Showing posts with label Pope Benedict XVI. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pope Benedict XVI. Show all posts

Monday, February 25, 2013

News Vatican Information Service 02/24/2013



SUMMARY:

- BENEDICT XVI'S FINAL ANGELUS: THE LORD CALLS ME TO DEDICATE MYSELF MORE TO PRAYER, BUT I DO NOT ABANDON THE CHURCH
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BENEDICT XVI'S FINAL ANGELUS: THE LORD CALLS ME TO DEDICATE MYSELF MORE TO PRAYER, BUT I DO NOT ABANDON THE CHURCH

Vatican City, 24 February 2013 – More than 200,000 people attended the final Angelus of Benedict XVI's pontificate. Maxiscreens were placed in the areas around St. Peter's Square so that the faithful who could not enter the square would be able to see the Pope at the window of his study shortly before noon.

The Holy Father was received with much applause and, before beginning his short meditation, responded saying, “Thank you, thank you very much.” He then commented on the Gospel reading for this second Sunday of Lent, which recounts the Transfiguration of the Lord.

Luke the Evangelist,” he said, “places particular attention on the fact that Jesus was transfigured as He prayed. His is a profound experience of relationship with the Father during a type of spiritual retreat that Jesus undergoes on a high mountain in the company of Peter, James, and John, the three disciples who are always present at the moments of the Master's divine manifestation. The Lord, who had foretold His death and resurrection shortly before, offers His disciples an anticipation of His glory. Again at the Transfiguration, as at His Baptism, we hear the voice of the Heavenly Father: 'This is my chosen Son; listen to Him.' The presence of Moses and Elijah, who represent the Law and the Prophets of the Old Covenant, is very important. The entire history of the Covenant is directed toward Him, the Christ, who brings about a new 'exodus', not to the promised land, as in the time of Moses, but to heaven. Peter's exclamation, 'Master, it is good that we are here', represents the impossible attempt to stop this mystical experience. St. Augustine comments: “Peter … on the mountain ... had Christ as the Bread of his soul. Should he then depart from there to return to struggles and sorrows, while up above he was full of the holy love for God that inspired him to saintly behaviour?”

Meditating on this Gospel passage, we can draw a very important teaching from it. First of all, the primacy of prayer, without which the entire commitment of ministry and charity is reduced to activism. During Lent we learn to give the proper time to the prayer, both personal and communal, which gives breath to our spiritual life. In addition, prayer is not an isolation from the world and its contradictions, as Peter would have wanted on Mt. Tabor. Instead, prayer leads to a path of action. 'The Christian life—I wrote in this year's Lenten Message—consists in continuously scaling the mountain to meet God and then coming back down, bearing the love and strength drawn from Him, so as to serve our brothers and sisters with God’s own love.'”

I hear this Word of God addressed to me in a special way at this moment of my life. The Lord has called me to 'scale the mountain', to dedicate myself still more to prayer and meditation. But this does not mean abandoning the Church. If God asks me this it is precisely so that I might continue to serve her with the same dedication and the same love with which I have tried to give up to now, but in a way more suitable to my age and my strength. Let us call upon the intercession of the Virgin Mary: May she help all of us to always follow the Lord Jesus, in prayer and in works of charity.”

After praying the Angelus, in his greetings in various languages, the Pope thanked everyone for expressing their closeness and for keeping him in their prayers in these days, saying: “We also give thanks to God for this sun we have today”, seeing that in Rome, contrary to the meteorological forecasts, it was not raining.

In addressing the Polish pilgrims he reaffirmed that on Mt. Tabor, Christ “revealed the splendour of His divinity to His disciples, giving them the certainty that, through suffering and the cross we can gain resurrection. We always have to perceive His presence, His glory, and His divinity in the life of the Church, in contemplation, and in everyday events.”

Finally, speaking to the many Italians from diverse dioceses throughout the peninsula, he bade them farewell saying: “Thank you, again. We will always be close in prayer.”


