SUMMARY:
-
POPE RECEIVES CONGREGATION FOR THE DOCTRINE OF THE FAITH, ANNOUNCES
POSSIBILITY OF PLACING COMMISSION FOR PROTECTION OF MINORS UNDER ITS
RESPONSIBILITY
-
TO AUSTRIAN BISHOPS: CHRISTIAN COMMITMENT IS NOT PHILANTHROPY
-
PRESENTATION OF YEAR FOR CONSECRATED LIFE: AWAKEN THE WORLD WITH
PROPHETIC WITNESS THAT RECALLS THE WITNESS OF YOUR FOUNDERS
-
IMPLEMENTATION OF DUE DILIGENCE TO IMPROVE MANAGEMENT FOR BAMBINO
GESU CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL AND CASA SOLLIEVO DELLA SOFFERENZA
FOUNDATION
-
HOLY SEE PRESS OFFICE BULLETIN ANNOUNCED ON TWITTER
-
AUDIENCES
-
OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
______________________________________
POPE
RECEIVES CONGREGATION FOR THE DOCTRINE OF THE FAITH, ANNOUNCES
POSSIBILITY OF PLACING COMMISSION FOR PROTECTION OF MINORS UNDER ITS
RESPONSIBILITY
Vatican
City, 31 January 2014 (VIS) – “To promote and safeguard the
doctrine on faith and morals in the whole Catholic world” is the
duty that John Paul II's Apostolic Constitution “Pastor bonus”
assigns to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. This
morning, at the end of their plenary session, Pope Francis received
in audience the members of the dicastery.
The
Holy Father emphasized that, “from the earliest days of the Church,
there has been a temptation to understand doctrine in an ideological
sense or to reduce it to a set of abstract and fossilized theories.
In fact, doctrine has the sole purpose of serving the life of the
People of God and seeks to ensure a firm foundation to our faith.
Great indeed is the temptation to commandeer the gifts of salvation
that come from God, to acclimate them—maybe even with the best
intention—to the world's viewpoints and spirit.”
The
task of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith should “also
always seek to keep in mind the needs of constructive, respectful,
and patient dialogue with the authors. If truth demands precision,
this always grows in charity and fraternal assistance for those
called to deepen or clarify their beliefs.” Likewise, the Pope
noted that the Congregation's method of working is distinguished “by
its practice of collegiality and dialogue. Effectively, the Church is
a place of communion and, at all levels, each of us is called to
cultivate and promote communion, each one with the responsibility
assigned to us by the Lord.”
Then,
mentioning their plenary session that was dedicated to the
relationship between faith and marriage, he stated that “it is a
reflection of great importance. It arises in the wake of the
invitation already formulated by Benedict XVI regarding the need to
question more deeply the relationship between personal faith and the
celebration of the sacrament of marriage, especially in the changed
cultural context.”
“On
this occasion, I would also like to thank you for your efforts in
dealing with sensitive issues regarding the most serious crimes, in
particular, the cases of the sexual abuse of minors by clerics. Think
of the welfare of children and the young, who in the Christian
community must always be protected and supported in their human and
spiritual growth. In this sense, the possibility is being looked into
of connecting the specific Commission for the Protection of Minors,
which I have established, to your dicastery. I hope it will be an
example for all those who wish to promote the welfare of children.”
TO
AUSTRIAN BISHOPS: CHRISTIAN COMMITMENT IS NOT PHILANTHROPY
Vatican
City, 31 January 2014 (VIS) – Yesterday, Pope Francis received
prelates of the Austrian Bishops' Conference at the end of their "ad
limina" visit, delivering the speech that the extracts below are
taken from. In his speech the Holy Father recalled the kindness of
the Austrian Church for the Successor of Peter that was concretely
expressed in the cordial reception given to Pope Benedict XVI on his
visit to the Shrine of Mariazell in 2007, despite the difficult years
for the Church in following years, a difficulty marked, among other
factors, by the decline in the number of Catholics. He writes,
however, that this trend “should not find us inactive, but should
encourage our efforts for the new evangelization that is always
needed.”
Pope
Francis affirmed that being the Church “doesn't mean
administration, but going out, being missionaries, bringing people
the light of faith and the joy of the Gospel. Let us not forget that
the momentum of our commitment as Christians in the world is not a
philanthropic idea, not a vague humanism, but a gift from God, that
is, the gift of being sons and daughters that we have received in
Baptism. This gift is, at the same time, a task. God's children do
not hide; rather they bring their joy as children of God to the
world.”
“The
Church,” the Pope continued, quoting the Second Vatican Council,
“'embraces in its bosom sinners'. But the council says in the same
passage that we should not resign ourselves to sin, that is … the
holy Church is always in need of being purified. That means that we
must always be committed to our purification, in the sacrament of
Reconciliation. … As pastors of the Church we want to assist the
faithful with tenderness and understanding in this wonderful
sacrament, to make them feel the Good Shepherd's love precisely in
this gift. I ask you, therefore, not to tire of inviting people to
encounter Christ in the sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation.”
