SUMMARY:
-
Pope Francis receives the president of Ghana
-
The Pope receives the bishops of Senegal, Mauritania, Cape Verde and
Guinea-Bissau: focus on the quality rather than the quality of
priests
-
The Pope deeply saddened by the traffic accident in Cartagena
-
Angelus: by virtue of Baptism we are part of God's edifice
-
“We need bridges, not walls”, says Pope Francis on the 25th
anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall
-
The seminary, training in fraternity, prayer and mission
-
Witness the Salesian charism of encounter, says Francis to the
Daughters of Mary Help of Christians
-
The Pope to the Adult Scouts Movement: respecting nature and
eliminating wastefulness
-
Decrees of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints
-
Audiences
-
Other Pontifical Acts
______________________________________
Pope
Francis receives the president of Ghana
Vatican
City, 10 November 2014 (VIS) – Today, in the Vatican Apostolic
Palace, the Holy Father Francis received in audience John Dramani
Mahama, president of the Republic of Ghana, who subsequently met with
Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, accompanied by Archbishop
Dominique Mamberti, secretary for Relations with States.
During
the cordial discussions, the Parties noted the good relations between
the Holy See and Ghana and underlined the positive contribution
offered by the Catholic Church in the social, educational and
healthcare spheres, as well as in relation to the promotion of
dialogue between different members of society. Furthermore, mention
was made of the promotion of the good of the family.
Finally,
attention turned to various current issues of an international
nature, and in particular the serious humanitarian crisis caused by
the recent epidemic of the Ebola virus in West Africa.
The
Pope receives the bishops of Senegal, Mauritania, Cape Verde and
Guinea-Bissau: focus on the quality rather than the quality of
priests
Vatican
City, 10 November 2014 (VIS) – The prelates of the Conference of
Bishops of Senegal, Mauritania, Cape Verde and Guinea-Bissau were
received in audience by the Holy Father this morning, at the end of
their five-yearly “ad Limina” visit. In the written discourse
that he handed to them at the end of the visit, the Pope writes that
the bishops' visit to the See of Peter is “an opportunity to
strengthen the communion the particular Churches maintain with the
Church of Rome and with her bishop. However, it is also an
opportunity to strengthen the bonds of love between you … and to
experience collegiality. This represents a great challenge for an
episcopal conference that groups together the bishops of four
countries – Senegal, Mauritania, Cape Verde and Guinea-Bissau –
that are different in terms of language, geography, culture and
history, but which nonetheless feel the need to be united and to
support each other in their ministry”.
“Among
the challenges you face, there is that of rooting faith more deeply
in hearts so that it is put into practice in life. This is
particularly true in areas experiencing first evangelisation, but it
also applies where the Gospel has been announced a long time ago, as
faith is a gift that must always be strengthened and which is under
threat in many ways nowadays, owing to other religious proposals that
prove easier and more attractive from a moral point of view, and as a
result of the phenomenon of the secularisation that affects African
societies”.
Therefore,
“it is useful for laypeople to receive a solid doctrinal and
spiritual formation, and continual support so that they are able to
become witnesses of Christ in all areas of their lives, and to imbue
society with the principles of the Gospel, avoiding the
marginalisation of faith in public life. The pastoral care of
families, as shown in the recent Synod of Bishops, must receive
special attention since the family … is the place where the
foundations of faith are laid, where the basic principles of
community life are learned, and frequently where the priestly and
religious vocations are nurtured – vocations your Churches need”.
“Priestly
formation is decisive for the future”, writes Francis. “Your
countries experience very different situations, but the primacy of
quality above quantity is always important. I invite you to be close
to your priests, especially those who are young, to ensure that after
their ordination they continue their formation, persevere in their
life of prayer, and are able to count on a spiritual guide, so that
they are able to meet the challenges presented to them: for some,
this means a certain isolation, for others, material poverty and the
lack of resources, or worldly attractions. Contact with other
religions is an important issue in many of your dioceses where there
is an Islamic majority, in terms of mutual relations between
different communities. I believe that it is important for the clergy
to receive a formation to establish a constructive dialogue with
Muslims, a dialogue that is increasingly necessary for peaceful
coexistence. If we all, believers in God, wish to contribute to
reconciliation, justice and peace, we need to work together to
prevent all forms of discrimination, intolerance and religious
fundamentalism”.
