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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXIII - N° 119
DATE 03-06-2013
Summary:
- POPE RECEIVES PRESIDENT OF CAPE VERDE: CHURCH'S JURIDICAL STATUS AND
CULTURAL AND RELIGIOUS IDENTITY OF CAPE VERDE CENTRAL THEMES
- WHOLE WORLD UNITES IN EUCHARISTIC ADORATION WITH POPE IN ST. PETER'S
BASILICA
- 50 YEARS FROM DEATH OF JOHN XXIII
- ANGELUS: JESUS WORRIED ABOUT THOSE WHO FOLLOWED HIM BEING HUNGRY
- FRANCIS ASKS FOR RELEASE OF THOSE KIDNAPPED IN SYRIA, RECALLS SIGNS OF HOPE
IN LATIN AMERICA, AND PRAYS FOR VICTIMS OF WAR
- LET US PRAY FOR VICTIMS OF THE MADNESS OF WAR
- POPE RECEIVES PRESIDENT OF URUGUAY
- CARDINAL CORDES ENVOY TO EUCHARISTIC CONGRESS OF GERMANY
- WE HEAR GOD'S WORDS BUT WE DON'T REALLY LISTEN TO THEM
- “GOD LOVES YOU VERY MUCH”
- AUDIENCES
- OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
___________________________________________________________
POPE RECEIVES PRESIDENT OF CAPE VERDE: CHURCH'S JURIDICAL STATUS AND CULTURAL
AND RELIGIOUS IDENTITY OF CAPE VERDE CENTRAL THEMES
Vatican City, 3 June 2013 (VIS) – Today in the Vatican Apostolic Palace,
the Holy Father received in audience His excellency Mr. Jorge Carlos de
Almeida Fonseca, president of the Republic of Cape Verde. President Fonseca
then went on to meet with
the Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, S.D.B., accompanied by
Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, secretary for Relations with States.
During the course of the cordial discussions, the good relations between the
Holy See and the Republic of Cape Verde were recalled. Spoken of in particular
was the Accord between the Republic and the Apostolic See regarding the
Catholic Church's
juridical status in that country, which will be signed shortly in the capital,
Praia, during Archbishop Mamberti's upcoming trip to the archipelago.
Also mentioned was the cultural and religious identity of the Cape Verdean
population, which is almost entirely Christian, as well as the role that the
Catholic Church has played and continues to carry out in the country with her
educational and health
institutions.
In conclusion, some important challenges and situations that particularly
concern the region and the topic of the presence of numerous Cape Verdeans in
various countries around the world were also noted.
___________________________________________________________
WHOLE WORLD UNITES IN EUCHARISTIC ADORATION WITH POPE IN ST. PETER'S BASILICA
Vatican City, 3 June 2013 (VIS) – For the Solemnity of Corpus Christi
yesterday, at 5:00 in the afternoon in St. Peter's Basilica, the Holy Father
presided over Eucharistic Adoration, an initiative of the Year of Faith
inviting the faithful of all
the dioceses of the world to unite spiritually.
It was a historic event. For the first time in the history of the Church all
the cathedrals around the world where synchronized to the time in Rome and,
for an hour, were in communion with the Pope in Eucharistic Adoration, under
the theme of “One
Lord, One Faith”. The initiative involved not only the world's
cathedrals, but also parishes, religious congregations—mainly cloistered
monasteries—and lay associations around the globe.
The Sistine Chapel Choir accompanied Pope Francis' journey along St. Peter's
central nave where he prayed for the intentions: “For the Church spread
throughout the world and united today in the adoration of the Most Holy
Eucharist as a sign of
unity. May the Lord make her ever more obedient to hearing his Word in order
to stand before the world ‘ever more beautiful, without stain or
blemish, but holy and blameless.’ That through her faithful
announcement, the Word that saves may
still resonate as the bearer of mercy and may increase love to give full
meaning to pain and suffering, giving back joy and serenity.”
Pope Francis’ second intention was: “For those around the world
who still suffer slavery and who are victims of war, human trafficking, drug
running, and slave labour. For the children and women who are suffering from
every type of violence.
