Pope Benedict XVI

Monday, July 03, 2006

News Vatican Information Services 07/1-3/2006

SUMMARY: JULY 1 - 3

- Pope to Canonize Four Blesseds on October 15
- Holy Father's Prayer Intentions for July
- Family: Adults Must Renew and Transmit Their Faith
- Peaceful Coexistence in Holy Land and in Iraq
- Audiences

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POPE TO CANONIZE FOUR BLESSEDS ON OCTOBER 15

VATICAN CITY, JUL 1, 2006 (VIS) - During an Ordinary Public Consistory held this morning in the Vatican, Benedict XVI decreed that on October 15 he will canonize the following four Blesseds:

Rafael Guizar Valencia (1878-1938), bishop; Filippo Smaldone (1848-1923), priest, founder of the Institute of the Salesian Sisters of the Sacred Heart; Rosa Venerini (1656-1728), virgin, foundress of the Congregation of the "Maestre Pie Venerini;" Teodora Guerin, nee Anne-Therese (1798-1856), virgin, foundress of the Congregation of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary "ad Nemus" (Saint Mary of the Woods).
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HOLY FATHER'S PRAYER INTENTIONS FOR JULY

VATICAN CITY, JUL 1, 2006 (VIS) - The Holy Father's general prayer intention for July is: "That all those who are in prison, and especially young people, may receive the necessary support from society to help them rediscover a sense to their own existence."

His mission intention is: "That, in the mission territories, different ethnic and religious groups may live in peace and together build a society inspired by human and spiritual values."
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FAMILY: ADULTS MUST RENEW AND TRANSMIT THEIR FAITH

VATICAN CITY, JUL 2, 2006 (VIS) - The Fifth World Meeting of Families, which will take place in Valencia, Spain next Saturday and Sunday in the Pope's presence, was the theme of Benedict XVI's comments before praying the Angelus with the faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square at midday today. Today's Angelus was the Pope's last before his apostolic trip to Valencia and his summer holidays, which he is due to spend in Italy's Valle d'Aosta region.

The Holy Father recalled that the first such gathering of families took place in Rome in 1994 on the occasion of the International Year of the Family promoted by the United Nations. It was then that John Paul II wrote his famous Letter to Families. Subsequent World Meetings of Families have been held in Rio de Janeiro (1997), Rome (2000) for the occasion of the Jubilee of Families, and Manila (2003). "It is important," Pope Benedict said, "that today's families also hear the memorable appeal launched 25 years ago in the Apostolic Exhortation 'Familiaris consortio' by John Paul II: 'Family, become what you are!'."

The Holy Father proceeded: "The theme of the forthcoming Valencia meeting is the transmission of faith within the family. This is what has inspired the motto of my apostolic visit to that city: 'Families, live and transmit the faith!' In so many of today's secularized communities, the primary need for believers in Christ is precisely that of renewing the faith of adults, that they may become capable of communicating that faith to the new generations. At the same time, the path of Christian initiation of babies and children can become a useful occasion for parents to draw near the Church once more, and deepen their knowledge of the beauty and truth of the Gospel.

"The family," he added, "is a living organism in which a reciprocal exchange of gifts takes place, what is important is that the Word of God, which keeps the flame of faith alive, should never be lacking. During the rite of Baptism, in an extremely significant gesture, the father or godfather lights a candle at the great Easter candle, symbol of the risen Christ; then, addressing the members of the family, the celebrants says: 'ensure that your baby, illuminated by Christ, always lives as a child of the light'."

The Pope concluded: "In order to be authentic, that gesture - which contains all the significance of the transmission of faith within the family - must be preceded and accompanied by the commitment of parents to deepen their knowledge of their own faith, reviving its flame through prayer and the assiduous practice of the Sacraments of Confession and the Eucharist."
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PEACEFUL COEXISTENCE IN HOLY LAND AND IN IRAQ

VATICAN CITY, JUL 2, 2006 (VIS) - After praying the Angelus today with thousands of faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square, the Pope spoke of the "growing concern" with which he was following events in Iraq and the Holy Land.

"Faced, on the one hand, with blind violence that provokes appalling massacres and, on the other, with the threat of a worsening of the crisis which over the last few days has become even more dramatic, what is needed is justice and a serious and credible commitment to peace, which unfortunately are nowhere to be seen.

"For this reason," the Holy Father added, "I invite everyone to join in faithful and persistent prayer: may the Lord illuminate hearts and may no one evade their duty to construct peaceful coexistence, recognizing that all men are brothers, whatever the people to which they belong."

The Pope then recalled that in Moscow, Russia, from July 3 to 5 "an important summit meeting of religious leaders" is taking place, "organized by the inter-religious council of Russia. At the invitation of the Patriarch of Moscow, the Catholic Church is taking part with its own delegation. I wish to communicate my most cordial greetings to His Holiness Alexis II and to all the participants."

