News Vatican Information Service 02/07/2012

SUMMARY:

- PRESENTATION OF HOLY FATHER'S LENTEN MESSAGE FOR 2012

- POPE'S LENTEN MESSAGE: CHARITY AS A MEANS TO SALVATION

- PROMOTING A CHURCH CULTURE OF SUPPORT FOR ABUSE VICTIMS

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PRESENTATION OF HOLY FATHER'S LENTEN MESSAGE FOR 2012

VATICAN CITY, 7 FEB 2012 (VIS) - This morning in the Holy See Press Office, a press conference was held to present the Holy Father's 2012 Lenten Message. Participating in the conference were Cardinal Robert Sarah, president of the Pontifical Council "Cor Unum"; Msgr. Giampietro Dal Toso and Msgr. Segundo Tejado Munoz, respectively secretary and under secretary of the same council.

"We know that the Lenten Message contributes to maintaining the faithful's sense of concern for others, communion, compassion and fraternal sharing of the sufferings of those in need", said Cardinal Sarah. "However, over and above this important issue, there is another aspect of Christian life which this year's text highlights: fraternal correction".

"Charity teaches us that we are responsible not only for the material well being of others, but also for their moral and spiritual good. ... We cannot overlook the fact that a certain ideology which exalts the rights of the individual can have the consequence of creating isolation and solitude. ... When the call to communion is denied in the name of individualism it is our humanity that suffers, deceived by the impossible mirage of a happiness obtainable alone. Therefore we can help one another by discovering our reciprocal responsibility the one for the other".

"The Church's activity in the modern world must also be seen in the light of fraternal correction in truth and charity", the cardinal went on. "Sometimes it is thought that the Church's concerns, her tenacious resistance to certain fashionable ideas, are moved by thirst or nostalgia for power This is not the case. The Church is moved by a sincere concern for mankind and for the world. Her activities are not moved by a desire to condemn or recriminate, but by a justice and mercy which must also have the courage to call things by their name. Only in this way can we expose the roots of evil, which continue to intrigue the mind of modern man. This task of the Church is called prophetic mission".

In the Old Testament, Cardinal Sarah explained, "a prophet was a man called and sent by God to announce His will to the people. ... Clearly the call for greater social justice is part of mission of the Church", which "cannot remain silent in the face of the fact that too many people die because they lack basic necessities while others grow rich exploiting their fellows. Yet the prophetic dimension of our words and deeds cannot be limited to these external phenomena without going to the moral roots of these injustices. Corruption, accumulation of riches, violence, unduly living at the expense of the commonwealth without contributing are all tumours that consume a society from within. Nor can we remain silent ... about the fact that the roots of the current financial crisis lie in greed, unrestrained and unscrupulous thirst for money without considering those who have less and who must bear the consequences of the mistaken choices of others. Such attachment to money is a sin, and the Church is prophetic in her condemnation of that sin, which harms both individuals and society".

"Yet the Holy Father ... identifies an even more profound dimension. The Church is a prophet in this world to denounce the absence of God. ... Our secularised society lives and organises itself without reference to God because it is affected by a poverty more tragic even than material want; a poverty represented by the rejection and complete exclusion of God from social and economic life, by the revolt against divine and natural laws. ... The primary responsibility of the Church is to remind each generation that this spiritual dimension is vital. The prophet of today must tell the world that God exists, that without this Father who stirs us to solidarity and sharing life dies and fraternity dissolves into empty utopia, that man has a supernatural vocation, that we have a conscience in which the voice of God speaks and to which we must one day respond".

"Today's message", the cardinal concluded, "aims to awaken people's consciences with respect to the rights and duties of our fellows, but also with respect to our duties towards the 'rights' of God. All this comes about in the context of Christian communion ruled by the principle of reciprocity and fraternal correction, with a view to the temporal good of mankind and his eschatological salvation".

