SUMMARY:
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The Pope receives in audience the President of Senegal: Church's
commitment to peace and national reconciliation
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International Conference on autism: three days to inspire hope
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The Holy See at the United Nations: civilians are the first victims
of conventional weapons
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Fifty years on from the Council decree Unitatis Redintegratio
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The
Pope receives in audience the President of Senegal: Church's
commitment to peace and national reconciliation
Vatican
City, 18 November 2014 (VIS) – Today, the Holy Father Francis
received in audience Macky Sall, president of the Republic of
Senegal, who subsequently met with Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro
Parolin, accompanied by the secretary for Relations with States, His
Excellency Archbishop Dominique Mamberti.
During
the discussions, the cordial relations between the Holy See and
Senegal were noted, and the important contribution offered by the
Church in the sectors of education and healthcare was underlined, as
well as her generous and greatly appreciated commitment to promoting
peace and national reconciliation.
Finally,
there was an exchange of views on various themes of international
interest, with particular reference to the current situations of
crisis in the Region.
International
Conference on autism: three days to inspire hope
Vatican
City, 18 November 2014 (VIS) – This morning a press conference was
held in the Holy See Press Office to present the 29th International
Conference organised by the Pontifical Council for Health Care
Workers, on the theme “The person with autism spectrum disorders:
animating hope”, which will take place in the Vatican from 20 to 22
November.
The
speakers were Archbishop Zygmunt Zimowski, president of the
Pontifical Council for Health Care Workers (for Health Pastoral
Care); Msgr. Jean-Marie Mate Musivi Mupendawatu and Fr. Augusto
Chendi, M.I., respectively secretary and under-secretary of the same
dicastery; and Stefano Vicari, head of the Department of Child
Neuropsychiatry at the Bambino Gesu Paediatric Hospital, Rome.
Archbishop
Zimowski explained that the term “autism” was first used by the
Swiss psychiatrist Eugen Bleuler in 1911 to describe the introversion
of schizophrenic patients. Subsequently, in 1943, his colleague Leo
Kanner described the disorder for the first time, affirming that
autistic children were born with a congenital incapacity to establish
normal contact with other people. It is currently defined as a
“neuro-behavioural disturbance (also known as Kanner's Syndrome) of
a pervasive type”, of multifactorial origin. In general, autism
spectrum disorders manifest themselves before the age of three, and
are life-long. The most recent statistics confirm that around 1% of
children worldwide are affected.
“The
many difficulties, including those of an ethical, moral and spiritual
nature, faced by those with autism spectrum disorders and their
carers have led us to choose such an important, difficult and
delicate theme for this conference”, the prelate explained. “It
will be a special occasion for observing the advances that have been
made in research and treatment, as well as legal and
political-administrative aspects; three valuable days for listening
and exchanging experiences, and learning from the world's most
qualified specialists.”
The
Conference will be attended by more than 650 people from 57 different
countries, and will include an encounter with the Holy Father during
the Wednesday general audience, as well as an exhibition of paintings
by the Taiwanese autistic artist Leland Lee, a moment of prayer and
testimonies from people affected by autism spectrum disorders, their
families, and associations. Various famous Italian singers will offer
a musical contribution.
The
Holy See at the United Nations: civilians are the first victims of
conventional weapons
Vatican
City, 18 November 2014 (VIS) – Archbishop Silvano Tomasi, Holy See
Permanent Observer at the United Nations in Geneva spoke at the
annual meeting of Parties to the Convention on prohibitions or
restrictions on the use of certain conventional weapons which may be
deemed to be excessively injurious or to have indiscriminate effects
(CCW), held on 13 November.
Speaking
in English, the prelate presented three issues to be considered.
