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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXIII - N° 112
DATE 22-05-2013
Summary:
- GENERAL AUDIENCE: BE COURAGEOUS WITNESSES OF THE GOSPEL
- THAT CHINESE CATHOLICS MAY HAVE NO FEAR TO SPEAK OF JESUS
- FIRST ANNUAL REPORT OF THE VATICAN FINANCIAL INFORMATION AUTHORITY
- POPE VISITS MISSIONARIES OF CHARITY, REAFFIRMS VALUE OF SOLIDARITY
- POPE'S TELEGRAM FOR OKLAHOMA CATASTROPHE
- AUDIENCE
___________________________________________________________
GENERAL AUDIENCE: BE COURAGEOUS WITNESSES OF THE GOSPEL
Vatican City, 22 May 2013 (VIS) – Pope Francis dedicated his Wednesday
general audience catechesis to the Holy Spirit, without whom, “the
Church could not live or carry out the mission that Jesus has entrusted us
with, of going out and
making disciples of all nations. Evangelisation is the Church's mission, not
just of a few, but my, your, our mission. … To evangelize, then, it is
necessary to open ourselves once again to the action of God's Spirit, without
fear of what He
might ask us or where He might lead us. Let us entrust ourselves to him. He
will enable us to live and to bear witness to our faith. He will illuminate
the hearts of those we meet. This was the experience of Pentecost: of the
Apostles gathered with Mary
in the Upper Room.”
“The Holy Spirit, descending upon the Apostles, makes them go out of the
room in which they had locked themselves out of fear. He makes them go out of
themselves and transforms them into heralds and witnesses ' of the mighty acts
of God'. This
transformation, wrought by the Holy Spirit, is reflected in the crowd that
rushed to the scene, coming 'from every nation under heaven' so that each
might hear the Apostles' words as if they were proclaimed in their own
language.”
“This is the first important effect of the Holy Spirit … unity,
communion.” … At Pentecost, these divisions [the confusion of
languages as in the Biblical story of the tower of Babel] are overcome.
…A new language, that
of the love that the Holy Spirit 'pours out into our hearts' [is established].
… We must all ask ourselves: how am I letting myself be guided by the
Holy Spirit so that my life and my witness to the faith might be of unity and
communion? …
What am I doing with my life?” Pope Francis asked, raising his voice.
“Am I creating unity? Or am I dividing, with my gossip, criticism, and
jealousies? What am I doing? Let's think about this.”
A second effect of the Holy Spirit's action, the pontiff continued, “is
the courage to proclaim the newness of the Gospel of Jesus to all, frankly and
out loud, in every time and in every place. … Let us never close
ourselves to this
action! Let us live the Gospel with humility and courage. …
Evangelising, proclaiming Jesus give us joy.”
“I will just mention a third element, which is particularly important,
however: a new evangelisation, a Church that evangelises must always begin
from prayer, from asking, as did the Apostles in the Upper Room, for the fire
of the Holy Spirit.
Only a faithful and intense relationship with God allows us to go out of our
own closures and announce the Gospel with 'parrhesia' (boldly).”
Before concluding, Pope Francis recalled the words of Benedict XVI:
“Today the Church 'feels the wind of the Holy Spirit who helps us, who
shows us the right road; and so, we are on our way ... with new enthusiasm'
… Let us renew each day
our trust in the Holy Spirit's action. Let us let ourselves be guided by him.
Let us be men and women of prayer who witness to the Gospel with courage,
becoming instruments of God's unity and communion in our world.”
At the end of his catechesis the Holy Father greeted the nearly 50,000 people
gathered in St. Peter's Square. He particularly encouraged everyone to pray
for the victims, especially the children, of the disaster that occurred in
Oklahoma, USA.
___________________________________________________________
THAT CHINESE CATHOLICS MAY HAVE NO FEAR TO SPEAK OF JESUS
Vatican City, 22 May 2013 (VIS) – At the end of this morning's general
audience, the Holy Father—noting that this Friday, 24 May, is the day
dedicated to the liturgical memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Help of
Christians, who is
venerated with great devotion at the National Shrine of Sheshan in Shanghai,
China—launched an appeal, inviting “Catholics around the world to
join in prayer with our brothers and sisters in China; to implore of God the
grace to proclaim
Christ, dead and risen, with humility and joy; to be faithful to his Church
and the Successor of Peter; and to live their everyday lives in service to
their country and their fellow citizens in a manner consistent with the faith
they profess.”
The Pope offered these words to be said in order to call upon Mary's
intercession: “Our Lady of Sheshan, in their everyday struggles, sustain
the commitment of all those in China, so that they may continue to believe, to
hope, to love, and so they
may never fear to speak of Jesus to the world and of the world to Jesus.”
