Pope Benedict XVI

Monday, January 30, 2012

News Vatican Information Service 01/8-30/2012

SUMMARY: 28 - 30 JANUARY

- In the Logic of God Authority Means Service, Not Power

- Holy See Delegation Meets with the PLO

- Telegram for Death of Former Italian President Scalfaro

- Meeting of Heads of Dicastery of Roman Curia

- Audiences

_____________________________

IN THE LOGIC OF GOD AUTHORITY MEANS SERVICE, NOT POWER

VATICAN CITY, 29 JAN 2012 (VIS) - At midday today the Holy Father appeared at the window of his study in the Vatican Apostolic Palace to pray the Angelus with pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Square below. Among those present was a group of children from Catholic Action of the diocese of Rome, who annually celebrate January as the "month of peace". At the end of the Marian prayer two of the children read out a message and released two doves, as a symbol of peace, from the Pope's window.

Benedict XVI introduced the prayer with some brief remarks on today's Gospel reading in which St. Mark relates Jesus' teaching in the synagogue of Capernaum, and the healing of a man with an "unclean spirit" who recognises the Messiah. "Within a short time", the Pope explained, "Jesus' fame began to spread in the region, throughout which he travelled announcing the Kingdom of God and healing sick people of all kinds: word and action. ... The words Jesus addresses to mankind give direct access to the Father's will and to the truth about ourselves" while, moreover, "Jesus united the effectiveness of the Word with those signs of deliverance from evil. ... Divine authority ... is the power of God's love which created the universe and, becoming incarnate in the only-begotten Son, descended upon our humanity and healed the world corrupted by sin".

"For man", the Holy Father observed, "authority often means possession, power, dominion, success. For God, however, authority means service, humility, love. It means entering into the logic of Jesus Christ Who leans down to wash the feet of His disciples, Who seeks man's authentic good, Who heals wounds, Who is capable of a love so great as to give His life, because He is Love. ... Let us trustingly invoke Most Holy Mary that she may guide our hearts always to draw from the well of divine mercy, which liberates and heals our human condition, filling it with all grace and benevolence, with the power of love".

After praying the Angelus, the Holy Father mentioned three events which took place today. Firstly, the beatification in Vienna of Hildegard Burjan, "laywoman and mother who lived between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and founded the Sisters of Social Charity. Let us give praise to the Lord for this magnificent witness to the Gospel", the Pope said.

Today is also World Leprosy Day, in which context Benedict XVI spoke of his desire "to express encouragement to everyone affected by the disease, and to the people who assist them and who, in various ways, strive to eliminate the poverty and marginalisation which are the true causes of its continuance".

Finally, today also marks the International Day of Intercession for Peace in the Holy Land. "In profound communion with the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem and the Custos of the Holy Land, we invoke the gift of peace for that Land blessed by God", Pope Benedict said.

The Holy Father then greeted pilgrims in various languages. Addressing faithful from Poland, he mentioned the fact that Thursday 2 February is the World Day of Consecrated Life. "Grateful to religious for their ministry of prayer, for their apostolic and charitable activity in the Church, we pray for new vocations", he said. "May the Holy Spirit arouse in many hearts the desire for complete dedication to Christ".

ANG/ VIS 20120130 (570)

HOLY SEE DELEGATION MEETS WITH THE PLO

VATICAN CITY, 30 JAN 2012 (VIS) - Made public today was a joint communique on a bilateral meeting between the Holy See and the Palestine Liberation Organisation, held in Ramallah on 28 January. The text of the English-language communique is given below.

"Following the resumption of the bilateral negotiations between the Holy See and the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), an official meeting took place at the headquarters of the Palestinian President in Ramallah on 28 January.

"The talks were co-chaired by Msgr. Ettore Balestrero, under secretary for the Holy See's relations with States and Minister Ziad Al-Bandak, the Palestinian President's advisor for Christian relations.