“An
important area of our work as shepherds,” the Pope noted, “is the
family. It is located at the heart of the evangelizing Church. …
The foundation upon which you can develop harmonious family life is
mainly marital fidelity. Unfortunately, in our times we see that the
family and marriage, in countries in the Western world, have suffered
an profound interior crisis. … Globalization and post-modern
individualism promote a lifestyle that makes the development and
stability of interpersonal relationships much more difficult and that
is not conducive to promoting a culture of the family. Here a new
missionary area is opened to the Church, for example, in family
groups that create space for relationships between persons and with
God where true communion, which welcomes each equally without
confining them in elite groups, can grow.”
“The
Church's concern for the family begins with good preparation and
proper accompaniment of the bride and groom, as well as a faithful
and clear presentation of Church doctrine on marriage and the family.
As a sacrament, Marriage is a gift from God and, at the same time, a
commitment.”
From
the family, the Pope moved on to the parish, “the large field that
the Lord has entrusted to us to make fruitful with our pastoral work.
Priests, pastors should always be aware that their task of governing
is a deeply spiritual service. It is always the pastor who leads the
parish community, relying on the help and valuable contribution of
the various co-workers and of all the faithful laity. … Each is
called; each is sent out. It is not a given, however, that the place
of the call be just the parish centre … God's call can reach us …
in the places of our everyday lives.”
“Speaking
about God,” he concluded, “bringing people the message of God's
love and salvation in Jesus Christ, [a message] for all people, is
the duty of every baptized person. This duty includes not only
speaking with words, but with our whole way of acting and doing. …
It is precisely in our time, when we seem to become the 'little
flock', that we car called, as disciples of the Lord, to live as a
community that is 'salt of the earth' and 'light of the world'.”
PRESENTATION
OF YEAR FOR CONSECRATED LIFE: AWAKEN THE WORLD WITH PROPHETIC WITNESS
THAT RECALLS THE WITNESS OF YOUR FOUNDERS
Vatican
City, 31 January 2014 (VIS) – This morning in the Press Office of
the Holy See, Cardinal Joao Braz de Aviz, prefect of the Congregation
for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life,
and Archbishop Jose Rodriguez Carballo, O.F.M., secretary of the same
congregation, presented the Year for Consecrated Life 2015. It was
called for by Pope Francis at the end of his meeting with 120
superior generals of male institutes, at the suggestion of the heads
of the aforementioned congregation on having heard from many of the
consecrated.
“First
of all,” Cardinal Braz de Aviz said, “this Year dedicated to
consecrated life has been prepared in the context of the 50th
anniversary of the Second Vatican Council and, more specifically, on
the 50th anniversary of the publication of the conciliar decree on
the renewal of consecrated life 'Perfectae caritatis'. … Because we
recognize these 50 years that separate us from the Council as a
moment of grace for consecrated life, as marked by the presence of
the Spirit that leads us to live even our weaknesses and infidelities
as an experience of God's mercy and love, we want this Year to be an
occasion for 'gratefully remembering' this recent past. This is the
first objective of the Year for Consecrated Life.”
“With
a positive look at this time of grace between the Council and today,
we want the second objective to be 'embracing the future with hope'.
We are well aware that the present moment is 'difficult and delicate'
… and that the crisis facing society and the Church herself fully
touches upon the consecrated life. But we want to take this crisis
not as an antechamber of death but as … an opportunity to grow in
depth, and thus in hope, motivated by the certainty that the
consecrated life will never disappear from the Church because 'it was
desired by Jesus himself as an irremovable part of his Church'.”
“This
hope,” he concluded, “doesn't spare us—and the consecrated are
well aware of this—from 'living the present passionately', and this
is the third objective for the Year. … It will be an important
moment for 'evangelizing' our vocation and for bearing witness to the
beauty of the 'sequela Christi' in the many ways in which our lives
are expressed. The consecrated take up the witness that has been left
them by their respective founders and foundresses. … They want to
'awaken the world' with their prophetic witness, particularly with
their presence at the existential margins of poverty and thought, as
Pope Francis asked their superior generals.”
For
his part, Archbishop Rodriguez Carballo explained the initiatives and
events that will take place during the Year for Consecrated Life,
which will begin this October to coincide with the anniversary of the
promulgation of the conciliar constitution “Lumen Gentium”.
The
Year's official inauguration is planned with a solemn celebration in
St. Peter's Basilica, possibly presided by the Holy Father, which
could take place on 21 November, the World Day 'Pro orantibus'. Still
this November, it would be followed by a plenary assembly of the
Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of
Apostolic Life, the theme of which would be “The 'Novum' in
Consecrated Life beginning from Vatican II”.
Various
international events are also planned for Rome, among which would
include a meeting of young religious and novices, those who have
professed temporary or final vows for less than ten years, a meeting
for spiritual directors, an international theological conference on
consecrated life dedicated to “Renewal of the Consecrated Life in
Light of the Council and Perspectives for the Future”, and an
international exhibit on “Consecrated Life: The Gospel in Human
History”.
For
the conclusion of the Year for Consecrated Life another
concelebration presided by Pope Francis is planned, probably for 21
November 2015, 50 years after the decree “Perfecta caritatis”.
