"Let us remember our history: the Society 'was given the grace not only to
believe in the Lord, but also to suffer for His sake'. We do well to remember
this. The ship of the Society has been tossed around by the waves and there is
nothing surprising in this. Even the boat of Peter can be tossed about today.
The night and the powers of darkness are always near. It is tiring to row. The
Jesuits must be 'brave and expert rowers': row then! Row, be strong, even with
the headwind! We row in the service of the Church. We row together! But while
we row - we all row, even the Pope rows in the barque of Peter - we must pray
a lot. ... The Lord, even if we are men of little faith, will save us".
 "The Society, restored by my predecessor Pius VII, was made up of men, who
were brave and humble in their witness of hope, love and apostolic creativity,
that of the Spirit. Pius VII ... gave permission to the Jesuits, who still
existed here and there, thanks to a Lutheran monarch and an Orthodox monarch,
'to remain united in one body'. ... The Society resumed its apostolic activity
of preaching and teaching, spiritual ministries, scientific research and
social action, the missions and care for the poor, the suffering and the
marginalised. Today, the Society also deals with the tragic problem of
refugees and displaced persons with intelligence and industriousness; and it
strives with discernment to integrate service to faith and the promotion of
justice in conformity with the Gospel. I confirm today what Paul VI told us at
our 32nd General Congregation and which I heard with my own ears: "Wherever in
the Church, even in the most difficult and extreme situations, in the
crossroads of ideologies, in the social trenches, where there has been and
there is confrontation between the deepest desires of man and the perennial
message of the Gospel, there you have been and there are Jesuits.
 "In 1814, at the time of the restoration, the Jesuits were a small flock, a
'small Society', which however knew how to invest, following the trials of the
cross, in the great mission of bringing the light of the Gospel to the ends of
the earth. This is how we must feel today therefore: outbound, in mission. The
Jesuit identity is that of a man who loves God and loves and serves his
brothers, showing by example not only that in which he believes, but also that
in which he hopes, and who is the One in whom he has put his trust".

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 The Pope's message for the beatification of the Opus Dei prelate Alvaro del
Portillo: in the simplicity of everyday life we can find the way to holiness
 Vatican City, 27 September 2014 (VIS) - The bishop Alvaro del Portillo
(1914-1994), first successor of St. Josemaria Escriva de Balaguer at the helm
of Opus Dei, was beatified in Madrid, Spain this morning. The Holy Father sent
a message to Bishop Javier Echevarria, current Prelate of Opus Dei, which was
read during the ceremony, presided by Cardinal Angelo Amato,S.D.B., prefect of
the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. The message was signed 26 June, the
feast day of St. Josemaria Escriva de Balaguer.
 "I like to recall the short prayer that the Servant of God repeated
frequently, especially in personal celebrations and anniversaries: 'Thank you,
I'm sorry, help me more!' These are words that bring us closer to the reality
of his interior life and his dealing with the Lord, and which can also help us
to give a new impulse to our own Christian life", writes the Pope.
 "Firstly, thank you. It is the immediate and spontaneous reaction of the soul
before God's goodness. ... And God always precedes us. Alvaro del Portillo was
aware of the many gifts God had given him, and he thanked God for that
manifestation of his fatherly love. But he did not stop there. His gratitude
for the Lord's love awakened in his heart the wish to follow him with greater
selflessness and generosity, and to live a humble life of service to others.
Particularly evident was his love for the Church, bride of Christ, whom he
served with a heart stripped of worldly interests, free of discord, always
welcoming to all, and always seeking the positive in others, what unites and
what builds".
 Secondly, there is the phrase "I'm sorry". Francis explains in his letter
that Don Alvaro "often admitted that he saw himself before God with empty
hands, unable to respond to so much generosity. However, the admission of
human poverty is not the fruit of despair ... but instead means opening
oneself to His mercy, His love ... that does not humiliate, nor does it sink
into the abyss of despair; rather, it lives us from our prostration and
enables us to walk with more determination and joy. The Servant of God Alvaro
knew the need we have of divine mercy, and he dedicated much of his personal
energy to encourage persons to approach the Sacrament of Confession, the
Sacrament of joy."
 Finally, "help me more. Yes, the Lord never abandons us. ... His grace never
fails us, and with His help we can proclaim His name to all the world. Beating
in the heart of the new Blessed was the desire to take the Good News to all
hearts. He went to many countries encouraging evangelisation projects, without
being hindered by difficulties, moved by his love for God and for his
brothers. ... The first condition for proclaiming Christ is to love them, as
Christ loved them before us. From there, the Lord awaits us. We cannot keep
our faith to ourselves; it is a gift that we have received in order to be able
to give it and share it with others".
 "Blessed Alvaro del Portillo sends us a very clear message; he tells us to
trust in the Lord, who is our brother, our friend who never disappoints us and
who is always at our side," concludes the Holy Father. "He encourages us not
to be afraid to go against the current or to suffer for proclaiming the
Gospel. In addition, he teaches us that in the simplicity and ordinariness of
our life we can find a sure path of holiness".