"The Palestinian side handed to the Holy See delegation the response to the draft agreement proposed by the Holy See in the previous meeting, and the talks took place in a positive atmosphere to strengthen further the special relations between the two sides. The delegations agreed to set up technical teams to follow up on the draft, in preparation of the plenary session in the Vatican in the near future.

"The Holy See delegation was composed of Archbishop Antonio Franco, Apostolic Delegate to Jerusalem and Palestine; Msgr. Maurizio Malvestiti, under secretary of the Congregation for Oriental Churches;Msgr. Alberto Ortega, official of the Secretariat of the State of the Holy See, and Msgr. Waldemar Stanislaw Sommertag, counsellor of the apostolic delegation in Jerusalem.

"The Palestinian delegation was composed of Dr. Nabil Shaath, member of the Fatah Central Committee; Dr. Bernard Sabella, member of the Palestinian Legislative Council; Mr. Issa Kassissieh, deputy head of the PLO's Negotiations Affairs Department, and Mr. Wassim Khazmo, policy advisor at the PLO's Negotiations Support Unit".

OP/ VIS 20120130 (280)

TELEGRAM FOR DEATH OF FORMER ITALIAN PRESIDENT SCALFARO

VATICAN CITY, 30 JAN 2012 (VIS) - Benedict XVI has sent a telegram of condolence to Marianna Scalfaro for the death of her father, Oscar Luigi Scalfaro, former president of the Republic of Italy who died on 29 January at the age of 93. The Holy Father expresses his spiritual closeness during this time of grief, then continues:

"I wish to offer my heartfelt condolences, and to give assurances of my sincere participation in your sorrow, which also affects the entire nation of Italy. It is with great affection and particular gratitude that I recall this Catholic statesman, scrupulous magistrate and faithful servant of the institutions who, in the public offices he held, always strove to promote the common good, and the perennial ethical and religious values of Christianity which characterise the historical and civil traditions of Italy. I raise fervent prayers for his soul, invoking divine goodness - by the intercession of the Virgin Mary for whom he had particular veneration - to grant him eternal peace, and I impart upon you and all his relatives the comfort of an apostolic blessing".

TGR/ VIS 20120130 (200)

MEETING OF HEADS OF DICASTERY OF ROMAN CURIA

VATICAN CITY, 28 JAN 2012 (VIS) - This morning in the Apostolic Palace of the Vatican, Benedict XVI presided at a meeting of heads of dicasteries of the Roman Curia.

.../ VIS 20120130 (40)

AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, 30 JAN 2012 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in audience:

- Archbishop Fernando Filoni, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples.

- Bishop Javier Echevarria Rodriguez, prelate of the Personal Prelature of Opus Dei.

- Fr. Richard Schenk O.P., president of the "Katholische Universitat Eichstatt-Ingolstadt".

AP/ VIS 20120130 (60)

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.

Friday, January 27, 2012

News Vatican Information Service 01/27/2012

SUMMARY:

- The Renewal of Faith Must Be a Priority for Church Today

- Message for World Leprosy Day

- Meeting of the Holy See - Israel Working Commission

- Audiences

- Other Pontifical Acts

__________________________________

THE RENEWAL OF FAITH MUST BE A PRIORITY FOR CHURCH TODAY

VATICAN CITY, 27 JAN 2012 (VIS) - This morning in the Vatican the Holy Father received participants in the plenary session of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, whom he thanked for their service to the Church, particularly in view of the forthcoming Year of Faith. "As we know", he said in his remarks to them, "in vast areas of the earth the faith risks being extinguished, like a flame without fuel. We are facing a profound crisis of faith, a loss of a religious sense which represents one of the greatest challenges for the Church today. The renewal of faith must, then, be a priority for the entire Church in our time. I hope that the 'Year of Faith' may contribute ... to restoring God's presence in this world, and to giving man access to the faith, enabling him to entrust himself to the God Who, in Jesus Christ, loved us to the end".

