SUMMARY:
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The Pope receives the president of the Republic of the Seychelles
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To the Anglican-Catholic Commission: the cause of unity is not an
optional undertaking
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To the Community of Christian Life: reach out to the neediest
frontiers of humanity
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Telegram for the death of Cardinal Giovanni Canestri: a wise pastor,
attentive to the needs of others
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Pope Francis' prayer intentions for May
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Presentation of the concert for Papal works of charity
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New commission for Vatican communications
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The international community must not resign itself to the tragedy of
Christians in the Middle East
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Audiences
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Notice
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The
Pope receives the president of the Republic of the Seychelles
Vatican
City, 30 April 2015 (VIS) – This morning in the Vatican Apostolic
Palace the Holy Father Francis received in audience the president of
the Republic of the Seychelles, James Alix Michel, 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, satisfaction was expressed for the good
relations existing between the Holy See and the Republic of the
Seychelles. Mention was made of the Catholic Church’s contribution
to the service of society, especially in the fields of welfare and
education, and themes of common interest were considered, such as the
dignity and full development of the human person and the protection
of the environment.
Finally,
there was an exchange of opinions on the socio-political situation in
the country and in the region.
To
the Anglican-Catholic Commission: the cause of unity is not an
optional undertaking
Vatican
City, 30 April 2015 (VIS) – This morning Pope Francis received in
audience twenty members of the Anglican-Roman Catholic International
Commission, meeting in these days in order to study the relationship
between the universal Church and the local Church, with particular
reference to processes for discussions and decision making regarding
moral and ethical questions. The Commission was created as a result
of the historic meeting in 1966 between Pope Paul VI and the
Archbishop of Canterbury, Arthur Michael Ramsey, who signed a joint
declaration to establish dialogue based on the Gospel and the common
tradition in the hope of leading to the unity in truth for which
Christ prayed.
Although
that goal has not yet been reached, the Commission's visit to the
Pope shows how “the shared tradition of faith and history between
Anglicans and Catholics can inspire and sustain our efforts to
overcome the obstacles to full communion”. Furthermore, the
commission will shortly publish five jointly agreed statements from
the second phase of the Anglican-Catholic dialogue, a reminder that
ecumenical relations and dialogue are not secondary elements of the
life of the Churches. “The cause of unity is not an optional
undertaking and the differences which divide us must not be seen as
inevitable”, said the Holy Father.
“There
is a strong bond that already unites us which goes beyond all
divisions”, underlined Francis. “It is the testimony of
Christians from different Churches and traditions, victims of
persecution and violence simply because of the faith they profess.
And not only now, that there are many of them; I think also of the
martyrs of Uganda, half Catholics and half Anglicans. The blood of
these martyrs will nourish a new era of ecumenical commitment, a
fervent desire to fulfil the last will and testament of the Lord:
that all may be one. The witness by these our brothers and sisters
demands that we live in harmony with the Gospel and that we strive
with determination to fulfil the Lord's will for his Church. Today
the world urgently needs the common, joyful witness of Christians,
from the defence of life and human dignity to the promotion of
justice and peace. Together let us invoke the gifts of the Holy
Spirit in order to be able to respond courageously to the 'signs of
the times' which are calling all Christians to unity and common
witness”.
To
the Community of Christian Life: reach out to the neediest frontiers
of humanity
Vatican
City, 30 April 2015 (VIS) – This morning Pope Francis received in
audience the Community of Christian Life (CVX) and the Student
Missionary League, for the inauguration of the National Conference of
the two Italian groups, exponents of Ignatian spirituality, to be
held in Frascati, Italy, from today until 3 May, on the theme “Beyond
Walls”. The Holy Father handed them a written discourse in which he
indicates various priorities to be taken into account on their
spiritual and community path.
First,
he mentions the challenge of promoting a culture of justice and
peace. “Faced with a culture of illegality, corruption and
confrontation, you are called to devote yourselves to the common
good, also through service to those linked to politics. If Christians
dissociate themselves from direct involvement in politics, it would
be a betrayal of the mission of the lay faithful, who are called upon
to be salt and light in the world, also through this form of
presence”.