May their silent scream for help be heard by a vigilant Church so that, gazing
upon the crucified Christ, she may not forget the many brothers and sisters
who are left at the mercy of violence. Also, for all those who find themselves
in economically
precarious situations, above all for the unemployed, the elderly, migrants,
the homeless, prisoners, and those who experience marginalization. That the
Church’s prayer and its active nearness give them comfort and assistance
in hope and strength
and courage in defending human dignity.”
___________________________________________________________
50 YEARS FROM DEATH OF JOHN XXIII
Vatican City, 3 June 2013 (VIS) – On 3 June 1963, Angelo Giuseppe
Roncalli, popularly referred to as 'the Good Pope', died after a five-year
long pontificate that left its mark on the Church with historic reforms.
His might have seemed destined to be a transitional pontificate, but the Good
Pope John, elected after three days in conclave, “knew how to rejuvenate
the Church and resume dialogue with the modern world in loving trust,”
according to the
words of John Paul II, who declared him a Blessed in September of 2000.
Although John XXIII was not able to see much of the fruit of the changes he
had proposed, they profoundly transformed the Catholic Church of the time. He
was a Pope who fought for peace in the world, as his 1963 encyclical
“Pacem in Terris”
(Peace on Earth) demonstrated. He revolutionized the Church by convening the
Second Vatican Council to modernize and develop the institution of the Church
and reformed the Mass, which came to be celebrated ordinarily in the modern
languages rather than
in Latin.
The five years of his pontificate did not pass unnoticed and, even a half
century later, as he said himself at the time, it continues to “throw
open the doors and windows of the Church to let in the fresh air”. It
was a phrase that was
recalled frequently during the recent election of Cardinal Bergoglio, whom the
international press described as “the new Roncalli”.
Early this evening, in St. Peter's Basilica, Pope Francis will receive 2,000
pilgrims from the Good Pope's native province: Bergamo, Italy. They will
commemorate Blessed John XXIII, who earned the appreciation and love of the
faithful thanks to his
generous, caring, and simple nature.
___________________________________________________________
ANGELUS: JESUS WORRIED ABOUT THOSE WHO FOLLOWED HIM BEING HUNGRY
Vatican City, 2 June 2013 (VIS) – At noon today, Pope Francis appeared
at the window of his study to pray the Angelus with the thousands of faithful
gathered in St. Peter's Square, informing them that this past Thursday was the
celebration of the
Solemnity of Corpus Christi—”the Feast of the Eucharist, the
Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ”—which in Italy and
other countries is celebrated today.
Commenting on the Gospel that narrates the miracle of the loaves and fish, the
Bishop of Rome said that there is an aspect of this story that always
surprises him and causes him to reflect. “We are on the shore of the Sea
of Galilee. Evening draws
near. Jesus is concerned for the people who, for so many hours, have been with
him. There are thousands of them and they are hungry. What is to be done? The
disciples are also discussing the problem and they say to Jesus: 'Dismiss the
crowd' so they can
go to the nearby villages and find something to eat. Instead, Jesus tells
them: 'Give them some food yourselves'. The disciples are baffled and answer:
'Five loaves and two fish are all we have', that is, just enough for us.”
“Jesus knows well what must be done but he wants to involve his
disciples, wants to educate them. The disciples' attitude is the human one,
which seeks the most realistic solution, the one that doesn't create too many
problems: Dismiss the crowd,
they say, and let each of them fend for themselves. Anyway, you have already
done so much for them: you have preached, you have healed the sick …
Dismiss the crowd.”
“Jesus' attitude is completely different and is dictated by his union
with the Father and his compassion for the people—by that compassion
that Jesus has for us all. Jesus hears our problems, feels our weaknesses and
our needs. Faced with
those five loaves, Jesus thinks: here's providence. From this little bit God
can bring forth what everyone needs. Jesus trust completely in the heavenly
Father, knowing that, with Him, everything is possible. Therefore he tells the
disciples to seat the
people of groups of fifty. This isn't an accident—it means that they are
no longer a crowd but become communities, nourished by the bread of God.”
“Then he takes the bread and the fish, lifts his eyes to heaven, recites
the blessing—which is a clear reference to the Eucharist—then
breaks them, begins to give them to his disciples, and the disciples
distribute it. And the bread
and fish don't stop … here is the miracle! More than a multiplication
it is a sharing, inspired by faith and prayer. They all ate and there were
leftovers. This is the sign of Jesus, the bread of God for humanity.”
