SUMMARY:
-
THE POPE RECEIVES IN AUDIENCE KING FELIPE VI ON HIS FIRST FOREIGN
ENGAGEMENT
-
POPE FRANCIS' PRAYER INTENTIONS FOR JULY
-
PASTORAL VISIT TO MOLISE
-
TO THE NEW METROPOLITAN ARCHBISHOPS: SEEK THE ESSENTIAL AND PROCLAIM
THE GOSPEL, ESPECIALLY TO THE LEAST AMONG US
-
ANGELUS: GOD IS ALWAYS CAPABLE OF TRANSFORMING US
-
POPE FRANCIS' NEW APPEAL FOR PEACE IN IRAQ
-
A CHRISTIAN WITHOUT MARY IS AN ORPHAN
-
MADAGASCAR: THE CATHOLIC CHURCH'S POSITIVE CONTRIBUTION ON THE PATH
TO RECONCILIATION AND STABILITY
-
ECUMENISM: LET US SEE OURSELVES ACCORDING TO GOD'S PLAN, NOT THE
HISTORICAL CONSEQUENCES OF OUR SINS
-
THE POPE CANCELS HIS VISIT TO THE GEMELLI HOSPITAL
-
GOD IS NOT AFRAID OF HIS BONDS WITH US
-
THE AIF SIGNS INFORMATION SHARING AGREEMENT WITH THE USA OFFICE OF
THE COMPTROLLER OF THE CURRENCY
-
AUDIENCES
-
OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
______________________________________
THE
POPE RECEIVES IN AUDIENCE KING FELIPE VI ON HIS FIRST FOREIGN
ENGAGEMENT
Vatican
City, 30 June 2014 (VIS) – Today in the Vatican Apostolic Palace
Pope Francis received in audience Their Majesties King Felipe VI and
Queen Letizia of Spain, who subsequently met with Cardinal Secretary
of State Pietro Parolin, accompanied by Mgsr. Antoine Camilleri,
under-secretary for Relations with States.
During
the cordial discussions, satisfaction was expressed for today’s
visit, their first trip abroad as reigning monarchs, which follows
the recent visit by King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofia on 28 April.
It is hoped that this may mark the strengthening of the existing good
relations between the Holy See and Spain.
The
conversation focused on themes of common interest and the importance
of promoting dialogue and collaboration between the Church and the
State for the good of all Spanish society. Finally, mention was made
of various problems of an international and regional nature, paying
particular attention to areas of conflict.
POPE
FRANCIS' PRAYER INTENTIONS FOR JULY
Vatican
City, 30 June 2014 (VIS) – The Pope's universal prayer intention
for July is “that sports may always be occasions of human
fraternity and growth”.
His
prayer intention for evangelisation is “that the Holy Spirit may
support the work of the laity who proclaim the Gospel in the poorest
countries”.
PASTORAL
VISIT TO MOLISE
Vatican
City, 30 June 2014 (VIS) – This coming 5 July, the Pope will visit
the Italian region of Molise. He will depart from the Vatican
heliport at 7.45 a.m. and, after an hour's journey, will land at the
heliport of the University of Molise in Campobasso. At 9 a.m. he will
meet with a group of representatives from the world of work and
industry in the Great Hall of the University. At 10.30 a.m. he will
preside at a Eucharistic celebration at the old Romagnoli Stadium
and, to conclude, will greet a group of sick people at the Cathedral
of Campobasso and lunch with the poor at the “House of Angels”.
At
2.30 p.m. he will transfer by helicopter to Castelpetroso, where he
will encounter a group of young people from the diocese of Abruzzo
and Molise in Piazza del Santuario di Castelpetroso. At 4 p.m. he
will travel by car to Isernia, where he will meet with the detainees
in the local prison. He will greet the sick in the Cathedral of
Isernia and, in the surrounding square, will meet with all the
citizens and announce the Celestine Jubilee Year. Finally, he will
depart for Rome from the heliport of the Isernia fire service. He is
expected to arrive in the Vatican around 8.15 p.m.
