SUMMARY:
-
POPE FRANCIS' PRIVATE VISIT TO THE EVANGELICAL PASTOR GIOVANNI
TRAETTINO IN CASERTA
-
TELEGRAM FOR THE DEATH OF CARDINAL MARCHISANO
-
ANGELUS: THE NEED TO READ THE GOSPEL
-
POPE FRANCIS' NEW APPEAL FOR PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST, IRAQ AND
UKRAINE
-
THE POPE WITH THE PRIESTS OF CASERTA
-
THE PRIMACY OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND THE COURAGE TO SAY NO TO EVIL
-
COMMUNIQUE FROM THE FAMILY OF FR. PAOLO DELL'OGLIO, A YEAR AFTER HIS
DISAPPEARANCE IN SYRIA
-
CHALDEANS IN IRAQ: PREPARE, LIKE ABRAHAM, TO LEAVE FOR THE LAND GOD
WILL SHOW TO YOU
-
ON THE POPE'S POSSIBLE PARTICIPATION IN THE PHILADELPHIA MEETING OF
FAMILIES
-
OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
______________________________________
POPE
FRANCIS' PRIVATE VISIT TO THE EVANGELICAL PASTOR GIOVANNI TRAETTINO
IN CASERTA
Vatican
City, 28 July 2014 (VIS) – This morning the Holy Father returned to
Caserta, following his pastoral visit on Saturday, 26 July, to meet
privately with the evangelical pastor Giovanni Traettino, a friend
from his time as archbishop of Buenos Aires.
The
Pontiff arrived in Caserta by helicopter at 10.15 a.m. and, following
a private and reserved meeting at pastor Traettino's house, he met
the community of the Pentecostal evangelical Church at the premises,
currently under construction, of the Pentecostal Church of the
Reconciliation. The Pope dined with the community and is scheduled to
return to the Vatican later this afternoon.
TELEGRAM
FOR THE DEATH OF CARDINAL MARCHISANO
Vatican
City, 28 July 2014 (VIS) – The Pope has sent a telegram of
condolences to Archbishop Cesare Nosiglia of Turin for the death in
Rome yesterday of Cardinal Francesco Marchisano, archpriest emeritus
of St. Peter's Basilica, at the age of 85.
“Having
heard of the death of Cardinal Francesco Marchisano, an illustrious
son of this land”, writes the Pope, “I wish to express my deepest
condolences to your excellency, to the presbytery and the friends of
the lamented Cardinal. I think with affection of this dear pastor who
for many years diligently collaborated with the Apostolic See,
especially in the Congregation for Catholic Education, as archpriest
of the Vatican Basilica, and finally as president of the Labour
Office of the Apostolic See. He leaves us the witness of a life spent
in the generous fulfilment of his vocation, as a priest and a bishop
attentive to the needs of the faithful and sensitive to the worlds of
art and culture. I raise prayers for the eternal repose of his soul,
that the Lord may receive him in joy and eternal peace, and I offer
to those who mourn his passing the comfort of my apostolic blessing”.
The
funeral, presided by Cardinal Angelo Sodano, dean of the College of
Cardinals, will be held on Wednesday, 30 July at 8 a.m. at the altar
of the Cathedra of St. Peter's Basilica. At the end of the ceremony,
the Holy Father will administer the rites of “Ultima Commendatio”
and of “Valedictio”.
ANGELUS:
THE NEED TO READ THE GOSPEL
Vatican
City, 27 July 2014 (VIS) – As on every Sunday, Pope Francis
appeared at the window of his study to pray the Angelus with the
faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square. The Pontiff, as in the Mass
celebrated the day before in Caserta, spoke about the two parables
about the kingdom of Heaven: the jewel merchant who finds a pearl of
infinite value and sells everything he owns to buy it, and the farmer
who chances upon hidden treasure and sells all his land to buy the
field where it lies. Neither the merchant nor the farmer have any
doubt about their actions as they are aware of the incomparable value
of what they have found.
“It
is the same with the kingdom of God”, explained the bishop of Rome.
