By the Instruction of 23 February 1967, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, on behalf of Blessed Pope Paul VI, had asked the Episcopal Conferences to institute an internal Doctrinal Commission, as a advisory organ for the same Episcopal Conferences and for the individual bishops in their concern for matters of doctrine of the faith.
To strengthen collaboration between the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and the Doctrinal Commissions, in 1982 it was decided to periodically gather together the presidents of the aforementioned Commissions at a continental level. One of the original characteristics of these meetings was the fact that the superiors of the Congregation travel to the various continents, thus underlining the importance of local and regional issues and their responsibility in facing doctrinal questions. The first of these meetings, during the prefecture of the then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, took place in Latin America, in Bogota, (1984); it was followed by meetings in Kinshasa, Africa (1987); Vienna, Europa (1989); Hong Kong, Asia (1993); Guadalajara, Latin America (1996); and San Francisco, North America (1999). During the prefecture of Cardinal William Levada another encounter took place in Dar es Salaam (2009).
Now, Cardinal Peter Erdo, archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest and president of the Council of Episcopal Conferences of Europe (CCEE), has accepted the request
made by Cardinal Gerhard L. Muller, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith for a new meeting with the presidents of the European Doctrinal Commissions in Esztergom. Such an encounter demonstrates the will on the part of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith to support the local
episcopates - as Pope Francis emphasises - in their commitment to the promotion
and protection of the doctrine of the faith, taking into consideration the specific challenges to be faced in Europe today.

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Note on security in the Vatican
Vatican City, 12 January 2014 (VIS) - The director of the Holy See Press Office, Fr. Federico Lombardi, S.J., gave the following declaration to journalists today:
"Contrary to the claims made by some organs of the media, the Holy See has not
been informed of specific risks by the security services of other Countries.
The Holy See maintains its usual, appropriate contacts with the security services, and in view of the current situation advises a reasonable level of attention and prudence, but concrete and specific risks have not been indicated.
There is therefore no reason to arouse concerns that may needlessly affect both those who live and work in the Vatican and the many pilgrims and tourists who visit on a daily basis".

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Audiences
Vatican City, 10 January 2014 (VIS) - Today, the Holy Father received in audience Cardinal Marc Ouellet, P.S.S., prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.

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Other Pontifical Acts
Vatican City, 12 January 2014 (VIS) - The Holy Father has appointed:
- Fr. Fernand J. Cheri, O.F.M., as auxiliary of the archdiocese of New Orleans
(area 10,898, population 1,238,228, Catholics 520,056, priests 352, permanent deacons 211, religious 664), U.S.A. The bishop-elect was born in New Orleans in
1952, was ordained a priest in 1978 and gave his solemn vows in 1996. He holds a master's degree in theology from Xavier University, New Orleans, and has served in a number of pastoral roles, including administrator of the "St. Joseph the Worker" parish; parish priest of the "St. Francis de Sales" parish, New Orleans; administrator of the "St. Theresa of the Child Jesus" parish, New Orleans; chaplain and teacher at the "Hales Franciscan High School", Chicago; parish priest of the "St. Vincent de Paul" parish, Nashville; teacher at the Althoff Catholic High School, Belleville; director of the O.F.M. Office of Friar Life, vocation minister of the O.F.M. Vocation Office and deputy director
of the university chaplaincy of Xavier University, New Orleans. He is currently
director of campus ministry at Quincy University, Quincy.
- Msgr. Janusz Urbanczyk, nunciature counsellor at the Holy See Permanent Mission at the United Nations, New York, as Holy See Permanent Representative at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the Organisation for Security
and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), and the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organisation (CTBTO), and as Holy See Permanent Observer at the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) and at the United Nations in Vienna.
On Saturday, 10 January, the Holy Father appointed:
- Bishop Juan Barros Madrid, military ordinary for Chile, as bishop of Osorno (area 9,236, population 241,000, Catholics 125,000, priests 204, permanent deacons 23, religious 97), Chile.
- Msgr. Nicolo Anselmi as auxiliary of the metropolitan archdiocese of Genoa (area 966, population 812,246, Catholics 690,409, priests 553, permanent deacons 31, religious 1,402), Italy. The bishop-elect was born in Genoa, Italy in 1961 and was ordained a priest in 1992. He holds a bachelor's degree in theology from the theological faculty of Genoa and has served in a number of pastoral and administrative roles, including parish vicar of the "Santi Pietro e Bernardo alla Foce" parish in Genoa, head of the youth pastoral service for the archdiocese of Genoa, regional head of youth pastoral care for the Liguria Episcopal Conference, administrator of the parish of "San Giovanni Bosco della Rimessa", lecturer at the major seminary of Genoa and head of the national youth pastoral service. He is currently episcopal vicar for university, youth and sport pastoral ministry; director of the office for youth pastoral ministry; provost of the parish-basilica of Santa Maria delle Vigne; member of the presbyteral council and member of the college of consultors. In 2012 he was
named Chaplain of His Holiness.
- Bishop Guglielmo Borghetti of Pitigliano-Sovana-Orbetello, Italy, as coadjutor bishop of the diocese of Albenga-Imperia (area 979, population 170,010, Catholics 157,000, priests 181, permanent deacons 22, religious 388), Italy.
- Archbishop Eugene Martin Nugent as apostolic nuncio in Haiti. Archbishop Nugent was formerly apostolic nuncio in Madagascar, Mauritius and the Seychelles, and apostolic delegate in the Cormoros Islands, with the function of apostolic delegate in La Reunion, France.

