SUMMARY:
-
BENEDICT XVI: WHERE DOES JESUS COME FROM?
-
BENEDICT XVI: THE SAME SECURITY THAT A CHILD FEELS IN THE ARMS OF A
LOVING AND ALL-POWERFUL FATHER
- THE
LIGHT OF GOD, A BLESSING FOR HUMANITY
- TE
DEUM: THE CHRISTIAN IS A PERSON OF HOPE EVEN IN THE FACE OF THE
DARKNESS THAT EXISTS IN THE WORLD
- FAITH
IS A PRECIOUS GIFT THAT WE MUST NURTURE IN OUR CHILDREN
- TO THE
YOUNG PEOPLE OF TAIZE: BE BEARERS OF THE MESSAGE OF UNITY
-
TELEGRAM TO CARDINAL GIOVANNI BATTISTA RE
- OTHER
PONTIFICAL ACTS
______________________________________
BENEDICT
XVI: WHERE DOES JESUS COME FROM?
Vatican
City, 2 January 2013 (VIS) - During the catechesis of the first
general audience of 2013, which was celebrated in the Paul VI Hall
with over 7,000 people in attendance, the Holy Father addressed the
theme of Christ's birth, "something so radically new that it was
capable of changing the course of history", and Jesus' origin.
The
Lord's nativity, the Holy Father commented, "once again
illuminates the darkness that often surrounds our world and our
hearts with its light, and brings hope and joy. Where does this light
come from? From the grotto in Bethlehem where the shepherds found
'Mary and Joseph and the Child lying in the manger'. Before this Holy
Family another, deeper question arises: How can this small and weak
Child bring a newness so radical into the world that it is capable of
changing the course of history? Isn't there something mysterious in
his origin that goes beyond that cavern?" ...
"In
the four Gospels, the answer to the question 'where does Jesus come
from?' emerges clearly: his true origin is the Father, God. He comes
entirely from Him, but in a different way than any other prophet or
messenger of God who preceded Him. This origin of the mystery of God,
'whom nobody knows', is already contained in the stories of His
childhood in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, which we are reading
during Christmastime. The angel Gabriel announces: 'The Spirit will
come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God'.
We repeat these words every time that we recite the Creed, the
profession of faith: 'et incarnatus est de Spiritu Sancto ex Maria
Virgine', 'and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary'.
At this phrase we kneel because the veil that hid God is, so to say,
opened and His unfathomable and inaccessible mystery touches us. God
becomes Emmanuel, 'God with us'. When we listen to the Masses
composed by the great masters of sacred music?I'm thinking, for
example, of Mozart's Coronation Mass?we immediately notice how they
linger over this phrase in a particular way, almost wanting to try to
express with the universal language of music that which words cannot
make manifest: the great mystery of God made flesh, of God made man".
...
"This
affirmation of the Creed does not concern God's eternal being but
rather speaks to us of an action that the three divine Persons take
part in and that is realized 'ex Maria Virgine'. Without her, God's
entrance into human history would not have been achieved and that
which is central to our Profession of Faith would not have taken
place: God is God with us. Mary thus undeniably pertains to our faith
in the God who acts, who enters into history. She puts her entire
being at His disposition, she 'accepts' becoming the place of God's
indwelling."
"Some
times, even along the path and in the life of faith, we can sense our
poverty, our inadequacy in front of the witness to be given to the
world. But God chose precisely a humble woman, in an unknown village,
in one of the furthest provinces of the great Roman Empire. Always,
even amidst the most arduous difficulties to be faced, we must have
faith in God, renewing our faith in His presence and in His action in
our story as in that of Mary. Nothing is impossible to God! With Him
our existence always walks upon a safe path and is open to a future
of steadfast hope."...
"What
happens in Mary, through the action of the Holy Spirit himself, is a
new creation. God, who has called being from nothingness with the
Incarnation, gives life to a new beginning of humanity. The Fathers
of the Church repeatedly speak of Christ as the new Adam in order to
emphasize the beginning of the new creation with the birth of the Son
of God in the womb of the Virgin Mary. This brings us to reflect upon
how faith also supposes in us a newness so strong as to produce a
second birth. In fact, at the beginning of being Christians is the
Baptism that makes us reborn as children of God, that makes us to
participate in the filial relationship that Jesus has with the
Father. And I would like to note that Baptism is received, "we
are baptised"?it is a passive verb?because nobody is capable of
converting themselves into a child of God by themselves. It is a gift
that is freely conferred... Only if we are open to God's action, as
Mary was, only if we entrust our life to the Lord as to a friend in
who we trust completely, does everything change. Our lives acquire
new meaning and a new face: that of the children of a Father who
loves us and never abandons us". ...
