VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 213
DATE 01-12-2014

Summary:
- To the Swiss Bishops' Conference: safeguard your country's long Christian
tradition
- The Pope speaks to the press on the return flight to Rome
- Francis denounces the degrading living conditions of many refugees
- Pope Francis' prayer intentions for December
- Audiences
- Other Pontifical Acts

___________________________________________________________

 To the Swiss Bishops' Conference: safeguard your country's long Christian
tradition
 Vatican City, 1 December 2014 (VIS) - This morning Pope Francis received the
prelates of the Swiss Bishops' Conference at the end of their five-yearly "ad
Limina" visit and handed them the text of the discourse he had prepared in
advance, in which he referred to the country's long Christian tradition and
the responsibility of prelates to keep faith strong. "Without living faith in
the risen Christ, your beautiful churches and monasteries will gradually
transform into museums; all the commendable works and institutions lose their
soul, leaving behind only empty spaces and abandoned people", he writes. "The
mission that has been entrusted to you is to nurture your flock, proceeding in
accordance with current circumstances. ... The People of God cannot exist
without their pastors, bishops and priests; the Lord has given the Church the
gift of the apostolic succession in the service of the unity of faith and its
full transmission".
 In this way, the Pope encourages them to continue their efforts in the
formation of the seminarians, which constitutes the challenge for the future
of the Church, and invites them to pay attention to their priests, especially
in the case of estrangement or when the meaning of episcopal paternity appears
to be forgotten. "A humble, honest and fraternal dialogue often enables a new
beginning", he writes. Similarly, he urges the bishops to acknowledge the
support and efforts of the laity, differentiating between the common
priesthood of the faithful and the ministerial priesthood. He encourages them
to continue in the formation of the baptised regarding the truths of faith and
their importance to liturgy, the parish, family and life, and to carefully
select personnel to permit the laity to be truly integrated in and to take
their rightful place in the Church.
 The Holy Father mentions that the Church was born in Pentecost when the
apostles went out and spoke in all languages thus reaching all mankind through
the power of the Holy Spirit, and he recalls the Redeemer's invitation to
preach the Gospel to all, proclaiming the Good News without bending to the
whims of man. Finally, he imparts his apostolic blessing and expresses his
hope that they may continue to cultivate God's field with diligence and
patience, maintaining their passion for the truth, and he encourages them to
entrust the future of evangelisation in their country to the Virgin Mary and
to the intercession of St. Nicolas de Flue, St. Maurice, and their companions.

___________________________________________________________

 The Pope speaks to the press on the return flight to Rome
 Vatican City, 1 December 2014 (VIS) - Yesterday, as is his custom, Pope
Francis spoke with the journalists accompanying him on the return flight from
Istanbul to Rome. The questions touched mostly on the themes of relations
between Islam and Christianity, and ecumenism.
 The Holy Father affirmed that the Qu'ran is a book of peace and that Islam
cannot be equated with terrorism; however, he remarked, it is necessary for
Muslim political, religious and academic leaders to condemn terrorist attacks
so that the people may hear this directly from such figures. He also revealed
that in the Blue Mosque, he prayed above all for peace. Referring later on to
so-called "Christianophobia" or anti-Christian sentiment, as opposed to
"Islamophobia", he underlined that today there are many Christian martyrs
among the populations of the Middle East, and he mentioned those compelled to
leave their homes. This martyrdom has been the fate of faithful of different
Christian confessions and has given rise to an "ecumenism of blood".
 With regard to the Middle East, he spoke about the situation in Syria,
condemning the traffic and sale of arms, and reiterated that behind every war
there are always political and economic problems and commercial interests, in
attempts to save a system that accords centrality to the god of money, rather
than human beings. The Pope observed that it seems to him we are experiencing
a third world war, fragmented and dispersed in various places, and expressed
his wish to go to Iraq, although he remarked that at the moment it would not
be possible since it would create important problems for the authorities and
difficulties regarding security. Francis revealed that he considers the
opening of the Turkish-Armenian border to be a very important issue, but is
aware that there are political issues that make this difficult, and he invited
prayer to contribute to making this opening possible.
 The Pope focused closely on the question of ecumenism, commenting that it is
a path that must be followed together and stressing the importance of
spiritual ecumenism - praying, working and carrying out charitable works
together. He added that with orthodoxy, this joint path is proving successful
thanks to the sacraments and the apostolic succession, and that it will be
fundamental to provide an answer to the question posed by John Paul II when he
asked the Orthodox to help arrive at a formula for primacy acceptable to these
Churches. He also expressed his wish to go to Moscow in order to meet with the
Patriarch Kiril, but not at the moment due to the pressing problems in
Ukraine. Again in relation to ecumenism, he stressed that when the Church
looks inwardly to herself rather than at Christ, when she believes herself to
be a creator of light rather than a bringer of light, she creates divisions.
Finally, he remarked on the desire of Christians to be able to celebrate
Easter on the same date.
 One of the final questions related to the recent Synod of Bishops, and the
Holy Father affirmed that the Synod is a path and a process, and therefore a
person's opinion or a draft document cannot be given consideration. Nor is the
Synod a parliament, but rather a protected space where one may let the voice
of the Spirit be heard.