TO
THE NEW METROPOLITAN ARCHBISHOPS: SEEK THE ESSENTIAL AND PROCLAIM THE
GOSPEL, ESPECIALLY TO THE LEAST AMONG US
Vatican
City, 29 June 2014 (VIS) – This morning in the Vatican basilica, on
the occasion of the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Pope Francis
imposed the pallium – symbol of the bond of unity with the see of
Peter – on twenty-four new metropolitan archbishops. It will be
imposed on a further three – the archbishops of Lilongwe, Malawi;
Mandalay, Myanmar; and Freiburg im Bresgau, Germany – in their
metropolitan sees.
Pope
Francis concelebrated the Eucharist with the new archbishops. As is
customary on the feast day of the patron saints of Rome, the event
was attended by a delegation from the Ecumenical Patriarchate of
Constantinople, sent by the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomaios I and
led by Metropolitan of Pergamo Ioannis (Zizioulas), co-president of
the Mixed Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic
Church and the Orthodox Church.
In
his homily, the Holy Father spoke about various problems and the two
issues the clergy can be led to face as a result: fear, and the
pastoral responsibility for combating it. He began by considering the
beginning of Peter's service in the Christian community of Jerusalem,
where fear still reigned because of Herod's persecution of members of
the Church.
“There
had been the killing of James, and then the imprisonment of Peter
himself, in order to placate the people. While Peter was imprisoned
and in chains, he heard the voice of the angel telling him, 'Get up
quickly… dress yourself and put on your sandals… Put on your
mantle and follow me!'. The chains fell from him and the door of the
prison opened before him. Peter realised that the Lord had 'rescued
him from the hand of Herod'; he realized that the Lord had freed him
from fear and from chains. Yes, the Lord liberates us from every fear
and from all that enslaves us, so that we can be truly free. Today’s
liturgical celebration expresses this truth well in the refrain of
the Responsorial Psalm: 'The Lord has freed me from all my fears'”.
“The
problem for us, then, is fear and looking for refuge in our pastoral
responsibilities. I wonder, dear brother bishops, are we afraid? What
are we afraid of? And if we are afraid, what forms of refuge do we
seek, in our pastoral life, to find security? Do we look for support
from those who wield worldly power? Or do we let ourselves be
deceived by the pride which seeks gratification and recognition,
thinking that these will offer us security? Dear brother bishops,
where do we find our security?”
“The
witness of the Apostle Peter reminds us that our true refuge is trust
in God. Trust in God banishes all fear and sets us free from every
form of slavery and all worldly temptation. Today the Bishop of Rome
and other bishops, particularly the metropolitans who have received
the pallium, feel challenged by the example of Saint Peter to assess
to what extent each of us puts his trust in the Lord. Peter recovered
this trust when Jesus said to him three times: 'Feed my sheep'. Peter
thrice confessed his love for Jesus, thus making up for his threefold
denial of Christ during the passion. Peter still regrets the
disappointment which he caused the Lord on the night of his betrayal.
Now that the Lord asks him: 'Do you love me?', Peter does not trust
himself and his own strength, but instead entrusts himself to Jesus
and his mercy: 'Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you'.
Precisely at this moment fear, insecurity and cowardice dissipate”.
“Peter
experienced how God’s fidelity is always greater than our acts of
infidelity, stronger than our denials. He realises that the God’s
fidelity dispels our fears and exceeds every human reckoning. Today
Jesus also asks us: 'Do you love me?'. He does so because he knows
our fears and our struggles. Peter shows us the way: we need to trust
in the Lord, who 'knows everything' that is in us, not counting on
our capacity to be faithful, but on his unshakable fidelity. Jesus
never abandons us, for he cannot deny himself. He is faithful. The
fidelity which God constantly shows to us pastors, far in excess of
our merits, is the source of our confidence and our peace. The Lord’s
fidelity to us keeps kindled within us the desire to serve him and to
serve our sisters and brothers in charity”.
“The
love of Jesus must suffice for Peter. He must no longer yield to the
temptation to curiosity, jealousy, as when, seeing John nearby, he
asks Jesus: 'Lord, what about this man?'. But Jesus, before such
temptations, says to him in reply: 'What is it to you? Follow me'.
