News from The Vtaican Information Services 09/28/2005

The following is news from V.I.S., the Vatican Information Services, for 09/28/2005 , reproduced by permission from V.I.S.

SUMMARY:

- General Audience: Divine Love Becomes Tangible in History

- CCEE Plenary Assembly: Vatican Council II and Europe

- Audiences

- Other Pontifical Acts

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GENERAL AUDIENCE: DIVINE LOVE BECOMES TANGIBLE IN HISTORY

VATICAN CITY, SEP 28, 2005 (VIS) - In today's general audience, which was held in St. Peter's Square, the Pope spoke on the first part of Psalm 134, "Praise the Lord, Who works marvels."

Benedict XVI explained to the 30,000 people present that this psalm "is a liturgical-style hymn, interwoven with allusions, evocations, and references to other biblical texts. ... It begins with a broad-ranging and impassioned call to praise the Lord," in His temple, "the communal and preferred site of prayer. There the presence of 'our God' is effectively felt; a 'good' and 'gracious' God, the God of the choice and the covenant."
The invitation to praise the Lord, the Holy Father went on, is followed by the "proclamation of the faith," the substance of the entire hymn which reveals itself as being a proclamation of the greatness of the Lord as revealed in His marvelous works."

The Pope affirmed that "divine omnipotence is then shown to the entire world," however "it is above all another aspect of divine activity that is being celebrated in this profession of faith: the wonderful intervention in history, where the Creator reveals His face as redeemer of His people and sovereign of the world. The great events of Exodus are set out before the eyes of Israel gathered in prayer."

"Divine love becomes concrete and almost tangible in history with all its sad and its glorious events. It is the task of liturgy to make the divine gifts ever present and effective, especially in the great Paschal celebration which lies at the roots of all other solemnities, and constitutes the supreme emblem of freedom and salvation."

Benedict XVI concluded by calling on the faithful to make their own the words written by the first-century Pope, St. Clement of Rome, in his Letter to the Corinthians: "O Lord, bring your face to shine upon us for goodness in peace. ... Bring harmony and peace to us and to all inhabitants of the earth."

Among his greetings at the end of the audience, Benedict XVI addressed participants in an international congress being held in Lucca, Italy, on the theme: "The signs of the Spirit in the twentieth century. A historical re-reading: the witnesses' account." He told them: "Last century, marked by sad pages of history, was at the same time permeated by marvelous testimony of spiritual and charismatic awakening in all fields of human life and activity."

After congratulating the national coordinator of Renewal in the Spirit - who promoted the congress in collaboration with the superior general of the Oblates of the Holy Spirit, the founder of the Community of Sant'Egidio, and the founder of Focolari movement - the Pope expressed the hope "that the Holy Spirit will always find fruitful welcome in the hearts of believers, and that the 'culture of the Pentecost,' so necessary in our time, will become more widely spread."

AG/PSALM 134/... VIS 050928 (490)

CCEE PLENARY ASSEMBLY: VATICAN COUNCIL II AND EUROPE

VATICAN CITY, SEP 28, 2005 (VIS) - Tomorrow, September 29, the plenary assembly of the Presidents of Europe's Episcopal Conferences (CCEE) will open in the "Salesianum" center in Rome. The gathering will reflect on the theme: "The Second Vatican Council and Europe. Future directions?"

The meeting is due to last until October 2, and will be attended by the presidents of the 34 CCEE member European Bishops' Conferences at the invitation of Cardinal Camillo Ruini, vicar general of His Holiness and president of the Italian Episcopal Conference.

On the first day of the Assembly, discussions will focus on the theme of Vatican Council II and Europe on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the conclusion of the council sessions. In the light of the indications stemming from the council, the bishops will try to discern basic guidelines for the future work of bishops' conferences and the CCEE with regard to evangelization. Among the pastoral spheres under discussion will be vocations, school and university catechesis, the means of social communications and migration.

The debate on present-day ecumenism and the forthcoming Third European Ecumenical Assembly will be introduced by Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, archbishop of Westminster, England. The presidents will be informed about the program for the first stage of the assembly, which is due to take place in Rome on January 24-27, 2006.

The second part of the Assembly will focus on some events which have been at the heart of work in the bishops' conferences: World Youth Day in Cologne; the Italian referendum on fertility treatment; the debate in Spain on the family, and the question of euthanasia. Also under discussion will be the relationship between the Churches and the European Union, and the future of the process of European unification.
The plenary assembly will conclude with participation at the opening Mass for the Synod of Bishops in St. Peter's Basilica on Sunday, 2 October.

