"The prophet invites those who listen to him - including us, today - to
spread among the people this message of hope: that the Lord consoles us. And
to allow room for the Lord's consolation", he continued. "But we cannot be
messengers of God's consolation if we do not first experience the joy of being
consoled and loved by Him. This happens especially when we listen to the Word,
the Gospel, which we should carry with us in our pockets ... and when we
remain in silent prayer in His presence, when we encounter Him in the
Eucharist or in the sacrament of Reconciliation".
 The Pope recalled those who are "oppressed by suffering, injustice and abuse;
those who are slaves to money, to power, to success and worldliness. "Theirs
are false consolations, they are not the true consolation of the Lord! We are
all called to console our brethren, showing that only God can eliminate the
causes of existential and spiritual crisis". The Pontiff went on to encourage
all those present to allow themselves to be consoled by the Lord, and he
concluded by entrusting to Mary the hopes for salvation and peace for all men
and women of our time.

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 Decrees of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints
 Vatican City, 7 December 2014 (VIS) - Yesterday afternoon, 6 December, Pope
Francis received in private audience Cardinal Angelo Amato, S.D.B., prefect of
the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. During the audience, the Holy
Father authorised the promulgation of the following decrees regarding:
 MIRACLES, attributable to the intercession of:
 - Blessed Jeanne-Emilie de Villeneuve, France, foundress of the Sisters of
the Immaculate Conception of Castres (1811-1854);
 - Blessed Marie-Alphonsine (nee Maryam Sultanah Danil Ghattas), Turco-British
Palestine, co-foundress of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Rosary
of Jerusalem of the Latins (1843-1927);
 - Blessed Mary of Jesus Crucified (nee Maryam Baouardy), Turkish Palestine,
professed nun of the Order of Discalced Carmelites (1846-1878);
 HEROIC VIRTUES
 - Servant of God Carmela of Jesus (nee Francesca Paola Prestigiacomo), Italy,
foundress of the Institute of the Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus of the
Incarnate Word (1858- 1948);
 - Servant of God Maria Seiquer Gaya, Spain, foundress of the Apostolic
Sisters of Christ Crucified (1891-1975);
 - Servant of God Adalberta (nee Vojtecha) Hasmandova, Czech Republic,
superior general of the Congregation of the Sisters of Mercy of St. Charles
Borromeo (1914-1988);
 - Servant of God Praxedes Fernandez Garcia, Spain, laywoman and member of the
Third Order of St. Dominic (1886-1936);
 - Servant of God Elisabetta Tasca, Italy, laywoman and mother (1899-1978).

___________________________________________________________

 Director of the Holy See Press Office on the inquiry on two ex-executives of
the IOR
 Vatican City, 7 December 2014 (VIS) - The director of the Holy See Press
Office has issued the following statement in response to questions from the
press:
 "I can confirm that the Promoter of Justice of the Vatican City State
Tribunal has opened an investigation against two former executives of the IOR
for suspected embezzlement of funds in the context of real estate transactions
that took place during the period from 2001 to 2008. The investigation has
also been extended to a lawyer for involvement in the case.
 The matter was presented to the Vatican City State judiciary by the IOR
authorities as a result of the internal audit carried out last year.
 The accounts of those concerned in the IOR were frozen as a precautionary
measure a few weeks ago.

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 Telegram for the death of Queen Fabiola of Belgium
 Vatican City, 6 December 2014 (VIS) - The Pope has sent a telegram of
condolences to His Majesty the King Philippe of Belgium for the death of Queen
Fabiola yesterday, 5 December, at the age of 86.
 In the text, Francis communicates to the monarch and all the Royal family,
along with the Government and the Belgian people, his sorrow at learning of
the death of the Queen, and expressed his deepest condolences. "I fervently
pray that the Lord may receive his faithful servant in His Kingdom of Light,
and that He may grant comfort and hope to all those affected by her
departure", he writes.

