Finally, the regional situation was discussed, with particular reference
made to the peace process in Colombia.
___________________________________________________________
POPE ON “EVANGELIUM VITAE DAY”: GOD OF MERCY IS LIFE, FALSE
IDOLS BRING ENSLAVEMENT AND DEATH
Vatican City, 16 June 2013 (VIS) – At 10:30 this morning in a crowded
St. Peter's Square, Pope Francis presided at the Mass for the Day in the Year
of Faith dedicated to Evangelium Vitae. Before celebrating the Eucharist, the
Bishop of Rome was
Subject: VISnews130617
From: Vatican Information Service - Eng - txt
driven down the Via della Conciliazione in the open popemobile to greet the
tens of thousands of persons who had come from all over the world to
participate.
Following are ample excerpts from the Pope's homily, which focused on three
main points: the Bible reveals the living God to us; Jesus Christ gives life;
and the Holy Spirit keeps us in that new life. Following God's path brings
life while following
idols leads to death.
“The first reading, taken from the Second Book of Samuel, speaks to
us of life and death. King David wants to hide the act of adultery which he
committed with the wife of Uriah the Hittite, a soldier in his army. To do so,
he gives the order
that Uriah be placed on the front lines and so be killed in battle. The Bible
shows us the human drama in all its reality: good and evil, passion, sin and
its consequences. Whenever we want to assert ourselves, when we become wrapped
up in our own
selfishness and put ourselves in the place of God, we end up spawning death.
... Selfishness leads to lies, as we attempt to deceive ourselves and those
around us. But God cannot be deceived. ... The King is forced to face his
deeds of death ... He
recognizes what he has done and he begs forgiveness... The God of mercy, who
desires life and always forgives us, now forgives David and restores him to
life.”
“The Scriptures everywhere tell us that God is the Living One, the
One who bestows life and points the way to fullness of life. I think of the
beginning of the Book of Genesis: God fashions man out of the dust of the
earth ... thanks to his
breath, man has life. … the God who enters into our history, sets us
free from slavery and death, and brings life to his people because he is the
Living One. I also think of the gift of the Ten Commandments: a path God
points out to us towards a
life which is truly free and fulfilling. The commandments are not a litany of
prohibitions ... on the contrary, they are a great “Yes!”: a yes
to God, to Love, to life.”
“Today’s Gospel brings us another step forward. Jesus allows a
woman who was a sinner to approach him during a meal in the house of a
Pharisee, scandalizing those present. Not only does he let the woman approach
but he even forgives her
sins, saying: 'Her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much; but
he who is forgiven little, loves little'. Jesus is the incarnation of the
Living God ... Jesus accepts, loves, uplifts, encourages, forgives, restores
the ability to walk,
gives back life. Throughout the Gospels we see how Jesus by his words and
actions brings the transforming life of God. ... God, the Living One, is
merciful.”
“This was also the experience of the Apostle Paul, as we heard in the
second reading: 'The life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son
of God who loved me and gave himself for me.' … Who brings us this
life? It is the Holy
Spirit … who leads us into the divine life as true children of God, as
sons and daughters in the only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ. ... Christians are
'spiritual'. This does not mean that we are people who live 'in the clouds',
far removed from
real life ... No! The Christian is someone who thinks and acts in everyday
life according to God’s will, someone who allows his or her life to be
guided and nourished by the Holy Spirit ... And this entails realism and
fruitfulness. Those who let
themselves be led by the Holy Spirit are realists, they know how to survey and
assess reality. They are also fruitful; their lives bring new life to birth
all around them.”
“God is the Living One, the Merciful One; Jesus brings us the life of
God; the Holy Spirit gives and keeps us in our new life as true sons and
daughters of God. But all too often, as we know from experience, people do not
choose life, they do
not accept the “Gospel of Life” but let themselves be led by
ideologies and ways of thinking that block life, that do not respect life,
because they are dictated by selfishness, self-interest, profit, power and
pleasure, and not by love, by
concern for the good of others. It is the eternal dream of wanting to build
the city of man without God, without God’s life and love – a new
Tower of Babel. It is the idea that rejecting God, the message of Christ, the
Gospel of Life, will
somehow lead to freedom, to complete human fulfilment. As a result, the Living
God is replaced by fleeting human idols which offer the intoxication of a
flash of freedom, but in the end bring new forms of slavery and
death.”
