SUMMARY:
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BENEDICT XVI PRAISES WORK OF VATICAN'S PUBLIC SAFETY INSPECTORATE
-
IN BAPTISM JESUS IS IN SOLIDARITY WITH US
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BEING A CHRISTIAN MEANS CHOOSING PATH OF RESPONSIBILITY
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IMMIGRANTS ARE BEARERS OF FAITH AND HOPE
-
POPE RECEIVES PRINCE AND PRINCESS OF MONACO
-
CARDINAL BERTONE: DIVINE WISDOM FOR THE DELICATE AND SERIOUS TASK OF
ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE
-
POPE RECEIVES CORPS OF VATICAN GENDARMERIE AND FIRE DEPARTMENT
-
AUDIENCES
-
OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
______________________________________
BENEDICT
XVI PRAISES WORK OF VATICAN'S PUBLIC SAFETY INSPECTORATE
Vatican
City, 14 January 2013 (VIS) - This morning the Holy Father received
members of the General Inspectorate of Public Safety in the Vatican
as is customary at the beginning of the new year, to exchange
greetings for the new year. In his address he emphasized the
dedication and professionalism with which they undertake their tasks,
especially during events with faithful and pilgrims who "arrive
from all over the world to meet the successor of Peter and to visit
the tomb of the Prince of the Apostles, as well as to pray at the
tombs of my venerated predecessors, particularly Blessed John Paul
II.
The
Pope recalled that the duty of the members of the Inspectorate also
extends to his pastoral visits and apostolic trips to Italy and he
thanked them for "the manner and spirit that animate your
vigilant and qualified service. It is a manner that, at the same time
that it honours your identity as functionaries of the Italian State
and members of the Church, also attests to the good relations between
Italy and the Holy See." He also expressed the desire that this
task, not exempt from sacrifice and danger, be always inspired by "a
steadfast Christian faith that is, undoubtedly, the most precious
treasure and spiritual valour that your families have entrusted you
with and which you are called to impart to your children. The Year of
Faith that the entire Church is now living is also, for you, an
opportunity to return to the Gospel message in order to let it enter
more deeply into your consciences and your daily life, courageously
witnessing to the love of God in every area, even that of your jobs."
"May
your presence be," he concluded, "an ever more valid
guarantee of that good order and tranquillity that are fundamental to
building a peaceful and calm social life and that, besides being
taught by the Gospel message, are a sign of true civilization."
IN
BAPTISM JESUS IS IN SOLIDARITY WITH US
Vatican
City, 13 January 2013 (VIS) – This morning in the Sistine Chapel
the Holy Father baptised 20 children born in the past few months and
children of employees of the Vatican City State.
In
his homily the Pope recalled that, once an adult, Jesus began his
public ministry by going to the River Jordan to receive a baptism of
penitence and conversion from John. "Was Jesus in need of
penitence and conversion?" the pontiff asked. "Certainly
not. And yet … he wanted to place himself alongside the sinners …
expressing God's nearness. … He demonstrates solidarity with us,
with the weariness we feel in trying to convert, trying to leave
aside our selfishness, trying to tear ourselves away from our sins,
in order to tell us that, if we accept Him in our lives, He is
capable of lifting us back up and leading us to the height of God the
Father. … Jesus truly immersed himself in our human condition …
and is capable of understanding our weakness and fragility. This is
why He is moved to compassion. He chooses to suffer with human
beings, to be penitent along with us. This is God's plan that Jesus
wants to accomplish: the divine mission of healing the wounded and
tending the sick, of taking upon himself the sin of the world."
Afterwards
he explained that, at the moment that Jesus lets himself be baptised
by John, "the heavens open and the Holy Spirit is visibly
manifest in the form of a dove while a voice from above expresses the
Father's pleasure, recognizing His Son, the Only Begotten, the
Beloved. … Thus the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled … the Lord
God comes with power to destroy the works of sin and his arm
exercises dominion to disarm the Evil One. However, we realize that
this arm is the arm extended on the cross and that the power of
Christ is the power of He who suffers for us. This is the power of
God, which is different from the world's power. This is how God
comes, with the power to destroy sin."