You can find more information at: www.visnews.org
The news items contained in the Vatican Information Service may be used, in part or in their entirety, by quoting the source:
V.I.S. -Vatican Information Service.
Copyright © Vatican Information Service 00120 Vatican City

Thursday, February 21, 2013

News Vatican Information Service 02/21/2013



SUMMARY:

- POPE'S FINAL ACTIVITIES, POSSIBILITY OF A MOTU PROPRIO, RELATIONSHIP WITH THE SOCIETY OF ST. PIUS X
- NOTICE FROM THE PREFECTURE OF THE PAPAL HOUSEHOLD
- OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
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POPE'S FINAL ACTIVITIES, POSSIBILITY OF A MOTU PROPRIO, RELATIONSHIP WITH THE SOCIETY OF ST. PIUS X

Vatican City, 21 February 2013 (VIS) – This morning Fr. Federico Lombardi, director of the Holy See Press Office, presented information related to the Holy Father's calendar and clarified some issues that have been raised in the past few days.

At 9:00am on Saturday, 23 February, the Holy Father and the Roman Curia will conclude their spiritual exercises. Traditionally, the Pope addresses those present briefly. That same day, at 11:30am, he will meet with the President of the Italian Republic Giorgio Napolitano. On Sunday, 24 February, Benedict XVI will pray the last Angelus of his pontificate with the faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square. On Wednesday, 27 February, Benedict XVI's final general audience will take place in St. Peter's Square in the usual fashion, except for his re-entry to the Apostolic Palace, the path of which will wind around the square in the popemobile so that he may greet the many participants who are expected (to date, over 30,000 people have requested tickets). On 28 February, as announced in a notice from the Papal Household, he will personally greet all the cardinals present in Rome, that is, both those who are resident here and those who have come to the capitol in recent days. There will be no speech.

Regarding his departure from the Vatican, shortly before 5:00pm, the Pope will greet Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone, S.D.B., in the San Damaso Courtyard and, upon reaching the Vatican heliport, will bid farewell to Cardinal Angelo Sodano, dean of the College of Cardinals. On arrival at Castel Gandolfo he will be received by the president and secretary of the Governorate of Vatican City, the mayor of the town, and other civil authorities and will appear at the balcony of the Apostolic Palace to greet the faithful present.

On a different topic, the director of the Holy See Press Office has stated that the date of the conclave is established by the congregation of cardinals during the Sede vacante, independently of a possible Motu Proprio from the Holy Father that could specify some details of the Apostolic Constitution "Universi Dominici Gregis".

Regarding the issue of the Society of St. Pius X, he reaffirmed that the date of 22 February to decide the issue is pure hypothesis and that Benedict XVI has decided to entrust the matter to the next Pope, therefore, a definition of relations with that society should not be expected by the end of this pontificate.

In conclusion, he confirmed that the Commission of Cardinals (Julian Herranz, Jozef Tomko, and Salvatore De Giorgi) set up by the Holy Father to prepare a report on the Holy See has made its results known exclusively to the Pope. The cardinals will not grant interviews or otherwise comment on the results.

NOTICE FROM THE PREFECTURE OF THE PAPAL HOUSEHOLD

Vatican City, 21 February 2013 (VIS) – On Thursday, 28 February, the Holy Father Benedict XVI will meet and personally greet all of the cardinals who are present in Rome.

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

Vatican City, 21 February 2013 (VIS) – Today, the Holy Father:

- appointed Bishop Ramon Alfredo Dus as archbishop of Resistencia (area 28,250, population 6000,000, Catholics 495,000, priests 62, permanent deacons 13, religious 114), Argentina. Archbishop-elect Dus, previously of the Diocese of Reconquista, Argentina, succeeds Archbishop Fabriciano Sigampa, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same archdiocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

- appointed Fr. Marco Aurelio Gubiotti as bishop of Itabira-Favriciano (area 8,996, population 789,000, Catholics 565,000, priests 65, religious 77), Brazil. The bishop-elect was born in Ouro Fino, Minas Gerais, Brazil in 1963 and was ordained a priest in 1989. He has served in several pastoral and academic roles in the archdiocese of Pouso Alegre, Brazil, most recently as a professor of theology, pastor of Nossa Senhora de Fatima parish, and member of the archdiocesan Presbyteral Council. He succeeds Bishop Odilon Guimaraes Moreira, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, in accordance with canon 401 para. 2 of the Code of Canon Law.

- erected the Apostolic Vicarate of Puerto Leguizamo-Solano with territory taken from the apostolic prefectures of San Vincente-Puerto Leguizamo and Leticia, Colombia.

