SUMMARY:
-
FAITHFULNESS, AN EXPRESSION OF THE UNIQUE BOND BETWEEN THE POPE AND
HIS DIRECT COLLABORATORS
-
CHURCH'S MISSION OF EVANGELISATION ALSO INVOLVES AIRPORTS
-
DIVIDING THE EUCHARISTIC BREAD RENEWS OUR CAPACITY TO SHARE
-
POPE HIGHLIGHTS IMPORTANCE OF THE EVANGELISATION OF CULTURE TO
BISHOPS OF NEW GUINEA AND SOLOMON ISLANDS
-
COMMUNIQUE OF THE HOLY SEE PRESS OFFICE
-
CARDINAL BERTELLO, SPECIAL ENVOY TO CAMALDOLI JUBILEE
-
AUDIENCES
-
OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
______________________________________
FAITHFULNESS,
AN EXPRESSION OF THE UNIQUE BOND BETWEEN THE POPE AND HIS DIRECT
COLLABORATORS
Vatican
City, 11 June 2012 (VIS) - This morning in the Vatican the Holy
Father received forty members of the Pontifical Ecclesiastical
Academy. He noted that they were meeting "as the academic year
draws to a close and as, for some of you, the day is approaching when
you will depart for service in papal representations throughout the
world. The Pope also counts on you for assistance in fulfilling his
universal ministry", he said.
In his
remarks to the group, Benedict XVI underlined the virtue of
faithfulness which, he said, "well expresses the unique bond
existing between the Pope and his direct collaborators, both in the
Roman Curia and in the papal representations: for many, it is a bond
grounded in the priestly character that they have received, which is
then specified in the particular mission entrusted to each in the
service of the Successor of Peter.
"In
the Bible, faithfulness is above all a divine attribute", he
added. "God reveals Himself as the One Who remains ever faithful
to His Covenant with His people, despite their unfaithfulness. ... In
our case, the virtue of faithfulness is profoundly linked to the
supernatural gift of faith; it becomes the expression of that
steadfastness proper to those who have made God the foundation of
their entire lives".
"With
this in mind, I encourage you to cultivate a personal bond with the
Vicar of Christ as a part of your spirituality. Certainly, this is
something which ought to apply to every Catholic, and even more to
every priest. Yet for those who work in the Holy See, it is of
particular importance, since they spend much of their energy, their
time and their daily ministry in the service of the Successor of
Peter. This entails a serious responsibility, but also a special gift
which as time goes on should make you grow in closeness to the Pope,
a closeness marked by interior trust, a natural 'idem sentire', which
is exactly expressed by the word 'faithfulness'".
The Holy
Father went on: "Faithfulness to Peter, who sends you forth,
also gives rise to a special faithfulness towards those to whom you
are sent. The representatives of the Roman Pontiff and their
collaborators are called upon to interpret his solicitude for all the
Churches, as well as the affectionate concern with which he follows
the journey of all peoples. You should therefore cultivate a
relationship of profound esteem and benevolence, and indeed true
friendship, towards the Churches and the communities to which you
will be sent. You are also bound to faithfulness in their regard, a
faithfulness concretely manifested each day by your diligence and
devotion to your work, by your presence among them at moments of joy,
sadness and even tragedy, by your coming to know their culture, their
journey as a Church, and by your appreciation of all that God’s
grace has accomplished in every people and nation".
"Thus
you will also encourage and help the particular Churches to grow in
faithfulness to the Roman Pontiff and to find in the principle of
communion with the universal Church a sure direction for their own
pilgrimage through history. Not least, you will also help the
Successor of Peter to be faithful to the mission he has received from
Christ, enabling him to know better the flock entrusted to his care
and to be present to it more effectively by his words, his closeness,
his affection. Here I can only mention with gratitude the assistance
that I receive every day from my many collaborators in the Roman
Curia and in papal representations, as well as the support that comes
to me from the prayers of countless brothers and sisters worldwide".
Benedict
XVI concluded: "Dear friends, to the extent that you are
faithful, you will also be worthy of faith. We know too that the
faithfulness proper to the Church and to the Holy See is no 'blind'
loyalty, for it is enlightened by our faith in the One Who said: 'You
are Peter, and on on this rock I will build my Church'".
