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FAITHFULNESS, AN EXPRESSION OF THE UNIQUE BOND BETWEEN THE POPE AND HIS DIRECT COLLABORATORS
Vatican City, 11 June 2012 (VIS) - This morning in the Vatican the Holy Father received forty members of the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy. Please find he full text of the Holy Father's remarks, below:********************************************************************Address of the Holy Father
to the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy
(Monday, 11 June 2012)
Dear Brother Bishops,
Dear Priests,
First of all, I thank Archbishop Beniamino Stella for the courteous words which he has addressed to me in the name of all present, and for the valued work that he carries out. With great affection I greet the entire community of the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy. I am pleased to receive you once again this year, as the academic year draws to a close and as, for some of you, the day is approaching when you will depart for service in Papal Representations throughout the world. The Pope also counts on you for assistance in fulfilling his universal ministry. I encourage you to be confident and to prepare diligently for the mission which awaits you, trusting in the faithfulness of the One who has known you from the beginning and has called you into communion with his Son, Jesus Christ (cf. 1 Cor 1:9).
God’s faithfulness is the key to, and the source of, our own faithfulness. I would like today to remind you of precisely this virtue, which well expresses the unique bond existing between the Pope and his direct collaborators, both in the Roman Curia and in the Papal Representations: for many, it is a bond grounded in the priestly character that they have received, which is then specified in the particular mission entrusted to each in the service of the Successor of Peter.
In the Bible, faithfulness is above all a divine attribute: God reveals himself as the one who remains ever faithful to his Covenant with his people, despite their unfaithfulness. As the Faithful One, God sees to the fulfilment of his loving plan; thus, he is trustworthy and true. His way of acting makes it possible in turn for men and women to be faithful. In our case, the virtue of faithfulness is profoundly linked to the supernatural gift of faith; it becomes the expression of that steadfastness proper to those who have made God the foundation of their entire lives. In faith we find the sole guarantee of our standing firm (cf. Is 7:9b); only on this foundation can we in turn be truly faithful: first to God, then to his family, the Church our Mother and Teacher, and within the Church to our own vocation, to the history in which the Lord has set us.
Dear friends, with this in mind, I encourage you to cultivate a personal bond with the Vicar of Christ as a part of your spirituality. Certainly, this is something which ought to apply to every Catholic, and even more to every priest. Yet for those who work in the Holy See, it is of particular importance, since they spend much of their energy, their time and their daily ministry in the service of the Successor of Peter. This entails a serious responsibility, but also a special gift which as time goes on should make you grow in closeness to the Pope, a closeness marked by interior trust, a natural idem sentire, which is exactly expressed by the word “faithfulness”.
Faithfulness to Peter, who sends you forth, also gives rise to a special faithfulness towards those to whom you are sent. The Representatives of the Roman Pontiff and their collaborators are called upon to interpret his solicitude for all the Churches, as well as the affectionate concern with which he follows the journey of each people. You should therefore cultivate a relationship of profound esteem and benevolence, and indeed true friendship, towards the Churches and the communities to which you will be sent. You are also bound to faithfulness in their regard, a faithfulness concretely manifested each day by your diligence and devotion to your work, by your presence among them at moments of joy, sadness and even tragedy, by your coming to know their culture, their journey as a Church, and by your appreciation of all that God’s grace has accomplished in every people and nation.
This represents a valuable contribution to the Petrine ministry, about which the Servant of God Paul VI once said: “By entrusting to his Vicar the power of the keys and by making him the rock and foundation of his Church, the Eternal Pastor also gave him the mandate to ‘confirm his brethren’: he does this not only by leading them and keeping them united in his name, but also by supporting and comforting them, certainly by his words, but also in some way by his presence” (Apostolic Letter Sollicitudo Omnium Ecclesiarum, 24 June 1969: AAS 61 (1969), 473-474).
Thus you will also encourage and help the particular Churches to grow in faithfulness to the Roman Pontiff and to find in the principle of communion with the universal Church a sure direction for their own pilgrimage through history. Not least, you will also help the Successor of Peter to be faithful to the mission he has received from Christ, enabling him to know better the flock entrusted to his care and to be present to it more effectively by his words, his closeness, his affection. Here I can only mention with gratitude the assistance that I receive every day from my many collaborators in the Roman Curia and in Papal Representations, as well as the support that comes to me from the prayers of countless brothers and sisters worldwide.
Dear friends, to the extent that you are faithful, you will also be worthy of faith. We know too that the faithfulness proper to the Church and to the Holy See is no “blind” loyalty, for it is enlightened by our faith in the One who said: “You are Peter, and on on this rock I will build my Church” (Mt 16:18). Let us all be committed to following this path, so that one day we may hear the words of the Gospel parable: “Good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your master” (cf. Mt 25:21).
With these sentiments, I renew my affectionate greeting to Archbishop Stella and his collaborators, to the Franciscan Missionary Sisters of the Child Jesus, and to the entire community of the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy, and I cordially impart my blessing.
CHURCH'S MISSION OF EVANGELISATION ALSO INVOLVES AIRPORTS
Vatican City, 11 June 2012 (VIS) - Participants in the fifteenth World Seminar for Catholic Civil Aviation Chaplains and Chaplaincy Members were received this morning in audience by the Holy Father. Their patron, the Pope recalled, is Our Lady of Loreto who is also the patron saint of all air travellers, in accordance with the tradition that attributes to the angels the transportation of Mary’s house from Nazareth to Loreto, Italy.
The seminar is reflecting on new methods and new forms of evangelisation in the field in which the chaplains exercise their ministry, and the Pope encouraged them always to be "conscious that you are called to embody in the world’s airports the Church’s mission of bringing God to man and leading man to the encounter with God.
"Airports", he added, "are places that increasingly reflect the globalised reality of our time. Here one finds people of a wide variety of nationalities, cultures, religions, social status and age. One also comes across all manner of difficult human situations that demand increasing attention. I think, for example, of people waiting anxiously as they seek to pass through border controls without the necessary documentation, either as immigrants or asylum seekers. I think of the inconvenience caused by anti-terrorism security measures. ... This is the human and spiritual environment in which you are called to proclaim the Good News with renewed vigour by your words, by your presence, by your example and by the witness you bear. Be assured that even in chance encounters, people are able to recognise a man of God, and that often a small seed falling on good soil can bring forth abundant fruit".
The Pope went on: "In airports, moreover, you have daily contact with a great many men and women who work in an environment marked by continuous mobility and constant technological development, both of which tend to obscure the centrality of the human person. Often more attention is paid to efficiency and productivity than to the love of neighbour and the solidarity that should always characterise human relations. Here too, your presence is of great value and importance: it is a living witness to a God Who is close to human beings, and it serves as a reminder never to show indifference to those one meets, but to treat them generously and lovingly. I encourage you to be radiant signs of this charity of Christ which brings serenity and peace", the Holy Father concluded.