- appointed Fr. Joaquim Humberto Pinzon Guiza, I.M.C., as the first apostolic vicar of Puerto Leguizamo-Solano (area 64,000, population 46,000, Catholics 36,000, priests 7, religious 8), Colombia. The bishop-elect was born in Berbeo, Boyaca, Colombia, in 1969 and was ordained a priest in 1999. He has served in several missionary, academic, and administrative roles in Colombia, most recently as the Institute's regional superior in Colombia-Ecuador.

- appointed Fr. Ilario Antoniazzi as archbishop of Tunis (area 162,155, population 10,549,000, Catholics 21,000, priests 32, permanent deacons 1, religious 149), Tunisia. The archbishop-elect was born in Rai, Treviso, Italy and was ordained a priest in 1972. He has served in several pastoral roles in the Patriarchate of Jerusalem, most recently as pastor of Rameh in Galilee, Isreal.

- appointed Fr. Gabriele Marchesi as bishop of Floresta (area 15,806, population 253,000, Catholics 252,000, priests 21, religious 22), Brazil. The bishop-elect was born in Incisa Valdarno, Tuscany, Italy and was ordained a priest in 1978. He has served in several pastoral and administrative roles for the Diocese of Fiesole, Brazil, most recently as pastor of Sao Pedro Apostolo and Nossa Senhora do Rosario parishes, coordinator for Pastoral Service, and episcopal vicar.

- appointed Bishop Miguel Angel D’Annibale as bishop of Rio Gallegos (area 265,614, population 306,000, Catholics 214,000, priests 47, permanent deacons 11, religious 95), Argentina. Bishop D'Annibale, previously auxiliary of that same diocese and titular of Nasai, is a member of the Commission for the Liturgy in the Argentine Episcopal Conference.


You can find more information at: www.visnews.org
The news items contained in the Vatican Information Service may be used, in part or in their entirety, by quoting the source:
V.I.S. -Vatican Information Service.
Copyright © Vatican Information Service 00120 Vatican City

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

News Vatican Information Service 02/20/2013



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
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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.


You can find more information at: www.visnews.org
The news items contained in the Vatican Information Service may be used, in part or in their entirety, by quoting the source:
V.I.S. -Vatican Information Service.
Copyright © Vatican Information Service 00120 Vatican City


Tuesday, February 19, 2013

News Vatican Information Service 02/19/2013



SUMMARY:

- COMMUNIQUE ON CONGREGATION OF CHILDREN OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION
- CARDINAL SARAH VISITS SYRIAN REFUGEES IN JORDAN
- OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
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COMMUNIQUE ON CONGREGATION OF CHILDREN OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Vatican City, 19 February 2013 (VIS) – After Archbishop Filippo Iannone's apostolic visit to the Congregation of Children of the Immaculate Conception on 15 February, the Holy Father has decided to entrust the regulation of that religious institute to Cardinal Giuseppe Versaldi, president of the Prefecture for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See, naming him as the pontifical delegate. As such, Cardinal Versaldi will carry out the task of guiding the religious institute and of bringing the health facilities it runs to a possible economic well-standing, avoiding, however, participation by the Holy See in those tasks, according to a communique published by the Press Office of the Holy See yesterday afternoon.

CARDINAL SARAH VISITS SYRIAN REFUGEES IN JORDAN

Vatican City, 19 February 2013 (VIS) - Cardinal Robert Sarah, president of the Pontifical Council "Cor Unum" and Msgr. Giampietro Dal Toso, secretary of that dicastery, are in Jordan from today until Thursday, 21 February, to participate in the regional conference of Caritas in the Middle East, North Africa, and Horn of Africa, which is taking place in that country.

The forum is a very important opportunity to take stock of the humanitarian aid provided by Catholic charities, including Caritas, to refugees and victims of violent conflict in Syria since representatives of all the Caritas organizations of that region, as well as representatives of the local churches, will be present.

"The humanitarian situation in Syria, and throughout the region," a press release from Cor Unum states, "is unsustainable. Some estimates speak of a million refugees, more than two and a half million displaced persons, and almost one hundred thousand deaths directly attributable to violence. There are countless others, whose numbers cannot be quantified, indirectly caused by the general impoverishment of the population, caused mainly by war. The harsh winter is further contributing to this sad situation of suffering of an exhausted people, especially the weakest and most vulnerable on the fringes of society."