POPE'S LENTEN MESSAGE: CHARITY AS A MEANS TO SALVATION

VATICAN CITY, 7 FEB 2012 (VIS) - Made public today was the 2012 Lenten Message of the Holy Father Benedict XVI, the title of which is taken from the Letter to the Hebrews: "Let us be concerned for each other, to stir a response in love and good works". Extracts from the English-language version of the document are given below:

"The Lenten season offers us once again an opportunity to reflect upon the very heart of Christian life: charity. This is a favourable time to renew our journey of faith, both as individuals and as a community, with the help of the word of God and the Sacraments".

"This year I would like to propose a few thoughts in the light of a brief biblical passage drawn from the Letter to the Hebrews: 'Let us be concerned for each other, to stir a response in love and good works'".

(1) Let us be concerned for each other: responsibility towards our brothers and sisters.

"This first aspect is an invitation to be 'concerned'. ... The verb which introduces our exhortation tells us to look at others, first of all at Jesus, to be concerned for one another, and not to remain isolated and indifferent to the fate of our brothers and sisters. All too often, however, our attitude is just the opposite: an indifference and disinterest born of selfishness and masked as a respect for 'privacy'. ... Even today God asks us to be 'guardians' of our brothers and sisters, to establish relationships based on mutual consideration and attentiveness to the well-being, the integral well-being of others. The great commandment of love for one another demands that we acknowledge our responsibility towards those who, like ourselves, are creatures and children of God. Being brothers and sisters in humanity and, in many cases, also in the faith, should help us to recognise in others a true alter ego, infinitely loved by the Lord. If we cultivate this way of seeing others as our brothers and sisters, solidarity, justice, mercy and compassion will naturally well up in our hearts".

"Concern for others entails desiring what is good for them from every point of view: physical, moral and spiritual. Contemporary culture seems to have lost the sense of good and evil, yet there is a real need to reaffirm that good does exist and will prevail, because God is 'generous and acts generously'. The good is whatever gives, protects and promotes life, brotherhood and communion. Responsibility towards others thus means desiring and working for the good of others, in the hope that they too will become receptive to goodness and its demands. Concern for others means being aware of their needs. Sacred Scripture warns us of the danger that our hearts can become hardened by a sort of 'spiritual anaesthesia' which numbs us to the suffering of others. The Evangelist Luke relates two of Jesus' parables by way of example": the parable of the Good Samaritan and the parable of Dives and Lazarus. Both "show examples of the opposite of 'being concerned', of looking upon others with love and compassion. What hinders this humane and loving gaze towards our brothers and sisters? Often it is the possession of material riches and a sense of sufficiency, but it can also be the tendency to put our own interests and problems above all else. We should never be incapable of 'showing mercy' towards those who suffer. Our hearts should never be so wrapped up in our affairs and problems that they fail to hear the cry of the poor. ... Reaching out to others and opening our hearts to their needs can become an opportunity for salvation and blessedness.

"'Being concerned for each other' also entails being concerned for their spiritual well-being. Here I would like to mention an aspect of the Christian life, which I believe has been quite forgotten: fraternal correction in view of eternal salvation. Today, in general, we are very sensitive to the idea of charity and caring about the physical and material well-being of others, but almost completely silent about our spiritual responsibility towards our brothers and sisters. This was not the case in the early Church. ... Christ Himself commands us to admonish a brother who is committing a sin. ... The Church's tradition has included 'admonishing sinners' among the spiritual works of mercy. It is important to recover this dimension of Christian charity. We must not remain silent before evil. I am thinking of all those Christians who, out of human regard or purely personal convenience, adapt to the prevailing mentality, rather than warning their brothers and sisters against ways of thinking and acting that are contrary to the truth and that do not follow the path of goodness. Christian admonishment, for its part, is never motivated by a spirit of accusation or recrimination. It is always moved by love and mercy, and springs from genuine concern for the good of the other. ... In a world pervaded by individualism, it is essential to rediscover the importance of fraternal correction, so that together we may journey towards holiness. ... It is a great service, then, to help others and allow them to help us, so that we can be open to the whole truth about ourselves, improve our lives and walk more uprightly in the Lord's ways".

