SUMMARY:
- THE
POPE RECEIVES THE PRESIDENT OF COTE D'IVOIRE
- POPE'S
MESSAGE FOR TWENTY-EIGHTH WORLD YOUTH DAY
-
AUDIENCES
- OTHER
PONTIFICAL ACTS
______________________________________
THE
POPE RECEIVES THE PRESIDENT OF COTE D'IVOIRE
Vatican
City, 16 November 2012 (VIS) - This morning in the Vatican Apostolic
Palace the Holy Father Benedict XVI received in audience Alassane
Ouattara, president of the Republic of Cote d'Ivoire. The president
subsequently went on to meet with Cardinal Secretary of State
Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B. who was accompanied by Archbishop Dominique
Mamberti, secretary for Relations with States.
The
discussions emphasised the cordial relations between the Holy See and
the Republic of Cote d'Ivoire, as well as the convergence of opinions
on the contribution the Church makes for the good of the entire
country, encouraging peace and promoting human rights, dialogue and
national reconciliation, as the only way to favour unity and
development. Emphasis was also given to the fruitful collaboration
between Church and State in the sectors of healthcare and education,
among others. The hope was expressed that the negotiations for an
agreement between the Holy See and the Republic of Cote d'Ivoire
would soon be concluded.
Mention
was also made of various regional challenges Africa is currently
facing, which are of particular concern to Mr. Ouattara in his role
as president of the Economic Community of West African States.
POPE'S
MESSAGE FOR TWENTY-EIGHTH WORLD YOUTH DAY
Vatican
City, 16 November 2012 (VIS) - "Go and make disciples of all
nations!" is the title of the Holy Father's Message for the
twenty-eighth World Youth Day 2013, which will take place in Rio de
Janeiro, Brazil, in July 2013. Some excerpts from the English
language version of the text are given below:
"Before
all else, I invite you once more to take part in this important
event. The celebrated statue of Christ the Redeemer overlooking that
beautiful Brazilian city will be an eloquent symbol for us. Christ’s
open arms are a sign of his willingness to embrace all those who come
to him, and his heart represents his immense love for everyone and
for each of you. Let yourselves be drawn to Christ! Experience this
encounter along with all the other young people who will converge on
Rio for the next World Youth Day! Accept Christ’s love and you will
be the witnesses so needed by our world".
1. A
pressing call
"History
shows how many young people, by their generous gift of self, made a
great contribution to the Kingdom of God and the development of this
world by proclaiming the Gospel. Filled with enthusiasm, they brought
the Good News of God’s Love made manifest in Christ; they used the
means and possibilities then available, which were far inferior to
those we have today. … Many young people today seriously question
whether life is something good, and have a hard time finding their
way. More generally, however, young people look at the difficulties
of our world and ask themselves: is there anything I can do? The
light of faith illumines this darkness. It helps us to understand
that every human life is priceless because each of us is the fruit of
God’s love. God loves everyone, even those who have fallen away
from him or disregard him. God waits patiently. Indeed, God gave his
Son to die and rise again in order to free us radically from evil.
"The
Church, in continuing this mission of evangelisation, is also
counting on you. … You are the first missionaries among your
contemporaries! At the end of the Second Vatican Council – whose
fiftieth anniversary we are celebrating this year – the Servant of
God Paul VI consigned a message to the youth of the world. … It
concluded with the words: 'Build with enthusiasm a better world than
what we have today!' This invitation remains timely. We are passing
through a very particular period of history. Technical advances have
given us unprecedented possibilities for interaction between people
and nations. But the globalisation of these relationships will be
positive and help the world to grow in humanity only if it is founded
on love rather than on materialism. Love is the only thing that can
fill hearts and bring people together. God is love. When we forget
God, we lose hope and become unable to love others. That is why it is
so necessary to testify to God’s presence so that others can
experience it. The salvation of humanity depends on this, as well as
the salvation of each of us".
2. Become
Christ's disciples
"This
missionary vocation comes to you for another reason as well, and that
is because it is necessary for our personal journey in faith. ...
When you proclaim the Gospel, you yourselves grow as you become more
deeply rooted in Christ and mature as Christians. Missionary
commitment is an essential dimension of faith. We cannot be true
believers if we do not evangelise".
"What
does it mean to be a missionary? Above all, it means being a disciple
of Christ. It means listening ever anew to the invitation to follow
him and look to him. … I encourage you to think of the gifts you
have received from God so that you can pass them on to others in
turn. Learn to reread your personal history. Be conscious of the
wonderful legacy passed down to you from previous generations. ...
Let us never forget that we are links in a great chain of men and
women who have transmitted the truth of the faith and who depend on
us to pass it on to others. Being a missionary presupposes knowledge
of this legacy, which is the faith of the Church. It is necessary to
know what you believe in, so that you can proclaim it".
3. Go
forth!
"Jesus
sent his disciples forth on mission with this command: "Go into
all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation. The
one who believes and is baptised will be saved". To evangelise
means to bring the Good News of salvation to others and to let them
know that this Good News is a person: Jesus Christ. … The more we
know Christ, the more we want to talk about him. The more we speak
with Christ, the more we want to speak about him. The more we are won
over by Christ, the more we want to draw others to him. … It is the
Spirit of love, therefore, who is the driving force behind our
mission. The Spirit impels us to go out from ourselves and to "go
forth" to evangelise. Dear young people, allow yourselves to be
led on by the power of God’s love. Let that love overcome the
tendency to remain enclosed in your own world with your own problems
and your own habits".