Through
Baptism, the children baptised today "will be united profoundly
and for all time with Jesus, immersed in the mystery of His power …
in the mystery of his death, which is the source of life, in order to
participate in His resurrection, to be reborn to new life … The
heavens have also opened over your children and God says: these are
my children with whom I am well pleased. Included in this
relationship and freed from original sin they become living members
of the one body that is the Church and become capable of fully living
their call to holiness so that they might inherit the eternal life
obtained for us through Jesus' resurrection."
Addressing
the parents who had asked for Baptism for their children, the Holy
Father highlighted that they show their "faith, the joy of being
Christians and of belonging to the Church. It is a joy that springs
from the awareness of having received a great gift from God: faith, a
gift that none of us could have merited but which has been freely
given to us and to which we have responded with our 'yes'. ... The
path of faith that begins today for these children is based,
therefore, on a certainty, on the experience that there is nothing
greater than knowing Christ and communicating friendship with Him to
others. Only in this friendship are the great potentialities of the
human condition truly revealed and what is beautiful and liberating
can be experienced."
He
reminded the godparents that to them falls "the important duty
of sustaining and helping the parents in their task of educating. …
May you always know how to set a good example for them through
exercising the Christian virtues. It is not easy to openly and
uncompromisingly express that which you believe in, especially in the
climate we are living in, faced with a society that often considers
those who live their faith in Jesus as old-fashioned and out of date.
In the wake of this mentality, even Christians run the risk of seeing
their relationship with Jesus as limiting, as something that inhibits
self-realization. … But that is not so! It is precisely through
proceeding along the path of faith that we come to understand how
Jesus exercises the liberating activity of God's love in us, which
allows us to overcome our selfishness …. in order to lead us to a
full life in communion with God and openness to others. 'God is love,
and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him.' These
words from the First Letter of John express with remarkable clarity
the heart of the Christian faith: the Christian image of God as well
as the resulting image of mankind and its path."
"The
water with which these children will be baptised in the name of the
Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, will immerse them in the
'source' of life that is God himself and will make them into His
children. The seed of the theological virtues, inspired by God?faith,
hope, and love?the seed that is today planted in their hearts by the
power of the Holy Spirit, must always be nourished with the Word of
God and the Sacraments, so that these Christian virtues might grow
and arrive at their full maturity, until they make of each one of
these a true witness of the Lord," he concluded.
BEING
A CHRISTIAN MEANS CHOOSING PATH OF RESPONSIBILITY
Vatican
City, 13 January 2013 (VIS) – At noon today, the first Sunday after
Epiphany, which concludes the liturgical season of Christmas,
Benedict XVI appeared at the window of his study to pray the Angelus
with the faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square.
"Today
we celebrate," the Pope said, "the feast of the Baptism of
Jesus. That child?born of the Virgin, whom we contemplated in the
mystery of his birth?we see as an adult, immersing himself in the
waters of the River Jordan and thus sanctifying all waters and the
entire world, as an Eastern tradition affirms. But why did Jesus, who
had not the shadow of sin, go to be baptised by the prophet John? Why
did he want to undertake this gesture of penitence and conversion
together with so many others who wanted to prepare for the coming of
the Messiah? This gesture that marks the beginning of Christ's public
life, as all the evangelists testify, is part of the same line of the
Incarnation, of God's descent from the highest heaven to the abyss of
hell. The meaning of this divine abasement is summed up in a single
word: love, which is the very name of God."
Jesus
who is baptised in the River Jordan is 'the new man who wants to live
as a child of God, that is, in love; he is the one who, faced with
the evils of the world, chooses the path of humility and
responsibility, chooses not to save himself, but instead to offer his
life for truth and justice. Being a Christian means living this way,
but this way of life bears with it a rebirth: being reborn from
above, from God, from Grace. This rebirth is the Baptism that Christ
gave the Church to renew persons to new life."
The
Holy Father, recalling that this morning he had baptised several
children in the Sistine Chapel, wanted to extend his blessing and
prayers "to all newborns. Above all I would like to invite us
all to recall our own Baptism, that spiritual rebirth that opened the
path of eternal life to us. May every Christians, in this Year of
Faith, discover anew the beauty of being reborn from above, from the
love of God, and live as a true child of God."
