SUMMARY:
-
POPE RECEIVES PRESIDENT OF VENEZUELA: FIGHT AGAINST POVERTY AND DRUG
TRAFFICKING
-
GOAL OF ECONOMICS AND POLITICS IS TO SERVE HUMANITY
-
POPE ON “EVANGELIUM VITAE DAY”: GOD OF MERCY IS LIFE, FALSE IDOLS
BRING ENSLAVEMENT AND DEATH
-
ANGELUS: POPE FRANCIS ENTRUSTS MOST FRAGILE, DEFENCELESS, AND
THREATENED HUMAN LIFE TO MARY'S PROTECTION
-
POPE RECEIVES PRESIDENT OF THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION
-
POPE FRANCIS: PRINCIPLE OF SECULARISM ENTAILS NEITHER HOSTILITY TO
RELIGIOUS REALITY NOR EXCLUSION OF SOCIAL SPHERE
-
POPULORUM PROGRESSIO FOUNDATION: INDIGENOUS AND RURAL POPULATIONS OF
LATIN AMERICA RUN RISK OF BEING PERIPHERY OF A DEVELOPING CONTINENT
-
MSGR. BATTISTA RICCA APPOINTED INTERIM PRELATE OF IOR
-
AUDIENCES
-
OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
______________________________________
POPE
RECEIVES PRESIDENT OF VENEZUELA: FIGHT AGAINST POVERTY AND DRUG
TRAFFICKING
Vatican
City, 17 June 2013 (VIS) – This morning in the Vatican Apostolic
Palace, the Holy Father received in audience His Excellency Mr.
Nicolas Maduro Moros, president of the Bolivarian Republic of
Venezuela. President Maduro then met with the Secretary of State,
Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, S.D.B., accompanied by Archbishop
Dominique Mamberti, secretary for Relations with States.
During
the talks, which were held in a cordial atmosphere, topics focused on
included the country's social and political situation after the
recent death of President Hugo Chavez Frias, as well as current
issues such as poverty and the fight against crime and drug
trafficking.
As
the talks continued, reference was made to the Catholic Church's
historical presence in the country and her decisive contribution to
charity, health care, and education, and the need for constant and
sincere dialogue between the Episcopal Conference and the State for
the development of the entire nation was agreed upon.
Finally,
the regional situation was discussed, with particular reference made
to the peace process in Colombia.
GOAL
OF ECONOMICS AND POLITICS IS TO SERVE HUMANITY
Vatican
City, 17 June 2013 (VIS) – Yesterday a letter from the Holy Father
to Prime Minister of the United Kingdom David Cameron was made
public. It was sent in response to the message he had received on 5
June regarding the British presidency of the G8 and the upcoming
meeting scheduled to take place at Lough Erne, County Fermanagh,
Northern Ireland on 17 and 18 June, with the theme of “A G8 Meeting
that Goes Back to First Principles”.
In
the letter, the Holy Father emphasized that, for the theme “to
attain its broadest and deepest resonance, it is necessary to ensure
that all political and economic activity, whether national or
international,” makes reference to humanity. “Indeed, such
activity must, on the one hand, enable the maximum expression of
freedom and creativity, both individual and collective, while on the
other hand it must promote and guarantee their responsible exercise
in solidarity, with particular attention to the poorest.”
Francis
praised the priorities that the British Presidency has set out for
the upcoming summit, noting that the fundamental reference to
humanity is not lacking, “specifically in the proposal for
concerted action by the Group to eliminate definitively the scourge
of hunger and to ensure food security. Similarly, a further sign of
attention to the human person is the inclusion as one of the central
themes on the agenda of the protection of women and children from
sexual violence in conflict situations, even though it must be
remembered that the indispensable context for the development of all
the afore-mentioned political actions is that of international peace.
… and this year [the G8] cannot fail to address the situation in
the Middle East, especially in Syria,” the Pope noted.
“The
actions included on the agenda of the British G8 Presidency, which
point towards law as the golden thread of development – as well as
the consequent commitments to deal with tax avoidance and to ensure
transparency and responsibility on the part of governments,”
Francis said, “are measures that indicate the deep ethical roots of
these problems, since, as my predecessor Benedict XVI made clear, the
present global crisis shows that ethics is not something external to
the economy, but is an integral and unavoidable element of economic
thought and action.”
