The Pope And Church News: News Vatican Information Service February 22, 2014

Saturday, February 22, 2014

News Vatican Information Service February 22, 2014

SUMMARY:

- THE POPE TO NEW CARDINALS: THE CHURCH NEEDS US TO BUILD PEACE WITH OUR WORKS

- TITULAR AND DIACONATE CHURCHES OF THE NEW CARDINALS

- POPE FRANCIS MEETS WITH THE PRESIDENT OF BRAZIL

- CONCLUSION OF THE EXTRAORDINARY CONSISTORY ON THE FAMILY

- MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE AIF WITH AUSTRALIAN AND CYPRIOT COUNTERPARTS

- OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

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THE POPE TO NEW CARDINALS: THE CHURCH NEEDS US TO BUILD PEACE WITH OUR WORKS

Vatican City, 22 February 2014 (VIS) – This morning in the Vatican Basilica, Pope Francis celebrated an Ordinary Public Consistory during which he created nineteen new cardinals, to whom he imposed the biretta, consigned the ring and assigned the title or diaconate church.

The celebration was also attended by Pope emeritus Benedict XVI, whom Pope Francis embraced upon entering the basilica and who was also greeted by secretary of State Pietro Parolin in his address. Parolin was the first among the new cardinals and addressed some words of thanks to the Holy Father in the name of all the new cardinals. Bishop Loris Francesco Capovilla was not present, and the biretta will be consigned over the next few days to his residence in Sotto il Monte, in the Italian province of Bergamo.

Today's ordinary public consistory was the first of Pope Francis' pontificate; he began his allocution with the phrase from the Gospel of St. Mark, read on this occasion: “And Jesus went before them”.

“At this moment too, Jesus is walking ahead of us”, he said. “He is always before us. He goes ahead of us and leads the way. This is the source of our confidence and our joy: to be his disciples, to remain with him, to walk behind him, to follow him. When we joined with the cardinals to concelebrate the first Mass in the Sistine Chapel, the first word which the Lord proposed to us was to 'walk', to journey with him: to journey, and then to build and to profess. Today this same word is repeated, but now as an action, an action of Jesus which is ongoing: 'Jesus was walking…'. This is something striking about the Gospels: Jesus is often walking and he teaches his disciples along the way. This is important. Jesus did not come to teach a philosophy, an ideology, but rather a 'way', a journey to be undertaken with him, and we learn the way as we go, by walking. Yes, dear brothers, this is our joy: to walk with Jesus. But this is not easy, or comfortable, because the way that Jesus chooses is the way of the Cross. As they journey together, he speaks to his disciples about what will happen in Jerusalem: he foretells his passion, death and resurrection. And they are 'shocked' and 'full of fear'. They were shocked, certainly, because for them going up to Jerusalem meant sharing in the triumph of the Messiah, in his victory – we see this in the request made by James and John. But they were also full of fear for what was about to happen to Jesus, and for what they themselves might have to endure.

“Unlike the disciples in those days, we know that Jesus has won, and that we need not fear the Cross; indeed, the Cross is our hope”, continued the Pope. “And yet, we are all too human, sinners, tempted to think as men do, not as God does. And once we follow the thinking of the world, what happens? The Gospel says that 'When the ten heard it, they began to be indignant at James and John'. They were indignant. Whenever a worldly mentality predominates, the result is rivalry, jealousy, factions. And so the word which Jesus speaks to us today is most salutary. It purifies us inwardly, it enlightens our consciences and helps us to unite ourselves fully with Jesus, and to do so together, at this time when the College of Cardinals is enlarged by the entry of new members.