(2) Being concerned for each other: the gift of reciprocity.

"This 'custody' of others is in contrast to a mentality that, by reducing life exclusively to its earthly dimension, fails to see it in an eschatological perspective and accepts any moral choice in the name of personal freedom. A society like ours can become blind to physical sufferings and to the spiritual and moral demands of life. This must not be the case in the Christian community!"

"The Lord's disciples, united with Him through the Eucharist, live in a fellowship that binds them one to another as members of a single body. This means that the other is part of me, and that his or her life, his or her salvation, concern my own life and salvation. Here we touch upon a profound aspect of communion: our existence is related to that of others, for better or for worse. Both our sins and our acts of love have a social dimension. This reciprocity is seen in the Church, the mystical body of Christ: the community constantly does penance and asks for the forgiveness of the sins of its members, but also unfailingly rejoices in the examples of virtue and charity present in her midst. ... Christians can also express their membership in the one body which is the Church through concrete concern for the poorest of the poor. Concern for one another likewise means acknowledging the good that the Lord is doing in others".

(3) To stir a response in love and good works: walking together in holiness.

"These words of the Letter to the Hebrews urge us to reflect on the universal call to holiness. ... The time granted us in this life is precious for discerning and performing good works in the love of God. In this way the Church herself continuously grows towards the full maturity of Christ. Our exhortation to encourage one another to attain the fullness of love and good works is situated in this dynamic prospect of growth.

"Sadly, there is always the temptation to become lukewarm, to quench the Spirit, to refuse to invest the talents we have received, for our own good and for the good of others. All of us have received spiritual or material riches meant to be used for the fulfilment of God's plan, for the good of the Church and for our personal salvation. The spiritual masters remind us that in the life of faith those who do not advance inevitably regress".

"In a world which demands of Christians a renewed witness of love and fidelity to the Lord, may all of us feel the urgent need to anticipate one another in charity, service and good works. This appeal is particularly pressing in this holy season of preparation for Easter".

PROMOTING A CHURCH CULTURE OF SUPPORT FOR ABUSE VICTIMS

VATICAN CITY, 7 FEB 2012 (VIS) - An international symposium entitled "Towards Healing and Renewal" began yesterday evening in Rome's Gregorian University. The event, which will run until 9 February and brings together bishops and religious superiors from all over the world, aims to relaunch the Church's commitment to protecting minors and vulnerable people from child abuse. During the opening session a message was read out, sent in the Holy Father's name by Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B. to Fr. Francois-Xavier Dumortier S.J., rector of the Gregorian.

In his English-language message, Cardinal Bertone notes that, "as His Holiness has often observed, healing for victims must be of paramount concern in the Christian community, and it must go hand in hand with a profound renewal of the Church at every level. ... The Holy Father therefore supports and encourages every effort to respond with evangelical charity to the challenge of providing children and vulnerable adults with an ecclesial environment conducive to their human and spiritual growth. He urges the participants in the symposium to continue drawing on a wide range of expertise in order to promote throughout the Church a vigorous culture of effective safeguarding and victim support".

The Pope also prays to the Lord that the symposium may help the Church "to respond in a truly Christ-like manner to the tragedy of child abuse".

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News Vatican Information Service 02/04-06/2012

SUMMARY: 4 - 6 FEBRUARY

- Note Of Governorate on Letters of Archbishop Vigano

- Facing Sickness by Trusting in the Goodness of God

- Audiences

- Other Pontifical Acts

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NOTE OF GOVERNORATE ON LETTERS OF ARCHBISHOP VIGANO

VATICAN CITY, 4 FEB 2012 (VIS) - Given below is the text of a declaration released at midday today by the Presidency of the Governorate of Vatican City State. The declaration bears the signatures of Cardinal Giovanni Lajolo, president emeritus of the Governorate; Archbishop Giuseppe Bertello, current president; Bishop Giuseppe Sciacca, secretary general, and Bishop Giorgio Corbellini, former vice secretary general.

