The Pope And Church News: News Vatican Information Service May 22, 2015

Friday, May 22, 2015

News Vatican Information Service May 22, 2015

SUMMARY:

- Pope Francis, protagonist of the Ninth International Meeting of the Silos School of Thought

- Audiences

- Other Pontifical Acts

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Pope Francis, protagonist of the Ninth International Meeting of the Silos School of Thought

Vatican City, 22 May 2015 (VIS) – The Silos School of Thought, Spain, will dedicate its next two international meetings to the study and dissemination of the thought and action of Pope Francis. It is the ninth encounter of the School which, in collaboration with the UNESCO Chair in Spain, and under the auspices of the Benedictine Abbey of Silos, gathered together figures from the worlds of science and culture in an atmosphere of respectful pluralism and convergence in relation to universal values.

In a letter to the Steering Committee of the School, Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, president of the Pontifical Council for Culture, writes: “In the two years of his papacy Pope Francis has transformed into a media phenomenon. … And, however, … beyond these direct, concise, effective, high-impact phrases we have grown accustomed to, we discover vigorous and spiritual theological thought. He expresses this theology, with its Latin American accent and flavour, imbued with wisdom born of closeness to the people … with his own methods of communication. His reflection is part of the faith of the people, and this gives special strength and nuance to his thought. If John Paul II was the pope of Man, the path of the Church, and Benedict XVI of the word and the primacy of the search for God, Francis is the pope of the People of God, recipient and bearer of revelation, called to go forth in towards an encounter with others, with a message of mercy”.

The Ninth Meeting of the School, entitled “Thought and Action of Pope Francis: a voice for all”, will be divided into two phases. The first, on 6 June, in the Abbey of Silos, will be based on the paper “Pope Francis: words and gestures”, by Professor Angel Cordovilla Perez, director of the Department of Dogmatic and Fundamental Theology at the Pontifical University of Comillas, Madrid, Spain. The session will be chaired by Professor Manuel Balado Ruiz-Gallegos, director of the Silos School of Thought.

The second Meeting will be held during the first trimester of 2016 and will study the conclusions of the Synod on the family.

Audiences

Vatican City, 22 May 2015 (VIS) – This morning, the Holy Father visited various dicasteries of the Roman Curia located in Piazza Pio XII.

In the afternoon of Thursday 21 May the Holy Father received in audience:

- Cardinal Dominique Mamberti, prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura;

- Archbishop Hector Ruben Aguer of La Plata, Argentina;

- Bishop Juan Ruben Martinez of Posadas, Argentina.

Other Pontifical Acts

Vatican City, 22 May 2015 (VIS) – The Holy Father has appointed:

- Fr. Jean-Louis Balsa as bishop of Viviers (area 5,556, population 327,072, Catholics 285,000, priests 142, permanent deacons 15, religious 591), France. The bishop-elect was born in Nice, France in 1957 and was ordained a priest in 1984. He holds a degree in philosophy from the University of Nice and in theology from the Institut Catholique de Paris. He has served in a number of roles in the diocese of Nice, including coordinator of pastoral assistance in the lyceums and colleges of Cannes, parish priest, teacher of theology at the diocesan seminary, episcopal vicar for youth pastoral ministry, and secretary general of the diocesan Synod. He is currently vicar general for the diocese of Nice. He succeeds Bishop Francois Blondel, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese of Viviers upon reaching the age limit was accepted by the Holy Father.

- Fr. Jean Cesar Scarcella, C.R.A., as ordinary abbot of the territorial abbey of Saint-Maurice (area 9,085, population 8.077, Catholics 6,154, priests 38, religious 91), Switzerland. The bishop-elect was born in Montreux, Switzerland in 1951, gave his solemn vows in 1988, and was ordained a priest in 1990. He studied philosophy and theology at the University of Fribourg and has served as vicar in Aigle, curate in Bex, and within the abbey, animator of liturgy for the basilica, consulter, rector of the basilica, sacristan, and choirmaster. He is currently vicar general of the abbey and master of novices.

- Archbishop Mario Roberto Cassari as apostolic nuncio to Malta. Archbishop Cassari was previously apostolic nuncio in South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and Swaziland.