts
Vatican City, 16 December 2014 (VIS) - The Holy Father has appointed Fr. Samson Shukardin, O.F.M., as bishop of Hyderabad (area 137,386, population 22,309,840, Catholics 47,242, priests 30, religious 89), Pakistan. The bishop-elect was born in Hyderabad, Pakistan in 1961, gave his solemn vows in 1991 and was ordained a priest in 1993. He holds a diploma in theology from the
National Catholic Institute of Theology in Karachi and a licentiate in civil law from the Sindh Law College, and has served in a number of pastoral roles, including parish vicar in Gujrat, procurator of the Franciscan province, and custodian of the Franciscan Order and president of the Conference of Major Superiors in Pakistan. He is currently parish priest of the "St. Elizabeth" parish in Hyderabad, diocesan director of the Commission of Justice and Peace, and vicar general of the diocese of Hyderabad. He succeeds Bishop Max John Rodrigues, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese upon reaching the age limit was accepted by the Holy Father.

___________________________________________________________

For more information and to search for documents refer to the site: www.visnews.org and www.vatican.va

Copyright (VIS): the news contained in the services of the Vatican
Information Service may be reproduced wholly or partially by quoting
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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 224
DATE 17-12-2014

Summary:
- General Audience: Jesus chose to come to the world as part of a family
- Pope Francis asks for prayers for the victims of terrorist attacks
- Completion of the Commission for the Protection of Minors
- Other Pontifical Acts

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General Audience: Jesus chose to come to the world as part of a family
Vatican City, 17 December 2014 (VIS) - The family is the "great gift that the Lord has given to the world ever since the beginning, when he entrusted to Adam
and Eve the mission of multiplying and filling the earth; the gift that Jesus confirmed and sealed in His Gospel", said the Holy Father during this Wednesday's general audience, in the first of the new cycle of catechesis dedicated to the family, which will continue throughout the coming year.
The proximity to Christmas illuminates the mystery of the incarnation of the Son of God, which opens a new chapter in the universal history of man and woman. "And this new beginning occurs within a family, in Nazareth. He could have come spectacularly, or as a warrior, an emperor... No - he came as the son
of a family, in a family", he emphasised.
God chose to be born "in a human family, that He Himself had formed. He created this family in a remote village in the outer reaches of the Roman Empire. Not in Rome, the capital of the Empire, not in a great city, but in an almost invisible and somewhat notorious periphery. This is even noted in the Gospel, almost as if it were a turn of phrase: 'Can anything good come out of Nazareth?'. Perhaps, in many parts of the world, we too still speak in this way
when we hear the name of certain peripheral areas of large cities. And yet, it was precisely there, in the outskirts of the great Empire, that there began the
most holy and good story of Jesus among mankind".
"Jesus chose to remain in the periphery for thirty years, during which there is no mention of miracles or healing, of preaching, of crowds who run after him. In Nazareth, everything seems to happen 'normally', according to the habits of a pious and hard-working family of Israelites. ... The Gospels, in their sobriety, say nothing of Jesus' adolescence and leave this task to our affectionate imaginings. Art, literature and music have followed the path of the imagination. Certainly, it is not difficult to imagine how much mothers could learn from Mary's tender care for her Son! And how much fathers could benefit from the example of Joseph, a righteous man, who dedicated his life to supporting and defending his wife and child - is family - through difficult times. To say nothing of how much the young could be encouraged by the adolescent Jesus in understanding the necessity and beauty of cultivating their
deepest vocation, and of having great dreams", he added.
"Every Christian family - as Mary and Joseph did - must first welcome Jesus, listen to Him, speak with Him, shelter Him, protect Him, grow with Him; and in this way, make the world better. Let us make space in our heart and in our days
for the Lord. This is what Mary and Joseph did, and it was not easy: how many difficulties they had to overcome! It was not a false or unreal family. The family of Nazareth calls to us to rediscover the vocation and the mission of the family, of every family. And so what happened in those thirty years in Nazareth can also happen to us: making love, not hate, normal; mutual help common, instead of indifference and hostility. It is not by chance that Nazareth means 'she who preserves', like Mary who, as the Gospel tells us, 'treasured all these things in her heart'. From then on, whenever there is a family that preserves this mystery, even if it should be at the outer reaches of the world, the mystery of the Son of God is at work. And He comes to save the world".

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Pope Francis asks for prayers for the victims of terrorist attacks
Vatican City, 17 December 2014 (VIS) - The Pope, at the end of today's general
audience, asked for prayers for the victims of the inhuman terrorist acts that have occurred in recent days in Yemen, Australia and Pakistan. "May the Lord receive the souls of the departed in His peace, console their families and convert the hearts of the perpetrators, whose violence does not cease even before children".
At the end of the audience, 2,500 people danced the milonga to the sound of the bandoneon in St. Peter's Square to celebrate Pope Francis' 78th birthday. The initiative, "A tango for Francis", emerged on the social networks and, as was shown today, thousands of people joined in.

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Completion of the Commission for the Protection of Minors
Vatican City, 17 December 2014 (VIS) - The Holy Father has nominated new members of the Commission for the Protection of Minors, chosen from various parts of the world, so as to allow a broad representation of different situations and cultures. The Commission therefore composed as follows:
Cardinal Sean O'Malley, OFM Cap., president
Mons. Robert Oliver (United States), secretary
Rev. Luis Manuel Ali Herrera (Colombia)
Dr. Catherine Bonnet (France)
Marie Collins (Ireland)
Dr. Gabriel Dy-Liacco (Philippines)
Prof. Sheila the Baroness Hollins (England)
Bill Kilgallon (New Zealand)
Sr. Kayula Gertrude Lesa, RSC (Zambia)
Sr. Hermenegild Makoro, CPS (South Africa)
Kathleen McCormack (Australia)
Dr. Claudio Papale (Italy)
Peter Saunders (England)
Hon. Hanna Suchocka (Poland)
Dr. Krysten Winter-Green (United States)
Rev. Dr. Humberto Miguel Yanez, SJ (Argentina)
Rev. Dr. Hans Zollner, SJ (Germany)
The next plenary session of the Commission will take place, as previously stated, in the Vatican on from 6-8 February 2015.
Brief information on members of the Commission is given below.
Cardinal Sean O'Malley, OFM Cap. (United States), archbishop of Boston, serves
as the president of the Commission and is a member of the Council of Cardinals which advises Pope Francis.
Msgr. Robert Oliver (United States) serves as the Secretary of the Commission,
following many years in child protection work for the Archdiocese of Boston, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, and the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith as the Promoter of Justice.
Rev. Luis Manuel Ali Herrera (Colombia) is the Director of the Department of Psychology, professor of pastoral psychology in the Conciliar Seminary of the Archdiocese of Bogota, and as a parish priest.
Dr. Catherine Bonnet (France) is a child psychiatrist, psychotherapist, researcher, and author on child sexual abuse and perinatal violence and neglect.
Marie Collins (Ireland) is a survivor of child sexual abuse. A founder Trustee
of the Marie Collins Foundation she served on the committee which drafted the Catholic Church's all-Ireland child protection policy, "Our Children Our Church."
Dr. Gabriel Dy-Liacco (Philippines) is an adult and adolescent psychotherapist
and pastoral counsellor for various mental health concerns including of individuals, couples, families and groups, including victims and perpetrators of abuse.
Prof. Sheila the Baroness Hollins (England) has worked as a psychiatrist and psychotherapist with children and adults with intellectual disabilities including those who have been sexually abused, and is a life peer in the House of Lords.
Bill Kilgallon (New Zealand) is Director of the National Office for Professional Standards of the Catholic Church in New Zealand where he has lived
for the last four years. Prior to that he had a long career in social work and health services in the UK.
Sr. Kayula Gertrude Lesa, RSC (Zambia) is a development professional, trainer and author on child protection, human trafficking, refugee rights and the right
to information. She served as a member of the African Forum for Church Social Teaching (AFCAST).
Sr. Hermenegild Makoro, CPS (South Africa) is a member of the Missionary Sisters of the Precious Blood in the Diocese of Mathatha in South Africa. She works as a high school teacher and for several years in the diocese as a trainer in pastoral work. After serving as an Associate Secretary General of the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference for six years, Sr. Hermenegild
was appointed as the Secretary General of the SACBC in 2012.
Kathleen McCormack (Australia) is a social welfare worker who served as Director of Welfare of Catholic Care in the Diocese of Wollongong for 29 years and held leadership roles in Family Services, Child Protection, Out Of Home Care and Ageing and Disability Services.
Dr. Claudio Papale (Italy) is a canon lawyer and a civil lawyer, professor of canon law at the Pontifical Urban University, and an official of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
Peter Saunders (England) was abused throughout his childhood in Wimbledon, South West London. Later in life, after earning a Business Studies degree, Peter discovered that he was one of millions who had suffered such abuse and who could not find any appropriate support. So he set up NAPAC, the National Association for People Abused in Childhood, for supporting all survivors and for developing greater resources for responding to child abuse.
Hon. Hanna Suchocka (Poland) is a professor of constitutional law and specialist in human rights at the University of Poznan, and was formerly Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland and Ambassador of Poland to the Holy See.
Dr. Krysten Winter-Green (United States) is a New Zealander with post-graduate
degrees in Theology, Human Development, Social Work, Religion and Pastoral Psychology. She has served in dioceses around the world with homeless persons and those living with AIDS. Krysten's concentration in the areas of child abuse
include forensics, assessment and treatment of priest/clergy offenders.
Rev. Dr. Humberto Miguel Yanez, SJ (Argentina) is Director of the Department of Moral Theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University, professor of moral theology at the Gregorian and the Pontifical Urban University, and former Director of the Centre of Research and Social Action in Argentina.
Rev. Dr. Hans Zollner, SJ (Germany) is President of the Centre for Child Protection of the Pontifical Gregorian University and Director and Professor of
the Institute of Psychology. He was Chair of the organising committee for the Symposium "Towards Healing and Renewal" on sexual abuse of minors (February 2012).

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Other Pontifical Acts
Vatican City, 17 December 2014 (VIS) - The Holy Father has appointed:
- Msgr. Adelar Baruffi as bishop of Cruz Alta (area 16,790, population 401,000, Catholics 321,000, priests 32, religious 50), Brazil. The bishop-elect
was born in Garibaldi, Brazil in 1969 and was ordained a priest in 1995. He studied philosophy at the University of Caxias do Sul and theology at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, and holds a licentiate in theological anthropology and spiritual theology from the "Teresianum" Pontifical Theological Faculty, Rome. He has served in a number of pastoral roles, including spiritual assistant, coordinator of formators and rector of the minor seminary and the preparatory course, rector of the major seminary, coordinator of diocesan presbyteral pastoral ministry, parish vicar and member of the council of presbyters and the College of Consultors. He is currently parish vicar of the "Santo Antonio" parish in Bento Goncalves.
- Fr. Onecimo Alberton as bishop of Rio do Sul (area 8,909, population 321,000, Catholics 263,000, priests 64, religious 212), Brazil. The bishop-elect was born in Orleans, Brazil in 1965 and was ordained a priest in 1992. He studied philosophy at the Universidade do Sul, Tubarao, and theology at the Theological Institute of Santa Catarina, Florianopolis, and has served in a number of roles, including: parish priest of the "Nossa Senhora da Natividade" parish, Cocal do Sul Criciuma; formator in the minor and major seminaries of Criciuma; rector of the "Bom Pastor" seminary, Florianopolis. He is currently parish priest of the "Sao Paulo Apostolo" parish in Criciuma. He succeeds Bishop Augustinho Petry, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese upon reaching the age limit was accepted by the Holy Father.
- Msgr. Jean-Marc Eychenne as bishop of Pamiers (area 4,903, population 154,546, Catholics 107,400, priests 46, permanent deacons 13, religious 80), France. The bishop-elect was born in Pamiers, France in 1956 and was ordained a
priest in 1982. He holds a baccalaureate from the Faculty of Theology of Milan,
and has served in a number of roles, including: master of novices of the Communaute Saint-Martin, teacher at the Higher Institute of Religious Sciences and formator of seminarians at the Communaute Saint-Martin in Genoa; parish vicar of Madeleine in Orleans-Checy, parish priest in the "Saint-Yves de la Source" parish and episcopal vicar for the pastoral area of Val-de-Loire et Sologne. He is currently vicar general of Orleans, France.

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For more information and to search for documents refer to the site: www.visnews.org and www.vatican.va

Copyright (VIS): the news contained in the services of the Vatican
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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 227
DATE 19-12-2014

Summary:
- The Nativity and the Christmas Tree are signs of light and hope
- Francis: sport to promote friendship between peoples
- Audiences

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The Nativity and the Christmas Tree are signs of light and hope
Vatican City, 19 December 2014 (VIS) - This morning in the Clementine Hall the
Pope received delegations from the Italian provinces of Verona and Catanzaro, which provided the Nativity scene with its terracotta figures and the Christmas
tree that are decorating St. Peter's Square during the festive season this year, and which will be illuminated before the public this evening.
"Christian values have enriched the culture, literature, music and art of your
lands, and today such values continue to constitute a valuable heritage to be preserved and transmitted to future generations", he said. "The Nativity and the Christmas tree are evocative festive symbols very dear to our Christian families: they recall the mystery of the Incarnation, the only begotten Son of God, made flesh in order to save us, and the light that Jesus has brought to the world through His birth. But the creche and the tree touch the hearts of all, as they speak of fraternity, intimacy and friendship, calling to people of
our time to rediscover the beauty of simplicity, sharing and solidarity. They are an invitation to unity, harmony and peace; an invitation to make room, in our personal and social life, for God, Who does not come with arrogance, imposing His power, but instead offers His omnipotent love through the fragile figure of a Child. The creche and the tree therefore bring a message of light, hope, and love".
"The Messiah made Himself man and came among us, to dispel the shadows of error and sin, bringing His divine light to humanity. Jesus Himself says of Himself: 'I am the light of the world; whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life'. Let us follow Him, the true light, so as not to lose our way and in turn to reflect light and warmth on those who go through moments of difficulty and inner darkness".

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Francis: sport to promote friendship between peoples
Vatican City, 19 December 2014 (VIS) - The Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI) celebrates its centenary this year. This morning around five thousand managers and athletes from the Committee attended a Mass in St. Peter's Basilica, after which Pope Francis addressed a brief discourse to them. "In our
times sport is the home of the Church, and this meeting is the proof of this: we celebrate together your centenary, an important anniversary for Italian sport", he said.
The Holy Father commented that for one hundred years the CONI has promoted and
organised sport in Italy not only in relation to the great global event that is
the Modern Olympics, but also focusing on the popular, social, educational and cultural dimensions. "It does this taking inspiration from the principles of the Olympic Charter, that places among its main aims the centrality of the person, the harmonious development of humanity, the defence of human dignity, and, moreover, the contribution to a better world, without wars or tension, educating the young through sport practised without discrimination of any type,
in a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play".
"Sport has always promoted universalism characterised by fraternity and friendship among peoples, accord and peace between nations; respect, tolerance,
and harmony in diversity", he added. "Every sporting event, especially Olympic ones, in which representatives of nations with different histories, cultures, traditions, faiths and values compete, can be come a channel for an ideal strength able to open up new paths, at times unexpected, in overcoming conflicts caused by the violation of human rights".
The Olympic motto, "Citius, altius, fortius", "is not an incitement to the supremacy of one nation over another, of one people over another people, nor of
the exclusion of the weakest and least protected, but rather represents the challenge posed to all of us, not just athletes: that of making the effort and the sacrifice to reach the important goals in life, accepting one's own limits without allowing oneself to be obstructed by them, but seeking instead to overcome them".
The Holy Father encouraged the members of CONI to continue their work in schools, in the world of work and in solidarity "to promote a sport that is accessible to all, mindful of the weakest and of the most precarious sectors of
society; an inclusive sport for the differently-abled, foreigners, those who live in peripheries and are in need of meeting places, sociality, sharing and play; a sport that aims not at being 'useful', but at the development of the human person, in a gratuitous fashion".
Finally, Francis remarked that CONI was the first national Olympic committee -
whose example was later followed by others - to include an Olympic chaplain in its organisation. "It is a friendly presence to demonstrate the closeness of the Church and to stimulate in sports people a strong sense of spiritual training. Indeed, there are certain words typical of sport that can be used to refer to spiritual life. The saints understood this, and knew how to interpret passion, enthusiasm, constancy, determination, challenge and limits, looking beyond themselves, towards the horizon of God".

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Audiences
Vatican City, 19 December 2014 (VIS) - Today, the Holy Father received in audience:
- Cardinal Marc Ouellet, P.S.S., prefect of the Congregation for Bishops;
- Archbishop Georges Pontier of Marseilles, France, president of the Conference of Bishops of France, accompanied by Bishop Pascal Delannoy of Saint-Denis, vice president, and Msgr. Olivier Ribadeau, general secretary.

___________________________________________________________

For more information and to search for documents refer to the site: www.visnews.org and www.vatican.va

Copyright (VIS): the news contained in the services of the Vatican
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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 229
DATE 23-12-2014