“Let us look to God as the God of Life, let us look to his law, to
the Gospel message, as the way to freedom and life. The Living God sets us
free! Let us say 'Yes' to love and not selfishness. Let us say 'Yes' to life
and not death. Let us say
'Yes' to freedom and not enslavement to the many idols of our time. In a word,
let us say 'Yes' to the God who is love, life and freedom, and who never
disappoints; let us say 'Yes' to the God who is the Living One and the
Merciful One.”
___________________________________________________________
ANGELUS: POPE FRANCIS ENTRUSTS MOST FRAGILE, DEFENCELESS, AND THREATENED
HUMAN LIFE TO MARY'S PROTECTION
Vatican City, 16 June 2013 (VIS) - “At the end of the Eucharist
dedicated to the Gospel of Life,” the Pope said, before praying the
Angelus, “I am pleased to recall that yesterday, in Carpi, Italy, Edward
Focherini, husband, father
of seven, and journalist, was proclaimed Blessed. Captured and imprisoned out
of hatred for the Catholic faith, he died in the concentration camp of
Hersbruck, Germany, in 1944 at the age of 37. He saved many Jews from Nazi
persecution. Along with the
Church in Carpi, we give thanks to God for this witness of the Gospel of
Life!”
Francis then thanked all those who had come to Rome from various places in
Italy and throughout the world, especially, “families and those who work
directly for the promotion and protection of life”. He also greeted the
150 members of the
“Gravida” Association from Argentina, who were gathered in the
city of Pilar, encouraging them to continue with their work.
“I greet,” he added, “the many participants in the
Harley-Davidson motorcycle rally and the members of the Motorcycle Club of the
Italian State Police.”
“Now, let us turn to the Virgin, entrusting all human life,
especially the most fragile, defenceless, and threatened, to her maternal
protection,” the pontiff concluded.
___________________________________________________________
POPE RECEIVES PRESIDENT OF THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION
Vatican City, 15 June 2013 (VIS) – Today in the Vatican Apostolic
Palace, the Holy Father Francis received the President of the European
Commission, His Excellency Mr. Jose Manuel Durao Barroso, who then went on to
meet with Secretary of State
Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, S.D.B., accompanied by Archbishop Dominique
Mamberti, secretary for Relations with States.
The cordial discussions provided an opportunity for a useful exchange of
views on the international situation, paying particular attention to the
process of European integration, as well as the continuing economic crisis
that has serious consequences
on employment, especially for young persons, and a negative impact on family
life.
As the talks continued, focus was placed on the positive contribution that
the Catholic Church can offer in the current climate for Europe’s
material and spiritual well-being.
Finally, special attention was given to the promotion of human rights,
especially that of religious freedom, and the protection of Christian
minorities around the world.
___________________________________________________________
POPE FRANCIS: PRINCIPLE OF SECULARISM ENTAILS NEITHER HOSTILITY TO
RELIGIOUS REALITY NOR EXCLUSION OF SOCIAL SPHERE
Vatican City, 15 June 2013 (VIS) – The principle of secularism that
governs relations between the French State and the various religious
confessions “in itself shouldn't mean hostility to religious reality or
the exclusion of religion
from the social sphere and the debates that animate it.” Pope Francis
made this statement in his address to members of the French Senate and
National Assembly who had sought an audience with the Bishop of Rome.
The encounter afforded the pontiff the opportunity to emphasize the
relations of trust that generally exist in that nation between those
responsible for public life and the Catholic Church. “We can
rejoice,” he affirmed, “in the
fact that French society rediscovers proposals offered by the Church, among
others, that offer a certain vision of persons and their dignity in view of
the common good. The Church thus wishes to offer its own specific contribution
on the profound
questions that engage a more complete vision of persons and their destiny, of
society and its destiny. This contribution is not only located within the
anthropological or social sphere but also in the political, economic, and
cultural spheres.”
