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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - N° 19
DATE 29-01-2014
Summary:
- CONFIRMATION, THE SECOND SACRAMENT OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION
- POPE FRANCIS: USURY, AN AFFRONT TO DIGNITY
- POPE'S MESSAGE TO THE PONTIFICAL ACADEMIES: FAITH KNOWS BECAUSE IT IS TIED
TO LOVE
- AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE HOLY SEE AND MALTA ON CANONICAL MARRIAGE
- OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
___________________________________________________________
CONFIRMATION, THE SECOND SACRAMENT OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION
Vatican City, 29 January 2014 (VIS) – During this Wednesday's general
audience Pope Francis, continuing his catechesis on the sacraments, focused on
Confirmation, a sacrament which must be understood as “continuing from
Baptism, to which it
is indissolubly linked”.
“These two sacraments, along with the Eucharist, constitute a single
saving event – Christian initiation – in which we are brought into
Christ who died and rose again, and become new creatures and members of the
Church. This is because
originally these three Sacraments were celebrated together, at the end of the
catechumenal path, normally on Holy Saturday. This concluded the process of
formation and gradual insertion into the Christian community, that could even
take several years.
It is a step by step process, first reaching Baptism, then Confirmation, and
finally the Eucharist”.
“In confirmation, we are anointed with oil. And indeed, through the oil
known as the 'holy Chrism' we are conformed, by the power of the Holy Spirit,
to Christ, who is the only true 'anointed one' the Messiah, the Saint of God.
The term
'confirmation' reminds us that this Sacrament involves growth from baptismal
grace; it unites us more firmly with Christ; it completes our bond with the
Church; it accords to us the special strength of the Holy Spirit in order to
spread and to defend
the faith, to confess the name of Christ and never to be ashamed of His
Cross”.
“For this reason it is important that all our children receive this
Sacrament”, he added. “We are all concerned about baptising them,
but perhaps less so with regard to confirmation, and therefore they remain at
a halfway point, and do
not receive the Holy Spirit that gives us the strength to go forward in
Christian life”. Therefore, “it is important to provide a good
preparation for Confirmation, aiming to lead them towards personal adhesion to
faith in Christ and to
reawaken in them a sense of belonging to the Church”.
“Confirmation, like every Sacrament, is not the work of men, but rather
the work of God, Who takes care of our lives in order to mould us in the image
of His Son, to make us able to love like Him. He infuses us with the Holy
Spirit, whose action
pervades the whole person and all of life, as is shown by the Seven Gifts that
Tradition, in the light of the Sacred Scriptures, has always made clear:
Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Knowledge, Fortitude, Piety and Fear of the
Lord”, said the
Bishop of Rome, announcing that these gifts will be the subject of his next
catechesis, after the Sacraments. “When we welcome the Holy Spirit into
our hearts and allow it to act, Christ Himself is made present in us and takes
form in our lives;
through us, it will be He Who prays, forgives, brings hope and consolation,
serves our brothers, is close to the needy and the abandoned, Who creates
communion and sows peace”.
The Pope brought his catechesis to and end by urging those present to remember
that they have received Confirmation, firstly “to thank the Lord for
this gift, and then to ask Him for His help in living as true Christians, to
always journey with
joy according to the Holy Spirit that has been granted to us”. As he was
concluding, it began to rain heavily and Pope Francis exclaimed, “It
seems that on these last few Wednesdays, during the audience, we have been
blessed from heaven!
However, since you are brave, let us go ahead and continue...”.
___________________________________________________________
POPE FRANCIS: USURY, AN AFFRONT TO DIGNITY
Vatican City, 29 January 2014 (VIS) – Following today's general
audience, the Pope greeted the faithful present, offering some special words
to the “Carta di Roma” and “Casa Alessia”
associations, which both work to help
the needy and refugees, and encouraged them to continue in their challenging
work. He also greeted the families of workers from Castelfiorentino, Italy,
recently made redundant following the closure of Shelbox due to the current
economic crisis.
“While I express my closeness to you, I hope also that the competent
authorities will make every effort to ensure that work, which is the source of
dignity, is a central concern for all”.
Finally, he greeted the National Council of Anti-Usury Foundations. “I
hope that these institutions may intensify their commitment alongside the
victims of usury, a dramatic social ill. When a family has nothing to eat,
because it has to make
payments to usurers, this is not Christian, it is not human! This dramatic
scourge in our society harms the inviolable dignity of the human person”.
___________________________________________________________
POPE'S MESSAGE TO THE PONTIFICAL ACADEMIES: FAITH KNOWS BECAUSE IT IS TIED TO
LOVE
Vatican City, 29 January 2014 (VIS) – Yesterday afternoon in the Great
Hall of the St. Pius X Palace the Pontifical Academies celebrated their 18th
Public Session, the theme of which was “Occulata Fides. Reading Truth
with the eyes of
Christ”. The work of the Session was introduced by Cardinal Gianfranco
Ravasi, president of the Pontifical Council for Culture and the Council for
Co-ordination between the Pontifical Academies.
