Vatican Radio REPORT –
Pope Benedict XVI received a second group of bishops from Colombia on Monday,
who are on their ad limina pilgrimage. Welcoming them to Castel Gandolfo,
Pope Benedict spoke of the importance of the Ad Limina pilgrimage as a sign of
unity between the successor of St. Peter and the pastors of the Universal
Church.
In his address to the group, delivered in Spanish, Pope Benedict spoke of the scourge of violence that has plagued the country: “despite some encouraging signs, violence continues to bring pain, loneliness, death and injustice to many brothers and sisters in Colombia. While I recognize and appreciate the pastoral mission, often in places full of difficulties and dangers, that is being done for so many innocent people who are suffering in his beloved nation, I encourage you to continue to contribute to the protection of human life and the culture of peace, drawing inspiration from the example of our Savior and humbly beseeching His grace. Sow the Gospel and reap reconciliation, knowing that wherever Christ comes, He opens the path to agreement, hatred gives way to forgiveness and rivalry becomes brotherhood”.
“Colombia's history”, he said “ is indelibly marked by the deep Catholic faith of its people, their love for the Eucharist, devotion to the Virgin Mary and the witness of charity of noteworthy pastors and laity. The proclamation of the Gospel has borne fruit among you with abundant vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life, in the commitment shown for the mission ad gentes, in the emergence of apostolic movements, as well as pastoral vitality of parish communities. Along with this, you yourselves have also noted the devastating effects of increasing secularization, which has a strong impact on livelihoods and upsets the scale of values of people, undermining the very foundations of the Catholic faith, marriage, the family and Christian morality. In this regard, the tireless defense and promotion of the institution of the family remains a pastoral priority for you. So in the midst of these difficulties, I invite to continue your efforts and to proclaim the integral truth about the family, founded on marriage as the domestic Church and a sanctuary of life”.
Pope Benedict also dwelt on the The Global Plan (2012 - 2020) of the Episcopal Conference of Colombia, which aims to promote new evangelization processes that form “missionary disciples, encourage ecclesial communion and impact on society with the Gospel values " (cf. n. 5.1 ). I accompany this objective with my prayer…that the dynamism of interior renewal help your people revitalize their love for the Lord,…instilling in them a firm hope to live their faith responsibly and joyfully and irradiate it in every environment”.
The Holy Father also encouraged the Bishops to be close to the priests, deacons and religious in your care: “Give them the attention they need for their spiritual, intellectual and material life, so they can live their ministry faithfully and fruitfully. And where necessary timely, clear and charitable correction and guidance. But above all, be for them a model of life and dedication to the mission received from Christ. And do not fail to encourage vocations and the initial formation of candidates for Holy Orders or religious life, helping them to discern the truth of God's call, to respond to it with generosity and the right intention. In this regard, it is appropriate that, under the guidance of the Magisterium, you encourage the revision of the content and methods of formation, with the hope that it may respond to the challenges of the present time and the needs and demands of the people of God”.
Finally, Pope Benedict asked the Bishops to pay special attention to young people : “The development of a successful youth ministry is equally important, through which new generations can clearly perceive that Christ seeks and wishes to offer the friendship (cf. Jn 15, 13-15). He gave his life to have abundant life, so the heart is not drawn towards mediocrity or proposals that leave only emptiness and sadness behind. He wants to help those who have the future in their hands to realize their most noble aspirations, so they may bring a fruitful contribution to society, and through this progress on the paths of safeguarding the environment, of orderly progress and real solidarity”.
SHARED FROM RADIO VATICANA
POPE WRITES TO THE TWENTY-SIXTH INTERNATIONAL MEETING FOR PEACE
Vatican City, 10 September 2012 (VIS) - Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B. has sent a message, in the name of the Holy Father, to Cardinal Vinko Puljic, archbishop of Vrhbosna-Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, in which he greets representatives of Churches, Christian communities and the great world religions, "as well as the population of Sarajevo who are particularly dear to him", and participants in the twenty-sixth International Meeting for Peace which has been organised by the Sant'Egidio Community and its currently taking place in that city.
"It is a source of joy and comfort to see that this pilgrimage for peace, which was begun at Assisi in October 1986 by Blessed John Paul II, continues to bear fruit", the cardinal writes. He likewise recalls how Benedict XVI relaunched, also from Assisi, "the alliance between people of religion and others who feel no sense of belonging to any religious tradition but who are sincerely seeking the truth. He did so in the conviction that profound and sincere dialogue can lead, for the former, to commitment to an ever necessary purification of the religion they profess and, for the latter, to openness to the great questions facing humankind and the Mystery which surrounds the life of man. In this way, the joint pilgrimage towards truth can be translated into a joint pilgrimage towards peace".
"The Holy Father", Cardinal Bertone concludes, "in the hope that the meeting will prove fruitful, spiritually unities himself to all those present, in the certainty that the Lord, Father of all mankind, will continue to guide us along the paths of peace and of peaceful encounter between peoples".
ANGELUS: JESUS CAME TO OPEN THE HEART OF MAN
Vatican City, 9 September 2012 (VIS) - Before praying the Angelus at midday today. Benedict XVI focused some remarks on what he described as "a word which, in its most profound meaning, sums up the whole message and work of Christ. ... That word is 'ephphatha', which means 'be opened'".