IMMIGRANTS
ARE BEARERS OF FAITH AND HOPE
Vatican
City, 14 January 2013 (VIS) – After praying the Angelus, the Pope
recalled that today marks the World Day of Migrants and Refugees and,
in his annual message for the occasion, compared immigration to "a
pilgrimage of faith and hope".
"Those
who leave their lands," he emphasized, "do so because they
hope for a better future, but also because they trust in God who
guides the steps of the human being, as He did with Abraham. In this
way immigrants are bearers of faith and hope to the world. Today I
greet each one of them with a special prayer and blessing."
In
his greetings in French, the Pope repeated this theme, expressing the
desire that immigrants and their families, wherever they gather, "be
welcomed and assisted so that they might have a dignified existence.
Like Jesus," he urged, "we must be near to those who suffer
and who have no voice of their own to make themselves heard."
POPE
RECEIVES PRINCE AND PRINCESS OF MONACO
Vatican
City, 12 January 2013 (VIS) - This morning in the Apostolic Palace of
the Vatican, the Holy Father received in audience His Serene Highness
Prince Albert II of Monaco along with his wife, Princess Charlene,
and entourage. Following the audience with the Pope, the prince met
with Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone, S.D.B., and
Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, secretary for Relations with States.
During
the course of cordial discussions several topics were covered
including the meaningful contribution of the Catholic Church to the
principality’s social life and international interests such as the
integral development of peoples and the protection of natural
resources and the environment.
CARDINAL
BERTONE: DIVINE WISDOM FOR THE DELICATE AND SERIOUS TASK OF
ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE
Vatican
City, 12 January 2013 (VIS) - Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio
Bertone, S.D.B., celebrated Mass this morning in the Chapel of Mary
Mother of the Family in the Governorate Palace of the Vatican to
inaugurate the 84th judicial year of the Tribunal of the Vatican City
State.
"We
would like to invoke Divine Wisdom," the cardinal said, "for
the delicate and serious task of administrating justice." He
then greeted, among others, the President of the Tribunal, Giuseppe
Dalla Torre, the judges, the promoter of justice, and the various
workers in the administrative office, relaying to them "blessed
greetings from the Holy Father who follows your appreciated labour
with attentive interest."
Commenting
on the Gospel reading that focused on St. John the Baptist, the
Secretary of State emphasized that the prophet's example and witness
are "a summons to believers so that they may set aside
attention-seeking, their wanting to be seen, thus reducing their own
ego so that the love for Jesus might grow in each of us and in
others. He is the Way the, Truth, and the Life. This attitude
requires humility of heart, which is a gift from God that we must
unceasingly ask for in prayer. This is why the John the Apostle, whom
we listened to in the First Reading, … recommends confident prayer
to the Father who, if the one who asks is ready to do His will, will
grant their request. We also ask and pray for our brothers and
sisters, so that they might not remain obstinately in evil and thus
refuse conversion. Mutual prayer acquires the value of an exquisite
act of charity. St. Paul also recommends several times that we pray
for one other and Jesus prays that Peter, after repenting, might
confirm the faith of the other apostles."
"In
this Mass our prayer community turns to the Lord so that each of us
might carry out our service in the administration of justice toward
our unique community of the Vatican City State with humility and in
truth. I wish all of you who are participating in the inauguration of
the judicial year in various ways, to be able to grow in the
awareness that harmony, justice, and peace are not fully achievable
without dedication to God and acceptance of His grace. Each of us is
also invited to an informed openness to the Transcendent, which the
Holy Father recommended to the members of the diplomatic corps
accredited to the Holy See a few days ago. He affirmed that without
such an openness, 'humans easily fall pray to relativism and thus
find it difficult to act justly or to commit themselves to peace',"
the cardinal concluded.
