The Pontiff went on to remark that in today's provisional culture, care must
be taken not to lose sight of the definitive. "We are afraid of the
definitive. And to choose a vocation, any vocation, including vocations that
involve a 'state' such as marriage, consecrated life, the priesthood, one must
choose with a view to the definitive. This is contrary to the culture of the
provisional. It is a part of the culture in which we must live in this time,
but we must live through this and conquer it".
 In conclusion, the Pope encouraged all present to sing the "Salve Regina" and
imparted his blessing to all the young people and their families, asking them
to pray for him.

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 MADAGASCAR: THE CATHOLIC CHURCH'S POSITIVE CONTRIBUTION ON THE PATH TO
RECONCILIATION AND STABILITY
 Vatican City, 28 June 2014 (VIS) - This morning in the Vatican Apostolic
Palace the Holy Father Francis received in audience the president of the
Republic of Madagascar, Hery Martial Rajaonarimampianina, who subsequently met
with Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, accompanied by Msgr. Antoine
Camilleri, under-secretary for Relations with States.
 During the cordial discussions, after expressing satisfaction with the good
relations between the Holy See and the Republic of Madagascar, the Parties
focused on the current phase of recovery within the country, underlining the
positive contribution of the Catholic Church on the path to national
reconciliation and political stability, as well as her contribution in the
education and healthcare sectors. Themes of common interest were then
considered, such as the struggle against poverty and social inequality.
 Mention was made of the international situation and the conflicts affecting
various regions in the world.

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 ECUMENISM: LET US SEE OURSELVES ACCORDING TO GOD'S PLAN, NOT THE HISTORICAL
CONSEQUENCES OF OUR SINS
 Vatican City, 28 June 2014 (VIS) - The Solemnity of the Holy Patrons of the
Church of Rome, the Apostles Peter and Paul, again provided Pope Francis the
opportunity to meet with a delegation from the Ecumenical Patriarchate of
Constantinople, which always visits Rome on this date. In exchange, a
delegation from the Vatican visits Instanbul, Turkey, every 30 November, St.
Andrew's Day.
 On this occasion the delegation was headed by the metropolitan of Pergamo,
Ioannis (Zizioulas), co-president of the international mixed Commission for
theological dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church, who
was accompanied by Archbishop Job de Telmissos and the patriarchal archdeacon
John Chryssavgis.
 The Holy Father recalled with great affection his "beloved brother"
Bartholomaios, with whom he shared his recent pilgrimage to the Holy Land,
during which they were able to repeat the historical embrace between their
predecessors, Athenagoras I and Paul VI, which took place fifty years ago in
the holy city of Jerusalem. "That prophetic gesture gave a decisive impulse to
a journey which, thank God, has never ceased", remarked Pope Francis. "I
consider it a special gift from the Lord that we were able to venerate the
holy places together and to pray at each other's side at the place of Christ's
burial, where we can actually touch the foundation of our hope". The joy of
their common prayer was then renewed during the recent meeting in the Vatican
Gardens where they joined in prayer, together with the Presidents of Israel
and Palestine, to invoke the gift of peace in the Holy Land".
 "The Lord granted us these occasions of fraternal encounter, in which we were
able to express the love uniting us in Christ, and to renew our mutual desire
to walk together along the path to full unity", continued the Holy Father. "We
know very well that this unity is a gift of God, a gift that even now the
Almighty grants us the grace to attain whenever, by the power of the Holy
Spirit, we choose to look at one another with the eyes of faith and to see
ourselves as we truly are in God's plan, according to the designs of his
eternal will, and not what we have become as a result of the historical
consequences of our sins. If all of us can learn, prompted by the Spirit, to
look at one another in God, our path will be even straighter and our
cooperation all the more easy in the many areas of daily life which already
happily unite us".
 This theological vision "is nourished by faith, hope and love; it gives rise
to an authentic theological reflection which is truly 'scientia Dei', a
participation in that vision which God has of himself and of us. It is a
reflection which can only bring us closer to one another on the path of unity,
despite our differing starting points. I hope and I pray, then, that the work
of the Joint International Commission can be a sign of this profound
understanding, this theology 'on its knees'. In this way, the Commission's
reflections on the concepts of primacy and synodality, communion in the
universal Church and the ministry of the Bishop of Rome will not be an
academic exercise or a mere debate about irreconcilable positions. All of us
need, with courage and confidence, to be open to the working of the Holy
Spirit. We need to let ourselves be caught up in Christ's loving gaze upon the
Church, his Bride, in our journey of spiritual ecumenism. It is a journey
upheld by the martyrdom of so many of our brothers and sisters who, by their
witness to Jesus Christ the Lord, have brought about an ecumenism of blood",
concluded the Pope.