He
focuses on family pastoral ministry, following the last Synod of
Bishops, as a second apostolic priority, and encouraged them to help
diocesan communities in their care for families, the vital cell of
society, an in accompanying couples as they prepare for marriage. He
also emphasises the importance of working with those who have
“drifted away” from the Church: among them there are many
separated couples, “who suffer as a result of the failure of their
plans for married life”, and also other difficult family
situations.
Finally,
he turns his attention to missionary life, and encourages them to
maintain their capacity to “go out towards the frontiers of
humanity at its neediest”. The Pope mentions the members of
communities present in Syria, Lebanon and plans for the reception of
immigrants in Sicily, and reminds them that, “in this luminous and
fruitful apostolic style, you too can be active in inspiring the
various educational institutions in Italy, Catholic and
state-managed, as in other parts of the world”.
Telegram
for the death of Cardinal Giovanni Canestri: a wise pastor, attentive
to the needs of others
Vatican
City, 30 April 2015 (VIS) – The Holy Father has sent a telegram of
condolences to Cardinal Agostino Vallini, his vicar for the diocese
of Rome, for the death at the age of 97 of Cardinal Giovanni
Canestri, who was archbishop of Genoa, Italy from 1987 to 1995.
Originally from the diocese of Alessandria, the late cardinal
belonged to the clergy of Rome.
“The
passing of the venerated cardinal elicits in my heart profound
emotion and sincere admiration for an esteemed man of the Church who
lived with humility and devotion his long and fruitful priesthood and
episcopate in the service of the Gospel and of the souls entrusted to
him. I recall with gratitude his fervent ministry, first as a deputy
priest during the difficult war years in the outskirts of Rome, areas
affected by suffering and poverty; then as a parish priest in two
populous suburbs, intent on educating the young in particular in the
joy of faith. Upon being appointed as auxiliary bishop of Rome, he
devoted himself with apostolic intensity to the spiritual and
material needs of the people, while participating diligently in the
work of Vatican Council II. In his episcopal ministry in Tortona,
then as vicegerent and subsequently archbishop of Cagliari, and
finally Genoa-Bobbio, he demonstrated pastoral wisdom and generous
attention to the needs of others, reaching out to all with goodness
and gentleness. I raise fervent prayers that the Lord receive the
late cardinal in eternal joy and peace, and I bestow upon you and
those who share in sorrow the comfort of my apostolic blessing, with
a special thought for the Apostolic Sisters of the Sacred Heart of
Jesus, who lovingly cared for him especially in these last years of
his infirmity”.
Pope
Francis' Prayer Intentions for May
Vatican
City, 30 April 2015 (VIS) - The Holy Father's universal prayer
intention for May is: “That, rejecting the culture of indifference,
we may care for our neighbours who suffer, especially the sick and
the poor”.
His
intention for evangelisation is: “That Mary's intercession may help
Christians in secularised cultures be open to proclaiming Jesus”.
Presentation
of the concert for Papal works of charity
Vatican
City, 30 April 2015 (VIS) – This morning a press conference was
held in the Holy See Press Office to present the concert organised to
support the Pope's charitable work, which will take place on 14 May,
solemnity of the Ascension, at 6 p.m. in the Vatican's Paul VI Hall.
The concert, to be conducted by Maestro Daniel Oren and performed by
the Philarmonic Orchestra of Salerno, Italy and the choir of the
diocese of Rome led by Msgr. Marco Frisina, is sponsored by the Papal
Almoner, the Pontifical Council for Culture, the Pontifical Council
for Promoting New Evangelisation, and the St. Matthew Foundation, in
memory of Cardinal Van-Thuan, and unites culture with charitable
concerns. For the occasion, the donations gathered will be entirely
devolved to the office of the Apostolic Almoner, the dicastery
responsible for the Pope's charity.