.../CCEE PLENARY/RUINI VIS 050928 (330)

AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, SEP 28, 2005 (VIS) - Following today's general audience, the Holy Father received in separate audiences:

- Archbishop Antonio Franco, apostolic nuncio to the Philippines.

- Archbishop Alberto Bottari de Castello, apostolic nuncio to Japan.

- Archbishop Giuseppe Pinto, apostolic nuncio to Senegal, Mali, Capo Verde, Guinea-Bissau, and apostolic delegate to Mauritania.

- Archbishop Claudio Gugerotti, apostolic nuncio to Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan.

- Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, apostolic nuncio to Burundi.

AP/.../... VIS 050928 (80)

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, SEP 28, 2005 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Fr. Ruy Rendon Leal, spiritual director of the major seminary of Monterrey, Mexico, as bishop prelate of the territorial prelature of El Salto (area 36,000, population 370,000, Catholics 314,000, priests 22, permanent deacons 1, religious 17), Mexico. The bishop-elect was born in Ciudad de Cadereyta de Jimenez, Mexico, in 1953 and ordained a priest in 1979. He succeeds Bishop Manuel Mireles Vaquera, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same territorial prelature the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

NER:RE/.../RENDON:MIRELES VIS 050928 (100)

V.I.S. -Vatican Information Service.

Copyright © Vatican Information Service 00120 Vatican City

News From the Vatican Information Services 09/27/2005

The following is news from V.I.S., the Vatican Information Services, for 09/27/2005 , reproduced by permission from V.I.S.

SUMMARY:

- Holy Father Prepares to Leave Castelgandolfo
- Meeting between Benedict XVI and Hans Kung
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HOLY FATHER PREPARES TO LEAVE CASTELGANDOLFO

VATICAN CITY, SEP 27, 2005 (VIS) - Yesterday afternoon, in the Apostolic Palace of Castelgandolfo, Benedict XVI bid farewell to Bishop Marcello Semeraro of Albano (the diocese in which Castelgandolfo is located), to religious communities, civil authorities, and to the security personnel charged with protecting him during his stay in the town.

"Before returning to the Vatican," said the Pope, "I feel the need to express my gratitude to those who, over these summer months, have welcomed me and striven to make my stay a peaceful one."

The Holy Father then addressed a cordial greeting to the Christian community of Castelgandolfo and to the diocese of Albano, as well as to their respective religious communities, expressing the hope that "they always work together to spread the love and joy of Christ everywhere."

The Pope thanked the mayor, representatives of the local authorities "and the civic community which I have felt so close over this period." He also recalled how "the traditional hospitality of the inhabitants of Castelgandolfo is well known."

Finally, Benedict XVI addressed medical personnel and staff of the Vatican Governorate, members of the Italian forces of law and order, the Vatican Gendarmerie and the Pontifical Swiss Guard, who "have ensured me and my collaborators a peaceful and tranquil sojourn in this beautiful place."

AC/FAREWELL/CASTELGANDOLFO VIS 050927 (230)

MEETING BETWEEN BENEDICT XVI AND HANS KUNG

VATICAN CITY, SEP 27, 2005 (VIS) - Holy See Press Office Director Joaquin Navarro-Valls released the following declaration to journalists yesterday afternoon:

"On Saturday, September 24, a discussion took place between His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI and Professor Hans Kung of Tubingen, Germany. The meeting was held in a friendly atmosphere. Both sides agreed that it made no sense, in the context of the meeting, to enter into a dispute on the doctrinal questions that still persist between Hans Kung and the Magisterium of the Catholic Church.

"The discussion thus concentrated on two subjects that have lately had particular importance in Hans Kung's work: the question of 'Weltethos' (world ethics) and the dialogue between the reason of the natural sciences and the reason of Christian faith. Professor Kung emphasized that his project of 'Weltethos' is by no means an abstract intellectual construct, rather it throws light on the moral values around which the great religions of the world converge, despite all their differences, and which may be considered as valid criteria - given their convincing rationality - by secular reason.

"The Pope welcomed Professor Kung's efforts to contribute to a renewed recognition of the essential moral values of humanity through the dialogue of religions and in the encounter with secular reason. He stressed that the commitment to a renewed awareness of the values that sustain human life is also an important objective of his own pontificate.

"At the same time, the Pope reaffirmed his agreement with Professor Kung's attempt to revive the dialogue between faith and the natural sciences, and to assert the reasonableness of and need for 'Gottesfrage' (the question of God) to scientific thought. For his part, Professor Kung expressed his praise for the Pope's efforts in favor of dialogue between religions and towards meeting the different social groups of the modern world."

OP/MEETING HANS KUNG/NAVARRO-VALLS VIS 050927 (320)

V.I.S. -Vatican Information Service.

Copyright © Vatican Information Service 00120 Vatican City