"Today, at the end of the month of May, we celebrate the feast day that
commemorates her visit to St. Elizabeth. The Gospel tells us that, after the
angel's annunciation, she went in haste, she went immediately to serve. This
is the virgin of readiness ... Our Lady of Prompt Succour. She immediately
comes to our assistance when we pray, when we ask for help and protection. In
many moments in life, when we need her help and her protection, let us
remember that she does not make us wait: she is the Virgin of Prompt Succour
and immediately comes to our aid".

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 THE POPE ON THE CHILDREN'S TRAIN
 Vatican City, 31 May 2014 (VIS) - This morning in the Vatican's Paul VI Hall
the Holy Father received in audience the five hundred children from Naples and
Rome participating in the "Il Treno dei Bambini" ("The Children's Train")
initiative organised by the Pontifical Council for Culture, within the ambit
of the "Courtyard of the Gentiles for Children", which completes its second
edition this year.
 The children presented the Pope with bracelets made by hand with coloured
rubber bands, which he immediately put on, and a plant in a vase with earth
from the Neapolitan catacombs of St. Gennaro. Francis enjoyed their adaptation
of the famous song, "O Sole mio", as "O Papa mio", sung by a choir of children
and, after listening to them, he chatted with the participants, and told them
that the plant they had given to him was a plant of light.
 The pontiff, recalling that the catacombs were dark, said, "You have brought
me earth that comes from the darkness ... so that it turns into light. ...
Light is always more important than darkness. ... We must go in search of
light. Always, inside ourselves. Because light gives us joy and hope. ... And
thanks to the light it is possible to do what you said when you gave me the
plant: ensure that the fruits help us to make a better world. Can we make a
better world? Yes! And how do we do this? With hate? No, with love, all
together as brothers and sisters, fighting alongside each other for love. And
for this, let me tell you something: when the Apostle John, who was a great
friend of Jesus, wanted to say who God is, do you know what he said? He said,
'God is love'. ... And we go towards the light to find God's love. But God's
love is inside us. ... Even in moments of darkness, he never abandons us".
 All the Pope's words were interspersed with answers from the children. At the
end, Francis said that he was very happy to have spent time with them, and
said he would pray to the Lord to make them into boys and girls, men and women
who would go forward with love. "When God's love goes ahead, everything goes
well". Finally, he asked the children to sing another song together.

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 THE POPE: SILENCE WEAPONS IN SYRIA
 Vatican City, 31 May 2014 (VIS) - Yesterday afternoon the Pope delivered a
message to the participants in the meeting with Catholic charitable
associations who work in the context of the crisis in Syria, organised by the
Pontifical Council "Cor Unum".
 "We meet again to evaluate the work carried out so far and to renew our will
to follow this path", he writes. "But we must accept with great sorrow that
the Syrian crisis has not been resolved, but instead continues, and there is
the risk of growing accustomed to it: of forgetting the victims claimed on a
daily basis, the unspeakable suffering, the thousands of refugees, which
include the elderly and children, who suffer and at times die of hunger and of
diseases causes by the conditions of war. This indifference is harmful! Once
again we must repeat the name of this illness that does so much damage in
today's world: the globalisation of indifference".
 He continues, "The action of peace and the work of humanitarian aid carried
out by Catholic charitable entities in this context constitute a faithful
expression of God's love for his children, who find themselves in conditions
of oppression and anguish. God hears their cry, He knows their suffering, and
He wishes to free them; and you lend your hands and your abilities to Him. ...
This meeting offers a useful opportunity to identify suitable forms of stable
collaboration, in dialogue between the various actors, in order to improve the
organisation of our efforts to support the local Churches and all the victims
of the war, without distinction on ethnic, religious or social grounds".
 Pope Francis launches a further appeal to the consciences of the parties to
the conflict, to world institutions and public opinion, and affirms: "We are
all aware that the future of humanity is built with peace and not by war: war
destroys, kills, and impoverishes peoples and countries. I ask that all
parties, with a view to the common good, immediately consent to humanitarian
aid and to silence their weapons as soon as possible, making efforts to
negotiate and to make their first priority the well-being of Syria, of all her
inhabitants, including the many who have had to seek refuge elsewhere and who
have the right to return to their homeland as soon as possible. I think in
particular of the dear Christian communities, the face of a Church who suffers
and hopes. Their survival in the Middle East is of profound concern to the
universal Church: Christianity must be able to continue to live there, where
its origins lie".