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In Memoriam
Vatican City, 12 January 2014 (VIS) - The following prelates died in recent months:
- Bishop Sofron Stefan Wasyl Mudry, O.S.B.M., emeritus of Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine, on 31 October 2014 at the age of 90.
- Bishop Alberto Johannes F÷rst, O. Carm. emeritus of Dourados, Mato Grosso do
Sul, Brazil, on 1 November 2014 at the age of 87.
- Archbishop James Mwewa Spaita, emeritus of Kasama, Zambia, on 4 November 2014 at the age of 80.
- Archbishop Juan Antonio Flores Santana, emeritus of Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic, on 9 November 2014 at the age of 87.
- Bishop Caetano Antonio Lima dos Santos, O.F.M. Cap., emeritus of Ilheus, Bahia, Brazil, on 11 November 2014 at the age of 98.
- Bishop Henri Marie Raoul Brincard, C.R.S.A, of Le Puy-en-Velay, France, on 14 November 2014 at the age of 74.
- Bishop Javier Azagra Labiano, emeritus of Cartagena, Spain, on 16 November 2014 at the age of 91.
- Bishop Jeremiah Joseph Coffey, emeritus of Sale, Australia, on 19 November 2014 at the age of 81.
- Bishop Leonard James Olivier, S.V.D, auxiliary emeritus of Washington, U.S.A., on 19 November 2014 at the age of 91.
- Bishop Sebelio Peralta Alvarez, of San Lorenzo, Paraguay, on 19 November 2014 at the age of 75.
-Cardinal Fiorenzo Angelini, president emeritus of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Health Care Workers (for Health Care Pastoral), on 22 November 2014 at the age of 98.
- Bishop Joseph Francis Maguire, emeritus of Springfield, U.S.A., on 23 November 2014 at the age of 95.
- Archbishop Joseph Thomas Dimino, military ordinary emeritus of the U.S.A., on 25 November 2014 at the age of 91.
- Bishop Alfredo Ernest Novak, C.SS.R. emeritus of Paranagua, Brazil, on 3 December 2014, at the age of 84.
- Bishop Patrick Edward O'Connor, emeritus of Tokelau, New Zealand, on 3 December 2014, at the age of 82.
- Cardinal Jorge Maria Mejia, archivist and librarian emeritus of the Holy Roman Church, on 9 December 2014 at the age of 91.
- Bishop Georges Lagrange, emeritus of Gap, France, on 11 December 2014 at the
age of 85.
- Bishop Anthony Edward Pevec, auxiliary emeritus of Cleveland, U.S.A., on 14 December 2014 at the age of 89.
- Bishop Stephen Hector Youssef Doueihi, emeritus of St. Maron of Brooklyn (Maronites), U.S.A., on 17 December 2014 at the age of 87.
- Bishop Claude Henri Edouard Frikart, C.I.M., auxiliary emeritus of Paris, France, on 18 December 2014, at the age of 92.
- Archbishop Giuseppe Pittau, S.J. secretary emeritus of la Congregation for Catholic Education, on 26 December 2014, at the age of 86.
- Bishop Gery-Jacques-Charles Leuliet, emeritus of Amiens, France, on 1 January 2015, at the age of 104.
- Archbishop Paulinus Costa, emeritus of Dhaka, Bangladesh, on 3 January 2015 at the age of 78.
- Bishop Natalino Pescarolo, emeritus of Cuneo, Italy, on 4 January 2015 at the age of 85.
- Bishop Bernard Joseph McLaughlin, auxiliary emeritus of Buffalo, U.S.A., on 5 January 2015, at the age of 102.
- Bishop Joseph Djida, O.M.I., of Ngaoundere, Cameroon, on 6 January 2015 at the age of 69.