“More
generally, it seems to me that it is important not to hesitate in
occupying all the space that is yours in civil society. I know that
you work tirelessly, in particular in Senegal and Guinea-Bissau, for
peace and reconciliation, and for this I rejoice. I urge you to
maintain good relations with the political authorities in order to
promote the official acknowledgement of Church structures, which will
be of great help in facilitating evangelisation. Some of you, such as
the bishops of Cape Verde, already benefit from the existence of a
framework agreement between the State and the Holy See. Even where
the Church is in a minority, or is completely at the margins of civil
life, she is appreciated and recognised for her important
contribution in the fields of human development, healthcare and
education. I thank you for what you achieve in your dioceses, often
due to the efforts of many religious congregations and laypeople”.
“Dear
brothers”, the Pontiff concludes, “some of your Churches are
small and fragile, but they are courageous and generous in the
proclamation of faith and you are witnesses to their dynamism. I
offer thanks to God for the wonders He performs through you, and
likewise I thank again those who participate in our common task of
evangelisation”.
The
Pope deeply saddened by the traffic accident in Cartagena
Vatican
City, 10 November 2014 (VIS) – The Holy Father sent a telegram to
Bishop Jose Manuel Lorca Planes of Cartagena, Spain, upon hearing of
the news of a serious road accident in the city of Cieza that has
claimed many victims, including the young priest of Bullas, Rev. Fr.
Miguel Conesa Andujar. Pope Francis, deeply saddened, raises fervent
prayers to God for the eternal repose of the souls of the departed,
for the full recovery of the injured, and for the consolation of
those who have lost their loved ones.
“I
urge the sons and daughters of these noble lands to find in faith the
encouragement and the strength of spirit to overcome these painful
circumstances, and impart to them the comfort of my apostolic
blessing, as a sign of hope in the risen Christ”, he writes.
Angelus:
by virtue of Baptism we are part of God's edifice
Vatican
City, 9 November 2014 (VIS) – At midday the Holy Father appeared at
the window of his study to pray the Angelus with the faithful
gathered in St. Peter's Square, explaining that today's liturgy
recalls the dedication of the Basilica of St. John Lateran, the
Cathedral of Rome, traditionally defined as the “mother of all the
churches in the city and in the world”.
“The
term 'mother' refers not only to the sacred building of the Basilica,
but also to the work of the Holy Spirit, made manifest in this
building and fruitful through the ministry of the Bishop of Rome, in
all the communities in unity with the Church over whom He presides”,
he explained. “Every time we celebrate the dedication of a church,
an essential truth is recalled to us: the material temple made of
bricks is a sign of the living Church at work in history, that
'spiritual temple' … of which Christ Himself is 'a living stone,
though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God’s
sight'”.
In
the Gospel of today's liturgy, Jesus speaks about the “temple”,
revealing a surprising truth: the temple of God is not merely the
edifice built of bricks, but it is His body, made up of living
stones. “By virtue of Baptism, every Christian forms part of God's
edifice, or rather, becomes the God's Church. The spiritual edifice,
the Church that is the community of men and women sanctified by
Christ's blood and the Spirit of the Risen Lord, asks each one of us
to be consistent with the gift of faith and to take the path of
Christian witness. … The Church, at the origin of her life and her
mission in the world, was none other than a community constituted to
confess faith in Jesus Christ, Son of God and Redeemer of humanity, a
faith that works through charity. … Today, too, the Church is
required to take her place in the world as a community that, rooted
in Christ through Baptism, professes faith in Him with humility and
courage, bearing witness to it through charity. In the same way,
institutional elements, structures and pastoral entities must be
ordered in accordance with this essential objective”.
“Today's
celebration invites us to reflect on the communion of all the
Churches, of this Christian community, and by analogy, it stimulates
us to make efforts to enable humanity to overcome the barriers of
enmity and indifference, to build bridges of understanding and
dialogue, to make the entire world into a family of peoples,
reconciled among themselves, fraternal and in solidarity”.
“We
need bridges, not walls”, says Pope Francis on the 25th anniversary
of the fall of the Berlin Wall
Vatican
City, 9 November 2014 (VIS) – After praying the Angelus, the Pope
commented that 25 years ago today, on 8 November 1989, saw the fall
of the Berlin Wall “which had long divided the city in two and was
a symbol of the ideological division of Europe and the entire world.
