VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 137
DATE 24-07-2014

Summary:
- TELEGRAM FOR THE AVIATION ACCIDENT IN MAGONG
- POPE'S MESSAGE FOR THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ARGENTINE SHRINE OF ST.
PANTALEON
- OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

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 TELEGRAM FOR THE AVIATION ACCIDENT IN MAGONG
 Vatican City, 24 July 2014 (VIS) - Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin
has sent a telegram on behalf of Pope Francis to the archbishop of Taipei and
president of the regional Conference of bishops of China, John Huong
Shan-chuan, with reference to the accident that occurred at Magong airport,
Taiwan, in which a TransAsia Airways aircraft had to make an emergency
landing, resulting in 48 deaths and 10 injured.
 In the text, the Holy Father expresses his sadness for the accident, as well
as his closeness to the relatives of the victims, and assures them of his
prayers for all those affected by the tragedy, asking God to grant them
consolation, strength and peace.

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 POPE'S MESSAGE FOR THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ARGENTINE SHRINE OF ST.
PANTALEON
 Vatican City, 24 July 2014 (VIS) - The shrine is "a temple that seems still,
but that the people of God carry forward. In this way it has moved ahead for
fifty years in the hearts of the many faithful who have come to venerate the
saint, to implore for health, and to profess their faith. In this way it has
moved into the heart of the area, projecting itself onto the whole city", said
the Pope in the message he sent to the faithful who will meet in the
neighbourhood of Mataderos in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to celebrate the
fiftieth anniversary of the shrine of St. Pantaleon. "I ask the Lord to grant
you the grace to continue on your path, to continue this pilgrimage of the
heart in the midst of this great city".
 The Holy Father went on to recall with nostalgia the time during which, as
archbishop of Buenos Aires, he personally visited the parish dedicated to the
doctor saint of Nicomedia. "I wish to be close to you to be able to relive in
some way the occasions in which I was able to visit the shrine on 27 July to
help the priests in confession. I returned home spiritually strengthened by
this witness of faith. The good I received is unimaginable. And I wish to give
thanks for all this good. May the Lord reward you plentifully".
 The pontiff concluded by assuring the faithful of his closeness and prayer
and asked them to pray for him. "In these days of celebration ... I am close
to you. ... May Jesus bless you and the Holy Virgin protect you".

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 OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
 Vatican City, 24 July 2014 (VIS) - The Holy Father has appointed Ref. Joy
Alappat as auxiliary of the eparchy of St. Thomas the Apostle of Chicago of
the Syro-Malabars (Catholics 87,000, priests 53, religious 31), U.S.A. The
bishop-elect was born in Parappukara, India, in 1956 and was ordained a priest
in 1981. He holds a master's degree in theology from the St.Joseph's
Pontifical Institute, Aluva, and the Adheva University, Wattair, and completed
the Clinical Pastoral Education programme at Georgetown University, U.S.A. He
has held a number of pastoral roles both in India - in the eparchal cathedral
in Chalakudy and as chaplain of the Syro-Malabar community in Chennai - and in
the U.S.A., as chaplain of Georgetown University, and parish priest in New
Milford, Newark and Garfield. He is currently rector of the eparchal Cathedral
in Bellwood, Illinois.

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