During the session, Archbishop Pietro Parolin, secretary of State, read a
message from Pope Francis to the participants, recalling that this year's
theme is drawn from a phrase of St. Thomas Aquinas, cited in the encyclical
Lumen Fidei and which the
Pontifical Academies debate in this document and the recent Apostolic
Exhortation “Evangelii Gaudium”.
“In both documents, I invite reflection on the 'enlightening' dimension
of faith and on the connection between faith and truth, to be investigated not
only with the mind's eye, but also that of the heart, that is, from the
perspective of
love”, writes the Pope. Faith knows because it is tied to love, because
love itself brings light. The comprehension of faith is that which is born
when we receive God's great love which transforms us within and gives us new
eyes through which we
see reality. … This has important consequences both in terms of how
believers act, and for the way theologians work. 'Truth nowadays is often
reduced to the subjective authenticity of the individual. A common truth
intimidates us, for we identify
it with the intransigent demands of totalitarian systems. But if truth is a
truth of love, if it is a truth disclosed in personal encounter with the Other
and with others, then it can be set free from its enclosure in individuals and
become
part
of the common good. … Far from making us inflexible, the security of
faith sets us on a journey; it enables witness and dialogue with all”.
“This vision – of a journeying missionary Church – is that
which is developed in the Apostolic Exhortation on the proclamation of the
Gospel in today's world. The 'dream of a … missionary impulse capable
of transforming
everything' relates to the entire Church and every part of her. The Pontifical
Academies are also called to this transformation, so that the contribution of
this ecclesiastical Body is not lacking. This is not a matter of external
operations, of a
'facade', however. It is, rather, also for you, a question of concentrating
increasingly on the the essentials, on what is most beautiful, most grand,
most appealing and at the same time most necessary'”.
The Holy Father concluded his message by announcing that this year's
Pontifical Academies Prize, dedicated this year to theological research, will
be awarded to two young scholars for their contribution to the promotion of a
new Christian humanism: Rev.
Professor Alessandro Clemenzia, for his work “In the Trinity as Church.
In dialogue with Heribert Muhlen”, and Professor Maria Silvia Vaccarezza
for the work “The reasons of the contingent. Practical wisdom from
Aristotle to St. Thomas
Aquinas”.
___________________________________________________________
AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE HOLY SEE AND MALTA ON CANONICAL MARRIAGE
Vatican City, 29 January 2014 (VIS) – On 27 January, at the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs in Malta, the third additional protocol to the agreement
between the Holy See and the Republic of Malta of 3 February 1993 on the
recognition of civil effects
to canonical marriages and the decisions of the Authorities and ecclesiastical
tribunals on the same marriages.
The agreement was signed on behalf of the Holy See by Archbishop Aldo Cavalli,
apostolic nuncio to Malta, as Plenipotentiary, and for the Republic of Malta
by George W. Vella, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Malta.
The Third Additional Protocol, which consists of four articles, amends the
aforementioned Agreement of 1993.
___________________________________________________________
OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
Vatican City, 29 January 2014 (VIS) – The Holy Father has:
- appointed Bishop Edmilson Amador Caetano, O. Cist. of Barretos, Brazil, as
bishop of Guarulhos (area 341, population 1,357,000, Catholics 879,000,
priests 50, religious 105), Brazil.
- appointed Msgr. Estevam Santos Silva Filho as auxiliary of the archdiocese
of Sao Salvador da Bahia (area 3,859, population 3,862,000, Catholics
2,730,000, priests 289, religious 756), Brazil. The bishop-elect was born in
Vitoria da Conquista, Brazil
in 1968, and was ordained a priest in 1995. He studied philosophy at the
Instituto Filosofico Nossa Senhora das Vitorias and theology at the Instituto
Coracao Eucaristico de Jesus in Belo Horizonte, and specialised in
communications at the Pontificia
Universidad Javeriana in Bogota, Colombia. He has served in a number of
pastoral roles, including priest in various parishes in the archdiocese of
Vitoria da Conquista, and was spiritual director of the preparatory seminary
at Itapetinga, the major
seminary of philosophy in Vitoria da Conquista, and the major seminary of
theology in Ilheus. He also serves as a member of the Council of Formators,
the College of Consultors, and the Presbyteral Council, and as ecclesiastical
assessor
for
archdiocesan pastoral of communication and in the youth sector. He is
currently priest of the parish “Nossa Senhora das Candeias”,
archdiocesan bursar and formator in the seminary of philosophy in Vitoria da
Conquista.
