SUMMARY:
-
COLLABORATION BETWEEN PARAGUAY AND THE HOLY SEE
-
ST. JOSAPHAT, EXAMPLE OF BROTHERLY LOVE AND UNITY IN THE CHURCH
-
TRUE FAITH IS SEEN IN MOMENTS OF DIFFICULTY
-
POPE FRANCIS AT THE END OF THE YEAR OF FAITH
-
ANGELUS: FRANCIS REMEMBERS THE HOLODOMOR, THE GREAT UKRAINIAN FAMINE,
AND THE GRACE OF THOSE WHO COLLABORATED IN THE YEAR OF FAITH
-
CATECHUMENS: KEEP THE ENTHUSIASM OF THE MOMENT YOU OPENED YOUR EYES
TO FAITH
-
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE ELDERLY: THE CHURCH MUST SET AN EXAMPLE OF TO
SOCIETY
-
ATHLETES ARE NOT “MERCHANDISE” AND SPORT CANNOT BE MEASURED
SOLELY BY ECONOMIC VALUE
-
POPE'S SPECIAL ENVOYS
-
AUDIENCES
-
OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
______________________________________
COLLABORATION
BETWEEN PARAGUAY AND THE HOLY SEE
Vatican
City, 25 November 2013 (VIS) – This morning Pope Francis received
in audience Horacio Manuel Cartes Jara, president of the Republic of
Paraguay, who subsequently went on to meet with Archbishop Pietro
Parolin, Secretary of State, accompanied by Archbishop Dominique
Mamberti, Secretary for Relations with States.
During
the colloquial discussions, which emphasized the good existing
bilateral relations between the Holy See and Paraguay, the Parties
considered themes of common interest relevant to the situation of the
Country and the Region, such as the fight against poverty and
corruption, the promotion of the full development of the human person
and respect for human rights. The role and contribution of the Church
in society was also discussed, along with the collaboration of
Paraguay with the Holy See at international level.
ST.
JOSAPHAT, EXAMPLE OF BROTHERLY LOVE AND UNITY IN THE CHURCH
Vatican
City, 25 November 2013 (VIS) – “St. Thomas Aquinas teaches us
that each person will love his neighbour as he loves himself, and
will therefore enjoy his neighbour's goods as if they were his own.
Thus, the joy of one will increase inasmuch as the joy of others
increases”. With these words, this morning Pope Francis received
three thousand Greek Catholic pilgrims from Ukraine and Belarus, in
Rome to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the translation of the
relics of St. Josaphat to the Vatican Basilica. In the morning
Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, prefect of the Congregation for the
Oriental Churches, celebrated the Divine Liturgy along with the major
archbishop of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, His Beatitude
Sviatoslav Shevchuk.
At
midday, the Holy Father went to the Basilica to greet the pilgrims
gathered in St. Peter's Square, and said that “the best way to
commemorate St. Josaphat is to love each other and to love and serve
the unity of the Church. We are supported in this by the courageous
witness of the many more recent martyrs, who constitute a great
richness and great comfort for your Church”. Francis expressed his
hope that “the intense communion that you wish to deepen every day
within the Catholic Church may help you also to build bridges of
fraternity with other Churches and ecclesial communities in Ukraine
and in other countries where your communities are present”.
TRUE
FAITH IS SEEN IN MOMENTS OF DIFFICULTY
Vatican
City, 24 November 2013 (VIS) – This morning the Holy Father
received in audience the Year of Faith volunteers in the Sala
Clementina of the Vatican Apostolic Palace. “In this time of
grace”, he said, “we have been able to rediscover the essential
nature of the Christian path, in which faith, along with charity,
occupies the primary position”.
“Indeed,
faith is fundamental to Christian experience”, he continued, “as
it motivates the decisions and acts of our daily life. It is the
boundless source of all our actions, within the family, at work, in
the parish, with our friends, and in various social contexts. And
this firm, genuine faith is seen especially in moments of difficulty
or trial; Christians then allow God to take them in His arms and to
hold them close, sure of entrusting themselves to a love as strong as
an indestructible rock. In situations of suffering, if we abandon
ourselves humbly to God, we are able to give good witness”.
Pope
Francis explained to those present that “there is a need for
Christian communities, committed to a courageous apostolate, who
reach people in their own environments, even those which are most
difficult”. Finally, he mentioned that “there are many people in
need of a human gesture, of a smile, a true word, and of testimony
through which they are able to perceive the presence of Jesus
Christ”, and encouraged the volunteers to continue their work so
that “no one lacks this sign of love and tenderness, born of
faith”.