During their trip Cardinal Sarah and Msgr. Del Toso will visit centres housing numerous persons who have escaped the fighting in Syria. The visit with the refugees will be organized by Caritas Jordan along with other Catholic charities that deal with humanitarian assistance and intervention. A meeting with King Abdullah of Jordan is also planned for the prelates.

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

Vatican City, 19 February 2013 (VIS) – Today, the Holy Father appointed Bishop Fabio Martinez Castilla as archbishop of Tuxtla Gutierrez (area 22,629, population 1,280,000, Catholics 997,000, priests 139, religious 337), Mexico. Archbishop Martinez Castilla, previously of the diocese of Ciudad Lazaro Cardenas, Mexico was elected as director of the Dimension for Missionary Outreach at the last plenary assembly of the Mexican Episcopal Conference and is a member of the Permanent Council.


You can find more information at: www.visnews.org
The news items contained in the Vatican Information Service may be used, in part or in their entirety, by quoting the source:
V.I.S. -Vatican Information Service.
Copyright © Vatican Information Service 00120 Vatican City


Monday, February 18, 2013

News Vatican Information Service 02/16 -18/2013



SUMMARY:

- SPIRITUAL EXERCISES IN THE VATICAN
- POPE: AT CORE OF TEMPTATION ALWAYS LIES INSTRUMENTALIZATION OF GOD
- AUDIENCE WITH ITALIAN PRIME MINISTER
- HOLY SEE AND GUATEMALA: COOPERATION TO RESOLVE SOCIAL PROBLEMS
- RENEWAL OF COMMISSION OF CARDINALS FOR THE IOR
- AUDIENCES
- OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
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SPIRITUAL EXERCISES IN THE VATICAN

Vatican City, 17 February 2013 (VIS) – At 6:00pm today, the first day of Lent, the spiritual exercises of the Roman Curia, which the Holy Father participates in, began in the Redemptoris Mater Chapel of the Vatican's Apostolic Palace. The Lenten exercises will conclude on Saturday morning, 23 February. This year the meditations are led by Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, president of the Pontifical Council for Culture.

During the retreat all papal audiences are suspended, including the weekly general audience of Wednesday, 20 February.

POPE: AT CORE OF TEMPTATION ALWAYS LIES INSTRUMENTALIZATION OF GOD

Vatican City, 17 February 2013 (VIS) – More than one hundred and fifty thousand people attended Benedict XVI's second-to-last Angelus in St. Peter's Square today. The Pope, who appeared at the window of his study at noon, focuses his Sunday meditation on Lent, "a time of conversion and penitence in preparation for Easter."

"The Church, who is mother and teacher," he said, "calls on all of her members to renew their spirit, to reorient themselves toward God, renouncing pride and selfishness in order to live in love. In this Year of Faith, Lent is a favourable time to rediscover faith in God as the fundamental criterion of our lives and the life of the Church. This always implies a struggle, spiritual combat, because the spirit of evil, naturally, opposes our sanctification and tries to turn us from God's path. … Jesus, after having received 'investiture' as the Messiah?'anointed' by the Spirit?at his Baptism in the Jordan, was led by the same Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. On beginning his public ministry, Jesus had to unmask and reject the false images of the Messiah proposed to him by the tempter. But these temptations are also the false images of humanity that have always harassed our consciences, disguising themselves as convenient and effective, even good proposals."

"The core of these temptations," Benedict XVI explained, "always consists in instumentalizing God for our own interests, giving more importance to success or material goods. The tempter is sly: he doesn't push us directly toward evil, but toward a false good, making us believe that power and that which satisfies our basic needs are the true realities. In this way, God becomes secondary; He is reduced to a means, becomes unreal, no longer counts, disappears. In the final analysis, faith is what is at stake in temptation because God is at stake. In the decisive moments of our lives, but on closer inspection in every moment, we are faced with a choice: do we want to follow the 'I' or God? Do we want to seek out selfish interests or the true Good, that which is truly good?"

"As the Church Fathers teach us, temptation forms part of Jesus' 'descent' into our human condition, into the abyss of sin and its consequences. It is a descent that Jesus follows to its very end, even to death on the cross and the hell of extreme distance from God. … As St. Augustine teaches, Jesus has taken temptation from us in order to give us victory over it. Therefore we too have no fear of facing the battle against the spirit of evil. What is important is that we face it with him, with Christ the Victor," the pontiff concluded.

