"The fourth part of the Initial Report, regarding the 'Affirmation of the
prohibition against torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or
punishment in the teachings and activities of the Holy See', references the
wide array of documents, proclamations, publications, radio and television
programs by which the Holy See actively addresses not only followers of the
Catholic Faith, but also the international Community and all people of good
will".
 "It should be stressed, particularly in light of much confusion, that the
Holy See has no jurisdiction - as that term is understood also under article
2.1 of the Convention - over every member of the Catholic Church. The Holy See
wishes to reiterate that the persons who live in a particular country are
under the jurisdiction of the legitimate authorities of that country and are
thus subject to the domestic law and the consequences contained therein. State
authorities are obligated to protect, and when necessary, prosecute persons
under their jurisdiction. The Holy See exercises the same authority upon those
who live in Vatican City State in accordance with its laws. Hence, the Holy
See, in respecting the principles of autonomy and sovereignty of States,
insists that the State authority, which has legitimate competency, act as the
responsible agent of justice in regard to crimes and abuses committed by
persons under their jurisdiction. My Delegation wishes to emphasize that this
includes not only acts of torture and other acts of cruel and inhuman
punishments, but also all other acts considered as crimes committed by any
individual who, notwithstanding affiliation with a Catholic institution, is
subject to a particular State authority. The obligation and responsibility of
promoting justice in these cases resides with the competent domestic
jurisdiction".
 "To recapitulate this fourth part of the Report, it might be said that the
measures employed by the Holy See to take effective legislative,
administrative, judicial or other measures to prevent and to prohibit torture
and to address its root causes to avoid future acts in this area are abundant.
This manifests the Holy See's desire 'to lend its moral support and
collaboration to the international Community, so as to contribute to the
elimination of recourse to torture, which is inadmissible and inhuman'".

___________________________________________________________

 BE RESURRECTED WAYFARERS, LET THE WORD OF GOD WARM YOUR HEARTS
 Vatican City, 4 May 2014 (VIS) - "Peter is a witness to the hope there is in
Christ ... and is the firm point of reference for the community, since he is
based on the rock that is Christ. ... Thus was John Paul II, a true stone
anchored to the great Rock". With these words, the Pope began his homily in
the Roman Church of St. Stanislaw in Rome this Sunday, in which he joined with
the Polish community to give thanks for the canonisation of John Paul II.
Francis mentioned that, during his pontificate, Pope Wojtyla visited this
church on more than eighty occasions and said that "in moments of sadness or
dejection, when all appeared to be lost, he never lost hope, as his faith and
hope were rooted in God. And therefore he was an anchor stone, a rock for this
community".
 The Holy Father commented that the Polish population is well aware that, to
enter into glory, one must pass through passion and the cross, "and they know
this not because they have studied it, but because they have experienced it.
St. John Paul II, as a worthy son of his earthly homeland, followed this
route. He followed it in an exemplary fashion, being thoroughly despoiled by
God. For this reason, his flesh reposes in hope".
 The Pope asked those present if they were willing to follow this route and
mentioned that St. Peter, with the voice of St. John Paul II, asks us to
conduct ourselves in fear of God during our time on earth. "We are wayfarers",
he emphasised, "but not errants. We walk, but we know where we are going.
Errants do not. We are pilgrims but not vagabonds, as St. John Paul II used to
say".
 He concluded, "We too can become 'resurrected wayfarers', if His Word warms
our heart, and His Eucharist opens our eyes to faith and nourishes us with
hope and charity. We too can walk alongside our brothers and sisters who are
sad and desperate, warm our hearts with the Gospel, and break the bread of
fraternity with them".

___________________________________________________________

 FRANCIS: REIGNITE HOPE IN OUR HEARTS
 Vatican City, 4 May 2014 (VIS) - As is usual on Sunday, the Holy Father
appeared at the window of the Vatican Apostolic Palace to pray the Regina
Coeli with the faithful gathered in the square. He spoke about the disciples
who encountered Jesus on the path to Emmaus but did not recognise Him. "Seeing
how sad they were, He first helped them to understand that the passion and the
death of the Messiah were foreseen in God's plan and foretold in the Sacred
Scriptures; and in this way He reignited the flame of hope in their hearts".
 "The road to Emmaus has thus become a symbol of our path of faith", he
continued. "The Scriptures and the Eucharist are the indispensable elements
for the encounter with the Lord. Often we too arrive at Sunday Mass with our
worries, our difficulties and our disappointments. Life at times wounds us and
we proceed sadly towards our 'Emmaus', turning away from God's plan. We drift
away from God. But the Liturgy of the Word accommodates us: Jesus explains the
Scriptures to us and reignites in our hearts the warmth of faith and hope, and
in Communion He gives us strength".
 Before concluding, the Pope also commented that the Word of God and the
Eucharist always fill us with joy. "Do not forget! When you are sad, take the
Word of God. When you are down, take the Word of God and go to Mass on Sunday
to receive Communion, to participate in the mystery of Jesus. The Word of God,
the Eucharist: they fill us with joy. .. There is always a Word of God that
guides us when we are disorientated; and through our weariness and
disappointments, there is always the broken Bread that helps us along the
path".

