VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 91
DATE 19-05-2014

Summary:
- TO THE BISHOPS OF MEXICO: PROMOTE ENCOUNTER THROUGH DIALOGUE AGAINST VIOLENCE
- BAHRAIN: THE POSITIVE CONTRIBUTION OF THE CHRISTIAN MINORITY
- FRANCIS RECEIVES THE PRIME MINISTER OF POLAND: CONCERN OVER TENSION IN
EASTERN EUROPE
- AIF: SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS IN THE SUPERVISION OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES IN 2013
- FRANCIS: THE PROBLEM OF CONFLICTS IS HOW TO FACE THEM
- CLOSE TO THOSE WHO SUFFER AS WITNESSES OF THE RESURRECTION
- CARDINAL BENIAMINO STELLA TAKES POSSESSION OF HIS DIACONATE
- EPISCOPAL ORDINATION OF SYNOD UNDER-SECRETARY
- CARDINAL FILONI, POPE'S SPECIAL ENVOY
- AUDIENCES
- OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

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 TO THE BISHOPS OF MEXICO: PROMOTE ENCOUNTER THROUGH DIALOGUE AGAINST VIOLENCE
 Vatican City, 19 May 2014 (VIS) - This morning Pope Francis received the
bishops of the Mexican Episcopal Conference, in Rome in these days for their
five-yearly "ad limina" visit. At the end of the meeting, the Holy Father
handed them the text of his planned address, extensive extracts of which are
published below, in which he emphasised that fidelity to Jesus Christ must be
lived as committed solidarity with the people and their needs.
 Before delivering the text, the bishop of Rome emphasised that, despite the
serious problems it faces, the Church in Mexico is "consolidated on strong
pillars", and he urged the bishops always to be faithful to the "dual
transcendence": the first in prayer with the Lord, and the second with
closeness to the people.
 "In recent years, the celebration of the bicentennial of Mexican independence
and the centenary of the Mexican Revolution have offered a useful occasion for
joining forces in favour of social peace and just, free and democratic
co-existence. My predecessor Benedict XVI urged you 'not to let yourselves be
intimidated by the powers of evil, but to be valiant and to work to ensure
that the sap of your Christian roots may nourish your present and your
future'. At the present moment, the many forms of violence that afflict
Mexican society, especially the young, call for a renewed appeal to promote
this spirit of harmony through the culture of encounter, dialogue and peace.
... It is certainly not for pastors to offer technical solutions or to adopt
policy measures that are outside the scope of their pastoral ministry;
however, they must be tireless in their proclamation, to all, of the Good
News: that God, in his mercy, made Himself a man and made Himself poor, that
he wanted to suffer with those who suffer in order to save them. Fidelity to
Jesus Christ must be lived as committed solidarity and closeness to the people
and their needs, offering Gospel values from within".
 "I am aware of your work for those most in need ... for those who work in
subhuman conditions, ... migrants in search of better living conditions,
farmers. ... I know of your concern for the victims of drug trafficking and
for the most vulnerable social groups, and your commitment to the defence of
human rights and the full development of the individual. All this, which is an
expression of the 'intimate connection' between the Gospel and the search for
the good of others contributes, without doubt, to the credibility of the
Church and gives relevance to the voice of her pastors".
 He went on to emphasise that "the mission of the Church can not do without
with the laity. ... I encourage you to promote their secular responsibility
and provide them with adequate training to make visible the public dimension
of faith. In order to achieve this, the social doctrine of the Church is a
valuable tool that can help Christians in their daily struggle to build a more
just and united world. ... In this way, the difficulties that may arise in the
transmission of Christian faith between generations can also be overcome. The
young see with their own eyes the living witnesses of faith, that truly embody
in their life what they profess with their lips. Furthermore, they then
spontaneously generate new processes of the evangelisation of culture. ... In
this regard, the potential of popular piety constitutes an 'indispensable
starting point in deepening the faith of the people and in bringing it to
maturity'."
 The family is the "basic cell of society and the first centre for
evangelisation. ... I urge you to intensify your pastoral care of the family -
certainly, the value that is dearest to your people - so that, faced with the
dehumanising culture of death, it may become a promoter of the culture of
respect for life in all its phases, from conception to natural death".
 After reminding the prelates of the importance of their proximity to priests
and consecrated persons, and the care that must be offered to their formation
and to future vocations, the bishop of Rome fondly recalled that in their
pastoral plans they had taken on board the Aparecida guidelines, the seventh
anniversary of which falls in these days, emphasising the importance of the
permanent continental mission, "placing all the pastoral mission of the Church
in a missionary mode, and calling upon all of us to grow in parrhesia. ... In
this way", he concluded, "we can bear witness to Christ in life even among the
most distant, and reach out of ourselves to work with enthusiasm in the task
that has been entrusted to us, keeping our arms lifted in prayer".

