___________________________________________________________

 The Pope institutes the Secretariat for Communication
 Vatican City, 27 June 2015 (VIS) - The following is the full text of the
apostolic letter in the form of a Motu Proprio by which the Holy Father has
instituted the Secretariat for Communication:
 "The current communications context, characterised by the presence and
development of digital media, and by factors of convergence and interactivity,
requires a re-evaluation of the information system of the Holy See and
commitment to reorganisation that, taking into consideration what has developed
historically within the communication structures of the Apostolic See, proceeds
decisively towards integration and unified management.
 For these reasons, I consider that all those bodies that have until now been
occupied in different ways with communication be brought together in a new
dicastery of the Roman Curia, which will be entitled Secretariat for
Communication. In this way the communication system of the Holy See will be
able
to respond better to the needs of the Church's mission.
 Therefore, after having examined reports and studies, received the feasibility
study and heard the unanimous opinion of the Council of Cardinals, I hereby
institute the Secretariat for Communication and establish the following.
 Art. 1
 The following bodies will merge into the dicastery, as presented by the
Commission for Vatican Media instituted on 30 April 2015, at the established
times: Pontifical Council for Social Communications; Holy See Press Office,
Vatican Internet Service; Vatican Radio; Vatican Television Centre;
L'Osservatore Romano; Vatican Typography; Photographic Service; Vatican
Publishing House.
 Art. 2
 These bodies, from the date of publication of the present Motu Proprio, will
continue to carry out their activities, in accordance, however, with
indications
given by the Secretariat for Communication.
 Art. 3
 The new dicastery, in agreement with the Secretariat of State, will take on
the
institutional web site of the Holy See:
www.vatican.va and the Twitter service of the Supreme Pontiff: @pontifex Art. 4
 The Secretariat for Communication will begin its functions on 29 June 2015,
and
will be based provisionally in Palazzo Pio, Piazza Pia 3, 00120 Vatican City.
 I order that all that I have set forth in this Apostolic Letter issued Motu
Proprio is to be fully observed, anything to the contrary notwithstanding,
albeit deserving of special mention, and I hereby decree that it be promulgated
by publication in the daily newspaper L'Osservatore Romano, and subsequently in
the Acta Apostolicae Sedis.
 Given in Rome, at St. Peter's, on 27 June of the year 2015, third of my
Pontificate".
 The Holy Father, following the Apostolic Letter issued Motu Proprio, "The
current communications context" of 27 June 2015, by which he instituted the
Secretariat for Communication, appointed:
 - Msgr. Dario Edoardo Vigano, director of the Vatican Television Centre, as
prefect of the Secretariat for Communication;
 - Msgr. Lucio Adrian Ruiz, head of the Vatican Internet Service, as secretary;
 - Paolo Nusiner, director general of Avvenire, Nuova Editoriale Italiana, as
director general; and
 - Giacomo Ghisani, head of the Office for International Relations and Legal
Affairs of Vatican Radio and member of the managing board of the Vatican
Television Centre, as deputy director general.