Summary:
- Francis: must the Middle East suffer the lack of peace?
- Notice

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Francis: must the Middle East suffer the lack of peace?
Vatican City, 23 December 2014 (VIS) - Pope Francis has written a letter to Christians in the Middle East to mark the occasion of Christmas, aware that for
many of them "the music of [their] Christmas hymns will also be accompanied by tears and sighs". The Holy Father comments on the conflicts that continue to afflict a part of the world that has long experienced trials and tribulations, and that is now further tormented by terrorism on an unprecedented scale "which
has perpetrated all kinds of abuses and inhuman acts", compelling other ethnic and religious groups to abandon their homelands where they have "the duty and the right to take full part in the life and progress" of their nations. He also
underlines the central role of Christians in the East in the life of the Church, which needs the support and prayer of all the ecclesial community, and he launches a renewed appeal to the international community to promote a global
solution to the problems of the region. "How much longer", he asks, "must the Middle East suffer from the lack of peace?".
The full text of the letter is published here below:
"Dear brothers and sisters: 'Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all consolation, who consoles us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to console those who are in any affliction, with the consolation with which we ourselves are consoled by God'.
When I thought of writing to you, our Christian brothers and sisters in the Middle East, these words of Saint Paul immediately came to mind. I write to you
just before Christmas, knowing that for many of you the music of your Christmas
hymns will also be accompanied by tears and sighs. Nonetheless, the birth of the Son of God in our human flesh is an indescribable mystery of consolation: 'For the grace of God has appeared for the salvation of all people'.
Sadly, afflictions and tribulations have not been lacking, even more recently,
in the Middle East. They have been aggravated in the past months because of the
continuing hostilities in the region, but especially because of the work of a newer and disturbing terrorist organisation, of previously unimaginable dimensions, which has perpetrated all kinds of abuses and inhuman acts. It has particularly affected a number of you, who have been brutally driven out of your native lands, where Christians have been present since apostolic times.
Nor, in writing to you, can I remain silent about the members of other religious and ethnic groups who are also experiencing persecution and the effects of these conflicts. Every day I follow the new reports of the enormous suffering endured by many people in the Middle East. I think in particular of the children, the young mothers, the elderly, the homeless and all refugees, the starving and those facing the prospect of a hard winter without an adequate
shelter. This suffering cries out to God and it calls for our commitment to prayer and concrete efforts to help in any way possible. I want to express to all of you my personal closeness and solidarity, as well as that of the whole Church, and to offer you a word of consolation and hope.
Dear brothers and sisters who courageously bear witness to Jesus in the land blessed by the Lord, our consolation and our hope is Christ himself. I encourage you, then, to remain close to him, like branches on the vine, in the certainty that no tribulation, distress or persecution can separate us from him. May the trials which you are presently enduring strengthen the faith and the fidelity of each and all of you.
I pray that you will be able to experience a fraternal communion modelled on that of the first community of Jerusalem. The unity willed by our Lord is more necessary than ever at these difficult times; it is a gift from God, who appeals to our freedom and awaits our response. May the word of God, the sacraments, prayer and fellowship nourish and continually renew your communities.
The situation in which are you living is a powerful summons to holiness of life, as saints and martyrs of every Christian community have attested. I think
with affection and veneration of the pastors and faithful who have lately been killed, often merely for the fact that they were Christians. I think also of those who have been kidnapped, including several Orthodox bishops and priests of various rites. May they soon return, safe and sound, to their homes and communities! I ask God to grant that all this suffering united to the Lord's cross will bring about much good for the Church and for all the peoples in the Middle East.
In the midst of hostility and conflicts, the communion which you experience in
fraternity and simplicity is a sign of God's Kingdom. I am gratified by the good relations and cooperation which exist between the patriarchs of the Eastern Catholic Churches and those of the Orthodox Churches, and also between the faithful of the different Churches. The sufferings which Christians endure contribute immensely to the cause of unity. It is the ecumenism of blood, which
demands a trusting abandonment to the working of the Holy Spirit.
May you always bear witness to Jesus amid your difficulties! Your very presence is precious for the Middle East. You are a small flock, but one with a
great responsibility in the land where Christianity was born and first spread. You are like leaven in the dough. Even more than the many contributions which the Church makes in the areas of education, healthcare and social services, which are esteemed by all, the greatest source of enrichment in the region is the presence of Christians themselves, your presence. Thank you for your perseverance!
Your efforts to cooperate with people of other religions, with Jews and Muslims, is another sign of the Kingdom of God. The more difficult the situation, the more interreligious dialogue becomes necessary. There is no other way. Dialogue, grounded in an attitude of openness, in truth and love, is
also the best antidote to the temptation to religious fundamentalism, which is a threat for followers of every religion. At the same time, dialogue is a service to justice and a necessary condition for the peace which all so ardently desire.
The majority of you live in environments which are predominantly Muslim. You can help your Muslim fellow citizens to present with discernment a more authentic image of Islam, as so many of them desire, reiterating that Islam is a religion of peace, one which is compatible with respect for human rights and favours peaceful coexistence on the part of all. This will prove beneficial for
them and for all society. The tragic situation faced by our Christian brothers and sisters in Iraq, as well as by the Yazidi and members of other religious and ethnic communities, demands that all religious leaders clearly speak out to
condemn these crimes unanimously and unambiguously, and to denounce the practice of invoking religion in order to justify them.
Dear brothers and sisters, almost all of you are native citizens of your respective countries, and as such you have the duty and the right to take full part in the life and progress of your nations. Within the region you are called
to be artisans of peace, reconciliation and development, to promote dialogue, to build bridges in the spirit of the Beatitudes, and to proclaim the Gospel of
peace, in a spirit of ready cooperation with all national and international authorities.
In a special way I would like to express my esteem and gratitude to you, dear brother patriarchs, bishops, priests, and men and women religious, who accompany the journey of your communities with loving concern. How valuable is the presence and work of those completely consecrated to the Lord, serving him in their brothers and sisters, especially those in greatest need, and thus witnessing to his grandeur and his infinite love! How important is the presence
of pastors in the midst of their flocks, especially in times of trouble!
To the young I send a paternal embrace. I pray for your faithfulness, your human and Christian development, and the attainment of your hopes and dreams. I
repeat to you: 'Do not be afraid or ashamed to be Christian. Your relationship with Jesus will help you to cooperate generously with your fellow citizens, whatever their religious affiliation'.
To the elderly I express my respect and esteem. You are the memory of your peoples. I pray that this memory will become a seed which can grow and benefit generations yet to come.
I wish to encourage all of you who work in the very important fields of charity and education. I admire the work you do, especially through Caritas and
other Catholic charitable organisations in the different countries, in providing help to anyone who asks, without discrimination. Through this witness
of charity you help support the life of society and you contribute to the peace
for which the region hungers as if for bread. Education too is critical for the
future of society. How important it is for promoting the culture of encounter, respect for the dignity of each person and the absolute value of every human being!
Dear brothers and sisters, even though you may not be numerous, you play a significant role in the Church and in the countries where you live. The entire Church is close to you and supports you, with immense respect and affection for
your communities and your mission. We will continue to assist you with our prayers and with every other means at our disposal.
At the same time I continue to urge the international community to address your needs and those of other suffering minorities, above all by promoting peace through negotiation and diplomacy, for the sake of stemming and stopping as soon as possible the violence which has already caused so much harm. I once more condemn in the strongest possible terms the traffic of arms. Instead, what
are needed are plans and initiatives for peace, so as to further a global solution to the region's problems. How much longer must the Middle East suffer from the lack of peace? We must not resign ourselves to conflicts as if change were not possible! In the spirit of my pilgrimage to the Holy Land and the subsequent prayer meeting in the Vatican with the Israeli and Palestinian presidents, I encourage you to continue to pray for peace in the Middle East. May those forced to leave their lands be able to return and to live in dignity and security. May humanitarian aid increase and always have as its central concern the good of each individual and each country, respecting their identity
and without any other agendas. May the entire Church and the international community become ever more conscious of the importance of your presence in the region.
Dear Christian brothers and sisters of the Middle East, you have an enormous responsibility and in meeting it you are not alone. That is why I wanted to write to you, to encourage you and to let you know how precious your presence and your mission are in the land which the Lord has blessed. Your witness means
much to me! Thank you! I pray for you and your intentions every day. I thank you because I know that, amid your sufferings, you also pray for me and for my service to the Church. I do hope to have the chance to come to you in person and to visit and to comfort you. May the Virgin Mary, the All-Holy Mother of God and our Mother, accompany you and protect you always with her tender love. To all of you and your families I impart my Apostolic Blessing, and I pray that
your celebration of Christmas will be filled with the love and peace of Christ our Saviour".

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Notice
Vatican City, 23 December 2014 (VIS) - The Vatican Information Service wishes its readers a happy and holy Christmas. During the Christmas holiday there will
be no VIS bulletin from 24 to 28 December. The next bulletin will be transmitted on Monday 29 December.

___________________________________________________________

For more information and to search for documents refer to the site: www.visnews.org and www.vatican.va

Copyright (VIS): the news contained in the services of the Vatican
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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 229
DATE 30-12-2014

Summary:
- Wisdom of the heart to recognise the image of God in the sick
- Pope Francis' prayer intentions for January
- Other Pontifical Acts
- Notice

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Wisdom of the heart to recognise the image of God in the sick
Vatican City, 30 December 2014 (VIS) - The Pope's message for the 23rd World Day of the Sick 2015 begins with a phrase from the Book of Job: "I was eyes to the blind, and feet to the lame", explained from the perspective of "sapientia cordis", the wisdom of the heart that "is not theoretical, abstract knowledge, the product of reasoning", Pope Francis remarked, but rather "a way of seeing things infused by the Holy Spirit in the minds and hearts of those who are sensitive to the sufferings of their brothers and sisters and who can see in them the image of God".
World Day of the Sick, instituted by St. John Paul II in 1992, is held on 11 February, feast day of the Virgin of Lourdes. The full text of the Message is published below:
"Dear Brothers and Sisters,
On this, the twenty-third World Day of the Sick, begun by Saint John Paul II, I turn to all of you who are burdened by illness and are united in various ways
to the flesh of the suffering Christ, as well as to you, professionals and volunteers in the field of health care.
This year's theme invites us to reflect on a phrase from the Book of Job: 'I was eyes to the blind, and feet to the lame'. I would like to consider this phrase from the perspective of 'sapientia cordis' - the wisdom of the heart.
1. This 'wisdom' is not theoretical, abstract knowledge, the product of reasoning. Rather, it is, as Saint James describes it in his Letter, 'pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, without uncertainty or insincerity'. It is a way of seeing things infused by the Holy Spirit in the minds and the hearts of those who are sensitive to the sufferings
of their brothers and sisters and who can see in them the image of God. So let us take up the prayer of the Psalmist: 'Teach us to number our days that we may
gain a heart of wisdom'. This 'sapientia cordis', which is a gift of God, is a compendium of the fruits of the World Day of the Sick.
2. Wisdom of the heart means serving our brothers and sisters. Job's words: 'I
was eyes to the blind, and feet to the lame', point to the service which this just man, who enjoyed a certain authority and a position of importance amongst the elders of his city, offered to those in need. His moral grandeur found expression in the help he gave to the poor who sought his help and in his care for orphans and widows.
Today too, how many Christians show, not by their words but by lives rooted in
a genuine faith, that they are 'eyes to the blind' and 'feet to the lame'! They
are close to the sick in need of constant care and help in washing, dressing and eating. This service, especially when it is protracted, can become tiring and burdensome. It is relatively easy to help someone for a few days but it is difficult to look after a person for months or even years, in some cases when he or she is no longer capable of expressing gratitude. And yet, what a great path of sanctification this is! In those difficult moments we can rely in a special way on the closeness of the Lord, and we become a special means of support for the Church's mission.
3. Wisdom of the heart means being with our brothers and sisters. Time spent with the sick is holy time. It is a way of praising God who conforms us to the image of his Son, who 'came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life
as a ransom for many'. Jesus himself said: 'I am among you as one who serves'.
With lively faith let us ask the Holy Spirit to grant us the grace to appreciate the value of our often unspoken willingness to spend time with these
sisters and brothers who, thanks to our closeness and affection, feel more loved and comforted. How great a lie, on the other hand, lurks behind certain phrases which so insist on the importance of 'quality of life' that they make people think that lives affected by grave illness are not worth living!
4. Wisdom of the heart means going forth from ourselves towards our brothers and sisters. Occasionally our world forgets the special value of time spent at the bedside of the sick, since we are in such a rush; caught up as we are in a frenzy of doing, of producing, we forget about giving ourselves freely, taking care of others, being responsible for others. Behind this attitude there is often a lukewarm faith which has forgotten the Lord's words: 'You did it unto me'.
For this reason, I would like once again to stress 'the absolute priority of "going forth from ourselves toward our brothers and sisters" as one of the two great commandments which ground every moral norm and as the clearest sign for discerning spiritual growth in response to God's completely free gift'. The missionary nature of the Church is the wellspring of an 'effective charity and a compassion which understands, assists and promotes'.
5. Wisdom of the heart means showing solidarity with our brothers and sisters while not judging them. Charity takes time. Time to care for the sick and time to visit them. Time to be at their side like Job's friends: 'And they sat with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his suffering was very great'. Yet Job's friends harboured a judgement against him: they thought that Job's misfortune was a punishment from
God for his sins. True charity is a sharing which does not judge, which does not demand the conversion of others; it is free of that false humility which, deep down, seeks praise and is self-satisfied about whatever good it does.
Job's experience of suffering finds its genuine response only in the cross of Jesus, the supreme act of God's solidarity with us, completely free and abounding in mercy. This response of love to the drama of human pain, especially innocent suffering, remains for ever impressed on the body of the risen Christ; his glorious wounds are a scandal for faith but also the proof of
faith.
Even when illness, loneliness and inability make it hard for us to reach out to others, the experience of suffering can become a privileged means of transmitting grace and a source for gaining and growing in "sapientia cordis". We come to understand how Job, at the end of his experience, could say to God: 'I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you'. People
immersed in the mystery of suffering and pain, when they accept these in faith,
can themselves become living witnesses of a faith capable of embracing suffering, even without being able to understand its full meaning.
6. I entrust this World Day of the Sick to the maternal protection of Mary, who conceived and gave birth to Wisdom incarnate: Jesus Christ, our Lord.
O Mary, Seat of Wisdom, intercede as our Mother for all the sick and for those
who care for them! Grant that, through our service of our suffering neighbours,
and through the experience of suffering itself, we may receive and cultivate true wisdom of heart!
With this prayer for all of you, I impart my Apostolic Blessing".

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Pope Francis' prayer intentions for January
Vatican City, 30 December 2014 (VIS) - The Holy Father's universal prayer intention for January 2015 is: "That those from diverse religious traditions and all people of good will may work together for peace".
His intention for evangelisation is: "That in this year dedicated to consecrated life, religious men and women may rediscover the joy of following Christ and strive to serve the poor with zeal".

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Other Pontifical Acts Vatican City, 30 December 2014 (VIS) - The Holy Father has appointed Fr. John Saw Yaw Han as auxiliary of the archdiocese of Yangon (area 47,192, population 14,620,000, Catholics 69,120, priests 102, religious 438), Myanmar. The bishop-elect was born in Homalim, Myanmar in 1968 and was ordained a priest in 1995. He studied philosophy and theology at the St. Joseph
national major seminary, and has served in a number of roles, including missionary "fidei donum" in the diocese of Kentung, lecturer in philosophy at the national major seminary in Mandalay; assistant at the St. Lazarus Church in
Insein and St. Mary's Cathedral in Yangon; lecturer in theology at the national
major seminary in Yangon; and rector at the minor seminary of Bago. He is currently rector of the national major seminary in Yangon.

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Notice
Vatican City, 30 December 2014 (VIS) - The Vatican Information Service wishes all its readers a happy New Year. The next bulletin will be transmitted on Friday 2 January 2015.

___________________________________________________________

For more information and to search for documents refer to the site: www.visnews.org and www.vatican.va

Copyright (VIS): the news contained in the services of the Vatican
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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 002
DATE 05-01-2015

Summary:
- Angelus: Peace, a gift from the Lord every day
- The Pope appoints 20 new cardinals
- Note on the creation of new cardinals

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Angelus: Peace, a gift from the Lord every day
Vatican City, 4 December 2014 (VIS) - "Men speak much of light, but often they
prefer the deceptive tranquillity of the dark. We talk a lot about peace, but often resort to war or choose complicit silence, or do nothing to build peace",
said Pope Francis upon appearing at the window of his study to pray the Angelus
with the faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square on the first Sunday of the year. "The heart of man can refuse light and prefer the shadows, because the light lays bare his wicked works. He who does evil hates the light; he who does
evil, hates peace".
"A few days ago we began the new year in the name of the Mother of God, celebrating World Day of Peace with the theme: "No longer slaves, but brothers and sisters". My hope is that the exploitation of man by man may be overcome. This exploitation is a social evil that extinguishes social relationships and impedes a life of communion characterised by respect, justice and charity. Each
person and every people hungers and thirsts for peace; therefore it is necessary and urgent to build peace".
Francis continued, "Peace is not just the absence of war, but a general condition in which the human person is in harmony with himself, with nature and
with others. ... Nevertheless, silencing arms and stopping outbreaks of war remain the unavoidable conditions for embarking on a journey towards the attainment of peace in its different forms. I think of the conflicts that still
cause bloodshed in too many regions of the planet, of tensions in families and communities - in how many families, communities, and even parish communities, there is war! - as well as the sharp divisions in our cities and towns between groups of different cultural, ethnic and religious backgrounds. We must convince ourselves that, despite all appearances to the contrary, harmony is always possible, at every level and in every situation. There is no future without proposals and projects for peace! There is no future without peace!".
The Pope commented that peace is proclaimed as a special gift from God, in the
birth of the Redeemer: "Peace on earth to those on whom His favour rests". He added, "This gift must be incessantly sought in prayer and nurtured each day with commitment, in the situations in which we find ourselves. At the dawn of this new year, we are all called to rekindle in our hearts an impulse of hope, that should result in concrete works of peace ... at home, in your community, at work ... works of peace, reconciliation and fraternity. Each one of us must carry out these acts of fraternity towards others, especially those who are suffering as a result of family tensions or disputes of various kinds. These small gestures have great value: they can be the seeds that give rise to hope, that can open up roads to and the prospect of peace".
He concluded by encouraging those present to invoke Mary, Queen of Peace, "who, during her earthly life, encountered no lack of difficulties in the daily
burdens of existence. But she never lost her peace of heart, the fruit of her trusting abandonment to God's mercy. We ask that Mary, our tender Mother, show the entire world the sure path of love and peace".

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The Pope appoints 20 new cardinals
Vatican City, 4 December 2014 (VIS) - Pope Francis announced, at the end of today's Angelus, that on 14 February 2015, feast of St. Valentine, a consistory
will be held for the creation of twenty new cardinals - fifteen electors and five non-electors - originating from fourteen countries from all over the world, demonstrating "an indissoluble bond between the Church of Rome and the particular Churches present throughout the world".
The day after the consistory, the Holy Father will preside at a concelebration
with the new cardinals, while on 12 and 13 February a consistory will take place with all the cardinals to reflect on the orientations and proposals for reform of the Roman Curia.
The new cardinal electors are:
- Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, titular of Sagona, prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura;
- Patriarch Manuel Jose Macario do Nascimento Clemente of Lisbon, Portugal;
- Archbishop Berhaneyesus Demerew Souraphiel, C.M., of Addis Abeba, Ethiopia;
- Archbishop John Atcherley Dew of Wellington, New Zealand;
- Archbishop Edoardo Menichelli of Ancona-Osimo, Italy;
- Archbishop Pierre Nguyen Van Nhon of Ha Noi, Vietnam;
- Archbishop Alberto Suarez Inda of Morelia, Mexico;
- Archbishop Charles Maung Bo, S.D.B., of Yangon, Myanmar;
- Archbishop Francis Xavier Kriengsak Kovithavanij of Bangkok, Thailand;
- Archbishop Francesco Montenegro of Agrigento, Italy;
- Archbishop Daniel Fernando Sturla Berhouet, S.D.B., of Montevideo, Uruguay;
- Archbishop Ricardo Blazquez Perez of Valladolid, Spain;
- Bishop Jose Luis Lacunza Maestrojuan, O.A.R., of David, Panama;
- Bishop Arlindo Gomes Furtado of Santiago de Cabo Verde, Cape Verde;
- Bishop Soane Patita Paini Mafi of Tonga, Tonga.
The five non-electors are:
- Archbishop Jose de Jesus Pimiento Rodriguez, emeritus of Manizales, Colombia;
- Archbishop Luigi De Magistris, pro-major penitentiary emeritus, Italy;
- Archbishop Karl-Joseph Rauber, apostolic nuncio, Germany;
- Archbishop Luis Hector Villalba, emeritus of Tucuman, Argentina;
- Bishop Julio Duarte Langa, emeritus of Xai-Xai, Mozambique.

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Note on the creation of new cardinals
Vatican City, 5 December 2014 (VIS) - The following is the full text of a note
from the director of the Holy See Press Office, Fr. Federico Lombardi, S.J., on
the creation of new cardinals in the upcoming consistory, to be held on 14 February.
"Considering the usual number of 120 electors, there were 12 places 'available' in the College of Cardinals. Although the Pope has slightly exceeded this number, he has remained very close to it, so it has substantially
been respected.
The most evident criterion is that of universality. Among the new electors, 14
different countries are represented, of which six did not previously have a cardinal, and some have never had one. If the non-electors are also counted, then 18 countries are represented. Among the electors, there are 5 from Europe,
3 from Asia, 3 from Latin America (including Mexico), 2 from Africa and 2 from Oceania. There are no new cardinals for North America (U.S.A. and Canada), since there number is already significant and has remained stable since last year. (There is a new Mexican cardinal).
There is a significant presence of countries that have not had a cardinal (Cape Verde, Tonga, Myanmar), and of small or minority ecclesial communities. (The Bishop of Tonga is president of the Episcopal Conference of the Pacific; the diocese of Santiago of Cape Verde is one of the oldest African diocese; the
diocese of Morelia in Mexico is in a region stricken by violence). It is notable that there is only one new cardinal from the Roman Curia, while currently the "Roman" cardinals constitute around a quarter of the electors. Evidently the Pope wishes to consider the Prefects of the Congregations and a few other very important institutions of the Curia, such as the Tribunal of the
Signatura. It is confirmed that the Pope does not consider himself bound by the
tradition of 'cardinal sees', that for historical reasons in various Countries were considered almost 'automatically' linked to the cardinalate. Instead we see various appointments of archbishops and bishops from sees that have not had
a cardinal in the past. This is true of Italy, Spain and Mexico.
With regard to the non-electors, the Pope's brief introduction is noteworthy: "they represent many bishops who, with the same care of shepherds", have served
as the pastors of dioceses, but also in the Curia and the diplomatic service. Appointment as a cardinal may therefore be a form of recognition given symbolically to some, but acknowledging the merits of all.
The youngest of the new cardinals is the archbishop of Tonga, Msgr. Mafi (1961), who will become the youngest member of the College of Cardinals. The eldest is the emeritus of Manizales, Msgr. Pimiento Rodriguez (1919)".