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 THE POPE CANCELS HIS VISIT TO THE GEMELLI HOSPITAL
 Vatican City, 28 June 2014 (VIS) - Pope Francis did not make his scheduled
visit to Rome's Agostino Gemelli Hospital on Friday afternoon due to a mild
indisposition. The Mass at which the Holy Father was expected to preside was
instead celebrated by Cardinal Angelo Scola, archbishop of Milan, who also
pronounced the homily prepared by the Pontiff.
 The director of the Holy See Press Office, Fr. Federico Lombardi, S.J.,
confirmed the Holy Father's engagements planned for Saturday 28 and Sunday 29
and emphasised that there is no cause for concern regarding the Pope's health.

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 GOD IS NOT AFRAID OF HIS BONDS WITH US
 Vatican City, 28 June 2014 (VIS) - Below are extensive extracts from the
homily the Holy Father prepared for his planned visit to the Roman "Agostino
Gemelli" Hospital, which he did not attend due to a mild indisposition. The
homily was read on behalf of the Pontiff by Cardinal Angelo Scola, archbishop
of Milan, during the Mass celebrated at the hospital yesterday.
 "God is bound to us, He chose us, and this bond is for ever, not because we
are faithful but because the Lord is faithful and tolerates our infidelity,
our slowness, our lapses. God is not afraid of bonding with us. ... He loves
these bonds, he creates bonds; bonds which free, rather than constrain".
 "Nowadays, in particular, fidelity is a value under threat, as we are induced
always to seek change, presumed novelty, negotiating the roots of our
existence, of our faith. Without fidelity to its roots, however, a society
does not move ahead; it may make great technical progress, but not the full
progress of all man and all humankind. God's faithful love towards His people
was made manifest and fully realised in Jesus Christ ... [who] remains
faithful and never betrays; even when we err, He always awaits us to forgive
us: He is the face of the merciful Father".
 "This love, this faithfulness to the Lord demonstrates the humility of His
heart. ... We are able to experience and savour the tenderness of this love in
every phase of life: in times of joy and of sadness, in times of health and of
infirmity and sickness. God's faithfulness teaches us to welcome life as a
manifestation of His love and enables us to bear witness to this love to our
brethren in humble and meek service. This is what the doctors and paramedical
staff in this hospital, which belongs to the Catholic University of the Sacred
Heart, are especially called upon to do. Here, each one of you brings to the
sick a little of the love from Christ's Heart, and you do so with competence
and professionalism. This means staying faithful to the fundamental values
that Fr. Gemelli placed at the base of this university for Italian Catholics,
to unite scientific research enlightened by faith to the preparation of
qualified Christian professionals".

