SUMMARY:
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BENEDICT XVI RETURNS TO THE VATICAN THIS AFTERNOON
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MESSAGE OF PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE FOR FEAST
OF VESAKH
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ARCHBISHOP BECCIU SPEAKS OF POPE FRANCIS' REFORM
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POPE NOTES THAT WORK IS FUNDAMENTAL ELEMENT IN DIGNITY OF PERSON
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AUDIENCES
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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
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BENEDICT
XVI RETURNS TO THE VATICAN THIS AFTERNOON
Vatican
City, 2 May 2013 (VIS) – Shortly before 5:00pm this afternoon, Pope
Francis will go to receive Pope emeritus Benedict XVI who is
returning to the Vatican after his two month stay at Castel Gandolfo.
Benedict
XVI will leave Castel Gandolfo by helicopter around 4:30pm and will
arrive some 20 minutes later at the Vatican heliport. From this
afternoon on, the Pope emeritus will take up permanent residence at
the “Mater Ecclesiae” convent, which has been recently restored.
Joining him will be his secretary, Archbishop Georg Ganswein, prefect
of the Prefecture of the Papal Household, and the four women of the
“Memores Domini” lay association who have been part of the Papal
Household for years, cleaning and cooking. The monastery, built over
20 years ago at the bequest of Blessed John Paul II, has housed four
different cloistered orders over the years: Poor Claires, Discalced
Carmelites, Benedictine nuns, and Visitandine nuns.
In
these past two months, Pope Francis and the Pope emeritus have spoken
several times by telephone, such as on 19 March and 16 April,
respectively Benedict XVI's saint's day and his birthday. The two
also met on 23 March in the Apostolic Palace of Castel Gandolfo.
MESSAGE
OF PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE FOR FEAST OF VESAKH
Vatican
City, 2 May 2013 (VIS) – Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran and Fr. Miguel
Angel Ayuso Guixot M.C.C.I., respectively president and secretary of
the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, signed the
message that, on the occasion of the feast of Vesakh, that dicastery
annually sends to the followers of Buddhism.
Vesakh
is a major Buddhist holy day that commemorates the birth,
enlightenment, and death of Gautama Buddha. According to tradition,
the historical Buddha was born, achieved enlightenment and passed
away during the full moon of the month of May, thus Vesakh is a
mobile feast, which this year falls on 24 or 25 May, depending on the
country it is celebrated in. On those days, Buddhists visit local
temples to offer the monks food and to hear the teachings of the
Buddha, taking special care to meditate and to observe the eight
precepts of Buddhism.
This
year's message is entitled: “Christians and Buddhists: Loving,
Defending, and Promoting Human Life”. Following is the letter in
its entirety.
“On
behalf of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, I would
like to extend my heartfelt greetings and good wishes to all of you,
as you celebrate the feast of Vesakh which offers us Christians an
occasion to renew our friendly dialogue and close collaboration with
the different traditions that you represent.”
“Pope
Francis, at the very beginning of his ministry, has reaffirmed the
necessity of dialogue of friendship among followers of different
religions. He noted that: 'The Church is […] conscious of the
responsibility which all of us have for our world, for the whole of
creation, which we must love and protect. There is much that we can
do to benefit the poor, the needy, and those who suffer, and to
favour justice, promote reconciliation, and build peace' ('Audience
with Representatives of the Churches and Ecclesial Communities and of
the Different Religions', 20 March 2013). The Message of the World
Day of Peace in 2013 entitled 'Blessed are the Peacemakers', notes
that: 'The path to the attainment of the common good and to peace is
above all that of respect for human life in all its many aspects,
beginning with its conception, through its development and up to its
natural end. True peacemakers, then, are those who love, defend, and
promote human life in all its dimensions—personal, communitarian,
and transcendent. Life in its fullness is the height of peace. Anyone
who loves peace cannot tolerate attacks and crimes against life'
('Message for the World Day of Peace' in 2013, n. 4).”
“I
wish to voice that the Catholic Church has sincere respect for your
noble religious tradition. Frequently we note a consonance with
values expressed also in your religious books: respect for life,
contemplation, silence, simplicity (cf. 'Verbum Domini', no. 119).
Our genuine fraternal dialogue needs to foster what we Buddhists and
Christians have in common especially a shared profound reverence for
life.”
“Dear
Buddhist friends, your first precept teaches you to abstain from
destroying the life of any sentient being and it thus prohibits
killing oneself and others. The cornerstone of your ethics lies in
loving kindness to all beings. We Christians believe that the core of
Jesus’ moral teaching is twofold; love of God and love of
neighbour. Jesus says: 'As the Father has loved me, so have I loved
you; abide in my love'. And again: 'This is my commandment, that you
love one another as I have loved you' ('Catechism of the Catholic
Church, n. 1823).The fifth Christian Commandment, 'You shall not
kill' harmonizes so well with your first precept. 'Nostra Aetate'
teaches that: 'the Catholic Church rejects nothing of what is true
and holy in these religions' (NA 2). I think, therefore, that it is
urgent for both Buddhists and Christians on the basis of the genuine
patrimony of our religious traditions to create a climate of peace to
love, defend, and promote human life.”
