SUMMARY:
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POPE RECEIVES PRESIDENT OF CAPE VERDE: CHURCH'S JURIDICAL STATUS AND
CULTURAL AND RELIGIOUS IDENTITY OF CAPE VERDE CENTRAL THEMES
-
WHOLE WORLD UNITES IN EUCHARISTIC ADORATION WITH POPE IN ST. PETER'S
BASILICA
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50 YEARS FROM DEATH OF JOHN XXIII
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ANGELUS: JESUS WORRIED ABOUT THOSE WHO FOLLOWED HIM BEING HUNGRY
-
FRANCIS ASKS FOR RELEASE OF THOSE KIDNAPPED IN SYRIA, RECALLS SIGNS
OF HOPE IN LATIN AMERICA, AND PRAYS FOR VICTIMS OF WAR
-
LET US PRAY FOR VICTIMS OF THE MADNESS OF WAR
-
POPE RECEIVES PRESIDENT OF URUGUAY
-
CARDINAL CORDES ENVOY TO EUCHARISTIC CONGRESS OF GERMANY
-
WE HEAR GOD'S WORDS BUT WE DON'T REALLY LISTEN TO THEM
-
“GOD LOVES YOU VERY MUCH”
-
AUDIENCES
-
OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
______________________________________
POPE
RECEIVES PRESIDENT OF CAPE VERDE: CHURCH'S JURIDICAL STATUS AND
CULTURAL AND RELIGIOUS IDENTITY OF CAPE VERDE CENTRAL THEMES
Vatican
City, 3 June 2013 (VIS) – Today in the Vatican Apostolic Palace,
the Holy Father received in audience His excellency Mr. Jorge Carlos
de Almeida Fonseca, president of the Republic of Cape Verde.
President Fonseca then went on to meet with the Secretary of State,
Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, S.D.B., accompanied by Archbishop
Dominique Mamberti, secretary for Relations with States.
During
the course of the cordial discussions, the good relations between the
Holy See and the Republic of Cape Verde were recalled. Spoken of in
particular was the Accord between the Republic and the Apostolic See
regarding the Catholic Church's juridical status in that country,
which will be signed shortly in the capital, Praia, during Archbishop
Mamberti's upcoming trip to the archipelago.
Also
mentioned was the cultural and religious identity of the Cape Verdean
population, which is almost entirely Christian, as well as the role
that the Catholic Church has played and continues to carry out in the
country with her educational and health institutions.
In
conclusion, some important challenges and situations that
particularly concern the region and the topic of the presence of
numerous Cape Verdeans in various countries around the world were
also noted.
WHOLE
WORLD UNITES IN EUCHARISTIC ADORATION WITH POPE IN ST. PETER'S
BASILICA
Vatican
City, 3 June 2013 (VIS) – For the Solemnity of Corpus Christi
yesterday, at 5:00 in the afternoon in St. Peter's Basilica, the Holy
Father presided over Eucharistic Adoration, an initiative of the Year
of Faith inviting the faithful of all the dioceses of the world to
unite spiritually.
It
was a historic event. For the first time in the history of the Church
all the cathedrals around the world where synchronized to the time in
Rome and, for an hour, were in communion with the Pope in Eucharistic
Adoration, under the theme of “One Lord, One Faith”. The
initiative involved not only the world's cathedrals, but also
parishes, religious congregations—mainly cloistered monasteries—and
lay associations around the globe.
The
Sistine Chapel Choir accompanied Pope Francis' journey along St.
Peter's central nave where he prayed for the intentions: “For the
Church spread throughout the world and united today in the adoration
of the Most Holy Eucharist as a sign of unity. May the Lord make her
ever more obedient to hearing his Word in order to stand before the
world ‘ever more beautiful, without stain or blemish, but holy and
blameless.’ That through her faithful announcement, the Word that
saves may still resonate as the bearer of mercy and may increase love
to give full meaning to pain and suffering, giving back joy and
serenity.”