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For more information and to search for documents refer to the site: www.visnews.org and www.vatican.va

Copyright (VIS): the news contained in the services of the Vatican
Information Service may be reproduced wholly or partially by quoting
the source: V. I. S. - Vatican Information Service. http://www.vatican.va/news_services/press/vis/vis_en.html

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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 004
DATE 08-01-2015

Summary:
- Francis joins in the suffering of the French people
- The Pope strongly condemns the attack in Paris: "Homicidal violence is abominable and never justifiable"
- The Pope receives a delegation of Yezidi
- The Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue calls for human and spiritual solidarity with the victims of the attack on "Charlie Hebdo" and their families
- Audiences
- Other Pontifical Acts

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Francis joins in the suffering of the French people
Vatican City, 8 January 2014 (VIS) - This morning in the Sanctae Marthae Chapel the Holy Father celebrated Mass for the victims of the attack in Paris yesterday, in which twelve people were killed and several were seriously injured. "The attack makes us think of great cruelty, human cruelty; of such terrorism, both isolated terrorism and state terrorism. The cruelty of which man is capable! Let us pray, in this Mass, for the victims of this cruelty. So many of them! And let us also pray for those who perform these cruel acts, so that the Lord might transform their hearts".
Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin has sent a telegram on behalf of the Holy Father to Cardinal Andre Vingt-Trois, archbishop of Paris, France, the
full text of which is published below:
"Upon learning of the terrible attack in Paris on the offices of 'Charlie Hebdo', which has claimed numerous victims, His Holiness Pope Francis joins in prayer with the suffering of the bereaved families and the sadness of all the French people. He entrusts the victims to God, full of mercy, and prays that He
will welcome them in His light. He expresses his deepest sympathy for the injured and their families, and asks that the Lord console and comfort them in their ordeal. The Holy Father reiterates his condemnation of the violence that generates such suffering, and praying that God grant the gift of peace, he invokes a divine blessing for the afflicted families and the French people".

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The Pope strongly condemns the attack in Paris: "Homicidal violence is abominable and never justifiable"
Vatican City, 8 January 2014 (VIS) - Yesterday afternoon the director of the Holy See Press Office, Fr. Federico Lombardi, S.J., issued the following statement to journalists:
"The Holy Father expresses his strongest condemnation of the horrendous attack
this morning that plunged the city of Paris into mourning, claiming a large number of victims, sowing death and causing consternation throughout the whole of French society, and profoundly disturbing all those who favour peace, well beyond the French borders.
Pope Francis participates in prayer in the suffering of the wounded and of the
families of the deceased, and urges opposition by every means to the propagation of hate and every form of violence, both physical and moral, that destroys human life, violates the dignity of human beings, and radically undermines the foundations of peaceful co-existence between persons and peoples, notwithstanding differences of nationality, religion and culture.
Whatever the motive may be, homicidal violence is abominable and never justifiable; the life and dignity of all must be guaranteed and protected decisively, every incitement to hate must be denied, and respect for others must be nurtured.
The Pope expresses his closeness, his spiritual solidarity and his support for
all those who, in accordance with their various responsibilities, continue to make constant efforts for peace, justice and the rule of law, to heal the causes and sources of hate in this painful and dramatic moment, in France and in every part of the world affected by tensions and violence".

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The Pope receives a delegation of Yezidi
Vatican City, 8 January 2014 (VIS) - This morning the Holy Father received in audience a delegation from the World Community of Yezidi, according to the director of the Holy See Press Office, Fr. Federico Lombardi, S.J. The delegation was led by the Head of all the Yezidi, Mir Tahsin Said Ali Beg, and their supreme spiritual Head, the "Baba Sheikh", Sheikh Khato, both resident in
Iraqi Kurdistan. The group also comprised three representatives of the Yezidi of North Iraq, Georgia and the diaspora in Germany.
During the meeting, which lasted approximately half an hour and took place in the private library of the Apostolic Palace, the delegation thanked the Pope - indicated by one of the delegates as the "father of the poor" -for his support for the Yezidi in this time of persecution and suffering. They informed the Pope of the situation of around five thousand Yezidi women reduced to slavery by the ISIS, and emphasised the good relations between Yezidi and Christians, emphasising their mutual solidarity. Pope Francis assured the delegates of his spiritual closeness and his support in these challenging times, and expressed his hope that soon it will be possible to restore justice and the conditions for a free and peaceful life for the Yezidi, as well as all other minority groups who are the object of discrimination and violence.
There are around one and a half million Yezidi throughout the world, of whom half a million are in Iraq; there are others in Turkey, Georgia, Armenia, and in diaspora in many other countries.

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The Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue calls for human and spiritual solidarity with the victims of the attack on "Charlie Hebdo" and their families
Vatican City, 8 January 2014 (VIS) - This morning the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue published the following declaration:
"As we reach the end of the meeting in Rome of the four Imams of France, who attended yesterday's general audience along with the delegation from the French
Episcopal Conference, the participants, shocked by the heinous attack on 7 January 2015 on the offices of the publication "Charlie Hebdo", wish once more to echo the words pronounced by Pope yesterday and this morning, denouncing this cruelty and blind violence. Like him, we invite believers to show through friendship and prayer their human and spiritual solidarity towards the victims and their families.
In these circumstances, it should be noted that, without freedom of speech, the world is in danger: it is imperative to oppose hate and every form of violence that destroys human life, violates the dignity of the person and radically undermines the foundation of peaceful co-existence between persons and peoples, notwithstanding differences of nationality, religion and culture.
Religious leaders are called upon to further promote a "culture of peace and hope" able to conquer fear and to build bridges between people.
Considering the impact of the media, their leaders are invited to offer information that is respectful of religions, their followers and their practices, thus favouring a culture of encounter.
Interreligious dialogue remains the only path to follow together to dissipate prejudice".
The communique is signed by Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, Bishop Michel Dubost of Evry-Corbeil et Essonnes, president of the Council for Interreligious Relations
of the Bishops' Conference of France, the Imams Tareq Oubrou, Azzedine Cami, Mohammed Moussaoui, Djelloul Seddiki and Fr. Roucou, director of the National Service for Relations with Islam, France.

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Audiences
Vatican City, 8 January 2014 (VIS) - Today, the Holy Father received in audience:
- Cardinal Zenon Grocholewski, prefect of the Congregation for Catholic Education (for Institutes of Study);
- Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke, patron of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta;
- Cardinal Andre Vingt-Trois, archbishop of Paris, France;
- Bishop Santiago Olivera of Cruz del Eje, Argentina;
- Nicola Zingaretti, president of the Latium region;
- His Excellency Mir Tahsin-beg (Tahseen Saeed Ali), head of the Yezidi in all
the World, Georgia, and entourage.

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Other Pontifical Acts
Vatican City, 8 January 2014 (VIS) - The Holy Father has appointed Msgr. Joel Mercier, as secretary of the Congregation for the Clergy, at the same time elevating him to the dignity of archbishop. The archbishop-elect was born in Chaudesfonds-sur-Layon, France in 1945 and was ordained a priest in 1970. He holds a bachelor's degree in philosophy and a licentiate in theology from the Universite Catholique de l'Ouest in Angers, and a licentiate and doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome. He has served in a number of pastoral and administrative roles, including parish vicar in the "Saint-Joseph" parish in Angers, chaplain of Catholic colleges and high schools
in Angers, and secretary to the bishop of Angers. He has also served as member of the ecclesiastical tribunal in the Pays de Loire and teaches in the faculty of theology, Angers. He is currently an official of the Congregation for Bishops and spiritual director of the French Seminary in Rome. He was named Chaplain of His Holiness in 2005.

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For more information and to search for documents refer to the site: www.visnews.org and www.vatican.va

Copyright (VIS): the news contained in the services of the Vatican
Information Service may be reproduced wholly or partially by quoting
the source: V. I. S. - Vatican Information Service. http://www.vatican.va/news_services/press/vis/vis_en.html

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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 005
DATE 09-01-2015

Summary:
- Francis convokes a conference in the Vatican on Haiti, five years after the earthquake
- Audiences
- Other Pontifical Acts

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Francis convokes a conference in the Vatican on Haiti, five years after the earthquake
Vatican City, 9 January 2014 (VIS) - "The communion of the Church: memory and hope for Haiti five years after the earthquake" is the title of the conference beginning this morning in the Vatican. The event was organised by the Pontifical Council "Cor Unum" and the Pontifical Commission for Latin America in collaboration with the bishops of Haiti, and is a response to the Holy Father's wish to maintain close attention to a country that continues to suffer
the consequences of the earthquake, and to reiterate the Church's closeness to the Haitian people during the reconstruction phase. It will above all offer the
opportunity to present the balance of aid destined for the country and to analyse the results of the implementation of the projects carried out from 2010
to the present day.
In January 2010 the island of Haiti was afflicted by an earthquake, the epicentre of which was located near the capital, Port-au-Prince, causing the death of 230 thousand people and devastated the territory, destroying much of the infrastructure, thousands of homes, and all the hospitals on the island. According to Red Cross estimates, the disaster affected three million people.
The meeting is attended by representatives of the Holy See, the local Haitian church, and various episcopal conferences, workers from Catholic charitable organisations, religious congregations and various Holy See-accredited diplomatic representatives. The conference will begin at 9 a.m. in the St. Pius
X building with greetings from Cardinal Marc Ouellet, P.S.S., president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, and a report from Cardinal Robert Sarah who, as president of "Cor Unum" until the end of 2014, managed the Holy Father's donations to the local Church of the island. During the morning session, there will be a debate on the material and spiritual reconstruction process and there will be interventions by Cardinal Chibly Langlois, bishop of Les Cayes and president of the Episcopal Conference of Haiti, Archbishop Thomas
Gerald Wenski of Miami, U.S.A., Alberto Piatti, president of the AVSI (Association of Volunteers in International Service) Foundation, engaged in a charitable works on the island, and Eduardo Marques de Almeida, former representative of the Inter-American Development Bank in Haiti. At 11.30 a.m. the delegates present will be received in audience by Pope Francis.
In the afternoon, there will be presentations by those who work in the context
of reconstruction, to enable an exchange of experiences regarding the issue of international cooperation and the priorities and criteria for future action. At
the end of the meeting, Msgr. Giampietro Dal Toso, secretary of "Cor Unum", will give an overview of the problems that still remain to be resolved.
The conference will end with a Mass celebrated by Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin in the church of Santa Maria in Traspontina, at 6.30 p.m.

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Audiences
Vatican City, 9 January 2014 (VIS) - Today, the Holy Father received in audience:
- Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Muller, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine
of the Faith;
- Cardinal Fernando Filoni, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation
of Peoples;
- Cardinal Godfried Daniels, archbishop emeritus of Mechelen-Brussel, Belgium;
- Archbishop Julio Murat, apostolic nuncio in Zambia and Malawi.

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Other Pontifical Acts
Vatican City, 9 January 2014 (VIS) - The Holy Father has appointed Msgr. Pietro Milite of the clergy of the diocese of Nocera Inferiore - Sarno, Italy, as prelate auditor of the Tribunal of the Roman Rota. Msgr. Milite is currently
promoter of justice of the same Tribunal.

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For more information and to search for documents refer to the site: www.visnews.org and www.vatican.va

Copyright (VIS): the news contained in the services of the Vatican
Information Service may be reproduced wholly or partially by quoting
the source: V. I. S. - Vatican Information Service. http://www.vatican.va/news_services/press/vis/vis_en.html

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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 009
DATE 15-01-2015

Summary:
- Pope Francis arrives in Manila
- Accord between the Holy See and Serbia
- Other Pontifical Acts

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Pope Francis arrives in Manila
Vatican City, 15 January 2015 (VIS) - Early this morning the Holy Father travelled by car from the apostolic nunciature of Colombo to the airport, where
he departed for Manila, capital of the Philippines. During the journey he stopped to visit the Benedict XVI Cultural Institute where he was received by Fr. Mahamale Quintus Fernando, rector of the Institute, and two hundred workers
who had collaborated in building the centre in 2011. He then visited the "Our Lady of Lanka" Chapel, where he was awaited by ten Jesuit fathers belonging to the Community linked to the Institute, a choir and a group of fishermen from the area.
The Chapel of "Our Lady of Lanka" dates from 1911 and was initially dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes. With the outbreak of the Second World War, Cardinal Jean-Marie Masson, O.M.I., archbishop of Colombo, made a vow to the Virgin: if the country was spared the horrors of war, he would build a shrine where the chapel stood, dedicated to "Our Lady of Lanka". The works were completed in 1974 and it was consecrated in February of the same year, with the status of Minor Basilica granted by Pope Paul VI. The Benedict XVI Cultural Institute was
opened in 2011 upon the initiative of Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, archbishop of Colombo, to facilitate collaboration with the authorities and other agencies in
rebuilding the nation following thirty years of civil war.
Pope Francis then resumed his journey to the airport, where Maithripala Sirisena, president of the Republic, various representatives of the civil authorities and a group of faithful bade him farewell.
At 9 a.m. local time the aircraft carrying the Pope departed from Colombo for the Filipino capital. After a flight of six and a quarter hours, he arrived at the Villamor Air Base in Manila where he was received by representatives of the
religious and civil authorities, including the apostolic nuncio Archbishop Giuseppe Pinto and the president of the Philippines, Benigno Aquino III.
Two children offered flowers to the Pope as he disembarked, around one hundred
adolescents sang "Welcome Pope Francis", and a large group of smaller children dressed in white and yellow performed a lively dance. The Holy Father left the air base in an open Popemobile to travel the nine kilometres separating the base from the apostolic nunciature of Manila, during which he greeted the many faithful who awaited him. Upon arrival at the apostolic nunciature, he dined in
private and rested.

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Accord between the Holy See and Serbia
Vatican City, 15 January 2015 (VIS) - On 12 January 2015, by mutual consent, the Framework Agreement between the Holy See and the Republic of Serbia on collaboration in higher education came into force. The Agreement, signed on 27 June 2014, confirms the principles and defines the measures to be taken by both
Parties within the field of higher education.

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Other Pontifical Acts
Vatican City, (VIS) - The Holy Father has:
- given his assent to the canonical election by the Synod of Bishops of the Chaldean Church of Rev. Basel Yaldo as auxiliary of the Patriarchate of Babylon
of the Chaldeans. The bishop-elect was born in Telkaif, Iraq in 1970 and was ordained a priest in 2002. He studied theology at the Pontifical Urbanian University and holds a master's degree in dogmatic theology and a doctorate from the same University. He has served in a number of roles, including vice-rector of the major seminary of the Chaldeans in Baghdad, lecturer in dogmatic theology at the Babel College, deputy priest of the Church of the Sacred Heart in Baghdad, and special secretary to the late Patriarch Cardinal Emmanuel III Delly. He is currently priest of the St. George Chaldean Catholic Church in Michigan, U.S.A.
- appointed Archbishop Amel Shamon Nona as bishop of the Chaldean eparchy of St. Thomas the Apostle in Sydney, Australia. Formerly Chaldean archbishop of Mossul, Iraq, he retains the dignity of archbishop and succeeds Msgr. Djibrail Kassab, whose resignation was accepted.
- appointed Chorbishop Emmanuel Challita as bishop of the Chaldean eparchy of Mar Addai in Toronto, Canada. The bishop-elect was born in Fishkabour-Zakho, Iraq in 1956 and ordained a priest in 1984. He holds a doctorate in biblical theology from the Pontifical Urbanian University, Rome, and has served in a number of pastoral roles, including deputy priest of the St. Joseph's parish, Troy, Michigan, U.S.A. He is currently priest of St. George's parish in Township, Michigan, U.S.A.

___________________________________________________________

For more information and to search for documents refer to the site: www.visnews.org and www.vatican.va

Copyright (VIS): the news contained in the services of the Vatican
Information Service may be reproduced wholly or partially by quoting
the source: V. I. S. - Vatican Information Service. http://www.vatican.va/news_services/press/vis/vis_en.html

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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 011
DATE 17-01-2015

Summary:
- Francis arrives in Tacloban, fourteen months after the devastation of typhoon
Yolanda
- Other Pontifical Acts
- Notice

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Francis arrives in Tacloban, fourteen months after the devastation of typhoon Yolanda
Vatican City, 17 January 2015 (VIS) - On his second day in the Philippines, the Pope transferred by car from the apostolic nunciature of Manila to the Villamor Air Base to depart for Tacloban on the island of Leyte. The papal aircraft took off forty-five minutes before the scheduled time in order to bring forward his visit in view of a tropical storm approaching the coast. Fourteen months ago, on the morning of 8 November 2013, the area was devastated
by typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan), which left more than ten thousand victims in its wake and razed all buildings to the ground, including the airport of the city where Francis arrived today.
After an informal welcome from Archbishop John F. Du of Palo and the mayors of
Tacloban and Palo, the Pope made the 600-metre journey by Popemobile to an esplanade able to hold half a million people, where he celebrated Mass despite the strong wind and rain. Francis gave the following off-the-cuff homily in Spanish.
"In the first reading, we heard that we have a great priest capable of sympathizing with our weakness, who in every respect has been tempted as we are. Jesus is like us. Jesus lived as we do. He is like us in everything. In everything but sin, for he was not a sinner. But to be even more like us, he took upon himself our sins. He became sin! This is what Paul tells us, and it was something that he knew well. Jesus goes before us always; when we experience any kind of cross, he was already there before us.
"If today all of us are gathered here, fourteen months after the passage of Typhoon Yolanda, it is because we are certain that we will not be disappointed in our faith, for Jesus has gone before us. In his passion He took upon himself
all of our sorrows, and - let me tell you something personal - when I witnessed
his disaster from Rome, I felt that I had to be here. That is when I decided to
come here. I wanted to come to be with you. Maybe you will tell me that I came a little late; that is true, but here I am.
"I am here to tell you that Jesus is Lord; that Jesus does not disappoint. 'Father', one of you may tell me, 'He disappointed me because I lost my house, I lost everything I had, I am sick'. What you say is true and I respect your feelings, but I see Him there, nailed to the cross, and from there He does not disappoint us. He was consecrated Lord on that throne, and there He experienced
all the disasters we experience. Jesus is Lord! And He is Lord from the cross, from there He reigned. That is why, as we heard in the first reading, He can understand us: He became like us in every way. So we have a Lord Who is able to
weep with us, Who can be at our side through life's most difficult moments.
"So many of you have lost everything. I do not know what to tell you. But surely He knows what to tell you! So many of you have lost members of your family. I can only be silent; I accompany you silently, with my heart.
"Many of you looked to Christ and asked: Why, Lord? To each of you the Lord responds from His heart. I have no other words to say to you. Let us look to Christ: He is the Lord, and He understands us, for He experienced all the troubles we experience.
"With him, beneath the cross, is His Mother. We are like that child who stands
down there, who, in times of sorrow and pain, times when we understand nothing,
times when we want to rebel, can only reach out and cling to her skirts and say
to her: 'Mother!'. Like a little child who is frightened and says: 'Mother'. Perhaps that is the only word which can express all the feelings we have in those dark moments: Mother!
"Let us be still for a moment and look to the Lord. He can understand us, for He experienced all these things. And let us look to our Mother, and like that little child, let us reach out, cling to her skirts and say to her in our hearts: 'Mother'. Let us make this prayer in silence; let everyone say it whatever way he or she feels.
"We are not alone; we have a Mother; we have Jesus, our older brother. We are not alone. And we also have many brothers and sisters who, when the disaster struck, came to our assistance. We too feel more like brothers and sisters whenever we help one another, whenever we help each other.
"This is all that I feel I have to say to you. Forgive me if I have no other words. But be sure that Jesus does not disappoint us; be sure that the love and
tenderness of our Mother does not disappoint us. Clinging to her as sons and daughters with the strength which Jesus our brother gives us, let us now move forward. As brothers and sisters, let us take up our journey. Thank you!"
Following the Eucharistic celebration the Pope left the island four hours before the scheduled time due to the inclement weather conditions and the approaching category two typhoon. He visited a house belonging to fishermen, devastated by the 2013 typhoon, and transferred rapidly to the archiepiscopal residence, situated on a hill at the foot of which there is a home for the elderly and orphans financed by the Pontifical Council "Cor Unum" and blessed by the Pope today. He lunched briefly with thirty relatives of victims of Yolanda and a number of seminarians, and transferred to the "Pope Francis Centre for the Poor", which he blessed from the Popemobile. He proceeded directly to the Cathedral of Palo where a meeting was scheduled with bishops, priests, religious, seminarians and survivors of the typhoon, and explained to them that the adverse weather conditions would not permit the meeting to go ahead.
"We have just enough time to get to the aeroplane, since the forecasts tell us
that the weather will worsen", he said. "I apologise to all of you. I am so sorry about this, as I had something especially prepared for you. Let us leave everything in the hands of our Lady, as I have to leave now".
He then transferred to the airport, again by Popemobile to enable him to greet
as many people as possible. Finally, the papal aircraft departed for Manila and
landed at the Villamor Air Base at 3 p.m. local time. From there, the Pope proceeded to the apostolic nunciature, greeting the faithful along the way.