___________________________________________________________

 Francis receives a delegation from the Ecumenical Patriarchate of
Constantinople
 Vatican City, 27 June 2015 (VIS) - A delegation from the Ecumenical
Patriarchate of Constantinople is present in Rome for the customary visit on
the
Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, patrons of the Church of Rome, bearing
witness
to the profound relationship between the two Churches foreshadowed by the bond
uniting their respective patrons, the apostles Peter and Andrew, "brothers in
blood and faith, united in apostolic service and martyrdom", as Pope Francis
affirmed.
 A Holy See delegation reciprocates every year with a visit to Istanbul, Turkey
on 30 November, St. Andrew's Day, and the Holy Father recalled the warm welcome
he received on this occasion last year from Patriarch Bartholomew and the
clergy
and faithful of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. "The ecumenical prayer on the
vigil
of the feast, and then the Divine Liturgy in the Patriarchal Church of Saint
George, offered us the possibility of together praising the Lord and asking him
with one voice for that day to draw nearer when full, visible communion between
Orthodox and Catholics may be re-established", he said.
 "Attaining that goal, towards which we have set out together in trust,
represents one of my main concerns, for which I do not cease to pray to God",
he
added. "I hope, therefore, that opportunities may increase for meeting each
other, for exchange and cooperation among Catholic and Orthodox faithful, in
such a way that as we deepen our knowledge and esteem for one another, we may
be
able to overcome any prejudice and misunderstanding that may remain as a result
of our long separation. It is my desire that we may be able to face, in truth
but also with a fraternal spirit, the difficulties which still exist". In this
regard, Francis reiterated his support for the valuable work of the Joint
International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church
and the Orthodox Church, emphasising that the problems that may arise during
the
course of theological dialogue must not lead to discouragement or resignation.
"The careful examination of how in the Church the principle of synodality and
the service of the one who presides are articulated, will make a significant
contribution to the progress of relations between our Churches".
 The Pope gave the assurance of his prayers and those of many Catholics for the
upcoming Pan-Orthodox Synod, and asked in turn for prayers for the Ordinary
Assembly of the Synod of Bishops of the Catholic Church dedicated to the
family,
to be held in the Vatican this coming October, "at which we are looking forward
also to the participation of a fraternal delegate from the Ecumenical
Patriarchate".

___________________________________________________________

 Pope's video message on the eve of his trip to Ecuador, Bolivia and Paraguay
 Vatican City, 27 June 2015 (VIS) - Yesterday afternoon Pope Francis sent a
video message, transmitted simultaneously in Ecuador, Bolivia and Paraguay, for
his upcoming apostolic trip to the three Latin American countries from 5 to 12
July. The following is the full text of the message:
 "The trip is almost upon us. With this greeting I would like to express my
closeness, my cordiality, and my good will. My desire is to be with you, to
share your concerns, to show my affection and nearness and also to celebrate
with you.
 I would like to be a witness to this joy of the Gospel and to bring the
tenderness and caress of God, our Father, especially to his children who are
most in need, to the elderly, the sick, the imprisoned, the poor, those who are
victims of this culture of waste. The Father's love, so merciful, enables us
without measure to discover the face of His Son Jesus in every brother and
every
sister of ours, in our neighbour. It is necessary only to be near, to make
ourselves neighbours. As Jesus said to that young doctor of the law when he
asked Him, who is my neighbour? Do as the good Samaritan did, go and do the
same, do not walk on by.
 On this trip I will visit three sister nations in these lands of the American
continent. The faith we all share is a source of fraternity and solidarity: it
builds peoples, forms a family of families, fosters harmony and encourages the
desire for and commitment to peace.
 In these days before our meeting, I thank God for you, and ask you to be
steadfast in your faith that carries the flame of love and charity, and to hold
fast to the hope that never disappoints. I ask you to join your prayers with
mine, so that the announcement of the Gospel reaches the most remote
peripheries, and that the values of the Kingdom of God may continue to be a
leaven for the earth in our days too.
 May the Blessed Virgin, Mother of America, protect you, and may the Lord bless
you. Thank you, we will see each other soon, and please, do not forget to pray
for me".

___________________________________________________________

 Cardinal Vlk, Pope's special envoy to the commemoration of Jan Hus
 Vatican City, 27 June 2015 (VIS) - In a letter published today, written in
Latin and dated 9 April 2015, the Holy Father has appointed Cardinal Miloslav
Vlk, archbishop emeritus of Prague, Czech Republic, as his special envoy to the
commemoration of the 600th anniversary of the death of Jan Hus, to be held in
Prague on 5 and 6 July 2015.
 The mission accompanying the cardinal will be composed of: Rev. Michael
Nimeeek, episcopal vicar for pastoral ministry, and Miroslav Simaeek,
archdeacon
of the parish of Usti. nadLabem and canon of the Chapter of the St. Stephen's
Cathedral, at Litomerice.

