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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXIII - N° 97
DATE 29-04-2013
Summary:
- POPE'S PRAYER INTENTIONS FOR MAY
- EUROPEAN BISHOPS MEET TO ANALYZE CATHOLIC-MUSLIM RELATIONS
- MASS AT ST. PETER'S: OPENING LIFE TO NEWNESS OF GOD
- POPE ASKS THAT DIGNITY AND SAFETY OF WORKERS ALWAYS BE DEFENDED
- CARDINAL DZIWISZ, POPE'S SPECIAL ENVOY TO KAUNAS
- AUDIENCES
- OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
___________________________________________________________
POPE'S PRAYER INTENTIONS FOR MAY
Vatican City, 29 April 2013 (VIS) – The Pope's general prayer intention
for May is: "That administrators of justice may act always with integrity and
right conscience."
His mission intention is: “That seminaries, especially those of mission
Churches, may form pastors after the Heart of Christ, fully dedicated to
proclaiming the Gospel.”
___________________________________________________________
EUROPEAN BISHOPS MEET TO ANALYZE CATHOLIC-MUSLIM RELATIONS
Vatican City, 29 April 2013 (VIS) - The Council of Bishops' Conferences of
Europe (CCEE) will be meeting in London from 1–3 May to discuss
Christian-Muslim relations. The meeting will be chaired by Cardinal
Jean-Pierre Ricard, archbishop of
Bordeaux. Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, president of the Pontifical Council for
Interreligious Dialogue will be a keynote speaker.
Archbishop Vincent Nichols, president of the Bishops' Conference of England
and Wales, will celebrate Mass for the delegates at Westminster Cathedral on
the second day of the conference.
The 32 participants represent 20 Bishops' Conferences, European Cultural and
Church organisations, and experts in the field of Christian-Muslim dialogue.
On the first day, Fr. Andrea Pacini, CCEE coordinator of the Christian-Muslim
network and secretary
for Ecumenism and Interreligious Dialogue of the regional Bishops' Conference
of Piedmont and the Aosta Valley, Italy, will address the theme of the
conference “Dialogue and Proclamation”.
The second day will focus on reflection, dialogue, and shared experiences on
the religious identity of young Christians and Muslims in Europe. Professor
Brigitte Marechal from the University of Louvain and Dr. Erwin Tanner, general
secretary of the
Swiss Bishops' Conference will be the day's keynote speakers.
Delegates will describe the situation in their respective countries on the
final day. Cardinal Tauran will look specifically at “What is new in
relations between Muslims and the Catholic Church?”
___________________________________________________________
MASS AT ST. PETER'S: OPENING LIFE TO NEWNESS OF GOD
Vatican City, 28 April 2013 (VIS) – “Remain steadfast in the
journey of faith, with firm hope in the Lord,” Pope Francis exhorted the
100,000 persons gathered this morning in St. Peter's Square to participate in
the Mass at which he
conferred the Sacrament of Confirmation on 44 faithful from around the world,
representing the Church around the world. In his homily, the Bishop of Rome
reflected on three themes: the newness of God, the trials of life, and firm
hope in the Lord.
Following is the full text of his homily.
The Newness of God
In the second reading, we listened to the beautiful vision of Saint John: new
heavens and a new earth, and then the Holy City coming down from God. All is
new, changed into good, beauty and truth; there are no more tears or mourning.
This is the work of
the Holy Spirit: he brings us the new things of God. He comes to us and makes
all things new; he changes us. The Spirit changes us! And Saint John’s
vision reminds us that all of us are journeying towards the heavenly
Jerusalem, the ultimate
newness which awaits us and all reality, the happy day when we will see the
Lord’s face—that marvellous face, the most beautiful face of the
Lord Jesus—and be with him for ever, in his love.
You see, the new things of God are not like the novelties of this world, all
of which are temporary; they come and go, and we keep looking for more. The
new things which God gives to our lives are lasting, not only in the future,
when we will be with
him, but today as well. God is even now making all things new; the Holy Spirit
is truly transforming us, and through us he also wants to transform the world
in which we live. Let us open the doors to the Spirit, let ourselves be guided
by him, and allow
God’s constant help to make us new men and women, inspired by the love
of God which the Holy Spirit bestows on us! How beautiful it would be if each
of you, every evening, could say: Today at school, at home, at work, guided by
God, I showed a
sign of love towards one of my friends, my parents, an older person! How
beautiful!