It took place suddenly, but it had been made possible by the long and
tireless efforts of many people who fought, prayed and suffered for
it; some of them even sacrificed their lives”. Among these people,
St. John Paul II played a central role. Let us pray that, with the
Lord's help and the collaboration of all persons of good will, a
culture of encounter may become ever more widespread, able to bring
down all the walls that continue to divide the world; and that
innocent people will never more be persecuted and even killed for
their beliefs and their religion. Where there is a wall, there is a
closed heart. We need bridges, not walls!”
He
added that today Italy holds a day of thanksgiving, the theme of
which this year is “Feed the planet, energy for life”, and the
Holy Father joined with the bishops in expressing his hope that
renewed efforts might ensure “that no-one lacks the daily
sustenance that God gives to all”. He added, “I assure my
closeness to the world of agriculture, and urge you to cultivate the
land in a sustainable and fair way. In this context, the Diocese of
Rome is holding a day for the protection of the creation, the aim of
which is to promote lifestyles based on respect for the environment,
reaffirming the alliance between human beings, guardians of creation,
and the Creator”.
The
seminary, training in fraternity, prayer and mission
Vatican
City, 10 November 2014 (VIS) – In the evening of Saturday 8
November Pope Francis sent a message to the 750 French seminarians
gathered at the Marian shrine at Lourdes, France from 8 to 10
November, for the autumn Plenary Assembly of the Episcopal Conference
of France. In the text, the Pope urges them to remember the three key
words in their lives as seminarians: fraternity, prayer and mission.
In
relation to fraternity, he emphasises that “the priestly mission
cannot in any case be individual, and certainly not individualistic”;
instead, together they should “bear witness to the love with which
we recognise Jesus' disciples”. With regard to prayer, he remarks
that “everything that you learn comes to life in prayer”, and
recalls that Jesus Himself retired in silence and solitude to immerse
himself in the mystery of His Father. “May your prayer be an appeal
to the Spirit, Who builds the Church, leads the disciples and infuses
with pastoral charity. … At the foundation of your formation there
is the Word of God, that enters you, nourishes you, and enlightens
you”, he writes, urging the seminarians to dedicate long periods
each day to prayer, since “it is in prayer that you encounter the
loving presence of the Lord and allow yourselves to be transformed by
Him”.
Finally,
in reference to mission, the Pope comments that it is “inseparable
from prayer, as prayer opens you to the Spirit, and the Spirit guides
you in mission”, and encourages them to prioritise, in their
encounters with others, the most marginalised. He also urges them to
entrust themselves to Mary and to allow themselves to be guided by
her: “Mary accompanied Jesus in His mission. She was present at the
Pentecost when the disciples received the Holy Spirit, and she
maternally accompanied the first steps of the Church”.
Witness
the Salesian charism of encounter, says Francis to the Daughters of
Mary Help of Christians
Vatican
City, 8 November 2014 (VIS) – This morning in the Clementine Hall
the Holy Father received in audience the participants in the General
Chapter of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, the theme of
which is “With the young today: being a house that evangelises”.
This theme, remarked Francis, fits well in today's social and
ecclesial context, characterised by many forms of spiritual and
material misery. “Indeed, today many suffer not only from poverty
but also from a lack of love or relationships”. In this context, he
added, “you are able to perceive above all the fragility of the
young people to whom you dedicate yourselves with admirable
commitment, in the style of Don Bosco and following in the footsteps
of Mother Mazzarello”.
In
the general chapter, various basic directions emerged for the life of
each religious person and every community. First, there is “the
commitment to being guided by the prospect of outreach, of setting
out for the many geographically and existentially peripheral zones,
with preferential attention to the poor and the different forms of
exclusion. Then, there is the awareness of the need to put into
effect appropriate itineraries of change and pastoral conversion,
thus transforming your houses into places of evangelisation, where
above all the young are involved in the same mission”.
“I
can only encourage you to pursue with enthusiasm in this line of
action that the Holy Spirit is suggesting to you. Open your hearts to
welcome the … grace of God; broaden your outlook to recognise the
truest needs and the urgency of a society and a generation in flux.
Everywhere be prophetic witnesses and an educative presence, through
an unconditional welcome to the young, facing intercultural
challenges and identifying approaches to make your apostolic
interventions effective in a context – that of youth – permeated
by the virtual world and by new technologies, especially those of a
digital nature”.