After the Marian prayer the Pope thanked everyone for their prayers and affection, which he has felt in these days. "I ask," he said, "that you continue to pray for me and for the next Pope, as well as for the spiritual exercises that I will begin with the members of the Roman Curia this afternoon." He also greeted the "beloved city of Rome", seeing that among those filling St. Peter's Square there was a delegation from the municipality headed by the mayor.

AUDIENCE WITH ITALIAN PRIME MINISTER

Vatican City, 16 February 2013 (VIS) – This afternoon at 6:00pm, the Pope received Senator Mario Monti, Prime Minister of the Italian Republic, in a private farewell audience that, according to a communique published today, was both particularly cordial and intense.

Prime Minister Monti expressed once again the gratitude and affection of the Italian people for the Holy Father's high-minded religious and moral teaching, for his attention to social problems, and for sharing the hopes of Italy and Europe.

HOLY SEE AND GUATEMALA: COOPERATION TO RESOLVE SOCIAL PROBLEMS

Vatican City, 16 February 2013 (VIS) - This morning, the Holy Father received in audience Mr. Otto Fernando Perez Molina, president of the Republic of Guatemala. President Perez Molina then met with Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, S.D.B., secretary of State of His Holiness, accompanied by Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, secretary for Relations with States.

The cordial relations between the Holy See and Guatemala were evident during the talks, as well as the appreciation for the Church's unique contribution in that country's development, especially in the areas of education, the promotion of human and spiritual values, and social and charitable activity. The latter has been particularly evident during, among other situations, the recent earthquake that affected the Guatemalan people.

Later in the conversations, the need to continue working together in solving social problems of poverty, drug trafficking, organized crime, and emigration was agreed upon and, in conclusion, talk also turned to the importance of the defence of human life from the moment of conception.

RENEWAL OF COMMISSION OF CARDINALS FOR THE IOR

Vatican City, 16 February 2013 (VIS) – Today the Holy Father renewed, for a five-year period, the Commission of Cardinals for oversight of the Institute for the Works of Religion (IOR).

The new oversight commission is composed of: Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, S.D.B., secretary of State (president of the commission); Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue; Cardinal Odilo Pedro Scherer, archbishop of Sao Paulo, Brazil; Cardinal Telesphore Placidus Toppo, archbishop of Ranchi, India; and Cardinal Domenico Calcagno, president of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See (APSA), who takes the place of Cardinal Attilio Nicora, president of the Financial Information Authority (AIF).

AUDIENCES

Vatican City, 16 February 2013 (VIS) – Today, the Holy Father received in separate audiences:

- Mr. Otto Perez Molina, president of the Republic of Guatemala, with his wife and entourage,

- thirteen prelates from the Lombardy region of the Italian Episcopal Conference on their "ad limina" visit:

Cardinal Angelo Scola, archbishop of Milan, with auxiliaries:

Bishop Erminio De Scalzi, titular of Arbanum,

Bishop Luigi Stucchi, titular of Horrea,

Bishop Mario Enrico Delpini, titular of Stephaniacum, as well as:

Cardinal Dionigi Tettamanzi, archbishop emeritus of Milan and apostolic administrator of Vigevano, and

Bishop Giovanni Giudici of Pavia,

Bishop Dante Lafranconi of Cremona,

Bishop Luciano Monari of Brescia,

Bishop Giuseppe Merisi of Lodi,

Bishop Diego Coletti of Como,

Bishop Francesco Beschi of Bergamo,

Bishop Oscar Cantoni of Crema,

Bishop Roberto Busti of Mantova, and

- Senator Mario Monti, prime minister of the Republic of Italy.

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

Vatican City, 16 February 2013 (VIS) - Today, the Holy Father appointed:

Fr. Wieslaw Krotki, O.M.I., as bishop of Churchill-Baie d'Hudson (area 2,300,000, population 32,090, Catholics 8,570, priests 10, religious 2), Canada. The bishop-elect was born in Istebna, now in the Silesia Province of southern Poland in 1964 and was ordained a priest in 1990. Immediately after ordination for the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate in Obra, Poland, he was sent to the missions in the Great North of Canada where he has served in several roles for the order and to various missions. From 1999 to 2005 he was superior of the Oblate Delegation of Hudson Bay and, since 2001, has been a missionary to the Inuit community of Igloolik. He succeeds Bishop Reynald Rouleau, O.M.I., whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

Fr. Titus Joseph Mdoe as auxiliary bishop of Dar-es-Salaam (area 40,000, population 5,329,000, Catholics 1,618,000, priests 262, religious 712), Tanzania. The bishop-elect was born in Lushoto, Tanga, Tanzania in 1961 and was ordained a priest in 1986. He has served in several pastoral and administrative roles for the Diocese of Tanga, Tanzania, and from 2010 has been the deputy principal for Administration and Finance at Stella Maris Mtwara University College constituency of St. Augustine University in the Diocese of Mtwara, Tanzania. The Holy Father has assigned him the Titular See of Bahanna.