The Trials of Life
A second thought. In the first reading Paul and Barnabas say that “we
must undergo many trials if we are to enter the kingdom of God” (Acts
14:22). The journey of the Church, and our own personal journeys as
Christians, are not always easy;
they meet with difficulties and trials. To follow the Lord, to let his Spirit
transform the shadowy parts of our lives, our ungodly ways of acting, and
cleanse us of our sins, is to set out on a path with many obstacles, both in
the world around us but
also within us, in the heart. But difficulties and trials are part of the path
that leads to God’s glory, just as they were for Jesus, who was
glorified on the cross; we will always encounter them in life! Do not be
discouraged! We have the power
of the Holy Spirit to overcome these trials!
Firm Hope in the Lord
And here I come to my last point. It is an invitation which I make to you,
young confirmandi, and to all present. Remain steadfast in the journey of
faith, with firm hope in the Lord. This is the secret of our journey! He gives
us the courage to swim
against the tide. Pay attention, my young friends: to go against the current;
this is good for the heart, but we need courage to swim against the tide.
Jesus gives us this courage! There are no difficulties, trials or
misunderstandings to fear, provided
we remain united to God as branches to the vine, provided we do not lose our
friendship with him, provided we make ever more room for him in our lives.
This is especially so whenever we feel poor, weak and sinful, because God
grants strength to our
weakness, riches to our poverty, conversion and forgiveness to our sinfulness.
The Lord is so rich in mercy: every time, if we go to him, he forgives us. Let
us trust in God’s work! With him we can do great things; he will give us
the
joy of being his disciples, his witnesses. Commit yourselves to great ideals,
to the most important things. We Christians were not chosen by the Lord for
little things; push onwards toward the highest principles. Stake your lives on
noble ideals, my
dear young people!
The new things of God, the trials of life, remaining steadfast in the Lord.
Dear friends, let us open wide the door of our lives to the new things of God
which the Holy Spirit gives us. May he transform us, confirm us in our trials,
strengthen our union
with the Lord, our steadfastness in him: this is a true joy! So may it be.
___________________________________________________________
POPE ASKS THAT DIGNITY AND SAFETY OF WORKERS ALWAYS BE DEFENDED
Vatican City, 28 April 2013 (VIS) – At the end of the Mass celebrating
the Rite of Confirmation, the Holy Father prayed the Regina Coeli with the
faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square.
“Before concluding this celebration,” he said, “I want to
entrust all those who have been confirmed and all of you to Our Lady. The
Virgin Mary teaches us what it means to live in the Holy Spirit and what it
means to welcome the
newness of God in our lives. She conceived Jesus by the power of the Holy
Spirit and every Christian, each one of us, is called to welcome the Word of
God, to welcome Jesus within ourselves and then to bring him to all. Mary
called upon the Spirit with
the Apostles in the Cenacle. We as well, each time we gather in prayer, are
sustained by the spiritual presence of Jesus' Mother to receive the gift of
the Spirit and to have the strength to witness to the Risen Jesus.”
After affectionately greeting the pilgrims from all six inhabited continents,
the Pope recalled the many victims of factory that collapsed in Dhaka,
Bangladesh this past Wednesday, 24 April. “I would like to offer up a
prayer for [them]. I express
my solidarity and deepest sympathy to the families mourning their loved ones
and from the depths of my heart I make a strong appeal that the dignity and
safety of the worker may may always be protected.”
___________________________________________________________
CARDINAL DZIWISZ, POPE'S SPECIAL ENVOY TO KAUNAS
Vatican City, 27 April 2013 (VIS) - Made public today was a letter, written in
Latin, in which the Holy Father appoints Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz,
archbishop of Krakow, Poland, as his special envoy to the celebration for the
600th anniversary of the
Cathedral Basilica of Kaunas, Lithuania, scheduled for 5 May 2013.
The Cardinal will be accompanied on his mission by Msgr. Vytautas Vaicunas,
vice dean of the Faculty of Theology in Kaunas and Msgr. Arturas Jagelavicius,
professor in the same faculty and judicial pro-vicar of the Archdiocese of
Kaunas.
___________________________________________________________
AUDIENCES
Vatican City, 29 April 2013 (VIS) – This morning, the Holy Father
received
- Cardinal Zenon Grocholewski, prefect of the Congregation for Catholic
Education (in Institutes of Study),
- Archbishop Nikola Eterovic, titular of Cibalae and secretary general of
the Synod of Bishops,
- Archbishop Ettore Balestrero, titular of Victoriana and apostolic nuncio
to Colombia, with members of his family,
- Archbishop Michael Wallace Banach, titular of Memphis and apostolic
nuncio to Papua New Guinea, with members of his family, and
- Archbishop Brian Udaigwe, titular of Suelli and apostolic nuncio to
Benin, with members of his family.
On Saturday, 27 April, the Holy Father received:
- Cardinal Marc Ouellet, P.S.S., prefect of the Congregation for Bishops,
and
- Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, archbishop of Genoa and president of the
Italian Episcopal Conference (CEI).