(1) The illicit publication of two letters by Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, the first addressed to the Holy Father on 27 March 2011 and the second to the Cardinal Secretary of State on 8 May, is a cause of great bitterness for the Governorate of Vatican City State.

The assertions contained in those letters cannot but give rise to the impression that the Governorate of Vatican City State, rather than being an instrument of responsible government, is a body unworthy of trust, at the mercy of obscure powers. Having carefully examined the contents of the two letters, the Presidency of the Governorate feels the duty to declare publicly that the aforesaid assertions are the result of incorrect evaluations, or are based on fears not backed up by evidence, indeed openly contradicted by the principle figures called to witness them.

Without entering into the merits of the individual assertions, the Presidency of the Governorate feels the need to draw attention to the following proven elements.

(2) The consolidated budget and financial statements of the Governorate, following approval by the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State, are regularly submitted to the Prefecture for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See, which examines them in its own offices as well as having them examined by its college of international auditors. Moreover, the Prefecture has at all times the power to examine, without prior warning, the documentation of all offices of the Governorate, in the process of their preparation.

(3) As is well known, the financial investments of the Governorate, entrusted to external managers, suffered significant losses during the great international crisis of 2008. According to the accounting standards established by the Prefecture for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See, which accord with the criteria followed in Italy, those losses were also distributed over the financial year of 2009 which, therefore, showed a loss of euro 7,815,000. However, it must be made clear that, despite the financial loses, the economic and functional administration of the Governorate remained in the black. The move from the negative euro 7,815,000 of the consolidated budget of 2009 to the positive (final) result of euro 21,043,000 for 2010 was mainly due to two factors: the management of the financial investments of the Governorate, which the cardinal president entrusted to the Extraordinary Section of APSA in 2009 and, to an even greater extent, to the excellent results of the Vatican Museums.

(4) Tenders for works of a certain importance (such as, for example, the ongoing restoration of the Colonnade of St. Peter's Square or the construction of the St. Joseph Fountain) are assigned via standard bidding procedures and after examination by an "ad hoc" commission, instituted on each occasion by the cardinal president. For works of lesser importance, the Directorate of Technical Services uses its own personnel, or well known and well qualified external firms, on the basis of the prices in use in Italy.

(5) The Presidency of the Governorate of Vatican City State expresses its complete trust in, and respect for, the members of the Finance and Management Committee. It thanks them for having made such an essential contribution, with great professionalism and giving up no small amount of their time, without any expense to the Governorate, and trusts it will be able to continue to draw on their advice in the future.

The Presidency likewise confirms its complete trust in its administrative offices and collaborators. All suspicions and accusations have, following careful examination, been shown to be unfounded, as have(almost to the point of seeming laughable) news reports - fruit of a certain kind of highly superficial journalism - that telephones were tapped and rooms bugged as part of a merely administrative and disciplinary procedure!

(6) The presidency is well aware of the fact that the administration of the Governorate, though already well organised and productive, could be further improved in accordance with the recommendations made by the McKinsey management consultancy firm, commission by the cardinal president in 2009 at the suggestion of the Finance and Management Committee. The implementation of the improvements suggested by McKinsey, which began some time ago, will continue in the same spirit. It must be highlighted that the transparency and rigour, so meritoriously pursued by the previous Presidency, is also being practised by the current directors with the same commitment and serenity.

(7) The entire Governorate - Presidency, directors, bureau chiefs, officials and workers - wishes to reaffirm its firm and joint desire to continue to dedicate all its energies to serving the Supreme Pontiff with complete faithfulness and integrity, aware of the great honour and responsibility it has in being at the service of the Pope.

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FACING SICKNESS BY TRUSTING IN THE GOODNESS OF GOD

VATICAN CITY, 5 FEB 2012 (VIS) - At midday today, Benedict XVI appeared at the window of his study to pray the Angelus with faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square.