“Mary, Virgin most faithful, support Chinese Catholics. Make their
commitments, which are not easy, ever more precious in the eyes of the Lord
and help the affection and the participation of the Church in China to grow in
the path of the universal
Church.”
___________________________________________________________
FIRST ANNUAL REPORT OF THE VATICAN FINANCIAL INFORMATION AUTHORITY
Vatican City, 22 May 2013 (VIS) – This afternoon in the Press Office of
the Holy See, Rene Brulhart, director of the Vatican Financial Information
Authority (L’Autorità di Informazione Finanziara, AIF), presented
the AIF's first
annual report, which examines their activities and statistics from 2012. The
AIF is the competent authority of the Holy See and the Vatican City State for
financial intelligence and for supervision and regulation in the prevention
and countering of
money laundering and financing of terrorism. It was established in 2010 and
became operational in April of 2011.
“Over the course of the year,” reads a press release accompanying
the conference, “AIF reported the submission of six Suspicious
Transaction Reports, up from only one in the previous year. AIF itself
forwarded two Suspicious
Transaction Reports to the Vatican Promoter of Justice for further
investigation.”
"The statistics and trends from 2012 are encouraging and indicates that the
system is consistently improving," said Dr. Brulhart. In 2012, AIF also
initiated the systematic screening and analysis of Cash Transaction Reports
submitted by the obliged
entities.
“In our efforts to actively tackle any potential abuse of the financial
system,” continued Director Brulhart, “we initiated a close and
constructive interaction with the Secretariat of State, the Gendarmeria, the
Promoter of Justice
and the institutions under our oversight in order to improve awareness and
safety and ensure a coordinated internal cooperation in AML/CFT matters.”
A further important element of the report is the progress made in
international cooperation that builds on the clear commitment of the Holy See
to be a credible partner in the international fight against money laundering.
2012 saw the signing of a
Memorandum of Understanding with relevant authorities in Belgium and Spain.
Dr. Brulhart stated that “it will continue to be our policy in 2013 to
further strengthening international cooperation by signing several more
Memorandum of Understanding
with our partners in other relevant countries and jurisdictions.”
The outlook for 2013 foresees a further strengthening of the AML/CFT system
including the implementation of Moneyval Recommendations through appropriate
new or amended legislation and a continuation of the awareness enhancing
process across all relevant
authorities and institutions.
The full-year report is available at:
http://attualita.vatican.va/sala-stampa/bollettino/2013/05/22/news/31044.html.
___________________________________________________________
POPE VISITS MISSIONARIES OF CHARITY, REAFFIRMS VALUE OF SOLIDARITY
Vatican City, 22 May 2013 (VIS) – “My presence here this afternoon
represents, first of all, a heartfelt 'thank you' to the Missionaries of
Charity founded by Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, who have worked here for 25
years, with many
volunteers, for the many people who are in need of assistance. Thank you! All
of you make the Church's love for the poor visible … and with your
daily service you are—as the Psalm says—'You open wide your hand
and satisfy the desire
of every living thing'. … How many people have you fed in these years;
how many wounded, above all wounded spiritually, have you cared for!”
With these words Pope Francis addressed the missionaries, volunteers, and
residents in the Gift of Mary Hospitality House located within Vatican City,
just outside St. Peter's Square. He visited the community yesterday, Tuesday
21 May, at around 5:30pm
in the afternoon, to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Blessed John Paul
II's placing the house under the care of Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta.
The Pope was welcomed by Cardinal Angelo Comastri, vicar general of His
Holiness for Vatican City, and
the Superior General of the Missionaries of Charity, Sr. Mary Prema Pierick,
M.C., and the sisters placed a garland of flowers around the pontiff's neck,
in a gesture from Hindu tradition. The house accommodates around 25 women and
feeds around 60
people on a daily basis.
In his brief speech to the community, the Pope focused on three words: house,
gift, and Mary.
“This structure, built and inaugurated by Blessed John Paul II,”
he said, “… is a 'home'. And when we say 'home', we mean a place
of welcome … where you can feel good, re-find yourself, feel part of
… a community.
Even more profoundly, 'home' is a word with a typically familial flavour that
recalls the warmth, affection, and love that can be felt in a family. A 'home'
thus represents the most precious human wealth, that of encounter, that of the
relationships
between persons of different ages, cultures, and histories, but who live
together and who, together, help one another to grow. … And that is
what this house has sought to be for 25 years! At the border between the
Vatican and Italy, it is a
powerful reminder to all of us—to the Church, to the city of
Rome—to always be more of a family, a 'home' in which we are open to
welcome, to attention, and to fraternity.”
“Then there is a second very important word, 'gift', which qualifies
this house and defines it typical identity. … I mean that this house
gives welcome, material and spiritual support to you, dear guests, coming from
various parts of the
world. But you also are a gift for this house and for the Church. You tell us
that loving God and our neighbour is not something abstract but profoundly
concrete. It means seeing in every person the face of the Lord to serve and
serving him concretely.
