SUMMARY:
- URGENT
NEED FOR DIALOGUE AND COOPERATION BETWEEN SCIENCE AND FAITH
- POPE'S
SADNESS AT THE EARTHQUAKE IN GUATEMALA
- NEW
EVANGELISATION AND THE PROTECTION OF SEAFARERS
- MESSAGE
TO HINDUS FOR THE FEAST OF DIWALI
-
AGREEMENT BETWEEN HOLY SEE AND REPUBLIC OF BURUNDI
-
AUDIENCES
______________________________________
URGENT
NEED FOR DIALOGUE AND COOPERATION BETWEEN SCIENCE AND FAITH
Vatican
City, 8 November 2012 (VIS) - This morning in the Vatican, the Holy
Father received participants in the plenary session of the Pontifical
Academy of Sciences, which is meeting to examine the topic of:
"Complexity and Analogy in Science: Theoretical, Methodological
and Epistemological Aspects".
"In
your discussions", said the Pope speaking English, "you
have sought to examine, on the one hand, the ongoing dialectic of the
constant expansion of scientific research, methods and
specialisations and, on the other, the quest for a comprehensive
vision of this universe in which human beings, endowed with
intelligence and freedom, are called to understand, love, live and
work".
"Such
an interdisciplinary approach to complexity also shows too that the
sciences are not intellectual worlds disconnected from one another
and from reality but rather that they are interconnected and directed
to the study of nature as a unified, intelligible and harmonious
reality in its undoubted complexity. Such a vision has fruitful
points of contact with the view of the universe taken by Christian
philosophy and theology, with its notion of participated being, in
which each individual creature, possessed of its proper perfection,
also shares in a specific nature and this within an ordered cosmos
originating in God’s creative Word. It is precisely this inbuilt
“logical” and “analogical” organisation of nature that
encourages scientific research and draws the human mind to discover
the horizontal co-participation between beings and the transcendental
participation by the First Being.
"The
universe", the Holy Father added, "is not chaos or the
result of chaos, rather, it appears ever more clearly as an ordered
complexity which allows us to rise, through comparative analysis and
analogy, from specialisation towards a more universalising viewpoint
and vice versa. While the very first moments of the cosmos and life
still elude scientific observation, science nonetheless finds itself
pondering a vast set of processes which reveals an order of evident
constants and correspondences and serves as essential components of
permanent creation".
"In
the great human enterprise of striving to unlock the mysteries of man
and the universe, I am convinced of the urgent need for continued
dialogue and cooperation between the worlds of science and of faith
in the building of a culture of respect for man, for human dignity
and freedom, for the future of our human family and for the long-term
sustainable development of our planet. Without this necessary
interplay, the great questions of humanity leave the domain of reason
and truth, and are abandoned to the irrational, to myth, or to
indifference, with great damage to humanity itself, to world peace
and to our ultimate destiny", Pope Benedict concluded.
POPE'S
SADNESS AT THE EARTHQUAKE IN GUATEMALA
Vatican
City, 8 November 2012 (VIS) - Given below is the text of a telegram
sent by the Holy Father to Bishop Rodolfo Valenzuela Nunez of Vera
Paz, president of the Episcopal Conference of Guatemala, for the
recent earthquake there which has caused dozens of deaths and left
hundreds injured throughout the country:
"Deeply
saddened to hear the painful news of the earthquake which has left
many dead and injured, as well as immeasurable material damage in
your beloved country, I wish to express my spiritual closeness to all
citizens. I offer fervent prayers for the eternal repose of the
victims and pray to the Almighty that He may grant consolation to
those affected by this terrible disaster, and inspire in everyone
sentiments of fraternal solidarity to face this adversity.
"I
also earnestly encourage the Christian communities, civil
institutions and men and women of goodwill to lend their assistance
to the victims, with generosity of spirit and willing charity".
NEW
EVANGELISATION AND THE PROTECTION OF SEAFARERS
Vatican
City, 8 November 2012 (VIS) - This morning in the Holy See Press
Office Cardinal Antonio Maria Veglio, president of the Pontifical
Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant Peoples, and
Fr. Gabriele Ferdinando Bentoglio C.S., under secretary of the same
dicastery, presented the twenty-third Congress of the Apostleship of
the Sea, which will take place in the Vatican's New Synod Hall from
19 to 23 November. It will be attended by 410 participants, from 71
countries across all five continents, and the theme will be "New
Evangelisation in the Maritime World".
"The
Synod of Bishops and the Year of Faith present a challenge to the
chaplains and volunteers of the Apostleship of the Sea who will meet
at this congress in order to seek adequate pastoral responses to the
problems faced by seafarers", said Cardinal Veglio. Among these
problems, he identified the use of modern time-saving technological
innovations which, while improving the speed and ease of work at sea,
do not always bring corresponding improvements to the lives of
seafarers, especially "those who accept employment contracts
requiring them to spend many months living away from their families".
In recent years this problem has been compounded by "the
abandonment of ships and their crews in foreign ports without food or
resources, and under increasingly restrictive measures that forbid
seafarers from coming to land and expose them to abuse and
exploitation. … Another issue is that of piracy, which causes
long-term psychological trauma not only to seafarers but also to
their families".
The
international community has addressed this state of affairs by
adopting the Maritime Labour Convention (2006), which "establishes
minimum requirements regarding all aspects of working conditions on
merchant ships, … and is considered a charter of rights for
seafarers".
"The
Apostleship of the Sea, through the work of its chaplains and
volunteers, has always been concerned also with the welfare of
fishermen and their families", continued the cardinal. "There
are no precise statistics regarding the accidents affecting workers
in this sector, but many international organisations consider fishing
to be one of the most dangerous professions in the world. Moreover,
aside from regulated work, we must not ignore the phenomenon of
illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing which is not infrequently
connected to human trafficking and forced labour", he said.