The Pope reminded the French politicians that, as elected by a nation
towards which the eyes of the world are often turned, they have the duty of
contributing in an effective and constant manner to improving the lives of
their citizens and of
responding to their needs. Even if their task mainly unfolds in the
legislative arena, it is necessary to inspire in the laws “a supplement,
a spirit, I would say a soul, that doesn't only reflect the methods and ideas
of the moment but that
confers upon them the indispensable quality that elevates and ennobles the
human person.”
Bidding the French parliamentarians farewell, Francis warmly encouraged
them “to continue your mission, always looking for the good of the
person and promoting fraternity in you beautiful country. May God bless
you.”
___________________________________________________________
POPULORUM PROGRESSIO FOUNDATION: INDIGENOUS AND RURAL POPULATIONS OF LATIN
AMERICA RUN RISK OF BEING PERIPHERY OF A DEVELOPING CONTINENT
Vatican City, 15 June 2013 (VIS) – Members of the administrative
council of the "Populorum Progressio" Foundation will gather from 18 to 21
June in Arequipa, Peru, for their annual meeting to deliberate on the
financing of development projects
in support of indigenous, mestizo, and rural African-American communities in
Latin America and the Caribbean. From its establishment in 1992, the
"Populorum Progressio" Foundation has been entrusted to the Pontifical Council
“Cor Unum”.
The administrative council is composed of the following members: Cardinal
Robert Sarah, president ex officio of the Foundation; Archbishop Edmundo Luis
Abastoflor Montero of La Paz, Bolivia, and president of the administrative
council; Archbishop
Antonio Arregui Yarza of Guayaquil, Ecuador, and vice president; Archbishop
Oscar Urbina Ortega of Villavicencio, Colombia; Archbishop Murilo Sebastiao
Ramos Krieger, S.C.I., of Sao Salvador da Bahia, Brazil; Archbishop Javier
Augusto del Rio Alba of
Arequipa, Peru; and Msgr. Segundo Tejado Munoz, undersecretary of the
Pontifical Council "Cor Unum".
This is the council's first meeting under the pontificate of Pope Francis,
who has spoken with great clarity of “a poor Church for the poor”
and who lives his power in humble service, attentive to the outskirts, the
villages, and the
least ones who are rich only in the charity that comes from above. These will
be the reference and the stimulus for the decisions that will be made. The
main beneficiaries of “Populorum Progressio”, indigenous and rural
communities in
particular, are at risk of being the “human periphery” in a
continent that is experiencing a phase of significant economic development,
but which is characterized by large social inequalities that especially
penalize those segments of the
population that remain on the margins of such development.
In this context, it is the hope of all the Council members to organize, for
next year, their annual meeting in Rome, to have the opportunity to receive
direction and guidance on the Foundation's future directly from Pope
Francis.
This year, 222 projects were presented by 18 countries including: Colombia,
Brazil, Peru, and Ecuador. The projects are characterized by a broadly
participatory approach on the part of the local communities that contribute to
all the phases of the
projects: from its conception to its concrete realization in the event of a
project's approval. These initiatives serve to meet the needs in various
areas: production (agriculture and farming, craftsmanship, micro-businesses);
community infrastructure
(potable water, latrines, community halls); education (training, scholastic
equipment, publications); health (prevention campaigns, medical equipment for
clinics); and construction (educational and health centres).
The main support of “Populorum Progressio”—alongside
individual faithful, dioceses, and various institutes—comes through the
Italian Episcopal Conference.
___________________________________________________________
MSGR. BATTISTA RICCA APPOINTED INTERIM PRELATE OF IOR
Vatican City, 15 June 2013 (VIS) – In a declaration published this
morning, Fr. Federico Lombardi, S.J., director of the Press Office of the Holy
See, made it known that: “The Commission of Cardinals for oversight of
the Institute for the
Works of Religion (IOR), with the approval of the Holy Father, has appointed
'ad interim' Msgr. Battista Mario Salvatore Ricca as Prelate of the
Institute.”
“In his capacity as prelate, Msgr. Battista Ricca will act as
secretary of the meetings of the Cardinals’ Commission and will attend
meetings of the Board of Superintendence in accordance with the
nstitute’s statutes.”