The
protagonists of the event are the most needy, the poor and sick, who
will occupy the front rows and have been invited through charitable
and voluntary associations: the Great Priory of Rome and the
Sovereign Military Order of Malta, the Circle of St. Peter, diocesan
Caritas, the Sant'Egidio Community and the Centro Astalli, which
assists migrants and refugees, the Daughters of Charity and other
associations present in the diocese of Rome. The event will also be
attended by detainees from the Rebibbia prison and various
inhabitants of camps for nomadic peoples. Elderly people, families
and young people from the Roman parishes have also been invited,
especially those from the quarters afflicted by material and
spiritual difficulties.
An
invitation is required to attend the concert. These are entirely free
and may be obtained online before 8 May by compiling the form on the
website of the Choir of the Diocese of Rome, at
http://www.corodiocesidiroma.com/concerto-aula-paolo-vi.html.
During
the press conference, Msgr. Diego Ravelli, head of the office of the
Apostolic Almoner, explained that this will be a concert not only
“with” the poor but rather “for” the poor, as the donations
made by the sponsors and all those who wish to offer an economic
contribution will be destined for Pope Francis' charitable works.
This task is entrusted to the Apostolic Almoner, whose mission is
explained below, and which receives every day a great number of
letters from needy people and families, a number that has increased
along with the economic crisis, rising unemployment and the
phenomenon of immigration. All these letters are authenticated by
parish priests and other ecclesiastical authorities, to whom as
guarantors the economic assistance will be given, to be devolved to
the people concerned, “as it is important for the Pope's concrete
gesture to be integrated with the solidarity of the local Church and
Christian parish community”.
“Aid
will be modest as it is hoped it will reach the largest possible
number of people”, he continued. “The Almoner's Office also
supports associations devoted to alleviating the suffering of
different groups of people in difficulties, such as the homeless,
political refugees, prisoners, overseas university students, hospital
inpatients, the elderly, single mothers and orphaned or abandoned
children. Similarly, again with modest subsidies, it also intervenes
outside Italy, especially in the poorest countries, to support
initiatives of a charitable nature promoted by bishops and diocesan
or religious priests. Particular attention is also given to
cloistered women religious, who often lack sufficient economic
resources for everyday needs or to face extraordinary or unexpected
maintenance work on community buildings”.
“In
total, the sum that the Apostolic Almoner distributed in 2014
exceeded one and a half million Euros”, said Msgr. Rivelli, who
went on to remark that when Pope Francis appointed Archbishop Konrad
Krajewski in 2013 he instructed him to reach out to the poor, not to
wait for them to ask for help, and to “leave his desk to go in
search of them beyond the office walls”.
“All
this is possible thanks to the charity fund available to the Almoner,
made up of donations from private individuals and groups or bodies,
or collections organised for the purpose, and offers directly from
the hands of the Holy Father, who receives contributions for his
charity during the general audiences and from meetings with pilgrims.
The majority of the funds, however, come from the faculty, delegated
to the Almoner by Pope Leo XIII, to grant apostolic blessings in the
form of documents on parchment to the faithful who request them for
certain occasions”.
New
commission for Vatican communications
Vatican
City, 30 April 2015 (VIS) – During the last meeting of the Council
of Cardinals to assist the Holy Father in the governance of the
universal Church and to draw up a plan for the revision of the
apostolic constitution “Pastor bonus” on the Roman Curia (13-15
April 2015), the final report of the committee charged with proposing
reform of Vatican communications, the so-called Vatican Media
Committee (VMC), was examined.
The
Council of Cardinals subsequently proposed to His Holiness the
institution of a commission to study this final report and to suggest
feasible approaches to its implementation. The proposal was
favourably accepted by the Holy Father, who on 23 April decided to
institute the commission and to appoint its members.
The
new commission will be chaired by Msgr. Dario Edoardo Vigano,
director of the Vatican Television Centre, and its members will be:
Paolo Nusiner, director general of the daily newspaper “Avvenire”,
Nuova Editoriale Italiana, Milan; Msgr. Lucio Adrian Ruiz, head of
the Vatican Internet Service, directorate of Telecommunications of
the Governorate of Vatican City State; Fr. Antonio Spadaro, S.J.,
director of “La Civiltà Cattolica”; and Msgr. Paul Tighe,
secretary of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications.