… Here is lived a an open hospitality, regardless of one's nationality
or religion, according to Jesus' teaching: 'Without cost you have received;
without cost you are to give.' We must recover the entire sense of gift, of
gratuity and
solidarity. A savage capitalism has taught the logic of profit at any cost,
give in order to get, exploitation without looking at persons …. and we
see the results in the crisis we are living through! This house is a place
that teaches
charity, a 'school' of charity, that teaches us to go out to every person, not
for profit, but out of love.”
“Finally, there is one more feature of this house: it is qualified as a
gift 'of Mary'. … Mary is an example and an inspiration for those who
live in this house, and for all of us, to live charity towards our neighbour,
not out of a type of
social duty, but starting from God's love, from God's charity. … Mary
is the one who leads us to Jesus and who teaches us how to go out from Jesus
… For us Christians, love for one's neighbour is born from the love of
God and is the
clearest expression of it. Here you seek to love your neighbour, but also to
let yourselves be loved by them. These two attitudes go hand in hand. There
cannot be one without the other.”
___________________________________________________________
POPE'S TELEGRAM FOR OKLAHOMA CATASTROPHE
Vatican City, 22 May 2013 (VIS) – Yesterday afternoon, the Holy Father
sent a message, through Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone, S.D.B.,
to Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA, for the tornado
that devastated the
city and suburbs, causing numerous victims and wounded on Monday, 20 May.
“The Holy Father,” reads the text, “has followed with deep
concern the aftermath of the devastating tornado which has struck Oklahoma and
he asks you convey to the entire community the assurance of his solidarity and
closeness in
prayer. Conscious of the tragic loss of life and the immensity of the work of
rebuilding that lies ahead, he asks Almighty God to grant eternal rest to the
departed, comfort to the afflicted, and strength and hope to the homeless and
the injured. In a
particular way he commends to the Father of mercies the many young children
among the victims and their grieving families. Upon the local civil and
religious leaders, and upon all involved in the relief efforts, His Holiness
invokes the Risen
Lord’s gifts of consolation, strength, and perseverance in every
good.”
___________________________________________________________
AUDIENCE
Vatican City, 22 May 2013 (VIS) – After this morning's general audience,
the Holy Father received the President of the Republic of Benin, Dr. Thomas
Yayi Boni, in the study adjoining the Paul VI Audience Hall.
___________________________________________________________
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VISnews130522
VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE YEAR XXIII - N° 112DATE 22-05-2013
Summary: - GENERAL AUDIENCE: BE COURAGEOUS
WITNESSES OF THE GOSPEL - THAT CHINESE CATHOLICS MAY HAVE NO FEAR TO SPEAK OF JESUS - FIRST
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE VATICAN FINANCIAL INFORMATION AUTHORITY - POPE
VISITS MISSIONARIES OF CHARITY, REAFFIRMS VALUE OF SOLIDARITY - POPE'S
TELEGRAM FOR OKLAHOMA
CATASTROPHE - AUDIENCE
GENERAL AUDIENCE: BE COURAGEOUS WITNESSES OF THE GOSPEL
Vatican City, 22 May 2013 (VIS) – Pope Francis dedicated his
Wednesday general audience catechesis to the Holy Spirit, without whom,
“the Church could not live or carry out the mission that Jesus has
entrusted us with, of going out and
making disciples of all nations. Evangelisation is the Church's mission, not
just of a few, but my, your, our mission. … To evangelize, then, it is
necessary to open ourselves once again to the action of God's Spirit, without
fear of what He
might ask us or where He might lead us. Let us entrust ourselves to him. He
will enable us to live and to bear witness to our faith. He will illuminate
the hearts of those we meet. This was the experience of Pentecost: of the
Apostles gathered with Mary
in the Upper Room.”
“The Holy Spirit, descending upon the Apostles, makes them go out of
the room in which they had locked themselves out of fear. He makes them go out
of themselves and transforms them into heralds and witnesses ' of the mighty
acts of God'. This
transformation, wrought by the Holy Spirit, is reflected in the crowd that
rushed to the scene, coming 'from every nation under heaven' so that each
might hear the Apostles' words as if they were proclaimed in their own
language.”
“This is the first important effect of the Holy Spirit …
unity, communion.” … At Pentecost, these divisions [the confusion
of languages as in the Biblical story of the tower of Babel] are overcome.
…A new language,
that of the love that the Holy Spirit 'pours out into our hearts' [is
established]. … We must all ask ourselves: how am I letting myself be
guided by the Holy Spirit so that my life and my witness to the faith might be
of unity and communion?
