SUMMARY:
- MEETING BETWEEN THE POPE AND FORMER PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO
- CUBA, DRAW STRENGTH FROM THE FAITH TO BUILD A BETTER FUTURE
- CANONICAL STATUS OF THE SO-CALLED BISHOPS OF PIDHIRCI
_____________________________________
BENEDICT
XVI: "CUBA AND THE WORLD NEED CHANGE"
Vatican
City, 28 March 2012 (VIS) - At 9 a.m. today the Holy Father presided
at Mass in Havana's Plaza de la Revolucion Jose Marti, in the
presence of thousands of faithful who had come from all over Cuba.
Extracts from Benedict XVI's homily are given below:
"“If
you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will
know the truth, and the truth will make you free”. In this text
from today’s Gospel, Jesus reveals Himself as the Son of God the
Father, the Saviour, the One Who alone can show us the truth and give
us genuine freedom. His teaching provokes resistance and disquiet
among His hearers. ... Even so, He exhorts them to believe, to keep
His word, so as to know the truth which redeems and justifies.
"The
truth is a desire of the human person, the search for which always
supposes the exercise of authentic freedom. Many, without a doubt,
would prefer to take the easy way out, trying to avoid this task.
Some, like Pontius Pilate, ironically question the possibility of
even knowing what truth is, ... or deny that there exists a truth
valid for all. This attitude, as in the case of scepticism and
relativism, changes hearts, making them cold, wavering, distant from
others and closed. There are too many who, like the Roman governor,
wash their hands and let the water of history drain away without
taking a stand.
"On
the other hand, there are those who wrongly interpret this search for
the truth, leading them to irrationality and fanaticism; they close
themselves up in “their truth”, and try to impose it on others.
... Anyone who acts irrationally cannot become a disciple of Jesus.
Faith and reason are necessary and complementary in the pursuit of
truth. God created man with an innate vocation to the truth and He
gave him reason for this purpose. Certainly, it is not irrationality
but rather the yearning for truth which the Christian faith
promotes".
"Furthermore,
the truth which stands above humanity is an unavoidable condition for
attaining freedom, since in it we discover the foundation of an
ethics on which all can converge and which contains clear and precise
indications concerning life and death, duties and rights, marriage,
family and society, in short, regarding the inviolable dignity of the
human person. This ethical patrimony can bring together different
cultures, peoples and religions, authorities and citizens, citizens
among themselves, and believers in Christ and non-believers.
"Christianity,
in highlighting those values which sustain ethics, does not impose,
but rather proposes Christ’s invitation to know the truth which
sets us free. ... In Christ we find the truth about God and about
mankind. He helps us to overcome our selfishness, to rise above our
vain struggles and to conquer all that oppresses us. The one who does
evil, who sins, becomes its slave and will never attain freedom. Only
by renouncing hatred and our hard and blind hearts will we be free
and a new life will well up in us".
"The
Church lives to make others sharers in the one thing she possesses,
which is none other than Christ, our hope of glory. To carry out this
duty, she must count on basic religious freedom, which consists in
her being able to proclaim and to celebrate her faith also in public,
bringing to others the message of love, reconciliation and peace
which Jesus brought to the world. It must be said with joy that in
Cuba steps have been taken to enable the Church to carry out her
essential mission of expressing her faith openly and publicly.
Nonetheless, this must continue forwards, and I wish to encourage the
country’s government authorities to strengthen what has already
been achieved and advance along this path of genuine service to the
true good of Cuban society as a whole.
"The
right to freedom of religion, both in its private and in its public
dimension, manifests the unity of the human person, who is at once a
citizen and a believer. It also legitimises the fact that believers
have a contribution to make to the building up of society.
Strengthening religious freedom consolidates social bonds, nourishes
the hope of a better world, creates favourable conditions for peace
and harmonious development. ... When the Church upholds this human
right, she is not claiming any special privileges for herself. She
wishes only to be faithful to the command of her divine founder,
conscious that, where Christ is present, we become more human and our
humanity becomes authentic. This is why the Church seeks to give
witness by her preaching and teaching, both in catechesis and in the
schools and universities. It is greatly to be hoped that the moment
will soon arrive when, here too, the Church can bring to the fields
of knowledge the benefits of the mission which the Lord entrusted to
her and which she can never neglect.
"A
shining example of this commitment is found in the outstanding priest
Felix Varela, teacher and educator, an illustrious son of this city
of Havana, who has taken his place in Cuban history as the first one
who taught his people how to think. Father Varela offers us a path to
a true transformation of society: to form virtuous men and women in
order to forge a worthy and free nation, for this transformation
depends on the spiritual, in as much as “there is no authentic
fatherland without virtue”. Cuba and the world need change, but
this will occur only if each one is in a position to seek the truth
and chooses the way of love, sowing reconciliation and fraternity".