___________________________________________________________

 The Catholic Church in Ecuador, Bolivia and Paraguay
 Vatican City, 30 June 2015 (VIS) - As previously announced, the Pope will make
an apostolic trip to Ecuador, Bolivia and Paraguay from 5 to 12 July. The
following are some statistics regarding the presence of the Catholic Church in
the three countries:
 Ecuador has a surface area of 283,561 square kilometres and 15,775,000
inhabitants of whom 13,978,000 are Catholics (87.4%). The Church consists of 25
ecclesiastical circumscriptions, 1,250 parishes and 4.369 pastoral centres,
with
52 bishops, 2,198 priests, 973 seminarians, 5,261 men and women religious and
49,489 catechists. The Church runs 1,469 schools and educational institutes at
all levels and 173 hospitals and clinics, 56 rest homes and 167 orphanages or
nurseries, 32 family support centres and 626 other social structures.
 Bolivia has a surface area of 1,098,581 square kilometres and 11,280,000
inhabitants of whom 9,301,000 are Catholics (82.5%). The Church consists of 18
ecclesiastical circumscriptions, 600 parishes and 210 pastoral centres, with 38
bishops, 1,208 priests, 599 seminarians, 2,869 men and women religious, and
17,768 catechists. The Church runs 1,791 schools and educational institutes at
all levels and 183 hospitals and clinics, 48 rest homes and 186 orphanages and
nurseries, 49 family support centres and 293 other social structures.
 Paraguay has a surface area of 406,752 square kilometres and 6,783,000
inhabitants of whom 6,318,000 are Catholics (93.2%). The Church consists of 15
ecclesiastical circumscriptions, 372 parishes and 1,451 pastoral centres, with
23 bishops, 804 priests, 684 seminarians, 180 men and women religious, and
53,738 catechists. The Church runs 684 schools and teaching institutes at all
levels and 38 hospitals and clinics, 14 rest homes and 26 orphanages and
nurseries, 56 family support centres, and 46 other social structures.

___________________________________________________________

 Audiences
 Vatican City, 30 June 2015 (VIS) - Today, the Holy Father received in audience
Jean-Claude Michel, ambassador of the Principality of Monaco, on his farewell
visit.
 On Saturday 27 June the Holy Father received in audience Cardinal Marc
Ouellet,
P.S.S., prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.
 In the afternoon of Friday 26 June, the Holy Father received in audience
Archbishop Blase J. Cupich of Chicago, U.S.A.
 In the afternoon of Thursday 25 June the Holy Father received in audience:
 - Cardinal Joao Braz de Aviz, prefect of the Congregation for the Institutes
of
Consecrated Life and the Societies of Apostolic Life, accompanied by the
secretary of the same dicastery, Archbishop Jose Rodriguez Carballo;
 - Archbishop Eduardo Eliseo Martin of Rosario, Argentina;
 - Bishop Gustavo Oscar Zanchetta of Oran, Argentina.

___________________________________________________________

 Other Pontifical Acts
 Vatican City, 30 June 2015 (VIS) - The Holy Father has accepted the
resignation
from the office of auxiliary of the diocese of Lausanne, Geneve et Fribourg,
presented by Bishop Pierre Farine, upon reaching the age limit.
 On Saturday 27 June, the Holy Father appointed the following members of the
Congregation for the Oriental Churches: Cardinal Peter Erdo, archbishop of
Esztergom-Budapest, Hungary; Cardinal Thomas Christopher Collins, archbishop of
Toronto, Canada; Cardinal Ricardo Blazquez Perez, archbishop of Valladolid,
Spain; Archbishop Menghesteab Tesfamariam of Asmara, Eritrea; and Archbishop
Fulop Kocsis of Hajdugorog for Catholics of Byzantine Rite, Hungary.

___________________________________________________________

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)