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Other Pontifical Acts
Vatican City, 17 January 2015 (VIS) - The Holy Father has appointed:
- Cardinal Orlando B. Quevedo, O.M.I., archbishop of Cotabato, Philippines, as
his special envoy to the celebrations for the 150th anniversary of the discovery of the "hidden Christians of Japan", to be held in Nagasaki from 14 to 17 March 2015.
- Msgr. Piotr Turzynski as auxiliary of the diocese of Radom (area 8,000, population 920,000, Catholics 913,100, priests 773, religious 614), Poland. The
bishop-elect was born in Radom, Poland in 1964 and ordained a priest in 1988. He holds a licentiate in theology and patristic sciences from the Augustinianum
Patristic Institute in Rome, and a doctorate in theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome. He has served as parish vicar in Ostrowiec Swietokrzyski, Poland and spiritual director of the major seminary of Radom, and is currently vice-rector of the major seminary of Radom, adjunct professor at the Institute of Church History and Patrology of the Catholic University of Lublin, director of the diocesan Council for the permanent formation of the clergy and the Council for consecrated life, and canon of the Chapter of Skarzysko Kamienna.

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Notice
Vatican City, 17 January 2015 (VIS) - Due to the Pope's apostolic trip, the Vatican Information Service bulletin will be transmitted not only today, Saturday, but also tomorrow, Sunday 18 January.

___________________________________________________________

For more information and to search for documents refer to the site: www.visnews.org and www.vatican.va

Copyright (VIS): the news contained in the services of the Vatican
Information Service may be reproduced wholly or partially by quoting
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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 013
DATE 19-01-2015

Summary:
- Pope Francis returns to Rome
- Other Pontifical Acts

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Pope Francis returns to Rome
Vatican City, 19 January 2015 (VIS) - This morning the Pope celebrated Mass privately in the apostolic nunciature in Manila. Shortly after he transferred by Popemobile to the Villamor Air Base, greeting the faithful who lined the streets along the way. Upon arrival at the airport he was received in the presidential pavilion by Benigno Aquino III, president of the Philippines, who accompanied him on foot to the aircraft. The farewell ceremony took place beside the aeroplane, in the presence of the civil authorities and around a thousand faithful.
The papal aircraft left Manila at 10 a.m. local time and is expected to land in Rome's Ciampino airport at 5.40 p.m. The Pope will return directly to the Vatican, thus concluding his seventh international apostolic trip.

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Other Pontifical Acts
Vatican City, 19 January 2015 (VIS) - The Holy Father has:
- appointed Bishop Mario Toso, S.D.B., secretary of the Pontifical Council "Justice and Peace", as bishop of Faenza-Modigliana (area 1,044, population 140,821, Catholics 132,259, priests 92, permanent deacons 11, religious 155), Italy. He succeeds Bishop Claudio Stagni, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese upon reaching the age limit was accepted by the Holy Father.
- erected the eparchy of Bahir Dar-Dessie (area 221,775, population 16,215,850, Catholics 17,544, priests 24, religious 47), Ethiopia, with territory from the metropolitan archieparchy of Addis Abeba, making it a suffragan of the same ecclesiastical circumscription. He appointed Bishop Lisane-Christos Matheos Semahun, forme

VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 015
DATE 21-01-2015

Summary:
- The Pope recounts his pastoral trip in Asia
- Appeal for Niger
- Inter-Christian collaboration in view of interreligious dialogue
- Other Pontifical Acts

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The Pope recounts his pastoral trip in Asia
Vatican City, 21 January 2015 (VIS) - Before proceeding to the Paul VI Hall for this morning's Wednesday general audience, the Holy Father, following a centuries-long tradition, blessed two lambs in the hall of the Domus Sanctae Marthae, whose wool will be used to weave the pallia imposed on the new archbishops on 29 June, on the solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul.
During today's audience, Pope Francis gave an account of his apostolic trip to
Sri Lanka and the Philippines. "I will always keep in my heart the recollection
of the joyful welcome I received from the crowds", he confessed. The culmination of his stay in Sri Lanka, he said, was the canonisation of St. Joseph Vaz. "His example of holiness and love for his neighbour continues to inspire the Church in Sri Lanka in her apostolate of charity and education", he
said, adding that the new saint represented "a model for all Christians, who are called upon today to offer the salvific truth of the Gospel in a multi-religious context. With regard to the meeting with the governmental authorities, he emphasised the importance of dialogue, respect for human dignity and efforts to involve all in finding suitable solutions for reconciliation and the common good.
He also spoke about his encounter with religious leaders, which confirmed the good relations that exist between the various communities. "In this context, I wanted to encourage the cooperation that has already been initiated between the
followers of different religious traditions, also in order to heal with the balsam of forgiveness those who are still afflicted by the sufferings of recent
years".
In the Philippines, he noted "the constant fruitfulness of the Gospel and its capacity to inspire a society worthy of mankind, in which there is a place for the dignity of each person and the aspirations of the Filipino population". He explained that the main aim of his visit was to express his closeness to those brothers and sisters who had suffered as a result of the devastation wrought by
typhoon Yolanda. "The power of God's love, revealed in the mystery of the Cross, was made evident in the spirit of solidarity shown by the many acts of charity and sacrifice that marked those days of darkness". He also mentioned the young volunteer Kristel, killed following his visit to Tacloban by collapsing scaffolding due to extreme weather conditions.
Francis went on to speak about his encounter with families in Manila. "I have heard it said that families with many children and high birth rates are among the causes of poverty. It seems to me a simplistic opinion. I can say that the main cause of poverty is an economic system that has removed the person from the centre and replaced him with the god of money; an economic system that excludes and creates the throwaway culture in which we live. ... It is necessary to protect families, which face various threats, so that they can bear witness to the beauty of the family in God's plan".
Finally, he spokes about his meeting with the young. "I wanted to offer them my encouragement for their efforts in contributing to the renewal of society, especially through their service to the poor and the protection of the natural environment. Care for the poor is an essential element of our Christian life and witness - because corruption steals from the poor - and requires a culture of honesty", he concluded.

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Appeal for Niger
Vatican City, 21 January 2015 (VIS) - The Pope launched an appeal for prayer for "the victims of the events of recent days in beloved Niger", adding, "Let us invoke from the Lord the gift of reconciliation and peace, so that religious
feeling is not transformed into a cause of violence, oppression and destruction. I hope that a climate of mutual respect and peaceful coexistence may be reinstated as soon as possible, for the good of all".

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Inter-Christian collaboration in view of interreligious dialogue
Vatican City, 21 January 2015 (VIS) - Yesterday the annual meeting took place between the officials of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue (PCDI) and the staff of the Office for Interreligious Dialogue and Cooperation (IRDC) of the World Council of Churches (WCC). The event enabled information to
be exchanged regarding activities carried out during 2014.
The meeting also offered the opportunity to reflect on future partnerships between the two institutions, which have collaborated for some years now, in order to exchange information and with a view to joint initiatives for the examination of various issues.
The most recent initiatives include the presentation, in 2011, of the document
"Christian Witness in a Multi-Religious World: Recommendations for Conduct", by
the PCDI, the World Council of Churches and the World Evangelical Alliance.

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Other Pontifical Acts
Vatican City, 21 January 2015 (VIS) - The Holy Father has appointed:
- the following members of the College for the review of appeals to the Ordinary Session of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, instituted by the Rescriptum ex Audientia SS.mi of 3 November 2014:
President: Bishop Charles J. Scicluna, auxiliary of Malta;
Members: Cardinal Zenon Grocholewski, prefect of the Congregation for Catholic
Education; Cardinal Attilio Nicora, president emeritus of the Administration of
the Patrimony of the Holy See (APSA) and the Financial Information Authority (AIF); Cardinal Francesco Coccopalmerio, president of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts; Cardinal Giuseppe Versaldi, president of the Prefecture of the Economic Affairs of the Holy See; Archbishop Jose Luis Mollaghan, emeritus of Rosario, Argentina; and Bishop Juan Ignacio Arrieta Ochoa de Chinchetru, secretary of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts;
Supplementary members: Cardinal Julian Herranz, president emeritus of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts; Bishop Giorgio Corbellini, president of the Labour Office of the Apostolic See and of the Disciplinary Commission of
the Roman Curia.
-Rev. Fr. Daniel Elias Garcia as auxiliary of Austin (area 57,424, population 2,902,992, Catholics 536,183, priests 218, permanent deacons 207, religious 201), U.S.A. The bishop-elect was born in Cameron, Texas, U.S.A. in 1960 and was ordained a priest in 1988. He holds a bachelor's degree in philosophy, a Master of Divinity from the University of St. Thomas, Houston, Texas, and a Master's degree in liturgical studies from St. John's University, Collegeville,
Minnesota. He has served in a number of pastoral roles, including parish priest
of the "St. Vincent de Paul" parish in Austin and dean of the "Austin North Deanery". He is currently a member of the presbyteral council, diocesan consultor, member of the Priests' Personnel Board, and vicar general and moderator of the Curia.
- confirmed the appointment by Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin of Dr. Tommaso Di Ruzza as director of the Financial Information Authority (AIF). Dr. Di Ruzza is currently "ad interim" deputy director of the same institution.

___________________________________________________________

For more information and to search for documents refer to the site: www.visnews.org and www.vatican.va

Copyright (VIS): the news contained in the services of the Vatican
Information Service may be reproduced wholly or partially by quoting
the source: V. I. S. - Vatican Information Service. http://www.vatican.va/news_services/press/vis/vis_en.html

--- MPost/386 v1.21
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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 016
DATE 22-01-2015

Summary:
- Catholics and Lutherans together can bear witness to God's mercy in our societies
- The Pope praises the service of the Public Security Inspectorate in the Vatican
- Audiences
- Other Pontifical Acts

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Catholics and Lutherans together can bear witness to God's mercy in our societies
Vatican City, 22 January 2015 (VIS) - "The fact that you come here together is
itself a witness to the importance of efforts for unity. The fact that you pray
together is a witness to our belief that only through the grace of God can that
unity be achieved. The fact that you recite the Creed together is a witness to the one common faith of the whole of Christianity". St. John Paul II addressed these words to the first Finnish ecumenical delegation of the Lutheran Church to come to Rome thirty years ago, and this morning, Pope Francis repeated them to the delegation present today on their annual ecumenical pilgrimage to celebrate the feast of St. Henry of Uppsala, the patron of Finland. The Pope mentioned that this year the visit coincides with the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, to reflect this year on Jesus' words to the Samaritan woman at
the well: "Give me to drink".
"We are reminded that the source of all grace is the Lord himself, and that His gifts transform those who receive them, making them witnesses to the true life that is in Him alone", said the Holy Father. "As the Gospel tells us, many
Samaritans believed in Jesus because of the woman's testimony. As you, Bishop Vikstrom, have said, there is so much that Catholics and Lutherans can do together to bear witness to God's mercy in our societies. A shared Christian witness is very much needed in the face of the mistrust, insecurity, persecution, pain and suffering experienced so widely in today's world".
He continued, "This common witness can be sustained and encouraged by progress
in theological dialogue between the Churches. The Joint Declaration on the Doctrine on Justification, which was solemnly signed some fifteen years ago between the Lutheran World Federation and the Catholic Church, can produce further fruits of reconciliation and cooperation between us. The Nordic Lutheran-Catholic dialogue in Finland and Sweden, under the related theme Justification in the Life of the Church, has been reflecting on important questions deriving from the Joint Declaration. Let us hope that further convergence will emerge from that dialogue on the concept of the Church, the sign and instrument of the salvation brought to us in Jesus Christ".

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The Pope praises the service of the Public Security Inspectorate in the Vatican
Vatican City, 22 January 2015 (VIS) - This morning Pope Francis received in audience a group of agents from the General Inspectorate for Public Security in
the Vatican, accompanied by their families. This institution will celebrate the
seventieth anniversary of the presence of the Italian forces of order in the Vatican. The Pope thanked them for the work they carry out on a daily basis "with professionalism and dedication". He continued, "We began a new year a short while ago, and we have many hopes and expectations. We also see on the horizon the shadows and dangers that trouble humanity. As Christians we are called upon not to lose heart or to be discouraged. Our hope rests upon an immovable rock: God's love, revealed and given in Christ Jesus, our Lord".
In his address, the Holy Father recalled the comforting words of the apostle Paul: "'Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? ... Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him Who loved us'. ... In the light of this firm hope, your work assumes a different meaning, that brings human and Christian values into play. Indeed, you have the task of protecting and supervising places of the utmost importance for the faith, and of guaranteeing the security of millions of pilgrims. Many people who come to visit the heart of Christian Rome frequently turn to you".
He added, "May every person feel helped and protected by your presence and your care. ... We are all called to be our neighbour's guardians. The Lord will
call us to account for the responsibilities entrusted to us, for the good and the bad we have brought upon our neighbours".

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Audiences
Vatican City, 22 January 2015 (VIS) - Today, the Holy Father received in audience:
- Archbishop Salvatore Fisichella, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting New Evangelisation;
- Archbishop Pier Luigi Celata; apostolic nuncio, former vice-camerlengo of the Apostolic Camera;
- Ignazio Marino, mayor of Rome.

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Other Pontifical Acts
Vatican City, 22 January 2015 (VIS) - The Holy Father has accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese of Quimper, France, presented
by Bishop Jean-Marie Le Vert, in accordance with canon 401 para. 2 of the Code of Canon Law.

___________________________________________________________

For more information and to search for documents refer to the site: www.visnews.org and www.vatican.va

Copyright (VIS): the news contained in the services of the Vatican
Information Service may be reproduced wholly or partially by quoting
the source: V. I. S. - Vatican Information Service. http://www.vatican.va/news_services/press/vis/vis_en.html

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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 020
DATE 28-01-2015

Summary:
- General audience: fatherly responsibility and the sense of orphanhood in children
- Other Pontifical Acts

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General audience: fatherly responsibility and the sense of orphanhood in children
Vatican City, 28 January 2015 (VIS) - Pope Francis, returning to the theme of the family, dedicated the catechesis of today's Wednesday general audience to the figure of the father: "a word dear to us as Christians, more than any other, as it is the name with which Jesus taught us to call God", he said to the thousands of faithful gathered in the Vatican's Paul VI Hall.
"Father is a universal word, known to all. It indicates a fundamental relationship that is real and ancient as the history of mankind. Today, however, we have reached the point of affirming that ours would be a 'society without fathers'. In other words, in particular in western culture, the figure of the father would be symbolically absent, to have vanished. ... At first, this was perceived as a form of liberation: freedom from the father-master, from the father as the representative of a law imposed from the outside, from the father as the censor of the happiness of his children and an obstacle to the emancipation of the autonomy of the young. Indeed, in the past in some cases authoritarianism, indeed even oppression reigned in some homes: parents who treated their children like servants, who did not respect the personal needs of their growth, fathers who did not help them to embark on their path in
freedom, to assume their own responsibilities for building their future and that of society".
"And, as often happens, we have passed from one extreme to the other. The problem of our times no longer seems to be the invasive presence of fathers, but rather their absence. ... Fathers are so focused on themselves, on their work and at times their personal fulfilment, that they even forget their families, leaving children and the young to their own devices. ... Now, on this
shared path of reflection on the family, I would like to say to all Christian communities that we must be more careful: the absence of the paternal figure in
the life of children and the young produces lacunae and wounds that can be very
serious. And in effect the deviances of children and adolescents may to a considerable extent be due to this lack of examples and authoritative guidance in their everyday life, to this lack of closeness and love from their fathers".
"The feeling of orphanhood experienced by many young people is more profound than we might think. They are orphans in their families because their fathers are often absent, also physically, from the home, but above all because when they are present, they do not act like fathers: they do not speak with their children, they do not give their children, by their example accompanied by words, those principles, those values, those rules for life that the young need
in the same way as they need bread. ... At times it seems as if fathers are not
sure what position they should occupy in the family, or how to educate their children. And so, in doubt, they abstain, they withdraw and neglect their responsibilities, possibly seeking refuge in an improbable relationship of parity with their children".
The civil community with its institutions too has "a certain responsibility towards the young, that might be described as paternal", the Pope added: "a responsibility that at times it neglects or exercises poorly. This too leaves them as orphans, and does not offer them true prospects. The young are therefore orphaned of sure paths to follow, orphaned of teachers in whom they can trust, orphaned of ideals to warm their hearts, orphaned of values and hopes that support them day by day. They are filled with idols but robbed of their hearts; they are driven to dream of enjoyment and pleasure, but they are not given work; they are deluded by the god of money and denied true richness".
"Therefore, it is good for all of us, fathers and children, to listen once again to the promise that Jesus made to His disciples: 'I will not leave you orphans'. Indeed, He is the path to follow, the master to listen to, the hope that the world can change, that love will conquer hate, that there can be a future of brotherhood and peace for all", Francis concluded. He added that next
Wednesday he will further pursue this theme, focusing on "the beauty of paternity". "For this reason I have chosen to begin with the darkness in order to reach the light. May the Lord help us to understand these things well".

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Other Pontifical Acts
Vatican City, 28 January 2015 (VIS) - The Holy Father has:
- appointed Fr. Cesar Alcides Balbin Tamayo as bishop of Caldas (area 1,395, population 260,000, Catholics 250,000, priests 61, religious 76), Colombia. The
bishop-elect was born in Santa Rosa de Osos, Colombia in 1958 and was ordained a priest in 1985. He holds a licentiate in moral theology from the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross, Rome, a licentiate in philosophy and science of religious education from the Universidad Catolica de Oriente, Colombia, and a master's degree in business administration from the Escuela de Administracion de Empresas in Barcelona, Spain. He has served in a number of pastoral and administrative roles, including rector of the "Miguel Angel Builes" minor seminary and of the "Santo Tomas de Aquino" major seminary in the diocese of Santa Rosa de Osos, director of the "Cooperativa Fraternidad Sacerdotal", administrator of the "Mutuo Auxilio Sacerdotal Colombiano" of the Episcopal Conference of Colombia, and financial director of the Episcopal Conference of Colombia. He is currently parish priest of the "Santa Barbara" parish in Bellavista. He succeeds Bishop Soleibe Arbelaez, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese upon reaching the age limit was accepted by the Holy Father.
- accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese of Graz-Seckau, Austria presented by Bishop Egon Kapellari, upon reaching the age limit.

___________________________________________________________

For more information and to search for documents refer to the site: www.visnews.org and www.vatican.va

Copyright (VIS): the news contained in the services of the Vatican
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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 021
DATE 29-01-2015

Summary:
- Audiences
- Other Pontifical Acts

___________________________________________________________

Audiences
Vatican City, 29 January 2015 (VIS) - Today, the Holy Father received in audience:
- Cardinal Fernando Filoni, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation
of Peoples;
- Archbishop Jan Romeo Pawlowski, apostolic nuncio in the Republic of Congo and in Gabon;
- Archbishop Walmor Oliveira de Azevedo of Belo Horizonte, Brazil;
- Bishop Guglielmo Borghetti, coadjutor of Albenga-Imperia, Italy;
- German Cardona Gutierrez, ambassador of Colombia, on his farewell visit;
- Senator Claudio Zin, with an Italian-Latin American parliamentary delegation.