POPE
FRANCIS AT THE END OF THE YEAR OF FAITH
Vatican
City, 24 November 2013 (VIS) – This morning, solemnity of Christ
King of the Universe, the Holy Father Francis presided the Mass in
St. Peter's Square on the occasion of the closing of the Year of
Faith, inaugurated by Pope Benedict XVI on 11 October 2012, the
fiftieth anniversary of the opening of Vatican Council II. The
cardinals, patriarchs and major archbishops of the Oriental Catholic
Churches, the archbishops and bishops concelebrated with the Holy
Father.
The
relics of the apostle Peter were displayed alongside the altar,
contained in a bronze casket bearing the inscription “Ex ossibus
quae in Arcibasilicae Vaticane Hypogeo inventa Beati Petri Apostoli
esse putantur” (“Remains found in the Hypogeum of the Vatican
Basilica and believed to be of the Blessed Apostle Peter”).
Before
the Mass a collection was made in aid of the people of the
Philippines, recently afflicted by the typhoon Haiyan. At the end of
the celebration, the Holy Father consigned his Apostolic Exhortation
“Evangelii Gaudium” to thirty-six representatives of the People
of God, from eighteen countries: a bishop, a priest and a deacon
elected from among the youngest to have been ordained; consecrated
persons, various representatives for each Year of Faith event, newly
confirmed young people, a seminarian and a novice, a family,
catechists, one blind person (who received from the Pope a copy of
the document in CR-ROM format, to be able to listen to it), young
people, representatives of confraternities, movements, two artists,
and two representatives from the world of media and communications.
We
publish below the full text of Pope Francis' homily, pronounced
following the proclamation of the Gospel:
“Today’s
solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, the
crowning of the liturgical year, also marks the conclusion of the
Year of Faith opened by Pope Benedict XVI, to whom our thoughts now
turn with affection and gratitude for this gift which he has given
us. By this providential initiative, he gave us an opportunity to
rediscover the beauty of the journey of faith begun on the day of our
Baptism, which made us children of God and brothers and sisters in
the Church. A journey which has as its ultimate end our full
encounter with God, and throughout which the Holy Spirit purifies us,
lifts us up and sanctifies us, so that we may enter into the
happiness for which our hearts long.
“I
offer a cordial and fraternal greeting to the Patriarchs and Major
Archbishops of the Eastern Catholic Churches present. The exchange of
peace which I will share with them is above all a sign of the
appreciation of the Bishop of Rome for these communities which have
confessed the name of Christ with exemplary faithfulness, often at a
high price.
“With
this gesture, through them, I would like to reach all those
Christians living in the Holy Land, in Syria and in the entire East,
and obtain for them the gift of peace and concord.
“The
Scripture readings proclaimed to us have as their common theme the
centrality of Christ. Christ is at the centre, Christ is the centre.
Christ is the centre of creation, Christ is the centre of his people
and Christ is the centre of history.
“The
apostle Paul, in the second reading, taken from the letter to the
Colossians, offers us a profound vision of the centrality of Jesus.
He presents Christ to us as the first-born of all creation: in him,
through him and for him all things were created. He is the centre of
all things, he is the beginning: Jesus Christ, the Lord. God has
given him the fullness, the totality, so that in him all things might
be reconciled. He is the Lord of creation, he is the Lord of
reconciliation.
“This
image enables to see that Jesus is the centre of creation; and so the
attitude demanded of us as true believers is that of recognizing and
accepting in our lives the centrality of Jesus Christ, in our
thoughts, in our words and in our works. And so our thoughts will be
Christian thoughts, thoughts of Christ. Our works will be Christian
works, works of Christ; and our words will be Christian words, words
of Christ. But when this centre is lost, when it is replaced by
something else, only harm can result for everything around us and for
ourselves.
“Besides
being the centre of creation and the centre of reconciliation, Christ
is the centre of the people of God. Today, he is here in our midst.
He is here right now in his word, and he will be here on the altar,
alive and present amid us, his people. We see this in the first
reading which describes the time when the tribes of Israel came to
look for David and anointed him king of Israel before the Lord. In
searching for an ideal king, the people were seeking God himself: a
God who would be close to them, who would accompany them on their
journey, who would be a brother to them.
