Subject: VISnews140324
From: Vatican Information Service - Eng - txt 


 VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 55
DATE 24-03-2014

Summary:
 - TO THE BISHOPS OF GUINEA: DISCORD BETWEEN CHRISTIANS IS THE GREATEST
OBSTACLE TO EVANGELISATION
 - THE PASSION OF CHRIST, THE BEST SCHOOL FOR HEALTH CARE WORKERS
 - THE POPE RECEIVES IN AUDIENCE A DELEGATION FROM THE APOSTOLIKI DIAKONIA
 - ANGELUS: JESUS, GIVE ME THE WATER TO QUENCH MY THIRST
 - 24 HOURS OF FORGIVENESS
 - TELEGRAM FOR THE DEATH OF THE SYRIAN ORTHODOX PATRIARCH OF ANTIOCH
 - POPE FRANCIS RECEIVES IN AUDIENCE THE PRESIDENT OF NIGERIA
 - DISINFORMATION, SLANDER AND DEFAMATION: SINS OF THE MEDIA
 - INSTITUTION OF THE PONTIFICAL COMMISSION FOR THE PROTECTION OF MINORS
 - THE POPE APPOINTS THE PRELATE SECRETARY OF THE COUNCIL FOR THE ECONOMY
 - CARDINAL RYLKO, POPE'S SPECIAL ENVOY TO KRAKOW
 - THE POPE TO THE MAFIA: REPENT, YOU CANNOT TAKE YOUR BLOODSTAINED MONEY AND
POWER TO THE NEXT LIFE
 - AUDIENCES
 - OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

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TO THE BISHOPS OF GUINEA: DISCORD BETWEEN CHRISTIANS IS THE GREATEST OBSTACLE
TO EVANGELISATION
Vatican City, 24 March 2014 (VIS) -; Gratitude for the great work of
evangelisation that is taking place in Guinea, despite a lack of material
resources, and invitations to unity, reconciliation and dialogue with members
of other religions were the key points of the Pope's address to the bishops of
the Episcopal Conference of Guinea, whom he received in audience this morning,
at the end of their "ad limina" visit.
"Christ's disciples form a living body that manifests the joy of the
Gospel by the enthusiasm of faith, although the conditions under which the
Good News is proclaimed are often difficult", the Pope writes.
"From a purely human point of view the means of evangelisation may seem
ridiculous. Far from being discouraged, you must remember that this is the
work of Jesus Himself, beyond all that we are able to discover and understand.
However, for the Gospel to profoundly touch and convert hearts, we must
remember that only if we are united in love can we give witness to the truth
of the Gospel. ... Discord between Christians is the greatest obstacle to
evangelisation. It favours the development of groups that exploit poverty and
credulity to propose easy but illusory problems to the problems faced by the
people. In a world afflicted by many ethnic, political and religious
conflicts, communities must be 'authentically fraternal and reconciled' for
their witne
 ss to
be 'luminous and attractive'. God will give us the grace, if we know how to
receive it, to render unity greater than conflict".
Pope Francis goes on to remark that, for the proclamation of the Gospel to be
fruitful, all existence must be coherent with what is proclaimed. He thanks
the bishops for having instituted centres for the formation of laypersons and
catechists for this purpose, and he urged them to support families in which
Christian marriage must be lived without ambiguity, given that polygamy is
very widespread within the country. He also suggests that they encourage the
young to "bear witness to their faith, by committing themselves within
society, thereby demonstrating their attachment to their country. In
collaboration with the different actors in social life, they must always be
artisans of peace and reconciliation in the fight against the extreme poverty
that Guinea faces. In this respect, despite difficulties, I encourage you to
deepen your relationships with your Muslim compatriots, mutually learning to
accept different ways of being, thinking and expressing oneself".
The Pope turns his attention also to the religious who in Guinea
"express the love of Christ in works of aid for the population, both in
healthcare and in education and instruction ... accomplishing a true act
of evangelisation, and giving authentic testimony of God's tenderness towards
all mankind, especially the poorest and weakest; a witness that touches hearts
and firmly entrenches faith". Despite a lack of resources, Francis urges
the prelates always to support them, "both spiritually and materially so
that they may courageously persevere in their work of evangelisation and
social promotion".
The final paragraphs of the Pope's address are dedicated to priests, who are
however still few in number in Guinea. The Holy Father congratulates them for
the recent opening of the "Benedict XVI" major seminary which
offers hope for the future and emphasises that the example of priests who live
their vocation with joy is essential for ensuring that the new priests
"learn to live truly the requirements of ecclesiastical celibacy, and
the proper relationship with material goods, rejecting worldliness and
careerism -; for the priesthood is not a means of social mobility -;
as well as a real engagement with the poorest".