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 Pope's video message for the Christians and people of Iraq
 Vatican City, 9 December 2014 (VIS) - Cardinal Philippe Barbarin, archbishop
of Lyon, France, will transmit a video message from Pope Francis to the
Christians and the population as a whole in Iraq, to be screened this
afternoon in the city of Erbil. The twinning of the diocese with Mosul, which
began last summer, has given rise to several initiatives to support the Iraqi
population. The full text of the Pope's message is published below:
 "I would like to greet each and every one of you, along with Cardinal
Philippe Barbarin, who once again brings you the concern and the love of the
entire Church. I too would like to be there with you, but since I am unable to
travel, I will do this instead ... but I am very close to you in these
difficult moments. I said, during my return journey from Turkey: Christians
are being driven out of the Middle East, with suffering. I thank you for the
witness you give; and there is a great deal of suffering in your witness.
Thank you! Many thanks.
 "It would seem that there they do not want there to be any Christians, but
you bear witness to Christ. I think of the wounds, of the pain of women with
their children, the elderly and the displaced, the wounds of those who are
victims of every type of violence.
 "As I mentioned in Ankara, particular concern is caused by the fact that
above all, due to an extremist and fundamentalist group, entire communities,
especially, - but not only - Christians and Yazidi, have suffered and continue
to suffer inhuman violence because of their religious and ethnic identity.
Christians and Yazidis have been forced out of their homes, they have had to
abandon everything to save their lives, but they have not denied their faith.
Even holy buildings, monuments, religious symbols and cultural heritage have
been affected by the violence, almost as if to cancel every trace, every
memory of the other.
 "As religious leaders, we are obliged to denounce all violations of the
dignity and rights of humanity.
 "Today I wish to draw closer those of you who tolerate this suffering, and to
be close to you ... And I think of St. Therese of the Baby Jesus, who said
that she and the Church were like a rod: when the wind rises and the storm
comes, the rod bends but it does not break. At the moment, you are like this
rod: you bend painfully, but you have the strength to carry forth your faith,
which is a testimony to us. You are God's rod today! The rods that bend under
this ferocious wind, but then rise up again.
 "I wish to thank you again. I pray that the Spirit, Who makes all things new,
will give each of you strength and resistance. It is a gift of the Holy
Spirit. And I strongly urge, as I did in Turkey, greater international
collaboration to resolve the conflicts that cause blood to be shed in your
lands of origin, to combat the other causes that lead people to leave their
homelands and to promote suitable conditions for them to remain or return. I
hope that you will return, that you will be able to return.
 "Dear brothers and sisters, you are in my heart and my prayers, and in the
hearts and prayers of all Christian communities, whom I will ask to pray in a
special way for you on 8 December, to pray to Our Lady to protect you: she is
our mother and will protect you.
 "Brothers and sisters, your resistance is martyrdom, it is dew that brings
fruitfulness. Please, I ask you to pray for me. May the Lord bless you and Our
Lady protect you.
 May God almighty, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, bless you".

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 Audiences
 Vatican City, 6 December 2014 (VIS) - Today, the Holy Father received in
audience:
 - Cardinal Marc Ouellet, P.S.S., prefect of the Congregation for Bishops;
 - Cardinal George Pell, prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy;
 - Archbishop Osvaldo Padilla, apostolic nuncio in Korea and Mongolia;
 - Bishop Pier Giorgio Debernardi of Pinerolo, Italy;
 - Cardinal Angelo Amato, S.D.B.;
 - Cardinal Beniamino Stella, prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy.

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 Other Pontifical Acts
 Vatican City, 9 December 2014 (VIS) - The Holy Father has appointed:
 - Bishop Martin Musonde Kivuva of Machakos, Kenya, as archbishop of Mombasa
(area 38,000, population 2,214,000, Catholics 323,000, priests 116, religious
321), Kenya.
 - Msgr. Adolfo Ramon Canecin as coadjutor of the diocese of Goya (area
33,603, population 307,500, Catholics 283,000, priests 48, religious 51),
Argentina. The bishop-elect was born in Formosa, Argentina in 1958 and was
ordained a priest in 1988. He has served as vicar in the parish of "Maria
Madre de la Iglesia" and parish priest of the "Sagrada Familia" parish,
Formosa; rector of the cathedral of Formosa; and vicar general and rector of
"La Encarnacion" interdiocesan seminary in Resistencia, Chaco. He is currently
episcopal vicar for pastoral ministry and parish priest in the "San Francisco
de Asis" parish.
 On Monday, 8 December, the Holy Father appointed Bishop Filomeno do
Nascimento Vieira Dias of Cabinda, Angola, as archbishop of Luanda (area 343,
population 3,682,000, Catholics 2,717,000, priests 14, religious 493), Angola.

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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.
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