Pope
Francis’ second intention was: “For those around the world who
still suffer slavery and who are victims of war, human trafficking,
drug running, and slave labour. For the children and women who are
suffering from every type of violence. May their silent scream for
help be heard by a vigilant Church so that, gazing upon the crucified
Christ, she may not forget the many brothers and sisters who are left
at the mercy of violence. Also, for all those who find themselves in
economically precarious situations, above all for the unemployed, the
elderly, migrants, the homeless, prisoners, and those who experience
marginalization. That the Church’s prayer and its active nearness
give them comfort and assistance in hope and strength and courage in
defending human dignity.”
50
YEARS FROM DEATH OF JOHN XXIII
Vatican
City, 3 June 2013 (VIS) – On 3 June 1963, Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli,
popularly referred to as 'the Good Pope', died after a five-year long
pontificate that left its mark on the Church with historic reforms.
His
might have seemed destined to be a transitional pontificate, but the
Good Pope John, elected after three days in conclave, “knew how to
rejuvenate the Church and resume dialogue with the modern world in
loving trust,” according to the words of John Paul II, who declared
him a Blessed in September of 2000.
Although
John XXIII was not able to see much of the fruit of the changes he
had proposed, they profoundly transformed the Catholic Church of the
time. He was a Pope who fought for peace in the world, as his 1963
encyclical “Pacem in Terris” (Peace on Earth) demonstrated. He
revolutionized the Church by convening the Second Vatican Council to
modernize and develop the institution of the Church and reformed the
Mass, which came to be celebrated ordinarily in the modern languages
rather than in Latin.
The
five years of his pontificate did not pass unnoticed and, even a half
century later, as he said himself at the time, it continues to “throw
open the doors and windows of the Church to let in the fresh air”.
It was a phrase that was recalled frequently during the recent
election of Cardinal Bergoglio, whom the international press
described as “the new Roncalli”.
Early
this evening, in St. Peter's Basilica, Pope Francis will receive
2,000 pilgrims from the Good Pope's native province: Bergamo, Italy.
They will commemorate Blessed John XXIII, who earned the appreciation
and love of the faithful thanks to his generous, caring, and simple
nature.
ANGELUS:
JESUS WORRIED ABOUT THOSE WHO FOLLOWED HIM BEING HUNGRY
Vatican
City, 2 June 2013 (VIS) – At noon today, Pope Francis appeared at
the window of his study to pray the Angelus with the thousands of
faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square, informing them that this
past Thursday was the celebration of the Solemnity of Corpus
Christi—”the Feast of the Eucharist, the Sacrament of the Body
and Blood of Christ”—which in Italy and other countries is
celebrated today.
Commenting
on the Gospel that narrates the miracle of the loaves and fish, the
Bishop of Rome said that there is an aspect of this story that always
surprises him and causes him to reflect. “We are on the shore of
the Sea of Galilee. Evening draws near. Jesus is concerned for the
people who, for so many hours, have been with him. There are
thousands of them and they are hungry. What is to be done? The
disciples are also discussing the problem and they say to Jesus:
'Dismiss the crowd' so they can go to the nearby villages and find
something to eat. Instead, Jesus tells them: 'Give them some food
yourselves'. The disciples are baffled and answer: 'Five loaves and
two fish are all we have', that is, just enough for us.”
“Jesus
knows well what must be done but he wants to involve his disciples,
wants to educate them. The disciples' attitude is the human one,
which seeks the most realistic solution, the one that doesn't create
too many problems: Dismiss the crowd, they say, and let each of them
fend for themselves. Anyway, you have already done so much for them:
you have preached, you have healed the sick … Dismiss the crowd.”
“Jesus'
attitude is completely different and is dictated by his union with
the Father and his compassion for the people—by that compassion
that Jesus has for us all. Jesus hears our problems, feels our
weaknesses and our needs. Faced with those five loaves, Jesus thinks:
here's providence. From this little bit God can bring forth what
everyone needs. Jesus trust completely in the heavenly Father,
knowing that, with Him, everything is possible. Therefore he tells
the disciples to seat the people of groups of fifty. This isn't an
accident—it means that they are no longer a crowd but become
communities, nourished by the bread of God.”
“Then
he takes the bread and the fish, lifts his eyes to heaven, recites
the blessing—which is a clear reference to the Eucharist—then
breaks them, begins to give them to his disciples, and the disciples
distribute it. And the bread and fish don't stop … here is the
miracle! More than a multiplication it is a sharing, inspired by
faith and prayer. They all ate and there were leftovers. This is the
sign of Jesus, the bread of God for humanity.”
