VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXIV - # 84
DATE 08-05-2014

Summary:
- THE POPE RECEIVES HIS HOLINESS KAREKIN II AND RECALLS ARMENIA'S 20TH CENTURY
MARTYRS
- CARDINAL PAROLIN AT THE SHRINE OF THE VIRGIN OF THE ROSARY AT POMPEII: NO
PROBLEM CAN BANISH HOPE
- COMMUNIQUE ON FALSE VATICAN CONTRACTS
- MEETING OF THE PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE WITH DIYANET
- AUDIENCES
- OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

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 THE POPE RECEIVES HIS HOLINESS KAREKIN II AND RECALLS ARMENIA'S 20TH CENTURY
MARTYRS
 Vatican City, 8 May 2014 (VIS) - "In the person of Your Holiness I extend my
respectful and affectionate thoughts to the members of the family of the
Catholicate of All Armenians throughout the world. It is a special grace for
us to be able to meet in this house, close to the tomb of the Apostle Peter,
and to share a moment of fraternity and prayer".
 Pope Francis thus began his greeting to His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme
Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, in a meeting that took place this
morning. He went on to mention how the links between the Armenian Apostolic
Church and the Church of Rome have been consolidated during recent years
thanks to events such as John Paul II's trip to Armenia in 2001, the presence
of the Patriarch in the Vatican on various occasions such as the official
visit to Benedict XVI in 2008 and the beginning of Pope Francis' ministry as
bishop of Rome in 2013.
 "However", he added, I would like to recall another celebration, rich in
meaning, in which Your Holiness took part: the Commemoration of the Witnesses
of faith in the twentieth century, which took place within the context of the
Great Jubilee of 2000. In truth, the number of disciples who have shed blood
for Christ in the tragic events of the last century is certainly higher than
that of the martyrs of the first centuries, and the sons of the Armenian
nation have a place of honour in this martyrology. The mystery of the Cross,
so dear to the memory of your people, represented in the splendid stone
crosses that adorn every corner of your land, has been lived by countless sons
of yours, directly participating in the chalice of the Passion. Their witness,
both tragic and lofty, must not be forgotten".
 "The suffering of Christians during recent decades has also made a unique and
inestimable contribution to the cause of unity between Christ's disciples. As
in the ancient Church the blood of martyrs became the seed of new Christians,
in our days too the blood of many Christians has become the seed of unity. The
ecumenism of suffering and martyrdom is a powerful reminder to walk the path
of reconciliation between the Churches, decisively and trustfully surrendering
ourselves to the action of the Spirit. Let us feel the duty of following this
path of fraternity also for the debt of gratitude we have towards the
suffering of so many of our brothers, which has become salvific by being
united with the passion of Christ".
 In this respect, the Pope thanked Karekin II for his effective support for
ecumenical dialogue, and in particular the work of the Joint Commission for
theological dialogue between the Catholic Church and the oriental Orthodox
Churches, and for the significant theological contribution to the Commission
offered by the representatives of the Catholicate of All Armenians.
 "Let us pray for each other", concluded the bishop of Rome. "May the Holy
Spirit enlighten us and guide us towards longed-for day in which we may share
in the Eucharist. And may the All Holy Mother of God intercede for the
Armenian population, now and for ever".
 Following the meeting, Pope Francis and His Holiness Karekin prayed together
in the Redemptoris Mater Chapel.

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 CARDINAL PAROLIN AT THE SHRINE OF THE VIRGIN OF THE ROSARY AT POMPEII: NO
PROBLEM CAN BANISH HOPE
 Vatican City, 8 May 2014 (VIS) - Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin
celebrated Holy Mass this morning at the Shrine of the Blessed Virgin Mary of
the Holy Rosary at Pompeii, Italy, a place of Marian devotion, where on 8 May
every year thousands of faithful participate in reciting the Supplication to
the Virgin, a prayer composed in 1883 by Blessed Bartolo Longo, founder of the
Shrine who visited St. John Paul II in 1979 and in 2003 and by Benedict XVI in
2008.
 "We are in a place where charity has pitched her tent", said the cardinal in
his homily, "and has taken root as a constitutive element in a history of
faith that continues to look ahead, driven by the powerful force of its humble
origin: here the prayer, the chaplet of the Rosary of which the founder
Bartolo Longo was an apostle, encountered a situation of an entirely different
type; of poverty and neglect, injustice and oppression. Man's dignity was
trampled and the poor, the last in line, were barely considered".
 Charity "has opened the doors, has thrown them wide open to hope, giving rise
to a new era. No problem, no fear, no matter how strong or reasonable it may
be, can drive away a hope that here is made manifest as concrete, made up of
works that speak the language of a charity that transforms, constructs and
renews. This remains true even though what we experience today does not
protect us from trouble and distress, such as the danger of a forever-lurking
violence, or the scarce and uncertain job prospects for our young people, for
whom not only the current economic crisis, but also delays deep-seated and
structural delays make it difficult to look to the future with serenity and
confidence".
 The cardinal emphasised three important concepts which may help us to
understand what the Lord wishes to say to us every day. The first is that of
proclaiming our faith. The prelate mentioned Peter, who was "pulled along by
Jesus into an adventure that was greater than him", with his fears and frail
humanity, but with the help of the Lord who sent the Holy Spirit to the
Apostles gathered in the Cenacle, he found the strength to proclaim the
Kingdom of God. He also mentioned Mary, "humble servant of the Lord and mother
of our faith". "We are all baptised and have received, in Confirmation, the
gift of the Holy Spirit", he continued. "Let us make this gift bear fruit. Let
us proclaim our faith like St. Peter. Even if this costs us dearly, as it did
him".
 The second concept is to put our faith into practice - that is, to love our
neighbour. "It is precisely this that is at the heart of our faith. This is
the revolution Jesus brought. Mutual love is the commandment he gave to his
followers before dying, defining it as 'his' and 'new'. It is, therefore, the
very essence of his teaching". The cardinal explained that the name "New"
Pompeii indicated not only the temporal distance between the ancient and
splendid excavated city, but also the territory of the desolate Valley that
Bartolo Longo encountered, and made the starting point for a "new beginning".
The founder was aware of the need to put faith into practice, and made the
prayer of the Rosary the central pillar of the Shrine, a "house of the faith
and hope of a new people".
 Being a light for the world - mission - was the final concept set forth by
the secretary of State, who emphasised that, as exhorted by Pope Francis, "we
must bring this light, this truth to the world, to bear witness to it and to
proclaim it to all, and do so with joy". To put these concepts into effect,
Cardinal Parolin encouraged those present to look to Mary "who welcomed the
gift that God gave her and brought it into the world. In the Magnificat, she
professed her faith, living at the same time the concrete love for her
brethren. She followed Jesus to the end, below the Cross, as his Stabat,
living witness of the light of faith, and even today she continues to give to
her children".
 The Cardinal concluded, "let us entrust to Mary ... all our worries, our
anxieties, our needs. Let us pray for the Church, for Pope Francis ... for the
whole world, and for peace. May the Child we see on Mary's lap and the
mystical crown we see in her hand inspire in us the confidence that we will be
heard".