Archbishop Aldo Cavalli as apostolic nuncio to Malta. Archbishop Cavalli, titular of Vibo Valentia, was previously apostolic nuncio to Colombia.


You can find more information at: www.visnews.org
The news items contained in the Vatican Information Service may be used, in part or in their entirety, by quoting the source:
V.I.S. -Vatican Information Service.
Copyright © Vatican Information Service 00120 Vatican City


Friday, February 15, 2013

News Vatican Information Service 02/15/2013



SUMMARY:

- ROMANIA AND HOLY SEE: COOPERATION IN SAFEGUARDING COMMON VALUES
- POPE RECEIVES "PRO PETRI SEDE" ASSOCIATION
- BENEDICT XVI: JOY OF THE COUNCIL
- GERMAN LAWYER ERNST VON FREYBERG, NEW PRESIDENT OF SUPERVISORY BOARD OF IOR
- AUDIENCES
- OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
______________________________________

ROMANIA AND HOLY SEE: COOPERATION IN SAFEGUARDING COMMON VALUES

Vatican City, 15 February 2013 (VIS) – This morning, the Holy Father Benedict XVI received in audience His Excellency Mr. Traian Basescu, president of Romania. President Basescu then met with Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, S.D.B., secretary of State of His Holiness, accompanied by Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, secretary for Relations with States.

During the talks, which were held in a cordial atmosphere, the good relations between Romania and the Holy See were discussed. In particular, the successful cooperation on a European level to safeguard common values was highlighted and prospects for cooperation between the Catholic Church and the Romanian State in the area of education were addressed.

Issues continuously affecting Catholic communities in Romania were not overlooked and the Catholic Church's contribution in integrating Romanian communities abroad was given recognition.

POPE RECEIVES "PRO PETRI SEDE" ASSOCIATION

Vatican City, 15 February 2013 (VIS) – This morning, in the Hall of Popes, Benedict XVI received members of the "Pro Petri Sede" Association from the countries of Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg, which annually offers economic assistance for the needs of the Holy See.

In his address, the Holy Father said that the Year of Faith "invites us to a genuine conversion to our Lord Jesus Christ, the one Saviour of the world. Accepting the revelation of God's salvific love in our lives by means of the faith calls our entire existence to be modelled on the radical newness that Christ's resurrection introduces in the world. Faith is a living reality that must be constantly discovered and deepened so that it might grow."

"Faith," the Pope concluded, "must guide Christians' gaze and action. It is a new criterion of understanding and action that changes one's entire life. As I said in the Apostolic Letter 'Porta fidei', the Year of Faith is an opportune moment to intensify the witness of charity: 'Faith without charity bears no fruit, while charity without faith would be a sentiment constantly at the mercy of doubt. Faith and charity each require the other, in such a way that each allows the other to set out along its respective path'. "

BENEDICT XVI: JOY OF THE COUNCIL

Vatican City, 15 February 2013 (VIS) – Following are ample extracts from the Holy Father's warm and friendly chat yesterday with the clergy of Rome, which was held in the Paul VI Hall.

"We went to the Council not just with joy, but enthusiastically. There was an incredible expectation. We hoped that everything would be renewed, that a new Pentecost, a new era in the Church, had truly arrived, … rediscovering the bond between the Church and the world’s best elements, to open humanity's future, to begin real progress. We began to get to know one another ... and it was an experience of the Church's universality and of the Church's concrete reality, which wasn't limited to receiving orders from on high but of growing and advancing together, under the direction of the Successor of Peter naturally." The questions put to the Council Fathers dealt with "the reform of the liturgy, ... ecclesiology, ... the Word of God, Revelation, … and, finally, ecumenism."