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Other Pontifical Acts
Vatican City, 29 January 2015 (VIS) - The Holy Father has appointed Rev. Fr. Jean-Bertin Nadonye Ndongo, O.F.M. Cap., as bishop of Lolo (area 10,000, population 220,000, Catholics 195,000, priests 22, religious 25), Democratic Republic of Congo. The bishop-elect was born in Botuzu, Democratic Republic of Congo, in 1965, gave his perpetual vows in 1992, and was ordained a priest in 1993. He holds a licentiate in theology from the Catholic University of Kinshasa and has served in a number of roles, including parish priest of the "Sacre-Coeur de Jesus" parish in Bwamanda and member of the economic council for the diocese of Molegbe; formator and rector of the "Maison d'Etudes" in Kinshasa; vice-minister and subsequently provincial minister of the Capuchin Friars in the Democratic Republic of Congo and president of the Conference of Capuchin Friars of Central and Western Africa (CONCAO); and president of the Assembly of Major Superiors. He is currently definitor general of the Capuchin Friars Minor, Rome. He succeeds Bishop Ferdinand Maemba Liwoke, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese upon reaching the age limit was accepted by the Holy Father.

___________________________________________________________

For more information and to search for documents refer to the site: www.visnews.org and www.vatican.va

Copyright (VIS): the news contained in the services of the Vatican
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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 022
DATE 30-01-2015

Summary:
- The Pope recalls the "immense tragedy" of Syria and Iraq
- Telegram from the Pope for the explosion in the Mexican maternity hospital of
Cualjimalpa
- Pope Francis' prayer intentions for February
- The Master of Papal Ceremonies explains the new method of imposing the pallium
- Audiences

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The Pope recalls the "immense tragedy" of Syria and Iraq
Vatican City, 30 January 2015 (VIS) - This morning in the Consistory Hall the Pope received thirty representatives of the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches, constituted in 2003 following an initiative of the Pontifical Council
for Promoting Christian Unity and the ecclesiastical authorities of the family of Oriental Orthodox Churches. During the last ten years, from a historical perspective, it has examined the roads through which the Churches have expressed their communion in the first centuries, and what this means for our search for communion today. During this week's meeting, the Commission embarked
upon a deeper examination of the nature of the Sacraments, especially Baptism.
Francis recalled the inspiring commitment to dialogue of His Holiness Ignatius
Zakka I Was, Patriarch of the Syro-Orthodox Church of Antioch and all the East,
who died last year, and joined in prayer with the clergy and the faithful for this "dedicated servant of God".
"At this time we especially feel dismay and deep sadness at what is happening in the Middle East, especially in Iraq and Syria. I think of all those living in the region, including our Christian brothers and sisters, and many minorities, who are experiencing the effects of a prolonged and painful conflict. I join you in praying for a negotiated solution and in imploring God's goodness and mercy upon all those affected by this immense tragedy. All Christians are called to work together, in mutual acceptance and trust, in order to serve the cause of peace and justice. May the intercession and example
of many martyrs and saints who have borne courageous witness of Christ in all our Churches sustain and strengthen you and your Christian communities".

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Telegram from the Pope for the explosion in the Mexican maternity hospital of Cualjimalpa
Vatican City, 30 January 2015 (VIS) - Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin has sent a telegram on behalf of the Holy Father to Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera, archbishop of Mexico, Mexico, following an explosion in the Maternity Hospital of Cualjimalpa caused during the transfer of fuel to the centre, which claimed several victims and casualties including a number of babies.
Pope Francis, "greatly saddened by this tragic news", according to the text, "offers his prayers for the eternal repose of the souls of the departed" and "wishes to convey his heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased, along with expressions of comfort, his fervent hope for the swift recovery of the injured. He imparts the comfort of his apostolic blessing as a sign of hope
in the Resurrected Lord".

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Pope Francis' prayer intentions for February
Vatican City, 30 January 2015 (VIS) - The Holy Father's universal prayer intention for February is: "That prisoners, especially the young, may be able to rebuild lives of dignity".
His intention for evangelisation is: "That married people who are separated may find welcome and support in the Christian community".

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The Master of Papal Ceremonies explains the new method of imposing the pallium
Vatican City, 30 January 2015 (VIS) - In a letter sent to all the apostolic nunciatures and dated 12 January, 2015, the Master of Papal Ceremonies, Msgr. Guido Marini, made public the Pope's decision to modify the method of imposing the pallium on the new metropolitan archbishops. The strip of white wool, symbolising the sheep on the shoulders of Jesus the Good Shepherd, will be delivered and no longer "imposed" by the Holy Father, according to tradition on
29 June, Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul. Instead the imposition of the pallium upon the new archbishops will take place in their dioceses, by the hand of the local apostolic nuncios.
Yesterday, in an interview for Vatican Radio, Msgr. Marini explained the meaning of the Pontiff's decision, indicating that from next 29 June the archbishops, "as is customary, will be present in Rome, will concelebrate with the Holy Father and will participate in the blessing of the pallia, but the imposition will not take place. Each archbishop will receive his pallium from the Holy Father in a simple and private way. The imposition will occur in the diocese of origin, and therefore in a second moment, in the presence of the local Church and in particular the bishops of the suffragan dioceses, accompanied by their faithful".
This is intended, continued the Master of Papal Ceremonies, to "emphasise the relationship between the newly appointed metropolitan archbishops and their local Church, therefore enabling more faithful to be present and this rite that
is so important for them, and especially for the bishops of the suffragan dioceses, which in this way will be able to participate in the moment of the imposition. This maintains the significance of the celebration on 29 June, which underlines the relationship of communion, including the hierarchical communion between the Holy Father and the new archbishops, but at the same time
adds, with a meaningful gesture, the bond with the local Church. ... It is a beautiful gesture which accompanies the other [the imposition of the pallium, Ed.], which remains with all its entirety and depth".

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Audiences
Vatican City, 30 January 2015 (VIS) - Today, the Holy Father received in audience:
- Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, president of the Pontifical Council for the Family;
- Bishop Pietro Lagnese of Ischia, Italy;
- Francesco Maria Greco, ambassador of Italy, on his farewell visit;
- Colonel Daniel Rudolf Anrig, Commandant of the Pontifical Swiss Guard, on his farewell visit.

___________________________________________________________

For more information and to search for documents refer to the site: www.visnews.org and www.vatican.va

Copyright (VIS): the news contained in the services of the Vatican
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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 024
DATE 03-02-2015

Summary:
- Francis: consecrated persons must guide people to Jesus, and let themselves be guided by Him
- Recognition of the martyrdom of Archbishop Oscar Romero, the friars Michal Tomaszek and Zbigniew Strazalkowski, and Fr. Alessandro Dordi
- 8 February: First International Day of Prayer against Human Trafficking

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Francis: consecrated persons must guide people to Jesus, and let themselves be
guided by Him
Vatican City, 3 February 2015 (VIS) - The Feast of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple, 2 February, is the Day for Consecrated Life and yesterday afternoon, as is customary on this occasion, the Holy Father presided at Holy Mass in the Vatican Basilica with the members of the Institutes of Consecrated Life and the Societies of Apostolic Life. The ceremony began with the blessing of the veils and the procession, and continued with the Eucharistic celebration, during which the Pope gave a homily emphasising the characteristics of consecrated life.
"Before our eyes we can picture Mother Mary as she walks, carrying the Baby Jesus in her arms", he began. "She brings him to the Temple; she presents him to the people; she brings him to meet his people. The arms of Mother Mary are like the 'ladder' on which the Son of God comes down to us, the ladder of God's
condescension. This is what we heard in the first reading, from the Letter to the Hebrews: Christ became 'like His brothers and sisters in every respect, so that He might be a merciful and faithful high priest'. This is the twofold path
taken by Jesus: He descended, He became like us, in order then to ascend with us to the Father, making us like Himself. In our heart we can contemplate this double movement by imagining the Gospel scene of Mary who enters the Temple holding the Child in her arms. The Mother walks, yet it is the Child who goes before her. She carries him, yet He is leading her along the path of the God who comes to us so that we might go to Him. Jesus walked the same path as we do, and shows us the new way, the 'new and living way' which is He Himself. For
us, consecrated men and women, this is the one way which, concretely and without alternatives, we must continue to tread with joy and perseverance".
Francis continued, "Fully five times the Gospel speaks to us of Mary and Joseph's obedience to the 'law of the Lord'. Jesus came not to do His own will,
but the will of the Father. This way - He tells us - was His 'food'. In the same way, all those who follow Jesus must set out on the path of obedience, imitating as it were the Lord's 'condescension' by humbling themselves and making their own the will of the Father, even to self-emptying and abasement. For a religious, to advance on the path of obedience means to abase oneself in service, that is, to take the same path as Jesus, who 'did not deem equality with God a thing to be grasped'. By emptying himself he made himself a servant in order to serve".
For consecrated persons, this path "takes the form of the rule, marked by the charism of the founder. For all of us, the essential rule remains the Gospel, yet the Holy Spirit, in His infinite creativity, also gives it expression in the various rules of the consecrated life which are born of the sequela Christi, and thus from this journey of abasing oneself by serving. Through this
'law' which is the rule, consecrated persons are able to attain wisdom, not something abstract, but a work and gift of the Holy Spirit. An evident sign of such wisdom is joy. The evangelical happiness of a religious is the fruit of self-abasement in union with Christ".
In the account of Jesus' Presentation in the Temple, wisdom is represented by two elderly persons, Simeon and Anna: "persons docile to the Holy Spirit, led by Him, inspired by Him", emphasised the Holy Father. "The Lord granted them wisdom as the fruit of a long journey along the path of obedience to His law, an obedience which likewise humbles and abases, but which also lifts up and protects hope, making them creative, for they are filled with the Holy Spirit. ... Mary, the young mother, and Simeon, the kindly old man, hold the Child in their arms, yet it is the Child himself who guides them both".
The Pontiff noted that, on this occasion, it is the elderly, rather than the young, who are creative: "the young, like Mary and Joseph, follow the law of the Lord, the path of obedience. The elderly, like Simeon and Anna, see in the Child the fulfilment of the Law and the promises of God. And they are able to celebrate: they are creative in joy and wisdom. And the Lord turns obedience into wisdom by the working of His Holy Spirit". However, "at times God can grant the gift of wisdom to a young person, but always as the fruit of obedience and docility to the Spirit. This obedience and docility is not something theoretical; it too is subject to the economy of the incarnation of the Word: docility and obedience to a founder, docility and obedience to a specific rule, docility and obedience to one's superior, docility and obedience
to the Church. It is always docility and obedience in the concrete".
In persevering along along the path of obedience, "personal and communal wisdom matures, and thus it also becomes possible to adapt rules to the times; indeed, true 'renovation' is the fruit of wisdom forged in docility and obedience. The strengthening and renewal of consecrated life are the result of great love for the rule, and also the ability to look to and heed the elders of
one's congregation. In this way, the 'deposit', the charism of each religious family, is preserved by obedience and by wisdom, working together. By means of this journey, we are preserved from living our consecration "lightly", in an disembodied manner, as if it were some sort of gnosis which would ultimately reduce religious life to caricature, a caricature in which there is following without renunciation, prayer without encounter, fraternal life without communion, obedience without trust, and charity without transcendence.
"Today we too, like Mary and Simeon, want to take Jesus into our arms, to bring Him to his people", the Pope concluded. "Surely we will be able to do so if we enter into the mystery in which Jesus Himself is our guide. Let us bring others to Jesus, but let us also allow ourselves to be led by Him. This is what
we should be: guides who themselves are guided".

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Recognition of the martyrdom of Archbishop Oscar Romero, the friars Michal Tomaszek and Zbigniew Strazalkowski, and Fr. Alessandro Dordi
Vatican City, 3 February 2015 (VIS) - Today the Holy Father Francis received in a private audience Cardinal Angelo Amato, S.D.B., prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, during which he authorised the Congregation to promulgate the following decrees:
MARTYRDOM
- Servant of God Oscar Arnulfo Romero Galdamez (El Salvador, 1917-1980), archbishop of San Salvador, El Salvador, killed in hatred of the faith on 24 March 1980.
- Servants of God Michal Tomaszek (Poland, 1960) and Zbigniew Strazalkowski (Poland, 1958), professed priests of the Order of Friars Minor Conventual, and Alessandro Dordi, Italian diocesan priest, killed in hatred of the faith in Peru on 9 and 25 August 1991.
HEROIC VIRTUES
- Servant of God Giovanni Bacile, Italian priest (1880-1941).

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8 February: First International Day of Prayer against Human Trafficking
Vatican City, 3 February 2015 (VIS) - This morning a press conference was held
in the Holy See Press Office to present the first International Day of Prayer and Awareness against Human Trafficking. The Day will be held on 8 February, the feast day of Sudanese slave St. Josephine Bakhita who, after being freed, became a Canossian Sister and was canonised in 2000, and will be entitled: "A light against human trafficking". The Day is promoted by the Pontifical Council
for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant Peoples, the Pontifical Council
"Justice and Peace" and the International Union of Superiors General (UISG).
The conference was attended by Cardinal Joao Braz de Aviz, prefect of the Congregation for the Institutes of Consecrated Life and the Societies of Apostolic Life; Cardinal Antonio Maria Veglio, president of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant Peoples; and Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson, president of the Pontifical Council "Justice and Peace". The other speakers were Sister Carmen Sammut, MSOLA, president of the International Union of Superiors General; Sister Gabriella Bottani, SMC, coordinator of Talitha Kum (the International Network of Consecrated Life against Trafficking in Persons); Sister Valeria Gandini, SMC; and Sister Imelda
Poole IBVM, coordinator of the European Talitha Kum network.
Cardinal Turkson, speaking in English, reiterated that "millions of people today - children, women and men of all ages - are deprived of freedom and are forced to live in conditions akin to slavery. For those who cry out - usually in silence - for liberation, St Josephine Bakhita is an exemplary witness of hope. We, victims and advocates alike, could do no better than be inspired by her life and entrust our efforts to her intercession".
He continued, "the Holy Father invites us all to recognise that we are facing a global phenomenon which exceeds the competence of any one community or country. In order to eliminate it, we need a mobilisation comparable in size to
that of the phenomenon itself". The prelate explained that the International Day against Human Trafficking constitutes "a mobilisation of awareness and prayer on a global scale. Our awareness must expand and extend to the very depths of this evil and its farthest reaches ... from awareness to prayer ... from prayer to solidarity ... and from solidarity to concerted action, until slavery and trafficking are no more".
On the occasion of this first day of prayer and reflection, all dioceses, parishes, associations, families and individuals are invited to reflect and pray in order to cast light on this crime, as indicated by the theme of the initiative. In addition, prayer vigils will be held in different countries, culminating in the Angelus prayer in St. Peter's Square on 8 February.
On the day, the faithful are invited to recite the following prayer:
"O God, when we hear of children and adults deceived and taken to unknown places for
purposes of sexual exploitation, forced labour, and
organ æharvesting', our hearts are saddened and
our spirits angry that their dignity and rights are
ignored through threats, lies, and force.
We cry out against the evil practice of this modern
slavery, and pray with St. Bakhita for it to end.
Give us wisdom and courage to reach out and
stand with those whose bodies, hearts and spirits
have been so wounded, so that together we may
make real your promises to fill these sisters and
brothers with a love that is tender and good.
Send the exploiters away empty-handed to be
converted from this wickedness, and help us all to
claim the freedom that is your gift to your
children. Amen".

___________________________________________________________

For more information and to search for documents refer to the site: www.visnews.org and www.vatican.va

Copyright (VIS): the news contained in the services of the Vatican
Information Service may be reproduced wholly or partially by quoting
the source: V. I. S. - Vatican Information Service. http://www.vatican.va/news_services/press/vis/vis_en.html

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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 025
DATE 04-02-2015

Summary:
- General audience: the importance of a father's presence in the family
- Appeal for an end to the fratricidal violence in Ukraine
- Archbishop Oscar Romero, blessed and defender of the poor and justice

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General audience: the importance of a father's presence in the family
Vatican City, 4 February 2015 (VIS) - The positive and decisive aspect of the father figure was the theme chosen by Pope Francis for the catechesis of today's general audience, held in the Paul VI Hall.
"Every family needs a father", he began, "and I would like to talk about this role starting from several phrases we find in the Book of Proverbs, words that a father addresses to his son: 'My son, if your heart is wise, then my heart will be glad indeed. My inmost being will rejoice when your lips speak what is right'".
"One could not better express the pride and emotion of a father who acknowledges that he has transmitted to his son what truly counts in life, a wise heart", he affirmed, explaining that the phrase in the Book of Proverbs is
that of father who says, "This is what I wanted to leave to you, so that it might become yours: feeling, acting, speaking and judging with wisdom and rectitude. And in order for you to be able to do this, I taught you things you did not know, I corrected errors you did not see. ... I myself, first of all, had to test the wisdom of my heart, and monitor my excesses of sentiment and resentment, to bear the weight of the inevitable misunderstandings, and to find
the right words to make myself understood".
"A father knows well how to transmit this legacy: with closeness, gentleness and firmness. However, what consolation and compensation he receives, when his children honour his legacy! It is a joy that repays every hardship, that overcomes every misunderstanding and heals every wound".
To be a good father, the first requirement is "to be present in the family. To
be close to his wife, to share in everything, joy and pain, burdens and hopes. And to be close to the children as they grow: when they play and when they make
efforts, when they are carefree and when they are distressed, when they dare and when they are afraid, when they make missteps and when they return to the right path. A father must always be present, but" - the Holy Father warned - "being present is not the same as controlling. Fathers who seek to control end up stifling their children; they do not let them grow".
"The Gospel provides us with the example of the Father in heaven - the only one, Jesus says, who can truly be described as a 'good Father'. Everyone knows the extraordinary parable of the prodigal son, or better of the merciful father
in the Gospel according to Luke. How much dignity and tenderness we find in the
father who stays at the door of his house awaiting the return of his son! Fathers need to be patient. Sometimes you can do nothing other than wait; pray and wait with patience, gentleness, magnanimity, and mercy. A good father knows
how to wait and how to forgive, from the bottom of his heart. He certainly also
knows how to correct firmly. ... A father who knows how to correct without humiliating is the same as he who knows how to protect unstintingly".
"If there is anyone who knows how to explain in depth the Lord's Prayer, taught by Jesus, it is precisely he who experiences paternity in the first person", continued the Pope. "Without the grace that comes from the Father in heaven, fathers lose courage, and abandon the field. But children need to find a father who awaits them when they return home after their failures. They will do everything to avoid admitting or showing this, but they need him, and not finding him opens up wounds that are difficult to heal".
"The Church, our mother, is committed to supporting with all her power the good and generous presence of fathers in families", Pope Francis concluded, "as, like St. Joseph, they are the indispensable guardians and mediators of the
faith for new generations, in goodness, justice and God's protection".

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Appeal for an end to the fratricidal violence in Ukraine
Vatican City, 4 February 2015 (VIS) - At the end of today's catechesis the Pope launched an appeal for an end to the violence among the "beloved Ukrainian
people". "Unfortunately, the situation is worsening", he said, "and there is an
escalation of hostilities between the parties. Let us pray firstly for the victims, many of whom are civilians, and their families, and let us ask the Lord for an end, as soon as possible, to this horrible fratricidal violence. I renew my heartfelt appeal that every effort be made - also at an international level - to resume dialogue, the only way possible to restore peace and harmony to this ravaged land".
"Brothers and sisters", he continued, "when I hear the words 'victory' or 'defeat', I feel great suffering, a great sadness in my heart. These are not the right words: the only right word is 'peace'. This is the only right word. I
think of you, Ukrainian brothers and sisters. ... Think, this is a war between Christians! You have all had the same baptism! You are fighting among yourselves, with other Christians. Think of this scandal. And let us all pray, so that our prayer might be our protest before God in this time of war".

