UPCOMING VISIT OF ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY TO POPE
Vatican City, 10 June 2013 (VIS) – In a press release today, the
Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity states that the Archbishop of
Canterbury, Justin Welby, will be in Rome to visit Pope Francis on Friday, 14
June.
“This brief visit”, reads the release, “is of particular
interest since it is the first meeting of the Archbishop and the Pope since
their inaugurations, which took place at about the same time, just over two
months ago.”
“This visit is an opportunity for the Archbishop and Pope Francis to
review the present state of relations between the Roman Catholic Church and
Anglican Communion. In particular, the interest shown by Archbishop Welby in
global justice and the
ethical regulation of financial markets so that they do not oppress men and
women, is echoed in the constant teaching of the Holy Father. Ever since his
experience as an executive in an oil company, Archbishop Welby has placed
great emphasis on
reconciliation, and has continued to press for the resolution of conflicts
within the Church and society. This also evokes Pope Francis’ own call
to build bridges between people of every nation, so that they may be seen not
as rivals and threats,
but as brothers and sisters.”
“Anglicans and Catholics also must work together to provide clear
moral guidance to society and Archbishop Justin has collaborated closely with
the Catholic Archbishop of Westminster, Vincent Nichols, to safeguard marriage
and other Christian
values in society. It is a sign of their close relations that Archbishop
Nichols will accompany the Archbishop of Canterbury on this visit.”
“Following the audience, and brief speeches, there will be a short
service of mid-day prayer presided over by the Holy Father and the Archbishop
of Canterbury. Earlier in the day, at the Archbishop’s own request, he
will visit the
Excavations beneath St Peter’s Basilica to pray at the tomb of St Peter,
as his predecessor Archbishop Rowan Williams did on his first visit to Rome.
He has also asked particularly for a time of prayer before the tomb of Blessed
John Paul II.
Following this, Archbishop Welby will call upon Cardinal Koch at the
Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, to renew the acquaintance
made at the time of the Archbishop’s inauguration at Canterbury, and to
learn about the workings of
the Pontifical Council.”
___________________________________________________________
ANGELUS: JESUS' COMPASSION IS LIKE A MOTHER'S LOVE
Vatican City, 9 June 2013 (VIS) – Pope Francis appeared at the window
of his study at noon today to pray the Angelus with the thousands of faithful
gathered in St. Peter's Square. He first noted that the month of June is
traditionally dedicated
to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, “the greatest human expression of divine
love”.
“Popular piety,” he said, “embraces many symbols and the
Heart of Jesus is the ultimate symbol of God's mercy. It is not, however, an
imaginary symbol but a real symbol that represents the centre, the source from
which flows the
salvation for all of humanity.” Among various references in the Gospels
to the Heart of Jesus, the Pope emphasized the witness of Christ's death
according to St. John. When Jesus was already dead, a soldier pierced his side
with a lance and
immediately blood and water flowed out. “John recognized in that,
apparently random, sign the fulfilment of the prophecies: from the heart of
Jesus, the Lamb sacrificed upon the Cross, spring forth forgiveness and life
for all humanity.”
“But Jesus' mercy is not just a feeling. It is a force that gives
life, that brings humanity back to life! Today's Gospel reading says the same
thing, in the story of the widow of Nain. Jesus, with his disciples, is
arriving in Nain, a village
in Galilee, at exactly the moment of a funeral. A young man, the only son of a
widowed woman is being carried out to be buried. Jesus' gaze immediately fixes
upon the crying mother. The Gospel writer Luke tells us: 'When the Lord saw
her, He was moved
with pity for her'. This compassion is God's love for humanity. It is mercy,
that is, God's attitude in contact with human misery, with our indigence, our
suffering, our anguish. The biblical term 'compassion' recalls the maternal
womb: indeed, a mother
feels a reaction all her own when faced with her children's pain. That is how
God loves us, Scripture says.”
“And what is the fruit of this love, this mercy? It is life! Jesus
said to the widow of Nain: 'Do not weep', and he called to the dead son and
woke him as if from sleep. Let's think about this. It's beautiful. God's mercy
gives life to the man,
raises him from the dead. The Lord always looks upon us with mercy …
awaits us with mercy. Let us not be afraid to draw near to him! He has a
merciful heart! If we show him our inner wounds, our sins, He always forgives
us. He is pure
mercy!”
After the Marian prayer, the Bishop of Rome noted that today, in Krakow,
Poland, two Polish nuns are being beatified: Zofia Czeska-Maciejowska, who
founded the Congregation of the Virgins of the Presentation of the Blessed
Virgin Mary in the first
half of the 17th century, and Malgorzata Lucja Szewczyk, who founded the
Congregation of the Daughters of the Sorrowful Mother of God (Seraphic
Sisters) in the 19th century. “With the Church in Krakow, let us give
thanks to the Lord!”