“As
we all know, in spite of these noble teachings on the sanctity of
human life, evil in different forms contributes to the dehumanization
of the person by mitigating the sense of humanity in individuals and
communities. This tragic situation calls upon us, Buddhists and
Christians, to join hands to unmask the threats to human life and to
awaken the ethical consciousness of our respective followers to
generate a spiritual and moral rebirth of individuals and societies
in order to be true peacemakers who love, defend and promote human
life in all its dimensions.”
“Dear
Buddhist friends, let us continue to collaborate with a renewed
compassion and fraternity to alleviate the suffering of the human
family by fostering the sacredness of human life. It is in this
spirit that I wish you once again a peaceful and joyful feast of
Vesakh.”
ARCHBISHOP
BECCIU SPEAKS OF POPE FRANCIS' REFORM
Vatican
City, 2 May 2013 (VIS) – On 13 April, the news that Pope Francis
had established a group of eight cardinals to advise him on the
government of the universal Church and to study a plan for revising
the Apostolic Constitution on the Roman Curia, “Pastor Bonus” was
made public. The decision generated great interest and, at the same
time, more than a few speculations. Yesterday, 1 May, Archbishop
Angelo Becciu, substitute of the Secretariat of State, gave an
interview on this topic to the Vatican newspaper, L'Osservatore
Romano, from which ample extracts are given below.
Osservatore
Romano: Much speculation has been heard regarding the reform of the
Curia: the balance of power, economic “super-ministers”,
revolutions, etc...
Archbishop
Becciu: "Actually, it is a little strange. The Pope has not yet
met with the group of advisers who have been chosen and already
advice is raining down. After having spoken with the Holy Father, I
can say that, at this moment, it is absolutely premature to put
forward any hypothesis about the future structure of the Curia. Pope
Francis is listening to everyone but, in the first place, he will
want to listen to those whom he has chosen as advisers. Following
that, a project of reform of the 'Pastor Bonus' will be outlined,
which will obviously have to follow its own process."
OR:
Likewise, much has been said about the IOR, the Institute for
Religious Works. Some have gone so far as to predict its elimination.
AB:
"The Pope was surprised to see words attributed to him that he
never said and that misrepresent his thoughts. The only mention about
it was during a brief homily at the Santa Marta, made off the cuff,
in which he passionately recalled how the essence of the Church
consists in a story of love between God and human beings, and how the
various human structures, the IOR among them, should be less
important. His reference was a mention, motivated by the presence of
some of the employees of the IOR at the Mass, in the context of a
serious invitation to never lose sight of the essential nature of the
Church."
OR:
Should we expect that a restructuring of the current organization of
dicasteries may not be imminent?
AB:
"I don't know how to predict the timing. The Pope, in any case,
has asked us all, the heads of dicasteries, to continue in our
service, without, however, wanting to proceed for the moment in
confirming any positions. The same holds for the members of the
Congregations and the Pontifical Councils: the normal cycle of
confirmations or nominations, which occur at end of five-year
mandates, is for the moment suspended, and everyone continues in
their assigned job 'until otherwise provided for' ('donec aliter
provideatur'). This indicates the Holy Father's desire to take the
time needed for reflection—and for prayer, we must not forget—in
order to have the full picture of the situation."
OR:
Regarding the group of advisers, some have argued that such a choice
might put the Pope's primacy in question...
AB:
It is a consultative, not a decision-making, body and I truly do not
see how Pope Francis' choice might put the primacy in question.
However, it is true that it is a gesture of great importance, which
means to send a clear signal regarding the way in which the Holy
Father would like to exercise his ministry. We must not forget the
first task that has been assigned to the group of eight cardinals: to
assist the pontiff in the government of the universal Church. I would
not like for curiosity regarding the arrangement and the structures
of the Roman curia to overshadow the profound meaning of Pope
Francis' gesture.
OR:
But isn't the expression “to advise” a little too vague?
AB:
On the contrary, advising is an important task that is theologically
defined in the Church and that finds expression on many levels.
Think, for example, of the bodies participating in dioceses and
parishes, or of councils of superiors, provincials, and generals in
the Institutes of consecrated life. The function of advising must be
interpreted in theological terms: from a worldly perspective we
should say that a council without decision-making power is irrelevant
but that would mean equating the Church to a business. Instead,
theologically, advising has a function of absolute importance:
helping the superior in the task of discernment, in understanding
what the Spirit asks of the Church in a precise historical moment.
Without this reference, for that matter, it wouldn't even be possible
to understand the true meaning of the action of government in the
Church.
POPE
NOTES THAT WORK IS FUNDAMENTAL ELEMENT IN DIGNITY OF PERSON
Vatican
City, 1 May 2013 (VIS) – The importance of work and contemplating
Jesus, following Joseph and Mary's example, were the central themes
of the Pope's first catechesis in the month of May, which coincided
with the feast of St. Joseph the Worker.