DIVIDING THE EUCHARISTIC BREAD RENEWS OUR CAPACITY TO SHARE
Vatican City, 10 June 2012 (VIS) - "Today Italy and many other countries are celebrating Corpus Christi, the solemn Feast of the Body and Blood of the Lord ... which every year renews Christians' joy and gratitude at Jesus' Eucharistic presence among us", said the Pope to faithful gathered at midday in St. Peter's Square to pray the Angelus.
This feast "is a great public act of worship of the Eucharist, the Sacrament in which the Lord's presence is extended beyond the time of celebration, to remain among us always, through the hours and the days. St. Justin, who left us one of the most ancient descriptions of Eucharistic liturgy, affirms that, after the distribution of communion to those present, the consecrated bread was taken by deacons to those who were absent. For this reason the most sacred place in churches is where the Eucharist is kept.
"At this point my thoughts cannot but go to the many churches seriously damaged by the recent earthquake in Emilia Romagna", the Holy Father added, "to the fact that in some cases Christ’s Eucharistic Body in the tabernacle has been buried under the rubble. With great affection I pray for the communities forced with their priests to gather for Mass in the open air or in tents. I thank them for their witness and for their efforts in favour of the entire population. This situation highlights the importance of being united in the name of the Lord, the strength that comes from the Eucharistic Bread, also called the 'bread of pilgrims'. Sharing this Bread creates and renews the capacity to share our life and goods, to carry one another’s burdens, to be hospitable and welcoming".
Benedict XVI also noted how the Solemnity of Corpus Christi calls our attention to the importance of Eucharistic adoration. "The prayer of adoration can be performed individually, kneeling before the tabernacle, or as a community with psalms and songs, but always laying the emphasis on silence so as to hear the Lord speaking within us, the Lord Who is alive and present in the Sacrament. The Virgin Mary is our guide also in this prayer, because no one better or more than her was able to contemplate Jesus with the gaze of faith, and to welcome in her heart the intimate echo of His human and divine presence".
Following the Marian prayer the Pope greeted, among others, a group of Polish faithful and the inhabitants of the the Polish cities of Krakow, Lodz, Bydgoszcz and Gdansk who, in the presence of Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B., are currently commemorating the apostolic pilgrimage made by John Paul II twenty-five years ago. "One fruit of that visit", the Holy Father said, "is the Feast of the Eucharist being celebrated today in Lodz, where a Study Centre dedicated to Blessed John Paul II is being inaugurated. Tomorrow in Bydgoszcz a meeting will be held to examine the contents of the Encyclical 'Caritas in veritate'. I express my thanks for the Study Centre there dedicated to my own name. May these meetings strengthen your bond with Christ, Who loved us unto the end".
POPE HIGHLIGHTS IMPORTANCE OF THE EVANGELISATION OF CULTURE TO BISHOPS OF NEW GUINEA AND SOLOMON ISLANDS
Vatican City, 9 June 2012 (VIS) - This morning in the Vatican Benedict XVI received in audience prelates from the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands, who have just completed their "ad limina" visit. Speaking English, he began by highlighting how the Church provides for the basic needs of the poor, the marginalised and the sick, especially those suffering from HIV/AIDS, through the work of diocesan agencies. He also noted that the bishops exercise an important aspect of their pastoral ministry when they "speak publicly as an objective moral voice on behalf of those in need".
The Holy Father went on: "When the Church voices her concern in the public square, she does so legitimately and in order to contribute to the common good, not proposing concrete political solutions, but rather helping to 'purify and shed light upon the application of reason to the discovery of objective moral principles'. Such principles are accessible to all through right reason and are necessary for the just ordering of civil society. In view of this, I encourage you to continue to dialogue and to work with the civil authorities so that the Church may be free to speak and to provide services for the common good in a manner fully consonant with Gospel values".
In their reports the bishops had spoked of spoken of pastoral efforts aimed at the evangelisation of culture. "This", the Holy Father noted, "is of great importance since the human person can 'achieve true and full humanity only by means of culture'. We also observe the essential role of culture in salvation history, since the Triune God gradually revealed Himself in time, culminating in the sending of His only Son, Who Himself was born into a particular culture".
Moreover, "while acknowledging the respective contribution of each culture and at times calling upon its resources in fulfilling her mission, the Church has been sent to preach the Gospel to all nations, transcending man-made boundaries. In the work of evangelisation then, my brother bishops, continue to apply the eternal truths of the Gospel to the customs of the people whom you serve, in order to build upon the positive elements already present and to purify others when necessary. In this way, you play your part in the Church’s mission to lead people of every nation, race and language to Jesus Christ the Saviour in Whom we find revealed the fullness and truth of humanity".
The family plays a key role in this aspect of evangelisation, since it is "the first place where faith and culture are appropriated. Although society has recognised the important role of the family throughout history, particular attention needs to be given at the present time to the religious, social and moral goods of fidelity, equality and mutual respect that must exist between husband and wife. The Church tirelessly proclaims that the family is based on the natural institution of marriage between a man and a woman and, in the case of baptised Christians, it is a covenant which has been raised by Christ to the supernatural level of a Sacrament". Commending the prelates' efforts to give pastoral priority to the evangelisation of marriage and the family in accordance with Catholic moral teaching, the Pope also recalled Blessed Peter To Rot, the centenary of whose birth is currently being celebrated and "who shed his blood in defence of thesanctity of marriage".
Finally the Holy Father turned his attention to the importance of "a properly catechised laity and well formed clergy and religious" in order that they may "resist the temptations of the secular world" and "be wise enough not to be deceived by attempts to convert them to overly simplistic versions of Christianity that are often based solely on false promises of material prosperity. ... These witnesses and those they teach, with your guidance and support, will help to ensure that the Church in your countries will continue to be an effective instrument of evangelisation, attracting those who do not yet know Christ and inspiring those who have become lukewarm in their faith".
COMMUNIQUE OF THE HOLY SEE PRESS OFFICE
Vatican City, 9 June 2012 (VIS) - The Holy See Press Office released the following communique yesterday afternoon:
"The Holy See was surprised and concerned to learn of recent developments involving Professor Gotti Tedeschi. It has the greatest confidence that the Italian judicial authorities will honour and respect the sovereign prerogatives which the Holy See is recognised as having under international law.
"Moreover the Holy See confirms its complete confidence in the people who, with great commitment and professionalism, dedicate their labours to the Institute for the Works of Religion (IOR), and it is carefully examining the possibility that any harm, to its own rights or to those of its institutions, may have arisen from the current circumstances.
"Finally, it must be reiterated that the motion of no confidence passed against Professor Gotti Tedeschi by the Administrative Board of the IOR was founded on objective reasons concerning the governance of the IOR. It was not determined by any purported opposition to the policy of transparency which, in fact, the Holy See authorities and the IOR itself have very much to heart".