The disciples,” the Pope noted, “saw, but they didn't grasp the
message. They were caught up, like the crowd, in this success. Once again they
followed human logic, not that of God, which is the logic of service, love,
and faith. The Feast
of Corpus Christi asks us to convert to faith in Providence, asks us to know
how to share the little that we are and that we have, and asks that we not
ever get locked up in ourselves. Let us ask our Mother Mary to help us in this
conversion, to truly
follow more closely Jesus whom we adore in the Eucharist.”
___________________________________________________________
FRANCIS ASKS FOR RELEASE OF THOSE KIDNAPPED IN SYRIA, RECALLS SIGNS OF HOPE IN
LATIN AMERICA, AND PRAYS FOR VICTIMS OF WAR
Vatican City, 2 June 2013 (VIS) – After praying the Angelus, the Pope
expressed his great concern regarding the continuation of the conflict that,
“for more than two years now has inflamed Syria, especially affecting
the civilian population
that aspires to peace in justice and understanding.”
“This troubled situation of war bears with it tragic consequences:
death, destruction, massive economic and environmental damage, as well as the
scourge of kidnapping. In denouncing these events I wish to assure my prayers
of solidarity for those
who have been kidnapped and their families and I appeal to the humanity of the
kidnappers for the release of the victims.”
But the Holy Father also noted that, although there are many conflicts taking
place around the world, there are also “many signs of hope” and
encouraged “the recent steps taken in many Latin American countries
toward reconciliation and
peace”, asking for them to be accompanied by our prayers.
Finally, he noted that the Mass that he had celebrated that morning with
wounded soldiers and family members of servicemen who had fallen in
“peacekeeping missions that seek to promote reconciliation and peace in
countries where so much blood of
one's brothers and sisters is still spilled in wars that are always
madness”. “Everything is lost in war. Everything is gained with
peace. I ask you to pray for the fallen, the wounded, and their
amilies,” the Pope explained, for the
first time asking for silence in St. Peter's Square. “Let us together
now, in silence, in our hearts—all together—say a prayer”
for those wounded and fallen in peacekeeping missions.
___________________________________________________________
LET US PRAY FOR VICTIMS OF THE MADNESS OF WAR
Vatican City, 2 June 2013 (VIS) – At 9:30 this morning, the Pope
celebrated Mass at the Domus Sanctae Marthae with family members, mostly
parents, of the Italian armed forces who have been killed on peacekeeping
missions—especially in
Afghanistan—in the past few years, as well as service members who have
been wounded on those missions with their family members. The group was
accompanied by Archbishop Vincenzo Pelvi, military ordinary for Italy, who
concelebrated with the Holy
Father.
There were 55 relatives commemorating 24 fallen servicemen and 13 wounded
servicemen. During the celebration, all fallen soldiers were prayed for, as
well as for peace. Today was chosen for this meeting as it coincides with
Italy's Republic Day
(“Festa della Repubblica”) when the entire nation, as Archbishop
Pelvi noted during his greeting to the Pope, “expresses its debt of love
for the military family with various manifestations”.
In his homily, the Pope commented on the Gospel story of the centurion who
asks Jesus to heal his slave. “Our God,” he said, “is
personal. He listens to everyone with his heart and He loves 'wholeheartedly'.
Today we have come to pray
for our dead, for our wounded, for the victims of the madness that is war! It
is the suicide of humanity because it kills the heart. It kills precisely that
which is the Lord's message: it kills love! War grows out of hatred, envy, and
the desire for
power, as well as—how very many times we see it—from the hunger
for more power.”
“So many times we’ve seen the great ones of the earth wanting to
solve local problems, economic problems, and economic crises with war.
Why?” the Holy Father continued. “Because, for them, money is more
important than people! And
war is just that: it is an act of faith in money, in idols, in the idols of
hatred, in that idol that leads to killing one’s brother, that leads to
killing love. It reminds me of God our Father's words to Cain, who, out of
envy, had killed his
brother: ‘Cain, where is your brother?’ Today we can hear this
voice: it is God our Father who weeps, weeps for this madness of ours, who
asks all of us: ‘Where is your brother?’ Who says to the powerful
of the earth:
‘Where is your brother? What have you done!’”