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 THE AIF SIGNS INFORMATION SHARING AGREEMENT WITH THE USA OFFICE OF THE
COMPTROLLER OF THE CURRENCY
 Vatican City, 30 June 2014 (VIS) - The Autorit  Informazione Finanziaria
(AIF), the Financial Intelligence Authority of the Holy See and Vatican City
State, has signed an agreement to exchange information with the US Office of
the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC).
 This Information Sharing Exchange of Letters is the first bilateral agreement
of AIF in its role as Financial Supervisor and Regulator within the Holy See
and Vatican City State. It represents a significant strengthening of
international cooperation between the Holy See and the United States of
America.
 "This is a further step in Holy See's efforts towards perfecting a system of
financial regulation and part of our commitment to transparency and
international cooperation," said Rene Bruelhart, the Director of AIF. "The
Holy See is part of the global family of well-regulated jurisdictions and the
signing of this agreement reflects that very clearly."
 The agreement with the OCC follows the passing of the new law regarding
financial activities in the Holy See, Law XVIII, in October 2013 and the
enactment of AIF's new statute in November 2013, which introduced a new
supervisory function as part of AIF's mandate.
 AIF expects further bilateral agreements with financial supervisors and
regulators of other countries to follow in due course, and continues in its
efforts to strengthen its own regulatory infrastructure in fostering
international cooperation.
 The OCC is an independent authority within the Treasury Department of the
United States and serves to charter, regulate and supervise all national banks
and the federal branches and agencies of foreign banks in the United States.
 AIF is the competent authority of the Holy See and Vatican City State to
fight money laundering and the financing of terrorism. According to its
mandate, AIF has a double role and acts both as Financial Supervisor and
Regulator as well as Financial Intelligence Unit. In its function as Financial
Intelligence Unit, AIF became a member of the Egmont Group in July 2013, and
has already signed MOUs with the Financial Intelligence Units of more than a
dozen countries, including the U.K., the United States, France, Spain, Italy
and Germany. It was established in 2010 and became operational in 2011.

___________________________________________________________

 AUDIENCES
 Vatican City, 30 June 2014 (VIS) - Today, the Holy Father received in
audience:
 - Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Muller, prefect of the Congregation for the
Doctrine of the Faith.
 - Archbishop Jean-Paul Gobel, apostolic nuncio in the Arab Republic of Egypt,
delegate of the Holy See to the League of Arab States.
 - Archbishop Marek Zalewski, apostolic nuncio in Zimbabwe, with members of
his family.
 - Archbishop Hubertus Matheus Maria van Megen, apostolic nuncio in Sudan and
Eritrea.
 - Archbishop Daniel Fernando Sturla Berhouet of Montevideo, Uruguay.
 - Charles Ghislain, ambassador of Belgium, on his farewell visit.
 - Fernando Felipe Sanchez Campos, ambassador of Costa Rica, on his farewell
visit.
 - Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke, prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the
Apostolic Signatura.
 On Saturday, 28 June, the Holy Father received in audience:
 - Cardinal Marc Ouellet, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.
 - Archbishop Zygmunt Zimowski, president of the Pontifical Council for Health
Care Workers (Health Care Pastoral).
 - Cardinal Stanislaw Rylko, president of the Pontifical Council for the Laity.

___________________________________________________________

 OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
 Vatican City, 28 June 2014 (VIS) - The Holy Father has appointed Msgr.
Gennaro Acampa as auxiliary of the archdiocese of Naples (area 274, population
1,744,000, Catholics 1,715,000, priests 287, permanent deacons 292, religious
3,413), Italy. The bishop-elect was born in Naples, Italy in 1945 and was
ordained a priest in 1968. He holds a licentiate in sacred theology from the
Pontifical Theological Faculty of Southern Italy. He has served in a number of
pastoral roles, including priest in the parish of Sacro Cuore di Gesu in Santa
Maria Ognibene, spiritual father of the "Paul VI" minor seminary; spiritual
father for aspiring permanent deacons, dean of the 1st deanery of the
archdiocese of Naples and member of the diocesan presbyteral council. He is
currently curate prepositor of the Collegiate Parish of San Giovanni Maggiore
in Naples and episcopal vicar for the clergy and for formation.

___________________________________________________________

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