Fr.
Gabriele Bentoglio then introduced the themes that will be covered
during the congress. On the first day there will be a discussion on
new evangelisation wherein participants will reflect in particular on
the "the proclamation of the Gospel to a growing number of
seafarers who belong to the Oriental rites of the Catholic Church or
to the Orthodox Church, as well as those of other denominations,
without forgetting assistance to seafarers who dock at ports in
Muslim countries".
Effective
engagement with the maritime industry will be the theme of the second
day, which will begin with a presentation by the general secretary of
the International Transport Workers Foundation (ITF), which brings
together 708 unions representing over 5 million workers in all
transport sectors, including over half of all seafarers throughout
the world. This organisation shares three aims with the Apostleship
of the Sea: "improving the life of seafarers, guaranteeing
primary assistance, and responding to their spiritual and material
needs".
Fishermen
and women will be the theme of the third day. The Apostleship of the
Sea will take the opportunity, to encourage the ratification of the
Convention on Work in the Fishing Sector, which employs around 36
million people.
The
fourth day will be dedicated to the theme of piracy at sea, a
phenomenon which particularly affects the Indian Ocean and the waters
adjacent to the Horn of Africa, as well as the coasts of Western
Africa, South America and the Caribbean. Fr. Bentoglio explained that
this "criminal activity is difficult to combat and there is
great concern regarding the increase in the violent treatment of
hostages and their prolonged detention". On the same day there
will also be a discussion on cruises, a growth area in the maritime
sector.
Finally,
the congress will consider the theme of mission work, focusing on
"ecumenical collaboration with other Christian denominations in
many ports throughout the world, where possible without neglecting
inter-religious cooperation". Finally, two important initiatives
for the protection of seafarers will be presented: Seafarers' Rights
International (SRI) which links the competence of the shipping
industry to the legal world in order to promote the rights and legal
protection of seafarers, and Maritime Humanitarian Piracy Response
(MHPR), which assists sailors and their families in the event of
traumatic incidents caused by pirate attacks.
MESSAGE
TO HINDUS FOR THE FEAST OF DIWALI
Vatican
City, 8 November 2012 (VIS) - Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, president
of the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue, has written a
message to Hindus for the celebration of Diwali, the festival of
lights, which this year falls on 13 November. The message is
entitled, "Christians and Hindus: Forming the Young Generation
into Peacemakers". The message also bears the signature of Fr.
Miguel Angel Ayuso Guixot M.C.C.J., secretary of the council.
"At
this point in time in human history, when various negative forces
threaten the legitimate aspirations in many regions of the world for
peaceful co-existence, we would like to use this cherished tradition
of sharing with you a reflection to explore the responsibility that
Hindus, Christians and others have in doing everything possible to
form all people, especially the young generation, into peacemakers",
reads the English-language text.
"To
form young men and women into people of peace and builders of peace
is an urgent summons to collective engagement and common action. If
peace is to be authentic and enduring, it must be built on the
pillars of truth, justice, love and freedom. ... Furthermore, in all
education for peace, cultural differences ought surely to be treated
as a richness rather than a threat or danger.
"The
family is the first school of peace and the parents the primary
educators for peace. ... In schools, colleges and universities, as
young people mature by relating, studying and working with others
from different religions and cultures, their teachers and others
responsible for their training have the noble task of ensuring an
education that respects and celebrates the innate dignity of all
human beings and promotes friendship, justice, peace and cooperation
for integral human development. With spiritual and moral values as
the bedrock of education, it becomes their ethical imperative also to
caution the students against ideologies that cause discord and
division.
"While
States and individual leaders in the social, political and cultural
fields, generally have their own important roles to play in
strengthening the education of the young, religious leaders in
particular, by reason of their vocation to be spiritual and moral
leaders, must continue to inspire the young generation to walk the
path of peace and to become messengers of peace. Since all means of
communication greatly shape the way people think, feel and act, those
involved in these fields must, to the utmost possible extent,
contribute to promoting thoughts, words, and works of peace. Indeed,
young people themselves ought to live up to the ideals they set for
others, by employing their freedom responsibly and by promoting
cordial relationships for a culture of peace".
AGREEMENT
BETWEEN HOLY SEE AND REPUBLIC OF BURUNDI
Vatican
City, 8 November 2012 (VIS) - On 6 November, in the offices of the
presidency of the Republic of Burundi in Bujumbura, in the presence
of the Head of State Pierre Nkurunziza, the Holy See and the Republic
of Burundi signed a framework agreement on "matters of common
interest".
Signing
for the Holy See as plenipotentiary was Archbishop Franco Coppola,
apostolic nuncio to that country, and signing on behalf of the
Republic of Burundi was Laurent Kavakure, Minister of Foreign Affairs
and International Cooperation.
The
framework agreement, acknowledging the good relations that have
developed between the Holy See and Burundi over the last fifty years,
defines and guarantees the legal status of the Catholic Church and
regulates a number of areas, including canonical marriage, places of
worship, Catholic institutions of instruction and education, the
teaching of religion in schools, the Church's charitable activities,
pastoral care of the armed forces and in prisons and hospitals, and
the property and tax regime.
AUDIENCES
Vatican
City, 8 November 2012 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in
audience:
-
Archbishop Giuseppe Lazzarotto, apostolic nuncio to Israel and
Cyprus, and apostolic delegate to Jerusalem and Palestine.
-
Archbishop Antonio Franco, apostolic nuncio.
-
Archbishop Michael Louis Fitzgerald, apostolic nuncio.
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