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Archbishop Oscar Romero, blessed and defender of the poor and justice
Vatican City, 4 February 2015 (VIS) - This morning in the Holy See Press Office Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, president of the Pontifical Council for the Family and postulator of the cause for the beatification of Oscar Arnulfo Romero, presented the figure of the Salvadoran archbishop assassinated in 1980 while celebrating Mass and whose martyrdom was acknowledged yesterday with the signing of the necessary decree by Pope Francis. Historian Roberto Morozzo della Rocca, professor of modern history at the University of Rome III and author of a biography of Oscar Romero, also participated in the conference. Extensive extracts of Archbishop Paglia's presentation are published below.
"It is an extraordinary gift for all of the Church at the beginning of this millennium to see rise to the altar a pastor who gave his life for his people; and this is true for all Christians. This can be seen in the attention of the Anglican Church, which has placed a statue of Romero in the facade of Westminster Abbey alongside those of Martin Luther King and Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and for all of society that regards him as a defender of the poor and of peace. Gratitude is also due to Benedict XVI, who followed the cause from the very beginning and on 20 December 2012 - just over a month before his resignation - decided to unblock the process to enable it to follow the regular
itinerary".
"The work of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, with Cardinal Angelo Amato, S.D.B., has been careful and attentive. The unanimity of both the commission of cardinals and the commission of theologians confirmed his martyrdom in odium fidei. ... The martyrdom of Romero has given meaning and strength to many Salvadoran families who lost relatives and friends during the civil war. His memory immediately became the memory of other victims, perhaps less illustrious, of the violence".
"Following a lengthy procedure that encountered many difficulties, on account of opposition due to both the archbishop's thought and pastoral action, and the
situation of conflict that developed in relation to him, the itinerary finally reached its conclusion. Romero becomes, as it were, the first of a long line of
contemporary New Martyrs. 24 March - the day of his death - became, by decision
of the Italian Episcopal Conference, the "Day for Prayer for Missionary Martyrs". The United Nations have proclaimed that day "International Day for the Right to the Truth Concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims".
The world has changed greatly since 1980, but that pastor from a small Central
American country speaks powerfully. It is not without significance that his beatification will take place precisely when there is for the first time in history a Latin American Pope who wants a 'poor Church, for the poor'. It is a providential coincidence".
Romero the pastor
"Romero believed in his role as a bishop and primate of his country, and he considered himself responsible for the population, especially the poorest. Therefore, he took upon himself the bloodshed, pain and violence, denouncing their causes in his charismatic Sunday preaching that was listened to on the radio by the entire nation. We might say that it was a 'pastoral conversion', with the assumption by Romero of a strength that was indispensable in the crisis that beset the country. He transformed himself into a defensor civitatis
following the tradition of the ancient Fathers of the Church, defending the persecuted clergy, protecting the poor, and affirming human rights".
"The climate of persecution was palpable. However, Romero clearly became the defender of the poor in the face of cruel repression. After two years as archbishop of San Salvador, Romero counted thirty lost priests - killed, expelled or forced to flee from death. The death squads killed scores of catechists from the base communities, and many faithful disappeared from these communities. The Church was the main target of accusation and therefore the hardest hit. Romero resisted and accepted giving his life to defend his people".
Assassinated at the altar during Mass
"He was killed at the altar. Killing him was intended to strike at the Church that flowed from Vatican Council II. His death - as the detailed documentary examination clearly showed - was not only politically motivated, but due also to hatred for a faith that, combined with charity, would not stay silent when faced with the injustices that implacably and cruelly afflicted the poor and their defenders. His assassination at the altar - without doubt a more uncertain death as it meant shooting from a distance of thirty metres rather than an attempt from a shorter range - had a symbolic nature that resounded as as terrible warning for whoever wished to follow the same route. John Paul II himself - who was well aware of the other two saints killed at the altar, St. Stanislaus of Krakow and St. Thomas Becket of Canterbury - noted effectively, 'they killed him precisely at the most sacred moment, during the highest and most divine act. ... A bishop of God's Church was assassinated while he exercised his sanctifying mission, offering the Eucharist'. On a number of occasions he repeated forcefully, 'Romero is ours, Romero is of the Church!'".
Romero and the poor
"Romero had always loved the poor. As a very young priest in San Miguel he was
accused of communism because he asked the rich to give a fair salary to the peasant coffee cultivators. He told them that not only did they act against justice, but also that they themselves opened the doors to communism".
"Romero understood increasingly clearly that being a pastor to all meant starting with the poor. Placing the poor at the centre of the pastoral concerns
of the Church and therefore of all Christians, including the rich, was the new pastoral way. His preferential love for the poor not only did not attenuate his
love for his country, but on the contrary supported it. In this sense, Romero was not partisan, although to some he appeared that way; rather, he was a pastor who sought the common good of all, starting however with the poor. He never ceased to seek out the way for the pacification of the country.
Romero, man of God and of the Church
Romero was a man of God, a man of prayer, of obedience and love for the people. He prayed a lot ... and he was harsh on himself, a severity linked to an old-fashioned spirituality made up of sacrifices. He had a 'linear' spiritual life, in spite of having a character that was not always easy - rigorous with himself, intransigent, tormented. But in prayer he found rest, peace and strength. When he had to make complicated or difficult decisions, he withdrew in prayer".
"He was a bishop faithful to the magisterium. From his papers there clearly emerges his familiarity with the documents of Vatican Council II, Medellin, Puebla, the social doctrine of the Church and other pontifical texts in general. ... It has often been said that Romero was suborned by liberation theology. Once, a journalist asked him, 'Do you agree with liberation theology?'. He answered, 'Yes, of course. But there are two forms of liberation
theology. There is the one that sees liberation solely as material liberation. The other is that of Paul VI. I am with Paul VI'".

___________________________________________________________

For more information and to search for documents refer to the site: www.visnews.org and www.vatican.va

Copyright (VIS): the news contained in the services of the Vatican
Information Service may be reproduced wholly or partially by quoting
the source: V. I. S. - Vatican Information Service. http://www.vatican.va/news_services/press/vis/vis_en.html

--- MPost/386 v1.21
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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 027
DATE 06-02-2015

Summary:
- To Italian prefects: fidelity to the law and scrupulous respect for the rights of the person
- Francis at the concluding session of Scholas Occurrentes: the young are the future
- Consistory on 14 February and courtesy visits to the new cardinals
- Showers and barber under Bernini's Colonnade for "homeless pilgrims"
- Audiences
- Other Pontifical Acts

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To Italian prefects: fidelity to the law and scrupulous respect for the rights
of the person
Vatican City, 6 February 2015 (VIS) - This morning in the Clementine Hall the Pope received in audience the prefects (governmental representatives) of various Italian cities. In his address, he remarked that their work "implies tenacious dedication to duty and an exhaustive knowledge of relevant issues, along with the flexibility necessary to face the innumerable practical cases that emerge, each one with its own peculiarities".
Pope Francis recalled that in recent years, during which migration has had a particular impact, partly as a result of "an increase throughout the world of violent conflicts with their tragic consequences for the people and the economies of many countries", there has been a need for particular delicacy and
competence in relation to immigration. The prefects are faced with "the need to
identify in the everyday management of situations, frequently in emergencies, the correct application of norms in order to guarantee, along with fidelity to the dictates of the law and current legislation, scrupulous respect for the fundamental rights of every human being".
"In this area, as in many others, fruitful collaboration between the Prefectures, dioceses and parishes is of great help; collaboration which, with respect for distinct competences, deserves confirmation, recognition and further development. The Church, as a divine and human entity, works in society
in the service of people based on the teaching of Christ and, wishing to carry out her educational and charitable mission in sincere collaboration with the institutions of the State for the development of humanity and the good of the country, is pleased to find in the Prefectures one of the fields in which this synergy for the good of all citizens is made particularly tangible".
The Holy Father went on to note that obedience to the law and the criteria of humanity at its foundations, alongside loyalty to institutions, constitute the indispensable framework within which the prefects carry out their work, and are
attitudes favourable to the assumption of responsibility. "The crisis of authority experienced by our society in various fields, both public and private
and with wide-ranging consequences, especially for the education of the younger
generations, numbers among its causes the lack of these fundamental dispositions towards obedience, listening and patience. Furthermore, the exercise of authority always has as its aim the attainment of the common good, finding its most intimate reason for existence and the very possibility of its effectiveness in placing itself in the service of those over whom authority is held".
He concluded, "You are therefore called to exercise your professionalism and your humanity, your knowledge and your prudence, without discouragement or pessimism, knowing however that you will not be faced with abstract questions but rather the real face of men and women with their problems and their hopes, that in these years of uncertainty and economic difficulty have become even more pressing".

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Francis at the concluding session of Scholas Occurrentes: the young are the future
Vatican City, 6 February 2015 (VIS) - Yesterday afternoon Pope Francis participated in the closing ceremony of the Fourth World Congress organised by Scholas Occurrentes, held in the Vatican from 2 to 5 February on the theme "Responsibility of all in education for a culture of encounter". The international network of schools, "Scholas Occurrentes - schools for encounter"
was established with a small number of children in Buenos Aires at the behest of the then-Archbishop Bergoglio and currently involves four hundred state and religious schools in five continents, linked through sports, art and technology. During the ceremony, Pope Francis held a video-conference with seven disabled children from different parts of the world, who whom he said, "Each one of us has a treasure inside. If we keep it locked up, it stays locked
up inside; if we share it with others, the treasure multiplies with the treasure that comes from others". The Pope also remarked that, thanks to them, we understand that "life is a beautiful treasure, but it makes sense only if it
is given".
He went on to speak of a "broken educational pact". "Society, the family, and various institutions delegate education to teachers who, generally underpaid, bear the burden of this responsibility and are berated if the outcome is not successful; however, no-one looks to the various institutions that have broken the educational pact, who have delegated it to the professionalism of teachers". He paid homage to those teachers "who have found themselves with this hot potato in their hands and have made efforts to keep going".
Francis explained that the aim of Scholas Occurrentes is to reintegrate the efforts of all in education, and to harmoniously rebuild the educational pact, "as only in this way, if all those of us who are responsible for the education of our young act in together, can we change education". He also emphasised the importance of "harmonising the language of the head with that of the heart and of the hands, so that a person, a boy or a girl, thinks about what he feels and
does, feels what he thinks and does, and does what he feels and thinks".
He highlighted every person and every people's search for "the beauty we create with our art, our music, our painting, our sculpture, our literature. Educate in beauty, because harmony means beauty, and we cannot achieve harmony in our educational system without having this perception of beauty". He concluded by thanking Scholas Occurrentes for its achievements and, while he acknowledged that many problems remained to be solved, he encouraged the organisation to continue its work. "Joint work and monitoring are necessary, so
that this spark may become a flame, and may help to rebuild and harmonise the educational pact. Those who benefit from this are the young, and the young are the future".

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Consistory on 14 February and courtesy visits to the new cardinals
Vatican City, 6 February 2015 (VIS) - On Saturday 14 February in St. Peter's Basilica, the Holy Father will preside at an Ordinary Public Consistory for the
creation of new cardinals and the canonisation of Blessed Jeanne-Emilie De Villeneuve, foundress of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Immaculate Conception of Castres, Blessed Mary of Jesus Crucified (nee Maryam Baouardy) professed nun of the Order of Discalced Carmelites and Blesseed Marie-Alphonsine Danil Ghattas (nee Maryam Sultanah), co-foundress of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Rosary of Jerusalem of the Latins.
On the same day, in the afternoon, the courtesy visits to the new cardinals will take place in the locations indicated below:
Paul VI Hall
Atrium: Cardinals Manuel Jose Macario do Nascimento Clemente; Berhaneyesus Demerew Souraphiel, C.M; John Atcherley Dew; Edoardo Menichelli; Pierre Nguyen Van Nhon and Alberto Suarez Inda;
Hall: Cardinals Charles Maung Bo, S.D.B. ;Francis Xavier Kriengsak Kovithavanij; Francesco Montenegro; Daniel Fernando Sturla Berhouet, S.D.B; Ricardo Blazquez Perez; Jose Luis Lacunza Maestrojuan, O.A.R; Arlindo Gomes Furtad and Soane Patita Paini Mafi;
Apostolic Palace
Sala Regia: Cardinals Dominique Mamberti and Luigi De Magistris;
Sala Ducal: Cardinals Karl-Joseph Rauber, Luis Hector Villalba and Julio Duarte Langa.
On Sunday 15 February, Pope Francis concelebrates Holy Mass with all the cardinals in St. Peter's Basilica at 10 a.m.

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Showers and barber under Bernini's Colonnade for "homeless pilgrims"
Vatican City, 6 February 2015 (VIS) - In recent days work has been concluded for the installation of new showers below Bernini's Colonnade, thus completing an extensive project to provide this service for the poor of the city of Rome through the participating parishes, especially those where there already exist canteens for the poor or where there is a greater concentration of homeless people.
The project was planned, guided and implemented by the technicians and employees of the Governorate of Vatican City State: three showers and a small "barbershop" have been incorporated in the complete renovation of a section of the bathrooms present under the right wing of the Colonnade.
This has been achieved with great sobriety and dignity, but also using modern techniques: every washbasin is equipped with hot water, a soap dispenser and a hot air jet for drying hands, all photocell-activated; instead of tiles, a special resin has been used to coat the walls, which is easy to wash and ensures optimum hygiene.
The showers will be available for use every day, except on Wednesday during the general audience and during celebrations in St. Peter's Square and in the Basilica. On Monday, Thursday and Saturday the service and management of the showers is ensured by volunteers from UNITALSI - Rome Section. The barber will be available on Monday from 9 am to 3 pm. The service is provided by various voluntary barbers and final year students from a hairdressing school in Rome.
Our homeless pilgrims who wish to use the shower will receive a complete change of underwear and a kit including a towel, soap, toothpaste, a razor, shaving cream and deodorant, in accordance with their specific needs. The majority of the material will be offered free of charge by several companies and private individuals who, having heard of this project, have offered to share their own resources with the needy. The remainder of the material will be
purchased as necessary by the Almoner of His Holiness using proceeds from the distribution of parchments for Papal Blessings.
On certain days of the week the poor will be received by volunteers, starting with the Sisters of Mother Teresa of Calcutta, the Albertine Sisters who assist
the Swiss Guard, the Vincentian Sisters and many other kind-hearted volunteers in Rome who have offered their time and collaboration.
The Centro Televisivo Vaticano and the Photographic Service of L'Osservatore Romano will produce video footage and photographs of the new services and will make them available, from their offices, upon request.
The Almoner wishes to offer heartfelt thanks to all the Parishes that have participated in this project and, in particular, all those who have contributed
to producing the showers below the Colonnade and who will endeavour in various ways to their use to assist the poor.

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Audiences
Vatican City, 6 February 2015 (VIS) - Today, the Holy Father received in audience:
- Cardinal Angelo Scola, archbishop of Milan, Italy;
- His Beatitude Cardinal Bechara Boutros Rai, Patriarch of Antioch of the Maronites;
- Cardinal Juan Luis Cipriani Thorne, archbishop of Lima, Peru;
- Bishop Heinz Wilhelm Steckling of Ciudad del Este, Paraguay.

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Other Pontifical Acts
Vatican City, 6 February 2015 (VIS) - The Holy Father has:
- appointed Fr. Jozef Roszynski, S.V.D., as bishop of Wewak (area 36,917, population 367,000, Catholics 224,000, priests 39, religious 90), Papua New Guinea. The bishop-elect was born in Nidzica, Poland in 1962 and was ordained a
priest in 1989. He studied at the Divine Word University, Papua New Guinea and has served in a number of pastoral roles, including parish priest in parishes in Warabung, Wirui and Wewak; member of the provincial council of the Verbites in Papua New Guinea; superior of the the Verbites in the district of Wewak; member of commissions created by the apostolic administrator for the management
of finances and for the pastoral care of the vacant diocese in Wewak. He is currently a missionary in the same diocese.
- Fr. Denis Chidi Isizoh as auxiliary of the archdiocese of Onitsha (area 2,968, population 2,642,000, Catholics 1,761,000, priests 336, religious 730), Nigeria. The bishop-elect was born in Ogbunike, Japan in 1956 and was ordained a priest in 1985. He studied Holy Scriptures at the Pontifical Biblical Institute, Rome, and studied for a doctorate in biblical theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome, and has served as a formator at the "All
Hallows" minor seminary of Onitsha and chaplain of various institutes and schools. He is currently secretary and assistant to Cardinal Francis Arinze and
official at the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue.

___________________________________________________________

For more information and to search for documents refer to the site: www.visnews.org and www.vatican.va

Copyright (VIS): the news contained in the services of the Vatican
Information Service may be reproduced wholly or partially by quoting
the source: V. I. S. - Vatican Information Service. http://www.vatican.va/news_services/press/vis/vis_en.html

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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 029
DATE 10-02-2015

Summary:
- Publication of the Homiletic Directory
- Cardinal Robert Sarah presents the Homiletic Directory
- Telegram for the death of Cardinal Karl Joseph Becker
- Declaration by the director of the Holy See Press Office on the situation in Ukraine
- Other Pontifical Acts
- Notice

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Publication of the Homiletic Directory
Vatican City, 10 February 2015 (VIS) - The Congregation for Divine Worship and
the Discipline of the Sacraments today published the Homiletic Directory, which
opens with the decree of Cardinal Antonio Canizares Llovera, prefect of the dicastery on the date on which it was signed, 29 June 2014, Solemnity of the apostles Peter and Paul. The text also bears the signature of Archbishop Arthur
Roche, secretary of the same Congregation.
"It is very poignant that Pope Francis wished to devote considerable attention
to the theme of the homily in his Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii gaudium", writes the Cardinal. "Both positive and negative aspects of the state of preaching had already been expressed by Bishops gathered in Synod, and guidance
for homilists was offered in the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortations Verbum Domini and Sacramentum caritatis of Pope Benedict XVI.
From this perspective, and bearing in mind the provisions of the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy Sacrosanctum Concilium, as well as subsequent Magisterial
teaching, and in light of the 'Introduction of the Lectionary for Mass and the General Instruction of the Roman Missal', this two-part 'Homiletic Directory' has been prepared.
"In the first part, entitled 'The homily and its liturgical setting', the nature, function, and specific context of the homily are described. Other aspects that define it are also addressed, namely, the appropriate ordained minister who delivers it, its reference to the Word of God, the proximate and remote preparation for its composition, and its recipients.
"In the second part, 'Ars praedicandi', essential questions of method and content that the homilist must know and take into account in the preparation and delivery of the homily are illustrated. In a way that is meant to be indicative and not exhaustive, interpretive keys are proposed for the cycle of Sundays and Feasts, beginning at the heart of the liturgical year (the Sacred Triduum and Easter Time, Lent, Advent, Christmas Time, and Ordinary Time), and also for the Masses of weekdays, weddings, and funerals. In these examples, the
criteria outlined in the first part of the Directory are put into practice: typology between the Old and New Testaments, the importance of the Gospel reading, the ordering of the readings, and the nexus between the Liturgy of the
Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist, between the Biblical message and the liturgical texts, between celebration and life, and between listening to God and the particular assembly.
"Two appendices follow the main text. In the first, with the intention of showing the link between the homily and the doctrine of the Catholic Church, references are given to the Catechism according to various doctrinal themes in the readings for each of the Sundays and Feasts of the three year cycle. In the
second appendix, references to various Magisterial teachings on the homily are provided.
"This text was presented to each of the Fathers of the Congregation for Divine
Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, and was reviewed and approved at the Ordinary Sessions of 7 February and 20 May 2014. It was then presented to Pope Francis, who approved the publication of the Homiletic Directory. This Congregation is pleased, therefore, to make it available, desiring that 'the homily can actually be an intense and happy experience of the Spirit, a consoling encounter with God's word, a constant source of renewal and growth' (Evangelii gaudium, 135). Each homilist, making his own the sentiments of the Apostle Paul, is to renew the understanding that 'as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please men, but to please God who tests our hearts' (1 Thess 2:4).
"Translations into the principal languages have been undertaken by this Dicastery, while translations into other languages remain the responsibility of
the concerned Conferences of Bishops. All things to the contrary notwithstanding.
"From the offices of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of
the Sacraments, 29 June 2014, the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles".

