News From Vatican Information Services 02/01/2006

SUMMARY:

- The Lord's Mercy Is Even Greater Than His Works
- Holy Father's Prayer Intentions for February
- Other Pontifical Acts

___________________________________________________________

THE LORD'S MERCY IS EVEN GREATER THAN HIS WORKS

VATICAN CITY, FEB 1, 2006 (VIS) - In his catechesis during today's general audience, which was held in the Paul VI Hall in the presence of 8,000 pilgrims, Benedict XVI turned his attention to the first part of Psalm 144, "praise of divine majesty."

This psalm, said the Pope, "is an intense and impassioned celebration of divine regality. ... It is an expression of God's plan of salvation. He is not indifferent to human history, rather He desires to bring it into conformity with His design of harmony and peace. All humanity is called to put this plan into effect, that it might adhere to the divine salvific will, a will that extends to 'all men,' to 'all generations' and to 'all time.' A universal action that takes evil from the world and places there the 'glory' of the Lord, in other words, His effective and transcendent personal presence."

The Holy Father then went on to recall how, in the psalm, "the Lord is exalted as a loving and tender sovereign, concerned for all His creatures. ... We are not at the mercy of dark forces, nor are we alone with our freedom; rather we are entrusted to the action of the powerful and loving Lord Who has a plan for us, a 'kingdom' to establish. This 'kingdom' is not founded on power and domination, on triumph and oppression as is often the case of earthly kingdoms." It is a place of "piety, tenderness, goodness, grace and justice." As the psalm says, the Lord is "gracious and merciful, slow to anger."

Benedict XVI concluded his catechesis with a reference St. Peter Chrysologus, who noted that "even greater than the Lord's works is the Lord's mercy."

At the end of the audience, the Pope addressed a special greeting to heads of the Italian Prison Administration. "Your presence," he told them, "gives me an opportunity to remind individuals and the whole of society of respect for civil and ethical norms, which lie at the foundation of human coexistence."

In remarks to Polish pilgrims, he mentioned the celebration tomorrow, February 2, of the Day of Consecrated Life. "Let us thank God for religious vocations and ask Him to support with grace the sisters and brothers who have chosen chastity, poverty and obedience as the way of sanctity."
AG/PSALM 144/... VIS 060201 (400)

HOLY FATHER'S PRAYER INTENTIONS FOR FEBRUARY

VATICAN CITY, FEB 1, 2006 (VIS) - The Holy Father's general prayer intention for February is: "That the international community may be ever more aware of the urgent duty to bring an end to the trafficking in human beings."

His mission intention is: "That in the missions the lay faithful may recognize the need to serve their own country with greater commitment, also in its political and social life."
BXVI-PRAYER INTENTIONS/FEBRUARY/... VIS 060201 (80)

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, FEB 1, 2006 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Fr. Jose Luiz Ferreira Salles C.Ss.r., master of novices in the Brazilian province of the Redemptorist Fathers, as auxiliary of the archdiocese of Fortaleza (area 14,813, population 3,400,657, Catholics 2,406,000, priests 291, religious 1,152), Brazil. The bishop-elect was born in Itirapina, Brazil in 1957 and ordained a priest in 1985.
NEA/.../FERREIRA VIS 060201 (70)

V.I.S. -Vatican Information Service.

Copyright © Vatican Information Service 00120 Vatican City

News From Vatican Information Services 01/31/2006

SUMMARY:

- Papal Message for Lent 2006
- Other Pontifical Acts

___________________________________________________________

PAPAL MESSAGE FOR LENT 2006

VATICAN CITY, JAN 31, 2006 (VIS) - Made public today was The Message of Benedict XVI for Lent 2006. The text, dated September 29, 2005, has as its title a verse taken from the Gospel of St. Mark: "Jesus, at the sight of the crowds, was moved with pity." The full English-language version of the document is given below:

"Lent is a privileged time of interior pilgrimage towards Him Who is the fount of mercy. It is a pilgrimage in which He Himself accompanies us through the desert of our poverty, sustaining us on our way towards the intense joy of Easter.

"Even in the 'valley of darkness' of which the Psalmist speaks, while the tempter prompts us to despair or to place a vain hope in the work of our own hands, God is there to guard us and sustain us. Yes, even today the Lord hears the cry of the multitudes longing for joy, peace, and love. As in every age, they feel abandoned. Yet, even in the desolation of misery, loneliness, violence and hunger that indiscriminately afflict children, adults, and the elderly, God does not allow darkness to prevail.

"In fact, in the words of my beloved Predecessor, Pope John Paul II, there is a 'divine limit imposed upon evil,' namely, mercy. It is with these thoughts in mind that I have chosen as my theme for this Message the Gospel text: 'Jesus, at the sight of the crowds, was moved with pity.'

"In this light, I would like to pause and reflect upon an issue much debated today: the question of development. Even now, the compassionate 'gaze' of Christ continues to fall upon individuals and peoples. He watches them, knowing that the divine 'plan' includes their call to salvation. Jesus knows the perils that put this plan at risk, and He is moved with pity for the crowds. He chooses to defend them from the wolves even at the cost of His own life. The gaze of Jesus embraces individuals and multitudes, and He brings them all before the Father, offering Himself as a sacrifice of expiation.

