The introductory presentation by Cardinal Kasper, which will not be
published as it was intended for use within the context of the meeting by
participants only – occupied almost the entire morning, with the
exception of the last ten minutes in
which a few comments were made. However, this afternoon and tomorrow morning
will be dedicated to comment and discussion.
The text of the president emeritus of the Pontifical Council for Promoting
Christian Unity is “in harmony” with the words spoken today by
Pope Francis. The focus was very coherent with that of the Holy Father:
facing, with realism and in
depth, all that is beautiful about the family without eluding its problems.
However, the issue is approached from an extremely positive
Subject: VISnews140220
From: Vatican Information Service - Eng - txt
point of view: rediscovering and proclaiming the Gospel of the family
according to God's plan, with all its beauty,
as truth also convinces through beauty. Another central point of Kasper's
address was the concept of the family as a small domestic church, and the idea
according to which in the family the Church encounters reality and thus
constitutes a path towards
the future; the family can be a privileged route to evangelisation. Cardinal
Kasper spoke about this “domestic church” in a broad sense,
referring not only to the nuclear family, but also by extension to
communities, parish groups etc.
From a formal point of view, Fr. Lombardi mentioned that Cardinal Kasper's
document does not claim to address all themes related to the family, nor does
it attempt to anticipate the next Synod, but is rather a form of
“opening”. Its
introduction was dedicated to the rediscovery of the Gospel of the family,
originating from the family in the order of creation, the vision of the family
in Genesis and in God's plan. The second part focused on the structures of sin
within the family:
problems, tensions between men and women, body and spirit, the alienation of
the suffering of women and mothers, etc. Finally, it explored the issue of the
family in the Christian order of redemption, referring to texts from the
Gospel and the New
Testament relating to the family, such as the Letter to the Ephesians. It also
considered marriage as a Sacrament, and its sanctifying grace.
The cardinal also referred to the question of remarried divorcees,
considering the theme in depth and in a structured, nuanced fashion. He
reiterated that in this area it is necessary to bring together pastoral care
with the inseparable duo of faith
and the words of Jesus, and an understanding of divine mercy. The cardinal
referred to Pope emeritus Benedict XVI's work on this issue, when he asked if,
beyond rigour and laxity, the Sacrament of penance could perhaps offer the
path to accommodating
difficult situations. He also recalled Pope Francis' address to the prelates
of the Roman Rota at the beginning of this year, in which he spoke about the
validity of marriage, when he affirmed that the legal and pastoral dimensions
are not in
opposition.
Fr. Lombardi concluded by emphasising that the Cardinal accorded great
importance to the “law of gradualness”, or rather the advancement
towards new forms in exploring in depth the mystery of redemption in Christ,
and in understanding the
Gospel law of truth.
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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
Vatican City, 20 February 2014 (VIS) – The Holy Father has:
- appointed Fr. Damiano Giulio Guzzetti, M.C.C.J., as bishop of Moroto
(area 14,857, population 470,000, Catholics 229,368, priests 35, religious
109), Uganda. The bishop-elect was born in Turate, Italy in 1959, gave his
solemn vows in 1989, and was
ordained a priest in 1989. He has served in a number of pastoral roles,
including parish vicar in “Namalu” and “Naoi”, and
priest of the parish of “Matanynella”, in the diocese of Moroto;
member of the provincial
council of the Congregation of Comboni Missionaries in Uganda, formator of
postulants in his Congregation in Uganda, and bursar and lecturer at the Queen
of Apostle Philosophy Centre in Jinja, Uganda. He succeeds Bishop Henry
Apaloryamam Ssentongo,
whose resignation, upon having reached the age limit, was accepted by the Holy
Father.
- appointed Msgr. Olivier Leborgne as bishop of Amiens (area 6,277,
population 586,200, Catholics 503,200, priests 88, permanent deacons 16,
religious 197), France. The bishop-elect was born in Nantes, France in 1963
and was ordained a priest in
1991. He has served in a number of pastoral roles, including parish vicar in
Elancourt-Maurepas, priest of the parish “St. Bernadette” in
Versailles, and episcopal vicar for formation. Since 2004 he has held the role
of vicar general of the
diocese of Versailles.
- appointed Msgr. Carl Allan Kemme as bishop of Wichita (area 51,955,
population 994,000, Catholics 126,800, priests 123, permanent deacons 4,
religious 259), U.S.A. The bishop-elect was born in Effingham, Illinois in
1960 and was ordained a priest
in 1986. He has served in a number of pastoral roles, including priest of the
parish of “St. Mary” in Brussels, “St. Joseph” in
Meppen and the “Holy Family Parish” in Decatur, parish
administrator of “Our Lady
of the Holy Spirit” in Mt. Zion, vicar forane in the Decatur deanery,
priest-moderator of the “St. James Parish” in Decatur, priest in
the “St. Peter Parish” in Petersburg and the “St. John
Vianney Parish” in
Sherman, and diocesan administrator. He has served as vicar general and
moderator of the Curia since 2010. In 2002 he was named Prelate of Honour of
His Holiness.
- appointed Msgr. Peter Baldacchino as auxiliary of the archdiocese of
Miami (area 12,836, population 4,369,000, Catholics 874,000, priests 379,
permanent deacons 161, religious 399), U.S.A. The bishop-elect was born in
Sliema, Malta in 1960 and and
was ordained a priest in 1996. He holds a Master of Divinity from Seton Hall
University, South Orange, U.S.A., and has served in the following pastoral
roles: vicar of the parish of “Our Lady of Mount Carmel” in
Ridgewood, chancellor of the
“Missio sui iuris” of Turks and Caicos, and priest of the parish
of “Our Lady of Divine Providence” on the island of
rovidenciales. In 2002 he was named Chaplain of His Holiness.
- appointed Cardinal Stanislaw Rylko, president of the Pontifical Council
for the Laity, as special envoy to the celebration of the 650th anniversary of
the consecration of the Cathedral of Krakow, to be held on 28 March 2014.
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