VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 106
DATE 06-06-2014

Summary:
- THE HOLY FATHER TO PRAY ON 13 SEPTEMBER FOR THOSE WHO HAVE FALLEN IN ALL WARS
- AUDIENCE WITH THE PRIME MINISTER OF JAPAN: UNDERSTANDING AND COLLABORATION
BETWEEN CHURCH AND STATE
- BRIEFING OF PRESENTATION FOR INVOCATION OF PEACE
- AUDIENCES

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 THE HOLY FATHER TO PRAY ON 13 SEPTEMBER FOR THOSE WHO HAVE FALLEN IN ALL WARS
 Vatican City, 6 June 2014 (VIS) - On 13 September Pope Francis will pray at
the military monument of Redipuglia, Italy, for those who have fallen in all
wars, to commemorate the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War, "an
enormous tragedy about which I heard many painful stories from my grandfather,
who fought in the Battle of the Piave". He announced this at the end of his
meeting in St. Peter's square with the Carabinieri, Italy's military police
corps, celebrating the bicentenary of its foundation.
 "Between the Carabinieri and the people there exists a bond of solidarity,
trust and dedication to the common good"; said the Pope in his address. "The
Carabinieri 'stations', present throughout the national territory, are points
of reference for collectivity, even in the most remote and peripheral towns
and villages. And this capillary presence requires you to participate in the
life of the community to which you belong, seeking to be close to the problems
faced by the people, especially the weakest and those in difficulty. Your
vocation is service".
 This vocation is made manifest in "the protection of individuals and the
environment, in action for security, the respect for the rules for civil
co-existence and the common good; it is a concrete and constant commitment to
the defence of the rights and duties of individuals and communities. The
maintenance of public order and personal safety is an increasingly current
issue in a dynamic, open society committed to the protection of civil rights
and liberties, such as Italy, where you serve".
 Pope Francis went on to speak about the history of the Carabinieri Corps,
mentioning that it numbers among its members the Servant of God Salvo
d'Acquisto, who at the age of 23 in Palidoro, near Rome, "offered his young
existence to save the lives of innocent people from Nazi brutality". He also
commented on their notable efforts beyond national borders as "peacemakers, to
ensure security, respect for human dignity and the defence of human rights in
countries racked by conflicts and tensions of every type". He concluded,
"Never cease to give everywhere, in your homeland and elsewhere, a clear and
joyful witness of humanity, especially towards the neediest and least
fortunate".

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 AUDIENCE WITH THE PRIME MINISTER OF JAPAN: UNDERSTANDING AND COLLABORATION
BETWEEN CHURCH AND STATE
 Vatican City, 6 June 2014 (VIS) - This morning in the Vatican Apostolic
Palace the Holy Father Francis received in audience the prime minister of
Japan, Shinzo Abe, who subsequently went on to meet with Cardinal Secretary of
State Pietro Parolin, accompanied by Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, secretary
for Relations with States.
 During the cordial discussions, the good relations between Japan and the Holy
See were evoked, as well as the understanding and collaboration between the
Church and State in the fields of education, social welfare and healthcare.
 The conversation then turned to several current regional and international
themes, with particular reference to initiatives aimed at promoting peace and
stability in the Asian continent, Japan's commitment to cooperation for
development, especially in Africa, attention to the environment, and nuclear
disarmament.

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 BRIEFING OF PRESENTATION FOR INVOCATION OF PEACE
 Vatican City, 6 June 2014 (VIS) - During a briefing held this morning, Fr.
Pierbattista Pizzaballa O.F.M., custodian of the Holy Land, and Fr. Federico
Lombardi, S.J., director of the Holy See Press Office, presented the details
of the "Invocation for Peace" initiative scheduled to take place in the
Vatican on Sunday. Pope Francis has invited the presidents of Israel and
Palestine, Shimon Peres and Mahmoud Abbas, to join him in a prayer encounter.
 Peres and Abbas will arrive at the Vatican within a few minutes of each other
(the former at 6.15 p.m. and the latter at 6.30). The Holy Father will receive
them at the entrance of the Domus Sanctae Marthae, and will then speak briefly
with each. All three will then join together, along with the Ecumenical
Patriarch Bartholomew, and will then proceed by car to the Vatican Gardens
where the event will take place, beginning with a musical introduction and an
explanation in English of the structure and form of the celebration, which
will follow the chronological order of the three religions: Judaism,
Christianity, and Islam.
 At around 7 p.m. there will be a prayer (creation) in Hebrew, a brief musical
interlude, a prayer invoking forgiveness, another musical interlude, a prayer
invoking peace, and finally, a Jewish musical meditation. The Christian part
will follow the same structure, but the first prayer will be in English, the
second in Italian, and the third in Arabic. Finally the Muslim part of the
celebration will proceed as above, in Arabic.
 The reader will then introduce in English the final part of the celebration,
beginning with Pope Francis' discourse invoking peace. The Holy Father will
then invite each of the two presidents to formulate his own invocation. Shimon
Peres will begin, followed by Mahmoud Abbas. As a gesture of peace, in which
the Patriarch Bartholomew will also participate, they will all shake hands and
the Pope will then accompany them in planting an olive tree, symbol of peace.
 At the end of the celebration the four will remain side by side while the
delegations pass by to greet them. The Holy Father, the two presidents and the
Patriarch will then proceed to the Casina Pio IV to speak in private.
 Finally, Shimon Peres and Mahmoud Abbas will leave the Vatican, while Pope
Francis and the Patriarch Bartholomew will return to the Domus Sanctae Marthae.

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 AUDIENCES
 Vatican City, 6 June 2014 (VIS) - Today the Holy Father received in audience:
 - Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Muller, prefect of the Congregation for the
Doctrine of the Faith.
 - Lech Walesa, former president of Poland, and entourage.
 - Archbishop Brian Udaigwe, apostolic nuncio in Benin and Togo.
 - Bishop Domenico Mogavero of Mazara del Vallo, Italy.

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