4. Gather
all nations
"The
risen Christ sent his disciples forth to bear witness to his saving
presence before all the nations, because God in his superabundant
love wants everyone to be saved and no one to be lost. … Open your
eyes and look around you. ...The 'nations' that we are invited to
reach out to are not only other countries in the world. They are also
the different areas of our lives, such as our families, communities,
places of study and work, groups of friends and places where we spend
our free time. The joyful proclamation of the Gospel is meant for all
the areas of our lives, without exception".
"I
would like to emphasise two areas where your missionary commitment is
all the more necessary. ... The first is the field of social
communications, particularly the world of the internet. ... It falls,
in particular, to young people, who have an almost spontaneous
affinity for the new means of communication, to take on the
responsibility for the evangelisation of this ‘digital continent’.
… The second area is that of travel and migration. Nowadays more
and more young people travel, sometimes for their studies or work,
and at other times for pleasure. I am also thinking of the movements
of migration which involve millions of people, very often young, who
go to other regions or countries for financial or social reasons.
Here too we can find providential opportunities for sharing the
Gospel".
5. Make
disciples!
"Proclaiming
Christ is not only a matter of words, but something which involves
one’s whole life and translates into signs of love. It is the love
that Christ has poured into our hearts which makes us evangelisers.
Consequently, our love must become more and more like Christ’s own
love. We should always be prepared, like the Good Samaritan, to be
attentive to those we meet, to listen, to be understanding and to
help. In this way we can lead those who are searching for the truth
and for meaning in life to God’s house, the Church, where hope and
salvation abide. ... The main way that we have to "make
disciples" is through Baptism and catechesis. This means leading
the people we are evangelising to encounter the living Christ above
all in his word and in the sacraments. In this way they can believe
in him, they can come to know God and to live in his grace. … Ask
the Holy Spirit for help. The Spirit will show you the way to know
and love Christ even more fully, and to be creative in spreading the
Gospel".
6. Firm
in the faith
"Whenever
you feel inadequate, incapable and weak in proclaiming and witnessing
to the faith, do not be afraid. evangelisation is not our initiative,
and it does not depend on our talents. It is a faithful and obedient
response to God’s call and so it is not based on our power but on
God’s. … For this reason, I encourage you to make prayer and the
sacraments your foundation. Authentic evangelisation is born of
prayer and sustained by prayer. We must first speak with God in order
to be able to speak about God. ... Find in the Eucharist the
wellspring of your life of faith and Christian witness. … Approach
the sacrament of Reconciliation frequently. ... Make an effort to
receive the Sacrament of Confirmation … Confirmation is, like the
Eucharist, a sacrament of mission, for it gives us the strength and
love of the Holy Spirit to profess fearlessly our faith. I also
encourage you to practise Eucharistic adoration".
"If
you follow this path, Christ himself will give you the ability to be
completely faithful to his word and to bear faithful and courageous
witness to him. At times you will be called to give proof of your
perseverance, particularly when the word of God is met with rejection
or opposition. In certain areas of the world, some of you suffer from
the fact that you cannot bear public witness to your faith in Christ
due to the lack of religious freedom. Some have already paid with
their lives the price of belonging to the Church. I ask you to remain
firm in the faith, confident that Christ is at your side in every
trial".
7. With
the whole Church
"If
you are to remain firm in professing the Christian faith wherever you
are sent, you need the Church. No one can bear witness to the Gospel
alone. Jesus sent forth his disciples on mission together. … Our
witness is always given as members of the Christian community, and
our mission is made fruitful by the communion lived in the Church. It
is by our unity and love for one another that others will recognise
us as Christ’s disciples".
8. "Here
I am, Lord!"
"I
would ask all of you to hear, in the depths of your heart, Jesus’
call to proclaim his Gospel. As the great statue of Christ the
Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro shows, his heart is open with love for
each and every person, and his arms are open wide to reach out to
everyone. Be yourselves the heart and arms of Jesus! Go forth and
bear witness to his love! Be a new generation of missionaries,
impelled by love and openness to all!"
"This
call, which I make to the youth of the whole world, has a particular
resonance for you, dear young people of Latin America! During the
Fifth General Conference of the Latin American Bishops, in Aparecida
in 2007, the Bishops launched a "continental mission".
Young people form a majority of the population in South America and
they are an important and precious resource for the Church and
society. … Transmit the enthusiasm of your faith to your
contemporaries from all over the world!"
AUDIENCES
Vatican
City, 16 November 2012 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in
audience twelve prelates of the Episcopal Conference of France, on
their "ad limina" visit:
-
Cardinal Andre Vingt-Trois, archbishop of Paris, accompanied by
Auxiliary Bishops Jerome Beau, Eric de Moulins-Beaufort, and Renauld
de Dinechin.
- Bishop
Michel Santier of Creteil.
- Bishop
Michel Dubost of Evry-Corbeil-Essonnes.
- Bishop
Jean-Yves Nahmias of Meaux.
- Bishop
Gerard Daucort of Nanterre.
- Bishop
Pascal Delannoy of Saint-Denis.
- Bishop
Eric Aumonier of Versailles.
- Bishop
Luc Ravel C.R.S.V., military ordinary.
- Bishop
Gregoire Ghabroyan of Saint-Croix de Paris of the Armenians, and
apostolic visitor to Armenian Catholic faithful resident in Western
Europe without their own ordinary.
This
evening he is scheduled to receive in audience Archbishop Gerhard
Ludwig Muller, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the
Faith.
OTHER
PONTIFICAL ACTS
Vatican
City, 16 November 2012 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Bishop
Javier Salinas Vinals of Tortosa, Spain as bishop of Mallorca (area
3,689, population 869,027, Catholics 668,810, priests 333, permanent
deacons 11, religious 948), Spain.
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