The
Holy Father repeated that the long-term measures “designed to
ensure an adequate legal framework for all economic actions, as well
as the associated urgent measures to resolve the global economic
crisis, must be guided by the ethics of truth”. First and foremost,
this entails a respect for the truth of the human person, “who is
not simply an additional economic factor, or a disposable good, but
is equipped with a nature and a dignity that cannot be reduced to
simple economic calculus. Therefore concern for the fundamental
material and spiritual welfare of every human person is the
starting-point for every political and economic solution and the
ultimate measure of its effectiveness and its ethical validity.”
Stressing
that “the goal of economics and politics is to serve humanity,
beginning with the poorest and most vulnerable wherever they may be,
even in their mothers' wombs,” the Pope, in his letter, noted that
“every economic and political theory or action must set about
providing each inhabitant of the planet with the minimum wherewithal
to live in dignity and freedom, with the possibility of supporting a
family, educating children, praising God and developing one's own
human potential. This is the main thing; in the absence of such a
vision, all economic activity is meaningless.”
Pope
Francis wrote that he wished to share these thoughts with the Prime
Minister “with a view to highlighting what is implicit in all
political choices, but can sometimes be forgotten: the primary
importance of putting humanity, every single man and woman, at the
centre of all political and economic activity, both nationally and
internationally, because man is the truest and deepest resource for
politics and economics, as well as their ultimate end.”
POPE
ON “EVANGELIUM VITAE DAY”: GOD OF MERCY IS LIFE, FALSE IDOLS
BRING ENSLAVEMENT AND DEATH
Vatican
City, 16 June 2013 (VIS) – At 10:30 this morning in a crowded St.
Peter's Square, Pope Francis presided at the Mass for the Day in the
Year of Faith dedicated to Evangelium Vitae. Before celebrating the
Eucharist, the Bishop of Rome was driven down the Via della
Conciliazione in the open popemobile to greet the tens of thousands
of persons who had come from all over the world to participate.
Following
are ample excerpts from the Pope's homily, which focused on three
main points: the Bible reveals the living God to us; Jesus Christ
gives life; and the Holy Spirit keeps us in that new life. Following
God's path brings life while following idols leads to death.
“The
first reading, taken from the Second Book of Samuel, speaks to us of
life and death. King David wants to hide the act of adultery which he
committed with the wife of Uriah the Hittite, a soldier in his army.
To do so, he gives the order that Uriah be placed on the front lines
and so be killed in battle. The Bible shows us the human drama in all
its reality: good and evil, passion, sin and its consequences.
Whenever we want to assert ourselves, when we become wrapped up in
our own selfishness and put ourselves in the place of God, we end up
spawning death. ... Selfishness leads to lies, as we attempt to
deceive ourselves and those around us. But God cannot be deceived.
... The King is forced to face his deeds of death ... He recognizes
what he has done and he begs forgiveness... The God of mercy, who
desires life and always forgives us, now forgives David and restores
him to life.”
“The
Scriptures everywhere tell us that God is the Living One, the One who
bestows life and points the way to fullness of life. I think of the
beginning of the Book of Genesis: God fashions man out of the dust of
the earth ... thanks to his breath, man has life. … the God who
enters into our history, sets us free from slavery and death, and
brings life to his people because he is the Living One. I also think
of the gift of the Ten Commandments: a path God points out to us
towards a life which is truly free and fulfilling. The commandments
are not a litany of prohibitions ... on the contrary, they are a
great “Yes!”: a yes to God, to Love, to life.”
“Today’s
Gospel brings us another step forward. Jesus allows a woman who was a
sinner to approach him during a meal in the house of a Pharisee,
scandalizing those present. Not only does he let the woman approach
but he even forgives her sins, saying: 'Her sins, which are many, are
forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves
little'. Jesus is the incarnation of the Living God ... Jesus
accepts, loves, uplifts, encourages, forgives, restores the ability
to walk, gives back life. Throughout the Gospels we see how Jesus by
his words and actions brings the transforming life of God. ... God,
the Living One, is merciful.”
“This
was also the experience of the Apostle Paul, as we heard in the
second reading: 'The life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in
the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.' … Who brings
us this life? It is the Holy Spirit … who leads us into the divine
life as true children of God, as sons and daughters in the
only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ. ... Christians are 'spiritual'. This
does not mean that we are people who live 'in the clouds', far
removed from real life ... No! The Christian is someone who thinks
and acts in everyday life according to God’s will, someone who
allows his or her life to be guided and nourished by the Holy Spirit
... And this entails realism and fruitfulness. Those who let
themselves be led by the Holy Spirit are realists, they know how to
survey and assess reality. They are also fruitful; their lives bring
new life to birth all around them.”