MEETING
BETWEEN THE POPE AND FORMER PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO
Vatican
City, 28 March 2012 (VIS) - After celebrating Mass this morning in
Havana's Plaza de la Revolucion Jose Marti, Benedict XVI held a
meeting in the apostolic nunciature with Fidel Castro, former
president of Cuba.
"I
took the decision to ask for some moments of your time, which I know
is full of commitments, when I learned that you would take pleasure
in this modest and simple encounter", said Fidel Castro to the
Pope. During the meeting, which according to Vatican Radio lasted
about half an hour, the former president spoke to the Holy Father of
his pleasure at the beatification of Mother Teresa of Calcutta, who
had been a great benefactress of Cuba, and of John Paul II, "a
man whose contact with children and ordinary citizens invariably
aroused feelings of affection". For his part Benedict XVI spoke
of his own pleasure at being in Cuba and at the cordiality of his
welcome.
Fidel
Castro asked the Pope a number of questions about changes in the
liturgy and the role of the Pontiff, and Benedict XVI replied by
speaking about his meeting with peoples and his service to the
universal Church. The former president also turned his attention to
the plight mankind is facing in the modern world, while the Pope
spoke of the absence and non recognition of God, and the fundamental
importance of the relationship between faith and reason. Finally,
Castro asked the Pope to send him a number of books to enable him to
study the issues raised in their talk, and Benedict XVI said he would
give thought to which texts to send. Finally, the former president
presented to the Pope his wife and two of his children.
CUBA,
DRAW STRENGTH FROM THE FAITH TO BUILD A BETTER FUTURE
Vatican
City, 28 March 2012 (VIS) - As the Pope prepared to leave Cuba this
afternoon he recalled the profound impression that country had left
on his predecessor Blessed John Paul II, "when he came to these
lands as a herald of truth and hope". Benedict XVI reiterated
the fact that he had come to Cuba as a pilgrim of love, to give
thanks to the Virgin Mary "who has accompanied the journey of
the Church in this nation and given encouragement to all Cubans so
that, from the hand of Christ, they might discover the true meaning
of the desires and aspirations found in the human heart and gain the
strength needed to build a fraternal society in which no one feels
excluded".
At
Jose Marti airport in Havana, where he arrived at 4.30 p.m. amid the
acclamation of tens of thousands of faithful who had thronged to see
him, the Pope thanked the president and other State authorities "for
the interest and generous cooperation which they have shown in the
the preparation of this journey". He also thanked members of the
episcopal conference and others who had spared no effort to ensure
the success of his visit. "I hold deep in my heart all the Cuban
people, each and every one. You have surrounded me with prayer and
affection, offered me cordial hospitality and shared with me your
profound and rightful aspirations.
"I
came here as a witness to Jesus Christ, convinced that, wherever He
is present, discouragement yields to hope, goodness dispels
uncertainties and a powerful force opens up the horizon to beneficial
and unexpected possibilities", said the Holy Father. He also
expressed the hope that Christ's message of salvation would
strengthen the zeal and pastoral concern of Cuban bishops and all who
cooperate the work of evangelisation, particularly the lay faithful
so that, "by intensifying their commitment to God in the midst
of their homes and workplaces, they may never tire of offering their
responsible contribution for the good and the integral progress of
their homeland.
"The
path which Christ points out to humanity, and to each particular
individual and people, is not a source of constraint, but rather the
primary and principal premise for their authentic development. The
light of the Lord, has shone brightly during these days; may that
light never fade in those who have welcomed it; may it help all
people to foster social harmony and to allow the blossoming of all
that is finest in the Cuban soul, its most noble values, which can be
the basis for building a society of broad vision, renewed and
reconciled. May no one feel excluded from taking up this exciting
search for his or her basic freedoms, or excused from this this by
indolence or lack of material resources, a situation which is
worsened when restrictive economic measures, imposed from outside the
country, unfairly burden its people.
"I
now conclude my pilgrimage, but I will continue praying fervently
that you will go forward and that Cuba will be the home of all and
for all Cubans, where justice and freedom coexist in a climate of
serene fraternity. Respect and promotion of freedom which is present
in the heart of each person are essential in order to respond
adequately to the fundamental demands of his or her dignity and, in
this way, to build up a society in which all are indispensable actors
in the future of their life, their family and their country.
"The
present hour urgently demands that in personal, national and
international coexistence we reject immovable positions and
unilateral viewpoints which tend to make understanding more difficult
and efforts at cooperation ineffective. Possible discrepancies and
difficulties will be resolved by tirelessly seeking what unites
everyone, with patient and sincere dialogue, and a willingness to
listen and accept goals which will bring new hope.