___________________________________________________________

 Francis denounces the degrading living conditions of many refugees
 Vatican City, 30 November 2014 (VIS) - Pope Francis chose to conclude his
final day in Turkey by meeting a group of around a hundred refugees and asylum
seekers. Christians and Muslims, they were mostly from Iraq and Syria,
although some were from other countries in the Middle East and Africa, and
have been assisted for some time by the Salesian community in Istanbul. The
meeting took place in the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit.
 "I wish to assure you that I share your sufferings; I hope my visit, by the
grace of God, may offer you some consolation in your difficult situation",
said the Pope. "Yours is the sad consequence of brutal conflicts and war,
which are always evils and which never solve problems. Rather, they only
create new ones".
 He emphasised the difficulty of the living conditions of refugees, who often
find themselves deprived, sometimes for long periods, of "basic needs such as
a dignified home, healthcare, education and work. They have had to abandon not
only their material possessions, but above all their freedom, closeness to
family, their homeland and cultural traditions. The degrading conditions in
which so many refugees are forced to live are intolerable! For this reason, we
must do everything possible to eradicate the causes of this situation. I
appeal for greater international cooperation to resolve the conflicts which
are causing bloodshed in your homelands, to counter the other causes which are
driving people to leave their home countries, and to improve conditions so
that people may remain or return home. I encourage all who are working
generously and steadfastly for justice and peace not to lose heart. I ask
political leaders to always remember that the great majority of their people
long for peace, even if at times they lack the strength and voice to demand
it".
 The Holy Father praised the work of many organisations in aid of refugees,
including numerous Catholic groups "which offer generous aid to many in need
without discriminating. I wish also to express deep gratitude to the Turkish
authorities for the great efforts they have made in assisting the displaced,
in particular Syrian and Iraqi refugees, and for the authorities' tangible
commitment in trying to meet their needs. I hope that the necessary support of
the international community may not be lacking".
 He offered some words of encouragement to the young people present. "It is
easy to say this, but please make an effort not to be discouraged. With the
help of God, continue to hope in a better future, despite the difficulties and
obstacles which you are currently facing. The Catholic Church is with you,
including through the invaluable work of the Salesians. The Church, in
addition to other forms of help, also offers you the opportunity to see to
your education and formation. Remember always that God does not forget any of
his children, and that those who are the smallest and who suffer the most are
closest to the Father's heart".
 "For my part, together with the whole Church, I will continue to pray to the
Lord, asking him to inspire those in leadership, so that they will not
hesitate to promote justice, security and peace and do so in ways that are
clear and effective", he concluded. "Through her social and charitable
organisations, the Church will remain at your side and will continue to hold
up your cause before the world. May God bless you all! Please pray for me.
Thank you!"
 Following the meeting, the Pope proceeded to the hospital to visit the
Armenian Orthodox Patriarch Mesrob II, who was admitted some years ago and
remains in a coma. He subsequently went to Ataturk Airport where, after
farewell greetings with the local civil and religious authorities, he departed
for Rome. The aircraft carrying the Holy Father landed at 6.40 p.m. Before
returning to the Vatican, he stopped in the Basilica of St. Mary Major to
commend the fruits of his apostolic trip in Turkey to the Virgin.

___________________________________________________________

 Pope Francis' prayer intentions for December
 Vatican City, 1 December 2014 (VIS) - The Holy Father's universal prayer
intention for December is: "That the birth of the Redeemer may bring peace and
hope to all people of good will".
 His intention for evangelisation is: "That parents may be true evangelisers,
passing on to their children the precious gift of faith".

___________________________________________________________

 Audiences
 Vatican City, 1 December 2014 (VIS) - Today, the Holy Father received in
audience:
 - Archbishop Jude Thaddeus Okolo, apostolic nuncio in the Dominican Republic
and apostolic delegate in Porto Rico;
 - Archbishop Jean-Marie Speich, apostolic nuncio in Ghana;
 - Marco Vinicio Vargas Pereira, new ambassador of Costa Rica to the Holy See,
presenting his credential letters;
 - Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church;
 - Archbishop Stephan Burger of Freiburg im Breisgau, Federal Republic of
Germany;
 - Thirteen prelates of the Swiss Bishops' Conference, on their "ad Limina"
visit:
 - Bishop Felix Gmur of Basel, with his auxiliaries, Bishop Martin Gachter and
Bishop Denis Theurillat;
 - Bishop Vitus Huonder of Chur, with his auxiliary Bishop Marian Eleganti;
 - Bishop Charles Morerod, O.P., of Lausanne, Geneve et Fribourg, with his
auxiliaries, Bishop Pierre Farine and Bishop Alain de Raemy;
 - Bishop Valerio Lazzeri of Lugano;
 - Bishop Markus Buchel of Sankt Gallen;
 - Bishop Jean-Marie Lovey, C.R.B. of Sion;
 - Fr. Urban Federer, O.S.B., abbot of Maria Einsiedeln, and
 - Bishop Joseph Roduit, abbot of Saint-Maurice.

___________________________________________________________

 Other Pontifical Acts
 Vatican City, 1 December 2014 (VIS) - The Holy Father has accepted the
resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese of Mocoa-Sibundoy, Colombia,
presented by Bishop Luis Alberto Parra Mora, in accordance with canon 401
para. 2 of the Code of Canon Law.

___________________________________________________________

For more information and to search for documents refer to the site:
www.visnews.org and www.vatican.va

Copyright (VIS):  the news contained in the services of the Vatican
Information Service may be reproduced wholly or partially by quoting
the source:  V. I. S. - Vatican Information Service.
http://www.vatican.va/news_services/press/vis/vis_en.html

--- MPost/386 v1.21
 * Origin: Sursum Corda! BBS=Huntsville AL=bbs.sursum-corda.com (1:396/45)