The Pope recalled how Jesus was crossing the region known as the "Decapolis", between the coastal area of Tyre and Sidon and Galilee, when He was presented with a deaf man to heal. Christ touched his ears and tongue and, looking up to heaven, pronounced the word 'ephphatha'. Immediately the man was able to hear and speak. "This deaf man, thanks to Jesus’ intervention, 'was opened'", the Holy Father explained. "Before he had been closed, insulated, it was very difficult for him to communicate; his healing was an 'opening' to others and the world, an opening that, starting from the organs of hearing and speech, involved his entire person and life: Finally he was able to communicate, and thus to relate to others in a new way".
"Yet", the Pope added, "we all know that man's closure and isolation do not depend solely on the organs of sense. There is an inner closure which concerns the deepest core of the person, what the Bible calls the 'heart'. This is what Jesus came to 'open', to liberate, so as to enable us to live our relationship with God and with others to the full.
"That is why I said that this little word, 'ephphatha' - be opened, sums up Christ’s entire mission. He became man so that man, made inwardly deaf and dumb by sin, would become able to hear the voice of God, the voice of love speaking to his heart, and so he would learn to speak in the language of love, to communicate with God and with others".
LEBANON WE MUST NOT RESIGN OURSELVES TO VIOLENCE
Vatican City, 9 September 2012 (VIS) - After praying the Angelus today the Pope, speaking French and Arabic, spoke of his imminent apostolic trip to Lebanon, where he is due to sign the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation of the Special Assembly for the Middle East of the Synod of Bishops, which took place in the Vatican in October 2010.
"I will have the happy opportunity to meet the people and the authorities of Lebanon, as well as the Christians of that dear country, and those who have come from nearby States", he said. "I am not unaware of the often dramatic situation being experienced by the peoples of that region which, for too long, has been rent by incessant conflict. I understand the anguish of many inhabitants of the Middle East, who are daily immersed in suffering of all kinds which sadly and sometimes fatally affects their individual and family lives. My thoughts go to those who, in search of safe refuge, abandon their family and professional lives to experience the precarious existence of the refugee. Although it seems difficult to find solutions to the various problems affecting the region, we must not resign ourselves to the violence and kindling of tensions. Commitment to dialogue and reconciliation must be be the priority for all sides involved, and it must besupported by the international community which is becoming increasingly aware of the importance that stable and lasting peace in the region has for the whole world. My apostolic trip to Lebanon, and by extension to the entire Middle East, comes about under the sign of peace and with reference to Christ's words: 'My peace I give to you'. May God bless Lebanon and the Middle East".
TEN CITY SQUARES FOR TEN COMMANDMENTS
Vatican City, 9 September 2012 (VIS) - "Ten City Squares for Ten Commandments" is the title of an initiative, which is being promoted by the Renewal in the Holy Spirit Association and was inaugurated this evening in Rome's Piazza del Popolo. The initiative involves a series of evangelisation meetings which will take place throughout the year in various Italian cities. The Pope sent participants a video message which was projected on giant screens set up in Piazza del Popolo.
"What significance do these Ten Words have for us in our current cultural context, in which secularism and relativism risk becoming the criteria for all choices, and in our society which seems to live as if God did not exist?", the Holy Father asked. "Our answer is that God gave us the Commandments to educate us in true freedom and authentic love, that we might be truly happy. They are a sign of love of God the Father, of his desire to teach us true discernment of good from evil, of truth from falsehood, of justice from injustice. They can be understood by everyone, precisely because they translate fundamental values into concrete norms and rules; and by practising them man is able to follow the path of true freedom, ... which leads to life and happiness.
"When he fails to do this", Benedict XVI added, "when in his life man ignores the Commandments, not only does he alienate himself from God and abandon the covenant with Him, but he also abandons life and lasting happiness. Man left to himself, indifferent to God, proud of his own absolute autonomy, ends up pursuing the idols of selfishness, power and domination, poisoning his relationship with himself and others, and following not the path of life but the path of death. The sad experience of history, especially last century, stands as a warning for all humankind. ... With His cross and resurrection Jesus brought the Commandments to fullness, radically overcoming selfishness, sin and death with the gift of Himself for love. Accepting the infinite love of God, having faith in Him and following the path He has laid down is the only thing that gives profound meaning to life and opens the way to a future of hope".
MARIOLOGY SINCE VATICAN COUNCIL II
Vatican City, 8 September 2012 (VIS) - "Mariology since Vatican Council II: reception, outcomes and prospects" is the theme of the twenty-third International Mariological Congress. Receiving the participants this morning at Castelgandolfo, the Holy Father highlighted the appropriateness of the theme in light of the fact that 11 October this year will mark the fiftieth anniversary of the opening of the Council.
The Pope, who himself participated in Vatican Council II as a young theologian, turned his attention to chapter eight of the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church "Lumen Gentium", entitled: "The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, in the Mystery of Christ and the Church". Therein "the figure of Mary - re-examined and reinterpreted from the point of view of the Word of God, the texts of patristic and liturgical tradition, and a broad-ranging theological and spiritual reflection - emerges in all her beauty and uniqueness, closely enclosed within the fundamental mysteries of the Christian faith.
"Mary, whose faith is emphasised above all else, is part of the mystery of love and communion of the Blessed Trinity", Benedict XVI added. "Her participation in the divine plan of salvation and the unique mediation of Christ is clearly affirmed and given its correct import, thus making it a model and a point of reference for the Church which, in her, recognises herself, her vocation and her mission. Popular piety, which has always looked to Mary, is likewise nourished by biblical and patristic references.
"Of course the conciliar text was not able to cover all the questions concerning the Mother of God, but it does provide an essential interpretative horizon for all subsequent reflection, both the theological and the purely spiritual and pastoral. Moreover, it represents a valuable and highly necessary point of equilibrium between theological rationality and the emotion of belief".