CARDINAL BERTELLO, SPECIAL ENVOY TO CAMALDOLI JUBILEE
Vatican City, 9 June 2012 (VIS) - Made public today was the letter in which the Holy Father appoints Cardinal Giuseppe Bertello, president of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State and of the Governorate of Vatican City State, as his special envoy to celebrations marking the millennium of the foundation of the Holy Hermitage of Camaldoli, Italy, due to take place on 19 June.
The names of the priests who will accompany Cardinal Bertello on his mission were also made public. They are: Fr. Giuseppe Cicchi O.S.B. Cam., member of the general council and vice prior of the monastery of Camaldoli, and Fr. Roberto Fornaciari O.S.B. Cam., professor at the Higher Institute of Religious Sciences of Arezzo and secretary of the jubilee celebrations at the Holy Hermitage.
AUDIENCES
Vatican City, 11 June 2012 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in audience Miltiadis Hiskakis, ambassador of Greece, on his farewell visit.
On Saturday 9 June he received in audience:
- Ten prelates of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands, on their "ad limina" visit
- Archbishop Stephen Joseph Reichert O.F.M. Cap. of Madang.
- Bishop Otto Separy of Aitape.
- Bishop Christian Blouin C.M.M. of Lae.
- Bishop Cesare Bonivento P.I.M.E. of Vanimo.
- Bishop Anthony John Burgess of Wewak.
- Archbishop Douglas Young S.V.D. of Mount Hagen.
- Bishop Francesco Sarego S.V.D. of Goroka.
- Bishop Anton Bal of Kundiawa.
- Bishop Donald Lippert O.F.M. Cap. of Mendi.
- Bishop Arnold Orowae of Wabag.
- Cardinal William Joseph Levada and Archbishop Luis Francisco Ladaria Ferrer S.J., respectively prefect and secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
Vatican City, 11 June 2012 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed:
- Bishop Fabio Duque Jaramillo O.F.M. of Armenia, Colombia, as bishop of Garzon (area 9,667, population 542,000, Catholics 522,000, priests 111, religious 144), Colombia.
- Fr. Constantino Barrera Morales of the clergy of the diocese of San Vicente, El Salvador, rector of the major national seminary "San Jose de la Montana", as bishop of Sonsonate (area 1,225, population 551,000, Catholics 441,000, priests 47, religious 61), El Salvador. The bishop-elect was born in Canton Rojita, El Salvador in 1963 and ordained a priest in 1990. He studied in El Salvador and in Spain, and has worked in pastoral care in parishes and as vicar forane.
On Saturday 9 June it was made public that the Holy Father:
- Appointed Msgr. Max Leroy Mesidor of the clergy of the diocese of Les Gonaives, Haiti, vicar general and pastor of the cathedral, as bishop of Fort-Liberte (area 1,600, population 480,000, Catholics 345,600, priests 46, religious 78), Haiti. The bishop-elect was born in Saint-Marc, Haiti in 1962 and ordained a priest in 1988. He has served as pastor in a number of different parishes and presides the diocesan commissions for catechises and for the liturgy.
- Appointed Msgr. Juan Antonio Anarez Cobo, vicar general of the archdiocese of Pamplona and Tudela, Spain, as auxiliary of the same archdiocese (area 10,421, population 636,924, Catholics 629,094, priests 674, permanent deacons 2, religious 1,975). The bishop-elect was born in Eibar, Spain in 1961 and ordained a priest in 1990. He studied in Spain and in Rome and, apart from working as pastor in various parishes, is professor of Sacred Scripture at, among other places, the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre.
- Accepted the resignation from the office of librarian and archivist of Holy Roman Church presented by Cardinal Raffaele Farina S.D.B., upon having reached the age limit.
FAITHFULNESS, AN EXPRESSION OF THE UNIQUE BOND BETWEEN THE POPE AND HIS DIRECT COLLABORATORS
Vatican City, 11 June 2012 (VIS) - This morning in the Vatican the Holy Father received forty members of the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy. Please find he full text of the Holy Father's remarks, below:********************************************************************Address of the Holy Father
to the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy
(Monday, 11 June 2012)
Dear Brother Bishops,
Dear Priests,
First of all, I thank Archbishop Beniamino Stella for the courteous words which he has addressed to me in the name of all present, and for the valued work that he carries out. With great affection I greet the entire community of the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy. I am pleased to receive you once again this year, as the academic year draws to a close and as, for some of you, the day is approaching when you will depart for service in Papal Representations throughout the world. The Pope also counts on you for assistance in fulfilling his universal ministry. I encourage you to be confident and to prepare diligently for the mission which awaits you, trusting in the faithfulness of the One who has known you from the beginning and has called you into communion with his Son, Jesus Christ (cf. 1 Cor 1:9).
God’s faithfulness is the key to, and the source of, our own faithfulness. I would like today to remind you of precisely this virtue, which well expresses the unique bond existing between the Pope and his direct collaborators, both in the Roman Curia and in the Papal Representations: for many, it is a bond grounded in the priestly character that they have received, which is then specified in the particular mission entrusted to each in the service of the Successor of Peter.
In the Bible, faithfulness is above all a divine attribute: God reveals himself as the one who remains ever faithful to his Covenant with his people, despite their unfaithfulness. As the Faithful One, God sees to the fulfilment of his loving plan; thus, he is trustworthy and true. His way of acting makes it possible in turn for men and women to be faithful. In our case, the virtue of faithfulness is profoundly linked to the supernatural gift of faith; it becomes the expression of that steadfastness proper to those who have made God the foundation of their entire lives. In faith we find the sole guarantee of our standing firm (cf. Is 7:9b); only on this foundation can we in turn be truly faithful: first to God, then to his family, the Church our Mother and Teacher, and within the Church to our own vocation, to the history in which the Lord has set us.
Dear friends, with this in mind, I encourage you to cultivate a personal bond with the Vicar of Christ as a part of your spirituality. Certainly, this is something which ought to apply to every Catholic, and even more to every priest. Yet for those who work in the Holy See, it is of particular importance, since they spend much of their energy, their time and their daily ministry in the service of the Successor of Peter. This entails a serious responsibility, but also a special gift which as time goes on should make you grow in closeness to the Pope, a closeness marked by interior trust, a natural idem sentire, which is exactly expressed by the word “faithfulness”.
Faithfulness to Peter, who sends you forth, also gives rise to a special faithfulness towards those to whom you are sent. The Representatives of the Roman Pontiff and their collaborators are called upon to interpret his solicitude for all the Churches, as well as the affectionate concern with which he follows the journey of each people. You should therefore cultivate a relationship of profound esteem and benevolence, and indeed true friendship, towards the Churches and the communities to which you will be sent. You are also bound to faithfulness in their regard, a faithfulness concretely manifested each day by your diligence and devotion to your work, by your presence among them at moments of joy, sadness and even tragedy, by your coming to know their culture, their journey as a Church, and by your appreciation of all that God’s grace has accomplished in every people and nation.