In
order to do this, “it is necessary always to place Christ at the
centre of your existence: it is necessary to allow yourselves to be
formed by the Word of God, that enlightens, orientates and supports;
it is necessary to nurture the missionary spirit with assiduous
prayer”. At the same time, he added, the Daughters are called upon
to “bear witness to an ideal of sisterly communion between you,
with sentiments of mutual acceptance”, that must be accompanied by
attentive formation, including timely studies of the human sciences
that may help them in their mission. “Indeed, you are called upon
to be able to listen with openness and understanding to those who
turn to you for moral and human support, in order to inculturate the
message of the Gospel. In this respect, the missio ad gentes offers
you a vast field in which to give yourselves with love”.
Finally,
the Pope urged the Daughters, who during the Chapter have also
reflected extensively on their daily apostolic life, that places them
in contract with the joys, expectations and sufferings of the people,
to be “missionaries of joy, bearing witness to the values of your
Salesian identity, especially in the category of encounter, a
fundamental aspect of your charism. It is an ever fresh and vital
source from which to draw the love that revitalises passion for God
and for the young. May the inevitable difficulties you encounter
along the way never dampen the enthusiasm of your apostolic action.
May the example of St. John Bosco and St. Domenica Mazzarello
encourage you to contribute even more enthusiastically to new
evangelisation with your activities in the fields of education and
school, catechesis and the formation of young people in the
apostolate”.
The
Pope to the Adult Scouts Movement: respecting nature and eliminating
wastefulness
Vatican
City, 8 November 2014 (VIS) – “Make way in the family, in
creation, and in the city”, exhorted the Pope this morning as he
received in audience seven thousand members of the adult Italian
scouts, gathered in the Vatican's Paul VI Hall to celebrate the
seventieth anniversary of the foundation of this branch of the
movement.
With
regard to the first path to take, within the family, Francis remarked
that this community of life and love is where every person learns how
to relate to others and to the world and, “thanks to the
foundations acquired in the family, is able to project him- or
herself in society, and to frequent other formative environments,
such as school, the parish or associations, in a positive way. Thus,
in this integration of the bases assimilated in the family and
'external' experiences, we learn to find our way in the world. …
For a movement such as yours, based on continuing education and on
the choice to educate, it is important to reaffirm that education in
the family constitutes a priority decision. … Dialogue between
spouses, along with mutual listening and comparison, are elements
essential for a family to be serene and fruitful”.
Turning
to the second point, opening up a path in creation, the Holy Father
reiterated that in our time “we cannot ignore the ecological
question, which is vital for the survival of mankind, nor can we
reduce it to a merely political issue: indeed, it has a moral
dimension that affects all of us, and so no-one may choose to ignore
it. As Christ's disciples, we have a further reason to unite with
people of good will for the protection and defence of nature and the
environment. Indeed, creation is a gift entrusted to us from the
hands of the Creator. … This doctrine of our faith offers us an
even stronger impetus towards a responsible and respectful
relationship with creation: in inanimate nature, in plants and in
animals we recognise the imprint of the Creator, and in our peers we
see His likeness. Living in close contact with nature … does not
only imply respect for it, but also commitment to contributing in a
concrete way towards eliminating the wastefulness of a society that
tends increasingly to discard goods that are still usable and could
be donated to those in need”.
Finally,
to lead the way in cities, it is important to bring the joy of Gospel
values to the streets and quarters and to make a contribution to the
common good, in a just and open dialogue on different social and
cultural themes. “In a complex and multicultural society, we are
able to offer witness, with simplicity and humility, to Jesus' love
for every person, also experimenting with new paths of
evangelisation, faithful to Christ and faithful to humanity. People
often live in wearisome situations in cities, and at times risk
becoming disorientated and losing the capacity to see the horizon, to
feel God's presence. The true compass to offer to these brothers and
sisters is a heart close by, a heart that is 'oriented', as it were,
towards God”.
Decrees
of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints
Vatican
City, 10 November 2014 (VIS) – On Friday, 7 November, the Holy
Father Francis received in a private audience Cardinal Angelo Amato,
S.D.B., prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, during
which he authorised the Congregation to promulgate decrees on the
heroic virtues of the following Servants of God:
-
Francisco Maximiano Valdes Subercaseaux, Chilean bishop of the Order
of Friars Minor Capuchin (1908-1982);
-
Ildebrando Gregori (ne Alfredo Antonio), Italian abbot general of the
Sylvestrine Congregation of the Benedictine Order and founder of the
Congregation of the Reparatrix Sisters of the Holy Face (1894-1985);
-
Raimondo Calcagno, Italian priest of the Congregation of the Oratory
of St. Philip Neri (1888-1964);
-
John Sullivan, Irish professed priest of the Society of Jesus
(1861-1933);
-
Pelagio Sauter, German professed priest of the Congregation of the
Most Holy Redeemer (1878-1961);
-
Jeanne Mance, French laywoman and foundress of the Hotel-Dieu in
Montreal (1606-1673);
-
Marthe Robin, French laywoman and foundress of the Association Foyers
de Charite (1902-1981);
-
Silvio Dissegna, Italian child of the diocese of Turin (1967-1979).
