VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 207
DATE 24-11-2014

Summary:
- The Pope to the faithful of the Malabar rite: St. Kuriakose Elias and St.
Euphrasia, examples and encouragement to the people
- The Pope canonises six new blesseds: the Kingdom of God is built on
tenderness and proximity
- Angelus: the example of the new saints revives spirit of harmony and
reconciliation
- The poor are also evangelisers as they show us the peripheries the Gospel
has not reached, says Francis at the 4th Missionary Convention of the CEI
- Francis: overcome the isolation that burdens the autistic and their families
- Ecclesial movements and new communities: conserve freshness of charism,
respect freedom and seek communion
- Telegram for the death of Cardinal Fiorenzo Angelini
- Private meeting between the Pope and the president of the Italian Republic
- Audiences
- Other Pontifical Acts

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 The Pope to the faithful of the Malabar rite: St. Kuriakose Elias and St.
Euphrasia, examples and encouragement to the people
 Vatican City, 24 November 2014 (VIS) - This morning in the Vatican Basilica
Pope Francis met with a group of faithful of Syro-Malabar rite, gathered in
Rome for the canonisation on Sunday of Kuriakose Elias Chavara of the Holy
Family, and Euphrasia Eluvathingal of the Sacred Heart. The Holy Father took
the opportunity to thank the Church in India, and specifically in Kerala, for
"all its apostolic strength and for the witness of faith you have", he said.
"Continue in this way! Kerala is a land that is very fertile in religious and
priestly vocations. Carry on working in this way, with your witness".
 "May this time of celebration and intense spirituality help you to
contemplate the marvellous works accomplished by the Lord in the lives and
deeds of these new saints. ... who remind each of us that God's love is the
source, the support and the goal of all holiness, while love of neighbour is
the clearest manifestation of love for God."
 Pope Francis described St. Kuriakose Elias as "a religious, both active and
contemplative, who generously gave his life for the Syro-Malabar Church,
putting into action the maxim 'sanctification of oneself and the salvation of
others'", while St. Euphrasia "lived in profound union with God, so that her
life of holiness was an example and an encouragement to the people, who called
her 'Praying Mother'. He encouraged those present to "treasure their lessons
of evangelical living ... follow in their footsteps and imitate them, in a
particular way, through love of Jesus in the Eucharist and love of the Church.
Thus you will advance along the path to holiness".

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 The Pope canonises six new blesseds: the Kingdom of God is built on
tenderness and proximity
 Vatican City, 24 November 2014 (VIS) - During the Mass celebrated this
morning on the Solemnity of Christ King of the Universe, the Holy Father
canonised blesseds Giovanni Antonio Fraina (1803-1888), Kuriakose Elias
Chavara of the Holy Family (1805-1871), Ludovico da Casoria (1814-1885),
Nicola da Longobardi (1650-1709), Euphrasia Eluvathingal of the Sacred Heart
(1877-1952) and Amato Ronconi (c. 1226-c.1292).
 In his homily, the Pope remarked that the kingdom of Jesus is the "kingdom of
truth and life, the kingdom of sanctity and grace, the kingdom of justice,
love and peace", and he commented on today's readings show how the Lord
established his kingdom, how He brings it about as history unfolds, and what
He now asks of us.
 Jesus brought about his kingdom "through his closeness and tenderness towards
us", as the prophet Ezekiel foresaw in the first reading that describes the
attitude of the Shepherd towards His flock, using the verbs such as to seek,
to keep watch, to round up, to lead to pasture, to bring to rest; to seek the
lost sheep, to tend to the wounded, to heal the sick, to care for and to
graze. "Those of us who are called to be pastors in the Church cannot stray
from this example, if we do not want to become hirelings. In this respect, the
People of God have an unerring sense for recognising good shepherds and
distinguishing them from hirelings".
 After his victory, that is, after the Resurrection - Jesus' kingdom grew, but
it was not a kingdom according to earthly models. "For Him, to reign was not
to command, but to obey the Father, to give Himself over to the Father, so
that His plan of love and salvation may be brought to fulfilment. ... The
Gospel teaches what Jesus' kingdom requires of us: it reminds us that
closeness and tenderness are the rule of life for us also, and that on this
basis we will be judged. ... The starting point of salvation is not the
confession of the sovereignty of Christ, but rather the imitation of Jesus'
works of mercy through which He brought about his kingdom". He explained that
those who accomplish these works show that they have understood and welcomed
Jesus' sovereignty, because they have opened their hearts to God's charity.
"In the twilight of life we will be judged on our love for, closeness to and
and tenderness towards our brothers and sisters. ... Jesus has opened to us
His kingdom to us, but it is for us to enter into it, beginning with our life
now - his kingdom begins now - by being close in concrete ways to our brothers
and sisters who as for bread, clothing, acceptance, solidarity, catechesis".
 "Today the Church places before us the examples of these new saints. Each in
her or her own way served the kingdom of God, of which they became heirs,
precisely through works of generous devotion to God and their brothers and
sisters. They responded with extraordinary creativity to the commandment of
love of God and neighbour. They dedicated themselves without reserve to
serving the least and assisting the destitute, sick, elderly and pilgrims.
Their preference for the smallest and poorest was the reflection and the
measure of their unconditional love of God. In fact, they sought and
discovered love in a strong and personal relationship with God, from whence
springs forth love for one's neighbour". Pope Francis concluded, "Through the
rite of canonisation, we have confessed once again the mystery of God's
kingdom and we have honoured Christ the King, the Shepherd full of love for
His sheep. May our new saints, through their witness and intercession,
increase within us the joy of walking in the way of the Gospel and our resolve
to embrace it as the compass of our lives".