The
disciples,” the Pope noted, “saw, but they didn't grasp the
message. They were caught up, like the crowd, in this success. Once
again they followed human logic, not that of God, which is the logic
of service, love, and faith. The Feast of Corpus Christi asks us to
convert to faith in Providence, asks us to know how to share the
little that we are and that we have, and asks that we not ever get
locked up in ourselves. Let us ask our Mother Mary to help us in this
conversion, to truly follow more closely Jesus whom we adore in the
Eucharist.”
FRANCIS
ASKS FOR RELEASE OF THOSE KIDNAPPED IN SYRIA, RECALLS SIGNS OF HOPE
IN LATIN AMERICA, AND PRAYS FOR VICTIMS OF WAR
Vatican
City, 2 June 2013 (VIS) – After praying the Angelus, the Pope
expressed his great concern regarding the continuation of the
conflict that, “for more than two years now has inflamed Syria,
especially affecting the civilian population that aspires to peace in
justice and understanding.”
“This
troubled situation of war bears with it tragic consequences: death,
destruction, massive economic and environmental damage, as well as
the scourge of kidnapping. In denouncing these events I wish to
assure my prayers of solidarity for those who have been kidnapped and
their families and I appeal to the humanity of the kidnappers for the
release of the victims.”
But
the Holy Father also noted that, although there are many conflicts
taking place around the world, there are also “many signs of hope”
and encouraged “the recent steps taken in many Latin American
countries toward reconciliation and peace”, asking for them to be
accompanied by our prayers.
Finally,
he noted that the Mass that he had celebrated that morning with
wounded soldiers and family members of servicemen who had fallen in
“peacekeeping missions that seek to promote reconciliation and
peace in countries where so much blood of one's brothers and sisters
is still spilled in wars that are always madness”. “Everything is
lost in war. Everything is gained with peace. I ask you to pray for
the fallen, the wounded, and their families,” the Pope explained,
for the first time asking for silence in St. Peter's Square. “Let
us together now, in silence, in our hearts—all together—say a
prayer” for those wounded and fallen in peacekeeping missions.
LET
US PRAY FOR VICTIMS OF THE MADNESS OF WAR
Vatican
City, 2 June 2013 (VIS) – At 9:30 this morning, the Pope celebrated
Mass at the Domus Sanctae Marthae with family members, mostly
parents, of the Italian armed forces who have been killed on
peacekeeping missions—especially in Afghanistan—in the past few
years, as well as service members who have been wounded on those
missions with their family members. The group was accompanied by
Archbishop Vincenzo Pelvi, military ordinary for Italy, who
concelebrated with the Holy Father.
There
were 55 relatives commemorating 24 fallen servicemen and 13 wounded
servicemen. During the celebration, all fallen soldiers were prayed
for, as well as for peace. Today was chosen for this meeting as it
coincides with Italy's Republic Day (“Festa della Repubblica”)
when the entire nation, as Archbishop Pelvi noted during his greeting
to the Pope, “expresses its debt of love for the military family
with various manifestations”.
In
his homily, the Pope commented on the Gospel story of the centurion
who asks Jesus to heal his slave. “Our God,” he said, “is
personal. He listens to everyone with his heart and He loves
'wholeheartedly'. Today we have come to pray for our dead, for our
wounded, for the victims of the madness that is war! It is the
suicide of humanity because it kills the heart. It kills precisely
that which is the Lord's message: it kills love! War grows out of
hatred, envy, and the desire for power, as well as—how very many
times we see it—from the hunger for more power.”
“So
many times we’ve seen the great ones of the earth wanting to solve
local problems, economic problems, and economic crises with war.
Why?” the Holy Father continued. “Because, for them, money is
more important than people! And war is just that: it is an act of
faith in money, in idols, in the idols of hatred, in that idol that
leads to killing one’s brother, that leads to killing love. It
reminds me of God our Father's words to Cain, who, out of envy, had
killed his brother: ‘Cain, where is your brother?’ Today we can
hear this voice: it is God our Father who weeps, weeps for this
madness of ours, who asks all of us: ‘Where is your brother?’ Who
says to the powerful of the earth: ‘Where is your brother? What
have you done!’”