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Cardinal Robert Sarah presents the Homiletic Directory
Vatican City, 10 February 2015 (VIS) - In a press conference held in the Holy See Press Office this morning, Cardinal Robert Sarah, prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, presented
the "Homiletic Directory" drawn up by the same dicastery during the mandate of his predecessor, Cardinal Antonio Canizares Llovera. The cardinal was accompanied by Archbishop Arthur Roche and Fr. Corrado Maggione, S.M.M., respectively secretary and under secretary of the Congregation.
"Often, for many faithful, it is precisely the homily, considered as good or bad, interesting or boring, that is the yardstick by which the entire celebration is judged", explained Cardinal Sarah. "Certainly, the Mass is not the homily, but it represents a moment relevant for the purpose of participation in the holy Mysteries, that is, listening to the Word of God and the communion of the Body and Blood of the Lord".
"The Directory was not born without a reason. The aim is to respond to the need to improve the service of ordained ministers in liturgical preaching", he continued, noting that during the 2005 Synod of Bishops ordained ministers were
asked to prepare their homilies carefully, and basing them on adequate knowledge of the Sacred Scripture. "This is the first fact to bear in mind", he
underlined: "that the homily is directly linked to the Sacred Scriptures, especially the Gospel, and is enlightened by them". During the same Synod, it was also requested that in the homily "the great themes of the faith and the life of the Church should resound throughout the year", in order to "help demonstrate the nexus connecting the message of the biblical readings with the doctrine of the faith as expressed in the Catechism of the Catholic Church". He
added, "on the basis of these expectations, Benedict XVI in the exhortation Sacramentum caritatis ... encouraged reflection on the matter".
The bishops returned to this issue in the Synod on the Word of God, and Benedict XVI in the exhortation Verbum domini, while reiterating that preaching
appropriately with reference to the Lectionary was "truly an art that must be cultivated", also indicated that it would be opportune to compile a directory on the homily, so that preachers might find help in preparing for the exercise of their ministry".
"The way was thus prepared and the Congregation initiated the project. A further impetus to bring it to a conclusion was provided by the emphasis placed
on the homily by Pope Francis, who reserves 25 points to this theme in his apostolic exhortation Evangelii gaudium: 10 to the homily and 15 to its preparation".
"The homily is a liturgical service reserved to the ordained minister, who is called upon by vocation to serve the Word of God according to the faith of the Church and not in a personalised fashion. It is not a mere discourse like any other, but rather a speech inspired by the Word of God that resounds in an assembly of believers, in the context of liturgical action, with a view to learning to put into practice the Gospel of Jesus Christ".
Among the criteria mentioned in the Directory, the Cardinal mentioned, "first,
the homily is inspired by the Scriptures inserted by the Church in the Lectionary, or rather the Book that contains, for all the days of the year, the
biblical readings for the Mass; second, the homily is inspired by the celebration of which these readings form a part, or rather, by the prayers and the rites that constitute this liturgy, whose main protagonist is God, for Christ His Son, in the power of the Holy Spirit".
"Obviously", he concluded, "the homily makes demands of he who pronounces it. Therefore, the preparation of the homilist is of the first importance: this requires study and prayer, experience of God and knowledge of the community he addresses, love for the holy Mysteries and love for the living Body of Christ that is the Church".

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Telegram for the death of Cardinal Karl Joseph Becker
Vatican City, 10 February 2015 (VIS) - Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin has sent a telegram on behalf of the Holy Father to Fr. Adolfo Nicolas Pachon, superior general of the Society of Jesus, for the death of Cardinal Karl Joseph Becker, S.J., at the age of 86.
In his text, the Pope expresses his heartfelt condolences and recalls with gratitude the late Cardinal's intense and exemplary service throughout the years in the teaching and formation of the new generations, especially priests;
in theological research; and in the Holy See. "I raise fervent prayers to the Lord", he writes, "so that, by the intercession of Mary Most Holy and St. Ignatius of Loyola, He may grant the departed Cardinal the eternal reward promised to His disciples, and I invoke for you and his loved ones the consolation of an apostolic blessing".

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Declaration by the director of the Holy See Press Office on the situation in Ukraine
Vatican City, 10 February 2015 (VIS) - "The Holy See is following attentively the situations of crisis in various parts of the world, including the eastern regions of Ukraine. In the presence of an escalation of the conflict that has claimed many innocent victims, the Holy Father Francis has renewed his appeal for peace on several occasions. By these interventions, while inviting the faithful to pray for those who have been killed and injured as a result of the hostilities, the Pope also underlined the urgency of resuming negotiations as the only possible way out of the logic of mounting accusations and reactions.
"Faced with differing interpretations of the Pope's words, especially those of
Wednesday 4 February, I consider it useful to specify that he has always wished
to address all the interested parties, trusting in the sincere efforts of each one to implement agreements reached by common consent and invoking the principle of international law, to which the Holy See has referred several times since the beginning of the crisis. As St. John Paul II often repeated, humanity must find the courage to substitute the right to force with the power of law.
"The Holy Father joyfully awaits the 'Ad limina' visit of the Ukrainian Episcopate, scheduled for the days 16-21 February. This will constitute a further occasion to meet those brother Bishops, to be directly informed on the situation of that dear country, to console the Church and those who suffer and to evaluate together paths for reconciliation and peace".

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Other Pontifical Acts
Vatican City, 10 February 2015 (VIS) - The Holy Father has appointed Bishop Jozef Gorzynski, auxiliary of the archdiocese of Warsaw, as coadjutor archbishop of Warmia (area 12,000, population 711,800, Catholics 695,000, priests 521, religious 413), Poland.

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Notice
Vatican City, 10 February 2015 (VIS) - No VIS bulletin will be transmitted tomorrow, Wednesday 11 February, the 86th anniversary of the signing of the Lateran Pacts and of the institution of Vatican City State. Service will resume
on Tuesday, February 12.

___________________________________________________________

For more information and to search for documents refer to the site: www.visnews.org and www.vatican.va

Copyright (VIS): the news contained in the services of the Vatican
Information Service may be reproduced wholly or partially by quoting
the source: V. I. S. - Vatican Information Service. http://www.vatican.va/news_services/press/vis/vis_en.html

--- MPost/386 v1.21
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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 031
DATE 13-02-2015

Summary:
- Extraordinary Consistory: reform will strengthen the credibility of the Church
- Press release from the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue
- Notice

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Extraordinary Consistory: reform will strengthen the credibility of the Church
Vatican City, 13 February 2015 (VIS) - The Extraordinary Consistory of the College of Cardinals with Pope Francis did not complete its work this morning as expected. The meeting will continue during the afternoon, with an update on the work of the Commission for the Protection of Minors by its president, Cardinal Sean O'Malley, explained the director of the Holy See Press Office, Fr. Federico Lombardi, S.J., during a press conference today.
Yesterday, Thursday, the meeting continued in a serene and constructive atmosphere, with interventions by a further 28 cardinals who offered different perspectives on the reform of the Curia, focusing on the relationship between the Curia and the local Churches, and underlining the importance of better serving the Church in the world. They spoke of "decentralisation", and the theme of "subsidiarity" was recurrent. Further reflection was invited on what can be done better and where: or rather, in which cases it would be more useful
for the Roman dicasteries to act, and when instead the involvement of the dioceses or the episcopal conferences would be more useful.
Other interventions were dedicated to the usefulness and importance of the central service of the Holy See, bearing in mind the experience in various countries where the local church is weak and may be subject to pressure, and is
therefore supported by the work of the Vatican.
Coordination within the Curia was addressed not with a merely functional focus, but rather from the perspective of a sense of communion between the different dicasteries, of communication that creates union in the common mission. More specifically, the interministerial commissions were referred to as tools for achieving this objective and the importance of continuity in this dimension of coordination was noted.
Emphasis was placed on the competence of the Secretariat of State with regard to the Holy See's relations with international organisations and entities as a guarantee of coherence and the assumption of a common position. However, this does not mean that the Secretariat of State acts alone, but rather that it involves the dicasteries with specific competences, always with a guiding unity.
Simplification is a shared criterion. There were several considerations regarding the qualifications of people working in the Curia, from the point of view of professional competence and ecclesial spirit and dedication. Emphasis was placed on the need for professionals from different parts of the world and for the Church to better reflect her universality. In this respect, there was discussion on the role of the laity, women in particular, in the assumption of positions of responsibility in the Roman Curia. Other interventions focused on the positive elements of the Apostolic Constitution "Pastor bonus", which must not be lost from view; therefore, the reform process must ensure distinct continuity with this document, especially from an ecclesiological point of view.
This morning's meeting, attended by 164 cardinals, focused primarily on a long
report with four interventions on themes of an economic nature, introduced by Cardinal George Pell, president of the Secretariat for the Economy. Joseph F.X.
Zahra of the Commission for Reference on the Organisation of the Economic and Administrative Structure of the Holy See (COSEA) then spoke about the study the
Commission carried out last year on the organisational issues faced by the Holy
See, and gave information on the Commission's activity. It was the first time that the College of Cardinals has received such a detailed report in the presence of so many cardinals. The composition, role, work and competences of the Council for the Economy were then the subject of an intervention by Cardinal Reinhard Marx.
Cardinal Pell then gave further information regarding the recent activities of
the Secretariat, focusing primarily on the balance for the year that has just commenced. Finally, Jean-Baptiste de Franssu, president of the Institute for the Works of Religion (IOR) spoke about the current situation of this body.
Following the interventions by the cardinals, several questions were raised to
the speakers. As well as asking for more specific details, the cardinals expressed their appreciation for the reorganisation work that has taken place and their conviction that this constitutes a convincing reform that prioritises
transparency, integrity and competence. The speed with which it has been put into affect was also praised, given that there are already entities working according to the new guidelines. The reforms, it was affirmed, strengthen the credibility of the Church.
Questions of a more technical nature were also posed, regarding the competences of various bodies and the relations between the Holy See and Vatican City State.

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Press release from the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue
Vatican City, 13 February 2015 (VIS) - The Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue and the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India have organised a series of events in the country, which will also be attended by Archbishop Salvatore Pennacchio, apostolic nuncio in India.
Two representatives of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, Rev. Fr. Indunil Kodithuwakku, under secretary, and Rev. Fr. Santiago Michael, official for Asia, travelled to India to participate in the Fifth Buddhist-Christian Colloquium on 12 and 13 February in Bodh Gaya. Entitled "Buddhists and Christians Together Fostering Fraternity", it is divided into five sub-themes: (1) "We belong to one human family"; (2) "From a culture of diversity to a culture of solidarity"; (3) "Fraternity, a prerequisite for overcoming social evils"; (4) "Fraternity wipes away tears"; and (5) "Together fostering fraternity: the way forward", all to be considered from both Christian and Buddhist points of view. The participants, both Buddhists and Christians, come from various countries: Sri Lanka, Thailand, Korea, Japan, Myanmar, Mongolia, Taiwan and India. A message will be issued at the end of the
event.
From 14 to17 February the representatives of the dicastery will travel to Varanasi to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the promulgation of the Conciliar declaration "Nostra aetate" (28 October 1965). There will be encounters with the Jain, Muslim, Buddhist, Sikh and Hindu communities, on the theme "Celebrating Diversity of Religions to Foster a World of Peace and Love".
On 15 February, again in Varasani, at the St. Mary's Cathedral Campus, there will be a multi-religious prayer meeting organised by the PCID, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India and the diocese of Varasani, to be attended by representatives of various religions and Christian communities.

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Notice
Vatican City, 13 February 2015 (VIS) - We wish to inform our readers that tomorrow, Saturday 14 February, due to the Ordinary Public Consistory for the creation of new cardinals, a special edition of the Vatican Information Service
bulletin will be transmitted.

___________________________________________________________

For more information and to search for documents refer to the site: www.visnews.org and www.vatican.va

Copyright (VIS): the news contained in the services of the Vatican
Information Service may be reproduced wholly or partially by quoting
the source: V. I. S. - Vatican Information Service. http://www.vatican.va/news_services/press/vis/vis_en.html

--- MPost/386 v1.21
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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 032
DATE 14-02-2015

Summary:
- The Pope to the new cardinals: "May the people of God always see in us a firm
condemnation of injustice and joyful service to the truth"
- Titular and diaconate churches of the new cardinals
- Cardinal De Magistris takes possession of his diaconate

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The Pope to the new cardinals: "May the people of God always see in us a firm condemnation of injustice and joyful service to the truth"
Vatican City, 14 February 2015 (VIS) - At 11 a.m. today in the Vatican Basilica, Pope Francis celebrated an Ordinary Public Consistory during which he
created twenty new cardinals, to whom he imposed the biretta, consigned the ring and assigned the title or diaconate church.
The celebration was also attended by Pope emeritus Benedict XVI, whom Pope Francis embraced upon entering the basilica. He was also greeted by Cardinal Dominique Mamberti, prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura who, as first among the new cardinals, addressed some words of thanks to the Holy Father on behalf of all. "Becoming part of the College of Cardinals places
us in a particular way in the history and life of the Church of Rome that - according to St. Ignatius of Antioch's beautiful phrase - presides in charity. We are invited to come out of ourselves, of our habits and comforts, in order to serve the mission of this Church, aware that this implies having a broader horizon". Cardinal Jose de Jesus Pimiento was unable to attend on account of his advanced age, and so he will receive the biretta in Colombia.
In the homily he pronounced before the new cardinals, the Pope chose as a guide the hymn to charity from St. Paul's first Letter to the Corinthians, and emphasised that charity must always preside over their ministry.
"The cardinalate is certainly an honour, but it is not honorific", he began. "This we already know from its name - 'cardinal' - from the word 'cardo', a hinge. As such it is not a kind of accessory, a decoration, like an honorary title. Rather, it is a pivot, a point of support and movement essential for the
life of the community. You are 'hinges' and are 'incardinated' in the Church of
Rome, which 'presides over the entire assembly of charity'".
In the Church, "all 'presiding' flows from charity, must be exercised in charity, and is ordered towards charity. Here too the Church of Rome exercises an exemplary role. Just as she presides in charity, so too each particular Church is called, within its own sphere, to preside in charity. For this reason, I believe that the 'hymn to charity' in St. Paul's first letter to the Corinthians can be taken as a guiding theme for this celebration and for your ministry, especially for those of you who today enter the College of Cardinals.
All of us, myself first and each of you with me, would do well to let ourselves
be guided by the inspired words of the apostle Paul, especially in the passage where he lists the marks of charity. May our Mother Mary help us to listen. She
gave the world Jesus, charity incarnate, who is 'the more excellent Way'; may she help us to receive this Word and always to advance on this Way. May she assist us by her humility and maternal tenderness, because charity, as God's gift, grows wherever humility and tenderness are found.
"St. Paul tells us that charity is, above all, 'patient' and 'kind'", remarked
the Holy Father. "The greater our responsibility in serving the Church, the more our hearts must expand according to the measure of the heart of Christ. 'Patience' - 'forbearance' - is in some sense synonymous with catholicity. It means being able to love without limits, but also to be faithful in particular situations and with practical gestures. It means loving what is great without neglecting what is small; loving the little things within the horizon of the great things, since 'non coerceri a maximo, contineri tamen a minimo divinum est'. To know how to love through acts of kindness. 'Kindness' - benevolence - means the firm and persevering intention to always will the good of others, even those unfriendly to us.
"The Apostle goes on to say that charity 'is not jealous or boastful, it is not puffed up with pride'. This is surely a miracle of love, since we humans - all of us, at every stage of our lives - are inclined to jealousy and pride, since our nature is wounded by sin. Nor are Church dignitaries immune from this
temptation. But for this very reason, dear brothers, the divine power of love, which transforms hearts, can be all the more evident in us, so that it is no longer you who live, but rather Christ who lives in you. And Jesus is love to the fullest.
"St. Paul then tells us that charity 'is not arrogant or rude, it does not insist on its own way'", continued Pope Francis. "These two characteristics show that those who abide in charity are not self-centred. The self-centred inevitably become disrespectful; very often they do not even notice this, since
'respect' is precisely the ability to acknowledge others, to acknowledge their dignity, their condition, their needs. The self-centred person inevitably seeks
his own interests; he thinks this is normal, even necessary. Those 'interests' can even be cloaked in noble appearances, but underlying them all is always 'self-interest'. Charity, however, makes us draw back from the centre in order to set ourselves in the real centre, which is Christ alone. Then, and only then, can we be persons who are respectful and attentive to the good of others.
"Charity, Saint Paul says, 'is not irritable, it is not resentful'. Pastors close to their people have plenty of opportunities to be irritable, to feel anger. Perhaps we risk being all the more irritable in relationships with our confreres, since in effect we have less excuses. Even here, charity, and charity alone, frees us. It frees us from the risk of reacting impulsively, of saying or doing the wrong thing; above all it frees us from the mortal danger of pent-up anger, of that smouldering anger which makes us brood over wrongs we
have received. No. This is unacceptable in a man of the Church. Even if a momentary outburst is forgiveable, this is not the case with rancour. God save us from that!
"Charity - St. Paul adds - 'does not rejoice at the wrong, but rejoices in the
right'. Those called to the service of governance in the Church need to have a strong sense of justice, so that any form of injustice becomes unacceptable, even those which might bring gain to himself or to the Church. At the same time, he must 'rejoice in the right'. What a beautiful phrase! The man of God is someone captivated by truth, one who encounters it fully in the word and flesh of Jesus Christ, the inexhaustible source of our joy. May the people of God always see in us a firm condemnation of injustice and joyful service to the
truth".
Finally, the Pope concluded, "'love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things'. Here, in four words, is a spiritual and pastoral programme of life. The love of Christ, poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, enables us to live like this, to be like this: as persons always ready to forgive; always ready to trust, because we are full of faith in God; always ready to inspire hope, because we ourselves are full of hope in God; persons ready to bear patiently every situation and each of our brothers and sisters, in union with Christ, who bore with love the burden of our sins.
"Dear brothers, this comes to us not from ourselves, but from God. God is love
and he accomplishes all this in us if only we prove docile to the working of his Holy Spirit. This, then, is how we are to be: 'incardinated' and docile. The more we are 'incardinated' in the Church of Rome, the more we should become
docile to the Spirit, so that charity can give form and meaning to all that we are and all that we do. Incardinated in the Church which presides in charity, docile to the Holy Spirit who pours into our hearts the love of God. Amen".
Following his allocution, the Pope pronounced the formula for the creation of the new cardinals, their name and the titular diaconate or church assigned to them. The new cardinals recited the Creed and their oath of fidelity and obedience to the Holy Father and his successors. They subsequently received the
biretta and the ring from the Pope, who also assigned them their title or diaconate.
At the end of the rite, Cardinal Angelo Amato S.D.B., prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, addressed the Holy Father to request that three Blesseds be inscribed in the Book of Saints. The first, Jeanne-Emilie de Villeneuve, was born in France in 1811, and founded the Congregation of the Sisters of the Immaculate Conception of Castres for the education of poor girls and young women, for the sick, and for missions in distant lands. She died in 1854 and was beatified by Benedict XVI in 2009. The second, Marie-Alphonsine Danil Ghattas (nee Maryam Sultanah) was born in Jerusalem in 1843 and carried out an intense apostolate in favour of Christian mothers and the young. Co-foundress of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Rosary of Jerusalem of the Latins, she died in 1927 and was beatified by Benedict XVI in 2009. Finally, Mary of Jesus Crucified (nee Maryam Baouardy), born in Abellin near Nazareth in 1946, was a professed nun of the Order of Discalced Carmelites, and was sent to found the new Carmelites first in India and later in Bethlehem, where she died in 1878. She was beatified by St. John Paul II in 1983.