The Pope concluded: "The unique figure of the Mother of God must be understood and studied from different and complementary standpoints. While the 'via veritas' remains valid and necessary, we cannot but also follow the 'via pulchritudinis' and the 'via amoris', in order to discover and contemplate ever more profoundly Mary's firm and crystalline faith, her love for God and her unshakeable hope".
PASTORAL CARE OF THE ROAD/STREET IN AFRICA
Vatican City, 10 September 2012 (VIS) - "The Pastoral Care of the Road/Street: A walk together" is to be the theme of the first Integrated Meeting for the Pastoral Care of the Road/Street for the Continent of Africa and Madagascar, due to take place in Dar-Es-Salaam, Tanzania from 11 to 15 September. The event has been organised by the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant Peoples, in collaboration with Tanzania's Episcopal Commission for Migrants and Itinerant Peoples.
The aim of the meeting is to promote pastoral initiatives and programmes in local Churches for the benefit for people who live on or from the road/street. This includes street women and children, people of no fixed abode, transport workers and those responsible for road safety.
Opening addresses will be made by Cardinal Polycarp Pengo, archbishop of Dar-es-Salaam, and Archbishop Francisco Padilla, apostolic nuncio to Tanzania.
AUDIENCES
Vatican City, 10 September 2012 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in audience:
- Cardinal Angelo Scola, archbishop of Milan, Italy.
- Vladeta Jankovic, ambassador of Serbia, accompanied by his wife, on a farewell visit.
On Saturday 8 September he received in audience:
- Andrea Riccardi, founder of the Sant'Egidio Community, accompanied by Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, president of the Pontifical Council for the Family, and Marco Impagliazzo, president of the Sant'Egidio Community.
- Seven prelates from the Episcopal Conference of Colombia on their "ad limina" visit:
- Bishop Julio Hernando Garcia Pelaez of Istmina-Tado, apostolic administrator of Quibdo.
- Bishop Jorge Alberto Ossa Soto of Santa Rosa de Osos.
- Bishop Guillermo Orozco Montoya of Girardota.
- Bishop Jose Roberto Lopez Londono of Jerico.
- Bishop Fidel Leon Cadavid Marin of Sonson-Rionegro.
- Bishop Hector Cubillos Pena of Zipaquira.
- Bishop Orlando Roa Barbosa, auxiliary of Ibague.
OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
Vatican City, 8 September 2012 (VIS) -The Holy Father:
- Appointed Bishop Rolando J. Tria Tirona O.C.D., prelate of Infanta, Philippines, as metropolitan archbishop of Caceres (area 3,207, population 1,314,000, Catholics 1,272,000, priests 224, religious 376), Philippines. He succeeds Archbishop Leonardo Z. Legaspi O.P., whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same archdiocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.
- Appointed Fr. Jojo Anand of the clergy of Simdega, India, diocesan director of the department for evangelisation and formation in the faith, as bishop of Hazaribag (area 21,213, population 5,347,000, Catholics 38,875, priests 108, religious 515), India. The bishop-elect was born in Minjiutgarha-Kutungia, India in 1959 and ordained a priest in 1992. He studied in India and in Rome, and has worked as director of the Faith Formation Team of the archdiocese of Ranchi and as assistant in the cathedral. He succeeds Bishop Charles Soreng S.J., whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.
- Appointed Archbishop Luigi Travaglino, permanent observer of the Holy See to the United Nations Organisations for Food and Agriculture (FAO, IFAD and WFP), also as apostolic nuncio to the Principality of Monaco.
- Appointed Msgr. Piero Amenta, official of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, as prelate auditor of the Tribunal of the Roman Rota.
In his address to the group, delivered in Spanish, Pope Benedict spoke of the scourge of violence that has plagued the country: “despite some encouraging signs, violence continues to bring pain, loneliness, death and injustice to many brothers and sisters in Colombia. While I recognize and appreciate the pastoral mission, often in places full of difficulties and dangers, that is being done for so many innocent people who are suffering in his beloved nation, I encourage you to continue to contribute to the protection of human life and the culture of peace, drawing inspiration from the example of our Savior and humbly beseeching His grace. Sow the Gospel and reap reconciliation, knowing that wherever Christ comes, He opens the path to agreement, hatred gives way to forgiveness and rivalry becomes brotherhood”.
“Colombia's history”, he said “ is indelibly marked by the deep Catholic faith of its people, their love for the Eucharist, devotion to the Virgin Mary and the witness of charity of noteworthy pastors and laity. The proclamation of the Gospel has borne fruit among you with abundant vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life, in the commitment shown for the mission ad gentes, in the emergence of apostolic movements, as well as pastoral vitality of parish communities. Along with this, you yourselves have also noted the devastating effects of increasing secularization, which has a strong impact on livelihoods and upsets the scale of values of people, undermining the very foundations of the Catholic faith, marriage, the family and Christian morality. In this regard, the tireless defense and promotion of the institution of the family remains a pastoral priority for you. So in the midst of these difficulties, I invite to continue your efforts and to proclaim the integral truth about the family, founded on marriage as the domestic Church and a sanctuary of life”.
Pope Benedict also dwelt on the The Global Plan (2012 - 2020) of the Episcopal Conference of Colombia, which aims to promote new evangelization processes that form “missionary disciples, encourage ecclesial communion and impact on society with the Gospel values " (cf. n. 5.1 ). I accompany this objective with my prayer…that the dynamism of interior renewal help your people revitalize their love for the Lord,…instilling in them a firm hope to live their faith responsibly and joyfully and irradiate it in every environment”.
