The Pope And Church News: News Vatican Information Service 07/09/2013

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

News Vatican Information Service 07/09/2013

SUMMARY:

- PAPAL INDULGENCES FOR WORLD YOUTH DAY

- POPE FRANCIS: BE FEARLESS, HUMBLE AND JOYFUL WITNESSES TO THE GOSPEL

- AUDIENCES

- OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

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PAPAL INDULGENCES FOR WORLD YOUTH DAY

Vatican City, 9 July 2013 (VIS) – According to a decree made public today and signed by Cardinal Manuel Monteiro de Castro and Bishop Krzysztof Nykiel, respectively penitentiary major and regent of the Apostolic Penitentiary, Pope Francis will grant Indulgence to the faithful participating in celebrations for 28th World Youth Day, to be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from 22 to 29 July on the theme "Go and make disciples of all nations".

The young people and the faithful who are adequately prepared will obtain the Plenary Indulgence, once a day and under the usual conditions (sacramental Confession, Eucharistic communion and prayer in accordance with the intentions of the Holy Father), applicable also to the souls of deceased faithful.

The faithful who on account of a legitimate impediment cannot attend the aforementioned celebrations may obtain Plenary Indulgence under the usual spiritual, sacramental and prayer conditions, in a spirit of filial submission to the Roman Pontiff, by participation in the sacred functions on the days indicated, following the same rites and spiritual exercises as they occur via television or radio or, with due devotion, via the new means of social communication.

Partial Indulgence will be conceded to all the faithful who, in any place and between the indicated days, with a contrite heart raise devout prayers to God, concluding with the official prayer of the World Youth Day and invoking the Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of Brazil, with the title “Nossa Senhora da Conceicao Aparecida” as well as other patrons and intercessors of the same meeting, that they may encourage the young to reinforce their faith and lead a holy life.

POPE FRANCIS: BE FEARLESS, HUMBLE AND JOYFUL WITNESSES TO THE GOSPEL

Vatican City, 9 July 2013 (VIS) – On the afternoon of Saturday 6 July in the Vatican's Paul VI Hall the Pope met with seminarians, novices and young people discerning their vocations in celebration of the Year of Faith. In a lively environment with profound testimonies and music, the young people awaited the arrival of the Holy Father, who was received with enthusiastic applause. “Now you applaud, and you celebrate, as this is the time of your 'honeymoon'”, said the Pope, “but when the honeymoon ends, what happens next? I heard a seminarian, a good seminarian, who said he wanted to serve Christ, but for just ten years, after which he would think about starting a new life... This is dangerous! Listen carefully: all of us, even the oldest among us, we too find ourselves under pressure from this culture of the provisional; and this is dangerous, because we no longer commit our lives once and for all. I'll be married for as long as I'm in love, I'll become a nun for a little while, and then we'll see; I'll become a seminarian to become a priest but I'm not sure how it will turn out. This is not what Jesus wants! … Nowadays, making a definitive choice is very difficult. It was easier in my day, because culturally a definitive choice was preferred, be it for matrimonial life, or consecrated life, or the priestly life. But in the present day a definitive choice is not easy. We are all victims of this culture of the provisional”.

“I would like you to think about this”, the Holy Father continued: “How can be we free of this culture of the provisional? We need to learn how to close the door of our innermost being, from the inside. … but when we always leave a key outside, just in case – that is not enough. We need to learn to close the door from the inside! And if I am not sure, I think, I will take my time, and when I feel sure – in Jesus, you understand, because without Jesus no-one is sure! - when I feel sure, I'll close the door. Do you understand this? What is the culture of the provisional?”

The Holy Father commented that wherever there are consecrated persons, seminarians, religious and young people, there is joy. “But where does this joy come from? … And on Saturday night, shall I return to going out dancing with my old friends?... Does joy come from the things I own .. from having the most extreme experiences?”. The Pope advised that if is necessary to buy something - a telephone, a scooter or a car, for instance – one should shun ostentatiousness in favour of humbler options, and consider how many children still die of hunger.

“True joy is not found in material things”, he continued. “It is born of the encounter and relations with others, from feeling accepted, understood and loved; from accepting, understanding and loving; and not for the sake of a fleeting interest. … Joy is born of the gratification of encountering others, of hearing oneself say 'You are important to me', and not necessarily in words. This is beautiful, and this is what God helps us to understand”.