___________________________________________________________
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VISnews140129
VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE YEAR XXII - N° 19 DATE 29-01-2014
Summary: - CONFIRMATION, THE SECOND
SACRAMENT OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION - POPE FRANCIS: USURY, AN AFFRONT TO DIGNITY - POPE'S MESSAGE TO THE
PONTIFICAL ACADEMIES: FAITH KNOWS BECAUSE IT IS TIED TO LOVE - AGREEMENT
BETWEEN THE HOLY SEE AND MALTA ON CANONICAL MARRIAGE - OTHER PONTIFICAL
ACTS
CONFIRMATION, THE SECOND SACRAMENT OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION
Vatican City, 29 January 2014 (VIS) – During this Wednesday's general
audience Pope Francis, continuing his catechesis on the sacraments, focused on
Confirmation, a sacrament which must be understood as “continuing from
Baptism, to which
it is indissolubly linked”.
“These two sacraments, along with the Eucharist, constitute a single
saving event – Christian initiation – in which we are brought into
Christ who died and rose again, and become new creatures and members of the
Church. This is
because originally these three Sacraments were celebrated together, at the end
of the catechumenal path, normally on Holy Saturday. This concluded the
process of formation and gradual insertion into the Christian community, that
could even take several
years. It is a step by step process, first reaching Baptism, then
Confirmation, and finally the Eucharist”.
“In confirmation, we are anointed with oil. And indeed, through the
oil known as the 'holy Chrism' we are conformed, by the power of the Holy
Spirit, to Christ, who is the only true 'anointed one' the Messiah, the Saint
of God. The term
'confirmation' reminds us that this Sacrament involves growth from baptismal
grace; it unites us more firmly with Christ; it completes our bond with the
Church; it accords to us the special strength of the Holy Spirit in order to
spread and to defend
the faith, to confess the name of Christ and never to be ashamed of His
Cross”.
“For this reason it is important that all our children receive this
Sacrament”, he added. “We are all concerned about baptising them,
but perhaps less so with regard to confirmation, and therefore they remain at
a halfway point, and
do not receive the Holy Spirit that gives us the strength to go forward in
Christian life”. Therefore, “it is important to provide a good
preparation for Confirmation, aiming to lead them towards personal adhesion to
faith in Christ and to
reawaken in them a sense of belonging to the Church”.
“Confirmation, like every Sacrament, is not the work of men, but
rather the work of God, Who takes care of our lives in order to mould us in
the image of His Son, to make us able to love like Him. He infuses us with the
Holy Spirit, whose
action pervades the whole person and all of life, as is shown by the Seven
Gifts that Tradition, in the light of the Sacred Scriptures, has always made
clear: Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Knowledge, Fortitude, Piety and Fear of
the Lord”, said
the Bishop of Rome, announcing that these gifts will be the subject of his
next catechesis, after the Sacraments. “When we welcome the Holy Spirit
into our hearts and allow it to act, Christ Himself is made present in us and
takes form in our
lives; through us, it will be He Who prays, forgives, brings hope and
consolation, serves our brothers, is close to the needy and the abandoned, Who
creates communion and sows peace”.
The Pope brought his catechesis to and end by urging those present to
remember that they have received Confirmation, firstly “to thank the
Lord for this gift, and then to ask Him for His help in living as true
Christians, to always journey with
joy according to the Holy Spirit that has been granted to us”. As he was
concluding, it began to rain heavily and Pope Francis exclaimed, “It
seems that on these last few Wednesdays, during the audience, we have been
blessed from heaven!
However, since you are brave, let us go ahead and continue...”.
Vatican City, 29 January 2014 (VIS) – Following today's general
audience, the Pope greeted the faithful present, offering some special words
to the “Carta di Roma” and “Casa Alessia”
associations, which both work to help
the needy and refugees, and encouraged them to continue in their challenging
work. He also greeted the families of workers from Castelfiorentino, Italy,
recently made redundant following the closure of Shelbox due to the current
economic crisis.
“While I express my closeness to you, I hope also that the competent
authorities will make every effort to ensure that work, which is the source of
dignity, is a central concern for all”.
Finally, he greeted the National Council of Anti-Usury Foundations.
“I hope that these institutions may intensify their commitment alongside
the victims of usury, a dramatic social ill. When a family has nothing to eat,
because it has to make
payments to usurers, this is not Christian, it is not human! This dramatic
scourge in our society harms the inviolable dignity of the human
person”.