“God
is the Living One, the Merciful One; Jesus brings us the life of God;
the Holy Spirit gives and keeps us in our new life as true sons and
daughters of God. But all too often, as we know from experience,
people do not choose life, they do not accept the “Gospel of Life”
but let themselves be led by ideologies and ways of thinking that
block life, that do not respect life, because they are dictated by
selfishness, self-interest, profit, power and pleasure, and not by
love, by concern for the good of others. It is the eternal dream of
wanting to build the city of man without God, without God’s life
and love – a new Tower of Babel. It is the idea that rejecting God,
the message of Christ, the Gospel of Life, will somehow lead to
freedom, to complete human fulfilment. As a result, the Living God is
replaced by fleeting human idols which offer the intoxication of a
flash of freedom, but in the end bring new forms of slavery and
death.”
“Let
us look to God as the God of Life, let us look to his law, to the
Gospel message, as the way to freedom and life. The Living God sets
us free! Let us say 'Yes' to love and not selfishness. Let us say
'Yes' to life and not death. Let us say 'Yes' to freedom and not
enslavement to the many idols of our time. In a word, let us say
'Yes' to the God who is love, life and freedom, and who never
disappoints; let us say 'Yes' to the God who is the Living One and
the Merciful One.”
ANGELUS:
POPE FRANCIS ENTRUSTS MOST FRAGILE, DEFENCELESS, AND THREATENED HUMAN
LIFE TO MARY'S PROTECTION
Vatican
City, 16 June 2013 (VIS) - “At the end of the Eucharist dedicated
to the Gospel of Life,” the Pope said, before praying the Angelus,
“I am pleased to recall that yesterday, in Carpi, Italy, Edward
Focherini, husband, father of seven, and journalist, was proclaimed
Blessed. Captured and imprisoned out of hatred for the Catholic
faith, he died in the concentration camp of Hersbruck, Germany, in
1944 at the age of 37. He saved many Jews from Nazi persecution.
Along with the Church in Carpi, we give thanks to God for this
witness of the Gospel of Life!”
Francis
then thanked all those who had come to Rome from various places in
Italy and throughout the world, especially, “families and those who
work directly for the promotion and protection of life”. He also
greeted the 150 members of the “Gravida” Association from
Argentina, who were gathered in the city of Pilar, encouraging them
to continue with their work.
“I
greet,” he added, “the many participants in the Harley-Davidson
motorcycle rally and the members of the Motorcycle Club of the
Italian State Police.”
“Now,
let us turn to the Virgin, entrusting all human life, especially the
most fragile, defenceless, and threatened, to her maternal
protection,” the pontiff concluded.
POPE
RECEIVES PRESIDENT OF THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION
Vatican
City, 15 June 2013 (VIS) – Today in the Vatican Apostolic Palace,
the Holy Father Francis received the President of the European
Commission, His Excellency Mr. Jose Manuel Durao Barroso, who then
went on to meet with Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone,
S.D.B., accompanied by Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, secretary for
Relations with States.
The
cordial discussions provided an opportunity for a useful exchange of
views on the international situation, paying particular attention to
the process of European integration, as well as the continuing
economic crisis that has serious consequences on employment,
especially for young persons, and a negative impact on family life.
As
the talks continued, focus was placed on the positive contribution
that the Catholic Church can offer in the current climate for
Europe’s material and spiritual well-being.
Finally,
special attention was given to the promotion of human rights,
especially that of religious freedom, and the protection of Christian
minorities around the world.
POPE
FRANCIS: PRINCIPLE OF SECULARISM ENTAILS NEITHER HOSTILITY TO
RELIGIOUS REALITY NOR EXCLUSION OF SOCIAL SPHERE
Vatican
City, 15 June 2013 (VIS) – The principle of secularism that governs
relations between the French State and the various religious
confessions “in itself shouldn't mean hostility to religious
reality or the exclusion of religion from the social sphere and the
debates that animate it.” Pope Francis made this statement in his
address to members of the French Senate and National Assembly who had
sought an audience with the Bishop of Rome.