“He who finds it has no doubt, he knows that he has found what he
sought and awaited, and which answers his most authentic aspirations.
It is truly like this: those who know Jesus, who encounter Him
personally, are fascinated, attracted by such goodness, such truth,
such beauty, and all this in great humility and simplicity. Seeking
and finding Jesus: this is the greatest treasure of all!”.
“How
many people, how many saints, reading the Gospel with an open heart,
have been so struck by Jesus that they have converted to Him. Let us
think of St. Francis of Assisi; he was already a Christian, but
lukewarm, a “rose-water” Christian. When he read the Gospel, in a
decisive moment during his youth, he encountered Jesus and discovered
the Kingdom of God, and from then on all his dreams of earthly glory
vanished. The Gospel lets you know the true Jesus, it lets you know
the living Jesus; it speaks to your heart and changes your life. And
from then on, he left everything. You can effectively change the type
of life you lead, or continue to do what you did before, but you are
different, you are born again: you have found that which gives
meaning, flavour and light to everything, even to hardship, suffering
and death”.
The
Pope went on to repeat the importance of reading a passage from the
Gospel every day; of keeping it in our pockets, our bags, always at
hand, as “everything makes sense when you find this treasure that
Jesus called 'the Kingdom of God': that is, God Who reigns in your
life, in our lives. God is love, peace and joy in every man and in
all men. … Reading the Gospel means finding Jesus and receiving
this Christian joy, which is a gift from the Holy Spirit”.
“The
joy of encountering the treasure of the Kingdom of God becomes clear,
it can be seen”, concluded the Pontiff. “The Christian cannot
conceal his faith, as it shines through in every word and every
gesture, even the simplest everyday ones. The love that God has given
us through Jesus shines through. Let us pray, by the intercession of
the Virgin Mary, that His Kingdom of love, justice and peace may come
to us and to all the world”.
POPE
FRANCIS' NEW APPEAL FOR PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST, IRAQ AND UKRAINE
Vatican
City, 27 July 2014 (VIS) – After today's Angelus prayer, the Holy
Father, remarking that tomorrow marks the centenary of the beginning
of the First World War, launched a new appeal for peace in the Middle
East, Iraq and Ukraine, and called for a cessation of hostilities.
“Tomorrow
is the one hundredth anniversary of the outbreak of the First World
War, which claimed millions of lives and caused immense destruction.
This conflict, defined by Pope Benedict XV as a 'senseless
slaughter', persisted for four long years and led to a more fragile
peace. Tomorrow will be a day of mourning in remembrance of this
tragedy. While we remember this tragic event, I hope that we will not
repeat the errors of the past, but will instead pay heed to the
lessons of history, ensuring that the reason of peace always prevails
by means of patient and courageous dialogue”.
“Today,
my thoughts extend to three areas of crisis, in particular: the
Middle East, Iraq and Ukraine. I ask you to continue to join with me
in prayer that the Lord may grant the populations and authorities of
these areas the wisdom and strength necessary to proceed with
determination along the path of peace, facing every diatribe with the
tenacity of dialogue and negotiation, and the strength of
reconciliation. May the common good and respect for every person be
at the centre of every decision, rather than particular interests.
Let us remember that all is lost with war, but nothing is lost with
peace”.
“Brothers
and sisters: no more war! No more war! I think especially of the
children, who are deprived of the hope of a worthwhile life, of a
future: children killed, children injured, children mutilated,
children orphaned, children who have as toys the remnants of war,
children who do not know how to smile. Stop, please! I ask you with
all my heart. The time has come to stop. Stop, please!”
THE
POPE WITH THE PRIESTS OF CASERTA
Vatican
City, 28 July 2014 (VIS) – The Pope left the Vatican by helicopter
at 3 p.m., arriving at the heliport of the NCO (Non-Commissioned
Officers) School of the Air Force of the Royal Palace of Caserta,
where he was greeted by Bishop Giovanni D'Alise of Caserta and other
local authorities. He then transferred by car to the Palatine Chapel
where he was awaited by the diocesan priests. He set aside his
prepared discourse and began a very intimate conversation with the
priests, answering the four questions they presented to him.
