VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 140
DATE 28-07-2014

Summary:
- POPE FRANCIS' PRIVATE VISIT TO THE EVANGELICAL PASTOR GIOVANNI TRAETTINO IN
CASERTA
- TELEGRAM FOR THE DEATH OF CARDINAL MARCHISANO
- ANGELUS: THE NEED TO READ THE GOSPEL
- POPE FRANCIS' NEW APPEAL FOR PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST, IRAQ AND UKRAINE
- THE POPE WITH THE PRIESTS OF CASERTA
- THE PRIMACY OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND THE COURAGE TO SAY NO TO EVIL
- COMMUNIQUE FROM THE FAMILY OF FR. PAOLO DELL'OGLIO, A YEAR AFTER HIS
DISAPPEARANCE IN SYRIA
- CHALDEANS IN IRAQ: PREPARE, LIKE ABRAHAM, TO LEAVE FOR THE LAND GOD WILL
SHOW TO YOU
- ON THE POPE'S POSSIBLE PARTICIPATION IN THE PHILADELPHIA MEETING OF FAMILIES
- OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

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 POPE FRANCIS' PRIVATE VISIT TO THE EVANGELICAL PASTOR GIOVANNI TRAETTINO IN
CASERTA
 Vatican City, 28 July 2014 (VIS) - This morning the Holy Father returned to
Caserta, following his pastoral visit on Saturday, 26 July, to meet privately
with the evangelical pastor Giovanni Traettino, a friend from his time as
archbishop of Buenos Aires.
 The Pontiff arrived in Caserta by helicopter at 10.15 a.m. and, following a
private and reserved meeting at pastor Traettino's house, he met the community
of the Pentecostal evangelical Church at the premises, currently under
construction, of the Pentecostal Church of the Reconciliation. The Pope dined
with the community and is scheduled to return to the Vatican later this
afternoon.

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 TELEGRAM FOR THE DEATH OF CARDINAL MARCHISANO
 Vatican City, 28 July 2014 (VIS) - The Pope has sent a telegram of
condolences to Archbishop Cesare Nosiglia of Turin for the death in Rome
yesterday of Cardinal Francesco Marchisano, archpriest emeritus of St. Peter's
Basilica, at the age of 85.
 "Having heard of the death of Cardinal Francesco Marchisano, an illustrious
son of this land", writes the Pope, "I wish to express my deepest condolences
to your excellency, to the presbytery and the friends of the lamented
Cardinal. I think with affection of this dear pastor who for many years
diligently collaborated with the Apostolic See, especially in the Congregation
for Catholic Education, as archpriest of the Vatican Basilica, and finally as
president of the Labour Office of the Apostolic See. He leaves us the witness
of a life spent in the generous fulfilment of his vocation, as a priest and a
bishop attentive to the needs of the faithful and sensitive to the worlds of
art and culture. I raise prayers for the eternal repose of his soul, that the
Lord may receive him in joy and eternal peace, and I offer to those who mourn
his passing the comfort of my apostolic blessing".
 The funeral, presided by Cardinal Angelo Sodano, dean of the College of
Cardinals, will be held on Wednesday, 30 July at 8 a.m. at the altar of the
Cathedra of St. Peter's Basilica. At the end of the ceremony, the Holy Father
will administer the rites of "Ultima Commendatio" and of "Valedictio".

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 ANGELUS: THE NEED TO READ THE GOSPEL
 Vatican City, 27 July 2014 (VIS) - As on every Sunday, Pope Francis appeared
at the window of his study to pray the Angelus with the faithful gathered in
St. Peter's Square. The Pontiff, as in the Mass celebrated the day before in
Caserta, spoke about the two parables about the kingdom of Heaven: the jewel
merchant who finds a pearl of infinite value and sells everything he owns to
buy it, and the farmer who chances upon hidden treasure and sells all his land
to buy the field where it lies. Neither the merchant nor the farmer have any
doubt about their actions as they are aware of the incomparable value of what
they have found.
 "It is the same with the kingdom of God", explained the bishop of Rome. "He
who finds it has no doubt, he knows that he has found what he sought and
awaited, and which answers his most authentic aspirations. It is truly like
this: those who know Jesus, who encounter Him personally, are fascinated,
attracted by such goodness, such truth, such beauty, and all this in great
humility and simplicity. Seeking and finding Jesus: this is the greatest
treasure of all!".
 "How many people, how many saints, reading the Gospel with an open heart,
have been so struck by Jesus that they have converted to Him. Let us think of
St. Francis of Assisi; he was already a Christian, but lukewarm, a
"rose-water" Christian. When he read the Gospel, in a decisive moment during
his youth, he encountered Jesus and discovered the Kingdom of God, and from
then on all his dreams of earthly glory vanished. The Gospel lets you know the
true Jesus, it lets you know the living Jesus; it speaks to your heart and
changes your life. And from then on, he left everything. You can effectively
change the type of life you lead, or continue to do what you did before, but
you are different, you are born again: you have found that which gives
meaning, flavour and light to everything, even to hardship, suffering and
death".
 The Pope went on to repeat the importance of reading a passage from the
Gospel every day; of keeping it in our pockets, our bags, always at hand, as
"everything makes sense when you find this treasure that Jesus called 'the
Kingdom of God': that is, God Who reigns in your life, in our lives. God is
love, peace and joy in every man and in all men. ... Reading the Gospel means
finding Jesus and receiving this Christian joy, which is a gift from the Holy
Spirit".
 "The joy of encountering the treasure of the Kingdom of God becomes clear, it
can be seen", concluded the Pontiff. "The Christian cannot conceal his faith,
as it shines through in every word and every gesture, even the simplest
everyday ones. The love that God has given us through Jesus shines through.
Let us pray, by the intercession of the Virgin Mary, that His Kingdom of love,
justice and peace may come to us and to all the world".