The Pope commented on today's Gospel reading which narrates Jesus' healing of St. Peter's mother-in-law and of many other sick people of Capernaum. "The four Evangelists", he said, "all agree that, along with preaching, healing from sickness and infirmity of all kinds constituted the main activity of Jesus during His public life. ... Jesus Christ came to defeat evil at the very root, and the healings were an anticipation of the victory He achieved through death and resurrection.

"One day Jesus said: 'those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick'", the Holy Father added. "On that occasion He was referring to sinners, whom He had come to call and to save, yet it is nonetheless true that sickness is a typically human condition wherein we experience our lack of self-sufficiency, our need of others. In this context we could say, paradoxically, that sickness can be a 'healthy' moment in which to receive attention from others and to give attention to them! Yet it is still a trial, and can become long and difficult. When healing does not come and suffering continues, we can become crushed and isolated, our lives sink and become dehumanised. How should we react to this attack of evil? Certainly with the appropriate cures - over recent decades medicine has made enormous progress for which we are grateful - but the Word of God teaches us that there is a decisive and basic attitude with which to face sickness: faith in God and in His goodness".

Pope Benedict went on: "Even in the face of death, faith can make possible what is humanly impossible. But faith in what? In the love of God! This is the true response which radically defeats evil. ... We all know people who have borne terrible suffering because God gave them profound serenity. I think of the recent example of Blessed Chiara Badano, who died in the flower of her youth because of a terrible illness. When people went to visit her, they received light and faith from her! Yet nonetheless, when we are sick we all need human warmth. What sick people need even more than words is serene and sincere proximity".

The Holy Father concluded by recalling that 11 February, Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, also marks the World Day of the Sick. "Let us too act like the people who lived in Jesus' time", he said. "Let us spiritually present all sick people to Him, trusting in His desire and power to heal them. And let us invoke the intercession of the Blessed Virgin, especially upon people undergoing the most extreme forms of suffering and abandonment".

After praying the Angelus, Benedict XVI recalled that today in Italy marks the Day for Life, "which was established to protect nascent life and later extended to cover all phases and conditions of human existence. The message of bishops this year proposes the theme: 'Young people open to life'. I join the pastors of the Church in Italy in affirming that true youth lies in welcoming and loving others, and in serving life".

The Pope also reminded French-speaking pilgrims of next Saturday's Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes and World Day of the Sick. "Together with all those who are facing sickness, let us ask God to grant us the grace of trusting patience. With the help of Our Lady of Lourdes and of St. Bernadette, may we discover that true happiness exists only in God". Finally, speaking to Polish pilgrims he said: "I ask God that sick people may be attended with care by their relatives, health care workers and all men and women of good will. May human suffering always be surrounded by love".

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, 6 FEB 2012 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in audience:

- Laurence Argimon-Pistre, head of the delegation of the European Union, for the presentation of her Letters of Credence.

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

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, 6 FEB 2012 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Msgr. Edward John Weisenburger of the clergy of the archdiocese of Oklahoma, U.S.A., vicar general and rector of the cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, as bishop of Salina (area 69,087, population 342,000, Catholics 48,255, priests 76, permanent deacons 7, religious 167), U.S.A. The bishop-elect was born in Alton, U.S.A. in 1960 and ordained a priest in 1987. Having studied in Belgium and Canada, he worked as a pastor, vicar general and official of the archdiocesan general tribunal of Oklahoma

On Saturday 4 February it was made public that he appointed Fr. Froilan Tiberio Casas Ortiz of the clergy of the archdiocese of Tunja, Colombia, rector of the major archdiocesan seminary, as bishop of Neiva (area 10,523, population 470,000, Catholics 447,000, priests 82, religious 88), Colombia. The bishop-elect was born in Chiquinquira, Colombia in 1948 and ordained a priest in 1972. He has worked as a seminary professor and as pastor in parishes of the archdiocese of Tunja. He succeeds Bishop Ramon Dario Molina Jaramillo O.F.M., whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

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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.

Copyright © Vatican Information Service 00120 Vatican City