VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 146
DATE 03-09-2014

Summary:
- MARY: MODEL OF MOTHERLY COURAGE FOR THE CHURCH
- TO THE FAITHFUL OF IRAQ: THE CHURCH SUFFERS BY YOUR SIDE AND IS PROUD OF YOU
- HOLY FATHER'S CALENDAR FOR SEPTEMBER
- POPE FRANCIS' ACTIVITIES IN AUGUST
- ACTIVITIES OF THE HOLY SEE IN AUGUST

___________________________________________________________

 MARY: MODEL OF MOTHERLY COURAGE FOR THE CHURCH
 Vatican City, 3 September 2014 (VIS) - "We do not become Christians by
ourselves, of our own will, autonomously, but rather we are generated and grow
in faith within the great body of the Church", said Pope Francis during this
morning's general audience. "The Church is truly a mother, a mother who gives
life in Christ and who enables us to live with all our brethren in the
communion of the Holy Spirit".
 The Holy Father explained that the Church has a model for this maternity in
the Virgin Mary. "The maternity of the Church is in continuity with that of
Mary. ... The Church, in the fruitfulness of the Spirit, continues to generate
new sons and daughters in Christ. .. The birth of Jesus from Mary's womb is
indeed the prelude to the rebirth of every Christian and He is the first-born
of a multitude of brothers. Therefore, we are able to understand the depth of
the relationship between Mary and the Church; when we look to Mary, we see the
most beautiful and most tender face of the Church; when we look to the Church,
we recognise the sublime features of Mary. We Christians are not orphans".
 He remarked that the Church is our mother as she gave birth to us in our
Baptism, and, "since that day, like an affectionate mother, brings us up in
faith and shows us, through the strength of God's Word, the path of salvation,
defending us from evil". The maternity of the Church is particularly evident
in the service of evangelisation, in which she is "committed, like a mother,
to offering her sons the spiritual nourishment that nurtures them and renders
Christian life fruitful. The path of salvation, by which the Church guides us
and accompanies us with the strength of the Gospel and the support of the
Sacraments, gives us the capacity to defend ourselves against evil, like a
courageous mother who protects her children from danger.
 The Pope warned that, although God has defeated Satan, he always returns with
his temptations. "We must not be ingenuous", he said, "but must instead remain
vigilant and firm in our faith, with the counsel and the help of the mother
Church who ... accompanies her children in difficult moments". Similarly,
Francis encouraged those present to remember that we, all baptised persons,
are the Church, and must not be afraid to bear witness to this maternity. "Let
us entrust ourselves to Mary", he concluded, "so that she may teach us to have
the same maternal spirit towards our brethren, with a sincere capacity to
accept, forgive, give strength and infuse trust and hope".

___________________________________________________________

 TO THE FAITHFUL OF IRAQ: THE CHURCH SUFFERS BY YOUR SIDE AND IS PROUD OF YOU
 Vatican City, 3 September 2014 (VIS) - In his greetings in various languages,
following his catechesis during today's general audience, the Pope addressed
Arab-speaking pilgrims, especially those from Iraq, reminding them that the
Church is a mother and therefore, like all mothers, know how to accompany her
child when in need, to seek him out when he is lost, and to "defend the
defenceless and persecuted". "Today, I especially wish to assure the latter,
the defenceless and persecuted, of my closeness - you are in the heart of the
Church, the Church suffers with you and is proud of you, proud to have sons
and daughters like you. You are the strength and the concrete and authentic
example of her message of salvation, forgiveness and love. I embrace all of
you, all of you. May the Lord bless you and protect you always".
 He went on to address Polish-speaking pilgrims and recalled that, during
these days various cities in Poland commemorate the 75th anniversary of the
outbreak of the Second World War. "Let us entrust to God's mercy those who
lost their lives for the love of their homeland and their brothers, and let us
invoke the gift of peace in all the nations of Europe and throughout the
world, by the intercession of Mary, Queen of Peace".
 Finally, he greeted the faithful from the Italian diocese of Te
ni-Narni-Amelia, to whom he expressed his concerns regarding the difficult
situation experienced by many families in Terni due to the plans of the
Thyssenkrupp Corporation, and renewed his appeal that "the logic of profit may
not prevail, but rather that of solidarity and justice. The person and his or
her dignity is at the heart of every issue, including that of work. We must
not joke about work. Those who, for the sake of money, business and greater
profit, leave people without work, must be aware that this means removing
their dignity".