This represents a valuable contribution to the Petrine ministry, about which the Servant of God Paul VI once said: “By entrusting to his Vicar the power of the keys and by making him the rock and foundation of his Church, the Eternal Pastor also gave him the mandate to ‘confirm his brethren’: he does this not only by leading them and keeping them united in his name, but also by supporting and comforting them, certainly by his words, but also in some way by his presence” (Apostolic Letter Sollicitudo Omnium Ecclesiarum, 24 June 1969: AAS 61 (1969), 473-474).
Thus you will also encourage and help the particular Churches to grow in faithfulness to the Roman Pontiff and to find in the principle of communion with the universal Church a sure direction for their own pilgrimage through history. Not least, you will also help the Successor of Peter to be faithful to the mission he has received from Christ, enabling him to know better the flock entrusted to his care and to be present to it more effectively by his words, his closeness, his affection. Here I can only mention with gratitude the assistance that I receive every day from my many collaborators in the Roman Curia and in Papal Representations, as well as the support that comes to me from the prayers of countless brothers and sisters worldwide.
Dear friends, to the extent that you are faithful, you will also be worthy of faith. We know too that the faithfulness proper to the Church and to the Holy See is no “blind” loyalty, for it is enlightened by our faith in the One who said: “You are Peter, and on on this rock I will build my Church” (Mt 16:18). Let us all be committed to following this path, so that one day we may hear the words of the Gospel parable: “Good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your master” (cf. Mt 25:21).
With these sentiments, I renew my affectionate greeting to Archbishop Stella and his collaborators, to the Franciscan Missionary Sisters of the Child Jesus, and to the entire community of the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy, and I cordially impart my blessing.
CHURCH'S MISSION OF EVANGELISATION ALSO INVOLVES AIRPORTS
Vatican City, 11 June 2012 (VIS) - Participants in the fifteenth World Seminar for Catholic Civil Aviation Chaplains and Chaplaincy Members were received this morning in audience by the Holy Father. Their patron, the Pope recalled, is Our Lady of Loreto who is also the patron saint of all air travellers, in accordance with the tradition that attributes to the angels the transportation of Mary’s house from Nazareth to Loreto, Italy.
The seminar is reflecting on new methods and new forms of evangelisation in the field in which the chaplains exercise their ministry, and the Pope encouraged them always to be "conscious that you are called to embody in the world’s airports the Church’s mission of bringing God to man and leading man to the encounter with God.
"Airports", he added, "are places that increasingly reflect the globalised reality of our time. Here one finds people of a wide variety of nationalities, cultures, religions, social status and age. One also comes across all manner of difficult human situations that demand increasing attention. I think, for example, of people waiting anxiously as they seek to pass through border controls without the necessary documentation, either as immigrants or asylum seekers. I think of the inconvenience caused by anti-terrorism security measures. ... This is the human and spiritual environment in which you are called to proclaim the Good News with renewed vigour by your words, by your presence, by your example and by the witness you bear. Be assured that even in chance encounters, people are able to recognise a man of God, and that often a small seed falling on good soil can bring forth abundant fruit".
The Pope went on: "In airports, moreover, you have daily contact with a great many men and women who work in an environment marked by continuous mobility and constant technological development, both of which tend to obscure the centrality of the human person. Often more attention is paid to efficiency and productivity than to the love of neighbour and the solidarity that should always characterise human relations. Here too, your presence is of great value and importance: it is a living witness to a God Who is close to human beings, and it serves as a reminder never to show indifference to those one meets, but to treat them generously and lovingly. I encourage you to be radiant signs of this charity of Christ which brings serenity and peace", the Holy Father concluded.
DIVIDING THE EUCHARISTIC BREAD RENEWS OUR CAPACITY TO SHARE
Vatican City, 10 June 2012 (VIS) - "Today Italy and many other countries are celebrating Corpus Christi, the solemn Feast of the Body and Blood of the Lord ... which every year renews Christians' joy and gratitude at Jesus' Eucharistic presence among us", said the Pope to faithful gathered at midday in St. Peter's Square to pray the Angelus.
This feast "is a great public act of worship of the Eucharist, the Sacrament in which the Lord's presence is extended beyond the time of celebration, to remain among us always, through the hours and the days. St. Justin, who left us one of the most ancient descriptions of Eucharistic liturgy, affirms that, after the distribution of communion to those present, the consecrated bread was taken by deacons to those who were absent. For this reason the most sacred place in churches is where the Eucharist is kept.
"At this point my thoughts cannot but go to the many churches seriously damaged by the recent earthquake in Emilia Romagna", the Holy Father added, "to the fact that in some cases Christ’s Eucharistic Body in the tabernacle has been buried under the rubble. With great affection I pray for the communities forced with their priests to gather for Mass in the open air or in tents. I thank them for their witness and for their efforts in favour of the entire population. This situation highlights the importance of being united in the name of the Lord, the strength that comes from the Eucharistic Bread, also called the 'bread of pilgrims'. Sharing this Bread creates and renews the capacity to share our life and goods, to carry one another’s burdens, to be hospitable and welcoming".
Benedict XVI also noted how the Solemnity of Corpus Christi calls our attention to the importance of Eucharistic adoration. "The prayer of adoration can be performed individually, kneeling before the tabernacle, or as a community with psalms and songs, but always laying the emphasis on silence so as to hear the Lord speaking within us, the Lord Who is alive and present in the Sacrament. The Virgin Mary is our guide also in this prayer, because no one better or more than her was able to contemplate Jesus with the gaze of faith, and to welcome in her heart the intimate echo of His human and divine presence".
Following the Marian prayer the Pope greeted, among others, a group of Polish faithful and the inhabitants of the the Polish cities of Krakow, Lodz, Bydgoszcz and Gdansk who, in the presence of Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B., are currently commemorating the apostolic pilgrimage made by John Paul II twenty-five years ago. "One fruit of that visit", the Holy Father said, "is the Feast of the Eucharist being celebrated today in Lodz, where a Study Centre dedicated to Blessed John Paul II is being inaugurated. Tomorrow in Bydgoszcz a meeting will be held to examine the contents of the Encyclical 'Caritas in veritate'. I express my thanks for the Study Centre there dedicated to my own name. May these meetings strengthen your bond with Christ, Who loved us unto the end".
POPE HIGHLIGHTS IMPORTANCE OF THE EVANGELISATION OF CULTURE TO BISHOPS OF NEW GUINEA AND SOLOMON ISLANDS
Vatican City, 9 June 2012 (VIS) - This morning in the Vatican Benedict XVI received in audience prelates from the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands, who have just completed their "ad limina" visit. Speaking English, he began by highlighting how the Church provides for the basic needs of the poor, the marginalised and the sick, especially those suffering from HIV/AIDS, through the work of diocesan agencies. He also noted that the bishops exercise an important aspect of their pastoral ministry when they "speak publicly as an objective moral voice on behalf of those in need".
