SUMMARY:
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Pope Francis receives the president of Sri Lanka
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The Pope receives the Council of European Episcopal Conferences: “Be
a prophetic voice for society”
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To the clergy: do not limit yourselves to merely acting as priests –
“be” priests
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Second day of the meeting on the presence of Christians in the Middle
East
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Cardinal Baldisseri on the Synod on the Family
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Audiences
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Pope
Francis receives the president of Sri Lanka
Vatican
City, 3 October 2014 (VIS) – Today the Holy Father Francis received
in audience the president of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri
Lanka, Mahinda Rajapaksa, who subsequently met with Cardinal
Secretary of State Pietro Parolin.
During
the cordial discussions, the Parties focused on the country’s
current situation, with particular reference to signs of social and
economic improvement, and conveyed their hope that solutions
corresponding to the legitimate expectations of all citizens may be
found.
In
this context, the Parties expressed their hope that the Holy Father’s
upcoming visit to Sri Lanka may be welcomed as a sign of closeness to
the Sri Lankan population and may encourage those who work for the
common good, reconciliation, justice and peace.
The
Pope receives the Council of European Episcopal Conferences: “Be a
prophetic voice for society”
Vatican
City, 3 October 2014 (VIS) – “Family and future of Europa” is
the theme of the plenary assembly taking place in these days at the
Council of European Episcopal Conferences. This morning Pope Francis
received seventy of its members, to whom he delivered an off-the-cuff
address. He subsequently handed them a written discourse underlining
how, as pastors close to their flock, they well know the complexity
of the panorama and the challenges the mission of the Church faces,
even in Europe.
“We
are called to be an 'outbound' Church, in movement from the centre
towards the peripheries to reach out to all, without fear, without
distrust, and with apostolic courage”, says the document.
Addressing
the theme of the plenary session, the Holy Father writes that it
constitutes an important occasion for joint reflection on how to
exalt the family as a valuable resource for pastoral renewal,
emphasising the need for Pastors and families to work together, with
a spirit of humility and sincere dialogue, so that parish communities
become “families of families”. In this respect, he observes that
“there is no lack of diverse experiences of family pastoral care
and political and social commitment to support families, both those
that experience an ordinary married life and those afflicted by
problems or breakdowns. It is important to gather together these
significant experiences present in the different areas of the life of
the men and women of our time, in relation to whom we must exercise
an appropriate discernment, in order to then 'put them in the
network', thus involving other diocesan communities”.
Collaboration
between Pastors and families also extends to the field of education,
“favouring the maturation of a spirit of justice, solidarity,
peace, and the courage of one's own convictions. It involves
supporting parents in their responsibility to education their
children, protecting their fundamental right to give their children
the education they consider most appropriate. Parents, indeed, remain
the first and most important educators of their children, and
therefore they have the right to educate them in conformity with
their moral and religious convictions. In this regard, it is possible
to outline common and coordinated pastoral directives, with the aim
of offering valid promotion and support to Catholic schools”.
At
the end of the text, Pope Francis encourages those present to
continue in their efforts to favour communion between the various
Churches in Europe, enabling appropriate collaboration for fruitful
evangelisation. “I also invite you to be a 'prophetic voice' within
society, especially where the process of secularisation in process
throughout the European continent tends to make it increasingly
marginal to speak about God”, he concludes.
To
the clergy: do not limit yourselves to merely acting as priests –
“be” priests
Vatican
City, 3 October 2014 (VIS) – This morning in the Clementine Hall
the Holy Father received in audience the participants in the Plenary
Assembly of the Congregation for the Clergy. “The vocation is truly
a treasure that God places in the hearts of some men, chosen by Him
and called to follow Him in this special state of life. This
treasure, that must be discovered and brought to light, is not made
to 'enrich' someone alone. He who is called to the ministry is not
the 'master' of his vocation, but rather the administrator of a gift
that God has entrusted to him for the good of all the people, or
rather for all humanity, even those who have drifted away from
religious practice or do not profess faith in Christ”. Pope Francis
added that “at the same time, all the Christian community is the
custodian of the treasure of these vocations, destined to its
service, and must always be aware of its task of promoting, welcoming
and accompanying them with affection”.