“True joy is contagious, and sustains us. However, when you find a seminarian or a novice who is too serious, too sad, something isn't right! They do not share in the joy of the Lord. … Sadness is not holiness! St. Teresa said, “A sad nun is a bad nun” … Please, no more sour-faced nuns or priests!” .

Pope Francis repeated that “the root of sadness in pastoral life lies precisely in that lack of paternal or maternal feeling that comes from a poor experience of consecration, which should instead lead to fruitfulness. It is impossible to conceive of a priest or nun who is not fruitful: this is not Catholic! This joy is the beauty of consecration”.

“To be joyful witnesses to the Gospel you need to be authentic and coherent”, he went on. “And this is another word I wish to emphasise to you -authenticity. Jesus fought against hypocrites, against those who, to put it clearly, are two-faced. … This is a responsibility for all adults, all formators. And to those formators present here today, I urge you to give an example of coherence to the young. Do we want coherent young people? Then we must be coherent ourselves! On the contrary, the Lord recounts what the Pharisees said to the people of God: 'Do what they say, but not what they do!' Coherence and authenticity!”

The Holy Father urged the young people to be transparent in confession and to tell the truth without fear, as this transparency makes us humble. “Tell the truth without hiding anything,without unclear words, as you are speaking to Jesus through your confessor, and Jesus knows the truth. Only He always forgives!”

The Pope emphasised that, a vocation is based on four pillars: spiritual life, intellectual life, apostolic life and community life”. Here the Holy Father stressed the dangers of gossip, a problem born of community life. “Gossip conceals envy, jealousy, ambition”. He commented that “not speaking ill of others is a good route to holiness!” and reiterated the importance of cultivating friendships to avoid both isolation or profligacy in relationships, as “a priest or other consecrated person can never be an island, but rather must always be willing to encounter others”.

Pope Francis concluded by emphasising the need for a missionary Church, not a passive Church, and urged the young people present not to fall prey to the temptation to participate in the “sport of complaining”. Instead, he encouraged them to “be positive, cultivate a spiritual life and, at the same time, go forth, be capable of meeting people, especially the most scorned and disadvantaged. Do not be afraid of swimming against the current. Be contemplative and missionary. Keep the Virgin Mary with you always, and please, pray the Rosary, do not forget! Keep Our Lady with you in your homes, just as the Apostle John did. May she accompany and protect you always. And pray for me too, because I too need your prayers; I too am a poor sinner, although we continue to press forward”.

Finally, all those present proceeded from the Vatican Gardens to St. Peter's Basilica.

AUDIENCES

Vatican City, 9 July 2013 (VIS) – Today, the Holy Father received in audience:

- Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson, president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace.

- Cardinal Marc Ouellet, P.S.S., prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

Vatican City, 9 July 2013 (VIS) – Today, the Holy Father:

- gave his assent to the canonical election by the Synod of Bishops of the Greek-Melkite Church of Archimandrite Eduard Daher B.C. of the clergy of St. Elie in Zahle, as archbishop of Tripoli of Lebanon of the Greek Melkites.

- appointed Bishop Marcelo Daniel Colombo as bishop of La Rioja (area 92,100, population 350,000, Catholics 320,000, priests 43, permanent deacons 1, religious 35), Argentina. Bishop Colombo, previously bishop of Oran, was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1961, was ordained to the priesthood in 1988, and received episcopal ordination in 2008. He succeeds Bishop Roberto Rodriguez, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

- appointed Fr. Juan Jose Chaparro Stivanello, C.M.F., as bishop of San Carlos de Bariloche (area 77,076, population 174,300, Catholics 123,100, priests 26, permanent deacons 2, religious 53), Argentina. The bishop-elect was born in Colonia Freitas, Argentina in 1953 and was ordained a priest in 1980. He holds a licentiate in dogmatic theology from the Gregorian Pontifical University and has served as provincial superior of the Province of Argentina-Uruguay, provincial coordinator of evangelization in Montevideo, Uruguay. He was appointed consultor of the province of San Jose del Sur in 2011 and superior of the community of Lambare, Paraguay, in 2013.