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 POPE FRANCIS' NEW APPEAL FOR PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST, IRAQ AND UKRAINE
 Vatican City, 27 July 2014 (VIS) - After today's Angelus prayer, the Holy
Father, remarking that tomorrow marks the centenary of the beginning of the
First World War, launched a new appeal for peace in the Middle East, Iraq and
Ukraine, and called for a cessation of hostilities.
 "Tomorrow is the one hundredth anniversary of the outbreak of the First World
War, which claimed millions of lives and caused immense destruction. This
conflict, defined by Pope Benedict XV as a 'senseless slaughter', persisted
for four long years and led to a more fragile peace. Tomorrow will be a day of
mourning in remembrance of this tragedy. While we remember this tragic event,
I hope that we will not repeat the errors of the past, but will instead pay
heed to the lessons of history, ensuring that the reason of peace always
prevails by means of patient and courageous dialogue".
 "Today, my thoughts extend to three areas of crisis, in particular: the
Middle East, Iraq and Ukraine. I ask you to continue to join with me in prayer
that the Lord may grant the populations and authorities of these areas the
wisdom and strength necessary to proceed with determination along the path of
peace, facing every diatribe with the tenacity of dialogue and negotiation,
and the strength of reconciliation. May the common good and respect for every
person be at the centre of every decision, rather than particular interests.
Let us remember that all is lost with war, but nothing is lost with peace".
 "Brothers and sisters: no more war! No more war! I think especially of the
children, who are deprived of the hope of a worthwhile life, of a future:
children killed, children injured, children mutilated, children orphaned,
children who have as toys the remnants of war, children who do not know how to
smile. Stop, please! I ask you with all my heart. The time has come to stop.
Stop, please!"

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 THE POPE WITH THE PRIESTS OF CASERTA
 Vatican City, 28 July 2014 (VIS) - The Pope left the Vatican by helicopter at
3 p.m., arriving at the heliport of the NCO (Non-Commissioned Officers) School
of the Air Force of the Royal Palace of Caserta, where he was greeted by
Bishop Giovanni D'Alise of Caserta and other local authorities. He then
transferred by car to the Palatine Chapel where he was awaited by the diocesan
priests. He set aside his prepared discourse and began a very intimate
conversation with the priests, answering the four questions they presented to
him.
 The Holy Father spoke about the example of unity that bishops must give, that
Jesus asked of His Father for the Church. "This cannot be done speaking badly
about each other. The unity of bishops is important to the unity of the
Church", he said, adding that the devil revels in and profits from internal
conflict. "The bishops must be in agreement in unity, but not in uniformity.
Each one has his charism, each one has his way of thinking and his point of
view; this is at times the result of mistakes, but it is often the result of
the Spirit ... a unity in diversity, in which no-one loses his own
personality".
 The Pope was then asked for suggestions for a pastoral able to relaunch the
primacy of the Gospel without mortifying popular piety. He answered that "true
popular piety was born of that Sensus Fidei described in the Encyclical Lumen
Gentium and which is guided by devotion to the Saints, to the Virgin, and also
by folkloric expressions, in the positive sense of the word". He added, "the
agnosticism that has entered into the Church in groups of intimist piety" are
not good, but are instead a form of heresy. ... Popular piety is inculturated,
it cannot be produced in a laboratory, aseptic ... it is always born of life".
 Another question focused on the identity of the priest in the third
millennium. "How can we overcome the existential crisis born of the
linguistic, semantic and cultural revolution in evangelical witness?". "With
creativity", replied the Pope. "It is the commandment that God gave to Adam
and Jesus to his disciples. And creativity is found in prayer. A bishop who
does not pray, a priest who does not pray, has closed the door to creativity".
The fourth question related to the foundations of spirituality for a priest.
Francis described the priest's dual capacity for contemplation: towards God
and towards man. "He is a man who looks, who fills his eyes and heart with
contemplation: with the Gospel before God, and with human problems when among
men. The priest must be contemplative in this way. But this must not be
confused with monastic life, which is something else".
 The Pope emphasised that diocesan life must be at the centre of the
spirituality of the diocesan priest. "Maintaining a relationship with the
bishop and with the rest of the priests ... simple, but at the same time not
easy. The greatest enemy of these relationships is gossip. The devil knows
that this seed bears fruit, and he sows it well ... to impede that
evangelical, spiritual and fruitful relationship between the bishop and the
presbytery". He remarked that it was better to say things clearly and openly,
rather than give satisfaction to the devil who in this way "attacks the centre
of the spirituality of the diocesan clergy". The Holy Father concluded with
some comments on the bitterness of some priests and the image of an angry
Church. "One may anger at times; it is healthy to be angry at times. But the
state of rage is not God's, and leads only to sadness and disunity".

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 * Origin: Sursum Corda! BBS=Huntsville AL=bbs.sursum-corda.com (1:396/45)