VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 027
DATE 06-02-2015

Summary:
- To Italian prefects: fidelity to the law and scrupulous respect for the
rights of the person
- Francis at the concluding session of Scholas Occurrentes: the young are the
future
- Consistory on 14 February and courtesy visits to the new cardinals
- Showers and barber under Bernini's Colonnade for "homeless pilgrims"
- Audiences
- Other Pontifical Acts

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 To Italian prefects: fidelity to the law and scrupulous respect for the
rights of the person
 Vatican City, 6 February 2015 (VIS) - This morning in the Clementine Hall the
Pope received in audience the prefects (governmental representatives) of
various Italian cities. In his address, he remarked that their work "implies
tenacious dedication to duty and an exhaustive knowledge of relevant issues,
along with the flexibility necessary to face the innumerable practical cases
that emerge, each one with its own peculiarities".
 Pope Francis recalled that in recent years, during which migration has had a
particular impact, partly as a result of "an increase throughout the world of
violent conflicts with their tragic consequences for the people and the
economies of many countries", there has been a need for particular delicacy
and competence in relation to immigration. The prefects are faced with "the
need to identify in the everyday management of situations, frequently in
emergencies, the correct application of norms in order to guarantee, along
with fidelity to the dictates of the law and current legislation, scrupulous
respect for the fundamental rights of every human being".
 "In this area, as in many others, fruitful collaboration between the
Prefectures, dioceses and parishes is of great help; collaboration which, with
respect for distinct competences, deserves confirmation, recognition and
further development. The Church, as a divine and human entity, works in
society in the service of people based on the teaching of Christ and, wishing
to carry out her educational and charitable mission in sincere collaboration
with the institutions of the State for the development of humanity and the
good of the country, is pleased to find in the Prefectures one of the fields
in which this synergy for the good of all citizens is made particularly
tangible".
 The Holy Father went on to note that obedience to the law and the criteria of
humanity at its foundations, alongside loyalty to institutions, constitute the
indispensable framework within which the prefects carry out their work, and
are attitudes favourable to the assumption of responsibility. "The crisis of
authority experienced by our society in various fields, both public and
private and with wide-ranging consequences, especially for the education of
the younger generations, numbers among its causes the lack of these
fundamental dispositions towards obedience, listening and patience.
Furthermore, the exercise of authority always has as its aim the attainment of
the common good, finding its most intimate reason for existence and the very
possibility of its effectiveness in placing itself in the service of those
over whom authority is held".
 He concluded, "You are therefore called to exercise your professionalism and
your humanity, your knowledge and your prudence, without discouragement or
pessimism, knowing however that you will not be faced with abstract questions
but rather the real face of men and women with their problems and their hopes,
that in these years of uncertainty and economic difficulty have become even
more pressing".

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 Francis at the concluding session of Scholas Occurrentes: the young are the
future
 Vatican City, 6 February 2015 (VIS) - Yesterday afternoon Pope Francis
participated in the closing ceremony of the Fourth World Congress organised by
Scholas Occurrentes, held in the Vatican from 2 to 5 February on the theme
"Responsibility of all in education for a culture of encounter". The
international network of schools, "Scholas Occurrentes - schools for
encounter" was established with a small number of children in Buenos Aires at
the behest of the then-Archbishop Bergoglio and currently involves four
hundred state and religious schools in five continents, linked through sports,
art and technology. During the ceremony, Pope Francis held a video-conference
with seven disabled children from different parts of the world, who whom he
said, "Each one of us has a treasure inside. If we keep it locked up, it stays
locked up inside; if we share it with others, the treasure multiplies with the
treasure that comes from others". The Pope also remarked that, thanks to them,
we understand that "life is a beautiful treasure, but it makes sense only if
it is given".
 He went on to speak of a "broken educational pact". "Society, the family, and
various institutions delegate education to teachers who, generally underpaid,
bear the burden of this responsibility and are berated if the outcome is not
successful; however, no-one looks to the various institutions that have broken
the educational pact, who have delegated it to the professionalism of
teachers". He paid homage to those teachers "who have found themselves with
this hot potato in their hands and have made efforts to keep going".
 Francis explained that the aim of Scholas Occurrentes is to reintegrate the
efforts of all in education, and to harmoniously rebuild the educational pact,
"as only in this way, if all those of us who are responsible for the education
of our young act in together, can we change education". He also emphasised the
importance of "harmonising the language of the head with that of the heart and
of the hands, so that a person, a boy or a girl, thinks about what he feels
and does, feels what he thinks and does, and does what he feels and thinks".
 He highlighted every person and every people's search for "the beauty we
create with our art, our music, our painting, our sculpture, our literature.
Educate in beauty, because harmony means beauty, and we cannot achieve harmony
in our educational system without having this perception of beauty". He
concluded by thanking Scholas Occurrentes for its achievements and, while he
acknowledged that many problems remained to be solved, he encouraged the
organisation to continue its work. "Joint work and monitoring are necessary,
so that this spark may become a flame, and may help to rebuild and harmonise
the educational pact. Those who benefit from this are the young, and the young
are the future".