This experience of Peter is a message for us too, dear brother
archbishops. Today the Lord repeats to me, to you, and to all
pastors: Follow me! Waste no time in questioning or in useless
chattering; do not dwell on secondary things, but look to what is
essential and follow me. Follow me without regard for the
difficulties. Follow me in preaching the Gospel. Follow me by the
witness of a life shaped by the grace you received in baptism and
holy orders. Follow me by speaking of me to those with whom you live,
day after day, in your work, your conversations and among your
friends. Follow me by proclaiming the Gospel to all, especially to
the least among us, so that no one will fail to hear the word of life
which sets us free from every fear and enables us to trust in the
faithfulness of God. Follow me!”.
ANGELUS:
GOD IS ALWAYS CAPABLE OF TRANSFORMING US
Vatican
City, 29 June 2014 (VIS) – After celebrating Mass in the Vatican
basilica with the new metropolitan archbishops, the Pope appeared at
the window of his study to pray the Angelus with the faithful
gathered in St. Peter's Square, as on every Sunday. He remarked that
ever since ancient times, the Church of Rome has celebrated the
apostles Peter and Paul in a single festivity on the same day, 29
June, so that “the faith in Jesus Christ which made them brothers
and martyrs made them into a single entity”.
“St.
Peter and St. Paul, so different from each other from a human point
of view, were chosen personally by the Lord Jesus and responded to
His call, offering all their lives. In both, Christ's grace achieved
great things, transforming them. Simon had denied Jesus in the
dramatic moment of the passion; Saul had harshly persecuted
Christians. But both welcomed God's love and allowed themselves to be
transformed by His mercy; they thus became friends and apostles of
Christ. They therefore continue to speak to the Church and even
nowadays they show us the path of salvation. If we too fall prey to
the gravest sins and the darkest night, then God is always able to
transform our heart and forgive us everything, thus transforming the
darkness of our sin into a dawn of light”.
He
went on to cite the Acts of the Apostles, which demonstrate many
aspects of their witness. “Peter, for example, teaches us to look
to the poor through the eyes of faith and to give them that which is
most precious: the power of the name of Jesus. This is what he did
with the paralytic; he gave him what he had, which was Jesus”. And
the episode of Paul's conversion on the road to Damascus, the fulcrum
of his life, “clearly marks a before and after. Before, Paul was an
arch-enemy of the Church. After, he placed all his existence at the
service of the Gospel. Also for us, the encounter with the Word of
Christ is able to completely transform our lives. It is not possible
to listen to this Word and stand firm, unswayed in our habits. It
gives us the impetus to defeat the selfishness we have in our hearts,
to follow decisively that Master who gave His life for His friends.
But it is He Who, with His word, changes us; it is He Who transforms
us; it is He Who forgives everything, if we open our hearts and ask
for forgiveness”.
This
feast day inspires great joy in us, because it places us before the
work of God's mercy in the hearts of two men. It is the work of God's
mercy in these two men who were great sinners. And God wishes to fill
us too with His grace, as He did with Peter and Paul. May the Virgin
Mary help us to welcome it as they did, with an open heart, and not
to receive this grace in vain! And may she support us in the hour of
need, to give witness to Jesus Christ and His Gospel”.
POPE
FRANCIS' NEW APPEAL FOR PEACE IN IRAQ
Vatican
City, 29 June 2014 (VIS) – “The news from Iraq is, unfortunately,
very painful”, said the Holy Father after today's Angelus prayer.
“I join with the bishops of the country in their appeal to the
authorities so that, through dialogue, national unity may be
maintained and war avoided. I am close to the thousands of families,
especially Christians, who have had to leave their homes and who are
in grave danger. Violence begets violence; dialogue is the only path
to peace. Let us pray to the Virgin Mary that she might safeguard the
people of Iraq”.
A
CHRISTIAN WITHOUT MARY IS AN ORPHAN
Vatican
City, 30 June 2014 (VIS) – On Saturday afternoon, in the Lourdes
Grotto in the Vatican Gardens, the Pope met with a group of young
people from the diocese of Rome embarking on a vocational journey.