The Holy Father went on: "When the Church voices her concern in the public square, she does so legitimately and in order to contribute to the common good, not proposing concrete political solutions, but rather helping to 'purify and shed light upon the application of reason to the discovery of objective moral principles'. Such principles are accessible to all through right reason and are necessary for the just ordering of civil society. In view of this, I encourage you to continue to dialogue and to work with the civil authorities so that the Church may be free to speak and to provide services for the common good in a manner fully consonant with Gospel values".
In their reports the bishops had spoked of spoken of pastoral efforts aimed at the evangelisation of culture. "This", the Holy Father noted, "is of great importance since the human person can 'achieve true and full humanity only by means of culture'. We also observe the essential role of culture in salvation history, since the Triune God gradually revealed Himself in time, culminating in the sending of His only Son, Who Himself was born into a particular culture".
Moreover, "while acknowledging the respective contribution of each culture and at times calling upon its resources in fulfilling her mission, the Church has been sent to preach the Gospel to all nations, transcending man-made boundaries. In the work of evangelisation then, my brother bishops, continue to apply the eternal truths of the Gospel to the customs of the people whom you serve, in order to build upon the positive elements already present and to purify others when necessary. In this way, you play your part in the Church’s mission to lead people of every nation, race and language to Jesus Christ the Saviour in Whom we find revealed the fullness and truth of humanity".
The family plays a key role in this aspect of evangelisation, since it is "the first place where faith and culture are appropriated. Although society has recognised the important role of the family throughout history, particular attention needs to be given at the present time to the religious, social and moral goods of fidelity, equality and mutual respect that must exist between husband and wife. The Church tirelessly proclaims that the family is based on the natural institution of marriage between a man and a woman and, in the case of baptised Christians, it is a covenant which has been raised by Christ to the supernatural level of a Sacrament". Commending the prelates' efforts to give pastoral priority to the evangelisation of marriage and the family in accordance with Catholic moral teaching, the Pope also recalled Blessed Peter To Rot, the centenary of whose birth is currently being celebrated and "who shed his blood in defence of thesanctity of marriage".
Finally the Holy Father turned his attention to the importance of "a properly catechised laity and well formed clergy and religious" in order that they may "resist the temptations of the secular world" and "be wise enough not to be deceived by attempts to convert them to overly simplistic versions of Christianity that are often based solely on false promises of material prosperity. ... These witnesses and those they teach, with your guidance and support, will help to ensure that the Church in your countries will continue to be an effective instrument of evangelisation, attracting those who do not yet know Christ and inspiring those who have become lukewarm in their faith".
COMMUNIQUE OF THE HOLY SEE PRESS OFFICE
Vatican City, 9 June 2012 (VIS) - The Holy See Press Office released the following communique yesterday afternoon:
"The Holy See was surprised and concerned to learn of recent developments involving Professor Gotti Tedeschi. It has the greatest confidence that the Italian judicial authorities will honour and respect the sovereign prerogatives which the Holy See is recognised as having under international law.
"Moreover the Holy See confirms its complete confidence in the people who, with great commitment and professionalism, dedicate their labours to the Institute for the Works of Religion (IOR), and it is carefully examining the possibility that any harm, to its own rights or to those of its institutions, may have arisen from the current circumstances.
"Finally, it must be reiterated that the motion of no confidence passed against Professor Gotti Tedeschi by the Administrative Board of the IOR was founded on objective reasons concerning the governance of the IOR. It was not determined by any purported opposition to the policy of transparency which, in fact, the Holy See authorities and the IOR itself have very much to heart".
CARDINAL BERTELLO, SPECIAL ENVOY TO CAMALDOLI JUBILEE
Vatican City, 9 June 2012 (VIS) - Made public today was the letter in which the Holy Father appoints Cardinal Giuseppe Bertello, president of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State and of the Governorate of Vatican City State, as his special envoy to celebrations marking the millennium of the foundation of the Holy Hermitage of Camaldoli, Italy, due to take place on 19 June.
The names of the priests who will accompany Cardinal Bertello on his mission were also made public. They are: Fr. Giuseppe Cicchi O.S.B. Cam., member of the general council and vice prior of the monastery of Camaldoli, and Fr. Roberto Fornaciari O.S.B. Cam., professor at the Higher Institute of Religious Sciences of Arezzo and secretary of the jubilee celebrations at the Holy Hermitage.
AUDIENCES
Vatican City, 11 June 2012 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in audience Miltiadis Hiskakis, ambassador of Greece, on his farewell visit.
On Saturday 9 June he received in audience:
- Ten prelates of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands, on their "ad limina" visit
- Archbishop Stephen Joseph Reichert O.F.M. Cap. of Madang.
- Bishop Otto Separy of Aitape.
- Bishop Christian Blouin C.M.M. of Lae.
- Bishop Cesare Bonivento P.I.M.E. of Vanimo.
- Bishop Anthony John Burgess of Wewak.
- Archbishop Douglas Young S.V.D. of Mount Hagen.
- Bishop Francesco Sarego S.V.D. of Goroka.
- Bishop Anton Bal of Kundiawa.
- Bishop Donald Lippert O.F.M. Cap. of Mendi.
- Bishop Arnold Orowae of Wabag.
- Cardinal William Joseph Levada and Archbishop Luis Francisco Ladaria Ferrer S.J., respectively prefect and secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
Vatican City, 11 June 2012 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed:
- Bishop Fabio Duque Jaramillo O.F.M. of Armenia, Colombia, as bishop of Garzon (area 9,667, population 542,000, Catholics 522,000, priests 111, religious 144), Colombia.
- Fr. Constantino Barrera Morales of the clergy of the diocese of San Vicente, El Salvador, rector of the major national seminary "San Jose de la Montana", as bishop of Sonsonate (area 1,225, population 551,000, Catholics 441,000, priests 47, religious 61), El Salvador. The bishop-elect was born in Canton Rojita, El Salvador in 1963 and ordained a priest in 1990. He studied in El Salvador and in Spain, and has worked in pastoral care in parishes and as vicar forane.
On Saturday 9 June it was made public that the Holy Father:
- Appointed Msgr. Max Leroy Mesidor of the clergy of the diocese of Les Gonaives, Haiti, vicar general and pastor of the cathedral, as bishop of Fort-Liberte (area 1,600, population 480,000, Catholics 345,600, priests 46, religious 78), Haiti. The bishop-elect was born in Saint-Marc, Haiti in 1962 and ordained a priest in 1988. He has served as pastor in a number of different parishes and presides the diocesan commissions for catechises and for the liturgy.