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 Angelus: the example of the new saints revives spirit of harmony and
reconciliation
 Vatican City, 23 November 2014 (VIS) - After celebrating Holy Mass for the
canonisation of six blesseds, the Pope prayed the Angelus with the faithful
gathered in St. Peter's Square and greeted in particular the official
delegations from Italy and India, the homelands of the new Saints.
 "The example of the four Italian saints born in the provinces of Vicenza,
Naples, Cosenza and Rimini helps the Italian people to revive the spirit of
collaboration and harmony for the common good, and to look to the future with
hope, united and trusting in the closeness of God Who never abandons us, even
in the most difficult moments".
 "Through the intercession of the two new Indian saints from Kerala, a great
land of faith and priestly and religious vocations, may the Lord grant a new
missionary impulse to the Church in India, which is very great, so that
inspired by their example of harmony and reconciliation, Christians from India
may continue on the path of solidarity and fraternal coexistence".

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 The poor are also evangelisers as they show us the peripheries the Gospel has
not reached, says Francis at the 4th Missionary Convention of the CEI
 Vatican City, 22 November 2014 (VIS) - This morning in the Paul VI Hall the
Pope received in audience the participants in the 4th Missionary Convention of
the Italian Episcopal Conference, around eight hundred people. "Every
generation is called to be missionary ... from the very beginning", affirmed
the Holy Father. "Remember how the apostles Andrew and John encountered the
Lord and then ... set out, enthusiastic. The first thing they did was become
missionaries. They went to their brothers and said, 'We have found the Lord,
we have found the Messiah'".
 Following these unscripted remarks, Pope Francis went on to cite his
Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, in which he speaks of an outbound
Church, and reiterated that a missionary can only be outbound, without fear of
encounters, of discovering new things, and of speaking about the joy of the
Gospel. "Not to proselytise, but to say what we have and want to share without
imposition, with all and without distinction. ... The particular Churches in
Italy have done much. ... I would like to repeat something that a Brazilian
cardinal said to me: 'When I go to Amazonia - because he has the task of
visiting dioceses in Amazonia - I go to the cemetery and see the tombs of
missionaries. And there are many of them. And I think, these people could be
canonised now!' It is the Church; they are the Churches of Italy".
 "Today I thank you for what you do in many areas ... and I ask you to work
with passion to keep this spirit alive. I see many laypeople alongside bishops
and priests. The mission is the task of all Christians, not just the few. ...
The Italian Church, I repeat, has given many priests and laypeople fidei
donum, who decide to spend their lives building up the Church in the
peripheral areas of the world, among the poor and those who are far away. ...
I urge you, do not let yourselves be robbed of hope and the dream of changing
the world with ... the leaven of the Gospel, starting out from the human and
existential peripheries. Reaching out means overcoming the temptation to talk
among ourselves, forgetting the many who await from us a word of mercy, of
consolation, of hope. Jesus' Gospel is fulfilled in history. Jesus Himself was
a man from the outskirts, from Galilee, far from the centres of power of the
Roman Empire and of Jerusalem. ... However, His Word was the beginning of a
transformation in history, the start of a spiritual and human revolution, the
good news of a Lord Who died and rose again for us".
 The Pope encouraged those present to intensify their missionary spirit and
their enthusiasm for the mission, without allowing themselves to be
discouraged by difficulties and, above all, "beginning with children, who must
receive a missionary catechesis. At times, even in the Church we are overcome
by pessimism, which risks depriving many men and women of the announcement of
the Gospel. Let us go ahead with hope! The many missionary martyrs to faith
and charity are show us that victory is only in love and in a life spent for
the Lord and for our neighbour, starting with the poor. The poor are the
travelling companions of an outbound Church, as they are the first She
encounters. The poor are also your evangelisers, as they show you those
peripheries where the Gospel has yet to be proclaimed and lived".
 "Reaching out means not remaining indifferent to destitution, war, the
violence in our cities, the neglect of the elderly, the anonymity of many
people in need and marginalisation from little ones. Reaching out means not
accepting that in our Christian cities the are many children who do not know
how to make the sign of the Cross. This is reaching out. It means being
builders of peace, of the 'peace' that the Lord gives us every day and of
which the world is so in need. Missionaries never give up their dream of
peace, even when they experience difficulties and persecution, which make
their presence strongly felt today".

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 Francis: overcome the isolation that burdens the autistic and their families
 Vatican City, 22 November 2014 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in
audience the participants in the 29th International Conference organised by
the Pontifical Council for Health Workers (for Health Pastoral Care),
dedicated to autism, including persons affected by this disorder and their
families.
 The Pope thanked the organisers of the Conference for having chosen such a
complex theme, "which appeals directly to the responsibility of governments
and institutions, without forgetting, of course, Christian communities", and
he emphasised the need for common efforts to promote "acceptance, encounter
and solidarity ... to break through the isolation and, in many cases, the
stigma that burdens people affected by autism spectrum disorders, and
frequently also their families".
 "This does not mean an anonymous and impersonal accompaniment, but instead
and above all listening to the profound needs that emerge from within a
disorder that is not only often difficult to diagnose, but which does not
easily find acceptance without shame and solitude. In the assistance of those
affected ... it would be helpful to create, throughout the country, a network
of support and services, complete and accessible, involving not only parents
but also grandparents, friends, therapists, teachers and pastoral workers.
These figures may help families to overcome the sensations of inadequacy,
inefficacy and frustration that may emerge".

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