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 Consistory on 14 February and courtesy visits to the new cardinals
 Vatican City, 6 February 2015 (VIS) - On Saturday 14 February in St. Peter's
Basilica, the Holy Father will preside at an Ordinary Public Consistory for
the creation of new cardinals and the canonisation of Blessed Jeanne-Emilie De
Villeneuve, foundress of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Immaculate
Conception of Castres, Blessed Mary of Jesus Crucified (nee Maryam Baouardy)
professed nun of the Order of Discalced Carmelites and Blesseed 
arie-Alphonsine Danil Ghattas (nee Maryam Sultanah), co-foundress of the
Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Rosary of Jerusalem of the Latins.
 On the same day, in the afternoon, the courtesy visits to the new cardinals
will take place in the locations indicated below:
 Paul VI Hall
 Atrium: Cardinals Manuel Jose Macario do Nascimento Clemente; Berhaneyesus
Demerew Souraphiel, C.M; John Atcherley Dew; Edoardo Menichelli; Pierre Nguyen
Van Nhon and Alberto Suarez Inda;
 Hall: Cardinals Charles Maung Bo, S.D.B. ;Francis Xavier Kriengsak
Kovithavanij; Francesco Montenegro; Daniel Fernando Sturla Berhouet, S.D.B;
Ricardo Blazquez Perez; Jose Luis Lacunza Maestrojuan, O.A.R; Arlindo Gomes
Furtad and Soane Patita Paini Mafi;
 Apostolic Palace
 Sala Regia: Cardinals Dominique Mamberti and Luigi De Magistris;
 Sala Ducal: Cardinals Karl-Joseph Rauber, Luis Hector Villalba and Julio
Duarte Langa.
 On Sunday 15 February, Pope Francis concelebrates Holy Mass with all the
cardinals in St. Peter's Basilica at 10 a.m.

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 Showers and barber under Bernini's Colonnade for "homeless pilgrims"
 Vatican City, 6 February 2015 (VIS) - In recent days work has been concluded
for the installation of new showers below Bernini's Colonnade, thus completing
an extensive project to provide this service for the poor of the city of Rome
through the participating parishes, especially those where there already exist
canteens for the poor or where there is a greater concentration of homeless
people.
 The project was planned, guided and implemented by the technicians and
employees of the Governorate of Vatican City State: three showers and a small
"barbershop" have been incorporated in the complete renovation of a section of
the bathrooms present under the right wing of the Colonnade.
 This has been achieved with great sobriety and dignity, but also using modern
techniques: every washbasin is equipped with hot water, a soap dispenser and a
hot air jet for drying hands, all photocell-activated; instead of tiles, a
special resin has been used to coat the walls, which is easy to wash and
ensures optimum hygiene.
 The showers will be available for use every day, except on Wednesday during
the general audience and during celebrations in St. Peter's Square and in the
Basilica. On Monday, Thursday and Saturday the service and management of the
showers is ensured by volunteers from UNITALSI - Rome Section. The barber will
be available on Monday from 9 am to 3 pm. The service is provided by various
voluntary barbers and final year students from a hairdressing school in Rome.
 Our homeless pilgrims who wish to use the shower will receive a complete
change of underwear and a kit including a towel, soap, toothpaste, a razor,
shaving cream and deodorant, in accordance with their specific needs. The
majority of the material will be offered free of charge by several companies
and private individuals who, having heard of this project, have offered to
share their own resources with the needy. The remainder of the material will
be purchased as necessary by the Almoner of His Holiness using proceeds from
the distribution of parchments for Papal Blessings.
 On certain days of the week the poor will be received by volunteers, starting
with the Sisters of Mother Teresa of Calcutta, the Albertine Sisters who
assist the Swiss Guard, the Vincentian Sisters and many other kind-hearted
volunteers in Rome who have offered their time and collaboration.
 The Centro Televisivo Vaticano and the Photographic Service of L'Osservatore
Romano will produce video footage and photographs of the new services and will
make them available, from their offices, upon request.
 The Almoner wishes to offer heartfelt thanks to all the Parishes that have
participated in this project and, in particular, all those who have
contributed to producing the showers below the Colonnade and who will
endeavour in various ways to their use to assist the poor.

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 Audiences
 Vatican City, 6 February 2015 (VIS) - Today, the Holy Father received in
audience:
 - Cardinal Angelo Scola, archbishop of Milan, Italy;
 - His Beatitude Cardinal Bechara Boutros Rai, Patriarch of Antioch of the
Maronites;
 - Cardinal Juan Luis Cipriani Thorne, archbishop of Lima, Peru;
 - Bishop Heinz Wilhelm Steckling of Ciudad del Este, Paraguay.

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 Other Pontifical Acts
 Vatican City, 6 February 2015 (VIS) - The Holy Father has:
 - appointed Fr. Jozef Roszynski, S.V.D., as bishop of Wewak (area 36,917,
population 367,000, Catholics 224,000, priests 39, religious 90), Papua New
Guinea. The bishop-elect was born in Nidzica, Poland in 1962 and was ordained
a priest in 1989. He studied at the Divine Word University, Papua New Guinea
and has served in a number of pastoral roles, including parish priest in
parishes in Warabung, Wirui and Wewak; member of the provincial council of the
Verbites in Papua New Guinea; superior of the the Verbites in the district of
Wewak; member of commissions created by the apostolic administrator for the
management of finances and for the pastoral care of the vacant diocese in
Wewak. He is currently a missionary in the same diocese.
 - Fr. Denis Chidi Isizoh as auxiliary of the archdiocese of Onitsha (area
2,968, population 2,642,000, Catholics 1,761,000, priests 336, religious 730),
Nigeria. The bishop-elect was born in Ogbunike, Japan in 1956 and was ordained
a priest in 1985. He studied Holy Scriptures at the Pontifical Biblical
Institute, Rome, and studied for a doctorate in biblical theology at the
Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome, and has served as a formator at the
"All Hallows" minor seminary of Onitsha and chaplain of various institutes and
schools. He is currently secretary and assistant to Cardinal Francis Arinze
and official at the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue.

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