- Appointed Msgr. Juan Antonio Anarez Cobo, vicar general of the archdiocese of Pamplona and Tudela, Spain, as auxiliary of the same archdiocese (area 10,421, population 636,924, Catholics 629,094, priests 674, permanent deacons 2, religious 1,975). The bishop-elect was born in Eibar, Spain in 1961 and ordained a priest in 1990. He studied in Spain and in Rome and, apart from working as pastor in various parishes, is professor of Sacred Scripture at, among other places, the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre.
- Accepted the resignation from the office of librarian and archivist of Holy Roman Church presented by Cardinal Raffaele Farina S.D.B., upon having reached the age limit.
EUROPE : ECUMENISM AT THE EUCHARISTIC CONGRESS
IND. CATH. NEWS REPORT:
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AUSTRALIA : YOUTH MINISTRY CONVENTION
DIOCESE OF PARRAMATTA REPORT:
The 2012 Australian Catholic Youth Ministry Convention (ACYMC) will be held in Campbelltown in September, where the Bishop of Parramatta and Australian Catholic Bishops Conference delegate for youth, Most Rev Anthony Fisher OP, will meet with key youth ministry leaders from around the country.
ACYMC 2012 expects to gather up to 500 participants from around the country who minister with young people in dioceses, parishes and schools, religious orders, universities, movements and communities.
“It will be exciting to be back amongst a special group of people in Australia who I have missed since World Youth Day 2008,” Bishop Anthony said.
Read full story
Related:
Visit ACYMC
Visit Catholic Youth Parramatta
The 2012 Australian Catholic Youth Ministry Convention (ACYMC) will be held in Campbelltown in September, where the Bishop of Parramatta and Australian Catholic Bishops Conference delegate for youth, Most Rev Anthony Fisher OP, will meet with key youth ministry leaders from around the country.
ACYMC 2012 expects to gather up to 500 participants from around the country who minister with young people in dioceses, parishes and schools, religious orders, universities, movements and communities.
“It will be exciting to be back amongst a special group of people in Australia who I have missed since World Youth Day 2008,” Bishop Anthony said.
Read full story
Related:
Visit ACYMC
Visit Catholic Youth Parramatta
ASIA : JAPAN : DIOCESE PROTESTS ARREST AT CHURCH
UCAN REPORT:
Says illegal
arrest was a violation of religious freedom and a breach of Japanese law
Kaizuka Catholic Church in Kawasaki, where police
last month arrested a Filipino man without a warrant
The Yokohama diocese has filed a protest against the arrest of a
Filipino man on the grounds of a Catholic church in a letter that calls the
action “an infringement of the basic human right to freedom of
religion.”
According to the complaint, in the early afternoon of Pentecost Sunday, May 27, six or seven officers from the Kawasaki-Rinko Police Station of the Kanagawa prefectural police entered the grounds of the Kaizuka Catholic Church in Kawasaki City without notice or warrant and arrested the layman for not carrying his passport.
The police wanted to investigate the man on suspicion of illegally overstaying in Japan. The pastor of the church, Fr. Takashi Motoyanagi, protested that since they did not have a warrant to conduct an investigation on the church property or an arrest warrant for the individual, they had no right to enter the parish grounds.
Witnesses to the event included many Filipinos and Japanese who reported that the investigators were overbearing in their speech and actions.
On June 5, Fr. Motoyanagi and a lawyer visited the Kawasaki-Rinko Police station to deliver a letter from Bishop Masahiro Umemura expressing his concern over the event.
The letter makes two points, that conducting an investigation and making an arrest on church grounds infringes the fundamental human right to freedom of religion, and that doing so without a warrant violates proper legal procedures and thereby poses a threat to society.
The diocesan complaint demanded an apology for the event as well as a guarantee that police will not enter Church sites illegally to conduct investigations. The bishop also asked that police refrain from directing investigative activities involving immigration toward those visiting churches or near church grounds.
Fr. Motoyanagi said he expected a written response to the letter, but the police responded that after considering the matter they would decide whether to give a written or verbal response.
The priest said that he got the impression that the police do not think entering Church sites without warrants is illegal.
At a June 7 meeting of the bishops’ conference standing committee, Bishop Umemura reported the incident and said that he is waiting for a response from the police.
Since the Church in Japan has many foreign members, the incident will be on the agenda of the Japan bishops’ plenary assembly that starts on June 19.
SHARED FROM UCAN NEWS
According to the complaint, in the early afternoon of Pentecost Sunday, May 27, six or seven officers from the Kawasaki-Rinko Police Station of the Kanagawa prefectural police entered the grounds of the Kaizuka Catholic Church in Kawasaki City without notice or warrant and arrested the layman for not carrying his passport.
The police wanted to investigate the man on suspicion of illegally overstaying in Japan. The pastor of the church, Fr. Takashi Motoyanagi, protested that since they did not have a warrant to conduct an investigation on the church property or an arrest warrant for the individual, they had no right to enter the parish grounds.
Witnesses to the event included many Filipinos and Japanese who reported that the investigators were overbearing in their speech and actions.
On June 5, Fr. Motoyanagi and a lawyer visited the Kawasaki-Rinko Police station to deliver a letter from Bishop Masahiro Umemura expressing his concern over the event.
The letter makes two points, that conducting an investigation and making an arrest on church grounds infringes the fundamental human right to freedom of religion, and that doing so without a warrant violates proper legal procedures and thereby poses a threat to society.
The diocesan complaint demanded an apology for the event as well as a guarantee that police will not enter Church sites illegally to conduct investigations. The bishop also asked that police refrain from directing investigative activities involving immigration toward those visiting churches or near church grounds.
Fr. Motoyanagi said he expected a written response to the letter, but the police responded that after considering the matter they would decide whether to give a written or verbal response.
The priest said that he got the impression that the police do not think entering Church sites without warrants is illegal.
At a June 7 meeting of the bishops’ conference standing committee, Bishop Umemura reported the incident and said that he is waiting for a response from the police.
Since the Church in Japan has many foreign members, the incident will be on the agenda of the Japan bishops’ plenary assembly that starts on June 19.
SHARED FROM UCAN NEWS
AFRICA : NIGERIA : BOMBING ON CHURCH 8 DIE OVER 50 INJURED
ASIA NEWS REPORT;
The attacks occurred Jos (central Nigeria) and Bui (nor-east of the country). Alarm: Islamization of African countries after the fall of the Libyan leader Gaddafi.
Lagos (AsiaNews / Agencies) - Boko Haram, a terrorist group linked to al-Qaeda, claimed responsibility for the bombings yesterday in Nigeria, who have sown violence between Christian communities in center and north of the country. In Jos (central Nigeria), a suicide bomber blew himself up with his car in front of the local Christian church. About 50 people were injured in the collapse of the building, 41 are in critical condition. A Biu (North East of the country), a group of gunmen opened fire on worshipers during Mass, killing a woman. The attacks have triggered the reprisal of Christians in Jos. Shortly after the bombing of the church in Jos, a group of young men left unscathed by the collapse attacked some Muslims in the area of the explosion. Seven people were killed in the clashes. Ben Kwashi, Anglican Archbishop of Jos, condemned the attacks, but urged Christians to avoid unnecessary reprisals that only aggravate the situation.