… What am I doing with my life?” Pope Francis asked, raising his
voice. “Am I creating unity? Or am I dividing, with my gossip,
criticism, and jealousies? What am I doing? Let's think about this.”
A second effect of the Holy Spirit's action, the pontiff continued,
“is the courage to proclaim the newness of the Gospel of Jesus to all,
frankly and out loud, in every time and in every place. … Let us never
close ourselves to this
action! Let us live the Gospel with humility and courage. …
Evangelising, proclaiming Jesus give us joy.”
“I will just mention a third element, which is particularly
important, however: a new evangelisation, a Church that evangelises must
always begin from prayer, from asking, as did the Apostles in the Upper Room,
for the fire of the Holy Spirit.
Only a faithful and intense relationship with God allows us to go out of our
own closures and announce the Gospel with 'parrhesia' (boldly).”
Before concluding, Pope Francis recalled the words of Benedict XVI:
“Today the Church 'feels the wind of the Holy Spirit who helps us, who
shows us the right road; and so, we are on our way ... with new enthusiasm'
… Let us renew each
day our trust in the Holy Spirit's action. Let us let ourselves be guided by
him. Let us be men and women of prayer who witness to the Gospel with courage,
becoming instruments of God's unity and communion in our world.”
At the end of his catechesis the Holy Father greeted the nearly 50,000
people gathered in St. Peter's Square. He particularly encouraged everyone to
pray for the victims, especially the children, of the disaster that occurred
in Oklahoma, USA.
THAT CHINESE CATHOLICS MAY HAVE NO FEAR TO SPEAK OF JESUS
Vatican City, 22 May 2013 (VIS) – At the end of this morning's
general audience, the Holy Father—noting that this Friday, 24 May, is
the day dedicated to the liturgical memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Help
of Christians, who is
venerated with great devotion at the National Shrine of Sheshan in Shanghai,
China—launched an appeal, inviting “Catholics around the world to
join in prayer with our brothers and sisters in China; to implore of God the
grace to proclaim
Christ, dead and risen, with humility and joy; to be faithful to his Church
and the Successor of Peter; and to live their everyday lives in service to
their country and their fellow citizens in a manner consistent with the faith
they profess.”
The Pope offered these words to be said in order to call upon Mary's
intercession: “Our Lady of Sheshan, in their everyday struggles, sustain
the commitment of all those in China, so that they may continue to believe, to
hope, to love, and so
they may never fear to speak of Jesus to the world and of the world to
Jesus.”
“Mary, Virgin most faithful, support Chinese Catholics. Make their
commitments, which are not easy, ever more precious in the eyes of the Lord
and help the affection and the participation of the Church in China to grow in
the path of the
universal Church.”
FIRST ANNUAL REPORT OF THE VATICAN FINANCIAL INFORMATION AUTHORITY
Vatican City, 22 May 2013 (VIS) – This afternoon in the Press Office
of the Holy See, Rene Brulhart, director of the Vatican Financial Information
Authority (L’Autorità di Informazione Finanziara, AIF), presented
the AIF's first
annual report, which examines their activities and statistics from 2012. The
AIF is the competent authority of the Holy See and the Vatican City State for
financial intelligence and for supervision and regulation in the prevention
and countering of
money laundering and financing of terrorism. It was established in 2010 and
became operational in April of 2011.
“Over the course of the year,” reads a press release
accompanying the conference, “AIF reported the submission of six
Suspicious Transaction Reports, up from only one in the previous year. AIF
itself forwarded two Suspicious
Transaction Reports to the Vatican Promoter of Justice for further
investigation.”
"The statistics and trends from 2012 are encouraging and indicates that the
system is consistently improving," said Dr. Brulhart. In 2012, AIF also
initiated the systematic screening and analysis of Cash Transaction Reports
submitted by the obliged
entities.
“In our efforts to actively tackle any potential abuse of the
financial system,” continued Director Brulhart, “we initiated a
close and constructive interaction with the Secretariat of State, the
Gendarmeria, the Promoter of Justice
and the institutions under our oversight in order to improve awareness and
safety and ensure a coordinated internal cooperation in AML/CFT
atters.”
A further important element of the report is the progress made in
international cooperation that builds on the clear commitment of the Holy See
to be a credible partner in the international fight against money laundering.
2012 saw the signing of a
Memorandum of Understanding with relevant authorities in Belgium and Spain.
Dr. Brulhart stated that “it will continue to be our policy in 2013 to
further strengthening international cooperation by signing several more
Memorandum of Understanding
with our partners in other relevant countries and jurisdictions.”
The outlook for 2013 foresees a further strengthening of the AML/CFT system
including the implementation of Moneyval Recommendations through appropriate
new or amended legislation and a continuation of the awareness enhancing
process across all
relevant authorities and institutions.