The Holy Father also encouraged the Bishops to be close to the priests, deacons and religious in your care: “Give them the attention they need for their spiritual, intellectual and material life, so they can live their ministry faithfully and fruitfully. And where necessary timely, clear and charitable correction and guidance. But above all, be for them a model of life and dedication to the mission received from Christ. And do not fail to encourage vocations and the initial formation of candidates for Holy Orders or religious life, helping them to discern the truth of God's call, to respond to it with generosity and the right intention. In this regard, it is appropriate that, under the guidance of the Magisterium, you encourage the revision of the content and methods of formation, with the hope that it may respond to the challenges of the present time and the needs and demands of the people of God”.
Finally, Pope Benedict asked the Bishops to pay special attention to young people : “The development of a successful youth ministry is equally important, through which new generations can clearly perceive that Christ seeks and wishes to offer the friendship (cf. Jn 15, 13-15). He gave his life to have abundant life, so the heart is not drawn towards mediocrity or proposals that leave only emptiness and sadness behind. He wants to help those who have the future in their hands to realize their most noble aspirations, so they may bring a fruitful contribution to society, and through this progress on the paths of safeguarding the environment, of orderly progress and real solidarity”.
SHARED FROM RADIO VATICANA
POPE WRITES TO THE TWENTY-SIXTH INTERNATIONAL MEETING FOR PEACE
Vatican City, 10 September 2012 (VIS) - Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B. has sent a message, in the name of the Holy Father, to Cardinal Vinko Puljic, archbishop of Vrhbosna-Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, in which he greets representatives of Churches, Christian communities and the great world religions, "as well as the population of Sarajevo who are particularly dear to him", and participants in the twenty-sixth International Meeting for Peace which has been organised by the Sant'Egidio Community and its currently taking place in that city.
"It is a source of joy and comfort to see that this pilgrimage for peace, which was begun at Assisi in October 1986 by Blessed John Paul II, continues to bear fruit", the cardinal writes. He likewise recalls how Benedict XVI relaunched, also from Assisi, "the alliance between people of religion and others who feel no sense of belonging to any religious tradition but who are sincerely seeking the truth. He did so in the conviction that profound and sincere dialogue can lead, for the former, to commitment to an ever necessary purification of the religion they profess and, for the latter, to openness to the great questions facing humankind and the Mystery which surrounds the life of man. In this way, the joint pilgrimage towards truth can be translated into a joint pilgrimage towards peace".
"The Holy Father", Cardinal Bertone concludes, "in the hope that the meeting will prove fruitful, spiritually unities himself to all those present, in the certainty that the Lord, Father of all mankind, will continue to guide us along the paths of peace and of peaceful encounter between peoples".
ANGELUS: JESUS CAME TO OPEN THE HEART OF MAN
Vatican City, 9 September 2012 (VIS) - Before praying the Angelus at midday today. Benedict XVI focused some remarks on what he described as "a word which, in its most profound meaning, sums up the whole message and work of Christ. ... That word is 'ephphatha', which means 'be opened'".
The Pope recalled how Jesus was crossing the region known as the "Decapolis", between the coastal area of Tyre and Sidon and Galilee, when He was presented with a deaf man to heal. Christ touched his ears and tongue and, looking up to heaven, pronounced the word 'ephphatha'. Immediately the man was able to hear and speak. "This deaf man, thanks to Jesus’ intervention, 'was opened'", the Holy Father explained. "Before he had been closed, insulated, it was very difficult for him to communicate; his healing was an 'opening' to others and the world, an opening that, starting from the organs of hearing and speech, involved his entire person and life: Finally he was able to communicate, and thus to relate to others in a new way".
"Yet", the Pope added, "we all know that man's closure and isolation do not depend solely on the organs of sense. There is an inner closure which concerns the deepest core of the person, what the Bible calls the 'heart'. This is what Jesus came to 'open', to liberate, so as to enable us to live our relationship with God and with others to the full.
"That is why I said that this little word, 'ephphatha' - be opened, sums up Christ’s entire mission. He became man so that man, made inwardly deaf and dumb by sin, would become able to hear the voice of God, the voice of love speaking to his heart, and so he would learn to speak in the language of love, to communicate with God and with others".
LEBANON WE MUST NOT RESIGN OURSELVES TO VIOLENCE
Vatican City, 9 September 2012 (VIS) - After praying the Angelus today the Pope, speaking French and Arabic, spoke of his imminent apostolic trip to Lebanon, where he is due to sign the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation of the Special Assembly for the Middle East of the Synod of Bishops, which took place in the Vatican in October 2010.
"I will have the happy opportunity to meet the people and the authorities of Lebanon, as well as the Christians of that dear country, and those who have come from nearby States", he said. "I am not unaware of the often dramatic situation being experienced by the peoples of that region which, for too long, has been rent by incessant conflict. I understand the anguish of many inhabitants of the Middle East, who are daily immersed in suffering of all kinds which sadly and sometimes fatally affects their individual and family lives. My thoughts go to those who, in search of safe refuge, abandon their family and professional lives to experience the precarious existence of the refugee. Although it seems difficult to find solutions to the various problems affecting the region, we must not resign ourselves to the violence and kindling of tensions. Commitment to dialogue and reconciliation must be be the priority for all sides involved, and it must besupported by the international community which is becoming increasingly aware of the importance that stable and lasting peace in the region has for the whole world. My apostolic trip to Lebanon, and by extension to the entire Middle East, comes about under the sign of peace and with reference to Christ's words: 'My peace I give to you'. May God bless Lebanon and the Middle East".
