"The love of Christ, which has blessed and sanctified the union of husband
and wife, is able to sustain their love and to renew it when, humanly
speaking, it becomes lost, wounded or worn out. The love of Christ can restore
to spouses the joy of journeying together. This is what marriage is all about:
man and woman walking together, wherein the husband helps his wife to become
ever more a woman, and wherein the woman has the task of helping her husband
to become ever more a man. This is the task that you both share. 'I love you,
and for this love I help you to become ever more a woman'; 'I love you, and
for this love I help you to become ever more a man'. Here we see the
reciprocity of differences. The path is not always a smooth one, free of
disagreements, otherwise it would not be human. It is a demanding journey, at
times difficult, and at times turbulent, but such is life! Within this
theology which the word of God offers us concerning the people on a journey,
spouses on a journey, I would like to give you some advice. It is normal for
husband and wife to argue: it's normal. It always happens. But my advice is
this: never let the day end without having first made peace. Never! A small
gesture is sufficient. Thus the journey may continue. Marriage is a symbol of
life, real life: it is not 'fiction'! It is the Sacrament of the love of
Christ and the Church, a love which finds its proof and guarantee in the
Cross. My desire for you is that you have a good journey, a fruitful one,
growing in love. I wish you happiness. There will be crosses! But the Lord is
always there to help us move forward. May the Lord bless you!".

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 Angelus: the Cross restores hope
 Vatican City, 14 September 2014 (VIS) - At midday today, after celebrating
the marriage of twenty couples from the diocese of Rome, the Pope appeared at
the window of his study to pray the Angelus with the faithful present in St.
Peter's Square.
 Pope Francis commented that today, 14 September, the Church celebrates the
festivity of the Exaltation of the Cross. "Any non-Christian might ask, why
'exalt' the Cross? We can answer that we do not exalt just any cross, or all
crosses: we exalt Jesus Cross, as it was upon the Cross that he revealed the
extent of God's love for humanity", he explained. "The Father gave his Son to
save us, and this involved the death of Jesus, and he died on the Cross. Why?
Why was the Cross necessary? Because of the gravity of the evil that had
enslaved us. The Cross of Jesus expresses both of these things: all the
negative force of evil, and all the gentle omnipotence of God's mercy. The
Cross appeared to decree Jesus' demise, but in reality it marked His victory.
... And it is precisely for this reason that God 'exalted' Jesus, conferring
upon Him a universal kingship".
 "When we turn our gaze to the Cross, where Jesus was nailed", he continued,
"we contemplate the sign of God's infinite love for each one of us, and the
root of our salvation. From this Cross there springs the mercy of the Father
who embraces the entire world. Through the Cross, the evil one is vanquished
and death defeated, we are given life, and hope is restored to us. ... The
Cross of Jesus is our only true hope! This is why the Chruch exalts the
glorious Cross of Jesus, sign of God's immense love, sign of our salvation,
and path to the Resurrection. And this is our hope".
 "When we contemplate and celebrate the Holy Cross", he concluded, "we think
with emotion of our many brothers and sisters who are persecuted and killed
for their fidelity to Christ. This happens especially where religious freedom
is not guaranteed or fully realised. It also occurs, however, in countries and
in environments where in principle freedom and human rights are protected, but
where in practice believers and Christians in particular often encounter
limitations or discrimination. Therefore, today we remember them and pray
especially for them".

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 Humanity still has not learnt that war is madness
 Vatican City, 14 September 2014 (VIS) - Following today's Marian prayer, the
Holy Father mentioned that tomorrow the Security Council of the United Nations
begins peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic, to promote peace
and protect the civil population that is suffering the consequences of a
long-standing conflict.
 "I assure the peacekeepers of the support and prayer of the Catholic Church,
and encourage the efforts of the international community to come to the aid of
Central Africans of good will. May the violence give way to dialogue as soon
as possible, and may the opposing forces set aside their particular interests
and make the necessary provisions to ensure that every citizen, of every
ethnic and religious group, may collaborate in constructing the common good.
May the Lord accompany this work for peace!", he exclaimed.
 The Pope went on to speak about his visit on Saturday to the Austro-Hungarian
cemetery and the military monument of Redipuglia, Italy, where he prayed for
those who lost their lives in the First World War. "The figures are
frightening: around eight million fallen soldiers and around seven million
civilians killed. This shows us what madness war is! A madness from which
humanity still has not learnt its lesson: it was followed by another world war
soon after, and many others that are still in progress. When will we learn
this lesson? I invite everyone to look to the Crucified Jesus to understand
that hatred and evil must be met with forgiveness and goodness, to understand
that the solution of war leads only to more evil and death!"

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 Cardinal Aguilar to take possession of his titular church
 Vatican City, 2014 (VIS) - The Office of Liturgical Celebrations of the
Supreme Pontiff today announced that on Sunday, 21 September, at 11 a.m.,
Cardinal Fernando Sebastian Aguilar, archbishop emeritus of Pamplona y Tudela,
Spain, will take possession of the title of Sant'Angela Merici (Via di
Sant'Angela Merici, 57).

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 Audiences
 Vatican City, 2014 (VIS) - Today, the Holy Father received in audience Daniel
Ruben Herrera Piedrabuena, federal judge of La Rioja, with his wife and
entourage.

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 Other Pontifical Acts
 Vatican City, 2014 (VIS) - The Holy Father has appointed Msgr. Marcus Stock
as bishop of Leeds (area 5,033, population 2,068,000, Catholics 157,766,
priests 182, permanent deacons 24, religious 149), England. The bishop-elect
was born in London, England in 1961 and was ordained a priest in 1988. He
studied theology at Oxford University and dogmatic theology at the Pontifical
Gregorian University. He has served in a number of pastoral roles, including
parish priest of "St. Birinus" in Dorchester-on-Thames, "St. Peter's" in
Bloxwich, and Coleshill, and director of Catholic schools for the archdiocese
of Birmingham. He is currently secretary general of the Episcopal Conference
of England and Wales and advisor to the Heythrop College Faculty of Theology,
London. In 2011 he was nominated Prelate of Honour of His Holiness.

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