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 EPISCOPAL ORDINATION IN ST. PETER'S: PRAY FOR THE PEOPLE, LIKE MOSES
 Vatican City, 31 May 2014 (VIS) - Yesterday afternoon, in the Vatican
Basilica, the Holy Father conferred episcopal ordination to Msgr. Fabio
Fabene, under-secretary of the Synod of Bishops.
 During the Eucharistic celebration, he pronounced the ritual homily from the
Roman Pontifical for the ordination of bishops, making various off-the-cuff
additions. "You have been chosen by the flock: may vanity, pride and arrogance
never come to you. And you have been constituted by men: may your attitude
always be one of service, like Jesus. ... I advise you to keep before you the
words of Paul that we have heard: Keep watch over yourselves and keep watch
over God's flock. This watchfulness means keeping vigil, being attentive, to
defend yourself from many sins and many worldly attitudes, and to defend the
people of God from the wolves that Paul said would come. ... And overseeing
the people also means praying, praying for the people, as Moses did: with
raised hands, that prayer of intercession, that courageous prayer,
face-to-face with the Lord, for the people".
 The Pope also reminded the new bishop to pay great attention to those who do
not belong to Christ's single flock, as they too have been entrusted to him by
the Lord. "And pray for them", he added.
 Finally, he emphasised that, by virtue of his mission, the prelate must be
show concern for all the Churches, generously assisting those most in need. He
concluded, "I think that this will be easy for you, considering the task that
has been entrusted to you in the Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops".

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 DECLARATION OF THE DIRECTOR OF THE HOLY SEE PRESS OFFICE FOR THE LIBERATION
OF THE MISSIONARIES ABDUCTED IN CAMEROON
 Vatican City, 31 May 2014 (VIS) - The Director of the Holy See Press Office,
Father Federico Lombardi, S.J, has issued the following declaration:
 "The release of the two Italian missionary priests from Vicenza, Gianantonio
Allegri and Giampaolo Martha, and of the Canadian nun Gilberte Bussière, who
had been kidnapped in Cameroon at the beginning of April, is news that fills
us with joy. The Holy Father, who had followed the dramatic story from the
outset, was promptly informed. We thank God that this incident has come to a
successful conclusion. At the same time we continue to pray and to make
efforts so that every form of violence, hatred, and conflict in the various
regions of Africa and in other parts of the world might be overcome; and we
renew the memory of, and the commitment to, the many other innocent people in
different conditions and of different ages, who - as we know well - are
victims of unacceptable abductions in different places of conflict".

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 HIS HOLINESS ARAM I, CATHOLICOS OF THE ARMENIAN APOSTOLIC CHURCH OF CILICIA,
TO VISIT ROME
 Vatican City, 31 May 2014 (VIS) - His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the
Armenian Apostolic Church of Cilicia, will visit Rome to meet with His
Holiness Pope Francis. His Holiness Aram I was elected Catholicos of Cilicia
of Antelias in 1995.
 The Armenian Church consists of two catholicates and two patriarchates, and
around six million faithful. The two catholicates of Etchmiadzin and Antelias
are in full communion, but they are independent from an administrative point
of view. The Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the Armenian Patriarchate
of Constantinople refer to Etchmiadzin for spiritual questions.
 Following Vatican Council II, new relations have developed between the
Catholic Church and the Armenian Church. Representatives of the two
Catholicates of Etchmiadzin and Antelias are members of the Mixed
International Commission for theological dialogue between the Catholic Church
and the Oriental Orthodox Churches.
 His Holiness Aram I visited the Church of Rome and met with Pope John Paul II
from 23 to 26 January 1997. More recently, the Catholicos Aram I visited Pope
Benedict XVI in November 2008, and on that occasion they presided over an
ecumenical prayer together.
 On Thursday 5 June the Catholicos will meet Pope Francis and they will pray
together. They will visit the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity
and various other dicasteries of the Roman Curia. Finally, they will visit the
tomb of St. Peter and pray before the statue of St. Gregory the Illuminator,
which is located on the north courtyard of the Vatican Basilica.