"There
is another element in the words of the Annunciation. The angel says
to Mary: 'the power of the Most High will overshadow you'. This is a
reminder of the holy cloud that, during the Exodus, covered the tent
of meeting over the ark of the Covenant, which the people of Israel
carried with them, indicating the presence of God. Mary, therefore,
is the new holy tent, the new ark of the Covenant. With her 'yes' to
the archangel's words, God receive a dwelling place in this world.
What the universe cannot contain dwells in the womb of a virgin".
"Let
us return to the question with which we began, that of Jesus' origin,
summed up in Pilate's question: 'Where are you from?'. From our
reflection it appears clear, from the beginning of the Gospels, what
Jesus' true origin is: He is the only begotten Son of the Father. He
comes from God. We are facing the great and disconcerting mystery
that we celebrate in this time of Christmas: the Son of God, by the
power of the Holy Spirit, became man in the womb of the Virgin Mary.
This is an announcement that resounds ever new and which carries with
it hope and joy to our hearts because each time it gives us the
certainty that, even if we often feel weak, poor, incapable of facing
the difficulties and the evil of the world, the power of God is
always acting and works wonders precisely in our weakness. His grace
is our strength".
BENEDICT
XVI: THE SAME SECURITY THAT A CHILD FEELS IN THE ARMS OF A LOVING AND
ALL-POWERFUL FATHER
Vatican
City, 1 January 2013 (VIS) - On Tuesday, the Solemnity of Mary,
Mother of God, the Holy Father presided over Mass in the Vatican
Basilica. Concelebrating were cardinals Tarcisio Bertone, secretary
of state, and Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson, president of the Pontifical
Council for Justice and Peace; archbishops Giovanni Angelo Becciu,
substitute for General Affairs of the Secretariat of State, Dominique
Mamberti, secretary for Relations with States, and Beniamino Stella,
president of the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy; along with Bishop
Mario Toso, S.D.B., secretary of the Pontifical Council for Justice
and Peace. Yesterday also marked the 46th World Day of Peace, the
theme for which is "Blessed are the Peacemakers".
Following
are extracts from the homily given by Pope Benedict XVI:
"Although
the world is sadly marked by 'hotbeds of tension and conflict caused
by growing instances of inequality between rich and poor, by the
prevalence of a selfish and individualistic mindset which also finds
expression in an unregulated financial capitalism,' as well as by
various forms of terrorism and crime, I am convinced that 'the many
different efforts at peacemaking which abound in our world testify to
mankind’s innate vocation to peace. In every person the desire for
peace is an essential aspiration which coincides in a certain way
with the desire for a full, happy and successful human life. ... Man
is made for the peace which is God’s gift. All of this led me to
draw inspiration for this Message from the words of Jesus Christ:
‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of
God’. This beatitude 'tells us that peace is both a messianic gift
and the fruit of human effort … It is peace with God through a life
lived according to His will. It is interior peace with oneself, and
exterior peace with our neighbours and all creation'. Indeed, peace
is the supreme good to ask as a gift from God and, at the same time,
that which is to be built with our every effort.
We may
ask ourselves: what is the basis, the origin, the root of peace? How
can we experience that peace within ourselves, in spite of problems,
darkness and anxieties? The reply is given to us by the readings of
today’s liturgy. The biblical texts, especially the one just read
from the Gospel of Luke, ask us to contemplate the interior peace of
Mary, the Mother of Jesus. During the days in which 'she gave birth
to her first-born son', many unexpected things occurred: not only the
birth of the Son but, even before, the tiring journey from Nazareth
to Bethlehem, not finding room at the inn, the search for a chance
place to stay for the night; then the song of the angels and the
unexpected visit of the shepherds. In all this, however, Mary remains
even tempered, she does not get agitated, she is not overcome by
events greater than herself; in silence she considers what happens,
keeping it in her mind and heart, and pondering it calmly and
serenely. This is the interior peace which we ought to have amid the
sometimes tumultuous and confusing events of history, events whose
meaning we often do not grasp and which disconcert us.
... Here,
dear brothers and sisters, is the foundation of our peace: the
certainty of contemplating in Jesus Christ the splendour of the face
of God the Father, of being sons and daughters in the Son, and thus
of having, on life’s journey, the same security that a child feels
in the arms of a loving and all-powerful Father. The splendour of the
face of God, shining upon us and granting us peace, is the
manifestation of his fatherhood: the Lord turns his face to us, he
reveals himself as our Father and grants us peace. Here is the
principle of that profound peace – 'peace with God' – which is
firmly linked to faith and grace, as Saint Paul tells the Christians
of Rome. Nothing can take this peace from believers, not even the
difficulties and sufferings of life. Indeed, sufferings, trials and
darkness do not undermine but build up our hope, a hope which does
not deceive because 'God’s love has been poured into our hearts
through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us'.