Similarly,
the Pope reminded the clergy that they too must play their role in
formation. “This involves protecting and nurturing vocations, so
that they bear mature fruit”. He remarked that Jesus did not call
his disciples by saying to them “come, I will explain to you”, or
“follow me, I will teach you”. “The formation Christ offered
his disciples instead took the form of 'come and follow me', 'do as I
do', and this is the method that today, too, the Church must offer
her ministers. … For this reason, it is a task that is never
completed, because priests never stop being Jesus' disciples; they
never stop following him”.
Pope
Francis spoke about evangelisation as the aim of vocation. “Every
vocation is for the mission, and the mission of ordained ministers is
evangelisation”, he continued, adding that “the first form of
evangelisation is the witness of fraternity and of communion between
priests and bishop”. He concluded by emphasising that it is
necessary for the clergy to “be priests … free of every spiritual
worldliness, aware that it is their lives that evangelise rather than
their works”, rather than to take a limited view of priesthood as a
profession”, also asking the bishops to think of the good of the
people of God, to study the itinerary of vocations carefully, and not
to accept priests simply because there is a lack of them in the
diocese.
Second
day of the meeting on the presence of Christians in the Middle East
Vatican
City, 3 October 2014 (VIS) – The meeting of various Papal
Representatives and Superiors of the competent dicasteries, convoked
in the Vatican at the behest of the Holy Father to analyse “The
presence of Christians in the Middle East”, continued today. During
this morning’s meeting, the Secretary for Relations with States
gave a general presentation on the political situation in the Middle
East and on the principles guiding the action of the Holy See,
demonstrating the global repercussions of what happens in the Region.
Peace is to be sought by means of a “regional” and comprehensive
solution that does not overlook the interests of any of the parties,
through dialogue and not through unilateral decisions imposed by
force. With reference to the phenomenon of terrorism, the Secretary
for Relations with States emphasised the importance of combating the
fundamentalism at its base. An important role should be played by
religious leaders, favouring interreligious dialogue and in
particular the collaboration of all for the good of society. The Holy
See, in following the political situation in the Middle East, and
more generally in its relations with countries with a Muslim
majority, considers to be fundamental issues the protection and
respect for Christians and other religious minorities as
fully-entitled citizens, and human rights, especially that of
religious freedom.
The
apostolic nuncio in Israel and the apostolic delegate for Jerusalem
and Palestine presented reports n the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
and on the presence of Christians in the Holy Land. A solution to the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict is crucial for the stabilisation of the
Middle East and for peace in the region. Indeed, after many years it
remains unresolved, with the very grave regional and global
consequences this implies. In this regard, the Holy Father’s
pilgrimage to the Holy Land and the subsequent prayer meeting in the
Vatican opened up hopes for peace. The recent conflict in Gaza
recalls that the situation is serious and difficult, but it is
necessary to renew diplomatic efforts for a just and lasting solution
that respects the rights of both parties to the conflict.
After
a moment of dialogue, the Secretary of the Pontifical Council for
Promoting Christian Unity provided information on the relationship
between the Catholic Church and other Churches and Christian
confessions in the Middle East.
In
the afternoon, two reports will be heard on the role of the Church in
relation to the refugee crisis and in the promotion of justice and
peace, presented by the Secretary of the Pontifical Council for the
Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant Peoples and the Prefect of
the Pontifical Council “Justice and Peace”. After a lengthy
dialogue, the afternoon session will conclude with Vespers and a
fraternal dinner at the Domus Sanctae Marthae.
Tomorrow,
the final day of the meeting, Holy Mass will be celebrated in the
Pauline Chapel of the Apostolic Palace, presided by the Cardinal
Secretary of State, followed by an exchange of ideas in relation to
the conclusions and working guidelines emerging from these days of
study and reflection.
Cardinal
Baldisseri on the Synod on the Family
Vatican
City, 3 October 2014 (VIS) – A press conference was held this
morning in the Holy See Press Office during which Cardinal Lorenzo
Baldisseri, secretary general of the Synod of Bishops, outlined the
structure of the Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of
Bishops on the Family, to be inaugurated by the Pope during a solemn
mass in St. Peter's Basilica next Sunday.