___________________________________________________________
OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
Vatican City, 27 April 2013 (VIS) - Today, the Holy Father appointed Fr. Omar
de Jesus Mejia Giraldo as bishop of Florencia (area 15,441, population
277,000, Catholics 239,000, priests 51, permanent deacons 5, religious 67),
Colombia. The bishop-elect,
previously rector of the Cristo Sacerdote Major Seminary in La Ceja, Colombia,
was born in El Santuario, Department of Antioquia, Colombia, in 1966 and was
ordained a priest in 1991.
___________________________________________________________
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VISnews130429
VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE YEAR XXIII - N° 97 DATE 29-04-2013
Summary: - POPE'S PRAYER INTENTIONS FOR
MAY - EUROPEAN BISHOPS
MEET TO ANALYZE CATHOLIC-MUSLIM RELATIONS - MASS AT ST. PETER'S: OPENING
LIFE TO NEWNESS OF GOD - POPE ASKS THAT DIGNITY AND SAFETY OF WORKERS
ALWAYS BE DEFENDED - CARDINAL DZIWISZ, POPE'S SPECIAL ENVOY TO KAUNAS - AUDIENCES - OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
Vatican City, 29 April 2013 (VIS) – The Pope's general prayer
intention for May is: "That administrators of justice may act always with
integrity and right conscience."
His mission intention is: “That seminaries, especially those of
mission Churches, may form pastors after the Heart of Christ, fully dedicated
to proclaiming the Gospel.”
EUROPEAN BISHOPS MEET TO ANALYZE CATHOLIC-MUSLIM RELATIONS
Vatican City, 29 April 2013 (VIS) - The Council of Bishops' Conferences of
Europe (CCEE) will be meeting in London from 1–3 May to discuss
Christian-Muslim relations. The meeting will be chaired by Cardinal
Jean-Pierre Ricard, archbishop of
Bordeaux. Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, president of the Pontifical Council for
Interreligious Dialogue will be a keynote speaker.
Archbishop Vincent Nichols, president of the Bishops' Conference of England
and Wales, will celebrate Mass for the delegates at Westminster Cathedral on
the second day of the conference.
The 32 participants represent 20 Bishops' Conferences, European Cultural
and Church organisations, and experts in the field of Christian-Muslim
dialogue. On the first day, Fr. Andrea Pacini, CCEE coordinator of the
Christian-Muslim network and
secretary for Ecumenism and Interreligious Dialogue of the regional Bishops'
Conference of Piedmont and the Aosta Valley, Italy, will address the theme of
the conference “Dialogue and Proclamation”.
The second day will focus on reflection, dialogue, and shared experiences
on the religious identity of young Christians and Muslims in Europe. Professor
Brigitte Marechal from the University of Louvain and Dr. Erwin Tanner, general
secretary of the
Swiss Bishops' Conference will be the day's keynote speakers.
Delegates will describe the situation in their respective countries on the
final day. Cardinal Tauran will look specifically at “What is new in
relations between Muslims and the Catholic Church?”
MASS AT ST. PETER'S: OPENING LIFE TO NEWNESS OF GOD
Vatican City, 28 April 2013 (VIS) – “Remain steadfast in the
journey of faith, with firm hope in the Lord,” Pope Francis exhorted the
100,000 persons gathered this morning in St. Peter's Square to participate in
the Mass at which he
conferred the Sacrament of Confirmation on 44 faithful from around the world,
representing the Church around the world. In his homily, the Bishop of Rome
reflected on three themes: the newness of God, the trials of life, and firm
hope in the Lord.
Following is the full text of his homily.
The Newness of God
In the second reading, we listened to the beautiful vision of Saint John:
new heavens and a new earth, and then the Holy City coming down from God. All
is new, changed into good, beauty and truth; there are no more tears or
mourning. This is the work
of the Holy Spirit: he brings us the new things of God. He comes to us and
makes all things new; he changes us. The Spirit changes us! And Saint
John’s vision reminds us that all of us are journeying towards the
heavenly Jerusalem, the ultimate
newness which awaits us and all reality, the happy day when we will see the
Lord’s face—that marvellous face, the most beautiful face of the
Lord Jesus—and be with him for ever, in his love.
You see, the new things of God are not like the novelties of this world,
all of which are temporary; they come and go, and we keep looking for more.
The new things which God gives to our lives are lasting, not only in the
future, when we will be with
him, but today as well. God is even now making all things new; the Holy Spirit
is truly transforming us, and through us he also wants to transform the world
in which we live. Let us open the doors to the Spirit, let ourselves be guided
by him, and allow
God’s constant help to make us new men and women, inspired by the love
of God which the Holy Spirit bestows on us! How beautiful it would be if each
of you, every evening, could say: Today at school, at home, at work, guided by
God, I showed a
sign of love towards one of my friends, my parents, an older person! How
beautiful!