All this, Benedict XVI explained, is closely associated with the question of Christian unity, and he turned to consider certain doctrinal issues related to the Church's ecumenical journey. "Today", he said, "we see the many good fruits that have emerged from ecumenical dialogue. Yet we must also recognise that the risks of indifference and of false Irenicism, completely alien to the mindset of Vatican Council II, require us to be vigilant. Such indifference is caused by the increasingly widespread opinion that truth is not accessible to man and that, therefore, we must limit ourselves to finding rules to improve this world. In this scenario, faith comes to be replaced by a shallow-rooted moralism. By contrast, the core of true ecumenism is faith, in which man encounters the truth revealed in the Word of God. Without faith the entire ecumenical movement would be reduced to a kind of 'social contract' to which we adhere out of shared interests. The logic of Vatican Council II was quite different", holding that "the sincere search for the full unity of all Christians is a dynamic process animated by the Word of God".

The Holy Father went on to highlight a "crucial problem running through all ecumenical dialogue: ... the question of the structure of revelation; that is, the relationship between Holy Scripture, the living tradition of Holy Church and the ministry of the successors of the Apostles as witness of the true faith. It is vital to discern between Tradition and traditions", he said. One important step in this direction has been the recent implementation of measures concerning groups of Anglican faithful who wish to enter into communion with the Catholic Church while maintaining their own traditions. "There exists, in fact, a spiritual richness in the carious Christian confessions, which is an expression of the one faith and a gift to be shared", the Pope said.

The methodology followed in the various forms of ecumenical dialogue must also reflect the priority of the faith. "Even controversial issues must be faced courageously, while always maintaining a spirit of fraternity and mutual respect. Moreover, it is important to offer a correct interpretation of that 'hierarchy of truths' in Catholic doctrine, as defined in the Decree 'Unitatis redintegratio'".

On the subject of the documents that have emerged from various ecumenical dialogues, the Pope explained that "they are the important, though provisional, fruits of shared reflections". But he also pointed out that "they must be given their correct status as contributions presented to the competent authorities of the Church, which alone is called to pass definitive judgement on them".

Benedict XVI also referred to the moral issue, saying: "In our dialogues we cannot overlook the great moral questions about human life, the family, sexuality, bioethics, freedom, justice and peace. It is important to speak on these issues with a single voice, drawing on the fundamentals contained in Scripture and in living tradition. ... By defending the fundamental values of the great tradition of the Church, we defend man and we defend the creation".

In conclusion, the Holy Father reaffirmed that unity is "a means towards, almost a precondition for, the increasingly credible announcement of the faith to people who do not yet know the Saviour".

AC/ VIS 20120127 (710)

MESSAGE FOR WORLD LEPROSY DAY

VATICAN CITY, 27 JAN 2012 (VIS) - Archbishop Zygmunt Zimowski, president of the Pontifical Council for Health Pastoral Care, has written a message for the fifty-ninth World Leprosy Day, which falls on Sunday 29 January. The message is entitled: "In the Fight Against Hansen's Disease the Commitment of All Men of Good Will in Required".

Extracts from the English-language version of the message are given below:

"Mycobacterium Leprae has not as yet been eradicated, even though the official number of new cases of the infection continues to decrease and at the present time are about 200,000, according to the estimates of the World Health Organisation for the years 2010-2011. In addition to supporting the free distribution of those drugs and medicines that are required, one should, therefore, further promote speedy diagnosis and perseverance in receiving therapies. It is of fundamental importance, furthermore, that the work directed towards sensitising and training communities and families that run the risk of contagion be strengthened.

"The Gospel phrase 'Stand and go; your faith has saved you', chosen by the Holy Father Benedict XVI as the theme for the twentieth World Day of the Sick which will be held on 11 February of this year throughout the world, constitutes an exploration and a call that touches in a particular way those who have been afflicted by this infection; in this passage from St. Luke, indeed, we are told about ten lepers who were healed by Jesus, readmitted to the community and reintegrated into the social and occupational fabric.

