SUMMARY:
- FR.
LOMBARDI ON THE POSSIBILITY OF A MOTU PROPRIO
- JOSEPH
RATZINGER'S ANTHROPOLOGICAL WRITINGS FOR "COMMUNIO"
GATHERED IN NEW BOOK
- SECAM:
COMMON GOOD, RESPECT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS, AND GOOD GOVERNMENT ARE SOCIAL
ELEMENTS OF GOSPEL MESSAGE
- OTHER
PONTIFICAL ACTS
______________________________________
FR.
LOMBARDI ON THE POSSIBILITY OF A MOTU PROPRIO
Vatican
City, 20 February 2013 (VIS) – The director of the Holy See Press
Office, Fr. Federico Lombardi, S.J., responding to journalists'
questions, commented that the Holy Father is considering the
publication of a Motu Proprio in the coming days, obviously before
the beginning of the Sede Vacante, to clarify a few particular points
regarding the Apostolic Constitution on the conclave that have arisen
over the last years.
"I
don't know if he will deem it necessary or appropriate," he
added, "to elucidate the question of the opening date of the
conclave. We will have to see if and when a document is published. It
seems to me, for example, the clarification of some details in order
to be in complete agreement with another document regarding the
conclave, that is, the Ordo Rituum Conclavis. In any case, the
question depends on the Pope's judgement and if this document comes
about it will be made known through the proper channels."
JOSEPH
RATZINGER'S ANTHROPOLOGICAL WRITINGS FOR "COMMUNIO"
GATHERED IN NEW BOOK
Vatican
City, 20 February 2013 (VIS) – Fourteen texts with an
anthropological theme written by Joseph Ratzinger between 1972 and
2005?before being elected Pope?are being published in the volume
"Joseph Ratzinger in Communio: Anthropology and Culture
(Michigan/Cambridge, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2013), edited by
David L. Schindler and Nicholas J. Healy. The texts?articles and
contributions?address, among others, themes such as humanity between
reproduction and creation; Jesus Christ today; the meaning of Sunday;
hope, technological security understood as a problem of social
ethics; and God in John Paul II's "Crossing the Threshold of
Hope".
As
reported by "L'Osservatore Romano", the connecting theme in
the Pope's writings is that they been published or re-edited in the
American edition of the international Catholic periodical "Communio".
This is the second volume dedicated to Joseph Ratzinger's texts, the
first of which, "Joseph Ratzinger in Communio: The Unity of the
Church" was released in 2010, and was also edited by David L.
Schindler. The plan, as Schindler explains in the introductory note
in the second volume, is to republish all of Cardinal Ratzinger's
articles that appeared in the American edition of "Communio",
from its first edition in 1974. Despite the difficulty in clearly
establishing the boundaries of their areas, the writings have been
grouped into three major categories: Church, anthropology, and
theological renewal.
"Communio"
is an international journal on theology and culture published
quarterly. It was founded in 1972 by various theologians including
Hans Urs von Balthasar, Henri de Lubac, Jean-Luc Marion and Joseph
Ratzinger himself.
SECAM:
COMMON GOOD, RESPECT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS, AND GOOD GOVERNMENT ARE SOCIAL
ELEMENTS OF GOSPEL MESSAGE
Vatican
City, 20 February 2013 (VIS) – "Governance, Common Good, and
Democratic Transitions in Africa" is the title of the Pastoral
Letter prepared by the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences in Africa
and Madagascar (SECAM)?the organization gathering all the Catholic
bishops of that continent?presented in Accra, Ghana by Cardinal
Polycarp Pengo, archbishop of Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania and president
of SECAM.
The
Pastoral Letter, following after Benedict XVI's post-synodal
Apostolic Exhortation "Africae Munus", emphasized that "the
Church cannot remain indifferent and isolated in the face of Africa’s
socio-political and economic challenges, and notes that "the
common good, the respect for human rights, and the promotion of good
government are essential elements of the Gospel message."
Recalling
the Church's prophetic mission, the text states that "the
justice that the prophets demanded is not abstract; it is very
practical, down-to-earth actions, which take place to ensure that the
weak are protected from abuse, that the poor have what they need, and
that the socially disadvantaged are cared for. It means giving to
everyone what God has intended for them regardless of any
distinction."
The
document also comments on the lack of work in many African countries,
observing that "The drama of immigration, with a growing number
of young people who risk their lives to leave Africa, reflects the
depth of the malaise of a continent that is still dragging its feet
to provide favourable conditions for the blossoming of her sons and
daughters." Also, "the situation of women is another cause
for worry. It is SECAM's view that women and men are of equal dignity
in their humanity before God, both were created in the image and
likeness of God. Therefore we should ensure that all are given the
opportunity to play their "specific role in the Church and in
society at large."
In regard
to good governance in Africa, the bishops of SECAM launched an appeal
to all of Africa's political leaders and governments "to see
poverty eradication as a priority by using proceeds from the
continent's sub-soil natural resources, such as land, and forestry
for the development of your countries for the benefit of the whole
nation and all its citizens. We implore you not to undermine the
fight against corruption. Corruption is a canker destroying our
nations."
"The
Church," reads the Pastoral Letter, "has been at the heart
of all efforts towards better governance. In many countries, during
the delicate democratic transitional period of the 1990s, the Church
played a clearly visible role of support. Five out of the eight
National Transitional Conferences that were organized during this
epoch were chaired by Catholic Bishops. This intervention by the
Church helped, in many cases, to ensure peaceful democratic
transitional processes with a lot of success, through inclusive
consultations and dialogue. Many Christians in some volatile
situations helped in bringing about peace and reconciliation. The
Church has to take her responsibilities in the socio-political
domain. She has to be fully involved in the in-depth transformation
of our society."
OTHER
PONTIFICAL ACTS
Vatican
City, 20 February 2013 (VIS) – Today, the Holy Father:
-
appointed Fr. Jose Mario Angonese as auxiliary bishop of the
Archdiocese of Curitiba (area 5,751, population 2,420,151, Catholics
1,790,912, priests 391, permanent deacons 52, religious 1556),
Brazil, assigning him the titular see of Giufi. The bishop-elect was
born in Unistalda, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil in 1960 and was ordained
a priest in 1989. He holds a license in Philosophy with a
specialization in Psychopedagogy from the philosophy faculty of
Canoas, Brazil. He has served in several pastoral and academic roles
for the Diocese of Santa Maria, Brazil most recently as pastor of
Ressurreicao parish and rector of the archdiocesan major seminary,
Sao Jao Maria Vianney.
-
appointed Fr. Daniel Miehm as auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of
Hamilton (area 16,824, population 2,064,000, Catholics 580,000,
priests 224, permanent deacons 32, religious 376), Canada, assigning
him the titular see of Gor. The bishop-elect was born in Kitchener,
Ontario, Canada in 1960 and was ordained a priest in 1989. He holds a
license in Canon Law from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas
(Angelicum) in Rome, Italy. He has served in several pastoral roles
for the Diocese of Hamilton, most recently as pastor of the new
parish St. Benedict in Milton, Ontario and spiritual assistant of the
St. Thomas More Lawyer's Guild.
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