SUMMARY:
- DAY FOR VOCATIONS: TO BE FREE IS TO RESPOND TO THE LOVE OF GOD
- PERENNIAL IMPORTANCE OF THE ENCYCLICAL "PACEM IN TERRIS"
- INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS ON BLINDNESS
- BENEDICT XVI'S PRAYER INTENTIONS FOR MAY
- AUDIENCES
- OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
- NOTICE
______________________________________
PRIESTS'
EUCHARISTIC-SACRIFICIAL MISSION IS INSEPARABLE FROM THEIR PASTORAL
MISSION
Vatican
City, 29 April 2012 (VIS) - Today, the fourth Sunday of Easter,
Benedict XVI conferred priestly ordination upon nine deacons from
Roman diocesan seminaries. During the ceremony, which was held in St.
Peter's Basilica, the Holy Father told the ordinands that the Roman
tradition of celebrating ordinations on this Sunday, known as Good
Shepherd Sunday, is rich in significance, its meaning being
"associated with the convergence between the Word of God, the
liturgical rite and the period of Easter in which it falls. The
figure of the pastor in particular, so relevant in Sacred Scripture
and naturally very important for our definition of priests, acquires
its full truth and clarity in the face of Christ, in the light of the
mystery of His death and resurrection", he said.
The
Pope commented on the reading from the Gospel of St. John, which
begins with Jesus' words: "I am the good shepherd" who
"lays down his life for the sheep". This phrase leads us
immediately "to the apex of the revelation of God as pastor of
His people", he explained. "This centre or apex is Jesus
... Who died on the cross then rose from the grave on the third day.
He rose with all His humanity, and so He involves us all ... in His
transition from death to life. This event - Christ’s Easter - in
which God's pastoral work was fully and definitively achieved, was a
sacrificial event; therefore the Good Shepherd and the High Priest
come together in Jesus, Who gave His life for us".
The
second reading, from the First Letter of St. John, tells us of "the
fruits of Christ's Easter: the fact that we have become children of
God. ... In fact, man's status as child is the result of the salvific
act of Jesus. Through His incarnation, death and resurrection, and
the gift of the Holy Spirit, He gave man a new relationship with God:
His own relationship with the Father. ... This relationship is
already real in every sense, but it is not yet fully manifest; it
will be in the end when - if God wills - we see His face unveiled.
"This,
dear ordinands, is where the Good Shepherd wishes to lead us",
the Pope added. "This is where the priest is called to lead the
faithful under his care: to true life, to life 'in abundance'".
At the same time, Jesus reaffirms that the characteristic of the true
pastor is that of giving his life. "The biblical figure of the
king-pastor, whose main task is to support the people of God, keep
them united and guide then ... is fully realised in Jesus Christ in
the sacrificial dimension, in His offer of life. It is realised ...
in the mystery of the cross; that is, in the supreme act of humility
and oblational love".
This,
the Pope noted, is the direction in which the formulae used in the
rite of Ordination lead. Indeed, among the questions regarding the
"promises of the elect", the last, which is as the
culmination and summary of the others, says "do you wish to be
ever more closely united to Christ, the High Priest Who, as pure
victim, offered Himself to the Father for us, consecrating yourselves
to God together with Him for the salvation of all mankind?"
By
responding, "the priest becomes uniquely involved in the mystery
of Christ's sacrifice, through a personal bond with Him that prolongs
His salvific mission. This union, which comes about through the
Sacrament of Holy Orders, requires 'ever closer union' through the
generous response of the priest himself".
Benedict
XVI also mentioned the formula used at the moment of consigning the
bread and wine to the new priests: "Receive the offer of the
holy people for the Eucharistic sacrifice. Understand what you do,
imitate what you administer; conform your life to the mystery of the
cross of Christ the Lord". These words, he said, "underline
the fact that, for priests, celebrating Mass every day does not mean
merely undertaking a ritual function, but accomplishing a mission
which involves all of existence, in communion with the risen Christ
Who continues to enact the redeeming sacrifice in His Church".
