VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 151
DATE 10-09-2014

Summary:
- GENERAL AUDIENCE: MERCY IS ESSENTIAL
- MAY THE LORD REWARD AND GIVE COURAGE TO CHRISTIANS IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND
SYRIA
- CARDINAL MULLER TO TAKE POSSESSION OF HIS DIACONATE
- OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

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 GENERAL AUDIENCE: MERCY IS ESSENTIAL
 Vatican City, 10 September 2014 (VIS) - A special aspect of the "maternity"
of the Church is education through mercy, and this was the subject of the Holy
Father's catechesis during this Wednesday's general audience in St. Peter's
Square.
 Like a good mother and educator, the Church focuses on the essential, and the
essential, according to the Gospel, is mercy, as Jesus clearly tells his
disciples: "Be merciful, just as your father is". "Is it possible for a
Christian not to be merciful?" asked Pope Francis. "No. The Christian must
necessarily be merciful, because this is at the centre of the Gospel. And so
the Church behaves like Jesus. She does not give theoretical lessons on love
or on mercy. She does not spread throughout the world a philosophy or a path
to wisdom. Certainly, Christianity is all of this too", the Pope remarked,
"but as a consequence, a reflection. The mother Church, like Jesus, teaches by
example, and words serve to cast light on the meaning of her gestures".
 Therefore, "the Mother Church teaches us to give food and drink to those who
hunger and thirst, and to clothe those who are naked. And how does she do
this? She does it through the example of many saints who have done it in an
exemplary fashion, but she also does it through the example of many fathers
and mothers, who teach their children that what we have left over is for those
who are in need of basic necessities. In the most humble Christian families,
the rule of hospitality is always sacred: there is always a dish of food and a
place to sleep for those in need". And to those who say they have nothing to
spare, Francis gave the example of a family in his former diocese who shared
half of what they had to eat with a poor man who knocked at their door.
"Learning to share what we have is important".
 The mother Church teaches us to be close to those who are sick. Like the
saints who have served Jesus in this way, there are many people who practise
this work of mercy every day in hospitals, rest homes, or in their own homes,
providing assistance for the sick.
 The mother Church also teaches us to be close to those who are imprisoned.
"'But Father', some will say, 'This is dangerous. These are bad people'.
Listen carefully: any one of us is capable of doing what these men and women
in prison have done. We all sin and make mistakes in life. They are not worse
than you or me. Mercy overcomes any wall or barrier, and leads us always to
seek the face of the human being. And it is mercy that changes hearts and
lives, that is able to regenerate a person or enable him to be newly
reintegrated in society".
 "The mother Church teaches us to be close to those who have been abandoned
and who die lonely. This is what Mother Teresa did in the streets of Calcutta
and it is what many Christians, those who are not afraid to take the hand of
those who are about to leave this world, have done and continue to do. And
here too, mercy offers peace to those who depart and to those who remain,
making us aware that God is greater than death, and that by staying with Him,
even the final separation is only 'until we meet again'".
 "The Church is a mother", he continued, "teaching her children the works of
mercy. She has learned this path from Jesus; she has learned that this is
essential for salvation. It is not enough to love those who love us. It is not
enough to do good to those who do good to us in return. To change the world
for the better is it necessary to do good to those who are not able to do the
same for us, as our Father did for us, in giving us Jesus. How much have we
paid for our redemption? Nothing. It was all free. Doing good without
expecting anything in return - this is what our Father did for us and what we
too must do". For this reason, he concluded, "let us give thanks to the Lord,
who has given us the grace of having the Church as a mother who teaches us the
way of mercy, the way of life".

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 MAY THE LORD REWARD AND GIVE COURAGE TO CHRISTIANS IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND
SYRIA
 Vatican City, 10 September 2014 (VIS) - In his greetings in various languages
following the catechesis of today's general audience, the Pope addressed,
among others, the Arab-speaking faithful and in particular those from Syria
and the Middle East, to remind them that the Church, following the example of
her Master, excels in mercy: "she faces hatred with love, vanquishes violence
with forgiveness, and responds to weapons with prayer".
 He added, "May the Lord reward your faithfulness, inspire you with courage in
the struggle against the forces of evil, and open the eyes of those who have
been blinded by evil, so that they may soon see the light of truth and repent
for the mistakes they have made. May the Lord bless you and protect you
always".
 He also greeted the officers and members of the Italian naval forces who
participate in the operation "Mare Nostrum", assisting migrants and refugees
who attempt to cross the Mediterranean. "I give thanks for your admirable work
in the aid of so many of our brethren in search of hope", he said.
 Before the general audience in the Vatican's Paul VI Hall, the Holy Father
greeted a group of sick people, mostly children, who were not able to attend
the audience in St. Peter's Square. He thanked them all for their visit and
asked them to pray for him. "I ask you to pray for me. Don't forget! Pray so
that I can continue my work. I will pray for all of you and for the children.
And so, together, let us pray to the Virgin to bless us", he exclaimed. After
praying a Hail Mary with those present, Francis wished them a good day and
encouraged them to persevere with hope.

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 CARDINAL MULLER TO TAKE POSSESSION OF HIS DIACONATE
 Vatican City, 10 September 2014 (VIS) - The Office of Liturgical Celebrations
of the Supreme Pontiff today announced that this coming Sunday, 14 September,
at 12.15 p.m., Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Muller, prefect of the Congregation for
the Doctrine of the Faith, will take possession of the diaconate of
Sant'Agnese in Agone, Via di Santa Maria dell'Anima, 30/A.

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 OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
 Vatican City, 10 September 2014 (VIS) - The Holy Father has appointed:
 - Archbishop Luigi Bianco, apostolic nuncio in Ethiopia, as apostolic nuncio
in Djibouti and apostolic delegate in Somalia.
 - Rev. Fr. Robert J. Geisinger, S.J., (U.S.A.), as procurer general of the
Society of Jesus.
 - Msgr. Robert W. Oliver of the clergy of the archdiocese of Boston, as
secretary of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors. Msgr.
Oliver was formerly promoter of justice of the Congregation for the Doctrine
of the Faith.

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