May the
Virgin Mary, whom today we venerate with the title of Mother of God,
help us to contemplate the face of Jesus, the Prince of Peace. May
she sustain us and accompany us in this New Year: and may she obtain
for us and for the whole world the gift of peace. Amen!"
THE
LIGHT OF GOD, A BLESSING FOR HUMANITY
Vatican
City, 1 January 2013 (VIS) - At the end of this morning's Mass for
the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, Benedict XVI appeared at the
window of his study in the Vatican Apostolic Palace to pray the
Angelus with faithful and pilgrims gathered below in St. Peter's
Square. Before reciting the Marian prayer, the pontiff addressed a
few words to them:
"Happy
New Year to all! On this first day of 2013 I would like to send God's
blessing to each and every man and woman in the world. I pronounce it
with the old form found in Sacred Scripture: 'the Lord bless you and
keep you. The Lord let His face shine upon you, and be gracious to
you. The Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace'.
Just as
the sun's light and heat are a blessing for the earth, so is the
light of God for humanity when He makes His face to shine upon us.
This is what has happened with the birth of Jesus Christ! God has
made His face to shine upon us: at the beginning in a very humble,
hidden manner -- in Bethlehem only Mary and Joseph and a few
shepherds were witness to this revelation -- but little by little,
like the sun passing from dawn to noon, the light of Christ has grown
and extended everywhere. Including the brief time of his earthly
life, Jesus of Nazareth made God's face to shine on the Holy Land and
then, through the Church enlivened by his Spirit, he extended to all
peoples the Gospel of peace. 'Glory to God in the highest and on
earth peace to those on whom his favour rests'. This is the angels'
song on Christmas and it is the song of Christians under the heavens,
a song that moves from our hearts and lips to concrete action, to the
gestures of love that build dialogue, understanding, and
reconciliation.
This is
why the Church, eight days after Christmas, celebrates the World Day
of Peace when, just like Mary the Virgin Mother, she shows the world
the newborn child, Jesus the Prince of Peace. Yes, this child who is
the Word of God made flesh, comes to bring us a peace that the world
cannot offer. His mission is to break down 'the dividing wall of
enmity' that separates us. And when, on the shore of the Sea of
Galilee, he proclaims the 'Beatitudes', among these is 'Blessed are
the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God'. Who are
those who work for peace? They are all those who, day after day, try
to vanquish evil through good, with the strength of truth, with the
arms of prayer and forgiveness, with the job done honestly and well,
with scientific research that serves life, with works of corporal and
spiritual charity. The peacemakers are many but they make no noise.
Like leaven in dough, they make humanity grow according to God's
plan.
On this
first Angelus of the new year, we ask the Most Holy Virgin Mary,
Mother of God, to bless us as a mother blesses her children who are
about to leave on a journey. A new year is like a journey; with God's
light and grace may it be a path toward peace for all persons and all
families, for all countries and the entire world."
TE
DEUM: THE CHRISTIAN IS A PERSON OF HOPE EVEN IN THE FACE OF THE
DARKNESS THAT EXISTS IN THE WORLD
Vatican
City, 31 December 2012 (VIS) - Today at 5:00pm in the Vatican
Basilica, the Holy Father presided over first vespers for the
Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. This was followed by the exposition
of the Blessed Sacrament, the singing of the traditional "Te
Deum" of thanksgiving on the conclusion of the calendar year,
and the Eucharistic blessing.
Following
are extracts from the homily given by Pope Benedict XVI:
"We
cannot rely solely on the news if we want to understand the world and
life. We must be able to remain in silence, in meditation, in calm
and prolonged reflection; we must know how to stop and think. In this
way, our mind can find healing from the inevitable wounds of daily
life, can go deeper into the events that occur in our lives and in
the world, and come to the knowledge that allows us to evaluate
things with new eyes. Especially in the recollection of conscience,
where God speaks to us, we learn to look truthfully at our own
actions, even at the evil within us and around us, to begin a journey
of conversion that makes us wiser and better, more capable of
creating solidarity and communion, of overcoming evil with good. The
Christian is a person of hope, even and especially in the face of the
darkness that often exists in the world, not as a consequence of
God’s plans but because of the wrong choices of man, because the
Christian knows that the power of faith can move mountains, the Lord
can brighten even the deepest darkness."