The
Holy Father went on to note that "Eucharistic and sacrificial
aspects are inseparable from the pastoral aspect, of which they are
the nucleus of truth and salvific strength upon which the
effectiveness of all activity depends. ... The preaching, works and
other activities which the Church carries out with her many
initiatives would lose their salvific fruitfulness if the celebration
of Christ's sacrifice were lacking. This celebration is entrusted to
ordained priests. ... Only through the 'door' of the Paschal
sacrifice can men and women of all times and places enter eternal
life. It is through this 'holy path' that they can make the exodus
which leads them to the 'promised land' of true freedom, to the
'green fields' of endless peace and joy.
"Dear
ordinands, "the Holy Father added in conclusion, "may this
Word of God illuminate your lives. And when the weight of the cross
becomes more burdensome, know that that is the most precious moment,
for you and for the people entrusted to your care. By faithfully and
lovingly renewing your 'yes with God's help I want it', you help
Christ, High Priest and Good Pastor, to feed His sheep; perhaps only
the sheep which was lost, but for which there will be great joy in
heaven".
DAY
FOR VOCATIONS: TO BE FREE IS TO RESPOND TO THE LOVE OF GOD
Vatican
City, 29 April 2012 (VIS) - At midday today, the World Day of Prayer
for Vocations, the Holy Father asked people to pray "that all
young people may be attentive to the inner voice of God, which speaks
to their hearts and calls them to abandon everything in order to
serve Him". Addressing faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square
for the Regina Coeli Benedict XVI affirmed that "the Lord calls
always, but often we are not listening.
"We
are distracted by many things, by other more superficial voices",
he added. "We are afraid to listen to the voice of the Lord
because we believe it can detract from our freedom. The truth is that
each of us is the fruit of love; the love of our parents, of course,
but also and more profoundly the love of God. ... When we become
aware of this our lives change; they become a response to that love
which is greater than any other, and thus our freedom is fully
realised".
The
Pope then mentioned the new priests he had ordained that morning
during Mass in the Vatican Basilica. "They are no different to
other young men", he affirmed, "But they have been
profoundly touched by the beauty and love of God, and could not but
respond with the whole of their lives". They discovered the love
of God in Jesus Christ, in His Gospel, in the Eucharist and in the
community of the Church. "In the Church we discover that the
life of each human being is a story of love", he said.
To
conclude Benedict XVI exhorted the faithful to pray that "the
seeds of vocation which God so generously scatters" may
germinate and come to fruit in all areas of the Church, "in the
joy of having been called and in the variety of gifts. Families in
particular must be the first place in which to 'breathe' the love of
God, which gives inner strength even in the midst of the difficulties
and trials of life. People who experience the love of God in their
family, receive a priceless gift which, in time, will come to bear
fruit".
PERENNIAL
IMPORTANCE OF THE ENCYCLICAL "PACEM IN TERRIS"
Vatican
City, 30 April 2012 (VIS) - The Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences
has been holding its eighteenth plenary session in Rome over recent
days, during which participants focused their attention on the
contribution Blessed John XXIII’s Encyclical "Pacem in Terris"
has made to the social doctrine of the Church.
"At
the height of the Cold War, when the world was still coming to terms
with the threat posed by the existence and proliferation of weapons
of mass destruction, Pope John addressed what has been described as
an “open letter to the world”. It was a heartfelt appeal ... for
the cause of peace and justice to be vigorously promoted at every
level of society, nationally and internationally". These words
were expressed by Benedict XVI in a message to Mary Ann Glendon,
president of the academy. The message, written in English, was made
public today.
"While
the global political landscape has changed significantly in the
intervening half-century, the vision offered by Pope John still has
much to teach us as we struggle to face the new challenges for peace
and justice in the post-Cold-War era, amid the continuing
proliferation of armaments", the Pope writes. "Pope John’s
Encyclical was and is a powerful summons to engage in that creative
dialogue between the Church and the world, between believers and
non-believers, which Vatican Council II set out to promote. It offers
a thoroughly Christian vision of man’s place in the cosmos,
confident that in so doing it is holding out a message of hope to a
world that is hungry for it, a message that can resonate with people
of all beliefs and none, because its truth is accessible to all.
"In
that same spirit, after the terrorist attacks that shook the world in
September 2001, Blessed John Paul II insisted that there can be “no
peace without justice, no justice without forgiveness”. The notion
of forgiveness needs to find its way into international discourse on
conflict resolution, so as to transform the sterile language of
mutual recrimination which leads nowhere. If the human creature is
made in the image of God, a God of justice Who is “rich in mercy”,
then these qualities need to be reflected in the conduct of human
affairs. ... Forgiveness is not a denial of wrong-doing, but a
participation in the healing and transforming love of God which
reconciles and restores".
