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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXIII - # 90
DATE 17-04-2013
Summary:
- CHRIST IS OUR ADVOCATE, AWAITING AND DEFENDING US
- POPE'S NEARNESS TO IRANIAN AND PAKISTANI PEOPLES
- AUDIENCE
- OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
___________________________________________________________
CHRIST IS OUR ADVOCATE, AWAITING AND DEFENDING US
Vatican City, 17 April 2013 (VIS) - The meaning of the Ascension, the event
culminating Jesus' earthly life, was the central theme of Pope Francis'
catechesis during the Wednesday general audience, celebrated in St. Peter's
Square and attended by
over 50,000 people.
"In the Creed," noted the pontiff, "we confess our faith in Christ who
'ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father'. … What does this mean
for our lives? While he 'ascends' to [Jerusalem], where his 'exodus' from this
life will take place, Jesus already sees the goal, Heaven, but he knows well
that the path that
will take him back to the Father's glory passes through the Cross, through
obedience to the divine plan of love for humanity. … We also must be
clear, in our Christian lives, that entering into God's glory demands daily
fidelity to his will, even
when it requires sacrifice, when it sometimes requires us to change our plans."
The Pope explained the Ascension in light of St. Luke's Gospel, which gives a
short version of it. "Jesus led his disciples 'as far as Bethany, raised his
hands, and blessed them. As he blessed them he parted from them and was taken
up to heaven'.
.. This is the first important point: Jesus is the only and eternal Priest
who, by his passion, has traversed death and the grave and is risen and
ascended into Heaven. He is with God the Father, where he always intercedes in
our favour. As St. John
affirms in his First Letter: He is our Advocate."
He then added: "How wonderful it is to hear this! When someone is called in
front of a judge or goes to court, the first he does is look for a lawyer to
defend him. We've got one who always defends us, who defends us from the
devil's snares,
defends us from ourselves, from our sins! Dear brothers and sisters, we have
this Advocate. Let us not be afraid to go to him and ask forgiveness, to ask
for blessing, to ask for mercy. He always forgives us. He is our Advocate. He
defends us always.
Never forget this!"
"Jesus' Ascension into Heaven thus allows us to know this reality that is so
consoling on our journey: in Christ, true God and true man, our humanity has
been brought to God. He has opened the way. He is like the leader of a
mountain climbing
party that is roped together. He has reached the summit and pulls us to
himself, leading us to God. If we entrust our lives to him, if we let
ourselves be guided by him, we are certain of being in safe hands."
St. Luke mentions that the Apostles, after seeing Jesus ascend into Heaven,
return to Jerusalem 'with great joy'. This seems a little strange to us," the
Pope said. "Usually, when we are separated from our family members, from our
friends,
definitively, and especially when caused by death, we are naturally sad
because … we can no longer enjoy … their presence. Instead, the
Evangelist emphasizes the Apostles' profound joy. Why? Precisely because, with
the gaze of faith, they
understand that, even if they gone from view, Jesus remains always with them.
He does not abandon them and, in the Father's glory, He sustains them, guides
them, and intercedes for them."
The Evangelist also tells of the Ascension at the beginning of the Acts of the
Apostles "to underline that this event is like the link that connects and
unites Jesus' earthly life to that of the Church." He also mentions that,
after a cloud
takes him from sight of the Apostles, they remain looking at the sky until two
men dressed in white garments invite them not to stay fixed there, looked at
the sky, but "to nourish their lives and witness with the certainty that Jesus
will return
in the same way they saw him ascend to Heaven. It is an invitation to step
forth from the contemplation of Jesus' Lordship and to receive from him the
strength to carry forth and witness to the Gospel in their everyday lives: to
contemplate and to act,
'ora et labora', St. Benedict teaches, are both necessary in our Christian
life."
"The Ascension," Francis concluded, "doesn't indicate Jesus' absence, but
rather it tells us that He is living among us in a new way. He is no longer in
a particular place in the world as He was before the Ascension. Now He is in
the
Lordship of God, present in every space and time, close to each of us. In our
lives we are never alone: we have this Advocate who awaits us and defends us.