___________________________________________________________

 CATHOLIC ACTION: REACH OUT TO THE BOUNDARIES WITH THE JOY OF BEING WITH CHRIST
 Vatican City, 3 May 2014 (VIS) - "New people in Christ Jesus, sharing
responsibility for the joy of living" is the theme chosen for the national
assembly of Italian Catholic Action, whose members were received in audience
by Pope Francis this morning. He emphasised to them that this joy is that of
the disciples who encounter the risen Christ and that it is necessary for it
to be interiorised as part of an evangelical style able to influence life.
 "In the current social and ecclesial context, the lay members of Catholic
Action are required to renew your missionary choice, open to the horizons that
the Spirit indicates to the Church and the expression of a new youth of the
lay apostolate. First and foremost, the parishes, especially those that are
weary and closed, need your apostolic enthusiasm, your full willingness and
your creative service. This means taking on the missionary dynamism to reach
out to everyone, especially those who feel they are distant, and the weakest,
most forgotten parts of the population. It means opening the doors and letting
Jesus out to them".
 Staying, going and rejoicing were the three key words that the Pope indicated
to Catholic Action as beacons for their path.
 "As proclaimers and witnesses of Christ, it is necessary, first of all, to
stay near to Him", he began. "It is from the encounter with Him, He Who is our
life and our joy, that our witness gains new meaning and new strength every
day".
 He then spoke of the need to "go and proclaim that God is the Father and that
Jesus Christ has let you know Him, and therefore your life has changed: it is
possible to live as brothers, carrying within a hope that does not disappoint.
... [Go] where humankind suffers and hopes, loves and believes; where there
are our deepest dreams, our truest questions, the desires of the heart. There,
Jesus awaits you". To rejoice, finally, means "being people who sing life, who
sing faith; people able to recognise their own talents and their own limits,
who are able to see in all their days, even the darkest, the signs of the
Lord's presence. Rejoice because the Lord has called you to share in the
responsibility of the mission of His Church".
 "With these three attitudes, staying in Jesus, going out to the boundaries
and living the joy of Christian belonging, you can carry forward your vocation
and avoid the temptation of 'quiescence', which has nothing to do with staying
with Jesus; the temptation of closure and 'intimism'; and the temptation of
formal seriousness. Avoid living a life that bears more resemblance to that of
a statue in a museum rather than those of people called upon by Christ to live
and spread the joy of the Gospel".

___________________________________________________________

 TO THE BISHOPS OF SRI LANKA: CONTRIBUTE TO NATIONAL RECONCILIATION AND FOSTER
INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE AGAINST EXTREMISM
 Vatican City, 3 May 2014 (VIS) - The contribution of the Catholic Church to
national reconciliation and the reconstruction of civil society, the
importance of interreligious dialogue as a bulwark against an extremism that
promotes a false sense of national unity based on a single religious identity,
and the protection of the family were the central themes of Pope Francis'
address to the bishops of Sri Lanka at the end of their five-yearly "ad
limina" visit.
 After many years of conflict and bloodshed, the war in Sri Lanka has finally
come to an end and its inhabitants now hope to rebuild their lives and
communities. The bishops have dedicated themselves to this task, as may be
seen by their pastoral letter "Towards Reconciliation and Rebuilding of our
Nation" in which, as well as sharing in the tribulations of the people, they
note that much work remains to be done to ensure respect for human rights and
to overcome ethnic tensions. The Pope joins with them in offering a word of
consolation to "all those who lost loved ones during the war and remain
uncertain as to their fate", and invites communities, "steadfast in the faith,
to remain close to those who still mourn and suffer the lasting effects of
war".
 The Catholic Church in Sri Lanka, which has both Sinhalese and Tamil among
her members, is therefore in a unique position to be able to promote unity
between these groups, and also knows intimately "the concerns and fears of the
people, particularly how they can be marginalised and distrust one another.
The faithful, knowledgeable of the issues that cause tensions between the
Sinhalese and Tamil, can provide an atmosphere of dialogue that seeks to
construct a more just and equitable society".
 He continues, "Sri Lanka is a country not only of rich ethnic diversity, but
also of various religious traditions; this highlights the importance of
interreligious and ecumenical dialogue for fostering mutual knowledge and
enrichment. Your efforts in this regard are commendable and bearing fruit.
They allow the Church to collaborate more easily with others in securing a
lasting peace, and ensure the Church's freedom in pursuing her proper ends,
especially in educating young people in the faith and in witnessing freely to
Christian life. Sri Lanka has also seen, however, the rise of religious
extremists who, in promoting a false sense of national unity based on a single
religious identity, have created tensions through various acts of intimidation
and violence. Though these tensions may threaten interreligious and ecumenical
relations, the Church in Sri Lanka must remain steadfast in seeking partners
in peace and interlocutors in dialogue".
 Francis comments on the important work of priests and consecrated persons in
transmitting faith and promoting reconciliation and dialogue, and dedicates
the final part of his discourse to the family, noting that the war in Sri
Lanka has left many families displaced or mourning the death of their members.
"Many have lost their employment and so families have been separated as
spouses leave their homes to find work. There is also the great challenge and
increasing reality of mixed marriages, which require greater attention to
preparation and assistance to couples in providing for the faith formation of
their children. When we are attentive to our families and their needs, when we
understand their difficulties and hopes, we strengthen the Church's witness
and proclamation of the Gospel. ... Your efforts in support of the family
assist not only the Church, but aid Sri Lankan society as a whole, especially
in its efforts for reconciliation and unity".

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