"Historic
wrongs and injustices can only be overcome if men and women are
inspired by a message of healing and hope, a message that offers a
way forward, out of the impasse that so often locks people and
nations into a vicious circle of violence. Since 1963, some of the
conflicts that seemed insoluble at the time have passed into history.
Let us take heart, then, as we struggle for peace and justice in the
world today, confident that our common pursuit of the divinely
established order, of a world where the dignity of every human person
is accorded the respect that is due, can and will bear fruit",
the Holy Father concludes.
INTERNATIONAL
CONGRESS ON BLINDNESS
Vatican
City, 28 April 2012 (VIS) - The Pontifical Council for Health
Pastoral Care has organised an international congress entitled: "The
Blind. 'My Teacher, let me see again!'" The event is due to be
held on 4 and 5 May in the Pius X Hall on Via della Conciliazione in
Rome, and will focus primarily on the theological-pastoral and
medical-scientific aspects of treating blind and partially sighted
persons.
Participants
will include Cardinal Peter Kodwo Turkson, president of the
Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, and Silvio Paolo Mariotti,
head of the blindness and deafness prevention programme of the World
Health Organisation. Also present will be Msgr. Roberto Brunelli,
director of the diocesan museum of Mantua, Italy, who will illustrate
the planning and realisation of a special room for blind people, and
the results obtained. Two touch-perceptible versions of works from
the museum will be on display at the congress.
BENEDICT
XVI'S PRAYER INTENTIONS FOR MAY
Vatican
City, 30 April 2012 (VIS) - Pope Benedict's general prayer intention
for May is: "That initiatives which defend and uphold the role
of the family may be promoted within society".
His
mission intention is: "That Mary, Queen of the World and Star of
Evangelisation, may accompany all missionaries in proclaiming her Son
Jesus".
AUDIENCES
Vatican
City, 30 April 2012 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in
audience:
-
Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke, prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the
Apostolic Signatura, accompanied by Bishop Frans Daneels, secretary
of the tribunal.
-
Archbishop Jean-Louis Brugues O.P., secretary of the Congregation for
Catholic Education.
-
Archbishop Luciano Russo, apostolic nuncio to Rwanda, accompanied by
members of his family.
On
Saturday 28 April he received in audience:
-
Cesar Castillo Ramirez, the new Peruvian ambassador to the Holy See,
for the presentation of his Letters of Credence.
-
Cardinal Marc Ouellet P.S.S., prefect of the Congregation for
Bishops.
OTHER
PONTIFICAL ACTS
Vatican
City, 30 April 2012 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed:
-
Msgr. Pawel Malecha as substitute promoter of justice at the Supreme
Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, and Fr. Jose Fernando Mejia
Yanez M.G., as head of the chancellery of the same tribunal.
-
Antonio Chiminello, consultor of the prefecture for the Economic
Affairs of the Holy See, as vice director of the Auditors Office of
Vatican City State.
On
Saturday 28 April it was made public that the Holy Father:
-
Appointed Msgr. Tadeusz Litynski of the clergy of Zielona
Gora-Gorzow, Poland, pastor of the parish of Christ the King at
Gorzow Wielkopolski, as auxiliary of Zielona Gora-Gorzow (area
10,805, population 1,120,158, Catholics 1,088,947, priests 629,
religious 297). The bishop-elect was born in Kozuchow, Poland in 1962
and ordained a priest in 1988. He has worked in pastoral care in a
number of parishes, and has served in the diocesan tribunal, first as
notary, then as defender of the bond and judge.
-
Accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese of
Gweru, Zimbabwe, presented by Bishop Martin Munyanyi, in accordance
with canon 401 para. 2 of the Code of Canon Law, appointing Bishop
Michael Dixon Bhasera of Masvingo as apostolic administrator "sede
vacante et ad nutum Sanctae Sedis" of Gweru.
NOTICE
Vatican
City, 30 April 2012 (VIS) - Tomorrow Tuesday 1 May, feast of St.
Joseph the Worker and a holiday in the Vatican, no VIS bulletin will
be transmitted. Service will resume on Wednesday 3 May.
You
can find more information at: www.visnews.org
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