Every four months throughout the year, the dicastery will publish a
newsletter on themes related to consecrated life, the first of which
will come out on 2 February of next year, entitled “Be Glad” and
dedicated to the Magisterium of the Holy Father on consecrated life.
In response to the Pope's wishes, the Antonianum Pontifical
University in Rome will host a symposium on the management of
economic goods and capital by religious from 8 to 9 March. There will
be a series of initiatives planned particularly for contemplative
religious, including a world Chain of Prayer among monasteries.
Archbishop
Rodriguez Carballo also spoke of several documents that the dicastery
is preparing. To that end, in close collaboration with the
Congregation for Bishops and following a mandate by the Holy Father,
the document “Mutuae relationes” on the relations between bishops
and religious in the Church is being drawn up. Also, always on the
mandate of the Pope, the instruction “Verbi Sponsa”, which deals
with the autonomy and cloistering of entirely contemplative
religious, is being revised. Another document in preparation will
deal with the life and the mission of religious while a fourth one
will touch on the question of how consecrated manage goods in order
to offer some guidelines and direction in the complex situations that
arise in that area.
Finally,
during the Year of Consecrated Life, it is hoped that the Holy Father
will promulgate a new apostolic constitution on contemplative life in
place of “Sponsa Christi”, which was promulgated by Pope Pius XII
in 1950.
IMPLEMENTATION
OF DUE DILIGENCE TO IMPROVE MANAGEMENT FOR BAMBINO GESU CHILDREN'S
HOSPITAL AND CASA SOLLIEVO DELLA SOFFERENZA FOUNDATION
Vatican
City, 31 January 2014 (VIS) – The Pontifical Commission for
Reference on the Study and Guidance of the Organisation of the
Economic-Administrative Structure of the Holy See, in collaboration
with the Bambino Gesu Children's Hospital and the Casa Sollievo della
Sofferenza Foundation, have mandated the institution of a “due
diligence” of economic, administrative, and management processes of
the two hospitals for the purpose of being able to correctly complete
the overall picture of financial data and organizational aspects of
the entities that refer to the Holy See.
The
Commission will use the data obtained to propose appropriate
recommendations for improving the models of management and ensuring
transparency and efficiency in fulfilling the noble mandate of
protecting and safeguarding human health and life.
A
bidding process was announced for the “due diligence”, which
resulted in the task being assigned to PWC for Bambino Gesu
Children's Hospital and to Deloitte for Casa Sollievo della
Sofferenza Foundation
HOLY
SEE PRESS OFFICE BULLETIN ANNOUNCED ON TWITTER
Vatican
City, 31 January 2014 (VIS) – The Press Office of the Holy See has
announced the launch of a new Twitter account, @HolySeePress, to give
notice when the Bulletin—which gives information in the various
official languages of the Holy See on the important events occurring
in the Vatican—is published daily. The notifications will also have
a link to the Bulletin's webpage on the Vatican site.
AUDIENCES
Vatican
City, 31 January 2014 (VIS) – This morning, the Holy Father
received in separate audiences:
-
Cardinal Antonio Maria Rouco Varela, archbishop of Madrid, Spain,
with Dr. Javier Maria Prades Lopez, rector of the San Damaso
Ecclesiastical University in Madrid,
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Archbishop Bruno Musaro, titular of Abari and apostolic nuncio to
Cuba,
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Archbishop Vincent Gerard Nichols of Westminster, England,
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Fr. Ferdinando Neri of the Nomadelfia Community, and
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Dr. Franco Miano, national president of Italian Catholic Action.
This
afternoon he is scheduled to meet with Cardinal Fernando Filoni,
prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.
OTHER
PONTIFICAL ACTS
Vatican
City, 31 January 2014 (VIS) - Today, the Holy Father:
-
appointed Msgr. Stefano Manetti, of the clergy of the Archdiocese of
Florence, Italy, as bishop of the Diocese of
Montepulciano-Chiusi-Pienza (area 1,068, population 73,177, Catholics
69,508, priests 61, permanent deacons 3, religious 19), Italy. The
bishop-elect was born in Florence, Italy in 1959 and was ordained a
priest in 1984. Since ordination he has served in various pastoral
and diocesan roles, most recently as coordinator of the Presbyteral
Council. He has been a member of the College of Consultors since
2009.
-
appointed Fr. Antonio Mura, of the clergy of the Diocese of
Alghero-Bosa, Italy, as bishop of the Diocese of Lanusei (area 2,349,
population 68,713, Catholics 67,954, priests 51, permanent deacons 8,
religious 23), Italy. The bishop-elect was born in Bortigali, Italy
in 1952 and was ordained a priest in 1979. Since ordination he has
served in various pastoral and diocesan roles, most recently as
director of the diocesan weekly and regional director of the Cultural
Project for the Italian Bishops' Conference. He succeeds Bishop
Antioco Piseddu, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same
diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.
-
appointed Archbishop Franco Coppola, previously apostolic nuncio to
Burundi, as apostolic nuncio to Central African Republic.
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