The attacks come a week from another suicide attack on a church in Bauchi City (north-east of the country) that claimed 12 deaths.
Since 2009 the Boko Haram group has carried out numerous attacks against churches, schools, police stations and government buildings in northern Nigeria, which cost more than 1000 deaths. Experts fear new attacks in the coming months. Boko Haram, whose name means "No Western education", wants to impose Sharia law in Nigeria.
For several years, extremist groups funded by Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries have launched a radical Islamization of the countries in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly Nigeria, Niger and Mali. In an interview with Al-Jazeera Mahmadou Issoufou, president of Niger launched an alert to combat the spread of Islamic terrorism in African countries, also caused by the fall of the Libyan leader Gaddafi.
SHARED FROM ASIA NEWS IT
The attacks occurred Jos (central Nigeria) and Bui (nor-east of the country). Alarm: Islamization of African countries after the fall of the Libyan leader Gaddafi.
_0611_Attentats_contre_deux_églises_au_Nigeria_revendiqués_par_Boko_Haram.jpg)
Lagos (AsiaNews / Agencies) - Boko Haram, a terrorist group linked to al-Qaeda, claimed responsibility for the bombings yesterday in Nigeria, who have sown violence between Christian communities in center and north of the country. In Jos (central Nigeria), a suicide bomber blew himself up with his car in front of the local Christian church. About 50 people were injured in the collapse of the building, 41 are in critical condition. A Biu (North East of the country), a group of gunmen opened fire on worshipers during Mass, killing a woman. The attacks have triggered the reprisal of Christians in Jos. Shortly after the bombing of the church in Jos, a group of young men left unscathed by the collapse attacked some Muslims in the area of the explosion. Seven people were killed in the clashes. Ben Kwashi, Anglican Archbishop of Jos, condemned the attacks, but urged Christians to avoid unnecessary reprisals that only aggravate the situation.
The attacks come a week from another suicide attack on a church in Bauchi City (north-east of the country) that claimed 12 deaths.
Since 2009 the Boko Haram group has carried out numerous attacks against churches, schools, police stations and government buildings in northern Nigeria, which cost more than 1000 deaths. Experts fear new attacks in the coming months. Boko Haram, whose name means "No Western education", wants to impose Sharia law in Nigeria.
For several years, extremist groups funded by Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries have launched a radical Islamization of the countries in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly Nigeria, Niger and Mali. In an interview with Al-Jazeera Mahmadou Issoufou, president of Niger launched an alert to combat the spread of Islamic terrorism in African countries, also caused by the fall of the Libyan leader Gaddafi.
SHARED FROM ASIA NEWS IT
AMERICA : DOMINICAN REPUBLIC : CARDINAL COUNTRY NEEDS PEACE
Agenzia Fides REPORT - Cardinal Nicolás de Jesús López
Rodríguez, Archbishop of Santo Domingo, spoke again of the situation that the
country lives and prayed for the new government. "We ask God to assist the
elected President in this difficult moment to organize the new government," said
the Archbishop during the Mass celebration for the Solemnity of Corpus Christi
followed by eucharist procession, attended by more than 20 thousand people
gathered in the Olympic Stadium in the capital. The Cardinal reported a number
of priorities that, in the opinion of many people, should be taken into account
by the new government: insecurity, the creation of jobs, fair wages for civil
servants, public education, better training and a more adequate salary for
teachers in schools.
According to information Fides received, the Archbishop of Santo Domingo, on June 9 participated in one of the events scheduled for the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Pontificia Universidad Catolica Madre y Maestra (PUCMM), in his speech he underlined that the country needs peace and reconciliation. Soon after he emphasized the necessity for the Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD) to remain united, because "disputes do not lead to anything positive," and called this "for the good of Dominican democracy." The PRD in fact is experiencing a domestic crisis after the elections held on May 20, when its candidate, Mejia, was defeated by the Dominican Liberation Party candidate, Danilo Medina.
Cardinal Lopez Rodriguez presided over the act of delivery of the titles of the PUCMM at the campus of Santiago: it is the third ceremony this year to celebrate half a century of the most important Study Center of the nation. With 984 new graduates this year, 63 thousand 982 people have achieved a higher education qualification at this University which was founded in 1962. (CE) (Agenzia Fides 11/6/2012)
According to information Fides received, the Archbishop of Santo Domingo, on June 9 participated in one of the events scheduled for the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Pontificia Universidad Catolica Madre y Maestra (PUCMM), in his speech he underlined that the country needs peace and reconciliation. Soon after he emphasized the necessity for the Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD) to remain united, because "disputes do not lead to anything positive," and called this "for the good of Dominican democracy." The PRD in fact is experiencing a domestic crisis after the elections held on May 20, when its candidate, Mejia, was defeated by the Dominican Liberation Party candidate, Danilo Medina.
Cardinal Lopez Rodriguez presided over the act of delivery of the titles of the PUCMM at the campus of Santiago: it is the third ceremony this year to celebrate half a century of the most important Study Center of the nation. With 984 new graduates this year, 63 thousand 982 people have achieved a higher education qualification at this University which was founded in 1962. (CE) (Agenzia Fides 11/6/2012)
TODAY'S MASS ONLINE : MONDAY JUNE 11, 2012
| Matthew
10: 7 - 13
| |
| 7 | And preach as you go, saying, `The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' |
| 8 | Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying, give without pay. |
| 9 | Take no gold, nor silver, nor copper in your belts, |
| 10 | no bag for your journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor a staff; for the laborer deserves his food. |
| 11 | And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it, and stay with him until you depart. |
| 12 | As you enter the house, salute it. |
| 13 | And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. |
TODAY'S SAINT : JUNE 11 : ST. BARNABAS
St. Barnabas
APOSTLE
Feast: June 11
 Information:
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arnabas (originally
Joseph), styled an Apostle in Holy Scripture, and, like St. Paul, ranked by the
Church with the Twelve, though not one of them; b. of Jewish parents in the
Island of Cyprus about the beginning of the Christian Era. A Levite, he
naturally spent much time in Jerusalem, probably even before the Crucifixion of
Our Lord, and appears also to have settled there (where his relatives, the
family of Mark the Evangelist, likewise had their homes — Acts 12:12) and to
have owned land in its vicinity (4:36-37). A rather late tradition recorded by
Clement of Alexandria (Strom., II, 20, P.G., VIII, col. 1060) and Eusebius (H.