Lastly he addressed a group of pilgrims from the Italian city of Ortona
where relics of the Apostle Thomas are venerated, thanking them for the
journey “from Thomas to Peter” that they had undertaken.
___________________________________________________________
MESSAGE TO GERMAN NATIONAL EUCHARISTIC CONGRESS
Vatican City, 9 June 2013 (VIS) – This morning at the beginning of
the Mass closing the German National Eucharistic Congress that took place in
Cologne, Cardinal Paul Josef Cordes, president emeritus of the Pontifical
Council “Cor
Unum” and the Holy Father's special envoy to the event, read the message
that Pope Francis had written to those participating in the Congress.
The theme of the Congress was “Lord, To Whom Shall We Go?”,
Peter's question to Jesus after his words in the synagogue in Capernaum when
He announced that He was the Bread of Life, scandalizing many who then stopped
following him.
“We, members of today's Church, also ask ourselves this
question,“ the Pope wrote. “Our answer, like that of the Apostle,
can only be the person of Jesus. Yes, He lived two thousand years ago.
However, we can encounter him in our
time when we listen to his Word and are close to him, in a unique way, in the
Eucharist. … May the Mass not become a superficial routine for us! May
we always draw more and more from its depth! It is precisely what puts us
within Christ's immense
work of salvation, sharpening our spiritual sight with his love, [becoming
part] of his 'prophecy in action' in the Upper Room with which He initiated
his gift of Himself upon the Cross and his irrevocable victory over sin and
death.”
“This is the same question that some contemporaries are asking
who—either lucidly or with foreboding—are still in search of the
Father of Jesus Christ. The Redeemer wants to meet them through us …
With our lives and our words
we must proclaim to them what we have recognized together with Peter and the
Apostles: 'Lord, You have the words of eternal life.' … All of us,
bishops, priests, deacons, religious, and lay persons, have the duty to bring
God to the world and the
world to God.”
___________________________________________________________
FRANCIS TO YOUTH OF MACERATA: BE OPEN TO GOD'S SURPRISES
Vatican City, 9 June 2013 (VIS) – Yesterday at 8:30pm, the Holy
Father called Bishop Giancarlo Vecerrica of Fabriano-Matelica, who was
together with thousands of youth in the Helvia Recina Stadium before the Mass
celebrated by Cardinal Marc
Ouellet, P.S.S., to initiate the 35th pilgrimage on foot from Macerata to
Loreto. This year the theme of the pilgrimage is “What can truly satisfy
human desire?” and it is promoted by the Communion and Liberation
movement.
Pope Francis addressed the youth, from Italy and around the world, who were
about to walk the 28 kilometres (over 17 miles) praying the Rosary and singing
together. “All of life is a pilgrimage,” said the Pope.
“What is important is
meeting Jesus on the path of life. … Let yourselves be guided by Jesus.
… So many times, even for us, faith is an obvious presupposition of
living. We say 'I believe in God'—and that's good—but, how do you
live this on the path
of life? Faith must become a present experience.”
“When we encounter the Lord,” the Holy Father continued,
“He surprises us. The Lord can be called the Lord of surprises. Be open
to God's surprises. For you too, this evening's event, which grows every year,
is a surprise. It is the
sign that nothing is impossible with God. How else could you explain that from
the 300 of you in 1978 you would have become the 90,000 of last
ear?”
“When you get tired,” Francis added, “and the temptation
to go your own way arises, think of this: repeat your 'yes', pray that each
one of you might recognize in your body and your spirit the very humanity that
needs Christ's
humanity, the only one that can truly satisfy human desire.”
The Holy Father bid them farewell, reminding the youth to continue forward
with hope. “Please,” he said, “don't let yourselves be
robbed of hope. It is the Lord who gives it to you.”
___________________________________________________________
TEN COMMANDMENTS ARE INDICATIONS FOR FREEDOM
Vatican City, 9 June 2013 (VIS) – “The Ten Commandments are not
a limitation, but an indication for freedom.” This was the heart of Pope
Francis' video message that was broadcast yesterday at 9:40pm local time to
the thousands
gathered in Milan's Cathedral Square to participate in the “Ten Squares
for Ten Commandments” initiative promoted by the “Renewal in the
Spirit” movement in collaboration with the Pontifical Council for
Promoting the New
Evangelization as part of the Year of Faith.
Milan is the fourth city to host the initiative, which began under the
pontificate of Benedict XVI in September of 2013, following events in Rome,
Naples, and Verona. In the coming months, Pope Francis will send video
messages to participants
gathering in squares in Bari, Genoa, Cagliari, Florence, Palermo, Bologna, and
Turin.