Pope Francis urged those present to pray to the Lord so that He might
“take all evil far away from us,” and to repeat this prayer
“even with tears, with the tears of the heart”: “'Turn to
us, O Lord, and have mercy on us,
because we are sad, we are in anguish. See our misery and our pain and forgive
our sins'; because behind war there are always sins: the sin of idolatry, the
sin of exploiting persons on the altar of power, of sacrificing them.
‘Turn to us, O Lord,
and have mercy, because we are sad and in anguish.’ ... We are confident
that the Lord will hear us and will do everything to give us the spirit of
consolation. So be it.”
On concluding Mass, the “Prayer for Italy”, composed by Blessed
John Paul II in 1994, was prayed. Then, as is his custom, the Pope personally
greeted each of those present with warmth and affection. The ecclesial
community of the Military
Ordinary gave the Holy Father a terracotta piece of Neapolitan artisanry that
portrayed St. Joseph the Worker teaching the carpentry tools of his trade to a
young Jesus who is carrying a basket with the objects symbolizing the
crucifixion: nails,
hammer, and pincers.
___________________________________________________________
POPE RECEIVES PRESIDENT OF URUGUAY
Vatican City, 1 June 2013 (VIS) – This morning the Holy Father Francis
received in audience His excellency Mr. Jose Alberto Mujica Cordano, president
of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, who then went on to meet with the
Secretary of State,
Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, S.D.B., accompanied by Archbishop Dominique
Mamberti, secretary for Relations with States.
The cordial discussions allowed an exchange of information and reflection upon
the country's socio-political situation and its role within the region. In
this context, issues of common interest were treated, including the total
development of the
person, the respect of human rights, justice, and social peace. The Catholic
Church's contribution in the public debate on these issues was not overlooked,
as well as her service in all areas of society, particularly in the areas of
welfare and
education.
___________________________________________________________
CARDINAL CORDES ENVOY TO EUCHARISTIC CONGRESS OF GERMANY
Vatican City, 1 June 2013 (VIS) – Today was made public the letter,
written in Latin and dated 8 May, in which Pope Francis appoints Cardinal Paul
Josef Cordes, president emeritus of the Pontifical Council “Cor
Unum”, as his special
envoy to Germany's National Eucharistic Congress that will take place in
Cologne this 9 June.
The cardinal will be accompanied by a mission composed of the following
members: Msgr. Winfried Haunerland, professor of Liturgy at the University of
Munich, and Fr. Stefan Rau, pastor of St. Josef in Munster.
___________________________________________________________
WE HEAR GOD'S WORDS BUT WE DON'T REALLY LISTEN TO THEM
Vatican City, 1June 2013 (VIS) – At 8:00 yesterday evening, Pope Francis
participated in the praying of the Rosary held in St. Peter's Square
concluding the Marian month of May. The celebration was presided by Cardinal
Angelo Comastri, vicar
general of His Holiness for Vatican City and archpriest of the Vatican
Basilica. At the conclusion of the prayer and before imparting the Apostolic
Blessing to the many faithful present, the Holy Father recalled the feast of
the Visitation of the
Blessed Virgin Mary to Elizabeth and offered a meditation dedicated to the
mystery that shows how Mary faces life's journey with great sensibility,
humanity, and care.
“Three words sum up Mary's attitude: listening, decision, and action.
They are words that also show us the path before us of what the Lord asks of
us in life,” the Holy Father said.
“Mary knows how to listen to God. But be careful: this is not a simple
'hearing' but a 'listening based on paying attention, a welcoming, an openness
toward God. It isn't the distracted manner that we sometimes have when dealing
with the Lord or
others when we hear their words, but we don't really listen.”
“Mary,” Pope Francis continued, “also listens to the facts.
She reads the events of her life and observes concrete reality without
stopping at the surface of things but going in depth to grasp its meaning.
… This is also true in
our lives: listening to God who speaks to us and listening to our everyday
reality, paying attention to people and to facts because the Lord is at the
door in our lives and He calls in many ways, putting signs along our path and
giving us the ability to
see them.”
“The second word,” the Holy Father continued, “is decision.