We are never alone. The crucified and risen Lord guides us. With us there are
many brothers and
sisters who, in their family life and their work, in their problems and
difficulties, in their joys and hopes, daily live the faith and bring,
together with us, the Lordship of God's love to the world. In Jesus Christ,
risen and ascended into Heaven, we
have an Advocate."
At the end of his catechesis, the Pope greeted, among others, the prelates of
the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales and Polish pilgrims from
the Shrine of St. Andrew Bobola-one of the Patron Saints of Poland, a Jesuit
and
martyr-in Warsaw who had come to Rome for the 75th anniversary of the saint's
canonization. "He gave his life for the faith, the reconciliation of his
brothers, and the unity of the Church. May his intercession before God bring
the gift of
unity and peace to the Church," the Holy Father exclaimed.
___________________________________________________________
POPE'S NEARNESS TO IRANIAN AND PAKISTANI PEOPLES
Vatican City, 17 April 2013 (VIS) - "With sorrow I have received news of the
violent earthquake that has struck the population of Iran and Pakistan,
causing death, suffering, and destruction. I lift my prayers to God for the
victims and for all
those in pain and I wish to express my closeness to the Iranian and Pakistani
peoples," the Pope said at the end of his Wednesday general audience
catechesis.
___________________________________________________________
AUDIENCE
Vatican City, 17 April 2013 (VIS) - After the general audience this afternoon,
in the study of the Paul VI Hall, the Holy Father received His Excellency Mr.
Saleh Mohammad Al Ghamdi, ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Italy,
bearer of a
message from King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.
___________________________________________________________
OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
Vatican City, 17 April 2013 (VIS) - Today, the Holy Father appointed:
- Fr. Antoine Tarabay, O.L.M., as bishop of the Eparchy of Saint Maron of
Sydney of the Maronites (Catholics 150,000, priests 45, permanent deacons 1,
religious 47), Australia. The bishop-elect was born in Tannourine, Qadaa of
Batroun, Lebanon, in 1967,
and was ordained to the priesthood in 1993. Bishop-elect Tarabay was
previously superior of the Saint Charbel convent in Sydney, Australia. He
succeeds Bishop Ad Abi Karam, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the
same eparchy was accepted by the
Holy Father in conformity with canon 210, para. 1, of the Code of Canons of
the Eastern Churches.
- Fr. Habib Chamieh, O.M.M., as apostolic administrator of the eparchy of San
Charbel en Buenos Aires of the Maronites (Catholics 700,000, priests 21,
permanent deacons 2, religious 26), Argentina. at the same time elevating him
to the dignity of bishop
and assigning him the titular see of Nomentum. The bishop-elect was born in
Beirut, Lebanon, in 1966, and was ordained to the priesthood in 1992.
Bishop-elect Chamieh was previously novice master of the Mariamite Maronite
Order of the Blessed Virgin
Mary in Lebanon. He succeeds Bishop Charbel Georges Merhi, C.M.L., whose
resignation from the pastoral care of the same eparchy was accepted by the
Holy Father in conformity with canon 210, para. 1, of the Code of Canons of
the Eastern Churches.
___________________________________________________________
Per ulteriori informazioni e per la ricerca di documenti consultare il
sito: www.wisnews.org e www.vatican.va
Il servizio del VIS viene inviato soltanto agli indirizzi di posta
elettronica che ne hanno fatto richiesta. Se per qualunque motivo
non si desidera continuare a riceverlo, si prega di visitare nostra pagina
dinizio:
http://212.77.1.245/news_services/press/vis/italinde.php
Copyright (VIS): Le notizie contenute nei servizi del Vatican
Information Service possono essere riprodotte parzialmente o totalmente
citando la fonte: V.I.S. - Vatican Information Service.