“Msgr. Battista Ricca, who was born in Offlaga in the province of
Brescia, Italy, in 1956, is part of the Diplomatic Service, serving in the
First Section of the Secretariat of State. He is also Director of the Domus
Sanctae Marthae, the Domus
Internationalis Paulus VI, the Domus Romana Sacerdotalis, and the Casa San
Benedetto.”
“As can be recalled, he succeeds Archbishop Piero Pioppo, currently
Apostolic Nuncio to Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea, who held the post from
2006 to 2010.”
“With the appointment of Mr. Ernst von Freyberg as President of the
Institute and of Msgr. Battista Ricca as its prelate, the Cardinals’
Commission has filled the two important positions that are provided for in the
statutes of the IOR,
which had been vacant for some time. Msgr. Battista Ricca’s appointment
is effective immediately.”
___________________________________________________________
AUDIENCES
Vatican City, 17 June 2013 (VIS) – Today the Holy Father received:
- His Excellency Mr. Rowsch N. Shaways, vice prime minister of the
Republic of Iraq, and
- Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun, S.D.B., bishop emeritus of Hong Kong.
On Saturday, 15 June in the Domus Sanctae Marthae, the Holy Father
received:
- Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, archbishop of Krakow, Poland, and
- Cardinal Marc Ouellet, P.S.S., prefect of the Congregation for
Bishops.
___________________________________________________________
OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
Vatican City, 15 June 2013 (VIS) – Today, the Holy Father:
- appointed Msgr. Xavier Munyongani as bishop of the Diocese of Gweru
(area 29,158, population 2,313,000, Catholics 368,000, priests 54, religious
216), Zimbabwe. The bishop-elect was born in Mutero Mission, Gutu District,
Zimbabwe,
in 1950 and was ordained a priest in 1977. Since ordination he has served in
many pastoral, academic, and administrative roles in the Dioceses of Gweru and
Masvingo, Zimbabwe, as well as serving in London, England, since 2007, as
chaplain of the
Zimbabwe Catholic Community.
- appointed Fr. Alphonse Nguyen Huu Long, P.S.S., as auxiliary of the
Diocese of Hung Hoa (area 54,352, population 7,187,000, Catholics 235,000,
priests 63, religious 242), Vietnam, assigning him the Titular See of Gummi in
Byzacena. The bishop-elect was born in Hanoi, Vietnam, in 1953 and was
ordained a priest in 1990. Since ordination he has: served as vicar for the
parish of Tam Ky (1990-1994); obtained a license in Canon Law from the
Institut Catholique of Paris,
France; served as pastor for the parishes of Ha Lam (1999-2001) and Tra Kieu
(2001-2003); served as spiritual director and professor of Canon Law, Church
History, and Catechesis at the Major Seminary of Hue (2003-2011) as well as
that institution's
rector since 2011.
- appointed Fr. Pierre Nguyen Van Vien as auxiliary of the Diocese of
Vinh (area 30,594, population 6,285,000, Catholics 506,992, priests 197,
religious 1,882), Vietnam, assigning him the Titular See of Megalopolis in
Proconsulari.
The bishop-elect was born in Huong Phuong, Quang Binh Province, Vietnam, in
1965 and was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Vinh in 1999. Since
ordination he has done pastoral service for the Vietnamese community in
Sydney, Australia, where he
obtained his doctorate in Theology, served as vice rector and professor of
Dogmatics at Vinh Thanh's Major Seminary, and, since, 2010, served as general
vicar of the Diocese of Vinh.
- appointed Cardinal Audrys Juozas Backis, archbishop emeritus of
Vilnius, Lithuania, as his special envoy to the 1025th anniversary of the
Baptism of Kievan Rus' scheduled to take place in Kiev, Ukraine from 17-18
August 2013.
- appointed Cardinal Jaime Lucas Ortega y Alamino, archbishop of San
Cristobal de la Habana, Cuba, as his special envoy to the closing celebrations
of the First anniversary of the elevation of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of
San
Salvador, El Salvador, and the erection of the Dioceses of Santa Ana and San
Miguel as well as the closing ceremony of the national Eucharistic Congress in
El Salvador scheduled for 11 August 2013.
___________________________________________________________
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