___________________________________________________________

 AUDIENCES
 Vatican City, 2 June 2014 (VIS) - The Holy father received in audience:
 - Mehriban Aliyeva, president of the "Heydar Aliyev Foundation, Azerbaijan.
 - Eight prelates of the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops' Conference, on their "ad
limina" visit:
 Archbishop Alexander Thomas Kaliyanil, S.V.D., of Bulawayo;
 Bishop Xavier Johnsai Munyongani of Gweru;
 Bishop Joseph Albert Serrano Anton, I.E.M.E., of Hwange;
 Bishop Michael Dixon Bhasera of Masvingo;
 Archbishop Robert Christopher Ndlovu of Harare;
 Bishop Dieter Bernd Scholz , S.J., of Chinhoyi;
 Bishop Angel Floro Martinez, I.E.M.E., of Gokwe;
 Bishop Alexio Churu Muchabaiwa of Mutare.
 On Saturday, 31 June, the Holy Father received in audience:
 - Cardinal Marc Ouellet, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.
 - Twelve prelates of the Mexican Episcopal Conference, on their "ad limina"
visit:
 Archbishop Valentin Sanchez Espinosa of Puebla de los Angeles, with his
auxiliaries, Bishop Eugenio Andres Lira Rugarcia, Bishop Rutilo Felipe Pozos
Lorenzini, and Bishop Tomas Lopez Duran;
 Bishop Teodoro Enrique Pino Miranda of Huajuapan de Leon;
 Bishop Rodrigo Aguilar Martinez of Tehuacan;
 Archbishop Jesus Carlos Cabrero Romero of San Luis Potosi;
 Bishop Roberto Octavio Balmori Cinta, M.J., of Ciudad Valles;
 Bishop Sigifredo Noriega Barcelo of Zacatecas;
 Archbishop Domingo Diaz Martinez of Tulancingo;
 Bishop Gerardo de Jesus Rojas Lopez of Tabasco;
 Bishop Georges M. Saad Abi Younes, O.L.M., of Nuestra Senora de los Martires
del Libano en Mexico of the Maronites.

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 OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
 Vatican City, 2 June 2014 (VIS) - The Holy Father has:
 - accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese of
Paramaribo, Suriname, presented by Bishop Wilhelmus de Bekker, upon reaching
the age limit. He is succeeded by Fr. Antonius te Dorshorst, O.M.I., as
apostolic administrator "sede vacante et at nutum Sanctae Sedis" of the same
diocese.
 - appointed Fr. Tadeusz Kusy, O.F.M. as coadjutor of the diocese of
Kaga-Bandoro (area 95,000, population 251,000, Catholics 91,691, priests 20,
religious 20), Central African Republic. The bishop-elect was born in Cieszyn,
Poland in 1951 and was ordained a priest in 1974. He holds a licentiate in
theology from the Institute of Science and Theology of Religions, Paris,
France, and has served in a number of pastoral roles, including: master of
novices in Mbujimayi and Lukafu, Democratic Republic of Congo, and priest of
the parishes of Obo and Rafai, Central African Republic. He is currently
master of postulants and head of formation in the archdiocese of Bangui, head
of the diocesan commission for consecrated life, and member of the council of
consultors.

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