TEN CITY SQUARES FOR TEN COMMANDMENTS
Vatican City, 9 September 2012 (VIS) - "Ten City Squares for Ten Commandments" is the title of an initiative, which is being promoted by the Renewal in the Holy Spirit Association and was inaugurated this evening in Rome's Piazza del Popolo. The initiative involves a series of evangelisation meetings which will take place throughout the year in various Italian cities. The Pope sent participants a video message which was projected on giant screens set up in Piazza del Popolo.
"What significance do these Ten Words have for us in our current cultural context, in which secularism and relativism risk becoming the criteria for all choices, and in our society which seems to live as if God did not exist?", the Holy Father asked. "Our answer is that God gave us the Commandments to educate us in true freedom and authentic love, that we might be truly happy. They are a sign of love of God the Father, of his desire to teach us true discernment of good from evil, of truth from falsehood, of justice from injustice. They can be understood by everyone, precisely because they translate fundamental values into concrete norms and rules; and by practising them man is able to follow the path of true freedom, ... which leads to life and happiness.
"When he fails to do this", Benedict XVI added, "when in his life man ignores the Commandments, not only does he alienate himself from God and abandon the covenant with Him, but he also abandons life and lasting happiness. Man left to himself, indifferent to God, proud of his own absolute autonomy, ends up pursuing the idols of selfishness, power and domination, poisoning his relationship with himself and others, and following not the path of life but the path of death. The sad experience of history, especially last century, stands as a warning for all humankind. ... With His cross and resurrection Jesus brought the Commandments to fullness, radically overcoming selfishness, sin and death with the gift of Himself for love. Accepting the infinite love of God, having faith in Him and following the path He has laid down is the only thing that gives profound meaning to life and opens the way to a future of hope".
MARIOLOGY SINCE VATICAN COUNCIL II
Vatican City, 8 September 2012 (VIS) - "Mariology since Vatican Council II: reception, outcomes and prospects" is the theme of the twenty-third International Mariological Congress. Receiving the participants this morning at Castelgandolfo, the Holy Father highlighted the appropriateness of the theme in light of the fact that 11 October this year will mark the fiftieth anniversary of the opening of the Council.
The Pope, who himself participated in Vatican Council II as a young theologian, turned his attention to chapter eight of the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church "Lumen Gentium", entitled: "The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, in the Mystery of Christ and the Church". Therein "the figure of Mary - re-examined and reinterpreted from the point of view of the Word of God, the texts of patristic and liturgical tradition, and a broad-ranging theological and spiritual reflection - emerges in all her beauty and uniqueness, closely enclosed within the fundamental mysteries of the Christian faith.
"Mary, whose faith is emphasised above all else, is part of the mystery of love and communion of the Blessed Trinity", Benedict XVI added. "Her participation in the divine plan of salvation and the unique mediation of Christ is clearly affirmed and given its correct import, thus making it a model and a point of reference for the Church which, in her, recognises herself, her vocation and her mission. Popular piety, which has always looked to Mary, is likewise nourished by biblical and patristic references.
"Of course the conciliar text was not able to cover all the questions concerning the Mother of God, but it does provide an essential interpretative horizon for all subsequent reflection, both the theological and the purely spiritual and pastoral. Moreover, it represents a valuable and highly necessary point of equilibrium between theological rationality and the emotion of belief".
The Pope concluded: "The unique figure of the Mother of God must be understood and studied from different and complementary standpoints. While the 'via veritas' remains valid and necessary, we cannot but also follow the 'via pulchritudinis' and the 'via amoris', in order to discover and contemplate ever more profoundly Mary's firm and crystalline faith, her love for God and her unshakeable hope".
PASTORAL CARE OF THE ROAD/STREET IN AFRICA
Vatican City, 10 September 2012 (VIS) - "The Pastoral Care of the Road/Street: A walk together" is to be the theme of the first Integrated Meeting for the Pastoral Care of the Road/Street for the Continent of Africa and Madagascar, due to take place in Dar-Es-Salaam, Tanzania from 11 to 15 September. The event has been organised by the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant Peoples, in collaboration with Tanzania's Episcopal Commission for Migrants and Itinerant Peoples.
The aim of the meeting is to promote pastoral initiatives and programmes in local Churches for the benefit for people who live on or from the road/street. This includes street women and children, people of no fixed abode, transport workers and those responsible for road safety.
Opening addresses will be made by Cardinal Polycarp Pengo, archbishop of Dar-es-Salaam, and Archbishop Francisco Padilla, apostolic nuncio to Tanzania.
AUDIENCES
Vatican City, 10 September 2012 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in audience:
- Cardinal Angelo Scola, archbishop of Milan, Italy.
- Vladeta Jankovic, ambassador of Serbia, accompanied by his wife, on a farewell visit.
On Saturday 8 September he received in audience:
- Andrea Riccardi, founder of the Sant'Egidio Community, accompanied by Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, president of the Pontifical Council for the Family, and Marco Impagliazzo, president of the Sant'Egidio Community.
- Seven prelates from the Episcopal Conference of Colombia on their "ad limina" visit:
- Bishop Julio Hernando Garcia Pelaez of Istmina-Tado, apostolic administrator of Quibdo.
- Bishop Jorge Alberto Ossa Soto of Santa Rosa de Osos.
- Bishop Guillermo Orozco Montoya of Girardota.
- Bishop Jose Roberto Lopez Londono of Jerico.
- Bishop Fidel Leon Cadavid Marin of Sonson-Rionegro.
- Bishop Hector Cubillos Pena of Zipaquira.