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VISnews130417
VATICAN
INFORMATION SERVICE YEAR XXIII - # 90DATE 17-04-2013Summary: - CHRIST IS OUR
ADVOCATE, AWAITING AND DEFENDING US -
POPE'S NEARNESS TO IRANIAN AND PAKISTANI PEOPLES - AUDIENCE - OTHER PONTIFICAL
ACTS___________________________________________________________
CHRIST IS OUR ADVOCATE, AWAITING AND DEFENDING US
Vatican City, 17 April 2013 (VIS) - The meaning of the Ascension, the event
culminating Jesus' earthly life, was the central theme of Pope Francis'
catechesis during the Wednesday general audience, celebrated in St. Peter's
Square and attended
by over 50,000 people.
"In the Creed," noted the pontiff, "we confess our faith in Christ who
'ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father'. … What does this mean
for our lives? While he 'ascends' to [Jerusalem], where his 'exodus' from this
life will take place, Jesus already sees the goal, Heaven, but he knows well
that the path
that will take him back to the Father's glory passes through the Cross,
through obedience to the divine plan of love for humanity. … We also
must be clear, in our Christian lives, that entering into God's glory demands
daily fidelity to his will,
even when it requires sacrifice, when it sometimes requires us to change our
plans."
The Pope explained the Ascension in light of St. Luke's Gospel, which gives a
short version of it. "Jesus led his disciples 'as far as Bethany, raised his
hands, and blessed them. As he blessed them he parted from them and was taken
up to
heaven'. .. This is the first important point: Jesus is the only and eternal
Priest who, by his passion, has traversed death and the grave and is risen and
ascended into Heaven. He is with God the Father, where he always intercedes in
our favour. As St.
John affirms in his First Letter: He is our Advocate."
He then added: "How wonderful it is to hear this! When someone is called in
front of a judge or goes to court, the first he does is look for a lawyer to
defend him. We've got one who always defends us, who defends us from the
devil's snares,
defends us from ourselves, from our sins! Dear brothers and sisters, we have
this Advocate. Let us not be afraid to go to him and ask forgiveness, to ask
for blessing, to ask for mercy. He always forgives us. He is our Advocate. He
defends us always.
Never forget this!"
"Jesus' Ascension into Heaven thus allows us to know this reality that is so
consoling on our journey: in Christ, true God and true man, our humanity has
been brought to God. He has opened the way. He is like the leader of a
mountain climbing
party that is roped together. He has reached the summit and pulls us to
himself, leading us to God. If we entrust our lives to him, if we let
ourselves be guided by him, we are certain of being in safe hands."
St. Luke mentions that the Apostles, after seeing Jesus ascend into Heaven,
return to Jerusalem 'with great joy'. This seems a little strange to us," the
Pope said. "Usually, when we are separated from our family members, from our
friends, definitively, and especially when caused by death, we are naturally
sad because … we can no longer enjoy … their presence. Instead,
the Evangelist emphasizes the Apostles' profound joy. Why? Precisely because,
with the gaze of
faith, they understand that, even if they gone from view, Jesus remains always
with them. He does not abandon them and, in the Father's glory, He sustains
them, guides them, and intercedes for them."
The Evangelist also tells of the Ascension at the beginning of the Acts of
the Apostles "to underline that this event is like the link that connects and
unites Jesus' earthly life to that of the Church." He also mentions that,
after a
cloud takes him from sight of the Apostles, they remain looking at the sky
until two men dressed in white garments invite them not to stay fixed there,
looked at the sky, but "to nourish their lives and witness with the certainty
that Jesus will
return in the same way they saw him ascend to Heaven. It is an invitation to
step forth from the contemplation of Jesus' Lordship and to receive from him
the strength to carry forth and witness to the Gospel in their everyday lives:
to contemplate and
to act, 'ora et labora', St. Benedict teaches, are both necessary in our
Christian life."