POPE
RECEIVES CORPS OF VATICAN GENDARMERIE AND FIRE DEPARTMENT
Vatican
City, 11 January 2013 (VIS) - This afternoon, the Holy Father
received the Corps of the Gendarmerie and the Fire Department of the
Vatican City Sate in the Clementine Hall of the Vatican palace. After
a greeting offered by Commander Domenico Giani, director of Security
Services and Civil Protection, Benedict XVI addressed those gathered.
“This
occasion,” said the Pope, “gives me the opportunity to express to
you … my appreciation, my heartfelt encouragement, and mostly my
deep gratitude for the generous work you carry out discretely,
competently, efficiently, and not without sacrifice. Almost every day
I have the opportunity to meet some of you in your various places of
work and to personally witness your professionalism in collaborating
on and guaranteeing the Pope’s surveillance as well as the
necessary safety and order of those who reside in the state and those
who take part in the celebrations and events that take place in the
Vatican.”
“The
Corps of the Gendarmerie is called to carry out, among other tasks,
that of courteously and kindly greeting the Vatican’s pilgrims and
visitors who come from Rome, Italy, and every part of the world. This
labour of vigilance and control, which you conduct with diligence and
care, is certainly substantial and delicate. At times it requires
more than a little patience, perseverance, and willingness to listen.
It is a very useful service to the tranquil and safe conduct of daily
life and of the religious events of Vatican City.”
The
Pope urged the gendarmes and firefighters to see on each pilgrim and
visitor “the face of a brother or sister whom God has placed on
your path” and to therefore “to welcome them with courtesy and
assist them knowing that they are part of the great human family.
Your task,” he emphasized, “will be more efficient for the Holy
See and more enriching for you the more that it is undertaken with
serenity and harmony. To that end it is necessary that the gendarmes,
who for a long time have guaranteed their service within the Corps,
and those responsible for their mandate establish, ever more fully,
trusting relationships that can sustain and nourish all the members
of the Vatican's Gendarmerie, even in difficult moments."
"May
your unique presence at the heart of Christianity, where crowds and
faithful constantly gather to meet the successor of Peter and to
visit the tombs of the Apostles, always arouse in each of you the
task of intensifying the spiritual dimension of life as well as the
commitment to deepen your Christian faith, bearing courageous witness
to it in each area of life with coherent conduct," the Holy
Father concluded.
AUDIENCES
Vatican
City, 14 January 2013 (VIS) – On Saturday, the Holy Father received
in audience Cardinal Marc Ouellet, P.S.S., prefect of the
Congregation for Bishops.
This
morning, the Holy Father received in separate audiences:
Cardinal
Fernando Filoni, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation
of Peoples,
six
prelates from the Abruzzo-Molise region of the Italian Episcopal
Conference, on their "ad limina" visit:
-
Archbishop Giancarlo Maria Bregantini, C.S.S., of Campobasso-Boiano;
-
Archbishop Bruno Forte of Chieti-Vasto;
-
Archbishop Emidio Cipollone of Lanciano-Ortona;
-
Bishop Domenico Angelo Scotti of Trivento;
-
Bishop Gianfranco De Luca of Termoli-Larino; and
-
Bishop Salvatore Visco of Isernia-Venafro.
OTHER
PONTIFICAL ACTS
Vatican
City, 12 January 2013 (VIS) – Today, the Holy Father:
-
appointed Bishop Julio Parrilla Diaz as bishop of Riobamba (area
7,014, population 517,000, Catholics 405,000, priests 79, permanent
deacons 7, religious 218), Ecuador. Bishop Parrilla Diaz, previously
bishop of Loja, Ecuador, was born in Orense, Spain in 1946, ordained
a priest in 1975, and received episcopal ordination in 2008. In the
Ecuadorian Episcopal Conference he currently serves as president of
the Caritas Pastoral Social Commission.
-
appointed Bishop Daniel Kozelinski Netto as apostolic visitor to the
faithful Byzantine Rite Ukrainians resident in Uruguay, Paraguay,
Chile, and Venezuela. Bishop Kozelinski Netto is also titular of
Eminentiana, apostolic administrator of Santa María del Patrocinio
en Buenos Aires of the Ukrainians, Argentina, and auxiliary of the
eparchy of Sao Joao Batista em Curitiba of the Ukrainians, Brazil.
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