Benedict XVI went on: "This important meeting of so many religious leaders of the world, is a sign of a shared desire to promote dialogue between civilizations and a search for a more just and peaceful world order. I hope that, with sincere commitment on everyone's part, areas for effective collaboration may be identified, while maintaining respect and mutual understanding, in order to face up to today's challenges.

"For Christians," the Pope added, "this means learning to know one another even more profoundly and to esteem one another, in the light of man's dignity and his eternal destiny. Giving assurances of my prayers to God that He may render the summit's work fruitful, upon everyone I invoke abundant blessings from heaven."

Turning then to address French pilgrims, the Pope said: "May the holidays be a period for rest and of more intense family life, in order to strengthen ties between generations, especially enabling young people to talk with adults upon essential questions of faith and the meaning of life."
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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, JUL 3, 2006 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:

- Cardinal Antonio Maria Rouco Varela, archbishop of Madrid, Spain.

- Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.

- Three prelates from the Croatian Bishops' Conference, on their "ad limina" visit:

- Archbishop Ivan Prendja of Zadar.

- Archbishop Ivan Devcic of Rijeka.

- Bishop Ivan Milovan of Porec i Pula.

On Saturday, July 1, he received in audience Archbishop Paul Josef Cordes, president of the Pontifical Council "Cor Unum."
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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.

Friday, June 30, 2006

News Vatican Information Services 06/29-30/2006

SUMMARY: JUNE 29 - 30

- The Strength of God Counteracts Human Weakness
- Angelus: Call for Peace in the Holy Land
- Holy Father Hopes to Visit Turkey
- Metropolitan Archbishops Who Received the Pallium
- Exalted Values Are the Soul of Peoples
- Archives on Pontificate of Pius XI to Open in September
- Audiences
- Other Pontifical Acts

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THE STRENGTH OF GOD COUNTERACTS HUMAN WEAKNESS

VATICAN CITY, JUN 29, 2006 (VIS) - In the Vatican Basilica today, Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, Apostles, the Pope presided at a Eucharistic concelebration with 27 metropolitan archbishops from 17 countries, upon whom in the course of the ceremony he imposed the pallium. Today also marks the 55th anniversary of Benedict XVI's own priestly ordination.

In keeping with tradition, the Mass was attended by a delegation from the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, led this year by Ioannis (Zizioulas), metropolitan of Pergamo and president of the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between Catholics and Orthodox, and including Kallistos (Timothy Ware), bishop of Diokleia and assistant to the archbishop of Thyateira and Great Britain, and the archimandrite Dionysius Papavasileiou.

In his homily, the Pope recalled how Peter recognized Jesus as the Messiah and the Son of God and how, on this basis, his special task was conferred upon him "through three images: the rock that becomes the foundation stone or cornerstone, the keys, and the image of binding and loosening."

Benedict XVI then highlighted the fact that Jesus, having made His promise to Peter, starts out towards Jerusalem and the Cross. "The Church - and in her Christ - also suffers today," he said. "In her, Christ is once again scorned and beaten; once again an attempt is made to push Him out of the world. Once again, the little ship of the Church is shaken by the winds of ideologies ... and she seems condemned to sink under the waters. And yet, it is precisely in the suffering Church that Christ is triumphant. Despite everything, faith in Him always reacquires new strength."

The Lord "remains in His ship, in the little vessel of the Church," the Pope added. "In the same way, Peter's ministry reveals, on the one had, the weakness of man's faculties, but at the same time the strength of God. It is precisely in the weakness of men that the Lord shows His strength."

Peter's task, the Holy Father continued, was also "never to let this faith become mute, but ever to reinvigorate it, even before the cross and all the contradictions of the world."

After mentioning Peter's three denials, Benedict XVI said: "through this fall, Peter - and with him the Church in all times - must learn that one's own strength is not enough to build and guide the Church of the Lord. No one can manage it alone. However capable and able Peter many seem, at the first moment of trial he failed."

"For all those who have responsibility in the Church; for all those who suffer the confusion of these times; for the great and the small: Lord, protect us always and anew and thus raise us up when we fall and take us into Your good hands."

The Lord also entrusted Peter, Pope Benedict said, with the task of "presiding over universal communion, and of maintaining it present in the world in the form of unity, a unity that is also visible."

After greeting the metropolitan archbishops appointed in the course of the last year, who received the pallium during today's ceremony, the Pope also addressed some words to the delegation from the Ecumenical Patriarchate: "I thank Patriarch Bartholomew I and the Holy Synod for this sign of fraternity, which expresses the desire and commitment to progress more rapidly along the road to the full unity invoked by Christ for all His disciples. We share the burning desire once expressed by Patriarch Atenagora and by Pope Paul VI: to drink together from the same chalice and to eat together the same bread, which is the Lord Himself. On this occasion, we again implore that this gift be granted us soon."
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ANGELUS: CALL FOR PEACE IN THE HOLY LAND

VATICAN CITY, JUN 29, 2006 (VIS) - Following today's Mass, Benedict XVI appeared at the window of his study in order to pray the Angelus with pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Square below.