Pope
Francis urged those present to pray to the Lord so that He might
“take all evil far away from us,” and to repeat this prayer “even
with tears, with the tears of the heart”: “'Turn to us, O Lord,
and have mercy on us, because we are sad, we are in anguish. See our
misery and our pain and forgive our sins'; because behind war there
are always sins: the sin of idolatry, the sin of exploiting persons
on the altar of power, of sacrificing them. ‘Turn to us, O Lord,
and have mercy, because we are sad and in anguish.’ ... We are
confident that the Lord will hear us and will do everything to give
us the spirit of consolation. So be it.”
On
concluding Mass, the “Prayer for Italy”, composed by Blessed John
Paul II in 1994, was prayed. Then, as is his custom, the Pope
personally greeted each of those present with warmth and affection.
The ecclesial community of the Military Ordinary gave the Holy Father
a terracotta piece of Neapolitan artisanry that portrayed St. Joseph
the Worker teaching the carpentry tools of his trade to a young Jesus
who is carrying a basket with the objects symbolizing the
crucifixion: nails, hammer, and pincers.
POPE
RECEIVES PRESIDENT OF URUGUAY
Vatican
City, 1 June 2013 (VIS) – This morning the Holy Father Francis
received in audience His excellency Mr. Jose Alberto Mujica Cordano,
president of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, who then went on to
meet with the Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, S.D.B.,
accompanied by Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, secretary for Relations
with States.
The
cordial discussions allowed an exchange of information and reflection
upon the country's socio-political situation and its role within the
region. In this context, issues of common interest were treated,
including the total development of the person, the respect of human
rights, justice, and social peace. The Catholic Church's contribution
in the public debate on these issues was not overlooked, as well as
her service in all areas of society, particularly in the areas of
welfare and education.
CARDINAL
CORDES ENVOY TO EUCHARISTIC CONGRESS OF GERMANY
Vatican
City, 1 June 2013 (VIS) – Today was made public the letter, written
in Latin and dated 8 May, in which Pope Francis appoints Cardinal
Paul Josef Cordes, president emeritus of the Pontifical Council “Cor
Unum”, as his special envoy to Germany's National Eucharistic
Congress that will take place in Cologne this 9 June.
The
cardinal will be accompanied by a mission composed of the following
members: Msgr. Winfried Haunerland, professor of Liturgy at the
University of Munich, and Fr. Stefan Rau, pastor of St. Josef in
Munster.
WE
HEAR GOD'S WORDS BUT WE DON'T REALLY LISTEN TO THEM
Vatican
City, 1June 2013 (VIS) – At 8:00 yesterday evening, Pope Francis
participated in the praying of the Rosary held in St. Peter's Square
concluding the Marian month of May. The celebration was presided by
Cardinal Angelo Comastri, vicar general of His Holiness for Vatican
City and archpriest of the Vatican Basilica. At the conclusion of the
prayer and before imparting the Apostolic Blessing to the many
faithful present, the Holy Father recalled the feast of the
Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary to Elizabeth and offered a
meditation dedicated to the mystery that shows how Mary faces life's
journey with great sensibility, humanity, and care.
“Three
words sum up Mary's attitude: listening, decision, and action. They
are words that also show us the path before us of what the Lord asks
of us in life,” the Holy Father said.
“Mary
knows how to listen to God. But be careful: this is not a simple
'hearing' but a 'listening based on paying attention, a welcoming, an
openness toward God. It isn't the distracted manner that we sometimes
have when dealing with the Lord or others when we hear their words,
but we don't really listen.”
“Mary,”
Pope Francis continued, “also listens to the facts. She reads the
events of her life and observes concrete reality without stopping at
the surface of things but going in depth to grasp its meaning. …
This is also true in our lives: listening to God who speaks to us and
listening to our everyday reality, paying attention to people and to
facts because the Lord is at the door in our lives and He calls in
many ways, putting signs along our path and giving us the ability to
see them.”