The
Cardinal explained that among the 191 Synod Fathers there will be 61
Cardinals, one Cardinal Patriarch, 7 Patriarchs, one major
archbishop, 67 metropolitan archbishops, 47 bishops, one auxiliary
bishop, 1 priest and 6 religious. There will also be 16 experts, 38
auditors and 8 fraternal delegates. He also remarked that since this
assembly will consider the theme of the family, special emphasis has
been given to married couples, parents and family heads, a total of
12 persons; there is also one married couple within the group of
experts.
He
went on to speak about the characteristics of the upcoming Synod,
which show the Holy Father's wish to “undertake an innovative and
original Synodal path, structured in two phases: the current
Extraordinary Assembly, on the theme 'Pastoral challenges to the
family in the context of evangelisation', and next year's Ordinary
Assembly, which will take as its theme 'The vocation and the mission
of the family in the Church and in the contemporary world'”.
Cardinal Baldisseri noted that during the preparatory phase, “there
resounded the voice of all of the People of God”, from bishops to
lay faithful who were able to express their opinions through the
questionnaire linked to the preparatory document distributed by the
Episcopal Conferences. “The large number of responses is due on the
one hand to the theme of the Synod, which regards the life of the
community, families and people and reflects the pastoral care that
the bishops have always had in relation to the family. On the other
hand, the breadth of the material that was submitted is without doubt
an indication of the frankness and freeness with which the
consultation was carried out. This broad-ranging freedom of
expression will also characterise the Synod Assembly, which will
certainly take place in an atmosphere of respect for every position,
with mutual charity and with a genuinely constructive approach”.
He
continued, “other new elements will affect the organisation of the
work of the Synod, and therefore relate to the internal methodology
of the Assembly. First, the Relatio ante disceptationem will include
various novelties, and the Secretariat General asked the Synod
fathers to transmit their contributions in advance, indicating the
issue on which they intended to speak during the Assembly, respecting
the order of themes. These texts were taken into consideration during
the drafting of the Relatio ante disceptationem, which proved useful
in organising the thematic agenda. In this way, the so-called Relatio
becomes reference point which may be worked upon during the
interventions in the Assembly”.
Secondly,
during the debate in the Synod Hall, which will take place during the
first week, beginning with the Second General Congregation, the
thematic order established following the Instrumentum laboris will be
followed. Each general Congregation will open with the announcement
of the theme by the president delegate, followed by an intervention
by a married couple of Auditors, who will offer the Synod Fathers
their testimony of family life, contributing to the enrichment of the
debate on pastoral action.
Thirdly,
during the “Relatio post disceptationem” issued at the end of the
first week will provide the basis for the work of the second week by
the so-called “small groups”, when the Fathers prepare the final
document, the “Relatio Synodi”, to be submitted to the Holy
Father.
“There
will also be novelties regarding the means of communication”,
continued Cardinal Baldisseri. “Each day there will be a Briefing
in the Holy See Press Office, with the collaboration of the Press
Secretaries and the participation of various Synod Fathers. The Press
Office Bulletin will contain information regarding the day's work.
Furthermore, there will be a Twitter service to transmit brief
summaries of the most important news in real time.
“The
work of the Synod Fathers will be accompanied by the prayer of the
people of God”, concluded Cardinal Baldisseri. In Rome, in the
Salus Populi Romani chapel in the Basilica of St. Mary Major, a
bishop or a cardinal will celebrate a Holy Mass for the family. The
presence of the relics of the Blessed couple Zelie and Louis Martin,
and their daughter St. Therese of the Child Jesus, are significant,
as are those of the Blessed couple Luigi and Maria Beltrame
Quattrocchi. Throughout the world, prayers will be offered in
shrines, especially those dedicated to the Holy Family, in
monasteries, in communities of consecrated life, in dioceses and in
parishes”.
Audiences
Vatican
City, 2014 (VIS) – Today the Holy Father received in audience
Cardinal Jaime Lucas Ortega y Alamino, archbishop of San Cristobal de
La Habana, Cuba.
In
the afternoon of Thursday, 2 October, the Holy Father received in
audience:
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Cardinal Mauro Piacenza, apostolic penitentiary;
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Bishop Hugo Nicolas Barbaro of San Roque of Presidencia Roque Saenz
Pena, Argentina; and
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Bishop Fernando Martin Croxatto, auxiliary of Comodoro Rivadavia,
Argentina.
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