First, he spoke on the work carried out on lethal autonomous weapons
systems. He emphasised that, with regard to the automation and
consequent risk of the dehumanisation of war, a global –
“scientific, legal, cultural, economic, ethical, and humanitarian”
– rather than solely military approach is indispensable. He added,
“I would like to reaffirm our wish that the mandate regarding this
topic be renewed taking into account the importance of preserving an
official trace of the statements, documents, debates and
discussions”.
Secondly,
he considered the theme of the use of explosive weapons in populated
areas. “With growing urbanisation of the world population, the
tendency of urban wars will increase. How to protect the civilian
populations? What should we do to safeguard civil infrastructures,
indispensable for the livelihood of large communities? … What is
certain, from the observations and data presently available, is that
civilian populations are the first victims of conflicts. In many
cases, they have no protection: millions of refugees and displaced
people, a majority of them civilian victims, a great number are women
and children; there is total or partial destruction of numerous urban
centres; total disorganisation of social, academic, economic and
political life; the exacerbation of hatred and of feelings of revenge
that makes the re-establishment of peace and national reconstruction
more difficult, if not impossible. It seems to me that an essential
question touches all States parties: Does the CCW have something to
say and do in such a situation? For the credibility and the integrity
of the Convention and for the respect of the numerous victims, I
would like to suggest adding this question to the agenda of the CCW”.
Finally,
he mentioned the use of armed drones. “We are witnessing a certain
proliferation of this technology and a growing use of it in various
conflicts. … The choice of indifference in relation to this
question is counter-productive. The fact of not addressing problems
at the right moment can have disastrous consequences and make them
almost insoluble, as experience in other domains teaches us”. He
concluded by emphasising that “there is still time for the CCW to
become interested in drones before they become an additional source
of greater destabilisation when the international community needs,
more than ever, stability, cooperation and peace”.
Fifty
years on from the Council decree Unitatis Redintegratio
Vatican
City, 18 November 2014 (VIS) – On 21 November 1964, after a long
and laborious process, the Council Fathers approved the decree on
ecumenism, “Unitatis Redintegratio” by 2,137 votes to 11. The
document, which undoubtedly marked a qualitative leap in the
relations between the Catholic Church and the other Churches and
ecclesial Communities, continues to represent an indispensable point
of reference for the Catholic Church in her commitment to ecumenism.
The
Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity will commemorate the
fiftieth anniversary of the promulgation of the decree with two
events. On Thursday, 20 November, in the Basilica of St. Paul
Outside-the-Walls, Vespers will be celebrated, open to all, and
attended by the members and consultors of this Council and the
representatives of the Churches and ecclesial communities present in
Rome, to give thanks to God for the fruits already gathered along the
path of ecumenism during these last fifty years, and to invoke His
blessing for the road that still lies ahead.
On
21 November a meeting will take place in the Great Hall of the
Pontifical Gregorian University, during which the Pastors and
theologians of the Catholic Church and other Churches and ecclesial
communities will reread the Council decree, each from his own point
of view, discussing today's ecumenical challenges and those that
await us in the future. The moderator of the event will be Professor
Giovanni Maria Vian, editor of L'Osservatore Romano, and the speakers
will be Cardinal Kurt Koch, president of the Pontifical Council for
Promoting Christian Unity; Bishop Irinej Bulovic of Backa, the Serb
Orthodox Patriarch; Professor Timothy George of the Baptist World
Alliance; Fr. William Henn, O.F.M. Cap., of the Pontifical Gregorian
University; Teny Pirri Simonian of the Armenian Orthodox Church,
Catholicosate of Cilicia; and Friederike Nussel of the Lutheran
Church.
The
meeting will conclude the Council's plenary session, which will take
place from 18 to 21 November and will focus on the theme: “The aim
of ecumenism: principles, opportunities and challenges, fifty years
after 'Unitatis Redintegratio'”. Fifty years after its
promulgation, the dicastery considers it useful to examine how the
Council degree continues to inspire the ecumenical efforts of the
Catholic Church in a changing landscape.
You
can find more information at: www.visnews.org
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