"The Ascension," Francis concluded, "doesn't indicate Jesus' absence, but
rather it tells us that He is living among us in a new way. He is no longer in
a particular place in the world as He was before the Ascension. Now He is in
the Lordship of God, present in every space and time, close to each of us. In
our lives we are never alone: we have this Advocate who awaits us and defends
us. We are never alone. The crucified and risen Lord guides us. With us there
are many brothers
and sisters who, in their family life and their work, in their problems and
difficulties, in their joys and hopes, daily live the faith and bring,
together with us, the Lordship of God's love to the world. In Jesus Christ,
risen and ascended into
Heaven, we have an Advocate."
At the end of his catechesis, the Pope greeted, among others, the prelates of
the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales and Polish pilgrims from
the Shrine of St. Andrew Bobola-one of the Patron Saints of Poland, a Jesuit
and
martyr-in Warsaw who had come to Rome for the 75th anniversary of the saint's
canonization. "He gave his life for the faith, the reconciliation of his
brothers, and the unity of the Church. May his intercession before God bring
the gift of
unity and peace to the Church," the Holy Father exclaimed.
___________________________________________________________
POPE'S NEARNESS TO IRANIAN AND PAKISTANI PEOPLES
Vatican City, 17 April 2013 (VIS) - "With sorrow I have received news of the
violent earthquake that has struck the population of Iran and Pakistan,
causing death, suffering, and destruction. I lift my prayers to God for the
victims and for all
those in pain and I wish to express my closeness to the Iranian and Pakistani
peoples," the Pope said at the end of his Wednesday general audience
catechesis.
___________________________________________________________
AUDIENCE
Vatican City, 17 April 2013 (VIS) - After the general audience this
afternoon, in the study of the Paul VI Hall, the Holy Father received His
Excellency Mr. Saleh Mohammad Al Ghamdi, ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia to Italy, bearer of
a message from King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.
___________________________________________________________
OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
Vatican City, 17 April 2013 (VIS) - Today, the Holy Father appointed:
- Fr. Antoine Tarabay, O.L.M., as bishop of the Eparchy of Saint Maron of
Sydney of the Maronites (Catholics 150,000, priests 45, permanent deacons 1,
religious 47), Australia. The bishop-elect was born in Tannourine, Qadaa of
Batroun, Lebanon, in
1967, and was ordained to the priesthood in 1993. Bishop-elect Tarabay was
previously superior of the Saint Charbel convent in Sydney, Australia. He
succeeds Bishop Ad Abi Karam, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the
same eparchy was accepted
by the Holy Father in conformity with canon 210, para. 1, of the Code of
Canons of the Eastern Churches.
- Fr. Habib Chamieh, O.M.M., as apostolic administrator of the eparchy of San
Charbel en Buenos Aires of the Maronites (Catholics 700,000, priests 21,
permanent deacons 2, religious 26), Argentina. at the same time elevating him
to the dignity of
bishop and assigning him the titular see of Nomentum. The bishop-elect was
born in Beirut, Lebanon, in 1966, and was ordained to the priesthood in 1992.
Bishop-elect Chamieh was previously novice master of the Mariamite Maronite
Order of the Blessed
Virgin Mary in Lebanon. He succeeds Bishop Charbel Georges Merhi, C.M.L.,
whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same eparchy was accepted by
the Holy Father in conformity with canon 210, para. 1, of the Code of Canons
of the Eastern
Churches.
___________________________________________________________ Per ulteriori
informazioni e per la ricerca di documenti consultare il sito: www.wisnews.org e www.vatican.va Il servizio del VIS viene
inviato soltanto agli indirizzi di posta elettronica che ne hanno
fatto richiesta. Se per qualunque motivo non si desidera continuare a
riceverlo, si prega di visitare nostra pagina dinizio: http://212.77.1.245/news_services/press/vis/italinde.php
Copyright (VIS): Le notizie contenute nei servizi del Vatican Information
Service possono essere riprodotte parzialmente o totalmente citando la fonte:
V.I.S. - Vatican Information Service.
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