“This visit to the Virgin is very important in our lives”, he
said. “She accompanies us also in our definitive choice, the
vocational choice, as she accompanied her Son on his vocational path
which was so hard and so painful”.
“When
a Christian says to me, not that he does not love the Virgin, but
rather that it does not come to mind to look to the Virgin or to pray
to the Virgin, I feel sad”, he said, adding that “a Christian
without the Virgin is an orphan. A Christian needs these two women,
these two mothers, two virgin women: the Church and Our Lady. And to
'test' a true Christian vocation, it is necessary to ask oneself,
'how is my relationship with these two Mothers?”.
The
Pontiff went on to remark that in today's provisional culture, care
must be taken not to lose sight of the definitive. “We are afraid
of the definitive. And to choose a vocation, any vocation, including
vocations that involve a 'state' such as marriage, consecrated life,
the priesthood, one must choose with a view to the definitive. This
is contrary to the culture of the provisional. It is a part of the
culture in which we must live in this time, but we must live through
this and conquer it”.
In
conclusion, the Pope encouraged all present to sing the “Salve
Regina” and imparted his blessing to all the young people and their
families, asking them to pray for him.
MADAGASCAR:
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH'S POSITIVE CONTRIBUTION ON THE PATH TO
RECONCILIATION AND STABILITY
Vatican
City, 28 June 2014 (VIS) – This morning in the Vatican Apostolic
Palace the Holy Father Francis received in audience the president of
the Republic of Madagascar, Hery Martial Rajaonarimampianina, who
subsequently met with Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin,
accompanied by Msgr. Antoine Camilleri, under-secretary for Relations
with States.
During
the cordial discussions, after expressing satisfaction with the good
relations between the Holy See and the Republic of Madagascar, the
Parties focused on the current phase of recovery within the country,
underlining the positive contribution of the Catholic Church on the
path to national reconciliation and political stability, as well as
her contribution in the education and healthcare sectors. Themes of
common interest were then considered, such as the struggle against
poverty and social inequality.
Mention
was made of the international situation and the conflicts affecting
various regions in the world.
ECUMENISM:
LET US SEE OURSELVES ACCORDING TO GOD'S PLAN, NOT THE HISTORICAL
CONSEQUENCES OF OUR SINS
Vatican
City, 28 June 2014 (VIS) – The Solemnity of the Holy Patrons of the
Church of Rome, the Apostles Peter and Paul, again provided Pope
Francis the opportunity to meet with a delegation from the Ecumenical
Patriarchate of Constantinople, which always visits Rome on this
date. In exchange, a delegation from the Vatican visits Instanbul,
Turkey, every 30 November, St. Andrew's Day.
On
this occasion the delegation was headed by the metropolitan of
Pergamo, Ioannis (Zizioulas), co-president of the international mixed
Commission for theological dialogue between the Catholic Church and
the Orthodox Church, who was accompanied by Archbishop Job de
Telmissos and the patriarchal archdeacon John Chryssavgis.
The
Holy Father recalled with great affection his “beloved brother”
Bartholomaios, with whom he shared his recent pilgrimage to the Holy
Land, during which they were able to repeat the historical embrace
between their predecessors, Athenagoras I and Paul VI, which took
place fifty years ago in the holy city of Jerusalem. “That
prophetic gesture gave a decisive impulse to a journey which, thank
God, has never ceased”, remarked Pope Francis. “I consider it a
special gift from the Lord that we were able to venerate the holy
places together and to pray at each other’s side at the place of
Christ’s burial, where we can actually touch the foundation of our
hope”. The joy of their common prayer was then renewed during the
recent meeting in the Vatican Gardens where they joined in prayer,
together with the Presidents of Israel and Palestine, to invoke the
gift of peace in the Holy Land”.