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THE PASSION OF CHRIST, THE BEST SCHOOL FOR HEALTH CARE WORKERS
Vatican City, 24 March 2014 (VIS) -; This morning in the Vatican Pope
Francis received the participants in the plenary session of the Pontifical
Council for Health Care Workers, whose president is Archbishop Zygmunt
Zimowski. "It is true that in suffering no-one is ever alone", he
said, "as God in his merciful love for mankind and for the world also
embraces the most inhuman situations, in which the image of the Creator
present in every person appears to be obscured or disfigured. Thus was Jesus,
in his Passion. ... And here, in the Passion of Jesus, there is the
greatest school for whoever wishes to dedicate him to the service of his sick
and suffering brethren".
Pope Francis recalled, on the Feast of the Solemnity of the Annunciation of
the Lord, which will be celebrated tomorrow, how Mary welcomes life on behalf
of us all. "Mary offers her very existence, she made herself entirely
available for God's will, becoming the locus of his presence, the place in
which the Son of God resides".
He continued, "The experience of fraternal sharing with those who suffer
opens us to the true beauty of human life, which includes its fragility. In
the protection and promotion of life, in whatever state and condition it may
be found, we can recognise the dignity and the value of each single human
being, from conception to natural death". The Pope concluded by
encouraging those present always to keep in mind "the flesh of Christ in
the poor, in those who suffer, in children, including those who are unwanted,
in people with physical or mental handicaps, and in the elderly".

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THE POPE RECEIVES IN AUDIENCE A DELEGATION FROM THE APOSTOLIKI DIAKONIA
Vatican City, 24 March 2014 (VIS) -; The Orthodox Bishop Agathanghelos,
director general of the Apostoliki Diakonia of the Greek Church, accompanied
by a group of collaborators, was received in audience by Pope Francis this
morning. The Apostoliki Diakonia is the body in charge of the promotion of
pastoral, cultural and editorial activities in Greece on behalf of the Holy
Synod of the Greek Orthodox Church.
As a result of the improved relations with the Greek Orthodox Church,
following John Paul II's visit to Athens in 2001, it has been possible to
carry out various collaborative projects of a cultural nature involving the
Holy See and the Apostoliki Diakonia of the Church of Greece.
During their stay in Rome, from 21 to 26 March, the Greek delegation will
visit the Basilicas of St. Peter and St. Paul Outside-the-Walls to venerate
the tombs of the apostles Peter and Paul. They will also meet with Cardinal
Walter Kasper, president of the Pontifical Council for promoting Christian
Unity, Archbishop Jean-Louis Brugues, archivist and librarian of the Holy
Roman Church, and the directors of the Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Visits are
also scheduled to the Catacombs of St. Callisto, the Abbey of the Three
Fountains, and the Sant'Egidio Community.

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ANGELUS: JESUS, GIVE ME THE WATER TO QUENCH MY THIRST
Vatican City, 23 March 2014 (VIS) -; On the third Sunday of Lent, the
Holy Father appeared at the window of his study in the Vatican Apostolic
Palace to pray the Angelus with the faithful and pilgrims present. Before the
Marian prayer, the Pontiff commented on the Gospel passage in which the
Samaritan woman goes to collect water from the well and encounters in Jesus
the water of mercy; she finds what she had sought, and returned to the judged
and rejected to announce to them that she had encountered the one who had
changed her life. "We too have many questions to pose, but we do not
find the courage to put them to Jesus! Lent is the ideal time to look within
ourselves, to let our truest spiritual needs emerge, and to ask the help of
the Lord in prayer. The example of the Samaritan woman invites us to express
ourselves thus: 'Jesus, give me the water so I may thirst no more'".
"The result of this encounter at the well was that the woman was
transformed. ... For every encounter with Jesus changes our lives,
always. It is a step ahead, a step closer to God. And so every encounter with
Jesus changes our lives, always. ... In this Gospel reading we also find
the impetus to 'leave our amphora', our water jar, the symbol of all that is
seemingly important, but which loses its value before 'God's love'. We all
have one, or more than one! ... What is your inner amphora, what weighs
upon you, what distances you from God?" he asked the faithful.
"Let us set it aside a little and hear in our hearts Christ's voice,
offering us a different water, a water that brings us closer to the
Lord".
The Pope continued, "We are called to rediscover the importance and the
meaning of our Christian life, beginning with our Baptism and, like the
Samaritan woman, to bear witness to our brethren of the joy of the encounter
with Jesus; bear witness to the joy of this encounter. Each encounter with
Jesus changes our life, and each encounter with Jesus also fills us with joy,
that joy that comes from within. Let us tell how many marvellous things the
Lord is able to do within our hearts, once we find the courage to let go of
our amphora".