E., II, i, P. G., XX, col. 117) says that he was one of the seventy Disciples;
but Acts (4:36-37) favours the opinion that he was converted to Christianity
shortly after Pentecost (about A.D. 29 or 30) and immediately sold his property
and devoted the proceeds to the Church. The Apostles, probably because of his
success as a preacher, for he is later placed first among the prophets and
doctors of Antioch (xiii, 1), surnamed him Barnabas, a name then interpreted as
meaning "son of exhortation" or "consolation". (The real etymology, however, is
disputed. See Encyl. Bibli., I, col. 484.) Though nothing is recorded of
Barnabas for some years, he evidently acquired during this period a high
position in the Church. When Saul the persecutor, later Paul the Apostle, made his first visit (dated variously from A.D. 33 to 38) to Jerusalem after his conversion, the Church there, remembering his former fierce spirit, was slow to believe in the reality of his conversion. Barnabas stood sponsor for him and had him received by the Apostles, as the Acts relate (9:27), though he saw only Peter and James, the brother of the Lord, according to Paul himself (Galatians 1:18-19). Saul went to his house at Tarsus to live in obscurity for some years, while Barnabas appears to have remained at Jerusalem. The event that brought them together again and opened to both the door to their lifework was an indirect result of Saul's own persecution. In the dispersion that followed Stephen's death, some Disciples from Cyprus and Cyrene, obscure men, inaugurated the real mission of the Christian Church by preaching to the Gentiles. They met with great success among the Greeks at Antioch in Syria, reports of which coming o the ears of the Apostles, Barnabas was sent thither by them to investigate the work of his countrymen. He saw in the conversions effected the fruit of God's grace and, though a Jew, heartily welcomed these first Gentile converts. His mind was opened at once to the possibility of this immense field. It is a proof how deeply impressed Barnabas had been by Paul that he thought of him immediately for this work, set out without delay for distant Tarsus, and persuaded Paul to go to Antioch and begin the work of preaching. This incident, shedding light on the character of each, shows it was no mere accident that led them to the Gentile field. Together they laboured at Antioch for a whole year and "taught a great multitude". Then, on the coming of famine, by which Jerusalem was much afflicted, the offerings of the Disciples at Antioch were carried (about A.D. 45) to the mother-church by Barnabas and Saul (Acts 11). Their mission ended, they returned to Antioch, bringing with them the cousin, or nephew of Barnabas (Colossians 4:10), John Mark, the future Evangelist (Acts 12:25). The time was now ripe, it was believed, for more systematic labours, and the Church of Antioch felt inspired by the Holy Ghost to send out missionaries to the Gentile world and to designate for the work Barnabas and Paul. They accordingly departed, after the imposition of hands, with John Mark as helper. Cyprus, the native land of Barnabas, was first evangelized, and then they crossed over to Asia Minor. Here, at Perge in Pamphylia, the first stopping place, John Mark left them, for what reason his friend St. Luke does not state, though Paul looked on the act as desertion. The two Apostles, however, pushing into the interior of a rather wild country, preached at Antioch of Pisidia, Iconium, Lystra, at Derbe, and other cities. At every step they met with opposition and even violent persecution from the Jews, who also incited the Gentiles against them. The most striking incident of the journey was at Lystra, where the superstitious populace took Paul, who had just cured a lame man, for Hermes (Mercury) "because he was the chief speaker", and Barnabas for Jupiter, and were about to sacrifice a bull to them when prevented by the Apostles. Mob-like, they were soon persuaded by the Jews to turn and attack the Apostles and wounded St. Paul almost fatally. Despite opposition and persecution, Paul and Barnabas made many converts on this journey and returned by the same route to Perge, organizing churches, ordaining presbyters and placing them over the faithful, so that they felt, on again reaching Antioch in Syria, that God had "opened a door of faith to the Gentiles" (Acts 13:13-14:27). Barnabas and Paul had been "for no small time" at Antioch, when they were threatened with the undoing of their work and the stopping of its further progress. Preachers came from Jerusalem with the gospel that circumcision was necessary for salvation, even for the Gentiles. The Apostles of the Gentiles, perceiving at once that this doctrine would be fatal to their work, went up to Jerusalem to combat it; the older Apostles received them kindly and at what is called the Council of Jerusalem (dated variously from A.D. 47 to 51) granted a decision in their favour as well as a hearty commendation of their work (Acts 14:27-15:30). On their return to Antioch, they resumed their preaching for a short time. St. Peter came down and associated freely there with the Gentiles, eating with them. This displeased some disciples of James; in their opinion, Peter's act was unlawful, as against the Mosaic law. Upon their remonstrances, Peter yielded apparently through fear of displeasing them, and refused to eat any longer with the Gentiles. Barnabas followed his example. Paul considered that they "walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel" and upbraided them before the whole church (Galatians 2:11-15). Paul seems to have carried his point. Shortly afterwards, he and Barnabas decided to revisit their missions. Barnabas wished to take John Mark along once more, but on account of the previous defection Paul objected. A sharp contention ensuing, the Apostles agreed to separate. Paul was probably somewhat influenced by the attitude recently taken by Barnabas, which might prove a prejudice to their work. Barnabas sailed with John Mark to Cyprus, while Paul took Silas an revisited the churches of Asia Minor. It is believed by some that the church of Antioch, by its God-speed to Paul, showed its approval of his attitude; this inference, however, is not certain (Acts 15:35-41). Little is known of the subsequent career of Barnabas. He was still living and labouring as an Apostle in 56 or 57, when Paul wrote I Cor. (ix, 5, 6). from which we learn that he, too, like Paul, earned his own living, though on an equality with other Apostles. The reference indicates also that the friendship between the two was unimpaired. When Paul was a prisoner in Rome (61-63), John Mark was attached to him as a disciple, which is regarded as an indication that Barnabas was no longer living (Colossians 4:10). This seems probable. Various traditions represent him as the first Bishop of Milan, as preaching at Alexandria and at Rome, whose fourth (?) bishop, St. Clement, he is said to have converted, and as having suffered martyrdom in Cyprus. The traditions are all late and untrustworthy. With the exception of St. Paul and certain of the Twelve, Barnabas appears to have been the most esteemed man of the first Christian generation. St. Luke, breaking his habit of reserve, speaks of him with affection, "for he was a good man, full of the Holy Ghost and of Faith". His title to glory comes not only from his kindliness of heart, his personal sanctity, and his missionary labours, but also from his readiness to lay aside his Jewish prejudices, in this anticipating certain of the Twelve; from his large-hearted welcome of the Gentiles, and from his early perception of Paul's worth, to which the Christian Church is indebted, in large part at least, for its great Apostle. His tenderness towards John Mark seems to have had its reward in the valuable services later rendered by him to the Church. The feast of St. Barnabas is celebrated on 11 June. He is credited by Tertullian (probably falsely) with the authorship of the Epistle to the Hebrews, and the so-called Epistle of Barnabas is ascribed to him by many Fathers.
(Taken from Catholic
Encyclopedia)
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SOURCE: http://www.ewtn.com/saintsHoly/saints/B/stbarnabas.asp#ixzz1xUBP4PYn
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