“The
Lord granted us these occasions of fraternal encounter, in which we
were able to express the love uniting us in Christ, and to renew our
mutual desire to walk together along the path to full unity”,
continued the Holy Father. “We know very well that this unity is a
gift of God, a gift that even now the Almighty grants us the grace to
attain whenever, by the power of the Holy Spirit, we choose to look
at one another with the eyes of faith and to see ourselves as we
truly are in God’s plan, according to the designs of his eternal
will, and not what we have become as a result of the historical
consequences of our sins. If all of us can learn, prompted by the
Spirit, to look at one another in God, our path will be even
straighter and our cooperation all the more easy in the many areas of
daily life which already happily unite us”.
This
theological vision “is nourished by faith, hope and love; it gives
rise to an authentic theological reflection which is truly 'scientia
Dei', a participation in that vision which God has of himself and of
us. It is a reflection which can only bring us closer to one another
on the path of unity, despite our differing starting points. I hope
and I pray, then, that the work of the Joint International Commission
can be a sign of this profound understanding, this theology 'on its
knees'. In this way, the Commission’s reflections on the concepts
of primacy and synodality, communion in the universal Church and the
ministry of the Bishop of Rome will not be an academic exercise or a
mere debate about irreconcilable positions. All of us need, with
courage and confidence, to be open to the working of the Holy Spirit.
We need to let ourselves be caught up in Christ’s loving gaze upon
the Church, his Bride, in our journey of spiritual ecumenism. It is a
journey upheld by the martyrdom of so many of our brothers and
sisters who, by their witness to Jesus Christ the Lord, have brought
about an ecumenism of blood”, concluded the Pope.
THE
POPE CANCELS HIS VISIT TO THE GEMELLI HOSPITAL
Vatican
City, 28 June 2014 (VIS) – Pope Francis did not make his scheduled
visit to Rome's Agostino Gemelli Hospital on Friday afternoon due to
a mild indisposition. The Mass at which the Holy Father was expected
to preside was instead celebrated by Cardinal Angelo Scola,
archbishop of Milan, who also pronounced the homily prepared by the
Pontiff.
The
director of the Holy See Press Office, Fr. Federico Lombardi, S.J.,
confirmed the Holy Father's engagements planned for Saturday 28 and
Sunday 29 and emphasised that there is no cause for concern regarding
the Pope's health.
GOD
IS NOT AFRAID OF HIS BONDS WITH US
Vatican
City, 28 June 2014 (VIS) – Below are extensive extracts from the
homily the Holy Father prepared for his planned visit to the Roman
“Agostino Gemelli” Hospital, which he did not attend due to a
mild indisposition. The homily was read on behalf of the Pontiff by
Cardinal Angelo Scola, archbishop of Milan, during the Mass
celebrated at the hospital yesterday.
“God
is bound to us, He chose us, and this bond is for ever, not because
we are faithful but because the Lord is faithful and tolerates our
infidelity, our slowness, our lapses. God is not afraid of bonding
with us. … He loves these bonds, he creates bonds; bonds which
free, rather than constrain”.
“Nowadays,
in particular, fidelity is a value under threat, as we are induced
always to seek change, presumed novelty, negotiating the roots of our
existence, of our faith. Without fidelity to its roots, however, a
society does not move ahead; it may make great technical progress,
but not the full progress of all man and all humankind. God's
faithful love towards His people was made manifest and fully realised
in Jesus Christ … [who] remains faithful and never betrays; even
when we err, He always awaits us to forgive us: He is the face of the
merciful Father”.
“This
love, this faithfulness to the Lord demonstrates the humility of His
heart. … We are able to experience and savour the tenderness of
this love in every phase of life: in times of joy and of sadness, in
times of health and of infirmity and sickness. God's faithfulness
teaches us to welcome life as a manifestation of His love and enables
us to bear witness to this love to our brethren in humble and meek
service. This is what the doctors and paramedical staff in this
hospital, which belongs to the Catholic University of the Sacred
Heart, are especially called upon to do. Here, each one of you brings
to the sick a little of the love from Christ's Heart, and you do so
with competence and professionalism. This means staying faithful to
the fundamental values that Fr. Gemelli placed at the base of this
university for Italian Catholics, to unite scientific research
enlightened by faith to the preparation of qualified Christian
professionals”.