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24 HOURS OF FORGIVENESS
Vatican City, 23 March 2014 (VIS) -; Following today's Angelus prayer,
the Holy Father Francis mentioned that Monday 24 is World Tuberculosis Day,
and he asked for prayers for all those who suffer from this disease. The Pope
also encouraged all those present to celebrate "24 hours for the
Lord", a prayer initiative which will be held on Friday 28 and Saturday
29 March. It will be a moment of penance that will begin with a celebration in
St. Peter's Basilica on Friday afternoon, and various churches in the centre
of Rome will stay open during the night for prayer and confession. "It
will be a festival of forgiveness", he said, "that will also take
place in many dioceses and parishes throughout the world".

___________________________________________________________


TELEGRAM FOR THE DEATH OF THE SYRIAN ORTHODOX PATRIARCH OF ANTIOCH
Vatican City, 24 March 2014 (VIS) -; The Holy Father has sent a telegram
of condolences for the death of His Holiness Mar Ignatius Zakka Iwas, Syrian
Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and all the East on 21 March, at the age of 80.
"The whole Christian world has lost one of its outstanding spiritual
leaders, courageous and wise in leading people through very difficult
times", he writes. "Following his election as patriarch in 1980,
His Holiness was an engaged witness of the successive violent conflicts that
have brought untold death and suffering to the Middle East, especially Iraq
and most recently Syria. His Holiness was a man of dialogue and peace with
regard to the followers of all religious traditions".
Pope Francis also mentions in the telegram the Patriarch's role as an observer
at the Vatican Council II and gives thanks for his "extraordinary
contribution to strengthening communion between Syrian Orthodox Christians and
the Catholic faithful".

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POPE FRANCIS RECEIVES IN AUDIENCE THE PRESIDENT OF NIGERIA
Vatican City, 22 March 2014 (VIS) -; Today, in the Vatican Apostolic
Palace, Pope Francis received in audience Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan,
president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, who subsequently met with
Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, and Archbishop Dominique Mamberti,
secretary for Relations with States.
In the course of the talks, emphasis was laid on the cordial relations between
the Holy See and Nigeria, and appreciation was expressed for the positive
contribution offered by the Church to the welfare of the entire country,
especially in the areas of education and health care, as well as in promoting
dialogue between the various components of society. Particular attention was
given in the meeting to the protection of the dignity of the human person and
his or her fundamental rights, beginning with religious freedom. In this
context the joint condemnation of every form of violence was renewed and hope
was expressed for a rapid return to peaceful coexistence in the whole Country.
Finally, an exchange of views took place regarding several issues of regional
interest, with particular reference to the situations of crisis and conflict
in central and sub-Saharan Africa.