“Christ,
the descendant of King David, is really the 'brother' around whom
God’s people come together. It is he who cares for his people, for
all of us, even at the price of his life. In him we are all one, one
people, united with him and sharing a single journey, a single
destiny. Only in him, in him as the centre, do we receive our
identity as a people.
“Finally,
Christ is the centre of the history of humanity and also the centre
of the history of every individual. To him we can bring the joys and
the hopes, the sorrows and troubles which are part of our lives. When
Jesus is the centre, light shines even amid the darkest times of our
lives; he gives us hope, as he does to the good thief in today’s
Gospel.
“Whereas
all the others treat Jesus with disdain – 'If you are the Christ,
the Messiah King, save yourself by coming down from the cross!' –
the thief who went astray in his life but now repents, clings to the
crucified Jesus and begs him: 'Remember me, when you come into your
kingdom'. Jesus promises him: 'Today you will be with me in
paradise', in his kingdom. Jesus speaks only a word of forgiveness,
not of condemnation; whenever anyone finds the courage to ask for
this forgiveness, the Lord does not let such a petition go unheard.
Today we can all think of our own history, our own journey. Each of
us has his or her own history: we think of our mistakes, our sins,
our good times and our bleak times. We would do well, each one of us,
on this day, to think about our own personal history, to look at
Jesus and to keep telling him, sincerely and quietly: 'Remember me,
Lord, now that you are in your kingdom! Jesus, remember me, because I
want to be good, but I just don’t have the strength: I am a sinner,
I am a sinner. But remember me, Jesus! You can remember me because
you are at the centre, you are truly in your kingdom!' How beautiful
this is! Let us all do this today, each one of us in his or her own
heart, again and again. 'Remember me, Lord, you who are at the
centre, you who are in your kingdom'.
“Jesus’
promise to the good thief gives us great hope: it tells us that God’s
grace is always greater than the prayer which sought it. The Lord
always grants more, he is so generous, he always gives more than what
he has been asked: you ask him to remember you, and he brings you
into his kingdom! Let us go forward together on this road!”.
ANGELUS:
FRANCIS REMEMBERS THE HOLODOMOR, THE GREAT UKRAINIAN FAMINE, AND THE
GRACE OF THOSE WHO COLLABORATED IN THE YEAR OF FAITH
Vatican
City, 24 November 2013 (VIS) – Following the closing Mass of the
Year of Faith, Pope Francis prayed the Angelus with the faithful
gathered in St. Peter's Square.
“Before
concluding this celebration”, he said, “I would like to greet all
the pilgrims, families, parish groups, associations and movements who
have come here from many countries. I greet the participants in the
National Congress of Mercy and the Ukrainian community, which
commemorates the eightieth anniversary of the Holodomor, the great
famine provoked by the Soviet regime, which claimed millions of
victims”.
“On
this day we also give thanks to the missionaries who, throughout the
centuries, have proclaimed the Gospel and sown the seed of faith in
many parts of the world, and among them Blessed Junipero Serra, the
Spanish Franciscan missionary, the third centenary of whose birth we
celebrate today.
“I
do not want to finish without sparing a thought for all those who
have worked to bring about this Year of Faith. Msgr. Rino Fisichella,
who has guided this path: I give heartfelt thanks to him and all
those who have collaborated with him. Many thanks!”
After
the Marian prayer, Pope Francis again thanked all those present at
the concelebration and, as is his custom, wished them a good Sunday
and a good lunch.
CATECHUMENS:
KEEP THE ENTHUSIASM OF THE MOMENT YOU OPENED YOUR EYES TO FAITH
Vatican
City, 25 November 2013 (VIS) – The rite of admission to the
catechumenate took place this afternoon in the Vatican Basilica,
convoked in the context of the Year of Faith and presided by Pope
Francis. More than five hundred catechumens participated in the rite,
from 47 countries and all five continents, accompanied by their
catechists. At 4 p.m., shortly before the arrival of the Holy Father,
several adults who were preparing to receive the Sacrament of
Christian initiation spoke to those present about their experience,
alongside a couple of catechists. The liturgy began at 4.30 p.m. with
the rites of introduction which took places at the entry to the
basilica. The Pope then welcomed a representative of the candidates
with their godparents, invited them to enter the Church.
During
the liturgy of the Word, before the presentation of the book of the
Gospel to the catechumens, the Pope pronounced a homily for those
present, mentioning that they came “from many different countries,
from different cultural traditions and experiences. However”, he
observed, “this evening we feel that we have many things in common.
