Thursday, November 10, 2005

News From Vatican Information Services 11/10/2005




SUMMARY:

- Telegram to King Abdullah of Jordan for Amman Attacks
- International Seminar on Sport
- In Brief
- Audiences
- Other Pontifical Acts

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TELEGRAM TO KING ABDULLAH OF JORDAN FOR AMMAN ATTACKS

VATICAN CITY, NOV 10, 2005 (VIS) - Cardinal Secretary of State Angelo Sodano sent, acting in the Pope's name, sent a telegram of condolence to King Abdullah II of Jordan for last night's attacks in the Jordanian capital, which cost the lives of scores people.

"Deeply saddened to learn of the cruel acts of violence and disrespect for law and human life perpetrated in the city of Amman, the Holy Father sends heartfelt condolences to Your Majesty, to the families of the deceased and to the entire nation. Remembering the victims and injured in his prayers, the Holy Father invokes the divine gifts of consolation upon those who mourn, and unfailing courage upon all who work for lasting peace and respect for human rights in the Middle East."
TGR/AMMAN ATTACKS/ABDULLAH:SODANO VIS 051110 (140)

INTERNATIONAL SEMINAR ON SPORT

VATICAN CITY, NOV 10, 2005 (VIS) - The first international seminar on sport, organized by the Pontifical Council for the Laity, is due to be held in Rome on November 11 and 12.

The meeting - the theme of which is "the Christian mission in the field of sport today" - will bring together 50 people from 18 countries, experts in many areas within the world of sport.

The program of the seminar includes an analysis of the global phenomenon of sport, together with its anthropological, cultural, educational and ethical repercussions within contemporary society. Consideration will also be given to the various fields of opportunity that the world of sport can offer the Church in the realization of her pastoral mission, especially among the young.

The seminar will conclude with the presentation of the future goals of the section "Church and Sport," founded by John Paul II in 2004 as part of the Pontifical Council for the Laity. In this context, one of the aims of the seminar is to gather a group of persons who have expertise in various fields of sport (scholars, directors of Catholic sporting associations, representatives from national bishops' conferences, professional athletes, etc.) who can contribute to the new section.
CON-L/INTERNATIONAL SPORT SEMINAR/... VIS 051110 (210)

IN BRIEF

ARCHBISHOP CELESTINO MIGLIORE, HOLY SEE permanent observer to the United Nations, made a speech yesterday afternoon before the Third Committee on Item 39: 'Report of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR). The nuncio highlighted the fact that protection of refugees, which involves "not just defense from outside hostile forces, touches the whole spectrum of human rights of those forced to flee. Such rights remain constant during all phases of repatriation, reintegration, rehabilitation and reconstruction."

"THE HUMAN GENOME" IS THE THEME OF THE TWENTIETH international conference promoted by the Pontifical Council for Heath Care Ministry, due to be held in the Vatican from November 17 to 19, 2005. The initiative will be presented in a press conference due to be held at 11.30 a.m. on Tuesday, November 15, in the Holy See Press Office by Cardinal Javier Lozano Barragan, Bishop Jose L. Redrado O.H., and Fr. Felice Ruffini M.I., respectively president, secretary and under-secretary of the pontifical council. Also present at the press conference will be Maria Luisa Di Pietro, associate professor of bioethics at Rome's Sacred Heart Catholic University, and Fr. Angelo Serra S.J., professor emeritus of human genetics at the same university.
.../IN BRIEF/... VIS 051110 (200)

AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, NOV 10, 2005 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:

- Jalal Talabani, president of the Republic of Iraq, accompanied by his wife and an entourage.

- Three prelates from the Bulgarian Episcopal Conference, on their "ad limina" visit:

- Bishop Petko Jordanov Christov O.F.M. Conv., of Nicopoli.

- Bishop Gheorghi Ivanov Jovcev of Sofia and Plovdiv.

- Bishop Christo Proykov, apostolic exarch for Catholics of the Byzantine-Slavic rite resident in Bulgaria.