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Titular and diaconate churches of the new cardinals
Vatican City, 14 February 2015 (VIS) - Below is a list of the titular or diaconate churches assigned by Pope Francis to the new cardinals created during
this morning's Ordinary Public Consistory:
Cardinal Dominique Mamberti, diaconate of Santo Spirito in Sassia
Cardinal Manuel Jose Macario Do Nascimento Clemente, title of Sant'Antonio in Campo Marzio
Cardinal Berhaneyesus Demerew Sourphiel, C.M., title of San Romano Martire
Cardinal John Atcherley Dew, title of Sant'Ippolito
Cardinal Edoardo Menichelli, title of Sacri Cuori di Gesu e Maria a Tor Fiorenza
Cardinal Pierre Nguyen Van Nhon, title of San Tommaso Apostolo
Cardinal Alberto Suarez Inda, title of San Policarpo
Cardinal Charles Maung Bo, S.D.B., title of Sant'Ireneo a Centocelle
Cardinal Francis Xavier Kriengsak Kovithavanij, title of Santa Maria Addolorata
Cardinal Francesco Montenegro, title of Santi Andrea e Gregorio al Monte Celio
Cardinal Daniel Fernando Sturla Berhouet, S.D.B., title of Santa Galla
Cardinal Ricardo Blasquez Perez, title of Santa Maria in Vallicella
Cardinal Jose Luis Lacunza Maestrojuan, O.A.R., title of San Giuseppe da Copertino
Cardinal Arlindo Gomes Furtado, title of San Timoteo
Cardinal Soane Patita Paini Mafi, title of Santa Paola Romana
Cardinal Jose de Jesus Pimiento Rodriguez, title of San Giovanni Crisostomo a Monte Sacro Alto
Cardinal Luigi De Magistris, diaconate of Santissimi Nomi di Gesu e Maria in Via Lata
Cardinal Karl-Josef Rauber, diaconate of Sant'Antonio di Padova a Circonvallazione Appia
Cardinal Luis Hector Villalba, title of San Girolamo a Corviale
Cardinal Julio Duarte Langa, title of San Gabriele dell'Addolorata.

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Cardinal De Magistris takes possession of his diaconate
Vatican City, 14 February 2015 (VIS) - The Office of Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff today announced that Cardinal Luigi De Magistris, pro-major penitentiary emeritus, will take possession of the diaconate of the Santissimi Nomi di Gesu e Maria in Via Lata (Via del Corso, 45) on Tuesday, 17 February at 5 p.m.

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Copyright (VIS): the news contained in the services of the Vatican
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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 035
DATE 18-02-2015

Summary:
- General audience: Brother, sister: words beloved to Christianity
- Appeal for Libya
- Francis joins in prayer for peace in Ukraine
- 52nd Campaign for Fraternity in Brazil: dialogue and collaboration between the Church and society
- Francis thanks the Italian Coast Guard for their work with refugees and immigrants
- Audiences

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General audience: Brother, sister: words beloved to Christianity
Vatican City, 18 February 2015 (VIS) - Continuing his cycle of catechesis dedicated to the family, after reflecting on the figure of the mother and father, the Pope today spoke about fraternity. "'Brother' and 'sister' are words that Christianity loves. And, thanks to the family, they are words that all cultures and all ages understand".
Fraternal bonds are very important in the history of the people of God, and are highly praised in the Old Testament. However their rupture opened up a deep
abyss in mankind, and God's question to Cain - "Where is your brother?" - never
ceases to resonate throughout history. "And", exclaimed the Pontiff, "unfortunately, in this generation too, Cain's dramatic answer is also repeated
endlessly: "I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper?". The rupture of the bond between brothers disfigures humanity. And even within families, how many brothers argue over small things, an inheritance, and then no longer even speak
to or greet each other? If we think that they inhabited the womb of the same mother .... We all know families in which there are divisions between brothers.
Let us pray to the Lord for them, to help brothers be reunited and families rebuilt. And let us always keep these divided brothers in our prayers".
The bond of fraternity that is formed in the family, among children, if it occurs a climate of education in openness to others, "is the great school of freedom and peace. Perhaps we are not always aware of this, but it is precisely
the family that introduces fraternity into the world", remarked the Pope, emphasising that from this first experience, fraternity "radiates like a promise to the whole of society and the relations between peoples. And the blessing that God - in Jesus Christ - lavishes upon this bond of fraternity, extends it unimaginably, making it capable of surpassing any difference of nation, culture or even religion".
He added, "Think about what becomes of the bond between men, even the most diverse, when they are able to say of another, 'he is just like a brother, she is just like a sister to me'. History has demonstrated sufficiently that even liberty and equality, without fraternity, can be filled with individualism, conformism and personal interest".
Fraternity in the family shines in a special way "when we see the care, patience, and affection that surround those brothers and sisters who are weak, sick, or disabled. Having a brother or a sister who cares for you is a powerful
experience, priceless and irreplaceable. The same applies to the Christian family. We must be moved to tenderness by the smallest, the weakest, the poorest: they have a 'right' to capture our heart and soul. Yes, they are our brothers and we must love them and treat them as such. When this happens, when it is as if the poor are part of the family, our Christian fraternity comes to life. Indeed, Christians go towards the poor and the weak not in obedience to an ideological programme, but because the word and example of the Lord tell us that they are our brothers. This is the principle of God's love and of all justice between men".
"And now I suggest one thing", he added, off the cuff: "in silence, each of us, let us think of our brothers and sisters, and pray for them". St. Peter's Square remained in silence for a moment, after which Francis added, "With this prayer we brought all of them, our brothers and sisters, here in the square to be blessed".
"Today, more than ever, it is necessary to bring fraternity back to the centre
of our technocratic and bureaucratic society: then liberty and equality will also acquire the correct tone. Therefore, let us not light-heartedly deprive our families, through apprehension or fear, of the beauty of a full fraternal experience. And lot us not lose our trust in the broad horizon that faith is able to draw from this experience, enlightened by God's blessing".

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Appeal for Libya
Vatican City, 18 February 2015 (VIS) - Following this morning's catechesis, Pope Francis launched a fresh appeal for prayers for "our Egyptian brothers, killed in Libya three days ago for the mere fact of being Christians. May the Lord welcome them into his house and console their families and their communities".
He also encouraged prayer for peace in the Middle East and in North Africa, remembering all the deceased, the wounded and refugees. "May the international Community find peaceful solutions to the difficult situation in Libya".

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Francis joins in prayer for peace in Ukraine
Vatican City, 18 February 2015 (VIS) - At the end of today's general audience,
the Pope greeted the faithful gathered in the square in various languages. He dedicated some special words to the Ukrainian bishops, currently in Rome on their "ad Limina" visit, and all the faithful accompanying them. "????? ????? ??????! Praise be to Jesus Christ!", said the Holy Father in Ukrainian. "I know
that among the many intentions you bring to the Tombs of the Apostles there is the plea for peace in Ukraine. I carry the same wish in my heart and join in your prayer that lasting peace may come soon to your homeland".

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52nd Campaign for Fraternity in Brazil: dialogue and collaboration between the
Church and society
Vatican City, 18 February 2015 (VIS) - The Holy Father has sent a message to the faithful of Brazil on the occasion of the 52nd Campaign for Fraternity in Brazil, organised annually by the Episcopal Conference during Lent. The theme of this year's Campaign is "Fraternity: Church and Society".
"We are nearing Lent, the time of preparation for Easter: a time of penance, prayer and charity, a time to renew our lives, to identify with Jesus through generous donation to our brothers, especially those most in need", writes the Pope. "Indeed, the Church, the community in which 'God gathered together as one
all those who in faith look upon Jesus as the author of salvation and the source of unity and peace', cannot be indifferent to the needs of those she encounters, as 'the joys and the hopes, the griefs and the anxieties of the men
of this age, especially those who are poor or in any way afflicted ... are the joys and hopes, the griefs and anxieties of the followers of Christ'".
Francis mentions in his message that during these forty days, the Campaign for
Fraternity wishes to help deepen, in the light of the Gospel, dialogue and collaboration between Church and society, to serve the construction of the Kingdom of God in the heart and life of the Brazilian people. He underlines, however, that this is not the exclusive task of institutions: all people must contribute, starting in their own home, their own workplace, and in relations with others. "Let us recall that each individual Christian and every community is called to be an instrument of God for the liberation and promotion of the poor, and for enabling them to be fully a part of society. This demands that we
be docile and attentive to the cry of the poor and come to their aid".
The Holy Father encourages an "examination of conscience" on the "concrete and
effective commitment of each one of us in the construction of a more just, fraternal and peaceful society". He concludes, "I hope that this year's Lenten journey, in the light of the proposals of the Campaign for Fraternity, may predispose hearts to the new life offered to us by Christ, and that the transformative power that flows from the Resurrection reaches everyone in its pastoral, family, social and cultural dimension, and strengthens sentiments of fraternity and lively collaboration in every heart".

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Francis thanks the Italian Coast Guard for their work with refugees and immigrants
Vatican City, 18 February 2015 (VIS) - Yesterday evening in the Domus Sanctae Marthae the Pope received a delegation from the Italian Coast Guard, and heard their account of the difficult rescue operations they carry out at sea to save refugees and migrants. The delegation was composed of nine people, led by Admiral Commander Felicio Angrisano and Admiral Giovanni Pettorino, head of the
operative unit, and accompanied by the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Maurizio Lupi.
The members of the delegation recounted their moving and inspiring experiences, and the Pope expressed his participation and appreciation for the service they carry out with bravery and dedication to the poorest. He recalled his trip to Lampedusa and praised the solidarity of the islanders with the refugees that arrive there, even at the expense of tourism in the area. He also
mentioned that he had sent his Almoner, Archbishop Krajewski, to participate in
the operation to recover bodies following the tragic shipwreck last year, and concluded, "I truly admire you, and I feel small before the work that you do, risking your lives, and I offer my heartfelt thanks to you for this. But I support you in the best way I can: with prayer, praise and affection".

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Audiences
Vatican City, 18 February 2015 (VIS) - Today, the Holy Father received in audience Ricardo Lewandowski, president of the Federal Supreme Court of Brazil.

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Copyright (VIS): the news contained in the services of the Vatican
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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 039
DATE 24-02-2015

Summary:
- End of life assistance to the elderly, theme of the 21st assembly of the Pontifical Council pro Vita
- In Memoriam

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End of life assistance to the elderly, theme of the 21st assembly of the Pontifical Council pro Vita
Vatican City, 24 February 2015 (VIS) - The Pontifical Academy pro Vita will dedicate its upcoming general assembly to end of life assistance to the elderly. The assembly, which will take place in the New Synod Hall from 5 to 7 March, is the 21st to be held by this institution, and the official theme is "Assisting the Elderly and Palliative Care".
During the assembly, on 6 March, there will be a workshop open to the public, especially scholars, healthcare and pastoral workers, and students who are interested in acquiring a deeper knowledge of the theme from a number of viewpoints: theological-philosophical, ethical and medical, cultural and social.
In the first session of the Workshop, "Clinical care for the elderly at the end of life", following a brief general introduction to the theme by Bishop Ignacio Carrasco de Paula, president of the Pontifical Academy pro Vita, a number of specific issues will be considered, such as medical care for the elderly with chronic degenerative illlnesses, the use and abuse of analgesics in palliative care, nursing care for the terminally ill, and clinical decision-making processes for the elderly at the end of life.
The second session will be dedicated to ethical and anthropological perspectives, and will focus on the central role of relationships with the elderly in family, social and hospital contexts, and guidelines for accompanying the elderly as they near death, with respect for their dignity and
avoiding any form of abandonment or euthanasia.
The day will conclude with the analysis of socio-cultural perspectives. The third session will be dedicated to the spirituality of the elderly in later year, legal aspects of the end of life, pastoral care and the role of the family, ending with the question, "What is social solidarity?".

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In Memoriam
Vatican City, 24 February 2015 (VIS) - The following prelates have died in recent weeks:
- Archbishop Pierre-Andre Fournier of Rimouski, Canada, on 10 January at the age of 71.
- Bishop James Naanman Daman, O.S.A, of Shendam, Nigeria, on 12 January at the
age of 58.
- Bishop Joseph Mukasa Zuza of Mzuzu, Malawi, on 15 January at the age of 59.
- Bishop Jose Maria Hernandez Gonzalez, emeritus of Netzahualcoyotl, Mexico, on 19 January at the age of 88.
- Archbishop Jose Martins da Silva, S.D.N. emeritus of Porto Velho, Brazil, on
29 January at the age of 78.
- Bishop Adalberto Arturo Rosat, O.F.M., prelate emeritus of Aiquile, Bolivia,
on 31 January at the age of 81.
- Bishop Vincent Valentine Egwuchukwu Ezeonyia, C.S.Sp., of Aba, Nigeria, on 8
February at the age of 73.
- Bishop Abel Costas Montano, emeritus of Tarija, Bolivia, on 11 February at the age of 94.
- Cardinal Karl Josef Becker, S.J. åDeacon of San Giuliano Martire, on 10 February at the age of 86.
- Bishop Thomas Bhalerao, S.J. emeritus of Nashik, India, on 13 February at the age of 82.
- Bishop Magnus Mwalunyungu, emeritus of Tunduru-Masasi, Tanzania, on 13 February at the age of 84.
- Bishop Joseph Devellerez Thaung Shwe , emeritus of Pyay, Myanmar, on 17 February at the age of 79.
- Archbishop Antonio Lanfranchi, of Modena-Nonantola, Italy, on 17 February at
the age of 68.
- Bishop Bernardo Enrique Witte, O.M.I. emeritus of Concepcion, on 21 February
at the age of 88.
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For more information and to search for documents refer to the site: www.visnews.org and www.vatican.va

Copyright (VIS): the news contained in the services of the Vatican
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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 040
DATE 25-02-2015

Summary:
- Clarification of the Pope's use of the expression "avoid Mexicanisation" in a
private and informal email
- Other Pontifical Acts

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Clarification of the Pope's use of the expression "avoid Mexicanisation" in a private and informal email
Vatican City, 25 February 2015 (VIS) - The Director of the Holy See Press Office, Fr. Federico Lombardi, S.J., announced yesterday afternoon that the Secretariat of State has sent a Note to the Mexican ambassador to the Holy See to clarify that in using the expression "avoid Mexicanisation", the Pope did not in any way intend to offend the Mexican population, for whom he holds special affection, nor to underestimate the commitment of the Mexican government in its fight against narcotics trafficking.
As is known, the expression "avoid Mexicanisation" was used by the Pope in an email of a strictly private and informal nature, in response to an Argentine friend who is deeply involved in the battle against drug abuse, who had used the phrase.
The Note demonstrates that evidently the Pope intended only to emphasise the seriousness of the phenomenon of the drug trafficking that afflicts Mexico and other countries in Latin America. It is precisely this importance that has made
the fight against drug trafficking a priority for the government; to combat violence and restore peace and serenity to Mexican families, acting on the causes at the root of this scourge.
It is a phenomenon that, like others in Latin America, that the Pope has drawn
attention to on various occasions, including in his encounters with the bishops, emphasising the need to adopt policies of cooperation and collaboration at all levels.

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Other Pontifical Acts
Vatican City, 25 February 2015 (VIS) - The Holy Father has appointed:
- Fr. Joseo Aristeu Vieira as bishop of Luz (area 24,990, population 494,000, Catholics 397,000, priests 75, religious 47), Brazil. The bishop-elect was born
in Rio Vermelho, Brazil in 1952 and was ordained a priest in 1979. He served in
a number of pastoral roles, including parish priest, spiritual director and professor of the "Sagrado Coracao de Jesus" provincial seminary in Diamantina; and coordinator of vocational pastoral ministry and works for priestly vocations. He is currently parish priest of the " Imaculada Conceicao" parish in Buritizeiro, Brazil.
- Fr. Luiz Goncalves Knupp as bishop of Tres Lagoas (area 57,876, population 252,000, Catholics 190,000, priests 17, permanent deacons 12, religious 54), Brazil. The bishop-elect was born in Mandaguari, Brazil in 1967 and was ordained a priest in 1999. In the course of his pastoral ministry he has served
as parish administrator, parish priest; spiritual director of the seminaries of
theology, philosophy and preparation in Maringa. located in Londrina. He is currently parish priest of the "Nossa Senhora de Fatima" parish in Marialva, Brazil.
- Fr. Janusz Danecki, O.F.M. Conv., as auxiliary of the archdiocese of Campo Grande (area 43,762, population 913,096, Catholics 543,292, priests 106, permanent deacons 3, religious 280), Brazil. The bishop-elect was born in Lowicz, Poland in 1951, gave his solemn vows in 1975 and was ordained a priest in 1977. He exercised his pastoral ministry in the Franciscan parishes of Niepokalanow and Lodz before transferring to Brazil as a missionary, where he has served as formator of postulants and Superior of the "Jardim da Imaculada" community in Luziania; national director of the Militia Immaculatae, parish priest; rector of the Franciscan seminary in Brasilia, guardian of the convent and secretary of the Custodian; provincial vicar and formator in Brasilia. He is currently parish priest of the "Nossa Senhora de Fatima" parish in Jurua, Brazil.

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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 041
DATE 26-02-2015

Summary:
- The Foundation Centesimus Annus - Pro Pontifice presents the winners of the "Economy and Society" award

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The Foundation Centesimus Annus - Pro Pontifice presents the winners of the "Economy and Society" award
Vatican City, 26 February 2015 (VIS) - This morning in the Holy See Press Office the Foundation Centesimus Annus presented its activity during the past two years, its programmes and the names of the winners of the second edition of
its the biennial international award, "Economy and Society". The speakers in the conference were Domingo Sugranyes Bickel, president of the Foundation, Michael Konrad, secretary of the jury, Msgr. Giuseppe Antonio Scotti, a jury member and Alberto Quadrio Curzio, president of the scientific committee of the
foundation and deputy president of the Italian Lincean Academy.
The Foundation Centesimus Annus Pro Pontifice, the president explained, was created by St. John Paul II in 1993, is managed by a council made up of nine laypeople and reports to the president of the APSA (Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See), currently Cardinal Domenico Calcagno, under the supervision of the Secretariat of State. Its main objective is to promote the Social Doctrine of the Church and it therefore invites the participation of
businesspeople and professionals who acknowledge the principles of this Doctrine and of the papal Magisterium, and who wish to contribute to the creation of a new economic and social culture. Sugranyes Bickel emphasised that
in these last two years the Centesimus Annus Pro Pontifice has worked in line with the themes of Pope Francis' 2013 address, in which he remarked that it was
essential to "restore to this word 'solidarity', viewed askance by the world of
economics - as if it were a bad word - the social dignity that it deserves".
Msgr. Scotti reiterated the importance of following Pope Francis' example in challenging the "deviant culture" that has reached the point of discarding people. "There are many who believe that the economy should assume the role of absolute producer of the aims and values to which every single aspect of the human dimension should be subject, justifying this with the fact that we live in a post-ideological, post-political age. Certainly, this would be an interesting aspect to analyse. ... However, contemporary culture can also be analysed from the perspective of the Word of God. Considering that this award is assigned to authors who seek to contribute, through their studies, reflections and publications to learning anew how to take a scholarly view of the present and on the use of money, it seems appropriate to me to recall the words of the Qoheleth: 'Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless'".
The names of the recipients of the second edition of the award were then announced: Pierre de Lauzun, for his work "Finance: un regard chrΘtien. De la banque mediΘval a la mondialisation financiΦre", a profound reflection on the morality that motivates financial markets, viewed in the light of the social doctrine of the Church, inviting consideration of an order other than that purely linked to profit, and emphasising that there is no form of financial operation that may be separated from social realities and moral needs.
In the special section dedicated to young researchers of the social doctrine of the Church, the winner was Alexander Stummvoll, born in 1983, for his thesis
"A Living Tradition. The Holy See, Catholic Social Doctrine and Global Politics
1965-2000", presented in 2012 at the European University Institute, Florence, Italy. The study examines the Social Doctrine of the Church in international relations, referring to four major international issues that take a concrete event as a starting point. With reference to the war in Vietnam, he analyses the Holy See's commitment to peace; taking as a point of reference the Polish crisis before 1989 he studies the politics of the Holy See in relation to communism; from the conferences in Cairo and Beijing in 1994 and 1995 he examines the position of the Holy See regarding bioethical questions, and finally in relation to the campaign against Third World debt on the occasion of
the 2000 Jubilee, he studies the Holy See's criticism of unfettered capitalism.
The awards will be presented by Cardinal Reinhard Marx, archbishop of Munich und Freising and president of the Jury, during the next International Congress of the Foundation, scheduled to take place from 25 to 27 May in the Vatican's New Synod Hall and in the Palazzo della Cancelleria in Rome, on the theme "Rethinking Key Features of Economic and Social Life".

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Copyright (VIS): the news contained in the services of the Vatican
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