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DISINFORMATION, SLANDER AND DEFAMATION: SINS OF THE MEDIA
Vatican City, 22 March 2014 (VIS) -; This morning in the Sala Clementina
of the Vatican Apostolic Palace the Holy Father received in audience the
members of the "Corallo" Association, a network of local
Catholic-inspired broadcasters from all regions of Italy. The Pope gave an
off-the-cuff address to those present, in which he defined the virtues,
mission and sins of the communication media.
"Your work should be carried out along these three routes: the path of
truth, the path of goodness, and the path of beauty. But truth, goodness and
beauty are consistent -; they come from within, they are human. And, on
the path of truth, along these three routes, we can find mistakes and even
traps. 'I think, I look for the truth ...': be careful not to become an
intellectual without intelligence. 'I go in search of goodness': be careful
not to be an ethicist without goodness. 'I like beauty': yes, but be careful
not to do what is frequently done: do not look for cosmetics to create an
artificial beauty that does not exist".
The Pope went on to refer to the "harmonious unity" of the work of
broadcasters, commenting that, although there are large and small media
entities, "in the Church there is neither large nor small: everyone has
his or her function and help for others, the hand cannot exist without the
head, and so on. We are all members, and also your media, whether they be
large or small, are members, harmonised in their vocation of service to the
Church. No-one should consider themselves to be too small in relation to
another that is too large. Everyone is important in this harmony, for the
Church is harmony in diversity. ... It is important to seek unity, and
not to subscribe to the logic that the large fish swallows the smaller
fish".
Pope Francis then went on to speak about clericalism, which he defined as
"one of the ills of the Church. But it is a sin of complicity, as
priests are subject to the temptation to clericalise the laity, while many
laypersons ask on their knees to be clericalised, because it is convenient.
... So this is a sin committed by two hands. We must resist this
temptation. The layperson must be a layperson, baptised and with the strength
that comes from baptism. A servant, but with a lay vocation, and this cannot
be sold, bargained for, and one is not complicit with the other, because it is
a question of identity. ... Is the deacon or the priest more important
than the layperson? No! ... The function of the layperson cannot be
exercised by the priest, and the Holy Spirit is free: sometimes it inspires a
priest to do something, and at other times it inspires a layperson. This is
something that is discussed in the pastoral Council, which is very important.
A parish
  that
does not have a pastoral Council and a Council for economic affairs is not a
good parish: it lacks life".
Finally, the Holy Father commented that the media embody many virtues, but
also many sins. With regard to the latter, the three most significant are
those which "take the road of lies: ... disinformation, slander and
defamation. The last two are serious, but not as dangerous as the first.
Slander is a mortal sin, but it is possible to clarify the situation and
become aware that it is slander. Defamation is a mortal sin, but it is
possible to say: this is an injustice, because this person did something at
that time but has now repented and changed their life. But disinformation
means telling half-truths, the part that is most convenient to me, and not
saying the other half. Therefore, those who watch the television or listen to
the radio are not able to arrive at a perfect judgement, because they do not
have all the elements necessary to do so, and the media do not give them.
Please, shun these three sins".

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INSTITUTION OF THE PONTIFICAL COMMISSION FOR THE PROTECTION OF MINORS
Vatican City, 22 March 2014 (VIS) -; The Holy Father has instituted the
Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, as announced on 5 December
2013, and has invited the following people to be members: Catherine Bonnet,
France; Marie Collins, Ireland; Sheila Hollins, United Kingdom; Cardinal Sean
Patrick O'Malley O.F.M. Cap., United States; Claudio Papale, Italy; Hanna
Suchocka, Poland; Humberto Miguel Yanez S.J., Argentina; and Hans Zollner,
S.J., Germany.
Their principal task will be to prepare the Commission's statutes, which will
define its competence and functions. The Commission will subsequently be
joined by other members, nominated from various geographical areas of the
world.
Marie Collins, who suffered sexual abuse as a child and brought the priest
responsible to justice in 1997, is the co-founder of the Marie Collins
Foundation, an NGO providing help and legal assistance to victims of abuse and
their families. Sheila Hollins is emeritus professor of Psychiatry and former
president of the British Medical Assocation. Cardinal Sean Patrick O'Malley
O.F.M. Cap. is archbishop of Boston, U.S.A., and is well-known for his efforts
for the protection of childhood and is a member of the Apostolic Visitation of
dioceses and seminaries in Ireland in 2010. Claudio Papale is a lawyer and
professor in the faculty of canon law at the Pontifical Urbaniana University,
Rome. Hanna Suchocka, former prime minister of Poland (1992-1993), is a
professor at the University of Poznan, specialising in constitutional law, and
the author of various texts on human rights. The Jesuit Fr. Manuel Yanez is
professor of moral theology at the Pontifical Gregorian and Urbaniana
Universities. Fr. Hans Zollner,S.J., psychotherapist and psychologist, is the
academic vice-rector of the Pontifical Gregorian University, director of the
Institute of Psychology, and chair of the Steering Committee of the
Institute's "Centre for Child Protection".
The director of the Holy See Press Office, Fr. Federico Lombardi S.J.,
commented that by the institution of this Commission, Pope Francis has made it
clear that the Church considers the protection of minors as a priority issue.
"In the certainty that the Church must play a crucial role in this
field, and looking to the future without forgetting the past, the Commission
will adopt a multiple approach to promoting the protection of minors, which
will include education for the prevention of the exploitation of children,
legal procedures relating to offences against minors, civil and canonical
duties and responsibilities, and the development of 'best practices' as
defined and developed in society as a whole".