The
Holy Father spoke about the example of unity that bishops must give,
that Jesus asked of His Father for the Church. “This cannot be done
speaking badly about each other. The unity of bishops is important to
the unity of the Church”, he said, adding that the devil revels in
and profits from internal conflict. “The bishops must be in
agreement in unity, but not in uniformity. Each one has his charism,
each one has his way of thinking and his point of view; this is at
times the result of mistakes, but it is often the result of the
Spirit … a unity in diversity, in which no-one loses his own
personality”.
The
Pope was then asked for suggestions for a pastoral able to relaunch
the primacy of the Gospel without mortifying popular piety. He
answered that “true popular piety was born of that Sensus Fidei
described in the Encyclical Lumen Gentium and which is guided by
devotion to the Saints, to the Virgin, and also by folkloric
expressions, in the positive sense of the word”. He added, “the
agnosticism that has entered into the Church in groups of intimist
piety” are not good, but are instead a form of heresy. … Popular
piety is inculturated, it cannot be produced in a laboratory, aseptic
… it is always born of life”.
Another
question focused on the identity of the priest in the third
millennium. “How can we overcome the existential crisis born of the
linguistic, semantic and cultural revolution in evangelical
witness?”. “With creativity”, replied the Pope. “It is the
commandment that God gave to Adam and Jesus to his disciples. And
creativity is found in prayer. A bishop who does not pray, a priest
who does not pray, has closed the door to creativity”. The fourth
question related to the foundations of spirituality for a priest.
Francis described the priest's dual capacity for contemplation:
towards God and towards man. “He is a man who looks, who fills his
eyes and heart with contemplation: with the Gospel before God, and
with human problems when among men. The priest must be contemplative
in this way. But this must not be confused with monastic life, which
is something else”.
The
Pope emphasised that diocesan life must be at the centre of the
spirituality of the diocesan priest. “Maintaining a relationship
with the bishop and with the rest of the priests … simple, but at
the same time not easy. The greatest enemy of these relationships is
gossip. The devil knows that this seed bears fruit, and he sows it
well ... to impede that evangelical, spiritual and fruitful
relationship between the bishop and the presbytery”. He remarked
that it was better to say things clearly and openly, rather than give
satisfaction to the devil who in this way “attacks the centre of
the spirituality of the diocesan clergy”. The Holy Father concluded
with some comments on the bitterness of some priests and the image of
an angry Church. “One may anger at times; it is healthy to be angry
at times. But the state of rage is not God's, and leads only to
sadness and disunity”.
THE
PRIMACY OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND THE COURAGE TO SAY NO TO EVIL
Vatican
City, 26 July 2014 (VIS) – More than two hundred thousand people
attended the Mass celebrated by the Holy Father in the square in
front of the Royal Palace of Caserta at 6 p.m. yesterday.
The
Pope spoke in his homily about the “kingdom of Heaven”, based on
the parables of the hidden treasure and the pearl. In the first, the
“kingdom” is similar the treasure hidden in a field, that the
farmer finds and hides again, full of joy, then sells everything he
has to buy the field. In the second, a merchant who seeks fine pearls
encounters one of great value and sells everything he owns in order
to buy it.
The
farmer and the merchant, explains the Pope, have the same sentiment
in common: the surprise and joy of the fulfilment of their desires
and, through these two parables, “with simple words that everyone
can understand”, Jesus explains what the kingdom of heaven is, how
it is found and what one can do to obtain it.
Jesus
does not concern Himself with describing the “kingdom”, although
He has announced it since the beginning of His Gospel; however, He
shows it indirectly, through reflection. “He prefers to let it be
understood through parables and similarities, especially by revealing
its effects: the kingdom of Heaven is able to change the world, like
the leaven concealed in the dough”. Both parables help us
understand that the kingdom of God is present in the person of Jesus
Himself. He is the hidden treasure and the valuable pearl. The joy of
the farmer and the merchant are comprehensible – they have found
what they sought! It is the joy of each one of us when we discover
the closeness and the presence of Jesus in our life. His is a
presence that transforms our existence and opens us to the needs of
our brethren; a presence that invites us to welcome every other
presence, even that of the foreigner or the immigrant”.