The
encounter afforded the pontiff the opportunity to emphasize the
relations of trust that generally exist in that nation between those
responsible for public life and the Catholic Church. “We can
rejoice,” he affirmed, “in the fact that French society
rediscovers proposals offered by the Church, among others, that offer
a certain vision of persons and their dignity in view of the common
good. The Church thus wishes to offer its own specific contribution
on the profound questions that engage a more complete vision of
persons and their destiny, of society and its destiny. This
contribution is not only located within the anthropological or social
sphere but also in the political, economic, and cultural spheres.”
The
Pope reminded the French politicians that, as elected by a nation
towards which the eyes of the world are often turned, they have the
duty of contributing in an effective and constant manner to improving
the lives of their citizens and of responding to their needs. Even if
their task mainly unfolds in the legislative arena, it is necessary
to inspire in the laws “a supplement, a spirit, I would say a soul,
that doesn't only reflect the methods and ideas of the moment but
that confers upon them the indispensable quality that elevates and
ennobles the human person.”
Bidding
the French parliamentarians farewell, Francis warmly encouraged them
“to continue your mission, always looking for the good of the
person and promoting fraternity in you beautiful country. May God
bless you.”
POPULORUM
PROGRESSIO FOUNDATION: INDIGENOUS AND RURAL POPULATIONS OF LATIN
AMERICA RUN RISK OF BEING PERIPHERY OF A DEVELOPING CONTINENT
Vatican
City, 15 June 2013 (VIS) – Members of the administrative council of
the "Populorum Progressio" Foundation will gather from 18
to 21 June in Arequipa, Peru, for their annual meeting to deliberate
on the financing of development projects in support of indigenous,
mestizo, and rural African-American communities in Latin America and
the Caribbean. From its establishment in 1992, the "Populorum
Progressio" Foundation has been entrusted to the Pontifical
Council “Cor Unum”.
The
administrative council is composed of the following members: Cardinal
Robert Sarah, president ex officio of the Foundation; Archbishop
Edmundo Luis Abastoflor Montero of La Paz, Bolivia, and president of
the administrative council; Archbishop Antonio Arregui Yarza of
Guayaquil, Ecuador, and vice president; Archbishop Oscar Urbina
Ortega of Villavicencio, Colombia; Archbishop Murilo Sebastiao Ramos
Krieger, S.C.I., of Sao Salvador da Bahia, Brazil; Archbishop Javier
Augusto del Rio Alba of Arequipa, Peru; and Msgr. Segundo Tejado
Munoz, undersecretary of the Pontifical Council "Cor Unum".
This
is the council's first meeting under the pontificate of Pope Francis,
who has spoken with great clarity of “a poor Church for the poor”
and who lives his power in humble service, attentive to the
outskirts, the villages, and the least ones who are rich only in the
charity that comes from above. These will be the reference and the
stimulus for the decisions that will be made. The main beneficiaries
of “Populorum Progressio”, indigenous and rural communities in
particular, are at risk of being the “human periphery” in a
continent that is experiencing a phase of significant economic
development, but which is characterized by large social inequalities
that especially penalize those segments of the population that remain
on the margins of such development.
In
this context, it is the hope of all the Council members to organize,
for next year, their annual meeting in Rome, to have the opportunity
to receive direction and guidance on the Foundation's future directly
from Pope Francis.
This
year, 222 projects were presented by 18 countries including:
Colombia, Brazil, Peru, and Ecuador. The projects are characterized
by a broadly participatory approach on the part of the local
communities that contribute to all the phases of the projects: from
its conception to its concrete realization in the event of a
project's approval. These initiatives serve to meet the needs in
various areas: production (agriculture and farming, craftsmanship,
micro-businesses); community infrastructure (potable water, latrines,
community halls); education (training, scholastic equipment,
publications); health (prevention campaigns, medical equipment for
clinics); and construction (educational and health centres).
The
main support of “Populorum Progressio”—alongside individual
faithful, dioceses, and various institutes—comes through the
Italian Episcopal Conference.
MSGR.
BATTISTA RICCA APPOINTED INTERIM PRELATE OF IOR
Vatican
City, 15 June 2013 (VIS) – In a declaration published this morning,
Fr. Federico Lombardi, S.J., director of the Press Office of the Holy
See, made it known that: “The Commission of Cardinals for oversight
of the Institute for the Works of Religion (IOR), with the approval
of the Holy Father, has appointed 'ad interim' Msgr. Battista Mario
Salvatore Ricca as Prelate of the Institute.”