- Bishop Orlando Roa Barbosa, auxiliary of Ibague.
OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
Vatican City, 8 September 2012 (VIS) -The Holy Father:
- Appointed Bishop Rolando J. Tria Tirona O.C.D., prelate of Infanta, Philippines, as metropolitan archbishop of Caceres (area 3,207, population 1,314,000, Catholics 1,272,000, priests 224, religious 376), Philippines. He succeeds Archbishop Leonardo Z. Legaspi O.P., whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same archdiocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.
- Appointed Fr. Jojo Anand of the clergy of Simdega, India, diocesan director of the department for evangelisation and formation in the faith, as bishop of Hazaribag (area 21,213, population 5,347,000, Catholics 38,875, priests 108, religious 515), India. The bishop-elect was born in Minjiutgarha-Kutungia, India in 1959 and ordained a priest in 1992. He studied in India and in Rome, and has worked as director of the Faith Formation Team of the archdiocese of Ranchi and as assistant in the cathedral. He succeeds Bishop Charles Soreng S.J., whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.
- Appointed Archbishop Luigi Travaglino, permanent observer of the Holy See to the United Nations Organisations for Food and Agriculture (FAO, IFAD and WFP), also as apostolic nuncio to the Principality of Monaco.
- Appointed Msgr. Piero Amenta, official of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, as prelate auditor of the Tribunal of the Roman Rota.
TODAY'S MASS ONLINE : MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2012
| Luke
6: 6 - 11
| |
| 6 | On another sabbath, when he entered the synagogue and taught, a man was there whose right hand was withered. |
| 7 | And the scribes and the Pharisees watched him, to see whether he would heal on the sabbath, so that they might find an accusation against him. |
| 8 | But he knew their thoughts, and he said to the man who had the withered hand, "Come and stand here." And he rose and stood there. |
| 9 | And Jesus said to them, "I ask you, is it lawful on the sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to destroy it?" |
| 10 | And he looked around on them all, and said to him, "Stretch out your hand." And he did so, and his hand was restored. |
| 11 | But they were filled with fury and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus. |
AMERICA : CANADA : CATHOLIC BISHOPS TO MEET
CCCB REPORT
(CCCB – Ottawa Sainte-Adèle , Quebec Montreal
The Bishops will give a special welcome to His Beatitude Sviatoslav Shevchuk, Major Archbishop of Kiev-Halych (Ukraine) and primate of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. Archbishop Shevchuk is visiting Canada to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the arrival of the first Ukrainian Catholic Bishop in Canada, the Blessed Nykyta Budka who later died a martyr in Siberia. Three other important events will also be highlighted during the 2012 CCCB Plenary: the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council, the canonization of Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha on 21 October 2012, and the Synod of Bishops on the New Evangelization and its Transmission of the Faith that will meet in Rome during October.As well as reviewing pastoral initiatives and receiving annual reports, the Bishops will have the opportunity to share their experiences and insights on the life of the Church and society. Annual reports will be presented by the Conference’s national and sectoral commissions and its standing committees, as well as by a number of organizations, including the Canadian Catholic Aboriginal Council. To help the Bishops in their reflections, the Episcopal Commission for Justice and Peace will lead a session on the pastoral understanding of the economic crisis. As well, the Episcopal Commission for Christian Unity, Religious with the Jews, and Interfaith Dialogue will animate a discussion on the challenges of ecumenical collaboration in social justice work. For its part, the Episcopal Commission for Doctrine will assist in a reflection on freedom of conscience and religion that will focus specifically on Canadian issues.
As in previous years, the Plenary Assembly will also receive about 20 invited observers and guests from a number of national Catholic organizations and other Churches, together with accredited representatives from the media. Invited observers and accredited media will be present on 24 September and until noon on 25 September. This year again, the annual report by the CCCB President and the daily liturgical celebrations will be broadcast live online and on television, thanks to the collaboration of the Catholic television channel Salt and Light TV. In addition this year there will be a daily press briefing, also broadcast on Salt + Light TV. The broadcast schedule for the Plenary will be posted on the CCCB website during the coming weeks.
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(CCCB – The Bishops will give a special welcome to His Beatitude Sviatoslav Shevchuk, Major Archbishop of Kiev-Halych (Ukraine) and primate of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. Archbishop Shevchuk is visiting Canada to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the arrival of the first Ukrainian Catholic Bishop in Canada, the Blessed Nykyta Budka who later died a martyr in Siberia. Three other important events will also be highlighted during the 2012 CCCB Plenary: the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council, the canonization of Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha on 21 October 2012, and the Synod of Bishops on the New Evangelization and its Transmission of the Faith that will meet in Rome during October.As well as reviewing pastoral initiatives and receiving annual reports, the Bishops will have the opportunity to share their experiences and insights on the life of the Church and society. Annual reports will be presented by the Conference’s national and sectoral commissions and its standing committees, as well as by a number of organizations, including the Canadian Catholic Aboriginal Council. To help the Bishops in their reflections, the Episcopal Commission for Justice and Peace will lead a session on the pastoral understanding of the economic crisis. As well, the Episcopal Commission for Christian Unity, Religious with the Jews, and Interfaith Dialogue will animate a discussion on the challenges of ecumenical collaboration in social justice work. For its part, the Episcopal Commission for Doctrine will assist in a reflection on freedom of conscience and religion that will focus specifically on Canadian issues.