- Sali Berisha, prime minister of the Republic of Albania, accompanied by his wife and an entourage.

- Archbishop George Antonysamy, apostolic nuncio to Guinea, Liberia and Gambia, accompanied by members of his family.

This evening, he is scheduled to receive in audience Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.
AP:AL/.../... VIS 051110 (140)

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, NOV 10, 2005 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed:

- Msgr. Ralph Walker Nickless, vicar general and pastor of the parish of Our Lady of Fatima in the archdiocese of Denver, U.S.A., as bishop of Sioux City (area 37,587, population 468,549, Catholics 94,186, priests 150, permanent deacons 36, religious 86), U.S.A. The bishop-elect was born in Denver in 1947 and ordained a priest in 1973.

- Cardinal Peter Erdo, archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest, Hungary, as his special envoy to the solemn jubilee celebrations due to take place at the Hungarian shrine of Mariapocs on December 3.
NER:NA/.../NICKLESS:ERDO VIS 051110 (100)
V.I.S. -Vatican Information Service.
Copyright © Vatican Information Service 00120 Vatican City

Wednesday, November 09, 2005

News From Vatican Information Services 11/09/2005


SUMMARY:

- The Creation, First Revelation of the Divine Presence
- Audiences
- Other Pontifical Acts

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THE CREATION, FIRST REVELATION OF THE DIVINE PRESENCE

VATICAN CITY, NOV 9, 2005 (VIS) - Psalm 135, the "great Hallel" or solemn hymn of praise sung by the Jewish people during the Passover, was the central theme of the Benedict XVI's catechesis during the general audience, held this morning in St. Peter's Square in the presence of thousands of faithful.

The key word of the psalm is "mercy," the Pope explained, "part of the language characteristically used by the bible to express the alliance between the Lord and His people. ... Within this relationship, God does not appear as an impassive and implacable Lord, like destiny against whose mysterious power all struggle is useless. Rather, He appears as a person Who loves His creatures, Who watches over them, follows them on their journey through history, and suffers from their frequent unfaithfulness to His merciful and paternal love."

For the psalmist, said the Pope, the first sign of this divine love is to be found in the creation. "Before discovering the God Who reveals Himself in the history of a people, there is a cosmic revelation, open to all. ...There exists, therefore, a divine message secretly inscribed in creation, a sign of the loving faithfulness of God, Who gives his creatures being and life. ... The prayer of praise arises, then, from the contemplation of the 'wonders' of God ... and is transformed into a joyous hymn of praise and thanksgiving."

"Thus, from the works of creation it is possible to ascend to the greatness of God, to His loving mercy. This is what the Fathers of the Church teach us," said Benedict XVI and quoted the words of St. Basil the Great on Genesis, affirming that "if some people ... 'imagine the universe without guidance of order, as though at the mercy of chaos,' the sacred writer 'immediately enlightened our minds with the name of God at the beginning of the story: In the beginning God created. ... If, then, the world had a beginning and was created, seek out the One Who began it, the One Who is its Creator'."
AG/PSALM 135:CREATION/... VIS 051109 (360)

AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, NOV 9, 2005 (VIS) - Following today's general audience, the Holy Father received in audience Archbishop Mario Giordana, apostolic nuncio to Haiti.
AP/.../... VIS 051109 (30)

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, NOV 9, 2005 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese of Burlington, U.S.A., presented by Bishop Kenneth A. Angell, upon having reached the age limit. He is succeeded by Coadjutor Bishop Salvatore R. Matano.

- Appointed as ordinary members of the Pontifical Academy for Life, Adriano Pessina, professor of moral philosophy at the Sacred Heart Catholic University of Milan, Italy; and Paolo Preziosi, director of the pharmacological institute at the Sacred Heart Catholic University of Rome.
RE:NA/.../... VIS 051109 (90)

V.I.S. -Vatican Information Service.
Copyright © Vatican Information Service 00120 Vatican City
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