___________________________________________________________

 HOLY FATHER'S CALENDAR FOR SEPTEMBER
 Vatican City, 3 September 2014 (VIS) - The Office of Liturgical Celebrations
of the Supreme Pontiff has published the following calendar of liturgical
celebrations at which the Holy Father will preside during the month of
September:
 Saturday, 13: Pastoral visit to the military monument of Redipuglia, Italy,
and Holy Mass.
 Sunday, 14: Festivity of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. 9 a.m., in St.
Peter's Basilica, Holy Mass with the rite of marriage.
 Sunday, 21: Apostolic trip to Albania.
 Sunday, 28: 10.30 a.m. in St. Peter's Square, Holy Mass with the elderly.

___________________________________________________________

 POPE FRANCIS' ACTIVITIES IN AUGUST
 Vatican City, 3 September 2014 (VIS) - The following is a list of Pope
Francis' activities during the month of August, including the Angelus,
audiences, other pontifical acts, telegrams, messages and other news. The
activities are presented in chronological order within the respective
categories.
 ANGELUS
 3: Francis comments on the three messages that Jesus offers with the
multiplication of the loaves and the fishes: compassion, sharing and the
Eucharist. In this Gospel reading, Christ shows us the path which will enable
us to face the needs of this world in a brotherly way, and which will lead us
beyond this world.
 10: The Gospel tells that Jesus walks on water and, when Peter tests him, he
too is able to walk on water. "Jesus tells us that we are able to perform
miracles with our faith, faith in God, faith in His Word, faith in His voice".
 24: Simon, in the name of the the Twelve, professes his faith in Jesus as
"the Christ, the Son of the living God"; Jesus calls him "blessed" for his
faith, recognising that this is a special gift from the Father, and says to
him, "you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church". The Pope
explains that "the Lord intends to construct, to imagine his community, as a
building. Therefore, when he hears Simon's sincere profession of faith, he
calls him a 'rock' and declares his intention to build His Church on this
faith".
 31: Jesus, after ensuring that Peter and the other eleven disciples believe
in Him as the Messiah and Son of God, begins to explain that He must go to
Jerusalem where He will suffer greatly, will die, and will rise again on the
third day. "It is a critical moment in which Jesus' and the disciples' method
of thinking emerges".
 WEDNESDAY GENERAL AUDIENCES
 6: The Pope describes the Church as the new People of God, founded on the new
Covenant sealed with the blood of Jesus, and emphasises the importance of John
the Baptist as he prepares the people to receive Jesus.
 20: First General Audience following the Holy Father's return from Korea.
Francis recounts to the faithful the main events of his visit - the
beatification of 124 martyrs and his meeting with the young, which enabled him
to present the Church as a family which transmits to the new generations the
faith received from their ancestors.
 27: "When we recite the Creed", says the Pope, "we say that the Church is
'one', and 'holy', even though we know from experience that she is made up of
sinners and there is no lack of divisions". Francis recalls that "in a
Christian community, division is one of the most serious sins, as it does not
allow God to act".
 MESSAGES AND TELEGRAMS
 4: Message from the Pope to Scouts in Europe to mark the Eurojamboree, held
in Saint-Evroult-Notre-Dame-du-Bois in Normandy, France from 1 to 10 August
2014.
 4: Telegram of condolences from the Holy Father for the death of Cardinal
Edward Bede Clancy, titular of Santa Maria in Vallicella, archbishop emeritus
of Sydney, Australia.
 6: Message from the Holy Father to the 1st Latin-American Congress for Family
Pastoral, held in Panama from 4 to 9 August.
 9: Letter from Pope Francis to his special envoy to the celebration of the
3rd (WACOM III), which took place in Bogota, Colombia from 15 to 19 August.
 11: Video message from Pope Francis broadcast in Korea by the KBS on the
occasion of his apostolic trip to the Republic of Korea for the 6th Asian
Youth Day.
 11: Telegram of condolences from the Holy Father to the victims of the air
crash at the international airport of Mehrabad-Teheran, Iran.
 13: Letter from the Pope to the Secretary General of the United Nations, Ban
Ki-Moon, on the dramatic situation unfolding in the north of Iraq.
 18: Letter from the Holy Father to the special envoy to the solemn
Eucharistic Celebration to mark the 250th anniversary of the foundation of St.
Louis in the U.S.A., on 24 August.
 22: Telegram from the Pope for the death in Novi, Michigan, U.S.A. of
Cardinal Edmund Casimir Szoka, title of Sts. Andrew and Gregory at Monte
Celio, president emeritus of the Pontifical Commission for the Governorate of
Vatican City State.
 23: Message from the Holy Father for the 35th edition of the Summer Festival
for Friendship Among Peoples, held on 24 August in Rimini, Italy, on the
theme: "To the ends of the world and of existence. Destiny has not left man
alone".
 25: Telegram from the Pope on the occasion of the Synod of the Waldensian
Methodist Church, which began on 24 August in Torre Pellice, Piedmont, Italy.

--- MPost/386 v1.21
 * Origin: Sursum Corda! BBS=Huntsville AL=bbs.sursum-corda.com (1:396/45)