"Cuba,
look again to the faith of your elders, draw from that faith the
strength to build a better future, trust in the Lord’s promises,
and open your heart to His Gospel so as to renew authentically your
personal and social life.
"As
I bid you a heartfelt adios, I ask our Lady of Charity of El Cobre to
protect all Cubans under her mantle, to sustain them in the midst of
their trials and to obtain from Almighty God the grace that they most
desire. Hasta siempre, Cuba, a land made beautiful by the maternal
presence of Mary. May God bless your future".
Having
concluded his farewell address, Benedict XVI boarded his plane for
Rome where, following a flight of ten and a half hours, he arrived at
10.15 a.m. local time on 29 March.
CANONICAL
STATUS OF THE SO-CALLED BISHOPS OF PIDHIRCI
Vatican
City, 29 March 2012 (VIS) - Given below is the text of a declaration
issued today by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
concerning the canonical status of the "so-called Greek-Catholic
bishops of Pidhirci": Fr. Elias A. Dohnal O.S.B.M., Fr. Markian
V. Hitiuk O.S.B.M., Fr. Metodej R. Spirik O.S.B.M., and Fr. Robert
Oberhauser. The text is dated 22 February and bears the signatures of
Cardinal William Joseph Levada and Archbishop Luis Francisco Ladaria
Ferrer S.J., respectively prefect and secretary of the Congregation
for the Doctrine of the Faith.
(1)
The Holy See has followed with great concern the activities of Fr.
Elias A. Dohnal O.S.B.M., Fr. Markian V. Hitiuk O.S.B.M., Fr. Metodej
R. Spirik O.S.B.M., and Fr. Robert Oberhauser who, having been
expelled from the Basilian Order of St. Josaphat, subsequently
proclaimed themselves as bishops of the Greek-Catholic Ukrainian
Church. With their disobedience, these priests continue to challenge
ecclesiastical authority, causing moral and spiritual damage, not
only to the Basilian Order of St. Josaphat and the Greek-Catholic
Ukrainian Church, but also to this Apostolic See and the Catholic
Church as a whole. All this provokes division and bewilderment among
the faithful. The aforementioned priests, having established a group
of "bishops" of Pidhirci, have recently sought to have that
group recognised and registered by the competent State authorities as
the "Ukrainian Orthodox Greek-Catholic Church".
(2)
Since the beginning of this painful episode, Church representatives
of various ranks have sought to dissuade them from continuing a
conduct which, among other things, could deceive the faithful, as has
already happened in a number of cases.
(3)
The Holy See, concerned to protect the unity and peace of Christs
flock, had hoped in the repentance and subsequent return of the
aforementioned priests to full communion with the Catholic Church.
Unfortunately the most recent developments - such as the unsuccessful
attempt to acquire State registration for the "Pidhirci"
group under the name of the "Ukrainian Orthodox Greek-Catholic
Church" - demonstrates their continuing disobedience.
(4)
Therefore, to safeguard the common good of the Church and the "salus
animarum", and given that the so-called "bishops" of
Pidhirci show no sign of repentance but continue to create confusion
and disarray in the community of faithful, in particular by
calumniating representatives of the Holy See and of the local Church,
and asserting that the supreme authority of the Church is in
possession of documentation testifying to the full validity of their
episcopal ordination, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith,
accepting the request presented by the ecclesiastical authorities of
the Greek-Catholic Ukrainian Church, and by other dicasteries of the
Holy See, has decided, by this declaration, to inform the faithful,
especially in the countries of origin of the so-called "bishops",
about their current canonical status.
(5)
This Congregation, disassociating itself entirely from the actions of
the so-called "bishops" aforementioned, and from their
aforesaid declarations, formally declares that it does not recognise
the validity of their episcopal ordinations, or of any and all
ordinations that have derived, or will derive therefrom. Moreover,
the canonical status of the four so-called "bishops" is
that of excommunication, pursuant to canon 1459 para. 1 of the Code
of Canons of the Eastern Churches (CCEO), in view of the fact that an
appeal sentence of the ordinary tribunal of the Major Archiepiscopal
Ukrainian Church, issued on 10 September 2008, recognised them as
guilty of offences under canons 1462, 1447 and 1452 of the CCEO;
i.e., the offences of illegitimate usurpation of office, inciting
sedition and hatred towards certain hierarchs, provoking subjects to
disobedience, and harming a third party's good name by calumny.
(6)
Furthermore, the use of the name "Catholic" by groups which
are not recognised by the competent ecclesiastical authority is to be
considered as illegitimate, pursuant to canon 19 of the CCEO.
(7)
The faithful are, then, enjoined not to adhere to the aforementioned
group as, to all canonical effects, it is outside ecclesiastical
communion. The faithful are invited to pray for the members of the
group, that they may repent and return to full communion with the
Catholic Church.
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