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 BAHRAIN: THE POSITIVE CONTRIBUTION OF THE CHRISTIAN MINORITY
 Vatican City, 19 May 2014 (VIS) - Today the Holy Father Francis received in
audience the King of Bahrain, His Majesty Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, who
subsequently met with Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, accompanied
by Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, secretary for Relations with States.
 The cordial discussions focused on various themes of common interest, with
particular reference to the commitment towards peace and stability in the
Middle East, as well as the promotion of dialogue and peaceful co-existence
among all members of society.
 Mention was then made of the Christian community's positive contribution to
the country, and appreciation was expressed for His Majesty's personal
interest in the needs of the local Catholic community.

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 FRANCIS RECEIVES THE PRIME MINISTER OF POLAND: CONCERN OVER TENSION IN
EASTERN EUROPE
 Vatican City, 19 May 2014 (VIS) - The morning in the Vatican Apostolic Palace
the Holy Father Francesco received in audience the prime minister of the
Republic of Poland, Donald Tusk, who subsequently met with Cardinal Secretary
of State Pietro Parolin, accompanied by Archbishop Dominique Mamberti,
secretary for Relations with States.
 During the cordial discussions, mention was made of the recent canonisation
of John Paul II, and the relevance of this event for the Polish nation. The
prime minister expressed his pleasure at His Holiness' planned visit to Poland
in 2016, on the occasion of World Youth Day. Attention then turned to the
social and economic situation of the Country.
 Finally, there was an exchange of views on the current international
situation. In particular, concern was expressed regarding the persistent
tensions in eastern Europe.

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 AIF: SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS IN THE SUPERVISION OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES IN 2013
 Vatican City, 19 May 2014 (VIS) - The Autorit  di Informazione Finanziaria
(AIF) - Financial Intelligence Authority - of the Holy See and the Vatican
City State has presented its Annual Report for 2013. The report reviews the
activities and statistics of AIF for the year 2013.
 The year 2013 has seen a significant strengthening of the legal and
institutional framework of the Holy See and Vatican City State to effectively
combat financial crime, an institutionalisation of international collaboration
of the competent authority of the Holy See with its foreign counterparts, and
a massively improved performance in monitoring potential financial wrongdoing.
 "In 2013 we have taken further decisive steps to foster the legal framework,
and, at the same time, to make it work in practice," said Rene Brulhart,
Director of the AIF. He continued: "The Evaluation conducted by Moneyval, the
Committee of Experts on the Evaluation of Anti-Money Laundering Measures and
the Financing of Terrorism of the Council of Europe, in December 2013, and our
statistics allow us to say that today we have a proper and equivalent system
in place to prevent and fight financial crime. A system that is well in line
with international standards".
 The AIF has recorded a notable uptake in suspicious transaction reports
(STR), from 6 in 2012 to 202 in 2013. This increase reflects both the
development of the legal framework and a substantial improvement in the
operational performance of the supervised entities with regard to the
prevention of financial crime. Five reports have been passed on to the Vatican
Promoter of Justice for further investigation by judicial authorities.
 The number of requests from AIF submitted to foreign authorities has
increased from 1 in 2012 to 28; the number of requests received by the AIF
from foreign authorities has risen from 3 in 2012 to 53 in 2013. "This
increase is also due to international cooperation fostered by a series of
bilateral agreements we have concluded," said Brulhart. In 2013, AIF became a
member of the Egmont Group, the global network of Financial Intelligence
Units, and signed various bilateral agreements to institutionalize mutual
collaboration in the area of anti-money laundering and combating financing of
terrorism. Memoranda of Understanding have been signed with Germany, Italy,
the Netherlands, Slovenia and the United States.
 As already observed in 2012, the number of declarations of cash above the
amount of EUR 10,000 has decreased again in 2013 to 1,557 declarations for
outgoing cash (2012: 1,782) and 550 declarations for incoming cash (2012:
598). This is due to an increased monitoring by the competent authorities and
the introduction of reinforced procedures at the supervised entities.
 By way of two Motu Proprio in July and August 2013, the Holy Father extended
the competencies of the Holy See authorities, particularly AIF, and aligned
the legal framework with international standards. By way of a third Motu
Proprio in November 2013, the Holy Father responded to the requirements set
forth by the extension of responsibilities of the AIF by issuing a new Statute
for the AIF. In essence, the new Statute has built the AIF on two pillars,
supervision and financial intelligence, and has clarified some aspects with
regard to the governance, e.g. required professional and financial skills for
key personnel of the AIF's bodies.

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