“And Jesus called them to himself”, Pope Francis observed. “Here is the other action of Jesus. Along the way, he is aware that he needs to speak to the Twelve; he stops and calls them to himself. Brothers, let us allow Jesus to call us to himself! Let us be 'con-voked' by him. And let us listen to him, with the joy that comes from receiving his word together, from letting ourselves be taught by that word and by the Holy Spirit, and to become ever more of one heart and soul, gathered around him. And as we are thus 'con-voked', 'called to Him' by our one Teacher, I too will tell you what the Church needs: she needs you, your cooperation, and even more your communion, with me and among yourselves. The Church needs your courage, to proclaim the Gospel at all times, both in season and out of season, and to bear witness to the truth. The Church needs your prayer for the progress of Christ’s flock, the prayer which, together with the proclamation of the Word, let us not forget, is the primary task of the Bishop. The Church needs your compassion, especially at this time of pain and suffering for so many countries throughout the world. We express our spiritual closeness to the ecclesial communities and to all Christians suffering from discrimination and persecution. We must fight against every form of discrimination. The Church needs our prayer for them, that they may be firm in faith and capable of responding to evil with good. And this prayer of ours extends to every man and women suffering injustice on account of their religious convictions.

“The Church needs us also to be peacemakers”, he concluded, “building peace by our words, our hopes and our prayers: let us therefore invoke peace and reconciliation for those peoples presently experiencing violence and war. Thank you, dear Brothers. Let us walk together behind the Lord, and let us always be called together by him, in the midst of his faithful people, God's holy faithful people, our holy Mother the Church”.

Following his allocution, the Pope pronounced the formula for the creation of the new cardinals, their names, and the titular or diaconate churches assigned to them. The new cardinals recited the Creed and gave their oath of faithfulness and obedience to the Pope and his successors. They then received their biretta and ring from the hands of the Holy Father, who also assigned them their title or diaconate.

TITULAR AND DIACONATE CHURCHES OF THE NEW CARDINALS

Vatican City, 22 February 2014 (VIS).- Below is a list of the titular or diaconate churches assigned by Pope Francis to the new Cardinals created during this morning's Ordinary Public Consistory:

1. Cardinal Pietro Parolin, title of Santi Simone e Giuda Taddeo a Torre Angela

2. Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri, diaconate of Sant’Anselmo all’Aventino

3. Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Muller, diaconate of Sant’Agnese in Agone

4. Cardinal Beniamino Stella, diaconate of Santi Cosma e Damiano

5. Cardinal Vincent Gerard Nichols, title of Santissimo Redentore e Sant’Alfonso in via Merulana

6. Cardinal Leopoldo Jose Brenes Solorzano, title of San Gioacchino ai Prati di Castello

7. Cardinal Gerald Cyprien Lacroix, I.S.P.X., title of San Giuseppe all’Aurelio

8. Cardinal Jean-Pierre Kutwa, title of Sant’Emerenziana a Tor Fiorenza

9. Cardinal Orani Joao Tempesta, O.Cist., title of Santa Maria Madre della Provvidenza a Monte Verde

10. Cardinal Gualtiero Bassetti, title of Santa Cecilia

11. Cardinal Mario Aurelio Poli, title of San Roberto Bellarmino

12. Cardinal Andrew Yeom Soo-Jung, title of San Crisogono

13. Cardinal Ricardo Ezzati Andrello, S.D.B., title of Santissimo Redentore a Valmelania

14. Cardinal Philippe Nakellentuba Ouedraogo, title of Santa Maria Consolatrice al Tiburtino

15. Cardinal Orlando B. Quevedo, O.M.I., title of Santa Maria “Regina Mundi” a Torre Spaccata

16. Cardinal Chibly Langlois, title of San Giacomo in Augusta

17. Cardinal Loris Francesco Capovilla, title of Santa Maria in Trastevere

18. Cardinal Fernando Sebastian Aguilar, C.M.F., title of Sant’Angela Merici

19. Cardinal Kelvin Edward Felix, title of Santa Maria della Salute a Primavalle.

POPE FRANCIS MEETS WITH THE PRESIDENT OF BRAZIL

Vatican City, 22 February 2014 (VIS) – On Thursday afternoon, in the study of the Paul VI Hall, Pope Francis received in audience Dilma Rousseff, president of Brazil. Ms. Rousseff had travelled to Rome in order to attend today's Consistory, in which Archbishop Orani Tempesta of Rio de Janeiro will be created a cardinal.