As in previous years, the Plenary Assembly will also receive about 20 invited observers and guests from a number of national Catholic organizations and other Churches, together with accredited representatives from the media. Invited observers and accredited media will be present on 24 September and until noon on 25 September. This year again, the annual report by the CCCB President and the daily liturgical celebrations will be broadcast live online and on television, thanks to the collaboration of the Catholic television channel Salt and Light TV. In addition this year there will be a daily press briefing, also broadcast on Salt + Light TV. The broadcast schedule for the Plenary will be posted on the CCCB website during the coming weeks.
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AUSTRALIA : 8 ORDAINED PRIESTS IN MELBOURNED
On Saturday September 8, 2012 eight men were
ordained by Archbishop Denis Hart. In the Cathedral of St. Patrick's these men
were ordained. Corpus Christi Seminary, Fr Andrew McCarter, Fr Benneth Osuagwu,
Fr Jerome Santamaria and Fr Kevin Williams, were ordained together with former
Anglican clergymen and members of the Ordinariate of Our Lady of the Southern
Cross, Fr Neil Fryer, Fr James Grant, Fr Christopher Seton and Fr Ramsay
Williams.
“From diverse origins and with a rich variety of experience these men stand before you touched by the love of God, willing to give themselves so that the sacramental life and care which Jesus instituted may be active and vibrant among his people.”
“What greater sign of this sharing of the task can there be than for the priests of the Archdiocese of Melbourne and the Ordinariate of Our Lady of the Southern Cross to be ordained side by side in one ordination service?” he said. “This is indeed an historic moment: one Church, one priesthood, one bishop but enriching the tapestry of the Catholic Church by bringing our own liturgy and our spirituality as a gift to be shared by all.”
“From diverse origins and with a rich variety of experience these men stand before you touched by the love of God, willing to give themselves so that the sacramental life and care which Jesus instituted may be active and vibrant among his people.”
“What greater sign of this sharing of the task can there be than for the priests of the Archdiocese of Melbourne and the Ordinariate of Our Lady of the Southern Cross to be ordained side by side in one ordination service?” he said. “This is indeed an historic moment: one Church, one priesthood, one bishop but enriching the tapestry of the Catholic Church by bringing our own liturgy and our spirituality as a gift to be shared by all.”
EUROPE : THIEVES STEAL 5000 PACKS FOR POOR
IND. CATH. NEWS REPORT:
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AFRICA : ETHIOPIA : NEW YEAR BEGINS SEPTEMBER 11
Agenzia Fides REPORT - Tomorrow, September 11, the new
Ethiopian year 2005 begins. Father Angelo Antolini, Ofm, Director of the
Pontifical Mission Societies in Ethiopia and Apostolic Prefect of Robe, sent to
Fides Agency the letter he wrote for the event to the entire Church in the
African country. "The year 2004 has been a historic year for our Church of Robe
- the message reads -. On 11 February 2012, which corresponds to 4th Ethiopian
Yekatit, 2004, Pope Benedict XVI erected the new Prefecture of Robe. On 29 April
2012, according to the Ethiopian year, the 21st Miazia 2004, I was appointed
Prefect Apostolic of our Church - writes Fr. Angel -. Between feelings of deep
emotion and hard work for everyone, a new journey began for me, for you priests,
religious and for all the faithful. Thinking about the new year, we have a
feeling of a degree of uncertainty, we need to pray for peace, justice and
prosperity for our people and be ready to any event without fear, strong in
faith and hope," continued the Apostolic Prefect.
"The first evangelization to non-Christians is a task of our pastoral commitment, which implies us to be ready to renew ourselves, to change when needed, to be near our people, appreciating their culture, their traditions, ambitions, objectives, struggles for peace and development."
With regards, in particular to priests, Fr. Antolini recalls: "If we want to be worthy followers of Jesus Christ, we priests should not feel more priests when we preach or minister the liturgy than when we deal with the social, development and charity works. Even manual work is important. We should not relegate ourselves only to an office, feeling superior to others and to our workers. Manual work is a good testimony in our effort of evangelization. " (AP) (Agenzia Fides 10/09/2012)
"The first evangelization to non-Christians is a task of our pastoral commitment, which implies us to be ready to renew ourselves, to change when needed, to be near our people, appreciating their culture, their traditions, ambitions, objectives, struggles for peace and development."
With regards, in particular to priests, Fr. Antolini recalls: "If we want to be worthy followers of Jesus Christ, we priests should not feel more priests when we preach or minister the liturgy than when we deal with the social, development and charity works. Even manual work is important. We should not relegate ourselves only to an office, feeling superior to others and to our workers. Manual work is a good testimony in our effort of evangelization. " (AP) (Agenzia Fides 10/09/2012)
ASIA : PAKISTAN : GRENADE AT PILGRIMAGE INJURES CHILDREN
UCAN REPORT:
Taliban
suspected as parish goes ahead with pilgrimage
Two children
were injured when unidentified suspects hurled a grenade near a Catholic church
in Karachi on Wednesday. The parish has tightened security for an annual Marian
pilgrimage this weekend.
“It was a handmade grenade thrown for test
purposes,” said police sub-inspector Ashfaq Baloch. “Taliban groups have
established their bases in the surrounding area; perhaps they wanted to assess
the extent of damages. We have started the investigation.”
Organizers of the pilgrimage, scheduled from today to Sunday, have limited the program. Tents have been removed from the road fronting St. Joseph’s Catholic church, and choir groups and Sunday school teachers have been advised not to come for daily practice.
The two Christian children who were injured in the blast have returned home and are recovering from leg burns. “It was like an earthquake. I fell down; there was nothing except smoke,” said 16-year-old Sonia Yousuf, one of the victims.