Before
the more than 70,000 persons gathered in St. Peter's Square for the
general audience, the Pope explained that Jesus “enters into our
history, comes among us, born of Mary by an act of God, but with the
presence of St. Joseph, his legal father who cares for him and also
teaches him his work … the trade of carpentry in his workshop in
Nazareth, sharing with him the commitment, the fatigue, the
satisfaction, and also the difficulties of every day. This reminds us
of the dignity and importance of labour. The Book of Genesis narrates
that God created man and woman, entrusting to them the task of
filling and subduing the earth, which did not mean exploiting it but
cultivating and safeguarding it, caring for it with their very
labour.”
“Labour
is part of God's plan of love. We are called to cultivate and
safeguard all the goods of creation and, in this way, we participate
in the act of creation! Labour is a fundamental element for the
dignity of a person. … It makes us like God, who laboured and
labours, who always acts. He gives us the capacity to maintain
ourselves, our family, to contribute to the growth of our own
nations. Here,” the pontiff added, “I am thinking of the
difficulties that, in various countries, the world of labour and
business encounters today. I am think of how many, and not just young
persons, are unemployed,often because of an economistic conception of
society that seeks selfish profit, outside the parameters of social
justice.”
“I
would like to invite all to solidarity, and encourage those
responsible for public affairs to make every effort to give new
impetus to employment. This means having care for the dignity of the
person. Mostly I would like to say not to lose hope. Even St. Joseph
had difficult moments, but he never lost trust and he knew how to
overcome them with the certainty that God does not abandon us. “
After
that exhortation, the Bishop of Rome referenced another troubling
situation, “slave labour”, work that enslaves. “How many
persons around the world are victims of this type of slavery in which
the person is at the service of labour while it should be labour that
offers service to the person so that they might have dignity. I ask
our brothers and sisters in the faith and all men and women of good
will to make a decisive choice against the trafficking of persons
within which 'slave labour' figures.”
The
Pope then touched upon the second theme of his catechesis, Jesus, who
was Joseph and Mary's shared centre of attention in the silence of
their everyday actions. The attitude of both is revealed in how the
Virgin, as St. Luke narrates in his Gospel, “kept all these things,
reflecting on them in her heart.” “In order to listen to the
Lord, we need to learn how to contemplate him, to perceive his
constant presence in our lives. We need to stop and dialogue with
him, give him space with our prayer. … Let us remember the Lord
more during our days!”
During
this month of May, I would like to recall the important and the
beauty of praying the Holy Rosary,” Francis continued,
“contemplating the mysteries of Jesus, reflecting, that is, on the
central moments of his life, so that, as for Mary and St. Joseph, He
may be the centre of our thoughts, of our concerns, and of our
actions. It would be beautiful if, above all during this month of
May, we would recite together in our families, with our friends, and
in our parishes, the Holy Rosary or some prayer to Jesus and the
Virgin Mary. Praying together is a precious moment for making our
family life and our friendship more steadfast! Let us learn to pray
more in our families and as a family!”
“Let
us ask St. Joseph and the Virgin Mary,” the Holy Father concluded,
“to teach us to be faithful to our everyday commitments, to live
our faith in our everyday actions, and to give more space to the Lord
in our lives, to stop and contemplate his face.”
AUDIENCES
Vatican
City, 2 May 2013 (VIS) – This morning, the Holy Father received in
separate audiences:
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His Excellency Mr. Aleksander Avdeev, the new ambassador of the
Russian Federation to the Holy See, presenting his credential
letters,
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Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli, titular of Cluentum and president of
the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, and
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His Excellency Mr. Jozef Dravecky, ambassador of the Slovak Republic,
on his farewell visit.
This
afternoon he is scheduled to receive Cardinal Angelo Amato, S.D.B.,
prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.
OTHER
PONTIFICAL ACTS
Vatican
City, 2 May 2013 (VIS) – Today, the Holy Father:
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appointed Fr. Raymond Browne as bishop of Kerry (area 5,300,
population 149,514, Catholics 143,300, priests 113, religious 215),
Ireland. The bishop-elect was born in Athlone, Ireland in 1957 and
was ordained a priest in 1982. Since ordination he has served in
several pastoral and judicial roles, most recently as pastor in
Ballagh and the Diocese of Elphin's designated contact for the
National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church in
Ireland (NBSCCCI) as well as for assistance for elderly and ill
clergy. He succeeds Bishop William Murphy, whose resignation from the
pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon
having reached the age limit.
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gave his assent to the canonical election carried out by the Synod of
Bishops of the Greek-Melkite Church of Archimandrite Nicolas Antipa,
B.A., as metropolitan archbishop of Bosra e Hauran of the
Greek-Melkites (Catholics 27,000, priests 22, religious 10), Syria.
The archbishop-elect was born in Aleppo, Syria, in 1945 and ordained
a priest in 1971. Since ordination he has served in several pastoral
and academic roles, most recently as professor of Sacred Scripture at
the Saint Paul Theological Institute of Harissa, Lebanon and at the
Institute of Theological and Pastoral Studies of the archeparchy of
Beirut of the Greek-Melkites, Lebanon.
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