"As is emphasised by the Holy Father in his Message for this year, 'help us to become aware of the importance of faith for those who, burdened by suffering and illness, draw near to the Lord. In their encounter with him they can truly experience that he who believes is never alone! God, indeed, in his Son, does not abandon us to our anguish and sufferings, but is close to us, helps us to bear them, and wishes to heal us in the depths of our hearts".

"This love, which is also expressed through individual action and through Church institutions and volunteer organisations, amongst which the Raoul Follereau Foundation and the Sovereign Order of the Knights of Malta, as well as the successes that have been obtained hitherto in terms of a strong reduction in the number of people infected by this disease, certainly do not exempt governments and international organisations from increasing the attention they pay to, and their work to combat, the spread of leprosy, or from their responsibilities as regards prevention, in educational and hygiene/health-care terms, and the 'readmission' of people who have been cured, as well as support for all the victims of infection".

"Those who have attained a cure can ... communicate all their interior riches and experience and at the same time, in helping their neighbour, all their dignity and profundity as people touched by suffering and involved in working for the health of the community to which they belong.

"This will amount to a further and relevant contribution to progress in the fight against Hansen's disease which for millennia has constituted a terrible scourge and involved automatic exclusion from society. Indeed, only the involvement of everyone - and at all levels - will allow the transformation of leprosy from being a threat and a scourge into being a memory, however frightening, of the past".

CON-AVA/ VIS 20120127 (570)

MEETING OF THE HOLY SEE - ISRAEL WORKING COMMISSION

VATICAN CITY, 27 JAN 2012 (VIS) - A note released today announces that the Bilateral Permanent Working Commission between the Holy See and the State of Israel held its plenary session at the Israeli ministry of foreign affairs yesterday, to carry on negotiations pursuant to the Fundamental Agreement, article 10 paragraph 2, dealing with economic and fiscal matters.

The meeting was presided by Msgr. Ettore Balestrero, under secretary for Relations with States, and by Daniel Ayalon, Israeli deputy minister for foreign affairs. Today's communique states that "the negotiations took place in an open, friendly and constructive atmosphere. Substantive progress was made on issues of significance".

The parties agreed on the next steps towards the conclusion of the Agreement, and to hold their next plenary meeting on 11 June in the Vatican.

OP/ VIS 20120127 (140)

AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, 27 JAN 2012 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in audience:

- Cardinal Marc Ouellet P.S.S., prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.

- Bishop Francesco Cavina of Carpi, Italy, accompanied by members of his family.

AP/ VIS 20120127 (40)

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, 27 JAN 2012 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed:

- Msgr. Julio Murat, nunciature counsellor, as apostolic nuncio to Zambia, at the same time elevating him to the dignity of archbishop. The archbishop-elect was born in Karsiyaka, Turkey in 1961 and ordained a priest in 1986. He entered the Holy See diplomatic service in 1994 and has served in Indonesia, Pakistan, Belarus and Austria.

- Msgr. Santo Gangemi, nunciature counsellor, as apostolic nuncio to the Solomon Islands, at the same time elevating him to the dignity of archbishop. The archbishop-elect was born in Messina, Italy in 1961 and ordained a priest in 1986. He entered the Holy See diplomatic service in 1991 and has served in Morocco, Italy, Romania, Cuba, Chile, France, Spain and Egypt.

- Msgr. Luciano Russo, nunciature counsellor, as apostolic nuncio, at the same time elevating him to the dignity of archbishop. The archbishop-elect was born in Lusciano, Italy in 1963 and ordained a priest in 1988. He entered the Holy See diplomatic service in 1993 and has served in Papua New Guinea, Honduras, Syria, Brazil, Netherlands, U.S.A. and Bulgaria.

NN/ VIS 20120127 (190)