CHURCH'S
MISSION OF EVANGELISATION ALSO INVOLVES AIRPORTS
Vatican
City, 11 June 2012 (VIS) - Participants in the fifteenth World
Seminar for Catholic Civil Aviation Chaplains and Chaplaincy Members
were received this morning in audience by the Holy Father. Their
patron, the Pope recalled, is Our Lady of Loreto who is also the
patron saint of all air travellers, in accordance with the tradition
that attributes to the angels the transportation of Mary’s house
from Nazareth to Loreto, Italy.
The
seminar is reflecting on new methods and new forms of evangelisation
in the field in which the chaplains exercise their ministry, and the
Pope encouraged them always to be "conscious that you are called
to embody in the world’s airports the Church’s mission of
bringing God to man and leading man to the encounter with God.
"Airports",
he added, "are places that increasingly reflect the globalised
reality of our time. Here one finds people of a wide variety of
nationalities, cultures, religions, social status and age. One also
comes across all manner of difficult human situations that demand
increasing attention. I think, for example, of people waiting
anxiously as they seek to pass through border controls without the
necessary documentation, either as immigrants or asylum seekers. I
think of the inconvenience caused by anti-terrorism security
measures. ... This is the human and spiritual environment in which
you are called to proclaim the Good News with renewed vigour by your
words, by your presence, by your example and by the witness you bear.
Be assured that even in chance encounters, people are able to
recognise a man of God, and that often a small seed falling on good
soil can bring forth abundant fruit".
The Pope
went on: "In airports, moreover, you have daily contact with a
great many men and women who work in an environment marked by
continuous mobility and constant technological development, both of
which tend to obscure the centrality of the human person. Often more
attention is paid to efficiency and productivity than to the love of
neighbour and the solidarity that should always characterise human
relations. Here too, your presence is of great value and importance:
it is a living witness to a God Who is close to human beings, and it
serves as a reminder never to show indifference to those one meets,
but to treat them generously and lovingly. I encourage you to be
radiant signs of this charity of Christ which brings serenity and
peace", the Holy Father concluded.
DIVIDING
THE EUCHARISTIC BREAD RENEWS OUR CAPACITY TO SHARE
Vatican
City, 10 June 2012 (VIS) - "Today Italy and many other countries
are celebrating Corpus Christi, the solemn Feast of the Body and
Blood of the Lord ... which every year renews Christians' joy and
gratitude at Jesus' Eucharistic presence among us", said the
Pope to faithful gathered at midday in St. Peter's Square to pray the
Angelus.
This
feast "is a great public act of worship of the Eucharist, the
Sacrament in which the Lord's presence is extended beyond the time of
celebration, to remain among us always, through the hours and the
days. St. Justin, who left us one of the most ancient descriptions of
Eucharistic liturgy, affirms that, after the distribution of
communion to those present, the consecrated bread was taken by
deacons to those who were absent. For this reason the most sacred
place in churches is where the Eucharist is kept.
"At
this point my thoughts cannot but go to the many churches seriously
damaged by the recent earthquake in Emilia Romagna", the Holy
Father added, "to the fact that in some cases Christ’s
Eucharistic Body in the tabernacle has been buried under the rubble.
With great affection I pray for the communities forced with their
priests to gather for Mass in the open air or in tents. I thank them
for their witness and for their efforts in favour of the entire
population. This situation highlights the importance of being united
in the name of the Lord, the strength that comes from the Eucharistic
Bread, also called the 'bread of pilgrims'. Sharing this Bread
creates and renews the capacity to share our life and goods, to carry
one another’s burdens, to be hospitable and welcoming".
Benedict
XVI also noted how the Solemnity of Corpus Christi calls our
attention to the importance of Eucharistic adoration. "The
prayer of adoration can be performed individually, kneeling before
the tabernacle, or as a community with psalms and songs, but always
laying the emphasis on silence so as to hear the Lord speaking within
us, the Lord Who is alive and present in the Sacrament. The Virgin
Mary is our guide also in this prayer, because no one better or more
than her was able to contemplate Jesus with the gaze of faith, and to
welcome in her heart the intimate echo of His human and divine
presence".
Following
the Marian prayer the Pope greeted, among others, a group of Polish
faithful and the inhabitants of the the Polish cities of Krakow,
Lodz, Bydgoszcz and Gdansk who, in the presence of Cardinal Secretary
of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B., are currently commemorating the
apostolic pilgrimage made by John Paul II twenty-five years ago. "One
fruit of that visit", the Holy Father said, "is the Feast
of the Eucharist being celebrated today in Lodz, where a Study Centre
dedicated to Blessed John Paul II is being inaugurated. Tomorrow in
Bydgoszcz a meeting will be held to examine the contents of the
Encyclical 'Caritas in veritate'. I express my thanks for the Study
Centre there dedicated to my own name. May these meetings strengthen
your bond with Christ, Who loved us unto the end".