Audiences
Vatican
City, 10 November 2014 (VIS) – Today, the Holy Father received in
audience:
-
John Dramani Mahama, president of the Republic of Ghana, with his
wife and entourage;
-
Thirteen prelates of the Conference of Bishops of Senegal,
Mauritania, Cape Verde and Guinea-Bissau, on their “ad Limina”
visit:
-
Archbishop Theodore-Adrien Sarr of Dakar, Senegal;
-
Bishop Benjamin Ndiaye of Kaolack, Senegal;
-
Bishop Jean-Pierre Bassene of Kolda, Senegal;
-
Bishop Ernest Sambou of Saint-Louis du Senegal, Senegal;
-
Bishop Jean-Noel Diouf of Tambacounda, Senegal;
-
Bishop Andre Gueye of Thies, Senegal;
-
Bishop Paul Abel Mamba of Ziguinchor, Senegal;
-
Bishop Ildo Augusto dos Santos Lopes Fortes of Mindelo, Cape Verde;
-
Bishop Arlindo Gomes Furtado of Santiago de Cabo Verde, Cape Verde;
-
Bishop Martin Albert Happe of Nouakchott, Mauritania;
-
Bishop Carlos Pedro Zilli of Bafata, Guinea-Bissau;
-
Bishop Jose Camnate na Bissign of Bissau, Guinea-Bissau, with his
auxiliary, Bishop Jose Lampra Ca.
-
Malu Dreyer, minister-president of the Land Rhineland-Palatinate,
with her husband and entourage.
On
Saturday, 8 November, the Holy Father received in audience:
-
Cardinal Marc Ouellet, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.
On
the afternoon of Friday, 7 November, the Holy Father received in
audience:
-
Cardinal Angelo Amato, prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of
Saints;
-
Archbishop Celso Morga Iruzubieta, coadjutor of Merida-Badajoz,
Spain.
Other
Pontifical Acts
Vatican
City, 10 November 2014 (VIS) – Today, the Holy Father:
-
accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese of San
Carlos de Venezuela, Venezuela, presented by Bishop Tomas Jesus
Zarraga Colmenares, in accordance with canon 401 para. 2 of the Code
of Canon Law.
-
appointed the following members of the Administration of the
Patrimony of the Apostolic See (APSA): Cardinal Donald William Wuerl,
archbishop of Washington, U.S.A.; Cardinal Ruben Salazar Gomez,
archbishop of Bogota, Colombia; Cardinal Giuseppe Bertello, president
of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State and president of
the Governorate of Vatican City State.
On
Saturday, 8 November, the Holy Father appointed:
-
Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke, U.S.A., as patron of the Order of Malta.
Cardinal Burke is currently prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the
Apostolic Signatura;
-
Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, France, as prefect of the Supreme
Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura. Archbishop Mamberti is currently
secretary for Relations with States;
-
Rev. Chad Zielinski as bishop of Fairbanks (area 1,061,508,
population 164,355, Catholics 13,939, priests 20, permanent deacons
25, religious 17), U.S.A. The bishop-elect was born in Detroit,
Michigan, U.S.A. in 1964 and was ordained a priest in 1996. He served
in the U.S. Air Force from 1983 to 1986 and subsequently obtained a
bachelor's degree in philosophy and a master of divinity from the
Sacred Heart major seminary in Detroit. He has served in a number of
pastoral roles, including parish priest of St. Philip Neri, Empire
and of St. Rita and St. Joseph, Maple City. He is currently Air Force
chaplain at the military based of Eielson, Fairbanks.
You
can find more information at: www.visnews.org
The
news items contained in the Vatican Information Service may be used,
in part or in their entirety, by quoting the source:
V.I.S.
-Vatican Information Service.
Copyright
© Vatican Information Service 00120 Vatican City
No comments:
Post a Comment