This is the third time St. Joseph’s has been targeted in the week before the Marian pilgrimage. The building was stoned last year, and the blessed items on the altar were stolen two years ago.
Church committee members debated whether to postpone the celebration but have decided to go ahead. They will collaborate with police officials for security arrangements, the priest said.
SHARED FROM UCAN
Organizers of the pilgrimage, scheduled from today to Sunday, have limited the program. Tents have been removed from the road fronting St. Joseph’s Catholic church, and choir groups and Sunday school teachers have been advised not to come for daily practice.
The two Christian children who were injured in the blast have returned home and are recovering from leg burns. “It was like an earthquake. I fell down; there was nothing except smoke,” said 16-year-old Sonia Yousuf, one of the victims.
This is the third time St. Joseph’s has been targeted in the week before the Marian pilgrimage. The building was stoned last year, and the blessed items on the altar were stolen two years ago.
Church committee members debated whether to postpone the celebration but have decided to go ahead. They will collaborate with police officials for security arrangements, the priest said.
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TODAY'S SAINT: SEPT. 10: ST. NICHOLAS OF TOLENTINO: D. 1305
St. Nicholas of Tolentino
CONFESSOR
Feast: September 10
Information: Feast Day: September 10
Born: 1246 AD
Died: 1305 AD
Canonized: 5 June (Pentecost) 1446 by Pope Eugene IV
Patron of: animals; babies; boatmen; dying people; mariners; sailors; sick animals; souls in purgatory; watermen
This Nicholas was born in answer to his mother's prayers. Childless and in middle age, she had made a pilgrimage with her husband to the shrine of St. Nicholas of Bari to ask for a son whom she promised to dedicate to God's service. When her wish was granted, she named the boy Nicholas and he soon gave unusual signs of saintliness. Already at seven he would hide away in a nearby cave and pray there like the hermits whom he had observed in the mountains. As soon as he was old enough he was received into the Order of Augustinian friars. On account of his kind and gentle manner his superiors entrusted him with the daily feeding of the poor at the monastery gates, but at times he was so free with the friary's provisions that the procurator begged the superior to check his generosity. He was ordained in 1271 and said his first Mass with exceptional fervor; thereafter, whenever he celebrated the holy Mystery he seemed aglow with the fire of his love. His preaching, instructions and work in the confessional brought about numerous conversions, and his many miracles were responsible for more, yet he was careful not to take any credit for these miracles. "Say nothing of this," he would insist, "give thanks to God, not to me. I am only a vessel of clay, a poor sinner." He spent the last thirty years of his life in Tolentino, where the Guelfs and the Ghibellines were in constant strife. Nicholas saw only one remedy to the violence: street preaching, and the success of this apostolic work was astounding. "He spoke of the things of heaven," says his biographer St. Antonine. "Sweetly he preached the divine word, and the words that came from his lips fell like flames of fire. Among his hearers could be seen the tears and heard the sighs of people detesting their sins and repenting of their past lives." During the last years of his life St. Nicholas was bedridden and suffered grievously. He died surrounded by his community. In 1345 a lay Brother cut off the arms of his body intending to take them to Germany as relics, and the friars then hid his body to prevent further attempts of this kind. It has not been found to this day, but the arms have been preserved. It is recorded that they have bled on several occasions, usually, it is said, before some calamity that befell the Church or the world
http://www.ewtn.com/saintsHoly/saints/N/stnicholasoftolentino.asp
Feast: September 10
Information: Feast Day: September 10
Born: 1246 AD
Died: 1305 AD
Canonized: 5 June (Pentecost) 1446 by Pope Eugene IV
Patron of: animals; babies; boatmen; dying people; mariners; sailors; sick animals; souls in purgatory; watermen
This Nicholas was born in answer to his mother's prayers. Childless and in middle age, she had made a pilgrimage with her husband to the shrine of St. Nicholas of Bari to ask for a son whom she promised to dedicate to God's service. When her wish was granted, she named the boy Nicholas and he soon gave unusual signs of saintliness. Already at seven he would hide away in a nearby cave and pray there like the hermits whom he had observed in the mountains. As soon as he was old enough he was received into the Order of Augustinian friars. On account of his kind and gentle manner his superiors entrusted him with the daily feeding of the poor at the monastery gates, but at times he was so free with the friary's provisions that the procurator begged the superior to check his generosity. He was ordained in 1271 and said his first Mass with exceptional fervor; thereafter, whenever he celebrated the holy Mystery he seemed aglow with the fire of his love. His preaching, instructions and work in the confessional brought about numerous conversions, and his many miracles were responsible for more, yet he was careful not to take any credit for these miracles. "Say nothing of this," he would insist, "give thanks to God, not to me. I am only a vessel of clay, a poor sinner." He spent the last thirty years of his life in Tolentino, where the Guelfs and the Ghibellines were in constant strife. Nicholas saw only one remedy to the violence: street preaching, and the success of this apostolic work was astounding. "He spoke of the things of heaven," says his biographer St. Antonine. "Sweetly he preached the divine word, and the words that came from his lips fell like flames of fire. Among his hearers could be seen the tears and heard the sighs of people detesting their sins and repenting of their past lives." During the last years of his life St. Nicholas was bedridden and suffered grievously. He died surrounded by his community. In 1345 a lay Brother cut off the arms of his body intending to take them to Germany as relics, and the friars then hid his body to prevent further attempts of this kind. It has not been found to this day, but the arms have been preserved. It is recorded that they have bled on several occasions, usually, it is said, before some calamity that befell the Church or the world
http://www.ewtn.com/saintsHoly/saints/N/stnicholasoftolentino.asp
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