"The
Year of Faith, which the Church is living," the pontiff
continued, "should arouse in the heart of each believer a
greater awareness that the encounter with Christ is the source of
true life and a solid hope. Faith in Jesus allows a constant renewal
of goodness and of the ability to rise from the quicksand of sin and
to begin anew. In the Word made flesh it is always possible to
rediscover our true human identity, to find ourselves destined for
God's infinite love and called to a personal communion with Him. This
truth, which Jesus Christ came to reveal, is the certainty that
compels us to confidently face the year we are about to begin."
"The
Church, which has received from her Lord the mission to evangelize,
knows well that the Gospel is destined to all people, especially the
younger generations, to quench that thirst for truth that everyone
carries in their heart and that is often obscured by all those things
that occupy life. This apostolic commitment is all the more necessary
when the faith risks being obscured in cultural contexts that hinder
its personal roots and its social presence. Rome, too, is a city
where the Christian faith must be proclaimed again and again and
witnessed in a credible manner. On the one hand, there is the growing
number of believers of other religions, the difficulties parish
communities have in attracting young people, the spread of lifestyles
marked by individualism and moral relativism; on the other, the
quest, in so many people, for a sense of their own existence and for
a hope that will not disappoint, that cannot leave us indifferent.
Like the Apostle Paul, all the faithful of this city should consider
themselves under obligation of the Gospel towards the other
inhabitants!"
The Pope
concluded his homily by enjoining the dioceses "to support and
accompany parents in their spiritual life ... in order to keep the
flame of faith alive". To this end it is important "to
build a relationship of cordial friendship with those of the faithful
who, after having baptised their child, distracted by the demands of
everyday life, do not show great interest in living this experience.
They will thus be able to experience the love of the Church who, as a
caring mother, stands by them to promote their spiritual life."
After of
the ceremony, Benedict XVI visited the nativity scene at the foot of
the obelisk located at the centre of St. Peter's square.
FAITH
IS A PRECIOUS GIFT THAT WE MUST NURTURE IN OUR CHILDREN
Vatican
City, 30 December 2012 (VIS) - At noon today, the Feast of the Holy
Family of Nazareth, the Holy Father prayed the Angelus from the
window of his study with the faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square.
Mary and
Joseph's concern for Jesus, Benedict XVI said, "is the same as
all parents who are raising a child, to introduce him to life and an
understanding of reality. Today, therefore, we must say a special
prayer to the Lord for all the families of the world. In imitation of
the Holy Family of Nazareth, parents must be seriously involved in
the growth and education of their children, so that they may become
responsible and honest citizens, never forgetting that faith is a
precious gift to nurture in their children, particularly through
personal example. We also pray that every child may be welcomed as a
gift from God and sustained by the love of a father and a mother in
order to grow, like the Lord Jesus, in 'wisdom and age and favour
before God and man'. May the love, fidelity, and dedication of Mary
and Joseph be an example for all Christian spouses, who are not their
children's friends nor the owner's of their children's lives, but the
guardians of this incomparable gift from God."
"May
the silence of Joseph, a just man, and the example of Mary, who kept
all these things in her heart, bring us to enter into the mystery of
the Holy Family full of faith and humanity. I wish for all Christian
families to live in the presence of God with the same love and joy as
the family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph."
Greeting
the pilgrims in English after the Marian prayer the Holy Father also
added, "May Jesus, Mary, and Joseph bring greater love, unity,
and harmony to all Christian families, that they in their turn may be
a firm example to the communities in which they live. May God bless
you and your dear families!"
TO THE
YOUNG PEOPLE OF TAIZE: BE BEARERS OF THE MESSAGE OF UNITY
Vatican
City, 29 December 2012 (VIS) - This afternoon before more than 30,000
people gathered in St. Peter's Square, Benedict XVI prayed with the
participants in the 35th European meeting of young people of the
Taize Community. Many local families hosted those who had made the
pilgrimage to Rome for this occasion. The prayer followed the
approach typical of the Taize Community. Following an address by Br.
Alois, Prior of the Taize Community, the Holy Father spoke to the
young people present in several languages.
"You
have come in large numbers from all over Europe and also from other
continents to pray at the tombs of Saints Peter and Paul", the
Pope said. "The faith that motivated these two great Apostles of
Jesus is the same faith that has inspired your pilgrimage. During the
year that is about to begin, you propose to free the wellsprings of
trust in God in order to live it in your daily lives. I am pleased
that in this way you have embraced the intentions of the Year of
Faith, which began in October".