POPE
HIGHLIGHTS IMPORTANCE OF THE EVANGELISATION OF CULTURE TO BISHOPS OF
NEW GUINEA AND SOLOMON ISLANDS
Vatican
City, 9 June 2012 (VIS) - This morning in the Vatican Benedict XVI
received in audience prelates from the Catholic Bishops' Conference
of Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands, who have just completed
their "ad limina" visit. Speaking English, he began by
highlighting how the Church provides for the basic needs of the poor,
the marginalised and the sick, especially those suffering from
HIV/AIDS, through the work of diocesan agencies. He also noted that
the bishops exercise an important aspect of their pastoral ministry
when they "speak publicly as an objective moral voice on behalf
of those in need".
The Holy
Father went on: "When the Church voices her concern in the
public square, she does so legitimately and in order to contribute to
the common good, not proposing concrete political solutions, but
rather helping to 'purify and shed light upon the application of
reason to the discovery of objective moral principles'. Such
principles are accessible to all through right reason and are
necessary for the just ordering of civil society. In view of this, I
encourage you to continue to dialogue and to work with the civil
authorities so that the Church may be free to speak and to provide
services for the common good in a manner fully consonant with Gospel
values".
In their
reports the bishops had spoked of spoken of pastoral efforts aimed at
the evangelisation of culture. "This", the Holy Father
noted, "is of great importance since the human person can
'achieve true and full humanity only by means of culture'. We also
observe the essential role of culture in salvation history, since the
Triune God gradually revealed Himself in time, culminating in the
sending of His only Son, Who Himself was born into a particular
culture".
Moreover,
"while acknowledging the respective contribution of each culture
and at times calling upon its resources in fulfilling her mission,
the Church has been sent to preach the Gospel to all nations,
transcending man-made boundaries. In the work of evangelisation then,
my brother bishops, continue to apply the eternal truths of the
Gospel to the customs of the people whom you serve, in order to build
upon the positive elements already present and to purify others when
necessary. In this way, you play your part in the Church’s mission
to lead people of every nation, race and language to Jesus Christ the
Saviour in Whom we find revealed the fullness and truth of humanity".
The
family plays a key role in this aspect of evangelisation, since it is
"the first place where faith and culture are appropriated.
Although society has recognised the important role of the family
throughout history, particular attention needs to be given at the
present time to the religious, social and moral goods of fidelity,
equality and mutual respect that must exist between husband and wife.
The Church tirelessly proclaims that the family is based on the
natural institution of marriage between a man and a woman and, in the
case of baptised Christians, it is a covenant which has been raised
by Christ to the supernatural level of a Sacrament". Commending
the prelates' efforts to give pastoral priority to the evangelisation
of marriage and the family in accordance with Catholic moral
teaching, the Pope also recalled Blessed Peter To Rot, the centenary
of whose birth is currently being celebrated and "who shed his
blood in defence of the sanctity of marriage".
Finally
the Holy Father turned his attention to the importance of "a
properly catechised laity and well formed clergy and religious"
in order that they may "resist the temptations of the secular
world" and "be wise enough not to be deceived by attempts
to convert them to overly simplistic versions of Christianity that
are often based solely on false promises of material prosperity. ...
These witnesses and those they teach, with your guidance and support,
will help to ensure that the Church in your countries will continue
to be an effective instrument of evangelisation, attracting those who
do not yet know Christ and inspiring those who have become lukewarm
in their faith".
COMMUNIQUE
OF THE HOLY SEE PRESS OFFICE
Vatican
City, 9 June 2012 (VIS) - The Holy See Press Office released the
following communique yesterday afternoon:
"The
Holy See was surprised and concerned to learn of recent developments
involving Professor Gotti Tedeschi. It has the greatest confidence
that the Italian judicial authorities will honour and respect the
sovereign prerogatives which the Holy See is recognised as having
under international law.
"Moreover
the Holy See confirms its complete confidence in the people who, with
great commitment and professionalism, dedicate their labours to the
Institute for the Works of Religion (IOR), and it is carefully
examining the possibility that any harm, to its own rights or to
those of its institutions, may have arisen from the current
circumstances.