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 Francis: the encounter with Jesus in the Eucharist is a source of hope for
the world
 Vatican City, 27 September 2014 (VIS) - "The Eucharist occupies the central
position in the Church because it is what makes the Church. As Vatican Council
II affirms, it is the 'sacrament of piety, sign of unity, bond of charity'",
said the Pope this morning, as he received in audience the participants in the
plenary assembly of the Pontifical Committee for the International Eucharistic
Councils.
 The theme of the next congress, "Christ in you, the hope of glory",
"perfectly reflects the bond between the Eucharist, the mission and Christian
hope", continued the Pontiff. "Today there is a lack of hope in the world, and
therefore humanity needs to hear the message of our hope in Jesus Christ. The
Church proclaims this message with renewed ardour, using new methods and new
expressions. With the spirit of 'new evangelisation', the Church brings this
message to all and, in particular, those who despite being baptised, have
drifted away from the Church and live without reference to Christian life".
 "The encounter between Jesus in the Eucharist will be a source of hope for
the world if, transformed by the power of the Holy See in the image on He Whom
we meet, we accept the mission of transforming the world, giving the fullness
of life that we ourselves have received and experienced, bringing hope,
forgiveness, healing and love to those who are in need, especially the poor,
the dispossessed and the oppressed, sharing life and aspirations and walking
alongside them in search of an authentic human life in Jesus Christ",
concluded Pope Francis, invoking the protection of the Virgin Mary for the
51st International Eucharistic Congress, to take place in Cebu, Philippines in
January 2015.

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 Communicating the family: a privileged place of encounter with the gift of
love
 Vatican City, 29 September 2014 (VIS) - The Pontifical Council for Social
Communications published a note today explaining the theme of World
Communications Day 2015: "Communicating the family: a privileged place of
encounter with the gift of love". The theme follows in continuity with the
previous year's message, and dovetails with the central theme of the next two
Synods on the family.
 It is important to recall that World Communications Day, the only World Day
established by Vatican Council II, is celebrated in many countries, upon the
recommendation of bishops throughout the world, on the Sunday preceding
Pentecost, and that the Holy Father's Message for the event is traditionally
published on the feast day of St. Francis of Sales, patron saint of
journalists (24 January).
 "The daily news show us the difficulties facing the family today", according
to the note. "Often cultural changes do not help us appreciate how much the
family is a good for society.
 "The relationships between the members of the family community are inspired
and guided by the law of 'free giving'. By respecting and fostering personal
dignity in each and every one as the only basis for value, this free giving
takes the form of heartfelt acceptance, encounter and dialogue, disinterested
availability, generous service and deep solidarity.
 "Today, how can we tell people who are perhaps wounded and disillusioned that
love between a man and a woman is a good thing? How can we help children know
that they are a most precious gift? How can we warm the hearts of people,
especially those who are wounded and disappointed, and help them rediscover
the beauty of love? How can we show that the family is the privileged place
where we experience the beauty of life, the joy and the gift of love, the
consolation of forgiveness offered and received, and the encounter with the
other?
 "Today the Church must learn again how to show that the family is a great
gift, something good and beautiful. The Church is called to show more vividly
that the gift of love, which the bride and groom offer each other, draws all
people to God. It is an exciting task because it moves people to look at the
true reality of the human person, and it opens the doors to the future, to
life".

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 Audiences
 Vatican City, 29 September 2014 (VIS) - Today, the Holy Father received in
audience:
 - Marcelo Julio Martin, ex-honorary consul of the Helvetic Confederation in
Rosario, Argentina, and family;
 - Stephan Weil, prime minister of Lower Saxony, and entourage.
 On Saturday, 27 September, the Holy Father received in audience:
 - Cardinal Marc Ouellet, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops;
 - Archbishop Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio in Mexico;
 - Archbishop Giuseppe Pinto, apostolic nuncio in the Philippines;
 - Archbishop Francisco Montecillo Padilla, apostolic nuncio in Tanzania

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 Other Pontifical Acts
 Vatican City, 27 September 2014 (VIS) - The Holy Father has appointed Rev.
Salvatore Angerami as auxiliary of the archdiocese of Naples (area 274,
population 1,744,000, Catholics 1,715,000, priests 1,053, permanent deacons
292, religious 3,413), Italy. The bishop-elect was born in Naples, Italy in
1956 and was ordained a priest in 1997. He studied engineering at the
University "Federico II" of Naples and exercised the profession of engineer
for some years before undertaking theological and philosophical studies at the
archiepiscopal seminary of Naples. He has served in a number of pastoral
roles, including parish priest of San Gennaro al Vomero, archiepiscopal
delegate for buildings of worship, ordinary confessor and spiritual father of
the preparatory community of the archiepiscopal major seminary, member of the
diocesan council for economic affairs, and member of the Commission of
Religious Art. He is currently rector of the archiepiscopal seminary of Naples.

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