POPE'S MESSAGE TO THE PONTIFICAL ACADEMIES: FAITH KNOWS BECAUSE IT IS TIED
TO LOVE
Vatican City, 29 January 2014 (VIS) – Yesterday afternoon in the
Great Hall of the St. Pius X Palace the Pontifical Academies celebrated their
18th Public Session, the theme of which was “Occulata Fides. Reading
Truth with the eyes of
Christ”. The work of the Session was introduced by Cardinal Gianfranco
Ravasi, president of the Pontifical Council for Culture and the Council for
Co-ordination between the Pontifical Academies.
During the session, Archbishop Pietro Parolin, secretary of State, read a
message from Pope Francis to the participants, recalling that this year's
theme is drawn from a phrase of St. Thomas Aquinas, cited in the encyclical
Lumen Fidei and which the
Pontifical Academies debate in this document and the recent Apostolic
Exhortation “Evangelii Gaudium”.
“In both documents, I invite reflection on the 'enlightening'
dimension of faith and on the connection between faith and truth, to be
investigated not only with the mind's eye, but also that of the heart, that
is, from the perspective of
love”, writes the Pope. Faith knows because it is tied to love, because
love itself brings light. The comprehension of faith is that which is born
when we receive God's great love which transforms us within and gives us new
eyes through which we
see reality. … This has important consequences both in terms of how
believers act, and for the way theologians work. 'Truth nowadays is often
reduced to the subjective authenticity of the individual. A common truth
intimidates us, for we identify
it with the intransigent demands of totalitarian systems. But if truth is a
truth of love, if it is a truth disclosed in personal encounter with the Other
and with others, then it can be set free from its
enclosure in individuals and become part of the common good. … Far from
making us inflexible, the security of faith sets us on a journey; it enables
witness and dialogue with all”.
“This vision – of a journeying missionary Church – is
that which is developed in the Apostolic Exhortation on the proclamation of
the Gospel in today's world. The 'dream of a … missionary impulse
capable of transforming
everything' relates to the entire Church and every part of her. The Pontifical
Academies are also called to this transformation, so that the contribution of
this ecclesiastical Body is not lacking. This is not a matter of external
operations, of a
'facade', however. It is, rather, also for you, a question of concentrating
increasingly on the the essentials, on what is most beautiful, most grand,
most appealing and at the same time most necessary'”.
The Holy Father concluded his message by announcing that this year's
Pontifical Academies Prize, dedicated this year to theological research, will
be awarded to two young scholars for their contribution to the promotion of a
new Christian humanism:
Rev. Professor Alessandro Clemenzia, for his work “In the Trinity as
Church. In dialogue with Heribert Muhlen”, and Professor Maria Silvia
Vaccarezza for the work “The reasons of the contingent. Practical wisdom
from Aristotle to St.
Thomas Aquinas”.
AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE HOLY SEE AND MALTA ON CANONICAL MARRIAGE
Vatican City, 29 January 2014 (VIS) – On 27 January, at the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs in Malta, the third additional protocol to the agreement
between the Holy See and the Republic of Malta of 3 February 1993 on the
recognition of civil
effects to canonical marriages and the decisions of the Authorities and
ecclesiastical tribunals on the same marriages.
The agreement was signed on behalf of the Holy See by Archbishop Aldo
Cavalli, apostolic nuncio to Malta, as Plenipotentiary, and for the Republic
of Malta by George W. Vella, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Malta.
The Third Additional Protocol, which consists of four articles, amends the
aforementioned Agreement of 1993.
Vatican City, 29 January 2014 (VIS) – The Holy Father has:
- appointed Bishop Edmilson Amador Caetano, O. Cist. of Barretos, Brazil,
as bishop of Guarulhos (area 341, population 1,357,000, Catholics 879,000,
priests 50, religious 105), Brazil.
- appointed Msgr. Estevam Santos Silva Filho as auxiliary of the
archdiocese of Sao Salvador da Bahia (area 3,859, population 3,862,000,
Catholics 2,730,000, priests 289, religious 756), Brazil. The bishop-elect was
born in Vitoria da Conquista,
Brazil in 1968, and was ordained a priest in 1995. He studied philosophy at
the Instituto Filosofico Nossa Senhora das Vitorias and theology at the
Instituto Coracao Eucaristico de Jesus in Belo Horizonte, and specialised in
communications at the
Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogota, Colombia. He has served in a
number of pastoral roles, including priest in various parishes in the
archdiocese of Vitoria da Conquista, and was spiritual director of the
preparatory seminary at Itapetinga, the
major seminary of philosophy in Vitoria da Conquista, and the major seminary
of theology in Ilheus. He also serves as a member of the Council of Formators,
the College of Consultors, and the Presbyteral Council, and as ecclesiastical
assessor for archdiocesan pastoral of communication and in the youth sector.
He is currently priest of the parish “Nossa Senhora das Candeias”,
archdiocesan bursar and formator in the seminary of philosophy in Vitoria da
Conquista.