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 COMMUNIQUE ON FALSE VATICAN CONTRACTS
 Vatican City, 8 May 2014 (VIS) - The following is the full text of a
communique published today by the Governorate of Vatican City State.
 "In recent days there has been a series of troubling reports regarding
companies which, boasting official assignments received by the Governorate of
Vatican City State, are offering false contracts for employment by the same
Governorate or with other companies providing services within the State.
 The Governorate advises that all offers of employment of this type be
regarded with suspicion. Recruitment procedures are never entrusted to third
parties and, furthermore, new appointments are not expected at this time.
 It is sadly evident that there are those who take advantage of the good faith
of many young people and their families, especially in this period of crisis.
 The Governorate advises that episodes of this type be reported to the
competent Italian authorities and that a copy of the report be forwarded to
the Vatican Gendarmeria, and expresses its hope that these serious offences
will cease".

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 MEETING OF THE PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE WITH DIYANET
 Vatican City, 8 May 2014 (VIS) - The Pontifical Council for Interreligious
Dialogue, along with the Presidency of Religious Affairs in Turkey (Diyanet)
has organised a meeting to explore the possibility of collaboration between
the two entities, as proposed in 2002. The meeting will take place in the
premises of the above dicastery during these days.
 In September 2012, Fr. Miguel Angel Ayuso Guixot, secretary of the Pontifical
Council for Interreligious Dialogue, during an interview in Turkey with the
president of Diyanet, aired the idea of relaunching a proposal for
collaboration. Therefore, in May 2013, along with Msgr. Khaled Akasheh, head
of the Islamic Department, he will pay a courtesy visit to the president of
Diyanet, Mehmet Gormez, in order to establish the terms of a formal
collaboration between the two entities.
 The meeting will offer the opportunity to deepen mutual knowledge and to
evaluate further perspectives for dialogue.

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 AUDIENCES
 Vatican City, 8 May 2014 (VIS) - Today the Holy Father received in audience:
 - Archbishop Antonio Guido Filipazzi, apostolic nuncio in Indonesia.
 - Nine prelates of the Bishops' Conference of Ethiopia and Eritrea on their
"ad limina" visit:
 Metropolitan Archbishop Berhaneyesus Demerew Souraphiel of Addis Abeba, with
his auxiliary, Bishop Lisane-Christos Matheos Semahun;
 Bishop Abune Tesfaselassie Medhin of Adigrat;
 Bishop Menghesteab Tesfamariam, M.C.C.I., of Asmara, Eritrea;
 Bishop Thomas Osman, O.F.M. Cap., of Barentu, Eritrea;
 Bishop Musie Ghebreghiorghis, O.F.M. Cap., of Emdeber;
 Bishop Kidane Yebio of Keren, Eritrea;
 Bishop Fikremariam Hagos Tsalim of Segheneity, Eritrea;
 Bishop Giovanni Migliorati, M.C.C.I., apostolic vicar of Awasa.

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 OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
 Vatican City, 8 May 2014 (VIS) - The Holy Father has appointed Msgr. Camillo
Cibotti, vicar-general of the archdiocese of Chieti-Vasto, as bishop of
Isernia-Venafro (area 740, population 63,000, Catholics 62,000, priests 72,
permanent deacons 10, religious 68), Italy. The bishop-elect was born in
Casalbordino, Italy in 1954 and was ordained a priest in 1978. He has served
in a number of pastoral roles, including parish priest in Liscia, spiritual
father at the regional seminary, priest at Ripa Teatina, and at the parish of
the Santissima Trinit  dei Pellegrini in Chieti and rector of the Church of
San Domenico in Chieti. He has also served as professor of moral theology at
the Abruzzo-Molise theological institute, episcopal vicar for the laity and
assistant to the diocesan board for the laity. He was named Chaplain of his
Holiness in 2005.

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