The
international community must not resign itself to the tragedy of
Christians in the Middle East
Vatican
City, 30 April 2015 (VIS) – Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, prefect of
the Congregation for the Oriental Churches, spoke yesterday at the
opening of the Symposium “Christians in the Middle East: what
future?”, organised by the Sant'Egidio Community and the
archdiocese of Bari-Bitonto, Italy.
In
his address, the cardinal remarked that many Christians in the East,
hearing just a few days ago the story of Pilate's famous gesture of
washing his hands, “may have thought of the indifference and
inaction to which the international community appears to have
resigned itself before the tragedies that have for some years now
been wearing away at Syria and Iraq”. He added, “it is also
saddening to see the incapacity of leaders in Lebanon, even those who
are Christians, to arrive at consensus on the new president on the
basis of a line of conduct due less to conscience than to the weighty
influences of the forces that compete for supremacy in the area”.
“We
trust, however, that in the heart of all people, both in the West and
in the East, the governor Pilate's poignant question remains alive:
'Quid est veritas?', 'What is truth?', followed by his search and
service to it. The truth is first and foremost an act of removing
every veil and covering from reality. It cannot be denied that if a
solution has not yet been found it is certainly because the problems
are many and complex, and also touch upon the internal relations
between the different groups of Muslim faithful and between them and
other religions present in the region, including Christians. But it
is also legitimate to think that there are interests and balances of
power and wealth that go before – seemingly without conceding a
step – the mere survival, rather than the well-being, of the
populations. And this is a scandal: let us remember what the Lord
says, still today, to all the Cains on earth: 'What have you done?
The voice of your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground'.
Cardinal
Sandri went on to mention that every year he launches an appeal, on
behalf of the Holy Father, for support and aid to Christians in the
Holy Land, a term that designates not only those who live within the
borders of the State of Israel and the Palestinian Authority, but
also all the places linked to salvation history, the area of
Mesopotamia and Persia, where the apostles preached, Jordan, Syria,
Lebanon, and Egypt, where the Holy Family sought refuge.
“But
mentioning a presence thus configured must be an indication of a
method also for discussion at other levels”, he added. “It is not
possible to speak of stability in the Middle East without reference
to the age-old question of Israel and Palestine, accepting that
Christians are permitted to live relatively peacefully in both
territories. On the other hand, there must be no doubt regarding the
need for all States, including Israel, to exist and be protected, not
threatened. It is the task of Christian pastors throughout the Middle
East to help their faithful to grow in this knowledge, pouring
abundant oil of consolation, forgiveness and mercy on the wounds of
the recent past. If we do not move in this direction, there is no
doubt that power-crazed groups such as ISIS will multiply, especially
as they are supported with arms and resources by various interested
parties”.
“The
West appears to have lost, over the centuries, the capacity for
conceiving of itself within a healthy religious framework of
reference, and increasingly favours an exasperated secular model, if
not indeed a true 'eclipse of God'. The destruction and horrors of
the Middle East – which some wish to attribute exclusively to the
religious factors – must not become an excuse to confirm this
partial and mistaken vision, but rather a stimulus for rethinking the
coexistence of and collaboration between different sectors of society
for the full development of humanity”, concluded the prefect.
The
participants in the symposium subsequently attended the Basilica of
St. Nicholas, patron of Bari, where they prayed for the saint's
intercession to bring an end to the suffering of Christians in the
Middle East and to accompany the work of the Pan-Orthodox Council, to
be held in Turkey in 2016.
Audiences
Vatican
City, 30 April 2015 (VIS) – Today, the Holy Father received in
audience Bishop Robert Francis Provost, apostolic administrator of
Chiclayo, Peru.
Notice
Vatican
City, 30 April 2015 (VIS) – We inform our readers that tomorrow,
Friday 1 May, feast of St. Joseph the Worker and a holiday in the
Vatican, the Vatican Information Service bulletin will not be
transmitted. Service will resume on Monday, 4 May.
You
can find more information at: www.visnews.org
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