One above all: the wish for God. … How important it is to keep this
wish alive! … If it lacks the thirst for the living God, faith
risks becoming a habit, it risks being extinguished, like a flame
that is not revived. It risks becoming 'rancid', without meaning”.
Pope
Francis cited the passage in the Gospel in which John the Baptist
indicates to the disciples that Jesus is the Lamb of God. “Two of
them follow the Master and then in turn become 'mediators' who enable
others to encounter the Lord, to know him and to follow him. There
are three moments in this narrative that recall the experience of the
catechumenate”.
“First
of all, there is listening. The two disciples listen to the testimony
of the Baptist. You too, dear catechumens, have listened to those who
have spoken to you about Jesus, and have proposed to you to follow
him. … In the tumult of the many voices that resound around and
inside us, you have listened and welcomed the voice that indicated
Jesus to you as the only one who can give full meaning to our lives”.
“In
second place”, he continued, “there is encounter. The two
disciples encounter the Master and stay with him. After meeting him,
they are immediately aware of something new in their hearts: the need
to transmit their joy to others, in order that they too may encounter
him. … This scene … reminds us that God has not created us to
remain alone, closed up in ourselves, but rather to be able encounter
Him and to open ourselves to the encounter with others. God, first of
all, comes toward each of us, and this is marvellous. … In the
Bible, God always appears as the one who takes the initiative in the
encounter with humanity: it is God Who seeks man, and usually he
seeks him precisely when man is embarking on the bitter and tragic
experience of betraying God and breaking away from him. God does not
waste time in seeking him out: he looks for him immediately. … He
never tires of awaiting us. .. And when the encounter takes place, it
is never a hasty one, because God wishes to remain with us a long
time, to support us and to console us. … God is quick to seek us
out, but is not hasty to leave us! … Just as we long for Him and
yearn for Him, He too wishes to be with us, because we belong to Him
… we are His creatures”.
“The
final part of the passage refers to walking. The two disciples walk
towards Jesus and then take a part of the path with Him”, explained
the Holy Father. “Faith is a path we walk with Jesus … and it is
a path that lasts all our lives. At the end the definitive encounter
will take place. Certainly, in some moments along the path we will
feel tired and confused. However, faith gives us the certainty of the
constant presence of Jesus in all situations, even the most painful
and difficult to understand”.
“Dear
catechumens”, the Pontiff concluded, “today you begin the path of
the catechumenate. I hope that you will follow it with joy, certain
of the support of all the Church, which looks to you with great
trust. May Mary, the perfect disciple, accompany you! I invite you to
keep alive the enthusiasm of the first moment that opened your eyes
to the light of faith”.
THE
IMPORTANCE OF THE ELDERLY: THE CHURCH MUST SET AN EXAMPLE OF TO
SOCIETY
Vatican
City, 23 November 2013 (VIS) – Elderly persons have always been
active in the life of the Church, which must set an example to
society of how they are always important, indeed “indispensable”
said Pope Francis, who this morning received in audience the
participants in the 28th International Conference of the Pontifical
Council for Health Care Workers (Health Care Pastoral). The meeting
took place from 21 to 23 November in the New Synod Hall and examined
the theme “The Church at the service of sick elderly people: care
for people with neurodegenerative pathologies”.
The
elderly “carry with them the memory and the wisdom of life, which
they transmit to others, and participate fully in the Church's
mission. Let us remember that human life always maintains its value
in the eyes of God, far beyond any discriminatory view”, emphasised
Pope Francis. He went on to mention how the increase in life
expectancy throughout the twentieth century has also led a growing
number of people to be affected by neurodegenerative pathologies,
which are frequently accompanied by a deterioration in cognitive
capacities. These pathologies have an impact on social and health
care both in terms of research and in assistance in social and
healthcare structures, as well as within the family, which is in need
of help and adequate services to care for the elderly.
The
Holy Father reiterated the importance of a form of healthcare which
“alongside the traditional biomedical model, is enriched by
allowing space for dignity and freedom, far from the reclusion and
silence that too often surrounds those in the healthcare environment”
and, from this perspective, he spoke also of the importance of the
religious and spiritual aspect, insisting on the need “to put into
practice a particular pastoral approach to accompany the religious
life of elderly people with serious degenerative pathologies, with
different forms and content, so as not to interrupt the dialogue and
relationship of their minds and hearts with God”.
“Dear
friends”, he concluded, addressing the elderly present, “you are
not only the recipients of the evangelical message, but also, by
virtue of your Baptism, its proclaimers in the fullest sense”.