"Finally,
it must be reiterated that the motion of no confidence passed against
Professor Gotti Tedeschi by the Administrative Board of the IOR was
founded on objective reasons concerning the governance of the IOR. It
was not determined by any purported opposition to the policy of
transparency which, in fact, the Holy See authorities and the IOR
itself have very much to heart".
CARDINAL
BERTELLO, SPECIAL ENVOY TO CAMALDOLI JUBILEE
Vatican
City, 9 June 2012 (VIS) - Made public today was the letter in which
the Holy Father appoints Cardinal Giuseppe Bertello, president of the
Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State and of the Governorate
of Vatican City State, as his special envoy to celebrations marking
the millennium of the foundation of the Holy Hermitage of Camaldoli,
Italy, due to take place on 19 June.
The names
of the priests who will accompany Cardinal Bertello on his mission
were also made public. They are: Fr. Giuseppe Cicchi O.S.B. Cam.,
member of the general council and vice prior of the monastery of
Camaldoli, and Fr. Roberto Fornaciari O.S.B. Cam., professor at the
Higher Institute of Religious Sciences of Arezzo and secretary of the
jubilee celebrations at the Holy Hermitage.
AUDIENCES
Vatican
City, 11 June 2012 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in audience
Miltiadis Hiskakis, ambassador of Greece, on his farewell visit.
On
Saturday 9 June he received in audience:
- Ten
prelates of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Papua New Guinea and
Solomon Islands, on their "ad limina" visit
-
Archbishop Stephen Joseph Reichert O.F.M. Cap. of Madang.
- Bishop
Otto Separy of Aitape.
- Bishop
Christian Blouin C.M.M. of Lae.
- Bishop
Cesare Bonivento P.I.M.E. of Vanimo.
- Bishop
Anthony John Burgess of Wewak.
-
Archbishop Douglas Young S.V.D. of Mount Hagen.
- Bishop
Francesco Sarego S.V.D. of Goroka.
- Bishop
Anton Bal of Kundiawa.
- Bishop
Donald Lippert O.F.M. Cap. of Mendi.
- Bishop
Arnold Orowae of Wabag.
-
Cardinal William Joseph Levada and Archbishop Luis Francisco Ladaria
Ferrer S.J., respectively prefect and secretary of the Congregation
for the Doctrine of the Faith.
OTHER
PONTIFICAL ACTS
Vatican
City, 11 June 2012 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed:
- Bishop
Fabio Duque Jaramillo O.F.M. of Armenia, Colombia, as bishop of
Garzon (area 9,667, population 542,000, Catholics 522,000, priests
111, religious 144), Colombia.
- Fr.
Constantino Barrera Morales of the clergy of the diocese of San
Vicente, El Salvador, rector of the major national seminary "San
Jose de la Montana", as bishop of Sonsonate (area 1,225,
population 551,000, Catholics 441,000, priests 47, religious 61), El
Salvador. The bishop-elect was born in Canton Rojita, El Salvador in
1963 and ordained a priest in 1990. He studied in El Salvador and in
Spain, and has worked in pastoral care in parishes and as vicar
forane.
On
Saturday 9 June it was made public that the Holy Father:
-
Appointed Msgr. Max Leroy Mesidor of the clergy of the diocese of Les
Gonaives, Haiti, vicar general and pastor of the cathedral, as bishop
of Fort-Liberte (area 1,600, population 480,000, Catholics 345,600,
priests 46, religious 78), Haiti. The bishop-elect was born in
Saint-Marc, Haiti in 1962 and ordained a priest in 1988. He has
served as pastor in a number of different parishes and presides the
diocesan commissions for catechises and for the liturgy.
-
Appointed Msgr. Juan Antonio Anarez Cobo, vicar general of the
archdiocese of Pamplona and Tudela, Spain, as auxiliary of the same
archdiocese (area 10,421, population 636,924, Catholics 629,094,
priests 674, permanent deacons 2, religious 1,975). The bishop-elect
was born in Eibar, Spain in 1961 and ordained a priest in 1990. He
studied in Spain and in Rome and, apart from working as pastor in
various parishes, is professor of Sacred Scripture at, among other
places, the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre.
-
Accepted the resignation from the office of librarian and archivist
of Holy Roman Church presented by Cardinal Raffaele Farina S.D.B.,
upon having reached the age limit.
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