To
encounter the kingdom of God, each one of us takes his or her own
path. For some, the encounter with Jesus is awaited, hoped for and
long sought, as we see in the parable of the merchant who travels the
world seeking something of value. For others it happens unexpectedly,
almost by chance, as in the parable of the farmer. This reminds us
that God lets us meet Him anyway, as it is He Who is the first to
wish to meet us. ... He came in order to be 'God with us'. … It is
He Who seeks us out, it is He Who lets Himself be found even by those
who are not looking for Him, at times in unusual places and at
unexpected moments. When we find Jesus we are fascinated, we are won
over, and it is a joy to leave behind our usual way of life, often
arid and apathetic, to embrace the Gospel, and to allow ourselves to
be guided by the new logic of love”.
Jesus
is very clear that when He refers to the possession of the “kingdom”,
enthusiasm and the joy of discovery are not enough. “It is
necessary to place the precious pearl of the kingdom before all other
earthly goods; it is necessary to put God in first place in our life.
According primacy to God means having the courage to say no to evil,
to violence, to oppression; to live a life of service to others and
in favour of legality and the common good. … One must be a friend
of God, love one's brothers, and be committed to the protection of
their lives and health, also respecting the environment and nature”.
Francis emphasised, “This is particularly important in this
beautiful land, which needs to be protected and preserved; it takes
courage to say no to every form of corruption and illegality – and
we all know the name of these forms of corruption and illegality. It
requires that everyone is a servant to the truth and assumes in every
situation an evangelical lifestyle, which is manifested in the gift
of the self and care for the poor and excluded”.
The
Pope went on to speak about the festivity of St. Ann, the patron
saint of Caserta, which brought together in the square several
components of the diocesan community, the bishop, the civil
authorities and the representatives of various social sectors. “I
would like to encourage al of you to experience the festivity of your
patron saint free of preconceived ideas, as a pure expression of the
faith of a people who recognise themselves as the family of God and
strengthen the bonds of fraternity and solidarity. St. Ann perhaps
heard her daughter pronounce the words of the Magnificat: 'He has
brought down rulers from their thrones, but has lifted up the humble;
He has filled the hungry with good things'. May she help you to find
the only treasure, Jesus, and teach you to discover the criteria of
God's action: He turns worldly judgements on their head, coming to
the aid of the poor and the least among us, and brings abundance to
the humble, who entrust their existence to Him. Have hope, hope does
not disappoint. And I like to repeat to you: do not let yourselves be
robbed of hope!”
Following
the Mass and before the final blessing, Francis gave thanks to all
those present for their warm welcome, and to Cardinal Crescenzio
Sepe, archbishop of Naples, adding, “I have heard that the
Neapolitans are a little jealous of this visit, but I wish to assure
them them that this year I will certainly visit them too”.
After
the Eucharistic celebration, the Pope transferred to the military
airport and left for Rome by helicopter.
COMMUNIQUE
FROM THE FAMILY OF FR. PAOLO DELL'OGLIO, A YEAR AFTER HIS
DISAPPEARANCE IN SYRIA
Vatican
City, 28 July 2014 (VIS) – The family of Fr. Paolo Dell'Oglio, the
Italian Jesuit priest of whom there has been no news for a year
following his disappearance in the Syrian city of Raqqa, today issued
the following communique:
“One
year has already passed since we last knew of our son and brother
Paolo, priest, Jesuit, Italian, who disappeared in Syria on July 29th
2013.
This
has also been a long time, too long, for a land ravaged by war and
infinite suffering like Syria.
We
ask those responsible for the disappearance of a good man, a man of
faith, a man of peace, to have the dignity to let us know of his
fate.
We
would like to once again hold him in our arms, however we are also
prepared to mourn him.