ATHLETES
ARE NOT “MERCHANDISE” AND SPORT CANNOT BE MEASURED SOLELY BY
ECONOMIC VALUE
Vatican
City, 23 November 2013 (VIS) – The language of sport is “universal,
and overcomes borders, barriers of language, race, religion and
ideology” and is capable of “uniting people, favouring dialogue
and openness”, Pope Francis said to delegates from the European
Olympic Committees, whom he received in audience this morning in the
Sala Clementina, on the occasion of their assembly.
“Indeed,
the practice of sport stimulates one to healthily overcome oneself
and one's own selfishness and to train oneself in the spirit of
sacrifice and ... promotes loyalty in interpersonal relationships,
friendship, and respect for rules”, continued the Holy Father,
encouraging the institutions and organisations of this sector to
offer, especially to the younger generations, “approaches to sport
for training in peace, in sharing and the co-existence of peoples”.
“Sporting
activity typically unites rather than divides. Even the five
interlinked rings, the symbol and flag of the Olympic Games,
represent precisely the spirit of brotherhood that should
characterise the Olympic events and sports competitions in general”,
he observed, adding that “When sport is regarded solely within
economic parameters, or in terms of the achievement of victory at any
cost, there is the risk of reducing athletes to mere merchandise
through whom profit may be obtained. The athletes themselves enter
into a mechanism that overwhelms them, causing them to lose sight of
the true meaning of their activity. … Sport is harmony, but if the
unrestrained pursuit of profit and success prevails, this harmony is
lost”.
“As
Olympic managers, you are called upon promote the educational aspect
of sport”, concluded the Pope. “We are all aware of the great
need to train sportsmen and women who are driven by probity, moral
rigour and a lively sense of responsibility”.
POPE'S
SPECIAL ENVOYS
Vatican
City, 23 November 2013 (VIS) – In a letter made public today,
written in Latin and dated 19 November, the Holy Father nominated
Cardinal Walter Brandmuller, deacon of St. Julian of the Flemings, as
his special envoy at the commemoration of the 450th anniversary of
the Council of Trent, to be held in the cathedral of Trento, Italy on
1 December 2013. The cardinal special envoy will be accompanied by a
mission composed of the following members: Msgr. Lodovico Maule,
deacon of the metropolitan chapter of Trento, and Msgr. Umberto
Giacometti, honorary canon of the same chapter.
Also
today was published the letter in which the Pope appointed Cardinal
Jorge Liberato Urosa Savino, archbishop of Caracas, Venezuela, as his
special envoy to the closing ceremony of the centenary celebrations
of the institution of the ecclesiastical province of Managua,
Nicaragua, to be held on 2 December. The letter was written in Latin
and dated 12 November. The mission accompanying the cardinal will be
composed of Rev. Julio Cesar Arana Gonzalez, priest of the parish of
St. Judas Tadeo en Managua and judicial vicar of the archdiocese, and
Rev. Alfonso Alvarado Lugo, rector of the national shrine of Jesus
del Rescaate en Rivas and vicar penitentiary of the diocese.
AUDIENCES
Vatican
City, 25 November 2013 (VIS) – This morning, the Holy Father
received in audience Joseph Tebah-Klah, ambassador of the Republic of
Cote d'Ivoire, on his farewell visit.
This
afternoon, he is scheduled to receive Vladimir Putin, president of
the Russian Federation, and entourage.
On
Saturday 23 November the Holy Father received in audience:
-
Cardinal Marc Ouellet, P.S.S., prefect of the Congregation for
Bishops.
OTHER
PONTIFICAL ACTS
Vatican
City, 25 November 2013 (VIS) – Today, the Holy Father:
Accepted
the resignation from the office of auxiliary of the archdiocese of
Eger, Hungary, presented by Archbishop Istvan Katona, upon having
reached the age limit.
On
Saturday, 23 November, the Holy Father:
-
appointed Fr. Medardo de Jesus Henao del Rio, M.X.Y., as apostolic
vicar of Mitu (area 54,000, population 40,000, Catholics 37,000,
priests 5, religious 16), Colombia. The bishop-elect was born in
Liborina, Colombia in 1967 and was ordained to the priesthood in
1999. He holds a licentiate in theology from the Pontifical Xavierian
University in Bogota, and has served in a number of pastoral and
administrative roles, including missionary, chancellor and
co-ordinator of education in the apostolic vicariate of Mitu; and
deputy master of novices. He is currently master of novices.
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