The Trials of Life
A second thought. In the first reading Paul and Barnabas say that “we
must undergo many trials if we are to enter the kingdom of God” (Acts
14:22). The journey of the Church, and our own personal journeys as
Christians, are not always
easy; they meet with difficulties and trials. To follow the Lord, to let his
Spirit transform the shadowy parts of our lives, our ungodly ways of acting,
and cleanse us of our sins, is to set out on a path with many obstacles, both
in the world around
us but also within us, in the heart. But difficulties and trials are part of
the path that leads to God’s glory, just as they were for Jesus, who was
glorified on the cross; we will always encounter them in life! Do not be
discouraged! We have the
power of the Holy Spirit to overcome these trials!
Firm Hope in the Lord
And here I come to my last point. It is an invitation which I make to you,
young confirmandi, and to all present. Remain steadfast in the journey of
faith, with firm hope in the Lord. This is the secret of our journey! He gives
us the courage to swim
against the tide. Pay attention, my young friends: to go against the current;
this is good for the heart, but we need courage to swim against the tide.
Jesus gives us this courage! There are no difficulties, trials or
misunderstandings to fear, provided
we remain united to God as branches to the vine, provided we do not lose our
friendship with him, provided we make ever more room for him in our lives.
This is especially so whenever we feel poor, weak and sinful, because God
grants strength to our
weakness, riches to our poverty, conversion and forgiveness to our sinfulness.
The Lord is so rich in mercy: every time, if we go to him, he forgives us. Let
us trust in God’s work! With him we can do great things; he will give
us the joy of being his disciples, his witnesses. Commit yourselves to great
ideals, to the most important things. We Christians were not chosen by the
Lord for little things; push onwards toward the highest principles. Stake your
lives on noble ideals,
my dear young people!
The new things of God, the trials of life, remaining steadfast in the Lord.
Dear friends, let us open wide the door of our lives to the new things of God
which the Holy Spirit gives us. May he transform us, confirm us in our trials,
strengthen our
union with the Lord, our steadfastness in him: this is a true joy! So may it
be.
POPE ASKS THAT DIGNITY AND SAFETY OF WORKERS ALWAYS BE DEFENDED
Vatican City, 28 April 2013 (VIS) – At the end of the Mass
celebrating the Rite of Confirmation, the Holy Father prayed the Regina Coeli
with the faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square.
“Before concluding this celebration,” he said, “I want to
entrust all those who have been confirmed and all of you to Our Lady. The
Virgin Mary teaches us what it means to live in the Holy Spirit and what it
means to welcome the
newness of God in our lives. She conceived Jesus by the power of the Holy
Spirit and every Christian, each one of us, is called to welcome the Word of
God, to welcome Jesus within ourselves and then to bring him to all. Mary
called upon the Spirit with
the Apostles in the Cenacle. We as well, each time we gather in prayer, are
sustained by the spiritual presence of Jesus' Mother to receive the gift of
the Spirit and to have the strength to witness to the Risen Jesus.”
After affectionately greeting the pilgrims from all six inhabited
continents, the Pope recalled the many victims of factory that collapsed in
Dhaka, Bangladesh this past Wednesday, 24 April. “I would like to offer
up a prayer for [them]. I
express my solidarity and deepest sympathy to the families mourning their
loved ones and from the depths of my heart I make a strong appeal that the
dignity and safety of the worker may may always be protected.”
Vatican City, 27 April 2013 (VIS) - Made public today was a letter, written
in Latin, in which the Holy Father appoints Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz,
archbishop of Krakow, Poland, as his special envoy to the celebration for the
600th anniversary of the
Cathedral Basilica of Kaunas, Lithuania, scheduled for 5 May 2013.
The Cardinal will be accompanied on his mission by Msgr. Vytautas Vaicunas,
vice dean of the Faculty of Theology in Kaunas and Msgr. Arturas Jagelavicius,
professor in the same faculty and judicial pro-vicar of the Archdiocese of
Kaunas.
Vatican City, 27 April 2013 (VIS) - Today, the Holy Father appointed Fr.
Omar de Jesus Mejia Giraldo as bishop of Florencia (area 15,441, population
277,000, Catholics 239,000, priests 51, permanent deacons 5, religious 67),
Colombia. The
bishop-elect, previously rector of the Cristo Sacerdote Major Seminary in La
Ceja, Colombia, was born in El Santuario, Department of Antioquia, Colombia,
in 1966 and was ordained a priest in 1991.