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THE POPE APPOINTS THE PRELATE SECRETARY OF THE COUNCIL FOR THE ECONOMY
Vatican City, 22 March 2014 (VIS) -; The Holy See Press Office today
announced that, following the motu proprio: Fidelis dispensator et prudens,
which established the Secretariat for the Economy presided over by Cardinal
George Pell, and following the institution of the Council for the Economy and
the appointment of Cardinal Reinhard Marx as Cardinal coordinator of this
organ, the Holy Father has nominated Msgr. Brian Ferme as Prelate Secretary of
the Council for the Economy.
The Prelate Secretary has the task of assisting the Cardinal Coordinator in
the fulfilment of the functions of the Council for the Economy, whose
competences are associated with the guidance and supervision of the
administrative and financial activities of the economic entities of the Holy
See.
Msgr. Brian Ferme was born in 1955, and is a priest in the diocese of
Portsmouth, England. He completed his philosophical, theological and canonical
studies in Melbourne, Oxford and Rome. He is the author of numerous scientific
publications and articles. He has served as professor of canon law at the
Gregorian Pontifical University and subsequently at the Pontifical Lateran
University, where he became dean of the faculty of canon law in 2000. In 2003,
in Washington, he became dean of the faculty of canon law at the Catholic
University of America, after which he transferred to Venice as head of the St.
Pius X faculty of canon law. He collaborates with various dicasteries of the
Roman Curia; in particular, he is a consultor of the Congregation for the
Doctrine of the Faith and the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts.

___________________________________________________________


CARDINAL RYLKO, POPE'S SPECIAL ENVOY TO KRAKOW
Vatican City, 22 March 2014 (VIS) -; A letter was published today,
written in Latin and dated 26 February, in which the Holy Father appoints
Cardinal Stanislaw Rylko, president of the Pontifical Council for the Laity,
as his special envoy to the celebration commemorating the 650th anniversary of
the consecration of the Cathedral of Krakow, Poland, which will take place on
28 March.
The Cardinal will be accompanied by a mission composed of Msgr. Jacek Urban,
canon of the metropolitan Chapter, and Msgr. Jan Machniak, canon of the
Chapter of the Collegiate Church of St. Florian.

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THE POPE TO THE MAFIA: REPENT, YOU CANNOT TAKE YOUR BLOODSTAINED MONEY AND
POWER TO THE NEXT LIFE
Vatican City, 22 March 2014 (VIS) -; Yesterday Pope Francis visited the
Roman Church of San Gregorio VII, where he met with more than 700 families of
the victims of the mafia, representing approximately 15,000 persons who have
lost loved ones as a result of mafia violence. Since 1996 the first day of
spring, 21 March, has been dedicated to the memory of the victims of mafia
groups and every year the "Libera" association organises a
demonstration in a different town. This year it took place in Latina, where
today the 19th Day of Memory and Commitment is to be held on the theme
"Roots of memory, fruit of commitment".
The prayer vigil in the Church of San Gregorio began with an address by the
priest Don Luigi Ciotti, founder of "Libera", after which the
names of the 900 victims of the mafia were read aloud. Following the reading
of the Gospel and the Beatitudes, the Pope addressed the following words to
those present:
"I wish to share with you a hope, and it is this: that the sense of
responsibility might gradually prevail over corruption, in every part of the
world. ... And this must begin from within, from consciences, and from
there it is necessary to heal, to restore to health forms of behaviour,
relations, choices, the social fabric, so that justice gains space, spreads,
takes root, and supplants iniquity.
"I know that you feel this hope strongly, and I want to share it with
you, to tell you that I will be close to you also tonight and tomorrow, in
Latina -; even if I cannot be there in person, I will be with you on this
journey, which requires tenacity and perseverance.
"In particular, I wish to express my solidarity with those who have lost
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