"Enlightened by this Paschal truth, the Church knows that if we are to promote development in its fullness, our own 'gaze' upon mankind has to be measured against that of Christ. In fact, it is quite impossible to separate the response to people's material and social needs from the fulfillment of the profound desires of their hearts. This has to be emphasized all the more in today's rapidly changing world, in which our responsibility towards the poor emerges with ever greater clarity and urgency. My venerable predecessor, Pope Paul VI, accurately described the scandal of underdevelopment as an outrage against humanity. In this sense, in the Encyclical 'Populorum Progressio,' he denounced 'the lack of material necessities for those who are without the minimum essential for life, the moral deficiencies of those who are mutilated by selfishness' and 'oppressive social structures, whether due to the abuses of ownership or to the abuses of power, to the exploitation of workers or to unjust transactions.'

"As the antidote to such evil, Paul VI suggested not only 'increased esteem for the dignity of others, the turning towards the spirit of poverty, cooperation for the common good, the will and desire for peace,' but also 'the acknowledgement by man of supreme values, and of God, their source and their finality'

"In this vein, the Pope went on to propose that, finally and above all, there is 'faith, a gift of God accepted by the good will of man, and unity in the charity of Christ.' Thus, the 'gaze' of Christ upon the crowd impels us to affirm the true content of this 'complete humanism' that, according to Paul VI, consists in the 'fully-rounded development of the whole man and of all men.' For this reason, the primary contribution that the Church offers to the development of mankind and peoples does not consist merely in material means or technical solutions. Rather, it involves the proclamation of the truth of Christ, Who educates consciences and teaches the authentic dignity of the person and of work; it means the promotion of a culture that truly responds to all the questions of humanity.

"In the face of the terrible challenge of poverty afflicting so much of the world's population, indifference and self-centered isolation stand in stark contrast to the 'gaze' of Christ. Fasting and almsgiving, which, together with prayer, the Church proposes in a special way during the Lenten Season, are suitable means for us to become conformed to this 'gaze.' The examples of the saints and the long history of the Church's missionary activity provide invaluable indications of the most effective ways to support development.

"Even in this era of global interdependence, it is clear that no economic, social, or political project can replace that gift of self to another through which charity is expressed. Those who act according to the logic of the Gospel live the faith as friendship with God Incarnate and, like Him, bear the burden of the material and spiritual needs of their neighbors. They see it as an inexhaustible mystery, worthy of infinite care and attention. They know that he who does not give God gives too little; as Blessed Teresa of Calcutta frequently observed, the worst poverty is not to know Christ. Therefore, we must help others to find God in the merciful face of Christ. Without this perspective, civilization lacks a solid foundation.

"Thanks to men and women obedient to the Holy Spirit, many forms of charitable work intended to promote development have arisen in the Church: hospitals, universities, professional formation schools, and small businesses. Such initiatives demonstrate the genuine humanitarian concern of those moved by the Gospel message, far in advance of other forms of social welfare. These charitable activities point out the way to achieve a globalization that is focused upon the true good of mankind and, hence, the path towards authentic peace.

"Moved like Jesus with compassion for the crowds, the Church today considers it her duty to ask political leaders and those with economic and financial power to promote development based on respect for the dignity of every man and woman. An important litmus test for the success of their efforts is religious liberty, understood not simply as the freedom to proclaim and celebrate Christ, but also the opportunity to contribute to the building of a world enlivened by charity. These efforts have to include a recognition of the central role of authentic religious values in responding to man's deepest concerns, and in supplying the ethical motivation for his personal and social responsibilities. These are the criteria by which Christians should assess the political programs of their leaders.

"We cannot ignore the fact that many mistakes have been made in the course of history by those who claimed to be disciples of Jesus. Very often, when having to address grave problems, they have thought that they should first improve this world and only afterwards turn their minds to the next. The temptation was to believe that, in the face of urgent needs, the first imperative was to change external structures. The consequence, for some, was that Christianity became a kind of moralism, 'believing' was replaced with 'doing.' Rightly, therefore, my Predecessor, Pope John Paul II, of blessed memory, observed: 'The temptation today is to reduce Christianity to merely human wisdom, a pseudo-science of well-being. In our heavily secularized world, a gradual secularization of salvation has taken place, so that people strive for the good of man, but man who is truncated...We know, however, that Jesus came to bring integral salvation.'

"It is this integral salvation that Lent puts before us, pointing towards the victory of Christ over every evil that oppresses us. In turning to the Divine Master, in being converted to Him, in experiencing His mercy through the Sacrament of Reconciliation, we will discover a 'gaze' that searches us profoundly and gives new life to the crowds and to each one of us. It restores trust to those who do not succumb to skepticism, opening up before them the perspective of eternal beatitude. Throughout history, even when hate seems to prevail, the luminous testimony of His love is never lacking. To Mary, 'the living fount of hope,' we entrust our Lenten journey, so that she may lead us to her Son. I commend to her in particular the multitudes who suffer poverty and cry out for help, support, and understanding. With these sentiments, I cordially impart to all of you a special Apostolic Blessing."
MESS/LENT 2006/... VIS 060131 (1440)

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, JAN 31, 2006 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Appointed Fr. Clement Tirkey, vicar general of the diocese of Bagdogra, India, as bishop of Jalpaiguri (area 6,914, population 4,917,688, Catholics 118,700, priests 61 religious 301), India. The bishop-elect was born in Raigarh, India in 1947 and ordained a priest in 1978.

- Francesco Silvano, Walter M. Bonino, and Antonio Chiminello as consultors of the Prefecture for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See.
NER:NA/.../... VIS 060131 (80)

V.I.S. -Vatican Information Service.

Copyright © Vatican Information Service 00120 Vatican City