"In retrospect, I think that it was very good to begin with the liturgy, showing God's primacy, the primacy of adoration. … The Council spoke of God and this was its first act: speaking of God and opening everything to the people, opening the adoration of God to the entire holy people, in the common celebration of the liturgy of the Body and Blood of Christ. … The principles came later: comprehensibility, so as not to be locked in an unknown and unspoken language, and active participation. Unfortunately, sometimes these principles are misunderstood. Comprehensibility does not mean triviality because the great texts of the liturgy?even when they are, thanks be to God, in one's mother tongue?are not easily understandable. Ongoing formation is necessary for Christians to grow and enter more deeply into the mystery so they might understand."

"The second theme: the Church. … We wanted to say and to understand that the Church is not an organization, not just some structural, legal, or institutional thing?which it also is?but an organism, a living reality that enters into my soul and that I myself, with my very soul, as a believer, am a constitutive element of the Church as such. … The Church isn't a structure. We ourselves, Christians together, we are the living Body of the Church. Of course, this is true in the sense that we, the true 'we' of believers, together with the 'I' of Christ, are the Church; each one of us is not 'a we' but a group that calls itself Church."

"The first idea was to present the ecclesiology in a theological format, but continuing structurally, that is to say, alongside the succession of Peter, in its unique role, to better define the role of bishops and the episcopal body. In order to do this we found that the word 'collegiality' was very intensely debated, somewhat exaggeratedly I would say. But it was the word … to express that the bishops, together, are the continuation of the Twelve, of the group of Apostles. We said: only one bishop, the bishop of Rome, is the successor of the particular apostle, Peter … Thus the group of Bishops, the College, is the continuation of the Twelve and has its needs, its role, its rights, and its duties."

"Another question in the ecclesiastical sphere was the definition of the concept of the 'people of God', which implies the continuity of the Testaments, the continuity of the history of God with the world, with humanity, and also implies the 'Christological element'. Only through Christology are we converted into the People of God and thus two concepts are united. The council decided to create a Trinitarian structure to the ecclesiology: the People of God the Father, the Body of Christ, and the Temple of the Holy Spirit. … The link between the People of God and the Body of Christ is, effectively, communion with Christ in the Eucharistic union. Thus we become the Body of Christ, that is, the relationship between the People of God and the Body of Christ creates a new reality: communion."

"On the question regarding Revelation, the fulcrum was the relationship between Scripture and Tradition. … Certainly, what is important is that the Scriptures are the Word of God and the Church is subject to the Scriptures, obeys the Word of God, and is not above Scripture. Nevertheless, the Scriptures are only such because there is a living Church, its living subject. Without the living subject of the Church, Scripture is only a book open to different interpretations and gives no definitive clarity." In this sense, "Pope Paul VI's intervention was decisive," with his proposal of the formula "nos omnis certitudo de veritatibus fidei potest sumi ex Sacra Scriptura", that is, "the Church's certainty on the faith is not only born of an isolated book, but needs the enlightened subject of the Church, which brings the Holy Spirit. Only thus can Scripture speak and from this springs all its authority."

"And, finally, ecumenism. I don't want to go into these problems now, but it was obvious that?especially after the 'passion' of Christians during the age of Nazism?that Christians could find unity, or could at least look for it, but it was also clear that only God can give unity. And we are still continuing along this path."

"The second part of the Council was much broader. The theme, arising with great urgency, was today's world, the modern age and the Church, and with it issues of the responsibility of the construction of this world, of society, responsibility for the future of this world and eschatological hope; Christian ethical responsibility … as well as religious freedom, progress, and relations with other religions. At that time, the entire Council, not just the United States, whose people are very concerned with religious freedom, really joined in the discussion … Latin America also joined in strongly, knowing the misery of the people of a Catholic continent and the responsibility of the faith for the situation of these persons. And thus Africa, Asia likewise saw the need for interreligious dialogue. … The great document 'Gaudium et Spes' analysed the problem between Christian eschatology and worldly progress, including the responsibility of tomorrow's society and Christian responsibilities in the face of eternity, and also the renewal of Christian ethics. … The basis for dialogue is in difference, in diversity, in the faith of the uniqueness of Christ who is one, and it is not possible for a believer to think that religions are variations on the same theme. No. There is a reality of the living God who has spoken and who is one God, an incarnate God, therefore one word of God who is truly the Word of God. But there is also a religious experience, with a certain human light on creation, and therefore it is necessary and possible to enter into dialogue and so to open oneself to others and to open all to God peace, all His children, all His family."

