VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 157
DATE 17-09-2014

Summary:
- The Church, universal and missionary, cannot be wrapped up in herself
- The Pope to the faithful: accompany me in Albania in prayer
- Decrees of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints
- Sixth meeting of the Council of Cardinals
- "Evangelii gaudium" and pastoral ministry: three day meeting in the Vatican

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 The Church, universal and missionary, cannot be wrapped up in herself
 Vatican City, 17 September 2014 (VIS) - The meaning of the terms "Catholic"
and "apostolic" when we speak about the Church was the theme of Pope Francis'
catechesis at this morning's Wednesday general audience in St. Peter's Square,
attended by 50,000 faithful.
 When we profess the Creed, we state that we believe in a Catholic and
apostolic Church. "Catholic means universal", said the Holy Father, "and a
clear sign of this Catholicity is that she speaks all languages. This is none
other than the effect of the Pentecost: indeed, it was the Holy Spirit that
enabled the Apostles and the entire Church to communicate to all, to the very
ends of the earth, the Good News of salvation and of God's love. Thus, the
Church was born Catholic - that is, 'symphonic' since the beginning, and she
cannot be otherwise, destined as she is for evangelisation and for
encountering everyone": The Pope, remarking that everyone is able to read the
Word of God in his or her own language, again encouraged those present always
to carry a copy of the Gospel and to read one or two passages each day.
 "If the Church is born Catholic, it means that she was born to go forth,
missionary", continued Pope Francis. "If the Apostles had stayed in the
Cenacle without going out to preach the Gospel, the Church would have remained
there, in that city, in that country, in that room. It is what we express when
we describe her as 'apostolic'. But they went forth. An apostle spreads the
good news of Jesus' resurrection. This term reminds us that the Church, on the
foundations of the Apostles and in continuity with them, is sent to proclaim
the Gospel to all humanity, with the signs of the tenderness and strength of
God. The Apostles went forth, they travelled the world, they founded new
churches, they consecrated new bishops and in this way, we continue their
work".
 "And this too derives from the Pentecost. Indeed, the Holy Spirit is able to
overcome any resistance, to defeat the temptation to remain wrapped up in
ourselves, an elect few, and to consider ourselves as the only ones destined
to receive God's blessing. Imagine if a group of Christians were to consider
itself in this way; they would die out. First in soul and then in body, as
they would not be able to generate new life. They would not be apostolic. The
Holy Spirit leads us towards our brothers, even to those who are far away in
every sense, so that they can share with us the gift of love, peace and joy
that the Risen Lord has left us".
 "What does it mean, for our communities and for each of us, to be part of a
Church that is Catholic and apostolic? First of all, it means taking to heart
the salvation of all humanity, not to be indifferent or removed from the fate
of so many of our brothers, but rather to be open and in solidarity with them.
It also means having a sense of the fullness, the completeness, the harmony of
Christian life, always rejecting partial and unilateral positions that close
us up in ourselves".
 Being part of the apostolic Church means "being aware that our faith is
anchored in the proclamation and the witness of Jesus' Apostles, and therefore
always being aware that were are sent out, in communion with the successors of
the Apostles, with our hearts full of joy, to proclaim Christ and His love for
all humanity".
 Pope Francis recalled the "heroic life" of all the missionaries who leave
their homelands to take the Gospel to others, encouraging those present to
give thanks to God for the missionaries the Church has had and will continue
to need.
 "Let us ask the Lord to renew in us the gift of His Spirit, so that every
Christian community and baptised person may be an expression of the Catholic
and apostolic Holy Mother Church".

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 The Pope to the faithful: accompany me in Albania in prayer
 Vatican City, 17 September 2014 (VIS) - At the end of today's general
audience, the Holy Father greeted those present in various languages. In his
greetings in Arabic, he addressed the faithful of the Holy Land "from where
the light of proclamation issued forth to the ends of the earth", urging them
always to be, "despite difficulties, courageous and joyful bearers of the
Message of salvation, truth and blessing".
 Before his greetings in Italian, the Pope spoke about his trip to Albania
this coming Sunday, 21 September, and invited the faithful to accompany him in
prayer. "I decided to visit this country because it has suffered greatly as a
result of a terrible atheist regime and is now realising the peaceful
co-existence of its various religious components".

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 Decrees of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints
 Vatican City, 17 September 2014 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in
audience Cardinal Angelo Amato S.D.B., prefect of the Congregation for the
Causes of Saints. During the audience he authorised the promulgation of
decrees concerning the following causes:
 MIRACLES
 - Blessed Maria Cristina of the Immaculate Conception (nee Adelaide Brando),
Italian foundress of the Oblation Sisters of the Holy Sacrament (1856-1906);
 - Venerable Servant of God Pio Alberto del Corona, Italian professed priest
of the Order of Preachers, bishop of San Miniato and founder of the Dominican
Sisters of the Holy Spirit (1837-1912);
 - Venerable Servant of God Marie-Elisabeth Turgeon, Canadian foundress of the
Sisters of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary (1840-1881).
 The Pontiff also approved the votes of the Ordinary Session of the Cardinal
and Bishop Fathers in favour of the canonisation of Blessed Joseph Vaz, Indian
priest of the Oratory of St. Philip Neri, founder of the Oratory of the Holy
Cross of Miracles in Goa (1651-1711).
 Finally, the Holy Father decided that a Consistory will be convoked shortly
for the canonisation of Blessed Joseph Vaz and Blessed Maria Cristina of the
Immaculate Conception, nee Adelaide Brando.