The cordial discussions began at around 7.30 p.m., according to a communique from the director of the Holy See Press Office, Fr. Federico Lombardi, S.J., and provided the Pope with the opportunity to express once again his affection and good wishes for the Brazilian people. Following the discussions, in the adjacent room, the Pope greeted the delegation that accompanied the President and gifts were exchanged.

President Rousseff, clearly making reference to the upcoming football World Cup which will soon be held in Brazil, gave the Pope a shirt from the Brazilian team, with the number 10 and signed by Pele with the dedication, “To Pope Francis, with respect and admiration”, and a ball signed by Cristiano Ronaldo, “To Pope Francis, an embrace from your friend Ronaldo”. Fr. Lombardi communicated that the Holy Father asked jokingly if with these gifts, he was invited to pray for Brazil to win the Cup, and the president answered that they asked only for neutrality. The Pope gave as a gift an artistic medallion depicting “The Angel of Peace”.

The meeting ended shortly after 8 p.m.

CONCLUSION OF THE EXTRAORDINARY CONSISTORY ON THE FAMILY

Vatican City, 22 February 2014 (VIS) – The director of the Holy See Press Office, Fr. Federico Lombardi, S.J., has issued a press release to report that the final session of the extraordinary consistory took place yesterday, Friday 21 February, from 4.30 to 6.45 p.m.

“Throughout the entire consistory, 69 cardinals spoke on a broad range of themes regarding the family. The assembly took place and concluded in an atmosphere of great serenity and satisfaction on the part of all those present for the breadth and depth of the presentations”.

“The Holy Father made a brief concluding address to thank all the participants and expressing his conviction that the Lord has led the Church to face the theme of the Gospel of the family, and will accompany her on the path she has undertaken with this important step in the Consistory and will continue with the Synod over the course of almost two years. He invited all those present to pray to the Lord for this intention and for him”.

MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE AIF WITH AUSTRALIAN AND CYPRIOT COUNTERPARTS

Vatican City, 22 February 2014 (VIS) – The Autorità di Informazione Finanziaria (AIF), the Financial Intelligence Unit of the Holy See and Vatican City State, signed on Friday, February 21, a Memorandum of Understanding with its Australian counterpart, the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC). Early this week, on the margins of the Egmont Working Groups meeting held in Budapest, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed with the Financial Intelligence Unit of Cyprus, the Unit for Combating Money Laundering (MOKAS). The Memoranda were signed by Rene Bruelhart, Director of AIF.

A Memorandum of Understanding is standard practice and formalizes the cooperation and exchange of financial information to fight money laundering and terrorist financing across borders between the competent authorities of both countries. It is based on the model Memorandum of Understanding prepared by the Egmont Group, the global organization of national Financial Intelligence Units, and contains clauses on reciprocity, permitted uses of information and confidentiality.

“These Memoranda are strengthening AIF’s international reach and are a strong commitment of the Holy See and the Vatican City State to fight Money Laundering and the Financing of Terrorism pro-actively on a global level,” said AIF Director Rene Bruelhart. “Today’s signing underlines our fruitful relationship with our international counterparts and will further facilitate our joint efforts.”

AIF became a member of the Egmont Group in July 2013. It has signed Memoranda of Understanding and cooperates with the Financial Intelligence Units of the United States, Belgium, Italy, Spain, Slovenia, the Netherlands and Germany. More MOUs are expected to be signed in the course of the coming weeks.

AIF is the competent authority of the Holy See/Vatican City State to fight money laundering and financing of terrorism.

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

Vatican City, 22 February 2014 (VIS) – The Holy Father has appointed Bishop Guillermo Patricio Vera Soto of San Juan Bautista de Calama, Chile, as bishop of Iquique (area 41,799, population 252,300, Catholics 172,500, priests 35, permanent deacons 14, religious 69), Chile.