Tomorrow,
29th of July, one year after his disappearance, many of us will be
praying for him and standing by him, as we will be doing for those
who have been kidnapped, unjustly detained and for the many who are
suffering because of this war.”
The
video message of their plea can be seen at:
CHALDEANS
IN IRAQ: PREPARE, LIKE ABRAHAM, TO LEAVE FOR THE LAND GOD WILL SHOW
TO YOU
Vatican
City, 28 July 2014 (VIS) – Yesterday, Sunday, Cardinal Leonardo
Sandri, prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches,
presided at the Divine Liturgy in the Cathedral of St. Paul the
Apostle of the Chaldeans in San Diego, U.S.A. He prayed for the
Christians persecuted in Iraq, the motherland of the Chaldean Church,
and also included in his prayer those in Syria, Palestine and Egypt,
as well as those who belong to the Greek-Catholic community in
Ukraine, who are currently experiencing difficult situations.
The
bishop of the eparchy, Sarhad Yawsip Hermiz Jammo, thanked the
cardinal for the consolation that his visit and his prayers, as the
representative of Pope Francis, offered to al the Christians of the
East, and added that, in communion with Peter's Successor, they would
persist in the faith of Abraham and, like the patriarch, they would
prepare to leave for the land God will show to them, learning to read
history in a higher dimension.
In
his homily, Cardinal Sandri thanked those present and those
Christians who suffer for their faith in the Gospel in situations of
conflict, and assured them of Pope Francis' prayers and blessing and
the closeness of all the Church. He expressed his hope for peace and
justice for all those who have been afflicted by incredible and
senseless violence.
The
prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches, in his visit
to California, met with the Maronite and Syro-Malabar communities of
Los Angeles and San Diego. During the coming days he will visit the
Armenians and greet the priests of the Syrian, Coptic, Greek-Melkite
and Romanian Greek-Catholic Churches who exercise their pastoral
ministry in this region of the United States. The already populous
Eastern is expected to increase significantly, especially from Iraq,
due to the current conflict. He underlined that immigration is a
pastoral challenge of historical proportions, and requires great
efforts on the part of the Latin Church in support of the Oriental
Churches.
ON
THE POPE'S POSSIBLE PARTICIPATION IN THE PHILADELPHIA MEETING OF
FAMILIES
Vatican
City, 26 July 2014 (VIS) – The director of the Holy See Press
Office has stated, with regard to Pope Francis' possible attendance
at the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia, U.S.A. in September
2015, that the Holy Father has received several invitations to travel
to America and, as usual, considers them carefully. “The Pope has
made it known that he is willing to participate in the meeting of
families, but at the present moment he has not initiated any concrete
plan or programme for travel to the United States or Mexico”. He
added, “It should be taken into account, however, that the
Philadelphia meeting will be held in over a year's time”.
OTHER
PONTIFICAL ACTS
Vatican
City, 26 July 2014 (VIS) – Today, the Holy Father:
-
appointed Bishop Anthony Pappusamy of Dindigul, India as archbishop
of Madurai (area 6,266, population 2,068,000, Catholics 145,213,
priests 59, religious 275), India. He succeeds Archbishop Peter
Fernando, whose resignation upon reaching the age limit was accepted
by the Holy Father.
-
appointed Bishop Pierre Nguyen Van Kham, auxiliary of the archdiocese
of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, as bishop of My Tho (area 9,262,
population 5,280,320, Catholics 126,560, priests 125, religious 282),
Vietnam.
-
appointed Cardinal Justin Francis Rigali, archbishop emeritus of
Philadelphia, U.S.A., as his special envoy to the solemn Eucharistic
celebration in the new Cathedral of St. Louis, U.S.A., to be held on
24 August, commemorating the 250th anniversary of the founding of the
city.
-
appointed Cardinal Angelo Scola, archbishop of Milan, Italy, as his
special envoy to the celebration of the 850th anniversary of the
translation of the relics of the Magi to Cologne, Germany, to be held
on 28 September.
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