“In
his capacity as prelate, Msgr. Battista Ricca will act as secretary
of the meetings of the Cardinals’ Commission and will attend
meetings of the Board of Superintendence in accordance with the
Institute’s statutes.”
“Msgr.
Battista Ricca, who was born in Offlaga in the province of Brescia,
Italy, in 1956, is part of the Diplomatic Service, serving in the
First Section of the Secretariat of State. He is also Director of the
Domus Sanctae Marthae, the Domus Internationalis Paulus VI, the Domus
Romana Sacerdotalis, and the Casa San Benedetto.”
“As
can be recalled, he succeeds Archbishop Piero Pioppo, currently
Apostolic Nuncio to Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea, who held the post
from 2006 to 2010.”
“With
the appointment of Mr. Ernst von Freyberg as President of the
Institute and of Msgr. Battista Ricca as its prelate, the Cardinals’
Commission has filled the two important positions that are provided
for in the statutes of the IOR, which had been vacant for some time.
Msgr. Battista Ricca’s appointment is effective immediately.”
AUDIENCES
Vatican
City, 17 June 2013 (VIS) – Today the Holy Father received:
-
His Excellency Mr. Rowsch N. Shaways, vice prime minister of the
Republic of Iraq, and
-
Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun, S.D.B., bishop emeritus of Hong Kong.
On
Saturday, 15 June in the Domus Sanctae Marthae, the Holy Father
received:
-
Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, archbishop of Krakow, Poland, and
-
Cardinal Marc Ouellet, P.S.S., prefect of the Congregation for
Bishops.
OTHER
PONTIFICAL ACTS
Vatican
City, 15 June 2013 (VIS) – Today, the Holy Father:
-
appointed Msgr. Xavier Munyongani as bishop of the Diocese of Gweru
(area 29,158, population 2,313,000, Catholics 368,000, priests 54,
religious 216), Zimbabwe. The bishop-elect was born in Mutero
Mission, Gutu District, Zimbabwe, in 1950 and was ordained a priest
in 1977. Since ordination he has served in many pastoral, academic,
and administrative roles in the Dioceses of Gweru and Masvingo,
Zimbabwe, as well as serving in London, England, since 2007, as
chaplain of the Zimbabwe Catholic Community.
-
appointed Fr. Alphonse Nguyen Huu Long, P.S.S., as auxiliary of the
Diocese of Hung Hoa (area 54,352, population 7,187,000, Catholics
235,000, priests 63, religious 242), Vietnam, assigning him the
Titular See of Gummi in Byzacena. The bishop-elect was born in Hanoi,
Vietnam, in 1953 and was ordained a priest in 1990. Since ordination
he has: served as vicar for the parish of Tam Ky (1990-1994);
obtained a license in Canon Law from the Institut Catholique of
Paris, France; served as pastor for the parishes of Ha Lam
(1999-2001) and Tra Kieu (2001-2003); served as spiritual director
and professor of Canon Law, Church History, and Catechesis at the
Major Seminary of Hue (2003-2011) as well as that institution's
rector since 2011.
-
appointed Fr. Pierre Nguyen Van Vien as auxiliary of the Diocese of
Vinh (area 30,594, population 6,285,000, Catholics 506,992, priests
197, religious 1,882), Vietnam, assigning him the Titular See of
Megalopolis in Proconsulari. The bishop-elect was born in Huong
Phuong, Quang Binh Province, Vietnam, in 1965 and was ordained a
priest for the Diocese of Vinh in 1999. Since ordination he has done
pastoral service for the Vietnamese community in Sydney, Australia,
where he obtained his doctorate in Theology, served as vice rector
and professor of Dogmatics at Vinh Thanh's Major Seminary, and,
since, 2010, served as general vicar of the Diocese of Vinh.
-
appointed Cardinal Audrys Juozas Backis, archbishop emeritus of
Vilnius, Lithuania, as his special envoy to the 1025th anniversary of
the Baptism of Kievan Rus' scheduled to take place in Kiev, Ukraine
from 17-18 August 2013.
-
appointed Cardinal Jaime Lucas Ortega y Alamino, archbishop of San
Cristobal de la Habana, Cuba, as his special envoy to the closing
celebrations of the First anniversary of the elevation of the
Metropolitan Archdiocese of San Salvador, El Salvador, and the
erection of the Dioceses of Santa Ana and San Miguel as well as the
closing ceremony of the national Eucharistic Congress in El Salvador
scheduled for 11 August 2013.
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