“The Ten Commandments,” the pontiff affirmed, “are a gift
from God. The word 'commandment' isn't fashionable. To today's persons, it
recalls something negative, someone's will that imposes limits, that places
obstacles to our lives.
… Unfortunately history, even recent history, is marked by tyranny,
ideologies, mindsets that have been imposed and oppressive, that haven't
sought the good of humanity but rather power, success, and profit. The Ten
Commandments, however, come
from a God who created us out of love, from a God who established a covenant
with humanity, a God who only wants the good of humanity. Let us trust in God!
… The Ten Commandments show us a path to travel and also constitute a
sort of 'moral code'
for building just societies that are made for men and women. How much
inequality there is in the world! How much hunger for food and for truth! How
much moral and material poverty resulting
from the rejection of God and from putting so many idols in his place! Let us
be guided by these Ten Words that enlighten and guide those seeking peace,
justice, and dignity.”
“It is important to remember when God, through Moses, gave the people
of Israel the Ten Commandments. At the Red Sea the people had experienced
great deliverance. They had seen first hand the power and faithfulness of God,
the God who
liberates. Now God himself, upon Mount Sinai, indicates to his people and to
all of us the way to remain free, a path that is engraved upon the human heart
as a universal moral Law. We shouldn't see the Ten Commandments as restriction
upon our freedom;
no, not that way. We should see them as signs for our freedom. … They
teach us how to avoid the slavery to which the many idols that we ourselves
build reduce us. … They teach us to open ourselves to a wider dimension
than the material
one; to live with respect for others; overcoming the greed of power,
possessions, and money; to be honest and sincere in our relationships; to
protect all of creation and to nurture our planet with high, noble, and
spiritual ideals.
Following the Ten Commandments means being faithful to ourselves, to our most
authentic nature, and walking towards the true freedom that Christ taught us
in the Beatitudes.”
___________________________________________________________
OFFICIAL VISIT OF PRESIDENT OF ITALIAN REPUBLIC TO POPE
Vatican City, 8 June 2013 (VIS) – The official state visit of the
President of Italy, Giorgio Napolitano, to Pope Francis “once again
confirms—even after troubled and painful events—the normalcy and
excellence of relations
between Italy and the Holy See”. The dialogue between the two “has
the good of the Italian people as its principle goal and has its historically
unique role in Europe and the world as its ideal backdrop”.
Those were the words of the Bishop of Rome this morning on receiving for
the first time in his pontificate the representative of Italy's highest
institution. He thanked the president, as well as all the entire Italian
population, for the warm welcome
that they have given him, saying that they have made him feel “at home
again”. At the same time the pontiff expressed the wish that Italy might
always be “a welcoming home for all”.
President Napolitano, the first head of state to officially visit Pope
Francis, arrived in the Vatican shortly before 11:00am, accompanied by the
Italian minister of Foreign Affairs, Emma Bonino, and Italy's ambassador to
the Holy See, Francesco
Maria Greco. Upon arriving he was greeted by the Prefect of the Papal
Household, Archbishop Georg Ganswein, and an honour guard of the Swiss Guard
in the San Damaso Courtyard. After a private conversation with the Pope in the
Sala del Tronetto
(“little throne room”) of the Vatican Apostolic Palace, they moved
to the Library where they both delivered speeches.
The Pope noted that, after the conciliation and the inclusion of the
Lateran Pacts in the Italian Constitution and further, in a new light after
the Second Vatican Council and the revision of the Treaty, relations between
Italy and the Holy See have
developed well. “In Italy,” he added, “the collaboration
between State and Church, always focused on the interest of the people and of
society, is carried out in the daily relationship between civil agencies and
those of the Catholic
community, represented by the Bishops and their offices, and in a very
particular way, by the Bishop of Rome. Thus, even this first visit of the
President to the Pope can be effectively expressed with the image of the two
hills, the Quirinal and the
Vatican, that look upon one another with esteem and fondness.”
The Pope then observed that 2013 marks the 1700th anniversary of the Edict
of Milan, a symbol for many of the first affirmation of the principle of
religious freedom, noting that, a century ago, the commemoration of the Edict
of Milan represented
“a stage in the historical process that favoured the awareness and the
contribution of Catholics in the construction of Italian society. … In
today's world, religious freedom is more often asserted than accomplished.
… The serious
outrages inflicted on this primary right are a source of serious
concern.”
“Against every attack, the unanimous reaction of the world's
countries must be seen reaffirming the inviolable dignity of the human person.
It is the duty of all to defend religious freedom and to promote it for all.
In sharing the protection
of this moral good is also found a guarantee of the growth and development of
the entire community.” Continuing, he mentioned the “profound and
persistent” world crisis, which also affects Italy, “emphasizing
the economic and
social problems, which weigh especially upon the weakest part of
society”. He noted some particularly troubling phenomena such as
“the weakening of family and social ties, the decreasing population, the
prevalence of mentalities favouring
profit over work, and the insufficient attention paid to younger generations
and their formation”.