“The
second word,” the Holy Father continued, “is decision. … Mary
doesn't let herself be carried away by events, doesn't avoid the
burden of making decisions. … In life, it is difficult to make
decisions. Often we tend to postpone them, to let others decide for
us. Often we prefer to be caught up by events, chasing the fashion of
the moment. Sometimes we know what we have to do, but we don't have
the courage or it seems too difficult because it means going against
the grain. … Mary goes against the current. She listens to God,
reflects and tries to understand the reality [of the situation] and
decides to entrust herself completely to God.”
“Action,”
said the pontiff, “is the third word. … Mary , despite the
difficulties and criticism she received for her decision to leave,
doesn't stop at anything. ...Mary isn't rushed, doesn't let herself
by carried away by the moment. But when it's clear what God is asking
of her, what she must do, she doesn't linger, doesn't hold back but
goes 'in haste'.”
“Sometimes,”
the Pope concluded, “even we stop with just listening, just
reflecting on what we should do, perhaps we are even clear about what
decision we should make, but we don't take the steps to act upon it.
Above all we don't put ourselves in play, don't move 'in haste'
toward others to bring them our assistance, our understanding, or our
charity.”
“GOD
LOVES YOU VERY MUCH”
Vatican
City, 1 June 2013 (VIS) – Yesterday afternoon, in the chapel of the
Domus Sanctae Marthae, Pope Francis met with a group of 22 sick
children who are being treated at the department of paediatric
oncology at the Agostino Gemelli Hospital in Rome. They were
accompanied by their parents, representatives of the hospital staff
and volunteers, and sisters and priests who are travelling with them
on pilgrimages to Lourdes and Loreto.
For
one of those trips, the children had sent the Pope drawings of the
Grotto of Lourdes together with a letter offering to come and pray
with him. The meeting took place in an atmosphere of prayer and great
emotion, particularly joy. The Holy Father prayed the Our Father
together with the children and they later sang the “Ave Maria of
Lourdes”.
While
speaking with the Pope, one little girl ask that he pray for all the
sick children in the world and that he bless their families. Pope
Francis spoke with them, listening and answering their questions,
reminding them that Jesus is at their side because “Jesus loves you
very much”.
Francis
imparted the Apostolic Blessing, explaining to the children that it
was “like a hug from God”. At the end of the meeting, the Holy
Father, as is his custom, individually greeted all those present with
great affection.
AUDIENCES
Vatican
City, 3 June 2013 (VIS) – Today, the Holy Father received in
separate audiences:
-
His Beatitude Nerses Bedros XIX Tarmouni, patriarch of Cilicia of the
Armenian Catholics, and
-
Cardinal Manuel Monteiro de Castro, major penitentiary of the
Apostolic Penitentiary.
On
Saturday, 1 June, the Holy Father received Cardinal Marc Ouellet
P.S.S., prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.
OTHER
PONTIFICAL ACTS
Vatican
City, 3 June 2013 (VIS) – Today the Holy Father:
-
appointed Cardinal Antonio Maria Veglio, president of the Pontifical
Council for Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People, as member
of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State.
-
appointed Fr. Michele Fiorentino, previously with the Secretariat and
assigned to the Prefecture of the Papal Household, as defender of the
bond at the Tribunal of the Roman Rota.
-
appointed Fr. Donald Kos, O.F.M. Conv., as judicial vicar of the
Ecclesiastic Tribunal of Vatican City State. To the same tribunal the
Holy Father has also appointed:
-
Msgr. Antonio Nicolai as judge;
-
Fr. Luigi Sabbarese, C.S., as interim promotor of Justice and
defender of the bond.
-
appointed Msgr. Vittorio Gepponi as judicial vicar of the Appellation
Tribunal for the Vicariate of Rome. The Holy Father has also
appointed:
-
Msgr. Slawomir Oder as judicial or official vicar of the Ordinary
Tribunal for the Vicariate of Rome.
-
appointed Cardinal Peter Erdo, archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest,
Hungary, as his special envoy to the celebration of the Sixth
Centenary of the evangelization of Samorgizia (a Western region of
Lithuania), which will take place together with a Eucharistic
Congress in Telsiai, Lithuania, from 2 to 4 August, 2013.
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