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Copyright (VIS): the news contained in the services of the Vatican
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Who transforms persons, society, and the Church herself".
Francis exhorted the young to play a "decisive role ... in confronting the challenges of our times: certainly material challenges, but more so those which concern the vision of the human person. In fact, along with economic problems, difficulty in finding work and the consequent uncertainty regarding the future, there is a crisis of moral values and a diminished sense of the purpose of life.
Faced with this critical situation, some may give in to the temptation to flee, to avoid problems, becoming self-absorbed, taking refuge in alcohol, drugs, or ideologies which preach hatred and violence. These are realities which I know well because they were unfortunately also present in Buenos Aires, where I come from. Thus I encourage you not to let yourselves be overcome by the difficulties, but to let the strength that comes from your being human and Christian flourish without fear; you will be then be able to sow seeds of a more
just, fraternal, welcoming and peaceful society. Together with Christ, you young
men and women are the vitality of the Church and society. If you let Christ form
you, if you are open to dialogue with him in prayer, by reading and meditating upon the Gospel, you will become prophets and witnesses to hope.
"You are called to this mission: to reclaim the hope in your present circumstances of being open to the wonders of living; the hope which you have to
overcome the way things are; hope to prepare for the future marked by a more dignified social and human environment; hope to live in a more fraternal world which is more just and peaceful, more genuine, worthier of the measure of mankind. My hope is that you will be always more aware that you are sons and daughters of this earth which has given life to you. This earth asks you to love
her and to help her rebuild, to grow spiritually and socially, also with the help of your ideas and your work. To overcome every trace of pessimism, you will
need the courage to offer yourselves joyfully and with dedication to the building of a welcoming society, a society which is respectful of all differences and oriented towards a civilisation of love. An great example of this way of living is seen in Blessed Ivan Mert. St. John Paul II Beatified him in Banja Luka. May he always be an example for you and be your protector.
"The Christian faith teaches us that we are called to an eternal destiny, to be
sons and daughters of God, brothers and sisters in Christ, who create fraternity
for the love of Christ. I am so pleased by the ecumenical and interreligious works taken up by you, young Catholics and Orthodox, with the involvement of Muslim young people as well. The John Paul II Youth Centre plays a central role in this important work, with initiatives that deepen mutual understanding and solidarity, allowing the various ethnic and religious groups to coexist peacefully together. I encourage you to continue this work, dedicating yourselves to common projects with real gestures that show your closeness and support to the poorest and most in need.
"Dear young people, your joyful presence, your thirst for truth and high ideals
are signs of hope! Being young does not mean being passive, but rather means being tenacious in your efforts to achieve important goals, even if this comes at a price. Being young does not mean closing your eyes to difficulties: instead, it requires a refusal to compromise or be mediocre. It does not mean escaping or fleeing, but engaging rather in solidarity with everyone, especially
the weakest. The Church counts on you and will continue to count on you who are generous and capable of great energy and noble sacrifices. For this reason, together with your pastors I ask you: do not isolate yourselves, but rather be ever more united among yourselves so that you may enjoy the beauty of fraternity
and be always more fruitful in your actions.
"Everyone will see that you are Christians by how you, young Christians of Bosnia and Herzegovina, love one another and how committed you are to service. Be not afraid; do not flee from reality; be open to Christ and to your brothers and sisters. You are a vital part of that great people who make up the Church: a
universal people, a people in whom all nations and cultures can receive God's blessing and can discover the path to peace. With this people, each of you is called to follow Christ and to give your life to God and to your brothers and sisters, in the way that the Lord will reveal to you, or perhaps is revealing to
you now! Will you respond? Do not be afraid. We are not alone. We are always in the presence of God our heavenly Father, with Jesus our Brother and Lord, in the
Holy Spirit; and we have the Church and Mary our Mother. May She protect you and
always give you the joy and courage to witness to the Gospel".
Following the meeting, the Pope greeted a number of sick young people and appeared at the terrace of the Centre to bless the faithful gathered outside. Shortly after 7.30 p.m. he transferred by car to Sarajevo airport where he was greeted by the Croatian member of the Tripartite Presidency, Dragan Covic, and at 8 p.m. he departed for Rome, where he arrived an hour and a half later.