In
English, Benedict XVI recalled that "just over seventy years
ago, Brother Roger established the Taize Community. Thousands of
young people from all over the world continue to go there to seek
meaning for their lives". It was precisely to support them "on
their journey to Christ" that Brother Roger established this
"pilgrimage of trust on earth".
"A
tireless witness to the Gospel of peace and reconciliation, ardently
committed to an ecumenism of holiness, Brother Roger encouraged all
those who passed through Taize to become seekers of communion. We
should listen in our hearts to his spiritually lived ecumenism, and
let ourselves be guided by his witness towards an ecumenism which is
truly interiorised and spiritualised. Following his example, may all
of you be bearers of this message of unity. I assure you of the
irrevocable commitment of the Catholic Church to continue seeking the
paths of reconciliation leading to the visible unity of Christians.
And so this evening I greet with special affection those among you
who are Orthodox or Protestants".
In
French, the Pope continued: "Christ now poses to you the
question He addressed to His disciples: 'Who do you say that I am?'
... and wishes to receive from each one of you an answer that comes
not from constraint or from fear, but from your profound freedom. It
is in responding to this question that your life finds its fullest
meaning. ... The Word of God, according to the Second Letter of
Peter, is like 'a lamp shining in a dark place', that you would do
well to attend to 'until day dawns and the morning star rises in your
hearts'. You have understood this though: if the morning star is to
rise in your hearts this means that it is not always there. At times
evil and the suffering of the innocent give rise to doubt and
confusion. At these times, our 'yes' to Christ becomes difficult. But
this doubt does not make us unbelievers! Jesus did not abandoned the
man in the Gospel who exclaimed 'I believe; Help my unbelief!'".
TELEGRAM
TO CARDINAL GIOVANNI BATTISTA RE
Vatican
City, 29 December 2012 (VIS) - Yesterday Benedict XVI sent a telegram
of condolence to Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, prefect emeritus of
the Congregation for Bishops, on the death of his father Matteo Re at
the age of 104 years.
In the
text, the Pope expressed his closeness to the cardinal's family and
imparted upon all the light of faith and hope in Christ.
"Having
learned of the death of your beloved father Matteo, I wish to express
my most heartfelt condolences for the deep mourning that has befallen
you and your family and assure you of my spiritual closeness in this
hour of your sorrow, together with giving thanks to God for all the
benefits bestowed upon your late father over his more than one
hundred year earthly journey. While I offer fervent prayers to the
Lord beseeching that he be welcomed into the eternal joy, I invoke
the light of faith and hope in Christ for your family, and impart to
you all a special apostolic blessing of comfort".
OTHER
PONTIFICAL ACTS
Vatican
City, 2 January 2013 (VIS) - On Saturday, 29 December, the Holy
Father:
-
appointed Fr. William Goh, rector of the Major Seminary of Singapore,
as coadjutor archbishop of Singapore (area 699, population 5,000,000,
Catholics 190,000, priests 131, religious 152). The archbishop-elect
was born in Singapore in 1957 and ordained a priest in 1985. He
studied theology at the Gregorian University in Rome and has
fulfilled pastoral roles in Singapore. He served as professor at the
major seminary of Singapore from 1992 to 2005, and as rector from
2005.
- erected
the new diocese of Gboko (area 10,692, population 1,690,000,
Catholics 896,860, priests 80, religious 29), Nigeria, with territory
taken from the diocese of Makurdi, making it a suffragan of the
archdiocese of Abuja. He appointed Bishop William Avenya, auxiliary
of Makurdi, Nigeria, as first bishop of the new diocese.
- erected
the new diocese of Katsina-Ala (area 6,465, population 676,000,
Catholics 338,497, priests 32, religious 8), Nigeria, with territory
taken from the diocese of Makurdi, making it a suffragan of the
archdiocese of Abuja. He appointed Fr. Peter Iornzuul Adoboh of the
clergy of Makurdi as first bishop of the new diocese. The
bishop-elect was born in Tse-Kucha, Nigeria in 1958 and was ordained
a priest in 1984. He has undertaken studies in spirituality at the
Institute of St. Anselm, England and the Toronto School of Theology,
Canada, and has fulfilled pastoral roles in Vandeikya, Zaki-Biam,
Aliade, Abuja and Adikpo.
On
Monday, 31 December, the Holy Father:
-
accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese of
Ciudad Quesada, Costa Rica, presented by Bishop Oswaldo Brenes
Alvarez, in accordance with canon 401 para. 2 of the Code of Canon
Law.
-
appointed Msgr. Egidio Turnaturi and the Honorable Dr. Riccardo
Turrini Vita as judges of the Vatican City State Court of Appeals.
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