"I would like to add still a third point... the Council of the media. It was almost a Council itself and the world saw the Council through it. The 'Council of the journalists', of course was not carried out within the faith but within the categories of today's media. That is to say, it was outside of the faith, with a different hermeneutic … a political hermeneutic. For the media, the Council was a political struggle, a power struggle between the Church's different strands. … There was a triple problem: the Pope's power transferred to the power of the bishops and to the power of all: popular sovereignty. The same thing happened with the liturgy. They were not interested in the liturgy as an act of faith but as something where things are made understandable, a type of communal activity. … These translations, the trivialization of the idea of the Council were virulent in the practice of applying liturgical reform; a vision of the Council outside of its proper interpretation, that of faith, was born."

"We know that this Council of the media was accessible to all. Thus it was the dominant one, the most efficient one, and it created a lot of calamities, problems, and misfortunes. … The true Council found it difficult to make its thought concrete and actual. The virtual Council was stronger than the real council. But the Council's strength was present and, little by little, it became more and more actual, becoming the true force that is, after true reform, the Church's true renewal. It seems to me that, after 50 years, we see how the virtual Council has broken down, been lost, and the authentic Council appears in all its spiritual strength."

GERMAN LAWYER ERNST VON FREYBERG, NEW PRESIDENT OF SUPERVISORY BOARD OF IOR

Vatican City, 15 February 2013 (VIS) – According to a communique published today, the Commission of Cardinals for the Institute for the Works of Religion (IOR) has made an appointment, in accordance with the Institute’s statutes, of a new president of the Supervisory Board, Ernst von Freyberg. The other four members of the Supervisory Board will all remain in office.

"This decision is the result of extensive evaluation and a series of interviews that the Commission of Cardinals has conducted, with the constant support of the Supervisory Board. This painstaking and detailed process lasted for some months, making it possible to assess a number of candidates of professional and moral excellence, with assistance from an independent international Agency that is a leader in the selection of top executives."

"The Holy Father has closely followed the entire selection process leading to the choice of the new President of the Supervisory Board of the IOR, and he has expressed his full consent to the choice made by the Commission of Cardinals."

Included in the information is Mr. von Freyberg's curriculum. He was born in Germany in 1958 and from 1978 to 1985 he studied law at the universities of Munich and Bonn. From 1986 to 1987 he attended the Verwaltungshochschule Speyer. In 1988 he earned admission to the Bar at Landgericht, Ulm and passed the second law exam at Oberlandesgericht, Stuttgart. From 1988 to 1991 he worked for TCR Europe Limited (Bemberg Group), Three City Research Inc., and from 1991 to 2012 he founded and served as CEO of Daiwa Corporate Advisory GmbH. From 2012 to the present he has been with Blohm+Voss Group in Hamburg, Germany, serving as its chairman.

Mr. von Freyberg is an active member of the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta. He is co-leader of the Association for Pilgrimages to Lourdes of the Archdiocese of Berlin. He is founder and member of Freyberg Stiftung since its creation in 2009. This foundation supports three Catholic organizations in France, Germany, and Austria, the FreiligrathSchule (primary school in Frankfurt) providing student scholarships. He is also a member of the supervisory board of Flossbach von Storch AG, a Cologne based asset management firm. He is a member of the advisory board of Manpower GmbH, a temporary work service firm in Germany.

Mr. von Freyberg brings with him a vast experience of financial matters and the financial regulatory process.

AUDIENCES

Vatican City, 15 February 2013 (VIS) - This morning, the Holy Father received in audience seven prelates from the Liguria region of the Italian Episcopal Conference on their "ad limina" visit:

- Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, archbishop of Genoa,
- Bishop Martino Canessa of Tortona,
- Bishop Mario Oliveri of Albenga-Imperia,
- Bishop Alberto Maria Careggio of Ventimiglia-San Remo,
- Bishop Alberto Tanasini of Chiavari,
- Bishop Luigi Ernesto Palletti of La Spezia-Sarzana-Brugnato, and
- Bishop Vittorio Lupi of Savona-Noli.

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

Vatican City, 15 February 2013 (VIS) – Today, the Holy Father appointed Fr. Friedrich Bechina, F.S.O., official of the Congregation for Catholic Education, as under-secretary of that congregation.


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