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 Sixth meeting of the Council of Cardinals
 Vatican City, 17 September 2014 (VIS) - This morning, the director of the
Holy See Press Office, Fr. Federico Lombardi S.J., provided an update on the
sixth meeting of the Council of Cardinals, which began on Monday, 15 September
and will conclude this afternoon. As usual, the Holy Father was present at all
sessions apart from this morning's, due to the Wednesday general audience.
 "In the previous meetings, the Cardinals had worked by examining all the
Congregations and Pontifical Councils, but they had also assigned a
significant amount of time to hearing the referring Commissions on economic
and organisational questions (COSEA and CRIOR) and on matters pertaining to
the economic Dicasteries. Work in this area may now be considered complete,
following the constitution of the Council and the Secretariat for the Economy.
The press conference held by Cardinal Pell in July focused on the results of
this work and on the initiation of the activities of these new organs.
 "Therefore, in this meeting the Council of Cardinals resumed work on the
other Dicasteries. In the meantime, several contributions had been prepared by
various members of the Council on the different issues within their sphere of
competence, which were proposed or presented to the Council. During these
days, the Council focused on two principal "hotspots".
 "The first includes the themes of the laity and the family. It is a very
broad area, encompassing many issues, including for instance the role of women
in society and in the Church, youth, childhood, or matters related to lay
associations and movements, and so on.
 "The second comprises themes linked to justice and peace, charity, migrants
and refugees, health, and the protection of life and ecology, especially human
ecology.
 "As can be seen, the discussions therefore involved many of the major issues
that fall within the competences of the current Pontifical Councils, and how
to face them in a coordinated and integrated fashion.
 "The Council of Cardinals, as we are aware, does not make decisions, but
formulates proposals for the Pope, who certainly intends to consult in further
depth, also with regard to the various Dicasteries, involving those in roles
of responsibility. Therefore, the Council's proposals will be studied further,
and it is to be expected that the Pope will speak about them, for instance,
during the meetings with the Heads of the Dicasteries, which are convoked
regularly and will certainly take place in the coming months.
 "A draft Introduction for the new Constitution was also drawn up and
distributed.
 "In order to speed up this new phase in the work of the Council, the
coordinator Cardinal Maradiaga has prepared an overall plan to facilitate the
organisation of the contributions and reflections already offered during the
previous meetings and the integration of new ones.
 "It may be assumed that, with the next two meetings of the Council (9-11
December 2014 and 9-11 February 2015), the draft Constitution will reach an
advanced stage of preparation, making it possible for the Pope to proceed with
further consultations".
 With regard to the Commission for the Protection of Minors, the director of
the Holy See Press Office commented that the appointment of the Secretary,
Msgr. Robert Oliver, had been made public during recent days, adding: "In the
next few weeks other very important aspects will be specified regarding the
Statutes and further members of the Commission. It is expected that these will
be clarified at the time of the next meeting of the Commission itself,
scheduled for early October (4-5)".
 "With regard to the Commission on Vatican media, chaired by Lord Chris
Patten, the first meeting will be held from 22-24 September at the Domus
Sanctae Marthae. As a first meeting, it will be dedicated primarily to drawing
up a framework for the common base of information necessary to enable the work
of the members (several of whom are from contexts external to the Vatican),
the planning of the work to be done over the coming months, and the method to
be used. The Commission itself, during its first meeting, will establish its
own strategy of communication. Therefore, interviews or communications will
not be given prior to the meeting", he concluded.

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 "Evangelii gaudium" and pastoral ministry: three day meeting in the Vatican
 Vatican City, 17 September 2014 (VIS) - The international meeting "The
Pastoral Project of 'Evangelii gaudium'", organised by the Pontifical Council
for Promoting New Evangelisation, will be held in the Vatican from 18 to 20
September and will be attended by more than two thousand pastoral workers from
seventy countries worldwide. Bishops, priests, catechists, consecrated
persons, pastoral workers and members of associations and movements will
explore in depth the content of the apostolic Exhortation that Pope Francis
has indicated as the programmatic document of his papacy. Renowned speakers
will discuss specific themes in relation to pastoral ministry and
evangelisation. The meeting will culminate with an encounter with the Holy
Father on Friday afternoon.
 A detailed programme of the event can be found at
www.novaevangelizatio.va
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