"Today," said the Pope, "we solemnly honor Sts. Peter and Paul, 'Apostles of Christ, pillars and foundation of the City of God.' ... Their martyrdom is considered as the actual moment of the birth of the Church of Rome. ... Their blood mixed together in a single act of witness to Christ. ... For this reason, the Bishop of Rome, successor of the Apostle Peter, has a special ministry to carry out, serving the doctrinal and pastoral unity of the People of God, scattered all over the world.

"In this context," the Holy Father added, "we can better grasp the significance of the rite we renewed this morning during Mass in St. Peter's Basilica: the imposition of the pallium upon certain metropolitan archbishops, an ancient liturgical sign expressing the special communion of these pastors with Peter's Successor. ... And there is another reason that makes our joy even greater today, the presence in Rome, for the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, of a special delegation sent by Bartholomew I, ecumenical patriarch of Constantinople;" a gesture that expresses "the fraternal bond that exists between our Churches."

After praying the Angelus, the Pope remarked upon the situation in the Middle East. "I am following events in the Holy Land with concern," he said, "and I pray that all those who have been abducted may soon be returned to their loved ones. I appeal to Israeli and Palestinian leaders that, with the generous help of the international community, they may seek responsibly for that negotiated end to the conflict, which alone can ensure the peace to which their people aspire."
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HOLY FATHER HOPES TO VISIT TURKEY

VATICAN CITY, JUN 29, 2006 (VIS) - Following today's Angelus, the Pope received in audience a delegation from the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, led by Ioannis (Zizioulas), metropolitan of Pergamo. The delegation has come to Rome for the occasion of the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul.

The Pope expressed his satisfaction for the fact that the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between Orthodox and Catholics will hold its plenary in Belgrade in September, presided by metropolitan Ioannis.

"Dialogue thus resumes its path and enters a new phase," said the Holy Father in English. "Spontaneously we find ourselves wanting to pray that the Holy Spirit will enlighten and inflame our hearts, strengthening our common will to respond, insofar as it depends on us, to the Lord's ardent prayer: 'Ut unum sint;' in this way, may the disciples of Christ, united in faith, together proclaim His Gospel to the whole world, so that, believing in Him, all will be saved."

The Holy Father also recalled that he had received an invitation from the Turkish authorities, the Patriarchate and the local Catholic community in Turkey to make an apostolic pilgrimage to that country in November for the Feat of St. Andrew, and expressed the hope that he would be able to undertake the visit.
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METROPOLITAN ARCHBISHOPS WHO RECEIVED THE PALLIUM

VATICAN CITY, JUN 30, 2006 (VIS) - Given below is a list of 27 metropolitan archbishops received in audience today by Benedict XVI, accompanied by members of their families. Yesterday, in the course of a Eucharistic celebration held in the Vatican Basilica, they received the pallium:

1. Cardinal Jorge Liberato UROSA SAVINO, archbishop of Caracas, Venezuela.

2. Cardinal Crescenzio SEPE, archbishop of Naples, Italy.

3. Archbishop Louis CHAMNIERN SANTISUKNIRAN of Thare and Nonseng, Thailand.

4. Archbishop Jose Belisario DA SILVA, O.F.M., of Sao Luis do Maranhao, Brazil.

5. Archbishop Jabulani NXUMALO, O.M.I., of Bloemfontein, South Africa.

6. Archbishop Jorge Enrique JIMENEZ CARVAJAL, C.I.M., of Cartagena, Colombia.

7. Archbishop Tommaso VALENTINETTI of Pescara-Penne, Italy.

8. Archbishop Fabriciano SIGAMPA of Resistencia, Argentina.

9. Archbishop Odon Marie Arsene RAZANAKOLONA of Antananarivo, Madagascar.

10. Archbishop George Hugh NIEDERAUER of San Francisco, United States.

11. Archbishop Jose Luis MOLLAGHAN of Rosario, Argentina.

12. Archbishop Cornelius Fontem ESUA of Bamenda, Cameroon.

13. Archbishop Daniel N. DiNARDO of Galveston-Houston, United States.

14. Archbishop Antonio Javellana LEDESMA, S.J., of Cagayan de Oro, Philippines.

15. Archbishop Jose Serofia PALMA of Palo, Philippines.

16. Archbishop Sylvain LAVOIE, O.M.I., of Keewatin-Le Pas, Canada.

17. Archbishop Joviano DE LIMA JUNIOR, S.S.S., of Ribeirao Preto, Brazil.

18. Archbishop Luigi CONTI of Fermo, Italy.

19. Archbishop Franc KRAMBERGER of Maribor Slovenia.

20. Archbishop Ignazio SANNA of Oristano, Italy.

21. Archbishop Francois-Xavier MAROY RUSENGO of Bukavu, Democratic Republic of the Congo).

22. Archbishop Jean-Pierre KUTWA of Abidjan, Ivory Coast.

23. Archbishop Andrea MUGIONE of Benevento, Italy.

24. Archbishop Orlando BRANDES of Londrina, Brazil.

25. Archbishop Georges PONTIER of Marseille, France.

26. Archbishop Donald William WUERL of Washington, United States.

27. Archbishop Wojciech ZIEMBA of Warmia, Poland.
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EXALTED VALUES ARE THE SOUL OF PEOPLES

VATICAN CITY, JUN 30, 2006 (VIS) - This morning, Benedict XVI received the Letters of Credence of Mario Juan Bosco Cayota Zappettini, the new ambassador of Uruguay to the Holy See.

"Over its history," said the Pope in his address to the diplomat, "Uruguay has gradually adopted the Christian ideals of justice and peace. In the bosom of the country, different concepts of man and his destiny coexist peacefully and in mutual respect, without this diminishing the sincere and real appreciation for the religious dimension and, in particular, for the mission of the Church."

"The most exalted values, rooted in the hearts of individuals and in the social fabric, are like the soul of peoples, rendering them strong in adversity, generous in loyal collaboration, and hopeful in building a better future ... in which everyone without exception has the opportunity to achieve their full dignity as human beings.

"For this reason," the Holy Father added, "we look with concern at certain tendencies that seek to limit the inviolable value of human life itself, ... or to disassociate it from its natural environment, which is that of human love in marriage and the family. The Church clearly promotes a generous and hope-giving 'culture of life,' and not only for strictly religious reasons."

"Supporting the family, helping it to carry out its indispensable duties, also means gaining in social cohesion and, above all, respecting the rights of the family, which cannot be relinquished in the face of other forms of union that seek to usurp them."

The Pope then turned to consider the "huge problem of poverty and marginalization," which represents "an urgent challenge for leaders and those in charge of public institutions." He also referred to "new possibilities and new risks" arising from globalization, which must be faced "with the broadest possible agreement among nations."

Globalization, he said, "is an opportunity to create a network of understanding and solidarity among peoples, without reducing everything to merely commercial or pragmatic exchanges." In this network there should be room "for the human problems of each place and, in particular, of emigrants forced to leave their own land in search of better living conditions; something which at times has grave consequences on the individual, family and social spheres."

The Church, which considers charity to be "an essential dimension of her being and her mission, selflessly demonstrates her ... concern for the needy of all conditions and origins. In this task, she collaborates with various entities and public institutions so that no one seeking support may be lacking a friendly hand to help them overcome their difficulties.

"To this end," the Pope concluded, "she offers personal and material resources, but above all human closeness which seeks to alleviate the deepest poverty, solitude and abandonment, in the knowledge that 'a pure and generous love is the best witness to the God in Whom we believe and by Whom we are driven to love'."
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ARCHIVES ON PONTIFICATE OF PIUS XI TO OPEN IN SEPTEMBER

VATICAN CITY, JUN 30, 2006 (VIS) - Benedict XVI has decreed that from September 18 - when the Vatican Secret Archives and other archives of the Holy See resume activities after the summer vacation - all documents relative to the pontificate of Pope Pius XI (February 6, 1922 - February 10, 1939) be made available to researchers.

According to a communique made public today, signed by Frs. Marcel Chappin S.J. and Sergio Pagano B., respectively keeper of the Historical Archives of the Secretariat of State and prefect of the Vatican Secret Archives, "this opening, which had already been desired by John Paul II, ... makes available to historical research, within the limits of the regulations, all documentary sources up to February 1939 conserved in the various series of archives of the Holy See, and principally in the Vatican Secret Archives and in the Archives of the Second Section of the Secretariat of State (formerly the Congregation for Extraordinary Ecclesiastical Affairs)."
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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, JUN 30, 2006 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:

- Woon Walter, ambassador of Singapore, on his farewell visit.

- Grygorii Fokovych Khoruzhyi, ambassador of Ukraine, on his farewell visit.

- Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli, apostolic nuncio to Indonesia, accompanied by members of his family.

This evening, he is scheduled to receive in audience Cardinal William Joseph Levada, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, JUN 30, 2006 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Fr. Arulappan Amalraj, former rector of the Good Shepherd Seminary of Coimbatore, India, as bishop of Ootacamund (area 7,312, population 1,465,000, Catholics 85,116, priests 116, religious 584), India. The bishop-elect was born in Nilgiris, India in 1953 and ordained a priest in 1980.
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