… Mary doesn't let herself be carried away by events, doesn't avoid the
burden of making decisions. … In life, it is difficult to make
decisions. Often we tend
to postpone them, to let others decide for us. Often we prefer to be caught up
by events, chasing the fashion of the moment. Sometimes we know what we have
to do, but we don't have the courage or it seems too difficult because it
means going against the
grain. … Mary goes against the current. She listens to God, reflects
and tries to understand the reality [of the situation] and decides to entrust
herself completely to God.”
“Action,” said the pontiff, “is the third word. …
Mary , despite the difficulties and criticism she received for her decision to
leave, doesn't stop at anything. ...Mary isn't rushed, doesn't let herself by
carried away by the
moment. But when it's clear what God is asking of her, what she must do, she
doesn't linger, doesn't hold back but goes 'in haste'.”
“Sometimes,” the Pope concluded, “even we stop with just
listening, just reflecting on what we should do, perhaps we are even clear
about what decision we should make, but we don't take the steps to act upon
it. Above all we don't put
ourselves in play, don't move 'in haste' toward others to bring them our
assistance, our understanding, or our charity.”
___________________________________________________________
“GOD LOVES YOU VERY MUCH”
Vatican City, 1 June 2013 (VIS) – Yesterday afternoon, in the chapel of
the Domus Sanctae Marthae, Pope Francis met with a group of 22 sick children
who are being treated at the department of paediatric oncology at the Agostino
Gemelli Hospital in
Rome. They were accompanied by their parents, representatives of the hospital
staff and volunteers, and sisters and priests who are travelling with them on
pilgrimages to Lourdes and Loreto.
For one of those trips, the children had sent the Pope drawings of the Grotto
of Lourdes together with a letter offering to come and pray with him. The
meeting took place in an atmosphere of prayer and great emotion, particularly
joy. The Holy Father
prayed the Our Father together with the children and they later sang the
“Ave Maria of Lourdes”.
While speaking with the Pope, one little girl ask that he pray for all the
sick children in the world and that he bless their families. Pope Francis
spoke with them, listening and answering their questions, reminding them that
Jesus is at their side
because “Jesus loves you very much”.
Francis imparted the Apostolic Blessing, explaining to the children that it
was “like a hug from God”. At the end of the meeting, the Holy
Father, as is his custom, individually greeted all those present with great
affection.
___________________________________________________________
AUDIENCES
Vatican City, 3 June 2013 (VIS) – Today, the Holy Father received in
separate audiences:
- His Beatitude Nerses Bedros XIX Tarmouni, patriarch of Cilicia of the
Armenian Catholics, and
- Cardinal Manuel Monteiro de Castro, major penitentiary of the Apostolic
Penitentiary.
On Saturday, 1 June, the Holy Father received Cardinal Marc Ouellet P.S.S.,
prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.
___________________________________________________________
OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
Vatican City, 3 June 2013 (VIS) – Today the Holy Father:
- appointed Cardinal Antonio Maria Veglio, president of the Pontifical
Council for Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People, as member of the
Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State.
- appointed Fr. Michele Fiorentino, previously with the Secretariat and
assigned to the Prefecture of the Papal Household, as defender of the bond at
the Tribunal of the Roman Rota.
- appointed Fr. Donald Kos, O.F.M. Conv., as judicial vicar of the
Ecclesiastic Tribunal of Vatican City State. To the same tribunal the Holy
Father has also appointed:
- Msgr. Antonio Nicolai as judge;
- Fr. Luigi Sabbarese, C.S., as interim promotor of Justice and defender of
the bond.
- appointed Msgr. Vittorio Gepponi as judicial vicar of the Appellation
Tribunal for the Vicariate of Rome. The Holy Father has also appointed:
- Msgr. Slawomir Oder as judicial or official vicar of the Ordinary
Tribunal for the Vicariate of Rome.
- appointed Cardinal Peter Erdo, archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest, Hungary,
as his special envoy to the celebration of the Sixth Centenary of the
evangelization of Samorgizia (a Western region of Lithuania), which will take
place
together with a Eucharistic Congress in Telsiai, Lithuania, from 2 to 4
August, 2013.
___________________________________________________________
Per ulteriori informazioni e per la ricerca di documenti consultare il
sito: www.wisnews.org e www.vatican.va
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