“In this difficult context, which certainly is not easy, it is
essential to guarantee and to develop the overall system of the democratic
institutions to which Italian Catholics have decisively, loyally, and
creatively contributed in recent
decades. In a time of crisis such as this one it is, therefore, urgent that a
new consideration of political commitment, above all among young persons,
might arise and that believers and non-believers together might collaborate in
promoting a society in
which injustice can be overcome and every person can be welcomed and can
contribute to the common good. … The distance between the letter and
the spirit of laws and democratic institutions is always to be recognized and
we need the commitment of
all involved to bridge it every time again. We Catholics also have the duty to
always strive more along the serious journey of spiritual conversion so that
we might every day draw closer to the Gospel, which compels us to concretely
and effectively serve persons and society.”
The Pope ended his discourse repeating that “what faith assures us of
is true even in the civil sphere: we must never lose hope. How many examples
of this have our parents and grandparents given us, facing the hardships of
their times with
great courage and spirit of sacrifice. On various occasions, Benedict XVI
repeated that the current crisis should be an opportunity for the fraternal
renewal of human relationships. Even the Italian people, drawing confidently
and creatively from their
rich Christian tradition and from the examples of their patron saints, Francis
of Assisi and Catherine of Siena, … can and must overcome every
division and grow in justice and peace, continuing thus to play their unique
role in the European
context and in the family of nations, and working to create a culture of
encounter.”
After the addresses, the head of the Italian State met with Cardinal
Tarcisio Bertone, S.D.B., secretary of State, and with the diplomatic corps
accredited to the Holy See. Before leaving, he went to the Vatican Basilica
where he visited the Chapel
of the Pieta.
___________________________________________________________
CARDINAL TAGLE TAKES POSSESSION OF HIS TITULAR CHURCH
Vatican City, 10 June 2013 (VIS) – The Office of Liturgical
Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff today announced that this coming Saturday,
15 June, at 6:30pm, Cardinal Luis Antonio G. Tagle, archbishop of Manila,
Philippines, will take
possession of the title of San Felice da Cantalice a Centocelle in Piazza San
Felice da Cantalice, 20.
___________________________________________________________
AUDIENCES
Vatican City, 10 June 2013 (VIS) – Today the Holy Father received:
- the credential letters of the new ambassador of Mexico to the Holy
See, His Excellency Mr. Mariano Palacios Alcocer,
- Cardinal Fernando Filoni, prefect of the Congregation for the
Evangelization of Peoples,
- Bishop Javier Echevarria Rodriguez, prelate of personal prelature Opus
Dei and titular of Cilibia.
- Her Excellency Ms. Anna Suchocka, ambassador of Poland; His Excellency
Mr. Almir Franco de Sa' Barbuda, ambassador of Brazil; and His Excellency Mr.
Alejandro Emilio Valladares Lanza, ambassador of Honduras on their farewell
visits.
On Saturday, 8 June, Pope Francis received Cardinal Marc Ouellet, P.S.S.,
prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.
___________________________________________________________
OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
Vatican City, 8 June 2013 (VIS) – Today, the Holy Father:
- appointed Fr. Jeremiah Madimetja Masela as bishop of Polokwane (area
69,533, population 2,658,000, Catholics 94,700, priests 27, permanent deacons
8, religious 50), South Africa. The bishop-elect, previously apostolic
administrator of the diocese, was born in Bergzich, Western Cape, South Africa
and was ordained a priest in 1958. Since ordination he has served in several
parochial and diocesan roles, most recently as vicar general of the diocese
and pastor of
Doorspruit. He has been the apostolic administrator of the diocese since
2011.
On Saturday, 8 June, the Holy Father:
- appointed Bishop Giuseppe Petrocchi as metropolitan archbishop of
L'Aquila (area 1,516, population 112,500, Catholics 111,100, priests 118,
permanent deacons 8, religious 167), Italy. Bishop Petrocchi, previously of
Latina-Terracina-Sezze-Priverno, Italy, succeeds Archbishop Giuseppe Molinari,
whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same archdiocese the Holy
Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.
- appointed Archbishop Miroslaw Adamczyk, apostolic nuncio to Liberia,
as apostolic nuncio to Gambia.
- appointed Bishop Jean Teyrouz, I.C.P.B., of Sainte-Croix-de-Paris of
the Armenians, France, as apostolic visitor to Armenian Catholic faithful
resident in Western Europe without their own ordinary. He succeeds Bishop
Gregoire
Ghabroyan, I.C.P.B., whose resignation from the same office the Holy Father
accepted in accordance with canon 210 para. 1 of the Code of Canons of the
Eastern Churches (CCEO).
___________________________________________________________
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