THE
AIF SIGNS INFORMATION SHARING AGREEMENT WITH THE USA OFFICE OF THE
COMPTROLLER OF THE CURRENCY
Vatican
City, 30 June 2014 (VIS) – The Autorità Informazione Finanziaria
(AIF), the Financial Intelligence Authority of the Holy See and
Vatican City State, has signed an agreement to exchange information
with the US Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC).
This
Information Sharing Exchange of Letters is the first bilateral
agreement of AIF in its role as Financial Supervisor and Regulator
within the Holy See and Vatican City State. It represents a
significant strengthening of international cooperation between the
Holy See and the United States of America.
“This
is a further step in Holy See’s efforts towards perfecting a system
of financial regulation and part of our commitment to transparency
and international cooperation,” said Rene Bruelhart, the Director
of AIF. “The Holy See is part of the global family of
well-regulated jurisdictions and the signing of this agreement
reflects that very clearly.”
The
agreement with the OCC follows the passing of the new law regarding
financial activities in the Holy See, Law XVIII, in October 2013 and
the enactment of AIF’s new statute in November 2013, which
introduced a new supervisory function as part of AIF’s mandate.
AIF
expects further bilateral agreements with financial supervisors and
regulators of other countries to follow in due course, and continues
in its efforts to strengthen its own regulatory infrastructure in
fostering international cooperation.
The
OCC is an independent authority within the Treasury Department of the
United States and serves to charter, regulate and supervise all
national banks and the federal branches and agencies of foreign banks
in the United States.
AIF
is the competent authority of the Holy See and Vatican City State to
fight money laundering and the financing of terrorism. According to
its mandate, AIF has a double role and acts both as Financial
Supervisor and Regulator as well as Financial Intelligence Unit. In
its function as Financial Intelligence Unit, AIF became a member of
the Egmont Group in July 2013, and has already signed MOUs with the
Financial Intelligence Units of more than a dozen countries,
including the U.K., the United States, France, Spain, Italy and
Germany. It was established in 2010 and became operational in 2011.
AUDIENCES
Vatican
City, 30 June 2014 (VIS) – Today, the Holy Father received in
audience:
-
Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Muller, prefect of the Congregation for the
Doctrine of the Faith.
-
Archbishop Jean-Paul Gobel, apostolic nuncio in the Arab Republic of
Egypt, delegate of the Holy See to the League of Arab States.
-
Archbishop Marek Zalewski, apostolic nuncio in Zimbabwe, with members
of his family.
-
Archbishop Hubertus Matheus Maria van Megen, apostolic nuncio in
Sudan and Eritrea.
-
Archbishop Daniel Fernando Sturla Berhouet of Montevideo, Uruguay.
-
Charles Ghislain, ambassador of Belgium, on his farewell visit.
-
Fernando Felipe Sanchez Campos, ambassador of Costa Rica, on his
farewell visit.
-
Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke, prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the
Apostolic Signatura.
On
Saturday, 28 June, the Holy Father received in audience:
-
Cardinal Marc Ouellet, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.
-
Archbishop Zygmunt Zimowski, president of the Pontifical Council for
Health Care Workers (Health Care Pastoral).
-
Cardinal Stanislaw Rylko, president of the Pontifical Council for the
Laity.
OTHER
PONTIFICAL ACTS
Vatican
City, 28 June 2014 (VIS) – The Holy Father has appointed Msgr.
Gennaro Acampa as auxiliary of the archdiocese of Naples (area 274,
population 1,744,000, Catholics 1,715,000, priests 287, permanent
deacons 292, religious 3,413), Italy. The bishop-elect was born in
Naples, Italy in 1945 and was ordained a priest in 1968. He holds a
licentiate in sacred theology from the Pontifical Theological Faculty
of Southern Italy. He has served in a number of pastoral roles,
including priest in the parish of Sacro Cuore di Gesu in Santa Maria
Ognibene, spiritual father of the “Paul VI” minor seminary;
spiritual father for aspiring permanent deacons, dean of the 1st
deanery of the archdiocese of Naples and member of the diocesan
presbyteral council. He is currently curate prepositor of the
Collegiate Parish of San Giovanni Maggiore in Naples and episcopal
vicar for the clergy and for formation.
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