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The Pope interviewed by journalists during return flight from Sarajevo
Vatican City, 6 June 2015 (VIS) - Medjugorje, a possible visit to Croatia, the need to make peace and not merely to talk about it, and the use of new technologies by young people were some of the issues the Pope reflected upon as he conversed with the journalists who accompanied him on the return flight to Rome following his apostolic trip in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
With regard to Medjugorje, which is located in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Francis recalled that Benedict XVI had instituted a commission of theologians and specialists, chaired by Cardinal Camillo Ruini, which had studied the matter in depth and, although the definitive final meeting has not yet taken place, it is expected that the results will be communicated shortly.
In relation to Croatia, he mentioned that during his first trip in Europe, in Albania, he had said that he would like to visit the continent starting from its
smallest countries. "In the Balkans, there are martyred countries which have suffered greatly and this is why my preference is here".
"It is not enough to talk about peace, peace must be made. To speak about peace
without making it is contradictory, and those who speak about peace while promoting war, for example through the sale of weapons, are hypocrites. It is very simple", he said in response to a question linked to his meeting with the young in which he spoke about the fomentation of a climate of war.
Finally, with reference to virtual communication, he affirmed that virtual language is "a reality that we cannot deny: we must lead it onto a virtuous path, as it is a form of progress for humanity. But when this draws us away from
life together, from family life, as well as from sport and art, and stay attached to the computer, this is a psychological malady".

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Pilgrimage is a symbol of life
Vatican City, 8 June 2015 (VIS) - As in previous years, the Pope has sent a message to participants in the 37th nocturnal pilgrimage on foot from Macerata to Loreto, Italy, gathered in the Helvia Recina stadium of Macerata during the night of 6 June to attend the opening Mass celebrated by Cardinal George Pell. This time, due to his apostolic trip to Sarajevo, the Holy Father's message was recorded in advance and broadcast on the occasion.
"Pilgrimage is a symbol of life", says Francis. "It makes us think of life as walking, as a path. If a person does not walk, but instead stays still, this is not useful; it accomplishes nothing. Think of water: when water is not in the river, it does not course, but instead it remains still and stagnates. A soul that does not walk in life doing good, doing many things that one must do for society, to assist others, or who does not walk through life seeking God and inspiration from the Holy Spirit, is a soul that finishes in mediocrity and in spiritual poverty. Please: do not stand still in life!"

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Cardinals Menichelli and Macario do Nascimento Clemente to take possession of their titular churches
Vatican City, 8 June 2015 (VIS) - The Office of Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff today communicated that the following cardinals will take possession of their titles in the coming days:
On Friday, 12 June at 7.00 p.m., Cardinal Edoardo Menichelli, archbishop of Ancona-Osimo, Italy, will take possession of the title of Sacri Cuori di Ges∙ e Maria a Tor Fiorenza (Via Poggia Moiano, 12).
On Sunday, 14 June at 5 p.m., Cardinal Manuel Jose Macario do Nascimento Clemente, Patriarch of Lisbon, Portugal, will take possession of the title of Sant'Antonio in Campo Marzio (Via dei Portoghesi, 2).

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Audiences
Vatican City, 8 June 2015 (VIS) - The Holy Father received in audience:
- Seven prelates of the Puerto Rican Episcopal Conference, on their "ad Limina"
visit:
- Archbishop Roberto Octavio Gonzalez Nieves, O.F.M., of San Juan de Puerto Rico, with former auxiliary Bishop Hector Manuel Rivera Perez;
- Bishop Daniel Fernandez of Arecibo;
- Bishop Ruben Antonio Gonzalez Medina, C.M.F., of Caguas;
- Bishop Eusebio Ramos Morales of Fajardo-Humacao;
- Bishop Alvaro Corrada del Rio, S.J., of Mayaguez; and
- Bishop Felix Lazaro Martinez, Sch.P., of Ponce.

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Other Pontifical Acts
Vatican City, 8 June 2015 (VIS) - The Holy Father has appointed:
- Bishop Heiner Koch of Dresden-Meissen as metropolitan archbishop of Berlin (area 31,200, population 5,680,705, Catholics 407,060, priests 421, permanent deacons 35, religious 668), Germany,
- Fr. Benito Adan Mendez Bracamonte as military ordinary for Venezuela. The bishop-elect was born in Menegrande, Venezuela in 1962 and was ordained a priest
in 1990. He holds a bachelor's degree from the Javierian University of Bogota and specialised in bioethics at the Pontificial Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum, Rome. He has served in a number of pastoral roles in the diocese of Trujillo, including chaplain, vice rector of the diocesan seminary, director of the diocesan newspaper and parish priest, and in the military ordinary of Venezuela as military chaplain, director of formation of the seminary and vicar general.

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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)